New Zealand South Island - Part 2

November 30:
We were up early for breakfast and headed off on the 5-hour drive to Milford Sound and the Fiordlands region of the South Island.  The United Nations have declared this region a protected heritage area, called Te Wahipounamu World Heritage Area. 

The drive from Queenstown to Te Anau, the jumping off point for the Fiordland sounds, was pretty - we had the Remarkables to our left for the first half, which made for some fun twisty roads - and there were lots more rolling hills with sheep.  From Te Anau the  drive is beautiful.  It was  cloudy much of the day, so when we stopped at the Mirror Lakes, they weren't mirroring so much, though the ducks were cute.  Regardless, we drove through some spectacular valleys with snow-capped mountains in the background, and by some beautiful raging blue waters. 

Much of the drive is through the Kiwi forest, which turns from Alpine to temperate rainforest.  The best stop was right before the Homer tunner, where there is a sheet of ice on a rock face, and Keas all around. 

They love to land on the cars, and hitch a ride.  Apparently they can be very cheeky, but our windshield wipers stayed nicely in tact. 

 

On the other side of the tunnel (a 1-km ride through darkness in a tunnel narrow enough that you wouldn't want to meet a tour bus  going the other way) you come out to a winding road that slopes steeply downward with waterfalls rushing all around.  It is stunning. 

 

Then we arrived in Milford Sound, and we were somewhat underwhelmed.  Granted, we had just seen the awe-inspiring Glenorchy, and it was a cloudy day.  But with helicopters constantly overhead, and boats in the water, and a very low water level, and cloud covering any peaks, we were a bit disappointed.  We sat for lunch (with the omnipresent sand flies...boy are they annoying) and did a few short walks around the mouth of the fiord.  Got some great pictures of nesting birds, and got tired of the sandflies.  So, we headed back to Te Anau. 

We did a couple of short walks on the way back.  First was the chasm, which was a heavily touristed but pretty walk through the rainforest to natural potholes cut into the softer stone.  Then we did a walk across a swing bridge and through forest to the Hollyford River/Whakatapu Ka Tuku. The glacial river is a beautiful blue as it foams over rocks.  I could have stared all day.    This part of the forest provided some excellent examples of the different types of ferns in the region. The silver fern is the national symbol of New Zealand, but the ferns  come in all shapes and sizes.  As they open up, from their fiddle-head to fully formed state, they  form rings and look like a family around a dinner table. 

 

Te Anau, where we stayed for the night, is a highly touristed town with a nice lake front, but is otherwise nothing to write home about. 

December 1:
Doubtful Sound boat tour day!  We started the morning with breakfast at a bakery, and then drove to Manipouri, a nearby town on Lake Manipouri.  The drive was beautiful.  The clouds were hanging low, and so you could see the base and tips of the mountains, with clouds covering the  middle.  This was reflected in the lake, and made for a beautiful start to the day. 

We met our boat tour, and were happy to find that there were only 8 people on our boat, along with 4 crew members.   We met a really nice American couple from California and spent the fast ride across Lake Manipouri talking with them.  He works in computers, so Paul had found someone who could speak his language. 

The ride across Lake Manipouri was pretty, but not otherwise special, and the day was getting progressively more cloudy.  On the other side of the lake, you take a bus through forest, with waterfalls around every corner, and across the Wilmont Pass.  At the pass the bus driver let us get out for overview photos of Doubtful sound in the background.  It was spectacular.  I'm starting to run out of adjectives.  New Zealand is so beautiful everywhere, that it's hard to do it justice with written descriptions. 

Our boat tour, on the MV Tutoko was with Fiordland Expeditions, with whom we went because they have a small boat and offer kayaking. It was also slightly cheaper than the other option on the sound, which is Real Journeys (they take 80 people on their boat, we had 12 people including crew).  This was the highlight of the south island for us.  It was just an amazing experience.  We started with a ride through Doubtful sound.  It took about 2 hours to get to the mouth, but since the water was so calm we went right out into the Tasman sea, where we stopped by the rocks where the seals live, and got to laugh at their antics. 

We went further out and fished for our supper. 

One of the more special moments was when some of the Fiordland yellow-crested penguins were swimming with the boat, jumping in  and out of the water.  They are so graceful when swimming.  It was, however, raining, and the sandflies were insane.  So, we got a bit wet, but the boat's cabin was warm and comfy, with lots of space for sprawling out and relaxing.    They basically fed us from the moment we arrived on the  boat.  Amazing fish macaroni and cheese for lunch.  A cheese board in the afternoon, fresh crayfish that the cook had caught that day diving, a roast vegetable tower (Yummy!), a main course of the fresh blue cod caught by passengers that afternoon, and chocolate for dessert.    Sleep was in a bunk room.  I was doubtful that we would be getting much sleep, but with my earplugs in, it was the best sleep I've had in a long time.  The gentle rocking of the boat moored in Blanket Bay and the amazing little beds with awesome pillows were the perfect combination for a good sleep. 

December 2:
I was up bright and early to try kayaking in the sound.  It was a beautiful sunny day, without any low cloud cover, but our calm sea had departed.  The waves were big, and I got pretty wet in the kayak. 

The ride back to the dock was beautiful - you could see all of the peaks, and appreciate the beauty of the Sound. 

