Final Days > The Long Journey Home

Leaving Sydney, we had a 6 hour drive inland to the town of Albury, where we were staying to break up the 9 hour driving distance between Sydney and Melbourne.  This was a quiet drive through a nice mountain valley between the Blue Mountains west of Sydney and the Australian Alps (where it snows every winter) to the south.  It was full of rolling farmland and gave us a nice reflective space to let the awesome trip we had been on really settle in.  Albury was a small but thriving town in the middle of nowhere, located on the Murray River, Australia's longest.  By the time we got in, we just hit the grocery store to cook in our studio hotel room with full kitchen.  We did get up early to cruise some local trails along the river before we left and headed on to Melbourne to get ready for our flights the next day.

Kara hugs the leg of a passing brontosaurus that she thought was a tree.

Mountain views and Murray River Valley from a ridge trail.

Early morning Murray River.

We had a short 3 hour drive back to Melbourne where we had a small cabin at a short-stay village near the airport where we unpacked and repacked our bags for the journey home the following day.  We were both kind of tired and ready to start the long journey, but wisely decided to drive to the local train station and head downtown for one more Melbournian evening!  We took the train into busy Flinders Station and walked along the river, checking out artwork, enjoying the busy activity and sunset, and heading back out towards the airport to cook up a last meal of Kangaroo kebabs we had grabbed at the store.

Ads all over the train station for the return of Australian Survivor, complete with knock-off Jeff Probst.

Melbourne Bitter from Ponyfish Island, a floating bar at the base of a bridge stanchion at Yarra River level.

Stylish dinosaur.

River cruisers.

Riverside CBD.

Sometimes art is scary.

Nightlights.

And just like that, it was all over.  A really great vacation, cruising Australia just like we typically do at home in the States, exploring nature, towns, and parks.  It was really fun but we were both ready to get home!  It had been a long productive and adventurous summer, but I really missed home and Charlie and family and friends.  We headed out on Wednesday on different flights, and despite some travel hiccups, we eventually both made it back on Thursday to pick up Charlie and return home all together.  Awesome summer, awesome experience, awesome return.  Australia is a really great country with friendly people and amazing nature at every turn.  I really hope to go back someday!

Back to the big city: Sydney

We made it to Sydney just in time for the 4 o'clock rush hour, but luckily it was Sunday and the roads were not bad.  They were kind of crazy though after driving easy going coastal roads for the last week, but we navigated tunnels and bridges decently well, only getting in one screaming argument when we got turned around and could not find a road to turn right on ANYWHERE!  But we made it to the St. Marks Lodge, an old converted house turned into boutique hotel, in the Southeastern area of Sydney near Coogee Beach, which we had a small view of from our window.  We only had a short time in Sydney so we decided to pick up Opal cards at the nearby quick-e-mart so we could ride the public bus downtown to the harbor.  All Australian cities have their own cards for public transport which you load with money to cover your fares, and visitors can't just buy a single fare, so it is a bit annoying if you are only there for a short while as there are $10 minimums.  BUT it beats driving the busy roads if you are sick of being behind the wheel!  And afterwards, you can give your cards, each still with $7.50 in fares on them, to nice old ladies sitting at bus stops, and make their day!

Map of Sydney with the harbor being the focal point and coastal beaches being an AWESOME urban feature!  We stayed a little southeast of the large park near Surry Hills on the map and Bondi Beach is the large sand crescent slightly northeast of there.

Small but comfy room at the St. Marks Lodge.

Ocean views, urban hotel.

We grabbed the bus and rode it all the way downtown to Circular Quay, the busy hub on the southside of the harbor where there are several wharfs to grab ferries to points all over Sydney.  This was also home of the world famous Sydney Opera House, and finally seeing this kind of officially officialized my Australian trip.  It is truly an icon.  We walked around an area called The Rocks, which I believe was one of the original built-up areas of the city and it is preserved and old and cool.  We found a pub for dinner and they had just revamped their menu to feature American food!  So nachos and chicken wings it was for dinner!  Plus a couple pints of REALLY good local beers.  A porter for me and the best IPA either of us had in Australia for Kara.  Sydney seemed to have quite a bit more American influence than Melbourne or other places I had been, which was kind of interesting.  I even saw a Starbucks, which I had not yet my entire trip.

Sydney Harbour Bridge and carnival on northern side.  This is the one they always show with fireworks shooting off of it for the first big New Year's Day celebration.

Sydney Opera House at night.

In the morning, we got up early and headed for Bondi Beach for a sunrise beach/cliff walk.  This area is just GORGEOUS, with cliffs on the sea, and awesome trails all along them, beaches, houses, views, and waves.  Amazing place that had us both wondering why everyone in the world doesn't want to live there!  After checking out, we headed downtown again to cross over the harbor bridge and view it all from a park on the northern side before heading out of town to get down the road towards Melbourne.

Bondi Icebergs Swimming Club saltwater pool at Bondi Beach; built into the rocks with fresh infusions from breaking waves.  One of the coolest things I have ever seen!

Awesome erosional rock features along the cliffs at Bondi.

Waves, rocks, houses.

Surfers at dawn.

Groundwater seep near the beach.

The rock scrambler gets down low.

Sunrise waves crashing.

See the troll?  We picked it's nose clean.

More groundwater falling.

The lineup was packed at Bondi with a nice steady 6 foot face.

Beachside skate park where an 8 year old was tearing it up on his skateboard and making me feel OLD.

Sydney harbour, blue skies.

FIGARO!

