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Australia - A Trip Report As I Go

On 3/23 my friend and I took off from Portland to begin our journey to Australia. Why would I fly from Portland when I live in Northern California? Because I had been in Washington visiting family and my friend lives in Portland. I have only traveled in economy, but she insisted that we fly business class. I savored the experience because after this trip it will probably never happen again. We arrived in Melbourne in the morning on 2/25 and we spent the day exploring. I try to keep moving on arrival day. We settled into our rental apartment, walked down the street for dinner and when we returned to the apartment I showered and was in bed by 7:30. An 18 hour time difference is brutal.

We are staying on Flinders St. and there is so much to see within walking distance. Considering we didn’t get into town until about 10:30 or so we walked about 6 miles. We primarily stayed outside, but had lunch at a nice little tea house and went to the Old Melbourne Gaol. There are many Lane Ways that feature murals painted on the sides of the buildings. The back door of our apartment building opens up to one of the most famous ones. Melbourne is a large modern city with some interesting architecture, but there are plenty of old buildings in the mix.

Posted by
1730 posts

not the OP Andrea

(I think I'll add that to any of my replies so nobody confuses us)

Sounds like a terrific start! And business class too; I'm envious. I always say it isn't nice that you have to walk past those cocoons to get to your seat in economy. What airline?

My niece taught in Melbourne for awhile and she loved it. Was visiting her parents at their condo in Florida for Christmas and met a Florida man... you know the story. They're married now.

Looking forward to more. Are you going to Tasmania?

Posted by
1784 posts

Bookmarking to follow. I'm heading to Australia in 3 months.

Posted by
34837 posts

I have very good friends here who have been doing a (winter here, summer in Oz) trip each year for the last few to Melbourne and Sydney - they were married in Sydney about 30 some years ago.

We have lots of stories about both, I'm glad you get to be in that environment.

Have a wunnerful time.

Posted by
446 posts

Good morning, another wonderful autumnal day in the sports capital of Australia.

Enjoy

Regards Ron

Posted by
346 posts

I’m looking forward to following your live trip report. Have a great time!

Posted by
10868 posts

@Andrea, thanks for the inspiration for my doing this trip report. I’ve never done one in the past.

As far as business class, it’s a one trip thing. I would say the biggest plus was that I actually got some sleep on the plane. That was nice, but I always manage even without sleep. I enjoyed the experience but honestly I’m too cheap to spend that much money for short term satisfaction. I would rather sit in the back of the plane and spend that money on the trip itself. I’m flying United.

We leave for Tasmania on Sunday. We are spending 4 nights there.

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10868 posts

geovagriffith, we are going on a Great Ocean Road tour tomorrow and I’m looking forward to it. I was hoping to see the penguins but the friend I’m traveling with wasn’t interested and we have been plenty busy here.

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10868 posts

Tassie Devil, thank you. You are right about the beautiful weather, though it’s a bit more humid than I’m used to. Friday should be the hottest day. We are going to a football game on Saturday and I’m happy that it will cool off a bit for that. We will arrive in Hobart on Sunday to cooler weather. If you have any restaurant recommendations I would welcome them.

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10868 posts

Eatsrootsandleaves, thanks for the welcome. So far we have been in the CBD (I will elaborate in my next post) but tomorrow we are taking a tour of the Great Ocean Road. I’m looking forward to seeing nature. We go to a football game at the MCG on Saturday and we leave on Sunday.

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10868 posts

To say we have been very busy is an understatement.

On Wednesday, our first full day we walked to the Royal Botanical Gardens and spent a couple of hours exploring there. We saw some very unique and interesting plants there. We then walked to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) and took a tour of the stadium. It is the largest stadium in the Southern Hemisphere and we got a behind the scenes look at it. We are going to a football game there on Saturday and the guide showed us the section that we will be sitting in. Australian Rules Football is very different from American football and when I watched a game on TV before coming here it made no sense to me what was happening. Hopefully I’ll understand it better once I see it in person. We walked through Fitzroy Gardens on our way to pick up tickets for a play that night, then stopped at a pub for lunch before doing some more sightseeing. We enjoyed seeing Jesus Christ Superstar. We walked 10 miles that day and I was definitely feeling it by the time we got back.

