Australia

Australia

“May every young scientist…not fail to keep his eyes open for the possibility that an irritating failure of his apparatus to give consistent results may once or twice in a lifetime conceal an important discovery.” Patrick Blackett 1955   My cousin Jacob met me at the airport Sydney. He greeted me with an Opal pass and we hopped on the double decker train to Museum Station. He had an air mattress in his apartment, which after 4 nights in the hostel, felt like living in a palace.  That first night we went to Quay Station and I got to see the Sydney Harbor with the iconic Opera House and Bridge as the sun set.  Being the mature person I am, I kept thinking about Finding Nemo. We took a boat under the city lights at night to Darling Harbour and walked through the city, stopping at a pub for beers and to watch Federer play in the Australian Open. Hard to believe I had spent 4 hours that morning in a jeep in the rainy cliffs of Skipper’s Canyon back in NZ.   The next morning, feeling rejuvenated and being me, I took off solo and explored the city. First, I took a bus to Bondi Beach and I spent some time walking along the water and enjoying the sun.  Then I walked the cliffs nearby which are spectacular. Next up I walked through Hyde Park, the Art Museum, the Royal Botanic Gardens, and the Opera House.  Even if I had done nothing else, just to witness the works of Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh, and Picasso makes it a...
Exploring Queenstown and Milford Sound

Exploring Queenstown and Milford Sound

“Keep close to Nature’s heart… and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.”   -John Muir   Queenstown, located in Otago in the south-west part of the South Island, is only the 27th largest urban area in the country but one of the most well known.  First and foremost, it is in an unbelievable beautiful geographic area.  It is also the “Adventure Capital of the World”. Its where bungy jumping was invented by AJ Hackett. Also a big site for skydiving. And skiing in the winter.  For me, it was a place to hike and see the beautiful scenery.  Also I got to see a few more Lord of the Rings filming locations.   I stayed at a backpackers hostel for my 4 nights in Queenstown. I met lots of young travelers from all over the world.  Isabel and Philips in particular were two of my roommates and we hung out a lot, cooked meals, and explored the town together. Unfortunately it was unseasonably cold and rainy every day except for one. That didn’t keep us from having a terrific time. A few things I leared about staying in a backpackers hostel: -Its best to have a camping backpack.  If you bring a rolling bag like I did, you’ll feel kind of lame. -Learn from those who are younger than you.  As we get older, we get smarter about certain things but we also forget a lot. -You will be put in your place in a good way.  A lot of folks back home thought...