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Australia & New Zealand trip
  • Sallee Family
Oct – Nov 2017

Australia & New Zealand trip

A 38-day adventure by Sallee Read more
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  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Cruise back to Sydney

    October 17, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    The largest Ferry that we have been un thus far. Pretty nice setup since they have free wi-fi and it's going to be a 40 minute trip, so a good chance to catch up on blogging / Post Card writing.

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    McDinner

    October 17, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    Yep, it's a Big Mac. And you know what? It tastes exactly like a Big Mac.

    Fries taste the same too. The beverage size is actually what they call a "medium". I think it's the same size as a child's in the states :-)

    Brenda had a yummy grilled chicken salad. Finding the familiar in the unfamiliar surroundings gives us a connection to home.

    There are a lot of familiars here in Australia. McD of course, KFC, Pizza Hut, Subway, 7-11, Krispy Kreme, and several others.

    One interesting difference is the lack of Burger King, but the exact same place is called "Hungry Jacks".

    Coke Cola is everywhere. Pepsi, is around, just harder to find :-)

    We wrap up a very long tour day with a nice comfort dinner and hoping to get some good rest.

    Tomorrow is another trip, this time to a different beach. Will get to take the train and public transport bus.

    Hope you guys are enjoying the blog as much as we're enjoying our vacation! :-)    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Last full day in Sydney

    October 18, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 18 °C

    Off to check out the beach

    Turns out there were several artists setting up for the Sculptures at Sea festival that runs from tomorrow until mid November.

    So, we got a special treat seeing some unique setups. Beber took advantage of one to learn how to pilot a plane :-)Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Bondi Beach

    October 18, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 21 °C

    Beautiful day to do a coastal walk. Took train two stops then easy bus transfer.

    Beach wasn't all that crowded in the morning but more people arrived as the day went on.

    Weather was pretty amazing. Windy at times, but nice and calm at other times.Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Coastal Walk

    October 18, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 22 °C

    A really nice scenic walk from Bondi Beach to Bronte Beach. For the most part it's rather easy going. A few steep areas, and one extreme area that Brenda was brave enough to take the dangerous route and put those rock climbing skills to use, dangling off the cliff over the churning ocean.

    Not me, I stuck to the path!!    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Bronte Cafe

    October 18, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Lunch time!

    After a long walk it's nice to sit down and get some lunch.

    The cookie (smarties - an M&M like candy) was our appetizer and not too bad, perhaps a bit dry.

    Chicken Sandwich for Brenda, Steak sandwich for me, and these were the best fries we have had on the trip thus far, that includes McD's (Which comes in second).

    Beber also took the opportunity to check out some of the ladies walking the beach. He's so cheeky!    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Back to the city

    October 18, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 24 °C

    A few more pictures taken on the way back to our bus pickup point.

    Beber really got into the spirit of spelunking on the beach.

    I also found my initials painted on the window of a store, so of course I had to take a picture of it :-)Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Evening Recap

    October 18, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 21 °C

    Well, we leave Sydney and head to Cairns tomorrow and I'm hoping that it will be a smooth trip.

    As we have found, it's not all rainbows and butterflies.

    Here's a good example, just from today.

    We wandered around our local area as we were trying to find some stamps for Brenda to put on postcards. Got those no problem, but also noticed that there was a sign selling tickets for an airport shuttle for $14 each ticket. Pretty good price, and hey, we're going to the airport tomorrow, so we inquired. They are an easy enough ticket to get, then you just call the number and they will let you know where you can be picked up, or you give them your address and they will come get you (if it's not too far from one of their stops).

    Super, let's get that!

    So, we did. After getting back to our house, we decide to call and get that set up. The number is local, so that's good. Except . . . we don't really have a phone. So, that's not so good.

    After trying a few things, I opted to go out and see if I could get some help from the guy that sold the tickets. He's at what might as well be a 7-11 type store.

    The guy didn't speak a lot of English, or even Aussie for that matter. He said the bus comes every 30 minutes, so you don't need to call.

    Fine . . . I'll hang out for 30 minutes and just make sure the bus goes by.

    30 minutes passes, and nothing.

    OK, maybe I check with the other nice people around. I know, the information booth on the corner.

    I talk with her and she doesn't speak very much English either, and . . . she has no idea how to help me.

    No worries, there is the "Happy Travel" place, so I'll go there, get some answers and be happy.

    Well . . . the guy there does speak Aussie and still had no idea what I was talking about. Mind you, I'm showing him the ticket that says "Sydney Shuttle" and explaining that all I want to know, is that the pickup spot is across the street and that they do indeed stop by every 30 minutes or so.

