Luke & Karen Fly Around AUSTRALIA

SEPTEMBER 2-24, 2011

The Land Down Under

Over the span of 3 weeks, we plan to make a go of seeing some of the highlights of eastern Australia. As it turns out, Australia is a rather sizable place, so we’ll be piling on the kilometers as we go.

We start and end in Sydney and in between visit Melbourne, Adelaide, Cairns (the Great Barrier Reef) and the Whitsundays.

Click on a city to see more info.

Our Progress

Sydney

we're here for 4 days

G'day from Sydney!

Welcome to southeast Australia. Sydney is the start and end of our trip. It’s quite a large city, so we’ll be spending a lot of time on ferrys and buses.

We’re hoping to see the city, check out the beaches and spend a day in the Blue Mountains, a national park just a few hours out of the city.

What we hope to do:

  • Walk over the Harbor Bridge
  • Visit Botanical Gardens
  • Sample Fish & Chips at Manly Beach
  • View the Opera House
  • Take a Harbour cruise
  • Tour the Sydney Aquarium
  • Walk the Rocks Neighborhood
  • Sneak out at night to the Museum of Astronomy
  • Marvel at the Blue Mountains National Park
  • Catch up on Australia’s history at the Maritime Museum and Hyde Park Barracks

Melbourne

we're here for 3 days

Hi from Melbourne!

Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city, is the state's urban hub and the nation's artistic centre. This city is a global melting pot that has retained community spirit, where people feast on art, music, theatre, cinema and cuisine for every budget.

Taken from the Lonely Planet Australia Guidebook.

What we hope to do:

  • Federation Square
  • Catch some footy
  • Drink Coffee
  • Street Art
  • See if we can find out Aussie Friend
  • Start Great Ocean Road

Adelaide

we're here for 3 days

Hello from Adelaide!

We're not actually going to be in Adelaide for more than a few hours, but we are driving the Great Ocean Road between Adelaide and Melbourne.

What we hope to do:

  • See the Twelve Apostles Rock Formation
  • Find the Giant Tree
  • Whale Watch
  • Hike to see waterfalls and avoid get bitten by wildlife
  • Learn to Surf
  • Grampiens Park
  • Wine Tour?

Kangaroo Island

we're here for 3 days

Hey from Kangaroo Isl.!

Rugged and serene Kangaroo Island lies 13km off the coast south of Adelaide. Its isolation has been a boon for its flora and fauna; seals, penguins, echidnas, and of course kangaroos are a draw, as are the turquoise waters and quiet beaches.

Taken from the Lonely Planet Australia Guidebook.

What we hope to do:

  • Penguin Tour
  • Remarkable Rock
  • Flinders Chase National Park
  • Seal Bay Conservation Park?
  • Lighthouse?
  • Kayaking?

Cairns

we're here for 3 days

Hiya from Cairns!

The Cairns region is the fourth-most popular destination for international tourists in Australia after Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. It is a popular travel destination for foreign tourists because of its tropical climate. It serves as a starting point for people wanting to visit the Great Barrier Reef and Far North Queensland.

Taken from Wikipedia.

What we hope to do:

  • Snorkel the Reef
  • Rainforest Gondola

Whitsundays

we're here for 4 days

Yo from the Whitsundays!

When Lieutenant James Cook sailed along this coast 50 days after Easter (on White Sunday) in 1770, he must have gargled with resplendent joy. The Whitsunday Islands are a travellers' wonderland where a great southern experience of sun, sand, and sailing is an outstretched arm away.

Taken from the Lonely Planet Australia Guidebook.

What we hope to do:

  • Hire a boat?
  • Cruises?
  • Snorkelling
  • Helicopter Ride?

Start in Sydney

End in Sydney

Updates

We drove in Australia

Posted on September 12, 2011 by admin

After about 1000km of driving over the past couple days on the great ocean road, we’ve arrived at the Adelaide airport, next: Kangaroo Isl.

Our time in Sydney was spectacular. Great weather (mid 20s and humid), beautiful sights and sore feet from all the walking/ hiking. Melbourne was cold, rainy and windy, but we were only there for a day and a bit. The great ocean road was gorgeous and the storms provided some wonderful light.

So much to talk about, but our tiny plane leaves in a few. Talk soon.

The Site Lives!

Posted on September 2, 2011 by admin

I’ve been telling people for weeks that this site will be “done” before we go. Well, it’s 20 minutes before we leave for the airport and I think I’m going call it done.

For those of you using Internet Explorer, I apologize (sorta). Please use a recent version of Firefox, Google Chrome or Safari… the Internet Explorer testing got left unchecked on the to-do list.

Click on a city above to see some basic info on what we’ll be trying to do there. Check back here often for updates and/or follow me on Twitter. I’ll be updating when I get a chance (and wifi).

Thanks for checking the site out and we’ll see you when we get back.

We leave today!

Posted on September 2, 2011 by admin

We’re all packed and ready to go. 20 hours of flying and airports and we’ll be in Sydney where it’s forecasted to be 20 degrees and sunny.