If Sydney isn't one of the wonders of the modern world,
it is certainly
one of the most famous. Few haven't seen the graceful white sails of
the Opera house, or watched fireworks on the Harbour bridge. It
would be easy to dismiss such descriptions of Australia's capital as
mere rhapsodizing, but Sydney must be seen to be believed. Of course, there
are the darker aspects; mostly consisting of the seeming hordes of men with
rotten yellow teeth who seemingly migrate to Sydney simply to 'perve'. (:
Anyway.
The ferry system was one of my favorite parts
of Sydney; with a central hub at Circular Quay (convienantly adjacent to
the Circular Quay train station),
you can travel all over Sydney. My week-long pass gave me
train, bus, and ferry tickets (tho the monorail is owned
by a
separate company), and it was great to cruise back and forth
in the harbour. Alternatively, there are single passes and
day
passes; every morning, on our way to the Fire Conference,
my
my friend Bill and I would get off the train at Circular
Quay,
present our tickets and race onto the ferry for Darling
Harbour. While there were the fair share of tourists on the
boat, it was rare that we didn't get a good seat to watch
the
Opera House vanish behind the Harbour bridge.
Another fun trip was the Tauronga zoo. The ferry was included
on
my ferry pass, and from Circular Quay we were bundled into
the
dedicated "Tauronga Zoo"
ferry. At the docks, a we took a
cable-car up the hill to the entrance
of the zoo. Considered one of
the finest zoos in the world, and certainly the best in Oceania,
Tauronga has an extensive conservation program, and
while
we were there, were in the process of building even more habitats.
(Construction to be completed by 9/04) What fun! I saw a real,
live, koala, I was able to feed a carrot to a giraffe, and cuddle up
to a camel. I decided pretty concretely that when I grow up, I
either want to be a platypus or a wombat. Probably not
a wombat; being a hairy footrest doesn't look like my idea of fun.
Other sites to consider; Sydney's innumerable museums, opera/theatre at various venues, the Saturday outdoor market in Paddington, walking along Circular Quay, the Rocks, the tower (the dinner "deal" is actually pretty nice; all you can eat and a leisurely meal to watch the sun dissolve beyond the misty horizon). A neat walk is getting out at City Hall train station, walking down George St. until you hit China Town (and Paddy's Market, an insane visit open only Thurs through Sat), through China Town, cross the street at McDonalds, pass the convention center (and the beautiful Chinese gardens, pretty fountains and hordes of Sacred Ibises) and walk along the water through Darling Harbour past the Marine museum and take the ferry back to Circular Quay. The live music is great, the event calender is full; Sydney is worth at least one visit, if not three.
Where I saw the Ireland Romania game. Wow.
It was a pretty cool game; their stadium is less than a hundred meters from
the water, and a row of palm trees waved behind the try zone. The sun set
during the first half, and it wasn't
cold enough to be more than mildly uncomfortable. The rugby
was
sweet, as well; the Romanians got pretty fairly trampled;
Ireland was
clearly the better side. I was especially impressed by the
Irish hooker
a solid, bald guy who ran a try in in the first half. Other
than the
footy, the train from Sydney central station ($9.50 return)
was a beautiful hour and a quarter, with a lot of history behind it. There
were quite a few bushfire sites, as well as historic areas where the builders
of the railroad lived as they quite literally hacked a track out of the
bush. In WWII, there was a plot afood for the Japanese to blow up the strategic
bridge over which all of the Australian troops were ferried north. Anyway,
well worth the journey, if you have an afternoon.
Brisbane is worth a visit, but wouldn't hit my top ten places
in Australia. I met Dad in Brisbane International, and was impressed by
the airport (and Queensland in general) as a hedonist's paradise. Not that
the rest of Aussie isn't, but... excellant food; the ubiquitous Indian restaurants
are top-rate, there is a moderately good live music scene (even, strangely
enough, a jazz place in the bottom floor of the Holiday Inn by the train
station). Moving north from Brissie, I enjoyed the Glass House Mountains,
a little 35 k loop off the main road. Dad and I climbed several of the volcanic
knobs and jogged throughout the area; the wines are not, as local vintners
claim, the best in Australia. Compared to the vitaculturist's paradise I
experienced in Victoria, these were on the par with some of the better boxed
wines I get at Cost-co.
Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo was great. It was over the top, just like him, but the staff were courteous and knowledgeable, the animals healthy and happy, and the habitats constantly evolving. Definately a place of learning. One of Charles Darwin's tortoises was there; one of the babies he captured more than a century ago. (Wow). Australians
on the whole truly loathe Steve, which as my Dad said, I can understand;
their most famous export is a wise-cracking joker. As I've earnestly said
to at least one person a week, I don't consider Steve, an earnest, silly,
huge-hearted conservationist to be a typical Australian; no more than Australian's
think every American is just like GW Bush or Michael Jackson.
