Wow, what a trip! Left Calgary in a bit of a snowstorm and arrived a day later in Fiji. Bryan and Fran actually got stuck pulling out of our driveway....not going to miss that. See ya Minter`s....have fun in the -30C.
We left Dec 28th and arrived in Fiji Dec 30th. We lost a whole day due to crossing the International Date Line.
Fiji was awesome! Our first week we spent at Salt Lake Lodge on the island of Vanua Levu. The landing was a bit rough as we were in a bit of a squall and in a 6 seater plane. The views were awesome flying from Nadi to Savusavu....amazing blue azure waters and coral atolls.
Okay....now this first week at Salt Lake was all about me....and fishing! Very cool....our host, Andrew was awesome....I recommend anyone that wants to catch saltwater fish on the fly this is the place to go....we caught barracuda, jack trevale, tarpon, and a host of other fish that I never heard of? I have the distinct pleasure of being the first person to ever catch a fish in the Salt Lake on a fly. I told Andrew not to tell too many people about the tarpon fishing as he would have boat loads of people (Americans....not that there is anything wrong with Americans) wanting to fish here.
It wasn`t all about me really....the kids had a blast swimming, floating the river, snorkeling in ocean, hiking in the rainforest, and fighting with each other occassionally....I have to teach Willem some new moves...Robyn has figured out the flying elbow and has countered with a karate chop to the neck...ha!
I am missing someone? Oh Mary, she had a great time too....and the mossies and black flies just loved her!
The second week was suppose to be all about Mary...but as these things go we got caught in a frickin Cyclone....and the most amount of rain Fiji has seen in 50 years! It started out great...beautiful white sand, blue waters and really HOT. Plantation Island was perfect for us...they had a great Kids Club with tons of activities. Mary and I would put the kids in the club for 6/7 hours straight and hit the bar, go snorkeling, windsurfing etc. Way to much fun! Okay I exagerate a bit...in reality we were a bit dumbfounded after about an hour away from the kids....now what do we do....no fights to break up....no telling Willem to stop putting things in his mouth....ha!
Robyn did great snorkelling...she is a natural. Even Willem did fine in the water floating in his life jacket while the 3 of us snorkeled around him.
Quick story....one night the Kids Club director had all the kids up doing karokee and telling jokes....Robyn amazed us by doing a choreographed dance in front of everyone and then told 2 jokes. One of her jokes was: "Why are brown people brown?" Mary and I almost died...what was she going to say? The answer: "Because they drink too much chocolate milk" Okay that was harmless....she said she just made it up. Too funny.
On our 4th day at Plantation, the wind and rains came and didnt stop for 3 days. The island flooded and we were pretty much scared poopless. Mary was very worried, the first night we woke up at 3 am and it felt like there was a tornado outside our door. Wholly crap! We wanted off the island but we made the best of it and really none of the staff and other guests seemed that concerned...they just hunkered down, boarded things up and continued on as if it wasnt so bad....weird!
Let`s get off this Island! The day we were leaving (werent sure if we were going to be able to leave?), the front reception area was almost under water. They shuttled us to the boat and then we waited for a bigger boat to come from one of the other islands to pick us up. We ended up doing an open ocean transfer into the bigger boat....CRAZY. They packed us in like sardines for the one hour ride to Port Deneru on the mainland. The trip wasnt as bad as I thought it would be....Mary put a movie on for the kids and had them preoccupied. So we made it to the mainland and then the chaos started. We were told there was no way to get from the Port to the City (Nadi Airport) as the road was under 3 feet of water. Long story short is that they put us on a bus and were told they were going to try and get us through. Photos tell part of the story.....lets just say that is the first natural disaster we have been through and hope never have to go through that again!
We made it to the hotel that was across from the airport....and as we were eating and having a beer/wine in our comfy hotel....there were Fijians without homes that night....very surreal. And the thing I will never forget was during our bus trip through the flood zone the Fijians seemed happy....waving and calling out "Bula" as we went by. Wow!
It was an amazing trip and we are so glad we got to experience Fiji.
Stay tuned for an entry of our first week in Australia.
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Cheers,
The Grant Family
It was a bit surreal for us being back in Australia....it was almost 2 years ago to the day that we arrived in Adelaide on our first exchange. A lot has changed and both Mary and I weren`t really sure what to feel as we stepped off the plane. Well, we definitely felt one thing...heat! Not that Fiji wasn`t hot but this was Australian heat....a familiar heat.
We arrived Jan 11th in Sydney....a bit stressed from our ordeal in Fiji but safe and sound and little bit waterlogged....our damp clothes in our luggage smelled a bit bad...kind of like my feet. We were sure glad to see Scott`s face at the airport, hoping that he hadn`t been waiting too long...our flight was delayed a few hours getting out of Fiji. Scott and Michelle (and their 3 kids - Rome, Ava, and Griffin) are our fellow Canadian friends living in Sydney. They were such great help to us and very generous letting us stay at their place for a couple of days even though they were in the middle of a move. On our way to their place from the airport, Scott took us on a scenic trip through downtown Sydney and over the Harbour Bridge...very cool...we will have to come back to Sydney and check out the sites when we get more time.
Checked out the Sydney Zoo which has awesome views of Sydney Harbour and has a really good seal and penguin exhibit. Thanks Rome for showing us your cousin....the orangutan! (that is what she kept saying when we were on the tram ride....Rome has red hair..ha!).
We picked up our car, phoned for insurance (that`s how easy it is here) and decided to venture out the next day to our new home in Coff`s Harbour. Thanks Scott for arranging our car for us....we owe you a few nights free accommodation in Coffs Harbour...I think Mary has a teacher friend that will let you stay at their place...Ha!
7 hours later, and thanks to "Lucy" (she is the voice on our GPS) we made it to 39 Beryl Street. Sydney to Coffs felt like we were driving through Ontario....not really much to see other than bush and construction. I think Lucy is hot...she has a hot voice I think. Can`t wait to see our place...the kids were very excited. Okay where did they say they left the keys for us...could not remember! Poked around the backyard and finally found a key...long story short...had to climb up to the second level like a thief and luckily was able to get in. I was waiting for sirens....thought the neighbours might call the cops...welcome to the neighbourhood!
This place is fantastic...I think the Grant`s got the better deal on the house exchange! Maybe if I would have left them with my backyard skating rink it might have been a bit more even...well maybe not? I didn`t realize the Minter`s were leaving us their pets...the small brownish black critters that seem to come out to eat at night are especially cute....Mary has taken such a liking too them that she wants me to build a little hotel for them. The poolside pets are loads of fun....Willem loves playing with the carpet python and Robyn has races against the bandicoot in the pool. I have especially become fond of the giant skinks, although they don`t seem to like it when I pick them up. Sorry Minters, we never thought to leave you any pets.
