AUSTRALIA
Trip Start
Sep 15, 2008
1
38
50
Trip End
Dec 21, 2008
Auckland,
North Island,
New Zealand
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
My first impression of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House will stay with me for a long time...even though it was cloudy! It is a sight that you know exists on the other side of the world that you have heard stories about and seen pictures of, but when you finally lay eyes on it yourself it sort of takes your breath away. Lisa took me to just the right spot too! I have a great mental image of the day that I flew out of the city. Unfortunately I didn't capture it on film, but I had a gorgeous veiw of the harbour as we flew overhead and it was finally a beautifully sunny day! Climbing that bridge was quite an experience. I got to be a brief part of somebody elses magnificant view! Museums, aquariums, bridgeclimbing...I tried to do a lot in Sydney
First Glimpse
! Traveling to the Blue Mountains just outside of the city showed the great differences that the landscape of Australia has to offer and gave me my first look at wild kangaroos. Desserts, lush rainforests, beaches, bush...pretty neat. This was the beginning of the stories about the aboriginal people and the stories alone could have taken up my entire time there. They have a Creation story for so much and such imaginative uses for EVERYTHING! Very cool and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the culture. Steve Irwin's Austraila Zoo showed me more of the interesting and cute Aussie animals! Although, I also learned more poisonous animals to be scared of and as Australia has many of the most poisonous snakes, spiders, etc. in the world it was rightly so! I must say...I have officially fallen in love with koalas!
I could not have asked for a more amazing Experience than traveling along the coast with the Oz Experience provided me. It was just awesome. In 12 days I went from Brisbane to Cairns and along the way I went:
- 4x4-ing on a giant bus on Fraser Island where I saw wild Dingoes, the Meheno, a ship which has been washed up on the island since 1935, saw beautiful tropical forests, and clear water lakes (and a rainbow around the sun!)all on an island made entirely of sand
Typical Japanese pose with Lisa
!- sailing in the Whitsunday islands on Matador quite a maginificant maxi racing yacht! Unfortunately got a little sunburned even with US SPF 45 sunscreen on, but hey, there is a hold in the ozone directly over Australia after all!!
- to Magnetic Island and saw wild koalas along the Forts walk which posed so well for me...you know...it could be hard to capture a good image since they are always on the move! Ok...that is not true, those adorable koalas sleep 18 to 20 hours per day. Lazy?!
- skydiving to land on Mission Beach which I have already told you what probably the most exhillarating experience of my entire life! Wow...just thinking about it I think I just got goosebumps! :-)
- white water rafting on the extreme Tully River trip where I also jumped off cliffs into the water and went down a Grade 2 rapid outside the boat which definitely makes the rapids seem more intense! Even battling the giant Marsh Flies (and the fact that I didn't remember the Ozone layer hole when I put sunscreen everywhere but on my legs and low back and then paid the price with some pretty extreme sunburn in those two spots only!) wasn't too annoying and it really turned out to be a good day.
- on an introductory scuba dive amoug the brightly coloured (still added that 'u' :-)) corals and fish of the Great Barrier Reef!
Getting to Melbourne was almost a chance to just take a deep breath after all of that! But Sarah (and her fabulous family!) made my stay there absolutely great! (I must admit her mom even did my laundry for me...even though I told her she definitely did not have to do that!) One day in the city, one seeing more adorable animals at the Healesville Sanctuary before lunching and wining at a couple of the many wineries only about an hour out of the city, and the last driving down to Lorne along the Great Ocean Road, which was great indeed
Bondi Beach
! Even had some sun after several rainy days. I met some awesome people from Australia and around the world, had an extreme time doing some very extreme things, and just absolutely loved the gorgeous country with warm weather and sunshine (most of the time)!
I have to admit...I did not see nearly everything and I actually can not wait to go back again!
It still doesn't feel like it is almost December...craziness!
Enjoy!
Love,
Ali / Althea
