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Australia 2024
  • Janine Westlund
  • Mark E
  • Janine Westlund
  • Mark E

Australia 2024

An extraordinarily beautiful country that exceeded all expectations. Made all the more special for having the opportunity to reconnect w/ our friends Sue, Gael & Scott; as well as spend some time w/ new friends Janet and Simon. Read more
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  • Australia 2024
    Hike #1 was a bit of a bummer (our trek here is blue); the best parts of the trail were closed. 😕Hike #2 (all green) was great. It combined all the short gorge-hikes into one.Map of the areaPanoramic video of the start of the Cataract Gorge areaStill pic of the Cataract Walk trail startFurther along the Cataract Walk trailKings Bridge at the end of the Cataract Walk trailView of the Gorge from King's BridgeZigZag Track Walk trail for the return: this side of the Gorge was much higher in elevation.Finally reaching the 'peak' of ZigZag, we can enjoy the rest of the trailLower pathways across the gorgeAlexandra Suspension BridgeOverview of the First Basin from the Alexandra Bridge side.Looking down on the First Basin and Alexandra Suspension Bridge.Can you find the Wallaby?if it doesn't start automatically, click on the picture to start the videoYep a Wallaby is smaller than a Kangaroo. This one is carrying a baby!

    Launceston - Hike Cataract Gorge

    October 9, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 55 °F

    We left the hotel early at 7:30 am for a 2 hour 40 minute drive to Launceston, which has an attraction called Cataract Gorge. From prior experience, our thought was to determine the best trails to hike after talking with the folks at the information center. Great plan until we found the information booth to be unmanned. :( So, we chose what looked like a great option from the application AllTrails that was highly recommended. After a few miles, we found 2 trails from our chosen path were closed for trail maintenance, so we modified our path to walk shorter trails including walking around the Gorge. This was a much better option, and the trails were excellent. Since it's early spring here, we mostly had the trail to ourselves.
    One of our goals today was to see a Wallaby, which is similar to a kangaroo, but 60% of the kangaroo's height. Janine saw a Wallaby in the distance on our first hike, then found another near the end of our second hike. (pics included)
    Afterward, we got some groceries, gave our filthy car a wash, checked into our hotel room, and walked to a local tavern for dinner. Another nice day.    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    View from Wineglass Lookout
    Wineglass Hike statsPart of the hike up to the lookout pointLooking down the start of the hike (aptly named) '1000 Steps'At the base of '1000 Steps': Wineglass Bay BeachIt's a long, stunning beachAustralians are tougher than us Americans. That water's COLD!The beginning of the return trip up '1000 steps'.We're almost back to the top!Success!!!Taking a minute to enjoy the view at the top.Panoramic video of Wineglass Bay LookoutAfter Wineglass, we headed to a path around Cape Tourville Lighthouse and Lookout.Fantastic trail to the lighthouseCape Tourville Lighthouse; built in 1971View from the lighthouseSleepy Bay trailSleepy BaySleepy Bay looking the other wayJ9's picture from her sunset walk near our lodging

    Cole - Hike Wineglass Bay trail

    October 10, 2024 ⋅ 🌬 61 °F

    Started our 2 hour drive on National Highway A1 to Coles Bay around 7:30am. [Fun fact, A1 is the longest national highway in the world @ ~14,500km (~9,000mi)]. Regardless, it was nice to be traveling on a national highway, which reduced the amount of turns (and potholes!) dramatically, and thus we could drive faster. Australia is different than in the US because almost everyone follows the speed limit; whereas in the US, most of us find 5-10mi/hr over the limit an acceptable speed. We arrived in Coles and went directly to the visitor center and talked about trail options. Due to the high winds we decided to take the most popular hike, Wineglass Trail, to Wineglass Lookout. We hiked 3 trails as shown in the pictures and covered a total of around 5.6 miles with 1,500 feet of vertical. Afterward, we checked into our lodging for the next few nights which was a great 2 bedroom unit and had dinner at the local tavern.Read more

