AND DIGBY MAKES THREE

If you can't go on vacation without the family pet, then pack up the car and "doggie" bags and be off on a Pet Holiday along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria.

Yvonne & Digby, her 9 year old yellow lab, led me on a three-day odyssey tour of beaches, stretching from the famous surfing icon, Bells Beach, to the Dirty Dog Beach (which turned Digby into a muddy chocolate/dirty dog) near Apollo Bay, to the famous 12 Apostles close to the cliffside town of Port Campbell. We missed nary a beach (and found nary a shell, just rocks).

The three of us checked out a splendid waterfall at 400 m above Lorne, and stayed in a pet-friendly cabin in Wye River, where we hand fed birds and left celery for a curiously close koala!

New Mantra for Those With Incurable Wanderlust

"Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well-preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, (dark)chocolate in one hand, (red) wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and screaming 'Whooo Hooo! What a Ride.' " --Author Unknown (Dee's edits).

Thanks, Mike & Barbara, for supplying the healthful chocolate to consume with my gold medal pinot from Robyn & Charlie, both Tasmanian treasures.

Egypt at last?

I got close, back in 1982 when I was in Greece. Met an Aussie on holiday in Athens who told me I should extend my vacation and travel onto Egypt. Wish I had, as it has rarely been safe since then for an American passport holder to travel to the classical sites. But I'm gonna try to get there next year to celebrate my final birthday (59!) inside the royal tombs in the Valley of Queens.

I recently talked my golf caddy in Byron Bay into putting together a distinctive dee-tour. When not on the golf course chasing up my errant balls, she's a tour guide and amateur archaeologist. Who better to tour the bazaars, museums, temples and belly dancing schools with?

If you've always wanted to explore Egypt, grab your friends and meet us in Cairo after Easter!

In Pursuit of the Perfect Pinot

Since falling in love with the pinot noir grape varietal - and to a lesser extent its white cousin, pinot gris - I have travelled far and wide in the pursuit of the perfect pinot. I think I have found it in the terrior of northern Tasmania (which has been mis-named The Apple Isle).

The movie Sideways was made for pinot nuts like us! Also, don't miss the site pinotisland.com and the archived blog that reveals some of my favorite 40-degree south cool climate pinots.

For Women Travellers: Tasmania Escape 8-11 Dec.

I'm excited about co-leading this pamper n play trip to my favorite place on the planet - the east coast of Tasmania. Even before I moved there two years ago, I was always mesmerized by the name and reputation of Wineglass Bay. It is worth every step to hike down - and back up - to this strip of sand that has been voted "one of the top 10 beaches in the world!" We'll be taking some local Tassie wines along to Wineglass Bay, of course.
During the tour, we'll also explore the lovely Friendly Beaches, also inside Freycinet National Park. If anyone is on the beach at the same time as us, I'll be disappointed. There's enough coastline for everyone to have a private beach in Tassie. Yes, the water's a bit fresh, so bring your wet suit or other protective shirts over your bathers.
After two days of play in Freycinet, we'll return to Hobart, where no Saturday is complete without shopping at Salamanca Market, the largest outdoor food and crafts market in Australia!
Contact Bushwise for more information and bookings.

Ex-Pats Living And Thriving Down Under

Check out my article that ran recently on escapeartist.com.

Australia and New Zealand are very appealing to Americans because of the similarities in lifestyle, language and currency - and for a lot more reasons, politics aside. There’s a plethora of MIAs (migration agents) and unique services like BMI (Business Migration Investments & Tours) that are headed by ex-pat Americans eager to help you make the “sea change.” And there are organisations like AAA (Australian-American Association) and Newcomers Network to tell you where to go to network with fellow ex-pats.
Escape Artist is part of a group of online magazines published by International Living. I subscribed to both prior to moving downunder, and highly recommend that you sign up today if you want to move here tomorrow. Just do it!