Rekha's Musings

I am thinking I am the chosen one – I have holidays and I have holidays! With hubby, it’s always been 5 star, with my sons, it’s 7 star and when I go on my own, well, the stars are shining in the sky!! Newer skies, new climes not visited before!
This time the target- Australia & NZ; two countries placed on the very edge of the earth; with a unique geography and an incredible history! Enough to arouse our wanderlust all over again.
The three founding members of the team (Wad, Medha and yours truly) were joined by two second timers (Ashok and Reema) and two new comers, Ravi and Pooja; the only couple on the tour.
Six months of meticulous planning, hours of research on the net, a bit of help from friends and compelling advice from Heidi our guide, did the trick for a memorable and glitch-free trip.

New Zealand or Aotearoa - Land of the Long white cloud (Maori).
God made the earth, then he wanted to make something beautiful! He pulled up the two tiny islands he had earlier submerged under the sea and gave it his all! What we got is New Zealand – 100% Pure - every inch a stunning spectacle – rolling hills, jagged peaks, verdant valleys, pristine lakes, winding rivers, active volcanoes , rain forests and palm fringed beaches along an all-engulfing seashore!
Top it up with a climate to match- abundant rain and ample sun to keep the vibrancy and you have nothing short of paradise.
The youngest country blessed to receive the first rays of the sun! Balanced on two tectonic plates, (the Australian and Pacific plates) ensures it is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanoes.
The history of New Zealand dates back 700 years when it was discovered by Kupe a Polynesian explorer. The Polynesian settlers were brave, aggressive warriors and developed a distinct “Maori” culture.
They managed to defeat Abel Tasman, the first European (Dutch) explorer to land in the South island 1642. He named the islands Nova Zeelandia.
A hundred years later in 1769-70 James Cook won over the Maoris with gifts, promises and some guile; in lieu of which the Englishmen usurped their lands and developed their own settlements. Cook anglicized the name to New Zealand.
With white population growing, lawlessness grew and the British crown under Queen Victoria decided to bring NZ into the Empire. In 1840 the Treaty of Waitangi was signed with around 500 Māori chiefs. The Maoris gave up their lands in return for law and order and equal rights– on paper. In actuality most Māori tribes were cheated and became disgruntled and impoverished.
The treaty was again reopened in 1890 and a more just version put in place. From the 1950s Māori began moving to the cities and a plan for their integration into the mainstream was initiated by the NZ Govt. In 1907 NZ changed from a ‘Colony’ to Statehood. However The “Queen” remains the titular head.
Today, NZ has combined small rural town friendliness with excellent service-fine restaurants, varied shopping and wide range of accommodation making it an outstanding tourist destination.
Nature and outdoor activities; extreme sports are its USP; not museums and art galleries like Europe. Aptly, every tourist is covered under an Insurance scheme the moment he sets foot in the country!
Its people too, as a race are as kindly as their country. Low key, well bred, well mannered, soft spoken; so unlike their Aussie brethren!
NZ has a number of Youth hostels like YHA, Base, Backpackers in every small town! An attractive option for budget/group travellers like us; they offer Real Value for Money. Add to it a friendly, informal ambience, clean, spacious guest kitchens, lounges where you meet like-minded travellers of all ages from students to pensioners from all over the globe!
Excellent opportunity to make friends, exchange emails and invites, especially from the fairer sex. Right Wad? I know Wad has collected quite a few! Chitra, are you reading?
Youngsters out to explore remote regions & cultures; some have saved enough from their first jobs; some work along the way; some enroll for NGO work in the poorest of countries like Ethiopia!
With a Map,Travellers Guide and a Translator in hand, these youngsters travel for months, even years, alone or with boy/girl friends. Cute to watch boys tossing up a salad or pasta or just buttering their toast; doing the dishes, neatly putting them away before walking out with their backpacks!

SOUTH ISLAND
CHRISTCHURCH(CC)
NZ is made up of two islands-North island and South island. We landed in CC in the South. CC- the city of gardens. Unfortunately, reeling from the effects of a massive quake, the beautiful city was closed to tourists. So after a few winks at the Jail House Youth Hostel (Yes, it’s a jail converted into a hostel; speaks volumes for the country; jails elsewhere are overflowing!) we boarded the world famous Trans-Alpine Scenic Train from CC on the east coast to Greymouth on the West coast.
The first section of its journey, the train passes thru 750,000 hectares of fertile farmlands. Lush green fields of turnips and cattle feed. The train then winds its way thru massive bridges, spectacular gorges and river valleys before negotiating the country’s greatest mountain range, the Southern Alps.
Starting at Arthur’s Pass, the highest railway station in the Southern Alps, we maneuver thru the Otira tunnel into a dark descent to the lush west coast. While most railway tunnels are level, the 8.5 Km long Otira tunnel has a gradient of 1:33 ie a rise in height of 1 meter for every run of 33 meters. Work started in 1908 from both ends and it was 10 years before the workers from both ends met. To their great credit and skill, they were only 1” out as far as level and less than 1” out on alignment!
We then descend thru lush beech forests to the Tasman sea and the sleepy town of Greymouth.

