backpacker – Page 2

Australia Zoo and Koala Hold

March 8, 2017 by Alicia 2 Comments

We are having a chill day here in Brisbane. Actually, being truthful, most of our time in Brisbane has been pretty chill. We have found that we need some relaxing time every now and then and it’s nice to not spend too much money on activities. We walked through the city of Brisbane the other day after taking the free ferry down the river. It was nice to get out and see the city and window shop at the mall. We were supposed to go on an island tour today and spent nearly an hour chatting and booking it at a local backpackers travel store yesterday and then we got back to our room and got a text that it was cancelled due to the weather and high winds around that island today. So I headed back and used the credit to book another tour for later in the month somewhere else, but for now, we get to relax. Laundry day was yesterday and today I went for a swim and get some time to write and pack up my things again.

Anyway, our big activity while in Brisbane was taking the train up to the Australia Zoo on Monday morning. I got us a one day pass and the zoo is HUGE (100 acres) and so we wanted to get there right when they opened at 9am. The travel time is about 2 hours between the bus and train time from Brisbane as the zoo is located in the Sunshine Coast. That meant we left at 6:45 in the morning and arrived at the zoo around 8:45 and waited for the gates to open. We stayed at the zoo until 4:30 so it was a long day for sure, but I think we saw everything we wanted. I can’t say we saw EVERYTHING because that would take multiple visits as they have a lot of extras like different animal encounters and shows, but we covered the basics AND I got to hold a koala (an extra package I purchased).

At 9am the gates opened and we were let into the zoo. We came across tortoises, koalas and kangaroos to start.

australia zoo animals — I still can’t believe koalas sleep like that

You can actually buy kangaroo food and feed them. We didn’t as we have actually fed quite a few kangaroos along our journey, but we were able to get up close to them.

These water dragons were all over the zoo paths, watch your step (though they are pretty smart and move most of the time).

Koalas!! There were 3 separate areas where koalas were in the zoo. Two areas to view them and another area to walk through and see them in the trees and also give them a little pet. Petting the koalas is included in the zoo entrance price, but getting to hold one is extra. The zoo actually has over 60 koalas!! They had 11 baby koalas in the past year. I think they get quite a few koalas from people bringing them in to the hospital after being hit by a car. The Australia zoo has Northern Koalas (slightly different features from a Southern Koala) and they are currently vulnerable, which is above endangered. Habitat removable and being hit by cars are main concerns for the koala.

Koalas can have one baby a year. It only takes 35 days for the baby to develop but then they stick with the mom for a year and sit in the pouch for a few months like kangaroos.

So I have talked about wanting to hold a koala since my first visit to Australia back in 2011. Australia is separated into 7 states (including Tasmania) and each state varies a bit in their laws, just like the US. When I studied abroad in Australia, I was in New South Wales. New South Wales doesn’t allow you to hold a koala. I think Victoria also has the same law. Queensland is one of the states that does allow you to hold one, which is where Brisbane and the Sunshine Coast are. I was beyond excited not only to be at Australia Zoo Home of the Crocodile Hunter but also to hold a koala.

Meet Peanut, the 2 year old koala I got to hold.

He was very friendly and did not hurt me as the zoo animals are used to people and trained to be held. In the wild though, koalas are known to be territorial and more vicious. The only issue I had was being eaten alive by mosquitos at the zoo. I had no idea I would get bit so much in daylight and apparently one bit my arm and face during my koala hold period. The professional zoo photos actually had one that I could see the black spec on my face of a bug biting my cheek…which is why in our second hold where I got photos on my own camera, I have a slight red bump on my left cheek. I was annoyed by that in the photos, but still I was over the moon to be holding Peanut.

After my koala session, we checked out the bird and crocodile show and some of the crocodiles. There is even a crocodile school area where you can learn more about Steve Irwin’s passion for the animals.

andean condor australia zoo — Andean Condor, the largest flying bird

australia zoo crocodile show — look at that 14ft croc jump

Then it was time to eat lunch and then head over to the Asia part of the zoo, checking out the Tiger show, which is only run certain times of year based on the crowds. Did you know there are less than 4,000 tigers left in the world in the wild and they could be extinct by 2020?

