Australia - Days 101 to 113

Hello Mates!  Welcome to the outback, mates (yes, Australians commonly use the word “mate” and “outback”).  This land is full of of exotic animals, extreme weather, Fosters beer, and really great people!  Well, 3 out of 4 we found to be true.  Fosters beer was nowhere to be found, and we quickly concluded it is not popular to Australians.  We left Asia excited to explore as much of Australia as time would allow and with an exciting travel plan.  We will both admit it was so refreshing and easy to travel in an English speaking country…

We flew directly into Sydney, and realized instantly that Sydney is not nearly as big of a city as we had previously thought!  We hopped on a train from the airport into the heart of the city.  Two stops to the central station and a two minute walk brought us to our hotel for the night.  It was very refreshing to have it be so easy!  For such a famous international city, we found Sydney to be relatively quaint and easy to walk around.  That night we hunkered down at a local restaurant and planned out our days in Australia.  After some intense internet searches and a few phone calls, we had rented ourselves a “Spaceship” camper-van and mapped out a flight to Cairns and a driving course that would take us from the Northeastern Australia coastline all along the eastern coastline to return to Sydney! 

We flew the next morning to Cairns (the name pronounced like a pirate would say it, CAHRRRNS), a small scuba diving resort city on the northeastern edge of Australia.  As we drove through the city in a cab, we both said to one another at the same time that it felt as if we were exploring Florida in the 1950’s.  Much hotter and humid than Sydney, the streets of Cairns (remember it’s CAHRRRNS) were filled with long blonde-haired partygoers in board shorts and bikinis enjoying their vacation in the sun.  Ines would like to call into question whether these partygoers were in fact on vacation like us, or whether this was simply their lives.  Our first order of business was to pick up our newly rented Spaceship camper-van (which doubles as a vehicle and a sleeping/cooking venue!).  We arrived at the rental facility and received a full orientation to the Spaceship Orbit #1 from a surfer-looking guy, with every other word being “Mate” and starting each answer to our questions with the phrase, “No worries Mate!”  It was unreal.  Once oriented, we climbed into what would be our home for the next nine days.  As the name Orbit #1 was painted bright red and had Spaceship written all over it, we were quite noticeable on the roads.  This, of course, pleased Ines and was hilarious to Korey.  We then explored Cairns (one more time for the novelty, CAHRRRNS) for the day and booked our excursion for the next, scuba diving in the Great Barrier Reef!

Our scuba experience started early the next morning, when we were picked up from our Camper-van parking spot at 7am, with our boat leaving port around 7:30 AM to speed ferry us out to the reef.  The journey to the reef took an hour, having spent that time learning scuba safety procedures, scuba rules, and the history the reef.  It was a gorgeous 85 degree day and we were excited!  We were brought to an area called Hastings Reef and asked to put on wetsuits (this was a process in and of itself), then were helped into our gear and moved out to the edge of the boat to jump into the ocean!  We started the day with snorkeling and immediately saw the beauty of the reef.  Looking out over the ocean, we’d had no clue the beauty and wonder that lay just beneath, and it took us about a millisecond to realize how cool of an experience this was going to be.  We both looked up at each other from the water’s surface with wide eyes and muffled words of excitement as the snorkel gear wobbled in our mouths.  Afterward, we marveled at the looseness of rules they had for us on snorkeling.  No lifejackets were provided, neither one of us could recall any questions as to whether or not we could swim, and our general instructions were to “stay in this area.”  It’s a good thing we are both decent swimmers!  After about an hour of snorkeling, it was our turn to take our shot at scuba diving.  Again, after a quick lesson on “this is how you breathe into the tube thingy” (that’s how Korey remembers the instructions), we were moved into the water.  This scuba diving experience was a first for Korey, although Ines had a much less instructive and generally more frightening experience in Bali last year (Thanks Chia-Ti!).  Korey described his first experience as a bit freaky, feeling the pressure of the water against his body increase as he was lowered deeper under the water’s surface.  He later stated he was hesitant to trust the breathing apparatus and this took some getting used to, but we both got the hang of it pretty quickly and were able to enjoy our scuba time up close and personal to the reef.  We enjoyed the morning’s scuba dive so much we signed up for the afternoon scuba session!  

