The Land Down Under - Part 1: Sydney and the Great Barrier Reef

While most of my extended family still all live in Vietnam, there are several families that live in other parts of the world. The only family members who were able to get out of Vietnam after the war were my parents, two of my mom's sisters and their husbands and my mom's uncle. They were all "boat people" and ended up in refugee camps in Thailand and other southeast Asian countries. When countries opened up to the refugees, my parents and my mom's uncle decided to come to America, one of my mom's sisters went to Vancouver, B.C. and another one went to Melbourne, Australia.

People always wonder how I have cousins elsewhere, and that's how. While I've met most of my extended family members, I never had the chance to meet my two cousins in Australia... until just recently! (I've met their parents a few times when they visited the U.S.)

When my cousin, Julie, told us about her upcoming nuptials, we all decided it would be a great excuse to finally visit family and Australia. Working around the wedding date, I scheduled our 2-week vacation to the Land Down Under. Since I was trying to make the most of our trip, we decided to hit up three main locations: Sydney, Hamilton Island (Great Barrier Reef) and Melbourne.

Micah, my sister and I went on the 1st leg together (while my mom and several other family members went to Vietnam first). For me, I was debating whether or not to add Hamilton Island to the roster due to timing but I figured it's now or never to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef. Humans, stop destroying the world.

1st Stop: Sydney

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The Basics
Time there: 2 nights
Where we stayed: Capital Square Hotel (right next to Chinatown)
Highlight: The diversity!

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There were moments when I would step into a building in Sydney and thought I was in Tokyo! Kaiten sushi, ramen houses, Japanese cakes, matcha ice cream, the list goes on and on!

Since there is such great Asian food in Sydney, we did eat a lot of Asian food while we were there.

We landed at Syndey airport around 7 a.m. and made our way to the hotel. After freshening up, we decided to head over to Marigold Dim Sum, which was right around the corner from our hotel, to get some food. Marigold was probably some of the freshest and tastiest dim sum I've had.

After getting food into our belly and perusing our map (I love using real maps when I travel to a new place. It allows you to get a lay of the land without depending on a cellphone) we took the subway up to The Rocks area where the ferry terminals.

My favorite area was The Rocks neighborhood of Sydney. The old stone streets are so quaint and cute!

We made a pit stop at a bar right at the bottom of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. They had a great cider on tap!

The area is also going through development woes as well. 

We also made our way to the oldest brewpub in Sydney: Lord Nelson Brewery Hotel.

Their beers were indicative of English brews and all were solid, nothing amazing, but good.

We then made our way down to King Street Wharf where we stopped off at another brewpub. We took a breather, ate some fish and chips and took in the Sydney sun from the wharf.

Instead of taking a train back to our hotel, since we were already half-way back, we just walked back to the hotel.

Since we were all jetlagged we ended up crashing that night after Micah I couldn't get into a club because I had sandals on.

On our second full day, Linda and I started our day off with breakfast at Single Origin in Surry Hills. This place had great reviews on Yelp and I wanted to see what all the fuss with flat whites were.

The place, while small, is efficient and nicely decorated.

I got the beet hummus and Linda got their famous banana bread with cappuccino butter (or something like that).

My beet hummus on toast was art on plate and it was perfection. This beet hummus was creamy and earthy and once paired with the avocado and fresh ricotta, it was scrumptious. I want to recreate this beet hummus at home! Give me the recipe if you have it.

And about these flat whites. Why don't we drink those here? It's more coffee than a latte and frothier. I fell in love with flat whites after drinking this one.

After breakfast, we made it up to Manly Beach with the help of Tiffany (friend from Houston who was also in Sydney at the time) and her friend. While it was a COLD and cloudy day, we still jumped into the ocean because the waves were so enticing. 

After a few hours at the beach, Tiffany and Linda broke off to try to get to the sand dunes (which they didn't make it to) and we ventured to the nearest brewpub in the Manly Beach area. We ended up at 4 Pines Brewing.

The brewery is situated right across the street from the ferry landing that takes you back to Sydney.

