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Sydney
Tamar Pross, “36 and loving it.” Founder of Citizen Café, a textbook-free ulpan focused on language & Tel Aviv culture
Tamar has bounced between Australia and Israel her entire life – with some stopovers in London, Paris, and New York just “to make life more interesting.” While she now calls Tel Aviv “home,” she always sets aside time for an episode of Offspring to stay connected to her Aussie roots. As a determined entrepreneur, she decided to ditch the textbooks and classroom setting for a more immersive Hebrew learning experience, and opened up an ulpan of her own. When not running Citizen Café, cycling along Rothschild Boulevard, or chain-sipping hafuch, she loves hanging out with her Australian friends; “I feel like I am back in Sydney with the ‘no worries’ attitude.” If she could import one small thing from Australia it’d be all of the wildlife because there is “nothing like the animals [there]. They make humans seem so boring.”
Find A local slice
- If Finding Nemo taught us anything, it’s that sea turtles are a) radical, b) they live to be 100, and c) they love ridin’ the EAC to Sydney. Betset Beach, Israel’s northernmost beach, harbors a sea turtle nesting spot for those missing Crush and the gang.
- Tee it high, let it fly at Caesarea’s Neot Golf Resort, which boasts the velvety greens of an 18-hole golf course facing the lapping Mediterranean. (Access to BBQ facilities are also available if you’re longing for a sausage sizzle).
- If you are craving Melbourne’s adventurous spirit and need for speed, adrenaline junkies will find themselves in their truest element at
- Tel Aviv’s Lake TLV inside Menahem Begin Park.
- For even more wind, sand and surf in your face, head to Surf Point at Tel Aviv’s Dolphinarium Beach for lessons in windsurfing, kayaking, and, for the truly adventurous, kitesurfing.
- Kangaroos, koalas, cassowary, oh my! Visit your favorite furry and feathery friends from the Land Down Under at Gan-Garoo, an exclusive Australian zoo up north, in Kibbutz Nir.
- If you’re missing the vibrant colors of the Great Barrier Reef, way down south (but not quite as south as Queensland), Eilat’s Coral Reef Nature Reserve is the perfect place to check out some captivating underwater sealife.
Here’s a TIP:
Founded by Melbourne-based Albert Dadon AM, the Australia Israeli Cultural Exchange (AICE) brings Australian culture to Israel and vice versa. Keep an eye out for their events if you’re craving a slice of Sydney (aice.com.au).
The Australian Food Shop will deliver Tim Tams, Twisties, Caramello Koalas, and even Vegemite straight to your Tel Aviv door (theaustralianfoodshop.com).
An annual Australia Day Piss Up takes place in rotating bars around Tel Aviv.
Northern Exposure
ANTARCTICA
After the giant glaciers and snow covered landmasses, the only thing left to see in Antarctica are the incredible animals that are able to survive the cold weather. At the Tisch Family Zoological Gardens (the Biblical Zoo), visitors can view the epitome of the country’s wildlife: penguins. Watch as the playful penguins waddle around.
While the water is just a tad warmer on the Jordan River, the kayaking is just the same. From high-speed “kayaking” (rafting) down fast-flowing waters to lazing down the Hatzbani stream, Kfar Blum wet river experience and attraction center in the Galilee guarantees fun for the entire family.
Most are chocoholics by choice, Antarticans are chocoholics by necessity – as the freezing cold climate requires foods that are high in energy and caloric value. Melt into Max Brenner’s signature “hot chocolate,” which is literally a huggable mug of melted chocolate (sure to warm your soul on a cool winter night).
One day in Antarctica = enough ice for a lifetime. But if you’re dreaming of skating on real frozen lakes, Eilat’s Ice Park is the next best thing. The enormous glass-domed structure contains a tax-free mall and a skating ring so you can shop for knit sweaters and mittens, then bundle up on the ice.