We've been in the rainforest of N. Queensland for the past two days and will be here 2 more. There's no 3G here in most spots, so I'm taking advantage of being at the top of a 75 foot tower at the top of the trees to get online. We're at the Rainforest Discovery Center for the second day in a row and have the place to ourselves. (We always take the iPad with us when traveling in a van because it gets way too hot to leave it.)
So...when we picked up the camper van two days ago, we had a pleasant surprise. They'd upgraded us to a somewhat larger van that has both a bathroom and air conditioning even when the motor is not running. A major advantage in this very high humidity. Although it's 10-15 degrees cooler here than in Alice, it feels just as hot. By the way, you can tell the difference between the weather here and in Alice Springs by the toilet seats in non-air conditioned buildings. In Alice, the seats are so hot they're almost uncomfortable. Here, they stick to your thighs and fall off with a thud when you stand up.
The drive up here was lovely, on a road squeezed between the mountains and the ocean - where the rainforest meets the reef, as they say here. It's so lush, with green velvet slopes and beautiful sandy beaches. (Miles and miles of beaches and no swimming! Marine Stingers, with a nasty sting, are in the water during summer.). We passed a lot of sugar cane plantations and one banana plantation. Stpped for a lunch picnic at Wonga beach (a good place to stop when you're wongy, Jared and Kira). Crossing the Daintree River on a cable ferry puts you in a different world as you hit the heart of the rainforest.
We've gone on a number of rainforest walks, always looking for a cassowary, with no luck so far. The Rainforest Discovery Center is wonderful, with walkways at all levels of the forest, from ground to canopy.
Some other notes:
First rain of the trip from 6:00 last evening into the night. Pouring. It should be doing this every day and night at this time of the year, according to our campground host, but it's been very dry.
Lots of frogs out in the campground after dark
Cape Tribulation (Kulki, pronounced Gool Gy in aboriginal language) -gorgeous!
Daintree Ice Cream Company - out of this world mango and wattle seed favors. Wattle seed is native, grows in a pod, and the seeds are roasted - tastes like coffee.
Jindalba boardwalk
Thursday, February 28, 2013
Monday, February 25, 2013
Alice Springs
We' re once again sitting in an airport, this time waiting to go from Alice to Cairns. We have a late afternoon flight, so were able to have a pretty full day here. Alice Springs temp is supposed to drop to the mid- eighties for a few days, now that we're leaving!
Spent the morning in the Western MacDonnell range at Angkerle (Standley Chasm) , about 50 km west of Alice. We were the first people in for the day, so had it to ourselves until the walk out. [It's not tourist season, so we've had lots of places almost to ourselves!] Short hike of incredible beauty - steep red stone walls, eucalyptus trees with their white trunks reflecting the sun, pretty lush growth since it's along a river bed. This is a women's dreaming place for the Aboriginal group that owns and lives on this land.
Came back into town to the telegraph station, the first white settlement in central Australia. There were well preserved buildings and a lot of information about the establishment of the telegraph. Amazing that one wire, strung from the coast, made Europeans feel connected enough to settle in this totally alien, very difficult environment. Many parallels with the settlement of the west in the USA, including the forced removal of "half-breed" children from their mothers to be raised in group settings and taught European ways. The telegraph station became a home for Aboriginal children in the 1930's when the telegraph station was moved.
Additional things to remember from yesterday:
some birds - Tawny Frogmouth (dead branch camouflage)
Zebra Finch (black and white stripes on tail)
Splendid Fairy Finch (morpho blue)
Princess Parrot
Very clear lines between men's business and women's business (both knowledge and tools, activities) in Aboriginal groups, with punishment for transgressions. Also punishment for marriage to wrong group. Punishment is men's business, and includes spearing the leg, not to cause permanent impairment. After punishment, person is accepted by the group. If something very serious, then spearing and banishment.
Man may have 2 wives. If they have a disagreement, it must be settled. If not by words, they then hit each other on the back with digging sticks (not hard enough to cause injury) and the the incident is never spoken of again.
8:00 p.m. We just arrived in Cairns. It's like being on a different planet from Alice Springs - steamy and green!
Spent the morning in the Western MacDonnell range at Angkerle (Standley Chasm) , about 50 km west of Alice. We were the first people in for the day, so had it to ourselves until the walk out. [It's not tourist season, so we've had lots of places almost to ourselves!] Short hike of incredible beauty - steep red stone walls, eucalyptus trees with their white trunks reflecting the sun, pretty lush growth since it's along a river bed. This is a women's dreaming place for the Aboriginal group that owns and lives on this land.
Came back into town to the telegraph station, the first white settlement in central Australia. There were well preserved buildings and a lot of information about the establishment of the telegraph. Amazing that one wire, strung from the coast, made Europeans feel connected enough to settle in this totally alien, very difficult environment. Many parallels with the settlement of the west in the USA, including the forced removal of "half-breed" children from their mothers to be raised in group settings and taught European ways. The telegraph station became a home for Aboriginal children in the 1930's when the telegraph station was moved.
Additional things to remember from yesterday:
some birds - Tawny Frogmouth (dead branch camouflage)
Zebra Finch (black and white stripes on tail)
Splendid Fairy Finch (morpho blue)
Princess Parrot
Very clear lines between men's business and women's business (both knowledge and tools, activities) in Aboriginal groups, with punishment for transgressions. Also punishment for marriage to wrong group. Punishment is men's business, and includes spearing the leg, not to cause permanent impairment. After punishment, person is accepted by the group. If something very serious, then spearing and banishment.
Man may have 2 wives. If they have a disagreement, it must be settled. If not by words, they then hit each other on the back with digging sticks (not hard enough to cause injury) and the the incident is never spoken of again.
8:00 p.m. We just arrived in Cairns. It's like being on a different planet from Alice Springs - steamy and green!
Alice Springs
Another excellent day! We spent it at Alice Springs Desert Park and also visited Alice Springs School of the Air. It was around 100 again, but there were clouds for the morning and late afternoon, making it much more comfortable.
