Out and About in Melbourne

So as much as it sounds like all we did on our Melbourne trip was sit around, enjoy cocktails and feed swans, we actually did leave the house and see some of this exciting city.  Here are a few of the things we did:

Southbank Promenade:
One sunny afternoon, we headed down to the Southbank Promenade for lunch and a stroll.  The riverwalk is adjacent to Melbourne's CBD (central business district) along the Yarra River and is home to many restaurants, pubs and street performers.  We stopped to watch a comedian/magician and two guys doing the whole throw swords while on stilts kind of thing.  The kids were of course enthralled, after the second one, us adults were admittedly itching to move on!

We had a great meal at the World Restaurant & Bar (seriously, I cannot get enough of the Fish & Chips in this country) and sampled some James Squire beer.  It was a delightful lunch with our delightful companions!

 

Werribee Mansion and Park:
Located just a few minutes from our friends' house, Werribee Mansion is a 19th century Victorian mansion built by the Chirnside Family and now open to the public for tours.  With over 60 rooms, many of the family's original items such as furniture and clothing are on display.  The most interesting yet disturbing room was the billiards room.  It displayed many of the family hunting trophies, notably rugs made out of tiger, jaguar and lion, a stuffed dog, a hippo head end table and a rhino foot stool.  As you can imagine, Sophia was horrified.  Really, really horrified. 

The grounds of the park were beautiful, and the kids all enjoyed running free.  We wandered through the Victoria State Rose Garden and circled the Italian Grotto (the signs warning of snakes freaked me out of course!).  Many people were around, busy setting up for what we found out was a beer festival scheduled for the next day.  Alas, we couldn't attend, but were still impressed with what looked to be a great event!

 

Shadowfax Winery
Also located in Werribee Park is the Shadowfax Winery.  Deb had never been there, so we stopped on our way back to the house (obviously that's the ONLY reason we stopped).  The winery had a really lovely lawn complete with bocce, picnic tables and ample shade.  We didn't stay for long though, so just opted for a tasting inside.  The winery also has a restaurant with an impressive menu - I have a feeling there will be a girls lunch in Deb's future! 

Jason wasn't thrilled with the wine, but as usual, I seemed to like everything I tasted.  I have never pretended to be some wine conneisseur.  It always amazes me that there is a bucket for spitting out or throwing your wine away - what a waste!  The only negative I could find about the place was that it was named for a horse in "Lord of the Rings"...possibly the worst movie ever made.   Well at least I think it is, I couldn't get through the whole thing.  The kids sat at a table and chatted the entire time, drinking water the staff offered them.  Love those kids.

Melbourne Zoo

Of COURSE we had to go to the Melbourne Zoo.  Sophia's life would not be complete without visiting every zoo on the face of the Earth.   Highlights of the zoo included the always adorable Meerkats, the Asian Elephant Trail (Sophia especially loved the baby elephant), Wild Sea exhibit and the Orangutan Sanctuary.  But by far the coolest moment of the day was the HUGE brown bear.  When we walked up to his habitat he was standing about 30 feet away in an alcove in the rocks stretching tall.  I swear he looked over at us immediately (Sophia to be exact, she was the first to get there) and headed straight for us.  He came up right to the wall like he was a dog.  It was CRAZY!  I will never forget that big guy.  After spending a couple of hours, we capped off the trip with the required ice cream for all!

Williamstown
Another interesting spot Deb and John took us to was Williamstown.  Originally Melbourne's first sea port, it has recently been renovated into a popular family and tourist destination.  Surrounded on three sides by water, the main street is lined with shops, restaurants and bars.  The adults sat down at an outside table and enjoyed a beer and a chat, while the kids ran and played at the playground across the street.  Before we headed out the kids got yet another ice cream and I eyed up some clothes at a cute boutique, but ultimately resisted the urge.  We didn't have time, but any potential visitors take note - there is a railway museum located in North Williamstown as well as the HMAS Castlemaine, a restored warship, available for touring at Gem Pier.  And on the third Sunday of every month, there is a 100-stall craft market open from 10am-4pm.  Lots to do!

Melbourne Cricket Ground
No visit to Melbourne, especially during the Christmas season, would be complete without a visit to the Melbourne Cricket Grounds for a Boxing Day Test Match.  This year, Australia faced off against Sri Lanka and Jason wasn't about to miss an opportunity to check out the event.  Part cricket match, part fraternity party, Boxing Day was a "boy's only" event during this visit, and John and Jason were joined by John's brother, Tom, and their friend Graham.  Australia played very well, as they both bowled and batted on the first day of the match (very uncommon, apparently).  Jason ate the obligatory "meat pie", drank pints of mid-strength, participated in the wave (booing at the MCG Club section) and actually managed to squeeze in some time to learn a bit about the game.  By the looks of John and Jason upon returning home, however, it was obvious the meat pie and mid-strengths were the top priority.

