Australia 2023

In 1999, Australia was the starting point of the 15-months long Asian Big Tour from Australia, through Southeast Asia and China to India. I visited most of the countries in the Southeast Asia and spent almost three months travelling and working around Australia.

In this article I share my experience of returning to Australia in June 2023, during which I arranged a trip for a group of Slovenian kids and their parents attending the Southeast Asian FLL robotics competition held in Sydney: guiding a group for the first time, revisiting the capital Canberra, enjoying the landmarks and connection with the nature in Sydney, Asia Pacific Open FLL robotics competition. More articles about Australian adventures are available here:

Heading back to Australia after a quarter of a century has been a thrilling experience. I had fond memories from my last visit, and my kids were excited to explore a country that is so far from home and famous for many unique features. They couldn’t wait to join a prestigious competition, where teams from across the globe will be showcasing their expertise and talents in robotics and projects of the future.

Our group consisted of 7 teenagers and 8 parents. As a solo traveler, who sometimes take my other 3 family members on the trip, I’m not accustomed to managing such a diverse and inexperienced group when it comes to international travel.

I volunteered to organize all activities, accommodation, logistics, planning and sightseeing for our group.

I booked some lovely apartments in prime spots in downtown Sydney, Canberra and close to the event venue – Macquarie University. They were a significant upgrade from dormitories I had experienced during my backpacking adventure with very limited budget two and a half decades before. The kitchens in the apartments enabled us to prepare breakfast and cook light dinners, so we only needed to eat out once a day.

Although it was winter time in Australia, the temperatures and general weather conditions were much more favorable than I expected. Mostly sunny, with mild temperatures, with only one rainy day in almost two weeks.

We rented two vans to travel to Canberra. Driving on the left is never easy, and manipulating a bigger vehicle makes it even more complicated, especially in the moments of parking or backwards driving.

Our first stop was in Oran Park Skate Park, to test skating ability of my son, who is a passionate skater. Skate parks and other public recreational facilities are developed with a remarkable level of quality, perfectly maintained and available all around the country. Australians as a nation are very active, connected to the nature and spend a lot of time outdoors in all weather conditions.

The main reason to visit Australian Botanic Gardens Mount Annan was to spot kangaroos. We walked around the hilly area of the botanic garden for almost two hours, but beside various native plants we were not able to see any kangaroos. Still a nice walk in the nature to get some fresh air.

With limited time and the challenge of long distances, I proposed to explore Canberra as an alternative to Sydney, the largest city in Australia. In terms of architecture, development and growth the Australian capital is the opposite of Sydney. Chosen as a compromise between Melbourne and Sydney, the modern capital might lack the buzz, historical influence of British colonialism or touristic attractions, but I still find the planned capital of Australia to be a delightful and fascinating place to discover.

We explored several key attractions, and once again, I was captivated by the Parliament House, which overlooks the Australian War Memorial and Mount Ainslie in the distance. In the afternoon, the kids had a great time at Questacon – National Science and Technology Centre, where they enjoyed interactive exhibits about science and technology.

The main event was the reception at the Slovenian Embassy in Canberra, which was organized by the ambassador himself.

A rather small Slovenian embassy can be found in a dedicated sector, where most of the foreign missions are located in natural environment characterized by wide boulevards, plenty of green areas and nonintrusive security measures.

The ambassador explained us about the importance, work, obligations and rights of foreign missions in general. The kids were thrilled about the unique advantage given by the local authorities. Especially a car using diplomatic license plate, which is treated like a foreign territory, so local officials don’t have the permission to intervene or check it out.

Australia’s most iconic city – Sydney, with its remarkable landmarks, offers a breathtaking experience. Beyond its beauty, it’s a charming place where I enjoyed the ocean, wandering through picturesque parks, meeting fellow Australians who have moved here for a better life and savor some tasty dishes.

For the second time in my life, I hooped on a sightseeing bus around the city; the first time was in New York City, when I hosted my father and his new family. It was definitely simpler to gather a group of 14 people on a bus that tours the city’s major attractions than managing the logistics with local transportation. In two days, we explored some of the city’s top attractions: Sydney Opera House, the Harbour Bridge, Royal Botanic Garden, Art Gallery of New South Wales, Museum of Contemporary Art, The Rocks, Sydney Tower Eye, SEA LIFE Sydney Aquarium, Madame Tussauds and Sydney Fish Market.

We took a boat from the Circular Quay port across the Sydney Harbour to the pleasant Manly Beach, known for its surf vibe, which was a little less pronounced in the off-season. Nevertheless, the walk through The Corso – a charming shopping avenue with restaurants and cafes, was interesting and full of new discoveries.

The main reason to travel to Australia was participation of Slovenian team Jufke at the competition in FLL. Sydney was beside Morocco and the USA one of three hosts, where the world championships took place.

The First Lego League (FLL) is a mix of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) through which children, ages 4 to 16, gain real-world problem-solving experiences by global robotics program using LEGO® technology.

The best teams from all over the world qualifies through the national competitions to the world championship, which is due to the size and logistic organized at three different locations on a yearly basis.

The Macquarie University campus was a perfect host for this event. During three days, over 60 teams from all five continents were competing in two disciplines:

• Previously built and programmed robots with accessories made of Lego bricks navigated missions during which the robots were resolving tasks on the specially designed tables.
• Research project to identify and solve a relevant real-world problem were presented and explained in front of international judges.

Beside the traditional evaluation, the most curious part is the importance of teamwork and core values that are especially encouraged and significantly influence the final results. The end result is not as important as the progress of each individual, team spirit, new learning, making new friends and exploring through the process of training and competing.

The official competition was combined with entertaining events, educational evenings and socializing with like-minded children from all over the world.

On our final day in Sydney, our group split up, and my family chose to explore downtown once more, but this time from a different perspective. We first crossed the Harbour Bridge on foot.

A wonderful afternoon sun enlightened the Sydney Opera and the bay with all its splendor. I had appreciated the most famous building in Sydney several times before; from inside and outside. I could easily go on and on about it and continue enjoying the unique shapes adorned with over a million roof tiles that attract 11 million visitors every year.

Later we headed towards Observatory Hill, looking forward to watching the sunset in a delightful atmosphere surrounded by tourists and locals alike. A wonderful moment to conclude another memorable adventure in Australia.