August 10th ,2009 (a repeat day for us since we crossed the international date line)
We have arrived back in the USA but are spending the night in LA. The trip back was not as smooth as going down…let me explain.
We got up at 5 AM Monday (Sunday 3 PM at home) to get ready for our return. Planned to be in the lobby by 6:50 for our airport shuttle pickup. Just before we went down we had a mini panic attack as the voucher for the shuttle (which was already paid for) was not with our papers. Donna had packed a bunch of papers in the bottom of her suitcase the night before. SO we had to unpack one of the suitcases and hope it was there…yes it was but we had to quickly repack, as the shuttle doesn’t wait for anyone. The shuttle came a few minutes early and we were ready. The vehicle this time was a new mini-bus, but we should have taken some cues as to how the ride was going to go by our first transaction with the driver. He opened the mini trailer door (similar to our mini van back door and held it up while we loaded our own suitcases…normally the driver takes your bags and does it all. He commented how he or someone had to hold the door up as the door doesn’t stay up and he doesn’t want to get hit in the head again. During the ride he kept playing with the radio and his language was not always the most appropriate.
We leave our hotel and head for the next pickup. Remember how we told you how different driving in Melbourne was, well we had another experience today. Thank goodness the traffic wasn’t too bad yet. He couldn’t find the next hotel, couldn’t remember how to get to there so he did a few U-turns (with a trailer behind him) right n the middle of downtown. At the first stop we moved further back in the van. A few times during our trip we had to hold on for dear life. He drove quickly and rather erratically through Melbourne. By the time we got to the airport, we both were relieved but felt a little nauseous.
Getting through security and onto the plane went well. They announced that we were getting ready to take off. It was a little warm in the plane so some people turned their vents on. There was young college girl ahead of us who was complaining of being warm, opened her vent and the next thing we knew she was getting sick. Thank goodness she wasn’t the young girl sitting next to us. We continued to taxi down the runway when an announcement came on that there was some mechanical difficulties. To make a long story short, we there was a problem with the wheels for the landing gear (they wouldn’t straighten and lock). They tried a few fixes on the runway but then needed to taxi back to the gate for the technicians to look at it. After about a 2 hour delay, everything was set to go. In the meantime the girl ahead of us got sick another time. The Qantas staff attended to her and did ask her if she was going to be okay to fly. She said it was what she ate and that she had gotten extremely warm. She thought she would be fine. They reminded her that it would be about 15 hours before we saw land and that once in the air there was no turning back. She did travel and we are glad to report that there were no more episodes.
The plane back was a bigger one than the one going down. Again it was full and filled with people of all ages, especially children under the age of 2. We had one child 2 rows behind us who was quite distressed, he didn’t just cry, he screamed for the first half of the flight. I think his ears were bothering him. We felt sorry for him but the parents never got up and walked around to help with discomfort. Thank goodness for the headphones, video games and movies. They helped to decrease the noise and distracted us from the activity going on around us. Yes Donna had a working TV this time. She rarely watched it but played the various games, FreeCell, Centipede, Crossword Puzzle, Chinese Checkers,….these kept us busy for many hours. We didn’t sleep much on this flight. The flight itself was even smoother than going down.
We arrived in LA 2 hours later than scheduled which meant we missed our connecting flight. The staff at Qantas were very organized and easy to work with. We were not the only flight that was delayed, so was the one from Sydney. While we were traveling to LA they were busy setting up alternatives. The nice thing was that you actually had some choices…go with what they had scheduled or look at alternatives, Well the itinerary that they had for us meant arriving in JFK at around midnight today but then we would have to figure out how to get home at that time since we would miss our Rochester flight.
The final decision was to stay in LA Monday and then fly out on American at 6AM Tuesday. They booked us right to Rochester via Chicago. We were lucky as we had made our own flights to Rochester, which means they weren’t required to help us get from NY to home. The staff at Qantas were very accommodating. So we are scheduled to arrive in Rochester at 4 PM Tuesday.
We were both tired so we just took it easy here in LA. Not enough time to do anything as we didn’t get to the hotel until about 1PM. We ate lunch and dinner here and did take a small walk. We are at the LAX Hilton, but nothing to do in close proximity. Guess we will have to come back for a longer visit.
Well we are going to try and get some sleep before the 3 AM wake up call. At least the trip got broken up some.
Oh by the way we played 2 games of Snookers last evening. On the first game we both improved our scores. The second game was even better for Donna but she still got beat.
Remember how we said the food was pricey in Australia, there is one thing we found cheaper…massages. Jack had 2 of them while we were there. One in Sydney and one in Cairns. Each was about 40 minutes and only $15 each.
August 10th ,2009 (a repeat day for us since we crossed the international date line)
We have arrived back in the USA but are spending the night in LA. The trip back was not as smooth as going down…let me explain.
We got up at 5 AM Monday (Sunday 3 PM at home) to get ready for our return. Planned to be in the lobby by 6:50 for our airport shuttle pickup. Just before we went down we had a mini panic attack as the voucher for the shuttle (which was already paid for) was not with our papers. Donna had packed a bunch of papers in the bottom of her suitcase the night before. SO we had to unpack one of the suitcases and hope it was there…yes it was but we had to quickly repack, as the shuttle doesn’t wait for anyone. The shuttle came a few minutes early and we were ready. The vehicle this time was a new mini-bus, but we should have taken some cues as to how the ride was going to go by our first transaction with the driver. He opened the mini trailer door (similar to our mini van back door and held it up while we loaded our own suitcases…normally the driver takes your bags and does it all. He commented how he or someone had to hold the door up as the door doesn’t stay up and he doesn’t want to get hit in the head again. During the ride he kept playing with the radio and his language was not always the most appropriate.
