Sunny Cal-lif-for-ni-aye!

Hello from Los Angeles, California!

Today I have been here for one week! One week! Feels like a month! So far I have spent time with my family in 'the Valley'. I have visited The Huntington Library, Art Collections and Botanic Gardens (one of the largest and most complete research libraries in the US containing British and American history, literature, renaissance exploration and more) and spent time with my cousins watching a lot of weird American TV shows that I never knew existed! I have also decided on my classes for summer in Santa Rosa (North of San Fran). I am doing Fashion Design, Singing and Thai Cooking (my Dad is going to take this one with me)! There were so many things I wanted to do but the majority of the courses are really intense and I want some time to spend with my Dad, work on his house and other projects for myself.


Goodbye Australia! Lisa takes Cara to the airport...Cara looks smashing!


The Huntington Library and Botanic Gardens. Beautiful Japanese gardens, amazing and wacky bonsai.


Posh afternoon tea buffet in the Rose Garden Tea Room...sooo nice! Sooo nice! Look at those cute little French desserts!


Off to dinner in my cousin Jason's BMW . The lovebirds-my cousin Kaylen and her boyfriend Brian-are in the back seat!


Welcome to Famous Dave's- Legendary Pit Bar-B-Que! Brian's Father Manages the Famous Dave's restaurants in CA...therefore he gets endless free food for him and his guests! Let me introduce you to our meal the....

All-American BBQ Feast® (serves 4-5)
A full slab of spareribs, a whole chicken, ½ pound of either Texas beef brisket or Georgia chopped pork, coleslaw, Famous Fries, Wilbur Beans, four corn bread muffins and four corn-on-the-cob.

My favorite was the corn bread muffins (I am still harboring one in the fridge) and the pink berry lemonaid slushie...both remind me of my childhood I guess. After our meal we took home 3 left over boxes and of course pecan pie, brownies and ice cream!

The Plan: To CALIFORNIA...and beyond!!

Hi everyone!
I am in the Sydney airport waiting for my Jet Star flight to Honolulu. 
Security has confinscated my Cream of Mushroom soup becasue little did we 
all know that 'cream'is the same as saying 'dangerous liquid explosive' 
apparently! Now honestly, who would eat 'dangerous exploding mushroom soup'...not 
my idea of a good time and I'm not sure Campbell's will be using it in their next advertising campagne! 'Campbell's soup is too hot to handle'. 'Campbell's soup... a creamy mushroom explosion!'...ok...just silly now...must get on the plane!

So after flying to Honolulu I am straight off to LA where my grandparents will be collecting me much to their excitement! The plan is to be in LA for about 2 weeks and then head up to San Fran to live with my Dad for a while where I will study and work a bit....and find some life balance and a career hopefully....not too much to ask for is it! So 'See you all soon!' if you are in the USA and 'Love you and Miss you' if youre crying in Oz! xxx

PS. Tell you how JetStar is at the other end...I called yesterday and it's BYO food, pillow, blanket and tv...so why not folding chair and plane as well hey?

Welcome to Kakadu!
Kakadu National Park is listed on the World Heritage List both cultural and natural 'universal values' and covers a total area of 19 804 square km (half the size of Switzerland)!


The Kakadu crew and a big pile of poo...I only wrote it beacause it rhymes! It is actually its a Cathedral termite mound and an amazing structre housing a termite colony.


Swimming in a blissful pool and sitting under the pounding rush of a waterfall. That's me on the right!


Cara attempting to play the digerdoo! Interesting! I must say that digerdoo playing is not a foreseeable career change! Can be compared to spitting in a log really.


Aboriginal Rock paintings at the Anbangbang Art site in Nourlangie Rock.

"Namondjok, a Creation Ancestor, with underneath him Barrginj, his wife, and to his right Namarrgon, the Lightning Man, responsible for the violent lightning storms that occur every wet season. At the bottom is a large group of men and women with elaborate ceremonial headdresses."-http://www.ozoutback.com.au/



And so the 3 day Kakadu Wilderness Adventure was over....so we went out and partied it up in the extremely small metropolis of Darwin (when I arrived at my hostel I asked how far it was to get to the city centre...they replied 'you're in it')!

