So instead of "beef jerky", Australia has Kangaroo Jerky. Yuck or could-be yum?

Bats!

Remember when I blogged about the fruit bats in the Botanical Gardens? This is how big they are!!!

SOAP

I went to see a show called SOAP at the Opera House. The best way to describe it is Cirque de Soleil meets bath time. Time Out London called it a "stunning acrobatics and water antics abound in this refreshingly fun, exciting and sexy show…physically breathtaking." The 70-minute performance was pretty jaw dropping, and I can say I saw a show inside Sydney's most iconic building.

Crabs, Crocs, and Snails.

I had a little too much fun taking photos of the fish tank at the Australian Museum.

Matchy match

This couple: cute or nauseating?

Australian Museum

The most amazing exhibition is on at the Australian Museum called Wildlife Photographer of the Year 2010. It showcases about 100 images of animals and the wilderness from thousands of competition entries. Having just learned how to use a professional camera, I loved reading about how each picture was shot - some of the photographers returned to a specific location for years before snapping the winning image. The photo above is called Giant Beachcomber taken by Thomas Peschak. He said about the photograph:

‘Tortoises are known to have made sea crossings between islands, and so I was pleased to be able to use the ocean as a backdrop. I lay in her path on the sand, using an extreme wide-angle lens. The moment I took the shot, I had to roll out of her way to avoid her clambering right over me.’

Anzac Memorial

The Anzac Memorial is located in Hyde Park in Sydney, and honors the 120,000 men and women from New South Wales who served in World War I.

Vampt Vintage

How awesome is this logo? I discovered a unique furniture showroom in Surry Hills, Vampt Vintage Design. Most of the pieces are from Scandinavia and have an Art Deco feel. Walking through the collection reminded me of antiquing with my mom in the Hudson River Valley a few months back. I kept thinking what she would have thought of the different pieces, and how they would work into our living room that she is continuously redecorating.

Happy Australia Day!

Yesterday was Australia Day, which I spent drinking strawberry champagne cocktails and eating a feast - grilled fish, sweet potato, zucchini, pumpkin and beet salad, caprese salad, and pavlova - before heading to Darling Harbour to watch the Australia Day fireworks. Above are a few pictures of the harbour during the daytime, so imagine that open space plus 20,000 people proudly waving the Australian flag. It was exciting to be a part of the festivities, and the fireworks were quite a showing! I may even go as far as saying they were the best fireworks I've ever seen.

The harbour itself is quite a touristy area, which I found disappointing. Perhaps it wasn't always chain restaurants and shops, McDonalds, and Starbucks. It was fun to watch the kids play in the water, though. Too bad I'm no longer at an age where it's appropriate to splash around and join in on the fun.

Nookie and a Cookie

Want some nookie with that coffee? Sydney's smallest hole-in-the-wall cafe, located near Elizabeth Street.

hiking and beach-ing

Back in Sydney! I had a long, but mini road trip up the coast, and now I'm back in Sydney for 2 weeks before taking a month-long even bigger road trip to Cairns. Above are some photos of a hike Rose, Jess, and I did this weekend to a private beach.

Mermaids

Lunch at Mermaids, a restaurant in Burleigh Heads in Queensland right on the beach. The salad is asparagus, pumpkin, ricotta, and pine nuts. Can't wait to replicate it back home!

The Gold Coast

That speck of a city in the distance is the Gold Coast. This was the view from a restaurant we stopped at for lunch before heading there to spend the night.

Nimbin

I spent about 20 minutes in Nimbin, but the small strip of coffee shops, aromatherapy and hemp stores, and sight of the locals left quite an impression. Walking through this small town is like entering the twilight zone. Apparently pot is not legalized but is allowed in Nimbin, and the locals look like they arrived 30 years ago and never left. The shops all have odd names, like Happy High Herbs, and the café brownies are called “groovy cake”. 

Byron Bay

Byron Bay is an amazing beachside town on the northeastern edge of New South Wales. I spent two days in Byron where I drank well, ate well, danced on the tables at Cheeky Monkeys, the town’s most well-known hot spot, and caught some rays at its picturesque beach. Before heading out we stopped at the lighthouse and took some great photos of Byron below.

Hunter Valley

The Hunter Valley is located about an hour drive from Sydney, and it home to an abundance of wineries. Annie, Rose, and I rented bicycles for the day to begin our wine tour. Little did we realize the temperature that day would reach well into the 90s - not the best weather to be drinking and bike riding in. By the time we arrived at the first tasting we were glistening with sweat and begging for water.

Nevertheless the afternoon, which included many glasses of Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Merlot, Shiraz, about 15 different types of champagne, lunch of olive bread, triple cream brie and smoked gouda, and about 10 miles of bike riding through the hills, was one of the most beautiful - and fun - days I have had on this experience so far. I mentioned to Mom I wanted a destination wedding...I wonder if the Hunter Valley would be considered too far.

Big Things

Did you know there are some 60 large objects scattered across Australia? On my road trip I saw three: a pineapple, shrimp, and banana.

The Big Banana above in Coffs Harbour, on the coast of New South Wales, was the very first, and made for a great photo op on my road trip.

hello beach time, peace out bed bugs!

It’s been a hectic few days here in Australia that’s left my body a sight for sore eyes. On day two of my road trip I got stung by a blue bottle jelly fish; on day three I woke up with bed bugs; on the afternoon of day three I got bit by an ant (yes, ants bite in this country, and it really stings); on the evening of day three I did laundry to kill any possible remaining bed bugs and turned every last white sock, bra, and t-shirt a blue-ish gray; and on day four I woke up with infected mosquito bites on my right arm that swelled to the size of silver dollars.

To put it bluntly, I am incredibly ITCHY!

Aside from all that, and a brief cry, I had a great week-long road trip, making stops in Hunter Valley, Byron Bay, Nimbin, and Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast. I’ve got lots of pictures to share but am exhausted from the 11-hour drive back to Sydney (yours truly even shared some of the driving), so stay tuned for details. 

Road trip!

Today I'm heading out on a week-long road trip of the Hunter Valley wine region, Byron Bay, Surfers Paradise and the Gold Coast. Originally I had planned to go farther into Queensland but that changed because of the flash floods in Brisbane and surrounding areas. Nevertheless, I'm excited to see more of Australia! I'll be staying in hostels, which don't always have Internet, so I'll try my best to blog from different points along the way.

Pics from the Zoo!

It was a cloudy, muggy day in Sydney but that didn't stop me from spending 6 hours at Sydney's Taronga Zoo. Here's some pics from my visit.

Happy Weekend!

Happy Weekend everyone! Tonight I am going to see Los Lobos (hint: their biggest hit is 'La Bomba') in the Domain as part of the Sydney Festival. A Mojito is in order! Off to the "bottle shop" to purchase some Havana Rum, and then it's BBQ and sombrero time.

OBJECT

White exploring the shops and restaurants of Surry Hills the other day I walked into Object, a craft and design gallery space. With just two floors and a stellar gift shop, I had the pleasure of seeing Robert Baines metal jewelry exhibit before it closes this Sunday. Baines is an artist goldsmith and researcher of archaeometallurgy (say that five times fast), and is known for his large and complex wire jewelry. I especially loved his detailed bracelets, including the two above.