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Oahu!
Saturday, December 31st, 2011 /

The island of Oahu was the final stop on our Hawaiian adventure and although it’s smaller than Maui & Big Island, Oahu packs a powerful punch of activities and natural wonderment! 

Probably the most typical Hawaiian vacation involves lounging on the beaches of Waikiki watching the lazy waves roll in from the far away reef.  To your left is the ever present and impressive Diamond Head, the quintessential view for the Hawaiian Islands.  What Chelsea and I discovered throughout the week was that this area is the least impressive on Oahu, even if you spend a night in one of the overpriced hotels.  The whole area is geared for tourists to spend money; in fact the majority of the islands are that way, but Waikiki in particular.  It didn’t take long for us to get sick of the tourist polluted atmosphere so after a few hours of sunbaking we headed for our CouchSurfers place on the eastern side of the island in Kaneohe

Waikkiki!

Our hosts Wayne and Kate were awesome and first timers to CouchSurfing.  Originally from Maryland they had spent the last year living the Hawaiian lifestyle.  We got along so easy and they invited us back for the weekend.  It was a pleasure getting to know both of them and they took us to some great spots around the island…one being an old military railway line that you hiked straight UP!  (This was the day after Stairway to Heaven…which we will get to later…so we were SO sore already)..needless to say, it was a challenge!

Phew made it to the top!

Thankfully, W8 also knew a great place to cool off after the hike where you could jump off some small cliffs and check out the snorkeling! Super local spot..very cool! They happened to know where Dog the Bounty Hunter lives and apparently we HAD to go by because he has a massive mosaic of himself on his gate! lol… loves himself a little too much! We had a delicious burger before checking out a lava tube, which was not altered to attract tourism (like the one on the Big Island) so that was also very cool! It led out to the ocean and some crazy-looking volcanic rocks and tide pools that reminded me a bit of Christmas Island and Wave Rock meshed together!

Looks like its belly first!

Hehe!

One sweet little spot that our CS host Kate turned us onto was the Macadamian Nut farm.  Upon entry we were given free macadamian nut coffee and delicious samples of their specialty nuts.  The coolest part about this place was that we got to crack a nut with a rock and eat the inside. 

Cracking a Mac Nut!

An even sweeter spot…the LOST village!!!!

The Black Smokes coming!

We felt lucky to be in Oahu for the 70th anniversary and commencement ceremonies at Pearl Harbor.  The event is one of the most important events in our nations history and it was definitely worth walking around checking out the sights and recognizing the sacrifices the men and women who died that day. Unfortunately, though we arrived super early, the tours were already booked out.

Submarine...crazy!

That night we found a sweet little camping spot right on  a beach in Laia.  We got up early to watch the sunrise and I rented a long board and did some surfing; mostly to say that I’ve surfed waves on the North Shore of Oahu, but also to get pumped up for Pipe Masters surf Competition that day. 

Sunrise at our camp spot!

Pipe Masters is the final competition in the Van’s Triple Crown series.  It takes place on the North Shore of Oahu Nov-Dec on possibly the most epic spectator friendly wave in the world.  Not because of its size but how close it breaks to shore and it’s near perfect top to bottom barrels.  Of course, no one can guarantee that the waves will be good on a particular day, so there is a holding period of about 13 days for Pipe Masters.  On any one of these days the competition can be “called” in the morning.  Lucky for us, on the first day in the holding period the competition was on! 

Wooo HOO!

We parked at the famous Sunset beach, planning to walk from there and right when we pulled up we could see the massive  swell.  The competition is a big event, drawing in big time sponsors, hundreds of photographers and thousands of spectators.  So, along with the masses we made our way towards the competition Beach. 

The Pipe!

The waves where pushing 30 feet (15ft Hawaiian, because they measure from the back of the wave) and swallowing up and spitting out riders in the near perfect barrels.  The beach was the perfect venue, sloping slightly downhill towards the water creating the perfect amphitheater for the most fan friendly surfing event of the year.  Easy to say we were stoked. 

Met the guy who made this beautiful art!

