I didn’t imagine it would happen so soon. I did not believe that before my thirty years I would have been able to crown one of my most ambitious travel dreams: Australia .
So, not even the time to come back from Mexico , which I face one of my biggest adventures. The furthest place on the planet earth I’ve ever been to.
For this incredible opportunity and experience I have to thank the Australian Tourist Board and Qatar Airways that selected me to tell you some of the most incredible destinations on the land of marsupials.
I won’t hide the fact that the journey was really long, with as many as 4 flights in total to reach the capital: Canberra.
I arrive with a first approach flight to Milan, where I meet the rest of the team.
It is time for dinner when we embark in the direction of Doha (the capital of Qatar).
Fortunately there is a great and super pleasant surprise waiting for us: WE WILL fly in Business Class !
The business class of Qatar Airways is the number 1 in the world and I won’t hide that even based on direct experience it’s the best I’ve ever flown in terms of services and comfort.
On the Doha – Sydney route we also had the pleasure of experimenting with Q Suites . Real “rooms” with a door, where you can have your privacy and relax to the fullest.
I came from very intense days (Milan, Mexico, Milan without practically passing home and with a super bronchite on charge), so it was really a blessing to be able to rest and sleep.
Furthermore the Q Suites are “modular”, so if you are traveling as a couple or as a family, there is the possibility of combining the units and creating an even larger space. Like a small house.
The last flight, after more than 24 hours of travel, will take us from Sydney to Canberra. But then I will also let you discover the incredible business class experienced on the way back.
Canberra is the “ideal city” , created to be perfectly on a human scale, as well as the first leg of our journey.
Very few cities in the course of human history have been built for a very specific goal.
In 1908 the Australian government decided to create a capital for its state.
A new city, born in a strategic point of the hinterland. The place where aboriginal tribes used to meet.
The architects who designed it created a true masterpiece of garden city , so much so that Canberra won the title of “bush capital”.
By bush we mean the green spot where the very precious animal species of the Australian territory are hiding.
The most precious asset, more than infinite diamonds, is the natural heritage.
Believe me, I’ve never seen so many amazing animal species (totally different from those seen in the rest of the world).
But what surprised me most of all was to find out that the inhabitants number one of the city are precisely the kangaroos . You will find them crossing the street and in the spots close to it waiting, dozing, for the sunset.
A museum, among the most important in the state , to understand the origins of these lands and beyond.
Here is where to admire one of the priceless works: Blue Poles: Number 11, 1952, a dripping painting by Jackson Pollock ; and then Monet, Andy Warhol and much more including an evocative memorial dedicated to the first inhabitants of these lands.
The complex is divided into 4 large exhibition areas: Aboriginal, European, Asian and international art.
When I received the travel program from the Tourist Authority I discovered that some of my old dreams would come true.
A balloon flight was in my To do list practically forever.
So, in a late summer morning (in March in Australia, autumn comes) we woke up at 4 to be able to admire a show that absolutely paid off for us.
Balloon Aloft Canberra flies over the capital almost daily in the first hours of daylight.
The feeling is that of floating gently in the air in a wicker basket that looks at a city, a huge garden.
The tour lasted about an hour, but I would have done it again a thousand times.
At the end we return to one of the most luxurious hotels to complete the ritual: cin cin with a glass of champagne. It is for tradition!
There is no need to drive much to find yourself completely immersed in the most incredible nature and to identify yourself with one of those films that we have all seen on Australia.
I warn you that this is where I felt my eyes become shiny from the beauty I was seeing.
In the company of Canberra Urban Adventures we went inland.
Boundless green hills that look to the skyline of the Capital, where you can admire kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, emus and many animal species that will continue to ask yourself: what is it?
Right at the end of our bike tour (my first time with an electric bike) comes the biggest surprise.
In front of my eyes a kangaroo mom with a baby in his pouch.
They both stared at me, a little frightened, lent themselves to a few shots before running off and leaving me speechless.
Filled with enthusiasm, I confessed what I had seen to my traveling companions (only two of us had this great fortune). Even the guide was astonished, very rare to observe a mother with her baby, born but still on her lap.
Here, moreover, is where the whispers of the stars are heard; there is indeed one of the largest NASA observatories in the world .
Canberra is a truly extensive city in the area but with a car you can turn it without ever finding traffic or parking difficulties.
Some fast but necessary stops to better understand the city from a historical / cultural point of view are a must.
The parliament that stands out against the city is also clearly visible from Mt Ainslie Lookout, a hill to admire Canberra in its entirety and understand how green is the prevailing color .
Australian War Memorial is another must-see stop. Dedicated to all the Australian warriors who fell in battle, it is a place very much felt by the locals.
Close early so always check the times!
Canberra is a young city, the future is perceived in the air and the present marked by always giving the best.
Some of the unmissable addresses?
Grazie Canberra per questo primo indimenticabile assaggio di Australia, ma il viaggio prosegue verso la Great Ocean Road e Melbourne!
