smiling heart...

this computer is all chinese, so i hope this posts properly.
our trip finally started.
it feels like day one and my heart is smiling a big huge cheesy smile.
why you ask? only 13 days in and now it hits me?
because my friends....
because i saw the ocean for the first time on this trip!!!!
i waded through it.
i got my feet wet and had sand between my toes.
all i needed this whole time was to get away from the city lights, and dip my toes in an ocean.
we took the ferry to Manly beach today, and it definitely made my day...week and maybe even month.
it was wicked to see derek's reaction to it all...he had never seen the ocean before, he was like a little kid in a candy shop!
it was cloudy and cool out, but it didn't keep us from enjoying it and trying to take it all in.
we will definitely go back to manly beach and stay for longer than one afternoon...but first we are heading to Bondi Beach tomorrow!
i really like Sydney though, it's a huge city!
i feel like we just hit the tip of the iceberg and now we have to go, but i am ready.
ok, gotta run.
love love love.
the bird.

m.e.l.b.o.u.r.n.e.

i love love love this city.
it is incredibly lovely and entertaining!
it's not everyday a girl from winnipeg can jump on a free tram that takes her on a tour around the city center...and there's actually stuff to see! and do! don't get me wrong...i love winnipeg...

yesterday derek and i woke up
had free breakfast in the hostel's pub.
(free is few and far between out here.)
vegemite is completely disgusting. toast or no toast.
but people out here go crazy for the stuff.
it's pretty much the most unhealthy thing in the world. pure LARD. barf.

then we walked up the street to the queen victoria market.
sounds like it should be on a ship.
it's not.
i did however find some yellow jeans for $20....tempting...
they had a LOT of ugg boot stalls...in every style and color.
i barfed in my mouth.

after that we got on the tram
stopped all over the place...at the pier first
took a picture of a cow up a tree

got back on and went to the Melbourne Aquarium
$24 to get in...yikes bikes.
we did however get to see the sharks and MASSIVE sting rays getting fed which was gnar-boots.

back on the tram.
walked around one of the main streets...
every single way you turn you will find a gem of a shop hidden away
or a cafe with shnitzels and meat pies.
i had shnitzel today for the first time...never knew that it was, what it was.
pretty sure we have it but call it something else.
i found a giant magazine store.
the fashion and skateboarding and artsy magazines are out of this world.
send me money and i will send you one. wink.

tram time.
we went to the crown entertainment center...
so odd.
it's a GIANT casino attached to a high end mall (there was a rolex store...weird) attached to a wicked food court attached to a theatre attached to an underground strip of asian stores attached to a 5 star hotel attached to the MOON! i'm assuming...
after we returned from the moon, we walked down by the yarra river and continued walking until we couldn't walk any more.
we got back to our pee-smelling hostel, talked to some blokes and then hit the hay.
all in all a wonderful day.

today we are going to a bunch of museums...art and the city one.
i also discovered a mall down the street...may have to go investigate.

love love love
the bird.

bendigo, australia

friends!
we are here... in bendigo, australia and all is well.
we arrived at the melbourne airport on friday morning i think...after 3 very long days of flying to discover that our bags did not follow us all the way. to top that off, daniel was nowhere in sight. a couple hours later he arrived and we headed off to his parents' house about 2 hours away. the next couple of days were a whirlwind, we got our bags, met trippa's (aka daniel) parents, went to a debutante ball, watched footy, ate some meat pie and vanilla slice and then headed back to bendigo. Bendigo is a great little city, it kind of reminds me of banff...there's even a tram that runs through the main part of town. it's very quaint. the shops, cafes, bakeries...everything is out in the open with little patios scattered everywhere. i am surrounded by ugg boots, faux-hawks and everything seems a little backwards. i love it though! it just kind of hit me today that we are actually here...a fazillion miles from home, and i don't have to go to work for a year!!
we are heading into melbourne tomorrow, seeing as how trippa has the day off becuase of Anzac day. We are planning on flying to sydney on saturday and then spending a couple of days there before we make our way up the coast.

i gotta run, i have to find a new dress to wear before we go out tonight!
talk to ya soon gems.

love.
e.