All Good Things Must End

It's time to go home and leave all of this behind, perhaps for another trip someday.  This far off corner of the world, so completely removed from everywhere else has allowed us to see and enjoy things not existing anywhere else on Earth.  It's been a supreme adventure and one that we would recommend to anyone who finds an opportunity to travel here to witness it for themselves.  If that isn't possible we hope that this glimpse into what we have seen will bring you enjoyment and fill you with the awe  that we experienced. Thank you for traveling along with us, we were glad to have you aboard.

Our trip was comprised of eight separate flights consisting of forty-two hours in the air totaling 20,060 miles. The journey included numerous busses, inner-city trains,  taxi-cabs, two gondola rides and miles and miles of walking as our methods of travel.

Here's an abbreviated list of Adventures

1. Weathered cyclone Lusi which arrived just in time to greet us on our arrival in Auckland, New Zealand

2. Quaffed cider with the friendly hobbits at The Green Dragon Inn in The Shire at Hobbiton

3. Explored the world’s youngest geothermal area and witnessed water boiling from the ground at 240 degrees.

4. Performed the Haka war dance with the Maori Tamaki tribe (and ceremonially stuck out a tongue as they did, wow,  Brian did look fierce!)

5. Drove on the left side of the road (with much trepidation both to us and to the natives!)

6. Traversed the incredibly beautiful Cook Straight on a huge ferry between the North Island and South Island of New Zealand

7. Meandered through the Marlborough wine country near the city of Picton, New Zealand on the tip of the South Island

8. Enjoyed a picnic lunch on Lake Rotoiti (with black eels present) at Nelson Lakes National Parks (truly awesome scenery!)

9. Felt the wrath of the Tasman Sea at the Pancake Rocks and Blowholes State Parks

10. Kayaked on lovely Lake Brunner with absolutely no one else in view and in total silence

11. Rode horses overlooking the dramatic Waimakarri Gorge

12. Witnessed the beauty of the city of Christchurch from atop a dormant volcano though the city itself had been devastated by earthquakes.  

13. Felt the charm and the warmth of the great city of Melbourne

14. Experienced life as a criminal at the Old Melbourne Gaol (Jail)

15. Swam with turtles and stingrays and rode in a submersible craft beneath the waters of The Great Barrier Reef

16. Hopped aboard a one hundred year old train for a memorable journey through the hot and wet Kuranda Tropical Rain Forest

17. Napped with kangaroos and wallaby’s at the Taronga Zoo

18. Ferried through the Sydney Harbour.  Then perched high above the city for a view from the Sydney Eye Tower.

19. Travelled from 45 degrees north Latitude to 45 degrees south latitude and back, crossing the equator and the International date line twice.

20. Enjoyed the warmth and sincere welcome of countless friendly and truly accommodating New Zealanders and Australians

...and we'd do it all again, just as soon as we get our breath back!  But where to next?  Hmmm, perhaps we will offer a little hint...

Sydney Opera House, April 1

On our last day in Sydney we enjoyed an amazing tour of the world famous Sydney Opera House. The Sydney Opera House is Australia's most recognizable building and is an icon of Australia's creative and technical achievement. Since its completion in 1973 it has attracted worldwide acclaim for its design and construction, enhanced by its location on Bennelong Point within a superb harbor setting. It is placed right at the end of Bennelong Point, juxtaposed to the harbor and completely to scale in relation to the Harbour Bridge, the sandstone cliff face, Macquarie Street and Circular Quay. Viewed from a ferry, from the air, or by approach on foot, the vision is dramatic and unforgettable.

