Australia

There are few places you can go in the world and instantly recognize where you are. If you see a picture of a cable car, you know you are in San Francisco. The Eiffel Tower tells you are in Paris. So it is when you see this picture, you know you are in the harbor of Sydney, Australia.

I am an opera buff, and had long wanted to visit the famous Opera House. When we decided to go “Down Under”, I pre arranged to attend a performance of Mozart’s “The Magic Flute”, one of my favorites. We sat in the 5th row, center. Best seats in the house. And I couldn’t hear!

When it was first being built, the project was way over budget, and they decided to cut expenses by trimming the money to be spent on baffling sound inside the house. Duh! Fortunately it is being redone. This time, they will get it right.

A huge country, there is so much to see and so many different things to do. Because it is so far away, and the travel time to get there is so long, you are well advised to plan as long a trip as possible. This is not a place to come to for a week or less. We were there for nearly three weeks and didn't begin to scratch the surface, but there are a few outstanding stories to tell:

Somehow, Nancy was able to squeeze into a small submarine in Cairns, and we spent the afternoon under the ocean, enjoying the fabulous sights to be seen along the Great Barrier Reef. While in the area, we went out to Green Island. They have an exceptional habitat museum there, and one of the most interesting exhibits contains several enormous Dundee crocodiles.

To look at the picture doesn’t really capture the essence of being in his presence. This guy is about 18 feet long. Your skin starts to crawl just being on the same continent with him! He looks peaceful enough sunning himself here, but these creatures can MOVE. On their turf, you’re a goner for sure.

Nancy loves wildlife, and Australia possesses some animals which are unique. Probably the most beloved is the cuddly koala bear.

Though not exactly cuddly, no less interesting are Australia's kangaroos. Everyone has seen pictures of these amusing animals, but it is quite different when you are actually in their midst:

There is also World Class scenery, such as this photo of the "Three Sisters" rock formation seen in the Blue Mountains outside Sydney.

Distances between cities are huge. We confined ourselves to travel only along the east coast, hitting Melbourne, Canberra, Sydney, (all in New South Wales), and Cairns, (Queensland), skipping Brisbane. Yes, it would have been nice to go to Alice Springs and Ayers Rock- in the middle of the country, and then on to Perth in the far southwest. But thousands of miles separate the two coasts,  making travel across Australia demanding on the energies of a physically challenged person. 

Distances aside, there is so much here of true wonder that no matter what your favorite interests, you will find no end of pleasure in a visit to this country.