Author Topic: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)  (Read 63984 times)

Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #80 on: December 01, 2012, 08:05:37 PM »
I forgot to mention, (and can’t edit now,) that the stretch between Lorne and Apollo Bay is considered by many to be the most picturesque section of the Great Ocean Road.

In hindsight, I shouldn’t have backtracked to Apollo Bay, but rather should have pushed on to the area of Port Campbell. Although it was dark, I wouldn’t have missed much, since the GOR goes inland for much of the way between Apollo Bay and Port Campbell. Driving it during the day proved to be a huge waste of time especially on the short day as I had a flight to catch back in Melbourne.
Leaving Apollo Bay, we stopped again at Maits Rest (17km past Apollo Bay) for the daytime view of the rainforest, as well as an opportunity to spot the flesh eating snails the guide spoke to us about the night before. (We didn’t find any).  There is a self-guided rainforest walking trail (20-30 min loop) through the park.








Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #81 on: December 01, 2012, 08:06:35 PM »
We then continued on to Port Campbell National Park and the various rock formations carved out by the water throughout the years, and the most famous of them, the 12 Apostles. The 12 Apostles are supposedly best viewed sunrise or sunset, but that didn’t work with our schedule.
The highlights of the area are the Gibson Steps, the 12 Apostles, Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge. We didn’t have time to visit them all, but took a helicopter ride and pretty much saw them all from the air.






London Bridge


Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #82 on: December 01, 2012, 08:08:18 PM »


The 12 Apostles


Loch Ard Gorge



We then raced back to Melbourne (2.5 hrs. if you don’t take the scenic route) to make our flight out to our next destination: Adelaide & Kangaroo Island





Things missed due to time constraints:
Otway Fly
Cape Otway Lighthouse
Arch
London Bridge
Loch Ard Gorge
« Last Edit: December 01, 2012, 08:40:56 PM by moish »

Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #83 on: December 01, 2012, 08:09:22 PM »
what do you guys think, too many pics? should i cut down?

Offline PlatinumGuy

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #84 on: December 01, 2012, 08:11:23 PM »
what do you guys think, too many pics? should i cut down?
no
״וזה כלל גדול: שישנא אדם כל דבר שקר. וכל מה שיוסיף שנאה לדרכי השקר – יוסיף אהבה לתורה.״ - אורחות צדיקים

Offline Yordai Dooma

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #85 on: December 01, 2012, 08:18:08 PM »
keep the pics coming:)

Offline Dan

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #86 on: December 01, 2012, 08:47:54 PM »
Things missed due to time constraints:
Otway Fly
Cape Otway Lighthouse
Arch
London Bridge
Loch Ard Gorge
The main thing you missed (IMHO) is the Grampians, though obviously that would never fit with your schedule: http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/12677

Really you need 3 or 4 nights to do the grand loop (GOR/Grampians) justice.

Did Erskine Falls smell like a Basil forest to you?

The main thing I missed was that Koala stop, though we did get to see them at the awesome wildlife park in Tasmania.
The stops along the GOR are great but begin to become repetitive, not unlike the endless waterfalls along the Road to Hana.
Save your time, I don't answer PM. Post it in the forum and a dedicated DDF'er will get back to you as soon as possible.

Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #87 on: December 01, 2012, 09:05:35 PM »
The main thing you missed (IMHO) is the Grampians, though obviously that would never fit with your schedule: http://www.dansdeals.com/archives/12677

Really you need 3 or 4 nights to do the grand loop (GOR/Grampians) justice.
true, but its not technically part of the GOR

Did Erskine Falls smell like a Basil forest to you?
not that i recall, but i did go in a different season than you

Offline chff

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Re: Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #88 on: December 01, 2012, 09:06:36 PM »
no it is not air force one.

it is a flying pentagon!

also used as support for the air force. They have 4 or 5 of them.

Its the E-4, aka the Doomsday Plane, the Secretary of defense flies on it

Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #89 on: December 01, 2012, 09:09:46 PM »
Its the E-4, aka the Doomsday Plane, the Secretary of defense flies on it

thanks for clearing that up

Offline Achas Veachas

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #90 on: December 01, 2012, 09:11:58 PM »
what do you guys think, too many pics? should i cut down?
Deff NOT! Keep'em up!

Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #91 on: December 01, 2012, 09:22:45 PM »
anybody have an account with tinypic? its really annoying to type a verification for every pic i upload, and theyre not taking new registrations

Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #92 on: December 03, 2012, 04:12:21 PM »
anybody have an account with tinypic? its really annoying to type a verification for every pic i upload, and theyre not taking new registrations
bump

Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #93 on: December 03, 2012, 07:04:53 PM »
Part 6: ADL & Kangaroo Island

One great thing about Qantas is that they provide strollers at the airport. I was travelling with my rugged, heavy, 4x4 Mountain Buggy stroller and it was a real pleasure to be able to check it at check in and then use one of the Qantas strollers to & from the gate.

Funny thing happened at the airport. As business class passengers, we were entitled to 2 hand bags per pax, for a total of 6. We showed up at the gate with 5. However, the gate agent insisted that I check a bag under. Even after explaining to her that we were under our allowance, she refused to budge. Her response was that since one of the passengers was 3 years old, and she wasn’t physically able to carry that fifth bag, we couldn’t include it. Basically, 2 bags per person that that pax can personally carry on board. Call me crazy, but that’s one of the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard in my life. When I tried to get her name from her name tag she promptly covered it with her hand. Anyways, I refused to give in until the purser came off the flight and sided with us. Now you know why I like to travel with a cap. If I would have been wearing a yarmulke in this situation, it would’ve been a lot harder to hold my ground.

