This is going to be a long one! 

So my flights here were fairly uneventful thanks to Ambien and noise canceling headphones. The only hiccup to report was the delay on my flight from LAX to Nadi. After arriving in LAX and dragging my 100+ lbs of luggage about a mile to the international terminal, I found the flight delayed an hour. When they finally started the boarding process the passengers quickly discovered that the air conditioning on the plane was broken. We sat on the plane for about an hour in what felt like 90-degree heat while they "replaced a part" (not very comforting) and then searched for "a missing passenger's bag" (also not very comforting). 

When I arrived in Brisbane my first order of business was to find a phone. It took about an hour and $150 to get my Vodafone set up. I get unlimited facebook (including facebook messenger) and don't get charged for any incoming calls. Since the couple I was hoping to stay with in Brisbane had been incommunicado, I looked up a decent hostel and called a cab. As it turned out, my cab driver had lived in Boulder for years and had been involved with CU-Boulder's MCDB (Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology...that giant new building on Colorado Ave) program, which I had helped raise money for while I was with the foundation. He even knew some of the people I had worked with. He gave me his info and also the names and numbers of some friends of his that worked at the University of Queensland (UQ) in Brisbane in hopes that I might make some connections for work. I'm still trying to work out why someone with a PhD in MCDB and grant funding would be driving a cab in Brisbane, but it was a "Small World" moment to be sure. 

After arriving at my hostel in New Farm, I got myself cleaned up and headed out to explore the area. I walked around New Farm and Fortitude Valley, eventually settling on a wine bar called Bar Barossa for dinner. After dinner I made my way to the bus stop to pick up the 199, which I was assured by the hostel owner would drop me almost to their door. I paid my money and hopped on, trying not to look like a moron or a tourist (I can count the number of times I've ridden a public bus on one hand). We navigated back through the city, passing some of the landmarks I noted on my walk. When we passed the street I was hoping to get off on and continued well past the area I needed I started to get worried. When the bus driver stopped the bus and turned around to ask me where I was trying to go, I realized I was the last person on the bus...and of course I felt like an idiot. As it turns out, the bus route had been changed just that morning (the driver said it was the first time he had driven it in the 20 years he drove the bus) and the driver kindly offered to take me back where I needed to go. I lasted until about 8:30 that night before I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.

The next day (Wednesday) I took my good 'ol time getting up and ready. I left the hostel and headed towards the Story Bridge. I crossed the river from New Farm into Kangaroo Point, winding my way along the river hugged by 100ft cliffs. When I heard the distinctive sounds of plates clanking above, I made my way up a steep flight of rock stairs to an adorable little cafe with a fantastic view. I had brunch before continuing along the river towards South Bank. South Bank is this great area along the river with botanical gardens, shops, cafes, and swimming areas. The paths were lined with beautiful purple blooms and funny birds with long beaks roamed the lawns. I took photos of the Nepalese Pagoda and Ferris wheel before heading to the Museum & Science Center to get out of the sun and rest my feet. After exhausting the museum, I popped over to the Art Gallery. 

From there I walked to West End, which I had heard from the locals was a trendy area worth exploring. I found a place called "Archive" and ordered my first Australian beer, Little Creatures Pale Ale, pretty good stuff! I drank my beer and worked up the nerve to introduce myself to strangers, which I did. I met Dave (a Brisbane native) and Ross (a Brit), who had just finished a game of pool. As it turns out, it was a stroke of luck, as they were both currently between jobs. They offered to make me dinner back at their place up the hill and having not eaten since that morning, I was happy to oblige. Ross' friend Anne joined us and Dave whipped up a great meal. I was delighted when they offered to take me to see some of the sights south of Brisbane the next day.

Thursday morning we headed about a hour and a half south of Brisbane to Byron Bay, this adorable little beach town which reminded me a lot of a super trendy Rehoboth Beach. I got my first Parmie (Chicken Parmesan) and a pint at the Beach Hotel before we wound our way up the coast to the lighthouse. Way off in the distance we could see whales breaching and the view of Byron Bay was just gorgeous. After that we headed to the beach and while I didn't get in the water, we soaked up the sun and watched the surfers and kite surfers play in the waves. We walked around the town, checking out some shops and grabbing a coffee before heading out.

On our way back we took a detour into the lush rolling hills to find a place known as Natural Arch. Racing the sunset, we arrived at the spot just as the sun was going down and I darted down the path in the direction of the sounds of rushing water, hoping not to lose the light for pictures. The Natural Arch is a unique feature, a stream has carved a hole in the ceiling of a cave creating a waterfall inside. There was a second waterfall further up. It was a great stop, I'm glad we took the time to see it. 

On Friday, Dave and I went to his friend Jess' house to help her and her brother move some of their things. Jess had been planning a trip up North to Mackay to take her belongings to her new home there, and I was possibly going to join her on the drive since I had been hoping to head North that weekend anyways. It turned out that she didn't need to make the drive, but I was happy to help regardless. Friday night I got to sit in on the boys' poker night and got schooled on Rugby League (there are at least three different types of Rugby played in Australia). As a thank you for all their hospitality, I cooked them Chicken & Waffles for dinner on Saturday night. It was a hit! 

Tickets are bought, X-Terra is sold, bags are (almost) packed, and Justin has arrived with Doozer to take care of Maddy and Moose. Friday is my last day of work and I'll be having going-away get together with my friends and coworkers Friday evening. Saturday will be a recouperation/cleaning day and I leave Sunday night!