We leave our hotel and head for the next pickup. Remember how we told you how different driving in Melbourne was, well we had another experience today. Thank goodness the traffic wasn’t too bad yet. He couldn’t find the next hotel, couldn’t remember how to get to there so he did a few U-turns (with a trailer behind him) right n the middle of downtown. At the first stop we moved further back in the van. A few times during our trip we had to hold on for dear life. He drove quickly and rather erratically through Melbourne. By the time we got to the airport, we both were relieved but felt a little nauseous.
Getting through security and onto the plane went well. They announced that we were getting ready to take off. It was a little warm in the plane so some people turned their vents on. There was young college girl ahead of us who was complaining of being warm, opened her vent and the next thing we knew she was getting sick. Thank goodness she wasn’t the young girl sitting next to us. We continued to taxi down the runway when an announcement came on that there was some mechanical difficulties. To make a long story short, we there was a problem with the wheels for the landing gear (they wouldn’t straighten and lock). They tried a few fixes on the runway but then needed to taxi back to the gate for the technicians to look at it. After about a 2 hour delay, everything was set to go. In the meantime the girl ahead of us got sick another time. The Qantas staff attended to her and did ask her if she was going to be okay to fly. She said it was what she ate and that she had gotten extremely warm. She thought she would be fine. They reminded her that it would be about 15 hours before we saw land and that once in the air there was no turning back. She did travel and we are glad to report that there were no more episodes.
The plane back was a bigger one than the one going down. Again it was full and filled with people of all ages, especially children under the age of 2. We had one child 2 rows behind us who was quite distressed, he didn’t just cry, he screamed for the first half of the flight. I think his ears were bothering him. We felt sorry for him but the parents never got up and walked around to help with discomfort. Thank goodness for the headphones, video games and movies. They helped to decrease the noise and distracted us from the activity going on around us. Yes Donna had a working TV this time. She rarely watched it but played the various games, FreeCell, Centipede, Crossword Puzzle, Chinese Checkers,….these kept us busy for many hours. We didn’t sleep much on this flight. The flight itself was even smoother than going down.
We arrived in LA 2 hours later than scheduled which meant we missed our connecting flight. The staff at Qantas were very organized and easy to work with. We were not the only flight that was delayed, so was the one from Sydney. While we were traveling to LA they were busy setting up alternatives. The nice thing was that you actually had some choices…go with what they had scheduled or look at alternatives, Well the itinerary that they had for us meant arriving in JFK at around midnight today but then we would have to figure out how to get home at that time since we would miss our Rochester flight.
The final decision was to stay in LA Monday and then fly out on American at 6AM Tuesday. They booked us right to Rochester via Chicago. We were lucky as we had made our own flights to Rochester, which means they weren’t required to help us get from NY to home. The staff at Qantas were very accommodating. So we are scheduled to arrive in Rochester at 4 PM Tuesday.
We were both tired so we just took it easy here in LA. Not enough time to do anything as we didn’t get to the hotel until about 1PM. We ate lunch and dinner here and did take a small walk. We are at the LAX Hilton, but nothing to do in close proximity. Guess we will have to come back for a longer visit.
Well we are going to try and get some sleep before the 3 AM wake up call. At least the trip got broken up some.
Oh by the way we played 2 games of Snookers last evening. On the first game we both improved our scores. The second game was even better for Donna but she still got beat.
Remember how we said the food was pricey in Australia, there is one thing we found cheaper…massages. Jack had 2 of them while we were there. One in Sydney and one in Cairns. Each was about 40 minutes and only $15 each.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Final Hours in Melbourne
Well in less than 12 hours we will be heading for the airport and beginning the LONG trip home. It has been an awesome trip and one we don't regret taking. After we dropped off things at our hotel we headed out again for a little bit to do some final exploring. Melbourne is more of a walking sightseeing city. You don't even need to go into buildings to get a taste of the culture. The architecture is phenomenal. It is the capital of Victoria and the 2nd largest city in Australia. The sizes of the buildings and the renovations they have done turning them into productive businesses from old unoccupied churches and government buildings to hotels, restaurants, pubs or stores is remarkable.
On our walk tonight we were going to do some pub visits, but when we got to some of them we didn't stay because it was not quite our bag. Too many oddities to contend with, from how you enter to the type of patrons and not set guidelines as to what to do when you enter...wait to be seated, order yourself,.
We then walked past St. Paul's Cathedral. It is the Anglican church. We had seen it yesterday but didn't go in. I had read that it was definitely worth a trip inside and am I ever glad I did. It was spectacular. The stained glass windows were beautiful.
Leaving there we stopped at the Atrium. It is next to/part of Federation Square. I still don't really know the purpose of these 2 buildings/areas but there were huge TV screens around. The view at night is very colorful, both in decor and people.
We are back at the hotel and starting to pack. When we finish we are going down to the lobby for another game of Snookers. Donna is definitely a gluten for punishment as Jack beat her something like 51 to 2 last evening.
G'Day to all of you. We sent a lot of pictures and entries today 0n this blog so make sure you scroll down to see all the pictures and entries. The downloads in Melbourne have been super fast and free so we were able to send extra pictures.
Check back as we will probably send another note once we return home. We plan to arrive home Monday evening around 11:52 PM but that is only if we make it through customes in LA and make our connecting flight. There is only 75 minutes between the 2 flights. We both wouldn't mind getting stuck in LA for an extra day to break up the trip. Take care.
Last Day In Melbourne
Well it is hard to believe it has been 2 weeks since we started our vacation or as they say here in Australia "Holiday." Our last full day here was a busy one.
