Helping Folks get their own Australia experience...

You may be wondering what I have been writing lately. As promised in an earlier post, I am now doing marketing on a global scale. Gotta love actually achieving a dream - I work at a great place with multilingual people who promote cultural exchanges. I am the Director of Global Marketing for Intrax Cultural Exchange. That means I am promoting Study Abroad among American & Canadian high schoolers and Intern Abroad among North American university students. Pretty fun, all in all.  Net net, if you like my writing style, you can get the homogenized version at intraxinternabroad.com and to a lesser extent at intraxstudyabroad.com.  While the nature of the job is to promote cultural exchange rather than explain my travels, I am still talking about the same sorts of things: few things can change your life for the better like immersing yourself in another culture.  I've been to 30-some countries and you can be sure that I am helping people get to experience their own, personal version of Australia (along with about 20 other countries).  With any luck I'll get back to Australia for work next year.  A year ago I told my old employer that I was leaving in January '08...man, I am so glad I went.  

Oh, one thing I re-wrote in our overview of Australia was that the national sport is cricket - I wrote that the national sports are cricket, Aussie-rules football, and (in deference to NSW) rugby.  Half of my visitors are Australian, so if you believe that cricket is alone atop Australian sports, let me know.  If cricket, AFL, and rugby are the main sports (in your mind) let me know. Rarely does one have the option of directly influencing how foreigners write about you, but you have it here. 

Also, this post would be incomplete if I did not thank the many folks who have visited over the past year.  Along with visitors from Iran and North Korea, I've had visitors from most of the US,  Europe, Canada, NZ, and Australia. To those of you in the Southern Hemisphere, I jealously wish you a lovely summer. As for me, not only do I have enough vegemite in the office to keep me going, there are co-workers who also eat it. 

Last point, I just just got back from my 20th high school reunion in Pittsburgh. If any of you are thinking about going to your high school reunion but are not sure, go. It was a great time.  The people you liked are still friendly and the people you did not like have evidently forgotten why they disliked you. I am not sure if all the annoying people changed or if I changed or if the only people who went were the ones looking to enjoy themselves, but everyone there was all set to have a good time. 

Yet another "news of the odd" update: Mt Isa

Mt. Isa is on the western edge of Queensland, a mining town where I have heard stories of people earning $90-100k for above ground mining jobs.  In short, it is a boom town in an area that visually resembles Barstow, California.  Sort of a high desert spot - nothing special. The highlight of the skyline is a smoke stack, although the city did not look "polluted" as I drove through it. My Mt. Isa experience was limited to getting fuel, changing a diaper, and getting a sandwich. Of course, I did not see fit to take a picture either (the photo is from a few km north of Cloncurry, about 150km to the East of Mt. Isa).  Cloncurry's fame is being the site of the hottest temperature ever recorded in Australia - something like 125 degrees F. 

Anyhow, this mining town has quite a few more men than women, like most mining towns and this story could have come from Karratha, Port Hedland, or several other places I drove through. But the story comes from Mt. Isa. (What story?) This story:

http://www.breitbart.com/article.phpid=080818074532.7wyoh5kf&show_article=1

Apparently the mayor was getting grief that there were not enough ladies to go around, so he said that Mt. Isa was a town where "ugly ducklings could flourish into beautiful swans". Now, everyone is afraid that their city will be known for ugly women and that anyone who would have moved there would think "I'm not ugly, so I'm not moving to the Isa." Oh well, the mayor makes a reasonable point that ladies who find Bondi Beach or the Sydney bar scene rather competitive could find that they are in high demand among the well-paid, fully employed men of the Isa (they call Mt. Isa "the Isa" so I am going with it).  On the other hand, generalizing about the appearance of women can be very dangerous and making an overt appeal to "ugly ducklings" is rarely a vote-getter. Let's just hope everyone finds happiness and the air conditioning holds up. 

Memories of Aussie Starbucks

Now I rarely report news on this blog, let alone financial news, but this one fits. Apparently Starbucks will be closing down most of its stores in Australia, concentrating on Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane.  Admittedly, those are good markets to concentrate on and they are already packed with Starbucks locations (especially Swanston Street in Melbourne, with about 4 in a three-block stretch), but that's going to mean that the good folks running the Starbucks in Adelaide and Port Macquarie - each of whom I got to know on several occasions - will be looking for work. 

The first image above was the Starbucks in Adelaide that I had joyfully anticipated for about 10,000km.  It was the site of Alex's first "baby-cino" (milk foam, a little chocolate), which is now a staple purchase whenever Alex joins me in a coffee shop and a gateway drug towards his future coffee addiction.  That baby-cino is pictured in that second image from a tram ride to Glenelg Beach.  By the time I got to Port Macquarie, I was sufficiently caffeinated to stop photographing the Starbucks locations, but it was right by the water on the main street.  From the first photo below, it was about 50 meters behind me (on the left) on that same walkway.  Anyhow, both Starbucks were staffed with bright, friendly, capable individuals who helped make our trip as wonderful as it was.  I wish them well. 

Thoughts on the Logistics

Recently I received a comment on the logistics of the trip and figured it might make a good topic. 

By the way, if any commenter wants to e-mail me on more specific questions, just post a comment starting with the line "Do not post" and you can build in your e-mail to the message. Comments are moderated, so I can read, reply to, and delete your comment, thus keeping your e-mail private. 

So, as far as planning, the first thing is you plan the date range.  Depending on how big your window is, you can shop for fares accordingly.  Summers are hot, humid, and wet, so do not plan for the summer in the North if you are not up for that (I was and the little guy was fine with it).  A quick search on Qantas and United will tell you what the fare range is for your target date, but know that Qantas and Australia Tourism sometimes have deals.   If it is close, Qantas has higher service levels. My son got more "kid stuff" on a domestic Economy flight on Qantas than upgraded to Business on United International. 

