But for me it's all about finding out something about a place, and something about yourself. And when you get off the beaten track, that's where you find out what there is to find out. -The Beach
I had an unsettling feeling when my company said we all needed to take leave for two weeks during the Christmas and New Year's holidays. I have only been at my new job (can I say new any more?) for two months and had just the tiniest bit of leave accrued. Dave and I didn't have plans for the break, so I offered to work. In the end, I was allowed to work on the Monday and Tuesday before Christmas, but wouldn't be allowed to come back till the 6th January. What was I complaining for? After five weeks of unemployment, what's five days of more beach time?
So after three days away at Forresters Beach with some friends for Christmas, Dave and I finally began to enjoy my forced break when we returned on Friday the 27th December. So on Friday night, we did nothing but watch our latest TV fix - Friday Night Lights.
Snorkelling at Gordon's Bay
On Saturday, we decided that we were too lazy on Friday night, so we went running around Coogee, snorkelling at Gordon's Bay, watched the Melbourne Test of The Ashes at home, I read in the sun at Coogee Beach while Dave played volleyball. We took advantage of our free Saturday to the max. But we didn't stop there. My Irish/Aussie friend Keith had his friends from NYC visiting and asked his American friend to party. So Dave and I went to The Beresford and The Colombian leaving Oxford Street finally at 2:30am. So by Sunday, we were wiped out. We woke up at 11am and then continued to watch more of Friday Night Lights and The Ashes with snoozes in between for the rest of the day. We didn't leave our apartment 6pm. GASP I know! All day, we saw the sunlight peeking through our blinds. We knew fully well that it was a gorgeous day outside, but we were too beat and lazy to go outside. We felt guilty for 'wasting' the day, but sometimes you need a lazy Sunday.
By 6pm, we couldn't stand it any more. Cabin fever had taken over and it was a) time to shower and b) breathe some outside air. Luckily, we saw a bit of sunshine. We took a stroll along the Coogee coastline taking in the beautiful view and perfect weather. Looking at our new neighbourhood (since August), we thanked our lucky stars for being in a position in life where we could be guilt free enough to 'waste' a day watching TV all day, but also appreciate what is around us and to never take it for granted. Some days, you need to recharge and that's OK. No one is judging you. Just make sure you make the most of the other days.
I still have a few more days left before I head back to work. I'm glad I have the time to relax, recharge and of course finish off some blogs! Enjoy the last bits of 2013...there's a lot of living to do in 2014!
After soccer season ends in early September, the team disperses going on holidays and getting caught up with work. Luckily, we can all still find time to get together even outside of soccer commitments. In September, one of the girls posted an open invite on Facebook for the ladies of Waverley to come together for a day at the races - the horse races that is.
Once September hits, the weather is warmer, the days are longer and the jacarandas are in bloom. These are all signs that it's Spring Carnival time. I have never been to Spring Carnival or the spring horse racing season. I've always gone in April when horse racing season is ending. I missed out on our club's end of season awards presentation night or 'preso' in September because I was on vacation. This night is our club's chance to celebrate our season and of course get dressed up to the nines. Going to the races was my chance to get dressed up, so I went shopping.
On the Friday before the races, Fee and I met at the Westfield Bondi Junction. I had a vision of finding a floral maxi dress to go with my white fascinator. I was feeling fat that week and anticipated it would be chilly after the sun went down, so I was dead set on a maxi dress. Instead, I bought a new floral fascinator from Sportsgirl ($20). Flower crowns are trending for the races, festivals and weddings. I put this one crown on and fell in love with it. I knew I had to get a beautiful dress to go with it, but what colour would compliment the dress? All throughout the Westfield, Fee and I kept seeing neon dresses. It was a sign. I found many of them, but they didn't suit my flower crown.
I luckily found the perfect neon maxi dress at Cargo Store in Coogee that afternoon! The store had white, black ,peach and neon varieties and for only $45! I paired the look with a long gold chained necklace from Forever 21 ($6) and nude coloured peep toe pumps from Wittner ($40). The entire look for less than $120! I wear the shoes to work and the necklace can go with a casual or work look. I'll be a little more selective about when and where I wear the flower crown and dress, but I am absolutely in love with the entire ensemble that I may just wear it again for the Melbourne Cup!
