TravelStream™ news feed for member slpbls on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/slpbls en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 16 May 2009 18:28:43 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/slpbls/1/1241826720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/slpbls/1/1241826720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/slpbls/1/1241826720/tpod.html Sat, 16 May 2009 18:28:43 -0400 Epiphany Tour 2009

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Cairns, Queensland, Australia

No trip to Australia would be complete without spending time in, on or around the Great Barrier Reef. To make the most of Melissa's last week in country, we flew from Brisbane on Friday and had a full week to play with before her to departure the following Friday. 
While our skill level definitely differed with surfing, we both could scuba dive so we decided to kick off the week with a 3 day live aboard dive boat experience. After arriving in Cairns and staying the first night in a hostel, we were picked up by the dive company early the next morning. We boarded the day trip boat and started the hour and half sea journey to the Great Barrier Reef. The seas were pretty rough, so all I can say is that dramamine is my new friend!
After 2 dives on the day trip boat, we transferred with other passengers to the company's live aboard boat. It was much larger and we were adapting our sea legs, so we found our cabin and regrouped for 2 more dives that day. The highlight was the evening's night dive, which was amazing and intense. The spot light off the back of the boat attracted dozens of fish of all sizes in the pitch black water. It was about 7:30 pm, which was not only human dinner time, but apparently shark dinner time, too. We knew the circling, feeding sharks we saw below us were reef sharks and not interested in human snacks, but it was still a mental hurdle to dive in! It was fantastic and an experience I won't forget. Jury is out if it I will repeat the experience, though!
The next two days we had the option of 4 or 5 dives per day at different spots all around the GBR. While the night dive was an adrenaline experience, the sunrise dive was just as much a highlight, as we started out with flashlights in the dark water and then watched the rising sun above light up the corals and fish below. We rented an underwater camera to capture the highlights of each dive. After 9 dives in 2 1/2 days, we relaxed the last afternoon on deck with the first really sunny day and then transferred back to Cairns.
We still had a few more days in Cairns and wanted to experience the other major natural attraction, the Tropical North Rainforest. Three young guys from England had stayed on our dive boat, and told us about a small overnight eco-tour leaving the next morning from Cairns. Rainforest walks, waterfalls and wildlife was right up our alley, so we were able to book the last two spots on the tour. One more night in a hostel in Cairns and we were picked up the next morning by Cherene, our guide with On The Wallaby tour company.
I had done a few tours around Australia, but this was Melissa's first experience, and she described it best as adult summer camp. You start out quiet on a small bus with 20 strangers the first morning, and by the end of the second day, you are exchanging email and Facebook info and vowing to visit and stay in touch! The On the Wallaby adventure was two days of exploring the rainforest walks (albeit with the occasional leech check),  giant fig trees, swimming in waterfalls, jumping off of trees into pristine crater-lake waters, night canoe trips to look for the elusive nocturnal tree kangaroo, platypus spotting at dawn, mountain biking and more canoe time. It was a blast and I'm happy to report we broke the spell of bad luck of not being able to spot the native wildlife. Melissa could leave Australia satisfied that she saw grazing wallaby's, sleeping tree kangaroo,  sunning snakes and playing platypus all in one day!
We got back to Cairns for one last evening and enjoyed apps and drinks with Cherene and our Brit friends. We'd had a blast that week, but it was time to pack up as Melissa departed at 6 a.m. and I needed a day to get organized for the last leg of my journey - Thailand and meeting up with Eric for the first time in 2 months. Next entry from Bangkok, or some exotic Thai island with Eric!
Cheers!Stephanie
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Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

I was so excited to head to Sydney, not only to see the famous Opera House, Harbor Bridge and  beaches, but to meet my friend Melissa, who flew from Florida to travel the Australian East Coast with me. It has been a great experience to travel solo, and I'm really glad I had the opportunity to meet new people from around the world and explore new places and activities on my own schedule and at my own whim - but it is also great to have a travel companion and friend to share the experiences!

