Right now I am on the 15 hour flight from Sydney to Los Angeles. I'm going back in time today! My flight left Sydney at 11:30am on March 2nd, and I arrive in L.A. at 6:00am on March 2nd! So exciting, I'm pumped cross back over the International Date Line and be a time traveler!
I also love flying at night because there is a sky full of stars, since we're flying above the clouds and away from city lights. The Southern Cross is right outside my window! I'm so glad that I can see it on the way home :)
I am very very sad to be leaving Australia and New Zealand. There are so many more places in both countries to explore... hikes to go on, waterfalls to visit, mountains to climb, people to meet. I feel like I have quite a bit of unfinished business with the wilderness in this part of the world, and I'm looking forward to the possibility of coming back. I would like to hike the 5 to 8 day Overland Track in Tasmania, go on an overnight horse trek through Victoria, drive on the Great Ocean Road, visit Australia's west coast, and explore Arthur's Pass and Abel Tasman in New Zealand.
I spent my last day in Australia on the steps of the Opera House in Circular Quay, watching the tourists unload from the Aurora cruise ship at port and marveling at the beautiful Harbor Bridge. I then spent some time in the botanical gardens overlooking the Opera House to take in some final moments of Sydney and reflect on my last five weeks in Australia and New Zealand.
One disappointment I have was that I did not get the chance to meet very many local Australians or New Zealanders like I had hoped and expected to. Since Kearse and I were moving through these two countries so quickly, we were always on the move, doing lots of activities, staying at backpacker hostels practically one night at a time, and joining some tours along the way. With this kind of schedule, almost all of the people we met were fellow backpackers (lots of Germans and English). Our guides were really the only local Aussies and Kiwis, and most of them were from other cities. So, even though I met some awesome travelers from other countries, I am bummed that I didn't get to meet many locals. This was something I didn't expect. I really want to come back to live and work in Sydney for a year to be able to connect with local Australians and dive deeper into their lifestyle and culture.
This trip seems to have gone so fast! I'm glad that I kept a thorough record through the blog and through pictures, and I cannot wait to share pictures with all of you when I get to the States! AUS and NZ are such magnificent places! This trip has strengthened my excitement and thrill for traveling, and it has rekindled my love of the out of doors and hiking and the wilderness. I had forgotten what it was like to be dirty and be a part of nature, and now I no longer desire to get dressed up, do my hair, and wear makeup. Gosh I think the last time I wore makeup was my first night in Sydney five weeks ago when Kearse and I went to a show at the Opera House.
I am leaving Syndey with such a free feeling! I cannot wait for new adventures to come in Chile in a couple weeks!
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Searching
I realize that I've forgotten to mention the guide on my five day tour of Tasmania. His name is Steve. He's a 47-year-old bald man from Launceston, Tasmania, and he's really in tune with nature and the wilderness. He loves all plant life, animal life, and fresh air. He's in good shape, eats pretty much only fruit, has been a vegetarian for over half of his life, and is a true mountain man. He likes to spend quiet time in nature creating his own hiking trails and paths. He has a lot of mountain experience and even spent a few months hiking in the Himalayas.
We had some pretty awesome conversations, Steve and I. It's interesting what people can discover about you after knowing you for only a few days (like how after only four days Nicole knows that I can never sit still, that I like to always on time, that I love food, and that I LOVE the mountains). Steve is also very observant and hit the nail on the head quite a few times in terms of my outlook on life and confusion/anxiety in moving forward.
Steve studied electrical engineering, and when he graduated from college, he said that he felt free. He had done what he was "supposed" to do (get a degree), and now he could do whatever he wanted. Well when I graduated from Tech, I felt like I had lost my freedom, those days were over. Now I am "supposed to" start a job (or at least, I feel obligated to start a job). I felt that in college I could choose my own path, but now I feel like everyday I am getting closer and closer to something I don't want to do...
Well maybe that's a little harsh... I'm pumped about consulting, really. It'll be exciting, busy, dynamic, and challenging, all things I enjoy and respond well to. I'm also really looking forward to working for my company and with my colleagues (that's one of the main reasons I chose the firm). However, I'm apprehensive and worried about the act of working- how will my mind respond? My body? My attitude? My personality?
One of my conversations with Steve started with a T-shirt I was wearing. It was one of my GT Swim and Dive shirts (surprise...), and on the back it says "One team, one goal". So Steve asked "What's your goal?", to which I responded "Good question." So that got me thinking... Here's my working conclusion: Explore the world and figure out who I am and where I belong and what makes me and those around me happy.
Steve's advice (which I believe I have known all along) is to be who you are, and then everyone around you will benefit. For example, if you are the dedicated and enthusiastic consultant who dominates the conference room with top notch analysis that requires 60 hours of work a week, and you are happy doing it, then that is what you should be doing. But if who you are is a nature fanatic and explorer at heart, then maybe you would be better off being outside in an active role.
So... this life break has become more of a time for figuring out who I am and exploring my options for my life (like career, relationships, hobbies). I'm pretty sure I've had this plan all along, that this has always been my purpose for my life break. Indeed, I find myself constantly observing and doing research while I am traveling- looking at lifestyles, job options, living locations, possible pro bono or externship projects, and exploring not only the world, but also my place in the world.
Steve thinks I will figure it out within a year; I think I will be 60 years old and still not know. Steve compared it to my summit of Cradle Mountain. He says that I saw I that could do it, prepared for it (researched, asked questions, studied maps, gathered the right gear), and did it. He predicts I'll do the same with life- find something I want to do, and do it. He says that I acknowledge that there is a structure and order to society and then go beyond it. I guess it makes sense- I walked on to a college swim team when my high school club coach thought I wasn't good enough, I joined a sorority and studied abroad when the college coach told me I wasn't allowed... Hmmm. Good times :)
We had some pretty awesome conversations, Steve and I. It's interesting what people can discover about you after knowing you for only a few days (like how after only four days Nicole knows that I can never sit still, that I like to always on time, that I love food, and that I LOVE the mountains). Steve is also very observant and hit the nail on the head quite a few times in terms of my outlook on life and confusion/anxiety in moving forward.
Steve studied electrical engineering, and when he graduated from college, he said that he felt free. He had done what he was "supposed" to do (get a degree), and now he could do whatever he wanted. Well when I graduated from Tech, I felt like I had lost my freedom, those days were over. Now I am "supposed to" start a job (or at least, I feel obligated to start a job). I felt that in college I could choose my own path, but now I feel like everyday I am getting closer and closer to something I don't want to do...
Well maybe that's a little harsh... I'm pumped about consulting, really. It'll be exciting, busy, dynamic, and challenging, all things I enjoy and respond well to. I'm also really looking forward to working for my company and with my colleagues (that's one of the main reasons I chose the firm). However, I'm apprehensive and worried about the act of working- how will my mind respond? My body? My attitude? My personality?
