Round and about

After the excitement of the previous day Wednesday was a plotting day, and after a mornings to-ing and fro-ing we finally secured a campervan to relocate to Sydney! When we were travelling last year we wondered about having a campervan, well this now gives us the chance to try it out relatively cheaply. We have 9 days to travel from Cairns to Sydney, a journey of 2527km. You never know, this could be the way forward, sell up at home and live in a campervan!!

Alex was at work this evening so we gave him a day off from providing entertainment, and spent the afternoon on 4 -mile beach, very lovely it was too.




North Queensland is very caribbean-like, with a tropical climate and lush planting. Port Douglas is so picturesque, lovely beaches, mangroves and rainforest which reaches down to the coast. There are lovey little clapboard churches dotted along the coastline. This is a big sugar cane growing area and there are cane train tracks alongside the roads, plantations and factories.






Another great day out on Thursday. Alex picked us up at 8 am and off we went on the road towards Cairns. Just outside Cairns we arrived at the Skytrain station where we transferred by minibus to Freshwater train station where we boarded the historical train which slowly took us up through the rainforest to a village called Kuranda some 350m above Freshwater. The train took 90 minutes to travel 7.5km but the views were spectacular.









We wandered round markets, aboriginal art galleries, through rainforest and eventually made our way to the Skytrain station for the amazing journey down. We went sweeping over the canopy this time, taking in beautiful plants and bird life.




Back on the flat we had a quick trip to K-mart for Alex to replenish his very classy wardrobe!!

We finished the day by partaking of pizza with Alex and his Aussie girlfriend. Very lovely she is too! She is from Melbourne but also working in Port Douglas for the season. I have a feeling we won't be seeing much more of her though!!!

We finished the week by visiting Mossman Gorge on Friday, where Jim and Alex swam in the mysterious, deep and freezing cold waterhole. I'm not that stupid. Think crocodiles!









We were then entertained by an evening game of soccer (football), watching Port Douglas playing. Unfortunately Alex wasn't playing - he couldn't, one too many yellow cards!

Today, Saturday, we went to watch an Aussie rule football game. Quite entertaining but bloody hard to understand what was going on!

Tomorrow is our last day in Port Douglas, it's been a fantastic week but we've got to say goodbye again. Still this time it's only for 7 weeks, Alex has just over 4 weeks left in Oz then he's off on a road trip from Los Angeles to Chicago before returning home in early October. We've got our mammoth road trip to look forward to starting on Monday. Can't wait!

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Location:Macrossan Street,Port Douglas,Australia

The trip of a lifetime

Yesterday we had the most amazing experience, a trip which we'll never forget. Up early, bags packed and on to the huge and highly impressive Quicksilver catamaran for a 90 minute journey across the Coral Sea to one of the outer reefs, part of the unique marine park which stretches for 2300km along the north-eastern coast - The Great Barrier Reef.


We left the charms of Port Douglas behind and made an exhilarating journey in beautiful sunshine out to a pontoon or activity platform.


As soon as we arrived we made our way off the catamaran and onto the platform where we donned Lycra suits, to prevent stings from any defensive coral or marine jellyfish, and selected masks, snorkels and fins. Making our way to the snorkelling platform we fitted our fins and made our way in to the water. Oh wow, a whole new world, and a stunning, beautiful and mesmerising new world. After a couple of minutes we all stopped, looked at each other and laughed out loud with sheer delight. I don't think the three of us could believe what we were seeing.

The sheer amount and variety of fishes was amazing and the stunning coral just breathtaking. As I relaxed into it I floated over so many dips and hollows, hiding huge fish and giant blue clams. Moving slowly over one area the whole thing just dropped away and I was looking into a huge valley which was incredibly deep but with crystal clear water. I was so shocked I immediately dipped deep underwater and swallowed several mouthfuls of salt water! Ugh!


After 30 minutes we reluctantly returned to the platform where, strangely famished, we tucked into an impressive lunch buffet. After eating we made our way to the underwater observatory where more gorgeous creatures swam leisurely past for our perusal.





Our final activity was a trip round the reef in a semi-submersible vessel. A funny guy pointed out and named lots of different fish, including the huge barramundi which I have enjoyed eating! We saw small sharks which stay in deep water through the day to avoid the heat of the sun.


James and Alex went back in to snorkel again and I took the opportunity to photograph them and to sit quietly with a coffee gazing into the clear depths. Magical!








