Travels in Australia 2009-Winter(Aussie)Summer(Canada)

June 24,2009-Left for Melbourne , Australia

June26, Arrived in Australia: Took a bus from the airport to downtown Melbourne train station .Then took the train to Ararat and bus to Horsham where Gilles Forget picked me up afer school . One hour from Balmoral where he lives and teaches.

June 27. We drove to Adelaide (5.5 hours drive from Balmoral) The next day we flew to Alice Springs then to Ayers Rock (Uluru) encompassed in the spectacular world Heritage National Park. The huge Red Rock is one pf Australia's greatest attraction in its hot and desolate desert interior. It is a very old rock (600 millions years old, its ancient presence is heightened by the  amazing sunset and sunrise color changes through shades of red, mauve, pink and blue. See photos on Facebook. Gilles F did climb the very steep 1-6 klms climb which is extremely strenuous. For more relaxing and culturally respectful is the self-guided basewalk, which takes 3-4 hours around the rock with a fascinating view of rock caves, paintings and weather sculpted surfaces.

June 30 Depart from Ayers Rock to Alice Springs (pop28000). Alice Springs is built upon red desert dust. It is also lt is he original symbol of the Australian pioneering spirit.  Founded as an Overland Telegraph station in the 1870"s. A town which has evolved into one of Ausrtalia's most popular destinations.
For a great view of the town and its rugged backdrop, of the MacDonnel Ranges we climbed the Anzac Hill , a steep walk in the middle of town.

We also took a 10 kms walk to the Telegraph Station Historical Reserve where meticulously restored buildings and displays evoke the settlement's early years. Quite impressed to find out how these telegraph poles where installed usually camels to transport them.

July 1st Alice Springs to Darwin , the last city in northern Australia.
The top end of the Northern Territoroy is renowned for its tropical weather
 ( 30+ in winter), rich indigeneous culture, national parks (Litchfield and Kakadu Nationsll Parks (Largest in Australia), and laid back life style- great way of life- the friendliness of the people- an eclectic mix of culture, complemented by a range of unique attraction. An invitation to come and enjoy and expereince that very special "spirit of the north".

Last century was a biggie for Darwin, barely recomposed after sustained WW11 bombing, the city was razed by a cyclone in 1974. Only 400 of Darwin's 11,200 houses still standing.

In 1869 a permanent whigte settlement was established named Darwin in 1911. Discovery of gold brought Chinese. Pearling industry brought Asians. We toured the city on foot.  Darwin's city- a tropical paradise. Australia's most northern city is a unique destination with its own special feel- a tropical paradise with a backdrop of unsurpassed beauty with a close proximity to South East Asia. Darwin is influenced culturally by its neighbors. More than 75 ethnic groups live harmoniously here in this region. Aboriginal traditions are interwoven in this tapistery and are respected and admired.

Mindle BEach Market- there's a lively evening market at the beach with many foodstalls and people bring their chairs and celebrate. We walked 5klm to the b, suntanned but nobody in the water because of the danger of crocodiles.

July 3rd  Darwin to Broome (pop 1400)
An improbable combination of colors- red(rust colored dirt), the aquamarine of 
Roebuck Bay and the pearl white of Cable Beach sands- makes Broome's landscape memorable. 
Broome's Australia''s Hawaii, 22 kms of white sand beaches in the 30's (april to Sept = dry season) and 40's in the wet season. During the dry season Broome buzzes. initially established as a pearling centre by Japanese entrepreneures in the 1880's- Chinese and Malays joined local Aboriginal divers.

A most to see is  the Staircase to the Moon on the Full Moom. The refelctions of the rising full moon hitting the rippled Roebuck Bay mud flats, exposed at low tide create the optical illusion of a golden-stairway leading to the moo, ncalled naturally the Staircase to the moon. It has quite an impact on Broome's locals and visitors alike- the town will be buzzing with everyone eager to see the spectacle.
Another must see is the Cable BEach Sunset and Sunrise camel ride, it is still a quintessenntial Broome experience. See pictures on Facebook.
Or see a movie at Sun Pictures. The world's oldest operating picture gardens (outdoor cinema)  operating since 1916. Sinking back into a canvas deckcahir or sprowling out on the grass under the stars will be down as one of your most memorable movie-going experience especially when it happens to be an unexpected cold evening and not dressed for it.
A great place to spend a beautiful Summer holiday enjoying the sun , the white beaches and the warm water( before we found out that sometimes crocodiles come close). Gilles F left after a few days to go back to work while I stalyed another week.
July 15 Broome to Melbourne to Adelaide to Horsham. July 16 Five hours bus ride to Horsham where GillesF picked me up.

July 17 Four Day Trip to Melbourne City (4 hours drive)  Friday and Saturday Gilles F had workshops. Saturday and Sunday we visited and explored the city.

Melbourne (pop 3.7million)
Sophisticated and slick, edgy and rough; Its physical and cultural landscape is shaped by a dynamic population  with Australia's most accessible multiculturalism. Very interestingly, it has character filled neighbourhoods such as Fitzroy, St Kilda and Carlton which hum with life and the city also produces some of the best art, music, cuisine, performances i n the world. Melbournians ae alos devoted to their sports as are most Australians and they often go ballistic around Football Leagues etc. 

    Saturday we started off with the Queen Victoria Market- chaotic, friendly and muticultural- one of the largest open air markets in the southern hemisphere. WOW!!!    SUNDAY - hosts drove us around the city and walked in the beautiful Botaniical Gardens (imagine beautiful flowers in the winter)There are more flowers in the winter than the Summer where it is very hot. In St Gilda we stop to have a traditional coffee and cake in the afternoon.
 July 24 after school we left for Wodonga where Gilles F stayed for 5 weeks to visit his friend and his family.On Saturday night peter had organized a dinner at the restaurant with some of his friends and on Sunday he had organized a Brunch with his family and other friends to meet us. On Monday we drove home a 7hours drive.

Sunday August 1st  Gilles and I went to Hall Gap, the heart of the Grampians mountains in the heart of Australia'a most spectacular wilderness region only 1.5 hours from Balmoral. We did the hike on the highest mountain in this range. See ph0to on Facebook.

Friday August 7_ we left for Adelaide, 6 hours drive (pop  1,467,3000)
ON SATURDAY  Gilles F was writing his permanent residency examine all day long. I took a whole day tour of the area and the mountains.Sunday we drove home along the coast, very beautiful and raining all day.

Adelaide is in South Australia State. IT is a place of contrasts offering enormous variety in its scenery and range of experiences. It is the driest State in Australia with 2/3 of its nearly  i million sq km encompassed in the semi-arid Outback , a region of soaring temperatures , vast expanse of dry salt lakes and ancient mountain ranges. The vast majority of S>A>'s population lives in the capital, Adelaide, in the fertile southeast , enjoying a pleasant  Mediterrean style climate and easy access to sandy beaches, forested hills and some of Austria's best wine producing regions.
Uniquely Adelaide combines the relaxed ease of a country-town lifestyle with
city so sophistication.