New Zealand = 1.) More Sheep than People 2.) Bungy Capital of the WORLD

1.) Yes, New Zealand does have more sheep than people!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2.) And for those of you who are on the edge of your seat thinking I went bungy jumping...after hours of contemplation, there was NO WAY I was going to go bungy jumping!!!! haha.


However, New Zealand was an incredible experience! New Zealand is like one huge national park. Mountain ranges covered in snow with wildflowers everywhere.

We began the week flying into Christchurch, NZ. It was a bit rainy, but looked as if it was going to clear up. WRONG! It rained ALL afternoon on Monday, Dec. 14th. We arrived and were greeted by a family friend of the Sauer's. Susan picked us up and took us to her home in Christchurch. Such a cute town with lots of boutiques!

Susan's family had arranged a trip with their family plus Molly and me and took us to their holiday home in Akaroa pronounced ek-ah-row-ah. So spectacular! On the way we saw more sheep than imaginable and the most beautiful green rolling hills/small mountains. After dinner Susan took us on a walk around Akaroa. I was thinking to myself, "man, this two hour time change from Sydney has made this day sooooo long!" Then I looked at the clock and realized it was 9:00 PM and it was still light out. Little did we know that it was summer time in NZ and the beginning of their longest days of the year with daylight until about 10:00 PM!!!!!! So bizarre!

We stayed in Akaroa one night and toured around Christchurch on Tuesday afternoon. Molly and I created our own walking tour of Christchurch and enjoyed the New Zealand sights. That night we went to bed slightly early (still in the daylight) so we would be ready for our 7 hour drive to Queenstown on Wednesday.

Wednesday was our bus ride to Queenstown. We slept for the first two hours on the bus because we were told the scenery on the second half of the ride was breathtaking! Yes it was! Lots of sheep and gorgeous lupines all over the place! It was as if we were driving through one HUGE national park (full of sheep). After a day of bussing to Queenstown, we arrived and checked into our hostel. The hostel, Nomads, was brand new and was definitely a great place to stay.

Again we got a great room and then decided to book our excursions through the hostel. Somehow Molly convinced me to go canyoning on Thursday and I chose Whitewater Rafting for Friday!

I was sooo nervous for canyoning after reading through the brochure. They wanted me to jump off a cliff how high? Was that a joke? What if there were big huge rocks sticking out of the water???? So Thursday came quickly and I survived... I would do it again in a heartbeat! We started the day by taking a bus 10 minutes from town and then suited up. There was no "Stinger suit" involved this time, but rather a thick thick wetsuit covering us head to toe, minus the hands, to keep us warm in the 5 degree Celsius water through the canyon. We had a good group for canyoning including two other people from CA and someone from Las Vegas and a couple of Aussies.

We zip lined, repelled, jumped off 8 meter cliffs into the water below, slid down natural water slides, abseiled, and swam through the canyon. Yes, I have pictures to prove that I did all these things. I even did what Aussies/NZ'ers call a "bomb". We call it a cannon ball! Mine was the best cannon ball because I was scared shitless that I would miss the correct placement and land on a big rock below. So I jumped 6 meters into a sweet sweet cannon ball!

After surviving a half day of canyoning we returned to downtown Queenstown for a trip up to the top of the nearby mountain that included a Gondola ride and luge extravaganza! Great views and so much fun to race down the luge 6 times (bought 5 rides, got 1 free)!!! The luge was go-carting without the stinky gas smell!

Friday we woke up early for our Whitewater Rafting day! We shot down the Shotover river in about 3 hours and managed to not flip our raft in the class 4-5 rapids! We held on tight to the ropes on the side of the raft when we weren't paddling!!! The best part was, I ran into a girl I met at UCLA during rush! What are the odds?!?!?!? I thought this girl looked familiar and then she came up to me and asked if I went to UCLA! Sure enough we both recognized each other!!!! SMALL WORLD! Anyway, back to rafting... we survived this day of adventures too!

