The Cali-Aussie Experience

Footie! At the Brisbane broncos game.

The next morning we brook down the tents and the tarp, picked up the kitchen and packed it all in the ute.  Once off the beach we stopped to fill the tires back up to their normal PSI and headed home.

Day two started with a mug of tea on the shore side of the dune, a bit windy but very beautiful.  Following breakfast we planned a trip up to the point for a nice hike up to the light house.  We left camp in time to arrive at the light house about noon, hopefully giving us enough time to make it back before the tide was at its highest.  At the base of the point, with beer in hand we packed up the esky and headed up the trail towards the light house.  A short 20 minute hike through the woods and along the cliffs we were at the point.  At its highest point sat the light house.  After a quick lunch and a Skype call home we headed back down the trail then up the beach.  Once back at camp we played a few hands of cards before we were visited by a friendly neighborhood lizard, who after a few different attempts to escape finally waddled off up the bank.

We set out about noon on the last friday of April, we wanted to make sure we had camp set up before it got dark.  After picking up a permit for the ute we headed for the barge crossing which would take us to the island.  Across the island nearly to the beach we pulled over to let some air out of the tires.  As we crested over the bank that led down onto the beach I thought well this is a first!  Shortly after making the left to head north up the shore we crossed the path of three Cop cars patrolling the beach, we then passed a sign defining the speed limit to be 50km/h in the camping areas and 80km/h on the rest.  We passed one or two stretchs designated for camping before searching for a spot to set up our own camp.  Most of the camp sites sit over a dune as to protect you from the water and the wind that comes in off the ocean.  We came across a nice spot with a clear view out onto the water but also provided adequate shelter from wind and rain. Following a short drizzle we set up the main tent and a tarp under which would be the kitchen and the seating area.  With camp made it was time to relax and enjoy the beach!

Beach for the weekend.

Sunday we gathered up some snacks and headed south to the Gold Coast.  Some fish & chips right near the state border followed by a trip back up north along the water.  To end it all a nice little walk through Surfers Paradise then on the beach.

Its been one month since I landed in Australia and this past month seems to have flown by so quickly!  Though like the day I landed its raining again.  

My third weekend in Australia, time for a road trip.  After spending the afternoon in Brisbane at the home show we headed up the coast to a Birthday party in Mooloolaba.  Following the party we continued north to Cooran to the property for the night.  Sunday afternoon, in a little bit of rain we headed back down the Sunshine coast to visit some of the beaches.

Been craving one of these since I left.

Thus ends my tale of California....probably the best month of my life with only Germany being a close second.  Thank you again to the two people who helped to make it the best month of my life, Zhenya and Alex.  I look forward to my return to the Bay Area for more fun, sunshine and more Caffé Roma.

After a full day at Joshua tree we decided to alter our original plans of driving back up through Yosemite to explore there on sunday. Instead we drove through in to the night getting back to San Francisco at around 3 in the morning.  Since we still had the car for another day we decided a nice day trip to Sonoma would be a good idea.  We loaded up and headed north across the Golden Gate.  We managed to get two tastings in, well one and a whole bottle of wine. Oh and a few classes....

Our next destination was Joshua Tree California State Park, a short two hour drive from the heart of LA.  Joshua Tree is described as what the landscape of a foreign planet might look like...littered with mountains of loose boulders and the trees the park is named for.  When the sun began to set we had managed to climb two of the giant piles of rocks, leaving thousands and thousands to be explored on our next trip there.

Here is the video of the waves that killed my Camera.

Once we were at the spot where the cliff jumping would happen we descended down to ocean level.  A sort distance away we scaled the large rock that would be the perch from which you jumped.  Crossing the rock we found a perfect shelf from which to jump.  While we were surveying the situation the waves began to role in...bigger and bigger.  The last photo taken was the first of the waves that made it onto the shelf, there were three more that followed.  Leading to the four of us being soaked from head to toe and the end of my camera.

Friday was Zhenyas birthday and also the day we set out for LA.  After securing the rental car we set out for our first destination, Santa Cruz where we would pick up Highway 1.  From Santa Cruz our second destination was Monterey where we would meet up with a friend for some possible cliff jumping.