    This futility goes on for a while and I finally arrive at an executive decision. We're just going to go with Uber. Neither one of us needs this kind of stress while on vacation, so there!

    Here's some other interesting hiccups we have had.

    Our ferry yesterday was delayed by about 15 minutes because one of the tour busses broke down and they had to wait for them to arrive before they could leave.

    That same ferry has two stops that it makes. It had to go to the second stop (not ours) first because a cruise ship was in the process of leaving. So our ride got extended by another 15 minutes or so.

    When we did arrive at our area, the cruise ship was pulling away, just in time to 100% block the view of the Sydney Opera house. Felt really bad for a lot of the people that were trying to get pictures. It did mean that we had to wait another 10 minutes or so while all the dock traffic was sorted out.

    We had comfy seats and were not in a hurry so we didn't mind the extra time on the boat.

    Hopefully everything goes smooth tomorrow for our trip to the tropics. At the moment, the majority of the time we are there it is slated to rain, with thunderstorms happening ALL DAY / ALL EVENING tomorrow. Yikes!!

    The only day that it really looks good is Monday, so of course that will be the day we get wet anyway by going snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef.

    Regardless, this has been an amazing trip and I am trying to enjoy every moment as I know it's all so fleeting.

    ~ Dave    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Brenda's Sydney 6

    October 19, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 25 °C

    As I am about to leave Sydney, I get to look back on some moments of this part of our trip that made me very happy, and also those that did not.

    Starting w/ LOWLIGHTS:
    1. Our flight delays causing us to miss our Sydney connection on original departure day—consequently missing a full day of our trip, and some money at lodging.

    2. When I found out my 350,000 point frequent flyer business class seat to Sydney was broken and wouldn’t recline to a bed. 😖

    3. Forgetting the Sydney map 🗺 on our first trip into city. We got a bit off course and frustrated.

    4. Not keeping up with drinking enough water. 💧Sometimes it is because I can’t take enough with me on our daily trips. Other times it’s because I don’t want to have to pee at inopportune times of the trip.

    5. Schnitzel is huge here so had to try it. Hugely disappointing.

    6. Not eating great or getting regular workouts. Despite us getting well over 10,000 steps each day, I still feel like I could sometimes do better to eat better.

    Ending on HIGHLIGHTS:
    1. Just being able to be privileged enough to come on this trip at all, and to come with my best friend (David 💑...not Beber). So many people never get such an opportunity!

    2. Jacques, United flight rep who worked with us on Wed to get us BOTH on same flight to Sydney the next day, rather than separately or on Sat.

    3. Our tour to Blue Mountains ⛰. I really enjoyed our tour guide, Robert. He remembered everyone’s name, and was very funny and knowledgeable. I Loved ❤️ the animals at Featherdale Wildlife Park. The baby koala 🐨 on mom’s back was the highlight. I could have stayed there another hour or two.

    4. The birds. 🐦 The sounds of the different birds just out and about are cool. You definitely feel like you are in a different country. Didn’t get any pics of the huge cockatoos flying freely. They sound so loud and massive, like pterodactyls. This is their magpie, which are everywhere and very striking, also they have some interesting calls.

    5. The Taronga Zoo. 🐅🦍 🐊🐘Had a great time here seeing a live platypus for the first time. They are smaller than I thought. The best of the zoo was the Bird Show 🦉 and the surreal view of the city from the seating area. Rather cool to have birds flying through the audience— really got a good look at them. The whole experience rather moved me and got me a little teary-eyed.

    6. Just soaking up the culture. Been enjoying people watching and looking at stores and tv. Interesting to me is that I think I see more smokers here; many people jay walk; and there are of course great local terms for things like ‘Brekkie’ for breakfast and ‘Dunny’ for toilet. My fav bit of Aussie culture by far is Skippy the Bush Kangaroo, if you haven’t yet...go to that specific day when we blogged about him and watch the You Tube link.    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler
    This was the first indication that I really was in a different country. Keep Left!
    Such an adorable little guy. One of my favorite shots from the Zoo.Pesky Giraffe got in the way of my view ;-)The Blue Mountain's version of the three sistersBrenda feeding an adorable KangarooSo this is what they mean by a true scenic walk!!!

    David's Sydney six

    October 19, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 26 °C

    Here's a rundown of my top (and bottom) six for the Sydney area.

    Let's go with good stuff first :-)

    #1 - Just being on the trip to begin with!!!