Today, Thursday, we went to the Queen Victoria Market and wandered around there. Next stop was Melbourne Museum where we had to wade though the crowds queued up to get into the Melbourne International Flower Show. I enjoyed learning about the Aboriginal culture and I am impressed that we have repeatedly heard about the First People and that this land belongs to them. I understand the dark history about what happened to them in the past, but it seems like there is an attempt to correct things. I wish I could say the same about how the U.S. treats Native Americans. We finished up at the Immigration Museum. I was sad to see that the immigration experience here mirrors ours. We walked almost as much today as we did yesterday and I’m relieved that Friday we are doing a day tour to the Great Ocean Road. I think I’ll welcome some time in a vehicle because my feet could use a rest.

Posted by
493 posts

Glad you are going to the footy. It is a religion in Victoria. I was going to suggest going to Marvel Stadium for the Carlton v Bulldogs game tomorrow night. The MCG is a more impressive stadium. The Demons (Melbourne) are not as big a crowd puller as some of the other Melbourne clubs. With an interstate opponent it won't be a big crowd.

The GOR as a daytrip, I am guessing the turnaround will be Port Campbell. You will get to see some impressive scenery but it will be long day of driving. I usually take 3 days just to get to Port Campbell but of course I don't have the tight timeframe of the international tourist. Hopefully you get a bit of time at Loch Ard Gorge, great spot, great story.

You have been busy that's for sure.

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10868 posts

Friday was a busy and wonderful day. We did a 12 hour tour of the Great Ocean Road with the Hit The Road Tours company. We did a tour that was given in reverse that helped shorten the trip and avoid the crowds at the usual stops. The tour had a maximum of 11 people so it helped us be more nimble as we went from place to place as well. Thankfully everyone was always back to the van on time at our stops. The group consisted of 8 Americans, one Australian (she was the cousin of one of the American women, one woman from Lima and one man from Marseille. Our guide, Chris, was very knowledgeable and took us to some off the beaten path areas for better opportunities to see wildlife. We were picked up at the meeting point dark and early and our itinerary was stops at Loch Ard Gorge, Port Campbell, Twelve Apostles (breaking news, there were never 12), Razorback, London Bridge, a rainforest, and stops to find koalas and kangaroos in the wild. We also spotted a wallaby on the side of the road and cockatoos at a beach stop. The Great Ocean Road on the southeastern coast of Australia looks so much like the Northern California coast that I could have sworn that I was at home. We stopped in a cute town called Apollo Bay for lunch (we sat with the people from France and Peru and had an interesting conversation with them) and then later in the afternoon we stopped for some very delicious ice cream. There was a fair amount of van time but we made a lot of stops and I still managed to walk 7 miles and climb 17 floors of stairs. I’m hoping that Saturday is a bit more chill. 🤞🏼

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10868 posts

Tassie Devil, I would like to believe that I am rising in the dark morning hours here because I’m jet lagged, but sadly it’s a daily occurrence at home as well. It doesn’t matter how late I go to bed or how busy the previous day has been I’m cursed to wake up early, usually between 3:00 - 5:00.

Posted by
4833 posts

The Fitzroy Gardens are also beautiful.

Posted by
5701 posts

the southeastern coast of Australia looks so much like the Northern California coast

Hmmm, ok then, since I can't make it to Australia any time soon, perhaps it's time for a drive along the Northern California coast to pretend!

Have a great trip, Andrea! I'll try to follow along, and catch up for real after we're both back in CA!

Posted by
10868 posts

CWsocial, all you have to do is drive north on Hwy 1 a bit.

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10868 posts

Saturday was our last day in Melbourne and it was as busy as the other days. There was an event this weekend down the street from us at Federation Square that was all about sweets. There were many vendors, each offering a different menu. It started at 10 and the lines were already long at many of them. After that we went to a museum there that showcased Aboriginal fiber and fabric creations. Next stop, the National Gallery of Victoria. We left there to make our way to the MCG for the Australia Football game. The home team was the Melbourne Demons. Spoiler alert, they lost big time. We stayed through the 3rd quarter and then headed to the Central Business District (CBD) to go to a comedy show. The comedy festival began a couple of days ago and runs for almost a month. We saw Ruby Wax, who is American. She was funny!! Afterwards we had dinner and went back to the apartment to get things together for our morning departure to the airport.

Sunday morning we flew from Melbourne to Hobart, Tasmania. The Virgin Australia flight was very comfortable and the flight was just over an hour. We took the Skybus into town, where conveniently there was a stop directly in front of our hotel. We settled in, got a little lunch and later walked down by the water. I can already tell I’m going to like it here.