We headed to an island where the penguins are known to hang out, and got to see 13 of the Fiordland penguins, apparently the 2nd rarest penguins in the world. 

They are awfully cute, but can make a terrible racket when calling out. 

 

The rest of the day was spent getting to our next destination.  We headed back over the pass, back across lake Manipouri, got in the car, and drove back to Queenstown and then on to Wanaka.  We stopped in a little village called Arrowtown to explore a bit.   It is a touristy spot, about 20 minutes outside of Q'town, that was once a mining town.  The buildings are preserved and maintain that "wild west" feeling, but it is mainly shops and restaurants now.  We did a once around and then went over the hills to Wanaka.  The drive over the hills allowed us some beautiful views over the valley in which Queenstown and Arrowtown were situated.

 

Wanaka is a pretty town, on Lake Wanaka and near Mount Aspiring  National Park.  We stayed at Criffel Peak View B&B, which ended up being one of our favorite accommodations during the trip.  The proprietresses, Caroline and Suzy, are welcoming and full of suggestions and enthusiasm about everything in the region.  We had dinner that night at a place called Trout (neither of us had fish) and enjoyed beautiful views of the lake through the full-wall windows.

December 3:
Mount Aspiring National park.  After assurances from Suzy that our non-4WD car would make it across the small streams that have to be forded on the way into the park, we headed out to do the West Matukituki Valley/Rob Roy Valley hikes.  What an amazing day. 

The hike starts along the Matukituki River, which is another of those amazing blue-green rivers.   You walk along pastoral scenes surrounded by sheep, and then start a relatively steep climb up hill through the woods. 

   Evenually, you come out again along the river as it courses downward, and continue up towards the Rob Roy glacier.    

It was beautiful.  We had lunch with the Keas, who magically became our constant companions from the moment that we unwrapped our sandwiches until the last bite. 

The drive to and from Mount Aspiring National Park was memorable.  Much of it is along a non-sealed road, and we had to ford 9 streams.  Our little Nissan did well, though, and we enjoyed the pretty scenery on the way.  Leaving the park we got stuck, enjoyably, behind a farmer in his truck and the cows that he was herding.  It was amazing to watch the well-trained dogs hop out of the back of the pick-up, and go about their job of rounding up the cows so efficiently.  When they were done, a whistle from their master and they hopped right back into the back of the truck.  The sheep were funny to watch.  It was clear that the dogs were rounding up the cows, but the sheep got confused.  Many of them tagged along, looking frightened, and the dogs had to work rather actively to keep them away from the herd and try to convince them that they could continue their grazing undisturbed.  Truly demonstrated the meaning of the phrase, "they are such sheep!"

 

Back in Wanaka we had a crappy dinner at a too-expensive place, and then enjoyed an organic ice cream at the Wanaka waterfront, watching the beautiful sailboat races.  A lovely little town, and one in which we would have stayed longer, had we had the time.

December 4:
The day involved about 5 hours of driving to Fox Glacier via the Haast Pass.  We stopped to hike up to the lookout over the pass.  Meh.  It was an impressively steep hike - I don't think we've ever walked up anything quite as steep, with an unrelenting zigzag path.  Fortunately, it was relatively short. 

Stopped in Haast for lunch - a sleepy little town with nothing to recommend it except that it is the last place to eat/wee/fill up gas for a while.

There were some good little stops on the way, and we just enjoyed being in New Zealand.

We spent much of the afternoon on a beach near Bruce Bay, looking for pretty rocks.    The beach was filled with beautifully rounded quartz rocks of pure white, and we enjoyed finding a special stone for Heather-Ann, and then ourselves.  It was lovely except for the sand flies.  Sand flies are the only real pest in New Zealand, and they are a real pest.  We had gotten an introduction while we were on Doubtful Sound, but didn't get really bitten until our afternoon on the beach.  I, foolishly, was wearing sandals, and the resulting bites had me scratching for literally weeks.  These bugs are far more evil than mozzies.

 

In Fox, we stayed at the Fox Glacier Mountainview B&B.  It was a lovely B&B, with amazing views, though the proprietor was a bit annoying.  Single lady who is a bit of a know-it-all.  But the accommodation was clean and the bed comfy.  We had a yummy meal, and then did a bit of a rushed tramp around Lake Matheson.  The lake is just a pretty lake, surrounded by fern-laden forest.  What makes the lake so special is the reflection of Mount Cook in its waters, especially around sunset. 

 

 

December 5:
We were up early to get to our helihike at Fox glacier.  This was awesome.  After a quick debrief, and outfitting with hiking boots suitable for crampons, we got into the helicopter.  Our pilot was determined to make it an exciting ride, and did lots of swoops and 360's on our side.  Paul, who normally hates flying so much, loved it!  I loved the views, though my stomach wasn't really thrilled with the the ride.  From above, the glacier is white and brown, with little flecks of blue.   It stretches impressively for kilometers, and you can imagine how glaciation shaped many parts of the planet.   The helicopter took us half way up the glacier, and we spent the next two hours walking around the mid section.  With the crampons on, it was fun walking, and I was a little sorry that we had to go so slowly.  Although there were older people in the group, we spent most of the waiting time while the guides hacked away at the ice.  Although I was able to see the benefit in several sites that were a bit slippery and difficult to navigate, most of the time it seemed like random hacking.  The guides seemed a bit inexperienced, and there did not seem to be a lot of thought that went into the steps that they unnecessarily carved at several sites.  That aside, we got to see some beautiful blue ice huts, where movement of the ice from the top of the glacier had pushed up a section of the ice, and the resulting colour  underneath could only be described as icy blue. 

