525,600 Minutes: The First Half

Bathing boxes in Mornington

Sometimes I feel like I blink and an entire year of my life has gone by. Just like that. This especially rings true for the past twelve months.

About a year ago, I finished working in Australia, completed a short-term mission trip in Pakistan and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime. An adventure that brought me all over Asia and even to Africa. An adventure that introduced me to an incredibly wide variety of people, places and situations. An adventure I wish I had blogged about more on here.

Or, at all.

Driving along the Grand Ridge Road

For some unknown reason, it seems that when I blog, I don't journal and when I journal, I don't blog. Although I lived in Melbourne for over a year, the number of journal entries I wrote could be counted on one hand..... or quite honestly, less than that; however, I updated my blog relatively frequently. Conversely, I journaled almost every day while doing the mission trip and backpacking, but not once did I bother to type anything up online. Unfortunately, it appears that I'm unable to do both with any sort of regularity.

Seals on Kangaroo Island

I didn't even manage to finish blogging about the last-minute trips I took around Victoria and South Australia after my job wrapped up. These happened ages ago so details have inevitably been lost; therefore, I won't dedicate an entire entry to them like I had originally planned. However, it should be noted that the Mornington Peninsula, the Dandenongs, the Grand Ridge Road, Wilsons Promenade, Mount Lofty Summit, Hahndorf, Kangaroo Island, Barossa Valley and Macedon Regional Park are all worth visiting.

Having fun with henna

That would bring me to the Pakistan mission trip, where a small group of Australians and I visited a long-term missionary and his family in Islamabad and taught English and essay writing skills to graduate students studying theology at a Christian institute in Rawalpindi. Even after all this time, I feel like I'm still processing it, which leaves me with limited words to describe my time there. It was a bit of a nervewracking experience but perhaps not for the reasons one might expect. Am I glad I had the opportunity to go? Absolutely. I'm so thankful that God presented me with the chance to witness His work firsthand there and to even play a small part. I will also say that I was in complete awe of all the various ways people are serving Him in that region, both Pakistanis and foreigners. Having spent most of my life in Western countries, it's difficult to wrap my mind around the extreme challenges Pakistanis face when it comes to following Christ. Although I've been told that the Pakistani constitution protects the freedom of religion, it's far more complicated when put into practice.

Our class at ZBI

Pakistan was the first predominately Muslim country I ever visited and although it was very different from Western and other Asian countries I had been to in the past, strangely enough, I didn't feel like I experienced a huge culture shock when I was there. There were two instances when I did momentarily forget where I was and in an absolute cultural faux paux, I lifted my kameez [dress] too far up, once to retie the drawstrings holding up my shalwar [trousers] and a second time to admire the beautiful embroidery around the bottom edges.

Rickshaw in Rawalpindi

For some reason, traveling from Pakistan to the United Arab Emirates was more of an adjustment for me than going from Australia to Pakistan. It must have been the quick transition from seeing extreme poverty everywhere to being surrounded by copious amounts of wealth because I felt a similar shock when I traveled from Sri Lanka and Cambodia to Singapore and Hong Kong. I'm unsure why I didn't feel it as much the other way around.

Map of the Persian Gulf

Originally, I was planning to spend a week or so in the UAE before making my way down to South and Southeast Asia, but the travel bug in me took over and I ended up spending an entire month and a half independently exploring various parts of Western Asia, including the United Arab Emirates, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. What a fascinating place I found it to be! As a Westerner not wearing an abaya [dress], niqab [veil], etc., I suppose I attracted some attention, but nevertheless, I felt that the culture was nothing short of interesting. It would be true to say that I have a passion for traveling so I expected to find at least some aspects of Western Asia intriguing, but it truly took me by surprise when it completely drew me in to the point where I absolutely loved it.

