SW coast of Australia ... absolutely SPECTACULAR!!

very tall karri trees in Warren National Park


HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!

What can I say ... the SW coast of OZ is absolutely spectacular!!

marvelous moving water at Beedelup Falls



You can finally see my pic's from the November posting that was not showing the pic's I had added ...

Over the past week (Nov. 13-21, 2007), I have immensely enjoyed wandering along heaps of stunning beaches with aquamarine waters melding into deep sapphire blues while the waves perpetually crashed and rolled up against rocky & sandy shores

... & now you can have a look at some of the amazing pic's I got from my SW Aussie adventures back in November. Just scroll down to the November postings I have finally been able to reload the pic's that were not successfully embedded when I first created them ... as well, here's more pic;'s from that posting, I decided to split them out into a new note.

So much to see & explore ... what a TREAT!!

Mikey & Me ... "Happy Birthday Mikey"

Kate, Tanya, Erin, Fi, & Scott enjoying the end of season WW BBQ fun!

Jean-Michel & I ... two of the Canadian ROMEO's

Tanya aka "OBA's Dancing Queen" ... Mikey cheering her on in the back

OBA Rockettes ... Fi, Tanya, Mikey, Erin, & Jean-Michel ... Bustin' a Move!

Kate & I in the Team A kitchen

I'll post more pic's from the amazing SUNRISE that I woke to at the OBA Walpole base (yes, sunRISE in western Australia!!)... & the other great forests, beach walks, waterfalls in one of my next notes ... I'll add in the pic's of Scotty, Mike P., Constantine, & Kris & Rob ... the blogger set-up is giving me grief to add more pic's ... I'll also upload some good pic's onto my facebook page when I get a chance as well ...

In the meantime, I wanted to extend an extra special bouquet of hugs & love to everyone who made this trip to WA so extra special & full of all kinds of fun, great visits, & excellent food. I am ever grateful for your kindness! Among the lovely friends I wish to thank, is Sandra, what a lovely time we had together. Thank you, thank you dear Sandra, I am so grateful we were able to reconnect as we did both on my way down to the SW coast & when I returned back from these most splendid adventures!!

Sandra & her beauty-full native WA birthday bouquet ... "Happy Birthday to you too Sandra!"

lunch with Sandra & Janet ... sooooo glad we could at least meet up for lunch Janet :)

Janet & her happy dog with me ... "noses into the wind everyone"

Sandra & I on my last night in Bunbury ... (hidden fr. view is Bessy, Sandra's happy dog). I will miss you heaps my dear friend!!


I'll be in touch again after I have made my way back to Tharwa to my Outward Bound home away from home

... & more up-to-date, after I have landed further along my travels with my North American Rail pass, which has me currently in California, after ~5 days visiting with my dear friend Joan & her lovely friends Judith, Melody, & her daughter Tracey & grand-daugters, M, K, & T :) What a most splendid visit this was my dear friends! Thanks heaps for welcoming me as you did & sharing your kindness, energy, & great hugs :)

Tomorrow afternoon, I will be in & near Santa Cruz reconnecting with more dear, wonder-full friends before I hop on the Amtrak train for THRREE nights!! ... to head over to Maryland to visit with my family & a few friends en route back to Canada through Toronto & then all the way to Edmonton.

Big hugs & lots of love to all of you for a blessed new year in 2008!

Teresa

Teresa's Aotearoa & OBA adventures Down Unda almost over ... & Homeward Bound journey almost complete!

sunset over the Indian Ocean fr. Monkey Rock, WA

Kia Ora my dear friends & family,

Amazing as it is, my time here in Aotearoa & "down unda" is about to wrap up ... only ~6 hours until my Air NZ flight is set to take off ...

Just a few more things to finalize in packing up my bags, then get showered, eat some lunch, & call my shuttle to take me & my gear to the airport.

Cheryl or Joan, if you happen to read my BLOG today (so sorry I haven't yet connected with you, things have been pretty full on with my travels about Aotearoa), ... I have a layover in San Francisco for 7 hours ... any chance you come by for a little visit??