Then you've got to figure out where you're going to go.  At first, I was going to do Adelaide to Cairns.  Then it was Perth -Cairns.  Then it was Darwin - Cairns (skipping the area with the greatest perceived combined risk of flooding and remoteness - western Queensland).  Then I figured I'd do the whole thing.  Had I missed the remote parts of Australia between Cairns and Perth (Via Darwin & Broome), I would have missed a big part of the soul of the country.  However, I understand that few people have the time or the tolerance for long days and empty roads.  

Prices are high and it is not just the weak dollar.  Australia's booming economy has had some inflation and Australians complain a little about it as well. One benchmark item that I like to use is a cup of your favorite espresso drink at Starbucks.  I like a Grande Americano (Long Black).  In '01 and '03, the US price was US$2.10 and the Australian price was A$2.10.  With a US$.55 = A$1 exchange rate, that was a deal! This summer ... er, winter... this January it was US$2.25 in the States and A$4 in Oz.  With US$.90 = A$1, that was pricey.  Food and beverages were accordingly expensive - maybe 50% more than California.  Whether eating fast food (in cities), diners, pre-packaged food, or restaurants, assume a premium of 30% to 100% over US prices at current exchange rates. Living on groceries in the car or at a property with a kitchenette, you can get by on $20 per day per adult.  Eating out it is more like $50-75 per day per adult. 

The next bit of pre-planning is to book the rental car.  There is a maximum charge for child seats, so whether you're there for a week or two months, the car seat is $50.  Don't worry about driving on the left, you'll adjust fast (the drive from the airport to the hotel is harrowing, then you are fine).  If you start in a more remote city, you can get started with fewer ...ummm... traffic opportunities.  I am glad I started in Cairns and not Sydney on that count.  Note, the car seats do not necessarily have the clip at chest level, so you may want to bring your own clip.  Hertz was the least expensive option for me in Cairns, oddly enough, but price shopping here is important and attention to the fine print on unlimited mileage is essential.  Gas (say "fuel" when you're there) was between A$1.22 and A$1.71 per liter (3.8 liters per gallon) with a weighted average of about A$1.35-1.40 when the world price was about US$90-100/ barrel. It is now US$135 and their taxes go up with price increases (US taxes are per gallon, not a percentage of price), so their increase should be greater.  

I booked the starting hotel in advance, but booked others as I went along (as I had a better sense of when I would arrive in various cities) and left the rest to chance.  In most towns, I drove in and figured it out. The Information Centers in most towns have all the prices and someone to speak with.  On only one occasion did I get "shut out" - Karratha had no rooms and I had to get on down the road to a roadhouse.  If you are traveling in a high season, you may want to plan a little further ahead either online or at the Info Centers (they are generally very helpful even if they don't know the places 500-1000km down the road).  Roadhouses, pubs, and cheap motels were no less than A$75.  Roadhouses are fairly basic - a bed, a light, a cheap TV, and a functioning AC.  Some have toilets in the room, some have a common bathroom.  You can stay a couple nights in those places, but you want to shake things up with a nicer place here and there or the travel will become tiresome.  Chain motels are generally a big step up in cleanliness & insulation from nature (Best Western is everywhere) and you can do that for the longer term typically for A$90-120. I stayed at three roadhouses and a pub - I recommend that you stay there for the experience a few times, but the chain motels were more comfortable. The resorts (when available) are sometimes not that much more than the chains (A$150+).  Places that I would definitely stay at again if back in the neighborhood (and recommend) include the Cairns Hilton (location and staff are tops), Darwin Esplanade Holiday Inn, the Mangrove Resort Hotel in Broome, the Fortescue River Roadhouse south of Karratha (only if you talk with the guy who owns it, it truly is a Spartan property), Monkey Mia Dolphin Resort (memorable, but one day is enough if you're driving through), the Albany Best Western (good staff, nothing special about the property), the Conrad Jupiters on the Gold Coast, and the Brisbane Hilton.  Those last two can be pricey.  I used points for most of the Hiltons.  I added extra days as I went a couple times - after one hour at the Darwin Holiday Inn I knew I wanted to stay two nights. In most of the bigger cities I scheduled 4-7 nights and I scheduled it a week or two out.  There is something to be said for having a home base and taking day trips or taking it easy.  I did this in Cairns, Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney, and Port Macquarie.

 

The View for $75 (Fortescue River Roadhouse)

The View for $130 (Darwin Esplanade Holiday Inn)

The View for $220 (Cairns Hilton)

As far as thinking about where you want to go, Google Earth and all the photos that exist of all the places you are considering is a great tool.  

Internet in the hotel room is simply outrageous for an American used to $10/day whether you're at Starbucks, the Best Western, or the Westin.  It is A$30/night in most places.  Plan accordingly. 

As for things to do with the kids, every town with three people or more has a playground.  It was good to stop and play for 10-30 minutes and let him run around. They were interesting, well-maintained, and for public use (that is they are generally not school playgrounds).  As for things to do in the car, Alex had several intricate toys that he liked to play with in the car seat (a card with holes and a string was his favorite).  We also spoke quite a lot and we listened to his music every day. I had mommy's voice talking on a CD and he liked that sometimes as well. If you are traveling with mommy, that may not be necessary. Outside of Melbourne, we were not. 

Getting back to the commenter, I hope his wife goes for it.  Australia is a developed first world country, so things should be fine as long as you take precautions. As far as persuading his wife, I wish him luck.  Be aware of the risks and prepare accordingly - phone service, food, and water for remote areas, awareness of funnel web spiders in yards around Sydney, and of course caution for the more exotic wildlife in the jungles up north, etc.  Be aware but don't overdo the description for your wife if she is like mine. You don't get many chances to do something big and memorable like this, so I strongly recommend it. 