We got an early start at the park. It's a large place that includes 3 distinct desert environments - woodland, sand country, and desert rivers. It's kind of a non zoo-like zoo. There are large enclosures as well as open areas. People go into the enclosures for some birds and animals, so the critters are moving around pretty freely, but you're guaranteed to see them in an area. We saw red kangaroos, which we haven't seen in the wild. They're larger than wallabies. There was an incredible variety of birds. There was also a nocturnal house so you could see those animals. A fascinating tidbit that I didn't know before is that kangaroo mothers can produce two kinds of milk at the same time. One type is suitable for the little in-pouch babies and the other is for the babies who are old enough to be out of the pouch, but aren't yet independent. Also, if they have an unborn fetus, they can put a pregnancy "on hold" in times of drought and inadequate food. Development resumes when the conditions are better.
Also enjoyed three presentations. One was an open air bird fly-in where different birds flew in close to us, coaxed by a ranger with food. We got to see, for example, how a falcon caught food (that the ranger tossed in the air) in its talons and put it in its beak, all on the fly. It was great. The second was about animal survival in the heat, with a lot of info about reptiles. The third was about Aboriginal survival in the desert. Done by a young Aboriginal ranger, it was packed with information about everything from kinship groups/ marriage, to tool-making, to traditional food and medicinal plants.
When it got hot in the middle of the day, we left the park for awhile and returned in the late afternoon. During that break, we visited Alice Springs School of the Air. The school serves 130 kids in remote, isolated locations. There were two studios with teachers presenting interactive on-line lessons. Before the Internet, lessons were presented by radio. The kids are also mailed a work pack every two weeks, with books, supplies and required activities. Each child has to have a designated in-home tutor, usually a parent, but sometimes a family-hired tutor. Costs for computer equipment and mailings are paid by the state. We were there when middle school lessons were in session, but they also have preschool. The tour guide says when you visit at some times you may see the preschool teacher doing the Hokey Pokey in the studio or pretending to swim like a fish. It's a tough enough teaching job when your students aren't present on site, but having a bunch of tourists watching you through the studio window as you do all the goofy stuff that those of us who teach/have taught preschool do is over the top!
We got an early start at the park. It's a large place that includes 3 distinct desert environments - woodland, sand country, and desert rivers. It's kind of a non zoo-like zoo. There are large enclosures as well as open areas. People go into the enclosures for some birds and animals, so the critters are moving around pretty freely, but you're guaranteed to see them in an area. We saw red kangaroos, which we haven't seen in the wild. They're larger than wallabies. There was an incredible variety of birds. There was also a nocturnal house so you could see those animals. A fascinating tidbit that I didn't know before is that kangaroo mothers can produce two kinds of milk at the same time. One type is suitable for the little in-pouch babies and the other is for the babies who are old enough to be out of the pouch, but aren't yet independent. Also, if they have an unborn fetus, they can put a pregnancy "on hold" in times of drought and inadequate food. Development resumes when the conditions are better.
Also enjoyed three presentations. One was an open air bird fly-in where different birds flew in close to us, coaxed by a ranger with food. We got to see, for example, how a falcon caught food (that the ranger tossed in the air) in its talons and put it in its beak, all on the fly. It was great. The second was about animal survival in the heat, with a lot of info about reptiles. The third was about Aboriginal survival in the desert. Done by a young Aboriginal ranger, it was packed with information about everything from kinship groups/ marriage, to tool-making, to traditional food and medicinal plants.
When it got hot in the middle of the day, we left the park for awhile and returned in the late afternoon. During that break, we visited Alice Springs School of the Air. The school serves 130 kids in remote, isolated locations. There were two studios with teachers presenting interactive on-line lessons. Before the Internet, lessons were presented by radio. The kids are also mailed a work pack every two weeks, with books, supplies and required activities. Each child has to have a designated in-home tutor, usually a parent, but sometimes a family-hired tutor. Costs for computer equipment and mailings are paid by the state. We were there when middle school lessons were in session, but they also have preschool. The tour guide says when you visit at some times you may see the preschool teacher doing the Hokey Pokey in the studio or pretending to swim like a fish. It's a tough enough teaching job when your students aren't present on site, but having a bunch of tourists watching you through the studio window as you do all the goofy stuff that those of us who teach/have taught preschool do is over the top!
Sunday, February 24, 2013
Alice Springs
Today was a take-it-easy day after yesterday's marathon. Slept late, did laundry. Then went for a late morning stroll to the Olive Pink Botanical Garden, intending to have lunch at the Lonely Planet-recommended cafe there. Alas, it doesn't reopen from summer break until tomorrow. We'll have to try again. It was over 100 again, so we didn't feel like checking out the gardens. Strolled back through town, going in and out of air conditioned shops along the way.
Decided that there are some places we want to get to that are a bit out of town, so picked up a rental car for a couple of days. Actually, we rented a compact car, but what they gave us is a twelve passenger van. Randy wants to guide some trips to make a few bucks!
Went out to Simpson's Gap in the Western McDonnell Range late in the afternoon. It's only about a half hour outside Alice and is gorgeous! Hiked a couple of short trails there. There's nice, cool water in the gap - no swimming allowed!
Decided that there are some places we want to get to that are a bit out of town, so picked up a rental car for a couple of days. Actually, we rented a compact car, but what they gave us is a twelve passenger van. Randy wants to guide some trips to make a few bucks!
Went out to Simpson's Gap in the Western McDonnell Range late in the afternoon. It's only about a half hour outside Alice and is gorgeous! Hiked a couple of short trails there. There's nice, cool water in the gap - no swimming allowed!
Saturday, February 23, 2013
Uluru - continued
There are many children's stories related to the shapes, fissures, caves, and other markings of Uluru. While on a couple of 45 minute walks at the base of the rock, we heard some that teach lessons about telling the truth, not stealing, and being nice to peaceful people.
There's an excellent cultural center at Uluru. Of course it includes a shop. I decided to buy a painting and looked through lots of them, by many different artists. When I finally chose one, I asked if there was any information available about the artist. It turned out that she was one of the two women who were painting at the center. I asked the store clerk if the artist would be willing to talk to me about the story of the painting. She told me that she was very shy, but she would go with me to talk to her. So, I got the story of the painting - about women gathering food - directly from the artist.
We ended the day with a pre-sunset barbecue. We did not see the incredible color change of Uluru that sometimes happens at sunset, because of low clouds on the horizon.