It took sixteen years to build. Constructed between 1957 and 1973, it  is a masterpiece of modern architectural design, engineering and construction technology in Australia. It exhibits the creative genius of its designer the Pritzker Prize winner Danish architect Jørn Utzon⁵, the successful engineering by the Danish firm Ove Arup and Partners, and the Australian building contractors M R Hornibrook. The completion of the project was overseen by the architects Hall, Todd and Littlemore, and the story of its construction was one of great controversy. Complex engineering problems and escalating costs made it a source of great public debate that only subsided when the beauty and achievement of the completed building placed it on the world stage. The technical challenge of how to construct the roof sails took four years to solve and at first the problem was thought unsolvable, even by Utzon himself. In a rare moment of insight after years of struggle he discovered the secret of how to design and build the structure. It was unlike anything that had ever been built before. The roof sails were based on the geometry of the sphere and Utzon used this to demonstrate the creative potential and the assembly of prefabricated, repeated components. It was seen as a structure at the leading edge of endeavor.

Just a few of the 1,056,006 tiles on the roofs.  Only when this close can one see that the tiles are two different colors and finishes.

The inside of the building is in multiple levels of soaring girders and steel specifically designed to support the outside shells that comprise the unique design of the structure. The interior walls and ceilings are finished in Australian Birch in warm shades of "reddish brown".  The design of the building, with its soaring white roof shell shaped sails atop a massive red granite platform, has been internationally acclaimed as an architectural icon of the 20th century. As a dominant sculptural building that can be seen and experienced from all sides, it is the focal point of Sydney Harbour and a reflection of its character.The outside shells are finished in handcrafted tiles made in Denmark specifically for this project. The white tiles finished to a high gloss, tan tiles have been left with a rougher finish. All one million, fifty six thousand and six tiles were handcrafted to specific dimensions and angles of curve.

Check out the purple carpet.  According to the tour guide, it is not well liked by many.  Also notice the Sydney Harbour Bridge in the windows.

The inside of the Opera house features multiple auditoriums, the largest of which seats 2700 people and houses the worlds largest pipe organ. The  picture shown here will offer a view of that auditorium and the appearance of the sensationally beautiful wood interior of most of the building. 

PIctures were not allowed inside the performance halls - but the tour was kind enough to sell us some images of us superimposed on some inside pictures.

Sydney, April 1

Sydney is the state capital of New South Wales and the most populous city in Australia. It is located on Australia’s southeast coast, on the Tasman Sea. In June 2010 the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people. Inhabitants of Sydney are called Sydneysiders.  Good thing the city is not named Apple.

The residents are comprised of a cosmopolitan and widely diverse international population. The predominant number are English speaking Australians primarily of British descent. Also present are those of Asian, East Indian and Aboriginal descent, primarily in the larger cities. The  preponderance of the Aborigine people continue to reside in the vast open “outback” interior of the continent. They have an identity as a people proud of their heritage and retaining their life style rooted in extreme reverence for the land.

We thought that we had finally figured out that it was necessary to walk on the left side of the sidewalk in Australia to avoid bumping into people but once we arrived in Sydney we discovered that we were once again completely out of step. The Sydneysiders still walk on the left side of the sidewalk but because this city is so large it draws a significant number of tourists from a vast array of countries where some walk on the left, some on the right and some right down the middle. It is not unlike attempting to walk through the tines of a large fork. Bumping into people and getting bumped into is inevitable and we just do our best to keep on our feet.  

To get acquainted with the city we boarded a hop-on-hop-off tour bus that circumnavigates the town stopping at most of the points of interest within the city. 

Some tour-bus American posing as a bloke

Martin Place building - this is where we had the best steaks of our lives (hands down!) 

Finally, to enjoy the scenic city a trip up the Sydney Eye tower at dusk was in order.  The tower is the tallest building in Sydney but compared to towers in other cities it is relatively short.  However, the views were still fantastic and well worth the trip up.  The harbour weaves in and out of the city making it one of the most picturesque cities we have been in.