I landed in Sydney on Friday evening, and Melissa had arrived that morning. She was feelin' 2 days of travel and jet lag, and I'd had 3 days of hiking and camping, so we were both happy to catch up, relax and recuperate at the hotel. Some wine, appetizers and a celebratory champagne cocktails, and we called it a night by 9 p.m. 
Before heading Down Under, Melissa had connected via email with a colleague's brother who lived in Sydney, named Paul. He shared tips about the area and surf breaks with her and then volunteered to guide us around for the morning. He picked us up at the hotel and drove the scenic route around Sydney's coastal suburbs and beaches so we were able to see the amazing views and avoid the tourist's bus - score! Even better, Paul offered to take us surfing at Bondi Beach, how classic is that? Melissa rented a long board, and I opted to body board.  I'd decided to relieve the pressure of not catching a single wave - I could just kick around the surf with my body board and flippers and at least look like I knew what I was doing. To top it off, Melissa and I sat on our boards in the sand during a break from being in the waves, and a bus of Japanese tourists unloaded on the beach to take pictures of Bondi's famous vistas. Two groups then proceeded to ask for photos WITH us as "authentic" Australian surfer girls! Ha!
The morning had been sunny and warm, but clouds started rolling in, so after a couple hours, we wrapped up surfing and grabbed lunch with Paul. It was great of him to spend his day with and show us around, it gives you such a better perspective of a place when you can visit with locals and make new friends, I hope I can repay the favor or at least pay it forward when visitors come to my town.
Unfortunately, though, tragedy struck for me after surfing because my camera broke! Fortunately Melissa has hers so we can capture the rest of the trip, but it may be a while before I can add any more to the blog. Such a bummer!
That evening Melissa and I walked down to the harbor to enjoy sunset views of the Opera House and Harbor Bridge. We stopped for drinks and apps and chatted with another solo traveler from Melbourne, Dave. The harbor area not only has amazing views but tons of great restaurants, so we invited Dave to join us for dinner and we all enjoyed great steaks, wine and conversation. I think we spent most of the time talking about the difference in Australian and American lingo and habits, which could definitely occupy a few wine-filled hours!
After spending the day enjoying the beaches and the night living it up at the harbor in Sydney, we decided that we were ok with moving on to our next destination the following afternoon. We woke up early and walked the classic trail around the city to Mrs McQuaries Chair to enjoy the rest of the city and harbor views. We then headed to the airport to fly to Byron Bay and continue our quest to savor Australia's best beaches!
Till then!Stephanie 
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Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

From Byron, we had booked our itinerary for the last week in Australia, and planned to be in Cairns. With a few days in between, we headed to Brisbane to check out Australia's 4th largest city and do a side-trip from Brisbane to North Stradford Island.
Apparently, Australians are inclined to shorten pretty much any word with more than 2 syllables and add an "ie". Sunglasses = Sunnies. Mosquitoes = mozzies. North Stradford Island, affectionately called Straddie, was a train and ferry ride from Brisbane, and popular for sand dunes, hiking and whale watching. We'd heard recommendations from locals and tourists alike to check out some of the sand islands of the East Coast, so we headed there for an overnight trip.
We arrived around noon, had a great lunch overlooking the beach and hiked the afternoon. Melissa was intent on spotting a kangaroo on her trip, and the place was supposed to teaming with them. Unfortunately they were all hiding when she set out to look! There were also supposed to be some early arrivals of whales as they migrate past the island, and whale watching season starting in June, but these were elusive, too. The scenery of the island is stunning, and we found a great restaurant and bar that night, so we had a great time in spite of missing the wildlife. We really enjoyed seeing another aspect of the area besides city and surfing, so the trip to Straddie was still a highlight of trip.
We headed back to Brisbane for one more night before our flight to Cairns. We had a great hotel next to the river and got to relax, eat and drink our way through the evening before checking out the next day to get to the Great Barrier Reef.
Till then!Stephanie
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Byron Bay, New South Wales, Australia

Melissa and I left Sydney on Sunday afternoon, feeling great after getting some surf time in Bondi and having fun in the city. Melissa's brother had spent a few months in Australia to camp and surf along the coast, and while it sounded like fun to mirror his adventure, we quickly realized that renting a camper would require us to actually drive. Considering the steering wheel is on the right of the car and they drive on the left side of the road (I've  heard it's rude to call it the wrong side),  this did not sound like the safest transportation option for ourselves or others on the road. We did, however, want to try the laid-back Aussie surfer vibe, so we booked a cheap flight on a regional carrier from Sydney and arrived in Ballina - just a 30 minute cab ride from our destination of Byron Bay. 