HOKITIKA
Greig, the Magic Bus driver cum guide cum entertainer took over at Greymouth. We drove South to Hokitika, a town famous for its Greenstone or Jade. Another rare gem unique to this region is Ruby Rock. Real ruby and sapphire crystals in an emerald green mother rock. Rarer than diamond.
Gold was also discovered in the 1860s which brought many Europeans here. At boom time Hokitika had a population of 25000 and over 100 pubs. Today’s population 3000. In fact we passed thru many towns whose population today is less than even 5000 people; some have 1200 people, some 200! Unimaginable!
Gold had no use for the Maoris but jade was used for making tools, weapons and adornments. Lovely jewelry was displayed in the shop windows. How could we resist?
FRANZ JOSEF & FOX GLACIER
Further South is Westland National Park with numerous lakes, dense forests, some of the highest peaks of the Southern Alps. Mt Cook-a NZ icon, is the highest peak at 3764 m.
40% of the area of the Alps is covered in glacial ice. There are more than 140 glaciers, but only two, Fox and Franz Josef flow down to the lower reaches of the mountains into the rainforests.
(A glacier is a large body of ice. It forms in regions where the snowfall exceeds the amount of melting snow. Over centuries the snow compacts and turns to ice. 99% of glacial ice is contained in the polar regions. Glacial ice is the largest reservoir of fresh water on earth-my research!)
I was keen to go glacier hiking but a twisted ankle came in the way!

LAKE MATHESON
Our next stop. Also known as the Mirror Lake; it reflects the gorgeous views of the Southern Alps. There were lovely scenic trails along the lake and we decided to take a walk and Pooja made sure we never forget the walk!
Midway she decided she was fed up with us(?) and decided to follow another tour group. When we returned to the bus, no Pooja! Ravi panicked as she had all the cash! We went for her in all possible directions – minutes ticked by 20, 25. 30 ...... Greig was getting restless, fortunately the other passengers were patient. Finally an athletic Australian, Robert, decided to sprint all the way back to the lake. Sure enough he found her walking back- she regretted her decision and decided to return.
That was the worst nightmare we could have had on the trip! Oh, there were some more in store, but we shall come to that later!
We then drove via the Haast Paas, skirting two huge lakes - Hawea and Wanaka,and arrived at Kawarau Bridge. Built 42 m above the Kawarau river, it is the world’s first commercial bungy site. One of our brave friends on the bus-Gustav was taking the plunge; and we were all excited! An amazing sport born here and made popular round the globe by A J Hackett.

QUEENSTOWN
We head into Queenstown, Adventure capital of NZ. This is one place where you can throw yourself off things, out of things, over things and down things!
Extreme sports like Bungy jumping, sky diving, heli hiking, jet boating, rafting, canyon swinging, horse trekking and not so taxing like trekking, kayaking, zorbing, hot air ballooning, parasailing, snorkeling, swimming......are all there for a price!
The YHA surprised us by upgrading us to an Apartment! A lovely 2-bed place with huge drawing-dining and kitchen for the women! The 3 men got their usual 4 bed- dorm!

MILFORD SOUND
Known as The Eighth Wonder of the World, a day trip from Queenstown took us to Milford Sound in the Fiordland National Park which is made up of 1.2 million hectares (1 hectare = 10000 sq. meters) of glacial lakes, valleys and magnificent fiords.
On the way we learnt that Milford is actually not a Sound, it is a Fiord! Fiords are created by glacial action while Sounds are drowned river valleys-my research! To us they both looked as spectacular! Reminded us of our amazing trip to the Fjords of Norway three years ago!
The M V Sinbad, took us deep into the open sea. The mountains rising dramatically on either side showering amazing waterfalls with arcs of rainbow dancing on the surface of the water!

DUNEDIN
Dunedin is called the Edinburg of the South because of its Victorian culture and architecture of which the Dunedin Rly Station is an excellent example. Founded by migrants from Scotland, its name Dunedin is the old Gaelic word for Edinburg. It is home to the University of Otago bursting with more than 25000 students.
Walking around the “Octagon”, as the City Center is shaped and called, our eyes fell on ‘Bombay House’. It was tea time and (imaginary) aromas of samosas and wadas wafted before us. We entered, placed our orders and waited expectantly; but what appeared was a Kiwi-ised version. The tea was authentic masala chai! Thank God!
So much for some Indian fare! While on the subject I must tell you, our diet on the tour was more or less fixed; morning tea (3 cups) was a must, breakfast/brunch comprised assorted sandwiches and coffee-the white flat or the long black (Kiwi codes for coffee); late noon snack was muffins and hot chocolate. Ginger biscuits and bagful of pears and apples were fillers in between!
Dinner had to be our staple – rice! Cooked in-house - our favorite pilaf with heaps of veggies, blobs of butter and whatever spices we could lay our hands on. Accompanied with a pail of yoghurt and chips; a pot of hot soup spiked with garam masala and breads of various grains made for a sumptuous meal at the end of the day!
Cooking was team effort; I appointed myself The Chef while ‘the couple’ were the expert choppers. Medha was Asst. chef and ‘I-can’t-even-make-tea’-Rema became Soup expert at tour-end!
Wad can now wash a plate and bowl! Chitra will thank us! Ashok pitched into whatever role was required of him.
Our stock of smuggled foods - methi-parathas, MTR sabjis and snacks exhausted pretty quickly. We had managed to smuggle in a lot of food; despite warnings; as both countries are very strict in this regard. I guess, Luck favors the brave!
Forgot to mention the glass of wine before dinner! Wad ensured there was a new flavor every evening! Even Medha gave up cribbing; she could not stop us so she decided to join us!
Dunedin also boasts of the steepest street in the world; Baldwin Street, with an average slope of 1:5 that is, for every 5 meters travelled horizontally, the elevation rises by 1 meter. Its maximum gradient is 1:2.86 (19° or 35%). So next morning saw all of us test our stamina; no probs!

