My Days Down Under

For the first 3 weeks of November in 2008, we were fortunate enough to visit New Zealand and Sydney, Australia.

New Zealander's must be very proud of themselves for keeping this place such a secret. Perhaps it is protected by it's distance from the U.S. but it definitely isn't the first place that would come to most Americans' minds if I were to start talking about fantastic mountains, long hikes, glaciers, very impressive rain forests, and incredible fjords. Jake has always put a priority on going here, and I have always put a priority on seeing glow worms. I never knew that this is where they are. That's why we chose New Zealand, over Australia to accompany our visit to the Sydney area to see friends.

As we read about New Zealand, about the many outdoor activities, the wildlife, and the natural landscape, we both became pretty excited. But nothing really prepared us for just how awesome this place is. And what's really fabulous is that, while the location, flora, and fauna my be far flung and exotic, thanks to colonialism, the culture mostly isn't. Don't get me wrong, the Maori add a distinctive island flare, but the culture is British, with a frontier attitude. In fact, New Zealand is reminiscent of the U.S. in some ways, strongly British, or European in others.

Take for instance the small towns, with most businesses set up along a single main street. Comfortably American, with little of the European architectural flair, or confused backstreets and alley ways. However, on that street sits a Cafe, where you can get precooked items ready to go, especially deserts, and meat pies. Yet there at the counter sits an older farmer, indistinguishable in his worn overalls and muddy boots with a bit of middle aged paunch, from his American Counterpart. If nations like England and Germany are our ancestors, New Zealand feels much like a cousin, or perhaps a long lost sibling.

I also visited Sydney. And, while I visit much of New Zealand in the two short weeks I was there, and do feel I got a fair representation of the entire country, my visit to Australia falls far short. My visit was more or less limited to the Sydney area, and it would be no more fair for me to make judgement on the concept of what the country is like, than is would be for an Australian to do having visited only New York City. We are both large countries, and varied. Still having seen Sydney, and spent a good deal of time at various wildlife centers, whale watching, clubs, a dog race, and a fair amount of time riding trains, I will say this: It compares well with other cities of its size. It is fairly clean, and has a safe feeling. It has a few entertaining street performers in the touristy spots, and quit a few people. It has a new and shiny feel to it, perhaps thanks to the recent Olympic games, and ironically, the next closest city I can think of is Atlanta, GA. Perhaps because I have also spent a fair amount of time in aquariums and on trains in that city as well.

Stick around and I'll update you on what makes both New Zealand and Sydney worth visiting.