What’s Better: Australia or New Zealand?

November 14, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

So what are the differences between Australia and New Zealand? Actually, there is little comparison. Both are islands and both are in the Southern Hemisphere. In addition, both were British colonies, but that’s about it. Here’s a comparison showing how much they actually differ.

Map by Wikipedia showing Australia to the left and New Zealand to the right, both down under the world.

A Penal Colony vs. A Religious Colony

Here’s one great difference. Australia was a penal colony, a place where England unloaded its burgeoning prison population. New Zealand began its European settlement as a religious colony. Maybe it was a good thing that the two countries are over 1,200 miles apart with the Taxman Sea in between.

Governments

Another great difference is how they are governed. Australia’s governmental bodies are somewhat similar to America. There are states with state governments, and a prevailing central government over all. In New Zealand there is only one central government with a unicameral legislative body, a parliamentary democracy. Both, though, are constitutional monarchies.

Climate

Climate wise they are very different. New Zealand has glaciers, fertile soils, mountains, lakes, and coastal plains and seems to be as green as Ireland, maybe because it was spring when we visited.

New Zealand (North Island)

Australia though is tropical at one end and arid and dry in its vast middle. There are deserts and long-term droughts. New Zealand has droughts but they are short-term.

Australia in the Outback down in a canyon near Alice Springs

Demographics

Australia has over 24 million people in a country of almost 3 million square miles, while New Zealand has less than 5 million who live in a little under 103,000 square miles. Over 4.5 million Australians live in the greater Melbourne area alone, which is about the total population for all of New Zealand. Australia’s GDP per capita is almost $54,000. New Zealand’s is almost $43,000. In comparison the US’s is over $59,000.

Economy

Australia’s primary export is minerals (global coal) and New Zealand’s is agricultural (dairy products and meat). Australia’s minerals are owned by its government. Australians may own land but their government holds all the mineral rights on the privately owned lands.

Land in Australia is primarily owned by its governments to the tune of 72% of all land. Thirteen percent is owned by the aborigines and 15% by private landowners. I could find no land ownership estimates for New Zealand other than a ban on land ownership by foreigners.

Natural Disasters

New Zealand has major earthquakes. Australia natural disasters include cyclones, bush fires, and floods.

Languages

Both countries primarily speak English but New Zealand also speaks Maori, though Maoris only make up 8% of the total population. The indigenous people of Australia make up less than 1% of its population.

So what’s better is relative to us individually. Some will love Australia, especially those who like urbanity and the finer multi-cultural things of life, and others will prefer New Zealand for its long vistas and pastoral way of life. I liked them both because they were so different.

Four Terrific Ways to See Sydney

November 13, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

Our last stop in Australia was Sydney. After the remote Outback and steamy Queensland, Sydney was a breathe of fresh air literally. It was a cool 55 degrees when we got there, though the days’ temperatures rose to a comfortable 70 degrees.

Sydney is the state capitol of New South Wales, Australia’s largest city, but not its capitol city. Greater Sydney sits on Australia’s eastern coastline on the Tasman Sea with over five million people living in the city and over 650 suburbs.

Sydney, Australia

The explorer James Cook found it in the 1770s but Australia’s indigenous people had already been here over 30,000 years before him. We spent two days exploring the city.

Sydney’s Harbor Bridge

Sydney is built around a wonderful natural harbor, and this bridge built in 1932 is a focal point of the city. The views of the city from the bridge were awesome.

The Sydney Harbor Bridge as seen from outside the Sydney Opera House

The steel-through arch bridge crosses between Syndey’s central business district and its north shore suburbs with lanes that carry rail, vehicles, bicycles and pedestrians.

Sydneysiders (that is what they call themselves) nicknamed the bridge “The Coathanger.”

For the really adventurous, one can climb the bridge from the south side for $400. Climbers wear special clothing and are attached to the bridge by a wire.

They climb in groups with a guide the upper eastern arch of the bridge to the summit, cross to the western side and then descend down the upper western arch. It takes about 3 1/2 hours. There were no takers from our group.

We’re told the best views of the city are from this climb. Still no takers.

