Australia is often pictured as a hot, dry country. New Zealand also is often advertised as a tropical paradise. Well, New Zealand is warmer than Ireland, but it is definitely not hot there. As for Australia, it rained on our arrival there, and the early April (Autumn) temperatures were quite pleasant compared to early Autumn temperatures in Orlando, Florida. Anyway, April was still warm enough for a family with children camping in a tent on the coast between Brisbane and Sydney. Further inland and south, the nights can be unpleasantly chilly. Do not believe the myth of hot Australia, check the average high and low temperatures in the area which you want to visit.

Our trip started in the capital of New Zealand - Auckland. The airport is modern, clean, and compact. The baggage carts are free, unlike in Orlando.

This panorama of Auckland was taken from aboard Ted Ashby:

Ted Ashby is a scow belonging to the Maritime Museum. Here, the strongest passengers :-) help with the sails:

A view of Mount Maunganui city near Tauranga. The best sushi we had during the entire trip was in Tauranga.

Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland near Rotorua. Not as big and dramatic as Yellowstone, but quite interesting, nevertheless. Here is a picture of a beautiful amber lake:

...and a steaming lake with orange shallows:

Our first stop in Australia was Brisbane. Here seen from the top of Mt Coo-tha:

Distances from Brisbane:

The Streets Beach is a free public pool with "beach entry", in this case with real sand on the banks and on the bottom. The Streets Beach is located on the South Bank in the center of Brisbane:

Somewhere in Brisbane:

A koala in Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary in Brisbane. We tried to see a koala in the wild, but did not succeed. It is possible though, on some trails.

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary - feeding time for parrots:

Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary - roaming roos:

A word or two about restrooms. They are usually modern and clean in restaurants and shopping malls, and usually modern and foul at rest areas. Here is a picture of an otherwise great rest area on the way from Brisbane to Sydney:

Coffs Harbour in NSW, between Sydney and Brisbane is one of many picturesque towns with great beaches and hills in that area:

An approach to Sydney from the North.

The town square in a one year old Rouse Hill Shopping Centre in West Sydney. We liked this one especially for underground parking, which is under the whole area, creating a small, pedestrian friendly city on the surface. Apart from the usual shops, food court, restaurants, cinemas, the area also is a host to a community center with a library, and condominiums.

Many shopping centers in Australia house libraries and other community services. The library at the Rouse Hill Shopping Centre in Sydney:

Somewhere between Canberra and Adelaide:

A little known, but annoying fact about driving through outback between Sydney and Adelaide is the Fruit Fly Exclusion Zone. Passenger cars are inspected for fruits and some vegetables like tomatoes. All offending food must be eaten or thrown away before entering the zone. Fines apply otherwise. This is especially annoying if the goods have been purchased a short while earlier at a self-service stand like this:

Barbecues or "barbies" are a way of life in Australia. All camping grounds, and many public parks have them. Here is a shed with two modern barbies in a Holiday Park in Brisbane:

One very pleasant feature of many Australian parking lots is the shade provided by sails:

Here is a link to a company that makes such shades which interestingly has offices in Brisbane and Orlando: