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Big Mango

Monday, November 24th, 2008

We are back in Cairns now after spending some time in the Whitsundays.  The 8 hour drive each way gave us plenty of time to get used to driving on the other side of the road.  However, I still keep turning on the wipers every time I intend to signal.  The Bruce Highway is a two lane road that makes its way through mile after mile of banana, mango, and sugar cane plants.  There is even a railway system along the way to transport the cane to the many sugar mills. 

Airlie Beach is a nice resort town on the coast and the “gateway” to the 74 Whitsunday Islands.  We stayed there and then headed out to Daydream Island for a few days of sun and sand.  The weather didn’t cooperate – winds were way too strong and the waves too big – so we unfortunately didn’t get to sail or kayak.  It didn’t matter much and we just kicked back and enjoyed the resort.

I was thinking of posting pictures of the beach, palm trees, boats, etc. However, I think this one gives a better idea of the drive:

blog-mango.JPG

Posted in Australia, Travel | 1 Comment »

Rainforest

Friday, November 21st, 2008

We spent 2 days in different parts of the rainforest.  Kuranda is a small village with lots of artsy and touristy shops in the middle of the rainforest.  We took a “skyrail”, which is something like a 7km long ski lift, to get to it and had great views of the top of the canopy.  Only about 10% of sunlight reaches the forest floor, so it’s remarkably cooler at the bottom.  We returned to Cairns via the Scenic Train which snakes along the mountain. 

The next day we did a “safari” which was a full day in the Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation national parks.  It rained on and off all day, but I guess that is to be expected given it’s the RAINforest.  (Some tourists were grumbling about having to hike in the rain!)

It was a long day, but fantastic.  We spotted a Great Heron and an Azul Kingfisher on the banks of the Daintree River.  We were also extremely lucky to see a Cassowary.  They are very endangered and elusive birds that are about 4 feet tall with a bright blue head.  We saw one walking right in the middle of the road through the park, but he was too quick get a photo.  In addition to the animals, the plant life and the ecosystems are fascinating.  Finally, I have to comment on a few of the more dangerous elements of the rainsforest.  We saw Golden Orb spiders everywhere, and while they can grow to the size of dinner plates, the smaller ones are not that poisonous.  The same can not be said for the Cane Toads that are not indigenous and have become a pest.  Their skin is toxic to the touch, and we encountered a huge one.  Finally, this warning sign near the “safe” swimming hole says it all.

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And we did see several “freshies” or freshwater crocs along the river too!  Our conclusion:  The rainforest is amazing and beautiful in its own slightly threatening way.

Posted in Australia, Travel | No Comments »

GBR

Monday, November 17th, 2008

That’s short for Great Barrier Reef in case you were wondering. We went on a snorkel trip today at two spots on the reef. While I’m not a big fan of touristy packages, it was really nice to have everything taken care of today from lunch to the wetsuits. After days of planning things on our own, a mental break was just in time.

The reef itself was beautiful. I think we’ve seen more fish at some other snorkeling spots in the islands, but the coral is in a class by itself. It’s more colorful, in more shapes, and more “alive” than I’ve ever seen before. We visited two sites, Hastings Reef and Long Bommie. Can’t wait to go again next week!.

blog-gbr.JPG

Posted in Australia, Travel | 2 Comments »

Last one from Sydney, for now

Monday, November 17th, 2008

We’re actually in Cairns now, and have WiFi! I wanted to write about a few last things from Sydney though. On Friday we took a tour of the Opera House and it’s pretty amazing inside too. Incredibly the design we all know and love now was rejected at first. Thankfully they reconsidered.

We got to see another icon, they Sydney Tower, up close. We had drinks at the revolving bar/restaurant at the top and were treated to great views of the city and some crazy lightening too. Great idea, Steven!

Finally, we’ve been following the Rugby World Cup which is huge here. The Kangaroos have been hopping all over their completion, so we thought we better learn a little something about the game. Roughly speaking, we’ve figured out most of the game, but here are a few parallels to American Football: Try = Touchdown (but it’s only 4 points), Conversion = PAT (but it’s 2 points), the 5/8 = quarterback (except that he can kick it away when it seems favorable). It can be pretty exciting, but the last few games have been one-sided – Australia shut out Fiji 52-0.

More soon from Queensland.

Posted in Australia, Travel | 1 Comment »

More from the harbour

Wednesday, November 12th, 2008

The last week has been busy!  After some rain last Saturday, the weather has been sunny and warm, perfect for seeing Sydney and the surrounding area.   There’s too much to tell here, but we’ve been to the Maritime Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art, the Sydney Olympic Park for a nice bike ride, the Blue Mountains, Bondi Beach, and Watson’s Bay.  We also stopped off at the fish market again yesterday for and excellent sushi lunch, plus picked up some huge prawns and mussels for dinner – mmmm!  Having an apartment with a kitchen has been great.  

Sydney is really comfortable.  Many of the shops are similar to those back home, and TV is a mix of US programs and similar Oz variations (the finals of Australian Idol are on Sunday!).  It’s easy to forget where you are, which is why it stands out when you find something that is different.  Here’s an example… 

Pop Quiz:  What is a capsicum?  Hints:  It comes in green or red.  It’s at the grocery store between the tomatoes and lettuce. 

Answer:  It’s a bell pepper!  And they’re very good too. 

We’re enjoying our last few days here for now and starting to plan for the next leg to Cairns. Here’s the from Bondi:

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Posted in Australia, Travel | 3 Comments »

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