Even better was that our next CS host Wes lived right down the road from the competition. 

Wes is a super cool thrill-seeker living on Oahu and helping shape young minds in the classroom.  His girlfriend Kristyn is a Brockton native and naturally we had a lot to talk about!  It was good vibes and happy days the entire time, hanging out with his skydiving neighbors and meeting all sorts of interesting people. 

Wes sees Oahu as his playground and out of his toy box came the idea for climbing the Haiku Steps or Stairway to Heaven.  The track has been closed down for some time now in part because out of shape tourists would try to climb, get stuck, and have to be rescued but also the apparent danger of falling to your death.   

Soooo Steeeep!

The steps were originally built to service a radio tower at the top of the mountain and it took  3,922 steps to get there.  Since the steps are being guarded during the day we had to sneak around through the jungle and enter the steps at a higher point.  So, Wes led us through the thick bush and we entered the trail at about step 300.  Right before we started the trail we all regrouped and Wes told us that we would need to climb as fast as we could to the first platform so that the guard wouldn’t catch us. Onto the trail we went, practically running up the near vertical steps, an impossible pace and it didn’t take long before we started to wear out.  Even though we could hear the guard behind us blowing his whistle we pushed on in hoping that he would give up and let us continue.  At about step 500, already down one member of our group who had turned around due to vertigo, we hear the guard yelling “STOP”.  He had caught up to us in an amazing feat of athletic ability.  O’well, at least we tried.  Wes knew the guard because he had been caught before so he started shooting the breeze with him.  Turns out he’s a super nice guy just doing his job and once he realized we weren’t some punk tourists he let us continue, stating that he respected how we snuck around him in the beginning lol. 

YAY!!

What followed was a true test of endurance and will power, but the reward was a sense of accomplishment and spectacular views.  Plus, coming down was super fun and fast.  Wes gave us some gardening gloves and told us to let our hands slide down the railing letting our feet kick up in the air.

Breathtaking View!

As if climbing 4,000 steps wasn’t enough of a rush, Wes’ neighbors had told so many crazy stories about skydiving we spontaneously decided to take the fall ourselves.  Kristyn decided she would join us and we even convinced Wes’ little sister to join in!

Our plan to skydive had always been New Zealand for the first jump, but since we had been getting to know the folks who ran the jumps and it was one of the cheapest places in the world to do it, we went for it.  The day started off cloudy and it didn’t look like we would be able to jump, but all of a sudden the skies cleared and before we knew it we were taking off, destination 14,000 feet. 

Just before the "No turning back" point!

The plane ride was definitely the most nerve-wrecking part of the experience! I remember noticing how the white tips in the ocean were getting smaller and smaller…and more numerous! Then my tandem guy showed me his altitude watch showing we’ll be going up to 14,000 feet and freefall until 5,000… and at that moment we were ONLY AT 6,000!!! I thought we were already SO high!

Brad was first out…I saw him standing at the door and then he just DROPPED out SOOO fast …. It was unreal! When it was my turn….I didn’t even have time to be scared…and we were falling…and then after the initial few seconds…falling turned into FLYING! It was soo beautiful! Stunning views and it wasn’t even scary! 60 seconds flew by and then the parachute was pulled and I was allowed to control our movements…twirling around in the sky! Only 5 jumps before you can do it on your own..woah I can’t imagine that!

Flying!

Too fun!

After the incredible time we had and awesome people we met, Oahu instantly sprung to the top tier of places we’ve been to on our long journey.  Who knows, we may even find ourselves calling this amazing island home! :) :) :)

 

Category: Beaches, Camping, Cities, CouchSurfing, Hawaii, Hiking, Oahu, Skydiving, USA  Tags: , , , ,  2 Comments
Big Island!
Wednesday, December 28th, 2011 /

Our flight from Maui to Big Island was on a tiny 9 seater plane and as we got closer to the ground we could see the empty black lava fields that stretched for miles, a byproduct of two of the world’s most active volcanoes.  It has been several years since fresh lava has flowed to this particular area and in its absence Kona has become a very popular tourist destination and “busy” city of Big Island.  The area is known for its long stretches of beaches, world class micro brews and delicious blends of coffee. 

