While living in Thailand we decided to take advantage of the fact that we were on the other side of the world by taking a vacation to Australia and New Zealand. We figured that we'd never be closer to these places and ought to check them out while we could...little did we know that we would end up living in Australia 6 months later!
This is a daily account of our 2 weeks in Australia (Dec. '09 - Jan. '10) that includes koalas, The Great Barrier Reef, the outback desert, seeing wild kangaroos from a hot-air balloon, climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge, camel riding, a helicopter ride over the 12 apostles, and bringing in the new year on a dinner cruise in Sydney Harbor.
Enjoy!
Day 1 - Cairns, Australia
View of Cairns from the hotel
The Cairns War Memorial
We first arrived in the coastal city of Cairns, Australia. This is a popular tourist destination located on the northeast corner of the country and a doorstep to the Great Barrier Reef. After a short nap to overcome the jet-lag, we explored the city by visiting the rainforest boardwalk and botanic gardens. We were surprised to learn that most of the inland areas along the northeastern and eastern coastline of Australia are rainforests! The rainforest boardwalk was a city park with a walk-through rainforest.
The rainforest boardwalk
The other part of the park contained swamp wetlands and a mangrove habitat which are typical of the region. There were information signs dotted along the walkway along with a brochure map which made for a pleasant and informative walk through the park.
The park swamp wetlands
After the park, we made a brief walk through the botanic gardens. We saw some very colorful and interesting flowers, most of which could only be seen in Australia.
Lots of cool plants in the Cairns Botanical Garden
Next to the botanic gardens was a hill that, according to my guidebook, was a short hike to the top that offered great sunset views. The path was windy and steep at times, and was filled with lots of local joggers. After a grueling, sweat-drenched 20 minute hike we made it to the lookout point.
View of Cairns airport and beyond from the lookout
We ended up meeting an older Australian guy and his sister who were friendly enough to take pictures of us at the top and chat about the area. We parted ways with them and made our way back down the hill. At the bottom of the hill we realized that there weren't any taxis around. It was getting dark so we had no option but to walk towards the city, but our new friends from the top of the hill were so concerned about us that they waited for us and gave us a ride back to our hotel! We were blown away by their hospitality and friendliness, and we couldn't thank them enough.
Day 2 - The Great Barrier Reef
The next morning we made our way to the marina for an all-day excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. Upon check-in the crew raised concern that Amber had mentioned that she had used an inhaler within the past year. This meant that she couldn't go scuba diving without a doctor's approval. Amber was quite upset and felt that the entire trip was ruined. We talked to the owner who offered to immediately schedule a doctor's appointment and drive us to the doctor's office in town. After a quick check-up with the doctor, Amber was cleared to scuba dive, but the boat had already left! The owner came to our rescue again and called up a friend who owned a para-sailing boat.
Aboard the para-sailing boat for the 1st part of our journey
We boarded the boat and after a couple of miles we met up with one of the two boats that the owner owns. This boat was a huge yacht with lots of people that were taking a separate day-trip tour of the barrier reef. They actually stopped the boat so that we could get on.
About to board the 2nd boat
After some further sailing, they stopped again and Amber and I boarded a dinghy (basically a small metal raft with a motor on the back).
Getting on our 3rd boat
We were shuttled to our original boat and were able to complete our day-tour as planned. Again, we were blown away with the above-and-beyond helpfulness and friendliness of the people in Australia.
We finally arrived on our 4th and final boat!
The Great Barrier Reef is an amazing place. It is made up of over 2,900 reefs making 900 islands that stretches for 1,600 miles. As part of our package, we were able to scuba dive twice into the reef. This was Amber's first time at scuba diving but she did really well! We dove together with an expert diver who guided us and pointed things out to us (and held Amber's hands the entire time for reassurance). We saw amazing, colorful reef formations and plant life, all kinds of fish including the ones in "Finding Nemo", and we even saw a couple of reef sharks!
A giant clam and beautiful coral as seen from the glass-bottom boat
Enjoying the Great Barrier Reef
Later, we did some snorkeling to see more fish and sharks, and we even saw a sea turtle during the glass-bottom boat tour. We also spent part of the day hanging out on a very small (50 ft by 50 ft) all sand island. All-in-all we had a fantastic time and just kept marveling at the beauty of the reef and water.
