And It Begins...

How Ya Goin'?

We just wanted to say thanks for coming to check out our blog. This is where we plan on updating you all on our adventure's during our year abroad!

So, it all started in Toronto, on September 7, 2013. It took 2 car rides, 3 plane trips, many sleepless hours (that is, until we got some Gravol in our system), countless movies watched and 2 days to get us to our destination...Brisbane, Australia. We have never been so happy to see a familiar face waiting on the other end of that journey. Jeff Woodroffe (or Woody) welcomed us into his home with open arms and has been a spectacular host since we arrived. He has given us free reign of his house, his internet, his permanent address and maybe one too many beers :)

The first few days were spent setting up bank accounts and cell phones and starting to hunt for jobs and apartment. During our travels we stumbled upon Travel Bugs and a friendly Australian named Patrick - this is where the craziness began. So, Patrick's main job is to find short term employment in rural Australia for backpackers. We weren't too keen on the idea of rural Australia, but figuring we had nothing to lose, we sent him our resume's and contact information. Before we even had a chance to think things through, Patrick had called with a UNIQUE experience for us. Has anyone ever heard of Birdsville, Queensland? Nope, neither had we and neither had most Australian's we've talked to since then. Well, Birdsville is a small town of approximately 280 people in very rural Queensland - by rural I mean 1700km inland from Brisbane...I know you're starting to chuckle to yourselves and think...WHAT?!?! We were doing the same thing! I dare you all to now google Birdsville and say a short prayer for us.

So, Patrick proposed this opportunity: work in Bridsville for 3 months at a caravan park and help Trish, Margie and Troy with reception work, housekeeping, gardening, etc. We had a chance to think things over and chat with Margie and Trish, who were absolutely amazing in answering all our questions and reassuring us that this was do-able and actually a really great opportunity to see a part of Australia that most Australian's never have the opportunity to see. Only a few tears were shed (by Steph obviously) and the decision was made - Birdsville here we come. The deciding factor came down to what we like to call "Our Year of Yes". Our goal this year is to never say no to an opportunity presented to us (within reason of course) and see where it takes us. So far, it's taking us on what we hope is a pretty unbelievable experience in the Australian outback.

We leave on Tuesday, September 17th, so the next few days will be spent setting ourselves up for what's to come - loading up on sunscreen, hats, downloading TV shows and movies (recommendations are welcome!), ensuring we have enough data on our plan to survive three months in nowheresville and seeing some of Brisbane before we head off.


But that's not all the fun and excitement we've experienced in the past 5 days in Brisbane. We have also seen and learned a few interesting things about Australia that we thought we would pass on. First, every one is so nice! The thing we have been most impressed with is how appreciative and pleasant people are to the bus drivers in Brisbane. No one gets on or off the bus without saying "hello" or "thank you". It really is amazing! Also, we knew that people drove cars on the other side of the road in Australia, but didn't really think about how this would impact walking around. Dave learned this the hard way when we were in the New Zealand airport bathroom and he was trying to enter the men's room. Being from North America, he kept walking on the right hand side of the hallway leading to the washroom, but he kept bumping into people coming out of the bathroom. He tried to stand his ground before he realized that he was in the wrong. Not only do they drive on the left side of the road, but they mirror that when they walk as well. That took some getting used to!

Lastly, we have had the opportunity to spend some time with some other transplanted Canadians in Brisbane, care of the lovely Ryan Latimer. Latimer is doing med school here in Brisbane and he has been extremely kind in inviting us along on some adventures. We've thrown rocks at a wild turkey that was trying to set up a home in his backyard. We've spent an afternoon in his pool. We've been able to go out to a cool bar called Archive to celebrate his birthday. And we've met some of his great friends, who were all so nice and welcoming.

All in all, we've had a fantastic first week on our adventure in the South Pacific. We will try to keep you all up to date by frequently blogging about our adventures. But, if anyone want's to get in touch with us you can email: stephgardonio@yahoo.ca, dibrown2@hotmail.com, or add us to Skype (dibrown2).

Thanks for stopping by and reading - please know we miss you all already!
xoxo