Beautiful views!

They don’t call it Big Island for nothing so we rented a car to allow for absolute mobility.  Normally this is something we wouldn’t do but the public transportation, although free, doesn’t allow large bags on board and only services a few main areas on the island.  We spent our first day exploring the far reaches of the island, starting on the west side near Kona and driving all the way up to the north west point, through the mountains and down to the east end in Hilo. 

We had been told, and read that Hilo was a slice of the preserved Hawaiian lifestyle, sheltered from mass tourism and blessed with natural beauty.  I’m not qualified to judge on the first rumor about Hilo, but the second one was spot on.  Lush rainforest and vibrant greens lacing the sheer cliffs that spit out waterfalls!

Rainbow Falls

Our couchsurfers lived 20 minutes south of Hilo in a beautiful hidden paradise with more fruit trees that you could ever imagine! George and Bobbie were incredibly gracious and inspiring and such a great experience to stay with! We had lovely meals together everyday and they offered us amazing advice on where to go and what to see!

Fairytale Garden at George and Bobbies!

We checked out a few waterfalls as typical tourists, so they didn’t quite measure up to our Maui experience…although they were massive and of course still beautiful! George has told us about some tide pools and hot springs which was cool and different to see.

Akaka Falls!

The most memorable thing of course though was the volcano! The night before, we walked down to the black beach because we heard the lava had started to flow…and we saw it!! It was exciting but we were SOOO far away. After about 15 minutes of attempting to get closer and carefully walking over old lava fields, we turned around and thought we would try our luck next time!

Old Lava

On our last day we headed for the National Park which is where both volcanoes are located.  As I’m sure is the case most days, half the Volcanoes National Park was closed down due to toxic sulfurs in the air, but we were still able to check out the MASSIVE lava tube that ran through the park. It was crazy to think the lava had carved out this tunnel through the way it flowed….very cool!

Lava Tube

We waited around until it was dark to see the glow of the lava underneath the crater…The color was like no other either of us had seen before, a neon orange glow diffused by the plumes of steam that floated out of the crater.   Apparently only 2 weeks later lava was crazy flowing down the water, creating new additions to the island!

LAVA!

Big Island is so large that you could spend weeks exploring the many great places or waiting for lava to take over.  But, since we were limited in time we did our best and feel confident that we made the most of our stay.  Thanks to George and Bobbie for making our stay there awesome! 

Category: CouchSurfing, Hawaii, USA, Volcano, Waterfall  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
Maui!
Friday, December 09th, 2011 /

Millions of years ago a phisher opened up in the earth’s crust some 20 thousand feet below the ocean’s surface.  The constant seeping of molten rock added with a whole lot time, multiplied by the constant drifting of our continental plates equals the Hawaiian Islands.  This cluster of volcanic islands is the most isolated in the world and, is in a constant state of growth; with the newest island, Loihi, forming off the coast of Hawaii(The Big Island) as you read this.  Although my math may not be precise, it doesn’t take a genius to recognize the incredible beauty of these phenomenal isles. 

Arriving in HAWAII!!!

Our first stop was Maui the second largest in size and population.  The island offers such a diverse landscape that within an hour you could go from sunny, dry desert to lush tropical rainforest in under an hour.  We had lots to explore on Maui and couldn’t wait to get back­­­­­ into living the island lifestyle again!

After a long couple hour waiting for the right bus, we finally made our way to the always sunny Lahaina, on the west side of Maui, where our couchsurfer Sarah awaited us! We all meshed immediately and made plans for a hike the next morning to go fruit-picking in the mountains, so after a home-made carrot juice, we were on our way with Odin, Sarahs big sweetheart dog to scour for as many guavas and Liliquoy (passionfruit) that we could get our hands on! We totalled about 50 in all, and shared with whoever would accept! Definitely something I loved about Maui…. It was all about living off the land, respecting the land, and sharing the joy!

Guavas galore!

