New Zealand!

Hi strangers,

Yes, I know I have been a terrible blogger and photographer (and penpal, for that matter) ever since settling down in Australia and becoming a worker bee again. I've recently purchased a new Mac and a new photo-editing program so I'm hoping this will soon change.

A friend recently alerted me to the fact that there was no indication evidence whatsoever on the web regarding my recent holiday to New Zealand. I thought that would be a good place to start.

(By the way, this is not my favorite photo of Dom and I but I only have three from the trip! If I find a better one on Dom's camera I will be replacing this.)

First the stats:

Holiday count - 21 days (a few of them borrowed - thanks Monash!)

Distance driven - 1626 miles (2616 km)

Nautical miles traveled - 114 miles (184 km)

Days of hiking - 7 pretty intense days

Highlights - The Milford Track (one of the great walks of NZ); Seeing the dark sports in the Milky Way in the night sky from the Mueller Hut in Mt Cook National Park; Hanging out with Dom's adorable nephews

Most painful moment - The last km of the Mueller Hut track and my ensuing sore muscles. I've never been so sore! (Call me soft but I found descending 1800 m in 5.7 km a real challenge!)

As usual, I've Google mapped our journey. Gosh, I love Google maps. When I signed into "My places" tonight I found a map I made of a trip to Nicaragua in 2002! I should have been a geographer.

View New Zealand 2011 in a larger map

Now for a few photos...

Melbourne November 7: Photo of the Day

Australian Countryside

Outside Mansfield, Victoria

So often the Australian countryside reminds me of California. This particular region on the road to Jamieson reminds me of the stretch of road between Stockton an Angels Camp, a drive my family and I used to do every year on the way up to the snow. The only difference is those are gum trees, not oaks. :)

Melbourne November 6: Photo of the Day

Martijn & Van's Wedding

Jamieson, Victoria

This weekend two of our closest Melbourne friends got married in the Australian countryside. It was the smallest, most simple wedding I've ever attended and quite unique. All guests were asked to contribute something they are gifted in or passionate about - their guitar playing friend did the music, photographer friends took the pictures, pastry chef friend made the cup cakes and so on and so on. Everything was a community effort and as a result everyone got to know each other and felt a part of the wedding (verses just an observer/attendee). To me the weekend encapsulated the true spirit of a wedding - a celebration of the couple and all of their friends and family.

Melbourne November 5: Photo of the Day

Jockey Hat Cookies

Yarck, Victoria

I mentioned before that the races are a big deal in Australia. Maybe you're getting the idea. :) We found these jockey cookies in a pie shop in a small country town about 2 hours outside of Melbourne. Unfortunately they didn't taste nearly as good as they look.

Melbourne November 4: Photo of the Day

Birthday Cappuccino

Queen Victoria Market, Melbourne

Melbourneans (and maybe even Australians in general) are coffee snobs. Nobody makes coffee at home. Instead they pick up a long black, short white or strong skinny cappuccino from their local coffee shop every morning (at no less than $3.50 a pop!). Coffee = fancy coffee. Real coffee, aka brewed coffee, doesn't exist. Not even at GAS STATIONS!! This has taken a lot of getting used to. Lucky for me I have a very nice IKEA bought french press that I use so that I can get the caffeine flowing before I walk out the door. But I have to admit - the coffee is delicious!

Melbourne November 3: Photo of the Day

Mi Corazon

Brunswick East, Victoria

This is not my favorite picture. It is, however, a picture of my favorite restaurant in Melbourne so far. It's a proper Mexican restaurant (which was even hard to find in New York!) - with corn tortillas, imported Mexican beer, delicious salsa and live music every Thursday, Friday and Saturday night - and is only just a couple shops down from our apartment. SCORE! Needless to say, Dom and I are regulars!

Melbourne November 2: Photo of the Day

Melbourne Cup Day

Flinders Street Station, Melbourne

The Melbourne Cup is Australia's most famous Thoroughbred horse race. The race is held every year on the second Tuesday of November, and is perhaps the biggest Melbourne social event of the year. It's such an important part of the culture that it's been made a public holiday! People travel from near and far to attend, millions of dollars are placed on bets, and horses make news headlines everyday for a week leading up to the event.

How do the men get their ladies to go? Fashion. What you're seen wearing at the races is as important as seeing the horses race, and they even have a runway prior to the race for ladies to show off! On my way to work this morning I intersected the Cup crowd at Flinders Street Railway Station where everyone was connecting to the race track. I found myself emotionally overwhelmed as I watched Melbourneans of all ages - from 7 to 75 - proudly and excitedly stroll through the train station in their best suits and prettiest dresses. It is also customary for women to wear gorgeous hats or fasteners in their hair. The race is referred to as "The race that stops a nation", and I would wholeheartedly agree.