Arriving on the tiny sand island
Playing in the sand on the sand island
Day 3 - Kuranda Rainforest Village
The Kuranda Scenic Railway Train
The next day was spent at the nearby Kuranda Rainforst Village. To get there we took the Kurunda Scenic Railway. The railway was built in the late 1800s and climbs over 1,000 feet alongside mountains, through rainforests, next to high waterfalls, and along steep cliff-side ravines. The train contained antique passenger carriageways that were built in the early 1900s. We enjoyed snacks and Australian wine and beer during the beautiful train ride. The waterfalls and views of the valley below from high on the mountain side were beautiful.
Our train ride to Kuranda
At the end of the ride was the town of Kuranda - a tourist park surrounded by rainforest. Our first stop was the Koala Sanctuary which was a small zoo-like park that had all of the most popular Australian animals: Koalas, kangaroos, wallabies, wombats, lizards, crocodiles, snakes, and lizards.
Amber, me, and Sienna the koala bear
It was here where we saw our first koala bears and got the chance to hold one! The koala bears looked just as cute as they do on TV, but they do have very long, dangerous looking claws. However, they are very laid-back and it was pretty cool to hold one - although I thought the fur was not as soft as I imagined it to be.
Kangaroos relaxing in the shade
Next, we walked by the wombats, but couldn't see much because they were burrowed in a log. As far as I could see, they looked like big gophers or beavers minus the long tail. After that were the kangaroos and wallabies (a wallaby is basically a smaller version of a kangaroo). They were all laying around in the shade and didn't mind us walking up to them and petting them. Not much hopping action, but at least we got to touch them.
Long-necked (and curvy) turtles
The last area (which Amber did not accompany me to) was the snake house. It was set-up so you could walk through the house on a pathway. The interesting thing was that there was no barrier except for the handrail. I saw several lizards on or crossing the walkway and a couple of large snakes coiled up in a tree only an arms length away from me! Australia is by far home to the most deadliest animals in the world, and I can only assume that these creatures near me weren't on that list!
I almost stepped on this guy!
The next stop was the butterfly park. We saw all kinds of colorful butterflies of different sizes flying about, landing on plants, and feeding.
One of many butterflies in the park
Did you know most female butterfly species mate only once in their lifetime?
The nearby bird aviary which was just as impressive because it housed an abundance of multicolored tropical birds, some flightless birds, and ducks.
Very colorful!
The guides offered umbrellas because the birds liked to land on people's heads and shoulders, and they noted that the birds were particularly attracted to human males. Sure enough, when I entered the aviary I had a bird on my and shoulder and one on my head. The bird on my head ended up taking the button off my cap!
Stealing the button off of my cap
Rather than taking the train back to Cairns, we rode on the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. This attraction is very similar to a cableway in an amusement park or a snow ski mountain, except this one travels over 4.5 miles up and down mountains right above the rainforest treetops. We could see right down into the rainforest and view the nearby mountains and rivers.
Crossing the Baron River as we depart from Kuranda
The long cableway hovering right above the rainforest
The cableway had two stops along the way. One stop had a viewing platform to the Barron Falls, and the other stop had a boardwalk so that we could experience walking through a rainforest and learn a little about the ecosystem.
The final descent from the mountains was a pleasant surprise and quite spectacular. The landscape dramatically opened up to reveal a vast plain with farmlands and hills that extended for many miles until meeting the beautiful Coral Sea. The city of Cairns could be seen in the distance.
The final descent from the mountains was a pleasant surprise and quite spectacular. The landscape dramatically opened up to reveal a vast plain with farmlands and hills that extended for many miles until meeting the beautiful Coral Sea. The city of Cairns could be seen in the distance.
Making the long descent - what a view!
We finished the day by walking through the city and enjoying a nice seafood dinner with local wine. The 3 days in Cairns was a great introduction into Australia, and it was time to move on to the outback deserts.
