January 31, 2006
Next up... Asia
Well, we are off to Thailand tonight after two weeks in Australia. It is hard to believe how quickly the last month flew by.
Our laptop was finally fixed here in Sydney so we are busy trying to get everything up on the site. We just put up several posts from December that we didn’t have time to upload back in Buenos Aires. The rest will have to wait for Bangkok.
More to come...
Posted by Peter Mork at 6:18 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 30, 2006
The Centre for Independent Study
This morning I met with Peter Saunder and Helen Hughes at The Centre for Independent Study. CIS is a leading think tank in Australia. Professor Saunders heads their Social Foundations program, while Professor Hughes is a senior economic fellow.
They loaded me up with books and pamphlets CIS has published. These will keep me busy on the flight to Bangkok and get me up-to-date on several issues within the Australian economy. We talked for about two hours with themes including free-trade, skilled and unskilled immigration, welfare, and much more. It was a lively discussion where there was some debate over issues like compulsory voting and immigration were everyone did not see eye-to-eye. Also, talking with Helen Hughes reminded me a good deal of talking with Milton Friedman when I had dinner with him a year and a half ago. Both are sharp, direct, and get right to the point.
Overall it was very productive for me and once I go through some more of the reading material I'll post on some of the topics discussed. In the meantime check out their website here: http://www.cis.org.au/
I spent a good part of the afternoon getting my notes into the computer and then the three of us headed out to a sushi place and had our farewell dinner to Sydney. Stacey leaves tomorrow for Adelaide in the south. Hard to believe but tomorrow night we'll be in Bangkok.
Posted by Peter Mork at 11:02 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 29, 2006
Tennis Final in the Shadow of the Opera House
Today, while the girls went to museums, I spent a good deal of the day in an internet café getting the last month of notes from my notebook into my computer. It is a long process and I'm not even close to done. Still I made some progress.
Tonight for dinner we bought food for a picnic for a third night in row. The event tonight… the men's finals of the Australian Open which features Roger Federer (#1 in the world) vs Marcos Bagdatis (a 20 year old from Cyprus that came out of nowhere to make it into the finals). American Express had set up a huge screen in front of the Opera House where people could come and watch it for free. There were hundreds of people there… a good many sporting Greek flags.
We watched the first two sets there as Bagdatis won the first set and then lost the second narrowly. We then walked back to the hotel where we watched the conclusion. By the time we were back Bagdatis had been blown out in the 3rd set and despite a valiant effort he lost the 4th set and the match. Federer accepted the trophy in tears. On that note it is off to bed.
Posted by Peter Mork at 11:00 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 28, 2006
Featherdale then Opera in the Park
This morning we headed to the Featherdale Wildlife Park located 45 minutes outside of Sydney. While not San Diego Zoo, it was a great experience. Highlights included petting a koala, feeding kangaroos, and getting an up-close look at various other species. Head over and take a look at the pictures.
In the late afternoon I met up with Em at the Opera House and we headed over to where Stacey had been saving a place for us in the Domain in the Botanical Gardens where a free outdoor opera showing of Madame Butterfly was talking place tonight. The park was absolutely packed with people and there was an incredible audio and visual system set up as the stage was too far away to make out everything. It was my first opera and I definitely liked it. Truthfully, though, instead of following the story line by line as they translated the Italian into English on huge screens above the stage, I just laid back and looked at the stars and listened to the music. Em filled me in periodically as to what was going on.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:55 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 27, 2006
Mozart's 250th Birthday
Today, after meeting up with Stacey in the morning, we squared away our hostel situation for the next few days. The last two days the three of us will be sharing a triple room at a hostel that has wireless internet so hopefully we'll be able to do some major uploading now that the computer is fixed.
For lunch we met with one of Stacey's friends George who now lives in Sydney. They actually met working together in England where they became friends. He showed us around a bit and took us to a great place for sandwiches which we ate by the Rocks overlooking the harbor. We will probably be meeting up with him again tomorrow to head to the beach.
After George headed back to work, we all jumped on a boat that was giving a tour of the harbor. It was a great sunny day, and the sailboats were out in force.
Tonight we did something very unique. In the botanical gardens overlooking the harbor and city skyline, the Sydney Orchestra preformed Mozart on a floating stage in the harbor for his 250th birthday. Afterwards, Amadeus was shown on a huge outdoor screen, a movie I had never seen before but would definitely claim is one of the best films I've seen in quite some time.
While the official tickets were sold out, we set up camp on the grass above the barriers where we had a partial but stunning view of all the action. We had Indian curry which remind me I will never picnic with again without napkins and utensils, although it was delicious. Stacey politely toughed out the movie even though she was not feeling well and was lulled to sleep by the great music. Once it was over we jumped in a taxi, dropped her off at her hostel, made sure she was ok and then were back at our place a little after midnight to call it a night.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:53 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 26, 2006
Australia Day
Today, we woke up, grabbed some breakfast, and then headed off to find Em's good friend Stacey who arrived in Sydney today. She will be working in the country for the next 6 months and then off to New Zealand where she will probably work another 6 months or so. We were lucky that it happened that we were in Sydney at the same time.