Brad and I went exploring through the little tourist town when we stumbled upon the most amazing tree we’ve ever seen! They’re called Banyan trees, and their branches extend out and then drop to the ground to plant new roots….with look like new trees that have MORE branches that make more trees! And they’re all connected to this one “mother tree”… It was just unbelievably beautiful!

Banyan Tree!

Eventually Brad pulled me away and we made our way to the beach for sunset! It was beautiful as we watched a dog play fetch with a coconut, and kayakers passing in front of the picturesque mountains of Lanai.

Sunset in Lahaina!

Next stop…Paia, the alternative hippie town on the road to Hana… sometimes sunny sometimes rainy! We had a bit of trouble on the bus…future note to all backpackers heading for Hawaii… they don’t allow bags on the public busses! (this can also depend on the drivers mood and available space)BOO… we were pretty annoyed that they basically make all tourists rent a car or take a taxi! Luckily couchsurfers are BADASS and our new one in Paia, Kevin, came to collect us!

Sunset in Paia!

Lucky for us our hosts were not only cool people, but excellent tour guides, with an itinerary that was just our speed.  Our first day we visited the Iao Needle, which is a lush mountain range offering swimming holes and exciting views. 

Amazing view!

The next day was even better.  We headed out towards the road to Hana and somewhere near Huiku we pulled off on this small dirt road and found our trail.  Down we climbed until we reach the first of many swimming holes and were greeted by a beautiful family of three who were soaking up the sun where it usually doesn’t shine! 

Right away I spotted some hanging vines and had the urge to swing.  I gave it a hard tug and a test run before making my swing across the water.  “Get up higher” said Chelsea, and I willingly obliged and as I did no sooner did my butt meet the hard rocks of the river.  Nothing a little laughter didn’t cure. 

Vine swinging!

On we went only to emerge to a beautiful waterfall and oasis, straight out of a movie! Green rainforest all around, turquoise blue water…and nobody else around! We all jumped in….I needed a little push cus it was sooo cold! BUT SO worth it! The little waterfalls coming from the rock were warm too so major plus! We all found ourselves sitting in silence, some meditating, really taking in the beauty around us! We didnt want to leave!

Tranquility!

All we ended up doing was hiking to ANOTHER beautiful waterfall. This hike was harder and through heavy forest with lots of bushwhacking, but again, we arrived in isolation! This one was taller and provided a nice little rock to jump off of!

Brad backflipping!

Our time in Maui was truly unique and wouldn’t have been the same without our adventurous earth-loving couchsurfers! We left with a new love for all the local fruits , the lush green mountains, and of course the Aloha spirit! Definitely could live in Maui :) Not too sad though, becaue next stop … the Big Island!

Category: Beaches, CouchSurfing, Hawaii, Maui, USA, Waterfall  Tags: , , ,  2 Comments
Melbourne!
Monday, November 28th, 2011 /

Let’s imagine Australia as a family unit, focusing in on two of the major east coast cities.  If Sydney is the good looking energetic extravert than Melbourne is the funky, artsy, laid back cousin.   Melbourne, pronounced MelBIN  is an hour south west by plane, from its cousin Sydney (10 hour train if you’re a destitute backpacker).  Despite the relaxed feel, it has a very busy central business district and is an important financial center of Australia.

Amazing graffiti lane!

Melbourne is hesitant to show her hand right away, calling curious travellers to explore her back street “lanes” and cool suburban shopping strips.  There is no shortage of artwork to gaze at, whether it’s on the sides of buildings or housed in one of their world class museums.   There is also an impressive display of architectural achievement where past meets present in Federation square where folks can meet up, people watch or kick back and watch a TED talk on the giant screen. 

Flinders Station!

Just a stone’s throw away is the Yarra River, bending around the city in such a perfectly balanced arch that a stroll along the southern shore promenade requires you save space on your memory cards.  There is a subculture that looms in Melbourne, and if you look around as we did you are bound to not only find it, but love it!

Yarra River!