Week 1 was getting to know the place, checking out some of the stores, the harbour, the jetty, the surf beaches, and getting use to sleeping in the heat.
We had lunch at a beach with a bunch of Mary`s coworker teachers...Boambee beach, excellent for kids...Robyn and Willem loved it. Met some of the husbands and the male teachers and shared a few stories....tattoos, fishing etc. One of the husbands has a friend that has a ski boat and offered to take me for a pull....he actually called about a week later but I was booked to go fishing....it is going to get very hectic for me I am starting to think. Mary is going to have to maybe pull her weight and do some of the chores...it is only fair!
We are glad to be back and once again we plan to make the most of every day. I plan on doing a weekly entry....and am currently doing catch up....it is actually the start of week 4 since we arrived so I have to start cracking down...maybe not put so much effort into cooking, cleaning and laundry....oh and my new chore and fitting nickname - "poolboy"....I keep having this dream about....sorry some things I should just keep in my head and not write down.
Hope you enjoy. Again, click on the video and photos tabs as well as sign up for automatic updates.
Stay tuned for Week 2 - Australia Zoo, Gold Coast, Movie World, Wet`n`Wild, and Byron Bay.
Cheers,
The Grant Family
Decided on a unplanned trip up north....just jumped in the car and headed towards the Gold Coast. Drove to Byron Bay and considered staying here....it was crazy busy! Decided to move north...let`s try Surfer`s Paradise...all the hotel signs had "NO VACANCY". What is going on? Turns out it is "Big Day Out" weekend....huge concert event that happened to be on the Gold Coast this weekend. Oh, oh...it is getting a bit late and we have no place to stay...what do we do now? Decided to head towards Brisbane...and then decided to try finding a place using "Lucy" - the GPS lady with the hot voice, and she happens to be quit smart...she found us a place!
We had no real plans of what we wanted to see. Let`s go to the Australia Zoo - the famous Crocodile Hunter`s (Steve "stung by the stingray" irwin). Drove about 1 hour north of Brisbane though fields of pineapple (yum!) and strange landforms called the Glasshouse Mountains...essentially huge rock formations rising out of nowhere. Okay, the Zoo. Crikey it was amazing. The crocodile show by far was the highlight...forget Bindi doing her cheesy musical show....I guess we were lucky that Terry Irwin and her kids Bindi and Robert were at the Zoo that weekend. Terry did the croc show, someone needs to tell her that she pulls her jeans up way too high. They also had camels at the zoo! They have a really good memorial there for Steve and rumors are that he is buried somewhere at the zoo...quite likely. The kids learned that Crocs arent really that bad and that you should never throw garbage in the forest....good message to learn...
The next couple of days we spent at Wet N` Wild and MovieWorld. Wet N` Wild was one big waterworld...lots of slides, wavepools, rivers and some radical innertube slides...very cool. Kids had a blast....and it was great to be in the water when is was 35C. Movieworld was a mini-Disneyland type setting. Kids loved it...that`s all that matters. Mary and I took turns going on a rollercoaster...very fun! Lots of people around as it is the end of summer break in Australia....time to get away from the people.
We drove to a small town called Springbrook and found a small mountain chalet...nice to be in a quiet rainforest. Went for a great hike to what was called Twin Falls....got to hike behind the falls....Willem and Robyn loved it. The area is actually an old volcano and we were hiking on the inside of the caldera. Came across a giant skink on the trail....wasnt sure what to do as it wasnt moving from the trail.....pick up a stick and poke it...that seemed to work. Good thing we wore our hiking boots on the trail....nope, thongs...they are great for snake protection...ha! We also stopped at an Observatory and met crazy observatory lady....and althought we didnt meet her husband (he was in Adelaide watching Lance Armstrong ride) I am sure he is crazy observatory guy. Very interesting though. If you type Springbrook and Observatory in google you can learn all about them.
We then went to Byron Bay....kind of like Banff except everyone was carrying surfboards rather than snowboards. Cool town...lots of sun, sand and bikinis....and I am sure tons of dope being smoked out the back of hippy vans. We had dinner and Mary still cant stop talking about how good it was...cant even remember what the restaurant was called? But it was awesome I guess....some kind of tuna-pesto-macadamia nut dish. Oh yeah, the lifeguard told us to watch the kids in the water because there were some bluebottles spotted...stinging jellyfish...of course!
Drove back to Coff`s in the dark...was a bit worried about hitting a roo...
The rest of the week was uneventful...oh except funny thing happened....my dinner was also really good...we have a fan in our room that is positioned between the window and the bed. Fan - Pat - Mary in that order....fan blows sweet smelling Pat to Mary all night....and the best part is that Mary sleeps with her mouth open...ha!
Stay tuned for the next entry - Robyn and Mary`s first day of school, Dad shows up, and fishing!
Cheers,
The Grant Family
We are back! It has been awhile...I will keep this entry short so that I can try and get caught up. Okay what happened this week? I am writing this a month later...so have to somehow trigger my memory....
We spent Australia Day at the beach swimming and boogie boarding...the kids love the waves. Got to experience my first set of topless you know what at the beach today....Mary was chicken to get a closeup shot for me...so sorry boys no photos. Gotta love Australia Day!
Mary had her first day of school and oh was she excited (it is about time one of us worked and made some money!). The kids first day of school was hilarious....well Willem was hilarious in his little uniform. I figured that we would have problems with him not wanting to go...but he didn`t even flinch...off he went with the other kids and never looked back. Robyn was fine of course but was a bit hesitant about meeting and making new friends.
Dad arrived on the 28th of January....it was great to see him...almost didn`t think he was going to make it....long flight for him...no sleep in 28 hours will do that to you...should have taken those sleeping pills that Harvey offered.
We finally got internet sorted out and were very happy to surf the net....and download like crazy....(sure glad we have unlimited internet...inside joke...wait until a couple of more entries to find out what this is about).
Dad and I planned our big road trip....stay tuned for the next blog entry for stories and photos of the "Three G Tour". Three generations of Grant`s on the road in Australia.....Willem, Wayne and Wat...I mean Pat.
