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GETTING THERE
SYDNEY
Tuesday, April 3 - WOOLONGONG
Friday, April 6 - SYDNEY TO YAMBA
Saturday, April 7 - YAMBA
Sunday, April 8 - YAMBA TO BRISBANE
Tuesday, April 10 - BRISBANE
THE ALICE
ADELAIDE
Wednesday, April 18 - BACK TO SYDNEY AND HOME
Saturday, April 21 -
Sunday, April 1 - Monday, April 2 - My daughter Irene got here about 9:20.
I thought I was ready, but I kept thinking of things to do.
We finally left about 9:50. Got to the airport at about 10:30.
Traffic inside the airport was bad, but we had plenty of time.
I checked in, then we went to the rest room and then to get something to eat.
At the food stand I realized I'd left my fanny pack in the plastic purse compartment
they use instead of hooks in the rest room. We dashed back, but it was gone.
Irene found a number for Lost & Found, but when I called it I got a recording saying
they were closed on Sunday and to leave a message. We looked for somebody to ask,
then heard my name over the loud speaker. It sounded like I was supposed to go to
Reservations, so I went back to the ticket window. They didn't know anything about it,
but suggested we try Information, and told us how to find it.
When we got there, I could see my fanny pack on the desk. The woman gave it to me,
and everything was in it. Thank you, God!
We still had time for a snack.
I finally boarded the plane - a big one. Three seats on each side,
and five in the middle. I was on the left aisle in Row 40, about halfway back.
The window seat was occupied by a young woman from Jersey,
and the middle seat was empty, which made it nice. We talked a little,
but she slept most of the flight.
Soon after takeoff, they passed out earphones and packages with socks and eye masks.
The lunch was good - chicken, salad, and pumpkin mousse cake.
They showed five movies. I didn't notice that "What Women Want" was starting,
but saw most of it. I would have seen all of "Family Man", but there was a
problem with the tape. Of course I had seen it before.
I hadn't seen the last two. "Dr. T and the Women" wasn't at all what I expected.
It was pretty good. "Vertical Limit" was okay. The last movie was "Best In Show".
Then they showed an episode of "The Nanny", followed by several commercials
for various expeditions in Oz and a travelogue about Sydney.
Landed on time, about 8:30. Went through Immigration, got my bags,
and went through Customs. Finally was able to go out.
It was really nice to have Vicki (from the cat NG) meet me.
She's very nice. She took me to my hotel and went in to make sure
I found the check-in desk. Then she said to call her in the morning and left.
Had some problems. They use the electronic room keys.
You have to use the key to operate the elevator (going up only).
I didn't understand that, and the elevator I was in didn't have a sign.
I found out later the other one did. I kept pushing the button
and getting "Floor Blocked". Finally went back to the desk & the gal explained.
She had also told me I'd need to use my room key to turn on the electricity in my room.
Had quite a time finding the slot and figuring out how to work it,
propping the door open with my foot and trying to see by the dim hall light.
Also wandered around for a while in the maze of hallways before I found my room.
Didn't sleep very well. The walls are thin, and a man in the next room has a bad cough.
(That's funny. That's what I wrote in my journal, so it must be true.
I seem to remember sleeping quite well.)
My free breakfast was okay. They had coffee, tea, orange juice, dry cereal,
and assorted breads (including English muffins) that you could toast.
There was butter, jam, and honey.
I got back to my room about 9:15 and called Vicki. She said she'd take a bus
and meet me at 10:30. Found an Internet Cafe a couple of doors down
and sent a few e-mails. Had one from my brother Steve.
Walked up and down the street a little. Bought some postcards and stamps,
and sent a couple of postcards.
After Vicki arrived, we took the Sydney Explorer, which has 26 stops.
You buy a pass and can get on and off when and where you like.
We got off at Darling Harbour and had wonderful giant stuffed prawns at Doyle's.
We ate outside, and had a view across the water to the Opera House.
We went to the Opera House, but didn't take the tour. There were lots of stairs,
and my knee was killing me.
We went to the Powerhouse Museum, where we saw a replica of
the Strasbourg clock.
A man gave an explanation of it. Also went to the Natural History Museum
and saw assorted stuffed animals and heard recordings of birds,
including a kookaburra.
We saw lots of good stuff from the bus, went over the Sydney Bridge
and through the Harbour Tunnel.
Got back to the hotel about 5:00. Tried to call two Toastmasters clubs.
Left a message on a machine for one. My call wasn't returned. No answer at the other.
Made reservations for a trip to a wildlife park tomorrow. Had dinner in the hotel's
restaurant. It was an Indian buffet, and was okay. Watched a little TV,
but mostly couldn't find anything except re-runs of American sit-coms.
Wednesday, April 4 -
Slept well, in spite of waking up a few times. Turned off the light about 10:15,
and woke up a little before 6:00. Got up around 6:30. Went down for breakfast,
which is supposed to be available at 6:30. They finally had most stuff
out by about 7:00. No muffins or butter; no waiter to bring water.
Had wheat toast & honey.
Their menu includes an Auzzie burger, with tomato, lettuce, cucumber,
beetroot (pickled beets), bacon, cheese, and fried egg with the beef patty.
Their club sandwich has smoked turkey, avocado, fried egg, bacon, lettuce,
tomato, and cucumber. No thanks.
Was picked up in front of a travel agency just down the street from my hotel.
They took us to a place where we boarded a bus for Featherdale Wildlife Park.