One of my conversations with Steve started with a T-shirt I was wearing. It was one of my GT Swim and Dive shirts (surprise...), and on the back it says "One team, one goal". So Steve asked "What's your goal?", to which I responded "Good question." So that got me thinking... Here's my working conclusion: Explore the world and figure out who I am and where I belong and what makes me and those around me happy.
Steve's advice (which I believe I have known all along) is to be who you are, and then everyone around you will benefit. For example, if you are the dedicated and enthusiastic consultant who dominates the conference room with top notch analysis that requires 60 hours of work a week, and you are happy doing it, then that is what you should be doing. But if who you are is a nature fanatic and explorer at heart, then maybe you would be better off being outside in an active role.
So... this life break has become more of a time for figuring out who I am and exploring my options for my life (like career, relationships, hobbies). I'm pretty sure I've had this plan all along, that this has always been my purpose for my life break. Indeed, I find myself constantly observing and doing research while I am traveling- looking at lifestyles, job options, living locations, possible pro bono or externship projects, and exploring not only the world, but also my place in the world.
Steve thinks I will figure it out within a year; I think I will be 60 years old and still not know. Steve compared it to my summit of Cradle Mountain. He says that I saw I that could do it, prepared for it (researched, asked questions, studied maps, gathered the right gear), and did it. He predicts I'll do the same with life- find something I want to do, and do it. He says that I acknowledge that there is a structure and order to society and then go beyond it. I guess it makes sense- I walked on to a college swim team when my high school club coach thought I wasn't good enough, I joined a sorority and studied abroad when the college coach told me I wasn't allowed... Hmmm. Good times :)
Cradle Mountain Summit
"Nature is painting for us, day after day, pictures of infinite beauty" -John Ruskin
The morning of Day 3, we took a short morning walk along Cataract Gorge in Launceston, spotting some wild baby wallabies, before heading to Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park (what a name!). On the way, we stopped at a cheese factory and did a bit of cheese tasting. I liked the Tasmanian wild wasabi cheese! Too bad I can't take cheese on the long flight home since it needs to be refrigerated.
We arrived at Cradle Mountain early compared to most tours. I had expressed to our guide a few days ago that I wanted to summit Cradle Mountain (which is a 6 to 8 hour hike, depending on weather and fitness), so he worked hard to get us to the National Park as early as possible.
Today was a beautiful and relatively clear day compared to the usual rainy weather around Cradle Mountain, so our guide said that it was an good day to attempt the summit. He said that most people spend days at the park and never even see Cradle Mountain because of the constant clouds around it, so I already considered myself fortunate just to have a nice view of the mountain at Dove Lake at its base.
So the plan is to hike from Dove Lake up to Marion's Lookout (900m), then across the plateau to the emergency shelter hut where the summit track begins. Once at the hut, this is the time to make the decision whether or not to attempt the summit (1545m). The weather changes very quickly here- it could be clear when you start the hike and then rainy at the summit a few hours later, or the other way around. So, the decision whether to push on toward the summit really needs to be made when you've completed the 2-hour ascent to the start of the summit track.
Since we arrived at the park at 1pm, and the last shuttle bus was at 8pm, we took the short cut up to Marion's lookout to save time (as recommended). This was a steep track with chains planted into the rock to help you climb. It was heaps of fun, and we got an awesome view of the crater lakes below and the surrounding mountains. I am glad that both Nicole and Chantal had the courage to attempt the summit with me. I would not have gone alone- gotta use the buddy system you know? Nicole didn't have the right shoes or confidence, and Chantal is afraid of heights, but I am so proud of them for coming along. They're both in good shape, so they did well during our faster-paced hike to the hut and the start of the summit track.
When we reached the hut, the weather was still clear (but very chilly), and the three of us decided to go for it. There were other hikers on the trail too, so that made me feel better- safety in numbers. We made the initial ascent and then started climbing over boulder over boulder over boulder. This was similar to the Mount Doom summit, except that the dolorite rock here was a lot harder more more slick than Mt. Doom's lava rock. Kearse would have loved/hated it/me.
As you get closer to the top of Cradle Mountain, you have to get creative and do some more technical climbing. This involved finding handholds, having your feet hang off of the cliff face, and jumping between rocks with large deep gaps in between. I enjoyed the climb so much, even though it was tricky and scary at parts! It was challenging and thrilling, and that was definitely the best part about it (next to the views, which were beyond phenomenal).
The track gets more and more difficult the closer you get to the top. The gaps get deeper and the climbs trickier. When we were only 15 minutes from reaching the summit, the clouds rolled in and it started to rain. At this point, I decided that we turn back. Nicole and Chantal were getting scared and refused to press on. They said they would start the descent and wait for me at the hut, but I chose to turn around as well. The rain was already making the rocks slippery, and it was getting worse the longer we waited. There wouldn't have been a view at the top anyway because of all of the clouds.
So, we hiked down the mountain toward the hut in the spitting rain for about an hour. I am happy to report that my semi-rainproof hiking boots and camelback held up wonderfully! By the time we made it back to Dove Lake at the bottom at 6pm, the storms had passed and the sky cleared. There was literally blue sky over Cradle Mountain.
It's disappointing to get to the bottom of the track and see blue sky, knowing that you could have been at the top. Had we just waited out the rain for one hour at the hut, we could have made it to the summit with an amazingly clear view. The thing is... you don't know that when your sitting 1500 meters high on the side of a cliff at the start of a storm.
After expressing my disappointment to our tour guide the next morning, he confirmed that we made the right decision. You don't know what the weather is going to do, and he knows hikers who have tried to wait out the weather and ended up getting trapped in a snow storm in the middle lf the summer. Nevertheless, I'm still a bit disappointed that we were so close. If only we would have taken less time during our lunch break at Marion's Lookout, then we would've been at the top when the clouds rolled in, instead of 15 minutes away. But then again, I'm not sure if Nicole and Chantal would have gone that far anyway, they were already paralyzed with fear by the time we turned around.
Actually, our hike back down the mountain in the rain was quite beautiful. I commented on how pretty the landscape looked in the drizzle as the sun tried to poke through, and Chantal exclaimed "I LOVE you!", and Nicole said "You're crazy! This is your nature!" Ah that made me happy :)
The morning of Day 4 after our attempted summit, Chantal and I went on a chilly and misty two-hour morning walk through the temperate rainforest, quartzite beaches, and sub-alpine plant life around Dove Lake. We watched the sun rise behind Cradle Mountain, and the clouds flow over the summit, down into the valley, and over the lake.
Then we drove toward the west coast of Tasmania, taking a break for lunch in thensmall and lazy town of Rosebery, the second rainiest place in Australia. Fun fact: the weather in Tasmania comes al, the way from Argentina. The storm surges in South America, builds across the ocean, and smacks into Tassie's west coast. Because the storm builds all the way across the Pacific, the weather is quite dangerous here.
In Rosebery, Chantal and Nicole wanted to see a picture of me with my hair down, so I showed them my Buzzcard, and Nicole's reaction was: "You're so American! This is so American!". Haha so funny! I guess it was my "American smile"! We then continued on to Strahan, the only town on Tasmania's west coast, and of course we made a stop at the beach to play in the Indian Ocean!
