Highs & Lows

Kookaburra sits on the old gum tree,
Merry merry king of the bush is he.
Laugh, Kookaburra, laugh, Kookaburra,
Gay your life must be!
~written by Marion Sinclair

Ack! How did I get so far behind in blogging again? There's so much to recount! My time in Sydney, the sailing trip and snorkelling in the Whitsunday Islands, my arrival back in Vancouver (it's so nice to be back in Canada!)...where to begin?

I arrived in Sydney, Australia on May 2, a Saturday morning, ready for a brief (albeit limited) 10 day introduction to the Land Down Under. Although I wanted to include a pilgrimage to Uluru (aka Ayers Rock or the Red Centre), my itinerary was limited to a few days in Sydney, with the remaining days earmarked for the Whitsunday Islands and snorkelling in the Great Barrier Reef. Cognizant of the fact that I only had a few days to explore Sydney, I wanted to squeeze in as much as possibe and took advantage of the time I had. I set out shortly after checking into my hostel and wandered over to Darling Harbour.
A pedestrian-only area of the city with a focus on entertainment, Darling Harbour is a light-hearted, playful place to visit, with the harbour inlet almost entirely surrounded by restaurants, cafes, and shops. Sprinkled with playgrounds, green spaces and water features, people stroll down the promenade eating ice cream, perusing restaurant menus, and snapping pictures of the attractive sights across the water. Laughing children run ahead of their parents, darting around and through the water fountains, shrieking with joy as they slip down the playground slides. A monorail slides by overhead at one end of the inlet, carrying passengers across the harbour. It is a visually pleasing place, and one which engendered a cheerful, high-spirited feeling in me.

In addition to the immense variety of eateries, there are many entertainment options in which to partake, such as the Sydney Aquarium and Sydney Wildlife World I visited. Although I have conflicting views on how I feel about animals being kept in captivity for human entertainment, I was eager to enter both attractions, since each showcases the creatures that call Australia home - and I knew I wouldn't have a chance to visit them in the wild. Underwater viewing chambers in the aquarium exhibited sharks; turtles; a variety of fish; huge, graceful manta rays with their funny, little, seemingly smiling faces; and introduced me for the first time to the dugong, a marine mammal often mistaken for a manatee (the easiest way to distinguish between them is that the dugong has a dolphin-like tail). Various tanks displayed the unique platypus, graceful jellyfish, and seahorses among many other water-loving creatures.

The Wildlife World gave me a chance to see live cuddly koalas and bounding kangaroos, cute sugar gliders and delightful wallabys, colorful butterflies and birds, interesting insects and lizards, and the less desirable slithering and creepy-crawly critters - complete with signs announcing which ones were "The Most Poisonous in the World". Gee, thanks...I really needed further confirmation that Australia was designed to kill me. I have to admit that, although I didn't let it interfere with my participation in experiencing what I could, the thought of what might be lurking in dark corners was never far from my thoughts. I kept my bags zipped shut at all times to prevent anything from crawling in. I thoroughly scanned bathrooms and shower stalls before entering. And I watched my step when walking. Fortunately, I was lucky enough not have any undesirables cross my path - even in Airlie Beach, the jumping off point for the Whitsunday Island cruise, where Rebecca spied a startlingly large eight-legged beastie hanging around outside our hostel door. But more about that trip later - back to Sydney, a city so large it's apparently the size of Luxembourg! And, unfortunately, as is common with big cities, there are things I invariably detest...and Sydney seemed to have more angry honking horns, raucous birds, and screaming kids than I preferred. But I was tired after such a full day of sight-seeing and resigned myself to the fact that maybe I just needed some sleep.