Another must-do is the famous Great Ocean Road Drive…although I would recommend taking a couple days to do it, rather than the 1 10-hour drive we rushed it in! Still…beautiful as ever with a pleasant drive along the coast along with some inland driving through forest! Eventually you’ll make it to the 12 Apostles, which are astounding upon first sight! With only 8 left, it’s something that could eventually disappear, so it was definitely worth the drive!

12 Apostles!

Our last day, we went back to one of our favorite spots , Brunswick Street. Similar to Fremantle in Perth, or Little 5 in Atlanta, it’s full of alternative, artsy people and weird shops :) Way more fun to walk down! We went to this awesome restaurant called “Naked for Satan”.. they brew their own beer and cider, and infuse their own vodka! Mon-Wed its 80c tapas, you pay after with your toothpick collection, and there is tons to look at with classic photos of naked men and women all over the place! Very cool vibe..just LOVED it! AND…there happened to be a Couchsurfing meeting there when we went..how cool! :)

Brunswick Street!

 A BIG THANKS to Julie and Jaq for hosting us during our stay in Melbourne! It was so great to see a familiar face and have a comfy bed to sleep in :)  

 

Category: Australia, Cities, Melbourne, Uncategorized  Tags: ,  2 Comments
Sydney!
Friday, November 25th, 2011 /

 

Olympic emblem

Sydney, once the site of Britain’s first Australian settlement is today the southern hemispheres stylish and lively hub of multiculturalism.  Approximately five million people from all around the world have made Sydney their home yet, it maintains the Aussie essence.  It is a bustling metropolis full of opportunity and wonderment with no shortage of happenings.  Whether you’re after the spectacular landmarks near Sydney and darling harbor, surfing beaches, endless shopping, a stroll through the botanical gardens, or letting hours melt away in a café – Sydney has something for everyone.  

Sydney Harbor

One first day in Sydney, we took it easy while we were overcoming the jet lag (which was affecting me unusually severely ) and took a stroll to the beach. Coogee Beach is one of the major beaches in Sydney that Sam happens to live 10 minutes walk from. It has a lot of character, with a street lined with locals cafes and smoothie shops, a park overlooking the water, and a promenade type area to sit and admire the view. The beach was already “packed” in the eyes of us WA beach bums, and it was only Tuesday!! Since it still wasn’t too hott yet, we decided to keep walking on to Bondi.

Bench for giants!

Little did we know, Bondi was really over 6 kms away, and walking around the jutted coastline took much longer than we expected. However, we were pleasantly surprised because not only was the view,of course, spectacular, but we happened to be there for “Sculptures by the Sea”!! We actually had seen this at Cottesloe in WA, and I got probably overly excited when I saw the same awkward red man in a different position!

Weird red man!

We finally made it to Bondi and were overwhelmed by how busy it actually was!! We plopped down on the sand, ate our peanut butter sandwiches, and people watched…hoping to see a famous Bondi rescue! … AND WE DID!!! It totally made the 2+ hour walk there worth it :)

Bondi!!

Sam and Ariel arrived that night and it was so so great to see a familiar face…..and a gorgeous happy as ever little Sam look-alike! We took a girls day with a stroll to some markets that sold all things i love most about markets. One purchase of this amazing broccoli/silverbeet/kale veggie juice, a gobble down of a chunk of buffalo mozzarella, and a few tastes of some local olive oils, and we were on our way to get our nails done, compliments of my love Brad :)

Nail Day!

That same night we all went to Kristy and Colins for dinner! After eating way too much cheese and crackers, we enjoyed some delicious pizza for a really nice night in playing with the girls and chatting over wine!

My little buddies :)

Brad and I took to the city the next day and fell in love with Sydney Harbour! The water with the bridge and opera house make it so picturesque…. even in the rain, we enjoyed the view. After roaming around all the little towns, we walked across the bridge for the best view of all! 

LOVED this view!

On the other side, the famous Luna Park awaited our arrival. It was actually closed…. but the gates were open and we wandered around this abandoned clown park  in foggy rainy weather. It was eerie!! I loved it!

