This was probably my favorite
active
vacation (as opposed to a beach vacation). Australia is a big
country.
Unless you have several months to spend, you'll need to make some hard
choices about what to see. In no particular order, some of my
favorites
were:
1. Sydney. It's a
beautiful
city, with a beautiful harbor. Plenty of things to do.
2. Kangaroo Island.
A relatively unspoiled island, with all sorts of wildlife. See
semi
wild kangaroos up close and personal.
3. Cairns. This is
a jumping off point to see The Great Barrier Reef, as well as numerous
tropical areas.
4. Alice Springs.
Well,
actually this wasn't all that great. But where else can you ride
on a camel (see below), eat a Witchetty grub (sorry, no picture), and
make
hundreds of new friends (also below)?
New Zealand is the most
beautiful
country I've ever seen, and its people are even more relaxed than the
Aussies.
The South Island has mountains, fjords, and glaciers, all accessible to
the average tourist. There are also car-eating parrots, but
you'll
have to read a guide book to find out about that.
What they don't tell you is that
camels don't come with padded seats. Oh my aching ...
On a visit to Ayer's Rock, near
Alice Springs. At certain times of year, the fly population
explodes.
Searching for moisture, they get in eyes, ears, nose, and mouth.
At least they don't bite.