Go skippy girl! Go! To Uluru? Again?

So why have I ventured to Uluru again...for the second time in 2007 you ask?

Because I won a trip!!!!!!!!!!!!!!.... and that is the best reason I ever heard!

I visited the Melbourne Backpacker's and Travel Expo in March because I decided if I was going to attend an expo (we have them all the time here in Melb and for everything...like the motorcycle expo, the bridal expo, the home and garden expo, the foreign pink elephants expo!)

that I would find interesting, this would be it! And it was! Fruitful too! I collected more brochures then one person ever needs about traveling EVERYWHERE (one of Cara's goals in life). But here's the fun part, there was a competition! I entered into a game of 'musical brochures' rather then the more commonly played musical chairs (the expo was fresh out of 40 chairs in the middle of the travel stalls). The comptetition was fierce and so, to avoid expulsion, I developed a strategy to win! 'Stay light on your toes and win the game' was my motto. And to stay light on your feet you better skip! So skip I did. To the music around and around, again and again. The competitors steadily declined until it was down to only a few and then items of clothing were being requested! 'An item of clothing to stay in the game' (what kind of game is this you ask? administered by men of course!).

This turn of events was not unfavorable for one wearing only shorts and a top with under garments! So I had to used my strategy, 'skip theory' to its full potential while other contestants gave up expendable socks, shoes, belts, and jumpers (I had none of these items to give you see!). I stayed in the game until the last 3 when I had to give up my bra. The crown giggled as I persevered with 'skip theory' with my hand graciously placed over my chest. "Go skippy girl Go!" they cheered! When narrowed down to the last 2 contestants I gave up my underwear...better to be in your clothes without under garments then be in your under garments without clothes I always say! And then I won! I won! I won!

So as the winner I won: 2 nights accmodation at a backpackers in Aliice Springs. A 3-day safari to Ayers Rock, the Olgas and Kings Canyon. A greyhound bus ticket north to Darwin and then a 3 day Kakadu (and amazing National Park) camping safari with 2 nights accommodation in Darwin! YAY! Hooray! I added in a stop over in Katherine to see the Gorge and a day in Darwin to see Litchfield National Park (who could miss termite mounds and waterfalls)!

I just returned to Melbourne this evening at 7pm! What an amazing trip! I met some great people, as uaual! The world is full of them and if you haven't met any lately you just have to get out there!

So here's some photos from the first leg of the trip!

SAFARI 1:




Cara and 'The Rock!' Isn't it pretty? Isn't it grand? Isn't it...red!?! The red is from the oxidation of iron in the exposed surface of the rock. It actually has a chewy black/grey rock centre!


I actually got to see the illusive throny devil! How cool! Now that's thorny...not horny....its definitely not horny (that would be painful!) and it doesn't move much! Too hot in the desert to move much you see!


The tour group at the Olgas walk of the winds second look out. A BEAUTIFUL view!


Kings Canyon is magnificent! I swallowed not one but 2 flies on this hike! Luckyeee meee!


Toasting marshmallows over the fire! Awwww! The 4 Chinese businessmen really didn't understand our excitement over this one! I guess marshmallows are not a cornerstone of culture over there! Poor guys!


Cara looking sleepy in her swag! That's right...slept under the stars with the bugs! The 'with' in that sentence may imply that we both slept, but in fact they didn't sleep...they nibbled upon me, aka: the conveniently placed naive snack packaged in a swag!

melbourne_babe@hotmail.com

Hi from Alice Springs!

Hello everyone!

So I am in Alice Springs! Again! I won a trip up here with the Melbourne Backpackers and Travel Expo! I played musical brochures! For the last 3 days I was on an Uluru Safari and now I am off to Darwin via Katherine! Write to you from there and photos soon!

Lots of Love!!!

Cara

Beautiful Outback

The trip in Summary

THE TRIP:

We saw ridiculous landmarks!

Welcome to South Australia!

Hahndorf in SA...hehe

Sculpture in Adelaide

Spectacular sights near Port Augusta

We made it to the NT in summer, unbelievable! Very Very HOT!

