What a trip! Preeti & I came back from our well deserved (earned?) vacation 10 days ago; it has left us refreshed, tanned, & relaxed. This is my modest attempt to share a travelogue, replete with pictures & a healthy dose of my poor, tasteless humor.

Oh yeah, our trip lasted 3 full weeks – Nov 22nd ’05 through Dec 15th ’05. We visited seven cities/towns in total; most of the memorable moments are from the tiny, unheard-of towns.

 

Day 1 – Sydney
Arrived @ Sydney just before 8 am. After an uneventful ride to the hotel in CBD (Central Business District, what we call Downtown), we made friendly banter with the well-informed clerk which eventually paid off when he let us check in early. Rest of the day: Walk to Sydney Opera House (SOH) via Botanical Gardens, Awesome Lunch in Circular Quay (pronounced Circular Kee), Russian Symphony in SOH in the night. === Click to see photos ===

Day 2 – Sydney
We slept in a bit, had a scrumptious breakfast, & took a bus to the famous Bondi beach. It is apparently quite the surfer’s paradise. However, the gloomy weather coupled with the fact that beach is smaller than most beaches we’ve seen in Santa Cruz left us unimpressed. Then again, I wonder what our voyeuristic minds would have processed on a nice balmy summer day… We took refuge from the rain in a café’ by the beach. We were an Indian born, California resident couple, dining in Italian café (Gelateria) which happened to be run by Dutch immigrants. The world is flat indeed. I’m yet to finish that book. We then headed to the Sydney Cricket Grounds (SCG) and were lucky to join the already departed tour. It was a great feeling walking through the hallowed locker rooms, and grounds. We then visied the majestic St. Mary’s cathedral and it’s treasured crypt. Since it was well past 2 pm and we had the harbor bridge’s ladders, catwalks, and steps awaiting our rubber soled feet that night, we decided a short nap was in order. We awoke refreshed and hitched a cab to the bridge. The talk on safety measures lasted a good 5 mins, the practice climb session even less. Then came the toughest part of the climb. Nobody in their sane minds would dare repeat such a feat: We had to walk in our silly suits for about a block to the base of the bridge; somehow acting oblivious to the on looking tourists wondering what on earth trainee astronauts were doing in the middle of Sydney. Nah, it wasn’t that bad… The climb itself was easy. The views were spectacular and the weather was pleasant and friendly.
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Day 3 – Blue Mountains (2 hrs from Sydney)
This was our first outing in a rental car. Our anxiety soon abated with the realization that road signs and directions in Australia were far superior to what we were used to in the States. With the wipers working overtime in the torrential downpour, we made our way to the World Heritage Center (see http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/917). The rain had stopped and the sun was out in all its glory (and so were the thickest of flies!). We saw the Three Sisters and about three hundred thousand japanese tourists gaping at the Three Sisters. Every one of these japanese tourists had a three billion pixel digital camera! Seriously, there were busloads of them. We still managed to take some photos of the scenery and quickly scuttled away to hike a couple of trails. The Wentworth waterfalls amazed us with its height and volume. I was expecting to see only a trickle of water.
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Day 3 – Cairns
We landed late in the morning and found our B&B host waiting to transport us to their place. Terry and Sandy were the most friendly & gracious hosts! We won’t forget the morning fresh fruit platter for breakfast. Terri recommended this FANTASTIC lemon cordial – I plan on ordering a few for the States! It was simply awesome! We took Terri’s advice (and car ride) and went to the Cairns tropical zoo. To be sussinct, Preeti had a blast! Pictures speak a thousand words. So, go on…
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Days 4 & 5 – Cairns
Day 4: Scuba! This was, by far, the highlight of our trip within Australia. We hopped aboard Poseidon’s Catamaran after a 40 min drive to Port Douglas. We made a bunch of friends during the 2 hr sail to our first dive site. We both felt a marked increase in our heart rates when the crew asked us to done our wet suits and head to the edge of the vessel. I proceeded gleefully when asked to spit out the biggest lugi into my face mask to prevent fogging underwater. It took some convincing for Preeti to follow suit. As a novice diver, I have only two tips: 1) It works! 2) Only spit in your face mask; this will save new friendships. Anyway, Preeti went underwater first (with the guide). Almost 10 mins later, the same guide came back to fetch me. Wondering what kind of shark was nibbling at my dear wife, I jumped in to be greeted by hand signals from the guide. After the mandatory tests to prove that I could safely remove water out of my face mask and breathing regulator, I joined Preeti at about 15 ft. below the surface. We enjoyed the rest of the dive – the beautiful coral formations, colorful fish, crystal clear water left us dazed and wanting more. We enjoyed the 2nd dive even more simply because we weren’t scared for our lives. We stayed down for almost 1/2 hr and even kneeled down on the ocean bed (about 45 ft. below the surface).