Monday we took a great tour that lasted all day. The first stop was Mt. Field National Park. We hiked through woods that took us through the tallest flowering trees on earth, two waterfalls and lots of beautiful ferns. Our next stop was Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Among the animals we saw were a wombat, Tasmanian Devil, kangaroos and Pademelons. We got to interact with the kangaroos, feeding them and petting them. We continued on to the historic town of Richmond. There we had lunch at an Hungarian restaurant. We were surprised that there was no actual Hungarian food on the menu. Oh well, it was good anyway. After we at we had some time to explore the town. Our final stop was Mount Wellington. We covered a lot of ground and enjoyed seeing the Tasmanian countryside. They have many vineyards here and harvest season is beginning.

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Tuesday morning we went to the Cascades Female Factory, the prison built for the women and children convicts. Between 1788 and 1853 over 25,000 women and girls were transported to Australia for their crimes. About half of them came to Tasmania. This prison operated from 1828 to 1856. It was a hard life for those incarcerated here, some for the serious crime of stealing bread. Many of the crimes would be minor by our standards.

When we were done we were picked up there by a member of this forum and he drove us around the area south of Hobart. We saw stunning scenery and had a nice lunch at a pub. He then took us to meet his family. They were all wonderful and his grandchildren may be the most polite kids I’ve ever met. Thanks for a wonderful afternoon, Tassie Devil.

Posted by
3121 posts

Glad to hear that you've included Tasmania in your itinerary.
Am sure that TD will keep you occupied with lots of great suggestions, but I'd like to put in a plug for a few places - time and interest permitting: a day trip over to Port Arthur would be well worth your time. The ruins of the old penitentiary are interesting and the peninsula in general is quite pretty.
Freycinet National Park is spectacular and features a number of scenic (easy) hikes. The one heading down to Wineglass Bay is a particular favorite.
Cradle Mountain/Lake St. Claire is another favorite - we make it a point to stay there whenever we're in Tassie ourselves.
It's all gorgeous, and with Tassie Devil providing local color commentary you're in for a real treat.

Posted by
493 posts

Onya Ron (Tassie Devil)!
Yep 2 great spots in Tassie there Robert. Andrea won't have the opportunity but for anyone looking through this for future planning Cradle Mountain Overland Track is a magnificent week-long hike.
Also Freycinet offers some great overnight hiking opportunities.

Of course they are just a couple among many 100s of great wild hikes in Tassie.
.

Posted by
493 posts

I am glad you visited the Women's Factory Andrea. I am a bit cautious about recommending it to overseas visitors as it is quite minimalist and I know some aren't so much into our 19th century history. I found it fascinating.
My father's great grandfather arrived in Tasmania aboard a convict ship in 1827 after his death sentence was commuted. So for me the 19th century convict history is of great interest.

Posted by
446 posts

Thanks Wombat

Had a great time with the ladies. I did let them into the real meaning of Eatsrootsandleaves. Last month also shared with TexasTravelMom. Will not find that in any tourist guidebook!

They also learnt that I am a rubbish tour guide. Should stick to finance and law. The first two places I took them to for lunch were closed. And I had trouble finding the plaque to Admiral Bruni D’Entrecasteaux near Gordon. But did manage to remember how to get back to my house for a few nibblies and take them back to their hotel in town.

Regards Ron

Addendum

Pleased to read about your convict heritage. That is exciting. Mine is mundane.

Posted by
493 posts

Haha you've blown my cover Ron.
On the family heritage thing my great grandfather on Mum's side was known to Banjo Patterson and considered one of the finest high country horseman in the day. One of Mum's cousins was a premiership captain for Carlton and played Ned Kelly in a movie. His brother won the "Changi Brownlow" as a POW. An interesting family history.

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10868 posts

eatsrootsandleaves, one of the things I enjoy about traveling is to learn the history. Sometimes history is uncomfortable, but it is still good to know so as to not repeat it.

Even though Ron was a rubbish tour guide (he really wasn’t) it was still nice to hang out with him. Lol!

Nigel, it is very nice to make new friends. It’s also nice to see old friends and I look forward to seeing you and your lovely wife later this year.

Posted by
10868 posts

Wednesday we took a day tour to Port Arthur, with a few stops on the way there, including a chocolate shop and a lavender farm. Port Arthur is a UNESCO heritage site, as was the Cascades Female Factory. It was established in 1830 as a penal settlement and after the convicts were no longer transported here they used the buildings to accommodate convict invalids, paupers and ‘lunatics’. The site has continued to evolve since then. Just as with the Women’s Factory it is difficult to see places where people suffered. This is the last day in Tasmania and I have really enjoyed it here.

