Back in Time, Part 1: Unforgettable Australia
To travel is also to take a journey into your-self. It is about shaping and discovering your-self… Who are you when no one knows you? What excites you? What scares you? What makes you happy? and so much more…”
Let’s begin…
Gustave Flaubert rightly said,
“Travel makes one modest. You see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.”
I was so intensely struck with this realization when I flew towards the much awaited, the first ever foreign destination I travelled- the Island Continent, the Land of Kangaroos.
You got it!? It’s Australia.
Today, we are going to time travel to Australia from 2021 to 2018. Yes, it’s just a few years back but still it feels like a century ago due to obvious reasons.
Let’s have the flashback…
Once upon a time, it was the hot bright summer of May/ June, 2018 and it marked the advent of our school vacations, which usually called for outings and trips.
Day
0
Now, it
was on 31st May 2018 (exactly 3 years ago), that THE DAY had finally
arrived. I along with my family were all set and having known, that we would be
travelling with a group of around 20 people from different parts of India
(including Bangalore, Mumbai, Jaipur etc.), we seemed to be even more excited
about it.
We reached
the Delhi International Airport in
the morning and boarded our flight for Melbourne via Singapore.
The flight took off and we reached the very unique and
well- known and, Changi Airport, Singapore, which is actually a home to many world- famous gardens (we
visited only the the roof-based Cactus Garden
having more than 100 species of cacti and arid plants, located in Terminal 1 on
Level 3), art installations along with exquisite shopping, dining and
entertainment facilities.
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| Changi Airport, Singapore |
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| Cactus Garden, Changi Airport |
Furthermore, we proceeded for the onward connecting, overnight
flight to Melbourne.
DAY 1: MELBOURNE
The flight touched the land of Melbourne, the coastal capital of the south- eastern Australian state of Victoria.
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| Melbourne, Victoria |
Now, we were running 4.5 hours ahead of the Indian time and had successfully escaped from scorching heat of Delhi to enjoy the pleasantly cool weather with an average temperature of 10- 14 degrees in Australia.
Then, after clearing customs and immigrations, we spent a waiting time along with the other group members who were gradually joining us from different flights.
Finally, we got out of
the airport, boarded our coach and went to an Indian restaurant for a hot breakfast in the chilly morning of Melbourne.
Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG)
Later, we began the sightseeing with an inside guided tour of the very renowned, Melbourne Cricket Ground.
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| Melbourne Cricket Ground |
Points of Importance:
§ The MCG is considered one of the
world's greatest stadiums with a capacity of 100,000 and a history dating back
to 1853.
§ The legendary stadium has hosted the Olympic Games, the Commonwealth Games, the annual Boxing Day Test Match, and Australian Football League (AFL) Grand Final.
Tour highlights included: MCG Long Room and library, MCG Tapestry, changing rooms, cricketers’ viewing room and a walk on the arena.
Then, we enjoyed the Orientation tour of the city that included the Melbourne Star (a Giant Ferris Wheel), Shrine of Remembrance, Flinders Street Stations, Captains Cooks Park and other remarkable places.
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| Melbourne Star |
Eureka Towers
We reached the Eureka towers and were propelled to level 88 in under 40 seconds via two of its lifts, for having an unrivalled 360 degree view of the city and beyond.
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| Eureka Towers |
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| City View from the Sky Deck 88 |
Points of Importance:
§ It is named after the Eureka Stockade,
who was a rebellion during the Victorian gold rush in 1854.
§ The tower stands tall at 297 meters
(975 ft.) happening to be the highest observation tower in the Southern
Hemisphere.
§ It has the world’s first and only
Edge Experience – a glass cube that projects out from the 88th floor and
suspends you almost 300 meters high above the city.
§ Skydeck 88 also has other interesting activities ranging from VR plank experience, landmark spotting and shopping and dining facilities.
Further, after the sightseeing, we came back to the hotel and went on to enjoy quality time and home- cooked dinner with our relatives in the city. We experienced the scintillating night life and the fun ride in the Melbourne metro.
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All in all, it was a great day packaged with thrill and joy.
DAY 2: MELBOURNE
We had a scrumptious breakfast at the hotel after which we attended the Australia Chapter Opening ceremony of the organization that had planned and executed this trip.
Further, I along with my mother, went on to explore the different bus routes of the city, wander on the streets of Melbourne & hang out in its heart, the Queen Victoria Market, an authentic, bustling, market with lots of shops and vibrant multicultural events and shows.
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| Queen Victoria Market |
Later, we managed our way back to the hotel, had supper with
everyone and got ready for the musical night cruise followed by the dinner.
DAY 3: MELBOURNE
Great Ocean Road
The day brought us a full-day
tour to the Great Ocean Road. It offered us to immerse into the depths of nature
and explore everything ranging from wild and unpredictable Southern Ocean and the
12 Apostles to the Volcanic Plains and National Parks.
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| Great Ocean Road |
We were really fortunate enough to experience the rugged splendor of the famous 12 Apostles while riding in the helicopter as well as enjoy some breath-taking natural spots along our drive on the Great Ocean Road.
