It's been a few days since I have posted anything so I guess it's about time : ) We have had a busy few days! Friday was Charlie's 30th birthday.. we celebrated it by going out to dinner and to a co-worker's house for a little get together. Dinner was great, we walked to a little Asian restaurant call Sesame's down the street from us. Charlie's only requirement for the restaurant choice was that it had BYO (one of the many great things about Australia, you can bring your own wine to certain restaurants). So we headed there for dinner with our Australian Chardonnay : )
Friday was also a busy day for me. While Charlie has been working, I have been searching for a house for us. On Thursday we went to view a gorgeous new property right down the street from us. We loved it and put in an application... we ended up getting offered the house, but it turned out it wasn't exactly what we were looking for. The owner was only willing to rent it to us for 6 months and after viewing it we realized it did not have air-conditioning or heating. So after hours of back and forth on the phone with the realtor, we decided it just wasn't the house for us. Soooo we are still homeless.
After that fun little day, reality set in that in a week we are going to truely be homeless since our rental ends here at 193 Corlette. So we have now started looking for another temporary place to stay. We are looking north of here in Port Stephens.. a cute little resort community… about the same distance from work for Charlie, but about an hour outside of Newcastle. We figured it would be fun to be on "vacation" for a week or two. We have found a couple of properties that are directly on the water... so hopefully one of those will work out : )
In other news, we are looking forward to our first Thanksgiving in Australia later this week! I went to the local butchery afraid they were going to laugh at me when I asked for a turkey, but as it turns out they order a few in each year for us lone Americans. So Charlie and I have a 4.5kg (around 9 lbs.) turkey to eat... it could take a while. I might have to send some turkey into work with him!
Well, that's about it from here!
11.24.2008
11.17.2008
Finally flyin'
Well, a dreary Monday in Newcastle, but none-the-less got my first front-seat ride in the AF-18 today. All was a blast as we rocketed down the coastline at 200 feet from Broughton Island to the Northern tip of the city of Newcastle - seriously - they let you fly 500mph at 200 feet all the way to the city. They still have some noise restrictions, butting I'm starting to like the flying around here a heckuva lot more than back in Virginia Beach. Unfortunately I had a more senior ranking officer in the back today so I couldn't get any pics out the window - hopefully only one more ride with a guy in the back and then I can start to really scare myself again.
Enough about work though - Nina and I are making some burritos to offset the inordinate amount of lamb we've been eating for the past few weeks. Them Aussies love their baby sheep and, well, ya know, when in Rome. Speaking of meat, we're on the hunt for a Turkey for Thanksgiving, but apparently these folks don't respect the Pilgrims nor Native Americans so we might be eating lambchops for our holiday while watching Rugby instead of the Cowboys. We have sacrificed sooooo much for the good ole USA in taking this assignment. Heh heh.
I think we'll survive though - I asked Nina for a surfboard for my birthday - I saw a couple of amazing spots on the flight down the beach today:)
pictures
Ok, I am working on an easy way for non-Facebook users to view our pictures. There is a link on the side of the posts and here is another way... let me know if you have problems viewing them.
Love you all!
Love you all!
 |
| Zenith Beach & Port Stephens |
11.16.2008
Finally I posted!
Okay, so we've been here 3 weeks and, I know, I'm a slacker, but I'm up on the Blog now. Let the thoughts and observations roll. It's currently Sunday morning, 16 hours ahead of a college football weekend back in the States, but really the only sports news in Australia is Cricket and Rugby. I guess it's a good year to be a Michigan football fan when the only way you can find out about their loss to Northwestern is to have your sister email you a gloating message. Way to go, Northwestern, you did what Toledo managed to do this year. Sorry, Katie, I'm embarrassed at my team.
Australia is amazing, not so much because of the cool wildlife and amazing scenery, but more so because it's just a laid back atmosphere where folks lounge around and enjoy their lives. People love their barbecues, their beer, their 6-month old United States pop music and asking us about the presidential election. You'd think Australia just elected Barack Obama president the way it's been covered here! We're doing our best to fit in, though, and while we're new to figuring out how to drive on the left and navigate around round-a-bouts, we're quickly getting acclimated to the friendly and relaxed lifestyle.
