Back to Australia October 2014 | The Long Way Round Tour Day 2

 Destination : King's Canyon

First stop, Stuart's Well, has its own wildlife park. These emus are the larger, but definitely less attractive, poor cousin to the Cassawary that I saw later (but wrote about earlier) in the rainforest.
This was our stop for ice cream (gourmet chocolate coated, of course), souvenirs, water, water, more water, fancy coffees (yeh!) and a chance to take in the heat while lined up for the bathrooms. It had to be close to 40 degrees.

Second stop: a flat tire. Craig and Kerri had us more than a little concerned that the spare tire was not coming off from under the bus, but they did it. Kerri, a kiwi, formerly of the NZ  military unit that served in Afghanistan, former tour guide, now bus driver, did everything imaginable to loosen those bolts. She's mid-air here, applying every kg of her weight while we....watch and wonder.  Cell phone coverage? Not. We're how far from where? We watched and we sweat--not literally, because you don't sweat in the desert--while the guys cleared space for the flat in the trailer. I think I drank two bottles of water just watching (recommendation is 1200 ml per hour in the desert!). No bathrooms here, but it's a long lonely road, and there is no one on it but us.

Next stop: lunch and a bathroom break: up and over the ridge, men to the left, women to the right, carry out your garbage (!), and no peeking. Check out the cockatoos in the tree.

Finally, King's Canyon. If it's 35 degrees by 1130 am all high walking/hiking routes are closed, so we were too late and it was too hot for the high rim walk. Kerri gave us a lesson on local geology--the formation of the canyon--and we headed out on the short King's Creek Walk.

This is the road not taken. A group got up at 5am the next morning to climb up to the rim but I was not among them. 

 At the end of the trail, there's a great view of Kings Canyon, but I'm sure it doesn't compare to the rim walk (I saw the pics!). Along the way I learned about white gum trees, whose bark is silvery bright and the red gum whose grey bark is mottled with roan red patches.

Back to Australia October 2014 | The Long Way Round Tour Day 1

My first destination on this trip was "the long way round tour", a pre-conference event that would take us from Alice Springs to Uluru. I thought I'd already taken the long way round by flying via Auckland and Adelaide (no regrets there), but this 3 day-2 night bus trip with colleagues from around the world was definitely a highlight of the trip. Our goal was to experience the remote desert environment which would be the backdrop for the Global Community Engaged Medical Education Muster 2014, to be held in Uluru, and get a taste of the local aboriginal culture. I knew it would also be a chance to reconnect with old friends and make new ones.

We came from Canada, Australia, Germany, the US, and the Netherlands (I've likely missed a few), and gathered in Alice Springs where we met our hosts. After lunch and an intro to the area and the aboriginal cultures of the continent,  we loaded up our gear, and cases (and more cases) of water and snacks for the trip for the road and boarded our 4-wheel drive bus, goodie bags clutched in our hands: insect repellent, a 40 spf sunscreen that would hang from the belt, a travel-sized torch, and a black bug hoodie to add to our hats! Forewarned, and forearmed. 

Leaving Alice Springs we traveled on asphalt until the turn in the road, where we stopped so the driver could adjust the air pressure in the tires, and take us across the expansive sand toward Rainbow Valley.

It's hot--about 35 degrees--and it's dry, and looks absolutely devoid of life. Of course that's not true. There's an abundance of life out there, but it seems small in the midst of such vastness. I brought this red sand home in my shoes and these tiny spiky prickles in abundance in my socks!

No, that's not THE BIG ROCK but these mountains of rock become more frequent as we approach Rainbow Valley, where we met our host, Ricky Orr, the grandson of the traditional owner of this land. Ricky and his family are Wurre and he gave us an introduction to their land and culture when we first came on to his land.

The variety of rock found in the area on a stone used by aboriginal women for crushing seeds and other plant material.

There are kangaroos in this photo bu they are well camouflaged. We toured around this rock and through a dry creek bed, stopping to examine pictographs which Ricky interpreted for us. No photos are allowed of any of the sacred sites or writings. This is our group photo.