As we were getting ready to leave, it was getting cloudier and started to rain once we were in the air.  Apparently it rains a lot -  the group after ours got canceled.  We were super-lucky with the timing. 

We spent the afternoon driving from Fox to Christchurch across Aurthur's Pass (that was fun, twisty driving; very glad we had a standard vehicle!).  Aurthur's Pass was very pretty, through Alpine-type forest, though we didn't get many chances to stop.  We left Fox around 1pm, and got to C'church around 7pm.  We checked back in to the Centerpoint on Colombo and headed out for dinner.  Don't eat Thai food in Ch'church...dodgy. 

December 6:
After check-out and a great breakfast near Victoria Park on the Avon River, we did some souvenir shopping.  The souvenirs in New Zealand are really nice - far superior to those in Australia, and difficult to resist.  Then we headed to the airport and said good bye to this beautiful country.  We'll be back at some point - have to do the North Island!

Book Club

Since our year in Australia is a chance for Paul and I to travel and pursue interests beyond the hospital borders, I've been using the chance to do some reading. I wanted to keep track of the books I've been reading, and to see if anyone else is interested in reading/discussing any of these books. Also, I'm completely open to suggestions of books on other people's "Must Read" lists.

30. The Man who Mistook His Wife for a Hat and other clinical tales - Oliver Sacks. Dull. Although I have yet to finish the book, I am including because I don't think that I'll ever finish before leaving Australia. It is too tedious to get through. The clinical stories are interesting, and I started with great enthusiasm, having heard about the book since medical school. But the writing is pained, and Dr Sacks tried to wax philosophic about his patients' neurologic impairments which comes off as strained and possibly untrue. A text book or reading through case studies in the journals would have been more interesting and credible.

29. The Island - Victoria Hislop. This was a really good book. The story of three generations and a leper colony in Crete, Greece, I found the book completely absorbing. It won't be winning any Nobel Prizes for literature, but I found the writing extremely readable and the characters absorbing. It's good vacation reading, but only if you aren't hoping to go out and see stuff.

28. The Cupboard Full of Life - Alexander McCall Smith. Well, the detective work has taken a back seat to the description of the people and their lives. At this point, the 5th book in the series, it is getting a bit repetitive, and the same themes come up again and again. Seems like it is coming time for the series to end. That said, they are still enjoyable.

27. The Kalahari Typing School for Men - Alexander McCall Smith. A new theme, and a bit more focus on a different character made this a more interesting one than the third in the series. Perhaps the books will take a new turn.

26. Morality for Beautiful Girls - Alexander McCall Smith. Light read. If you like the series, this is fine. None are as good as the first in the series, though

25. The World According to Garp - John Irving - I love John Irving, because his books are heavily character-based, and Garp is his best-known most quintessential character. But, having already read "Widow for One Year", and "Until I find You" and a couple of others, I felt a little let down by this book. I was the story of Garp, a two-bit writer who, somehow, gains an element of fame from a short story and a so-so novel, a son with a strange, though interesting mother, a worry-wart father, and a crappy husband. It wasn't that I didn't like the characters that I felt let down, it was that I didn't care about them as much as I have come to in other Irving novels. Next I'll read "A Prayer for Owen Meany".

24. Slumdog Millionaire - Vikas Swarup - I haven't seen the movie. The book was really good. An interesting story of the life of an orphan boy living in the slums of Delhi and Mumbai and how he learns all the details that allow him to earn 1-billion rupees on an Indian Game show. I keep hearing that the movie is sad. The book is actually less sad than many other Indian dramas that I've read. Blessedly, it did not leave me with a feeling of helplessness and despair that so many others from that area do. There were sad bits, but none enough to make me cry, so I wonder if perhaps the movie does a better job at it. In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed the book and read it in one sitting on a plane. Recommended.

23. Brother Fish - Bryce Courtenay - I decided to read an Australian author, since we were in Australia. I've read "The Power of One" and "April Fools" by the same author, and I think that they are better books. This book followed two men through the Korean war, and then through their time post-war as they set up a business in a little island off of Tasmania. It also told the significantly more interesting story of the town librarian who comes from a background of White Russians, via China, and who joins the two men in their business venture. The book started slowly for me, describing the war scenes in Korea in painful detail. That was about the first 1/3 of the book. After that, though, I didn't want to put it down. The stories of people's lives were far more interesting. Overall, an okay time-killer book, but if you have limited reading time, I'd give it a miss and read "The Power of One" instead.

22. The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest - Stieg Larsson - The final in the Millenium series, the book was good. It tied up the loose ends of the last books, and stayed true to the characters, with a very satisfying resolution to the nasty bad guys. I found it difficult to put down, but I had been truly hooked by the first two books. You should read the series. It is a well-written series that manages to avoid detective-style schmultz.

