I've decided I really like this part of the world. Reversed waterflow, summer during my known winter months, and inverted constellations, not to mention the Southern Cross. It's a dangerous part of the world though, especially in light of the recent cyclones and earthquakes. Nevertheless, after being home from Australia for 11 days, my journey now takes me to Chile!
This will be my first time traveling to South America, and the sixth continent of seven that I have been to! I am so excited to travel around Chile and immerse myself in the Spanish language. It has been about three years since I have used my Spanish, and I am hoping to come back more conversationally fluent. However, I am a bit nervous... I think I will be able to understand what Chileans are saying, but I might not be able to express my thoughts well in the spoken language.
I am traveling to Chile for four weeks with my friend Bailey O'Sullivan. Bailey and I went to high school together at Blessed Trinity, and we also both went to Georgia Tech and are alumni of the Ramblin' Reck Club. Woooo! Bailey is outdoorsy and sporty, she's a phenomenal kayaker and is going to be leading tours down the Nantahalla when we return from Chile. We're both looking forward to doing quite a bit of hiking in Chile and spending time in the mountains and rivers. I am so excited!
Bailey also worked in Chile for five months at this time last year. She worked at Cliffs, a resort in Patagonia. Bailey and I plan to visit her friends that she made during her internship and stay at their houses! I'm really looking forward to it! Bailey also called up her boss at Cliffs who is allowing us to visit. Judging by Bailey's pictures from her internship, it is a gorgeous place!
So here we go! Hiking, rafting, scenery, Spanish, and meeting local Chileans! That's what I call adventure!
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Australia and New Zealand Final Itinerary
As an attempt to organize these blog posts and to provide recommendations for travelers, the following is the finalized schedule that Brandon and I created as we explored Australia and New Zealand:
Jan 23
- Leave the Atlanta airport for Los Angeles
- Flight from LA to Sydney is full
- Layover in Los Angeles, exploration of Santa Monica
Jan 24
- Visit to Hollywood and the Walk of Stars
- Stay the night with GT grad Scott in Manhattan Beach
Jan 25
- Chill at Manhattan Beach
- Fly to Sydney, Australia!
Jan 26
- Australia Day! We're still up in the air.
Jan 27
- Arrival in Sydney, Australia in New South Wales! G'Day Mate!
- Check in to Base Sydney Hostel on Kent Street
- Wander down George Street
- Explore Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House
- Wander through The Rocks
- Walk across the Harbor Bridge
- Visit the 2000 Sydney Olympic Pool
- See a show in the Sydney Opera House!
- See Sydney's Harbor at night time
Jan 28
- Take early morning ferry across the harbor to visit the Taronga Zoo in Sydney
- Play cricket and have a BBQ at Coogee Beach with other backpackers from Base Hostel
- Accidentally swim with the Bluebottle Jellyfish at Coogee Beach
- Take the Coastal Walk to Bondi Beach along the steep cliffs and meandering through several bays
- Eat dinner at Bondi Beach and watch the surfers
Jan 29
- Take a day tour to the Blue Mountains with OZ Experience
- Hike to Wentworth Falls
- Hike along the old coal mining trails through the temperate rain forest with views of The Three Sisters
- Ride the world's steepest passenger railway
- Eat kangaroo steak for dinner in Katoomba
- Explore the Vintage Car Show in Katoomba and make friends with fellow Ford Model A 1930 drivers
- Catch the sunset at Cahill's Lookout
- Stay the night at the YHA in Katoomba (the BEST, nicest, and cleanest hostel I've ever stayed at!)
Jan 30
- Canyoning and Abseiling day trip with High 'N Wild
- Abseil three dry mountain cliffs, slip and slide through the canyon river, abseil down the face of Empress Falls
- Enjoy a beer/lemonade with the abseiling crew
- Head off to the lookout of The Three Sisters
- Catch a train from Katoomba back to Sydney
Jan 31
- Fly from Sydney to Ayer's Rock in Australia's Red Center and Northern Territory
- Join three day tour with OutbackSafaris.com and Adventure Australia
- Walk through Kata Tjuta (The Ulgas)
- See Uluru (Ayer's Rock) for the first time and explore some sights along the base
- Watch the sunset at Uluru
- BBQ kangaroo and camel for dinner
- Sleep outside in a swag and gaze at the thick blanket of stars overhead
- Find the Southern Cross constellation that can only be seen in the Southern Hemisphere
Feb 1
- Watch the sunrise at Uluru
- Take an early morning base walk around Uluru
- Visit the Cultural Center to learn about the Aborigines
- Cook a pasta medley dinner with the tour group
- Watch a thunder and lightening storm in the Outback
- Sleep outside in swags, find three shooting stars, and admire Orion's Sword, which you can't see in Atlanta due to the city light
Feb 2
- Hike the King's Canyon Rim Walk
- Make the 5-hr, single-road drive to Alice Springs, the city in the middle of the Outback
- Spend a couple hours rebooking flights. Unable to fly to Cairns due to Cyclone Yasi. Book a flight to the beautiful land of New Zealand instead.
- Enjoy dinner in the city with the tour
- Experience Aboriginal hostility when returning to your hostel
- Stayed the night at Toddy's Hostel (NOT recommended), stay at Haven or the YHA instead
Feb 3
- Fly to Sydney, dash to the International Terminal, fly to Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island
- Arrival in Christchurch, New Zealand!
- Check into Base Christchurch hostel
- Attempt to get a rental van for the next two weeks. The better known companies were out of vans, so we rented with Road Runner Rentals who had one van remaining.
Feb 4
- Do laundry :)
- Explore Christchurch's main square
- Pick up the rental van
- Wander through Christchurch's botanical gardens
- Go grocery shopping for meals for the road
- Eat a big lamb shanks dinner before being subjected to camping stove cooking ;)
- Park van next to the Christchurch Cathedral for the night
Feb 5
- Drive from Christchurch to Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak
- Stop at Lake Tekapo and Mount John along the way
- Drive to the top of Mount John for a 360 degree view of the region and to check out the world's southern-most observatory
- Hike the 3-hr return Hooker Valley Track to get a view of Hooker Glacier
- Stay at the White Horse HIll camp site right by the Hooker Valley trailhead, don't forget to get a camping permit from the park office near the lodges
Feb 6
- Drive from Mount Cook to Queenstown
- Stop in the township of Twizel and brush up on some Lord of the Rings facts
- Drop by a vineyard in Cromwell to taste (and buy) some wine
- Drive along the Kuwaru River until reaching the Kuwaru River Bungy, the first bungy ever in the world and still the most popular
- Go for the 43-meter bungy into the river, or watch and take pictures :)
- Marvel at Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables mountain range, and Mount Aspiring National Park on the way through Frankton and in to Queenstown
- Book some activities in Queenstown at the iSite (info center)
- Eat a giant hamburger at Fergburger with a plethora of fixin's!
- Camp at either of the Holiday Parks for the night
Feb 7
- From Queenstown, take a day trip to Milford Sound and backwith Eco-Tours
- Take a cruise through the Sound and admire the mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife
- Eat another Fergburger on the lake front while watching the sun set on the Remarkables
Feb 8
- Drive from Queenstown to Haast (one of the most beautiful drives in NZ!)
- Plan to do a half-day adventure activity, like the 134-meter Nevis Bungy or jetboating on the Shotover River with Skippers Canyon Jets
- If I go choose again, I'd choose para-gliding or zip-lining
- Drive from east to west across the Great Divide and read about the weather differences of the two coasts
- Arrive in Wanaka and get new tires put on the camper van
- Drive by the beautiful lakes of Hawea and Wanaka
- Drive through Mount Aspiring National Park and do a couple short hikes through the rainforest along the way (I recommend Fantail Falls and Victoria Falls)
- Arrive in Haast, park on the beach for the night, and dip your feet into the Tasman Sea. Watch out for the blood-drawing sand flies!
