The Climb of My Life!

Gray clouds hung ominously over Hyde Park when I peeked out my hotel window and stepped onto the balcony.  Rain had been flirting with Sydney the past couple days and today of all days I did not want to encourage its advances. Don’t get me wrong.  I don’t mind rain but I don’t prefer to tromp around a city in it if it can be helped.  Today would have a fair share of tromping. 

I was going to experience two Sydney landmarks – the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge – one of which I’d get to go through and the other I’d get to climb on! Peering down at the pedestrians below, I took it as a good sign no umbrellas were in use.  Upon my arrival at Circular Quay, the wet ground told another story.

Weaving my way along the harbor walkway, the Opera House stood out as if evoking a melodious “Laaaa!” from its surroundings.  Its sheer grandness and enormous, white sails left me gaping up at the sky until a raindrop or two snapped me to my senses. I hurried under the first sail and down the escalator to meet up with my guided tour.

Kristi with the Sydney Opera House and the bridge.

All fitted with headsets to better hear our tour guide; we were introduced to a series of small playhouses on the outskirts of the Opera House while learning of the structure’s history, a structure that almost didn’t happen.

With the need for a reputable establishment to house the performing arts and revitalize Bennelong Point, an international design competition was created in 1956 by the New South Wales government.    A Danish gentleman’s monumental design won but due to its originality and lack of measurements, it was controversial.

It was estimated that the building of the opera house would take three years and cost $2 million when in fact it took sixteen years and $102 million.  It’s innovative design; especially in regards to the sails was an engineering feat, one that you appreciate even more when you see it up close and personal.  I definitely recommend catching a performance in this remarkable building.

After soaking up the harbor bustle from the opera house patio, I followed a walking path that took me through the Royal Botanical Gardens to Mrs. Macquaries Chair, where I had a fantastic view of the opera house and the Sydney Harbor Bridge.  To accompany me, I ran into one of the UK gentlemen from the Blue Mountain tour the day before.  He was walking the gardens waiting for his friend to finish climbing the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the climb I was looking to do in just a few hours.  

Bats in the Royal Botanical Gardens

Amongst the lush, green of the garden, a winding path brought us to several people staring at a line of trees.  Following their eyes upward, we saw them, lots of them just hanging there – bats.  I had never seen so many bats in my life and these were just a dent into the 4,000 that live in the gardens!  I was mesmerized at these webbed-winged, fuzzyheaded, night-flying oddities.  It confirmed one thing though – it was bats that I’ve been seeing flying at twilight, hundreds of them in a quiet, black stream over my hotel, both in Melbourne and Sydney.  Visions of bats making a beeline towards my neck to suck my blood did flash through my mind.  However, I believe these were fruit bats so I thankfully was not on the menu. My UK friend and I parted ways, he heading towards the Harbor Bridge and me walking to the Hyde Park Barracks to gain better insight into convict and immigrant life. 

Built in 1819 to house, clothe, and feed convict men, the barracks held many purposes over the years. Each convict had their own story, which the barracks museum skillfully shares through a variety of interactive exhibits. 

The stories of convict men preserved.

When I think of convicts populating the island of Australia, I think of a bunch of ruffians cast off to a bigger version of San Francisco’s Alcatraz but it wasn’t like that at all.  There were chain gangs and the such for harder, uncooperative criminals, but most convicts, both men and women, earned their grueling passage to the convict colony through petty crimes – stealing, pick pocketing, forgery and the such.  In reality, they were building a colony in which many more people would come and settle.  Many convicts were treated like apprentices to colony families until they earned their freedom.  They then were considered a colony member. Due to the opportunities this new land presented, many convicts wrote to their families back in England to encourage them to come over.  Whether their families did so by committing a petty crime, I’m not sure.  However, some convicts would bring their families with them so when they became free, the family could be together. Mind you though, the living conditions were rough, disease was rampant, and the shortage of women was becoming alarming.

The convicts slept in rows of hammocks.

In 1848, the barracks was transformed into a female dormitory to house the mainly teenage, Irish, orphan girls brought over to marry and become maids to upper class families.  Due to the Potato Famine in Ireland, the futures of these girls looked grim.  While this immigration gave them a future, their fate was largely dependent upon immigrant officials, the matron, clergy, who they married, and the family for whom they served. 

One account told of a teenage girl who was married off six days after she arrived in Australia.  Imagine losing your family and leaving the country you hold dear to come to a foreign land only to be married off to a man you don’t know six days after your arrival.  For many of the girls, it was their faith that kept them strong, made evident by the rosaries and half chewed up Bibles found when parts of the barracks were excavated in the 1980’s, a sign of the rats who also called the barracks home.

A chewed Bible and other items left behind.

As time passed, the question of how to care for the aging and sometimes homeless women became pressing.  In 1862, part of the barracks was transformed into the Hyde Park Asylum to house old, frail, chronically sick, destitute, and insane women.  The life of a pioneer woman, whether it be braving the harsh journey across the American prairies in a covered wagon or trying to bring civility to a wild and new Australian colony built on the backs of convict labor was a hard life, a life I am grateful to learn of and thankful I do not have to experience.

Heading towards Hyde Park and eventually back to my hotel on the opposite end, I came across the massiveness that is St. Mary’s Cathedral, the spires of which have been part of my daily view from my hotel balcony.  It was one of the first Catholic churches built in Sydney as the pioneer settlement was largely Protestant.

Life gently filled Hyde Park as I walked through it to my hotel with bicyclers, exercisers, meanderers and the such dotting the tree-lined walking paths.  The hard-core city dwellers didn’t seem fazed though when the skies opened and the wind blew.  However, the dots of umbrellas lining the wet, windy streets caused me to worry for in a couple of hours, I was scheduled to climb the Sydney Harbor Bridge.  The bridgeclimb operates in any weather except lightening and high winds for obvious reasons but would this weather cancel my bridgeclimb?  I would soon find out.

Donning my turquoise rain jacket, I braved the elements and after sometime walking, finally found the bridgeclimb headquarters.  Dripping wet, I checked in and the front desk lady, completely unfazed by my appearance or the state of the weather, confirmed my climb and directed me to where I’d meet the rest of my climb group.  I was going to be climbing in the rain!

The catwalk below and the traffic above.