Work has been fast-paced for me, and I should be a full-up Australian converted pilot by the end of this week. I'm flying on Monday and Friday, have simulators the rest of the week, and am trying to absorb all the aircraft limitations that are slightly different from the U.S. numbers for the F-18. Go figure - why make something too easy. It's going to be fun though, and the few backseat rides around the countryside have been great - the Aussies are about as crazy as the Brits when it comes to flying low!
All right, Nina and I are off to a market up north of our place to try and find some cheap eats. Let's all hope that US Dollar keeps making gains on the Aussie!
Australia is amazing, not so much because of the cool wildlife and amazing scenery, but more so because it's just a laid back atmosphere where folks lounge around and enjoy their lives. People love their barbecues, their beer, their 6-month old United States pop music and asking us about the presidential election. You'd think Australia just elected Barack Obama president the way it's been covered here! We're doing our best to fit in, though, and while we're new to figuring out how to drive on the left and navigate around round-a-bouts, we're quickly getting acclimated to the friendly and relaxed lifestyle.
Work has been fast-paced for me, and I should be a full-up Australian converted pilot by the end of this week. I'm flying on Monday and Friday, have simulators the rest of the week, and am trying to absorb all the aircraft limitations that are slightly different from the U.S. numbers for the F-18. Go figure - why make something too easy. It's going to be fun though, and the few backseat rides around the countryside have been great - the Aussies are about as crazy as the Brits when it comes to flying low!
All right, Nina and I are off to a market up north of our place to try and find some cheap eats. Let's all hope that US Dollar keeps making gains on the Aussie!
11.10.2008
fun weekend
Well, we had a fun and busy weekend here!
We went to the RAAF base sem-annual Officer's formal. Charlie found out about it right after checking-in last week. Of course we did not pack our formal attire when we traveled over here. We decided to go, but that meant finding formal wear for both of us! Charlie rented a tux from one of the local shops and I set out to find a dress. It was definitely a challenge since I had never heard of any of the designers... but I ended up finding a fun dress! We had a great time at the formal and it was a nice way to meet tons of people.
After Friday night Charlie and I decided to head out to Hunter Valley. It's a huge wine region here in Australia and it's also known for it's great food. The drive was only about an hour from our place and it went through cute little rural towns. The day after a big night out wasn't exactly the best time to go taste wines so we decided to taste cheese, olives and olive oils instead. Mmmmm. Sooo delicious! We bought a bunch of cheese, saw TONS of wild kangaroos and explored the area. We cannot wait for people to visit so we can go taste wines with you all! : )
The weather was gorgeous yesterday, (Sunday) so we ended up walking down to the beach and hanging out down there for a while. We sat their wishing we could surf like the tons of people out in the ocean... it definitely doesn't look easy, the waves have to be at least 8 feet high.
Oh, we also bought a car last week! It's a cute little 4 door hatchback... the maker is Holden, an Aussie company. It'll probably end up being my car and Charlie is still looking for another car... he's thinking about a Jackaroo..another Australian made car : )
I guess that's it from here!
We went to the RAAF base sem-annual Officer's formal. Charlie found out about it right after checking-in last week. Of course we did not pack our formal attire when we traveled over here. We decided to go, but that meant finding formal wear for both of us! Charlie rented a tux from one of the local shops and I set out to find a dress. It was definitely a challenge since I had never heard of any of the designers... but I ended up finding a fun dress! We had a great time at the formal and it was a nice way to meet tons of people.
After Friday night Charlie and I decided to head out to Hunter Valley. It's a huge wine region here in Australia and it's also known for it's great food. The drive was only about an hour from our place and it went through cute little rural towns. The day after a big night out wasn't exactly the best time to go taste wines so we decided to taste cheese, olives and olive oils instead. Mmmmm. Sooo delicious! We bought a bunch of cheese, saw TONS of wild kangaroos and explored the area. We cannot wait for people to visit so we can go taste wines with you all! : )
The weather was gorgeous yesterday, (Sunday) so we ended up walking down to the beach and hanging out down there for a while. We sat their wishing we could surf like the tons of people out in the ocean... it definitely doesn't look easy, the waves have to be at least 8 feet high.