UAE National Day dance

Since so much time has passed between then and now, it would be impossible to describe all the details from my travels on here so I'll stick to some highlights. One of the first memories of the UAE I have is going to the Mall of the Emirates. I had met a British man on the metro and we had struck up a conversation about traveling around Western Asia. Upon entering the mall, our discussion came to an abrupt halt when the loudest Arabic music suddenly filled the air. It was the strangest experience because all around us, we were surrounded by typical Western stores, like Accessorize, Claire's and American Eagle. It was as if the music served a purpose other than simply providing entertainment; it screamed, "You might think you're in the West, but don't forget for a single second that you're in Western Asia."

View from the Burj Khalifa

While I was in the UAE, it felt obligatory to go to the top of the Burj Khalifa since it's currently the highest structure in the world. My host and I were planning to go together, but he had to back out at the last minute. In an attempt to keep the ticket from going to waste, I sold it to someone who was waiting in line-- a German marine who had spent the last several months fighting pirates in Djibouti.

Mountains of Oman

While my time in the other Gulf Nations was memorable, I have to admit that I enjoyed myself the most in Oman. In addition to the beautiful mountainous terrain that differed from the surrounding countries, I found a certain humbleness and ingenuity in the people I met there. In addition, although it was the second Gulf country I had seen, it was the first one where I felt like I was in that area of the world. While much of what I saw in the UAE looked modern and Western, Oman seemed to have maintained its Islamic architecture, which in my mind, set it apart.

The souk, fort and mosque in Nizwa

I especially liked the souk [marketplace] in Nizwa, which was situated right next to the old fort and a mosque. A couple CouchSurfers and I took a trip there and to one of the highest mountains in the region. There was nothing physical that marked our location on the mountain so to this day, we're not entirely sure we were successful in finding the peak, but nonetheless, we have wonderful memories from that day.

National Day fireworks in Doha

In December, it was a special time to be in Qatar because the country celebrated its National Day, which commemorates its freedom from Great Britain. Some of the activities throughout the day included a parade in the morning and fireworks later at night. I'm glad I was able to be there to witness the festivities and the Qataris showing such pride for their nation.

Dilmun burial mounds in Manama

Bahrain seemed to be in the midst of attempting to build its tourist industry, but I mostly witnessed the ruins of old forts and rundown resorts that looked much more attractive online. I imagine one day, the forts will be restored and artifacts will be brought in to create a museum of some sort, similar to what the Omanis did with the fort in Nizwa. I did, however, enjoy the burial mounds and parts of the Bahrain National Museum that focused on Dilmun, an ancient civilization in the Persian Gulf that dates back to the third millennium BC. It reminded me of learning about places like Mesopotamia in my eighth grade Western Civilization class, which was always my favorite.

At the Grand Mosque in Kuwait City

Prior to exploring Western Asia, I had never stepped foot in a mosque. However, since they were among the most prominent structures in many of the cities I traveled around, I felt that visiting them would be an important part of my experience. While I was in Kuwait, I was fortunate enough to be able to take a guided tour of the Grand Mosque, the largest mosque in the country. It was a very informative tour and I enjoyed learning a little about the Islamic faith from someone who was so passionate and knowledgeable about the topic.

Wild elephant

After leaving the Gulf States, I headed to South, Southeast and East Asia. As a whole, Sri Lanka was one of the most picturesque places I visited. While I didn't care too much for Colombo [only because it was a noisy, crowded oven with way too much pollution], Nurwara Eliyah and Tissamaharama were complete dreams. It was near the latter that I saw my first and only elephant in the wild. I was told that leopards could also be seen in the parks, but unfortunately, I didn't come across any of those.

Downtown Singapore

Even though I had an extended layover in Singapore, I still managed to miss my flight. I had checked my luggage without a problem, but security stopped me on my way to the gate to weigh my carry-on bag. Since it was too heavy, I tried to post some items home, but by the time I finally tried to board the plane, it was too late. In the past, there had been more than a few close calls, but this was the first time I actually missed my flight.

