01 Hello fellow travel enthusiasts,
This is the beginning of a long trip to Australia and New Zealand.  There will be 12 of us later on.  TomD and TomO have arrived first. Later on we will be joined by Carl, Joel, Elaine, Rick, Levonne, Pat, Rod, Blanche, Nancy and Marv.  At this point, I don't believe my sister Barbara and mother Roberta will be able to join us as planned.

TomD and TomO left San Francisco for Sydney on Wednesday, February 6th  at 10:30 pm.  Tom D was lucky enough to the chauffeured to the airport; TomO, being green friendly, took BART.  In any event, checking in was a breeze.  Thanks to drugs (sleeping pills) we were lucky enough to get around 8 hours of sleep on the flight.  14 hours later we arrived in Sydney, Friday February 8th around 8 am. (lost a day somewhere ? hmmmm..).

Since TomO had a connecting flight to Melbourne at 9:00 am (TomD 9:30), we were rushed through customs and bussed to the domestic terminal for our flight. Took a limo into town to our hotel along new freeways, everything here looks new. Our Travelodge Hotel is centrally located on the newly refurbished Southbank, half blocks from the Yarra River surrounded by new high rises and lots of restaurants.   Feeling well rested (Australia time only 5 hours later), we crossed the foot bridge over the river to the city center.  While Melbourne truly is one of the most pedestrian friendly cities in the world, nevertheless, you must remember to look to the right when crossing the street (funny, they do drive on the wrong side of street here). 2005

This city is beautiful, the architecture stunning, new buildings integrated into this historic skyline and landscape of parks and Victorian buildings.  Bought Sim cards for our cell phones and explored the town. That evening after dinner, strolled along the Yarra River esplanade. Since this being Chinese New Year's, there were many food venders and also a Chinese Dragon performance. On Saturday we working our way to the Queen Victoria Market, a true cultural icon full of hundreds of shops selling everything from food to shoes; TomO bought an authentic kangaroo hat.

On Sunday, we walked south along the Yarra River about 5 miles through the Kings Domain and the Royal Botanical Gardens.  Had lunch at the Prahran Market and listened to jazz. On Monday, we took the free City Circle Tram (historic old Melbourne trams)to the Victoria Harbor for breakfast.  This is the newest development area full of high-rises condominiums and restaurants.  Spent the rest of the day meandering around, watching the street actors perform. Hello fellow travellers,

Day two of our motor trip.

We left Apollo Bay and drove inland to a place where there is a treetop walk through a rain forest.  It seemed like it had rained and was decidedly on the cool side.  Although we were careful to watch our steps since the snake-warning signs were out, we weren't too concerned since it was so cool.  The information about this attraction indicated that it was an easy walk accessible to anyone, however as we began a fairly steep descent in the canyon, we realized that there was a little more to it.  The walk-way itself is a very gradual climb with guard rails that seemed very secure.  Soon we were on the top of the trees in a beautiful pristine setting.  We heard a lot of birds, but they remained elusive.  Tom O managed to get a picture of a colorful parrot. The trees are all so different from what we have at home.  Although most of them are not deciduous such as eucalyptus, few if any look like conifers.  We thought that by the time we walked back out, we had gone about 3 miles.  Someone told us we should go up this graveled road for 10 km. to see a redwood plantation, we decided not to.  There has been lots of logging through the years, but I think there is more emphasis now on conservation.  We saw reforested areas and eucalyptus plantations. We were told that all the wood chips go to China.

Soon it was back to the coast to the new visitor?s centre at the site of the Twelve Apostles (actually 11 since one of them collapsed several years ago.) At one time it was called the sow and piglets, but that was thought to be too coarse.  There is a spectacular walkway along the promontory with spectacular views.  They were formed by millennia of erosion until just the stacked columns remain.  They would look in place in the SW US.  From there it was on to Port Fairy for the night.  Our rooms were in an old building that had been renovated?very nice.  Tom and Tom had a suite that was fully equipped.  We went to the hotel next door for Valentine?s Day dinner--cuisine and good company.

