Kristen and Dylan Cohon

We're Home

2009-03-01T08:09:00.002+11:00

Thank you to everybody who followed our blog.

Hello New Zealand

2008-12-04T20:08:00.002+11:00

Instead of taking a direct flight 17 hours from Melbourne to Los Angeles, we stopped off in Auckland to have a week of fun on the north island in New Zealand. We are excited about this leg of the trip because in addition to breaking up the excruciating travel, we also get so see one of the most beautiful parts of the world we’ve ever been to.

We are in Paihia, which is about four hours north of Auckland. We are staying at a really great house that looks out on the Bay of Islands. The view is amazing! The Bay of Islands reminds us of the San Juan Islands (in Washington State), except that the water is warm and bright blue.

Today we rode a ferry from Paihia to a cute little town called Russell. We enjoyed walking around Russell. While we were there we had lunch in a café, skipped rocks in the beautiful water, and got ice cream cones. Then we rode the ferry back to Paihia.

Tomorrow we are going on a boat trip through the islands. The company that runs the boat trip guarantees that we will see dolphins. We are even allowed to swim with the dolphins if we want.

In two days we are going sea kayaking around the islands. Then we are going to pack up and drive to Auckland. Along the way we are going to stop at some famous old growth forests and beaches.

Anxious to Get Home

2008-12-04T19:49:00.000+11:00

I am sorry to announce that last week my grandfather, Gail Ringer, passed away. Sadly, that is the second grandparent we’ve lost since arriving in Australia. Kristen’s Grandfather, Ted Otto, passed away just as we arrived in Australia. Losing Grandpa last week, just days before we were scheduled to depart for America, reminded us of how much we miss our family and friends in America. We are looking forward to getting home and seeing everybody.

Goodbye Australia

2008-12-04T19:36:00.001+11:00

On Sunday, the Flores Family brought us to the train station (in two cars because our luggage wouldn’t fit in one). It wasn’t until we were seated on the train to Melbourne that we relaxed a bit and had time to reflect. As the train pulled out of the station we were sad to see Albury disappear behind us.

It is surprising how quickly our 13 months in Australia have passed by. We can remember our arrival as clearly as if it were yesterday. It is surprising how deeply we have been affected by our year abroad. It was truly an unforgettable experience.

We arrived without expectation and embarrassed by how little we knew about Australia. Now we feel like Australia is home. We have learned so much about the country, traveled it extensively, and met so many great people along the way. We have also gotten used to the accents and the slang, the differences in the culture, and driving on the left.

We feel lucky to have met so many wonderful people and to have forged many lifelong friendships. It is difficult to leave knowing that we will be far away from all of the people we have grown accustom to seeing daily. We want to extend an open invitation to anyone we have met in Australia who would like to visit us in Seattle. Everywhere we went in Australia, we were shown nothing but the utmost hospitality, and we would love the opportunity to reciprocate. Both tennis players and non-tennis players should not hesitate to contact us.

We will miss you all very much! Thank you for a grand time.

Luggage

2008-12-04T19:34:00.002+11:00

We didn’t realize how much stuff we acquired in Australia until it came time to get it all home. Wow we have a lot of stuff! It took us several days to deal with it all. We had to call Quantas to figure out baggage limitations, and then we set out trying to figure how we would comply with the limitations. We packed, re-packed, mailed some boxes, donated some things, and bought an additional suitcase before we finally finished packing. Before we left, we also had to contact our rental car company in New Zealand to make sure they would have a large enough car to accommodate all of our bags.

Last Day of Pennant

2008-12-04T16:27:00.003+11:00

Luckily, Dylan had time to play one last day of Pennant at the Albury Grass Courts on Saturday. Dylan was pleased because he and Rodney won their match, and Dylan won both of his singles matches. It worked out well that he was able to play, so we could say goodbye to all of his tennis mates. It was especially sad leaving Rodney after spending so much time getting to know him over the last 13 months. In addition to being Dylan’s doubles partner and tennis teammate, Rodney and his wife Shirley have become some of our best friends in Albury, so we’ll really miss them.

Busy Final Week In Albury

2008-12-04T16:19:00.001+11:00

For the last week of November, we stayed at Paul’s house. As you can imagine, we had a lot to do in preparation for the big move home. We even had to perform a preliminary mock pack to ensure that our luggage was within the airline limits. We also had to figure out what to do with our car, bank accounts, phones, etc. It is amazing how many chores accompany moving. We were on the go everyday (except Sunday, when we got a flat tire).

Our limited time was also spent trying to see of our friends so we could say proper goodbyes to everybody. Our friends were all very generous and hosted us for last minute meals to send us off. In the end, we were able to complete almost everything we had hoped, and say goodbye to almost everyone.

On Thursday, Paul and Amy hosted a full on going away party at Paul’s house, complete with flyers, pizza and hors d’oeuvres. The party was great fun and it meant a lot to us that so many people were able to attend. The flyers stated BYO but we bought a back up supply of alcohol, since we know how much Australians like to drink. It turns out that we overestimated and had plenty of leftovers. Oops. Our friends in Albury will be able to drink it (and remember us) for a long time.

Manly & Sydney

2008-12-04T16:08:00.002+11:00

When we left the rainforest, we drove down Pioneer Valley to Mackay, and flew from there to Sydney. When we landed in Sydney, we drove to Manly. Manly is one of the oldest suburbs of Sydney. We were excited to get there because our accommodations were on the beach; and Manly is famous for its incredibly popular beach, which is usually packed with surfers, beach volleyball players, and topless sunbathers. We had been looking forward to taking surf lessons and relaxing on the beach.

Unfortunately, we barely set foot on the beach, because it was overcast and drizzly the whole time we were in Manly. We found this pretty ironic, since Manly is known for its beautiful weather (as well as its beach). Oh well. Australia needs the moisture more than we need the tan.

Despite the terrible weather, Manly ended up being really fun. One reason was that our friends Graham and Margaret rented an apartment that was four doors down the beach from us, so we got to hang out with them while we were there. Another reason we had so much fun was that since the weather was bad, we just went into the city a lot. That worked out well because Sydney is always fun, even if the weather isn’t so good. On the one day that we did get beach weather we took Blossom to Bondi Beach, which is another one of Australia’s famous and popular beaches.

More Fun In The Forest

2008-12-04T15:50:00.002+11:00

Before we left the rainforest, we did some other cool activities. One of the fun activities that we did was platypus watching, something you can’t do anywhere else in the world because platypuses only live in Australia. We hiked to known platypus feeding spots along rivers and streams, and then we sat still and waited for the platypuses to come out of their dens to swim around and feed. They only eat at dusk and dawn, so we had to time our arrival just right. Unfortunately platypuses are not photogenic since they are small, dark colored, and they only surface when the light is low.

We also went on a great hike/walk. We went through a very dense forest with amazing trees. The trail ended at a swimming hole with a waterfall. What a great reward at the end of a hike! Kristen could not be talked into swimming, because we couldn’t guarantee there would not poisonous critters swimming in the water. Water snakes are evidently common in the rainforest, but it doesn’t seem to deter the locals from swimming, so Blossom and I didn’t let it deter us either. We jumped in without hesitation! (Actually…in all honesty…I made Blossom jump in first, and then once she survived I jumped in too.)

Forest Flying

2008-11-20T20:59:00.001+11:00

While we were in the rainforest, we did one of the coolest activities we’ve ever done: forest flying. We hiked to the top of a ridge above a very tropical valley. Then we glided down a 900ft cable to a platform that was suspended about 90 feet high in a tree. Once we got to the platform we transferred all our harness equipment to a second cable line and glided another 500 feet down the valley, to the place we started our hike from.

Gliding was incredibly fun and a bit scary. At times we were over 100 feet above the forest floor, and the trees we brushed past were home countless lethal reptiles and insects. Our gliding equipment included a brake that allowed us to slow up and look at the wildlife in the treetops. The most impressive wildlife we saw was a colony of 4,000 bats. The cable passed within several feet of tree limbs that were lined with bats.

We enjoyed getting to meet Dave and Dona, the people who own the property we were on and run the forest flying business. Dave and Donna live mostly off the land, so as we hiked through the forest, they showed us what they eat. One of the most impressive things about forest flying is that Dave actually put the cable up. Because no helicopters would fly low enough to install the cable from above, Dave actually did it by himself, from the ground. He did it by shooting weighted arrows (with fishing-line attached) over the treetops, and then pulling the cable up. It took over a year. Amazing!

Into the Rainforest

2008-11-18T20:21:00.003+11:00

Last Wednesday we left Airlie Beach and drove inland for several hours until we got to the town of Finch Hatton, which is located in Pioneer Valley, on the outskirts of Eungalla National Park. Finch Hatton has a population of less than 200 people and only consists of a few houses, one store, and one pub/hotel/restaurant.

When we got to Pioneer Valley, we thought we would be spending our first night at a cabin just outside Finch Hatton, but when we arrived we learned that we were off by a day, and our reservation didn’t start until the following night. Lucky for us the town Pub had rooms available, so we didn’t have to drive too far to find a place to stay for the night.

