Part 5: Road to Australia with Hugh Jackman and Deborra-Lee Furness

When Hugh Jackman invited us to take a tour of his homeland Australia, with him, we certainly could not refuse. And so, at the first available opportunity, Mr. Fashionista and I packed our bags and flew down under to meet up with the Aussie hottie and his wife Debora-Lee Furness. 



1. Family Time in Sydney. After almost a whole day of flying, we arrive in Sydney where Hugh meets us to immediately begin our tour through the city. Hugh is adorable, dressed in a black v-neck tee, jeans, fedora, and shades. Scrumptious. Unfortunately, his wife will be unable to join us until later in the afternoon as their two children have piano lessons this morning.

And so we begin our tour in the oldest area of Sydney, called simply "The Rocks."  The old district is nestled at the foot of Sydney Harbour Bridge on the western shores of Sydney Cove and from here, we can appreciate both the gorgeous location and the history which has shaped this vibrant and cosmopolitan city. The area is mainly comprised of cafes, restaurants and shops, but also shows off beautiful colonial buildings. After admiring the scenery and picking up a couple of stuffed koala bears for Hugh's kids, Oscar and Ava, we decide that all of us could definitely use a bite to eat.

We quickly decide on Lord Nelson Brewery. The brewery, which makes six different ales, was established in 1841. After our arrival, the brewmaster kindly shows us a bit of the behind the scenes action and we have a quick tasting. The Three Sheets Ale is my fave. Hugh and Mr. Fashionista both prefer the Quayle Ale. Afterwards, we take a seat at the bar for more beer and fish and chips. During lunch, Hugh tells us that his wife mentioned that the kids had been dying to go to the beach and asked if we'd be game after lunch. We immediately agree and after finishing off the last of the fish, we make our way to Bronte Beach.

After parking the car, Hugh spots his kids and greets them with a giant bear hug. For his wife, a kiss on the forehead. They are the picture of familial bliss. Hugh introduces us to his family. Deborra is actually lovely and very friendly. She tells us that after some surf and sun, Hugh has agreed to cook us some dinner tonight at their house and invites us to stay with them until tomorrow when we leave for the Outback. Wonderful!

Bronte Beach

We lay out some towels and just bask in the Australian sun, listening to the waves. At this point, Mr. Fashionista and I are about to pass out from the jet lag, but Hugh brings us back to earth and points: "Look! Oscar's caught a wave!" And there he is. A little boy surfing the waves as one might expect to see in Hawaii or California.

After Oscar and Ava tire themselves out completely, we all pack up and head back to Hugh's gorgeous waterfront home. Deborra shows us to our completely gorge guestroom and we set our things out. I'm feeling so happy and welcome in this little family that I embrace Deborra and thank her for her hospitality. After she's gone, Mr. Fashionista and I are all smiles and hugs and we take a quick nap before dinner.



We wake up to the smell of the grill. We follow the scent to the Jackmans' backyard. There is Hugh Jackman, in an apron and chef's hat, grilling up some shrimp on the barbie. Deborra is actually shucking Sydney rock oysters. "Good morning sleepy heads!" Hugh beams. "It'll be ready in a jiff." We are in love with this lifestyle. Soon, we all sit around the table outside and partake in the local specialties. Delicious. After dinner, we decide to get to bed once again (damn that jet lag!) as we have an early morning flight to Alice Springs out in the great Outback.

2. Magic in the Outback. Early the next day, Hugh and Deborra say bye to the kids whom they are leaving with their parents while we all go on a couples vacation to the Australian countryside.  Oscar and Ava actually seem pretty psyched to get some grandparent time in, so it all works out. We head to the airport and board our plane for Alice Springs, which is in the middle of the desert.

We're staying at Longitude 131 Lodge which is made up of a series of luxury tents from which you can see the legendary Ayers Rock, also known as Uluru. (See http://www.longitude131.com.au).

Ayers Rock aka Uluru

After settling in to our tent, we meet back up with the Jackmans and travel to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to embark on the Mala Walk. The Mala Walk is led by a local Aboriginal man named Adoni. His name actually means "sunset". And a sunset is what we will be witnessing, as we watch  the rock light up with the rays of the setting sun.

Adoni tells us the story of the Mala people who lived at Uluru and we are allowed the opportunity to view the painted caves of the Mala. At the end of the tour, Adoni says "Ngapartji Ngapartji", or "this is our culture, we share it with you, it benefits us all."  Afterwards, we head back to the Lodge and enjoy dinner under the stars. Hugh invites Adoni back with us and he continues telling us of his life and of the lives of the Mala. We will not soon forget this evening.

