Day 364- Home in Oakville

We are home!
After a year in Australia, we have arrived home to the cold and snow.

Day 363- Bohemian Rhapsody

Manhattan Beach- Venice Beach- Santa Monica Pier- Sunday, December 23

To see our Photocast from our NZ and LA adventures, click here:
http://photocast.mac.com/rod.murray/iPhoto/nz-photocast/index.rss

We had varied amounts of sleep after our long flight to LAX yesterday but we all made it out of bed by noon, and headed for the bagel shop for cream cheese bagels. From near the hotel, an old railway right-of-way runs down to Manhattan Beach, so off we trotted on such a winter's day. We weren't California dreaming. This was real. It was sunny and +25 C.
There were walkers, skaters, cyclists galore. Matheson convinced us we had to visit the bohemian area of Venice Beach. So we inisted he haul out his US$ that he had saved from last Christmas and pay for the taxi. He did.

Venice Beach is well known for its bohemian atmosphere where almost anything goes. It's worth a look. More skaters, skateboarders, plus hundreds of street vendors selling everything from the sublime to the ridiculous. Some wore Christmas outfits. Some wore next to nothing at all. Colleen took pictures. The boys loved it, especially the rapper who thought I was skater type from the T dot, and the panhandler who needed me to help him because he was $2 short to buy his medicinal marijuana "cause you look like a stoner from way back." They were all harmless folks and we got great entertainment from them.

Onward we strolled towards sunset over the Pacific Ocean for our last time. We arrived at the Santa Monica Pier in time to catch dinner at Bubba Gump's famous seafood restaurant. Remember Forrest Gump when he arrived at the Santa Monica Pier? He stopped, turned around and ran back across America. We just ate the shrimp.

We took another taxi back to Manhattan Beach (we pooled our US$ for this one and had just enough). Matheson bought a Christmas Day shirt at Macy's, which was still open late Sunday. Then it was off to bed for the early flight home.

Day 362- You only live twice

Auckland- LAX- Saturday, December 22

It was to be the day we would get to live twice. We sat in the garden of our hotel room reading and taking advantage of the late check out. Taking the shuttle back to Auckland Airport, we began the long, arduous task of flying back to North America on the Qantas QF25 Auckland to LA run, a 12 hour flight.
Of course, it was late departing, but we bumped into Annika Pint, one of our exchange friends from Toronto who had already been on the go since early morning Melbourne time as she was doing the flight home in one go- Melbourne, Auckland, LA, Toronto. After departing, we were served a lovely, if not repetitive dinner (fly a little bit and you start to feel like the meals are the same).
Later, as darkness fell, Annika came to visit us in the back. In fact, we were lucky enough to get the second to last row of the 747's middle section. The movie selections, once working, were varied and we all chose something to entertain us. Dinner done, movie watched, snacks served, lights lowered and we still had 8 hours to go. Thankfully, most of us were able to sleep on the plane, and I was surprised to discover, when I awoke, that we had under 3 hours to go.
Since we had crossed the dateline, we had to move our watches back 21 hours (or 3 forward, if you wish), keeping in mind that it was Saturday all over again. Arriving at LAX around 11 a.m. in sunny and +13 ℃ skies, we collected our things and hailed a van taxi to our Manhatten Beach Hotel, just a few kilometres away.
We all planned to get over jetlag as soon a spossible, so Colleen and I went for a walk, but got no further than the Manhatten Village shopping mall, only 400 metres down the street. Of course, there was an Apple store there (do you think I would have planned it otherwise?)
Off to bed and a wonderful sleep, except that I was wide awake at 1 a.m. We all slept in and found the getting going to be difficult, but the day was calling. Should we do the Beach or the Crystal Cathedral? My sister emailed to encourage the Crystal Cathedral. The boys' sleep needs, and our jetlag was going to determine the day.

Days 358-361- South Island cross-section and North Island thermal delights

Fox Glacier- Hasst – Lake Tekapo- Christchurch- Auckland -Rotorura- Wednesday, December 19 to Friday, December 21