21. Someone knows my Name - Lawrence Hill - This is a novel well worth reading. Based in Mali, a slave boat, Charleston South Carolina, New York, Shelbourne Nova Scotia, Freetown Sierra Leone, and London England this is the story of one woman who is stolen into slavery from the arms of her mother. It follows her life, her bits of good luck (particularly her intelligence), and her unimaginable sorrows. It wasn't a book of complaints, as I worried that the book could be. Instead it is a story, heartbreaking and beautiful. I bought it in the little Alice Springs Airport, surprised to find a Canadian author there, and basically did not put it down until I had finished it. I would highly recommend it.

20. The Girl with the Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier - I picked up the illustrated version of this book in hardcover for a steal ($12 new!). It was worth it just for the copies and explanations of Johannes Vermeer's paintings. The book was interesting. A historical fiction that is one woman's explanation of who could have been the inspiration for the painting by the same title. I enjoyed the book, particularly thought that then ending was realistic and not too schmultzy, and got into the character.

19. The Tears of the Giraffe - Alexander McCall Smith. This second book in the series was not a good as the first one, to the point that I put the book down for a couple of months. It wasn't bad, it just did not hold my interest as well. There is already a formula for the books emerging, and if it does not vary a bit by the next, I will become bored. That said, the tone of the novel still is innocent and simple, and sometimes it is just nice to read books where the good guy wins.

18. The Girl who played with Fire - Steig Larsson - the second in the Millenium Series. This was better than the first (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). I loved this, and was so disappointed when it ended. It is a detective/spy-type novel, with some thrill in it. But more importantly, at this point I really care for the characters. The writing is solid, and there were many moments in the second book where I went, "Oh, that's why things were that way in the first boook", even though I hadn't been left out in the cold after the first book. This one, however, leaves you needing to read the third. I devoured it in about 2 sittings, and can't wait for the last in the series to become available in English. I can't really describe the plot - don't want to give anything away. Read the series.

17. Widow for One Year - John Irving - I'm a John Irving fan, so I picked this one up as a "sure thing", and wasn't disappointed. Most of his books are mainly about the people, and some of the strange predicaments in which he places them. This was no exception. It was a story about a woman, Ruth, when she is 4 and only on the periphery of the story, then 30 and again when she is 35. It is also a story about her father, her mother and a man who comes into her life as a driver when she is 4 and keeps popping up. It was well told, flowed easily and I read it fairly quickly, wanting to know what happened to the characters. A really good read.


16. The Other Hand - Chris Cleave - A refugee from Nigeria finds the family she had met on a beach two years before, with some interesting consequences. This is the basic synopsis. The back of the book tells you nothing. It is hard to say much without giving away the book. It was well written, and I think it was supposed to fill you with hope in the love of children and the future, but it left me feeling depressed and angry at the terrible treatment of refugees in the UK. So, it was a good, well written book, but you have to be in the right mood to read it. Can be read in a couple of hours

15. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson - This was an interesting book, and lighter fare that the three prior ones. It is one of a trilogy, called the Millenium Trilogy, written by a Swedish world expert in international business fraud. The basic premise is that a disgraced, but talented, business reported is hired by an aging magnate to solve the 40 year old murder of his niece. It had a few twists, and was cleverly written, so was quite enjoyable. I looked forward to picking it up each day. I'll read the next in the series.

14. The Stone Carvers - Jane Urquhart - This is one of my favorite books ever. The writing was prodigious. The description of events in one passage was so beautifully and simply written that it brought me to tears instantly. I reread many passages over and over again because their impact was so forceful. The story is based in the woods of Ontario, and is about a family from the mid-1800's through to the post-WWI era. This is a must-read. I will be bringing this one back to Canada, and will certainly re-read it at some point.

13. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides - This was the first big book by the same author who wrote Middlesex. I really liked Middlesex. I liked this less. It is what the title advertises - about Virgins who commit suicide. Well, they weren't all virgins. The book opens telling you about the 5 beautiful sisters who, living under increasingly repressive house rules, all kill themselves. It is told through the starstruck eyes of the neighborhood boys. It is a twisted sort of coming of age story, and I couldn't help but bring up images of The Wonder Years when I was trying to imagine the girls' street and school. An interesting read, but not a must-read.

12. The Girl from the Chartreuse (La Petite Chartreuse) - Pierre Peju - This was a quick read. It was basically about a good man who hits a small girl in his van when she jumps out in front of him on the streets of a French city. It then looks at the results of this on the lives of the man, the girl and her mother. It was dark, and sad. The writing was good, but it left me feeling somehow unsatisfied. But, you can read it in about 3 hours.

11. Life of Pi - Yann Martel - I think that this book is a must-read. It is a story in 3 parts, and all have their bits of interest. At the beginning the book promises to make you believe in God. I'm not sure it does that, but it certainly makes you think about it. The basic premise is an Indian boy lives in a zoo with his family, who decides to immigrate to Canada. On the way, a shipwreck sees the boy stranded in a lifeboat with several animals. It's a story of what it takes to survive months stranded. If I say anymore it will be a plot spoiler, and I think that this should be read.

10. Lost Names: Scenes from a Korean Boyhood - Richard E Kim - This was another one that I picked up on the fly at a second hand bookstore. It was a historical semi-fiction about Korea during the Japanese occupation before and during WWII. It was a story about pride and the strength of family. As well as being interesting historically and culturally, it was really quite beautiful, and I'd recommend it.

9. The No 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Alexander McCall Smith - A fun and innocent book that is easy to pick up and put down. Set in Africa, it is about one corker of an independent woman, her intelligence, love of home and homeland, and doing the right thing. I'm trying to find the next one in the series.

