Flying Over Milford Sound

One of the most regaled sights in New Zealand is Milford Sound. A remote fjord on the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island, it is located in Fjordlands National Park, part of a World Heritage Area that includes jagged peaks and glaciers that wind their way to the sea, with some of the world’s last standing temperate rainforest. It is truly wild country, and some of it is still unexplored by foot. It’s also huge – the World Heritage Area makes up 10% of the total land area of New Zealand.

Milford is tough to access due to the impassable mountains. It’s a 5-6 hour one way ride by car or bus. Once you’re there, weather permitting, you can take a boat to see the Sound from the water. The alternative is by plane from Queenstown – a short 40 minute flight by prop plane over the mountains. I opted for the plane. I’ve had an aversion to lengthy bus rides for 20 years, since a long coach trip in the U.K. in 1985 was punctuated by a wee English girl in the seat behind me playing with my hair and crying “but, Mummy, I have to go the loo!” every five minutes or so (must have been one of the rare English coaches in those days with no toilet in the back). The only potential drawback to the flight is the fickle weather. Unless the weather at Milford is clear – and that doesn’t happen with regularity, even in the summer – the plane can only fly over. No landing, and no boat ride through the fjord.

Well, this was one of those fickle weather days. It was fine for flying, but the weather at Milford Sound was expected to turn. As the agent at Milford Sound Scenic Flights told me, “we can get you in, but there’s a good chance we couldn’t get you out.” The option was to enjoy the flight over the Sound, without the boat ride.

That turned out to be just fine. Maybe even better – as we were told (perhaps somewhat self-servingly, but accurate nonetheless), what you see from the air is far more spectacular than the water level view, especially on a day like ours when there was a mix of some sun and cloud cover. It seems the clouds can shroud some of what makes Milford Sound so amazing when viewing from the boat, but you see it all and then some from the air.

I shared the flight with a Scottish farmer on vacation, traveling with his son and the son’s fiancée. They were good travel companions, even though the fiancée discovered that she was petrified of small planes mid-flight (there are probably permanent fingernail marks in the empty seat next to her). After trading stories of our mutual love for Edinburgh, we settled back and let the pilot guide us through some of the most wild, rugged, and amazingly beautiful mountain scenery I’ve ever encountered. You hear a lot about the raw natural beauty of this part of the world, and it’s entirely apparent from the air. En route to Milford Sound, we flew over immense waterfalls, valleys with seemingly untouched rivers and lakes (all the deepest blue), and rainforest. The peaks are awesome – jagged, snow capped, many with rock and ice fields from glaciers. We flew so close to the mountain tops that you felt you could almost reach out and grab a rock (not comforting for the Scottish fiancée, who at that point was staring intently at her white knuckles).

Milford Sound itself is spectacular. Sheer cliffs drop straight into the inlet, and waterfalls from mountain streams crash down their sides. The pilot then took us out over the Tasman Sea before banking for our return. Looking up and down the coast, you see waves crashing against rocky headlands, and beautiful deep green forests cascading down mountainsides to the sea. It’s stunning. You can really sense how untamed and untouched the land is here.

Though I would have liked the contrast of viewing it from ground level as well, I think I got the best view from up above. And all without risking six hours of a small voice behind me pleading for a trip to the loo.

Ice, Ice Baby

Enjoy a nice, frosty cocktail on a hot summer night? If so, you’d like -5 here in Queenstown, NZ, one of 25 or so “ice bars” worldwide (we don’t have one in the U.S., but there’s an ice bar in the works for Vegas – where else?). Everything is made of ice – the bar, the “furniture”, the walls, even the glasses. As you can imagine, they have to keep the place pretty cold. The staff supplies you with a big coat and gloves, because -5 is actually as warm as it gets in the bar; the temperature varies between -5 and -10 celsius (an average day in say, Minneapolis, in January). You get a 30 minute stint in -5 for your entry fee. At first, I was very cavalier, taking my gloves off and finding it refreshing. After 15 minutes, the gloves were back on and comments from the others in the bar centered on “it’s really ___ing cold!” After 23 minutes, I was gone. But it was cool – ok, I know it’s a bad pun, but it was….

That’s just one of the myriad of things you can experience in Queenstown that you probably can’t do back home. It’s the Dude Capital of New Zealand, maybe the world. Queenstown feels like an X games that never ends (decide for yourself if that’s a dream or a nightmare). The extreme sports options, as well as things like – 5, are limitless. Yesterday, I tried my hand at riding a luge on top of a mountain (no injuries, no overt laughter from others directed toward me, and I’d do it again in a minute); today I just finished rafting a class IV river (very sore and tired, but it was fun!!) and rode a Jet Boat, which speeds you through river canyons at 50 mph. The spins are the best part. There’s also sky diving, paragliding, bungee jumping (cold day in hell comes to mind…), a canyon swing (see bungee jumping), and gobs of other activities designed by sick minds to test your physical limits and see if you can laugh in the face of your impending demise. My kind of place.

