Who wins?

Australia v. New Zealand

Best accent: Aussie (hands down)

Cuter boys: Aussie (hands down)

More things to do: Aussie

Cheapest: Aussie

Best cafes: New Zealand

Best mussels: New Zealand

Best city: Sydney (hands down)

Best landscape: tie

Better national anthem: New Zealand

Most beautiful overall: New Zealand

Funnier looking money: tie

Better weather: New Zealand

Best drivers: Australia

Best grammar: neither

Best rugby: NEW ZEALAND (hands down)

Best cricket: who cares?

Which am I most likely to visit on my reunion tour: New Zealand for the memories, Australia for all that I haven't seen...

Overall winner: is in the head of the writer (which will stay private, thank you very much...)

Done and done

And back to reality.

Our Aussie tour ends today.

Being on a Contiki tour allowed me to be devoid of any responsibility whatsoever. I didn't expect that upon booking, but was appreciative of it while I was there.

Each day we were told where to be and when to be there, where we could and couldn't eat, and what was or wasn't included. Buses picked us up and dropped us off at every stop. Our hotels and most meals were arranged. I really had to sit back and enjoy. Plus, being with 45 others who are in the same place in their lives as you was a treat as well.

During my last few days I spent time deep-sea diving in the Great Barrier Reef (which cost a fortune but was worth it), hiked and slept in the Australian rainforest (did you know Australia even had a rainforest? see picture above), and saw the only place in the world where two natural ecosystems (the reef and the rainforest) come together.

And then I said goodbye and went home.

Back to reality.

(and bills) :(

So much to do!

I LOVE Australia!

Since last time, I have met up with my tour group and started my trip up the east coast of Australia.

It is worth mentioning that this tour group makes the trip amazing. 45 others, just like me, who want to see Australia.

Since leaving Sydney I've seen incredible sights including the sun rising over the Pacific, held a koala, and today I became a surfer. I even got up for about 7 seconds on my last run. It was amazing.

Unfortunately, the trip is nearly devoid of good-looking blokes, as there are only 12 to the 30 sheilas on board. There are a couple, though...

We're partying like rock stars each night. Last night we went to the worst club as part of our whole group. Needless to say, two of my new, bestest girl friends and I took the party elsewhere, to a bar where there was noone. Before we knew it, the place was jamming, and we were to blame. :)

Oh. And did I mention that I now own TWO pairs of skinny jeans?

I pretty much feel like I'm 20 again. Which is ok.

(no, actually it's great...)

Things I know

1. I love to jaywalk.

2. Sydney is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL and amazing city I've ever been to. Ever.

(And I'm not usually impressed that easily.)

I want to come back very, very soon.

Maybe for a long, long time...

Lauren and Simon

Traveling is all about connections.

In my adventures so far, I have met the most amazing people who live all over the world. And I have met people who know people who live all over the world, so that even if I don't know them, my friends do. Like friends of a friend of a friend.

But it's still all about connections.

In Melbourne, Mary and I have been set up with Lauren and her husband Simon through my connection with Tera, my bestest Florida friend, who I know through traveling to Maine.

Lauren is an ex-pat from Merrett Island, Florida, where Tera is from too. Lauren headed to Australia for a holiday about three years ago and met her husband, Simon. They've been married since not too long after she arrived (good on you, Lauren!).

I got in touch with Lauren once we finalized our plans for coming to Melbourne, and she offered to take us around for some shopping. For her occupation, Lauren buys incredible clothes at cheap prices and re-sells them on Ebay. She is also looking into designing her own label very soon. She knows her shopping. So on Monday, she took us to her favorite part of town for shopping and we had a ball.

That evening, we met up with her and Simon for dinner. They took us to the most INCREDIBLE Italian restaurant for dinner. Best pizza I've ever had. The wine was incredible too - they sell it in a litre carafe for $12. We each had our own pizza and shared a litre and a half of red wine for less than $60AU (about $50US). Then we had the best gelati ever, and went to a bar to sit on comfy vintage couches while drinking (more) red wine and listening to Michael Jackson.

Simon and Lauren were great hosts, and it was a night I'll never forget.

Now, the moral of this story is that traveling is all about connections. Had we not met up with Lauren and Simon (through Tera, bless you...) my (as I can't speak for Mary) personal experience in Melbourne would have been mediocre. We would have walked around the city and seen the sights that we could on limited budget, transportation, and time. But instead, we could easily come back to Melbourne again with a new sense of understanding of more of the city because of the generosity of new friends.

Friends who, through connections, might someday have a place to stay with me, wherever I may be...

The land of OZ

(really, though, I am not sure how they got Oz out of Australia, but I've learned not to question these kinds of things...)

In Aussie, safe and sound.

The two words I'd use to describe Australia on first sight: big and brown.

New Zealand: vegetative. Australia: dry and dead.

Hot too. I prefer temperatures between 20-25(C), tomorrow it's supposed to be 39.

The hotel we're staying in is a bit dodgy, but they do have A/C, which I haven't seen since leaving America. In fact, to me, A/C in New Zealand means 'always cold.' But seeing a heating/cooling unit makes me feel a bit more civilized again.

This girl was like a giddy child once she had her Australian Open tickets in hand. I haven't squealed that much since, well... that's none of your business. But it's been awhile.

Oh, and no streets in Australia are named after Martin Luther King Jr. But happy MLK Jr. day anyway?