Heading up the coast - Exploring the Modern Day Pangaea

August 20, 2004

Heading up the coast

Looks like I left Sydney just in time, I hear it has been raining like crazy since I left. My first stop on the way up to Byron Bay was the Warrumbungles National Park. I stayed at a campground just outside the park where in the morning when I stepped outside, there were two kangeroos hopping past my door.

Hiking in the Warrumbungles, I saw my first wild Koala! Koalas sleep for about 22 hours a day at the tops of Eucalyptus trees so its pretty rare to actually see one in the wild. This one is sleeping, of course, and you can't actually see its face, but its definately furry. I also saw plenty of kangaroo as well. They are not nearly as hard to find, in fact, they were everywhere. I guess I should have figured they'd be all over the place after seeing this sign on the side of the road.

I also stopped in the small country town of Wollingbar, to visit my friends Kevin and Andrea for an evening. I met them in the Galapagos Islands back in 1999, and they are now living in Australia and on the verge of opening their own brewery! They have been making beer in their house for some time now, and even have a fridge with beer taps on them! They've gotten the recipes just they way they want them and now are in the process of acquiring the equipment and building space to open their own brewery. It was great being in an actual house again and having a home cooked meal!

They dropped me off in Byron Bay where I planned to go scuba diving at the Julian Rocks Marine Reserve, which is listed in the top 10 dive sites in Australia. Unfortunately, the weather was raining and gross, so I left Byron Bay before doing the diving. Apparantly Julian Rocks is one of the best places in the world to see marine life, and people have been swimming with 2 meter long grey nurse sharks (non-man eating) in the water on dives there recently, so I may make the 2 hour drive back down there later next week if the weather clears up.

I'm now in Brisbane staying with my friends Darcy and Corinna. Darcy was my Materials Science TA at U of M, and they have recently moved back to Australia after 7 years of living in Michigan. They have been nice enough to let me crash on their couch and borrow a bike to get around town, and tomorrow I'm off to explore North Stradbroke Island just off the coast of Brisbane!

Posted by msshell on August 20, 2004 05:41 AM
Category: Australia

Comments

Hey Ford People: Can someone do me a huge favor??? Can someone send me the phone number of the corporate american express travel agent from the ford travel homepage, along with the discount code that they tell you to quote when you call the number? Its on the travel webpage somewhere... Pulll-ease?

Posted by: Michelle on August 20, 2004 07:40 AM

Hi Michelle. phone numbers below!
Your stories and pictures are just GREAT!!! sending a mail into your mail account did not work. ??

Checking the global travel page I found the phone numbers but no discount code :| still I thought sending the phone numbers is a start. hopefully you get the code from somebody else.

Take care and have fun.
Susanne

United States: For help or changes to FCTO bookings call 866-545-1336 twenty-four hours a day. Complex reservations can still be handled by calling 313-33-75100 (Monday-Friday, 8:00 AM-8:00 PM EST).
Email: hamiltonteam@aexp.com

Posted by: Susanne on August 20, 2004 09:53 AM

Cool fridge. Every time you open the freezer, beer comes out!

So here's a question I've had for a while. What is the difference between a kangaroo and a wallaby?

Posted by: Ed on August 20, 2004 02:19 PM

I like the fridge. It's much nicer looking than mine, although I do have 4 taps!

Well believe it- a quick google reveals there is am international rock, paper, scissors competition! (http://www.rpschamps.com/) Apparently it's going to be in Toronto this year.

Good luck with your Run for the Border. Too bad I can't fax you a Gordita!

Posted by: John on August 22, 2004 10:35 AM

Koalas and kangaroos, huh? How about dingos? Are they all over the place outside of the cities? What's been the most exciting animal to see in the wild so far? Hope you get to dive the Julian Rocks!
I looked on the Employee Network and the Amex travel site, but I couldn't find the discount code either. Do you remember which site you saw it on?

Posted by: Rob M on August 23, 2004 02:37 PM

Hey Everyone: Thanks for the info on the car rental. This internet cafe is closing right now, so I don't have time to answer the ?'s.... be back soon!

Posted by: Michelle on August 25, 2004 06:36 AM

Rob: Have not seen any dingos in the wild... did see one in the zoo today though. I'll post a picture soon. I know there are wild dingos on Fraser Island, but I'm not going there. But I am going to Ayres Rock, where the famous "A Dingo Stole my baby!" story from the 1980's happened. So maybe I'll see one there.

My favorite animal to see in the wild was the giraffe. I got a video of 2 male giraffes play fighting, which meant they were hitting each other by swinging around their necks. You could hear them hitting each other from about 100m away! That was probably my favorite animal sighting.

Posted by: Michelle on August 26, 2004 05:10 AM

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