When we landed in Sydney after 18 days on the Pacific, we were both impressed by the beauty and cleanliness of the town. Such diversity, such magnificent architecture, and what a beautiful harbor! Add to that the Sydney Opera House and the Harbor bridge, both man-made feats of technology, which left us wanting more. The ocean temps were not quite beach ready yet, but we can only imagine how beautiful those waters must be during the highlight of summer, which is Dec – Jan for those in the southern hemisphere.

Heading south along the coast on our bike took us through wooded parks with tall, majestic trees, adorned with palms and succulents growing at their base. After 3 days on the road we arrived in Canberra, (which is pronounced Can-bera, NOT Kan-bear-a), the capital, and spent time with new friends, and new four-legged friends at the Jamala Animal Park, plus two days exploring the city. As I walked through the Australian National Museum I was impressed by the amazing history of the continent. We knew of the Aborigines people, but there it is a history; a legacy; part of their culture that still exists, even though it has been diluted by modernization.

Since 80% of the wildlife in Australia is endemic to this island, everywhere we turned we saw something new. Bird sounds we had never heard before; white sulfur crested cockatoos flying to and fro, owning everywhere they went. But unfortunately we saw way too much carnage on the highways, as many kangaroos and wallabies were hit by vehicles. This country is as large as the United States, and we saw just a tiny part of it. Much of the continent is parched desert, but other parts are filled with eucalypt forests, which is their version of eucalyptus trees.

Kathleen and I both recognized that there was so much more to see, and a return visit is required. We met some wonderful people on the way who invited us to visit them in different cities. Again, as we travel around the world, some places underwhelm us, and others stand out as being so much better than we imagined. Australia fits in that second category.

Some Australia firsts:

– only 3900 miles from the South Pole– closest ever!

– to find WARMTH it was weird to drive NORTH, instead of south, which was so the northern hemisphere!

– we found our first kangaroos and cockatoos in the wild

Sometimes people surprise me– many times in a good way! In Canberra I planned to take a bus to the museum, and even after all these years public transportation can still intimidate me. Sometimes you can pay with a credit card or cash, but many times you need a transit card.

A guy was standing at the bus stop and I asked him if the bus took a credit card or cash for payment, and he said, “no.” He pointed me to a convenience store to get a ticket, but they charge not only for the ticket, but also for a long-term card which I did not need. The clerk suggested I use a machine outside, but I could not see it, but the guy waiting for the bus saw my confusion, and directed me to it, since it was ACROSS the street. He walked me there, showed me how it worked, and we discovered it was a $5 fare. I asked him if I could pay with a credit cards and he said, “no,” but he willingly pulled out a $10 bill and gave it to me. Just like that; a perfect traveling stranger. (The machine DID take my credit card, so I gave him his $10 back and thanked him profusely)

During our cruise and over 11 days on the continent we met new friends who offered us places to stay in Brisbane as well as Canberra for when we return. And we will. Here are some shots that stay with us even though we have moved on to Asia.