| MY TRIP DOWN UNDER: December 24, 2006 - January 26, 2007 | |
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Pictured on the lower left was the flight plan for my 34 day journey which took me half way around the world and safely back again. It was a fantastic vacation taking me nearly 11,000 miles from home, the highlights of which can be found on this web page. All of the images below are thumbnails and can be clicked on for a larger image. Drag the mouse across an image for a description. The movies found here are very large files and not recommended for those without a broadband connection. You can click on the links on the lower right to zero in on a particular day of the trip. | |
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Dec 26: Grand Canyon/Monument Valley Dec 29: Sydney, Australia Dec 30: Blue Mountains, Australia Dec 31: Sydney & Zoo/Antarctica Jan 1: Antarctica/Sydney Tower Jan 2: Sydney Harbour & Manly Jan 3: Sydney Aquarium & WildLife World Jan 4: Hobart & Mount Wellington Jan 5: Port Arthur, Tasmania Jan 7: Huon Valley, Tasmania Jan 8: Bruny Island, Tasmania Jan 9: Southwest & Mount Field National Parks Jan 10: Melbourne, Australia Jan 11: Great Ocean Road, Australia Jan 12: Melbourne/Yarra River Jan 13: Christchurch, New Zealand Jan 14: Akaroa, New Zealand Jan 15: Arthur's Pass/Alpine Jet Jan 16: Shanty Town/Franz Josef Glacier Jan 17: Glaciers/Coast Highway/Haast/Jackson Bay Jan 18: Mount Aspring National Park/Lake Wanaka Jan 19: Milford Sound, New Zealand Jan 20: Queenstown, New Zealand Jan 21: Queenstown, New Zealand Jan 22: Cromwell/Glenorchy/Dart River Jan 23: Wellington, New Zealand Jan 24: Taupo, New Zealand Jan 25: Rotorua, New Zealand Jan 26: Auckland, New Zealand |
The slide show will open in a new window. Simply close the new window to return to this page. | |
 The movies on this web site are best viewed with Windows Media Player 10, click HERE to download. | |
 The movies on this web site are high quality wide screen movies. For those with slower connections you can also find the movies on You Tube by clicking HERE. | |
The entire 34 day trip is displayed on this one page.
To break the trip into easier to download smaller pages, CLICK HERE.
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 24, 2006:
My departure from Indianapolis was three hours late as my first flight was canceled due to mechanical problems.
My rerouted flight took me through Chicago and then into Las Vegas arriving shortly before midnight.
MONDAY, DECEMBER 25, 2006:
I spent Christmas day wandering about the strip and doing a little gambling.
I didn't win anything but didn't lose much either.
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13 minute movie filmed on the Las Vegas strip. Includes Christmas Fountain Show at Bellagio's. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 26, 2006:
Shortly after sunrise I flew out of the Boulder City Airport bound for the Grand Canyon.
It was a beautiful morning. Shortly after take off we had nice views of Hoover Dam.
After landing at the Grand Canyon Airport it was off the Bright Angel Lodge
where we had one hour to spend on the rim of the canyon.
It was back in the air after the Grand Canyon as we flew off to Monument Valley.
On the way we had spectacular views of the Grand Canyon, Glen Canyon and Lake Powell.
We got nice views of Rainbow Bridge & Monument Valley before landing at the small Monument Valley Airport.
After lunch at Goulding's we had a nice two hour tour of Monument Valley.
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17 minute movie filmed on the ground and in the air of The Grand Canyon and Monument Valley. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 27, 2006:
I drove to Los Angeles late morning. My Qantas Airways flight to Sydney, Australia left LAX at 10:30pm.
Thursday, December 28 did not exist as I lost that day crossing the international dateline on the 15 hour flight.
FRIDAY, DECEMBER 29, 2006:
My flight landed at the Sydney International Airport at 8:15am. I arrived at my hotel, the Swissotel at 10:00am.
The hotel under the Sydney Tower was conveniently located right in the center of the city.
After getting settled at my accommodations I walked all around the city.
I spent a lot of time around the harbour viewing the iconic Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House.
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10 minute movie filmed in downtown Sydney and along the harbour. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2006:
It was a two hour trip by train on City Rail to Katoomba and the Blue Mountains.
I arrived in Katoomba at 10:30am and road the Hop-On, Hop-Off Explorer Bus to Scenic World.
I road all the attractions at Scenic World: Skyway, Railway and Cableway.
In my opinion this is a lot of equipment to view what can be seen better for free at Echo Point.
The Railway and Cableway are said to be "the steepest in the known world."
It wasn't a very nice day. It never rained, but it was hazy and mostly cloudy with only a few peaks of sun.
First two pictures are from Echo Point & The Three Sisters and the latter from bush walks extending from there.
