Planes, trains & automobiles.
There were also: bikes, trams, ferries, kayaks, & small cruising vessels. Sadly, no camels.
This trip was a major, major bucket-list item for the two of us that just happened to coincide with a significant anniversary
(35 years!) and
a REALLY HUGE birthday celebration for one of the party.
Final stats:
34,833 miles traveled, 25 different lodgings, nine flights (15 legs), three trains, five car rentals, fifteen ferry rides, three cruising vessels, one kayak, two bicycles, sixteen Uber rides, two countries (Australia & New Zealand), and eleven states/regions (AUS: New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, Western Australia, South Australia; NZ: Wellington, Marlborough, West Coast, Canterbury, Otago, & Southland).
Closing Thoughts
After 29 hours of travel, we reach Pittsburgh at 8:30 pm on the same day we left Sydney (the International Date Line at work). We were lucky in Atlanta and were able to catch an earlier flight, saving us a 5-hour layover. We originally were going to stay at the Pittsburgh airport when we got in, but since we arrived so early, we took an Uber home.
It feels strange to be here. The 18 months of planning paid off, no hitches anywhere, amazing on a trip with so many moving parts.
It was an exceptional trip, Australia and New Zealand are dramatically diverse countries. The people we met were outgoing and friendly and very interested in what we thought of their respective places. I have been asked “What was your favorite place?”, such a tough question with no easy answer. What I will say, is that everywhere we went was a unique experience and there is no place I was sorry we spent time in.
I think we left a lot on the table, and this might not turn out to be a ‘once in a lifetime trip’. We will see.
Mary
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Back home now after a wonderful trip.
Whew.
Dick
Here’s a video summary of our trip – https://youtu.be/FNgxLR8LIZY