I saw a crocodile and all sorts of birds, held an olive python,
and petted wallabies and koalas.
Afterward they didn't bring us back, but dropped us off at The Rocks.
I found a place to have lunch (steak & mushroom pie), then took a taxi back to the hotel.
Rested some, put more money in my wallet (I spent a lot at the wildlife park),
and sent some e-mail. Last night I called the desk because there was a
light on my phone and I thought it meant a message. The man told me the light
would be blinking if I had a message. He gave me a different number to call
if that happened. Tonight I decided to try that number and found out I had four messages.
Two of the calls had come while I was in my room, so I checked and found out the
ringer on my phone was turned off.
One of the messages gave information about City Talk Toastmasters.
Got a taxi to the meeting. The meeting was a lot of fun.
There were 13 people, including me. One of their members is from San Diego.!
They asked me to be General Evaluator and tell them some of the differences
between their club and mine. The theme of the meeting was Easter,
and everybody introduced themselves, including either their plans for
Easter or an Easter memory.
Table Topics was 40-50-60, which seemed awfully short. However, everybody participated,
and they also had five speeches. Afterward Sandra (the club President)
and Tom (her husband? S.O.?) Helped me get a taxi to get back to the hotel.
The fare was just over 1/3 of the fare to the meeting,
so apparently the first driver cheated me.
When I got back, there was a message from Isobel, wanting me to call her in the morning,
and another from Sharon asking me to call her mother in the morning.
Lights out about 11:20.
Thursday, April 5 -
Woke up early again. Went down for breakfast. Asked for a mocha and a glass of water.
I was almost halfway through eating when the waitress came and asked if I wanted
coffee or hot chocolate. She finally brought the hot chocolate - in a glass!
I never did get my water.
Had quite a time finding my way around the railway station. It should be easier
tomorrow and Saturday. (Sometime before now I talked to Dorothy & she told me to
take a train to meet her.)
I met Dorothy, and we walked - quite a distance - to her car. She's in her 70s,
but she has a lot more stamina than I do. We did a lot of driving around,
and she pointed out a lot of exclusive neighborhoods and expensive houses.
We stopped and looked at Palm Beach and Newport Beach. We had lunch in Manley -
barramunda, a delicious Australian fish. We ate outside. Then we drove some more,
walked a little in a National Park area, and finally parked somewhere in Manley.
The we took a very long walk/hike through a foresty sort of area.
We could see the harbour through the trees on our left, and there were a lot of big,
expensive houses up the hill on our right. We saw several dogs with people,
and one that looked as though it was searching for its people.
We also saw a beautiful, short-haired white cat. It came trotting up the path,
right to me for a quick scritch, then started on its way. It turned around and
came back for another quick scritch, then went on. There were lots of really
big spiders sitting in their webs in the trees.
Finally we got to a ferry terminal. We took the ferry to somewhere else,
and I took a bus back to my hotel. Had dinner in the hotel - a pretty good steak,
with salad and "chips". Before dinner I went to the Internet Cafe & sent some e-mail.
Back in my room I called Yowie about tomorrow, and got a shower.
My knee was killing me, but I finally got to sleep, probably about 11:30.
Woke up early again. Finally got up & got dressed.
Watched a little news on TV. Washed my hair. I had thought the
Dapto train left at 8:17, and planned to catch it. Got to the station early,
got my ticket, and found out there was a train leaving at 7:58. Caught it.
Got in a non-smoking car, with two levels. Climbed a few stairs to the upper level.
Most of the seats faced backward, but I managed to get one facing forward.
In spite of the fact that I got an earlier train than I expected,
and I had told her I'd call when I got in, Yowie (from the cat NG)
was there to meet me. Like everyone else I've met, she's really nice.
She took me to her house, where I met Schmoggleberry (very aloof)
and Fluffy (very friendly). She gave me coffee, Tim-Tams, Lamingtons,
a stuffed Yowie, and for jars of different flavored honey.
Yowie took me all over the place. She did a lot of driving,
and we did a lot of walking. We saw rain forest, beaches, lighthouses,
and a waterfall. We took off our shoes and dangled our feet in the Fitzroy River.
Yowie even insisted on buying my lunch at Mt. Keira.
Eventually we went back to her house for coffee (her), orange juice (me),
and more Tim-Tams. Then we went to a Vietnamese restaurant, for a very good dinner.
It was still early for my train, so Yowie drove me up to "Make-out Hill"
to see the view and the lighthouse. She showed me the
Southern Cross and the Milky Way. There was a full moon,
so they were a little hard to see. I was surprised to recognize Orion.
I got my train at about 9:15, and was back at the hotel a little after 11:00.
I was really tired, so I didn't do any packing. (I was leaving in the morning.)
This is what Yowie posted about our day:
Met Joy (Yoj) today. She really lives up to her name. You couldn't meet a
sweeter of more friendly person if you tried.
After meeting joy at the train station, we went back to my place so
Shmogg could ignore her and Fluffy could be at first so terrified of the stranger
she'd wet herself and then half an hour later be Joy's new Best Friend.
Joy experienced the great Aussie diet killers of Tim-Tams
(thickly chocolate coated biscuits with yet more chocolate in the middle)
and lamingtons (a type of chocolate coated cake) and got to try four different
types of Aussie honey (YellowBox, Blue Gum, ironbark, and Stringybark)
and I had to give her a toy Yowie of course.