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4 minute movie filmed at Scenic World and Echo Point in the Blue Mountains of Australia. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2006:
I began New Year's Eve by walking over to Darling Harbor and catching a Matilda Ferry to the Taronga Zoo.
What makes the Sydney Zoo special is the fantastic setting. Built right on the Sydney Harbour overlooking the city.
It was back on the Matilda Ferry after the zoo making a stop at Luna Park on the way back to Darling Harbor.
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9 minute movie filmed from a Matilda Ferry on the Sydney Harbour and at the Taronga Zoo. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
After returning from my morning activities it was time to head for the airport for my flight to Antarctica.
Fellow passenger Christy poses with a penquin at gate 7 as we waited to board our Qantas 747.
Plenty of leg room at seat 1A as we fly over the Great Southern Ocean prior to arriving at the Continent.
There was great excitement as we flew over the Antarctic coast and saw huge massive icebergs floating out to sea.
Captain Dennis lowered the plane to around 10,000 feet and we flew figure eights over the continent for four hours.
In the first picture below the cone shaped mountain behind the huge massive glacier is Mount Melbourne.
In the last picture below you can see the two ice runways of one of the bases on Antarctica.
MONDAY, JANUARY 1, 2007:
We toasted champagne at midnight, the band played Auld Lang Syne & the flight continued over the ice until 2:00am.
Words can't describe this experience.
After over 12 hours in the air we returned to where we started as the sun rose over Sydney.
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21 minute movie filmed on a Qantas 747 above the continent of Antarctica on New Year's Eve. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
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27 minute movie filmed on a Qantas 747 above the continent of Antarctica on New Year's Eve. Same movie as above with added still image slide show and enhanced video quality. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
After a few hours nap I walked across the street to the Sydney Tower where I captured the photos below.
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7 minute movie filmed on top of the Sydney Tower, on the Sydney Harbour and in Manly. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
TUESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2007:
Tuesday morning I took Harbour Jet from Darling Harbor to Rose Bay where I took a scenic float plane flight.
Fantasic views of Sydney from 1000 feet above the harbour.
Tuesday afternoon I took the ferry over to Manly and that night I got some night shots from Circular Quay.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 3, 2007:
My original plans for Wednesday were canceled so I visited the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife World instead.
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9 minute movie filmed entirely inside the Sydney Aquarium and WildLife World. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2007:
After six great days in Sydney it was time to move on to Tasmania. I arrived in Hobart late Thursday morning.
I stayed at the Grand Chancellor Hotel on the harbour. Mount Wellington is pictured below on the right.
I drove to the summit of Mount Wellington Thursday afternoon for sweeping views of the area.
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6 minute movie filmed along Hobart's Harbour and atop Mount Wellington. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
FRIDAY, JANUARY 5, 2007:
I took a cruise down to historic Port Aurthur on Friday morning.
Many beautiful sea cliffs as we neared Port Aurthur.
The Ruins of Port Aurthur used to harbor some of Australia's worst criminal offenders.
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11 minute movie filmed on my cruise down the Derwent River and at Historic Port Arthur. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
SATURDAY, JANUARY 6, 2007:
I spent all day Saturday in downtown Hobart as it rained all day.
SUNDAY, JANUARY 7, 2007:
Sunday I drove south of Hobart into the Huon Valley. My first stop was Huon Jet.
The pictures below were taken by the Huon Jet staff of our actual trip.
I drove further south from Huonville to the Tahune Forest Reserve and Airwalk.
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10 minute movie filmed in the Huon Valley including the Tahune Forest Reserve and Airwalk. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 2007:
Monday's trip to Bruny Island was a bit of a disappointment. I elected to take the tour bus down to the island.
That was a mistake. The bus was slow, making the trip down and back way longer than it needed to be.
The sea was so rough you couldn't even steady your camera to take a picture. Plus it was bitter cold.
The rough sea was kind of fun making it a bit of an adventure, but it also cut the trip way short.
The rough sea did create a nice blow hole which you can see in the center picture below.
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5 minute movie filmed on my scenic cruise along the coast of Tasmania's Bruny Island. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
TUESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2007:
On my last day in Tasmania Par Avion flew me to the Southwest World Heritage National Park.
On the way we got nice views of Hobart, Federation Peak and Bathurst Harbour.
After landing at the Bathurst Harbour landing strip with took a boat cruise on the harbour.
After the boat cruise is was back on the airplane for the return flight to Hobart.
This time instead of the inland mountain route we return via the Southwest coast on the Southern Ocean.
We also flew over Bruny Island and the Ironpot Lighthouse where I had been on previous days.