DON'T rent
from the rent-a-car guys at the train station; they are a local company,
despite their lurid advertising, and have horrible service. Or rent from
them for their rates, and accept in advance that if you have any problems
or your trip changes at all that you'll have to deal with the developments
on your own.
Canberra is Australia's capital, and also a territory in its own right. I meant to visit, but I ran out of time, in a big way. Oops. Going there? From Sydney, you can take one of the CountryLink trains. Reservations are available by phone, but you must pick up your tickets prior to boarding; if you get reservations more than 14 days ahead of time, you can get substantial breaks in fares; check with the CountryLink offices at Central train station for more details. Interesting trains; I found that the Overlander, Ghan, etc trains that don't go in QLD, NSW, or VIC took my student card, but the CountryLink people were very huffy; one told me that she only took VIC student IDs; strange, because I think Australian law gives all Aussie students concessions. You can connect from Canberra down to Melbourne.
Potentially my favorite state. Actually, I'm pretty sure it might have been. I met 3 of my favorite people in Australia while I was in VIC, saw and tasted beautiful things, and was heartily welcomed by local firefighters. I walked acres of fireline, looked at recovery of the devastating fires experienced in February and March of 2003, experienced training, and checked out some amazing programs. For the tourist or the firefighter, Victoria is a must on any Australian visit.
Ballarat is a small town in the process of becoming a large one; in the past several years, property values have soared as Melbourne-ites have moved out to the more pristine areas surrounding the city. It has great history; the town has managed to save its old buildings by insisting that they not be knocked down, and any changes that are not "period" be cleared by the council first. It is a town with a lot of history, most to do with gold mining. After gold was discovered here two hundred years ago, immigrants from as far-flung countries as the United States and China migrated here to seek their fortune. In fact, only the candle-makers and the bar-owners got rich, but from that first infusion of people, a city was born. Some of the tradition has been preserved in a reproduction gold town in Ballarat; for an entrance fee, you can tour the exhibits, walk down a mine shaft (replete with hologram and mysterious voices), pan for gold, buy all sorts of fun and overpriced locally made period crafts, watch demonstrations, and basically have a blast. If you've got a group, or think you might come back eventually, get a membership; at the price, its worth it. Here I also got a closer look at Community Fireguard, an amazing community involvement/education group that was founded after the devastating fires ten years ago in the area; seeking to educate the public as to the realities of fire, Community Fireguard sends trained support staff out to work with neighborhood groups ranging from 2 to 20 members and help them prepare fire plans and generally prepare themselves for the reality of bushfires. I was very, very impressed, and quite appreciative of the welcome I received at the Satyananda Yogi.
Melbourne (pronounced mel-bun) is an aging colonial matron; floral ironwork
painted odd shades or rusting in places, many of the homes look as if the
colonists tried to make them look as British as possible.
these moulding buildings are being
remodelled or demolished, with attractive
results. The odd mix between the
buildings that are well past gracefully
aging and the new, stark lines of the high
rise buildings and new remodels.
Melbourne is a city that is comfortably
old-fashioned, and seems "small town"
compared to Sydney, yet has great
cultural attractions, and a growing
business district. While the main city is
modern, apart from the 'green wedges' (part of a city effort to keep green
spaces within the city, for psychological/economical/social reasons) walk
five minutes from the center of town and you'll pass long blocks of two
story buildings wedged up one against the other, their wrought iron grill-work
on balconies and edging balustrades flowery and ornate enough to conjer
up New Orleans. Even if you haven't actually seen it. It's almost like a
city out of some of the horror novels I read; Laurell K Hamilton and the
like, worlds that use colors like sangoire (Jacqueline Carey) and the like;
deep, shadowy reddish hues that verge on black.
There are a good number of hostels in Melbourne; shop around for a good price; I stayed at the Carlton College hostel, which is pretty reasonably priced, provides a skimpy breakfast (but hey, its breakfast) and has a shuttle, gratis. It is just two blocks from the museum and the IMAX, as well as very near to some excellant restaurants, an internet cafe that accepts laptops, and an easy five minute walk from the business district. The museum (free) is worth visiting, the IMAX is cool, the gardens are lovely to walk or run in, the jazz is first rate (check out the little club that is in a back alley; I think its in the phone book, but it is excellant jazz with a low cover), and that's about all I had time for. There is a free shuttle that goes around town regularly, as well as reasonably priced trams and trains.
