To Sum Up

To sum up we stayed in 32 different places. Each kitchen was a little different. We had small kitchens that were only one person could work and other kitchen that were easy to work in. Every place had different cooking facilities; gas or electric stoves, 4 burners or two, and ovens or none. We always had a microwave. There were only 2 places with ovens that had oven mitts. There were also different cooking utensils at each place. It was always an adventure to look around upon arrival to see what we had to work with for cooking.

Beds were another adventure. Some were very hard and some were soft. The amount of room around the bed could add challenges if it was narrow. You had to remember each night just where the bathroom was. Thank goodness there was usually enough light to see at night.

After 19000 km on the road, we are glad to be home but had a wonderful time. We are really glad we were able to have this adventure.

Saturday April 24, 2010 – Going Home

We were up at 5:30am to get ready for our day. It was about 2 hours to the Sydney airport. It was not a difficult drive.

We asked for a wheelchair at check in. I was brought one right at check in. After that I was treated very well. We were able to go through a special area at customs and at security. It was so nice. Charles was able to push me so that we did not need airport personnel with us. We were able to get around in the international terminal on our own. For the rest of the trip a wheel chair was waiting for me at the airplane door. In NZ we had a 4 hour layover and we were able to keep the wheel chair. However in San Francisco we were not able to keep the chair as we had a 7 hour layover. Here you need airport personnel with you and the chair the whole time. It was more difficult. I did not want to sit around for the 7 hours as we had already sat for 11 hours. However if we walked anywhere we had to walk back to our security area. It would have been nice to have the chair to make our way back with. My foot by the end was not very happy. We also did not have the chair for making our way through security. I was really glad we had a chair and golf cart for us at Vancouver. Again it made it so much easier going through customs and getting our bags. Unfortunately, I had to walk out of the international arrival area and on to the outside of the airport.

We were very glad to get to the hotel. I tried to read a little but kept falling asleep after the first page was finished. The first time I saw was 6:30am. Next it was almost 9am. We had to get up and get ready to leave. The hotel had a free continental breakfast which we had to get to before 10am. We had the shuttle booked for 11am.

I did not get a wheelchair at check in. After walking through security there was a golf cart waiting to take us to our gate. My foot was still not over the day before. We were dropped off at the elevator to take us down to the gate. Charles found a wheelchair there which I rode in while we waited for the flight. There was even a chair waiting in Kamloops. It did make getting around a lot easier.

Our ride was waiting for us in the airport. Soon we were home. It was so nice to be with our own things again.

Friday April 23, 2010 – Katoomba

Yesterday we just took it easy. Charles did the laundry and all the cooking as I sat around. My foot was really sore. In the evening we drove down to the Three Sisters Lookout. I was somewhat upset as it was only about a 3 min walk and we had to drive. It was well worth it. We stayed until the sun set.

Today is our last day in Australia and I did not want to sit around all day. We went to the cable railway for a ride down to the old coal mines. This railway had a 52° slope. When you get in the seats you are sloping back into the seat. I did not know that I should put my feet on the metal rung at the bottom. When we started down the slope I started slipping off the seat and my flip flops were coming off my feet. I could just see one of them flying down to the front of train and flying off. I don't think it would have fallen off the train. I am sure the front is not open. However when you are struggling to stay seated and not lose your shoes all sort of thoughts fly through your mind. The floor of the train was very slippery as well so getting my feet up on the bar was not easy. Sadly the ride was over too soon and I did not get to enjoy it very much. This railway was the way men go to the mine and the coal got out.

Once at the bottom, I took an easy walk through the forest. It was fun as there were plenty of signs telling you about the trees and wildlife. Charles broke off and took a longer walk down around the old mining buildings. We met up at the cable car to ride back up. We waited for three turns to go up because of the amount of tourist groups. The ride up was not as eventful as the one down. Being slower we got to see the surroundings. It was beautiful.

We took a ride over the gorge on another cable car. It had a see through bottom. We got to see the Katoomba Falls. There was not much water going over as they have not had rain for a couple of weeks. It was fun to look at the gorge from above. Again we saw some beautiful scenery.

Now it was time for lunch so we returned home. I rested my foot. After lunch and a rest we went to see the Leura Cascades. Leura is the aboriginal word for lava. It was not a long drive to get there. There were a number of steps down to the cascades. I am glad I went as far as I did. It was beautiful and serene. Charles continued further down the path as I made my way slowly back up the stairs. Through this area are lots of walking paths. You can walk back to the Three Sisters from here and then on to the cable car or the train to go back up the cliff. This was a wonderful way to end our trip.

We went down to the Three Sisters Lookout again to watch the sunset. It was a nice way to say goodbye.

Wednesday April 21, 2010 – to Katoomba

Today is our last time packing up all the little bits and pieces. When we leave on Saturday we will just have our suitcases and golf bag. It is hard to believe our trip is just about over. We had an easy trip over to Katoomba.

As we entered the area known as the Blue Mountains we stopped at Mitchells lookout. We could see back to the plains to the west of the range and into the valley to the east. It was breath taking. There were three different area to the look out so that Charles asked it I was going over to another area. I thought we were going back to the car. It would have been much better if I had just gone to the car. As I was stepping up on a boulder, I pushed off with my left foot. A searing pain shot through my arch. I could barely put any weight on this foot. Charles took a few more pictures before we made our way back to the car. After we got settle into our accommodation we headed to the hospital. I did not think I had broken anything but we wanted to be on the safe side. The doctor thinks I over stretched a ligament through the arch of my foot. I am to take it easy for the next few days. It will take quite a while to heal. I am not too happy as there are a number of things to see and do around here. I think my foot has been telling me to take some time off since Ayres Rock. Now it is taking revenge.

 

Tuesday April 20, 2010 – Around Dubbo

We had lots to see and do so we were ready to go by 9 am. We were going to go to the Homestead first then pay Mini golf then head for the caves. The first two items were in town and the caves were about 50 km south of town, As the first two did not open until 10, we reversed our order. We got to the caves in time for the 10 am tour of the Cathedral cave. We followed that by the Phosphate mine tour.

The Wellington caves are dissolution caves. The water seeps down from the top and dissolves the softer rock. The sided of the cave are very smooth from water action over the last 4 million years. There are caves on top of each other. Ones at the bottom have water in them as they are below the water table. There have been many floods of the caves over the years. One fellow was telling of a time in the 50's when the cave was flooded that people paid to just barely enter the cave to see it full of water. The gentleman was 11 at that time. Over this past Christmas there was lots of rain so the cave became wet inside. The altar formation in the cathedral cave had water running down it and catching in small troughs along the way. There was more rain in January but cave never flooded. The flows forming the altar glisten in the light. It looks like thousand of diamonds. As we continued on out tour we saw a column that had been broken and an area close by where the walls appeared to be wrenched apart. This are contained the remains of a roof from a cave. It is thought to have happen as a result of an earthquake.

The next chamber we saw was the Thunder cave. At one time it was called the woman's cave as it has the name Min in the ceiling. There is quite a bit of graffiti in the caves from when people used candles to light their way into the cave. There is an area in this cave where you can stand, beat you chest and hear how hollow you sound. Charles did this. I stood at the base of this are and sang our national anthem. The reverb was great. We then saw the well. It is part of the underwater caves below the water table. There is a depth and temperature gauge in the water. On the top of the water is a scum building up. This scum is crystals forming from evaporation. When this gets too heavy it will sink to the bottom and add to or form a new crystal layer. Sometime in the future mud will come in a cover this crystal layer, then a new layer will start. We left the tour a little early as there were 149 steps to climb to get out of the cave. It was a nice tour and there were only 4 of us doing it. The aboriginal peoples of the area knew of the caves but there is no evidence that they entered them. It is believed that they thought the caves were haunted by the big bats.

We then did the phosphate mine tour. The mine opened in 1914 and closed in 1918. There was not enough phosphate to make the mine worthwhile. The miners used picks and shovels for most of the mining. We saw examples of the crystal and mud layers in the rock in the mine. It is quite interesting to see how the layers were formed so very many years ago. Phosphate glows when blue light is applied to them. The crystal layer above it retains some light which continues to glow for a short time after the lights are turned off. There are lots of fossils in the mine. However these are only bits and pieces of skeletons or sea shells. This area is frequently flooded with red dirt, so that the fossils are washed in with these flows. You can clearly see teeth from a number of animals. Around the area whole skeletons of various animals have been found.

We ate lunch here at the site. There was a great picnic area.

After we ate we headed back to Dubbo to see the homestead. The building that remains as the homestead was started in 1836. It is a structure known as a slab hut. It is rough outside but the walls inside are plastered. The stables were finished by 1852. Over the years there have been two kitchen extensions, one on either side. The first burnt down so that a second was built off the other end. This one was lost in a flood. In 1871 Thomas Baird purchases the property and his family and descendents continued to live here until the 1950's In 1986 it was giving by Baird's descendants to the National Trust of Australia. It took two years to restore it to its 1850 grandeur. One of the things I notices was how cool it was inside even with the sun beating down on it. We had a nice visit here.

