60. Things to do in AUSTRALIA - Cairns and more fun activities at The Great Barrier Reef

WEBVTT

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I'm Johnny Mack and travel is back. So a change of plans this week.

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I hadn't intended on telling me about
Sydney, and I'm going to tell

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you about Sydney, but not this
week. I've had a shuffle the deck

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a little bit. Why because I've
been traveling and I'm quite a time to

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prepare the Sidney episode the way I
wanted. So let's stay up in Cairns,

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which is a beautiful place. And
I'm here on Australia dot Com and

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I'm going to crib off what they
want you to do. This article eight

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must do reef experiences near Cairns and
the Great Barrier Reef is just amazing.

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Discover a deserted island at vlassof Key. Where's this? A forty minute helicopter

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flight from Karns to of lassoft Key. Have you ever been in a helicopter.

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You would think it'd be like super
scary. I was really comfortable when

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I did it in Hawaii. It's
twenty five years ago. It's loud,

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but I felt pretty safe. A
day tour from Karens will begin with a

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helicopter ride to the breathtaking of lassof
Key. Who get to see the reef

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as you fly, before landing and
exploring the sandy inlet with snorkels and flippers,

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then take a seat on the sand
for gourmet picnic before being swept away

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back to Cairns. That sounds awesome. That's from Nautilus Aviation. Your highly

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skilled pilot will share their local knowledge
of the region while on the lookout for

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turtles, dolphins, manta Ray's large
school of pelagic fish, and even majestic

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humpback whales. A gourmet picnic hamper
with sparkling wine served under your private beach

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umbrella tops off this unique, once
in a lifetime experience. So what do

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you get? Forty minutes flying time, two hours at the key at,

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gourmet picnic, beach shares and umbrella, snorkeling equipment, a protective microsuit in

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the summer, in flight commentary headsets
with voice activated Mike's modern air conditioned helicopters.

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What should you bring? Camera,
amen, swimming costume, sunglasses,

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hat, towel, sunscreen SPF fifty
plus recommended, and a dry change of

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clothes, including a jumper in the
winter. If the helicopter is not your

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thing, how about we scope out
the reef from a submarine a forty five

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minute ferry ride from Karns to Fitzroy
Island. Australia dot com says, did

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you know you can explore the reef
without even getting wet? Hop into a

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three person mini submarine with Great Barrier
Reef Submarines. The sub launch a straight

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from the beach and you'll soon sink
below the surface to spot coral, colorful

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fish, sea turtles and more.
It's the perfect Great Barrier Reef experience for

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anybody who would rather stay dry.
I'm on the website here this looks awesome.

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Great Barrier Reef Submarine says our mini
subs were designed by Canadian engineer Rafe

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Fast. They work on an ambient
pressure design. The concept of the submarine

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is a pocket of air is trapped
inside the cockpit of the sub like an

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upside down cup traps air would pushed
underwater. The trapped air in the sub

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provides lift or buoyancy and safe breathing
air for the occupants. The air is

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replenished from the scuba tech supply keep
we get freshman breathable. This means the

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passengers sit in normal fresh air at
the same pressure as the water outside.

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The sub is open at the back
below the water line. Passengers enter the

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cockpit through the opening in the back
of the hull, guided by a safety

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diver and met inside by their pilot. Once inside, passengers sit on seats

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either side of the cockpit cabin.
Once inside, the pilot will give you

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a final safety briefing and introduce you
to the sights and sounds you can expect

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to hear during your underwater voyage.
Soon as you're comfortable to dive, will

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start. The suble descends slowly and
travel around the coral reef for approximately twenty

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minutes. Our pilot will provide an
expert and fun commentary of our marine environment.

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Your dive ins back at the beach. Pretty darn cool. Next up,

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stroll along the seabed. What do
you do? It's a forty five

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minute catamaran ride from Karns to Green
Island. Swap the snorkel for a diving

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helmet with the sea walker experience on
Green Island, a coral key offshore from

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Karns, visitors can walk along the
seafloor and a reef experience. Unlike any

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other, the diving helmet is connected
to the surface by an air hose,

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allowing you to comfortably breathe underwater.
You'll have understricted views of the stunning sea

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life hidden within the reef. The
experience is perfect for non swimmers of those

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who require glasses, as those can
be worn inside the helmet. That's kind

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of cool that it's just an air
hose. Now, when I went,

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I did I think technically it wasn't
scuba diving. But I had a tank

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on my back and I was at
the bottom of the seafloor and I wasn't

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connected to anything. Is that scuba
diving? I don't know. I think

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the Australians would say yes, and
the American regulatory people would be like,

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wait, you did what. I
don't know. I'm just telling you at

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a good time. But I do
remember the first time I stuck my head

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under the water with the breathing thing
in my mouth, you know, you

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stick the tube in your mouth.
I was like whoa, and then I

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had to like pop up. I
like kind of panicked a little bit,

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but then I got used in it
was no problem at all. It's really

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cool. So for the sea Walker
Adventure allows sixty minutes for your seawalker.

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You're underwater about fifteen to twenty minutes. I'm on the website. Here is

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they're showing kids doing it. Here's
a mom. Minimum age twelve years old,

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no upper age limit if you want
to bring grandma. How deep will

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we go? About five meters deep? What if it rains? Dude,

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we're underwater. Can you take your
camera or a GoPro? Nope, Due

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to safety procedures, you will be
unable to take a camera under water.

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However, a professional photographer will take
your photos and these will be available for

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purchase. Why don't we ride and
underwater scooter? Huh? What do you

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do with forty five minute camaran ride
from Karens to Green Island? Again?

