Pictures and Our Last Days Down Under... For Now!

Happy Thursday! Time for breakfast! We wanted to try the “Australian Brekkie” (Australian breakfast), but the place where we saw it advertised looked shady to me. So we carried on to the Esplanade. We found a place with a buffet and tried that out. Their breakfast buffet reminded me of Ireland’s breakfast because it included baked beans. I guess perhaps that’s a UK thing. Also on the buffet were stewed tomatoes with herbs (Italian herbs, so it tasted like spaghetti sauce), eggs, sausages, bacon, two types of pasta dishes, yogurt with honey, fruit, cereal, toast with jams, Vegemite, and/or peanut butter, juice, coffee, tea, and… I think that’s it. Quite the feast! I stuck with sausage, eggs, tomatoes, toast, and coffee. I’m glad we got all that fuel, because our next stop was maybe four kilometers (a couple of miles) away!

I didn’t realize quite how far away the Botanic Gardens were from the Esplanade, but that’s all right. Steve and I both like a good walk! We got there with about 15 minutes to spare before the guided tour began. There were about seven or eight other guests on the tour, and it was quite informative! We got more information about the rain forest and saw many beautiful flowers, including the largest flower in the world and the oldest and biggest tree in the Botanic Gardens! The most interesting take away for me was the discovery that vanilla is an orchid! It has no natural pollinators, so it has to be pollinated by hand—that’s why it’s so expensive. The particular type we saw was from Mexico.

After the tour, we started back to the Esplanade—we had a ferry to catch! We made it down to the wharf with plenty of time to spare and loaded the boat to Green Island. This is the one we read about most in our tour books. We signed up for a glass bottom boat ride so we could see the coral, and all we had to do was step from our boat onto the other—easy!

And what an easy way to see the Great Barrier Reef! Our tour guide and boat driver took us just a few meters away (a few yards), and though her boat was only about a meter (just over a yard) deep, we got up-close views of beautiful coral! She pointed out all sorts. They really do call some of it “brain coral,” and other types are all named similarly—by what they look like. She pointed out hard coral and soft coral (the stuff that moves, like the anemone Nemo and his dad live in), sea cucumbers, sea grass, and lots of fish! She even fed some for us so they would come close enough for us to see. After about 20 minutes, it was time to get back to land. Next stop? The beach—with sand!

We laid out for a bit (we had about an hour and a half on the island) and got ourselves nice and sunburned. I took a walk along the shoreline. It was very peaceful, and there were fish, just sitting in schools only a couple of meters from shore, so those were fun to watch! We started back to the boat, but we had to wait a while. We looked out beside the jetty and what did we see? Sea turtles coming up for air! They’re so cute. =) Back on the boat, Steve and I decided to ride up at the top in the open-air section. The water and coral and islands are so beautiful to see! Steve even saw a whale breech!

And then we grew hungry! I’d seen a place on the Esplanade called The Raw Prawn, and I’d asked Steve earlier if we could go there for dinner. They have bugs on the menu! So that’s where we went. Steve got the Cairns Duo, which included prawns (face included) and barramundi with asparagus and potatoes. I got the Bugs and Prawns Combo! Bugs are really just another crustacean, like shrimp or crab or lobster. It was certainly worth trying! I liked it—they tasted just like shrimp to me. We even got dessert this time. Steve let me pick because he’s wonderful, so we got the chocolate torte—yum! It was delicious. We made a pit stop into a souvenir shop on the way back to the hotel and just got a couple of things. The next day we were scheduled to fly back to lovely Sydney.

Friday morning we took it easy. Check-out was at 10:00am, so we left then and had the owner call us a cab to the airport. The Cairns domestic airport is quite small, but we found plenty to keep us busy while we waited for our plane! We both picked up lunch for the plane ride back, and Steve wanted to look at every shop there, just because there weren’t that many and we had the time. =) So he did that while I picked up a couple more post cards, wrote them, addressed them, stamped them, and gave them to the lady at one of the shops to post for me. Then I began to blog, and then we got on the plane—so exciting! =)

Once we landed back in Sydney, we got our train tickets back to where we’re staying, checked in once we got to the hotel, and set off on our last grand evening in this beautiful and iconic city! Steve said it seemed so familiar—like we’ve already lived here for years! He knows the city even better than I, since he goes running every morning. It’s a beautiful place to see at all times of day!