There is a small observatory on the way back to town. They had an Astro Mini Golf. We decided to play. It was different as there was no carpet down on the runs. They were just rough concrete. Your ball could bounce in any direction. It was lots of fun. We were given a pamphlet with interesting facts about what each hole represented. The course sated with the sun and end with the black hole. I did beat Charles so that was an added benefit.

Charles went for a swim after returned to our accommodation. He went out to get fries to have with our hamburgers for supper. He asked for enough for 2 adults. I am not sure how much they thought 2 adults could eat but we got enough to feed at least 6 adults. When Charles brought in the package I though he had purchased something extra but no just fries.

Monday April 19, 2010 – Dubbo

We did very little yesterday. Being Sunday not much is open. Charles tried to golf but there was a tournament on. We did go in the hot pools 3 times.

This morning we had a slow start. We did not have far to go so it didn't matter. There were lots of semis on the road today. Some had oversize loads. We had to follow one with a mining truck on it. It took up most of the road. It finally turned off to Gunnedah. We went straight through.

As we neared Coonbarabran we started to notice signs with planets on them. The first was Uranus and the second Saturn. We did not think to stop and take pictures of the signs. When we stopped for lunch at Gilgandra there was a sign there with Neptune. It turns out that the observatory outside Coonabarabran is the sun. On the road out from there are mercury, venus, earth, mars and jupiter. Then along the roads leading out from Coonabarabran there are signs with the other planets on them. If we had only stopped to see what the signs were all about. This is quite a novel idea. There are a number of observatories in this general area. Dubbo and Gilgandra also have ones. When we got to Dubbo there was a sign for pluto.

After checking in we headed downtown to do some shopping and see the old Goal. The goal opened in 1887 and closed in 1966. Like so many other attractions this was interactive. One of the exhibits was about a hangman. It was a hologram. What an amazing show. It was a very enjoyable afternoon.

Saturday April 17, 2010 – To Moree

Just as we finished up packing the car it started to pour rain. We waited a short while to get in the car but the rain did not let up. We made a wild dash to the car. It poured rain for most of the trip by the sunshine coast. Once Charles turned the wipers on faster and it rained harder.

Thank goodness the rain stopped before Brisbane. Our GPS unit had a hissy fit. It would not stay on the map. It wanted to help us find police station. It was very frustrating. There was lots of colourful language going on in the car. At least she kept talking to us so we could make out way through the Brisbane suburbs and on to Toowamba.

We stopped for lunch at Millmerrran. It was a quiet little place. Most everything was closed up for the afternoon. Just the pub and liquor store were open. They had a beautiful painting on the side of the town water tank.

As we traveled further south we started to see cacti. There were tall and had red flowers on them. This was the most cacti we had seen on our trip. There was a lot of traffic on the road especially trucks. It was a pleasant trip.

Moree is known for its hot pools. The campground where we are staying has some very nice ones. It was so relaxing to get in them after the long day.

Thursday April 15, 2010 – Noosa Everglades Tour

It was nice and bright this morning. How long this will last we are not sure. At least the morning looks great for the cruise up the Noosa River. We left shortly after 9. This was a very relaxing trip up the river. Our skipper took time to show us birds and stop to hear some of their calls. There have been changes in the river since Mom and I went only a few years ago. The river entrance at the far end of Lake Cootharaba became silted up after a number of big rain storms in April 09. A number of people tried to dig it out by hand while the government departments tried to get together and make a decision on dredging. Finally, it was decided to dredge the channel again.

The visitor's centre we once stopped at to use the washrooms has been abandoned by the forestry department. We stopped at fig point for morning tea. We took a walk there that showed how close the fire a few months ago came this picnic area. Up the river we could see signs of the fire along the river. There were places where the fire jumped the river. Our skipper said that it seems like a fire gets started about every 5 years. It is surprising how fast the forest is recovering. New tree growth has started. Trees that were burnt have new growth on them. Unfortunately this new fire was from careless campers.

As we went further up the river a channel has been closed by debris. Another channel that was hard to pass through before was dredged out by the river flow. Now the tour takes this channel. We arrived at Harry's Hut in time to go for a swim in the river before lunch. I was the only woman that went in. Charles and two others came in. It was a beautiful swim. Very refreshing.

A wonderful BBQ lunch was prepared for us by our skipper. During our lunch a wild turkey entered the bus we would be taking after lunch. Charles had put our two plastic bags on the bus after our swim. My bag was already ripping. However, Charles bag was pecked to death. Very little of it was left. A guana came to visit us as well. Not sure if it had just caught something big and had eaten it or it had eggs inside of it. Either way it was fat. Its belly dragged on the ground.

After lunch we got on the bus to head for the 40 mile beach. Of the 7 people on the bus 5 of us were from Canada. The other 2 were from NZ. It was a long and sometimes bumpy trip to get to the beach. It took about 1 ¾ hours to get to the beach. Mostly we saw trees during this trip. The trip had to be changed because of cyclone a few weeks ago. There in a rocky place just north of where we entered the beach. The bad weather exposed them and now it is not safe to travel over them. They will gradually fill in again so vehicles can make it through. We stopped at the Red Canyon which is along the dunes. The red sand is from the iron in the sand that is rusting. All along the way there were different coloured sands. Many people were camping up above the high tide line, some in tents and some in trailers. You really have to know the tides to camp along this beach. There were a number of people out fishing.

We took the cable ferry back to the south side of the Noosa River. Our tour was over. It had been a good day. Like all our days this week the rain came in the afternoon. We were lucky that it wasn`t raining when we wanted to stop.

We had already decided to have pizza for supper so stopped to order it from the restaurant just outside the resort gate. It was delicious pizza. Sadly our week here is just about up.

Wednesday April 14, 2010 – Sunshine Coast.

Well it has not lived up to its name here on the Sunshine Coast. We did wake up to sunshine but that only lasted till about 10am. After a delicious blueberry pancake breakfast we headed out to Eumundi for the Wednesday market. Charles' Mom and I went there when we were here 4 years ago. We slowly took in the whole market. There are many stalls with lots of goods. If we were from around here we would buy the fresh fruits and vegetables on sale. There were delicious smells of food cooking, and popcorn popping. Wonderful colours from paintings, pottery and clothing. There were so many little girl cloths, we just don't have anyone to buy for. We did pick up a couple of things. We talked to a gentleman that worked on the Mica Dam in BC. He learned to ski while there. I found a stall that Mom and I had purchased some things from before. It was nice to see them still there. It was nice to talk to this gentleman again. It had clouded over while we walked amongst the stalls.

We then went on the Mapleton to see the falls. There was a 1.3km loop walk in an eucalyptus rain forest. We did the walk before we ate. What a wonderful walk. Even though I had not done such a strenuous walk in a while I was able to do it with little trouble. I was so glad. We learned about the flora and fauna of this type of forest. One of the most interesting is the strangling fig. This is a tree that starts at the top of a tree high in the canopy. It sends down roots along the tree truck of the host tree. It then proceeds to strangle the host tree. It also robs the host tree of nutrients. It was amazing to see how intertwined the roots become with the host. There were palm trees there that were so tall and skinny in contrast to the big based eucalyptus. Hard to believe these palms stand up to wind storms. Toward the end of our walk we saw lots of vines, some wrapped around trees, some sending out runners to find new trees to curl around. You could see marks in the trees where vines had been before. Unlike the strangling fig these vines do not take from their host trees. They just live together in harmony. That is until the trunck on the host gets too big and snaps the vine.

We were going to eat here at the picnic tables. Well that was until Charles went to the car to get our lunch and I got bitten by 4 mossies. That put an end to that. Charles would be spend his whole lunch time swatting mossies. He had already fed this wildlife enough on our walk. Eating in the car again. When we headed back we took a country road instead of the highway. It was very nice. We were heading for Noosa Heads to check on our boat cruise for tomorrow. After we knew the cruise was still on for tomorrow we went to the shopping area. I was looking for a bathing suit. Even if there was one in my size I was not about to pay over $200, on sale or $400 for ones at regular price. I think if I paid these prices the suit would never be in water. They most annoying thing is Charles was able to get a suit for under $20. I had an ice-cream cone which I managed to spill all over myself.

For the second time this week we got to see a special on TV. On Monday we saw the special about the baby elephant that everyone thought would be still born at the Sydney Zoo but lived. Tonight's was about the plane landing on the Hudson River in NY. Both specials were so interesting.

Should be off to bed as we have to leave here by 8am to get to Noosa Heads for our cruise tomorrow.

Tuesday April 13, 2010 – Sunshine Coast

Not much is plan today. So much for getting better, woke up to rain. They say it should clear by the afternoon. A good day to relax.

Monday April 12, 2010 – Sunshine Coast

We have not done much over the last two days. Saturday we drove from Rockhampton to Mudjimba where we are staying a week. Yesterday we just relaxed and drove around the area.

On our return to the accommodation on Sunday there was a big black cloud over head. I rushed in and got our bathing suits and towels off the line in the back. Just in time, before the downpour started. It did not rain all that long but it was hard.