After a thorough orientation, my group of 14 put on a jumpsuit and then raingear on top of that, making us look like little, black blobs.  The only thing that identified us was our shoes and our faces peeking out of our hoods. With a harness and headset in place, we practiced climbing and walking with our harnesses attached to the railing before we headed out into the elements to do the real thing.

With the roar of the traffic and the rumbling of the train overhead, we began our journey into the bowels of the bridge.  On narrow catwalks and up ladder-like metal staircases we went, climbing our way to the base of the arch where the rain met us and we began our careful climb to the top.

The rain was exhilarating all bundled up in my raingear and the view breathtaking as ferry boats and cars became smaller and smaller and the surroundings of Sydney became more visible.  I was so focused on the steps to avoid slipping so I was thankful for the frequent stops to listen to commentary from our tour guide and soak in the view.

The need for a bridge to connect Sydney and the North Shore was obvious even as early as 1815.  It would take people the near part of a day to travel around the harbor shores to get to the other side.  Otherwise, they could take a ferry.  It was after World War I that serious plans to build a bridge were in place, taking eight years to complete. Since the bridge was the highest point in the city at that time, it was inconceivable for the city folks to fathom such a structure.  People were not in favor of it, fearing it would surely collapse.

Weathering high winds and rain, thousands of workers took part in the building of this bridge.  Without harnesses or netting, they pounded rivet by flaming hot rivet into securing this metal structure, six million rivets in all.  It is amazing that only sixteen deaths occurred.  Often workers would throw red-hot rivets fresh from the furnace to each other, catching them in their tongs.  Unfortunately, some missed and contributed to the death count. Only two of the deaths resulted from falling off the bridge.  Two men survived the fall, one from 197 feet, crediting his tool belt as playing a role in saving his life.  As he fell with tool belt still in tact, he slipped it off allowing it to hit the water first.  This broke the water tension allowing him to hit the water and survive the fall.

On top of the bridge with the Opera House behind.

Making the last few steps to the top of the 440 ft. high arch, all I could do was stare in awe at my surroundings. Slowly I panned past the Sydney Opera House, its sails looking as if they’d catch flight and turned around as much as my harness would allow, trying to comprehend my current reality – I was standing on the highest point of one of the world’s most iconic structures… in the rain.  What was I thinking?!  It was brilliant!

Stopping midway across the catwalk joining both arches of the bridge, we turned behind us to see the twinkling of the city lights coming on as twilight approached.  The roar of the traffic below us increased, the car lights leaving white and red streaks as they glistened on the wet road.  It was a magical sight.  Just then, I turned behind me to see one of the gentlemen down on one knee proposing to his girlfriend.  It was their one-year anniversary.  Not being able to hear what was going on, our tour guide shared the good news over our headsets.  She of course said ‘yes’. 

Being 440 ft. on top of a metal bridge above rows of cars in the rain, one’s mind quickly goes to the next important factor for women in a marriage proposal – What about the ring?  The question not being ‘how big’ but ‘did it make it onto her finger’?  With wet hands; a small, smooth metal object; and lots of adrenaline, the success rate of the ring actually making it onto the woman’s hand looked grim.  In this scenario, the use of the phrase, “It’s the thought that counts” does not cut it.  However, the bridgeclimb crew was in on it, tying the ring to the gentleman’s jacket and through the use of slipknots, successfully got it onto her finger.

The city lights grew stronger as twilight came and we made our descent, the rain making their glow even more brilliant.  The Sydney Opera House, its sails highlighted now with green and purple lights dazzled amidst the raindrops as we peered at it for the last time before our climb down the ladders and back to get changed out of our wet gear.

While I had envisioned my climb to have gone differently, it was the rain that brought adventure, uniqueness, and an unexpected beauty of the harbor landscape that made it a truly memorable experience.  I can say after climbing the 1439 steps, besides my hike to Yosemite’s Half Dome, this was the climb of my life.

Scavenger Hunt Items Completed:

12. Walk on top of the Sydney Harbor Bridge.

14a. See the Sydney Opera House.

19. Learn more about the interesting history of this country originally populated with convicts.

Speaking Australian: Visiting the Blue Mountains

If English is your native tongue and it’s your first time traveling overseas, initially visiting an English-speaking country can help ease you into the idea of traveling abroad. The main point is you don’t have to worry about the language, although, you can get away with using English in most countries today which is a nice luxury.  Being an English-speaking country, Australia is recommended as a travel destination for this reason.  However, there are times you’d never know it.

Australians have their own version of English, which can take you off guard if you get sucked into the beautiful sound that is the Australian accent coupled with a string of words that leave your ears guessing at their meaning.

Nearing the end of my Australian adventures, I’ve learned some tips on how to speak and understand Australian, the overall theme being, keep it simple. 

Tip #1: Names of places or things are usually based on how you would describe them.   

For example, if you see a snake and it’s brown, it’s called a Brown Snake. If it’s huge, it’s a King Brown Snake.  (Stay away from those, by the way.  They’re the 3^rd most deadly snakes in the world.)  Similarly, if mountains look blue, they’re called the Blue Mountains.  You get the idea.

Tip #2: If a word can be shortened, make it even shorter.   

Perhaps coming from their laid back, “no worries” mentality, words are often shortened to 1-2 syllables if need be by chopping off the end of the word and adding an “a”,  “ie/i/y”, “o”, or “za” at the end.

This even pertains to people’s names by adding an “o” or “za”.

It looks something like this:

“a”

Cuppa = cup of tea or coffee

Maccas = McDonalds (pronounced “mackers”)

“ie/i/y”

Aussie = Australian (pronounced “Ozzie”)

Barbie = Barbeque

Bikkie = biscuit (cookie)

Brekkie = breakfast

Chewie = chewing gum

Chrissie = Christmas

Cozzie = swim suit

Exy = expensive

Prezzy = present, gift

Uni = University

Woolies = Woolworths (grocery store)

“o”

Arvo = afternoon

Avo = avocado

Bizzo = mind your own business

Bottle-o = liquor store

Johnno = John

Servo = gas station

Smoko = smoke break

“za”

Bazza = Barry

Wazza = Warren

Jezza = Jeremy

Shazza = Sharon

These tips can be helpful if you get caught in a fast-paced Aussie conversation of abbreviations like this:

Bazza and Shazza met Wazza for brekkie at Maccas before going to Woolies to buy chook (chicken) and avos for the Barbie at Johnno’s that arvo.

