Great Barrier Reef

I don't know why, but the Great Barrier Reef always seemed like one of those things I'd never get to see.  I've always planned on getting to Florence, and the Pyramids, and even Antartica, but the Great Barrier Reef just seemed so... exotic?  Unapproachable?  Sporty? 

But if I was going all the way to Australia, I wasn't going to miss it.  A couple of flights (one a little pricey but worth it!), a rental SUV, and we were settled into Port Douglas, an hour north of Cairns.  Same reef, much more relaxed atmosphere than Cairns' bars and backpackers. 

I was debating diving but for myriad reasons, snorkeling was just a better option for us on this trip,  I'll get that SCUBA certification someday!  Just not this time.  We certainly had our options of dive operators but ended up with Silversonic, a catamaran that went to three dive sites along the Agincourt Reef, part of the Outer Reef. 

The first amazing thing is that when you're above the water you have NO IDEA what is below.  You can see where the water is a lighter color because of the shallow reef, but beyond that, it just looks like ocean until your face is in the water and then it's like the doors opened to a new world.  It's phenomenal. It's not the rainbow blast of Finding Nemo, but is an incredible elaborate formation of subtle color and movement.  The bright green grass that swayed with the currents, the teal fish with shimmery stripes that dart around, the needlefish that look more like reflections than animals- it was better than I'd ever imagined. 

We ended up seeing many of the promised highlights- giant clams with purple interiors that closed when fish approached, slow swimming turtles passing by underneath us, even anemone fish darting between the colorful plumes.  We even saw a blue starfish. 

This wasn't so much a picture taking expedition- it was too much to capture into a frame.  But here's a taste of what we saw on the reef that day:

Uluru

Uluru looks like a movie background, like it's not actually real. We arrived in the outback by plane into the Ayers Rock Airport, seeing Uluru and Kata Tjuta from the plane. Australia does not disappoint in impressing airplane approaches!

We're staying at the Ayers Rock Resort, which had a series of accommodations from camping to high class. We're in the middle.  All of the reports share a common town center with great restaurants and shops. We're loving Ayers Wok, a noodle bar.

Our first adventure here was Mani Mani Theater, an aboriginal production about some of the laws and stories of the local people. Then at night we visited the Fields of Light, an art exhibit of thousands of fiber optic lights looking like a fields of glowing flowers. You could walk through as they changed color. It was pretty impressive.

Today was all about the rock. We rented a car, which was cheaper than three people taking the shuttle bus to the rock (seriously, the racket they have on that here!) and then headed into the park. It's $25 a person, not bad. We were able to do a guided walk along the base this morning with a native guide, explaining the men's and women's sections of the region. I can't really explain how big this rock is. It's a mountain. It's a plateau. It's an island in the outback sea. It's bright orange-red against blue sky and green leaves.  It's taller than the Eiffel Tower.

The aboriginal people ask repeatedly that you not climb, so we didn't. Seemed respectful. The government won't ban it, though, so some people were going up.  Just made me sad after all the signs asking "please don't climb".

After our walk we drove around the Rock stopping to take photos from different angles.  We stopped at one of the big lookouts, which was deserted.  For lunch we'd headed over to Kata Tjuta, the other rock cluster nearby.  We had gotten a pretty strong lecture that this was man's territory at the Mani Mani theater, so we just looked from afar.  We ate our pb&j picnic from the overlook.  It was pretty, more wild seeming than Uluru, and signs explained the desert landscape. This red sand is fascinating. It's really sand, not dirty, and footprints last for a long time in it.

We stopped at the cultural center next to see more art, and at one last view point. Then we visited some camels at the camel farm and returned the car late afternoon.  J and I did a little hiking while R chilled at the hotel, and then we meet up for sunset viewed from a hill in the center of the resort.  Now we're waiting for our astronomy tour to begin. There were so many stars last night but the clouds are looking pretty bad tonight so I don't know how this is going to go.

Great Ocean Rd

Southwest of Melbourne is one of the most beautiful stretches of road in the world. I've done the Road to Hana, the Amalfi Coast, the Pacific Coast Highway- none of them compare th the Great Ocean Road.

We followed the road east to west, from Torquay to Warrnambool, where we stayed in an airBNB for the night. We began at the info center, where two helpful ladies have is great tips. I'm going to try to remember them all here.

Our first stop was Bell's Beach, site of a huge annual surf competition. I could see way, the ocean was so powerful! I ran down the steps to put my feet in, of course getting much wetter than expected. Hey, it was good excuse to wear yoga pants instead of jeans for the rest of the ride. :)  Seriously, the colors of the gritty golden yellow sand against the turquoise sea and blue skies was like a painter's pallet exploded.

Next we rode on, stopping at a few lookouts for more amazing views. One of the visitor center recommendations was looking at the kangaroos at the golf course at Airey's Inlet, where we found them lounging on the driving range. We walked to Split Point lighthouse and studied Eagle Rock. Then it was on the road again.  We had lunch at a fish and chips place in Lorne. It was a huge feast! 