We picked up a few final items on our way to dinner. Steve asked me where I’d like to eat, and I said any place with a view of either the Opera House or the Bridge. We chose a seafood place with a view of the bridge. It was quite a lovely and enchanted evening. Tomorrow we fly home. Back to reality and back to the Northern Hemisphere—where toilets flush the other direction and people drive on the right side of the road.

And so ends our Australian Adventure: Quick Whit’s 28^th Birthday Extravaganza. I told Steve I’d never be able to give him something like this, and I can’t possibly thank him enough. If I say “thank you” again, it’ll begin to lose its significance. He said I’ve already thanked him, and he wished me a happy birthday once more. He doesn’t seem to mind I can’t give him a big trip somewhere he couldn’t simply take himself.

Thank you all for joining us on our Grand Adventure! Perhaps we’ll venture out together again soon! 

As promised... pictures!
Australia 1:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100106895941998.1073741830.52700845&type=1&l=1f1351890e

Australia 2:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100106896570738.1073741831.52700845&type=1&l=c1427d817c

Australia 3:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100106897643588.1073741832.52700845&type=1&l=f84cd420f5

Australia 4:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100108114774448.1073741833.52700845&type=1&l=6a5c5dc52a

Australia 5:
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10100108806039148.1073741834.52700845&type=1&l=3f498faf1f

Cuddly Koalas and the Vegemite Experience

Wednesday, Steve and I were in for quite a treat—koalas and exploring the rain forest! We took and excursion up to Kuranda, which is a former hippie village in the rainforest, just above Cairns. The bus was a bit late, but everything seemed to be running late that morning, according to the bus drivers (we had to change buses a time or two). We got dropped off at the Skyrail station (like a ski lift, where you’re in a little closed in car hanging from a cable), and up, up, up the mountains we went!

We got to see the rain forest from a bird’s eye view before stopping at a boardwalk about a third of the way up. We got out and went on a little nature walk with a guide who explained about how the rain forest works. The rain forest us actually a rough environment for the plants that seem to thrive there. Plants, even trees, don’t live very long there. Rain forest trees live around 120 years, if they are fortunate, where as trees in other areas like the Redwood Forest in Northern California can be literally THOUSANDS of years old! And actually, the only way to tell how old a tree is there is to do carbon dating; you can’t cut it through and see the rings because… there aren’t any! Trees don’t grow at a regular rate there, and they don’t stop growing in the wintertime like trees in temperate areas. I didn’t know that’s how trees get their rings… they stop growing in the winter, and when they start growing again, there’s a line between the growth spots. Does that make sense? I think that’s how I understood our guide to say it, anyway. And the roots don’t grow very deep. All the nutrients are close to the surface, so the root systems are spread out but don’t go very far down. Lots of trees look like the roots are on the outside, and there are great big “buttress” roots that are long and stick out from the tree to give it more stability. It was fascinating. The only big surprise to me was that we didn’t see many big, beautiful, vibrant flowers like I thought we would.

Back onto the Skyrail! Over and across the forest we flew. Eventually, we saw a beautiful, deep gorge with a series of waterfalls leading to it. They’ve made a reservoir further up to the water source, so the flow of water isn’t as massive as it once was, but it’s still quite pretty. We got off at one more stop where we could walk around the rain forest a bit more and get some good views of the gorge. We saw a bird of some sort—black with red and yellow around its face—and some very beautiful plants, got a couple of good shots of the gorge, and piled back into the Skyrail once more—next stop, Kuranda!

While it used to be a “hippie” town way back when, it’s now a tourist village. Many artisans sell beautiful things like jewelry, pottery, paintings, soaps, woodworking, kangaroo fur items, and the like, but our primary objective was to see the animals! Kuranda Koala Gardens is sort of a small zoo. There are crocodiles, snakes, lizards, and turtles to see from a distance or behind glass, wallabies and kangaroos to pet and feed, and of course, koalas to cuddle and hold! This was certainly a highlight for me!

So, we got ourselves ticketed to enter the Gardens and got a pass for me to hold a koala. Steve was more interested in watching. =) Koalas are even more precious and lovable in person than they are in pictures! There were four of them hanging out in the trees just in front of the koala holding area; they’re just so precious! We got lots of pictures, of course. When it was my turn, the girls taking the koala holding pictures called me over and showed me where to stand and how to hold the koala. When you hold the koala there, the left arm curves against your stomach, and that’s the koala’s seat. The right arm curves in front of you, just below your chest, to support its back. One of the girls brought a female Koala over to me and set her in my arms, and her claws dug right into my shoulder! Ouch! But completely worthwhile! She was so sweet and laid-back it seemed. I’m sure they’re used to this by now. I got my picture with the koala with their camera, but I was surprised when they told me Steve could use my camera to take pictures as well! And even more surprised when the girl said Steve could come over with me and the two of us could have our picture together with the koala, too!

