Chris' Excellent Adventures: Sydney, Australia

Date: April 2005
Trip: Australia, New Zealand, Fiji
Place: Sydney, Australia
Traveling With: Vicky F from Salem, AR and Vicky H from Little Rock, AR
Photos: (1) Sydney Opera House, (2) Map of our Trip, (3) Sydney Harbor Bridge and (3)aerial view of Sydney on our way to Christchurch, New Zealand. More Pics.

"It was on a huge 747-400. There was no one sitting next to me, so I was able to lay down and sleep for about 8 hours on the way over. Having my face pressed down into the bottom seat cushion of a coach-class seat that God-knows-how-many people sat on was a humbling experience."

So began my 30-page journal from my latest overseas adventure. It was on this incredibly long 16-hour trans-Pacific flight from LA to Sydney with continuation on to Cairns up in the north. Because we were flying west at midnight, we had sunlight practically all the way over after passing Hawaii. I was so blessed to have empty seats all around me. I slept a lot and was ready to go upon arrival in Sydney, despite the 15-1/2 hour time difference from Milwaukee. Actually we missed our connection to Cairns so spent a little more time at the Sydney airport than planned.

This was just the beginning of 3-1/2 beautiful weeks Down Under and the fulfillment of a life long dream. We spent several days in sunny, tropical Cairns diving on the Great Barrier Reef, rubbing elbows with aborignes, visiting a crocodile farm and enjoying Aussie hospitality at a working cattle ranch. After that we spent 6 days in Sydney before flying over to New Zealand, where we visited Christchurch, Queenstown and Auckland before heading up to tropical Fiji for some fun in the sun. More on New Zealand and Fiji later.

Anyhow, Sydney is the kind of place I could spend the rest of my life. Cosmopolitan, friendly and alive. It reminded me of Chicago, LA and Miami all rolled up into one. The people were so nice as well. Of course we did all the tourist stuff (Opera House, Sky Tower, Harbor Bridge, The Rocks District, Darling Harbor, Bondi Beach, Chinese Friendship Garden and the Aquarium). In my free time, I walked virtually the entire city, either on my own or with Vicki and Vicky.

Some day I will go back to Australia and spend some time in the Outback (Ayers Rock) and Melbourne. For now, I'll just keep dreaming. G'Day.