Summer Holidays

Our first Christmas in the southern hemisphere was memorable. Home are decorated and festive tunes play in the stores, but it hits differently with close to 15 hours of daylight.

The weeks leading up to Christmas were packed with social events. Breakfast with Brie at Proud Mary Coffee, drinks at Fitzroy's Vegie Bar with Clarissa, and dinner at Patsy's with the small Vegan Australia team. As usual, all of these venues were home runs. 

 

April had us over for a potluck with the rest of the Vestas crew. We enjoyed the beautiful summer afternoon on her balcony, watching the bats migrate across the city at dusk.

On Christmas Eve, Amanda and Dave invited us over to their home in Coburg for a delicious Mexican dinner. We met fellow expat, Jeff, and played board games until midnight.

 

The next day, we joined Jorge and Katya for Christmas lunch at St. Kilda's Hotel Esplanade--a historic bayside building with a collection of small bars and restaurants that reminds me of the McMenamins establishment in the Pacific Northwest. Afterwards, we returned home to pack for our trip to Tasmania!

 

It is tough to spend the holidays without family (and Louie cat), but Tom and I are so grateful to be on this adventure together. Wishing everyone a very special holiday season!

A Christmas Carol

In early December, I completed my second triathlon of the season in Brighton. After a day of heavy rains, the swim leg was replaced with a beach run due to water quality. Swimming is my best event, but it created a unique opportunity to check my expectations at the door for my first run, swim, run. I finished in 1:18 in the top half of my age group. 

  

The Yarra Boulevard is second only to Beach Road as a popular training ride for road cyclists. With punchy climbs, no traffic lights, and a wide road shoulder, it draws cyclists from all across town. Fortunately, my new favorite ride is under five minutes from our house!

Our friend from Portland was recently in town for a few weeks, living nomadically as a software engineer. Kevin invited me on a couple of local bike rides. Yarra Bend Park is home to a vast colony of bats; more than 10,000 Australian grey-headed flying foxes to be exact! As nocturnal creatures, they are active at dusk and dawn. Kevin and I enjoyed watching the bats sleep upside down in the trees, occasionally waking to stretch before rewrapping themselves tightly inside their giant wings. Efforts are in place to preserve and support them; like so many animals, climate change poses a serious threat to this endangered species.

 

  

Trek hosted the annual Christmas party at Ivanhoe Bowls Club. It was a fun evening filled with laughs, food, drinks, and lawn bowling. I suspect our store in Docklands is the most culturally diverse--our team proudly represents Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, France, Germany, South Africa, Mexico, and the US! My boss and I were both recognized for being "fun and flexible!"

Marlon, Darrel, Jerome, and Francisco 

Tom and I invited friends, Dave and Amanda, on a double date. We met at Green Man's Arms (another gem) before catching them tram into town to see the play, A Christmas Carol at the Comedy Theatre. The inspiration behind this event came after I met the lead actor at the bike shop. Owen Teale played a side villain in the TV show, Game of Thrones. Despite his fame and success, he was incredibly humble and down to earth. Still, I was over-the-moon giddy after the encounter. I couldn't believe it--I sold Scrooge bike lights!

  

 

George Bass Coastal Walk

Before Amanda and Dave returned from Thailand, Tom and I used their car for a day hike adventure 1.5 hours southeast of town, near Phillip Island. The George Bass Coastal Walk stretches 7 km between the small towns of San Remo and Kilcunda.

The dramatic cliff top walk follows the rugged coastline high above the Bass Strait. Breathtaking scenery includes sweeping sea views, tucked-away coves, pristine beaches, woodland gullies, and iridescent green hills. It is vaguely reminiscent of the shores of the British Isles.

Whales can be spotted on their annual pilgrimage from May to November. We were lucky to spot a blue-tongued lizard and a local kangaroo mob feeding in high grass.

The weather was cold and cloudy at the start, but it cleared up; a bit buggy but tolerable. The trail was very quiet on Saturday.

My first triathlon of the season (fifth overall) has been the most memorable to date. Things were rocky from the start. I woke up on Sunday to pouring rain. I missed the train, and had to cycle 12 km to Elwood Beach. With 2 km to go, my front tire got a puncture. Basically everything that could go wrong, did. But I persevered and strived to keep a positive attitude. 