After a hearty lunch and a quick boat ride to another location on the reef, we strapped the scuba gear onto our backs, slung weights across our hips and set off into the water for a much longer afternoon scuba adventure.  Korey had some challenges with his mask (we love the beard but it made it hard for the seal on the mask to work well).  A couple of panic filled moments ensued 30 feet below the surface when his mask filled with water, but we were able to troubleshoot the problem and enjoy the reef in all its wonder.  Unfortunately, Korey used up most of his oxygen dealing with his mask (and anxiety) and had to ascend, but Ines had a great leisurely experience for another 45 minutes under the sea!  We both returned to the mainland amazed at the Great Barrier Reef and thankful that we could scuba dive in such a magical and beautiful part of the world.  Our highlights from under the Pacific Ocean included following a couple of clown fish as they weaved in and out of the living coral, giant clams the size of Ines that opened and closed their mouths as our own were just inches away, black sea cucumbers inching along the ocean floor, and parts of the coral that retracted when we reached out to touch it (no worries mate, we didn’t touch the living coral!).  The day ended with wine, cheese, and fresh fruit on the hour-long boat ride to the mainland.  As Ines basked in the sun with her glass of Australian wine, a seagull sent her a little gift, landing inches from her wineglass (this happens to her a lot), and as Ines screamed and checked herself head to toe, Korey deemed the day our luckiest ever!  We returned to our Spaceship in Cairns exhausted and used the last of our energy to eat dinner and find a campsite to tuck ourselves in for the night.

That night the humidity level felt as if it were over 100%, and combined with 90 degree heat, the Spaceship proved to be difficult to get any sleep.  After attempting four hours of restless sleep, we abandoned sleep for the night and decided to hit the road down the eastern coast of Australia.  In total, driving down the east coast required 30 hours and about 2,500 kilometers of driving and we were eager to explore.  We left our campground at about 3 am (happy for the air conditioning), and within five minutes Korey had to dodge a giant snake in the road, then hit another animal that looked like an armadillo (we later learned they are not found in Australia- maybe it was a turtle? a possum?).  Avoiding the roadkill combined with driving on the left side of the road kept Korey awake just fine!  We watched the sun rise over beautiful beach landscapes and stopped for breakfast in the beach town Townsville, then continued on to another beach town named Mackay for lunch.  We wandered around an open market in Mackay and marveled again at the similarities of small town Australia and small town United States.  It was straight out of the 1950’s!  The day ended in the small beach town of Rockhampton, and after a total of 12 hours of driving, we were thoroughly exhausted!  

The next morning Ines learned that Korey had a hidden agenda that contributed to the long drive.  It was Super Bowl Sunday, well, actually Super Bowl Monday in Australia!  Korey wanted to watch from the city of Brisbane, a much larger town, with the thought that the game would be televised and Korey could witness Peyton’s last game.  We had a bit more driving to do that day to make it to Brisbane, and we upset ourselves when- along the way, we saw our first kangaroo as roadkill on the side of the road.  Ines almost cried, until we later learned from the locals that kangaroos are basically like deer in Michigan.  They were everywhere!  After a much shorter driving day than the day before, we successfully made it to Brisbane and reserved a hotel because, well, Korey needed a shower!  

The next morning (Superbowl Monday morning) we found a great spot on the Brisbane River to settle in and watch the game.  We found it a bit strange to watch the Super Bowl at 10 in the morning although this made Korey very happy and we had a fun normal day in Brisbane!  Overall, we had a very normal Super Bowl experience in Australia, sharing bar food and a pitcher of BudLight amongst locals dressed in football jerseys.  The only difference we found was that all of the Super Bowl commercials were local to Australia, so in between plays we looked up the American commercials on our phones.  

