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Wicks do Down Under!
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Wicks do Down Under!

En 22-dags äventyr från Travel with the Wicks Läs mer
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  • Resans start
    6 februari 2025
    Travel with the WicksWicks do Down Under!Resenär
    Off to the airport1

    The Big Day has arrived!

    7 februari, Kanada ⋅ 🌙 -13 °C

    The bags are packed….We have started on our trip to Australia. It is about minus 12 in Calgary and we are at Calgary Airport going via Vancouver to Sydney.
    We are using our 35 year pass and included with that is a guaranteed seat and access to the Maple Leaf lounge! So I must say “ this is the life”!

    I’m looking forward to this flight because I don’t have to fly the airplane ; and just maybe I can relax and get some sleep…. We’ll see …    Läs mer

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    No drama

    9 februari, Australien ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    We both slept well on the airplane and the flight was around an hour under schedule so it didn’t seem long after we woke up that we arrived in Sydney. My previous experience with Aussie customs has been checkered, but today they believed us both when we said we had
    “Nothing to Declare.”
    The Uber ride to our hotel took a little longer to arrange as the line for Ubers was 20 minutes long. Once we got going it was smooth and direct. No drama at all! Unlike every camel ride, donkey cart, or pedal powered mode of transport we have used in the past.    Läs mer

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    Aussie walk about !

    9 februari, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    It is too early to check in, so we changed to more appropriate summer clothing in the Pullman hotel lobby washroom. The bus to Coogee beach is just around the corner from the hotel, so we left our suitcases under the watchful eyes of the lobby staff and took the bus to Coogee.
    The beach walk from Coogee to Bondi is about 9 km. and passes by three other nice smaller beaches. It is a Sunday afternoon and lots of families are out enjoying the summer weather. The coastline is rugged in spots with exposed sandstone, lots of steps from sea level to grand vistas overlooking the Pacific ocean. We keep a good pace and stop for refreshments at the Bondi Iceberg Club overlooking Bondi beach. We both have been treated with views of surfers and low tide exposed rock formations as well as tidal pools. We took off our shoes and walked in the warm sands of Bondi beach. It is a nice way to start the trip.    Läs mer

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    Hike from Spit Bridge to Manly

    10 februari, Australien ⋅ 🌧 23 °C

    After a quick bus ride where the driver was a tour guide we began our hike from Spit Bridge.
    The day started out sunny, but showers were in the forecast. It was a good start with a warm breeze and mostly sunny sky, however, halfway through some sprinkles started and then thunder.

    Once we had left anything resembling shelter, it started to pour. It poured so much it made the evening news. 78mm of rain fell in less than an hour. We had some rain gear with us, enough to keep phones and the camera dry, but nothing that would keep us from getting soaked to the bone. At the apex of the storm we came upon a public washroom and met another couple who were from Canmore Alberta who now live in Nanaimo BC. They had been paddle boarding and decided to take shelter like we did. It was an interesting conversation as we discovered people we both knew while the storm raged.

    We finished the hike into Manly as the rain came to an end and took the fast ferry back to Circular Quay in Sydney. We left puddles on our seats for the next passengers and walked back to our hotel where we changed and attempted to dry our clothes. It was a long process.

    PS we didn’t see any Penguins😀    Läs mer

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    Trivia night!

    10 februari, Australien ⋅ ☁️ 22 °C

    Billy Lockley is the son of friends of ours. He hosts trivia night contests in and around Sydney, and tonight he is hosting at a pub within walking distance of our hotel. After drying out from the rain, we borrowed an umbrella from the hotel and made our way to the Beacham hotel pub, not in hopes of winning an Australian trivia contest, but looking to connect with a friendly Canadian son who’s parents Jan and Bill Lockley are very good neighbours and friends. We were not disappointed. When I introduced myself and Dianne to Billy, I reminded him of our first meeting which was Jan and Bills’ 50th anniversary. I also told him the reason we came to Australia was to see his show, He seemed sceptical of our reason for travel but engaged us with warm conversation and helpful hints to aid our trivial pursuit.

    We had drinks and food and played along as a semi skilled two man team against five other four man teams. We came in last, but had a respectable score. Billy acknowledged our disadvantage and let us pick one of the categories for next weeks contest. We had a fun night and because we had an umbrella we didn’t encounter any rain at all.    Läs mer

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    Melbourne

    12 februari, Australien ⋅ ☁️ 30 °C

    We met up with our travel partners Liz and Alan at the Sydney domestic terminal in the Jetstar checkin area. They had arrived from Vancouver on the same flight we took 3 days ago and they looked pretty well rested. I hope I look as good when I get to Melbourne. Jetstar is a low cost carrier affiliated with Quantas. We flew on an A320 and the flight was as advertised. On time and no frills.