Then, after adoring the critters, we were off to the Buddhist temple
(biggest in the Southern Hemisphere and very traditionally Vietnamese, I believe),
then onto Hill 60, a large peninsula that gives panoramic views of both ocean
and the Illawarra region. The views from there are usually stunning and you can see
nearly to Sydney, but it was an unusually smoggy day due to a temperature inversion
(Summer is quite smoggy but the air is usually fairly clear come April).
The views were good, but unfortunately not *great* due to smog,
but thank goodness Joy has seen bad smog before :) After watching the pelicans
seemingly defy physics and glide effortlessly on the thermals, we went off to have
lunch at the Summit of Mount Kiera. Poor Joy. I dragged her up and down
many steps today, and not all of them were even and level! But she did really well
and we got around the top of Mt Kiera before settling in the restaurant
to have smoked salmon Caesar Salad for lunch with complementary stunning views.
Then we went for the long drive up Maquarie pass through wet sclerophyll forest
which slowly turned into sub-tropic rainforest. The smell is always wonderful
driving through there. Fitzroy Falls is a pretty high, low flow, over a cliff face
sort of waterfall and we got to see it at many angles (with more steps)
while walking through the dry sclerophyll forest which is at the top
of the mountains. The late afternoon sun was at the perfect angle
to bring out all the colours of the great sandstone cliffs
which look over the deep, untouched, rainforest valleys.
There's something a bit odd about me and I have to dip me feet into water
if there's any opportunity to do so, and I was delighted that Joy joined me.
Both of us dangled our bare feet into the briskly cool Fitzroy River,
just metres from where it plunges about 700m to the valley below.
Its nice to know there are other people who are as mad as me!
It was getting late in the day, but I was hoping there'd be enough daylight
to be able to see Kiama Blow Hole. Going down Jamberoo pass
(instead of Macquarie Pass) we passed though some very odd fog -
due to a combination of the afternoon sea breeze and the temperature inversion)
and down into Jamberoo valley which is famous for both its cows and the
Cabbage tree palms (which look huge matchsticks with a tiny pom-poms on the end).
Eventually we got to Kiama, but the tide was out and the sea was almost dead calm,
and the blow hole wasn't even making a lot of noise. In the best conditions,
it can shoot up to 10 tonne of water 50 metres high and is spectacular to watch.
It was too late to go around to the little blowhole (which more or less works in
almost all sea conditions) do we headed back to Dapto to a cuppa and a rest
(and to feed Shmogg of course)
Off again into Wollongong for Dinner, but we took the back way and did some
star gazing at the Southern Cross. it was an almost full moon and due to the
smogginess there was a lot of light pollution, but there good old
Southern Cross was still perfectly visible and pointing (more or less) due south.
Off to a Vietnamese restaurant (Company May - the one directly behind Nam, Tish)
for dinner ("Australian" restaurants are far to expensive and are really for
tourists & business people only and have no local feel), with yummy garlic prawns and
scrumptious lemongrass & chilli chicken.
With half an hour before Joy's rain back to Sydney, I took her to the local
make-out spot to look over the Steelworks by night. By day its an ugly monstrosity,
by night, and looking at it from over a bay, its a beautiful display of lights.
A quick run around Wollongong Harbour to look at the fishing boats and
it was back to the Station and time to say goodbye. I probably wore the
poor woman out by showing her as many sights as I possibly could,
but Joy really seemed to enjoy it.
She's a really great lady and I wish I could have spent more time with her.
I hope she enjoyed the day as much as I did and I sincerely hope that she can
either come out again so I can show her the rest of the place,
or I can get out to her neck of the woods. Joy is a real grouse sheila :-)
Woke up early again. Organized my carry-on, then went down to breakfast.
Looked at two Internet cafes, but neither was open yet. Got munchies & change.
Back to my room to repack both bags - almost literally. I accidentally dumped
the small one on the floor. It was quite a job to repack.
Checked out & left my bags at the hotel. The Internet cafe was open.
I had several messages. Answered them, then got my bags and trudged to
the train station. It was only a block from the hotel, but it was a long block,
and uphill, so it was quite a trudge. Checked both bags.
Found my car and got my seat. Isobel (AFPF) found me. Her seat was in the car
the other side of the dining car from mine.
A little later, Isobel came back and said she'd arranged for me to sit with her.
The first class car was almost empty. The seats were more comfortable and roomy.
She alternated sitting by me so we could You could get hot food from the
buffet car at certain times, and sandwiches, drinks, and snacks at any time.
I had a beef sandwich, a Tim Tam and a Sunkist Orange for lunch.
Later I had another Sunkist Orange and some cashews.
For dinner I had teriyaki beef, ice cream, and a Pepsi.
It was a long trip (about 11 hours), but we arrived in Grafton about
15 minutes early. Marie was there. It was quite a ride to Yamba -
probably an hour or more. We passed fields of sugar cane.
We dropped Isobel at her motel, which was just down the hill,
then went to Marie's unit, where I met her husband, Dennis.
I had a lovely suite upstairs - bedroom with a queen-sized bed,
bathroom with both tub and shower, and a sitting room with a Tv.
We visited a while, then went to bed. It rained as I was getting ready for bed.
I woke up about 7:00. My door was banging in the wind. I got up to close it,
but Marie got there first. I stayed up.
We visited a while, then Marie called Isobel to come up for breakfast
and went to meet her. We had dry cereal and toast. I tried Vegemite and
found it very salty, but not too bad. The honey was better, though.