Trying something new

I operated a motorbike on my own for the first time in Cambodia and found it to be a pretty freeing experience. Interestingly enough, another American trusted me enough to drive us from Kampot to Kep, which was quite an adventure since we hit a pothole on the way back that temporarily caused our only headlight not to work. Thankfully, after hitting a series of buttons and switches on the dashboard, it miraculously turned back on, which undeniably saved us from being hit by any of the trucks flying by us in the opposite direction.

Chinese New Year parade

In February, a friend who I had studied with in Korea and I met in Hong Kong for Chinese New Year. It proved to be an ideal place to spend the holiday because although the Spring Festival is mostly private and celebrated with family, there were some nice public festivities held in Hong Kong, which included fireworks and a parade downtown.

At the Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival

My time in Taiwan was among the most magical, if only because I had the opportunity to attend the magnificent Pingxi Sky Lantern Festival. Visiting Taiwan wasn't even on my "itinerary" when I was considering traveling around Asia so stumbling upon this particular gem was a true blessing. If you haven't already, it might be worth it to check out the video I posted on Facebook back in March. I said it then and I'll say it again:: It was like watching a live version of the movie Tangled.

Procession in Pampanga

Visiting the Philippines was another unplanned surprise, but thanks to an affordable ticket from Taiwan, it seemed like too good of an offer to overlook. For the second time in a row, I found myself in the right place at the right time as I was able to join a CouchSurfing host and several other backpackers in the province of Pampanga to see the Holy Week events. Traditions in this region are unique and include a reenactment of Jesus' crucifixion and devotees self-flagellating and being nailed to crosses, the latter of which seemed bizarre to me.

I hope the second half of this post comes sooner rather than later, but I have to apologize and admit my track record isn't that promising. Until then....

The Last Days of Oz: The Work Chapter

A couple of my friends recently asked me about my blog, which reminded me of the fact that I hadn't updated it since late September. Although I haven't touched Australian soil since mid-November, I feel like I need to close that chapter of my life here before moving on to my more recent travels.

Friday night fun

Once I returned to Australia from home, I resumed my position at Percepta, a company near South Melbourne that had hired me a couple weeks before I left for Pennsylvania. This job was such a blessing in my life for a number of reasons, the most surprising being that they took me on as a new hire in the first place. When I was looking for a new job in August, it was a matter of not only finding a company that was willing to hire me despite the fact that my visa expired in October but also one that would pre-approve a two-week holiday I had already planned so I could return home for a wedding. Most of my friends and colleagues doubted I would be able to find any such company and after weeks of interviewing, registering with various recruitment agencies and hearing nothing back, I was beginning to fear it myself.

If I'm remembering correctly, Percepta was the last place at which I interviewed. I have to admit that I came too close to declining the the second interview since I was told during the first one that the position wouldn't start until two weeks before I would leave for America. In fact, one of my colleagues almost had me convinced that it would be a waste of my time and theirs to even go. He thought that as soon as they learned about my need to request time off at the end of the month, they would decide against hiring me. I knew my chances of employment with this company were slim.

My farewell

Since I'm more of a give-it-a-go-and-see-what-happens-type of person, I attended the second interview anyway. I figured at the very least, it would help me improve my interviewing skills. However, someone up there must have been watching over me because the interview went impossibly well and in the end, the director of human resources hired me despite my awkward situation. I could hardly believe it when I got that call!

Another reason I felt like this job was nothing short of a godsend was because of the people I connected with while I was there. Most of them were also foreigners, but it was a mix of travellers and those who had studied or were studying in Australia and had permanent residency. I met people from places like Pakistan, South Africa, India and Singapore, which was lucky for me since these were all places I was either planning or hoping to go in the near future. Not only did they turn out to be great friends and colleagues, but they were also excellent resources when it came to providing advice about these places.