Queenstown’s visitors offer the ultimate travel dichotomy. On the one hand, you have the dudes. Twenty somethings, in fleece or Gore-Tex, with stubble (maybe even the girls), carefully planned bad hair, carrying some extreme sports implement, whether it’s a paddle, a pole, or a helmet – the goal would always seem to be avoiding one more catastrophic brain injury. On the other hand, you have the 60-something retiree and early retiree tourists, touring New Zealand, with large cameras, sun hats, and white/khaki/pastel colored clothes, hoping that their grandchildren aren’t trying to kill themselves in Queenstown.

Actually, the 60-somethings, and most other visitors who aren’t hurling themselves down a hill, are here for the scenery. It’s phenomenal. Beautiful mountains, crystal clear lakes and rivers, and views that could make you veer off the road (a new extreme sport?). The road from Queenstown to Glenorchy, where much of the Lord of the Rings trilogy was filmed, is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the world, and I’d say that whoever decides those things is right. Snowcapped jagged peaks descending to a 50K long perfectly blue glacial lake, dotted with islands, with lots of forest and green fields scattered about, and you get the picture. Once you get to Glenorchy, there are tons of hiking or (tame) rafting options to get you even closer to the wild country. Beyond Glenorchy, there’s even a gorgeous place aptly named Paradise, which pretty much sums up the whole region.

And when you’re done exploring, you can go back to Queenstown and jump off a cliff with an elastic cord tied around your ankle. Fun. Thanks, but I’ll take the cocktail on ice instead.

Best of Australia

I’m off to New Zealand today. I love the anticipation of moving on to the next place when you travel. My first stop will be Queenstown, world capital of self-inflicted near death experiences like bungy jumping, skydiving, and white water rafting. I’m set for some jet boating and rafting on Wednesday, which should satiate the adrenalin junkie in me.

Though looking forward to NZ, I’m always a little bummed when leaving Australia (though I do have a night in Sydney in a couple of weeks before flying back to the States). It’s such a great country, and my favorite place to visit (as prior posts will tell you…). Reflecting on the last three weeks, I thought I’d compile a “best of” and “worst of” list for Australia, at least in this traveler’s opinion – apparently there’s a movie critic in me dying to get out. The “best of” list, by the way, is easier to put together than the “worst of’ list:

The Best of Australia:

1. Space. Whether you’re driving in the Outback and you pass another car only every hour or so, or you’ve found a perfect beach that you have all to yourself, the amount of elbow room in Australia generally blows Americans away. The lack of hoards leaves everything you discover feeling more pristine and perfect.

2. Friendly people. I live in Florida, where warm, bright and nice is a weather forecast, not a description of the local population. Everyone in Australia seems predisposed to nice. It’s a friendly, laid back culture. Whether it’s hotel or restaurant staff, a ticket taker on a tram, people you meet in a pub, or just someone who gives you directions on the street, the chances of getting a smile and a nice, brief chat are infinitely greater here than in the U.S.

3. Great food (except sausage rolls, see below). Australians know how to live right, and that’s most apparent in the really fantastic restaurants, fresh produce, and amazing wine found throughout the country. The cities all have world class restaurants and limitless cuisine options. The most fun part, though, is how the cultural emphasis on good food surfaces when you least expect it. At the Gecko Café at Uluru, for example, a quick lunch resulted in the consensus that we were served the best chicken Caesar salad we had ever tasted. You’ll come home a little heavier but a lot happier.

4. Beaches. As beautiful as you’ll see anywhere in the world. And often blissfully empty (see above).

5. The cities. Though they each have a unique character, Australian cities all seem vibrant, interesting, clean and safe when compared to their American counterparts. And Australians use their downtowns – everyone doesn’t flee to the suburbs after 5:00 pm and stay cocooned there over the weekend. CBD’s in all the cities are still centers for shopping, dining, culture and nightlife.

And Now for the Worst Things:

1. The Flies. They’re not shy. Rather, they’re relentless, and they like people (especially noses, ears, or any exposed orifice) in a big way. Unlike flies back home, the Australian variety hasn’t yet figured out that we’re not farm animals. Annoying is an understatement. A swat across the face to brush away flies is known as the “Aussie wave.”

2. Sausage Rolls. An old school, food-on-the-go snack in Australia that is ubiquitous yet best avoided, unless you want to play “guess the meat.” Always seems to be the last thing left when all other food items have sold out in the local bakery or convenience store, which tells you all that you need to know.

