Albania--The Double-Headed Eagle has Landed!

Albanian flag

Months after making the decision and signing contracts in Albania, we have finally arrived! Tirana, Albania is our new home. If you're still wondering where on Earth (literally) we are, check out our last blog post which includes a handy little Google Map. Otherwise, more locally, we're in a great little neighborhood, tucked into a nice little apartment, a stone's throw away from restaurants, coffee shops, parks, and are happy as clams.

So we arrived six days ago, and haven't had a hiccup yet! *Knock wood* We were delightfully surprised when we wheeled ourselves through arrivals and noticed someone standing at the airport holding a sign with our names- That almost never happens! We are notoriously ripped off when it comes to negotiating airport taxis--We've come to accept it and have learned to let it go...along with our money. But this time there was no need! We jumped in our new school's van and were whisked off towards our new host-city, Tirana! While driving we received sim cards complete with activated cell plans and were informed that we were being taken to our new apartment. No time was being wasted.

We were a bit apprehensive about the apartment situation, as we had planned on spending some time over the next couple of days looking at different accommodations and checking out some different neighborhoods before we decided on a place to call home for the next two years. Through some meaningful eye contact in the darkness of the van's backseat we agreed not to take the apartment, as making a decision after 24 hours of travel and having only been in the country for about 20 minutes seemed a bit hasty. Welllll you know what, hasty decisions have often seemed to work out for us, and we're hoping this one does too--because we took the apartment. So, to recap, we've now been in the country for 25 minutes and have gotten our phone and apartment sorted (With immense help from our school, and our stellar abilities to make on-the-spot choices). We were feeling pretty good about the move!

Our new mini maison!

Wonders worth capturing
...at the time.

No such thing as jet lag!

Since we had sorted out some priorities pretty quickly, we decided that we would reward ourselves by continuing our summer vacation while chilling out in our non-refundable hotel (We went from being homeless to having two homes very quickly). We walked around the nice streets of Tirana's downtown neighborhoods, taking in first impressions. What strikes us as interesting in the first couple of days in a new place is always hilarious to look back on when you become more accustomed---In Korea we marveled at the mass variety of instant noodles in the grocery stores, in Malaysia we couldn't get over the size of flora the jungle produced...and in Albania, it's the coffee. There are cafes everywhere ...and boy, we've indulged. And with coffee comes pastries, with pastries comes the need to exercise, with exercise comes the need for more coffee, it's become a jittery cycle....even now, I'm typing at an extraordinary speed..WPM is off the charts!

On our quest to begin to get the lay of the land, we have been wandering. A lot. With Tirana's population of about 400,000 (compared to Kuala Lumpur's 7 million) the city feels pretty wide open for exploring! We've eaten a lot of great meals mainly consisting of grilled meat, cheese, tzatziki, tomatoes and peppers. We've frolicked in Skanderbeg Square, puzzled over the Pyramid of Tirana, lounged in parks, descended into a nuclear war bunker, ya know, the usual when exploring a post-communist country.

A huge shoutout to all the amazingly fresh food-Time to ditch the processed/frozen food section...with the exception of gelato of course ;)

The history of Skanderbeg Square is nothing I know of yet. However the very odd pyramid in the bottom right corner is a bit of a fun one--It was built in the late 1980's as a museum dedicated to communist leader Enver Hoxha; however since the collapse of communism in Albania in the early 1990's it has been used as a conference&expo centre, NATO headquarters, broadcasting centre...and now finally, a parking lot and vandalized, derelict jungle gym of sorts. Can't wait to see what's next for old pyramidy!

We came upon this ex-nuclear bunker turned museum called 'Bunk Art 2' dedicated to Albania's bleak history spanning between 1910-1990. Some pretty heavy stuff, and with only 1/2 hour until closing time, we did not do this museum or the contents justice, but certainly a glimpse into Albania's past.

Finally, we've had the obvious reminder that living in a foreign country often requires you to at least attempt to learn the language. In Malaysia we were spoiled and incredibly lazy when it came to learning Bahasa--We took full advantage of the fact that pretty much everyone spoke English as their second (or third or fourth) language, and learned an average of one phrase for each year we lived there---Yep, four phrases in four years. I know 🙍. Here in Albania, we've quickly come to realize that we're going to need to pick up the language-learning pace. So far we've successfully said 'thank you' or 'faleminderit', and are like two proud parrots repeating it everywhere we go. Next, who knows, maybe 'Hello'?