Day 4 - The Olgas
We spent the morning of Christmas Eve flying from Cairns to Uluru (formerly known as Ayer's Rock) which is located pretty much right in the center of the continent in an area called "The Red Centre" due to the red colored sands of the vast deserts. It was a stark contrast to take off from Cairns seeing vast green rainforests and landing in Uluru seeing nothing but red desert landscape. We were surprised to be greeted by cool weather (low 80s) in the desert. Apparently the remnants of a cyclone from the west coast swept across the continent causing massive storms and cool weather. This area receives only 12 inches of rain per year, and the temperature was above 100 degrees just the day before. We were lucky to experience the rain and cool weather because it is such a rare event.
Amber and The Olgas
We spent the afternoon on a group tour to "The Olgas", or Mount Olga, which are a large group of rock formations known as "Kata Tjuta" (the traditional aboriginal name). Our guide was a local aboriginal (similar to Native Americans in the US) who told us the history of the local aboriginal tribes, their customs, the general stories about the land (the details are kept a secret within the tribes), and how and why the lands were sacred. From a distance The Olgas looked like a row of large gumdrop-like rocks. Up close the "rocks" extend a couple of thousand feet into the air.
The Olgas - up close
We went on a guided walk between two of these large "rocks". Along the way the guide told us how to find water in the desert and how they knew which plants to eat. He pointed out one flower which they added to watering holes so that when drunk by kangaroos it would make them intoxicated, therefore, making them easier to hunt. It was amazing to learn how the aboriginal people successfully lived on the desert lands for generations.
Our hike in The Olgas
There was an exciting moment on the ride back because some wild camels were spotted in the desert. We were informed that camels did not exist in Australia until they were imported from India and China as pack animals to traverse the deserts. They adapted well to the Australian climate resulting in having the largest population of wild camels in the world.
Back at the hotel, we indulged in a wonderful Christmas Eve special dinner. For the late evening, we booked a stargazing tour, but the tour was canceled due to the cloud cover caused by the storm - I was so disappointed!
A wild camel in the bush
Day 5 - Christmas at Uluru
Most people wake up early on Christmas to open presents. Our present to ourselves was this vacation, so to carry on the tradition we woke up early to join a tour to view the sunrise over Uluru. Uluru is also known as "Ayer's Rock". It is an iconic Australian rock structure that sits in the middle of a flat desert. The rock is 1,100 feet high and it takes 6 miles to go around it.
Uluru - a random rock formation in the middle of the outback desert
The rock famously appears to change colors, especially during sunrise and sunset. We arrived at the viewing site while still dark, and were surprised to see a lot of other tourists also crazy enough to get up early on Christmas just to view this rock. We weren't disappointed because the view was spectacular. First, the sunrise itself was impressive. The different shades of color appearing on the horizon and eventually making their way into the sky was just more abundant and rich than I'd ever seen in a sunrise. The rock first appeared as a dull brown color. However, as the sun rose the dull brown changed into a shiny brown, which turned into a dark orange, then deep orange, then light orange, and finally into a bronze-like (but not quite red) orange and brown color.
Before sunrise
During sun rise
After sunrise - the rock changed colors again!
After the sunrise our group had a quick breakfast and we drove around the rock. The guide led us on a short walk to the rock and told us the ancient stories of the rock and how certain features on the rock face were created by legendary (mythological-like) fights and events. With the rain that had passed, we had the special opportunity to see multiple water cascades flowing down the rock and creating small ponds. Additionally, the park was allowing people to climb the park. Climbing is usually not permitted due to hot weather and high winds. More significantly, the aboriginal people do not like people climbing their sacred rock partly due to the path crossing one of their sacred traditional walks, and also due to a sense of responsibility for the safety of visitors. There is also an urban legend about a curse to those who climb it. With all this in mind, we didn't climb the rock!
King's Canyon
Thanks for the reminder!
After a quick lunch, we loaded up our rental car and began driving through the desert. The scenery pretty much matched what I thought it would be like to drive across an Australian desert. It was vast, flat, dry, half covered with red sand or brown dirt and half covered with small bushes or patches of trees. Along the way we saw rolling tumbleweeds, some funky, thorny looking fairly big lizards in the road, wild horses, and wild camels. Four hours later we arrived in King's Canyon in Watarrka National Park. We stayed at the King's Canyon Resort, which was the only accommodation for miles, and being in the middle of the desert it was more of a comfortable motel than a resort.
