"Australia was Awesome." a Australia Travel Page by pchamlis

I don't believe we've ever visited any more friendly and accomodating a place as Australia. We were welcomed everywhere with arms open wider than this vast Down Under land.

Like my own country, Australia is quite large. It's impossible to even scratch the surface of "visiting Australia" in so short a time span as 16 days. I'm not sure you could say you've "done Oz" even in 16 weeks, but I'd sure like to try.

Our trip consisted of stops in 4 basic areas:

Sydney
Adelaide
Alice Springs/Ayers Rock
Brisbane (Scarborough and Beerwah)

I plan to build separate pages for each of these locales, as they're different in what they offer and feature. One thing they had in common was, again, the friendly attitude towards visitors. I can't drive that point home enough, folks....Aussies are just so incredibly nice. It's strange to think that we could travel some 7000 miles across the ocean and still feel so much at home. Anyway, at some point in the future, there will be pages for each local.

I plan to build and maintain this modest "Australia" page. It will contain tips and items of a very general nature. And, I've built travelogues saluting three Aussie VT members who went out of their way to make our visit Down Under so special. Please take a moment to read up on three of VT's nicest people.

So, I encourage everyone who's ever thought about doing so to visit Australia. It's truly the land of "no worries, mate". Like the title says, Australia is BIG..... but her heart is even BIGGER.

Aussies have a deep-felt sense of national pride and patriotism. Their pride isn't a contrived or jingositic exercise, but rather a reflection of their love for all things Australia. And, nothing seems to make them happier than when you say how much you're enjoying your visit. They're more than willing to help you make your vacation very, very special. And they love when you want to celebrate the land Down Under.

FWIW, my daughter has proudly hung the Australian flag she bought, seen in the accompanying photo, in her bedroom. If you say the words "Sara, would you like to live in Australia someday?", she just erupts in a huge smile. Australia was her dream trip, and it was a dream come true.

Thanks again to all the people we met along the way who contributed to the glow we had upon our return home.

Aussies and Yanks have always seen eye to eye, as a people. Our backgrounds are common, and our lands similar. Both countries were settled and are today populated by "can-do" peoples. Both lands are nations of immigrants, and both cherish their histories, both before and after the arrival of Europeans on their shores.

Summing up this melting pot of bubbling spirit would be my new friend Ray, shown in the photo accompanying this chapter. Ray is from Korea, and has moved to Sydney. He operates a coin laundry in Potts Point (appropriately named "The Potts Point Laundry"), a few doors down from the hotel we used in Sydney, the Victoria Court. I washed a load or two in Ray's establishment. We had a great time talking and he, like all other residents of Sydney, went out of his way to be friendly and helpful. Seeing Ray with a smile, hard at work in his laundromat the day we left, I noticed that he'd chosen a "Fort Lauderdale USA" shirt for the day. That sums it up...nations of immigrants, working and building small businesses....and that special friendship and kindred spirit that Americans and Australians share. No wonder the place seemed so much like home.