We entered Australia on territory day in Darwin, the anniversary of Northern Territory’s self governance and the only day in the year when fireworks are legal. This meant an hour wait for taxis at the airport and an hour to make a few friends with fellow travelers from Germany, Canada and England. After sharing a taxi to our hotel, we set off on foot for downtown Darwin on likely the most exciting night of their year. After a scan of the main street, we headed towards the McDonald’s we smelled nearby and fought our way through drunk miners to guzzle down a couple of lousy double cheeseburgers. Between the big rowdy men and the difficulty we had understanding new accents, I realized for the first time since the beginning of our trip I felt out of place and a bit scared.
The next morning was a fantastically beautiful day with no clouds in the sky and hints of stale gunpowder. We took our time walking around Darwin, stopping at the tourist shops and exploring the newly remodeled waterfront live/work district. The architecture and landscaping was beautiful and distinctly reminded me of some of the finer examples of sustainable development we visited in northern Europe in 2010. We stopped for an early dinner at a Mexican restaurant and enjoyed our last night sleeping in a full size bed.
Excited to begin our camping adventure, we rose early the next morning only to learn that our van wouldn't be ready until about noon. We set off in our modified minivan, frustrated with the wait but excited to camp out at our first destination in the Northern Territory outback: Litchfield National Park. After getting groceries and other basics, it took us about three hours to drive to the park, giving us enough time to explore the giant termite mounds and waterfalls nearby. We were fortunate enough to find one of the last campsites left in the entire park (it was high season for Northern Territory) and made dinner at dusk.
Getting on a camping schedule, we woke at sunrise and made eggs for breakfast before driving a couple more hours to Katherine gorge. We spent the whole afternoon walking along the ridge of the incredible canyon, swimming in the refreshing Katherine river and absorbing some Aboriginal culture and history in the park visitor center. That night was the fourth of July and after we chased some cute wallabies away from our hot dogs, we celebrated with a healthy dose of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Chinese sparklers (the fanfare was quite limited in the rest of the park).
The next three days were spent driving from sunrise to sunset and though it was brutal, some of the scenery was spectacular and Megan and I got to know one another even better after five years together. Just a few days in the outback and we’ve seen huge flocks of grey and pink wild cockatoos, hawks, parrots, parakeets, bats (these looked like small bears with wings), endless termite mounds, and, unfortunately, kangaroo carcasses spread out in the dry, red desert landscape. We kept each other entertained through lots of thoughtful and sometimes bizarre conversation. When we pulled into our first rest area in the middle of nowhere at sunset, we were blown away by the vivid array of colors that streaked the sky at dusk. Some of the most fond memories I have in Australia were spent just looking up at the night sky with Megan at my side and seeing so many stars, it defies imagination. The milky way is so clear and mesmerizing, I swear I could see across the universe. Falling asleep looking at the shooting stars through our sunroof made all that driving through the vast desert worth it. And don’t get me started about the sunrises.
After a quick tour of gold rush-era-restored Charters Towers at the end of the Queensland outback, we made haste through Townsville (I know, right? There's really a city of Townsville) and north along the east coast of Australia. We stopped about an hour from Cairns in a place where a tropical rain forest reaches the beaches in stunning Bingil Bay (also home to many of the endangered, Jurassic-looking cassowaries in Queensland). Luckily enough, we arrived to the waterfront campsite just in time to secure the last spot yet again. After paying for the night, we strolled along the sand and splashed in the lukewarm water before doing laundry and having our first hot shower in almost a week.
We came to Cairns with the intention of diving the Great Barrier Reef and exploring the coastal rain forest. However, an off-season storm lengthened our stay and Cairns rewarded us with a whole lot more to see and experience. On our first day, we made it into town early and headed up a bit further north to ride the five mile-long rain forest skyrail. It was totally surreal, exhilarating and just plain beautiful soaring above the canopy and spotting the big, iridescent blue butterflies. They even had some incredible boardwalks through the forest floor, culminating in an epic waterfall view. The cable car ends in a funky rain forest mountain town called Kuranda which hosts no shortage of souvenir shops selling everything from kangaroo testicles to ten foot didgeridoos. After a traditional Aussie staple of kangaroo pie for lunch, we made the return trip down the mountain with a really nice family from the Gold Coast, with whom we swapped travel stories and political woes.
The next two days were filled visiting the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and the Cairns Tropical Zoo. The cultural park was fascinating and it answered so many of my questions about Aboriginal history in Australia. It was a great opportunity to discover spectacular dance and didgeridoo performances, learn about foods, medicines and weapons of the Tjapukai people (getting to throw a spear and boomerang was awesome!) and hear their creation stories that have been passed down over thousands of years. Though at times it was cheesy and geared more towards the high school tour groups we were lumped together with, Megan and I found it to be a rewarding learning experience and it sparked dialogue between us about undeniable ‘Disney’ atmosphere of the park. The Cairns Tropical Zoo was another little gem tucked away in a small patch of rain forest north of the city. It was great to have such an intimate, hands-on experience with so many native Australian animals. Megan even got to cuddle a Koala bear! There were tons of great exhibits for such a small zoo and we had a blast at the reptile and bird shows and discovering what perfect predators crocodiles truly are at the afternoon feeding.
The diving we were so looking forward to turned out to be the most expensive and worst dives of our trip - disappointing to say the least. We set off early, well informed of the choppy seas and sub-optimal conditions but optimistic and prepared with multiple doses of motion-sickness pills. After half the boat emptied their breakfasts at the stern, we got our briefing about the dive site and geared up with three other divers. The highlights were feeding a huge, old sea turtle, petting a playful napoleon wrasse (giant fish!) and touring through some epic coral formations. Unfortunately, the visibility was barely five meters, one of the divers in our group was very inexperienced and could not control her buoyancy (she kept floating up and sinking down dangerously fast) and kicked up a bunch of sand off the sea floor while I was taking pictures. After docking back in Cairns, we drove, exhausted, to a free rest stop for the night before making our way to Eungalla National Park the next morning.
It took most of the day to get to Ritch-Thatton gorge inside the park, but it was sure worth it. We spent our evening exploring the surreal rain forest trails near the camp and sat down on the sandy banks of a small river to catch a glimpse of a platypus. Finally, right before we were ready to give up before last light, we saw one swim over some shallow, rocky rapids and into the far side of the calm pool in front of us. After a quick hike in the gorge the next morning, we drove through a lot of nothing to a rest stop in the middle of nowhere. Driving through a whole lot of nothing the next day as well, through extensive logging forest and past no available wifi enabled restaurants (including McDonalds...from Mackay to Rockhampton all ‘Maccas’ free wifi was down). Driving through the early afternoon, we stopped in sunny Rainbow bay for lunch and to stretch our cramped legs. Then, it was onto pretentious Noosaville for the night. We wandered around downtown for a while, ever more conscious of our travel tattered clothes and lax shower habits. We parked in a free spot for the evening, battling mosquitoes and bush turkeys until bed. After an clean, early morning surf, we packed up and drove just a bit further south to Queensland’s young, cosmopolitan capital, Brisbane.
We toured the attractive waterfront and finally found a restaurant willing to trade patronage for internet access (it seemed so easy in SE Asia). After booking our tickets to New Zealand and apprehensively planning the final week of our Australia stay, we drove south of town to a caravan park for the night. Our plan to visit North Stradbroke Island turned out brilliantly. We packed up a lunch, drove to the ferry depot and paid for two round-trip tickets to the huge sand mass and, upon arrival, hopped onto the island’s public bus towards Point Lookout. What a spectacle! Arriving at the last stop, we witnessed multiple humpback whales breaching the water and smacking the deep blue ocean surface with a giant, white-water splash from inside the bus! We walked up a trail to a great outlook and watched juvenile and mature humpbacks endlessly leaping almost completely out of the water. After lunch, we followed another trail loop around the eastern end of the island, around some intimidating cliffs (hosting some crazy fishermen), native bush, and back to the small town. The day ended driving back into Brisbane proper for a tour of the modern city center and our first of few Australian pints of beer.