We started out the day walking to church. Thinking it was farther than it was we got there quite early so we walked around the grounds. They have lots of areas for meditation/reflection. The picture of the walkway is actually a fountain that water flows from the steps down the walkway. It was not working as it is under renovation. The church was cold inside both in appearance (comparing it to the cathedral in Sydney)and temperature. Heating that place would be very difficult but as the mass continued I started to feel heat and realized that there were heaters in the seats (placed under the seat.) So you definitely got a hot seat at mass. The other strange thing was that the seat depth of the pew was very small. If you put your bulletin on the seat it extended beyond the edge of the seat. The music books they used were 24 years old. I looked in the back for some of our older favorites but none were in there...no "Hear I Am Lord," "Hail Mary Gentle Woman" or "Sing of the Lord's Goodness". Our opening song was "I Am the Bread of Life" but the slowest rendition on organ I have ever heard. The other thing that we have noticed is how much they use incense during their masses. When you enter the church you immediately recognize that odor.
We started out the day walking to church. Thinking it was farther than it was we got there quite early so we walked around the grounds. They have lots of areas for meditation/reflection. The picture of the walkway is actually a fountain that water flows from the steps down the walkway. It was not working as it is under renovation. The church was cold inside both in appearance (comparing it to the cathedral in Sydney)and temperature. Heating that place would be very difficult but as the mass continued I started to feel heat and realized that there were heaters in the seats (placed under the seat.) So you definitely got a hot seat at mass. The other strange thing was that the seat depth of the pew was very small. If you put your bulletin on the seat it extended beyond the edge of the seat. The music books they used were 24 years old. I looked in the back for some of our older favorites but none were in there...no "Hear I Am Lord," "Hail Mary Gentle Woman" or "Sing of the Lord's Goodness". Our opening song was "I Am the Bread of Life" but the slowest rendition on organ I have ever heard. The other thing that we have noticed is how much they use incense during their masses. When you enter the church you immediately recognize that odor.
After mass we headed back towards Queen Victoria's Market. What a market. It is at least 10 times bigger than our market. It has everything you can imagine...produce, meats, food courts, clothes, knickknacks, purses shoes, etc. We ate breakfast there and the food was good. When we had finished exploring the area we walked to Lygon Street. This had been recommended by the Boyle,s as a place to get good Italian food. Even though the weather was a little cooler today, we still ate outside. the heaters out on the sidewalks really do keep you warm.
From there we headed back to our hotel to rest before heading out again. Before getting there we stopped at the Treasury Gardens. There is a memorial to JFK near the lake.
Holy Snookers ...Saturday Evening 8/8/09
Saturday evening we went to dinner at The Young and Jackson Hotel. It is the oldest and most famous pub in Melbourne. The pub was built in 1853 and began selling beer in 1861. There is a famous french painting upstairs called Chloe.
When we returned to our hotel we played a game of Snooker.Snooker is a billiard game played on a table about 6 foot wide and 12 foot long. It is played with 15 red balls and 6 colored balls. This table is actually in the lobby of our hotel and we got to play it. At one time we had to use the cue stick that was over 10 foot long. Jack beat Donna big time.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Melbourne Sightseeing Saturday August 8th,2009
We are back at our hotel for a short rest before heading back out for the evening. When we got up this morning we inquired at the desk about the room safe that was supposed to be in our wardrobe. Well it wasn't there so they opted to change rooms for us. This meant packing up our things and they would settle us into another room. So we got a little later start than we had planned but we feel much better knowing our things are locked up. An added bonus at this hotel is free Internet and fast downloads. That means I have been able to send pictures right from our room.
Today we did some sightseeing around Melbourne. The hardest part was trying to figure out the tram system. We ate breakfast at a small cafe along Swanston St. Then we found our way to the visitor center to figure out which tram to take to the zoo. We stood at one location for awhile and then figured out we needed to go the opposite way on the tram. The trams are an adventure as you often have to stand in the middle of the road waiting for your tram. To make things even more complicated, trams always have the right of way and pedestrians must yield to them. If you dared to drive here, within the city center, and you wanted to make a left right hand turn, you would have to get in the far left lane and wait till the light turns amber, then and only then are you allowed to turn.
We went to the Melbourne zoo. Our goal was to see some of the Australian animals, namely kangaroos and koalas. We got to see both although the koala exhibit was every small. This zoo is the oldest in the world. The animal are placed in environments that replicate their natural habitat and not necessarily in cages. There was one kangaroo who sure liked to pose...reminded us of someone relaxing and watching their favorite sporting event. Koalas are very passive as they generally sleep 20 hours a day and tend to be more nocturnal. We only saw one koala and she slept most of the time we were there. We went back late ron during the presentation and she was more awake but tended to just stay in the same tree.
From there we headed to Queen Victoria Market but they were closing when we got there. Sarah we got to see the University of Melbourne....we first remarked on the design of the building and then realized where we were. From there we did some navigating to St. Patrick's Cathedral. After seeing the Cathedral in Sydney, this was a bit of a disappointment, especially after walking by St. Paul's Anglican Church. However the church,s design and history are remarkable. The gardens of the church were pretty impressive. They actually have stones marked with the stations of the cross. Tomorrow we will go to mass at St. Patrick's.
Well we are back to the hotel have unpacked and ready to hit the streets again. Will write more later.
Saturday Morning August 8,2009
We have safely arrived in Melbourne. We left yesterday afternoon from Cairns. Donna was pleased as she finally had a window seat. Jack had his aisle seat but the price we paid for it is that we were towards the back of the plane surrounded by infants and toddlers. The babies had difficulty with the air pressure so needless to say they did some loud crying. It wasn’t too bad when you had your ear phones on to watch the movie… which we both enjoyed. It was a comedy entitled “My life in Ruins”. Throughout the ride Donna kept looking out the window at the scenery. She was impressed with the miles upon miles of undeveloped land in Australia, the Outback. The first part of the journey there was lots of land that appeared more red in color and as we approached Melbourne it became greener. The land was not very mountainous,. When you spotted a road it went for miles with very few paths off the road. Traffic on these roads was non existent. Gary from England told us that on some of these roads you might travel for 24 hours before seeing another car. What they do is carry their fuel with them on top of the car and fill up as they go. The pictures you see are actually in reverse order (that's the the way the blog downloads).