With furrowed brow I’d be thinking, “I know they’re trying to tell me something.  I wish I knew what it was!”  Thankfully I did not encounter such a conversation.  However, I have begun to pick up some of the more frequently heard abbreviations like “Aussie”, “brekkie”, and “bikkies” - “abbrevos” that are trying to make a home for themselves amongst my regular vocabulary.

When it comes to bikkies, there is one that stands on its own reputation, not merely known as a bikkie, biscuit, or cookie but by its name – TimTams.  An Aussie-made dessert consisting of two cookies hugging a cream filling all dipped in heavenly chocolate, eating a TimTam is an experience that transcends all other cookie experiences. 

Having a variety of flavors, it can easily lure one into following the Pringles motto, “Betch ya can’t eat just one.”  I’ve tried it…you can’t.  Having a bikkie and a cuppa in the arvo is one thing, but having TimTams and cuppa can make one’s day shine bright again.  The one disconcerting thing is calories are listed as “energy” so I don’t have a concept of how many calories one of these heavenly delights has but like in shopping, if you have to ask, it’s too much.  Well, with all the hiking through rainforests and walking about cities, I think a little “energy” is just what I needed, especially on a day like today where I went to explore the Blue Mountains.

On the outskirts of Sydney, the Blue Mountains are known as the “little Grand Canyon” with its eucalyptus tree-filled gorges and seasonal waterfalls making it one of the top 10 destinations to visit in Australia.  But for many, it’s the mystery of the blue hue that people look to uncover, to answer the nagging question of “What makes the Blue Mountains blue?”  I was on a mission to find out.

Kristi holding Cuddles the snake.

With a pick-up at the hotel, my travel companion and I joined our tour that would take us into the Blue Mountains.  Skirting across the Sydney Harbor Bridge, the bridge I would be climbing tomorrow, we headed to Featherdale Wildlife Park where we’d get yet another chance to experience Aussie animals.  Having already been to two parks such as these, I was ready to move on and get into the mountains, but adventures awaited me, which I had not foreseen.

A roo seeking refuge.

Tourists like 2-year olds eager to touch and grab and photograph swarmed in and among the park.  This automatically made me along with the majority of the kangaroos and wallabies seek refuge.  One was not so lucky. Trying to stay a step ahead of the crowd, I got to see penguins and a shy porcupine-like Echidna before making my way back through the crowd to cuddle “Cuddles”, a small snake that had survived the mob and was now surrounded by silence in the protection of her human guardian.  I tried to feed the kangaroos our left over roo food from earlier in the trip but they thumbed their noses at it.  Disappointed, it found its way into the trash.

Interestingly enough, I learned the legend behind the meaning of the word “kangaroo.”  When a white explorer first came to Australia, most likely Captain James Cook or Captain Phillip King, they saw the strange animal and asked an aboriginal bloke what kind of animal it was.  The aboriginal bloke said, “Kangaroo” which in the aboriginal dialect means, “I don’t know” or “I don’t understand.”  While this is a myth with some truth, the word actually comes from the northeast aboriginal word “gangurru” which is a type of roo. The term “koala” however means “no drink” in the aboriginal dialect because koalas get their water from the Eucalyptus trees, not streams.

Grabbing a quick coffee and leaving the wildlife park, we headed to a location where we learned how to not just throw a boomerang, but also throw it so it returns to you.  It’s all in how you throw it.  There are right and left-handed boomerangs, depending on how the grooves are cut into the back of them.  Apparently the tour company previously allowed everyone to throw a boomerang but due to some inaccurate throws in the past, only one person from the group got to live the experience.  He did great!

Finally, we made it to the Blue Mountains, hiking down to Princes Rock Lookout where we got to enjoy Wentworth Falls.  It’s also where I spied 1000 steps down into the Jamison Valley, similar to the Furber steps I was looking to go down later today.  With a long, tired gaze, I decided I’ve hiked enough this trip and opted to take other, more exciting transportation down into the canyon floor.

Kristi with the Three Sisters.

Stopping at Echo Point, we got to view the tree-filled canyon and the Three Sisters rock formation in Katoomba.  According to an Aboriginal dreamtime story, these three huge rock formations were actually three sisters from the Katoomba tribe.  The three sisters fell in love with three brothers from the Nepean tribe, of which tribal law forbade such marriages.  Ignoring such laws, the three brothers tried to capture the three sisters, causing a tribal battle, which threatened the lives of the three sisters.  In order to protect them, a witchdoctor or their father in some versions, turned them into these rock formations, to be released from the mineral trappings when good marriable men came along.  Apparently there were two other rock formations along with these three, which eroded.  It doesn’t give me much hope for the futures of these three sisters as far as achieving marital bliss.

Cable car with remains of fire.

In order to get another perspective of the Three Sisters rock formations, we took a scenic cable car over the valley, past Bridalveil Falls and to the other side.  The vast rocky green beauty that thrived below illuminated by the blue hue in the distance was breathtaking.  I wanted to get down in it and explore.  We were about to do just that.

Forgoing the Furber Steps, I decided to take a train down into the Jamison Valley.  What once was used to haul coal out of the mines below was transformed into a tourist train.  With a 52-degree grade, this is the world’s steepest railway.  Plunging as if over a cliff we glided down the steep terrain of rainforest to the valley floor where what looked like tiny specs of green brush became giant-like jungle, engulfing any specs of sky and us along with it.  I was in love!

When I talk of rainforests, these are eucalyptus forests and it is in these trees the mystery of the blue hue resides.  When the sun’s rays hit the misty eucalyptus oils released from the trees, the mist refracts the light and gives off a bluish hue to the human eye.  This is why the Blue Mountains appear to be blue.

At the Olympic Park.

After a bit of exploring, we headed back up on the train to our lunch destination in the little quaint town of Leura where people-watching and passionfruit fudge captured my attention.  On our way back into civilization, we stopped off at the Sydney Olympic Park, which was massive but naked, and stark without the thousands of people it was built to house.  It is now used for various concerts and sporting events.

At the Olympic Park, we met our ferry, which took us down the river, under the Sydney Harbor Bridge and back to Circular Quay where our day began and ended.

Whether its abbreviations, TimTams, Blue Mountains, or tall tales, I’ve realized there’s more to speaking Australian than a fine accent.  It is the history, nature, innovations, and dreamtime stories giving off a whimsical and intriguing hue that is at the heart of not only speaking Australian, but being Aussie. G’day mate!

