The Great Ocean Road

My BFF/grandma, Queen Elizabeth, had a birthday earlier this month and was lovely enough to give most of Australia a holiday (sorry boutcha, WA)!

For us this meant fishing, catching up with friends, and a gorgeous road trip down The Great Ocean Road. The first time I partook in this iconic drive we were on a bit of a time crunch, so I didn't get to see very much of it. This time we went allll the way down to the Twelve Apostles, something I've really been wanting to see before they all fall down. 

Though it was a bit chilly, we were set on doing some fishing in a pretty town pretty much right at the start of The Great Ocean Road (Barwon Heads). 

There may or may not have been zero fish caught.

Then came the veryyy scenic drive. 

There are about 500 pictures that look something similar to this one, so I'll spare you all the repetitiveness.

One of my favorite stops was Apollo Bay. The views were stunning, plus I got to eat. Win win.

Does this remind anyone else of the wall in Free Willy that he gloriously jumps over in the end?

Australia likes to impress people with views at every turn. Mountains + farms + ocean. Stop it.

AND THEN SOMETIMES YOU SEE KOALAS IN TREES, AND YOU AND ASIAN TOURISTS SQUEAL OVER IT AND TAKE WAY TOO MANY PICTURES!

A few hours later we were at our destination- The Twelve Apostles. What a stunning natural wonder! It's too bad that "twelve" is actually incorrect. The apostles are crumbling.

This beautiful country continues to amaze me. There are so many different types of scenery to see in Victoria alone, and I've only scratched the surface!

The High Country, and another Australian cultural experience

Like hut parties, country charity balls are another cultural Australian experience.

People come from miles around, in this case to a town that consisted only of a pub and a hall, to eat, drink, party, and camp. I'm starting to see that there seems to be a trend with these quintessential Australian cultural experiences. Can't say that I have any complaints! 

We embarked upon a really gorgeous road trip that took us into the High Country and over to New South Wales. One thing I've learned about Australians is that they really love to drive. They think nothing of driving hours just to get somewhere. I used to complain about the three hour drive from Houston to San Antonio. What a wuss.

There is literally one picture of the aforementioned ball. I'm afraid I was far too busy eating appetizers, enjoying rums, and dancing like a fool. It was hilarious seeing guys in tuxedos and girls in nice dresses out in the absolute middle of nowhere. It was not so hilarious sleeping in a swag [this is a genius invention that is pretty much a cross between a tent and a sleeping bag] in a nice dress, but at least it was a very comfortable swag.

Hut party- An Australian cultural experience

Ever heard of a hut party?

I hadn't until I met Will. As soon as I heard epic stories about these fantastical events, I knew I needed to experience one for myself. 

Basically, it is not uncommon for farms to have special little wooden huts that are used for parties. So everyone goes out to the hut, eats, drinks, dances around, then camps out. Just a simple country good time!

This particular hut party was quite an international event. There was me, our German housemate, Veri, a Spanish friend, Ane, and two British girls. I'd say we all felt sufficiently Australian afterward!

Perth

Will had to go to Perth for work a couple weeks ago, so I thought this was the perfect excuse to get a tan and bask in some warm weather. 

Mother Nature had some other ideas most of the time, but it was a nice, relaxing trip nonetheless! 

I paid a visit to the Perth Zoo one afternoon, the only person who wasn't there with a gaggle of kids.

Just a typical day hanging out in the stocks.

Let it be known that I had my first taste of Australian Tex-Mex while I was here. After a month without queso, fajitas, and margaritas, my heart was starting to die just a little. Good news, the queso was pretty damn tasty. Bad news, the margarita was not. But it quenched my craving at least!

Around Melbourne

Apologies for being the worst expat blogger on the planet.

I've been busy doing this and that, plus I found out that I start a job TOMORROW. Over are my days of leisure and wandering around the city [or bumming on the couch] whenever I feel like it. The horror!!

The Royal Botanic Garden has become one of my favorite places in the city. It's so lush and peaceful.

Rent bikes are available all over the CBD. I've decided that you have to be a really brave person to regularly ride a bike in a busy city center.

This is our household. We are pretty fun. For example, this was a random Wednesday night that somehow got a little out of hand.

In Texas, everyone heads to Whataburger or Taco Cabana [or any other fast food Tex-Mex] after a night out. In Australia, it's all about the kebabs. And ohhhh my gosh....they are top notch.

And as a bonus, here I am with a sheep friend.