My odyssey down under in the land of OZ
April 5th was my launching date. I actually left home around 1:00 and drove to Spokane. I had good weather and dry roads. Roger and Bev Ruhl took me out to dinner and we played around with her computer to get my IZ CD’s on her hard drive. Oh yes, the dinner was delicious!
Thanks you two. You always have the welcome mat out for me.
April 6th : Bev and I had a good visit before I headed out to Seattle, arriving there around 4:00 in the afternoon.Tonya met me at 4:30 and she took me down to the SculpturePark for a walk and then I took her to dinner. It was my treat honoring her approaching graduation. We finished up the evening at her place. I met her friends and housemates. She also watched my DVD of my Hawaii pictures. She walked me to Jeff’s place which is only a few blocks away. He was doing a night shift at the hospital and I fell asleep on the couch waiting up for him. We chatted for a little while when he got home and then we both crashed. He gave me his room and he slept downstairs.
April 7thJeff took me to the airport around noon. (He let me keep my car at his place for the two months I would be gone.) It was a long flight of 14 hours. At least they served good meals and we had individual screens for viewing the movies. I got very little sleep needless to say.
I actually set foot in Australia on Saturday morning.
Sydney was overcast and the baggage was slow in coming.This was foreshadowing because the transfer bus to terminal 3 was slow which added up to me missing my flight to Canberra. Qantas got me out on the next flight which was a good thing; however, the luggage did not make it with any of us. Fortunately I sat beside a gal named Chris. She was not only full of good info, she had her boyfriend take me to my backpacker resort on the way to taking her home.This just reinforced my opinion that Aussies are some of the friendliest people in the world! My bags did get delivered to where I was staying later during the day.
My first backpacker resort in Canberra was impressive. It was right down in the center of the city. I found it to be clean, comfortable, with a big kitchen and with access to the "net".
The weather here in the capital of Australia is sunny and warm. I rented a pink bike from my backpacker resort for a half day of peddling and exploring.The city has a huge man-made lake with a riding trail all the way around it. I enjoyed taking it, stopping along the way for photo ops. The Captain Cook Memorial Jet blows a six-ton column of water to heights of up to 147 meters. The National Carillon was a gift from Britain on Canberra's 50th birthday. It is one of the largest musical instruments in the world.
I also spent a couple of hours in the Australia Museum. It was very impressive and right on Lake Burley Griffin.
The entry arch for the museum
Isabel, Abby, and Jess are the three girls from England sharing the room with me.They had been traveling through Australia for several weeks already. After we visited, they headed out for a Saturday night on the town.They were ready to party. Relaxing and reading in bed appealed to me at this point.
April 8th – Easter Sunday
I packed up and slipped out of our room around 7:30 AM. I got some breakfast at the connected café and then waited for the Alpine Express.
My bus came at 9:00 and I was the only passenger. I sat up front by the driver. His name was Brian and he answered questions about what we saw and where we were going. (He has been driving for over 30 years and had grown up near Cooma, one of our stops on the way.)
He talked about the rabbit infestation on his dad’s ranch and how it took years of work eradicating them. It is another fantastic blue sky day. My destination is Thredbo – a ski resort in the SnowyMountains. (In 2000, it was named the NSW Tourist Destination of the Decade.) Banjo Paterson's ballad about "The Man from Snowy River" took place in these mountains and this statue is a tribute to him. It is located in Cooma's park near the Avenue of Flags. We also passed by the scenic shores of Lake Jindabyne - the location used for the newest Australian-made movie. "Jindy" is a satellite ski town in season. It also offers hiking trails, fishing, biking and mountaineering in the off season.
There is a statute of Tadiusz Kosciuszko, the heroic Polish nationalist, who fought for freedom on two continents. He came to America in 1776 to serve in the Revolutionary War as a skilled military engineer. His fortifications at Saratoga and West Point gave us critical victories. Paul Strzelecki, a Polish-born explorer, led a climbing expedition in the Australian Alps in 1840. When he reached the summit of the tallest mountain in Australia, he named it after this revered statesman from his homeland.
I arrived in Thredbo around noon and dropped my bags off where I was staying - House of Ullr. I got on my hiking shorts, grabbed my camera and water bottle, and headed for the chair lift. My destination was the top of Mount Kosciuszko, the tallest mountain in Australia, and the trail starts where the chairlift ends.The unique part of the hike was that it was like walking uphill on a sidewalk. It protected the land and made the trip easier. I got to the summit in 54 minutes. The view there was panoramic along with sweeping views on the way up. I took time to take pictures on top and on the walk down. I caught the chair lift back down at 4:00 PM. While coming down, I saw several mountain bikers riding down the various trails on the mountain.
This is only ski area I have been to that has gum trees lining the ski slopes!
Notice the mowed ski runs.
Once back to my room I took a hot shower and sipped on a glass of wine. I followed that with a refreshing nap. Around 8:00 I grabbed a very tasty hamburger at a nearby cafe. I found the autumn night to be clear and cold. What a memorable Easter this has been for me!
April 9th - Monday
I woke up in time to watch the last hour of the Masters. Might I add, it was Sunday in the USA. Fortunately there was a coffee pot in my room so I could sip on a cup while packing. I got to the BOBSLED ride by 9:30. It was just a short distance from where I was staying, located at the bottom of the ski hill.
It was another gorgeous day! I waited in line for my turn standing in between two eighth grade girls, one from Melbourne and the other Sydney. We had a good visit about what their schools are like and how their school year is structured. I was probably the oldest customer. What a kick the ride was! I had as much fun as any "kid" there, never using the brake on any of the turns.
I ate a grilled sandwich out in the sunshine in front of where I stayed. I loaded my bags on the Alpine Express when it arrived. That gave me thiry minutes to walk up to the golf course to check it out before the bus left. The Snowy River flows right through Thredbo and though the flow is slow, it is clear and lovely. The honor system is used for the course and I only saw one golfer playing off the 1st tee. This resort has a very relaxed atmosphere, even on a holiday weekend; my kind of place.
The drive back was relaxing and the countryside was very rural. The terrain reminded me of central Montana. I was dropped off at the airport in Canberra and from there I flew to Melbourne. I was able to get on a sky bus and it took me right to the door of Urban Central Backpacker Resort. I had arranged to have a room all to myself. It even had a private bathroom with a great shower.
April 10th - Tuesday
I was up very early (6:30) to get dressed and down to the internet room before going to breakfast. I spent an hour on the computer reading messages and sending a couple. Breakfast was complimentary and self serve so I made toast and had juice, coffee, and cereal. After washing my dishes, I headed upstiars to pack and prepare to check out.
The bridges reflect the old and the new. On the left is a sculpture put up during the Goodwill Games. Horse drawn carriages are seen often.
Commercial shipping and crew boats can be seen on the Yarra only a few miles apart from each other. Many of the bridges are ornate with a mix of frescos and Latin.
Elaine came for me around 11:00. She drove us to the Crown Casino Hotel where she had a parking permit. From there we began sightseeing. Melbourne is a beautiful and historic city. We took a tour boat on the Yarra River and we also rode the Circle Tour Train. We spent some time in the Art Center, a relatively new building costing $500,000,000.00 That's right, a half billion dollars! Its modern design is still quite controversial. I tried to capture some of the paintings we viewed.
I especially liked the paintings that reflected the struggling pioneers in the bush and outback country. Ned Kelly. a legendary outlaw, was also depicted wearing his makeshift armor at the time of his arrest. The aboriginal sculptures were impressive.
Once back to her car, we drove out to her suburb, Dorcaster. She and her husband Brian fixed me a lamb dinner which was delicious! They served wine before and during dinner. Their daughter, Vanessa, ate with us. Afterwards we had a fun visit in the kitchen over coffee watching Simba's antics. Their young cat is beautiful and full of personality.
April 11th - Wednesday
I woke before Elaine and Brian, and I used this quiet time to enjoy a cup of coffee and a fantastic book of Australian photos and wonderful quotes.
Cory, their grandson, was dropped off and we had a relaxed morning enjoying their backyard, which has a swimming pool. Melbourne is going through a drought. I watered her potted plants with bucketfulls of water from the tub after my bath. The day was in the high 70's. They drove me out to the surrounding area. Elaine wanted me to see Montsalvat.
Roses and lemons were growing in their backyard.
It was started by an artist back in the 1930's, Justus Jorgensen (1893 - 1975)and his troop of volunteers. It has the look of a medieval European village. The buildings, made of adobe, timbers, and stone are randomly located. They are on quite a bit of acreage 40 kms outside of Melbourne. It was a work in progress until his death. One of his sons is supervising it now. Several artisans have their studios there. We saw a couple of painters, and we visited with a guitar maker. One of his guitars costs around $10,000.00. I felt like I was in a time warp while strolling around the various buildings there.
Every piano was in tune and in mint condition. Below is a self-portrait done by Jorgensen.
Back home, Vanessa took me for a three mile round trip walk to a lovely park. I had a great appetite for another of Elaine's delicious meals. We watched a DVD afterwards. We barely managed to stay awake to see the end. We headed off to bed as soon as it was over.
April 12th - Thursday
The day started cool and overcast in the morning. I even slept in! I got up around 8:30...had breakfast and we visited until we headed out for the Yarra Valley. By the time we got to the first winery, it was sunny. We tasted at least 10 wines. I bought two bottles. We toured the Chateau Yering Historic House Hotel before heading to a second winery.
We headed for the Dandenong Range, stopping for lunch at a bakery in Mount Evelyn for lunch. The road rose and twisted as it climbed up into the Dandenong Range National Park. We took a short hike in one of the gum tree forests. Some of the trees were hugh! The afternoon began in pastoral land and vineyards and then ended in the mountains.
Elaine fixed us bacon and eggs and we ate in the kitchen. Vanessa joined us. Afterwards I went upstairs and started organizing and packing. I am trying to write in my journal daily as well. It has been a wonderful stay. Elaine and Brian were delightful hosts. They are both retired and enjoyed being my personal tour guides. I will miss them as I move on to my next adventure.
April 13th – Friday
Elaine and Brian got me to my pick up site with five minutes to spare. I had almost overslept! Thank goodness I had packed the night before.
John, our guide, took the 21 of us to Bell’s Beach for breakfast and some shopping. Ripcurl’s headquarters is there and a major surfing contest had just ended the day before.Thus, we got to go to the actual beach and check it out.There were still lots of surfers there enjoying themselves.
Near the town of Geelong there is a sign recognizing William Buckley, whose story is one of survival and of racial harmony - an Australian Dances with Wolves. He was a bricklayer, born in England in 1780, who was charged with receiving stolen goods. In 1803 he ended with 300 convicts on a nine month trip in the hull of a ship headed for Australia. Once the ship got to Port Phillip Bay, Buckley escaped along with 19 convicts. He, however, was the only one to survive in the wilderness of Victoria. He was found by the Marrangurk tribe who welcomed him to join them. He lived with them for 32 years, adopting their way of life and language. Toward the end he lived alone, wandering up and down the south-west coast. He was pardoned in 1835 after he returned to civilization. For the next 20 years he lived with his heart in both worlds, enduring both ridicule for his empathy with Aboriginal tribes while witnessing their massacre. He died in 1856.
