Trip back to Australia!!
Well after being in the US for 16 months, I was fortunate enough to make a quick trip back 'home'!
The main reason for my return was my duty as Matron of Honour for my girlfriends wedding!! I was excited to be a part of Mel & Kris's special day and spending time with family & friends :)
My itinerary was VERY full on as I wanted to see as many people as possible in the 2 weeks I had!
The quick breakdown was:
Sydney Sat 3rd Nov - Weds 7th
Hobart Weds 7th - Sun 11th
Melbourne Sun 11th - Sat 17th
Sydney Sat 17th - Sun 18th
Back to the USA Sun 18th!
It will be easier for me to break it up like that for this blog!
Sydney!!!
Day 1, Saturday:
After 28 hours of flying and airport stop overs I finally landed in Sydney! Wizzed through immigration and customs and ran into the arms of my sister in law Amanda, better known as Sil! We had a few little tears, found her partner and headed back to his place in Woolloomooloo, right near the infamous Kings Cross! After a quick stop there we headed to the shops. I needed to get an Aussie sim card for my phone and it was almost lunch time! My first meal of the day was none other than a you beaut meat pie from the bakery and a can of Solo!!!!
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The challenge to eat everything I miss from home had began!!!
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The plan was to head out and enjoy Sydney's night life, but Sil was sick and after a 2.5 hour nanna nap, jet lag had consumed me! So we decided to stay home and resorted to drinking Vodka (with pineapple juice) and I enjoyed some Cadbury Topdeck chocolate! Another food item to tick of the list! lol oh and we watched the movie Magic mike......no story line but WOW Channing Tatum was smoking hot!!!
Day 2, Sunday:
Today we headed out to explore the art exhibit better known as Sculptures by the Sea in Bondi. It is a nice walk along the beach from Tamarama to Bondi with a heap of funky (and really bloody weird) sculptures! It was a glorious hot day and I loved every bit of it........even the hour it took to find somewhere to park the car! lol On our way back to the car it was a must to stop by the local surf life saving club and tick yet another food item of the list, a sausage in bread!! Boy I miss those yummy snags on the barbie! Of course Solo was the drink of choice!
After that Sil & Bil2b (her partner, brother in law to be lol) dropped me off at a friends house who use to be one of our neighbours in Newington. We lived there prior to the USA.
They had recently welcomed their 3rd child to the family and Mitchell was great mates with their son. So it was really nice seeing them all again :)
That afternoon/evening I caught up with more of our awesome friends from Newington, many we had met through the boys former soccer club. We had a few drinks, lots of laughs and an awesome BBQ dinner!!
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| A sculpture made from fishing rods! |
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| Amanda & Jack, my Sil & Bil2b! |
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| Enjoying the Sydney sunshine! |
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| Looking over Bondi Beach |
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| Some of the sculptures on the beach at Tamarama |
Day 3, Monday:
Today Karrie picked me up and we headed over to Jo's house. I was so excited about this catch up as it was with all of my Military friends who I miss dearly! It was also an opportunity to meet Jill's little twin girls who were born just after we left! We enjoyed a chicken and wine luncheon and chatted just as though I'd never left! Thanks ladies for catching up :)
After that I headed back to Sils and she was game enough to let me take her car out for a drive!! I was a little freaked out the first few days being driven around Sydney as I was so use to being on the other side of the car and roads! I thought I'd just pop back to my old town and see if a neighbour was home, who I had not seen yet! the drive went well, although at EVERY intersection I was telling myself (out loud!) tight left and loose right! That ensured I went out wide when I needed to!
I pulled up and both their cars were in the drive! I knocked the door and they were so happy to see me and surprised! I ended up there for almost 2 hours, enjoyed a cuppa and big chat. I was lucky to have caught up with them as they are about to move!
I also caught up with some great friends of the boys. Rhyce best mate Dylan, his sister Emily who is great mates with Korey and of course their parents!
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| Emily & Dylan :) |
I also managed a spot of shopping and picked up a heap of things to bring back to the US ready to celebrate Australia Day :)
For dinner tonight I caught up with Sam & Akriti, some friends from Kissingpoint Cottage, which is a Military support & playgroup place! We enjoyed a lovely Thai meal and of course a glass of wine!