This was my first real firefighter Australian experience. I'd met Gavin
Parker from the CFA (Country Fire Authority) during the International Fire
Conference in October, and he had invited me down to visit his family and
his department. After taking me around some of the stations circling the
Melbourne area (Melbourne itself has its own Fire Brigade; the only such
one in Victoria). CFA is an organization
that has been around for just over fifty years, coming as a result
of the public outcry following devastating fires in the forties.
Over the years, its role in Victoria has been expanded until it
is now responsible for the greatest percentage of land in
Victoria. It has dual roles, both responsible for bushfires and
for urban fire, and incorporates both volunteer and paid
personnel into a web that stretches across the state. It is a
strong organization, but one that was tested nearly to its limits by
the Canberra fires last year, prompting a post-mortem that was only recently
completed. I'm simply amazed by the versatility that CFA encourages- even
requires in its staff. Within a year of being hired, all staff must be qualified
for every appliance in their station; which can be up to 7; they MUST be
qualified for every basic job (obviously not station officer, senior firefighter,
but instead, all the pumps, all hand tools, driving everything, etc)
Of Traralgon and Mowee themselves, I was impressed with beautiful small towns, convienantly close to the city yet with all of the country welcome and friendliness that I grew to expect throughout Australia. There is supposed to be good fishing in the area (much to my woe, I didn't have time for it) and it makes for a wonderful road trip.
The alpine region of Victoria is one of the most famous in Australia; annually,
thousands of tourists, both Australian and international visit the small
town of Bright on their way to the ski fields at Mt. Buffalo. This area
must be visited. It is easily accessible by train, but once you're in the
region, its worth renting a car to better explore. November found the valleys
of the region green and lush in the late spring sunshine. If you don't go
for the skiing, some of the summer highlights are fresh strawberries, raspberries,
all sorts of nut grown locally, a strawberry winery hidden up in the hills,
the Beechworth bakery, and the Gapsted Winery.
Gapsted is a fairly young winery, but American-born owner Shayne Cunningham
has significant experience in vitaculture, starting with his work in California's
Napa Valley, then more recently in Australia's Barossa Valley. In all of
his work, Shayne always hoped to be able to begin a winery creating cold-climate
wines. A group of other winery owners joined together to open Gapsted wines;
a sure indication of the regard in which Shayne is held! It is the cold
climate that provided the inspiration for Gapsted's Ballerina line of wines;
to prevent the grapes from being exposed to too cool air, the vines are
trelliced more than a meter above the ground, mature vines growing to resemble
a ballerina, poised in a graceful arabasque.
Gapsted winery is located near Bright. The railway that once connected the
towns in the area has been turned into a bike path which goes past the foot
of the half-kilometer drive up to the winery. There is a gorgeous tasting
room, with sail-shaped awnings shading a porch perfect for wine tasting
or a light lunch, and acres of beautiful vines. The staff are friendly and
know their business; unlike many wineries I've visited, the tasting counter
is typically staffed by one of the most experienced people on staff. And
the wines are exceptionally, very good; from their lighter Tutu line, to
the more mature Ballerina Canopy line. Anyway; the winery as well as the
area are well worth a visit.
Unfortuneately, the only entry is Adelaide; it turned out that Australia is as large as they claim! Imagine that!
Adelaide, is, as advertised, a gorgeous city,
on the verge between old and outback and new and quite modern, though the
modern hasn't triumphed as much as city officials might prefer it did. You
still see the original settler's shacks driving along the Prince's highway,
and many of the homes have the same so-called colonial styling that I observed
in Melbourne, with the ornate grillwork,
the long, generous verandas on both floors, and
the quaint roofs. Adelaide is another part of
Australia well worth visiting; they might not host
the races anymore (after Brisbane stole them)
but they have some of the best wines in
Australia (only second to Victoria), amazingly
beautiful terrain, and Acer repair facilities that
work double time to fix dead laptops. Outside
the city, you can spend days driving throughout the area, through the beaches themselves are a bit nasty.
Diving is excellant. Drive up into the hills to look at the site of the devastating fires of Ash Wednesday. It's sobering to sample the vegetation in the area; as well as look at the houses that have been rebuilt near to, and in one example, actually around large eucalypts. Farther up the hill is the fire tower, still manned by volunteers during fire danger times, and Cleland National Park. Owned by the state parks, Cleland is run for profit. It is a beautiful and inviting place and WELL worth the cheap entrance fee. Inside the park, you will find yourself literally face to face with nature, with the animals confined in wide enclosures with only small walls between them and you. Dingoes, Tasmanian Devils, and all sorts of birds went about their business; I got to HOLD a koala, pat kangaroos and feed their roos, leaving only when it began to rain. I had a great time. Also worth a visit are the many tiny wineries that dot the back roads surrounding Adelaide. And the Barossa valley. Make sure you go with a driver; returning from the Barossa under your own steam would be hazardous!
