Turning 40 in a Hot Air Balloon over Yarra Valley

As I turn another year older, I must say that celebrating a four-decade milestone was much more fun, exciting and emotional. Now, I’m just another year older. Blah!

Weeks before we left Australia, I wanted to do something special for my 40^th birthday. I did all the planning and decided that floating over the beautiful Yarra Valley and drinking local Aussie wines sounded like a perfect fit. But then on the night before my birthday, the hot air balloon company called to say the conditions were too windy to go up early the next day. (Hubby consoled me with a wine dinner at a winery so I can’t complain too much.) Then, we rescheduled for another weekend, which also was cancelled due to wind. Finally, the third time was a charm for us and up we went into a misty autumn morning.

The Yarra Valley is located about an hour from Melbourne’s CBD area. Previously, we already had taken two wine tours in the valley and one DIY winery tour. I had fallen in love with Australian and Kiwi wines and the valley happens to be the closest wine-producing region to the city. Wine + beautiful landscapes = one happy girl.

A horse and its shadow amongst the autumn-hued vineyards in the Yarra Valley.

On the big departure day, we opted for the free shuttle bus ride via Global Ballooning from Melbourne to the valley’s meeting point. We arrived a little after 5 a.m. The sky was still pitch black and we were surrounded by a low misty fog. I was worried the balloon ride would be cancelled yet again!

After driving to an appropriate landing site, our group got out to help set up the hot air balloon. Three other balloons took off from the same site, so it was fun to watch everyone prep the balloons. I mainly stood back and took photos. Ha!

Hubby and me before we took off on our Global Ballooning adventure.

I should mention that I’m a teensy bit afraid of heights, and I started to mildly panic once I hopped into the balloon’s basket. However, once we got up in the air, the feeling was magical. Any fear subsided and all I did was admire the beautiful scenery around us and take more photos. We literally floated through and above the clouds! What a delight!

Admiring the Landscapes

We silently floated over Victorian farms, apple orchards, wineries, emerald-green pastures filled with cows and horses and even a couple of kangaroos. Seriously, the views could not have been more perfect!

Why had I waited 40 years to take this thrilling balloon ride? When we lived in Turkey, we almost did a balloon ride over Cappadocia, but opted not to because of the expense. Now, we were paying nearly twice as much in Australia, but the cost was certainly justified in the end.

After an hour or so up in the air, we landed in the middle of a pasture filled with cows who didn’t seem to mind our intrusion whatsoever. The company has partnerships with several local farmers who allow the balloon companies to land there. Then, we all helped roll up the balloon and gather the supplies so we could head to breakfast.

Time for Bubbles

Our balloon package included a fantastic brunch at Rochford Winery with lots of sparkling Aussie wine. Hooray! Plus, we had a good time chatting with our Aussie neighbors who were planning a big trip to the U.S. I was more than happy to provide my foodie recommendations for NYC.

All in all, turning 40 wasn’t too bad. I may have shed a few tears, but in the end, I made true memories to last a lifetime by floating over the amazing Aussie landscape.

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Rottnest Island: A Cycling Day Trip and Empty Beaches

As I woke up to one of the coldest days in London so far (0C/32F), I immediately wished I could either stay in bed under our warm down comforter or transport myself to a beach.

Unfortunately, neither option was a reality since I had to get up for work.

Still, my day trip to Rottnest Island, off the coast of Perth in Western Australia, tops my list as one of the most interesting trips this year. I spent the entire day looking for quoakkas, relaxing on nearly empty beaches and then sweating my butt off while I cycled around this 19km² island.

After I stepped off the ferry with my pre-booked bike rental, I headed to the information center to grab a map and fill up my water bottle. I decided I wanted to get out of the main touristy area as soon as possible so I would have more time to explore the island by myself.

If you plan to cycle around the island, Geordie Bay, about 1.5km west of the port, is the last place to fill up on supplies and fresh water. There is absolutely nothing available on the non-developed western side of the island except for cuddly quoakkas, deadly snakes and gorgeous beaches. I would recommend having at least two water bottles, especially during summer, because it’s a hot ride – about 24km. around the island.

At Geordie Bay, I found a pleasant outdoor café where I ordered breakfast and then decided to take advantage of the tempting nearby beach. Granted I visited on a weekday, but this beautiful beach was nearly empty on a hot summer day. I imagine the weekends are packed. More than 500,000 people visit this small island every year.