Sunset viewing at the big tree
As it crazy as it sounds, there is something very attractive about the desert to me. It's a complete escape from the modern world and it forces you to appreciate nature and natural beauty. We spent the evening under a large tree watching a wonderful desert sunset near the canyon face. I was memorized by the explosion of colors and hues in the sky - it was like nothing I'd ever seen before. At one point the horizon in the east was bright blue while yet at the same time across the sky there were blues, greens, oranges, reds, violets, and an almost black atmosphere horizon in the west.
Many shades of blue
As if the sunset wasn't spectacular enough, the stars came out too. Wow! I don't think I ever remember seeing so many stars (and so bright!) in the sky. To top it off we saw some dingoes (wild Australian dogs) walking through the resort. Rather than a traditional Christmas dinner, we dined on pizza and beer at the resort's cantina with the other 20 or so people who, like us, were crazy enough to spend Christmas in the middle of the outback - and enjoying it!
Christmas Dinner!
Day 6 - Climbing King's Canyon
Today's goal was an ambitious one: to spend 3-4 hours on a 6 kilometer climb/walk/hike up, on, through, and around the 1,000 foot high King's Canyon. With the storm system now gone, temperatures would get to 100 degrees, thus, we decided to get up early to tackle the walk in cooler weather. We laced up our recently purchased hiking boats and made our way. The walk started at the base of the canyon, which meant we had to do a very steep 750 foot climb up the side of the rocky edge just to get onto the canyon (loving called, "Heartbreak Hill" or "Heart Attack Hill"). The climb was very taxing, but luckily it was the hardest part of the entire walk.
Near the top of "Heart Attack Hill"
Already, the view was quite good as we could see for miles into the outback. We continued our walk by following the signposts which had us walking along the canyon's edge, squeezing between large boulders, and trekking on the relatively flat top of the canyon.
View from one of the lookout points at the top of the canyon
About halfway into the walk, the path had us descend 500 feet into a chasm within the sandstone cliffs into a real life oasis known as the "Garden of Eden" or "The Lost City". Here, there was a permanent natural spring waterhole surrounded by all sorts of tropical-looking plants tall lush trees, gum trees, bonsai looking trees and enormous prehistoric ferns. A very cool change of scenery!
Looking down into the "Garden of Eden" oasis
After 3 1/2 hours of walking (with lots of water & snack breaks) we completed the canyon loop and made our final descent into the car park just as it was getting to be really hot.
Looking down into the gorge of the canyon
Alice Springs
The next 4 hours were spent driving through the outback to the city of Alice Springs. Alice Springs is a desert city of almost 30,000 people that was established by Europeans in the early 1900s as a gold town and a communication and road link between the north and south of Australia. The aboriginal people of Australia inhabited the land for nearly 50,000 years and many aboriginals stay in or around Alice Springs today.
A scenic stop in the outback desert with a distant view of Mt. Conner
While driving around Alice Springs we saw lots of aboriginal people. They were usually walking together in groups to nowhere in particular wearing no shoes and worn-out second-hand clothing. The dried up river had lots of pockets of people just sitting or hanging out in the 100 degree heat. It was quite odd to see, but I suppose they were doing what they had been doing for thousands of years which is protecting, respecting, and living on their sacred lands.
Full-service and self-serve drive-thru liquor store!
We finished our day by buying a bottle of wine at a drive-thru liquor store and drinking it with dinner at a BYO Chinese restaurant in town. We turned in extra early so that we could get up the next morning well before sunrise.