We arrived in Melbourne and got a chauffeured ride to the hotel. We rode in a Mercedes with 2 other ladies, The chauffeured ride was not like the vehicles Jack drives…it was comparable in size to a Nissan Altima. Jack got to ride in the front and boy did he find that strange. When he first got in he tried to get in on the right …but wait in Australia that is the drivers side. So he went to the left side and kept saying how weird it felt, sitting on that side with no steering wheel in front of him. This was our first car ride in Australia as all the others have been on public transportation or tour buses.
We didn’t arrive at our hotel until after 6:30 but the city was hopping. The driver kept saying it was because of the AFL (Australian Football League) games. Our hotel is within walking distance from the Melbourne Cricket Grounds. This is also the sight of the 1956 Melbourne Olympics. SO…we quickly got checked in, dressed for the colder weather and headed out to the game.
By the time we got there they were announcing that seating for General Admission was now only on the upper level. On the upper level we spotted a woman and asked for info on how to get to the other side. In talking with her we shared with her how we were from the US, had arrived less than 2 hours ago and headed right here to see the game. She then said oh let me take you to better seats. She took us all through the arena, stopping to introduce us to people…her best friend, coworkers, security. She saw our tickets and said don’t show them to anyone where we were going. Next thing we knew she handed us 2 Crossover passes that got us into the members reserve section. We were on the field level and had our choice of seats from row A to Z. We chose the middle.
The game is a fast moving game with no stoppage of the clock. They play 4 quarters. Over 55,000 people were at the game. The game is a cross between soccer and football with Australian rules. Garrett, Jack thinks you would really have liked this game. The game is a high scoring game. Certain plays earn six points and others earn one. Players use there hands and feet to play the game.
Even the refs have a part in the game, either throwing the ball backwards to get the game in play when out of bounds or throwing it hard on the ground to make it bounce (like for a tip off) when a quarter begins. The players don’t wear any protective gear. The fans really get into the game. They are a friendlier group than at our football games as it is more family friendly. Beer can not be brought into the stands. Drinking can only be done at the bars and only adults are allowed inside. It was a fun night. It is definitely a much affordable place for families to go than to our football games. General admission is only $22 and you have a wide choice of seats. Very few sections are reserved seats. So you can get there early and get a prime seat. There were 4 levels of seating and the stadium can hold up to 96,000 people. The woman we spoke to said that she thought the crowd would be a little less tonight as the weather was a bit cold. We also believe there was another game in town at a different venue on the other side of town. AFL (pronounced IFL) is a very big thing down here.
Great Barrier Reef Pictures
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The first two pictures are of the Great Barrier Reef, It was hard to get pictures of fish from the boat as they moved too quickly. Next picture picture is Jack and Nadine followed by Jack on the second snorkeling adventure. The next 2 pictures were taken while we were in the glass botoom boat. The final one is Jack in his wetsuit. Girls if you had a hard time seeing him in his bicycling outfit, this had more spandex than that.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Great Barrier Reef
Thursday August 6th, 2009
Great Barrier Reef
Today was a very busy day. We had to be at the wharf at 7:30 AM to board the Reef Experience boat. When we got up this morning it was a little cloudy so we were not sure what the day would bring. We were the first to board the boat. As we boarded they fitted you with swim fins, a wet suit, mask and snorkel. We had to fill all medical info and waivers for the diving and snorkeling excursion. Onboard the boat they had breakfast awaiting which you ate while filling out the paperwork. Hot beverages were served but only while the boat was docked. The sun kept trying to peek through but boy was it windy. Our adventure began with a 90 minute ride to get to the reef. The ride was definitely not a smooth one as we were fighting the tide and the wind. Lots of waves. Definitely not a ride for Joan. Jim and John you probably would have loved it. To pass the time away they did some nice presentations on the reef which is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Jack had wanted to do the introductory dive, but the water conditions as well as the medical questionnaire made him a little hesitant, especially when they asked if you were flying within the next 24 hours (which we are). Donna was not so sure she would enter the water as she needs to see the bottom and doesn’t like things swimming around her. PLUS…the conditions were less than what she had hoped.
Once they anchored, they first had to transport the passengers who were staying at the floating resort right on the water. They also transported food supplies to the resort and brought back the food the resort prepared for our lunch. People then began putting on their snorkeling gear and went into the Pacific Ocean. Jack/dad probably managed to embarrass his daughter’s again by wearing a diving suit…SPANDEX. Jack went in but quickly came back in as the current kept pushing him back. The waves were high enough that they kept throwing water back into his snorkeling tube. About an hour later they brought the glass bottom boat out , which was actually the same boat used to transport people and food to the resort. To get into the boat you actually had to walk on the boat platform that was in the ocean. The water was a lot warmer than we expected however the air temperature was a lot colder than expected.. Both of us went on the glass bottom boat and took a ride out to the reef. The neat thing about that was that we not only got to see it but we got a narration of what we were seeing. So yes we did get to see the great barrier reef. We did get some pictures but it was hard to get some of the fish as they were swimming too fast. Each time the driver turned the motor down for us to explore, the current would drift us away from the reef.
Next they fed us lunch while transporting us to the second location for snorkeling. Here the water was a little calmer and you did not have to swim out as far to the reef. Jack decided to try again. He was glad he did. He got the chance to see more coral and lots more fish. Although it was a little calmer, he said it was the roughest water he had ever experienced snorkeling. Needless to say this was all the more reason Donna kept her experience to the glass bottom boat. The crew on board were great … especially Nadine. Jack used his charm and got his picture taken with her.
