Cyclone Debbie hit Northern Queensland with winds peaking at about 260 km/hr. Thankfully the eye of the storm was 900 km North from where we are staying. Our friends Pat and Lesha were heading up to the Great Barrier Reef and ended up cancelling much of their trip because of the storm. They retreated back to our place and basked on the TV coverage of the area during the storm, that was definitely the right thing to do. Our impression of Australia has been that it's a well run country which has been reinforced with the way the various agencies etc prepared for the storm. In spite of it's furiousness, there was only 1 reported fatality (a traffic accident). The damage will be in the Billions!!! If there is any good news that can come from ... read more

We're back on the trail again! At the Kondalilla Falls National Park there is a well maintained trail that meanders down to the bottom of the tropical forested fjordes. The circular route is about 5 km and with the dramatic difference in elevation, it is very humid at the bottom. The Falls itself is less than spectacular as there is only a trickle of water even though Kondalilla is an aboriginal name meaning rushing water. (The whole area is experiencing a drought with water reserves down 20%). At one of the plateaus, and fed by the Falls, there is a lagoon that is popular for swimming with the locals. At the top of the trail the noise made by the Cicadas(type of cricket) is almost deafening. Obvious these species aren't nocturnal as are crickets from Chipman, ... read more

Back in Melbourne for a couple of days before heading to Noosa Heads. Melbourne, as with Sydney, is a very cosmopolitan city, although somewhat different. Keeping in mind we only spent 2 days there, however, it seemed more interesting. Public transportation included cable cars and it appeared to be less congested with traffic etc. Our neighbour in Niagara on the Lake, David Smith, gave us a couple of books on Australian architecture, which increased, at least a little, our understandings on building design etc. As a result, we took more notice of the vast array of unique buildings in Melbourne which set the city apart from others. Of course, Melbourne grew rapidly in the late 1800's as a result of the gold rush and immigrants arrived from all over the world in search of their fortune. ... read more

We have now settled into the house in Noosa Heads, Queensland. It is certainly up to our expectations, looks out onto the 15th hole of the golf course and is very comfortable. The golf course, club house and spa are also "top drawer" with great gym facilities, driving range, pools and other amenities, in which membership is included in our monthly house rental. We even have our own private golf cart to drive back and forth to the club house. So we feel very fortunate and look forward to enjoying our time here until mid-April. The weather has been hot, ++ 30 C, but not to the level covered on the news. Parts of New South Wales (Sydney) and Victoria (Melbourne) have had extreme heat warnings and there has been sporadic power outages in those areas. ... read more

The Blue Mountains is a beautiful area a short drive from Sydney. We spent 3 full days hiking various trails and stayed at a B&B in Katoomba, the largest town in the area. Most of the hiking trails were well organized and clearly marked. They were rigorous in places and certainly challenged our fitness level. Many panoramic views were bountiful as the trails descended down into the gorges that contained numerous waterfalls. Of course, a steep trail down always partners with, what seems to be, a steeper trail up. One of the most popular areas, Echo Point, is where the famous Three Sisters can be seen. These were very unique rock formations that change in colours as the sun's reflection moves. Aboriginal legend is that the Chief of the Katoomba tribe had 3 girls who fell ... read more

We arrived in Sydney at noon and checked in at the Grace Hotel. This is a central location and a comfortable, refurbished facility that provided good value. Day one was spent trying to recover from the long flights and we managed to stay up until 9:00 P.M. Experience has taught us over the years to try and integrate as quickly as possible to local time. We visited the Rocks, an area close to the harbour, where there are numerous pubs and restaurants and they have a local market every weekend with various crafts, souvenirs etc. After dinner in Darling Harbour, an area next to the Rocks, we dragged our tails back to the Hotel. Day two in Sydney mostly was spent on the Hop on, Hop off bus. We've found this to be the most effective ... read more