Miss them

Mid-October seemed to approach at an alarmingly rapid pace so before I knew it, my visa was going to expire. Normally with this type of visa, working holiday and work and holiday participants are required by law to leave the country and then have the option of returning on a tourist visa. However, once I had returned to Australia from America, I had applied for my visa to go to Pakistan, which required sending my passport to the High Commission for Pakistan in Canberra. When I had spoken to someone on the phone about the visa processing time for an American living in Australia, I wasn't given a straight answer so for a few weeks, I played the nerve-wracking waiting game of "Will I Receive My Passport Before My Visa Expires?"

Fortunately, I did end up getting my passport before my visa expired, but since I hadn't booked a flight yet, I decided to go talk to an immigration officer about whether or not an exception could be made so I could apply for a tourist visa without leaving the country. Luckily, the officer was understanding and even approved my request for a seven-month tourist visa!

Since my visa situation worked out in my favour, which meant it wasn't necessary to book a last-minute flight to New Zealand, I was able to enjoy a fun evening out with my workmates. It was a great way to end a stressful day.

Tales of Being Homeward Bound

Home

 In all my past experiences living outside of the United States, I never went home just for a visit; that is, in those instances, when I returned to Pennsylvania, my travelling was sadly over and it was always a move back to the good old 610. Last month marked the first time I took a short vacation/holiday to my hometown in the Lehigh Valley, and what a blessing it was to be able to enjoy a couple short weeks of the fleeting summer with some of the most amazing people I know.

One of the main purposes of this visit was to attend the wedding of one of my best friends, a girl who I've known since elementary/primary school and whose life I apparently saved once while skiing. [I don't know why I have no recollection of this, but it's a story I've heard a thousand times.] Anyway, in addition to celebrating my friend's new marriage, this trip was also an opportunity for me to catch up with family and friends I hadn't seen in a long time and to visit my favourite place in the world, New York City.

Wedding fun

Admittedly so, when I first found out the wedding had unexpectedly been bumped up a year, I slipped into panic mode as I attempted to work out the details of returning home. What complicated matters the most was the fact that due to my visa restrictions, I knew the trip would inevitably clash with the craziness that comes with having to look for new work; however, after some serious consideration, lots of praying, and flights miraculously dropping almost half a grand, everything fell right into place and it became crystal clear that home was where I was supposed to be in August. Before I knew it, I was planning a trip back to Pennsylvania before my one-year mark in Australia, and I was pretty excited about it.

Ever since I was 17 and and had my first international travelling experience [ironically enough, to Australia and New Zealand], I dedicated much of my time and my effort to escaping Pennsylvania.

Kahlan and Bailey

Whether it was studying abroad, volunteering overseas, or working internationally, I always seemed to be trying to get away. For me, travelling offered something I felt like home just lacked: a sense of excitement, an opportunity to explore, and a possibility for an adventure. Even though the vast majority of my life was spent in Pennsylvania, at some point, it stopped feeling like home.

However, something within me changed as I sat in my childhood room last month and listened to the cicadas outside my window. An inexplicable peacefulness fell over me and I felt a renewed sense of appreciation for home, especially for all my family and friends who are there. While this feeling shouldn't be misinterpreted as my wanting to move back to Pennsylvania, it was as

No trip home would be complete without a drive to NYC

if home and I came to some sort of unspoken agreement. The feud was over, and it was like a weight had been lifted from my heart.

On my last night there, I met up with an old high school friend who I hadn't seen in almost two years. It was certainly unexpected, but as I was leaving, it hit me pretty hard as I realised how much I was going to miss the Lehigh Valley.

I guess Dorothy was really onto something, wasn't she? There truly is no place like home.

