Insights from Down Under – by Guy Maddalone
G’day! Last month I was fortunate enough to spend two weeks in Australia and New Zealand. I wanted to share my experiences with you.
My daughter Elise began college this summer, studying pre-med at Northeastern University in Boston. She decided to spend her first semester abroad in Melbourne, Australia with a group of other NU students. My wife Diane, my youngest son Jeffrey, and I had the opportunity to visit her and see other parts of the country, along with a side trip to New Zealand.
Among the sites we visited was the famous Sydney Opera House, which we toured and learned how proud the Australians are of such a beautiful structure. We also attended an opera there – it happened to be the opening night of Evita, featuring Tina Arena, a very well-known Australian-Italian soprano. It was amazing to see and hear an opera in that opera house.
We also climbed to the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, one of only a few bridges in the world that people are permitted to climb. We scaled it to 400 feet above the road and saw breathtaking views of the city. But the most amazing part was that we met a man visiting Sydney from our hometown! He is a sports medicine doctor who was there for an Australian triathlon and it turned out we had a few mutual friends. Even with Albany being the relatively small town that it is, it seems that no matter where I travel, I run into someone within two degrees of separation from me.
We then visited Elise in Melbourne. It was wonderful to see her for the first time in more than two months. Most importantly, she looked happy, healthy, and much more independent. We toured Melbourne’s art scene, shops, cafes, museums, St. Kilda Pier, and the zoo. It was great to spend time with our daughter again. We took her and her three roommates out to dinner. Her roommates were from Orange County, CA, Manhattan, and Pittsburgh. They’re all good kids who definitely appreciated the meal, and visiting with parents from the U.S.
While in Melbourne, we all stopped in to see Louise Dunham, owner of Placement Solutions, a household employment agency and member of INA. When we arrived at the agency, she was finishing a call with a government official regarding a reduction in childcare subsidies for families making over $350,000 ($250,000 in U.S. dollars) a year. She jokingly told the official that I was in town to explain how the U.S. handles tax payments for domestic workers. He seemed impressed with her network of experts. It was great meeting with Louise and her daughter Shannon and learning how she runs her agency compared to U.S. agencies. She gave Diane a copy of her book, State of the Nanny, which we greatly appreciated. Diane and I were most appreciative of Louise consistently willing to be a local resource for Elise while she is in Melbourne, which gives us immense comfort.
The third place we visited was Hamilton Island, which is off the eastern coast of Australia and adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef. It’s one of the most beautiful places we’ve ever been. The island is very small with just an airstrip, a harbor, some shops and restaurants, and a few hotels. It’s also home to some wallabies and koala bears, which we got to hold. We were a bit apprehensive about snorkeling in the Reef as there had been two shark attacks just two days prior to our arrival. But we were assured it would be safe and when would we have another chance to snorkel the Great Barrier Reef, one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World? It was incredible. We saw a multitude of fish varieties (including Nemo and his friends), turtles, sea cucumbers, and the vividly colored coral. It was an awesome experience.
Lastly, we visited Auckland, New Zealand, about 1000 miles away. We toured the downtown area and met a British emigrant who gave us a day-long tour that featured a history of the country including the Maori tribal culture. He also showed us One Tree Hill, one of Auckland’s spiritually significant volcanic peaks and the inspiration for the song of the same name by U2 (one of my favorite bands). There were beautiful views from the volcano of Auckland and the surrounding countryside. We also drove through Albany, New Zealand on our way to Muriwai Beach, where we saw hundreds of gannets nesting, unlike Albany, New York, and our smaller seagulls. We also visited some honey and dairy farms and a vineyard, and went to the top of Sky Tower, which stands over 1000 feet tall!
Culturally speaking, we found that everyone in both countries was exceptionally friendly and willing to go out of their way to help. In particular, the concierge at the hotel on Hamilton Island went out of his way to help us with transportation, excursions, and dinner reservations. I found out his goal was to eventually run the resort; he was very motivated to make it happen, and I bet one day he will!
Many people we met with wanted to discuss U.S. politics, but we never took the bait or dove into any conversations about it. They were very persistent; apparently, our political news is big news Down Under. We did learn about New Zealand’s Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern. New Zealanders are very proud of her and her work-life commitment, and they wanted us to know it. She was in the news recently, when she spoke at the U.N. General Assembly and brought her 3-month-old daughter with her.
Our flight home to New York was another long one. We are still adjusting to the 13-hour time difference and jet lag. But it was an incredible trip filled with new sites and experiences and, of course, the joy of spending some time with Elise while she’s so far away. I thank Louise Dunham for her hospitality and her contributions to the household employment industry. Feel free to reach out to her to learn more about her Australian agency. I hope you all enjoyed hearing about my trip!
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