Campbell's Cove 

Finally, as our time wound down in Melbourne, and we prepared to leave Australia and our friends behind, we visited a lesser known area of Melbourne called Campbell's Cove.  Only a short drive from John and Deb's house, and just a few miles from Werribee Mansion, Campbell's Cove is a small coastal area on the Port Phillip Bay, and is apparently recognized as Melbourne's "first nude beach".  Honestly, we stopped because Deb thought the houses were interesting, and she didn't even know it was "clothing optional" (yeah right).  She was right though, it truly is a fascinating little area.  The coast is dotted with small shacks, nearly one on top of another, with the sand and surf just a few feet away.  We didn't stay very long, as the "wildlife" quickly showed itself (and I mean, "showed itself").  Luckily the kids stayed in the car as we walked down to the beach, so only the adults were exposed to the show.

 

So that's it for Melbourne, folks!  Until next time...thanks for the memories Deb and John!



Making Memories in Melbourne

Many years ago (AKA many wrinkles ago)

My friends, this is looooong overdue.  I seem to go through phases with my writing -  I write a lot, then take a long break.  It's really like everything else in my life and it's always been like that - all or nothing.  I'm 40 and it's never going to change.   So I apologize in advance for all future erratic posting!

In 2003, Jason and I moved from our small rented rowhome in Conshohocken, Pennsylvania, to our first purchased home in the Philadelphia suburb of West Chester.  Whenever you move into a new home you cross your fingers and hope you win the big gamble - your neighbors.  In this case, we hit the jackpot.  Some friendships are just meant to be, and we became fast friends with Aussies Debra, John and their young son, Josh. Sophia was born just three months after we moved in, and as it turns out, Deb and I took turns being pregnant for the next two years.  Deb with her son, Ryan, and then me with Cooper.  Can't a couple of fun ladies share a bottle of wine!!??   It was torture I say!  (like pregnancy isn't torture enough)

The townhouse where it all began!

So for four years, we traded weekend nights at our respective homes, shared many holidays and get togethers with them and their gaggle of international friends (with a few random Americans thrown in - it was quite a group!) and even vacationed together in the Outer Banks of North Carolina.  Life was good (and even better when Deb would come home late from her retail job and knock on my walkout basement door with a bottle of wine and two glasses, thus relieving me from my late night sewing).

Alas, we moved a little farther away from West Chester and eventually they returned to their home city of Melbourne.  We've kept in touch via Facebook but admittedly that is all.  An actual visit to Australia was something that seemed so far out of reach, but sometimes it's just funny where life takes you...

So fast forward to this year.  We were too far from home to spend Christmas with our actual families, so what better time to visit friends (who feel like family) in a country we've always wanted to see?  So the plans were made to spend Christmas in Melbourne.

A very popular pasttime!

After a wonderful four days in Sydney, we took the short flight to Melbourne (and you must pronounce it "MELBUN" or the locals will look at you like you have one eye) and drove our rental car out to their resort neighborhood of Sanctuary Lakes in Point Cook (about 20 min from the airport, and Jason was thankfully a much better driver at this point in the trip).   The neighborhood gave off a lovely first impression, highlighted by a large lake and golf course with an eclectic mix of homes.  This would definitely be a nice place to spend ten days!  When we arrived at their house (with Josh and Ryan in the driveway awaiting our arrival!) it just got better.  Their home was situated right on the water, with a large outdoor patio area, both covered and uncovered.  The kids were delighted to find a trampoline, basketball net and most of all...a ton of black swans, ducks and a couple of pelicans. 

 

 

Feeding the swans and ducks became a daily occurrence, actually more like several times a day.  And I admit I took part in many of these feedings. How often can you feed a black swan right out of your hand?  Thank goodness Deb is the most prepared and organized person I know - she had a never ending supply of bread in her freezer!  

We arrived on December 23, and spent the first day just reconnecting and relaxing.  We felt no urgent need to get out and see much of Melbourne, instead we really just wanted to hang out and enjoy being together.  The kids just played and played, we barely heard a sound out of them (the entire 10 days).  Even though Cooper didn't remember them at all, you never would have known by how they all got along, and even though they ranged in age between 7-12, everyone found plenty in common (Minecraft for Cooper and Ryan - of course).

Yes, we were quite "happy" at this point!