After checking out the tigers, we headed to the far back of the zoo to see the Giraffes and Rhinos in the Africa section.

I loved how the Australia zoo has so much land so the animals really all have space. While the zoo is 100 acres, I felt like there were not a ton of animals squeezed into the space as some city zoos have. I think that is part of what makes this zoo special. Following Steve Irwin’s passion as well on conservation and education of animals, this is the reason the zoo provides so many animal encounters to teach you about the animals.

Lastly, we checked out the animal hospital. For a small donation, you can get a sneak peak of the animal hospital and see the current animals that are being cared for, as well as read about their animals of the week from previous years, etc. I was impressed watching some of their past animal rescues on the tv inside and seeing that you can give a snack stitches for example.

If you are in Brisbane or along the Sunshine Coast of Australia, I definitely recommend the Australia Zoo. I did feel like it was different than other zoos I have been to. I really enjoyed talking to the friendly staff and seeing all the animals. Of course the koalas were probably my favorite as I got to see some that were so active which is hard when they sleep 20 hours a day, but when you have over 60 in the zoo, there is bound to be 1 active.

What’s your favorite animal?

Uluru and The Climb

March 4, 2017 by Alicia Leave a Comment

One place that I wanted to go in Australia when I returned (after studying abroad in 2011) was Uluru. Our visit was just under 24 hours at Uluru due to time and needing to return our campervan. However, during the short visit, I was able to learn some of the meaning of Uluru to the aboriginals of Australia. I know there are many stories about the rock and its history, but as our guide told us “you learn when you are ready to learn.” Descendants of aboriginals work with the park and teach the guides the stories. They know when the person is ready to learn more and will invite them to join. I honestly felt like there was so much to take in at Uluru, but there was definitely not enough time. Uluru is a sacred rock to the aboriginals. In some ways, it reminded me about learning the stories of Hanuman in Yoga Training. While some I followed, others went completely over my head and again I think about how you need to be ready to learn something.

Back on the topic of Uluru, the aboriginals, specifically the Anangu people, lived in some of the caves of Uluru, surrounded by bushes that provided edible fruits and water holes around Uluru. Food, shelter and water. That’s all they needed. Plus, when you live in a desert and you find all that, you take advantage.

Uluru is a popular tourist attraction for sure. But why? Uluru is a unique sandstone rock out in the middle of a desert area. Uluru is a place where you can learn more about the indigenous culture of Australia and experience part of the outback. However, another reason for its popularity with tourists is to climb the rock. There isn’t really a staircase. It is quite a steep climb.

uluru the climb ayers rock — You can see the faint line of the climb

A climb that was taken by a leader of the aboriginals during ceremonies. For this reason and more, the Anangu prefer that we don’t climb Uluru. When we arrived, the messages about “the climb” were a little confusing; “please don’t climb Uluru,” “the climb is not prohibited.” It took me a minute to get that double negative. The aboriginals work with the park (part of the park fee is paid to them) and the agreement they have is to present the reason not to climb and let the people decide after reading it whether they still plan to climb. Apparently everyone used to try to climb, though it is quite dangerous and many have died, but now it is more like 20% of visitors. “The Climb” as I call it, is only open before 8am in the summer. Basically that means you have between 6-8am to climb, as the park opens between 5 and 6am. However, they do note the weather and winds and the climb was closed due to high winds the one morning we were there. It didn’t matter that the climb was closed when I was there, because I had no intention of climbing Uluru to begin with. Also, after seeing where “the climb” was, before even reading the reason not to climb, I didn’t want to attempt the steep climb. My reason for visiting Uluru, was purely just to see it. What I left with, was more knowledge about the area and its meaning to the indigenous people.

We viewed Uluru at sunset.

We took the free Mala walk around part of the rock in the morning before we left, to learn about the caves where the boys were taught and learn about the plants that grow in the desert area and more.

uluru boys cave — Uluru boys cave and drawings for teaching

We may not have been able to fit in a lot, but it was just really amazing to see Uluru in person and just how big it is. Oh and apparently that is less than a third of the rock that we see, most of it is underground.