    With all the flight issues and such that we had at the start, I feel very fortunate that Brenda and I actually got to be on the same plane, in the seat class we were supposed to have, and actually sit together. Made for a much better delayed start to our trip than flying on two different planes or two different groups (first and coach) or waiting until Saturday to fly out.

    #2 - Opal Sunday

    Getting the Opal card for using the public transit was great. Having the entire day of Sunday to travel for no more than $2.60 for the day, even better!! We made great use of that day by taking multiple train rides and ferry rides too. Nice way to travel and got some great pictures that day too.

    #3 - Wildlife

    Overall, the critters are so different than what we are used to. Haven't seen a bird that I have seen back home. Plus the zoos / wildlife parks give you a nice chance to get up close to them. Feeding a Roo was fun and giving him a few pets in between was nice too. Beats the petting zoos we have back here :-)

    #4 - Pie Face.

    The savory pies really are super yummy.

    Haven't had a bad one yet.

    Steak with bacon and cheese, fantastic
    Butter Chicken and Veggies, scrummy
    Ground beef with gravy and onions, yes please!

    #5 - The Bondi Beach walk

    Such a scenic route. Plus, it was super cool that the art exhibits were going in, so we got to see some unique sculptures to go with the views. Lots of super tan people soaking up the rays too.

    #6 - Blue Mountain Tour guide. Robert made the day lots of fun and had so many excellent suggestions. Plus, with his experience we were able to do things that others might not normally be able to do.

    A great example was at the Wildlife park. We saw the Kookaburra birds. Honestly, they are cute, but nothing all that special. Well, Robert pulled out an app, and said, "Let's see if we can get them to laugh."

    He pushed a button and bird sounds came out of his phone. It wasn't long until the other birds responded. Their's "laugh" call is super impressive. especially being that close to them.

    So, overall, some really amazing and wonderful exeriences and I could not have picked a better travelling companion than Brenda! Love you Honey!!!

    Gotta go board a plane, so I'll do the bottom 6 while in transit. :-)    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler
    Some people got their hand painted, some their face, I went all out and got both!!
    The snack on the way to Cairns. As much as they look like little churros, they were not.Brenda Catching up on her Sydney 6, and doing postcardsYet another shot of the Opera House :-)A cool painting in the Four Seasons that I saw while waiting for the busHappy Tour Bus Riders

    David's Sydney Bottom Six

    October 19, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    So, turns out you can create new off-line footprints fine, but you can't edit one that already has stuff on it unless you have the internet.

    That's fine, it just means I get that much more space for adding pictures :-)

    Ok, the low-lights.

    #1 - Cancelled flight

    Oh what a mess to get us going. Nothing like being told that you can't get out until Saturday if you want to sit together.

    Thankfully we were able to get creative, but it wasn't much fun for anyone involved to have to spend an extra night at home and then drive to the airport the next day with a lot of uncertainty.

    The airlines is a bit like healthcare . . . you have to be your own advocate. The suggestion of having one go First class and the other economy with a standby list was something that we came up with and wasn't even a possible suggestion by them. Glad Jacques was able to get us going, but you would have thought they could have had some creative ideas.

    #2 - First class seat malfunction.

    Really sad to finally get things going only to find that Brenda's seat didn't recline fully. Kinda figured that was the point of the lay flat seat, right?

    Brenda and I were able to swap out during the trip, so we each got some sleep rather than not much at all, but it could have been much better.

    #3 - Airport Shuttle issues. Our Uber ride to the airport was super easy, very quick, and relaxing. I'm sure the shuttle would have worked out, but why it needed to be as difficult as it was I have no idea. The vacation is about relaxing, so let me tell you, Uber = relaxation for travel. Quite a bit easier than trying to get a cab and the app is fun to watch the car arrive in real time. Getting the plate / make of the car is nice too so you can keep a really good eye out for it.

    #4 - No hat . . . yet.

    I've been searching and searching, but I haven't located the perfect hat yet for me. Trying to find one that is affordable, and would be something that I would want to wear on a regular basis. They have some leather ones that aren't too bad with a mesh for breathing, but the perfect one has remained elusive thus far.

    #5 - Blue Mountain Trip lunch.

    Really an odd set up. They don't tell you what the lunch is going to be, so when they start putting food out (Family style) you're not sure if you should take some, or if something else is coming or what.

    Plus, an odd mix . . . Salad, fried rice, veggies, beer battered fish, and schnitzle, so not exactly things that Brenda really could fill up on. The tarter sauce was pretty yummy though, so there was that.