Staying at the Criterion (Pub) was one of the most authentic Australian bush experiences we’ve had. The pub is over 100 years old, and has a feel unlike any other bar we’ve been to. We really enjoyed spending time at the pub, playing pool, eating delicious pub meals, and mixing with the locals. We got along really well with some of the locals (especially Stewart, the pub owner).

The natural vegetation around Finch Hatton is dense tropical rainforest, but there are some farms (mostly sugar cane) in areas where the forest has been cleared. The rainforest is home to some spectacular and scary wildlife, including huge bird-eating spiders, tree-climbing pythons over a foot in diameter, and leaches that drop from shrubs onto humans. We got to see some impressive creatures, some of which we could never see elsewhere in the world, such as platypuses. We also saw turtles, lizards, thousands of bats, and even flying turkeys (see picture).

Life in the tropical rainforest is quite different that what we are used to. It was interesting to see a town where mobile phones and internet are still uncommon. We learned that many of the people in the area are rarely seen, because they intentionally built their houses in secluded parts of the forest where they can live entirely off the land.

Sailing to Whitehaven Beach

2008-11-12T13:52:00.003+11:00

Yesterday we went sailing to one of the nicest beaches in the world. We left Airlie Beach early in the morning on the Camira, a 36 meter purple catamaran. The boat and crew were impressive. We first sailed to Hook Island, where we had “morning tea” (a.k.a. breakfast) and then went snorkeling on a small coral reef just off of the island.

Once we had all returned to the boat from snorkeling we set sail for Whitehaven Beach, on the eastern coast of Whitsunday Island. Whitehaven Beach is renowned as one of the top 10 beaches in the world. It is known for its pure white sand and perfectly clear water. The entire island is a national park, and you can only access the beach by boat or seaplane, so the beach is never too crowded. We were suspicious that Whitehaven Beach wouldn’t live up to all the hype, but it did! We felt like we were in a postcard; it felt fake. We loved swimming and playing in the little waves. The water was really inviting because it looked like pool water. We loved floating on our backs because we were more buoyant in this water than in pool water. The water was very warm but we had to wear stinger suits because it is jellyfish season. After playing on the beach, we had a delicious BBQ on the boat before sailing back to Arlie Beach. What a memorable day.

More Photos of Sailing to Whitehaven Beach

2008-11-12T13:43:00.002+11:00

We Found Nemo!

2008-11-10T08:22:00.002+11:00

For those who don’t know much about the Great Barrier Reef, it is a 1,200 mile stretch of living coral that runs along the tropical northeast coast of Australia. In whole, the Reef is the same size as 70 million soccer fields, which is also roughly the same size as the UK. Today we went on a boat trip out to the Great Barrier Reef. Seeing the Great Barrier Reef was one of the coolest things we have ever done.

Early this morning we boarded a 125 foot cruise boat that took us 60 miles off the coast to Knuckle Reef, one of the 2,900 individual reefs that comprise the Great Barrier Reef. Once we got there we docked at an enormous pontoon marine base for the afternoon. (The boat is docked at the pontoon marine base in the photo below.) The marine base felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. From there, we spent the afternoon snorkeling, riding in glass-bottom boats, playing on an enormous water slide, and lounging on the viewing deck. Kristen even got a massage at the spa.

The weather out at the reef today was mostly cloudy. At one point it even clouded over completely and rained a bit on us. In a way, we felt we lucked out not getting clear weather because it meant it was not too hot. Since it is stingray and jellyfish season, we wore wet suits (for protection) as a precaution. Otherwise, we would not have wanted to wear wet suits in this warm tropical ocean water.

Seeing the Great Barrier Reef up close was truly amazing. We went on a guided snorkeling trip and saw all types of coral and sea creatures. We saw fish that were so colorful they looked fake. We saw several of the fish that the cartoon character Nemo is based on. At one point we even swam right over a baby shark. Snorkeling in this water was more fun than our past snorkeling experiences because the water is so clear here that underwater visibility was great.

Wildlife

2008-11-08T23:29:00.002+11:00

The wildlife we saw at Daydream Island was so impressive that it warrants a special post. We saw bats, kangaroos, wallabies, cockatoos, iguanas, and other amazing birds we don't know by name. On the island there were also several lagoons, which were packed with sharks, stingrays, and other cool fish. Blossom got to pet a stingray at feeding time. I am also including a picture of a huntsman spider (just from our house in Albury), so that you can all appreciate what house-spiders in Australia look like.

We Are In Tropical Paradise!

2008-11-08T23:01:00.009+11:00

Today we are in Airlie Beach, Qld, on the Northeast coast of Australia. We just got back to the mainland after spending a few days out on Daydream Island, which is one of the beautiful resorts in the Whitsunday Islands. To get there from Albury we drove to Sydney, flew to Brisbane, flew on to Mackay, drove to Airlie Beach, and then took a boat to the Island. The entire island was one big resort, which had many amenities including restaurants, bars, pools, spas, shops, and lots of things to do for entertainment. It was very relaxing.

The weather up here in the tropics is hot and humid - it doesn’t allow us to get too far from either the beach or a pool. Stepping outdoors is like stepping into a hot steam-bath. Even our camera feels slimy to the touch in this climate. The weather has suited us fine though, since the most strenuous activity we’ve done in the last week has been either mini-golf or swimming/wading to and from the swim-up bar.

In addition to influencing our activities, the climate has also influenced our attire. We all arrived here with suitcases full of clothes, but it turns out we all over-packed. The only thing people ever wear here are swimsuits (and sometimes even less at the beach…). Since it’s perfectly acceptable here to go anywhere in a swimsuit, and it’s always uncomfortably sticky, that’s all you need. It makes getting dressed simple. All we do is wake up and put on whichever bathing suit we didn’t wear the day before. Too easy. (BTW, I am writing this blog outside at 10:30pm in nothing but my board-shorts...and I am sweating...profusely.)

Our favorite thing about traveling here is that everything here is picturesque. The water is very clear and turquoise. The palm trees are tall and loaded with coconuts. The sand is fine and squeaks under foot. It’s a lovely part of the world. Tomorrow we are leaving early in the morning for a boat trip out to the Great Barrier Reef. We are looking forward to seeing one of the natural wonders of the world, through a snorkeling mask.

We'll post again soon. -D

Our Final Days In Albury

2008-10-30T15:04:00.003+11:00

Next week we are leaving Albury and beginning our vacation up the east coast. In the meantime, we have been enjoying our last days in Albury. Last week we gave George a bath. He was cooperative because he knows when he is clean people cuddle with him more. Yesterday Dylan was in the paper for tennis, but for once he wasn't excited about making the paper. The article was about a "thrilling" open pennant match, where Dylan and Rodney were leading their opponents, but ended up drawing (3 sets all) in the end. Dylan and Rodney had to have a drink to recover from the disappointment of letting that one slip.

Girls Trip

2008-10-30T14:36:00.004+11:00

Blossom, Margaret (Graham’s Mum), and I recently returned from a 3-day trip through a couple of the country towns north of Melbourne. Our first stop was Hanging Rock. Before we left for our trip we watched the 1976 Australian classic movie titled “Picnic at Hanging Rock.” Legend has it that on Valentine’s Day 1900 four school girls disappeared while climbing around the rock. Eventually, one of the girls returned without memory of the events that occurred on the rock. The other three girls were never found. As we hiked, Blossom and I looked everywhere for signs of the missing girls, but we didn‘t uncover any clues. Oh well, the views from Hanging Rock were worth both the drive and the hike to the top.

Next, we drove on to Bendigo, a historic mining city. We stayed the night in the historic Shamrock Hotel. In the morning we took a tour of an old gold mine. Since there are no lights in the mine, we were each given hard hats with head lamps to wear throughout the tour. We also had to wear heavy battery packs around our waists, in order to power the lamps. We rode a lift 80 meters underground, where the tour took place. Blossom was selected to aide the tour guide in a couple of demonstrations. After the tour, we hopped on a talking tram tour. The tram took us down the main street and showed us all of the historical buildings and landmarks. It was a great way for us to learn a bit about the city.

Our last stop after Bendigo was Echuca. The main reason we went to Echuca was for the historic paddle steamer boats. We boarded one of the boats and took an hour long tour on the Murray River. Margaret says that this was the highlight of the trip for her. We were lucky enough to get seats at the very front of the boat where we had the best view.

Tennis

2008-10-20T12:03:00.007+11:00

Since arriving back in Albury, we have played a lot of tennis. It's now officially the grass court season here in this region of Australia, so we have switched from clay, synthetic, and hard courts, to playing exclusively on the grass. It has been interesting getting used to the grass because playing tennis on grass is very different from all other surfaces. On weeknights, we play mixed dubs (Dylan/Blossom versus Kristen/Paul) and have some spirited and competitive matches. On weekends, Dylan plays in the opens against the best players in Albury. This weekend was the Albury Grass Court Club Championship. Dylan made the semifinal in the open draw where he lost to his friend Mark Shanahan in a close match.

Back in Albury!

2008-10-20T11:30:00.005+11:00

This last week has been an excellent change of pace after a long car trip. We have spent lots of time relaxing and reading Harry Potter (K5, B7, D2), but we have also managed to pack a lot of fun activities into each day. Blossom has enjoyed meeting all of our friends. Early in the week, Louie and Rhea Flores (parents of our tennis friends Andy and James) took us on a drive to Beechworth, where we spent the day having lunch and shopping. Another highlight from this week was our visit to the local animal sanctuary. It was fun showing Blossom all of the Aussie wildlife and hanging out with the friendly kangaroos. On Thursday, Margaret (Graham's mum) taught us how to make her famous "slice" treat.

Ballarat

2008-10-17T12:15:00.006+11:00

Rather than driving directly back to Albury from the Great Ocean Road, we stopped and spent a night in Ballarat. Although we all found downtown Ballarat charming, we spent most of our time in Ballarat at Sovereign Hill. Ballarat is one of Australia's oldest gold mining towns. Sovereign Hill is a partially preserved and partially recreated 1850s township where you can see exactly what it would be like to visit Ballarat in that era. While we were there we rode a carriage, walked into some of the homes, watched the blacksmith work, and watched them pour a gold bar worth almost $200,000. We also toured one of the actual gold mines and tried panning for gold ourselves. Much to Kristen's disappointment, we didn't get anything.

Great Ocean Road-Trip

2008-10-17T11:41:00.003+11:00

We drove through many charming little surfing towns along the Great Ocean Road. These towns get too crowded to move in the summer, and then turn to ghost towns in the winter. The spring is known for coastal wind and rain, so it was not overly crowded for us. After two nights in Apollo Bay we set out for Warrnambool. Along the way, we saw some of the most spectacular coastal sights we’ve ever seen. The Great Ocean Road winds along the coast, sometimes through forests and farms, and sometimes along ledges that look out on the water. Every so often we would pull off at designated places to admire the amazing scenery. For some portions of the trip it felt like we were constantly getting out of the car and hiking to beaches and lookout points. Blossom offered to carry us when we got tired.

Map Reading 101

2008-10-17T11:23:00.003+11:00

On our last day in Tasmania we drove North from Hobart to Devonport where we caught the overnight boat back to the mainland. When we got off the boat the next morning, we started our road-trip by driving west along the southern coast of Australia, towards the Great Ocean Road. Along the way we stopped for a meal in Geelong, then we set out for Apollo Bay. Kristen’s navigational skills set us back a good hour when the highway she swore would take us west to the Great Ocean Road (B110), actually took us east until we dead-ended at the tip of a peninsula. After a few laughs (and perhaps a few dirty words) we finally got on the correct highway (B100) and made it to Apollo Bay. (Good joke Kristen! We fell for it because it was raining so there was no sun, and the water was on the left because we were on a peninsula.)

More Fun In Tasmania

2008-10-14T12:00:00.002+11:00

After exploring Northeast Tasmania, We drove down to Hobart to spend the a few days in Southern Tasmania. We found lots of fun things to do in Hobart, including shopping, walking around, going to movies, going to pubs and restaurants, playing tennis, and reading Harry Potter (D1, K3, B5). We also went on a couple of daytrips away from the city. The first daytrip we took was to a hiking area called Tahune Airwalk, located in the middle of a rainforest. Some of the trails took us along metal pathways that were suspended hundreds of feet in the air, and allowed us to look down on the treetops. Other hiking trails took us across long swinging suspension bridges over rivers. Another day we drove to a rainforest where we toured a cave and swam in a hot spring. The ferns in the rainforest were bigger than people.

Tasmania

2008-10-09T08:56:00.007+11:00

After spending the weekend in Melbourne, we boarded a ship, the Spirit of Tasmania. It left at around dinner time and got in the next morning at around breakfast time. We had a room with our own bathroom and bunk beds. Although the main thing we did on the boat was sleep, there were lots of other things to do on the ship for entertainment. There were several restaurants and bars, a casino, a theater, and a store that sold everything from clothes to ice cream bars. On our way to Tasmania our ship went through a storm that made it challenging to sleep with all the rocking.

When we got to Tasmania we drove to Launceston and spent most of the day there. Then we drove over the mountains and along the east coast to a town called Bicheno, where we spent the night. In Bicheno we stayed in a really cool cabin with a view of the ocean. The highlight from Bicheno was the penguin tour. We toured an area where thousands of penguins waddle up on the shore at night to rest, mate, and sleep, before waddling out to sea before sunrise. Unfortunately, it was hard to get any pictures of the cute penguins because it was dark out and we couldn't use a flash.

Not far from Bicheno we found a Berry Farm that sold lots of delicious berry products. The ice cream was delicious!

Bloss arrives... Let the fun begin

2008-10-08T23:40:00.006+11:00

Last Friday we picked Blossom up from the Melbourne airport and spent the weekend showing her around. The city was filled with excitement because it was the weekend of the footy grand final (which is like Australia's version of the superbowl). We watched the game at a pub on the edge of Federation Square. The Square was filled with thousands of other footy fans. The weekend got off to a terrible start when the Geelong Cats (our team) lost to the Hawthorn Hawks. Despite the loss, we still managed to have some fun. We played tennis at the Australian Open tennis courts, shopped, rode trams, and went to many cool pubs and restaurants.

Thurgoona Cats Win Albury Pennant Grand Final

2008-09-22T14:46:00.011+10:00

My team won the Section 1 Grand Final on Saturday afternoon. The finals for all sections (1 through 6, men and women) were held at the Thurgoona Golf and Tennis Club, which is the club I play for. It was fun having the finals for all sections at the same venue, because it drew a crowd. Unfortunately Kristen and I didn't bring the camera to the final, but I posted some pictures (below) from our semi-final match last weekend against Forrest Hill.

My teammates are named Rodney Wurtz and Steve Uiliands. Our team beat the other team 4 to 1. At #1 Singles, Rodney beat his brother Graham Wurtz in a tiebreaker. At #2 singles, I beat Scott Redman 8-4. #3 singles did not quite finish, because the deciding match finished while Steve was leading his opponent (Don Bokkic) 7-4. In the Dubs, Steve and I lost in a tiebreaker, Rodney and Steve won 8-6, and Rodney and I won 8-2 (over a team we had not beaten all season).

On Saturday night, we went to the awards ceremony. Then we went to the Thurgoona Country Club to celebrate with the a bunch of our tennis friends. The whole season was lots of fun!

This is me playing doubles with Rodney

Ace

Team meeting

Gotta Love Aussie Wildlife!

2008-09-22T13:56:00.012+10:00

Last week, Kristen was collecting the mail from the mailbox in front of her office when she heard a sudden flapping noise and felt something tugging at her hair. Naturally she shrieked as she turned to see what was going on. Luckily, she created enough commotion to scare off her assailant... a magpie.

For those of you who don’t know what a magpie is, or why a magpie would be attacking Kristen’s head, I think you will find the following article interesting:

Magpies live in urban areas as often as in the bush, and tend not to be afraid of people. Magpies are a familiar sight to most Australians, and their melodic song is widely enjoyed. However, during nesting, if magpies feel threatened by an inadvertent intrusion into their territory, they will often swoop at the intruder and audibly "snap" their beaks in an attempt to drive them away. Magpies generally swoop from behind, and without warning, so attacks can be frightening, particularly to children. For this reason, local authorities sometimes post warning signs during "swooping season", particularly in urban parks. Magpie attacks can cause injuries, typically wounds to the head and eyes. Being unexpectedly swooped while cycling is not uncommon, and can result in loss of control of the bicycle, which may cause injury.

To avoid swooping attacks, the best course of action is to avoid the territory of nesting magpies during the nesting season (between August and October). If it is necessary to walk near the nest, some people opt to wear a bicycle helmet or upturned empty ice-cream container as head protection. Magpies prefer to swoop at the back of the head; therefore, keeping the magpie in sight at all times can discourage the bird. Using a basic disguise to fool the magpie as to where a person is looking (such as painting eyes on a hat, or wearing sunglasses on the back of the head) can also prove effective, as can holding an object above one's head. In some cases, magpies may become extremely aggressive and attack people's faces; it may become very difficult to deter these birds from swooping. Once attacked, shouting aggressively and waving one's arms at the bird should deter a second attack. If a bird presents a serious nuisance the local authorities may arrange for that bird to be legally destroyed, or more commonly, to be caught and relocated to an unpopulated area.

In addition to Kristen’s near-death experience, we have also witnessed many other magpie swoops in the last few weeks. I even saw one determined magpie follow a biker and continually swoop him for several minutes. Also, a magpie swooped Andy last week while we were at the tennis court. Some of the methods people have come up with to deter magpies are hilarious. We have seen people wearing some pretty ridiculous stuff on their heads. I myself have just learned to walk with my racquet ready, not only when I am on the court, but also when I am walking to and from the court.

To book or not to book?