Scavenger Hunt Items Completed:

17. Find out why the Blue Mountains outside of Sydney look blue.

18. Ride the world’s steepest train.

Food for the Body and Soul: Arriving in Sydney

There are moments in life, powerful moments that make an imprint on your life.  It’s as if the planets aligned and for that moment, you are in the right place at the right time to receive an amazing gift. Like a huge “ah-ha” moment, life makes sense.  Deeply buried needs are answered, burdens are lifted, and important connections are made. In that moment, you are witnessing perfection. 

Some chalk it up to coincidence, others, chance, but I think such words are a bit weak and ridiculous in times as these.  With such fine orchestration, it looks and feels more like a touch by the hand of God.  In Sydney, I had such moments.

Leaving the Gold Coast to arrive in Sydney was bittersweet.  I was excited to meet this well-known city with its world famous landmarks but sad as well.  This was the last bit of Australia I’d get to explore on this journey.  It’s just as well though.  My travel companion and I are feeling the affects of travel on our tired bodies.  That feeling was masked with excitement when we stepped out of the train station and set eyes on our hotel in the heart of the city. 

Anzac War Memorial - view from hotel balcony

With a balcony overlooking the luscious green trees of Hyde Park, we had a wonderful view from our room of not only the park, but the hustle of the city, the Anzac War Memorial, the orangey spires of Saint Mary’s Cathedral, and bats, hundreds of bats that fly at twilight from their home in the Royal Botanical Gardens. 

Being Sunday, my travel companion and I eagerly got dressed up for the first time on this trip and headed to Central Station to catch a shuttle bus to Hillsong Church, a venue we both most eagerly wanted to experience for a couple of reasons.  For me, every time I travel, I like to experience God in that city or country.  Often times, people celebrate God in different ways but the heart message is the same.  Even though we may be of different cultures or countries, it is the one thing we have in common among our many differences and what makes strangers instant family. 

Hillsong Church has produced powerful worship music and leaders through their Biblical schools but I had yet to hear their teaching.  Since this was the first Sunday in a few weeks I’ve been able to go to church, my soul was hungry to experience God in a new way.  God definitely pays for what He orders!

While the worship music was similar to what I experienced at my home church, it was the teaching that spoke to my heart.  The female pastor spoke on the power of sharing your personal story. Sometimes, we may feel we don’t have much of a story to share.  We may have grown up in a good family and were basically good, clean cut kids with no drastic transformations to juice up our stories like getting off of drugs, being homeless, or murdering someone. I remember thinking this as a teenager and again recently.  It’s like we’re plain ‘ol vanilla ice cream, but there’s more to vanilla than just the cream.

When we share our stories, that vulnerability on our part can leave a powerful imprint on those who are listening with open hearts, resonating with parts of their own stories. To me, this is what Christianity is all about – hearing the story of Jesus and allowing it to resonate inside our hearts.  It’s what allows complete strangers to become family. 

It was poignant the pastor spoke about sharing our stories because on this trip I’ve been fascinated with people’s stories.  However with the amount of brief encounters, they usually revolve around travel.  Where are you from?  What brought you to Australia?  What will you be seeing?  How long is your vacation?  When people hear my American accent, I am asked the same questions.  It’s amazing how introducing yourself, saying “hi”, and sincerely listening to people’s stories makes an imprint on one’s life, especially mine.  It’s from those stories that deeper conversations spring forth.

Since many of us don’t think our lives are worth talking about, we don’t really know what to say when asked. At the end of the service, we were given time to meet in groups of 2-3 and take a couple of minutes to share parts of our story with each other, whatever felt comfortable. What depth came out of such a short time from beneath our vanilla exteriors!  We all shared different struggles and triumphs as well as sadness and joys, which shaped our lives thus far.  For me, the 6^th grade came to mind, a pivotal time on which my life hung on.

I grew up in a loving family who went to church.  While I came to believe in Jesus at a young age, it wasn’t until 6^th grade when I began to really question who God was, why we shouldn’t do things like swear, and if God was real.  I remember having a long talk with God, asking, demanding with all my heart He prove Himself to me because if He didn’t, I didn’t know what I would believe.  I had heard that God talks to you and that He wants to have a relationship with you but I had been listening and heard nothing.  What had been the foundation of my life those few years was on shaky ground.

It was then in the still silence of my backyard I heard a voice in my heart referring to a Bible scripture.  When I looked upon those words, it was as if they were written to me, speaking directly to my heart.  I knew then that God cared, He listened, and that He was real.

I would need that strong foundation of faith, for the years ahead beginning in Jr. High were dotted with life-threatening harassment, bullying, and persecution because of my Christian beliefs.  I realized then that such challenges had the opposite effect than my attackers hoped for, allowing me to see God’s hand in my life.  It refined my faith and further developed me as a leader.

However, it has not been easy and often lonely living a life that honors God.  While I was referring to a community of friends and society in general, a lady in my group interpreted my loneliness as my singleness. Her words awakened a deep desire of my heart that I had buried.  I do want to be married but to the right man, a man after God’s own heart, a man who has a likeness in purpose as myself.  However, I’ve had a hard time balancing faith in things unseen and contentment in my reality as a single woman.  It often hurts to hope and with the acknowledgement of this desire of mine, I sobbed, something I didn’t want nor plan to do as evident by my lack of Kleenex. I know God has good plans for me whether it is being single or married. I know in either case, I can only control my actions and the betterment of myself as a person, which continues to be my focus.

Playing in the fountains at Darling Harbor

With tear-soggy sleeves and a new awareness, we headed back to the hotel.  Making the most of this sunny day, I bought a mymulti transportation pass which allows travel on almost all forms of transportation for the week, and headed to Circular Quay (pronounced “key”) to catch a ferry which would not only take me past the Sydney Opera House and under the Sydney Harbor Bridge but to McMahon’s point (yes, there’s a point named after me!) and then to Darling Harbor.  Life filled the harbor with music playing, people chattering, and children playing in the water fountains.  It was a warm, beautifully sunny day, unknowingly the only one I would experience in Sydney.

A walk through the crazy, people-filled, shopping stalls of the Paddy Markets brought me to the Capitol Theater where I saw a poster for the musical “Mary Poppins.” I had wanted to see it so on a whim, I went in and bought a ticket for later this week.