That night in Strahan, Cantal made us some awesome lemon cookies from scratch, filled with strawberry or lemon jam and drizzle or dipped in chocolate. Yum! Cookies made by a professional baker! Wooooo! Chantal was a pro with improvising with that hostel kitchen and small town supermarket.
On our fifth and final day together on the Tassie Tour (and my second to last day in Australia), we had a big drive from Strahan, across the island, and back to Hobart. Along the way we stopped at Nelson Falls, Lake St. Clair (Australia's deepest fresh water lake where I had a relaxing lunch on the crystal clear lake shore), Mt. Field National Park, the Land of Giants (towering gum trees over 100 meters high that reminded me of the sequoia trees in Yosemite), Russell Falls, and Derwent Valley (where hops are grown that are used in 85 percent of all Australian beer).
We made it back to Hobart by dinnertime, enjoyed some fish and chips and farewell drinks, and then called it a night. The next morning I am headed to the Hobart airport to fly to Sydney. There I will meet up wit Hanna and Nina for my last day in Australia, and then head back home on March 2nd. I can't believe January and Fbruary have already come and gone. If it weren't for my awesome $10 digital watch from Wal-Mart, I would have no idea what day it is!
The morning of Day 3, we took a short morning walk along Cataract Gorge in Launceston, spotting some wild baby wallabies, before heading to Cradle Mountain and Lake St. Clair National Park (what a name!). On the way, we stopped at a cheese factory and did a bit of cheese tasting. I liked the Tasmanian wild wasabi cheese! Too bad I can't take cheese on the long flight home since it needs to be refrigerated.
We arrived at Cradle Mountain early compared to most tours. I had expressed to our guide a few days ago that I wanted to summit Cradle Mountain (which is a 6 to 8 hour hike, depending on weather and fitness), so he worked hard to get us to the National Park as early as possible.
Today was a beautiful and relatively clear day compared to the usual rainy weather around Cradle Mountain, so our guide said that it was an good day to attempt the summit. He said that most people spend days at the park and never even see Cradle Mountain because of the constant clouds around it, so I already considered myself fortunate just to have a nice view of the mountain at Dove Lake at its base.
So the plan is to hike from Dove Lake up to Marion's Lookout (900m), then across the plateau to the emergency shelter hut where the summit track begins. Once at the hut, this is the time to make the decision whether or not to attempt the summit (1545m). The weather changes very quickly here- it could be clear when you start the hike and then rainy at the summit a few hours later, or the other way around. So, the decision whether to push on toward the summit really needs to be made when you've completed the 2-hour ascent to the start of the summit track.
Since we arrived at the park at 1pm, and the last shuttle bus was at 8pm, we took the short cut up to Marion's lookout to save time (as recommended). This was a steep track with chains planted into the rock to help you climb. It was heaps of fun, and we got an awesome view of the crater lakes below and the surrounding mountains. I am glad that both Nicole and Chantal had the courage to attempt the summit with me. I would not have gone alone- gotta use the buddy system you know? Nicole didn't have the right shoes or confidence, and Chantal is afraid of heights, but I am so proud of them for coming along. They're both in good shape, so they did well during our faster-paced hike to the hut and the start of the summit track.
When we reached the hut, the weather was still clear (but very chilly), and the three of us decided to go for it. There were other hikers on the trail too, so that made me feel better- safety in numbers. We made the initial ascent and then started climbing over boulder over boulder over boulder. This was similar to the Mount Doom summit, except that the dolorite rock here was a lot harder more more slick than Mt. Doom's lava rock. Kearse would have loved/hated it/me.
As you get closer to the top of Cradle Mountain, you have to get creative and do some more technical climbing. This involved finding handholds, having your feet hang off of the cliff face, and jumping between rocks with large deep gaps in between. I enjoyed the climb so much, even though it was tricky and scary at parts! It was challenging and thrilling, and that was definitely the best part about it (next to the views, which were beyond phenomenal).
The track gets more and more difficult the closer you get to the top. The gaps get deeper and the climbs trickier. When we were only 15 minutes from reaching the summit, the clouds rolled in and it started to rain. At this point, I decided that we turn back. Nicole and Chantal were getting scared and refused to press on. They said they would start the descent and wait for me at the hut, but I chose to turn around as well. The rain was already making the rocks slippery, and it was getting worse the longer we waited. There wouldn't have been a view at the top anyway because of all of the clouds.
So, we hiked down the mountain toward the hut in the spitting rain for about an hour. I am happy to report that my semi-rainproof hiking boots and camelback held up wonderfully! By the time we made it back to Dove Lake at the bottom at 6pm, the storms had passed and the sky cleared. There was literally blue sky over Cradle Mountain.
It's disappointing to get to the bottom of the track and see blue sky, knowing that you could have been at the top. Had we just waited out the rain for one hour at the hut, we could have made it to the summit with an amazingly clear view. The thing is... you don't know that when your sitting 1500 meters high on the side of a cliff at the start of a storm.
After expressing my disappointment to our tour guide the next morning, he confirmed that we made the right decision. You don't know what the weather is going to do, and he knows hikers who have tried to wait out the weather and ended up getting trapped in a snow storm in the middle lf the summer. Nevertheless, I'm still a bit disappointed that we were so close. If only we would have taken less time during our lunch break at Marion's Lookout, then we would've been at the top when the clouds rolled in, instead of 15 minutes away. But then again, I'm not sure if Nicole and Chantal would have gone that far anyway, they were already paralyzed with fear by the time we turned around.
Actually, our hike back down the mountain in the rain was quite beautiful. I commented on how pretty the landscape looked in the drizzle as the sun tried to poke through, and Chantal exclaimed "I LOVE you!", and Nicole said "You're crazy! This is your nature!" Ah that made me happy :)
The morning of Day 4 after our attempted summit, Chantal and I went on a chilly and misty two-hour morning walk through the temperate rainforest, quartzite beaches, and sub-alpine plant life around Dove Lake. We watched the sun rise behind Cradle Mountain, and the clouds flow over the summit, down into the valley, and over the lake.
Then we drove toward the west coast of Tasmania, taking a break for lunch in thensmall and lazy town of Rosebery, the second rainiest place in Australia. Fun fact: the weather in Tasmania comes al, the way from Argentina. The storm surges in South America, builds across the ocean, and smacks into Tassie's west coast. Because the storm builds all the way across the Pacific, the weather is quite dangerous here.
In Rosebery, Chantal and Nicole wanted to see a picture of me with my hair down, so I showed them my Buzzcard, and Nicole's reaction was: "You're so American! This is so American!". Haha so funny! I guess it was my "American smile"! We then continued on to Strahan, the only town on Tasmania's west coast, and of course we made a stop at the beach to play in the Indian Ocean!