We got to Byron on Sunday evening and without a room reservation. We were counting on the shoulder season to work its magic, but failed to find out it was their holiday weekend for Labor Day in New South Wales. Oops! Most rooms were booked, but we were able to snag a room at a decent motel that actually had a great location - right across from the beach and next to a popular bar. We went out for drinks and dinner and checked out the crowds of Aussie's on holiday.
Byron is well-known for it's laid-back surfer vibe and all-natural charm. We spent the majority of the first day getting sorted so we could enjoy the surf, some yoga and good food. Melissa looked into surf lessons so I could get some "refresher" points and she could have a guide to show her which breaks in the area would be her style. We arranged for lessons the next morning and used the rest of the day to hike to the Eastern-most Point of Australia and checkout the lighthouse overlooking Byron Bay, then had an awesome yoga session. Another good dinner and then bed to be ready for our lesson.
The next morning we joined Mojo Surf Company for a morning surf session. They drove us down the beach to a break called Lenox and we geared up in light wetsuits. The temperature was pretty mild and the water was actually warm. However, the waves were a lot bigger than I was cool with, so I will fast forward on the lesson and just say that surfing will probably not be the sport I am most passionate about! I'm glad to say I "surfed" in Australia - and call it a day! Melissa got some pointers from our instructor for a spot in Byron, so we finished the lesson and headed back. Melissa had her long board for the rest of the day and had a great time surfing that afternoon at a break called The Pass. I had a great time watching.
The forecast was turning cold and rainy for the next few days, so with Melissa on a high from her surfing experience in Byron, we decided it was time to start heading on and seeing more of the East Coast with the week and half on Melissa's itinerary. The next morning we packed up and headed out on the bus to Brisbane.
Till then!Stephanie
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Uluru, Western Australia, Australia

I chose a 3 day/2 night excursion from Alice Springs to the check out the vast and beautiful Outback. I joined the same tour company that I used from Melbourne to Adelaide - Adventure Tours Australia. In order to see and explore the iconic sites of Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon we had earlier morning wake-up calls, right from the start. I was picked up at 6:00 a.m from my hostel in Alice Springs to join my 11-person tour group, and we headed north for our first stop, Kata Tjuta.

Kata Tjuta, like Uluru, are giant rock formations that rise up out of the arid wilderness in the Outback. Both have special ceremonial significance to the Aboriginal cultures in the area, and Day 1's early afternoon included a 6km hike of Kata Tjuta. These formations are also called The Olgas, just like Uluru is also known as Ayer's Rock, but most guides refer to the Aboriginal names. The day was beautiful with bright sunny skies, no humidity, and temperatures in the high 70's. Not going to lie, it would have been a lot more beautiful without the flies! Those buggers are out all day, and while they don't bite, you're better off wearing a fly net for the walks. Fortunately, they have a 24 hr lifespan and disappear at night - and fortunately I was only in the Outback for 3 days ;)

We finished our hike of Kata Tjuta, then drove over to Uluru to beat the crowds of other tour buses that gather to watch and photo the sunset. My tour was the "Safari in Style," so while we were hiking and walking all day, we were also set up with champagne and snacks for the sunset "happy hour." It was beautiful to watch the colors change over Uluru as the sun set.

Our group camped that night in a site created for most of the other tour groups - so the had permanent tents with floors and electricity, as well as a large bathroom and showers. I was glad to ease in to full-on camping... I enjoyed hanging out that evening with some new friends from my tour group- an English and Australian girl, each traveling solo and about my age, as well as a German and a French couple also around our age. Since we had a 5 a.m. wake-up call to see the sun rise over Uluru, it was an early dinner and then to bed.

We made it to Uluru by 6:30 the next morning and had a great position to watch the sun come up. There are several resorts in the area, plus our camp site, so about 200-300 people gather along the road for the views. We had a good spot, took our photos, and then headed to Uluru to see it up close.

The Aboriginal people did not live at Uluru, but used it as a ceremonial gathering place. There are several areas that are highly significant to their culture, and tourists are asked not to take pictures of these spots. Also, climbing up the rock is extremely disrespectful and yet there were a lot of people who ignored the request and trekked to the top. As a fellow visitor to Uluru, I was embarrassed of the tourists who chose to blatantly disregard the sanctity of the site! Our group used the marked path that circles Uluru, and walked the 8km to see it all the way around. It gave us plenty of great views and we were able to respect the Aboriginal people of the area.