Uluru...a big bump in the road 

Hiked the Olgas

Hiked Kings Canyon

Kissing camels. This one was a sweetie

We swam in gorges

We saw termites mounds! It was serious stuff.

Hi-ho... Hi-ho...Atop the rock we go!

Hey!
Haven't had time to put more photos up yet as we just got back and I am exhausted! Here is Rhiannon and I atop Ayers Rock with 2 friends, say hello to Nic and Grace from Perth (thanks for sending the photo you gems!)! We smiled sweatily as we were puffing up the rock and they were puffing down when they spontaneously asked us to take photos with them seeing as all their photos were only of them...and whata ya know!?!...friends thereafter!

Feelin' HOT HOT HOT!

Hi all!

In Alice Springs at the moment. Can't write much...we are on our way to the West MacDonald ranges today! Rhiannon, Ivan and I have visited Adelaide, Coober Pedy, Uluru/Ayers Rock, the Olgas and Kings Canyon....amazing!!! Pictures soon! I will return home around Feb 12th! xxx

Off to the red centre!

In the wee hours of tomorrow morning I am off to Central Australia. Uluru also called Ayers Rock here I come as well other facinating things the Northern Territory has to offer! I'll be gone for 2 weeks (it takes 3 days driving alone to get there and back) sweating it out in probably over 36 degrees with my travel buddies Ivan and Rhiannon! Be back soon Melbourne! Photos of spectacular sites coming soon! xx

The update!

The update! I am traveling Australia a bit (both seeing new things and playing tour guide to Ivan), working on a casual basis at my functions/catering job in the city and mostly just relishing and enjoying Ivan's company. Going to Uluru Monday!!!!! Ahhhhhh! Something every Aussie should see.... and being a loyal patriotic Australian I am no exception!



I left a comment on my friend Emily's (she is working in London) blog. It got me thinking:

"...I went to a Shisha bar in Lyon for a Finnish bday party...oh those were the days! I have been thinking about my future and what I want to do. I looked at my CDs of photos yesterday from Prague, NY and the French Rivera. I am sorting out which ones I want to print for a scap book that I have finally purchased (I am OH SO VERY excited about that fact!) and I got all sentimental about what an amazing time I had over there. I saw 2 back packers traveling on the tram today as I was going to work and I thought about how I should do that again while I'm young. They had way too much stuff (front packs an' all) and were trying to sit awkwardly on seats not made for person plus pack, lonely planet in hand. I remember that feeling. Ivan (my boyfriend who is visiting from Croatia) and I went to Merimbula (below Sydney in NSW) for acouple of days last week and I was so happy to pack my bag and remember all my storage tactics and the best and handiest things to take...oh, the travel bug never dies! Might post this on my blog...this is good stuff...self exploration.
I LOVE YOU!
Cara =)

P.S. Claire Tudor who was away when I arrived in Aust came home last week...now its your turn beautiful! xxxx I dont mean it...live it up babe! Enjoy every minute!"

Puffing Billy

Healsville Sanctuary with my David Kwong 

Phillip Island. Cheese =)

Vanja and Nina's Arabian Nights bday party 

Chinese food with my uni friends 

On Puffin Billy

Ivan arrives

Graduation photos!

Cara, Patrick and Jan.


Ecstatic Cara!


The certificate!


I say, what a sophiscated graduate Cara!


The ceremony at Melboune University's Wilson Hall.

On Tuesday, December 19th, 2007 at 10:30am I graduated from Melbourne University! Sporting my black flowing gown and olive (unfortunately more like kaki- the most unattractive colour of all degree hoods) green hood I walked onto the stage of Melbourne University’s Wilson Hall to collected my diploma from the Deputy Chancellor. The ceremony was not too long nor painful and our guest speaker was both very friendly and down to earth (something that snobby Melboure University is not). My friend Rhainnon, whom I have known since first year, chose to wait for me so we could graduate together which was fantastic! Our families went for lunch afterwards at Brunetti’s (an old and famous in Melbourne Italian bakery which has amazing sweets) I am now a graduate in a Bachelor of Science. Hooray! First Australia and then the world!

Cara Bradley Bsc.

Phillip Island- petit penguins and the nobbies