Off to an interesting start...

Well, the first few days in Tasmania have been interesting. We spent two days in the town of Hobart before starting a tour around the rest of the island. Hobart is a quaint town with docklands and boats and lots of seafood. There is also a famous outdoor market on Saturdays that offered me the chance to make my requisite vacation jewelry purchases. But perhaps the most entertaining part of Hobart was meeting a couple of Australian bikers belonging to the motorcycle club that rivals the Hell's Angels. I must say they had fine taste in wine.

And today our Tassie tour started with a bang. Our tour guide for the first part of the trip is, well, odd. He means well, but has a way of saying and asking the most awkward things. He also apparently thinks I look exactly like Britney Spears. From the way he says it, I can tell he means it as a compliment... Our "tour group" consists of me, my friend I'm traveling with, our tour guide, and a man from Sri Lanka who barely speaks and will only be with us for the first three days. Our guide was kind enough to play Lady Gaga for us as we drove along (which led to only one awkward moment when he asked me specifically to explain what a "disco stick" is - I managed to change the subject as quickly as possible).

Our first night we have stopped in what might loosely be called a town. After a quiet group dinner and a trek in the rain up a muddy hill past a field of goats, our only real option for entertainment was snooker and ping pong. That is until we discovered the hotel's fabulously bizarre movie collection. The winner out of all the available titles was "C.I.A. Codename: Alexa," a stellar action flick from 1992 starring Lorenzo Lamas and O.J. Simpson. I think this might be a fair indication of what our nights will be like for the week to come.

However, we did get our first taste of the beautiful Tasmanian scenery today, which bodes well for the rest of our trip. And it really is the odd moments that keep traveling interesting and serve as funny stories down the road...

Melbourne

Melbourne was a welcome break from the constant moving from place to place that has been so much a part of this trip. The city itself doesn't really have any distinctive features or landmarks to offer, but there is a sense of energy and worldliness that is lacking in a lot of the smaller towns. The weather was also pretty great the whole time I was there, which always helps.

Melbourne has been taken over by the Australian Open. I think I may have watched more tennis in the past week than in the rest of my life combined (including watching both favorites lose early). The city had a great set up in the main square, broadcasting the matches on a big screen so everyone could sit and watch outdoors.

My visit to Melbourne was also timed to coincide with Australia Day. While the festivities do not rise to the level of our Independence Day, and we were told that Aussies are light on patriotism, there was still a fair variety of Aussie pride events to take in, including a parade, fireworks and a barbecue hosted by our Melbournian friend.

The following day I took a day trip along Australia's Great Ocean Road, which runs along the southern coast west of Melbourne.  I again had gorgeous weather and got to see a lot of spectacular beach scenery.

One stop in particular was my favorite - Loch Ard Gorge, with a beautiful white sand beach situated between towering rock cliffs.  The sun was warm and the sound of the waves was so soothing, I could have sat there for hours.  As I've mentioned before, I can't think of anywhere better to clear my head than on an uncrowded beach, and the gorge was no exception.  (Indicentally, my head needs a lot less clearing than it did even six months ago, as much of the stress and static has mercifully melted away over the last few months).

My final day in Melbourne was spent exploring the city's famous laneways and alleyways.  Many of these serve as a platform for amazing displays of graffiti and street art which has been commissioned by the city and is highly artistic.  I took so many pictures that it is hard to narrow down my favorites, so I'll just post samples of the various styles. It really has to be seen to be believed.

But like all good rests, this one had to come to an end. I'm now in Tasmania and will start a tour of the island tomorrow.  I will again be moving from place to place over the course of the next week (although on a much more reasonable scale than New Zealand).  The flight in hinted at some pretty spectacular scenery to come.

I officially have three weeks left on this trip.  Everything I've seen and done has been great, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't getting a bit tired.  Since I didn't start missing home at any point during my three week trip to Europe, I wondered how long it would take for those thoughts to start creeping in.  The answer seems to be about a month.  I wouldn't say that I'm ready to go home yet, but I have started missing some of the friendly faces back in New York and I really wouldn't mind a night in my own bed.  By the time this trip is done, I think I will be ready to go back (which isn't a bad thing - I would be more concerned if I never missed any of it at all).  But there are still some fantastic things ahead in the next three weeks, so it's time to put aside those thoughts for now... 