We were lucky to get another nice day in Sydney, and took the ferry across to Manly! Although the beach was nice, it was similar to Bondi, and I actually found I enjoyed the bay more. Our favorite by far though was the 4 pines microbrewery. I recommend anyone to go…it’s got a really laid back atmosphere, a tasting plate of good sized beer for only $15 and everything else you could hope for in a microbrew! 

4 Pines!

We waited until dark to catch the ferry back, so we could see the city lit up at night! It was so beautiful, and I feel like we were SO lucky, because we saw fireworks at the Sydney Opera House and it was such a cool atmosphere!

Fireworks!!

The weekend arrived, and that meant only one thing…. STAMPEDE!! The valley stampede in Glenworth Valley to be exact. My family friend, Michelle picked us up for the road trip up there to what turned out to be one of the most unique and crazy things any of us have ever experienced. Dressed in Christmas gear, a group of 8 of us set of on a 5k obstacle course through the mud. After some log rolling, tire skipping, ice trenching, rope climbing and hay jumping….we were all wondering why everyone was finishing this thing SO dirty.

Straight Grossness!

WELL… bring on the mud. Next was running through deep wet mud, crawling through muddy tunnels, slip and sliding down into mud and straight up jumping into a sloppy mud pool! It was MAYHEM!!! The funniest obstacle of all was probably running through an electric maze…which really did electrocute you!! How they got away with that…I’ll never know!

The gang!

Anyway it was an absolute blast, and even better being able to catch up and spend time with Michelle and her friends! We finished the day off perfectly with a BBQ and drinks at a nearby hotel. Thanks Shelly for organizing everything!

Our last day in Sydney was spent exploring Darling Harbour. It’s got lots to offer, and the Chinese Garden looked very cool….BUT we mostly just walked around and took in all the crazy Santas floating around :)

It was really great to get back into the thick of it again and the busy streets of Sydney was a great launching pad.  Thanks so much to Sam, Valerio and Ariel for hosting us as we remembered how to be budget travelers again.  Much love to Kristy, Colin and the girls as well.  

We’re excited for phase two of our travels and hope we have as many amazing stories to share as the first half.  Thanks for reading!

Category: Australia, Beaches, Cities, Sydney  Tags: , ,  2 Comments
Dolly Beach
Sunday, November 20th, 2011 /

Beautiful White Sand!

If you ask any local what the best beach on Christmas Island is they’ll probably tell you, Dolly!  Standing out as one of the islands premier beaches, the white floury sand welcomes your feet after a two kilometre jungle trek.  The approximate 300 meters of beach front abuts groves of fruit bearing coconut trees that jut out and up towards the sea.  Beneath the trees are hundreds of crawling robber crabs fighting for dominance and pilfering distracted beachgoers lunches.  As the tide recedes the dazzling rock pools are revealed seducing bathers into their cool electric blue waters. 

Rahhh Robber crabs!

Relaxing by the palms!

Not only does Dolly Beach make for a great day trip, but the soft sand and remote location beckons the adventurous campers.  Receding tide is the best time to visit Dolly, so be sure to check for the times in the Islander.

Jungle Hike home!

Category: Australia, Beaches, Christmas Island, Dolly Beach  Tags: , , ,  Leave a Comment
Daniel Roux Caves!
Sunday, November 13th, 2011 /

Of all the wonderful places to explore on Christmas Island, there are none quite as exciting as Daniel Roux Cave.  From the outside, it looks ordinary.  You could almost miss the entrance if you didn’t know it was there, but lying beneath the jungle covered surface are grand stalactite caverns and bottomless trenches filled with gem colored waters; a marvelous natural phenomenon caused by a combination of geological events and thousands of years.

Danger ahh!

There is a fence with posted warning signs blocking the mouth of the cave.  The signs are a reminder of the dangers that lay beneath, but as far as I know, no one has ever died here.  As long as you take your time, observe the apparent risks and bring the right equipment, you have only claustrophobia to worry about.

Scary Ladders!