View from Sydney Eye tower

Sunset from Sydney Eye tower

Another view from the Sydney Eye tower

Taronga Zoo, Sydney, New South Wales, March 31

 Can one go to Australia without seeing a kangaroo?  Certainly not!  But since we have failed to do so up to this point we decided to take in the world-renowned Taronga Zoo in Sydney.  As a side note, nine of the ten most deadly animals in the world reside in Australia.  Hopefully, those of the nine that live in the zoo are well contained.  The Taronga Zoo is home to kangaroos, wallabies, koala bears, platypuses, lemurs, echidnas and many, many more critters.  It is a very well done zoo. Although the San Diego Zoo is larger, the Taronga Zoo is done better.  It is laid out well and the exhibits are top notch.  Plus the views from the zoo cannot be beat.

View of the Sydney Harbour from the Taronga Zoo

Napping Koala Bear  

Napping Red Kangaroos

Two blokes and lazy Red Kangaroos

White-lipped Tree Frogs

Brush-tailed Rock-wallaby

Red-necked Wallabies - we guessed this pair just filed for divorce

Napping Bongos

Komodo Dragon 

Sailfin Lizard

Little Penguin

Little Penguin

Kuranda Rain Forest, the "Tropical North" of Queensland, March 29

Golden Orb spider

The tropical rainforests of Far Northern Queensland are among the oldest on earth. They are home to an incredible array of plants and animals. Twelve hundred species of flowering plants, eight hundred different rainforest trees,spectacular orchids, Strangler figs, exotic palms and hundreds of unique creatures inhabit this lush green world. This is the largest remaining wet rain forest on the planet. The Kuranda rainforest is the only surviving wet rain forest in Australia and is dated at 120 million years of age. This panorama is similar to what our planet looked like long before the forerunners of man crept out the sea and while prehistoric creatures still roamed the earth.

We opted for a ride on the world’s longest tram, known as the “Skycar”, 4.7 miles in length and travelling high above the jungle floor below. The tram travels uphill to the village of Kuranda. The cars suspended by cable high above the rain forest and the rivers that we crossed below teemed with “Freshy” crocodile”. “Freshies”, as their name implies, inhabit fresh water and brackish rivers as opposed to “Salties” in the ocean. The town of Kuranda was replete with countless souvenir shops and small restaurants but there was nothing much else to see or do.  

The return trip offered a second option, a journey aboard a 100-year-old train. The trip took us down the mountain alongside the sheer rim of steep gorges that dropped away into thin air just three or four feet from the side of the train. The ride took us past steeply plunging waterfalls and through sections of the steamy rain forest filled with colorful tropical birds and giant blue butterflies.

Barron Falls

Completion of the railroad in 1886 required fifteen hundred workers, laboring daily throughout long hot, steamy days using only picks, shovels and dynamite as methods to break through the rocky surface.  The narrow gauge railroad travelled through fifteen hand-hewn tunnels, 58 bridges and 98 curves, some suspended high in the air. Gold had been discovered in the area in 1883, that was the impetus for the arduous three-year construction.  Numerous lives were lost due to dangerous work conditions and it is suspected that far more died as a result of snakebites and encounters with other predator species that continue to inhabit the region. 

At dusk in downtown Cairns we were surprised to find thousands of Lorikeets flocking to a single tree chirping loudly and continuously.  The picture is underexposed since this photo was taken at dusk but you can still see the beautiful bright colors of the birds.  It was a truly impressive display of nature. 

Just a small number of Lorikeets hanging out for happy hour

The Great Barrier Reef, Cairns, Queensland, March 28

We’re enjoying our visit to Cairns but this is certainly the hottest and most humid location we’ve visited. The temperature is hovering in the low to mid-nineties with a humidity rate of near 100%. This is northern Australia’s tropical zone and we have arrived at the tail end of their summer, the wettest season of the year. It’s drizzled lightly on a few occasions but for the most part the moisture simply hangs heavily in the air. Cairns is located at the northeast corner of Australia, near the top of the country bordering on the Coral Sea. We’re near the equator and it is lush and tropical.

