Great adventures on the Great Ocean RD!

Day 2
Exploring more of Melbourne!  We started the day where we love starting any day- at the city Market!  Taking the tram there early enough to see all the vendors still setting up.  Some delicious looking fruit and veggies, decant cheeses and breads and mouth watering meats (ok it was Tony's mouth watering on the last one!) We made it back to the hotel only to go out again, taking the free tourist tram around town, learning all about the history of the city.  Getting off with lots of time to wonder around before a lunch reservation Tony had made for us. We ended up in the ritzy portion of the city-full of 5 star hotels and designer shopping!  Then right in the heart of that, down a tiny one lane alley was The Kitchen Cat restaurant.  Behind two glass doors, are cement stairs leading down into the basement of the building towards a window of food.  The window gives you a little hint of what you are about to get into; fresh pasta, cured meats, and housemade breads. We sit down and the waitress brings over some housemade flat bread and some aprocot chips.  Delicious. I had the pig's ears, and then the housemade ravioli (which was litterally from the window at the bottom of the stairs- I saw it as I passed by towards the bathroom!)  Tony had the bone marrow, and the pig's head.  AWESOME meal, yet again in such a foodie town. 
That afternoon we got to doing some tasks which we needed to do since we havent seen a city in a few months- banks, pharmacies, clothing for the trip etc...Before a dinner at a Korean BBQ restaurant.  Korean BBQ is delicious by the way.  It's lots of fun grilling your own stuff and coming up with lots of concoctions (kinds reminds me of when we were kids and used to mix stuff together and think it tastes delicious~ but Korean BBQ is actually delicious!)

Day 3
We picked up the rental car and we were off!!!  Great Ocean Road here we come!  What an amazing scenic drive.  Getting out of the city didnt seem to be too much of a challenge (thank gosh!) since Melbourne is known for it's aweful traffic and too many cars on the road. But we were off!  Had a great day checking out all (ok not all cause it would take you FOREVER if you stopped at every lookout point!) the lookouts before pulling into Apollo Bay for a night at the Beach Front Motel.  We wondered down the beach and dipped our toes (believe me it's all we dipped it was FREEZING!) into the Ocean before calling it an early night.

Day 4
We continued on the Great Ocean Rd til the 12 apostles (the biggest scenic stop on the trip). It was breath taking.  It was also raining and very very cold out.  We did the tourist thing, took some pictures, santa (my travelling gnome friend from Uni) was cold so we picked up some hot drinks from the kiosk before hitting the road again. The road was so scenic ocean views around each corner, through the countryside that was filled with sheep and cows, just beautiful.  We pulled into the Royal Mail Hotel for the night.  We picked the Royal Mail Hotel because it's one that we noted while watching an episode of Anthony's Bourdain's No Reservations.  Anthony Bourdain's No Reservations is a show that a chef travels around the world looking for teh best food, and the best food experiences; adding a satiric atmosphere filled with atititude, alcohol and a smart mouth.  In this case The Royal Mail Hotel was featured because it's in the middle of nowhere, at the base of mountains that features 5 star fine dinning restaurant filled with all local products.  It was devine.  The hotel room was huge (tony even said he could live in it if it had a kitchen- I said it's bigger then the one we did live in in PEI with a kitchen!) We eat in the Pub that night (cause 2 months of travel doesnt come cheap) so we wanted to save some of our cash (it was like 100 each a plate!) and enjoy some local product at the Royal Mail Pub.  It was great, still all local product just a bar menu.  I had a delicious wagyu rump and Tony had a wagyu corned beef.  We enjoyed some drinks over talk of our upcoming wedding!  (WoooWooop!!!)

Day 5
Waking up to the Grampians was devine.  Breakfast was of course included in our stay so we headed across the lane for some grub before taking off.  It was great- everything was fresh and made there.  We know cause they keep going to the garden and coming back with arms and trays full of their food!  What a great way to start your day! We then jumped in the car again and we're away! We weaved our way around the countryside making it to another tiny town after another.  Stopping breafly for lunch at a place that Tony found Beer and Breakfast.  Delicious.  Again all local products paired with guy who loves beer, and the creation was amazing food.  We then made our way back to Melbourne for a night in a budget hotel close to the airport before taking off in the am for Singapore!


This is the 12 apostles-- not our picture but it gives you an idea of what we did this week!!!

day 1- full of pig in melbourne!