That afternoon we shopped some more and took a cat nap. Molly booked a reservation at the Onseen Hot Pools in Queenstown for that evening. So at 5 PM we had an appointment to sit in a private spa/pool and overlook the shotover river and surrounding mountains. Pictures coming soon... This was the most relaxing afternoon on our trip thus far!!! We sat in the pool for an hour and just listened to the rain fall and watched the sheep graze.

Perfect end to a great day. More shopping was had on Saturday morning before our flight back to Oz. I am SOOOOO glad we got to see NZ. It's just so scenic and spectacular, the pictures we have don't do it justice.

We said our good-byes to NZ and headed home. Yes, Sydney has become our home. I missed it so much while I was in NZ! I need to go back to NZ for more sightseeing, but I truly felt I was home when we landed back on Aussie territory:)

Louise and David picked us up from the airport on Saturday evening and took us to the Manly Fish Cafe for dinner. Sooo happy to be back with them. Then we went to a party at the neighbors house two doors up. The neighbors are a bunch of young British doctors practicing in Manly Beach.

Then today we woke up to take a 10 km hike from the Spit Bridge to Manly Wharf. It took us about two hours walking and stopping for photos along the way. Tomorrow we are off to the Blue Mountains for Kangaroo/Koala feeding, Boomerang throwing lessons and hiking at the Three Sisters Mountain range. I look forward to our next adventure and can't believe we are headed home to Danville on Wednesday!!!!

Time has flown. I miss everyone, but I don't want to leave this magical place!

Love to all.

Love,
Katie

PS pictures to follow soon of the beautiful country of NZ!

Here are some of the pictures from the last week in Australia from Airlie Beach to Boomerang Beach: Ahhhhhh-Mazing!

Airlie Beach/Whitsunday Islands - the view from our hostel, The Whitsunday Terraces



The ride to the Reef

At the Reef in my "Stinger Suit"

Two of a kind

The Great Barrier Reef (I have tons of these pics, but I think the pics with people are better:))

Day 2 at the Whitsunday Islands - Cruise to Whitehaven Beach aboard the Caimara Catamaran



Day 2 of "Stinger Suits".... these didn't have the same fashion statement as our telletubbie suits the day before!




Meine Deutsch Freunden... My German Pals!

Dallas/New York Friends

Me + all inclusive drinks on the catamaran = sunburn, but feeling a bit smiley:)

The sail home to Airlie Beach after a full day aboard the Caimara catamaran to Whitehaven Beach

Kangaroo Pizza in Surry Hills, Sydney

Sapphire Lounge in Sydney for the swimsuit competition




Sunset at Boomerang Beach

Boomerang Beach with the Murray's - David, Louise and Erik






Fishy Fish Beach




My favorite flower on the patio at the beach house

Just to recap on Boomerang Beach, we went as a family (Murray's plus me and molly - their new daughters) to the beach house three and a half hours north of Sydney just outside of Forster (pronounced Foster). The house is part of a resort and we enjoyed sitting poolside, cocktail hour and dinner at Danes Restaurant. We closed down Dane's two nights in a row! Believe it or not, I was known as the wine connoisseur at the table and tasted the wines prior to each meal. And also an item to note .... I ordered lamb for dinner!!!! Very interesting.

The family vacation to Boomerang was fabulous and we came home this afternoon and went for a swim at Curly. I am pretty sure we have NOT missed out on anything the last two weeks! We are living it up here and can't imagine leaving in a week and a half.

So for the next week we will be in New Zealand and I am sure we will have some crazy beautiful pictures from our trip. We fly to Christchurch tomorrow morning REALLY EARLY.... so, goodnight and have a great week!

Love,

Katie

Wonders of the World

I have officially seen and snorkeled at one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World!



This week was unbelievable! We travelled to the Whitsunday Islands in Queensland from Sydney. The flight was about 3 1/2 hours from Sydney to Proserpine/Airlie Beach.



Upon arrival we checked into our hostel and were given the best room at the hostel. The view was spectacular! We overlooked Airlie Beach and could see the beautiful blue/turquoise water with the Whitsunday Islands in the distance.