 

 

The event hosted more people than I was used to, and it felt slightly congested and chaotic. I was also accustomed to swimming in lakes and rivers, so an ocean swim (albeit in the bay) would be a first. Because of the previous day's rainfall and 20+ km/hr winds, the bay swelled with 3+ ft waves. Usually the swim is my favorite leg, but this was super challenging! 

The bike course was flat, though wet and windy. The run was straightforward, so I pushed it hard in my soggy socks and shoes. Given the circumstances of the day, I was very happy with my time of 1:27, finishing 19 out of 45 in my age group. After a rest and refuel, I cycled home, tired, wet, and content.

 

Great Ocean Road

November 1st is World Vegan Day. To celebrate, I volunteered at a fundraising event with dinner at Vegie Tribe and cooking demonstrations by fabulous chefs, Nadia Fragnito and Zacchary Bird.

The bike shop where I work has a cafe inside, where I am training as a barista. It can be overwhelming at times, but a fun skill to learn! Also new, I purchased a swim membership at the local pools to prepare for another summer of triathlon. The Fitzroy Pool is an olympic-sized outdoor heated pool--year round! 

I recently crossed two more dining experiences off the list: spelt sourdough pizza at Farro and Carlton coffee bar, Heartattack and Vine.

 

My friend Amanda and I have been swapping book recommendations while she spoils me with fresh lemons from her backyard tree. While her and her husband are on holiday in Thailand, Amanda offered to lend us their car. Tom and I were quick to accept, especially wth another approaching public holiday!

We set off on Sunday afternoon for the Great Ocean Road. Stretching 243 km (148 mi) along the southern coast of Victoria, the Great Ocean Road is one of the world's most scenic coastal drives. From Melbourne, it's 1.5 hours to the start, in the surf town of Torquay. It's another 4 hours to the last town in Warrnambool.

Tom and I drove on a more direct route inland, knowing we could take our time on the journey back. We stopped for dinner at the Port Campbell Hotel, and arrived at the beach just in time for a stellar sunset.

Tom booked two nights at a lovely bnb on a working farm. Richard and his family enjoy a quiet life off the grid, but are only 20 minutes from some of the best areas of the Great Ocean Road. Note that cell reception is spotty at best.

After a relaxed breakfast, we headed back to the Gibson Steps. My friend Lexi and I were here once with a tour group in 2019, but it was a gift to now have the flexibility of a car and extra time. It's also quieter during low season; we never had to fight crowds or struggle to find parking. 

Next, we travelled to the lookouts at Loch Ard Gorge. Temperatures soared in the 80s, and it felt even hotter in the sun. Note that the summer heat attracts flies.

The Port Campbell Discovery Walk ascends from the beach to the adjacent cliff top for views of town and the sea cliffs down the coast. Surfing is very popular along the Great Ocean Road.

We stopped for lunch at Grass Roots Deli Cafe and a whiskey tasting at Timboon Railway Shed Distillery. From my experience, small coastal towns are not known for their food, but we were spoiled with excellent dining on this trip.

 

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Worm Bay in the Bay of Islands. Perched on a pair of camping chairs, we had the secluded beach to ourselves. 

We dined at REAL before catching the sunset at the famous 12 Apostles. Erosion of the mainland cliffs began 10 to 20 million years ago, with the stormy Southern Ocean and blasting winds gradually wearing away the softer limestone to form caves in the cliffs. The caves eventually became arches, and when these collapsed, rock stacks were left isolated from the shore. The 7 rock stacks are best viewed at sunrise and sunset; they change from a brilliant sandy yellow color to dark and foreboding. The 12 Apostles outlook is a 4.5-hour drive from Melbourne along the Great Ocean Road; a more direct route along the Princes Highway takes 3 hours.

On Tuesday, Tom and I drove east along the route. It reminds me of Oregon's Pacific Highway 101, although the lush rainforest is more tropical here and the water is lighter in color. The black exposed rock is reminiscent of Hawaii.

We stopped for a walk at the Cape Otway lighthouse and in Kennett River to spot koalas. As we got closer to Melbourne, the beaches at Apollo Bay and Lorne were packed for the holiday. We already have a few waterfall hikes bookmarked for next time, and eventually would like to do the 110-km Great Ocean Walk.