A July Winter Wonderland

Maze in Wandiligong

When I first started working at Medibank at the beginning of the year, I asked some of my Australian colleagues to suggest places in Victoria to visit. Aside from the usual places that are always mentioned, like the Great Ocean Road, Phillip Island, and Mornington Peninsula, a small town called Bright was brought into the conversation. My manager had been there several times with his family and had nothing but positive things to say about it. The original plan was going to be to take a trip there in April or May since I had read that Bright is the most beautiful during the autumn months; however, other weekend activities and moving led us to delaying it until July. Although going in the dead middle of winter wasn't ideal, I was assured that any time I visited Bright would be nice since there is plenty to do during each season.

Putting on the snow chains

Once we finally finished the four-hour journey from Melbourne to Bright, we stopped at the information centre and then our cute two-bedroom cottage before driving the short distance to Wandiligong to venture through the

Freezing on Mount Hotham

massive maze. With two kilometres of garden-lined paths, the Wandiligong Maze is Australia's most massive living hedge maze. As I was wandering through it, I couldn't help but think of the fourth Harry Potter book.... except without all the magic. The main objectives when exploring the maze were to find the rose gardens and the lookout points; however, because of the season, the flowers weren't yet blooming.

Rainbow in Omeo

The following day, we drove up to Mount Hotham in the Alpine National Park. In that part of Victoria, cars are required to carry snow chains for the tires..... and it's a good thing! We never would have guessed it from Bright, but there was tons of snow on Mount Hotham and the roads were quite slick. We didn't go skiing, which is the most popular activity to do on the mountain during this time of year, but we did walk around in the snow a little, especially

Kangaroos in Bright

because it was the first time one of the girls had ever seen snow in person.

After that, we continued onward to a small town called Dinner Plain because we had read in a brochure that there was going to be some sort of Christmas in July celebration, including a group of huskies pulling a sleigh. After we arrived there, we learned nothing was going to happen until later in the evening so we drove to another small town along the

View of Bright

Great Alpine Road called Omeo to buy petrol and lunch. It had rained a bit on the ride there, but by the time we reached our destination, a beautiful rainbow decorated the sky. Our plan had been to return to Dinner Plain later in the evening for the Christmas in July festivities, but it turned out that not much was happening so we just went back to Bright.

Hiking on Mount Buffalo

The next day, we decided that we should explore Bright, even if it was just a small section, since that's where we were staying. We ended up doing one of the hikes that was supposed to take us to a key lookout spot; however, although it was a nice walk, the path wasn't well marked so we never made it there.On the plus side, we were fortunate enough to see a group of kangaroos or wallabies, which was exciting. On our way back to Melbourne, we drove up Mount Buffalo, where we experienced some more snow and did a little hiking. There was a lookout point there as well, but because of the weather conditions, the visibility was poor.

Overall, it was a wonderful trip filled with lots of laughter, some fantastic exploring, and wonderful memories I'll take with me forever. The trip may have come later than I had expected, but it was well worth the wait.

Wet Wintery Weather

AFL at the MCG

Winter in Melbourne is exceptionally mild compared to winter in Pennsylvania; however, it's still harsher than I had expected, especially since I was never planning to spend this season here. Overall, it's been much colder than I thought it would get, but I'm fairly certain I was only thinking of the weather up in Queensland prior to moving here. Instead of snow, I've been told to expect lots of rain during the winter months, which has proven to be true in the last few weeks. It's an unfortunate reality, but this type of weather makes it difficult to plan any trips outside of Melbourne. Twice, my friends and I reserved a car to go to Wilsons Promontory and twice, we had to cancel our reservation due to the poor weather. Aside from finding myself comfortable in Melbourne at the moment, another reason I'm happy to stay here a while longer is to be able to travel to several more places in Victoria once the weather improves. It's challenging to make plans to visit new places now because it seems like I'm at a constant battle with the weather.