3. Jetstar Airlines. A low cost carrier owned by Qantas to compete with Australian low cost pioneer Virgin Blue. I’d never flown them on prior trips, so I thought I’d give it a go. After all, the airlines down here are generally great, so what could go wrong? Big mistake. Both flights were late, boarding was chaos, surly counter staff (Charmaine in Melbourne is a particular treat – avoid her like the plague), and they nickel and dime you to death with lower baggage weight restrictions than other airlines (they’ll even charge you if your carry on is over 7 lb) and on board food and beverage costs. Plus, their technology is a trip back in time to 1950 – they hand write receipts for those extra charges. Hard to believe they’re part of Qantas.

4. Sunburns. The sun in Australia is strong. When you’re enjoying those phenomenal clear blue skies, lather on the sun block. It takes about 15 minutes outside, without sunscreen, to get sunburned (even on a cloudy day).

5. Leaving – it’s a great country and the perfect trip abroad. All of the good stuff in Australia far outweighs anything else.

Tennis and Lizards

We’ve had tickets to the semifinals of the Australian Open for months. Though not a big tennis fan, I love the Williams sisters. They’re fun to watch, they live near me in Florida (we had a ” Serena sighting” at the movies about a year ago), and they’re about the only thing going at the moment in American tennis. We thought it was a pretty safe bet that at least one would make it through to the semis – Serena won the whole thing last year. Worst case scenario was what we termed “ova and ova”; four of the seemingly interchangeable eastern European women who dominate women’s tennis these days. Absent Maria Sharapova, who stays busy selling millions of digital cameras and sports drinks to salivating American men, we didn’t follow tennis closely enough to get excited about a Slovene playing a Serb. The narrow American world view strikes again.

Well, as you may know, Serena and Venus got knocked out in the quarterfinals by two women from Serbia, so we had a day of former eastern bloc women’s tennis. We knew Sharapova, but the others (though highly ranked) were barely familiar to us casual tennis aficionados. The crowd favorite was a young woman named Ana Ivanovic. Though Serbian, she has some attenuated familial connection to Melbourne and has been writing a daily column in the local newspaper over the last two weeks about her experiences under the bright lights of Grand Slam tennis, so she was the adopted Aussie (she felt a little forced, though…after winning a crucial point, she yelled “c’mon!” and pumped her fist. Assuming Serbo-Croatian is her first language, “c’mon” popped into her head at a heated, emotional moment in the match? Or perhaps a bit of crowd manipulation?).

The tennis, frankly, was dull. The first match was no contest, and the first half of the Ivanovic match wasn’t competitive, either. Actually, despite the love of the crowd, our Ana was getting hammered by Daniela Hantuchova (our second “ova” of the day). The crowd was restless. A few people, seizing the moment, started yelling out “Go Ana!” It wasn’t long before many in the crowd realized that this was also the phonetic equivalent of Goanna, a common large lizard found in many parts of Australia (see photo). People starting chuckling and yelling “Goanna” through the crowd. It wasn’t long before someone yelled “banana.” Ana came back and won after losing the first set 6-0, by the way. No doubt her kinship with the lizard and the crowd helped her game. We met two women yesterday who claimed to have started the Goanna cheer and are planning to bring signs with enlarged photos of the lizard to the finals match today. Aussie humor. If we were at Wimbledon, we probably would have had to quietly suffer through two mediocre matches in relatively silence.

The men’s match that night was another story. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, a relatively unknown French player, took apart world number two Rafael Nadal in straight sets. It looked like a star was born – his game was amazing. Even I was yelling “allez Tsonga!!” by the end.

All of this is happening in Melbourne, a great city by any standard. It often gets compared to Sydney, because they’re about the same size and have a bit of a rivalry going on. If there was an American equivalent, it would be Sydney’s L.A. to Melbourne’s San Francisco. I think Sydney is a better place to be a tourist – more touristy things to do, more familiar sights and Australian icons – but Melbourne is a much cooler place to hang out if you want a few days in the city.

Melbourne prides itself on being a little more refined culturally and gastronomically than Sydney – there is great art and theatre here, and fantastic restaurants – but it’s also edgier and more urban. It’s a really beautiful city, starting with the Yarra River, great parks and green spaces, and some of the most amazing architecture – inventive modern buildings seem to blend in gracefully with majestic old Victorian churches and museums. Melbourne’s real character, though, is in its neighborhoods – from the artist’s community in Fitzroy, to the market and hipster scene in Prahran, or St. Kilda, with a great beach and legendary nightlife for the young and pierced, to Toorak, with very posh cafes and toney shopping. If you want to snap photos of the Opera House as soon as you get off the plane, go to Sydney first. But don’t pass up Melbourne – it’s a fun, cosmopolitan take on Australia.