8. Still Alice - Lisa Genova - my mom gave me this one for Easter. I read it in about 2 days. This engaging story was about a woman at the peak of her career as a Harvard profession of linguistic psychology who develops early onset Alzheimer's Disease. It was fascinating to read this intelligent (fictional) woman's insight into her illness, and to see her perception of the world as her disease progressed. Where it could have been entirely depressing, it was instead uplifting as Alice connected with her family and herself in coming to terms with living with, instead of just dying from, Alzheimer's.

7. White Tiger - Aravind Adiga - I read this book in one day. I couldn't put it down, needing to find out what happened and why. Set in India from about the 80's to now, the main character describes his upbringing and struggle for something better culminating, as he tells early on, in murder. At times humorous his descriptions of life and servitude, I connected with the character through his letter to a Chinese Premier set to visit India to see its form of "democracy". The book managed a realistic description of modern day India that didn't leave me feeling as hopeless and empty as other books, like A Fine Balance. A must-read.

6. A Short History of Nearly Everything - Bill Bryson - This book has gotten a lot of hype, which initially made me skeptical. It's non-fiction status also made me concerned that it wouldn't be that interesting. I was very wrong. Bryson discussed, basically, everything on earth, from it's formation and how to estimate its age, to the development of life and progression through the eras to the heavens and the interations of the stars. It was told with stories and humor and I loved every page of it. At the end of the book, I couldn't help but think - why am I working in hospitals?...the world and universe are so much bigger than that. The book was very successful in making me feel insignificant, but not in a negative way. I highly recommend this one.

5. The People's Act of Love - James Meek - A second-hand bookstore find that looked interesting, and was entertaining. It had some insight into life in the far north of Russia, but was otherwise mainly a mystery with a good twist.

4. Half a Life - VS Naipaul - This one won the Nobel Prize for literature. It followed an Indian man from his not-quite-belonging-to-any-particular-caste life in India, to schooling and discovery of his talents in England, to marriage and giving up of himself in Africa. Perhaps because I was not an English major and clearly do not have appropriate appreciation for literature, I'm not really sure why this won the Nobel Prize. It was a good book, but there was nothing in it that made me go, "Wow". There was nothing in it that seemed to be a unique idea, or to cross boundaries the way I expect a Nobel Prize winning book to do. If someone else reads it and has deeper insight into it, this is where the book club bit comes in - please share.

3. October - Richard Wright - A ho-hum book about a man in his golden years who learns that his daughter has cancer, and is then asked to accompany an old acquaintance, who he doesn't really like, in his journey to death. It was a story, and parts of in were interesting, but I kind of lost the overall point.

2. The Blind Assassin - Margaret Atwood - An interesting story within a story within a story. In essence, the story of a family and their tragedies through several eras. I must say that I was most interested in the made-up story of the blind assassin and wish that it had been more fully developed. But I enjoyed the book immensely.

1. A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - An amazing and devastating book about the strength of women, their love, and their bonds in the face of unimaginable horrors. Highly recommend this one, but you need a bit of a strong stomach for some parts.

Merry Christmas

I have had a bit of free time....ahem. So I have been spending it, uh, productively.

Here's our Christmas:

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And here is the Foster Family Christmas this year:

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Here's what my idealized homecoming to Ottawa would be ;-)

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We hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas!

Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforest

This has been a week of exploring - mainly under the waves, and in the rainforest.

On the 13th, we were up early for our pickup by the Poseidon crew, who took us to the very nice catamaran-type boat on which we were to tour the reef. The Great Barrier Reef gets prettier as you head farther north, and the boats leaving for the Agincourt ribbon reefs from Port Douglas go farther than any other charter day trip. Paul and I were separated as he was snorkeling, and I was diving. We spent most of the ride out to the reef(about 75 minutes) getting briefed about the boat, sea-sickness, diving rules, etc. The diving group got all of our gear on, and when we got to the site, took a giant stride entry in!

As soon as you enter the greeny-blue water, you are first struck by how clear it is. Then by the beautiful colour, then, when you stick your mask underwater for a peak, by how many fish there are. The fish are everywhere, in beautiful silvers and blues. We spent the day going to three sites - the Bommie, Turtle Cove, and another whose name I can't remember. There wasn't a lot of time between the sites. I spent most of the first dive just remembering to breath and keeping up with the divemaster, and trying to keep my buddy in view. She hadn't been diving in a while and was having buoyancy issues, and when she kept popping to the surface, I stopped following. At least we weren't down very far.

At each site the fish were the best part. We saw a little shark hanging out on the ocean floor, we saw a little manta ray, and some fabulous starfish. The best parts were when we saw sea anemones with clown fish going in and out. I also loved all of the butterfly fish and angel fish. The colors were blues, yellows, purples, blacks and white. Some of the little fish that seemed to like to school were black and white striped and looked like zebras. The silver fish were brilliant and look so much better swimming next to you than on your dinner plate. I think that I managed to see almost all of the Nemo characters (fish wise) except Dory (no whales, or big sharks or turtles either). Most of the fish dart in and out of the corals, and the coral comes in many shapes and forms. Some is pointy and sharp-looking with blue or green-colored tips, and others form rock-like structures that look like they should be spongey to touch, but aren't. You do spend a lot of diving time being mindful of not actually touching the corals, particularly with a rogue fin. One of the best parts of the day was the Maori Wrasse at the Turtle Bay site who decided to hang around and see what these divers were all about. She was really friendly, coming right up to you, kind of like a little puppy-dog...will you be my friend, huh, huh?