Feb 9
- Drive from Haast, through Glacier Country, to Greymouth
- Stop for a break at Lake Matheson near Fox Glacier
- Choose one of the several hikes in the Fox Glacier township (we chose the 3-hr return Fox Glacier Lookout due to time constraints)
- Drive to Franz Josef Glacier and choose another hike (I recommend the hike through the glacier valley to the mouth of the glacier)
- If you have extra time, consider booking a tour where you wear cramp-ons and pick axes to actually walk ON the glacier (It's less expensive to do this at Fox Glacier rather than at Franz Josef Glacier)
- Park in Greymouth for the night, there's a neat lookout over the town that is good for cooking dinner and watching the sun set over the ocean
Feb 10
- Drive to the east coast from Greymouth, through Marlborough wine country, to Picton
- Hop on the 3-hr Interislander Ferry, across the Cook Strait, to Wellington (I recommend buying ferry tickets in advance. Warning: it is expensive)
- Drive off of the ferry and meet up with GT professors and classmates at Victoria University in Wellington
- Do some more grocery shopping and explore a bit of Wellington
Feb 11
- Drive from Wellington to Waitomo (with big stops in between)
- Stop at Egmont National Park and choose a hike at the volcano called Mount Taranaki (we chose the hike to the Translator Tower, then traversed across the face of the volcano, and down the Razorback Trail)
- Refuel in New Plymouth (if time, visit the Sugar Loaf Islands that you can see from Mount Taranaki)
- Continue on to Waitomo, make sure to stop at the Black Sand Beach (not marked, but there's a gravel pull off) just beyond the town of Mokau for a brilliant sunset
- Finish the drive to Waitomo and park for the night
Feb 12
- Wake up bright and early for a caving adventure in Waitomo
- I highly recommend the Black Abyss tour with the Black Water Rafting Co. It includes abseiling, zip-lining, black water rafting, seeing glow worms, and climbing an underground waterfall to get out of the cave
- Drive to Tongariro National Park and stay at Discovery (highly highly recommended)
- Cook a big dinner and get plenty of rest for a big hike in the morning
Feb 13
- Take the 5:45am shuttle to the trailhead of the Tongariro Crossing
- Hike the Tongariro Crossing, one of the best day hikes in the world
- If there is good weather, I recommend doing a detour either to the summit of Mount Ngauruhoe or Mount Tongariro. We did Mount Ngauruhoe, it was fantastic!
- Celebrate a day full of hiking with a good dinner, drinks, and dessert :)
Feb 14
- Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa, and Happy Valentine's Day
Make the uneventful drive from Tongariro National Park to Wellington (if you have more time, visit Taupo and possibly go skydiving over Lake Taupo)
- Catch a ferry across the Cook Strait to Picton (again, book tickets in advance)
- Drive from Picton to Kaikoura and make sure to stop at the seal colony along the road right outside of Kaikoura
- Treat yourself, or a special somebody, to an awesome seafood dinner
- Park in Kaikoura for the night
Feb 15
- Swim with the dolphins off of the coast of Kaikoura with Dolphin Encounter (it is amazing!)
- Fix a hearty lunch and drive to Christchurch
- Return the van in Christchurch with 30 minutes to spare
- Celebrate with a big dinner at any Christchurch restaurant
- Spend the night at the airport
If I had more time in New Zealand, I'd hike the Queen Charlotte Track, explore Abel Tasman National Park, and hike around Arthur's Pass (all in the South Island). In the North Island, I would enjoy the thermal hot springs in Rotorua, visit Hobbiton and the Shire from LOTR, visit Auckland, and go to the northern-most point in New Zealand.
Feb 16
- Catch an early morning flight to Brisbane, Australia
- Check in to Base Central Hostel in Brisbane
- Catch a bus to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, hold a koala, and play with the kangaroos
Feb 17
- Happy birthday, Brandon!
- Take a half day to Gold Coast learn how to surf with Beach Bum Surfing
- Relax on the beach and watch the surfers at Surfer's Paradise
- Explore Chinatown in Brisbane, there's a very good BYOB Thai restaurant called Bow Thai :)
Feb 18
- Take a day trip to Moreton Island with Eco-Tours for some sandboarding and kayaking/snorkeling
- Tip: Don't go to Moreton Island unless you're sick of Brisbane, and if you go to Moreton Island, just book the currently cheapest tour, they're all the same. Instead, maybe plan to do an overnight trip to Fraser Island and/or the Whitsundays. Actually, an Aussie told me that Australia's best kept secret is Magnetic Island...
- Take a late night flight from Brisbane to Cairns
- Check in to Gilligan's Hostel in Cairns, especially if you are the party type as there's a club right next door
Feb 19
- Take a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef with Reef Quest
- Scuba dive, snorkel, or do introductory dives on the reef (I recommend doing three dives) and take in all of the brilliant colors. Bring an underwater camera or purchase one, it's worth it
- Eat a free spaghetti dinner at the Gilligan's club and hang out there for the night with the locals and backpackers
Feb 20
- Take a day trip to the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest rainforest in the world, with Tropics Explorer (for this tour choose the cheapest offered at the time, they're all the same)
- Visit Mossman Gorge, eat ice cream, hike among the mangroves
- Eat amazing seafood at Fetta's Greek restaurant that is near Gilligan's Hostel
Feb 21
- Fly from Cairns to Sydney
- Wander around Darling Harbor
- Meet up with friends from Uluru Tour
Feb 22
- There was an earthquake in Christchurch at noon today
- Relax on Manly Beach
- See an IMAX show
Feb 23
- Bid Brandon goodbye as he goes back to the US
- Fly to Hobart, Tasmania
- Wander around Hobart's wharfs and check into Montgomery's Hostel
- Eat fish and chips, yum!
Feb 24
- Join a five-day tour across Tasmania with the company Under Down Under
- Climb to the summit of Mt. Amos to get a great view of Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park
- Stay the night in Bicheno at Bicheno Backpackers
- Take the sunset tour to see the Little Penguins in the Bicheno rookeries
Feb 25
- Drive along the East Coast to the Bay of Fires
- Visit St. Columba Falls
- Hang out at Cataract Gorge in Launceston
Feb 26
- Drive to Cradle Mountain National Park
- Hike to Marion's Lookout
- Continue on to the base of the summit track and observe the weather
- Decide to climb to the summit of Cradle Mountain
- Eat a big bowl of pasta at the only Cradle Mountain restaurant, good but pricey
- Stay in the Cradle Mountain Park tonight
Feb 27
- Hike the Dove Lake Circuit in the morning
- Drive across Tassie to the west coast
- Along the way stop at the Henty Sand Dunes and climb to the top
- Stay in Strahan beside Macquarie Harbor for the night at the YHA
- Bake cookies
Feb 28
- Drive to Hobart today
- Make stops at Lake St. Clair for lunch and at the Land of Giants to walk among the tall gum trees and see Russell Falls
- Stay at Montgomery's again in Hobart
- Eat more fish and chips
Mar 1
- Fly from Tasmania to Sydney
- Hang out in the botanical gardens and in the shadow of the Sydney Opera House
- Meet up with friends from the Uluru tour again
Mar 2
- Fly from Sydney to Los Angeles today
- Dominate the duty free mall in the Sydney Airport
- Arrive in Los Angeles and fly to Atlanta!
- Eat sushi with mom!
If I had more time in Australia, I would go to Melbourne and drive the Great Ocean Road, then explore the West Coast and visit the cities of Darwin and Perth.
Jan 23
- Leave the Atlanta airport for Los Angeles
- Flight from LA to Sydney is full
- Layover in Los Angeles, exploration of Santa Monica
Jan 24
- Visit to Hollywood and the Walk of Stars
- Stay the night with GT grad Scott in Manhattan Beach
Jan 25
- Chill at Manhattan Beach
- Fly to Sydney, Australia!
Jan 26
- Australia Day! We're still up in the air.
Jan 27
- Arrival in Sydney, Australia in New South Wales! G'Day Mate!
- Check in to Base Sydney Hostel on Kent Street
- Wander down George Street
- Explore Circular Quay and the Sydney Opera House
- Wander through The Rocks
- Walk across the Harbor Bridge
- Visit the 2000 Sydney Olympic Pool
- See a show in the Sydney Opera House!
- See Sydney's Harbor at night time
Jan 28
- Take early morning ferry across the harbor to visit the Taronga Zoo in Sydney
- Play cricket and have a BBQ at Coogee Beach with other backpackers from Base Hostel
- Accidentally swim with the Bluebottle Jellyfish at Coogee Beach
- Take the Coastal Walk to Bondi Beach along the steep cliffs and meandering through several bays
- Eat dinner at Bondi Beach and watch the surfers
Jan 29
- Take a day tour to the Blue Mountains with OZ Experience
- Hike to Wentworth Falls
- Hike along the old coal mining trails through the temperate rain forest with views of The Three Sisters
- Ride the world's steepest passenger railway
- Eat kangaroo steak for dinner in Katoomba
- Explore the Vintage Car Show in Katoomba and make friends with fellow Ford Model A 1930 drivers
- Catch the sunset at Cahill's Lookout
- Stay the night at the YHA in Katoomba (the BEST, nicest, and cleanest hostel I've ever stayed at!)