Day: Made.

We grabbed some wallaby food and headed over to the petting area. So cute! One of the kinds of critters was resting, but the kangaroos and wallabies (like small kangaroos) were up and about, some laying on their sides, just waiting for people to feed them. Oh, just precious.

Next stop, reptiles! So, the difference between turtles and tortoises, I may have mentioned before, is that turtles go in water and tortoises live only on land. There were a couple of turtles in the habitat at Koala Gardens, many snakes, and several lizards. There were also about 10 crocodiles in their own place… I hope they aren’t good climbers!

Aaaand, lunchtime! All that koala cuddling and overwhelming preciousness is enough to make a girl famished. There’s a restaurant conveniently right at the top of the Koala Gardens, so we found a seat and looked at a menu. I just about had my heart set on some sort of barramundi fish, but at the last moment, I saw there was a combination appetizer of crocodile, emu, and kangaroo—yes, please! Crocodile is white meat, and the other two are red meats. Emu was my favorite because it was very tender and absolutely delicious! Steve got a HUGE barramundi burger. We were both quite satisfied. When that was done, we set our sights on souvenirs. We had another hour and a half or so before we had to board the train, so we took our time to mosey that direction. Neither of us got much.

When we made it back to the train, we got our tickets and waited to board for “One of the most scenic train rides in the world.” We had been looking forward to it, but in all honesty, we were unimpressed. There were a few scenic views of the water from up on the mountain, and one waterfall view, but we wouldn’t recommend it. The Skyrail was much better.

Next stop, grocery store! I needed to try out this thing called Vegemite. The train station is right next to a mall with a grocery, so we searched, found it—it comes in a jar like a spread, though I’d always heard people compare it to spam—and walked back to our hotel. Too easy! Steve had already bought some bread back in Sydney, so I figured then was as good a time as any! I opened the jar to see what looked a lot like hot fudge, but smelled a lot like a hot salty mess. Here we go! Steve didn’t want any, but I grabbed a spoonful and spread it on the bread. I took a picture, took a bite, and… UGH! I don’t think I’ve ever had to truly stop eating something once I’d started, but this was truly the exception. Quite the nastiness, that Vegemite! I suppose if you like salty things, it might add something to your life, but not I! I had to eat a big spoonful of apricot preserves to get that taste out of my mouth!

And now… onward to the lagoon! For those who want the beach experience without leaving the land, there’s a lovely lagoon—saltwater, of course—just next to the Esplanade. Steve and I took a dip, but the evening was growing quite cool. After an hour or so, we started back to the hotel and stopped at The Coffee Club (a chain of coffee shops in Australia) for hot chocolate (with marshmallows for me!) and a cookie. What a full day! Holding koalas, trying new things, walking to and from town. It was quite the big day! We booked an excursion to Green Island the next day to take a glass-bottom boat ride, and it was time for bed!

Tomorrow—a walk to the Cairns Botanic Gardens and a couple of hours at Green Island!  

Cairns: Tropical Paradise and the Secret Fear...

We're here! Cairns (pronounced "cans") is in the northern-most part of Australia in the state of Queensland--whose nickname is "The Sunshine State!" As soon as we walked off the plane, we felt the wonderfully warm temperature: 26 degrees! (79 degrees F) I love it, but Steve was less enthused. ;) 

We had decided to check our bags on the flight from Sydney to Cairns because we were on a different carrier than usual (Virgin Australia), and we were unsure of bag requirements. We were quickly reminded of why we like to not check a bag while we waited at the baggage claim for nearly half an hour! Oh well. We picked up our bags, grabbed a cab, and set out for Koala Court Apartments! Getting a two bedroom apartment was less expensive than a hotel, and we have SO much space! We also have a kitchen and a living area as well. It's so cute! 