That night in Strahan, Cantal made us some awesome lemon cookies from scratch, filled with strawberry or lemon jam and drizzle or dipped in chocolate. Yum! Cookies made by a professional baker! Wooooo! Chantal was a pro with improvising with that hostel kitchen and small town supermarket.
On our fifth and final day together on the Tassie Tour (and my second to last day in Australia), we had a big drive from Strahan, across the island, and back to Hobart. Along the way we stopped at Nelson Falls, Lake St. Clair (Australia's deepest fresh water lake where I had a relaxing lunch on the crystal clear lake shore), Mt. Field National Park, the Land of Giants (towering gum trees over 100 meters high that reminded me of the sequoia trees in Yosemite), Russell Falls, and Derwent Valley (where hops are grown that are used in 85 percent of all Australian beer).
We made it back to Hobart by dinnertime, enjoyed some fish and chips and farewell drinks, and then called it a night. The next morning I am headed to the Hobart airport to fly to Sydney. There I will meet up wit Hanna and Nina for my last day in Australia, and then head back home on March 2nd. I can't believe January and Fbruary have already come and gone. If it weren't for my awesome $10 digital watch from Wal-Mart, I would have no idea what day it is!
Tasmania! Under Down Under!
Kearse and I went to the airport together on February 23rd. Kearse headed home to the States while I set off on my own for Tasmania, the southern most state in Australia. This is my first time traveling alone, and I am pretty excited! I had been contemplating about spending an extra week in Australia without Kearse for quite some time, and I have decided that this is something that I just need to do. I love traveling with friends for the great company and fun, but I need to know if I can travel by myself like so many of the solo backpackers I have met during my journeys.
I arrived in Hobart at midday. Hobart is at the southern end of Tasmania, and it is Australia's second oldest city. Hobart is famous for its large prison nearby in Port Arthur. Aussies call their state of Tasmania "Tassie". This term is so cute, and so Australian :)
It's weird though, because Tassie feels like a completely separate country from Australia. Tassie is more like a mix of AUS and New Zealand. It has the landscape of New Zealand, being an island of the same latitude, but does not nearly have the grandeur of NZ. In fact, Tasmania's landscape is to New Zealand's landscape as the Appalachians are to the Rockies- older, shorter, smaller, not quite as magnificent. However, Tassie is like New Zealand in that it sees the same weather patterns- Tassie's east coast is brown, dry, and hilly, while it's west coast is lush, green, wet, and mountainous.
The people in Tassie are also a mix between Aussie's and Kiwis... Aussie accent with the small-town, middle-of-the-wilderness attitude of New Zealand. I don't know, something about Tasmanians felt a bit... off. Nevertheless, I had an awesome time in Tassie on a five day tour across the island and back.
Oh and yes, the Tasmanian Devil exists :) He doesn't look like Taz the cartoon (he is black with a white stripe), but he is cute, full of energy, and snarls and screams if something or someone gets in the way of his food. I was also realy excited to hear that if you got a picture of a Tassie Tiger (the Thylacines), then you received a full refund on the cost of your tour. I felt really gullible when I learned that the Tassie Tiger is extinct- the last tiger in the wild was killed in 1930, and the last tiger in the captivity died in the Hibart Zoo in 1938. What a beautiful creature though.
My five day tour across Tassie was generally quiet and relaxing. We had a small group of only six people, so we all got to spread out in the 24-seater bus. Usually these tours have all 24 people, but for some reason ours was smaller. It's okay though, I loved having the extra space (though I would've enjoyed having some extra company... Maybe some single guys perhaps?). So our tour was me, a quiet young couple from Taiwan who we referred to as Mr. T and Mrs. B, then Nana the 37-year-old woman also from Taiwan who got burned out from work and whose Tarot Cards told her to go to Australia, Nicole the 23-year-old nurse from Germany who has a June 24th birthday like me, and Chantal the 23-year-old chef and aspiring baker from Switzerland. I hung out most with Chantal and Nicole. We had some crazy fun times!
I chose this tour because it offered a range of hiking acitivies, and I was not disappointed. On Day 1, we drove through the small town of Ross (the sheep capital of Tassie, yay more sheep!) where I ate an awesome, award-winning scallop pie. Then we drove through the pink knuckle rocks of the Hazzard Mountains to get to Wineglass Bay. With it's stark white sand, light green water, and mountainous backdrop, Wineglass Bay is one of the top ten beaches in the world! Fun fact: Wineglass Bay belongs to Freycinet National Park, the third oldest national park in the world. Yellowstone in the U.S. Is the second oldest, and I sadly can't remember the first oldest...
At Freycinet National Park, I chose to summit Mount Amos to get a fantastic view of Wineglass Bay and the surrounding area from above. This was a great hike and quite challenging. We climbed up and scrambled over steep and slick boulders, much like what it would be like climbing up the face of Stone Mountain. If it had been raining, this climb would have been impossible. The summit was wide and had lots of boulders to climb, as well as great places to get a 360 degree view! Beautiful!
After the hike, we drove onward to the small town of Bicheno to stay the night at Bicheno Backpackers. Bicheno is a "one horse town", as it is only big enough for one horse. The night life here is in the form of a nighttime penguin tour when the adult Fairy Penguins come out of the ocean and climb to the rockery to feed their young. The adults spend the day catching and eating fish, and then they regurgitate the meal into their young chicks' mouths.
Unfortunately it is currently low season for the penguins. All of the chicks have grown and gone out to sea while the parents are hiding in their nests and molting. We managed to see some penguins come out of the sea and walk up on shore, and we saw some molting, but usually they see penguins in groups of 30 or more come out of the sea together! If it's the right time of the year, you can even see the parents feeding the chicks! It would've been neat to see, but it was still so adorable to see these penguins up close and in the wild. They're so little and cute and I love their little waddle!
Haha but during the tour I couldn't keep my eyes off of the fantastic night sky revealing itself overhead. I don't think I could ever tire of gazing at the Southern Cross- the fact that it is unique to the southern hemisphere makes it so fascinating and special.
The morning of Day 2, I got up early to watch the sunrise over Bicheno, but it was sadly rainy and cloudy. Rain is apparently rare for this area though, so I guess it's okay. We headed off toward Launcestown, moving from the dry east to the wet west (just like in New Zealand). Launceston is actually on the same latitude as Christchurch across the Tasman Sea that is currently recovering from their tragic earthquake.
Along the way we stopped at the Bay of Fires, another beautiful white sand beach that was voted the Number Two beach in the world in 2002. I thought that it was called the Bay of Fired because of the fire red algae covering the rocks along the shore, but in fact, it's name came from the early European explorers when they saw the Aborigine's fires on this beach.