Coffs Harbor - Quiet and Calm

The drive to Coffs Harbor was only about 3 hours through the coastal mountains, so we arrived and checked into our condo that Kara had booked well before sun down (about 6 pm at this point...still winter).  Coffs Harbor, like most Australian beach towns, featured preserved parklands on much of the coastline, with natural dune forests blocking coastal views but providing a much more natural feel for the beaches.  We walked the trail along the linear beachfront park here, encountered some funky coastal turkeys, and cruised to the nearby harbor that overlooked some off-shore island reserves that I am sure are full of birds.  Most coastal towns have Surf Clubs, formed and operated by local volunteers much like fire departments in the States, to handle beach rescue, etc. and we saw the local one along the way.  We also walked through this really cool park where Coffs Creek meets the sea, and saw possibly the biggest pelican either of us ever has.  This thing was nearly 4 feet tall I imagine.  MASSIVE!  (my favorite word for everything Australian).  We got back in time to grab a quick swim/hot tub at our place before they shut down for the night and cooked dinner in, enjoying a custard apple for dessert (DELICIOUS!!!!).

Small town hotel (name for pub/bistros common in Australia) on a large gravel bar island in a river where we ate lunch on the road.

The Big Banana, an Australian roadside icon.

Hibiscus bloom outside of our condo.

Awesome local graffiti at the park.

Coffs Creek meets the sea at a really nice local park where folks were BBQing in picnic shelters.

Harbor with working fishing boats.

More boats with island reserve behind.

Eat these guys here.

Coffs Harbor beach, high tide.

Whale fluke fountain.

MASSIVE pelicans.

A custard apple, ripe and ready.

Split in half, remove seeds, dig in.

Completely DEVOURED!  Soft melon-like flesh with a bit of crispness and tastes like apple/pear pie with nothing added.  SO GOOD!

We got up in the morning as is our routine for sunrise on the beach.  It was a beautiful morning and we walked north along the beach towards some headlands that were well preserved, with a trail leading along the cliffsides and offering great views!  We hiked as far as we could and shot off on a side trail where we sat atop a cliff and just enjoyed the start of the day, listening to the birds and watching the waves pounding the rocks below.  SO nice!  We made our way back, packed up, and made for Sydney, a 6 hour drive away.

Sunrise, Coffs Harbor, from the dunes.

This is OUR beach!

Headlands trail.

View of mountains and beach north of the headlands.

Cliffs and sea.

Very necessary Zissou pose.

Oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Byron Bay: Busy Beach Bohemia

We made our way from Hervey Bay after a sunrise walk along the beach and a wander through the botanical gardens full of native trees down past Brisbane to Byron Bay.  The drive was gorgeous, along fields of sugar cane and through the beautiful coastal range of mountains, but as it was a Friday, we caught loads of traffic as many people made their way from Brisbane to the coast for the weekend.  It was a rough drive through traffic and along a lot of road work and by the time we got to Byron Bay I was BEAT!  Despite this, I rallied, and we wandered this funky, busier beach town from our homebase at the Hibiscus Motel on the fringe of the main drag.  We found our way to the Pacific Beach Hotel, a huge beachfront bar/restaurant complex with a stage and good local tunes where we enjoyed a few Stone & Wood beers and some fish & chips.  Stone & Wood is brewed in Byron Bay and I had been introduced to it by a barkeeper in Melbourne who had told me, "Mate!  They brewed the PERFECT beer for their surfing lifestyle up there!" and the Pacific Ale is just that: bright, light, and sunny!

Byron Bay, with peninsula jutting out from the coast, making it the easternmost point of Australia.

Sugar cane fields along the drive through the Sunshine Coast.

We stopped in a small town for lunch along the way to Byron Bay, not expecting much, but we found Billy's and it was the perfect spot  Food, booze, and BOOGIE!!!

Kara, fully feeling the amazing Billy's vibe.

Beachy decor at the little funky Hibiscus Motel.

 Byron Bay is the easternmost point in Australia, so a sunrise walk was absolutely necessary to greet the Australian day!  We went to bed early and were ready to rock!  It was a beautiful walk along the bay, with waves, distant mountain peaks on the northern side of town, and the point with lighthouse to the south.  We walked the beach with several other early risers and made our way to a big rock with a viewing platform on top, then scrambled around the awesome rocks at the base of the cliffs at the point while the sun came up.

View of the eastern most point with lighthouse at sunrise.

Offshore rocks and waves.

Sun comes up on Australia and we were there first!

Surfer paddling back out!  One of the best parts of our sunrise walks was catching all the surfers and paddle boarders at it early.

Playing in the waves and rocks.

Kara scrambles with her Keens on.

A perfect sunrise position.

From the base of the cliffs

 We headed back to our room to eat breakfast and pack up then drove up to the lighthouse at the point.  Not sure what I was expecting, but the views from up here were AMAZING!  And, because it is a point jutting out into the ocean, traveling whales have to round it as they make their way down the coast, so we saw many blows and splashes offshore as we took in the views.  It was busy up top, and rightfully so, as the views of the whales, the surf, the mountains, and the coastline heading off to the north and south were really spectacular.  This was easily one of the prettiest places I have ever been!  After spending an hour and a half up top there, we hopped in our ride and headed down the coast to Coffs Harbor.

View of the coast heading south from the lighthouse point.  A large lineup of surfers was catching the waves closest to the viewpoint.

Close-up of the lineup and someone grabbing a ride.

Byron Bay lighthouse and cliffs.

View of mountains looking north from the point; note the angular limestone peaks.

We were gazing out at whales passing by when I looked down and saw this small cliff-side wallaby foraging in the bush below us.  This guy lives among the good views!

Beautiful waters churning at the base of the cliffs.

Final view of Byron Bay, full of weekend beachgoers.