After an unsuccessful attempt to track her down at her hostel that included waking up one of girls who was sharing a room with her, we left her a message to meet us back at the hostel at 6:30 and we set off to explore some of the activities set up around the city. The whole world was out and about at Darling Harbor and we grabbed some lunch at one of the restaurants and just people watched for a bit. It is a truly international city with immigrants and visitors from all over. Everyone was decked out in the Australian flag.
Next we walked a bit around Sydney's downtown. At six thirty we met up with Stacey at her hotel and we all headed back towards the harbor and Circular Quoy where we grabbed some drinks at an open air bar that had a view of the stunning Sydney Opera House.
We tried to make it back to Darling Harbor for the fireworks, but the pubs were calling. An older couple that we stopped to ask about the fireworks told us we didn't miss much but gave us some great ideas about things to do for the rest of our time in Sydney. Tomorrow there is live symphony with an open-air showing of the movie Amadeus in honor of Mozart's birthday on the harbor and on Saturday night there is a free opera performance in the Royal Botanical Gardens.
With the fireworks already over we headed to a bar where we watched 20 year-old Marcos Bagdadis from Cyprus make his way to the finals of the Australian Open. It was a close match and he made a huge comeback from down 2 sets to none to win 3 sets to 2. I'm looking forward to seeing him play in the finals on Sunday.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:50 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 25, 2006
A Laptop as Good as New
It is hard to believe but our laptop's screen was cracked way back in Peru on November 6th. Since then the screen and our ability to use it has been steadily deteriorating and at this point is unusable. Toshiba USA has agreed to cover the repair under warranty but we've had some problems finding someone to fix it. With that in mind, we arrived in Sydney early and headed straight for the Toshiba headquarters who informed me via email they could repair it.
When we dropped off the machine they informed us it shouldn't be a problem and I gave them a copy of an email from Toshiba USA saying they would reimburse anyone who would do the repair. Everything looked good so we headed downtown to return our rental car and check into our hostel.
We're staying in Kings Cross, known as the red-light district and a traditionally seedy part of Sydney, but have read that it has some of the cheapest rooms in town, some great restaurants and a lively feel to it. The taxi driver gave us a short tour and a little background of the area which looks more like Hillcrest in San Diego than the a seedy area that I was expecting. Trendy cafes and restaurants line the streets as it has become an attractive place for many people to live as it is a short walk to downtown. Prostitution is legal, so regulated brothels exist on the backstreets and strip clubs abound.
After getting some food, we headed back to the hostel where there was a message from Toshiba. When I called they explained that they wouldn't fix the machine as they were worried about getting the refund. Worse yet they didn't even have the part in stock. Not what I wanted to hear.
I jumped on a bus to go pick it up (after barely missing the first bus to North Ryde) but when I arrived they informed me that they did have the part afterall. If I wanted they could install it and I could try to get the refund directly from Toshiba myself. I laid down the credit card and did it.
It was a great feeling turning on computer for the first time in over 2 months and being able to see the full screen.
Tonight we grabbed some excellent Thai food near the hotel and… quite happily… worked on the computer. Tomorrow is Australia Day so we are looking forward to lots of mayhem in Sydney.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:48 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 24, 2006
Australian Barbie (not the doll… a BBQ)
The majority of the day was spent in the car driving north. There were lots of signs warning us about potential kangaroos, koalas, and wallabies crossing the road but we unfortunately didn't see any. The area has been suffering from bush fires the last couple of days due to the high temperature and wind conditions. We passed some recently burned countryside and a fleet of firetrucks.
We pulled into Picton off the 31 Freeway and after a few failed attempts finally found a motel on the outskirts of town. The guy managing the place was named Andy and had been living in Australia the last few years. He was actually planning on heading to the U.S. to take a look at the lifestyle after he got married back in India next month so we were giving him some advice as he checked us in. As the conversation continued he invited us to eat with him and a few other regular guests as they were BBQing in the courtyard in front of the hotel.
In total, a group of about 8 people came and went during the feast we had a great time talking about everything from the Australian lifestyle, taxes, healthcare, immigration, eating beef, and much more. When it was nearing 1 in the morning Em and I finally called it a night as we have to get up early to make another attempt at getting our computer fixed in Sydney.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:43 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 23, 2006
Yarra Valley
We checked out of the hotel in the morning and by the afternoon we were in our hotel in Lilydale. Before the wineries closed we headed out to the Yarra Valley to visit a few and grab a bite to eat.
After eating at a café we stopped at two wineries where Em did all the tasting. I decided against even having a sip of alcohol given that I'm still getting used to driving on the left side of the road. Em had tried about 10 different wines by the time we got back to the hotel she had no interest in opening up the bottle we had just bought.
