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.

Wednesday March 3, 2010 - Day Trip to Riverside

Both of us had a hard time getting going this morning. We headed south to Beaconsfield where we sent a parcel home from the post office. We also checked out the other food store in town. It is not just a food store but a general store as well. We also checked out the on line access facilities. Found out we could not use out own computer.

Onward, down the road to Exeter we stopped at the bakery and picked up buns for lunch. We found out where the internet access centre was. After checking it out we found we could use our own computer here. Neither centre is open on the weekend. We are finding it hard to get internet access in Tasmania. The lady at Exeter said "It is hard to keep the centre open as so many people have their own computer with internet access". Exeter is about 30km from where we are.

Our next stop was the Tasmanian Zoo. We were just in time for the devil feeding. We watched as the handler entered the pen of 3 older females. Rosie is the more active one. She was looking forward to being feed. One of the others was enticed out with food. They are older than their peers in the wild. After feeding them the handler went to a different pen for two young females. One of them didn't mind being handled or shown off to people. He picked her up and brought her out so we could pet her. Even the youngest of the audience got to pet her. She was so cute. She was 7 months and 3 days old. She had a nice personality unlike her sister that is quite nasty. We looked around the rest of the park. It was so sunny and hot at the park. I was hoping to see the little blue penguins but they would not come out. Feeding of them was not until 4pm.

Our last major stop for the day was the Tamar Island Wetlands Reserve. There was a good breeze blowing so we decided to do the 1.5 km walk out to Tamar Island. When we were in the reeds there was not much breeze. I found myself getting over heated. Thank goodness there were 3 bridges over parts of the river. There I was able to cool down. I did not go all the way to the island. I was getting tired. Charles went on and I slowly made my way back to the visitors centre. The reed got progressively taller as we went. Between the second and third bridge the reed were about 2m tall. They were blowing in the breeze but the breeze did not reach the path. In 1920 in order to improve navigation on the river old river barges were scuttles and sunk to block the channel on the western side of the channel. This did not work. The first flood messed up the scheme. You can now see the old wrecks at low tide and at high tide you can see the grassy tops of them. It was something different to see. The Tamar is over 70km in length making it the longest estuary in Australia. It is tidal throughout its length. Launceston is at the head of the estuary.

Our last stop was close to Greens Beach. It was where the town of Yorktown was located. There is nothing left of the town that started in 1806. It was built on a swamp but had good water. The Tamar River could be seen from town. The town did not last long as it was in a terrible spot to get any ships to. The people in town were often near starvation as they waited for supplies to arrive by boat. Later apple trees were on the site. The apple industry continued into 1970's.

Tuesday March 2, 2010 – On to Greens Beach

Last night the computer had a fit. Puff and the screen went black. It would not turn off. Finally I undid the battery and unplugged the power, counted to ten then put everything back. However, it would not turn on. I was a little upset. In the morning, I tried again to start the computer but no luck. Charles tried it just before I took a shower and it worked. I guess it didn't like me.

We both felt better when we set off for our last Tasmanian stop. It was not that far so we did a tourist route. First stop was the Anvers Chocolate Factory at Latrobe. It was wonderful. We saw them making truffles today. They make all sorts of chocolates. In the cafe I got a fresh fruit pavlova. It was delicious. I also bought dark chocolate covered raisins. They are very good as well.

We continued into the town of Latrobe to see if we could take a Platypus tour. Found out that these tours only go early in the morning or late in the day. Platypuses are shy creatures that usually don't come out during the day. We were told where to go and possibly see them, so that with the time available we went to see what we could see. We did not see any platypus but the lake was so still the reflections were great. I got lots of nice pictures of the reflections. It was also a very nice peaceful walk around the small lake.

Leaving Latrobe we went on to Railton. Railton is the Town of Topiary. At first we did not see the sculptured animals made from shrubs. Soon we were seeing them all over the place. Some where all finished and just needed trimming now and then. Others were just being started. Railton is close to Sheffield the town of murals. Again the topiaries are all around town taking people by all the businesses. These little towns have thought of different ways to attract tourists. We ate lunch in one of the parks.

After Railton we headed to our destination for the next week. It was not a hard drive. Some of the time we were on the highway and other times we were on back roads. Green Beach seemed like it was at the top of Tasmania. As we went along the road got narrower and narrower. Soon there was no centre line. Green Beach is a small beach town. The beach is beautiful. Probably the nicest one we have seen since Strahan. If the weather stays good we might swim in the Bass Strait.

Monday March 1, 2010

Not much happening today.
Started the day on a happy note as we watched the Gold Medal Hockey game. The 3rd period and overtime were broadcast here. Just when I was ready to go for a walk because of tension was too great, Canada scored.
Charles played a round of golf.

Sunday Feb 28, 2010 – Trip to Sheffield.

We decided to head out and see how much I could do. Our first stop was a Sunday market in Penguin. It was an indoor market so weather does not play a part. It was fun to see but not much there for us. It was very different from the market at Hobart.

Having decided to go via Devonport to get to Sterling we found a mini putt course. We stopped to play. It was lots of fun. I still have trouble getting the ball up multiple levels. We were able to eat lunch at a picnic table there. It was a nice spot beside the river. It was again very windy as we tried to eat. It was bright and sunny but not too hot because of the wind.