DUNEDIN to LAKE TEKAPO.
En route we stopped at Moeraki to marvel at hundreds of huge, round boulders strewn along the beach like giant turtle eggs. These rocks are said to have formed 65 million years ago by a layering process similar to that which forms pearls in oysters- my research!
We also raided a Framers’ Market which showcased a variety of home grown organic fruits, veggies along with homemade breads, cheeses, chocolates. Displaying logos like “From farm gate to dinner plate”. We picked up loads of pears, apples and cherries; not to forget huge cones piled with scoop on scoop of icecream with imaginative names like Hokey pokey.

AORAKI, MT. COOK
We drove thru Mt. Cook National Park, home to NZ’s highest mountains and largest glaciers. Glaciers cover 40% of the park’s area. But the views of the great peaks eluded us as they were covered in mist.
Mt. Cook, aka Aoraki (Maori name meaning Cloud Piercer) at 3754m, is NZ’s highest mountain and Sir Edmund Hillary is NZ’s tallest Mountaineer!. He trained in these mountains before he climbed Mt. Everest (along with Norgay Tenzing) in 1953; the first person to scale the peak.
Early evening we reached Lake Tekapo, a gorgeous destination. The YHA is located right on the shores of the lake. The views were fantastic. Spent the evening strolling along the lake shore along with flocks of geese.

KAIKOURA
Our next destination was Kaikoura, a town where the mountain meets the sea. The market had kiosks selling Crayfish dinners (Kaikoura translates to Meal of crayfish) but we were not enterprising enough! Whale watching is a popular activity here. If you go into the deep you can spot giant sperm whales that grow upto 20 m in length and 50 tons in weight.
We were happy watching the fur seals lying around the rocks and sands. Blobs of blubber, they look pretty ugly and uninspiring on land. (Medha even refused to look in their direction!). But in the water, they are something else-graceful and agile swimmers. The babies especially are real cute; playful and acrobatic!

INTERISLANDER
Today we cross the Cook Strait from the South to the North Island in the “Interislander “, a lovely luxury vessel! The 3- hour cruise was smooth though it can often be rough and stormy because of the strong winds and gales that pass thru the strait. The boat had comfortable lounges, restaurants and decks to take in the scenery or just relax. Even movie theatres!

NORTH ISLAND
North island is where the treaty of Waitingi was signed in 1840. Cape Reinga is the northern most tip of the nation where the Pacific ocean and Tasman sea collide and merge.
The tiny town of Kawakawa is famed for its designer public loos. Its curved shapes and bright colored tiles are classic; designed by Hundertwasser-an Austrian born architect and ecologist who lived here - without electricity!
BTW, the Magic Bus are very thoughtful when it comes to tourists needs! Every two hours there are “bathroom stops” and these are free! And “food stops” too. So we were never pressured! Unlike in Scandinavia where each visit to the loo costed nothing less than 2 kroner!
NZ being an island country, remained isolated; with its very unique flora and fauna. Even to this day, there is not a single snake in this entire country. Years ago NZ was bird country. There were no mammals here. The birds had no fear of predators and forgot how to fly. There are many species of non-flying birds found here.
The British, however, were hunters and were disappointed that there were plentiful forests but no game. They imported pigs, deer, hare and many more species of mammals. These animals, soon multiplied beyond all counts and the abundant forests were being eaten away very quickly! Even today there are 80 million possums and they eat away 7 million tons of vegetation every year. (In neighboring Australia the same Possums are on the endangered list! Greig joked that they should be sending some over!)
The government had to step in to stop this threat to the environment and many measures to cull these animals were put in place. From dropping poisoned carrots from a plane to hiring hunters to kill them! Very controversial!
Then was born one of NZ’s major businesses-export of meats! Sheep and Cattle farming, dairy farming was developed. There are single holdings of farms as large as 300 acres with 3500 head of cattle. Watching the sheep grazing away in the ample, lush farms made Rema exclaim “I’d love to be born a sheep in NZ in my next janam”! “Well, Rema,” you must be told-“once you reach your optimum weight in 6 months you will find yourself at the abattoir”!
Another major industry is export of timber. NZ soil is young, volcanic, fertile and loose; easy for plants to take root and grow. Every 30 years Pine is harvested for export and an equal number replanted. If not, the land is converted to farmland.
Its top money spinner of course is Tourism and the effort and organization that they have put into it is remarkable. Extreme care has gone into protecting and developing their natural habitats. Their native forests are ever green and do not shed leaves during winter; so trees were imported from Europe to give tourists the blazing reds and golden browns of the fall!
Its people have acted wisely too; growth has been in harmony with the natural resources, limiting industrialisation.
No huge expressways, but roads are excellent. Driving etiquette is amazing. The word “Overtaking” does not exist. You can “Pass” a vehicle only after it stops or slows down and gives you the go-ahead! And they drive on the right side too!
This is what I saw one day. There were two pilot cars escorting an extra-wide truck loaded with cargo, to warn the motorists! In all our 15 days we saw only 2 police cars drive by in silence (as opposed to one blaring past every few minutes in US)!

