We boarded our plane bound for Sydney, Australia at 10:30pm (PT) on a Saturday night from Los Angeles. About 15 hours later my sister Cathy and I arrived in the “Land Down Under,” at 6:30am on a Monday. Now Cathy has made this trip a few times before, but for me, this was my first journey to Australia to visit my brother Eric and his family. As we flew west over the Pacific Ocean toward sunrise, we joked about an old episode of the Twilight Zone, where a man lost a complete day in his life, somehow briefly traveling through time. That’s how I felt. I kept asking Cathy, “What happened to Sunday?” You can’t just lose a day-it doesn’t compute with my simple mind! She explained to me that we “skipped” Sunday because we traveled across the International Date Line. Now, I understand the concept that my Google buddy provided me, that “the International Date Line is imaginary line on Earth’s surface defining the boundary between one day and the next, and runs from the North Pole to the South Pole-marking the division between the Western and Eastern Hemisphere.” But like most humans on this planet, I’ve only known one day to the next-the sun rises, the sun sets, and 24 hours later it does it again. Ummm, OK, but I missed that Sunday, even though I never had the pleasure of experiencing it….weird!
So, why do they call it “down under?” It’s quite simple actually. If you’ve ever seen a globe of the world, you’d notice that Australia is below the equator, positioning it ‘below’ many other countries on the globe. And yes, its permanent population is entirely below the equator. The term is not just used to refer to Australia. It’s also sometimes used to refer to New Zealand, or both.
Like most of my outdoor blogs, this one will focus on nature, and a few of the awesome places, and critters that Eric and his wife Helen, guided us to see during my short visit to Australia. But, since our trip was “based near Sydney,” I’m going to share a little geography lesson with you first. Now don’t sigh, or roll your eyes! Just keep reading. It won’t hurt you to get a bit more “learnins” about a place that’s 10,000 miles away from most of the people who have the pleasure of reading this!
The first thing you notice when arriving in Sydney is that it’s big, really big! With a population of about 5 million, it’s easily the largest city in Australia…..and for a tourist like me, the most well-known city. In fact, my guess is that it may be the only city in Australia that many Americans could even name, if asked. And surprisingly, it’s NOT the capital of Australia (Canberra is the capital). Sydney is the capital of the state of New South Wales. There are (8) states in Australia–Western Australia, South Australia, New South Wales, Australian Capital Territory, Queensland, Northern Territory and Tasmania. Although there are only eight states that make-up the entire country, Australia is a big country. It’s about the same size as the continental United States. In fact, traveling from Sydney to Perth (East Coast to West Coast) is about the same as traveling from New York to Los Angeles. OK, back to Sydney for one more paragraph.
Resting in front of the famous Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge (there are people walking across the very top of the bridge)
Eric offered to take me into downtown Sydney so I could play tourist, and see a few of the popular sites, like the other 15 million visitors Sydney receives each year. We hopped on the train just a few blocks from his home, just to the north. In my short time there, I was really impressed by their public transit system in and around Sydney. Many trains, buses and even ferries form an efficient network that seemed to be easy to use, reliable, clean, and fairly cost efficient. Our destination that morning was the world famous Sydney Harbor-home to the iconic Sydney Opera House, Sydney Harbour Bridge, Botanical Gardens, Circular Quay and nearby museums, beaches and parks. However, I told Eric I simply wanted to snap a few photos to show proof I was actually there, pick up a few souvenirs, and head back. There was way too many people for my comfort level! So my brother knew exactly where to take me for cheap souvenirs-Paddys Market. This typical, large covered market with dozens of small stalls, sells just about anything “Australian” you can think of, and several interesting items you didn’t think of. I especially enjoyed discovering the vast selection of items you could haggle for that were made from specific parts of Kangaroos! Eric and I only spent about 25 minutes near the Sydney Opera House, Harbour Bridge and briefly stopping to watch one magical street performer in Circular Quay.
Hovering Golden Guy street performer in Circular Quay (L) and a sampling of items in Paddy’s Market (R)
But, I roamed around Paddy’s Market for over an hour, bartering over t-shirts and sweatshirts, inspecting hairy bottle openers and trying on the many Aboriginal designed oven mitts! It was very enriching 60 minutes, but it was time to depart the hustle and bustle of the big city and start checking out some of the local parks near Sydney.
As Helen (our Australian sister-in-law) helped us plan a few day trips in the area, one thing that stood out to me during my visit was the variety of awesome National Parks and beautiful beaches that are so close to Sydney, and easily accessed by public transportation, or a short drive by car. Our plans included a hike up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse, part of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park, a day trip to Blue Mountains National Park, and of course, squeezing in a fishing trip (or two) with brother Eric. Only having a week to visit, we were trying to pack in as much as we possibly could. NOTE: My next trip (very soon)…2 weeks minimum!
Between day trips, I managed to wander around Eric’s neighborhood to check out the local birdlife. I discovered some of their amazingly colorful birds…..and extremely loud birds! It seemed like almost every species living there, has to be heard-and they call, cackle, and squawk all day long! Some of the more vocal birds included Rainbow Lorakeets, Sulphur-crested Cockatoos, King Parrots, Noisy Miners, and of course, Laughing Kookaburras….and yes, they did sit in an old Gum Tree!
