Tangalooma: The One Travel Destination I Can’t Forget

I’ve been lucky to see a lot of cool places in my short 27 years, but there’s one I can’t forget. I remember it like it was yesterday. I was in high school traveling with dozens of other high school students on a 3 week trip to Australia and New Zealand. Looking back, I realize how incredibly lucky I was to be able to take that opportunity.

I forget how I found out about the trip itself but I think one of my high school teachers nominated me for it. It was nothing ultra serious – you just had to be a good student I think. Anyway, it was a bunch of nerds traveling together. As I write this, I’m pretty shocked my parents let me board a plane to the other side of the world with two teachers they didn’t know and a bunch of high school kids but they did. Thanks, parental units! I don’t think I’d let the twins do it!

Overall, it was an incredible trip filled with unique experiences, but like I said, one particular moment and place on this trip really stood out. In fact, I had never seen true beauty until one day, we took a ferry to an island in Australia called Tangalooma.

Now, I’m an emotional person, but setting foot on that island was the very first time I cried because something was so beautiful. It was like an oasis that was untouched. It was thousands of miles away from home but somehow enveloped me in it’s familiarity. The cool thing about the island is that it’s one of the only places in the world where you can hand feed wild bottlenosed dolphins. It’s an incredible story, one that’s detailed on the resort’s website here. I remember standing there as a teenager feeding these dolphins. It’s different from feeding dolphins you see at Sea World or those who are trained. There’s a mutual respect and energy. It’s truly incredible.

Tangalooma also has really interesting activities. There’s a massive sand hill that you haul yourself up with a sled of sorts (okay it’s a plain wooden board) and then you fly down it head first. There’s walking tours and all sorts of other things. I really, really hope I can take my kids back there one day. I’ve talked about it many times to the hubs. I really do remember it fondly.

On my last day there, we walked out onto the dock to get to the ferry to go back to the mainland. It was at that moment that a huge double rainbow spread across the water. The rainbow was reflected in the water and so when we boarded the ferry, it was like we were walking through a huge rainbow circle. I remember thinking that there would never be a more perfect moment.

Thanks for letting me reminice about one of my favorite childhood memories. If you want to go on vacation there or anywhere, I like to use booking.com to poke around and dream of my next travel destination!

Photo courtesy of  Charlie S

Cat