WELLINGTON
Officially the coolest Capital city in the world; due to the high winds blowing across the Cook strait! As we disembarked from the Interislander, we were greeted by towering, green hills with attractive houses perched on the slopes.
Just 2 Km in diameter, Wellington is truly a walking city! But it was rainy and we had tons of baggage, so we hired a maxicab. On the way we stopped to admire the Beehive-shaped Parliament House. It was late so we couldn’t go inside nor could we see much of the city. Although it is said Wellington has more cafes, restaurants and bars per capita than NY- my research!

TONGARIRO NATIONAL PARK
Our bus then took us thru the only official desert The Rangipo desert which has been immortalised by the shooting of The Lord of the Rings. Its barren landscapes as also the stunning views of the Tongariro, Ngauruhoe, Ruapehu peaks make for a never-miss photo op. Just as Greig was narrating stories of how The Desert Road can get inaccessible in inclement weather, the clouds descended on us, huge drops were unleashed from the sky! The temperature dropped to sub-zero and we got a mix of rain, snow and sleet coming at us.
“Enjoy the NZ Summer” announced Greig as he stopped to give us a Photo-op! (April is still officially Summer!) Also an opportunity for the men to pose with their Dutch girl friends, Rochella and Monique.

TAUPO REGION
Lake taupo is the largest fresh water lake in NZ. Bigger than Singapore, it was created by a huge volcanic eruption. The most recent eruption was in 180 AD and was so mighty the sky turned red in Rome and China.
We walked down to the Huka (foam in Maori) falls, throwing over 2 lac litres of water every second! The waters of the Waikato river crash down 11 meters into the Huka falls. A footbridge right on top of the falls gets you close enough to get the spray in your face. Though not as huge as the Iceland waterfall!
Waikato is the longest river in NZ (425 Km) and 8 dams have been built on this river. 80% of NZ’s electricity comes from hydro-electric sources, 10% from geo-thermal and 10% from wind.
A walk around The Craters of the Moon, a geo thermal park spewing hot sulphur fumes, boiling mud pools surrounded by black rock. Just like the moon! Here we were met by a white woman who instantly greeted us with a namaste. I replied with Kia Ora which is the Maori greeting. “Oh” she said, I don’t speak that language!” crinkling up her pretty nose! Shocking, shows the divide that still exists between the Maoris and the whites after all these years!

ROTORUA
Known as Whakarewarewa in Maori lingo, Rotorua too is famous for its thermal spas, and geysers; not unlike the geysirs of iceland. These act like a safety valve that reduces the threats to NZ from harsh geological activity-to some extent.
Many Maori communities live here. We spent an evening at Te Puia – a park which gives tourists the experience of Maori life, their haka(performance)and hangi(meal).

WAITOMO CAVES
A day trip to the Waitomo Caves was worth our while. The caves are an ancient (30 million years) web of limestone caves decorated with stalactite an
d stalagmite formations. That’s not all. The ceiling is studded with thousands of lights from native NZ glow worms.
My ever-suspicious mates were sure these were no worms, but tiny bulbs lit up to fool the tourist! They mistook the ‘glow worm’ for the ‘fire flies’ that are found back home. Fire flies glow on and off, but glow worms shed a steady light; my research! So my friends, please note, nobody was fooling you! They are two different creatures.

AUCKLAND
Known as the city of sails because of its beautiful harbors, Auckland is one of the few cities that have two harbors; one on its Pacific Coast and one on the Tasman coast. Of the country’s 4.5 million population, 1.3 million (30%) lives here. The harbor views are breathtaking from the top of the Auckland Tower.
We were invited by Wad’s nephew-had a sumptuous pav-bhaji & biryani dinner.
Our last day in NZ! We had wonderful weather thru out and were thoroughly bowled over by this charming country and its people!
Next morning we reached the airport for our flight to Sydney. And we were in for a rude shock, our second mishap of the trip! It seems Ashok’s passport had got a bit soiled in the damp NZ weather and the top page had opened out. The immigration authorities refused to let him thru.
We were in a bind, no amount of pleading, explaining helped. So the poor guy had to go back while we left for Sydney. Fortunately Wad’s nephew Prasanna put him up as the embassy was closed for Easter. Getting the passport repaired was a minute’s job but it took a week of Ashok’s holiday. That was sad but we were glad he rejoined us in Cairns.
Then there were smaller casualties like suitcases, backpacks, shoes that decided to give way one after the other. But we had our man for all seasons! He played Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Sailor all rolled in one! Sewing Wad’s backpack, sticking Rema’s cracked suitcase, repairing Pooja’s shoes, Ravi took care of every casualty! Of course he was a great help thru the trip, except when he tried to play “God”! Then he had to be given a telling and who better than big sis to do the honors?
Onwards to Australia!