Alright, what was meant to be a quick little post, has resulted in the full blown ramblings of a heavily caffeinated, excited-to-be-here individual. Cheers to Albania!

Jumpa Lagi, Asia!

Change is afoot! When you follow the school-year calendar, June is always a wild, climatic and hectic time of deadlines, 'year-end' gatherings and flat-out energy. Of course this year will be no different. However after the cubbies have been cleaned out and the bulletin boards are taken down, we will not only be packing up for our annual summer bliss in Canada, we will also be packing and stacking boxes full of our accumulated chopsticks, elephant pants, saris, Buddha statues, lanterns and curry spices, and starting our next chapter in....Europe!

Ok 'Europe' is so vague, I know. More specifically, we will be joining a school in Tirana, the capital city of Albania. So where is Albania and why are we choosing to make it our next home away from home? Well, to start, Albania is sandwiched between Greece and Montenegro, with Macedonia to the East, and across the Adriatic Sea from Italy. Is that anymore clear? If not, don't fret...When we initially heard back from our new school, the first thing I did was plug Albania into the ol' Google Maps. To save you the time....

Alright, so why have we made this seemingly random choice? Well, all with good reason. After six years of enjoying all things Asian, Tyler and I were looking for a new experience both professionally and as travelers. We knew that we wanted to either make a try to fulfill a dream of living in Europe or head home to Canada. We also knew that we wanted to continue to work together at the same school, as well as continue to teach the I.B curriculum. Since we had that frustratingly special mix of quite specific to very general criteria, we decided to blanket both Europe and North America with resumes and wait to see what came back. We heard back from a number of schools, and after a bunch of interviews in half a dozen countries, we decided that the school in Albania sounded like it shared our values when it came to education. (The beauty of working for private schools is they are all different and can have a big range in focus and values...You gotta shop around!) Another big advantage to the school in Albania was it met three out of four of our search criteria. (...Sadly, Albania is not Canada's 13th province 😢)

So professionally, we're happy. Otherwise, what are the things we are looking forward to while living in Albania? Well, to start, we're very excited to have so many European countries at our doorstep, as this isn't an area of the world we've seen enough of--Three hour drive to Greece ✔, two hour ferry to Italy ✔, three hour flight to Switzerland or Spain (eh, Danielle? Ferran&Maria?) ✔. We are excited! Next, being one of the least developed countries in Europe, the cost of living is lower so we won't have the shock of our lives moving from Kuala Lumpur. Most importantly, the food- I predict that I will eat very little but cheese, bread, roasted peppers and pizza until Christmas. Of course, travel in Albania itself; --The curious post-Communist-esqueness, Mediterranean coastlines, mountains, lakes, winding goat-peppered roads..."get my driving gloves, Merla! We're buying a van!" And finally, four seasons! You can all remind me of this when I'm griping about the cold...but for now-- boots, scarves, coats, mitts, sweaters-- items steamy Malaysia would never allow for.
So until we get there and can see for ourselves, we can thank the internet and Lonely Planet for giving us a taste of what we're in for.

See you in August, Albania!
....And until then, we start to say goodbye to our beloved Malaysia, and I can tell ya, it's going to be oh-so-bittersweet.

Beautiful Boracay, Spring Break 2017

This was the second Spring Break we've spent in the lovely, sunny, picturesque Philippines. Although our last trip to El Nido started off a bit more dramatically, this time round it was smooth sailing all the way to Boracay.
Boracay is a bustling island. A very bustling and busy island. We had a great time, but I could understand why it may or may not be the spot for everyone's beach holiday. As our main goal was to unwind and relax, we went the low-key route and didn't get up to too much besides finding a pool or beach-side chair and reading a book. And how hard is it to fulfill those requirements anywhere while on vacation? Boracay's major leg up is that everywhere you look there is an unreal coastline staring back. So with little care to adventure too far, we basically rotated between three locations;

