Australia has been amazing! Sydney is definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I even enjoyed the "Figaro" opera at the Sydney Opera House! In the last few days we drove up the Gold Coast and visited Surfers Paradise and Brisbane as well. Although the view was pretty, I don't suggest driving up the Gold Coast. Instead, fly Virgin Blue with their cheap fares and extensive network. Yes, yes . . . I drove from the right side of the car, but drove on the left side of the road.
We also held koalas at the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary (the world's largest koala sanctuary) and fed several kangaroos too! We flew into Cairns last night and spent all day today snorkeling around the Great Barrier Reef--one of our most memorable experiences! Sightings include a 7 foot shark, sting ray and a pod of squids! I tried to make the squid squirt ink but it changed multiple colors instead . . . truly amazing.
We're headed to Kuranda, a World Heritage certified national rain forest tomorrow. Then we'll press onward to New Zealand (both North and South islands). The Australians we've met have been quite friendly and blunt about their distrust of the Aboriginal people. One even said that "those people are untrainable!" Now how is that for racism.Land of Kiwis (written August 15, 2007)
The food tastes much better here than in Australia and our exchange rate works favorably for our US dollars! New Zealand is BEAUTIFUL! We were up in the North Island for a few days and just flew down to Queenstown in the South Island. Stark contrast in scenery. We spent a night exploring Auckland and then drove down to Waitomo where we ventured out in a wetsuit to go blackwater rafting 210 feet underground. Blackwater rafting is tube-water rafting in underground caves. We jumped off of underground waterfalls and went water caving--crawling upside down to fit between the water and the rocks. Glowworms unique only to New Zealand lit up the cave ceilings.
The food tastes much better here than in Australia and our exchange rate works favorably for our US dollars! New Zealand is BEAUTIFUL! We were up in the North Island for a few days and just flew down to Queenstown in the South Island. Stark contrast in scenery. We spent a night exploring Auckland and then drove down to Waitomo where we ventured out in a wetsuit to go blackwater rafting 210 feet underground. Blackwater rafting is tube-water rafting in underground caves. We jumped off of underground waterfalls and went water caving--crawling upside down to fit between the water and the rocks. Glowworms unique only to New Zealand lit up the cave ceilings.
I also enjoyed an outdoor thermal hot spa in Rotorua, where geo-thermal activity is evident everywhere. Rotorua's city streets even had pools of bubbling mud and the entire town smelled like a rotting egg! We toured Wai-to-pu, a geo-thermal park with bubbling colored mud.Tonight we arrived in Queenstown, a ski resort town with every activity imaginable. I want to sky dive and bungee jump, but I'm pressed for time so I probably won't make it. Tomorrow we're headed out on a tour of Milford Sound which includes a nice cruise along the coast of New Zealand.
Final Review
I talked with dozens of people about their Australian and Kiwi experiences before I visited. The consensus? Most folks thought Australia was boring, expensive, and not worth it--and one acquaintance said the only good thing about going to Australia is to say that you did. New Zealand, however, received rave reviews. At the end, I've discovered that my expectations were so asymmetrically skewed that I ended up really enjoying Australia, but some what disappointed in New Zealand. In other words, I was pleasantly surprised by Australia where my highlights include Sydney Harbour and its surrounding gardens, the zoo, the Great Barrier Reef, and the people! I'm headed for Melbourne and Ayers Rock the next time I return!
New Zealand, however, was overrated. I saw many of the same sights done bigger and better in Canada! For example, the Canadian Rocky Mountains and the sounds of British Columbia are larger and more spectacular than NZ's Milford Sound and Mount Cook/Aoraki (both Lord of the Rings and The Last Samuari were filmed here). Thus, it may be much cheaper to fly to Canada and experience similar, if not better, sights. A ferry ride between Vancouver and Victoria Island in British Columbia offers better views than Milford Sound. Skip Mt. Cook all together. The two hotels there are exorbitantly priced and awful. We ventured into one of the older hotels and it reminded us of The Shining.
Despite New Zealand's small size, I'm impressed with the variety of topography it boasts: from its snow capped mountains and pristine beaches, to its conspicuous geothermal activity. Highlights include blackwater rafting, riding the luge in Queenstown, boat tour of Auckland, visiting the Auckland War Memorial Museum, eating, and driving. I may return to New Zealand to visit more of the Northern Island, but only if there's a good deal.
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