Well, for those who felt that the philosophical trees and unanswered questions of Australia was too much, here is a toned down and more touristy way of expressing the tour experience...
Deepa and I have traveled overseas but this would be our first trip together to a foreign land. The lure of the distant shores beckoned us- its people, nature, history, and all the exotic animals (well, I was looking forward to eat some of them). So, we set off 10,000kms east to become one of the early birds to welcome the New Year in sunny Australia.
Melbourne, Australia
A city proud of its achievements and even calls itself the fun capital of Australia. This city celebrates its connection to the Brits- everything you see here reminds you of the Victorian Era. Although Canberra has the capital city status and Sydney has the famous Opera House and Harbor Bridge, Melbourne has more than its share of achievements.
What interested me was the Flinder’s Street Station (reminded me of the CST, Mumbai), Federation Square (Nandan, Kolkata), James Cook’s cottage (shipped from England and reassembled in Melbourne)- a homage to an explorer instrumental in determining sea routes to Australia, the Immigration Museum (interestingly, it had a 3D depiction of Hampi during my visit), and of course the trams (it is the only city in Australia to have this luxury).
To the east, we encountered the cockatoos, kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, platypus, echidna, Tasmanian devil, wombats, and the possums. All exotic and beautiful creatures nestled in the ranges of the Dandenongs. We also witnessed one of the most ancient rituals in nature; thousands of dwarf penguins returning to their burrows on Philip Island at sunset.
Heading west on Christmas Day, we saw the 12 Apostles (sandstone formations in the ocean) that have been standing tall as silent spectators long before any life form existed on the continent. The historic town of Ballarat, home to the biggest open air museum in the world, gave us a glimpse of what life was in Australia during the Gold rush. The highlight of the westward journey was the opportunity to drive a Prado on the Great Ocean Road- a dream comes true.
Canberra, Australia
The capital city and as described by the Aussies themselves- is a boring place. The city is full of administrative buildings and yes as much as I hate to admit it, I took a guided tour of the Parliament House. It’s also the place where I felt a sense of pride when we drove past the Indian Embassy and saw the tri-color waving on foreign soil.
Sydney, Australia
A big city, bursting at its seams and is full of life. It is as cosmopolitan as you can get. This was the place where the trip was culminated.
New Year’s Eve- we were stationed at the Circular Quay, situated in between the Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge. At the stroke of midnight, the fireworks lit up the sky and with it- 6million AUD was burnt in welcoming the New Year. It was an amazing sight!! As Deepa and I headed to Melbourne to board our flight back to India, we were happy to have been among the first people in the world to usher in the New Year. That too without giving into our temptations (I did not allow Deepa to shop to her hearts content and she did not allow me to try some kangaroo and emu pizza).
On the flight, I re-lived the entire trip again in my mind and there was one thing which came back to me. The happiness on my Nana’s (grandmother) face when she greeted us; it brings the proverbial lump to my throat thinking that this was probably the last time I would meet her in person. Rest assured, she will be around as my family’s’ guardian angel long after she is gone.
Final thoughts:
I will to go back to Australia to explore those parts which I missed this time; the outback, the Great Barrier Reef, Uluru Rock, and Alice Springs beckon. And yes the land of the "Lord of the Rings" is on the cards as well.
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