I soaked up some sun for an hour or so and then decided I’d better keep trekking if I wanted to explore as much of the island as possible. This daytrip was my first time cycling in a foreign place without my husband. I had to push myself to ride up the hills and even walk the bike a few times when I felt worn out.

But the impressive views were worth it!

If I were to visit Rottnest again or if I had more time, I think I would do a boat snorkeling tour. Being on a boat seemed like the next best way to explore the tranquil Caribbean-blue waters surrounding the island.

On the far western side of the island, a colony of New Zealand fur seals call the Cathedral Rocks home. Here they hunt for small fish or squid. I watched the seals frolic in the calm waters from the safety of the viewing deck while two stupid tourists went down into the water and tried to swim closer to the seals. Barriers are built for a reason, people!

A little blurry but you can still see the New Zealand fur seals 

Down the road, I found another secluded spot where I took a dip in the water to cool off for a bit. It was such a unique experience to be myself and make all these new adventures while also having to remain aware of my surroundings. Definitely don’t want to run into a killer Australian snake while you’re by yourself! A leisurely non-stop ride around the island should take at least 2.5 hours, but basically I took nearly seven hours to stop here and there and enjoy the Aussie sunshine.

The beauty of Rottnest Island is clearly evident in every little swimming nook. I only wish I had more time to explore it more!

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Rottnest Island: Where to Find the Happiest Animal in the World

After a week’s worth of depressing news from the U.S. that’s made me cry and get angry, I figure it’s about time to take us all to one of my happy places. I wish I was there right now!

Just a 30-minute ferry boat ride off the west coast of Western Australia (from Perth’s Fremantle neighborhood to be exact) lies a beautiful island where an adorable, playful marsupial lives called a quokka. More than likely you’ve never even heard of a quokka because this vulnerable creature only lives in a few places in Australia.

Fortunately, I spent one blistering hot, summer day leisurely cycling around Rottnest Island to frolic on its gorgeous, nearly deserted beaches and be on the look out for quokkas. Sometimes I found them hiding under bushes. Sometimes they would approach the side of the road as I stopped for a water break. One tried to nearly scramble up my leg as I ate my much-deserved ice cream cone! Quokkas appeared to be everywhere!

In fact, the quokka population on Rottnest Island is between 8,000-12,000 (data from 2008). Dangerous snakes are largely the quokka's only predator on the island unlike the mainland where foxes, dogs, dingoes and deforestation pose a problem. On Australia’s mainland, an estimated 4,000 quokkas live here, with nearly all those populations in groups of less than 50, although there is one declining group of more than 700 in the Southern Jarrah-Karri Forest. So basically, if you want to see these cute critters, head to Western Australia.

Per local history, quokkas were one of the first Australian mammals seen by Europeans. In 1658, the Dutch mariner Samuel Volckertzoon wrote of sighting "a wild cat" on Rottnest Island. In 1696, another Dutch explorer mistook them for giant rats and thus named the island "Rotte nest,” which comes from the Dutch word rattennest meaning “rat nest.” The word quokka is actually derived from an Australian aboriginal tribe which was probably gwaga.

Mamma quokka and her lil joey. How cute!

Anyway, the popular thing to do on Rottnest Island is to take a quokka selfie. Squat down on the ground and try to capture yourself and one of the cute critters in the frame at the same time. I tried to do so as you can see from my photos. You can even search on Instagram for the hashtag #quokkaselfie which pulls up 9,460 posts!

Once you spot a quokka, if you get lucky, it will appear to smile, which is how this charming creature earned the moniker “the world’s happiest animal.”

As you can see, quokkas certainly are cute, and hopefully they brightened up your day as well.

 I guess you can see why the Dutch thought quokkas looked like a rat.

No quokkas allowed in the local store!

Hey quokka, don't steal my ice cream! ;)

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A-Z Guidebook: Departing from Port Douglas Marina in Queensland

Q is for Queensland

During the 14 months we lived Down Under, we only traveled once to Queensland – Australia’s second largest state that covers the continent’s entire northeast.

Queensland’s main attraction is a gorgeous coastline stretching nearly 7,000km that is home to the Great Barrier Reef, the world’s largest coral reef system. Although there are dozens of tours exploring the GBR, I think your best option is to depart from Port Douglas.