We officially arrived in Melbourne!  Everyone has been telling us for months that we will love it here.  Well, they are soooo true!  We have been having a blast (even if we have only been here for a few hours!), loving the city life again, seeing stores, banks, malls everything!
Tonight was date night- Tony has been planning a few places for us to eat on our first journey back to real food!  The spot tonight Josie Bones an amazing place, that incorporates tony's love for pig and my love of beer!  Some of you might be thinking that the next steps are, well a little out there, but, we LOVE it.  Tony's philosophy of food is to use it all; all parts of all animals if not it's not worth killing. 
Our menu for the night;
a tasting of pork crakling
squid ink braised baby octopus served with sourdough bread
an amazing chacutarie board- fennel seed and chilli cuired pork loin; airdired beef; prosciutto; chicken roulade with some delicious onion jam
Then we shared some more samplers-
rolled pigs head sauce garbiche and crackling
beer braised and hickory smoked ox tounge with herbs
and brussel sprouts with roasted chestnuts and panchetta
WHAT A MEAL!  Amazing!  An amazing first date of the vacation!
Check out the Josie Bones website for some amazing food porn; and if your mouth is watering then dont worry we bought the cookbook!!!!!!!
http://josiebones.wordpress.com/

it's OFFICIAL..we are UNEMPLOYED

Well the time has come, rather quickly we'll say, to an end of our desert life.  We have spent the last 5 months working (hard I might add!) so that for the next two months we will be on our vacation from the working vacation. 
We will spend Aug 1-6 in Melbourne
6-22 in Thailand
22-sept 6 in Vietnam
6-10 sept in Sydney
10-24 sept in BC
then landing in Toronto, after 15 flights, 6 (or more-we'll see!) countries and lots of laughs and memories!
We will try to update along the way, but internet is not always the greatest in south east asia...so until we speak again...BON VOYAGE!!!!!!!

JOY RIDE!

This past week we have had another visitor at Chez Sarah and Tony!  Erin my friend from Sydney has joined us for a long weekend!  We have done lots of fun stuff- Uluru walks, Kata Tjuta walks, sunsets, sunrises but my favourite was the joy ride in the helicopters.  Litterally breath taking trip.  It's amazing to see the vast desert and the huge rock formations from the air. There really is no other way to see it.  These are just some of the pictures I took while up there with Ayers Rock Heli!  Tristan (our pilot) took us upfor this morning sunrise, here are just a few of the pictures of the beautiful morning, some great colour,the amazing views of Kata Tjuta and a rainbow!  Cant really ask for more then that! Enjoy!

At the Airport preping for take off...the one on the right is our ride!

Tony in the front...checking our the views on the way to Uluru

Over our house and our work!

Uluru!

Uluru a few mins later...note the colour change!  Sooo pretty!

Tristan pointing out a few mountain ranges in the distance!

Kata Tjuta with the rainbow!  So much bigger then you think when you are driving!

Sunrise over the desert

Kata Tjuta with a beautiful rainbow

A side shot...trying to get all of kata tjuta in one shot..it's hard cause it's sooo big!

Our ride

4 months....39 days....5 countries....2 people.

Well it's been 4 months since Tony asked me to marry him.
We only have 39 days left in Yulara...Ayers Rock Resort.
When we leave here we will be going to 5 countries before we get back home to Canada
At then end of the day, it doesn't matter how long it's been, or how long it will be, where we will go or where we come from.  At the end of the day, it's just the two of us, and that's the best part.

I AM A FRONT DESK AGENT

( over the many years in this industry I have recieved many copies of this email- and each time I feel I can say yeah that's me more and more...it's funny how some people think we just check you in and out, really we are the hub of not only the hotel, but we are the hub of your vacation)


I am a Front Desk Agent

I am a front desk agent and I have advanced degrees in Accounting, Public Relations, Marketing, Businiess, Computer Science, Civil Engineering, and Swahili. I can also read minds.

I am a front desk agent and of course I have the reservation that you booked six years ago even though you don’t have the confirmation number and you think it was made under a name that starts with “s”

I am a front desk agent, and it is completely my fault that the blizzard shut down the airport and you have to sleep in a warm king bed while 5000 of your co-travelers are sleeping at the airport. I am sorry.

I am a front desk agent and it is not a problem for me to give you seven connecting , non smoking, poolside suites, with two king beds in each, four roll-a-ways, 3 cribs, and yes. I can install a wet bar. I know it is my fault that we do not have a helicopter landing pad.

