we've been workin it

Now for a month in Melbourne. We've had a week here already. So far, we've settled into our apartment, found promising jobs, seen some sights and have even squeezed in a few seasons of Conrad's favorite show, Entourage. We're living in St. Kilda, a district southwest of Melbourne central. Its an art precinct! You know what that means, lots of crazy clad people walking down streets that never seize to surprise you.

Flying into Melbourne on Friday evening meant we had to spend the night in the airport. We knew it was coming... we were ready for it. We flew for 3hrs, we got free television reception, Conrad got to watch one of the hockey playoff games. When we arrived at the airport we found a cozy spot to unroll our sleeping bags and call it a night. My spot was behind a long bench; a spot just big enough to lie in but discreet enough to be unseen. Unfortunately, Conrad wasn't so lucky. He was sleeping right in front of the bench out in the open. He said that at one time he opened his eyes and looked up to some "big-boned" kid starring down at him! Surprisingly, we both had relatively good sleeps; not surprising, sleeping in a private bed is preferred.

After a day of getting our bearings in our neighborhood, we've ventured out to see some sights. On Sunday, we headed to the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) for one of the last performances from the Melbourne Comedy festival. We were entertained by a Queen lipsyncing, batton juggling, leather pant wearing man with a fake Italian accent. It may sound cheesy but it was hilarious! The show was held in the theatre of one of the prominent art galleries in Melbourne. After the show we were able to look through one of the other exhibits, photography done by some contemporary Chinese artists. The work was provocative, I'm looking forward to going back and seeing the other exhibits.

The following day was a day for business, so to speak. We got our resume's organized, Conrad got a haircut and we both applied for jobs. Conrad got an offer for a kitchen job that day. Right now, he's juggling the prospect of two jobs. I was offered a barista job at a local cafe. They specialize in French desserts. It feels like Willy Wonka's chocolate factory in there; shelves and shelves of chocolate treats. They also serve coffee, which is where I come in. So we've both got the "working in Australia" part on the go. Both our jobs are walking distance from home. At night, strolling along one the residential side streets, you'll see possum's hanging from the branches. The first time I nearly walked face first into one of them. The little guy was hanging from a branch at eye level. Conrad said he was about to warn me but he thought it was a cat.... "Oh, that's much better!"

We also went to the IMAX here. They were showing a U2 concert in 3D. I must admit I'm not a big U2 fan [cringe... I know... no need to yell at the computer screen] BUT after seeing them perform I am more of a fan then before. How could I not, after fashionning such funky glasses!

We've had our share of Melbourne fashion! We've wandered the streets of Chinatown and the downtown shopping centre. While Conrad may not get all the "fashionable" trends, we both get that its big here. We've been through underground shopping centres that span for blocks. First, you find yourself descending down stairs and finally you emerge blocks from where you started! This would be a heavenly place for a shopping spree!!!! [don't worry Ma, it won't happen]

Yesterday, we headed out for the Melbourne Aquarium. It was a lot smaller than we thought it would be but aquariums are always entertaining. Its incredible seeing these GIANT tanks.... it reminds me of my humble 10 gallon tank at home! Lucky for us, we showed up at the exact same time as an elementary field trip. There were munchkins running around everywhere. They sure are excitable little things!!!

Later we also went back to the IMAX to check out the museum side (we purchased the tickets together.) The museum was full of dinosaurs, bugs, rocks, aboriginal artifacts, etc. We both especially enjoyed an exhibit in the Human Anatomy section describing, with life sized models, about the digestive system. We both had a good laugh when it came to the end of the process, where a fake piece of feaces could be found next to a button that made fart noises. There's something for everyone at the Melbourne IMAX Museum!!

We're off again.

