Why one woman will never forget the discoveries she made “Down Under”
By Jane Lehr, 13-time traveler from Shingle Springs, California
I’m seeing red—and have been since I came home from Australia. Not in a debit column, but in images playing out nonstop in my mind … images of the “Red Centre” of that marvelous continent “Down Under.”
“Kookaburra” and “Waltzing Matilda” dance in my mind as well until I give into them, sit down with my photo album, and relive this fabulous trip. But, funny thing, half of my album is the Outback—the pre-trip extension. The intensely red rocks against deep blue, cloudless skies left an indelible print on my brain. So did watching the big red kangaroos, feeding wallabies, riding a camel, and drinking “billy tea” under the Southern Cross and an almost solid canopy of stars.
Those mind-boggling, massive red rocks of the Olgas and of the most famous rock in the world, Uluru (Ayers Rock), are unforgettable. Surrounded by desert and witchetty bushes (our driver painted an unforgettable word picture of witchetties and their grubs), these monoliths are sacred to the native Aborigines. Legend has it that the Olgas’ 36 domes represent fearful giants who once fed upon the natives.
Uluru, meanwhile, is a symbol of fertility believed to sit atop a spring of energy that governed the Dreamtime in which the Aborigines’ heroes created the world. I watched the setting sun cast its last rays upon Uluru, slowly turning its brilliant red hues to wine-colored velvet. Travelers from around the world come to its base to meditate and seek its healing powers. I cannot say what it is, but Uluru does elicit a strange sense of something—a power, a beauty, yes, maybe magic. I will never be the same for having seen it at sunset and sunrise, then hiked portions of its base trail, touching the crevices, caverns, niches, and rocky overhangs marked with centuries-old frescoes and symbols.
Definitely an art novice, I surprised myself being so drawn to the hauntingly beautiful Aboriginal “dot art,” each piece a legend. At an Alice Springs art center, massive murals cover an outdoor wall. More dot art is inside the 49-foot Dreamtime Caterpillar sculpture, sponsored in part by Grand Circle Foundation. Inside, a brilliantly colored stained glass window depicts "Honey Ant Dreaming." Even the trash cans in Alice Springs are covered with indigenous designs.
Discovering the fascinating heritage of the Aborigines continued as we flew to the Wet Tropics of Queensland to meet the Tjapukais. From our base in beautiful Cairns on the Coral Sea, we visited these fascinating folks and discovered more art legends, tried to throw spears and boomerangs, heard their resonant didgeridoos, and watched them sing and dance.
We snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef amid fish of all sizes and coral of all shapes and colors. We visited a crocodile farm and petted koalas. We rode a skyrail high above the mountainous rain forest and descended by train. We saw cane fields and, beyond the mountain, the savanna and cattle stations … this was the Thornbirds country I had come to see!
Just when I thought I had seen the best of Australia, we flew to Sydney to tour the magnificent Opera House and Harbor Bridge (worth at least 200 photos on a sunny day). But, there was more: A spectacular harbor cruise; an opal workshop; the ornate Queen Victoria Building; and Paddy’s Market. If by chance one missed the Barrier Reef, Sydney’s world-class aquarium has re-created it—plus, it has underwater walkways through enormous tanks of giant rays, sharks, and seals. I didn’t want to leave.
But, another country lay ahead. We began in Christchurch on the South Island of New Zealand, the country where women first gained the right to vote. It’s a gorgeous little art town with an amazing museum! Nearby, we saw keas and kiwis—keas, the inquisitive green and orange birds that sat on our shoulders and ate from spoons, and kiwis hiding under cover of darkness (but our guide found them with her flashlight). As a chilly evening approached, we snuggled under blankets and went punting on the Avon River, the “punter” smoothly navigating our sleek boat through the Botanic Gardens. We truly met the locals when we made an overnight home visit. My gracious hosts assured me I now have a home base for my next visit “Down Under.”
The drive south to Queenstown took us to surely one of most beautiful spots on Earth: A town on the shore of Lake Wakatipu surrounded by the Remarkables mountains (whoever chose that name sure got it right). This is the home of bungee jumping and Shotover jetboating and the jumping off point (no pun intended) to Milford Sound. Fortune smiled on us the day we went to Milford: It was a spectacularly clear day, so why not fly back to Queenstown in a small “flightseeing” plane to fully capture the grandeur of the sound, the fiords, and the rugged “Alps” of New Zealand? It was a breathtaking experience. But, wait, there still was fun on the ground—a trip across the lake to observe sheep shearing at Walter Peak Station.
We flew to Auckland on the North Island and were rewarded with more sparkling days, perfect for sailing and exploring harbor islands. I was so captivated by the volcanic beauty, I had to rush to not miss the oversized Maori displays and the war memorials in the museum and still have time to dine on green-lipped mussels and lamb.
Many tours end at this point, but Grand Circle knows the perfect spot to stop en route home to unwind and calm the overextended senses after the wonders of Australia and New Zealand. Fiji’s luxurious Shangri-La Resort is a world of rich tropics, beaches, dining, sports, and seaside living. I was in heaven photographing a sunrise through the palms, white waves rolling out of deep blue waters, and colorful parasailors just outside my door. Then, the last afternoon, I explored farther and found the crème de la crème: A snow-white chapel with floor-to-ceiling glass behind the altar, looking to the sea. What an incredible finale! Here, I reflected on all the wonders of the South Pacific!
The trip was a brightly wrapped package of contrasts: A journey from desert to rain forest, from the tropics to the snow and back to the tropics, from chic cities to rural villages, from luxurious dining in Auckland’s Sky Tower to a shared cup of kava while sitting cross-legged on a Fijian floor, and, last, a full-body massage in a roadside shack in Fiji, which was, without a doubt, the best massage of my life.
I returned home with a soothed body, songs in my heart, and enough recipes, memories, and pictures to last a lifetime.
Discover the rugged beauty of the Australian Outback—and other scenic wonders in the South Pacific—on our Australia, New Zealand & Fiji vacation.