Easter is a big holiday in Australia. Kids get a week or two off school and everyone else gets a 4 day weekend (and hot cross buns take over cafes menues for the preceding month). The 4-day weekend is important, because no other holiday here receives such a designation (they obviously don’t celebrate Independence Day or Thanksgiving). We took advantage by renting a campervan and driving down the south coast, stopping and camping at little beaches along the way. Our favorites were Congo Point, which had a 4 mile long beach perfect for barefoot running and a shallow break great for body surfing. And Pebble Beach, with wildlife that you couldn’t make up in the movies: kangaroos and giant goanna lizards mingling on the bluffs, colorful parrots swooping from tree to tree, and at one point, we looked up from our beach chairs to see 15-20 dolphins within 50 meters from the beach. It was one of those experiences that knocks you over the head and reminds you you’re not in Kansas anymore.
After 4 days on the coast we turned inland and drove into the mountains of Kosciuszko National Park. While their “mountain” classification would be a stretch by Colorado standards, they nevertheless offered cool autumn air and beautiful scenery. Also notable is that Mt Kosciuszko is the tallest in Australia, and therefore one of the seven summits of the world (tallest mountains on each continent). So of course i had to run up and tag the summit while Kristin went for a nice run/hike lower on the mountain. A campfire that night provided a wonderful ending to our first road trip in Australia.
18 April 2009 at 9:19 pm
kind of like the mountains here in michigan? boyne ‘mountain’?
18 April 2009 at 9:29 pm
pictures look great – you can see it is getting cooler there! glad to here you guys are having fun! yesterday i went to ‘babies with beer.’ this is where a bunch of mommies (sometimes daddies come too) and their kiddies take over the neighborhood pub and drink beer in the sunshine. mommies drink beer and the kiddos cover the sidewalk with pictures!
18 April 2009 at 11:32 pm
Just seeing dolphins swim is a moving experience … maybe because they’re mammals, I don’t know, but thanks for sharing!
9 May 2009 at 5:41 am
Does that lizard just look big because of the shot, or is it really big? I also wonder why they call it a “Man Climbing” lizard?
Parrots in Australia, I wouldn’t have guessed! Kristin, it looks like it was cold swimming.
Nice expansive view on that running trail – I would like that. The woodland paths I run on around here, make me feel enclosed, it would be nice to find open pastures or hills.
Nice road trip story!
26 June 2009 at 1:51 am
this is the best travelogue I’ve ever seen – thanks for the best website ever.