Saw no animals other than a little lizard during the day. Too hot for them to be out! After dark on the ride back there were many kangaroos along the road.
Remember:
First photos of the day are Mt Connor (Fooluru) and salt flats
Dunny=outhouse
Remember:
First photos of the day are Mt Connor (Fooluru) and salt flats
Dunny=outhouse
Uluru
Yesterday was really wonderful. We took an 18+ hour tour to Uluru (emphasis on the last syllable) which is over 400 km west of Alice, about a five hour drive each way. [Emu Run Tours, leave at 6:00 in the morning and return after midnight] There is absolutely nothing between here and there except the tiny outpost of Erldunda, consisting of a gas station, bathroom, and, in one building, a small store, cafe and bar. The rest is huge cattle stations, with few cattle. Because it's so dry, a one million-acre station has only 1500 head. The road is perfectly straight. Temperature was 105. So glad we didn't opt to drive this on our own!
Our two guides alternated driving and information-sharing during the trip. They were great. We learned a lot about the history of the area and about the Aboriginal stories of the rock formations, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, that we visited. We were surprised by the amount of vegetation we saw, particularly during the first 3 hours of the drive. This is an arid zone, not a desert, so there is a pretty good cover of grass and small trees. We crossed a number of dried creeks and places labeled as flood areas, but there hasn't been a large amount of rainfall since 2009 or 2010, when there were 2 wet years. We watched a documentary (doco, in local lingo) about that year and the amazing coming to life of the land and the estuary at the coast that's at the end of the river system. What a remarkable transformation! Closer to Uluru, we saw more of the red sand and dunes that we were expecting.
Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta are sacred Aboriginal sites. Ceremonies are still held at Kata Tjuta. There are 4 different language groups and Uluru is a meeting point for all of them. We were told some of the children's stories of the sites. Being uninitiated, we are not allowed to hear the rest of the sacred stories. The children's stories, like in every culture, are used to teach values, and also to help people learn their way around this vast area. A lot of the navigation info is put into songs and dances, since there was no written language. Hence, the concept of singing ones way to a place.
Kata Tjuta, a group of 30+ domes, was formed, so it goes, when a group of people came to the area and decided it was a good place for a ceremony. In preparation, the women and children got things ready, gathered food, etc. While they were doing this, the men went out to hunt. While they were gone, another group came and chased the terrified women and children away. When the men returned and couldn't find the women and children, they searched for them. When they found them and heard what happened, they were very angry. They found the "invaders" chased them off and captured some. The captured men were told to dig some holes, and then to stand in them. The holes were then filled back in, with only the men's heads sticking out. The heads turned to stone - Kata Tjuta.
Our two guides alternated driving and information-sharing during the trip. They were great. We learned a lot about the history of the area and about the Aboriginal stories of the rock formations, Uluru and Kata Tjuta, that we visited. We were surprised by the amount of vegetation we saw, particularly during the first 3 hours of the drive. This is an arid zone, not a desert, so there is a pretty good cover of grass and small trees. We crossed a number of dried creeks and places labeled as flood areas, but there hasn't been a large amount of rainfall since 2009 or 2010, when there were 2 wet years. We watched a documentary (doco, in local lingo) about that year and the amazing coming to life of the land and the estuary at the coast that's at the end of the river system. What a remarkable transformation! Closer to Uluru, we saw more of the red sand and dunes that we were expecting.
Both Uluru and Kata Tjuta are sacred Aboriginal sites. Ceremonies are still held at Kata Tjuta. There are 4 different language groups and Uluru is a meeting point for all of them. We were told some of the children's stories of the sites. Being uninitiated, we are not allowed to hear the rest of the sacred stories. The children's stories, like in every culture, are used to teach values, and also to help people learn their way around this vast area. A lot of the navigation info is put into songs and dances, since there was no written language. Hence, the concept of singing ones way to a place.
Kata Tjuta, a group of 30+ domes, was formed, so it goes, when a group of people came to the area and decided it was a good place for a ceremony. In preparation, the women and children got things ready, gathered food, etc. While they were doing this, the men went out to hunt. While they were gone, another group came and chased the terrified women and children away. When the men returned and couldn't find the women and children, they searched for them. When they found them and heard what happened, they were very angry. They found the "invaders" chased them off and captured some. The captured men were told to dig some holes, and then to stand in them. The holes were then filled back in, with only the men's heads sticking out. The heads turned to stone - Kata Tjuta.
Friday, February 22, 2013
Alice Springs
We arrived in Alice Springs, in the middle of the Outback, at noon. Temperature about 100 degrees -it could be worse! Settled into our room. It's nice to think about being in one spot for several days after doing so much moving around. Went for a walk into town, pacing ourselves and stopping into air conditioned places here and there. Visited a small gallery of Aboriginal and modern Australian art and the Royal Flying Doctor Service visitor center and museum.
After dinner, we took another walk to ANZAC Hill, a small hill with a war monument on top and a 360 degree view of Alice and the surrounding mountains. We were there a bit after 7:00 and missed sunset. There were lots of people out walking tonight. The temp had dropped to about 90 and there was a breeze. Many of the people in town speak an Aboriginal language as their first language. Apparently there are several spoken, but my ear could not pick up the differences.
Orderly Aussie note: at after school pick up time here, parents line up in their cars along the curb and the kids stay in the schoolyard. A teacher with a microphone stands at the curb and announces each child's name as their parent gets into the line. The kid comes out, hops in the car, and the cars in line move up.
After dinner, we took another walk to ANZAC Hill, a small hill with a war monument on top and a 360 degree view of Alice and the surrounding mountains. We were there a bit after 7:00 and missed sunset. There were lots of people out walking tonight. The temp had dropped to about 90 and there was a breeze. Many of the people in town speak an Aboriginal language as their first language. Apparently there are several spoken, but my ear could not pick up the differences.
Orderly Aussie note: at after school pick up time here, parents line up in their cars along the curb and the kids stay in the schoolyard. A teacher with a microphone stands at the curb and announces each child's name as their parent gets into the line. The kid comes out, hops in the car, and the cars in line move up.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Melbourne to Adelaide 3
This was primarily a travel day, with a long drive to Adelaide with only one stop for lunch. We did check out Blue Lake in Mt. Gambier and it is, indeed, a lovely sapphire. It's a deep lake in a volcanic crater, like Crater Lake in Oregon, but a darker blue.
