A Land Down Under

The first stop on my family’s trip around the world last summer was Australia! We stayed in Sydney at the Sydney Hourbor Marriott Hotel at Circular Quay. The location was perfect for walking to many of the sites we wanted to visit. We were close to the Sydney Opera House, many dining/shopping options, and right next to the water of Sydney Harbour. One of the events that we were most excited about seeing during our stay in Australia was the Vivid light show that was being put on right by our hotel. Vivid lights up many buildings with dazzling artist driven light shows choreographed to music, and features lit up sculptures. People travel from all over the world to experience this beautiful light show that goes on for several days at multiple locations. There are numerous food vendor options at the event as well.

Just some of the amazing sculptures from Vivid light show.

Vivid light show display.

One of the unique things about visiting Australia is that being south of the equator, their seasons are the opposite of ours in the U.S. While we were there in June, it was their fall season. It was a bit of a strange feeling to be crunching leaves under our feet when we had just come from spring weather back home. We did a lot of walking during our time in Australia. Just adding a few more layers to accommodate for the difference in weather is all we needed to do.

Australia's fall is during our spring in the US.

We took a tour while we were in Sydney to visit the Blue Mountains, and to see the animals at Featherdale Wildlife Park. This was a group tour that lasted the majority of the day, and was led by our humorous tour guide who provided us with information along the way. The other tourists were from several different countries. We even had a couple that was on their honeymoon along for the ride.

Taking in the views of the Blue Mountain range.

The tour guide first brought us to the Blue Mountains which can be found to the west of Sydney. They are known for their Three Sisters rock formation. The views of the mountains were breathtaking, and we enjoyed learning about the history of the area. While we were there, our kids especially enjoyed the Scenic Railway that is the steepest passenger railway in the world. I thought I was ready for the incline, but at 52 degrees I’m not sure if anything could have prepared me. We also went down into the rain forests of the Blue Mountains to see the lush vegetation.

The Three Sisters rock formation in the Blue Mountains of Australia.

After touring the Blue Mountains, we headed to Featherdale Wildlife Park. We especially enjoyed feeding kangaroos, and visiting with koalas. The dingo babies were also adorable to watch playing with each other. What made visiting the zoo fascinating was to know that about 90% of the animals native to Australia are not found anywhere else. This is pretty amazing for the world’s smallest continent.

My family visiting a koala at Featherdale Wildlife Park.

Some other activities that we really enjoyed were visiting Harbourside Shopping Centre where we played at Kingpin and ate at Hard Rock Café Sydney. We also enjoyed learning more about the history of Australia at Museum of Sydney.

Our lunch at Hard Rock Cafe Sydney was wonderful.

With all of the unique experiences Australia has to offer, I look forward to when our family can visit a land down under again!

We enjoyed seeing the Sydney Opera House.

*Since writing this article, Australia has been greatly affected by bush fires that ravaged much of the landscape. Thankfully, the fires have all been contained. The impact to the people, animals, and land will continue for some time. Our thoughts and prayers remain with all those impacted by the devastation of the fires.