Kata Tjuta and Uluru walk 5:30 comes early but we don't feel too bad. The backpack gets loaded with fruit, granola bars and water that we picked up at the grocery store as well as the camera. We get picked up at 6:30 and head out towards Kata Tjuta. 25km into the trip we get to stop at a sunrise viewing area. We're treated to both Uluru and Kata Tjuta at sunrise. Pretty amazing again to see the colour change on Kata Tjuta and the sun creep over the desert to the right of Uluru. Continuing on to Kata Tjuta, we're [View Full Entry]

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Uluru Day 2. I set the alarm for 6 o'clock so we can see the sunrise. One of the coolest things about Uluru is the colour change. As the sun sets or rises, the colour on rock is brought from an ashen (sun rise) to purple to orange. and in reverse at sunset. So we have coffee in our robes as the sun rises, again with lots of pictures. I fall asleep shortly after!!! Nothing is really planned yet, so we head down to the tourist booking desk in our hotel. We plan to attend the Sounds of Silence supper as [View Full Entry]

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Cairns - Sky Tram We book a tour this morning to head to the Great Barrier Reef the next day and head off to the Sky Tram through a rain forest which has a station about 15 minutes away. The ladies at the hotel are great and have a ton of information and recomendations. We take their advice and book a Great Barrier Reef tour with Passions of Paradise and had out to the SkyTram to Karunda. We buy our tickets and head out to the tram. It takes us up and over one of the mountains that is close to [View Full Entry]

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Coral Reef Snorkeling & Diving Up and at'em early, a bus comes to pick us up at 7:50. We miss a few pickups and people are late getting the bus so we arrive at the wharf just a little late. We book in and are numbers 61 + 62 on Passions of Paradise tour to the Great Barrier Reef. I am stoked as we get on a catamaran that's packed. We find seats to sign our lives away and set up our charge accounts for food and the like. As we're filling out our paperwork, an enthusiastic Rihana greets us and [View Full Entry]

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Cairns to Melbourne well, I book us tickets to Melbourne. We had considered going from Cairns to Alice Springs, but due to the sunburn I had given myself, I'm not too up to it. A 4 hour flight later, we're in Melbourne. We had a great experience at the Best Western in Cairns that I book us into one in Melbourne. Checking Google Maps, it's not too far from the airport and not to far from the CBD (central business district) Well, when we get there, the young guy at reception doesn't have our booking or have a room ready for [View Full Entry]

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Day Two we find that Sunday transit riders get a break on transit fares which is fantastic. Until we find we can't buy the tickets at our train platform. at 10am on Sunday, there's not much open event to get change. We head to the convenience store and buy some water and a newspaper in order to get manageable change for the ticket machine. When we get back to the platform we end up having to buy a full fare for 2 hours in order to get downtown. Damn!! Reading the paper on theplatform, I also learn that Brisbane claims to [View Full Entry]

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Day Three We'll it 's early and we're at it. Trish sends me down to the front desk to grab internet access and I book flights to Adelaide, search for hotels and book one. And then curse when my hour of internet time runs out midbooking a car. Well there's always the airport for internet! We check out of the hotel and find that the new manager who has shares in the company has lived in Adelaide for 3 years. He gives us pointers for wine country and we thank him and head on our way. At the airport, we're able [View Full Entry]

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Adelaide Day 3 We wake up early to head down to the Rundle Street mall. We know there's a couple of Opal stores to check out plus this a huge open air mall and the main hub of downtown Adelaide. We wander up and down the mall trying to find the opal places and I get a little frustrated. I've written down that it's at the east end of Rundle Mall and we're shut out. We watch as bands and street performers get set up. The Fringe Festival is just starting up so things are hopping more than usual. Trish's mom [View Full Entry]

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Adelaide-Uluru (Ayer's Rock) I've made some secret plans. and got some great deals online. Our flights are booked to Uluru and then 3 days later to Sydney. As we check in at the airport, we get a confused lady who can't understand why we haven't checked in, yet have boarding cards. This is suspicious to me and I mention to trish we may be double booked. Luckily we have a 2 hour lay over in Alice Springs so I phone Qantas. Yep - foiled by my friend the internet, I've double booked and double charged the tickets. They're more than happy [View Full Entry]

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Brisbane to Cairns. We fly out to Cairns and true to form, the flight's delayed. I don't think I've ever hit so many delayed flights. We land in Cairns and it's +32C, overcast with spotty showers and 98% humidity. WOW!! Clouds hang overhead and it's HOT!!! We grab our rental car and I think I see Trish's hair get curlier!! We find our hotel and get settled in and then head downtown. I gotta tell you, Cairns is a great little city. Everyone is friendly and it's incredibly touristy. We walk the Esplanade (which is the beach front street) to find [View Full Entry]

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