We checked in, got a map, and out we went for the Esplanade! Our hotel (apartment, whatever) is about a 20 minute walk from the Esplanade, or boardwalk, is the main drag, if you will. That's where most of the restaurants and shops are. There aren't a lot of beaches in Cairns, as I anticipated there would be. Instead, it's a "jumping off point" for excursions such as hot air ballooning, boating, train rides, rain forest adventures, helicopter rides, and of course the big finish: The Great Barrier Reef! 

Steve and I stopped for lunch at Barnacles Bill's Seafood Restaurant where I tried the barramundi fish they have everywhere--it's like tilapia--and Steve got the prawn pizza. We organized our afternoon plan of attack over lunch: Steve would go for a run and stop at the grocery, and I would go to the Cairns History Museum and plan out itinerary of excursions for the week. Ready, set, go! 

The Cairns History Museum was quite interesting. There were artifacts ranging from Aboriginal culture, farm life, Bush Pilots, daily life, immigrants (lots of Chinese culture, as you may imagine from the proximity), sea life, etc. The city was very instrumental in WWII, and the museum covered a lot of that. Apparently there were many naturalized Australian Italians prior to WWII, but nearly all of them were sent out during the war. American soldiers were stationed in Cairns, and the Australian men were all quite jealous of them because they got all the girls--American soldiers were exotic and exciting! ;) 

There was a lot of information crammed into just a few small rooms upstairs in the building that houses the museum, but the volunteer who was running the place says they are expanding! The museum will close and the end of this month or the middle of next, and it will be renovated and updated for the next 15 months! I can't wait to come back and see what they do with the place. =)

Next stop... Excursions! I went into one of the dozens of tour offices around and spoke with an Australian girl who set me up with some great adventures! We decided to do the hot air ballon ride and ferry trip out to Fitzroy Island on Tuesday, and the train ride through the rainforest to Kuranda village on Wednesday. What fun! 

And now for New Zealand Naturals ice cream. :) I got some sorbet made with tropical fruits--quite the treat for an afternoon stroll in the tropics! 

Steve found me reading a cultural sign at our meeting point, and we walked back to our hotel. The next morning was to start at 3:30! We had to be ready for a 4:15 pickup to make our sunrise hot air balloon ride!

Hot Air Ballooning

Yep, morning came early this fine day! Steve and I were ready and waiting for our bus pickup at 4:15. The driver was a sweet Japanese man. He got our information sheet that the woman from yesterday's tour office had given me and let us on the bus. We made several more stops, and around 4:50, the driver said we'd be heading up a mountain to a small village called Mareeba, where the balloons take off from. It's an hour drive! And so we began winding our way up the mountain, down a bit, up some more, through emu and kangaroo territory (road signs here really do warn of kangaroo and emu popping out onto the roads, just like deer in the States!), and round and round we went... 

Observation: Steve and I were the only white folks on the bus, everyone else was Asian. A large portion of out busmates were from China, so our driver gave instructions in English AND Chinese! 

The balloon ride was very serene. It's so calming to be up high above the hustle and bustle. We saw the beautiful sunrise, fog settling over the Atherton Tablelands, islands rising above the water in the distance--beautiful! I think Steve liked it pretty well, too. We even saw a bunch of wallabies hopping around through the trees on the way back down! What interesting to me about hot air balloons is that they are truly guided by the wind. the pilot can make the balloon go up or down and in circles, but not in any particular cardinal direction. But we did indeed land where he thought we would. There was virtually no wind up in the sky, but the pilot let us down enough to catch a southerly wind below us and get us to an open landing field. Any hot air balloon landing is really just a controlled crash, which I find humorous! This landing was smoother than the one I experienced on my balloon ride in Turkey a couple of years ago. For the landing position, you face backward, hold on to the designated rope loops, bend your knees slightly, and there you go! The pilot said on windy days, the basket sometimes tips over, but not today! 

Another group was waiting to go up after us, so our group (only 16 people plus the pilot in this balloon, as opposed to 60 per balloon in Turkey, which are the biggest hot air balloons in the world!), awaited instruction on how to exit and let others on without letting the balloon take flight again prematurely! Steve was the first out, a new person got in, and then I got out, and a new person got in, etc. they did that over and over until we were all switched out! Once it almost got off the ground, but someone climbed in quickly so it wouldn't float away! 

And then it was back to the bus and down, down, down the mountain. Next up, the ferry to Fitzroy! 