The climb down the skinny ladders into the belly of the cave takes both patience and concentration because at certain points, losing your footing and falling to your death is a very real possibility.   Once you reach the bottom the air is thick and the choice of which direction to go, is yours.   We decided to go left through a tiny crack that you had to squeeze past.  We reached the water right away and followed the “trail” into big open caverns and through thin openings ducking and climbing when necessary.

It was exhilarating, pushing forward not knowing where the next turn would lead.  A sensory overload that affected  the speech portion of my brain, so I could only mutter a “cool” or “sweet” as we shined light on an area which has never known any.  Even on the way back it was just as exciting because even though we were on the same path, there is so much that we missed coming from the other direction.

Fun with the glowsticks!

Climbing through the trenches!

As we climbed back up the dodgy ladders I saw the sunlight peeking through; and even though exploring the cave was incredible, it’s always great to see the light of day again.  It is an absolute must do on Christmas Island.  My excitement actually grew during and continued for days after.  It is amazing the power of time and pressure, which is what we have to thank for providing us with yet another great experience here!

The way back from the caves!

Category: Australia, Caves, Christmas Island  Tags: ,  One Comment
The Lagoon!
Wednesday, November 09th, 2011 /

Another new area for myself to visit, The Lagoon is a beached area tucked away behind the resort (which was always closed down when I visited late 90’s-early 00’s)

Coconut man!

After walking down a gravel street, you’ll see some small steps carved from the ground that lead you to the sand. It’s surrounded by palm trees and rocks, and apparently there used to be a waterfall there…..maybe there’s a trickle during wet season. The resort has plugged it up for their own use .

Picturesque

It was pretty and fun to play in the sand, but the water wasn’t right for swimming. The tide was coming in and it was rough. The snorkeling is supposed to be really nice over there though….hopefully next time!

Woo!

Category: Australia, Beaches, Christmas Island, Lagoon  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
Ethel Beach!
Tuesday, November 08th, 2011 /

Brad's masterpiece painting!

One place that you should take some time and get to know while on the island is Ethel Beach.  Given its proximity to Lily one might expect a similar layout, but it is actually very different.  From the parking lot there is a boardwalk that will lead you down to a set of steps bringing you out onto Ethel OR you can walk down the (unused) boat ramp and climb through some rocks to a private beach.

Rock Pools at Ethel

Once you touch down on the pebbly sand you have a choice to either set up in front of the shimmering indigo rock pools that are just deep enough to lounge in or stroll to the left where space is plentiful until you find a spot that suits you.  This is also a great place to view the casino, but even better for sunrise if you’re keen for a 5am wake up call. 

Yea

Probably the most important thing to take into consideration before planning a trip here is the tide.  Always choose low or going out over high/coming in because at its highest point the waves will be crashing into the steps leading down to the beach and the chill space becomes nil.  

Category: Australia, Beaches, Christmas Island, Ethel Beach  Tags: , ,  Leave a Comment
Fake Frames!!
Monday, November 07th, 2011 /

We were on Christmas Island when I celebrated my 24th birthday, and since Julie’s 23rd was just a few weeks before, we decided to have a joint birthday party. We of course wanted a dress-up theme, but realistically, there is nowhere to shop on Christmas Island. Unless you go to Perth or KL before the party, you’re very limited. So we decided on a “Fake Frames” party inspired by LMFAO.

Cousins!

We went all out, cleaning Julie’s house and yard up the whole week before, setting up dance lights, making the ultimate playlist, shopping for food and booze, acquiring tables and esky’s! Finally the night came and it was a blast! EVERYONE showed up wearing their sunnies with the lens popped out, and some of Julez friends even dressed outrageously for the occasion!

The girlies!

The boys stole the cam!

My favorite party favor was brought out… jello shots…and plenty of them! Beer pong was a success, but Flip Cup even more so! Upside Down Margaritas came out around midnight and after that…I think everyone was feeling good! Thanks to Oma and Aunty Suhaima, we had plenty of dips, snacks and even Sushi to munch on and keep everyone on their feet!

Upside down margaritas! :)

My Love!
Category: Australia, Christmas Island, Family  Tags: , ,  One Comment
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