TASMANIA

February 5 through February 16, 2009

We came to Tasmania to attend the biannual Australian Wooden Boat Festival at Hobart and to tour Tasmania. 

Hobart, located on the south end of Tassie, is charming.  The people are friendly and services are conveniently located in the downtown area.  To the left is a photo of one of the many beautiful stone buildings that grace Hobart and Tasmania in general.  Many of them were built by the prisoners incarcerated nearby.

We stayed downtown, within walking distance of Constitution Pier, the location of the Wooden Boat Festival, making it very easy to attend all four days activities. 

The picture on the right was taken from Battery Point.  It was a beautiful sight as many of the 550 festival entries, most of them under sail, made their way up the channel into the harbor.  Entries included the large and very old tall ships, working boats, power yachts and every other  conceivable wooden vessel. 

The wooden boats came in all sizes and styles.  The workmanship in every case was something to be admired! 

Many of the entries were for sale.

These carefully handcrafted wooden eighteen footers set sail at the dock in preparation for their impending race.

These dugouts were made at the show as a demonstration of traditional Aboriginal canoe making.  The one to the right was constructed by carving an hollowing a single log. 

The canoe to the left was made wholly of tree bark that was bound together with tree fiber. 

Tasmania is the salmon capital of Australia.  We enjoyed a fresh grilled salmon steak topped with a lemon chutney, served with a fresh green salad each day we attended the Festival.

The boat festival turned out to be a great place to connect with a few of the friends we have made in Australia and to meet new ones.

No trip to Hobart is complete without a trip up to "Wellie" other wise known as Mt. Wellington.  The 356 degree view from there is spectacular.  The picture on the right is just a single shot of Hobart and the harbor.

February 10, 2009

With the Wooden Boat Festival complete we headed north through the center of Tassie toward Launceston.  The green countryside around Hobart soon gave way to dryer rolling hills where cattle and sheep grazed.    

North of Launceston we called on the HAM radio operator who first checked us into the "Pacific Seafarer's Net" last year as we were crossing the Pacific.  It was a real pleasure to meet John and his wife Carolyn in person.

Back in Launceston we tried our first Ausie B & B.  This one was built in 1840, register with the national trust and was both beautifully restored and maintained.  It turned out to be a pleasant experience leaving us open for additional experimentation.

February 11, 2009

Today we drove northeast from Launceston through rolling farm land, beautiful lush forests of pine, Euclid and tree fern.  We were surprised at the large amount of reforestation and tree farming we along the way.

Saint Helens is on the coast and the Bay of Fire runs north form Saint Helens.  We read that it received it's name because the early explores saw the Aboriginal's fires along 30 kilometer bay from their ship.

That's us on the right, standing in front of a portion of the Bay of Fire.

This thirty kilometer bay consists of many white sand beaches, like the one on the left, and many rocky outcroppings. 

The red rock below is an example of the beauty of this rock in this area.

February 12, 2009

Today we drove from the northeast corner of Tasmania across the center of the island toward the west coast.  The road wound through the coastal range of lush forest into open high sheep country and past some beautiful farm land like that in the photo to the left.  

It continued on to the "Great Lake", located in the mountains on the west side of Tassie.  We passed along several other lakes along this portion of the drive.

This little Echidna was along side the road.  He is a relative of the Hedgehog, about the size of a small watermelon and has poky bits like a porcupine.  He didn't move too fast but I was still afraid to get too close.

Ralph spotted three of these little guys on three different days; each was seen around 4:30 PM, each by the side of the road and moved away slowly as we approached.

The photo on the left is just a portion of the lush State and Federal Forest we drove through continuing west on our way to Queenstown. 

Queenstown is a mining town nestled in a valley. 

Over the years the mining around Queenstown has pretty much denuded the hillsides and poisoned the ground water.  Water quality is improving and there is a push underway for  reforestation.

Tonight we stayed in the historic Empire Hotel.  Built in 1826 it has been in continuous service as an inn.  The staircase on the right was built in England, disassembled, shipped to Tasmania and reassembled in this location.

Unfortunately we had a shared bath and toilet, shared with 9 others.

February 13, 2009

Today we drove short distance west to Strahan, located on Macquaire Harbor on the west coast of Tasmania.  Strahan is the main jumping off point for air and water tours into the vast National Wildness and Parks that appears to covers a quarter of Tassie's land mass.  Time did not allow further exploration of them but we did hike out to the headlands and put our feet into the Sothern Ocean. 

The tour office posts the sea conditions.  Today it described the Southern Ocean as "flat as a pancake"; and that is VERY unusual for the Southern Ocean.

The photo on the left is Strahan and a portion of Macquarie Harbor as seen from a viewpoint above the city.  That's the Southern ocean in the far background.

Tonight we stayed in Hamilton in an inn built in 1826 where we were very comfortable and made to feel very much at home.  The inn was built by a pardoned prisoner, an honorable man who went on to become in charge of the local finances and mail and was nearly single handedly responsible for the success of Hamilton.  The inn is located on a 50 acre parcel with a natural mineral spring.  The council is requiring the inn be fully restored before it will allow the land to be partitioned.  The present owners are trying to complete the restoration as their interest is in producing bottled mineral water.

February 15, 2009

The drive today took us southwest of Hobart to the small community of Southport.  This is as close as we can drive to Antarctica without going on gravel roads.  The drive down the peninsula took us through fruit farms, both berries and orchards.  The fresh cherries are as big as small apricots, sweet and crisp.  The Southwest National Park we saw by Strahan can also be accessed from this area.

The photo on the left was taken at the Southport boat launch. 

We had high hopes of of celebrating Valentines' day at a nice hotel and a nice meal in Hobart.  It seemed reasonable.  What we didn't know was was a triathlon was starting the next morning.  After eight rejections we were about to call upon friends when we learned there was a hotel 20 minutes out of town at the airport.  Luckily we they had cancellation and, for only $160, were allowed to stay.

February 10, 2009

This is our last day in Tassie and we are up for one more driving trip; this time we headed southeast from Hobart, down the Tasmanian peninsula and on to Port Arthur. 

This is the lovely Pirates' Bay on the right as seen from the "Tessellated Pavement" lookout.  

The paving effect is created by the washing and drying of saltwater.  Up close it really looks as though it was man made.

The photo on the right is small portion of Port Arthur Prison Ruins.  Port Arthur prison is notorious for having been one of the worst prisons in Australia.

The final stop of the day was to visit the "Tasmanian Devils" Conservation park.  Here we got an up close look at these endangered little critters.  They have contracted a communicable cancer that they pass by biting each other while eating and mating.  There is a big push underway to keep the infected Devils separate from those who are not yet infected.

These ferocious little animals are very good for the environment; they eat dead animals and birds, the entire animal, bones, skin hair and all.   Their jaws nearly as strong as the saltwater crocodiles; we could hear them crunch right through the bones as they dined.

In the photo to the right they are pulling on a piece of hide each trying to get his share.  By the way, the ears really do look that red in the sunlight.

Waist not want not!

The photo on the left is "after meal clean up".  They wash their paws very well to get every bit of food from between the paws.

Yes, that nap after eating always feels good!

February 16, 2009

A flight back to Sydney to prepare for our cross continental train travel.

Queensland South of Townsville

January 15, 2009

With S/Y Illywhacker fully prepared for the cyclone season we bid her and our new Townsville friends good-bye.  The hire car is loaded, we are off to tour Queensland south of Townsville.

We stopped in the small town of Ayr looking for the dive company that to the wreck of the sailing ship Yongala.  In March 1911 the ship sank during a cyclone just 11 miles off the coast of Cape Bowling , all 122 passengers were lost with the ship.  At present with the ship is still very exposed making it a world premier diving site and home to an incredible array of marine life.  This is a site we would love to dive. We located the Yongala Dive Company in the small community of Alva Beach.  If the weather cooperates we will make this dive our way back to Townsville.

This is Alva Beach on the left.

Bowen, located South of Ayr is our stop for tonight.  Bowen was the site of much of the filming of the movie Australia.  The way they transformed the town for the movie was fascinating.  Tons of red earth was brought in to cover the streets, the buildings were refaced to reflect the period and some interiors were changed to create the movie set.  Many of the locals were employed as extras  and if we understand correctly the charming Aboriginal child star came from Bowen as well.

The bar on the right is in the Grandview Hotel and is the bar used in the movie, the one that a "Shelia" aka Nicole Kidman.  The pier in the movie is the pier here at Bowen.   

It's Australia Day Weekend and the family on the left was out enjoying the water when we happened by.  They were in their "tinnie" pulling 2 children in an ocean kayak.  It's actually much warmer here than the photo depicts.

This "Bowen Mango" caught our eye so we stopped to have a look.  It turned out to be an information center, the one that helped us plan our next few days.  Their help was fantastic.  The agent not only knew of a very nice reasonably priced accommodation in Airlie Beach but had it held for us while we figured out how to spend our next few days.

One of the tour companies she sells for is called "FantaSea".  They have a platform out at the Great Barrier Reef and their large power catamarans carry passengers to the Whitsunday Island and out to the reef.  We signed up for their "Reef Sleep" tour.   With this program they allow up to six people to stay out on their platform overnight.  By doing this we were assured two full days of snorkeling and diving the Great Barrier Reef and were wonderfully pampered by the crew on our overnight stay. 

On the left Ralph relaxing while watching George, the 1560 pound Groper who hangs out under "Reef World".  It was very hard to get all of George in one frame.  If you look closely you can see the small self appointed cleaner fish by him.  They swim around his body cleaning as they go and into his mouth and gills to perform oral hygiene.  In return George tries very hard not to damage them when he eats.

Following the gourmet sunset dinner we were treated to desert by candle light in the underwater viewing chamber.  With the underwater lights on we could see the larger fish swimming in search of their evening meal. After dark Ralph especially enjoyed lounging on the comfortably warm sundeck while watching the stars, brighter because they were not influenced by the mainland's light.

After a restful nights sleep we awakened to this beautiful Coral Sea sunrise over the the Great Barrier Reef at near low tide.  As you can see the reef is well exposed.

Besides the spectacular diving and snorkeling we were treated to rides on the two glass bottom boats.  One of them passed along the top of the reef, the same reef that was fully exposed at sunrise, the other skimmed along the face of the reef.

As we reflect on our world class diving and snorkeling and all the beautiful sites we saw we recognize how much the people who shared our experience added to our total experience, especially the young families. 

January 28, 2009

Yes, that us on the Jet Ski, the rain storm didn't dampen our spirits.  Actually it there was so much water flying once we got out of the anchorage it was hard to tell where it was coming from.  We rented this jet ski because we have so much negative judgment about "those" people who race about the anchorage darting under our bow spirit and generally stir up the water.  We must admit we had a great time, especially when Ralph really gunned it against the wind and the waves.  Yes, we did creep "slowly" through the anchorage even though the urge was to go

January 29, 2008

The weather had already started to deteriorate when we finished playing on the jet ski.  As we proceeded down the coast to Mackay and Keppel Bay Marina.  The photo on the left was the beach from the inside of the car and the one on the right was taken on Breakwater Drive.  The white caps were actually breaking over the road even though we missed documenting that.

January 30, 2009

After a night in Yeppoon where we enjoyed waterfront accommodation (with weather so poor we didn't get a single photo) we drove a short distance to Emu Park.  No it's not a theme park with Emus, it's a small community.  The "Singing Ship" behind the windblown Glenda is designed to catch the wind to create music that can be heard from miles away.  The views from this point were breathtaking.   

By time we reached Rockhampton weather conditions were worsening.  The ocean and now the Fitzroy River had turned a coffee brown and their were reports of flooding throughout Queensland.  A strong low was developing north of Townsville.

None the less we enjoyed the river walk and the beautiful turn of the century architecture of the downtown area.  Their art gallery was a wonderful place to escape the weather and see some beautiful local art.