After the long walk around Uluru, we packed up and headed out to our next camp site in Kings Canyon. This was also a permanent campsite, but exclusive to Adventure Tours. We had a kitchen, showers and baths, and while there were also tents set up, I opted to join some of the others on my tour to sleep outside under the stars. It was amazing, and only slightly unsettling to think of the dingos in the area. You are under a blanket of stars and can see the Milky Way and shooting stars. It was actually a really good night of sleep, and it was just the 5 a.m. wake-up call that made it uncomfortable!

We had the early start in order to watch the sunrise and explore Kings Canyon. We did the 10km Rim Walk, which gave us a hike to the top of the canyon and views throughout the morning of amazing geology. The area was formed over millions and millions of years and the history is shown in the rock layers, crevasses, cliffs and formations. A lot of other tour groups stop in this area, but we were one of the few that climbed to the top and saw most of the area. Note to future travelers: that's probably what the "adventure" in Adventure Tours is about! I loved it - it was beautiful! (And especially since there were few flies, too!)

After Kings Canyon, we headed back to the camp for lunch, then boarded the bus for the afternoon drive back to Alice Springs. My trip to Australia would not have been complete without seeing this area, and I'm really glad I had the chance to walk and hike the sites, rather than just show up for a photo opportunity!

I flew out of Alice Springs to head to my next stop, Sydney. More to follow from there, where my friend Melissa joined me from Florida, and we set out to explore the city and beach life of Australia's East Coast!

Stephanie
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Perth, Western Australia, Australia

When I arrived in Australia, I didn't have a set itinerary but knew the main places I wanted to see - Melbourne, Sydney, the Outback, the Great Barrier Reef - all of the classics when you think of Australia. As my schedule started unfolding when I left Melbourne,  I realized I had about 5 days to play with after my Great Ocean Road tour to Adelaide, and before my Outback tour out of Alice Springs. Fortunately, Qantas has a ton of cheap fares between cities, and although it was the equivalent of "popping" over to LA from New Orleans, I decided to check out Perth in Western Australia - and I'm so glad I did!
Perth is a waterfront city, with a downtown situated on the Swan River and suburbs leading to beaches and islands of the Indian Ocean. It also has a distinctive wine region in the Swan River Valley, so my goal for 5 days in Perth was to sample more water activities and wine - maybe you're detecting a pattern? From my hostel, I booked a wine tour for Day 2 and scuba diving excursion for Day 3. I thought I would use Day 1 to explore the city and Day 4 to check out the suburban beaches - so I was all set to start exploring.

The first morning after I arrived, I took a jog along the bike/foot path that runs along the Swan River from downtown. The Aussies are serious about biking and exercise in general, so there are bike paths everywhere - we could take a lesson in the States. I had a great chance to orient myself and cleaned up after my jog to walk around the city. I checked out King's Park, which overlooks the city and has tons of paths through Botanical Gardens. This was Thursday, and Saturday was their national war memorial holiday, ANZAC Day, so the gardens were being prepped for the weekend's parades and ceremonies - it was beautiful. On my way back to my hostel, I stopped at the Western Australia Museum, which has the largest collection of Aboriginal art - also beautiful! 
The next day was my wine tour - I certainly didn't want to fall behind in my survey of Australia's various winery areas! I was picked up at 9:30 a.m. and joined a group of 11 for a tour of the Swan River Valley's boutique vineyards. Western Australia has a larger and more well-known wine region in Margaret River, but that area is several hours south of Perth, so I was happy to stay local and sample WA's second most-popular area. We hit 5 wineries, a brewery and chocolate factory and had a great time. Needless to say, it was a full day, and I was in bed early.
Day 3 was my scuba excursion, and I met up with the dive company at 7:30 a.m. to head out to the boat. Last year I took my Open Water certification courses and was glad I would be able to dive on this trip. But - I had expected to dive the Great Barrier Reef and Thailand. It was fantastic to discover this gorgeous area of coastline off of Perth, which is the southernmost point for tropical reefs. The excursion I bought was a day trip for 2 dives, but after talking to the Dive Master, I ended up joining the Advanced Open Water class - I love a good sales job! It worked out that I didn't really have any set plans for the next day , so I could do 2 training dives that afternoon, a night dive in the evening and the final 2 training dives the following day - SOLD! I did my Nature, Navigation and Night training dives first, and then a Deep Dive (up to 90'!) the next day. The last dive was the best, as we had amazing swim-through reefs and a few wrecks to explore. The water and sea-life was amazing, and I'm really excited to be at the next level of SCUBA for the rest of the trip - and for the future!
I was leaving the next afternoon, so I needed 24 hours of rest between my dive and flight, so I wrapped up the dive trip and I headed back to my hostel with my new certification in hand. I met some new friends at the hostel, so after my instant noodles from the vending machine dinner, I shared some of the wine I picked up on the tour and had great evening in-house. 
Till next time - from The Outback!! (Actually, it will probably be AFTER the Outback, I'm not expecting much internet availability for the next few days :)

