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Down Under 2019

January - March 2019
A 64-day adventure by Cindy and Daryl Read more
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  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    1
    Day 18

    Aussie critters

    January 29, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    Cleland wildlife park just outside Adelaide satisfied my desire to see more Aussie critters. Natural environment, lots of animals, birdlife, forests, wetlands. Now I'm not searching for kangaroos in the countryside. Unfortunately, still see lots of kangaroo roadkill...so they're obviously out there. All the trucks and utes have big chrome 'roo bars' on the front bumper. Guess they don't want to slow down.

    A word about the flies... We're perfecting the 'Australian wave' to bat the little guys away as they fly persistently into our faces. Not an Australian feature I'll miss.  Interestingly, we weren't bothered at the wildlife park. Maybe enough predators for them?    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 20

    Gold Rush Town

    January 31, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 20 °C

    Spent a great day at Sovereign Hill, at Ballarat, 90 minutes from Melbourne.  A re-creation of the gold rush here, began in 1851. They've really done it up well...original equipment and machinery. A main street the way it would have been...minus the smells and violence. Demonstrations of blacksmithing, wheel making, gold pouring, candle making, soap making, forging, shooting, horse drawn carriage...you name it.  Actors dressed in period costume...as if they live here...just like they used to.    All the shows were done with good info and humour;  always something going on in the streets...'medical emergency', newlywed arguments, troopers marching down Main Street.

    And of course the trip down into the mine, where they discovered the 'Welcome Nugget'.  Welcome, as the gold finds were starting to slow down.  It was the largest nugget (69 kg!) ever found in the world...and still the second largest.

    Crazy temperature dropped almost 20 degrees overnight. First time we were sweaters during the day. Forecast to warm again tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 21

    Aussie Miscellany

    February 1, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 18 °C

    We canned Canberra. We weren't getting many must-see's, then a Canberra native said... "Visiting administrative buildings...how exciting" 😝.  So back to Melbourne - familiar territory...relatively.  Handed back the rental car...incident-free! 2200 kms later.

    Driving Aus observations:

    Tiddly and well-kept homes and towns, even along the thoroughfares and thru the small out-of-way towns. Very different from small town America or even BC.

    No gas and dash protection. First time we went to fill up - nowhere to pay at the pump. So in we go to pay...  "Just fill up and come in after". Okay then.

    They're serious about safe driving down here...or are they? Safety signs everywhere,  regular passing lanes, good highways. But they do let you whip along....110 on highways and 80-100 on two-lane bumpy, windy roads 😯! It'd be 60 max at home.

    Queen Victoria statues and place names boast colonial history everywhere you look.

    Love the aboriginal art...dot paintings are amazing! Cool murals in the small towns too.

    Thought Melbourne would be a bit quieter with the tennis over and school back. Not so, on a summer Friday night after work. Can't see any recession from this view!    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 22

    Melbourne again

    February 2, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 30 °C

    Crazy weather across Australia...bush fires in Tasmania (telling people it's too late to leave, so go into a building), floods in Queensland, heat waves south and west Australia.  And cold extremes in North America and the U.K. 😳

    Melbourne today...36°. And we went cycling! After breakfast at our fave restaurant on Degraves street (the owner remembered these Canadians from 2 weeks ago...problem patrons? 🤔).

    Cruiser bikes from Freddy's rentals🚴‍♂️🚴‍♀️ . What a bike path all along the Yarra River right from the centre of town! Rowing practice on the river all day long. Nice ride but the heat takes its toll. The beer stop 🍺 at Australian National Hotel was a welcome break. Fitzroy Park...lovely...for our picnic lunch.  Direct route back rather than the winding river path was way shorter. 

    Happy hour at our hotel lounge, then took advantage of our kitchen to have dinner in. We've had a good mix of dinners out and in, so not too restaurant-weary yet.    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 23

    Sydney!

    February 3, 2019 in Australia ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Despite a relatively short flight, a good part of the day spent getting out of Melbourne and into Sydney. Cool seeing the iconic highlights up close and personal.

    Easy train ride into town...shades of Vancouver skytrain. Walk along the infamous harbour...close to where we're staying in The Rocks. A busy Sunday night...guess it probably always is. Maybe more so with their lunar festival on now. Chinese New year on Tuesday... Year of the Pig. Gong hei fat choy 😃.

    Great views of the harbour bridge and opera house from lots of angles. Sure there are more pics of those in our future....    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 24

    Beach bums

    February 4, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 29 °C

    We may be getting old...and we never were big beach people.  So the whole beach scene with hundreds of people struttin' their stuff, lying in the sand, the sun beating down it's UV cancer rays, swimming in shark infested waters, ....we don't quite get it.  

    I guess the first line says it all... struttin'. And while there was more to keep Daryl entertained , I did get my share of eye candy.

    Bondi Beach...35,000 visitors a day. Lovely long sandy beach...classic strip of shops and restaurants across the street. A great cliff walk along the coast....great views, lots of steps up and down to 4 other beaches. Another hot day so we take our time. Was great.

    Figure by the last beach we better see what we're missing.  So struggle into our suits over sweaty skin...down the steps to the sand...zigzag among the sun-worshippers (some notably topless)...put our packs on the towels (worry about leaving them unattended)...worry about no sunscreen on our  backs (we'll only be a  couple of minutes)...head for relief in the cool water.  Wait...it's c-c-c-COLD!  We'll, we're here now...gotta go in all the way. And we did. Then back out to rescue our packs...up the steps... shower off the salt water...dry off on the grass... ✔️. That's done. Now let's go for a beer.

