The Best of New Zealand and Australia

I've spent the last week recalling amazing experiences listed on the blog, so I figured I would detail the highlights and areas for improvement here.

For starters, New Zealand and Australia were both AMAZING! We were in Colin's hometown this past weekend and he said, "I can't believe I was just in New Zealand and Australia, and now I'm back home where I grew up." Well said, Colin. It's incredible to think that we followed through on a plan so large as a trip across the world. How many people get to do something like that in their lifetime?? It is a blessing to be able to afford a trip, in good health, with my life companion.

The question I am always asked is, "which country did you like better?" It's really hard to say, actually. New Zealand just has such incredible natural beauty, plus the dollar did go a lot farther! Australia is so overwhelming. We barely scratched the surface of what there was to see.

Here are my favorite places/photos in New Zealand:


Mount Cook: The grass really is this green, the sky this blue, and the snow this white! It was amazing to be among all this beauty at once!


Everywhere in New Zealand: Farming as it should be with sheep, cows, and deer all feeding on the grass, which has been nourished by the sun and the rain. And the rainbows had such vibrant colors. We were always tempted to look for the pot of gold on either end!


Abel Tasman National Park: I cannot believe we actually kayaked in the beauty of this water and enjoyed this amazing beach.


My favorite places/photos of Australia are:


Whitsunday Islands: Sailing to Whitehaven Beach, especially when the motor was off and we were 100% powered by the wind. How exhilarating!! Whitehaven Beach was also impressively beautiful, except for the stingers.


Great Barrier Reef: snorkeling among the largest coral formation in the world was amazing. I can't even begin to think of how small the area we explored is compared to the 1,600 miles of the reef exist.


Fraser Island: The best two days in Australia came with some swimming in the lakes of the largest sand island in the world. The waters were immaculate, the sand was like powder, and best of all is that you could swim in it!!


Australia Zoo: My favorite animal from the trip is the Koala. It has the softest fur - which I did get to pet - and has the cutest face! The dolphins in New Zealand come in at a close second place!

If I were to do this trip all over again, with the same amount of time at the same time of the year, I would only have changed the Australia part of the trip. Because Colin and I both love the beach and the ocean, I would not have flown to Cairns, but rather to Brisbane, from New Zealand. The tropical north and all its rainforest's were wonderful, but not so much in the middle of their summer. Not being able to swim in the waters was a bummer. I would have flown to Brisbane, possibly not rented a car, and taken a 2-3 day trip (flight) to the Whitsunday Islands in northeastern Australia. That way, perhaps we would have had some time in the Sunshine and Gold Coasts (where we could have swam). We really needed another full week in Australia to slow our pace down and relax more like we did in New Zealand (not that we chilled out very much there either!). Slowing down would have allowed some time to observe our surroundings and possibly see Koalas and Kangaroo in their natural habitat. Oh, to be a European with their 3 month holidays! Wouldn't that be nice?

Groundhog Day/Back to the Future - January 18, 2010 (U.S.)

The culmination of our trip would make both Bill Murray and Michael J. Fox proud. Making up for the day we lost on our way here, we would experience both Groundhog Day and Back to the Future (the first two movies, the third movie doesn’t exist to me).

Our flight departed Sydney on Monday at 3:35PM and we stopped in San Francisco on Monday at 11:00AM after being in the air for 12 hours. Great Scott, Marty! We then connected on a flight that returned us back to NYC on Monday at around 8:30PM.

A little abstract to wrap your head around. But actually going through the date-line changes and replay of days, and quasi-time travel without 1.21 Gigawatts, makes the mechanics all too real. And tiring.

Our skin had been thinned by the warm weather. So we didn’t welcome the cold embrace of the North East.

Nicolle has only two words about the flight back home: unwelcome turbulence.

Sightseeing in Sydney - January 17, 2010 (Australia)

We had an exhausting day today in Sydney, using all forms of public transportation and our legs to get around the city. We started by walking from our hotel in the southern part of the city through Hyde Park and a second large park called, “The Domain.” This second park reminded me of a smaller version of Central Park, with a summer concert series held on Saturday nights. We headed to the waterfront from The Domain, thus walking along the harbour and the Botanic Gardens, which encompasses most of the northern section of the city up to the Sydney Opera House.

We reached our first view of the Opera House from an area called Mrs. Macquaries Point at the northern tip of the Botanic Gardens. We took a few photos from this area before continuing along the waterfront/Botanic Gardens to the Opera House.