January 31, 2008

A visit to Rockhampton would not be complete without a visit to the Botanic Gardens and Zoo.  Both are free and certainly worth a visit, if for no other reason than to bask in the tranquil beauty of the gardens.

Comprised of 98 acres that were originally set aside as gracing land in 1869 they have been transformed into the large Murray Lagoon, Hugo Lassen Fernery, the Cenotaph honoring those who fought for their country from WW-I on (pictured on the left), the tropical garden, tropical fruit garden, Japanese garden and the Palm garden featuring over 200 species of Palms from all over the world.

We have tried and tried to get a picture of the large Ibis (on the right).  They move so quickly that it has been very hard to get a "good" picture.  This one was pretty close and is still fuzzy .       

We were lucky to see this one nesting in the top of a tree.  They are quite pretty when they fly.

The free zoo was great!  An Emu came so close we could have touched it.  We were amazed when it spoke to us in a low guttural voice, it actually wanted some of Glenda's ice cream bar.

While we have not seen a Wombat in the wild we saw the next best thing, Fred.  All the other Wombats in this zoo prefer to spend their days sleeping out of sight in their logs.  Not Fred, he prefers the straw floor in his air conditioned glass enclosure.  He's about the size of a medium sized dog.

Koalas should own stock in the camera companies.  They are so darling and photographing them is irresistible.  This one was completely relaxed enjoying a nap.  We have video of one who was trying to get it's self repositioned.  He just could not find a comfortable way to sleep.  He gave big yawns as he tried to find that just right spot.  Another was busy munching on leaves.

By nightfall we were securely situated in Peter Aston's favorite motel in Sarina Beach, right on the beach.  Again the weather was too bad to enjoy the beach or even take pictures.  Before we left the motel our friend John in Townsville called to tell us the tropical depression we had been under had formed into a cyclone.  He said if we wanted to be back in Townsville for our flight to Sydney on February 3rd it would be a good idea to come now before the flooding closed the Bruce Highway.  We headed to Townsville in very heavy weather.

Not wanting to stay on Illywhacker in these conditions we took advantage of a Casino special and stayed two nights at the Jupiter's Hotel.  From this lofty place we watched cyclone Ellie play herself out.  She made landfall a bit north of Townsville where she weakened to a tropical depression.  With the vast amount of rain she produced all of Queensland is suffering from massive flooding.  It appears we made a good choice in coming when we did, the Bruce Highway north and south of Townsville closed due to flooding. 

So, our only disappointment is not having favorable weather conditions for diving the wreck of the Yongala.  She will just have to wait for a return trip.

February 4, 2009

The flight was bumpy but we made it safely to Sydney and sunshine.  We are at Peter's now, in Sydney.  Our bags are packed, Peter and we leave for Tassie (Tasmania) early tomorrow morning.  Next stop, Hobart and the Wooden Boat Festival.

Townsville

January 15, 2009

It's the “wet season” and we have been under the influence of Queensland’s first cyclone of the season.  “Charlotte”, now down graded to a tropical depression, formed in the Gulf of Carpentaria to the north of us.  She has just given us three full days of strong winds and heavy rain.  We are grateful for the sunshine we have today even though thunder storms are forecast for this evening.

Queensland is experiencing what they call a “King Tide”.  These unusually high tides, at the full moon, have caused extensive saltwater flooding.  The tides have been so high that the local beaches have been under water.  We are experiencing extensive saltwater and freshwater flooding.

Mosquitoes seem to thrive in this wet and warm weather.  I guess it’s 'Mossie' season too.  Regrettably Dengue Fever has worked its way down to Townsville where several people were recently been infected. 

No one seems to know quite why, but the shark populations is estimated to be up by 80%.  We've heard they have come in close to shore to feed.  There have been four shark encounters in the last week. 

January 8, 2009

We took the twenty-minute Sunferries ride from Townsville to Nelly Bay on Magnetic Island.  “Maggie” (as she is called by locals) has twenty-four beautiful bays, some of which are accessible only sea. 

Discovered in 1770 and named by then Lieutanent Cook who believed the island had a magnetic field adversely affecting the ship’s compass.  

Magnetic Island, like Alaska, Canada and the west coast of the US, housed troops, bunkers and guns to protect the mainland coast from sea invasion during World War II.  The views from the range finders and gun placements were breath taking. 

At present the permanent residents number under 3000 who live around the perimeter of “Maggie”.  The perimeter also houses tourist accommodations, everything from extensive backpacker facilities to five star resorts and spas.  The center of the island, about two thirds of the landmass, is a National Park left in it’s natural state.  A “World Heritage Marine Park” surrounds Maggie offering great diving and snorkeling.  There are fifteen and a half miles of walking tracks offering access to the beaches, tropical forest, wildlife, birds and beautiful vistas.

After a guided trip to points of interest and feeding this wild Rock Wallaby we took to the walking tracks. 

Thanks to two German sisters walking ahead of us we were lucky enough to see our first Koalas in the wild; a mum nestled among tree branches high above the walking track.  She was holding her darling baby in her lap.  They were the same color, making it very hard to figure out who was who.

While at our hotel we watched wild Kookaburras being hand fed.  They swung their head from side to side pounding their food on a board to insure it was dead.  This method is highly effective when they dine on small lizards and the snakes.  It was totally unnecessary for this stale chicken they dined on today.

This Curlew and its partner have taken up residency in the landscaping around the parking lot of the International Hotel.  It was one of many we saw on while on Maggie.

Touring North Queensland

October 14, 2008

With a "car hire" from Avis, Townsville, we are off on a driving "holiday" through North Queensland.  First order of business is for the driver to learn to get into the car on the right side of the car and drive on the left side of the roads.  Everyone is telling us "think left", think left"!

As we head west on the Flinders Highway through the lovely, rather flat lightly treed grassy countryside is we can see the mountains in the distance. 