White Beach: As it turns out Koreans and Chinese tourists love the place! The main part of the island, White beach was seriously bumping when we headed down for sunset. Honestly, I was far more impressed by the sheer amount of people walking up and down the beach, than by anything else the beach had to offer. Besides Heaundae Beach in Busan, S. Korea at the height of summer, I've never seen so many people on a waterfront. It was amazing (in a contrary sort of way). White Beach wouldn't be the place you would go to find serenity. It is four kilometres of restaurants, bars and vendors catering to holiday-seekers. Lots of options for food--From local food, tiki bars, huge seafood buffets, Starbucks, Johnny Rockets and TGIFridays-- You can literally find everything there. As it's a pretty busy beach with lots of boat traffic, the water isn't great, however I was really impressed with how well the actual beach was kept! No garbage, no cars, strictly enforced smoking regulations...the quality of the sandy beach was great! We mostly moseyed down this way for an evening sunset cocktail and some dinner, but beyond that we were a bit skiddish of the crowds....

The sunset draws the crowds!

Puka Beach: A bit quieter, but still hustling and bustling, Puka Beach was where we set up shop for a few full days of sun, swim and sand. Puka Beach had stunning water and very little boat traffic, which again, for the amount of people there, has been impressively preserved and maintained. It was an ideal spot to grab a coconut and people watch. Conclusions drawn from a couple days of casually peering over the top of my book and catching a glimpse; 1. Everyone is happy at the beach. Once you've arrived at the beach, there's nothing else to do but splash about in the crystal clear water, push around some sand and lounge. Who wouldn't be happy? 2. A successful star jump group photo is tough, not for the faint-hearted, or those on a time constraint. 3. Western people like to bake in the sun (present company excluded) wearing as little as possible, while the majority of Asians do not. 4. It is extremely difficult to walk backwards on a crowded beach in the sand with a selfie-stick and not stumble---As proven by the lady who, as forecasted by Tyler, literally walked over me and ended up face-down, rolling in the sand (....she should've gotten her head out of the sand ! Har har har ). Initially I reacted with a blasé attitude, but once the lady had resumed her minute-by-minute vacation video, Tyler and I couldn't help but roll around laughing.

Our Hotel: We stayed at a hotel that was away from the heart of the tourist centre of the island (but to be honest there were tourists everywhere). We stayed at a big hotel that had a great pool, private little beach and was located on top of a hill, so beside working those calf muscles all week, we caught both the sunrise and sunset each day! With our duty-free bottle of rum and a bunch of great ham, cheese and rolls we bought at a deli in town, we were happy to post-up by the pool.

 

As you can see we did little else but hang by the pool, and wait for the never disappointing sunset.

Like I said, this was a week of lounging and relaxing, and when we do that we read...a lot! I'd like to recommend a few books for those looking for a decent narrative (nothing too mind-bending, just good stories that popped up at the airport bookstore). Summer is coming..Anyone have a good recommendation?

Macau & Hong Kong-ing

This was one of my favourite holidays and I suppose what made our extra-long weekend (5 days is still considered a weekend right?) away to Macau and Hong Kong such a good one was the pace of it all. We seemed to check a lot off the tourist list, but at the same time had enough time to really relax and enjoy what the city countries had to offer.
We started off in Macau, the most densely populated country in the world--With it being only 28 km2, and pretty much China, there are a lot of people (over 70,000 people per square mile). As this former Portuguese settlement, and Vegas of the East was the closest we've been to China, or Portugal....or Vegas for that matter, it was all a lot to take in.
So before heading to Macau I was at a lunch and chatting with someone who frequents the island (I'm guessing with a heck of a lot more financing than Ty and I). When getting tips on what to do and see he tacked on "And for the cheesiest night ever, there's a super old and one of the original hotel/casino called the Lisboa....you should check it out." At which I could have thanked him for the tip and moved on, but instead, took a healthy swig of wine and boldly admitted "Oh! That's where we've booked to stay!"...No shame.
Upon arrival, the Lisboa was exactly where I'd like my '80's movie to take place. The lights, the chinzt, the florals and pastels, the wallpaper, it was all so wonderful, and made me regretful I didn't pack something a little more tight and bright. Anyway--We were only in Macau one night, so it really wasn't all about the hotel, but it certainly was a great starting point. We spent the day walking around fading between old Europe and old China, checking out the waterfront, and all the big glam and glitzy hotels and casinos. Such a juxtaposing little city! Of course food is never far from our minds, and we were after two things; dim sum and Portuguese egg tarts. I'll get to the dim sum later... but for now, the egg tarts! We tracked down the 'best' spot for egg tarts and lattes (although we came across plenty of spots where the egg tarts were just fine) and buried ourselves into a quick half dozen. I am forever a huge fan!

