Weekend Snapshot – Kangaroos in Donnelly River, WA is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

Just say the name and you can picture it: clear blue skies, the harbour, the bridge and its iconic opera house. They’re the face of Sydney; they’re what it’s famous for. Let this be a guide to what’s beneath that outstanding facade. In no particular order, here is a list of some alternative delights that Sydney has to offer:

1. Quarantine Station Ghost Tour – Whether or not you believe in the supernatural, Sydney’s Q. Station in the northern suburb of Manly is something to behold. Visitors are led by a lantern-lit guide through the station’s most haunted buildings such as the shower block, morgue and hospital. The experience is available in a selection of options ranging from a ghostly sleepover (18+ only, $155 each) a family tour (7pm Friday & Saturday, $34 adult, $26 child) or an extreme tour which is strictly adults only. Attempts to conjure spirits will also be attempted in this tour. Regardless of the experience you choose, remember to bring a camera and a torch.

2. The Rocks – Formerly the homes of Sydney’s convicts, wicked ladies and violent gangs, The Rocks is a district of labyrinthine cobblestone roads right on the shores of Sydney Harbour. They’re lined with a variety of quirky boutiques, souvenir shops, restaurants and galleries. Visitors can also explore The Rocks Discovery Museum which houses a variety of artefacts found in The Rocks. Another option, one to finish the day perhaps, is the pub tour. Sample some of the local brew en route and end the tour with a discounted meal. This is a real historical adventure right in the middle of modern society.

3. Chinese Garden of Friendship – Tranquillity among the chaotic Sydney streets is what this is. Located in Darling Harbour, close to Chinatown, this sublime garden is, apart from anything else, value for money. Adults go for $6 while kids are allowed in for $3, concessions apply. Open daily from 9:30am-5:00pm, these beautiful gardens allow visitors to stroll along the snaking pathways that run past waterfalls, rockeries, and immaculately designed courtyards. There are places to sit and reflect in silence so, perhaps, a book may be the perfect accompaniment for a visit here.

4. Royal Botanical Gardens – A little west of the Opera House and Circular Quay, these gardens are simply unavoidable. They’re a photographer’s dream with gorgeous landscapes of greenery and gigantic, alien trees. There’s a pyramid-shaped tropical greenhouse to explore, as well as enchanting fountains and sculptures hidden around the 30 hectare grounds. If you’re with children, there’s a daily train tour every thirty minutes. Wildlife spotting is also likely here, with sightings of possums and blue-tongued lizards having been recorded.

5. Fort Denison Island – Situated in the middle of Sydney Harbour, just north of the Opera House, is Fort Denison. It allows visitors a wonderful 360˚ view of the harbour, allowing for some breath-taking photography. Here, there is also a cafe and a museum which details the island’s history, and how the fort was used in defence in World War 2. The fort’s gun is fired daily at 1pm. With Captain Cook Cruises available and tours also on offer (adult $27, child $17), Fort Denison rounds of Sydney’s top 5 to do’s.

With the exception of my intro, the above is a sponsored post.

5 Sydney Must-Sees is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

This week I traveled to Bathurst Island, where I explored the Nguiu settlement led by guide Romolo (Romie) Kantilla. Here’s a pictorial essay of what I found.

After a smoking ceremony to cleanse us of evil spirits, several Aboriginals performed the traditional shark dance

I returned from a bush walk to learn that dozens of school children had climbed out of this swimming hole and performed a spectacular impromptu dance. Which I missed.

Ochre of white, orange and yellow is taken from the bush and used to color faces and bodies for ceremonies and turned into paint to create art

One of the natural hazards of life on the Tiwi Islands

A resident of the Nguiu settlement prepares Damper bread for morning tea

Romie crept silently through the woods, paused beneath a tree, then quickly reached up and grabbed this frilly neck lizard

A man creating a Batik scarf at the Ngaruwanajirri Art Museum

Romie and I

The Aboriginals of the Tiwi Islands – Photo Essay is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

Underneath the ground close by the town of Margaret River lie three caves. I love getting beneath the surface of different countries. To do so in a literal fashion here, we descended 350 steps into the chill of a cavern called Lake Cave. In 1867 a 16-year-old girl named Frances Bussell stumbled upon but not into this cave while out riding her horse. She hurried back to tell her family but couldn’t remember where she’d spotted it. Lake Cave continued to lie there all alone, until her brother re-discovered it in 1890 and marked its location so everyone else could see for themselves that his sister hadn’t been full of it when she’d claimed she’d found a gigantic hole in the ground so many years earlier. Lake Cave is a living cave, with water constantly dripping and formations still growing, very slowly, all around the interior.

Next up – the river after which the town is named, a serene thread of cool water in the midst of thickets of trees. At the end, the peace of the narrow river’s gentle flowing waters spill into the crashing emerald waves of the Indian Ocean, creating a dramatic dichotomy of sight and sound. I wished I could rent a canoe or kayak to float my way down the river and into the ocean. Alas, like many of the greatest day trips, time was the limiting factor.

Disha is handy with a map, a mental tool that proved useful on the drive to and now from Margaret River. The sealed road on which we first traveled gave way to a dirt path, which took us 25 kilometers to yet another sealed road. The term sealed road in Australia means the road is paved – not sealed off, as it sounds to my American mind. Sealed roads are what you want to travel on. Dirt roads are abundant in this area and great to drive on as well. Unfortunately, in this case the dirt path was sealed – as in sealed off. Bizarrely, we weren’t alerted to the fact that our path of travel was closed to all traffic until we were more than halfway down this unsealed sealed-off road on our way back from Margaret River. Apparently the powers that be decided to close the road only after we entered.

With signs clearly stating Closed Road, I thought perhaps blasting was going to take place or quick sand was waiting beyond the blockade. The barricaded roadway was of no concern to Disha, though, who pulled up to the first strongly worded sign that stretched across our path, and told me to get out and move it so she could drive through. Several minutes later we arrived at an identical sign, which I again moved aside so we could plow through. The Australian Disha knows her territory well. No death or dismemberment awaited on the closed road, and we traveled merrily onward. This may mark the last time I’ll consider turning back and taking an alternate route just because it says Don’t drive on me, at least in Australia.

Road Trip Far From Home – Margaret River is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

When I think Australia, I think kangaroos. Amongst other thoughts. I like kangaroos so very much that if Australia was run according to my tastes, these cute creatures would be bounding all around all open areas at all times. Unfortunately, these purely Austrlian animals are not everywhere. I did get to hang out with bunches of them the other day, though, which marked the first time I have ever breathed the same air as a kangaroo.

With Matt and Sue, I traveled a short distance from where I’m currently staying in Western Australia’s south west to a town called Donnelly River. As soon as we pulled off the main road which led us to this tiny town in the bush, we spotted dozens of Western Grey kangaroos lying casually in the grass. We parked by the general store and got out. Clearly, these particular wild animals are extremely accustomed to humans, as we were able to pet and oooh and ahhh over them while they tolerated us without flinching an inch. Their tame nature ran so deep that several of them allowed me to get an up-close look at little baby kangaroos peering out of their pouches – awww. I’m not sure whether kangaroos have fur or hair, but as I petted these I was struck by their silkiness. I’d always imagined that kangaroo hair/fur would be coarse. Perhaps other kangaroos are not so downy soft. I have always thought kangaroos are cute, but these were just endlessly adorable beyond belief.

Donnelly River is also the first ghost town I’ve ever visited, a community that just simply stopped in the year 1978 when the mill at its center shut down. Today abandoned buildings still stand, apparently in the same state as when they breathed their last over 30 years ago. The general store which we parked by is the only business still open. Little houses still dot the road, homes given up by residents when the town died off and today used occasionally as vacation homes.

Also on this day I got to actually see my first two Kookaburras, a bird much plainer in appearance than its voice would lead you to believe. I’ve heard its long and wild laughter of a song nearly daily since I’ve been in Australia. These jungle-like bursts of sounds are so loved that The Kookaburra Song, penned in 1932 by a lady named Marion Sinclair, has grown to be beloved by Australians over the years. The Kookaburra’s laughter here in Western Australia is somewhat different than where I first landed in New South Wales, 4000 kilometers away. Apparently the great distance between the two areas prevents the little bird with the big laugh from singing exactly the same tune as its brother on the other side of the country. Here’s a too-short but very cool snippet of the call of the wild that comes out of the mouth of the Kookaburra in Western Australia.

What about you? What are you First Time travel experiences that you’ve recently had or which were long ago but you’ll never forget?

The Excitement of First-Time Experiences is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

Australia does experience what they call tropical cyclones, or, cutely, “Willy-Willys” (this is actually not cute; rather, it is a term believed to have Aboriginal origins and just sounds cute). For their own very sound geographical and meteorological reasons, these little Willy-Willys just don’t pack quite the same destructive punch as their big hurricane brothers in the U.S.