Stephanie
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Adelaide, Victoria, Australia

I had decided to join a 3 day tour to get from Melbourne to Adelaide, as it seemed the best way to see the sights along the famous Great Ocean Road without renting a car, and still make my way around Australia. Pick up from my hostel in Melbourne was 6:30 a.m., and I joined a small tour with Will, our tour guide, and 20 others. It was a quiet start for the first couple hours as we left the city and everyone tried to get the last bit of stolen sleep. But when we stopped for tea at 9 a.m., things started to loosen up and we all started to get to know each other. Since we would be on a bus and shared accommodations for the next 3 days, that was probably a good idea!

The Great Ocean Road is a dramatic stretch of winding and coast-hugging highway. Along the way are several popular surfing towns and picture opportunities. Our day was a bit cloudy, but good enough to appreciate the gorgeous views.

Our group was a mixture of mostly solo travelers from Europe, with just a few Americans (me and one couple) and a Canadian. The age group was mixed too, but mostly mid 20's to mid 30's. We did have one thing in common - no one had yet seen a koala or kangaroo in the wild since arriving in Australia. Our tour guide, Will, was happy to oblige and we stopped at a spot full of koalas in the 'wild' (and a few tourist's buses on the same mission). We were also able to glimpse them up in the trees along the highway. Just like you would imagine, they were either sleeping or eating eucalyptus leaves - classic!

It took most of the afternoon to work our way down the Ocean Road, and we arrived at the most famous spot and the highlight of this portion of the trip - The Twelve Apostles. They are giant remnants of the limestone coastline due to years of erosion from surf and rain. Since the coastline is constantly changing, it is likely these formations won't exist in the future - one fell about 5 years ago - so it was great to capture them in person.

We wrapped up the day by stopping at a small hostel in an even smaller town, both of which our group pretty much took over. And I am happy to report that I had my karaoke fix when we invaded the local pub :)

The next morning we went back down to the Ocean Road to see several of the other famous sites, such as London Bridge and the Bay of Martyrs. We detoured back to the 12 Apostles so those of us who wanted to, could see them by helicopter. I'm loving the aerial views and of course signed up for the 7 minute flight - it was definitely worth it.

We then hit the road and headed inland. We stopped at Ottoway National Forest for an hour walk through this South Australian rainforest. It was pretty authentic, since we also had a nice drizzle going on, but we all enjoyed the views from the 25 meter Tree Top walk and the green, lush foliage.

The last stop of Day 2 was an afternoon hike in another national forest, this time much further inland at the Grampians National Park. It was like going to another climate, by the time we reached this area it was arid, warm and sunny. We hiked to the summit of one of the mountains - although the 3 people from Switzerland thought "mountain" was being generous. It was a fun climb and we all enjoyed the views from the top.
We stayed the night at a lodge owned by the tour company, and on our way back from the hike, found plenty of kangaroos grazing in the area. Kangaroo and koala sightings - check!

To start Day 3, Will had us all up and out by 7 a.m. - we had a lot to see and do before the drive to Adelaide. We stopped for morning views of the Grampian mountain range, walked MacKenzie Falls, and wrapped up another hike to the top of another local peak, Hollow Mountain. The Swiss may have Alps, but I'm from Florida and it seemed like a pretty high climb to me! We all had a blast reaching the summit, and enjoyed the long morning at the top overlooking the area.

The rest of the day included stops along the way as we made our way out of Victoria and in to South Australia. We arrived in Adelaide about 7 p.m. Most of my new friends from the tour were staying at the same hostel or near mine, so we got together for dinner and drinks. After 3 days on a bus and dorms, we had formed some fast friendships. This works out great, as I can now visit friends in England, Netherlands, Switzerland and Italy - and stay for free! (next Epiphany Tour....) And of course I would love to host anyone who makes it the States.

