OZ

Last adventures in the Land down Under

Up this morning for about 20 km of quad biking; what a blast. The guide said he had never had customers catch on so fast or go as quickly as we did, but that's likely what he says to all the crazy Canadians. We had snacks by a beautiful beach. I wanted to jump in, but the water was freezing.

In the afternoon, I went to a local oyster farm to see how oysters are produced, and to enjoy fresh shucked oysters and champagne. We donned waders and headed into the deep.

Next time you have a fresh oyster, try with lime (and champagne)...incredible!

Until then, this is Janet and Paul saying 'hooroo' from the land down under.

October 6th- Hiking Wineglass Bay

This morning we went hiking Wineglass Bay. I actually went to Wine Glass Point, which is located in  a 'valley' between 2 mountains. My nephew Paul walked to the top of Mount Amos, about 1/2 km high. (The old folks went up the clearly marked path - with steps and handrails).

The view was fantastic. The bay is called  Wineglass Bay for two reasons: 1) it is shaped vaguely like a wineglass, and 2) in the days of whaling, the blood from whales killed in the bay turned the water wine red. Wallabies welcomed us in the parking lot upon our safe return.

October 5th -Leaving Hobart for our final Stop

A few last birds...and the emu we saw.

 As we left Hobart we drove up Mount Wellington....cold, eerie and very foggy.



It was about 3 hours up to Coles Bay and we are now ensconsed at Saffire Lodge, our last stop and maybe our best. The lodge is outstanding and our suite is spectacular. We have our own plunge pool and a luxurious bathtub. Cocktails are scheduled with the manager at 5:30... it's a hard life. Were enjoying the last few days of our Australian adventure with a hike tomorrow followed by some spa treatments.

At the Saffire Lodge (http://www.saffire-freycinet.com.au/default-en.html).

October 3rd and 4th -Tasmania

Yesterday we finished our Great Ocean Drive and headed up to Ballarat,   (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ballarat), a stop on our way back to Melbourne. Its an old gold rush town and they still pan for gold there.

Today we headed to Tasmania. We arrived in Hobart around 1:30 p.m.  By 2 p.m. we were in the hotel and then off to a 2:30 boat departure to MONA, the Museum of Modern and Old Art (http://www.mona.net.au/). To enter, you walk up 99 steps to find the entrance hidden with a "shopping gallery" sign.

Who would have guessed this was the entrance to the gallery?

I wasn't expecting to like the "new art", (a lot of female body parts cast in plaster), and I didn't.

The return cruise was pleasant, the weather warm and sunny. The town of Hobart seems very nice with lots of hip restaurants and art galleries. Tomorrow we head to our last hotel before transferring home. Wow this vacation has gone fast!

October 1st and 2nd- the Great Ocean Road  

Now for the fabulous 12 apostles (http://visit12apostles.com.au/ ).  There are towers, arches, bridges and many more configurations of towering rock. We were lucky with weather as the rain held off at most key locations.  Things went from sunny to foggy, to eerie, then bright. We even saw a rainbow.

 

My nephew Paul didn't always stick to the path.

 

Yesterday was a busy day as we left Kangaroo Island for Adelaide, then on to Melbourne. From there we headed to the Great Ocean Road, the most photographed location in Australia. It was a 3-hour drive late in the day, so we didn't take many photos but certainly the vistas.

Our hotel was great and we were upgraded to a 3-bedroom cottage.  My nephew Paul loved the bed which not only had a heating pad but a fuzzy blanket. I had to pry him out of bed to hit the road by 10. It was a cold and misty morning but we saw some amazing wildlife including very colourful birds. Paul was game to take the road less travelled; we saw many waterfalls and stayed away from cliff edges.

A room with a view.

Lost in the Outback- September 30th

Okay so it wasn't the outback but I was definitely lost.

Today we headed out sea kayaking. I admit this was a bad idea for me and that I had several chances to back out but ignored them. We launched inland on a small river. The wind was very strong and we flew downriver. I didn't expend much effort until we turned and headed back in the rain. Our guide told me there was a spot at which I could get a lift back to the lodge or I could use a well-marked 1 km long trail. I decided to take charge of an unpleasant situation and return to the lodge for a bath and hot chocolate.