After enjoying the little bit of sun and brews, we took the ferry from Manly Beach back to the main city—we even lucked out and got a free ride back because the ticket machines were broken!

The ferry is great way to see the Sydney Opera House, which in my opinion isn't that interesting.

To make our way back to the hotel, Micah and I went through the Botanical Gardens.

It ended up being kind of dreary the second night, so we had dinner at a nearby Thai place and called it night before out next city!

2nd Stop: Hamilton Island

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The Basics 
Time there: 2 nights
Where we stayed: Air bnb condo - Poinciana 106
Highlight: Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef (obviously!)
Tip: There aren't really any hotels here, just apartments/units for rent.

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So this is what you need to know about Hamilton Island. It's the largest island to anchor the Whitsunday Islands—the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef.

Hamilton Island is an interesting place because it's a privately owned and developed island. There is NO FREE wifi on this island. Really. And there are only a handful of actual vehicles on the island, the rest of the transportation is done by golf carts/buggys. I love this island life!

The condo we rented was a great 2br/2ba unit in an older complex but it still had a great view of Catseye Beach. This was our view:

The unit also came with a brand new buggy! Everywhere on the island you'll see plenty of white cockatoos and wallabys. There's a harbor area where the main market, bars and restaurants are located.

On our first day there, we hung out on the beach, played some beach volleyball and we did get to do some hiking up Passage Peak (about 740 feet above sea level). The hike is a good 45-minute hike to the peak, with the last section that is quite steep.

Catseye Beach looking towards Passage Peak to the right

    

Once you're at the peak, you get rewarded with this beautiful view. We made it right as the sun was setting.

We were all sweaty and exhausted after tackling the hill. Whew.

We actually did this hike as the 2016 U.S. election was being called. By the time we came down and got back to the condo and turned on our TV, Donald Trump had won the presidency. That happened and we didn't even know it for hours. That's how disconnected we were!

Our second day on the island was Great Barrier Reef Day! I chose Hamilton Island because we really wanted to visit the Great Barrier Reef and this is where most of the tours depart from. We booked our trip through the Explore Group for the full day snorkel/dive tour.

My sister opted for the diving and Micah and I chose to just snorkel. If you've never dived before, have no fear, they'll train you for a few hours the day before your trip.

This was Linda dive training (with ze Geramsn) the day before our boat trip. That background though.

I can't recommend this excursion group enough! The trip was amazing and the service was top notch! You get fed and they'll answer any questions you have about the fish and corals.

I had an underwater camera on my head but my hair kept getting in the way so in a lot of my video clips, you see some fish, some coral and a whole lot of hair.

The chance to swim among beautiful fish and corals was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and I enjoyed ever bit of it!

We also made some friends with some nice German guys who were also on the reef tour with us. It was just fun playing sand volleyball with them as well as doing the tour with them.

Having an adult beverage at One Tree Hill

Catseye Beach at sunrise.

Stingrays in a little cove at Catseye Beach early in the morning.

We also got a big ass plate of seafood for one of our meals. It was glorious. Do you know what baybugs are? They're like mini lobsters!

If I had more time, I would've booked at least 3-4 nights on the island. It's that relaxing and beautiful. I will see you again Hamilton Island...

A bevy of beverages along Fitzhugh Road

Ten years ago, the homeowners and ranch owners along Fitzhugh Road in southwest Travis County probably never thought their sleepy little two-lane would end up being home to a whole slew of companies making beer, wine, cider and spirits. 

While Fitzhugh Road isn't technically in Dripping Springs, it's pretty darn close and whenever we have visitors in town, the easiest and funnest trips we do is a trip down Fitzhugh Road and then a stop at the Salt Lick for bbq. It's the perfect day trip! 

Jester King Brewery kind of started the booze trend on this stretch of road when they officially opened in early 2011. I remember seeing fliers at Austin Homebrew in 2010 for investment opportunities into Jester King and fast forward five years and they're one of the hottest breweries in town and the crowds line up early for their special releases. Why didn't I invest?!? 

After JK opened and started doing well, a lot of companies followed suit out to the winding road. Permitting/zoning seems to be easier since it's not in the City of Austin. 

