On to the US

Because of the time change we arrived in Houston, still on Friday February 13. Talk about jet lag! Going east is brutal. It took us 4 or 5 days to get our internal clocks reset. Being greeted by Christine, Rudy, Diego, their dogs, our dogs and bird was wonderful. Christine and Rudy are enjoying Houston. Diego is now a tall and very sharp 2 year old. Our dogs are doing great. That first weekend we also got to see Fernando, Ange, Madeleine and Marcel.
The third week of February we flew to Midland to see Peggy’s parents, who are doing better health wise now that they are in assisted living. On the way back to Houston we stopped in Kestrel to see our house, airplane and friends. All are well. The fourth week of February we drove to Corpus Christi, TX. Gus will be working for Sherwin Alumina in Portland, TX starting March 2. Naturally there is a long list of things to take care of and decisions to be made.

3rd stop – New Zealand

We did not want to leave this part of the world without seeing New Zealand. Our friends, the Buicks, had taken a trekking trip on the South Island of New Zealand, on the Milford Track/Sound. We decided to do the same and flew from Melbourne to Queenstown. We arrived in New Zealand on February 6. The tour started on the 7, with Ultimate Hikes. It was a 5 day, 4 night hiking/boat/bus trip that goes from Queenstown up the Milford Track/Sound and back. There is 53 Km (34 miles) of walking. The trip goes through the mountains and valleys of New Zealand’s Southern Alps. On the average, the walks are 14 km/day. Following each walk you arrive to a lodge where you have a nice hot shower, a good bed, great food and great wine/champers. The weather, for us, was average. We experienced a cloudy day, a rainy day and a couple of sunny days. It is summer and the temperature ranged between 40 and 70 degrees F. This area gets an average of 9 ft of rain annually. Basically all the rain that should fall over Australia falls here on New Zealand’s west coast due to the Southern Alps. We met a bunch of fun people from Japan, Scotland, England, US, Kiwis and Aussies. It is a trip well worth taking. We highly recommend it.
On Friday February 13 we left New Zealand for Los Angeles. Taking that last flight on Qantas was sad; Qantas is a wonderful airline. These past 18 months in Australia have been full of great experiences. We had a chance to see a good part of the continent, as well as acquiring some great new friends. We bring priceless memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

2nd stop – Melbourne

We wanted to see this city before leaving Australia. Our good friend, Guillaume, had encouraged us to take a bus tour of the Great Ocean Road. He was right. If you don’t have a lot of time to spare, take a tour. This one was a 12 hour tour starting at 8 AM. The scenery along the southern coast of Australia following the Great Ocean Road (as it is called) is magnificent. This road was built by the men returning from World War I in honor of the men that did not return from the War. One location worth mention is the 12 Apostles (see picture). The ocean with time has separated portions of the coast along an approximately 5 mile span of coastline. These are now 12 individual pieces like pieces from a chess set standing alone in front away from the coast. We took a helicopter ride and were able to see these spectacular natural structures from the air. The second day in Melbourne we visited the city. It is easy to tour downtown by taking a free bus ride which goes around the outskirts of the central business district. You can make stops many places and return to take the bus. Melbourne is a very diverse city. The Italian and Chinese neighborhoods are worth visiting. There are restaurants everywhere and the choice of food is huge. We stayed at the Urban St. Kilda hotel in St. Kilda Beach, located just southeast of the central city. It is easy to get there via train. The beach, as most in Australia, is beautiful, blue/turquoise water. People, dogs, kids playing on the beach, surfing, kayaking, sailing, parasailing; you name it, you will see it here. Great place to visit.

1st stop – Brisbane

We spent a couple of days with Dave and Sue Buick. Had the opportunity of meeting his brother and family, as well as seeing Bob and Don (Dave’s parents). We all watched the Super Bowl on Monday at 10 AM Brisbane time. Good Aussie party with plenty of champers, beer, and wine, in addition of a good sauna during half time. Oh, not to forget seeing Bob, the dog.

Leaving Gove

On February 1, 2009 we left home returning to the USA. We have spent 18 happy months in the Northern Territory of Australia. During this time we made good friends, visited the real outback, and traveled throughout Australia. We certainly are happy to be returning to our home and family but not without the sadness of leaving our friends and a place that we’ll remember forever.