Jan 30
- Canyoning and Abseiling day trip with High 'N Wild
- Abseil three dry mountain cliffs, slip and slide through the canyon river, abseil down the face of Empress Falls
- Enjoy a beer/lemonade with the abseiling crew
- Head off to the lookout of The Three Sisters
- Catch a train from Katoomba back to Sydney
Jan 31
- Fly from Sydney to Ayer's Rock in Australia's Red Center and Northern Territory
- Join three day tour with OutbackSafaris.com and Adventure Australia
- Walk through Kata Tjuta (The Ulgas)
- See Uluru (Ayer's Rock) for the first time and explore some sights along the base
- Watch the sunset at Uluru
- BBQ kangaroo and camel for dinner
- Sleep outside in a swag and gaze at the thick blanket of stars overhead
- Find the Southern Cross constellation that can only be seen in the Southern Hemisphere
Feb 1
- Watch the sunrise at Uluru
- Take an early morning base walk around Uluru
- Visit the Cultural Center to learn about the Aborigines
- Cook a pasta medley dinner with the tour group
- Watch a thunder and lightening storm in the Outback
- Sleep outside in swags, find three shooting stars, and admire Orion's Sword, which you can't see in Atlanta due to the city light
Feb 2
- Hike the King's Canyon Rim Walk
- Make the 5-hr, single-road drive to Alice Springs, the city in the middle of the Outback
- Spend a couple hours rebooking flights. Unable to fly to Cairns due to Cyclone Yasi. Book a flight to the beautiful land of New Zealand instead.
- Enjoy dinner in the city with the tour
- Experience Aboriginal hostility when returning to your hostel
- Stayed the night at Toddy's Hostel (NOT recommended), stay at Haven or the YHA instead
Feb 3
- Fly to Sydney, dash to the International Terminal, fly to Christchurch in New Zealand's South Island
- Arrival in Christchurch, New Zealand!
- Check into Base Christchurch hostel
- Attempt to get a rental van for the next two weeks. The better known companies were out of vans, so we rented with Road Runner Rentals who had one van remaining.
Feb 4
- Do laundry :)
- Explore Christchurch's main square
- Pick up the rental van
- Wander through Christchurch's botanical gardens
- Go grocery shopping for meals for the road
- Eat a big lamb shanks dinner before being subjected to camping stove cooking ;)
- Park van next to the Christchurch Cathedral for the night
Feb 5
- Drive from Christchurch to Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak
- Stop at Lake Tekapo and Mount John along the way
- Drive to the top of Mount John for a 360 degree view of the region and to check out the world's southern-most observatory
- Hike the 3-hr return Hooker Valley Track to get a view of Hooker Glacier
- Stay at the White Horse HIll camp site right by the Hooker Valley trailhead, don't forget to get a camping permit from the park office near the lodges
Feb 6
- Drive from Mount Cook to Queenstown
- Stop in the township of Twizel and brush up on some Lord of the Rings facts
- Drop by a vineyard in Cromwell to taste (and buy) some wine
- Drive along the Kuwaru River until reaching the Kuwaru River Bungy, the first bungy ever in the world and still the most popular
- Go for the 43-meter bungy into the river, or watch and take pictures :)
- Marvel at Lake Wakatipu, The Remarkables mountain range, and Mount Aspiring National Park on the way through Frankton and in to Queenstown
- Book some activities in Queenstown at the iSite (info center)
- Eat a giant hamburger at Fergburger with a plethora of fixin's!
- Camp at either of the Holiday Parks for the night
Feb 7
- From Queenstown, take a day trip to Milford Sound and backwith Eco-Tours
- Take a cruise through the Sound and admire the mountains, waterfalls, and wildlife
- Eat another Fergburger on the lake front while watching the sun set on the Remarkables
Feb 8
- Drive from Queenstown to Haast (one of the most beautiful drives in NZ!)
- Plan to do a half-day adventure activity, like the 134-meter Nevis Bungy or jetboating on the Shotover River with Skippers Canyon Jets
- If I go choose again, I'd choose para-gliding or zip-lining
- Drive from east to west across the Great Divide and read about the weather differences of the two coasts
- Arrive in Wanaka and get new tires put on the camper van
- Drive by the beautiful lakes of Hawea and Wanaka
- Drive through Mount Aspiring National Park and do a couple short hikes through the rainforest along the way (I recommend Fantail Falls and Victoria Falls)
- Arrive in Haast, park on the beach for the night, and dip your feet into the Tasman Sea. Watch out for the blood-drawing sand flies!
Feb 9
- Drive from Haast, through Glacier Country, to Greymouth
- Stop for a break at Lake Matheson near Fox Glacier
- Choose one of the several hikes in the Fox Glacier township (we chose the 3-hr return Fox Glacier Lookout due to time constraints)
- Drive to Franz Josef Glacier and choose another hike (I recommend the hike through the glacier valley to the mouth of the glacier)
- If you have extra time, consider booking a tour where you wear cramp-ons and pick axes to actually walk ON the glacier (It's less expensive to do this at Fox Glacier rather than at Franz Josef Glacier)
- Park in Greymouth for the night, there's a neat lookout over the town that is good for cooking dinner and watching the sun set over the ocean
Feb 10
- Drive to the east coast from Greymouth, through Marlborough wine country, to Picton
- Hop on the 3-hr Interislander Ferry, across the Cook Strait, to Wellington (I recommend buying ferry tickets in advance. Warning: it is expensive)
- Drive off of the ferry and meet up with GT professors and classmates at Victoria University in Wellington
- Do some more grocery shopping and explore a bit of Wellington
Feb 11
- Drive from Wellington to Waitomo (with big stops in between)
- Stop at Egmont National Park and choose a hike at the volcano called Mount Taranaki (we chose the hike to the Translator Tower, then traversed across the face of the volcano, and down the Razorback Trail)
- Refuel in New Plymouth (if time, visit the Sugar Loaf Islands that you can see from Mount Taranaki)
- Continue on to Waitomo, make sure to stop at the Black Sand Beach (not marked, but there's a gravel pull off) just beyond the town of Mokau for a brilliant sunset
- Finish the drive to Waitomo and park for the night
Feb 12
- Wake up bright and early for a caving adventure in Waitomo
- I highly recommend the Black Abyss tour with the Black Water Rafting Co. It includes abseiling, zip-lining, black water rafting, seeing glow worms, and climbing an underground waterfall to get out of the cave
- Drive to Tongariro National Park and stay at Discovery (highly highly recommended)
- Cook a big dinner and get plenty of rest for a big hike in the morning
Feb 13
- Take the 5:45am shuttle to the trailhead of the Tongariro Crossing
- Hike the Tongariro Crossing, one of the best day hikes in the world
- If there is good weather, I recommend doing a detour either to the summit of Mount Ngauruhoe or Mount Tongariro. We did Mount Ngauruhoe, it was fantastic!
- Celebrate a day full of hiking with a good dinner, drinks, and dessert :)
Feb 14
- Happy 80th Birthday Grandpa, and Happy Valentine's Day
Make the uneventful drive from Tongariro National Park to Wellington (if you have more time, visit Taupo and possibly go skydiving over Lake Taupo)
- Catch a ferry across the Cook Strait to Picton (again, book tickets in advance)
- Drive from Picton to Kaikoura and make sure to stop at the seal colony along the road right outside of Kaikoura
- Treat yourself, or a special somebody, to an awesome seafood dinner
- Park in Kaikoura for the night
Feb 15
- Swim with the dolphins off of the coast of Kaikoura with Dolphin Encounter (it is amazing!)
- Fix a hearty lunch and drive to Christchurch
- Return the van in Christchurch with 30 minutes to spare
- Celebrate with a big dinner at any Christchurch restaurant
- Spend the night at the airport
If I had more time in New Zealand, I'd hike the Queen Charlotte Track, explore Abel Tasman National Park, and hike around Arthur's Pass (all in the South Island). In the North Island, I would enjoy the thermal hot springs in Rotorua, visit Hobbiton and the Shire from LOTR, visit Auckland, and go to the northern-most point in New Zealand.
Feb 16
- Catch an early morning flight to Brisbane, Australia
- Check in to Base Central Hostel in Brisbane
- Catch a bus to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, hold a koala, and play with the kangaroos
Feb 17
- Happy birthday, Brandon!
- Take a half day to Gold Coast learn how to surf with Beach Bum Surfing
- Relax on the beach and watch the surfers at Surfer's Paradise
- Explore Chinatown in Brisbane, there's a very good BYOB Thai restaurant called Bow Thai :)
Feb 18
- Take a day trip to Moreton Island with Eco-Tours for some sandboarding and kayaking/snorkeling
- Tip: Don't go to Moreton Island unless you're sick of Brisbane, and if you go to Moreton Island, just book the currently cheapest tour, they're all the same. Instead, maybe plan to do an overnight trip to Fraser Island and/or the Whitsundays. Actually, an Aussie told me that Australia's best kept secret is Magnetic Island...