 The temperature along the coast here is about the same as Oregon and much of the scenery is about the same.  We are told that it is always about 40 degrees cooler than the interior.  Melbourne, like San Francisco, can have 4 seasons in one day.

... Joel

I was so very sorry and upset about Roberta, but only thankful that it didn't happen after you were aboard.I was away over the three day holiday and not back home have not been able to connect with her. Have been told and given the number for her at Marquis and assured she is there but must just catch a time when she is out of the room. 

Day three of the motor Trip

We awoke and found a place for some breakfast before driving on to Portland, the only harbor between Melbourne and Adelaide.  It has about 12,000 people and  is has a large aluminum smelter and a dry dock.  They were working on refurbishing a large oil platform which is due to be completed soon.  Restrooms can be a problem in this county, but we have found that the visitors centers are excellent resources.  The clerks are knowledgeable and there are always good facilities.  We were advised to drive a little further out to see the blowholes and petrified trees.  I have been suffering from a severe cold+ since I arrived and spent most of the stops in the car.  This is someone who never get s a cold after becoming immune after all those years in the classroom.  I?ll blame it on the air in the plane.  Finally I'm much better today. 

All of the men registered their licenses with the car agency so we can take turns driving.  We have gotten used to being on the other side.  The hazard is looking the other way when crossing the street.

After Portland, it was time to head inland to go to the Grampian Mountains national park.  We stopped in Hamilton for lunch and as I looked out the window, I realized it was just as Bill Bryson said in his book about Australia.  It was as if we had stepped into a time-warp and were back in the 50?s.  Many of the older women were wearing print house dresses and the only aberration along the street was a Subway.  Across the street was Mildred?s dress shop or the Dutch Door.  The hardware store was next door.  There were several banks and various other businesses.  We didn't see any strip malls to speak of.  (Today in another similar town we drove past  a huge croquet club full of people in the 110 degree sun and had a hard time finding something cold since most everything closed at noon.)

Our stop for the night was Halls Gap and the drive up was between two ranges of mountains.  They looked a lot like mountains in New Hampshire & Vermont, I thought, not Oregon-California ones.  They are old and worn down.  So far the only kangaroos we had seen were dead on the road and we almost thought they were a myth.  When we got to our cabins, the manager said to wait until it got cooler, and we would see plenty.  Droppings like sheep produce were all over confirming what he said.  Lo and behold, out them came and hopped and ambled around the grounds.  Two even put on a brief boxing exhibition.  We also heard lots of ruckus from birds and determined that there were small colorful parrots and big white cockatoos among others.

... Joel

06 Halls Gap / Gampians to Connawarra
We awoke to a kangaroo just outside the window, the last we would see for awhile.  Just down the road is a nearly new Aboriginal Cultural center that wasn?t to be missed.  The architecture is evocative of the elements of a traditional life which focused on tribal groups of complex familial relationships.  We have been hearing a lot about the indigenous people of this land since just after we landed, Australia observed a Day of Forgiveness.  This was for the program lasting up to the 1980?s where aboriginal children were abducted from their families by the government and placed with white families.  The justification was that they would have a much better chance in life.  The children were told that their parents had died or didn't want them anymore.  We heard about occasions where the social workers would come and have a big party for the local children then load them into vans and drive away. 

Previous governments have refused to have a day to apologize, but the new PM Rudd has come on like gangbusters and made this one of his first acts.  He also announced creation of a ?war cabinet? including the opposition leader to fly together to an Aboriginal area and work out a plan for getting the services that are needed.  Life expectancy is 20 years less than for other Australians, for example.  Apparently this caught the opposing leader by surprise, but he was hardly in a position to say he didn't want to do that.  Needless-to-say, someone dug up some dirt on the new PM a few days later.  Could it be payback?  Here when new elections are called, the campaign takes about 6 weeks and it?s over (like England & Canada.)  How would it be???

The drive on through the Grampian Range was on a slow curvy road, but very beautiful.  Soon we were out on a flat plane rivaling Kansas or the Pampas of Argentina.  We crossed into South Australia from Victoria and the speed limit is 110?kilometers, that is, about 68 MPH.  It was like driving from Burns to Winnemucca, though, as we met very few cars.  The towns are few and far between.  Another first:  We turned our clocks back one half hour.

