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!