Only one thing could have improved the day - Liam to have experienced it all with us, he would have loved it and he and Alex could have gone scuba-diving.

A very happy, elated and still slightly disbelieving threesome set off in prime seats right at the front of the boat for the wild and windy trip back.








Some days you remember for a lifetime. Today was one of those days.


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Location:Warner Street,Port Douglas,Australia

Tropical North Queensland

Oh lovely!

We've spent the weekend with Alex and 9 others in his apartment in pretty Port Douglas. The apartment is huge - he had described it to us but until you see it for yourself.... It has originally been a 4 bedroom apartment with en-suite, kitchen, family bathroom and sitting area but at some point the outside terrace has been incorporated into it and that is a massive space, housing a dining table with 14 chairs, 7 settees, 4 large suspended chairs, a pool table, a football space complete with goal, a boarded-in atrium, 2 balconies, a desk, a huge TV and music system and 8 cinema chairs. We all moved around each other, cooking, chatting, watching TV, etc and didn't get in each others way! Unbelievable. I have no idea how they found this place but they certainly fell on their feet!!














We got a guided tour of Port Douglas on Sunday, it's so pretty and with an amazing tropical climate, the humidity goes up and down but the temperature is pretty constant at this time of the year, which is the peak tourist season.


This is a special place, surrounded by the Daintree National Park which is glorious rainforest and in the sea, the Barrier Reef, which are both World Heritage areas.

The photo above shows 4-mile beach, glorious golden sands lapped by the Coral Sea. Alex has taken some annual leave this next week so we have a full itinerary planned. Today we visited Hartley's Crocodile Adventure which not only has loads of saltwater and freshwater crocs, snakes, lizards, koalas, cassowaries, kangaroos and wallabies plus a crocodile farm, it has mad, loud Aussies playing with said crocs!









Jim and Alex played with the wallabies and kangaroos.







And each other!




The views of the coast are stunning.




When we eventually got back we moved into our own, small, well normal sized apartment. All Alex's mates are lovely but it's nice to have some peace and quiet - and a clean bathroom!!

Tomorrow we are going on a catamaran to Agincourt Reef to spend the day snorkelling, swimming and generally gawping at the coral and sealife on the reef. Must remember my seasickness tablets cos me and boats don't always work well together! Can't wait though.




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Location:Port Douglas Road,Port Douglas,Australia

Last days in Alice.

After our inactivity over the past two days whilst we have been cooped up in a car we decided some exercise was overdue so ... bike hire it is then. Alice Springs, Upuru, etc sit in Simpsons desert which stretches into Western Australia and to the top of South Australia. We planned to ride to Simpsons Gap in the West McDonnell range along a meandering cycle track which roams through the bush.

Setting off at 10.15 we made our way the 7km or so out of town and to the beginning of the track. The weather was beautiful, about 25 degrees with a slight breeze, just perfect for cycling. Taking advice from the locals we wore long sleeved shirts with our shorts which kept a lot of the sun off us and were cooler than T-shirts. Along the track there were info. boards explaining the fauna, geology of the area and the different birds we could see and hear. We were joined for part of our journey by a wedge-tailed eagle which swooped and dived above us and kept track with us for several km.



After a further 17km we arrived at the track to Simpsons Gap. It took us another 20 minutes to reach but it was spectacular. We actually saw some water in the gap but it is water which is slowly dripping from the rocks from many years' previous rainfall.





There were rock wallabies living on the slopes but no matter how long we stood still we failed to see any, their camouflage is pretty clever.

We spent about an hour at the Gap then began our journey back, another 28km. There seemed to be loads more uphill sections going back than on the way there, but we stopped for a mouthful of our rationed water every 20 minutes. My bum was feeling very tender and it was agony each time we got back on the bikes! Still we stuck at it and got back to have a good long conversation with the nice man at the YHA from where we had rented the bikes. He had just returned from 2 months in England and was in love with the place. He couldn't wait to go back and was already planning his next trip!

Today, Saturday, dawned and, after checking out of the hotel, we wandered, had a leisurely lunch and caught our shuttle to the airport. It's now 4.15 pm and our flight to Cairns goes in an hour and 10 mins. Another 2 1/2 hours, watches forward another half an hour, and we'll see Alex again after 11 months. Can't wait. I text him this morning to ask if he had cooked ready for our arrival, he said we were going to the night market in Cairns! Nothing changed there then! Wonder who'll pay?

