Is This Your Australia?

When my mother and sister came to visit, they just couldn't believe how different Australia was to their expectations.  "It's so mountainous!" they exclaimed.  "It's so beautiful!"

As the week went on and this comments came with more frequency, we asked them what exactly they had been expecting.  "Well," they said, "like the movies."  Hollywood's version of Australia involves lots of red sand and flat plains, and this is what they had been expecting to see when they arrived down under.  

Of course, the reality is that Australia is diverse.  It is mountainous.  There are rainforests, deciduous forests, and places where you can't see a tree in any direction.  Even the famed Australian "Outback" is more than meets the Hollywood lense.   "The Outback" can refer to almost anything on the interior of Australia, the "2.5 million square miles inhabited by less than 60,000 people."  Although you're unlikely to see many other people in the outback, you might see desert, sheep stations, tropical waterholes, or massive crocodiles.  If you're lucky you may even get to see the World-Heritage-Listed Uluru, and other majestic sand formations.  

Whatever Australia is, it certainly isn't uniform.  When I arrived I wasn't sure what to expect, but I now know that whether it's beach, mountains, or bush, it's probably going to be strikingly beautiful.  

Australia Post

By now, I've blogged about many of the small differences between Australia and the USA.  But one difference that has managed to escape me so far is the Australian Post.  Like the US, they can get your letter just about anywhere, quickly and inexpensively.  But how they do it is different - instead of hoping in the mail van or setting off on foot like mailmen in the US, the Australian postmen set out on their scooters to deliver the mail.  That's right - scooters!  Rain, shine, or magpies, the postmen zip along the footpaths (sidewalks) delivering mail into everyone's mailbox.  You can imagine my shock the first time I saw that high-visabilty, sun-safe scooter whipping along the walkway!

The Great Barrier Reef

Where does one even begin to write about visiting the Great Barrier Reef?  Perhaps by saying that this is something that should be on everyone's "bucket list."  If you're afraid of the 25 hours of travel to get to Australia, let me assure you - a day of the reef makes it all worthwhile. 

The reef stretches 1,800 miles along the north-east coast of Australia, and is the only living thing visible from outer space.  Although the system is considered one entity, the Great Barrier Reef is actually made up of over 3,000 individual reefs, and hundreds of coral islands.  

On this visit, we went to the southern tip of the Great Barrier Reef, which is off the coast about 6 hours north of Brisbane.  Lady Musgrave Island sits in a coral quay - a protected lagoon surrounded by coral reef.  Because the lagoon is protected, it is the perfect home for a variety of sea life; but before we could enjoy the beauty, we had to travel over 50 miles from the Town of 1770 out to the reef.  

Lady Musgrave Island 

We had been warned that the trek was over open water, and may be rough.  The crew was even kind enough to demonstrate how to use the "just-in-case" bags that they had provided everyone.  Well, those bags were for more than "just-in-case" - about three-quaters of the passengers on the boat were sea-sick, and one woman even fainted.  Luckily, the Sullivan girls felt just fine, although Mark wasn't so lucky.

After about 90 minutes we finally reached the reef, much to the relief of everyone on the boat.  Right away we could see we were in for something special.  The water in the quay is an intense blue, with spots of turquoise showing you were the reef is.  As we were pulling in to the quay, through a small opening in the coral, two dolphins swam in front of our boat, and we could see hundreds of birds circling above us.

Once the boat was settled, the first thing we were invited to do was take a glass-bottom boat ride over to the island.  In the boat, our guide took us over a "turtle wash" - a coral where sea turtles stop to rest and be cleaned by one of the fish on the reef.  Low and behold, there were two sea turtles resting up as we drove over.

Lady Musgrave Island is surrounded by an ocean wonderland - but the island itself can't be overlooked.  When we visited, the tiny island was home to 100,000 nesting migratory birds.  Everywhere you looked there were birds' nests - in the trees, in logs, even buried into the ground!  Somehow, we managed to walk through the island without being pooed on, which was a minor miracle in itself - but that wasn't the biggest danger lurking!  When we made it out to the other side of the island we saw a school of reef sharks fishing in the shallows. 

