Australia is comprised of 6 large continental territories plus the island territory of Tasmania.  

Within a  2 week vacation period, you could visit 3 areas quite well with a home base and day tours, perhaps even an overnight stay but this requires air travel between major points. Time permiting, there are some excellent scenic driving routes in many parts of the country. Since this is a introductory overview of Australia, I am going to quickly transport us to another region.

We are now going to fly up the east coast from Sydney in New South Wales to Cairns in tropical north Queensland. After an evening to get settled, explore downtown and have dinner along the marina, we head off the next morning on the Kuranda Railway up to the Kuranda rainforest. As the train climbs through the Barron Gorge National Park, we will cross 40 bridges and see a lush landscape with steep ravines and waterfalls.

Once we arrive at Kuranda, we will have some time to wander through the shops and galleries, the wildlife park and rainforest station before visiting the Pamagirri Aboriginal Center. I will discuss these topics in more detail in the next few days.

We will return via the Skyrail Cableway, gliding over the 9 miles of rainforest canopy in individual gondolas.

I am a big fan of rail travel and there are several wonderful routes within Australia. The transcontinental Indian Pacific runs between Perth on the west coast and Sydney on the east coast. Meanwhile the Ghan travels through the very heart of Australia’s outback between Darwin in the north to Adelaide in the south. These are multiday journeys in trains with sleeper cars and restaurant cars. If you have the time and the interest, they are worth consideration.

In recent years,  award winning, full-flavored Australian wines have been exported all over the world as a hot commodity. It’s time for a little day trip out into the picturesque countryside to sample some aussie wines not available elsewhere.

The Hunter Valley is a 2 hour drive north of Sydney and claims to have about 90 wineries within the region. It is Sydney’s equivalent of San Francisco’s Napa Valley.

The Hunter Valley Wine School has a 2 hour wine experience at its on site winery program showcasing how wine is produced from grapevine to bottle. The tour portion tales you from the Shiraz vineyards to the crushers and fermenters and finally to the tasting cellar.

The cellar master discusses the qualities of a good wine as you proceed through tastings of Chardonnay, Shiraz and Semillion wines this region is known for. Of course, you will have an opportunity to ask questions and also to buy some to take with you.

There is also a Hunter Valley Cooking School program that concludes with  a leisurely gourmet lunch – complete with wine parings, of course!

Before we start back, we’ll swing by a local cheeserie and a chocolatier for some goodies for the trip back. I’ll let you discover those delicious details for yourself.

Life savers, as in lifeguards, not the colorful sweet round candies.

Aussies enjoy an active outdoor lifestyle and Bondi Beach is probably the most well known of Sydney’s 37 beaches. Still a mecca for sunbathers and surfers, this long wide stretch of sand attracts many visitors and is also a great place to do some people watching. You can soak up some sun, swim, jog. Or just take in the cool beach side vibe as you indulge in an ice cream.

A company called Let’s Go Surfing offers  small group and indivudal surf lessons here. The staff is friendly and professional as they demonstrate lifesaving techniques and teach basic surfing skills to beginners. Instruction begins on the sand and then takes to the shallower water. They also assist experienced surfers with “catching the big ones”. All necessary equipment is provided.

Afterwards, a delicious fresh seafood lunch at Nick’s awaits at the edge of the beach.

If you prefer smaller, more secluded beaches, there are others to choose from, accessible by bus or ferry.

The city of Sydney wraps itself around the harbor. One of the best ways to travel around it is to take a relaxing lunch harbor cruise. This photo is part of a series of progressive shots I took from the water side as we cruised past the world famous Opera House. This unique architectural structure is an amazing photo op from any angle and quite impressive to see in person.

I recommend the 1 hour guided tour for a fascinating look inside at the several performance halls beneath those lofty sail-shaped domes. In addition to opera, there are also live ballet, jazz, theater and classical music performances.

