Yes, we are back in Florida and this is a very dated entry. Last night at dinner, friends inspired me to complete this entry and get it posted. I am unable to download the rest of the photos, but I think there are enough here to call it good. So, going back to April.............. After the heat and humidity in Broome, Noosa was beautiful. Our apartment, on an island canal, was ideal for an extended stay. We began to feel like locals for the 18 days that we stayed there. In addition to walking the beach and hiking in the National [View Full Entry]

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We expected rain, we expected heat, and we expected humidity; but we got way more heat and humidity than we ever imagined!! My, oh my, was it bloody HOT!!!! Remember that we are no rookies to hot, humid weather after 30+ years of living in southern Florida. This made a good hot, humid August day in FL look like springtime! These two sun worshippers met their match in this hot, humid corner of Australia. After 12 days of trying to deal with it and accept our fate, we hopped on a plane and got out of there. Cable Beach was everything [View Full Entry]

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Africa seems long ago, but the events that I am about to share seem even more ancient. In reality they aren't, but we have covered so much of Australia in the past 3 weeks that it all seems like it happened long ago. Our return to Perth from South Africa started a whole new adventure which included new locations along the west coast of Australia. The road trip that we had planned was to last for 7 days and was completed in 4 due to the hoardes and hoardes of blowflies. These are flies that are uber-thirsty and don't take no [View Full Entry]

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Driving from Victoria Falls in Zambabwe to Chobe National Park in Botswana involved 3 different van changes and 3 different drivers. It was the typical African border crossing. First, we were required to wipe our feet on a disenfectent covered mat to guard against the spread of Foot and Mouth disease. Then we stood in the two required lines on the Zimbabweian side. One line was to get our passport checked and to receive a slip of paper stamped with an entry permit. The other line was to have the stamped paper checked by the customs officer. Then once we walked [View Full Entry]

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Victoria Falls and Zimbabwe are beautiful. What a pity that the country has been debilatated to such a degree by the present government. Our hotel was huge and basically empty. The country has the highest rate of inflation in the world. The current exchange rate was 100,000 Zims to U.S.$1.00. The inflation is so bad that they only print the money on one side! The back of the currency is blank except for the border. The people aren't able to get the basic necessities of life. In such a hopeless environment, the Falls seemed incredibly spectacular. We felt limited in what [View Full Entry]

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Cape Town is a lovely city with many faces. It's European, it's African, it's rich, it's poor, it's safe, it's dangerous, and it's an opportunity to experience many varied activities in a relatively small area. We enjoyed the waterfront, Robben Island, the surrounding beaches and the wine country, but we never really explored the central city or the townships. Being cautious travelers, the possibilities for theft or other problems was just too great for us. The city tour that was included in our package took us to the major tourist spots. First stop was Table Mountain. This is the famo [View Full Entry]

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In reality the entire 12 days was one WILD RIDE!! The days just flew by with all the great things that we saw and did. If I tried to recap the entire trip in one blog, it would take me several weeks just to down load all the photos that I have chosen from the hundreds that I took. So, instead I am going to do this in 4 segments, starting with our safari at Kruger National Park. Which was really in Timbavati Game Preserve. We stayed in Akeru Safari Lodge which was delightful. We had a small traditional hut with [View Full Entry]

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Rental car agents looked at us like we were going to a distant planet when we told them that we wanted to go to Coober Pedy. Many Australians never venture into the Outback. We don't quite understand why, it is such a unique place. So, with extra water, food, good maps, and a full tank of petrol we were off to the Outback!! This road trip truly was a journey into the secret, the weird, the amazing, and back to the urban. In 6 short days we saw an incredible variety of landscape, wildlife, and culture. The Secret: Our first night [View Full Entry]

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Before we discuss Cairns, I have to tell you about the Lorikeets and our last 2 days in Surfers. The day before we left we did a load of laundry and hung it on the drying rack, which was placed in the living room under the ceiling fan, so it would dry. We left the window and the Balcony door open a bit. Then we went off to town for the day. Just as we got to town it started to pour and it poured all day. By the time it stopped it was after 6:00 and so we took the [View Full Entry]

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After our great time in Surfers Paradsise we rented a car and drove up the Gold Coast and the Sunshine Coast to Noosa. We stopped at various places along the way. The first one being Brisbane. This is a nice city along the river and a bit away from the coast. Consequently, they have utilized their river very well. There is a riverwalk that is approximately 14 miles long. Along the walk there are a variety of parks, a Tibetan temple, a huge sandy beach swimming pool, restaurants, and cafes. All this is very nice, but our favorite destination in Brisbane [View Full Entry]

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