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K and C Trip Around The World
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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник
    1
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    Meeting, Companion Tour and Gala Dinner

    29 октября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    I was actually off earlier on the Companion Tour before Kelly’s meetings started. Bus picked us up at 8:00 to go to the Blue Mountains. Our first stop was at Featherdale Wildlife Park in Sydney, a spot similar to the farm Kelly and I visited on our Saturday trip. So lots of kangaroos, koalas, birds, and other animals to observe. Then back on the bus to the Blue Mountains. Today’s trip was different from two days ago where we looked across and down into the mountains. We took a cable car across the deep gorge and then got on the world’s steepest funicular to go down deep into the mountains. A short walk deep down and then another cable car back up. A beautiful lunch at an old hotel and then a 2 hour bus ride back to Sydney.
    Upon returning to the hotel I immediately crawled under the covers and slept. These long days have me feeling like a cold is coming on.
    Tonight was the Praxity Gala Dinner. We were treated to a lovely meal on the Starship Sydney as we cruised through Sydney Harbour.
    In Australia they acknowledge the Aboriginal people at the start of all events as the Aboriginals are the original caretakers of the land, and they pay respect to the past, present and future elders.
    An Aboriginal elder opened our meeting and he was lead in by a member playing a didgeridoo. The member then played the instrument for 15 minutes. He was excellent.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник

    Final Day in Sydney

    30 октября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Although Kelly was up early for a 7:30 breakfast meeting, I got a much needed sleep in. Kelly even brought me some breakfast up to the room.
    This mornings Companion program was The Rocks Walking Tour. The Rocks is a historical area very near our hotel which is actually the area where Sydney was first inhabited by the Europeans. Many of the first people who arrived here were actually convicts from England. At the time England had no room, so they were sent to Australia. The convicts were sentenced to work at developing Sydney into a colony. With hard work, their sentence was pardoned or reduced and then many contributed to the development of the city as architects, woodworkers, developers of the banking system, as well as other areas of expertise. Today, if one can trace their ancestry back to the First Fleet of convicts, it is quite prestigious. However, back in the day it was not. Our tour ended with lunch at Sydney’s oldest hotel - The Lord Nelson. Quite a drawn out lunch, but with a bunch of women, there was plenty of conversation. I sat with people from Cypress, Dubai, Auckland, and Charlotte, NC.

    The Praxity conference concluded with a fun night beach party. We all were to dress on Aussie beach wear. We took the ferry across the harbour to an amusement park where we had drinks, dinner and a dance. One interesting that they do here for organized dinners is “ alternate drop”. They have 2 appetizers ( which they call entrees) and 2 main courses and they alternate drop the servings around the table. The same goes for the main course. So you end up trading with your neighbor if you don’t like what you were given.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник

    Adelaide

    31 октября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Airlines in Australia have different rules for carry on and checked baggage. Last week we flew from Melbourne to Sydney and the airline weighed our carry on at the gate and we were overweight and fined $60. So for today’s flight we flew a different airline and put more in our jammed 2 suitcases. We got to the airport and this airline said we were over on our checked luggage. The agent asked us to move items from our checked suitcase into our carryon. She was very nice and Celeste did an awesome job of repacking to save us the surcharge. I was back to being a Sherpa again.

    Adelaide is a lot smaller than Sydney and Melbourne. It is very hot today well into the 30s
    We walked around the central business district and went to a great seafood restaurant for dinner.

