Kayaking to Melbourne, Australia

Image via Wikipedia

I love when I get to learn new things.  Today I learned that mini-beasts and insects are pretty much the same thing.  Ms. Gridley who is the teacher of a 1st and 2nd grade classroom in Melbourne, Australia invited me to read a book to her students and told me that she was studying insects and mini-beasts.  Since I had never heard of mini-beasts before I looked it up on the handy dandy computer.  I told the students in her class this and they thought that was hilarious.

During each session with the classrooms, I show where I am on the map and where the students are.  Whoever works for google maps must have the most amazing sense of humor.  When I looked up directions to Melbourne it said that it would take me 55 days and 15 hours to get there.  I was curious as to what directions it would have me take since it was not taking the route of an airplane.

The directions have me taking a kayak from Washington to Hawaii.  I cross all the way through Hawaii and take another kayak to Japan.  Don’t you think that my passport might get a little wet if I am taking a kayak from Hawaii to Japan.  Wait a second, does google really expect me to know which direction I am supposed to go if I am in a kayak?  I can’t even navigate my way around Wisconsin without my GPS.  Once we get to Japan, I can’t even read the directions anymore so I will have to learn a new language.  I have to take a ferry at some point in Japan, but I am not sure when since I can’t read Japanese.  I think I will just use Skype or take a plane to get to Melbourne.

I completely enjoyed my time that I spent with Ms. Gridley’s class.  They were so polite and had wonderful questions to ask.  It is not often that they get to Skype with someone from the United States since it is on a much different time zone.  It was still Thursday for me at 6:30 CST and for them it was Friday morning 9:30.  I told them that I didn’t get a chance to go to bed yet and they had already woken up.  I love Skype.  Connecting with classrooms around the world is such a pure joy for me.

If you want a good laugh, check out the directions to Melbourne, Australia from Sussex, WI in the United States.  I couldn’t make this stuff up.

This route has tolls.

This route includes a ferry.

This route crosses through Japan.

