It's
December and we are on our way to Australia or “Down-Under.” It's
one of those places that we've often considered visiting, but for
various reasons it never quite happened. However, this is our time,
and it seems to fit everyone's schedule. It might be a bit too hot
and crowded, but nothing fits perfectly.
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| OH, THE PLACES YOU'LL GO! DR. SEUSS |
We are
thrilled about being accompanied by our children, including a new
grandchild who at six months will never remember a thing, except
through the stories and hundreds of photos that will be taken.
Plus,we get the added benefit of celebrating Christmas with our
nephew, Bill, who lives in Adelaide.
I booked the
flights last July which wasn't exactly easy because we are traveling
during the holidays. I got it accomplished on Hawaiian Air, with a
24 hour stopover in Honolulu. The total flight time with be equal to
the 15 hour nonstop flight from Los Angeles to Sydney. I think,
however, the break, with the sweet smells of Hawaiian flowers and
sea breezes will make the outbound trip much more palatable. We
arrive in Sydney two days after we leave San Diego—24 hours just
disappear due to our crossing the International Date Line.
We plan to
spend our first week in Sydney, followed by a week each in Melbourne
and Adelaide. After the kids leave, Ron and I will go on to Perth
followed by five days in Sydney before our return.
December is a
popular vacation time for Australians, so, I needed to get on the
hotel/apartment reservations right away—they were filling up fast.
We definitely preferred an apartment rental. I've had good luck
booking apartments with Vrbo.com in the past, however, in Australia,
Airbnb.com offered a much better selection and price. I was also
impressed with the website, the convenience of paying with a credit
card, and their cancellation policy. It's always a challenge to make
lodging decisions when you don't know the area first hand, especially
in large cities. I spent many hours perusing the Internet and
finally reached a comfort level with apartments in each city. Sydney
was the toughest, because it's expensive and most of the sought-after
central locations were already booked. We finally chose a two-bedroom
city-view apartment in Camperdown, about 30 minutes from the center
with good bus service. The next three locations were also challenging
and time consuming. I felt relieved when it was over—now we just
hope for the best.
We will be
flying between cities on Qantas Airlines—I was able to use my
British Air points for these flights because they can be shared with
family and friends. Staying for a week at each destination will give
us enough time to leisurely visit the sights and still allow for
relaxing time with family. I'm more interested in enjoying the moment
than seeing every recommended sight on the list.
I will be
bringing along Fodor's Travel Australia 2014 and an old DK
Australia book. Then I will add library travel books to my
Kindle right before we depart. Although easy to carry, kindle travel
books are hard to skip around in, so I prefer a hard copy. The
publication of travel books is on the decline now that people can
search for just about all their travel needs on the Internet.
Frommer's last book on Australia was 2012, and I understand that they
are not coming out with a new version. I will always be partial to
the Frommer books. I followed Europe on $5 a Day religiously
back in 1967, when I traveled for eight weeks in Europe spending less
that $5.50 per day.
Unlike China,
the visas for Australia are easy and cheap. You just go on line and
order with a credit card ($20). It is linked automatically by
computer to your passport number and shows up when scanned at the
airport.
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| BONDI BEACH, SYDNEY |
Our daughter,
Anna, has prepared a loose itinerary. Many beaches are on the list,
including an excursion to Bondi Beach, the most famous of all in
Sydney. I'm looking forward to the “not to be missed” Coast Walk
from Bondi to Bronte Beach and a walk on the Sydney Harbor Bridge.
Then, of course, there is the Opera House and ferry boat rides on the
Sydney Harbor with its 149 miles of shoreline. Melbourne has outdoor
markets, and great cuisine, and with the Yarra River cutting through
the center, it should be beautiful. I'm looking forward to the old
Victorian Buildings—I also heard they have great coffee houses.
Next we will be on to the charming city of Adelaide and the best part
of the trip—a Christmas celebration with my nephew Bill who will be
competing with his mother in Minnesota for the best Swedish feast.
Ron and I plan
to stay on after the kids leave. We will fly to Perth in West
Australia, which I understand is similar to San Diego. It will be fun
to make the comparisons and to visit the nearby port town of
Fremantle, Rottnest Island, and perhaps the Margaret River wine
region.
We will end
our trip with a final five days in Sydney to include a visit to the
Blue Mountains. It contains the world's widest variety of eucalyptus
in one continuous forest and will be another reminder of San Diego
where hundreds of these Australian trees have been planted.
We are about
to depart. I've made hard copies of all of the reservations.
Contacted our apartment host in Sydney to confirm our arrival time
and the baby bed. Double checked the flights to make sure nothing has
changed. Checked in for our flights.
Off we go on a
new adventure and a chance to discover why Australians believe they live in the best country on earth.
I will report
along the way. Next Post: Waikiki.
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