Is there anyone who doesn't dream of going to Australia?!
I want to, how about you?
Here's one way to get there!!!
About the author:
Let me introduce: Katia Via
For readers who haven't read the interesting adventures and their sharing in the EXPLORE THE WORLD column, continent ASIA – for Myanmar! If you haven't, you've come to the right place! Here's a link…
– my name read by the border patrol officers in Botswana, who were endlessly entertained by reading, in their own way, the names of everyone in our group.
“Via is from the Latin word for road," the author explains her pseudonym. Cute, right!
Today, Katia Via will tell us sweetly, wittily, and emotionally about how she spent Christmas among kangaroos in Australia…. ☺
And the photos are great….
Can you feel the Christmas spirit when the temperature outside is around 30 degrees Celsius?
A little difficult, despite the countless fir trees, Christmas decorations, and people in shorts 🙂
After all, the desire to fulfill our long-held dream of seeing the New Year's fireworks in Sydney live motivated us to submit online applications for electronic visas and to buy tickets Sofia – Istanbul – Singapore – Melbourne and back. We quickly put together a program for a 3-week stay. The prices for domestic flights to the Great Rock Uluru quickly discouraged us from flying there, so we replaced this trip with a flight to Tasmania.
Mid-December is approaching and we're off. For unknown reasons, the travel time passes quickly and we land in warm Melbourne almost imperceptibly, where the Christmas spirit awaits us.
Melbourne
After an initial walk through the city center, we wonder if we've ended up in China, not Australia, looking at the people around us.
We are enjoying nature and warmth in the middle of winter.
We are walking through famous graffiti-covered streets, around the courts of the upcoming Australian Open, and eating food from different parts of the world, because it's hard to say there's a local cuisine.
We see endless products made from kangaroo leather.
We're doing a day trip along the Great Ocean Road, which enchants with its beauty and irritates with the countless flies landing on us. We also see small, cute koalas, which are mostly sleeping, but we're not allowed to touch them.
Tasmania
From Melbourne, we head to the island of Tasmania – small, diverse, at times cool, with mists and flora characteristic of more sheltered places.
We're a bit cold here and there, but we're walking around Cradle Mountain and seeing new and unfamiliar animals – wallabies (from the kangaroo family), wombats (the only known animal that has square droppings), and in a zoo-like setting, we see the notorious Tasmanian devil, which is small and defenseless, unfortunately on the brink of extinction.
We are considering both of the island's major cities, as well as Cataract Gorge, but neither the city nor the gorge particularly impresses us.
Cairns
After three days on the island we fly to Cairns to enjoy Christmas Eve among friends, the Great Barrier Reef, the abundant Aboriginal heritage, the incredible humidity, and the dull city, shaped by streets that intersect at right angles everywhere.
We are seeing kangaroos for the first time, which are not particularly loved by local farmers and drivers. However, I am infinitely happy about them, because for me they are the symbol of this amazing world and in themselves are unique animals that die almost every day on Australian roads, hit by cars. They are the only animals, along with their relatives, that primarily use jumping to move, but cannot walk backward.
Cairns is full of bats hanging from trees that make you feel like you're in a horror movie.
Similarly, the thought of the possibility of seeing a crocodile on the loose at any moment works the same way.
On the day we set out by boat to enjoy the endless diversity around the Great Barrier Reef, the sea is very rough, and almost the entire time people are vomiting. Nevertheless, we venture further inland and dive into the Coral Sea. The underwater world is breathtaking and transports us to a realm of vibrant colors and countless marine creatures. Back on land, as paradoxical as it may sound, we eat the most delicious rose-flavored Turkish delight, which transports you to a world of heavenly flavors. I still dream about it, as much as I dream about the underwater world there.
Colorful parrots have perched on the palm trees, poor aborigines walk the streets, there are works and paintings by local artists everywhere, and everything is different, but Christmas Eve still comes, and we are with friends on this cherished family holiday.
Brisbane
We celebrate Christmas in Brisbane, and then head to the glamorous Gold Coast with its famously popular Surfers Paradise beach, where the waves carry you away, the wind blows like for surfers, and the sand is fine and warm.
Wind, storm, rain, surfers, tall hotels – this is how we remember the coastal resort.
Sydney
Finally, we find ourselves in Sydney – our final destination, brimming with people, festive, a sunny seaside pearl.
After a sharp email to hotel management, we're being moved from a room with a view of the back gables to a room with a partial view of the Opera House and surrounding office buildings. Still, we're coming from the other side of the world and booked our room 10 months ago, when we were only theoretically considering this trip!!!
Opera
Our first goal, of course, is the Opera House, which did not disappoint us one bit. It's wonderful! The view from and to the Opera House are magnificent.
The Harbour Bridge, the docked cruise ship, and the opposite shores make us take a boat that's part of the city's public transport and end up on the other side, for an even more impressive view of the Opera House and Sydney's business heart. An unforgettable sunset!
In the following days, we'll explore the colorful streets of the city, the aquarium, and Darling Harbour.
Bondi Beach
We are going for a beautiful walk from Coogee Beach to the famous Bondi Beach, where the sun will burn our skin.
And the coveted December 31st arrives. It turns out that if you want a good spot to watch the fireworks, you have to reserve it at noon, and it's also forbidden to carry alcohol in the streets on that day! We decide it's absurd to spend almost 12 hours standing in one spot and that the universe will take care of us.
As night falls, we observe various colorful projections on tall columns, pass through crowds of seated people, and see that many fenced-off lawns are already filled with people who reserved their spots at noon, and access for additional attendees has already been restricted.
We get on the railway and cross to the opposite bank. We move chaotically and end up at the right spot only about an hour before midnight in a clearing that isn't overcrowded, with a stunning view of the memorial bridge!
In silence, we await the final seconds before the sky of the new year 2016 is illuminated in incredible colors and shapes. We will forever cherish this spectacle in our hearts!
Taronga Zoo
On the last day, we visit Taronga Zoo, which is on an incredible area, inhabited by many species of animals. Finally, I see hedgehogs live, which unfortunately are not free...
Once again, we are enjoying the Sydney icon from afar. We're taking a last walk around the city, buying melt-in-your-mouth dark chocolate macadamias as gifts, and flying out of this distant world the next day.
The towns and villages are no different from those in the US and Canada, but the nature is irresistible. We hope to come again someday to tour the national parks.
We also remember Australia for their love of shortening words – they call themselves „Aussies“, use „barbie“ for barbecue, „petty“ for petrol, and many others, and logically their alcohol chain is called BWS (beer, wine, spirits) 🙂
Katia Via
See more Author Katia Via Tuk
Along the Great Ocean Road
