The Boys Are Back In Town

Well I arrived back in Gizo on Wednesday.  I came back a day early, as my boss had purchased a dirt bike while I was gone, and I really wanted to ride it.  My domestic flight was late, of course, and encountered a few storms, but luckily I had my own crash helmet in my lap.  I had bought a helmet for the bike, and brought it as carry on to save weight in my bag.  We have been busy since I have come home, we have a group of 19 divers here, and a wedding party with about 20 people.  Each day is a new feat to get everyone on boats, and all the gear sorted.  It means I have to start the day at 6:30, so I am looking forward to a break already.

I was shocked when I got back, and found that my whole house has been remodeled, it looks gorgeous.  They finished the bathroom renovation and it only took 3 months!  But in the two weeks I was gone they completed that, painted the inside and outside, and replaced all the electrical fittings, and totally cleaned the kitchen and serviced and washed all the appliances.  Could not ask for more, it is like being in a new house.

It has been nice having the bike, it is fun to cruise around on, and honk the horn at all the kids as you go past the villages.  I had never ridden a dirt bike before, only a street bike, but they are much the same, except when comes to riding up the steep hills here.  They are steep, large stones and pot holes, so you have to pick your path carefully, but I am going slow and being safe, so don't worry mom!

It is nice being in a small place where everyone says hello, and where have you been, we have missed you.  I feel very welcome and loved here, even though I am so far away from everyone else.  Miss Ya'll

Luke

Gold Coast

Just spent the past five days on the Gold Coast.  Dave rented an

apartment down there, so we had a nice comfortable place to stay.  It
was gorgeous, nice leather couches, a big barbie, cable tv, air con,
and my own room!  It was so nice staying someplace posh, and not
feeling like you are intruding on someone.  I have really been
enjoying the hot water, taking about 4 showers a day, and actually
getting my whites clean in the laundry.  Some of my clothes have
shrunk though as this was the first warm wash my clothes have had in
about a year.  I also go through quite a few clothes, and have to buy
new ones here.

We went to the beach and relaxed during the days, watched movies,
cooked on the barbie, went to some clubs, and even went to Dream
World, a theme park here.  The rides and such were fun, but not nearly
as good as the parks in the states.  This was supposed to be
Australia's best, and only had 5 big rides; only 2 were coasters.  Six
Flags over Georgia wins hands down over Dream World.  However is was
fun to go and enjoy ourselves, my favorite was the Giant drop, it
takes you up 39 stories, then drops you, kind of self explanatory.
The cool part was sitting at the top for seemed like forever before
the drop, a bit scary actually.

They also had a small zoo there, so we got to see some kangaroos and
koalas.  Always cute, really makes you feel like your down under!
Today we rented some movies and are just relaxing back in Brisbane.
At blockbuster they had a candy stand "American Candy"  It had all my
favorites so I have been getting quite fat tonight!

Luke

Brisbane/Oktoberfest

I am here in Australia on holiday, and enjoying it so much.  Lots of hot showers, about 4 a day!  They even have this great invention here called "Sliced Bread" maybe you have heard of it, but the Solomons has not.  I got in one week ago and have done some shopping and gotten a hair cut.  I forget I have an accent here, because no one really cares in Gizo.  But I walked in to a hair salon while waiting for a bus and asked the girl "Excuse me mam, but do yall take walk ins?"  She looked at me confused, and said she didn't understand a word I said.  So I asked if I needed an appointment, and then got my hair cut.  The whole time the girls in the empty shop giggled at me whenever I spoke, pretty funny being the foreigner, although I guess I have the foreigner a lot lately.

Last Saturday I went to Brisbane's Oktoberfest celebrations, it was great, drinking draught beer, giant pretzels, fried everything, and nice German Sausages, the girls there were not too bad either as you can see in the photos.  There was also a massive fight there with a lot of pushing and shoving and a few big guys punching it out for about 15 min, they even got into a punch up with the police.  But Aussie's are big so I scooted out of the way pretty quick.

The next few days I spent helping some friends Dave and Chelsea from fatboys in Gizo move some stuff away, and stayed with Chelsea's mom in Brisbane.  They were very nice, and it was nice to do something neighborly and feel like a true friend.  We don't get that domestic type of atmosphere in Gizo, so I really enjoyed it.  Now I am with Dave down on the Gold Coast south of Brisbane at the beach in a nice condo, I have my own room, tv and bathroom.  We have just been relaxing and enjoying a nice place.

Talk To Yall Soon

Luke

Egg Roll

One of our dogs at the dive shop is Brownie.  This morning someone dropped a hard boiled egg out side.  So we peeled part of it to give it to the dog.  She looked at it, smelled it, licked it, then stood back and dropped her shoulder on it to crush it.  Then she rolled around in it, covering herself in egg.  It was a megapod egg, not a chicken egg so a bit bigger, and a larger yoke. She was covered in yellow.

Well we do one things with dirty dogs here, and that is throw them in the sea. So I walked her to the jetty, put her on a boat and went out a bit, kicked her off and had her swim to shore.  Well Brownie would not eat the egg, but the fish would.  So she was covered in fish eating the egg out of her fur.  She was perplexed, but not mad, then started barking at the fish for them to go away.  All in all it was a great Solomon experience.  Welcome to the Solomons!

Australia Again

Well it has been a hectic morning/weekend, but I am finally packed and ready to go on Holiday!  I am going to Australia for two weeks or relaxing with hot showers, hair cuts, fast internet, cable tv, sliced bread, red meat, and seeing some friends.  I will try and post some pictures from the past few months since I should have better internet.

My Itinerary should anything happen:
6th October - Fly To Honiara
8th October - Fly Honiara to Brisbane via Pacific Blue DJ168
20th October - Fly Brisbane to Honiara via Pacific Blue DJ169
22nd October - Fly Honiara to Gizo

I was thinking what do you do on holiday, when a normal day you dive, go to the beach, and have a few beers.  So I decided I would get an office job, wear a suit, wear shoes, and hate life!  Ha Just kidding.  I am actually going to do some shopping in Brisbane, go to OctoberFest, then go to Stratebrooke Island for a week of sun, surf, and beach.

Hope all is well at home, miss you all, but not too much :)

Luke