This morning we decided to go to the Australian Zoo. This is the Steve Irwin Zoo. We had a great time. We rented an electric scooter for me. I have been having a terrible time walking because of my heel. It made the zoo so much nicer for me. We arrived just in time to see the elephants being fed. People had a chance to feed them fruit. They sure knew what was coming. One hardly had time to get on the mat before the trunk was there looking for the food. These were Asian elephants. There were 2 larger once and one smaller.

After the elephant feeding we went off to see the Wildlife Warriors Show. It started with the elephants again, followed by snakes. A python was put into the water. We watched it spread out to its full length and swim very well. Just something else to worry about in the rivers of the north. There were a number of free flight birds let loose to fly over our heads. They were very noisy. Soon the star of the show came out, the crocodile. His name is Murray. We learned how fast they can come out of the water after food. They are not that fast on land because of their short legs. In the water in another matter altogether. They are quite fast and stealth. In muddy water you can hardly see them. They swim without making a ripple. Sometimes you can see their eyes above the water. Even things on low branches are not safe as the crocs can raise up on their tails to snatch food from above them. There were plenty of kangaroos, koalas, and wombats. The wombats were sleeping. We could see them through clear glass. There were tigers, crocs and snakes galore. There were lots of lizards running around the grounds. The area was very clean and there were lots of staff all around. The animals are well looked after. There had been a gentle rain off and on all afternoon. We were very glad that it was cloudy as it wasn't so hot.

After leaving the zoo we proceeded to see the Glass House Mountains. We went to the lookout. As it was cloudy the mountains took on an eerie look. It was beautiful. These mountains are ancient volcanic plugs.

The weather is scheduled to change tomorrow. It should get nicer again and maybe not so hot. We shall just have to wait and see.

Friday April 9, 2010 - Capricorn Caves

We headed north of Rockhampton to the Capricorn Caves. These are limestone caves that are above ground. At one time lots of water flowed through them but now they are dry. Just before we went inside we saw a green ant nest high in the tree. The ants secrete juices that help the leaves to stick together. These nests are waterproof and if they were to fall from the tree they would not break apart.. They are very strong.

On our tour was a family from the area that had 5 children, another family of 4 from Sri Lanka but now living in Brisbane, three ladies from Sydney, and another family from Montreal. It was fun having all the children as they added their own views on what we saw. The most impressive chamber was the Cathedral. There have been many weddings here. The acoustics in the chamber are very good. Later in April 3 opera singers are going to perform in this chamber. It should be an amazing concert. While we were in this chamber the guide played a tape of some music and turned the lights off and on to highlight some of the chambers properties. Finally all the lights were turned out. It was very dark. Before the guide did all this she told us what to expect. All the children went to be close to their parents.

After the tour was done Charles went to get our lunch from the car. He had to give a blood offering to the mosquito gods before we could eat. We were driven under the shelter to eat as the mozzies were not so bad in the shade. We were really looking forward to having a swim after lunch as it is hot and humid. The pool was very nice. The top layer of water was warm and the bottom was cold. By the time we finished swimming the layers had been stirred up to make a nice water temperature. When we got in, there were 3 dead frogs in the water. Charles got them out.

On our way home we went to the Mt Archer Lookout. We could see Rockhampton, the mountains to the north and east, and the river that runs through town. After returning to our accommodations we rested and then went for a swim. Thank goodness for swimming pools and AC.

Thursday April 8, 2010 – On to Rockhampton

We did not have that far to travel today. Only about 300km. The first thing we noticed was the pickup in the amount of traffic. It is no longer that easy to pass someone. On the way to Blackwater a semi with a huge dump box on it. It was as wide as the road. It pulled out in front of us. We followed it for awhile. I forgot to take a picture of it. Everyone had to get off the road for it. It was a little scary to see it rock back and forth on the uneven road. When we got to the next town, it pulled over to let us all by. Further down the road we saw the rest of the dump truck on the side of the road. It was stopped at the time. I took a picture of this one. These however was not the only wide load we were to see today. Further down the road we had to pull over to let a semi with another mining truck on it go by. It must have been mining equipment moving day. We did pass two other wide loads that were parts of buildings but we did not have to pull off the road for them. There were also a number of trucks hauling new tires for the mining trucks. In some ways it reminded us of home.

We stopped at Blackwater to see the International Coal Museum. Like so many other museums we have seen on this trip this one was full of videos. We learned about the two ways of underground mining and open pit mining. Things have sure changed since the pick and shovel days. There are a number of coal mines in this area. We saw many full coal trains going east to the coast and empty ones coming back west.

Continuing down the road we saw lots of transports going inland. There were soon trucks that said wide load but after what we had seen they were not really all that wide at all. There are still lots of empty cattle trucks going west. Soon they will be full and heading east again.

At Stanwell we saw a coal burning electrical power plant. We had read about it at the Coal Museum earlier. We heard about all they have done to make sure it does not pollute the atmosphere. This is also where we ate lunch.

Soon we were in Rockhampton at our next accommodation. It is so much more humid here and tropical. Each time we go north to town we cross the Tropic of Capricorn again. It is getting tiring travelling now. It will be so nice to get to the sunshine coast for a week.

 

Wednesday April 7, 2010 – Lake Maraboon

Charles went off to play golf this morning. Two of the holes are closed while they are being cleaned up after the flood. I did the laundry. One good thing is how fast everything dries outside. It only takes about 4 hours or less.

After lunch and Charles' return we went for a swim in the pool. It was so nice are refreshing. It was great to sit by the pool and read after the swim. I met another lady with a little girl. Like so many other young families they sold up everything and are touring Australia.

We went for a drive around the area. We saw the dam that made the lake and its spillway. On our way back we went to see the boat launch and day use area. It was very well looked after. Some families were down enjoying and afternoon at the lake. There must have been loads of boats on the lake as there were so many boat trailers around. There is nowhere to tie up boats so you must remove them each evening. We saw people put water skiing and fishing. A very relaxing day.

Tuesday April 6, 2010 – On to Emerald.

Another day in the outback. The road was straight for the most part. There were hills and valleys. Each dip came with the same flood warnings. It was not all that long ago that there was heavy flooding in this area. We saw another live kangaroo. It hopped across the road in front of us. Sadly there were many more dead ones.

We did see some more ant hills. They were small and not too plentiful. It was hard to see the taller ones as the grass has grown so tall. As we got close to Emerald we started to see cultivated fields. This is new as so far we had just seen cattle ranches. Cotton is grown here. We also passed through the Drummond Range. It is the first of the three ranges before the ocean.

The caravan park we are staying at is about a 15 min drive from Emerald. It is on Lake Maraboon.

Monday April 5, 2010 – Longreach

More shops were open than we thought on this Easter Monday. We were up and out by 9:15 to go to the Visitors Centre. We found out how to book for the sunset cruise on the paddle wheeler. When we got to book the cruise there were only 4 spaces left. The cruise had just started back up again after the summer. They do not operate in the summer when it is too hot.

We took in the local craft fair. I got a couple of books and a book mark made by a young girl around 12. I also had a scone with jam and cream.

After doing some grocery shopping, we returned back to the cabin. We then went over to the Qantas Founders Museum. We started with a tour of a retired 747. Qantas donated it in 2002. It was great to see it up close and personal. We had our picture taken in one of the engines. We saw the outside and found out what all the bits and pieces were for on the outside. Inside we heard about the black boxes, the slides, the cockpit and the upstairs in the front. As this was a domestic aircraft the upstairs was economy class and not first class. It was interesting to see other parts of the plane one does not normally see. In the same area is a 707 that is being restored and an old DC3. It was hot and we were hungry so we went back to the cabin and had a swim and something to eat. Longreach is having a locus invasion. They are big and everywhere. When we got to the pool there was a lady skimming locus out of the water. There must have been 50 in the pool. Charles took over the job and soon the pool was locus free for at least a few minutes. They are very good swimmers. Seem to do the breast stroke. As we swam we also got more loci out. It was a very refreshing swim.

One nice thing with the Qantas Museum was you could come and go. So after lunch we went back to see the rest of the museum. It was fun to find out how the airline got started, by whom and when. We also found out what Qantas means. It stands for Queensland And Northern Territories Aerial Service. It was started by two men who learned how to fly in WWI. They saw a need in Outback for an air service. They got a backer and finally started up by 1921. The first board meeting was held in Winton but they thought Longreach would be a better place to set up as it was the rail head. They started with a small two seater plane. For quite a while when you boarded a plane you go a leather flying cap and goggles as you were in an open plane. One of the original men dropped out just after the first flight. The other man went on to give the outback its first airline. He was very forward thinking as he thought someday this airline would fly worldwide. One thing that really sent them on their way was winning the contract to fly mail to Cloncurry. The first planes only flew at about 140km/hr which today does not seem like much but then as fast. Here were men who saw something that was needed and set about making it happen.

A number of years later the original founder met up with Rev. John Flynn who wanted to use the aircraft for transporting sick patients. Together they talked about what would be involved. Eventually John Flynn started the Flying Doctor Service.

One thing that made outback seem more accessible was the short wave radio. With no power at the stations the pedal driven radios fit the bill. The stations staff could pedal and make enough power to run the radio as needed.

