Byron Bay

We started the day by picking up a few supplies at the farmer's market. Today would prove to be a scorcher if the fact it was close to 30 degrees at 8 a.m. is any indicator.

Back at the house I had to choose between getting my blog caught up or squeezing in a last half hour visit with our hosts. That was an easy decision. A refreshing glass of ginger water and some hearty discussion was a very good pick. I would have liked a little more timw ith Paul and Ailsa, but it was time to Getz on our way.

....so off we went....

Our limo was waiting for us and as we drove away Paul and Ailsa waved us off and watched as we disappeared down the road. I'm not sure if they were watching to see if Jack would remember to pull out on the left side of the road, or if they were wanting to share the moment as we left for our next adventure. I prefer to think it was the latter of the two, but either way, we left feeling cared for and with mixed feelings of wishing we could stay a little longer and wanting to get back to see Jess, Judd and family.

Jack took to driving on the left side of the road like he took to boomerang throwing, navigating his way through town and onto the main highway like he had always driven on the left. His only frustration was that every time he went to turn on the signal light the windshield wiper would come on.



Byron Bay is a piece of heaven on earth. First we stopped at a little secluded public beach outside of town. Then we went into town for lunch at the Hog's Breathe Cafe.

Lorie, at this point, several people asked from where I had gotten the little motorized spritzer fan. I could have financed our entire trip if I had brought over a suitcase full of them to sell - but there was no way I was going to part with the one and only one I had with me, as it was proving to be a real lifeline at this point.

We played in the surf for an hour, enjoying the sparkling clear waters, the rolling waves and the fabulous sand, reaffirming once again the sense that life is good, really good.

Regrettably we had to continue on our journey. But regret was short lived as we were soon admiring the exquisite scenery. This is truly a beautiful country.

It was ineresting to see roadsigns warning of koalas and kangaroos which may be crossing the road.

We stopped at Coff's Harbour soem time after dark, making a brief visit to Woolworth's for some groceries and liquid refreshments.

Good night and sweet dreams.

A day of culture

Ailsa has great priorities. Before setting out to get cultured, Ailsa took me to some cute little shops in Wynnum. One was a tiny little beads and accessories shop. It had exquisite Victorian Scarves, jewellery, appliques, bedaing supplies and dainty purses accessorized with fluffy flowers. We had a pleasant time pouring ove rthe beads and oo-ing and a-a-w-ing over the lovely wares. After a couple of purchases we continued on our spree. We were disappointed the next shop was closed, so we moved on to make a brief visit to the scrapbooking shp, which was focussed mainly on wedding tehme scrapbooking and was quite tiny.

We picked up supplies for tea at Anthony's and Melinda's and returned to the house to head out with the boys.

Paul and Ailsa treated us to our own personal commentated river tour of Brisbane as we took the ferry into town. I must say if they ever wanted a second job, and if they enjoy tourists enough, they are certainly well-informed enough to become professional tour guides. They regaled us with stories of interest as we spotted landmarks and signs of the flood which recently ravaged the city.


















The Gallery of Modern Art had surprisingly free entrance and a free tour guide. Thank goodness for the guide to explain some of the exhibits.


There were some pretty great ideas, such as, a finch display in which metal coat hangers were hanging in formations on which finches could perch, causing a vibration on the piano wires from which they whole formation hung.



The movement of the birds created a background music in the room.

Another that we enjoyed was the lego forms creations in which anyone could participate. Therefore it was a continually developing display.


In the evening we went up the hill from Paul and Ailsa's and had a feast of BBQ'd garlic prawns, waygu steaks, salad and meringues with fresh fruit. This was quite decadent as you can see.





Rob's brother, Anthony, also introduced us to a tasty tropical cocktail, which we enjoyed immensely. Travel certainly increases one's repertoire of alcohol related refreshments, so I think my liver is thanking me that I do not travel a lot.

Anthony, Melinda, Josh and Nick were wonderful hosts but just as we were really relaxing into the visit it was time to go. Enjoyable times are always too short lived. Back we went to Ailsa and Paul's for a nightcap of black tea and then off to bed.