We met a couple and their 29 year old son who were from England. We hit it off well and spent the whole time conversing with each other. Their son Gary, like so many other youth we have met here, is on a work VISA. He has been here 22 months and his parents came to visit him. We found out that we and the other couple had a lot in common. Sue and Steve were here in Australia for the 1st time. She works in special education in England and we shared stories of the way special education works in each of our countries. After the excursion, the 5 of us went back down to PJ O’Brien’s to talk.
One of the things that has amazed us here, is how many young adults are here on work VISA’s as backpackers. They don’t live to work but rather work to live allowing the opportunity to explore Australia. Many come and get a job, work till their work is done and then travel on to the next city. The stories they share of where they have been makes you envious. We learned that Cairns is a backpackers haven…lots of places to stay (hostels, backpacker rooms) and lots of opportunities. We have met young adults (the 18-29 range) from Denmark, Ireland, England… They are given a 1 year VISA but if you work on a farm (like for picking fruit) you can get your VISA extended for another12 months. Some were here to get their diving certificate and then plan to go to Thailand. The opportunities they have to travel and work are amazing.
Well tomorrow we depart for Melbourne. We are truly excited about this because every one we talk to tells us how much we will love it. We arrive at 5 tomorrow evening and since we are only here till Monday, we will be kept busy getting all the things done that we want to. Hearing more about Melbourne, makes us wish we had a few more days there.
If the pictures don’t make it on tonight we will add them once in Melbourne.
Great Barrier Reef
Today was a very busy day. We had to be at the wharf at 7:30 AM to board the Reef Experience boat. When we got up this morning it was a little cloudy so we were not sure what the day would bring. We were the first to board the boat. As we boarded they fitted you with swim fins, a wet suit, mask and snorkel. We had to fill all medical info and waivers for the diving and snorkeling excursion. Onboard the boat they had breakfast awaiting which you ate while filling out the paperwork. Hot beverages were served but only while the boat was docked. The sun kept trying to peek through but boy was it windy. Our adventure began with a 90 minute ride to get to the reef. The ride was definitely not a smooth one as we were fighting the tide and the wind. Lots of waves. Definitely not a ride for Joan. Jim and John you probably would have loved it. To pass the time away they did some nice presentations on the reef which is one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Jack had wanted to do the introductory dive, but the water conditions as well as the medical questionnaire made him a little hesitant, especially when they asked if you were flying within the next 24 hours (which we are). Donna was not so sure she would enter the water as she needs to see the bottom and doesn’t like things swimming around her. PLUS…the conditions were less than what she had hoped.
Once they anchored, they first had to transport the passengers who were staying at the floating resort right on the water. They also transported food supplies to the resort and brought back the food the resort prepared for our lunch. People then began putting on their snorkeling gear and went into the Pacific Ocean. Jack/dad probably managed to embarrass his daughter’s again by wearing a diving suit…SPANDEX. Jack went in but quickly came back in as the current kept pushing him back. The waves were high enough that they kept throwing water back into his snorkeling tube. About an hour later they brought the glass bottom boat out , which was actually the same boat used to transport people and food to the resort. To get into the boat you actually had to walk on the boat platform that was in the ocean. The water was a lot warmer than we expected however the air temperature was a lot colder than expected.. Both of us went on the glass bottom boat and took a ride out to the reef. The neat thing about that was that we not only got to see it but we got a narration of what we were seeing. So yes we did get to see the great barrier reef. We did get some pictures but it was hard to get some of the fish as they were swimming too fast. Each time the driver turned the motor down for us to explore, the current would drift us away from the reef.
Next they fed us lunch while transporting us to the second location for snorkeling. Here the water was a little calmer and you did not have to swim out as far to the reef. Jack decided to try again. He was glad he did. He got the chance to see more coral and lots more fish. Although it was a little calmer, he said it was the roughest water he had ever experienced snorkeling. Needless to say this was all the more reason Donna kept her experience to the glass bottom boat. The crew on board were great … especially Nadine. Jack used his charm and got his picture taken with her.
We met a couple and their 29 year old son who were from England. We hit it off well and spent the whole time conversing with each other. Their son Gary, like so many other youth we have met here, is on a work VISA. He has been here 22 months and his parents came to visit him. We found out that we and the other couple had a lot in common. Sue and Steve were here in Australia for the 1st time. She works in special education in England and we shared stories of the way special education works in each of our countries. After the excursion, the 5 of us went back down to PJ O’Brien’s to talk.
One of the things that has amazed us here, is how many young adults are here on work VISA’s as backpackers. They don’t live to work but rather work to live allowing the opportunity to explore Australia. Many come and get a job, work till their work is done and then travel on to the next city. The stories they share of where they have been makes you envious. We learned that Cairns is a backpackers haven…lots of places to stay (hostels, backpacker rooms) and lots of opportunities. We have met young adults (the 18-29 range) from Denmark, Ireland, England… They are given a 1 year VISA but if you work on a farm (like for picking fruit) you can get your VISA extended for another12 months. Some were here to get their diving certificate and then plan to go to Thailand. The opportunities they have to travel and work are amazing.
Well tomorrow we depart for Melbourne. We are truly excited about this because every one we talk to tells us how much we will love it. We arrive at 5 tomorrow evening and since we are only here till Monday, we will be kept busy getting all the things done that we want to. Hearing more about Melbourne, makes us wish we had a few more days there.
If the pictures don’t make it on tonight we will add them once in Melbourne.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Wednesday Aug 5, 2009 with more pictures
The above pictures are from our trip to Kuranda. We actually rode in these skyrail cable gondolas up and then on the train back. The falls are what I referred to yesterday as Barron Falls.
This morning we slept in ...something we haven't done in quite awhile. We made breakfast in our hotel apartment and then went out to walk the boardwalk. When we first started out it was a little cool but boy did it warm up quick. We then went to make reservations for our excursion tomorrow. The Great Barrier Reef awaits our arrival tomorrow.
