Australia 2023

The final stop on our Asia trip was Australia. John was speaking in Sydney, a city we had visited and enjoyed before, but we had not seen the Great Ocean Road, so we flew into Melbourne for that scenic drive. This iconic view is The Apostles rock formation.

Our first stop in Australia was a short visit to Melbourne. We stayed in a wonderful classic hotel, The Treasury on Collins in the downtown area, and walked the city. I especially enjoyed the waterfront.

Next was our road trip to Adelaide, stopping in small seaside villages along the way and enjoying the Great Ocean Road drive. Our first stop was Bells Beach, the" surfing capital of Australi".

The famous rock formations along the coast are so renowned for a reason, they were awesome.

During our drive we passed several light houses. The wind at the tops was formidable, but the view was spectacular, and tea and scones at the local cafe warmed us right up.

Everywhere we stopped was so scenic, and because it was mid-week and off season there weren't any crowds.

This was our first time in Adelaide, a nice small city which is very close to their wine country, which was our destination. We had a one-day tour with a local guide that was very knowledgeable and took us to various vineyards and introduced us to the local varietals. It was educational and a lot of fun.

We flew to Sydney, the final leg of our trip. It's a beautiful city with lots to see, and the harbor is its gem.

When we were in Jakarta for IFTA I spent time exploring the city with Pamela who lives in Sydney. I was so happy that she met me for a day in Sydney at Bondi Beach.