Before I go....I must explain a couple of photos that I uploaded...the last two...that look like the sheets at that place in Burgos, Spain that Mary, Paul and I stayed at....where the room beside us was being used for prostitution....okay it isnt what you think. Let me explain...Willem is a bit of a shit sometimes so I always comment "he didnt get that from me".....and these photos prove it....both Willem and Mary sleep with their mouths open...hence the slobber and stains on the sheets...ha! The cast from CSI would be impressed with my work I am sure...just needed some of those cool glasses that are able to see....I will stop here.
Another short blog update....It was Dad`s first week here and he is getting accustomed to the humidity and the heat....but more the humidity. Sure glad we have the pool to cool down. Beth`s Dad, Geoff invited Dad, Willem and I to go fishing one morning. He picked us up at 7:00am and we headed down to Boambee Beach....we got rained on...Dad, Geoff and I did some surf-fishing and Willem played under the beach tent (gave him some snacks and his leapster to keep him occupied....what a good Dad I am). We all caught fish....small fish called whiting...no keepers. Was good fun.
Geoff and Gill (Beth`s parents) invited us for a BBQ at their place. What a place...wow...milion dollar views....see the photos. Had a great dinner and drinks. Thanks Jeff and Gill for hosting us....oh and got to see my first rhino beetle...very cool....but I was a bit chicken to hold it as I think it was biting Gill...."oh, go on hold it...it is harmless" yeah but it is huge and has massive jaws!
Went for a drive on the weekend to a place called Dorrigo about an hour inland from Coff`s. The road was awesome....narrow, windy and gut wrenching....I was the driver....not that fun for passengers that have a slight case of motion sickness (not mentioning any names...MARY). Went for a hike to some waterfalls...saw some more "harmless" flora and fauna. Just a red-bellied black snake that wouldn`t stay still for me to take it`s photo...wow was it fast....and I found out later...wow is it venomous....dumb Canadian! Oh, and the big heart-shaped leaves that lined the trail we found out if you touch you will have to drink yourself to sleep every night for weeks...very painful. I looked it up...it`s true....http://asgap.org.au/APOL2008/jul08-s2.html
This place is wicked! Every turn has something that can seriously hurt or kill you.
Spent the rest of the week around the pool at the beach and planning the boys trip (3G`s)....17 days from Adelaide to Sydney....a great adventure! Stay tuned for the next blog.
Dad, Willem and I left for Adelaide on Feb 5th and arrived back in Coffs Harbour on Feb 22nd. That is a long time to be on the road with the Grant Boys - 3 Generations of the Grant Clan in a car....that`s alot of FET`s (Fart Evacuation Technique)....essentially rolling down the window to clear the air when someone passes gas. Willem blamed his puppy most of the time...ha! Almost 4000kms of adventure packed into 17 days....a great experience.
I will break the trip up into a few blog entries just so that I dont bore everyone....my bet is that most everyone just jumps to the photos and doesn`t bother with my long winded literary descriptions that I vomit out once a week...? That`s okay...you wont miss much.
Feb 5th to Feb 10th - Adelaide and Area
Rented a car from the Adelaide airport and headed to James and Helen`s place. For those that dont know, James is the teacher we first exchanged with in 2007. It was weird being back in Adelaide...brought back some memories for me. James decided to take a couple of days off work to tour the Grant boys around. That was awesome...I dont care what Helen says about you James....your a pretty decent bloke. Our first day touring and we are drinking wine at a winery at 9:00am...nice! It was damn hot too....almost 40C by 10:00am. Headed towards Victor Harbour to escape the heat. Toured around the coast, had lunch and a swim and then headed back to Adelaide.
The next day we decided to hang out at the beach in the morning....44C in the shade. The hottest temperature we have ever experienced. Wow, it was like sitting in the sauna at the lake except there is no escaping it. But what was even more bizarre was that by the late afternoon the wind shifted and it cooled down to 19C. It was like being in a reverse chinook. As expected, the hot winds come from the north (inland deserts) and the cool winds come from the south (Antartica). Very interesting. We went and had a visit with Lana, Robin and Clarissa (Mary`s principal from the last exchange) and of course Stella (their dog). Willem was hilarious in the pool....he went from not wanting to go under the water to be thrown 10 feet in the air by James and cannonballing into the pool. Too funny. It kept us all entertained for the afternoon. It was great to see Lana and Robin again...Mary and Robyn plan to make a weekend trip to visit so stay tuned for that.
Day 3 in Adelaide - showed Dad around a bit and went to a few of the tourist spots, took Willem to the Beachhouse in Glenelg....but it was actually cold now...we hadnt expected this weather and definitely didnt have the clothes for it. Went and checked out James` daughter, Sally, fastball game. Sally almost smacked one out of the park...we need to import her for our Seymour Arm annual baseball tourny! Let`s all pitch in and buy her a ticket for the 2010 tournament! James and Helen had all of their freeloading kids over for dinner that night. James has 3 daughters, 2 step daughters and 2 grand daughters....he told me even the dog is female....wow, James I feel for you...no wonder you took a couple of days off work to tour the Grant Boys!
The next day consisted of driving, drinking, driving, drinking, driving and drinking. We did a winery tour to the Clare and Barossa Valley`s. The only 2 that didnt drink were Willem and of course our tour guide James....good thing as we went through a checkstop. Not unusual for these areas to have checkstops....as you can imagine. The wineries were great...you can go to these fancy establishments and they feed you wine for free...great marketing ploy. I think we went to about 6 or 7 wineries but by about the 3rd one my tastebuds were gone. My favorite was a place called SevenHills - an old monestary run by monks that make wine. The old cellars in the basement were fantastic. The wine was good...I think? I cant tell the difference between a $3 dollar bottle of wine that the natives (Indians) drink to a $300 bottle of wine that the natives steal and drink...ha! I wonder what was going through Willem`s head as we toured around and drank....good role models we are....ha! We had lunch at James` sister`s place and met his Dad and brother-in-law....Willem loved the pet snake and lizards. James, now I know what your going to look like when you get older....I guess you could say the say the same thing about me with my Dad. James showed us some of the places where he use to teach and brought up his family...a great tour guide! Dad, did you tip him? I thought you were suppose to?
Tomorrow we leave Adelaide and head towards "The Great Ocean Road" Thanks again James and Helen for putting up with us. Come on over to Coffs and I will make sure Mary returns the favor of cooking and entertaining for you...ha!
Now....Scroll down to the photos....