As we drove along, we began a discussion about the interesting different things we find in Australian culture compared to American.  Ordering a cup of coffee can be a challenge.  In a caf?at home, we would just ask for coffee and maybe we would be asked if we wanted room for cream.  Here the sizes are short, long and mug; then is it black or white, frothed milk like a latte, or cream which is so thick you almost have to spoon it out of a very small pitcher?  I am learning to ask for long black.   Many places will have a full brekkie and it might be Aussie, American or Canadian.  When some of us were having museli usually with lots of rolled oats, dried fruit, with or without yoghurt and Rick was having an Aussie with ham & eggs, the waiter came by and said:  ?Here?s the real man here!  The rest of you are sissies.?  I didn't think he was joking.  I?d take him more seriously if he didn't refer to breakfast as brekkie.  ?Would Timmy like his widdle brekkie now??

Australians like their meat and potatoes.  They could relate to Brazilians & Argentines.  The old joke is that a tourist was going around Australia and once again there was the usual.  He wistfully asked the waitress if there might be some vegetables, salad or fruit.  She shouted to the cook:  ?What does he think this is?  Christmas? 

We notice differences in traffic signs:  Give Way instead of Yield, Check Station rather than Weigh Station, overtake not pass with care.  They are very serious about traffic offenses especially   drunk driving.  The limit is .05 and the fine huge.  The hotel clerk commented to us that to get to one restaurant he recommended, we would need to drive to so we would have to think about it if we were going to drink.

All along the way are warning signs:  ?Fatigue is Fatal?, ?Drive to Arrive?, ?For Safety sake, Take a Break?, ?Survive this Drive?, ?Stay Awake, Take a Break? and so on.  One billboard over the freeway with a big picture of an accident scene said, ?The last thing to go through her head was her boyfriend.  Buckle up.?

Our stay was the Chardonnay Lodge right in the middle of a large vineyard in South Australia?s wine country in an area called Coonawarra.  We had a chance to go for wine and cheese tasting with even a buffalo cheddar (water buffalo) and sheep?s milk yoghurt.  There are lots of dairies, too, in this area and we went by a processing plant that looked like Tillamook.  It was closed for the day unfortunately.  At dinner the hostess came over and talked to us about local history.  She walked back with us back to our rooms and pointed out the Southern Cross in the bright night sky.

Here are some photos:

Our driving excursion from Melbourne ended as we arrived in Adelaide, about 245 miles from the wine country located on the coast of the state of South Australia.  After we had completed most of the drive, we stopped at the small town of Hahndorf settled by Germans in the mid 19th century.  Many old stone buildings survive and it has become a tourist haunt.  We had lunch German style before driving on.  The only true freeways in Australia are near the cities and for the last 30 miles or so, we had unimpeded driving.  We had good maps, and suddenly the freeway ended and we were on the wide boulevards of a grand old city planned in the European style.  We easily found our way to the hotel, offloaded our luggage and returned the cars.

Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and has about 1.1 million people out of a total of 1.6 for the entire state.  That helps explain the phenomena we noticed of the towns harkening back to an earlier time.  Many of them have died like in middle America, and those that thrive are not of a population that would attract big box stores and mini mall development.  Wall mart is just not going to go there.

The founder of Adelaide, came to this area in 1836 with a plan for a city and once the site was chosen, it was implemented.  His plan called for a city that was 1 mile square with wide boulevards where canons could be turned around and all this surrounded by a wide strip of parkland, also for defensive purposes.  The center is a square dedicated to Queen Victoria and the name of the city is after the wife of William IV of England whose name was Adelaide.  He was the king at the time of the founding and his niece Victoria became the Queen at his death. 

Our group did various things the full day we had here.  Some of us took a city tour and others shopped.  My cold is making the rounds and several spent some time in bed.  Our hotel was on Frome street which surprised us a little since South Australia had never been a penal colony.  It was very modern and comfortable. 

The weather has turned very hot and while we were there Adelaide had the highest temp of any of the major areas in Australia, 39 degrees Celsius or a little over 100.  It is very dry.  We understand that a cyclone is bearing down on the NW coast and that the NE has had a deluge of rain.  One city, McKay, had several feet in one day.

We love to listen to Australians talk.  Almost every vowel has a different sound.  It took a while to realizethat McKai was really McKay and that the man meant caned when he talked about being canned by the headmaster when he was in school.  One of our stops will be Cairns and it is pronounced like Cannes in France.  ?R?s? are given short shrift.  Melbourne comes out like Melbunn.  Often they will say to us ?no worries,? meaning we shouldn't have any trouble.   We hear ?would you like a bikkie with your coffee?  A biscuit or cookie. 

Then it was off to the airport to fly to our next stop, Uluru (Ayres Rock), via Alice Springs.

... Joel

Click here to see some photos:
 

Cairns is very different from Uluru, that's for sure.  Be sure and take the Daintree River Cruise.  Looking forward to catching up when you return.  Lets have lunch when youre home!

09 Cairns – Day One

Yesterday was one of those “hurry up and wait days as we flew from Ayers Rock Northeast to Cairns high up on the eastern coast of Australia.  The Ayers Rock airport is very tiny with only a half dozen flights per day, but it seemed to have a full complement of security including a drug-sniffing dog.  Apparently there is some very potent stuff to smoke out in these parts, and they were after it.  It was about a two hour flight and gradually the vegetation turned from dark red brown desert to lush tropical green.  Cairns is a city of about 120,000 or so, and is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, an expanse of coral about the size of Texas.  Central Australia is very dry with low humidity.  Cairns is just the opposite.  They have had lots of rain, but it has turned off for us although there are lots of clouds.  It is their rainy season and we shouldn’t be surprised.  Sugar cane is a big crop and we could see it as we flew in.

We arose early this morning to catch a transport to take us to the dock where we boarded a catamaran for an hour’s journey to Green Island, a resort and national park on the coral.  We had about five hours there including a ride in a glass-bottom boat where we saw lots of tropical fish.  When the guide threw in a handful of fish food, there was a feeding frenzy on the surface.  We could see various types of coral and huge clams.  We were out a little further than any of us would have been comfortable swimming. 

After we had a buffet lunch, several donned swimming attire and went out to snorkel.  The equipment was available to us and the hotel had sent towels.  Some of us were just too lazy to change, and took advantage of the board walks through the tropical vegetation that formed a canopy. There were lots of Chinese and Japanese out for the day.  There is a small hotel on this tiny island which we understood was very expensive. 

Little flightless birds were everywhere and our lunch was served in a screened-off area to keep them out of our food.  

All of our encounters with Australians have been very cordial and they are very efficient.  The buses leave exactly on time and requests are usually answered with “yip.”

10 Cairns – Day Two

We were up early again today to be ready for our transfer to Freshwater Station to begin our day’s activities.  First was time for coffee and a look through the gift shop at this old fashioned railroad station.  We boarded the Karunda Scenic Railway and began the one and one-half hour climb up to Karunda a small town up in the hills of the rain forest.  There were fifteen tunnels and numerous trestles carrying us from sea level up to 700m (2200 ft) above sea level.  The views were breathtaking and there was one stop so we could get out and view Barron Gorge (Din Din) where the area gets a substantial amount of water power.

We had about 2 hours to wander around Karunda, a quaint touristy town with charming shops, art galleries, and eateries.  A favourite was mango smoothies, and you could get scones (scawns) with jam and cream to go with your tea.  It was a little cooler at this elevation and the breezes were welcome.

Then it was time to go board the Skyrail rainforest gondolas to begin a descent.  It was about forty minutes above the tops of the jungle in little green four passenger cars.  It was incredibly breathtaking and there were two stops, one to view the gorge from the other side and the other for a rainforest walk₊.  Soon we were down to the station at Tjapukai, an Aboriginal cultural center.  They had a big show for us complete with dancing, boomerang and didgeridoo demonstrations, and two film presentations, the latter about the horrible treatment of these proud people by European settlers.  We needed to be reminded, but it was painful knowing we did similar things to our indigenous peoples.  There was a lot of pride evident in this center and we were glad it was part of the day’s tour. 