The next morning we set off past the glitzy high rises of the Gold Coast, across state lines to New South Wales, and into Byron Bay, another surf mecca of Australia. We spent the morning discovering the brilliantly decorated coastline, walking around a stunning natural reserve and lighthouse park and admiring the small but steady stream of waves crashing into the rocks from a lookout. After a stroll around the city’s very Santa Cruz-esque downtown, we hopped back in the van for an hour drive inland to Byron Bay’s older, less mainstream sister, Nimbin. It was an incredibly scenic drive, even with all the potholes we had to dodge. We drove by nice macadamia nut plantations and rolling hills sporting as many vivid shades of green as Bali and some cool rock formations dotting the landscape. It is easy to forget what country (or year) you are in when you enter Nimbin as it is a counter-culture community still clinging to the 1960’s hippie movement with a cool mountain vibe. We visited an enlightening hemp embassy, browsed an impressive art gallery and sipped lattes at a coffee shop before browsing around the cliche gift shops (respectfully declining all the solicitations to purchase cannabis along the way). It’s a funky and iconic, if not isolated, place that has seems to have stood the test of time. We had a nice drive back into Byron Bay, walked around a bit more and made ourselves a delicious quinoa curry dinner in the caravan park kitchen.
At nine o’clock the next morning, we set off for Newcastle to visit my cousin, stopping briefly outside Coffs Harbor for an epic, elevated coastal view and lunch. We made it to Colin’s house by mid-evening and were delighted to find out he had a favorite local Mexican restaurant in mind for us all to enjoy for dinner. What a treat! His friends at the taqueria sure whipped us up some good quesorittos (a burrito wrapped in a quesadilla). We spent the evening at his house, catching up over drinks and poker with his welcoming roommates and friends. The next day, the three of us drove out to Hunter Valley for our first-ever wine tasting. The friendly gentleman at Drayton Family Vineyards gave us a sublime tour of their white, red and port wine selections. Interestingly enough, they make a white port which Megan and I couldn't resist buying at the end of the tasting. We spent a casual Friday evening at Colin’s house watching a mix of TV shows and Australian rules football.
Early the next morning, Megan and I said our sleepy goodbyes to Colin and drove further south and inland to the Blue Mountains. Our first stop was in Glenbrook where we spent the afternoon hiking around the fringe of the Blue Mountains National Park, stopping at a cliffs edge for a birds eye view of the Gorose Valley. Driving further into the park, we parked and walked a few minutes down to Red-hands Cave, a prime sample of Aboriginal rock-art. Hundreds of hand prints of all size and colors, white, yellow, black, but mostly red, stained the small cavern in this protected overhang. We gazed at each hand, some dating back nearly 2,000 years (the tribe that produced them is said to have settled the area for roughly 14,000 years) and pondered the significance of each print. Was it a right of passage, or perhaps done when someone’s life was nearing an end? I am happy to see the Australian government take its cultural heritage seriously and I am confident this treasure will inspire generations of Australians to come.
On the way to Katoomba, there were some amazing views from the road as we passed through the city in the early evening on our way to a free campsite in Megalong Valley. As the road got increasingly windy, the air temperature dropped significantly and the scenery just kept on getting more surreal. Our site was right on a creek in the middle of a massive valley coated with a dense forest.
The next day was spent in Katoomba, running around taking the dozens of surreal vistas. The cold wind nearly knocks the wind out of you and the beauty of the canyons and the forest textured landscape stretches to the horizons and really does take your breath away. Unfortunately, on some of the walks we took, we crossed paths with search and rescue teams hunting down a missing 23 year-old man. I sent my thoughts toward a swift recovery effort in this unforgiving wilderness. After a half-day of hiking and jaw-dropping lookouts, shopping in charming downtown Katoomba stole the rest of our afternoon. We browsed oversized antique shops, hat stores and after a delicious Indian feast for lunch, we sat down on a couch in a cozy cafe for a cup of tea by their fireplace. After one final sunset lookout, we drove, once again, down the long and windy megalong valley road to a different free campsite. We had the entire campground to ourselves and though the temperatures hovered around freezing that night, I've never felt so warm and fuzzy after dinner and hot cocoa.