2008-08-29T11:17:00.007+10:00

I have been told that my trip planning method of not booking our accommodations ahead of time must change. Kristen always asks me to book in advance because she doesn't like to "risk it," but I have always argued that my method offers us more flexibility. Furthermore, when we have tried booking ahead, it usually seems to me that we arrive somewhere only to find that our hotel isn’t quite where I thought it would be, or it isn’t as nice as it looked online. Meanwhile, we pass hotels with vacancies in nicer locations, and at better prices.

Until last weekend, my method had always served us well. That’s not to say that we have never had a scare; but we always seem to luck out. Unfortunately, my luck ran dry last weekend in Geelong. We got off the train in the center of the city at around dinner time on Saturday night. It didn’t take long for us to discover that the state of Victoria was holding its high school version of the Olympic Games in Geelong at that time. You couldn’t look anywhere in the city without seeing herds of high school athletes and coaches. I spoke to every hotel receptionist in Geelong, and the only establishment with rooms available that evening was the Carlton Pub.

So, since we were without our car (and thus had no options), we slept in a room above a bar. The room did not have a bathroom, but it was next door to the ladies’ room and just a short walk down the hall from the men’s room. I personally found the rhythmic thumping of the techno beat soothing, so I slept like a baby. However, Kristen was up most of the night (probably plotting to kill me) while she listened to loud music, yelling, and of course a man puking in the ladies’ bathroom most of the night.

I now see that Kristen's position is not wholly without merit, and I am reconsidering my position on booking our accomodations in advance. What do you think?

Go Geelong Cats!

2008-08-29T10:13:00.004+10:00

Last weekend we went to Geelong, VIC to watch our favorite footy team play. Geelong located on Port Philip Bay, on the southern coast of Australia. It is a little over 4 hours drive south of Albury. Instead of driving, we rode the train down on Saturday morning. On Saturday night we explored Geelong. On Sunday we met up with some friends from Albury, Rodney and Shirly Wurtz, and went to the football match at Geelong's home ground, Skilled Stadium.

We were really excited to see the Cats play because they are the team we go for. In the Southeast region of Australia, almost everybody has a team that they "go for." (Remember, "rooting" is something that is only done in private, so we use the phrase "go for" instead.) The Cats were the 2007 Australian Football League (AFL) champions. Couple that with the fact that they have the best uniforms (according to Kristen) and you can see why we picked the Cats as our team. They win all their matches, and they look good doing it.

Anyway, the Cats did not let us down on Sunday. They beat the North Melbourne Kangaroos, another top team in the AFL. It was really fun to see a game at Skilled Stadium, which only holds about 30,000 people. Most AFL games are played in the big cities at venues that hold 80,000 to 100,000 people, so Skilled Stadium felt much more intimate.

After the game, Rodney and Shirley gave us a ride back to Albury.

Pete Murray

2008-08-22T11:22:00.004+10:00

We went to a fun concert in Wodonga earlier in the week. We saw Pete Murray, an Australian musician who we really like. They play his music on the radio all the time here and we were really excited when we saw that he was coming to town. The concert venue was unimpressive, but the music was fantastic!

Thurgoona

2008-08-22T11:10:00.002+10:00

We have moved to Thurgoona. Thurgoona is only about 10 minutes away from central Albury, so it is sort of like a suburb of Albury. We live with two dogs named Tex and George, and their owner Holly.

James Flores Piano Recital

2008-08-08T12:23:00.003+10:00

We recetly watched James compete in a local piano competition. He was great. He played four pieces. We have posted a video of him playing a Beethoven Sonata (Op. 10 No. 2).
Enjoy.

Petrol

2008-07-31T11:41:00.006+10:00

If you think gas (known only as "petrol" here, short for petroleum) is expensive in America, think again. Petrol is currently around $1.60 per liter here, which would be equivelent to Americans paying at least $6.00 (U.S. dollars) per gallon. Naturally there are fewer SUVs here in Australia.

Another interesting thing about petrol here in Australia is that it is always a higher octane % than it is in the U.S. Here, petrol is usually 98 octane. If you buy the cheap stuff like me than you are usually buying 95 octane, and you can't find anything lower. In America I think 87 octane is considered standard, and premium is around 92.

Blue Mountains

2008-07-15T18:10:00.001+10:00

We decided to do some more vacationing after we dropped Bill off at the airport. So, instead of driving back to Albury, we drove from Sydney to the Blue Mountains. It was beautiful. We spent the night in a windy mountain town (Katoomba) and drove to the Jenolan Caves in the morning. The caves were spectacular! They are the oldest caves in the world, predating even dinosaurs. We took a guided tour of one of the caves, and then we ate lunch in the lodge before hitting the road.

It was a long drive (two days) back to Albury, but now we are back.

Goodbye Bill

2008-07-15T18:09:00.002+10:00

From Darwin we flew back to Sydney. On Bill’s last day we went out for brunch before dropping him off at the airport. He figured he shouldn’t leave Australia without going in the water, so he did. Don’t worry, the beach he went wading in had shark-netting, so it was a safe place to go in. After lunch we said goodbye to Bill and dropped him off at the airport.

Additional Kakadu Pictures

2008-07-15T18:00:00.003+10:00

Darwin & Kakadu

2008-07-15T17:39:00.002+10:00

We only spent two half-days in Darwin, because we wanted to spend our time in the Northern Territory at Kakadu National Park. Kakadu was impressive. We felt like we were in the middle of nowhere and the wildlife was unlike anything we are used to. Termite hills can are often 20 feet tall, ants are large and colorful, and you wouldn’t want to go swimming in any rivers you come across. Also, humans (aboriginals) still live off the land up there!

We did a number of things in Kakadu: we took a boat ride to look at crocs and other wildlife, we drove near some brushfires, we hiked around on foot, and we looked at ancient aboriginal cave paintings. One of the cave paintings was of a character named Nabulwinjbulwinj, a notorious spirit known for striking females with yams.

Sydney

2008-07-15T17:37:00.002+10:00

Boy we’ve done a lot in the last two weeks. We started by driving to Sydney with Bill. We left on Saturday after the guys finished playing pennant (their team won and Bill played well!). In Sydney we went to the Aroma Festival (a coffee and chocolate festival), took in a concert at the opera house, and went to the Sydney Observatory to look at planets and stars. The next morning we took a ferry to Manly and had breakfest on the beach. Then we walked around the city before going to the airport for our red-eye flight up to Darwin.

Welcome, Bill!

2008-07-05T15:45:00.003+10:00

Bill arrived last week. He flew into Melbourne where we met him and explored the city. We are having a great time showing him around Albury. His trip is going by too quickly, it is already half over. Bill has been the main photographer since he is excited about his new camera. Unfortunately, he forgot to bring along the necessary cord for downloading pictures. The only pictures I have are of Bill and Dylan playing pennant in Albury today. I hope you enjoy. We are leaving for Sydney in an hour. We will update the blog in a week with pictures from Kakadu. Sorry about the long break between posts.

Dirtballers!

2008-06-13T10:01:00.003+10:00

We played a tournament in Griffith, NSW last weekend. Griffith is 3-4 hours away. We travelled with James and Andy. The tournamet was advertised as a clay court tournament, but the courts seemed more like dirt than clay. Unfortunately I hurt my left quad mussle (and my right quad cramped) in my first match of the tournament, so I just watched tennis most of the weekend. Kristen and James played okay, but the highlight of the tournament was that Andy won the 16s draw!

Dylan's Birthday

2008-06-04T09:29:00.003+10:00

Yesterday was my birthday so last night we went to the Steak Pit in Wodonga with Andy, James, Margaret, Graham, and Paul. It was fun. The food was great.

Kristen got me a pair of Aussie-style work boots. Every Australian man owns at least one pair of these slip-on-style boots. They are supposed to last 10 years for a hard working farmer, so even if I get really into weekend gardening mine will probably still look new when I die. Great present!

Graham really spared no expense when it came to celebrating my big day. In the morning, he put birthday candles in one of the muffins at the office, just for me. Then at dinner he didn't finish his bottle of wine, so when we left the restaurant he smuggled the bottle out in his mother's handbag, much to her embarrassment. What a guy!

Painting Paul's Kitchen & Other News

2008-06-02T13:37:00.005+10:00

Hi everybody. Sorry we have not updated our blog in a while. We've been busy doing things. Here's the news:

We spent last week painting Paul's kitchen. He finished remodelling the kitchen a few months ago but he had still not painted, so the walls and ceiling were just bare dry-wall. It was a tough project because Paul's ceilings are very tall. We had to rent the tallest ladder we could find. The room looks awesome now!

Dylan has been enjoying playing winter pennant. He plays #2 for the Thurgoona Cats Tennis Team, and his team is in first place right now in the standings. His team plays every Saturday. Some matches are at home and some are away. Last Saturday Dylan played #1 as a fill-in for one of the other teams and lost to a good player. While Dylan was at tennis, I entertained myself by going to the movies. I saw The Painted Veil, since none of the guys wanted to go to it anyway. I enjoyed it. Then I drove around the outskirts of Albury for a while, looking for the Thurgoona Tennis Club.

Our Monday mixed-dubs teams is doing well. We are still undefeated, though we have had a few difficult matches. Tonight one of our regular female team members can't make it, so Paul's sister Donna is playing for us as a fill-in. We are excited to play with her.