Beating the dead horse of our favorite Australian cultural icon once again, we saw “Priscilla – The Musical” on stage last night. It was loads of fun, and for inquiring minds who know the movie, they pulled off the ping pong ball scene brilliantly (Me Like!!). If you have no idea what I’m talking about, you’d better go rent the movie…

Spotlight on Kangaroos (and Koalas)

Quite literally. The Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary on Kangaroo Island is a 36 square km tract of land that is kept as a natural habitat for native Australian wildlife. Bruce and Lesley Jackson, the Sanctuary’s caretakers, manage the property, including the six guest beach cabins they rent on the beautiful Hanson’s Bay beach. More importantly to animal loving travelers like me, though, is their favorite job - overseeing the Sanctuary and its inhabitants – innumerable kangaroos, wallabies, bushtail possums, and a very lucky group of koalas.

Hailing from the Adelaide Hills, Bruce had a 17-year career in wildlife conservation before signing on at Hanson’s Bay. His extensive knowledge of and enthusiasm for the animals that live on Sanctuary land is infectious. He provides an interesting and valuable education about the local wildlife, including a primer on the importance of controlling invasive species (including humans) to preserve it.

We were fortunate enough to join Bruce on walking and driving tours of the Sanctuary at dusk. It’s vast; there’s customized fencing on the perimeters to protect the animals from introduced predators such as feral cats - hence the value of a sanctuary in the first place - but 99% of the time it feels like open bush.

The property was a sheep station before its current incarnation, and the Eucalyptus-draped former entry drive has been converted into a “Koala Walk”, where 15-20 koalas live, sleep and munch on their favorite leaves. A visit to the koalas would be attraction enough – it’s a non-threatening environment for the koalas, and we were able to get incredibly close to the animals, view adults and juveniles, and hear their very uncuddly call (cutest animal on earth, but that voice is horror movie stuff). But there’s much more to a walking tour of the Sanctuary. Once the sun set and the animals became more active, Bruce and Lesley walked us through a glade with loads of kangaroos, wallabies, possums, and other critters. I’m a big kid at heart when it comes to animals, and being this close was a real treat.

The real thrill, though, was the night drive through the Sanctuary. Most Australian animals are crepuscular (active at dawn and dusk) or nocturnal. They are elusive by day, but (at least on Kangaroo Island) everywhere at night. Bruce drove through fields and wooded areas with hundreds of kangaroos and wallabies. The sheer number of animals we saw by spotlight and moonlight was incredible (we had a full moon, by the way – the sky is so clear here that you can see craters). While a night drive through an African safari camp might produce a greater variety of animals, I’ve never seen the abundance of animal life that we did here.

There’s a popular “rural myth” about daytrippers to Kangaroo Island who board a tour bus as soon as the incoming ferry docks, drive to all the attractions, and board the ferry home before sunset without seeing a single kangaroo (or wallaby, koala, etc.) Hard to believe it happens, given the amount and diversity of wildlife on the island. But it would be real shame to visit this place without some time after the sun goes down to really see what the fuss is about. A night walk or drive with Bruce at Hanson Bay shouldn't be missed when visiting K.I.

Kangaroo Island

I first visited Kangaroo Island, off the coast of South Australia, six years ago. Despite a name even Disney wouldn’t risk as sounding too touristy, I left sure it was my favorite place on earth. It was absolutely unspoiled, had native Australian wildlife everywhere, great hikes through native bush, and a spectacular coastline. And it seemed as though I was the only one in the world who knew about it. I could drive for miles or hike for hours and not see another soul. I even looked into the cost and legalities of buying property there (pretty prohibitive for a non-Australian).

Well, Thoreau was right about coming home again, but only to a point. There are definitely signs that the secret is starting to get out – you’ll find it now only a little less often than Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef in most American tour operators’ brochures, there are a few more gift shops and B&B’s, and some new tour buses on the roads (it’s a fairly easy daytrip from Adelaide).

Perhaps the most unfortunate change is the landscape, though. About 6 weeks ago, K.I. was hit by devastating bushfires - 20% of the island burned, including the most scenic bush on the west end of the island in Flinders Chase National Park, rendering it a charred moonscape. Though there are already signs of regeneration with green sprouting through the dead vegetation, it will take years to recover fully.

Despite the change, after being back a couple of days, it still tops my list of “best places on earth.”

Wildlife abounds. Everyone from America who visits Australia wants to see a kangaroo and a koala (and not solely during a visit to the zoo in Sydney). On Kangaroo Island, you’re tripping over native Australian animals. The island is an ideal spot for seeing wildlife for two primary reasons:

1. It’s virtually undeveloped. The fair amount of farmland you will see on the island actually gives the animals more area for grazing and habitat.
2. It’s an island. The British who colonized Australia, in their infinite wisdom, introduced invasive species such as foxes and rabbits, that multiplied rapidly and acted as predators and competitors to the native animals (and almost always came out on the winning end – tamar wallabies, common on K.I., are extinct in mainland South Australia thanks to the foxes). There are no foxes, and few other invasive species on Kangaroo Island. It’s always been sparsely populated by humans, too, allowing the animals to thrive.

