Queenstown, New Zealand

(see map) mike: Leaving the hustle and bustle of Sydney behind we flew east to our first stop on New Zealand's south island, Queenstown. So named because it was considered suitable for Queen Victoria herself. It wasn't easy getting out of the airport though. The customs department was by far the most thorough we've encountered. A diligent officer removed our tent and painstakingly examined it for bugs and seeds then sprayed disinfectant and gave our hiking boots a good scrubbin. With such a large percentage of NZ's income coming from agricultural exports (meat, dairy, wool, wood), their extra caution was understandable.

Finally we were out the door and into a taxi. After asking to be taken to Pounamu Apartments and passing signs for places like Lake Wakatipu and Wanaka we had our first encounter with a unique part of New Zealand culture, the Maori, the indigenous Polynesian people. Numbering 600k out of a total NZ population of 4M, their history, culture and presence is much more prevalent here than what we've observed back in the states or in Australia.

Queenstown is a beautiful small town nestled on the shores of the huge Lake Wakatipu. It reminded us a bit of a small town along North Shore Tahoe. Besides the stunning setting, its claim to fame is being the adrenaline capital of the world which started with the first commercial bungee jump. Not being quiet that brave (yet) we signed up for a jet boat trip, scenic-helicopter flight and a gondola ride up the mountain followed by some luging (gravity powered go-kart type things) back down.

Propless jet boats are the only way to navigate the sometimes ultra shallow water in the nearby rivers. The goal of the Shotover Canyon jet boat experience is to haul ass down a river bringing the ~15 occupants as close to the nearby canyon wall as possible while mixing in several high speed 360 degree turns along the way. I was sceptical but found myself yelling with panic after we came within inches of the first giant boulder in our path. Actually I was thankful to be in the middle of the boat instead of the sucker on the outside who ran the risk of a flattened face.

Next up, a helicopter tour around the lake with a stop up on the nearby Remarkable mountain range.

Followed by the Gondola with awesome views of Queenstown and the surrounded area, passed a bungee jump platform to reach the luge.

Queenstown luge. Goal: Race as quickly down the mountain as possible without losing control and crashing. Definitely better than Singapore's, longer and faster with a couple of really steep drops where you can launch a couple of inches into the air. Trinity claimed victory.

The following day I rented a bike and checked out some of the surrounding trails. It felt great to be back on a mountain bike though I quickly realized how rusty I am. My Sea Otter finish time may be slow come April.

This ultra healthy Lupin is everywhere.

We spent the rest of our time hanging around town at a couple of the many tasty restaurants and bars. One thing we began to appreciate was the sun. A couple we met back in Europe warned us that if you have good weather in New Zealand, you need to take advantage and check out the sights and views because there is a good chance you won't see it the next day, or even later the same day for that matter. We initially thought naw, they had bad luck and we generally have good luck. Well, that perspective was about to change.

Sydney, Australia

(see map) trin: We stayed in Sydney's Potts Point, an ideal location for visiting the sights. While we hit the main points of interest, we spent a majority of our time just walking around the city, window shopping and lounging at cafes & restaurants. I have to admit that we are starting to lose steam and are looking forward to our homecoming.

The famous Coca Cola sign at Kings Cross which is an iconic landmark in Sydney, similar to the Hollywood Sign or Billboards in Time Square.

The first day we set out on foot towards Woolloomooloo Bay.

From there we move onto the Royal Botanical Gardens.

The gardens are extensive and we spent most of the morning wandering around which I thoroughly enjoyed. I have to give Mike credit. He has been a good sport while visiting all the botanical gardens on our trip. When the lunch hour rolled around he was off the hook. Joggers flooded the foot paths and we moved onto the famous Opera House.

Some of the 1,056,006 glossy tiles that cover the Opera House roof.

Although there was a sign saying do not climb, the ten-year-old in Mike could not resist. After several attempts we captured his jump on film and took off before we got kicked out.

That afternoon we walked through a few more neighborhoods: The Rocks, Central Sydney and Darling Harbour.

The following day we took a Sydney Harbor Cruise. 

The Prime Minister's house. We were surprised by the location (right on the harbor) and the general lack of security. Very different from our White House.

After the cruise we took public transport to the Sydney Fish Market where we bought some fresh sushi and a bottle of wine which we enjoyed on the picnic tables along the water. In Australia it was common to see people drinking a glass of wine or beer with lunch. Having entered the work force post the three martini lunch, we prudishly found this a little shocking.