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15 minute movie filmed in the air and on the ground on my trip to Tasmania's Bathurst Harbour. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
After the air tour I drove northwest of Hobart to Mount Field National Park.
There I saw Horseshoe Falls and Russell Falls.
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3 minute movie of Tasmania's Mount Field National Park. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 10, 2007:
It was a quick flight to Melbourne on Virgin Blue Airlines on Wednesday morning.
After getting settled in my hotel I walked down Collins Street to the Rialto Tower.
The shots below were taken from the highest observation deck in the Southern Hemisphere.
Next I took a walk around Melbourne mainly along the Yarra River.
THURSDAY, JANUARY 11, 2007:
It was a long drive out to The Great Ocean Road from Melbourne but the sights were worth the effort.
Our first scenic stops were Torquay, the world famous surfing spot and then the beautiful Bells Beach.
We saw lots of Koala bears along the Great Ocean Road. They are not a very lively critter.
We also made a short stop at Apollo Bay.
Of course the highlight of the day was when we finally got to the 12 Apostles.
I went up in a helicopter to capture the views below.
It was only a ten minute flight but the views were fantastic.
Back on the ground we visited Loch Ard Gorge and London Bridge.
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7 minute movie filmed along Australia's Great Ocean Road. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
FRIDAY, JANUARY 12, 2007:
I spent my last day in Australia in downtown Melbourne. I took a Melbourne River Cruise up and down the Yarra River.
After my cruise I took a walk through Queen Victoria Gardens.
Also on the grounds of Queen Victoria Gardens is the Shrine of Remembrance.
After an entertainment break at the Crown Entertainment Complex I went back up the Rialto Tower at dusk.
Melbourne is a beautiful city after the sun goes down as well.
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8 minute movie filmed from Melbourne's Yarra River and Queen Victoria Gardens. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
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12 minute slide show movie of the places I visited during my 15 days in Australia. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
SATURDAY, JANUARY 13, 2007:
After fifteen fantastic days in Australia it was time to move on to New Zealand on Saturday.
I flew Jetstar Airways from Melbourne's International Airport to Christchurch's International Airport.
It was a gloomy afternoon but not enough rain to prevent me from walking around the city.
My Hotel, Rydges, was just off Cathedral Square, the focal point of this small city.
The beautiful Avon River runs through downtown Christchurch.
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6 minute movie filmed in Christchurch, New Zealand. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
SUNDAY, JANUARY 14, 2007:
My hot air balloon trip across the Canterbury Plain was canceled due to heavy fog Sunday morning.
The fog cleared off late morning and I made my way down to the Christchurch Gondola.
After the gondola I drove about 80 kilometers southeast of Christchurch to Akaroa.
As I came through Hilltop there was a spectacular view of Akaroa Harbour.
I took a Blackcat Cruise from Akaroa. We saw lots of wildlife such as dolphins, seals, penquins and other birds.
In addition to the wildlife the scenery was stunning as well.
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7 minute movie filmed during my cruise of Akaroa Harbour. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
MONDAY, JANUARY 15, 2007:
Monday was a very fun day crossing the Canterbury Plain and then the Southern Alps via Arthur's Pass.
My first stop was just outside Springfield, New Zealand at the Alpine Jet along the Waimakariri River.
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10 minute movie filmed on my jet boat ride down the Waimakariri River through the Southern Alps of New Zealand. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
The jetboat was a blast, flying down the river with the mountains towering above us.
The bright sunshine and cloudless sky is something they had not seen here in a while.
After crossing Arthur's Pass I went through the scenic Otira Viaduct.
I ended the day in Greymouth on New Zealand's west coast.
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7 minute movie of my road trip across New Zealand's Arthur's Pass and through the Otira Viaduct. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 2007:
Before leaving Greymouth I spent some time at Shanty Town just outside the city.
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5 minute movie of historic Shanty Town outside of Greymouth, New Zealand. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
It was a very gloomy day as I traveled south of Greymouth to Franz Josef Glacier.
The weather prevented me from taking the heli-hike that I had planned for the afternoon.
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 17, 2007:
First thing Wednesday morning I went up in a helicopter for fantastic views of the glaciers and mountains.
The first thing we did was fly up the face of Franz Josef Glacier.
Once on top there were fantastic views of many mountain peaks of the Southern Alps.
After landing on the top of Fox Glacier we flew down the face of it and back over to Franz Josef Glacier for landing.
After the helicopter flight I walked around Lake Matheson and then walked to the face of Fox Glacier.
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9 minute movie of New Zealand's Franz Josef Glacier and Fox Glacier. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
That afternoon it was a very scenic drive down the west coast of New Zealand on Highway 6.
There were many nice views of the Tasman Sea.
After checking into my motel in Haast I drove down to Jackson Bay.
