Lota: Hi! I’m Lota.
Luka: And I’m Luka. We’re twins. Lota is a few minutes older than I am. You’ve probably noticed we aren’t identical twins. And this can be seen not only in the way we look, but also in the way we are. I sometimes have a feeling we’re not siblings at all!
Lota: Please ignore my baby brother, and let me tell you something about us. We’re from Sydney, Australia, but soon we’re moving to Croatia, the country our mum’s parents came from. Our parents have been to Croatia a couple of times, and they’ve fallen completely in love with it, which is why they’ve decided to move! We’re starting a new life in Zagreb, because we have family there. Much as we’re looking forward to new experiences, friends and school, we’re a bit sad about leaving our Aussie life behind. We’ve learned Croatian from our mum, so language shouldn’t be that big a problem for us when we get there, even though we could use more practice. But I’m very optimistic; I think everything will turn out fine!
Luka: I’m going to miss Sydney. Even though we’ve seen lots of beautiful places across the country, nothing beats this paradise on the southeast coast. The heart of the city is the harbour on the Pacific Ocean. Few cities have such recognisable landmarks and spectacular first sights when coming by air, sea or land as the Harbour City. The Sydney Harbour Bridge, which we also call the Coathanger, dominates the landscape. I love climbing on top of it and watching the city: you get a great view of the Opera House from up there! It’s difficult to believe lots of people didn’t like the Opera House’s shell-shaped roof structure at first. I honestly can’t imagine the city without it! Another thing about Sydney that I find hard to imagine is that a city this big started out as a small British convict settlement in the early 19th century. But that’s why you can see a lot of Victorian architecture and public gardens around here. As the immigrants and new Sydneysiders poured in, the city grew into the biggest city Down Under, with around 5 million residents… and around a hundred beautiful beaches! I just can’t imagine my new life without the sea; I love spending time on the beach!
Lota: Me too, and I’ll miss surfing the most! I agree with Luka; Sydney really is special. Here, you can experience the real Aussie lifestyle and see all of Australia’s wonders in one place. If you don’t have enough time to explore the Great Barrier Reef, there’s Sea Life Sydney Aquarium. It’s one of my favourite places in the city; there, you can see all our marine animals up close… From a safe distance behind thick glass, of course! As you already know, Australia is home to some of the deadliest animals in the world. But we have cute, furry ones, too, and you can see both in our Taronga Zoo. Besides various animal species, the zoo offers some spectacular views of Sydney. You can also enjoy the view of the city from our tallest building, the Sydney Tower Eye. But our hometown is not the only place I’m going to miss. There is something special to see and do in each part of Australia. I’ve enjoyed travelling through the Outback, where red deserts make up most of the landscape. The aboriginal people of Australia knew how to live and thrive in this harsh environment. I love listening to their stories and learning about their culture and heritage. Their sacred landmark of Uluru is just one of the many wonders of nature you can see in Australia. Everywhere you look, something is there to amaze you. I know I’ll find breathtaking nature, culture and stories in Croatia as well, but right now it feels very difficult to say goodbye to the country we grew up in.