T-Rex New Zealand & Australia Journey
This blog documents my journey to New Zealand and Australia to watch the Women’s World Cup games.
Palm Cove
August 25th 2023
Last full day in Australia. No plans. Just a down day to rest for trip home. Got a Balinese massage in the morning.
4 Mile beach
Walked along 4 mile beach and found an interesting jellyfish (may be the box jellyfish which is most poisonous).
Drove to Palm Cove for a day drive. Back to Port Douglas for dinner and live music in the pubs. Trip home starts tomorrow!
Palm Cove
Daintree National Park
August 24th 2023
We took a full day tour with Daintree Discover Tours. First, we went to Mossman Gorge in Daintree National Park. The trail was a boardwalk, which made it easy for us to walk and our guide gave us an informative tour of the flora and fauna. We got a cable ferry ride across the river, then spent some time on Cape Tribulation beach.
Morning tea with fresh tropical fruit, cakes, Daintree Tea was served as we took a break. Daintree Tea is a brand of 100% pure, unblended Australian black tea grown in the heart of the Daintree Rainforest in North Queensland. The tea is known for being naturally low in caffeine and tannins, resulting in a smooth, well-rounded flavor that is not bitter.
After morning tea, we had a guided tour of the Daintree Rainforest. This rainforest is the oldest on the planet. I felt like we had been transported to the Jurassic period. Our guide was great at pointing out all the wildlife in the rainforest. He had me try eating a Green Tree Ant. It had a light citrus taste, yum! We even saw a Cassowary in the wild. Apparently this is pretty rare.
Next our tour took us on the Cooper River for a short boat cruise. This is where we saw lots of crocodiles.
The tour included lunch at Heritage Lodge, then a stop at the Daintree Ice-cream Company. They are known for making ice cream, gelatos, and sorbets from exotic fruits grown in their own orchard. The flavors change daily based on what is in season.
Our tour ended at Alexandra Lookout. It offers stunning panoramic views where the ancient Daintree Rainforest meets the Coral Sea of the Great Barrier Reef.
Great Barrier Reef
August 23rd, 2023
Today we chartered a snorkling trip with ABC Reef Safaris. They specialize in small group dives limited to 12 people per trip.
We had not remembered to bring motions sickness medicine with us, so we found a local pharmacy to get some for the boat ride. We asked for dramamine, but they do not sell that here in Australia. The pharmacist offered us hyoscine hydrobromide. an over the counter motion sickness pill. It worked great and did not make us drowsy.
It was a two hour boat ride to get to the Great Barrier Reef, but it was worth it. The waters were clear and we saw so many fish and corals. The captain took us to two locations to snorkel. The seas became a bit more rough as we headed back. We were glad to have taken our motion sickness pills. We felt great. We even enjoyed the tunafish sandwiches we brought and a cold beer. Unfortunatly, the other people on our boat were all getting sea sick. We were the “old” people on the boat and it was great to see the younger people not doing very well. Ha ha.
Travel to Port Douglas
August 22nd 2023
Today we leave Sydney. We will catch a three hour flight to Cairns, where we will rent a car and do a one hour drive up to Port Douglas. This is mostly a travel day. However the drive from Cairns to Port Douglas was very winding as it follows the coast. Once again I am driving on the other side of the road, so it was a bit nerve racking at first. After awhile I was able to take in the scenery and enjoy the drive.
We checked into our Airbnb called Wanderlust. It was located right on the end of the street where all the bars, shops and restaurants were. It came with a warning that you would be able to hear the music from the neighboring bars. I did not mind it at all. It added to the atmosphere.
Our Airbnb “Wanderlust”
We found a little restaurant and had some fresh prawns and fish & chips. It seems that there is a lot of fried foods in this area. We also noted that many of the people here were either newlyweds or retired people. It reminded me of a beach town in Florida.
It was a long day of travel and we were ready for bed.
Blue Mountains
August 21st 2023
Today we toured with Blue Mountain Tours. We did the Blue Mountain Sydney Day Trip with them. This tour picked us up in a bus and drove us west from Sydney.
We stopped at a cafe located at the lower part of the Blue Mountains next to the entrance to Glenbrook National Park. The café offered coffee, homemade fresh biscuits, jam, and cream.