Wednesday
It was a good choice that we made to stay the night in Fox Glacier. The drive down the coast in the morning was spectacular as well as challenging. We stopped often for views out over the Tasman Sea, where seals played on the remote beaches at the base of cliffs. Our rock collection grew by a few more kilos when we all went beachcombing at Haast Beach. It is here that Highway 6 turns inland and winds back up into the Southern Alps, through raging rivers, deep, U-Shaped glacial valleys.
Again we found ourselves stopping, first at Roaring Billy Falls that plunge into the Haast River. The eroded flat rocks in the river bed were perfect for the world stone skipping championships, which were handily won by Rod, after setting a 12 skip record using a beautiful piece of water flattened gneiss that seemed to want to jump the white caps of the fast flowing stream.
Onward we climbed the winding highway through Haast Pass and the views were humbling. The Alps here are still snow capped and the run-off creates stunning waterfalls everywhere. We lunched at a beautiful bend in the road looking back towards Mount Tasman, near Fox Glacier, now many kilometres to the north. Moving on, we made a quick stop at the Haast River gorge where the river funnels through a narrow rock channel. We met up with the family from the UK who had been on the glacier climb with us the previous day.
The sunny and mild weather was a wonderful tonic to the rainy few days that proceeded. Highway 6 continues up into the high lake country and it was here that we had to decide whether we would turn south to Queenstown, New Zealand’s adventure capitol. We needed to be back in Christchurch by late afternoon Thursday, and the map showed a 7-8 hour drive from Queenstown to Christchurch. We reasoned that even if we made it that far, we would not have enough time to enjoy any of the activities. So north we went, towards the high mountain country east of Mount Cook.
This is LOTR (Lord of the Rings) country, where many of the segments in the movie were filmed. It is a high plateau that is dry and barren. We wound our way through places with lyrical names like Tarras, Omarama and Twizel. Occasionally, a pass is crossed and the scenery changes. This is perhaps the most amazing part of traveling in New Zealand. The scenery, the climate, the weather and the vegetation all change in a short amount of time. We would learn that this is true on the North Island as well.
We pulled into Lake Tekapo, a beautiful village on a large aquamarine lake with the prettiest church location on the planet. The altar has a large window that looks out over the lake.
We had an argumet over the accommodation we would stay in, since the area is served by an IYHA International Youth Hostel), a BBH (New Zealand Hostel) and a Holiday Park, all featured in our Lonely Planet. Colleen got her wish of a cabin by the lake. We did laundry until late into the night after a great dinner at the local skiers’ hangout known for great pizzas- we choose a spicy pepperoni and a venison/pumpkin combo for something unusual. The walls were plastered with famous ski resort posters: St. Anton, Austria, Courcheval, France, Cortina D’Ampezzo, Italy, St. Moritz, Switzerland, Innsbruck, Austria, Lake Placid,NY, and North Conway,NH!

Thursday
In the morning, we had a quick bite of breakfast and rolled on towards Christchurch. We made a stop in Geraldine to see the Guiness Book of World Records listed largest wool sweater. In the same store was a medieval themed back room where an eccentric man showed us his life size reproduction of the Bayou Tapestry made from shards of metal discarded during the production of sewing machines. Each 2 mm square piece of metal was hand painted and stuck to double-sided masking tape. The tapestry covered 2 walls and included an interpretation of the missing section. Now if that wasn’t enough, the owner has also created a detailed CD-ROM in which everything in the tapestry is linked and which also includes the creator’s hidden puzzles. There was more, but all Matheson could say was how this guy was borderline genius.
Later, we arrived in Christchurch, a beautiful city that has, as its centrepiece, a magnificent Anglican Cathedral. The boys’ choir was rehearsing for Christmas Eve, and it was for me, perhaps, one of the first true signs that Christmas was just a few days away. They began with “Adam Lay Y Bounden” and the amazing acoustics magnified the heavenly harmonies. I would have stayed to hear the whole rehearsal and get deeper into the Christmas moment, but the airport was a cross-town journey in heavy traffic. We strolled the square back to the car, where a market was in full swing. Matheson scored a wonderful NZ Alpaca wool jacket, knit in Nepal and sold to him by a Peruvian. Go figure.
Our Qantas flight to Auckland, on New Zealand’s North Island, was great except for the back row seats. We loved the wonderful grandmother who checked us in. She did not want to see our passports since she “always trusts Canucks.” She also felt sorry for Colleen, whose suitcase was somewhat heavier than the 20 kg domestic flight limit, not to mention the rest of our bags plus a guitar and a skateboard or two.
We boarded the hotel shuttle with our assortment of gear and crashed into beds in a beautifully renovated hotel room near the airport. As we fell asleep, a plan was drafted to get up early, hire a car from the airport, and drive the 3 hours to Rotorura to see the amazing volcanic and geothermal area, as well as go Zorbing, a New Zealand adventure must-do-activity.