-----

The Secret Fear

What a lovely ferry ride! The water here is a beautiful bluish-green, and you can tell by the dark spots in some places that reefs are there. The day is a beautiful one here, and made more so by the contrast of the blue sea and sky with the green of the islands betwixt. There's something addictive and contenting about being on the water. 

When we got to the island, we made a beeline for the bookings shop (rental place) to pick up our snorkels and fins! 

Most of the shore on Fitzroy island is not sand, but dried, dead coral. It's been bleached white by the sun, so from a distance it looks like sand. We found a locker to rent for the day, took only our towels to the coral shore, and in we went to brisk South Pacific!

I have a great secret to confess to each and every one of you who has ever commented on my bravery... I am, and have always been, afraid of swimming in the ocean! I so wanted to go to the Great Barrier Reef, but would I be capable of mustering the courage? Could I possibly allow myself to miss this much anticipated, first-time ever opportunity? Let's find out together, shall we?

I had intentionally avoided thinking about the possible dangers. For months I fought the urge to let my mind run away with me, but there we were on the ferry, reading through the information we were given about the day, and Steve said it: " Oh good, it's not ray season," meaning stingrays and other rays. Now my mind just couldn't stop itself... There are poisonous, lethal things in and among the reef. Oh dear.

So we got our gear, found a spot to lay out our towels, and started toward to water. Steve dove right in. And I stood there, knee deep, fretting! 

The water was cold, so I let Steve think that was the reason for my slow decent. If I admitted to anyone I was scared, I might not do it! So in I went, put my face in, and there it was! 

The Great Barrier Reef! 

It's beautiful! It's all colors and shades of neon. It's big. It's small. Parts of it look like a brain. Parts of it look like intestines. Fish of all kinds glide right through it. It's close the the surface. It doesn't look real, but there it is! 

You're not supposed to touch it--don't worry, I didn't! Though it's gorgeous, fascinating, interesting and unlike anything I'd ever seen before, I truly felt respect toward it and even responsible for it. I wouldn't have wanted to touch it even if that was allowed. It's peaceful and serene, even with the loud colors. I wouldn't want to disturb it, and I hope others feel the same. 

After about 15 minutes of swimming around less than 10 yards from shore, I was done! My goggles kept fogging up anyway. I swam to a spot where I could sit in the water but still be on shore, took off my gear, and enjoyed the scenery from above the water for a while. Steve, who was the much more adventurous one of us today, swam over to check on me. When he saw I was fine, he decided to swim further around to see more. I'm so glad he enjoyed it so much! He told me later it was a primary highlight of the trip so far! 

I confessed to him later that I am afraid of swimming in the ocean. :) We sat on our towels on the hard coral shore for a while, enjoying the sunshine and each other's company. The rest of our day was spent hiking around the island, taking in views of the ocean, and taking another quick dip into the South Pacific to wash away the day's grime. Tonight we dined on pizza--seafood for Steve and Australian for me, which included "bacon," which in American terms is thinly slices ham, tomatoes, cheese, and egg. And for my next trick--time for bed! 

Tomorrow's big adventure involved a train ride through the rainforest and potentially holding a Koala! 

Impossible Dreams

G’Day, mates! Today’s adventures had Steve and me high on life and lookin’ fancy! This was so close to a perfect day, I think I could relive it over again and never tire of it. First stop, The Sydney Tower!

Really the first stop was the computers in the business center of the hotel. In all, I got close to 100 birthday wishes on Facebook! What a wonderful thing to wake up to! Now to find breakfast… Nothing too fancy, but I did have a fantastic latte and a delicious bacon and cheese bread thing from a bakery in the Westfield Mall food court. Fuel for the day! Now the fun can truly begin. Off we go to the Sydney Tower Eye!

Of all the places I’ve been to the top of—Washington Monument in DC, Eiffel Tower in Paris, Tokyo TV Tower, Empire State Building, Space Needle in Seattle—I’d have to say the Sydney 360-degree view from up top is one of the most breath-taking! Pictures will come soon, no worries! Since we did our viewing around 9:30 or so, I think we really got some perfect morning light. The Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge are quite dramatic against the water, there are lots of green patches around the city, we even saw a monument and a couple of other points of interest that we didn’t even realize were there! Steve and I both like to go up high to get a good view of the places we go. =)

Next up: The Sydney Harbor Bridge Climb! Steve has done it before, about 5 or 6 years ago, and he’s the one who suggested we do it. What a fun and stunning experience! Our guide, Nick, was a lot of fun. I could tell that all the guides we saw enjoy their jobs. They were cracking jokes with each other, with the tourists, etc., and they just seemed to truly be having fun—and in turn, we tourists all had fun as well!