A New Look for Spring Carnival
Fee and I With Our New Fascinators
The Soccer Girls
There Were No Available Chairs
The Trick is to Bet on 3 Horses to Place With Decent Odds and Fun Names
Me and Kate Soaking up the Sun
We All Got New Outfits
Love These Girls!
We were at the races from noon until nearly 6 pm enjoying champagne, some wins and some losses. Although we couldn't snag any chairs, we had such a wonderful day sitting in the sun with our beautiful new frocks and fascinators. Hopefully we don't wait until next year for another chance to get all dressed up or for a girls day out.
28. Is it any different than 27 or even 26? I certainly don't feel any different. I guess that's because nothing really drastic has happened in my life in the last few years. Unlike 22 when I moved to South Korea or 24 when I moved to Australia, 28 feels like it's going to be much like 25, 26 and 27. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful I'm here for another year especially in a country I love living in, with a partner I adore and a growing network of friends. My birthday wish is for more of the same. I am glad I'm not 30 yet! My birthday fell on a Friday. For most birthday boys and girls, having your birthday on a weekend day is ideal. I had just come back from three weeks of travelling with Dave around the US, Belize and Guatemala and I didn't expect Dave to have much planned. A quiet birthday didn't look so bad.
Dave woke me up on Friday morning with a gorgeous breakfast. He gave me a kiss on his way out the door for work. I ate my breakfast with delight knowing I had such a sweet man to share my birthday with.
After a bit of grocery shopping, I returned home around noon finding Dave had taken a half-day off work. He showed up at our door with a pot of beautiful yellow flowers and a take-away food containers from my favourite take-away Thai restaurant with my favourite Thai meal - Pad Khee Mao or Drunk Noodles with Chili Basil sauce.
We took a sarong out to the beach and ate our take-away Thai in the warm sun and cool breeze. I cannot stop when it comes to chili peppers and as my eyes welled with tears and my mouth and throat fiery hot, Dave took off to buy a bottle of water and returned with the water and a delicious orange poppy seed cupcake - sweet finish for such a lovely birthday lunch.
I was full and sleepy after lunch, but Dave insisted we go up to Randwick, the shopping area near Coogee. We stopped at the Vodafone and picked up the newly released Samsung Note 3. When it comes to electronics, I'm very complacent. If the technology is doing what I need it to do, I usually don't see any reason to upgrade. Dave being an analyst for the mobile market in Australia has been pushing me to upgrade because my contract ran out months ago. Once I have the new technology in my hands, I'm quickly converted and I was.
The Note 3 is massive! It covers my entire face, which could be annoying if my cheek hangs up on someone. What I enjoy about this phone is the large screen and ability to multi task with multiple browsers open. Before we bought it, I tested the Vodafone staff to dazzle me with the features of the Note 3. This was a mistake. They knew basic features that older models of the Galaxy series already has. Thankfully, there was a more knowledgeable staff member who could show us especially with the camera. Unfortunately, the previous train wreck of a show lasted too long and I was getting quite irritable with them wasting our time. When it was time to purchase the phone, we had to go back home and get my passport to secure the transaction and then it took twice as long to transfer my data plan and files from the old Samsung Galaxy 2 to the new Note 3. At this point, I was like a irritable baby ready to cry and yell at everyone. If you know me, you'd know that if I'm sleep deprived, I get really irritable. However, a quick 20 minute power nap fixes everything and I'm renewed and chipper again. I felt bad because Dave thought getting the phone wouldn't take long, whereas I was ready for a nap. During the transaction, I missed a phone call from a recruiter I needed to answer. When I called back, I couldn't hear her because of the loud street. This call then prevented all of my music files from transferring over. When I finally got the Note 3 set up, I had lost all of my call history, which is important especially when you're job hunting. By the time we got home, I had to bring it up with Dave that he should have let me take my quick nap and then we could have gone. He was so upset because he hates upsetting me. I felt like a jerk, but we both reached an understanding that we both needed to be more patient and understanding of each other's priorities. Dave is so sweet. Whenever he gets an idea in his head to surprise me, he doesn't think about any variables except for making the surprise work at any cost. At the end of our conversation, I told him I really appreciated everything he's done and will be more appreciative after I take a quick nap. He then drops the bomb that I only have 40 minutes until we have to be nicely dressed and at the bus stop to go into the city!
