Kangaroos, Rain Forests and Coral Reefs on an Australian Adventure

by Wendy Fougner

A few years ago I completed my training with Ensemble to have a specialist designation for Fiji and Australia. This training involved embarking on a trip to a South Pacific destination. I was fortunate to be part of a group that went to Australia to learn more about the Great Barrier Reef, Cairns and Sydney.

My journey began as I traveled to Cairns and spent the first few nights of my trip at the lovely Shangri-La. This beautiful hotel is perfectly situated on the harbor in close proximity to many restaurants and Cairns’ downtown center. The Shangri-La also has a spa, several shops and a good restaurant. The property is best suited for families looking for a central home-base for their stay in Cairns or business travelers.

On our last morning in Cairns we woke early in the morning and headed to Freshwater Station to catch our train to Kuranda on the Kuranda Scenic Railway. Kuranda is a picturesque mountain village located in the lush rainforest of Queensland. We traveled to Kuranda in gold class, enjoying exceptional service throughout the train ride. The ride was beautiful, taking us through tunnels, providing stunning vistas of forest and stopping at Barron Falls. Once we reached the top of Kuranda, we disembarked and walked through the village, exploring stores in the Heritage Market and enjoying the wildlife. The highlight of this excursion for many on our trip was taking photos with koalas and feeding kangaroos and wallabies. Feeding the kangaroo myself, I had no idea that its mouth would be so soft!

We descended Kuranda on the Skyride, a gondola that passes over the rainforest. Half way down, the Skyride stops and lets you out onto a path. A short walk down the path brings you special vantage point from which you can see the falls. The view is fantastic and provides a different perspective than the stop along the train ride. It was wonderful to travel up and down Kuranda in different ways and experience various parts of the rainforest. At the bottom we were taken to Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park for a delicious lunch. After lunch we went to different stations at the park and learned Aboriginal dances, how to use a didgeridoo, throw a spear and a boomerang.

After a busy day exploring Kuranda, we were off to the docks in Cairns. At the docks we were greeted by the gracious and friendly crew of the 37ft Coral Princess boat. Upon arrival, it was amazing how quickly we were taken aboard and brought into the fold of the family run business. We spent the next three days on the Coral Princess, exploring the Great Barrier Reef, and the experience was absolutely amazing. The food was fabulous, the the daily activities were fascinating and entertaining, and the cleanliness and maintenance of the boat was impeccable.

One of my favourite features of the boat was the opportunity to go snorkeling twice a day on a glass bottom boat tour or scuba diving. If you don’t have any experience scuba diving, the staff are able to provide you with the necessary training. This is a wonderful way to discover the Great Barrier Reef.

After our adventure on the Great Barrier Reef we traveled to Sydney where we stayed at the Sheraton Hotel in the downtown core. This gorgeous property offers expansive views of Sydney. The top floors of the building features a pool, hot tub and spectacular views. Our exploration of Sydney was extensive, as we ventured to Manly Island on the local ferry, enjoyed shopping throughout the city and sampling Sydney’s culinary delights in different restaurants. After spending time in Sydney we said goodbye to new friends and left the wonderful country of Australia.

This journey made me aware of Australia’s incredible diversity: diverse and contrasting landscapes, various culinary options, different cultures and so much more. Australia is an amazing country to explore with so much to offer. If it’s not already on your bucket list, it should be! 

Exploring the South Pacific

by Wendy Fougner

On one of our last family adventures, Bruce and I took the boys to Australia, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands. We found highlights in each destination, as every place had its own charms and attractions.

My favourite destination throughout the trip would have to be Tasmania, Australia. I felt very at home in Tasmania, as if I could actually move there. The people are very genuine and friend­ly, the scenery - characterized by lush, undulating hills - is absolutely stunning, and overall it has a lot of character. It was easy to find good food and we never had to hunt around to find a decent meal. Despite the fact that it poured one day during our stay, the rain didn’t take away from Tasmania’s charm.

The most surprising destination was the Solomon Islands – the least developed of everywhere we went on our trip. The Solomon Islands are quite impoverished, which was very shocking at times. We found there to be a strong sense of tension and resentment between the locals and the growing Chinese population, and there were soldiers marching around Guadalcanal. Although it was unexpected, the soldiers were not at all intimidating. We also found that it was difficult to find good food and we usually had to hunt around for a nice place to eat. Despite this, there was still a lot to enjoy on the Solomon Islands. The weather was fantastic, on a day trip outside of Guadalcanal we experienced the islands’ beautiful scenery and our hotel was lovely.

After the Solomon Islands we travelled to Vanuatu where we stayed at the Warwick resort. We were all quite tired of moving around and wanted a place to relax and enjoy the sun. The War­wick was lovely – the food was good, the pools were beautiful and the resort offered a number of complimentary activities. There was a nice golf course at the resort and Bruce and the boys played a round of golf; however, golf balls and clubs were limited! The Warwick is located a short distance from downtown Port Vila which is a common stop on cruises through the South Pacific, so there were lots of touristy shops to do a little shopping.

Our next stop was New Caledonia, the French territory. This was one of Bruce’s favourites because he was able to practice his French. New Caledonia is very French and when we were visiting we felt a definite sense that we were in Europe. We stayed in an apartment, which was great because we could cook our own meals. The grocery stores have a great selection of food and we found lots of fresh, delicious produce. However, things are not very cheap in New Cale­donia because most of the goods are imported from elsewhere around the world.

After New Caledonia we ventured back to Australia and stayed in Sydney for a few nights. Sydney is a very fun, vibrant city and we all had a great time. The harbour was a definite high­light: there are people everywhere, different street performers and a lot of excellent food. The boys went out to a lot of bars and said that the nightlife was really fun, with genuine people and great music. One drawback, though, was the cost. The prices are actually quite a bit higher than in Vancouver. In Australia they have what is called a “right to a living” so wages start a lot higher and restaurants are more expensive.

Overall, we had a great time and it was a wonderful family trip. The South Pacific is a beauti­ful destination that offers everything from charming towns and stunning scenery to bustling cities with excellent nightlife. I would highly recommend the South Pacific to anyone looking for a unique destination to explore on their next adventure.