You may be wondering when I'm going to get around to talking about Melbourne, but honestly that's the least important thing on my mind now.  The best part of visiting the Vogers - their friends and family!!  I got to hang out with one of my favorite people - Deb's mom Barbara!  This chic lady not only has a knack for great conversation and great shoes, but she also showed up with the world's biggest water guns as gifts for every child.   Best part about that - they couldn't fit into our luggage -  tons of fun for future Voger guests and none of the hassle for us!

We also got to spend time with Deb's dad, Ray, sister Michelle, her son, Sean, and her boyfriend, Geoff.  And let's not forget about Aunt Pat!  What a demure, shy lady from the outside, but once you got talking to her....quite the firecracker!  Who doesn't love hearing about the shenanigans at the local assisted living facility!? So between the family members and the special kangaroo and koala stockings Deb and John bought for us...we were right at home.  A special shoutout also goes to John's dad, Slavko, for being a good sport about the silly hat we made him wear at Christmas dinner.

Geoff, Slavko, John, Deb, Michelle, Sean
Jason, Barbara, Ray and Pat

Cooper, Josh, Ryan and Sophia
(Love the shirt choice Coops!)

Speaking of Christmas dinner, neither Deb nor I had ever made stuffing before (real stuffing, not Stovetop...because that would be a travesty at such a special meal).  So we embarked on the great stuffing experiment.  And I must say it was the greatest stuffing ever made.  It all comes down to one ingredient - BACON.

Jah, Pania, me and Deb

And as usual, there was no shortage of friends at the Voger house.  Pania, Jah and Owen (and their daughter Narissa) joined us for a very fun New Year's Eve (gotta love discovering the pics on the phone the next morning, I'm still trying to figure out who hijacked my phone), and came back for an equally fun New Year's Day!  Card games, dice games, pool games, dart games...anyone see a theme here?  The biggest surprise was the New Year's Eve neighborhood fireworks - a fitting end to a fantastic evening (well it was the end for the kids, us adults kept it going for quite a while longer).

Our hangout for most of the day.

 

At least we got some exercise!

 

One of the more amusing moments was our New Year's Day breakfast.  We were woken up by all of the kids offering us a menu.  They had spent the early morning hours planning, typing and printing quite the comprehensive menu for us - check it out!  My selection was a grilled cheese sandwich.  The best value was definitely the prawn platter for five cents!  Even little Narissa got involved in the food preparation, and believe it or not, someone really did order the pasta bolognese (nice work on the spelling kids!).


So after drinking almost the entire Voger inventory of wine and beer (including John's homebrews), it was time to go home and regenerate some liver cells (and begin "no wine January" for me).   We had a lovely time in Melbourne, but more importantly we renewed our friendship with great people.  Hopefully they will make it to Singapore, but even if they don't, rest assured, we will be back to visit them! 


Next post - proof that we just didn't sit around drinking the entire time.  All about some of the fun things we did in Melbourne!

See you next time, Voger Family!  Miss you already!

Three "g'days" on the Great Ocean Road

After enjoying a few days in Sydney, we made the short flight to Melbourne, ready to enjoy the holidays with great friends, Deb and John Voger.  Deb, John and their two boys (Josh and Ryan) were neighbors of ours in West Chester, PA for about 4 years (circa 2002 - 2006).  At that time, we often enjoyed an afternoon or evening on one another's deck with a glass of wine or a beer (Jen:  Seriously..."A" glass of wine or beer?  What alternate universe were you living in?), and the kids always enjoyed playing together.  With that in mind, we were excited to see our friends who graciously welcomed us into their home to spend Christmas and New Year's with their family.

Deb and Jennifer in 2006 - Oh the memories...

Truth is, our visit to Melbourne would have been complete had we spent our time sitting on the Voger's back patio, catching up on each other's lives (see forthcoming post from Jennifer for more on that part of our visit).  But, Australia is obviously more than half a world away from the east coast of the US, and who knows when or if I'll have another chance to experience the "Great Ocean Road" (GOR) and cross it off my bucket list.  So, after a few days visiting with the Vogers, we packed up the car and headed Southwest toward the Great Ocean Road and the beautiful coastline.

I've read that you can make the entire drive from Melbourne to Port Campbell (home of the famed 12 Apostles) and back in a single day.  However, I viewed such guidance the same as I do the stories I read about seeing "everything in Singapore"  in 3 days... a load of you know what.  Besides, the thought of driving in the dark along the rocky coastline of Southern Australia (on the wrong side of the road - see Right-side driving and sights around Sydney ) seemed like a REALLY bad idea.  (Jen:  Deb can attest to the fact that the day before we left I was having a panic attack thinking about Jason driving this road.  I thought we were going to die.)

