30 hours of traveling, 2 layovers, and a volcanic ash cloud. The flight to Australia was definitely the most arduous so far. In fact, the day before my trip my flight was cancelled because of the Iceland situation. I spent hours trying to figure out a way to get out of Rome, and at the last minute the airline gave me some good news...my flight was back on! I rushed to the airport and made it just in time.
I tried to keep myself occupied for as much of the trip as possible, but after a while I started to run out of ideas. I guess one good thing about such a long flight is that I was able to catch up on just about every new movie that came out in the US over the past year...
When I finally did get into Perth, the sunny skies were exactly what I needed to get out of my daze. I was staying with a friend who had planned a ton of things for us to do while I was there...the first thing being a rugby game right when I landed. We had great seats and the atmosphere was awesome. Unfortunately, jet leg set in quickly. I fought it as much as I could, but by midway through the first half I was asleep. I couldn’t keep my eyes open for the life of me. I did wake up just in time to watch the home team’s winning score happen right in front of me as time was running out. I used every bit of energy I had to cheer, but all I could think about was getting to bed. Quite a start to the trip
The weekend was spent in Western Australia wine country. We headed down to a small beach town called Dunsborough, and toured a bunch of the wineries (and a chocolate factory) around the Margaret River area. Having toured California wine country a few times, it made me think of my time back in NorCal. The wineries were beautiful and the wine itself wasn’t too shabby either. Give me a beach, good weather, and some wine and I’m a happy man...it was tough to beat those first few days.
When we did get back up to Perth we took a day trip to a small island just off the coast called Rottsnest Island. I’ve never been to a place like Rotto before. It’s got great hidden beaches all around the island, lots of outdoor activities, tons of little cottages for overnight stays, and an amazing bar right not the beach. For the people who live in Perth, it’s kind of like a vacation spot they can visit while still being at home. Not a bad spot to have just a ferry ride away.
While my friend was working, I had to entertain myself. After traveling to so many cold weather spots over the past few months, all I wanted to do was hang out at the beach...and that’s exactly what I did. I’d take the bus to Cottlesloe and enjoy the perfect fall weather (Yes, it’s fall in Australia right now. It took me a while to get used to seeing leaves falling from trees this time of year).
Of course, what’s a trip to Australia without kangaroos and koalas. On my last day in Perth I went to a little farm to see the furry little guys. The kangaroos just laid out in the sun, but the koalas are the ones that seem to have the good life. Sleep for half the day and eat the rest of the time...not bad. Plus, they look and feel like stuffed animals so it’s easy to why people think they are so cute. If they didn’t have two inch long razor sharp claws, they would make pretty good pets...haha.
My first week in Oz was tiring, but excting. It was great to get my first feel for Australian life. Australians have a similar attitude, temperament, and style to the people of SoCal. The laid back surfer lifestyle was everywhere. Board shorts, hoodies, and flip flops were the norm. I actually felt a little out of place because I was wearing shoes. Australians just enjoy the simple things in life and don’t seem get too bent out of shape out when something doesn’t go their way. I don’t think too many of them have stress related issues. If you want a vacation spot where you can really relax, and you don’t mind traveling half way around the world to get there, Australia is where it’s at.
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