Maybe I can hop across the border to Germany and visit…err…oh…wait… Oh, THAT Australia…
So - my wife’s company (American Airlines) saw fit to bequeath all of their employees earlier in the year two space positive tickets to anywhere in the world that American Airlines flies. Space positive means - not the dreaded standby that we would normally fly, but rather assigned seats just like a flying customer (yay!). Most employees are going to dream locations that are high on their bucket lists because if you are going to use free airfare, it might as well be to a place that is expensive to fly to.
Our short list included:
Fiji
Australia
New Zealand
South Africa
Argentina
We’ve settled on Australia though. Possibly in July. We haven’t decided any itinerary yet, although we are predominantly interested in snorkeling (we aren’t divers) and so we will obviously join the droves headed to the Great Barrier Reef. I don’t yet know if we are going to hop-scotch around Australia, or just spend all our time in one location, or maybe even take a week and go to New Zealand as well. I dunno. We have a pretty blank slate at this point, but the time is approaching fast, so we’ll have to get something sketched out pretty quickly.
We are definitely thinking about taking a cruise on the Solway Lass…still determining how many nights to spend aboard:
Their site is pretty appealing (I’m hoping @Sine_Nomine will be at the helm) : https://solwaylass.com/
So anyone that has spent time there offer up any suggestions? We could get one of those country airline passes that lets you skip around a bit…but we are more interested in a laid back time with not a really packed itinerary. We can go for two weeks minimum, maybe three weeks. Is the New Zealand jaunt a good idea? And should I re-read Bill Bryson’s “In a Sunbuned Country” once more prior to the vacation?
I’m also considering bringing a shovel, visiting the Swansbank Landfill with @Bogusheadbox, and excavating an F-111 to restore. I might need more than three weeks …
Um… Depending on where you’re going, it might be a little chilly there in July, with winter and all. Not sure what water temperatures will be like at that time of year.
Brisbane is a lovely town, and Surfer’s Paradise is only an hour away by train, and has gorgeous beaches, but it’s a bit of a hike from the Great Barrier Reef, from what I understand.
Yeah…I’m trying to explain that to my wife…that a range of 16C to 23C in July isn’t exactly what SHE might be thinking of with regards to Australia beaches. We are at the mercy of the school schedule. The only other option is late December of next year, when he is out for winter break.
Being an Aussie your choice of destination is spot on. However, you can’t choose a wonderful place like Australia and then write new zealand anywhere in the same sentance.
Consider it a southern hemisphere faux pas if you will. Somewhere akin saying marmite is better than vegimite or tim tams are NOT the best biscuit in the world or stealing an amber nectar from bazza’s esky while he’s out playing bill the goose with drongo dezza and gazza in the bevan mobile ute late in the arvo.
You just don’t do it.
Now i can understand those from the other side of the world where the air is thinner, that the words "new Zealand " may be represented in the English dictionary. Its true, its there in that book. And just like the way Americans no longer abide by proper english like tyres or Aluminum, you shouldn’t equate Australia and that other country in relative terms.
Besides, the kiwis wouldn’t let your nuclear ships dock at their small island. Some say it was to do with ecological conservation. Most people assume that the word “nuclear” had too many syllables and just wasn’t understood by local government.
Its like owning a ute and not having your dog and a slab in the back. You just don’t do it.
Anyhow,
Welcome to paradise. I hope you like
Flies, bugs, cockroaches, snakes, spiders, jellyfish, crocodiles, sharks… and…
DROPBEARS
LOL…well, when you travel halfway across the world…you try to knock out the items that are in the vicinity.
I’m sitting here talking about the whole adventure with my wife and we are still up in the air about the WHEN. Since we are bringing Kai, the idea of his shivering in 68F temps after getting out of the water is a real concern. When he’s miserable, we are all miserable. Cairns seems warm throughout the year pretty much.
This dude’s video sells the whole sailing thing - but he visits in December (warm!)…
The whitsundays are beautiful to behold. But definitely check out the seasonal weather and what to expect with the weather and whats available when you nail down the when.
If you are in Australia then you could hop across for a quick visit to Queenstown ;). You know, in that place that @Bogusheadbox just said we shouldn’t mention…
Meet “Deep Blue.” She is possibly the largest Great White ever recorded. Females tend to be much larger than males simply because pregnancies result in muscle growth. After all, they have to still hunt and feed. The largest Great Whites are females with multiple births.
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