The number of dead Kangaroos on the highway is startling.  Kangaroos move so fast it is almost impossible to miss hitting them if they dart in front of you.  Many of the vehicles, especially those who regularly drive these highways, are outfitted with "Bull Bars", heavy metal bars across their fronts to minimize impact damage. We hope driving only the daylight hours will help us avoid collision.

The countryside is dotted with amazing termite mounds.  They are constructed from soil, can be mounds or cones depending on the type of termite and as large as seven feet height.  We learned they play an important roll in gathering and holding moisture and aerating the soil.  There are over 300 verities of termites, only 19 of which will damage a wood structure. 

Ralph took off the top of the one to the right to have a closer look.

The photo to the left was taken at Macrossan Bridge, well above bridge level.  Note how small Ralph looks as compared to the sign post.  There are no flood control measures up stream from Macrossan Bridge so this area is subject to regular server flooding.

This entire area was very rich in gold.  Small towns built up around the gold fields in the 1860s, much of the gold was transported to the seaport of Townsville to be shipped.  Like the gold fields in California and Alaska, these gold fields drew hopeful prospectors from all over the world. 

The photo on the right is a mine at Ravenswood, a small 1860's town, revitalized by the new mine on the right.  The tiny speck on the road in the center of the photo is a full sized building.

October 15, 2008

Charters Towers is another 1860's mining town.  This town has capitalized on it's history and has become a tourists attraction.

In it's hay day Charters Towers was called "The World" and justifiably so. The building on the left was the "Stock Exchange".  In this building where gold was bought and sold and the "World Gold Prices" were set. 

The tailings of these, once rich mines, are so rich that with modern equipment money is being made by rerocessing them.

At dusk we were surprised by the flight of a great number (a horde) of huge noisy black fruit bats as they set out on their nightly fruit gathering mission.  A great reminder of the scene in "Crocodile Dundee"!

The "Towers Hill" gives a sweeping view of the flat Savannah landscape with the mountains in the background.  This is where we saw our first "live" Kangaroo picking up food under the picnic table, and we saw our first Rock Wallabies.  What a treat to see them romping about in the rocks atop the hill.                                                            

October 16, 2008

From Charters Towers we head North on the "Great Inland Way" also known as "Gregory Developmental Road".  This road was a surprise!  A good portion of the lower end of this highway is one lane bitumen (pavement).  That alone wouldn't be too bad, but this is part of the "Road Trains" route carrying ore from Mt Garnet to Charters Towers railway.  The trains then transport the ore to Townsville's port for shipping overseas. 

"Road Trains" are a force to be reckoned with.  They consist of a tractor with several trailers; we saw as many as four trailers on this section of road.  They are 200 feet long, weigh 130 ton and take up to two and a half miles to stop.  We counted 72 wheels on one vehicle. 

For safety we just got our little "car hire" off the road and waited until  they passed.  In the interest of protecting our "car hire" we got off the road for all the other vehicles we met.

The small town of Greenvale is the home of "The Three River's Hotel", the inspiration for Stan Coster's song of the same name. 

We are still fascination with the tropical birds in the wild.  In Greenvale, Galahs, like these on the left, were feeding right in town.

Just a short stop at Lynd Junction for a visit with locals convinced us to continue North toward Mt. Surprise to avoid gravel roads, in poor condition, with our hire car.

October 17, 2008

After a lovely night in "Mt. Surprise" where we stayed in a the "Bedrock Caravan Park".  Caravan parks are facilities for motor homes, trailers and tents.  Some, like this one, offer cabins, either with or without inside plumbing.  This park happened to be the only accommodation in Mt. Surprise with a vacancy.  The little cabins on the right are "ensuite cabins" with bedroom, bathroom, fully equipped kitchen, air conditioning, TV and the use of all common facilities.  A nights stay in an ensuite cabin costs much less than a motel and you get a wonderful rural setting to boot.

Our travels took us along the "Gulf Developmental Road" also known as "The Savannah Highway".  A good portion of this road is also narrow bitumen with lots of road trains hauling cattle and supplies. 

The picture on the left shows the Savannah countryside's sparse "bush" (trees) with a lush grass floor; perfect grazing for cattle and Kangaroos.

The Kangaroo photos were taken along the road between Forsayth and Cobbold Gorge Resort.  The Resort is located on a "station" (in US terms a working ranch).  

We feel so fortunate to have seen Kangaroos in the wild and to have taken these close up photos.  The mother and Joey (baby) to the right were standing alongside the gravel road.  Our stopping the car caused them both hop away.  The mother stopped first then the Joey.  He turned, hopped back quickly and jumped right into his mother's protective pouch.

After a long and dusty drive we arrived at the very friendly, Cobbold Gorge Resort.  It's the off season so there are very few guests thus allowing a comfortable and intimate experience.  All we guests enjoyed swimming, meals and the gorge tour together, just like one big happy family. 

The tour through a portion of 1284 square kilometer Robin Hood Station was interesting and informative.  The guide told us how they manage and care for their 10,000 head of Brahma cattle.  He talked about the history of this "working station" and how, recently, the station was opened to visitors, thus allowing them to enjoy the geological wonder of Cobbold Gorge. 

In a short walk through the bush the guide pointed out natural food and medicine formerly used by the Aboriginal people.  The actual boat ride through the very narrow Cobbold Gorge was on a an electric powered aluminum boat, the experience was absolutely quiet except for wildlife sounds and the occasional bumping the sides of the gorge.

The beautifully colored rock formations comprising the sides of the gorge are fascinating. 

The colors and shadows in the gorge made it very difficult to pick out the fresh water crocodiles like the one on left.  At times the eyes of the crocodile were all we could see.

The blue sky, broken only by the well spaced trees, made for a serine and pleasant setting.

October 19, 2008

Next stop, "The Undara Lava Tubes".  Some 190,000 ago volcanoes created an impressive network of lava tubes over 1550 square kilometers.  Today there are still 69 tube entrances, 8 of which are open to the public. 