When we returned from the island, it was time to get in the water and snorkle.  Although we had seen turtles from the boat, I didn't think we would be able to actually swim with them.  Boy was I wrong!  Mom was the first one to spot a turtle, sitting on the bottom the the reef and having a rest.  After we knew where to look for them, we saw them everywhere, even coming up for a breath right behind Mark!  Turtles weren't the only wildlife - there were sea stars, sea cucumbers, sting rays, and heaps of fish.  We even found Nemo!  Can you?

I'm a writer, and I like to think that I have a good handle on words.  But I struggle to explain how it feels to be out in the ocean, inches away from plants and animals you've only seen in a book or on television.  It really was an awesome experience, which Mom summed up perfectly, when she said, "I'm glad we did this on the last day, because there is no way we'd be able to wake up and top that!"

Tropical Paradise

Snorkling

   

An Aussie Thanksgiving

After two years of missing out on Turkey Coma, I decided that this year, some Thanksgiving was better than none.  Planning the holiday on the other side of the globe took some adjusting.  Here turkey is reserved for Christmas, so we had a fish dinner (I'm sure they ate fish in Plymouth too!), and our feast had to be cooked around our work schedules.  But when it came down to it, we had the essentials - a great evening with the family, and delicious dessert.

Most Australians have heard of Thanksgiving, but not too many know what the holiday is for.  I didn't have time to make everyone pilgrim hats and feather headdresses, but I did give a little history lesson. Mostly, I tried to convey how Thanksgiving is such a beautiful celebration of everything we're thankful for - from the little things like a football win, right up to wonderful family and friends. 

For some reason, one thing Aussies all know about is pumpkin pie.  Anyone I mentioned Thanksgiving to asked if I was making pumpkin pie, or "Does your Mum (translation: Mom) have a special recipe?"  As someone who has never had pumpkin pie, at Thanksgiving or otherwise, I got a kick out of their fascination.  But for now, I'll stick to apple crisp.

Royal Arrival

Queen Elizabeth II arrived in Brisbane yesterday, and did exactly what all tourists do upon arriving in town - went to meet the koalas from Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.  Except, if you're the Queen, the koalas come to you.

Unlike the United States, which roared for independence at the earliest opportunity, Australia has never completely cut ties with England.  Like Canada, India, and many other former colonies, Australia remains part of the British Commonwealth, and is a constitutional monarchy under the system.  So although Australian laws and governing practices are a neat combination of American and English systems, the country is still closely bound to the monarchy.  In fact, the English monarch is still the Head of State in Australia, a role which comes with fun little perks, like being featured on all Aussie money.

As you would expect, this strange situation leads to lots of political musings down under.  Aussies are pretty clearly split, according to the polls - many like the idea of having a Queen, and feel it honors the heritage of the country (after all, a generation ago it was not uncommon to hear Australians refer to England as "home," even if they hadn't ever set foot in the country).  Others question why an independent country would allow the head of a different independent country to represent them - and we must admit that put that way, the system does sound silly.  Overall, Aussies, like the rest of us, are a bit enamoured with the Royals, especially Lizzie.  However, when Queen Elizabeth dies, calls for Australia to become an independent republic are sure to increase.

Despite all this, the Queen picked a lovely day to drop into the state that is named after her.  Queensland has had a very rough ten months, betweens floods and cyclones, but has really made an amazing recovery - nearly everything is back to normal.  The Queen and Prince Phillip took a boat ride up the now-tame Brisbane river, and walked through Southbank, the parklands that were completely under water nine months ago.  Then, a mere four hours after she arrived, she waved goodbye to Brisie.  After all, she is a very busy lady.

Mount Warning

Last weekend, Mark and I finally got around to doing something that I've been told to do for a year - hiking Mount Warning.  The extinct volcano sits in far New South Wales, just beneath the Queensland border, shooting up from lush rainforest and cane fields.  Mount Warning is very near Cape Byron, the most easterly point in Australia.  Because of it's easterly position, and it's height (it rises 1157 meters, or 3796 feet about sea level) Mount Warning is the first place on mainland Australia to catch the sun's rays.

We weren't quite brave enough to do hike by torch (American translation: flashlight) in order to catch the sun rise, but the two-hour assent was just as stunning after the sun had risen.  The steep mountainside was littered with massive boulders, and trickling creeks just waiting for a good rain.  Trees that are hundreds of years old towered over ferns that were taller than my five and a half feet.  I like to think that I'm not often at a loss for words, but I just kept saying "It looks like Jurassic Park!"  It is certainly a landscape completely different from anything in the states.  

