In 2009, before Lucas and Henry, Michael and Judy took an amazing trip to Australia and New Zealand with Judy’s parents Richard and Lois. The trip started in Sydney Australia where we boarded a cruise ship for a two-week cruise to Australia and New Zealand.
Ten years earlier, Judy traveled to Australia to study abroad. She backpacked in New Zealand for a few weeks with her brother Sam before heading to Wollongong to study for four months. She always knew she wanted to go back someday.
Australia and New Zealand are on our list for places to travel with the boys. It will be a while before we get there, but it is still in the plans.
We got to see a variety and amazing scenery while on the cruise. We stopped in Melbourne, Tasmania, Christs Church, and Wellington.
Cruising is not for everyone, but we enjoyed the cruises we have taken. We are not planning to cruise again if the cruise industry ever recovers, but we are glad we took the cruises that we did take.
Cruising is a good option if you do not want to have to do a lot of planning, or packing and unpacking. Cruising is also good if you are trying to see a lot in a short amount of time.
Cruising is not a good option if you want to immerse yourself in the culture of the place you are going. Cruise ports are often tourist traps that do not capture the vitality and personality of a country. Also, you are not in a place long enough to learn much about it.
After the cruise back in 2009, we went to Melbourne for a week to watch the Australian Open. We watched Federer, Nedal, Isner, Serena, and many more great tennis players. It was hot that week, but worth sweating for.
Traveling has always been important to us. We knew it was going to be a big part of our lives, even after we had kids. This trip to Australia and New Zealand was the last big travel adventure before our parenting adventure. We remember it fondly and we can’t wait to get back to Australia and New Zealand with Lucas and Henry.