We woke early the next morning, thawed our hands with tea, cleaned up the van and headed back up to the motorway and set our sights on the robust skyline in the distance, Sydney. Since we had a half-day with the van before we had to return it, we drove straight to Bondi beach and walked along the pristine waterfront. After lunch, we took a scenic drive up a peninsula to the north which rewarded us with some fantastic views of the sapphire Tasman sea and the greater Sydney area to the west. It reminds me of a much larger San Francisco with a better tan. We washed and, reluctantly, returned our van to the rental company and took the train to the circle quay station and ferry terminal.
It is such a handsome city; with the bridge and the opera house right down the street from our hotel, we have all the attractions at our doorstep (thanks to my parents kind donation of a Marriott room once again). After a tour around the crowded opera house plaza, we had dinner at a fantastic Mexican fusion restaurant up the road and we spent the whole evening uploading photos from the hotel’s high speed internet connection.
The following morning, was spent doing a self guided tour of the Rocks, Sydney’s oldest historic neighborhood. We began with the informative free Rocks history museum, filled with information about early Aboriginal settlements, the first convict exile ships and the evolution and transformation of the docks’ neighborhoods. It sits right behind the famous harbor bridge and is a fascinating place to explore for an afternoon, peeling back layer after layer of road and alley networks where you discover shops, cafes, statues and parks that make this city within a city so unique. We eventually made our way over to the old botanical gardens and original Sydney government building for the remainder of the afternoon. Point macquerie was a crowded sunset photo-op that we gladly shared with other tourists, professional photographers and even a soon-to-be-wed couple.
Our last day in Australia, we took a lovely scenic ferry ride to Manley Beach, another sandy stretch of picturesque Sydney coastline. After a casual stroll along the water, we made haste for lunch and a beer at a nearby microbrewery before getting lost in a few jewelry and boutique stores. The rest of the day we made the most of our luxurious room before another few weeks of van camping began. And just like that, with so much more to see and do, our tour of Australia was over.
The next morning was a fantastically beautiful day with no clouds in the sky and hints of stale gunpowder. We took our time walking around Darwin, stopping at the tourist shops and exploring the newly remodeled waterfront live/work district. The architecture and landscaping was beautiful and distinctly reminded me of some of the finer examples of sustainable development we visited in northern Europe in 2010. We stopped for an early dinner at a Mexican restaurant and enjoyed our last night sleeping in a full size bed.
Excited to begin our camping adventure, we rose early the next morning only to learn that our van wouldn't be ready until about noon. We set off in our modified minivan, frustrated with the wait but excited to camp out at our first destination in the Northern Territory outback: Litchfield National Park. After getting groceries and other basics, it took us about three hours to drive to the park, giving us enough time to explore the giant termite mounds and waterfalls nearby. We were fortunate enough to find one of the last campsites left in the entire park (it was high season for Northern Territory) and made dinner at dusk.
Getting on a camping schedule, we woke at sunrise and made eggs for breakfast before driving a couple more hours to Katherine gorge. We spent the whole afternoon walking along the ridge of the incredible canyon, swimming in the refreshing Katherine river and absorbing some Aboriginal culture and history in the park visitor center. That night was the fourth of July and after we chased some cute wallabies away from our hot dogs, we celebrated with a healthy dose of Jack Daniel’s whiskey and Chinese sparklers (the fanfare was quite limited in the rest of the park).
