Fiji, New Zealand, and Australia

For my final trip of the year, I set my sights on an Oceania vacation – this was something that had been a year in the making (if not longer), but the dates weren't set in stone. I had visited New Zealand earlier in the year for Kiwi PyCon in Wellington, and I wanted to explore more of the region. The trip finally started to take shape when I was fortunate enough to get a talk accepted for the scientific Python track at PyCon Australia in Melbourne.

Given the distance, I also wanted to make sure that I was able to spend a significant amount of time over there, so I opted to do a week in Melbourne for the conference followed by a three-week vacation, which maxed out my vacation days. With the conference slated for the first week, I booked my travel to arrive the day before the event started, which also happened to be the day I was speaking. Definitely risky with the anticipated jet lag, but I didn't want to be away for longer than a month, and I didn't get jet lag when I went to Asia earlier in the year, so I went for it.

Australia 🇦🇺

📍 Melbourne, Victoria

For the first time ever, both of my connecting flights were with the same plane – finally an easy connection. The problem with my plan only became apparent upon arrival in Melbourne when I switched my phone out of airplane mode. The 14-hour time difference I was expecting turned out to be 16 hours! I had erroneously assumed it was 14 hours because, when I went to New Zealand earlier in the year, it was 16 hours, and Melbourne is two hours behind Wellington, but because it was now daylight savings in the Southern Hemisphere and no longer in the Northern Hemisphere, the time difference increased, and it was 16 hours once again 🫢 It was at this point that I began to think that maybe I should have allowed myself another day or two to get over the jet lag; after all, it took me five days to adjust to that difference in New Zealand. Oops!

I arrived at my hotel in the late morning, grabbed a shower, and then forced myself outside to stay awake. Like Wellington, I was told Melbourne had a great coffee scene: it's the coffee capital of Australia (some would argue, the world). I headed to one of the coffee shops I had been recommended for a flat white and a jaffle (a toasted sandwich that is sealed around the edge). Melbourne was decorated for Christmas already, which was enjoyable to see, and I was also pretty excited to have finally made it to Australia – my sixth continent overall (I need to get to Antarctica to complete my collection), but also in the last twelve months (in December 2023, I had been to Egypt). In general, I found it pretty easy to keep my energy levels up, so I thought I was in good shape for my presentation the next day.

PyCon Australia 🐍

The first day of the conference (November 22nd), I headed to the venue a few hours before my talk and located the room I would be presenting in, which, to my chagrin, was the only room with the lights off. I took a seat in that room for a talk that was a few slots prior to mine and nearly fell asleep as the jet lag hit me like a ton of bricks 🥱😴 There was no way I could stay in there until my talk, so I ducked out after that speaker wrapped up and found a coffee shop in the venue that was in an area completely drenched with sunlight from skylights ☀️☀️☀️ – just what I needed.

I ordered a flat white and sat in the almost-blinding sunlight. While I was there a conference attendee came up to me and said he really liked my article on setting up pre-commit hooks. That was probably the first such encounter in my life, and it put a huge smile on my face. Halfway around the world people were engaging with my content 😁

As part of the scientific Python track at this year's event, I was presenting my talk "Data Morph: A Cautionary Tale of Summary Statistics." The feedback from the audience was great, with one person later sending me an idea for an alternative implementation of the algorithm, which is the part of the original research that I haven't touched. One person gave me four out of five stars because they didn't like the slide transition animations that reveal.js does – if that's all they didn't like, I'll count it as a win 😂

Afterward, I knew I couldn't stay in that dark room, if I wanted to get over my jet lag, so I went to check out the other tracks and chat with the organizers. It turned out that I had met one of the scientific Python track organizers last year at EuroSciPy in my pandas workshop, but I didn't remember 🙈 Once the rest of the talks wrapped up, I grabbed drinks with some of the organizers and attendees. There, I met an expatriate from the US who was now living in Melbourne, and the topic of burgers came up. I can usually count on one hand the number of burgers I consume in a year, but after hearing about how Australians do burgers (with beet, pineapple, egg, onion, and bacon on it), I actually wanted one. It was easily the best burger I've eaten in my life 😋

The next day, I checked out the Melbourne Museum and prepared for my second talk of the conference the following day. I had submitted my talk "Getting Started with Open Source Contributions" for the main conference, but it was waitlisted, and they now needed me to fill in for a last-minute cancellation 💪 That evening, I had the tide-to-table meal with wine pairing at the restaurant in my hotel, Allegro, which I would 100% recommend, if you are a fellow seafood lover.

