This is a chapter in pictures and captions of the last weeks of my trip to Australia. Its well worth clicking on the photos and viewing them larger.
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Tasmania: Old Streets and the waterfront view of Hobart, Tasmanian Devils, the view of Port Arthur gaol, and a sample of the hilly landscape. I found Tasmania remarkable but the trip was far too fast and far too short, and when I do return back down under, I gaurentee that I'll spend atleast three weeks rediscovering the treasures of Tasmania by cycle.
Sydney, NSW: passing the Opera House, enjoying the sun at Manly Beach, a mixture of the great sandstone architecture and sailing lifestyle of the city, and relaxing in the park watching a game of chess, Sydney feels like a much smaller city then it actually is.
Darwin, NT. The city with the small town feel where you fill your days with nothing to do: relics from the WWII bombings, a protected beach away from crocodiles, the unprotected beach with a staggering low/high tide difference, and the local tropical flora.
Cairns, QLD: the tropical centre to the Great Barrier Reef. Views from atop and alongside the Kangaroo Explorer, a parrotfish and some tropical flowers from the Botanical Garden, my underwater friend Big Frank the hawksbill sea turtle, some hard coral under the sea, Alex with a giant clam, the bridge path into a mangrove forest and some more tropical flora.
The trip down from Cairns to Sydney via Brisbane and Newcastle, covering 2407km + the many detours: Many tour books tell you to avoid this drive as it doesn't go along the coast very often if at all, but I quickly found that one of the most wonderful aspects of Australia is the rangeland and farmland, passing rolling hills, sleeping beside farmer's fields and seeing an incredible pheomenon that I've coined as a moon rise.
The Dog Fence (SA), also called the dingo barrier fence (QLD) and the border fence (NSW), where 5320 km of uninterrupted fence stretch across the country to segregate the dingos from the sheep pasture dominated land to the south. I spent the night alongside the fence and have never in my life seen so many stars or appreciated the sounds of the atmosphere around me, or realised how loud cows are during the night fall. The final two pictures are of the moon still shining bright at 6am and the sunshine over the adjacent cow pasture.
Newcastle, NSW, the industrial city that I became smitten with for its blue collar atmosphere, its accessible surfing and its non-commercialised beach. Notice that the main street is right close to the beach and a skate park parallel to the surf, how could a city get any better?
Thus concludes the Australian Adventure, featuring friends and family from the world over. Thanks for the memories Australia, I'm sure I'll be seeing you again one day.
cts