Molly and I headed for the shops around Airlie Beach and attempted some Christmas shopping, but yet again found more things for ourselves!!! We booked two fabulous excursions for Tuesday and Wednesday.



Tuesday's excusion was a trip to "Reefworld" a full day visit at the Great Barrier Reef. We spent the day snorkeling and laying out in the sun! The snorkeling was a little scary at first... Nemo was right when he said it in Finding Nemo- Don't go past the reef! The drop-off is ridiculous!

Just in case of sharks (one of my favorite things in the world- NOT!) we took a guided snorkeling tour, which turned out to be a great experience because we learned about tons of fish and got to see parts of the reef that the other people in our group didn't! They made us wear stinger suits because of the dangerous jellyfish,"jellies", that are in the water. Molly and I looked like the blue telletubies!

After the guided tour we stayed out on the reef on our own. It was so neat to see the Damsel fish, clown fish, butterfly fish and tons of others. We were lucky to have a turtle sighting as well as a Groper fish sighting. The Groper fish was soooo friendly (side note, I didn't dare to go near it) and it was about 1.5 meters long. Yikes!

The day ended with some sunning and a boat ride back that took about 2 hours. The reef is WAAAAAAY out there (pictures to come soon). That evening we went to dinner and then headed for the hotel for some wine in preparation for Wednesday on the Caimara Catamaran!

Wednesday morning we woke up to fabulous weather (about 30 degrees celsius, aka 86 degrees Farenheit). We boarded the Caimara Catamaran for a day of sailing around the Whitsunday Islands with a snorkeling stop as well as a stop at Whitehaven Beach. The day was full of sunning! We snorkeled, but it wasn't as clear at the reef the day before. I met a couple from England and told them to keep an eye on me as I snorkeled in case I was gobbled up by sharks:)

On the little dingy boat back we met some friends from Dallas and New York. They were fun and we enjoyed several mini bottles of wine as we baked in the sun. Then we got to Whitehaven beach and Molly and I walked around taking pictures of all the jellies that had washed up on the beach. The sand was incredible. It was more like silica sand and was great for cleaning jewelry, so we hear, but we didn't bring jewelry with us to clean! The water was sooo clear and so warm!

We made it back to the Caimara and drank some more on our all inclusive adventure. Then our group of friends expanded adding some Germans, Austrians and Hungary! I got to use some of my German skills even though they spoke very good English!

We got back to Airlie Beach, had some dinner and then hung out with our friends for a bit at a hostel/bar called Beaches. Our friends will eventually find us on facebook and hopefully we can stay with them if we ever go to their hometowns! Then it was off to bed back at our fabulous hostel.

Thursday morning was even hotter : 35 degrees celsius which is 95 degrees farenheit!!! Molly and I decided to go for a walk along the waterfront. We went about 3K to find a shopping center that had a Target County store. It was a very small Target, not the usual GREATLAND! But we had to go in to find out what the Australian Target was all about. We were unimpressed, but it we had to get out of the heat! We went back to Airlie Beach for some last minute shopping and then on our way to the airport for our flight back to Sydney!

Adam and Emma picked us up in Sydney and took us out on the town. First stop was Kangaroo Pizza at a restaurant in Surry Hills and then out to a club in Kings Cross. The Kangaroo was surprisingly good. It was almost like beef jerky!

Emma's friend was in a swimsuit contest at Sapphire Lounge. So we went to the club in Kings Cross to watch the event! We only stayed for the cheap drinks and the evening wear portion of the competition. The prize for the winning contestant was $20,000!! OMG it was a funny night!

Guess what? We slept in this morning! Woohoo! But we are packing to head up the coast to Fosters Beach, David calls it "Boomerang Beach" or "Fishy fish"!!!!! So another update to come after the weekend at the beach. Yes, I am officially another race I am so tan! Enjoy the snow everyone back in the states:) j/k

Okay we are off!

Love to everyone!