My comfort with driving had improved tremendously since the excitement in Sydney, but we decided to book two nights at a great little place in Apollo Bay so we could take our time and enjoy the GOR safely.  Leaving Melbourne mid-morning, we planned to stop a few places along the way to check out the sights and have a lunch along the beach before arriving in Apollo Bay...and we did just that.

View from Surf Beach in Torquay

Our first stop was in Torquay, a coastal town known for great surf beaches and tons of surf shops.  There were plenty of both, but we didn't stay very long because we got a first glimpse of the brilliant sandstone cliffs further down the coast and decided the scenery ahead of us would be more spectacular.  Over the course of the next two hours we stopped several times to snap a few pictures and take in the scenery, which seemed to get more beautiful around every sharp turn along the coast.  We skipped right through Angelsea, which looked like a great little beach town, and made our next stop in Lorne.

Sophia posing in Lorne

After navigating the 400th "roundabout / traffic circle / death spiral" we had encountered since arriving in Australia, I found a place to park - I'm fairly sure, illegally.  (Jen:  I'm pretty sure the only thing that Australia and New Jersey have in common are traffic circles.  And tattoos.)  The small beach town of Lorne was a perfect setting for lunch and we found something for everyone (REAL fish and chips from the Lorne Fish and Chips for Sophia and I, and breakfast food for Jennifer and Cooper.  A side note: the guy who took our order at Lorne Fish and Chips had just recently moved to Australia - from his hometown in North Wales, PA...about 15 minutes from where I grew up.  Talk about a small world!)

After lunch, we hopped back in the car - next stop Apollo Bay!  Well, that was the plan, anyway.  Truth is we stopped another 4-5 times to snap a few more pictures along the coast before reaching our "home" for the next few days - the Rayville Boathouses in Apollo Bay.

We were a little late in booking a hotel along the GOR, but were very pleased with the Rayville Boathouses.  It's a small, family run outfit, with about a dozen small "cabins" located just off the GOR, and only a block from the ocean in either direction.  We had a two bedroom unit with a kitchen, dining area and family room.  The family room had a small wood-burning stove, which we expected to go unused during summer in Australia...but we were glad to have it, and started a fire each evening for warmth as well as atmosphere.  After living in Singapore for 10 months, the idea of needing and having a warm fire was wonderful! (Jen:  We actually had a fire each morning too, to warm up the place.  And one morning, we turned on the TV and an NFL game was on!  It made me really miss our winter Sunday Funday tradition with the Pattersons and Prestiannes back in Kennett Square.)


We arrived mid-afternoon, so we had plenty of time to take a look around town and check out the beach.   The kids ventured about ankle deep in the ocean before deeming it too cold to go any further...Jennifer and I both agreed.  I never expected this to be the case, but it makes sense that the water is so cold when you consider the only thing south of Apollo Bay is Antarctica!  After warming up by the fire in our room, we got ready for dinner at Chris's Beacon Point restaurant.  This was a recommendation from friends in Singapore, the Wihmann's, who view Apollo Bay their dream destination for retirement.  The food was good and the view of Apollo Bay from the mountain was amazing.

The next morning, we climbed back into the car, loaded with a few drinks, snacks and the warmest clothes we had packed.  (Mom and Dad, you would have been appalled at how few things we packed in the car for a full day of driving and sightseeing.  Probably a quarter of what you would have brought along....but then again, I could have eaten a few more crackers along the way had I only brought them.)  After only about 35 minutes, we reached the first stop of our drive - the Cape Otway Lighthouse.

Located at the very southern tip of the GOR, the Cape Otway Lighthouse was the second lighthouse ever built on mainland Australia, and today is the oldest remaining lighthouse in the country.  While the clifftop lighthouse and surrounding area was beautiful, the drive in (about 3 mile drive from the GOR) was probably the highlight.  We had read that you were likely to see Koalas along the way, but never expected what we saw.  About one mile in, Jennifer spotted 8-10 Kangaroos bounding through a field.  We stopped the car a little further along, hoping they'd hop right by us.  Sure enough, they hopped through the field, eventually coming only 40-50 feet away before hopping off again.

No more than a half mile further, several cars were stopped along the road, and passengers were walking around, necks craned, looking and snapping pictures of the Eucalyptus trees above.  We stopped, expecting to see a few Koalas....but there were literally dozens - maybe a hundred in total perched in trees for the next 1/2 mile or so.  It was really amazing to see so many, so close, and so active!  After taking a ridiculous number of pictures (Jen:  Ahhhh, that would be you.  I just took a few, QUALITY ones.  There is a reason your kids call you Ed, Junior.), we continued on to the Cape Otway Lighthouse itself.

