Hi friends, I hope November is treating you well. The weather is getting better here in New Zealand and the summer flowers are starting to bloom. Most people start planning for their Christmas break by now and Australia is a popular destination for most. In this post I’ll let you in on a secret of mine. Ever since migrating to New Zealand, Australia has been a place I’ve wanted to travel and explore more than any of the other Pacific Islands. To find out why, you’re going to have to commit and press the button below…
To begin with I must state that I have visited Australia a couple of times to visit my relatives in Brisbane, but neither of them were extensive trips where I could explore to my heart’s content. It was awesome seeing my cousins and they took us to a few really cool places. On one trip we took a day trip from Brisbane to a bird sanctuary and we fed these wild parrots!! Boxing Day shopping in downtown Brisbane was an experience I won’t be able to forget in a hurry. The sheer volume of people in each shop we went to was crazy! On another visit one of my cousins on my mum’s side took me to visit her local library with her daughter and it was one of the highlights for me!! North of the city we visited a few quaint places and even visited a cheese factory!! Those were among the highlights of that second trip we took. I must clarify now that in Brisbane I have two sets of cousins; a couple from my dad’s side in an eastern suburb, and from my mum’s side a cousin sister and her family in a northern suburb. I’m pretty sure there’s more family elsewhere but we still haven’t found the time to visit them; the pandemic put a hold on that!! I really enjoyed those trips despite their short length. We got to spend time with our extended family, make new memories and experience a new country together. I suppose when visiting family as the main objective that’s more than enough. When it comes to exploring and discovering, for me, I’d rather do it myself or travel with a like-minded group.
My fascination with Australia and travelling there started while studying about the distinct geology it has and reading Australian fiction. When I discovered the Jackie French books I suppose the urge to visit became stronger. Mind you the myriad of TV programs we have here showcase all that Australia has to offer and just adds more fuel to my fascination!!
One of the things I’d love to do is to travel Australia by train. More specifically on the Indian-Pacific or the Ghan!! There are some stunning images of these that play on the television here promoting travel there. The ones showcasing the vineyards of South Australia, camel rides along the beach in Broome, Western Australia, and the multicultural vibes of the cities have always captured my interest. And they all do their job perfectly well as it just adds more depth to my desires. Mind you, me being me, the one place I’m dreaming of visiting are the libraries in central Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney!! One awesome fact about libraries in Australia is that the staff get paid quite a significant amount more than we do here in New Zealand!! So, if I ever get the inclination to, I might consider working somewhere in Australia!! 🤫
Well, there you have a short essay about a dream of travel I have. What about you, do you dream of traveling and exploring destinations like me? I’d love to hear about your dream travel destinations someday.
Stay safe and keep reading
Miss Mahee
Miss Mahee's Library of Reads 