Daydream Island to Sydney (August 12, 2008)

I was awakened this morning by the howling winds outside that whipped through the palm trees outside of my room. A brief walk outside confirmed my suspicions – the gusting wind, similar to that on Orrington Avenue in Evanston (this will make total sense to you NU folk) – created weather conditions that were way too chilly for laying out and enjoying my remaining time in the sun on Daydream Island.

Instead, I headed to the gym for another workout and went back to my room to shower, pack and watch some local news before checking out of my room. I had a few hours to kill, so I walked around, taking time to snap some photos of my favorite spots (click on the link for photos) around the island, before boarding the 2:00 p.m. ferry for Hamilton Island. This time, the ride was a little more intense and I stayed safely inside as the ferry plowed through the rough surf, leaving copious amounts of sea spray in our wake.

I got to the airport and checked into my flight, quickly boarding the plane back to Sydney. (Air travel is super-easy when the airport only has two gates!) Aside from the annoying couple making out next to me, the trip was uneventful and Cara was at the airport when I arrived to shuttle me back to her apartment in Bondi. We spent the evening watching the Olympics and went to bed early in preparation for another day in Sydney.

More Daydream Island (August 11, 2008)

Because Cara had to fly back to Sydney this afternoon, we stayed on Daydream Island and enjoyed the first day of warm weather on the island. After filling up on breakfast, we walked through the rainforest to the other side of the island for a round of miniature golf. The 19-hole course (and no, the 19th-hole was not a bar, unfortunately), had an Australia theme, highlighting various areas and events throughout local history. The course mocked us with its plethora of 2-par holes that were CLEARLY not easy enough to complete in two strokes and we laughed at the PG-13 hole descriptions, which included tales of outlaws, drunks and corrupt politicians.

We headed back to the room to change into our bathing suits and turned on CNN only to discover that Isaac Hayes had died (RIP, Chef), only one day after Bernie Mac’s death and a few days following Morgan Freeman’s car accident. While Cara prepared for another celebrity death to complete the trifecta, I determined that the three events were related and that Freeman somehow cheated fate, leaving him destined to avoid one brush with death after another ala “Final Destination.”

After a quick workout, I joined Cara for some quick beach time before her departure. While the island had a number of beautiful beaches to choose from, the one disappointment was that they are all coral beaches and covered with bleached-out coral, not sand. Despite this complication, we enjoyed the warm sunshine and basked in the beautiful view of the water.

As Cara jumped on the ferry, I went to the spa for a massage and then back to my room, where I learned that the value of the Australian dollar had dropped precipitously and now was trading with the US dollar at a ratio of 1AU:.88US. I quickly calculate how much this new exchange rate will save me and make a mental note to do some shopping before I leave. See kids, you DO use math every day!

I cleaned up, grabbed some take-out dinner from the café and headed out to the aptly named Lover’s Cove in order to watch the sunset. The moment would have been perfect if it hadn’t been for 1) my lack of a make-out companion and 2) the obnoxious kids trying to skip pieces of coral into the water. As soon as the sun set, I walked by the Christian Conference’s “Mocktail” Party and returned to my room to watch “The 40-year-old Virgin” on local television. About five minutes of the movie transpired before I realized that it was completely unedited, with every inappropriate, four-letter word pristinely preserved for all ears to hear. Here Americans are, still talking about “nipplegate” years after the fact and the Aussies can tune into their version of NBC and hear the f-word on a daily basis. Talk about how Aussies are not like us!

Whitsunday Islands and the GBR (August 10, 2008)

Against our nature, Cara and I woke up early in order to gorge ourselves on the free (and, this time, delicious) breakfast buffet before making our way to the dock for our day-long cruise throughout the Whitsunday Islands (click on the link for photos). After a small miscommunication, which almost resulted in our missing the pontoon boat to our catamaran, we boarded the Chimera catamaran and grabbed a seat for the ride of a lifetime.

The Whitsundays are 74 separate islands that comprise the largest off-shore island chain on Australia’s coastline. They are also the closest point off the Queensland coast to the Great Barrier Reef and, as a result, are the perfect departure point for experiencing the reef’s diverse marine life through snorkeling and scuba diving.

