Relaxing in Tasmania

I can be very impulsive. I was flying back from Sydney one evening and decided I had worked enough that week and I would reward myself by reading the Qantas magazine instead of getting my laptop out immediately (a window into the crazy). There was an article written directly to me. Are you tired? Stressed? Do you love nature? Yoga? YES! YES! YES! YES! Then you've got to come to this yoga retreat in the Bay of Fires in Tasmania. Done - I am there. I got home and booked it in.

Well, as I was on the plane to Tasmania it started to sink in. I was going to a yoga retreat in the middle of nowhere, alone. I had tried to convince my friend to come, but she thought it sounded too intense, hmm... that should have been my first clue. I got off the plane and saw a small group of ladies, looking very yoga like waiting for me. A round of introductions and then a three hour drive in the darkest dark. There is nothing in Tasmania. After the long drive we pulled over and got into a four wheel drive Land Rover to take us further into nothingness. After a half hour on the dirt road, we hiked up the mountain to the retreat. Whoa! This is serious. I didn't know the half of it. They showed us to the "bathroom" area. Where I learned this place didn't have electricity or running water and there were composting toilets. They weren't kidding when they said escape from the complexities of life.

I was getting a bit up tight about the whole thing - why didn't they tell me this? why didn't I ask? Then I laid down in my (very, very cold) bed (with all the clothes I had packed layered on) and looked up. Through the glass ceiling, the sky looked more amazing than I had ever seen it. That's what this weekend was about. Slowing down and enjoying the beauties of nature that we are too busy to notice in our daily lives.

Each morning started with 6:30 meditation over looking the crashing sea, followed by three hours of yoga, a midday hike and 3 more hours of yoga. There's nothing as refreshing as clearing your mind and being grateful for what you have and where you are in the present moment.

Malaysia, truly Asia

Malaysia, truly Asia - at least that's what it say on the Australian Rules Football players' jerseys who are sponsored by Malaysia Tourism. Random, I know. Well Malaysia is very much like the sign - closed to non-Muslim tourists. I flew from a meeting in Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. I took the train from the airport to the hotel. It seemed like the best option because it allowed me to see the beautiful country side.


I arrived on a Sunday so I was able to take a tour around the city. I did a hop on hop off bus tour. I wish they would have warned me before I got off at the Masques that I wouldn't be able to go into any of them. I ended up walking to the next location down a questionable highway. KL is an interesting place. Very East meets West. It seems that every city I have been to has British influence. The key sight in KL are the Petronas Twin Towers. The Petronas Twin Towers are Kuala Lumpur's most prominent landmark. At 452 meters-high, it is the world's second highest structure and was built in 1998. The towers' design and architecture are inspired by Islamic art with a modern outlook, reflected by its steel and glass façade. A sky bridge connects the two towers mid-way, and it is here that visitors can come up and catch a bird's eye view of the surrounding city.

It's hard to get around KL. They don't follow the typical methodology of street number, street name. Instead it's building name, city. Well, google maps can't handle that and the cab drivers can't handle my accent. Great combination. God was watching over me on one particular cab ride. One of my meetings was further than I had anticipated - a lot further. I was meeting with Malaysia Airlines. It was at the airport (obviously), so I asked the hotel concierge how many Ringgits it would be. Not so obviously, it was at a different airport. As I sat in the cab and watched the Ringitts tick up...I started to sweat. I was in the middle of nowhere, didn't have enough cash for the cab and they don't take credit card. What was I to do? Say excuse me, can you let me off? EEEK! As we pulled up to the office building - in the middle of nowhere - I was very relieved to see an ATM!!!!

16 bottles of wine for Easter!

You might remember from last year that Easter is a 4 day weekend in Australia. With 4 days off we were excited to set off on an adventure. Being a Murray, I never plan too far ahead. Being a first born, I at least plan a little bit ahead. We tried (again) for Ayers Rock. We were too late (again). So we decided on Perth and Southwestern Australia. Although Sean and I had a deal - no more Jetstar flights - I booked a Jetstar flight. It was just so much cheaper. I couldn't help myself. We paid for that choice - with time and sleep.

Day 1 - we took a ferry to Rottnest Island. Rottnest Island is an island getaway about 30 minutes from Perth. In it's earliest days it served as a gaol for Aboriginals and then an internment camp in WWII. In 1903 it was turned into a tourist attraction for swimming, sailing, golfing, hiking. Rottnest is all about enjoying natural beauty. There are not any cars on the island. Just bikes. The island was named for the small native marsupials - quokkas. When the island was first discovered they were mistaken for giant rats and it was referred to as rat nest island. We hired bikes and set off on the 26km ride around the island. I said let's go with the single gear bike (because it was cheaper) instead of inquiring why one might need a multi gear bike. If I had asked that someone might have said - because it is really mountainous terrain! The ride was challenging, exhilarating and the scenery was spectacular. The beaches are some of the best in the world! We wasted no time jumping into the Indian Ocean. Wow is it blue and clear. 4 oceans down - one to go! On Rottnest you are so remote. Nothing between you and India in one direction and nothing between you and Africa in another.

