G'DAY MATES,
MELBOURNE has been an incredible place to visit. We hopped on the free tourist shuttle bus and explored the city --- stopping at the National Art Gallery (Art Deco Exhibit), Aquarium, war memorial / shrine, various Botanic Gardens, China Town (an Asian food festival was being celebrated), Queen Victoria Market, and Federation Square. We took a day trip to the Great Ocean Road and saw spectacular sights including the 12 Apostles, Koala Cove (where we hand-fed exotic birds like King Parrots), gorges and lochs, beaches, etc.
Next, we went on a day trip to see the "Penguin Parade" at Summerlands Beach, Phillip Island. This was an incredible site! Each night, hundreds of Ferry Penguins (~30 cm in height), return from their day at sea and waddle across the beach to reach their burrows for the night. When they 1st arrive at the shore, they band together in small group (~10-20) then start the treck across the sand. One penguin in the group may then get scared, turn and waddle back to the sea. This triggers the rest of the group to scurry back as well. The back and forth effort may happen a few times until they feel brave enough to go the distance which may be up to 2 k from the shore. It is an amazing sight to see them waddle past you. Unfortunately, or fortunately for the penguins!, it is prohibited to take their pictures so the best we can do is have you link to this site (http://www.penguins.org.au/) . The winter weather continues to be mild by our standards 8-10C.
We are enjoying some culinary treats in Australia: red wines galore, Greek food (did you know that Melbourne has the highest concentration of Greeks outside of Athens?), roasted pumpkin, fresh seafood and croccodile. We vow to try some Kangaroo etc. before we leave the country --- although this will be hard to do given that the cuties have graced us with their affection over the past days!
ALICE SPRINGS. This town is incredibly remote and set within an extremely dry dessert area. The Aboriginal presence is noteworthy and we enjoyed viewing their magnificent art work. Ann keeps searching for the perfect pictures for her home! While in Alice Springs, we signed up for a day trip to Ulura and Ayers Rock. One highlight was the sunset BBQ at Ayers Rock. The scenary was beyond compare. The peacefulness of the setting was therapeutic. The day was long (18 hours) but PERFECT!
DARWIN. What a shock to arrive to 33C and tons of humidity. Darwin is considered the youngest city in Australia. The average age of citizens is 31 years. The North Territory has a population of 215 000. Darwins houses 126 000 of them! We did a walking tour of the city and enjoyed the oceanside boardwalk 'education' we received at each featured attraction (war memorials, park dedicated to prominent women of the community, WWII oil storage tunnels, WWII survivors lookout etc). We stumbled upon a deckchair cinema too! That evening we enjoyed a movie about George Hogg --- British Journalist who assisted Chinese (male) children during the war. The cinema was located alongside the ocean / beach. It boasted deck chairs set up like a movie theatre. We were treated to a homecooked (Indian) meal, wine, a wonderful sunset and a fantastic movie under a starry sky. How civilized. It was one of the most memorable nights and we still talk about the feeling of sitting under the stars, feeling the breeze off the ocean and enjoying the company of many others who came to learn about the plight of the Chinese at that time. The next day, Debbie ventured to Kakadu National Park and enjoyed the day-long adventure. We continue to marvel at the significant Aboriginal heritage of this country.
CAIRNS. Cairns was great. The weather was more tolerable 21-25C. NO humidity. The youth hostel has 2 pools and is surrounded by palm trees etc. We enjoyed the peaceful hostel guests and setting. After arriving in town, we went exploring and grocery shopping. Surprisingly, we came upon a drive-through liquor store. We both laughed! What a great idea. The cars pull in, the store clerk walks over to take the order, goes into the store to gather the goods and delivers them to the driver. The driver simply pays and drives away! Ann took a cruise to the Great Barrier Reef and saw amazing underwater 'treasures' through the glass bottomed/sided (submergible) boat. Debbie took a different day trip and snorkelled. WOW. WOW. WOW. Ann also did a day trip to learn about how exotic fruits are cultivated, many of which she had never heard of let alone seen. All in all, a very tasty day!
SUNSHINE COAST: We flew from Cairns to Hamilton Island and took a ferry to Airlie Beach. What a great little town along the sunshine coast. Next, we took an overnight train to Hervey Bay; this was an experience in itself as we booked into sleeper cars that stacked 3 people, like sardines, basically on top of each other. We each shared different rooms with some very interesting Aussie characters!
BRISBANE: We arrived in Brisbane on time for the Riverfest. We enjoyed an evening of "Canada-Day-like" fireworks and fighter jets soaring over the crowds to celebrate the River! Like Melbourne, Brisbane is a world class city. It was BEAUTIFUL: clean, modern and full of life. We treated ourselves to a stay at a hotel (versus youth hostel) and throroughly enjoyed the TV and amenities of home (kitchen in the room, outdoor patio etc). We have been missing these comforts. While in Brisbane, we took part in a day trip along the GOLD COAST: aptly named. The beaches were spectacular and so were the multi, multi million dollar homes that line the coast for miles and miles on end! We can't remember seeing such obscene wealth in one place and Ann has lived in Miami so knows the luxuries that can come with money! One of the homes was a 30M shack owned by the real estate agent that sells homes in the area (that should give you a sense of the scale of the wealth); another 20M+ home located virtually next door boasted a titanium roof! All had massive yaughts parked outside --- that could be navigated to the local shopping center that had boat docks stations as well as car parks.
SYDNEY: Population 4.6 million. Again, the city is world class. What incredible scenery, resources, and possibilities for fun within an urban setting. On arrival, we toured Darling Harbour and saw live (music) shows from the Malaysian Festival. We explored Paddy's Market and marvelled at the Asian (shops, restaurants, markets) presence in Sydney. On Day # 2 (first day of Spring), we ventured to Blue Mountains and were treated to spectacular views and a lovely cruise along the river --- into Sydney Harbour. On Day # 3, we did a tour of the Opera House and walked ... and walked ... and walked through the streets admiring this lively city.
BONDI BEACH: On our last full day in Australia, we spent several hours doing the Royal National Park's Costal Walk, enjoying the sounds of the waves crashing against rocks, and just appreciating the beauty of the white sandy beaches, and of the few brave souls out trying to surf the waves. Temperature was alittle on the cold side so other than the surfers there was no one in the water and only a few people on the beach. One can only imagine just how busy these beaches would be in the summer.
As we prepare to leave for China, we have been reflecting on our experiences thus far. We are in awe of the wonder of this planet. We feel fortunate to have met so many interesting travel companions during our tours. People from all walks of life and from every part of this planet are taking advantage of the privilege to see the world from another perspective. We particularly admire the youth who are working hard to make ends meet to be able to travel. Ann and I are grateful for this gift: to have been granted (from CHEO and TOH!) time off work to travel, to have the support of family and friends, to embrace this wonder-FULL life we share. We think of you often and hope you are well. Take good care of yourselves. We will keep in touch!
Debbie and Ann