Twelve Apostles
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| View of 12 Apostles from the Helicopter |
Points of Importance:
§ Meaning
The Twelve
Apostles refers to the magnificent rock stacks, towering 45 meters above the Southern Ocean on Victoria's dramatic
coastline.
§ Location
They are located in the Port Campbell National Park,
275 kilometers west of Melbourne, approximately a four-hour drive along the
Great Ocean Road.
§ Process of Formation
They were created by
constant erosion of the limestone cliffs of the mainland beginning 10–20
million years ago. The ocean and blasting winds gradually eroded the softer limestone,
forming caves in the cliffs which eventually became arches and when they
collapsed, these rock stacks were left isolated from the shore.
§ Unique Characteristic
The Apostles can be seen
changing color from dark and foreboding in shadow to brilliant sandy yellow
under sun during sunrise and sunset respectively.
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| 12 Apostles |
Then, after an interesting day tour, we returned back to enjoy some time in and around the hotel with some of our companions in the group. It was genuinely so much fun together, from hitting the open gyms around and walking on the shorefront to chatting and playing games at night.
DAY 4: MELBOURNE – CAIRNS
We proceeded to Melbourne Airport to board our flight for Cairns, a city in the North Queensland. “Natural Paradise” is the perfect phrase to describe the city.
Kuranda Village
Upon arrival in Cairns, we
boarded our coach and headed to Kuranda village,
a picturesque mountain retreat surrounded by the world’s oldest living tropical
rainforest.
Then, we had our exotic lunch and got time to explore local handicrafts / souvenirs.
Meanwhile, we got a
sight of Koala bears in the vicinity and now,
we were all ready to experience the famous, ride on the Kuranda Scenic Railway
for our way back to Cairns in which we thoroughly enjoyed getting down the stops for scenic views and photography.
The journey passed us through dense forests,
rugged mountains, waterfalls tumbling forever into deep ravines and through
many handmade tunnels and bridges, beautifully
bringing us in contact with the wonders of an ancient tropical rainforest and
helping us learn about one of the most botanically fascinating and diverse
areas on earth.
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| Scenic Kuranda Rail |
(Note: The Scenic Sky Rail, one of the longest cable car spanning 7.5 kilometers over the pristine rainforest,
is a major attraction for tourists but was not operational at that point of
time.)
Later, we reached the city, checked into our hotel and spent the remainder of the day at leisure.
DAY
5: CAIRNS
Great Barrier Reef
The
day came up with a full-day excursion to the Great
Barrier Reef, one of the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, that is the world's largest coral reef system composed of over 2,900
individual reefs and 900 islands stretching for over 2,300 kilometers and
nestling a unique range
of ecological communities, habitats and species ranging from fishes, corals, mollusks, and birds to sponges,
anemones and marine worms.
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| Great Barrier Reef |
Big Cat Green Island Cruise: Green Island
Now,
we boarded the Big Cat Green Island Cruise for the excursion to the Green
Island.
The cruise journey was absolutely incredible from a calm
beginning with fun and games to the gusty winds and turbulence in the middle of
the sea, coming along with the simultaneous view of the distant islands/ reefs
and the coral world beneath the contrasting hues of water.
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| Big Cat Green Island Cruise |
Eventually, we reached the Green Island, one of the finest,
most beautiful and popular coral cays on the Great Barrier Reef. It had a
hugely diverse sea life for us to encounter while we continued to swim, snorkel and enjoy the deep coral
world through the glass-bottom boat/ semi-submersible boat and much more.
Then, we walked through Green Island National Park and relaxed
on the sandy beach.
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| Green Island |
The lunch was
served on board along
with our chef's snack preparation and finally, we sailed our way back to the
city and relaxed in the hotel.
DAY 6: CAIRNS- SYDNEY
We proceeded to the Cairns Airport in the morning and boarded
our flight to Sydney, the capital of New South Wales and one of Australia's
largest cities popularly known as harbor city.
Sydney Opera House
Upon arrival, the sightseeing began with the guided tour of
Sydney Opera House that was detailed with the rich history and fascinating stories of
the making of the Opera House, legends and stories of actors, performers and
prima donnas.
.jpg) |
| Sydney Opera House |
Points of Importance:
-The architecture of the Opera house is based on the design submitted by Jørn Utzon from Denmark, the winner of International Design Competition held in 1956.
-The construction commenced in 1959 and took 14 years and 10,000 workers.
-It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site (in 2007) for it, represents magnificent architectural work based on its unparalleled design, construction along with technological innovation and a great urban multi-purpose facility for performing arts set in a remarkable waterscape and a world famous iconic building.
Architectural features:
§
The Sydney Opera
house comprises a complex of roofs shaped like billowing sails or huge shells
that blend beautifully with its waterfront location surrounded by harbor on
three sides and bordered by the palm-studded Royal Botanical Gardens to its
south.
§
The
structure encompasses studios, a concert hall, theatres, rehearsal rooms,
reception rooms, a restaurant and a spectacular open-air forecourt overlooking
the city and the harbor.
Interesting fact: Sydney Opera House is cooled using seawater taken directly from the harbor. The system circulates cold water from the harbor through 35 kilometers of pipes to power both the heating and air conditioning in the building.
