Matko is a hydrogeologist who's working hard to ensure that Australia remains one of the wealthiest nations on the planet. Majka, a teacher by profession, manages a before and after school care program. They're our Slovak cousins, who spent the better part of 2011 staying with us in Toronto. Had it not been for them we would have never come to Australia.A drab, boring flat land, poisonous snakes, tasteless food and sharks that swim right up to shore and...

 Elenka and I walked the streets of Sydney for seven hours and saw not one kangaroo. The following morning we got up at the crack of dawn and hiked to the train station, eyes peeled, where we caught the train to Melbourne. Still no kangaroos. Eleven hours later, cold and suffering painful dessert withdrawal, we disembarked in Melbourne. Still zero on the kangaroo chart. We came to Melbourne to visit with Pierre and Michelle. Michelle is a Melburnian who lived in...

 I'd bet there are ten, maybe fifteen passengers on this ship of 1,900 that are younger than Elenka and I. Early on I made a point to start asking my travel mates how many cruises they've taken and haven't come across anyone who has done less than eleven. Ron from our trivia team is on his 79th. Along with my questioning I've paid very close attention to the food plates of my mates. Heaping helpings are had by all; no one backs off when it comes ...

 The Oosterdam shore excursion folks are offering a special 4-hour private car tour of Sydney when we arrive. The cost is only $949.00 and they provide an English-speaking guide. And here I was expecting to have to learn Australian straight off. Oh, here we go! Elenka has been reading over my shoulder and says we can take public transit for $2.50. She also thinks the language issue won't be such a big deal. I tell her that I know some Australians and it is a...