Bellachara Gerringong

... used just over 3,700 litres of diesel, camped with a totally self sufficient set up, experienced every type of weather other than snow, hail and a typhoon, with temperatures ranging from -3oC up to 38oC and some days a temp range of over 30oC, and seen what has to be the most amazing and beautiful country. But we love Kiama and it will always be the place where our heart rests. I can’t wait for the next trip. Julie, how many days holiday have I got????

... half full boat and gives us more room on the dive deck so it is great and very comfortable diving set up. Loading the boat is always fun as the twin hull 18m long live-aboard is to big to get into the river to arrive at the jetty so here comes Mick the skipper and husband of Lyn our host for the weekend in the boats tender. This is standard practise, loading all of the ...

... to the main look out point at Echo Point where you can view the Three Sisters.  An impressive rock formation with an old Aboriginal Legend to go with it.  Then we decided we would walk down to the valley via the "Giant Staircase", 900 stairs straight down to the bottom about 1.5km down maybe not sure. But anyway it was steep!  Continued along the Federal Pass to the Rail that takes you up the side of the mountain backwards ...

... with the group and drank some beer before heading to bed on the Friday for an early night. Saturday we had to be up at 7am for breakfast. Got to let the brekkie go down a bit before being kitted out with our wetsuits and walking down the to the beach. We were each given our own surfboards, and then the lessons began. We started with just learning a little about surfing and the technique of standing up, practicing on surfboards we'd drawn in the sand ...

The Goldschmidt clan headed south of Sydney to Jervis Bay for xmas. A gorgous bay the is largely national park. We were joined by Phil and Frosty and their baby girl Fenella, and it was so much fun having a little one around. Far removed from our usual xmas routine it did not feel so strange boogie ...

... siri passing out on the bus home and me talking complete rubbish about the fireworks for 2 hours!! The past couple of weeks since new years have been mainly arranging life to be in Sydney, along with a bit of socialising. We have sold AJ, tears did flow, and we have just moved into a shared house in Balmain, a suburb just out of the city. Is a very nice big house, in a busy suburb. I am starting ...

... since James our driver told us that if late he would leave you...and he wasn't kidding! We travelled back down to a small town Featherdale to their wildlife park...a bit warmer there and saw all the amazing animals and beautiful birds they have here. We returned to Sydney about 5:30 and caught a train to the hotel. Fun but SO chilly today! We are looking forward to some warmer weather when we get home...have been through so many temp changes!

... has started but this is an easy week so I don't know what to expect from classes really. The campus is beautiful. I'm told is smaller than MSU's, but there are SO many hills and stairs. I miss my flat campus a little bit. I'll update more later, for now here's a list of fun stuff. Here's just a few things that are different between Australia and home that I'm still trying to get used to. - There's a $1 and $2 coin. The $2 coin ...

... exhausted so we left to catch a cab back. In the cab waiting spot we ran into a couple that we met at the airport so we split the cab back with them. They were heading for Coogee Bay Hotel, a bar right across from the beach about 4 minutes from our house. So we went with them and stayed out a while longer. It was a really fun night. Sunday we went to the beach with a bunch of people from our house and laid out for a while. I'm ...

... would stay in Sydney to work. It was a bit of a shame that he couldn't make it but we would see him again up in Cairns. Thankfully Saturday night was a quiet one and I got a good nights sleep as we were back out on the boat the next morning. I gave water skiiing another go and after a few attempts I got it this time and it was such a great feeling! Sadly I haven't mastered turning corners yet but I'll keep trying! Jen and I went out in the ...