I took my nap with 10 minutes left to spare. I was still a bit irritated, but felt much better than I had. While I was sleeping, Dave had added all the apps I used on the old phone to the new one. I quickly showered and we were out the door. We missed the bus he planned on us taking, but took the next one. In the end, we arrived at our destination at the exact time we needed to.
As we disembarked from the bus at Circular Quay, Dave had a sly look on his face. We walked past Cafe Sydney. We walked past the Shangri-La. We were going to Quay! This restaurant is the only 3 hatted restaurant in Australia and is listed in the top 50 restaurants in the world! I didn't expect us to go here unless it was our anniversary.
The dining area had tables near the windows overlooking the harbour and Sydney Opera House and had tables on a platform farther away from the windows, but were elevated and had mirrors on the back wall which reflected the view from the windows. We had the pleasure of sitting on the platform tables. We had a gorgeous view. I quickly interrogated Dave on his plans for my birthday.
He had booked this reservation 6 months ago and his surprises weren't over.
After a beautiful 4 course meal, Dave presented me with a home-made card. I opened the stapled edges to find a booklet entitled "Dear Shadiyah, On your 28th birthday here are...28 reasons why you're my favourite". Turning each page, there was a reason featuring a puppy with a look that complimented the reason. It was the cutest and sweetest gesture. Every morning, I wake up Dave with puppy images from Instagram telling him the puppy wants him to wake up. He can't help but look at the puppy image and then starts to wakeup. We would love to have our own dog, but living in a one-bedroom apartment wouldn't be an ideal environment for a dog. Plus, we wouldn't be able to walk the dog on a regular basis. Looking at puppy images on Instagram is the next best thing for us.
As I reviewed each page, my heart melted even more. Dave and I couldn't stop kissing at the table, but realised we had the most amazing desserts in front of us ready for us to dig in. Hand on heart, I had the best chocolate cake I had ever had. Quay's desserts are regular features on the TV show Masterchef Australia. Dave had the famous Snow Egg. He cracked into the 'egg' and ice cream oozed out. The egg rested on an nest of fruit flavoured ice chips or granita. It as so refreshing and light. My eight layer magic Chocolate Lava Cake was more decadent. When it arrived, the server poured hot chocolate ganache in the middle of the circular cake. The ganache melted the cake through creating a hole where the ganache sunk in. Cutting through the cake with my fork revealed the delicious layers. We both shared our desserts bite for bite, but my last bite was definitely the chocolate cake.
I still don't know what the bill amounted to, but I'm sure it was as heavy as that chocolate cake. It didn't matter though. Dave and I enjoy treating ourselves because we work hard and save. When we have special occasions whether it is a birthday, anniversary, new job or just a much needed treat after a hard work day, we don't think twice about treating ourselves.
We ended the night by walking around the Sydney Opera House, the very view we had during dinner. We played around with the new Note 3 using the different camera features to capture the harbour night life.
My birthday celebrations didn't end there. For Saturday, Dave had the idea of sharing my birthday with our close friends with a beach barbecue in our new neighbourhood - Coogee. At noon, we took over two coveted picnic tables near the barbecue pit on Coogee Beach and set up the picnic blankets and balloons. Planning a gathering is not hard compared to waiting on who will actually show up. The first person arrived at 12:45 pm. Fifteen minutes later, more and more people began to show up. By 2 pm, we had about 30 people! Two hours late, but the party was a success.
Water-balloon Fight!
Ready? Aim. FIRE!
Passing the Balloon From Above and From Below
Race to the Front!
Dave and I are known for being the party games masters. We set up various water-balloon games involving partners and groups. We ended the games with a final water balloon fight. Most of our friends are in their late 20s to early 30s. Luckily, our friends can easily find their inner child and enjoy water-balloons as much as Dave and I do. My soccer girls even created a mini-soccer game where we had to play with a drink in hand.
October 4th Birthday Girls!
Me and Ainsley
By sunset, we packed up everything and few friends helped up bring the picnic items back to our apartment. No one had seen our new apartment yet, so this was our first chance to show them the apartment we desperately hunted for and were finally enjoying. After Dave demonstrated his ukulele skills and teaching a few friends how to play a Jack Johnson song, we left to go to Coogee Bay Hotel - the dirty pub everyone goes to when everything else is closed. We sat in the beer garden enjoying our wedges and beers, not so much the meat market constantly approaching our tables. My soccer girls wouldn't let me end the night without a shot of course.
