Alive? Yes!! Australia and New Zealand Trip Reflection

             Survived the deadly Australian snakes and spiders, the stinging jellyfishes to tell the account of the following...

Travelling to the down-under and visiting my friend Mel has been a dream for the last year. Mel had been in Australia travelling and working ever since February 2012. We had kept in touch through emails, skype and blogging (Mel is a serious blogger- here is her blog: http://misadventuresofmelodious.blogspot.ca/) throughout the year. She had invited me along with several others to visit her and experience the wonderful Australia! For me, it was all talk until I got seriously down to business in buying those flight tickets.

At the beginning, I fought with myself – needing to justify such a trip, whether I had the time off work, the means to go and whether this was something God wanted me to do. Eventually, in October, after much thought, prayer and discussions, I bought my flight tickets to Sydney and later on flights to Christchuch. My friends Steph and Andrea from home also decided to go on this opportunity to travel and see Mel. In the weeks before we left, we kept in contact through emails – chatting about things to bring, what the weather would be like, and vague travel plans of where we would go. We all had been prior to the trip very busy with life things involving work, relationships and other activities. For me, in my mind, this Australia and New Zealand trip of a month seemed very far away. Nether less, in my spare moments, I would do some light reading and ask a few friends and colleagues about their previous experience travelling to the down-under.

After the Christmas holiday, the day to leave for the trip came very quick. I packed everything I needed in my big blue mountain co-op equipment (MEC) backpacker bag and most essential things in my day pack and purse. I left for the airport mid-afternoon on my way to Sydney. The first 48hrs there I would be on my own, and then I would meet the girls in Christchurch. As soon as I left the airport, there began my journey and experience in Australia and New Zealand. To shorten things up, here are some of the life lessons and highlights I have learned while being on the trip.

Number one- this would be my first time travelling on my own! Flying alone, and spending a day or two completely by myself in a foreign country. In the past, I have always flown with friends to places, but because of timing of things this time around, I was to meet the girls after they had been there for about 2 weeks prior. So this part of the trip was new to me. For those who know me, I am generally an easy going type traveler  going with the flow, and following others. However, needing to do everything alone at the beginning of the trip meant effort on my part – being knowledgeable about things and plan a little bit more that I usually do (like where to stay, how to get to the hostel, transportation, etc.). This was good learning for me to take initiative for this part of the trip. It was a bit out of my comfort zone, but I prayed every step of the way, even during the nausea while flying. I enjoyed my stay in Sydney very much – visiting the main points of interests. My definite favorite was the Bondi to Coogee Beach Coastal walk. It was the first thing I did after checking into the hostel, and I was just blown away by the beauty of the coastal cliffs, crystal blue waters on the beach, and the sunny skies. Absolutely surreal.

Another important lesson about this trip was one about my faith. For about a week and half, we, four to five travelers  stayed at friends and relatives’ homes and places. It was so hospitable of them to welcome and take us in. I felt incredibly grateful to them, and could see God providing people and places for us to stay. One situation in particular illustrates this- it was the Sunday we left Canberra to head up North to get to Aerlie Beach (which was several days worth of driving). We really didn’t have much plan other than to go do some camping overnight and driving during the day. But that Sunday afternoon, we heard from the friend we stayed in Canberra with, that her aunt would be willing to host us if we needed a place. We thought about it, and humbly accepted her offer. Needless to say, as we drove further and further up North, the rain started pouring. We later found out that a cyclone had passed through pretty much the whole East coast of Australia- wiping out roads and causing flooding in certain towns. If we had not stayed with at our friend’s aunt place and camped out instead, we would have been soaked, and possibly been in danger with all the water. It was a roof over our heads and a provision of God for us.  I was definitely encouraged.

Our travels day by day had its ups and downs. Some days were extremely tiring. Sometimes we drove hours on end in the heat. It felt at times like we were literally roasting in the car, surrounded by human sweat. Other days, we would feel gross and only wanting one thing: a shower of some sort. There were times, where laughter and tears would be shared through jokes, funny or exciting situations, being silly or even in discussion about more serious things among us. The time spent with the girls, other travelers and even the people we had met on the way – was in itself an experience. We had to learn to travel as a group; make decisions together about food, money, place to see and stay. We learned about each other as we went on, our preferences for certain things, our likes and dislikes, the way we cope with unforeseen circumstances, our roles in the group.  The saying is true about travelling – you get to know someone when you travel with them. As an introvert by nature though, it was a growing experience to be travelling with others every moment of the day. Knowing when I needed to slip away to be alone in thought and prayer, when I needed to be extra patient on my part and how to interact with all these people we had met was all part of that learning. God continues to humble me in this area on this trip and day to day life.

I suppose it would be fitting for me to share also the sights we saw on the trip. I think some of the most notable things I saw for the first time would be the grass fires, floods, effects of landslides and earthquakes. Usually these wouldn't be the top things to see on a vacation, but I think it was eye opening. I had never needed (thankfully) to encounter such natural forces. I was in awe and at times in disbelief. But, I think what struck me most when we saw these things happening – fires and floods on the East coast of Australia, the devastating loss from the earthquake in Christchurch, and the dangers of landslides in Milford Sound, New Zealand, was a reminder of just how temporary life is and where our hope needed to be. These weren't necessarily sites we had planned on seeing or experiencing; however, it allowed us to remember God’s grace and mercy in protecting us. In complete contrast, we saw some amazing beauty in creation at the same time. We snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef, and we were captivated by the different corals, the numerous schools of fish, and the multitude of marine life like sea turtles to jellyfishes. I remember thinking and saying to myself, “is this actually true? Am I really swimming over all of this?”. We were so blessed to have witnessed and seen a small part of what God created.

Here were some highlights through pictures of our trip. (There were actually hundreds of photos taken!)

The Great Barrier Reef 

Milford Sound 

Bondi Beach

Franz Josef Glaciers

Backpacking all the way! 

View from up top of the beaches in Port Stephens

Fun times with the girls on the beach 

              A quote  marked in my travel journal - Mark Twain once said, "Twenty years from now you will be more dissappointed by the things you didn't do than by the once you did do. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbour, catch the trade winds in you sail. Explore. Dream. Discover".  
         So here it is - my thoughts post trip! I am overwhelmingly thankful to have had this opportunity of seeing Mel, travelling with the girls, visiting and experiencing the down under, living and learning the lessons I have learned!