Key Takeaways (What I got from it) - Part II

Summary: scoping the post, small changes, shameless plug for an experienced executive, activating the old Lewis & Clark DNA, carpe diem with reptile visuals. 

So what did I get out of this? I mean most vacations give you a chance to slow down and reflect.  The difference is that you usually get back within a week or two instead of taking a couple months to internalize the slower pace.  There is a huge danger of being too introspective in a chapter like this, so I will keep it concise and tangible.  I've ignored the blog for a couple weeks to allow the lessons of Oz to sink in, but it is time to get on with it and post something before you all forget the site.  Quick aside, I have also turned some of this into a powerpoint, but it does not seem to want to load onto the site.  When I can figure it out, look for a summary photo post. 

Naturally, I find myself thinking about the trip.  Australia really is a fantastic country with a pair of world class cities and a few more wonderful cities worthy of visiting.  The trip really did go smoothly. While I'd love to credit my planning, the reality is that Australia is simply an easy place to visit (once you get there).  Still, there was something cool about selecting an objective, planning it, getting it done, and returning with everyone in tact.  Alex has quickly returned to the swing of things as well, but he is talking much more in all three of his languages.  Naturally, as the sunny days get longer, we are enjoying the fact that we are about to go right back into summer. 

 

Well, I have made a few changes personally.  People tell me I look younger - maybe I am smiling more or maybe I need to keep losing weight, but I am not one to question compliments. For one thing, I am certainly driving slower.  This is not to say I am an angel or that I was previously a freeway combatant, but I've been back for nearly a month and I am driving within 5 mph of the speed limit - that is just the most obvious symptom of me embracing a more relaxed approach.  I've made a few other changes on the margins - going from a Treo to a Blackberry, going from a PC to a Mac, going from really short hair to longish hair (not rock star long, just an extra inch or two).  In keeping with the "life is too short" theme, I am making some changes on the professional side too.  I've spent 15 years developing marketing programs and helping companies make marketing decisions, but mostly from a role one step removed on the sales side.  Now, I want to get in the arena and be the one doing the marketing. Additionally, as you can tell from this trip, I've always had a passion for knowing and doing all things international (my Master's is in International Business), but since the bulk of my work has been domestic this knowledge and my foreign languages have been mostly a hobby.  That's going to change now.  Although it would be easier to get another role involving sales to the marketing/advertising industry, I'll be doing something more purely marketing with an international angle.  Potentially, I could do sales with an international skew and go from there to international marketing or I could do domestic marketing and go from there to international marketing.  I am taking two different Spanish classes right now and looking for a way to do what I should be doing.  By the way, if you know anyone trying to develop markets in Europe, Latin America, or Australia (or people from those places trying to develop the US), let me know. 

Many of you have asked - in polite terms - "what kind of freakish genetic defect would cause you to want to wander across an empty continent with a toddler?"  This question was asked before, during, and after the trip.  Usually the word "brave" is used (thank you, my diplomatic friends), with the word "crazy" following shortly thereafter with a smile.  You know who you are and you may have a point.  One of the things that I have learned since returning from Australia is that my genes would be in favor of the trip.  I have an ancestor famous for actions a couple centuries ago, but it is not the ancestor I thought it was.  Since childhood, I had heard that I was a fairly direct descendant of Francis Scott Key, the author of the Star Spangled Banner - but in fact I am not.  In a twist of fate that entirely makes sense right now, I have learned that I am a pretty direct descendant (8 generations back, 1st cousin) of Meriwether Lewis - as in Lewis & Clark.  That's not a bad trade.  Good to know that I am not the first person in the family to wander off into the lightly populated wilderness with a wingman. We both met some nice locals en route, but my wife did not grant permission to pick up any squaws en route (as in Sacajawea).  Then again, I did not know to ask.  On the other hand, Lewis & Clark did not get to sleep in road houses, drive on smooth well-marked roads, or experience their travels in an air conditioned Camry.  Regardless, we probably saw about the same amount of oncoming traffic for much of our trip - I went whole days without passing  or being passed by cars going in the same direction.  

Some people experience life-threatening events and respond with something of a carpe diem attitude.  Well, I had a trip that was essentially flawless for two months, but I have emerged with a similar attitude adjustment.  Steve Irwin had that attitude and made his impression on this world (thus the first photo, above).  No doubt the person who captured the croc depicted above ("Krys" - the 8.6m reptile from Normanton, Qld that might eat a person without needing to chew) was also "seizing the day" when this massive crocodile showed up. Without a doubt I am on the same page, as mentioned above in the professional sense.  Alex and I had the trip of a lifetime and our lives have been impacted accordingly.  

Thanks for joining us for the trip.  Future posts will come, but in irregular intervals. 

Key Takeaways (News You can Use) - Part I

Summary: format for these key takeaways, what I'd do again, what I'd change, other questions, best practices

So, what did I get out of this? I'm going to take two parts to answer that: 1) Key takeaways (that others could use), and 2) what I got personally from this. That second one may take more time and this first one may be more useful for others in their own travels. Enjoy.

