Wow! That's the first thing that came out of Tom's mouth when we got to our hotel room in Melbourne. Robin scores again - confirming that finding great accommodations is her super power. (One of them anyway!) We were on the 27th floor of the Jazz Corner Hotel (named for Bird's Basement, a below-ground jazz..
The 12 Apostles? Maybe 7.
After arriving in Apollo Bay, we had a quiet evening having dinner at the local brew pub, where we ran into fellow travelers, some of them from Cleveland! A small world, indeed. Went back to our apartment and spent the rest of the evening on the deck marveling at the clear skies, looking at stars..
And here it is: the GrabaRandom video
Back in "Adding a little spice to Fiji," we mentioned that we ran into some folks doing a promo video for Air New Zealand. And here it is...brief cameos for Rob and me. GrabaRandom! We actually had to sign a release - but don't blink or you might miss us! Note for next trip to..
Traveling the GREAT Ocean Road
When we were boarding the flight out of Airlie Beach, we were wondering to ourselves: Exactly why are we leaving this really cool, beautiful Aussie paradise? Could Australia get any better? Well, Airlie is certainly awesome, but turns out so is the Great Ocean Road. We flew into Melbourne, picked up a rental car and..
Airlie Beach: Heaven at Whitehaven
Airlie Beach, a small coastal town surrounded on the inland side by sugarcane plantations and cattle ranches, is a destination for two big reasons - the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands. So, not surprisingly, we spent nearly all our daylight hours in Airlie Beach on the water, under the water, or at the..
Brisbane
To tell you about our time in Brisbane (aside from the koalas), we have to start with a really big “thank you” to our friends Robin, Doug, Gavin and Lindsay Hibbard, who are extraordinary hosts. Not only did they pick us up at the airport and share their home with us, Robin was a delightful..
Robin gets a fresh koala
One thing Rob was really looking forward to in Australia was getting the chance to hold a koala, those cute eucalyptus-eating furry little critters. So after arriving in Brisbane the first order of business was to head to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. We arrived at a fortuitous time, as the line of folks waiting..
Living on Fiji Time
A few days behind the curve and we can’t blame it on an Internet connection this time. We’ve just been having too much fun to sit down and do this. After Friday’s cooking class, we ended up at the hostel next door which was quite the scene. One of the many things I love about..
Adding a little spice to Fiji
Robin (our family chef) and I (our sous chef, or dish washer) both enjoy cooking, so when we heard about a cooking class in Fiji we decided to sign up. The Flavors of Fiji Cooking School offered a tour of the local market and then a chance to cook two different meals in their kitchen:..
Not the best start
I really didn't think I'd be writing a true trip post this soon. After all, we are in Phase 1--driving to Louisiana and then Texas, which is something we do several times a year. Yet, I think this worthy. Normally, when we make this trip, we avail ourselves of the generous hospitality of our friends..