Hansen Dr Sussex, WI 53089

	1. Head southeast on Hansen Dr toward Hickory Chasm Dr
		0.2 mi
	2. Turn left onto Hickory Chasm Dr
		361 ft
	3. Take the 1st right onto Woodland Oaks Dr
		0.2 mi
	4. Turn right onto Silver Springs Dr
		0.8 mi
	5. Continue onto Sussex Rd
		0.4 mi
	6. Turn left onto Winkleman Rd
		1.5 mi
	7. Turn right onto Co Rd K
		0.3 mi
	8. Take the 1st left onto Co Rd Ke/Jungbluth Rd
		0.9 mi
	9. Take the ramp onto WI-16 W
		8.7 mi
	10. Take the ramp to WI-67 N/I-94
		0.4 mi
	11. Merge onto WI-67 Bypass S
		0.8 mi
	12. Turn right onto Old Tower Rd
		348 ft
	13. Turn left onto Summit Ave
		2.0 mi
	14. Take the Interstate 94 ramp
		0.3 mi
	15. Merge onto I-94 W Entering Minnesota
		289 mi
	16. Take exit 249 for I-694 N toward I-494 S
		0.7 mi
	17. Merge onto I-694 W
		29.9 mi
	18. Continue onto I-94 W Passing through North Dakota Entering Montana
		818 mi
	19. Merge onto I-90 W
		228 mi
	20. Merge onto I-15 S
		7.6 mi
	21. Slight left onto I-90 W Passing through Idaho Entering Washington
		579 mi
	22. Take exit 10 to merge onto I-405 N toward Bellevue
		3.5 mi
	23. Take exit 14 to merge onto WA-520 W toward Seattle
		6.0 mi
	24. Take the Montlake Blvd exit
		0.5 mi
	25. Merge onto Montlake Blvd E
		0.3 mi
	26. Slight left onto NE Pacific St
		0.8 mi
	27. Continue onto NE Northlake Way
		0.1 mi
	28. Turn left onto 6th Ave NE
		79 ft
	29. Turn right onto NE Northlake Way
		1.0 mi
	30. Kayak across the Pacific Ocean Entering Hawaii
		2,756 mi
	31. Continue straight
		0.1 mi
	32. Turn left onto Kuilima Dr
		0.5 mi
	33. Take the 3rd right onto HI-83 W
		12.4 mi
	34. Continue straight onto HI-99 S/Kamehameha Hwy
		6.5 mi
	35. Slight left onto HI-80 S/Kamehameha Hwy Continue to follow Kamehameha Hwy
		2.1 mi
	36. Take the Interstate H-2 S ramp to Honolulu
		0.2 mi
	37. Merge onto I-H-2 S
		7.9 mi
	38. Merge onto I-H-1 E
		4.7 mi
	39. Take exit 13B toward Halawa Hts. Stadium
		0.3 mi
	40. Merge onto I-H-201 E
		4.1 mi
	41. Merge onto I-H-1 E
		4.1 mi
	42. Take exit 23 for Punahou St toward Waikiki/Manoa
		0.2 mi
	43. Turn right onto Punahou St
		0.1 mi
	44. Take the 1st right onto S Beretania St
		0.1 mi
	45. Take the 1st left onto Kalakaua Ave
		1.9 mi
	46. Kayak across the Pacific Ocean Entering Japan
		3,879 mi
	47. Turn left toward 県道275号線
		0.4 mi
	48. Turn left toward 県道275号線
		358 ft
	49. Turn left toward 県道275号線
		0.2 mi
	50. Turn right onto 県道275号線
		0.1 mi
	51. Turn left onto 国道125号線
		499 ft
	52. Turn right onto 県道24号線
		0.6 mi
	53. Turn left at 千束町（交差点） onto 国道354号線
		2.0 mi
	54. Turn right at 中村陸橋下（交差点） to stay on 国道354号線
		1.0 mi
	55. Take the ramp to 常磐自動車道 Toll road
		0.3 mi
	56. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for 東京 and merge onto 常磐自動車道 Toll road
		23.8 mi
	57. Take exit 三郷ＪＣＴ on the right toward 首都高・銀座・湾岸線 Toll road
		0.7 mi
	58. Merge onto 首都高速6号三郷線 Toll road
		5.8 mi
	59. Take exit 小菅ＪＣＴ toward 湾岸線・銀座 Toll road
		0.3 mi
	60. Merge onto 首都高速中央環状線 Toll road
		0.4 mi
	61. Take exit 堀切ＪＣＴ on the right toward 銀座 Toll road
		0.3 mi
	62. Merge onto 首都高速6号向島線 Toll road
		5.4 mi
	63. Take exit 江戸橋ＪＣＴ on the right toward 神田橋・北池袋 Toll road
		0.4 mi
	64. Merge onto 首都高速都心環状線 Toll road
		3.8 mi
	65. Take exit 谷町ＪＣＴ on the right toward 東名・渋谷 Toll road
		0.3 mi
	66. Merge onto 首都高速3号渋谷線 Toll road
		6.9 mi
	67. Continue onto 東名高速道路 Toll road
		189 mi
	68. Take exit 豊田ＪＣＴ toward 東海環状・伊勢湾岸道・豊田東出口・土岐ＪＣＴ・四日市・新名神 Toll road
		0.3 mi
	69. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for 伊勢湾岸道・四日市・新名神 and merge onto 伊勢湾岸自動車道 Toll road
		19.8 mi
	70. Take the ramp onto 伊勢湾岸自動車道 Toll road
		12.1 mi
	71. Take exit 四日市ＪＣＴ on the right toward 東名阪道・大阪・伊勢道 Toll road
		0.6 mi
	72. Merge onto 東名阪自動車道 Toll road
		13.8 mi
	73. Take exit 亀山ＪＣＴ toward 新名神・京都・大阪 Toll road
		0.6 mi
	74. Merge onto 新名神高速道路 Toll road
		30.9 mi
	75. Take exit 草津ＪＣＴ toward 草津ＰＡ・名神・京滋・京都・大阪 Toll road
		0.2 mi
	76. Take exit 草津ＰＡ on the right toward 名神 Toll road
		0.5 mi
	77. Merge onto 名神高速道路 Toll road
		30.1 mi
	78. Take exit 吹田ＪＣＴ toward 中国道・山陽道・宝塚・岡山 Toll road
		1.1 mi