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While setting up for my second presentation, I discovered that my clicker's switch was in the on position already and that the batteries had died 😢 I knew from my previous presentation that it had switched on in my bag between PyCon France and this event, but it must have done it again between my first PyCon AU presentation and this one. Unfortunately, the organizers couldn't find batteries for it before I went on; the talk definitely benefits from the laser pointer on the clicker, and not only was the screen too high and far from the podium for me to point, but the mouse was not visible, so I had to make it work by talking like a screen reader 😂

The talk was still a hit, and surprisingly, I got a question about my recent appearance on the Talk Python to Me podcast (Episode 482: Pre-Commit Hooks for Python Devs) asking if something was a Windows issue (I said many things are Windows issues, and the room erupted in laughter 😂). Later on during the lightning talks,¹ I learned that the person who asked this question was at PyCon AU because of me: after hearing me talk about my upcoming conference presentations on the Talk Python to Me podcast episode, this person bought a ticket to their first ever PyCon (which they said they were enjoying)!

And then something that still gives me chills happened: during the conference's closing address, the conference chair, Peter Hall, thanked me by name for my contributions to the event ❤️ This conference was very special to me, and I am now the proud owner of not one, but two conference-branded mugs (speaker gift for each talk I did), and perhaps, the coolest conference T-shirt ever (the design for the 2024 logo was incredible).

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The next day was for development sprints. It ended up just being me for Data Morph, which was probably a blessing since I was starting vacation the following day and would not be able to review things for a while. I ended up getting a lot done: reorganizing the shape files, fixing up a PR from the PyCon Taiwan sprints to run morphs on new/modified datasets and/or shapes, and reworking the plot of available datasets in the documentation to not squish them.

In the short time I had been there, I had grown quite fond of Melbourne (and its coffee) and was happy that I would be back for a few days during my vacation before heading home.

Fiji 🇫🇯

📍 Denarau Island

The following morning, I grabbed some Tim Tams² and headed to Fiji to meet up with my mom for a three-week vacation. Starting in Fiji gave me my first chance to truly relax and vegetate in several months of traveling, and I really needed it. My time there was restorative, despite losing an additional hour (now 17 hours ahead of home). On the first day, we relaxed at the resort and caught up after not seeing each other for quite some time.

The hotel we were staying at also had its own farm-to-table program, and we opted to have dinner one night at the farm. The main event was the traditional method of cooking meat under the ground, during which we were cheekily reminded that at one point Fijians (and the people of several other areas of Oceania) were cannibals – on second thought, I'll have the fish. The evening concluded with a fire show, and unfortunately for me, some mosquito bites.

📍 Tivua Island

The following day we went on a short cruise to a private island for snorkeling (where I saw several deep blue starfish), lunch, and some Fijian culture, like a traditional kava ceremony.

After a couple of days relaxing 🏝️ in the sun, I felt rejuvenated and ready to start the more strenuous portion of the trip. Next stop, New Zealand (yet another hour ahead; total = 18 hours).

New Zealand 🇳🇿

📍 Auckland

It pretty much rained the entire time in Auckland, living up to New Zealand's Māori name, Aotearoa, which is often translated as "land of the long white cloud." The black sand beach at Piha, the bush walk in the rainforest, the seafood dinner at The Shucker Brothers, and breakfast at The Coffee Corner were the highlights from my time in Auckland.

📍 Rotorua, Bay of Plenty

The next day we visited the Waitomo glowworm caves, which was a magical experience, on the way to Rotorua. We spent the remainder of the day at the Wai Ariki Hot Springs & Spa in Rotorua, taking advantage of the carefully-curated wellness experience provided by the Māori that run it.

Feeling restored, the following day we visited Wai-o-tapu Thermal Wonderland, which was absolutely stunning (once you get over the intense sulfur smell). A guide took us around the top sites in the park including the Lady Knox geyser, the largest mud pool in New Zealand, the Champagne Pool, and the Inferno Crater, which each left me in awe of the Earth. In the evening, we went to a summer harvest celebration at Te Pa Tu, which was a fantastic opportunity for us to learn more about the Māori culture from the Māori themselves.

📍 Queenstown, Otago

Our final stop in New Zealand was in Queenstown, located in the south island. While the landing at the airport was certainly scary (the wind between the mountains can toss the plane around enough to make you lose your lunch), the views from the plane, the Skyline Gondola, and the ground are simply majestic.

The day after our arrival we journeyed out to Milford Sound to see the fiord. Unfortunately, the weather was horrid, and it rained heavily the entire time, so while it was still beautiful, we didn't get to experience it fully.

New Zealand had been much cooler than both my earlier stay in Melbourne (which I was told was atypically warm) and Fiji, and, with such temperature changes during a trip, I'm always thankful when I don't get sick, especially, when I spent most of the final day soaked through my clothes thanks to the rain (and the waiter that spilled my drink on me at dinner after I had finally dried off 😔).

Australia 🇦🇺

📍 Cairns, Queensland

We went from Queenstown (NZ) to Queensland (one of the six Australian states) – it was definitely hard to keep straight. In Queensland, we stayed in Cairns to go snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef, which was even more amazing than I had imagined, and check out the Kuranda rainforest area,³ where I finally saw my first real-life kangaroo (along with koalas, dingos, wallabies, and saltwater crocodiles) and attempted (read: failed miserably) to throw a boomerang, after receiving a short bit of instructions from an Aboriginal.

