In 1983 I backpacked around Australia on my own for about 3 months. Of course, I don’t remember much of Sydney. My memories are of beaches, a very long bus ride to Alice Springs, kangaroos and very tall ant hills in the desert, a crazy car ride from Alice Springs to Townsville with a woman who likely shouldn’t have been driving, seven days on a Catamaran off Great Keppel Island with 9 other young and smelly backpackers and about 30 boxes of cheap Australian wine. Great adventures for a prairie girl from Saskatchewan who knew very little about traveling alone and contrary to the belief of her parents, was not all that mature or very street smart :).
Here I am, many years later, back in Australia to visit Marco for the first time since we agreed to this adventure. I’ve been here for three weeks. In 3 days, I’m heading back to Canada for another 3 months without Marco, after which I will again board a plane for that wretched trip back here to spend yet another 3 weeks in this amazing country. What have I learned this time that I didn’t learn when I came in 1983? Well, perhaps not as much as I did then, I had a pretty steep learning curve. However, I love to experience new things and this trip was no different. So, without further delay, these are a few of my favorite things:
THE BILBY: Although it was not the first thing that came to my attention (that would be the sulphur-breasted cockatoo), it gets first place. Why? Well, let me tell you. This funny little marsupial is on the endangered list and in Australia, to draw attention to its plight, they are desperate to have it replace the Easter Bunny (everyone knows that the bunny is not native to Australia, and is really an imported invasive species here). I had just returned with Marco this evening, from a ‘Chocolate Easter Bilby Purchasing Event’ at Haigh’s Chocolates in downtown Sydney, when someone I follow on a blog called ‘doodlewash’ posted a lovely doodle of the Bilby. That is what I saw when I logged into my WordPress site and because of that coincidence (and because they’re so darn cute), it wins first spot in my blog of fun things I’ve learned. I have no idea how I missed this creature during my 1983 visit. Might have been the boxes of wine, might have been my obsession back then with the wombat…
THE SULPHUR-BREASTED COCKATOO: My favorite annoying bird, next to the Australian Raven is the Sulphur-Breasted 
Cockatoo. Click here for a listen – seriously they just screech…from morning until night. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNARoEVk4EM.
As I mentioned the raven, I should give you a link to that sound, as I laugh every time I hear it, and I have heard it often this past 3 weeks, as often as the cockatoo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HBNqXaY8Q8w
MARCO’S APARTMENT: There are many quirky things about this apartment – the size is definitely a new experience at 350 sq ft for $2100/month…oh, it comes with one set of keys, so because Marco is working, we have to be sure that I’m around when he gets home. Well, it’s not enough to be home, which is on the third floor of this building, because not only is there only one set of keys, but the front door is locked and there is no buzzer system…AND the gate 
is locked as well, about 10 feet from the front door. No idea why as it isn’t really keeping anyone important out other than the sad renters who misplace their keys… The neighbourhood is not noted for its violence and anyway, you could just climb over the gate. The apartment has a kitchen…big word, it has a microwa
ve, a sink, 2 burners and a small bar-like fridge (as you can see, it doesn’t stop Marco from creating excellent meals). But the view is spectacular – I can wash our 2 cups and 2 plates while I gaze at the ocean – Coogee Beach is in fact, only a twenty minute walk away. And there is a wrap-around balcony with a view, so that’s kind of like having a sunroom, I think. AND there are a zillion great restaurants in the neighborhood!
THE ROADS: I don’t remember worrying about getting run over when I visited in 1983…maybe because I was 
young and straight off the bald prairie and just couldn’t imagine that anyone would have the nerve to try to drive over me. Or maybe Sydney has just grown – it is nearing 5 million now and that’s a lot of people in my world. I realize that they drive on the ‘other side of the road’ here and that can be a bit confusing, not just as a driver, but as a pedestrian. So, because they intuitively know (or because so many of us just don’t make it home in one piece) they provide us with some clues…I find this helpful and I believe my still intact body has these clues to thank.
THE PIPE ORGAN AND THE CARILLON: One of the first things I did on my own was go hang out at Coogee Beach. I picked a great morning, as there were about 30 fit young men in their twenties exercising and then swimming. There were also about 5 cameramen on the beach filming them. 
As I’m by nature a bit curious, I couldn’t stand not knowing what was up. There was a woman sitting about 10 feet from me, so I asked her if she knew – it was the Sydney Soccer Team on their first day of training. We started to talk and it turned out that she and her husband were musicians – he was the organist for the City of Sydney (who knew?) and she taught at the University of Sydney. She also played the Carillon. They both tour around the world to organ and carillon festivals (if that’s what they’re called). She invited me to a free lunch hour concert at the Sydney Town Hall for the following week to hear a well-known Argentinian organist, and then Marco and I went together to hear her perform at the University. I wouldn’t say that organ is my ‘instrument of choice’ but the performances were excellent and the architecture at the Town Hall was incredible. It turned out to be one of my favorite ‘happenings’ during my time here, especially the Town Hall event.
THE WORLD’S STEEPEST RAILWAY: Marco and I have a shared fear of heights. On our weekend trip to the stunning Blue Mountains, we had a stop where we could choose to go 
through a part of the mountain on a cable car, or take a train, or both. Of course we both vehemently refused to get into a cable car, so we chose the train – both up and down the mountain. In hindsight, back up was worse than down, and they may both have been worse than the cable car. However, the view was absolutely breathtaking and we did it – that’s the best part! I know we will both want to go back for another visit before Marco’s finished here, it was so beautiful.
CHIP ON A STICK: I would be remiss if I did not mention the favorite food of the outdoor
market, the Chip on a Stick. I understand from a friend that they have these in the US as well, but I have never seen them in Canada. I’m sure we have them somewhere, but this was new to me and next to the ‘Poke Bowl’ that was offered by the food stand next to it, this was my favorite new food concept.
Now I could write more but as I’ll be repeating this journey numerous times over these next two years, I think it best that I save something to blog about later. I’m sad to head home, but I am looking forward to seeing my kids, my cats, my home (the other one) and I’m also very excited about planning my next trip to this wonderful place. I’ll really miss Marco but it I’ll spend the next three months having something very special to look forward to!
cindy rublee - living without beethoven 