Day 7 - Outback Adventures in Alice Springs
At 4:00 am we were picked up at the front of the hotel by a small shuttle filled with sleepy or sleeping passengers that was pulling a boxed trailer. We made a few stops at other hotels, met up with another shuttle, and made our way out into the outback. It was still dark and the ride was uncomfortable due to the bumpy, unpaved road. Sadly, we hit a few kangaroos but we were assured it was ok because the area was overpopulated with them. Once we reached the site (a clearing in the middle of no where!) we were split up into three teams and quickly put to work in the dark to beat the rapidly approaching rising sun. Our guide did most of the work but we helped out when instructed. We marveled at the beautiful structure we had just constructed, but couldn't admire at it for long because our guide was telling us to hurry up and get in it! A moment later we were being lifted off the ground and into the desert air. We had just helped assemble and were flying for the first time in a hot-air balloon.
Almost ready for lift off
We looked behind us and saw the other 2 larger balloons trailing us. Their balloons had 10-15 people in them each while ours had 5 including our guide/operator. We lifted higher into the sky, our speed and direction completely at the mercy of the wind.
Our train of hot-air balloons
The sun was just beginning to peak over the eastern horizon. It was a spectacular sight to see the sun rise in the desert. We could see the nearby mountain range, the city of Alice Springs in the distance, and nothing but desert for miles. Looking down we saw several groups of kangaroos hopping across the desert. It felt like we could have been shooting one of those nature films from above.
The rising outback sun as seen from our hot-air balloon
We're really high looking down at the other balloon
After a while the balloons were lowered in some random semi-cleared area of the outback. We helped deflate and roll up the balloon and waited for the shuttle vans to find us. We concluded our hot-air balloon experience with a group breakfast complete with the long standing tradition of enjoying some Champagne. On one of the first successfully manned balloon flights, the pilots carried along a bottle of champagne not to drink, but to offer as goodwill to the farmers whose field their balloon had landed in. The champagne convinced the farmers that they were not in fact demons and acted as an apology for disturbing the land and animals grazing in the field.
Coming in for a landing
Desert Park
The early morning start necessitated a nap. Once refreshed, we visited the Alice Springs Desert Park. The park was a walk-through living museum of the complex desert ecosystem. On the surface there doesn't seem to be much in a desert, but this park showed and explained the abundance of fascinating and unique plants and animals and how they thrived, adapted, and worked together within a sustainable habitat. Most of the animals are burrowing nocturnal creatures specially suited for the desert. Among the highlights we saw were the spiky lizards, stick insects, spiders, field mice, snakes, birds, and kangaroos.
The 'Thorny Devil' lizard
Kangaroos in the Desert Park
Camel Ride
The Camel Whisperer
Our final adventure in the outback was a sunset camel ride. We were picked up by a guy who looked very similar to Paul Hogan in the "Crocodile Dundee" movies. He hardly spoke, but when he did it was just like in the movie. After picking up a handful of people we drove out of the city to his camel farm. He rounded up 5 out of the 20 or so camels and saddled them up for us. The camels knelt on their stomachs as we climbed onto their back.
Our waiting Chariots
Silhouettes in the sand
We were treated to another spectacular sunset as we made our way through the outback and back into the farm. There, we hand fed the camels some hay, took some pictures, and conversed with the owner. Apparently, he had captured all of his camels from the wild and trained them on his own.
Riding into the sunset
Feeding the hungry camels after the ride
This concluded our long, adventurous day and marked the end of our Australian outback experience. After a rustic, awe-inspiring week in the desert we were ready to get back to civilization!
Day 8 - Melbourne
Our 4 hour flight from Alice Springs had us arriving in the cultural capital of Australia - the city of Melbourne. Other than being the host of Tennis' Australian Open, I didn't know much about Australia's 2nd largest city. It turns out that Melbourne has been named as the World's Most Livable City 3 times. It was easy to see why as we explored the downtown area. The city was clean and modern but maintained it's colonial charm, had lots of public transportation, a scenic river, parks, a variety of sporting venues, endless cultural and art events and centers, a nearby beach, and proximity to world class wineries and beaches.
Federation Square
We spent our first day exploring the city by walking to the historic Flinder's Street train station and the adjacent cultural hub at Federation Square. Next, we went to the 88th floor of the 91 story Eureka Tower (highest observation deck in the southern hemisphere) and saw a fantastic panoramic view of Melboure and beyond. Later, we strolled along the river and had a beer at a riverside cafe.