On the journey to the Great Barrier Reef, we were accompanied by a marine biologist who explained how coral reefs form and the types of marine wildlife we would see. It was box jellyfish 🪼 season (you know, the ones that can kill you 🪦), so we were given wet suits that covered you head to toe, with mitten-like coverings for your hands. In addition to beautiful coral reefs, I saw more of those deep blue starfish that I had seen in Fiji, as well as some colorful fish (including some with spikes) and giant clams.

In Cairns (pronounced Caaans) itself, we saw several interesting creatures at the mud flats, including purple crabs and a variety of seabirds and shorebirds.

📍 Melbourne, Victoria (round 2)

For the first vacation day in Melbourne, we did a city tour⁴ in the morning followed by the Phillip Island Penguin Parade⁵ in the evening. Don't get me wrong, I love Melbourne, but the penguins stole the show: over a thousand of these little (~13 inches or 45 centimeters tall) blue penguins coming out of the ocean at sunset to feed their young and mate. You can't take pictures of the penguins after sunset, but they do provide professional photos.

On the way to the penguin parade, we went to the Moonlit Sanctuary Conservation Park, where we got to feed several animals like kangaroos and wallabies, and see emu, dingos, Tasmanian devils, koalas, and several species of snakes and birds (including the laughing kookaburra and pink cockatoo). It was here that I learned why the kangaroo and emu are part of the Australian coat of arms – neither is capable of moving backwards, and therefore, they are a symbol of continual progress.

We followed that late night up with an early morning start (I'm tired just thinking about it 🥱) in order to explore the Great Ocean Road. The journey reminded me a lot of the Pacific Highway in California, which I had driven a few years prior: stunning, majestic cliffs, rock formations (including the Loch Ard Gorge and The Twelve Apostles), and beaches at the roadside for miles. Along the way, we also saw several wild koalas up in the trees.

📍 Sydney, New South Wales

Upon arrival in Sydney, we were exhausted as we had burned the candle at both ends in Melbourne, so we took it easy for the remainder of the day. We had dinner at O Bar and Dining, which in addition to being a revolving restaurant with views of the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbor Bridge had a delicious tasting menu with wine pairings 🥂

The following day, we journeyed to the Blue Mountains, which we weren't too impressed with, but the animal sanctuary we visited on the way there was fantastic (we saw a kangaroo joey rescue getting bottle fed, which was beyond adorable 😍). Sometimes, I feel like having traveled to so many places has raised the bar to impress me due to the comparison factor. Thankfully, I was impressed the next day when we toured the harbor in a small yacht, getting up close views of the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge, while enjoying a delicious spread of morning tea, complete with (you guessed it) Tim Tams. In the afternoon, we saw Sydney (and Bondi beach) by car and truly experienced just how hot it was 🥵 (no more sea breeze to cool us off).

The final activity we had organized was a wine tour in Hunter Valley, which was canceled the day before due to weather (must have been heat), leaving us scrambling to find another provider. Despite it being a HOT 🥵 summer⁶ day, we enjoyed the day trying a variety of local wines, chocolates, and cheeses. There was even a gin tasting at the end, but that's not really my thing.

On our last day, we took a tour of the Sydney Opera House, which I would highly recommend; walked part of the Sydney Harbor Bridge; checked out the Rocks Discovery Museum; grabbed lunch at Black and White Espresso Bar - The Rocks, which had this amazing Za'atar bagel with fried egg, avocado, feta, and tomato; and visited Manly beach via the ferry.

Fin

The journey home was a long one, and the flight from Sydney to San Francisco arrived late, so I missed my connection home. Thankfully, I was able to get quick support in the United app (much easier than the lines in person) to get rebooked on a later flight.

As I completed the last of my 2024 travels, I reflected on all of the amazing experiences I had had (for which I'm immensely grateful), and the places I wanted to explore more of in the future (Australia and New Zealand were definitely on that list). Here's hoping for an amazing 2025!⁷

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1. I particularly enjoyed the talks "Why I'm Colouring My Bookcase" and "18-ish cursed* animal facts." ↩
2. I had tried them before, but my mom hadn't. I was also keen to try a Tim Tam slam. ↩
3. We took the scenic railway up to Kuranda and then the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway back – both of which I would recommend, if you have the time. ↩
4. One bizarre thing we learned about Melbourne is that 70,000 trees have email addresses. It was intended for people to report on their conditions, but people end up sending all kinds of emails to the trees, and they get responses. ↩
5. I would strongly recommend paying extra for the special "Penguins Plus" viewing platform, which is closer to where they like to come out of the water because it's forbidden take pictures after sunset. ↩
6. During my trip, I learned that Australia uses calendar/meteorological seasons (with summer starting on December 1st) instead of astronomical seasons (where seasons align with equinoxes and solstices). ↩
7. For the first time ever, I secured not only Marriott Titanium status, but also United's exclusive Global Services status (above the highest published level of Premier 1K) for which the requirements are unknown, so I will be off to a good start in 2025. ↩