Fear & Loathing in Macau

Next stop was Hong Kong. We hopped on a ferry and an hour later we were in, what I would say is just maybe the best Asian city we've come across (Ahhhh...how can you choose? There's been a lot of adventures and a lot of love to give each city for different reasons!) I will say that Hong Kong lived up to all the hype and we absolutely loved it. The scenery is beautiful, the cityscape is wild, the wide clean sidewalks are perfect, the parks and public spaces are a treat, the strange and perfect mix of Asian and Western culture was absolutely up our alley. I really can't think of anything I didn't care for (well the Hong Kong dollar is a touch pricey, but you get what you pay for in this world!...As evident by our comically small hotel room). We public transported it all over the city by train and ferry hitting up the tourist spots--

Victoria Peak--A huge line for the tram up, but well worth the views! We mooched around at dusk, and in my opinion The Peak is best taken in at night for the illuminated skyline. There were tons of places up top to have a bite&cocktail. We chose Bubba Gump Shrimp because they had the shortest line....annndd loved it! Don't know why we have avoided this restaurant in the past (besides not loving seafood)....Stupid is as stupid does. The commitment to the theme gets two big thumbs up!

Ngong Ping 360 cable car was a great little stop on Lantau Island. It was a 25 minute ride up through the mountains with pretty specy views of mountainous Hong Kong and the South China Sea. At times it felt pretty precarious hanging high up over the mountains while the wind blew gusts through our gondola, but we just held on tight. At the top of the mountain we checked out Tian Tan Buddha, or simply 'Big Buddha'. Always cool to see a giant symbol of faith, and stretch our legs before heading back down the mountain!

Hong Kong Disneyland was a huge highlight for both of us! Having never been to any other Disney theme park, we were literally children in (multiple) candy shops. Again, we loved the commitment to the theme. From the moment we stepped onto the dedicated subway line outfitted with Mickey Mouse-shaped windows and statues of our favourite characters, to when we staggered outta there at closing, we were swept up.

Besides the obvious tourist haunts, we really enjoyed wandering the streets, checking out some shopping and taking in the hustle and bustle of this very livable and enjoyable city. For us, who have become accustomed and captivated with living in Asia, however still pine away for the familliarities of Western culture, Hong Kong filled the bill. To seek out bargains in the bustling street markets, then find they have sizes that fit my maple-syrup-loving physique, to fill up on amazing dim sum and various hanging meats for dinner, then end your night with a drunk slice where they had allll the dipping sauces and Dr. Pepper, to be squished, poked and prodded while trying to get on the train, then to realize the train is running on time and there's plenty of seats for everyone---Well it was all a bit of a shock in the most pleasant of ways.

Sooo most of our pictures from the trip got eaten up and remain in electronic limbo...and these last pics are the product of a quick Google image search---BUT that certainly is what Hong Kong streets look like at night, that is the Star Ferry that shuttles everyone to and fro on the harbour, and those are the flamingos that chill out in Kowloon Park all day.

G'Day Australia!

Australia! What a breath of literal and metaphorical fresh air. After a seemingly inexplicable (but nonetheless legit) bout of stress in the Fall spurring on intense pangs of homesickness, Australia was exactly the douse of Western culture we needed. Cue the entertaining English, seriously breath-taking vistas, endless open-road and the notable infatuation with bacon, we felt right at home--all whiffs of former anxiety flying out the window to the open sea!

So as per our very loosely made plan, we flew in and out of Sydney, and beyond that all we wanted to do was drive as far North as our little van would take us in the next three weeks (which turned out to be way less than we had first envisioned--We seriously underestimated the size of Australia!). With Tyler's ambidextrous driving skills raging, we put the pedal to metal in our new rolling home. As we headed out of Sydney we kept thinking 'Huh, this is kinda like Canada'-- Big open roads carved out of huge rocks, a river or lake around every corner...but then we hit the coast, and WOW! Australia! Because it was all pretty sweet-as, let me give you the highlights...