From there, we begin the scenic panoramic drive through the mountains with great views of the Blue Mountains National Park.
We then stopped and rode the worlds steepest passenger railway line at Scenic World. It was very steep. Even though we were seated, it felt like I was standing! At the bottom, we were able to view the Katoomba Falls as well as the Jamison valley. We walked back through the rainforest on the Scenic Walkway, an elevated boardwalk.
The tour bus then took us to the Echo Point Lookout, to get a closer look at the famous Three Sisters rock formation.
Three Sisters rock formation
On the way back, we stopped at Featherdale Wildlife Park, home to Australia’s indigenous species. We were able to hand-feed a kangaroo, walk through the koala sanctuary and see a few Dingos.
Final Game
August 20th 2023
The final Game for the Women’s World Cup will be later tonight. We had the morning free, so we decided to take a ferry to Manley Beach. It was another beautiful sunny day to hang out at the beach. There was some live music and fun beach shops to checkout.
We returned to our apartment and rested to get ready to go to the Final Game. The transportation in Sydney is so easy. You simply need to tap your credit card to get on the rail system (and agin when you leave). We took the train straight to Stadium Australia where the final game was.
They had a beer garden on the grounds outside the stadium. We were able to find a table and take in all the people coming to the game. The Spanish and English fans were dressed to the nines in their counties colors!
Hanging out in the Beer Garden
Fans from Spain
Fans from England
The English monarchy may not have made it to the World Cup to support women’s sports, but we did! The game was very exciting. We saw Spain beat England 1-0. Who knoew that we would end up witnessing all the wins for Spain!
Our seats for the game
The lines for the trains to get back to the city were long, but they did move fast. They did a pretty good job of moving people.
Waiting to get on train back to city
Toranga Zoo & Darling Harbor
August 19th, 2023
We walked down to the harbor and caught a ferry to the Toranga Zoo today. These ferries run every 30 minuets and service many stops. Our ferry pass was good for all day, so we can explore other parts of Sydney after the zoo.
The ferry ride was beautiful. The weather was sunny and warm, and we got a great view of the Opera house and bridge.
Opera House and Bridge
At the zoo we saw Koala Bears, Dingos, Kangaroos and other zoo animals. We even saw a Cassowary. The cassowary is a large, flightless birds native to the tropical forests of northeastern Australia. They are renowned for their vibrant blue and red necks, black hair-like plumage, a distinctive helmet-like structure on their head and powerful legs equipped with dangerous, dagger-like claws.
Next we caught another ferry to Darling Harbor to watch the 3rd place game between Sweden and Australia. The Aussies are really fired up about the Matilda’s. Should be a fun game to watch. A FIFA Fan Festival was set up in Tumbalong Park to watch games on large screens throughout the park. We found a nice spot to sit on the grass with a good view of the screens. We were early, so there was time to check out the snakes available. I tried some chicken flavored potato chips. Not too bad. McDonalds had a big presence here as well. There was a large french fry building to order food at as well as a “Golden Arch” swing set.
Manly beach! Beautiful - short ferry ride from Sydney.
Travel to Sydney
August 18th, 2023
Travel to sydney. Got up early and flew into Sydney Australia this morning. Went to the fish market and got some fresh fish for lunch.
We grabbed some fresh seafood for lunch and sat and did some people wathcing. A woman walked by with a dog in a backpack. The backpack had a bubble window for the dog to look out. I had never seen one of these before.
Australian Guinness
Adventured around town and found an Irish pub and got my first Australia Guinness. The count continues! See my blog on Guinness Around the World for details.
Aukland
August 17th 2023
Found a local bakery near us that made breakfast pies. Had to stop in and get one!
Today I signed up of the “Hidden Auckland Walking Tour” with Airbnb Experiences. This is a three hour walking tour of the back roads of Auckland. We saw some street art Wall Murals on buildings, then hiked up into Albert Park. The Auckland Art Gallery was also included in this tour.
“For Heart of the City” wall mural by Sarah Hughs 2016
Our Guide took us to The Strand Arcade , located at 227 Queen Street, is a heritage-listed, Victorian-style shopping arcade originally built in 1910. The architecture makes for a very interesting shopping experience.
