By Tom and Kathy Bird, Residents
In honor of our 25th wedding anniversary, we decided to book a
land tour of Australia and New Zealand. Australia is a big country, so
we spent time in Cairns and Sydney only.
Cairns is the gateway city to the Great Barrier Reef. We visited a
crocodile farm that showcased kangaroos, wallabies and the beloved
koala bear. Kathy was able to hold a koala for a few minutes. During
our visit to Cairns, we saw hundreds of flying foxes or fruit bats in a
huge tree near the city library. They were an amazing sight and hung,
dozing from the tree branches, until they flew off in the evening to
search for fruit.
Next was a flight to Sydney. We stayed in Sydney for four days. Our
hotel had a view of Sydney Harbor which is spectacular. We toured
the Opera House, the Rocks, which was where the first arrivals from
Britain settled, and beautiful Bondi Beach. We took a tour of Sydney
Harbor which is 22 miles long. Sydney Harbor Bridge is another
spectacular sight. Sydney is truly a beautiful city.
Next on our agenda was a flight to Queenstown, New Zealand
which is in the South Island of New Zealand. The weather took a
different turn as it was cold, and snow fell in the nearby mountains.
We cruised Milford Sound, took a jet boat ride and visited a New
Zealand sheep farm. The Maori culture of the native Polynesians
is most prevalent in New Zealand. We were able to visit cultural
centers, villages, a school, and a private home to achieve a better
understanding of the local Maori people.
We ended our trip in Auckland on the North Island where we had a
rainy sail on a 50-foot sail boat. Auckland has a busy downtown and
a walkable harbor. We are glad that we were able to see these amazing
and diverse countries. You do have to take a couple of daunting long
flights to get there but we felt it was worth it.
Celebrating Silver
Down Under
SOLERA DIAMOND VALLEY | AUGUST 2018 15