We're looking forward to a week in Port Douglas, then who knows, not sure where we're heading after that, but still, I guess that's the beauty of travelling like this - the element of surprise!

8pm

He's just the same! I didn't cry, but how fantastic to get my arms round him!



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Location:Port Douglas Road,Port Douglas,Australia

Ain't nature marvellous.

We left the hotel in Alice at 7.15 and set off on the drive to Uluru. After 3 hours of driving through red sands and rocks, on the Stuart highway, the sameness of which can make you boggled-eyed, we stopped at a service area. We thought we'd have a coffee, but there were two guys working there, serving petrol, working in the shop and the cafe. We gave up on the wait and got back in the car. Uluru appeared tantalisingly close but it took another hour after first sighting to reach. It is enormous and has an almost ethereal quality, it is a sacred place for the aborigines and as such, most people treat it with the respect it deserves. And it does command respect.

The only thing which distracts you are the amount of flies which make a beeline for your face.


We walked around the base then headed for the Cultural Centre where we learned all about the geology of Uluru and its neighbour, 50kms away, Kings Canyon. After lunching we decided to walk round the dunes, the scent of desert flowers in the heat was intoxicating.




Returning from our walk we headed for a car drive-in to watch the sunset over Uluru. We arrived at 5.30 to watch the whole process. More and more cars and camper vans arrived until the car park resembled an audience waiting for the concert to start. So many people, so many nationalities and yet it was quiet and considered and that word - respect - comes to mind again.

We were simply watching the sun go down, which happens very quickly in Australia, there is no dusk, but the effect was phenomenal, the colours change on the face of the rock as the light decreases, going from orange through to red, then lilac, then, as the shadows creep up it, to brown.















At the risk of sounding new-agey, it was a privilege to be there and an almost spiritual experience.

Now for the boring geology bit - the rock is compressed iron rich sandstone which has been raised from horizontal to vertical through the movement of the earth and the red colour is due to oxidisation. Close to, it looks wet.

Due to the amount of suicidal cattle and kangaroos on the road at night car hire companies don't let you drive in the hours of darkness so we stayed at the Outback Pioneer hotel and had an Aussie carvery, you buy your raw meat and barbecue it yourself.

On our drive to Uluru we had spotted a lone emu to relive the monotony and on the way back we saw a dingo! There were several road trains though, mammoth trucks which are three articulated lorries in one and are 50m long.







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Location:Todd Street,Alice Springs,Australia

Alice, Alice, who the .... is Alice

We've spent the past 6 days in the Northern Territories, another huge place consisting of Darwin in the north, Alice Springs almost in the centre, a few other townships and the amazing rock formations and miles and miles of red sand in what is known as the 'red centre.'

We spent Tuesday exploring Alice, we visited the Olive Pink Botanic Centre, a tranquil but obviously very arid setting, where desert plants are showcased. the terrain around Alice is rocky and we climbed to the top of one of the outcrops. We were gazing at the view when we realised that one of the rocks was moving, it was a kangaroo, so well camouflaged, it set off up the slope and about 10 others emerged from their hiding places and set off after it. It was a magical moment.









The photo above shows the Todd river, it's dry all year but for a few days some years when it floods. Alice holds the alternative Henley-on-Thames regatta, it's called Henley on the Todd, a race in bottomless boats along the dry river bed!
This is the dry, cool season in Central Australia, or Winter, as opposed to the hot, wet season, or summer. At this time of the year day time temperatures are about 24 or 25 degrees with night time temperatures of 4 or 5 degrees. In summer the temperatures can reach 45 degrees with cool evenings. It is a beautiful temperature at the moment, because there is no humidity at all the heat is perfect, it is peak season because all activities are manageable. In summer trails and excursions stop because in the desert there is no respite from the searing heat.

We had a trip to the Flying Doctors service to learn about its formation, where it flies and the service it delivers. Fascinating stuff. You can't believe the distances between places. We past gates leading to cattle farms, or stations, as they are called. There were signs showing how far away the homestead is from the entrance - 80, 100 or even 150 km!!

Uluru was on the agenda for the following day, so we collected a hire car and took ourselves to bed early in readiness for the 460km drive. Jim set the alarm on his phone for 5.40am, which was fine but the spam phone call from the UK about mis-sold loan insurance at 1.40 am was not!





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Location:Todd Street,Alice Springs,Australia