  • Australia 2024
    The cruise/tour boat with granite mountains backdrop
    Map of our cruise todayOld granite quarry with kayakers braving the chilly/windy conditions.Fur seal struggling to stay awake 🥱Fur Seal regulating his temperature with exposed fin (or is he maybe waving at us?)Passage to the Tasman SeaEagles nest (chunk of branches in middle of that "Y"-shaped tree)Nest close-up: that's mama's butt (right) and the little baby's head (left)(jw) A whale!! Ok it's not much, but it is MY first real sighting aside from just spoutings!how cool is this!!!!I'm dying here --- my first whale tail!!!!Not entirely sure what all this is, but I think I have 'more whale' here than in any pic!View down the coastThe beautiful depth and colorful breadth of the graniteWineglass Mountain where we hiked yesterdayhard to see, but ~3:00 from that 'divot' in the mtn was the lookout spotClockwise fr L: oyster, periwinkle (spiral), urchin, abalone, granite, 3 scallop shell variations

    Cole - Cruise on Tasman Sea

    October 11, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 54 °F

    Today we took a 4-hour cruise starting in Coles Bay into the Tasman Sea. Tasmania is mostly dolerite and granite, but the shoreline of the cruise was mostly granite. In the 1920s they mined granite, but this ended in the 1950s. The granite was used in Empire State Building. We started the cruise with no wind which helped in finding a few whales, but the wind increased as the throughout the cruise. 😕

    The crew was very knowledgeable and friendly. It was interesting talking to some of the crew that free-dives daily in the summer for local seafood. We saw a couple of whales, seals, & a variety of birds. Other than TAS spring-like conditions, it was an excellent cruise.    Read more

  • Australia 2024

    Bonus: Southern Lights in Tasmania

    October 11, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 50 °F

    One of the most powerful displays of the southern lights since the 'May showcase' (reference to the last amazing visual here) has lit up South Australian skies overnight, with stunning colors!

    It seems there were two huge solar flares which resulted in an explosion of plasma & magnetic field from the sun's corona. According to many Australian expert followers, tonight's show was one of the most spectacular in recent months.
    Luckily we were able to enjoy the pictures from our deck and at the beach.    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    Maria Island Ferry Terminal
    Ruby Hunt's Cottage: one of the last residents to leave the island (in 1968)The cottage is open for us to explore!In front of Hopground BeachA lovely unnamed beach just south of Painted CliffsAnd another unnamed beauty a little further southAside from wombats, these little guys (wallabies) are roaming around as well.Part of our bike tour took us into the woods -- just beautiful!This is what's left of Oast House.Broader view of Oast House remainsFossil BayLooking north over the Tasman SeaThis is part of Fossil Beach. The rocks are full of fossilled shells!1A perspective from under the trees that reminds me how small we really are in this world.

    Maria Island

    October 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 54 °F

    We visited Maria Island (pron: mar EYE uh) which had 2 convict eras before it was turned into a National Park in 1971. The first era (1825-1832) ended as a result of multiple escape attempts; the second era (1842-1850) focused on agriculture, industry and training but again ended as a result of convict rebellion. The Darlington Probation Station is one of 11 convict sites recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

    There are also wombats roaming all over the island, and they are even cuter than quokkas!

    So today, there are two posts: one for the island and a second for the various wombats we found. (They were just too cute to not photograph!)    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    Trail map of our travels and wombat findings 😄C'mon . . . don't you just want to pick one of these up and give him a big squeeze???They are way more interested in eating grass than those admiring their cuteness.Mama and joey (same word for 'baby' as a 'roo)click the pic if this video doesn't automatically start; it will melt your heart.click the pic if this video doesn't automatically start

    Maria Island - Wombat day

    October 13, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 54 °F

    SPECIAL EDITION PAGE
    There are wombats roaming all over Maria Island --- no cars are allowed on the island and visitors are highly encouraged to not touch/feed them, so the wombats live without fear.

    So what's a wombat? Wiki-page summary:
    Wombats are short-legged, muscular quadrupedal marsupials of the family Vombatidae that are native to Australia. Living species are about 1 m (40 in) in length with small, stubby tails and weigh between 20 and 35 kg (44 and 77 lb). They are adaptable and habitat tolerant and are found in forested, mountainous, and heathland.