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Scuba do get it. It's a
small motorized scooter with a large viewing dome

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that acts like a diving helmet and
it is supported by a float from the

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surface. This thing looks hilarious.
Looks like you're sitting on an exercise bike

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with a big giant submarine on your
head. Just to describe it. Climb

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in the scooter at the pontoon just
off the coasted Karens, put your head

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in the dome and off you go. Come eye to eye with minky whales

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where do you do this ribbon reef
on the outer edge of the Great Parry

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Reef. Every year between June and
August, a curious group of whales travel

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north to breed birth and swim in
the warm water off the Queensland Coast.

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Dwarf minky whales are incredibly playful and
inquisitive. You can book a snorkeling trip

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or a diving trip. That's pretty
cool. This next one's not for me.

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See the reef from a skydive.
No thank you. Other people much

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more courageous than I am, not
me. You bold folks can take a

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two hour driver shuttle bus from Karen's
to Mission Beach. You'll fly fifteen thousand

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feet above, then you skydive into
the reef. No thank you. Skydive

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dot Com as the info. The
saying crazy as a coconut has new meaning

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when a guydive lands you beside falling
cocos on Mission Beach. The exhilaration of

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this experience stands as a perfect contrast
to the pace of this village. I'm

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getting scared just looking at the pictures. Now. It looks like fun,

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but I'd rather watch your video of
it and just sit on the couch and

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not be absolutely terrified. I'm afraid
of things. Snorkel with spectacular marine life

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where More Reef Moore Reef. I'm
not doing a joke. They're More Reef

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on the outer edge of the Great
Barry Reef. If you're looking for a

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family adventure, Sun Lover's More Reef
Pontoon Tour is a mustering a visit to

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Karen's. You'll spend a full day
at more Reef, where the boat will

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dock next to a pontoon floating amid
a natural fish filled lagoon. Snorkel with

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a magnificent marine life, including turtles, clownfish. We're splashing on the crystal

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clear water from the Catmaran's spiraling water
slide. If you prefer see things in

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the land, check out the glass
bottom boat and touch tank presentations where kids

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can get up close to Australia's unique
marine species. You can set sail for

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Green Islands off the coast of Karen's
Ocean Free. It's the perfect stor for

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travelers who wanted all sailing, snorkeling, diving in More. If you're interested

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in diving a bit deeper, Ocean
Free offers both introductory and certified scuba diving,

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then enjoy swimming, sunbathing or walking
through the rainforest on Green Island.

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Did you know there is underwater art
at the Great Barrier Reef? That's right,

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the Museum of Underwater Art, submerged
in the shallows of Australia's Great Barrier

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Reef. The museum's mission is to
educate visitors on the UNESCO World Heritage Listed

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reef and highlight the need for conservation
and restoration efforts to help protect this precious

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ecosystem. The museum's first installation,
Ocean Siren, a statue of a female

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figure. It open in twenty nineteen. It stands in the shallow foreshow waters

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off Townsville, so you can see
the free public artwork at any time when

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visiting the city. The second artwork, Coral Greenhouse, open in twenty twenty.

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That's on the ocean floor sixty feet
below sea level at John Brewer Reef,

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two hours by boat off the coast
of Townsville. The museum has more

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installations plan, including artworks on Palm
Island and Magnetic Island. Can I Interest

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you in a River Drift? An
amazing eco immersion adventure that's different every time

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it's swimming, snorkeling, floating,
and a rainforest walk all combined in the

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best rainforest experiences in the region.
So what we're gonna do here is we're

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gonna drift down the river with a
snorkel and stare at the marine life under

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the surface. Now I have some
faques for you. Let's get to the

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big one. What about crocodiles.
Well, nice folks at backcountry bliss dot

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com say you should always be croc
wise and croc country good advices Johnny mac.

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That is why you can rest assured
that their tour operates in a very

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safe croc free stretch of water.
Crocodiles use the water sun and shade to

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maintain their preferred body temperature at thirty
to thirty three celsius. Where they swim,

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it's too cold, it's sixteen to
twenty two. It's too shaded for

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the crocodiles. The cool water is
one reason they provide you with a fashionable

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wet suit to use during your tour. Now, if you want to go

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see crocs, you take a wildlife
cruise on the Dane Tree River, which

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is not this river, and it's
always fun to do some shopping, put

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on some comfortable shoes. Spend the
day visiting Kirn's shopping centers, discount outlets

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and souvenir shops. If you're a
lover of antiques or retro you'll often find

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both special pieces and quirky find to
the vintage shops and secondhand stores and Karns

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and many of the region's towns.
Put one of tropical North Queensland's markets on

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your visit list too. From the
well established Rusties and Karens, we can

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shop for dinner, buy a new
outfit and have a massage, all under

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one roof. To the eclectic Port
Douglas markets. If you're shopping for gifts

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or something take home. Keep an
eye out for unique artists and food products

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such as chocolate made from locally grown
cacao, tropical flute liqueurs, and vanilla

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and tea grown in the Dane Tree. That's a quick look at Kirns up

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by the Great Barry Reef. I
highly recommend you do the Reef and whether

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it's the stuff in this episode or
the ones in the previous episodes, it's

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a great reason check out the previous
episode about Coranda and then if my own

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travel settles down I can spend some
time actually writing the Sydney episode next week.

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Take a look at me. I
can't wait to tell you about the

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Sydney Harbor Bridge climb, one of
my favorite things I did my entire life.

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Travel is back