We made another stop at St. Columba Falls to have lunch, and then continued on to Launceston. The rain cleared and the sun was shining brightly when we arrived, so we went to First Basin, a natural lake/river/gorge/park in Launceston. The world's longest single span chair lift is here, as well as a beautiful 6 lane, 50-meter pool! We just relaxed on the grass and in the pool for a few hours, then went to check in to the hostel. Tomorrow I plan to summit Cradle Mountain, so it's time to get some good sleep :)
I arrived in Hobart at midday. Hobart is at the southern end of Tasmania, and it is Australia's second oldest city. Hobart is famous for its large prison nearby in Port Arthur. Aussies call their state of Tasmania "Tassie". This term is so cute, and so Australian :)
It's weird though, because Tassie feels like a completely separate country from Australia. Tassie is more like a mix of AUS and New Zealand. It has the landscape of New Zealand, being an island of the same latitude, but does not nearly have the grandeur of NZ. In fact, Tasmania's landscape is to New Zealand's landscape as the Appalachians are to the Rockies- older, shorter, smaller, not quite as magnificent. However, Tassie is like New Zealand in that it sees the same weather patterns- Tassie's east coast is brown, dry, and hilly, while it's west coast is lush, green, wet, and mountainous.
The people in Tassie are also a mix between Aussie's and Kiwis... Aussie accent with the small-town, middle-of-the-wilderness attitude of New Zealand. I don't know, something about Tasmanians felt a bit... off. Nevertheless, I had an awesome time in Tassie on a five day tour across the island and back.
Oh and yes, the Tasmanian Devil exists :) He doesn't look like Taz the cartoon (he is black with a white stripe), but he is cute, full of energy, and snarls and screams if something or someone gets in the way of his food. I was also realy excited to hear that if you got a picture of a Tassie Tiger (the Thylacines), then you received a full refund on the cost of your tour. I felt really gullible when I learned that the Tassie Tiger is extinct- the last tiger in the wild was killed in 1930, and the last tiger in the captivity died in the Hibart Zoo in 1938. What a beautiful creature though.
My five day tour across Tassie was generally quiet and relaxing. We had a small group of only six people, so we all got to spread out in the 24-seater bus. Usually these tours have all 24 people, but for some reason ours was smaller. It's okay though, I loved having the extra space (though I would've enjoyed having some extra company... Maybe some single guys perhaps?). So our tour was me, a quiet young couple from Taiwan who we referred to as Mr. T and Mrs. B, then Nana the 37-year-old woman also from Taiwan who got burned out from work and whose Tarot Cards told her to go to Australia, Nicole the 23-year-old nurse from Germany who has a June 24th birthday like me, and Chantal the 23-year-old chef and aspiring baker from Switzerland. I hung out most with Chantal and Nicole. We had some crazy fun times!
I chose this tour because it offered a range of hiking acitivies, and I was not disappointed. On Day 1, we drove through the small town of Ross (the sheep capital of Tassie, yay more sheep!) where I ate an awesome, award-winning scallop pie. Then we drove through the pink knuckle rocks of the Hazzard Mountains to get to Wineglass Bay. With it's stark white sand, light green water, and mountainous backdrop, Wineglass Bay is one of the top ten beaches in the world! Fun fact: Wineglass Bay belongs to Freycinet National Park, the third oldest national park in the world. Yellowstone in the U.S. Is the second oldest, and I sadly can't remember the first oldest...
At Freycinet National Park, I chose to summit Mount Amos to get a fantastic view of Wineglass Bay and the surrounding area from above. This was a great hike and quite challenging. We climbed up and scrambled over steep and slick boulders, much like what it would be like climbing up the face of Stone Mountain. If it had been raining, this climb would have been impossible. The summit was wide and had lots of boulders to climb, as well as great places to get a 360 degree view! Beautiful!
After the hike, we drove onward to the small town of Bicheno to stay the night at Bicheno Backpackers. Bicheno is a "one horse town", as it is only big enough for one horse. The night life here is in the form of a nighttime penguin tour when the adult Fairy Penguins come out of the ocean and climb to the rockery to feed their young. The adults spend the day catching and eating fish, and then they regurgitate the meal into their young chicks' mouths.
Unfortunately it is currently low season for the penguins. All of the chicks have grown and gone out to sea while the parents are hiding in their nests and molting. We managed to see some penguins come out of the sea and walk up on shore, and we saw some molting, but usually they see penguins in groups of 30 or more come out of the sea together! If it's the right time of the year, you can even see the parents feeding the chicks! It would've been neat to see, but it was still so adorable to see these penguins up close and in the wild. They're so little and cute and I love their little waddle!
Haha but during the tour I couldn't keep my eyes off of the fantastic night sky revealing itself overhead. I don't think I could ever tire of gazing at the Southern Cross- the fact that it is unique to the southern hemisphere makes it so fascinating and special.
The morning of Day 2, I got up early to watch the sunrise over Bicheno, but it was sadly rainy and cloudy. Rain is apparently rare for this area though, so I guess it's okay. We headed off toward Launcestown, moving from the dry east to the wet west (just like in New Zealand). Launceston is actually on the same latitude as Christchurch across the Tasman Sea that is currently recovering from their tragic earthquake.
Along the way we stopped at the Bay of Fires, another beautiful white sand beach that was voted the Number Two beach in the world in 2002. I thought that it was called the Bay of Fired because of the fire red algae covering the rocks along the shore, but in fact, it's name came from the early European explorers when they saw the Aborigine's fires on this beach.
We made another stop at St. Columba Falls to have lunch, and then continued on to Launceston. The rain cleared and the sun was shining brightly when we arrived, so we went to First Basin, a natural lake/river/gorge/park in Launceston. The world's longest single span chair lift is here, as well as a beautiful 6 lane, 50-meter pool! We just relaxed on the grass and in the pool for a few hours, then went to check in to the hostel. Tomorrow I plan to summit Cradle Mountain, so it's time to get some good sleep :)
Earthquake in Christchurch
The morning of February 22nd, Kearse and I decided to go to Manly Beach outside of Sydney. It's Kearse's last day in Australia, so I figured it be great to relax and soak up some sun before he goes back to the wintery States and his work training in New York.
We boarded ferry to Manly just past noon, and when we disembarked at 1:00pm, we were met with terrible news of an earthquake hitting Christchurch. My first thought was, Wow they were just finally recovering from the earthquake in September... We stopped outside of a news stand and stood in a pack of people glued to the TV watching scenes of the earthquake's aftermath.
Then it started to sink in, how horrible this earthquake was for the recovering Christchurch. It was the lunchtime hour when the earthquake struck at 12:50pm in the city center. At a mere 5 km deep, this earthquake caused buildings to pancake and crushed buses under falling pieces from the buildings. I kept hearing about streets and places in the news that Kearse and I had visited just six days before. I hated hearing a sentence "and bodies were pulled from a local youth hostel" as I remembered the hostel that Kearse and I stayed in- Base Backpackers that stood proudly in the shadow of the central cathedral and had just reopened, with scaffolding and construction still taking place, when Kearse and I arrived on Feb 3rd. Even more tragic, the top of Christchurch's central cathedral had crumbled. Christchurch is so proud of this cathedral, and it broke my heart to see this city's icon, and identity, in shambles. And this earthquake is apparently an aftershock of the earthquake back in September?? Unbelievable!