So 28 still doesn't feel any different than 27 or even 26. The celebrations were top-class and I am so thankful to have such a wonderful boyfriend and amazing friends in Sydney.
One thing that getting older should teach me is to slow down a little. I went running on Monday, two days after my birthday and tripped over a bump in the side walk Getting older is definitely not going to help the healing process.
I'm at the Kansas City Airport and have an hour before my plane heads to Belize with a connecting flight in Houston. The plan was to meet Sharon and Jon for their connecting flight in Houston en route to South America, but I just found out that our flight time has been bumped to an hour earlier. We were really hoping to see each other since I missed her wedding in London two days earlier. I was 100 per cent committed to going, especially since I'd never been to London. However, nine months ago, one of my best friend's from Lufkin, Emily, asked me to be one of her bridesmaids. Of course I had to say yes. But her wedding was in Missouri on the 1st September, whereas Sharon's was in London on the 31st of August. One of my best friend's from college, Marco, was also getting married two weeks later in September in LA. The timing couldn't be better for a trip back to the States.
Committed to going to these two weddings, Dave and I booked our flights in February earlier this year. Since we had already been to our homes in Texas and Canada in December 2012, we decided to forego visiting our families and go on an adventure elsewhere – Belize and Guatemala. These locations sound random, but they have been on my central america bucket list. Belize has the second largest reef in the world and Guatemala has the most excavated Mayan ruin at Tikal. Scuba diving in the Caribbean Sea and cultural history is a winning formula for my kind of holiday.
To make things even more interesting, Dave and I moved from Elizabeth Bay to the beach at Coogee (15 minute drive SE from Elizabeth Bay) two weeks prior to our trip. It was an easy decision to make since we had lived in the Elizabeth Bay/Potts Point/Darlinghurst area for the last three years. Dave had also taken up beach volleyball and the prospect of moving to the beach was irresistible for us both. Since the end of July, Dave and I spent 3 weeks going to unit inspections, submitting 30 page applications, getting turned down and finally finding the perfect place on 4/11 Hill Street on the north side of Coogee, overlooking the town and the ocean. There were bleak moments when we would have to compete with other applicants by outbidding their weekly offer, but it was worth the wait. The only issue we had was filling the larger unit with furniture. So two weeks before we took off on our trip, we dropped two grand on furniture at IKEA. Sounds like a lot, but we haven't bought furniture since we moved to Australia, so it all evens out in the end.
To top it all off, I resigned from my job three weeks prior to the trip. I had already taken annual leave for the trip, but after much self-reflection, I knew this would be the best time to cut ties and move on. So on top of trip planning and the big apartment move, I was closing up shop with my company whilst looking for new jobs. I didn't end up securing a job. A lot of people advised me to not quit until I found something else, but in my heart and in my gut, I knew this was a good decision for me.
The week prior to the trip, was hectic. I was having last minute catch ups with friends (especially Sarah – my close soccer friend who is going travelling for nearly 6 months), building IKEA furniture, letting recruiters know I'd be away and cleaning out my desk. It was a surreal feeling cleaning out my work desk. I had sat there for two years. I even found the very first notebook I used to take notes on how to use our email marketing automation system and recording Google Analytics stats. As the first marketing employee, I had built an entire marketing department from the ground up in those two years and here I was leaving it all for my successors. I feel good about leaving though. My legacy has been set and the company will do just fine without me. I will definitely miss all the colleagues who have become friends over that time. This adventure is exactly what I need to start the next chapter in my life. I'm excited to see how it all unfolds!
I've been an expat for 5 years now. It doesn't seem that long ago that I was finalising my visa for what I thought would be a year in South Korea teaching English. Fast-forward two years and Dave and I are moving to Australia and we haven't looked back except with fond memories.
So when I get the chance to show some national pride, I go big...because I'm not ready to go home.
In June, Dave and I scored some tickets to the Canada vs USA hockey game being played at Sydney Olympic Park. We jumped at the chance to see not only one of Dave's favourite sports, but also showcase our love of country to the max. So we painted our faces.
When I found out about the game, I knew I had to find the most patriotic outfit. Surprisingly, the stores in Sydney featured American themed clothing this past winter. Every store I went to (Cotton On, Factorie, Supre etc) all had American flag vests, shorts, scarves, t-shirts and pants. I couldn't resist a pair of American flag skinny jeans. For $30, not too shabby. I convinced myself that I'd wear them again.