Love,

Katie

PS pictures to follow shortly!:)

Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

I am sure you have been dying for the Goss on the second half of my first week in OZ.



Thursday was a big day. We began with a beginner Jazz class with Adam Murray at the Sydney Dance Company. During our class their were auditions for West Side Story so we heard millions of people warming up their voices. I will try to remember the dance moves for a production when I get home:) After Dance class Molly and I walked around The Rocks and found our way to Darling Harbour. There we were asked if we wanted to paint pictures on the harbor walkway. Each picture painted that day American Express was dontaing money to an Australian arts charity. So of course I couldn't pass that up so we painted pretty canvas pictures! While we painted we got a bit sun burned, but we enjoyed painting as we looked over the busy harbor! Our big day continued with some shopping at Paddy's market. What a great place! Some of you may or may not have gifts from there;) It's a big enclosed swap meet! We were there for two hours just walking up and down the isles past the vendors.

Next we decided to go back to Circular Quay for a closer view of the Opera House. All of the productions are sold out while we are here, but we toured ourselves around the Opera House and had a great time. Then all of the sudden we looked in the distance and saw our row mates from the plane ride from SFO to SYD. Yet again he was way more excited than we were to see him and his wife and daughter. We took some photos with them and were on our way... what are the odds to see three people from our plane out of millions of tourists?!?!?!?!? Great day around Sydney!!!Thursday night was a resting night for the big Bridge Climb!



Friday was Bridge Climb day. We took the Manly Ferry into Circular Quay and as we walked to the Bridge Climb office I got more and more nervous. It may have been because we were walking closer and closer to the bridge and I could see tiny little people on the top of the bridge climbing on what looked to be a very scary pathway. As we got dressed in our lovely jumpsuits we were fit with a big ball and chain to connect us to the safety line, sunglass holders, a hat and head phones! We began the climb and the first ten minutes were heart palpitating scary! We walked along wood planks and climbed a steep steep ladder to get to the arc of the bridge. I wasn't sure about the whole seeing the water below from what I thought was miles above the ground. Luckly I made it to the Summit and was LOVING the views. I kept telling myself "it's just a ladder" and it was SPECTACULAR! I recommend this for ANYONE visiting Sydney! And after the climb I treated myself to some shopping, duh!

Then it was prep time for the Beach Party #1! We spent the evening at Curly Surf Club partying with the Murray's and their friends. What a blast! All the guys wanted to meet the American Girls:) Just by knowing what American Football is, Molly and I were very popular!



Saturday: We went sightseeing to palm beach, scotland island, mona vale and shopping with Brooke and Sandy Daley. We had lunch with Mark too, but he wasn't sure he wanted to partake in our shopping extravaganza! They have some great malls and shops here. Tons of stores we don't have but totally need! :) Brooke and Sandy were really fun to get to know!

That night was Beach party part 2! Two times more fun than the night before. All of our same friends were excited to see us again! The Curly boys know how to party! I have never seen more men get in a group and dance together. Very fun night!



Sunday was a day of relaxation at the Curly beach and pool. We needed to just chill. The Sun is WAAAY stronger here. Then we met up with David and went to the Sydney Fish Market. We enjoyed tons of seafood and tasted our first Oyster! Molly called it a "Salty Slippery Bugar" she was spot on! What a great day! We are getting Tan here. That's one of our highlights!!!


Love to all! We are off to Airlie Beach today!

Love,
Katie

A Week In Pictures

Another round of pictures for your enjoyment!

It has been a week of fun in Australia and we have hundreds of pictures already to prove it! So, here is a look into what we have been up to:

Moments before the Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb

At the 135 meter bridge summit - (note: this is a picture of a picture)

Drinks at Manly Wharf Hotel overlooking the Manly Beach Marina

Sydney Opera House tour and day of beginner Jazz with Molly and Adam

Beach Party Part 1 (in photo from left: Erik Murray, Katie, Molly, Adam Murray and Dean Murray)

Beach Party Night 2 - Brooke Daley met us for round two of fun with the Curly Surf Club (slang for Curl Curl Surf Club)

The Goss... Quick Version

So the Aussies call Gossip "Goss". Even the news reporters say "Goss" on The Sunrise, the Aussie version of The Today Show.