I was remembering the lovely weather and scenes we had had of Christchurch when Kearse mentioned that we should have been there today... rather than six days ago. Our original plan was to spend two weeks in Australia and two weeks in New Zealand. We were going to fly out of Christchurch to Sydney at 7pm on Feb 22nd so that Kearse could make his flight from Sydney to the U.S. on Feb 23rd. When Cyclone Yasi hit Cairns, we shuffled our plans and spent one week in Australia, two weeks in New Zealand, and then our final week in Australia again. Had it not been for Cyclone Yasi, we would have been returning our van to the rental company in the center of Christchurch at precisely 1pm. That is a very scary thought. I am so thankful for one natural disaster saving us from another.
I am thinking back to my last couple of months, and I know that God has really been watching out for me. I spent a week in Egypt at the beginning of January, and two weeks after my trip the country fell into turmoil and political unrest, and all U.S. citizens were restricted from entering the country. For me to see this country when it was still at peace, and to return safely back in U.S., is a true blessing.
Torrential rainfall and floods in Brisbane, and rampant bush fires in Perth occurred days before our flight to Australia, while Cyclone Yasi hit Cairns the night before our flight to that very spot. Had we booked the flight one day earlier, we would gave been stuck right in the middle of the cyclone. But thanks to the cyclone, we avoided being in the heart of the most tragic natural disaster in New Zealand's history. I cannot thank God enough for our safety, and I am so blessed to have friends and family back home praying for the same. I love you all so much :)
I am also happy to hear that Ag's friend from Chicago who is working in Christchurch is safe. The two buildings next to her office building collapsed, and her friend was trapped in a building that was leaking gas for a while, but she is safe and okay. I am so thankful :)
We boarded ferry to Manly just past noon, and when we disembarked at 1:00pm, we were met with terrible news of an earthquake hitting Christchurch. My first thought was, Wow they were just finally recovering from the earthquake in September... We stopped outside of a news stand and stood in a pack of people glued to the TV watching scenes of the earthquake's aftermath.
Then it started to sink in, how horrible this earthquake was for the recovering Christchurch. It was the lunchtime hour when the earthquake struck at 12:50pm in the city center. At a mere 5 km deep, this earthquake caused buildings to pancake and crushed buses under falling pieces from the buildings. I kept hearing about streets and places in the news that Kearse and I had visited just six days before. I hated hearing a sentence "and bodies were pulled from a local youth hostel" as I remembered the hostel that Kearse and I stayed in- Base Backpackers that stood proudly in the shadow of the central cathedral and had just reopened, with scaffolding and construction still taking place, when Kearse and I arrived on Feb 3rd. Even more tragic, the top of Christchurch's central cathedral had crumbled. Christchurch is so proud of this cathedral, and it broke my heart to see this city's icon, and identity, in shambles. And this earthquake is apparently an aftershock of the earthquake back in September?? Unbelievable!
I was remembering the lovely weather and scenes we had had of Christchurch when Kearse mentioned that we should have been there today... rather than six days ago. Our original plan was to spend two weeks in Australia and two weeks in New Zealand. We were going to fly out of Christchurch to Sydney at 7pm on Feb 22nd so that Kearse could make his flight from Sydney to the U.S. on Feb 23rd. When Cyclone Yasi hit Cairns, we shuffled our plans and spent one week in Australia, two weeks in New Zealand, and then our final week in Australia again. Had it not been for Cyclone Yasi, we would have been returning our van to the rental company in the center of Christchurch at precisely 1pm. That is a very scary thought. I am so thankful for one natural disaster saving us from another.
I am thinking back to my last couple of months, and I know that God has really been watching out for me. I spent a week in Egypt at the beginning of January, and two weeks after my trip the country fell into turmoil and political unrest, and all U.S. citizens were restricted from entering the country. For me to see this country when it was still at peace, and to return safely back in U.S., is a true blessing.
Torrential rainfall and floods in Brisbane, and rampant bush fires in Perth occurred days before our flight to Australia, while Cyclone Yasi hit Cairns the night before our flight to that very spot. Had we booked the flight one day earlier, we would gave been stuck right in the middle of the cyclone. But thanks to the cyclone, we avoided being in the heart of the most tragic natural disaster in New Zealand's history. I cannot thank God enough for our safety, and I am so blessed to have friends and family back home praying for the same. I love you all so much :)
I am also happy to hear that Ag's friend from Chicago who is working in Christchurch is safe. The two buildings next to her office building collapsed, and her friend was trapped in a building that was leaking gas for a while, but she is safe and okay. I am so thankful :)
The Wonderful World of Sydney
Sydney is so enchanting, I love it! I felt like I was flying home during our trip from Cairns to Sydney. Maybe its because this is a city familiar to me now, but whatever it is, I am loving it. We plan to spend the 21st and 22nd in Sydney hanging out with Hanna and Nina (who we met on our Ayer's Rock tour) before Kearse leaves to go back to the States on the 23rd.
Kearse and I spent the 21st wandering around Darling Harbor, which is right around the corner from Circular Quay (which is where the Opera House ad Harbor Bridge are located). Darling Harbor was... how do I say it?... Well, it was darling! It was so cute, and quaint, and beautiful. Lovely shops and restaurants along the water front, wide pedestrian boardwalks, a footbridge decorated with flowers and flags, and gorgeous yachts parked at the docks with the glistening buildings of Sydney's city center in the background. It was just lovely :)
Darling Harbor is also the home of the Sydney IMAX, the largest cinema screen in the world! So of course this meant that I had to go see an IMAX film, and I chose a documentary about the Hubble Telescope in 3D! I was in awe! Loved it!
Some random things that I also love:
1. Aussies do not say "How are you doing?" or "How is it going?". Instead, they say "How are you going?". Fascinating!
2. I have loved the nicknames that Kearse and I have received on this trip from fellow travelers. We became Team America on the Ayer's Rock Tour (this was a fun one that we carried with us for the rest of our trip). The Egyptain/Aussie girls on the Moreton Island day trip called us Georgia. And then Hanna enjoyed calling me Big Guns. Good times.
3. Most of the solo backpackers I have met during my trip have been women, which is so surprising! When Ag and I backpacked through Europe, all we met were dudes. But in AUS, all of the hostels are just loaded with girls. It's quite strange actually, but it is giving me confidence to set out on my own when Kearse leaves for the States.
Kearse and I spent the 21st wandering around Darling Harbor, which is right around the corner from Circular Quay (which is where the Opera House ad Harbor Bridge are located). Darling Harbor was... how do I say it?... Well, it was darling! It was so cute, and quaint, and beautiful. Lovely shops and restaurants along the water front, wide pedestrian boardwalks, a footbridge decorated with flowers and flags, and gorgeous yachts parked at the docks with the glistening buildings of Sydney's city center in the background. It was just lovely :)
Darling Harbor is also the home of the Sydney IMAX, the largest cinema screen in the world! So of course this meant that I had to go see an IMAX film, and I chose a documentary about the Hubble Telescope in 3D! I was in awe! Loved it!