To do the Bridge Climb, you have to sign a waiver, of course, and you have to really suit up with loads of gear, including a jumpsuit, hat, hankie (not sure why!), harness, radio and earphones to hear the tour guide, a knitted cap, sunglasses strap (if you’re bringing sunglasses), key around your neck for your locker, and… I think that’s it. I think. Anyway, we geared up, trained on how to use the steep steps (like a ladder)—one person at a time, three points of contact (i.e. two hands and a foot, or one hand and two feet), and watch your step! There were about 14 of us, plus Nick the Tour Guide, and off we went! Nick helped us connect our harnesses to the safety wire, and we started our trek to the top! There are over 1,400 steps, I think Nick said, but it was really an easy “climb.” Nothing too treacherous. We got to hear bits of information and interesting anecdotes about the bridge and Sydney in general throughout the 2 hours or so of our journey, and we got to take lots of time to stop and take in the view at four or five places along the way up and back down. The way you do it is, from the main part of Sydney, you go up on the right side, the same side as the Opera House, across the tiptop of the center of the bridge, and back down the left side. The views from all over the Bridge were absolutely magnificent. I think this certainly had to be one of the most memorable and worthwhile activities from the trip. What a way to spend mid-day!

Next up, lunch! Steve and I were both quite hungry, as it was after 3:00 pm by the time we got around to lunch. I got a “chicken burger,” which was a chicken sandwich, but Steve got a more Australian sandwich that included Australian beef and a fried egg! If you’ve never tried fried egg on your sandwich, don’t turn up your nose. It’s quite delicious!

After lunch we headed back to the hotel to freshen up for the thing I was looking most forward to and the first thing that entered my mind as a “must-do” for this trip… an opera at THE Sydney Opera House! Steve, of course, was less enthusiastic about going to the opera, but he said we could do anything I wanted. If we did nothing else, I wanted to do an opera—ANY opera—at the world-renown, iconic venue. Mom brought me my favorite dress when she came to visit me a couple of months ago, so I had it altered to a high-low hemline (it needed a bit of updating), and I even bought heels to go with it—and most everyone knows I don’t wear heels, but for this, I made an exception! Steve brought a suit to wear, so we looked like quite the fancy couple!

We saw the opera called Don Pasquale, set in 1940s Italy, about a man named Don Pasquale who decides to marry to prevent his nephew from inheriting his fortune when he dies. Unfortunately, he falls prey to an elaborate scheme involving a false marriage to his nephew’s girlfriend (unbeknownst to Pasquale), who fools him into thinking she’s a shy and sheltered girl, but once she’s trapped him in marriage, she spends lots of his money, redecorates his house, and wreaks havoc for him! In the end, the nephew marries his girlfriend, Don Pasquale allows the nephew to inherit, and all is well. Most operas end in tragedy and are many hours long (three or more), but this one was light-hearted and only two hours. See? I’m a pretty nice girlfriend. I didn’t make him suffer too long, and he even said he was looking forward to it more than he thought he would—even enjoyed it! The opera was performed in Italian, but most of it was translated into English with surtitles (at the top, as opposed to subtitles at the bottom of the stage). We took the train back to the hotel and were pooped by the time we got there! What an experience!

Sunday morning, we went to breakfast at a little café on the corner before a member of the church picked us up for services that morning. We went to mass the night before (Steve is Catholic, for those who didn’t know already), so Sunday we went to my type of service. The group there is around 40 people, and they were all so friendly! We were dropped off for lunch at Circular Quay and spent a relaxing afternoon there before heading out to Manly Beach. Supposedly it’s so-named because the first European sailors to come in saw the Aboriginal men there and said they looked very “manly.” =) We didn’t get in the water or even go out on the sand, since it was pretty cold (don’t forget it’s winter here Down Under!), but the view from the shore was quite beautiful. It’s the South Pacific!

On the way back to the ferry that would take us to Circular Quay, Steve and I stopped for hot chocolate at a place called “Chocolate and the Bald Man.” It’s such a neat concept! There are hot chocolates of many kinds (Steve and I both got the Danish Toffee Chocolate), strawberries with your choice of chocolate for dipping, chocolate-banana pizza, tarts, cakes, brownies, cookies, even your own choice of chocolate to eat straight. The hot chocolate was just right for a chilly evening.