The flight itself, as well as all the domestic Qantas flights, was quite nice. On the 53 minute flight, we were served a full kosher meal (steak!) and they even announced free wine & beer for coach! A lot different from what I’m used to in the States. They would also give out an activity booklet and toys to the kids for these short flights.





We were originally going to visit New Zealand on this trip for a few days, but after that was nixed, for a number of reasons, I had a few days to “burn”. I heard some great things about Kangaroo Island and after finding out that we would be there in the optimal season, we decided to include it.

KI is the third biggest island in Australia, a hop, skip and jump away from Adelaide, and one of the most popular tourist destinations, but surprisingly, the average Australian never even heard of it. Our hosts for Shabbos in Melbourne actually grew up in Adelaide but never even knew KI existed. However, it’s a wonderful place to visit if you have the time.
There are 2 ways to get in, a 20 minute flight from ADL to Kingscote, or a ferry from Cape Jervis (around 1.5 hrs. away from Adelaide) to Penneshaw. When we went, in order to maximize the time spent there, it made sense to fly in and take the ferry back. There are no taxis on the island so it’s necessary to rent a car. If taking the ferry in both directions, it would be possible to rent a car in Adelaide and bring it on the ferry with you. Not all car rental agencies allow this, so check ahead. There are also 2 car rentals on the island itself if you choose to fly. The car rentals also have different policies regarding driving on the island, such as whether they allow you to drive on ‘unsealed’ (unpaved) roads. Lastly, it is possible to do KI as a day trip from Adelaide with various different companies, but I don’t know too much about that.
KI is primarily known for its flora and fauna, and it definitely did not disappoint. Countless wild wallabies, kangaroos, penguins, fur seals, sea lions – we saw ‘em all. All in all, KI was enjoyed by all, especially the kids.

We arrived at ADL in the evening and stayed at the Hilton Adelaide which was nice. As a Hilton diamond, we got upgraded to a larger room, free wifi and access to the lounge. The flight to KI has extremely limited luggage space, so the next morning we had our bags put in storage, got some breakfast from the lounge and made our way back to the airport for our 20 minute flight.





KGC is probably the smallest airport I’ve been to – it doesn’t even have a carousel. You collect your luggage from the back of a truck. I then picked up a 4 wheel drive from Budget and we were on our way.




Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #94 on: December 03, 2012, 07:06:26 PM »
We drove all the way to the western part of the island, to Flinders Chase National Park. After paying the entrance fee, we made our way to the Remarkable Rocks, a bunch of interesting rock formations.








Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #95 on: December 03, 2012, 07:07:53 PM »
We then headed to the area of the Admiral Arch. Along the way, you can see colonies of New Zealand Fur Seals, whose numbers skyrocketed on the island (to the detriment of the penguins) since whaling was banned.






Admirals Arch


Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #96 on: December 03, 2012, 07:10:09 PM »
In the parking lot, we spotted our first wallaby. While we were watching it, out pops a little head. A joey!







Driving on the road, it was pretty cool to see kangaroos on the side of the road in the same manner you see deer in New York. (By the time I got my camera out, they already escaped into the bush).





We then went to the Hanson Bay Wildlife Sanctuary and the Koala Walk there to see some koalas in the trees. (You just can’t get enough!).



Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #97 on: December 03, 2012, 07:10:55 PM »
We then started heading towards Kingscote. Along the way we stopped off when we spotted some kangaroos grazing.







It’s important to head back with enough time to get to the city before it gets dark, as night driving on KI is a nightmare. There is no light and the island is teeming with wildlife. Most car rental agencies won’t insure you for driving at night outside the major cities. After driving there, you can see why. The sides of the road are littered with roadkill.





We checked in to our hotel, the Aurora Ozone Hotel, which was clean and comfortable.



Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #98 on: December 03, 2012, 07:12:11 PM »
After dinner, we made our way across the street to the Penguin Center, where we had booked the penguin viewing tour. After a brief introduction, the guide led us onto the beach where we were able to view the little blue penguins coming home from a day at sea. This will probably end soon as the penguin population continues to be decimated by the skyrocketing numbers of the resident fur seals. While in Kingscote they started erecting barriers to save them, at the Penneshaw penguin center, it’s not uncommon to see a seal coming ashore and devouring a penguin or two.








 
The weather didn’t turn out as well as we’d hoped and towards the end of the tour it started pouring, thus cancelling a nocturnal animal tour we had booked as well.

Offline moish

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Re: Oz Trip Report (w/ a splash of Abu Dhabi)
« Reply #99 on: December 04, 2012, 08:30:05 AM »
The next morning, we checked out of the hotel and went to the Island Beehive right outside of Kingscote. KI boasts itself on having the only pure breed of the Ligurian bee in the world, and there are a few beehives on the island. We took a tour of the facilities and then had a honey tasting, tasting about 10 flavors. (The flavors vary depending on which flower the bee gets nectar from). We also bought a few jars of interesting honeys, such as cup gum and stringy bark, as gifts for our families.






queen bee with the white spot