Cairns is a most interesting city, so different from other parts of the country.  It is very tropical lying on the 16th parallel south, closer to the equator than Hawaii.  It is very green with wonderful flowers and plants.  Most of the older houses are up on blocks at least three feet above ground.  We don’t know if that is because of insects, high water, ventilation or all three.   It certainly whets one’s appetite for other northern places like Port Douglas and Darwin.

11 Sydney, Australia

Hi ... This is Carl. I have joined a group of travel friends who are half way through a tour of Australia and New Zealand. They have been "publishing" a travel diary of the places they've been to. They will continue the journal for the rest of the trip which will consist of the stay in Sydney, a 12 day cruise of Australia and New Zealand and the end in Auckland. The travellers consist of me, Tom Daniels, Tom O'Reilly, Joel and Elaine Daniels, Rick and Levonne Gano, Rod and Pat Bullard, Blanche Kober, Marv and Nancy Abbe.

I'd like to have my friends included in this travelogue.

This afternoon I spent about 4 hours doing a bridge climb of the Sydney Harbor Bridge - this involves an elaborate group climb on catwalks and ladders to the top of the bridge with great views of the city. It is considered the top tourist thing to do in Sydney - quite an adventure. They could never to this on the Golden Gate or Bay Bridges.

.... Carl

11 Sydney, Australia
Sydney

Probably no city in Australia is as well-known to Americans as Sydney.  We were up early for a 5:30 a.m. flight from Cairns to Australias largest metropolis of over 4.5 million.  Our three hour flight took us right over the Blue Mountains and the harbor as we landed.  Carl Spiegleberg had flown in the day before and was waiting for us at the baggage pickup for our transfer to the hotel.  The man with the red hat who was supposed to pick us up said that our party of 12 had been cancelled, but since we had a voucher he would take us anyway.

It was Sunday and the traffic wasnt too heavy so we could take city streets rather than the expressway which meant we could see more of the city on the way.  The hotel is in a grand old building built about the same year as the gothic looking home of the Chicago Tribune.  It was originally built as an office complex then was commandeered during WWII and used by the Americans as their headquarters in Australia.  It is thought that Gen. MacArthur had his headquarters in the basement while he was exiled from the Philippines awaiting his return.  

We were soon off exploring.  Some of us walked down to the Circular Quay between the iron bridge and the Opera House where the Queen Victoria on its maiden voyage around the world was berthed.  The QE II was berthed nearby and she is on her last voyage 30 years to the day after her first visit to Sydney.  Thousands of people were out to see the two ships cross in the harbor and exchange berths.  We were surprised it caused such a stir but it warranted a commemorative spread in the newspaper this morning. 

Nearby was a Saturday Market under the bridge and Elaine and I spent some time there looking at all the special items for sale.  It was a beautiful cloudless day with a perfect temperature and we decided to take a 2 hour harbor tour recommended to us earlier.  Sydney has a huge harbor that features hundreds of kilometers of coastline.  All the homes are colorful and many are very expensive.  Russell Crowes condo literally on the water which he purchased for Au$14 million was pointed out.

As we docked, we noticed that the Four Seasons where Marv & Nancy Abbe were staying was nearby and we decided to go and see if they had arrived.  They had and we visited a bit before making our way back to our hotel and meeting for dinner.  We walked a few blocks to Darling Harbor where there was a open air pub that wasnt too expensive and we could eat open air. 

We have been suffering from sticker shock during most of our Australia stay.  Even though the Australian and American dollars are close in exchange, that doesnt tell the whole story.  We learned today that a 15 year old working at McDonalds earns $8/hr AU, by the time he is 18 he will earn $18/hr Au.  No wonder the prices here are high to us. 

Rick and Levonne Gano were able to link up with and old friend of Ricks mother who has spent much of her life here.  They had dinner and became reacquainted fifty years after Rick had last seen her. 

Today we found many different things to do.  Some of us went to the Aquarium, a Wildlife exhibit and up the Sydney Tower, the highest manmade structure on the continent.  Carl did the bridge climb, a 3 hour experience of going up over the bridge with tether and all.  There is so much concern that something might fall on the roadway that even your glasses are tied on and you are not allowed to take a camera. 

There are many malls in the office buildings with exclusive shops and it is fun to go through them and look.  The food courts may have a McDonalds or Hungry Jack, as Burger King is called here, but for each of those there are many others that are much different to us.  There is lots of fried food and always chips, but it is easy to get a good salad.  For breakfast this morning we found a great place that had trays of yoghurt with different toppings like muesli and various fruits including huge mangoes and passion fruit.  You bought it by size of container and they crammed in whatever varieties you would like.  For all this good food, the Aussies must do something right since most of them are not overweight like so many of us Americans.   
...   Joel

Here are some photos of Sydney

12 Sydney - Our Last Day, Australia

Sydney-The Last Day

Our last day in Sydney involved a transfer from the hotel to the cruise ship, the Sapphire Princess, docked where the Queen Victoria had been on Sunday.  It turned out that we were among the first to arrive at the ship and we were aboard before noon.  After a quick bit, we disembarked to spend the day around the Circular Quay and tour the Opera House. 

We had an energetic young guide to whip us around and in the Opera House for an hour.  It is truly impossible to understand the performance space without going inside.  The symphony hall is one of the large shells with a wooden structure completely surrounding the hall.  All surfaces are an Australian white birch, even the seats and the floors are another hard wood.  The sound is reflected from the surfaces enabling the concertgoers to sit on all sides of the orchestra.  Rings are hanging from the ceiling over the orchestra so that the sounds of the instruments are reflected back to the performers so that they can hear themselves without a long lag time.  When we went in the orchestra was ending a rehearsal session and going to break and we were able to hear a little of them.

The opera hall is all black to focus everyones attention to the stage.  They were switching the set from an opera they were rehearsing earlier in the day to the Masked Ball that would be performed that evening.  There is an ambitious schedule of operas and the sets are changed daily.  It is expensive, $50-60 AU for standing room.  The space is too narrow and 60% of the orchestra is under the stage so the plans are to begin a gigantic renovation in the next several years.

We learned that the original architect of the hall ended up resigning from the project midway through and went back to Denmark never to return.  He left no drawings for how it was to be completed.  He is now ninety and has been rehired to work on renovations.  His son, also an architect, visits the site.  To do the tour we had to walk up several hundred steps and some of the impending changes involve handicap access. 

The roof of the structure is covered with white and ecru tiles, over a million, made in Italy.  Some are polished and others dull to create an interesting effect emulating a design the architect had seen on a womans bathing suit.

There is also a theatre and altogether 5000 can be attending performances at one time.  The intermissions are staggered so that the concessions wont be swamped. 

After a little more walking around the area, we were ready to board for sailing at 6 p.m.  The Bullards and Abbes were on tours during the day, but most of us were able to gather for dinner together.  We have found a large table that can accommodate us all, and it is a time when we can all check in and report about the day.  Some of us were anxious to get to the laundry since we had been travelling for two weeks and needed some clean clothes. 

We were concerned initially that this might not be the right time to come to Australia, the middle of their summer, and it would be too hot.  Aside from Uluru (Ayers Rock), it has been cool with occasional rain that we have managed to avoid for the most part.  They say that this is unusual, but welcome.  Sydneys reservoirs were down to 30+% and there hasn't been much rain for 7 years.  Now they are back up to nearly 70%.  A man in Melbourne told me that there has definitely been a climate change.  It used to be shorts from October to May with many days in the 90s and 100s.  Now thats no longer true with just a few days over 90.  I didn't know if he thought that was good or not.  There is a big concern here that the effects of global warming on Australia will be profound.  The Prime Minister was urged this week by a new study to go faster with the plans to cut emissions.  So far, he is resisting. 

We were so glad to hear half the world away that the mayor of Arlington, Oregon has been recalled.  It seemed to dominate CNN for her brief moment of fame.  Now we need only say, Were from Oregon, you know that place where the..

Joel and all

Here are more photos: