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| Sydney - a Really beautiful city |
The first time is always special. No, I am talking about travel. You can ask any seasoned traveller, and they will always remember their first overseas trip in graphic detail, no matter how long ago it was. Later, travel all starts to fade into a blur and you forget the details of the many later trips. Hence the reason for my blog - to write down as much as possible before I forget the details! When I met my wife Marie, I was already quite a seasoned traveller, and she could not believe that I could not remember on which flight I had seen which movie, or how many times I have been to Paris. Her first trip was to Thailand. A very good place for a first trip. If you ask her now how many times she has been to Thailand, she might take a moment or two to answer.
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| SAA Jumbo in their old colours |
My first overseas trip, and the start of my love affair for travel, was in the dim and distant past in 1982! There the photos I have used in this post are not mine. Long before any form of digital images! I was doing my B.Sc (Hons) degree at Wits. My late Dad was a senior electrical engineer in the South African Railways. He had recently been promoted, and in his new level, one of the perks was that he, and his dependent could get a 10% air fair on SAA to any destination. No, not 10% off! 90% off! So what was SAA's most expensive flight! Australia! The land down under! The land with the most interesting animals. The land with the amazing bridge that was the puzzle that I had built a few times! So, Australia it was! My first passport. What excitement. Now I fill a passport up in about 3 or 4 years! Oh yes, just by the way, the flight for my first overseas trip cost a grand total of R 65.00!
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| The land of strange animals - duck billed platypus and egg laying mammal |
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| Echinda - another egg laying mammal |
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| Koala bear - beautify animal |
In 1982, travelling on a South African passport was not very easy. There was a lot of political pressure on SA at that time, and one of the places that did accept the SA passport was Australia, so it was off to Oz. I had about 2 months between my last exam and before I was due to start my first job, so two months it would be. 30 days of the two months would be on a coach tour and that left me about three weeks. My flight landed in Sydney and the coach tour started in Melbourne. The flight itself was quite a journey! Flew from Joburg and landed in Mauritius to refuel and change crews. The plane was kept on the outskirts of the airport. We were not welcome there. After refuelling, it was the long flight across the Indian Ocean to land in Perth. After another crew change and refuelling the final leg was to Sydney. When we landed in Sydney, I remember sitting on the plane thinking I am now a hell of a long way from home and I am really on my own. If I just stay on the plane, they will have to take me home!
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| Kangaroo with baby in pouch |
My plans were to stay in Youth hostels and I had a youth hostel card. I made my way to the main Youth hostel in Sydney and was told that it was full. There was another young guy there also looking for a place to stay, so we teamed up to find the other youth hostel. When booking in, the guy in charged took my passport and said he sees I come from South Africa. Am I a racist? Here it comes - I will not be able to stay in the youth hostel and I will have to live on the street. As I am not a racist, I told him so. His answer was very surprising. He said to me "Why not - we are all racists here!" So no problem - I had a place to stay. One of the things about youth hostels is that everyone gets tasks to do to keep the place running, like cleaning the toilets. Every day, when I went to ask for my task, I was told that all the tasks had been allocated. The people from England normally got the toilets to clean.
I will never forget the feeling on the first day. After settling in and getting a good nights sleep it was time to explore. The main place in Sydney is circular Quay. This is the place where all of the ferries depart from. It is also where the opera house is. I came round a corner and ended up on exactly the same spot where the photo was taken which was used for my puzzle. I just stood there and looked at the bridge that I had seen so many time when building the puzzle and here it was, in real life!
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| Ferry in Sydney |
Sydney is a great place. One of the best ways to see it is on the ferries. When travelling on one of the buses with a few others from the youth hostel, we were looking at a map. An older gentleman asked us if we were visiting Sydney and where we were from. He told us that he worked for the ferry company and gave us all a day pass for the ferries. What a great way to see Sydney. Main places to see is the Taronga Zoo with the most beautiful views across the bay to the bridge and opera house. Another great place in Manly beach. Great ferry ride and an even better beach.
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| Ferry and Opera House |
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| Manly Beach |
All too soon it was time to head to Melbourne. This is about 900 km from Sydney. How was I planning to get there - well, hitch hike - how other? I was young and adventurous so no problem. I took a train as far as I could go and then started to hike. Took me two days to get to Melbourne. Another stay in a youth hostel and then it was time to join the tour. The tour of a life-time. a 30 day trip around a fair part of Australia.
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| Taronga zoo - a must see in Sydney |
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| Koala at the zoo |
While in Melbourne I did a trip to see the Penguin parade. These are small Fairy penguins who come ashore is waves as it is getting dark. I have done this trip a few times since then and I will do it again if and when I get the chance.
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| Penguin parade on Phillip island |
The start of the coach tour was from Melbourne and this would be my home for the next 30 days. The start of a major adventure and the the topic of the next post or two!
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