The two island nations “down under” were always on our radar. Held an almost mystical image! Hence when we set foot on this magical soil it was a dream come true! Just as it was for James Cook!
Travelling is not just about visiting beautiful places, it is also a huge learning. Standing right in the middle of it all and experiencing firsthand the native habitat, flora & fauna as also the history and the many stories associated with each location! And both Australia and NZ have plenty of stories to tell!
Starting with the story of Capt. James Cook who discovered NZ, he also discovered Australia. In the employ of the British Navy, he sailed the Pacific ocean for 12 years, mapped the entire NZ coastline and then reached the Australian continent in 1770. He seized both the territories for the British Crown.
By then Britain had lost the United States, and needed a new colony for the convicts in her overcrowded prisons. Australia came in handy. On 26th Jan 1788 a fleet of 11 ships and about 1350 prisoners landed in Sydney (the date now celebrated as Australia Day, but regarded as "Invasion Day" by some Aboriginal people and supporters). Today about 80% of Australians can trace their antecedents to a convict!
The huge island country was a free-for-all! Many Englishmen and other Europeans followed and occupied land without authority and became a powerful land-owning class.
MELBOURNE.
Australia unlike NZ, is a vast country and distances are huge. Their “hotel-trains” are excellent with showers well stocked with toiletries, towels, etc and restaurants on board. We were keen to do at least one leg by train but time was a constraint. Flights were the best option!
We landed in Melbourne with a lot of apprehension. Aussies are very strict about bringing in food. Announcements to the effect “Declare or Beware”, “Dog squads employed” etc. pierced our ears as we walked towards customs! We were carrying at least 4 Kg. of foodstuff per head! And sure enough a crazy canine came sniffing towards me and my backpack. A cop smiled sweetly “Can we open your bag?” I opened my bag and took out my sweater and windcheater. There was nothing else. “Oh, you probably carried fruits in the bag recently” she said, making excuses for her dog!
To our delight, the customs officials were very co-operative; they cleared all our food including the methi theplas!
Melbourne is a quiet city, unlike aamchi mumbai where you have to jostle your way thru crowds of humanity! Meeting old friends was top priority for me. Anil Dhir came over and brought us a sumptuous breakfast prepared by his wife Sunita! We were meeting after 35 years. Saddened to hear that his wife was going thru a tough time health wise. Wish her a speedy recovery.
That evening we took the Philip island tour to watch the Penguin Parade. Seated on podiums on the beach, we saw an amazing vision after sunset! Clusters of tiny, white winged creatures funnily waddling across the beach to their burrows in the sand dunes - thousands of wild ‘Little Penguins’ (the world’s smallest penguin)! Early each morning they go off to sea, spend the day swimming and looking for food. They return, again under cover of darkness for fear of predators. Amazing swimming birds!
We were setting eyes on these creatures for the first time and was it a thrilling sight! I even twisted my foot trying to get a close view and had to limp the rest of the trip!
Next day a tour of The Great Ocean Road - a spectacular drive with Gary, a super guide, who made the trip very special with his entertaining stories and some very good food on the way.
The Great Ocean Road was built by 3000 returned soldiers from WWII, as a war memorial for fellow soldiers killed in World War I. Construction was done by hand; using explosives, pick and shovel, wheel barrows, and some small machinery. It provided work and a means of livelihood for the ex -servicemen.
The road hugs the 425 Km Melbourne coast and is dotted by a number of expensive houses along the way. A delicious lunch of fish and chips and we proceeded to Port Campbell to view the scenic rock formations of London Bridge, Loc Ard Gorge and Twelve Apostles.
A story is attached to each structure, which makes the experience more interesting!
The first halt was at the London Bridge. And Gary tells of how one of the arches of the Bridge collapsed unexpectedly in 1990, leaving a honey-mooning couple stranded on the far side. They had to be rescued by helicopter!
The Loc Ard Gorge has a more interesting story! Gary just loved narrating it! In June 1878 the Loc Ard, which is a ship, was approaching the end of a three-month journey from England to Melbourne. It unfortunately ran aground at this site with only two survivors. One was Tom Pearce, an apprentice, and second, Eva Carmichael, a passenger, both 18 years old. A very meaningful look from Gary! In fact, Pearce rescued Eva after hearing her cries for help; so the story goes!
Gary of course added his own masala to the rescue operation and threw it open to his tourists to debate the end of this “love” story. “They fell in love and got married” hoped everybody. But the “Lady” was no Hindi heroine. She did not give poor Tom another look! She went off to marry a wealthy gentleman. So Sad!
However two rock pillars have since been officially named Tom and Eva – for tourism purposes!
Our tour culminated in a chopper ride over The Twelve Apostles -a touristy name-for there never were 12 apostles, only 9 to begin with and now there are only 8 apostles. (One got washed away).
The pink stacks of limestone rock standing in the ocean with the waves lashing against them, form a pretty picture! And the view from the helicopter was just superb!
On the way, Gary took us for a walk among the stands of eucalyptus trees where we met the lovable koalas; most were fast asleep in a tight embrace with the eucalyptus branches.
The Koala, a marsupial (pouched mammal) like the kangaroo and wallaby, is native only to Australia. It is not a bear, but was mistaken for one by the English-speaking settlers because of its resemblance to one; hence they referred to it as Koala bear!
A baby koala, as also a baby kangaroo and wallaby are called a joey. At birth, the joey is only as big as a thumbnail. It crawls into the mother’s pouch and attaches itself to one of the teats. It grows quickly in the pouch where it stays for up to one or two years; sometimes more!
The koala feeds almost entirely on eucalyptus leaves, it sleeps for about 16 to 18 hours a day. It eats an average of 500 g of leaves each day. So much for koalas and my research!
SYDNEY
Sydney is one of the most multi cultural, multi lingual cities. People from more than 180 nations speaking 140 languages live here according to the City Guide. A city built by convicts!
I loved the city, got the feel of South Mumbai - similar buildings and cosmopolitan crowd!
We walked around the beautiful Darling Harbor which was all dressed up for the Easter Holidays. Bands playing, Magicians, Acrobats, all having a field day; entertaining the thronging crowds! After a week of celebrating Easter, came Anzac(Australian and New Zealand Army Corps) Day, when both countries pay tribute to their soldiers. Another holiday! At least in one respect, the Australians are like us!
A ferry across the picturesque Sydney harbor and a sky safari (ropeway) took us to the top of the Taronga zoo. The zoo built on a hill slope, is home to a wide variety of native birds and animals-from penguins to the roos, from crocs to lizards and of course snakes! While NZ does not have a single snake, Australia possesses 80% of the world’s deadliest species of reptiles!
The Opera House, another Sydney icon. Unfortunately, we could not do the interior tour as it was closed for Easter. Its unique architecture is the outcome of a worldwide competition after which a Denmark architect - Jorn Utzon’s design was selected from 220 entries.
The Sydney Harbor bridge too is a marvel and has an amazing story. Before it officially opened in 1932, its strength was tested by placing 96 steam engines on top of the bridge. Luckily it passed the test for had it failed, half of NSW’s trains would have been lost!
The Battle of Sydney is another shocking story! Recounted by none other than our non-stop jabbering guide, Peter. One of the fiercest battles fought in Australia was not between enemy armies, but between the allies-the American troops stationed in Sydney and the Australian army!
The American troops were much better paid, hence succeeded in luring all the women for themselves. Warnings and threats from the Australian soldiers did not change the scenario. The local soldiers were at their wit’s end. Finally, they attacked the American soldiers and fought one of the fiercest battles of WWII!
Next day was a rainy day and we decided to take a break. Chance to catch up on the laundry and check out the Mall next door. The Indian restaurants were mouthwatering. We had a proper Indian lunch of nans, parathas, chole, and raita!
There were enough non-Indians devouring the desi fare! In fact, the goras and goris loved the aromas of our cooking! Our pilafs and veggies received appreciative sniffs and glances from all those who were in the YHA kitchen! And when we passed around the extra food, it was lapped up in a jiffy! Everybody loved it! We invited Wad’s friends, the two Dutch girls, Monique and Rochella to dinner one evening. We had cooked our usual fare! They started rather hesitantly, but then went on helping after helping! When Monique found the pilaf slightly pungent, we suggested she have it with yoghurt. And did she love this novel way of eating yoghurt-with rice!
THE GREAT AUSTRALIAN OUTBACK
The tour of the Red Centre was the Highlight of our trip! Never happy with doing just the touristy things, we had to ‘do something different and unique’. Aditi had described Mt. Uluru and Rakesh had spoken about the Great Australian Outback. And the bug had been planted! The net provided enough info - described as ‘high intensity’ and ‘tough’, the tour seemed daunting. But the more I read about it, the more alluring it became. We had to do it! And so we added 5 days, and Aus. $ 1000 to our budget! In the end it was worth every penny!
Unique desert region, created thru 4 billion years, inhabited by aboriginal tribes-the earliest of human species! Then came Criminals, British soldiers and settlers! They usurped the land from the 200 Aboriginal tribes that lived there for thousands of years, and made it their own. Till this day the aboriginals have not forgiven the white man for decimating them!
The flight from Sydney brought us to Alice Springs, situated in the very heart of the desert, the center of the continent; amidst Aboriginal territories. Nearly a half of the land here is owned by the aboriginals (returned to them only in 1980!) and permits are required to enter. The tribes protect and maintain these sites by holding ceremonies, singing songs, etc. They are jointly working with govt. officials to preserve and develop their arts and culture.
Today the aboriginal population here is a meager 130! They keep away from the whites as there is no trust; and you see them roaming the streets aimlessly. They have no possessions, no work; they live on alms- which they fritter away on alcohol and drugs. Disenchantment with the white men and distrust is so entrenched in their psyche that they are unable to forgive or forget! They have a few sympathizers among the whites, but overall there is too much anger!
An aboriginal, accosted us in a Red Centre restaurant! He came up to us and “Welcomed” us to “His Land”. “You need not fear us, you are our brothers and sisters. This is our land and you are most welcome here!” he said offering us the two beers he had got for breakfast. This feeling of their lands having been wrongfully taken away from them by the white man is deep-seated and hurtful as well!
The Royal Flying Doctors, is a unique medical services facility formed specially to provide medical services to the people who live in these difficult and distant terrains of the outback.
Cooper, our guide-cum-driver-cum-cook on the Rock Tour, had lived in one of their “communities” for two years. Normally they do not allow such mingling! Cooper also mentioned of how a govt. effort to educate aboriginal children went horribly wrong. The children were taken away from their families to be put in distant settlements. But the initiative was handled so badly, most of the children died on the way! A whole generation of aboriginals was lost and is referred to as “The Stolen Generation”.
This happened about 50 years ago and has remained a black mark in the British crown! The difficult task of integration still eludes the Australian government! Some anthropologists now want the tribes preserved as is (for studies), as they say, they are one of the oldest specimens of the human race etc.-In short make them guinea pigs?
The outback was not only a change of scenery; from lush rain forests to dry desert bush but also a total climatic change. The hot desert sun made the air dry and harsh. “Bring along plenty of water, sunscreen and sun-hat” repeated Mark Cooper, our guide for three days and nights of adventure!
Day 1 was the toughest – climbing King’s Canyon (the Australian Grand Canyon.), one of the famous red rock formations of the Red Center.
It was a tough climb up, and then a walk around the rim taking in the breath taking sights of the sandstone ravine. And then a climb down into the exotic Garden of Eden, an oasis in the desert. We did it with a little hand and a lot of encouragement from Cooper.
It was late as we drove into the camp site. Having never gone camping we were curious to know what was in store. No electricity, no showers, no water supply, only a couple of makeshift toilets! But a roaring camp fire, all 20 of us pitched in to cook dinner over the coals – was exciting! And there was more in store! Dinner done, Cooper handed us our swags and sleeping bags and in we went in a circle around the fire. And as the cold descended, a million Southern stars ascended in all their glory! For Mumbaikars this was like another planet! I could actually see a white band of hazy brightness in the sky! Could it be the Milky Way? But tired we were and in the engulfing silence, sleep came easy!
Day 2 took us to Kata Tjuta (Many Heads) a sacred site for the Aboriginals. Enormous rounded peaks weathered thru millions of years; there are 36 domes that resemble heads. The climb was not as tough as King’s Canyon, but not easy either, especially in the desert heat. Another test of strength! But today Cooper was good! He took us to a luxurious campsite-hot showers, plenty toilets, drinking water, everything!
After dinner Cooper dragged us to a ‘Beer and Tipple’ game. “Drink a swig of beer and topple the mug over the table’s edge.” After a while there were enough cans to stack for a game of ninepins! Then another night under the stars!
Bush camping, sleeping bags, were a first time for us! And Ravi was a great help preparing the swags for us and rolling them up in the morning!
Day 3 was reserved for the most important Rock, Mt. Uluru. Held sacred by the Anangu tribe; the world’s most famous monolith is 348 m tall. And at least 2/3rd of the rock lies beneath the earth’s surface. The sight of this one huge red rock is indeed awe inspiring! Couldn’t get my eyes off it! The evening saw the rock turn from crimson red to chocolate brown as the sun dipped below the horizon. Again before day break we were there to catch a glimpse of the changing hues of the rock at sunrise!
All three red rock formations are beautiful, but Uluru possesses a special power. It is mesmerizing and one can understand why the Anangu hold it so sacred! The girth of 9.4 Km. is adorned with ancient paintings by the Anangu, and designs made on the rock face by the natural elements!
We had attempted the difficult but we came out with flying colors! Having completed the Rock Tour, we were relaxing in The Ayers Rock (another name for Mt. Uluru) YHA that evening. After a hot shower and a much needed glass of wine there was a sense of achievement of doing at 60 what we could not do at 16!


