I waited with bated breath until we exited the arrivals gate at Melbourne airport in December 2023. After that, my heart went into racing mode, desperate to meet, after more than four long years, my younger sister who I’m very close to, her husband and their two little ones — a toddler son and infant daughter — who I’d be meeting for the first time ever. She’d be meeting my own toddler son for the first time and my eight-year-old daughter after a long gap of time caused by the pandemic and lockdowns. Needless to say, our reunion was very sweet. So, the first and foremost reason for our visit was spending time with my sister and her family who live Down Under. The second was, of course, kangaroos.
But before I get to those unique hopping creatures, here’s how our visit to the city my sister lives in, Melbourne, went. Melbourne was green, fresh (especially after it rained) and homely. We spent the maximum part of our trip there and went to places like Melbourne Central Business District (CBD), where grand old victorian buildings among modern skyscrapers and old-style green and yellow trams lend the cityscape a unique charm. I loved the vibe of the historic, open-air, bustling Queen Victoria Market with its stalls/kiosks selling produce, delicious food, antiques, souvenirs, clothing, accessories, and footwear. Strolling on the bridge over the Yarra river nearby offered us picturesque views of the water flanked by downtown buildings.
At Melbourne Museum, the aboriginal cultural center and the section displaying the history of Melbourne city caught my interest while my daughter enjoyed the temporary Titanic exhibit there. My husband visited Melbourne Cricket Ground where he took a guided tour and also attended a test cricket match. However, being a huge tennis fan, he would’ve loved to visit the tennis stadium that hosts the Australian Open but it was closed due to preparation for the upcoming tournament. It’s incredible that this country excels at a variety of major sports and has impressive infrastructure built for it.
On another day, we took a drive through the lush Yarra Valley wine region and treated ourselves to the vibrant greenery of the vineyards as rain clouds descended over the surrounding hills. Another must-visit spot near Melbourne is Philip Island known for its ecotourism, and although we didn’t go to the coastal Nobbies to watch the seals and penguins, we truly enjoyed the scenery and spotted a couple of sting rays swimming close to shore and witnessed pelican-feeding in action.
The highlight of that day though was a visit to an animal park where we roamed among kangaroos, touched and fed them. There were other native Australian animals like koalas, dingos (Australian wild dogs), emu birds, a kookaburra bird, a wombat, and other marsupials. A wildlife enthusiast, I was thrilled to view all these special creatures that are not found anywhere else in the world. Even outside the animal park, a constant source of amazement to me were white cockatoos, perched on trees or flying around, shrieking their heads off, as common as black crows found elsewhere.
Apart from Melbourne, we had a three-night stay in Sydney where we saw the Sydney Harbor Bridge and marveled at the architectural wonder that is the Sydney Opera House. We didn’t do the tour but as I stood there reading the information plaque, being a writer (artist), I was touched by the fact that this iconic structure is dedicated to art and creativity.
A visit to Sydney would be incomplete without going to Bondi Beach (or Manly beach, but we didn’t go to that one), with its stunning fine, white sand and blue waters on a sunny day. That day, luckily, it wasn’t crowded, and the kids had a great time, as kids usually do, playing in the sand and jumping into the waves. A memorable viewing of fireworks over Darling Harbor at night and a visit to the historic Queen Victoria Building rounded up our stay in Sydney, a city that we instantly fell in love with.
Another thing we appreciated in Australia was the superior quality of food and drink, especially in cafes — the savory pies, the coffee, and just about anything. We also enjoyed an excellent Australian “Barbie” (barbecue) hosted by my brother-in-law’s cousin’s husband and family. At Yarra valley, for the first time I tasted Pavlova, a Christmastime dessert that originated in Australia/New Zealand and although I’d imagined that I wouldn’t, I actually loved it!
And so, I returned home on New Year’s Eve, grateful at having spent time with loved ones, glad at having experienced a lovely country and yes, thrilled about having finally seen kangaroos.
Dancing Fingers Singing Keypad 