Melbourne, Australia
Today, we’re in Melbourne which is the capital of the Australian state of Victoria and sits on the Yarra River. As we take our bus tour around the city, we are more than impressed with the architecture, both old and new, standing side by side. Skyscrapers have been deliberately set back from thoroughfares and streets to preserve Victorian architecture from the 1800s. Another feature that distinguishes Melbourne from all other cities in the world is iron lace. In the inner suburbs, where rows of conjoined terrace houses line the streets, cast-iron filigree is the signature decoration and Melbourne displays more of it than Paris, New Orleans and Sydney combined. They went overboard and put fancy filigree on everything extraneous that faced the street. Every house, every apartment, every store, every building has some type of iron lace. It’s pretty incredible.
We completed our bus tour and continued to walk the streets on our own. Melbourne has been called the world’s most livable city and like most major cities, traffic is horrible! We made better time on foot than many passenger cars. We found alleyways that were crammed with cafes, coffee houses and shops. Seating areas are built into every nook and cranny, inviting you to people watch. You can’t walk down one of these alleyways without buying something.
We found a Unity Church that puts on a weekly afternoon organ recital so we stopped in. People from many of the surrounding buildings come during their lunch hour to “get away from it all”. On this Thursday, there were a group of about 15 elderly gentlemen who “we were told” made a reservation because they were interested in different types of organ music. The funny thing was, we noticed about half of them nodding off on a regular basis, however, every time a camera was raised to catch them in what they would call prayer mode (heads down) they would all come alive. It was pretty funny and the music was wonderful.
We saw Rod Laver Stadium which hosts the Australian Open each January, the Cricket Grounds, Rugby and what they call Australian Rules Football stadiums. There are a total of 10 arenas and stadiums just in Melbourne. Then come the monuments and structures. Most notable is the Shrine of Remembrance, an art deco monument originally built to honor the men and women who served in the First World War, but now seen as a symbol for all Australians involved in war. A ray of sunlight passes through an aperture in the roof and falls onto the Stone of Remembrance over the world “LOVE” at precisely 11:00 am on November 11 of each year. This is the moment the Armistice was signed; incredible1
Melbourne has an array of different areas and venues that make up this wonderful city. We saw but a small portion so even though this was our second trip, another is definitely needed.
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Sydney, Australia
Sydney is known for its magnificent harbor, which also happens to be the world’s largest. It was founded as a penal colony in 1788 and since has grown into the major cultural center of Australia. The major jewel in its crown is the Sydney Opera House (they say it’s the most recognizable building in the world; what about our Lady Liberty?). Adjacent are the Royal Botanic Garden displays with 70 acres of flower-lined pathways. Nearby, The Rocks, a district named for sandstone from which its original buildings were made once hosted drunken sailors and ex-convicts; today it is a lively district of old brick buildings, restaurants, pubs, residences and small businesses. Bondi Beach is another favorite spot for watching those buff, tanned, blond haired surfers and topless gals.
Then there’s the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We will never again watch the firework display from that bridge on New Year’s without remembering what it felt like climbing to its summit and looking down over Sydney Harbor. YES, we climbed the Sydney Harbor Bridge. It took us ½ hour to gear up in our climbing suits and another ½ hour of safety briefings including a breathalyzer; then we climbed all 1390 steps in 3 ½ hours. We were a group of 9 plus our guide who took us along the outer arch of the bridge via catwalks and ladders. The steady incline to the summit ended with unrivaled panoramic views and an overwhelming sense of accomplishment.
Our day 2 excursion was a trip to the Majestic Blue Mountains. Actually, they really are only hills at 3000 feet but did provide breathtaking views of the rugged Australian bushland. First we traveled 885 feet up on a glass-bottom scenic skyway pod. Then we traveled on the world’s steepest railway into the rain forest below. We found out very quickly what a lump of coal felt like riding in those coal cars. Cable cars took us back up to ground zero. We experienced temperatures above 100 degrees to 60 degrees and back to 100 degrees all within 90 minutes.
Brisbane, Australia
Brisbane is the capital of Queensland and the third largest city in Australia. It also served as one of Douglas MacArthur’s Pacific headquarters during WWII. Today, we opted for Brisbane’s Art & Architectural Design excursion. It was pretty underwhelming. The city has less dramatic architecture than we’re used to seeing in Australia. And, our tour guide was not a city boy so he had to keep asking folks on the street how to get to the places he was supposed to show us. The best part was when he saw St Stephen’s Cathedral which was on his list of sites. He was so excited he said we didn’t need to go to the crosswalk; we could just j-walk across 4 lanes of traffic. We were a group of about 25. We safely crossed and decided we could do better on our own and dropped off the tour as did many other folks. The rest of the day was spent, drinking coffees, eating lunch, and engaging in our favorite activity, people watching.
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Hamilton Island, Whitsunday Islands, AU
Hamilton Island is private however located on land that is the Great Barrier Reef. There are two resorts, an airport capable of handling B-737’s, and a few businesses. Our tour was self guided and walking. Mia was sick, so I invited myself to share a golf cart that rented for $60/hour. So worth it in the hot sun. We zipped up to One Tree Hill, the islands church, and a beach by one of the resorts. It was unbelievably beautify. By the tendering point, was a fish and chips restaurant. Some other tourists were feeding the wild sulfur crested cockatoos and lorikeets. An empty lot in paradises costs $500K with building materials brought in by ferry. The commute via jet is long.