The Collins family, who has owned this working station for six generations recently turned the property over to the Australian government who declared this site a natural geological wonder and named it Undara National Volcanic Park.  In exchange, the Collins family was given exclusive concession rights.  Public tours of the 8 tubes open to the public are given under the careful guidance of the "Savanah Guides".  At the present time other tubes continue to be explored and evaluated.

Accommodations range from tent sites, RV sites, permanent raised tents and dormitories to the Railway Carriage suites like the one on the right.  Rail cars, originally used Cobb & Company in the 1930's, have been converted to rooms and suites and relocated to their present site, under large shade trees on the property.  Other cars, converted to intimate dining, are located near the central dining area.

Tonight we took a "Wildlife at Sunset" tour.  We have now seen so many Kangaroos we are starting to pick out various breeds that range from the very large Grays to the tiny Rat Kangaroos, all living in this area.

The photo on the left was taken near sunset overlooking the lava tubes.  This stop, was part of our "Wildlife at Sunset" tour and a beautiful place to watch the sun set.

The photo on the right was taken a few minutes after the one on the left.

This tour included visiting a cave after dark.  This particular cave is home to millions of bats who migrate from far distances.  Shortly after sunset the bats come out in search of insects; "Brown Tree Snakes", also in search of food, position themselves on the tree branches that overhang the entrance of the cave.  We were lucky enough to watch one snake work it's way out onto the branches and position it's self three different times while trying to reach his pray.  Once positioned he extended the front half of his body out as far from the branch as possible, then he gathered the front part of his body in a zig zag pattern, thus maximizing his strike range.  It was a bit unnerving to walk under him into the cave in the dark.  Once inside the cave we all flashed our cameras on cue.  The light revealed the hordes of bats headed to the exit.  The guide used a red flash light to check around our feet and in the overhead trees for any additional snakes.

October 20, 2008

After a lovely dinner and a comfy night in our rail car suite we watched Kangaroos before attending our first "Bush Breakfast".  In the photo on the left, Ralph is holding the "toaster".  It holds a slice of bread that Ralph toasted over the open wood burning fire.  Their specialty, "Billy Tea", is made in a tin can over the open fire.  The posts you can see behind Ralph are the tables and the log beyond is the bench.  The "bush breaky" was fun and tasty and a wonderful place to start our day.

The tour through the station to the lava tubes was informative.  The station has been divided into  several large parcels and is still managed by the various Collins families.  Their breeding program and cattle management sees very high tech.

The "Lava Tubes" were very interesting as well. Once inside the tubes we could see how, over time, they were formed and how they later eroded.  There is evidence of human use of these tubes for over a very long period of time.

The lava tubes had bats too.  They were in wiggly clusters hanging onto the ceiling and appeared to be several layers thick.  When the guide shined his white light onto the cluster they began to fly away, one layer at a time.

With "Undara Lava Tubes" behind us we traveled North on the Kennedy Highway with the "Atherton Table Lands" in mind.  Our first stop was the famous "Innot Hot Springs" where we enjoyed a comfortably warm soak and gained a bit of local history before moving on.

We were amazed at the beauty of the Little Millstream Waterfall just a short walk form the highway. 

The Savannah landscape gave way quickly to the green rolling hills.

The photo on the right was taken at "Windy Hill" where a collection of wind generators sit among rolling hills with the cattle gracing at their bases.  It would be hard to find a more pastoral setting.

Once in Atherton and all settled in our "ensuite cabin", at a lovely caravan park, we were off in search of the elusive Platypus.  We had heard they could be seen in the streams of the Table Lands.  To our surprise we were directed to a rather small stagnate creek, just a few blocks from where we were staying.  The instructions were; "be there at 5:30 PM" to be assured of seeing them.

The Platypus are only visible a few seconds at a time.  They come up after gathering crustacean from the bottom.

We were so surprised at how very small they are.  Unfortunately there isn't much, other than the algae, as a point of reference.

This may be the same critter in both photos.

October 21, 2008

Now off to visit Cooktown, Cape York Peninsula.

This area is steeped in history, both of the Aboriginals and the European explores.

The photo on the left is the lighthouse on Grassy Hill, overlooking the Coral Sea.  It was built in England and brought here by ship.  It was South of here, that Lieutenant James Cook, put his "HM Bark Endeavour" on a reef in 1770.  After refloating his ship he was able to make his way to mouth of "The River of Life" at Cooktown, now called the "Endeavour River".  Cook managed to make the necessary repairs and continue his mission.  The photo on the right is Endeavour River from Grassy Hill.

There are several historical buildings in Cooktown, the cannon Cook left for protection of the residents and the huge brick lined, "old town well", located near the waterfront.

Guurrbi Tours conducted by Wilfred Gordon, www.guurrbitours.com

Willie, the Aboriginal man below, took us on an amazing walk through the property he grew up on, the property his father used to teach Willie the way of life in the bush.  As we walked through the bush he pointed out the use of various plants, insects and animals.  We declined eating the live green ants.  If we didn't learn anything else, we learned not to touch ANYTHING when walking in the bush!

Willie told us the story of his grandfather accepting his wife's mixed race baby girl.  We saw where she was born and and where she made her hand prints in a caves, a sign she belonged.  Many of the caves were adorned with lovely cave paintings.

We find the situation between the Aboriginal people and most of the rest of the people here very disturbing.  Unfortunately, in the interest of helping the Aborigines, the government provided them with land and income, much like American's Native Americans; with pretty much the same results.  They have too much time on their hands and not enough training.  The discrimination we observe is much like that against African/Americans in the US before equal rights were established.  The Aboriginals we see on the street and on the bus generally do not make eye contact with us.   

October 22, 2008

It took backtracking nearly to Atherton to work our way East to Mossman.  We chose the small town of Mossman as a convenient location from which to explore the Daintree Tropical Rainforest, the East coastline and Mossman Gorge.  Mossman Gorge is a tranquil rainforest.  It's chucked full of "Wild Bush Turkeys", an assortment of tropical birds and lush tropical foliage. A brisk freshwater stream runs through the forest.  The photo on the right is just one tree, an example of what we saw in the gorge.