It's Dylan's birthday tomorrow so we are skipping Tight-ass Tuesday tomorrow night and going out to dinner instead. We are going to the Steak Pit in Wodonga.

We miss everybody and hope you are all well.

Kristen and Dylan

News From Down Under

2008-05-12T11:11:00.006+10:00

Rebecca is now back in the U.S. and things have returned to normal around here. Dylan and I are both busy at work and we are having far fewer dinner parties.

We had fun showing Rebecca around Albury and introducing her to our friends. She seemed to really like Albury. She especially liked going to the animal sanctuary where she got to feed and pet kangaroos. She also liked playing for our mixed-doubles tennis team on Monday nights.

Last weekend we went to Sydney and did lots of fun stuff. We took a bus to Bondi Beach, rode a ferry to Manly, walked up on the Harbor Bridge, and saw a play at the famous Sydney Opera House. We also did some shopping in the city.

Back in Albury we had a quiet goodbye dinner for Rebecca with Graham and Paul at Source Dining, Albury’s nicest restaurant. We really enjoyed Rebecca’s visit and we were all sad to see her go.

Melbourne with Graham & Mom

2008-04-28T14:54:00.004+10:00

We flew from the Outback to Melbourne and spent the weekend there. Graham drove down from Albury to meet us. In Melbourne, we rode a tour boat up the Yarra River, went to an Aussie-Rules-Football Game at the Melbourne Cricket Grounds (an arena which holds about 100,000 fans), and had a nice dinner with Amy Pollock. The next day we rode the trains, shopped, and toured the old Melbourne Gaol (jail). Then we drove back to Albury and had dinner at Paul's. This week we are showing Mom around Albury.
-D

The Red Interior

2008-04-28T14:32:00.004+10:00

Last week we met Mom in Melbourne and flew to Alice Springs, in the middle of the continent. The dirt was extremely red! We rode camels and saw the Royal Flying Doctor Service - the medical service that flys tiny planes to little dirt runways in the middle of nowhere, to extract people who need medical care. Then we drove five hours through the most remote part of the world we've ever been to (we only passed about 6 buildings/residences) until we got to Uluru (the biggest rock in the world). We saw a wild camel and wild dingos.

Update

2008-04-18T09:35:00.008+10:00

This is a private court at a house here in Albury. I teach tennis to the family that lives here on Thursday evenings.

This is Kristen in the kitchen at her office.

Evidence of fall.

It's now fall. There aren't too many deciduous trees here in Australia, but the leaves are starting to fall off of the few that there are. The weather is perfect: cool in the mornings and evenings, but comfortable shorts weather in the afternoons.

I have unfortunately come down with a cold. I am trying to rest a lot this week because I want to be healthy next week when my Mom gets here and we venture into the red interior.

Kristen is still enjoying her job. She looks just as nice in her work dresses as she does in tennis skirts, don't you think?

That's all for now.

-D

Coaching in Daysdale

2008-04-16T17:25:00.003+10:00

The schools are in between terms here in Albury, and most kids are on vacation. This week I am running a holiday tennis program in Daysdale, Australia. Daysdale is over an hour away from Albury, and it feels like it's in the middle of nowhere.

The town of Daysdale consists of one bar/hotel/take-away-joint, about 7 houses, and a run-down old football and tennis club. When we drove into Daysdale, we laughed because we could already see the end of the town. We took a picture of the one paved road in the town. We didn't think there could possibly be many kids in the program, but they drove from all over the countryside to get there and we ended up having about 24 kids.

Some of the kids bike to tennis. They only have to bike about 2 miles to their driveway, but then it's another 6.5 miles down the driveway to their home.

Traded in the Magna for a BMW!

2008-04-08T12:10:00.002+10:00

Here is a picture of Dylan in our new car. Just kidding. Our car is being serviced, and Graham lent us his car. We hope the mechanic takes his time with our car...

Returning to Albury

2008-04-08T12:05:00.004+10:00

After a fun filled weekend, we caught an evening flight back to Albury. We had an awesome time in Sydney and would highly recommend Sydney to anybody. We consider it one of the nicest cities we've been to. Special thanks to Graham for being an excellent tour guide.

Sydney: Day 3

2008-04-08T11:21:00.004+10:00

On Sunday we got an extra hour to sleep in thanks to daylight savings. In the morning it looked like it would rain, but we headed off to ride a ferry to Manly anyway. Once we got going on the ferry, the weather suddenly cleared up and was beautiful the whole day. In Manly, there is a row of shops, pubs, and restaurants, that spill out onto a beautiful beach (where topless sunbathing is the norm, apparently). We walked around, ate lunch, and then caught the ferry home. Our ferry was held up by police boats on the way back into the city because an old man jumped off a ferry and swam to the prime minister's waterfront estate.

Sydney: Saturday Night

2008-04-08T11:12:00.004+10:00

On Saturday night we went to the Queen Victoria Mall, which has to be one of the nicest malls in the world. Dylan bought some new shoes. Next, we went to the Sydney Opera House Bar, which has a great view of the harbor at night, and must be one of the classiest bars in Sydney. It was really crowded and really fun. Then we had a late meal and took a cab accross town to go bar hopping at some of Sydney's less classy establishments. Sydney night spots are very crowded and don't slow down until very late at night.

Sydney: Day 2

2008-04-08T10:58:00.002+10:00

On Saturday we got up and started our all-day walking tour of the city. We walked to the Opera House and all around the harbor. Then we walked up on the Sydney Harbor Bridge to get a good view down at the harbor and the city. For lunch, we went to Darling Harbor. Then we rode the monorail back into the city and continued our sight-seeing.

Sydney: Day 1

2008-04-08T10:24:00.004+10:00

On Friday we left early from work and flew to Sydney from the Albury Airport. We took a small plane and the flight was around an hour. When we got to Sydney we walked around the city for a while, before going to dinner with a lot of Paul and Graham's friends.

Concert in Melbourne, Now Off To Sydney

2008-04-04T11:17:00.003+11:00

We went to a concert in Melbourne last weekend. We saw Maroon 5. Brandi Carlile and One Republic opened for them. It was a great show and a fun weekend. While we were down in Melbourne we did some shopping and some wondering around the city.

Later today we fly out to Sydney. On Monday we'll post about our trip. Should be awesome!

Canberra: Telstra Tower

2008-03-26T10:06:00.009+11:00

In Canberra, we visited the Telstra Tower, which sits on a hill overlooking the city. The view from the top of the tower was great.

Telstra is Australia's largest cell-phone company, similar to Verizon in the U.S. The tower emits such strong signals that it interferes with car alarms in the parking lot. In fact, when we got back to the car, the keyless entry on Louie's car was disabled. Just imagine what it does to the fertility of the Telstra employees who work at the tower... Yikes!

Canberra

2008-03-26T09:36:00.005+11:00

Our friends Andy and James (and their father Louie) invited us to go with them to Canberra, Australia's capital, for the long weekend. We drove in caravan with some of Louie's relatives who live in Albury. We stayed with Louie's sister, and enjoyed meeting Louie's family.

When we weren't visiting with family, Louie, James, and Andy did an excellent job of showing us around the city. We went to the capital buildings, the Australian Institute of Sport, the CBD, the mall, the tennis center, and Telstra Tower.

Funny Language

2008-03-18T12:05:00.008+11:00

"Shout" - is the Australian word for picking up the tab. If you say "my shout," it means it's your turn to buy a meal or a round of drinks. When we overhear people talking about someone who never shouts, we used to think they were talking about a quiet person, now we know they are talking about a tightwad.

"Root" - is the Australian word that is commonly used in place of the word sex. If you are in Australia and you hear somebody say "boy they sure are rooting loudly in the other room," it doesn't mean the people in the next room are watching sports on tv... Also, tennis coaches need to be careful when they talk about rooting for their students.

It's Tuesday today! The 1/2 price movie we are seeing tonight is Vantage Point. The weather has dropped to the mid 90s. By the end of the week is will drop agian to the 80s. We can't wait! The hot weather has allowed us to use Graham's pool a few times, but we are ready for the weather to be cooler.

-K & D

Happy Birthday Kristen!

2008-03-11T13:08:00.005+11:00

Here is a picture of Kristen at her work desk. See those flowers in the background... I bought them for her for her B-day. To celebrate, we had planned to go out with some friends to a restaurant called Source, but when I tried to book the reservation, I learned that Source is not open on Mondays. Then, when I called the other fancy-ish restaurants around, I found out that all nice restaurants in Albury/Wodonga are closed on Monday. So, I hosted a dinner party at Paul's house instead.

In addition to Kristen and Me, the others who attended the party included: Paul (duh, it's his house), Graham (it's really not a party unless Graham is there), Margaret (Graham's mother as well as our friend and our new golfing buddy), Andy (our best tennis mate), and James (Andy's brother and our second best tennis mate).