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Cairns, AU
Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef; stretching for 1,400 miles, it is the largest continuous coral reef system on earth. Because we’d been here before, we bypassed the reef tour and opted for a panoramic tour of the city which included a trip to what we believe are some of Australia’s most beautiful botanical gardens. Even though we did a thorough walk-through on our last trip, we still didn’t have enough time to view everything. Then we were off to the Palm Cove Resort; very nice, but just a resort. Because of the jelly fish, you can only enter the water in the cordoned off areas which are netted down to the sea floor, but at least you can get in the water. They actually have vinegar stations setup all along the beach front to help those who go where they’re told not to and get stung.
We spent lots of time walking the 100+ degree city which was preparing for a big Chinese New Year celebration that night. We ate lunch, where else, in Dundee’s and then decided a boomerang was needed in Bend so we found one we both agreed on. Another Viking resident told us we should take a stroll through a market that was down the street. We saw fruits and vegetables that we’ve never seen before and the colors and freshness of everything was incredible. Then we headed for the one and only Casino in Cairns because the top floor housed Koala’s and we had yet to get a picture of one. So, one of us snuck into the picture area and walaa, you can now also see one of those cute little guys, sitting in a tree, sleeping, which is pretty much all they do. They actually have a Union (NO KIDDING). They can only be held 3 hours in a day and a full day of rest. That’s why it’s so hard to get a picture.
We took a second excursion in the evening which was called The Candlelit Forest. We took an hour bus ride which ended in a rainforest. We were greeted with champagne, beer, wine and appetizers and were fascinated by all the candlelit trees (real candles, not the Costco kind) and where they couldn’t put candles, there were strings of lights. It was pretty magical. Then 2 Aboriginal brothers, who grew up there, escorted us along a flame lit trail to our dining spot which was illuminated by more candles and handmade crystal chandeliers. They told us stories, played the didgeridoo and danced. We were served a 4-course dinner and each course included 4 dishes, all of it excellent.
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Thursday Island, AU
Thursday Island was so named because it was discovered on a Thursday. The Aussies admit to not being very creative in their names. This is another one of Australia’s most beautiful islands. The down side is we’re told not to go into the inviting turquoise waters because of the crocodiles (you don’t have to tell me twice). Actually, what we were told is that there’s lots of stuff in that beautiful water and it all wants to kill you! So we opted for the helicopter excursion which was AWESOME. We figured 500 feet above the water should keep us safe. We were in a 6-seat bird and it carried 5 guests and the pilot. We each had a window seat, which by the way, we were able to open. Temps here were well over 100 degrees and the humidity was about 85% so the air from those open windows was appreciated. We flew over many of the Great Barrier Reef islands and it’s hard to describe the clarity of the water. Fish are said to grow to enormous sizes in these mineral rich waters. In addition to crocs, this is home to sea turtles, manta rays, jelly fish and a nice selection of snakes. We saw none of those scary creatures but there was no better way to get a birds-eye view of one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
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Darwin, AU
Darwin was named after Charles Darwin who, by the way, never stepped foot in Darwin. He was on a ship that sailed around Darwin and somehow became its namesake. It’s Australia’s most laid-back city. We were warned that the tour guides probably forget their shoes and teeth. We took a 4-hour City Tour. Our guide was better than good. He used every minute to show us everything about his city. He pointed out a cattle boat which housed 3 to 4,000 animals; imagine the smell. Also, they have truck trains which is what they call 4 large trailers pulled by a cab. Darwin has a population of around 120,000 residents on any given day and probably as many or more crocodiles and snakes. Again the beautiful water is only to be looked at or you probably will be eaten. On average 3-4 people a year become food for these reptiles and it’s usually (a) German tourists or (b) drunk Aussie’s. Another animal you’ll see in many of the open fields are wallaby’s. Driving down the road, our guide pointed out a field where these guys were all standing up and I swear looking at us as if we were in the zoo and they were the patrons watching us go by.
Darwin is a cute little city that sits on a harbor twice the size of Sydney and it has everything, including cyclones. Cyclone Tracy which hit on Christmas Eve and continued through Christmas Day in 1974 devastated the city with 150 mph winds. It was the worst in recorded history. Tracy left more than 41,000 out of its 47,000 residents homeless; over 30,000 people required evacuation. Since then everything built in Darwin is subject to stringent “cyclone code” standards.
This was our last port in Australia and now we head to places we’ve never been before. This ends travel in a region that is almost exclusively Christian. The next dozen ports we venture into Hindu, Buddhist, and Islamic lands. There is a geographic line called the Wallace Line which separates ecosystems of Asia from Australia and New Zealand. Birds, animals, and plants will be different. We were warned that toilets will be profoundly different. Bring paper, sanitizing fluid, wipes, and exploring attitude. Be travelers, not tourists.
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