If you're looking for something to do on a Saturday afternoon, I suggest you mosey on down to Fitzhugh. Here are a few of the places that you should visit:

Last Stand Brewing

This brewery is in a commercial park that seems like it was made just for drinking (Argus Cidery and Revolution Spirits are in the same complex). 

Last Stand recently expanded their facility (they took over a 2nd warehouse) and now they have a fully functioning taproom that has a/c! You know that a/c is needed when it's 100 degrees during peak summer. 

For a fairly new brewery, they brew some of the most solid selections of beer in town. We always enjoy the various belgian beers they have on tap. The only real problem? They tend to brew beers that have a higher alcohol content, so I would stick with the tasting trays if you're hitting up several places! 

The new and improved tap room has plenty of seating and the all important a/c. They still have an outdoor space that you can enjoy on a nice day.

Take it slow and get a flight. We have several more places to hit up.

Revolution Spirits

Right next door to Last Stand is Revolution Spirits, which specializes in gin. While I'm not a fan of gin, it's still a great place to visit to try the gin (samples are free) and even get a cocktail made with their gin. If you're a fan of super-spiced gin, you might like Revolution's. They put a good amount of juniper in it!

The company is also making a new coffee liqeur that is delicious! Pro Tip: Spec's sells it for cheaper than they do at the distillery. 

Argus Cidery

After you're finished getting your gin and tonic on at Revolution, walk down to Argus Cidery. They're in a green building as well, but the shop is at the entrance -- it's on the immediate left when you turn into the commercial space. It's kind of unfortunate the shop isn't as visible as Last Stand and Revolution.

The ciders they make here are dry and delicious. If Austin Eastciders has the hipster can cider going on, Argus Cidery is the fancier sister. They only sell their stuff in 750ml bottles, which I think is nice but for them to be more accessible, they might have to start canning to compete with Eastciders.

Argus Cidery actually introduced me and Micah to Tepache awhile back and we've been fans ever since. Micah now brews his own Tepache (pineapple wine) and it's great!

Argus is small but there's decent seating along with some outdoor space. The interior space is nicely decorated though! P.S. there's no a/c here.

Argus also teams up with Treaty Oak (which I will get into next) to barrel-age their ciders in the whiskey barrels.

Treaty Oak Brewing & Distilling

Treaty Oak has technically been distilling for 10 years but only recently opened their new and inviting space on Fitzhugh this fall. The space that they've created is very similar to Jester King's. There's a barnyard and no air conditioning here either.

While they're known for their spirits, the company just officially launched their three year-round brews. When we were there for their grand opening party in October the "test" beers they had on tap were not very tasty, so hopefully they fine-tuned their brews for the market. Treaty Oak follows what Ranger Creek did in San Antonio but in reverse. Ranger Creek was always going to make whiskey, but since that takes a few years to get out of the barrel, Ranger Creek started making and selling beer first as the whiskey was in the queue.

But enough about their business model. When you get to their space, there's a shop towards the front where you can buy bottles and other gear. Towards the middle is the main space with drinks on tap and a small menu. Their cocktails are priced well and I was thoroughly impressed with their Old Fashioned.

There is plenty of seating and if you really must watch TV, they have that here too.

Jester King Brewery

Last but not least, the biggest kid on the block is JK. If it's a pretty day, you should expect to see a large crowd here with their dogs and children in tow. However, the lines can get long depending on what beers they have on hand that week so be prepared! The brewery has one main taproom (teeny tiny) but they supplement that by having a couple of mobile tents that have servers as well, just be mindful that the outside tents usually have a smaller selection.

If you don't know about JK beers, I don't know where you've been. They're known for their farmhouse Belgian-style beers. If you come on a day where there's a special release going on, someone might approach you about buying a bottle for them (since JK usually limits special releases to 2 per person). These people then turn around and trade/sell their beer with other beer folks across the country. If you don't like funky beers, JK also has a full list of wines and other breweries beers on hand, so you'll find something!

If you're hungry, there's a pizza joint down the hill along with another bar space operated by another entity.

For the longest time, my biggest pet peeve with JK was the lack of real bathrooms. They always had one bathroom in the main taproom and several port a potties, but that was it. After five years, they finally put in some REAL bathrooms!