Day 4, Tuesday:
Today I went out and visited with my in laws, Allan & Judy. It was so great seeing them!!! It was Melbourne Cup Day so I took them out for lunch at the local RSL club. We had a really great meal, a drink or 2 and a flutter on the pokies! From memory one of their houses won in the sweep that the club had, so a good day all round :)
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| My in laws, Al & Judy :) |
It was sad to say goodbye, but on the plus I will be back next year to visit again :)
Early in the evening I took Sil to my awesome Aussie hairdresser Aisha! We both had our hair coloured and pretty sure Sil will be back to see Aisha again! I miss having my hair done by her! She is a really lovely chick and awesome job, so if anyone wants her contact details, let me know!!
Sydney/Tasmania:
Day 5, Weds:
Well today marks my last day in Syd, for now, but not before one last catch up with some other friends from Kissingpoint Cottage!! I enjoyed a great morning tea at Bridget's with Beck and Krystal. Met another 2 new babies, the gorgeous Taylah (Beck's) and gorgeous Annabelle (Bridget's). I was hoping to meet Krystal's new bub, but its about 5 days after her due date now and bubs is quite comfy staying put lol!
Karrie was kind enough to drop me off at the airport and then I was Tassie bound, ready to witness the wedding of the year! The flight was a little bumpy but a nice quick one! Kris and Mel were at the airport to meet me and once again I got to meet another little one, Dante, their son!
The afternoon was spent chilling out on the property they live on, helping Mel go feed all the horses and even got to see a gorgeous little colt that was born a few days earlier! They have some amazing views from their front and back decks and it was nice to get out in the fresh country air!
That night Mel's mum Rhonda, cooked up a yummy lamb chop dinner and then we headed out to pick up some wedding supplies............ok we literally picked branches & gum nuts off tress ready for the reception decorations! It was quite funny, at night with a pair of secateurs in hand, ducking down when cars came by lol! They looked great though :)
Day 6, Thurs:
With excitement in the air, today was all about getting nails done, wedding rehearsal at the church and a dinner to get to know the bridal party and families a bit better! It was also about Royalty! You see Prince Charles and Camilla were in town as part of a trip to Oz. There was a buzz as the cars they were using were also the ones we were having for the wedding! They drove past us on our way back from the beauticians and I snapped a couple of pics!
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| Police escort for the Prince! |
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| Not close enough to see in! But hey I got the flag on the front of the car! |
The rehearsal went well, the Dean was hilarious!! As the only bridesmaid able to make rehearsals, I had to show the other 3, Cara, Amber & Ree, how to walk the aisle, where to stand and when to move!
The church was absolutely beautiful. Big stained glass windows, huge aisle for Mel to walk down and really well preserved!
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| Mel & Kris at their wedding rehearsal :) |
We enjoyed the dinner and headed back to Mel's for the night. It was a full house with her Mum, sister, Amber & myself all there now!
Day 7, Friday:
Today was all about setting up the reception, checking in to our accommodation at the resort and the Hens Night!!
With many hands on deck we were able to set up the reception room quite quickly. It looked stunning once we were done. Lots of native themed items and our gum leaves and nuts looked awesome!!
As the afternoon rolled on so did the storm clouds! Before long Hobart was on Tornado watch! I could not believe I had come this far, having just left Hurricane Sandy back home, to have this the day before the wedding!!!
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| Storm rolling in ~ great view from Mels house though :) |
It was time to get ready for the hens night. As it was the night before the wedding (most guests flew from interstate) it was more about the fun factor and not the drinking to get wasted factor!
I had booked us in for a burlesque and pole dancing class, followed by dinner at a restaurant/bar called Soho on Hobart!
Lets just say we ALL had a fantastic night, a couple of drinks and loved the classes. So much laughter, especially when the bride had a special guest drop in, that she had to strip......dont worry folks, this was of the 'blow-up' variety lol!!
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| All the ladies!! |
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| The bride to be stripping her 'fella' for the night! lol |
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| Mel & I at Soho enjoying our 'fishbowl' cocktail :) |
The night ended at 11pm and we all headed back to the resort for some much needed rest, tomorrow was THE big day!
Day 8, Saturday 10th November 2012 ~ Wedding of Mr & Mrs Langiano
Well the storm passed by without a hitch, the Royals had left, the hens night was a great success now its time to get married!!!