There is also a more intimate and more extensive 2 hour backstage tour for visitors interested in actually walking on stage and through the orchestra pit, scenery docks, dressing rooms and fly towers.

An elegant and sophisticated afternoon High Tea is served once a week. Guests are welcomed with a glass of Australia sparkling wine and then offered a selection of teas, pastries and cakes before a private musical performance.

To make an evening of it, you feast on a fine dining experience in the Bennelong Restaurant contained in the front two shells of the Opera House with spectacular views of Sydney’s skyline followed by an evening show just steps away in the Concert Hall or Opera Theater.

So, it’s actually a day and a night at the Opera House.

It is possible to climb to the very summit of the iconic Sydney Harbor Bridge as part of a small group adventure. If you look closely, you can see people in clusters climbing up along the top throughout the day. Your guide will take you across catwalks, up several ladders and finally along a walkway to the very top. From there, you have a breathtaking bird’s eye view of the entire harbor at dawn, dusk or any time in between. Night tours are also conducted for a different perspective. On a clear day, with a 360-degree view, it’s like being at the top of the world.

Participants are briefed and dressed in uniform gray jumpsuits before being attached to a safety line that runs the course. This is a functioning bridge with vehicular traffic as well as trains that rumble across below. Therefore, distractions from the climbers are minimized as much as possible. Anything that could dangle or drop such as jewelry or accessories has to be removed and stored in a locker at the base until you return. Personal cameras are not allowed but company photos will be available for purchase.

A few words of advice: I recommend any time other than midday due to the potential heat. You can work up quite a sweat in those jumpsuits! The gradient is not as steep as it appears. However, this activity may NOT be enjoyed by anyone who is seriously afraid of heights or uncomfortable walking and climbing for an extended period of time. There’s only one way up and one way down.

Welcome to the vibrant  and cosmopolitan city of Sydney. The Sydney International is a large modern airport with fast and convenient connections downtown. The Sydney Harbor waterfront is the place to stay to be in the center of all the action. The central business district sits directly behind this area.

There are several fine city hotels to choose from around Circular Quay, a main public transportation hub for ferries, buses and trains. My favorite hotel is the Sydney Inter-Continental with the historic former treasury building as its foundation. This is a stylish boutique-style hotel with contemporary and classic design elements. I’ve enjoyed having morning breakfast or evening cocktails with friends in the rooftop club lounge and deck with a panoramic view of  the Harbor Bridge, Opera House and Royal Botanic Gardens all at the same time.

The bustling and energetic harbor waterfront houses all types of businesses from coffee bars to fine seafood restaurants; souvenir shops to elegant boutiques;  plus museums and galleries to keep you entertained.

Tonight, let’s walk around the harbor to The Rocks area. I know a friendly  aussie pub where we can chat with locals and visitors over some “fish and chips and a pint”. Tomorrow, we’ll return for a guided walking tour of this historic neighborhood with its colonial era buildings and learn about the arrival of the first Europeans and their impact on the local aboriginal population.

G’Day, mate. Greetings from the Land Down Under.

The vast and varied island continent of Australia is approximately the size of the United States. It is wider across than the distance from New York to Los Angeles with a population of 20 million people, largely concentrated in coastal areas.

Los Angeles is the main U.S. gateway to the South Pacific with direct flights to Tahiti, Fiji, the Cook Islands, New Zealand and Australia. When I speak about travel time, I am measuring from this departure point.

Many people have the misconception that Australia is at the bottom of the world and a full day’s journey away. Flight time from Los Angeles to Sydney is 14 hours, comparable to the flight times for Europe from our West Coast.

Once you arrive, prepare yourself for a kaleidoscope of colors in Australia’s diverse terrain: luscious green rainforests; craggy red deserts, white sandy beaches and rich blue oceans.

Here, I am deep in a lava tube in the Undara region of Northern Queensland. Notice the color striations on the cave walls/ceiling.

Photo note: An additional light source was required to take this shot in the dark cavernous tunnel.