Finding my way back to the hotel, we changed clothes for our dinner harbor cruise.  Unfortunately by this time, it had begun to rain, which had all the cruise guests waiting under a tent waiting to board.  Apparently, most of the guests were part of a company Christmas party.  Thinking we were part of the party, one of the company attendees, May, introduced herself but when she heard our accents, realized her incorrect assumption.  However in the grand scheme of things, our introduction was not a mistake. 

A force of nature, May welcomed us fervently and even invited us to their party, introducing us to all her co-workers she crossed paths with.  Knowing we were from the US, she went out of her way to introduce us to the President of the company and his wife, who are Americans from North Carolina.  I couldn’t believe we were being introduced to the president of the company, who was as welcoming as could be. 

Kristi getting ready for the dinner cruise

Once boarded and seated on the yacht, our assigned seats separated us from the company party but we were closer to the buffet, which was amazing! We were not left wanting.  However, I felt like I needed to talk to the president again and share the main reason for my trip to Australia – the celebration of earning my Masters. After all, how often do you meet the president of a company?  He also had ended our first conversation with “God bless.”  Could he be a fellow Christian?  I prayed for another opportunity to chat with him. 

On our way back to the harbor, we met up again with May and enjoyed the city lights, which were glowing amidst the raindrops as we sailed under the Sydney Harbor Bridge.  She insisted we visit her in Bondi where she’d be our personal tour guide and gave us her contact information.  We felt this was more than just superficial kindness and would seriously think about taking her up on the offer.

As we were waiting to disembark from the yacht, we crossed paths again with the president!  Expressing my gratitude for our introduction and offering God’s blessing, his eyes lit up and jumped out of his chair.  “I knew you were both sisters in Christ when I met you,” he exclaimed!  He was not only a fellow Christian but was a pastor when in North Carolina.  He works for this company to pay the bills, formerly being the Vice-president of the American company before he was promoted to President of the Australian subsidiary.  When mentioning my Masters in Organizational Leadership, he began passionately discussing leadership of which I gladly partook as he escorted us off the yacht.  We looked at each other; all realizing this meeting was not just a coincidence.  He and his wife offered to treat us to dinner during our stay, gave me his cell number, email, and company web address. 

As we parted ways, my travel companion and I walked towards the train station filled with food for the body and soul; I was in awe at the events of the day. I was definitely touched by God in a deep, intimate way that only my heart can adequately appreciate.  While I do not know how this story will end, I am excited to find out.

Scavenger Hunt Item Completed:

11. Experience God in Australia.

They’re Out to Get Me: The Gold Coast

When I originally thought of Australia, lizards and reptiles did not enter my mind even though I’ve seen the TV shows of Steve Erwin, the Crocodile Hunter, who was killed by a fatal sting from a stingray.   Instead, cuddly koalas and doe-eyed kangaroos filled my head, masking the dangers and creepy crawlies that also call this place home.  I guess I secretly wished we would not be introduced or at least not intimately.  However, my adventures on the Gold Coast had other ideas.

My travel companion and I said goodbye to Melbourne and arrived in the Gold Coast, Surfers Paradise, to be exact.  Known as the Spring Break capital of Australia, the Schoolies, or Spring Breakers would be arriving for their festivities the day we are scheduled to leave, making us quite thankful.

Arriving at our beachfront, full ocean view accommodations on the 12^th floor, our jaws dropped as we entered our two-room, fully furnished apartment as our eyes stared at sliding glass doors that framed nothing but sun-kissed ocean.  Stepping out onto our balcony, the humid, warm weather of Queensland greeted us, which was an adjustment from the cooler weather of Melbourne but welcomed nonetheless.  I can see why this Ft. Lauderdale/ Santa Cruz-type town attracts spring breakers every year.  My travel companion and I found our way to the local grocery store, picked up fish and chips for dinner, and enjoyed them back at our apartment while watching the sunset on our balcony.  However, a different kind of adventure awaited us tomorrow.

The next day, we set off on a 2-hour trip up to the Sunshine Coast to pay tribute to the legacy of Steve Erwin by visiting the Australia Zoo, which I was visiting in honor of my parents, big fans of the Crocodile Hunter.  In the midst of a jungle environment, we set out to meet the various animals, getting to feed an Elephant, see various birds of prey up close, spy crocs lurking by the water’s edge and jump 3/4^th of the way out of the water to catch their food.  The Zoo also has Asian and African themed sections but it’s the Tasmanian Devils, Emus, Cassowaries, Kangaroos, Koalas, Wombats, and such that dominated the Australian portion of the zoo.  What makes this zoo stand out is it allows people to have personal encounters with the animals for an additional fee of course.  However, one encounter I found to be free of charge.

One of the first things I noticed upon entering the Australia Zoo were lizards, Water Dragons, at least a foot long, roaming around the park, in and out of animal enclosures, and up and down paths.  It was a bit unnerving to see them, staring at you, head half cocked as if they know a secret you don’t know but really wish you did, reminiscent of the scary dinosaurs I previously had an encounter with in Melbourne, the ones that at any moment would flair their neck and spit venom at you.  I was distant but fascinated at the same time, finding myself getting slowly sucked into their scaly beauty, but little did I know that this was all part of their plan to get me.

Water Dragon

Stopping at a picnic area, my travel companion and I found a picnic bench and settled in to eat our lunch with Water Dragons inquisitively watching the people walking by, ready to snatch any morsels of food that may fall to the ground.  As we ate our sandwiches, I noticed one of them eyeing me but brushed it off until I felt it, movement over my nicely pedicured pink toes.  I pulled my legs to my chest, looked down, and there was the Water Dragon scurrying away.  When she was at a safe distance away from me, I cautiously put my feet back down and resumed eating my lunch until something nibbled my toes.  That’s it!  I yanked my feet back up, looked down, and there she was, watching me.  She was after my toes!  It turns out the Water Dragons appear to be attracted to bright colors so she thought my pink toe nails were food.  I saw another Water Dragon go for a lady’s bright green croc sandals.  Both that lady and I finished our lunches with our feet on the bench.