At the end of the day's dives I bought some of the pictures taken by the boat's photographer, since I figured that they would be about 100 times better than the ones we took with our point and shoot that need to go in for developing. As a result, I haven't actually taken any of the reef shots included in the blog, but have only posted fish or reef that we actually saw.

That night we ended up at a place called Rattle'n Hum for a delicious dinner of an avacado salad, and then spent the night posting pictures. Paul spent the night nursing a very bad burn on the backs of his calves and his back. Although we had sunscreened him twice that day, the sun was too powerful, and anything that generally pointed up and wasn't covered was bright red.

On October 14th we headed out on Tony's Tour of the Daintree rainforest. The tour was pretty good, and we saw a lot, but it was all a bit rushed. Also, we were definitely the youngest people on the tour by about 25 years. The tour started with a walk into Mossman gorge. Not exactly a strenuous walk, as it is mainly along boardwalk. The guide, Dave, was really good and stopped to tell us about lots of birds and animals. We heard an adolescent Riflebird and its call, the Wompoo pigeon who makes a Wom...poooo sound and was beautiful greens when it flew overhead. We saw the orange-footed scrubfowl (they seem to be everywhere), and the brush Turkey, who did not look like he would make a good Thanksgiving dinner, given his thin appearance, and constant rolling in the dirt to get rid of lice.

From Mossman gorge, we headed up to the Daintree river, in the rainforest, and took a boat tour down the river. Ostensibly looking for crocodiles, we only saw two with their heads poking out. I was more impressed with both the green tree frogs and the miniature little crabs scuttling along the beach. Also, there was this bean hanging off of a tree - it was HUGE!!! The bean species is apparently the larges in the world, and from our vantage in the boat, it looked like it was 4-5 feet tall. The guides pointed out the mangrove trees, and the mango trees, and we learned that the trees living near this salty, tidal river, have adapted to shuttle the salt into certain specific leaves that then turn yellow and drop off. Ingenious.

The river is only crossable by car ferry, and you would NOT want to swim across because, although we didn't see many crocodiles, they are everywhere. We met our tour guide and van on the other side, and headed into the Daintree forest. It was a very twisty road, but with amazing canopy coverage, and beautiful views of the ocean on the other side.

Our first stop the Alexandra lookout...nothing particularly special, though it offered good views of the ocean. The first real stop in the Daintree was Thronton Beach. The beach was gorgeous - a little white-sand cove, surrounded by palms with rainforest hills in the background. Swimming, however, was not advisable because of the undertow, the crocodiles, and the jellyfish. So, we dipped our feet, had morning tea, and headed off to the next beach at Cape Tribulation, so-called because James Cook had a bit of a ship wreck there. The Cape is beautiful. It is said to be the only place in the world where two heritage listed sites meet - the Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef. We had some spectacular views of the ocean, the beautiful beach, and the mangroves surrounding the beach. I could have stayed for the entire day, just watching the little fish in the tidal pools and enjoying the views of paradise.

Alas, we headed out to our next stop, called Noah Valley, within the rainforest. It seems to be where most tour groups take their parties for lunch which is prepared on large bar-b-ques, which the guides bring salads and fruit for desert. The benefit of Tony's tour was that we had our own little dining area, and weren't under the large tented area. Lunch was rather amazing, actually, with steak and yummy fish. After lunch there was optional swimming. I was the only person in the group to take up the offer and join the guide in the water, and was glad that I had. I've never seen clearer water. You could see the river snakes, and little tadpoles and fish swimming along. It was a large rock bottom, so you couldn't stand well, but that is what made the water so pristine. We also managed to see two Ulysses butterflies while we were swimming! So beautiful! Apparently they have to be because they only have 12-14 days to attract a mate before dying.

After the refreshing swim, our next stop was a walk through the rainforest. The guide pointed out the strangling fig trees, and showed the trees with buttresses used by aboriginals as swords and shields. We were shown plants that you could and couldn't eat, and those that look harmless but that you wouldn't even want to touch. We saw a musky rat kangaroo, a little marsupial that is ancient (from before Australia was a lot of dry grass and animals had to learn to hop to get places quickly), is active in the day time, and walks instead of hopping.

The last stop of the day was the Daintree Ice Cream shop. They make ice cream only from tropical fruits and nuts. The flavors of the day were wattleseed (tastes like coffee bean), jack fruit (tastes gross), raspberry, and macadamia nut. I then proceeded to sleep most of the way home in the back of the van going around twisty roads. It was either sleep or throw up.

Since we had had a huge lunch, we just got some sausages and bar-b-qued for supper.