    Because of settlement and agriculture, wombats in most areas have been pushed into the rugged hills and mountains. As long as they remain in these areas, wild dogs and collisions with cars are more of a threat to these marsupials than landowners. However, because of their habit of wandering down to the flats to enjoy the tasty morsels growing there (knocking down fences on the way), they are sometimes killed by farmers.

    Wombats have also had to compete with introduced animals – such as cattle, sheep, and particularly rabbits – for food. This competition appears to have been a major factor in the decline of the northern hairy-nosed wombat in New South Wales.    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    One of Australia's '60 Great Shore Walks'
    Hike statsHistorical signA boot washdown station at the start of the trail to prevent the spread of harmful pathogens.One of the many 'ups' of the hike . . .. . . followed by one of the many 'downs' along w/ a spectacular view.It's fun when you can see the path ahead like this!almost there!reaching the peak!one of the many visual rewards of getting to the end of this trailThis is the return of the path from the peakwhat a surprise to see the joey feeding as well! (watch!)another cute view of the little one from the pouch!

    Port Arthur - Hike Cap Hauy

    October 14, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 50 °F

    One of 60 top hikes in Tasmania.
    6.3 miles, 1,709 vertical feet of stunning beauty.

  • Australia 2024
    A model scale of what the area looked like in the mid 1800's
    Stated our visit with a short 20 min boat tourThe PenitentiaryThe Penitentiary from the opposite sideSome of the buildings are still relatively intactThe Separate Prison church had individual locations, such that the convicts couldn't see each other.The area for convict exercise: 1hr/d. I would never survive these conditionsThere was a major bushfire in 1895 that severely damaged most of the site.Semaphore Signals: a system using flags to communicate with other locationsEven the church didn't survive the 1895 fire"The Dog Line" monumentFossil Bay lookoutTasman Arch

    Port Arthur, Convict Prison, ++

    October 15, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 55 °F

    Port Arthur was the worst of the 11 prisons in Australia. The entrance ticket provides information about internet links to streaming information at different convict locations as well as opportunities to listen in on free on-site guides at various locations. We caught two on-site presentations and enjoyed walking around the facility at our own pace. Leaving around 3:30pm, we looked for a dog monument that J9 wanted to find. It was a memorial to dogs trained to catch convicts. Afterward, there were a couple of signs posted of scenic lookouts that we decided to check out as well.

    The link to the Port Arthur audio site is
    https://portarthur.org.au/audio-experience/    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    Our hike pathPhenomenal viewsNice views with 10x zoom on mw's phoneThey airlift bags of rocks to maintain the trailsTop of Mount Brown (we tried looking it up but don't know what this metal thing is)nice view of our pathNavigating our way down; one of the steepest trails we've been on with 25 mph windsthis video shows the strength of the winds we were hiking against 😳heading down to Crescent Bay BeachThey made a rock path to the beach!How often can you make the first footsteps on the beach?Hooded PloverPied OystercatcherShort hike to Remarkable CaveCalled Remarkable Cave. At high tide the water is under our walkwayCan you see the outline of Tasmania? It is actually pretty remarkable...

    Port Arthur - Two Hikes

    October 16, 2024 in Australia ⋅ 🌬 54 °F

    Hiked two trails today: Crescent Bay to Mount Brown and Remarkable Cave. Climbing Mount Brown was the steepest hike of our trip. What made it more interesting is that it was blowing 25-35 mph which actually made it a little dangerous. Even though it was steep, the rock was solid and footing was better than expected in both directions.