    Tonight we went to an amateur theatre company performance of 6 Dance Lessons in 6 Weeks. It was preview night and all seats were $9. The audience was mostly seniors enjoying an evening out. The play was well done.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник
    1

    Kooyonga

    1 ноября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ ☁️ 27 °C

    Kooyonga is an Aboriginal word that either means “lose lots of golf balls” or “ flies in your face for 18 holes”. It is actually the name of the golf course we played today.
    The course was a good test of golf. The day was hot, humid and quite windy and the course had many undulations. It was a good walk and very enjoyable.
    We were hosted by Tom and Jamie from the William Buck Adelaide office and they were super guys to spend the day with.
    After a much needed beer at the beautiful club house, Jamie took us to Penfolds winery and we enjoyed a tasting of some of their new releases and got a quick tour of the wine cellars. Penfolds is one of the oldest and famous winery in Adelaide.
    We got back to the hotel around 5:30. Celeste needed a nap. Then a quick trip to the grocery store for some breakfast items and dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. We had the best Pho ever!    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник

    Kangaroo Island

    2 ноября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ 🌬 21 °C

    We had an early call this morning for our trip to Kangaroo Island. KI is the 3rd largest island of Australia and more than 1/3 is a national park and totally natural. The bus picked us up at 615 am and we had a 1 3/4 hour bus ride to the ferry terminal. Off the bus and then onto the Ferry for a 45 minute ride. Then we we had to board another bus to begin our tour. On the journey to the ferry we saw a lot of Kangaroos in the wild. They are most active early in the morning and at dusk.

    Our first stop was Seal Bay. It is a national park and is the home of 800 Australian sea lions. It was interesting to learn that the female sea lions spend 3 days feeding at sea and then come back to land and sleep as feed their pup.
    The vegetation on the island is thick with trees. The wild life and birds are very abundant. Our next stop was for lunch to an area where we had to go a number of miles down a gravel road.
    The third stop was Hanson Wildlife Sanctuary. It is one of the most bio diverse and pristine ecosystems that remain in Australia. We went for a walk and we probably saw at least 20 Koalas in the wild. Many of females had their Joeys in their pouch.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник

    Remarkable Rocks

    2 ноября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ 🌙 14 °C

    Today was so beautiful I had to do 2 posts.
    We went through Flindlers Chase National Park. It is huge - well over 300 sq km of rugged wilderness and landmarks.
    We went to a place called Remarkable Rocks. It is granite from the ice age on the ocean that has been weathered over the thousands of years. The wind was blowing over 50 km/hr. It was hard to stand and walk on the rocks.
    Our next area to explore was Cape du Couedic Lighthouse and Admirals Arch. If I thought it was windy at Remarkable Rocks, at this southern point of Kangaroo Island it was really blowing. Walking up and down the boardwalk and stairs was a good workout in the wind. This area is so remote that the lighthouse was only accessible by boat every 3 months. The Arch has been formed by the erosion of the pounding sea.
    A long but fantastic day.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник
    1

    McLaren Vale Wine Trip

    3 ноября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    When we checked into the hotel the concierge gave us a brochure of new cafes and restaurants recently opened in Adelaide. This morning we set off to find this brand new coffee shop that served breakfast. We found the place and it was quaint and excellent. Celeste was craving Avocado toast and they had it on the menu.
    At noon Jamie and Denine from William Buck took us out to the Mclaren Vale wine region. Adelaide has 2 wine regions - McLaren Vale and Barossa Valley. McLaren is less than an hours drive from the city.
    Australia has the largest area of vineyards in the world and it was easy to see why. As we drove to the winery we saw acres and acres of vineyards.
    We went to d’Arenberg winery and had a premier tasting in the Cube. The fourth generation winemaker and owner is quite eccentric and creative. The Cube is part tasting room, restaurant, art gallery, museum - just very funky. We tried many wines and in particular their premier Shiraz. The area is famous for its Shiraz wines.
    After the tasting we had a reservation for a late lunch at the vineyard. We had a great day with our Aussie friends and we hope someday they will come to Canada and we can host them.
    We returned late this afternoon and with no plans we walked a couple of blocks to a movie theatre and caught the Bohemian Rhapsody movie.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник

    Beach Day Port Douglas

    4 ноября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ ⛅ 27 °C

    This morning we were up early and flew from Southern Australia to the north. We flew into Cairns ( pronounces “Cans”) rented a car and drove along the coast line and through the rain forest to Port Douglas. Driving is a challenge as they drive on the left side of the road. Everything in the car is opposite and each time I went to signal I turned the windshield wipers on.
    Our room wasn’t ready when we arrived so we changed, had lunch by the pool, and went for a long walk on the beach. The ocean is much more calm here than what we’ve experienced in the south. Afterwards I went for a swim in one of the many pools at the resort.
    Tonight we went to dinner at a restaurant called Nautilus. It is set in the rain forest and was so unique.
    We had the tasting menu with wine pairings which included the house specialty which is Coral Trout.
    It was delicious.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник

    Finding Nemo

    5 ноября 2018 г., Great Barrier Reef ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Today I scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef. I actually did 3 dives on 3 different parts of the reef. The reef is about 90 minute boat ride from Port Douglas.
    The first stop was at a place called Chapel. The coral on the Great Barrier Reef was amazing, the best I have ever seen. The fish were abundant and hundreds of different kinds. It is neat to be down 35 feet and look up and see tons of fish swimming above your head.
    The second spot we dove was called Nursery. At one of the places there they have a mountain tower of coral. Our guides told us it is one of the best spots in the world to dive. As we were swimming around the mountain of coral we saw a lot of big fish including barracudas. I was pretty excited to see how many big barracudas there were. Also on our second dive I saw a Great Barrier Reef Giant Clam. As we swam closer to it , it slammed it sides together and caught its prey inside. Wow what a sight.
    Our third spot was at a place called Helms Deep. The little fish were so abundant including clown fish. ( Nemo). While were were making our way along the coral , our guide gave us the full stop signal. He pointed up and over and right above us was a Napoleon Fish. It was huge. We estimate it to be 150kg. Our guide told us afterward it is the King of the Reef in the Food Chain. It is very rare to see and he was quite excited to see it ( see picture). About 2 minutes later I gave the signal for potential trouble, as I had spotted a shark. I saw a White Tip Reef Shark about 10 feet in length. I was happy to get the all ok signal from the guide that we had nothing to worry about.
    The fish and coral are so colourful and you can see really well under water.
    In total I did 3-45 minute dives and I was exhausted for the 90 minute trip back to town.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник
    1

    Australia stops for a race

    6 ноября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ 🌙 24 °C

    Today, in Australia, is the Melbourne Cup and the whole country stops for this horse race. It is a Holiday in Melbourne and there are Cup lunches everywhere in the country. Not sure which horse won.
    Originally we were going to go on a Rain Forest Tour but we decided we were toured out and were going to have lazy day enjoying the sun and the resort. So we cancelled it.
    Last night we met up with Ted and Kim Dickman from BKD and Matt and Patti Snow from DHG. Both are firms in the USA and part of our affiliation. We had found out this summer all 3 couples would be in Port Douglas this week and we agreed to meet for dinner to celebrate Kim’s birthday.
    During dinner they invited us on a private boat charter to go to the Low Isles of the Reef.
    This morning we slept in a bit and I went for a long swim. After my swim, Celeste and I went for a long walk on the beach. The humidity is very high here.
    We met our friends at the pier at 1:00 and went out for a 4 hour boat charter and snorkel trip.
    We had a great day. As part of the trip we went on a glass bottom boat and we got to see the coral and fish from the boat. We saw some green turtles.
    I went snorkeling for an hour and saw lots of fish and coral. We saw some juvenile black fin sharks. They are about 3 feet and came within 2 feet of us.
    I saw a big school of barracudas and some other big fish. The area of the reef had variety of small fish.
    We snorkelled right off of this small coral island. The island was made from coral deposits over thousands of years. When you snorkel or dive you must wear these Lycra suits as the jellyfish fish stingers are extremely dangerous and if you get stung you will probably die.
    Afterwards we had a lovely dinner before we said our goodbyes.
    It was a great day.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник

    Brisbane

    7 ноября 2018 г., Австралия ⋅ 🌬 27 °C

    We arrived in Brisbane just before noon and our friends Andrew and Anne met us at the airport. We had met them over the last few years at the Praxity meetings and they are super nice.
    They drove us to our hotel. After we checked in we went out for lunch and did a long walk along the beautiful river they have in Brisbane.
    The river is a salt water river and it is quite wide. Both sides of the river banks are well developed with walking trails, parks, sidewalks restaurants, bars, cafes plus the central business district. This area is quite vibrant and a popular meeting place.
    We had a great seafood dinner with 3 couples from William Buck. They are wonderful hosts.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник
    2

    Home Sweet Home

    8 ноября 2018 г., Канада ⋅ ☀️ -3 °C

    Well we did it. Our adventure included:
    12 flights ( with no lost luggage)
    10 taxi rides
    7 hotels
    7 coach rides/tours
    6 Ubers
    6 walking tours
    5 boat rides
    4 car pick ups by friends
    3 mini bus tours
    2 games of golf ( walking)
    1 Ferry
    1 - 4 day rental car

    Just under 50,000 km traveled
    About 311000 steps taken
    344 flights of stairs climbed
    And about 6-8 km of ocean swam

    We saw some amazing vistas, were moved by historical sights, took in intriguing architecture, saw all kinds of birds,animals, coral and fish, were entertained in unbelievable venues, tried all kinds of new food and wine and visited with wonderful friends.

    Thanks to Celeste, I would not want to have done this with anyone else.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник
    2

    Paris at my feet

    18 мая 2019 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    After our direct flight from Calgary to Paris, we arrived at our hotel around 230pm. We unpacked and headed out for a walk. Our hotel is very close to the Eiffel Tower, so we walked around the tower and in the gardens as well. Many people were sitting in the park with their families and friends enjoying the Saturday.
    As we continued our walk we ran into Hanif, our host at an outdoor Paris cafe and he and another guest had just ordered these huge Champagne cocktails. They asked us to “take “ one off their hands as they did not know they there were going to be that big. The 4 of us shared 2 drinks - also ordered a small bite.
    We continued our walk and then headed back to the hotel for a nap.
    In the evening we were invited for a dinner cruise along the Seine River. At times it was raining pretty hard. The dinner was very nice and it was great to see the sights of Paris along the river at night.    Читать далее

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  • Kelly BernakevitchK and C Trip Around The WorldПутешественник

    Paris in the dust

    19 мая 2019 г., Франция ⋅ ⛅ 16 °C

    “And here’s me breaking bread with the up-per crrrust.”

    Today started with a wonderful brunch. Now this was not an ordinary brunch. We were on a double decker fancy bus on a city tour outfitted with tables and the 6 of us saw the city highlights while enjoying a scrumptious brunch.

    In the afternoon we tried to go Notre Dame Cathedral. We had trouble getting there as there was construction on the train line and we had to get off at one spot and walk to the next train station, then get back on the train. After we walked from our last train stop to the island and over to the cathedral, we found out all roads were blocked with police and army patrolling with machine guns. OK maybe we won’t try and sneak in for a look see.
    We saw these tents and there was a bread festival. ( only in France we they celebrate the making of bread with a festival). We went inside and it was pretty cool as the baker artisans had made all these breads in shapes of different every day things. They had stations were kids could go and roll and braid bread and they would bake it for them.
    We decided to walk back to our hotel along the Seine and it was about 5km.
    In the evening we were invited to a reception at the Canadian ambassador’s residence. There was about 70 people there. The reception took about 2.5 hours and was very nice.
    We went with our West Jet host for a late dinner including yummy French Onion Soup, followed by ending up in the hotel bar and closing it down at 230 am. I was ready to go but my date wanted to party “ all night long .”
    Good thing we are still on Calgary time as it feels like 630.
    A fun and tiring day.    Читать далее

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    Окончание поездки
    8 ноября 2018 г.