Thursday we moved on to our next destination, Brisbane. The day was an uneventful travel day and we are now settled into an apartment for a few days before we go on a tour.

Posted by
5155 posts

Hahaha! I was trying to be good and mind my own business. LOL!

And Ron is not a rubbish tour guide. Had a really great day!

Yes, Nigel, new friends are fun!

Posted by
34837 posts

I wish Ron visited here, I could show him a few closed foodie places.

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10868 posts

TTM I only called him that because he kept referring to himself that way. We really had a wonderful time.

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10868 posts

Friday we took a boat trip to and from Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. Not only did we see plenty of koala, we saw wombats, kangaroos, wallabies, Tasmanian Devils and more. It was a fun way to spend the day. After we returned we went to the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and found a place for dinner. The weather is going to heat up tomorrow and it will be humid. I’m not really looking forward to that.

Posted by
146 posts

Andrea - Your trip report is wonderful. Sounds like you are having such a good time. You make all of us envy your energy and application.....oh my! I was really impressed with Brisbane's convention area. There seemed to be much to offer and the area was so clean. We ate at a place called Felons Brewery on the river. It was fun and family friendly and I guess we know where the name came from! It was a beautiful (if hot) time of year. Thanks for sharing. Hope you have a safe (it's soooo long) trip home!!!

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5155 posts

LOL, Andrea - you know I am teasing you. :)

I’m loving the trip report! But now you are getting to new animal locations I didn’t see and I’m jealous! Ha!

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10868 posts

Saturday was uneventful. We had to buy a few things to prepare for the tour and gear up for changing locations on Sunday. We did go to a restaurant called Stilts for a delicious dinner overlooking the river.

Sunday morning my friend wanted go to church, so I accompanied her. After that we walked through the City Botanical Garden and stumbled across a farmers market just outside of it. Sarah bought a few small things for people and we decided to get lunch at a Venezuelan booth at the market. After that we went back to the apartment to finish packing up. Soon we were on to the Apartment to start our tour. https://viatravel.com.au/tour/brisbane-to-daintree-rainforest-9-day-boutique-tour/

There is a maximum of 16 people on the tour, but we discovered when we arrived there are actually 4 people going. The other 2 people are only going from Brisbane to Cairns, so after that we will be getting essentially a private tour.

After we woke up Monday and had breakfast on the first full day of the tour we went to the airport to fly to the Whitsunday Coast Airport. Let the tour really begin! We will be staying at a hotel in Airlie Airlie Beach.

Tuesday we had a snorkel and beach day at the island of Whitsunday. This included a bit of rough waters as we boated there and back. I am prone do seasickness and I even started a thread about how to manage this. Happily I did just fine with a patch behind my ear and wristbands. I carried ginger chews with me just in case but never needed them. We are only two nights here and in the morning we will start moving further north. https://community.ricksteves.com/travel-forum/packing/sea-sickness-remedies

Our tour guide is Irish, but has lived in Australia for 20 years and has lead tours all over the world. He’s super nice and definitely has the gift of gab. He also is a guide for some OAT tours. I wasn’t sure how i would like doing a tour, but considering we are such a small group I think it will be fine.

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10868 posts

Thanks, jody, I hope you continue to enjoy the report.

Posted by
446 posts

Pleased to read you have a professional tour guide who knows what he is doing and where he is taking you.

Regards Ron

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10868 posts

Thanks Nigel. I’m hoping I have enough time tomorrow to catch up. I’ll be up early to snorkel at the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow so I need to get some sleep.

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10868 posts

Wednesday was a travel day. Heading north we made a few quick stops on our way to Mission Beach. The next morning we left for the long drive to our next destination, traveling through the Atherton Tablelands our way to Cairns. We stopped by a beautiful waterfall. These fall have been used in many movies, TV shows and commercials. Often the tour groups have the opportunity to get in the water here but the weather wasn’t great so we moved on to Lake Eacham. This crater lake is filled solely by rain water. After that we stopped to see a massive Curtain Fig Tree before arriving in Cairns.

