Monthly Archives: January 2013

Australian Open

Posted on by robandlinds

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We splurged on tickets to the Men’s Semi-Final match at the Australian Open and the weekend did little to disappoint! We purchased tickets well before Sara decided to come visit and (luckily) there were still enough left to buy her one as well. The downside was 1 person had to sit apart. We decided to rotate seats every set which turned out to be somewhat annoying since the seats weren’t all that close. Even worse, the single seat was just behind a giant (see picture below)!

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The 5-set match was the best of the tournament. Andy Murray vs Roger Federer. Federer/Murray 4-6, 7-6, 3-6, 7-6, 2-6. Murray took the last set after a 4+ hour match! Stats: Murray and Federer have played 20 times to date with Murray winning 11 times. But Murray only has 2 Grand Slam titles (and one Gold medal) vs Federer’s 17 (an all-time lead in titles)!

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We decided to buy ground stadium tickets for the final – which involved watching the final match on a big screen just outside the stadium. We had a number of our friends join us; including Keth, Will, Annie, Geoff and the kid-Os! It was a lovely evening with an enthusiastic crowd!!

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During one of our free days, we rented a car and drove ~3 hours southeast of Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula. We saw an echidna (curious? check out this youtube video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQEU32TjRWg) and the location of where the Prime Minister of Australia at the time, Harold Holt, was never to be seen again after going for a swim and drowning (Year: 1967).

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S. Steele

Posted on by robandlinds

We had the privilege of hosting another great friend – Sara Steele! The first day she got to Sydney, we did the Neutral Bay to Chowder Bay hike (and it was our very first guest to take on the walk since we discovered it long after we moved to Neutral Bay). This walk connects two of Mosman’s beaches – Balmoral Beach and Clifton Gardens – and after reading more about the area, it is very much connected with the early history of Sydney. For more than a century many of these areas were used to maintain gun emplacements to defend Sydney from invaders, until the land was released to the public in 1995, and reborn as part of Sydney Harbour National Park. It truly is a magnificent walk and has spectacular views! The picture below is taken at Bradley’s Head.

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Part of our ‘tour of Sydney’ wouldn’t be complete without spending an afternoon at Jack and Tim’s flat in Paddington. We brought out the red cups and made it a complete college flash-back, playing flip cup (or “flippy cup”)! We also introduced Sara to her first EVER lawn bowls match – she turned out to be pretty good beating me and almost tying Rob.

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To end the short time Sara spent in Sydney (before we left for Melbourne), we went out with the girls to Centennial Park. The city puts up an outdoor theatre during the summer months – which includes bean bag chairs, pillows and popcorn!

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Sean and Em Down Under

Posted on by robandlinds

A few days after our Asia trip, we were back at it hosting Sean and Emily on the last leg of their Australia/ New Zealand trip. To make their visit more exciting, Sean had just proposed to Emily a few days earlier in Milford Sound. Luckily, she said yes and we had the privilege of being the first to celebrate with them. While their Sydney stay was brief, we were able to show them the sights and had a great time catching up with good friends.

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Phuket, Thailand

Posted on by robandlinds

Fun Facts about Phuket, Thailand:
– 1 USD = 29.77 Thai Baht
– Thailand’s largest island, roughly the same size as Singapore.
– It was also hit by the 2004 Asian Tsunami, estimated over 5,300 people
died in Phuket.
– Thailand has the world’s longest reigning monarch, current the King has
been in power since 1946.
– Similar to the UK, the King is more of a figurehead but actually posses
some power in the government.

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We went to a Brazilian BBQ which included an all-you-can-eat meat feast! One of the items on the menu was crocodile – something no one at the table had tried before. Rob and Jer thought it tasted like chicken, but Linds felt a bit differently. The best part was the entire meal totaled $30 per person – our most expensive meal of the entire trip, including the meal where we got ripped off in Hanoi! It all tasted delicious!

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Everyone was keen on seeing elephants up close (a native animal to the area); however once we arrived at the local tourist attraction, it was clear the animals were not treated well. As an example, some baby elephants were chained to posts and trainers used a metal hook to keep them in line. Despite the cruelty, we learned how smart these animals really are and how well you can train them. It was still very fascinating.

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The entire trip was a whirlwind. It went so fast, but we would’ve done it all over again. As the picture shows we hit 6 cities and 4 countries in a matter of 2 1/2 weeks – a very well thought out and planned trip! VERY happy to have JR and some friends from Sydney join us on the excursion.

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