Friday
Dawn came early and I grabbed breakfast while the others slept. The shuttle over to the airport was right on time and I was back with a car in minutes. We were off to Rotorura once we figured out the highway system. The drive was just under 3 hours and we arrived in the beautiful, green coloured hills surrounding the town to discover the Zorbing site was just off the highway.
Zorbing, for the uninitiated, is an adventure activity where you climb into a partially water filled clear plastic sphere which is attached to another, larger, air filled sphere. The operator adds warm water to the inner ball as you slide in, and then you roll down a large hill, sloshing around in the inner ball. Got it? See www.zorbing.com if you don’t get it.
So the boys were pumped and the 3 of us (Colleen declined) changed into bathing suits and hopped into the back of their ascent van, house music pumping beats at full blast. The Contiki expedition bus group that was ahead of us was comprised of a group of young international travelers. Apparently some of them had not come prepared with bathers as a few of them were rather scantily clad. Colleen remarked that the real show was not the descending Zorbs, but the unique outfits worn by the Zorbers.
We decided to descend together, all 3 of us in one Zorb. We had been given first hand descriptions of the descent, all by friends who had done this solo. The groups we saw coming down the hill were heard first! Doing this as a group was going to be fun.
It was all of that and then some. I belly laughed all the way down, and Colleen reported that she could hear us from far up the hill! Our combined weight in the Zorb really made a difference to the speed of descent, and we even bumped the retaining fence at the bottom. We slid out through the hole, and were ready to do it all again, if it weren’t for the price! We did, however, splurge on the CD of photos and the t-shirt.
We found a place to eat in downtown Rotorura and then went to the Thermal Wonderland to see the boiling mud pools, craters and geysers. Here, water emerges from deep underground at temperatures as high as +200 ℃ due to the great pressure. This area is one of the most active geothermal areas of the world, and the sulfur smell everywhere was proof. We waded in Kerosene Creek, where the temperature was moderated by the cooler spring fed water.
We started back towards Auckland to beat some of the Friday holiday traffic. It was, after all, the first day of summer holidays and the end of school here. The roads were busy with vehicles towing boats and trailers. But it did not seem to take long to get back to Auckland via the alternate route.
We retired to our room, rented a video and fell asleep after our big day.

Day 357- Fox Glacier

Franz Joseph to Fox Glacier, New Zealand- Tuesday, December 18

We left the caravan park in time for our 10:45 a.m. briefing before our 4 hour ascent of the Fox Glacier, one of two easily accessible glaciers here. It is a quandry to drive through a rainforest to reach a glacier. We donned boots, packs and snacks, and boarded the old bus for the foot of the glacier. It was almost sunny, compared top the dense cloud and rain of the previous days. The hike up the side of the U-shaped valley carved by the glacier 18,000 years ago was challenging, and short sleeves were in order. Once we climbed down the stairway onto the ice, about 2 km up from the terminal face, the chill was quite noticeable.
The guide, John, a young ex-New Zealand army officer, taught us how to put on our crampons. Off we went, exploring the blue ice. We took numerous photos, and we were reminded that this was the best day for climbing the glacier in days.
It was well past 4 p.m. when we got back down. I was in no condition to drive further south and across the street was another Backpackers hostel. I reserved their last family dorm room and we unloaded our gear.
It was off to a nice restaurant for steak, salads and ribs and brown pop on tap.

Later, we drove out to Lake Matheson, which is world famous for its reflections of Mount Tasman and Mount Cook and the glaciers. Matheson had us take numerous photos of him next to the signs, the lake, the cafe..

What a day!

Day 356- I came for the fishing, not for the fish

Greymouth to Brunner Lake to Franz Joseph Glacier- Monday, Deecember 17th

The radio announcer reminded listeners this morning that it's one week until Christmas Eve. We can't believe it. He also advised of imminent heavy rain.
Kevin and I went fishing at Brunner Lake. With all the rain in the mountains yesterday, and the forecast for more heavy rain today, the fishing could be good, or slow. We headed off with our guide to the mouth of one of the large rivers that feeds this 54km long lake, which holds very large Browns. They often feed in the shallows by the river's mouth. It was very overcast and dark with the rain, so it was hard to spot them tailing. But they were there. Just when I got one spotted, Kevin, who was now fishing up river, landed a nice 18 incher and lost another on a spinning rod. The guide was impressed. I missed taking the photo proof.
We all worked our way upstream, spotting only a few when the guide would normally see dozens on a brighter day.
It was a beautiful setting for fishing and I know the fish were there. We got very wet in the 3 hours or so we were out. Despite the cost, I enjoyed my day.
Driving back to Greymouth in the pouring rain to pick up Colleen and Matheson, we repacked the car and started south along the west coast of the South Island. Landing in Franz Joseph in the late afternoon, we settled into our cabin at the Holiday Park. Dinner was eaten in a very nice restaurant under the shadow of the glacier, which had only now emerged from the heavy clouds and mist. Awesome sight!