I had one full day in Adelaide, and had decided to check out the famous Barossa Valley. I was behind on my wine tours since I was sick in Melbourne, and was looking forward to checking out this area, known for their shiraz. My friends from the Ocean Road tour weren't able to join my day trip, since I had booked this from Melbourne. But no worries, I met some great new friends from Ireland, Quebec and Holland during the day. We toured 4 wineries and had a barbecue lunch, including grilled kangaroo. It was tasty - a lot like a venison steak.

I met up with my Ocean Road Tour friends when I got back from the wine tour and we went out for another fun-filled dinner in Adelaide's China Town. I was leaving the next afternoon, so I was glad to see a bit more of the town. I didn't have time to check out Adelaide's beaches, but spent my last morning walking the town and then making my way to the airport - I was off to Perth!

Till then,
Stephanie
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Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Hello from Australia! After a great time running around New Zealand, I was excited to arrive in Melbourne and slow down my pace a bit. I left my itinerary open to see the different areas of the country, and had 5 weeks to do it. Unfortunately, that means 5 weeks until I meet Eric in Thailand, which seems like a long time! But after the frantic 3 weeks in NZ, I wanted to make sure I saw everything I wanted in Australia. Granted, it is a huge country, so I decided to focus on the Melbourne area, Perth, the Outback, and Sydney to the Great Barrier Reef - without going too fast and trying to stay ahead of their approaching Fall/Winter, we'll see how that goes!

I landed in Melbourne on Saturday evening, and like NZ, Aussie's make it easy for arriving tourists to navigate the area. Took the SkyBus from the airport to the city, then tram to the hostel and I was in bed by 9. Melbourne is 2 time zones behind Christchurch, so I had a bit of jet lag to make up for!

I woke up to a bright and sunny Easter morning. Melbourne is in the state of Victoria, which is known for fickle, or at least variable weather, even within the same day. I was glad it decided to be unseasonably warm, and the forecast called for sunny, dry and high 70's for the next few days - ahh! I feel very blessed to have this opportunity to travel and see the world, as well as to have the special people in my life, and was excited to celebrate Easter in another country. Right across the street from my hostel was an Anglican church and I was immediately welcomed and felt comfortable to join their Easter service. I even stayed for tea afterward and chatted with the vicar and several of the church members - lovely!

I then used the rest of the sunny afternoon to start exploring, and walked down to Queen Victoria Market. This is a huge indoor/outdoor market over several city blocks with over 1,000 stalls and vendors. There's a bit of everything for sale there - from resh produce, crafts and ethnic foods, to hardware, tourist souvenirs and some "bargain basement" sales for shoes, jeans, As Seen On TV items - you name it. I had an awesome smoothie and headed on.

There is a free shuttle bus and tram that circles the city and hits most of the tourist sites. I hopped on bus at Queen Victoria Market and rode down to the harbor. The day was getting prettier and prettier, and I was keen (very OZ/NZ term apparently) to see an Australian Rules Football game. So when I noticed the crowds around the harbor in game-day attire were heading in mass to the nearby stadium. I hopped off at the stop and was able to buy a general admission ticket. The North Melbourne Kangaroos were playing the Hawthorne Hawks and I was just in time for the tip-off (?). I have no idea the rules of "footy" but I figured it would be fun to watch. Apparently it was a close game, and I had a blast watching the match and talking to the people sitting around me.

I wrapped up the official Day 1 in Melbourne with dinner at an Italian cafe on Lygon Street, which is one of the several "cafe districts" in the area. Melbourne has a reputation for really good food and good shopping and several different hot spots for both, so I checked out this area first and had a great meal. I wasn't too far from my hostel and walked back with a gellato, perfect!

The next day was even better weather reaching the low 80's - and I was dying to find a beach. There is a suburb of Melbourne called St. Kilda, which is not only another great place to eat and shop, but has a beach, so I was on my way. The trams are pretty easy to navigate and it was a 20 minute ride to St. Kilda Beach. I walked the boardwalk and shopping area, then relaxed on the beach. I finished the afternoon with lunch at popular restaurant called Soul Mama, which was recommended by an Aussie I talked to in NZ. I just happened to stumble upon the restaurant during my walk and it was as good as the recommendation!