I chose to follow what looked like a reasonable path but after heading out for 15 minutes, there were no markers in sight. Being a good camper I knew what to do in the bush, so I returned to the original spot where I had seen a marker and started off in another direction...now in the rain. The eventual outcome was a happy one and the lodge didn't have to send out a search party, but it took me over an hour to get back and Paul and the others had already returned. A warm bath in my lovely room was a great improvement to the day.

The next adventure was a 45 minute drive to a "seal bay" followed by 10 minutes of very windy, wet viewing. Given the day's success rate, I decided to pass on "kangaroos and canapés" and settle in with a good book.

 

Cliff tops and Koalas- September 29th

This afternoon my nephew Paul took a cliff walk while I had a massage. We were both very happy with our activity choices.

 I then returned to search for koalas.

 

Touring the Southwest Shore - First photos of koalas, among other wildlife and spectacular coastal scenery

 

Penfolds Winery

Had dinner at Penfolds winery last night. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penfolds) Wow!
This is Paul's favourite Australian winery. The restaurant has recently re-opened and its designer has just won an international design award for this restaurant...gone are the old leather and dark woods, which I might have preferred to its new modern and very light look.

We experienced a seven course tasting menu. Paul had his meal paired with the "iconic & luxury" wine selection. Examples of the unique menu include: an appetizer plate with leek ash covered oysters or eggplant, crispy beet root with Wagyu beef, scampi with cauliflower puree & kimchee cabbage leaf. We also tried sashimi kingfish with  ponzu (a citrus-based sauce)  and turnip; crispy pork belly with macadamia nuts; and Wagyu beef with 2 perfect pieces of asparagus.

There was a total of 3 dessert presentations, plus truffles to take home. The meal took 4 1/2 hours but the time slipped by during this perfect meal.

Action on the Bamurro Plains - September 23-27th 

Day 3

We experienced a ride on a larger boat on the Mary river, (which travels to the coast). Here we had much better luck spotting crocodiles on both land and water (they look like logs).

Day 2- p.m.

Spent a relaxing afternoon by the pool...lots of birds amused us with there antics as we relaxed. Then at 4 p.m. we headed out for more "Sundowners"(cocktails) on the Mary River.

Black Kite

Rainbow Beeeater

Day 2 - a.m.

After a tasty breakfast,  we headed out to explore the wetlands  by airboat. But not before we met the resident baby, 8-month old Skip.  We drove through miles of wetlands terrorizing buffalos, scaring  geese but not really finding large crocodiles.

Black-necked stork

Forest Kingfisher

There was a burn-off taking place so smoke and fire surrounded the camp...fortunately far enough away from the camp that we didn't smell it in our tents.

Day 1

We arrived at the lodge about 3:30 in the afternoon and were reminded of our trips to Africa. The weather was hot and humid. A cheerful guide greeted us in his open-sided jeep at the tiny airstrip and provided cold drinks when we arrived at the camp.  The tents at this camp are extremely nice with lots of  cool 'touches' such as branches used as towel hangers. Interestingly, the tents have one-way mesh so you can see out, but no one can see in.

After checking in to our room we were off for an afternoon drive to include "Sundowners"(drinks at sundown).  The lodge is located on an active farm that raises buffalo (for sale to Vietnam) and cattle. It is set within 77,000 acres of billabongs and wetlands.

We had a lucky first day and had lots of sightings; buffalo, grumbies (wild horses), dingos (wild dogs golden in colour), snakes, wallabies, crocs, termite mounds and lots of birds. A dinner of steak and prawns took place at a large wooden table that held 15 guests.

September 22, 2014

We are enjoying two quiet days in Port Douglas with nothing on our agenda. Last night we had dinner with friends from the dive boat at Waterworks, a hip and trendy spot not unlike the restaurant at which my nephew Paul works. I could see Paul was anxious to jump behind the bar and start shaking cocktails. He has $300 dollars worth of tips in his pocket and needs new shoes, so we're on a mission today.

The local graveyard here is an interesting destination... you can find headstones inscribed with messages such as "murdered in an evil way".