Day 5 saw us taking a gondola ride over the lush tropical rain forest. Stretching for 7.5 kilometers (4.7 miles), Skyrail is the world’s longest gondola cableway. There are 32 towers along the way, with the tallest being 40.5 meters high above the rainforest floor. We soaked in some amazing panoramic views of the Cairns city and got a literal bird’s eye view of the beauty of tropical north. Once we were back on Terra Firma, we headed to the adjoining Tjapukai Aboriginal cultural park. Even though the amateur antics and poorly choreographed dance sequences failed to impress us, we were intrigued to see striking similarities b/w the Tjapukai people and some of the native folks in Tamil Nadu, India. A little research on the internet told us that connections indeed exist! From The Telegraph, Calcutta: “Four years ago, Pitchappan had collaborated with Wells to study DNA samples from population groups in Tamil Nadu and substantiated a theory that humans moved from Africa to Australia 50,000 years ago via the coastline of India. A community called the Piramalai Kalar in Tamil Nadu have genetic sequences similar to those in the aborigines of Australia. This suggests that modern humans passed through India on their way to Australia.” Amazing! The Didgeridoo (branch of a eucalyptus tree which is naturally hollowed out by ants that hatch under the bark and burrow into the wood) musical instrument definitely deserves a mention.
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Days 6,7, & 8 – Melbourne
We spent 2 1/2 relaxing days w/ family, ate great home cooked food, saw a bit of the downtown & the famous Penguin Parade. Preeti thoroughly enjoyed watching those little flightless birds make their way up the sand hills to their burrows.
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Day 9 – Hobart
The flight into Hobart was eventful – Heavy downpour, thick fog, & probably lack of training saw our pilot abort the landing only 40ft. from the ground! Sitting by the window, I was wondering why we were flying over the runway, not landing… All of us on board noticed the jet pulling with all its might back into the sky. I really doubt if the Pilot’s feeble excuse of limited visibility affecting his landing went very well with anyone. it was quite apparent that he had simply misjudged his approach. Oh well, 30 mins later, we landed in Hobart and exited the aircraft after a huge round of applause. I could have sworn I saw a keg of Fosters in the cockpit as I was disembarking… We took it easy the rest of the day – the city tour guided by my uncle took us through the old town, the Port, beautiful gardens, and hilly residential areas.
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Day 10 – Hobart (Air Walk, Mt. Wellington)
A 40 min drive took us to a rain forest where an Air Walk takes us through some of the thickest portions. A full river adds to the beauty and serenity of the place. We wound our way up to the summit of Mt. Wellington. After our customary photo session, we headed back home to the cozy confines of the plush couches. Home made pakoda, local brew, and cricket on TV made a perfect ending to a great day.
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Day 11 – Port Arthur
The fact that the entire city (ie, chilling prisons, cottages for wardens) was created with convict labor sort of belies the beauty of the place; has a paradoxical feel to it.
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New Zealand…

Days 12 & 13 – Auckland
We flew on a brand new 777 Air NewZealand flight into Auckland. We took a rental car into our community style B&B (Aspen house). That evening, a walk by the wharf landed us right in front of a Thai restaurant. Boy, was the food great!! The next day saw us hopping aboard a boat to Rangitoto island, a volcanic island with interesting flora, and deviod of any fauna. We dined that evening at a revolving restaurant atop Sky Tower.