Before heading to the game, I celebrated Lauren's 30th birthday at an afternoon tea party at the swanky Darlinghurst establishment The Victoria Room. Can you believe the transformation? And this was all done on the train ride!
A House Divided
The USA Clown
I didn't mean to scare our friend's child!
We expected mediocre hockey. There was no way the top NHL players were coming out to Sydney for an exhibition match. What we got instead was the third string guys. And did they put on a show! The atmosphere was electric. The announcers were Canadian and American - voices we hadn't heard over an intercom in so long. The arena was covered in what looked like red, white and blue confetti, but was actually fans sporting their country colours. Every time the USA team scored, Bruce Springsteen's Born in the USA blared over the speakers. And when either team scored, pyrotechnics would go off next to the goals. It was a true spectacle. But when one too many players took to the ice, and fights began to breakout, we knew this was indeed a spectacle. It didn't matter though, the event was so entertaining and over-the-top. It was truly amazing to see that American and Canadian ice hockey had found its way to Australia.
Ready to Walk at Olympics Opening Ceremony
The biggest day to show-off USA pride can be none other than the 4th of July. I put on my red Banana Republic skirt and a white and blue oxford button down shirt from Uniqlo and walked proudly into work waving my flag singing Born in the USA. It was pretty obnoxious, but I felt as the only American in my office, I had to do it. My colleagues enjoy my 'Americaness' and often embrace it. They once threw a Thanksgiving lunch and this day an Independence Day morning tea.
Italian Bake Goods for the 4th of July
Happy Thankspendance!
Our American friends in Sydney threw a 'Thankspendance' party in July to not only celebrate the birth of our nation, but also the feast you would be eating at Thanksgiving since in July it's as cold as it would be in November (remember I'm in the Southern Hemisphere and the toilet water flows the other way). The Patriotic Pants made an appearance. I'm definitely getting my money's worth now.
Go Team USA!
My soccer team didn't do so well in it's race to the grand final, but our club's All-Age Women's 2 team did reach the semi-final stage. Supporting my American friend Lauren and of course being a superfan that I am for the club, I went the obnoxious route and wore the Patriotic Pants again! This time I paired it with some of the tinsel from the hockey game and looked like an American Christmas tree. The crowd loved it. These pants are the gift I gave myself and they just keep on giving!
I never planned on being an expat for 5 years and am not sure when I'll return to the good ol' U S of A, but while I'm away, I will definitely keep chanting U-S-A!
I was entered in this year's City2Surf 14 km race and I was not prepared. This was my third year running the race. The first year, my goal was to finish. My second year, I was running it on the back of completing my first half marathon in May and quit training after. I surprised myself with an 81 minute finish. This year, I had no preparation except for 4 km morning runs around Rushcutters Bay, the occasional 5 km run from Milsons Point to the Sydney Opera House and back and playing soccer. I was hoping I would get to the finish line under 80 minutes.
The night before the race, my colleague Jess invited us to her new apartment in Rushcutters for a pre -race pasta party. I couldn't avoid having wine, but I only had a small glass. Dave and I left at 9pm so we could get to bed at a decent hour. After all, we would have to be up at 6am.
We met Jess and Dave's colleague Zach with the other Green group starters (sub 90 minutes). At 8:05 am, we began walking towards the start line and decided we would all run separately - I have huge anxieties around running with people. After the first kilometre, Dave and I began the gradual incline at Edgecliff. This is where I thought to myself, "Next year, I'm wearing a costume and walking it." As much as I convinced myself that I wasn't ready because I hadn't done any proper training, it was too late now. I was jogging through Edgecliff, Double Bay, Rose Bay and meeting the course's biggest challenge: Heartbreak Hill in Vaucluse. I knew that once I was done with Heartbreak Hill, the rest of the course would be mostly downhill and manageable.
The one thing that I had this year that I didn't have in previous years was a new pair of running shoes. Dave had worn down his Asics running shoes playing indoor volleyball, so two weeks before the race, we went to Rebel Sport. Running shoes, well all shoes and apparel, are overpriced in Australia. We instead went for the bargain bin and found two pairs of his and hers Brooks trail running shoes for $80 each! They aren't meant for running on pavement as you would in the City2Surf race because they have minor spikes. They were bouncy and made us feel light and fast, so we decided to run in them although we hadn't properly broken them in. I would pay for them later with a sore foot preventing me from running again for a week!