Since there are no great winds and waves spelling natural disaster here in Australia, in honor of the onslaught of hurricane season back home in the U.S., here’s a peak at what it can look like when the waves of the Atlantic do get wild here. The scene at this beach is no Willy-Willy, but it’s still quite a sight, I think.

A Mini Willy-Willy in Australia is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

Oxford Street Farmer’s Market – While setting off to explore some of Sydney’s weekend markets one Saturday, I accidentally walked straight into a tiny farmer’s market on Oxford Street while on my way to another market (which I never found). Here I met a girl named Sarah, who would capture the heart of many a travel blogger, as she quit the corporate world three years ago to pursue her dream of – second in importance only to travel – food! She created and cooks a saucy line of uniquely flavored sauces called Relish This, several of which she spread on crackers for me to sample. I loved them all and would have bought her outrageously delicious Beetroot Apple-n-Orange, if I hadn’t been traveling on so soon.

Sydney Fish Market – Apparently I love dead fish heads. I noticed this about myself at the Sydney Fish Market, where I couldn’t stop taking photos of the severed skulls arranged in many and varied positions on ice. Yum. What to do next? Eat, of course. Several little restaurants fill the buildings that comprise this chaotic market, but prices seemed steep everywhere. You might as well order something anyway, because you sure can’t take dead fish home with you on a plane.

Paddy’s Markets – This large indoor market is near Darling Harbour, a busy, busy super-touristy area which, inexplicably, I just really like. The market itself reminded me of an indoor souk without the sales pitch pressure. I mean this in a positive sense. I like souks. I think it was the enormous mish-mash of tables and goods on stands crowded together along with the hundreds of numb people flocking past. My personal highlight was standing and poking toothpicks into raw seafood to taste tiny samples. Paddy’s Markets was actually one of my favorite markets in Sydney.

The Rocks Weekend Market - This is an upscale spot, not far from the Sydney Opera House. It is also quite vast, with tables that run around and over the exclusive small underground shopping area called The Rocks Centre. I was in a little bit of a hurry, as I was on my way to meet a girl named Dina so we could watch bats flying past the moon in the Royal Botanic Garden. I did find one un-upscale and somewhat disturbingly quirky item at this market in Sydney, though – plastic pig masks, along with other animal faces to fit over your own. For Halloween, I hope.

Surry Hills Markets - I was really glad I was around for this Sydney market, open a mere once a month. Located in a small park, I saw a goodly share of clothes, books, jewelry and cute stuff. I found love, though, at a food stand. Turkish Gozleme – a dish I’d never before heard of – was being concocted on a griddle in the middle of the park. Folded over and stuffed with stuff, it looked so delectable I realized I would regret passing it by. I ordered a plate of this flat, soft, hot dough filled with lamb, spinach and cheese and wound up experiencing the best meal I’ve had in Australia

The Scene at Sydney’s Weekend Markets is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

One moment of memory-induced ecstasy occurred for me the last time I was in Sydney. Shortly after I arrived, as I was heading down George Street away from the train station, out of my left eye I caught a glimpse of familiarity. I turned my head and took in a sight that I thought I’d left at home – bubble tea! A pictorial sign in a shop window grabbed me by the hand and yanked me inside. Here, at ChaTime Tea House, I was once again amongst my beloved bubble tea, so beautifully similar to what I used to routinely enjoy in Chinatown in New York City.

Gooey glunks of jelly float around in a milky cold tea. Yum.

Standing on the verge of ordering a glass of this incredible cold tea with tapioca balls piled at the bottom, I noticed that the shop also offered a tea unknown to me. My excitement over a taste of home was overtaken by my love of the unfamiliar. I had never heard of this shop’s specialty before – Jelly tea! Since I was a “beginner” as the guy behind the counter dubbed me, he recommended I taste the Grass Jelly Roasted Milk Tea. I consented. The bizarrity of this tea from Taiwan combined with its genuinely good flavor was a great unexpected surprise. How can you not love tea with gooey glops floating around in it?

A yummy worm-like glob of jelly resting on my straw

Thumbnail photo by eschipul

A Taste of Home Abroad – Jelly Tea is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

The Top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge – A major attraction in this city is the Sydney Harbour Bridge. The largest and widest steel arch bridge on earth, this a beautiful piece of architecture and remarkable to see even from afar. Climbing its 465 steps to gaze out over Sydney is quite a popular activity for many visitors. As I have a fear of heights, I wasn’t going to be climbing this bridge, whose summit is 134 meters above the Sydney Harbour. I did learn, though, that prices for climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge range from $188 to $298 for adults. Whoa. Why?! It is a remarkable bridge with a spectacular panorama, but I managed to get a view of my own. As I traveled to Sydney by train, we chugged over this bridge that costs so much to climb. The cost of my round trip train ticket? $10.80. And the close-up view of the bridge itself with Sydney peaking through, I think, was more unique and interesting than standing on top just gazing into the distance.