We went inside the Opera House to check out tour prices and what shows they had for the day. The forecast stated it would be nice during the day with 90% chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon and evening. Unfortunately for us, the 8pm showing of a Brazilian music, dance and capoeira performance was sold out. There were tickets available for the 2pm show, but we didn’t want to miss out on the beautiful day.

We left the Opera House and continued along the water to Circular Quay (pronounced KEY). This area is where all the ferry terminals are and there was a cruise ship docked here as well. Our walk along the water continued to an area called the Rocks, which had a downtown Newport feel to it with outdoor cafes and streets lined with little shops.



From The Rocks we got onto the Sydney Harbour Bridge and walked across, getting a few more photo opportunities of the Opera House and downtown areas.



Since we purchased an unlimited train, bus and ferry pass for the day, we decided to give our legs a break and take the ferry back to the Harbour side of the bridge. Along the ride, we saw a submarine, sailboat and battleship at the Maritime Museum.



Instead of continuing on the ferry back to Circular Quay, we decided to try the rail system. It was strange to step onto wooden escalators and even stranger to get on a double decker train. The seats were innovative, allowing you to flip them from facing one direction to the other. Part of the ride on the train was underground and part of it was above ground.



Once we got back to Circular Quay, we decided to take another ferry and enjoy a 30 minute ride past the Opera House to the northern beach called Manly Beach. The weather cooperated with our plans and we had a much nicer beach day than yesterday at Bondi Beach. Unfortunately, the water was pretty cold, so we lounged in the shade, relaxing and watching beach volleyball.



We did a short coastal walk to check out Manly Beach and its surrounding coves. There was an area with a swimming pool near the ocean rocks where we took a quick dip to cool off. There were also areas where people were snorkeling and a sheltered cove with really calm waters where many of the families were enjoying the beach.

Once the clouds started rolling in it was about time for dinner. I enjoyed a hamburger and Colin tried prawns (shrimp) in an outdoor restaurant.

The ride back to Sydney Harbour was calm and we reached our destination just prior to sunset.



Because it was our last full day of vacation, we decided to check out the city at night. Our adventure brought us to Darling Harbour, an area that seemed landscaped for the 2000 Olympics. There were some really nice fountains and lights all along the water.



We also took one last look at the Opera House and Bridge by night before retiring back to our hotel room. Sadly, we had to pack our bags to be ready for our flight back to the States. It was a good last day in Sydney, and I am not looking forward to the long travel back home.

First Day in Sydney - January 16, 2010

Once again, we had to be up very early this morning to catch our flight from Brisbane to Sydney. A 7:15am flight meant getting up at 5:30 to catch the 6:04 train. Once we were out of the hostel, the morning passed very quickly. We caught the train on time, arrived at the Jetstar domestic terminal 45 minutes before the flight, and breezed through security onto the plane. Had we driven from Brisbane to Sydney, it would have taken about 12 hours, but our flight was less than an hour and a half.

Upon reaching Sydney, we dropped our bags off at the hotel and went out to explore the city. Unfortunately for us, the YHA hostels in Sydney were more expensive than a three star hotel, so we decided on a hotel that is a 10 minute walk from the city center. First, we hit up a market in a section of the city called Glebe, an area very similar to Williamsburg, BK with all it’s hipness and trendiness.

Once we finished at the market, we decided to enjoy the rest of the day at Bondi Beach. We caught a bus that deposited us back in the city center so we could transfer to another bus to Bondi. Unfortunately, buses don’t give transfers, so we lost a few dollars in the process. Colin was disappointed in the bus system, especially when our bus drivers all seemed to hate their jobs and most could not tell us information about reaching our destination.

We finally reached Bondi around 2:30pm, just as some hazy clouds were rolling in. It was actually perfect since we both wanted a nice nap on the beach!



Once we rested a bit, we were off for some shopping and exploring. Bondi seems to be hit by the recession – I found some of the cheapest prices on items. One employee even told me the hours of the store change based on whether or not people are out late.

I had to take a photo of the water fountain, or as they call them in Australia, “bubbler” – just like my Rhode Island roots!!



After our shopping adventure we decided to grab some dinner at a pub off the side road. We were so hungry that we ordered two entrees and an appetizer! In hindsight, it was way too much, but the pub specialized in Mexican food, and their guacamole was divine.

