Australia
We traveled to Australia the last week of November 2003 to see our daughter,
Adriane, who had just completed her term abroad at the University of New
South Wales. New South Wales is the province in which Sydney is located.
This three week stint was the term abroad version of Parent's Weekend.
Our first stop was Coogee, a suburb just outside of Sydney, on the water.
This was the perfect place to hang our hats and you will see why.
From the balcony of our hotel, the Coogee Crown Plaza, the Coogee Beach
Club was in view and out in the distance is Wedding Cake Island (upper
right hand corner). This was definitely a good choice as a place to stay,
close to the beach, 5 minute walk to Adriane's house, and a 40 minute
bus ride to Center Quay (pronounced key) in Sydney.
Here is a view looking at Adriane's house in Coogee (2nd house from right
with red roof sticking out just above the bushes) on the beach.
This was the view out Adriane's bedroom window. Poor child!
A father-daughter bonding moment on Coogee Beach in front of Adriane's
house. You can just see the Coogee Beach Club (upper left-hand corner)
off in the background which was just down the street from our hotel.
Now the favorite parent gets to bond with her daughter! You can get away
with these things when it is your web page!
This is the Coogee Beach Club, one of several swim clubs with tidal swimming
pools that dot the beaches. The pool water is refreshed at high tide.
You cannot go to Australia with out venturing out to the Great Barrier
Reef. Unfortunately, we had 8 foot swells and I got very sea sick but
managed to snorkel one of the reefs.
Marco fared much better and was able to scuba dive (he is facing the
reef on the right).
And why were all of Adriane's house-mates happy to see us? They needed
someone who could cook the Thanksgiving turkey and, after all, if mom
could help cook a Thanksgiving turkey with Tristan and his friends in
Prague, why not Sydney?!
Adriane had to pack up her house with her room-mates so she sent Marco
and I packing to the Blue Mountains. This is the Leura Cascades Trail.
The Bridal Veil Falls were spectacular. Toward the end of the hike, we
began seeing famous people look alikes. It must have been the altitude
but I still swear we saw Geoffrey Palmer in front of the visitors center.
And, I won't even tell you about Harrison Ford (that had to be a double
because he was not with Calista and well before he insulted her dog).
Tristan made sure we did not forget him even though he was at home completing
his first semester for his master's degree. This tree is located in the
Sydney Botanical Gardens.
Oh, bats!!! See the enormous fruit bats dangling from the trees? They
were huge!! Could you imagine walking through this section of the Sydney
Botanical Gardens at night? Although, it might be a good sorority or fraternity
rush activity.
The three of us scaled the Sydney Harbor Bridge. Yup, we walked right
on top of the arches, crossed at the flags in the center of the bridge,
and came down the opposite side.
Here is the famous Opera House which reminded us of our parochial education.
This is an often unseen sight on the Sydney Opera House tour! We heard
the bathrooms become crowded during intermissions, but...or should I say
butt? We caught a glimpse of the stacked toilets in a second floor window
while walking the perimeter of the Opera House.
This is one of America's Cup boats cruising Sydney Harbor one lovely
afternoon!
NEW ZEALAND
After Adriane finished packing up the beach house, we wisked her away
from Sydney, flew to Wellington, NZ,and then ferried across Cooke Strait
to Picton, NZ which is located on the South Island. From Picton, we rented
a car (manual transmission) and drove south (on the wrong side of the
road) to Christchurch.
This sculpture is located outside of the Christchurch Art Museum which
is dedicated to indigenous works of art.
This gorgeous fountain is in the Botanical Gardens in Christchurch, close
to the college.
One day we drove due east of Christchurch to Ankaroa, a tiny fishing
village, which is located at the bottom of the rolling hills.
From Christchurch we made our way north and west to Hamner Springs, a
tiny town in the mountains renown for its natural sulfur hot springs,
not its Christmas parade!
Before dipping into the hot springs, we thought we should make it worth
our while so we ventured off on a horse ride. The weather was absolutely
perfect and hard to believe it was December.
Finally, it was off to Hamner Springs, which has several pools of varying
temperatures, to massage sore muscles. Next door to the Springs was a
mental health facility with a stern notice to would be trespassers. Hmmm...
After departing Hamner Springs we drove north and east to Kaikoura, an
ocean village known for the whales that swim along the shore. The Inn
where we stayed had a beautiful backdrop and we could not resist the photo
op!
Hans and Antoinette were kind enough to offer their hospitality to us
in their newly built home in Wellington, located on the south tip of the
North Island. Wellington Bay is off to the right.
While in Wellington, our friends, Hans and Antoinette, took us to visit
the seals that hang out on the rocks. The seals are behind us. I know
what you are thinking!
Wouldn't you agree that Hans and I have not changed a bit since being
graduate students together in the College of Education at the University
of Illinois?!
Can you find the seals?
And, of course, it would not be New Zealand without seeing a few sheep.
Interestingly, lamb was not a featured item on restaurant menus. The sheep
stations must be too busy exporting the meat or selling entire flocks
on E-Baaaa!
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