And back to the hotel for the evening! We were there just after 8:00, and I don’t know about Steve, but I was out cold by 9:00! This morning we met in the lobby to check out around 6:15, and off we went for the airport! Next stop, Cairns, Queensland, in the north! Great Barrier Reef, here we come! 

The Australian Birthday Extravaganza!

And we’re here! Our plane found the sunrise just half an hour or so before we landed, and it was every bit as beautiful as Wednesday’s sunset. Breakfast was quite the feast, with two types of eggs, sweet rolls, fruit, yogurt, juice, and coffee. We landed right on time and went through customs like a breeze. We showed our passports, got stamped, gave our entry cards (the ones we filled out on the plane) to the appropriate customs agent, and off we went! Neither Steve nor I ever check a bag, so we didn’t have to wait at the baggage claim or anything. I like traveling light!

We found the trains that would take us to our hotel and bought our tickets. Much to our befuddlement, we couldn’t get out of the exit gate from the train station! Luckily for us, a couple of kind Australians let us through on their tickets. What did we do wrong? We have no idea! We just know these things happen when you travel. =)

Next stop, the Bayswater Hotel. It’s nice enough, but Internet is 10AUD (Australian Dollars) per device, PER DAY! This causes a bit of a problem, but luckily there are a couple of computers to use in the lobby that are free. That doesn’t help me with blogging or putting pictures online, but I’ll make do when I can! Perhaps our hotel in Cairns has free Wi-Fi.

Back on track! The guy at the front desk said one of our room was ready then, and the other would be ready around mid-day. So we left our luggage in the room that ended up being mine, and off we went—next stop, Opera House!

We took a scenic walk through a little neighborhood, down by the water and a naval shipyard, and I got a beautiful shot of the Opera House across the water. Seeing it for the first time was like seeing a postcard come to life! We made it to our scheduled 9:00 tour with about 15 minutes to spare. We could see the Sydney Harbor Bridge from where we stood waiting for the tour to start, and we saw some people doing exactly what we were scheduled to do the next day—climbing the bridge!

And then began our tour of the most recognizable building in the world! Our tour guide, Mary Ann, was a true delight! She was funny, full of hard facts and humorous anecdotes, and she’s had four cups of coffee before the tour started—two at home, one on her way to work, and one waiting for her when she arrived. ;) She was loads of fun!

So, the project was started in the 1950s, and a Danish man, Mr. Utzon, won a world-wide contest to be the architect. The project was supposed to be completed in 3 years, with a budget of 7 million AUD, but that’s not how it went down… In 1963, 16 years and 102 million AUD later, the Sydney Opera House was completed and opened in a ceremony with Queen Elizabeth of England!

I had read online that the 9:00 tour gets to see more of the opera house than all of the other tours, so that’s why we chose it. We saw three theatres, including the one where we are to see Don Pasquale, the opera, the following night! Usually you can’t take pictures of any of the theatres, but Mary Ann allowed us to in the concert hall! It’s beautiful—large, over a thousands seats “in the round,” the seats are hot pink and white (yep, done in the 60s!), and the light fixtures are gorgeous. Pictures to come!

We finished up our tour a little after 10 and set out for our next big adventure… the Taronga Zoo! We rode the ferry over (I love a good ferry!) and took the “ski lift” up to the top of the mountain, where the zoo entrance is. First things first—to the koalas! Koala bears are so cute I almost can’t stand it! There were at least 4 sleeping in the trees at that first exhibit. They are so sweet and cuddly-looking. We also got to see a couple of sleeping Tasmanian devils, rock wallabies (that hop like kangaroos!), birds like I’ve never seen before, lizards, dragons, turtles, tortoises, wombats, etc., etc., etc. I didn’t get to see a platypus, but perhaps I’ll still get a glimpse of one before the trip is through!

Back on the ferry, we marveled at just how beautiful Sydney is, especially right on the water. From there we walked back to our hotel to freshen up and get Steve checked into his room. We left out again around four in search of dinner. Since it was my birthday, my wish was to eat at a seafood restaurant at Darling Harbor with my darling, Steve. And we did just that! I’d planned to get straight-up seafood, but the kangaroo fillet with prawns captured my attention instead! Still a bit of seafood, but also with an almost exclusively Australian flare. It tastes like beef to me, but gamier—sort of tough. But I enjoyed it! Steve got the salmon, which also tasted quite delicious!