We then walked more of the boardwalk and saw some of the sights. One area, rather large, is a bog rather than a beach. Next to it is a huge swimming area, (actually a pool) but it is partly sand and then the rest is concrete. As we walked further down we came across an area called Muddy Park a play area for children.
Since we were both getting hungry we walked a little further and went to PJ O'Brien's Irish Pub for lunch. Lunch comes with a beverage - beer, wine or soft drink. The beer was a pint but if ordered a softdrink you were lucky if it was 8 oz. But the food and price were excellent. We are heading back to relax on our balcony but found this internet cafe to stop and try to download the pictures. Success. We did try at the tour desk this morning but no luck..too slow.
Have a great day and hopefully you are as warm as we are. It is gorgeous out.
Have a great day and hopefully you are as warm as we are. It is gorgeous out.
Sydney Last Day Pictures
Here are pictures from our last day in Sydney. We finally found a place to download the pictures. The internet downloads in Cairns definitely are a lot slower than what we are used to both at home and in Sydney. We are currently a backpackers internet paradise. We are by far older than at least 2 of them put together. Will send another blog with pictures from yesterday.
Holy Kuranda....Tuesday August 4th, 2009
Today we made breakfast in our room before heading out for our Kuranda excursion. Cairns is fortunate to have both the Great Barrier Reef and the Wet Tropics Rainforest just a hop skip and a jump away. Today it was our chance to go visit the rainforest heading towards Kuranda a mountain village. We were picked up by a bus at our hotel and taken to Rainforest Station to begin our journey.
To drive to Kuranda it is a very windy mountain road but we wanted to try it from the air. No not by airplane but by the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. You glide over the rainforest canopy in the world’s longest gondola cableway. It is a 4.5 mile journey. Our first stop along the way was at Red Peak which was 1,788 feet above sea level. Here you depart get to walk around and learn about the rainforest. We opted to take the short guided walk. The gondolas can hold up to six but we were lucky and it was just the 2 of us. Our next gondola ride took us to Barron Falls and Gorge. Here we walked around and mainly enjoyed the breathtaking view of the falls. It reminded us a little bit of Letchworth only a lot bigger. At the end of the Skyrail you depart for a visit to Kuranda.
Kuranda is definitely very touristy. It reminded us of some of the cruise ports with shop after shop and restaurants. However it has it’s pros, enjoying the cool mountain air and mist-wrapped rainforest.
At 3:30 we departed Kuranda and took the Kuranda Scenic Railway back to Cairns (pronounced Cans). It was a 90 minute train ride that winds through the Baron Gorge National Park, past gorges and waterfalls. Jim you would have been in your glory. It was cool sitting halfway back and then as we rounded a bend, seeing the engine straight ahead. It is a 21 mile journey that rises 1,076 feet and travels through 15 tunnels. We did make one stop at Barron Falls to get a picture from the other side. It was built by hand in the 1880’s. The Skyrail and Train were great trips, but not if you are afraid of heights or easily get motion sickness (train).
We are now back at our hotel and doing some unwinding before deciding what to do for dinner. Tomorrow we will just do some sightseeing around here and make our reservations for our excursion to the Great Barrier Reef.
Pictures from this location have been difficult to download. Just as an FYI...the times you see on the post are actually your times as my computer is set up for Rochester time.
To drive to Kuranda it is a very windy mountain road but we wanted to try it from the air. No not by airplane but by the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway. You glide over the rainforest canopy in the world’s longest gondola cableway. It is a 4.5 mile journey. Our first stop along the way was at Red Peak which was 1,788 feet above sea level. Here you depart get to walk around and learn about the rainforest. We opted to take the short guided walk. The gondolas can hold up to six but we were lucky and it was just the 2 of us. Our next gondola ride took us to Barron Falls and Gorge. Here we walked around and mainly enjoyed the breathtaking view of the falls. It reminded us a little bit of Letchworth only a lot bigger. At the end of the Skyrail you depart for a visit to Kuranda.
Kuranda is definitely very touristy. It reminded us of some of the cruise ports with shop after shop and restaurants. However it has it’s pros, enjoying the cool mountain air and mist-wrapped rainforest.
At 3:30 we departed Kuranda and took the Kuranda Scenic Railway back to Cairns (pronounced Cans). It was a 90 minute train ride that winds through the Baron Gorge National Park, past gorges and waterfalls. Jim you would have been in your glory. It was cool sitting halfway back and then as we rounded a bend, seeing the engine straight ahead. It is a 21 mile journey that rises 1,076 feet and travels through 15 tunnels. We did make one stop at Barron Falls to get a picture from the other side. It was built by hand in the 1880’s. The Skyrail and Train were great trips, but not if you are afraid of heights or easily get motion sickness (train).
We are now back at our hotel and doing some unwinding before deciding what to do for dinner. Tomorrow we will just do some sightseeing around here and make our reservations for our excursion to the Great Barrier Reef.
Pictures from this location have been difficult to download. Just as an FYI...the times you see on the post are actually your times as my computer is set up for Rochester time.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Sydney to Cairns Monday August 3rd
Monday August 3rd, 2009
Well it is 9:30 AM and we are at the airport waiting to board our flight to Cairns. Last evening after we finished packing we went back to the harbour for dinner to Cocckle Bay Wharf. Boy were things hopping down there. From our table Jack spotted the casino so we took a walk over to it when we were finished. Denny, Laurie, Lucyann, John, Jim, Joan, Jan and Glenn we have a new casino to visit. It had lots of machines, probably comparable in size to Turning Stone. There were some neat machines, lots of penny ones. Jack found a roulette machine where you place your numbers/bets on a machine but they actually spin the real roulette wheel. The game was good to Jack, about $60 in profit.