We drove the coastal highway, a good road for driving quickly, but with little else to recommend it. For most of the way, you couldn't see the water because of dense vegetation and dunes. When it did come into view, it was yucky smelling salt flats and shallows. I drove part of the way and did well with shifting a standard with my left hand. That came easily to both of us, much more so than remembering that the directional and wiper levers are reversed. We have a frequently wiped windshield :-). "Good road for driving quickly" means flat and straight. The roads have very narrow lanes and no shoulders. There's absolutely no room to drift. It is strange to look at the dash and see that you're going 110 (km/hr). I appreciate Randy's driving much more, now that I've done some myself. We also drove through a large area that was very smoky, but saw no fires. It's incredibly dry here.
Arrived in Adelaide about 3:30. By the time we checked into a motel, we had no time to do anything other than walk around the city. Museums, public buildings, etc all close at 5:00. Adelaide is pretty small and it was easy to get the lay of the land. We did catch a couple of street performances as part of the Fringe Festival and had an excellent dinner in Chinatown. I will remember Adelaide for the most hideous school uniforms I have ever seen anywhere in the world! They varied depending on the school, but they were all reeeeally ugly. I'm sure there's more here than immediately meets the eye, but unfortunately we don't have time find it. We fly out to Alice Springs in the morning.
One more "orderly Aussie" note: People waiting for a bus stand in a single shoulder- to-shoulder line, parallel to, and about 6-8 feet back from, the curb. This is about in the middle of the wide major sidewalks. There's room to walk on both sides of the lined up bus folks. Nobody is out of line and the line is never close to the curb. Only in Melbourne was there a line actually painted on the sidewalk. In all the other cities, people just know to do it that way. Is it a city ordinance, I wonder? A national bus rule? So civilized!
We drove the coastal highway, a good road for driving quickly, but with little else to recommend it. For most of the way, you couldn't see the water because of dense vegetation and dunes. When it did come into view, it was yucky smelling salt flats and shallows. I drove part of the way and did well with shifting a standard with my left hand. That came easily to both of us, much more so than remembering that the directional and wiper levers are reversed. We have a frequently wiped windshield :-). "Good road for driving quickly" means flat and straight. The roads have very narrow lanes and no shoulders. There's absolutely no room to drift. It is strange to look at the dash and see that you're going 110 (km/hr). I appreciate Randy's driving much more, now that I've done some myself. We also drove through a large area that was very smoky, but saw no fires. It's incredibly dry here.
One more "orderly Aussie" note: People waiting for a bus stand in a single shoulder- to-shoulder line, parallel to, and about 6-8 feet back from, the curb. This is about in the middle of the wide major sidewalks. There's room to walk on both sides of the lined up bus folks. Nobody is out of line and the line is never close to the curb. Only in Melbourne was there a line actually painted on the sidewalk. In all the other cities, people just know to do it that way. Is it a city ordinance, I wonder? A national bus rule? So civilized!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Melbourne to Adelaide 2
We'd planned to head to Adelaide via Grampians National Park, after reaching the end of the Great Ocean Road, but altered our route due to bush fires in part of the park and the surrounding area. We spent a lot of in-the-car time, making up for the day we spent going to Phillip Island.
Parts of the second half of the Great Ocean Road are inland a bit, so aren't quite as beautiful as what we saw yesterday. On the coast, we stopped at the 12 Apostles, London Bridge, and at Loch Ard Gorge - named for the ship that sank there. The Gorge was pretty spectacular.
The best part of the day was a stop at Tower Hill, a caldera that is now home to many animals. It's an area managed by Aboriginal people and is left mostly in it's natural state, with the exception of a small visitors center. We took a walk around the lake which is pretty dry. It was just Randy, me, the koalas, emus, and other birds.. Wonderful!
There's a completely different terrain out here. Flat, dry, few trees, with cattle and sheep. It looks like parts of Texas.
We're staying in the town of Mount Gambier, which has a sink hole cave in the center of town. This was the town's water supply when it was first settled by Europeans. Now it has a garden around it and colored lighting at night. There's also a very blue lake (so we're told, but we haven't seen it yet). The guy at the motel was great, telling us about all the town's special things and about different routes to Adelaide. Quite a character!
Parts of the second half of the Great Ocean Road are inland a bit, so aren't quite as beautiful as what we saw yesterday. On the coast, we stopped at the 12 Apostles, London Bridge, and at Loch Ard Gorge - named for the ship that sank there. The Gorge was pretty spectacular.
The best part of the day was a stop at Tower Hill, a caldera that is now home to many animals. It's an area managed by Aboriginal people and is left mostly in it's natural state, with the exception of a small visitors center. We took a walk around the lake which is pretty dry. It was just Randy, me, the koalas, emus, and other birds.. Wonderful!
There's a completely different terrain out here. Flat, dry, few trees, with cattle and sheep. It looks like parts of Texas.
We're staying in the town of Mount Gambier, which has a sink hole cave in the center of town. This was the town's water supply when it was first settled by Europeans. Now it has a garden around it and colored lighting at night. There's also a very blue lake (so we're told, but we haven't seen it yet). The guy at the motel was great, telling us about all the town's special things and about different routes to Adelaide. Quite a character!
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Melbourne to Adelaide
About 70 degrees, windy and cloudy, quite a drastic change from yesterday!
Zipped back up from Phillip Island, around Melbourne on the highway, and headed west toward Adelaide.Most of our day was spent on the first half of the Great Ocean Road, a stupendously gorgeous route cut into the mountains hugging the southern shoreline. There are mile after mile of sandy beaches, deep turquoise water (Bass Strait), and white surf. We dawdled along, stopping at Bells Beach, where surfing championships are held; Split Point lighthouse; a cafe in the little town of Lorne; and on to Apollo Bay for the night. We've been staying in hostels the last three nights and they've been very nice.
Some things that I've found interesting:
Aussies appear to comply with rules that make things go smoothly - people pay close attention to the speed limit; stop at red lights without trying to beat them; cross streets using crossing lights; queue up to get a cab in busy places - the cabs also take their places in a queue to get customers and it's illegal for cabbies to approach potential passengers around airports.