    Afterward, we noticed a Tasman golf club and stopped in for a drink. The bartender, Martin Strange, is the president of the course and opened the bar for us. He has 8 children ("no messing around on that" was his comment to our surprise at the number) and 14 grandchildren with another on the way as we spoke. He mentioned that after he retired his wife purchased a pear farm to 'keep him busy', but he was happy to report he was close to selling the pear farm & will finally be fully retired. One gentleman sitting with us was a proprietor of a local cafe; another was from Minnesota, but for the past 30 years has been a happy Australian. All 3 gentlemen were just beautifully comfortable to sit and talk with. J9 was happy to find a nice vest to remember the occasion and then we were off to dinner.    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    This was our 'tent': basically a small studio unit with kitchenette & a nice porch.
    There were 8 'stargazing tents'Nice porch for a tent

    Travel day - Hobart to Blue Mountains

    October 17, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 45 °F

    Our 'tent' was called 'Stargazer', but we were surrounded by trees, so star watching wasn't an option (at least not from our 'tent').

    Today we woke up early to catch a 9:50a flight from Hobart to Sydney. We had ~1.5hr to the airport drive PLUS we needed to drive a bit slower to avoid the pre-dawn roaming marsupials!! (we saw 3 wallabies before we even left the lodging property!).

    On arriving in Sydney, we picked up our car & drove to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    some pics of our lodging...living room
    main bedroom(probably obvious which room this is 😁)the front of our lodging; it's a split home, we've got the unit on the left.

    Travel Day - arrived in Katoomba

    October 17, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 70 °F

    Happily checking into our new 'home' in Katoomba. It's near the city center and within walking distance to restaurants & groceries stores. It seems we arrived just in time for a welcoming band of Cicadas. Australia cicadas are apparently known to be the loudest, even more so than their American cousins. WIKI indicates Australia has ~700 types and has the world title for the most variety of Cicadas in the world in one country (of the ~3900 global varieties). How exciting for us....
    We'll take/add some videos of the cicadas in subsequent footprints . . . stay tuned.    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    That's J9 trying to show this is our first day that we're hiking with only ONE layer of clothing!
    On the far right behind Janine is what they call the Three SistersThere are 2 entrances to Three Sisters; this is Entrance 1 (w/ a temporarty sun break!)Walking path to the Three Sisters; the work done to create these paths is amazing!Entrance #2 to the trailLots of staircases down the face of the hillAnd sometimes the staircases are built into the natural contour of the land.And sometimes no 'building' is even necessary.Isn't that a cool tree?Katoomba FallsThe return path up...These are the 'Giant Steps' (998 of them!); a twisty path; those handrails were appreciated!Nice lookout on the way back up the hillView of Katoomba Falls closer to the basea little caption of our evening entertainment

    Katoomba Falls hike:Gordon Falls lookout

    October 18, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 73 °F

    Hello Blue Mountains!!! Waking up to rain and looking at the radar, we were in no rush to get started. J9 worked on future travel arrangements while Mark wandered the internet. The weather looked to break around noon with around 5 hours of clear weather; so late-morning we headed off to the Echo Point which has an information booth and access to a number of trails. Luckily, the attendant/ranger wasn't too busy, so we were able to work with him and develop a three day hiking plan. Once again, the Australians are incredibly nice folks and incredibly helpful. With only a couple hours' window, the ranger helped us determine a plan for a short hike in the area with exit plans if it started raining. It was fun to finally hike in the Blue Mountains. After the hike, we found a local bar with live music at 9p; we could dine and listen (our favorite combination). They were a great local band for the evening.Read more

  • Australia 2024
    Great view to start your first hike of the day (hear the cicadas?)
    Fantastic park facilities (those are eating shelters on the left)2 hikes: Govett's Leap (bottom L near the VIC); then Anvil Rock/Wind Eroded Cave ('you are here')We hiked the left rimA cool path with a lot of interesting things to look at on the side.This little lizard is called a White's Skink.The Water Dragon is Australia's largest dragon lizard.Look at the color of those rocks!Bridal Veil Falls1Telopea speciosissima (aka: Waratah). It's endemic to New South Wales.It's amazing how the man-made stairs are woven into the natural landscape.Read signs before crossing a streamThe fantastically constructed paths kept us dry.More stairs 😩Hike statsAnvil Rock Lookout: named in 1938 b/c (apparently) this rock resembles the shape from all angles.Wind Eroded Cave (Blackheath); aka: Wave RockLambertia Formosa (aka: Mountain Devil); also endemic to NSW.View from Perry's Lookout Point