ABOVE – Left to right – Rainbow Lorakeet, Sulphur-crested Cockatoo and King Parrot
BELOW – Noisy Miner (L) and Laughing Kookaburras (R)
Located in Sydney’s north, Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park is Australia’s 2nd oldest national park. It combines a rich history with natural beauty-including rainforests and eucalypts, beaches, rocky cliffs, the Hawkesbury River and amazing ocean viewpoints. One of those viewpoints is Barrenjoey Lighthouse. Built in 1881 from sandstone quarried on site, this well-known Sydney attraction stands at Barrenjoey Head at Palm Beach, and is a popular whale-watching spot from May-September. As I huffed and puffed up the challenging 30-minute walk to the top, I regretted sneaking that last Tim Tam into my mouth, boastfully claiming that I needed it for “extra energy.” I really could have used a glass of milk with that hidden Tim Tam for “extra, extra energy!” The hike up the steep, but well maintained trail, was well worth it though, as we were rewarded with 360 degree views of Broken Bay, the Pacific Ocean and the Central Coast. As we rested at the top, Eric pointed out a few of his favorite fishing spots, as well as telling me about Lake Macquarie, another one of his preferred fishing locations, and our destination for the next day.
Three siblings at Palm Beach, before hiking up to Barrenjoey Lighthouse
Barrenjoey Lighthouse with Broken Bay (L) and Eric, Helen and I stop for a pic after hiking up to lighthouse (R). The Pacific Ocean is in the background.
New birds for me at Palm Beach – New Holland Honeycreeper (L) and Masked Lapwing (R)
After sightseeing and hiking for a couple days, we decided to kick back on Eric’s boat and do a little fishing on Lake Macquarie. Lake Macquarie is about 120 kilometers (74 miles) north of Eric’s home, and is Australia’s largest coastal salt water lagoon. It’s twice the size of Sydney Harbour. We were hoping to catch a few of his favorite fish-Bream. Bream are relatively small fish (a big one might be about 16 inches), but are very popular with anglers in Australia. I probably would have caught a few more fish, but was distracted by all the new birds I was seeing, including White-bellied Sea Eagles, Black Swans and Silver Gulls.
White-tailed Sea Eagle (L) and a flock of Black Swans (R)
I did manage to catch one Flathead, a nasty-looking fish that looks kinda like a long flounder on steroids, but with razor sharp teeth and sharp fins! I didn’t heed my brother’s warning about those sharp fins after reeling it in and boasted that I have handled many fish like this before, just as this zilla-fish decided to impale one of its fins deep into my thumb! I give Eric credit, he just politely smiled, asked if I was “ok,” and reminded me to take the rag and clean up my blood from his boat seat. Australian Flattie 1 – Richard 0!
The Skipper, Gilligan and Mary Ann enjoying a day on Lake Macquarie
Eric with his favorite fish, a Bream, and me holding a nasty Flattie that brutally attacked my thumb right after this photo was snapped
I was really looking forward to our final Australian adventure-a day trip with Helen and Cathy to Blue Mountains National Park, about 2 hours west of Sydney. The Blue Mountains are a mountainous region that encompass scenic steep cliffs and valleys, eucalyptus forests and waterfalls covering more than 3,800 square miles (1 million hectares). The Blue Mountains get their name from the natural blue haze created by vast eucalypt forests in this World Heritage area. Tiny droplets of oil released from the trees mix with water vapor and sunlight to produce the distinctive color. 
A private company offers visitors a variety of ways to see a few popular areas of the park, including the famous rock formation called The Three Sisters. You can choose to take a ride on the Scenic Cableway, Scenic Skyway or Scenic Railway, as well as the Scenic Walkway-otherwise known as a trail! Of course we decided to purchase the grand combo ticket and experience all modes! Personally, I enjoyed the 52 degree incline of the Scenic Railway, promoted as riding the steepest passenger railway in the world. I’m sure sister Cathy enjoyed it as well, as it probably reminded her of riding one of her favorite roller coasters in some exotic, mountainous amusement park.
The Scenic Cableway (L) and getting ready to descend on the Scenic Railway (R)
Helen and Cathy in front of the Blue Mountains (L) and Cathy and I on the Scenic Walkway
Our last trek of the day took us on the scenic walkway. The plan was to casually stroll along on the 2 kilometer walkway through the rainforest and loop back to the railway, before heading home. As we entered what we thought was the beginning of the circular walkway, I noticed a sign guiding us further into the National Park. We all chatted about which direction we should go, but never gave it much thought after that, and proceeded down the narrow dirt trail.
I thought to myself that their “Scenic Walkway” was in need of some much needed trail maintenance. After walking for about 30 minutes, our agreed upon route didn’t seem quite right. At one point Helen and I remembered Cathy saying she didn’t mind climbing down the steep, narrow trail as long as we didn’t have to go back (up) the same way. After another 20 minutes of walking and reading another confusing sign, we realized we went the wrong way. I didn’t have the heart to tell Cathy, I figured she would discover our error as we mountain climbed our way back to the trailhead….she did! But the alternative was even more challenging. We would have to hike an additional 3 kilometers, then have to complete our hike by climbing up the 800+ step Grand Staircase to get to the top of the canyon. Cathy said if we decided to choose this option, we should just leave her and let the Dingos feast on her. I agreed, so we left her there with a couple Tim Tams and a bottle of water! Just kidding….I ate the Tim Tams! Despite our trail confusion, it was a great morning in the Blue Mountains of Australia! Many thanks to Helen for sharing this outdoor adventure with us!
My week in Australia visiting Eric, Helen, Kate and Connor was fantastic, and I can’t thank Cathy enough for joining me and making me a little less nervous during those long flights! I’m already thinking about how I can get Theresa and I back to the Land Down Under very soon and visiting everyone again….even if we do lose another day somewhere! It’s so worth it! Cheers!