I made Kristen's favorite meal: chicken tetrazzini, garlic bread, and salad. Cooking was difficult because all of the measurements, including oven temperature settings, had to be converted. Additionally, some of the ingredients (e.g. half and half, broth, etc.) either don't exist or are called something else in Australian markets. For dessert, Kristen made strawberry shortcake. The meal was a big hit, and the party went smoothly. Everybody had a fun night.

Tonight is tight-ass-tuesday, but we have not decided what half-price movie we are seeing.

The weather has unfortunately heated up again. This whole week will be in the 100s(fahrenheit). Tennis isn't cancelled unless it's 102 or hotter! At least Kristen will be working indoors. We will probably head to the pool after work in the evenings.

My sister (Blossom) and Kristen's brother (Sam) also have March B-days, so we want to give them a little blog birthday shout-out.

-D (& K)

Update

2008-02-26T14:15:00.004+11:00

Here is a picture of Kristen and Paul. The other picture is of the front of the accounting office.

Kristen is still enjoying her new job. I also like her new job becuase I get to hang out in the break-room at the office, where they have excellent coffee and internet.

The weather has cooled off a lot. Now it is always cold in the morning. In the afternoon is still usually gets warm, but not too hot. Our swimming weather seems to be coming to an end, which upsets Graham because had hoped to keep hosting pool parties through April.

We are planning to go to two concerts next month, Brandi Carlile and Jack Johnson. Both of them are playing in Melbourne, only four days apart.

Today is "Tight Ass Tuesday" in Australia. The 1/2 price movie we picked to see tonight is The Bucket List.

I'll post again soon.

-Dylan

A funny story about Paul

2008-02-26T14:10:00.002+11:00

Today is Amy’s Birthday, so I thought I would tell a funny story about the night Paul met Amy.

Paul and Amy met at a party last year in Melbourne. Paul felt like he and Amy were really hitting it off, so at the end of the night he asked her to go out for a late cup of coffee. Amy agreed.

Trouble started when they went out front to hail a cab and there were no cabs in sight. Finding a cab turned into such an ordeal that at one point Amy suggested they give up on the coffee idea. Paul, trying to salvage the situation, was persistent in arranging a cab.

The situation only worsened when the cab finally arrived. As Paul and Amy were about to get into their cab, an old woman with a walker began yelling that they were stealing her cab. Rather than simply jumping in the cab and ignoring the woman, Paul tried reasoning with her. He explained that he was not stealing it and that he had in fact arranged the cab for himself. The woman, who turned out to be senile, was either unwilling or unable to listen to reason. She ignored Paul’s attempts to be nice and began yelling obscenities at Paul, as if he were a thief stealing her handbag.

Eventually Paul asked the woman where she lived and she muttered a street name, along with some more obscenities. The street was not far away, so Paul helped the woman into the cab and explained to Amy that they would just drop the cruel old woman off, then continue on to a late-night coffee shop. At this point Paul probably thought the situation would improve, but he was wrong.

The woman’s walker would not fold and fit into the trunk of the cab. It took some doing, but Paul was able to maneuver the walker into back seat. So, off they went in the cab. Paul and Amy sat in the back, Paul with his head tilted to accommodate the bulky walker on his lap. The woman sat up front, but turned sideways in her seat so she could continue to berate Paul while they drove.

Unfortunately, the worst was still not over. When the driver asked the old woman her address she had no idea what it was. Nobody, including the old woman, could figure why she was out late at night in the city, by herself. Nonetheless, there they were. So, instead of going to coffee, Paul and Amy rode up and down the old woman’s street in the cab with her until she eventually recognized her residence. By the time they got the old woman home, it had gotten very late and Amy said she would like to go home. At this point Paul made no effort to dissuade her.

Amy must have either really liked Paul, or felt bad for his enormous cab fare, because she did make Paul a cup of coffee at home before sending him on his way. Although the evening did not go so well for Paul, he did eventually take Amy out on a proper date, and they’ve been together ever since. Sounds like a Woody Allen movie, doesn’t it?

Our best friends (or "best mates" in Australian)

2008-02-19T14:15:00.005+11:00

Because we don’t really have any news to report, I thought I would tell our blog followers more about Paul and Graham, the accountants that Kristen now works for. I want to tell you more about them for two reasons: First, we consider them an integral part of our Australia trip and we would like you to know more about them; and second, things happen to Paul and Graham that don’t happen to anybody else, except maybe in Woody Allen movies.

I’ll start with a story about Graham.

Graham has a lovely California-ish back yard with a pool. When Graham is not at work, you can often find him either swimming in his pool or lounging next to his pool. A few years ago, Graham began noticing wasps around his pool. Over time, more and more wasps began to appear. Eventually Graham discovered that the wasps were coming from his neighbor’s shrubs, where they were nesting.

Graham had never talked to his neighbor, but he knew she was a young woman that lived alone. Rather than troubling her, Graham called the City Council to come remove the nest. Then to be polite, Graham went next door to explain the situation to his neighbor.

Much to Graham’s surprise, his neighbor was not appreciative. Instead of thanking Graham, she became irate and scolded him. She began yelling about being an environmentalist, and expressed concerns about using chemicals to kill the wasps. Rather than trying to reason with her, Graham silently turned and left. Later that day, a workman from the City Council removed the nest.

Several years went by and Graham eventually forgot about the incident. He and the neighbor never had another reason to interact. Although Graham did wave at her when he passed her in the street, he noticed that she never waved back.

One day, Graham opened the local newspaper and was saddened to see that his neighbor had died in an accident. (She was trying to rescue an animal in the road when she was hit by a car.) Graham's sadness turned to shock when he read the woman's obituary. Although the woman died young, her obituary suggested that she would be better off now, as if she had led a troubled life; and the only suggestion as to why the woman's life might have been troubled came in the last line of the obituary, which read: “Finally you’ll be free of that nasty little man next door.”

Historic Day In Australia

2008-02-13T13:42:00.002+11:00

Today Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued an apology to indiginous Australians. Aboriginals, much like Native Americans, have been terribly mistreated for many generations. Racism against Aboriginals seems far more pronounced here in Australia than racism against Native Americans in the U.S. I hope the apology helps.

Update

2008-02-10T14:50:00.000+11:00

Hello Everybody. It is Sunday afternoon. We are at the Albury library updating together. Today we got up early and went to watch our friend Andy play tennis in a local tournament. Then we went home and did some laundry and yard work before coming to the library.

The weather has changed in the last few days. Instead of being in the 90s-100s every day it is now in the 70s-80s. It also gets cold at night and in the mornings. It is great to wear long pants again. Kristen is sleeping better now.

Several weeks ago we started going to the movies on Tuesdays. Movie theatres here charge half price on Tuesday (and call it "Tight Ass Tuesday"). Paul goes with us every Tuesday, and Graham goes most Tuesdays. We have seen a lot of movies. We just saw the new Coen brother movie, which was very disturbing, but still a great movie. We have also seen I Am Legend (which was too intense), Juno (which we really liked), and American Gangster (which was fantastic!).

Kristen is really enjoying her new job. She was not enjoying coaching, so this is a great change for us. She much prefers being indoors, having a set schedule, working normal hours (9-5), and making more money.

We are posting a picture of this funny looking ambulance. In Australia, everybody has to become a member of the ambulance service (for around $100 per year) or else you are charged several thousand dollars to ride in one.

Another funny thing about Australia is that no restaurants (so far) have let us take our leftovers in a "takeaway" box. We think there is some policy that prohibits this. I guess we will just have to be careful to not order too much food.

That's all for now. We'll post again soon.

Summer Break Ends

2008-01-31T11:44:00.000+11:00

The kids went back to school this week. I start teaching full time again next week.

Kristen will be teaching less now, since she found another job. She is now working as a clerk in a small accounting firm here in Albury called Stevens Bellmore. Paul and Graham are her bosses. She really likes her job. The work is not that exciting (since she does things like imput numbers into databases) but she really likes it. She particularly likes having air conditioning.

We don't really have any new news to report. We have been taking it pretty easy this week. I am posting some more pictures from the open, including one of Kristen with the winning doubles team, kristen with a statue of Rod Laver, and me enjoying a night match in Rod Laver Arena. Take Care. I'll post again soon.

Australian Open 2008

2008-01-22T16:54:00.000+11:00

Hello Everybody.

We went to the first week of the tournament and just got back from Melbourne. We had an awesome time and saw lots of great tennis.

We stayed at Paul’s sister’s apartment, which is walking distance from the tournament. For only $99 we bought 5 day passes that allowed us to go in and out of the tournament all day for 5 days. During the day we typically watched tennis on the smaller outside courts. Some afternoons we watched practice courts instead of match courts. Kristen loved getting pictures with some of her star crushes (including David Ferrer - the #5 player in the world, and Tommy Robredo - the #11 player in the world).

In the evenings we moved into the stadiums to watch the big name players. One night I waited by the exits to Rod Laver Arena and watched for corporate-looking non-tennis fans that were leaving early. I found some people with great tickets that were leaving before the men’s evening match had even begun. We got to watch A-Rod from row 4 that night!