We got back to relax and get ready for the cruise this evening. Unfortunately, the sky had clouded over and we did not see the sunset. The hour cruise on the Thomson River was very relaxing. We were given crackers with some vegetables, cheese, grapes and dried fruit to snack on. To young people, a girl and a boy served us these goodies. The captain kept us entertained with jokes and facts about the river. After the cruise was finished, we went ashore to have supper. The captain then picked up a guitar and entertained us with more jokes and songs. Soon a delicious stew was served with bread. This was followed by an apple tart with a custard sauce. Tea was made over the open fire in a billy. The way it was made by the bushmen of the past. We also had damper which is a bread made with flour, water and salt served with golden syrup. After we had finished eating we were entertained by the barefoot poet. He did not write the poetry he recited. He was very expressive. We laughed at some of the poetry he recited. Other poems were thought provoking. The only thing missing was the singing of Waltzing Matilda. Soon it was back on the bus and back home. When the bus started down the road the locus took to the air. Some smashing against the windshield. It was magical in the dark seeing all these locus in the lights of the bus. What a wonderful way to end this day.

We realize that we could have had another day here to see everything.

Sunday April 4, 2010 - to Longreach

As we left Mt Isa the road was windy as we made our way through the hills that surround the town. There were even passing lanes as we went up the hills. Had not seen passing lanes since entering the outback. Soon the road straightened out and the speed went up to 110km/hr. We still saw lots of ant hills in places.

After we started heading south east toward Longreach the ant hills disappeared. The land became very flat with pastureland for cattle and sheep. It seemed like miles and miles of nothing then on the horizon you would see some flat top hills. Some would have sharp edges and others were rounded more. They broke up the monotony of the drive.

We went through the town of Winton where we stopped for gas. This the town know for the home of Waltzing Matilda and the birthplace of Qantas. This is also a region known for its dinosaur fossils. For a small town it sure had great claims to fame. Lots of the shops were open on this Easter Sunday. We did not know all this when we stopped for gas. That was too bad.

On our trip today we saw one live kangaroo on the road. There were lots of dead ones. I think I passed over a brown snake as it wiggled its way across the road. Later we saw 2 Emus as well. There were los of birds playing chicken on the road. They would wait until the last second to take off as the car approached. It was very annoying. We had washed a lot of the insects off the front of the car during the rain but today we picked up many more. One grasshopper got caught under the edge of the hood. Its leg waved in the wind for the whole trip.

Arriving in Longreach, we found everything closed up for Easter Sunday.

Saturday April 3, 2010 – Mt Isa

There was not much to do on Easter Saturday. I spent the morning going though photos to post. We then went to the Top 10 park and used more of our Top 10 internet time. It was very nice of them to let us use their kitchen to do our internet work as we were not staying there.

On the way back into town we stopped at the Visitors Centre and found out that the Underground Hospital was only open until 2pm. So we went there instead of having lunch. We sadly found it closed. It was the one thing I was really interested in. It was built after the Japanese bombed Darwin in WWII. Mt Isa thought they might be next because of the mining there. An underground hospital was built by the miners to help the wounded from Darwin and a safe place for patients if the Japanese bombed here.

We went back and had lunch. We went to the lookout to see the area. We met a man from Oregon. He was doing a 2 month stint as a student doctor here at the hospital. It was nice to talk to him. We found out that they are mining lead, zinc, gold and copper. There are a number of mines in the area. The mine right in town had a smelter with it. We went downtown afterwards. It is a strange downtown because it is spread out and disjointed. We got a few groceries then went back to relax. Charles went for a swim and I just got in to cool off. We then sat by the pool and read.

The day had been overcast and there were a few misty showers. However it stayed warm and muggy all day.

Friday April 2, 2010 – Off to Mt Isa Queensland

We were on the road by 7:30. We were going 685km today. It went by very quickly. We decided when you don't have to slow down very often and can drive on the flat the kilometres go by very fast. There is very few things hold you up. Passing is quite easy. Just before Queensland the speed limit drops from 130 to 110. There was a police car just sitting waiting for someone not to slow down. Charles had been doing 110 anyway to get better gas mileage.

The landscape was as varied as before. Some areas had lots of trees others just had scrub. There was an area the reminded us very much of Alberta with its lush cattle paddocks. The trees were all gone from this area. Some areas were plentiful with ant hills and others had none. The ant hills also changed from tall one to boulder like ones. We missed them when they were not there. Then we would come across area with so many. Like a city full of high rises. At one of our stops it said that explorers, in the 1800's, of this region had to dodge ant hills all the way.

It started to rain just after we entered Queensland and has kept up ever since. We stopped for gas at Camooweal for gas and to eat lunch. We thought to eat under a shelter but the wind was so bad we decided to eat in the car. Over the last few weeks we have eaten in the car because of the bugs. This was the first time because of the weather. The rain is from cyclone Paul that hit the north coast last weekend. Charles had to fight cross winds all the way from Tennant Creek.

We were prepared to have all the stored closed as it was Good Friday. We were surprised to find the IGA was open so we picked up a few things. We plan to relax this evening.

Thursday April 1, 2010 – Tennant Creek.

We planned an easy day today. We went out to Mary Ann Recreational Area. It is a manmade lake with a dam. You can walk there from down town if you like. It is a beautiful spot and very well maintained. Hopefully it will be well used this holiday weekend.

On up the road we stopped at the Overland Telegraph Station. It was built in 1872.This is one of the repeater stations between Darwin and Adelaide. Now they could get news from the UK in 8 hours instead of months. They never talked about women at the station so we were not sure if it was just men there. The station worked 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There were the telegraph operators and line men living there. They really enjoyed getting visitors as the new people started to arrive. It remained in operation at this site until 1935 when it was moved into Tennant Creek. After a linesman found gold in 1925 Tennant Creek became a gold rush town.

We then went to see the Pebbles. After the Devils Marbles the pebbles were no so exciting. What was interesting however, was that this place was for aboriginal women only. Men had to ask permission to go through there or they had to go the long way around. After seeing so many places that were just for men it was nice to see a woman's place.

When we got back to our unit we were not able to get the door open. Then once we got it open with help from the staff we could not get it closed. Someone came to help us get the door back on track. After that we opened and closed the door very carefully.

After lunch and a time of relaxation we went back up to the Visitors Centre to see if the underground tour was running. We waited around for the others to show up but they didn't. The guide took us anyway. We were told they need 4 people to go on the tour. Out guide had worked in the local mines when he was young. This was not an actual mine but a place where men learned about explosives and practiced using them. There were three pieces of equipment that worked. The first was the drill that made the holes for the explosives. The second was the scoop that scoped up the dirt and put it in the car behind it. It was a very dangerous piece of equipment. You could lose body parts very easily. They are no longer in use after a man was killed operating one. The last was a diamond core driller. It was used to take samples of the rock for assay purposes. Many mining museums would like to get their hands on this last piece of equipment as it is the only one left in good working order. The wife of the owner will not let it be moved. It was a very interesting tour.

Wednesday March 31, 2010 – Off to Tennant Creek.

After leaving the MacDonnell Range behind us we thought we were in for the same desert landscape. We did not expect to see the ant or termite hills. They were everywhere. Each one is different in shape and height. Some placed there were only a few and other places there were too many to count. Some were short and broad others tall and narrow. They are really fascinating. They lady at the Visitors Centre here in Tennant Creek said, "These ones here are small ones. Further north they get over 2m tall." People collect them and grind them up to make floor tiles or bricks with it. We held the top of one at the centre and it was very heavy considering how porous it is.

About 100km south of Tennant Creek we stopped to see something called The Devils Marbles or Karlu Karlu. These are granite boulders left after erosion. The boulders are precariously balanced on top of one another in a seemingly impossible arrangement. We stopped for lunch here. It was a serene and peaceful place. The wind was up as a result of the cyclone around the north coast. It kept the flies at bay. It was an incredible place. Some of the boulder were scattered around the valley like giants had been playing with them. There are a number of stories by the aboriginal people tell of how the boulders got there. One story is the rocks were eggs laid by a giant lizard. Charles said it reminded him of the rock monster part in Galaxy Quest. It was so true.

We arrived at our accommodation by mid afternoon. After a swim we went downtown to get some mushroom soup and tin foil for supper. We are having pork chops with cabbage and zapped potatoes. Little did we know that this would turn out to be a difficult proportion? Charles turned on the oven to heat up and turned on the big burner on the top of the unit and set the pork chops to brown. After a while I wondered why I could not hear any sizzling. I remembered from NZ that you cannot use the big burner and the oven at the same time. However, you can use the small burner with the oven. So after browning the meat and getting it ready for the oven, we popped it in the oven. Next came how to use the microwave. With no user manual it was not an easy task. Finally we just cooked the potatoes in two minutes increments. The pot with the cabbage in it took a long time to heat up. Eventually the cabbage cooked. It was delicious meal when we finally got to eat it. We were trying to eat earlier tonight but that was not to be.