The Strand Arcade
We hiked through some interesting back street to the center of town, where we ended up at Aotea Square. Here, there is a large sculpture called Waharoa. It was sculpted by a local New Zealander of Maori decent. It represents the four gods of the Maori in a modern expressionist design.
Waharoa Sculpture
Our tour ended at the Square and Grace and I wandered some more through downtown Auckland. Sandy was not interested in a three hour hike, so she stayed home. Later in the day I took Sandy on a short tour of the highlights of the tour.
Today was a resting day as we will be flying to Sydney in the morning.
Second Semi-Final Game Australia vs England
August 16th, 2023
The other Semifinal game with Australia vs England was in Sydney later tonight. We had time to explore Auckland on our own. We headed to Queens Street. This is the main street in downtown Auckland that leads to Queens Wharf.
There were many shopping opportunities along this street. We decided to head straight to Queens Wharf as there was a FIFA Fan Festival set up for the World Cup games. There were big screens to watch the games with bleachers and bean bags everywhere. They also had a FIFA shop to buy all sorts of FIFA merch.
Queens Ferry Terminal
We had lunch in the Queens Ferry Hotel located in the Terminal.
We did a little shopping on our way back to our apartment. I found it curious that they refer to McDonalds as Macca’s here in New Zealand. As is around the world, McDonalds has a different menu. I did not go in, but the signs outside were interesting.
Guinness Around the World
Found an Irish Pub to continue my Guinness Around the World blog.
Since the semifinal game was so late, we decided to find a place near our apartment to watch it. We found an Irish pub called Slatterys.
We got to the bar early to secure a table to see the tvs clearly. It was not long before the bar filled up with “Matilda” fans. The Australia Women’s Soccer Team is known as the “Matildas”. Unfortunately, Australia lost 3-1 to England.
Semi Final Game Spain vs Sweden
August 15th 2023
Today is a travel day and game day for the semi final game we got tickets for. The game is not until 8:00pm, so we had time for the four hour drive from Rotorua to Auckland.
We checked into our Airbnb located near downtown Auckland. It was convenient as we could park the car and pretty much walk everywhere, including Eden Park stadium.
Eden Park
In our seats at Eden Park! It is a beautiful night and we are on the first level! This is a semi- final game with Spain vs Sweden. Lots of Sweden fans.
Spain won 2-1. Our second Spain win to witness.
Waimangu Volcanic Valley & Mitai Maori Village
August 14th 2023
Today we drove to the Waimangu Valley to take a 45 minute boat tour. There is a bus that takes you to the dock where you board the boat on Lake Rotomahana. The cruise showcases geothermal activity visible only from the water and provides commentary on the 1886 Mount Tarawera eruption that formed the lake.
Lake Rotomahana Boat Cruise
After the boat tour, Grace and I hiked the trail to take us back to the entrance. Sandy took the bus back.
Driving back from Waimangu Valley, we found a place to soak our feet inthe natrural hot springs, called Secret Spot. They had tubs of hot spring water that you can sit at and soak your feet. They call it shinny dipping! They had a small bar where you could order a beer and a few bar snacks. It was the perfect stop after hiking! They also had private hot tubs that you could rent and sit in if you have a swim suit on.
Secret Spot Hot Tubs.
Later that evening we went to the Mitai Maori Village for an authentic Māori cultural experience. When we arrived, we experienced the traditional powhiri (welcoming ceremony). Then Māori warriors in traditional attire paddling an ancient waka (war canoe) down the Wai-o-whiro stream.
Warriors in Waka (war Canoe)
The cultural experience included the traditional hangi (earth-cooked meal). They demonstrated the cooking process and showed it being lifted from the ground. The meal is a buffet-style feast featuring succulent New Zealand meats and poultry, alongside vegetables and salads. The hangi food includes items like chicken, lamb, kumara (sweet potato), and other vegetables.
After dinner we were given a performance of Māori song and dance, including the powerful haka war dance.
Māori song and dance.
After dinner they gave us an evening walk to see the sacred Te Puna Tapu o Tuhoe spring and glow worms.
Te Puna Tapu o Tuhoe spring
Rotorua & Hobbiton
It all begins with an idea.