I proceeded through the rest of the day on guard, making sure not to linger too long in any place knowing my toes were not safe.  However, nothing could distract me from my main highlight of the day, my chance to actually hold a Koala!  While Koalas eat Eucalyptus leaves that leave them drugged and sleepy most of the day, they also have a plate in the bottom to act as a permanent seat, helping them sit in trees for long portions of the day.  Overlapping my hands at my wais to create a big “O” shape against my body, the Koala was placed on my hands to act as a perch.  She then adjusted herself, grabbed my arms, where I slowly moved my right arm around her back.  It was a short but amazing experience to cuddle them and have them look at you with their half-drugged, groggy eyes.

Returning to our hotel and enjoying another meal out on our balcony, we prepared for our next adventure to Springbrook National Park.  Getting up early, we joined a tour that would lead us on a guided hike of the local rainforests, highlighting various waterfalls, underground caves, and more importantly, glow worms!  On this trip, I have done a few hikes through rainforests and I thought I’d get tired of it, but their beauty still captures me and this one was one of the best.  I even got to walk under a waterfall, which was great!  However, I was fascinated by the glowworms since we have a children’s song about them but I’ve never seen them in person.

Into a dark cave we went where when our eyes adjusted, we saw pinpricks of green light, the light from the glowworms.  When light shined on them, little sticky silk threads hung down which is a means to trap their food, usually spiders, their main predator.  They were much smaller than I imagined but amazing nonetheless.

While our time in the Gold Coast went by too fast, the timing was just right as we passed loads of Schoolies and Toolies, graduated folks with a Peter Pan syndrome looking to cause trouble for the Schoolies, coming off the plane we were about to board.  It was a nice time to relax and enjoy the beauty of nature, even if nature was out to get me!

Scavenger Hunt Items Completed:

10. See glowworms light up the night like twinkling stars.

13. Visit Steve Erwin’s legacy (the crocodile hunter), the Australia Zoo. (That’s for mom!)

When Histories Collide: Exploring Historic Melbourne

One thing I’ve found in life is history not only repeats itself, it collides with others to create déjà vu moments.  I have experienced such moments on this trip while learning about the history of Australia and more specifically that of Melbourne.  It looks an awful lot like that of the US and California.

Today I was going to get to know Melbourne better and dig deeper into its history.  For me, the best way to get to know a city is to walk it, introduce yourself to it, and meet up with locals who know all about it.  The Visitor’s Center is quite helpful in this regard, providing maps, tours, and even free self-paced walking routes along the city based on a variety of themes that may peak one’s interest.

Kristi at Federation Square

Hopping on a tram, I made my way to Federation Square where at the Visitor’s Center; I joined a Historic Walking Tour.  Led by an accredited guide from the Melbourne museum, Ann, I was joined by six other ladies, all from Melbourne who decided to have a girl’s day out and learn more about their own history. What a brilliant idea to play the role of tourist in your hometown! We often live in an area and don’t take the opportunity to explore it, saying we can do so at anytime but we don’t.  I know I’m guilty of that.  I was proud of these ladies and blessed as well because I not only had an accredited historian with me but six locals who shared their insights and stories about living in Melbourne. One of them, I later found out, is a 5^th generation Melbournian with a link to one of the early founders!

We began our 3.5-hour tour at the Immigration Museum on Flinders Street where we learned about the beginnings of Australia and Melbourne.  Australia was originally known as “Terra Australis” which means “great southern land.  It was an English explorer by the name of Flinders who used the term “Australia” for the first time in correspondence describing this island.  However, it was the Dutch who originally discovered Australia, giving it the name “New Holland.”

A mixture of the old and new architecture

The English already had a settlement and a convict colony in Sydney in the early 1800’s and when they came across the land now known as Melbourne, they opened up a convict colony there as well.  However, the local aboriginal tribes of which there were many were not privy to the idea.  With the cold welcome by the natives and the uncooperative terrain, the convict colony was moved to Hobart in Tasmania of which there are no aborigines.

Batman, a product of a convict union on Tasmania grew up there and had been to the Melbourne area when he was a child, so he was familiar with the customs of the aborigines.  This made it easier for him to make a treaty with the aborigines to lease their land to him for what some speculate to be 99 years.

By 1836, immigration to the Melbourne area chiefly from Tasmania began to occur, which caught the attention of Burke, one of the men in charge of the Sydney settlement.  He wasn’t keen on the idea of an illegal settlement but if the land was good, he’d embrace the idea and welcome it as part of New South Wales of which Sydney was apart.  He liked what he saw.  However, when he discovered Batman’s treaty, he voided it because it acknowledged that the aborigines owned the land.  How can one settle if one does not own the land?

As we proceeded into the city past rushing business suits and earphone wearing city types, we learned Burke was responsible for the grid system layout of the city and the various parks interspersed amongst the buildings.   It was nice to see people enjoying the parks, sunbathing in the grass, juggling, laughing, or just taking a leisurely stroll along one of the many tree lined paths.  Many of the buildings we passed were built of blue stone, which actually was made from lava.  Australia had many volcanoes at one time and the early settlers found these lava made bricks maintained a constant temperature throughout the year.

I noticed, especially in East Melbourne where I’m staying the use of wrought iron on almost anything that could stand – balconies, gates, fences, and as fringe to houses.  There was a reason.  Not only was this a Victorian style similarly found in New Orleans, but also when the early settlers would sell the wool and such back to England, they found the ship was too light and would get tousled in the seas.  Therefore, England would include iron on the ship to act as a weight, which is why there’s an influx of ironwork in the city.

It was in the 1850’s when things started to get real interesting, when gold entered the picture.  In Melbourne, named after Lord Melbourne of England, gold was discovered and like California, people all over the world wanted to get in on the action. Eureka, they cried meaning, “I’ve found it!” With the official separation from New South Wales in 1852, the State of Victoria was born and with that came the responsibility of setting up their parliament.  The gold rush distracted people from this huge task often luring away newfound city officials and workers off into the hills to mine for gold and abandoning their job.  Therefore, the city had to pay the city workers 2-3 times as much as they were earning to keep them at their job.

However, the parliament, which consisted only of landowners, was making decisions about the gold mining without including the actual miners since they did not own land.  This ended up in a blow up called the “Eureka Stockade.”  Even though the uprising of workers was brutal, it now allowed anyone to be a member of parliament, not just landowners.

By this time in Melbourne’s history, they were considered the richest city in the world and their buildings showed it.  Highflying turrets, wrought iron balconies, gothic, Victorian inspired architecture flew in the face of the world, showing that Melbourne merchants were a force to be reckoned with.