I also can’t forget to point out the other “less famous” sandstone rocks in the park, Kata Tjuta dunes. We took a drive to them and stood around the base. The time of day we went was too hot to walk very far, but it was great to get a few photos.

What do you think about “the climb?”

New Zealand South Island

February 4, 2017 by Alicia Leave a Comment

After two weeks of traveling in a campervan on the south island of New Zealand and little to no internet most of the way (for me, Brian did get a phone plan that helped tremendously but the west coast really had little service). We are back in Christchurch for a couple nights and I spend a few hours catching up on uploading photos and figuring out just where the photos were taken along the journey. I think I am still processing just all the many places we saw in our 10 days on the road. I plan to put together a list of things to see on the South Island, but for now, I thought I would reflect on the journey a bit as I process everything.

Here is the journey we basically took:

First off, the south island of New Zealand is a beautiful place. The west coast mountains are spectacular. Then you get to the glaciers and you are like, wow. Oh and the waterfalls. Go to Milford Sound and you will see many many waterfalls. I lost count after we passed about 5. Also how do you count waterfalls, if one turns into 20 down the mountain?

milford sound tour south island new zealand — milford sound

I would say the challenges of the trip (besides the number of times I bumped my head on different parts of the campervan…) were the roads going up, down and all around. I get motion sick in cars with elevation and twisty curvy roads. The milford sound trip was bad for me but luckily we stopped in Te Anua, a small cute town I would love to spend a day in, and got some motion sickness meds. They helped for a short time for the twisy curvy roads, but elevation, not so much. Milford Sound is also basically boat tours and I get motion sick on boats too. We started with lunch and the food actually helped at first because I was so hungry and then I ate too much too fast and was kinda ehhh. It was rainy outside and towards the turn around part of the boat tour we hit rough waters. Luckily that was pretty short lived. I was distracted by talking to a French girl, her mother and another girl from China.

It wasn’t until a week into our 2 week trip that we went to Milford Sound and we did a bus trip so that we could have some social time with others traveling. Brian was also able to enjoy the ride (much more than me) and see all the waterfalls, etc.

truman beach south island new zealand — Truman Beach look out stop

After Milford Sound, we discovered that when I listen to podcasts, it really helps to distract my mind from the curves of the road. It was then that we downloaded some podcasts and started to listen to podcasts on our drives. It really helped to pass the time. Much of the west coast, you don’t get a phone signal or anything. You also only get radio stations for maybe 5 minutes as you pass through a town. Podcasts were a great solution and now we are learning some “hardcore history” as that is the title of the podcast. Every so often I tune it out and just glance out the window at the scenery. I’m not sure how much I am getting out of the history podcasts, but it’s better than nothing and there is no test like school.

We made our way up the west coast, stopping by lookouts and doing quick 15 minute walks through the forest area when possible. The great thing about New Zealand is there is nothing that can kill you in the forest so it is quite safe. So much of the west coast you can point out where the land was originally settled on and then where the land remains untouched. My photos certainly don’t do the mountains justice.

While driving through New Zealand, you will see a lot of sheep. There are approximately 10 sheep for every 1 human in New Zealand. Somehow the sheep haven’t figured out how to take over yet lol. The sheep have plenty of land so I guess they are happy. Then there are cows and some red deer that are farmed.

The weather while we are here has been strange according to New Zealanders. I mean it is supposed to be summer since they are opposite of the US. Usually summer means about 30 degrees C (86 degrees F), however, we have been lucky if it hits above 20 C (around 68 F). Jeans and a sweatshirt were my typical outfit or a rain jacket, because it also rained about every other morning off and on. Then the sun would come out at 5pm…it has been interesting. New Zealanders are not happy that their summer weather has been so awful. However I can’t complain too much because it is still warmer than home at the moment.

fox glacier south island new zealand — Fox Glacier in the background

A bonus part of camping (for me) was just being able to see so many stars. One night towards the end of our journey, we stayed at a campsite off the road that overlooked some mountains and from our back window we could look up and see the stars. Due to the summer hours of daylight, it has been light from around 6:30am to 9pm and sometimes I don’t make it long enough for it to be dark enough to see the stars, but WOW is all I can say. That’s the city girl in me because I certainly don’t see that many stars at home. Brian however grew up in upper NY and could see a lot of stars and still laughs at how amazed I get at seeing stars.