After a nap and some exploring, we had a delicious steak dinner (Australian beef is the best!) and received a great recommendation from our waitress (who was from Texas and newly relocated to Australia) to visit the local Koala Sanctuary just outside Brisbane and associated with the Steve Irwin Zoo.  What a great recommendation!  It was the perfect place to see all of the unique animals Australia has to offer.  We fed kangaroos, watched the wallabies hop around, saw a swimming platypus, visited with exotic birds, and even held a koala.  Of course, the koala pooped right on Korey (not Ines!) ruining his t-shirt, and even that couldn’t take away from our experience at the sanctuary.  We were most confused by the Tasmanian devils (nothing like the Looney Tunes character we both grew up loving).  We even saw a cassowary (a rare large bird), some scary spiders and snakes, plus a dingo (which we thought was someone’s dog that they brought into the park until we saw a sign showing it was dingo).  All in all a great day!

The next morning we jumped into our Spaceship and continued along the coast with the goal of reaching the town of Byron Bay, highly recommended by so many people we met along the way.    We were lucky enough to get one of the last sites at the popular campground in Byron Bay, right on the beach.  We set up camp, made a food and beer/wine run, and had a great evening right on the ocean with the stars shining down on us.  The local Australians (who are all really serious about their camper-vans) marveled at our simple set up, as our bright orange Orbit #1 was nestled between the local’s giant RV’s (complete with patio furniture sets).  We spent the next day enjoying a local’s brunch, relaxing at the beach, and exploring the cute town of Byron Bay and were back on the road by late afternoon.

Our next destination, Australian wine country!  A few hours south of Brisbane and north of Sydney is the Hunter Valley area known for their wines (the Napa of Australia).  We worked our way through the rolling grape orchards and hills and stopped at a small winery and found ourselves their only customers.  We had a great conversation with the owner, who had just purchased the winery and told us the story of her honeymoon to the United States (which was a theme amongst many Australians we met) and talked about the similarities and differences between Aussies and Americans.  We laughed so hard at times it was hard to swallow the delicious wine.  As we purchased a few bottles for the road, she informed us of a new local brewery that had just opened nearby, which of course got Korey’s full attention.  Good thing we did, it was delicious!  This was by far the most win-win day of our Australia adventure.  Good food, drinks, people, and tailored to the both of us!

We ended our wine country excursion back in Sydney, and enjoyed a great seafood dinner along the water in Sydney Harbor, overlooking the Sydney Opera House.  The next two days were spent planning for New Zealand and our South American adventure to come.  

Things we learned; 1) It’s impossible to describe with words our experience, and we highly recommend snorkeling and scuba diving to anyone considering visiting Australia! 2) Australia in the summer is what could be imagined America was like in the 1950’s with wholesome family adventures and summer camping, Floridian-like buildings and promenades, and pristine white sand beaches, and 3) It is absolutely possible to enjoy wine country and local beer brewing in the same afternoon!  We love Australia!

Our hotel in Sydney included a Disco elevator!  Watch Korey strut his stuff

Our view of the boat from the Great Barrier Reef!

Ines mentally preparing for her dive!

We are truly amazed! We love it!  

Korey struttin' his stuff for the camera again!

A near miss, and then they are friends.  Ines with the bird that tried to deliver a "lucky present"

Dinner anyone?  Don't let the yummy coconut shrimp and oysters fool you, our hop, skip, swim, and jump dinner is on its way!

The town of Townsville, Australia.  So 1950's America!

The open market in Mackay

Skyline view of Brisbane, Australia

Nothing like a pitcher of beer and bar food at 10am on Super Bowl Monday!

Watch out for that.....koala....or kangaroo!

We were avoiding them on the road to get here, now we are paying Australian currency to see them!

Korey getting chummy with the native wildlife 

But of course, the kangaroo took to Ines right away, then she couldn't get rid of him!

"Maybe the dingo ate your baby!"

Family photo at the park! It's all fun and games until somebody gets pooped on

Our driving adventure!  Great for resting Ines' troubled knee

Australian wine country, Hunter Valley

Nothing like a great locally brewed beer to match Ines' fantastic local wine

Sprucing up the Orbit#1 for its big return.  Thanks Martha and Michael for the recommendation!

Dinner on the pier overlooking the Sydney Opera House