Unfortunately, from 1892-1956, the banks crashed, two World Wars occurred, and sent Melbourne into a depression.  The 1956 Olympics held in Melbourne was key to getting the city out of the depression along with the influx of immigrants and their new ways of running things.

We ended our tour by getting a chocolate from a chocolate shop at the Royal Arcade; a fancy Italian inspired shopping center.  The ladies made their way to their lunch date and invited me to join them, but declined as they were rushed to go.  I was torn but I had the chance to have a one-on-one tour of the city with an accredited historian as we walked back to Federation Square.  I wasn’t going to miss this! 

Ann and I walked back past Town Hall and several artistically graffitied narrow streets which completed the big circle we walked today, zig zagging our way through historic buildings now repurposed as hotels or offices while she pointed out little details I would have missed. 

Melbourne definitely had its share of a scathed, wild west past with its illegal beginnings, misdeeds done to aboriginal tribes, and adultery, but the arts, rich diversity, and horse racing arose as well, which, along with many sports influences the lives of many Melbournians, a history which seems all to familiar to Californians.

As Ann and I parted ways, I found a piece of stair in Federation Square, ate my lunch and watched the hustle and bustle go by where I spied a couple from my previous tour!  After a brief chat, I got on the free city tram and made my way to the Melbourne Museum, strolled the rainforest, dinosaur, and human development exhibits, savored afternoon coffee in the museum café, and made my way back to the tram.  A 30-minute walk from Federation Square took me past Fitzroy Gardens and back to my hotel.

It was a lot of walking today but I feel I know the city a bit better.  The rainforest, ocean, surfing, penguin watching, wine tasting, Australian animal spotting, art exhibits, various sporting events, and the island of Tasmania are all easily accessible from Melbourne. I would recommend Melbourne as a base for any Australian adventures.

Experiencing Jurassic Park: The Otway Rainforest

When it comes to movies, scary movies are not my type but for some reason, every time “Jurassic Park” is on TV, I get sucked in.  For those that know me well, this is bad, for all those around me, including me.  You see I’m an active movie watcher.  If I get scared, I will scream and I may hit or grab the arm of the person sitting next to me.  For such movies, my mind tends to block out the jumpy, dinosaur popping out moments until the moment is there and then, it’s too late.  I’ve then properly freaked myself out and startled those around me.  Today’s adventures brought the movie to life as we headed from the Great Ocean Road into the Otway Rainforest to experience Jurassic Park.

Misty fog gave an ominous, gray haze as we drove inland into the Otway Rainforest where we’d get to walk among the tree tops, something of which I was especially looking forward.  I had zipped an zagged on a zip line through the rainforest in North Queensland but now, I’d be able to walk among the canopy and experience the rainforest in a whole new way.

The Otway rainforest is known as temperate, although with the chill in the air, you would not think so.  Armed with a pullover and jeans, we began our walk along the floor of the rainforest, making our way to the metal walkways, which would gradually take us higher and higher into the canopy.  I love being in the green, chaotic beauty that is the rainforest.  With foreign birdcalls tickling my ears, I walked slowly to let others pass which gave me a chance to be alone and savor these moments.

However, I was not alone, as I’d soon discover.  I ventured on a side path like I was drawn to it.  Past hanging vines and overgrown ferns, I walked slowly and my mind began to wander, thinking about what our guide had said, that dinosaur fossils were found in this area, in this rainforest.  With such large plant life, I definitely could believe it.

Looking from side to side, I cautiously made my way past the first curve of the path only to see it, a dinosaur right in front of me.  With a jolt of my heart, I stared at it, waiting to see if it would move because with it being so lifelike, I would freak out if it did.  Thankfully it was an herbivore and kept its distance from me as moved on.  It put me on guard though that at any moment, behind any overgrown leaf or tree, they could be lurking about, staring at me.  I just hoped I wouldn’t see the dinosaurs whose neck flairs out and spit venom.  They’re the worst and I know I’d be dead meat if I encountered them.  Pressing on along the path, I saw a huge Tara dactyl flying about but made sure I hid from him.  All I need is to get scooped up like the paleontology student in Jurassic Park III. 

As I came into a bit of clearing, I felt a certain sense of relief to have gotten that far and then saw it, a head, a dinosaur head popped out from behind a tree a distance away from me, her eyes staring at me.  I knew that head, it was the one, the dinosaurs I feared most and I knew she was not alone.  I slowly looked to my right and there in the trees was another one, watching and to my left, another one, waiting.  I froze but knew I needed to try and press on if I had any chance of survival.  Scooting past an overgrown fern trying to keep eye contact with them, I came face to face with my hopeful attacker; claws outstretched and ready to pounce.  I was just waiting for their necks to fan out, begin to rattle like snakes, and spit water at me.  If they did I would properly freak out! 

Thankfully they didn’t but as I cautiously hustled around the bend in the path, a T-Rex with jaws wide open towered over me.  That’s it.  I was out of there!  His short arms and my quickness allowed me to run to the end of the path, backpack jostling behind me, and join up with my other tour mates.  That experience definitely gave me a new perspective on the rainforest and more depth into the movie than I wanted, although some sick part of me thought it was clever.

The walkways amongst the rainforest canopy

The treetop walkways were a welcomed retreat from my taste with carnivorous history, an experience that would take me far out of harms way into the rainforest canopy, although it had its own share of heart-pumping moments.  The see-through, metal walkways slowly increased in height as I walked deeper into the canopy, finally taking me to a spiral staircase leading to an observatory high over the canopy.  Standing still and absent of bus loads of tourists, I could watch the sun flicker through the trees trying to touch the rainforest floor, hear the wind rustle through the trees, birds sing in the distance, and feel the walkways sway in the breeze.  That last experience motivated me to push onward to a walkway suspended in mid air, which was freaky and amazing at the same time. 

I begrudgingly got back in the van to continue our journey along the Great Ocean Road, stopping at a place called Kenneth River, also known as Koala Cove.  We not only had a picnic lunch here in the midst of a downpour but we actually got to see a Koala in the wild, my first one!  We also got to feed a handful of colorful birds that perched on the hands and heads of anyone willing to feed them.  It definitely brightened up the drizzly day.

On our way back into Melbourne, we found ourselves in surfer country, stopping at Bells Beach, the original Quicksilver store, and countless other surf retailers before we called it a day.  Many of us exchanged information before we parted ways.  While this portion of my journey had its bumpy moments, it is the subtle beauty of the ocean, the thrill of the rainforest, and the acquaintances made that I will take with me as permanent souvenirs of my adventures exploring the outskirts of Victoria.