We past through many quaint beach towns and saw miles of spectacular coastline.We found koalas in the wild because John knew where to stop and have us look.The road sign was also a clue.
The Great Ocean Road turned 75 this year. It was initially built to give the returning soldiers from WWI a job, but the fact it was dedicated to the fallen of the First World War, it became a war memorial. We were fortunate to see some of this ceremony and the unveiling of the sculpture. It took the returning servicemen 15 years to build the road by hand. It not only affected their lives, but it connected the isolated coastal communities for the first time.
We took a walk through a rainforest later, and made it to the Twelve Apostles mid-afternoon.Turbulent waves of the Southern Ocean have sculpted the coast’s unearthly stone formations and sent many sailors to a watery death.There have been hundreds of shipwrecks in this 175 km stretch of coastline. We stayed at a view point for the Twelve Apostles till after sunset. Earlier we had walked on the beach and checked out the rockeries up close. We came to them first on our coastal drive. The surf was really pounding and crashing into the rocks and the beach.
John made us a great dinner at our hostel beach house in Port Campbell.The little community did have its pub, so many of us walked down to it for an after dinner drink.
April 14th – Saturday
Another beautiful day by the time we were sightseeing. It was a little foggy at daybreak.J ohn took us to Shipwreck Bay, Thunder Cave, Blow Hole, a cemetery (only Tom and Eva survived) from this particular shipwreck and the Bay of Islands. Kirstall Hotel was our lunch stop. I had ham steak with pineapple and chips. Tasty.
Shipwreck Bay
Bay of Islands
London Bridge - it collapsed a few years back
John told us that this kind of bush was used as a bed by the Aboriginals when on their walk-abouts. It was actually comfortable.
I saw bottle brush growing here and in other coastal areas.
We headed inland to the Grampians National Park. We unloaded our gear at Ned’s Beds so John could get the bus up to MacKenzie Falls. We had fun posing for pictures there individually and as a large group. We hiked back up the many stairs and drove to a 1Km trail to the Jaws of Death. Over half the park burned in 2005, yet the forest floor was greening up.
Can you spot the jaws of death in this picture?
MacKinzie Falls
Back “home” John prepared us an Aussie BBQ and it was great! I had purchased a box of white wine so I was set. I found the internet after dinner and got my email checked and fired off a couple of messages.
There was a campfire going plus great conversation on the deck.The stars were magnificent!!I try to spot the Southern Cross every night.
I slept like a rock.
April 15th – Sunday
We got going early this morning so we could hike up Mt. Hollow.There was even some rock scrambling we had to do on the way up. We did it on a beautiful day and had a beautiful view.
On the way down I grabbed some time to see some aboriginal art work off on a side trail. (Most of the Aboriginal rock art sites in Victoria are in this park.)
The rest of the day was a big push to get to Adelaide.We did a fun stop at a town called Keith for a picnic lunch. We even rode the ferry across the Murray River and back again just to say we did it.
We all got delivered to our backpacker resorts in Adelaide. I showered, ate some of the nightly free apple pie, and then walked to John’s backpacker resort. Our group had made plans earlier to meet together for a final drink. It was only about a six block walk for me. I was staying in an all women dorm room that slept eight. Only six of us were in it while I was there.
April 16th – Monday
Today I would take my second Groovy Grape Tour.The first one was on the Great Ocean Road and this one was focusing on Kangaroo Island.
My guide, Clancy, picked me and two others up at my backpacker resort around 10:00. He drove to some local sights after he had all five of us in the van. He took us to a reservoir and to Cleland Park which is only 15 km from Adelaide. It had a eucalpt forest and a mob of ‘roos. I got a good photo. It seems they are use to humans intruding upon their space.
Reservoir levels are down The Captain
due to on-going drought.
We boarded a charter fishing boat at Cape Jervis around 4:00 and got to Kangaroo Island about thiry minutes later. We drove a van that was waiting for us at Penneshaw, located on the northeast point of the island. Our overnight spot was called Antechamber Bay. It was dusk and we only had one lantern inside the structure. Inside was a fire pit so we got a fire going and ate rissoles, kangaroo, and sausages. Veges and salad completed our meal. Everyone bedded down early so Derek (a school teacher from Sydney) and I chatted about our respective schools and then proceeded to solve the problems of the world by firelight. We all slept under the veranda in our swags. I woke up several times during the night…so glad to know I was still in Australia and not where I was in my dreams.
April 17th – Tuesday
We woke shortly after 6:00 and hustled down to the beach to see the sunrise and it was lovely. We had cereal and coffee for a quick breakfast and then started loading up. We spotted a black Tiger snake as we were driving (very poisonous). Clancy spotted a goanna (monitor lizard) and stopped to pick him up. We got to see him up close. Very cool!
I think Clancy must be related to Steve Irwin, the crocodile hunter.
He has a knack for spotting and handling wildlife.
We went to Emu Ridge to learn about their Melaleuca tree farm and how they get the oil from the trees. I bought some candy and a postcard.
We didn’t stay too long because we had a 10:30 tour lined up at Seal Bay. It was fascinating seeing the colony of Australian sea lions up close. The guide with us was good about taking us as near as possible without disturbing them. They were mostly sunbathing and/or sleeping.
We returned to Vivonne Bay store where we used their picnic tables for lunch. Clancy drove us to a wonderful vista of Vivonne Bay where we not only checked out the view, but waded out in the water. It was recently proclaimed the best beach in Australia by Sydney University based on its clarity of water, privacy and cleanliness.
A highlight of our trip was surfing down this big steep sand dune at Little Sahara. It was a blast!! I rode a board down six times – sometimes sitting, sometimes headfirst lying down. We even had dual events and conducted a mini Olympics since each of us was from a different country. I must admit, I did not win the gold for the USA. My longest and best run came before the official event. Only Michael went down standing – very impressive. We left our cameras in the van at Clancy's suggestion because of the damage sand can do to them.
Clancy spotted a koala and we stopped for a photo op and we all got pictures. We drove to Flinders Chase National Park to see the Remarkable Rocks…and they were remarkable. I felt like I was walking around in a modern art gallery.
Clancy spotted a pigmy copper head as we were headed for Admiral’s Arch. Its back half had been run over by a car so after he let us get a close look, he put the snake out of its misery.
There were hundreds of New Zealand Fur Seals at Admirals Bridge as well as spectacular scenery. The younger ones seemed so playful. We were quite entertained watching them cavorting on the rock shelves, slipping in and out of the ocean, and swimming. The bigger ones seemed content with sleeping. They are definitely more active than the Australian sea lions at Seal Bay. We left just at sunset and even captured a picture of the lighthouse on the way back to the van.
We spent the night at Flinders Chase Farm. It was a very classy backpacker place. The kitchen was clean and huge. Clancy prepared us a stir fry dinner. Later he led us on a night walk. We saw kangaroos, wallebies, and a opossum. The stars put on a fantastic display in the clear night sky!
April 18th – Wednesday
I slept well and got up ready for my final day on Kangaroo Island.We loaded up after breakfast and headed for a spot where Clancy felt we would see a platypus. We didn’t see one in the pool where he thought one lived, but we did hike on to a breath-taking beach with pounding surf. I tried to get really close for a picture and a wave came in up to my chest instead of my knees. BIG MISTAKE! I was OK, but my camera got some salt water on it. Fortunately it did start working again later that morning.
We had lunch at Flinders Chase Park in a picnic area after we made one more try to see a platypus . This time we were successful.YEA!They are very shy critters and difficult to spot.
We saw another koala and some pelicans at American River Marina. After visiting the marina, we hiked up hundreds of stairs to a marvelous lookout called Prospect Hill. It was our last activity before loading up at Christmas Cove in Penneshaw to catch our boat back to Adelaide.
Farewell from atop Prospect Hill Good bye Remarkable Rocks
So long to the tree top sleepy head G'day to all the beautiful song birds
We loaded our gear on the boat and headed back to Adelaide.
I was delivered to my backpacker resort door around 8:00 pm, just in time for one more serving of the traditional hot apple pie and ice cream. I checked my emails and sent David Nyquest one. I plan on visiting him in Perth. I wrote some post cards, journaled, and packed for my flight in the morning to Perth.
I loved my time on Kangaroo Island! I think it was the combination of things: uniqueness of the island, having Clancy as our guide, great weather, and becoming our own little “funky five" family. We had a great time together. We all exchanged email addresses before going our seperate ways.
April 19th - Thursday
Today I actually make it to the west coast of Australia!
I flew out of Adelaide at 8:05 and went through 1 1/2 hours time zone changes so we actually arrived in Perth around 11:00. My shuttle bus driver was very friendly as well as helpful and he got me right to the doorstep of the Billabong Backpacker Resort. This place gives a good first impression because of the pool and the beach volley ball court. I mainly was interested in getting some laundry done and in reaching David. When we talked we made plans to meet for dinner. The afternoon was sunny so I read my novel by the pool and regrouped.
I did arrange at the desk for a trip out to Rottnest Island for the next day. I also wanted to spend some time in Freemantle on my way back to Perth. Dave found where I was staying and then he walked me to a wonderful Italian restaurant called Sorrento. He insisted on treating me to dinner. I ordered barramundi and it was scrumptious. We shared a slice of mud cake for dessert. It was so rich I needed a cup of coffee to wash it down. After he walked me back, I got on the net and handled my emails and then organized for tomorrow's trip. I read myself to sleep as usual.
What a treat to spend the evening with a fellow Montanan. He seems to be really enjoying his job and his two year stint in Perth. I wish I had more time in this city and could have him be my guide on one of his days' off.
April 20th - Friday
The day went well until I was boarding the boat to Rottnest and discovered my camera wouldn't open. Apparently the residue from the salt water is holding it closed. This is not a good omen. I will have to resort to postcards until I can buy a disposable camera.
The magnificent Swan Bells tower was right near where we boarded for the cruise down the Swan River. The scenery was beautiful with expensive homes all along the river. At the Freemantle wharf we boarded the ferry for the island. Once there, I rented a bike and started out on my ride around the island. For the first hour I rode in a light drizzle. I did spot wildlife: porpoise, koalas, and at least ten quokkas (small wallabies). They have rat-like tails.
The Dutch explorers dubbed this island "rat's nest" when they mistook the quokkas (small wallabies) for giant rats.
Some of the beaches were protected and were good for snorkeling; others had big surf waves coming in. I also spotted some surfers. I rode around the island twice and did more side ventures the second time. I got out in the water on one beach. The bike worked well and the afternoon was mostly sunny. I figure I rode at least 50 km. I turned my bike in by 3:45 and caught the Rottnest Ferry as scheduled. From there on things went down hill. There was no connecting boat or bus to get me back. I had to find the train station and ride a train to Perth from Fremantle and then walk ten blocks. I finally got back around 7:45.
David Nyquest had left me a message to call. I did and we had a good visit. He even tried to help me fix my camera over the phone, but to no avail. We both believe there must be some salty residue in around the lens; a result from my mishap with the monster wave on Kangaroo Island. After I hung up, I packed, finally locating my alarm clock. I would need to get up early in the morning for my next tour. The pool area is right outside of our room and the noise is loud and unrelenting. I feel the room is dirty and I don't think I would recommend this hostel to any of my friends. It is definitely the hot spot for the young drinking crowd, however.
