Travel Blog Posts
Great Barrier Reef Australia
Published: February 8th 2009Oceania » Australia » Queensland » Great Barrier Reef
February 7th 2009
Well I am back home but have added some pictures. And I wanted to add some underwater pictures of the barrier reef. It was a two hour trip to the reef and we went to two spots and the wind was blowing and it was rough. We were snorkeling. Simone had rented an underwater camera and I don't know how she even held on to the camera, but it had a wrist strap. They say the spot to see the pristine Great Barrier Reef is now New Guinea. We were there in the off season, the time to see the reef is April through October. Anyway we did see some amazing coral. and some beautiful fish. The camera rental came with a disc with her pictures on it and some that had been taken previously by ... read more
February 2nd 2009
Hello Everyone Just after I had written it hadn't rained for two days it started raining and didn't stop for two days. Our train trip to Kuranda was cancelled because of an expected cyclone. I was worried about being able to fly home the next day. I asked around and no one in Cairns was worried about the cyclone, no one leaving town or boarding up windows. They said it would amount to some rain. It came ashore quite a bit south of here and today, Monday, it hasn't rained at all. The temperature is quite warm today. But like I said, reminds me of Iowa in the summer. This morning on CNN the announcer said the Super Bowl would start in an hour, and today is Monday here. Simone has flown to Sydney and I ... read more
January 30th 2009
Hello Everyone, When we were in southern Australia we were told Cairns would be hot and humid. Well after the Melbourne heat this is nothing. It is like Iowa in the summer and I am not finding it oppressive. The travel agent found us a 5 star hotel for one hundred and ten dollars a day. It was hard not to take it. This is the off season. Monsoon season but it hasn't rained the last two days. Americans are often accused of always talking and thinking about money and I have decided I am a typical American that way. But we can't cook there and is hard to meet people there compared to a hostel. Today we went took a boat tour out to the Great Barrier Reef. It took about two hours to get ... read more
January 28th 2009
We were so lucky to have seen the Australian Open last week. This week a record heat wave is setting in. The newscasters said it was going to be hotter than it had been for a hundred years. We just left French Island and are headed for Cairns tonight. On French Island we stayed on an Eco-Farm, which has vegetables, cows and sheep on it. Also a lot of koalas. Just outside the former prison room, cell number 18, where we were staying was a mother and baby. We got close to take pictures and the baby came towards us just being friendly but we didn't think it would be good to have a baby koala running up our pantlegs so we ran away from it. Not far. They do move around. The island is part ... read more
Australian Open
Published: January 22nd 2009Oceania » Australia » Victoria » Melbourne » Melbourne Park
January 22nd 2009
Hello Everyone We are thrilled being at the Open. It is a very festive atmosphere. Yesterday was Thursday, January 22. It was hotter than the day before. With ground passes we got in to watch the Gonzales vs Canas match. I won't say who won. Maybe it will be on TV later. In the third set I got so warm that I couldn't concentrate on the game. So we took the free, air conditioned tram to the center of town and cooled down in a shop and rehydrated with potato chips and juice. We went back at four and it was cooler and watched a doubles match with Safin and Canas vs Feeny and Smeets of Australia. The Australian fans really put on a big show. They were sitting in one section dressed in yellow shirts ... read more
January 19th 2009
We arrived in Christchurch on the 19th and are staying at a hostel of women only. And leaving today for Australia. Yesterday I spent four hours writing the last three blog entries. I didn't know how to upload the photos and kept trying and they had to be downloaded from another computer. Haven't really seen much of this town. We are located in the central part and can walk to Cathedral Square. Heard a trio yesterday playing blue grass music. Most of the music, movies, TV, even the comic strips are American. The young people from all over dress like Americans in tight worn out jeans and tees. We hear a lot of German spoken, many German tourists and also many Asians. There are vendors in the square selling clothing an jewelry.... read more
New Zealanders are Wonderful
Published: January 19th 2009Oceania » New Zealand » South Island » Otago » Central Otago
January 19th 2009
Hello Everyone, We stopped twice on the way to Christchurch from Milford Sound. In Cromwell, we stayed in a Motel. It was wonderful. A whole kitchenette to ourselves. The next day we were hiking a around in a historic mining field and we talked to a family from New Zealand about the plants and animals. When we got to the top of the trail we took a different way down and were very far from our car and we walked and walked and walked. But this family came to our rescure and gave us a ride to our car. They saw we had gone the wrong way. It was so great of them. I can't thank them enough. We liked Cromwell, it is the wine and fruit growing area. We were able to find some RIPE ... read more
January 19th 2009
Hello Everyone,. Milford sound was out of this world. Mountains rising straight up out of the water with waterfalls cascading down. The road there was awesome too with lot of cliffs with waterfalls. We took a boat trip around the Sound and it was raining the whole time. But afterall it is a rainforest, with an average of 7 meters a year. (40 inches to a meter, can you figure it out?. Even though it was raining it was still beautiful and without the rain there would not have been so many waterfalls. There was so much greenery and one would expect there to be a scent of pine trees, but pine and fir trees are not native to this country. There were different kinds of beech trees. The mountain meadows were empty of mammals unlike ... read more
January 19th 2009
Hello From Dunedin to Milford Sound to Christ Church. After we left Dunedin by car we traveled on the South Coast through the Catlins National Forest reserve. We stayed at a small Backpackers (that means hostel). If you actually go backpacking. that is called tramping. And a trail is called a track. Anyway we enjoyed walking along the beach and saw five seals. We walked by two of them and didn't even see them til we turned around. It was a lovely beach on Surat Bay. We walked for along time and hardly anyone around. In the evening we went to Nugget Point to see, from a high lookout some penquins (three) come out of the water. We left the next day and drove south and saw a beautiful waterfall and gorgeous beaches which we wish ... read more
January 12th 2009
Hello from Dunedin (pronounced Done Eden) Another town on a steep hill. Reminds me of San Francisco. Even the houses. Did the museum, walked around town and toured a brewery. Lots of samples but unfortunately could not partake because of the gluten in the beer, but other people got to taste the many different types of beer and and more than one taste. Interesting. Weather was cool and windy when the day began. I saw a lot of women with skimpy tops on and here was I with three layers of clothing plus a light winter jacket. It did warm up in the afternoon. A young German girl working at the Hostel complained bitterly about the weather, says it rains all the time. This week looks good for us though. ? We are staying in a ... read more
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