Early on our first full day in Cairns we boarded a catamaran that ferried us to Green Island, fifteen nautical miles offshore.  Green Island is part of the Great Barrier Reef rising above the sea.  

Green Island on the Inner Reef

The Great Barrier Reef extends more than fifteen hundred miles down the eastern coast of Australia.  Green Island was selected for reef viewing because it is considered relatively safe from predators. The “Salty” crocodiles do occupy the water, as do the deadly “Box jelly fish” and people are warned to remain alert. The water is safer on the island reef than on the shore of the mainland where signs are posted that warn of crocodile attacks and against venturing into the water. We donned snorkel gear provided after assurances that the danger level was low, and swam off the beach and out into deeper water to observe the world’s most famous coral reef up close. The Great Barrier Reef and the Great Wall of China are the only two objects on earth that can be viewed unaided from the moon. As we approached slightly deeper water we found ourselves swimming across beds of live coral as the white sandy ocean bottom dropped slowly away beneath us. Brian quickly spotted a large turtle just a few feet away and later was surprised to see a stingray appear just six feet away.  (That sucker was big too.)

Creatures identified as sea cucumbers were seen lying among the numerous colorful beds of coral. As we swam further from shore enormous rust colored brain coral slipped by only feet beneath the surface. Far spreading beds of long golden fern-like coral gently swayed back and forth with the ocean current. The coral is alive and touching it not only kills it but can result in serious skin abrasions, in places it is razor sharp.  Snorkelers were advised to enjoy it from a safe distance to protect themselves and the coral.

An option was available to go beneath the sea in a submersible craft that featured large windows completely surrounding the hull under the water line. That was too much for me to pass up so I enjoyed a thirty-minute breathtaking journey while Brian elected to continue snorkeling. From beneath the water the teeming sea life was right there in front of me, sometimes brushing against the window. 

The semi-submersible submarine

View from the semi-sub

Melbourne, March 25-26

View from the balcony

What a wonderful and vibrant city!  Four and a half million people call this sparkling and charming city home. We arrived to discover a sizeable modern city with a spectacular downtown skyline featuring a large number of very tall, gleaming, glass and steel skyscrapers. We took a taxi from the airport to our lodgings on the 13^th floor of the Plum Service Apartments in the Southbank area of downtown. We were pleasantly surprised to find an ultra modern furnished apartment featuring a balcony offering a postcard like view from high above downtown.

Same view from balcony, morning and night

Melbourne reminds us in many ways of a smaller Chicago. The Yarra river divides the south side of the city from the other sections and as one stands on the bridge looking up and down the river and past the multiple bridges it gave me a feeling of déjà vu as if we were standing on the Michigan Avenue bridge and looking north up the Chicago river. 

Melbourne’s downtown skyline is filled with a vast array of gleaming glass and steel skyscrapers soaring high into the air. There are multiple construction cranes sprinkled across the skyline indicating the construction of many more ultra modern buildings soon to come. This is a growing, alive and very modern thriving major city.

Flinders Train Station

The transit system in the city is superb. Melbourne has collected many vintage streetcars from various places around the world and has incorporated them into a “free loop” around the center section of the city to allow residents and visitors to travel easily and at no expense. The cars are of different ages and various colors. The insides are all wood, reminiscent of the streetcars of my early childhood in Chicago.  Many of the cars are close to a hundred years old, some older still and they add a colorful image as they clang their bells while moving throughout the city. The tracks are shared with an ultra modern metro car system that charges a nominal amount for their fare. It’s never necessary to wait for more than a few minutes to catch a ride on the next car.

We chose to take an inexpensive “around the city” tour bus that allowed us to get on and off of the busses as we chose. The tour busses stopped at sixteen different locations and ran every thirty minutes. It provided and excellent method of viewing many of the different attractions. There is so very much to see, all of it interesting.  The pictures attached will provide an overview of what we enjoyed.