Downtown Melbourne viewed from the 88th floor
To end the day, we dined at a funky Thai-fusion restaurant located in an old, restored warehouse-like building. Minus the hills, Melbourne looked and felt like San Francisco.
We had some beers at this riverside cafe
Day 9 - The Great Ocean Road
Start of the Great Ocean Road (reminds me of 'Jellystone Park')
About 1 1/2 hours drive southwest of Melbourne lies the start of the Great Ocean Road. This scenic road hugs the coastline for 150 miles traversing world class beaches, stunning cliffs and rock formations, and even rainforests. In order to see everything we booked an all day tour on a small shuttle bus. The first stop was the city of Torquay, which is headquarters for all the famous surfing companies - Quiksilver, Rip Curl, and Billabong. We had a light breakfast at Bell's Beach, world renown for it's surfing waves and home to the longest running surfing competition.
Bell's Beach
The next portion of the trip was spent in the bus as it winded it's way down the coastline along beaches, cliffs, and forests. The constant view of the lush land meeting the picturesque Southern Ocean was simply stunning.
Driving along the coast with this view
Our bus turned into one particularly special stretch of forest. This area was known to have wild koalas among the trees. Sure enough, after 5 minutes of slow driving we began to spot a few big brown furry blobs high in the trees. We all got out and walked along the road spotting more and more koalas in the trees. Most of them were sleeping, but a few were curious and turned their heads towards us which allowed great photo opportunities!
Koala in a tree!
After lunch at one of the coastal towns we made our way into the Otways Rainforest. We took a guided walk through the rainforest and marvelled at the massive 100 foot high myrtle beech trees which were reported to be nearly 500 years old!
Walking through a tree in the rainforest
The highlight of the Great Ocean Road were the limestone rock formations jutting out of the ocean, known as the 12 Apostles. The rocks are very impressive from the beach, but we decided to take it a step further and booked a helicopter flight to get a bird's eye view. There were a lot of people that had the same idea as us, thus, we had to wait about 15 minutes in line for one of the five or six helicopters which were constantly picking up/dropping off passengers to be available. This was the first time inside a helicopter for the both of us.
Our yellow helicopter
We saw our tiny yellow helicopter approach and unload it's passengers. Immediately, we were ushered inside, buckled up, and equipped with headsets. The helicopter could only seat 4 people. We sat together in the back while the pilot and a solo tourist sat in the front.
Ready for our first helicopter flight!
Pilot's view of lifting off
Before we knew it, we were well off the ground and racing over the gently rolling grass and farmlands towards the ocean. I was surprised at how smooth, fast, and nimble the helicopter ride was.
Flying towards the coastline
We approached the coastline and could see the finger-like cliff rock formations stretching out from the land to the turquoise sea with the huge "apostle" rock islands not too far in the ocean. It looked so amazingly beautiful that it just didn't seem real. We circled the coastline a few times and the pilot talked about some of the formations below.
Cool little islands just off the coast
Aerial view of the "12 Apostles" rock formations and beyond
And almost just as quickly as it had started, we found ourselves flying inland and landing where we had taken off. What a rush! What an experience! We still couldn't believe what we had just done, yet we couldn't wipe the smiles off of our faces either.
The former "London Bridge"
The rest of the tour was spent at various spots along the beaches of the rock formations. One formation, named "London Bridge" collapsed due to natural erosion and left two people stranded on the newly formed rock island!
Up close with the rock formations
We explored caves, secretly hidden beaches, walked to various lookout points, and learned about ancient shipwrecks and legends. Except for a quick dinner stop at KFC in a small country town, the long day had everybody on the bus sleeping during the 2 hour ride back to Melbourne. Too tired to go out for the evening, we crashed out in the hotel.
Day 10 - The Yarra Valley
My own bar in a winery!
Fully refreshed, we were ready to take on Australia's leading wine producing region - the Yarra Valley. We joined 4 other wine aficionados in the tour van and made the 45 minute drive to the wineries. As expected, the valley was filled with picturesque vineyards one after another. We stopped for tastings at small boutique wineries where we enjoyed the sunshine among the roses, and we stopped at the large scale commercial wineries complete with wine making and cellar tours. Our group had a wonderful wine pairing lunch at the Moet & Chandon vineyard (famous for their champagne) overlooking the rolling vineyards. By the time we arrived at the last stop at the dairy farm we were feeling quite happy. The ice cream and cheeses were so fresh and delicious and were an excellent way to cap off all the wonderful wine we had tasted.