Some random things that I also love:
1. Aussies do not say "How are you doing?" or "How is it going?". Instead, they say "How are you going?". Fascinating!
2. I have loved the nicknames that Kearse and I have received on this trip from fellow travelers. We became Team America on the Ayer's Rock Tour (this was a fun one that we carried with us for the rest of our trip). The Egyptain/Aussie girls on the Moreton Island day trip called us Georgia. And then Hanna enjoyed calling me Big Guns. Good times.
3. Most of the solo backpackers I have met during my trip have been women, which is so surprising! When Ag and I backpacked through Europe, all we met were dudes. But in AUS, all of the hostels are just loaded with girls. It's quite strange actually, but it is giving me confidence to set out on my own when Kearse leaves for the States.
The Great Barrier Reef and Daintree Rainforest
"Of the five hundred or so sites on the planet that qualify for World Heritage status (that is, a site of global historical or biological significance), only thirteen satisfy all four of UNESCO's criteria for listing, and of these special thirteen places, four-almost a third-are to be found in Australia. Moreover, two of these, the Great Barrier Reef and the wet tropics of Queensland, are right here. It is the only place in world, I believe, where two such consummate environments adjoin." -Bill Bryson, In A Sunburned Country
Kearse and I took off to Cairns in the north, looking forward to some more warm weather. Cairns reminded me of Florida... in that it is a super humid, short (as in height) little beach town with old looking buildings worn away by salt and wind. However, Cairns is famous for its location near the world's largest living organism- the Great Barrier Reef! Depending on which source you consult, the Great Barrier Reef covers anywhere from 280,000 to 344,000 square kilometers, and stretches anywhere from 1200 to 1600 miles from top to bottom (the length of the west coast of the United States. The Great Barrier Reef contains at least 1500 species of fish, 400 types of coral, and 4000 varieties of mollusks, but those are essentially just guesses as no one has ever attempted a comprehensive survey- must be too big a job.
So of course the Number One thing on our to-do list was to Scuba Dive at the Reef! We took a day trip out to the reef and had a fantastic time! While I'm a certified Scuba diver, Kearse had never dived before. Luckily, there are tours that give you a briefing, run through some of the important skills, and take you on introductory dives with a guide. It was so exciting that Kearse got to dive for the first time at the reef! He did three dives today, awesome!
As for me, the dive crew decided not to let me dive today... Apparently athletically-induced asthma is the most dangerous form of asthma to have when diving, and even though I've been off of an inhaler for a year, they said it wasn't enough time (haha and I told them two years... Oh well). So I got to snorkel... but it ended up being really amazing!
The benefits to snorkeling- you can explore the parts of the reef that are only a meter or two below the surface of the water, you can see more brilliant colors in the sunlight than at the depths the divers are at, you can listen to a snorkel guide talk about the fish, coral, and sea life that you are seeing, and if you really want to, you can dive down and swim with the scuba divers because they are only four to five meters deep the whole time (and of course I definitely dove down and swam with the scuba divers, it was Kearse's first time diving after all).
But wow I cannot even begin to name all of the awesome creatures and life that I saws at the reef. I can't even name 20% of what I laid my eyes on! I saw brain coral, fan coral, anemones, urchins, and sea cucumbers! I even stuck my hand in a huge purple clam the size of small car! I got to stare face-to-face with a moray eel, and follow a couple sea turtles on the surface. I swam above a school of squid (yum!), and through schools and schools of fish (which was my favorite part)! I also loved the way the light filtered through the water and danced along the coral. Captivating!
During my snorkel, I could see a lot of broken coral lying on the ocean floor, covered in sand. This was the damage done by Cyclone Yasi when it blew through the area two weeks before (remember that's why we went to New Zealand early and then back-tracked to Cairns).
I loved observing the huge and brilliantly colored and striped fish eating off of the coral- ah so many bright colors! Purple, blue, teal, yellow, turquoise, violet! It was so brilliant! I liked diving down and swimming in the canyons between shelves of reefs, and floating like a star fish above the super shallow parts, letting the waves move me across the reef. There were a few times were a just had to take a break from al of the snorkeling just to take it all in! This is awesome! Dad, you need to come to Cairns and do this ASAP! No worries, I'll come with you!
After our dive/snorkel trip, we had an awesome dinner at this cute Greek restaurant near our hostel. This restaurant is so legit. It's owned and run by an old, plump Greek man who likes to give the girls hugs and kisses. The tables had stark white table clothes dressed in blue, just like the colors in Santorini. I had an incredible dinner of scallops, mussels, and huge prawns on a bed of spaghetti, yum yum yum! Oh yeah, and some baklava of course! I asked the owner about the dance where you throw plates, and he proceeded to throw plates at my feet until I got up and danced with him. Ten the waiters started getting other customers up from their tables and we formed a long Congo line and did the zombi dance with plates being thrown at our feet and yelling OPAAAA! It was fantastic! I really want to go to Greece!
The next day in Cairns, Kearse and I took a day trip to the Daintree Rainforest. It was really nothing spectacular, and kind of boring and very humid and sticky and uncomfortable. We stopped at a local ice cream shop though and tried flavors made from the local fruits, like supote (a chocolate flavor), wattle seed (a coffee flavor), mango, and banana. I think the best thing about the Daintree Rainforest are the facts: the Daintree is the oldest rainforest in the world at 350 million years old (the Amazon is only 30 million years old)! It is a remnant of the time when the world was a single landmass, and as the continents split up, the Daintree escaped the more dramatic changes of climate and orientation that spurred ecological change elsewhere. Consequently, there are plants out there-whole families of plants-that survived no where else, like hanging fig trees, mangroves with huge buttresses of roots, and tea leaves (I bought some Danitree Tea, so excited to try some back home)!
One of the plants in the Daintree Rainforest is called Gimpy Gimpy. "Gimpy" in the aboriginal's language means "pain", so when they say "pain" twice, you know they mean business. The Gimpy Gimpy is like poison ivy, but it doesn't leave red itchy bumps on your skin. Instead, when you brush up against the Gimpy Gimpy leaves, thousands of minute fibers bore into your skin, and the more you move, the deeper the fibers go until they rest on your nerves. These fibers are sensitive to temperature, so when you are hot (like when you are exercising and sweating) or when you are cold (like when you jump into a river), you feel the sharp stinging and burning of the Gimpy Gimpy. These burning effects are felt for four to six months after exposure to the Gimpy Gimpy!! Yikes!
