KELLY'S GONE AGAIN
…AND HERE'S WHERE I'M AT.Archive for Australia
#27. Cairns: Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner?
So after spending 4 days in the Great Barrier Reef, I decided to make an overnight stop back in Cairns, where I’d flown in initially. It’s a seemingly simple town, renowned for sailing, though I admittedly didn’t get a good feel for the place because I was only there for 24 hours. But here is the highlight, and the reason for the early island departure: for dinner, I checked out a nearby aboriginal cultural park, and it was so, so worth the stopover.
#26. Great Barrier Reef: Private Island Paradise (Part II)
As promised, with more after the jump…
The Island
#25. Great Barrier Reef: Private Island Paradise (Part I)
Welcome to The Good Life. *smile* I’m residing this week on a private island in the GBR, off of the coast of Queensland, Australia (north of New South Wales, which houses Sydney). It is, as you might imagine, no joke.
The island is covered heavily in lush rainforest, giving it a tropical jungle feel, with walking trails and sparse, simple beaches. Because a resort operates here, there are also loads of activities — horseback riding, snorkeling, spa treatments, bingo — all the usual suspects. I have little to no interest in the planned program, though. This, instead, is a reflective place for me, removed from any urban sprawl whatsoever (by which I’m so easily, and happily, distracted).
#24. Hunter Valley: Good Living
Hunter at Sunset
After a long work-filled week here in Sydney for my local friends Amani, Anna and Jake — and a bustling, fun-filled 5 days for me — we piled ourselves into a rental yesterday and escaped the city clamor for a little rest and a lot of wine in Hunter Valley.
It was as eventful as all road trips should be, with multiple stops for snacks, a series of music playlists, and an empty gas tank scare (seems you really can go pretty far with the light on). We approached the yards at dusk, met by warm, quiet, phenomenal views : vivid greens vines with sun-lit top layers, rolling mountain peaks, glimmering ponds, crisp white clouds broken by soft, orange rays. Beautiful, breathtaking, gorgeous, you name it.
#23. Sydney: Monkeys, Elephants… Why Not Koalas?
Updating Post #22 with some photos of the Saturday a.m. trip to a local nature preservation center. Unfortunately I don’t have much to say here other than it’s a good cause and the animals there are really cute. Koalas, kangaroos, reptiles, tons of birds, tasmanian devils… the majority were in cages, but some hung out free-style in the children’s petting zoo. Just guess where I spent most of my time.
#22. Sydney: Yeah, I Could Live Here
So, I’ve been in Sydney for five days now. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to update the travel notes with my thoughts, but I’ve had some writer’s block because, well, I’ve taken to the city so comfortably — like a duck to water, one might say — that it reminds me of home. And I certainly wouldn’t blog about NYC on a regular basis. I’ve stepped into Sydney so easily, in fact, that I almost feel like I do actually live here.