I am literally down under the ground, get it?. It’s just my quirky off-center sense of humor. You’ll get used to it. 

More on this next week.

A great BIG thank you, mauruuru roa, to all the participants of the February Tahiti Virtual Tour who called or  e-mailed with feedback, submitted comments and made referrals. The response has been overwhelmingly positive and it’s reassuring to know I’m not just talking to myself (joke).

I have conducted an unannounced randon drawing from all the February respondents for a Tahiti Gift Pack. It consists of a Cappelli chartreuse straw bag, Monoi Tiare Tahiti cocont oil products and a blue and green floral pareo from the Arii Creation Tahiti company on the island of Raiatea, famous for their colorful local designs.

The lucky winner is Judy Loewe of Sacramento, California.

Next month, I will be giving away a gift pack containing products from Australia. All new participants who sign up for my private mailing list will be eligible for the drawing. I will send out a reminder the last week of March (3/23).

Now, fasten your seat belt, we are traveling farther south to the Land Down Under. Tomorrow, we arrive in Sydney, Australia, one of my favorite cities.

For a view of Tahiti from a different vantage point, the luxurious and intimate mv Paul Gauguin, which was designed specifically for French Polynesia, sails through the Society Islands on a 7-night cruise itinerary part of the year. Unlike larger cruise ships, this vessel blends well with the environment rather than dominating it with sheer size. Ports of call include the islands of Tahiti and Raiatea with overnight stays in Moorea and Bora Bora. The European staff is gracious and accommodating to your vacation needs and wishes.

This small ship has an upscale yacht-like ambience with a maximum of 330 passsengers. As  a 6-star luxury product, it features all oceanview staterooms ansd suites, gourmet meals with pouring wines and spirits, shipboard activities and entertainment with a local emphasis, plus 24 hour room service.

The unique rear watersports platform offers complimentary watersports such as kayaking, windsurfing and waterskiing. Snorkeling equipment is provided for guest use throughout the voyage and comes in handy during the stop on their private Motu Mahana, next to the island of Tahaa neighboring Bora Bora. And the onboard Carita Spa of Paris is an oasis of pampering.

This is truly a seamless way to travel through these idyllic islands. It is one of those rare experiences that warrants repeating just for the pure pleasure of it. Many passengers do return for a repeat performance. Out of decades of worldwide travel experience, it remains one of my personal top 3.

I do have a special promotion for an October 2009 sailing of the Paul Gauguin. If you would like to join me, view the details on my company web site under Tahiti Getaways in the sidebar: www.IslandGetawaysTravel.com

My good friend and long time colleague, Bernie Kamalamalama, is a celebrity guide with almost 30 years of experience. He has a wealth of knowledge and I always learn so much from him myself.  Over the years, I have had him escort private groups for me for a very personalized experience.

It’s interesting just to be in his presence out in public. It seems that every 10 feet, we run into local people who obviously know him, respect him, and love him. Naturally, I get introduced to ALL of them. They graciously accept me based on association. It also helps that I speak the language. Bonjour. Enchante. Kiss-kiss, on both cheeks, French style.

We were out together until late one evening inspecting restaurants all over Papeete. It occured to me that this might present a problem for him. I knew that the local coconut telegraph (translate: local gossip mill) could have a field day with this.
“Bernie K. was seen all over downtown with a mystery woman, not local and not his wife”.
I asked him about it. He smiled and shrugged it off. I suspect he might have enjoyed the idea of a little buzz.
He’s a dear, sweet teddy bear of a man. His wife is a lucky woman and she has absolutely nothing to worry about.
I will be happy to introduce you to him in person someday.

Anyway, here we are after a delicious lunch at the Pink Coconut, another one of my favorite restaurants. It boasts a prime waterfront location at  the Taina Marina, just a few minutes down the road from the Papeete airport. I arrange this for a truly lovely dinner on the last night. It’s far superior to eating at the Faaa airport snack bar before that red eye flight back to LA.