I arrive with Air New Zealand flight #8 fr. Auckland, NZ on Dec. 10th at 10:45 a.m. & leave for Edmonton at 6:55 p.m. that evening on United Airlines flight #6502.

~~~

The second half of my adventures here in Aotearoa were most excellent!! The kayaking at Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) & tramping about Aoraki (Mount Cook) were definite highlights!! As was connecting with the OB Cobham folks at Anikiwa, New Zealand ... in the Marlbourough Sounds of the South Island.

I'll post pic's as I recover from my jet lag back in Alberta ... only time to post this brief update right now!

I've totally enjoyed the 10 days I've had over here back in Aotearoa (New Zealand). A great boost for me given how travel weary I was starting to get toward the end of my time in Oz.

Looking forward to chilling out & reconnecting with many of you back home ...

enjoying the peace & tranquility of Wilson Inlet at The Cove (November 2007)

... & to those of you here "Down Unda" ... thanks heaps for all your friendship, kindness, good humour, & all that I have learned from each & every one of you :) I will hold you close as I journey forward ... ROMEO"s & other OBA friends, Seed Mates (that includes you now too, Tathra), & other new friends made along the way ...

Also, a big "kia ora" to my kayaking buddies Sam, Wil, & the Iowa & Colorado mobs, tramping mate Paul, beading buddy Julia, & other kindred spirits whom I have enjoyed crossing paths with.

SUN RISE over Nornalup Inlet fr. the OBA WW base in Western Australia ... absolutely GORGEOUS!!

... "tomorrow", I will experience my first sunrise for 2007 back in the northern hemisphere ... & my journey will continue ...

Be well my dear ones,

Hugs 'n' Bugs, love,

Teresa

p.s. it's been great sharing my adventures "Down Unda" along the way with all of you & I look forward to adding on the missing updates to this travel journal, ... & keeping you posted as I transition back to the Great White North from my year here is Oz & Aotearoa :) Until then, happy holidays & do connect out my way, I'd love to hear from you in person ...

you can reach me through my family in Fort Saskatchewan 998-7154 or Laurelie in Edmonton 450-4227 ... they'll likely know where to track me down as I continue for a while longer in a nomadic existence sorting out where I'll live & work back in the Great White North, more on that soon, as I sort out a few remaining details ...

... of course, there is cyberspace too but I am keen to get back to the more personal reconnecting once I am back in your neck of the planet ;)

Teresa's Aotearoa adventures continue ... (+ a few farewell to friends in Oz pic's)

Kia Ora Everyone!!

the most decorative house along Auckland's version of Candy Cane Lane ... on Franklin Road, near the hostel I stayed at my 1st couple of nights in Aotearoa

... very bizzare to see such X-mas decor with not trace of snow or cold weather ... as I walked about in my shorts among a couple hundred people on the 1st night the lights were lit (e. 1, 2007)

First & foremost ...

"Happy Birthday" KATRINA!!!! ... & Deanna too! ... also to Mary-Frances & Claudette!!

Sorry I haven't been able to give you a call, my travel mode is more full in high gear, so haven't had a chance to reach out until now ... hope both of you had a splendid day.

It was also lovely to reconnect with a few Dharma friends (Lizzie & Rebecca) up in Auckland before I headed to the South Island :)

Yesterday, I enjoyed a great day kayaking out at Piopiotahi (Milford Sound) yesterday under sunny, blue skies :)

Tonight, I am in Queenstown, which is set wonderfully on Lake Wakatipu (imagine Canmore spread out around the bottom curve of a very big lake & add a variety of British botanical gardens, bowling greens, but then add heaps of Aotearoa's charm).

What a treat it is to be travelling around New Zealand where the hillsides are so green & the sheep are so white & the landscpae sooooo incredibly beauty-full!! The drought that continues in Australia (into its 8th year at least) sure pales much of the places where I have been living in Oz, in comparison to the lush countrysides & rainforests of Aotearoa!

I head to Aoraki (pronounce Aorangi), also known as Mt. Cook, & if the weather forecast holds on with sunny skies & a high of 20 degrees Celsius, then I will have a chance to finally see Aotearoa's highest peak towering overhead. It was very overcast & rainy my first time to Aoraki but still managed to go hiking in the rain with Margaret :)

It is great to be visiting these very splendid places around Kiwi land but I am growing quite travel weary & am looking forward to reconnecting with familiar faces & people :)

Here's a few pic's fr. my final days in Oz (& Canberra) reconnecting with a few Seed Mates & with Fumi & John & their daughter Julia :) ...

Marie at the National Botanical Gardens in Canberra

I had a very lovely visit with Marie, at the Botanical Gardens, where we heard a Tibet Buddhist monk share some teachings & then was joined by about 4 others & they shared some chanting, accompanied by a few long horns and cymbals.

John & Fumi outside their very lovely home in north Sydney

... thanks heaps for having me over again & for the lovely visit. I am so glad we were able to meet up again before I headed home & you headed for your trip to SE Asia.

Simon & I enjoying our much too brief visit on the bus back into Sydney from Maroubra Beach.

ALL the best to you Simon & your new fiance Viv as you get yourselves moved up & settled in to Newcastle! I'm sending you heaps of love to you & your family as well.

Noel & I, truly splendid Seed Mates :)

What a most splendid time it was to spend my last day in Sydney hanging out with you & Sherpa Dog ... do take care of her my friend & send her back my way when you find you don't need her by your side ... I'll miss you heaps my friends!!

a few of OBA's zany womyn

a few of OBA"s daring superheroes (each of them superhereos to me indeed!) ... M. Whiskey, Charlie Sierra, & M. Papa ... you look MAHVELLOUS!!;)

... here they are ready to join the new recruits for their 6:30 a.m. run to the Namadgi Visitor's Centre

Lastly, here's a few cutie pie pic's fr. my travels to Phillip Island SE of Melbourne (more Melbourne pic's sometime soon?? or after I have landed back in Canada ...)

Teresa feeding a baby wallaby ... sooooo CUTE!!

Lucy the baby wombat ... what a lovable ball of fun!

~~~

Nadia, it will be great to see you at the airport on the 10th, my flight arrives just before 11 p.m. (sorry it's soooo late). United Airlines flight San Francisco to Edmonton (I don't have the flight # handy but it's likely the only San Fran flight that evening.

Remember, I have my bike in a box & my big back pack, plust my carry on stuff. I'll call you to sort out the details for transporting me & my baggage away from the airport ... if anyone else is keen to meet me at the airport, it would be a great surprise to see you there too, perhaps give Nadia a call 998-7154, since you might be able to help us transport a few of my bigger items as well & of course, I do love surprises!

Baba, I hope you check on my BLOG sometime soon to see that I am not arriving today, Wednesday! 6 more sleeps, before I am back in the Great White North.

Glad I had a chance to bug into cyberspace with the free wireless at the backpacker hostel I am staying in tonight. Now it's time for me to get some sleep.

It was a most lovely bus ride from Piopiotahi to Queenstown but about 5 hours of driving ... with more in store for me tomorrow & the next day ... I visited with a new friend, Jana, from the Czech Republic on the bus. Such lovely people are often appearing & making my travels more interesting & fun ... thanks Sam for the fun day kayaking yesterday!!

Be well my friends & family & stay warm,

Teresa