Toll highways - if you're a local, you get something similar to our Easy Pass (or whatever it's called these days). If you don't have a pass, you pay at the Post Office. Your car license plate number is picked up by a camera when you get on the road. You then have 72 hours to go to a Post Office, where they look up your registration number (called your "rego"), tell you how much you owe, and collect your money.(Expensive tolls!) No wonder car rental companies fine people for unpaid tolls! It's not something you'd figure out without someone giving you explicit instructions.
A lot of visitors' centers are staffed by volunteers. One visitors' center along a major road included a fresh fruit market. Great idea!
Zipped back up from Phillip Island, around Melbourne on the highway, and headed west toward Adelaide.Most of our day was spent on the first half of the Great Ocean Road, a stupendously gorgeous route cut into the mountains hugging the southern shoreline. There are mile after mile of sandy beaches, deep turquoise water (Bass Strait), and white surf. We dawdled along, stopping at Bells Beach, where surfing championships are held; Split Point lighthouse; a cafe in the little town of Lorne; and on to Apollo Bay for the night. We've been staying in hostels the last three nights and they've been very nice.
Some things that I've found interesting:
Aussies appear to comply with rules that make things go smoothly - people pay close attention to the speed limit; stop at red lights without trying to beat them; cross streets using crossing lights; queue up to get a cab in busy places - the cabs also take their places in a queue to get customers and it's illegal for cabbies to approach potential passengers around airports.
Toll highways - if you're a local, you get something similar to our Easy Pass (or whatever it's called these days). If you don't have a pass, you pay at the Post Office. Your car license plate number is picked up by a camera when you get on the road. You then have 72 hours to go to a Post Office, where they look up your registration number (called your "rego"), tell you how much you owe, and collect your money.(Expensive tolls!) No wonder car rental companies fine people for unpaid tolls! It's not something you'd figure out without someone giving you explicit instructions.
A lot of visitors' centers are staffed by volunteers. One visitors' center along a major road included a fresh fruit market. Great idea!
Monday, February 18, 2013
Phillip Island
We picked up a little red Hyundai and headed out of Melbourne to Phillip Island, a couple of hours southeast. This isn't the general direction we'd planned on heading, but we decided this detour would be worth it...... And was it ever! We had a fantastic day.
First stop was our guest house for check-in. Delightful place. Then off to The Koala Conservation Centre. Even though it was in the mid-90's, we loved walking around. There were some raised boardwalks so you could get a better look at the koalas in the trees. They were hanging out, not very active in the day time, especially in the heat. All the better for photos! Besides koalas, we saw echidnas (the only mammal besides the duckbilled platypus that lays eggs), black wallabies (darker color and a little smaller than the Bennett's wallabies in Freycinet N.P., a kookaburra, and some honey eaters (birds).
Then off to the very tip of the island to the Nobbies, rock islands just offshore.
And finally to the Penguin parade, the nightly coming-ashore of the littlest penguins, just about half an hour after sunset. We opted out of the grandstand viewing area and splurged on a guided walk with a ranger to another beach. There were just 8 people and it was wonderful. He gave us lots of info about the island, the penguins, other wildlife, and the stars. We each had a night vision scope and sat quietly in a group on the beach as the penguins emerged from the surf and walked past us to get to their burrows. On the walk back to the visitors' center (by a very different route than the crowd goes), we saw penguin mates greeting each other as they returned, chicks waiting for their parents to show up with dinner, molting penguins, and a little squawk when one penguin was going near another's burrow. All within a couple of feet of us! They make a happy trilling sound as they arrive back in the burrows. There are around 30,000 birds in this colony. This was a dream come true for a penguin lover!
First stop was our guest house for check-in. Delightful place. Then off to The Koala Conservation Centre. Even though it was in the mid-90's, we loved walking around. There were some raised boardwalks so you could get a better look at the koalas in the trees. They were hanging out, not very active in the day time, especially in the heat. All the better for photos! Besides koalas, we saw echidnas (the only mammal besides the duckbilled platypus that lays eggs), black wallabies (darker color and a little smaller than the Bennett's wallabies in Freycinet N.P., a kookaburra, and some honey eaters (birds).
Then off to the very tip of the island to the Nobbies, rock islands just offshore.
And finally to the Penguin parade, the nightly coming-ashore of the littlest penguins, just about half an hour after sunset. We opted out of the grandstand viewing area and splurged on a guided walk with a ranger to another beach. There were just 8 people and it was wonderful. He gave us lots of info about the island, the penguins, other wildlife, and the stars. We each had a night vision scope and sat quietly in a group on the beach as the penguins emerged from the surf and walked past us to get to their burrows. On the walk back to the visitors' center (by a very different route than the crowd goes), we saw penguin mates greeting each other as they returned, chicks waiting for their parents to show up with dinner, molting penguins, and a little squawk when one penguin was going near another's burrow. All within a couple of feet of us! They make a happy trilling sound as they arrive back in the burrows. There are around 30,000 birds in this colony. This was a dream come true for a penguin lover!
Sunday, February 17, 2013
Melbourne
We started the day with a three-hour guided walk through Melbourne. Heard lots of interesting history and went into some of the lane ways that we may not have found on our own. These former alleys are now busy areas with cafes and shops tucked in among the big buildings of the main streets. A very nice part of the city life. Lots of public art in the city. This includes graffiti, which is illegal and punishable by big fines, but there are legal walls. Building owners can get permits to allow painting on their walls. Some of them are pretty amazing and always changing. We then found our way back to some places that we wanted to see more of - lunch in one of the lanes, music in Queen Victoria Square, and the Victoria State Library. Weary after lots of walking, we decided to have a quick meal at our hostel and just hang out for the evening.
Things to remember:
check out the movie Ned Kelly
"You've got Buckley's to none," an Aussie expression meaning chances are slim to none. This refers to Buckley, a bush ranger (prisoner who escaped into the bush) with little chance of not being caught.
Green slime building - Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Vegemite tastes disgusting!
Things to remember:
check out the movie Ned Kelly
"You've got Buckley's to none," an Aussie expression meaning chances are slim to none. This refers to Buckley, a bush ranger (prisoner who escaped into the bush) with little chance of not being caught.
