Take me to the Water . . .

As I mentioned in my last post, this was my first week at 30, and it just so happened to be my most adventurous!

I'll start with the first leg of my adventure - on February 26, we went white water rafting! My first time! We happened upon a perfect day, headed out to the Rangitata River, and with our fearless leader, Ben, made our way from Level 1 through Level 5 rapids!!!!!!!

This day was our first out of Christchurch City proper, and it was much needed - we were beginning to miss Australia terribly - but just when the chips are down, New Zealand decided to show us what it was made of. First of all, the Rangitata river was crystal clear (it was drinkable, can you believe that!) and a color blue of which I've never seen before. It was glacially fed - so cold is a bit of an understatement - let's use the word refreshing - but temperature was soon forgotten as we made our way down the river. LOOK at the scenery - can we say Lord of the Rings anyone?!?!

Perhaps the highlight of the trip for me was this little moment here [follow the progression, noting the second red hat from the back of the raft on the right hand side]

Yes, that's Elliot (red hat) falling out - only the highlight because I love him and can laugh with him! (and if you really look you can see me laughing with him from across the raft, I'm in the green hat!)

Here is the full photo set so you can see all of our antics!

Turning 30!

Thanks to time zone changes, I got to stretch my transferring of decades over 42 hours, as opposed to 24! At 12 midnight here in New Zealand - all the way until 6pm on the 25th, when February 24th finally ended in New York.

Anyway, the milestone has come and gone, and nothing has really changed except a little ol prefix - I will not let the forced recollection of changing decades change the amazing way I feel, and create aging before my time!

As would be expected, Elliot made sure to make the day special for me - we started out the NZ 24th with a wonderful brunch on the Avon River that runs through Christchurch, and moved on to some strolling around, light shopping, but mostly relaxation and resting up for the coming evening. We then went to an amazing dinner at the Lobster Club - a beautiful, upscale restaurant on Lichfield Street - where we shared a colossal seafood platter for two!

We then moved on to Liquidity - a very New York City-ish bar where we met up with our friends that we have been traveling with. Thanks to my sweetie, it felt much like I was at home with my friends and family the way I normally spend my birthday (though he said he had offered to fly most of you out here, but you declined, what gives!?!?!).

I'd be lying if I said there wasn't something missing - well I guess a few things are missing this year - my location blocking my closest family and friends (aside from Elliot of course), and my birthday wishes from Sunil. That being said, El did you all very proud - it was a happy birthday indeed.

I'm adding a few pictures here of my 30th Birthday Celebration - and my next post will show you how I spent my first week as a 30 year old - if I must say myself, I'm off to a good start. ;)

Tasmania: Who are You, and What Have you Done with the Real Stephanie?

For our last weekend in Australia, we decided to try out something very new for us – or at least for me – and spend 4 days in a camper van /RV in Tasmania. Tasmania, as I have previously noted, is the ‘small’ island state of Australia that, while once attached to the mainland, has separated off and is now separated from it by the Tasman Sea. It is a nature-lovers haven – some of the most beautiful scenery I have seen so far – and unfortunately it is also a road kill haven – as much wildlife roams free in Tassie.

Here are a few pictures of our home for the weekend:

For some reason I neglected to take a picture of the bathroom – you guys would have gotten a kick out of it. We arrived on a Thursday evening, and Jay skillfully drove us through a windy and dark road to get us to the base of Cradle Mountain – where we spent the night in a parking lot as all of the campsites were closed by the time we got there! Scared – me? Not at all (*wink wink*).

The next day, alive and well, we headed to the base of Cradle Mountain, surveyed a few different paths, and decided to use Marion’s lookout point as our pathway to the base of Cradle Mountain. We completed a small, not so difficult hike up to Marion’s look out – and looked ahead to what we were contemplating climbing a little later on.

The weather was cloudy – and we couldn’t even see the top of the Cradle (the mountain is named for the cradle created by its twin peaks) – which may explain that we set off with the thought to head all the way to the top.

After a brief break, we moved forth to Cradle Mountain – and when the clouds that first covered the top of its peaks broke, we realized just what a feat this would be.

I had thought that the Grampians Mountain – Hollow Mountain - climb we had completed a few weeks earlier was very tough – granted, it had been my first climb, but I was quite impressed with myself after that was done! Well this Cradle Mountain dwarfed Hollow Mountain in every respect – size, difficulty, temporal ranges, it was amazing but quite scary at many different points. Needless to say, we did it – we got all the way to the top – round trip a 5 hour hike – with a few scary moments but mostly many moments and feelings of achievement. Take a look below.

And Finally - the final pic of what we had climbed!

At the end of the hike we were aching for Tessie, so when we got to the bottom of the Mountain, instead of heading back via Marion's lookout (too tough to scale again, we were tired . . .), we opted for the Face Path. Why none of us realized this may have meant scaling the FACE OF THE MOUNTAIN, I have no idea. Mind you, we skipped the "Overland" track as a return for the Face track - which would you choose?!?!

Needless to say, after 5 hours, we tagged on another 3 to get back to the carpark via the Face Path - which was pretty intense. We may have thought it easy had we not just hiked to the top of Cradle, but after 6, 7 hours, trust me your equilibrium and just about everything else plays tricks on you.


Click here to see the entire set of photos from the day - I wish I could say there were some pics of the Face Track (there are a few of Ballroom Forest at the end, which was part of Face Track) but we were in no spirits to be photographers at that point!

The next day we headed to Maria (pronounced Mariah) Island. We took a ferry and stayed for a few hours – unfortunately too short – for all the beautiful sights the island had to offer. The entirety of the island is now a national park - thought it was, at one point, a penal colony, in the early part of the 1800's, and later, when people began to recognize its beauty, was known for its silk and wine production, as well as a holiday destination. I'll let the photos speak for themselves - the national park status that it holds today might best (in my opinion) suit the beautiful place.

After returning from Maria Island to our new home, Tessie, we decided that we would drive that night to a camp site near Freycinet Peninsula, which we planned on exploring the next day. What was a simple decision ended up providing us with one of the nicest moments of the weekend – when we walked to the beach, with some wine and some fresh, local fish in hand, and watched the sun set (here are all the pics from that dinner).

After spending the night at Coles Bay, we moved on to Wineglass Bay, on Freycinet Peninsula, and the reason we had spent the night in Coles Bay. It is named for, you guessed it, the shape of the bay - and is regarded as one of the world's ten best beaches by some travel authorities. Before we began our travel to the beach, we were greeted by our new friend - we say he's a Kangaroo, but hell, he may be a Wallaby, but he was quite cute nonetheless!

After descending a seriously steep path down to the beach itself, the 4 of us, exhausted from our weekend's adventures sat for about an hour, and hiked back up the now treacherously steep path. It may have just been our weariness speaking, but I think we were a tad disappointed with this world-reknowned beach, and wished we had spent more time on Maria Island, but C'est La Vie. (Here's the full photoset of Freycinet Peninsula and Wineglass Bay)

More VERY soon - big birthday to share with you guys!

Valentines Day . . .

So, for most of you its still February 13, while for me it has passed midnight and is officially Valentines day. This post really has nothing to do with valentines day - but the date is my marker nonetheless.

We just got home from Tony's house. If you haven't read about Tony, take a look at Elliot's blog - Tony is El's cousin, his first cousin! We are halfway across the globe, sitting down to a gourmet meal cooked by Elliot's cousin - and it just put me in a contemplative mood, got me to thinking about what is really important.

1 year ago today (Valentines day) I was being picked up late at school by my brand new sweetie at the time - our relationship slightly more than 2 months new - heading to his house for a gourmet meal cooked by him!

When I think back to what life has brought me - my brain gets lost in the frenzy... the last 12 months have been sprinkled with some amazing ups, and some awful downs. I guess only one awful down, in the loss of Sunil Varghese - probably one of the biggest heartbreaks of my life. Correction. The biggest heartbreak of my life to date.

I am tied to this time last year because it is my last memories of Sunil's friendship mixed with the beginning of my life with Elliot. About this time last year Sunil and I sat on the phone for at least an hour - in what would be our last conversation - catching up - dreaming about scuba diving in Australia - telling each other of new people in our lives. And then he was gone.

Life has a funny way of making you realize what is important. Since that horrible day in March, Sunil brought me to some amazing new friends (and reunited me with some old friends) - and I've slowly watched so many of us who were close with him have major things fall into place. Coincidence? I think not.

For me, the last year has brought a new love, a life long love, both he and the love he provides changing my very being. We pledged our future together, and then we got on a plane to experience the adventure of our lifetimes - 5 months in a far away land, learning more about the world, culture, and ourselves than I thought was feasible. Last weekend we stood, arm in arm, on top of Cradle Mountain, in Tasmania, which stands 1 full mile above sea level, after scaling the rocky and scary path. We sat up there, and I couldn't help but think about the past year and how thankful I am.

Over nearly the last year now, I also began to think about how I was spending my time, and started spending less on stressing and over studying, and more with the people who matter to me. My sister and I have never been closer, and the pride and happiness that my parents have in their eyes when they look at Melissa and I (and Elliot & I for that matter) has never meant so much to me.

Now, on the road ahead, I can't help but smile - a smile that I didn't know I would have again when Sunil left us. With graduation, 2 of my best friends' weddings, the bar exam, a new home, a wedding of our own - and with amazing family and friends to share it with, I can't help but wish to always feel as happy as I do today. Yet I know, thanks to the lesson so many of us learned last March, that even when life gets extremely low, it won't stay there very long.

In Non-Australia Related News:

Please help me welcome my new baby cousin! (Loving parents Marisa & Orazio)

Vince Arrabito, 6 lbs 15 oz, 20 inches. Born January 24, 2007.

The name Vince was chosen to honor my Uncle Enzo (Vincenzo), Marisa's dad!

I can't wait to meet you Vince!!!!!!

Sydney/Bondi Beach

Last weekend we jumped on a plane and headed to Sydney - best known, of course, for the Sydney Opera House. Little did I know as we approached that on Saturday morning, I would conquer one of the biggest goals I had for this trip - to hold a Koala!!!!!!!!! (OK...maybe I didn't hold her, but we got awfully close!)

We arrived in Bondi Beach on Friday, and enjoyed the scenic and trendy beach town. While we opted to stay in Bondi, we ended up spending a lot of time in the city proper (not far from Bondi at all) - and I must say, I am in love! Sydney is a place that I could get used to.... picture Manhattan, but much cleaner, much more picturesque - and on the water.

We took a ferry from Circular Quay (pronounced 'key') to the Taronga Zoo - this is where we got some of the most amazing pictures of the Sydney Opera House, and the Harbour Bridge. At the zoo itself, the backdrop of Darling Harbor and the city made for some interesting vistas (such as the one pictured here of the Giraffes).

We rounded out the weekend with some time at The Rocks, a big outdoor market with homemade crafts and local foods, and spent some time in Darling Harbor - an area of town that sealed the deal for me - I LOVE Sydney. We plan on ending our trip there in May.

The highlight of the entire weekend for me was, by far, my new friend Carla. Koalas have always intrigued me, and when I realized that I was able to get up close to the Koalas, I was like a little girl! Jumping around, yelping, the whole lot. When you take a look at the pictures - you will see that my antics were not in vain:

Though we couldn't get as close to her, Florence was nearby too - Florence had a joey (baby) in her pouch that was the size of a jelly bean!

Here's the full set of pics from the weekend - my usual warning - many many pics! :)

The Great Ocean Road

SO ... to continue with the tale of our ambitious weekend, on Sunday January 14 we travelled the Great Ocean Road. We began our journey in Port Campbell, spending an entire day driving through the man-made highway that traverses what is known as the "Shipwreck Coast." It's called this for good reason - it is dreadfully curvy on the road, and even nuttier off the the road and on the sandy coast itself.

It was so breathtaking, the beauty of the open ocean on your right (as it were in the direction we were driving), and on the left, looking at wide open expanses or lush greenery. It was one of the most memorable days of my life.

First stop was London Bridge - this is a famous rock formation that formerly resembled a bridge - but in 1990 the arch that connected the two rocks 'fell down' - ironic, yes, I know. Here's a picture before takin 1959 (obviously not taken by me) and one after (can't remember if El or I took this one.

After hitting a few smaller sites, we headed to the 12 Apostles. For those of you who don't know the story behind these Rock Formations - you have probably seen photos of them and not realized it. They are world renowned - and most certainly the centerpiece attraction of the Great Ocean Road. The limestone that forms the cliff that sits behind the Apostles began forming these rock stacks approximately 20 million years ago - as water and nature formed a separation. There were originally 12 - and as of July 2005, then there were 8... Check out this page for more info. Anyway, forget the less, just look... (you can see the Apostle that most recently crumbled in the foreground of the first shot).

The rest of the day was sprinkled with stopping at different beaches (Lorne, and Apollo Beach) as well as swerving the car off the road at any sighting of Koalas or Kangaroos - heck, any pretty lookout there was to see.

After I thought the beauty couldn't get any better, we began the last stretch and heading to Lorne or Bells Beach - (Point Break!). I can't remember exactly which path we were on, but that was the longest stretch we spent inside the car - and its hard to explain how that was my favorite part of the day - given all that I had already done. We moved through what I felt like was the most scenic part of the road - it was twisting and turning, and you never knew what would confront you around each turn. Forget about when you looked back to see what you had traveled through from a new perspective. I got a little teary thinking that Sunil should have been doing this with me too ... it was hard not to when I was staring at the beauty and thinking how lucky I was to be exactly where I was ... let alone to be doing it with my sweetie...

I've tried to group my favorite pics from the day - so here is a truncated set - and here is a set of all 332 - you choose!