The Sydney Opera House as seen from under the Sydney Harbor Bridge

Sydney Opera House

Opera House might be in its name but the center is a multi-venue performing arts center sitting on a promontory in Sydney Harbor. Its distinctive modern expressionism architecture makes it an iconic Sydney focal point, and a visit and tour became one of the highlights of visiting the city.

The Sydney Opera House as seen from the city.

Outside are pre-cast concrete shells covered in tiles which are striking in the sun. The building itself covers over four acres.

The inside of the center is made of glass curtains and Australian birch. Walls are also of pink granite. We loved its lines and views of the harbor.

Inside the Sydney Opera House

It houses several theatres, a playhouse, a recording studio, gift shops, cafes, bars and restaurants. We had lunch there and enjoyed the views of the city, its harbors, and its harbor bridge.

Having a drink at the Sydney Opera House overlooking the Harbor Bridge.

Originally estimated at $7 million, the finished Opera House cost $102 million in 1973.

Harbor Tour & Luncheon

One great way to tour the city is from the harbor. We took a harbor boat tour and viewed many of its suburbs from the water. Later, we took a bus and toured the suburbs from within.

Sydney Harbor and its boat traffic as seen from the Sydney Opera House

Walking Tours

Of course, the best way to view Sydney was on our own by foot. We found its downtown streets to be clean and safe, even at night. It is full of good restaurants and shops, too.

One of Sydney’s Parks

The street in front of our hotel within walking distance of Sydney Harbor, the Harbor Bridge, and the Opera House.

What’s the Difference Between Uluru and Ayers Rock?

November 8, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

The difference between Uluru and Ayers Rock is nothing except the former was named by the Aborigines and the later by the Europeans who came later. Located 280 miles from Alice Springs, we took a bus.

The bus trip provided the means to see more of the Outback. On the way we saw cattle with no fences, wild camels with no boundaries, and a place that breeds camels and allowed us to take a ride.

He rides a little high

It is estimated that there are over 300,000 feral camels in Australia. They were brought here in the 1800s for colonization of the Outback. They have done quite well surviving here.

But what goes up, must come down.

We got to Uluru in time to celebrate sunset at the rock with a champagne reception.

Martin, Chuck and Cindy in front of Uluru

Uluru is a sandstone formation in the center of the Outback. It is a holy place for the Anangu tribe of Australia’s aboriginal people. It wasn’t even seen by the Europeans until 1873. They renamed it Ayers Rock.

Uluru

Today it stands over 1100 feet high in the desert, but it once stood at the bottom of the sea. It is estimated to be over 600 million years old.

Uluru is a beautiful backdrop for photography

The monolith is over 2 miles long and 1.2 miles wide. It was formed as the hard rock of a mountain left over from the erosion of the softer parts of the mountain. It has a lot of iron, thus its red color.

Its rock formation make it special.

The next day we visited the rock, learning about the dreamtime (creation) stories that the formations describe for the local tribe. It also made a wonderful place for photography. Uluru is located in the Uluru/Kata-Tjuta National Park.

In this creation story the rocks form the body of a large snake. His head is above his body, which is above the people walking below.

The next day we traveled to another nearby rock formation called Kata-Tjuta/the Olgas. This was a group of dome shaped rocks, one of which was over 1,700 feet high. The rocks were once parts of a single monolith.

Chuck in front of Kata-Tjuta

I was impressed that my youngest daughter knew all about Uluru. I had never heard of it. I loved it, but Chuck after seeing the second formation said, “I think I’ve seen enough rocks now.”

The Real Truth About Australia’s Deadly Animals

November 7, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

Australia is known for its vicious, biting, dangerous wildlife. It has deadly animals that want to bite you if not kill you. When someone lists the top most dangerous creatures in the world, Australia’s top the list.

We visited the Alice Springs Reptile Center so we could get a quick lesson in what to stay away from, what not to do, or what to do, especially if we get bitten, most especially by the King Brown Snake, which is where I’ll begin.

The Brown Snake

The center explained that most people are bitten by the latter, because they either try to kill it or they find themselves standing on it. The snake, though, can be aggressive, meaning he will attack by chasing you until he bites you; and he is the second deadliest snake in the world.

Brown Snake, photo by Wikipedia

We were told to stand still if one is too close until it slithers away, even if he decides to slither across your shoes. Everything in my being, if not in my raising, told me that this is ill-fated advice at best, totally opposite of the way I was raised. Running like hell is what we Florida kids did instinctively.

The Reptile Center also told us to wear long slacks and no sandals, which was most of my wardrobe. It seems this snake’s fangs are microscopic and probably won’t reach your leg if your slacks aren’t tight. So much for my narrow legged ankle pants in the Outback.

By the way Australia has the first most venomous snake, too. He just didn’t happen to live in an area we visited.

Box Jelly Fish

Another deadly creature is the almost invisible box jelly fish, with his long tentacles and venom that causes a person’s heart to stop. They are so prevalent that people only swim on the north shore in areas with nets for protection.

Box Jellyfish, photo by Wikipedia

Spiders

My Mama would have hated this place, because Australia has over 520 species of spiders, most of which are extremely poisonous, including the world’s most venomous–the funnel web. The latter likes to hang out in your shoes.

Funnel Web Spider, photo by Wikipedia

The Saltwater Croc

I mentioned the saltwater crocodile earlier. All I can say is that this archaic thing not only can eat you but even looks like he wants to eat you. Our alligators here in Florida look like Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm next to this unholy looking thing. He looks like an alligator that is demon possessed. Up on the north shore they rule the roost up there with hardly any predators, and they will eat almost anything.

Saltwater Crocodile, photo by Wikipedia

We were told that he responds to vibration, thus the instructions to stay away from the banks of rivers, streams, beaches, mangroves, you name it. One minute you think you are all alone, and the next minute you’re his dinner. Actually he really doesn’t like the taste of you, but you are big enough that he wants you dead.

Other Things that Can Kill

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. There are also poisonous centipedes, snails, octopi, and fish, to name a few. Even the Outback itself crisscrossed by remote uninhabited hot, dry miles and miles of roads with no service stations, towns, or civilization can be a problem for the unsuspecting. Did I say hot? It gets up to 122 degrees out there in the summer which is in December/January. All kinds of things can happen out there.

The Mighty Cassowary

There is a bird called the Cassowary that goes around kind of mad at the world and will chase you down and beat you up, maybe even kill you if given the chance. Somewhat like ostriches and emus, he grows to six feet tall and can run 31 mph. A cousin to the raptors as seen in Jurassic Park, Cassowaries are smart, can jump five feet, can swim, and will find you. You cannot hide.

Cassowary

The fauna of Australia are truly interesting. Of course, marsupials are not mammals; and before it was inhabited Australia had lots of the former but hardly none of the later. Australia has over 200 species of marsupials native to the continent, a very ancient land, one of the oldest in the world. It has shallow soils, and its marsupials can survive better here than our mammals.

Believe me. This is a strange land down under here. I never encountered any of these varmints, but it wasn’t because I wasn’t looking…all the time.

What No One Told You About “Waltzing Matilda”?

November 4, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

In the Australian Outback, there’s a School of the Air and also the Royal Flying Doctors Service. Both were established because people living in these remote and isolated conditions lack medical services and educational services. We also learned the meaning behind the song “Waltzing Matilda”.

The School of the Air is the largest classroom in the world serving over 521,000 square miles, double the size of Texas. Enrolment is for pre-school, primary, and middle.

It provides educational materials and personal communication with parents and home tudors. It began using radio to provide education for these children but now use satellite, email, and home tutors. We watched a teacher doing a class live with students from a studio in Alice Springs.

An Air Teacher in Her Classroom. The TV Monitor at top left shows what the students see.

The Royal Flying Doctor Service is an air ambulance service for these people. They take the finest care to the furthest corners so that any who lives, works, or travels in the remote areas of the Outback can enjoy the best of health.

We toured the inside of one of these planes.

We also saw a live map of where these planes were currently serving throughout Australia.

That evening, we went to a Bush Bar-B-Q where the cooking was done in dutch ovens near a banked fire. We also learned about the stories behind some of their more familiar folk ballads.

Did you know that “Waltzing Matilda” was a story about a drifter (or swagman) who was waltzing with his matilda (his bedroll or swag) one lonely night by a billabong, a pond while waiting for his billy to boil. His billy was a pot.