Tomorrow we head out early to fly to Darwin. From there we take a small plane south and end at the Bamurru Plains. (http://www.bamurruplains.com/) We'll be staying at a safari-style lodge and expects to see lots of wildlife: crocs, buffalo, wild horses, and lots of birds. Apparently, we'll be travelling by air boats, jeeps and a regular boat.

We'll have no access to the Internet from early tomorrow until we reach Adelaide on Saturday night, but will send an update then - hopefully with lots of great photos.

Our week on the Spirit of Adventure- Diving like Rock Stars

Wow! What an amazing week aboard the Spirit of Freedom! Basically this trip provided new national geographic photo opportunities wherever we looked, above or below the water. My nephew Paul and I have had a fantastic time. Originally, I thought I would do 1- 2 dives a day, but ended up with an average of 3 or 4 each day. (Paul has done even more). It's just too gorgeous to miss a dive.

I'm not sure what has been my favourite part: amazing coral reefs that change at every site; colourful fish, from minuscule to huge in size; eels; tiny colourful sea slugs; snakes; a massive Potato cod feeding from our dive leader's hand; the "shark feed" where we sat along the coral while masses of sharks (about 50) enjoyed munching on cod heads; dolphins swimming off the bow of the boat; every shade of blue you can imagine for miles and miles in every direction; beautiful sunsets nightly.

Thursday was a 'turnover' day...we stopped at Lizard Island where 6 passengers left and 7 newbies arrived. This was a much younger crowd and lots of fun. After 2 intro dives for this group, we steamed overnight to the Osprey Reef area 120 miles northeast.  This is an amazing area with few divers due to its remote location. The boat rocked and rolled all night but thankfully no one was seasick.  Friday was a 5-dive day, although I was satisfied with 4.  Paul did 5 dives, which included the second night dive opportunity.  Eerie.

The days slipped by quickly. If we weren't diving, we were eating.  After the first 24 hours, during which I was distinctly sea sick, I felt great, although my ears still feel like they're underwater. My nephew Paul had no issues.

The staff on board were fantastic (friendly, kind, courteous) and very helpful. Kiara  and Lala who cleaned, served, kept the cookie jar full and also dove; the captain, Jake and his 2 assistants;  Jack the director, and his team of 3 master divers; and Tim the chef.  All crew pitched in on chores; they were  a very cohesive group, full of fun and energy, and all ran smoothly.

 

Dive log

The depth of my dives are shown in Imperial measurements, whereas Paul's are metric.
Monday
Norman, Caves. 63'.  37 minutes. Paul  17.8 depth, 60 minutes
Tuesday
Ribbons, Cod Hole. 64' 45 minutes. Paul 21.2d, 56 minutes
Ribbon 10, Cod hole feed.  53' 53minutes.  Paul 17d, 49 minutes
Rods Rock. 51' 43 minutes. Paul 13.2d 52 minutes
Challenger Bay night dive...41' 51 minutes  Paul, 11.2d 17
Wednesday
Pixie pinnacle 76' 47 minutes. Paul 19.3d 59 minutes
Pixie garden 53' 52 minutes.  Paul 18d 64 minutes
Snake Pit. 53' 39 minutes.  Paul 19.8d 61 minutes
Dynamite.   Paul 17.1 d. 62 minutes.
Thursday
Pixie Wall 70' 46 minutes. Paul 18.9. 46 minutes
Pixie Wall 68' 47 minutes. Paul. 13.7d 46 minutes
Friday
Osprey reef, north Horn. 75' 32 minutes. Paul. 27.9. 41 minutes
Osprey reef north horn shark feed 80' 43 minutes. Paul. 20.1.  44 minutes
Osprey reef soft coral wall. drift dive 71' 52 minutes. Paul. 19.2. 60 minutes
Admiralty Reef 57' 53 minutes. 22.7   40 minutes
Admiralty night.  Paul. 19.4. 44 minutes
Saturday
Silver City 77' 53 minutes. Paul. 28.3. 52 minutes.
Castles. 71' 40 minutes. Paul. 22.4. 53 minutes
The Gap. Paul 19.3 67 minutes
False Entrance. 52'. 49 minutes. Paul 17.2. 51 minutes
Sunday
Steves bommie. 84' 44 minutes. Paul 21.9. 63 minutes
Steves bommie. 54'. 49 minute. Paul. 21.2. 53 minutes
Century Bay. 64'. 43 minutes.   Paul. 16.4. 64 minutes
Flair Point. Paul. 14.  62 minutes

September 18th, 2014 - Diving is Fun!!!

