One of the first things we noticed when we arrived in the greater Sydney area were these beautiful purple blossoms. It is the JACARANDA tree that is responsible for such picturesque sight. The Sydney area is dotted with these trees and we were fortunate to be visiting the area during the Australian Spring when they are in full blossom. Apparantly the Jacaranda tree is native to the tropical and subtropical regions of South America, Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean and have been introduced to Australia. I guess this is one of the few good news stories of introducing foreign species to the continent of Australia because they are absolutely magnificent when in full blossom!!!
John
We have arrived in Canberra and spent the day touring the new parliament building which was built in 1986 and then spent the afternoon touring the War Memorial Museum which was fantastic. Its bizarre Birch, Allegra and I have yet to explore our nations capital yet here we are learning so much about Australia and their history. After our long day we drove a little way out of town and found a pullout off a country road and set ourselves up for the night. Early the next morning I drove the van back into town to a beautiful picnic site in the capital which was by a lake. We were getting ourselves organized and Carolyn had the back hatch up boiling some water for our morning coffees when she . . .
Here I am enjoying a cup of coffee while tr;ying to spot a platypus
We have spent about five days driving along the Great Ocean Road and have headed back towards Melbourne where we stayed two nights at Phillip Island which is just south of Melbourne and saw the nightly ritual of the Little Penguin. It was fantastic to see these little creatures waddle up from the ocean to their nests on shore. After our stay on Phillip Island we started the drive up to Canberra the capital of Australia.
After a long days drive we came across a sign that pointed us to a Platypus Reservation and stayed the night. This was totally unexpected and we had the privilege of seeing . . .
This is our home in Australia
We have arrived in Australia and we are exploring the Great Ocean Road which is a beautiful stretch of highway that follows the coast west of Melbourne. This is our second day here and we have parked our camper van in a small parking lot that is just off the highway and is surrounded by a protected forest. When we drove in last night it was dark and just after 9:00pm, we already had our dinner and decided this was a good place to stop for the night. After getting through the routine of converting our van from a vehicle of transport into a mini hotel we all settle in to sleep. Carolyn and Allegra are sleeping in a double bed that folds out inside the van and Birch and I are in . . .
Most of our trip was spent following the coast in the Northland province (north of Auckland) and then the eastern coast down to Napier. After visiting Napier we spent the last three days driving up the middle of the North Island as we headed back towards Auckland. This part of New Zealand, the Rotorua and Tapau region, is famous for its hot springs and volcanic activity. We had an excellent time touring the geothermal areas and soaking in the local hot springs.
Here's an interesting fact: 8% of New Zealand's electricity is from geothermal generation from this area. The majority of their electricity comes from. . .
We arrived in Gisborne which is part of the North Island's Eastern province. In order to get there we decided to take the faster route and cut through the "gorge" rather than follow the seaside around a peninsula (time, time, time). Turning off and heading towards the mountains, ominous dark clouds lay ahead. The drive itself was yet again spectacluar. The twisting, winding roads followed a mountain river as we climbed up and over the pass. When we arrived in Gisborne it was overcast and threatening but not raining.
Gisborne is the first major town to start a new day. When it is 7:00am on October 28th in Gisborne then it is 11:00am on October 27th in Vancouver. So Gisborne is the first town to. . .
New Zealand, a country of endless coastline, beautiful green rolling hills, winding roads and one lane bridges!! Yes one lane bridges. These one lane bridges are found throughout the Northland and anywhere outside of Auckland. For me these bridges are quite the novelty. It seems as if every crossing outside of Auckland has these one lane bridges that are just wide enough for their large transport trucks. As we drive along the winding roads and take in the fairy tale scenery you will see your common traffic signs; speed limit, steep grade, sharp turn ahead and YIELD RIGHT OF . . .
Yesterday evening we arrived at Ninety Mile Beach, which is a stretch of sandy beach on the northern tip of New Zealand. I drove to the end of the gravel road and it stops at the beach with two steep rocky spurs offering the driver to go north or south. Seeing how steep and jagged the ramp was, I decided it wasn't the wisest move to try and negotiate this with our Toyota camper van called the Jucy "Condo" and Carolyn also encourages me to park the van.
Intelligently, I turn around and park behind the enormous sand dunes and we get out and . . .
We have started our first day of our journey. If this first day is any indication of how our trip will unfold, we are extremely fortunate, since everything has gone quite smoothly. We all woke up at 4:30am with a knock on the door by my mom Rosina and about a minute later all our alarm clocks went off. As I climbed out of bed, the phone rings and it's our taxi driver confirming the address and letting us know he will be there in 15 minutes. With hugs all around we say our goodbyes and the first step of our journey has begun!!
We have received such positive feedback from the Air Canada check in clerk and the the US Customs official. When we mention that we are travelling for 8 months with our family, their eyes light up with comments like "good for you" "that's a trip of a lifetime" and "what will you do with the kids schooling?"
All is good and I am grateful.
John
My Dad, Paolo, preparing some home-made gnocchi.
John
Here we are enjoying the "Last Supper" before we embark on our journey.
From left to right: Rosina (my mom), Birch, Paolo (my dad), Allegra and Carolyn
John
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