1. Wanna check out Australia?

My travel partner Mike & I met over 20 years ago playing co-ed soccer. Running into him at a bar one night, we chatted about past and future travel destinations, and the next thing you know we were planning a trip to Australia together. It got delayed several times, but after months of weekly planning meetings at my kitchen table, I'm about to board the airplane that will kick off this much anticipated journey Down Under.

YAY!

I'm meeting Mike in the north central city of Darwin, from where we'll kick off a counter-clockwise tour of coastal Australia. (He's already in Australia, visiting a cousin in Cairns). Our 2 month travel plan starts with a 10 day guided camping tour through "the Kimberely" to the northeast city of Broome. We're on our own from there. Key destinations include Darwin, Broome, Perth / Margaret River, Melbourne & the Great Ocean Road, Tasmania, & we'll wrap it up in Sydney.

We have expectations of experiencing beautiful coastline, indigenous culture, local wildlife, grandiose national parks, iconic landmarks, diverse cuisine, penal colony roots, Fosters beer (although I understand wine has overtaken beer as the more popular adult beverage), & Australian rules football.

As my tennis team captain would say, "LET'S GO!!!"Read more