Road Tripping Down Under With Locals

Australia is just too big and varied to be comprehensively squeezed into a blog. That would be like trying to squeeze three weeks of travel in the US mainland into one, as Oz (as the locals call it) is 1.2% larger. 

This was our 51st country and seventh continent, and it exceeded our high expectations. For all but three nights, we were guests of our son-in-law’s parents, John and Babette, who live in Caloundra on the Sunshine Coast north of Brisbane. We called them a few months ago asking for some trip planning advice. They said, “Our only advice is to get on a plane to Brisbane and we’ll do a road trip together.” 

On the road in their Subaru Forrester 

And so we did, for 1,800 miles across backroads and freeways, beaches and mountains, national parks and city parks, towns and cities, to Melbourne. From there, Kathy and I took a three-hour flight to Yulara, also known as Ayers Rock in south-central Oz. As you can see by the map, we barely made it into the center of the Outback.

The red is our road trip; the blue is our flights to Urulu and onto New Zealand from Sydney.

We never listened to music, because most of the time we were conversing about everything with our new best friends.  A lot of it was John teaching us all-things Australia, especially its birds and wildlife. John and Babette are avid birders, and we’re glad we brought our binoculars. They would hear and see birds we couldn’t until they pointed them out to us. You can see a link to a few wildlife and John’s bird photos here. Because of Australia’s climate and evolutionary history, the birds are abundant and unique. We were also able to spot a platypus in the wild, apparently not many Aussies have seen one. 

A Lorakeet, one of John’s master photos

The roads are wide, well-maintained, and litter free. The drivers were among the most courteous we’ve ever encountered. Speed cameras are everywhere, so speeding was rare. Chinese-made cars are also everywhere, but not as popular as Toyota Hilux “utes,” which are modified flatbed pickup trucks used by the trades, surfers, and outback campers.

A Ute (short for utility vehicle)

One of many national parks

The countryside is vast and beautiful, from the subtropical Sunshine Coast to the savanna southern interior. But unlike the states with snow-capped peaks, the beauty was of coastlines, vegetation, and geologic formations.  Australia has many national parks, and I can’t recall how many we visited, as some are small. 

One of many beautiful shorelines

We also hit the major West Coast cities and coastal towns. A lot of Asians have migrated to them, and many speak with charming Aussie accents.

Perhaps the most stunning modern architecture we have ever seen was the Sidney opera house. Photos don’t do it justice. Also in Sidney, I overcame my moderate fear of heights and climbed Sidney’s suspension bridge, 439 feet above the water. Thank you, safety equipment!

Sidney Opera House by night. Beautiful inside, too.

My anxiety eased as we started the climb.

We detoured inland to see Canberra, the Australian capital. I wouldn’t want to live there but its parliament and government buildings were beautiful, and our tour guide gave us an Aussie Government 101 lesson.

 

In Melbourne, we stayed on the 44th floor of an AirBnB. What a view! John and Babette migrated there in the late 1970s when Australia was desperate for workers of any kind. We rode the type of trolley on which he used to be a conductor. “They now have doors,” he noted.

Retracing John’s routes and roots

It’s hard to decide what we liked most: our time spent with John and Babette or the drop-jaw beauty of Uluru-Kata Tjitrada National Park in the Outback. We bicycled around Uluru (formerly called Ayers Rock) one morning and hiked seven rugged miles the next in the Mars-like landscape of Kata Tjuṯa, both days in 100+ heat. The swarms of small flies targeting the moisture of our eyes, nostrils, and mouths were annoying until we bought mesh face covers.

Ayers Rock

It’s not as smooth up close.

The Mars-like landscape of Kata Tjuṯa NP

We learned more here about the sad history of how the Aborigines were treated, even though they have lived on this land for 30,000 years. But at least the Australian government acknowledges it now. In fact any walking tour, presentation, kiosk, or even during a veteran’s tribute ceremony in Melbourne, an acknowledgement of the land we are on is made. (That’s also starting to happen in Salem, Oregon, our hometown.)

There’s so much to see and experience in this vast and friendly continent. We’ll be back!

More photos are on my public Facebook page (Ron.Kelemen) Instagram (@Kelemenron). Check out the Aussie fun facts after the last photo.

The mountains of Tjuta National Park

”What We Can, While We Can”

”What We Could While We Could”

Aussie fun facts:

• Oz is mostly cashless. Tap everywhere. We never went to an ATM or used currency.

• Everyone—pedestrians, cyclists, and vehicles—stick to the left hand side. Especially nice when hiking on paths or crowded city sidewalks..

• “No worries, Mate” seems to be the Aussie way of saying “you’re welcome.” We were never worried. Maybe we’re just getting old.

• Flat white coffees originated in Australia.

• Tipping is unusual. Workers are well-paid with health and retirement benefits.

• We paid for the groceries on our road trip, and were surprised how inexpensive they were, about 30% less than we would pay for the same at home. After currency conversion, restaurants were comparable to the States.

• Coffee shops and cafes charge a 10% surcharge on Sundays.

• Alcohol must be purchased in “bottle shops,” often next to grocery stores.
• Aussie accents are sometimes harder to understand than Scottish.
• Going for a walk, stroll, or hike?  They are called “a wander.”