The next three days were spent driving from sunrise to sunset and though it was brutal, some of the scenery was spectacular and Megan and I got to know one another even better after five years together. Just a few days in the outback and we’ve seen huge flocks of grey and pink wild cockatoos, hawks, parrots, parakeets, bats (these looked like small bears with wings), endless termite mounds, and, unfortunately, kangaroo carcasses spread out in the dry, red desert landscape. We kept each other entertained through lots of thoughtful and sometimes bizarre conversation. When we pulled into our first rest area in the middle of nowhere at sunset, we were blown away by the vivid array of colors that streaked the sky at dusk. Some of the most fond memories I have in Australia were spent just looking up at the night sky with Megan at my side and seeing so many stars, it defies imagination. The milky way is so clear and mesmerizing, I swear I could see across the universe. Falling asleep looking at the shooting stars through our sunroof made all that driving through the vast desert worth it. And don’t get me started about the sunrises.
After a quick tour of gold rush-era-restored Charters Towers at the end of the Queensland outback, we made haste through Townsville (I know, right? There's really a city of Townsville) and north along the east coast of Australia. We stopped about an hour from Cairns in a place where a tropical rain forest reaches the beaches in stunning Bingil Bay (also home to many of the endangered, Jurassic-looking cassowaries in Queensland). Luckily enough, we arrived to the waterfront campsite just in time to secure the last spot yet again. After paying for the night, we strolled along the sand and splashed in the lukewarm water before doing laundry and having our first hot shower in almost a week.
We came to Cairns with the intention of diving the Great Barrier Reef and exploring the coastal rain forest. However, an off-season storm lengthened our stay and Cairns rewarded us with a whole lot more to see and experience. On our first day, we made it into town early and headed up a bit further north to ride the five mile-long rain forest skyrail. It was totally surreal, exhilarating and just plain beautiful soaring above the canopy and spotting the big, iridescent blue butterflies. They even had some incredible boardwalks through the forest floor, culminating in an epic waterfall view. The cable car ends in a funky rain forest mountain town called Kuranda which hosts no shortage of souvenir shops selling everything from kangaroo testicles to ten foot didgeridoos. After a traditional Aussie staple of kangaroo pie for lunch, we made the return trip down the mountain with a really nice family from the Gold Coast, with whom we swapped travel stories and political woes.
The next two days were filled visiting the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park and the Cairns Tropical Zoo. The cultural park was fascinating and it answered so many of my questions about Aboriginal history in Australia. It was a great opportunity to discover spectacular dance and didgeridoo performances, learn about foods, medicines and weapons of the Tjapukai people (getting to throw a spear and boomerang was awesome!) and hear their creation stories that have been passed down over thousands of years. Though at times it was cheesy and geared more towards the high school tour groups we were lumped together with, Megan and I found it to be a rewarding learning experience and it sparked dialogue between us about undeniable ‘Disney’ atmosphere of the park. The Cairns Tropical Zoo was another little gem tucked away in a small patch of rain forest north of the city. It was great to have such an intimate, hands-on experience with so many native Australian animals. Megan even got to cuddle a Koala bear! There were tons of great exhibits for such a small zoo and we had a blast at the reptile and bird shows and discovering what perfect predators crocodiles truly are at the afternoon feeding.
The diving we were so looking forward to turned out to be the most expensive and worst dives of our trip - disappointing to say the least. We set off early, well informed of the choppy seas and sub-optimal conditions but optimistic and prepared with multiple doses of motion-sickness pills. After half the boat emptied their breakfasts at the stern, we got our briefing about the dive site and geared up with three other divers. The highlights were feeding a huge, old sea turtle, petting a playful napoleon wrasse (giant fish!) and touring through some epic coral formations. Unfortunately, the visibility was barely five meters, one of the divers in our group was very inexperienced and could not control her buoyancy (she kept floating up and sinking down dangerously fast) and kicked up a bunch of sand off the sea floor while I was taking pictures. After docking back in Cairns, we drove, exhausted, to a free rest stop for the night before making our way to Eungalla National Park the next morning.
