Page 16 - AAA Central Penn – AAA Now! – November/December 2015

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From the Outback to the Glaciers: The Lands Down Under are Another World
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Edited with additional content by Craig Haberle, CTC
“The trip of a lifetime” is a phrase freely used,
but few travel destinations actually fully live up to such a boastful description. However, there are
two countries, often paired when visited, that always “wow” travelers from around the world and can honestly make a claim on the aforementioned title. Australia and New Zealand are these duo-destinations and a tour from the former’s Outback to the latter’s glaciers can provide picture- perfect examples of some of life’s most wow-worthy experiences in travel.
Savvy travelers will say if you have a chance to visit Australia and New Zealand don’t wait to go, don’t delay the rewards of this South Pacific vacation. They will also tell you to try to do as much as you can while you are there on the opposite side of
the globe. Yes, from your home in the Northern Hemisphere to the Southern Hemisphere, it is a long flight, but well worth the time. Think of it this way: when you are not napping, those quiet spells on
the plane give you a chance to read a novel ("The Thorn Birds" anyone?) and guidebooks about your destinations or watch the complete "The Lord of the Rings" trilogy of movies, filmed in New Zealand. While you are there in The Lands Down Under, be sure to indulge in numerous once-in-a-lifetime activities, some of which are described here.
Known as one of the Seven Wonders of the Natural World, the Great Barrier Reef is Earth’s largest living organism. Here you find over 2,800 individual coral reef systems, which are home to amazingly diverse marine life. Accessed from Australia’s coastal town of Cairns via a high-speed catamaran, your base to explore the reef is Green Island, where there are many ways to explore this aquatic wonderland. A glass bottom boat ride can take you out to sea and allows you to feel almost as if you were swimming with the fish, whose bright colors look remarkable as individuals and schools swim, feed and dart about in the turquoise waters. If you desire, go ahead, jump in the inviting water to snorkel – there is no better way to experience the reef!
A surreal event is awaiting you at sunset in the Outback of central Australia. Here you can sit back, sip champagne and watch the colors dramatically change in the wide open sky and on the giant monolith known locally as “Uluru.” Named Ayers Rock by English settlers, the native cultures attribute many values to this massive sandstone rock formation that stands tall and broad and nearly alone in a vast desert landscape. Have your camera on the ready to capture the beautifully distinctive
red of Uluru in contrast to the fiery skies of sunset in the Outback.
While traveling
throughout New Zealand
and Australia, be sure to visit
distinguished Christchurch,
pretty Queenstown,
magnificent Mount Cook,
spectacular Milford Sound,
remote Alice Springs,
cosmopolitan Melbourne
and wildly popular Sydney.
No trip Down Under is complete without viewing the iconic Sydney Opera House. This exquisite multi-purpose performance venue sits at the edge of Sydney Harbor and is an imaginative design suggesting wind-filled sails of yachts and clipper ships. Tour the venue's unique interior with an expert at your side and view its exterior beauty on a delightful dinner cruise on the scenic harbor.
When in New Zealand, include a journey through the Southern Alps’ snowcapped peaks, plunging waterfalls and rugged river gorges that surround the mountain passes leading to the famous Franz Josef Glacier. Here, in the heart of Glacier Country near the west coast of New Zealand’s South Island, also is Fox Glacier, fed by four alpine glaciers. From the mountains’ high altitudes, these dynamic rivers of ice unexpectedly extend through lush temperate rainforests and nearly reach the sea. Helicopter flights from nearby lakeside villages can provide snowfield landings so you can walk right on the surface of the glaciers. During the flight you see glacial icefalls, crevasses and
all-encompassing vistas from the Southern Alps to the Tasman Sea.
As you might expect, the native wildlife in Australia
and New Zealand is quite an attraction with many unique species. Visit Sydney’s Koala Park for an up-close and personal opportunity to learn about
the different types of wildlife native to the Land Down Under. Here, you can walk amongst kangaroos, wallabies, indigenous birds, dingoes and other fascinating creatures. In the koala habitat you can take your
picture with a koala! Not far from Melbourne lies Phillip Island, home to a renowned nature reserve with the world’s largest colony of Little Penguins. Known locally as Fairy Penguins, they are protected and studied by rangers. You may witness an unforgettable sight when, each evening, hundreds of these seabirds waddle, as if on parade, out of the surf and across the beach to their burrows in the dunes. While in Christchurch, watch a skilled New Zealand sheep-herding dog at work in a captivating demonstration of training and determination. Watch carefully for the kiwi, a native flightless bird that is both the namesake of New Zealanders and
a symbol of their country comprised of two main islands, where sheep far outnumber humans. Your visit to Australia and New Zealand will
certainly be outstanding in your vacation memories with unique breathtaking sights, heart-warming encounters with wild animals and enriching cultural experiences. Traveling Down Under from the Outback to the glaciers is truly a trip of a lifetime.
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NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015
Now!