Friday was the day we were really anticipating, snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. The Whitsundays snorkeling was really great. It was a beautiful sunny day. The reef there is at the southern end of the GBR. Going from Cairns is the location most people choose to snorkel and scuba dive. It was about a 1.5 hour boat trip to the reef. It was a very cloudy day and water was pretty rough. Finally we made it to our destination and were in the water. Maybe because of the cloud cover but we didn’t see as many fish and the coral wasn’t very vibrant. We did have a turtle swimming amongst us for a while and I saw a jellyfish. Some people on the boat saw some small sharks. After returning to the hotel we all took showers and went to a wonderful Italian restaurant for our farewell dinner. For the only other people on the tour tonight was their last night. We will see them again because they are staying for additional nights in Cairns, so we will have another farewell dinner with us all when we return to Cairns for our last night on our tour. Saturday is the beginning of what will now be our private tour.

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10868 posts

Thanks to everyone for their kind comments.

Posted by
4470 posts

Andrea, just got back from Japan and am catching up reading posts. Your trip report was a fun way to keep us informed of your wonderful adventure. Australia is one place we probably won’t get to, even though we have family there, but you did a great job of putting thoughts into my head for a trip someday.

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10868 posts

Saturday we headed north to the Wet Tropics of Queensland, a World Heritage Site. First we stopped to take the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway up to the top of the rainforest. Our tour guide dropped us off and met us at the top with the car. We stopped off at two places along the way to walk. It was incredible soaring above the trees as far as the eye could see. We were able to see Barron Falls amongst other things. We also went to a bird sanctuary and a butterfly sanctuary. On Sunday we continued north to Mossman Gorge at Daintree National Park. We took a walk with an aboriginal guide who explained their culture and demonstrated traditional ways of doing things. Monday we went to where the rainforest meets the sea before going to the oldest part of the rainforest. The Daintree rainforest is 180 million years old, 10 million years older than the Amazon. It’s surreal being here and having this experience. We were given a tour of the oldest part of the forest and finished the day going on a Crocodile boat tour before heading back to Cairns for our last night. After a second farewell dinner with the couple that were on the first part of the tour and our most excellent guide we said our farewells. I wasn’t sure what to expect from the tour since it was my first one and I found I thoroughly enjoyed it. Granted there were only 2 other people and the last few days it was just us, but we really bonded with the other tour mates and the guide. I know we had experiences we never would have had on our own. Today we are off to Sydney for our last part of the trip. Our guide was also traveling home via Sydney on a different flight and he surprised us by coming to our gate and hanging out with us until we boarded. I think he’s going to miss us. Lol! He gave us a lot of good tips for our time in Sydney. When we arrived at our aparthotel we registered and went up to the apartment. We opened the door and heard water running. When we walked in we discovered the apartment was flooded. We immediately went down to the lobby and reported it and they kindly gave us an upgraded apartment with a city view. It’s a large space, which is nice after sharing a room for the last 10 days. I’m looking forward to beginning our exploration of Sydney tomorrow.

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10868 posts

TTM, it has gone by fast! Only 3 full days left.

Posted by
34837 posts

good on that aparthotel company. That could have been awful!

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10868 posts

Nigel, I do like to rent apartments and thankfully this place had another apartment for us. It makes me second guess the apartments I have reserved for my upcoming 11 week trip in the Fall. I might see if I can find alternative aparthotels in those locations.

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1467 posts

Andrea, I have been following along with you on this epoch trip, soon to come to a close. 3 weeks really flies by and I’m sure you will fill us all in during the next International Zoom call. Meantime, have fun in Sydney.

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10868 posts

Wednesday morning we set off to explore Sydney. We walked through Hyde Park and through the Central Business District before going to the harbor. We decided to take a ferry to Watsons Bay for lunch and checked out more things in the harbor area before heading back to Surry Hills for dinner at a Polish restaurant.

Thursday we went to Paddy’s Market to buy a few souvenirs for people at home and after dropping our purchases at the apartment we walked a couple of blocks away to a Mexican restaurant. This neighborhood really has everything and I think it was a good choice to stay in Surry Hills. We went to a museum in The Rocks and to the Royal Botanical Garden. Not only is the garden beautiful, but if you walk to what they call The Point you get a great view of the Opera House and the bridge. Unfortunately the sun was positioned so that it made it hard to get good photos. Speaking of the Opera House, in the evening we went to a play there. We saw RBG: One of Many, about Ruth Bader Ginsburg. It was a one woman show and the actress was excellent. https://www.sydneytheatre.com.au/whats-on/productions/2025/rbg-of-many-one-2025 The actress deservedly got a standing ovation.