The locals call it a “zoo without fences.” Even the recent fires haven’t rained on the parade. We’ve seen kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, echidnas, seals(more on that in a minute), possums and a tiger snake – super venomous and probably the one that I’d choose to leave off the list – in the last 24 hours. If you’re quiet and out around dusk, you’ll see everything.

Additionally, Kangaroo Island has one of the great unspoiled coastlines in the world. K.I. has imposing sea cliffs, beautiful white sand beaches, water in seemingly every shade of blue, waves crashing on rocky offshore islands, and one of the greatest “Stonehenge on steroids” natural rock formations anywhere (with the Southern Ocean as it’s backdrop) called – fittingly – the Remarkable Rocks. The island also has one of the largest concentrations of seals and sea lions anywhere. At Seal Bay, park rangers will even escort you to the beach and let you get within 10 meters of a sea lion colony – yesterday we walked past a sea lion pup nursing with its mother and loads of huge bulls and frolicking young ones. Here’s the real kicker – most of the time that you’re here you will feel like there’s no one else around to enjoy it. Development is almost nonexistent, and absent the occasional tour bus of daytrippers or the few summer cottages near beaches on the more populated end of the island, you’ll be the only one by the sea. It’s unbelievable. Imagine some of the more beautiful parts of the California coastline but far more spectacular, and with no development or tourists.

Despite the recent fires, there is still plenty of bush around for a good hike outside Flinders Chase (even at midday, you’ll likely see some kangaroos or wallabies in the shady parts). And if you’ve ever experienced the “nature with a rush hour” experience of Yosemite or Yellowstone, leaving you a big fan of zero population growth, Kangaroo Island is the elixir. We counted one stretch of 44 km where we didn’t see another car on the road. Even our small lodge – billed as a “Wilderness Retreat” (James and Helen, who run the K.I. Wilderness Retreat, have a wonderful small lodge and will give you a warm welcome) – has wallabies and possums that visit their courtyard each night. The place is magic. Though the secret is getting out – it’s clearly not the perfectly hidden Shangri-la it was just six years ago – it still represents the best of Australia. I’ll keep making the trip.

Tasting our Way Through the Adelaide Hills

If you like wine – or beautiful places where wine is grown – then you’ve found the right country. Australia is known for its unique and beautiful wine growing regions. We toured one of the best yesterday near Adelaide. And after extensive tastings at six wineries (and a stop at a great local brewery owned by the friend of a friend), I still remember enough the day after to write about it.

The Adelaide Hills, Barossa Valley, and McLaren Vale are all gorgeous wine growing regions within an hour’s drive of Adelaide. Though they’re so close together geographically, the hilly terrain creates a number of microclimates that result in optimal conditions for very different types of grapes only miles apart. For instance, the Barossa is known for its great reds, like Shiraz, while the Adelaide Hills and McLaren are famous for their whites. But, upon sampling, you realize that it’s all good.

We hired a tour guide for the day through our hotel concierge. I’ve never been one for coach tours, but I definitely didn’t want to try my hand at driving the left side of the road on winding country lanes after trying my third Sauvignon Blanc. Our guide, Ralf, was a real find (see photo). His company, Life is a Cabernet (points just for the great name), specializes in putting together customized tours of Australia’s wine regions for individuals and small groups. While he is expanding his operations throughout Australia, Ralf lives in Adelaide and clearly has a soft spot for the nearby hills, valleys and vineyards. What a great day. Thanks to Ralf, I think we saw every breathtaking view in the Hills, and enjoyed some amazing wine. He knows everyone - we had a warm, familiar greeting at every winery where we stopped. Definitely wouldn’t have wanted to do it any other way.

The wine country in South Australia is stunning. Napa is probably the only American equivalent, but the countryside here is far more diverse and beautiful. One minute you’re driving through perfect vineyards, and then you’ll round a bend and be in a vale of Eucalyptus trees. It’s also far less crowded than California wine country – very little traffic, and when you get to the winery of your choice, there’s a good chance you’ll have the cellar door (the tasting room, in local parlance) to yourself.