The Aussies: Ahhhhh the Aussies; the endearing, amazingly friendly, mildly racist, ultra spirited, unapologetic Aussies. Can't say enough great things about them. If they weren't friendly (which they are), they were at the very least entertaining--Between the bikies, bogans and the sweet ladies running the Driver-Revivers (free coffee stands on the highway to wake-up the roadtrippers--Genius) there was always someone to chat with. Always up for a chat, to the point where we had to wonder if anyone had anywhere to be. Now, Canadians have a reputation for being friendly, but Aussies take having a yarn to a whole new level. Asking an idol question at the gas station would often turn into a full-on round table debate over the merits of block ice vs cubes, and leave Tyler in the parking lot wondering what was going on and where I've been. Oh, and if the birds didn't wake you up at the crackers, the Aussies would. The first morning we woke up in a beach parking lot I was super confused to find people everywhere exercising at 5:30am..jeeeeze. I guess that's how they manage all those steak pies!

The Van: We picked up our sweet little Mystery Machine on Day One and reluctantly gave her back on Day 22 of our adventure. To say we adored her was an understatement; the van life and all its close, cozy campiness is certainly for us. Upon making her acquaintance we quickly dubbed her Sheila (for all our 65+ Aussie ladies at the Bowling Club) and Sheils for short (...we had recently binge watched Shameless and who can't help but love looney-tooney Shiels?!). After spending last Christmas in India-- which lacked a certain je ne sais quoi  in the cheerful department, dammit, we were hellbent on feeling the spirit this year. Once the stockings were hung with care, twinkle lights were strewn and the interior (and inevitably our faces) was covered in glitter, we truly felt that home is where the heart is. And what's Christmas without a hiccup er two? Sooo when you rent a van with 500,000Km one could expect a breakdown. Do you really need a clutch tho? With Australia's obsession with roundabouts, one might say yes. A big shout-out to Carl the Mechanic for fixing us up during Christmas, and for his hospitality!...When your van is broken, so is your home. (Again, those Aussies!)

The Camping: When we were looking for a hot shower we booked into a legit campground. Otherwise, we spent some nights parked in beach-side parking lots (always with the risk of being moved along in the night, but waking up to the most beautiful scenes was worth it). A major thumbs up for Australia is that most beach parking lots have a shower and toilets which are cleaned daily and always fully stocked with toilet paper (it's the small things you miss after living in Asia). The public facilities are so good that we ended up parked in a day-park for three days over New Years, not even bothering to pretend we were packing up when it got dark. We spent another night at a beautiful and peaceful fairground in the hills. We spent another night at the Bowls Club parking lot-- Much like the Legions in Canada, there seemed to be a Bowls Club in every small town. Bowls Clubs are lawn bowling clubs with a restaurant, pokies (VLTs) and a bar. Essentially, the Legion with one catch--You can pay to park and camp in the parking lot. Yupp, no need to drink and drive when you can stay four nights for the mere cost of $5--Although we only camped out one night, we were totally sold!

Not a bad view in the morning!

The Barbecues: You cannot go to Australia without noticing and partaking in a sizzle or two. 'When in Rome' doesn't even touch how wholeheartedly  we entered into the scene. Breakfast, lunch and dinner happened on either a public flattop or our own little grill out the back of the van, either way, we were up for a barbie. Not only are the bbq's awesome and free, they seem to attract company. Everyone wants to know where ya from, what ya doing, and what ya grilling. We got the best travel tips, local secrets and advice just hanging around the bbq. Oh, and the meat in Australia is certainly a thing....And damn it's tasty! To the point where we were driving by a field of cows and I involuntarily uttered 'mmmmmm'. (I know, vegans shield your eyes.) But that's not the only thing we grilled--To some suspicious eyes, the french toast, fajitas, and stir-frys were perhaps not the traditional Aussie cook-out, but whatevvvvs.

Whether we were in a park or on the streets of Sydney, there was always a need to sizzle!

The Animals: Australia is home to some pretty weird and wild stuff. Being suckers for a viral video we had seen and heard cautionary tales of the deadly spiders, snakes, sharks, crocodiles, and jellyfish lurking around every corner. After having seen a couple snakes we were much more interested in the cute stuff-- Koala and Kangaroo hunting was high on our agenda. After driving for two weeks and watching kangaroos casually chill under trees, we had seen them do little else but laze and lick their forearms (a great trick to cool down). We were dying to see a kangaroo actually bounce. On our way to Sydney for our final days we drove past a troop of kangaroos just chilling and decided enough was enough-- we were out to have a closer look. To our surprise kangaroos are the most chilled animals ever ---No wonder we hadn't seen them bouncing beforehand. Some 'roos were curious, some were super friendly, and some could careless that we were there. All had a doe-eyed, semi-stunned sweetness about them. We pet them, shook their paws and got our fill of these truly unique animals moving about. So cute when the little ones bounded on by....a bit intimidating when the papa 'roos made their move. Nonetheless, all adorable animals!