If you are looking for a beach vacation that is all about the simple pleasures, this is place. No five star resorts or restaurants here. Just understated shacks with unobstructed views of the ocean (and the quokkas).

Our first winery stop was Swings & Roundabouts. We chose that one because of the wood fire pizza and the pretty cool label. The wine was good too. After doing some tasting we couldn't decide on just one so we bought a case. Needless to say that was our hotel accommodation for the night so I guess we'd be sleeping in the Prius. No seriously, we never made a reservation and in the Murray tradition Easter is for camping. We drove up to the place where the Indian Ocean and the Southern Ocean meet - or should I say collide - and camped out for the night. We watched the sun set over the Indian Ocean and started Easter with it rising over the Southern Ocean!
As we were packing up our gear - ie folding up the beach towels and putting the seats back up - we caught site of another couple doing the same. Hmmm....they look familiar. Wait. They are the German couple we were swimming in Geographe Bay with two days and 100km ago in search of dolphins.
Thanks to the catholictraveler.com we've been to churches through most of the world. This one had some very unique features: panoramic views of the ocean, holy water in a seashell, and a hymn board that read OH for everything. As we were preparing for the opening hymn we couldn't figure out what OH meant and then the word appeared before us on the wall. Ah yes, OH must stand for over head (projector). Why didn't I think of that?!

Pop the Champagne!

Time for the formal introductions: friends, family, [random strangers trolling the internet] - meet our new beach house. Beach house, meet our friends and family. This house is the first Murray-Bailey business (ad)venture [Murray-Bailey Ventures - a good name. We're one 'Jameson' short of a good irish law firm]. Melissa and I together with her parents have joined forces to bring an Ocean City home back into the family.

It's a charming and cozy duplex on the north end of the island and within a stone's throw of the boardwalk/beach/water. We really lucked out. It's one of the last 'original' beach houses on the street, now dwarfed by mc-mansions on either side. Aside from the traditional bookcase and pillars separating the common rooms, there are some great architectural details including traditional hardwood floors, crown molding, and high ceilings. The second floor is a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom. The first floor is a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom. With off-street parking, outdoor shower, covered porch, and even a bit of grass, it's a gem! [Did it sound like a sales pitch ;-)]

If this news catches you a bit off-guard, then here's the quick back story. Last August, the house was recently listed and we informally checked it out. After initial discussions with the agent, the price was still a bit high and the sellers were not interested in negotiating. Before long, an offer was extended by another party and the house was off the market - so we thought. Fast forward to November when Melissa stumbled across the listing online - 870 3rd St was available again! Melissa reopened the line of communication with the agent. [Did I mention the sales agent just happened to be a long-time friend of Melissa's parents :-)] An intense cross-continental negotiation ensued, a middle ground was reached, and the house was ours.

Remember this address: 870 3rd St OCNJ. We've listed it for seasonal and weekly rental at the following website:

http://www.vacationrentals.com/vacation-rentals/51728.html

Be sure to enquire about mates' rates ;-)

Cheers to 3-0!

Time for a break... again.

Yes, we just had a vacation in SE Asia over the Christmas holiday. But that wasn't really a vacation, it was more of a discovery mission - uncovering the hidden gems in Cambodia, experiencing the craziness of Bangkok, and learning of the cultural differences Vietnam. We were up with the sun most mornings and didn't have any time to just relax.

Enter the Fiji excursion. A week of nothing but nothing. Enjoy the beach and pool; get back to work-out basics with yoga, meditation, and swimming; and don't leave the island unless absolutely necessary. Timed perfectly, we also celebrated in style the big 3-0 for Melissa.

Fiji is like the Bahamas for Australia and New Zealand. Its a five hour flight from Melbourne and located in the South Pacific, almost directly north of NZ. As we did nothing, there is nothing really to blog about. You may notice a few interesting pictures featuring Melissa. We discovered Fiji Bitter and Fiji Gold (both beers) and that our balcony had a great view of the sunset each evening. We also discovered that there are lots of bugs. We made the mistake of leaving our balcony door open one night - we had not yet discovered the screen door - and were awoken with many bug bites. One momento we would have preferred to leave in Fiji.

An interesting story... after a few drinks one evening, we headed out towards the beach and the hotel's hammocks. After laying peacefully, admiring the stars for a few minutes, we decided to head back to the room. As Melissa rolled one way - that way being towards my side - we were both dumped by the hammock onto the ground. Luckily, I broke Melissa's fall. Unfortunately, my foot took the brunt of the fall and my running days were limited the rest of the trip. My feedback to the Westin, add a sign above that reads, 'danger, beware of hammocks when drinking'.