It took most of the day to get to Ritch-Thatton gorge inside the park, but it was sure worth it. We spent our evening exploring the surreal rain forest trails near the camp and sat down on the sandy banks of a small river to catch a glimpse of a platypus. Finally, right before we were ready to give up before last light, we saw one swim over some shallow, rocky rapids and into the far side of the calm pool in front of us. After a quick hike in the gorge the next morning, we drove through a lot of nothing to a rest stop in the middle of nowhere. Driving through a whole lot of nothing the next day as well, through extensive logging forest and past no available wifi enabled restaurants (including McDonalds...from Mackay to Rockhampton all ‘Maccas’ free wifi was down). Driving through the early afternoon, we stopped in sunny Rainbow bay for lunch and to stretch our cramped legs. Then, it was onto pretentious Noosaville for the night. We wandered around downtown for a while, ever more conscious of our travel tattered clothes and lax shower habits. We parked in a free spot for the evening, battling mosquitoes and bush turkeys until bed. After an clean, early morning surf, we packed up and drove just a bit further south to Queensland’s young, cosmopolitan capital, Brisbane.
We toured the attractive waterfront and finally found a restaurant willing to trade patronage for internet access (it seemed so easy in SE Asia). After booking our tickets to New Zealand and apprehensively planning the final week of our Australia stay, we drove south of town to a caravan park for the night. Our plan to visit North Stradbroke Island turned out brilliantly. We packed up a lunch, drove to the ferry depot and paid for two round-trip tickets to the huge sand mass and, upon arrival, hopped onto the island’s public bus towards Point Lookout. What a spectacle! Arriving at the last stop, we witnessed multiple humpback whales breaching the water and smacking the deep blue ocean surface with a giant, white-water splash from inside the bus! We walked up a trail to a great outlook and watched juvenile and mature humpbacks endlessly leaping almost completely out of the water. After lunch, we followed another trail loop around the eastern end of the island, around some intimidating cliffs (hosting some crazy fishermen), native bush, and back to the small town. The day ended driving back into Brisbane proper for a tour of the modern city center and our first of few Australian pints of beer.
The next morning we set off past the glitzy high rises of the Gold Coast, across state lines to New South Wales, and into Byron Bay, another surf mecca of Australia. We spent the morning discovering the brilliantly decorated coastline, walking around a stunning natural reserve and lighthouse park and admiring the small but steady stream of waves crashing into the rocks from a lookout. After a stroll around the city’s very Santa Cruz-esque downtown, we hopped back in the van for an hour drive inland to Byron Bay’s older, less mainstream sister, Nimbin. It was an incredibly scenic drive, even with all the potholes we had to dodge. We drove by nice macadamia nut plantations and rolling hills sporting as many vivid shades of green as Bali and some cool rock formations dotting the landscape. It is easy to forget what country (or year) you are in when you enter Nimbin as it is a counter-culture community still clinging to the 1960’s hippie movement with a cool mountain vibe. We visited an enlightening hemp embassy, browsed an impressive art gallery and sipped lattes at a coffee shop before browsing around the cliche gift shops (respectfully declining all the solicitations to purchase cannabis along the way). It’s a funky and iconic, if not isolated, place that has seems to have stood the test of time. We had a nice drive back into Byron Bay, walked around a bit more and made ourselves a delicious quinoa curry dinner in the caravan park kitchen.
At nine o’clock the next morning, we set off for Newcastle to visit my cousin, stopping briefly outside Coffs Harbor for an epic, elevated coastal view and lunch. We made it to Colin’s house by mid-evening and were delighted to find out he had a favorite local Mexican restaurant in mind for us all to enjoy for dinner. What a treat! His friends at the taqueria sure whipped us up some good quesorittos (a burrito wrapped in a quesadilla). We spent the evening at his house, catching up over drinks and poker with his welcoming roommates and friends. The next day, the three of us drove out to Hunter Valley for our first-ever wine tasting. The friendly gentleman at Drayton Family Vineyards gave us a sublime tour of their white, red and port wine selections. Interestingly enough, they make a white port which Megan and I couldn't resist buying at the end of the tasting. We spent a casual Friday evening at Colin’s house watching a mix of TV shows and Australian rules football.