April 21st - Saturday
I was out of my room and downstairs drinking a cup of coffee by 6:45. The Easy Rider Bus came right on time at 7:30. He had several stops to make picking up other passengers before he headed for their headquarters. We did a great deal of driving today, heading north. Our big stop was at Pinnacles. They are an amazing array of limestone upthrusts.
Our next stop was at at Dynamite Bay. It had nice sand dunes but quite a bit of seaweed, so I only went wading. I did scale up a sand dune to see the next bay over. Wes said that the boats I saw there were lobster boats.
We stopped long enough at the Leaning Tree to take a picture of this unusual phenomenon.
It was dusk when we pulled into Kalbarri to our backpacker resort. We checked in and then immediately headed to Finlay's Fish BBQ. I ordered the grilled fish dinner and it was delicious. Nicole, a Swiss doctor interning a year in Australia, went in with me on a bottle of white wine. The owner of the place is also the chef. Both he and the restaurant had lots of character!
Back at "the ranch" we sat and chatted awhile. We girls are sharing a big dorm room. I sat in the living room for a bit writing in my journal and watching part of a movie on the TV.
April 22nd - Sunday
We headed right into Kalbarri National Park first thing in the morning. We drove 25 km on a yellowish orange sand road to get to the vista point of the Z Bend of the Murchison River. We followed a trail down to where six of us were going to do some abseiling.
I was one of the six. It was about a 70 foot drop from the top to the ground below. My first time, I was facing the cliff and did the standard procedure, pushing off the cliff wall three times with my feet on my way down. The second time I faced outward. I was told to ease my grip on the rope and go fast once I launched off the edge. That is what I did, and the group below said I was like a pencil and went the fastest! I was so proud of myself. Chantal, a Dutch girl on our tour, was kind enough to video my second time down so I could see how it looked. She even put these pictures as well as the video clip on a CD and gave it to me before we parted ways at the end of this tour.
The flies got really obnoxious today for the first time. I must remember to wear the netting I bought to fit over my hat. We hiked along the river bottom and then worked our way back up to the vista. Wes also took us to see Nature's Window before leaving the park. It was impressive.
The rest of the day was a long bus ride with occasional stops for gas, pit stops, and snack breaks. We pulled into Denham at dusk...finally. Denham is the westernmost town in all of Australia.
I checked into our room and headed straight for the shower. Most of us had dinner at the Old Pub, known for its fish and chips. They have special backpacker rates too. I strolled on back to our lodging after eating so I could check on my email messages. Amanda had put more money in my AAA debit card. Yea! I also heard from Janelle. I used the rest of the hour sending some messages. I watched a TV movie called The Zoo Keeper. I went to bed as soon as it was over to read some of my Montana book using my head lamp. It didn't take me long to get sleepy.
April 23rd - Monday
Our bus pulled out by 7:00 heading for Monkey Mia. Wes timed our arrival beautifully with the feeding of the bottle nose dolphins. These playful creatures have become an international sensation. We saw eight or so of them swimming in very close to the rangers who were standing in knee-deep water off shore. They all have been named and seemed to enjoy interacting with the rangers. Some of the spectators were picked to come out and help with the feeding. The rangers supervised and answered any questions we had. What a treat to see them!
I went swimming after the feeding of the dolphins. The water felt great, so refreshing. I was fortunate enough to get to see a second demonstration before we headed back to Denham. We found out we had taken on more riders than the bus had seats. It took Wes awhile to work it all out.
After we were rolling again, our first stop was Eagle Bluff. We were treated to seeing a small shark and a couple of rays. The water here was so clear and beautiful. The contours of the sand under the water created a work of art.
At Shark Bay, we also checked out stromatolites (living fossils) at Hamelin Pool.
Our lunch stop was at Shell Beach. After eating, I walked out for 80 or so yards and the water never got deep enough to get my shorts wet. The shore, however, is composed totally of broken shells, not sand - quite unusual. Needless to say, I wore my tevas on this beach.
When leaving the greater Shark Bay area, I asked Wes to stop long enough for me to take a picture of the "barking fence". The national park administration is trying to keep all the feral animals out so the indigineous animals can increase in numbers. When a vehicle or animal passes through the opening, the fence makes barking noises which is suppose to scare the unwanted animals away. I hope this expensive experiment works.
We continued on north, stopping in Carnarvon, a town with a population of 7,000. We got our groceries for supper and breakfast the next day. The area surrounding this town grows 70% of the tropical fruit for Western Australia. Our destination was Coral Bay. Once there we checked in and ate our suppers. I got a chance to play some ping pong with a couple of young men who were quite good. I gave them a bit of competition but won only one game. We had some great volleys and lots of fun. I then walked down to the beach to join our crew. We listened to music and talked. No stars tonight because it had clouded up. By midnight I was ready to go to bed. We would be up early in the morning to go snorkeling!
April 24th - Tuesday
We woke up to a cloudy day. Thus, we didn't see many fish and the colors weren't as brilliant because of the rain and clouds. We did swim with a sea turtle for awhile. At least I can say I snorkeled in WA at Coral Bay.
We loaded up the bus after snorkeling. There always seems to be new faces each morning as some people join us and some leave us in order to spend more time at a particular beach. We started seeing termite mounds all along the highway on the drive to Exmouth. I got dropped off at the airport there around 1:00 PM. Unfortunately my flight did not leave until 6:00. It rained hard a couple of times during the afternoon. There were even flies inside the airport! I found a way to outfox them by sitting in front of a wall fan in the cafe. The breeze kept them off me.
My flight got me to Perth after dark. A girl on my plane told me where to buy a shuttle bus ticket and we were off in minutes after getting our luggage. I had called ahead from Exmouth and booked a bed at THE WITCH'S HAT. I found it to be clean, historic, charming, and quiet. It had high speed internet and a washer/dryer. I was "in business" washing all my road trip clothes and checking my email while the clothes were drying. The computers were in the large living room which also contained couches and a large plasma TV. I tried to stay awake and watch a DVD called The Lake House but I slept through most of it. I wasn't much company for the girl who wanted to watch it. I went on to bed in my coed dorm room and slept like a log.
Witch's Hat - Perth Cable Beach Backpackers
April 25th - Wednesday
ANZAC DAY in Australia
A charming gentleman picked me up in his shuttle bus right outside of my BR and he even carried my bag into the airport for me. My flight went smoothly and I got to watch a film based on the life of Beatrice Potter while in flight. I was even served a light lunch. Blue skies and heat awaited me in Broome. I called Cable Beach Backpackers and got a bed line up for the next few nights. I did have to hire a cab to get me there. The driver was the most patriotic person I met all day. He said he had gone to a sunrise service that morning honoring all the military, past and present, especially those who died in World War 1.
As soon as I got checked in I met Sheena (the girl on the left). She befriended me right away and walked with me to the beach. She is 24 and from the UK. I swam and sunbathed for a couple of hours. My first time to be in the Indian Ocean. We walked the five blocks back to clean up and change so we could return with some of her friends to watch the sunset. They came prepared with wine, cheese and crackers. I ended up walking back alone because one of Sheena's friends started crying and she was trying to console her.
Back at the BR, I discovered the management was serving BBQ'd sausages. They were not only delicious, they were free. I surprised myself by eating three. Many of us sat around the pool for a spell. When I went to my room I found it warm in spite of a fan. I must remember that the further north I go, the warmer it gets!
April 26th - Thursday
I got up before 7:00, put on my swimsuit, and headed for Cable Beach. I rented a boogie board for an hour and caught several waves good enough to get a nice ride. After a couple of hours, I decided I was hungry and stopped in at The Old Zoo Cafe. It is a casual, yet classy place. I ate a bowl of their home-made granola and had a cup of black coffee, along with a big glass of water.
Back at my BR, I met Claire and James. They share the room with me
They are both from Scotland and doing some of the cleaning to pay for their room. They seem really nice. I showered, organized myself, and caught the free shuttle bus ride into town. The resort offers this wonderful service to its guests since most of us do not have cars at our disposal. I spent a leisurely afternoon going to the bank (getting some Australian dollars), the post office, camera shop, and then moving on to the gift shops. Broome only has 14,000 residents, yet it must have 20 jewelry shops. They mostly specialize in pearls. This town's history has been connected with pearl diving and pearl farming for over a 100 years. I managed to find some earrings for Marci that I could afford.
statute of Japanese diver plaque and photo 
I stayed in town to see the 6:30 show at the SUN PICTURE THEATRE. It claims to be the world's oldest operating picture gardens.
They even served dinners as well as popcorn. I had a chicken dish and sat out under the stars in a deck-type chair. I could see the Southern Cross as I was watching the film. The planes would fly right over our heads in their approaches to the airport. I thought that was so cool! The setting matched the picture: Stranger Than Fiction. After waiting for awhile at the bus stop, we discovered the bus had broken down and wasn't coming. A Sydney couple had a cell phone and they called us a cab. They wouldn't let me help them pay for it. Aussies continue to dazzle me with their thoughtfulness!
I found Sheena when I got back and we got in some visiting time. She was upset because her camera had stopped working. I suggested she go to the Kodak shop where I found the manager to be very knowledgeable.
We exchanged emails and then we each went to our rooms. I had catching up to do on my journal and needed to get my post cards written and addressed.
April 27th – Friday
Beautiful days just continue to keep coming. I got up early, but went to the resort’s pool instead of the ocean. I swam at least four times in between reading and relaxing. Around 9:30 I was notified that I needed to vacate from my room so the next guest could move in. I was able to keep my bags in the computer room for the day.
At 12:30 my Pinnacle Tour guide picked me up. His name was Les and he did a nice job of showing me and the two others on the tour the town and the greater area. I especially enjoyed the views from Gantheaume Point. The rocks on the point are deep red and rugged. Les pointed out the dinosaur footprints preserved in the rocks (which can only be seen at low tide). He also shared the love story behind Anastasia’s Pool. It was chiseled-out of the cliff top by a former lighthouse keeper for his arthritic wife. Each day as the tide came in, it refilled the pool with fresh sea water. The lighthouse keeper would then carry his wife down to the pool every day during low tide. Anastasia found that bathing in the warm water gave her relief from her pain.
Japanese cemetery view from Matso's front door
Les took us back into town. We went to an upper-end jewelry store specializing in pearls, an art gallery, a Japanese cemetery filled with graves of divers who lost their lives while diving for pearls, Chinatown, and Matso’s Brewery. I tasted my first ginger beer made right there. Les then dropped me off at CableBeach for my sunset camel ride. I actually did enjoy the sunset while riding Jemma, my camel. There were ten camels in all, and the ride lasted over an hour. Alex, a teenage boy, rode behind me. When our ride was over, his parents invited me to join them for a visit to a Buddhist Temple. We drove there in their rental car directly from the beach and, once inside, we respectfully sat with our shoes off and listened to priest’s presentation. Afterwards we walked out on the grounds and found them to be lovely. His parents were nice enough to drive me right to my BR. I ate my last apple and Sheena’s remaining salad for my dinner. (She did go to the Kodak shop today and the manager fixed her camera! She was so happy.) I took a shower and read until about 10:00.That was when the backpacker bus was ready to take me to the airport. Next stop will be the Top End of Australia – Darwin.
the camels' shadows on beach Cable Beach sunset
I want to enter my critique of Broome. It is a town of 14,000 people that sprawls gracefully between the ocean and the mangroves. It has gorgeous white beaches, a carefree aura, and a unique history connected with the pearl industry going back to the 1880’s. Its tidal range is a massive ten meters. During low tide exposed mudflats stretch for kilometers and skeletons of sunken WW II ships are uncovered. I found it to be the seaside mecca of Western Australia.
