Say G'Day to Australia

 

Sydney Opera House

Even starting on the West Coast of North America, it takes a long time to fly to Australia, but it is worth the effort.





To make it easier to find my blog posts about our visit to the land down under, I hotlinked them throughout this page.

 

We obviously did not come close to seeing it all.  That would be the equivalent of claiming to have seen all of the United States after visiting Los Angeles and Key West. 

Not a Vegemite Sandwich at Bondi Beach

More cruise ships have been deployed to Australia to take advantage of the burgeoning demand from Aussies as well as Americans and other foreigners.  You can even circumnavigate the entire country, which is pretty remarkable when you consider that Australia is almost as large in area as the continental United States and about twice the size of the combined countries of the European Union.

While Ayers Rock (Uluru) and lots of amazing countryside await exploring in the interior of the country (including by cruise tours), most of the cities are located on the coast, making Australia an ideal cruise destination.

Yes, the Water Really Is That Blue At the Great Barrier Reef

However, our cruise was actually focused on New Zealand and the South Pacific, with Sydney as our embarkation port, so we flew in a few days early, beginning our Australian adventure in Cairns.

Why Cairns?  It happens to be a great jumping off point for exploring the Great Barrier Reef.

Perhaps because we later snorkeled other fantastic tropical destinations during our cruise, the jungles of Kuranda turned out to be the highlight of the Cairns area to me.  The Kuranda Scenic Railway compares nicely with other great train excursions in destinations like Alaska and Machu Picchu.

All too soon, our time in kicked-back Cairns came to an end, and we headed to the big city of Sydney.

Sydney's Royal Botanic Garden

Undoubtedly the most iconic landmark in the city is the Sydney Opera House.  With the beautiful Royal Botanic Gardens a short walk away, it's a convenient stop for those cruising from Sydney who have limited time in Australia.

Bondi Beach and Darling Harbor definitely broaden the Sydney experience without taking you far from the port, but I wish we had also made time to go to the Blue Mountains, with its panoramic countryside and wildlife, including kangaroos, even if it meant sacrificing those California-like experiences.

As I said, there's lots more to see in Australia, and we'd like to return to one day.  There are so many great places to go in the world, it's hard to find enough vacation days.  What are you doing with your time on this beautiful garden planet?  Let's start planning your next great vacation today.