Rising on Day Two, I walked length of George Street, from my non-descript hostel (790 on George), past and through the Queen Victoria Building (described by some as the most beautiful shopping centre in the world), over to see the lavish foyer of the State Theater (gleaming with gold and regal statues), to an area called The Rocks - the oldest part of Sydney, touted to be the birthplace of Australia. Apparently a must-see for visitors to Sydney, people are drawn to the narrow cobblestone streets, attracted to the "palpable sense of history", and enjoy the bustling weekend markets. Being that it was a Saturday, I was lucky enough to catch one of these markets. I strolled along the streets, lined with appealing cafes and unique tourist shops, rubbing shoulders with locals and tourists alike as I meandered around the market stalls of original artwork and photography, designer fashions, handmade housewares, and food. Strangely, though, the highlight of my morning stroll was the discovery of a Puppet-Maker shop! Such a unique and whimsical place, I felt the wonder and awe of childhood as I descended the wooden stairs into the low-ceilinged shop, every corner jammed with marionettes and puppets of every type and description. Following my exploration, I wandered over to the adjacent Circular Quay, a "vibrant, bustling place" where ferries regularly come and go, buskers perform (like the musical, modernized Aboriginal act I saw and heard, incorporating today's drum and bass beats with the unique sound of the didgeridoo), and fantastic views of the Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House can be seen. After snapping a few photos, I crossed the Quay with the intention of spending some time in the Royal Botanical Gardens. After about 20 minutes I decided I was better off taking advantage of the sun instead and walked back to the Quay to catch a ferry over to Manly, a quaint surfer-like town. The ferry ride gave fantastic views of the famous landmarks and city skyline. Exiting the ferry terminal in Manly, I walked down the Corso, a long cobblestone pedestrian-only courtyard, a shopping district really, loaded with restaurants and surfer shops, until I reached Manly Beach. There, I sat on the sea wall and ate my lunch, listening to the rhythm of the waves, watching the surfers and volleyball players flex their muscles, hearing strands of bagpipe music drifting over from somewhere further on. Bagpipe music! To slightly homesick ears, it was a welcome sound of home. All in all, it was a pleasant way to spend the afternoon. And music was becoming the theme of the day! Following the return ferry, on my walk back to the hostel, I came across another busker act - young guy energetically smashing away on several large, empty, overturned, plastic paint/plaster containers. His instruments may have been plain and simple, but he worked them with such frenzied passion the resulting sound and rhythm was mesmerizing! My last stop of the day was into a travel agency. With Rebecca scheduled to arrive the next day, I wanted to get some details on flights to the Whitsunday Islands!
I had the morning of Day Three to continue my touring of Sydney before I was due to meet up with her and decided to walk to Glebe - a leafy, "New Age" section of the city supposedly popular with backpackers and populated with businesses like organic shops and yoga schools. In particular, I was interested in checking out the Badde Manors Cafe I had read about. I was desperate to find someplace in the city with a healthy, mouth-watering selection of vegetarian, vegan, and/or organic items on the menu and I wasn't disappointed. After a quick glance at the menu, I immediately wished it was located much closer to the hostel so I could eat there everyday! Ironically, for breakfast, I wanted the french toast. For some reason, the longer I'm away from home, with each new city in which I find myself, I've noticed I seek french toast more and more frequently. It's become like a comfort food for me as I tire of travelling and feel more acutely my distance from home. It was good too...served with grilled banana and warm maple syrup. Afterwards, I retraced my steps and headed for Hyde Park. Located in the middle of the city, I always like the idea of a park such as this: a refuge of green and trees. But I couldn't escape the sounds of city life within it's boundaries. I didn't feel the usual calming effect I get from trees and parks. The day (and seemingly the atmosphere of Sydney) was wearing on me. Fortunately, it was soon time to meet up with Rebecca. I welcomed the sight of a familiar face. We chatted for a bit then headed over to the travel agency to finalize the details of our trip to the Whitsunday Islands. Next, lunch was in order. As the day progressed, though, it was quickly becoming apparent that I was over-tired and, as a result, overly sensitive. I felt like everyone was being unfriendly, cranky and short with me. I expressed as much to Rebecca and, at her suggestion, I decided to retire to our room to decompress, realizing that I was being just as cranky and short myself.

Day Four was much better! We had decided to get out of the city for the day and do a tour of the Blue Mountains. Away from all the noise pollution and into the wilderness - it was awesome! With Sydney being as large as it is, it took a long time to actually get out of the city. We drove through the site of the Sydney 2000 Olympics along the way. But it wasn't until we drove through Glenbrook that I really started to enjoy myself. Glenbrook, part of the Blue Mountain region, is a beautiful village - full of trees, many of which were dressed up in stunning, vibrant autumn colors. After routing through a residential area, we stopped in the town and I treated my myself to a delectable strawberry and soy custard tart. It only improved my mood - ha, ha! The next village in which we stopped was Euroka, at a park. Jim, our fantastic guide, led us through the eucalyptus (aka gum tree) forest to some special trees with turtle totems carved into the trunks. (I saw a kookaburra sitting in an old gum tree on our way!)

According to Jim, since trees are rooted in ground and end reaching into the sky, the Aboriginals believe trees are a gateway for spirits to get to Heaven - or as they view it, to the ancestral fireplaces (which is what stars symbolize to them). I love trees and feel there's a special significance to them, so I quickly warmed to the idea. As we walked back to the shuttle bus, I enjoyed the feeling of peacefulness that the park had draped over me. No city noise. Just the gentle quietness of nature accompanied by the occasional singing bird.

Next stop: High Country, where the famous blue haze of the Blue Mountains region was clearly visible. The blue haze is caused by vapour from all the eucalyptus trees. I also learned that the Blue "Mountains" aren't so much mountainous as a sandstone plateau divided by gorges and sprinkled with waterfalls. It's a lovely place with breathtaking vistas. We walked through ancient forests, peered over fenced-in edges of majestic cliffs, and gazed at stunning waterfalls like the Queen's Cascade waterfall, Wentworth Falls (which I thought was the prettiest with its lacy, delicate wall of falling water) and Weeping Rock.

Lunch was spent in another mountain village by the name of Leura, and then we set off for Katoomba, home of the much-photographed Three Sisters rock formation, and ScenicWorld, where we rode on the world's steepest railway (with a 52 degree incline at its steepest point!), walked through a dense eucalyptus forest on a boardwalk trail, and snapped photos from a cableway.

I was drawn back to the Badde Manors Cafe again on Day Five. The day also found me sorting my luggage in anticipation of the upcoming sailing trip. Rebecca and I ran a few errands and then, right there in downtown Sydney, Australia, we ran into three guys we had met at a social night in Wellington, NZ. So the trend continues - can I officially say I now know people the world over?? That evening as darkness fell, Bex and I wandered down to Darling Harbour to enjoy the ambiance and have some dinner at a great little place called Sumac. Our conversation rambled over many topics - including the fact that we were due to fly out the following morning to the Proserpine Airport.But I think that's more than enough detail for now and a good point at which to break. Queue next entry!