The Great Ocean Road

What an amazing trip! Kendra and I were lucky enough to visit the Great Ocean Road this week and I have to say it is one of the most magnificent places in the world. About an hour and a half west of Melbourne, The Road winds along the southern coast of Victoria, starting in Torquay and ending in Portland. We picked up our rental car from the airport early Sunday morning and our excitement was only bated by the fear of driving on "the other side of the road". After a little bit of practice and a few wrong turns, we were on our way.

There are a ton of fantastic towns on The Great Ocean Road, including Torquay, home of surfers paradise, Bells Beach. We wound onward to Anglesea, Lorne and Apollo Bay before finding a cabin to rest our heads in Port Campbell. The Road itself is stunning, with its twists and turns and glorious views of the crystal clear ocean. As you look out, it's hard to believe that the next land mass is Antarctica! By the end of the day we were exhausted and also a little saddened by the fact that not one kangaroo or koala had crossed our path. Luckily, day two had something very different in store for us.

We woke up very early the next day to get moving and try to pack in as much as we could. Kendra started driving that morning and while I was looking at a map, she shrieked, and there it was - a dead kangaroo on the side of the road! We were devastated. Our first 'roo and it was roadkill! Not ten minutes later did we see another corpse - heartbreaking. Luckily, we got lost on a very bumpy side road and as a looked to my left, there were three young roos staring straight at us. They hung out long enough for us to snap a few pictures and were on their way. After that, we saw another roo, about a dozen koalas happily dozing in the eucalyptus trees, a bunch of gang-gang cockatoos and even a kookaburra! Success for the O'Donnell's with the animal kingdom.

Even though I wish we had longer than two days, I am so happy and grateful Kendra and I were able to experience The Great Ocean Road. It should be on everyones must visit list. It's truly one of the most sensational places I have ever seen.

Here Comes the Sun

The sun is back in Sydney and we took full advantage by having a beach day at Bondi. We met up with my old pal Romy and had a delicious lunch at her house, followed by a nice long stroll along the beach. It was another lazy, luxurious afternoon and I am trying to take full advantage of these glorious days before I have to start working again. Kendra and I are headed to Melbourne this weekend for a few days in the city and a two-day drive along the Great Ocean Road. Everyone says Melbourne is amazing and we can't wait. You'll get a full update when we return on Wednesday. Until then...

Elemental

Today we had an awesome day creating some paintings for our living room. We spent the afternoon at our friend Fleur's house, drinking champagne and enjoying a perfectly lazy day. Wondering how we met Fleur? The story is as brilliant as she is!

Last summer, we were introduced in Brooklyn in a dark Moroccan restaurant after a day of antics that could have fogged the memory of an elephant. My friend Francine was in town from Miami and she and I had gone to the restaurant to meet our other friend Kellie and her cohorts. Fleur and her boyfriend Ryan were two of the troublemakers at the table, but it was no more than a fleeing introduction. When I decided to move to Sydney, Kellie kept talking about how I had to hook up with Fleur, who was now living in Sydney, but she kept forgetting to get me her contact details.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago. Kendra and I went out on a Friday night to meet our landlord for a drink at a lovely outdoor wine bar by our house. We sat down to a table full of ladies and I couldn't ignore the bells of familiarity ringing in my head when he introduced the blonde named Fleur. Yes, it was the same girl! Karma has a funny way of paving our way, doesn't it?

Anyway, here is a picture of the paintings I made for the house. They remind Kendra of fire and in light of the recent tragedy in Victoria, I think it's a fitting tribute. I've named the series "Elemental". What do you think?

Raindrops

Not much to update everyone on because it's been raining in Sydney for a week! It looks like we're coming to the end of it, but not until Thursday unfortunately. We've spent our down time eating, drinking and pretty much lounging around. We've gotten to check out two neighborhoods that we really like - Newtown and Surry Hills. Newtown is very funky and fun, with tons of antique and vintage stores. You can easily spend a day shopping and poking around. It's on the south side of Sydney and we're on the north east, but it's only about 35 minutes by train. The picture here is from Newtown, a building that couldn't resist giving us a kiss!

Surry Hills is within walking distance and it's the commercial fashion district. The main strip is Crown Street and it's filled with restaurants and boutiques. There are a lot of showrooms and fabric stores - it's definitely a great place to spark creativity.

This week I am looking forward to a few interviews and a great day of painting with our new friend Fleur. We need some art for our super white walls, mainly behind the couch in the living room. At end of the week we'll be at the beach to make up for the time we've spent complaining about the rain! I know, I know, it's nothing in comparison to the weather at home, rain is better than 20 degrees and snow, right?

Yikes!

I may be safe from fires and floods, but the sharks are in my backyard!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/11/2487992.htm

Four Weeks

Today is the four week mark for us here in Sydney. I can't believe it. While it seems to have gone by so quickly, it's also amazing how acclimated we've gotten in such a short time. Just today I told a person, "it will be about a fortnight", which is what the Australians say for "two weeks". How silly.

Kendra and I are looking to plan a trip to Melbourne in the next week of so, we're just waiting to hear about some job interviews I have coming up. Now that we're settled in Sydney, we're anxious to travel. We're excited about many places, such as Byron Bay, Whitsunday, Brisbane and others. There is so much of Australia to see!

For those of you who are concerned about us getting caught up in the fires, don't worry, they aren't anywhere near us. We're at least a six hour drive from the closest one. It is interesting how much media coverage they are getting outside of Australia though. It's really terrible! More soon...

Tidbits

Kendra and I had our first houseguest, her friend Ben who she met in Africa. He's on a trip around the world and graced our air mattress with his presence. He took Kendra on a run for her money the past two nights and today she's feeling a bit, wellll....


Everything is really great here. The weather is outstanding and we take full advantage of it. There's only been a mild case of sunburn thus far, concentrated mainly on my poor behind. Other than that, life is just lovely. Kendra talked me into pilfering a television off the side of the road the other day. She went to the grocery store and said to herself, "If it's still there when I come back, I am taking it." With me as her accomplice, we pinched it right from the sidewalk and sure enough it works like a charm.

My word of the day is tucker, which here means food. My favorite usage was a little boy back to school shopping in K-Mart, telling his brother that they were all out of "tucker boxes". I don't like this tucker as much as mine at home, but it's still pretty tasty. :)

A Sydney Superbowl

I have to admit it was incredibly strange watching the game here, which began at 10am on Monday morning. Nevertheless, we were stoked as we arrived at the Empire Hotel and found a rousing group of middle aged Australian bikers already a few sheets to the wind, and just as enthusiastic about the game as we were. One gent was even wearing a Cardinals cap, a fan that isn't easy to find, even in America!

The game was awesome though, right? We had a great time cheering along with the Aussies, and I especially loved The Boss at half time. He's the best. It was a memorable experience for sure.