We visited a while, did my washing, and I hung it out.
Then we went for a drive around the lovely town of Yamba.
We saw the river and several beaches, complete with surfers.
Marie showed us around the house they're building by the river.
It's very nice, and she'll be able to have a boat. We stopped at a supermarket,
then went back to their house.
Toddy called, and Isobel and I got to talk to her. We had a nice lunch -
roll-up sandwiches on Lebanese bread. Everybody but Marie took a nap.
When I woke up, Marie had brought my clothes in, so I put them away.
We visited until dinner, which was called a roast dinner. There was pot roast
cooked in a crock pot, and lots of different kinds of vegetables cooked in the oven.
We had ice cream cake with strawberries for dessert.
Eventually I got a bath (bliss!) And went to bed. Turned off the light at about 12:30,
the latest since I got to Australia, but earlier than I usually go to bed at home.
There are lots of wonderful place names in Australia.
Most of the towns and geographical features seem to be divided into two parts.
One part is named after people - Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Darwin,,
and Alice Springs, for example. Others, such as Para Matta, Wollongong, and Ularu,
were given Aboriginal names.
Monday, April 9 -
Woke up about 7:00 (very early for me!). Finished my book before going downstairs.
Breakfast was similar to yesterday.
We took a ride to Maclean, a Scottish town. Marie had an errand to run,
and I walked around a little. Isobel stayed in the car. She was in the back seat,
and couldn't get a window open. It was quite warm. When Marie and I got
back to the car, Isobel said she should charge Marie with elder abuse.
People are charged for leaving small children in a hot car,
so Isobel said the same thing should happen to anyone who left an
"old lady" shut up in the car. ;-) We visited Ferry Park and saw
handicrafts by local people. We also saw several goanas and frill lizards by the river.
Good roast beef sandwiches for lunch.
Drove around some more in the afternoon. We saw Spooky Beach, Anjourie Village,
Woolowayah Village, and Yicraygir (pronounced "urine-guy") National Park.
I saw a meadow with dozens of what looked like miniature sheep.
They were so tiny, I knew they couldn't be sheep. They were cream-colored
and had black heads, and appeared to be grazing in the meadow.
Finally one of them flew away, and I realized they were birds.
I asked Marie about them, and she said they were ibis. She also said that
she and someone else had seen them somewhere and had thought they were lambs!
I didn't feel quite so dumb after she told me that.
Went back to Marie's house for a nap. Then Marie and I went to see
kangaroos (15 or 20 of them) on the golf course.
We went to dinner at the Tavern. Marie, Dennis, & Isobel had crumbed whiting
with chips and salad. I had Yamba prawns in garlic sauce with salad.
Went back "home", packed, and got a bath.
We got started about 8:45. Picked up Isobel and were on our way. We went
through Byron Bay, Miami, and lots of other places on the Gold Coast. We saw
several surfers. It rained off and on. Around noon, Marie pulled into a
parking lot with several businesses nearby. Since it was sprinkling,
she said she'd go look for a place to have lunch, while Isobel and I
waited in the car. In a couple of minutes, Marie came back and said,
"There's a nice coffee shop around the corner." I was a bit startled to discover
that the "nice coffee shop" was a Pizza Hut! I didn't even know they had
Pizza Hut in Australia. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised.
I saw McDonald's, Subway, and KFC all over the place. We dropped Isobel off
at Coolangatta Airport, although none of us wanted to separate.
Then we drove on to Brisbane. Sharon (My Toastmaster hostess in Brisbane)
had said she'd meet us between 5:00 and 5:30 at the ice skating rink.
We got there about 4:30, went inside and met Marie's daughter, Dee,
and watched her granddaughter skate for a few minutes. Then we decided to
sit it the car to get warm. We hadn't been there more than five minutes
when Sharon arrived.
Said a not-quite-tearful goodbye to Marie, and Sharon drove me to her home.
She lives upstairs, and there is a (rented out) granny flat downstairs.
Her place has beautiful hardwood floors, a spa, and a deck with a gorgeous view.
We changed and went to a Toastmasters meeting and dinner. It is a very large club -
there were probably 30 or 40 people there. Everyone was very nice.
I was invited to participate in Table Topics, and naturally I did.
At the break and after the meeting, I had a chance to talk to several
of the members. I tried to take a photo of the group, but my camera batteries
were dead, even though I'd just changed them.
Wednesday, April 11 -
Up about 6:45. Got dressed and had toast and coffee on the deck.
Sharon drove me up on a mountain for a view of the city, then dropped me off
at a ferry terminal. I took the City Cat (basically a commuter ferry) to where
I could catch the Miramar to go up the river to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary.
Saw hundreds of flying foxes (fruit bats) hanging in trees on the way.
Had my photo taken cuddling an adorable koala named Conrad. That (holding Conrad,
not having my photo taken
I actually got tears in my eyes, it was so special.
I saw and photographed lots of other koalas, as well as a wombat,
kangaroos, and other critters. Fed a couple of kangaroos with
special food they sell. Bought a T-shirt, an opal boomerang necklace, a hat,
and some postcards.
It was a beautiful day! I enjoyed the boat ride back. The ferry man didn't
know anything about a bus to Mt. Gravat (where Sharon lives),
so I found a phone booth. [Sharon had told me I could get a bus back to her
neighborhood when I got off the boat. I didn't' realize she meant the Miramar,
which ends its run near a shopping area in the city. If I hadn't taken the ferry,
I'd have been able to do that.]
