Final Reflections - Australia 2015

Like the egret pictured above we now have some reflections on our 2015 journey in Australia. This is our 2nd (Doug’s 3^rd) trip to Oz.

We are very surprised at the high costs of travel and wonder how families can manage. Although fuel costs were comparable, food costs were higher possibly as much as a third. From previous trips we remember great buys (e.g. cheese) that no longer seem around. Campground costs are also a third higher. One of the biggest surprises was the cost to enter a museum or exhibit (usually around $30 each) and then finding it was not what we would have expected for that amount. There was a senior’s rate but only if you could produce an Australian seniors card. We offer these in Canada to all people, no matter where they come from. We even found seniors rates were offered to us in South Africa. We wonder if the government here needs a few comments on how seniors spend thousands to visit their country and would be nice to have this perk reciprocated.

The roads in some places were bordering on unsafe: very narrow with no shoulders. We are not sure if it is due to government mismanagement or the economy of Queensland. This is something we don’t remember from our previous trips to other Australian states. As a comparison, with the exception of the South African state of Limpopo, their roads were probably at least as good if not better than here. U.S. and Canadian roads are far better. Also truck drivers are less courteous than their North American equivalents and exhibit an “I am bigger than you so get out of the way” attitude. We are nonplussed as to what can be done about the unsettling kangaroo carnage on certain roadways. The distances are too great to fence the road (and who knows how high the fences would have to be?). It is upsetting the Australians as well.

With the world plea to be ecofriendly we are surprised at how few places took part in some sort of recycling program.  Aluminum cans have a deposit here, too. Most places that did recycle (especially in the north) had a cause, RAFD (Royal Aussie Flying Doctors), cancer research or some such thing.

As usual, the Australian people are very friendly and helpful. We found at every campsite someone would want to have a chat with us. We also have felt very safe here (as we had expected).

Would we come back? Yes, without a doubt, as Australia is almost like an adopted home. Perhaps to Melbourne and on to New South Wales and then to Tasmania again?

Having the opportunity to hike out to the most northerly tip of the continent was very rewarding. We enjoyed visiting numerous interesting towns such as Weipa, Winton, Lockhart River, Croydon and Cooktown along the way. Meeting the locals was great and watching their genuinely pleased reactions when we presented them with a Canadian flag lapel pin.

We have stayed at a wide variety of campgrounds, from being cramped in beside our neighbours with no breathing room to the best of all – Alpha, a little, out-of-the-way town,  where we had all the space you could ask for, grassy, shady, clean and free internet right in our motorhome,

It is always sad to have our adventures end but then also exciting to know we will soon be home to see how things have fared. We understand our garden is growing leaps and bounds and we both look forward to enjoying our own fruit and veggies – our labour of love.

The rainforests of Northern QLD are spectacular and deserving of their World Heritage status. We leave you with an example of such a rainforest plant, appropriately called the traveler’s palm and thank you for following our travel blog!