- Take a late night flight from Brisbane to Cairns
- Check in to Gilligan's Hostel in Cairns, especially if you are the party type as there's a club right next door
Feb 19
- Take a day trip to the Great Barrier Reef with Reef Quest
- Scuba dive, snorkel, or do introductory dives on the reef (I recommend doing three dives) and take in all of the brilliant colors. Bring an underwater camera or purchase one, it's worth it
- Eat a free spaghetti dinner at the Gilligan's club and hang out there for the night with the locals and backpackers
Feb 20
- Take a day trip to the Daintree Rainforest, the oldest rainforest in the world, with Tropics Explorer (for this tour choose the cheapest offered at the time, they're all the same)
- Visit Mossman Gorge, eat ice cream, hike among the mangroves
- Eat amazing seafood at Fetta's Greek restaurant that is near Gilligan's Hostel
Feb 21
- Fly from Cairns to Sydney
- Wander around Darling Harbor
- Meet up with friends from Uluru Tour
Feb 22
- There was an earthquake in Christchurch at noon today
- Relax on Manly Beach
- See an IMAX show
Feb 23
- Bid Brandon goodbye as he goes back to the US
- Fly to Hobart, Tasmania
- Wander around Hobart's wharfs and check into Montgomery's Hostel
- Eat fish and chips, yum!
Feb 24
- Join a five-day tour across Tasmania with the company Under Down Under
- Climb to the summit of Mt. Amos to get a great view of Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park
- Stay the night in Bicheno at Bicheno Backpackers
- Take the sunset tour to see the Little Penguins in the Bicheno rookeries
Feb 25
- Drive along the East Coast to the Bay of Fires
- Visit St. Columba Falls
- Hang out at Cataract Gorge in Launceston
Feb 26
- Drive to Cradle Mountain National Park
- Hike to Marion's Lookout
- Continue on to the base of the summit track and observe the weather
- Decide to climb to the summit of Cradle Mountain
- Eat a big bowl of pasta at the only Cradle Mountain restaurant, good but pricey
- Stay in the Cradle Mountain Park tonight
Feb 27
- Hike the Dove Lake Circuit in the morning
- Drive across Tassie to the west coast
- Along the way stop at the Henty Sand Dunes and climb to the top
- Stay in Strahan beside Macquarie Harbor for the night at the YHA
- Bake cookies
Feb 28
- Drive to Hobart today
- Make stops at Lake St. Clair for lunch and at the Land of Giants to walk among the tall gum trees and see Russell Falls
- Stay at Montgomery's again in Hobart
- Eat more fish and chips
Mar 1
- Fly from Tasmania to Sydney
- Hang out in the botanical gardens and in the shadow of the Sydney Opera House
- Meet up with friends from the Uluru tour again
Mar 2
- Fly from Sydney to Los Angeles today
- Dominate the duty free mall in the Sydney Airport
- Arrive in Los Angeles and fly to Atlanta!
- Eat sushi with mom!
If I had more time in Australia, I would go to Melbourne and drive the Great Ocean Road, then explore the West Coast and visit the cities of Darwin and Perth.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Time Travel
Right now I am on the 15 hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. I'm going back in time today! My flight left Sydney at 11:30am on March 2nd, and I arrive in L.A. at 6:00am on March 2nd! So exciting, I'm pumped cross back over the International Date Line and be a time traveler!
I also love flying at night because there is a sky full of stars, since we're flying above the clouds and away from city lights. The Southern Cross is right outside my window! I'm so glad that I can see it on the way home :)
I am very very sad to be leaving Australia and New Zealand. There are so many more places in both countries to explore... hikes to go on, waterfalls to visit, mountains to climb, people to meet. I feel like I have quite a bit of unfinished business with the wilderness in this part of the world, and I'm looking forward to the possibility of coming back. I would like to hike the 5 to 8 day Overland Track in Tasmania, go on an overnight horse trek through Victoria, drive on the Great Ocean Road, visit Australia's west coast, and explore Arthur's Pass and Abel Tasman in New Zealand.
I spent my last day in Australia on the steps of the Opera House in Circular Quay, watching the tourists unload from the Aurora cruise ship at port and marveling at the beautiful Harbor Bridge. I then spent some time in the botanical gardens overlooking the Opera House to take in some final moments of Sydney and reflect on my last five weeks in Australia and New Zealand.
One disappointment I have was that I did not get the chance to meet very many local Australians or New Zealanders like I had hoped and expected to. Since Kearse and I were moving through these two countries so quickly, we were always on the move, doing lots of activities, staying at backpacker hostels practically one night at a time, and joining some tours along the way. With this kind of schedule, almost all of the people we met were fellow backpackers (lots of Germans and English). Our guides were really the only local Aussies and Kiwis, and most of them were from other cities. So, even though I met some awesome travelers from other countries, I am bummed that I didn't get to meet many locals. This was something I didn't expect. I really want to come back to live and work in Sydney for a year to be able to connect with local Australians and dive deeper into their lifestyle and culture.
This trip seems to have gone so fast! I'm glad that I kept a thorough record through the blog and through pictures, and I cannot wait to share pictures with all of you when I get to the States! AUS and NZ are such magnificent places! This trip has strengthened my excitement and thrill for traveling, and it has rekindled my love of the out of doors and hiking and the wilderness. I had forgotten what it was like to be dirty and be a part of nature, and now I no longer desire to get dressed up, do my hair, and wear makeup. Gosh I think the last time I wore makeup was my first night in Sydney five weeks ago when Kearse and I went to a show at the Opera House.
I am leaving Syndey with such a free feeling! I cannot wait for new adventures to come in Chile in a couple weeks!
I also love flying at night because there is a sky full of stars, since we're flying above the clouds and away from city lights. The Southern Cross is right outside my window! I'm so glad that I can see it on the way home :)
I am very very sad to be leaving Australia and New Zealand. There are so many more places in both countries to explore... hikes to go on, waterfalls to visit, mountains to climb, people to meet. I feel like I have quite a bit of unfinished business with the wilderness in this part of the world, and I'm looking forward to the possibility of coming back. I would like to hike the 5 to 8 day Overland Track in Tasmania, go on an overnight horse trek through Victoria, drive on the Great Ocean Road, visit Australia's west coast, and explore Arthur's Pass and Abel Tasman in New Zealand.
I spent my last day in Australia on the steps of the Opera House in Circular Quay, watching the tourists unload from the Aurora cruise ship at port and marveling at the beautiful Harbor Bridge. I then spent some time in the botanical gardens overlooking the Opera House to take in some final moments of Sydney and reflect on my last five weeks in Australia and New Zealand.
One disappointment I have was that I did not get the chance to meet very many local Australians or New Zealanders like I had hoped and expected to. Since Kearse and I were moving through these two countries so quickly, we were always on the move, doing lots of activities, staying at backpacker hostels practically one night at a time, and joining some tours along the way. With this kind of schedule, almost all of the people we met were fellow backpackers (lots of Germans and English). Our guides were really the only local Aussies and Kiwis, and most of them were from other cities. So, even though I met some awesome travelers from other countries, I am bummed that I didn't get to meet many locals. This was something I didn't expect. I really want to come back to live and work in Sydney for a year to be able to connect with local Australians and dive deeper into their lifestyle and culture.
This trip seems to have gone so fast! I'm glad that I kept a thorough record through the blog and through pictures, and I cannot wait to share pictures with all of you when I get to the States! AUS and NZ are such magnificent places! This trip has strengthened my excitement and thrill for traveling, and it has rekindled my love of the out of doors and hiking and the wilderness. I had forgotten what it was like to be dirty and be a part of nature, and now I no longer desire to get dressed up, do my hair, and wear makeup. Gosh I think the last time I wore makeup was my first night in Sydney five weeks ago when Kearse and I went to a show at the Opera House.
I am leaving Syndey with such a free feeling! I cannot wait for new adventures to come in Chile in a couple weeks!
Searching
I realize that I've forgotten to mention the guide on my five day tour of Tasmania. His name is Steve. He's a 47-year-old bald man from Launceston, Tasmania, and he's really in tune with nature and the wilderness. He loves all plant life, animal life, and fresh air. He's in good shape, eats pretty much only fruit, has been a vegetarian for over half of his life, and is a true mountain man. He likes to spend quiet time in nature creating his own hiking trails and paths. He has a lot of mountain experience and even spent a few months hiking in the Himalayas.
We had some pretty awesome conversations, Steve and I. It's interesting what people can discover about you after knowing you for only a few days (like how after only four days Nicole knows that I can never sit still, that I like to always on time, that I love food, and that I LOVE the mountains). Steve is also very observant and hit the nail on the head quite a few times in terms of my outlook on life and confusion/anxiety in moving forward.
Steve studied electrical engineering, and when he graduated from college, he said that he felt free. He had done what he was "supposed" to do (get a degree), and now he could do whatever he wanted. Well when I graduated from Tech, I felt like I had lost my freedom, those days were over. Now I am "supposed to" start a job (or at least, I feel obligated to start a job). I felt that in college I could choose my own path, but now I feel like everyday I am getting closer and closer to something I don't want to do...