Oh, we also bought a car last week! It's a cute little 4 door hatchback... the maker is Holden, an Aussie company. It'll probably end up being my car and Charlie is still looking for another car... he's thinking about a Jackaroo..another Australian made car : )
I guess that's it from here!
11.04.2008
Newy
Well, we are officially in our new hometown… Newcastle… or Newy as the locals like to call it. We are learning that Australians abbreviate every word they can and although they speak English, it’s sometimes impossible to understand what they are saying : )
We decided to cancel our flights up here from Canberra on Saturday. The thought of getting back on a plane was not appealing at all and we wanted to see Australia, so we figured a little drive would be nice! The terrain changed a lot between the two cities… at some points it was farmland with tons of sheep and cows and at others lakes and forests. It was really neat to see. After 4 ½ hours of driving we finally arrived in Newcastle…
Newy (yeah, I am a local now) is beautiful! It’s a mix between California coastline, the Outer Banks at some points, and a little hint of Hawaii. The weather has been up and down since we got here… chilly and overcast the first day, warm and sunny yesterday, and windy and rainy today. I guess that’s spring for ya!
We have spent the past few days trying to get orientated, figuring out the mobile phones, internet and driver’s licenses. We will be happy when all of that is over and we can just enjoy the town. We did get a chance to go to Blackbutt Reserve on Sunday afternoon. It’s a cute little park with walking trails and native Australian wildlife. We got to see our first kangaroo (minus the road kill ‘roo we saw on the drive up here) and our first koalas… they are soooo cute! I can’t wait to go back so I can hold one of them… they don’t allow you to hold them on the weekends.
Charlie started work on Monday. His squadron just got back from being in Singapore for a month, so they were not really organized for his check-in. Hopefully it will all get sorted out in the next couple of days! While he’s at work I have been searching for houses, cars, etc. and that has been keeping me busy.
Today is Melbourne Cup Day which seems like a huge holiday. Melbourne Cup is a big horse race where everyone gets dressed-up, even if you are not in Melbourne, and parties… I guess it’s a bit like the Kentucky Derby, but on a Tuesday and celebrated all over the country. Needless to say, I do not have a cute little hat to wear, but I guess we will still go out and see what it’s all about.
That’s about it from here… we love and miss you all!
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=968481&l=1c7cf&id=838603900
We decided to cancel our flights up here from Canberra on Saturday. The thought of getting back on a plane was not appealing at all and we wanted to see Australia, so we figured a little drive would be nice! The terrain changed a lot between the two cities… at some points it was farmland with tons of sheep and cows and at others lakes and forests. It was really neat to see. After 4 ½ hours of driving we finally arrived in Newcastle…
Newy (yeah, I am a local now) is beautiful! It’s a mix between California coastline, the Outer Banks at some points, and a little hint of Hawaii. The weather has been up and down since we got here… chilly and overcast the first day, warm and sunny yesterday, and windy and rainy today. I guess that’s spring for ya!
We have spent the past few days trying to get orientated, figuring out the mobile phones, internet and driver’s licenses. We will be happy when all of that is over and we can just enjoy the town. We did get a chance to go to Blackbutt Reserve on Sunday afternoon. It’s a cute little park with walking trails and native Australian wildlife. We got to see our first kangaroo (minus the road kill ‘roo we saw on the drive up here) and our first koalas… they are soooo cute! I can’t wait to go back so I can hold one of them… they don’t allow you to hold them on the weekends.
Charlie started work on Monday. His squadron just got back from being in Singapore for a month, so they were not really organized for his check-in. Hopefully it will all get sorted out in the next couple of days! While he’s at work I have been searching for houses, cars, etc. and that has been keeping me busy.
Today is Melbourne Cup Day which seems like a huge holiday. Melbourne Cup is a big horse race where everyone gets dressed-up, even if you are not in Melbourne, and parties… I guess it’s a bit like the Kentucky Derby, but on a Tuesday and celebrated all over the country. Needless to say, I do not have a cute little hat to wear, but I guess we will still go out and see what it’s all about.
That’s about it from here… we love and miss you all!
Photos: http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=968481&l=1c7cf&id=838603900
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