Early the next morning, Megan and I said our sleepy goodbyes to Colin and drove further south and inland to the Blue Mountains. Our first stop was in Glenbrook where we spent the afternoon hiking around the fringe of the Blue Mountains National Park, stopping at a cliffs edge for a birds eye view of the Gorose Valley. Driving further into the park, we parked and walked a few minutes down to Red-hands Cave, a prime sample of Aboriginal rock-art. Hundreds of hand prints of all size and colors, white, yellow, black, but mostly red, stained the small cavern in this protected overhang. We gazed at each hand, some dating back nearly 2,000 years (the tribe that produced them is said to have settled the area for roughly 14,000 years) and pondered the significance of each print. Was it a right of passage, or perhaps done when someone’s life was nearing an end? I am happy to see the Australian government take its cultural heritage seriously and I am confident this treasure will inspire generations of Australians to come.
On the way to Katoomba, there were some amazing views from the road as we passed through the city in the early evening on our way to a free campsite in Megalong Valley. As the road got increasingly windy, the air temperature dropped significantly and the scenery just kept on getting more surreal. Our site was right on a creek in the middle of a massive valley coated with a dense forest.
The next day was spent in Katoomba, running around taking the dozens of surreal vistas. The cold wind nearly knocks the wind out of you and the beauty of the canyons and the forest textured landscape stretches to the horizons and really does take your breath away. Unfortunately, on some of the walks we took, we crossed paths with search and rescue teams hunting down a missing 23 year-old man. I sent my thoughts toward a swift recovery effort in this unforgiving wilderness. After a half-day of hiking and jaw-dropping lookouts, shopping in charming downtown Katoomba stole the rest of our afternoon. We browsed oversized antique shops, hat stores and after a delicious Indian feast for lunch, we sat down on a couch in a cozy cafe for a cup of tea by their fireplace. After one final sunset lookout, we drove, once again, down the long and windy megalong valley road to a different free campsite. We had the entire campground to ourselves and though the temperatures hovered around freezing that night, I've never felt so warm and fuzzy after dinner and hot cocoa.
We woke early the next morning, thawed our hands with tea, cleaned up the van and headed back up to the motorway and set our sights on the robust skyline in the distance, Sydney. Since we had a half-day with the van before we had to return it, we drove straight to Bondi beach and walked along the pristine waterfront. After lunch, we took a scenic drive up a peninsula to the north which rewarded us with some fantastic views of the sapphire Tasman sea and the greater Sydney area to the west. It reminds me of a much larger San Francisco with a better tan. We washed and, reluctantly, returned our van to the rental company and took the train to the circle quay station and ferry terminal.
It is such a handsome city; with the bridge and the opera house right down the street from our hotel, we have all the attractions at our doorstep (thanks to my parents kind donation of a Marriott room once again). After a tour around the crowded opera house plaza, we had dinner at a fantastic Mexican fusion restaurant up the road and we spent the whole evening uploading photos from the hotel’s high speed internet connection.
The following morning, was spent doing a self guided tour of the Rocks, Sydney’s oldest historic neighborhood. We began with the informative free Rocks history museum, filled with information about early Aboriginal settlements, the first convict exile ships and the evolution and transformation of the docks’ neighborhoods. It sits right behind the famous harbor bridge and is a fascinating place to explore for an afternoon, peeling back layer after layer of road and alley networks where you discover shops, cafes, statues and parks that make this city within a city so unique. We eventually made our way over to the old botanical gardens and original Sydney government building for the remainder of the afternoon. Point macquerie was a crowded sunset photo-op that we gladly shared with other tourists, professional photographers and even a soon-to-be-wed couple.
Our last day in Australia, we took a lovely scenic ferry ride to Manley Beach, another sandy stretch of picturesque Sydney coastline. After a casual stroll along the water, we made haste for lunch and a beer at a nearby microbrewery before getting lost in a few jewelry and boutique stores. The rest of the day we made the most of our luxurious room before another few weeks of van camping began. And just like that, with so much more to see and do, our tour of Australia was over.