Go to the Rooftop Cinema because we said so

Caz and I got heaps of tips and recommendations for our trip to Melbourne. It's great that everyone has something you "have to see," but when twenty people give you tips about where to eat or the best bar in a city, it quickly becomes white noise. That’s why it was so refreshing when everyone we talked to about Melbourne gave us the same tip for a great night out - the Rooftop Cinema.
	Situated on Swanston Street, this kitschy gem resides on the 6th floor rooftop of one of the many buildings that create the CBD skyline. Home to a lively happy hour crowd of both professionals and hipsters, we found ourselves transported to Brooklyn for the afternoon as we reclined on astroturf lawns with a cold beer amidst the skyscrapers of Melbourne. For anyone not interested in seeing a movie, either because you don’t like the selection (they only screen one film each night) or it’s sold out (tickets go fast), the bar is open and happenin' most of the afternoon. It closes for an hour at 7 pm to allow the staff to transform the hip beer garden into a romantic outdoor movie theater with incredibly chic and comfortable lawn chairs. Doors reopen at 8pm for the 9 o'clock screenings so arrive early for the best seats. The bar re-opens for pre-movie cocktails but the prices are dear ($9 beers and $10 cocktails), so maybe just enjoy the hot chocolate and coffees like we did (they're only $3). Once the sun goes down it gets wicked cold, so bring a blanket. If you forget, don't worry - they rent em for $5. Caz and I lucked into seeing Inception which is friggin awesome regardless, but when viewed on a rooftop set against the skyline as the sun sets on a clear summer night – fuhgeddaboudit. One of the pitfalls of traveling the way we do (staying in one place long enough to get jobs and really plug into the area) is that sometimes we get lax about venturing out and doing touristy things.
That’s why I’m stoked that we’ve already checked the rooftop cinema off our list. It was an amazing first experience in Melbourne, and will stick out in our minds as one of the best things we’ve done on our trip. P.S. It’s also an awesome place to take a date. Tickets cost $20, but chicks dig it.

Mt. Egmont, or Mt. "TaraNOTki"

Mt. Taranaki (the Maori name) or Mt. Egmont (the English name) is supposedly one of the most beautiful and iconic mountains in New Zealand. Its solitary snowcapped peak is so stunning that it was used as a stand-in for Mt. Fuji during the New Zealand based filming of “The Last Samurai.” Unfortunately, storm clouds and fog shrouded the mountain for a week, so we never got to see it…Mt Taranaki I mean, not “The Last Samurai"…I saw that and it was awesome. After six days of waiting around New Plymouth, Oakura, and even on the slopes of Taranaki itself, Care and I decided to give up on getting a rad picture and moved on. The slopes show potential though, and I’d love to come back on our way north and go for a hike. Until then, I’ll just rent “The Last Samurai” and practice sweet sword moves in front of my little laptop screen.
1:13 in...check it out:

Destination guide: Mount Egmont, New Zealand by Shawn Forno Mount Egmont, also known as Mount Taranaki in the local Maori language, provides one of New Zealand’s most iconic landscapes and is home to a multitude of tramping tracks, camp sites, huts, and dozens of other outdoor activities...read more

"TaraNOTki" - a comic by Shawn Forno

Our Endless Summer - Raglan

Have you ever seen The Endless Summer, arguably the most influential surf movie ever made? No? You should, it’s awesome. Anyway, this 1966 classic follows two surfers on their quest for perfect waves in a season jumping jaunt around the world. One of their most impressive stops is the little known (at the time) break at Raglan, on the west coast of the North Island, New Zealand. The movie catalogues the insanely consistent break with a peeling left that stretches over 100 meters. For you landlubbers, that’s a looong wave. I was obviously stoked to surf “the best left in the world.” However, when we finally got to Raglan – which was a few hundred km out of our way to Wellington – I was greeted with an ocean as flat and smooth as glass. Seriously, no waves at all. Anger. Disappointment. Waste of gas money? What happened to everything magically working out for us without any planning? How is it possible that one of the most reliable waves in the world pooped out on the one day I came to shred it? That’s right – I said “shred.” Meh. It happens. I guess the summer had to end sometime. It just stinks that it ended when I came to see it. Maybe next time I head up to Raglan I’ll even...oh, I dunno...check the surf report.
The drive to Raglan wasn't a total waste - here are some pics from the beautiful Waikato region. This photo album requires Flash. If your device does not support Flash, you can view the web album on Picasa.