Scavenger Hunt Item completed:

9. Walk among the treetops.

Road Trip! Exploring the Great Ocean Road

This morning, we got up bright and early to do another hike in the Grampians before we made our way along the Great Ocean Road, a hike that proved to be equally as challenging as yesterdays but with a more glorious view to reward our hard work.  Not everyone made it to the top of the craggy mountaintop so I felt a certain pleasure in being counted as one of the few to make it.  Balanced on the perch of a rock, I leaned back on my backpack and with feet stretched out in front of me, I took in the 360 degree views of lake and mountain, only to feel a few drops of water hit me.  It was threatening to rain, not a good thing when loads of slippery rock stand in your way of the dirt path down the mountain. 

Our break was cut short and we carefully hustled down the rocks, sliding down if necessary (after all, that’s why we have rumps, right?), and got back to the path.  As if we weren’t motivated enough to get down the mountain, a hint of smoke filled our nostrils and posted signs telling of a controlled burn caught our eye.  Thankfully, we made it down safely and headed back to our accommodations to pack up.  On our walk back, we saw kangaroos in the park nearby and one of them had a joey, a baby kangaroo in her pouch!  Colorful parrots of green, red, and blue congregated around them while foreign birdcalls filled the air, a great way to end our hike and say goodbye to the Grampians.

Once packed and loaded into the bus, we grabbed lunch on the go at Subway and headed towards the coast and the Great Ocean Road. A stretch of two-lane road that runs along a portion of the state of Victoria, the Great Ocean Road is comparable to the Pacific Coast Highway in California, specifically the area of Big Sur and Carmel.  However, it has things this stretch of California does not – rainforest, warm weather, and signs that remind tourists to drive on the left-hand side of the road.  Driving on a scenic highway while keeping your eyes on the road is hard enough let alone having someone enjoying the view and driving straight at you!  You can tell this happens often.

 More importantly, the road holds one more distinction – it is a war memorial for those World War I soldiers who lost their lives.  When WWI ended, thousands of soldiers returned home only to find Australia in a depression and themselves without a job.  The country put their returning soldiers to work by building the Great Ocean Road.  Beginning in 1919, they chipped and chiseled away by hand, completing it in 1932.  A wood sign at the beginning of the road acts as the official tribute.  Before that, the coast earned a reputation of having a hauntingly treacherous past of harsh weather, violent seas, and lost lives, as I’d soon discover.  Each curve of the road had more meaning when viewed in this light. 

At the first of five stops today, the Bay of Islands, salty sea air filled my nostrils, a smell I missed that reminded me of home.  The Bay of Islands used to be connected until the cliffs eroded it away causing islands to form. However, such disaster did leave beauty in its wake.

Zigzagging our way up the coast, we reached the Bay of Martyrs, given this unfortunate name due to the masses of aboriginal people who were killed here by the European settlers.  Australia has a similar past to the US with the story of the white man persecuting the natives.  Many tribes lived in what is now the state of Victoria but many were forced to relocate or were massacred.  The view, however beautiful, seems tainted by its regretful past.  What’s interesting though is that in many parts of the country, there is a plan in place which allows some of the aboriginal people the ability to take back some of their land in which the government leases the land from the tribes.  This is the case for the National Park at Uluru.

Australia, a virtual no man’s land and an open frontier, like the US, caught the attention of many countries as a good place to settle and therefore sent immigrants by ship to make a new home for themselves.  However, many sea captains underestimated the rugged coastline, which devoured their ships and all life on them with the following exception.

It is at our third stop, Loch Ard Gorge where a shipwreck occurred leaving two survivors – a crewmember and a teenage girl whose family perished with the ship.  Held up in a cave to weather out the elements, the man climbed out of the steep, craggy gorge and sought help for the young girl, an amazing feat when looking at it from the beach where they washed ashore.  Many wonder if they got together in this new land.  After all, they lost all they held dear, are in a strange land, and he did rescue her.  How romantic would that be?!  Unfortunately, the girl returned to England to be with family and the man continued his nautical career in Australia, unfortunately with a few more shipwrecks under his belt.  I know, not the Hollywood ending one would hope for with such tragedy amidst them.

Moving on along the coast, we came to some famous steps, which I was especially keen to walk down – the Gibson Steps.  Originally chiseled out of the side of the cliff by the aborigines, these steps, now concrete take you down to the beach where you can come up close and personal to one of the 12 Apostles, a series of huge, rock formations.  Interestingly enough, there are not twelve of them and they have nothing to do with apostles. There were nine but one eroded away.  Their original name was the Sow and Piglets but in the 1950’s, the name was changed to the 12 Apostles to attract more tourists. After all, who would drive all that way to see a Sow and Piglets? 

Ben with his boots off

People eagerly came down the steps, threw their shoes off and dug their feet into the fine, white sand to take a stroll along the beach.  Even Ben, our American jeans and t-shirt rancher, took off his cowboy boots, the boots that got him the nickname “Mountain Goat” due to climbing rocks with them, and joined in on the action.

With a bit of drizzle, we set out anyway to view the sunset of the 12 Apostles.  Since the sun was not visible, it did not have the opportunity to change the rocks magnificent colors as one would hope for or expect.  No, the transformation into twilight was subtle and the ocean calm.  The grayish blue of the ocean began to turn beautiful hues of blue swirled with purple, a fine view for which to take in on the way back to our accommodations in Port Campbell.  Accompanied by a communal rendition of the “gum tree” song,  “YMCA,” and countless karaoke opportunities along the way of the 80’s and 90’s classics, my heart music, it crossed cultural boundaries and unified the group even further.

Kristi at the 12 Apostles

Many of us joined our tour guide for a drink at the local pub where I tried my first Aussie beer, “Pure Blonde,” and chatted more with my tour mates.  I especially enjoyed getting to know Monica “Mo” and Justin, Americans who live in the Cayman Islands where Justin is from.  They both were fed up with their jobs and barely had time to see each other.  When they re-evaluated their lives, they decided to quit their jobs and are now traveling for a few months as they consider their next steps.

As I left the pub to call it a night, I felt like I was on a road trip with friends I didn’t know I had and was thankful to get to know them a bit better.