We had heard there was an amazing cliffwalk from Bondi Beach to it’s southern neighbor beach. It was getting late by the time we finished dinner, but we decided to check out part of the walk. It reminded me of the cliffwalk in Newport, RI. Unfortunately, we didn’t get to do the whole thing because it was dark. There just aren’t enough hours in the day!!





We managed to catch the correct bus back to the downtown area of Sydney, where we walked back to the hotel. It was so nice to have a room to ourselves where we could keep the air conditioning on. Too bad the train passed pretty close by – but I think we were so tired it didn’t really keep us from sleeping.

Tomorrow the plan is to see the touristy areas of Sydney by making our way to the Opera House and the Bridge.

Australia Zoo and Brisbane - January 15, 2010

Crikey! Today we saddled up the (Toyota) wagon to mosey on down to Brisbane from Noosa Heads. The distance to Brisbane was comparatively a short drive; only about 120km. The sole rush on our schedule was to go to Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo in Landsborough, QLD.

That’s right, we were going to the zoo of everybody’s favorite crocodile hunter. At the zoo we would be able to interact with some kangaroo, koala, and other assorted animals that Steve Irwin antagonized in the wild. Of course, though, we visited with heavy hearts due to Mr. Irwin’s relatively recent demise. (Pause.)

The zoo must go on. Steve would have wanted it that way. In fact, his daughter, Bindi, is one of the main attractions. Not because she’s some bizarre human-reptile hybrid. Bindi hosts one of the main attractions on a daily basis at the zoo. (Note to self: check Australian child labor laws.)

Besides Bindi being a worthwhile attraction, the zoo allows visitors to interact with some of the resident animals. We were able to walk into the living areas of the kangaroo and koala. We walked close to, pet, and even fed the kangaroos. Most of the kangaroos rested on a hot summer day, so they were inactive. Only occasionally did we see the kangaroos hop/run across their lawn. Seeing the kangaroo run was impressive. Nicolle even fed the kangaroos. No limbs were lost and no animals were harmed while taking these pictures.







We also pet some koalas. The koalas was similarly inactive. The koalas are so inactive that they sleep 18-20 hours per day. I enjoy sleeping, but that’s excessive. Koalas apparently do nothing but eat until they’re full, then they go back to sleep. While they slept, though, we pet their soft fur.




After we finished annoying wild animals who just wanted to rest, we drove to our second-to-last destination of Brisbane, QLD. We would only spend one night in Brisbane with another early morning flight the day after.

The areas of Brisbane we visited were pretty nice. The city has an efficient commuter rail system that reminded me of Long Island Rail Road. Brisbane also had a nice river promenade. The walk along the promenade included shops, restaurants, and a pool. We noticed a The Brisbane YHA hostel we stayed at had a pool on the roof, which allowed for sunset viewing.

Day 2, Fraser Island Adventure - January 14, 2010

Everybody’s favorite Fraser Island tour guide, Karl, had offered a nice sunrise tour complete with some dingoe sightings. Too bad the departure time was 4:45AM. Nicolle and I didn’t even kid ourselves to think we could wake up that early. Though we didn’t get to see the sunrise, I can safely say that I didn’t put any of my babies in danger of being eaten by a dingoe, which is basically a wild dog.

The morning call time arrived again pretty early at around 7:30AM. The menu for the day’s events included a nice 4WD bus ride up the beach with a few stops here and there. The culmination of the trip was the famed Lake McKenzie.

Our first stop on the drive up the beach was Eli Creek. Fraser Island possesses a large amount of fresh water from the process of the sand filtering the water that is deposited onto it. Karl claimed that Fraser Island has more fresh water on it than Sydney Harbor. One of the fresh water creeks we saw was Eli Creek. As you might be able to see in the picture, the water is extremely transparent. The water is supposedly clean enough to drink, but we didn’t test that theory because we enjoy healthy bowels. Nevertheless, we walked to a point where you could basically walk or float back down to the mouth of the creek.



The second stop was at the shipwreck. The story tells that the ship, called Maheno, was built in Scotland around the early 1900s. The ship was both fast and luxurious. Ultimately, the ship’s captains tried to test the speed with an attempted jump over Fraser Island resulting in the ship being wrecked on the beach. Sorry, the last part is completely made up. It sounds interesting though. I don’t remember how the ship was wrecked. There it stays though. Undisturbed.