To local aboriginals, the mountain, know as "Wollumbin," or "cloud catcher," is sacred, and only selected individuals are supposed to reach the summit.   Despite this, Mount Warning has become a popular treck for Australians and tourists alike.  The mountain is steep, but the path is well cared for, and accessible.  As it wound around the mountain we went from baking in the sun to freezing cold, depending on how the wind was blowing.  

Luckily, when we did reach the top there was nothing above us but Aussie blue sky, and the sun heated us right up.  From the summit you can see out to the ocean, and look over all the other mountains and plateaus that make up the area.  A plaque at the top says that when early explorers reached the summit, they were so fascinated by the views that they stayed overnight without food or water.  I was still very keen on my sandwich, but the views were stunning, especially when you think about those early explorers, who came from relatively flat England, and would never had enjoyed a bird's eye view before.

Now, you're probably thinking "the climb wasn't too bad, the sun was out, no deadly Aussie animals - so why the forbidding name?"  The "warning" actually has nothing to do with the mountain itself.  In 1770, Captain Cook, the original Aussie explorer, named the mountain, which he spotted from sea.  The giant that stands so clearly above the rest of the horizon was a perfect warning sign for the dangerous reefs that Cook had encountered in the ocean just off the New South Wales Coast.  Hence the (badsass) name!

We made it!

View over the Hinderland and out to sea

Riverfire

Saturday night brought the kickoff of the Brisbane Festival, and with it, Riverfire, the annual fireworks display that all of Brisbane comes out to see.  I'm afraid as fireworks go, if you've seen one, you haven't seen them all.  Granted, I'm someone who gets excited on the Fourth of July, and will even brave the winter cold to see the New Year welcomed in on Boston Harbour, but I really thought this fireworks display was amazing.

The Brisbane River snakes an "s" through the city, carving cliffs along pretty peninsulas, and making the perfect setting for Riverfire.  All along the river were timed fireworks displays, bursting through the sky and reflected in the water below.  The rockets shot off barges, buildings, and bridges, bathing the whole city in colour.  Whereas New Years can get a bit rowdy, Rivefire is more of a family affair, and alcohol was banned from most viewing areas.  This meant that the families were out in force, and it was great to see a city with its eyes locked to the sky.

Fireworks shooting off the skyscrapers in the CBD

The iconic Story Bridge

Boston to Brisbane... And Back

Just short of a year after my adventures in Australia began, I realized that the adventure that my heart really needed was a trip back to Beantown.  For all the amazing technology - cheap international call rates, video chat, and Skype to Go - nothing compares to sitting across from your loved ones with a glass of wine and a year's worth of stories.

As I boarded the plane for the two week trip, I was thrilled, but anxious.  What would it be like to take a visit home?  Has my perspective changed?  After spending six months in London, I remember cursing the slow-moving, slovenly-dressed American students as I fought my way through the sidewalks of BU. What if it wasn't just a college campus phenomenon?  What if I found that Americans do live up to their somewhat damaged reputations?

Luckily, this wasn't the case.  On the plane, I sat next to a young man from West Virginia, who was studying on the Great Barrier Reef.  In back of us were two women and their mother, returning from their Australian Holiday.  Myth #1: American minds don't reach beyond America.  False.

When we reached LA, the first, most noticeable change was the diversity of the United States.  I can count on my hands the number of black people I've seen in Australia.  In LAX, the majority of employees were minorities, and announcements were read in English, y en Español.  The black stewardess, the hispanic secretary, and the eastern-European dentist that I visited only represent a fraction of the ethnicities and cultures that call America home.  Myth #2: America as the melting pot.  True.

Sadly, in LA, Americans lived up to their reputations for being rude, rushed, and loud.  As an American I know this isn't always the case (even Bostonians can be warm and friendly - if the Red Sox have won), but I would hate for someone's first impression of America to be the bombardment of landing in LAX.  Myth #3: Loud Americans.  Oh too true.

Everyone knows Americans do things big, and this was crystal clear after being gone for a year.  The roads are wider, the trucks are larger... even ice cubes and coffee mugs seem supersized in The States.  Myth #4: In America, Bigger is Better: True.