Day 355- "To Venture is to Risk Death"

Arthur's Pass to Greymouth, NZ- Sunday, December 16th

"To venture is to risk death.
Not to venture is to have died already."

Ralph Waldo Emerson

(on the T-shirt of the Global Village Backpackers Hostel, Greymouth, NZ)

In the last 36 hours there have been lots of times to contemplate what we have done over the year, the friends we have made, and the challenges we have overcome. The task of packing up was monumental, and I have to publically acknowledge that Colleen did most of it, since I was preoccupied with school end-of-year tasks, functions and responsibilities. We made it though.
There were many teary goodbyes. The kids have so many friends that they left behind. So did we. Work colleagues and friends from walking and book clubs.
But this experience has been wonderful and challenging and rewarding despite the end being bittersweet. I listened to Diana Krall sing Joni Mitchell's famous "A Case of You" while the others slept on the plane. I am glad they were asleep 'cause my eyes welled up with the famous line, "I drew a map of Canada, Oh! Canada..." It was then that I realised that we weren't on another Aussie cross country plane tour, but on our way home. And leaving did, as Diana Krall sang, "taste so bitter but you taste so sweet..."


So here we are on the South Island in the heavy rain, but enjoying every moment. It's giving us time to think, reflect, and unwind, and get some sleep.

Monday, I will go fly-fishing in this famed haunts of the brown trout and lose myself in the pursuit of a big one. But as I am not there for the fish, but rather for the fishing, I will enjoy myself anyway.

Day 354- Welcome to Middle Earth

Saturday, December 15th- Melbourne to Christchurch, New Zealand

I did not think this day would ever really arrive. But it did. We had been up most of the night, with visitors, last minute packing and cleaning, and an early alarm clock that woke us to say, "Get to the airport! You are leaving Australia today!"
We slept most of the way on the plane and arrived in the Kingdom of Middle Earth in the late afternoon. All still exhausted, we drove the road west across the Canterbury Plain where it became a windy mountain road.
"I can see why this was used to make Lord of the Rings," said Kevin in the back seat. "It's because it has such a mystical look." And he is right, it does.
We arrived in Arthur's Pass, in the middle of the Southern Alps, in the late afternoon, exhausted, but thrilled at the backpackers hostel that I had booked. A series of railway cottages, beautifully renovated, with comfortable beds. surrounded by snow capped peaks, and waterfalls. Middle Earth it surely is.
We skipped supper after our late lunch on the road in a quaint little cafe and went straight to bed. It was the first night in 4 weeks that I have had more than 6 hours of sleep. I think I was asleep before my head hit the pillow, and it was only 8:30 p.m.

Day 353- Goodbyes...An Australian view of a Canadians

Melbourne- Friday, December 14th, +31 ℃

I said goodbye to my colleagues today, and it was a weepy moment all round!
On a lighter note:

This was sent to me by my friend, Diane, who is living in Kuwait:

An Australian Definition of a Canadian - Written by an Australian Dentist re: Pakistan Newspaper Ad - Reward for killing a Canadian



You probably missed it in the local news, but there was a report that someone in Pakistan had advertised in a newspaper an offer of a reward to anyone who killed a Canadian - any Canadian.

In response, an Australian dentist wrote the following editorial to help define what a Canadian is, so they would know one when they found one.

A Canadian can be English, or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. A Canadian can be Mexican, African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Australian, Iranian, Asian, Arab, Pakistani or Afghan.

A Canadian may also be a Cree, Metis, Mohawk, Blackfoot, Sioux, or one of the many other tribes known as native Canadians. A Canadian's religious beliefs range from Christian, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu or none. In fact, there are more Muslims in Canada than in Afghanistan . The key difference is that in Canada they are free to worship as each of them chooses. Whether they have a religion or no religion, each Canadian ultimately answers only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.

A Canadian lives in one of the most prosperous lands in the history of the world. The root of that prosperity can be found in the Charter of Rights and Freedoms which recognize the right of each person to the pursuit of happiness.

===================================

Canada- we're coming home!