It was time to hit the road on our South Australian adventure. We left James and Helen`s place on the 10th of Feb and headed south towards Mt. Gambier. Our first stop was Naracoorte Caves....it totally freaked Willem out...the little museum showing the ancient flora and fauna of Australia was a bit scary for him. He was fine in the caves which weren`t the best Ive seen but were okay. Not like the Rat`s Nest Caves in Canmore that`s for sure. Next stop was Mt. Gambier....we had been here before on our last exchange and was able act like tour guide showing Dad the sights....Willem too I guess as he didn`t remember anything from before. Blue Lake was blue as ever and the Sink Hole still had the possums looking for food. Still very cool.....and it was cool...yes cold out. I think we recorded a high of 12C or so....wtf is that about...I thought we were in Australia...and it was 44C a few days ago!
Stayed in Mt Gambier that night and then headed off to the Great Ocean Road. It was again Great! Lots of really good scenery....photos tell the story. Oh, yeah....Dad drove for the first time today....that was exciting...I warned him that it was hard to keep the car on the right side of the road as for some reason you tend to drift to the left naturally....hard to explain why ....which in Australia is the ditch! We came rather close to a few guardrails...I was a bit stressed about it but didn`t say too much....I am sure Dad could tell. Probably like riding with Mom, but I am sure she would have been way more vocal....oh wait...no maybe not....she would have been sleeping...ha!
Stayed at a place off the beaten path out of Apollo Bay called Wild Dog Cabins....wow what a road into the place....it would have scared the poop out of Mary. It was a farm nestled in a valley along a creek...with TROUT in it....and I didn`t bring my flyrod...crap! We had a good time hiking along the creek...and Willem liked throwing rocks. I touched a thorny plant while hiking and it made my hand go numb...in fact it was numb for about 3 days...for some reason that doesn`t surprise me!
A short drive to a town called Lorne the next day....highlights being the koalas along the way. Dad`s first sighting of a koala....after you have seen one it doesn`t get much more exciting...they dont really do anything but sleep. Met a couple that were doing water testing from a creek...had a chat and turns out they were heading to Canada in the Spring to do the rail tour. The other interesting thing in Lorne was the sulfur-crested cockatoos....see photos.
Made our way through Torquay (pronounced Tor-key not like Norquay), the famous surfing area and then caught a ferry from Queenscliff to Sorrento...yes like the one in Canada except in is pronounced So-ento - silent R`s....no not really, just kidding. We weren`t really sure where to go next? We wanted to check out Melbourne so we decided to stay in a small town south of Melbourne called Mornington. Fairly uneventful in this town...checked out the jetty and all the fisherman...but no one was catching anything...and it was windy...and still cold!
Melbourne was really interesting. Took the tram loop around the city for free....of course, we have the Grant gene....you would think we were Dutch? Decided to take Willem to the Aquarium. It was, you guessed it, cool! I need some more descriptive words...great, ridiculous, rad, stoked, narly, amazing, etc...help me out by putting some cool words on the message board for me will ya? The big fish bowl aquarium was ridiculous with the sharks, giant eagle rays and turtles....I will try and attach a video?
Big city....toll charges...crap...not sure we just went through a toll or not? May see a charge on our rental vehicle when we take it back?
Stayed in a town called Traralgon....try and say that correctly??? Small town that we think was supported by the Power / Coal Mining Industry. Went and checked out the coal mine and big power plant....looked like nuclear power plant towers. The company was called Loy Yang Power....check out their website if your interested http://www.loyyangpower.com.au/ Vicki, I know you would really be interested in this....well maybe not?
The next day we went through Lakes Entrance and on our way to a coastal town called Mallacoota. We were hoping to do some fishing? Turns out there wasn`t much happening in Mallacoota...thought about renting a rickety old boat to go fishing but decided that we would wait and see if we could get a little bit more bang for our buck somewhere else?
I should mention that we had a bit of a routine going....no not us...the Grant`s on a routine...that is just weird. We would drive, Willem would fall asleep, we would find a place to have lunch....Willem would wake up cranky and spin his head around a few times...lunch was always at a park with a playground and always consisted of jam sandwiches for Willem and ham sandwiches for us. We saw in the neighborhood of 15 playgrounds all across the southern part of Australia.....and Willem loved them all!
Next day we left the state of Victoria and headed into New South Wales via Eden and Merimbula...and then decided to go inland towards Jindabyne....the Snowy Mountains and the location of Australia`s highest peak....Mt. Kosciuszko (dont even try that one).
Okay...I am going to stop here...fingers are tired and my lap is smoking hot....laptops are damn hot! and your likely getting tired and if you are reading this at work you just had the most productive 15min ever for your company!
Okay....part 3 of our road trip diary. From Merimbula we headed inland towards the Snowy Mountains and a town called Jindabyne. We thought we may be able to go fishing at the lake by hiring a guide or renting a boat. Turns out we vetoed both....but I did go fishing with the fishing rod that I bought in Merimbula...it was more of a surf fishing rod...a bit different than I am use to. That night I tried fishing in the lake using sausage and cheese for bait...I hate this type of fishing....what did my Grandpa Baird use to call it....Niffer fishing....not quite...Letterman would replace the "f`s" in that word with "g`s" and make it something else.(Not sure if anyone remembers Letterman - he was a cartoon that use to be on in the 70`s)
The next day we headed to a river that the local fishing guide`s wife suggested. Really nice river with supposedly brown trout and atlantic salmon....up to 20 pounds or so...Wow! I tried fly-fishing with a surf-fishing rod....nope...didnt work....that`s my excuse anyways for not catching anything. Chatted with the local fly-fishing guide along the riverbank as he was teaching some guys to flyfish....he said the fishing was a bit slow due to the warm weather. Okay enough fishing for awhile.
THE SNOWY MOUNTAINS
We headed up to the local skihill called Threadbo. We took the chairlift up but were a bit concerned about the temperature and our lack of suitable clothing. They recorded a low up at the top of the hill that morning at 2.4C...holy crap that`s cold....but turns out we were okay...the sun was out and it warmed things up. We walked about 2.5 km to a lookout point...to get a view of Australia`s highest mountain...Mt Kosciuszko - 2229 meters. We could have hiked to the top of it but Willem`s little legs just wouldn`t make it. Willem did lighten his load at the lookout....he had to go poo! Nothing to wipe with up there....had to use a corner of a towel we brought....nice! Was great scenery and never expected to see actual rock peaks.
The Snowy Mountains were very impressive....lot of vertical and great scenery. Had no idea they had terrain like this in Australia. I guess the skiing sucks despite the decent vertical. The snow is wet and turns to ice very fast. The ski village at Threadbo was impressive too....better than what we have at Sunshine or Louise.
