Whales, and koalas, and platypus, oh my!

In August 2005, I'll finally take my dream trip to Australia. This blog will focus on the planning, taking, and recovering from this trip. A few related side notes are likely as the trip is not until August and who knows what will happen.

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Location: San Jose, California, United States

Tuesday, April 05, 2005

Thumb Twiddling

Everything is done but the packing. Cars are rented. Rooms reserved. Tours that need advance reservations (and even some that don't) booked. These include some more freebies like a full day cruise to the outer reef and day and evening aboriginal experiences. My document folder is complete with receipts, confirmations, maps, schedules, and the odd optional activity (camel ride anyone?) This trip is way too organized. I keep checking to make sure I've left enough time for spontaneity so I don't make the same mistakes I made in England. On that wonderful trip, I had to run through medieval fairs and pass up visiting with some cute doggies.

Speaking of doggies, one of the places I'm going to lets visitors pet a dingo. (Yes, I'll wash my hands, before and after.) These are animals I was happy just to see. Petting one will be a thrill. This is at the Koala Sanctuary near Sydney. Before booking a tour I double-checked the SeeSydney pass I bought. Good thing I did because entry to the Sanctuary was one of the many benefits listed. This card is almost as good as the "magic" card I had in France. Doubt it will get me the special treatment that card did, but it is an awfully good value. All my Sydney sightseeing and harbor cruising is covered including entrance to the Aquarium, museums, and a tour of the Opera House. There are also discounts on food and shopping, not that 10% off at the National Opal Center will make anything affordable. Opals may not be expensive, but the settings sure are. I do hope to pick up at least one opal and one sapphire with which to make a piece of jewelry.

Speaking of jewelry, I've been very productive lately and my repertoire has expanded. The pieces I've made for myself I could never afford at retail, especially those with pearls and sapphires. Inventory is building for the November Intel craft fair at which I'll be sharing a booth with my friend Susan who got me into this whole thing. Strange that I was introduced to 2 of my passions by women named Susan. In any case, I'll have necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and sets to sell in a variety of price ranges. Susan does wonderful lanyards and her style is very different from mine. It will be a good combination.

A sad update on the whale watching scene. I'm no longer working for Chardonnay. Not sure of why, but I got a rather curt letter the day before I was supposed to work a couple of weeks ago saying they didn't need me anymore. It's highly likely I'll find a new gig by next season, but there are no other boats around here as nice as the Chardonnay II. In the meantime, I have more time to clean the apartment, make jewelry, and dream about the trip.

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