We started of the morning with a chicken and champagne breaky. We needed something in our bellies as it would be hours before we had the opportunity to eat again! lol
The hairdresser arrived at 7am and the make-up ladies followed a few hours later. Before we knew it, it was time to frock up, put on the heels and make our way out to the cars!!
The Bride looked STUNNING!!! The Bridesmaid's, flower girl & page boy all looked awesome and the colours and flowers just fitted perfectly together!
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| The gorgeous Bride and her kiddies Matilda & Dante xxx |
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| Matilda, Dante, Mel, Me, Amber, Cara & Ree, all ready to go! |
The ceremony at the church was beautiful, not too long, a laugh with the Dean and filled with love :)
Everyone looked amazing!! Here's a few snap shots, taken by the sister of the Bride, Lisa (thanks, great job hun!)
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| You may kiss the Bride!!! |
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| Mr & Mrs Langiano |
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| All the guests on the steps of the church ~ St Davids Cathedral, Hobart |
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| With the Best Man & Groomsmen |
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| All the chickies! |
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| The awesome foursome!! Cara just got a slap on the backside by Ree lol |
Once the ceremony was over it was time for some photos. We headed to the Treasury building and a fountain nearby. Then back in the cars and off to the reception at Wyndham Resort, Seven Mile Beach. We had a really great night, a few drinks, lots of laughs and the speeches went really well.......although when I finished my speech and said " Now over to the gorgeous bride Mel, because lets face it Kris, Mel will forever have the last word", she took it literally and thanked all but the gum nuts for being there lol!!!
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| The Bridal party |
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| Delicious cake! |
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| The bride & grooms glasses, my flowers in the background and their love sign :) |
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| Love this pic! It really captures them well :) |
Now like any wedding, of course there was dancing. But with the latest music craze being Gangham Style, there was no way the night was going to end without it!!!
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| Heyyyyyy sexy lady, woop, woop, woop, woop woop!!! lol |
LOL it was a really fabulous day, a beautiful wedding and I wish Mr & Mrs Langiano all the best for their married life together xxxxx
Day 9, Sunday:
It is day after the wedding and we are all up and about cleaning the resort cabin and getting ready to make our way back home, for some and I'm off to Melbourne to visit family & friends.
The bride & groom were understandably no where to be found, so us 4 bridesmaids headed out to a cafe for a nice breakfast! We ended up at one near the airport as I had a flight to catch soon after!
It was really great catching up with Mel, Cara, Ree & Amber. I loved my time in Tassie. Here are some quick pics in and around Hobart. I didnt have much time to play tourist, but having been here before on holidays, I am more keen than ever to return with my family and explore a little more :)
Day 9, Sunday continued:
Melbourne:
I was fortunate enough to spend the next 6 nights in Melbourne, my home town. It was really busy but great! I caught up with many of my friends and a heap of family. As it was so busy I wont do a day by day break down. But I will highlight a few things!
I spent the first night catching up with an old (well she is young!!) work mate Yvette. It had been about 10 years since we had seen each other, life and living in different countries contributed to that! She had spent a bit of time living in Canada and we crossed paths with us heading to the US and Yvette heading back to Oz! That didnt stop us from having a cracker of a night, a few Ruski's and once again a load of laughs!
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| Having a crazy time! |
My brother, Kj, was home from the mines, but only for 2 nights. So we had a bbq lunch at his house the day I landed. on the Monday my Mum had planned for us to scatter my Dads ashes. Given all of their 4 kids were in not only the same country, but the same state, it was the perfect time to do it. It was my Dads wishes to be scattered. We had made the decision that it would be in the Yarra River up in Warburton near my family town. Well the town that I grew up in, Millgrove.
We all met up and had a great day of laughter memories and lunch. This is a photo of my Mum in the river, carrying out Dads wishes.
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| Yarra River, Warburton Monday 12th November 2012. Scattering of Dads ashes xxx |
While we were there, we took the opportunity to grab a few family pics! it has been a while lol
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| My brother Kj (Kevin John), sister Belinda, Mum Teresa, little sister Michelle & myself :) |
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| With my brother & sisters, having a laugh |
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| The Original Browns!! |
While I was in town I took the opportunity to check out my old town and the house I spent most of my younger years in. Things had changed quite a bit.........they had traffic lights by the local milk bar!! lol Our house was not how it was when Mum & Dad had sold. It had basically been left without a care in the world. All overgrown, the pretty flower beds now all weeds and just looked trashy! At least the view of the beautiful Mt Little Joe was still there!