What I would do again (and recommend to others):

1) Renting a normal car. Given the length of the trip, buying a used car in Cairns and dumping it upon my return to Cairns was not an unreasonable option. Still, for a little less than $3000, I had a quality vehicle (Toyota Camry with 12,000 km) and the support of the national Hertz network in the event of car problems. Additionally, given that I was traveling in the wet season, some expected that I would rent a 4 wheel drive car. No need. At no point did I think "gosh, if only I had a 4wd vehicle". I stayed on paved roads and when those roads flooded (10 days and 3 days, respectively, after I passed through towns like Kununurra and Fitzroy Crossing), they flooded in a way that one more spinning axle would not have overcome. For example, Kununurra's road was under 3 meters of water (according to a radio report I heard 10 days and a couple thousand km later in Perth). Either way, I would be hanging out in the hotel and waiting for the water to go down. These were not flash floods, just heavy rains and rising rivers. Likewise, in Fitzroy Crossing, which flooded a couple days after I was there, the road was under almost a meter of water. Even if the water was not moving, would you drive your kid through 3 feet of water in a Land Rover? Me neither. There are Land Rovers outfitted with breathers that go up above the vehicle - we saw them all the time - but "cheating death" (and driving underwater in croc-infested regions counts as cheating death for a few reasons) was not part of the plan. Additionally, whether thinking of road noise and general comfort or looking at fuel prices of $1.22 to $1.81 per litre (typically around $1.40), I would rather drive a car. (Note: A$1.40/liter translates into about US$5/gallon)

2) Starting in Cairns and going counterclockwise. Since I knew that it was summer (and wet season), I knew that the likelihood of a delay due to weather was greatest on the top side of the continent. Thus, it was best to go into it first because if there was going to be a delay, I wanted time to make up for it. While it was in fact hotter this way, it allowed me to see the sparsely populated part of Australia early. As such, it allowed me to get used to driving (and being) in Australia without too many other vehicles being involved. This was good not so much for remembering to drive on the left (I had that part) as just getting used to the roads. A good example is that I learned about Australia's stringent following of speed limits before I got to where all the speed cameras were. Going at my own pace (fast, in this case) across those more sparsely populated areas also allowed me to take it slow in places like Perth, Adelaide, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast. Going the other way, I would have been forced to *hope* for good weather in order to make my flight home.

3) Staying in hotels, motels, road houses, and a friend's house instead of camping. There are many great things about Australia, but the idea of intentionally allowing a toddler (and myself) to sleep out in the elements where the spiders, snakes, or even just mosquitoes and rain could get to us just does not make sense. I know the odds of a snake bite or spider bite making him sick (or worse) were low, but I just would not sleep soundly in the wild. (Yes, I am a city person) There were enough insect noises in a few of the motel rooms across the top - no need to get closer to nature at night (the accommodation in Cairns, Darwin, and Broome had no bug issues). The variety of lodging added quite a bit to the trip. The great places were great (Hilton Cairns, Westin Melbourne, Conrad Jupiters Gold Coast, Adelaide Hilton, and Brisbane Hilton above all). Good thing we had hotel points, because that would have cost an awful lot. Still, some of my best experiences were at places like the Fortescue River Road House "near" (and I use that term loosely) Karratha, WA, the Albion Pub in Normanton, Qld, the Best Western in Albany, WA, and the Carlton Pub Hotel in Geelong, Vic. While none of these places were deluxe resorts, all had memorable characters that made them worth highlighting. Still others, like the Mangrove Hotel in Broome and the Holiday Inn on the Esplanade in Darwin were lucky finds - great places where I would happily stay at when I am back there. Anyhow, those hotels allowed for contact with people after long days of travel. Additionally, just showing up and figuring it out (rather than booking ahead of time) led to plenty of good choices and the ability to judge on the site.

4) Seeing the sparsely populated parts. It would have been easier and understandable to fly to Darwin & Perth and do my driving from Adelaide to Cairns. I would save 10,000 km of driving and nobody would blame me. On the other hand, I would have missed out on several of the experiences listed above and I would wonder about those missing corners of Australia. Seeing towns like Cloncurry (QLD), Daly Waters (NT), Kununurra (WA), Carnarvon (WA), and Eucla (WA) really gives you a different view of this country. The same could be said of the US: seeing Longville, Minnesota or Roanoke, Virginia or Fort Collins, Colorado would show a visitor to America something different than the usual stops on the New York-Washington, D.C.-Orlando-Las Vegas-Los Angeles-San Francisco circuit.

5) Touring with Alex at this age. First off, the bonding was great. He and I are on the wavelength more than ever (as you would expect). He may not directly remember this, but had he been older he might have been bored senseless at the driving. He played with various toys, asked questions, sang with music, and told me not to sing with music. Even so, he did ask that we stop the car and get out a few times. Had he been 5 or 7 or 10, he would have done so much more (or just played a Gameboy or something comparable and never looked up). He will see the contents of this blog enough that he will have a good chance of remembering parts of this trip that were photographed. As for the worry of him getting sick or injured while we were in a remote location - yes, I was concerned. What mitigated it for me was that I was aware of the risks and prepared accordingly. From likelier risks - don't drive at night to avoid hitting large wildlife and wearing sunscreen - to those less likely yet existant risks - carrying a compression bandage (for snake or funnel web spider bites) and wearing deet (for mosquitoes that could carry the Ross River virus). Not to be too much of a control freak, but I tried not to be surprised by anything on this topic. We also had enough food & water to last a few days when traveling in the remote parts, not that there was really any chance of being stranded for days anywhere since we stayed on paved roads. Above all, no first world country has more experience and systems in place to manage things like that. The competence that I saw in Australia's doctors only reinforced that confidence.

6) Watch very little TV. Maybe the reason I think Australians are upbeat is that I watched the news about three times in two months. Now I still heard news on the radio and read it in the paper, but TV news is generally more sensational, melodramatic, and crisis driven. Likewise, I saw a little TV programming to get a feel for local shows, but I did not come to Australia to watch reruns of Friends. Of course, when you're not watching TV, you're doing something (likely) more memorable.