As I visited home, I was reminded not to take it for granted.  It is amazing to see Australia, and travel the world, but I was honestly surprised by how impressive New England is.  Boston is a charming city, full of parks, and brownstones... what other city could spawn a classic like Make Way for Ducklings?  The rivers and hills that snake through new England are stunning, and there is simply nothing more beautiful than watching the sun set over Lake Winnipesaukee.    Until you spot a shooting star.

Moreton Island

Back in Brisbane, Lauren, Mark and I took a daytrip across the bay to Moreton Island.  The island is one of the largest sand islands in the world, sitting in the waters off Brisbane.  Most of the island is natural parks, but it is also home to Tangalooma, a nature resort famous for its dolphin-feeding program.

I've seen lots of amazing things in Australia, and the Tangalooma dolphins are certainly high on that list.  Moreton Bay is home to hundreds of dolphins.  In the early 1990s, when Tangalooma resort was just beginning, lights were installed on the jettie (American translation: dock).  These lights began attracting fish, which in turn brought dolphins close to shore to find an easy meal.  As the dolphins became regular visitors, fishermen began throwing extra fish to the dolphins.  Like all wild animals, the dolphins soon learned to take advantage of an easy meal, and appeared at the jettie nightly.

This is when the resorts new owners decided to attempt to hand-feed the wild dolphins.  They began by getting in the water and throwing fish to one regular visitor, until the dolphin was eventually comfortable enough to take the fish from their hands.  Almost twenty years later, eleven wild dolphins visit Tangalooma at sunset, and accept hand-fed fish from delighted guests.

I have been eager to feed the dolphins at Tanglooma since I arrived in Australia.  After an exciting day of parasailing and quad biking on Moreton Island, Lauren, Mark, and I were watching the sunset over the bay when Mark spotted the first dolphin coming in.  As more and more guest gathered on the jettie, eight dolphins came in, splashing around and sticking their heads above water to see their audience.

The dolphin feeding program is now very regulated, since it does deal with wild animals.  The dolphins are fed under 20% of their dietary needs, so that they don't become reliant on the tourist feedings, and only dolphins that are born into the program can be fed - if a new dolphin appeared, he would not be given any fish.  To our disappointment there is also a strict no-touching policy, so we were all hoping the dolphins would brush up against us.

Actually getting in the water with the dolphins was amazing, but scary!  Dolphins are large, and although the staff assured us that the dolphins knew the difference between fish and human hands, you couldn't help but notice those sharp teeth coming toward you.  However, the dolphins are professionals.  As they swam in, they  waited in their designated spots along the beach (the dolphins are fed in pairs in specific "lanes"), and knew just what to do when we handed them the fish.

A free meal for the dolphins, and a great adventure for tourists - a perfect pairing!

The other Tanglooma activities.

We couldn't spot any dolphins from 500 feet up!

Sydneyside

 From Phillip Island, Lauren and I headed north along the coast toward Sydney.  I had be warned many, many times about driving this trip, because Australia is so vast.  After half way across the US last year, I thought  we'd be just fine, but nothing really prepared us for the drive between Melbourne and Sydney.  After crossing through cow country, we got into the mountains, where we were surrounded by a wall of trees for hours.  One lane, no other cars, and basically a tunnel through the forest.  Needless to say, we were thrilled to see this sign:

After seeing that glorious sight, we needed to switch camper vans.  We picked up our new van, as well as directions to get to our campground.  Five minutes later, we were navigating rush-hour Sydney traffic and heading toward the Harbour Bridge.  Even though it was dusk, rainy, and we were exhausted after a long drive, driving over the Harbour Bridge and sneaking a quick peak at the Opera House was a great welcome to Sydney.

The next day we set out to see the sights.  It's impossible to get a hold on a city in a day, but Lauren and I really did make an effort with Sydney.  We started our day with a free student-guided tour of the city.  It was a great way to see all the major sights, and spend time with a Sydneysider, as the city's residents are known.

Sydney reminded me a lot of Boston.  The cities are both built around the water, but the similarities go beyond the obvious.  As we were walking around the city, we quickly realized how small it is - the entire city is walkable.  We were also stopping every few blocks to look at a historical monument - the flag planted by the First Fleet, or a pub where the British navy sailors used to gather.  In history and charm, Boston and Sydney could go tit for tat.