    As we're walking along the beach to find refreshment, we hear the lifeguard warn there are bluebottles (stinging jelly-like fish) coming in. If you don't want to get stung, get out of the water. Then we see the sign that says swim between the flags...we hadn't. But you couldn't really call what we did swimming.   The beer did taste good though 😁.    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    11
    Day 26

    Sydney Miscellany

    February 6, 2019 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    What a harbour!  Vancouver has the mountains but this one is huge...and sooo active. Fun to watch. 

    Took a ferry (there are many, many going every which way) to Manly Beach...another beautiful, long, sandy. Met up with friends from Victoria...Reg and Kerry who gave us the Manly tour,  super beach walk, happy hour back at their place, a great dinner in a beach-side restaurant. Not too hard to take. 

    City walking tour the next day....Captain Cook; Sydney the depository for convicts from Britain; fight with Melbourne for country capital (neither won, so they built Canberra); Danish designer of the opera house (Jorn Utzon) got ripped off and let go when he went overbudget and overtime, and things got political (yah...so unusual for big projects 🤔); protests over building the harbour bridge (nicknamed 'the ugly coathanger'); harbour condos selling for $22 million...uber expensive even by Vancouver standards.

    A big, action-packed, noisy city of 5 million...wonderful to see, but ready for the smaller places in N.Z.    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    1
    Day 29

    Christchurch...Quake Capital

    February 9, 2019 in New Zealand ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    Good-bye to AUS, hello to Kiwi-ville.  Smaller cities and towns from here on...slower pace.

    Christchurch, south Island...home of the Sept 2010 and Feb 2011 quakes, the second one not as strong but deadly...185 people killed. Eight years later it's still a city in transition. Brand spanking new, modern buildings and infrastructure on some streets...other blocks still condemned. Often you see the new intermingled with damaged buildings not yet restored. Feels weird. City is totally flat and whole neighborhoods were closed after the quakes and people moved...lots of sprawl.

    Upside - a good opportunity to rebuild your city to meet current demands...wide sidewalks, tram lines.  But it's expensive, and a lot of retail vacancy yet...too dear for the old businesses to start up again. Plus they signed leases in temporary space outside the city so it takes time.  On one block, only Lululemon so far (guess they can afford it)) and lots of 'for lease' signs.  The Quake City Centre showed the impacts -- physical and human.  No water, no sewage system, roads buckled, etc. etc.  Gonna beef up the earthquake kit when we get home. The day we arrived here - a 3.8 magnitude quake; today 2.6. Weak ones but still going.

    Small market right outside our door, beside the cathedral where restoration started just 2 months ago after years of debate...demolish or rebuild.  Heritagers won that one. 

    Walking around town, scooters going every which way.  Gotta try em out...a good hoot.

    Wine tour to the Waipura valley today - Sauvignon and Pinot country. Won't be hard to take.  Annual night noodle market in Hagley Park...let's go for dinner. Uh...maybe not. Guess Saturday night draws em all out...long lineups for noodles in cardboard dishes and eating on the ground not our choice. Fun to see tho.    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 31

    Canterbury travels

    February 11, 2019 in New Zealand ⋅ 🌧 15 °C

    Flexibility in action. Driving south from Christchurch along the inland scenic route.  Nothing booked for the next week...play it by ear. First night in Methven...ever heard of that place?  Us either.  Cute little bum-fuzz town...no problem getting a motel with lots of room, full kitchen, outside seating looking into a flower-bordered grass tennis court (should have brought the racquet!). Relax after our hike into the Rakaia Gorge...huge wide river valleys, stunning gorge views.

    Next day continue our drive (after requisite coffee stop in town...Primo coffee has funky antique decor, great coffee and scones. 'Big Tree Walk'...lovely thru the natural forest...of which there is very little here anymore...only what's preserved really. Large totara trees, the biggest 1000 years old, 31 meters tall. Have to say Cathedral Grove wins hands down, but this still impressive. 

    Where did the trees go?  Land was cleared for farming pretty much thru the whole country. As our wine guide said, New Zealand is one big farm.  Not a bad look either...be it cattle, sheep (not as many as years gone by), goats or deer.  Yes, deer farming here. Maybe we should start one in Victoria 🤔.

    Time to check for a place to stay in Omarama.  Not much there so shouldn't be a problem with tourist traffic.  But...not much there... Ok, after mucho google checks and phone calls, there is a place, tho well off the track.  Hmmm...rather not drive another 2 hours. Options?  Check the tourist info.  Yes, a place right here in Lake Tekapo. More than you'd expect to pay out here, but...we'll take it. Up the hill, around the corner, overlooking the lake.  Nice.  Think we'll stay 2 nights. Flexibility.    Read more

  • TravelerDown Under 2019
    Day 32

    Spectacular Scenery

    February 12, 2019 in New Zealand ⋅ ☀️ 22 °C

    You can't capture fabulous scenery on your camera but I tried anyway...109 pictures later. Aoraki / Mount Cook. New Zealand's tallest mountain at 3724 metres.  Aoraki is the Maori name...cloud piercer. 

    So we gotta go there...well, not all the way up of course. Over 100 people have perished on the mountain since the first person reached the summit on Christmas day 1894. We did take the 3 hr return walk with a lot of other tourists. Keep left...then you quickly realize how many people drive on the right in this world 😝.

    Long suspension bridges, great fescue plains, glacier-fed streams and lakes. Really good.

    Our great suite is run by a Swiss couple with all the tiddly-ness that suggests... perfectly stacked woodpile, ultra clean, attention to detail. Lake Tekapo is in the dark sky reserve...the milky way and southern cross right there!    Read more

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