Well maybe that's a little harsh... I'm pumped about consulting, really. It'll be exciting, busy, dynamic, and challenging, all things I enjoy and respond well to. I'm also really looking forward to working for my company and with my colleagues (that's one of the main reasons I chose the firm). However, I'm apprehensive and worried about the act of working- how will my mind respond? My body? My attitude? My personality?
One of my conversations with Steve started with a T-shirt I was wearing. It was one of my GT Swim and Dive shirts (surprise...), and on the back it says "One team, one goal". So Steve asked "What's your goal?", to which I responded "Good question." So that got me thinking... Here's my working conclusion: Explore the world and figure out who I am and where I belong and what makes me and those around me happy.
Steve's advice (which I believe I have known all along) is to be who you are, and then everyone around you will benefit. For example, if you are the dedicated and enthusiastic consultant who dominates the conference room with top notch analysis that requires 60 hours of work a week, and you are happy doing it, then that is what you should be doing. But if who you are is a nature fanatic and explorer at heart, then maybe you would be better off being outside in an active role.
So... this life break has become more of a time for figuring out who I am and exploring my options for my life (like career, relationships, hobbies). I'm pretty sure I've had this plan all along, that this has always been my purpose for my life break. Indeed, I find myself constantly observing and doing research while I am traveling- looking at lifestyles, job options, living locations, possible pro bono or externship projects, and exploring not only the world, but also my place in the world.
Steve thinks I will figure it out within a year; I think I will be 60 years old and still not know. Steve compared it to my summit of Cradle Mountain. He says that I saw I that could do it, prepared for it (researched, asked questions, studied maps, gathered the right gear), and did it. He predicts I'll do the same with life- find something I want to do, and do it. He says that I acknowledge that there is a structure and order to society and then go beyond it. I guess it makes sense- I walked on to a college swim team when my high school club coach thought I wasn't good enough, I joined a sorority and studied abroad when the college coach told me I wasn't allowed... Hmmm. Good times :)
We had some pretty awesome conversations, Steve and I. It's interesting what people can discover about you after knowing you for only a few days (like how after only four days Nicole knows that I can never sit still, that I like to always on time, that I love food, and that I LOVE the mountains). Steve is also very observant and hit the nail on the head quite a few times in terms of my outlook on life and confusion/anxiety in moving forward.
Steve studied electrical engineering, and when he graduated from college, he said that he felt free. He had done what he was "supposed" to do (get a degree), and now he could do whatever he wanted. Well when I graduated from Tech, I felt like I had lost my freedom, those days were over. Now I am "supposed to" start a job (or at least, I feel obligated to start a job). I felt that in college I could choose my own path, but now I feel like everyday I am getting closer and closer to something I don't want to do...
Well maybe that's a little harsh... I'm pumped about consulting, really. It'll be exciting, busy, dynamic, and challenging, all things I enjoy and respond well to. I'm also really looking forward to working for my company and with my colleagues (that's one of the main reasons I chose the firm). However, I'm apprehensive and worried about the act of working- how will my mind respond? My body? My attitude? My personality?
One of my conversations with Steve started with a T-shirt I was wearing. It was one of my GT Swim and Dive shirts (surprise...), and on the back it says "One team, one goal". So Steve asked "What's your goal?", to which I responded "Good question." So that got me thinking... Here's my working conclusion: Explore the world and figure out who I am and where I belong and what makes me and those around me happy.
Steve's advice (which I believe I have known all along) is to be who you are, and then everyone around you will benefit. For example, if you are the dedicated and enthusiastic consultant who dominates the conference room with top notch analysis that requires 60 hours of work a week, and you are happy doing it, then that is what you should be doing. But if who you are is a nature fanatic and explorer at heart, then maybe you would be better off being outside in an active role.
So... this life break has become more of a time for figuring out who I am and exploring my options for my life (like career, relationships, hobbies). I'm pretty sure I've had this plan all along, that this has always been my purpose for my life break. Indeed, I find myself constantly observing and doing research while I am traveling- looking at lifestyles, job options, living locations, possible pro bono or externship projects, and exploring not only the world, but also my place in the world.
Steve thinks I will figure it out within a year; I think I will be 60 years old and still not know. Steve compared it to my summit of Cradle Mountain. He says that I saw I that could do it, prepared for it (researched, asked questions, studied maps, gathered the right gear), and did it. He predicts I'll do the same with life- find something I want to do, and do it. He says that I acknowledge that there is a structure and order to society and then go beyond it. I guess it makes sense- I walked on to a college swim team when my high school club coach thought I wasn't good enough, I joined a sorority and studied abroad when the college coach told me I wasn't allowed... Hmmm. Good times :)
Cradle Mountain Summit
"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty" -John Ruskin
The morning of Day 3, we took a short morning walk along Cataract Gorge in Launceston, spotting some wild baby wallabies, before heading to Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park (what a name!). On the way, we stopped at a cheese factory and did a bit of cheese tasting. I liked the Tasmanian wild wasabi cheese! Too bad I can't take cheese on the long flight home since it needs to be refrigerated.
We arrived at Cradle Mountain early compared to most tours. I had expressed to our guide a few days ago that I wanted to summit Cradle Mountain (which is a 6 to 8 hour hike, depending on weather and fitness), so he worked hard to get us to the National Park as early as possible.
Today was a beautiful and relatively clear day compared to the usual rainy weather around Cradle Mountain, so our guide said that it was an good day to attempt the summit. He said that most people spend days at the park and never even see Cradle Mountain because of the constant clouds around it, so I already considered myself fortunate just to have a nice view of the mountain at Dove Lake at its base.
So the plan is to hike from Dove Lake up to Marion's Lookout (900m), then across the plateau to the emergency shelter hut where the summit track begins. Once at the hut, this is the time to make the decision whether or not to attempt the summit (1545m). The weather changes very quickly here- it could be clear when you start the hike and then rainy at the summit a few hours later, or the other way around. So, the decision whether to push on toward the summit really needs to be made when you've completed the 2-hour ascent to the start of the summit track.
Since we arrived at the park at 1pm, and the last shuttle bus was at 8pm, we took the short cut up to Marion's lookout to save time (as recommended). This was a steep track with chains planted into the rock to help you climb. It was heaps of fun, and we got an awesome view of the crater lakes below and the surrounding mountains. I am glad that both Nicole and Chantal had the courage to attempt the summit with me. I would not have gone alone- gotta use the buddy system you know? Nicole didn't have the right shoes or confidence, and Chantal is afraid of heights, but I am so proud of them for coming along. They're both in good shape, so they did well during our faster-paced hike to the hut and the start of the summit track.
When we reached the hut, the weather was still clear (but very chilly), and the three of us decided to go for it. There were other hikers on the trail too, so that made me feel better- safety in numbers. We made the initial ascent and then started climbing over boulder over boulder over boulder. This was similar to the Mount Doom summit, except that the dolorite rock here was a lot harder more more slick than Mt. Doom's lava rock. Kearse would have loved/hated it/me.
As you get closer to the top of Cradle Mountain, you have to get creative and do some more technical climbing. This involved finding handholds, having your feet hang off of the cliff face, and jumping between rocks with large deep gaps in between. I enjoyed the climb so much, even though it was tricky and scary at parts! It was challenging and thrilling, and that was definitely the best part about it (next to the views, which were beyond phenomenal).
The track gets more and more difficult the closer you get to the top. The gaps get deeper and the climbs trickier. When we were only 15 minutes from reaching the summit, the clouds rolled in and it started to rain. At this point, I decided that we turn back. Nicole and Chantal were getting scared and refused to press on. They said they would start the descent and wait for me at the hut, but I chose to turn around as well. The rain was already making the rocks slippery, and it was getting worse the longer we waited. There wouldn't have been a view at the top anyway because of all of the clouds.
So, we hiked down the mountain toward the hut in the spitting rain for about an hour. I am happy to report that my semi-rainproof hiking boots and camelback held up wonderfully! By the time we made it back to Dove Lake at the bottom at 6pm, the storms had passed and the sky cleared. There was literally blue sky over Cradle Mountain.
It's disappointing to get to the bottom of the track and see blue sky, knowing that you could have been at the top. Had we just waited out the rain for one hour at the hut, we could have made it to the summit with an amazingly clear view. The thing is... you don't know that when your sitting 1500 meters high on the side of a cliff at the start of a storm.
After expressing my disappointment to our tour guide the next morning, he confirmed that we made the right decision. You don't know what the weather is going to do, and he knows hikers who have tried to wait out the weather and ended up getting trapped in a snow storm in the middle lf the summer. Nevertheless, I'm still a bit disappointed that we were so close. If only we would have taken less time during our lunch break at Marion's Lookout, then we would've been at the top when the clouds rolled in, instead of 15 minutes away. But then again, I'm not sure if Nicole and Chantal would have gone that far anyway, they were already paralyzed with fear by the time we turned around.
