Grounded due to Covid, we can still plan for dream trips to look forward to in 2021 and/or 2022. Australia is one of those dreamy getaways on many bucket lists so sharing my memories of my first trip to Australia, when I pointed to page 10 of the Qantas vacation planning booklet at the travel agency and said “I want to do this”.

I got into an argument with Australian customs over a banana which was seen as a dangerous import.  I was exhausted from two days of travel, delayed flights, missed connection and now was transiting through Sydney from Hong Kong on my way to Perth.  I picked up the banana in the business class lounge in Hong Kong and saved it to eat for breakfast but unfortunately Australia is an island and they are very protective of what can come into the country.  Now many years later with the covid 19 outbreak they are limiting not only what comes into the country but who comes into the country.  Sadly it won’t be me (or likely you) anytime soon as Australia has closed their borders to overseas visitors.  They are allowing Australian residents back into the country, subject to a very restrictive 14 day hotel quarantine, and plan on a travel bubble with neighboring country, New Zealand.  Qantas updated its international schedule and doesn’t plan to resume until March 2021 at the earliest, of course, subject to change.

I’ve been fortunate to visit Australia a few times so far in my travels.  It’s an amazing country that is as large as the United States except less populated in the middle with folks along the coastlines. The flight from Sydney without my breakfast banana to Perth was just about five hours or the same flying time as Philadelphia to Los Angeles.  People don’t realize that this island, this country, the continent is quite massive.

My First Trip to Sydney, Australia

My first trip to Sydney was in the early nineties, back when young people we met thought I lived like the kids in the popular high school soap opera Beverly Hills 90210 (I wish!).  At the time, I was a few years out of college, working a full time job plus waitressing on weekends while living at home to pay student loans.  My high school bestie and I came up with the idea to travel to Australia in May.  I have no clue how that came about but suspect it was my idea and I needed a travel buddy (years before I became a solo traveler). We walked into a travel agency, waited for the next agent, picked up the Qantas brochure from the wall of colorful marketing materials, opened to page x and pointed saying “we want to do this package”.  With that, the agent, who had never left Philadelphia, went about typing a whole string of codes, numbers and information into the early days of a computer terminal.  She would then need to call the US office for Qantas Vacations to finish the booking and wait for fax confirmation.  We made our payment by check and were told to return on y date for our documentation, tickets and vouchers.

This was my second international trip (the first being to London over Thanksgiving in college).  Our parents each drove us to the airport to begin the journey from Philadelphia to Los Angeles where we would change terminals to board the international Qantas flight to Sydney. I remember we had to collect our checked bags and then board a bus to the international terminal.  We had enough time but it all felt like part of the amazing race as we were filled with joy and anticipation at the thought of Australia.

Lucky for us, we boarded a plane which wasn’t quite full (May is off-season) so my friend could move from the middle seat to the aisle for the very long 15+ hour flight. My friend wasn’t interested in moving to the empty row across the aisle so the space to spread out was limited.  I remember there were four movies showing in the small TV hanging from the ceiling. We didn’t know any better so this coach experience with all the food and movies was fabulous.

When we arrived in Sydney in the morning we quickly found our shuttle service and gave one of the first voucher to the driver on the way to the Darling Harbor hotel (the hotel is still there decades later after many names).  Jetlag didn’t hit me much as I tried to stay awake and keep my friend awake.  Sadly she crashed as soon as she saw the bed (which led to two plus days of awful jetlag for her) while I was left to wander the harbor to get acquainted with the new surroundings. Of course, I had to investigate all the nooks and crannies of the hotel, the harbor and boat option to Circular Quay (main ferry terminal and location of the Opera House).

The next morning we boarded the boat to take us to Circular Quay for our Captain Cook sightseeing cruise (tourist boat and another voucher in our booklet) and I remember turning the corner and seeing both the Sydney Harbour bridge and the Sydney Opera House in front of me.  Seeing the Opera House really hit me that I was in Australia.  This was my anchor and on each subsequent visit, I make time to take a boat tour, usually the Manly Beach ferry

We would have a quick visit by today’s standards – a 10 day trip to Australia which included 5 days in Sydney and 3 days in Cairns (Great Barrier Reef).  The other two days were in transit.  I was young and didn’t know better. Its a masssive trip that needs a minimum of two weeks (or more if you can) from the U.S. If redeeming points, Sydney is a popular destination during high season summer (December – February) so book early.