There were no yellow pages in the phone book, so I asked a passerby for the name of
a cab company. Then I had to get someone else to show me how to use the phone,
since it didn't work the same as our pay phones. I called for a cab, and was told
there would be one there in 10-15 minutes. When one still hadn't come about
45 minutes later, I called again. Eventually a taxi came.
I was really tired by the time I got back to Sharon's. She was tired too,
so we decided to skip the Toastmasters meeting we had planned on attending.
We went to a Thai restaurant for a very good dinner. Just as we got back to her
house, the power went off in the whole neighborhood. It stayed off a long time.
Sharon had some literature about tours, and called and made reservations for me
to take one tomorrow. Then I got a bath in her wonderful tub. All of this was by
candlelight. I was in bed by 9:30!
Thursday, April 12 -
Slept wonderfully. I only woke up once. The alarm woke me at 7:00.
Sharon fixed me breakfast, and I ate standing up in the kitchen.
She had called a cab for me, and it arrived right on time at 8:00.
The driver was delightful, and we had a lovely chat. He told me about things we
passed, and suggested that I look at the plaque by a windmill across the
street from the hotel where he dropped me. I asked if he enjoyed is work and
he said enthusiastically, "Of course! I get to drive around all day and talk
to people - and I get paid for it!" Lucky man. How many people feel that way
about their work?
I had a wait at the hotel, so I did walk across and look at the windmill and
the plaque. The windmill had been used for punishing convicts in Australia's
early days. The tour was very interesting. We made a couple of photo stops,
one at Kangaroo Cliffs, with nice views of the city skyline along the river.
We had morning tea at Eagle Farm, across the street from a race course.
I couldn't find my sunglasses, so I bought a pair at a local optometrist's.
Tried a drink called Ice Cream Soda. It wasn't the same as our Creme Soda,
but it wasn't bad. We saw many other sights, and had a long stopover at
South Bank for lunch. South Bank is a sort of outdoor mall, with many interesting
features, including an inland beach, right in the middle of the city.
Quite a few people were swimming or lying on the beach. We passed the
Treasury Casino, which is a casino in what used to be the government
Treasury building. Someone remarked that there wasn't much of a change,
since both were designed to take your money. ;-)
The highlight of that tour was a visit to the Australian Woolshed. We were shown
eight different varieties of sheep and saw demonstrations of sheep shearing
and sheepdogs working. The dogs will jump up on the sheep's backs and run across
them to get to the other side of the flock! There was an opportunity to give a
bottle of milk to a lamb, and there was an interesting gift shop. However,
our time there was limited, so I dashed up the hill to hold another koala
(her name is Ku-ti) before going back to the bus.
After that we drove to the top of Mt. Coot-tha, for a beautiful view of the city.
When the bus dropped me back at the hotel, Sharon was there waiting for me.
We went back to her place and had about an hour to change and send some e-mail
before meeting Rob (a Toastmaster I met through the Toastmasters Newsgroup)
at an Italian restaurant for dinner. Rob and I had Australian pizza,
which is very similar to Hawaiian pizza at home - it had ham and pineapple on it.
It was good. After that we went to the top of Mt. Coot-tha to see the night view,
which was breathtaking. We had cocoa (Sharon), iced coffee (Rob),
and ice cream (me). Sharon thought Rob and I were crazy, because she was freezing.
It was a long but delightful day.
Friday, April 13 -
Got up at 7:00, as planned. Sharon had the day off, so she drove me all over
the place. We went to Mt. Tambourine and Binna Burra, among other places.
We walked in a rain forest, and saw strangler fig trees. Their roots literally
strangle other trees, to give them more room.
We met Sandra and Bob, Toastmaster friends of Sharon's, for afternoon tea at
Sanctuary Cove (an exclusive location, where you can pick up a house for
around $500,000). Earlier we had morning tea, and later, lunch.
We drove around the Gold Coast for a bit, and looked at some really posh homes.
We saw an intriguing sign:
Yatala Pies
Crematorium
Drive in Theater
Decided not to shop for pies there. ;-)
We stopped at a chemist shop (drug store to Americans) and got some
Tiger Balm for my knee and some lozenges for the cough I seemed to be getting.
I finally got to use the spa. It was lovely, except that one spout of water
felt as though it was boring into my back. I soaked a while and then got out
and had some toast. Was in bed by 9:30, and turned off the light shortly after that.
Saturday, April 14 -
Had a rough night. My acid reflux woke me up at midnight, and several times
after that. Slept really well in between. Got up just before 4:30. Dressed,
packed, and Sharon drove me to the airport. We got there about 5:25.
There was a long line to check in, but it moved fast. I was at my gate by 5:55.
I had window seats on both flights - 3A to Sydney, which was great, and 13G
to the Alice, which was over the wing, so I couldn't see much. I did see an
amazing amount of greenery as we flew into Alice Springs. I had expected to see
nothing but red desert.
I got a phone number at the airport to try to arrange a flight to Ayres Rock.
When I got to my room, I called, and they said they'd have to check and ring me
back. When I didn't hear from them by 2:00, I called & asked if they'd be open
tomorrow, because I wanted to go out and see the town.
The Territory Inn is somewhat old, but nice. I had a small fridge, with ice and a
small pitcher of ice water. I also had a double bed, a twin bed, and a bench,
so there was plenty of room for my things.
