The Xi'an Files: Australia

While in China we have made sacrifices of being by family and sacrificed the comforts and conveniences found in the western world. However, the opportunities and amazing things we have been able to see and experience far outweigh any thing we have had to give up.

Part of our relocation package includes a R&R trip so we took ours to Australia. And boy, did we need to get out of the pollution and smog of China. We have all been battling hacking coughs for a couple of weeks and being in the sunshine, clean air and yummy food is just what the doctor ordered.

We started off in Sydney, Australia. We went to the iconic Opera House. It was beautiful up close. While there, we watched part of a local Aboriginal dance and music competition called HomeGround. I posted two short videos I took here and here.

The next day we went to an animal park called Featherdale. We got to pet a koala and snake, feed and pet kangaroos and see wombats, Tasmanian devils and other birds only found in Australia.

We then drove to the Blue Mountains. A man told us they are called the Blue Mountains because they are covered with eucalyptus trees. When it gets warm, the eucalyptus oil heats up and gives off a blue glow, giving the mountains there names. The mountain views were breathtaking. We especially liked the rock formation called the Three Sisters. We felt it was very fitting for our family of three daughters.

On the third day of our trip we flew to Melbourne, Australia , Melbourne had a European feel to it. Mainly because of the beautiful architecture and the abundance of Christian churches. We met up with my husband’s cousin and his family. They took us to ride the Puffing Billy, which is a steam train that took us up around Melbourne’s country side and stopped at a lake. My girls loved this excursion. They can’t quit talking about it.

The next day was a beach day. We went to Brighton Beach and Torquay Beach. We loved both of them. My husband got a surfing lesson from his cousin, which was really fun.

Our last day in Melbourne was spent at the Queen Victoria Market. I loved the business of it. People were shouting out what goods they carried and the prices. I had a little envy at the cleanliness of the market and the delicious goods (i.e. cheese, milk, nice cuts of meat and fish) that were available there. We also picked up a few souvenirs.

We had some time to kill so we went to Fitzroy Park. It had a conservatory, tree with fairies cut into it, and best of all Cooks Cottage. It is the original home of Captain James Cooks parents. It was relocated from England to Melbourne in the 1930s. We learned a lot about the time period and the kids dressed up in period costumes.

We flew back to Sydney and spent the day at different beaches. We did a walk along Manly Beach and Shelley Beach and then went to a national park which had breath taking views.

While in Australia we ate amazing seafood and tried local dishes such as meat pie and vanilla slice. Vanilla slice is a pastry dessert with a flaky crust, custard filling and strawberry top. It was amazing. I found out that lemonade is not like lemonade in the states. It’s a Sprite like soft drink but still good.