The area has a water / power dam engineering system that is part of the seven civil engineering wonders of the world. They basically capture all the water from the area with dams (16 major dams), pipe the water through underground tunnels (225 km) and generate power via large turbine generators (7 power stations). If anyone is interested check out the following site - http://www.snowyhydro.com.au/LevelThree.asp?pageID=70
Oh and two notable movies were filmed in this area - The Man from Snowy River (1982) starring Kirk Douglas (never saw it) and Jindabyne (2006) starring Gabriel Byrne and Laura Linney (never saw it).
Headed to a town called Khancoban on our way to Canberra. Stayed at a caravan park...it was a bit run down...but the guy that ran it found me a flyrod to use. Tried it out that night and in the morning....no luck again! My excuse this time was their was too much water in the river....it was a damned river called Swampy River. It also had brown trout and atlantic salmon. I did get a ton of bites though....mossy bites...ouch!
Forgot that we went to another cave system....now these were impressive....best I have ever seen to date...called Yarrangobilly Caves. Photos dont do justice...just have our memories...well Willem wont remember in a few years...and come to think of it either will Dad...ha!
CANBERRA
We headed out in the morning to the capital city of Australia - Canberra (pronounced Can-bra....I think?) Not too exciting in Canberra. Saw the parliament buildings and went to the National Science Center....that was cool. Oh, actually what I thought was interesting was that surrounding the parliament was all of the world embassies....the US embassy was the most guarded of course....and Canada`s - none...but who would want to bomb the Canadian embassy? I think we were right beside Papau New Guinea. HA. Canberra is a completely planned city...wont bore you with it`s history.
Okay....I am tired of writing and it is getting late....the next blog entry will be about the teacher exchange weekend in Sydney....
After almost 4000km of driving the trip was coming to an end....we arrived in Sydney on the 19th of February to meet up with Robyn and Mary for Mary`s Teacher Exchange Orientation Weekend.
We found the hotel in an interesting part of Sydney, within walking distance of the CBD (central business district)...not called "downtown" here. People look at you funny when you say downtown...they don`t have a clue what we mean. The hotel room was a bit small for the 5 of us...but given the choices we had in Sydney this worked for us. Tony, the hotel manager, was very helpful and a true Italian...I think he loved his job...the hotel also had a small cafe which attracted young women...Tony was always out chatting it up with them it appeared. The hotel was just off Oxford Street which is know for it`s gay and lesbian scene...hey who booked this hotel? Anyways, I saw the biggest, tallest, gayest he/she or transvestite or whatever "it" was in my entire life....wow, scary....but interesting in a weird sort of way...ha! In a few weeks, Sydney was having a their annual Gay/Lesbian Parade...it is quite the event I guess. Dad said he was thinking of coming back to Sydney to check it out prior to heading back to Canada...ha!
We picked up the girls from the Airport and then headed over to the local Irish Pub for some dinner....kinda weird being in a Pub with your kids...especially when there are football (soccer) teams drinking pints at the table beside you....come to think of it...they should allow us to bring our kids into the Pubs in Canada...as long as you are stumbling distance from home I don`t see anything wrong with that.
In the morning we headed out early and walked to Mary`s teacher exchange meeting that was located just off Sydney Harbour....specifically Circular Quay (Key)....where the large cruise ships come in, where the harbour bridge is and of course the Sydney Opera house. It was a bit of a far walk for the kids....they were very tired when we got there....then it was like two satans appeared...not happy campers....there is a cure for that....MCDONALD`s....good old rotten ronnies cheered them up. We started off going for a walk with the spouses and other families but didn`t last long as the kids just didn`t have it in them....but then after McD`s they were all hyped up on sugar and were good to go.
Dad, Willem, Robyn and I checked out the harbour, the Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Opera House. The museum was hilarious....art that just doesn`t make sense?? Paul and I visited one of these types of museums in Scotland and it was pretty much the same....wtf is that and why do you consider that art? I could vomit on the floor (and I almost did) and someone would call that art??? Anyways, funny thing was that they had these people standing around the exhibits making sure nobody touched anything....I could see them cringe when Willem and Robyn walked in....it was too funny.....WILLEM DO NOT TOUCH!!
Headed out and walked around the Harbour....the big cruise ship...Queen Victoria was in port....huge ship and quite the site to see. Got some good photos of the ship with the opera house in the background. We walked around the Opera House and then took a train ride through the botanical gardens...it was really good. The fruit bats in the trees were awesome. After the train ride the kids wanted to go back to the Botanical Gardens and explore....well they did explore....almost lost them...one minute they were there and the next they were gone....I had gone in to get some close up shots of the bats and didn`t see them go off "exploring" Dad followed them and was lucky to find them...they had no idea they may have gotten themselves in trouble. We must have walked close to 10km today.
Met up with Mary after her meeting and then took the kids to Scott and Michelle`s place to babysit them while we had dinner with the exchange teachers. Dinner was good and got to catch up with my old hockey coach, Kevin Knibbs, who coached me in Bantam back in 1983 or so. Kevin is on exchange and is placed in a suburb of Sydney. Dad was the Manager of the team back then so it was really good to catch up.
The next day we went on a 4 hour Harbour cruise. It was great. Got to see lots of the harbour...didn`t see anyone get attacked by a shark....damn! Went back over to Scott and Michelle`s for dinner that night....kids played and we ate and drank beer. Early morning....the kids, Dad and I had to be at the airport for our 7:00am flight.
I just remembered something that I forgot to mention in the last blog. When we stopped to go to the caves....Willem was playing with the rear view mirror and snapped it off the holder...no big deal as we figured it would snap right back on....NOPE. We tried lubing it up...that thing was tight...tight as a tiger! Dad tried to get it on and then said well maybe we should stop now and just leave it off...because he figured that the rental company could get it back on.....I decided to try one more time.....CRACK!....I busted the window....Willem it is all your fault!!! Damn that sucked. Oh well, we didn`t get charged for it as it was covered under our insurance we took out with the vehicle.
Mary stayed for a day in Sydney and toured around herself....not sure what she saw? She bought some Lulu Lemon clothes I know that much. Her flight was later in the day.
Back home in Coffs on Feb 22nd. It was a great trip...saw a ton. Have lots of great photos and video that wont fit on the blog site.
Okay, I am almost caught up. Stay tuned for the next blog...I am going to have an Exclusive interview with the famous kindy student - Willem Grant. Willem is going to give everyone an insight on his experiences in Coffs, what his thoughts were of the Grant Boys roadtrip, and being a celebrity in his school. Look forward to the next entry sometime next week.
Interview with Willem Grant – March 17, 2009
What’s your favorite thing so far in Coffs Harbour?
I really like my puppy.