The Old Melbourne Gaol (Gaol = Jail).

St. James Cathedral

The Shrine of Remembrance that honors the memory of Australian lives lost in the Great War (World War I)

View of Melbourne from The Shrine

Victorian architecture next to the Australian stock exchange

Chloe

As mid-afternoon arrived we found we were both tiring and stopped for a late lunch at the oldest pub in Melbourne, Young's and Jackson’s, in business continuously since 1861. A floor to ceiling size oil painting entitled “Chloe”, has hung on the walls of this famous establishment for more than a century. It was painted in 1875 and features a beautiful and wistful young woman gazing off into the distance as if waiting for her lover. The subject of the painting was only eighteen years old when the work was done. She suffered from unrequited love and the painting portrays that eloquently.  We were informed that in real life the young woman’s lover never returned and that she had tragically decided to end her life on her twenty first birthday by ingesting the ground up sulfur from a large quantity of match heads, a rather sad, unusual and somewhat bizarre method it would seem.

Christchurch, New Zealand, March 23

We started the day by taking a gondola to a point high above Christchurch atop a dormant (we hoped) volcano. On one side we viewed the city and on the other the town of Lyttleton.  Unfortunately we did not have the time to explore the beautiful Lyttleton side so we settled for a bird's eye view from the top. It was quite lovely!

We have visited many wonderful and strikingly beautiful locations in New Zealand, the city of Christchurch being our southernmost and final destination in the country. 

Christchurch is a large and lovely city with many spacious parks and interesting neighborhoods. In September 2010 a major earthquake struck the city. The massive earthquake destroyed many buildings and damaged considerably more but because it occurred at 4:30 AM the loss of life was minimal. A second significant earthquake struck five months later in February 2011. Many of the buildings that had been damaged during the first earthquake but had been deemed safe subsequently collapsed. Because the quake occurred in mid-day the loss of life on this occasion was very high.

It has been more than three years since the last earthquake but the downtown district still looks as if it had been recently bombed, much like Berlin must have appeared a few years after the end of the second world war. Most of the buildings in the downtown district and nearby areas completely collapsed, trapping those inside. Most of the remaining structures were subsequently determined to be uninhabitable and had to be razed. A significant number of empty and partially destroyed buildings still dot the city, all surrounded by high chain link fencing.  Fenced open lots, some still strewn with broken rubble and the sites of large buildings, are now mostly cleared away and empty. The fenced off open spaces stretch on and on for block after block. The primary focus remains to continue to clear away the debris. Just finding a location out of the city to dump the rubble and moving it must have been a monumental task.  Here and there, every few blocks, new buildings are slowly beginning to rise. Manpower is short but the efforts are herculean.

We stayed in a small B & B in a quaint “Victorian era” neighborhood near downtown. It too had suffered damage but had been repaired and was now ascertained to be tenable. Six buildings on the same side of the street however had suffered much more severe damage and had consequently been razed and removed. On the other side of the street every single lot was empty from one end of the block to the next.

The city is continuing the struggle to clear the fallen debris but still have more than fifty major buildings that require demolition. The work goes on but it's going to be a long tough haul for the citizens of Christchurch to rebuild this once beautiful city.

We strolled through downtown late yesterday afternoon. What must have once been a strikingly attractive and modern area was now mostly empty and replete with fenced off open cleared lots. We found it sad and very depressing to witness their loss and consequently, out of respect for all those who have died and suffered,  have decided to honor them by taking no personal pictures of the devastation. Christchurch will surely require decades to rebuild. We decided to add a link to the photos that were published worldwide shortly after the earthquake. If you would care to view those photos from the second earthquake, click on or copy and paste the link below into your browser. It will speak to you more eloquently than we could  ever begin to describe:

https://www.google.com/search?q=christchurch+earthquake+2011&espv=210&es_sm=91&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=AxsxU82tDeaQiAev74DIAg&sqi=2&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=1280&bih=679