Blue Mountains

After flying for over 14 hours to Sydney, we weren’t sure if we were crazy to go straight onto a 2-hour train ride for a day and a half of hiking in the Blue Mountains. Turns out it was the perfectRead more
Sydney with Opera

After our trip to the mountains, we got the train back to Sydney in good time to spruce up for an evening at the opera. We had booked tickets for the Sydney Opera House production of Puccini’sRead more
Melbourne to Great Ocean Road

Today we joined a bus tour along the Great Ocean Road. The coastal route was built in the 1920s as a project to employ soldiers returned from World War I. With a length of 150 miles, it is consideredRead more
Penguin viewing at Phillip Island

We started day two in Melbourne with a cafe breakfast in a nearby ‘laneway’ — pedestrian-only dining and shopping passages with a European feel. We jostled for table space with the enthusiasticRead more
Melbourne city

Today was pretty relaxed. Breakfast at yesterday’s laneway, then a walk along the riverbank to catch one of the free city center trams to Melbourne’s version of the London Eye. The skies wereRead more
Uluru-Ayers Rock

Waiting for the Melbourne tram at dawn on Tuesday, we watched two hot air balloons lift off and soar over the city. An auspicious start for our 3-hour flight to the Outback to visit Uluru (formerlyRead more
Uluru and Kata Tjuta

For our second full day, we did not get up for the sunrise viewing with the hordes again, but we did take the 6.5 mile walk around the base of Uluru. It was a flat, easy walk, with changing views ofRead more
Getting WayOutback

We met up with our WayOutback tour group yesterday afternoon, climbed aboard the 4-wheel drive bus and rode into the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. WayOutback had arranged for a talk and walk with anRead more
Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park

Another early start and a few hours drive got us into Watarrka (Kings Canyon) National Park for a 2-hour hike on the rim trail. First you have to climb up to the rim, some 100 meters of stone stepsRead more
Wallabies and Kangaroos! West MacDonnell

We got to sleep in until 6am (whoopee!), and had time for a hot breakfast of eggs, bacon and tomatoes all on the BBQ griddle, and toast from the well-equipped camp kitchen. Other mornings we have hadRead more
Loy's Country: Six Generation Thinking

After another night in the swags observing the Milky Way, Southern Cross and shooting stars, we awoke at dawn to climb a nearby dune hill to take in the splendor of the desert on our last day in theRead more
Alice Springs

After showering off the red sand and laundering it from our clothing and shaking it out of our backpacks and shoes, we were more presentable for ‘the city.’ Alice Springs is a two-story town withRead more
Daintree Rainforest

Yesterday we flew to the coast, and as soon as we got out of the plane, felt like our skin must be soaking up all the moisture in the air after a week in the desert. It’s not overly humid or warm atRead more
Mossman Gorge in the Daintree

Today we took an Aboriginal-led walking tour of the Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest. Our guide , Jarrod, showed us some of their hunting tools—for example, the boomerang, which was not usedRead more
Daintree River to the Coral Sea

This morning we took a river cruise on the Daintree River. The feature of this river trip is to see the crocodiles that live along the banks. We did see a couple in the water and some sleepy crocs onRead more
Great Barrier Reef, Day 1

After sailing all night, we arrived in Cooktown, on the Cape York peninsula., still part of the wet tropics. Like the Daintree, slightly south of here, it is very lush. The terrain reminds us a bit ofRead more
Lizard Island & Ribbon Reef #9

The morning started early with a hike up to the summit of Lizard Island to Cook’s Lookout. Captain Cook climbed up here to get away from his broken ship troubles and to scout a way out of the Reef.Read more
Ribbon Reef #3 & Escape Reef

This was a great day—Darryl was well enough to dive, and the three of us got to dive on our own with Robbie. At Ribbon Reef #3, we entered the water from the ship, rather than the beach, so entryRead more
Cairns & Sudbury Cay

Today was the end of the 4-night portion of this trip and the start of the 3-night portion. We sailed to Cairns overnight and said farewell to most of the passengers we’d been traveling with on theRead more
Hinchenbrook Island Mangroves & Hiking

Today was a day out of the water, but still on the water. Saltwater crocodiles are in these waters, so it was not a day for swimming. Dani took us on the glass bottom boat and talked to us about theRead more
Diving and Snorkeling Nathan Reef

Overnight we sailed to Nathan Reef, where we were able to stay for water play all day. Diane and Nance took a morning dive with Robbie and the Gallagher family of three (from Rockville, MD!). DuringRead more
Fitzroy Island Turtles; Bats in Cairns

Our last morning on the ship started with an early morning, steep climb to the summit of Fitzroy Island—for those who were keen. From the top, we could look out over the channel and islands to theRead more
Kakadu National Park: Rock Art & Birds

Yesterday was a day of travel—flight from Cairns to Darwin delayed 3 hours (good thing for cards!), then a 3+-hour drive to Kakadu National Park. This is the dry season in Australia’s wet tropics,Read more
Kakadu: Sunrise with Birds; Croc Attack!

A pre-dawn start got us to our sunrise river cruise on the Yellow Water billabong and down the East Alligator River (a European misnomer).
It was a beautiful, cool, morning on the river! The birdRead more
Ubirr: Rock Art Galleries & Injalak Arts

We set off this morning for a ranger talk about the renowned rock art in the Ubirr section of the park, but no ranger showed up. Kakadu National Park needs to get more rangers (interested, Eliana?).Read more