After lunch we were lucky enough to see some whales in the ocean south of Lorne. We even stopped at construction and got to see more of them. The road continued to wind along the coast with the most beautiful views of crashing waves and glistening rocks. 

At the recommendation of the visitor center we stopped in Kennet River to see koalas. There were tons and tons of birds around the Koala Cafe, cockatoos and parrots.  Don't feed them, they rip your arms up! But in the trees behind them were real live wild koalas! It was such a thrill to see them up in the trees. Most were asleep but one guy was moving around eating.  So cuddly!!

We were rapidly losing time, so after that it was off to the Twelve Apostles, giant rock formations off the coast south of Apollo Bay. We timed it just at sunset, which was pretty cool. They were very pretty, and huge.  But it was quickly off to Loch Ard gorge. The waves crashing into the thunder cave as the light faded seemed almost mythical.

In the dark we drove the rest of the way to Warrnambool.  Our morning attempts to see whales failed (Pete the guy said they'd had four good years and not this year.)  It was cold and dreary, but we watched fruitlessly for a little while.  Then it was back to Melbourne, the inland route, leaving the Great Ocean Road behind.

Melbourne

One big purpose of this trip was for my friend to return to Melbourne, where she studied abroad in college. She was dying to get back and share her favorite city in the world. We arrived late after the long drive, which meant no sight seeing until morning.

Up and out early, the clouds were just giving way to sun. We walked straight from our hotel in Chinatown to Federation Square, a huge modern architecture wonder on the Yara River. On the way we saw Hosier Ln full of sanctioned graffiti. It was a pop of outlandish color in a dark alley.  After a cup of coffee and breakfast in the atrium, we walked down to the river bank, admiring statues like the Red Center and more. We crossed to see the Eureka Building and then wandered back via the footbridge. From the train station we caught the circle city trolley to the docklands.

My friend's favorite statue was cow in a tree, so we had to find that. The public art in Melbourne is incredible, especially the creative sculptures. After posing with the cow in the tree, we rode the trolley back downtown to Melbourne Central for lunch. It's a big mall built around an old shot factory. 

After lunch we relived college at Melbourne university, exploring my friend's old haunts. We waited out a rainstorm in the union, then walked over to Lygon St for gelato. Mmmmmm, gelato.  Since it was getting cold, we started back towards the river for dinner at Flora, an Indian restaurant with great butter chicken.  Our night finished with an Australian classic- Tim Tam Slams in the hotel room.

Blue Mountains

We didn't have a lot of time in the Blue Mountains, but had to see this natural wonder. We packed up and left Sydney early for the drive out to Katoomba. It was a big of a cold and dreary day, but the views were still impressive.  I was surprised how these amazing views seemed right on the edge of neighborhoods. We started with Wentworth Falls, a gorgeous scenic overlook. There were some very loud kookaburras in the parking lot which was amusing.

Next stop was Echo Point and the Three Sisters rock formation. Long ago this was the sea floor (remember that later!).  We enjoyed the views but it was cold and the road was calling.

After a gas stop, we headed off to Melbourne. The road through New South Wales was the land of a million sheep. By late afternoon the sun had come out, and by nightfall- oh, the stars!!!

Wined and Dined

One of the must-dos from every guidebook was a visit to the Hunter Valley wine region. It was our first driving adventure in Australia and I'm happy to report that despite a giant SUV crossover that is definitely an unrequested upgrade, we all succeeded in our first time driving on the left! Getting out of Sydney was a big of an adventure. The highways don't really start until you're past the suburbs.

We stopped at the visitor center in Hunter Valley for a map and guidance. Using their helpful recommendations, we started with Pepper Tree Vineyards, a beautiful location with a helpful sommelier guided us through our introduction to Hunter Valley wines.

Next shop was Brokenwood, one everyone recommended. It wasn't as pretty as the first stop but the wines were good. After the two stops, we needed some food so we ate lunch overlooking the beautiful vineyards. I had a glass of the Semillion, the region's specialty. Probably never going to be my favorite, but delicious in that time and place.

After lunch we went to Audrey Wilkinson, which promises 360 degree views off the valley, and did not disappoint. The sun peaked through the clouds as we tasted a few of their wines. 

Our next stop was Cockroder's Ghost, where we had the best tasting of the day. The host was incredibly knowledgeable and personable, showing a clear love of the wines and sharing that with visitors. I'm hoping I can find some of their wines in the States because it was too expensive to ship all I wanted.

The last place we visited was Savannah Estates. The website had  promised wildlife, but it was late in the day and they were closing up.  Still, we got to try a few varieties in their small cellar door.

On the way home, we stopped in Cole's grocery store for provisions for the road trip to Melbourne and grabbed dinner at Oporto, home of the most amazing grilled chicken tenders ever!