October 23, 2008

We found the scenery fascinating and beautiful on a trip to Port Douglas where we explored the contemporary marina/mall and explored the city. 

The photo on the left was taken atop a hill in Port Douglas. 

The photo on the right was taken from a club in Port Douglas where we enjoyed the sunset from our dinner table.

October 24, 2008

We chose the "Billy Tea Tour" company to explore the Daintree Tropical Rainforest and Cape Tribulation.  They picked us up at the Caravan Park in Mossman.  As part of the tour we cruised down Crock infested Daintree River where we saw several Crocodiles in the water and others sunning them selves on the banks of the river while large white Herons waded nearby. 

The boat ride ended on the North bank of the river where we continued traveling North into the Daintree Rainforest. 

With steaks on the "barbie" (barbeque) we delighted in feeding the captive Kangaroos.  Just look how gently the Kangaroo is taking the bread from Ralph's fingers with her feet nicely tucked.

After lunch the tour continued as we walked through the Rainforest with the guide.  He pointed out many things we might have missed had we been on our own. 

We are pretty sire we would have missed small lizard and the green insect below. 

Continuing by vehicle we came to this beautiful beach at Cape Tribulation, the Northern end of our tour.  It was here that the HM Bark Endeavor grounded and the point from which she made her way up to Cooktown for repair.

While stopped for afternoon tea our guide settled the tea leaves by swinging the tin of boiling Billy Tea in large circles from his extended arm.  Tea was served with "Damper", a traditional Australian bread (cooked over the campfire) and a wide assortment of fresh tropical fruits, several of which we had never seen, let alone tasted.

After a refreshing swim in the, hopefully Crock free, freshwater stream we continued our trip South down the East coast of Queensland to Kuranda. 

October 25, 2008

We learned that until Kuranda's foundation in 1876 this pristine rainforest location was inhabited by the Djabugay Aboriginal people who survived for many generations hunting in the rainforest and eating its everlasting supply of fruits and plants.  Their lifestyle changed dramatically with the arrival of foreign people to their shores.

Tourism came to the area in the early 1900's when it's famous untamed Barron Falls was a big attraction to honeymooners.  World War II put an end to tourism, but in the early 60's the "hippie" generation found it a most desirable location for their alternative lifestyle.  The "Kuranda Markets" soon followed with their arts and crafts and home grown produce.  Later a "Skyrail" was built to allow tourists to visit the rainforest with minimal impact on it's delicate ecosystem.

The caravan park we stayed in tonight has bush turkeys and Kangaroos right in our front yard.

October 26, 2008

Today we visited some of Kuranda's many attractions.

The Koala enclosure was open with the Koalas so close could have touched them.  Most of them were sleeping, like the on on the right, balancing on tree limbs.   Koala's sleep 19 hours and day and forage the other 5 hours of the day.  Koala's eat eucalyptus leaves.  These leaves are poisonous to all other animals, however they have adapted a longer digestive system to assist.  The baby Koala's get their ability to eat eucalyptus leaves by a very unusual method.  Google it and see the answer!

Glenda just loved them.  The one she's holding is young and was very interested in the painting behind her; he kept trying to get to get to the tree in the painting.  Like a child actor, the time the Koala can perform is limited; they are  allowed only 30 minutes a day to be handled and photographed.

The cuddly Koala was very soft and it seemed to enjoy being held and having human contact.  The handler told us that this one had showed signs of wanting to come out and interact.

This is as close as we came to the fresh water Crocodile, thankfully he was behind a chain link fence.  They are suppose to be docile, unlike the saltwater crocs. We really did not want to test the theory. 

Ralph enjoyed holding the heavy 7 foot black head python.  This python helped hold his own weight by curling around Ralph's neck.  Python's can get big enough to eat Kangroos!

We saw lots of other reptiles, birds and mammals, all of them up close yet safely displayed.

The winding road from Kuranda to Cairns  afforded some beautiful vistas.  Cairns and the Coral Sea are both visible in the photo to the right.

Cairns (they pronounce it "Cans") is lovely, and home to the "Esplanade"; Cairns equivalent to Townsville's "Strand" or  the Mexican "Malecon". 

Being on the Esplanade early evening we could see how well these relativity new facilities are being use by residents and tourists alike.  Cairns is the most "tourist" oriented town that we visited.  This downtown area has lots of shops on one side of the street and the wonderful park like setting and ocean on the other.

The photo above and to the left is a portion of the pool on the Esplanade.  It's huge and is in the shape of Queensland.  It took three photos to capture the entire pool.

The photo on the right was taken from way out on the jetty looking back to downtown Cairns near sunset.

October 26, 2008

After a restful nights sleep, again in a Cairns Caravan Park, we were up and ready for our next adventure.  We were picked up at the park for a day tour; a train ride back up to Kuranda with return via a gondola on the Skyrail.  With both the train and Skyrail the environmental impact of people exploring the rainforest is greatly reduced. 

The photo on the left is our train winding its way through the rainforest as we made our way up the tracks to Kuranda.

The photo on the right is the famous, Barron Falls, a bit dry here, but during the wet season you would see more white water than rocks.

In Kuranda today we enjoyed walking around and looking at the beautiful Iron Art.  The benches, like the one on the left, are an example of what was done with old or left over rails.

We had the best cappuccino ever made with rainforest coffee beans, chocolate and Tabasco, topped with steaming hot decorative frothed milk.  The man who served us was an artist, steamed milk his medium.

This photo was taken from the Skyrail as the gondola skimmed above the tree tops of the tropical rainforest.  This return trip gave us an absolutely breathtaking view of the rainforest, farm land and ocean.  We got off the Skyrail at two location to see sight and visit interpretative centers provided to education riders.

October 27, 2008

Continuing South down the Coast of Queensland we stopped at beautiful Mission Beach.  The Caravan park we chose was across the street from this lovely beach. 

From here it was an easy drive to a nearby park, sanctuary and nesting area for the endangered Cassowary. 

