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