The Largest Bats in Australia – I’d never seen wild bats up close until I strolled through the Royal Botanic Gardens. Here Flying Foxes, Australia’s largest bats, dangle from trees by the hundreds. I had the privilege of seeing them slowly wake up and stretch and filmed a video of these mega-bats swooping through the sky into the moon. Flying Foxes are fruit eaters with appetites that have so badly damaged much of the flora in the Royal Botanic Gardens that noise disturbance is being utilized to force them to relocate. I’m so glad they haven’t yet.

The Gloss of the Sydney Opera House – Flash a photo of this landmark in the face of anyone in the Western world, ask them what it is, and they will say “That is the Sydney Opera House.” Finally I arrived on the grounds of this piece of quintessential Sydney but was still trying to figure out what I’d long wondered – what gives this architectural beauty its shine? Just standing at a distance staring at it wasn’t telling me anything, so I strolled up for a closer look. I smacked my head on one of the outwardly arching sheets of glass, but that’s not the opera house’s fault, nor is the glass part of the sheen. The majority of the exterior is made up of thousands of small pieces of beige and white colored square tile. Pieced together in just the right pattern, these little unassuming bits are responsible for the high-gloss appearance of the Sydney Opera House.

Like the tile that helps shape the Sydney Opera House, piece together the little independent aspects of any place you travel, and you’ll come out with a good picture of what makes it special.

Sydney Up Close is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe

These flying foxes, the largest bats in Australia, were slumbering sweetly as the gentle wind swayed them slightly to and fro. I continued walking and found that tree after tree after tree was chock full of these bats. Every several seconds one would awaken and stretch, extending its red wings to their full one-meter span. Otherwise known as mega-bats (no imagination necessary to figure out why) these flying foxes weigh about a kilo and use their eyes and noses to find their way around when they wake up at night, rather than relying on radar like their little bat friends.

Later, Dina from the travel blog VagabondQuest informed me that when they awaken, these mega-bats fill the skies of the park as they fly off into the sunset. Both she and I love these bats, and I just had to see them flying off into the night sky. I am without any idea why her husband Ryan didn’t want to come along to the park to look at pretty flowers and bats, but he did not. So Dina and I alone headed to the Botanic Gardens to watch the sleeping giants awaken.

We were operating on an extremely tight timetable, as we had to get out of the park and back to the train station not long after darkness fell so that I could catch a train which would arrive in Gosford in time to make the last bus of the night. If I was late, I’d be paying for a half hour cab ride back to the house. Another factor came into play which we had not anticipated. As the sky began to darken slightly, rangers drove by, on their loudspeaker announcing that the park was closing. “It shouldn’t be closing,” Dina said. “The internet said it was open till 6:30.” Now, who are we to believe – human beings feeding us information personally, or the internet? The internet, of course.

So we stood and stood and waited and waited, as the bats slumbered on and the park rangers passed by again. By now, time was ticking and the train was on its way. Not many more minutes remained to stand and stare. We reluctantly started heading out of the park toward the exit near the Sydney Opera House, not taking our eyes off the sky in case the bats should finally wake up and start swirling through the air.

Suddenly a pair of huge black bat wings swooped overhead. Finally! “Let’s lie in the grass,” Dina said. “We can get better shots from here.” So we lied down in the grass and watched the flying foxes swooping through the sky across the moon. Here’s what the largest bats in Australia look like as they fly off into the moon at the Royal Botanic Gardens.

Note: The park rangers, not the internet, were, in fact, correct, and the park was indeed closed as we lie there in the grass watching the flying foxes. When we arrived at a locked gate, Dina, savvy about the Botanic Gardens, immediately spotted a portal in the form of a tiny one-way revolving gate off to the side. Through here we were able to quickly pass before we got caught and before I missed my train. Once again, another great night with VagabondQuest and an unforgettable evening of lying in the grass watching the largest bats in Australia fly overhead.

Flying Foxes in the Royal Botanic Gardens is a post from: Solo Travel Tales and Tips from the Middle East and Elsewhere on the Globe