CAIRNS
In Cairns we were pucca tourists! Cairns is a 100% tourist town, fit for vacationing all year round! Aka The sunshine coast!
Heidi had booked us a spacious Apartment in Bohemia Resorts-for a change! YHAs tend to be a bit claustrophobic, after 20 days! She had also organized the Cairns tours for us. She came over to meet us the first evening. I had interacted with her so much over the last 4 months; we had to meet! “I have dealt with many Indian groups but never was it such smooth sailing” she said. A very warm person, she was happy with the little memento we had carried for her and everybody got a warm hug!
Cairns is the hub for the tourist destinations around it. It’s a neat town full of resorts and hotels. The City Center has a huge lagoon; children and parents alike jumped in and out having a good time. There were also parks with children’s play equipment and enough gym equipment for health conscious tourists. And all for free, sorry, gratis! “Free” was a banned word; especially Wad was forbidden from using it!
No doubt, with the exchange rate of the Australian $ @ Rs. 47; we Indians are always on the back foot! Wad had this knack of spotting bargains at the unlikeliest of places! ‘Hey,pastries, one for one free; let’s buy’ or ‘Let’s come again after 5 pm-snacks free with drinks’! Naturally, bargains are always welcome but let’s not overdo it and do you have to shout out from the roof tops?
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF
Day 1 was a visit to the Great (Biggest); Barrier (Breaks the waves); Reef (Labyrinth of marine life); one of the chief attractions that brought us to Australia! This is a national park with unique species of marine life. It extends all along the 2300 km NE coast of Australia and covers an area equal to the size of UK.
It is the only living organ that can be seen from outer space! The WildCat Cruises took us to Green island- a part of the reef. We enjoyed walking thru the unique plants growing on this tiny island and watching the tourists on the sun washed beaches!
A ride in the Glass Bottom Boat and the Semi Submersible took us into the ocean and gave us a closer view of the incredible sea life - Colorful fish, turtles, clams, starfish, anemonies, sponges on a bed of beautiful corals!
We even got adventurous - we tried our hand at snorkeling, and went parasailing. It was fun, we were quite happy with ourselves!