Instead I read on the balcony, while Em stalked the 50 cockatoos and other birds that were flying around the hotel. We finished the night watching Roger Federer beat Tommy Haas in the Australian Open during which we did open up that bottle of Shiraz. It was excellent.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:42 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 22, 2006
40+ Degrees C
Today we headed to the beach one more time to enjoy it before we depart tomorrow but the wind was so strong that you couldn't even be on the actual beach without getting whip-lashed by sand. Despite the wind, it is extremely hot and we joined the rest of the town lounging in shallow and cool water for a few hours.
Then we took the car and drove west along the Great Ocean Road to see some more of the countryside and sea. It is a beautiful highway that hugs the shoreline and cliffs which are covered with eucalyptus. It reminds me a lot of Highway 1 in California.
Tomorrow we are off to Lilydale just out side of Melbourne which is in the vineyard and wine region of the Yarra Valley. After a night we will head up to Sydney.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:37 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 21, 2006
On Holiday
This morning we changed accommodations to a more affordable hotel right down the road. The normal rooms are actually probably more expensive but this hotel has some budget rooms in the back that are small and don't have a view of the ocean. The hotel, called the Grand Pacific is an old mansion that seems to just hang of the cliff overlooking the Tasmanian Sea. The water here is cool but it is so warm outside it feels great.
Tonight, we set out again to look for the sulfur-crested cockatoos to get some more photos. We quickly realized that they are in fact very common and spotting them last night is something that we could do everyday. Up on the hill an elderly woman, who saw Em taking pictures of them across the street from her home, invited us into her backyard where we could see them a bit closer. She was really sweet and talked to us about the area.
For dinner we ate great food on picnic benches outside our hotel overlooking the water and watched some tennis before heading off to bed.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:33 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 20, 2006
Lorne by the Sea
Today we explored the town a bit and for the most part just relaxed on the beach. The town is lively because of the summer crowd. The weather is supposed to be extremely hot in the next couple of days and we are ready for it. It is a nice feeling know that we are going to be here for a few days and don't have to immediately rush off to some other destination.
We bought some food at the local grocery store to take advantage of the kitchen facilities. After a tasty pasta meal we set off walking across town to look for a place we could check email. It was unfortunately closed, but we noticed several big white cockatoos squawking and flying overhead toward the mountains.
We followed the street uphill to a small clearing where they were gathering in the tall eucalyptus trees above. I sat for about an hour watching the huge white birds with lime green feathers under their wings fly above me squawking with all their might. Em roamed around taking pictures of them, which became ever more difficult as the sun disappeared over the horizon.
After that adventure we headed back to get some sleep.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:31 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 19, 2006
Driving across Victoria
Today was a long day in the car. All in all we were driving more than 11 hours but we got to see some beautiful Australian countryside.
One thing that we enjoyed was listening to the Australian Open on the radio. It has just started in Melbourne but Venus Williams has already been knocked out of the tournament. As we drove through the middle of Melbourne listening to a very exciting match where an Aussie was in the process of upsetting another player and could see the actual stadium it felt like we should stop and join the excitement.
By the time we reached Lorne it was nearly 10:00pm and we didn't have a reservation at a hotel. A few places were full but we found owner who had to fill a vacancy as someone had canceled on him last minute. It was a bit out of our price range but he said if we would stay two nights he would cut charge us a one room rate, even though it is a two bedroom condo with a kitchen. The discounted rate was right in line with our guidebook's prices so I think we got lucky.
By the time we checked in every restaurant in town had closed their kitchen. The bar at the end of town took pity on us and brought out a cheese appetizer plate for us and I got the rest of my calories off two beers. Tomorrow I'll eat a big breakfast to make up for it.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:29 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 18, 2006
Down the Coast
It was raining today which meant a wet walk with all our gear to the downtown rental car station. Getting the car was no problem once we arrived and we were heading south on the coastal highway 1 before we knew it.
We pulled off at several tourist marked sites on the way down and had lunch in a small town near the coast. Heading off the highway toward the town we saw our first kangaroo and in the town the trees were filled with colorful parrots. So far the wildlife is living up to expectations.
Tonight we stayed above a bar/restaurant in the costal town of Nowra. The owner was extremely friendly and we actually had the place to ourselves. After exploring the town and walking down the beach (we saw more grey and pink parrots, called galahs, on the way down) we headed back to the hotel to have dinner. We ordered a great bottle of Australian wine the owner recommended and the meal was superb. Tomorrow we head past Melbourne to the beach town of Lorne in the south.
Posted by Peter Mork at 10:26 PM | Comments | TrackBack
January 17, 2006
Australia Here we Come
We caught our flight from Auckland to Sydney early in the morning. It is actually the same exact flight from Aerolinas Argentinas that we were on two weeks ago coming from Buenos Aires. It was a nice reminder of South America and it was fun speaking Spanish again during the flight.
We arrived in Sydney and caught the metro to our hostel which is located near Hyde Park. At the airport we checked into rental car prices and it looks like it will be the cheapest way for us to get down to the Melbourne area by renting the car for a week. I think it will also be a great way to see the countryside.
Once we checked in we explored the city, mainly the Darling Harbor area which is fairly close to the hotel. We had dinner at a restaurant near the water (the portion of ribs that I got was enormous) before calling it a night. Tomorrow we rent the car and head south.