The 15th was not an early morning. In fact, we spent the day doing nothing in particular. I talked with the fam, Paul checked up on his stocks, I left him in the apartment to do some shopping (soooo much nice summer clothing here, and I do love summer frocks). Supper was fish and chips at a pub, and then we went to see cane toad racing. This requires a bit of explanation. Cane toads were introduced to Australia in the 1970s from Hawaii, by a farmer who though that the toads would eat the beetles that were destroying the sugar cane crop. Problem was, beetles lived on the tops of the canes, toads couldn't hop that high. But, with no natural predators, and poison glands preventing anyone wanting to eat the toads, the toads have multiplied exponentially and now are estimated to number in the billions. They are the number one pests in Australia. But this guy keeps the ones he finds in his back yard as pets. They are kinda cute. Then he brings them to the pub and puts on a big show of finding toad jockeys amongst the crowd who have to pick up their toads and give them a kiss before racing them. The race consists of leaving the toads in the middle of an oval table, and getting them to hop to the edge and into a waiting hand. The encouragement for the toads to hop - those party favours with the curled paper that you blow and that make noise while straightening out. It was kind of cute. We paid our $5, watched for a while, and then headed back home for more lack of productivity. What a great day!

On the 16th, Paul stayed home nursing his sunburn and doing some reading/work?, while I headed out to the reef again. It was also with Poseidon, and the diving was even better. The conditions were perfect, with winds less than 10 knots, and we hit 3 different sites. It was absolutely amazing; and almost indescribably feeling to be swimming among the beautiful fishes, and seeing the incredible corals. I think that I enjoyed it more because I was much more comfortable with the actual diving. We saw a Grey reef shark circling at one site, and that was the biggest shark I'd ever want to see diving. Our dive master was really excited. I was sufficiently concerned to be glad that he didn't stick around long. We saw some beautiful corals, more little clownfish, and some crazy schools of large yellow fish that seemed to split into groups of 30 or so and hang out, and then of one mind all switch direction and hang out in exactly the same spot. It was funny to watch, actually, and I have no idea what was driving the positioning.

I wandered home from the Marina along the waterfront, looking longingly at the beach, and the warves with boats, and wishing that I could live in a tropical place like Port Douglas. It's laid back, warm and sunny, not too big, and on beautiful ocean. I think I could be very happy, if it just wasn't so far from home.

Port Douglas and Cairns

Paul and I have found a little piece of heaven in northern Queensland. We have an apartment for 9 nights in the pretty little seaside town of Port Douglas, and I love it here. The apartment is perfect - everything you need with a pretty view out the balcony so that I can sit and eat breakfast and enjoy the weather and the birds while Paul sleeps. That said, I'm not letting him have many sleep-ins. Today we were up at 7 so that we could get to Cairns for me to do a dive refresher, and tomorrow we'll be up at 7 again so that we can go out on the reef with a boat.

We arrived at the Cairns airport on the 10th, and headed to the car rental agency. They pick you up at the airport, which is the only good thing about the company. Called, "Older Car Rental Cairns", we had expected cars that were 5-10 years. What we got was a beater. The price for the rental of this little Ford Fiesta ($500 for 9 days including insurance, though goodness knows why one would ever need insurance)was more than what they could ever sell it for. The car had no safety features, and so we were feeling rather gypped. We had to take the car for 48 hours, so we drove off with it creaking and groaning the whole way. Our Trip Advisor report will express our displeasure.

The drive from Cairns to Port Douglas is amazing. Ocean to your right, green hills and mountains to the left. Much of the drive is around twisty road as it follows the coast. The beaches are beautiful with white sand. I knew that I'd like it here. We stopped in a swishy town called Palm Cove for lunch and paid way too much for sandwiches, and then headed to our accommodation in Port Douglas. After checking ourselves in, we did a bit of grocery shopping, had dinner of takeout pizza, but generally spent the day relaxing and reading on the balcony. THIS is vacation!

On October 11th we slept in and then headed to the Port Douglas Sunday market. It was held in a park, with each vendor under their own white tent. There was a disappointing amount of fresh product, but a plethora of local crafts. There were also a lot of masseuses doing massage on people lying in little tents with a view of the ocean in the background. Very hippy, much of it, but rather enjoyable.

We headed to 4-mile beach next. It's a beautiful white-sand beach, made more attractive by the mangrove trees partially submerged, the rocks around the edges, and the spectacular mountains in the background. We clambered over the rocks for a while, and enjoyed the surf and then found a yummy ice cream. We got the stuff needed for supper and headed to the apartment to relax, and then have steak on the bar-b-que (the apartment building has a communal barbie). Night was spent relaxing while I did some reading up on scuba diving skills.

On Monday ,the 12th (Thanksgiving in Canada), we were up early to head to Cairns. First, we picked up a new rental car, at a credible agency, and then dropped off our piece of junk. The diving course was excellent - a much appreciated review after a few years above water. I was taught by this Canadian from somewhere 3 hours north of Edmonton, who must have been only about 22, but somehow has gotten to be a dive instructor. He said he feels like he gets paid to go on vacation, since he spends a lot of his time out on the reef scuba diving with tourists. Not bad.

We hit the mall to eat lunch and get Paul some Crocs so that he can be on the boat without being in his hiking boots, and then did a bit of Cairns sight-seeing. Cairns is a bit of an icky town, actually. The water-front isn't really charming. There is a long boardwalk, which is nice, and there is a huge saltwater pool which is attractive and seems to draw a huge number of sun-seekers. I also really enjoyed watching the egrets and pelicans congregate on the edge. But the water is murky, and the other side of the boardwalk is lined with ugly shops. There is nothing quaint about Cairns. The inner streets are livable and practical, but there is nothing there to recommend the city. The very best part of the city, and the one thing that I'd suggest people see, is the Botanical Gardens. They were beautiful! Tropical greens and flowers everywhere, a lily pond, guinea fowl-like birds and turkeys that scampered away whenever we came near. Of course, they made more noise and were more conspicuous trying to hide than if they had just stood on the path in front of us. The little fowls make me laugh, the way that they dig at the ground throwing away anything in their path to lunch.