KURANDA SCENIC RAILWAY
Day 2 was a ride on The Kuranda Scenic Railway. An engineering marvel considering it was built 125 years ago! The 150 Km long line has 15 hand carved tunnels and bridges. 2 million tons of earth was moved by hand during its construction. And there was plenty of excitement on the way!
Starting at Cairns, the train winds its way thru the dense rainforest-covered hills up to Kuranda Rly. Station. The twists and turns as the tracks negotiate their way up the hill-sides is a feast for the eyes!
Especially the 180˚ Horse Shoe bend is sheer genius. From our window we could see the first half of the train curl itself over the iron lattice work of the Stonycreek bridge!
Then came the Barron falls, as the Barron river drops 265 m to add to the beauty of the railway. And the train passes so close, you actually get the spray in your face!
Once atop, you arrive in the quaint little town of Kuranda. Lunch was organised amidst a show of Aboriginal martial arts and Dances. The playing of the Didgerido – a massive bamboo flute, 10 times bigger than a normal flute, the Boomerang throw and Whip Lashing – integral part of Ranch life! Followed by a delicious buffet lunch and some shopping for memorabilia.
The next item on the agenda was a drive thru the Rain forests in the Armyduck (an amphibian vehicle used by the army to transport supplies and soldiers during WWII); so we could drive over the dry areas and sail over the streams!
CAPE TRIBULATION
Next day took us to Cape Tribulation. It was given its name by Capt. James Cook whose ship hit a reef here and all his troubles began! There is also Mt. Misery here! Maybe brought more misery for Cook! But for us, the 75 km drive from Cairns to the cape was beautiful!
There were sugarcane farms on both sides! And Peter narrated his stories like fairy tales. Peter himself was like a character out of a story book! Extremely knowledgeable, witty, with the Gift of the Gab, he was a trained chemist. He came to the Cane growing region to work in the Sugar factories. After exactly one day in the lab, he left to become a Tourist guide. And was he born for it!
Very critical of his Govt, he spoke non-stop thru out the journey giving us stories and insights into every aspect of the land; from forest trees, native animals and peoples cultures!
Cape Tribulation is located within the The Daintree Rainforest, the oldest surviving tropical rainforest in the world- more than 135 million years old!
Dense forests, extreme rainfall, sparse population; (101 people in 2006 census); and difficult terrain! Just right for the hippies who in the 1970s, found it a delightfully lawless place where they could run around naked and grow and smoke marijuana. Peter did point out to a Nude Beach on the way but refrained from stopping!
We reached a point where the mighty Daintree river flows into the ocean forming an estuary where we saw the estuarine crocodiles resting on the shores!
We also spotted tree snakes, plenty water birds, but the pythons were elusive. With the river and ocean coming together, you have the Mangroves alongside the Rainforest. (Mangroves are trees that survive on salt water as opposed to other forests that need fresh water.)
PORT DOUGLAS
Another town on the way, the history of Port Douglas is right out of a movie! And Peter loved talking about it! This is how it goes:
It was boom time when gold was found here and Port Douglas became the main port for gold mining. Tourism flourished along the Four Mile Beach and a wealthy businessman Christopher Skase built 5-star Resorts and developed the town into a Paradise. Among his extravagances, he imported palm trees from the gulf to line the promenades!
He made Port Douglas into a dream location fit for the rich and famous! We drove thru the streets and peeked at the fancy homes of Royalty and Film stars alike! In fact, in September 2001, the Clintons were on holiday here, when the 9/11 attacks happened.
Peter even spotted Indian film stars for the benefit of the ‘Magnificient Seven’ Indians on board! Must mention that we attracted a lot of attention in both these cricketing nations. Having just won the World Cup, we were somewhat well-regarded!
The anti-climax to the Port Douglas story: Christopher Skase later became Australia’s most wanted fugitive. His business empire crashed spectacularly and he fled to Spain. He was never caught and died in Spain in 2001.
Off the coast, Peter also pointed out the Twin Islands which are the most expensive Holiday destination in the world! “The cost of Aus $ 35,000 per room per night; only lodge, not even breakfast is included” asserted Peter. “If anyone‘s interested I’d be delighted to book you in” he offered. Silence.
Another event connected to this place is the death of "The Crocodile Hunter", Steve Irwin . Steve was a wildlife expert and conservationist. Ironically, Irwin was filming a documentary called “The Ocean's Deadliest” off Port Douglas. He was snorkeling directly above the stingray when it lashed at him with its tail, embedding its poisonous barb in his chest. Irwin died almost immediately.