Another day of our vacation behind us and the recognition that we are now greater than half way through our round about in Auzzieland.

Upwards and Onwards

February 17th

Packed and ready to go, with 10 hours until flight time. what to do! what to do!

Jack comes up with a fabulous idea - let's go shopping - no wait, I believe that was my idea. His was to walk along the boardwalk along the oceanfront to get to town for breakfast and then he would be willing to suffer through my desire to hunt down a couple of very specific items which I desperately wanted to find. I know that Leslie will understand my need for a touristy information book about the Great Barrier Reef, and couple of nights ago we had seen a funky bead shop. It was the closest I had been to a craft store since home, with the exception of a five minute stint in one in McArthur Square with Jess.

As we walked the boardwalk we noted that although it wasn't yet 10:00 a.m. it was already getting very warm out, and the humidity intensified that by several times. We found a nice little oceanside café with a breakfast buffet and enjoyed our meal in the shade of he canopy. birds flew in and out of the café quite used to it being part of their world.

Task 1 - boardwalk, check
Task 2 - breakfast, check
Task 3 - Great Barrier Reef souvenir shop - next stop.

It was interesting that along the boardwalk there were various exercise stations set up so those wishing to be physically fit could enjoy the ocean breeze, birds flying overhead, rays of sunshine and the whole sense of easy living all at the same time. this equipment was free to be used by anyone passing by.

After accomplishing our specific shopping tasks, and a few additional ones, Jack went for a swim in the Cairns lagoon. Incredibly, it is a very large well maintained outdoor swimming pool alongside the ocean in downtown Cairns. There was even a beach for sunbathers built along side the pool, using sand from the ocean. By early afternoon it was swarming with people enjoying yet another city sponsored free benefit.

It was also evident what prompted the city to develop this oasis. Not only was the extreme heat and humidity driving people to seek means to cool off, but the ocean had receded, leaving behind just over a mile of mucky mud and sand infested with creatures deposited there until next tide would come in and rescue them. It was unbelieveable the number of crabs that popped in and out of the muck and sidled back and forth feeding themselves all the while. there was another active mud dweller of which we were not certain its species. It burroughed into the mud and popped up again, propelling itself with two appendages that looked like underdeveloped legs, but overdeveloped fins.

There were also a variety of lizards playing in the wet mud. We entertained ourselves by watching these unsuspecting performers periodically on our way back to teh hotel to gather our luggage.

Thank goodness we got back for Miller time - or in the case of Australia - XXXX Gold time.

I had short sporadic bouts of nausea from the heat and was more than ready for half a pint of amber fluid, followed by a litre of cold water, while sitting in ice cold air-conditioned comfort of Tesha's - the pub belonging to our hotel.

We checked our emails, our blog and a quick peak at facebook one more time before heading to the airport.

As I am preparing this entry we are high above Australia, about half way between Cairns and Brisbane. Every refreshment on our flight costs extra - with the least expensive item being a $3 cup of instant coffee. Our airline attendant somehow made a connection that we were foreigners. I don't know if it was our accents, our reddish glow, Jack's Great Barrier Reef souvenir shirt, or our attentiveness whilst counting out our coins that gave us away, but she asked a few polite questions about our vacation and on learning we intended to visit Brisbane and then drive to Byron Bay she went on up the aisle to return a few minutes later with a package of complimentary Byron Bay cookies for us to share. I did not see her do this for anyone else so we concluded that she either felt sorry of us as , in her words "there's really nothing to see in Brisbane" or she was encouraging us to follow through on her suggestion of stopping to see Byron Bay as she thought we would very much enjoy it.

Well we are now approaching Brisbane and Jack has realized he may not recognize Ailsa and Paul. I was very sure I would. Well, Ailsa was easy to spot with her welcoming eyes and arms open wide for a hug as we debarked from the plane.

We are here, Brisbane, Australia, with Paul and Ailsa. I have visiting to do now so I'll sign off for now.

Rainforest Tour

Well, to finish off yesterday, I am still in awe from seeing the reef in person. That is an experience I don't think I'll ever forget. The colours and shapes are vibrant and the marine biologist on board and guiding our snorkelling was so informative.

For example, clown fish are all born male and at some point some change to female. If a male clownfish is not doing a sufficiently good job bringing oxygen to the nest of eggs ( our equivalent of bringing home the bacon), the female disgards him from the anemone and he must find a new home. No wonder Nemo's father was so concerned about the little guys. If he does not succeed in finding a female to take him in then he may decide to become female and start his/her own nest in a vacant anemone and lay her own eggs. She must then attract a male to tend to them. Talk about changing dating strategies!

We saw a huge piece of coral which had been broken off by the cyclone a few weeks ago. It was lying upside down on a shelf of coral. Some of the reef is so close to the surface that it was affected by the cyclone.

I do hope my pictures will give some sense of how spectacular it was.

The marine biologist also set two star fish on their backs and let them race to turn themselves over. It was amazing to watch their acrobatics as they almost twisted themselves into knots to manage this feat.

FEb 16th

Our day started a littel earlier, the bus picked us up around 7:45 a.m.
The driver pointed out many houses built on stilts in anticipation of flooding during the winter months and also serving as air flow to help cool the house during the hot summer months. With the advent of airconditioning many people are now converting the space under their homes into living space.

The bus coach took us to the railway train which would take us to a mountain village called Kuranda. The train carriage in which we rode was over 100 years old and at times I wondered if it would actually make it up some of the steep terrain. There were 15 tunnels and a similar number of very high trestle bridges on our journey.

2.8 million tons of earth was moved by hand to build the railway. The workers were expected to bring their own picks and shovels if they wanted to work.

The building of this rail passage was prompted by a famine in 1882 which threatened the lives of thousands of people, so a supply route was needed. It took 2 years to build the #15 tunnel alone. Much like our railway in Canada, its accomplishment was a great feat to be celebrated, but many people died working in unthinkable conditions, so the means was not always something of which to be proud.

Kuranda is located way up into the rainforest, and while it may have served a utilitarian purpose when it was first established, it now serves as an isolated tourist trap. After jaunting around the Kuranda tourist trap we went for a BBQ'd buffet which sported a good variety of foods from which to choose.

Next we went on the rainforest tour in an amphibian vehicle called an Armyduck. The vehicle was an originbal vehicle from 1940-43. It originally went 80 km on land and 8 knots in water. It is much slower now.

On route we saw a variety of flora and creatures. The guide explained in detail which plants were dangerous/poisonous to the touch. A plant with heart shaped leaves, called a stinging tree, is very poisonous and can hurt for up to six months after contact with it - something like contact with poisonous hearts of the human nature I'd say.

We also saw a melaleuca tree growing wild in the rainforest. It's paper bark peels off and is used for cooking as it won't catch fire.

A lot of plants in the forest have self-defense mechanisms, making it quite dangerous to just traipse around if you are not familiar with each species.

At the Pammarigirri Dance show I was one of the three volunteers to get up and learn a native dance. It was fun to do something different and almost anything to do with dancing has got to be good.

We then moved on to native spear throwing and boomerang throwing, a thing at which Jack proved to be a natural.

Our guide demonstrated the four methods of getting sound from a didgereedoo (forgive spelling) - lip vibration, voice change, tongue movement and circular breathing.

We did a wildlife tour next, but much was what we had already seen at the featherdale wildlife park, with just a little different presentation. There was one exception. We saw 'Jack' the ripper, a 17 foot long crocodile known for being a lady killer. He is forced to live a life of seclusion after killing every female partner with whom they had tried to get him to mate. I certainly would not recommend them to run a dating service.

The Sky rail was our mode back to civilization.

According to the sign at the start it is solar operated.....oh my! It is raining. I do hope they stored a little of that sun energy from earlier today or we may be hung out to dry. We rode high over the rainforest, even the trees that are 150 feet tall. Man am I proud of me for that one!

On the way back to the hotel the driver and Jack got into a good discussion on the sugar cane plantations gwoing on either side of the road. Sugar cane is harvested once per year, at about 8 ft. tall. Every two years the land is tilled and left to rest for 9 months before legumes are planted, to be ploughed back into the soil to replenish it.

PS. In this wildlife park we were able to have a professional photographer take our photo while we actually held a koala. .....can't wait to share that one.

Great Barrier Reef

We were picked up at the hotel at 9:05 and taken to the docks where we boarded the boat which would take us to the reef. On route to the docks I realized I had forgotten both my sunglasses and my hat, which I had specifically purchased for the "sun lover's" reef tour, because we all know just how much time I spend in the sun. Thank goodness I did not forget my sunscreen.

We stopped at a quaint little island haven to drop people off the mainland and to pick up a few who wanted to see the reef. This island looked very rustic and inviting, like something right out of the movies.

We arrived at the reef just after 12 noon. The journey out into the ocean was used to instruct us on the proper use of the snorkeling equipment and the scuba equipment.

Jack went scuba diving for the first time. He was ready to do it again immediately, and although he wanted to do the rainforest tour we have booked for tomorrow - which they found by the way - he would have been just as happy to come back for another swim with the fish.

The reef really is GREAT!I went on a guided snorkeling tour. It sure was worth the money as the guide is a marine biologist and was able to explain so much of what we were seeing that it added to the experience tremendously. The only disappointment was for Jack as he was expecting a seafood lunch. I was not at all disappointed except on his behalf.

Valentine's Day

Jack has awakened with a head cold. This is not going to be fun getting to Cairns, but hopefully it will break quickly.

Jack and Jess took Christian to swimming lessons while I packed for our trip and watched Hannah - or should I say Hannah watched me - every move, back and forth and hollered every time I disappeared from sight.

A quick trip to Sydney interrupted only by a brief side of road water-the-bush experience for Christian. Sydney airport was not too difficult to navigate. Our departure flight was delayed 45 minutes due to a late incoming flight.

The Mercure Cairns Harbourside welcomed us with its air conditioned coolness, and a party size balcony off our top floor room. The reception personnel were very accommodating in confirming our tour reservations for the next couple of days. So we are set for tomorrow morning's Great Barrier Reef excursion. However, our Wednesday tour, which we booked and prepaid is proving to be a challenge. They have been unsuccessful at finding the reservation. They are still working on this and will let us know tomorrow.

A free shuttle running from the hotel to central downtown made it easy to go for a quick round about in Cairns and a pizza at the Rattle 'n Hum curbside pizzeria and pub.

I noticed that 90% of the women here wear dresses - ranging from belt width miniskirts to full length flowing filmy material, but very few were wearing shorts, capris or long pants of any nature. By the time we returned to the hotel it was after dark but the heat and humidity had followed us into what should have been the cool reprieve of after sundown. We were both very happy to return to the coolness of our room.

Today's is a short one and I cannot post pictures from here.

I can't wait to tell you about the reef.

Featherdale Wildlife Park

It is actually February 13th. One more day with Jess and family before we are off on our next adventure. I can't believe how fast time is flying by. Jess and Judd offered to take us to see some Australian wildlife. So Feahterdale Wildlife Park became our destination.

On route we stopped to feed the household wildlife at the Golden Arches.

Wallabees, kangaroos, dingoes, oh my!

Wombats and quokas and emus, as well!

And you thought our magpies were big. These magpie geese would give them a run for their money I am sure.

This little bustard just sat there and posed like he was used to doing so.

Christian occupied himself practising to become a photographer on a grand scale.

Here is a photo of me with the koala, taken from his artistic perspective. I never looked so good!

Here a baby wallabee peaks out from his pouch, safely tucked under his mommie's belly.

My favourite bird was the pink cockatoo with its soft pink feathers.

The Tasmanian devil looks more vicious than Walt Disney depicted it, except for its size, which is not much bigger than Basil, our Tom cat at home, just a little more muscular through the chest and shoulders.

Well the kookaburras must have thought we looked pretty funny, because we could hear them laughing at us all afternoon.

Of course when we were finished our little tour of the wild kingdom we made the obligatory visit to the souvenir shop before heading home.

The day ended with a visit from one of Judd's friends who has now convinced my husband that he needs to purchase a new car that will require me to keep working for an additional ten years so he can pay for it.