	79. Merge onto 中国自動車道 Toll road
		18.8 mi
	80. Take exit 神戸ＪＣＴ toward 山陽道・岡山・徳島 Toll road
		0.9 mi
	81. Merge onto 山陽自動車道 Toll road
		192 mi
	82. Take exit 廿日市ＪＣＴ on the right toward 山陽道・岩国・北九州 Toll road
		0.9 mi
	83. Merge onto 広島岩国道路 Toll road
		7.3 mi
	84. Take the ramp onto 山陽自動車道 Toll road
		59.2 mi
	85. Take exit 山口ＪＣＴ on the right toward 中国道・下関・北九州 Toll road
		0.8 mi
	86. Merge onto 中国自動車道 Toll road
		39.9 mi
	87. Continue onto 関門橋 Toll road
		5.9 mi
	88. Continue onto 九州自動車道 (signs for 九州道・福岡・熊本) Toll road
		59.1 mi
	89. Take exit 鳥栖ＪＣＴ toward 大分道・大分・長崎道・長崎・佐賀 Toll road
		0.3 mi
	90. Keep right at the fork, follow signs for 長崎道・長崎・佐賀 and merge onto 長崎自動車道 Toll road
		75.0 mi
	91. Take exit 高速長崎ＩＣ on the right toward ながさき出島道路・（長崎市街） Toll road
		0.6 mi
	92. Merge onto ながさき出島道路/国道324号バイパス Toll road
		1.8 mi
	93. Take the ramp onto 出島海岸通り/国道499号線 Partial toll road
		0.4 mi
	94. Turn left at 玉江橋（交差点）
		0.2 mi
	95. Turn left
		482 ft
	96. Take the 長崎~奈良尾~奈留島~福江ferry Partial toll road
		60.8 mi
	97. Continue straight
		0.2 mi
	98. Turn right toward 国道384号線
		243 ft
	99. Turn right toward 国道384号線
		0.2 mi
	100. Turn left at 東浜町（交差点） onto 国道384号線
		1.3 mi
	101. Slight left at 馬責馬場（交差点） onto 県道27号線
		7.0 mi
	102. Turn left onto 県道31号線
		0.4 mi
	103. Continue onto 県道164号線
		2.9 mi
	104. Keep left at the fork
		1.9 mi
	105. Turn left to stay on 県道164号線
		0.2 mi
	106. Turn left onto 国道384号線
		3.5 mi
	107. Kayak across the Pacific Ocean Entering Australia (Northern Territory)
		3,358 mi
	108. Turn left onto Myilly Tce
		282 ft
	109. Turn right to stay on Myilly Tce
		0.2 mi
	110. At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto Kahlin Ave
		0.2 mi
	111. At the traffic circle, take the 1st exit onto Gilruth Ave
		1.1 mi
	112. Turn right onto Goyder Rd
		0.2 mi
	113. Keep left at the fork
		433 ft
	114. Continue onto Stuart Hwy
		20.0 mi
	115. Slight right to stay on Stuart Hwy Go through 2 traffic circles
		915 mi
	116. Turn right onto Stuart Hwy/National Highway 87 (signs for Adelaide) Continue to follow Stuart Hwy Entering South Australia
		753 mi
	117. Slight left onto National Highway A1
		54.0 mi
	118. Continue onto Port Wakefield Rd/Princes Hwy Continue to follow Port Wakefield Rd
		76.1 mi
	119. Continue onto Port Augusta-Port Wakefield Rd/Princes Hwy Continue to follow Princes Hwy
		52.4 mi
	120. Slight left onto A1/Port Wakefield Rd/Princes Hwy
		1.4 mi
	121. Slight left to stay on A1/Port Wakefield Rd/Princes Hwy
		0.4 mi
	122. Continue straight to stay on A1/Port Wakefield Rd/Princes Hwy Continue to follow A1/Princes Hwy
		2.7 mi
	123. Turn left onto Regency Rd
		1.0 mi
	124. Turn right onto Hampstead Rd
		0.6 mi
	125. Slight left onto Taunton Rd/A17 (signs for Payneham) Continue to follow A17
		6.1 mi
	126. Slight left onto Princes Hwy (signs for National Highway M1/Murray Bridge)
		39.4 mi
	127. Continue onto South Eastern Freeway
		6.1 mi
	128. Slight left onto Princes Hwy
		11.7 mi
	129. Continue onto Dukes Hwy Entering Victoria
		118 mi
	130. Continue onto Western Hwy/National Highway A8 Go through 1 traffic circle
		85.9 mi
	131. Turn right onto Henty Hwy/Western Hwy/Wimmera Hwy/A200 (signs for Ballarat/Melbourne/Hamilton) Continue to follow Western Hwy Go through 1 traffic circle
		60.1 mi
	132. Turn left to stay on Western Hwy (signs for Ballarat/Melbourne)
		48.3 mi
	133. Continue onto National Highway M8/Western Freeway
		66.1 mi
	134. Merge onto Western Ring Rd
		2.0 mi
	135. Keep left at the fork, follow signs for M1/WEST GATE FREEWAY/West Gate Brace and merge onto West Gate Freeway/M1
		8.6 mi
	136. Take exit Power Street-W1 toward City
		0.2 mi
	137. Merge onto Power St
		0.1 mi
	138. Turn right onto City Rd
		0.4 mi
	139. Continue onto Alexandra Ave
		0.5 mi
	140. Slight left onto Olympic Boulevard/Swan St
		0.1 mi
	141. Turn left toward Batman Ave Toll road
		105 ft
	142. Turn left onto Batman Ave Partial toll road
		0.6 mi
	143. Continue onto Exhibition St
		0.4 mi
	144. Turn left onto Little Bourke St
		0.4 mi

Melbourne VIC Australia