New Zealand - The South Island

Two weeks sounded like plenty of time to visit a relatively small country. I kind of thought that all the people who kept telling us that two weeks wasn't long enough were crazy, especially since two straight weeks of vacation is pretty difficult to come by for most people I know in the States. As it turns out, they were right. Trying to see all of New Zealand, or at least all of its highlights, in two weeks is a challenge. We have made an admirable effort to get it all in, but the only way to do that is to be constantly on the move, spending a lot of time in transit between spread out towns and sights. Frankly, I am exhausted after two weeks.

Having said that, I wouldn't have done it any differently. Unless you have the luxury of spending a month here, there is no other way to go about it. Everything we have seen was great, so I wouldn't have wanted to cut anything out.

As promised, the South Island is even more spectacular than the North Island was. The scenic trains between the ferry and Christchurch and then between Chirstchurch and the West coast through the Southern Alps offered amazing views.

  

  

My previous estimate that New Zealand had about a million sheep was grossly inaccurate. In fact, it has 35 million sheep. And I'm fairly certain I've seen at least 5 million of them personally.

From the train, we continued on to the glacial region of New Zealand. Having passed a few days since OGOing without undertaking any adrenaline-inducing activity, I was due for an adventure. On the South Island this came in the form of glacier hiking. We were supposed to hike Fox Glacier, but due to bad weather and recent glacial instability there, we had to change our plans and instead hike Franz Josef Glacier. Apparently Franz Josef is much more stable and their hikes go even if it is raining, as it was on our hiking day (my knowledge of glacial stability being zero, I trusted them on this).

We got suited up in head-to-toe rain gear - very flattering over 3 other layers of clothing - and hiked through a desolate field of gray rocks and hills before getting onto the glacier itself. For this part we got to use crampons, which are boot attachments with 10 spikes on each foot for climbing up massive mounds of packed ice. It was definitely a unique and challenging experience, but the up close views of the glacier were totally worth it.

From the glaciers on, the weather only got colder in the Southern towns and we haven't seen much in the way of sunlight for days. The exception was our first night in Queenstown and the surrounding lake region. The mountain lakes are a shade of blue that I have never seen outside of tropical oceans. We also got treated to a spectacular sunset in Queenstown.

The cult of adventure that permeates New Zealand is hard to resist. I even found myself signing up for hang gliding, only to have that plan thwarted by rain. But this country is heaven for anyone who is an adrenaline junkie.

After leaving Queenstown, we headed back to the West coast to Fiordland National Park, which Kiwis universally seem to agree is the most beautiful part of their country. I can't say that they're wrong. We took a cruise through Milford Sound which was pretty amazing. Apparently it typically rains 200 days a year there, but we were lucky enough to have a nice day.

Our final destination in our whirlwind tour was Dunedin, a town in the South that is known for its penguins and other wildlife. Despite cold weather, we got to see an abnormally large colony of fur seals (even the people at the reserve were impressed) and the rarest penguin in the world (there are only 1600 pairs left in the world and we saw 5 of them in the wild).

We also go to see the most Eastern point in New Zealand, which is the third place in the world to see the new sunrise each day. Apparently this peninsula was quite packed on New Year's Eve when we switched over to 2000.

All in all, it has truly been a fantastic visit. It's hard to comprehend that I still have a month to go in Australia, and that I haven't done most of the things I have planned for there yet. Mostly I am excited to return to sun and warm tempuratures, especially since I didn't really pack appropriately for the colder weather we've been having, and ecstatic to not be on a bus again for a while. I'm also thankful that we managed to get out of Christchurch without any earthquakes (they had 2 within 24 hours of our being there).

So, now on to Melbourne to kick back and relax for a bit, and maybe even be in the same hotel for multiple nights in a row...

New Zealand - The North Island

After six sweltering days in Cairns, we found refuge from the heat and humidity in New Zealand. After an absurdly short "overnight" flight, we arrived in Auckland at 4:40 a.m., where we promptly took a nap. Refreshed, we set out to explore Auckland, which is the largest city in New Zealand. Kiwis from other parts of New Zealand seem to have a universal disdain for Auckland (perhaps because it's "the big city"), but I thought it was quite charming. Picturesque and set on a beautiful harbor, there is a buzz about the place while still being laid back. They also had divine seafood, including the largest mussels I've ever seen in my life.

Our next stop after Auckland was the geothermal town of Rotorua, where we spent two nights. The ever-present faint smell of sulphur aside, Rotorua was much nicer and more fun than I ever would have expected (I admit that I really had no expections for this town at all). There were so many things to do in Rotorua that we could have spent a week there and not accomplished them all. Our short stay including everything from a Maori cultural dinner to a sheep shearing demonstration, all within a span of 24 hours.

