January 4, 2025 In pursuit of a very long summer, we begin 2025 by heading to the land down under – Australia! Kangaroos and sunshine, here we come.
“Living in a land down under, Where women glow and men plunder.
Men at Work from their 1981 song Down Under
Can’t you hear, can’t you hear the thunder? You better run, you better take cover“
Living Down Under
As Jean and I were sipping wine on our balcony one Friday night in March 2015, I got an unexpected phone call from a colleague, Mike Russell. Mike had recently transferred to Australia to lead a one of Accenture’s largest accounts. “Hey, we need someone to lead a workshop in Sydney, can you come?”
Accenture was re-organizing at the time, and my boss and his boss were gone. As there was no one to say “no” to the idea, I said yes! That was the start of a very busy but wonderful six months for Jean and me. We locked our condo and (temporarily) moved to Sydney.
But… work was hectic, and didn’t leave much time for exploration. The only koala we saw was at the Sydney Zoo! So, ten years on, we return to reconnect with friends and for extended exploration.
Part 1: Australian Icons
Sydney – We arrive in Sydney on January 6th, our 35th wedding anniversary. To celebration we will find Mr. Wong’s for lunch. After we recover from the full 16-hour jet-lag, we will explore old haunts – the opera house, harbor bridge, Darling Harbor, Manley Beach and more.
Uluru – Next, a pilgrimage to Uluru (formerly Ayer’s Rock), the great spiritual monument in Australia’s Red Center, to hike bike and a gaze at a sunset light show. This part of Australia is hot and parched – I imagine it to be akin the desert southwest of the USA.
Great Barrier Reef – The GBR is the only living thing on Earth visible from space. It stretches for over 1400 miles off the east coast of Australia. Incredibly, that is about 300 miles more than the drive from Charlotte NC to where we grew up in Northeast Kansas! We will snorkel of course (or try anyway, we hail from Kansas). Then we will visit the oldest rainforest on earth: the Daintree is about 180 million years old.
Lord Howe Island – This isolated UNESCO world heritage site is 372 miles off the east coast of mainland Australia. Here, the beaches, forest and mountain are empty, with only the sounds of wind, wave and wildlife. LHI has a population of ~400, and only 400 visitors are allowed at any time so as to minimize the effect on this unique primeval environment. This is the perfect place to snorkel the reef, hike and just chill.
Part 2: Tasmania
Next, off to Tasmania in search of devils… We will meander for about three weeks anticlockwise from Hobart, hiking and sipping some fine Tassie wine. We plan to summit our third peak named “Ben Lomond” (Beacon Mountain) – one in Scotland, one in NZ and now here. Maybe eventually we will get to the two in the USA that we seem to have missed in our 2020 Road Trip.
Part 3: Melbs and The Great Ocean Road
Melbourne – Melbs is our favorite Australian city (so far anyway), with a fusion European/Asian vibe, hidden speakeasies, great food, theater, and expansive parks. There we hope to connect with several friends while there and revisit our old haunts.
The Great Ocean Road – The GOR was built as a memorial and public works project by returning soldiers after WW1. This 150-mile highway is one of the most scenic drives in the world, with cliffs, beaches, estuaries and rainforests. We will stop along the way for views and wildlife – platypus and koala!
Halls Gap – At the end of the GOR we will head to the Grampians NP for modest mountain hikes.
Part 4: Adelaide and Wine Country
Australia produces some excellent wine, much of it here in the McLaren Vale, Barossa, and Clare Valleys. Their Aussie Shiraz (Syrah) is big, bold and boozy at 14-16% ABV. One of our favorite wines, Mollydooker, is made here. You can bet we will be stopping at their cellar door for a sample flight!
Part 5: Perth and WA
Perth is the most remote large city on earth – the nearest city is Adelaide, 1336 miles east – about the same distance between New York and Dallas TX. To the north of the city are wheatfields then deserts and beaches for days and days and days. To the south lay wineries and forests of giant tingle trees. We will explore a bit of all of it as we wrap-up the Aussie adventure.
Whew! Finally, after all of that, we head home – just in time to do taxes. 😐
Journey Map and Itinerary
A map of our planned adventure is below, along with a detailed itinerary if you are want to create your own adventure down under. some historical sites, and hikes along the way.