AUSTRALIA RECAP

In six weeks we drove over 4,389 kilometers (more than 2,700 miles), and still only explored a fraction of the country--and that's not even including the distance we covered in Tasmania! Australia is friggin' huge, and it would take a lifetime to see it all. But in the short time we spent on the east coast, here are some of my impressions of The Land Down Under (cue cheesy Men at Work song):

Favorite Things About Australia:

• The wildlife. I saw more than I expected, and even though I only got to see a wombat in a zoo, I did manage to encounter a host of other cool Aussie critters in the wild: kangaroos, wallabies, pademelons, koalas, echidnas, platypuses (platypi?), dingoes, goannas, flying foxes, cockatoos, lyrebirds, and a whole host of parrots and lorikeets. No deadly snakes or spiders this time, which was a little disappointing, but maybe on my next visit?
• Sydney. An incredibly vibrant, modern, cosmopolitan city, and certainly one of the world's most photogenic. Sharing Sydney's many sights (and coffeehouses) with my good friend Tom, who journeyed all the way from Gainesville, FL, made it even more special this time.
• Sailing the Whitsundays. Even with sometimes-blustery weather, it was an awesome trip, and a relaxing break from all that driving. Nothing beats three days of sailing, sunbathing, snorkeling, and steaks!
• Hangin' in Tassie with Eric. Tasmania is a unique place; a little like parts of Australia and New Zealand combined, and it has some beautiful sights. Catching up with my ol' buddy Eric Iversen after all these years in Hobart and road trippin' around was one helluva lot of fun, too. We must do it again soon, Eric--you can bring the Smokie CD.
• It's a lot like the U.S., only nicer. The streets are cleaner, the cities are greener, the people are friendlier, and it just seems like a more pleasant place on the whole.
  

Least Favorite Thing About Australia:

• It's a lot like the U.S. (only nicer). Too many areas are succumbing to a world of strip malls, fast-food joints, superstores, and generic subdivisions.
  

Biggest Regret:

• Not having time to visit the Red Center, Darwin, or the west coast.