We blazed up Heartbreak Hill (I give credit to the trail runners). My biggest struggle was recovering once I was at the top of the hill. For the rest of the race, we knew we wouldn't stop and finish this race with confidence. Afterwards, I signalled to Dave to grab a Gatorade out of the hands of the volunteers. This was the first time I had ever taken a drink during a race. It sounds crazy, but I have always had the notion that it would slow me down. I was wrong. That sip of Gatorade hit me with that bit of sugar to perk me up after the gruelling hill.
With 3 km left, I looked at my watch and calculated that we could reach the finish line in under 75 minutes if we ran the last 3 km in 20 minutes. Luckily the last 3 km are downhill. We picked up our pace because we weren't going to let this opportunity pass us up.
Once you conquer Heartbreak Hill, the most defeating part of the race is the finish line. You're coming downhill at North Bondi and you have 1 km left. You can see the finish line, but it's deceiving. In the last 500 m, you have to take a turn back towards North Bondi. At the 1 km, I slowed down. I was exhausted from my legs pumping so hard throughout the race. I also knew that if I didn't recover, I wouldn't be able to sprint around the bend and the last 500 m. I had concentrated so hard since the 3 km mark that I couldn't even wave to my soccer coach who cheered me on from North Bondi. I had a goal and it was to make it to the finish line at 75 minutes.
I strode as far as my legs would take me and sprinted as fast as I could in the last 500 meters. Once I stepped past the line, I bowled over and starting heaving and gagging. I was told to move aside (although the announcer kept telling people to help runners if they look ill). Nothing came out thankfully. I looked down at my watch and calculated that we did run it in less than 75 minutes! I wouldn't believe it until I saw the final result online. My $5 knock-off Casio watch from Cambodia tends to lag. Jess found out her time in a text message, which you could have signed up for when you registered. Damn! Next year, I will sign up for the SMS service.
The next morning, I received an email that the results were online and I quickly looked, while I was sore in bed. Dave and I ran it both in 74 minutes! My goal was to run it in less than 80 minutes and I smashed it! Next year, I'm going to have to aim for sub-70 minutes so I can move into the Red group. My drive will never let me just wear a costume and walk it. Bring on City2Surf 2014!
*It should be noted that I played 20 minutes in my soccer team's last game of the season that Sunday afternoon. I know - I'm crazy.
Dave and I arrived in Sydney three years ago during the Australian winter. One thing that kept us entertained during many cold nights in is Le Tour De France. I had heard of the race and all the hype that surrounded it because of the infamous Lance Armstrong, but never really watched it. I guess you're forced to when you have only free-to-air TV channels. A lover of cooking shows, I took interest in the race precursor Taste Le Tour with Gabriel Gate. This French chef now Australian resident had the most adorable accent. He explained and demonstrated the cooking of the cuisine of the region where the day's race was being held.
My interest grew in our second year living in Australia because the final yellow jersey was won by Cadel Evans, Australia's first Tour De France winner. His face was all over Australian media propelling public interest.
This year is no different. The sun still sets at 4 pm and I often get home too late to start a movie. Instead, I end my night watching Le Tour De France. The race lasts for 3 weeks keeping me entertained until my favourite summer US TV shows (Dexter and Suits) come back on air.
If you don't know much about Le Tour De France, check out this cute animated video (in the narration style of Ratatouille) on the history of this great tour testing human strength, endurance and desire.
Since coming back from my trip back to the US over Christmas and New Year's break, I've decided to make the most of my warm weekends before the cold weather settles in. February 28 was the official last day of summer, but it still hasn't felt like fall or autumn as Aussies refer to the season. Last weekend, the weather did turn a bit on Sunday when Sydney felt one of the windiest days of the year. I played a soccer game that was like playing with a jumping ping pong ball. Our friend Justin, who took us snorkeling in Gordon's Bay last weekend suggested we go apple picking. We didn't have time to go that weekend, but instead we planned on a trip the following Saturday.
We woke up Saturday, and it was hot! It was 30 degrees Celsius - not the autumn weather we expected for apple picking, but at least it wasn't raining. Justin rented a Go Get van (a popular car share service great for city dwellers who need a car, but don't want to buy one). The van was only $85 per day and we filled it with eight friends.