Early the next morning, we meet up to experience the Kata Tjuta, also known as the Olgas. They are made up of 36 domes. Equipped with cameras, we snap dozens of photos which will never do justice to what we see before us. As I'm snapping a photo, Mr. Fashionista whispers quickly, "Look! Kangaroos!". I quickly turn, and to my delight, I see a few kangaroos, hopping along the desert terrain. I snap a couple of photos before they are gone and then clap my hands like a child at this sight that can only be seen in Australia. Hugh and Deborra find it somewhat charming as they've seen more than their fair share of kangaroos. After our marsupial sighting, we head to the Walpa Gorge and learn how weathering has shaped this landscape. While this landscape is similar to the American West, it is still different enough to feel foreign and is certainly just as awe-inspiring as Arizona.

Uluru Cave

After our tour, we head back to the lodge for a little R&R. Mr. Fashionista and I take a dip in the pool and sip on Aussie beer, while the Jackmans head back to their tents for some downtime. After some pool time, we freshen up and enjoy a four course meal with paired wines in the lodge's restaurant. Hugh tells us about an upcoming project, which we can't talk about as we are sworn to secrecy (but it sounds fantastic!). We also discuss how hard it must be juggling career and kids and splitting time between Australia  and NYC. They admit it's a hectic, but very happy life.

After a bottle of wine, I manage to find some courage to ask Hugh to sing us a couple of songs (although to be honest, he's so very friendly, I'm not that scared to ask). He agrees with a twinkle in his eye. He heads over to the corner of the restaurant and asks the hostess a few questions. After a couple of minutes the hostess returns with a microphone and a guitarist (movie stars certainly get good service, don't they?). Hugh talks to the guitarist who nods his head, and Hugh breaks out into "Oklahoma!. Oh-Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain!" After a few verses, Hugh, cries out "Everybody!" and we, including the few other patrons in the restaurant, join in. "Oklahoma-OK!" The place rings out in applause. Hugh gives a couple of bashful bows and returns to our table with a huge smile. He explains to us that he first gained recognition outside of Australia when he played Curly in a West End production of Oklahoma!, and for that reason he decided to sing us the title song from that musical. After a few more stories about his time on the stage, we head to bed for an early rise the next morning as we'll be heading to the eastern shores of the continent.


 3. Port Douglas and the Great Barrier Reef.

Beach at Thala Beach Lodge

Early the next day, we wake up to watch the sun rise over Uluru one last time. Then we head to the airport to fly into Cairns, on the east coast of Australia, where we will then drive to Port Douglas, which is a smaller town with ready access to the Great Barrier Reef. Mr. Fashionista and I take a cat nap on the plane and Deborra gently wakes us when we arrive in Cairns. We pick up a convertible for our ocean drive to Port Douglas and to Thala Beach Lodge, where we will be staying. After so much travel, we all decide an afternoon of taking it easy might be a good idea. As such, Mr. Fashionista and I decide to get a couples massage, followed by some time on the resort's private beach. Afterwards, we get cleaned up and meet Hugh and Deborra to head into Port Douglas, about ten minutes away, for some Australian specialties at Bistro 3. We opt for the game taste plate and oysters for appetizers and the wild barramundi for our entrees. After dinner, we head back to rest for diving in the Great Barrier Reef the next day.

Great Barrier Reef

After a quick breakfast, we meet up with the captain of our privately chartered boat to go snorkeling in the world's largest reef system. After a short boat ride, we arrive at our snorkeling spot. After taking pics of everyone looking quite silly in in snorkel gear we jump into the water. All around us is coral, striped fishes, solid fishes, spotted fishes in many different colors. After awhile, we spot a turtle. After an hour or so, we decide to get back in the boat to head back to the resort. We lounge around the beach until dinner time when we will be seeing a show at Flames of the Forest in Port Douglas. Flames of the Forest is a dinner show featuring aboriginal story telling and music set in the middle of the Daintree rainforest. It is an enjoyable, magical experience and it's a wonderful way to spend our last evening with the Jackmans.

Flames of the Forest performer

The next day, over breakfast, Hugh, Deborra, Mr. Fashionista and I decide to arrange another vacation together a year from now. At the moment, though, none of us can think of another place in the world we would want to be than in the land down under.

We hope you enjoyed this edition of Celebrity Road Trips. Until next time, g'day mates!