April 28th – Saturday
Dee had me flying from Broome to Adelaide to Perth to Darwin, an eleven hour trip. I learned at the airport that there is actually a daily two hour direct flight. I hate to think of the money and time I could have saved if she had booked me differently!
Darwin is the gateway to the splendor of the Top End. It is a city of 80,000 people. Darwin, same as most of The Northern Territory, only has two seasons: wet (November –April) and dry (May – October). I planned my arrival for the start of dry season. I found sunshine and warm weather everywhere I went.
After I got my luggage and my rental car, I drove to my backpacker resort.I found The Banyon View Lodge around 2:00 PM and decided that it was the best BR I have stayed in so far. It was clean, air conditioned, with free net access, and a swimming pool. I took advantage of it all! The manager proved to be a friendly and very helpful lady. She lined me up with a sunset dinner cruise of the Darwin Harbor aboard a sail boat. It proved to be a marvelous evening. The other four customers were Australian and we all agreed the crew of two provided us with an enchanting evening.The sunset was beautiful and the steak dinner was delicious. Once, back at the wharf, the captain even offered to drive us to our respective accommodations. My stay in Darwin has been memorable, just all too short. I leave in the morning for a five day road trip…driving. Wish me luck.
I organized my bags in the rental car, checked my emails and then headed south on the Stuart Highway. My first destination was Litchfield National Park. It is famous for its waterfalls. I was especially interested in seeing Florence Falls for obvious reasons. (I continue to be surprised by the fact that the national parks have no entry fees, other than Snowy River.)
I took the walk down an extensive staircase to the plunge pool. The water was so cool and refreshing plus quite clear. I swam and took a pounding from each of the two falls. Over to one side I climbed onto a three foot ledge and dived in. It was a wonderful time!! I could have stayed there all day. By the time I did leave, I would guess there were thirty people in or around the huge pool. It was a great place to be on a warm day.
The next two waterfalls I saw did not allow swimming. They were so spectacular, I wasn’t that disappointed. Tolmer Falls is viewed from a platform. It is surrounded by sheer cliffs. Orange horseshoe and Ghost Bats live in the cave below the falls.
Wangi Falls was also very impressive. It had a lot of flow and it split into two falls. Later in the dry season, they let people swim in the pool beneath. As I was driving out of the park I saw these amazing cathedral termite mounds…hundreds of them.
I left the park the same way I came in, retracing my steps to get back to the Stuart Highway and then I headed further south to the town of Katherine.
I arrived before dark and found my motel and got checked in. I bought a Subway sandwich. I am surprised how many American chain fast food places there are throughout Australia. My room had a fridge so I ate half tonight for my supper and saved the rest for tomorrow. I just lounged on the bed, watched a TV movie, and relaxed. I had a full day – I’m doing better at driving. I certainly got a lot of practice today.
April 30th – Monday
NEWSFLASH – My camera works again!! A young guy, Adrian, at the Kodak shop dislodged the salt that was keeping the lens from moving.
I plan on coming up with a thank you note and a $10.00 bill for him. I wish I could give him more. I was actually in the shop to get my disposable camera’s film developed. I mentioned how disappointed I was that my good camera was out of commission and he suggested I bring it in when I picked up my pictures. In less than 60 seconds, with the help of his screwdriver, he got it operational.Two hours later, I was snapping pictures out of a helicopter.
Geoff lined me up with a 2:00 PM helicopter ride that would take me over all 13 of the Katherine River gorges. Geoff was the owner and manager of the motel where I was staying. He also had me join him and his wife for breakfast before I headed out sightseeing. I spent over an hour at the Jurassic Cycad Gardens. It was on my way to the gorges, and it offered a self guided walking tour on its 1.4 km of paths.The grounds were filled with native and exotic rare plants: cycads, succulents, euphorbias, cactus, caudiciforms, and pachypodiums.
view from the bluff me with Darin, our pilot
Daren was our helicopter pilot and he really gave the three of us a great ride. Airborne Solutions is the only helicopter operation in the park. We flew over all thirteen gorges and even landed on a bluff halfway up to check out the views from there. We saw rapids, waterfalls, and amazing scenery. It was so worth the cost!
my favorite waterfall tour boats in the first gorge
After the flight, I drove on into the visitor center and enjoyed seeing the displays. I also did some souvenir shopping before leaving.
Only in the outback would you see this combination.
I’m writing this back at my motel, Katherine River Lodge. It has a nice pool and I had it all to myself for a swim.The only downside of this place is the hard bed and the noisy air conditioner.The hosts are gracious and their son, along with his wife and infant son, just arrived from Adelaide. He is a chef, and his goal is to have the motel’s restaurant up and going by Mother’s Day.
May 1st – Tuesday
I got invited to another great Aussie breakfast prepared by the son, also named Geoff. I was the only guest so I felt honored. Afterwards, I did my laundry, checked my emails and then headed for Mataranka, about an hour’s drive away. I took pictures of some of the bush country plants and trees.
I sam gum trees and kangaroo tails or grass trees on my drive.
I had an absolutely delightful time taking a dip at Bitter Springs.
Jeannie Gunn named it that when she discovered it back in 1902.
As I was driving to the Mataranka Homestead, I stopped at a camp ground. The owner was just starting to feed the huge barramundi he had there in his billabong. He demonstrated how he could catch them with his hand. He did it several times successfully. Impressive! I'm so glad I happened by there when I did.
At the homestead there is a duplicate of the Gunn house, how it looked when they lived in it at Elsey Station. It was built to look just like the original, and it was used in the film based on her book We of the Never Never. I bought the DVD of the film while there. I had read the book back in 2000 and loved the true story that has become an Australian classic.
The homestead’s thermal pool was quite large and free of charge. It was only a short walk down a trail from the cafe/bar to reach the lush tropical oasis. Ten or so people enjoyed the spring-fed pool along with me.
There is another spring nearby that is the source for the Roper River. It was such a beautiful color.
I drove back to Katherine by late afternoon, showered, and prepared to go out to Springvale Homestead. It is a historical site located on the banks of the KatherineRiver close to town. I had signed up for the Crocodile Night Cruise, which included dinner.There were about a dozen of us. The guide gave each of us a “torch” to help us spot crocs as we cruised down the river. We did see a few.Their eyes reflected the light. Our guide, Gary, got a croc to come up to the beach for some meat.The signal he gave was beating on the bucket. Gary had everything set up for a riverside steak dinner.To top things off, it was a full moon night. I thought it was a perfect way to end a wonderful day.
The historic Springvale Homestead is where the cruise departs. These four raintrees are over 100 years old. Each tree was planted as a seed when a child was born. The trees now dwarfthe home.
Katherine River at the end of monsoon season
Gary fed the croc a steak.
May 2nd – Wednesday
After one more delicious breakfast prepared by the younger Geoff, I had to pack up and start my drive back to Darwin. I went by way of KakaduNational Park. I had purchased a novel on CD’s. I found the CD player would take the CD’s in, play them, but wouldn’t open to let them out. I had to force them out with my fingernail file. Hopefully the rental car place will reimburse me for the cost of the CD’s I scratched.
As of now, I can add my favorite pair of shorts to my missing-in-action list. Oh well - the perils of living a life on the move. I stopped by the post office to mail Jeff a postcard and buy stamps and then headed out of town. I sure have enjoyed my stay in the outback of the Northern Territory.
I saw my first dingo while driving in Kakadu. I took one short hike up a steep trail to a viewing tower.The flies were pesky on my hike. I noticed fires were being set all along the sides of the roads in the park. I was told the park does this every year after the monsoon season to cut down on the undergrowth.There were fires burning quite close to where my car was parked.They had been started while I was hiking.
The tower and one of the views.
I stopped at the visitor center and saw an excellent video presentation as well as exhibits of the area and its history. In comparing the two parks, I enjoyed Litchfield more, probably because of the waterfalls. In Kakadu,there are six distinct ecosystems. I only got to see a couple by staying on the main road. I did see warning signs at every bridge, advising tourists not to go down to the river banks – due to the presence of crocodiles. During the dry season, the dominant color will be the burnt cinnamon of the dirt other than the lush greenery along the river banks. The Aboriginal people have inhabited this land an estimated 50,000 years. Unfortunately, their numbers in this region have dwindled to 300.The language of Gagudju, spoken here a century ago, lives on in the park’s name. About 30% of Kakadu’s employees are ofAboriginal descent.The most sacred Aboriginal Dreaming sights remain off-limits to visitors.
At every low place in the road there would be a sign like this. During monsoon season, the road could be under water.
Back in Darwin, I relocated my backpacker resort without one wrong turn. I left the manager a photo of the harbor cruise as I had promised. (I had hoped I had left my shorts there, but no luck, however.) I fueled up the car which I decided was a gas hog, and headed to the airport. I have three hours to wait for my flight so I spent the time journaling and reading. I really enjoyed my time up in the top end of Australia. Now, when I get to Sydney in the morning, I will hook up with Janelle and have her as a traveling buddy for the rest of the trip. This first month has flown by!!!
May 3rd – Thursday
My plane took off around 1:30 AM. It was another one of my “fly all night” trips. I finished my novel and slept very little. I arrived shortly after sunrise. It took me till 8:00 to hook up with Janelle. We kept missing each other on the two levels of terminal 2. After we connected, we called George and caught his shuttle bus. Janelle bought us a cell phone to use during the trip. We found it very handy on more than one occasion.
This was Janelle’s first back packer resort experience, and she made the adjustment fairly well. Our place had us with a room to ourselves with its own private bath. Its name is Clark’s at Clovelly. It actually ended up being a good location for us. It was only five blocks from Googee Beach. It was on a major bus route and had a grocery store next door and a restaurant just a block away. Janelle spent time on the public phone outside of our place trying to get her American Express Card back in operation. It also took her some time to figure how to use her international phone card to call Brook and Will. After she checked her emails we headed out on our first city bus ride to downtown.
Sydney is Australia's biggest and flashiest city, home to one-fifth of the nation's population. It has a futuristic financial center with a monorail snaking through the skyscrapers. The opera house and the Harbour Bridge define its skyline. Another of its main sights is Darling Harbour.
Sydney has its movie stars and its amusement parks.
Queen Victoria Australian rules football stadium
We jumped on a double-decker tour bus and got the scoop on Sydney. It was a glorious afternoon so we sat in the upper level. We walked to the local beach once we got back to our place. It was such a lovely, almost idyllic setting, when we got there. It was happy hour at a restaurant/bar there, so we took advantage and got ourselves drinks and some supper and ate outside and watched a full moon rise over the palm trees. We even managed to find a table upwind of the smokers.
