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| Sunset in Sydney Harbor - June 21, 2015 |
One of the fringe benefits of teaching is ample opportunity to travel and the best time to do it is at the end of terms, which is why I headed to Australia, where I met my sister Susan in Sydney.
Animals were high on her list, although our first attempt to see them didn't pan out.
We set out on a cruise through Sydney Harbor into the Pacific Ocean in search of humpback whales.
A sighting is never guaranteed,and sure enough, we saw nothing. Fortunately, our company, Oz Whale Watching, offered us a free return cruise. Two days later, we gave it another shot.
Success!
Three humpbacks ...
one literally jumping out of the water.
Experts theorize they do it for numerous reasons:
competitive displays among males, a warning for perceived threats, a form of communication, and a technique to scare prey.
The whales got to within 50 yards of the boat. Awesome display.
I'd highly recommend the company.
More animals back on land – Australian style.
Koalas
Kangaroos
Wombats, Dingos, and Tasmanian Devils.
The Featherdale Wildlife Park even allows guests to interact with some of the animals, such as the kangaroos my sister met up close.
The most popular resident is the koala. If it looks a bit tired, you're correct. Koalas sleep up to 20 hours a day, normally just waking up long enough to eat their favorite – eucalyptus leaves.
Sydney is a cosmopolitan city attracting visitors and residents from around the globe who come to enjoy its impressive collection of
ethnic restaurants, parks, museums,
and its famous waterfront featuring the opera house.
It's winter now in Australia. Today, June 21st, we marked the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year in the Southern Hemisphere, while the Northern Hemisphere enjoyed the summer solstice, the longest day of the day.
We weren't anxious to take a swim, but the beaches are still a big draw year-round.
That's the last destination on our tour, which I'll share tomorrow.
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