    Blue Mountain National Park - Two hikes

    October 19, 2024 ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    Drove to Blackheath to go hiking. First, Mark chose a hike from Govetts' Leap to Boyd Lookout. We then drove to Anvil Rock Lookout and Wind-Eroded Cave Lookout after a recommendation by the visitor information ranger. Once again, those guys are really very helpful. The Visitor Information Center had a movie playing that showed all the hikes in the area; you could literally stay here for weeks and not hike all the trails.
    As for J9 and me, we have limits; these trails are testing them. 😉
    We were crazy lucky today as it rained while we were in the visitor center, then again, just after our 2nd hike. It poured on our drive home but stopped as we walked into our unit. It was a rare day that the weather seemed to entirely work in our favor!    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    1
    Wentworth FallsThere were some stunning/amazing overhangs along this trail!3Den Fenella creek overflowThe Conservation Hut CafeView from the Conservation HutYosemite Creek: feeds the Minnehaha Falls -- just beautifulMinnehaha Falls: it's a pretty aggressive path to get to the swimming area!Sample of the path to Minnehaha; there are also some steep metal staircases (no pics taken)(easier part of the path)There is a beautiful forest of gum trees at the start of the path to Minnehaha

    Wentworth Falls & North Katoomba areas

    October 20, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 68 °F

    Still staying in Katoomba, we drove to Wentworth and hiked the Overcliff - Undercliff Track. During the hike, we stopped for coffee at a nice place right along the path called the Conservation Hut Cafe. The hike was great for multiple reasons. First, the vertical was under 600 feet, and then the trails had great views along with trails walking under rock formations. Afterward, we found another short hike with a 15 min drive called Minnehaha Falls. It's ~1.6mi return hike with a swimming hole at the base. We ended the day feeling good with shorter hikes and our bodies appreciated the break.Read more

  • Australia 2024
    On the other side of this canyon is Blackheath
    Isopogon anethifolius (commonly known as broad-leaved drumsticks 🤣); native to eastern NSW...just not seeing the 'drumstick' relationship.Cool TALL ASS Cliff1Fortress Creek Falls (taken w/ mobile 10x zoom)Two Falls near Blackheath1Bossiaea aquifolium (commonly known as water bush); endemic to SW AustraliaSee the years in the hard rock like rings in a treeNo idea what this is, but it was creepy yet didn't seem interested in us.Back to the rocks ... really beautiful.Not our longest/highest hike by far, but enough for us at this point.

    Lockley Pylon Walking Track

    October 21, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    After multiple days of hiking we look at trails in areas we hadn't hiked before and found this trail. Afterwards our bodies are saying it's time for a break. After going non-stop for two months, we took the afternoon off for some well deserved rest.Read more

  • Australia 2024
    Red Hands Cave
    5k of driving on gravel road to the siteEnlarge any area of this wall & you'll see the Hands. Incredible.Here's our closeup.From this lookout , we could see Sydney out there on the right at 52k (as the crow flies)Looking out over the Nepean River across the Cumberland Plain.Our road warrior hybrid car 😂

    Travel Day to Sydney via Red Hands Cave

    October 22, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 72 °F

    On our way from Blue Mountains to Port Douglas via a flight from Sydney to Cairns. En route to Sydney, we found an interesting site called Red Hands Cave that has 1,600 year old aboriginal hand paintings. It's the oldest historic site we have seen on the trip; the cave is significant as it was a ceremonial cave for the initiation of young warriors. One again, it required some driving on gravel roads, so our car made us look like real road warriers. 😂 We met some local hikers at the site Who gently engaged us in a mild discussion of politics. It's always interesting/enlightening listening to other views. It's especially interesting to see how very engaged this country is in our politics/election. It's easy for us to lose sight of the importance of what happens in our country and the rippled implications to others countries. They are quite keen on it.Read more

  • Australia 2024
    The airplane seatback has a tablet holder!
    Some nice aerial viewsView of the Cairns area from the plane.View of Cairns Harbor, where our ship did that 180-degree turnaroundWelcome to Cairns!One of the many construction stops along our drive.The views along the way to Port Douglas were stunning! This is 'Rex Lookout'.Our 'home' for the next few days: Marina Terraces, Port DouglasOur 1-bedroom unit kitchenOur patio4 Mile beach2There's a lot here that can leave an 'ouch' if you're not careful/aware.View from the local lookout pointSunset cruiseLike this camper! (🎶Travelin' in a fried-out Kombi; on a hippie trail head full of zombie...🎶) 😉Sunset over the Tin Shed: a social club we missed visiting. Next time!

