I’ve been meaning to get this post
up sooner but it’s been busy here at home in Minnesota. I just became an aunt
over two week ago now and am already running the youth rec soccer program for
Hopkins Dynamo. Anyways, more on that later… I wanted to first write about my
final days in Australia.
On my way home I made a few stops,
first I stayed in Airlie Beach for a few nights hoping to get out to the great
barrier reef – I was all signed up to go and made it halfway there on the boat
out at our pit stop on Hamilton island when the captain got word that we
weren’t going to be able to make it out due to the 3 meter high waves. I was
actually a bit relieved we didn’t go out because the ride to the island was bad
enough for me with the 1 meter high waves, I even had to take some seasick
pills. I wasn’t able to reschedule my tour at all though because I was heading
to Sydney the next morning. It was a bummer but oh well, I guess I’ll just have
to go back someday and try it again when there’s better weather! Haha.
At Airlie Beach.
The coast.
The pool right next to Airlie Beach.
I had about 5 days to hang out in
Sydney, one of which I went on a tour to the blue mountains. In Sydney I met a
few people in my hostel that I hung out with which was pretty fun and I spent
some time alone wandering the city as well. Sydney was really fun. I went walking
around everywhere. I went to Bondi Beach, through the Botanical Gardens – which
are huge, walking through the city, Hyde Park, Darling Harbor, Opera House, the
Rocks (oldest part of Sydney), Kings Cross – where I was staying, etc. I also
met some people in the hostel and got to spend some time with them walking
about and touring the city.
Opera House. This bird was saying "mine, mine"
The lakeside view of the Opera House.
Bondi Beach
Some people getting a surfing lesson at Bondi Beach.
Darling Harbor
So while I was walking by the Opera
House I walked into the box office to see if there was a tour, play or
something that I could go to inside and I was pleasantly surprised when the man
told me about a sold out concert that was going on that evening that had one
vacancy left by a band who I just happen to like a lot – temper trap. Temper trap is an Australian band and they
were on their last leg of their tour I believe. I bought that ticket right away
and had my evening planned. It was an awesome concert. The lady who actually
sold me the ticket was jealous; she said that she wanted to go to the concert
for the opening act that ended up being awesome! It was and I enjoyed every
moment of it!
Inside the Opera House before the concert.
Temper Trap!
Another fun thing that was going on
in Sydney while I was visiting was a show called Vivid Sydney. Vivid Sydney is
Sydney’s annual festival of lights and music that feature illuminations on the
opera house as well as other buildings around the harbor. It was really cool to
walk around all over there and see the cool lights displays by different
artists. There was also an area for little kids which was pretty cool that had
things like a bike lighting up when you rode it, hop scotch, a scream screen,
and my favorite which was a dancing/painting one! Haha. I added a few of the
lights displays I liked the best!
Some strange girl rolling around on the shells of the Opera House!
This thing looked like a rubiks cube and you could spin it around.
These little balloon looking things changed colors.
One of the lights show, this one is projected on the Sydney Art Museum Building.
The blue mountains tour was my last
day in Sydney. It was going to be a really crappy and rainy day but it actually
turned out to be pretty good. The sun came out and it was just a bit chilly and
windy. It was really cool to see the mountains. Apparently the eucalyptus from
the trees gives off a mist in the air that makes it appear blue above the
trees. That’s what our tour guide was explaining to us at least and I didn’t
believe him till I saw it. It really does look blue when you look at this
canyon with all the mountains. It was a site to see. Our tour started from
Sydney, which I was informed that there are a total of 180 nationalities in
Sydney! That’s pretty wild. We then went to the blue mountains. I hiked down
with a guy from Germany then caught the longest cable car in Australia and rode
that back up to meet the group in time for lunch. We then stopped at a small mountain
town called leura to walk about and then wentworth falls to get out and see the
scenery there. The last big stop was at Featherdale Wildlife Park where we got to
pet koala’s and little baby wallaby’s. It was fun to feed the wallaby’s, they
were so cute.
The three sisters rocks on the left side.
The Blue Mountains!
The view of the three sisters rocks from my hike down the mountain.
The waterfall at the Blue Mountains.
Close up of a side of the falls.
A street in this small town called Leura was called public toilets...
A view of the mountains from Wentworth Falls.
Look at the little baby in the pouch at Featherdale Wildlife Park!
Tasmanian Devil... He is so ugly
Koalas!
These guys sleep around 18+ hours a day.
Feeding little Wallabies
On our way to our drop off area
where we took a river cruise back to circular quey we got a driving tour of
Olympic Park. The day ended with me and two of my friends I met on the trip
going and got some food and a beer.
Olympic Park - the last stop of our tour. There were solar panels all along the main road above the lights on the main drag and everything looked very modern.
Cool view of Harbor Bridge.
Torben's Kangaroo meat pizza at the Australian Hotel for dinner. I tried a piece of it, it wasn't too bad. It has a very similar taste to venison.
Having a drink at the oldest bar in Sydney - Fortune of war with my friends I made during the tour. Torben is from Germany and Mai is from Thailand but went to college in Boston and worked there for a while.
For now I’m back home with my
family as I mentioned earlier working for Hopkins Dynamo on its last leg of
existence. I am about to embark on a 8 or 9 day road trip out west with my
parents and younger sister Angie. We’re heading to Banff Canada, Glacier
National Park in Montana, down to Yellowstone, possibly going to
Colorado depending on the fires. So there should be more to come!
