Australia

    

       

Traveling Australia was an incredible and tiring experience all at the same time.   

We ran around the cities, trying to expose our eyes to as many things as possible, in a short time.  While we were there, we were able to learn more about the history of the country, and sadly, all too much of it resembles a lost native culture due to European conquer.  Many of the aboriginal communities in the outback, as well as the Northern territories.  These are some places we did not have the opportunity to travel, but are hoping to on the future.

Sydney brought with it modern architecture while retaining the historical buildings of the past; an incredible transportation system which included trains, ferry transport and bike lanes; beautiful city parks; and near-by beaches.   

We had the opportunity to visit the Hillsongs church, which we both really enjoyed.  We went to an island called Manly, where we saw a huge pod of dolphins jumping out of the water as they swam.  And we visited the Sydney zoo, where we got to pet Kangaroos!   

                                                                                                                                                                                     Melbourne is a very trendy city, a definite hub for privately owned cafes. Throughout the city you will find graffiti; although some might cringe at this, it is fitting for this artistic city.  Many of the major buildings have an artistic edge to them; however, this city also combines history and modern architecture.  Melbourne's transportation system is also efficient, with trams, and the largest train stations I have seen.

While we were in Melbourne, we were lucky enough to watch 

Roger Federer play his first round game in the Australia Open.  It was a short game, as he dominated his competitor, but it was awesome seeing him play live.                                                          

We also toured the surrounding areas of Melbourne, which included the Great Ocean Road and Phillip’s island.  The Great Ocean Road blessed us with stunning ocean views, as well as huge limestone structures, such as ‘The 12 Apostles’, ‘Lock Ard 

On Phillip’s Island, we got to see penguins in the wild, sleeping in their burrows.  At dusk we witnessed 100’s of penguins come back to their burrows from a day at sea.  It was incredible watching them March up the beach, and call to their mate in order to find their home.  During the afternoon, we also saw a number of wild Wallabies, which was one of my highlights.

                                                                                                                                          

We then made our way up to Brisbane, stopping in Port Macquerie where we enjoyed body boarding, and Murwillumbah where we hiked and pulled ourselves up a mountain.  Along the way we met some amazing people who opened up their homes to us.

 

We experienced the full extent of the rainy season, and what it means when it says “Road prone to flooding”. We had planned some more hiking onour way to Brisbane, when we came across a causeway that had become completely flooded.  Although it ruined our plans, we were grateful that we had been cut off with a way out, rather than stuck on the other side of the causeway with no way out.

In Brisbane we entered into the comfort of friends, and relaxed in their company.  It was a much needed break, and a feeling of home.  It rained the whole week we were there, but we really didn’t mind being “stuck” in doors.

From Brisbane we flew to Cairns, which was much smaller scale city, with a more relaxed feeling from the other cities we had experienced.  

We took part of a day trip on a boat that took us to the Great Barrier Reef.  On the reef we tried diving for the first time…. A very unnatural feeling to be breathing under water.  Jeremy and I both panicked a little, but we survived the 20 minutes underwater.  Unfortunately after that Jeremy experienced ear equalization problems (he’s better now).  

Following diving, we snorkeled for the rest of the day.  The reef was amazing.  It was so full, multicolored fish and coral.  It was hard to get enough of all that we were visualizing, and sadly will never be able to find the right words to describe the magnitude of awe that it is.  We never did encounter any sea creatures besides the fish though, although some of the fish did grow rather large.

Australia is an incredible beautiful country, full of amazing sights and beaches.  The water is powerful and warm, and the sand is white and soft.  It possess an interesting and unique history.  The country is so large, each part offering something so very different from the next.  We are blessed that we were able to experience the parts that we did, and to have met those that we encountered along the way.  We are hoping to return again one day and experience all new things.