The most amazing thing about the wine regions here, though, is the proximity to the city. We stayed mostly in the Adelaide Hills and McLaren Vale, and we were literally a half hour from the city center. The shift from urban to “picture postcard” rural happens quickly, especially if you’re used to the 2 hour drive to the California wine country from San Francisco. Adelaide itself is a charming, underrated city. Even most Australians, when told that you’re going to spend a few days in Adelaide, give you a funny look. What most apparently don’t know is that it’s a lovely city with broad avenues, great nineteenth century stone architecture, and some GREAT restaurants and nightspots. The range of ethnic restaurants in a city of this size is amazing. You also have great beaches and the aforementioned hills/wine country within 30 minutes of the CBD.

Here’s to hoping the secret doesn’t get out too much (as he raises a wine glass yet again…).

Outback...Way Outback

Did the drive from Uluru to Alice Springs today - about 470 kilometers, with maybe 5 places to get gas, no towns, some cattle stations, and a few large lizards napping on the road who are lucky to be alive. Alice Springs is a wonder - it's the only real town for about 1000 miles in any direction. It took shape when there was enough transport between the top end of the continent and Adelaide, on the south coast, to warrant a midway point of some substance. It also went through some mineral booms. It currently thrives as the starting point for exploring the area known as the Red Centre (primarily because of the deep red color of the land here), which includes Uluru and many of the other natural attractions in the Outback, and is also a cultural center for the local aboriginal communities. For Priscilla fans, it's also the end point of the bus ride through the desert, where the gang performs to CeCe Penniston's "Finally." We're staying at the hotel next door, and plan to make a brief pilgrammage tonight.

I'd heard that the drive could render you catatonic, since the signs of human life are few and far between. I think that's why I loved it. There's nowhere in the U.S. now where you can feel that sort of space. And the landscapes alone are enough reason to make the drive. Though it's all desert, you go through rocky hills, glades of desert oaks, gum trees and mulga bushes near dry river beds, deep red sand dunes, and some positively lunar nothingness. If this were in the States, I'm sure Del Webb would have built several Sun City retirement communities, and there'd be lots of Wellness Spas. In other words, I savored the solitude.

And it's a pretty quirky drive. The few roadhouses (man-made oases every 100K or so to refuel, get a bite to eat, and generally revive) along the way are boiling over with character (my verb choice seems to be influenced by the heat). There's Stuart's Well, home of Dinky the Singing Dingo (see photo) and a small Emu farm; Curtin Springs, where a local aboriginal women's group fought successfully to have the government limit the sale of alcohol by the owner to local aboriginal males in an effort to curb drunk driving, and Erldunda, where in addition to a tasty lunch, you can purchase a giant stuffed toy wombat (everyone knows someone who's hard to shop for at holidaytime...).

We asked to see Dinky, but unfortunately he was on an outing with the owner when we visited. Perhaps you'll have more luck when you pass through.

Camel Riding at Uluru

Want to REALLY feel like you're away from home? How about riding across red sand dunes on a camel to see the sun set over Uluru (Ayers Rock)? Not something I can replicate in my zip code.

Camels were imported to Australia about 150 years ago or so, as the only reliable means to transport goods and people across the vast expanses of desert. When roads and rail connected the northern and southern parts of the continent, the camels lost their jobs and most were released into the wild. Though not native to Australia, they were built for the rugged, arid terrain, and thrived. Now there are an estimated 1 million feral camels in the Australian Outback.

The ones we rode have been domesticated/trained to give rides to tourists like me who seek a "Lawrence of Arabia meets Crocodile Dundee" two hour adventure. And riding a camel is pretty pleasurable. I was surprised at the smooth ride, and the personality of the animals. Two cautionary notes, though, for anyone who wishes to follow in my camel tracks. First, contrary to popular perception, annoyed camels do not actually spit on you to show their displeasure. Rather, according to Rowan, our camel handler, they will full out vomit on you if perturbed with your behavior. So, if you want to avoid a Lady Macbeth-like 2-hour shower following your camel ride, endeavor to keep your camel engaged, comfortable, and happy. Second, when the camel handler instructs you to "lean back" when the camel kneels for your dismount, do so; otherwise, your penance for not listening will be abrasions in a very private area, as experienced by my camel riding partner.

Otherwise, it's a lot of fun, and you'll know you're far from home.

As for Uluru, this is my first trip here. Cynical me, I’ve passed over this famous spot on prior trips to Australia because I’ve had doubts about whether I’m the kind of guy who’d appreciate it enough for a visit. Of course, I’ve heard it’s stunning, that just looking at it as the light changes moment to moment is captivating, that for some it’s a deeply spiritual experience, and that Meryl Streep lost her movie baby to a Dingo here, but I also know that it’s the most visited landmark in Australia (not a good thing generally), to the point where prior visitors and guidebooks offer coaching on how to avoid busloads of tourists, that it can be really hot here in the summertime, and that, well…it’s a big rock.

