2025 – Australia

Our Australia adventure started out with three happy surprises: access to the American Airlines lounge in Austin, an upgrade to Business Class (just to LA, alas), and

Inauspicious start to our trip. I tripped over my suitcase and hit the floor before we even cleared Customs. First stop – dropped our luggage

Great private car tour across the Harbor Bridge, thru North Sydney and all the way out to Bondi Beach. Trip lived up to its “Hidden Gems” moniker

Fun and filling foodie tour of Sydney – fish, calamari, oysters, Chinese dumplings, meat pie with mashed potatoes and mushy peas, famous watermelon

Full day spent in the beautiful Blue Mountains outside of Sydney on a private tour. First stop was the Featherdale Wildlife Park, a great zoo

Took the ubiquitous Green and Yellow Ferry to Manly Beach a ways across Sydney Harbor. Walked along Manly to Shelley Beach so named because it’s made of shells. Beers and soft drinks at a beach restaurant then gelato and Asian food for lunch on the Corso. Ferry back to Circular Quay then another ferry to…

Took a history tour of our hotel which used to be the General Post Office. Wandered the Queen Victoria building, well restored and now a

First stop of the day: Mawson’s Huts Replica Museum. It’s a fascinating recreation of the huts used in Antarctica by Douglas Mawson & his

Full day on an organized tour starting with a drive through a beautiful valley along the Derwent river passing berry and hops farms.

Well organized tour to North and South Bruny islands. Bus to ferry to North Bruny Island. Stop at Truganini Lookout and Rookery on the neck between North and South Bruny. 235 steps to top for views or boardwalk to beach. Drive to Adventure Bay on South Island and arrive at Pennucott Wilderness Journeys facility. We…