But Sydney certainly has one thing over Bean Town - the beaches.  We hopped a bus to the world-famous Bondi Beach, on the south side of Sydney.  Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate, but the beach was beautiful even with clouds and wind, so it has certainly earned its reputation. 

In the afternoon, we took a ferry across the Harbour to Manly, another beach on the northern side of the city.  For anyone visiting Sydney, this is a must do.  As the ferry pulled out from the dock, we had a gorgeous view of the city (evidence in the picture up top).  Just as we turned away from that sight, we were saw the stunning mouth of the harbour - massive bluffs cascading into the Pacific.  And, like most Aussie beaches, Manly did not disappoint.  It was the perfect end to our day in Sydney.

Sydney and the Harbour Bridge

The Opera House

A Little Adventure

After leaving Melbourne, Lauren and I headed south to Phillip Island, home of these adorable Little Penguins.  Growing only 12-13 inches tall, these native Aussies are the smallest birds in the penguin family.  Each night at dusk, thousands of them flock from the sea, waddle over the rocks, and find their sandy burrows on the coast.

I had no idea what to expect from the so-called Penguin parade, but it was amazing.  The penguins have suffered a large loss of habitat as the shore has been developed, so unfortunately they now only nest in a few areas on the south coast of Australia, and Philip Island is home to the largest of these colonies.

The southern coast of Australia isn't home to pristine beaches - in fact, the rough coastline, battered by antarctic waters, looks more like Britain than Bondi.  Just like in Ireland or Scotland, the green, scrubby hills fall directly into the surf.  As we walked around the boardwalks, the hills around us were a buzz with penguins calling out to their mates.  I've listened to the sunset songs of frogs, crickets, even bats, but to know that it was penguins calling out around us a very unique experience.

Melbourne

Melbourne - the capital of Victoria and second-largest city on the continent - is the "other" city in Australia; although if you said that to any Melburnians you'd have another thing coming.  The Melbourne-Sydney rivalry is even more alive than that between Boston and New York.  Even though Sydney always seems to be just one step ahead, Melbourne is widely regarded as the cultural capital of Australia, and is projected to overtake Sydney as the largest city in the next few decades.

For me and Lauren, Melbourne was the starting point for our trip.  After a quick two-hour flight from Brisbane, we landed in the cold.  I'd be told many times that Melbourne is a city that gets four seasons in one day, but as a proud New Englander, I wasn't intimidated.  However, as a New Englander who has become acclimatised to a subtropical surrounding, I promptly put on my layers and whinged when we hit the airport.

The first thing that hit me about Melbourne was the trees.  It's Autumn in Australia, and Melbourne is temperate enough to get a true change of seasons.  After missing two falls at home, my heart melted to see all the reds and oranges, and hear that familiar crunch beneath my feet.

We really only had one afternoon to see Melbourne, so unfortunately we didn't really get a grasp of the city.  One drawcard of the city is its beautiful gardens, which we did walk through.  The city is also famous for its side streets and alleyways, where you need to be in the "in" to know where to go.  I won't pretend to be a trendy Melburnian, but I'm lucky enough to know a few, so Lauren and I had a delicious dinner at a trendy tapas bar that you wouldn't have looked twice at if you had passed the the street.

Although I only got a taste of the "other," I was certainly left wanting more of Melbourne.

Melbourne CBD

Exhibition Hall from the 1880's

The Great Australian Roadtrip

After a quiet month of May, June came in with a roar with the beginning of the Great Aussie Roadtrip.  Lauren, a friend from home, came over to visit, and we set about our mission to see as much of Australia as we could in two weeks.  And I must say, it was a great success.

We flew from Brisbane to Melbourne, which is on the south-east coast of Australia.  From there we drove to Sydney, and then from Sydney to Brisbane, before flying up to Cairns in far North Queensland to see the rainforests and the reef.  In between the vast nothingness that makes up this country, we did manage to find quite a few amazing spots, and have lots of fun along the way!  And, most importantly, managed to make it back to Brisbane in our massive campervan (surely a tribute to my Barry heritage), without dumping each other along the way.

Over the next few days and weeks I'll blog about some of our best adventures, starting down in Melbourne and working up to Cairns.  Stay posted - it will be great!