I made a reservation for Red Centre Dreaming - dinner and a program about
Aboriginal culture. I wandered around Todd Mall, which I reached by going through
the parking garage and restaurant attached to the hotel. I found a church where
I can go tomorrow. And talked to a couple who were sitting on a bench near the church.
They live in Sydney, but are originally from England. We had a long conversation.
Went back to the hotel and nibbled nuts for my lunch. Rested and got ready for
the evening. Went downstairs early (about 6:20). I'd been told I'd be picked up between 6:30 and 6:45. It was about 6:35.
The dinner was good - bacon & onion soup, lamb chops, baked barramunda (fish),
and kangaroo kebabs, which were very dry. There were also vegetables and salad,
and later, cake with cream. Before dinner, and while we were eating our soup,
an Aboriginal woman showed and told us about various tools and weapons her people make,
all of wood. After dinner there was singing, dancing, and didgeridoo playing.
It was wonderful! When they asked for volunteers from the audience to learn a dance,
I went up with about a dozen other people. We learned the bird dance. It was a lovely
program. I think it's my second favorite thing on the trip, right after holding a koala.
Sunday, April 15 - Easter.
Went to church at the John Flynn Uniting Church, named for the man who founded the
Flying Doctor Service, which is still in operation today. The service was very
similar to that at my home church.
I wandered around town and stumbled on the Tourist Information Office. Was able
to make arrangements to fly to Ayres Rock tomorrow. Ayres Rock was named after a
famous explorer. However, when the Aborigines finally got their land back,
they returned to the name originally given to the rock - Uluru.
Also arranged to visit Desert Park on Tuesday. I found out I can send e-mail at the Youth Hostel down the street from my hotel.
Rested a while, sent e-mail, and had dinner. I was too chicken to try the crocodile
salad, emu nuggets, or camel steak, and I'd already tried kangaroo,
so I had five-spice prawns. Very spicy and hot, but good. For desert, I had three
kinds of ice cream - Quandong (a type of berry), Blue Gum Honey, and Macadamia Nut Praline.
I enjoyed all three thoroughly.
Rested a while, then got everything ready for morning and went to bed.
Monday, April 16 -
Up at 6:00. Got ready and was downstairs by 6:25. My 6:30 pickup was about
5 minutes late. We drove to the airport, and I was introduced to my pilot,
Mark. I was the only one going, so I asked if I could sit in front. He hesitated,
so I told him I'm a retired private pilot, and he said yes. The plan was a Piper,
something Bravo, I think. He said it's like a Cherokee, only with retractable gear.
We had a lovely flight. It was a beautiful day. I spotted a fault line,
but Mark said there hasn't been an earthquake there in centuries. We saw the
Western MacDonnell mountain range and a meteor crater. There was a lot of green,
and some pools of water. The water looked blue when we were away from it,
but when we got over it, the pools looked red, probably colored by the soil
underneath. We flew along one side of Uluru (Ayres Rock), then went to the
airport and landed. Mark picked up a rental car, and we drove to a spot where
I could get a good photo of the Rock. Then we went to the Aboriginal Cultural Center.
That was fascinating. There was a video about the struggle the Aboriginal people
had trying to regain possession of Uluru. They won, but it took decades, and it was
under the condition they lease it back to the country for a National Park.
I bought some music sticks in their gift shop.
Later we drove to where I could walk up and touch the Rock, and walk alongside it.
There were some caves with cave paintings, but the paintings didn't show up very well.
While I was walking by the Rock, I saw what I called a "caterpillar train"
crossing the path. There must have been about 50 caterpillars, front to back,
making a long string of fuzzy little critters. Later we drove to where I could
walk up to a lookout to get photos of the Olgas, another interesting rock formation,
whose aboriginal name is Kata Tjuta. There were four young people up there, and they
asked if I'd take their photo with the Olgas in the background. I did - four times,
since they each had a camera. Then they took mine.
Then we went to the Ayres Rock Resort for an excellent lunch. I had a chicken tortilla,
and Mark had a massive plate of nachos. We found a T-shirt shop, where I found one
I can give Robbie. Mark is very nice. He's from New Zealand originally,
but he's been in the Alice about a year and a half. He's also very tall.
(Eat your heart out, Donna!) I was very lucky to get to go. Usually they don't
fly with fewer than two people, but two other people had made reservations and
then backed out. The flight home was nice, but, as Mark said, it was a little boring.
I dozed off a couple of times. Got back to the Alice about 3:15, and the man who
picked me up took me back to my hotel.
Rested a while. Thought about dinner, but didn't really want any. Sent some e-mail
and walked around town a bit. Got some hankies with various Australian scenes
or critters to give my mother. Bought some Pringles, some candy, and a can of
orange drink. I had an apple Sharon had given me one day. That was my dinner.
I watched TV - a stupid sitcom, a 60 Minutes-type show, and a wonderful,
satirical show that reminded me of TW3 (That Was the Week That Was).
It had skits and songs related to current news.