Looking back on the past five days, we were impressed with the cleanliness of the city, ease in getting around and the friendliness. The city reminds us a lot of New York City and Toronto, but in our eyes Sydney was the best of the 3.
The food here tends to be pricey. You could do fast foods but we get that back at home so we opted for something more unique on most occasions. The one thing that was different, was that many of the restaurants have their dining area outside, under overhead covered pavillions. This is prevalent all around and year round. What they have near your table are those propane/gas upright heaters that look like large street lights. They surely can warm the area, in fact last evening we had to ask them to turn it down.
Even though the meals were a bit pricey, entertainment was not pricey. Along the harbour and throughout the pedestrian malls there were lots of entertainers set up. We saw clowns, violinists, guitarists, singers, comedians, Aboriginal entertainers, and the list continues. Not only were they free, they were pretty good. Some used it as an opportunity to sell their CD’s.
Another thing that we found impressive, was the prevalence of students wearing school uniforms. Donna also noted how important outdoor play time seemed to be to education. We saw a few other school groups on a walking fieldtrip. You definitely knew they belonged together as they had uniforms similar to what our girls had in grammar school. There uniforms also included sweaters with the school logo, backpacks and even cotton hats (like the kind fishermen wear). They were all so neatly dressed. Boys wore ties and blazers or sweaters and girls wore jumpers or skirts.
At the cathedral yesterday morning the bishop of Sydney said the mass. It was a celebration honoring the 30 year anniversary of the Catholic Deaf Community of Sydney. As we wrote earlier, the choir consisted of boys and young men numbering at least 40. They sang in Latin and in English. They stood behind the altar. Since the cathedral is so large, they had video screens on some of the pillars so that all could see what was occurring. The homily was a good one and it reminded us some of our older churches where the pulpit is a raised platform that is gotten to by climbing a spiral staircase. The church was packed and communion was given in various stations. In the line we were in, just before it came time for us to receive, the priest stopped and followed a women who was heading towards the door. She had taken communion in her hand but had not place it in her mouth. He followed her, caught her and told her to place it in her mouth. He didn’t return to the line until she did. There was lots of incense during the mass as it was a high mass.
For all of our left handed friends and family (Lori, Dad, Denny Sue, Emily to name a few) you would be in your glory. Although we did not see many left handed people it really seemed to be a left handed world. When you walk through the streets, you stay to the left, You enter escalators on the left. You drive on the left. So many things were the reverse of what we are used to …silverware settings on the right.
Architecture here is very interesting. There is so much history in each of these buildings. Yet in so many of them the exterior represents the past while the décor inside, as in the hotels and stores is ultra modern/contemporary. Bathroom styles throughout the city are very imaginative - from urinals to wash basins to hand dryers. Oh and even when you have to go to the bathroom you have to make a decision… which button to push…did I do enough to warrant a half flush or a full flush. And when you are on the streets ready to cross the road, they tell you which way to look before you cross.
We learned a few different words that had to be used regular - toilet is bathroom, lift is elevator, Sheila refers to a girl. Instead of saying your welcome it is no worries. Well it is time to board the plane.
Monday Evening
We arrived in Cairns safe and sound. The airport is under some construction so we had to take the long way around the terminal to get our luggage. The weather here is warmer tahn in Sydney, which means we should be able to get pictures of each othe rwithout having to wear our coats.This town is definitely different from Sydney. It reminded us of a cruise ship port. Beides the water there are lots of mountains around. Our hotel room is actually a mini apartment. It sits on the wharf, Remember we said the architecture here is different. Well our apartment is very contempary. Lots of white and chrome. The kitchen area is bigger than ours at home. We are grateful to have a washer and dryer to do our laundry. The furnishings in here remind of items you would find in Ikea. We have a corner room with a corner patio.
After we got checked in and had some lunch we booked our excursion for tomorrow. We are going to Kuranda. More on that tomorrow. We then went into town and went grocery shopping for some food items for breakfasts. It definitely was not a Wegman’s. The name of the store was Woolworths…does that ring a bell to any one. The front of the store was a grocery store and then the back was just like the Woolworths I remember. Some of the things that struck us were that the eggs were just on a shelf, not in a refrigerated section. Most of the milk was also on a shelf.
Since we had laundry to do we ordered pizza for dinner and ate in our room. We actually have a couch to sit on and watch TV instead of a just a desk chair or a bed. The TV is a 42” plasma.
If this gets sent without pictures it is becasue the download is not working right tonight.
Melissa, don't have to check to check the house, just wondering if you had been by. We haven't gotten any emails from Mr. Pacer or Scott so we figure everything is fine. Pearls for Jen ...necklace, earring, ring, bracelet...what's her preference??
Well it is 9:30 AM and we are at the airport waiting to board our flight to Cairns. Last evening after we finished packing we went back to the harbour for dinner to Cocckle Bay Wharf. Boy were things hopping down there. From our table Jack spotted the casino so we took a walk over to it when we were finished. Denny, Laurie, Lucyann, John, Jim, Joan, Jan and Glenn we have a new casino to visit. It had lots of machines, probably comparable in size to Turning Stone. There were some neat machines, lots of penny ones. Jack found a roulette machine where you place your numbers/bets on a machine but they actually spin the real roulette wheel. The game was good to Jack, about $60 in profit.
Looking back on the past five days, we were impressed with the cleanliness of the city, ease in getting around and the friendliness. The city reminds us a lot of New York City and Toronto, but in our eyes Sydney was the best of the 3.
The food here tends to be pricey. You could do fast foods but we get that back at home so we opted for something more unique on most occasions. The one thing that was different, was that many of the restaurants have their dining area outside, under overhead covered pavillions. This is prevalent all around and year round. What they have near your table are those propane/gas upright heaters that look like large street lights. They surely can warm the area, in fact last evening we had to ask them to turn it down.