Sheffield is a small town that has put its self on the map with murals. There were lots of murals painted on the sides of buildings. To see them took one all over town. Even though it was Sunday many of the businesses were open. The murals depicted life in the past around the town. They were wonderful to look at and very well done considering all the different types of walls they were done on. What a great way to bring people into your town.

Off we went again to one more stop before heading home. We started out on the wrong road but I found a cross road that joined to the correct road. As always it was a much narrower road full of bents and twists. One good thing was it ended at the next road. We stopped at Lower Crackpot. It is an attraction with a whimsical small village and 4 mazes. The man who built this attraction had a good sense of humour. We did two of mazes. The first one we did not do correctly as we never go to the middle. It was the Hampton Court Maze. We did not know what the goal of this one was. The second one we did was the Confusion Maze. Here we had to reach the tree in the centre which we did. Charles did the Yellow Brick Road Maze alone as it was a lavender maze which upset my asthma. It started to rain just as we finished up. If it had not been raining we would have gone back and done the first maze again. It was great experience. People here seem to take part of their property and turn it into a tourist attraction out in the middle of nowhere.

We took the back roads back to the highway. On the way we saw a large hydro dam through the trees. Charles would have liked to see it up close. Above the dam we saw the Wilmot Power Station. At the lookout we saw Lake Cethana the dam created. We worked our way down into valleys and then out again, over hills then down to the seaside.

What a wonderful day. I am so glad to be able to have accomplished so much. I felt so much better as the day wore on.

Saturday Feb 27, 2010 – Day Trip to Stanley

We went west again today. When we went yesterday we missed Stanley so we went back to see it. We thought there was quite a bit to do and see. We were a little disappointed to find out most of the stuff to see and do was around Stanley and we had already most of it.

We did take an alternate route into town which gave us a different look at the area. Stanley is a lovely historic town. It is built at the foot of The Nut. The whole area is an isthmus jutting out into the Bass Strait. The Nut is an ancient volcanic plug standing 143 meters high with a flat top. You can walk up a track up its steep sides or ride the chairlift. We opted for the chair lift. It was a good ride up. I am not sure how all the skiers ride a chairlift with all their gear.

It was lovely on top. You could see for miles. The beaches on either side of The Nut were beautiful. There is a walk all around the top. We saw the burrows for the shearwater birds. They come to nest and have their young in the southern hemisphere then return to the Bering Strait for the summer. We met up with some wallabies as we went further along the track. The ride back down the chairlift was a little harder for me. It was nice to look out over the town but I had a hard time keeping my eyes open.

Soon we were on our way back to Wynyard to swim in the pool. I suddenly got achy and it went on for the whole evening. It was a terrible time. The weather was really changing. Soon the rains started. It poured all evening and into the night. It had a hard night of it. By morning I was a little better.

Friday Feb 26, 2010 – Wynyard

We decided to do a day trip to the northwest part of the island. We went as far as the Tarkine Forest Adventure. It is only part of the Dismal Swamp. The Dismal Swamp is one big sink hole. It is 2km by 3km and the sides are very steep and a flat bottom. At the visitors centre there is a cantilever overlooking the forest in the sink hole. It is quite impressive to know the trees in the sink hole are about 50m tall. There is a slide one can take to get to the bottom of the hole. Neither Charles nor I tried it out. Others did and said it was a good experience. It takes about 13 sec to complete. One lady said she thought about the bob sled and luge runs at the Olympics. We walked down then took the guided tour of the forest. It was much the same as we had seen to date here on Tassie but amazing to think it was in one big hole. We were able to get a ride back up to the top.

After lunch we headed for the Allendale Gardens. These are privately owned garden hosted by Loraine and Max Cross. They started to plant the garden in 1980 from scratch on a grassed field. It was a very enjoyable walk through the tranquil gardens. I think the summer is coming to an end and so are the summer flowers so the gardens were looking a little shabby. The grounds were getting a little over grown. We could see that some of the beds were being cleaned up and worked on. It is a labour of love for these two.

Having time we decided to go to Dip Falls and the big tree. These two sites were 27 km off the road. The big tree was something else. It was not the tallest of the Brown top stringy bark eucalyptus at 62m high however it is 16m around the base. It is believed to be over 400 years old. There were other big trees in the area. They made us think of "Lord of the Rings".

Dip Falls were different because of the basalt outcropping. Charles walked down the steps to the bottom. There were 160 steps. I stayed at the top and went to the viewing area. We both got very different pictures and saw the falls and rock formations from different vantage points. The basalt came up in hexagonal shaped pillars. When I looked down at the base of the falls it looked like a brick layer had been busy at work. This was all natural. Even though we have seen lots of falls each one is unique in their own way.

When I looked at the map I saw an unsealed road that would take us about 28km closer to Wynyard. It was a very good gravel road. Like so many back roads once you are on them you never see the name of the town at the end again. I was on pins and needles as were neared the 15km mark. I was sure glad when we got to pavement. I had not lead us on a wild goose chase.

We did one more side trip to Table Cape and lighthouse which is about 11km from Wynyard. Table Cape is another volcanic formation. It is a lava flow that has had the softer rock worn away around it by the waves. It is flat on top with steep sides. The lighthouse has been here since 1888. This is one of many lighthouses at the north side of the island.

Thursday Feb 25, 2010 Wynyard

Today is an exciting day. We are getting out hair done. I am getting a perm and Charles a trim.
After that Charles will play gold and I'll update the pictures and blog.