    Tonight we met the group that we will travel with. There are 10 Canadians, 8 Americans. We should all be able to get along.    Läs mer

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    Melbourne beach

    13 februari, Australien ⋅ 🌬 30 °C

    The beach is unremarkable, but real estate is another story. One of these beach huts recently listed and sold for over 900 grand. This is crazy, no power, no running water just a storage shed! I stand corrected Steve😀they were described as beach huts but nothing more than storage sheds😀Läs mer

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    Cook’s cottage

    13 februari, Australien ⋅ 🌬 35 °C

    The Cook we are referring to is Captain James Cook, the famous British explorer and cartographer. The cottage was his parent’s cottage in England that was moved here to Melbourne in pieces and opened in 1934. It was not without controversy as the cottage was and is seen as a shrine to Colonialism.
    Today, when you visit the cottage, the presentation includes an acknowledgment of Aboriginal ancestry and culture existing before the arrival of the Europeans. They go on to say that Aboriginal culture continues to evolve as it has for 60 thousand years. Australia has only been a country for about 125 years.    Läs mer

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    View of War Memorial from Parliament

    The Capital

    15 februari, Australien ⋅ 🌙 15 °C

    This morning we hit the floor running; up at 5, brekkie at 6 and bus to the airport at 630!
    Arrived in Canberra at 10. First stop on the tour is the National ANZAC war memorial. It pays tribute to Australians and allied soldiers lost in all of the conflicts Australia fought. It is well staffed by volunteers, one who helped Dianne and me locate the names of soldiers killed in the Second World War. One was on the Commemorative Roll and two others had their names in bronze on the wall. This is a well thought out memorial that lies opposite and in direct line of sight from the Australian Parliament.Läs mer

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    Landing in Cairns

    Next is Cairns!

    16 februari, Australien ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Another early morning, brekkie & luggage loaded by 8 am. Flight to Cairns with a quick stop in Brisbane was good but makes for a long day.

    Did a short walk around before dinner to get our bearings. Dinner was on a shrimp boat! Pam provided veggie trays and bread then the platters of shrimp, oysters, sashimi salmon & crayfish were served! We all found something we liked except Al, who enjoyed a pizza.Läs mer

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    The Great Barrier Reef

    17 februari, Philippine Sea ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    A planned boat excursion to the Great Barrier Reef is on today’s agenda. Our group boarded a good sized vessel about 8:30 and together with some other tourists we motored out of Cairns harbour. There were 44 guest and a crew of 8. It takes about an hour to get to the reef so coffee and Danish pastries were a welcome treat.

    Our first experience was a 30 minute glass bottom boat trip. Not too much to see, a few fish, giant clams and blue starfish. Matt our guide gave a good explanation of what we would see on the Great Barrier Reef.

    We got fitted for Lycra suits to fit over our swimwear and reminded on how to put on a mask and snorkel after the safety briefing. The sharks are small around these waters and the jellyfish are mostly harmless. Dianne must have believed them because she got into the water with her snorkelling gear as soon as got the Lycra suit on.

    The water was warmer than I expected. We swam at two different locations, with a lunch break in between. The guests swam in groups with a crew member generally present. There was turtles, small reef sharks, an octopus, schools of fish, many different coral, giant clams, sea cucumbers and some jellyfish to name some of the sights. At the second location, a Barracuda and another good sized fish hung around the boat knowing they would be fed before we left. The Barracuda scared Dianne, when she was in the water, coming up behind her as she approached the boat. Dianne thought it was a shark!
    On the way back to Cairns we had fruit, cheese and crackers and some sweets. All in all it was a pretty good day. Sunshine, calm water and good food.    Läs mer

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    Barron Gorge National ParkBaron Gorge

    Train to Kuranda

    18 februari, Australien ⋅ ☁️ 25 °C

    Out of the hotel at 8 and get into a large transportation vehicle that looks like it could ford a swift flowing river. It takes us to the train station where we all board a vintage train that isn’t steam powered, but the next generation of locomotive.

    The route up the mountain was started in 1887 and took about 8 years to build. The carriage we rode on dates back to the early 1900s. We stopped along the way for a great view of a waterfall. The day is warm and humid and there is no mistaking that we are in a tropical rain forest.    Läs mer

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    Dream walk

    18 februari, Australien ⋅ ☁️ 29 °C

    The dream walk is an introduction to the indigenous culture of the area. The didgeridoo is demonstrated, spear throwing and boomerang chucking are also part of the curriculum. Finally there is a a display of native dancing accompanied by didgeridoo. These people are welcoming and happy to share their culture with us. Everyone got a chance to throw a boomerang and even if your throw hit the dirt like mine did, it was suggested that I was hunting for rabbit.
    I have saved some dancing moves that I learned and will teach them to my grand daughter Norah. I also think that my grandson Hendrix will be more impressed with my new moves than Norah is… We’ll see.    Läs mer

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