7) Missing the things I missed. In a future visit, I will go to Tasmania and Uluru (Ayer's Rock). Exmouth and the Ningaloo Reef are also interesting destinations that I hope to see in Western Australia. They've got a cool wave rock in the southern end of the state, but I just don't see that I would make it out there if I missed it this time. While it may not have seemed like it, I did skip a few noteworthy wine regions in South Australia and Hunter Valley, NSW. There are plenty more things that I could have visited, naturally. The point is that you can't get to it all, even in two months. Had I missed Darwin, Monkey Mia, Penfold's Grange in Barossa, or the Great Barrier Reef (this one was a bit of a challenge to do with Alex), I would be kicking myself and rationalizing it to you. I am not kicking myself or rationalizing. The tradeoff of an extra day or two in the car (or a rushed flight to and from Tasmania) did not seem worth it at the time - or in retrospect. I'll get there, Tas.

8) The Trip. Would I do it again? In a heartbeat. When I got to Cairns, I wanted to take a left and do another lap around the continent. Seriously. This experience was amazing. More on this in Part II (but hopefully not too self indulgent).

What I would not do again:

1) Purchase the same Satellite Phone plan. While I would still bring a sat phone, I would have gotten the most basic plan: Go for the cheapest phone rental, not cheapest per minute outbound or (in my case) free incoming calls. First off, the quality of the calls is not very good, so it is better to call (outbound) from pay phones with a calling card. Second, reception only works with a clear view of the sky, so you are not going to leave the phone on or carry it around like a mobile phone because it does not work indoors (or even in the car, from what I could tell). Third, the size makes it a little prohibitive to just carry it around. Fourth, the rate to call sat phones is obscene. For some reason, I thought the pricing would be like international calls, but it was more like $10/minute. Free incoming calls meant nothing in that case. I would still have brought it because in the event of an emergency (automotive or otherwise), I would have really needed it. Depending on how available I wanted to be or how many calls I planned to make, I might have considered a mobile phone (primarily for use from Adelaide to Cairns).

2) Have Sprint PCS as my phone service in the US. I told Sprint that I wanted to put my phone on the most basic plan (just keep my phone number and v-mail) starting Jan 25. On Jan 24, my last day in the US and the last day to wrap up odds and ends, my voicemail stopped working. Additionally, my phone stopped receiving calls (people just got a busy signal). Nobody at Sprint could figure it out for the first three calls to customer service, but on the fourth they did.  So, my last day in the US, I was completely out of reach.  I still have the same phone number, but I am now with T-mobile.

3) Communicate better ahead of time. We have a friend in Perth that we missed because I was ahead of my "target" schedule. I reconnected (via e-mail) with a guy I was friends with growing up about 10 days after I was in his area (Geelong/Melbourne). Would have been nice to have coffee with both.

Other burning Alex questions:

How did Alex really handle the whole thing? Missing Mommy etc? Also, why was Alex smiling the whole time? Was he that happy or were you editing heavily?

Actually there is only one photo that was left out because Alex was not smiling.

Here you have a meltdown photo from Melbourne. Bulgarians will recognize the "Martinichka" red & white charm for the first of March, which is when this was taken. One thing is that I was rarely inspired to photograph him (or anything) when he was visibly unhappy. Another is that he really was happy most of the time. Third, he loves seeing himself on the computer, so he generally smiled for photos. (He made the connection himself) He would get whiny now and then, but rarely unhappy and the bad mood never exceeded 30 minutes. A few of those moods (mostly in Sydney) were traced back to a tooth coming in. He mentioned mama, asked for mama, and asked for a certain song about mama to be played sometimes (especially right after Aneta left Melbourne). Otherwise, we did look at photos of her and other familiar friends and family most days. It may not be fair to assume that this would apply to other kids, but this particular kid did really well with her absence.

Best Practices for a big trip:

1) Planning...

• Have a big picture idea of where you want to go without a set itinerary for flexibility
• Think through what you need, what to buy here, what to buy there
• Use the internet to check a few prices so you can budget realistically
• Pack Light (no, lighter)

2) Traveling...

• Embrace it and try to live like the locals where practical - read local papers, listen to non-news radio, be outgoing (yes, I am addicted to vegemite and I drive the speed limit for now, but I'm over meat pies)
• Let yourself fall "out of the loop" to allow you to keep your mind on the present (i.e. not work you just finished, what to do on your return) - I called the Muse and wrote this blog daily, but only minimally followed the news, sports teams, or any other gossip
• While saving money is important, pace yourself and mix in a nicer place here and then when feasible - everything about the place you're visiting seems better if you really like the place you're staying (even if just for one night)

Yeah, I know, blog entries are better with pictures.

Last Day with photos - Mar 24

Summary: the full-sentence version of the last two posts and a preview of coming attractions

Going into the 24th, we had the choice of sleeping in, taking it slow, and getting to the airport a little before noon, or getting up early, taking a train into town, and seeing Sydney one more time. Naturally, we did the latter. I knew we'd be couped up together on planes and in airports with little change of scenery and I think Sydney is one of the most amazing cities on earth. Real tough call there.

It was about a 10 minute walk to the train station. The mist was light. We took our train from Mascot (where the airport Ibis was) to the downtown loop. There were a number of places to get off on that loop, but we chose St James (church, next to a big park) it would allow us to see the center of the city. We'd seen the bridge, opera house, circular quay, and The Rocks, but only driven through the city center. While it is home to many tall buildings, it does not feel nearly as intense as many downtown areas (New York, Chicago, or even San Francisco or Toronto). Traffic is not as aggressive, people a little less hurried. Note, I am stating this based on normal weekday experience, not my 7-10am Easter Monday experience. By the way, there really are quite a few things closed on Easter, Easter Monday, and Good Friday, unlike the US. The touristy things are open, but don't let that fool you - the dress store at the strip mall or the hardware store in your local suburb was closed. Friday and Monday are days off, and not just for schools and post offices. Anyhow, it was pouring and we were hungry. We enjoyed Starbucks and when we finished, it was just drizzling.