The cooks were already busy in the cookhouse when we arrived at camp, and as our driver dolled out swags and sleeping bags, Ricky and some of the men rolled out the tarps. This is where we would sleep. I followed Kath, and found an elevated sleeping platform, and Sarah and I claimed it, but every one else staked out their spaces on the tarps and organized their swags and belongings.

There was no shortage of food. There were huge trays of appis for us when we arrived. Ricky and his sous-chefs put together a great dinner of salads, platters of meat, of course, (barbecued red meat seems to be the national dish!) including kangaroo, lots of breads and desserts. We feasted. Camp also had a shower room, and a biffy, but that's about it.

It was an amazing night of sleeping under the stars. I was one of the first to find my pjs and settle in to my swag. Are you wondering what a swag is? It's basically a portable bed. Picture a heavy canvas bag, with a foamy in the bottom, 4 inch high sides, and a zipper all the way round so you can absolutely crawl right in and zip up--which I did not do.  It was much too hot, and although it cools off in the desert here as it does elsewhere, I slept in a nightie with nothing but a thin sarong draped over me like a bed sheet, the entire night. I put my sleeping bag under my head for a pillow, and listened to Ricky telling stories around the campfire.  I awoke about 3 am to the most amazing silence: no one was snoring, no one was moving, not the slightest whisper of wind, not the tiniest bit of light but from the stars. As I watched shooting stars streak across the sky and satellites arc their way across my line of vision, I took it in the serenity of it all knowing I would never experience this again.

As the sun came over the horizon, the desert came to life, campers rolled up their swags for reloading onto the bus, and I walked a long red road, learning how to interpret the lines in the sand and recognize the call of birds with a new friend and colleague Craig.

 Except for that big foot, these are mostly snake tracks!

At 730 am, there's not a cloud in the sky (but there are a couple of birds up there) and it was already 32 degrees.

Back to Australia October 2014 | Back to Cairns

I'm home and busy winterizing but it's warming to spend some time going through photos and unpublished posts to see what I can find. I'd rather be in the water , or on the water, or near the water, or....okay. Home. Cold. Snow. Actually it's a balmy -5 or so, and I should be out walking. Later...

After disembarking in Cairns I headed back to the hotel and after checking in (early again--love that hotel!) I unpacked, rinsed a couple of bathing suites and my stinger suit, and headed out for the day. There's a daytime market in Cairns called Ricky's which is really like a giant farmers' market with a few stable tenants that reminded me of the old, old downtown city market in Edmonton. And there's a night market. So I opted for the night market, and deferred my shopping to the evening--after 5 pm anyway. That's a great spot, but first I headed to the botanic gardens. Flowers will win me over every time! (Is anyone listening?)

It's a short bus ride once you know what bus to take and the friendly folks are more than eager to help. The Garden(s) is also home to The TANKS, three old oil tanks that  were used to supply the navy during the Pacific War. They now serve as venues for ar, music and other community happenings. How ingenious. There's a regular program of events at The TANKS.

It's spring, and there's lots of construction, but also lots of material for practicing (again) some macro shooting with my new camera.

The shade of a tropical canopy was a welcome reprieve from the heat and humidity. I was on my second bottle of water before I even got there! Here's a sample of what I found.

But what's underneath the canopy is as exciting as what forms it in the first place. It's amazing what blooms beneath those giants.

Back to Australia October 2014| The best day of our lives...

I’ve just gotten up from lunch with two Swedish couples, one of whom lives in Switzerland. The boat is the perfect size: it’s so easy to meet everyone and get to know a few. With three meals a day and morning and afternoon latte breaks (there's a Nespresso and milk steamer , of course!) there's lots of time to get to know the group. We are all in a permanent state of awe at being here on the reef. This morning at Ribbon Reef #3 I overheard a man and his wife talking that the coral and the abundant fish are so far beyond anything they had ever seen. “This is the best day of our lives “, they said. There’s a sense of urgency too; when will we ever be here again to take this in. I want to be sure to take in every opportunity to dive, swim, or go out in the glass bottom boat. Sometimes even the crew are awe-struck. On this reef in particular there was an amazing garden of cabbage coral that is so large it looks like it would fill my entire back yard. Rick, our kiwi first mate, says he’s never seen anything like it anywhere else.