Walking near dusk, we were lucky enough to see two of these magnificent birds.  Can you see the bright colors on the neck and head and the distinctive cone atop his head? 

Road signs like the one on the left are common here.  Many Cassowary are killed on the roads.

One reason, besides speeding, is their diet.  They live on fruit.  They eat vast amounts of tropical fruit at a time and the fruit can ferment in their stomachs.  While young, before the bird is use to the alcohol, the bird gets quite drunk and silly.  Sometimes staggering down the road or just lying down on the road for a nap.

There was one other interesting point about the Cassowary; they eat fruit, seeds and all.  The partially digested seeds are deposited on the ground in a pile of fertilizer.  There is one tree in the rainforest that is completely dependent upon the Cassowary.  Without this process the seed would not germinate.

TOWNSVILLE 2008

October 28, to December 31, 2008

Having had a fabulous time in North Queensland we happily returned to charming Townsville, our home away from home.

Sadly our dear friend Lyndall Aston and Glenda's Uncle Bud Shaw both completed their journey on earth leaving those of us who loved them feeling very sad.  With Lyndall's passing it's better for Peter to keep, s/y Illywhacker, here in Townsville, so we will not be sailing her down the East Coast of Australia.

Most of you know our motto; "We have no plan and we are sticking to it".

We don't mind being in Townsville, in fact we love the community and it's people.  With a population of some 185,000 people it's small enough folks are still friendly and large enough that all services are available.  Their "Strand", a long park area along the waterfront, is an amazing venue for a verity of public functions.  Remember, it's spring here in the Southern hemisphere and the days and nights are comfortably warm.   

They hold a program called, "Rhymes of The Night", on the evenings of a full moon.  It's held at dusk in the smaller amphitheatre; the one with a large inlayed mosaic concrete pad between the stage and the naturally tiered rows of seating.  Sponsored by the Council, they provide drums and other simple instruments and people are invited to bring their own.  Together, under the simple directions of the director, they create rhythm and everyone is invited to dance inside the drumming circle.  The young children were quick to join in.

The celebration of Anzac Day, an Australian holiday held 11-11 in remembrance of those who gave their lives in World War I, was held at the Anzac Memorial Park very near near Breakwater Marina.  After speeches remembering all those who served in all wars and continue to serve, a youth choir sang while representatives of the military, civic groups and individuals were called upon to place their gift or flowers upon the World War I memorial.

Now realizing we will be in Townsville for a while we took advantage of the time for Ralph to have that hernia surgery he's been putting off.  On Thanksgiving day, Dr. Avramovic, recommended by Peter and trained by Peter's brother in law, successfully completed Ralph's surgery.  Doctor's orders; stay off Illywhacker for four weeks.  So, the "Holiday Inn Hotel", aka the "Sugar Shaker Hotel", pictured on the left, became our home for the Christmas Season.  We must admit we really loved being there and were extremely well cared for by the entire staff.

On the left are a few of the 10 thousand who attended, "Carols By Candle Light", an annual Christmas event held in the large amphitheatre on the Strand.  That's Castle Hill in the background and the ocean and food vendors are behind us.  The local dance groups performances were complete and the main program about to start an announcement of a pending shower coming came over the loud speakers.

Within a matter of minutes it turned from the left to the one on the right.  After first taking cover under a tree we headed to the overhang of the Canoe Club while most of the rest of the crowd rushed to their cars.  Huddled together with a few families we enjoyed the children.  Undaunted by the dramatic lightening show and driving rain they sang Christmas carols, and when the rain lessened, ran to play on the beach in the rain, while we and their parents watched from our shelter.  We didn't take the camera out for the photo on the right until the rain had lightened considerably.  Alas the rest of the performance was cancelled.

We were completely surprised by the all volunteer production, "Manger On The Strand".  This is the eleventh year of the multi night event held in the large amphitheatre.  It was so much more than we were expecting.  And yes, there was a "live manger scene", with a newborn baby and it's parents with all appropriate animals and much much more.  The production covered most of the large amphitheatre floor.  The city of Bethlehem was supported by food booths, other entertainment and an area where free Christmas Cake and beverages were served while friendly hosts, from the 61 churches involved, circulated and visited with guests.  We felt very welcome!

"The City Bethlehem" looked and felt like one might expect at the time of Christ's birth.  The various buildings housed people in costumes of the period and there was lots of livestock, including several camels.  Many of the live animals were young and all were available for petting.  The inns housed inn keepers, who visited with the visitors and the shepherds tended their flocks.  Tradesman including blacksmiths, basket weavers, blanket weavers and carpenters tended their shops and invited children in to help them.  Beggars wandered the streets and crouched under overhangs asking for coins.  This money was going to assist charities.  There was one place where the little local youngsters, as young as three, were being taught to be Roman Soldiers; each one was dressed and armed just like the soldiers of that time.  Some had trouble just making a straight line and were great fun to watch.

Every half hour the play, "The Promise",  was preformed.  In just 20 minutes, the all volunteer cast, beautifully portrayed the creation, the events leading up to the birth of Jesus', His birth, His life, crucifixion and His resurrection.  It was very well done! 

If asked to rate this Christmas production we would have to say, hands down, it's the best we have ever seen.

Being in Australia, so far from family, we decided to spend our "Christmas Day" being of service to others.  St. Mary's Catholic Church organizes a "Christmas Luncheon" and accepted us as volunteers.  The meal they provided for the community was magnificent; seafood, chicken, turkey breast and ham with a verity of salads and beautiful deserts.  We spent the entire day helping out and loved every minute of it.  

December 27, 2008 we moved back onto Illywhacker .  While we are disappointed we didn't get Illywhacker back to Sydney in time for Peter and Lyndall to enjoy her; together we are very grateful to Peter for a place to call home a bit longer.

It's New Years Eve day and we look forward to the fire works display right here at the marina and the one we will be able to see across the water, at Nelly Bay, on Magnetic Island.

And here's the Sydney Harbor fireworks as seen on Television here on Illywhacker.