By 8:00 PM Janelle had already showered and was in bed. We hope to get an early start tomorrow. On our itinerary is a walking tour of the opera house and a ride on the beach route of the city tour. Our tickets are good for 24 hours and we plan to get our money’s worth.
May 4th – Friday
I got up first, showered and dressed. I went to the grocery store next to us and got instant coffee, English muffins, jam, apples, juice, and a muffin for Janelle. We ate breakfast down in the common room that has an adjoining kitchen. We visited with a friendly Aussie staying there for awhile. We then organized our day packs for our outing and headed for the bus stop. We learned the 339 was our lifeline to central Sydney. We used the rest of our double-decker tour. That was after we found the American Express office on Pitt. Janelle managed to get a temporary card. I meanwhile went across the street to a bank and got some cash with my Visa card.
It was another beautiful day. While we were changing buses Janelle got us lunch that was very tasty – chicken kabobs with some BBQ sauce. We caught the Bondi Beach tour bus. Lots of people were at the beach, either sunbathing or playing beach volleyball. I watched a surf class for a few minutes. I met back up with Janelle and we got back on the bus.
We have sort of teamed up with a neat gal from California. Her name is Debbie and the three of us got off at the opera house. We arrived in perfect time for the 4:30 tour. It was an amazing place inside!! We got to sit in on a rehearsal of Guy Sebastian with the symphony and choir. We learned that there are five performing theaters inside. We also sat in on a ballet session of two dancers and their coach working on some of their movements. We came out of the tour at dusk and the city was really starting to light up.
There is not a right angle corner in the building. Even the sinks in the restroom are unique!
The opera house, completed in 1973, has come to represent Australia.
It was designed by a Danish architect - Jorn Utzon. The most distinguishing feature is the 'sails' of the roof. They are covered with over 1,000,000 tiles.
It cost $102,000,000 Australian dollars to build. It is located on Bennelong Point which reaches out into the harbour giving it a dramatic setting.
Inside it has five theaters and 1000 rooms. It conducts 3000 events each year. Janelle and I were among the 200,000 people who took one of their guided tours this year.
I talked Janelle into doing the Sydney Tower before going back. We walked the six or so blocks and went up. There was a virtual tour of OZ that goes along with the observation tower. We did it first, then rode the elevator up. We spent a half hour looking out every window – 360 degrees.
Back out on the street, we got to the correct bus stop…on our second try and got back to our BR. We went to a great little Chinese restaurant only a block away. It had no lighted sign and we went through a bar of some kind in order to get to the stairs to get to the restaurant. Definitely a place only the locals would know about. We found the sweet and sour seafood dinner was delicious.
The views from her living room and front porch are wonderful.
I connected with Barbara Thiering (a lady and a scholar John wanted us to meet). We arranged to see her Sunday around 2:00. She lives on the other side of Sydney in Mosman. Janelle and I will have another adventure finding her home. Janelle went on to bed and I went down the hall to the common room that has a TV set and watched a show. I was tired too. We had another full day.
May 5th – Saturday
This morning was my “body renewal” day. I had the beauty shop on the corner use Elly’s color products to take care of my roots and then after that appointment, I did our laundry and got it out on the line. I also walked a few blocks to a salon to get my legs waxed. The gal at BLISE did a great job. She did mention she got some sand off my legs along with the hair, even though I showered this morning.
Janelle went grocery shopping and got us makings for a salad and some beef pies. We headed for Bondi Beach. I want to mention this city has great bus service. We got there around 3:30. It is a huge beach! It had lots of people out enjoying it. Janelle read while I took a beach walk out to the point on our right. The cliffs were beautiful and down below was an Olympic size lap pool – probably salt water. I took Janelle’s camera and took a few snapshots. I got back by 4:30. Shadows were already moving down over the beach.
Janelle did some shopping and got herself a beach bag, a towel, and a shirt…all at the same shop. We caught a bus back to the junction and checked out the five story mall there. I got a Guy Sebastian CD and then we had a tasty dinner in the food court. Janelle shopped at Woolworth’s and got some caffine-free Coke. She treated me to some deviders for my tour book. We didn’t get back to the bus station till 7:30 – too late for the 360. We found out how to get “home” by doing a different route. While waiting for the second leg, we met two girls from Brazil, living in Sydney in order to study English.
Once back to our room, I showed Janelle my pictures of the first part of my trip. We still haven't been able to watch my DVD together...hopefully that will happen before we part ways.
May 6th – Sunday
I rose again before seven, showered, dressed, and went to the computer room to organize my binder and check my emails. It was also where I could eat my breakfast. While Janelle made phone calls, I decided to jog down to Coogee Beach. The sky was a brilliant blue and the people were out already enjoying the beach. Some were swimming, kayaking, and one person was flying his remote-control plane. After running up to the far point, I came down to the water and swam for awhile. Then I walked to the other point nearest to where we are staying. I found the views were beautiful on both points.
I got back around 10:00 and cleaned up and we headed into Sydney to take a Captain Cook cruise of Sydney Harbor. It was spectacular and HUGH. It seemed like hundreds of sailboats were out taking advantage of the wind. We then worked our way to Mosman to meet Barbara Thiering. She lives in a lovely home at least fifty steps up from the sidewalk. It was designed and built by an architect some 52 years ago and is built around some boulders. Her front rooms have a lovely view of the Middle Harbor. Needless to say, the value of her home has gone sky high because of location. Unfortunately, Barbara has to resort to a walker, and doesn’t get out much. We visited for an hour and then Janelle and I needed to leave to catch the bus that would
take us back to Circular Quay.
We departed from Circular Quay on a boat like the one pictured above.
replica of the Endeavour Sydney Tower
Janelle had two items on the agenda for us: the Minus Five Bar and the Hard Rock Café. The bar proved to be a unique experience. They gave us coats, boots, gloves, etc. for the thirty minutes that we were in there. EVERYTHING was made of ice: seats, table, even our drink glasses. There were ice sculptures and the bar counter was also of ice.
We ordered Frosty Penguins (vodka was the alcohol in all the drinks on the menu). We had fun drinking and visiting with the group sitting next to us.
Once we left there, we caught a cab to the Hard Rock Café for dinner. The place was not crowded and the food was very good. I was amazed with all the rock and roll memorabilia.
Getting back to where we were staying proved to be our challenge of the day. After a couple of misguided attempts, we got on our 339 and made our way “home” to Clovelly Road. Janelle and I had some cheesecake. She went on the computer and I started watching a film with Robert DeNiro called Ronin. I came to bed and read for a few minutes.
It was a great day filled with sights and activities. Janelle heard her first didjeridoo down at the Quay. I got my first look at a Hard Rock Café. We both had our first $30.00 drinks at the Minus Five.
May 7th – Monday
Today was the day we headed up to the Blue Mountains. We took the 8:30 bus to the train station. We got our train ticket and were on our way by 10:00 to Katoomba. Once there, we bought the Explorer tickets for the Hop On Hop Off bus. We got off fairly soon at the tram and cable car ride. The day was another beauty – allowing us to appreciate the gorge. We spent quite a bit of time down on the walkway exploring the area and an old coal mine. We rode the cable car up in the very front car – not only fun but I even got a couple of action shots on the steep ride up. I should mention that the seats always face downhill.
We caught the bus around 3:00 and took the Honeymoon walk to Echo Point for the premier place to photograph the Three Sisters. From the trail I got a photo of Gordon Falls. We got back on the bus and got a tour of Laura (neighboring town) and then back to the IMAX Theatre to see The Edge – a film about the Blue Mountains. We thought it was well done. Just a couple of blocks away was the train station. Two hours later we were back in Sydney. We found our bus stop only seconds before it came. YEA!. We got back “home” by nine. Janelle made us a salad and heated up our pot pies while I started packing. It was our last dinner in Sydney for awhile. We finished packing by 10:00 and crashed.
May 8th – Tuesday
The morning went smoothly as for getting picked up and making our flight. I had us on a Virgin Blue flight to Airlie Beach. Janelle had a rough afternoon discovering she had left her shorts back in Sydney. We got our extra luggage stowed away at Magnums and got our paper work handled at Southern Cross. Janelle suggested we eat at a KFC and we decided no more fast-food chain restaurants for awhile after a disappointing meal.
Our #1 chef
We visited with two Swiss girls, pictured above, who would be going on the same trip. We headed to our pick up spot for the 6:40 PM bus. It took us to the Solway Lass. We boarded and checked into our rooms. We were in #11. We got the safety lecture and then motored out to sea. We met some great people, especially Michael, Sarah and their son, Mark. Peter was the only Aussie aboard. Around 10:30 the boat stopped. There was more food and drink, then Janelle and I want to our cabin. I’m on the top bunk. Stars are really out tonight. I’m hoping that means tomorrow will be a sunny day.
May 9th – Wednesday
When we went up for breakfast, we found that they were a bit behind because the power had gone off for a bit. Eventually the water got hot for coffee and the toaster started working. Fresh fruit came out as well. It was cloudy and raining lightly. As we motored to our spot, I rode in the bow net. We stopped at Tongue Bay and we were taken to the beach in a motorized raft. Janelle and I went on the second trip. Molly led us up to the fork in the trail. We walked to a wonderful lookout where we could see the whole huge beach called White Haven. The white sand is 98% silicon, almost pure and the surf was up and the tide was out. I swam at first without wearing my stinger suit. Then I put it on – not wanting to tempt fate. I attempted body surfing and just generally enjoyed being in the water and playing in the surf.
At 12:30 we started walking the trail back to where we would be picked up. We were so fortunate to have the sun shining the whole time we were on the beach. After lunch, the crew put the five sails down and we sailed all afternoon.
Janelle went down below to her bed. I came down for an hour before dinner. I must have napped because when I came up at 5:30 we were stopped and Janelle was playing cards with Mike and a couple of others. The water was calm.
Dinner was chicken breast, rice, and salad. Our captain, Tim, gave us the history of our boat – the Solway Lass. He showed us on a map where we had been so far in the Whitsunday Islands. The highlight of the evening was seeing the dolphins surface around our boat. We also saw some small sharks. Liz sat next to me at dinner and shared her New Zealand info with me. She had spent a few months there. Around 11:00, we called it a night.
May 10th – Thursday
We woke to a cloudy sky. We had a leisurely breakfast around 8:00. The dingy took us out to the reef, taking about 12 of us at a time. I was in the first group. The sun came out enough to make the snorkeling good. I used up my whole roll of film. Hopefully some of the photos will turn out OK. Back at the Lass, we got our chance to use the rope swing. I must have swung out at least ten times; it was such fun. Janelle and I dived off the side too.
We wore stinger suits to protect us from contact with box jelly fish.
Lunch was tasty. After we ate, Molly took groups out to a different spot for more snorkeling. My different mask wasn’t as good a fit. That problem along with it being overcast, kept me from seeing the brilliant colors like I had earlier.