Enjoying our day in the Yarra Valley
Back in Melbourne we walked across the city as we explored the different areas. We ended the day eating a traditional meal of fish and chips on the harbor watching another gorgeous sunset.
Enjoying our last evening in Melbourne
Day 11 - New Year's Eve in Sydney
In keeping the recent Peel tradition of bringing in the New Year at a foreign city (2008 was in Shanghai, 2007 was in Hong Kong) we decided to spend the last day of 2009 in Sydney. To bring in the New Year with style we booked a Sydney Harbor dinner cruise on a luxury catamaran complete with the best view of the fireworks. We arrived in Sydney after the 1 1/2 hour flight from Melbourne in gray clouds and light rain. This dampered our sightseeing efforts, but we took the opportunity to do some last minute party preparations of shopping and getting a hair cut.
Our festive boat for the evening
At around 6:00 pm we boarded The Magestic at King Street Wharf with our finest New Year's Eve party attire along with 100 or so fellow guests.
Our dinner table on the boat
We were served champagne with appetizers and at 7:00 pm we sailed off towards the Sydney Harbor. The rain had passed and the clouds were lifting which offered us a great view of the city as we sailed by.
Cruising along Darling Harbor
Along the shores we saw a sea of people and in the harbor were scores of personal boats with revelers aboard. We entered into the main harbor and had our first glimpse of the Sydney Harbor Bridge and the nearby famous Sydney Opera House.
Our first glimpse of the Sydney Opera House
We sailed under the Sydney Harbor Bridge and passed right in front of the Sydney Opera House. Both were larger than life and looked exactly as I'd always seen them in pictures and on TV. The bridge had a massive lighted Yin Yang symbol on it, which no doubt would be the centerpiece of the fireworks.
The Sydney Harbor Bridge and Sydney Opera House
Our festive vessel was one of the few that was part of the Harbor of Lights Parade, thus, it was allowed to cruise in the center of the harbor for the duration of the evening. We continued cruising into the night circling the harbor as our 5 course meal was served.
The 9pm Family Fireworks Show
At 9:00 pm we were treated to the Family Fireworks Show, an impressive fireworks show in itself, yet just a teaser for the midnight show. After the excellent dinner, the wine kept flowing and the boat had 2 DJs entertaining us on the outer decks. As midnight drew near, we all went to the top deck waiting for the fireworks to start.
Waiting to bring in the new year and watch the big firework show
The electronic Yin Yang symbol on the bridge counted us down into the new year which promptly began with an incredible firework spectacle. Fireworks were not only coming from the bridge, but from different points along the harbor, the skyscrapers, and even from a tiny island within the harbor. Everywhere we turned we saw fireworks!
The incredible fireworks show (picture by Christopher Chan)
Video of the fireworks from the top deck of the boat
Day 12 - New Year's Day in Sydney
Downtown Sydney and the Sydney Tower
Today was our scheduled recovery day. Most of the day was spent sleeping in, eating, then sleeping again. I did make my way out to walk around a bit.
A mix of new and old architecture
Since the hotel was only a few blocks from the Sydney Opera House I took the opportunity to get an up close look at it. The iconic Australian structure is quite big and very impressive up close. I always thought it had a pure white color, but instead it had an off-white, almost yellowish tint to it. The original plan estimated $7 million to complete the project in 7 years, however, the final bill was $102 million and it took 17 years to complete!
A closer look at the Sydney Opera House
Day 13 - Sydney bike tour and Bridge climb
Having not seen much of the city, we booked a half-day bicycle group tour to see the best sights of Sydney. We started out in "The Rocks" - Sydney's oldest and most visited area due to it's location at the foot of the Sydney Harbor bridge and across the Sydney Cove where the Opera House stands. The Rocks is now a fusion of modern venues and amenities while maintaining it's heritage and character.
