Falling under the spell of a journey Down Unde
Travel is sometimes like life itself — you can never be quite sure what will happen next. That was the feeling of expectation when I embarked on a 19-day trip in Australia, from Sydney on the mid-coast to the southernmost state of Tasmania. I had hoped to cap the trip by viewing the southern lights, or aurora australis, in Tasmania but weather stymied my chance. Even so, the trip was fascinating. Australia has become a familiar country to Chinese people. Many students study there, and many families have emigrated. In fact, Mandarin is the most-spoken language in the nation after English.
Asian faces can be seen everywhere, and authentic Cantonese, Sichuan, Japanese, Korean and Vietnamese restaurants abound.
The trip in Australia started with a pleasant weekend in the first stop, Sydney. Staying in a hotel just five minutes’ walk from Darling Harbour, I decided to first explore the famous Sydney Fish Market.
As the largest market of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere, it sources seafood from both Australian and foreign waters, trading over 13,500 tons of 500 seafood species annually. It’s a place that will trigger hunger pangs for all seafood lovers.
In fact, a glass of cold beer with local seafood is available everywhere along Darling Harbour. Local residents walk there, children play in the park, and fireworks light the sky on Saturday night.
The first-day tour was filled with sites to visit: the Sydney Opera House, the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Hyde Park, St Mary’s Cathedral, the Sunday Market at The Rocks and Mrs Macquarie’s Chair, an exposed sandstone rock carved into the shape of a bench by convicts. It’s a reminder that Australia began as a prison colony for British convicts and society misfits.
The start of the trip was relaxing but expectations were high for the coming days of travel in this sunny land.
Instead of spending most of my time in popular tourist places like Sydney, Melbourne or the Gold Coast, my ultimate destin nia, an island abou China’s Taiwan.
From Sydney, dr van, I took the A1 south. With moun and the Pacific O the drive is beauti unforgettable mem stopovers in carava
Heading toward toria state, I passed Bay, Jervis Bay, Mer rooma and Eden T a stop.
Montague Island just off the south ma, offers the chan