At this point, I was starting to feel a little run down - I think the fun but frantic pace in NZ was catching up to me, so when I woke up the next morning and checked out the hostel, I wasn't ready to get back on the road. I found a special deal for 3 nights at an historic (and nice!) hotel called The Windsor, right next to Parliament and other areas I still wanted to see. I didn't need to talk myself in to it! I checked in, left my bags and continued exploring.

I took a ferry ride of the Yarra River, which was a great way to enjoy the day and see other parts of the city. I hopped off the ferry and walked some of the city parks that are throughout the city, and followed the paths to the Shrine of Remembrance, built for the Victorians killed in WWI and a good lookout point of the area. I was definitely starting to feel a little cold coming on at that point, so I picked up some takeaway and headed back to the fluffy bed and white robe of my room at the Windsor - ahh!

The next morning was a classic weather change for Melbournians - windy, rainy and cool. I laid low until lunch time. They say Melbourne can have 4 seasons in one day, because it was sunny and warmer when I headed out. Across from my hotel was the City Museum, Cooks Cottage, Conservatory and several other city parks. I wandered through these and then road the tram to another foodie area on Brunswick St. and then walked passed St. Patrick's Cathedral, really beautiful. My energy was getting low, so I made my way back to my hotel as I had booked an afternoon massage at the next door spa - the budget was adjusted to allow for therapeutic necessities!

Unfortunately, the next day was a wash as I think I had a 24-hour head cold and didn't want to make it worse. I figured that a trip this long can't have a perfect day EVERY day, and I wanted to nip this funk in the bud. I used the afternoon to explore the Australian TV selection, which seems to consist of 4 rugby stations, BBC World, Australian Biggest Loser (loved that!) and episodes of 2 1/2 Men. Thank goodness for Skype and email as I was able to connect with Eric and friends at home as well.

Feeling MUCH better the next day, I was ready to head out. It was time to explore the surrounding areas of Melbourne and further.

Till next time!
Stephanie
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/slpbls/1/1239411060/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/slpbls/1/1239411060/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/slpbls/1/1239411060/tpod.html Mon, 13 Apr 2009 21:11:49 -0400 Epiphany Tour 2009

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Christchurch and Sumner, New Zealand, South Island, New Zealand

I boarded the InterCity bus at 8 a.m. in Queenstown for the ride up the South Island to Christchurch. It was a full-day drive with stops on the way - which worked out for me as I got to see a spot I had to sacrifice on the itinerary, Lake Tekapo. It had snowed with the cold and wet weather we had in Queenstown, but by this day it was warm and sunny and the snow provided an even better photo opportunity.
I arrived in Christchurch at about 4:30 and had been invited to stay another night at my friend Caroline's parents home. Her father Mike picked me up at the bus stop and her mother Julia invited me to use their spa bath when I got to their home, which overlooks Pegasus Bay - it felt like the Ritz Carlton! It was great to have another evening at a friend's home after staying at various hostels and before heading to another country.
The next morning, Julia, the family dog Otter, and I went for a great walk along the hillsides of their home in Sumner. Their house overlooks Pegasus Bay on one side and the other side has a walk that leads down to Taylor's Mistake Bay. It was much warmer in Christchurch than the other parts of South Island I visited, and it was a great morning for  a walk (although with the steep grades up and down the hills, I would call it a hike!). We cleaned up and then started heading to the airport for my early afternoon flight.  We stopped for brunch on the way to the airport and I was able to see more of the downtown Christchurch area.
I had a great time in New Zealand, and as much as I could have stayed longer, I was ready to keep on the itinerary and was on my 1:30 flight bound for Melbourne.
Till next time, from Australia!
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Queenstown, South Island, New Zealand

When planning this trip from afar, it seemed like 3 weeks in New Zealand would be sufficient, but once you are here, it quickly becomes apparent that 3 months on one of the islands would probably be a good start! But, since I had an itinerary and was flying to Australia on 4/11, I had just 5 days left and a lot more to do. I decided to go straight to Queenstown and spend the rest of the week there. It would be nice to have a base and stay in one place, too. Again, the bus ride from one city to the other is often half the fun, and I had some amazing views driving along the west coast of the South Island.