Riding through "The Rocks" district of Sydney
We cycled out along the beautiful shores and marinas of the Sydney Harbor. Then, we rode across the harbor and back using the pedestrian/cycle path of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. While cycling on the bridge we saw groups of people climbing the bridge arch to get to the top, which is what we had booked for the evening - it looked very high! After passing by the Sydney Observatory (home of the oldest continuously used telescope from 1874) we had a rest stop with a beer at one of Sydney's oldest pubs.
A view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge after riding across it
After the break, we rode along darling harbor and it began to rain. We all stopped, put on our ponchos, and continued on. We made our way by the large and vibrant Sydney Convention & Exhibition located at the base of the harbor and slowly weaved through all the people in the carnival-like atmosphere of Tumbalong Park. Even with the dampness, people were out enjoying their time off and spending time at the festival set up at the park. The next stop was Chinatown (the largest in Australia) where we made a pit-stop to munch on some delicious Chinese donuts.
Riding in the rain
Luckily, the rain had stopped and we continued on through the very large Hyde Park (named after the famous park in London), past the Sydney Parliament House (built in early 1800's), and into the sprawling Royal Botanical Gardens.
The Royal Botanical Gardens
The gardens border the banks of the Sydney Harbor and meets with the Sydney Opera House, thus, offering great views of the harbor, the bridge, and the opera house together. We walked our bicycles in the park and saw some unique trees, flowers, and the famed flying foxes (large bats!). Most of the flying foxes were hanging upside high in the trees sleeping - kind of eerie!
The Sydney Opera House
We concluded the bike tour by riding around the Sydney Opera House and making our way around Sydney Cove until we were back in The Rocks. Famished, we took the advice of our guide and went to a pub near the base of the bridge. In addition to the large selection of beer, this pub specialized in pizzas. We choose to be adventurous and ordered an emu pizza and a crocodile pizzas. They turned out to be delicious, especially the crocodile!
Emu Pizza and Crocodile Pizza - yum!
Sydney Bridge Climb
The time had come to experience the ultimate Sydney adventure - the climbing of the Sydney Harbor Bridge. The coat-hanger looking bridge is the world's widest and largest single-span bridge with it's highest point on the arch at 440 feet above the water. Completed in 1932 the bridge was the highest point in Sydney until 1967.
Time to climb the bridge!
Near the base of the bridge at the climbing facility we met our climbing group and guide. We were equipped with special climbing suits and a safety harness. The climb was set up so that each person was connected to the guide wire via their harness at all times while on the bridge. We started out walking on a catwalk on the underside of the bridge. As we approached the water's edge below, we ascended straight up using steel stairs and ladders climbing one person at a time. At one point we were on the same level as the bridge road and could see the cars whizzing by.
Once the upward climb was over, we were standing at the base of the bridge arch itself. As the sun was beautifully setting over the city, we continued to slowly walk upwards (using the handrails!) toward the center along the top of the arch. We took lots of breaks to take in the view, talk about the bridge's history, and to allow the climbing groups ahead of us to take their photos at the top. By the time we made it to the top the sun had set and we could see all the lights from the Sydney skyline and the nearby Opera House. Although from a dizzying height, the view was simply outstanding - the stuff postcards are made from.
On top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge!
The entire climb had taken nearly 4 hours which meant that by the time we were finished most restaurants were closed. Fortunately, we were directed to a nearby late night pancake house. Our last meal in Australia was a yummy pancake breakfast in a very funky/hip version of an I-HOP.
We reminisced over the whirlwind of adventures that we had experienced in the past 2 weeks: cuddling a koala and petting kangaroos, scuba diving The Great Barrier Reef, walking in Rainforests, Ayer's Rock and the outback desert, the hot-air balloon ride, the helicopter ride, the camel ride, New Year's in Sydney Harbor, the Bridge Climb, the food, and the wine. We couldn't agree on a favorite, but we did agree that Australia was awesome and that this was a spectacular trip of a lifetime...and the best part was that we weren't even finished yet!
The next day we boarded a plane in Sydney and flew to New Zealand! Our adventure continued...
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