August 13th 2023
Great start to the day. Morning coffee in the hot tub next to Lake Rotorua. We had breakfast in the Airbnb, then picked up some meat pies to take for lunch from a place called Better Quality Pies. Meat Pies are a staple food item that can be found at any gas station or convenience store. I wanted to see if there was a difference by getting some at a place that makes them fresh. They were delicious.
Morning coffee in hot tub overlooking Lake Rotorua
Meat Pies at Better Quality Pies.
Kuirau Park is a free park in the center of town. The park is known for its impressive geothermal features, including constantly bubbling mud pools, hissing steam vents (fumaroles), and a large, steaming crater lake.
sweets!
Grace wanted something sweet, so we found a bakery near the park and picked up sun sweets.
This is the actual film set for the Shire in the Lord of The Rings Trilogy. The original set was temporary and removed after the first movie was made. So many people kept stopping by to see the area that when they decided to make more movies, they made a more permanent set that we see today.
We did the evening Banquet Tour. This included a tour of the set where we could walk through the set and even into some of the buildings. The tour also took us to the Green Dragon Inn where we got a free drink that included a pottery mug. The tour ended with a large banquet with dinner for us. It was very festive and fun.
Green Dragon Inn
Evening Banquet
The tour also included an evening banquet. It was very festive and fun.
Gift Shop.
They also had a gift shop with everything Lord of The Rings you would want. (including a picture with Gandolf!
We ended the day with some conveyor belt sushi with bullet train delivery! Then we went adventuring into the woods to find glow worms. Found them! They were on the sides of a steep wall along Blue Lake.
Farmers Market & Winery
It all begins with an idea.
August 12, 2023
We checked out of our Airbnb and headed to towards Rotorua where the next Airbnb we rented is located. We took the easterly route towards Napier hoping to see more of the countryside and eastern shore. We found a nice Farmers Market along the way.
We wanted to try some New Zealand Wineries. Sandy found one called Mission Estates Winery. It was just outside of Napier, so it was on our way. This is the oldest winery in New Zealand. They are known for their Chardonnay, but also grow and produce Syrah, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I opted for a red wine only tasting. Sandy and Grace tried a variety that included a cab, rose, chardonnay and sauvignon blanc.
Mission Estates Winery
Goats!
Along the drive to Rotorua we encountered many goats and sheep along the road.
We completed our drive to Rotorua and found our Airbnb. Rotorua is an interesting area. There are steam vents in the ground everywhere! We cooked dinner in our Airbnb and stayed in to watch the Australia Vs France quarter Final Game. The game was a draw at the end of regulation, but Australia won 7-6 in PKs at the end.
Quarter Final Game Spain vs Netherlands
It all begins with an idea.
August 11th, 2023
Free bus service to Sky Stadium was available with FIFA tickets.
Sky Stadium, Wellington.
Quarter Final game of Netherlands vs Spain.
The US may not have made it, but we did! Let the games begin! The weather was cold, but we were dressed and ready.
Walkway outside of stadium
I am not a big beer drinker, but they did have some other options for me. One was a can of Rose, the other was a Jameson with lime. the Jameson was really good!
Our seats for the game. The stadium was sold out with a record attendance of 423,217 people.
Spain beat the Netherlands 2-1. A very exciting game.
Travel to NewZealand
It all begins with an idea.
August 10th 2023
A long day of flying. We actually left on the evening of Aug 9th. There was a four hour flight from Chicago to San Francisco with a four hour layover. Then a thirteen hour flight to Auckland. Thank god we were in business class. I was able to get some sleep. We arrived at 6:00am on Aug 10th. We rented a car and started our eight hour drive to Wellington. We had all day to get there, but the drive was slow. It took awhile to get used to driving on the other side of the road with the drivers wheel on the other side of the car. There were so many sheep! Apparently there are more sheep than people in New Zealand. (an actual fact). We had to drive through a mountain pass, where there was some snow. There was more snow predicted and they actually closed the road after we got through. Thank goodness we made it. Our first game for the World Cup in tomorrow.
Loooooong day, but I will sleep well tonight! 😴
We stayed in an Airbnb Home in Wellington. It was a small place, but had free parking. The weather was cold (close to freezing). There was only one small wall mounted heater in the house. Needless to say, it was not very warm. They must not get cold weather here often. To make it worse, there we no extra blankets.
Tomorrow we watch Spain vs Netherlands. Should be a great game.