After a couple days of exploring, though, I have to admit it is pretty amazing. Uluru is, in fact, a large rock – about 1000 feet high, with the vast majority of its bulk actually submerged underground – not a mountain. The surrounding terrain is fairly flat, with undulating red sand dunes and desert scrub (the color of the earth seems Mars-like). The unexpected, out-of-place appearance of this massive monolith is one of the more dramatic curves I’ve ever seen thrown by nature ( a bit like Devil’s Tower in Wyoming, though on a much grander scale). Uluru really does take your breath away – even for a cynic like me.

Two things that I didn’t expect but that enhanced the experience:

1. The closer you get to Uluru, the more you can see that weather and time have done a number on its face, creating loads of caves and gullies. It’s aged well – the lunar appearance just adds to the awe and mystery. This is particularly true on the side of Uluru that you aren’t supposed to photograph (it’s sacred to the local aboriginal community), with massive checkerboard patterns in the rock, huge overhangs, and craters. If you visit, make sure to drive or hike all the way around the rock. This is probably as close as you’ll come to feeling like you’ve made a lunar landing here on Earth.

2. Speaking of the aborigines, the Australian Park Service does a great job of integrating the spiritual, sacred significance that Uluru holds for the local Anangu people into the experience here – and it’s done in an intelligent, unobtrusive way. It’s also pretty amazing to take a 2 hour hike along the base of the Rock and come upon cave art that’s thousands of years old (there’s tons of this sort of thing here, which as a Discovery Channel fan and a long time subscriber to National Geographic, I love).

If climbing the rock holds appeal, you can do it, but the Anangu view it as akin to defiling their shrine – sort of a no-no if you have any respect for the locals – and, frankly, people die trying to do it on a fairly regular basis – it’s steep and slippery. Even the locals say it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever done. Finally, the Park won’t let you do it when it’s above 36 degrees Celsius - fairly common here in the summertime – which was my out.

As for the potential downsides (see crowds, heat, above) it’s still Australia, where the most visited place will feel blissfully serene by American standards. Granted, summer is their slow time and I did most of my touring in the afternoon – when those in the know said any large tour groups hovering in the area are typically at Kata Tjuta, another big, otherworldly, rocky local attraction – but it felt like I almost had the place to myself. On the aforementioned hike - to the base of the rock, past great aboriginal cave art en route to the only permanent waterhole at Uluru – I saw just two other people walking (and they were together). No lines, no crowds. Even the ranger at the park entrance was chatty – I think she may have been a little lonely…
It is hot – I’m here in the antipodean summer - but it’s like a hot day in Vegas or Phoenix. Bring water (lots of it), wear a hat, and you’ll be fine. Focus on the clear, deep blue sky and you’ll forget the heat (and the desert flies, which I think complete some sort of assertiveness training before being released into the wild here).

Seeing Sydney

Sydney is gorgeous. If you're planning a visit here, you'll read all sorts of rapturous comments in guidebooks about how Sydney is set in one of the most beautiful locations in the world. It's all true. It's up there with San Francisco, Cape Town, Vancouver, etc. as being in one of the most spectacular settings on the planet. Everywhere you look, there's water. Between Sydney Harbor, Darling Harbor and the Beaches, Sydney is the ultimate city by the sea. From the spectacular Heads which are the gate to the open Ocean, Sydney Harbor has innumerable coves, small beaches, and parklands that make it one of the most lovely places where land meets water. The Sydneysiders deserve credit for the city's beauty, too - they planned it right. The most famous landmarks, beautiful residential neighborhoods, and even the Zoo accentuate the dramatic landscape and beautiful harbor.

So what are the best places to take all of this in? In my opinion, the following are the 5 best spots to take in a great view and soak up Sydney:

1. The Ferry to Manly (or any Sydney Ferry). The Sydney ferries are legendary. Not only are they one of the primary ways to move around this vast city, they are also one of the least expensive harbor cruises you're ever likely to take. The ferry to Manly is a 30-minute ride to one of Sydney's beach suburbs. Manly is a great beach town with a laid back surfer's vibe. You feel far removed from the hustle of the city. Along the way, you'll cruise past the Opera House, the Harbor Bridge, the skyline, and many harborside neighborhoods and patches of parkland. Sydney needs to be seen from the water, and this is the best (and least expensive) way to do it.

2. The Club Lounge at the Intercontinental Hotel. The crown jewel of this great hotel is it's rooftop Club Level lounge, with amazing views of the city, bridge, Opera House, Botanical Gardens, and Harbor all the way to the Ocean. The jaw dropper is it's deck - sit outside, have a cocktail, and take in one of the most incredible views in the world. If you stay here, you'd be missing out if you didn't get Club Level access.

3. Altitude Restaurant at the Shangri-La Hotel. See "Club Lounge at the Intercontinental", above. The Intercontinental ranks a notch higher because of it's tremendous rooftop deck.