Tuesday March 30, 2010 – West MacDonnell Ranges

We decided to take a short side trip west of Alice Springs. Originally we were only going to do the Standley Chasm. On the side road to the chasm there was a sign with curves on it and under it is said 8.7km. It turned out there was curves about every few kilometres. I guess if you are use to driving straight roads a few more curves should be announced. There was still wash out damage along the way from the rain a short time ago. We arrived at the chasm just after opening at 8 am. It is much easier to do walks when it is a little cooler. There was a 1.5km walk up the creek bed to the chasm. We did not see the fire red chasm walls as we were so early. However we could see the red tops of the gorge leading to the chasm. It was a very interesting walk along the creek bed. It was very rocky. We had to climb over some large rocks. There were steps along the way to help us. When we got to the chasm it was very tranquil and quiet. We were the only ones there. At the other end were very large boulders which marked the end of our walk. There were pools of water around and some of them had tadpoles in them. It took us about an hour to do the walk. It was so much fun.

Since it was only 9:15ish by the time we got back to the car, we decided to drive further west to see what else we could see. Our next stop was Ellery Creek Big Hole. This is popular spot for tourist and locals to go for a swim. Apparently the water is very cold. We did not really try it out to see. There was a 3km walk around the area but I did not feel up to walking it.

Back on the road we went to see the Ochre Pits. Ochre is a mineral that comes in while, yellow and red. It grinds down to a fine powder. The aboriginal people mix it with water and fat then use it for ceremonial body paint or art paint. Only men are allowed to mine the ochre but women are allowed to use it. It was an interesting spot as you walked along below the cliffs. You could see the three colours plus a few more as the colours mixed together. Again we were the only ones here which made it very nice.

It is now about 11:30 and Charles said "Let's go on to see what is at Glen Helen and get some lunch." As we drove up to the road house at Glen Helen we saw a helicopter. After talking to the pilot we decide on a flight over the Glen Helen Gorge, Ormiston Gorge and Pound, and Mt Sonder. Upon arriving at the helicopter we realised that there were no doors on it. Up we went and it was wonderful. As I was having so much trouble walking, it was nice to see all these things from the air. Not having the doors made the flight nice and cool. We never felt any danger without the doors. Charles said, "this is an expensive lunch." We had a great lunch after the flight. Charles had a camel burger. He enjoyed it.

After returning back to AS we went in search of the internet where we could use our own computer. Finally we ended up at MacDonalds. Wireless internet is available here for free. It was so slow. Thank goodness it was for free. We tried looking at the pictures of the boys and the baby shower. It was painful slow and we finally gave up. We were able to upload our pictures and bring up to date the blog. After shopping we returned to make supper. We had camel sausages. I really did not like them all that much.

Sunday March 28, 2010 –On to Alice Springs.

Once we were back on Stuart Highway heading north, we saw new landscape. There was a ridge of flat to hills that ran east to west. Some of the hills had lost their hard tops and were eroding quite quickly leaving piles of rubble. Then there were very flat areas again. Alice Springs is in the MacDonnell Range.

We are staying a beautiful new building. We could have put our whole cabin from yesterday in ½ of the space we have here. It is such a nice accommodation. No tripping off to the bathroom at night. I will miss the stars.

After settling in we did some shopping. Swimming eased the heat.

Saturday March 27, 2010 – Yulara

After breakfast we headed for the National Park again. This time we went to Kata Tjuta. On our way to the west side we stopped at the Kata Tjuta dune viewing area. There was a short walk up to the viewing area. It was nice to see this area from the ground and up close. We continued around to the west side and did the Walpa Gorge walk. It was 1.3 km walk into the gorge. Most of the path was over bare conglomerate. It was very uneven to walk on. Reminded me of walking on old cobble stone streets. There were big bolder of conglomerate all over the place. You could see many holes in the side of the gorge walls. Some of the holes had vegetation growing in them. It was nice to do the walk before it got too hot. Some of the walks are closed when it is too hot. Just less than half of the walk was in the shade. There was some fresh water in the gorge, again because of the rain. There was lots of beautiful green vegetation in the gorge. After the problem with my hip the day before, I was glad to be able to do this walk. There were not many people doing the walk at this time either. That added to the sense of spirituality to the area.

We headed back toward Uluru. I remembered a short walk on the south side of the rock. It was the Kuniya walk which was gentle and easy. There was a waterhole further along the path. Water was running into it. It was so nice to stand quietly and just listen to the gentle sound of nature. There was lots of lush vegetation around this area. After all the walking my hip was saying enough, so we headed back to our accommodation. It was so nice to have a swim in the pool.

We had paid for a tour out to the park which started at 2:35 so we only had a short time to eat and get ready. We realized we should not have signed up for this tour as it was doing what we did in the morning. It was so hot I did not do any of the walks. Charles did them hoping to see if different light might make things look differently. He said it made a difference. While everyone went of the Walpa Gorge walk I sat in a shaded area to wait. Another tour started with a description with dirt drawings, on how all this formed geologically. It was very informative. Two school groups arrived with much the same explanations. What a wonderful learning experience.

We then headed back to Uluru to watch the sunset. We were served wine or lemonade with dried fruit or peanuts. There were so many people to watch the sunset and its effect on the colour of the rock. Uluru turned from red to a purple shade as the sun set. We got back just after 7pm. We are really glad we came to see these geological phenomenons.

Friday March 26, 2010 – Yulara

We booked a helicopter flight for 10:30 this morning. It was nice to not have to rush around in the morning. Since we gained an hour yesterday we were up in time to see the sun rise over the desert and see the change in colours of Uluru. It was a very nice experience. I forgot my fly net which made it bothersome. A very nice way to start a day.

It was a great day for a flight. Not a cloud in the sky. We flew around and over Uluru. We noticed that we did not fly over the aborigine's village or the south side of the rock as they consider it to be sacred. When you see Uluru from afar you think it is a smooth red rock. It is red but not smooth at all. There are many ridges and holes where erosion has taken place. From the air you can see just how flat the land is and how sparse is the vegetation. Since there has been rain off and on since January everything is very green. The locals cannot stop talking about it. We learned about the vegetation in the area. There are mainly 2 types of trees and lots of bushes and grasses. We got some idea of how the rock came to be. It is mainly just one massive piece of sandstone full of feldspar, formed millions and millions of years ago.

Our next site to see was Kata Tjuta. There are 36 dome shaped rock outcroppings. These domes are made up of conglomerate of gravel pieces, granite and basalt. They are eroding more easily then Uluru leaving beautiful gorges behind. It was beautiful to see from above. This rock formation is higher than Uluru. It is also a sacred site for the native people. There is more vegetation growth on the tops of Kata Tjuta. Both of these formations started to be formed 550 million years ago.

Our last flight destination was Lake Amadeus, the largest salt lake in NT. Again because of the rain there was water in the lake. It is slowly evaporating. It was amazing to see the various coloured markings left by water flows of the past. We also saw wild camels. There are so many wild camels that they are becoming pests. Everyone is trying to figure out what to do. Soon our flight was over. Just as we were landing a private Leer Jet was taxiing getting ready for takeoff. While we were flying a 737 Qantas flight landed. It is a bigger airplane than one that land sin Kamloops.

After lunch we went out to the National Park where the 2 stone structures are. We went to Cultural Centre. The local aboriginal tribe is Anangu. They did a wonderful job explaining what these 2 structures mean to their people. It was very enlightening. Unfortunately, my hip decided I had done enough. I was hard pressed to get even close to the car. Charles was able to pick me up at the bus parking area which was closer than the car. I spent the rest of the day resting. Going in the pool helped.

Thursday March 25, 2010 – To Uluru (Ayers Rock)

It is hard to believe that in a month we will be home. Today was out longest day for travel – 750km. We were on the road before 8am. We could have left earlier but I wanted pictures of the sunrise. One good thing today was the fact that we gained an hour when we passed into the Northern Territory (NT).

The landscape again went from light scrub plants to treed areas. Again since there has been rain lately everything is green. After we turned to head west there was a change in landscape. There were now some rolling hills. Not to high but you couldn't see for miles ahead of you. There were some curves as well. I was driving for the second time of the day when Charles spotted a large flat top hill. It turned out to be Mt. Conner. It is quite a surprise to see after everything being so flat.

After our spacious accommodations in Coober Pedy, we have arrived at our small one here at Uluru (Ayers Rock). There is one room with a double bed in it. The kitchen is in the middle and there is a 2 bunk bed room at the other end. We can't imagine 6 people in here. We have to use the communal washroom close by for showers and toilets. There is a very nice pool.

Wednesday March 24, 2010 – Coober Pedy.

Today we decided to take it easy. We got up later and leisurely got breakfast. We went down town and looked around the many Opal Shops. There are a lot of them.

We did a tour of the Old Timers Mine. It was very interesting. You need to wear a hard hat as the tunnels are low. They wound in and out as the miners searched for opals. It is hard to believe what was done with picks and shovels. Things have improved today but not by much. They do have some mechanical diggers now and better ways to get the opal rich rock up to the surface. The mine here was discovered when someone was increasing the size of their underground home and found the mine. It was a very interesting tour.

One nice thing is that mining here is still a one person job. There are not big mining companies here. Anyone can get a licence to dig. They need to find a place where no one else is. Then start mining.

We have had a very interesting time in Coober Pedy.