This particular neighborhood are is where all the nice hotels are (Hilton, Westin, Sheraton) and where most of the shopping is. Some of the walk-through arcades were open, some closed, but most every store that did not have the word "Cafe" in its title was closed. It was attractive and there were not many people to bump into. Seemingly every building had an awning, so we were not getting wet except when crossing streets.

Anyhow, having already summarized Sydney a few times, let me be brief. We walked around this area, then a couple blocks over to Darling Harbour. We walked all around Darling Harbour then went to the monorail. This first photo below was taken so that my memory of this specific spot would not be of Alex having a meltdown last time (new tooth inspired, I later figured out).

So we rode the monorail around this end of town and got back on the train to go back to the hotel. At this point, things went from very good to flawless. The train went by Circular Quay and in the time it took for us to walk downstairs and get on a train, the weather cleared entirely (below). The photos of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House look a little brighter than the others. We walked to the hotel from the train station. To this point, there has always been a line of people checking into or out of the hotel. At that moment there was none. We checked out, went upstairs to get our luggage, came down and caught the shuttle in four minutes. Then, we checked in and were told that I was upgraded (complimentary). On a 14-hour flight, this is a very good thing.

United put us in the Air New Zealand lounge, which had a really good kid's area. They also had lunch. It was a really nice lounge and a very good way to allow Alex to spend some energy before he got on the long metal tube. And as you can see from one interim post, they had internet as well. The flight was uneventful, but it was great to have such a good seat. Alex fell asleep before his meal came and he was a little grouchy towards the end, but all in all he did very well. Below, you see Alex in the "normal" part of the Air New Zealand lounge, then in Business Class.

Lots of people wondered about driving on the left, but few wondered if I could still walk/drive on the right. I had a dream (set in San Francisco) when I was in Australia. I realized halfway through the dream that the cars on my street in San Francisco were driving on the left. When we cleared customs at LAX, I automatically walked on the left. Jumping ahead to today, I drove OK but I turned on the windshield wipers with most turns and reached for the seat belt on the wrong side a couple times. Back in LA, we were able to use the Red Carpet club because we're Premier Exec with United and it was part of an international flight. I am not a member of the Red Carpet club, so if I was just flying LA-SF, I would have been out of luck. Just to make sure I had my bearings, I did ask the guy at the United Lounge "Is today a public holiday?" "Well, yesterday was Easter, but no." Glad I cleared that up. Welcome to the US - Our Stores are Open. I must admit I miss the concept of things closing now and then, but then when it happens I want them to be open. Here he is in the United Lounge.

So we boarded the final flight. Alex now has a habit of asking repetitive questions. He asks "What's your name?" and "What time is is it?"(second "is" in the original - every time). So on this flight, he asked again and again that we sit upstairs. Naturally, a 737 has no upstairs. He is now spoiled for life.

We landed in San Francisco a little early and got our luggage. TSA inspected one of my bags between customs at LAX and its arrival at SFO. Of course they picked the most tightly packed bag and showed that they are better at unpacking than repacking, because it came down the belt unzipped and in its own plastic bag. Oh well. Aneta showed up with a new hairstyle and some highlights. For once, I had the awareness to say "hey, you colored your hair!" One time, a friend of mine (who shall not be named, but he shares a name with Alex's penguin) mentioned her highlights before I did. I have not yet lived it down.

So what's next? Am I going to just shut this thing down? Not yet. I am going to write a little series on key learnings and major takeaways that others could use if a) visiting Australia, or b) taking a long trip. Then I will try to figure out if this can be published - even if just a few copies for some friends. Foreshadowing one of those key learnings, I am off to get a new mobile phone service.

Interim Update from LAX - Mar 24

Well, after a full day and a long flight, it is still the morning of the 24th. The sun rose, set, and rose again and it is still the 24th. The seats were awesome - enough room to move and stretch out. We sat upstairs in the first row behind the pilot. The movies were pretty good. The amenities kit is not what you imagine when you say "Trans-Pacific Business Class". Clearly seniority plays a role in getting staffed on these flights and one flight attendant was very good. Alex was good, for the most part - sleeping in the early portion of the flight and a bit whiny as I tried to sleep. Now I am in the United club and there is no kids room here - oh well. Almost home now. Bleary eyed but more refreshed than if I had sat in Economy (thanks to the upgrade), we are just about done with this grand adventure. What a great trip. Thanks for joining us for it and we look forward to seeing several of you in the days to come.

Interim Update from Sydney Airport - Mar 24

Hello from the Air New Zealand lounge. This morning was flawless- got up early, walked through the mist to the train, arrived in Sydney, mist was downpour. Had breakfast at Starbucks across from the train station (not aiming for Starbucks but it was open, known, and takes credit cards). Walked around middle of town that we missed last time through. Rain gave way to clouds as we walked a lot - to Darling Harbour. Took monorail, then took train back as clouds went away altogether. Arrived at hotel as shuttle to airport was about to leave - flawless departure as we made the shuttle. United had upgraded me to Business but when the realized I was with Alex, they called around and ... YES! we are both upgraded and sitting upstairs on the flight. United's club is closed so we are in the family center of their Star Alliance partner Air New Zealand's lounge. I'll upload photos when I get back. Life is really good right now. It's like I am calling in the last of my elitehood between Hilton and United. See you in the US!

Easter Morning at Palm Cove - Mar 23

Summary: hot humid and happy at the Hilton, splish splash, Palm Cove, hey do you notice something?, successful car return, back in Sydney

We woke up relatively early, had our breakfast, finalized the packing, and were strolling the cheerful streets of Cairns by 8am. The lady who manages the executive lounge in the morning is just wonderful – we enjoyed meeting her at the beginning of our trip and it was great to see her again (not picking favorites - the woman working the evenings is delightful as well). Despite being an early Easter Sunday morning, the dock was jammed with people taking the tour we took yesterday. There were joggers out on the boardwalk and parents taking their kids out for some sun and activity before it got too hot. It was well on its way - it reached 30 degrees before 10am and the humidity meter was reading “yes, very”. It was perfect tropical paradise weather.