September 16th, 2014

My nephew Paul and I boarded the Spirit of Freedom ( http://www.spiritoffreedom.com.au/ ) on Monday a.m. and  luckily, were given 2 cabins. They are small but efficient, and the benefits of having 2 cabins are amazing. We are also lucky that there are only 15 passengers (out of a maximum of 26) on board. A fun mix of people in a large age range.....Nanci and Leo from California; David and Sharon from Colorado on vacation in Australia for 3 months; Steve and Janelle from New Zealand; Cenling from Tokyo; Chrystelle from France; Michael from Iran, although living in Australia; Daniel from Romania; and lastly, a family William, Michelle and Maddy from Australia. There are 11 staff on the boat. They are lots of fun and very service-oriented, always helpful and enthusiastic.

After the requisite safety and dive briefings, we set off set for a nearby reef. The first dive was to assess our experience/abilities and the compatibility among divers. It was great to have that initial dive under our belt.

Basically our agenda is to eat and dive, and the meals are amazing. The first night we had steaks, today's lunch featured two types of pasta, and salmon is on the menu tonight. We're not getting three square meals a day...it's more like six. No-one goes hungry.

Today, there were a five potential dives available. The first two dives were at Cod Hole, known for the amazingly huge Potato Cod. This monster, Epinephelus tukula (also called potato grouper or potato bass) is a native Australian fish. It can reach

The next dive was at Rod's Rock, which is basically a large coral pinnacle. We saw many mini-fish,  and amazing blue starfish draped magnificently over the coral. I missed seeing the snake but was not unhappy about that. We saw a large school of barracudas. My nephew Paul is loving his  GoPro camera...now if only we could download the photos.

Our last dive of the day was a night dive in Challenger Bay. and it was great. We saw lion fish, sharks, and lots of very big fish eating little fish. Although fun, it was a bit spooky to dive at night and I think once is enough for me.

Pictures to follow! 

September 11th, 2014

I started this adventure with a quick but pleasant stop in Vancouver to see friends and had a great day before heading back to the airport for the second leg of my journey.

I finally arrived in Brisbane Wednesday, early afternoon where I was greeted by my friend Karen, whom I had met earlier in the year in Vietnam.

We had a great drive back to Karen's place, stopping in a few small tourist towns and enjoying views from Montville, which is located in the Blackwall mountain range.

When we arrived at Karen and Don's place we had great fun trying to get a good photo of a wallaby - normally skittish animals. We had  a quiet and relaxing dinner at home - prepared and  served by Don.

Woke to a beautiful foggy morning with the sun rising. What a view they have!
I saw more wallabies right outside my window - including one with a joey!

We spent the day on a boat ride up the Noosa river and saw several species of wildlife. Interestingly, our fellow passengers had worked together in the Antarctic in the 60's and were together for their annual reunion (average age 85).

Wine at lunch was served in ingenious pre-packed plastic glasses with foil lids. Great idea for the worst wine ever.

By the way, anyone with a spare 100k plus can enjoy 3 nights at one of Richard Branson's properties. The good news is  you can bring 30 of your closest friends and the cost includes all staff and food.

Finally, the big excitement of the day was that I met up with my nephew and travel mate Paul.

CONTEST- Enter Now, enter often

I'm learning lots of new words in OZ and I'm going to hold a contest.  Try to guess the meaning of the words written in upper case. Get your entry in soon! The person with the most correct words will win a cool Aussie gift.

 1.   I took my UTE into Brisbane when I went for supplies.

2.  I really enjoyed the BUGS Don prepared for dinner last night.

3.   SNIP the screen please when you come in.

4.   Karen and I picked up some cute things at the OP shop!

5.   We got RUGGED UP to go to the FOOTIE.

6.   There's a group of GREY NOMADS up ahead. Beware of there erratic behaviour.