Update

2008-01-10T17:29:00.000+11:00

Hi everybody. We are trying to survive the heat this week in Albury. It has been in the hundreds every day, and the humidity has been upwards of 40%. Coaching in this heat is hard. Even in the middle of the night it is HOT. In the morning, we drive to the courts with the AC on full blast. In the afternoons we swim in the river (because pools get too hot).

Our alternator broke on the hottest day of the year so far. Our car died and left us stranded with absolutly no shade in sight. Luckily we were not too far away from albury when it happened, so we were able to get Paul's parents to come rescue Kristen (Who thought she was going to die from overheating). I had to wait a long time for the NRMA (AAA) to come, and then even longer for the tow truck driver to arrive. It was terrible. The good news it that the car was still under warranty, and our alternator was fixed for free.

One of the biggest junior tennis tournaments in the country is going on right now in Albury. It is called the Margaret Court Cup. It is named after one of the many famous athletes to come from Albury. (I saw Margaret at the tournament today.) Just before the tournament started I got pretty busy running pre-tournamnt clinics for all of our top juniors who were preparing for the tournament. Meanwhile, Kristen has been running some holiday clinics for younger kids. She is getting really good at coaching. All of the kids (and all of their parents) really like her.

We took next week off and are getting ready to go to the Aussie Open. We are really excited, not only because of the tennis, but also because the weather forecast is considerably cooler in Melbourne than Albury.

Our Wedding Anniversary!

2008-01-04T15:32:00.000+11:00

While we were in Potato Point, we decided to spend New Year's Eve in Melbourne with Paul, Amy, Julie, Chris, and Graham (Paul's best friend and co-worker). We all thought we wouldn't be able to get into any restaurants but Dylan was put in charge of making a reservation and he lucked out... as usual. Dylan called a restaurant named Taxi, just minutes after they had received a cancellation for a party of 8. Taxi is in the center of federation square and looks out on the Yarra river, where the fireworks are. Because of its location, Taxi is the hardest place to get into in Melbourne on New Years. We were able to watch 700,000 Australians party down below us, while we ate and watched the fireworks from our balcony table!

Blossom

2007-12-26T17:54:00.001+11:00

Amy's parents have a really cool cat named Blossom. Dylan and Blossom have become good friends. Blossom feeds herself by tiping over the box of her food, and then pawing her food out of the little pouring hole, piece by piece. Because it takes her a while to get each piece of food out of the box, she doesn't eat very quickly. It is quite amusing.

Posted above are photos of Blossom eating her food, hanging out on the deck, and even watching the kangaroos with Dylan.

Kangaroos

2007-12-26T16:36:00.000+11:00

Now that we have driven away from civilization, we see kangaroos everywhere. As Aussies say, there are "heaps" of em ("heaps" is their word for "lots"). Last night, we saw a mob of about 45 of them, hanging by the side of the road. (Unfortunately, we didn't have the camera.) There is usually only one large male leader per pack. The leader is easy to spot because he is about as big as an NFL player. The females and young males are only several feet tall.

Kangaroos come out right after the sun sets. Before that they just lay around in hiding, like the ones we saw at the zoo. Once it cools off, they move around so they can eat and find water.

Kangaroos hop right through Amy's back yard all the time. We fed them so they would stay around long enough to photograph them.

Merry Christmas From Australia

2007-12-26T15:47:00.000+11:00

We want to wish everybody in America a happy holiday. We are having an Aussie-style Christmas. We are staying at a house that overlooks an isolated white sand beach. In the morning we opened presents. Then we cracked open some beers (they start early here) and went down to the beach. It was amazing. The sand was soft, the water was clear, and there was nobody there but us.

Here is a picture of Paul on the beach. He is making fun of Dylan for being a “yank,” as he always does.

Amy’s house is very crowded this Christmas. Amy’s friends from Ireland, Chris and Julie, are currently travelling in Australia and did not have a place to spend the holidays. So, in addition to Amy’s family, there are some random guests from Ireland and some random guests from America (us). It was really nice of Amy's parents, Rob and Sandy, to host so many strangers at their home over the holidays. It is also interesting to hear so many different accents.

Driving to Potato Point

2007-12-26T15:41:00.000+11:00

We picked Paul up at about noon on Christmas Eve and drove all day to get to Potato Point (near Bateman’s Bay). We drove for 7 hours on roads that were incredibly curvy and, at times, barely paved. We drove directly through Kosciusko National Park, which is directly east of Albury, and stands between Albury and the coast. We drove over some mountains that were over 4,000 feet.

When we stopped in a rugged little aussie mtn town, Dylan put on his hat and said that they would probably mistake him for a cowboy. Paul quickly said, “mate, nobody here is confusing you for a cowboy.”

Rod Laver Arena

2007-12-21T17:45:00.000+11:00

This afternoon it clouded over and poured so we needed to find an indoor activity. Since Amy's apartment is near Melbourne Park we decided to see if there were any tours offered at the tennis center. Instead, when we got there, we were surprised to find the finals of the men's wildcard tournament being played indoors at Rod Laver Arena. We got to watch a great tennis match, and at the end we saw the winner be presented with a wildcard into the Australian Open.

Melbourne Zoo

2007-12-21T17:38:00.000+11:00

This morning we had hot and humid weather, but since it wasn't raining we finally made it to the Melbourne Zoo. The zoo was just a 10 minute train ride from the city. When we arrived we went straight to the kangaroos because even though we have been in Australia for almost 2 months we hadn't seen a kangaroo yet, except dead ones on the side of the road. It was really neat getting to see the selection of the animals at the zoo here, which was a bit different from Woodland Park Zoo. Aside from seeing the kangaroos, the highlight was the orangutans which were playful as always.

Our afternoon in Melbourne

2007-12-21T00:11:00.000+11:00

After lunch we took a free tourist trolley ride around the city. Then we walked along the Yarra river. By then it was about to start pouring again, so we hurried and took the train back to Amy’s apartment.

Our morning in Melbourne

2007-12-20T23:38:00.000+11:00

This morning, after the rain let up, we took a short train ride into Federation Square. From there we took a self-guided walking tour of the city. We walked through a number of alleys that were packed with stores, coffee shops, and snack-bars. Eventually we wound our way to Queen Victoria Market, which is like a larger version of Seattle’s Pike Place Market.

Rainy day in Melbourne

2007-12-20T18:27:00.000+11:00

When we woke up this morning it was pouring rain. We decided to wait until tomorrow to go to the zoo. Instead, we waited for a break in the rain. Then we ventured out into the city, to find things to do that were near covered buildings.

We're in Melbourne!

2007-12-19T22:26:00.000+11:00

We just arrived in Melbourne (pronounced mel-bin). We are staying with Amy. She has a really nice apartment in a great part of the city.

The drive down was not too bad. Kristen and I split the driving. Kristen drove for a whopping 30 minutes, which made her exhausted, so we switched seats and she slept while I drove the remaining 3 hours (it was long b/c we hit rush hour traffic). It was different from driving in the United States because for long streatches there is basically nothing around. We did see lots of signs warning that koala bears cross the highway. And unfortunately we also saw quite a few dead koalas. I spotted a dead kangaroo as well.

As we arrived into the city, Kristen realized how much she prefers city life. All of a sudden there were many good radio stations to choose from and delicious looking restaurant options everywhere. She was so excited by this that she didn't even mind the traffic.

Tomorrow we are going to the zoo. I am excited to finally see a live kangaroo.

Christmas in Bateman’s Bay

2007-12-18T14:13:00.000+11:00

Paul and Amy invited us to join them at Amy’s parents house on the coast for Christmas. We are really excited. We have been asking around, and evidently Bateman’s Bay is a really cool spot. It is directly east of Albury, on the coast. We are driving there on the morning of Christmas eve. We are timing the drive to avoid driving at dusk, when you are forced to slow way down to avoid hitting Kangaroos in that area. Hope we can spot one without hitting it.

The house were are going to is the one with the big red roof. Nice spot, isn't it?

Andy

2007-12-18T14:06:00.000+11:00

Andy is the best Get A Grip junior player. He is 15, but he is easily as mature as we are. He coaches tennis, waits tables, and does well in high school. We really like Andy. We help him with his game, watch his tournament matches, and give him rides home from work. Andy's goal is to play tennis at an American university. Andy’s parents, Louie and Ria, really appreciate how friendly we are with Andy. They had us to their home for tea (dinner) last night.

Dylan’s Tennis in Albury

2007-12-17T10:17:00.000+11:00

Dylan wanted me to post an update on his tennis and how tennis works in Albury, and say hello to all of his tennis buddies back home...

When we got here, Dylan asked around to find the best players in town. He quickly found Rodney Wurtz. Rodney is a 50 year old guy that has helped Australia capture the senior equivalent of the Davis Cup. In addition to being a strong player, Rodney is the guy that runs pennant, the enormous competitive league system that is based here in Albury. There are seven sections, section one being the highest and section seven being the lowest. There are many teams that compete at each level. There is also an “open” level that is reserved for the top 10 players in the region (five teams of only two players each). Each Saturday, pennant is held at the Albury Grass Courts, which has about 35 real grass courts. It is an all day affair.