Even though the meals were a bit pricey, entertainment was not pricey. Along the harbour and throughout the pedestrian malls there were lots of entertainers set up. We saw clowns, violinists, guitarists, singers, comedians, Aboriginal entertainers, and the list continues. Not only were they free, they were pretty good. Some used it as an opportunity to sell their CD’s.
Another thing that we found impressive, was the prevalence of students wearing school uniforms. Donna also noted how important outdoor play time seemed to be to education. We saw a few other school groups on a walking fieldtrip. You definitely knew they belonged together as they had uniforms similar to what our girls had in grammar school. There uniforms also included sweaters with the school logo, backpacks and even cotton hats (like the kind fishermen wear). They were all so neatly dressed. Boys wore ties and blazers or sweaters and girls wore jumpers or skirts.
At the cathedral yesterday morning the bishop of Sydney said the mass. It was a celebration honoring the 30 year anniversary of the Catholic Deaf Community of Sydney. As we wrote earlier, the choir consisted of boys and young men numbering at least 40. They sang in Latin and in English. They stood behind the altar. Since the cathedral is so large, they had video screens on some of the pillars so that all could see what was occurring. The homily was a good one and it reminded us some of our older churches where the pulpit is a raised platform that is gotten to by climbing a spiral staircase. The church was packed and communion was given in various stations. In the line we were in, just before it came time for us to receive, the priest stopped and followed a women who was heading towards the door. She had taken communion in her hand but had not place it in her mouth. He followed her, caught her and told her to place it in her mouth. He didn’t return to the line until she did. There was lots of incense during the mass as it was a high mass.
For all of our left handed friends and family (Lori, Dad, Denny Sue, Emily to name a few) you would be in your glory. Although we did not see many left handed people it really seemed to be a left handed world. When you walk through the streets, you stay to the left, You enter escalators on the left. You drive on the left. So many things were the reverse of what we are used to …silverware settings on the right.
Architecture here is very interesting. There is so much history in each of these buildings. Yet in so many of them the exterior represents the past while the décor inside, as in the hotels and stores is ultra modern/contemporary. Bathroom styles throughout the city are very imaginative - from urinals to wash basins to hand dryers. Oh and even when you have to go to the bathroom you have to make a decision… which button to push…did I do enough to warrant a half flush or a full flush. And when you are on the streets ready to cross the road, they tell you which way to look before you cross.
We learned a few different words that had to be used regular - toilet is bathroom, lift is elevator, Sheila refers to a girl. Instead of saying your welcome it is no worries. Well it is time to board the plane.
Monday Evening
We arrived in Cairns safe and sound. The airport is under some construction so we had to take the long way around the terminal to get our luggage. The weather here is warmer tahn in Sydney, which means we should be able to get pictures of each othe rwithout having to wear our coats.This town is definitely different from Sydney. It reminded us of a cruise ship port. Beides the water there are lots of mountains around. Our hotel room is actually a mini apartment. It sits on the wharf, Remember we said the architecture here is different. Well our apartment is very contempary. Lots of white and chrome. The kitchen area is bigger than ours at home. We are grateful to have a washer and dryer to do our laundry. The furnishings in here remind of items you would find in Ikea. We have a corner room with a corner patio.
After we got checked in and had some lunch we booked our excursion for tomorrow. We are going to Kuranda. More on that tomorrow. We then went into town and went grocery shopping for some food items for breakfasts. It definitely was not a Wegman’s. The name of the store was Woolworths…does that ring a bell to any one. The front of the store was a grocery store and then the back was just like the Woolworths I remember. Some of the things that struck us were that the eggs were just on a shelf, not in a refrigerated section. Most of the milk was also on a shelf.
Since we had laundry to do we ordered pizza for dinner and ate in our room. We actually have a couch to sit on and watch TV instead of a just a desk chair or a bed. The TV is a 42” plasma.
If this gets sent without pictures it is becasue the download is not working right tonight.
Melissa, don't have to check to check the house, just wondering if you had been by. We haven't gotten any emails from Mr. Pacer or Scott so we figure everything is fine. Pearls for Jen ...necklace, earring, ring, bracelet...what's her preference??
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Last Days in Sydney
Sunday August 2nd, 2009
There is nothing firm on for today's schedule. These pictures go along with the previous email we sent but they were taking too long to download and we did not want to lose what we had already written. Notice the pool, it is actually on the water's of Bondi Beach. For the younger generation or our generation, the first picture is a musical instrument (digidoo ??) not a pot pipe.
We have heard from Lisa, Melissa and Beckie what they want...but what does Jen want us to bring back?Melissa let us know. Beckie, Dave Sabo already did the homework for you and sent it our way.
In response to Kristen and Donna's TV on Qantas, it was set, reset, supposedly fixed in LA by the engineers but still didn't work. They offered to change my seat but it was after 3 am and we didn't feel like moving. I kept busy with my logic problems.
Tomorrow morning we go to Cairns, Looking forward to the warmer beach like weather. However we can not complain as the weather has been warmer than we expected and a lot more sunny days than we have had in Rochester this summer. The average daily temperature has been 19 degrees celsius.
Right now we are at Darlin Harbour enjoying the boat show. John O and Glenn G you should see theses boats...WOW...but lots of $$$$$$$$$$. One boat would have held the whole commonfolk contingency (including family). Lucyann you would being on this water. No windturbines in sight. Jim O you would have fun trying to shoot your potato cannon from side of the harbour to the other. The Commonfolk would have lots of places to play their music and sell their CD's. This morning after church in one of the pedestrian courts we listened to a violinist play excerpts from Phantom of the Opera.
Will write more when we get to Cairns. Hey has anybody (jen /Melissa) checked to see if the house is okay?
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