Just back from AUSTRALIA!!! Mat and I had a glorious time. I feel so spoiled- I have literally been on vacation since December 15th. Mat's company decided on a last minute shutdown for a few weeks during Chinese New Year (probably due to the recession but who knows? His New Year's package included two weeks off, 2 gallons of soy sauce and 5 liters of oil. Beats fruit cake a suppose. He seized the moment and splurged on last minute tickets to Sydney. I only had five days to recover from India before escaping the firecracker ridden streets of Shanghai! So many great memories! Here are the highlights:
TOP TEN FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT OZ:
1. Sydney Opera House and Harbor--it is more stunning than you can imagine. I was so happy we were able to visit it several times. We were fortunate to stay with good friends in Sydney. Mat's closest friend from college, Rohit, and his wife Kaamna and baby boy Karam have a fantastic place in the oh so posh, Potts Point. We could walk to the harbor from their place. We packed it in-- surfed on Bondi, celebrated Australia day in Hyde Park and attended Karam's naming ceremony where we met some very cool people--funny enough their neighbor is a friend of a friend of mine (Rosa Rivera). Such a small world!
2. The people--Aussies are some of the most fun loving, friendly people I've met. Plus you gotta love their accent. They are ridiculously polite and easy going. No-one even honks their horn there. It actually took us a while to get used to!
3. Grass-fed beef--HOLY COW--it is amazing, especially the hamburgers which they garnish with beetroot. Believe it or not, it is quite tasty. I think Mat had one almost everyday.
4. The beaches-- Definitely the highlight of the trip! We rented a car and drove down the Sapphire coast from Sydney to Melbourne and discovered some isolated beaches which we had all to ourselves. The water is so clean and blue--it took our breath away.
5. Wildlife--Kangaroos, Koalas and Seals. So cute and plentiful! Koalas just hang out on trees in eating Eucalyptus, and the posture and hopping of Kangaroos is a evolutionary phenomenon. We took a snorkel trip and swam with seals on Montague Island. It was amazing! Mat was more courageous than I, he swam within 20 centimeters of them. Great experience, although I got very sea sick on the boatride and lost my lunch at sea...that was the end of boats for me.
6. Swimming Pools--This was a major highlight for my husband. We all know how obsessed he is with swimming, and virtually every town that we visited had an Olympic size pool. Our favorites were the the Aquatic Center in Melbourne, where the Commonwealth Games were held, and the salt water pool on Bondi Beach which allows lap swimming adjacent to the shore.
7. Melbourne--We arrived the day of the Australian Open men's final. We watched Nadal champion over Federer in Federation Square with several hundred people. It was an unforgettable experience and the good behavior and friendliness of the crowd impressed me. We also attended a music festival, Chinese New Year festivities (how ironic!) and at at Jamie Oliver's restaurant during our stay. Melbourne is an elegant city well equipped with Trams and wonderful walks that really invites visitors to discover the city.
8. The Great Ocean Road--About an hour south of Melbourne is Australia's rebuttal to Highway 1 in California. Mat and I were skeptical, after all the Pacific Highway is our all time favorite drive in the U.S. Australia did not disappoint. The drive is spectacular, dotted with cliffs and amazing beaches throughout. We stayed in the sea side village of Apollo Bay which was only 40 minutes from the 12 Apostles, magnificent naturally formed stone formations floating in the water of the Tasmanian Sea.
9. Wine --Wonderful way to start and end every evening meal. We visited Hunter Valley which was picturesque but our favorite wines were from Yarra Valley in Victoria.
10. Hugh Jackman--need I say more?
10 THINGS I LIKED LEAST ABOUT AUSTRALIA:
1. Driving on the left --so annoying to keep reminding yourself that's it's okay to be on the WRONG side.
2. Portion sizes in restaurants--American portions are dwarf in comparison. Steaks literally hang off the side of your plate. Luckily they call appetizers "entrees" in Australia, so we were unknowingly able to con troll our intake.
3. Bugs--Huge, persistent and ugly. Worse than India. I had welts on my arms from the vicious flies. It was painful.
4. The severe weather--Cyclones prevented us from visiting the Great barrier Reef and we had to maneuver around the HOT HOT weather. We stayed on the coast a few extra days to avoid the extreme heat. It reached 50 degrees Celsius in Melbourne, which is 122 degrees Fahrenheit! 5. The accent--Charming, but very difficult to understand at times. Especially when you are lost and trying to get directions on the phone!
6. Trailer Parks and Backpackers--They are literally everywhere. I hated seeing the trailer parks right on the beach. It seems like a very popular vacation option for Australians but staying in a metal box two feet away from each other is a bit too shabby for me. Granted Australians are the inventors of backpacking and the Lonely Planet, but it was infuriating to meet so many twenty somethings who were taking six months to travel the continent. They live in vans and just camp and surf until they run out of money. I was soooo jealous. When I was in my twenties I was working my ass off in corporate America.
7. Kangaroos at night--Our car almost collided with a huge grey Kangaroo who I swear was as tall as a giraffe.
8. Dress code--Barefoot for dinner in a high end restaurants? Are you serious? Put on some shoes, mate. And ladies, can you pull down your skirts a bit? No need to see your underwear when you strut your stuff.
9. Music on the radio--It's terrible. They just talk over electronic beats. Not really singing if you ask me.
10. Country size--Australia is just too big to see in one trip. We drove through endless kilometers of cow country. But the rewards are priceless. I hope to return soon!
