His and Her Australia Review

Today is our last full day in Australia. We have had an incredible month and we are incredibly sorry to see it end. We have done and seen some awesome things so we are going to recap our vacation. Rather than just make a list of all the things we did, we thought a Q&A would be more fun. Here goes ---


What were the three favorite foods you ate while in Australia?
Amanda - 
1. Cupcake Espresso Cupcakes
These cupcakes are the ones Shellie and Tim had at the wedding and we have had them three times since. They are so delicious and I have not had anything as good in VA. They are moist cupcakes with a delicious filling and a creamy, smooth icing. I cannot stand the idea of going several years without a Cupcake Espresso cupcake. I wonder how well it would ship?? 

2. Mr. Schnitzel Mr. Mexican Roll
We found this lunch spot after yarn shopping. It is a breaded and fried chicken breast, placed into a pita with the toppings of your choice. Shellie and Tim like the Mr. Hawaiian roll with ham and pineapple but I loved the Mr. Mexican roll with avocado, salsa, cheese, lettuce, and carrots. One roll will fill you up for hours and it tastes so, so good. Sean and I have been talking about how we can recreate these at home.

3. Kebabs
A kebab is a pita filled with shaved, rotisserie meat (usually chicken, beef, or lamb) combined with sauce (ketchup, barbecue, or sweet chili), hummus, tubuli, lettuce, cheese, tomato, and onion. When we were in the Manly part of Sydney, we had kebabs while sitting next to the ocean. So very yummy!!

Sean -  
1. Ham and Cheese Pineapple Rolls from Woolworths
These are a yeast roll that is topped with melted cheese and cubed ham and pineapple. I used to eat them on a fairly regular basis when I worked at Big W but have been unable to find a similar product in America so it was nice to be able to eat them again.

2. Mr. Schnitzel Mr. Champion Roll
The Mr Champion is the wrap with the lot. Inside the pita wrap was breaded chicken, ham, pineapple, beet(root), carrots, fried eggs, lettuce and tomato. It was a challenge to eat it all but it was so so tasty!

3. Australian Alcohol Beverages
Australian beer is much more flavourful and stronger than American beer so I have been enjoying quite a few beers since landing here 4 weeks ago. I have also been enjoying a number of rum drinks as I prefer it to American rum.


What were the three best days you spent in Australia?
Both
1. Shellie and Tim's Wedding Day

This was the reason for our trip. They were sweet enough to plan the wedding at a time when we could attend and we were both so grateful that we could. Being there to hear them exchange vows and make that promise to each other was so special. The reception was so much fun with a great menu and an awesome DJ. Everyone who attended had a blast, including us. Thank goodness we could be there.

Amanda -  
2. My Birthday at White Water World and Dream World

 Dream World is the biggest amusement park in Australia and White Water World is attached. Inside Dream World is a Shrek, Madagascar, and Kung Fu Panda section with cute rides and lots of photo ops. They also have some of the best thrill rides in the world and some fun simple rides. White Water World is the best water park I have been to because they have so many fun and different rides. They have a water coaster, a tornado waterslide, a toilet waterslide, an 8 lane racer, and several fun slides. The lines were super short at both parks since it is the middle of winter and there are no school holidays. We could walk onto all the rides at White Water World and at most we waited 15 minutes for the rides at Dream World. All-in-all, I had a great Australian birthday!

3. Birthday Bonfire

The Saturday before my birthday we traveled to Sean's dad's (Bob) and his wife's (Liz) house for a bonfire. Shellie meant for the bonfire to be a surprise, however six different people who will remain nameless let the cat out of the bag so that part wasn't a surprise. It was a complete surprise that this was a birthday celebration for myself and one of Liz's daughters. Liz made some incredibly tasty food and I had way too much of it sitting next to the warm fire. The kids set off some sparkler bombs and conversation flowed easily. When the cakes - sponge with whipped cream, topped with strawberries and passion fruit - were brought out, everyone sang and we blew out our candles. Both went quickly because they were so tasty. It was a magical night, sitting next to the fire, talking with friends and family. 

Sean -  
2. City 2 Surf
I wrote about this in yesterday's post but the City2Surf running race was one of my favourite activities during my stay. It was by far my favourite running events ever and I hope that I get to run it again sometime in the future.

3. Footy (NRL) Game

I had never been to an NRL game (the rugby equivalent to the NFL) so when we had the chance to see a game in Newcastle we jumped at the chance. Unlike American football the play rarely stopped and was far more interesting. There was plenty of scoring and the home team came from behind to tie up the game. It was one of the best games I have ever watched and was well worth the price of admission.


What was the favorite item you bought while in the country?
Amanda - I absolutely love the new coffee mug I bought while in the Gold Coast. It is hand made, hand painted pottery in a beautiful purple color. I cannot wait to drink the Aussie Breakfast tea I bought in Newcastle out of my new mug.

Sean -  City 2 Surf shirt
I treasure all of my event t-shirts and wear them as a badge of honour but this one will hold a special place in my closet. I look forward to training and running in events in the U.S while wearing my City2Surf shirt. 


What will you miss most about Australia?
Amanda - No question it is Sean's family that I will miss most. I love them more than words can say! I am so grateful for everything they did for us while we were here - driving us everywhere, planning trips for us, and opening their homes. I hate leaving them!! :(

Sean - All the good tucker. There have been so many things that I can't get in America so its been a four week eating extravaganza! Meat Pies, sausage rolls, kebabs, lollies, ham and pineapple cheese rolls, chicken schnitzel and the list goes on. I am glad to report most of the food has not changed for the worse and was just as good as I remember. ---------- Oh, and I will miss my family too! ;)

Are there any questions about our Australia trip that we did not answer here that you would like answered? Comment below or on Facebook and we will happily answer for you.

Happy Travels,