Tomorrows the day we head to Melbourne. This week has been full events. Some of us even got older. It was Conrad's birthday on Sunday. We had a day of White Water Rafting on the Tully River. It was amazing! We were rafting on grade four rapids. It was a whole day event; started a 6:30am, ended at 6:30pm. The sun was shining, couldn't have asked for more. The secret that it was Conrad's birthday got out of the bag rather quickly. One of the guides on the bus mentionned he would get sauced... whatever that means. We soon found out. At lunch, Conrad was ambushed by ketchup and BBQ bottles. They covered him. Then just as he was washing off in the river, they threw bread crumbs at the fish, which got them biting. Funny enough, I did not actually witness any of it! I was happily watching the fish while warming myself in the glorious sunshine. I remember seeing Conrad in the water but I figured he was just crazy enough to go for a swim after being soaked all afternoon... turns out, he's not that crazy!
That night we went to a nice Japanese Restaurant. The food was great but the portions were small... expected for such cuisine. It was the first time, in a long time, that my lips got to touch the sweet taste of red wine! Dinner was great, we both realized how long it had been since we'd eaten out!

We've also kept ourselves busy exploring Cape Tribulation. On Tuesday, we went on a day trip up the coast. We stopped at a freshwater gorge called Mossman Gorge. There we got to go for a brisk swim and check out the suspension bridge.


Then we were off to the Daintree Wildlife Centre. We met up with a crazy, barefoot bushman who led us throw the park, while explaining how "special" everything was. He was quite the character! He had nasty long toenails... I'm sorry I noticed! But it was at this wildlife centre that we got to see our first saltwater crocodile up close. Enclosed within a fence was a murky pond. You're standing on a wood-plank walkway suspended a few feet in the air. Then the crazy bushman taps the water with the end of his walking stick and, "SPLASH!! [Chomp! Chomp!]" a giant croc emerges from nowhere. It blows your mind that you were just looking at the calm, motionless, water intently looking for some sign of life, meanwhile he's been sitting there right under your nose.

Our next stop of the day was for a walk through the rainforest to the Mangroves. These rainforests have been around for millions of years. They count for 1% of Australias forests but carries almost 50% of its types of wildlife! Walking through the forest was like walking through time. This one tree is known as a strangler tree. It slowly kills the hosts tree it lives on. This one had long since killed the tree it had engulfed but remained standing.
We drove up to Cape Tribulation for lunch. The beach was nice, but at that point the rain clouds had come in, so it ended up looking like any standard beach. It was interesting to see a stingray station as you enter the beach. There were signs everywhere warning of the risk and a bottle of vinegar to use if a sting occurred. To think, these are the circumstances these people have to deal with every year. "Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink." In this area, it is incredibly hot and water surrounds you but you can't swim in it. Because of this paradox almost every accommodation provides you with a swimming pool.

On our way to our next activity we saw a wild Cassowary. They are protected, indiginous wildlife of Australia. They are giant Emu-like birds with colorful heads and black feathers. They have a talon on one of there claws that could easily kill a human, so they are warned to be very dangerous. Driving along the road you see a number signs warning of there prescence. It was during the drive when one stepped out on the road to cross the street.
From there we were on our way to a river cruise down the Daintree River, hoping to spot of few saltwater crocs in the wild. We did! Apparently, in that area there are around 4 males and 6-7 females. Because crocs are very territorial they are usually able to identify each croc spotted. While we journeyed down the river, we also entered a number of their territory. It was a thrilling reminder when they would tell you NOT to lean over the boat! While on the cruise, we saw Scarface, a 3ft male, and 3 females, but sadly I have forgotten there names. It was neat!

Yesterday, we went snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. The boat ride was long and it really made me motion sick. Unless we were snorkelling, I was sleeping on one of the benches of the boat. I found this to be the only way to halt the sickness.... damn, that boat was bumpy. We did, however, have a great day on the reef. We spotted a couple of sea turtles that curiously stuck around. They acted like puppies! They were really cute! Because they have to come up for air you could even spot them from the top of the boat. All of a sudden they would emerge for a few good breathes before descending again. Conrad recently bought a water proof case for his camera. He was able to snag a few really good photos which I will try to post later. The trip enables us to snorkel for at least 3hrs on the reef. There are fish everywhere, schooling in funny ways. I've learned that the coral itself is colorless but certain algaes give them color. Also, they grow about 1cm/ year so any damage is quite tragic. It really is a breathtaking environment... this slow-growing reef seems neverending out there.