I am a front desk agent. I am expected to speak all langues fluently. It is obvious to me that when you booked your reservation for Friday on the weekend we’re sold out that you really meant Saturday. My company has entrusted me with all the financial information and decisions and yes, I am lying to you when I say we have no more rooms available. It is not a problem for me to quickly construct several more guest rooms. THIS time I will not forget the helicopter landing pad. And it is my fault that everyone wanted to stay here. I should have known you were coming in, even though you had no reservation. After all, you stay at our brand of hotel all the time, 300 nights a year, and this is only the first time you’ve ever been to our city.

I am a front desk agent. I am quite capable of checking three people in, two people out, taking five reservations, answering fifteen incoming calls, delivering six bath towels to room 625, plunging the toilet in room 101, and re-stocking the supply of pool towels, all the time. Yes, I will be glad to call the van driver and tell him to drive over all the cars stuck in traffic because you’ve been waiting at the airport for 15 minutes and you’ve got jet lag.

I am a front desk agent, an operator, a bellhop, houseman, guest service representative, housekeeper, sales coordinator, information specialist, entertainment critic, restaurateur, stock broker, referee, janitor, computer technician, plumber, ice breaker, postman, babysitter, dispatcher, laundry cleaner, lifeguard, electrician, ambassador, personal fitness trainer, fax expert, human jukebox, domestic abuse counselor and verbal punching bag. Yes, I know room 112 is not answering their phone. And of course I have their travel itinerary so I know exactly where they went when they left here at 9 hours ago, and what their cell phone number is.

I am a front desk agent, I always know where to find the best vegetarian-kosher-mongolian-barbecue restaurants. I know exactly what to see and do in this city in fifteen minutes without spending any money and without getting caught in traffic. I take personal blame for airline food, traffic jams, rental car flat tires, and the nation’s economy.

I am a front desk agent, and I realize that you meant to book your reseravation here. People often confuse us with the Galaxy Delight Motel, Antartica. Of course I can “fit you in” and yes, you may have the special $1 rate because you are affiliated with the Hoboken Accounting and Bagel Club.

I am expected to smile, empathize, sympathize, console, condole, up-sell, down-sell (and know when to do which), perform, sing, dance, fix the printer, and tell your friends that you’re here. And I know exactly where 613 Possum trot lane is in the “way out there” subdivision that they just built last week.

After all. I AM a front desk Agent! I can do all things!

(now to track one down about a chef! hahaha)

Visitors!

We have had to pleasure of hosting some friends from Canada- Jacy and Sophie!  For those who don't know, I have been friends with Jacy since High School (which I can't believe grad was already 7 years ago!).  He was my first friend to get married to the lovely Sophie.  Before they made the trek to the desert, I had only meet Sophie a few times since they had been living in Toronto and I was out east.  Needless to say, what an amazing women, but an even better couple.  Tony and I can't say that we have spent too much time with other couples over the years, but we can't wait to spend more time with our foodies Jacy and Sophie! 
When they arrived we rented a car (and happend to acutally get the time off!) so we were able to spend lots of time around the resort.  We started with some grub at Geckos (the casual restaurant in town Tony used to work at) before heading out to KataTjuta!  We decided that it would be good to start with the Walpa Gorge before relaxing for the sunset.  We then went to the Outback BBQ for some dinner, where we grilled our own (and I mean Tony and Jacy grilled) bbq dinner!  It was lots of fun!  This was also the first time that Sophie got to see the mice.  That's right, the Northern Territory is having an infestation of mice at the moment.  Yeah we know it's gross, but there is nothing we can do about it.  It's not that the place is dirty, it's just that they are all over the desert.  We have now killed 22 in our house...yeah again, we think they are gross but it's just that they are everywhere in the desert right now!
The next morrning we did the super early sunrise at Uluru before doing a few of the walks.  IT was great, we brought Lisa, a girl I work with, and she had sooo much knowledge on the stories to go with the walks!  Super fun!  In the afternoon, we randomly decided that we would go to Alice Springs.  What a fun decision!  We stayed at the Chifley there and were able to relax, go out for some amazing Indian food (especially for the desert!), and relax.  In the morning we didnt realize that we had parked right on the start line for the bike race...talk about imbarassing!  hahahaha at least it was a great story! hahaha
Tony had to go to work that avo (aka what the aussies call afternoon) so we decided to go out to the camel farm, and then out to the national park agian.  We went back because we were hunting wild camels and dingos.  Got luck to see wild camels at the dune sunset area for Kata Tjuta but no dingos there....driving back we were talking about them and boom, dingo on the road! hahaha as if! IT was great, dont' worry I didnt hit it! 
The next day they left back to Perth and we had to get back into the swing of being in the desert and working!  What a great few days, that still seem a little unreal that we got to hang out with some amazing friends in such a unique place!
PICS TO COME!!!!!