Tuesday March 23, 2010 – Painted Desert Tour.

We set off from Coober Pedy just after 9 am for the 160km trip to the Painted Desert. Our guides were Ken and Wayne. Ken is learning the route. All of it was on gravel outback roads. Just a week ago some of the roads were washed out by the rains. They only opened again on Saturday. There is a stiff penalty if you drive on the wet roads as it destroys them.

We passed through the Dog Fence – the longest man made structure in the world. It is to keep the wild dingo north in cattle country and out of sheep country to the south. It has worked very well. The biggest problem is wild camels that knock the fence down. After the fence, came an ancient sea bed now known as the Moon Plain. It is a flat plain full of rocks with very little vegetation. A number of films have been shot here or at least parts of them have. Mad Max 3, Ground Zero and Pricilla, Queen of the Desert just to name a few. We kidded our guides about the fact that the lunar landing were actually made here instead of on the moon. One could see why it is a nice scene for films. There are no overhead wires and just barren rock.

Along the way we saw many flat top hills. They are all about the same height. They are formed through wind and water erosion over millions of years. The hard rock on top does not erode as fast as the soft rock around it or under it. We noticed many such hills on our way up from Port Augusta.

We travel through the edge of one cattle station, then onto another one. The Archaringa Cattle Station is the largest in Australia is the one we cross to get to the Painted Desert. We stopped at the homestead for a bathroom break. They have accommodations for the drovers when they come for round up. Tourist can also rent these accommodations at other times to see the outback sky at night. Our guides stopped in to talk to the manager of this portion of the station only to find out he is in hospital in Adelaide after a motorcycle accident on Saturday. The Flying Doctor Service was called and he was flown out Saturday evening. Wayne was quite surprised as he had just talked to his wife on Saturday while doing a tour.

We then proceeded to the Painted Desert. It was quite an amazing site. The hills are made up of many colours. It is so hard to describe. We got out and walked for about an hour. We climbed up to the top of the flat top hills, which as a fairly easy climb. We could see out across the vast desert. It is hard to believe that the cattle find food to eat out here. We saw some cattle and they were quite fat. They obviously find plenty to eat. There are watering holes around for them to drink from. The water is pumped up by either a windmill or a solar run pump from below the ground. The stations are up to date on the technology. The solar panels are controlled from the homestead. They have towers to aid with communication.

It was a hot walk up and around the hills. The sun beats down and there is no shade. I thought I might have trouble but did not do too bad. I am glad I went on the walk as the scenery was spectacular. It is so hard to put into words. We saw two spiders and their webs. They are poisonous but they can't penetrate human skin. Nice to know! Their webs are remarkable. Their webbing is very strong which takes on different colours depending where you look at them from. We did not see any other wild life. Our guides thought that was because the desert was so green. We did see a fantailed eagle soaring over the desert. It hovered on a thermal for awhile. This eagle is native to Australia. One of the most prolific thing was flies. If you looked at the pictures you can see what I am talking about. We were so glad we had invested $10 each in nets.

We stopped for lunch before returning home. We ate with the flies. I kept my net down and ate up through the bottom. The guys just ate. Charles is not sure if he ate any flies or not. He did spit out one though.

On our way back we stopped to see some exposed petrified tree stumps. Since this was became uncovered due to erosion, we know that at one time this land was forested before it was cover by the sea. Now the layers of sandstone laid over millions of years down at the bottom of the sea are eroding enough to expose the forest. Petrified wood is fascinating as it looks just like wood but it rock.

After we returned we had a drink with our host Ken. Ken and his wife run a B&B as well. Some of their guests joined us. Ken also has an Opal Mine and polishes stones and has them made into jewellery.

We came home and went for a swim before supper.

Monday March 22, 2010 – to Coober Pedy.

It was not hard to get out of Port Augusta. We left the park turned right onto the highway then stayed to the right and we were on our way. It did not take long for the landscape to change. I finally drove 3 months of not. It took about ½ hour to get feeling comfortable. There can be any number of animals on the road; cattle, sheep, kangaroos, or camels. Most of the kangaroos come out at dawn and dusk. I was most nervous of them as they can hop out of the bush at any time. Luckily we did not see any live animals actually on the road. We did see a few dead cows and kangaroos. We saw a number of emus in the wild in the fields alongside the road. Through the day we went from bush with trees and scrub grass to just scrub grass. There were flat top hill in the distance. It was very fascinating to see the changes in the landscape. May be after the next few weeks we will not think it is so interesting.

The road is well maintained and easy to drive. There was not very much traffic on it. Just enough to realize that it you got in trouble someone would be along soon. They have road trains which are transport trucks with more than 1 trailer. As we started along the road we saw transports with 2 trailers. As we got further north the trucks had 3 and some with 4. We were told at the tourist info centre in Port Augusta that some even have 5. They were amazing to see.

There is an area that is prohibited. The road goes 292 km through is area. It said on one map that the area was a defence area, maybe for army training. There are a couple of sheep or cattle stations along the way through this area. As this area was coming to an end mound of dirt started appearing. Some big, some small. All opal mines. We are warned about the dangers of walking in the fields as there are many mine shafts one could fall into. Cooper Pedy along with Andamooka and Mintabie produce about 85% of the world's opals.

 

We arrived at our accommodation at 2:30. We are staying just outside of Coober Pedy in an underground B&B. It is very nice. It is cooler than being outside but not by much. There is a fan over the bed and one in the living area. There is also a small 1m deep pool outside. It was very refreshing. I had a very difficult time getting in but finally was able to.

Sunday March 21, 2010 – Port Augusta.

We have done very little over the past 3 days. We did play mini golf again and swam in the pool. Today we drove to Port Augusta. The landscape is much like Alberta and Saskatchewan. It was not a long day of travel. One of the shortest to come over the next few weeks.

Charles decided to take a bubble bath in the spa tub tonight. He had so many bubbles it was funny. It was relaxing. He was also having a beer.

March 19, 2010

Not much is happening right now. We are in Adelaide SA. We are just recharging the betteries.
Charles tried to play gold today but found the tee times were full for the next 2 days. He tried 5 courses.

Wednesday March 17, 2010 – Halls Gap

We took a slow start to the day. It has been so busy lately it was nice to relax. We went to Reids Outlook and did the 1km walk to the Balconies. The Grampians are interesting hills. Pictures just don't do them justice. Our next stop was Boroka Lookout. From this place you can see up the valley that Halls Gap is in. We could see where we are staying. We could also see the country side beyond the Grampians. We wondered what it must have been like when the hills were pushed up and why just in this area. We tried to do another walk but I was not feeling well at all so that we headed back to the cabin. I rested for a couple of hours.

After I was feeling better we went and played Mini Golf. It was a challenging course to play as well as getting around. Each hole had themes from around the area. We had lots of fun. Neither of us did all that well. We were very hot by the time we finished so we went to the town pool. It was much warmer than the pool here. It was so refreshing. We had ice cream before returning to the cabin.

We had a nice evening. Saw some more kangaroos. The birds were very noisy.

Tuesday March 16, 2010 - Going to Halls Gap.

After looking at the maps last night we decided we could go to Mt Gambier in South Australia (SA) to see the blue pool. It was 110km west of Portland. It was very foggy when we woke up. I was hoping see a nice sunrise but the fog obliterated it. As were drove toward Mt Gambier we hoped the fog would burn off. Not so! It just got thicker. We were really worried that the fog would disrupt our view of the lake. When we passed into SA the fog went away. We were not to see it the rest of the day. The blue pool was not that well marked but we did find it. It is a beautiful volcanic crater lake. It is also the town water supply. The height of the water is the height of the water table. The water gets to the lake by an underground system of limestone caves and rivers. It was amazing to see. There is a walking path all around the lake as well as a number of lookouts. There is another smaller lake a short distance away called Valley Lake. Between them there is a dry crater. We were so glad a lady in Tassie told us about the Blue Lake and it was not too far out of our way for a side trip. It was well worth it.

We were able to take another way back to Hamilton through Casterton. We had lunch there under the trees by the river. It was quite nice. It was so different just this short way inland. It was a lot drier. Not so humid. It is running about 33° over the next few days. People say it should begin to get cooler as fall approaches.

The trip to Halls Gap went without much ado. We did a 1km walk up to see the Silverband Falls. They are very interesting as there is not pool at the bottom. The water makes its way down stream underground only to surface further downstream. The falls were discovered in 1929 when people set out to have a picnic by the pool at the bottom of the falls. They were surprised by the fact that there was not pool. They had a nice picnic all the same.

We went to the town of Halls Gap after settling in. After returning we tried out the swimming pool. Oh my, was it cold! It was about the same as Bridge Lake. Charles finally got in. I never got above my knees. My ankles were freezing. It did cool us off.

We saw some kangaroos on the site just before supper. It was great.

 

Monday March 15, 2010. – Road to Portland.

We started the day by going to the Otway Lighthouse. After seeing it we could say we saw it from land, sea and air. Each way gave us different way to see it. From sea we could see how steep the cliff was in front of it. From the air we could see how well kept the site was as well as how open it was. From land we were able to climb it and hear about its history. This lighthouse is the oldest on the main island of Australia. Tasmania has the oldest one.