Our packing did involve some decisions of leaving a few things behind: the cooler (esky), the laundry detergent, and the remaining Cholula (if customs is going to get me, it will be for open vegemite, not a spice I brought into the country). Hopefully the Hilton staff will divvy up the goods rather than tossing it. By the way, the folks at the Hilton all greeted us by name the entire visit. If nothing else, it certainly keeps you on good behavior. The guy who helped us with our bags was the assistant manager, I think. Anyhow, as I mentioned, that room was very nice. The valet, who had not seen us since January instantly recognized us and asked how our drive around Australia was. At times I thought they must have thought I was someone else (since of course I look like Brad Pitt but with tighter abs), but then I figured out that the service here is just off the charts great. I miss the place already.

So, I had seen that Cairns had a nice playground at the end of the Esplanade, so with a couple hours to kill before the flight, I figured we’d check it out. I am glad we did. It is (yet another) waterfront, prime real estate playground. They have lots of water park type things to keep the kids cool and entertained. It was not quite as nice as Townsville’s, as I did not see any big contraption dumping water and giving them a slippy slide, but it was quite nice. Memo to every town across the Southern US – do this.

With Alex drenched and the day heating up, I saw that we still had enough time to go to Palm Cove. Palm Cove is a collection of resorts along an idyllic, palm-lined coastline about 25 km north of Cairns. It would be a good place to get a spa treatment, have a nice meal in a bistro with light wood upscale décor and a ceiling fan lazily spinning overhead, or take in the kind of scenery that you think of when you hear the words “tropical paradise”. It was all that. We walked up and down the beach a little and grabbed some ice cream. Naturally, no paradise is complete without a vinegar station (see photo). This is not to add zest you your baby greens and alfalfa sprout salad, although I am sure someone has done so at some point. The vinegar is for jellyfish stings – not exactly a cure so much as something to make the pain more bearable (i.e. keep the victim conscious and make the scars less noticeable). Tropical Northern Queensland does keep you on your toes. We drove past the enclosed part of the beach, where there are nets to keep the jellys out. While nothing is foolproof, this is the safe spot – about 30m by 40m - and nobody swims outside of it. Seriously, nobody was touching the water outside of it. After almost an hour, it was time to head for the airport.

We were listening to the radio as we drove the short stretch to the airport. As we drove past Trinity Beach, the DJ had on someone from the Queensland Lifesaving Surf Rescue. He asked her how her Easter morning was going after she had her chocolate eggs. (Digression – it seems that Easter is the kid candy season comparable to Halloween). She said that some swimmers in the enclosure at Trinity Beach had “noticed” that a crocodile had gotten into the enclosure. “I can imagine that they noticed it, how big was it?” queried the DJ. “About 3 meters” she replied. I just love the use of the word “noticed”. You’re swimming in the one safe spot on a beach just outside of a city and a 10 foot croc shows up in your enclosure. Since nobody got hurt they could laugh about it. Surely there is a joke in there about Trinity, Easter morning, and a confused yet devout Christian crocodile. While I was tempted to go look for myself (a developing news story 2 km away), I figured there was probably nothing to see and we might as well get on with it.

Returning the car I was nervous for two reasons. 1) Our rate was changed to something better when we had picked up the car two months ago, but the rate they changed it to would charge per km past 5,000km in a month. The agent had written in “free unlimited km”, but you always wonder if the computer will agree or if you’ll need to debate it. Result: no worries - $600 saved. Yeah Hertz! 2) Australia has clearly invested heavily in speed cameras and they have a willingness to actually send out fines for “speeding” that is within what I consider to be the margin of error – 3 or 4km over the speed limit. For example, if a total angel sets their cruise control at 98km in a 100 zone and they go down a slight incline, they can get to 105 pretty easily. By comparison, in the US it is pretty broadly accepted that if you are speeding by 5-7 mph (8-12 km) over the limit, you’re probably fine. My experience in Germany had been the same several years ago. Not so here. I became aware of this little fact in Perth. Thus, I did half of my drive playing by a different set of rules. And even once I was aware of the rules sometimes you can miss a spot where the limit changes or not decelerate fast enough – somewhere in an 18,732 km journey. Fortunately, the speed cameras must be distributed by population and they must not have been looking when I was sinning, because Hertz says I did not get a single ticket.

With that load off my mind, we checked in and Alex went about charming every woman in a Brazilian tour group flying with us from Cairns to Sydney. Qantas does a great job and the flight attendant spoke about how life changing it was for him to wander around the US after 13 years as a draftsman. Anyhow, we arrived at our hotel out by the airport. The Ibis does a good job for what they do. This isn’t a resort, so even perfect marks will fall short of where I’ve just been, but the front desk was helpful and the restaurant was good enough. They are part of the Accor hotel group and it shows – the rooms like exactly like what I would expect in continental Europe. The comforters on the bed, the layout – it’s tough to put a finger on it, but this looks like something I would see in Germany, not Australia (or the US or even the UK for that matter).

Tomorrow, we’ll get up early, take the train into Sydney, walk around and do about as much tourism as we did today (2-3 hours), take the train back, walk back to the hotel, take the shuttle to the airport, check in, weasel our way into the United Red Carpet Club (elite but not a member is close enough on international flights), and then head on home. March 24 starts in 2 hours and ends in 43 hours.

