The Oz That Refreshes

The Land Down Under offers wonders for every audience

By Carla D’Errico

Photos courtesy of Linda Watson and Carla D’Errico

Picture a land seemingly as old as time, juxtaposed with the image of a modern metropolis.

This is Australia, or “Oz,” as the locals call it. As big as the continental U.S. and relatively safe, Australia has much to offer all travelers, from families to singles.

Last holiday season, Bill and Linda Watson of Dublin vacationed Down Under with their daughter Andrea and sonin-law Jason Gable. I traveled solo on a semester abroad in 2006.

You might be tempted to think of Aussies (pronounced “Ozzies”) as universally blond with great tans and cool accents, but Euro- peans have only been in the country for a few hundred years. Aborigines, on the other hand, have lived in Australia for at least 40,000 years; some estimate as long as 60,000 years.

Australia has also been influenced by immigrants . from Southeast Asia, China and Japan, particularly in the cuisine on the east coast. The British, however, gave the Aussies their dialect basis – and their sense of humor.

“The people were nice. Their accents are fun. They talk really fast, though. We had a little trouble understanding them at times,” says Andrea.

The different terminology adds amusement, Linda says: “We started writing down the terms. It was funny because we’d see signs (while) driving, and we’d have to think a minute what (they) meant.”

Many people know Sydney because of its world famous Opera House. The Watsons and Gables were mesmerized, not just by the Opera House’s magnitude, but also by its history. Designed to resemble boat sails, the Opera House was born from a contest sponsored by the Australian government in 1957, with the doors finally opening in 1973.

“It was amazing it ever got built,” says Linda.

Even Andrea, not much a fan of opera, found it fascinating. In the evening, they explored world-renowned Bondi Beach, strolling the boardwalk, stopping for a glass of wine and people-watching.

One of the best ways to see the city is by cruising Sydney Harbour. Catch a boat from Circular Quay or Darling Harbour, where you’ll also find museums, the aquarium and the zoo. Despite its size, Sydney is an excellent city for walking tours. For shoppers, The Rocks district and Queen Victoria Building have plenty of boutiques.

A favorite activity of the Watsons and Gables was driving the winding Great Ocean Road, starting in Melbourne. Along the way, they stopped in seaside towns, such as Bell’s Beach, watching locals demonstrate the popular pastime of surfing. Staying in Apollo Bay one night, they, especially Linda, were charmed by a bed and breakfast with excellent views of the beach, occasionally catching a glimpse of seals. At Cape Otway, after a jaunt to the lighthouse, they trekked through the rainforest to see koalas in the wild.

“One guy actually touched one, they were so close. We didn’t want to because we didn’t know how they’d react,” says Andrea.

Nearby, they marveled at the Twelve Apostles, rock formations more than 100 feet tall that jut up out of the ocean.

The northeast is characterized by tropical rainforests featuring plants from the Jurassic period, while the Great Barrier

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Reef parallels the coast. Hiking through Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest, people cool off by swimming and bodyboarding in the rapids.

“My dad, my husband and I went swimming, and it was freezing,” says Andrea.

An hour and a half offshore from Cairns, the Watsons and Gables had a blast snorkeling and riding in a submarine, then relaxing on the permanent platform and recharging at the food bar. Fish are so numerous, it can be difficult to distinguish them. They also saw a sea turtle, stingray and black tip reef shark. Andrea was most impressed by the giant clams the length of a human body.

The Australian population hugs the coastline because the center of the country is a sweeping desert known as The Outback. The innermost region is called the Red Center, named for the bright vermillion color of the sand. It is also where you will find majestic Uluru, the largest monolith in the world and sacred place of the Anangu tribe. Neighboring Uluru are other giant sandstone formations known as the Olgas (Kata Tjuta).

Kings Canyon (Watarrka) is also vast and stunning – and an area where I had the good fortune to spot a dingo. If you are the outdoorsy type, this is the trip for you. It’s all about hiking and camping out under the stars. Temperatures can soar to 122 degrees in December, but most of the year, conditions are more moderate.

For an island roughly the size of Ohio, Tasmania, off Australia’s southeast coast, is chock full of sights. I took a 10-day tour and still didn’t see everything. The west is wild and beautiful, with stunning locations such as Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair. It is also the home of the Huon Pine, second in height only to the redwoods, and one patch is believed to be 10,000 years old.

The east’s beauty is more placid. At Wineglass Bay in Freycinet National Park the water was so clear I couldn’t help sticking my feet in, only to be shocked by its frigidity – the waters come up from Antarctica. Hobart is a quiet city, but it’s full of European character. Salamanca Place has wonderful boutique shops and restaurants and an eclectic market on the weekends. Petting the Tasmanian devils at the zoo was an extraordinary experience. The sweetest part of it all, though, was touring the Cadbury Factory.

“Australia was somewhere I always wanted to go,” Andrea says. “I would have never guessed it was as beautiful as it was. I’d suggest it to anyone who hasn’t been there before.” cs

Carla D’Errico is a contributing writer. Feed back welcome at gbishop@pubgroupltd.com.

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