If anything should happen, I guess I wish you well
A little bit of heaven, but a little bit of hell
This is the hardest story that I've ever told

there's a solstice in my skin. and an equinox in my chest. still you wonder why the weather changes. and still i look at that sky in my head and ask it if.

Cold....Bloody[ insert litany of nasty words here ]-ing cold!

Ok. So if you're reading this and I like you, you need to move to Australia.

Yes, you read that right.

I need to move to australia, therefore all of you do. Because I can't live there and have all of you living on a different continent, now can I?

So yes, the australian immigration website is very easy to find on google. I recommend getting on that, because we need to move pronto.






Ok. now that that is out of my system. Wow, it's freezing here. There is snow. It is 25 degrees celsius cooler here than it was when I left Melbourne. (Which by the way was, oh, 6 hours ago. hahahahaha. try 27.)

I am sitting in the vancouver airport, deliriously tired but not asleep...because I'm FREEZING.

why oh why do I live in this godforsaken snowy wasteland. (aside from the fact that I love it)

Anyhow.

I'm going in search of the first non-airplane food I'll have seen in just about 30hours. yum.

xo
M

I officially detest the Los Angeles airport.

It is confusing, maze-like, loud, crowded, smells bad, full of angry people, and involves airplanes.

This part of the trip sucks. I'm sad that I'm not in Australia, I'm so freakin' tired I can't cope, I'm in LA of all places...the list could go on.

Plus, I'm in hour 31 of 42 hours that will be March 1st for me. It's like that movie groundhog day, where I just keep living the same day. I haven't even left melbourne yet, according to the current time...since I left at 1:55 on March 1st, and it's now 12:24 on March 1st...But I've travelled 13,00 km in -1.5hours. argh.

anyways, I'm going to go have a quick cat-nap before I have to get on yet ANOTHER plane.

xo
M

noooooo. back to winter.

I don't want to come home!!!

(I love you all, but it's warm here. And I love it.)

Anyhow, after that little rant.

I'm about to hop on a plane here in Melbourne at 12:55pm on Thursday, Mar 1. I arrive in Van at 4:55pm on Thur, Mar 1. some 30 odd hours later, in my world. Aaaaaaaaaargh.

Queensland

Phew, what a crazy five days it's been! I've been in Melbourne, the Gold Coast, Tweed, Cabarita Beach, Culangatta, Rubina, Brisbane, South Bank, Noosa, Pomona, Cooroy, Melany, Mapleton, Montville, Kenilworth, Eumundi, Rainbow Beach, and Noosaville in the last five days. It's been a little bit hectic, as you could imagine, but so much fun.

Pictures will do it all far more justice....








Warning signs for people who are driving 4x4's on the beach. (Which is perfectly legal; as long as you stick to the posted speed limits!!) It was so much fun...absolutely gorgeous. Ask me to see the video when I get home if you want to.

The lagoon at Rainbow beach. This is where we drove to when we were 4x4ing...the black stuff you see is black sand. Stunning beach. Went snorkeling and saw a sea turtle, two stingrays that were over 3 feet (1 metre) wide with huge pointy thick bits on their tails, lots of brightly colored fish, and a number of other underwater creatures.

Check out that watch tan...serious business! It's Hot hot hot here!

The man-made beach in the middle of the central business district in Brisbane. Gorgeous, a great way to cool off, and free! You can see the Brisbane river (which has fast powered catamaran service up and down it) and the freeways in the background.

A pelican. Large bird, enough said

A group of people on horseback at Rainbow beach with some 4x4's in the background

The view from at a lookout somewhere around Maleny. It was very humid and tropical that morning.

Me at Rainbow beach. Muahaha I'm tan.

Jeanine, Xris, and Leigh at Leigh's house. We made a fabulous dinner.

Xris gesturing at a dragonfruit, some lychees, and a passionfruit. All of which were very, very tasty.

Crab at the State Library in Brisbane.

Crab hiding amongst the paper I was ripping up for the composting toilet at the farm in Pomona.

The group at lunch at Rainbow beach. From left: Wave, Ned, Leigh, Sharon, Me, Xris, and Jeanine.
the flowered arches of a walkway in Brisbane.

the sunshine state

it's 10:13pm on Tuesday night and we just decided that we're going to Queensland (Brisbane, Gold Coast) tomorrow. Yes, tomorrow. At 5am.

Insane? probably. Oh well.

Queensland is the sunshine state, so apparantly it's going to be hotter there than it has been here. argh.

Won't have my computer, so you won't hear from me again until monday more than likely.

hope you all are well.

xo
M

Great Ocean Road

Apollo Bay, Great Ocean Rd. Spent a number of hours at this beach..it was paradise.

Check out the dragon!

Me and Crabbypants at Cape Patton

Drive on left in Oz

Part of the blowhole

Johanna Beach . there are surfers, but you can't really see them.

Cape Patton! look at the VIEW!!!

Part of the twelve apostles. (Twelve rock formations...well, now only 9..some collapsed)

The Helicopter that I went in. that's right, I went in it! and it flew!

beautiful sky

Helicopter view of some of the twelve apostles.

A secluded beach we spotted from the helicopter...we were the only ones there!

More aerial shots.

Ok, seriously, how beautiful is that?? It was 40 degrees that day. The beaches were amazing. I can't even begin to explain how awesome it was.

river pictures

xris texting in the yarra river with crab
a kookaburra!
Crab at the yarra river
a tunnel in the river

a platypus sign..they're creepy!
me in the yarra river
a tree at pound bend park during a storm
an info sign
Xris and the crab at the river

all is well down under...very hot today, 38 degrees celsius. Having a mellow day thus far. Internet is down at home, so probably won't have pics up for a few days.

going away for the weekend, not sure where to yet, but I'll be back on Tuesday...which is your monday.

I've got just under two weeks left down here...time flies! I've only been away from Victoria for 10 days...seems like much longer!

miss you all

xox
M

hot hot hot...

As the title implies, it was hot here today. it got into the mid thirties, supposed to hit a high of 38 tomorrow I think. Went for an absolutely wonderful swim in the Yarra River today about 30 minutes outside of the city centre. Gorgeous river! found a tunnel, and the water was so warm... I was a happy camper. Then, as soon as we got out of the river, it started to storm. So bizzare, 30 some degrees out and it was raining and thundering...but the sky was still very bright. it was brilliant. Saw a koala today, too far away to get a picture; but I did get a kookaburra! the site I host my pictures on is down for maintenance for a few hours, so I'll put it up tomorrow morning. Probably heading off sometime tomorrow to go to Great Ocean Road. supposed to be fabulous!

Am having a wonderful time; summer sun, fantastic people, and lots to see and do!

miss you all.

xox
M

...and yet more pictures

Melbourne sunse
Xris and the crab in a wig

the crab met some kangaroos!
the giant clock in the biggest mall I've ever been in in my life...300 shops.
Flinders St. Station
Another sunset shot
A pretty famous sculpture in Melbourne called...yep...cow in tree

A store devoted to socks.
Xris' son and a friend reading the paper.
the outside of a tram
a tea store in the mall
Minky, the cat who bites me

..and more pictures

Palm trees in the park
Sheep with long tails!
A mosaic, a dark chocolate blackberry muffin, and an organic sparkling apple juice
a cockatoo...seriously frightening
look at the blue sky!!!!!!