All 2,000 kilometers of our road trip, and Cairns way up at the top.

Happy Easter!

Happy Australia Easter, everyone!  Granted, Australian Easter is very similar to American Easter, down to eating lots of Chocolate.  In Australia, Good Friday and Easter Monday are holidays, so everyone has a four day weekend.  Because of this, Easter is a huge travel holiday for Australians, and people often spend the Easter Weekend Camping or visiting family. 

One uniquely Aussie tradition I did spot was the Easter Bilby.  Rabbits are a destructive introduced species in Australia, and having one can result in a fine of thousands of dollars.  Bilbies, on the other hand, are an adorable, endangered Aussie native.  Despite all this, the idea of celebrating the holiday with bilbies instead of bunnies never took off, although there are still a few chocolate bilbies to be found.  I hear they taste just as good as the bunnies!

Byron Bay

I was lucky enough recently to spend a weekend at Bryon Bay, the most easterly point in mainland Australia, and a place that has had a spiritual pull over Australians since before white explorers  knew the continent existed.  From ancient aboriginals to new-age hippies, Bryon has always attracted people looking to get something back from the crystal clear waters.

Visiting, you can understand why.  Byron now has all the markings of a touristy beach town, down to cheap sunglasses and overpriced fish and chips.  But taking a walk along the cape and up to the lighthouse will put your right back in your spiritual centre.  You can't help but think about your place in the world when you're surrounded by ocean on all sides, watching it stretch endlessly.  There is nothing out there - that body of water that you're looking at stretches for over 7,000 miles.  When you start thinking that big you wonder if the curve of the horizon is really the curve of the earth itself.

Of course, standing on the more easterly point of Australia I was also thinking "hmmm... if I could just swim 7,000 miles that way...."  Whales can do it, turtles do is all the time, but I was only able to gaze into the horizon and think that somewhere, in that direction, is home.

That being said, the longer I stay in Australia, the more it feels like my second home, and let me say, I love the country.  The physical beauty is stunning, for sure, but there's also something special about the place.  Recently, I've been finding my inner Aussie coming to the surface.  I now sit in the front seat of cabs without thinking that it's the most terribly awkward thing ever.  When I'm the one doing the driving, I can stay to the left without thinking about it constantly.  At babysitting I can put the babies in their cots, and change their nappies, and I even asked one little girl how her tomahto plant was growing.  I no longer winge every week when there is no reduced fat ice cream in the grocery store, and this morning I actually asked for vegemite on toast.  Although, when Mark slathered it on, I did need to explain that I wasn't quite that Australian yet - I'll take my vegemite barely there, thank-you.

So yes, I will take the Land of the Long Weekend as my second home, to complement The Land Of Those Who Never Stop Working.  After all, I think America could benefit from having a four day Easter Weekend, to go with the two other long weekends in April.  Who needs a five day work week anyway, when there is so much to see?

Autumn

Just as it's getting warmer at home, the temperatures in Australia are starting to dip, which can only mean the beginning of Autumn.  Not fall, Autumn.  And I suppose since the temperature change isn't drastic enough to make any leaves fall from the trees, using the proper name of the season is appropriate for Australians.

It's still hot out during the day, but for the first time this season we were able to sleep without the air con last night, and actually needed to bundle up for the game last night.  It felt very refreshing to uncover my long sleeves and be able to bundle up in a scarf.  Even after a Boston summer we welcome sweater weather, so you can imagine how nice it is after a tropical summer.  Although the summer is by no means over - yesterday I made the mistake of sitting on the beach without sunblock, and am nursing a severe sunburn now.

One frustrating thing about the change of seasons is that the days are beginning to get much shorter.  Even on the longest day of the year, the sun sets at 6:40, since Brisbane is fairly close to the equator and doesn't have day light saving's time.  Now, it is getting dark at about six o'clock.  There's hardly any twilight here - again because we're close to the equator - so it only takes about ten minutes difference between the sun starting to set, and darkness. 

One group that doesn't mind the earlier evenings are the flying foxes.  Every night when the sun begins to set, these bats emerge from the trees and set out for their night flights.  Along the river there are literally hundreds of them, swooping and screeching to welcome in the night.

All Bundled Up

Flying Foxes