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.