Friday morning I did some laundry while my friend went to a Good Friday service. We then took a bus to Bondi Beach where we met up with the couple who were on the first part of our tour. We had a nice lunch with them and we walked down to the beach. It was fairly crowded because it was a beautiful day and many people were off of work. We later took a train across the Harbor Bridge and walked back across to take pictures of Sydney at night. We came back to the apartment leaving enough time to get things organized for our Sunday morning departure. Saturday is going to be busy!

Posted by
446 posts

Andrea and Sarah, it is time to go home. And Gwynn you are nearly back in Texas.

It was my pleasure to be able to meet you.

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=youtube+sarah+brightman+jose+carreras+closing+ceremony+barcelona+concert&&mid=A6872D569A7DEDAD5660A6872D569A7DEDAD5660&&FORM=VRDGAR

Gorgeous brunette with a lovely smile. Reminds me of my wife before she got all maternal and our children sent things out of shape.

but now

https://www.bing.com/videos/riverview/relatedvideo?&q=Sarah+Brightman+Duo+Songs&&mid=F0A23E85A46CB4117FA5F0A23E85A46CB4117FA5&&FORM=VRDGAR

(Notice how the DEI Italian guy gets the classy girl. No wonder some
old men in US are jealous!)

Regards Ron

Posted by
5155 posts

LOL, Ron. Good music! I have another 2 days in Japan, then a week in Budapest before home to Texas. I don’t promise to stay there long…… ha! I greatly enjoyed the extra sightseeing in Hobart - and meeting some of my new favorite people.

I have met several people from Melbourne on my 3 weeks in Japan. None from Tassie, but they all immediately agree what a wonderful place it is.

Andrea, it’s been fun following your trip! Safe travels home!

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10868 posts

OMG Ron, you are hysterical! I enjoyed the music and the sentiment. It was our pleasure to spend time with you and your family in beautiful Tasmania.

Gwynn, I hope you enjoy the rest of your extremely long trip and I hope you’ll have a glass of wine for me in Budapest and pretend it’s at the Four Seasons. LOL!

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10868 posts

Saturday morning we got an early start. We walked to St. Mary’s Cathedral, the oldest church in Sydney. After going inside we walked to the Queen Victoria Building (QVB) a 5 level shopping center in the CBD. It opened in 1898 and it is beautiful inside. Our next stop was The Sydney Tower Eye, where we went to the top for a Birds Eye view of Sydney. It was fun to pick out the places we had been already and eye opening to see just how huge this city is and how the water reaches more areas than I imagined. We took the fast ferry to Manly Beach and had some lunch before walking from there to Shelly Beach. I enjoyed watching the surfers and I do love being at the beach. We walked a bit further before turning back. It was time to return to Sydney, where we walked around the Saturday street market at The Rocks. We were going to have dinner down there but after a full day and a lot of walking (over 8 miles) we decided to take the bus back to the apartment and we had dinner at the restaurant next door. It has been a very busy trip and we needed to get packed up and ready to depart very early in the morning.

Sunday morning we both woke up early for our flight. Sarah knocked on the door of my room to tell me that she had just tested positive for Covid. Her throat became sore Friday night. Now we know why. I tested negative so we both put masks on and proceeded to wear them from 6:00 a.m. Sunday morning Sydney time. We arrived at SFO at 6:30 a.m. Sunday Pacific time and she still had to catch another flight to Portland. My husband picked me up at SFO and I continued to wear a mask the entire way home, plus in the house whenever I was around him. I’ll test again tomorrow and hope for the best, but it will take more days before I will feel confident that I’m not sick. It was a bummer to end the trip like that, but I had the best time and am so grateful to have had the opportunity to go to Australia. Even though everything there is trying to kill you I survived!! LOL!

Posted by
34837 posts

welcome home Andrea, sorry for the mask. May you stay negative

Posted by
1784 posts

Sounds like a great trip, Andrea. Hope you aren't sick.

Your report is getting me pumped up for our trip in June. :)

Posted by
431 posts

Welcome home, Andrea. Glad you had a great trip! Hoping you continue to test negative, best 'get well soon' wishes to your friend.

Posted by
142 posts

Andrea, I enjoyed your trip report and am bookmarking for future travel.

Fingers crossed that you still test negative!

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10868 posts

I tested at about 9:00 this morning and so far, so good. I’ll wait a few days and test again.