The Australia-New Zealand-Western Canada Tour: Part 1

It's been a long time since I've posted to the blog. To be fair, Zach and I did a lot of travelling in New Zealand and Canada and I haven't had time to make updates. We've been home for about a month though, and I think it's time to get back into the swing of things.

In the upcoming weeks I'll blog about some of our more memorable experiences and I'll post pictures of our favourite adventures. Thankfully, Zach and I kept a journal of everything we did (up until we got on the train in Vancouver, I think) so this will make blogging a little bit easier. Tonight, I'll write about the trip to Sydney, Australia.

Zach arrived in New Plymouth on 9 March. Our reunion was long-awaited but we felt like no time had passed just minutes after his arrival. We spent the week touring little New Plymouth and he got to know my friends. The weekend of the 13th was spent in Pukekura Park watching the many different concerts and performances of WOMAD, an annual concert celebrating world music, art, and dance.

On the 15th we flew to Sydney where we met my mom and visited with my aunt and uncle. We enjoyed the scorching temperatures, ferries, and the metropolis of Sydney. We visited the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Australian Museum, the zoo, went to a few bars, toured the Botanic Gardens, and viewed the famous Opera House. The best memory we have of Sydney is the ferries. They are a great way to see the city and, on a beautiful, sunny afternoon, are a peaceful way to cool off.

We also spent a lot of time on the beaches of Sydney, including the famed Bondi Beach (there was even a shark warning while we were there!). I really enjoyed Shark Beach because it was small and its changerooms, built in the 1920s, were reminiscent of an older time.

One of the biggest sports in Australia is Rugby League, different from the rugby played here in Canada and a little more gritty. Zach and I attended a match between Russel Crowe's South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Parramatta Eels. It was truly an experience and by the end of the game we both wanted Rabbitohs jerseys! I can't remember who won (I think the Eels) but it was a truly Australian experience.

One of the reasons we were lucky enough to go to Sydney was that my aunt and uncle live there. Their house is in Vaucluse, on the South Head of the Sydney harbour, and had gorgeous views of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the Sydney skyline. We spent many late nights drinking wine and chatting in their perfectly positioned sitting room.

Up next, New Zealand North Island tour.