On that first trip, we toured the Opera House to learn of the fascinating construction, materials and sound differences in each venue within.  We also attended a ballet performance for a bit of culture. We wandered The Rocks and visited art galleries.  We were twenty somethings exploring the city and easily thrilled by the animal park and our encounters with the kangaroos and koalas.  Learning the koalas were not so friendly was a surprise as they have been branded cute and cuddly.  But imagine sleeping all day and being awakened and pulled off the tree to pose for a photo with tourists.  You’d get your claws out too and not be happy.  The kangaroos on the other hand were in a petting zoo environment and more open to visitors.

The day tour (another coupon in our tour booklet) started in the Blue Mountains, a World Heritage destination about two hours drive from Sydney.  We would see the three sisters’ rock formation.  The natural beauty was stunning and looking back I’m not sure I appreciated it as much as I should have. Years ago with the fires raging the area, I looked back at cherished photos to “remember when…”

My First Visit to Cairns (Great Barrier Reef)

After the quick tour of Sydney highlights (harbor tour, Manly Beach, mountains and animals), we flew to Cairns, a city best known for the  The Great Barrier Reef.  The small town, at the time, reminded me of a few small towns out west with a handful of cafés, restaurants and bars rolled up into one city block.  We had two vouchers left before our whirlwind Australia visit would end.  The Kuranda railway experience (tourist train) showed us more of the gorgeous landscape of ravins, waterfalls and many tunnels and bridges within the World Heritage Barron Gorge National Park.  After the train ride, we had lunch in town (where we met the other twenty something Aussie girls who asked if our lives in America was like 90210) before the day ended touring a butterfly sanctuary.  We didn’t balk at being tourists or doing “touristy” things – we were excited to learn more about the country in these bite sizes nuggets.

Our last voucher would turn out to be a fun (and funny) highlight from the trip.  We boarded the sightseeing boat to go out to the reef.  It was very choppy on that sunny fall day in May.  I’ll leave it to you to imagine a boat full of tourists, rough seas and barf bags.  Arriving for our submarine type view of the reef, I was ok, my friend not so much.  It was then that she said “I can’t take that trip back and suggested we sign up for the helicopter tour back”.  Not sure about your 20’s but if like me, you didn’t quite budget “helicopter” money into your travels (of course, I do now).  It didn’t hurt that the pilot and other staff member were good looking Australian men (think Hemsworth brothers twenty years earlier).  So of course, I handed over my American Express card to pay for us both and that’s how we got to see the amazing Great Barrier Reef from above on our first helicopter ride.

Two girls from rowhouses in Northeast Philly flying over The Great Barrier Reef in a helicopter was something we never dreamed of. It was so far away from our reality that we were giddy.  We were able to bypass the bumpy boat ride back and save a good amount of time.  The guys suggested drinks in town (sadly both had girlfriends/wives)  as they were keen to learn more about the “girls from Philadelphia”.  Simple pre-cellphone fun just laughing over shared stories (no coupon needed for spontaneity).  Our coupon booklet was now empty and our first trip to Australia complete.

First Trip to Australia from the U.S. – Final Thoughts

I sent a bunch of postcards that would arrive home weeks after I did.  I also sent a one page cover sheet fax  to my friends at work (the fax was newer technology at the time).  My boss kept that fax for a while pinned on the wall of his cube. Australia was such a faraway place at the time.   That’s how Australia was seen back then –  as something so unique, so far away that you had to keep it in your mind, pinned to your cube and on your dream bucket list. We’ve come a long way since then thanks to the branding and marketing of the country by Visit Australia but to Americans it’s still a dream trip far, far away.

Little did I know back then how much I would be enthralled by the country, its people and stunning beauty.  I remember coming home and looking up “how to emigrate to Australia to work”.  It was a young person’s dream at the time but one quickly dashed when my dad, who was afraid to fly even three hours to Disney World said, “I’ll never visit you”.  And with that one sentence, my moving to Australia was quashed and the door closed to that dream. I’ve since aged out of the emigration system.  That said, I do encourage folks to study abroad in Australia, to take a gap year to travel/volunteer there and if they are keen to get their work visa to give it a go.

Looking Forward – Australia Trip

Since that first trip, I’ve met and worked with a few Australians including my good friend Roma from Sydney now living in London (check our her travel blog Roaming Required for weekend/short break options from London). I’ve adopted words, phrases and pronunciations that allow me to show off with a bit of street cred (saying Melbourne (Mel-bin) is always a winner!)

So while I’m sad that I can’t visit Australia for a while, I look forward to the day when I can board that boat, turn the corner and saying “hi” to the Sydney Opera House like I did so many years ago. For now, enjoy this “With Love from Aus” video to plan your wanderlust.