I think you would like your puppy wherever you are in the world. What specifically do you like about our new home in Australia?
The pool is really good.
Your doing very well Willem for your first official interview and I know your only 4 and a half but it would be better if you elaborate more on your answers. My intent is to post a blog and I want the readers to get sense of what it is like for Willem in Australia.
Dad, what is borate mean?
Forget about that for now Willem. Tell me about school. Who is your best friend?
I like Alex, Mitchell, Noah, Jake and Thomas.
Do you have any girlfriends yet Willem? I have seen you after school eyeing up the Sheilas.
We have a Samatha in my class but no Sheila.
I make lunch for you everyday and notice that you don’t always eat everything. Can you tell me if it something that you don’t like in your lunch?
Nah…I like everything but I only get 10 min to eat lunch and everyone eats faster than me.
Good answer Willem. That’s better…good borating! Tell me what it is like to have your Mom teaching at your school?
It’s okay. I wish my puppy could come to school with me.
You seem to be a bit of a celebrity at school. Every day that I drop you off and pick you up lots of kids are saying Hi to you. How are you handling being in the spotlight?
Daddd…I don’t know what you mean!
That’s okay Willem. I think your enjoying school.
Now, you recently went on a long road trip with your Grandpa and Dad. Tell me what you liked the best about the trip?
I liked the playgrounds and boogie boarding in the waves.
Yes, you sure went to lots of playgrounds and I bet you really liked the hike up to that mountain. You did very well hiking that 5 km.
Yeah, I poo’ed at the top of the mountain and you wiped my bum with a towel.
Right Willem…that wasn’t really fun for me. Speaking of that, I remember that you tooted a lot on our 4000km of driving.
No, that wasn’t me Dad, that was puppy.
Ha. Okay this interview isn’t really going where I wanted it to go. You seem to be obsessed with your puppy. Do we need to have a talk about that?
Silence. Big blue eyes staring at me with a touch of fright in his eyes.
I think we will wrap up this interview Willem. One last question. Who would you like to say Hi to back home in Airdrie?
Kara and JJ….and Stephen.
I want to thank you Willem for your time...good job buddy. I am sure everyone has a better sense now on how you are doing in Coffs Harbour.
Stayed tuned for the next blog entry….our trip to Surfer’s Paradise. I will also interview Robyn the blog after that one. Then I was thinking of taking a break and let Mary write a blog or two?
Stay tuned.
FEB 23 to MARCH 2:
Almost caught up on the blog. One or two more entries and we should be up to date. Robyn has been suffering a skin condition in relation to her excema. Her excema was infected with a bacteria called Staphylcaccus aureus which causes lesions that fill with pus....nasty stuff. She has been on antibiotics for over a month now and we finally think we got it solved. We have her going to a dermatologist this week. We have kept her out of the pool that last few weeks which has been hard on her.
It was Mary`s birthday this week....Feb 25, 1972 - what`s that, almost 40 is what it is....and is a cougar to many young men. We went out for dinner at the Hog`s Breath and hung out with the kids and grandpa. She got a new windproof/waterproof gortex jacket and a touque (or beanie as the Austraiians call it). Weird buying a touque in Australia when it is 30C out. Mary had a good birthday again in a warm climate.
We took off on the Friday for Dad`s last weekend to show him Surfer`s Paradise. About a 3hr drive up the coast to a place called Tweed Heads. Rented a caravan park cabin for Friday and Saturday night. Cabin was a bit small for the 5 of us but we made it work. Dad had no idea that this kind of development was up here. Surfer`s Paradise is a beautiful white sand beach that has been overrun by massive development....huge high-rise apartment buildings and tourist development. So, of course we did what tourists do....we caught a ride on the amphibious duck boat....half boat / half truck. The kids loved it. Did a tour of Surfer`s and then headed into the water for a tour of the harbour and the inside canals that were piled up with million dollar homes. After the tour we grabbed our lunch and hit the beach to relax and swim and of course people watch.
It is Mom`s birthday today....Feb 28th. We were thinking a lot about her today. It was good to have Dad with us in Australia.
It was a quick weekend, on our way home from Surfer`s we stopped in at Byron Bay for Dad to have a look at the backpacker town....a very scaled down version of Surfer`s. Lots of hippie vans, dreadlocks, and surfboards. We ended the day with dinner with a few of Mary`s teacher friends at a place called the Ex-Services Club....sort of like our Legions back home but way better. You can leave your kids in a supervised playroom and then go eat, drink and gamble. Nice one! Good on ya Australia!
We said our goodbyes to Dad on March 2nd. We had a great time and enjoyed his company. I think he was here about 33 days....enough for him to relax, take a break from building and heal his minor injuries.
I tried talking Mary into writing a blog entry but she doesnt want to so I will have to get her to tell me one story about her experiences each week. Not sure what that would be....she works, makes me money so that I can play.
Oh, one thing, Mary did make the local paper last week...she is famous. The Canadian exchange teacher, Mary Grant, tells her school about what is like living in Canada. I will scan the article and put it into the blog.
One more blog entry and then I will have an interview with Robyn. Stay tuned.
I am going to get caught up on our blog....so I am going to squeeze the last 23 days into this one blog entry. I will try and keep it short...ya right.....and will sum it up by going through what we experienced alphabetically:
A - Alex - Willem had his friend, Alex over for a play date. They had a great time playing with lego.
B - Barracuda - our contraption that sucks the dirt off the bottom of the pool got plugged with one of Willem`s toys...had to have Geoff (Beth`s Dad) over to fix it.
C - no C words...this blog is PG rated.
D - Diggers Beach - the local surf beach that is exactly a 6 min drive from the house...I clocked it when I forgot my rashy, Willem`s lifejacket and Robyn`s boogey board. Good to see I still have my memory.
E - Euuwhhh...yuck...we found a cockroach in our oven as we were cooking the kids some chicken nuggets....yum...cockroach flavored nuggets! The adults had prawns and calamari for dinner...lucky us!
F - Funnel-web Spider - the most poisonous spider in Australia. Adrian brought a wrapped house warming gift for us....yes, a live funnel-web in a plastic jar...very cool. Tanya wasnt impressed that Adrian had actually caught it...good one.
G - Gummy shark - went out with Rex again last monday....caught a small shark with no teeth...."trolling for blow fish" as Mark would put it. We also caught some snapper (leave that one alone) and mahi mahi.
H - Hammerhead Shark - I caught a 6`4" hammerhead shark while fishing with Dex and Rex in Rex`s boat about a mile off Digger`s Beach. The unendangered type of shark of course. When the shark got in the boat , as my friend Paul would say they "beat it like a red headed stepchild" It made for a great dinner of fish and chips with our friends Adrian and Tanya and their kids Mitchell and Brooke. The kids loved the idea of eating a shark!