Great Barrier Reef – Mar 22

Summary: misdirection early in the morning, Green Island, on the reef, check out this room, causing trouble again

Our last full day and we are going to the reef. Cool. We got up early, grabbed breakfast, and headed out for our trip. This trip might have a few things we can’t do, but I figured we would do enough things to have a memorable time. I was right.

The folks at Great Adventures did a great job on the trip, but in places they did not have their directions straight. Example 1: this company had two boats – a small one on the right and a larger one on the left. We were told to take the small one on the right at the ticketing desk, then when we got to the jetty and were about to board, we were told to take the larger one on the left. Example 2: I knew that the tour went to an island and the reef, but I was not sure what order. The announcement said if you are going to the reef stay on the boat at the island, but we were actually all supposed to get off at the island. They mentioned that in a later announcement after we told them we weren’t sure we heard the announcement correctly. Those two hiccups aside, the tour was flawless.

First thing we did was go to Green Island. This is a little coral reef that grew up and grew plants on top. We went snorkeling on the beach. Alex was game for snorkeling until water became part of the scene. Then he was game to play on the beach with the goggles while I swam. Nothing much to see, actually - just some seaweed. Still, if I were to be stuck on a desert isle, this would be a good choice. We walked around the island – half of a boardwalk, half on a beach. Pretty place with interesting little birds. They have a croc farm, but I had a feeling we had seen enough crocs. They had a gift shop with a shirt about driving around Australia and hitting all the cities, so I had to get it (names the cities, then says "16,000 km - bloody long way"... and Alex is modeling it, with sunglasses on). On the ride over we met Yulanda from Melbourne – nice person who liked Alex and was enjoying a few days in Tropical Northern Queensland. We bumped into her on the way back to the boat. It is fun to meet fellow travelers and Australians are (just about) all really proud of their country and love hearing good things about it.

Most of the tour passengers were Japanese, with the rest appearing to be Australian. This was noteworthy as every announcement was in English and Japanese. They loved Alex – this might be because (natural) redheads in Japan are rare. Just as some women wish guys would notice that their eyes are about a foot higher than the guys are looking, Alex probably wondered why they were looking a couple inches higher than his eyes.

Anyhow, after a couple hours on Green Island, it was off to the platform on the outer reef. Great Adventures has a platform right off a reef where you can snorkel, dive, drive these James Bond-like underwater motorcycles, view the underwater observatory, or take the semi-submersible submarine around the reef. All the photos above are from the semi-submersible. None of these photos are as good as other photos you’ve seen of a reef and the color in these photos does not do justice to what I actually saw in the sub or snorkeling. It was awesome: every shape and form of coral you can imagine, fish large and small… just wow. By “large fish” I mean about 50kgs or 100+ pounds.

So it was time to snorkel. It was funny - the Japanese all rented wet suits to prevent jellyfish stings and none of the Australians did. Seriously, it was about 100% in both cases. True to form, I rented one for Alex (not wanting to explain on the blog that Alex got stung because I was cheap), but not for me (if Australians are not worried, neither am I). Actually, between the two of us, we had a full snorkel outfit: Alex had a life vest and wet suit (that was about the right size for an 8 year old) while I had a snorkel, goggles, and fins. At first, Alex did not enjoy going out into the water as the salt water tended to splash a little and get in his eyes, but then he got into it. He especially liked hanging onto the cage. I don’t like the life vests because it is harder to swim down to the coral and fish. The photographer took a photo of Alex hanging onto the cage and I bought it. I never buy those photos, let alone take pictures of a picture, but he looked cute in the water. Anyhow, he would hang onto the cage or stand on the platform and tell me to leave. I would lurk, then sprint to the reef (30m), look back to make sure he was not doing anything questionable (like wandering off to dry his hair), dive down amongst the coral, and head back. We did this for about an hour. You’d have to have been there, but it was really an ideal situation. Good times. Really good times. Alex had a blast and I actually got to snorkel a little. I never did find a clown fish, but there were a few anenomies. It was simply beautiful.

We got back to the hotel and checked into the premier suite. Wow, what a room. Life is good. I wish Alex’s mom was here. The Muse found a way to be somewhere that the water swirls like it does here, but not be anywhere near us. Somehow, she is working (and perhaps checking out some tango places) in Argentina this week. I'll save a commenter the effort - "at least she's working!" Well, we can all catch up on the mail together. Anyhow, we swung by the lounge and had some appetizers, then walked around the Esplanade again. The city was once again alive with people enjoying the waterfront. Neither of us was hungry, so we walked around for a bit longer and went back.

The executive lounge was still open and the night was beautiful, so we stepped outside and spoke with a few people smoking outside. They liked Alex immediately and he broke out some of the Aussie phrases he’s heard and is allowed to repeat: good on ya, g’day, how ya going? He has also repeated “what the hell?” in the way that I have …um…blurted it out a few times. I have said it just a few times, but he doesn’t need much repetition as the Phil story attests. Aside: you can’t bring food out where you are allowed to smoke. We heard this once before at the lawn bowling club in Coolum Beach, but I thought I had heard it wrong. It is not that you can’t smoke where people eat. No, you can’t eat where people are allowed to smoke. Somehow, the group of people outside that we were talking with rubbed the server the wrong way (either laughing too loud or the doors - which were hard to open and close - slammed one time too many). Anyhow, it was a lovely evening with smiles all around until right at the end. Sometimes it is easy to miss tension between people when you’re getting along with both. Odd, but a fine night nonetheless.

Alex was in the mood for Finding Nemo for about the 100th time since we left Sydney, but so was I. With a little help, we played it on the big screen. It really is amazing how nice things – things you’ve seen a few too many times – look on a high end TV.

What a great way to finish.

Next: I will try Palm Cove and a playground in the morning, go to the airport, and get down to Sydney for our last night.