Tuesday, April 17 -
I woke up early, got dressed, packed, & checked you, leaving my bags in the
luggage room. The bus picked me up and took me to Desert Park. It's an interesting
place, but very confusing and easy to get lost. Saw some great stuff -
birds of prey being fed, including a black-breasted buzzard, who broke an emu
egg by dropping rocks on it. Went on a guided sand walk, and learned that caterpillar
train was actually itchy grubs. (Sharon says they're witchity grubs. A great source
of tucker (food) for the Aborigines, but the guide described wichity grubs a little
differently.) That's how they look for food - in a train. Saw assorted birds,
lizards, & snakes. Got hot & got lost. Finally found the cafe & had a nice lunch -
chicken sandwich, Sunkist Orange, and an ice cream bar. Bought a tape of didgeridoo
music for BlueBird, and some sunscreen for me. It's a bit like locking the barn door,
but there's still a wildlife park in Sydney and Kangaroo Island.
Got the bus back to the hotel, rested a while, then sent some e-mail.
Sat around the hotel patio for a while, then got my bags and took the shuttle bus
to the airport. Took a photo of Toddy's bus. There's a backpacking hostel in the
Alice called Toddy's, and they have their own airport bus.
The flight to Adelaide was uneventful. We were served crumbed chicken, salad,
roll & butter, and crackers & cheese. No dessert. :-(
Di (AFPF) met me at the Adelaide Airport.. She said she'd gotten there early,
but forgotten to take my flight information. She met a Quantas flight and asked
several people if they were me. I assume they were all women - at least I hope so! ;-)
Finally she asked at the desk and found out there was an Ansett flight, which was the
one I was on. We drove back to her house, which is very nice. I had a nice room.
Di wanted to feed me, but I wasn't hungry. Got a bath and went to bed.
Up at 5:00; got ready quickly. Had some toast. Went to a friend's house (Ngaire)
and picked her up so Ngairie could drive Di's car home. It was a long bus ride to
the ferry terminal. On the bus Di started talking to the young woman across the
aisle from her. She was from Canada, and was sitting with a young woman from Japan.
The four of us stat together on the ferry. Then the Canadian woman went with another
group, to stay overnight, while Yuko, the Japanese woman, stayed with our group.
The three of us spent most of the day together.
We did lots of walking and climbing. We saw a few koalas high in trees, and one tame
kangaroo where we had lunch. Some of the people on the bus saw a couple of wild kangaroos,
but I didn't. We saw lots of termite hills, some interesting rock formations, lots of New
Zealand fur seals, and Australian sea lions. We went right down on the beach to see
the sea lions, and were able to get fairly close to them. They weren't very active,
so we kept moving down the beach. I found walking in the sand very hard, and we had to
go a long way back to where we had quite a climb. I didn't think I'd make it back up,
but Yuko and Di pushed part of the way. I started out the trip with a bad knee,
but by the time I was in Alice Springs, it seemed to be okay, and it didn't bother
me on this trip either. My legs keep swelling, though, which makes walking difficult.
We got back to the bus terminal about 10:00 or so, and Ngaire got there right after that.
We got back to Di's place about 11:00. Again, Di offered to feed me, but I just wanted
to go to bed.
Thursday, April 19 -
I didn't set my alarm for this morning, but I woke up a little after 8:00,
and did some organizing. I sent some e-mail and posted to the group. We talked to
Toddy on the phone, and I called my mother. She was very surprised and pleased.
She hadn't expected me to call, because of the time difference, and the fact that we
were staying in touch by e-mail. I washed some clothes and my hair, and then we
went to Parra Wirra, where there was a wildlife park. The kangaroos and emus used to
hang around the picnic tables, but we didn't see any kangaroos at all -
just a couple of young emus. Drove around and saw some of the town.
In the early evening, Di drove me to a bus terminal, where we met Brian, a Toastmaster
friend of hers. He and I traveled on the O-Bahn, a unique form of transportation found
only in Adelaide. It consists of articulated buses - basically two buses joined together
with accordion-like rubber or plastic (presumably so they can make it around corners).
After driving a short distance, the bus was driven onto what looked like two strips of
concrete but was actually a track. The driver then took his hands off the wheel and his
feet of the pedal, and the track drove the bus. We traveled about 60-70 mph. There were
a couple of stops on the way, where the bus slowed down and then we were on a section
where the driver was in control again. Then it was back on the track and away we went.
As we went, Brian told me that the O-Bahn was built by a German company, and was
originally intended to cover much more territory, but they ran out of money so only
the one line was built. He also pointed out various sights and buildings along the way.
He knows the history of Adelaide in great detail, and could tell me what various
historical buildings are, and even point out newer buildings and tell me what older buildings they had replaced.
We attended a meeting of theTalk Of The Town Toastmasters. They meet at an exclusive
restaurant, and have dinner before the meeting, and dessert at the break.
They were having a contest that evening - Table Topics (impromptu speaking)
and Evaluation. Brian and I were asked to be judges. At the end of the meeting,
they asked me to talk about some of the differences I found between Australian and
American Toastmasters clubs.
Then we took the O-Bahn back, and Di took me home. It was a lovely evening, and Brian
was a delightful escort. He and his wife came to Adelaide from England about 40
years ago, but they still consider themselves English, rather than Australian.
Friday, April 20 -
We had a leisurely breakfast and then went into downtown Adelaide and parked in an indoor
parking structure. We met Brian and his wife near Parliament House, and then went inside.
We had to go through a metal detector. We waited a few minutes in the interesting lobby,
and then Frances Bedford, the local MP, came in. She is a real fireball,
and she's enthused about the history of the building and how Parliament is run.