One thing that became immediately clear upon arriving in New Zealand is that there is no shortage of adrenalin-inducing activities - they will seize every feasible opportunity to throw you in the air or down a hill and see to it that you enjoy it. In retrospect, this is not surprising from the country that invented bungy jumping. Our activity of choice, and one of my favorite parts of the trip so far, was OGOing (also known as Zorbing, but there appears to be some bad blood between the OGOing and Zorbing folks, hence the new name). Essentially, OGOing or Zorbing consists of climbing into a giant plastic ball filled with water and rolling down a hill.  And it is great fun.

We also tried out the Fishpipe, which is the same plastic ball on a stationary machine being spun around even faster so that it feels like a perpetual water slide.

I had been looking forward to Zorbing for weeks leading up to this trip, and it was everything I hoped it would be.

After Rotorua we made the long trek down to Wellington, the capital of New Zealand. The scenery along the way was fantastic. Every day we pass something that served as some setting for the Lord of the Rings movies. Most of the references are lost on me, but it sure is pretty. For any LOTR geeks out there, here are some pictures of The Shire and Mt. Doom (or so I'm told).

New Zealand is not like any place I've ever been, and it took me a few days to figure out a way to describe it. In the end, I have decided that it most resembles an unusual mash up of Iceland and Hawaii, with about a million sheep thrown in. It is rugged and geothermal, with glaciers and volcanoes, while at the same time being tropical with a strong Polynesian vibe. The Maori presence can be felt everywhere. Driving down the highways gives a good sense of the competing aspects of New Zealand. About 75% of the place names are Maori (like Whakarewarewa or Ruapehu or Paekakariki), with the other 25% being very Anglo names that pop up in between (like Hastings or Wellington). But as odd as the combination sounds, it works. It is a beautiful country with very friendly people.

Yesterday we left the North Island and headed to the South Island, which supposedly has even more spectacular scenery than we've seen thus far. If the train ride to Christchurch is any indication, I believe it.  It is difficult to contemplate that within the same week that I was sweltering at the Great Barrier Reef, I will be climbing a glacier. I really have no concept of what day it is a this point.

One thing that New Zealand does not have, however, is an Apple Store. This is somewhat unfortunate, since my iPhone up and died on Green Island, for no apparent reason. I'm trying to view this annoying turn of events as a sign that I'm meant to really disconnect while I'm here.

And maybe it's working - I have to confess that I can't remember the last time I felt this relaxed and unstressed...

Green Island

I know I said it in my last post, but the Great Barrier Reef is truly one of the most amazing things I've ever seen.  I could stare at the turquoise and blue water for hours and never tire of it.  The past two nights we stayed at a resort on Green Island, one of the islands that is actually part of the Reef itself and is a national park.  The island is small and largely covered in rainforest, and the resort is tiny but very nice.  At night, after the day visitors leave, the island is peaceful and quiet, save for the sounds of the wildlife living here.  The last two nights have been deemed "too cloudy" for stargazing, which made me laugh, as I could see more stars on either night than I have probably seen in 11+ years of New York City nights combined.

Shortly after arriving on the first day, I decided to go parasailing (always up for new adventures).  The ride was really fun, and at the same time provided a great aerial view of Green Island and the Reef.

Since Green Island is part of the Reef, we were able to snorkel straight off the island's beaches.  The highlight of my first day was happening upon a sea turtle when no one else was around.

On our second day, we took a day trip to the outer Reef, which was even more impressive than anything we had seen yet.  The sheer numbers of fish were unfathomable, and the variety of coral was amazing to see.

The interesting twist to our time at the Reef has been that it is currently "stinger season," which means that marine stingers (what we would call jellyfish) are out in large numbers.  As a result, we have had to do all of our snorkeling in stinger suits, which are head-to-toe black lycra body suits, complete with hoods and hand covers, that essentially make us look like ninjas.  On the plus side, the stinger suits eliminate any risk of sunburn.

The Great Barrier Reef has shown me more amazing things than I could ever have hoped to see.  At the same time, I think I have reached the limits of my motion sickness boundaries and have now experienced a higher level of humidity than I believed was possible.  I'm looking forward to some time on solid ground in cooler temperatures.

