Worst Cabbie Ever

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Since the last entry, Michelle and I booted around Syndey a bit, flew out to Ayer's Rock, and then caught a flight for Cairns.

Sydney is a cool city but in the end, it's really just another city. The harbour with the Opera House and harbour bridge is very scenic and has lots o shops and restaurants. Seeing the opera house up close is actually kind of surreal. We then went to the Syndey aquarium. Highlights of the aquarium are the crocodile, the open water shark exhibit, and a large Great Barrier Reef tank.

The next morning we flew out to Ayer's Rock Resort. The resort is a collection of a few different hotels and a campground that is the only settlement within 100's of kilometers of Ayer's Rock itself. The resort will have you believe that everything is run independantly but the entire thing is owned by one large company. Can you say Monopoly? So of course prices are a little inflated because you really have no other options. The rock itself, which is now called Uluru ever since the Aboriginals have been given the land, is imposing. The outback is flat and barren and the rock is a single huge structure that seems to be completely out of place. We did a tour with an aboriginal and his interpretor. He told us legends of his people and rock and showed us how to make fire and glue. Good tour.

Yesterday we flew to Cairns and jumped in a cab which brings us to the title of this entry. You see, it's rainy season in Cairns. We were unaware of this when we booked everything. So we're chatting with the cabdriver and we tell him we're going on a dive charter for a few days and so he informed us the wet, windy weather. The thing was he wouldn't shut up about it. "Going to rain all week. Should have come in october, it's much drier then. i feel sorry for you guys." The whole freakin ride to our hostel he does this. By the time we arrived at the hostel we're the most bummed out people on 6 week vacations can be. Anyway, we spent last night being stressed out because according to the cabbie, a monsoon could hit at any second. The thing is that the rain isn't bad and isn't supossed to be bad for the next few days. Just drizzle and clouds. Should be a fine trip. We leave later today on the boat and get back on Friday. Till then.

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Comments

[diane]

cab driver
So this guy is not good for tourism!! The pictures look like you are having good weather so I hope it continues for your dive. Looking forword to hearing about it.

[Aunt Val & Uncle Doug]

Hi
Glad you never jumped Gary, my thing is same as yours why jump out of a perfectly good plane. Your trip journal is making us want to go there even more now, will have to talk and then do some planning. Enjoy the rest of your time.

[Dan-o]

Wet blanket cabbies ...
... aren't very nice. The great thing about scuba diving is that the rain doesn't matter much once you're submerged :) Dan-o

[louann]

just like "the amazing race"!
that cabbie sounds like he sound be driving contestants around on the amazing race. at least he got you where you wanted to go. yes, michelle Ayers Rock is in #10 of the childcraft--places to know. it has an areial view of it;completely amazing landform when for miles around is only flat desert country. makes you wonder what formed it. looking for forward to your entries about your dives on the reef.

[jason]

Childcraft!?!?
how in the world do you remeber a rock outta the childcraft books from when we were ike 6!