She showed us both chambers and explained how the seating is arranged and the
voting is done. Apparently they don't have filibusters, because she said when you are
recognized to speak, you have three minutes. They actually use a big hour glass
(well, a three-minute glass) to time it. She also showed us some wonderful old books
that most tourists don't get to see. They have quite a library, with huge globes,
lots of old books, current magazines, and a computer. She gave me a mug and a spoon
with the seal of Parliament on it, and gave the others pens. She took each of our
pictures sitting in the Speaker's chair. Brian and Di took some photos with my camera too.
We had tea (mocha, in my case) and biscuits in the lounge, and then our lovely hostess
(the MP) had to go to a meeting.
We said goodbye to Brian and his wife outside, and Di and I decided to have some lunch.
Then we just wandered a bit. We went into a casino, which was very different from
Las Vegas. There was a large marble lobby that was completely empty -
not a slot machine in sight! Inside, the rows of slots were spaced much farther apart
than they are in Las Vegas. I think the biggest difference I noticed was that the
casino was relatively quiet. The noise level in the Las Vegas ones is always extremely
high. We saw a sign that said something about tea and cake for some ridiculously low
price in the Balcony Bar, so we found it and had some. It was a real bar, and Di took
a photo of me sitting at the bar. She was immediately admonished by the bartender,
who said that flash cameras weren't allowed inside, because they interfered with
the security cameras. He said there was a sign stating this, but we hadn't seen it.
We did notice it on the way out, though. They didn't throw us out, though, and the cake
was delicious.
In the evening, we met Di's friends, Ngarie and Ros, for a buffet dinner. We had a lot
of fun, and the food was good. There were some little girls, about 10 or 12, who were
wearing long velvet dresses and very high heels. They were made up, too. We joked about
the "baby LOTEs". Actually, I thought it was kind of sad. I hate to see little girls
trying to look like grown women. Went back and packed so I'd be ready to leave in the
morning.
Up at 5:15. Dressed, finished packing, & Di took me to the airport. Got there in
plenty of time. Good flight; a little bumpy part of the way. Arrived in Sydney at
10:40 a.m. I'm back on Qantas again. My other internal flights were on Ansett Australia.
In spite of the fact that they were having all sorts of problems with canceled flights,
none of my flights were canceled, or even delayed.
They have interesting check-in and -out times in Australia. Most places seem to have a
noon check-in time, which is nice if you arrive in the morning, but checkout is 10 a.m.
(In the U.S., checkout time is usually noon or 1 p.m., and check-in time is 3 p.m.)
Luckily they have a secure room where you can leave your bags.
Took a taxi to the hotel; got there about 11:30. Checked in,left my bags,
& went to send some e-mail. Went back, got my key, & finally found my room.
That place is a maze! I wish they provided maps. Was awfully tired. Went across the
street to get lunch at a cafe, but it was closed. Got sandwich, Dr. Pepper, cashews,
& candy at a convenience store. Went back to my room for lunch. Slept quite a while,
then read for a while. Had dinner downstairs in the hotel dining room.
Baramundi sure is good! Back to my room & ate candy for dessert. Drank some Dr.
Pepper, but didn't finish it. Tried the TV, but couldn't find anything I wanted
to watch for long.
Sunday, April 22 -
Up at 8:00, got dressed, & went down for breakfast. Back up & finished packing.
Washed my hair. Checked out & left my bags. Caught a bus to Circular Quay, & then a
erry to Taronga Zoo. It started sprinkling while I was at the zoo, then it really rained.
Was able to get a rain poncho for only $4.95. They have a car called sky safari to go up
and down between the zoo and the ferry terminal. There's also a bus, but naturally
I took the sky safari. Good view, especially going up. Going down it wasn't so great,
because it was raining. We could see a few animals from the cars. Some of the exhibits
are pretty good - especially the nocturnal ones. Saw some bilbies. They are really cute.
Most of the tables are outside, so I ate lunch standing up at a counter. Then (finally)
found my way to the sky safari for the ride back down. My knee was bothering me,
for the first time in several days. Did some extra walking trying to find a bus back
to the hotel, and more because I got off too soon. The numbers on the opposite sides
of the street don't correspond. There's a Pacific International Apartment building
where the hotel would be if the numbers were even. It's a couple of blocks from the hotel.
That's the second time I did that.
Sent some e-mail, then sat in the hotel lobby for about half an hour before taking a
taxi to the airport. Trans-dateline travel can be really confusing. When I came,
my flight left at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, and arrived in Sydney at approximately 8 p.m.
on Monday, after a 14 ½ hour flight. Going home, I left Sydney at 5 p.m. on Sunday,
and got home at 1:30 p.m. the same day.
The flight home was only 12 hours and 45 minutes, but seemed longer than the flight going,
in spite of the fact that I slept a couple of hours on the way home, and didn't sleep at
all on the way over. They showed three or four movies on the way back, but I'd seen one
of them (Miss Congeniality) for the second time on the way to Alice Springs, and I had
already seen Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, and was seated too far from the screen to
read the subtitles if I'd wanted to see it again. On that flight they gave us a little
zipped case holding sox, an eyeshade, and a miniature toothbrush and a tiny tube of
toothpaste.
My daughter Irene was there to pick me up, and after my luggage finally came, she
brought me home. Both cats greeted me effusively. That was a bit of a surprise,
because Skeeter usually hides out for a few hours, then makes sure I see her and sits
with her back to me. This time, whenever I sat down I had a cat on my lap. It's good
to be home, but I'm going to start saving so I can go back to Oz, which is truly a
magical land.
Posted 8th June 2001