We spent the evening having supper at a nice place called 2 Fish, and then Paul had to go to a take-away joint to fill the rest of the holes. Now we sit watching TV and relaxing before another early morning heading out to the Great Barrier Reef...Yeah!!!

Australia's Red Center

We weren't sure that we really wanted to see Uluru (well, that we wanted to spend the time and money to go see Uluru...we want to see everything). But, since it is THE symbol of Australia, and a site of Aboriginal significance, we figured that we ought to see it while we are here.

We flew out on Saturday, the 26th, and were able to catch planes all the way to Uluru where we picked up our rental car, somehow scored an upgrade and 1200 extra free kilometers (really nice guy working at the counter), and headed to Yulara. Yulara is an alternate reality. When you fly into Uluru there are beautiful views of the rock, of the Olgas, and of vast expanses of red desert. Then, out of the sand, pops Yulara. The entire town is either resort or housing for people working at the resort. There are about 6 hotels/hostels/resorts and a campground. You never see the housing for the workers - apparently hidden behind the cheapest hotel. There is a "mall" at which there is a supermarket, a deli, a restaurant, a post office, and souvenir shops. All very surreal.

After we set up our borrowed tent, courtesy of one of the doctors at the Children's Hospital, we headed out to take some pictures of Uluru. It is just a rock, but what a rock.


It is special because it is all one stone. Walking around Australia, I have come to realize just how rare that is. Most large "rocks" are actually conglomerate rock, or made of several stones together. This is just one large piece of sandstone, and it actually extends under the earth for kilometers. By comparison, the relatively nearby Olgas (Kata Tjuta) are made of conglomerate rock that was laid in a different time period than that of Uluru.



Then we headed out to the Sounds of Silence Dinner. We were told that this was pricey, but worth it because you got to eat dinner watching the sun set over both Uluru and the Kata Tjutas at the same time. Alas, this was not so. We did get to stand on a dune with a glass of champagne and watch the sun go down over both sites, which was nice. But dinner was a very chilly affair, and we could only see the Olgas. The company was good, though. We met a French Canadian couple who were happy to let me practice French, and they practiced English, and the guy wanted to talk stocks. Paul was a happy camper.
The food was pretty good for being prepared entirely out at the desert, though cold by the time you got it back to your table. I did discover that crocodile is pretty good! The didgeridoo player was amazing. He was a white guy, which is not to say that non-aboriginals can play the didgeridoo, but did re-emphasize the lack of Aboriginal involvement in the resort, tours and pretty much everything having to do with Uluru.

We had a chilly night camping and the next morning were up bright and early to head to Kata Tjuta, where we did the Valley of the Winds walk. It was a pretty amazing 2.5 hour hike through rock formations with amazing views. Scrambling up some of the "paths" was a good challenge. There are always really pretty flowers in the desert, and this was no exception. Most impressive, though, were the huge expanses of sand dunes, rocky hills, and no human influence.




From here we headed back to Uluru to go through the cultural center that describes the Aboriginal connection to Uluru/Kata Tjuta and it's spiritual significance. Then we headed down the Lasseter highway towards Kings Canyon. The drive is quite beautiful, with red sand and dunes all around that put PEI to shame.


We had quick stops at Mounth Conner (frequently mistaken as Uluru when people are driving from Alice Springs to Uluru) and Curtain Springs for the toilet and a gawk at the emus.



We spent that night at the Kings Canyon Cattle Station, a reasonable option for those tired of resorts (the only other accommodation around, including camping, is at a place owned by the same people who own Yulara). It's a working cattle station with millions of acres of land, and they operate the front as a tourism business. I liked out little permanent safari-type tent. Actually, I really liked the atmosphere of the whole place. We watched sunset from a place called Tank Hill and then made dinner on the bar-b-que.

Next morning we were up bright and early to walk around Kings Canyon. The hike was supposed to take 4 hours. It only took about 2.5, but was one of my favorites in Australia to date. It starts with a bit of a brutal climb up to the top of the table, and then involves a hike around the rim of the canyon. But it isn't just a straight walk looking down into a canyon the entire time. You weave in and out of rock dome formations, with amazing views alternating with sheltered expanses. It felt a bit surreal, but in a magical kind of way. Anyone going to Uluru should definitely take the time to go north to the canyon.











After our hike, we headed back out to the highway, and on to Alice Springs. The coolest thing about the ride - we saw a group of 6-7 feral horses as they ran across the road. Even more surprising was the camel we came across eating from the top branches of a tree. Crazy!

We stayed at a charming little B&B in Alice Springs. I had booked it because of the promise of seeing animals, and we weren't disappointed. In this lady's backyard are Kangaroos and the most beautiful cockatoos called Gullahs. I spent part of the morning while Paul slept in our little sunroom just watching the kangaroos (including 2 moms with joeys). Definitely a trip highlight. The animals are all wild, and you can't get close to them - they are super-wary of humans, but are still happy to come into her back yard when she leaves out food!