I left the school's luncheon early, having to say goodbye to my colleagues, now friends. I drove the extra suitcases to the airport and sent them home via Qantas Freight. It cost me an arm and a leg!
Later, Colleen and I walked through the house with Mary, the sister of my exchange partner. Everything was OK. The 3 of us enjoyed dinner at a favourite Glen Waverley outdoor cafe. The evening was memorable as we sat, talked about the exchange, the year, travels etc.
We arrived home to find that the house had been invade by "3 trillion" (Mat's words) teenagers who had come to say goodbye to the boys. After everyone left, we stayed up until past midnight doing last minute tasks. It was going to be a short sleep.

Day 349- Goodbye Luncheon

At the home of Bruno and Margaret D'Elia, Glenroy- Sunday, December 9th

Time was running out but we had to see Bruno and Margraet D'Elia, Joan's father and step-mom who have been so kind to us this year. Also attending were Mary and Susan, Joan's sisters and Susan's husband Gerrald. Now all of them have been to visit Joan and Denis in our house in Oakville at one time or another throughout the year.
It was wonderful to catch up on their Canadian adventures and to hear about how the other end of the exchange was going. Bruno and Margaret had been to a dinner at our house with Colleen's Mom and Dad as well as mine. The 6 parents, I'm sure, had a few laughs and shared many stories about us all. We heard only a few!
It was, sadly, time to say goodbye to all, and we parted knowing that we would probably see one another again. This was one of those unexpected things about going on an exchange- that you gain new friends far away, and you get to know your exchange partner's families.

On the way down the Citylink tollway, I took a detour through the Docklands. It is here that Lonely Planet has its headquarters in an old warehouse. I just had to have my photo taken outside the building. Lonely Planet had its humble beginnings here in Melbourne and has grown into a worldwide phenomenon. The boys rolled there eyes at their father, Colleen went along with me and took the pictures. I fulfilled a lifelong dream...maybe I will become a LP writer some day. I here they are hiring for a Darwin based writer...

Day 348- Muzzdog's Surprise Party

At the Home of Lisa and Andrew and Tom Danks- Saturday, December 9th

We were ivited to the home of one of my students, Tom, whose mother, Lisa, has become friends with Colleen through book club and walking club. It was, much to my surprise, a surprise party! My class, many of their parents, and members of their family came along to say goodbye. And they brought presents too!
It was a touching moment. Cathy Standring, my Principal back home in Mississauga, asked me in an email whether I had left a legacy. I wasn't sure at that point. But now I am.
In case you did not know, the Australian short form for Murray, is "Muzza." My class now calls me "Mr. Muzzdog," a name given to me by one of my students.

Day 346- Celebration or "it could be the most significant night of your whole...LIFE!"

The school held its annual "Celebration Night" under a 2000 seat carnival tent on the front Oval. Wow! The music, singing, nativity story, bands, orchestras, and musical production excerpts were amazing! The students here are very talented to say the least. What an event! And to think you would pay for this kind of show in Las Vegas, it was that good!
One of my colleagues, and also a parent of a student, passed me coming out of the afternoon rehearsal. "This will be one of the most significant nights..." he began. I expected him to say, "Of the year!"
It was a lifetime event afterall. Who would have thunk it?!

Day 341- Last chance to do the Beach thing

Phillip Island- Smith's Beach'- Saturday, December 1st

To see a live Webcam of Smith's Beach, click here!

Funny thing about living in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are backwards. Did you know they celebrate Christmas in summer here?!

We set out for Phillip Island early this morning, stopping in Cranbourne to grab some beach wear. I can throw away my glasses 'cause I've seen everything now! In the shopping mall, the Christmas shoppers are everywhere! Dressed in t-shirts and shorts, and all the summer clothes are in stock. They even had a band playing "White Christmas." Now this is possibly the funniest thing I have seen in a long time.

Our day at the beach was sensational! A little cool near the ocean, maybe +22℃ but bright and sunny! The water was at least +20℃ too, which is pretty good for the Southern Ocean on the first day of summer. Colleen and I sat in beach chairs, still pinching ourselves that we were sitting on a beach in Australia. Still hard to believe that this dream was still going after 11 months. Only 14 more sleeps. Mat, Kevin and I were in the water for longer than a few minutes, Kevin and I longer than skinny bones Mat.

We spent time at Ocean Surfboards shop in Cowes, on Phillip Island. Matt needed a new wallet. I, of course, needed my afternoon cappucino in a streetside café.

It was a great day! The last we will spend at the beach here in Australia.