Our ship motored to a calm and protected bay. We will be taking a hike in the morning after breakfast. We had a delicious roast with gravy, potatoes, and pumpkin. There were even chocolate cupcakes with ice cream for dessert. The evening was relaxing with card games and singing. A group of us worked at creating a poem for the ship's memory book. Michael played the guitar and Janelle and I thought he had a nice singing voice. Janelle and I retired around midnight but many of the guests were still going strong, probably far into the night.
May 11th – Friday
This is our last day at sea, unfortunately. We were taken to the shore in the dingy, and from there, we hiked to the other side. I took pictures of two goannas I spotted. Mostly I enjoyed relaxing on the beach. We had lunch back at the boat, then the crew put the sails up and we headed back toward Airlie Beach. It rained off and on during our return trip.
We docked at 4:00. A shuttle bus picked us up and took us to Magnums. We got our luggage, checked in, and found our cabin. While Janelle checked her email, I took my film to get developed and bought a group picture. We went to Beaches to join our boat’s tribe for dinner. Most of them showed and it was fun to have one last meal together.
It was only a block away from our BR. We liked our room, but not the behavior of our neighbors. They started a party at 4:00 AM that went on for an hour, even after each of us asked them to move elsewhere. Oh well, my first bad night in five weeks. We did let the management know when we checked out.
May 12th – Saturday
Today was a travel day via Australia Greyhound. Our destination is Mission Beach. We got there at dusk and no transport service was offered there so Janelle paid our cab fare. Fortunately she had some cash; unfortunately he overcharged us. Our lodging was at the Rainforest Motel and the name suited the place!
Beautiful landscaping, and only two blocks from the beach. It was another night, however, of loud neighbors. These two ladies had a couple of guys over and they drank, talked and laughed on their patio far into the wee hours of the morning. I was able to sleep through most of it, but Janelle said that even with the door shut, the air conditioner on, and wearing ear plugs, she could hear them.
May 13th – Sunday – Mother’s Day
I’m so pleased to see the sun shining. It will make our time on the Tully River spectacular. We walked down to the Beach, and grabbed a bite to eat. Our bus came for us at 7:20. We saw a cassowary on the drive to the town of Tully – my first. There at the Raging Thunder office we signed the paperwork and got on a bigger bus for the drive up the gorge.
Janelle and I were joined up with four others and a genuine Aussie guide named Chris. We had a great time going through the rapids, even went under a waterfall. He had us stow our paddles and huddle on one rapid so we would get thrown out. About midway through the 44 rapids, we took a lunch break. Their staff had set up a wonderful BBQ. We ate our sandwiches, oranges, and cookies and then got back on the river for more action. We even took time to climb up a very large boulder in the river to jump off. Further down in some calm water, I dived off the front of our raft.
Back in Tully we looked at pictures taken of us along the way down the river and had a drink before being driven back to our motel, arriving around 5:00. We ate some sweet and sour stir fry at a little café a block away from our motel. Janelle was ready to relax back in our room so I went alone down to the Shubery for a drink and some live music. The guitar player had a good voice and I listened to a set of his songs while I drank a glass of wine.
*We also got our laundry done and dried. The dryer took forever!! At least the management let us do it for free to make up for having to put up with our rude and noisy neighbors of the night before.
May 14th – Monday
We got up around 6:30 in order to eat, finish packing, and catch the 7:40 Mission Beach Dunk Island Connection bus. It got us to Cairns around 9:45 and from this bus stop we caught a Sun Palm bus that would take us up all the way north to Cape Tribulation. I had arranged for us to stay at the Cape Trib Beach House because it offered us our own cabin with easy access to the beach. I had picked this remote spot as our destination because of its location: the only place in the world where there is a collision of two World Heritage Parks, that of the 135 million year old rainforest and where it crashes down onto the ocean surf and the Great Barrier Reef, the largest living coral reef on earth stretching over 1,200 miles. We felt like we were going to a remote area when we had to change drivers again in Port Douglas. It was reinforced when we had to cross the Daintree River by ferry to get here. We also learned that this area is the largest renewable energy community in Australia. The resorts and 200 or so households have their own renewable energy systems. The Daintree Rainforest is home to the cassowary, a large flightless bird on the endangered species list. Up here there are beaches, forests, rivers, and mountains…and very few people; a dramatic change from Sydney, a city of over 4,000,000 people!
Captain James Cook named the cape after his ship, the Endeavour, ran onto a reef back in June of 1770. He recorded in this log, “here began all our troubles”. Sam was our final driver and I sat up front and we had a good visit as he maneuvered the bus along the winding road. We were, I might add, the last ones getting off his bus. Our cabin is truly in the middle of the rainforest and only a short stroll to the beach. Janelle and I were disappointed that the water wasn’t as clear and turquoise as we had hoped. We learned later that was due to the heavy surf stirring up the sand. I did, however, love the uniqueness of where we are!
We went out to dinner at the Dragonfly. The owner-driver took advantage of our situation and overcharged us for the round trip to eat at his place. We felt what he charged was outrageous! Everyone else we dealt with here was happy to be of help and quite fair.
May 15th – Tuesday
I started my day with a bike ride. I was able to rent it from at the office. I was peddling by 8:30 and headed for Emmagen Creek. It was a hilly and unpaved road with little if any traffic. It was a three mile ride to get to the trail. I locked up my bike to a tree and walked to the swimming hole. I was told by the office staff it was cool, clear, and crocodile free. I found it to be all they said…very enchanting and I had it all to myself. I discovered rock towers made by previous visitors and took pictures of them before I began swimming.
Emmagen Creek's swimming hole
Autumn in the Daintree
As I was leaving four others arrived. Now that is great timing! My ride back was scenic. I had time to take in the view as I walked the bike up a couple of the steep hills. I wanted to spend time on the official Tribulation Beach.
I rode my bike on it from one end to the other and it was really firm sand and fun to do. After I left the beach, I went further down the road to PK’s IGA and got us a few groceries. Back at the cabin I put them away, left my backpack, and went riding on our own beach before turning in my bike at 12:30.
At 1:20, the bus came for our zip line adventure. Mark was not only our driver but he was also the head man of the actual operation. He took extra efforts to get Janelle safely into her harness. He really wanted her to have this experience. Unfortunately, Janelle slipped while walking up the trail to the first station. She scraped her legs and sprained her wrist in the fall. Mark and two other staffers did a good job cleaning and bandaging her legs. And, in spite of her injuries, she still got to do it! Mark assured her she didn’t need two hands to travel along the cable from tower to tower. Needless to say, that pleased me too.
All geared up and ready to "monkey around" above the treetops.
Michael, who was in front of me, took these pictures.
Janelle and Mark
I loved the experience, especially the last two stations where I went solo and fast, even upside down on the last ride. We got Janelle medical stuff at a “chemist” shop on the drive back. We got her wrist iced and she rested until dinner. I read to her from my book to help her pass the time. We ate here and checked our mail on the net. Janelle spent the rest of the evening reading and napping while I took the prearranged guided night walk. Mark was our guide for this as well.
He was very knowledgeable and helped us spot several night critters. We were out for about two hours. I got back around 9:30. Janelle and I visited some and I gave her an ice treatment on her wrist. We aired out her leg scrapes. They should heal easily. Her wrist will take longer…much longer actually. She has been a real trooper dealing with these injuries!
May 16th – Wednesday
I went directly down to the beach to listen to the surf as I wrote in my journal. The tide was up. When I got back, Janelle was out of the shower and I took a long one myself. It felt great. She went down to breakfast while I packed my gear. Fortunately I wanted to use up my net time and realized I had left my address book there from the night before. It was safe and sound behind the bar when I went to check. YEA!
When our Sun Palm bus arrived, we discovered Sam was not our driver this time. This guy’s name was Auzzie. He did let me sit up front too. He even stopped at a vista point for us to take advantage of the photo op. I bought some fresh-picked and locally grown bananas at a booth near the ferry. I shared one with him and we both thought they were delicious. At Port Douglas, we changed buses and then proceeded directly to our backpacker resort in Cairns.
Travellers’ Oasis appeared to be a very good choice. It was clean and centrally located. We were in a room for two with a shower and restroom just down a short hallway. It even has two kitchens, a ping pong table, and a swimming pool. While Janelle rested, I checked out the area and bought a few groceries at Coles. I took Janelle there a few hours later and we finished out our grocery shopping. We stopped in at the MELT and split a chicken wrap that was delicious and very reasonably priced. It was located just around the corner from our BR. Earlier today, Gabe, the owner, got all our trips lined out for us for the next four days. Tomorrow we are heading out to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures.
May 17th – Thursday
We were picked up right at our “front door” by a Meet and Greet Bus. After he picked up additional people, he headed out to the Crocodile Farm. It was very nicely presented – each area’s show lasted about thirty minutes….from crocodile feeding, cassowary feeding, a boat ride on a croc infested lagoon, etc. All the habitats were quite adequate in size and seemed to be there naturally. We ate our lunch there and caught the bus back to our BR around 1:00.
There were exotic birds found throughout the park.
Which one is the kookaburra?
Janelle needed to rest her wrist so I headed to the Dome to see the wildlife there. It has changed considerably since I was there in 2000.
They have added 300 plus animals of all types. I was the only person at the start of the presentation. The young man did not seem to mind. He brought out a koala and a very small four month old joey. He had been bottle feeding him and taking him in a small sack everywhere he went. I did get some close-up photos of him and some of the other animals.
View of the esplanade from the Dome
When I returned to our room, Janelle was ready to check out the mall. I took advantage of being there to get a much needed pedicure while she shopped. We then headed for the esplanade – the section of town near the wharf and filled with restaurants, bars, and shops. Janelle found an internet place. While she spent time there I headed back to our BR with my box of wine. I did enjoy some down time with my book and a glass of wine. We fixed dinner around 8:00 and then she went up to our room. I played some ping pong. The games were close; I won two and lost the last game. I also visited with a delightful Chinese couple staying here along with their precious two year old daughter. I wrote in my journal and read for a few minutes before dropping off to sleep.
May 18th – Friday
We spent today with “cousin Paul” on the Uncle Brian’s Tour of the Tablelands. I mean a full day – from 7:45 AM to 8:30 PM. Paul and Gus, the bus, gave us an enchanting day. There were twelve of us aboard and Paul learned all our names and entertained us while driving with his stories and his programmed music. Our first stop was at The Boulders and Devil’s Pool. After he led us on walk in the rainforest and showed us Devil’s Pool, he took us to a safe place for swimming. He even had snacks ready for us at the picnic table to eat before boarding Gus.
basket fern bark of a prehistoric pine
We ate a delicious two course lunch at a bed and breakfast near the community of Babinda. It sat up on a knoll with an expansive view of the rolling hills.
After eating, our next stop was Josephine Falls. We not only got to swim again, but we also enjoyed the natural slide rock. I experimented going down feet first, head first, and even spinning. It was a blast!!
Milla Milla Falls was our next stop. We all swam here as well. Paul took pictures of all us gals making a water arc with our hair. This was a first for us both and fun. Paul was a pro with our cameras, capturing the effect perfectly. Apparently, Paul got the idea from a shampoo company that did this at this falls. It is considered the most photographed waterfall in Australia. And we were there.