Bubble tea

Although I've never even gone to an American football/gridiron game, a few weeks ago, my friend took me to my first, and probably last, AFL [Australian Football League] one. In my opinion, the sport should be nicknamed "Please Give Me a Concussion" as these guys run around, tackling each other without any sort of protective gear. While I'm aware that there are different rules and such, based on my unpolished knowledge of both sports, it's basically American football without the helmets and pads. Despite the fact that I'm not a huge sports fan, I had been curious about AFL since it's not something that's played back home. I can't recall the last time I sat through an entire football game so I don't know why I thought this would be different, but to say the least, I survived. I'm just kidding as it wasn't that horrible and I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience Victoria's most popular sport, but the teams weren't evenly matched so it wasn't an exciting game. However, my friend's team won and the night ended with dumplings and bubble tea, which is never a bad thing.

Ch-ch-ch-changes

Almost every morning, I make a ridiculous spectacle of myself in front of the early commuters of my new suburb as I dash from my house to the train station, most of the time in heels with my handbag swinging by my side. Living with the public transportation right outside my front door for my first six months in Australia left me quite spoiled, and to say that I'm still adjusting to the increased distance would be a vast understatement.

Farewell, part 1

The original plan was to move to Sydney sometime around the end of April so that I could have about an equal amount of time there, but my contract at work was extended for another two months, which meant I would be staying in Melbourne for at least that much longer; however, when I asked my landlord if it would be possible to revise my lease, he told me he had already found someone to move into my room. It was back to house/apartment hunting, but this round proved to be a little more challenging for some reason. Even though I'm now a little farther from both the city and work, I'm grateful that one of my friends had room in her house for me to move in with her.

I seem to be a basket case of contradictions these days. In mid-April when I thought my contract at work would be finishing at the end of the month, I wrote a private blog entry about how apprehensive I felt about leaving Melbourne since I was comfortable here. I went as far as comparing it to my move from London to Dublin, which was a transition that made me both sad that my time in the UK was finished but excited that I had Ireland to look forward to explore. Although the anticipation of Sydney was present, the anxiety I felt about leaving Melbourne was definitely greater, which was strange for me because I'm typically not put off by change.

Farewell, part 2

However, once the rumours became reality that our assignments at work were being extended, I felt reluctant to stay in Melbourne despite the job security only because I felt like I would be missing out on Sydney. With all of that said though, I'm becoming more comfortable with my decision to stay here. Aside from the fact that I'm considering doing graduate school in Sydney next year, which will satisfy my craving to experience living there, I've come to realise just how short a period of time six months is, especially when it comes to developing friendships.

Speaking of friends, two of my co-workers recently left Melbourne because their working holidays ended. It's always surprisingly how quickly a year goes by, but in the meantime, I'm excited to see what happens in the next several months!

Phillip Island Fun

Early Australian settlement

One of the top places to visit in the state of Victoria is Phillip Island, an attraction about two hours southeast of Melbourne. It's known for giving the public access to the famous penguin parade, but there are other places to visit there as well, such as Churchill Island, the Koala Conservation Centre, and Nobbies Island, all of which my friends and I visited a few weeks ago.

Highland cows

Once we arrived at Phillip Island, we stopped at Pannys Phillip Island Chocolate Factory for some lunch and dessert. As a side note, I would highly recommend the cookies 'n cream cheesecake. Seriously heaven in every bite.

Posing with the koala

After that, we made our way to Churchill Island Heritage Farm, where we had the ability to see a traditional Australian working farm, including a restored farmhouse, cottages, and outbuildings that date back to the 1850s. It's also home to Clydesdale horses, sheep, peacocks, and highland cattle. From here, we were able to have a picturesque view of Western Port as well.

From there, we drove to the Koala Conservation Centre and hoped to see some wild koalas in

Finally got a photo of a wallaby

their natural habitat. Before going, I had heard mixed reviews of the place, with most friends reporting that while they caught glimpses of koalas, they were sleeping so high up in the trees that it was difficult to see them without binoculars. When we first arrived, it seemed like that was what our experience was going to be like; however, our luck changed about halfway through our visit when there were a few koalas eating eucalyptus leaves closer to the ground. One of them

Phillip Island's rugged south coast

even climbed down from the gumtree, walked along the handrail to another tree, and started calling out to the koala that was eating there. It was a pretty unique sight to see.

Following the conservation centre, we stopped at the Nobbies Centre, which overlooks Bass Strait, including Seal Rocks,

Sunset over the island

which is a breeding ground for Australian fur seals.
Unfortunately, the seal colony was about two kilometres
from the shore so it was too far to see it even with our binoculars; however, there were special cameras available in the centre to view the seals.

Our final attraction of the day was the penguin parade, which happens right after the sun sets. We had been told to go early

Be mindful of the penguins

since the bleachers fill up rather quickly, but we were especially fortunate because just as we arrived, spectators in the front row were being told to move down to make room for other people so the five of us fit right in there. As expected, a group of little penguins returned from the ocean and hovered along the shore for a short while before dashing across the beach to their sand dune burrows. They're funny to watch because once they come in from the water, their hesitation and anxiety is so apparent before they make a beeline for their homes. We watched this happen a few times before walking back to the information centre. On our way there, we could see the penguins continuing their journey back to their burrows for the night.

Weekend in Warrnambool

Narrow roads to Warrnambool

When I first arrived in Australia, I was nervous about the idea of driving on the opposite side of the road. Although I've adjusted pretty well to the change, I'm still quite new at it so I was thankful that I wasn't in the driver's seat when my friends and I encountered some "two-way," single-lane roads on our way down to Warrnambool, a country town about three hours southwest of Melbourne. My friend's dad works at a clinic there during the week so a few of us decided to stay at his family's house for the weekend.

From the highest point of Tower Hill

Our original plan was to leave immediately after work on Friday, but we ultimately thought it was best to leave first thing Saturday morning so that we could minimise our night
driving. After dropping off some of our belongings at the house in Warrnambool, we set off toward Port Fairy, stopping at Tower Hill, Victoria's first National Park, along the way.

Griffiths Island Lighthouse

Listed as a top attraction to see in the area, one of the most interesting things about Tower Hill is that it's located inside a dormant volcano. Although we did have a spectacular view of the landscape from the peak of the mountain, we were also hoping to be able to see some exotic Australian wildlife while we were there. Unfortunately, we had to wait until we were leaving to see a

Wharf in Port Fairy

small group of emus in the distance. We attempted to get closer, but then we realised the dirt we were sinking in was more likely fertilizer so we quickly retreated back to the car.

The next stop we made was Griffiths Island in Port Fairy,
where we spent some time exploring and taking in the

Lake Pertobe

gorgeous scenery. The island is small enough to
walk around in an hour or two so we followed the winding path that led us by the beach and toward the lighthouse, making several stops at different points along the way. The area is known for its colony ofmuttonbirds/shearwaters, but since I didn't know what they were ahead of time, I wasn't looking for them so I'm unsure whether or not we saw any. After Griffiths

Hot pot dinner

Island, we sat by the wharf in Port Fairy to rest and to decide what we were going to do for the rest of the day.

 After Port Fairy, we returned to Warrnambool and visited
the beautiful Lake Pertobe, which had a playground with a mini-zip line that we all took advantage of using. It's always fun to act like a kid for a little bit, isn't it? A short while after

Bay of Islands

that, we headed over to Lady Bay and stayed there until the sun started to set. By that time, we were starving so
we found a Coles and bought some food for................. our delicious hot pot dinner!

Before heading back to Melbourne the next day, we stopped at two scenic locations that are part of the Bay of Islands

Country sunset

Coastal Park, the Bay of Islands and the Bay of Martyrs, the latter of which allowed us to actually walk down to the beach and wade in the water. Our trousers may have gotten a little wet from the waves, but I don't think I would be alone in saying it was still good fun.

Our trip ended with the most epic sunset over a tree-lined hill that I couldn't help but feel begged the question:: Are we in Australia or Africa? Perfect conclusion to the weekend.