With no room for dessert, we caught a cab back to the hotel—which was quite a feat. They have some system for their cabs that has to do with a light being off or on at a certain time. We were too jetlagged and full to try and think too much about figuring it out at that point!

Steve walked me to my door to wish me a happy birthday once more. I tried and failed to figure out the heating system in my room, took my shower, and collapsed into bed. Tomorrow, we’ll take in the view from the Sydney Tower, climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge, and enjoy the opera at the world famous Sydney Opera House!  

August 8, 2013: The Day that Never Was

Have you ever lost an entire day? Perhaps you slept through it. Perhaps you forgot to tear off a day from your calendar. You may have simply wanted to forget a day, or make one speed up. Or perhaps, like Steve and me, you lost it somewhere over the Pacific Ocean. Yes… the International Date Line.

International Date Line: noun.

1. “a theoretical line following approximately the 180^th meridian” [that’s the 180^th latitude line if you look at a globe], “the regions to the east of which are counted as being one day earlier in their calendar dates than the regions to the west.” (According to the Dictionary.com app on my phone.)

Mysterious as the Bermuda triangle, this International Date Line is a source of consternation for some. (What day is it? What time is it? What? I’m so sleepy.) For me, crossing this date line takes me back, way back, to the beginning of my travel obsession. My first extra-continental adventure was my 2006 summer teaching trip to Japan at the ripe old age of 20. Now, to celebrate my 28 years of existence, I get to go back to where it all started… tomorrow!

My very handsome and generous boyfriend, Steve, wanted to get me something great for this birthday, but much to his chagrin, he does not like to shop. Much to my delight, he does like to travel… so he suggested a trip to the one place I’ve wanted to go as long as I can remember. Australia! The Land Down Under! So, not only is he helping me outsmart that International Date Line, he taking me to a whole new hemisphere, to a land of kangaroos and koalas and platypuses (platypii?) and wallabies and Vegemite and the Great Barrier Reef AND backward-flushing toilets! I’m so excited I could spit if I weren’t a lady!

What’s also fun about traveling with Steve is that he consistently is upgraded from economy to business class—which is the appealing land of free food and spacious seats! Please see the pictures. =)

Now down to the nitty gritty. Here’s our flight itinerary: IAD>LAX>SYD

We were delayed at Dulles (IAD) for about an hour, but once we got on our way, we were set. It’s about a five hour flight from IAD to LAX, where we were supposed to have about a 2 hour and 15 minute layover—plenty of time, even with a delay. While in the air, I got to see lightning in the clouds, the longest and most beautiful sunset that God could possibly allow August 7 to produce, read a bit in a book, listened to a church podcast, AND started this blog. My fingers have been aching to blog for months now!

The bulk of our journey took place over the Pacific—approximately 14.5 hours! My trip to Japan was 14, so this Australian adventure is officially my new flight record. Because Steve got us bumped up to Business Class, as got personal, large TVs with movie, TV, game, music, and other entertainment options, “lay-flat” seats that are as much like a bed as we could get, LOADS of food, and more than enough room around us. I’ve never flown in style quite like this before!

So, what does one do on a plane for 14.5 hours? Well, one might watch Disney’s Mulan, part of Nicolas Sparks’ Safe Haven, read, charge one’s phone, eat, sleep (thank Heavens for melatonin!), watch the plane on the little animated map, be wished “happy birthday” by one’s handsome boyfriend (kiss included), fill out paperwork to enter the country, eat breakfast, have caffeinated coffee for the first time in many months (who’s getting excited!), and blog. See? There’s plenty to do to keep busy on the plane!

So, what’s the plan when we land?

Well, first things first—customs! Customs are a bit different everywhere I’ve been, and Steve doesn’t remember what happens in what order from the last time he visited Sydney, so that’ll be something new and fun to report later. Once we’ve cleared customs, we’ll head to the hotel, possibly by taxi or public transport, leave our stuff (we won’t be able to check into our rooms until 2:00 pm), and head out for the day! We have a 9:00 am tour scheduled at the Sydney Opera House—hooray!—so we will probably go straight there from the hotel. Steve and I have been planning this for three months now. I can’t believe it’s finally time!

Please join me for this momentous and long-awaited (for me) Down Under adventure! Happy 28^th birthday to me!  Pictures to come when I have more reliable Internet access!