Our final swim was at Lake Eacham – a volcanic marr. It was a great place to swim because of the clear glassy water surrounded by a rainforest canopy. We practically had the lake to ourselves. After we swam, Paul had another snack for us… hot chocolate and muffins. Here we changed back into dry clothes and tried spotting a platypus at a nearby billabong. One shy one came up a few times, but I missed seeing him. Paul had us sing along with his music (60’s vintage) all the way back to Cairns. He even directed us to do some choreography with a few songs. What a totally wonderful day – fabulous countryside, waterfalls, and guide.
May 19th – Saturday
Today we go to the outer coral reef aboard the Thunderbolt. Actually the first leg of our trip was on a power boat that took us to Fitzroy Island. We had some down time so I walked a trail to Nudey Beach. I tried out my snorkeling gear there. Around 1:00 the Thunderbolt picked us up and blasted through the waves at 60 kms an hour to two excellent reefs. On my first swim, I saw beautiful coral, a big variety of fish, and one small shark. Janelle and I snorkeled together. At the second place, there was coral all around where the boat anchored. It was so beautiful! My extra treat was spotting a sea turtle and getting very close to him.
The Thunderbolt took us back to Fitzroy where we left our snorkeling gear and changed. We re-boarded and it took us back to Cairns. We were dropped off by the same driver who picked us up around 6:00.
Once we got back to Travellers Oasis, we showered and walked over to the mall for dinner. We “hit the hay” early – another full day of swimming, sights, and fun.
May 20th – Sunday
Today we are doing the Ultimate Kuranda trip. We rode up the mountainside on the old narrow gauge railroad. We were blessed with another beautiful day. We sat beside two fun people who were Aussies on vacation. Later we ate lunch with them too. The town of Kuranda has something for everyone. First we went to the butterfly sanctuary. There were hundreds flying and lighting all around us. We left ourselves some time to shop, heading off in different directions. I found myself a sleeveless shirt that feels almost silky although it is cotton. (I was shocked at the price of opals! I am glad I got my ring back in 2000.)
Janelle and I regrouped at the bus which took us to a marvelous lunch buffet. We toured the rainforest zoo, rode in an army duck on land and on water. We attended an Aboriginal demonstration of their dances.
Following the dancing, they broke us into smaller groups and showed us how they throw the boomerang, the spear, and how they play the didjeridoo.
Barron Falls during the dry season
The finale was our Sky Rail ride down. Our gondola ride carried us above the rainforest canopy all the way down to the sea level terminal.
We stopped briefly to view Barron Falls, so our 7.5 km ride lasted about 1 ½ hours. We saw something novel toward the end of our ride. People were skiing and wakeboarding in an oval man-made lake. There were no boats pulling them; instead their towropes were hooked to an overhead cable. They could go on rails and over jumps if they wanted. We wondered what they do when they fall?
Our tour bus picked us up and delivered us right to our door. Janelle and I finished off our bread, ham, lettuce, etc. for our supper and ate in our room. We also had to pack because in the morning we will fly to Uluru.
May 21st – Monday
This morning we took a cab to the airport. We fly to Uluru. Check-in went smoothly and we both got window seats. The back of the plane was not crowded. I looked at the views and finished the novel Janelle loaned me entitled 4th of July.
The Outback Pioneer Resort had a bus waiting for us and even hauled our bags to our room - #222. It was a beautiful sunny day. We are here, however, at the peak of fly season. I had already purchased a head net but I also bought a jar of fly repellant cream and it did help some.
We each made our own arrangements for the next day’s activities. Janelle booked a camel ride in the morning and a motor cycle ride through the park for the afternoon. I booked a sunrise ride into the park and an afternoon Olga hike which included sunset viewing and an Aussie BBQ. I had already made previous reservations for the two of us to go to the Sounds of Silence dinner for tonight.
It is a unique and wonderful way to spend an evening. The clouds made for great sunset pictures because of the colors they provided. The food was fabulous and we had wonderful people sharing the dinner table with us. I definitely ate too much; I tried a little of everything, including deserts. The astronomer had trouble making his presentation because of the clouds blocking most of the sky. He adlibbed well and was entertaining.
May 22nd – Thursday
I had to get up in the dark to catch my 6:00 AM shuttle bus for the sunrise tour. I had already purchased my $25.00 three day pass. I was a bit disappointed in how many buses and cars kept pulling in during the sunrise. The commotion kept it from being the serene experience I had hoped for. I learned I couldn’t climb Uluru today due to gusty winds. Later I learned it was also closed for cultural reasons – a funeral.
Sunrise on Uluru
I walked around the base and took pictures, walked to the cultural center, then caught a return home bus around 10:30.
Uluru is the world's largest monolith. It rises 343 meters above the surrounding plains. This enormous slab of rock is covered with cracks, dimples, gorges, and caves. The waterholes at the summit were believed by the Aborigines to be home to the rainbow serpent.
I went down to the campground and rented a bike and spent the afternoon riding about 10 miles each way to Uluru. The temperature only got up into the mid 70’s. This was something I did not do back in 2000, and I found I really enjoyed viewing the park from a bicycle. I also liked the fact that when riding the flies couldn’t land on you. I did a little shopping for supper. I ate beef and noodles for supper along with a glass of chardonnnay. There is a fridge in our room. Janelle had a fun day as well. During the afternoon, she had a one-on-one tour on the back of a Harley-Davidson. We swapped stories before hitting the hay. It was a big day for both of us.
Earlier, I had walked to a knoll near the resort area to watch the sunset from there. I met a neat couple from Wollongong who knew Brad and Lynda Webb. We had a nice visit and exchanged emails. What a small world it is!
May 23rd – Wednesday
A WONDERFUL DAY! It started off with my climb up Uluru. I caught the 9:00 shuttle bus and started my ascent up around 9:30. I made it to the top in 36 minutes. I was proud of my time. It was a nostalgic trip for me – my last time up in 2000 I had Jeff and Tonya with me. I took my time coming down snapping pictures along the way.
There was a fixed chain for the initial and steepest part of the climb. The rest of the path was marked with white blazes, following the route up that the ancient ones used.
There are spectacular views of Kata Tjuta (Olgas) from the summit.
Once back to our room, I changed my clothes and rode my bike to the shopping center for a new memory stick for my camera. I kept running into the Wollongong couple:at Ulura, at the shopping center, and back at the resort. I turned in my bike and got ready for my trip to hike in the Olgas (Kata Tjuta). I found the Valley of the Winds Walk to be a wonderful tour. The drive there was new for me. It took us 40 minutes to reach the hiking trail. Jason, our guide, took us to two different vantage points and the scenery along the way was stunning. We wandered among some of the 36 domes. We even saw a kangaroo on the way back and three wild camels on our bus ride to the sunset view site. We were provided with champagne and cups of nuts to enjoy as we watched the Olgas turn various shades of red.
The colors of Kata Tjuta mid-afternoon
a spring in the midst of the domes
We toasted the sunset - within minutes the colors changed!
We were then loaded up and taken to a private spot where we were treated to an Aussie BBQ and a star show. The clear night sky allowed me to see the Milky Way, Scorpio, and several constellations. There was a fire pit with a nice fire going where some of us stood while visiting before, during, and after the star show. I didn’t get back to our room until almost 9:00. Full day!
Janelle and I visited and shared about our day’s adventures. I then took a long soaking bath. We fly to Sydney tomorrow.
May 24th - Thursday
our lodging and our ferry dock only two blocks away
I got up early and wrote in my journal sitting out on our deck. We had our luggage picked up at 10:00. I did some time on the internet. We were driven by bus to the airport compliments of our resort. Our flight to Sydney went smoothly, getting in around 4:30. Joseph picked us up and drove us to Glenferrie Lodge in Kerribilli. Once we got settled into our room I started exploring the neighborhood. Janelle’s wrist was really hurting and she needed to lie down and let the ibuprofen I gave her kick in.
I got us a pizza and brought it back. We ate it in the dining room which was just around the corner from our room. Speaking of our room, it has a great location – the bathroom to the left and the dining room to the right. I need to mention this lodge provides a full scale breakfast for its guests buffet style. The dining room is spacious with a TV and a couch.
May 25th – Friday
Two animals unique to Australia: the dingo and the echidna.
I went to breakfast first and found it very good. I found an internet café on my walk afterwards so I checked my emails quickly. When I got back Janelle and I decided to go to the Taronga Zoo (taronga means “view of the sea”). We took the ferry. Another plus about this location is how close it is to the harbor and how centrally located it is. We are only two blocks down from where the prime minister lives when he is in Sydney. It is guarded 24 – 7. Needless to say, we felt like we were in a very safe neighborhood. We were only a five minute ferry ride to Circular Quay. From there we took another ferry to the zoo. It has a wonderful location right on the harbor.
We cleaned up after our time at the zoo, and used a voucher a man gave Janelle (when we were in Cairns) to eat at the Oyster Bar. We got our meals at half price and the location of this restaurant was awesome – right on the Quay within a couple of blocks of the opera house. We had a delightful time – enjoying the meal and the ambience.
May 26th – Saturday
I took a walk to where I had used the internet earlier, but it was closed. I did discover an outdoor market. Everything imaginable was being sold. There was also live music. It was located at the base of the Sydney Bridge. I wanted Janelle to see it, so as soon as we got our laundry done, we headed out on our last full day in Sydney. We went to the Market and came across a young man by the name of Sam Roberts doing portraits.
After he did ours, we walked across the Sydney Bridge, roamed through the ROCKS, a famous shopping district, and found a cute little shop with great prices.
We got some souvenirs and visors there. We listened to a Sorry Day concert, performed each year in recognition of what had been done to the aboriginal people over the last 200 years. After a few minutes there, we caught a bus to go to the QVB (Queen Victoria Building). It was originally built in 1820 and still fills up a city block. It was restored and officially reopened in 1986. Its dominant feature is the Centre Dome; it also has stained glass windows and splendid architecture throughout. Inside it is a mix of history and upscale shops. We checked out all three floors.
Once back to Glenferrie, I hiked the few blocks back to the deli that was keeping our portrait for us. I bought some shrimp and avocado salad from them. As I was eating back in the dining room, a gentleman had me watch his DVD entitled The Secret with him on the TV that was there. He gives motivational seminars for a living and he had just gotten back from one he had given. Actually I had never heard of it before. I did find it interesting and he seemed pleased that I watched it with him.
Back in our room, I discovered a zipper problem on my pack. The young deskman helped me make it work. What a relief! Janelle and I watched a movie Murder of the Five Crows on theTV in our room and called it a night. This was our last full day in Australia. I wish I had two more months left to explore this huge and unique country.
May 27th - Sunday
Even though Joseph wasn’t coming until 10:00, I still got up early. I took my shower, then sat in the dining room with a cup of coffee and wrote in my journal. Janelle joined me for breakfast.
Joseph got us to the airport and we started the process of checking in on our international flight. The plane took off on time. We landed in Fiji around 7:00 PM. The process of getting through customs seemed lengthy plus our suitcases were slow in coming. Our shuttle bus left without us. Our vouchers weren’t honored for the leis. Basically, Coral Sun, the travel agency, did a very poor job taking care of us!