Anyway, he killed a jambuck, a sheep, which belonged to someone else. When three police came for him, he fled into the pond and drowned.

The singer also said that “waltzing matilda” has a double meaning, as the drifter carries or this thing he calls matilda on his back as he wanders from place to place. So now you know the rest of the story.

Listening to Australian Ballads

The singer said that many Australians believe it should be their national anthem, but folks are worried that a national anthem about a drifter who commits suicide may not be entirely appropriate.

Our Bush Bar-B-Que

Still, though, it is a beautiful song; and it was a wonderful evening.

Five Surprising Facts About the Outback

November 3, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

All of Australia’s Outback from the semi-arid south to the tropical north have several things in common–a low human population; amazingly large, intact natural areas; and an economy that depends on a pastoral lifestyle where livestock relies on the Outback’s natural environment or mining.

Cattle run free, and apparently there are no fence laws in this area of the Outback.

The next day we flew from Cairns to the Outback, the vast, remote interior of Australia. This part of the Outback is called the “red centre” and is arid. We flew into Alice Springs, just about the geographical center of Australia.

It is obvious why this is called the ‘Red Centre’ of Australia’s Outback.

The Australian Aborigines came to this island continent over 65,000 years ago and are probably closer related to the people from New Guinea, the Philippines, and India.

One of our group sits down to negotiate for a piece of art with an Indigenous Australian.

We learned that as hunter/gatherers, they are especially adept at finding naturally occurring food in the Outback. Though with much effort, they know exactly when, where, and how to find what is edible.

The men were especially good at hunting and slipping up on their non-suspecting prey. We learned how to throw a boomerang (one that is nonreturnable) to bring down a kangaroo, one of their food sources.

One of the men demonstrated, and then we all got to try our hand at throwing a boomerang at a target.

We also learned about several of their other tools and weapons.

This one was used in war. The pointed part could eviscerate an enemy or brain them. It was used like a tomahawk.

By the way we did not see any kangaroos in the wild. In this area there is a severe drought, and the kangaroos have moved on to areas with more water.

Most communities in this area were nomadic, moving seasonally and often according to food sources. They were always in search of the scarce food sources. We visited a small village to see how they built their structures.

Finally, we had an opportunity to buy some Aboriginal art. Their art tells a story mostly about their culture.

Mary with a piece of her art, which was for sale. The fruit was called desert tomatoes. The U and / are women. The / is her digging stick, used to find food in the ground such as roots, etc. If the U had two straight parallel lines by it, then it is a man. A simple U means people. Their art told their stories before they could write.

What No One Tells You About the Great Barrier Reef

November 1, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

The Great Barrier Reef is actually over 2,300 reefs in one giant coral reef system running approximately 1,400 miles along the northeastern shore of Queensland, Australia in the Coral Sea.

One of the 900 islands on the Great Barrier Reef seen from the air on our first day.

Queensland is like one of our states. The reef sits about an hour and a half by boat from the city of Cairns. Our group of 20 individuals took a catamaran out on a fairly rough day at sea. The rain limited our visibility for photos but not for exploring.

Our Catamaran Trip to the Reef

The views looking back at the mainland were awesome. This coastline of Australia had mangroves, humidity and palm trees like Florida. Unlike Florida, though, it also had mountains and saltwater crocs.

We snorkeled wearing wet suits, because of a particularly bad jelly fish. We swam out from Michaelmas Cay.

We found the diversity of life on the reef to be amazing. Two of my most exciting moments was swimming over a giant clam…

and having a very large manta ray swim under me.

And all the other sea life!

We also took a submarine type boat to see another part of the reef in this area.

By the end of this trip, this was by far my favorite day!

A Train to Karanda

October 31, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

On day 2 in Australia, we traveled by train through dense rainforests, past spectacular waterfalls, and beside deep ravines.

Kuranda Scenic Railway

The railroad was built in the late 1880s. We traveled through 15 tunnels and over 37 bridges. Since we were near the coast, we also had views of the sea as well as the fields around the area.

Queensland near the northern coast of Australia

Kuranda is a village in the rainforest on the northern coast of Australia near Cairns. We ate lunch in the village and returned by skyrail.