Since we were coming from Coogee, Bondi and Elizabeth Bay, we decided to meet at Surry Hills to have breakfast and head out on our 1.5 hour trip to Bilpin, New South Wales. Dave's main concern when we woke up was what shoes he'd wear because he wanted to climb the trees.
I had never heard of Bilpin or apple picking in Australia, so I asked around at work. Quite a few Australians were surprised I wanted to go. "You're paying for their labour", they'd say. It's a funny turn of events because when Dave and I came to Australia on our working holiday visas, we were nervous we couldn't get jobs and even thought about extending our visas for another year by fruit picking for three months. I found out that this option wasn't even a a possibility for me because Americans don't get to extend their visas. Here we are now, settled nicely in Australia and we're going fruit picking on our own volition! A few Australian colleagues who had gone before said it is actually a nice thing to do on a weekend when the weather is good and the apples are in season.
To get to Bilpin, you drive on the M2 towards Western Sydney. We passed Blacktown where we have gone many times to visit my mom's best friend (only 45 minutes by train). So when we passed Blacktown, we knew we weren't too far away. We climbed up the Blue Mountains for about 30 minutes are arrived at our destination at noon. Bilpin is quaint areas of less than a thousand people. There are about 10 visible orchards from the main road. Justin and his girlfriend Adrienne had come last year, so they knew which orchard was best.
In our excitement, we came up with the ABC game where you have to name an apple variety with every letter of the alphabet. I'm surprised at how many of our friends knew!
Today's Options
Fruit in Season
At the orchard entrance there was a listing of all in season and available fruit. Most of them cost about $2 per kilo! This was a much better deal than the grocery stores in Sydney and straight from the source.
The Rules. Dave Broke the Last Two
Ready. Set. Pick!
A Basket & an Appetite is All You Need
My First Taste
Granny Smiths Are Too Sour For Me
Fuji Apples
Granny Smith Apples
Summer Oranges Ending Their Season
Tall Apple Trees
Picking Red Delicious
Friends in the Apple Orchard
Checking Out the Smallest Braeburn Apples
Dave has had a lot of experience picking apples. As a child, he and his family always went apple picking. After the guide left us to venture on our own, we all gathered around Dave because he gave us a lesson in how to pick the best apple and even showed us how to shine it with his shirt. He also told us there is a game his family would play.
Who could pick...
The biggest/heaviest apple
The smallest apple
The most beautiful apple
The ugliest, but edible apple
All for bragging rights of course.
Entering the Pear Orchard
Pears & Quinces Are Also Grown Here
Pears Not So Ready to Pick
Inspecting Fruit from Row X
One unwritten rule we overheard from a tour group was that you shouldn't eat fruit from a row marked with an 'X'. Dave of course ate from any row he saw 'edible' looking fruit.
Nashi Pears in Full Bloom
I discovered that I really enjoy Nashi Pears. They aren't as grainy and mealy as other pears I've had. But best of all, they aren't sour. They are crisp and sweet. I liked them more than the apples and ended up buying a dozen!
Roses Are Grown Here Too
2 Hours of Apple Picking is Enough
Weigh Off To See Who Got the Heaviest/Largest Apple
Enjoying a Bilpin Cider
After two hours in the sun picking more fruit that we needed, we took a lunch break at the aptly named Apple Bar in Bilpin. The menu incorporates apples or pears into their dishes. Dave had the biggest pork loin I'd ever seen with caramelised apples and I had salt & pepper cuttle fish (I know - strange selection considering we're kilometers away from the ocean) with rocket salad with Nashi pears. It was surprisingly pricey for such a small country town (mains are approximately AUD $30), but the quality was fantastic - they are regulars in Sydney Morning Herald's Good Food Guide.
26 Apples & Pears Cost Only $14!
After lunch we stopped by a road side diner to have the one thing that we couldn't miss out on an apple picking trip - having a slice of apple pie. However at this stage of the day, we were a bit over the apple taste, but the apple pies were delicious. We were back on the road to Sydney and kept the road trip banter up with trivia questions and constant replays of the YouTube viral video 'Goats Yelling Like Humans' - hilarious 2 minutes of your life! But if you do have a free weekend this autumn, go apple picking. It's cheap, delicious and a great outdoor activity not too far out of Sydney.
