I went to Australia last November: Day 5 Part 1

We flew to Sydney in early morning. We left a very rainy and suddenly cold Melbourne to fly into a very warm and sunny Sydney. Don’t you always find that the last day of your vacation is always the worst weather? I do. We pulled into Circular Quay on our train from the airport, and walked out to find a stunning view of the Opera House. (The Sydney Opera House, to be more specific.)

We checked into our hotel, and Katie took this awesome mirror picture of me and my luggage. I don’t know if it’s just me, but the mirror Nidhizzle looks a little more swaggery than the real Nidhizzle. Work it, girl, work it. I bet the picture was taken a split second and the light didn’t travel fast enough to ensure that I was in the same pose in both the mirror and in real life.

After checking , then decided to go for a leisurely stroll across the Harbour Bridge. Katie was hanging out by the fence and staring at the Opera House. She was deep in thought about something. I don’t know what she was thinking about, because I can’t read minds!! 

As much as I hated Flat Stanley, Katie looved her. She pulled her out for approximately every picture. “I love her. I LOVE HER.” Katie would say emphatically every time I told her to put Flat Stanley back into her purse.

 

After eating lunch, we started walking around Sydney. Here is a stunning view of the Harbour Bridge that definitely not ever been used in a postcard of Sydney.

We found another Luna Park! Are they popular in Australia? What are they, anyway? Why do I have so many questions? But seriously, though, why is there this creepsauce face eating you every time you decide to go to Luna Park?

Whilst walking around, we found these palm trees that looked like pineapples :) Gigantic pineapples. Mmm. I love pineapples. This pineapple would probably taste like a baby palm tree. (I imagine they are baby palm trees, not entirely sure what they were though.)

While walking around, we saw a fence and I contemplated climbing over it. See, you can see my contemplating face. It looks more like a “Really?!” face, but they’re actually very similar faces.
 

James <3 Georgie one year & forever. I love the name Georgie. It always reminds me of George Porgie pudding and pie who kissed the girls and made them cry. Why did they cry? Probably because they were sad that each one wasn’t the only girl in Georgie Porgie’s life.

In Oz, during the month of November, they run this fundraiser for men’s health. The fundraiser is enhanced by Aussie men growing staches. I am personally a strong believer that mustaches are evil and should be shaved whenever possible. There are better ways to show that you care about men’s health, like getting six-pack abs. #objectification

Even the mannequins were joining in the stache-madness. TWO PAIRS OF SHORTS FOR $100 but no stache, no thanks.

 

Movember? My favourite. xoxo

I went to Australia last November: Day 4 Part 2

After the wine tour, we sleepily decided to embark on our last night in Melbourne. We took a trip to their very strange “Target.” (yes there was a period in the name) and then rode the tram to Chinatown. Katie’s stupid “Flat Stanley” really wanted to take a pic in Chinatown so I obliged :(

In Chinatown, there is a restaurant called Flower Drum which is apparently the most expensive restaurant in Melbourne. Their soups were $120+! ($120 Aussie but that’s irrelevant).

This is the inside of the really expensive restaurant. KT kept telling me to be discreet when I was taking these pictures, but seriously, we’re at a really expensive restaurant. These people obvi want to pretend like they’re famous and we’re the paparazzi.

After creeping on this restaurant, KT and I decided to go to a much more wallet friendly restaurant across the street. Here is a picture of our spinach dumplings. They were delicious. Also I think we may have still been slightly tipsy from the wine tour because we were sooo sleepy.

This is a picture of our pasta dish, which was really delish. But it probably wasn’t as good as the $120 Aussie soup. It’s making me hungry.

After the food, we went to the Sofitel Hotel, which we had heard had an amazing view of Melbourne from the Ladies’ restroom! And it did! It was on approximately the 18th floor, and the restroom had a picture window. See, there is some stadium and a tall building. So cool.

Look at how the amazing incandescent light just makes our skin glow. The juxtaposition of the incandescence is just wonderful with the sunlight outdoors. I swear we didn’t use self tanner in order to look like Oompa Loompas. Ok, maybe just a little. You got me.

Cute pose, guys. We always try to take pictures in mirrors so that people can see our true reflections.

Merry Christmas! Those Aussies sure do love their Christmas. There were Christmas signs everywhere and Santa postboxes. In November!! In America, since we traditionally decorate Christmas trees after Thanksgiving, I wonder when Aussies start putting their decor up. This was right before American Thanksgiving. I bet they put their Christmas decor up in November.

Freaking Flat Stanley. Gosh she was annoying. See, you can even see her underwear!! If that’s not indecent, I don’t know what is. Katie really should have laminated her, because Flat Stanley’s hair started falling off (and one of her shoes, too, I think.)