We also stopped by the Colored Sands area of Fraser Island. This wasn’t as appealing as the other parts. I believe the sands were colored by mineralization. Not much here. Let’s move on.



Champagne Pools was a little more interesting. Rock formations created this set of pools, which are filled by the ocean’s waves. Some visitors swam in the pools. Karl warned against going in the pools because of jellyfish. And what Karl says goes; he’s lived on the island or visited the island for over 25 years. One interesting aspect to the pools: the island was formed by volcanic upheavals long ago, and you can see some very linear and thin lines of rock formations that was, basically, lava flowing up throw cracks in the rock surface and cooling.




Ah, Lake McKenzie. This is main draw of Fraser Island, which says something because the island contains so many beautiful areas. Lake Mac, as they say, is a fresh water lake. As you can see, the lake’s color is amazing clear, blue, and all around amazing. The sands don’t disappoint either, they’re as white as a baby’s bum. We definitely enjoyed swimming in the lake because it wasn’t too cold. Plus there were no threats. The sand was refreshing too because it felt like walking in sugar.




Because we traveled on the two day trip with the same group of people we were able to befriend two nice lasses from Dublin. One girl was truly Irish and the other was an Italiana. They had only began their trip, which was a three month round-the-world journey. We were jealous.



Our small group also included the aforementioned Karl. What a character he was. He was a guy who had seen and done a lot in his lifetime. But he seems to truly love what he does and that showed in his enthusiasm for guiding the tour. He was so enthusiastic about the job that he even put on his boardshorts to relax on the beach and swim with us. As he said, he really hates his job.



We’ve traveled with many guides both for this trip and other parts of the world, and I think it’s safe to say that Karl was one of the best we’ve experienced.

Fraser Island Adventure - January 13, 2010

All that driving really paid off to spend two full days on Fraser Island, off the coast of central Queensland. As Colin mentioned, Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world.

Today we were up early once again to catch a 7:45am bus to the ferry. There were some dolphins out on the water during the 40 minute ferry ride, but they never got close enough for us to take a good photo.

Once we got onto the island, we were quickly taken onto a 40 passenger air-conditioned 4WD bus for our 2 day adventure with the tour operator Karl.



Karl is a fun-loving, comical guy who really seemed passionate about the island. Knowing all the ins and outs, he added a few things to the itinerary that weren't planned, such as our first stop to Lake Birrabeen.




The lake was so beautiful! I've never seen a lake with such clear water. And because Fraser Island is a sand island, there were no rocks or slippery grass to walk on. The water was warm enough to swim in and cool enough to be refreshing. With the sun shining and no fear of crocodiles or stingers, life felt like it couldn't be any better than this!

Because we were on a tour, we had less than 2 hours to enjoy the lake before heading off to the next area of the island - the rainforest. After spending a few days traveling down the tropical north of Australia, the nature walk on Fraser Island was paled in comparison. It was not hot and humid (thankfully), and there was a crystal clear freshwater lake along the walk. We had a nice hour long hike in the forest before lunch.




Once we finished the walk, around 1pm, we were starving and ready for lunch. The tour provided lunch at the hotel on the beach where our accomodations were. Unfortunately, lunch was pretty disappointing. The only good thing was it being buffet, so we could fill up - which we did.

Once we all finished lunch, we were off again for a coastal drive literally on the beach. We were brought to an area where we had to hike 2.5km to sand dunes and a swimming hole among the dunes. The destination of the hike was amazing. I really did feel like I was in the desert.



To one side we could see the ocean and to the other there was an oasis - our swimming spot.



Swimming felt wonderful after the short hike and walking on the hot sand. We were in the water for the entire 2 hours, chatting with two new friends (Joanne and Rosa) from Dublin (though Rosa is from Italy).

By the time we hiked back to the bus, it was getting late and time to head back to the hotel for dinner. Along the beach drive, Karl stopped to show us the stingers left by the tide on the beach. This is a photo of just one of the many predators in northern Australia waters - the Portuguese Man of War.



Dinner was similar to lunch and again we felt disappointed in the meal. Unfortunately, we also didn't have air conditioning in the hotel room, but the fan did work well enough. Fraser Island also afforded us another opportunity to do some star gazing, which was lovely.

Overall, I would say it was a wonderful day. In my opinion, the best we've had in Australia so far.