Unfortunately, the temperature was cooler than average during our cruise but I didn’t let that stop me from experiencing all that the reef had to offer. Our first stop was Hook Island, where I slipped into a wetsuit, threw on a mask and flippers and headed out for my snorkeling adventure. The current was stronger than I had expected and caused cloudy conditions throughout the reef, but it was still easy to see the myriad of colorful fish and coral that lived beneath the surface. I was amazed at how the depth of the ocean changed drastically from spot to spot – at times, the coral was only two feet below the surface and then it would plunge to depths of more than 20 feet.

Shortly after getting back on board the catamaran, we had an unexpected emergency when a female member of the crew nearly severed her finger while pulling in rope from the pontoon boat. I felt like I was in some kind of disaster movie, as two volunteers cleaned up blood that had spilled on the boat’s floor (seriously, lots of blood), while a crewmember walked around, asking if there was a doctor on board. It looked and sounded bad – but twenty minutes later, she was smiling and waving her heavily bandaged hand as she was picked up by emergency services and flown to an Arlie Beach hospital to be stitched up.

Once we got back on track, we circumnavigated the uninhabited Whitsunday Island, the largest of the islands, and dropped anchor just off of Whitehaven Beach, described by many as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. It was nothing short of spectacular – a mix of the whitest, finest sand and the clearest, sea-green water you’ve ever seen. The sand itself is 98% silica, which means you can clean your jewelry with it and, even better, it squeaks when you walk! Let’s just say it was tons of endless fun for someone as immature as me.

Our visit to Whitehaven ended way to soon and we got back on the catamaran, pausing along the way to admire the stingrays and sea turtles swimming in the pristine waters. The cruise back to Daydream was no disappointment, as we were treated to delicious barbecue, discussions about Aussie beer preferences (the metallic tasting but highly alcoholic VB:Victoria Bitter, or the smoother but less potent MB: Melbourne Bitter) with our new friends and fellow day-trippers from New Zealand, and multiple sightings of humpback whales breaching and frolicking in the warm waters.

Daydream Island (August 9, 2008)

Are there wallabies on your island resort?

There are on mine. Today, Cara and I woke and began packing for our two-hour flight to the Whitsunday Islands on the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef. After checking into our Jetstar flight (Qantas’ version of Southwest Airlines), we breezed through security and headed to our gate. One note – when I say breeze through security, I mean breeze through. The Aussies must either have the best intelligence in the world or are taking their “no worries” philosophy too far -- not only do you not have to remove your shoes or limit yourself to 3 oz bottles of liquids (love it!) but they don’t check IDs either (love….uh wait, is that really such a hot idea?).

Our pilots managed to land our 737 on the rather short Hamilton Island runway, thankfully without going into the water. From there, we collected our bags the “old-school” way, on carts instead of conveyer belts, and boarded our ferry for the 45-minute ride to Daydream Island. For the entire ride, we were mesmerized by the absolutely beautiful color of the water – I finally understand where Crayola got the inspiration for the blue-green crayon.

After a brief stop at South Molle Island, we disembarked at Daydream and promptly checked out our cheese-tastic resort hotel, complete with a stingray and shark-infested lagoon out front, giant plastic tropical fish and disco balls hanging from the ceiling, and family bingo in the lobby bar (for a nominal fee, of course). Further exploration of the island, however, led us to our most surprising discovery – families of wallabies hanging out everywhere, including on the beach and by the pool. I wonder if they enjoy the swim-up bar as much as the other resort guests.

Before dinner, we attempted to walk to the other side of the island, which had tennis courts, shops, a café, a bar and miniature golf. We were stopped in our tracks, however, by the flocks of giant bats flying out of the island’s rainforest to partake in their daily, nocturnal activities. The worst part was the sounds that the bats made, a creepy, high-pitched screeching noise that would give even Batman the heebie-jeebies. Cara also says that it’s not pleasant when they pee on your head. She clearly speaks from experience, so I’m more than happy to have faith that she’s telling the truth.

We made our way back to the main resort in time for the night’s only dinner option, a $42-per-person Italian buffet that was probably the worst meal I’ve had in years. It takes special talent to screw up spaghetti bolognese, but our fine friends at Daydream seem to have risen up to the challenge. Cara and I agree to starve rather than eat at the buffet again and we head up to our room and sleep in preparation for tomorrow’s Great Barrier Reef excursion.