In search of a bona fide koala sighting, we spent a few mornings checking out Noosa National Park hoping to see a koala in the wild. Although we enjoyed some great nature walks which culminated in a beauty of a beach, koalas were just not happening. So we headed to Daisy Hill Koala Centre where there were a couple koalas in their interpretive centre, and perhaps in the huge eucalyptus forest...but who the hell knows!? If
they were out there, they weren't revealing themselves. The koalas in the centre were hilariously docile (to the point where we initially thought we were looking at a stuffed animal). Total stoner marsupials.

Finally, the birds. The bloody birds. There is really no need for an alarm clock anywhere in Australia. Between the kookaburra cackling and the rainbow parrots squawking, sleeping in beyond sparrow's fart was nearly impossible.

The Towns&Beaches: As mentioned before, we had planned on covering a lot more ground in Australia, but we didn't for two main reasons; Australia is a mammoth, and we would get way too comfortable in one place. The beaches and the seaside towns were a perfect recipe for a holiday. I was not prepared for the vastness of the beaches. At every turn there was an equally stunning stretch of beach with endless sand, beautiful water and virtually no people. Despite the shark, jellyfish, current warnings, we took every opportunity we could to check out a beach--which was not hard. Most of the beaches we stopped at was edging or smack dab in the middle of a great little beachside town. Byron Bay, Numbucca Heads, Rainbow Beach, Kingscliffe, Booreen Point, Lennox Head, Nelson Bay, Nimbin (Albeit, not a beach-side town, but this little metropolis has is its own unique allurements)

The Cities: As overnight parking or 'camping' as we'd like to refer to it was nearly impossible in the cities, we really only hit up Sydney and Brisbane. Brisbane is a beautiful city, but the true highlight was catching up with our friends Jo and Ahmed. Being with Jo, our first Aussie friend whom we met in KL in her home country was a treat. Jo and Ahmed were full of travel advice, new Aussie expressions and answers to all our burning Aussie questions- 'If a sanger is a sandwich, what do you call a sausage?! and 'What is Macca's?'. It was great to spent time together, meet her family and laugh. Thanks for the driveway bed&breakfast, ya'll!

We hadn't heard the most rave reviews about Sydney from Aussies we met on the road (but I'm from Ontario, I get it---People love to hate 😉). But Sydney! What a great city! We stayed with super hospitable friends of friends (Thank you so much Erin and Carmel! You guys are absolute stars!) off trendy Oxford Street. The location was perfect for exploring the city on foot (definitely got our 10,000 steps!). We spent four days in Sydney, and it was just not enough. We took a peek at the groovy neighborhood at Bondi Beach, people watching, eating fish and chips and checking out the beautiful coastal walk to Coogee Beach. (All was lovely but honestly, the famous city beach was a bit anti-climatic after three weeks of stunning deserted coastlines). We spent a day rambling around The Rocks, the tourist-cladden, convict settled neighborhood which edges the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Circular Quay. With several pubs (hotels) claiming to be the oldest in Australia and some pretty iconic landmarks on hand, we had no trouble filling our time. And finally, we spent a day riding the ferries to Watson's Bay and Manly Beach. What an amazing city to have bays and beaches around every corner! Loved our day of icecream, more fish and chips and city-beaching at some quieter spots.

Altho our time in Australia was too short, it was absolutely amazing (have I mentioned that already?)! We returned back to KL rejuvenated for 2017 and with heaps of memories that make us smile-- and that's truly what a holiday should be about. Although we have no immediate plans to head back to the land down under, we are totally going to take a page out of the Aussies' book and embrace the roadtrippin' way of travel. Our next big purchase will be a van, and whenever possible, we will be hitting the open road. And during those long hours on the road, we'll inevitably reminisce about beautiful Australia. All I can say is, Good onya, Australia!