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7 minute movie of my road trip down the west coast of New Zealand. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 2007:
I began my day Thursday in Mount Aspring National Park.
The pictures below are Thunder Falls, The Gates of Haast and Fantail Falls.
Highway 6 left the coast at Haast and headed inland but the scenery continued to be fantastic.
After leaving Mount Aspring National Park the road continued past beautiful Lake Wanaka.
As I neared Queenstown the road went through the scenic Kawarau Gorge.
After arriving in Queenstown I road the Skyline Gondola for nice views of The Remarkables and Lake Wakatipu.
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5 minute movie of my journey from Haast to Queenstown, New Zealand. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
FRIDAY, JANUARY 19, 2007:
This was probably the most disappointing day of the trip, my journey to Milford Sound.
The weather down and back was not bad, but the weather at Milford Sound was awful.
You couldn't even see Mitre Peak and the other beautiful mountains surrounding the sound.
I was also supposed to fly back but beacuse of the weather it was another LONG five hours back to Queenstown.
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6 minute movie of New Zealand's Milford Sound. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
SATURDAY, JANUARY 20, 2007:
On and off showers on Saturday kind of hampered my planned activities.
I spent the day in and around Queenstown.
It was fun watching folks far braver than I jump off the Kawarau Bridge into the canyon below.
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13 minute movie of attractions in and around Queenstown, New Zealand. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
SUNDAY, JANUARY 21, 2007:
I battled the weather once again on Sunday. My first activity of the day was the Shotover Jet.
I also spent some time in downtown Queenstown.
I should have canceled this helicopter flight due to the bad weather.
MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 2007:
I began my last day on the South Island driving around Central Otego.
From Cromwell it was a very scenic drive to Glenorchy.
It was a very windy drive between Queenstown and Glenorchy but the scenery was spectacular.
Once in Glenorchy I went on a four hour Dart River Safari.
This is the area where The Lord of the Rings was filmed along with a lot of other movies.
I returned to Queenstown on the same scenic road after the safari.
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16 minute movie of journey to and from Glenorchy, New Zealand including my jetboat trip on the Dart River. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 2007:
On Tuesday I flew from Queenstown to Wellington with a brief stop in Christchurch to change planes.
After my arrival in Wellington, the nation's capitol, I took a walk around the city.
Wellington is known for its really bad weather, but it was a pretty nice day when I was there.
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2 minute movie from a hilltop in Wellington, New Zealand. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 24, 2007:
Wednesday I traveled to Taupo. It rained pretty much all day.
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5 minute movie of Taupo, New Zealand including Huka Falls. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
THURSDAY, JANUARY 25, 2007:
I began my Thursday at Wai-O-Tapu, the thermal wonderland.
It was a short drive to Rotorua where I would spend my last night in New Zealand.
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15 minute movie of Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland and Rototua, New Zealand. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
FRIDAY, JANUARY 26, 2007:
It rained hard most of the way to Auckland, but once I arrived it cleared up.
I drove to downtown and went up the Sky Tower before heading to the airport for my flight back home.
It was a fantastic 34 days and I am now looking forward to June and my cruise to Alaska.
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2 minute movie filmed from the top of Auckland, New Zealand's Sky Tower. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
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15 minute slide show movie of the places I visited during my 2 week stay in New Zealand. Click on the links to view or right click and select "save target as" to download. |
| CANON DIGITAL REBEL XTi |  10.1 mega pixels Large 2.5 inch LCD monitor Fast 3 frames per secnd shooting High precision, wide area 9-point autofocus system Integrated Cleaning System featuring a Self Cleaning Sensor Unit Fully compatible with over 60 EF and EF-S Lenses |
Body Only (Silver) Black with 18-55mm Lens Silver with 18-55mm Lens 17-85mm Lens with Stabilizer 10-22mm Ultra Wide Zoom Lens 55-200mm Zoom Lens |
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Lens used were Canon's EF-S 17-85, EF-S 10-22 and EF 55-200. | |
| TIM'S HOME PAGE SITE INDEX | ||
|---|---|---|
| Areas | Description | # of Pages |
| About Me | Current Picture of me and my home. Information about myself. | 2 |
| Biography | Pictorial biography of myself. Pictures range from birth to adulthood. | 4 |
| Elton John Page | Pictures, Midi, Links & More. | 1 |
| Family File | Pictures of my family and a little information about them. | 11 |
| Local Spotlight | Pictures, Links, and Information for Indianapolis, Richmond, Plainfield, and Mooresville, Indiana. | 5 |
| On The Road | Pictures from my travels around the world. | 43+ |
| TV Showcase | Over 750 television series. Links to all television networks. Purchase TV books and videos! Endless television resources! | 1500+ |
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