Sydney -- Manly, Sydney Harbor, The Rocks and the Opera House (August 8, 2008)

On my second full day in Sydney, I got on the bus and headed back to Circular Quay in order to take a ferry across the harbor to Manly. Built in the 1920s as a resort, Manly (click on the link for photos) is the first of many beach towns on the north coast of Sydney and home to expensive, beachside residences located in a laid back, beach-y neighborhood – think a less developed Santa Monica.

I took a walk down the town’s main strip, the Corso, filled with small shops and cafes, and walked to Manly Beach, a beautiful, tree-lined, white-sand beach with a long, rolling break that is perfect for surfing. As I continued along the ocean-side pathway for 15 minutes, I reached Shelly Beach, a small cove nestled into protected parkland that is pretty but does not live up to its “shelly” name.

After riding the slightly turbulent ferry back to Sydney, I walked around the CBD to get a feel for downtown life. It’s difficult to explain how amazing and vibrant Sydney actually is. As I’ve said, Sydney is oftentimes compared to Los Angeles, but I’d say Sydney is more a blend of the best elements of New York (sophistication and energy), San Francisco (hills, harbor and bridges) and Los Angeles (weather and sunshine). It is, without doubt, one of the most stunning cities I have ever seen – simply magnificent.

From downtown, I walked over to “The Rocks,” (click the link for photos) Sydney’s original settlement, literally built into the rocks (hence the name) at Sydney Cove in 1788. After coming close to being demolished in the 1960s, The Rocks has experienced a resurgence and is now a mix of pubs, clubs and stores all housed within beautiful, historic brick buildings. I met up for drinks with Cara and Cristian at Argyle, a former wool store that is now a very cool indoor-outdoor bar and changed into more appropriate attire for our night at the symphony.

We left Argyle and walked to the Sydney Opera House (click the link for photos), stopping for a quick dinner at Opera Bar (delicious roast chicken and potatoes) before heading into one of the Opera House’s five auditoriums for a program of Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky. The Tchaikovsky piece was fantastic – a juxtaposition of symphony orchestra with piano played by famed pianist Yefim Bronfman. Maybe it was the late hour or exhaustion after a long day, but Stravinsky’s Firebird, despite the sheer size of the orchestra, failed to hold our interest. We were, however, highly amused by conductor and current Music Director of the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, David Robertson, who took no less than THREE encores for EACH performance. So much for midwestern humility.

Following the performance, we drove back to Bondi Beach and sat on the couch to watch the always-esoteric opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. After laughing at the clearly lip-synced performance of the adorable Chinese girl (there’s no way that was her voice), Cara and Cristian passed out on the couch and I headed to my bedroom for some much-needed rest.

Aussie Television

Aussies – They’re Just like Us!

Unlike, say, Greek or German television shows (don’t even ask me to describe the latter – this is a PG-13 blog, after all), Australian TV is remarkably similar to television in the US, and in fact, many American shows make their way here, although sometimes multiple seasons behind their US run.

My first night in Melbourne, I caught a “new” episode of “American’s Next Top Model” from a cycle (the 1,000th or something – I’ve lost count by now) that regularly re-runs on MTV. Of course, there is also “Australia’s Next Top Model,” which according to the newspapers (and confirmed by Cara), is much less “urban” than the US version, with more modeling and less model drama. This, I’m sure, is due partly to the apparent lack of diversity in Australia. Cara said that they pluck their contestants from the Australian countryside, so the girls are very young (in their teens) and farm fresh. On the other land, the latest winner of the Australian version is actually now a top model working around the globe, which says a lot about the “real” goals of American “reality” TV.

You can also catch both the US and Australian versions of “So You Think You Can Dance,” Australia’s “Dancing with the Stars” with its requisite mix of former athletes and washed-up actors, and of course, that reality juggernaut, “Australian Idol.” Australia’s version of “Make Me a Supermodel” begins soon here, complete with US host Tyson Beckford but swapping Aussie and former Miss Universe Jennifer Hawkins for the wooden American Niki Taylor. Of course, since there are only about 20 million people in Australia, the contestant pickings are slim and, according to Cara, the results are oftentimes laughable, with only two or three of each show’s contestants being remotely talented.