Green slime building - Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
Vegemite tastes disgusting!
Friday, February 15, 2013
Hobart to Melbourne
Our 33rd anniversary and, once again, we get to celebrate in another part of the world. So lucky!
We spent the morning and early afternoon at the Salamanca Market, a weekly event in Hobart. It's huge and jammed with both locals and tourists. It started as a hippie market in the 70's and has grown from then on. All kinds of stuff was being sold, but we concentrated on food and entertainment. There were musicians of all kinds, dancers, gymnasts, and flag twirlers. Across from the market was an antique car show in the park. All fun!
Returned the van, which was a fine way to travel. Small, but after a couple of days we figured out how to organize our stuff so we could get at it easily. A month in New Zealand in a similar vehicle should be no problem!
The usual "weigh everything and then juggle it around" stuff at the airport, and it looks like our flight is an hour late. We won't be doing much when we get to Melbourne.
We spent the morning and early afternoon at the Salamanca Market, a weekly event in Hobart. It's huge and jammed with both locals and tourists. It started as a hippie market in the 70's and has grown from then on. All kinds of stuff was being sold, but we concentrated on food and entertainment. There were musicians of all kinds, dancers, gymnasts, and flag twirlers. Across from the market was an antique car show in the park. All fun!
Returned the van, which was a fine way to travel. Small, but after a couple of days we figured out how to organize our stuff so we could get at it easily. A month in New Zealand in a similar vehicle should be no problem!
The usual "weigh everything and then juggle it around" stuff at the airport, and it looks like our flight is an hour late. We won't be doing much when we get to Melbourne.
Hobart, Tasmania
Left our campground in New Norfolk to head the short distance to Hobart. We got a send-off with a fly-by of a flock of white cockatoos. They make an incredible racket. There were also lots of black swans on the river.
Found a campground just out of the city and headed into town for a day of exploring. We liked Hobart immediately. It's a small, laid back city with lots of sidewalk cafes, art galleries, small shops, buskers and vibrant street life. Downtown buildings around the harbor are all sandstone and the nearby residential streets have a mix of large and small, fancy and plain houses - all charming.
One gallery we went in had a show of paintings by an artist named Faridah Cameron. She recently retired and took up a new life as a painter. She uses acrylic, squeezed out of a small hole in a plastic bag, to make the most amazingly detailed abstract paintings, which looked a lot like weavings to me. Amazing use of color, too.
Had a snack at a cafe in Salamanca Square, an area that reminded me of Cuzco a bit. Hobart backs up to Mount Wellington, so is very hilly. There's a wall of rock behind the square with a residential area at the top, flowers and vines from their gardens tumble over the edge of the rock. Some apartments over the cafes and shops in the square are built up against the rock.
Went to South Hobart to the Female Factory, the remains of a women's penal institution. Such tragic stories. Australia is very upfront about the horrible parts of its history, including the terrible mistreatment of the prisoners sent from Britain and of the Aboriginal people. Everywhere we've been, there have been historical sites, monuments, and other educational information about these subjects and about how much the country owes to these people and their descendants.
Next stop was the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Garden (Randy's idea, not mine!) on the edge of the city. Very beautiful.
We're looking forward to being in Hobart again tomorrow, before an evening flight back to Melbourne.
Found a campground just out of the city and headed into town for a day of exploring. We liked Hobart immediately. It's a small, laid back city with lots of sidewalk cafes, art galleries, small shops, buskers and vibrant street life. Downtown buildings around the harbor are all sandstone and the nearby residential streets have a mix of large and small, fancy and plain houses - all charming.
One gallery we went in had a show of paintings by an artist named Faridah Cameron. She recently retired and took up a new life as a painter. She uses acrylic, squeezed out of a small hole in a plastic bag, to make the most amazingly detailed abstract paintings, which looked a lot like weavings to me. Amazing use of color, too.
Had a snack at a cafe in Salamanca Square, an area that reminded me of Cuzco a bit. Hobart backs up to Mount Wellington, so is very hilly. There's a wall of rock behind the square with a residential area at the top, flowers and vines from their gardens tumble over the edge of the rock. Some apartments over the cafes and shops in the square are built up against the rock.
Went to South Hobart to the Female Factory, the remains of a women's penal institution. Such tragic stories. Australia is very upfront about the horrible parts of its history, including the terrible mistreatment of the prisoners sent from Britain and of the Aboriginal people. Everywhere we've been, there have been historical sites, monuments, and other educational information about these subjects and about how much the country owes to these people and their descendants.
Next stop was the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Garden (Randy's idea, not mine!) on the edge of the city. Very beautiful.
We're looking forward to being in Hobart again tomorrow, before an evening flight back to Melbourne.
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Cradle Mountain Lake St. Clair N. P.
Very beautiful drive from Launceston to Lake St. Clair climbing through a winding mountain pass. Got to the park around noon to find that they had no campsites available, but we were welcome to stay in the hotel parking lot nearby. After going for a good hike, we decided to move closer to Hobart so we'd have more time there tomorrow, rather than stay into the evening (even though it was hard to resist that parking lot!). We saw no animals, leaving before dusk. However, hanging out any longer wasn't appealing because of the large flies that plagued you any time you stood still. This was the first time on the trip that bugs were an issue. These guys didn't bite, but boy, we're they annoying! It was hard to ignore them, even though they weren't harming us. It was interesting to practice that, none the less (and I think we're going to run into the same thing at Uluru).
We're spending the night at New Norfolk, about 1/2 hour from Hobart. Chocolate Tim Tams for Valentine's Day.
We're spending the night at New Norfolk, about 1/2 hour from Hobart. Chocolate Tim Tams for Valentine's Day.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Mt. William N.P. to Launceston
Up early to a sunny morning at the beach, then headed to Launceston beginning with the same 30 km of unpaved road we traveled yesterday.
This northeast section of Tasmania is mostly bush. Tiny towns separated by lots of space. Apparently there are no regulation mailboxes out there. We saw an assortment of things attached to the tops of posts including a length of PVC pipe, a keg on its side with the bottom cut off, a red plastic jug on its side with the top cut off, and a wooden house that looked big enough to house a small dog. I suppose it all works.