An airport skycap took us to the hotel in his own car at no charge. Once there, things went smoother and we got checked in to our room. We ate the salad buffet at the hotel. The hotel, although very elegant, had very few guests. My credit card worked fine in their gift shop but the waitress couldn’t get it to go through on her machine. It did accept Janelle's, so she treated me to supper. So far, things haven’t gone smoothly in Fiji.
Janelle and I rearranged our stuff so we would be taking fewer bags with us on our Barefoot Cruise. Tonight I am sleeping in a queen size bed for the first time in two months!
Earlier today Janelle had quite a time getting through security. She was randomly selected to be frisked and in immigration she was held up because of a discrepancy between her birthday dates on her passport and on her visa. We finally met up at gate 37 where it was very calm. We watched a TV movie till our flight was announced.
May 28th – Monday
We dressed and got our extra bags placed in storage. Our bus came right at 8:00 (when actually it should have come at 7:30 - another Coral Sun mistake) to take us to the wharf. Confusion reigned at the wharf because the boat we were supppose to take left at 8:00. Finally the lady at the Captain Cook Cruises desk put us on a sailboat headed for the same island. There were only three other passengers aboard: Marisella, Pam, and Mike. Janelle and I called ourselves the stowaways; the Fiji crew and fellow passengers all made us feel welcome.
The trip to Drawaqa Island was leisurely. We were fed a delicious lunch. The crew sang and played their guitars when not working. The highlight of the afternoon was the arrival of eight or nine dolphins. They swam beside the bow of the boat for 30 minutes. Some really performed for us.
When we neared our bay, Mike and I went in with Kenny, a crew-member, to swim with a huge manta ray. They like to hang out in the current there. We were able to get really close to him. Janelle’s wrist kept her from going out because she would have had trouble getting back in the boat with one hand.
Willie and staff greeted with songs and shell leis when we came ashore. He then led us to our bure. Once we were settled in, they fed us dinner. The meal was followed up with their nightly kava ceremony. They sang, played their guitars, and offered us kava. It is a drink they made from grinding a dry kava plant and placing the powdery substance in a cheesecloth-type bag in a large kava ceremonial bowl filled with water. We each tried a cup and found it made our lips slightly numb.
We retired to our bure while the staff continued singing and drinking. Our hut has a window on each wall – no screens. This island has no electricity. One can go barefoot everywhere. Our sinks, toilets, and showers were a short distance by trail from our hut. It was quite breezy tonight, but the stars are shining and no rain is predicted.
May 29th – Tuesday
Our morning walk provided us these views.
Before breakfast, Willie led us on a hike on a trail he had made. Pam and I asked him to take us further, which he did. The trail led to the highest point on the island and it had great views from all the stops. Breakfast followed and then we got to watch a coconut demonstration. He split several for us and let us drink the milk. Each of us planted a banana tree.
Flowers bloom year-round here.
I named my tree Monty and Janelle named hers Boomer.
I went snorkeling and it was great. I got to touch a jelly fish and he felt rubbery. After lunch the others took off for a village. Janelle and I stayed behind because our trip package did not include this. I kayaked for an hour over to where we had snorkeled. Then Janelle and I watched how the staff prepared to cook our dinner.
We would be eating fish, pork, and vegetables Fiji style. The food was wrapped in woven palm leaf baskets and baked on hot rocks. The baskets were covered with more palm leaves, then burlap bags, and shovels of dirt on top of that. They let it bake for three or four hours.
This island is fairly narrow. Our bure was on the sunrise side. There were about ten bures on each side. Fortunately our side had the prevailing winds and stayed comfortable day and night. There were hammocks along the beach and up in the shade.
I spent some time reading and napping in one. I was fortunate enough to be around when the dinner was taken from its underground oven. The sunset was beautiful. The three of our group who went to visit an island village returned about then.
Dinner was delicious! Two young men from the UK arrived at the lodge this afternoon. After dinner was served, we had an international night of entertainment. Janelle and I did an Oklahoma medley for our portion. When the guests finished performing, the Fiji men on the staff came out in Fiji traditional costumes and did two dances for us. They were terrific. Willie gave two bottles of champagne to us, the guests. He also had a bonfire going for us where we sat while we enjoyed the bubbly. We had a great evening on the sunset side of the island.
The staff, however, did not join us. They stayed inside the common building drinking their kava and singing. Mike kept to himself all evening. He has just gone through a divorce and his mother, Jill, was battling cancer. We gave him his space. He had actually been in Fiji for a month and would be returning to his home in Canada the next day.
May 30th – Wednesday
Our tribe was up early to catch their sailboat ride to Nadi. We visited with them in the dining room until they left around 7:30. After they left, Janelle and I were served breakfast. I had pancakes with molasses.
Willie and Ben took Janelle and me snorkeling. Janelle loved it!! So did I!The sun was shining and the coral was beautiful as well as the fish. She saw her first blue starfish. Ben found me a shell and Janelle some mother of pearl. We snorkeled for about an hour and then our boat picked up two new guests - a charming couple from Spain.
Janelle and I showered and had lunch with the four newcomers. We packed and relaxed until it was our time to be taken out in Barefoot Lodge's small boat to meet the boat we were to catch. This is the procedure for all the islands. Guests are taken out through the coral reefs in small boats called tenders with outboard motors to the deeper waters to get passengers on and off the larger boats. We were picked up around three (Fiji time is a very relaxed pace and I like it.) It was large with indoor and outdoor seating. It was filled with backpacker type passengers. It stopped at every island along the way back to Nadi to let passengers off and take on new ones, all waiting in small motor boats just as we had. I sat up in front outside in the sunshine as this boat motored from island to island picking up and dropping off vacationers. I came back in for the last hour of our trip and sat with Janelle.
We arrived back at Nadi around 5:45. The bus transport had us back at Tanga International Hotel around 6:45. We got our things out of storage and then ate dinner. There was some live music nearby in the lounge we could hear and enjoy. We had more repacking to do back in our room. I loved our time on the remote Barefoot Island! It had no cars or fumes, instead it had lots of beautiful scenery and hospitality. Willie was a wonderful host. We actually got to see the authentic Fiji traditions there on Drawaqa.
May 31st – Thursday
This lovely fountain flowed down into the swimming pool . It created
a tropical setting we had all to ourselves.
We had a leisurely morning packing and enjoying the swimming pool. Janelle had arranged with Willie to hire his son to spend the afternoon showing us Nadi and the surrounding area. Ben, his son, brought along his Uncle Sam and the two of them did a wonderful job. They showed us everything Janelle had on her list. We wandered through the local market, ate in a Chinese restaurant, checked out the Indian temple, an orchid farm, and a Fiji village. They got us back around 6:45 and our shuttle bus arrived at 7:00 to take us to the airport.
Nadi is the third largest city in Fiji with a multi-racial population of around 30,000. Sugar cane production and tourism are the mainstays of its economy. The Hindu temple was completed in 1994 and is considered the largest in the Southern Hemisphere. No cameras are allowed on the temple grounds so I took this shot just past the gate.
The mountain called Sleeping Giant is pictured on the left. The Garden of the Sleeping Giant is the name of the orchid plantation.
Ramond Burr owned this farm and spent time here from 1977 until his death in 1993. It sits in the foothills just north of Nadi. The current owners claim they are growing over 2000 different kinds of orchids.
The president's home and this large Methodist Church are in Sam's village. Even though there was a military coup last year, the president was reinstated.
A Nadi sunset
Our flight took off from Fiji around 10:00 PM and it was an 11 hour flight. I did watch a couple of good movies, read, and napped. They served us a late dinner and a breakfast. Of course, more forms to fill out to get through customs. Janelle was sitting across from me on this flight. We had to bid each other farewell at the LA airport. She was heading for her motel and I would be heading for the last leg of my journey – on to Seattle. We had an unforgetable adventure together.
I sat outside in a waiting area after I got to my domestic terminal. I ended up sitting by an Austrian couple who were traveling for a year. We had fun sharing our impressions of Australia and Fiji. I got some US cash with my credit card because at this point my wallet was empty. I was absolutely broke when I reached California. I had gotten rid of all my foreign money.
I had crossed the International Date Line on my flight. I actually arrived in Seattle on the same day I left Fiji.
Jeff met me at the Seattle airport. He took me to my hotel where the rest of the family was staying. He informed me my car’s battery was dead…something I would deal with tomorrow. Tonight we got together at a nearby bar and did some early celebrating of Jeff’s graduation. I met Emma, his new girlfriend, for the first time. Kjetel was there as well, and so was Steve. He had driven his parents to Seattle for the occasion.
June 1st - Friday
The University Inn had a complimentary breakfast. Jeff arrived shortly after I ate and gave me a ride to my car. The guys would be golfing this morning. I used my AAA card and spent the morning getting my battery replaced. I also went to my hair appointment with Bob Goodman. My hair was really needing a haircut by now. We enjoyed visiting since we hadn’t seen each other in over 25 years. Elly had arranged the appointment. Jeff and Steve arranged for the five of us to go to a Mariner’s game. Cale and Katie surprised Jeff at the game. They had flown in from Boise, Idaho for his graduation. Jeff was indeed surprised and so pleased they came for his graduation.
We caught a cab from the motel and headed to Safeco Park to see the Mariners play the Texas Rangers. The score went back and forth with the Rangers winning by one run. We had fun watching the game, visiting, and eating ballpark food. We finished off the evening in an Irish bar a few blocks away. Steve and I left before the others. I was exhausted and so was he. We caught a cab back to the University Inn. The "youngsters" closed down the town.
June 2nd - Saturday
Saturday morning at 10:00 his hooding ceremony began. The speaker was excellent and Jeff looked wonderful in his robe, hood, and cap. I’m glad I took pictures because it was all rented and he took it back shortly after the ceremony.
We gathered in Grandma and Grandpa’s room for the opening of gifts. Nathan and Marci got him a video camera. He was really excited about taking it with him for his surfing vacation. He got some framed pictures of his Great Grandpa Dredge who had been a physician back in Ohio. I gave him some money for his traveling fund.
We drove to a bar and grill on Lake Union and had a great time sitting out on their patio eating, drinking, and enjoying the view. The finale of the day was a sunset cruise. The cruise had been organized by his core of 21Montana medical students. We got there around 7:00 and boarded the boat along with all the other students' family and friends. The cruise took us all over the harbor and brought us back to the wharf well after sunset. The city lights greeted us as we pulled in. It was a perfect evening and a wonderful way to cap off such a very special day.
June 3rd - Sunday
Sunday morning after breakfast downstairs, I packed up my various bags and started loading my car. Nathan, Marci, and I caught a bus and met Jeff and Kjetel over at the University mall for lunch and shopping. AfterJeff drove us back , I headed for home. Actually I spent the night with Bev and Roger Ruhl in Spokane. My “good ol’ car” did just fine with her new battery. Bev fixed us a late supper and we ate out on their deck.
The next morning, I finished up my drive home. I did wash my car in Missoula and stopped at Walmart to get some of my pictures made into a CD and some prints. Around 6:00 I arrived back at my home, sweet, home. I had an amazing trip and covered thousands of miles safely! I feel so blessed.
I am using this picture to help me close this portion of my blog. THE END of a most wonderful adventure.
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