Following our leisurely lunch we walked through the bohemian neighborhood, Glebe where I got my hair cut. Nothing big. Just a trim.

It was an unconventional Thanksgiving Day which we wrapped up with dinner at street side cafe.

The following day it was really stormy out. So, we skipped Bondi Beach and the zoo. Instead, we took the day off and watched movies. The only thing missing was the turkey day leftovers. Feeling lazy that evening we took a long walk back to The Rocks for a pint at the highly recommended Lord Nelson's Brewery.

Happy Thanksgiving from Down Under

If we were ever going to be homesick, today is the day. We love turkey, mashed potatoes & gravy and spending time with family.

 

At the same time, we are having a blast down here. New posts coming soon. Miss you all. 

Love,

Mike & Trin 

 

Whitsunday Islands & Fraser Island

(see map) trin: We had heard lots of good things about the Whitsunday Islands but we had also been warned it is quite expensive. To mitigate the cost we decided to make use of our camping gear and stay on Hook Island one of the outer islands. 

We had a stop over at Whitehaven Beach, the most beautiful beach on Whitsundays Islands.

The beach is made of silica sand and contains no minerals. Because of this it never heats up or burns your feet. We took advantage and threw around the frisbee.

The main reason we chose Hook Island was the offshore snorkeling. The campsites we stayed at were part of Hook Island Resort. We didn't get the Castaway feeling we had originally hoped for but the convenience of transportation and facilities won out.

Stinger-Suit-Man.  Swimming in the ocean required donning a lightweight lycra bodysuit to protect us from box and irukandji jellyfish.

The view from the island was beautiful and the wildlife was also entertaining. If not, a little scary. I was reading at the campsite when two crazy looking birds and a giant lizard had a stand off right in front of me. It went on for quite a while until Mike walked back from the beach and broke them up.

Making pasta in the campers' kitchen. A giant goanna lizard resided just outside the door hoping for a bit of food. He managed to give us a fright a couple times.

Transportation - I thought it would be interesting to give everyone an idea of how we get around. Here's a breakdown of our trip from Hook Island to Fraser Island. Please note, not all of our travel days are this grueling.

3pm - Ocean Rafting: We waited several hours for our scheduled transport which never showed. Eventually, the resort radioed the Ocean Rafting boats when they came into range. We wrapped our backpacks in plastic garbage bags and boarded one of the rafts. The seas were rough so we had an exciting but bumpy ride back to Airlie Beach.

6pm - Night Bus: After a quick shower in Airlie Beach we hurried to the station and boarded the Greyhound Bus to Hervey Bay. - I love the night bus... this is sarcasm.

6am - Walking in the Hervey Bay Suburbs: After the twelve hour bus ride we walked past all the big box stores en route to the Safari Jeep rental location.

10am - Fraser Island Ferry: The jeep now loaded with supplies and groceries, we boarded the ferry and rested on the top deck.

11am - Fraser Island: We made it!

People explore Fraser Island in 4WD vehicles. Many younger travelers get put into groups of ten or twelve and then head out in large Range Rovers to become new best friends. Mike and I opted for our own smaller vehicle. So, we could go at our own pace.

Maybe the dingo ate your baby?

The large Wungul Sandblow near our first campsite.

I love dogs but I was a little scared to leave the dingo fenced camping grounds. There are signs everywhere saying things like: Be Dingo Safe or Don't Leave Your Children Unattended

75 Mile Beach was practically deserted once the tides came up and driving on the beach had ceased for the day.  

Dinner time. Car camping was fun. With an ice chest and stove our culinary options were infinite.

The view from Indian Head. The water was so clear that we could see turtles and a giant ray in the water below.

A stream crossing. Our little Suzuki was one of the smallest vehicles out there and it did alright on the beach and in the streams. We did manage to get it bogged when we tried to head inland on the softer sand but with the help of some other jeepers (who we happened to be blocking) dug ourselves out.

SS Maheno washed ashore in 1935 where it still sits today.

Climbing another sandblow. Two kilometers seems a lot longer when walking on sand.

Lake Wabby, the oasis at the end of the dunes.

We finished the second day inland at Lake McKenzie. The crystal clear water has no minerals and very little plant or fish life. Its also leaves your skin and hair nice and soft.

That night we camped in the forest and headed back on the ferry in the morning. We really loved Fraser Island and both agreed it was one the highlights of our time in Australia.