It was a pretty drive, not a long distance, but slow going over narrow, hilly, winding roads. Randy is getting pretty comfortable driving on the left, but these roads require really close attention. And by the way, every so often there's a warning sign that tandem trucks also use the road. So far we've only met up with one and it was only mildly terrifying.
Tonight we wanted a campground with all the bells and whistles - hot showers and laundromat. Ah, it's wonderful to be clean.
Launceston is a nice small city. Tired of being in the van, we walked all over, probably 6 or 7 miles. Highlights were the Design Center of Tasmania, with really wonderful hand crafted furniture made of native types of wood; the city park and conservatory; and Cataract Gorge.
This northeast section of Tasmania is mostly bush. Tiny towns separated by lots of space. Apparently there are no regulation mailboxes out there. We saw an assortment of things attached to the tops of posts including a length of PVC pipe, a keg on its side with the bottom cut off, a red plastic jug on its side with the top cut off, and a wooden house that looked big enough to house a small dog. I suppose it all works.
It was a pretty drive, not a long distance, but slow going over narrow, hilly, winding roads. Randy is getting pretty comfortable driving on the left, but these roads require really close attention. And by the way, every so often there's a warning sign that tandem trucks also use the road. So far we've only met up with one and it was only mildly terrifying.
Tonight we wanted a campground with all the bells and whistles - hot showers and laundromat. Ah, it's wonderful to be clean.
Launceston is a nice small city. Tired of being in the van, we walked all over, probably 6 or 7 miles. Highlights were the Design Center of Tasmania, with really wonderful hand crafted furniture made of native types of wood; the city park and conservatory; and Cataract Gorge.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Tasmania
Yesterday was a travel day, and a longer one than we expected. Although it was only a one hour flight from Melbourne to Hobart, by the time we got through airport rigamarole (carry-ons were the right size, but too heavy, necessitating juggling contents and checking an extra bag), delayed flight, figuring out where we had to pick up our camper, etc., it seemed very late by the time we arrived at Freycinet National Park at 9:00. It had gotten dark, so we had to watch out for Tasmanian devils and wallabies in the road. We also were unable to see where the campground was. Ready to sleep, we decided to park in the Visitor Center's overflow parking, where there was a bathroom, and call it a day. Truth be told, I was feeling kind of grumpy by then, until...... I looked up and saw the most dazzling night sky I've ever seen. That made everything better and we both had a great night's sleep. When we woke up, we saw that the campground was a few feet behind us!
This morning we hiked to the Wineglass Beach overlook - stunning! The park has lots of pink granite and boulders and reminded us of Acadia, except for the turquoise water and the wallabies looking for handouts. ( Handouts are forbidden, of course, but those critters sure are cute.). We've now stopped for a picnic on our way northward up the coast.
Headed to Mt. William National Park on the northeast coast, we drove through a varied landscape of shoreline, cattle and sheep ranches, and rainforest. One not so pleasant thing is that I have never been on roads with so much roadkill (largely wallabies).
Mt William was labelled as a 'rough' national park. What that turned out to mean is 30 kilometers of unpaved road leading to a park with no signs! Fortunately a local was able to direct us to the primitive campground or we never would have found it. However, the spot is beautiful, with miles of white sugar beaches on the Bay of Fires and very few people. We saw Aboriginal shell middens along the beach. Also a Forester kangaroo, only found in this part of the state, hopped along the road.
This morning we hiked to the Wineglass Beach overlook - stunning! The park has lots of pink granite and boulders and reminded us of Acadia, except for the turquoise water and the wallabies looking for handouts. ( Handouts are forbidden, of course, but those critters sure are cute.). We've now stopped for a picnic on our way northward up the coast.
Headed to Mt. William National Park on the northeast coast, we drove through a varied landscape of shoreline, cattle and sheep ranches, and rainforest. One not so pleasant thing is that I have never been on roads with so much roadkill (largely wallabies).
Mt William was labelled as a 'rough' national park. What that turned out to mean is 30 kilometers of unpaved road leading to a park with no signs! Fortunately a local was able to direct us to the primitive campground or we never would have found it. However, the spot is beautiful, with miles of white sugar beaches on the Bay of Fires and very few people. We saw Aboriginal shell middens along the beach. Also a Forester kangaroo, only found in this part of the state, hopped along the road.
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Melbourne
This was a very low key day. Neither of us got much sleep on the train, so we had just enough energy for a 'round the city' bus tour and a brief jaunt through Queen Victoria Market. We have a good idea of places we want to visit here when we get back from Tasmania. Melbourne has lots of pretty wild buildings with lots of color on the facades - took photos because they're hard to describe.
Crashed at the hotel this afternoon (which was wonderfully relaxing and much needed) and then walked to Lygon Street, well known for it's zillion Italian restaurants and cafes. Almost every one of them has someone standing by the outdoor tables aggressively trying to get passersby to choose their restaurant. We ate at the place where nobody assaulted us and enjoyed a fine dinner.
Oh, yeah, we spotted our first kangaroos from the train about an hour north of Melbourne.
Crashed at the hotel this afternoon (which was wonderfully relaxing and much needed) and then walked to Lygon Street, well known for it's zillion Italian restaurants and cafes. Almost every one of them has someone standing by the outdoor tables aggressively trying to get passersby to choose their restaurant. We ate at the place where nobody assaulted us and enjoyed a fine dinner.
Oh, yeah, we spotted our first kangaroos from the train about an hour north of Melbourne.
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Sydney 3
We' re on the overnight train to Melbourne at the moment. We had until 8:00 p.m.in Sydney and we made the most of it.
Stopped at a farmers' market for fresh figs, and then took a look inside St. Mary's Cathedral on our way to Hyde Park Barracks Museum. This was a fascinating place that had several roles in Sydney's history. It was built to house prisoners, 500 at a time, deported from Britain. Next it was "home" to young Irish girls who had left to escape the potato famine. No longer needed for that purpose, it became an asylum for old/insane women. Finally it was a court. History very well presented.
Headed then to the Chinese Garden of Friendship, but got distracted when we heard music. We followed a small parade of Chinese dancers and drummers going through Paddy's Market. The Garden was very beautiful, when we finally got there, and my gardening friends will see photos when we get home.