Cairns...

These are from Fraser Island. This was our trusty 4x4 with our hood ornament Stacey!

These were the football/ soccor teams. The pictures pretty much speak for themselves!

The Maheno Shipwreck... an eerie sight.

What can I say about Cairns?! Hmm,... its incredibly hot and humid up here. The heat messes with my creative ability when writing these posts. We've been staying here since Tuesday morning. After an overnight bus from Airlie Beach, we arrived.



Back in Airlie... we went on the 3 day sailing cruise through the Whitsundays. Its was incredible. We had a free introductory scuba dive included with our sailing trip... Conrad's first scuba experience. He said he loved it. At one point, he was face to face with a giant sting ray. It was covered in sand at the bottom of one of the coral reefs, Conrad was just looking around when our guide came up and signaled for him to back up. Then, with a few flaps of its wings you saw this giant sting ray emerge from the sand. Conrad said he looked him right in the eye!!! Its hard to articulate the feeling as it seemlessly "flew" away!



We were on an 80ft maxi-racing sailboat from the late 80's. Her name was Apollo. Although, she hasn't raced since then she was obviously ahead of her time. On the way back we had good winds and raced another retired maxi. The boat was nearly completely tipped over! For a sail boat we were cruising! As a passenger you are supposed to sit on the side of the boat that is above water [pretty obvious] but this rule alludes that the other side is under water. Apparently, the main sail can go all the way down 110 degrees.... 20degrees below the top of the water... and she'll still sail and stay afloat! And there you are sitting on the upright side... you're legs are dangling as you enjoy the surreal view from the deck of the boat. Conrad and I were sitting right at the front. We got blasted by this really big wave and got soaked! It was great! Unfortunately, we both had our cameras at the time and Conrad's did not go so well. He just picked up a replacement here in Cairns... don't worry his photo's are fine just the camera won't work.



All in all, the sailing trip was great. We got to do a lot of snorkelling and went on 2 dives. We saw tons of fish, coral and other sea life! No sharks though... I'm not sure how I feel about that... At one point, we "threw anchor" in a nice lagoon. It wasn't a moment later that a wild cockatoo landed on the mast [?]... one of the cords that supports the sail... then another one came... and another one. Back home you only see these birds in pet stores. Here you see them flying around wild! Its crazy! Crackers were brought out and they carefully picked them out of your hand. Conrad got to hold one of the crackers out. Everyone got their photo-op in... at first the crew was delighted by the visitors. One guy said he'd been sailing for a year and a half, yet this was news to him. However, once the parrots stuck around to deficate on the deck their demeanour changed.



At the time, the purpose for stopping was to check out aboriginal cave paintings on the adjoining island. After a quick hike we made it to the cave. I remember my first year of art history. Some of the first pieces we learnt about were the cave paintings dating back to 80 000 BC... don't quote me I can't quite remember the dates... anyway the idea of such ancient artworks blew my mind then and it continued to when I saw some with my own eyes. Although these works were not nearly as dated as those studied in history class, it was equivically humbling.

But to every amazing moment there seems to be its opposite. The cave was swarmed with mosquitos which no one realised were eating us alive after we had been standing there for a while. I have never gotten so many bites in such a short period of time. Dinnertime continued as well ventured to a few look out points. We all got some nice shots of Apollo in the calm lagoon... meanwhile, the f*cking mosquitos were at work! I was one of the first to decided they'd had enough and started back. Some of the rocks were slimy and I slipped and bashed my head against the rocks. It sucked. My butt was covered in the slimy mud for the rest of the trip. While waiting for the zodiac to pick us up Conrad slipped and broke his sandal. We were zero for two. Not the greatest of luck. Looking back we both smile. [scratch.scratch]

...more stories to come... I'm out of time.