On to Sydney next! xoxo

I went to Australia last November: Day 4 Part 1

On my fourth and last day in Melbourne, Katie and I did a Yarra Valley winery tour, about an hour out of Melbourne. As soon as we got to wine country (before actually visiting any wineries), we begged our tour driver to make a pit stop at yarra valley dairy where we sampled cheeses. So worth it.

We went to the first winery, Coombe Farm, and honestly, we could have stopped there. Oooh man, I loove wine. This lady was my favorite – it was about 10a and she was so enthusiastic about her wine.

Katie: “How do I hold this bottle of wine?” Nidhi: “Hold it like you would hold a baby.” Katie: “OK!”

We then went to another winery and had a nice snack and took this beautiful picture. We already had the nice buzzed look going.

Then we took a break at a forest type area for tea and cookies. Our tour guide, John, told us that he could make all the forest birds come down and hang out with us. Oh dang, we got attacked by these beautiful birds. They were red and purple, soo gorgeous.

After all the birds had gone back up to their perches, I gracefully leapt around the forest like I was a doe. I don’t know why I haven’t been hired as a forest ballerina yet.

Then we went to another winery to eat lunch – I played bartender. That’s why they call me The Natural.

Mmm the pasta and veggies were sooo yummy. I’m salivating looking at it just now. Thinking of it, eating carbs in the middle of a winery tour was probably the best thing we could have done. We were getting pretty silly by now.

The last winery that we went to was sticks. KT and I looved this because of the restaurant Breadstix on Glee. #gleek I think these sticks would be a nice decor element I think.

This is a picture of KT, John, and me after the last winery. As soon as we climbed back into the van, we both fell asleep as we rode back into the city. I love winery tours!

I love Yarra Valley.

I went to Australia last November: Day 3 Part 2

After my cappuccino break, I decided to visit the Ian Potter Centre of the National Gallery of Victoria. This is the part of the National Gallery that has all the Australian Art. Check out how awesome the outside of this building looks! There were so many odd angles.

They had a cool fashion exhibit, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I saw this piece of art and immediately started working on my plan for the zombie apocalypse :(

 

After the museum, I met up with KT to visit the Royal Botanical Gardens. She looks so beautiful with all the lush greenery behind her.

These were cool. I want them for my front yard. Also, I don’t own a front yard, is that going to be a problem?

We then pranced around on the Sidney Myer music bowl amphitheatre as if we were the Jonas Brothers. Here is an awesome and totally flattering shot of me doing a cartwheel.

Katie wanted an equally awesome and totally flattering shot of herself doing a cartwheel, so I obliged her request.

After walking around the gardens some more, we decided to go to St Kilda again to meet up with Katie’s friend Tab and her brothers. Katie knows Tab through her friend Janie, who was her bff growing up. Janie met Tab’s brother Damien on an airplane and they’re getting married this year!! This is Katie, me and Tab.

Oh my gosh. When we were walking around on St Kilda beach, a bunch of tourists who did not speak much English were crowding around us and making us take pictures with them.

Total chaos. Not really sure what was happening!

I think this is approximately the time that I made up the phrase “Girl, you cray cray” because, believe me, this was cray cray.

I went to Australia last November: Day 3 Part 1

For my third day in Oz, Katie and I went for breaky (Aussies abbreviate breakfast) at Mad Duck Café  in the Docklands. We started off with a breakfast bev – I got a cappuccino (I looove Australian cappuccinos) and Katie got a hot chocolate. This picture is gorgeous.

I got a delicious Eggs Florentine for my entrée. Oh my gosh, I am salivating right now thinking of it. 

And of course, no breaky would be complete without champagne :)

Look at the view! I could definitely be in an advert for something. And the boats in the background aren’t that bad, either :) When I grow up, I wanna be famous.

Love this photo of my champagne.

After finishing breaky around 11:30a, KT decided that she should probably go to work. We started walking back to the tram and got to go through this cool bridge. I love the shadows on the ground from the structural elements.

I scarily took the tram from a place that I didn’t know to the Queen Victoria Market.

Queen Victoria Market was a gigantic area full of booths that sold things like koala/kangaroo salt and pepper shakers, boomerangs, and Justin Bieber t-shirts. Little Brother told me that he wanted a koala bear in a kangaroo’s pouch from Oz, and I tried to search for one here (in vain).

After the market, I went to the Melbourne Library to do some light reading. Just kidding. I went to look at it. THe outside kind of reminded me of New York City for some reason.

The library itself had a mini-art gallery inside, as well as an entire room devoted to chess! There are way too many chess books out there, probably all full of numbers and letters instead of sentences. There were also many tables in which to play a game of chess (if you so wished, which I definitely did not).

I then took a mini-break at in one of the alleyways. I sat down for about an hour to drink a cappuccino, read Jurassic Park, and people-watch.

I <3 my cappuccinos.