 In the end, this reef turns out to be everyone’s favourite for its abundance of coral and fish. I went out three times, and each time saw something new: a new colour, a new shape of fish, a coral I hadn’t seen before. Once I got used to the variety it got easier to watch the behaviour of the fish, and notice things. Like the cleaning station with all manner of fish lined up for a turn with the cleaner wasse to spruce up their gills, mouth and nose. It must be date night on the reef.

We’ve sailed to Escape Reef, and Rick and Alice are setting the anchor. Those who took an early power nap are lining up on the back deck, suits on, masks, snorkels and fins in hand waiting to get in the water. Gotta go. It’s our last time in the water and I don’t want to miss it. Time for the reef brief with Alice, our marine biologist and trip host!

Back to Australia October 2014 | My very last, first time...

Our dive team(s).

We’ve just pulled up anchor at Ribbon Reef #9 and are on our way to Ribbon Reef #3. I learned today that a ribbon reef sits along the edge of the continental shelf, so the water drops off to great depths on the lee side of the reef. We anchored up close to the reef, and without straying more than 200 metres off the platform, I heard reports of various “firsts” from the snorkelers. Snorkeling here is like swimming in an aquarium. The fish are just everywhere. You can’t not see almost any of the most common reef fish, and if you are very lucky you will also see a loggerhead turtle; the divers came in chattering and comparing sizes today after their first dive.  Estimates are that it would have been about 70 years old, based on the size. The loggerhead is the biggest of the turtles here. My “first” was to dive. Although I’m prone to panicking as I head down, EJ was very patient. There were just two of us, so we had her undivided attention. Neither of us was able to get very deep; an underwater current that strengthened quite suddenly and unexpectedly had us struggling to manage our bodies. I did settle in though, imagined myself snorkeling, and finally relaxed and enjoyed the view. She’s hoping for some calm weather tomorrow at Reef #3 so that we can try to get down to the 10 m mark. I’m trying to forget that bit. I think if I don’t know I’m that far under water I’ll be just fine. I’ve figured out how to keep my mask from leaking, a problem I’ve always had, I can clear it easily underwater, and I can equalize. EJ looks after pretty much everything else. Because this is ribbon coral, the most interesting coral and fish are along the walls of the reef, so getting down will open up the possibility of seeing much, much more. I’m happy to have it over with. It may be my last time, but I won’t have to go through the struggle of a first dive ever again!

I can smell the lamb roasting—that lamb rump that Margaret and I raved about in New Zealand last year is on the menu. The food has been healthy and fresh, and they go to great lengths to ensure that the gf eaters don’t go without. They make two versions of things—like pasta, and today a chicken pot pie—so that we are eating what everyone else is eating. It’s nice not to feel shortchanged on that end.

Cocktail hour. Time to get dressed.

Back to Australia October 2014 | OMG it's aMAZing down there!

Update: the pill, the sleep and the rocking boat. It was a sloshy trip across to where we are now moored and by most accounts a sleepless night onboard. I managed without the pill, but didn’t get a lot of sleep after 1 am. Seems the middle section—probably out in open water—was the rockiest, but I figured out which way to straddle the bed so as not to fall out (just kidding) and imagined myself a baby in a rocker. Everything starts early here in North Queensland I assume because it gets so hot by mid-day that anything strenuous needs to be done and over with by noon. I had real fresh cooked oatmeal for breakfast this morning; not something out of a paper tub, and more fatty bacon, and boned ham (not the deli kind) and passion fruit and watermelon, and eggs, and …. oooh, it was delicious. Not that I was hungry. We are very well fed!

We spent today on and about Lizard Island. It was hit by a cyclone in April and the damage to the land is quite evident but the reef was not significantly damaged. The only resort on the island—Lizard Island Resort—is closed until repairs can be done and four of the guests on board are on this boat after being bumped. It can’t be all that bad.

You can see  Lizard Island here before the cyclone, and this is what the island looks like today.

We spent the morning in Turtle Bay, snorkelling and it is AMAZING. I don’t know what else to say and I’m not taking photos underwater so you will just have to believe me. My big aha moment was when I figured out that Nemo is an anemone. Get it? There are tonnes (!) of them. It’s teeming with fish, every colour of the rainbow and then some, and every possible size and shape, some as tiny as a sliver and others the size of a good walleye. So far I’ve not seen any of BIG FISH!

Our glass bottom boat that gets us back and forth from ship to shore on Lizard Island.

 The water is about 25 degrees but I did wear my snorkelling suit today. Thank you Margaret for this gift. Although I rarely have opportunity to wear it, in this environment it can be a life saver. Stinger season begins this Friday and we are on guard for stinging jelly fish, one very large and boxy, and one much smaller and harder to detect. Most snorkelers are wearing some type of protection—they rent/sell stinger suits—and I am cozy and comfortable in mine. So for the am, ship to shore, snorkelling, tea on shore, shore to ship, clean up a wee bit, lunch, and a bit of sun on the deck.

I took in the dive orientation this morning and this afternoon practiced all the skills off Wilson Beach so I’m set to go tomorrow, assuming I get up the nerve. EJ is a patient teacher, and there are only three of us at this level so should be fun. ONLY down to 10 metres. She’s promising a feast down there, on Ribbon Reef #3. Today, the big siting was the giant clams, huge things, with big mouth holes hidden under a ridge of bright colour—blue, green, purple, yellow, sometimes all mixed in beautiful ribbons that gently open and close. I have no idea how big these ones were because it’s under water and so very hard to tell, but they grow old (100 years) and by then can be over a metre in size and 200 kg in weight. Someone claimed to see a white tip shark, but I missed it while working on my scuba skills. I’m wishing I’d found time to do that at home before I left.

We’ve just had the call to drink on the sundeck, and it’s barbeque night, so more kangaroo I’m sure. It’s good wild meat, very rare, and when marinated in something tasty and tender. I think it’s naturally tough though, so we’ll see how our captain does on the barbe tonight.

Sunset off Lizard Island. We have some company here in the harbour, but we head out and sail overnight anyway.

Back to Australia October 2014 | First night at sea

I'm back on land and connected! I'll upload some posts I wrote, and then some photos, so come back often!

Our glass bottom boat which also serves as a tender to get us back and forth off Lizard Island.

It’s our first night at sea and my first night on a cruise boat. The ship, The Coral Princess, is not luxurious but it is very nice. Of course, I don’t know what to expect. We boarded at 5 pm, mustered at 6 pm, dinner at 7pm. Change of plans: we are missing Cooktown because the tides are too low to allow them to dock, and heading to Lizard Island over night where we will have two different ports of call. The divers are happy: it’s one more day in the water. I’m good with it too. I wasn’t excited about the land tour. Now I’m sitting in my room trying to decide if I am seasick. Already. Or is that good? Get it over with. I’ve never been sea sick before; didn’t even think to bring Gravol or something similar. After giving a full history and signing away any liability I’m staring at a little white pill. To take or not to take, that is the question. She said it would make me drowsy which in my case means I’ll sleep for two days. I’ve already met  Mariela and Peter (who are Dutch but live in the Canary Islands), Wolfgang and Ulrika (from Germany), Sandra and Hans (from Germany and Spain but most recently Australia by way of Phuket) and Jan and Jane (but not their husbands, from the US). Wolfgang and Ulrika will be fun I think. Wolfgang is insisting that I dive tomorrow so that by Thursday I am experienced and comfortable. Ulrika is a rural house doctor in Germany (family doc I guess) which is interesting. That’s two I’ve met since I got here.

To sleep I hope without the help of the little white pill, I hope. Tomorrow is a full day.