Getting down and dirty, down under!

First couple thoughts  about Australia: WOW what a beautiful country and it feels so much like home! 

After being on the road in Thailand and Cambodia by myself for a month, coming to Australia to two great friends feels almost like coming home! At first I was having trouble finding  any differences or even hearing the accents, since I was so much back into the familiar. 

Then....SICK AGAIN :(... possibly from extreme exhaustion from all of the traveling or the fumes that I had to consume when my buses tire blew out at 3am on the ride to Bangkok. Either way, for the first 3 days in Australia, my body recognized the familiar and had no trouble letting go. At least this time I was amongst friends and   had a really nice bed (leant to me by a lovely 9 year old who teaches me great Ozzie slang like "pass me the dead horse" which means "pass me the ketchup (or tomato sauce in their case)") 

Although sick, that didn't mean lazy! Thanks to Warren and Dave's excellent itinerary, I have already tried many new exciting Australian foods including 2 BBQ's, spent lots of time with the family, and camped all down the Great Ocean Road (a gorgeous road that winds down the coast of Victoria).  

The food: boy do they love their meat!!! Coming  right off the back of being in southeast Asia where I was mostly vegetarian, I am sure making up for the lack of meat here! From meat  pies to snags to lamb roast...and  of course the  occasional  vegemite and toast to get in the greens :)  The food experience has definitely been a good one, but I better be careful or I might come back quite large!

The beauty: There is  no doubt about it, Australia is a beautiful country. The city of Melbourne has a feel much like Seattle, in that it is a beautiful city by the water that is known for its wonderful restaurants.  Melbourne is surrounded on one side by a  river and the other the harbor with heaps of  beautiful, green parks sprawled all over the city. (Don't worry mom, I am going to come home, I promise). 
Then there is the coast, which I saw via the Great Ocean Road. The limestone cliffs, crystal blue water, and sandy beaches are really breathtaking! And the  water (once you get over the freezing part) is really beautiful and great for a morning swim and some body  boarding!ANNNNd I saw koalas in the wild!!!! They are soooo cute and sooooo lazy lol.
AND THE SOUTHERN STARS!! One of my favorite parts  about being in Australia! I have never seen so many stars before in my life...it is just absolutely incredible...the milky way, the southern cross..I could just get lost in them...

The country life: One of the real treats that I have done so far is visit Australia's country...not quite the outback, but definitely not Seattle!! After our camping venture down the Great Ocean Road, we went to visit Warren's family at his sister's dairy farm. With 5 kids and lots of animals running around, this was quite the opposite of the quiet nights under the stars  we had been having and I LOVED IT! I was put to work (full cow poop guard suit and all) milking the cows. Cow poop splattered on my face, milk ready for the milk man and the cows in the pasture...I was definitely ready for some Aussie BBQ! What fun!!!