Tongariro Alpine Crossing

This 19.4 km hike over active volcanic lands was one of the absolute best, most epic (and exhausting) experiences we've had in New Zealand.

Standing above the Red Crater at 1866 km.

Emerald Lakes and steam 

Family Visit! And hello again, New Zealand

We spent three weeks traveling through Australia and New Zealand with certified adventurers, Pam and Jon Erlandson, doing our best to cover 2 countries in only 20 days. Here are some photos of their visit (notable exceptions being Melbourne and the Great Barrier Reef, where apparently I forgot I had a camera)!

Sydney Harbor (duh)

Morning in the Southern Alps

 Hike with Mount Cook looming ahead

Milford Sound sunset cruise

Under Fairy Falls

Family photo in the Queenstown countryside! 

Lake Matheson reflecting Mt. Cook and Mt. Tasman

Abel Tasman National Park excursion

Ever-present sheep and Mt. Ruapehu

A Place to (Briefly) Call Home

We haven't touched base on this blog in a while, but only for the best of reasons - meeting new people, experiencing all that Australia's "culture capital" has to offer, working (very different) and fun new jobs, and creating a home base as we replenish our travel funds and live the day-to-day excitement of a challenging new place.

Things have been fantastic in Melbourne - it has become a place that will always feel like home. Our tentative plan is to stay here until The Erlandsons visit in mid-April, at which point we will encroach on their travel plans - then either do a bit more travel in Australia, or set up shop in New Zealand for another year of adventure!

In the meantime, here is a picture of our cute little townhouse that we share with 2 awesome Melbourne natives.

Great Ocean Road

We were treated to some of the best coastline views yet on the very last leg of our 2 month travels through Oz. Reminding us a little of California's Highway 1, except with that particular Australian flair we've come to appreciate so much, we finished our final day on the Great Ocean Road - 243 kilometers of untouched seaside and beaches, koala colonies, and enough beautiful bushland to get it out of our system for a few months as we prepared to settle down in Melbourne.

Here are some of the views that welcomed us back to civilization!

Loved that there was a designated beginning and end to this road -
it made our last day of road tripping feel very ceremonial

Flinders Ranges views

(A few of) The Twelve Apostles

One last koala picture for good measure - courtesy of Cape Otway colony

Only in the Outback

And we're back in Melbourne! - currently enjoying the comforts that can't be provided during a 2 month road trip living out of a $30 tent. But our triumphant return is definitely bittersweet, especially as we reflect on all the once-in-a-lifetime experiences we've had and the "man, this is a beautiful world" sights we've seen over the course of 60 days. And we certainly would be remiss not to do a massive post on the Australian Outback, one of the most singular and subtly interesting places in the world. Like the slightly crazy but always pleasant people who choose to live in that lonely expanse like to say: "You haven't been to Australia until you've been to the Outback!"

Outback sunrise (it's too hot to sleep much later than that)

MacDonnell Ranges

Literally hundreds of broken down cars dot the roadside - abandoning your vehicle must just be easier than calling for service?

Couldn't even if we wanted to! Don't think this waterhole has seen water in years.

This is considered a "town." It is, essentially, a gas station. But considering the nothingness that surrounds it, we don't blame them for calling it that.

Wycliffe Well is a town (read: caravan park) hundreds of km from anything else thus a place the weary traveler must stay. But! They refuse to rest on their laurels. So they have built a weird niche reputation for being the UFO capital of Australia!

           

The Devil's Marbles and a lonely dingo

King's Canyon 

Sunset over Uluru

Hiking around the base

Uluru gets all the fame but Kata-Tjuta is just as impressive

The Breakaways near Coober Pedy, with the claim to fame of being the apocalyptic 
setting of Mad Max

Riding off into the Outback sunset!

Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation

Our last days on the coast before heading into the sunburnt Australian outback were spent exploring the one-of-a-kind rainforest region of the Daintree and the beaches that border it. Saltwater crocodiles (and the inevitable horror stories about them you hear everywhere) kept us out of the water, but seeing the ocean reach right up to the rim of the rainforest was a unique experience and a perfect way to complete our journey up the eastern coast.

The Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation

Insane plant canopies found in the Daintree

Untouched Daintree

Our frequent friend, the bush turkey

Since crocodiles terrify people enough to stay out of potential saltwater
swimming spots, we followed the locals to this freshwater oasis (Adam is on the right)

On the Kurunda Scenic Railway, up into the Tablelands!

The Whitsunday Islands

We spent a week in paradise!

This nice man, John, talking to Adam is a perfect example of a chance encounter we made on the road and because of the Aussie friendliness we've come to know and love became a free boat ride (most boat rides in the Whitsundays start at $100 so this is pretty noteworthy) out to an amazing secret beach. Basically, we met John's family (including 3 of the cutest grandchildren in the world) while we were camping more than an hour away. His son, Steve, mentioned that his dad was camping for the weekend at the best (and most undiscovered) beach in the Whitsundays and gave us his dad's phone number. The next day we called and had a perfect afternoon under the sun getting to know an Airlie Beach local, talking about our mutual love of travel, and swimming in a cove that was all our own (see below).

Our beach for the day

View of the Whitsundays from Mount Rooper

Whitehaven Beach 

Hill Inlet lookout over the prettiest stretch of beach anywhere