We arrived at the right time, with only a few other visitors anywhere in sight.  After parking and paying admission, we came across a sign you don't typically see in the states.  "Warning!  Snakes are active at this time of year".  Active!  What the hell does that mean?  We cautiously made our way up the dirt trail to the lighthouse, half relieved/half disappointed not to come across a Black Adder along the way.....ok - mostly relieved.

We climbed the lighthouse, checked out the WWII radar station, and got the kids a snack at the cafe (I highly recommend the milkshakes!)  On our way out, we realized how glad we were to arrive when we did.  The gift shop and registration desk were packed, as was the parking lot.  As we drove back towards the GOR we stopped a couple more times, spotting a Wallaby (only 2 feet off the road) and dozens more Koalas - a few with babies.

Cape Otway Lighthouse (Jen: photo credit to me because
that's a damn good picture!)

Milkshakes!

One of many Koalas along the road

Back on the GOR, we continued toward Port Campbell and all the sights we wanted to see along the way.  Gibson's Steps came first, offering a great view from the beach - one of only a few spots in the area where you can get to the beach itself (I think).  Of all the spots we stopped along the GOR, this was the first where there was actually a "parking lot" vs. a slightly larger shoulder.  About two minutes further up the road, we came to the Twelve Apostles - here, the parking lot, welcome center, cafe, etc. are all actually on the opposite side of the road (away from the ocean).  It was also very obvious that safety was of utmost importance.  Visitors still get a great view of the ocean and cliffs, but fences and barriers make it nearly impossible to fall or get hurt...which was nice considering the wind and number of people in the area.

Twelve Apostles

FREEZING!

As beautiful and striking as the Twelve Aspostles are, a little further up the road we visited two more amazing spots...the aptly named "Arch" and "London Bridge".  At both locations, the ocean has torn a hole in the sandstone, leaving an open arch through which the ocean flows.  London Bridge was by far Cooper's favorite, after we showed him pictures and told him how one of the two original arches had collapsed in the 1990's.  After seeing it ourselves, it brought to life how scary that whole ordeal must have been.

Cooper posing by London Bridge (now London Arch)  Until
approx. 20 years ago it was a complete bridge.  When it collapsed,
people were stranded on the outer part and had to be rescued by helicopter!

At this point, we were all pretty hungry, actually a little chilly, (Jen:  A little?  My Singapore climatized body thought we were in Fargo in January) and had seen some amazing views.  We headed to Port Campbell for lunch and some shopping (Jen:  I had to buy another sweatshirt, that's how cold I was).  Port Campbell is a nice, quiet little town, with a bunch of restaurants and shops.  We sat down at the Twelve Rocks Cafe and Beach Bar.  (I recommend the steak sandwich - Scotch filet steak, egg, cheese, lettuce, tomato, bbq sauce, mayo w/chips).  A highlight of this lunch stop in Port Campbell, however, came from Cooper.  Walking through a narrow shop, we squeezed by other visitors, excusing ourselves along the way...behind us, as polite as could be, Cooper said "Excuse me, mate" in his best Australian accent.  Good on ya, Cooper!

Our last stop, before heading back to Apollo Bay for the night, was the Loch Ard Gorge.  Here again, we were able to get to the beach and the view was amazing.   There's only so much to say about each of these natural wonders.  They are amazingly beautiful sights and I found myself asking "why is it some of the sandstone washed away, while in other areas it was left behind?"  I'm sure Sophia would be able to educate me, but I probably wouldn't understand.  In any event, hopefully the pictures give you a sense of the beauty.

Once back in Apollo Bay (after a two-hour drive back from Port Campbell), we had dinner at Chill @ Apollo Bay, a tiny tapas restaurant about a block from the beach.  Eventually, we made it to bed...which was very welcome after the long day.

The next day, we headed to the small marina and checked out the beach at Apollo Bay.  It was a nice way to wrap up our stay in this part of Australia and the kids really enjoyed searching the tidal pools for shells, crabs, etc.  On the way out of town, headed back to Melbourne, we made one last stop at a small market set up on the grass lawn just off of the beach.  Here, local artists, photographers, candle makers, etc. were selling all kinds of items.  We found a great serving plate - a perfect souvenir from our visit on the Great Ocean Road.

Less then 30 minutes later, the kids were asleep and Jennifer and I had a very quiet drive back to Melbourne (Jen:  I finally was not terrified of his driving).  Pulling into the driveway at the Vogers, the kids woke up, ready to play with their friends again.  For Jennifer and I, we were just happy to be off the road - and ready for a beer on the back patio with our friends.