    Travel day: Sydney to Port Douglas

    Oct 23–24, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    Travel today consisted of a 2 hour flight from Sydney to Cairns, followed by an estimated 1hr 10min drive to Port Douglas. The short drive was extended with 5 construction zones on the road due to a storm that came thru ~8 months ago.
    Arriving in Port Douglas, we stopped at a tourist information center and checked into our 1BD apartment which was conveniently located near the town. We still had time to unpack and walk around town, taking in the Key West-like atmosphere (outdoor bars, beaches, sunsets). It's a neat little town; the quantity of restaurants is amazing.
    Feels like we're back in Marco Island, good memories. 🤗    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    Cape Trib map: we stopped at the majority of beaches and walks.
    Ferry crossing into Cape Tribulation over the Daintree river (view from our car)Local bird which we didn't see :(Daintree is the oldest rainforest on the planet: >180 million years and growing!Beautiful beaches. Notice no one's swimming. 🐊Watery evidence of the tidal pathSand Art courtesy of a little critter known as a Sand Bubbler Crab.Croc signs at every beachStinger (jellyfish) warning signs. They even provide vinegar if you get stung!A canopy of Fan Palms (endemic to Queensland)climbing tropical forest plant wrapping itself around its 'host'Excellent walking pathsBasket ferns grow on treesVines often wrap around trees & can even 'reach' over to wrap & grow around other treesPeppermint Stick insect: sprays a white peppermint-scented fluid as defense mechanism if threatened.See the spider?

    Day trip to Cape Tribulation

    October 25, 2024 ⋅ ☁️ 81 °F

    Day trip from Port Douglas into Cape Tribulation in the Daintree National Park. The Daintree National Park consists of two parts, Cape Tribulation in the North and Mossman Gorge in the south. Today we went to Cape Tribulation which requires a short 15 min ferry to cross over the Daintree River. We were told Cape Tribulation beaches are the most dangerous in the world for crocs; so we have no plans on swimming, even though the water is really warm. We once again had multiple roads that were reduced to single lanes controlled by stop lights. Sometimes, you have to wait up to 15 minutes for the light to change. We visited the majority of sites consisting of short hikes and beaches. The hikes consisted of raised walking paths through the rain forest which added a nice diversity of plants which we haven't seen before. If you're looking for a remote vacation and deserted beaches, this is the place.Read more

  • Australia 2024
    This was our croc boat. We chuckled at the 'no swimming' sign.
    This grinning green guy (aka: white-lipped tree frog) was in our boat when we boarded!First (little) crocThis guy is supposedly very large; this was all we could see.Australasian Darter drying its wingsEntrance to Mossman Gorge trailInitial manicured trailFolks enjoying the waterAfter the Gorge the trails returned to natureDifferent parts of the trail would provide access to the streamsOne of the many unusual growths we foundInteresting: the buttress root serves a variety of purposes for many types of trees in rainforests.Fun trails -- roots everywhere!An example of a large part of our hiking pathTree covered in vines. Tough place to be a treeExcellent example of the enormity of the buttress rootsHike statsSunset view from our dinner table at Hemingways Port Douglas