Hallelujah!

Drinking on the edge of the Hill Country on Fitzhugh Road at dusk is the perfect way to end a great day!

While I didn't include it in this post, here are some other spots along Fitzhugh Road you should visit:

• Solaro Estate Winery: Not my favorite wine in the area but the space is pretty and has plenty of seating. The wines are a bit pricey for the quality.
• Bell Springs Winery: Not technically on Fitzhugh, but right off of it! Solid winery but smaller than Solaro.
• Texas Hill Country Olive Company: Like olive oil and bread dipped in olive oil? This place is for you. 

Five years of slipping and sliding!

It's been nearly a month since our 5th Annual Slip and Slide party and we haven't fully packed up the slide from the backyard. It takes time to re-roll the slide and get everything nice and neat before we put it away for the next 11 months. Soon (after this rain clears).

The fifth year was another great success and was, once again, pure fun.

While I still made a big ol' batch of sangria, I did mix it up a bit by making my own kegged Moscow Mule with homemade ginger beer. Obviously cocktails on draft are all the rage, so I had to get in on that action.

The ginger beer (recipe below) turned out great—it was spicy and not as sweet as commercial products. I thought it was a pretty good effort for my first batch! And once I added the gallon of vodka, it was even better! We tapped all 3 gallons of it at the party. We also had some of Micah's tepache (pineapple wine) on hand so we threw that into the dispenser as well.

Micah decided to go with a pilsner theme, so all the homebrews we had on tap were pilz, with a Trump twist. 

Food menu was about the same with a large taco bar! I did have some deer sausage in the freezer so thought that would something else for guests to nibble on. 

We're in our mid-30s now, how long can we keep this up?!? As long as we can!!

And every party needs emoji balls!

This poor alien doesn't know what's going on!

CHEERS TO ACTING LIKE KIDS FOR A DAY!

Last year's slip and slide party included more video than this year's. 

Recipe: Kegged Moscow Mule
Makes 3 gallons of kegged cocktail

Ginger Beer:
Makes 2 gallons of ginger beer

• 2 gallons spring water
• 2 C. grated ginger (about 4 large ginger roots)
• 1 1/2 C. white sugar
• 1 1/2 C. light brown sugar
• 2 limes juiced
• 1 lemon juiced

1. Over medium heat, heat 1 gallon of the water with all the sugar in a pot to 180 degrees. Don't let it boil, you're just making a simple syrup. Once it gets to 180, turn off the heat and let it cool down to 150 degrees.

The ginger beer without vodka

2. While the sugar syrup is heating up, trim off most of the ginger skin (it's ok if you don't clean all of it). I then chopped the ginger into 1/4 inch chunks and threw it all into a blender and blended it until the mixture was slightly chunkier than a puree.

3. Strain the ginger and save the ginger liquid. 

4. Put the ginger puree into a cheese cloth or something similar. 

5. Once the sugar/water mixture cools down to 150, put the ginger bag into the water mixture and let it steep for 30 minutes. 

6. Take out the ginger bag, then add the ginger liquid plus lemon and lime juice into syrup liquid mixture. 

7. Make sure you have a sanitized keg and add the entire syrup liquid mixture into the keg along with the other gallon of spring water.

8. Close up the keg and carb it for at least three days (this was not a naturally carbonated ginger soda). 

Turning it into a Moscow Mule

• 2 1.75L bottles of good vodka
• 1 C. fresh lime juice

1. After the 4th day, test the ginger beer and see if you need to adjust for any sweetness (you can always make more simple syrup and add to it).

2. Add the vodka and lime juice. If you like your moscow mule more tart, add more lime juice. I happened to have one cup of sage infused vodka sitting around so I added that as well which made the end product a bit spicier.

3. Close the keg back up and carbonate again. We ended up serving it around 3.0 Volume of CO2. 

Then it's ready to serve after it's fully carbonated. 

Get a copper mug, fill it with ice and top it off with this delicious drink! (or in the case of some of my friends, they just drank it straight with no ice dilution, yikes!)