The final attraction of Adelaide are the flocks of birds that are wild
in
the area. My hosts regularly had a dozen galahs (grey, pink and white
parrots), sulphur-crested cockatoos, white cockies, black
cockies,
kookaburras, rainbow lorikeets, as well as other bird species
I couldn't identify in their backyard, and only weeks before
I came,
they'd had a koala in one of the eucalypts in their front yard.
It is quite simply astonishing.
Sometimes, the states and provinces that together make up Australia are more akin to differing countries than states bound together into a single country. Perhaps the Northern Territories are the most striking example of this; with legislation, policy, and culture completely different from anything I encountered in the southern regions of QLD, NSW, and VIC, the NTs are truly a world apart. Flying into Darwin, I counted four seperate large fires burning in the territories, and could only imagine those that I missed.
Darwin was hot, sticky, and quite simply gorgeous. I'd definately return, mostly because of my fascination with the kind of people that make Darwin their homes (from British Marines who own their own bookstores to old men from Paris that build fantastic hats), and with the thunderstorms that rock the area. I love thunderstorms, and I quite enjoyed Darwin, especially as a kicking off point to the National ParksBeautiful park.
After hundreds of kilometers of blank, wild landscape, Alice Springs looms suddenly out of the surrounding lands. Sparse stands of mulga trees, spinifex crouched close to the dry ground are supplanted by irrigated lawns, tall broad (imported) oaks, and eucalypts sucking hundreds of liters of water out of bore holes. There had been, the Hertz guy claimed, some sort of geo-whatever survey. That sort of thing that generally comes from Darwin, he shrugged. They, it seemed, were quite confident that the aquifers were not negatively impacted by the water usage of the good people of Alice.
Alice is a great jumping off point, or in my case, jumping out point; from Alice, I flew north to Darwin after abandoning my rental car with the hapless attendant from Hertz. Downtown has an interesting nightlife, if you're after the insanely drunk staggering in circles scene, and has a good variety of bars, hostels, hotels, and other services. There are several internet cafes, and, for once, most of them displayed signs to indicate that they 'welcomed laptops'. I was in bliss.
If you prefer economy to central location, two of the hostels a mile from the center of town offer great rates, attractive facilities, and a free shuttle, if you mind the short walk running until all hours. The Women's History museum (located near the department stores in the center of town) is worth visiting, otherwise, stock up and ship out!
Uluru
What Europeans named Ayer's Rock is also
known
as Uluru to Anangu, the Aboriginal people who are
the traditional owners of this area of Australia. What
appears to be a single, massive rock rising out of the
surrounding desert is in fact part of a series of geographic features. A
vast area of recent sand and alluvium surrounds the Cambrian-age inselbergs
of Ayers Rock and the Olgas. Folding and subsequent faulting followed by
differential erosion and infill has given rise to the present topography
of the area. Structurally, Ayers, Olga, and the Sedimentaries
lie on the northern limb of a nw/se trending syncline, and most recently
(in a geological sense) erosion since the tertiary period has produced the
sand areas that make up the remainder of the Park. So it isn't really that
huge red rock, solitary against the barren sand dunes. Within hours, visitors
can travel to the mysterious and gloomy Olgas, or down the road to the majestic
King's Canyon.
There are excellant facilities at Ayer's Rock; rather too excellant for the likes of mere mortals on budgets. Even shared dormatories were a good one and a half what you'd pay for single rooms in other parts of Australia. I lucked out, getting to stay with someone and make a new friend in the process, but other travellers might be better suited by camping at King's Canyon (several k's from the road, there are camping facilities) or camping for free at one of the sporadic way-stations between Alice and Uluru. The sunset is a must, but even though some people (I'm not naming names, here) don't consider watching Sunrise a necessity, it's a really incredible experience. Climbing is still legal at Uluru, given the right conditions; hower, the Anangu (traditional owners) don't encourage it. Bring lots of water, and, for heaven's sake, don't run over the Horny Devils.
Despite the hype, I didn't find Queensland as extraordinary as the other areas of Australia that I visited. While it might be aptly called a hedonist's paradise, QLD, with all of its attractions would not be the place I'd return, if I came back to Australia.