During our long weekend trip to Queensland, we flew into the city of Cairns and quickly retreated up north to a quiet beach town called Palm Cove, which seemed less touristy than other destinations. I selected a snorkeling tour with Silver Series which allowed a bus pick-up from Palm Cove for an additional cost. The whole point of this trip was to have a relaxing weekend on the beach so we wanted to limit our driving as much as possible.

We quickly departed the bus once we arrived at the Port Douglas Marina and followed through an efficient queue that led us out to our awaiting catamaran. Palm trees and clear blue waters seemed to flank the marina in every direction I looked. I’m sure Port Douglas would have been a pleasant place to stay as well.

Of course the main highlight of this trip was snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef – an experience that we’ll never forget! If you’re looking for more articles about Queensland, then please check out: Dreaming of Palm Trees in Palm Cove, Under the Sea and Snorkeling Among Colorful Coral in the Great Barrier Reef. 

I’m linking this post to the monthly travel guide link up organized by Fiona, a fellow Australian blogger, at Tiffin Bite Sized Food Adventures. Each month features a new letter of the alphabet. This month is the letter “Q.” Please pop on over to Fiona’s blog to read more travel stories or feel free to link up your own!

(Note: Q can be a challenging letter. I thought of previous trips to Quintana Roo and Querétaro in Mexico and of course anything related to Queen Elizabeth or QueenVictoria. Good luck thinking of Q!)

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Dining on a Historic Tramcar in Melbourne

One of my favorite dining memories in Melbourne is sitting in a cozy, 90-year-old tram and enjoying a four-course lunch with my in-laws and my husband.

Shortly after moving to Melbourne, we noticed this fleet of burgundy-colored tram cars that roll throughout the CBD and into some of the nearby neighborhoods. Since hubby loves trains, he insisted that we find out how the Colonial Tramcar Restaurant worked. I was wary because this activity sounded too touristy to me. Come to find out, the restaurant is booked weeks in advance is very, very difficult to get into. We’re not talking Michelin-starred service, but the tramcar restaurant is a very unique, Aussie thing to do!

After trying for months to book a table on the weekend, we finally scored a weekday reservation during my in-laws’ January visit to Australia. This roving restaurant offers one lunch and two dinner sittings each day, 365 days a year. The menus feature modern Australian cuisine and local wines. Yay for wine!

The historic tram cars date to 1927 and actually were used for transport service around the city for approximately 55 years. The restaurant service started in August 1983 with a single tram, as amendments were required to the Liquor License Act to allow for the service of alcohol on a mobile restaurant.

Our dining experience started with an appetizer of two dips – hummus and a creamy roasted red pepper. Our server even provided gluten-free rice crackers for me.

For our entrées, three of us had the tender duck terrine wrapped in prosciutto with a wild berry relish while my mother-in-law had the pretty smoked Tasmanian salmon and avocado mousse stack with tomato salsa. Both dishes were a lot fancier than we had imagined!

For our mains, everyone ordered the slow-cooked beef served with pomme dauphinoise and red wine jus. Of course, we all had enjoyed a nice glass or perhaps two of an Australian shiraz with this course.

Finally, our meal ended with a platter of local cheeses, some from the Yarra Valley as I recall. You get three cheeses, crackers, toasted fruit bread and a quince paste. Our server refilled our wineglasses and my husband and father-in-law had some kind of aperitif. Service is pretty much like what you’d find served in business class on an airplane. Our glasses were rarely empty and our servers were friendly! Of course, there are plenty of non-alcoholic options for non-lushes like ourselves.

What’s also a bonus is that this all-inclusive lunch only cost us 85aud (about $64USD) per person. Considering the quality of food and how many drinks we imbibed, I’d say we hit the jackpot!

We enjoyed our meal and conversation so much that we didn’t pay too much attention to the views outside our window. Every now and then, I pointed out a building or sight for my in-laws as we weaved our way through Melbourne. If you really want to see the sights like the Queen Victoria Market or St. Kilda, I think it’s best done on foot.

As you can see, we're all very happy at the end of our meal.

A family photo from a different perspective.

If you’re ever in Melbourne, and even if you’re a local, I highly recommend this unique dining experience.

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