Snapshots from DownUnder Deetour

From September '09 until April '10, I was able to see a lot of Australia. Some old haunts, some new ones. When not on the road, I took time to explore my own backyard and uncover some secrets of Sydney.

Here are some of the Queen Dee in Queensland and the Island Nomad in Tasmania, the largest island of Australia.

Melbourne - City of Festivals

Flew to Melbourne for a long weekend of R&R. Plenty of choices with 5 simultaneous festivals: film, fashion, food, flowers and comedy.

Started midday with the food and wine festival (top pick: he pinot noir reserve from DeAngelo Vineyard in Yarra.) and ended the day with Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey) flick called Hannah Free. Wonderful!

Coffee on Ackland Street, dinner on Fitzroy. Just eating and drinking my way around stunning Melbourne. Why did I ever leave?

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Travel writer Dee Farrell currently lives and works in Australia.