Jim on an adventure

We are almost to the halfway point on our adventure to the other side of the world. We arrived on Aukland NZ on Feb. 19. By Feb. 28 we explored the city, did a tour to Hobbiton and Rotorura, a harbour tour, and flew to Queenstown for a tour to Milford Sound. We did the gondola in Queenstown before flying to Brisbane. A highlight there was a river cruise to a koala sanctuary. Next was seeing the sunrise from the lighthouse in Byron Bay, trainb to Harvey Bay and a tour of Fraser Islsnd and two trips to the Art Gallery in Hervey Bay, pronounced Harvey Bay. Fraser Island is called K'Gari, pronounced Gurry.

It rained lots when we were in Bunaberg. The bus we caught in Hervey Bay was delayed over an hour before getting there by flooding. Parts of the city were evacuated hours after we left on the plane. We visited the Bundaberg Rum Distillery in the rain. Their rum has won several international prizes.
We had three days in Sidney with a tour of the Blue Mountains, the Sidney Zoo, and a ferry ride to city center the first day. Our last day included exploring the wharf, the Opera House, and Royal Botanical Gardens. We walked to the Cascades Females Factory (prison) in Hobart yesterday and took a tour of Mona, museum of old and new art by ferry.

This is a very different kind of museum, built by a guy who made many millions as a gambler and wanted a place to display/share the art works he collected in his travels around the world.

Tomorrow we will take a tour to Port Arthur and the historic site for a men's prison. Wednesday we go to Melbourne so we can fly to Ayers Rock on Thursday.

Wow, Jim! Fantastic adventures.
I went to New Zealand in 1982 (long before the Hobbits.) I remember how beautiful it was (with very different flora and fauna from
Canada's eastern woodlands.) I was overwhelmed by the smell of Rotorura (for those of you who don't know, I'm referring to the smell of
sulphur from the natural volcanic activity of Rotorura.) But there was magnificent beauty to the hot springs, and the unusually vibrant sunsets caused by smoke from the volcano. It was a nice place to visit, but I sure wouldn't want to live there in the shadow of a volcano and smell sulphur 24/7.
Although, when I told Rotoruans that I was from Canada, they said they could never live in a place of 4-month subzero temperatures and snow,
so it's all a matter of perspective and what you're used to.

That sounds like an amazing trip you're on!
Loved reading about it, hope to hear more. How long are you in Australia?