Actually, our hike back down the mountain in the rain was quite beautiful. I commented on how pretty the landscape looked in the drizzle as the sun tried to poke through, and Chantal exclaimed "I LOVE you!", and Nicole said "You're crazy! This is your nature!" Ah that made me happy :)
The morning of Day 4 after our attempted summit, Chantal and I went on a chilly and misty two-hour morning walk through the temperate rainforest, quartzite beaches, and sub-alpine plant life around Dove Lake. We watched the sun rise behind Cradle Mountain, and the clouds flow over the summit, down into the valley, and over the lake.
Then we drove toward the west coast of Tasmania, taking a break for lunch in thensmall and lazy town of Rosebery, the second rainiest place in Australia. Fun fact: the weather in Tasmania comes al, the way from Argentina. The storm surges in South America, builds across the ocean, and smacks into Tassie's west coast. Because the storm builds all the way across the Pacific, the weather is quite dangerous here.
In Rosebery, Chantal and Nicole wanted to see a picture of me with my hair down, so I showed them my Buzzcard, and Nicole's reaction was: "You're so American! This is so American!". Haha so funny! I guess it was my "American smile"! We then continued on to Strahan, the only town on Tasmania's west coast, and of course we made a stop at the beach to play in the Indian Ocean!
That night in Strahan, Cantal made us some awesome lemon cookies from scratch, filled with strawberry or lemon jam and drizzle or dipped in chocolate. Yum! Cookies made by a professional baker! Wooooo! Chantal was a pro with improvising with that hostel kitchen and small town supermarket.
On our fifth and final day together on the Tassie Tour (and my second to last day in Australia), we had a big drive from Strahan, across the island, and back to Hobart. Along the way we stopped at Nelson Falls, Lake St. Clair (Australia's deepest fresh water lake where I had a relaxing lunch on the crystal clear lake shore), Mt. Field National Park, the Land of Giants (towering gum trees over 100 meters high that reminded me of the sequoia trees in Yosemite), Russell Falls, and Derwent Valley (where hops are grown that are used in 85 percent of all Australian beer).
We made it back to Hobart by dinnertime, enjoyed some fish and chips and farewell drinks, and then called it a night. The next morning I am headed to the Hobart airport to fly to Sydney. There I will meet up wit Hanna and Nina for my last day in Australia, and then head back home on March 2nd. I can't believe January and Fbruary have already come and gone. If it weren't for my awesome $10 digital watch from Wal-Mart, I would have no idea what day it is!
The morning of Day 3, we took a short morning walk along Cataract Gorge in Launceston, spotting some wild baby wallabies, before heading to Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park (what a name!). On the way, we stopped at a cheese factory and did a bit of cheese tasting. I liked the Tasmanian wild wasabi cheese! Too bad I can't take cheese on the long flight home since it needs to be refrigerated.
We arrived at Cradle Mountain early compared to most tours. I had expressed to our guide a few days ago that I wanted to summit Cradle Mountain (which is a 6 to 8 hour hike, depending on weather and fitness), so he worked hard to get us to the National Park as early as possible.
Today was a beautiful and relatively clear day compared to the usual rainy weather around Cradle Mountain, so our guide said that it was an good day to attempt the summit. He said that most people spend days at the park and never even see Cradle Mountain because of the constant clouds around it, so I already considered myself fortunate just to have a nice view of the mountain at Dove Lake at its base.
So the plan is to hike from Dove Lake up to Marion's Lookout (900m), then across the plateau to the emergency shelter hut where the summit track begins. Once at the hut, this is the time to make the decision whether or not to attempt the summit (1545m). The weather changes very quickly here- it could be clear when you start the hike and then rainy at the summit a few hours later, or the other way around. So, the decision whether to push on toward the summit really needs to be made when you've completed the 2-hour ascent to the start of the summit track.
Since we arrived at the park at 1pm, and the last shuttle bus was at 8pm, we took the short cut up to Marion's lookout to save time (as recommended). This was a steep track with chains planted into the rock to help you climb. It was heaps of fun, and we got an awesome view of the crater lakes below and the surrounding mountains. I am glad that both Nicole and Chantal had the courage to attempt the summit with me. I would not have gone alone- gotta use the buddy system you know? Nicole didn't have the right shoes or confidence, and Chantal is afraid of heights, but I am so proud of them for coming along. They're both in good shape, so they did well during our faster-paced hike to the hut and the start of the summit track.
When we reached the hut, the weather was still clear (but very chilly), and the three of us decided to go for it. There were other hikers on the trail too, so that made me feel better- safety in numbers. We made the initial ascent and then started climbing over boulder over boulder over boulder. This was similar to the Mount Doom summit, except that the dolorite rock here was a lot harder more more slick than Mt. Doom's lava rock. Kearse would have loved/hated it/me.
As you get closer to the top of Cradle Mountain, you have to get creative and do some more technical climbing. This involved finding handholds, having your feet hang off of the cliff face, and jumping between rocks with large deep gaps in between. I enjoyed the climb so much, even though it was tricky and scary at parts! It was challenging and thrilling, and that was definitely the best part about it (next to the views, which were beyond phenomenal).
The track gets more and more difficult the closer you get to the top. The gaps get deeper and the climbs trickier. When we were only 15 minutes from reaching the summit, the clouds rolled in and it started to rain. At this point, I decided that we turn back. Nicole and Chantal were getting scared and refused to press on. They said they would start the descent and wait for me at the hut, but I chose to turn around as well. The rain was already making the rocks slippery, and it was getting worse the longer we waited. There wouldn't have been a view at the top anyway because of all of the clouds.
So, we hiked down the mountain toward the hut in the spitting rain for about an hour. I am happy to report that my semi-rainproof hiking boots and camelback held up wonderfully! By the time we made it back to Dove Lake at the bottom at 6pm, the storms had passed and the sky cleared. There was literally blue sky over Cradle Mountain.
It's disappointing to get to the bottom of the track and see blue sky, knowing that you could have been at the top. Had we just waited out the rain for one hour at the hut, we could have made it to the summit with an amazingly clear view. The thing is... you don't know that when your sitting 1500 meters high on the side of a cliff at the start of a storm.
After expressing my disappointment to our tour guide the next morning, he confirmed that we made the right decision. You don't know what the weather is going to do, and he knows hikers who have tried to wait out the weather and ended up getting trapped in a snow storm in the middle lf the summer. Nevertheless, I'm still a bit disappointed that we were so close. If only we would have taken less time during our lunch break at Marion's Lookout, then we would've been at the top when the clouds rolled in, instead of 15 minutes away. But then again, I'm not sure if Nicole and Chantal would have gone that far anyway, they were already paralyzed with fear by the time we turned around.
Actually, our hike back down the mountain in the rain was quite beautiful. I commented on how pretty the landscape looked in the drizzle as the sun tried to poke through, and Chantal exclaimed "I LOVE you!", and Nicole said "You're crazy! This is your nature!" Ah that made me happy :)
The morning of Day 4 after our attempted summit, Chantal and I went on a chilly and misty two-hour morning walk through the temperate rainforest, quartzite beaches, and sub-alpine plant life around Dove Lake. We watched the sun rise behind Cradle Mountain, and the clouds flow over the summit, down into the valley, and over the lake.
Then we drove toward the west coast of Tasmania, taking a break for lunch in thensmall and lazy town of Rosebery, the second rainiest place in Australia. Fun fact: the weather in Tasmania comes al, the way from Argentina. The storm surges in South America, builds across the ocean, and smacks into Tassie's west coast. Because the storm builds all the way across the Pacific, the weather is quite dangerous here.
In Rosebery, Chantal and Nicole wanted to see a picture of me with my hair down, so I showed them my Buzzcard, and Nicole's reaction was: "You're so American! This is so American!". Haha so funny! I guess it was my "American smile"! We then continued on to Strahan, the only town on Tasmania's west coast, and of course we made a stop at the beach to play in the Indian Ocean!
That night in Strahan, Cantal made us some awesome lemon cookies from scratch, filled with strawberry or lemon jam and drizzle or dipped in chocolate. Yum! Cookies made by a professional baker! Wooooo! Chantal was a pro with improvising with that hostel kitchen and small town supermarket.
On our fifth and final day together on the Tassie Tour (and my second to last day in Australia), we had a big drive from Strahan, across the island, and back to Hobart. Along the way we stopped at Nelson Falls, Lake St. Clair (Australia's deepest fresh water lake where I had a relaxing lunch on the crystal clear lake shore), Mt. Field National Park, the Land of Giants (towering gum trees over 100 meters high that reminded me of the sequoia trees in Yosemite), Russell Falls, and Derwent Valley (where hops are grown that are used in 85 percent of all Australian beer).
We made it back to Hobart by dinnertime, enjoyed some fish and chips and farewell drinks, and then called it a night. The next morning I am headed to the Hobart airport to fly to Sydney. There I will meet up wit Hanna and Nina for my last day in Australia, and then head back home on March 2nd. I can't believe January and Fbruary have already come and gone. If it weren't for my awesome $10 digital watch from Wal-Mart, I would have no idea what day it is!
Tasmania! Under Down Under!
Kearse and I went to the airport together on February 23rd. Kearse headed home to the States while I set off on my own for Tasmania, the southern most state in Australia. This is my first time traveling alone, and I am pretty excited! I had been contemplating about spending an extra week in Australia without Kearse for quite some time, and I have decided that this is something that I just need to do. I love traveling with friends for the great company and fun, but I need to know if I can travel by myself like so many of the solo backpackers I have met during my journeys.
I arrived in Hobart at midday. Hobart is at the southern end of Tasmania, and it is Australia's second oldest city. Hobart is famous for its large prison nearby in Port Arthur. Aussies call their state of Tasmania "Tassie". This term is so cute, and so Australian :)
It's weird though, because Tassie feels like a completely separate country from Australia. Tassie is more like a mix of AUS and New Zealand. It has the landscape of New Zealand, being an island of the same latitude, but does not nearly have the grandeur of NZ. In fact, Tasmania's landscape is to New Zealand's landscape as the Appalachians are to the Rockies- older, shorter, smaller, not quite as magnificent. However, Tassie is like New Zealand in that it sees the same weather patterns- Tassie's east coast is brown, dry, and hilly, while it's west coast is lush, green, wet, and mountainous.
The people in Tassie are also a mix between Aussie's and Kiwis... Aussie accent with the small-town, middle-of-the-wilderness attitude of New Zealand. I don't know, something about Tasmanians felt a bit... off. Nevertheless, I had an awesome time in Tassie on a five day tour across the island and back.
Oh and yes, the Tasmanian Devil exists :) He doesn't look like Taz the cartoon (he is black with a white stripe), but he is cute, full of energy, and snarls and screams if something or someone gets in the way of his food. I was also realy excited to hear that if you got a picture of a Tassie Tiger (the Thylacines), then you received a full refund on the cost of your tour. I felt really gullible when I learned that the Tassie Tiger is extinct- the last tiger in the wild was killed in 1930, and the last tiger in the captivity died in the Hibart Zoo in 1938. What a beautiful creature though.
My five day tour across Tassie was generally quiet and relaxing. We had a small group of only six people, so we all got to spread out in the 24-seater bus. Usually these tours have all 24 people, but for some reason ours was smaller. It's okay though, I loved having the extra space (though I would've enjoyed having some extra company... Maybe some single guys perhaps?). So our tour was me, a quiet young couple from Taiwan who we referred to as Mr. T and Mrs. B, then Nana the 37-year-old woman also from Taiwan who got burned out from work and whose Tarot Cards told her to go to Australia, Nicole the 23-year-old nurse from Germany who has a June 24th birthday like me, and Chantal the 23-year-old chef and aspiring baker from Switzerland. I hung out most with Chantal and Nicole. We had some crazy fun times!
I chose this tour because it offered a range of hiking acitivies, and I was not disappointed. On Day 1, we drove through the small town of Ross (the sheep capital of Tassie, yay more sheep!) where I ate an awesome, award-winning scallop pie. Then we drove through the pink knuckle rocks of the Hazzard Mountains to get to Wineglass Bay. With it's stark white sand, light green water, and mountainous backdrop, Wineglass Bay is one of the top ten beaches in the world! Fun fact: Wineglass Bay belongs to Freycinet National Park, the third oldest national park in the world. Yellowstone in the U.S. Is the second oldest, and I sadly can't remember the first oldest...
At Freycinet National Park, I chose to summit Mount Amos to get a fantastic view of Wineglass Bay and the surrounding area from above. This was a great hike and quite challenging. We climbed up and scrambled over steep and slick boulders, much like what it would be like climbing up the face of Stone Mountain. If it had been raining, this climb would have been impossible. The summit was wide and had lots of boulders to climb, as well as great places to get a 360 degree view! Beautiful!
After the hike, we drove onward to the small town of Bicheno to stay the night at Bicheno Backpackers. Bicheno is a "one horse town", as it is only big enough for one horse. The night life here is in the form of a nighttime penguin tour when the adult Fairy Penguins come out of the ocean and climb to the rockery to feed their young. The adults spend the day catching and eating fish, and then they regurgitate the meal into their young chicks' mouths.
Unfortunately it is currently low season for the penguins. All of the chicks have grown and gone out to sea while the parents are hiding in their nests and molting. We managed to see some penguins come out of the sea and walk up on shore, and we saw some molting, but usually they see penguins in groups of 30 or more come out of the sea together! If it's the right time of the year, you can even see the parents feeding the chicks! It would've been neat to see, but it was still so adorable to see these penguins up close and in the wild. They're so little and cute and I love their little waddle!
Haha but during the tour I couldn't keep my eyes off of the fantastic night sky revealing itself overhead. I don't think I could ever tire of gazing at the Southern Cross- the fact that it is unique to the southern hemisphere makes it so fascinating and special.
The morning of Day 2, I got up early to watch the sunrise over Bicheno, but it was sadly rainy and cloudy. Rain is apparently rare for this area though, so I guess it's okay. We headed off toward Launcestown, moving from the dry east to the wet west (just like in New Zealand). Launceston is actually on the same latitude as Christchurch across the Tasman Sea that is currently recovering from their tragic earthquake.
Along the way we stopped at the Bay of Fires, another beautiful white sand beach that was voted the Number Two beach in the world in 2002. I thought that it was called the Bay of Fired because of the fire red algae covering the rocks along the shore, but in fact, it's name came from the early European explorers when they saw the Aborigine's fires on this beach.
We made another stop at St. Columba Falls to have lunch, and then continued on to Launceston. The rain cleared and the sun was shining brightly when we arrived, so we went to First Basin, a natural lake/river/gorge/park in Launceston. The world's longest single span chair lift is here, as well as a beautiful 6 lane, 50-meter pool! We just relaxed on the grass and in the pool for a few hours, then went to check in to the hostel. Tomorrow I plan to summit Cradle Mountain, so it's time to get some good sleep :)
I arrived in Hobart at midday. Hobart is at the southern end of Tasmania, and it is Australia's second oldest city. Hobart is famous for its large prison nearby in Port Arthur. Aussies call their state of Tasmania "Tassie". This term is so cute, and so Australian :)
It's weird though, because Tassie feels like a completely separate country from Australia. Tassie is more like a mix of AUS and New Zealand. It has the landscape of New Zealand, being an island of the same latitude, but does not nearly have the grandeur of NZ. In fact, Tasmania's landscape is to New Zealand's landscape as the Appalachians are to the Rockies- older, shorter, smaller, not quite as magnificent. However, Tassie is like New Zealand in that it sees the same weather patterns- Tassie's east coast is brown, dry, and hilly, while it's west coast is lush, green, wet, and mountainous.
The people in Tassie are also a mix between Aussie's and Kiwis... Aussie accent with the small-town, middle-of-the-wilderness attitude of New Zealand. I don't know, something about Tasmanians felt a bit... off. Nevertheless, I had an awesome time in Tassie on a five day tour across the island and back.
Oh and yes, the Tasmanian Devil exists :) He doesn't look like Taz the cartoon (he is black with a white stripe), but he is cute, full of energy, and snarls and screams if something or someone gets in the way of his food. I was also realy excited to hear that if you got a picture of a Tassie Tiger (the Thylacines), then you received a full refund on the cost of your tour. I felt really gullible when I learned that the Tassie Tiger is extinct- the last tiger in the wild was killed in 1930, and the last tiger in the captivity died in the Hibart Zoo in 1938. What a beautiful creature though.
My five day tour across Tassie was generally quiet and relaxing. We had a small group of only six people, so we all got to spread out in the 24-seater bus. Usually these tours have all 24 people, but for some reason ours was smaller. It's okay though, I loved having the extra space (though I would've enjoyed having some extra company... Maybe some single guys perhaps?). So our tour was me, a quiet young couple from Taiwan who we referred to as Mr. T and Mrs. B, then Nana the 37-year-old woman also from Taiwan who got burned out from work and whose Tarot Cards told her to go to Australia, Nicole the 23-year-old nurse from Germany who has a June 24th birthday like me, and Chantal the 23-year-old chef and aspiring baker from Switzerland. I hung out most with Chantal and Nicole. We had some crazy fun times!
I chose this tour because it offered a range of hiking acitivies, and I was not disappointed. On Day 1, we drove through the small town of Ross (the sheep capital of Tassie, yay more sheep!) where I ate an awesome, award-winning scallop pie. Then we drove through the pink knuckle rocks of the Hazzard Mountains to get to Wineglass Bay. With it's stark white sand, light green water, and mountainous backdrop, Wineglass Bay is one of the top ten beaches in the world! Fun fact: Wineglass Bay belongs to Freycinet National Park, the third oldest national park in the world. Yellowstone in the U.S. Is the second oldest, and I sadly can't remember the first oldest...
At Freycinet National Park, I chose to summit Mount Amos to get a fantastic view of Wineglass Bay and the surrounding area from above. This was a great hike and quite challenging. We climbed up and scrambled over steep and slick boulders, much like what it would be like climbing up the face of Stone Mountain. If it had been raining, this climb would have been impossible. The summit was wide and had lots of boulders to climb, as well as great places to get a 360 degree view! Beautiful!
After the hike, we drove onward to the small town of Bicheno to stay the night at Bicheno Backpackers. Bicheno is a "one horse town", as it is only big enough for one horse. The night life here is in the form of a nighttime penguin tour when the adult Fairy Penguins come out of the ocean and climb to the rockery to feed their young. The adults spend the day catching and eating fish, and then they regurgitate the meal into their young chicks' mouths.
Unfortunately it is currently low season for the penguins. All of the chicks have grown and gone out to sea while the parents are hiding in their nests and molting. We managed to see some penguins come out of the sea and walk up on shore, and we saw some molting, but usually they see penguins in groups of 30 or more come out of the sea together! If it's the right time of the year, you can even see the parents feeding the chicks! It would've been neat to see, but it was still so adorable to see these penguins up close and in the wild. They're so little and cute and I love their little waddle!
Haha but during the tour I couldn't keep my eyes off of the fantastic night sky revealing itself overhead. I don't think I could ever tire of gazing at the Southern Cross- the fact that it is unique to the southern hemisphere makes it so fascinating and special.
The morning of Day 2, I got up early to watch the sunrise over Bicheno, but it was sadly rainy and cloudy. Rain is apparently rare for this area though, so I guess it's okay. We headed off toward Launcestown, moving from the dry east to the wet west (just like in New Zealand). Launceston is actually on the same latitude as Christchurch across the Tasman Sea that is currently recovering from their tragic earthquake.
Along the way we stopped at the Bay of Fires, another beautiful white sand beach that was voted the Number Two beach in the world in 2002. I thought that it was called the Bay of Fired because of the fire red algae covering the rocks along the shore, but in fact, it's name came from the early European explorers when they saw the Aborigine's fires on this beach.
We made another stop at St. Columba Falls to have lunch, and then continued on to Launceston. The rain cleared and the sun was shining brightly when we arrived, so we went to First Basin, a natural lake/river/gorge/park in Launceston. The world's longest single span chair lift is here, as well as a beautiful 6 lane, 50-meter pool! We just relaxed on the grass and in the pool for a few hours, then went to check in to the hostel. Tomorrow I plan to summit Cradle Mountain, so it's time to get some good sleep :)
Earthquake in Christchurch
The morning of February 22nd, Kearse and I decided to go to Manly Beach outside of Sydney. It's Kearse's last day in Australia, so I figured it be great to relax and soak up some sun before he goes back to the wintery States and his work training in New York.
We boarded ferry to Manly just past noon, and when we disembarked at 1:00pm, we were met with terrible news of an earthquake hitting Christchurch. My first thought was, Wow they were just finally recovering from the earthquake in September... We stopped outside of a news stand and stood in a pack of people glued to the TV watching scenes of the earthquake's aftermath.
Then it started to sink in, how horrible this earthquake was for the recovering Christchurch. It was the lunchtime hour when the earthquake struck at 12:50pm in the city center. At a mere 5 km deep, this earthquake caused buildings to pancake and crushed buses under falling pieces from the buildings. I kept hearing about streets and places in the news that Kearse and I had visited just six days before. I hated hearing a sentence "and bodies were pulled from a local youth hostel" as I remembered the hostel that Kearse and I stayed in- Base Backpackers that stood proudly in the shadow of the central cathedral and had just reopened, with scaffolding and construction still taking place, when Kearse and I arrived on Feb 3rd. Even more tragic, the top of Christchurch's central cathedral had crumbled. Christchurch is so proud of this cathedral, and it broke my heart to see this city's icon, and identity, in shambles. And this earthquake is apparently an aftershock of the earthquake back in September?? Unbelievable!
I was remembering the lovely weather and scenes we had had of Christchurch when Kearse mentioned that we should have been there today... rather than six days ago. Our original plan was to spend two weeks in Australia and two weeks in New Zealand. We were going to fly out of Christchurch to Sydney at 7pm on Feb 22nd so that Kearse could make his flight from Sydney to the U.S. on Feb 23rd. When Cyclone Yasi hit Cairns, we shuffled our plans and spent one week in Australia, two weeks in New Zealand, and then our final week in Australia again. Had it not been for Cyclone Yasi, we would have been returning our van to the rental company in the center of Christchurch at precisely 1pm. That is a very scary thought. I am so thankful for one natural disaster saving us from another.
I am thinking back to my last couple of months, and I know that God has really been watching out for me. I spent a week in Egypt at the beginning of January, and two weeks after my trip the country fell into turmoil and political unrest, and all U.S. citizens were restricted from entering the country. For me to see this country when it was still at peace, and to return safely back in U.S., is a true blessing.
Torrential rainfall and floods in Brisbane, and rampant bush fires in Perth occurred days before our flight to Australia, while Cyclone Yasi hit Cairns the night before our flight to that very spot. Had we booked the flight one day earlier, we would gave been stuck right in the middle of the cyclone. But thanks to the cyclone, we avoided being in the heart of the most tragic natural disaster in New Zealand's history. I cannot thank God enough for our safety, and I am so blessed to have friends and family back home praying for the same. I love you all so much :)
I am also happy to hear that Ag's friend from Chicago who is working in Christchurch is safe. The two buildings next to her office building collapsed, and her friend was trapped in a building that was leaking gas for a while, but she is safe and okay. I am so thankful :)
We boarded ferry to Manly just past noon, and when we disembarked at 1:00pm, we were met with terrible news of an earthquake hitting Christchurch. My first thought was, Wow they were just finally recovering from the earthquake in September... We stopped outside of a news stand and stood in a pack of people glued to the TV watching scenes of the earthquake's aftermath.
Then it started to sink in, how horrible this earthquake was for the recovering Christchurch. It was the lunchtime hour when the earthquake struck at 12:50pm in the city center. At a mere 5 km deep, this earthquake caused buildings to pancake and crushed buses under falling pieces from the buildings. I kept hearing about streets and places in the news that Kearse and I had visited just six days before. I hated hearing a sentence "and bodies were pulled from a local youth hostel" as I remembered the hostel that Kearse and I stayed in- Base Backpackers that stood proudly in the shadow of the central cathedral and had just reopened, with scaffolding and construction still taking place, when Kearse and I arrived on Feb 3rd. Even more tragic, the top of Christchurch's central cathedral had crumbled. Christchurch is so proud of this cathedral, and it broke my heart to see this city's icon, and identity, in shambles. And this earthquake is apparently an aftershock of the earthquake back in September?? Unbelievable!
I was remembering the lovely weather and scenes we had had of Christchurch when Kearse mentioned that we should have been there today... rather than six days ago. Our original plan was to spend two weeks in Australia and two weeks in New Zealand. We were going to fly out of Christchurch to Sydney at 7pm on Feb 22nd so that Kearse could make his flight from Sydney to the U.S. on Feb 23rd. When Cyclone Yasi hit Cairns, we shuffled our plans and spent one week in Australia, two weeks in New Zealand, and then our final week in Australia again. Had it not been for Cyclone Yasi, we would have been returning our van to the rental company in the center of Christchurch at precisely 1pm. That is a very scary thought. I am so thankful for one natural disaster saving us from another.
I am thinking back to my last couple of months, and I know that God has really been watching out for me. I spent a week in Egypt at the beginning of January, and two weeks after my trip the country fell into turmoil and political unrest, and all U.S. citizens were restricted from entering the country. For me to see this country when it was still at peace, and to return safely back in U.S., is a true blessing.
Torrential rainfall and floods in Brisbane, and rampant bush fires in Perth occurred days before our flight to Australia, while Cyclone Yasi hit Cairns the night before our flight to that very spot. Had we booked the flight one day earlier, we would gave been stuck right in the middle of the cyclone. But thanks to the cyclone, we avoided being in the heart of the most tragic natural disaster in New Zealand's history. I cannot thank God enough for our safety, and I am so blessed to have friends and family back home praying for the same. I love you all so much :)
I am also happy to hear that Ag's friend from Chicago who is working in Christchurch is safe. The two buildings next to her office building collapsed, and her friend was trapped in a building that was leaking gas for a while, but she is safe and okay. I am so thankful :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)