    Day trip to South Daintree National Park

    October 26, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 82 °F

    After visiting northern Daintree National Park, today we visited the south side by first taking a croc boat ride and then heading to Mossman Gorge. Seeing crocodile signs on every beach yesterday, we thought we would check out the crocs via a river tour. It was a bit disappointing in that we didn't see as many as we did in Darwin; but the crocs aren't fed here so there isn't any incentive for them to show themselves. It seems in Queensland (state), they don't allow river boats to feed the crocs; so we only saw 3 crocs: 2 being under 2 years old, the 3rd larger but hiding and couldn't get a picture. A bonus was 2 frogs that were catching a ride on (in) our boat; then there was a tree snake that fell off the boat's roof and fell into the water next to us. Only after it fell into the water were we told that tree snakes in Australia aren't dangerous; so no one got pics of it b/c we were all pretty focused on backing away from it. 🐍😳
    Afterward, we drove over to Mossman Gorge and were surprised at the facilities offered: it's an ecotourism facility that (aside from self-guided walks) has walks lead by members of the local Indigenous community; it's supposedly the only place in the area free of crocs, so there is an area where you find people swimming; and there's a shuttle that takes you from the park's entrance to the beginning of the walking trails (~2km). The day was hot enough to take the shuttle. We opted for the self-guided route.

    At first, it felt like the entrance to Disney World: the trails are perfectly manicured with beautifully laid rocks outlining the paths. After we passed the Gorge itself, the "Disney" feel was gone and we found ourselves on more natural trails that looped ~2.2k distance. The trail had beautiful old growth trees with buttress roots and running streams.
    Australia continues to amaze us in each area with its diversity in plants.    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    Starting at the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. . .
    ...we boarded our cable car and off we went.View from the cable car1st cable car stop: a park guide gave a really interesting discussion about rainforest growth..This tree is believed to be ~500 yrs old; we learned it's tough to age trees in a rainforest.'downtown' KurandaWe took the Kuranda Scenic Railway for our return transportA nicely appointed carriage!The only photo stop from the train: view of Barron FallsViews from the trainView of our train (from our car) passing Stony Creek Falls

    Wet Tropics of Queensland: Pt 1 of 2

    October 29, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 82 °F

    Two blogs for today: one for our transportation in and out of the Rainforest (which is an event in and unto itself) and second for visiting the Rainforestation Nature Park (a combination eco-park and cultural activity).
    Our day started with a cable car ride from Smithfield via the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. It took us over the rain forest with two observation stops ending in a tourist town called Kuranda. Our first stop on the Gondola had a short boardwalk with a ranger giving a 20 minute information tour of the plants and animals. We enjoyed the information, helping understand the plants that live in the rainforest. The second stop was at Barron Falls: a beautiful steep tiered cascade waterfall. The final stop in Kuranda we did some shopping (found a great croc belt for Mark!), grabbed a bite to eat and then boarded a bus to the Rainforest station (next blog). After the Rainforestation we boarded the Kuranda Scenic Railway: an historical train back that wound through the world heritage listed Barron Gorge National Park back to Cairns. En route we enjoyed a nicely appointed rail car and views of a few waterfalls along the way.    Read more

  • Australia 2024
    Not sure what this tree is (Curtain Fig, Cathedral Fig, Giant Fig...) but these trees are huge!
    View from Hemingways looking out one way . . .. . . then the other.Some random boats in the harborMust be an interesting life living on a boatLooks like a nice boat to charter?A little military boat . . .Dive 'prep' areaBack deckDining area

    Transfer to Dive Boat

    October 31, 2024 in Australia ⋅ ☀️ 79 °F

    Dropped the luggage that we didn't need on the boat at the Mike Ball Dive shop, then wandered around town a bit then wandered over to Hemingways Brewery for a bite to eat and a place to 'hang' until boarding time.Read more

  • Australia 2024
    This is how the dive sites were presented to us each day: a manual diagram and a (verbal) dive plan.
    Dive site #2: MV Antonio Tarabocchia; max depth: 69ft.Dive site #3: Crystal Plateau; max depth: 63ft.

    Coral Sea-Day 1: Bougainville Reef

    November 1, 2024, Coral Sea ⋅ ☀️ 81 °F

    40 min dive, max depth: 88ft. This was OUR maximum dive depth, not the max site depth (which is noted on the illustration).
    🤿 OPEN: We'll add underwater videos to these footprints once we get through them . . .Read more

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