Before I went on my trip around the world, I didn’t have a very specific Bucket List for my life. I had a lot of places I wanted to go to, but not really any set list of experiences I wanted to have. But if you had asked me to sit down and list out a… Continue reading The Great Barrier Reef
Tag: australia
Uluru and the Australian Outback
The two main reasons I wanted to go to Australia were to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef and to see the Australian outback. I did a lot of other incredible things there too, but I definitely checked the big two off my bucket list. Bill Bryson’s descriptions of traveling through the outback by train and… Continue reading Uluru and the Australian Outback
Australian Wildlife
The huge variety of animals, plants and elements of nature that can kill or hurt you in Australia is almost comical. Actually, it IS comical: “Australians are very unfair in this way. They spend half of any conversation insisting that the country’s dangers are vastly overrated and that there’s nothing to worry about, and the… Continue reading Australian Wildlife
Whitsunday Islands
When we walked up to the sailboat that would be our home for two days as we sailed around the Whitsunday Islands, my first thought was “is this the boat we’re taking to get to the bigger boat?” It was not. This 84 foot sailboat was home to 25 people for 2 days. And much… Continue reading Whitsunday Islands
Sunset and Sunrise in Yamba
Photos never come remotely close to doing justice to the experience of watching a sunset or sunrise and the serenity of those moments. But even though the beauty is diminished in photos, they are still pretty magnificent to look at. In Yamba our hotel was right on the beach, and I watched the sunset from… Continue reading Sunset and Sunrise in Yamba
Sydney, day four: Taronga Zoo
Here’s what I’ve observed about Sydney so far: the sun shines ALL the time. It’s out of control. I heard a rumor that there was bad weather before I arrived, but I’m not sure I believe it. Today I took a ferry across the harbor to the Taronga Zoo. Here is a photo of people taking… Continue reading Sydney, day four: Taronga Zoo
Sydney, day three: Bondi, Bookstores, the Galaxy, and Pie
Today was a beach day. 79 degrees. Sunny. Blue sky. I covered my ghoulish skin with sunscreen and set out for Bondi Beach via the bus. I have mastered the Sydney bus system. And by “mastered” I mean that I am capable of plugging my destination into Google Maps on my phone, following its directions… Continue reading Sydney, day three: Bondi, Bookstores, the Galaxy, and Pie
Sydney, day two: coffee, art, books, culture
The great thing about being jetlagged when you’ve headed west is that getting up in the morning is incredibly easy. (Staying up past 8pm: not so easy.) I hopped out of bed nice and early this morning, planned out my day, showered & got ready, and was at Pier 8 Cafe on the waterfront for… Continue reading Sydney, day two: coffee, art, books, culture
The Royal Botanic Garden
I’m here! I’m in Sydney! My flights to Australia were surprisingly good. I flew Air New Zealand, and when I booked the flights I paid a little more for an exit row for the 13 hour leg, which was arguably the best decision I’ve ever made in my life. It was a huge exit row… Continue reading The Royal Botanic Garden