Of course, the international TV trading route goes both ways. The US recently imported “Farmer Wants a Wife,” a show that has already had a couple of runs here in Australia and is set to film its third installment in early 2009. Apparently, it is quite popular and has already produced two marriages, which is more than the US can say about all its reality dating shows, combined.

That’s not to say that Australia doesn’t have its own, unique television shows. Most popular are the daily and weekly drama serials like, “Neighbors,” “All Saints,” “McLeod’s Daughters” and the very popular, “Home and Away,” which has apparently included just about every now-famous Aussie actor including Guy Pierce, Isla Fisher and Heath Ledger. Cara shared that these shows are like “really bad episodes of One Tree Hill,” and after having caught a thankfully-only-30-minute episode of “Neighbors,” I’d have to agree. I guess some things are better left on this side of the Pacific.

Sydney -- Taronga Zoo (August 7, 2008)

I woke up early this morning due to the fact that I couldn’t feel my nose I was so cold. It reminded me of when my heat was broken for a month in LA and I slept on my couch in the living room with two portable heaters keeping me warm. (These are not pleasant memories). My only respite was a hot, 20-minute shower that also managed to take the chill off the apartment, at least for a little while.

After getting cleaned up, I jumped on the Bondi Beach bus and took the 40-minute ride to Circular Quay (pronounced “key”) in Sydney Harbor. After a 15-minute ferry ride to the North end of the harbor, I disembarked at Taronga Zoo, which looks like a Thai rainforest on the edge of the ocean.

The Taronga Zoo (click the link for more photos) is filled with a wide variety of animals, including the requisite zebras, elephants and monkeys. However, the real showstoppers here are the creatures native to Australia, including Koala bears, kangaroos, dingoes, kookaburras and the elusive Tasmanian Devil. I immediately headed out to see the koalas and somehow lucked out, as these notoriously lazy animals (they are sloths, after all) were awake, eating, climbing trees and mugging for the cameras.

Next up was the reptile house, which was “guarded” by a Komodo Dragon, the largest reptile on Earth and occasional eater of humans. Inside the exhibit (and safely kept in glass houses) were some of the deadliest snakes on earth, including the Fierce snake, which doesn’t look “fierce” but has enough venom in one bite to kill 200,000 mice! (It turns out that 11 of the 15 deadliest snakes are native to Australia, and I was silently thankful that I wasn’t heading out into the “bush” anytime soon).

One of the cool things about the Taronga Zoo is that you can get up close to the animals. I got a chance to pet one of the elephants, and for a nominal fee ($20AU), you can feed the giraffes and take pictures with the koalas. In addition, the wallaby and platypus exhibit is open, meaning you inhabit the same space as they do. I didn’t see any platypuses but did come face to face with the wallabies, which are incredibly cute.

After a massive thunderstorm made its way through the area, leaving buckets of torrential rain in its midst, I made my way through the rest of the Australia section and happened upon the crocodile cage right at lunchtime. It was like feeding time in the reptile cage to the nth degree, as there was a giant bird in the mouth of the crocodile with blood dripping down on the floor. There was just one word for the experience – AWESOME!

I also came across a kookaburra, which ironically has a call that sounds exactly like a monkey, and the dingoes (“The dingo ate my baby!”). Last up was the Tasmanian Devil, another usually-nocturnal creature that happened to be running around, presumably just for me. The devil actually looks like a large, black-and-white hamster with red ears, and is kind of cute, that is until it goes crazy, bears its sharp and large white teeth, and starts screaming at you.

The zoo closed at 5:00 p.m., so I took the ferry back to the CBD and met up with Cara on the 36th floor of the Shangri-La hotel for a drink while watching the sun set over the Sydney Harbor Bridge. We then made our way to Surry Hills for drinks and dinner at the hip and happening Longrain, where I had a delicious (and, of course, expensive) Whiskey Sour and a grass-fed Thai Beef salad, which apparently is a very popular dish in Australia. My dinner impresses me once again and I realize that the Aussies really know how to eat well!