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Australia and New Zealand

Travel Insurance

It seems my clients are divided into separate camps when it comes to trip insurance. They either ask me about it before I even mention it, they consider it carefully, or decline firmly when I offer. However, I want clients to realize that they’ve made an investment and it should be protected. I have to admit, at first glance travel … Continue reading »

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Random thoughts about Australia and New Zealand

I ordered a ham sandwich at Subway and they looked at me like I’d lost my mind when I asked for American cheese. Apparently they call it “tasty” cheese. Kangaroo steak is really good. Australians are extremely friendly and they really like Americans. Why is Coke so much? A 16 ounce bottle is $3.50. Everyone … Continue reading »

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October 26, 2009 Sydney, Australia

The rain followed us to Sydney, so we saw most of the sights in the rain. I was excited to see the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We had some good food, took in some fun museums (the Maritime Museum and Powerhouse Museum), and hung out at Dymocks Bookstore while it poured outside. We took … Continue reading »

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October 23, 2009 Milford Sound, New Zealand

We drove from Queenstown to Milford Sound, which is considered one of the most beautiful drives in the world. The 3.5 hour drive was full of mountains, valleys, waterfalls, rivers, one lane bridges, and a massive yet ancient tunnel. My husband had a lot of fun driving on the wrong side of the car, on … Continue reading »

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October 21, 2009 Queenstown, New Zealand

Our pictures of New Zealand will not do it justice. We’re staying right on Lake Wakatipu with gorgeous views of the lake and mountains. Their ski season ended last week, but there’s still snow on the mountains. Queenstown is fairly small and we’ve walked everywhere. This area is surrounded by adventure sports – bungee jumping … Continue reading »

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Australia by the Numbers

2 – Number of times I was questioned by the police 4 – Number of flights between Des Moines and Melbourne 8 – Days it has rained (out of 9 days) 17 – Hour time difference 27 – Total hours of travel time between Des Moines and Melbourne

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October 18, 2009 Phillip Island, Australia

We picked up our campervan and drove to Phillip Island. The drive was gorgeous – lots of green hills, sheep, cows, ocean, and of course, rain. My husband was nervous about driving on the wrong side of the road on the wrong side of the car, but he was great. Phillip Island is about 2 … Continue reading »

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October 14, 2009 Melbourne, Australia

We finally arrived! We left Des Moines at 4:30 on Monday afternoon and arrived in Melbourne at 11:30am on Wednesday morning. The first thing we did was visit the Old Melbourne Gaol, a jail dating back to the 1840s. The cells were really small and it was unnerving to see the gallows where 135 prisoners … Continue reading »

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