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Day 14 – Waitomo Caves, then onto Rotorua
We drove down ‘Thermal Highway’ from Auckland to Rotorua via the world famous Waitomo Caves (See Wikepedia entry). These caves are famous for their glow worm (Arachnocampa luminosa) population. Did I tell you Preeti had meticulously planned this trip? Anyway, after confirming our reservation for the 2 pm cave exploration trip with the Tumu Tumu Toobing company, we took a ride in a pink Scooby-doo bus to a shed in the wilderness where we were asked to change into a wet suit. A short walk took us to the entrance of the caves. After squeezing through what felt like a Toyota Tercel’s exhaust pipe, we crawled on all our fours, and crouch walked for the better part of 1/2 hr. If you haven’t already guessed what this adventure was all about, think again before I tell you that we were given tubes and asked to jump into the frigid cave river. I must admit the tubes did come in handy. The stalactite and stalagmite formations left us speechless. Once we turned off our headlamps, all of us let out a “Whoa!” when we saw the thousands of glowworms on the ceiling – it seemed like a star lit night, like the milky way, incredible! The two young guys/guides accompanying us were not ones for polished talk – they eloquently told us the things were maggots whose shit glows. The 3 1/2 hr adventure was well worth the time and money. After 2 hours of driving, we arrived at the thermal town of Rotorua to be greeted by the smell of sulphur (Or, was it Preeti?). We found our B&B place (Westminster Lodge) pretty easily.
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Day 15 – Rotorua
After a healthy breakfast, we made the short drive to the Whakarewarewa thermal reserve. We got a healthy dose of the Maori culture – their greeting, their dance, and their fondness of nature. The thermal park has a well kept route that takes visitors to the famous Pohutu geyser and other smaller ones. In the evening, we indulged ourselves in the famous Polynesian Spa. This Spa is known for its naturally heated water and a variety of massages and therapy. What can be more fulfilling after a massage? Spicy Thai Food!
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Day 16 – Wai-o-Tapu & Huka falls (near Rotorua)
You must be sensing a pattern here. Heavy, healthy breakfast, drive to thermal park, smell Sulphur, see geyser, indulge in massage, eat Thai food, get ass back. Of course, we visited a different (bigger) thermal park (Wai-o-Tapu thermal park) and also saw the glorious Huka falls.
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Day 17 – Rotorua to Hokitika
After spending a leisurely 1 hour in a city park, we flew to Hokitika.
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Day 18 – Franz Josef Glacier (2 hours south of Hokitika)
Considered the most dramatic glacial environment accessible to general public, the Franz Josef glacier welcomes the adventure minded visitors to climb it’s icy walls and experience an alpine ascent first hand. Really, Preeti and I had no idea what we’re about to experience. Having seen the Athabasca glacier in Canada, we’re expecting to see a receding glacier – not only did we learn that the Franz Josef is advancing (it almost flows to sea level making it a unique relic of the ice age), we were amazed to see it’s looming walls a mere 5 km from the city. The climb lasted a little over 2 1/2 hrs. Climbing a glacier is no walk in the park, we learnt. There is no marked path, walls are steep, and steps have to be carved out for every climb party. At times, it was quite perilous (exacerbated by the fact that we had no helmets on). But, we’d do it again! We ushered in the end of the long day by enjoying awesome Indian food and local brew in what is likely to be the southern most Indian restaurant on the globe.
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Day 19 – Punakaiki – Pancacke rocks (2 hours north of Hokitika)
After an adrenaline pumping glacier climb, the day called for relaxation, good food, and plenty of beer. We drove towards Greymouth and found the pancake rocks to be an interesting geological marvel. Upon our return to our hotel in Hokitika, we decided to go visit the Emus in the farm. We took our priced possession (an Emu caller we had purchased in Cairns) to see if it’d work as advertised. Well, it did. The Emus were aroused in more than one way. We later learnt that we were proudly broadcasting mating calls. We shot video whilst this happened – I’ll post it soon. We dined that evening at Cafe de Paris, a brasserie style French restaurant. The food was exotic and the wine was equally exquisite.
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Day 20 – Hokitika to Christchurch
Christchurch was just a transit city for us. However, the views from the low flying flight from Hokitika were just spectacular! You gotta see the photos
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KIA ORA