We drove down the road to the site of the Arch. The Arch is wide enough and deep enough for a helicopter to fly through it. However, our pilot said he would not be proving that. Our next stop was called London Bridge (broken). Both of these stops were close to the road. Our last stop was the Grotto. We were able to go down the stairs to the beach at the bottom. When Mom and I were here 4 years ago we did not go down the stairs. It was really remarkable at the bottom. It was starting to get very hot with the sun beating down. The path way to the Grotto was longer than the other 2 put together.

We ate lunch in Peterborough. We could not find a table in the shade so we ate a BBQ stand, standing up. At least we were out of the sun.

The rest of the day was spent travelling the next 150km to Portland. After checking in we went to see the Cape Nelson Lighthouse. It was closed but we were able to see the rugged coastline. On the way back we was at least 4 wallabies and 2 echidnas.

We had a quiet evening and a walk on the beach.

Sunday March 14, 2010 – Great Ocean Road

Helicopter Flight

We were up and on the road by 8:15am. We are going to drive to the 12 Apostles first to arrange a helicopter flight. I wanted to do the low level flight this time. The place was very busy. We got some info from them then went up the road to where I had taken the flight before. It was closed and sent us back to the 12 Apostles visitor centre. It turns out that the two companies joined a year ago. We were able to get a flight within 25 min. This time we were going all the way to Otway Lighthouse a 45 min. flight.

We donned on our life preservers and headed for the helicopter. We thought we were to only ones going on the flight. However, a man joined us at the last minute. If I had know he was coming I would have asked to sit on the behind the pilot instead of behind Charles. The other man would have been able to get nicer pictures that way. It was too late. We left just after he boarded. It was a gorgeous day for the flight. The skies were clear and sunny.

What a wonderful flight. It was nice to do the low flying. You could see so much better. We went down as far as Port Campbell and saw all the highlights, like Bakers Oven, London Bridge, the Arch and the 12 Apostles. Charles got some good pictures of the area. You could really see how rugged the land was, as well as the coast line. There was a distinct change in the shore line as we go closer to Cape Otway. This area is not eroding as quickly as the shores to the west of it. The shore line to the west is eroding at a rate of 12-15 cm a year. At one time after the last ice age all of this area was cover by water. You can see some of the arches and caves left up high by the water then. What a fine start to a day.

Loch Ard Gorge.

This was our next stop after the flight. Loch Ard was the name of a ship that went down off the coast at this spot. The gorge has a small opening to the sea that expands into the sight we see. You can climb down the stairs to the beach below. A number of people went swimming. Because of the narrow opening the water inside is quite calm. We walked out to the lookout at the opening and then went on another walk to the east to see Razorback Island. Everything was beautiful to look at. Also it was so different to see from the air earlier. These comments apply to the rest of the time in this area.

Part of this area also had The Blow Hole and Thunder Cave. We drove the 1km to see these. We still had 950m to walk to see them both. It was getting so hot. There is little shade as the vegetation was kept short by the wind. The Blow Hole was not that active as the tide was not in full and the seas were quite calm. The Thunder Cave was making noise but maybe not as much as when the seas were more active. Charles went and got the car from the other car park when we got back. It was so hot and I was slowing down a lot.

12 Apostles

We sat in the parking lot here and ate, lunch in the car with the AC on. One thing that was sadly missing was picnic tables. We find out that there are no picnic tables from Apollo Bay to Port Campbell. Not really sure why. After lunch we went and looked at the 12 Apostles viewing platforms. I felt a lot better after lunch. Since it was so hot, we decided to go to the Otway Lighthouse tomorrow. We decided then to go to the Otway Fly Tree Top Walk. It was a back road on our way home.

Otway Fly Tree Top Walk

This was like the other tree walk we did In Tasmania just higher. I found it harder to do this time. I wondered if my ears were having a problem after the helicopter. In the middle of this one is a 47m high lookout. There was no way I was climbing it. In fact I hardly moved away from the large center pole holding it up. The heights were once thing but there were 113 stairs up. Charles said ``It was beautiful from the top``. However, he still was not above some of the trees. The trees here grow so tall and straight. It was a good experience and cooler amongst the trees. Along the way back down, from the lookout in the middle, you could repel down. Not likely!! At the end there were lots of steps down to the forest floor. I decided that I could do the trail back to the beginning of the fly walk. From there we could get a lift back up on a cart. We set off and it was a beautiful walk on the forest floor.

As I can trip over the smallest of things I tend to look down when I walk. I was taking a step when the twig below my foot fall was wiggling. I stumbled and yelled out ``OH``! Charles wondered what was wrong. I had almost stepped on a small snake. It quickly slinked off across the path and into the forest. It was a black snake which is harmless. Harmless or not I don`t think it would like to be stepped on.

One more thing that happened was I lost my clip on sunglasses. This could have been terrible as my eyes are so sensitive to the sun light. I went to check in the washroom to see if I had left them there. A lady we had met while waiting for the cart to bring us back said she remembered seeing them on the bench back at the cart stop. Charles rode the cart back down and retrieved them. I was so thankful. They were not easy to get in NZ and we would probably not get a chance to get another pair until Adelaide.

Trip Back to Apollo Bay

I found a back way back to the coast from the fly walk. So instead of doubling back and returning on the Great Ocean Road, we took the back road. I should have known something was up when the road drawn on the map was squiggly. We have been on roads that look straight on the map and were not. The first part of the road was okay All of a sudden it said ``Curvy road for the next 12km and a speed of 20km/hr``. The road also got very narrow. It was quite the ride. Charles had to concentrate so hard. It was crazy. We laughed. Charles is not sure he can trust my shortcuts anymore. The rest of the road down to the coast was wider but just as windy.

We arrived back at the park by 5:20pm. I took the laundry down while Charles asked at the desk about the sunset cruise we had booked for. We found out there was a message on our cabin door. So down to the cabin, read the message, back up to make a phone call to confirm we were going. We went back to pick up our jackets which turned out to be a good idea. So with no supper we went on the sunset cruise out of Apollo Bay.

 

Sunset Cruise.

The cruise turned out to be a family affair. There were 3 other people that paid as well as us. The rest of the people were related to or friends of the owners. It turns out we were going up past the Otway Lighthouse. Along the way we saw a seal colony. Some of the seals were in the water. They were fun to watch as they dipped and dived. We saw the beach where the boats brought in the parts for the Otway Lighthouse. They were brought by ship from the UK, and then loaded onto row boats to be taken to shore. From there they were taken overland by ox cart to be assembled at the lighthouse. We saw an old limestone cave that had been uncovered by the sea. You could still see the stalagmites. We were taken to see rainbow falls.

Soon we were out of Bass Strait and into the Southern Ocean. We stopped while we watched the sunset. The guests brought out food. They had supper while the sun was setting. They shared a bit with us which was very nice. When the sun had just about set we headed back. It was so beautiful. A great night to see the sunset. By the time we got back it was dark. The captain got us back without a hitch. We were able to pick up take away for supper at 9 pm.

What a full day but we had so much fun.

Saturday March 13, 2010 – Great Ocean Road

We were so glad to be out of Melbourne today. We had a pretty easy time getting out of the city.

We headed south west to Torquay. This is a surfing Mecca. We took a side road to Bells Beach and watched the surfers. There was going to by a surfing competition there this weekend. They were getting ready for it. It was so nice to see Bass Strait. The day was bright and sunny.

We wound our way along the Great Ocean Road. The road was built by service men returning from WWII. Our next stop was the Split Point Light House. There were 19 ship wrecks between Torquay and the light house. We did not take a tour of the lighthouse as it was tall and had lots of steps. There is a rock piece that had separated from the main land giving the name Split Point.

At Eastern View we stopped for a look at the rugged coast line. Lunch stop was at Lorne. It was a picnic area just outside of town. It was so nice to hear the ocean waves in the background. Lots of people were out using the beach on this beautiful Saturday. We had a very nice map of the area to Lorne. We stopped at the info centre to see if we could get a map like it for the trip onward to Peterborough. While there we found out about Erskine Falls. It was only 10k inland from Lorne. We headed up there. One can drive close to the falls. There were a number of steps down to the top lookout. There were 233 steps from the first lookout to the bottom of the falls, needless to say I did not make it to the bottom. However, Charles did. It was nice to see the pictures he took.

Our last stop for the day was a Kenneth River. We saw some Koalas in the wild. There are not that easy to see in the trees. One was by its self. There was another one with a little one. None of them was doing much. Since they sleep so much it is no wonder they were not that active.

We arrived at Apollo Bay and check in to our new accommodations. Although we are not in the first set of cabins we still have a nice view of the ocean between the cabins in front of us.

Friday March 12, 2010 – Melbourne

We made plans to meet up with Barry and Marion at their home. After a few mistakes on our part and the GPS's part we made it to their place in an hour. We had decided to head up to the Dandenong Hills east of the city for a picnic. It was a very nice drive.