BRISBANE
After the hectic tours that Heidi had planned for us in Cairns, we decided to take it easy in Brisbane. We had a lovely apartment here too; Mandar had arranged it ! He had also taken a keen interest in our trip and was of immense help. So meeting up with him was the important agenda for Brisbane; as also meeting Bertha, my classmate.
That’s just what we did! Invited Mandar and wife Anjali for a beer and snacks evening and Bertha came the next evening.
She entertained the group with her stories and experiences; being a teacher in the city for the past 30 years! The culture shock that the Indian kids faced and how the poor guys got bullied by the towering local lads who gave them nametags like ‘Curry’ and ‘Pappadoms’! But she was quick to spot the bullies and encouraged the Indian boys to retort with the likes of ‘Sizzling Sausage’!
Was nice meeting her and her son, who is doing great as a pharmacist. Both her children are married and she is living alone and going thru a bad phase health-wise. She said something very significant – “as long as you are young, these places are for you! But come old age and ill-health and it can get miserable!” She’s spent her entire life here, but after retirement she says, for days together she doesn’t meet a soul! That’s when she misses home!
GOLD COAST
Our final destination - t’was truly a gold coast. Never saw such silky golden sand before! Spent the day collecting shells and walking along the beach! A paradise for holiday makers! We had a relaxing day before leaving for home!
KUALA LUMPUR
Air Asia (our low cost airline) had its hub in KL. An excellent airline (we were a bit skeptical wondering how far the cost cutting would go); but all the aircraft were in excellent condition; the pilots were top notch – smooth soft landings and on-dot take offs! What more does one want? Only couldn’t fathom their love for eggplant! There was eggplant pasta, eggplant pilaf and eggplant in every dish served! Guess, eggplant is low cost food!
HOME SWEET HOME
Being together 24x7 for 36 days can make even the best of friends nervy! Sure enough, all our plans to meet up soon went out the window on landing!
Let’s just stay home with the home folks! How long this resolution will last is anyone’s guess!