Happy New Year!! (from down under)

Well it's 2006 already here in AUS...16 hours before all you on the east coast, 18 for you Coloradans. Let me tell you how I rang in the New Year...Aussie style.



First, I spotted my friend, former world record holder Michael Klim, in front of KMart handing out brochures, so I took a picture with him.



Then I made a trip downtown for an exquisite dinner. Here's a view of downtown Melbourne from a bridge that crosses the Yarra River.

It's kind of weird thinking of a summertime Christmas, but that's what it's like here every single year. The temps have been scorchers the last two days with highs well above 100 degrees F!! I can't honestly say that I've been in 100+ degree temps on New Years Eve before. Naturally, Christmas trees in hotness aren't the same. Here's the Melbourne version of the NYC Christmas tree...