In fact, in this one rainforest alone, there are more things that will kill you than anywhere else in Australia!! From Bill Bryson- "The cassowary is the flightless, man-sized bird with a razor claw on each foot with which it can slice you open in a deft and appallingly expansive manner; and the green tree snakes that dangle from branches and so blend into the foliage that you don't see them until they are clamped onto a facial extremity; the small but fearsomely poisonous blue-ringed octopus, whose caress is instant death; and the elegant but irritable numb ray, which moves through the water like a flying carpet discharging 220 volts of electricity into anything that troubles its progress; and the loathsome, sluggish stonefish, so called because it is indistinguishable from a rock, but with the difference that it has twelve spikes on its back that are sharp enough to pierce the sole of a sneaker, injecting the hapless sufferer with a myotoxin bearing a molecular weight of 150,000, which means pain beyond description followed shortly by muscular paralysis, respiratory depression, and cardiac palpitations. Then there are the feared box jellyfish and the dreaded saltwater crocodiles. The Daintree is also home to the celebrated, and extremely shy, tree kangaroo."
Kearse and I took off to Cairns in the north, looking forward to some more warm weather. Cairns reminded me of Florida... in that it is a super humid, short (as in height) little beach town with old looking buildings worn away by salt and wind. However, Cairns is famous for its location near the world's largest living organism- the Great Barrier Reef! Depending on which source you consult, the Great Barrier Reef covers anywhere from 280,000 to 344,000 square kilometers, and stretches anywhere from 1200 to 1600 miles from top to bottom (the length of the west coast of the United States. The Great Barrier Reef contains at least 1500 species of fish, 400 types of coral, and 4000 varieties of mollusks, but those are essentially just guesses as no one has ever attempted a comprehensive survey- must be too big a job.
So of course the Number One thing on our to-do list was to Scuba Dive at the Reef! We took a day trip out to the reef and had a fantastic time! While I'm a certified Scuba diver, Kearse had never dived before. Luckily, there are tours that give you a briefing, run through some of the important skills, and take you on introductory dives with a guide. It was so exciting that Kearse got to dive for the first time at the reef! He did three dives today, awesome!
As for me, the dive crew decided not to let me dive today... Apparently athletically-induced asthma is the most dangerous form of asthma to have when diving, and even though I've been off of an inhaler for a year, they said it wasn't enough time (haha and I told them two years... Oh well). So I got to snorkel... but it ended up being really amazing!
The benefits to snorkeling- you can explore the parts of the reef that are only a meter or two below the surface of the water, you can see more brilliant colors in the sunlight than at the depths the divers are at, you can listen to a snorkel guide talk about the fish, coral, and sea life that you are seeing, and if you really want to, you can dive down and swim with the scuba divers because they are only four to five meters deep the whole time (and of course I definitely dove down and swam with the scuba divers, it was Kearse's first time diving after all).
But wow I cannot even begin to name all of the awesome creatures and life that I saws at the reef. I can't even name 20% of what I laid my eyes on! I saw brain coral, fan coral, anemones, urchins, and sea cucumbers! I even stuck my hand in a huge purple clam the size of small car! I got to stare face-to-face with a moray eel, and follow a couple sea turtles on the surface. I swam above a school of squid (yum!), and through schools and schools of fish (which was my favorite part)! I also loved the way the light filtered through the water and danced along the coral. Captivating!
During my snorkel, I could see a lot of broken coral lying on the ocean floor, covered in sand. This was the damage done by Cyclone Yasi when it blew through the area two weeks before (remember that's why we went to New Zealand early and then back-tracked to Cairns).
I loved observing the huge and brilliantly colored and striped fish eating off of the coral- ah so many bright colors! Purple, blue, teal, yellow, turquoise, violet! It was so brilliant! I liked diving down and swimming in the canyons between shelves of reefs, and floating like a star fish above the super shallow parts, letting the waves move me across the reef. There were a few times were a just had to take a break from al of the snorkeling just to take it all in! This is awesome! Dad, you need to come to Cairns and do this ASAP! No worries, I'll come with you!
After our dive/snorkel trip, we had an awesome dinner at this cute Greek restaurant near our hostel. This restaurant is so legit. It's owned and run by an old, plump Greek man who likes to give the girls hugs and kisses. The tables had stark white table clothes dressed in blue, just like the colors in Santorini. I had an incredible dinner of scallops, mussels, and huge prawns on a bed of spaghetti, yum yum yum! Oh yeah, and some baklava of course! I asked the owner about the dance where you throw plates, and he proceeded to throw plates at my feet until I got up and danced with him. Ten the waiters started getting other customers up from their tables and we formed a long Congo line and did the zombi dance with plates being thrown at our feet and yelling OPAAAA! It was fantastic! I really want to go to Greece!
The next day in Cairns, Kearse and I took a day trip to the Daintree Rainforest. It was really nothing spectacular, and kind of boring and very humid and sticky and uncomfortable. We stopped at a local ice cream shop though and tried flavors made from the local fruits, like supote (a chocolate flavor), wattle seed (a coffee flavor), mango, and banana. I think the best thing about the Daintree Rainforest are the facts: the Daintree is the oldest rainforest in the world at 350 million years old (the Amazon is only 30 million years old)! It is a remnant of the time when the world was a single landmass, and as the continents split up, the Daintree escaped the more dramatic changes of climate and orientation that spurred ecological change elsewhere. Consequently, there are plants out there-whole families of plants-that survived no where else, like hanging fig trees, mangroves with huge buttresses of roots, and tea leaves (I bought some Danitree Tea, so excited to try some back home)!
One of the plants in the Daintree Rainforest is called Gimpy Gimpy. "Gimpy" in the aboriginal's language means "pain", so when they say "pain" twice, you know they mean business. The Gimpy Gimpy is like poison ivy, but it doesn't leave red itchy bumps on your skin. Instead, when you brush up against the Gimpy Gimpy leaves, thousands of minute fibers bore into your skin, and the more you move, the deeper the fibers go until they rest on your nerves. These fibers are sensitive to temperature, so when you are hot (like when you are exercising and sweating) or when you are cold (like when you jump into a river), you feel the sharp stinging and burning of the Gimpy Gimpy. These burning effects are felt for four to six months after exposure to the Gimpy Gimpy!! Yikes!
In fact, in this one rainforest alone, there are more things that will kill you than anywhere else in Australia!! From Bill Bryson- "The cassowary is the flightless, man-sized bird with a razor claw on each foot with which it can slice you open in a deft and appallingly expansive manner; and the green tree snakes that dangle from branches and so blend into the foliage that you don't see them until they are clamped onto a facial extremity; the small but fearsomely poisonous blue-ringed octopus, whose caress is instant death; and the elegant but irritable numb ray, which moves through the water like a flying carpet discharging 220 volts of electricity into anything that troubles its progress; and the loathsome, sluggish stonefish, so called because it is indistinguishable from a rock, but with the difference that it has twelve spikes on its back that are sharp enough to pierce the sole of a sneaker, injecting the hapless sufferer with a myotoxin bearing a molecular weight of 150,000, which means pain beyond description followed shortly by muscular paralysis, respiratory depression, and cardiac palpitations. Then there are the feared box jellyfish and the dreaded saltwater crocodiles. The Daintree is also home to the celebrated, and extremely shy, tree kangaroo."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)