Here is the latest Katie "Goss":

We accomplished the Sydney Bridge Climb -- more on this later, but I will leave you with the height of the bridge 134 meters above sea level! Yikes! Very windy, but beautiful!

Beach Party Night 1 -- we met all the cool people of Curl Curl last night at a big beach party. Molly and I shared two bottles of champagne! haha. Everyone was excited to meet the American Girls:) We had a great time and the night ended with Pizza. We woke up today and were told that that was night 1 of the two night party. Tonight is apparently a bigger event than last night was.. eeek!

Anyway, I am off to shop with Sandy Daley and Brook Daley. They are showing us around Palm Beach and the nearby beach/surf shops! Today is overcast, but still so amazing! It really is like Hawaii on steroids here! LOVING EVERY MINUTE!

A bigger update later!

Have a great day

Love,
Katie

Boomerang Kid

G'day mates. As requested, here are some pics from the first few days in Sydney!!!

Me at the zoo!! Can you see the Sydney Opera House in the distance????

Bondi Beach with Dean and Maira (day 4)

Taronga Zoo with my mates (day 2)

My "Walkabout"

At the Murray's

Above are some pics from the past few days....

Now on with the update:

As Cristen Andrews says, I am a "Boomerang Kid"! Molly and I have enjoyed our past couple of days. Yesterday we went to Hunter Valley to go wine tasting. Let's just say in America we are under served at wine tastings! We enjoyed several types of wines that we don't have in the US. We went to four wineries and tasted about 8 different wines at each. So, you can guess I was a bit rosey when we left winery number 1! The tour was 12 hours and the tour guide stopped at a winery that I had read about in my travel book, Petersen's winery (photos to come from the different wineries). I bought several bottles of wine (and am enjoying them each night)!!

It was a long day of wine tasting but fantastic and we came home to Curl Curl with dinner waiting for us. The Murray's had made an Australian BBQ for us! So fabulous!

Today we went to the popular Bondi Beach with Dean and Maira. Dean gave us the walking tour around Bondi. The beach is known as a place to be seen.:) Molly and I got a bit sun burned just walking around. We then explored the shops of Bondi Junction. On our way home we stopped for lunch at Salty Rooster a VERY popular chicken burger joint and ate them as we watched the surfers at Manly Beach. Tonight we went out in Manly beach and had wine (surprise, surprise) at Manly Beach Wharf Hotel. So beautiful and fun. Lots of young people. And the full moon here is spectacular as it rises over the ocean! We did stumble across a Coles grocery store and peaked in just to see all of the wierd products and brand names here in Australia. Very fun!

Then we headed back to the Murriott. Erik was heading out to catch the end of the American Boxing match. VERY BIG here. Every bar was showing it tonight. Molly and I had NO clue it was an American match! Ha!

Next up on our travels:

Tomorrow - Jazz class with Adam - Yes, Molly and I are going to Sydney to take a beginner Jazz class with Adam. Note: Adam Murray is a top dancer in Sydney! Oh and the class is one hour and 45 mins!! Lots of flailing!

Tomorrow - Shopping in Sydney at several markets

Friday - The Sydney Bridge Climb, North Curl Curl Surfing Club Beach Party (aka drinking party at the beach)

Saturday - Who knows

Sunday - Sydney Fish Market

Oh and next week (starting Monday) we are off to the Whitsunday Islands and the Great Barrier Reef. When we return to Sydney on Thursday, the Murray's are taking us to Boomerang, Australia! A perfect place for "Boomerang Kids" to tan and surf!

Chat at you all again soon! I hope December 1 was great!

Love,

Katie


PS Other slang that I have learned:

Yute - compact car cut in half with a truck bed attached to the back. A "Utility" vehicle

The Shits - Mad, angry