    #6 - Bondi Beach T-Shirt

    So, I finally find a shirt that I really like and of course they only have it in small, so luck there.

    It's pretty minor when you think of the grand scheme of things, but it was a bit of a bummer.

    That has been about it. The first low-light puts the other's in perspective. After all, without getting past the first one, we never would have had either experiences, good or bad.

    Plus we still have some time to find the right hat or right shirt, so as the Aussies say, "No Worries."    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Cairns Night Market

    October 19, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 24 °C

    This is just a couple blocks from our lodging.

    Cairns makes us really feel like we are on vacation.

    It's super warm even though it looked like rain. We didn't have any rain tonight so Brenda and I got a chance to walk around, enjoy the night and do some dining / shopping.

    There are fantastic critters here too. Lots of large fruit bats and tons of squawking birds. We will see if we can get some pictures of both of those tomorrow.

    Our plan here is to first catch up on laundry, second potentially check out the aquarium and third, be a tourist and do some shopping. We scoped out several locations that might have a hat for me, so I'm encouraged!!

    Went grocery shopping and picked up some stuff for Brekky tomorrow.

    Had a wonderful chat with our hostess tonight and met Lilly, the Burmese housecat. Super adorable and affectionate.

    Going to get some rest and start our new day bright and early.    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler
    1

    First full day in Cairns

    October 20, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    The day started out rainy but now sun is trying to break through. Had a lovely brekkie on the balcony overlooking the water. Lilly joined me.

    Brenda is usually the breakfast eater but I found something that I wanted to try. Plus it comes with a foldable spoon, how cool is that? :-)Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Aquarium

    October 20, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    Brand new aquarium here.

    We got complemented on our nice accents by the cashier. :-)

    We also went through the entire aquarium super fast to make it to a talk at one of the exhibits. Rather than go against the grain to get back to the start, they guided us directly to the front again. Super nice, and we felt like VIPs.Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler
    Impressive ship at the wharf
    These are fruit bats. They are loaded in certain trees.

    Cairns walkabout

    October 20, 2017 in Australia ⋅ 🌧 24 °C

    Successful trip!

    Visited the wharf, went to the casino (broke even thanks to Beber), got some groceries, and I finally found a hat for me.

    It will make an appearance in later pictures.

    Some interesting things about the casino in comparison to ours back home.

    Casinos here are Smoke Free!!! Yay!!!!

    Casinos here do not have free beverages in self serve areas. Booo!!!

    Casinos here still actually kick out coins when you win, and take coins to get them going, so the "coin cups" are there.

    About 75% of the slots (known as "pokies" here) are ones that I didn't recognize.

    Australia is home to 20% of the world's slot machines. Something I learned on the news just the other day :-)    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler
    Baby Gator looking cute on the rocks
    Lap time with Lilly!The favorable exchange rate does help a bit.

    Musings in Cairns . . .

    October 20, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Just some thoughts that I pondered as we walked around and also after we got groceries.

    Touristy places really drive home the difference between eating out and cooking things in.

    The prices for any meal out are quite high, I'm sure inflated for the tourists. Grabbing a 2 liter bottle of Pepsi is $2, grabbing a smaller, single serve bottle from one of the tourist shops costs $4.

    Food of course really makes that difference more apparent. The spicy bites meal was super delicious, and we did get both lunch and dinner, but we saw some simmer sauce in the grocery store that would have worked out just as well and would have been quite economical.

    I guess by having that economical mentality during our "regular" lives, it gives us a nice chance to "indulge" while we're on vacation.

    Anyway, just something I was thinking about as we passed restaurant after restaurant with $30+ prices for a plate.

    Back to the vacation, here's some more misc photos from Cairns. Also, it's a good thing we have some room in our suitcases because some grocery items are coming home with us!

    ~ Dave    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Train Station

    October 21, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 25 °C

    Wi-Fi seems to be everywhere Nice to be in a tourist town. Testing out the new hat.

    Opted for comfort over traditional. So, no leather "Dundee" style, but this one is vented, adjustable, and dark blue!

    Looking forward to putting it through its paces.

    They have some rubbish to clear from the tracks, so we are going to have a bit of a delay.    Read more

  • Sallee FamilyAustralia & New Zealand tripTraveler

    Horseshoe bend

    October 21, 2017 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    This was pretty early on in the train ride, it's a really tight 180 degree turn that enables the train to build up some momentum as it heads up the mountains. The train cars are pretty vintage as well, some reaching 100 years in age.Read more

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