4. Bondi to Bronte Beachwalk. While you won't see the usual Sydney sights, this very unique 3K footpath between two of Sydney's more famous beaches provides stunning views of the Ocean from beach to bluff, and passes some beautiful beaches and seaside homes you'd be very happy to call your own. A very enjoyable reminder that Sydney is a big beach town at heart.

5. AMP Tower. This is the big "Space Needle" type structure often seen in pictures of the Skyline. It's the tallest building in Sydney, and it would rank higher if it didn't feel like to trip up to the Observation Deck of the Empire State Building - a bit touristy and crowded. Still, the 360 views of Sydney are hard to beat.

Honorable mention goes to the Harbor Bridge Climb (great views and a real adventure, but no cameras and anyone with even a mild fear of heights will be paying attention to the climb, not the views) and the walk down to the ferry wharf from Taronga Zoo (an almost jungly walk - thick bush and the sounds of animals - with some great views of the Sydney skyline across the harbor).

Oh, and I just received a call from the luggage people. They actually found my bag here on day 3; it's being delivered tonight. So I can stop my newfound daily ritual of buying a new pair of underwear and a shirt that doesn't quite fit. Life is good.

Finding Lemonade Amongst the Lemons - A Tale of Lost Luggage

It's now 2:00 am, Sydney time on my first day back in Oz. After a valiant attempt to stay out and awake to get on the local clock, I almost fell asleep in my pumpkin risotto at dinner and decided to call it an early night. Of course, now my tired body tells me unwittingly that it's 10:00 in the morning. Always takes a day or two to adjust.

My first trip here on an airline other than Qantas (big fan...they have a great business class...but had miles to burn on another carrier) ended with a groan when I found that either USAirways (domestic) or United (SFO to Sydney) had lost my luggage. I was not alone. United had two flights arriving from the States at about the same time, and after catatonically staring at the carousel for about 45 minutes with no luck, I headed for the lost luggage office. The scene was enough for this non-Catholic to conjure purgatory - a line 40 or 50 people deep wondering where their bags were, too. United outsources their baggage recovery here to a company called Menzies - and they were clearly feeling just as overwhelmed as we were. My quality time with their representative included the discovery that, though United and USAirways code share, they don't use the same univeral baggage tracking system - so no record of my bag in the United system, and no code to check on the status online with USAirways - along with the confidence boosting parting comment "probably you'll have it tomorrow or the next day, hopefully."

After doing the mental inventory of what I'll need to buy to make it through the next 2 days to 5 weeks (worst case scenario), and wishing for a miraculous recovery for our poor dollar (it could be a lean Christmas this year if that bag doesn't show up, folks), I realized that I now have a legit excuse to go shopping - always a tonic for me.

In some ways, it wasn't such a bad thing to happen on my first day here in about a year. Perhaps the one thing that I love most about Australia is the good nature of the Australian people - they're the best. Collectively, they have a warmth and friendliness that we seem to be losing in the States. Granted, I played up the "Oh woe is me...I just arrived and the airline lost my luggage" angle (I'm not stoic in the face of strife - I do the same thing when I have a cold...I want the world to give me a kiss on the forehead, two aspirin, and a glass of orange juice), but the Aussies didn't let me down. From the chemist (drug store), where the manager stopped taking inventory and helped me pick the right kinds of shaving cream and dental floss, to the sales clerk who offered to give me samples of hair product so I wouldn't have to buy it, on to the sales clerk at Rodd & Gunn clothing shop at the QVB (great shopping in Sydney in a beautiful old Victorian building - worth a look) who, though closing for the evening, upon hearing my sob story said "well come in and lets get you some clothes, then", I got a big helping on day one of why I keep coming back - you'd be hard pressed to find better people anywhere. Everyone went out of their way to help me recoup some clean clothes and tools for basic hygiene. And they still like Americans (even ones who whine about their lost bags...). The people here always leave you wanting more Australia.

Well, if I'd had a couple of pints after dinner, I'd probably be catching my "Z's" now. Hopefully, visions of a big blue bag flying over the Pacific at the moment (or tomorrow, or the next day, hopefully...) will lull me back to sleep...

Travels Down Under

Welcome to a blog detailing my travel experiences in Australia and New Zealand in January and February, 2008. Having traveled all over the world, including 4 prior trips Down Under, I'm writing to share my experiences and hopefully offer some insight for those of you thinking about traveling to this wonderful part of the world. I'll be there for 5 weeks, leaving the States today.

I recently started a travel agency/travel planning business for North Americans who wish to travel to Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific called Peak Travel Partners. I'd be happy to answer any questions or provide assistance via email as well - you can reach me at rhill@downunderguru.com.

I'll post details and pictures along the way. Hope you enjoy!!