This Saturday, Dylan played for Rodney’s section 1 team. In preparation for the grass courts, Dylan went down to the grass club on Friday and got his first good hit in on the grass. Then on Saturday Dylan played tennis all day. He did not like the grass courts, but he did pretty well anyways. Dylan lost his first singles match, but won his second singles match and his team won the doubles point. His team won overall.

Dylan isn’t sure whether he’ll work on his serve-volley game and keep playing the rest of the grass season, or whether he will wait for the winter season, which is played on synthetic courts. Dylan much prefers the synthetic courts because they play a little slower and more consistent than grass, and it is easier to win points without coming to the net.

Moving

2007-12-17T10:16:00.001+11:00

Several days ago, we moved out of Paul’s house. We were sad to move. We both miss Paul (and living at his house) a lot.

On the bright side, our new accommodations are nice. (see pic.) We will be living with a young couple, in a newer house, in a great location. The couple (Kirk and Kaz) and renting us their guest bedroom. They seem very nice so far.

Paul

2007-12-17T10:09:00.000+11:00

The devilish looking bloke in the picture is Paul, the guy that has been putting us up for the past few weeks. In addition to providing us with a very nice home to live in, Paul also cooks us wonderful meals, invites us to his parties, introduces us to his friends, plays tennis with us, and helps us plan fun trips to take around Australia. Paul is our best friend in Australia.

Paul’s girlfriend Amy lives in Melbourne. She comes up to Albury at least every other weekend. She is very sweet, and just as hospitable as Paul. She has offered to let us stay at her place when we go to Melbourne.

Book Recommendation

2007-12-10T10:54:00.000+11:00

This is a really funny book about Australia, written from the perspective of an American. I just finished reading it, and I enjoyed it so much that along the way I reread most chapters aloud to Dylan. I highly recommend it.

Bill Bryson has authored many quasi-travel books. I enjoyed "down under" so much that I quickly read a second Bryson book, and have now started a third. Even if you are not interested in learning about Australia, I recommend reading one of his books on another region (i.e., Britain, USA, etc.), because Bryson is really witty and his books are hilarious.

Kristen teaching a lesson

2007-12-05T14:01:00.001+11:00

This is a picture of Kristen and one of her students, Isaac.

Walk in the woods

2007-12-05T13:22:00.000+11:00

Two nights ago we got a little rain storm. After it finished raining, we went for a walk on the outskirts of town. We walked in an area that is popular for biking. We went walking at dusk, because that is the most common time for kangaroos to come near town. (Kangaroos are spotted often around here, but we still haven't seen one.)

Kristen and Kate

2007-12-03T12:28:00.000+11:00

This is a picute of me and Kate goofing around after our morning lessons at Scots School. You can see from the picture that the court surface we are on is synthetic turf filled with sand. This is the main tennis court surface in AUS. Like clay courts, sand from the court gets into your socks and shoes when you play on it. The surface feels funny to us since we are used to American hard courts, but at least it is soft and comfortable to stand around and teach on.

I am also adding a picutre of Kate's cute daughter Charlie. She came with us to tennis this morning.

Beechworth Trip

2007-12-03T11:36:00.000+11:00

We took a trip to a town called Beechworth on Saturday. Beechworth is a popular tourist town. It is an old gold mining town.

Travelling there was fun. It was a beautiful 45 minute drive through hills and countryside. When we got there we ate at a really cool pub/brewery, located down an alley behind the shops on main street. The beer was great. The weather was nice (meaning not too hot), so we got to sit outside. Near our table, they were re-potting plants and one of the pots said "blossomtime," which was fun for us because it reminded us of Dylan's sister.

When we finished eating, we walked around the town and ate ice cream cones. We admired Beechworth's really neat looking prison. Beechworth is also famous because it was the home of one of Australia's most famous criminals, Ned Kelly. Ned wore a metal helmet into shootouts with cops.

Language

2007-11-26T11:48:00.000+11:00

We have noticed some funny things that people say:

When you go someplace, you "rock up" there. For example, Kristen and Dylan rocked up to the restraunt.

Instead of saying do or doing, Australians say go or going. So, how are you doing? is how you going? and How did you do? is How'dya go?

Cars that are not fuel efficient are called "thirsty."

Snake

2007-11-26T09:42:00.000+11:00

Right before we began teaching tennis in Kiewa, we spotted a black and red snake near the entrance to the courts (see picture, the snake is near the park bench). Dylan warned the parents, but they said that is not the kind of snake to worry about. Dylan said, "oh, so those snakes must not be poisonous?" The parents replied, "of course it's poisonous, all of our snakes are poisonous, it's just not the type of snake that chases after you."

Evidently, the Tiger snake and the Brown snake will chase after humans that threaten them. The parents said that if we had seen a Tiger or Brown, we would have had to hop up on the picnic tables. Crazy!

Tree

2007-11-26T09:37:00.001+11:00

When we drive to Kiewa, the country town near Albury, the trees are amazing. They look big, old, and different than the trees we are used to seeing in the Pacific Northwest.

New Car, New House

2007-11-26T09:16:00.001+11:00

We finally bought a used car. It is a Mitsubishi Magna. It doesn't get as good gas milage as our Hondas at home, but it is in good condition and we are told that it will be a safe car to take on our excursions to remote parts of Australia.

We were having trouble finding an affordable apartment to rent, but we found excellent accomodations in the meantime. Kate has a friend named Paul, a single guy with a four bedroom house on a golf course (#9 Golf View Drive). The house has a fantastic view from the front and out the back (see picture). Paul gave us a bedroom in his fancy home and told us that we can stay for free until we can find an apartment.

Weather

2007-11-21T17:49:00.001+11:00

Boy has the weather been weird. Yesterday we had to cancel all of the tennis classes due to heat, because it was over 40 degrees celcius (over 100). Today, we had to cancel tennis classes because we got rained out. As you can imagine, it's pretty stinkin humid!

We have been trying to find ways to stay cool. Kate has some good friends (Sas and Mic) who have a pool. In between our morning and afternoon teaching sessions we are allowed to hang out at Sas and Mic's house and swim in their pool whenever we want. This is a great way to beat the heat.

Out of Town

2007-11-12T13:46:00.001+11:00

This is what the outskirts of Albury look like...a beautiful sea of purple.

Driving

2007-11-09T13:10:00.000+11:00

We have been getting used to driving on the left side of the road with the driver on the right side of the car. We both tend to put the passenger into the shoulder, and turn the windshield wipers on instead of the blinkers. We just found a great deal on a used car (we will post the picture soon). The car is apparently in good condition and will be reliable for long car trips around AUS.

One interesting thing that we have found is that most people in Albury either know us or have heard about us as the "new American tennis coaches." It is kind of fun for us to walk around town and have people ask us if we are the new coaches. People seem to remember us as the young couple who wear tennis clothes and talk funny.

Getting Adjusted

2007-11-08T12:57:00.000+11:00

Sorry, we have not been updating our blog regularly because we do not have Internet yet. Right now we are using Kate's Internet. We are living in a rental house while we are looking for an apartment that is a bit more affordable. Once we get into an apartment we are going to get Internet. Also, we have a few people who are actively trying to find us a car to buy. It will be much nicer once we are more set up here.

Since we arrived we have been working long days. We are working so much that it is tricky to find the time to complete the items on our to do list. The weather has been very nice. The sun is very strong, so sunscreen is always a must. It rained last weekend, which everyone was very excited about since Australia has been in a 2 year drought. The flies here are unbelievable. They constantly buzz our faces/ears. When we stand still for more than 5 seconds about 10 flies land on each of us. It is pretty disgusting. The people here say that the flies are particularly bad right now, but you never get used to the fly problem.

We have a pet rooster. He wakes us up at 5:00am on the nose. We think he deserves a name, but we haven't come up with one yet. Any suggetions?

Date of Departure

2007-10-27T15:20:00.000+10:00

Surprise, we finally have plane tickets and a date to arrive in Albury! We are scheduled to fly at 4:30 pm (1630) Monday, October 29th. We are leaving from Seattle with many scheduled layovers along the way. We will stop in San Francisco, Ackland, and Sydney. Finally we arrive in Albury at 1:20 pm (1320) Wednesday, October 31st. As expected we are very excited, but not looking forward to the loooooong travel ahead.

Sponsorship Update

2007-09-07T09:51:00.001+10:00

Yahoo! We just received a phone call notifying us that the sponsorship is finally complete. Our employers would like us to start work at the beginning of October, about one month from today. We are actively working on submitting our VISA forms and purchasing plane tickets. There is a lot of packing to do and last minute chores to complete. The excitement it hard to contain.

New Departure Dates

2007-07-22T06:28:00.000+10:00

Our Australian employers have recently told us that they have experienced more of a hassle than expected in getting the appropriate sponsorship for our visas. Because of this, our timeline has been shifted back by about one month. We now plan to leave between mid-August and mid-September.

What's to Come

2007-07-11T07:32:00.000+10:00

Hello! I have created this blog in the hopes that Dylan and I will keep you up to date with our adventures abroad. I hope that you will remain connected to us through this site. Check back for updates.