The Gong

Wollongong, Australia

To be honest I feel a bit like I am on spring break right now. The waves are crashing off the coast, the golfers are out swinging away, the surfers are riding the waves, the sun is shining, and the temperature is rising.  I could get used to winters like this. 

We are literally right on the beach this week if you haven’t guessed and it is absolutely amazing.  We are away from all the hustle bustle of the city traffic. 

And I don’t know about you, but I still get excited to see lighthouses.  I mean that’s probably because I don’t actually recall ever seeing one to be honest and there were two!  There was a smaller original lighthouse constructed close to the Wollongong Port until the shipping area grew and the Flagstaff Point Lighthouse was built. 

Having trails leading us directly there or to the beach, it made for the perfect get-a-way.  And even though seeing everything in the sun was nice and we got a little sun-kissed, the scenery at dusk was magnificent. 

It was the perfect temperature for an evening run, taking me back to my college days.  The sun was just beginning to set, the sky was changing colors like those in a painting, the waves were rolling in, the breeze had a slight chill, and the animals were starting to settle in for the night. 

Before I knew it, the sun had gone to bed for the night and the stars began to shine.  I found myself looking up, trying not to miss a moment of it, in search of the Big Dipper and Orion’s Belt and then I realized I was under a different set of starts.  For the first time ever, I was in a realm under different constellations just gazing up at pure amazement.  What a sight to see!

It’s moments like these that make you really appreciate your journey through life. 

The Capital

Adelaide, Australia

This city is actually the capital of South Australia and is known as a planned city.  It was designed by the region’s first surveyor-general, Colonel William Light, who arranged the city into a grid design of five squares containing the Adelaide city center in one region and then surrounding it with a ring of parks. 

The city itself, it going through rebuilding times as jobs are coming and going from the area, but the locals argue that it is the best city in Australia. 

It seems quant and smaller than Perth, which was a city cut off from life outside the city, with the Outback on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other.  However, Adelaide did provide home to 114,000 koalas and some of which we were able to get close enough to nuzzle into their soft, cozy fur at the Cleland Wildlife Conservation Park. 

While we were standing in line and feeding the occasional Ki Kangaroos and Bandicoots, I learned that Koalas actually aren’t bears and they are marsupials.  They also solely rely on eucalyptus leaves for food, which literally have no nutritional value.  So, while they may consume up to 10 percent of their body weight in these leaves a day, they will still sleep the remainder of the time to make up in the lack of nutrition they receive from doing so.  Koalas are also known for not having very good eye sight so it is important to touch them in the lower back area if you are near one or just let it be so you don’t frighten it.  They do however, have a keen sense of hearing to make up for their lack of eye sight.  Therefore, any loud noises tend to alarm these animals. 

And while koalas are on strict schedules at the park, the Lorikeets, Ki Kangaroos, Dingoes, and Red Kangaroos live normal lives and some even roam freely throughout the park itself. 

While the park was a nice escape into nature, we made it back just in time to be sheltered from the rain in our roomy-fully furnish apartment-style rooms.  It was so nice to have full kitchens this week and small porch-like balconies! 

And with the extra space, it was the prime time to have a few gatherings and share our yummy homemade food!

Until next time; Toodle-oo.

G’day Mate

Perth, Australia

Well, I would have to say that the journey to get here was an experience in itself.  For one, it was the longest that I have ever been in the air and spent the most time traveling as well.  It was a total of 28.5 hours in the air and about 12 to 13 hours of layovers before I arrive in Australia for the first time.  It wasn’t a bad trip, but it is one that I don’t know if I could repeat. 

However, the people I met along the way were so interesting and educating to talk to.  On my first flight alone, I met three people traveling home to Saudi Arabia, one college student traveling to London and Paris; where just came from, and another passenger was on his way to Uganda to help drill water wells for local villages over there.  Somehow, we all ended up at Shake Shack in JFK International Airport and two pilots sat down as well.  Little did we know, one was the pilot who actually flew our plane in and the other was a friend.  Both were very helpful and shared a few tips with us on our travels.  Two flights later, I met up with a few co-workers, and actually sat next to a gentleman from the same neck of the woods as me on my last flight.  He was on his way to build generators in a small town a few hours outside of Perth.  Funny how the world works in mysterious ways. 

And let me tell you, as excited as I was to make it to the last stretch of this tour and be in Australia, I was just as thrilled to hit the pillow and stretch out, but I what I won’t tell you that it was only 4 PM in the afternoon when this happened.   Jet lag……

The days of exploring would have to wait.

It was a nice surprise to also walk into a room that you could actually move around in and weren’t on top of your roommate all the time.  There was actually space to spread out.  We even had a fridge!  Ah, the little things in life.  They were all such an upgrade from the some of the places we stayed in Europe, it was great!

Not to mention we are here in winter and it is still in the 60s and 70s.  I think I could get used to this.  I mean after all; we even went to the beach!  The water was the clearest I have ever seen it; so many shades of blue and turquoise.  And the sunset at Cottesloe Beach was just breathtaking. 

About, three days in you would think the jet lag would have gotten better, well, not necessarily.  So, making the most of being up early and then needed a nap in the early afternoon, we were off to Freemantle, a port city near Perth. 

There was a market area and cute town square area, a Round House that looked across the water to keep an eye on the horizon, and a fishing boat harbor.  It was a quaint little town with a tranquility about it where it seemed to make time stand still and everything was simple.   

And even though everything here is twice as much as what we are used to paying the states with the US dollar strong than the Aussie dollar, the city busses are all free within city limits.  Maybe that is why every single passenger that gets off the public bus, thanks the bus driver before doing so. 

Everyone is so friendly and welcoming here and yes, there are people that do walk around without any shoes on.  So many in fact, that certain buildings had to put signs out stating that if you didn’t have shoes on, you wouldn’t be allowed on the premises.  I believe it’s just the land of free spirits. J

Anyhow, we weren’t just here to sightsee and take in views; we were here to work too, but even then there was still some time for fun and games; like, playing bumper cars on the ice to end our first few days at the rink #1 of training. 

Rink #2 of our first week of rehearsals was a bitter-cold hockey rink followed by a strictly figure skating surface within the same building.  The winter scene painted around this surface resembled the set of Frozen so much, it was incredible. 

And pretty soon, we were ready to open.  We were all moved into the arena, had our make-up and costume spots all set up, we had our dress runs and just like that, it was time to go. 

We were open on the final leg of our World Premier Tour.