My younger daughter, Jenny, and her cousin are in the midst of planning a marvelous adventure to the Land Down Under. After coordinating their work schedules (both are twenty-something nurses in different states), they’ve worked out a nearly two-week itinerary that has them hitting the highlights. Both recognize that this trip will likely only whet their appetites for a return visit sometime in the future, but they’ve tried to incorporate some of the most iconic must-sees of Australia on this first go-around.

I must admit to some pride in Jenny’s (almost) fearless pursuit of travel overseas. I qualified that “fearless” because lately she’s shared with me some of the natural perils that exist under water and on land in Australia: poisonous fish, snakes, spiders (great white sharks barely make the list). Nevertheless, she and Alison have included snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef and a short bush trek in the Outback among their Aussie adventures. Also in the plans: a symphony performance at the Sydney Opera House, visits to Cairns and Melbourne, cuddling koalas at a wildlife sanctuary, and an overnight visit to the Red Centre — Uluru — to experience the magic and wonder of sunrise and sunset at Ayers Rock.

Fortunately, Jenny inherited her dad’s organizational acumen (not mine!), so she has heavily researched the places they’ll be visiting, scouted hotels and tours and collected pop-up maps of Sydney and Melbourne and a guidebook or two. She’s also enjoyed In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (a wonderful writer) to get a traveler’s perspective of that entrancing land.

I’m looking forward to Jenny’s accounts of her journey next month, and I’ll be sure to share her perceptions with you. Australia sits pretty high on my list of places to visit, and I have a feeling my daughter’s trip there may nudge it closer to the top.

— Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor