Pieter's Australasia Top Five
Trip Start
Dec 02, 2007
1
29
55
Trip End
Sep 01, 2008
Melbourne,
Australia
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Queen Charlotte Track - New Zealand We made the decision to walk the track rather than hotfoot it a thousand kilometres to Hamilton to see the first Test, a decision that was vindicated in both respects. Everywhere you go in New Zealand you are bombarded with information about multi-day hikes (known as tramping, bizarrely in this country), so much so that we thought we'd give it a try. The 71km walk was through stunning scenery, with the added bonus of having our backpacks transported to our next accommodation by water taxi. We met some great people and survived with just a few blisters - we had a great time. And England lost the Test...
The second Test at the Basin Reserve - New Zealand There can't be many better ways to spend five days than basking in the sun on the grass banks at the Basin, watching England claw back the series. We sat with the Barmy Army, sang some songs, had a few beers and worshipped Ryan Sidebottom - happy days!
The Red Centre - Australia We spent twelve fantastic days exploring the Northern Territory from our campervan. The whole trip was a great experience, but the final few days of the trip, in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park stands out above what preceded it. Even though I have been before, Ayers Rock, Kings Canyon and The Olgas were amazing sights in no way diminished by their iconic status. Indeed, it is fair to say that photographs don't do them justice.
The Tasman Peninsular - Australia I really enjoyed our time in Tasmania, and could happily have spent more time there but for the vagueries of the One World alliance flight timetables. The highlight of our short trip there for me was the Tasman peninsular, which combined amazing geographical sights with an interesting insight into Australia's colonial past.
Wildlife viewing - Australasia This is a bit of a broad choice, but each component only lasted a short space of time. Combined however, whale watching and dusky dolphin spotting in Kaikoura, bottlenose dolphins on Doubtful Sound, the marsupials of Australia, the marine life of the Great Barrier Reef, seeing a croc at Katherine gorge and finally sighting a platypus at Broken River were highlights of the trip.
Others that came close include 24 hours in Auckland (sightseeing, Interpol gig and England winning the ODI), Doubtful Sound, Dunedin, The Great Barrier Reef and Eungella National Park.
Things I won't miss about Australia and NZ include: the constant sniping against the English (particularly in the Aussie press); being told by expats and natives who you have just met and know nothing about you that in both countries 'the lifestyle is much better here'; and the insistence on calling 27 different sports football!
I think that in many ways this segment of the trip has been a kind of holiday within our travels. They are easy countries to travel in, we speak a similar language(!) and we have many family and friends in Australia. I think it's safe to say though, that despite really enjoying ourselves here, we are ready for the more 'adventurous' part of the trip to start again, in countries where day-to-day activities are a challenge and we can learn about cultures that differ from our own.
