One Particular Harbour (by Jimmy Buffett)

When I got my NWA Frequent Flyer number, I remember thinking that I was going to continue to save up all my miles until I finally had enough for a free trip to Australia. There was nowhere in the world I wanted to visit more, and this was my ultimate dream trip that was finally going to become a reality. That was back in 1986 when I was 8 years old. Last month that dream became a reality … 20 years later!
I was on the plane from Singapore to Sydney when I finally saw it. I remember looking out the window of the plane and seeing the vast expanse of ocean that separates Indonesia from the land down under, returning to my movie that I was watching, and looking out the window a short while later to see land … the land I’d been longing to see for over 20 years. I was finally looking upon Australia with my own eyes. And that’s when it hit me like a freight train … this was more than a visit to a new country, more than a visit to a new continent, more than a holiday, more than a ministry, more than the opportunity to see my parents for the first time in over five months … this was a dream come true! Those don’t happen every day.
Leaving my movie behind, I sat there staring out the window in complete awe. I was looking upon the Outback with my own two eyes. Little could compare to what my heart and mind were experiencing at that moment. I was truly on the far side of the world, and there was nowhere I wanted to be more! What I didn’t know was that this was only the beginning of how God was going to bless me over the next month.
When I landed, I picked up my bags and went through customs. On the other side, I was greeted by my dad and mom, holding a balloon that said, “Welcome to Australia” with a cartoon koala and kangaroo in front of the Sydney Opera House. Having not seen them in over five months, I was greeted with the best hugs I can remember ever having! After getting a piece of luggage I had accidentally left on the airplane, we hopped into the car and began to drive around Sydney.
Having been to Sydney enough times to know the streets better than some locals, the next few days were spent with my parents acting as my own personal tour guides. We took a cruise on the Sydney Harbour, past the Sydney Opera House, under the Harbour Bridge, and around to various parts of Sydney for some unique views of the area. We drove west into the Blue Mountains and drove through some great little towns and saw some amazing views on some small hikes. And we drove along the coast and checked out Bondi Beach where I bought the surfboard and wetty I’ve been wanting for so many years. We took my new set to Manly Beach where I got to head out and catch a few waves on my new stick. It was cold, but well worth it!
While we were in Sydney we also connected with an old friend of mine a couple times. After I was on the expedition in Indonesia back in 1999, one of the members and I managed to keep occasional contact via email. I remembered that several years ago she was living somewhere in Oz, so I sent her an email to see if she was still there and living anywhere near where I was traveling. Sure enough, she’s been living in Sydney and we were able to reconnect. It was so much fun getting to reminisce and catch up with someone who had actually been a part of that chapter of my life.
From Sydney, my parents and I flew down to Melbourne (pronounced Melbun … don’t judge, look how we pronounce Las Angeles) where, for the first time ever, my mom, dad, and I all worked and even spoke at the same conference. Granted, my time speaking was about ten minutes long to a group of about 20 whereas my mom spoke for closer to a half an hour to a group of 100+ and my dad spoke a number of times for up to 45 minutes each time to groups of around 1000. But still, we were all there, all working, and all speaking. My main job was to set up a table to promote the Ethno-Tours I’ve been a part of for the past five months. The hope is to grow awareness in Oz of what God is doing through these Ethno-Tours and get some churches to send some groups. This would bring more tourists which would allow access to more islands, homes, and lives as well as potentially provide more year-round trips instead of being limited to the U.S. summers. Time will tell if the Holy Spirit moves through anyone I came in contact with.
While in Melbourne, I got to spend some long overdue quality time with my parents, perfect my left-side driving skills, make some new friends, and reunite with some old ones. A classmate of mine from Bethel is now living in Melbourne with her husband (also a Bethel graduate). Not only did I get advice as to where to go and what to do while there, I also was given a free place to stay after my parents left. I left Oz for New Zealand five days after my parents headed back to the states, so this was a great chance to hang out with some old friends, get to know some of their friends and local hang-out spots, and see more of Melbourne and the surrounding area.
My time in Melbourne was really pretty busy and fun. One of the stops we made was at an animal sanctuary. I got to cozy up with a lovable wallaby and get up close and personal with kangaroo, echidnas, koalas, wombats, at a plethora of other animals known only to Oz. I hung out in the CBD (Central Business District) with a handful of times, including once with a Welch friend I made while rock climbing in Chiang Mai and also hung out with in Singapore for a day or two. I even established my own little hangout spot that has the BEST kangaroo fillets EVER! Hands down my new favorite meal!!!
Before I left Oz, I took a little over a day to drive out west for a night so I could spend my final day driving the Great Ocean Road. On this drive, I not only saw some of the most beautiful coastline I’ve ever seen with my own two eyes, but I also made some new friends from America that I kept running into and eventually hung out with for the better part of the day. It was really nice to have someone to share the experience with.
Sadly, after that day it was time to get on yet another plane and fly east to Auckland. Sure, it was bittersweet because you can’t get too upset at the reality of flying to New Zealand, but leaving Oz was one of the harder experiences of my life. The fact of the matter is, it was easier to board the plane to the land of the kiwis knowing that I was stopping back in Oz in a connection on my way back to Singapore. What was difficult was deciding whether or not to get back on that plane from Sydney to Singapore two weeks later. I sincerely weighed my options and came to the conclusion that God has put two key elements in my life to return to MN to that were worth getting back on that plane. Otherwise, I’d be writing this from somewhere in the land Down Under right now.