We wish each and everyone of you a SAFE, HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR.  Happy 2009!

SYDNEY

August 9, 2008

We have always wanted to visit Australia so were are very excited to land in Sydney, a city of some 3 million folks on the east coast of Australia.  It has three ocean inlets from the Tasmanian Sea.  One of which is Sydney Harbor.  This cosmopolitan city is interlaced with waterways, open space and National Parks of "bush".  "Bush" looks like forest to us.

After a considerable wait Peter Aston found us as we came out of customs.  We were delayed by the long lines of those of us that had declared foodstuffs.  We were surprised that almost nothing can enter; no seeds, meats, cereals, granola or the likes; not fresh, dried, cooked or vacuum sealed.  Australia does not suffer from many of the problems the rest of the world does and naturally they deserve to keep it that way.

Peter showed us the Sydney Bridge, Sydney Opera House and other points  of interest, including beautiful white ocean beaches with great surfing waves, as we made our way from the airport in South Sydney, their home in North Sidney where Lyndall was waiting for us. 

The main reason we chose to visit Australia while away from French Polynesia was to spend time with our friends Peter and Lyndall, pictured to  the left.  We met In 2002 and then sailed side by side from Ketchikan, Alaska to the north end of Vancouver Island, British Columbia.  We shared many happy evenings, meals, hikes and fun along the way. 

Peter and Lyndall arranged for us to to house sit for other friends, Tim and Helen,  

The photo on the right was taken from the deck of Peter and Helen's lovely home located right on the edge of Ku-ring-gai Chase National Park; a 35,000-acre park, established in 1894 and laced with walking trails, picnic and camping areas. 

We just love popping in at Peter and Lyndall's for tea.  They have gone out of their way to introduce us to their friends, all of whom have been very kind to us and even took us sailing.

We are finding Sydney's transportation system of busses, trains and ferries an efficient way to visit the local points of interest.  Ralph is pictured with Sydney Bridge bridge in the background.  To the right is the world iconic building, Sydney Opera House.  The Opera House tour is very interesting and informative.  We heard the story of how the Opera House was conceived and constructed. 

"High Tea and Opera", a special event, was lovely.

We were a bit surprised to see Aboriginal men along the downtown waterfront playing their hand painted didgeridoos.  Music is created by blowing through a smooth piece of round wood previously hollowed out by termites.  The gift shops have intricately hand painted didgeridoos as well as CD's of the Aboriginal music.

The near by historic Rock District is interesting.  We stopped in at the the Rock Burger Cafe to try the  Kangaroo Burgers.  It was served on a bun with lettuce, tomato, sliced cooked beet and a fried egg.  It has a mild gamy flavor.

The photo to the right is a late afternoon shot of the Sydney Headlands is taken from inside this very busy harbor.  It is common to see numerous ferries and tour vessels moving about the harbor at any given time.

The photo to the left is a contemporary building reflected by the doors of the of the Maritime Museum.  The Maritime Museum, free to the public, has a wonderful collection of maritime history including an America exhibit that features, "The Great White Fleet", a pre war show of force shown around the world.  School was cancelled while the fleet was in Sydney so the children to see it.

Seeing tropical birds in the neighborhoods is a thrill.  The Silver Cockatiel birds on the right are sitting on the Aston's deck railing.  They flew so close they ruffled our hair before coming to rest on the rail.  A pair of colorful Galah return each evening to their nest in a nearby hollow tree.

August 21, 2008

Sadly we received the news that Glenda's mother passed away yesterday in Corvallis, on her 91st birthday, just a short time after her birthday celebration with family and friends.   Ralph stayed in Sydney to complete our house sitting commitment while Glenda flew to Oregon for the service and to be with her children and family.  Gertrude and her amazing ways will be greatly missed.

Townsville

September 8, 2008

We plan to sail Peter and Lyndall's Yacht, Illywhacker, from Townsville, some 1000 miles south, to Sydney.  So once the house sitting was complete Ralph and Peter flew north to Townsville to begin preparations.

By time Glenda returned it was nearly time for Peter to leave, but not before we had a great sail together.

It's Peter you can see on the bow of Illywhacker, with Magnetic Island in the background. 

The photo to the right is the three of us with s/y Illwhacker taken as Peter left Townsville, leaving Illywhacker in our care.  She's a beautiful, well planned and well built Yacht, built by Peter.  If you would like to know more about our friends, their yacht and their travels go to www.illywhacker.com.

They have been away of Illywhacker for some time because of Lyndall's illness so Ralph has continued to go through her systems and make any necessary repairs with Peter's help via by telephone and email.

We are definitely enjoying Townsville, a major shipping port is a city of 175,000 people.  It is rather spread as it follows the ocean and the river.  There are two peaks, Castle Hill, located near downtown and Mt. Stewart just out of town.  Both peaks provide a great vista of the surrounding countryside and with abundant wildlife.

The Stand, a very prominent Townsville feature.  It is a beautiful lush green bay front park several kilometers long, with a paved walking path for the full distance.  In addition to the shade trees, picnic tables, barbeques, enclosed playground, climbing tour, water-park, swimming pool, exercise stations and amphitheatres there are coffee shops and restaurants close by.  The bay has designated swim areas protected from the very dangerous Box Jellies.

The photo above and to the right is a portion of the water park.  The bucket above fills and hen spills over onto the waiting children.

Special events are held along the strand on a regular basis.  They include the Once a "Month Night Market", the "Full Moon Drumming" session and the kite flying demonstration we had the good fortune to attend.  It featured brightly colored original design world class kites.  Many of them flew at the 2008 Beijing Olympics.  Absolutely amazing!

Sydney's Reef Aquarium was built to educate the people about the Great Barrier Reef and how to use it and enjoy and how to preserve it.  It includes a wonderful collection of sea life including the Reef’s most deadly.  The photo to the right includes a Lyon Fish, Sea Snakes, Spiny Rock Fish.  They do a very informative presentation on the most deadly of all, the Box Jelly.