We had lunch at the Silvan Reservoir. We were not beside the lake but below the dam. This reservoir is water for Melbourne. After lunch we went to Lilydale Lake. We walked all around it. Just over 3 km. It was a nice flat walk which was nice. It was also great to have someone different to talk to. It was a great quiet day which we liked.

Thursday March 11, 2010 - Melbourne

We decided to go down town today. Before we left we called Charles Mom and my friend Patty. It was nice to talk to them both.

We were able to catch the bus close to the park. It took us to the tram. It took us to the market. The market was huge. Where we entered was at the meat and fish part. Everything looked good. We wished we had the cooler with us so we could have bought something for supper tomorrow night. We did pick up some fruit and vegetables. There is a free tourist shuttle bus that goes around downtown Melbourne. While we were waiting for it I found a shirt for Charles. Our back pack was full now.

We caught the free bus and road it to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens were mainly trees and ferns. It was very nice. Some of the trees are very old. The main gift shop and visitor centre were closed due to damage from the storm on Saturday. Many of the buildings and plants were affected by the storm. There was lots of cleanup going on. Finding a phone we called Trevor and Julie. It was so nice to talk to them. We slowly made our way through the gardens and back to downtown. There were many old buildings in amongst the new ones.

We got back to pick up the tram just in time to get it going back. With the help of a number of people today we found our way to the market and later back to the park. It was a fun day but we are so tired tonight.

Wednesday March 10, 2010 Melbourne

We had a slow start to the day. Friends (Barry & Marion) we met over the years at Canadian Dam Association meeting came over to the camp ground. We had a very nice afternoon chatting with them.

Tuesday March 9, 2010 – Good Bye Tassie

As our flight was not until 3pm, we did a few thing after we left Greens Beach. We stopped at the Post Office to send another package home and some cards. Exeter's internet place was out next stop. We had a brief chat with Trevor and Julie.

We then left for the airport. We went by the airport to the next town where we had lunch. Being efficient travelers we were at the airport 2 hours before our flight. The check in did not open until 1 ½ hours before the flight. We decided to do the check in at the machine. Charles brought out the binder with the ticket info on it, the next thing we knew our names appeared on the screen. We had scanned the bar code without knowing it.

When the check in desks opened we were again prepared with our ID which they never looked at. You can't get on a flight in Canada without proving who you are at least 3 times. Our flight was a little late.

Good bye Tasmania we had a great time.

Greetings from Melbourne

We arrived about 4:30. By the time we picked up luggage and got the car we hit the traffic at rush hour. We found our way to these new accommodations. Checked in, and then went shopping. We had fish and chips take away for supper.

Monday March 8, 2010 – Greens Beach

Woke up to rain being blown against the house. It rained most of the morning. As it started to clear up we decided to go the Exeter for the market. It was a small market but nice. I bought a book and some fudge. Charles got a book. It was raining when we left.

We continued down the road to something called Swiss Village. It was just off the main road. There was a hotel and some shops. We decided to play Mini Gold even thought the course was very wet. There were some big puddles. We had a lot of fun anyway. One hole we did not play because of all the puddles. Puddles sure slow down your ball. It started to rain again but only for a brief shower. We were under a big tree when the wind picked up and we got rained on. Oh it was cold running down our backs. I have not improved in my playing. My score would be better if I didn't rim the cup so much.

After lunch we headed back. It was bright and sunny when we go back to Greens Beach. We both spent the rest of the afternoon reading. It has clouded over again now. We hope all is well in Melbourne after their terrible day on Saturday.

Sunday March 7, 2010 – East of Greens Beach

We got a late start however we did go back to the Low Head Lighthouse. We got there just in time to hear the fog horn. It went off regularly for 15 minutes. It was an amazing sound. You could hear the reverb after each sounding. It had a higher pitch tone then a deep one. Volunteers have fixed up the fog horn and sound it at noon on most Sundays. It was another piece of history we happened upon.

After lunch we headed south east to a place called Lilydale. It was so much fun to get there. We took some back roads. We were heading for the Lilydale Falls. It was a nice walk up to the falls. There were two separate falls. This was an after lunch walk which I find a challenge. This was no different. I am really glad I was able to make it to both falls.

We headed back after seeing the falls. On the way on one of our back roads we saw an echidna. It did what they said it would, buried its head and rolled into a ball so its quills faced out. We were able to get one picture of it that turned out. Once home it was nice to find out laundry dry on the line. The day has gotten cloudy. They are calling for rain tomorrow. We could get thundershowers as well. As long as they are not like the ones Melbourne got yesterday.

 

Saturday March 6, 2010 – Launceston

Today we went down to Launceston. We were going to do a harbour cruise but decided to see the Cataract Gorge on foot. As I navigated Charles to the gorge, it turned out that I picked the best way to get there. There were signs all along way.

The gorge was a beautiful place. We walked around the basin. There was a suspension bridge to cross. We were upset as we did not bring our bathing suits to swim in the pool. It would have been nice as it was quite hot and humid. We ate lunch at the park. It was such a nice way to spend the morning.

We went downtown to shop in the afternoon. I have found out just how much I hate shopping in an area I don't know. Downtowns tend to be high end places anyway. My purse had broken in the morning so I wanted to replace it. We finally found a place that had what I wanted. I should have bought it and be done with it. However, we went and looked in another store only to go back to the place where we first saw the purse. I said to Charles "Let's just get out of here and head back". We did stop at a camera store to look at new cameras. Then a souvenir shop for some post cards. It was so hot and sticky.

We had one last stop at the Woolworths Grocery store. After arriving back Charles went down to the beach. I had a little rest. Charles came back for me as the water was quite warm. I just got in to my waist with the waves. The water was quite warm but wavy. I didn't really like that. It was very refreshing.

Thursday March 4, 2010 – Beaconsfield

We decided not to go too far today. I had a sore throat and was not feeling too well. Beaconsfield was about 19km from where we were staying. It had a number of activities. After a quick stop at the post office we went to the Mine & Heritage Centre. Little did we know it would take us 2 hours to enjoy the museum and tribute centre? It was a hands on museum. You didn't just look at the stuff but actually turned knobs and handles. It was fun to watch the machines working. It was also enlighten to know how hard it was to move the mine trams by hand.

The tribute section was to three miners who were caught in a rock slide underground on April 25, 2006. Two of the three miners survived for 14 days in a 1.5 cubic meter space. The slide was caused by a mild earthquake. The miner who died was discovered 2 days into the rescue. There were written thoughts by the miners who were caught and by the rescuers and managers of the mine. Not only did this turn the community upside down but put it on the front page around the world. We did not remember hearing about the mine slide. It happened just after Mom and I had returned from our trip to Australia. The mine is still operating as an underground gold mine.

After lunch we walked around town looking at the old buildings in town. It was fun to read about the town's history as went along.

We drove up the road to Beauty Point to see Platypus House and Sea Horse World. We were just in time for the tour in the platypus house. We watched 3 platypuses (Dusk, Porky and Piccolo) swimming around. They were fun to watch. One of them was just floating around having been disturbed from sleep. Piccolo was very active and having playful fun. She was showing off for us. You never want to pick up a platypus as the males have a barb behind each hind leg that is full of poison. When pierced by this barb the pain is terrible. Nothing can ease the pain. One man who had an encounter with a male said that the pain lasted for months and he suffered nerve damage in his arm. Some platypus males fight to the death to protect their territory. Platypuses do not breed well in captivity. They are hoping that now they have a couple of females that have reached breeding age that something will happen. They also only breed every two years.

After learning about the platypus we went into the echidnas garden. There were three echidnas in the enclosure. We were able to walk among them and watch them eat. They are ant eaters with spines like a porcupine. They were fun to watch especially their tongues with the food.

We had enough time to walk next door and do the tour in the Sea Horse World. We had a great guide who kept us entertained with the sex life of the sea horse. We saw a number of different sea horses. Unlike the platypus the sea horse breeds like crazy. Every morning they can take a lot of newborn seahorses out of the breeding tanks to other tanks. Originally, this breeding was done to help save the sea horse from over fishing for Chinese medicine. However, this failed. The sea horses never got big enough. Now they are just studied so that we can learn how to preserve them at sea. When the young are around 3 months old they go to a bigger tank the staff calls primary school. Here they get to know each other. After they change colour from black to beige at about 6 months they go to the "high school" tank. Here they act just like teenagers. Even some of the males come out pregnant from this tank. About 1/3 of the seahorses die between in primary school tank and another 1/3 are lost in the high school tank. This is a natural phenomenon. In the wild this would happen with them being eaten.

When they become sexually active the male takes water into his pouch. He tries to make it as big as possible to attract a female. He also changes colour to add to the attraction. A bigger pouch means a better place to lay her eggs. When a females picks a male she get very close to him and tickles his pouch to open it up so she can deposit her eggs. This is not easy especially if the male is showing off to his mates that she had picked him. She hog ties him with her tail and drags him away to the weed where she can hopefully get him to be still enough to lay her eggs. If this does not happen she will go out looking for a new male. She will also lay her eggs in a number of different males. It was a very interesting tour. The tour ended with fish tanks with a number of different fish from the area. There were also hermit crabs, spider crabs, star fish and other see animals.

We came home with our brains full of new information which we had fun learning.