Note: Lotus Temple and the Sydney Opera House have similar construction types and outward appearances. However, the two remain unique marvels in India and Australia respectively as they are completed by very different means and methods, having different influences (Bahai and Danish respectively) for their construction.
Sydney Tower Eye
Next
up, we went to the Sydney Tower Eye, the highest building of Sydney
which offered complete city view from the golden beaches to the distant
Blue Mountains along with the
complementary 4D cinema experience.
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| Sydney Tower Eye |
Later, some of us stayed back for shopping and exploring
things in and around the Westfield
Sydney, a large, upmarket shopping center located underneath the Sydney Tower.
Now, it was late evening and while returning to the hotel,
we got to enjoy the night light and sound show on the famous Harbor Bridge of the city.
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| Harbor Bridge |
Further, we had dinner and enjoyed some recreation at the
hotel.
DAY 7: SYDNEY
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| Madame Tussauds |
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| Bondi Beach |
Furthermore,
we went for a Sydney Harbor Cruise which had a splendid city view with Bollywood
music and games as a cherry on the cake.
Note: Blue Mountains were not included in our itinerary but are a must visit destination in Sydney.
It is a perfect place to enjoy sunrise/ sunset and relish the beauty of diverse flora and fauna.
Points of Importance:
-They are called Blue Mountains due to the natural blue haze created by vast eucalyptus forests. Tiny droplets of oil released from the trees mix with water vapor and sunlight to produce the distinctive color.-The Echo Point lookout, near the town of Katoomba, also has panoramic views of Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters, a towering sandstone formation and sacred Aboriginal site.
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| Blue Mountains |
DAY
8: SYDNEY - BRISBANE – GOLD COAST
We headed towards Sydney Airport to board our flight
for Brisbane and upon arrival, we boarded our coach and left for Gold Coast (80 Km), a metropolitan region on the east coast famed for its beaches, surfing
spots, theme parks and elaborate system of inland canals and waterways.
Sky Point Observation Deck
First
and foremost, we went to Sky Point
Observation Deck located on level 77 of the
Q1 building to enjoy the unsurpassed 360 degree view of the Gold Coast from its beaches to the hinterland and beyond.
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| View from the Sky Observation Deck |
Then,
we spent rest of the time on the Surfers
Paradise Beach under the blanket of a twinkling night sky. It was absolutely blissful walking on the sand,
amidst the back and forth of the waves and swift breeze blowing through the
face. Incredible it was!
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| Surfers Paradise Beach |
DAY 9: GOLDCOAST
We began our day with the Jet Boat Ride to enjoy the
apparent thrill of 360 degree- spin
and high speed drifting.
Then, we went to the Sea World, a marine theme park, one of divisions in the Village Roadshow Theme Parks, that provides an all- round experience comprising of water rides, dolphin shows, seal show, ski challenge show etc. and promotes conservation through education, rescue and rehabilitation of the helpless wildlife.
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| Sea World |
Later, we bought some gifts and souvenirs and explored the
bustling street market of the Gold Coast.
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| Local Market, Gold Coast |
DAY 10: GOLD COAST
We had our breakfast and got ready to experience ride on the fire trucks and further, go to the Warner Brothers Movie World, the only Australian movie-related theme park.
We got an opportunity to meet the stars including Tom and Jerry, the DC Super Heroes like Superman, Batman,
Supergirl etc. and Super-Villains like Cat Woman, The Joker etc. and many more.
Later, we went on enjoying the exhilarating rides like Superman Escape, Lethal Weapon,
Batwing Space Shot and the famous Disney
Parade, shows along with other attractions.
Later, we went back to our hotel and spent time at leisure.
Day 11: GOLD COAST- BRISBANE- HONGKONG- DELHI
After having the breakfast, we left for Brisbane Airport unaware of an adventure that was yet to come our way.
Unexpectedly, we got stuck in a heavy traffic. The time was passing. On one hand, we were getting late for our flight back to Delhi (via Hong Kong) while on the other hand, we continued to hope that we reach the Airport on time. Eventually, we managed to board our flight just 5 minutes prior to the take off.
Lastly, we said Australia, a good bye with a bittersweet smile on our faces and returned back home with all the fond memories of the trip.
Concluding note:
Last but not the least I’d like to mention that the
entire trip was UNFORGETTABLE for me, not only because of the thrill-seeking adventures
and sightseeing on an unchartered territory but also, due to the presence of
super-lively and warm companions who made the trip more enjoyable and amusing
by bringing in an invaluable exchange of ideas and experiences, different sorts
of food and ‘melodies’ on the go and most importantly, a bonding for lifetime.
Thank you!
Hope you enjoyed it thoroughly!
Stay tuned to explore more such amazing places with me.
You can reach out to me via:
Wow so wonderful experience of yours we could explore the Australia through your blog plz keep posting
ReplyDeleteSure, thanks!
DeleteVery well written.
ReplyDeleteReally nice.. Keep it up
ReplyDeleteThanks a lot!
DeleteTravelling without moving my feet... Very realistic...
ReplyDelete🤗🤟
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