My friend Amy visited Queenstown two years ago, and described it as Adult Disneyland. It definitely is! It is a resort town known for extreme activities, beautiful scenery and a big nightlife. I arrived on Monday afternoon and checked in to the hostel. Two of the guys from Franz Josef, Steven and Nicolas, were also staying at the same place, so we had a great Italian dinner to carb load for the next days activities.
First on the list: Bungee! It was invented here in Queenstown, after all. There are several options of places to jump, hurl or otherwise propel yourself from extreme heights. I decided to go with the closest, which was also the original commercial bungee operation. It is a 43 meter (about 120 ft!) dive to the river below and was a blast. There are bungee jumps 3x's bigger, canyon swings and skydiving also in the area, but I ran out of time to get to them all - next trip!
I finished the afternoon with a Land Rover driving tour of the area. It's good to travel during the "shoulder" season (not high tourist times like summer holidays or winter ski season), because I had the tour to myself, like a private chauffeur. The truck was definitely all-terrain, and we were able to explore sights that were used for scenes in Lord of the Rings. He also drove to the top of the foothills of a mountain range called The Remarkables. The road to get there was built in the late 1880's during the gold rush, and is considered one of the 15 most dangerous roads in the world. Considering I had just jumped off of a bridge a few hours earlier, I wasn't too worried!
I wrapped up that evening with dinner, and my friend Steven and I had the same mentality - we may be staying in a hostel for US$25 per night, but we enjoy a nice steak and bottle of wine! Queenstown also has lot of clubs and bars to choose from, but I stuck to the good restaurants and was completely satisfied.
As I mentioned before, my luck with the sunny, warm weather had run out in Franz Josef, and my first two nights in Queenstown were rainy and progressively getting colder. But, the third day dawned sunny. And COLD, unfortunately. Because of all of the rain, though, it was perfect time to go whitewater rafting! One of girls from Franz Josef, Monique, was also staying in Queenstown, and it worked out that she, Steven and I would do the same rafting tour. The guides said the river was pretty high for normal conditions, and we'd be going through Class 4+ rapids. I'm happy to report that our raft was the only one out of 7 others that didn't have someone fall in or flip over!
I had one day left in Queenstown, and the last MUST DO was getting to some protected World Heritage Area National Forests and the beautiful cliffs and waterfalls of Milford Sound. To get to this area from Queenstown, however, is a four hour bus-ride through mountain passes and if you're not going to stay in the area to hike a couple days or visit, is usually done from Queenstown on a full-day bus tour. I signed up a tour to Milford Sound which included lunch, a ferry ride of the Sound and then a bus ride or optional flight back. The flight back was iffy because of winds in Queenstown, but I had a long bus ride the next day, and as much I like the scenery, I was leaving the next day and did not want to sit on a bus 2 days in a row!
The bus tour picked me up at the YHA at 7 a.m.. I had picked the "BBQ Bus" operation, because it was of the only ones that was small (20 people) and had a cook-out for the lunch option instead of a tourist cafe. We picked up the others on the tour, and it turned out that of the 20 people on the tour, only 4 of us spoke English. Our guides, Sam and Mayumi provided commentary along the way, and I felt kinda bad that Sam talked over the speakers in English and all of the Japanese tourists had to listen to Mayumi on head-sets - oops! 
It was a beautiful drive and we stopped a couple times along the way to have brief walks through forests, rivers and mountain passes that make up the road to Milford Sound. The forest that borders the Sound is a World Heritage Area, and is protected from any future development. The day warmed up for us and was incredibly sunny and beautiful. We stopped for lunch along a river and Sam busted out the barbecue - it was like our own little camp, so fun!
We then headed to Milford Sound to board the afternoon ferry. The photos I've attached don't do the area justice - it is incredible to float through the beautiful waters of the Tasman Sea and see these huge mountain cliffs with flowing waterfalls. The captain did a great job to move the huge ferry close to the waterfalls, cliffs and seals.
After about an hour and half in the Sound, we headed back and everyone boarded the BBQ Bus - except me, it was a go for the flight back to Queenstown! I took the seat that I thought was the front passenger spot but was actually the pilot's seat (thanks, Eric), and after a group laugh that I was going to fly us back, we took off for an amazing flight over Milford Sound and the mountain ranges to Queenstown. I must admit, the 40 minute flight was a major improvement over the 4 hour bus ride.
That was it for me in Queenstown, unfortunately. I packed up the next morning and had to ride up to Christchurch - my time in New Zealand was coming to an end. There's still a lot that I didn't get to see - I guess I'll just have to come back!

Stephanie
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