Once again we followed our ears when we heard appealing music, and found ourselves at a Serbian festival in Darling Harbor Park. (Sydney is full of lovely parks and gardens.). That was totally unexpected and fun.
Back to the hotel to collect our luggage and check it in at the train station, which was conveniently located near the park where there were Chinese New Year activities. So we were able to get some food and catch a performance of a Chinese magician before boarding the train.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sydney - great city!
Stopped at a farmers' market for fresh figs, and then took a look inside St. Mary's Cathedral on our way to Hyde Park Barracks Museum. This was a fascinating place that had several roles in Sydney's history. It was built to house prisoners, 500 at a time, deported from Britain. Next it was "home" to young Irish girls who had left to escape the potato famine. No longer needed for that purpose, it became an asylum for old/insane women. Finally it was a court. History very well presented.
Headed then to the Chinese Garden of Friendship, but got distracted when we heard music. We followed a small parade of Chinese dancers and drummers going through Paddy's Market. The Garden was very beautiful, when we finally got there, and my gardening friends will see photos when we get home.
Once again we followed our ears when we heard appealing music, and found ourselves at a Serbian festival in Darling Harbor Park. (Sydney is full of lovely parks and gardens.). That was totally unexpected and fun.
Back to the hotel to collect our luggage and check it in at the train station, which was conveniently located near the park where there were Chinese New Year activities. So we were able to get some food and catch a performance of a Chinese magician before boarding the train.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time in Sydney - great city!
Friday, February 8, 2013
Sydney Day 2
Another fine day, much enjoyed. Too late and too tired for much more than a list:
Breakfast in the Botanical Garden, followed by a guided walk. One of the guides was an Aboriginal man, Clarence, who is apparently quite well known from his television appearances on Gardening Australia. In addition to info about native uses of plants, we got a demo of didgeridoo playing, including circular breathing while singing into the instrument. Other guide, Jenny, was a passionate gardener, whose enthusiasm was contagious.
Walked on the Sydney Harbor Bridge (just on the deck, not on the girders)
Museum of Contemporary Art
Chinatown for the evening opening of the two-week long Lunar New Year celebration. Yummy food from a bunch of vendors and performances of traditional songs and dances by Musicians from Australia and China.
Breakfast in the Botanical Garden, followed by a guided walk. One of the guides was an Aboriginal man, Clarence, who is apparently quite well known from his television appearances on Gardening Australia. In addition to info about native uses of plants, we got a demo of didgeridoo playing, including circular breathing while singing into the instrument. Other guide, Jenny, was a passionate gardener, whose enthusiasm was contagious.
Walked on the Sydney Harbor Bridge (just on the deck, not on the girders)
Museum of Contemporary Art
Chinatown for the evening opening of the two-week long Lunar New Year celebration. Yummy food from a bunch of vendors and performances of traditional songs and dances by Musicians from Australia and China.
Thursday, February 7, 2013
Sydney
Had a smooth 12 + hour overnight flight from San Francisco to Auckland, a brief layover, and an early morning flight (another 3 and a half hours) from Auckland to Sydney. Got some decent sleep during the night flight, so we were pretty energetic when we arrived at 8:30 this morning. Went to our hotel to drop off luggage and set off on foot.
Walked through the Botanical Garden to the Opera House. What an incredible building! The design was selected from rough drawings (not much more than gesture drawings, really), with no idea of how it could be built. It was supposed to be a 3-year, $7 million project. 16 years and $100 million over budget, it was completed. The engineers almost gave up, and at one point declared it unbuildable. (This all reminds me of the Duomo: out-of-the box architect/artist envisioning curves on a grand scale + almost-defeated engineers figuring out if it's possible + builders getting to the nitty gritty + time + lots more money than anyone expected = iconic building.) Everyone's familiar with how the outside looks (although I didn't know it was covered in tiles), but the inside is just as amazing. All the structure shows and no matter where you look, there are dramatic shapes and lines.
Then we walked all the way around Circular Quay to The Rocks, an historic part of the city. We visited the Rocks Museum for an overview of the area from the time it was inhabited by Aboriginal people, to early British settlement - largely prisoners sent to Australia as their sentence, to later settlement.
At about 4:00, we both hit the wall. Walking back to our hotel, we realized how much ground we'd covered! Knowing that once we got into our room we were not going to want to leave again tonight, we got a take-out pizza and brought it back with us. Good decision. We'd probably sleep well in the middle of a busy highway tonight, so the somewhat-too-hard mattress will not be a concern!
Oh, almost forgot to mention that we feel right at home in our hotel. The "art" over the bed is a poster of a painting of Portland Head Light!
Walked through the Botanical Garden to the Opera House. What an incredible building! The design was selected from rough drawings (not much more than gesture drawings, really), with no idea of how it could be built. It was supposed to be a 3-year, $7 million project. 16 years and $100 million over budget, it was completed. The engineers almost gave up, and at one point declared it unbuildable. (This all reminds me of the Duomo: out-of-the box architect/artist envisioning curves on a grand scale + almost-defeated engineers figuring out if it's possible + builders getting to the nitty gritty + time + lots more money than anyone expected = iconic building.) Everyone's familiar with how the outside looks (although I didn't know it was covered in tiles), but the inside is just as amazing. All the structure shows and no matter where you look, there are dramatic shapes and lines.
Then we walked all the way around Circular Quay to The Rocks, an historic part of the city. We visited the Rocks Museum for an overview of the area from the time it was inhabited by Aboriginal people, to early British settlement - largely prisoners sent to Australia as their sentence, to later settlement.
At about 4:00, we both hit the wall. Walking back to our hotel, we realized how much ground we'd covered! Knowing that once we got into our room we were not going to want to leave again tonight, we got a take-out pizza and brought it back with us. Good decision. We'd probably sleep well in the middle of a busy highway tonight, so the somewhat-too-hard mattress will not be a concern!
Oh, almost forgot to mention that we feel right at home in our hotel. The "art" over the bed is a poster of a painting of Portland Head Light!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Finally on our way
Caught the early bus to Logan after getting up at 3:30 a.m. We're in San Francisco waiting (and waiting, and waiting - a 5 hour layover!) for our flight to Aukland. Smooth sailing so far, but my body has no clue what time it is and my brain is definitely in neutral. Hoping for some decent sleep on the next leg.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
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