A Sky Ride Above the Rainforest

That evening we had dinner together on the roof of our hotel with the rest of the group from Georgia Tech.

Our Rooftop View

Then each of us got to hold a koala and have our picture made.

My Moments with a Real Live Koala

The minute they hand you the koala, he hangs on for dear life as if giving you a caressing hug. It was so sweet.

A Koala Handler

Australia or Bust

October 30, 2018 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

We just got back from three weeks in Australia and New Zealand, so we picked five photos from each day. Enjoy the photo album!

The flight over was 22 hours counting connections, airports, and the flights themselves. Strangely enough, the jet lag wasn’t bad at all. Not sure why.

We finally got to Cairns in the Queensland region around noon after losing a day on the flight over from Los Angeles. On the north coast of Australia and its most tropical, the city is pronounced Cans.

Cairns at Night

After a quick lunch we took a flight out to the Great Barrier Reef to see it from the air. We knew it would be important to stay awake for the rest of the day, and we thought the flight out and back might help. In two days we will go snorkeling on the reef.

The Great Barrier Reef near Cairns, Queensland, Australia

Coming back we saw the sugar cane fields, but there are now so few of them. Malaysia seems to have taken away their sugar cane market.

That night we had dinner with our tour director who will be with us during the entire three weeks both in Australia and New Zealand. An Aussie himself he gave a brief presentation on what is unique about Australia, its people, its economy, and its culture.

Most interesting was his warning about swimming at the beach or even walking along the shoreline anywhere. It seems that the salt water crocodiles are frighteningly deadly as is a certain box jelly fish. In short, absolutely no walking anywhere near the water, even on the road by the mangroves; and absolutely no swimming except in the daytime in a designated area.

Cairns at Night

What I Learned About the French Riviera

November 28, 2017 by oldageisnotforsissies54 Filed Under: Travel

Most people come to the French Riviera for its sun, beaches, and views, but we discovered so much more. The villages and countryside are awesome, too.

Today, we left Nice and headed back toward Monaco and visited Èze and Saint-Paul-de-Vence, both Medieval hilltop villages with amazing views in the French Riviera.

What makes it very special here are the roads that are high on the mountains overlooking the sea. These roads cut into the mountains and into the sides of the cliffs. It makes for awesome views and nail biting rides. If you remember, Princess Grace lost her life on a road like one of these.

Èze

First, we stopped in Èze, a village high up a mountain on the sea.

It has narrow winding streets that we just loved.

Èze was a great place to stop for lunch and see great sweeping views of the French Riviera.

The village sits on a high cliff over 1,400 ft above sea level and is very near the Italian border. Its oldest building dates back to 1306. We learned that Walt Disney spent a significant amount of his time here.

Èze, population about 3,500, is very popular with tourists and especially with honeymooners. It is what some call a village-musée, a “museum village” because few residents of local origin live here now.

Chuck and I wandered through it and spent a significant bit of our time having lunch in a little alley restaurant. We were entertained by a blind kitty.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence

Afterwards, we went to Saint-Paul-de-Vence. This village sits high on a hilltop also in the French Riviera. It is one of the oldest medieval towns and is known for its art galleries.

Saint-Paul-de-Vence was a haven for the famous, mostly due to the La Colombe d’Or hotel. We were told that all kinds of celebrities stayed here including Satre, Picasso, Sinatra, and many more. This was their base of operations here in the French Riviera.

Saint-Paul was an old border village from the 16th century separating France and the House of Savoy. The views are fantastic over the hills and down to the sea.

On the south side is a panoramic view of their beautiful countryside. Walking along the cobblestoned ‘Grande Rue’ its main street is most impressive. We ambled down its narrow cobbled side streets, too, taking some time to do a little shopping.

We loved the patterns in the cobblestones.

This is a great place to just ramble.

Chuck took one look at the Grand Rue and its shops and mumbled something about his wallet. Funny man. He acts like I don’t have any credit cards. ☺

This was the end of our trip to Southern Europe and we flew back home from the Nice airport. Both of us had been to France, the first time over twenty years ago; but this was our first trip to the French Riviera. We really enjoyed it. We hope you did, too.