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| The mountains near where I grew up in the Yarra Valley |
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| My old milk bar and grocer shop! |
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| Traffic lights........crazy! |
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| The old Millgrove sawmill, still up and running after all these years! |
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| My old family home ~ 24 Patrick Street, Millgrove, Vic! We use to have a hedge and no fence! |
As mentioned before I spent a heap of time with my siblings and their families. here are some pics of my awesome nieces & nephews! Miss you guys LOTS!
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| Shae, Pacey, Rose & Kiffin ~ Belinda's children |
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| Ki (Kevin Izac), Chloe & Rebekah ~ Kj & Emmas kids |
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| Jack & Holly ~ Michelle & Dions kids |
I was fortunate enough to have my best friend Nicky come and spend a couple of nights with me. We met each other in grade 3 at primary school (Millgrove Primary!) and have been great mates ever since. That was back in 1985 when I was 9 years old! Here we are 27 years later!!
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| Nicky & me! Can you believe she was actually taller than me up until year 10!! lol |
Whilst staying at Michelles house out in Yarra Glen, Vicky & Shaun came out for a visit and took me out to lunch at Fergussons Winery in Dixon Creek. Again the weather was awesome, company was great, lots of laughs, good food and great wine, right from the cellar! I took a heap of pics of these 2 lovebirds but here is my fav from the day :)
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| Vicky & Shaun |
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| Vicky & I |
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| Old Railway bridge coming into Yarra Glen |
There is a VERY special young lady in my life who is always on the top of my "to visit" list and that is Paige. I have known Paige since she was a newborn little baby and here she is almost 18 years old! Time certainly flies! She is always a treasure to me and I love her like my own xxx
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| Paige and me :) |
I had a really awesome time in Melbourne and it all went by very quickly. I got to watch my nephew Jack ride a bike with no training wheels and do a karate class. I met my nephew Kiffin for the first time. I got to meet my newest 2nd cousin Isabelle and just had fun!!! Thank you to all who had me sleep over and to everyone who came out to visit me at dinners, catch ups etc. I really appreciated it. Thanks to my family for having me over and to my Mum for taking me around :)
Saturday 17th Nov: Back to Sydney
After a great dinner with friends and family last night, I had stayed at a hotel with my Mum near the airport. The main reason for this was sadly some of my nieces and nephews had caught the gastro bug and I wanted to stay well away from them all! lol I said goodbye to my Mum and flew back to Sydney for one last night.
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| View from plane of Sydney Harbour :) |
I spent the night with my Sil and nieces & nephew who were not there when I flew in 2 weeks ago! We had fun just hanging out, taking photos and I enjoyed watching Ysy play her indoor soccer game :) Here is a pic of Ysabel, Max & Molly, miss all these guys heaps too!
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| Ysabel, Molly & Max (twins = double trouble!!) |
So that pretty much sums up my trip back home! I had the most amazing time, oh and I ticked lots of things of my 'food' list:
Pavlova
Sausage Rolls
Meat pie
Vanilla Slice
Cadbury chocolate
Sausage in bread
Lamb Shanks
Lamb chops
Picnic bar
Solo
I'm sure there was more, but it escapes me right now! lol
There was one very special friend Sam, who I was unable to catch up with this time as her beautiful little girls are not the best health wise right now. I was so sad not to see her, but super understanding that her girls needed their Mummy more than me. I miss you heaps Sammy and will def make sure my itinerary allows me to get up to see you next year :)
The flight home was a long one, 26 hours from leaving Sydney to arriving home. I had a quick layover in LA, which was just enough time to grab some lunch! Qantas was great to fly with and I highly recommend the A380 airbus! I was lucky to havem a window seat and no one next to me, so got to spread out a little and actually managed a few hours of sleep!
It was awesome to see my amazing hubby again, who held the fort at home with the boys for the 2.5 weeks that I was away. Lucky for me, I get to do it all over again next year when Nicky & Mick tie the knot!
Until next time..............................................................................................