New Zealand also has so many clear waters. They apparently have enough fresh water to last at least another 150 years. Most of the water from a tap (unless otherwise stated) is safe to drink. It is so comforting to know that and New Zealand is so fortunate. At the same time, they are also quite water conscious especially at campsites.

Most campsites we had a shower available, some you had to pay and we would skip a night, but otherwise not too bad. I did wash my hair with only conditioner for a week because that’s all I had. My hair actually got less frizzy and the curls really started to show. Definitely not terrible. This trip has definitely shown us how we can live with less stuff and I hope I continue to keep that in mind not only when traveling but also when I return home.

I think I will end my little ramble there and start to work on some sites to visit as I know you are planning your campervan trip to New Zealand now right?!

Do you like to camp?

Have you ever been to New Zealand?

The First Month of Travels: MIMM #102

January 30, 2017 by Alicia 2 Comments

A few days ago marked 1 month that I have been out of the country. What an adventure this first month has been so far! We have seen so much and it is still just the beginning really. Everything has pretty much been planned on the fly, so we ended up staying in Sydney for 2 weeks (check out my top things for Sydney). I think Brian really enjoyed it, as did I. It was nice to be back in a familiar city for me and we somewhat had a routine since we stayed in the same apartment for 12 days.

first month Sydney giraffe taronga zoo — Feeding Giraffes at Taronga Zoo Sydney

We then decided to head to New Zealand for 3 weeks. At first we thought the visitor visa was only 1 month and we figured 3 weeks was enough. We spent basically a full day planning the flights as you have to have your return flight in order to go there. We figured 1 week on the North island and 2 weeks on the South and I think that has worked out really well. Also, turns out the visitor visa is good for 3 months, in case anyone plans to travel to New Zealand, you can spend more time. Though we have about 5 days left of our New Zealand adventures, I think the amount of time we spent here worked out well. There are plenty of things (adventures) to do, but very expensive. Most of our South island adventures have been free walks at stopping points along the main road we are on. There is definitely a benefit to having a campervan and planning on the fly as to where you are staying. Some days, we make it 50km and other days we drive 200km, depending on the amount of stops.

queenstown travel first month — view near Queenstown NZ

Towards the end of our South Island adventures, we have been becoming more social with others who are traveling. It helps when the camp sites have something like a hot tub for use and suddenly you strike up a conversation with others. It is interesting to learn where people have been traveling from, how long they plan to travel and at what point in their journey they are. Sometimes we learn other places to go. Actually, just talking to some locals, we learn of some not so tourist spots to stop at and since our schedule is flexible, sometimes we can fit in the stops.

thunder creek falls — Thunder Creek Falls

I have to say this first month hasn’t been cheap at all! Australia and New Zealand are both expensive, which I knew, but there are some things that we were spending money on in the beginning that we have stopped, like getting a coffee or buying certain items at the grocery store that are more like treats and not necessary. The other thing is we haven’t stayed in any hostels, but we might try some when we head back to Australia as it is fun to chat with others around our age who are also traveling for months. I don’t really like sharing a room, but it may help us save on costs as well.

So what’s next? Well next week we are headed to Melbourne and exploring there and up to Alice Springs. We haven’t worked on the details on if we are renting a car, taking a bus tour and how many days. We should probably get on that soon…

dancer eglinton valley — dancer pose in Eglinton Valley NZ

We are also thinking of looking for a farm job of some sort along the way. I don’t know exactly when that will come into play, but it would be nice to have a bit more of routine for a month or something and earn a bit of money.

So far, enjoying the travels for as long as we can make it work!!

Thanks Katie for the link up

Have you ever been backpacking?

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