Tonight we fly out for New Zealand, where we will spend two weeks before returning to explore more of Australia.  I've heard nothing but glowing reviews about how beautiful New Zealand is, so I'm really excited to take it all in.  And at nearly a full day ahead of New York time-wise, I can't really contemplate being further from home...

Reefs and rainforests

Cairns is an interesting place.  Perhaps most notably, it is incredibly hot and humid.  We are here during the rainy season, which as far as I can tell just means that we get one or two rain showers a day, which typically don't last long.  We are told that it also means that there are a lot fewer tourists than during the peak seasons.  However, I don't think I would want to see this place crowded with twice as many people (there still seem to be plenty).

The town of Cairns itself doesn't have all that much going on, and instead seems to function mainly as a jumping off point for a whole slew of tropical activities.  The most prominent and surprising feature of Cairns, in my opinion, is the thousands of huge bats that live here.  On our first evening, we were walking to dinner and noticed hundreds of what we thought were birds darting in and out of the trees.  A closer look told us, however, that these were definitely not birds.  They were flying foxes, which wikipedia tells me are the largest bats in the world.  They are huge, and loud, and there are thousands of them hanging upside down in the trees and flying around Cairns in the evening.  The sight is at the same time incredibly fascinating and incredibly creepy.

Bats aside, the obvious draw of Cairns is its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef.  On Tuesday we took a day long boat trip that allowed us to snorkel at two different spots in the reef.  The second spot was an area of the reef for which they only issue 28 permits each year, so we were incredibly lucky to get to see it.

The reef is incredible.  I've been snorkeling in a few other places around the world, and they just don't compare.  Usually, the highlight of snorkeling is seeing pretty fish.  Here, the coral formations of the reef itself are breathtaking, and seeing pretty fish is just the icing on the cake.

The pictures don't do it justice - it was truly one of the most impressive things I've ever seen.  We will be spending two nights on an island in the reef and I can't wait to get out and see more of it.

To take a break from the sun, yesterday we ventured into the rainforest to a small village called Kuranda, where there are a number of small shops and restaurants.  Kuranda also has the largest butterfly aviary in Australia, which was very impressive (if sweltering and humid).  We took a scenic rainforest walk before heading back to Cairns via a 45 minute ride on a sky bucket, skimming the top of the forest.

Today's adventure involves me learning to drive on the wrong side of the road in one of our hotel's complimentary smart cars.  Wish me luck!

New Year's Eve, Sydney Style

My second day in Australia was already New Year's Eve, and we decided to celebrate by taking part in the big festivities that take place every year in Sydney Harbour.  It was a strange feeling to head out for the evening in flip flops and a short sleeve shirt, as opposed to my usual NYE wear, which invariably involves boots and a winter coat. 

We decided to join the throngs of people at Circular Quay to watch the fireworks displays that they shoot off over the Opera House and Harbour Bridge.  Considering the size of the event and the huge number of people who attend it from around the world, the entire evening was surprisingly well organized and pleasant.  The city sets off an early set of fireworks at 9pm in addition to the larger display that is televised at midnight, so we secured a great spot (with only fairly minimal effort) shortly after 8pm.

Now, anyone who knows me knows that I am a huge, huge fan of fireworks.  And I must say, the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks were some of the best I've ever seen.  It didn't hurt that the backdrop could not have been more perfect.

Although I have never attended New Year's Eve in Times Square, I was expecting the same level of chaos in Sydney.  I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case.  I'm not sure if it was the warm weather, the general laid back atmosphere of Australia, the cleanliness of Sydney, or some combination of all of the above, but the celebration was nothing short of magical.  But I do confess that I still watched the ball drop in New York online just for a taste of home (which happened 16 hours after it turned midnight in Sydney - the huge time difference between here and home is still something that I haven't quite been able to wrap my mind around just yet).

In another first, I spent New Year's Day at the beach under blue skies and a scorching sun.  I'm quickly sensing that this trip will be a long string of new experiences, and for this I am very excited.

This morning we left Sydney and headed north to Cairns, which serves as a base for exploring the Great Barrier Reef.  Cairns is tropical and humid, and has a big selection of restaurants offering everything from traditional fare to obscure Australian dishes, including kangaroo, crocodile and emu.  This is one of the portions of this vacation that I was most looking forward to.  Tomorrow has in store for us a whole day of exploring the reef by boat, including two different snorkeling stops. 

As for this evening, I hope to find a table by the ocean to enjoy more delicious seafood, or perhaps something a bit more bizarre...