H - Hangover - Mary had a really good time one Friday night....and not such a good Saturday morning.
I - Icypole - the Australia word for popsicle.
J - Jayzeea - Robyn had a play date at her friend Jayzeea`s house.
K - Kookaburra - a type of bird in Australia that is known for it`s laughing call...but better known by Robyn for flying into her classroom and pooping on her teachers desk! HA!
K - Kitesurfing - I went kitesurfing with Stephanie`s husband - Ian aka Dex. He got me on the learning kite and then strapped me into the 10 meter kite...wow, amazing power...my heels were sore the next day after being dragged. I have no more K`s...good thing...KKK..ha!
L - Learner - it is what I am known in the water to the other surfer`s. The guy to watch out for and the one with the big "L" on his forehead!
M - Moonee Beach - hung out at Moonee beach with Mary`s teacher friend, Stephanie and her kids Jordan and Ella. Great beach and headland hike.
M - Maloney`s - I met another house bitch, I mean Dad that has kids at our school....the Maloney`s - Adrian, Tanya, Mitchell and Brooke. Adrian has taught me to surf and Willem said today that Mitchell was his very best bestest friend.
N - Nana Glen - went for a drive one weekend through a town called Nana Glen about a 30 min drive from our place. it is where Russel Crowe has a big ranch....didnt see him.
O - Netball...doesnt start with "O" but it is what you put the ball in. Robyn had netball registration and her first mini netball practice. She kept holding her friend, Jayzeeas hand throughtout the drills. I told her next practice...no more hand holding!
P - Puke - I think Mary was close to hurling Saturday morning?
Q - Queensland - I am at a loss for this one?
R - Riding a Bike - Robyn rode her bike by herself for the first time. She was pumped. The next day it was "bring your bike to school day"....she was just a tad excited.
S - Surfing of course. I learned to surf but I use the term "surf" loosely. Adrian has gotten me out in the mornings after we drop the kids off at school. Great fun. Adrian saw a shark in the water the one time we were out. He told me not to bother to look down in the water as we are out there waiting for waves....you dont want to know...ha ha ha...gulp! I purchased my own board the day after my first time out....this could get addictive?
S - Student of the Week - can you believe it, Willem got Student of the Week last week...yes, really....I thought they were joking when they told me. He got it for doing a great job in his Math(s) work. They call math here maths....no idea? Grandpa Wayne would be very proud!
T - Tooth - Robyn lost her first tooth and the toothfairy came and left her five dollars...and her fairy wings left blue dust in the water. I hope it isnt $5 every time! She also lost her second tooth about a week later....and her new teeth are already in...she wont look forward to braces one day.
U - Underwear, I havent worn underwear in a couple of months...ha!
V - ryhmes with Mulva....these ones are tough.
W - Wee - in Australia they call pee...wee. So Willem has a wee tree in the backyard, not a pee tree. Beth, I am sure the tree will be fine...I hope? Ha.
X, Y, Z .....done.
Stay tuned for next week`s blog....an interview with Robyn.
What is happening while my husband surfs and goes for “coffee” with friends. What the #@%&, he doesn’t even like to drink coffee. I am glad Term1 is almost completed, it was quite the adjustment to come to Tyalla. It is like coming out of University and getting my first job, but it is even more confusing because you are in a different country. The top 15 things I find different between teaching in Canada vs. Australia:
15: Having morning assemblies outside in the fresh air everyday.
14. The opportunity to walk to school everyday in my flip flops.
13. Having to break up agreements during a handball or cricket game because students are not following the rules correctly. I make it sound like I know what I am talking about.
12. Sitting at the library and seeing the biggest spider I have ever seen in the middle of the window.
11. During duty (supervision), students will point out the snake holes in the ground to me.
10. Wearing just a t-shirt and feeling too hot.
9. To discipline a student I will ask them to go out to the hallway (which is outside), and while out there they have found a lizard to play with.
8. Having morning tea in the staffroom. It is so English!
7. I got my name in the local paper because I mentioned Canada in the Harmony Day assembly.
6. Teaching letter/word sounds, and the student’s look at me funny because they don’t understand my accent.
5. I really enjoy seeing my own kids at the school. Especially, seeing Willem when he is the smallest at the school.
4. Teaching the students how to make Inukshuks, and they have no idea what it means.
3. Grab the bucket of paint brushes and cockroach runs out of the bucket.
2. Going to the “Hall” and not calling it the gym!
1. Having about a 20 cm blue tongue lizard walk into the classroom!
Tyalla staff and parents have welcomed me with open arms, and I am pleased they are so accepting to my big learning curve.
A quick entry to summarize our events prior to our Tasmania trip. Oh, and I still have to interview our wonderful daughter. Stay tuned for Tasmania and Robyn`s interview.
We had a quick visit from our friends from Sydney, the Warnock`s. Drank some wine and beer, ate some food, went to the beach, and went to a Ella`s birthday party at a waterpark. Good times and good visit!
Can you say water....wow...it rained and rained and rained....I had this sudden urge to google "Boat building for Dummies"....and then round up all the critters that live in our backyard. Luckily our house is on a hill and were safe from the water. It rained 417 mm within a matter of hours. To put that in perspective, that is more rainfall than Calgary gets in an entire year! Robyn and Willem were stranded at their school as I had no way of getting to them....felt like Fiji all over again. There is a good Facebook group page with heaps of photos if your interested: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=67767328255&nctrct=1239154643594
Was making dinner like the good little house Sheila I am, and all of a sudden I heard a loud skidding sound on the front street. Looked out and this guy on this motorbike was riding the pavement on his ass and almost hit the powerpole right out front of our place. I yelled to Mary to call 911....no wait...that would be 000 in Australia. She called and the ambulance was there within about 10 min. The guy stood up, looked like he had broken something and had major road rash. But he refused treatment from the ambulance, put his bike on the back of a friends truck and away he went. We read in the paper the next day that he was admitted to the hospital with broken bones. Crazy.
That`s about it for disasters for the week....unless you call Mary`s runaway wine drinking night outs a disaster? Watched her and her teacher friends get drunk on wine one night...very entertaining...thanks guys...that was almost as good as the movie "Leaving Las Vegas" were Nicolas Cage tries to drink himself to death....ha!
The next morning, we met up with our friends and went to a place called Washpool National Park for a hike....Mary loved the "straight" road we were on...not to mention the incredible thirst she was experiencing. She was a trooper...but I seem to hear her say a few times "Pat, dont ever let me drink wine like that again"....like it was my fault...ha!
So we go for this hike through the rainforest...everything was going great...a bit of rain but nothing serious....and then it happened....Willem started to scream like he was going to die....LEECH!!! Willem got a leech on his finger and then Robyn went off....LEECH!!! Well that was fun...ha!
Also went for a couple hikes with Adrian on the ridges behind Coffs. Between the two of us we must have had 60 leeches on us...of course not on our skin...all on our shoes and both inside and outside of our gators....that even made me a bit skittish. Got to see a bird called a Lyrebird....a famous bird know for imitating whatever it hears. Check out the link...you may have seen this before: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VjE0Kdfos4Y
I wanted to see if the Lyre bird would imitate my homer simpson voice...but my impersonation sucks...needed my friend Ryan E. there to do it. For some reason I think we just scared it off. No, I didnt really do that....but wouldnt that be hilarious!
Long story but Mary gave Adrian a hard time about our hikes....and has nicknamed the ridge behind us "Leechback Mountain" Very funny!
The only other excitement was my surfing....or lack thereof that is. Went out once to a place called Arrawarra. I sucked. Caught a small wave and came off the board and hit my knee on some rock....didnt realize that there was so much rock under us....that put me off a bit and for some reason had a hard time catching any waves....that`s my excuse anyways.
The kids had their easter hat parade day at school...in Australia (or maybe just a NSW or Coff`s tradition?) the kids make easter hats and then parade their creations around for others to see. Was interesting to watch. See photos.
Oh yeah....the kids also had a disco one night....caught a snippet of it on video. SEE VIDEOS at the end of the photo section.
That was about it for the excitement prior to us going to Tasmania. Stay tuned.
We left Coffs on April 10th to spend a few days in Sydney prior to our flight to Tasmania. Mary invited her teacher friend Stephanie and her family to join us for the weekend. It was a fairly uneventful drive down to Sydney except for maybe the close call of driving into a car beside us (damn shoulder checking is tough in this backwards country...that`s my poor excuse) and the car we had to quickly pass that was on fire on the side of the road...scary!
Okay, what`s the plan for Sydney....go shopping! Yeah, fun times. Actually it wasn`t too bad...went to this huge discount shopping center called the DFO...no, not the Department of Fisheries and Oceans...not sure what it stood for...but we spent alot of money there...I have this theory though....it is a better discount if you just dont buy anything...ha! (grant gene 23 on chromosome 5).
The next day we did a day trip to the Blue Mountains....only about a 1 hour drive out of Sydney to a town called Katoomba. It was excellent. Did a skyway/ train / trolley trip into this fantastic valley that has the famous rock formations called the Three Sisters..sort of like the Three Sisters in Canmore...but a bit smaller. The Skytram was awesome...it had a disappearing floor...the opaque glass turned clear once the tram started out over the valley. Once the floor is gone you are 270 meters about the ravine and spectacular waterfalls. In the valley we went on a walk through the rainforest around the now closed coal mine operation. The train back out of the valley claims that it is the steepest train in the world....yep it was steep!! and fun too!! Check out the photos and video of the Blue Mountains.
The following day we took the ferry over to Darling Harbour and walked around, tasted some chocolate from Lindt`s...wow...that was good. Saw a replica of Captain Cook`s ship - the Endeavor...that he sailed around the world. We then went to Luna Park (in the rain!). Luna Park is an amusement park that is in the Sydney Harbour that has been there since 1912....has the Coney Island feel. It was okay...definitely not the rides in Disneyland!...but the kids had fun....which is all that matters. Mary got to go to Lulu Lemon and buy some clothes...she was very happy about that.
Oh yeah, we had Easter morning with an egg hunt and goodies brought by the Easter Bunny..kids loaded up on chocolate at 7 in the morning...good times.
Tomorrow we leave for Tasmania....the kids are stoked about "living in a van down by the river" (SNL - Chris Farley).
Stay tuned for the next blog entry - TASMANIA! For those that dont know, Tasmania is part of Australia...it is often forgotten about...but it is Australia`s 7th State.
So much to tell...and as an ancient chinese proverb goes....a picture tells a thousand words. In fact, It refers to the idea that complex stories can be described with just a single still image, or that an image may be more influential than a substantial amount of text. It also aptly characterizes the goals of visualization where large amounts of data must be absorbed quickly. (I borrowed that from Wikipedia....I love that site!)
But unfortunately for you....I am going to opt for a substantial amount of text to tell this story about our adventures in Tasmania.
Day 1: We picked up the van from the airport, declined the insurance and about an hour later scraped the crap out of the top of the van going through one of those height restriction warning bars. I get it now...when you touch the bar it means STOP! Doh!! Oh, and never ever say a certain five letter word to Mary under stressful situations....I will give hints throughout this blog as to what that word may be? First person to figure it out and post it on our message board wins a special prize.
Found our first caravan park on the banks of the Derwint River in a town called New Norfolk. Saw some waterskiers and went for a hike along the river. Okay, true story. Willem and Robyn were playing soccer with some kids they met at the campsite. Willem was on fire (not ON fire)...running like a mad man and kicking the ball. One of the old English ladies that was watching commented that she had seen David Beckham play at that age and said Willem was the spitting image...wow! I know what sport I will be putting Willem in when we get back to Canada....you guessed it....hockey...ha!
Day 2: First stop - the Salmon Ponds and Museum of Trout Fishing...wow did I have a donner over this (which reminds me, Robyn tends to get mixed up with d`s and b`s in her writing...so do I sometimes....) The kids said that I must have been in heaven at this place...yes I was! The fish were huge - rainbow, brown trout, brook trout, tiger trout (cross between a brook and brown), albino rainbow and some massive atlantic salmon. Also had a Tasmanian Angling Hall of Fame...I couldnt believe it...they had Jud Warner in there...who? Not sure either?
Robyn we think reacted to the fish food we were handling while at the fish ponds. Later that night she complained that her hands hurt. It was frickin cold out so we thought it was just the cold. Then she complained that her feet were itchy. They must have had some kind of peanut suppliment in the fish food? Gave her some benadryl and she was fine.
Our next stop was Mount Field National Park to go for a hike....but it was raining like crazy so we ended up having lunch under a shelter around a fire that we built...did I mention it was cold. This area is well know for it`s large tracts of massive eucalyptus trees (80 - 90 meters tall) and is refered to as the Valley of the Giants. I guess the area is under threat of logging and some radical tree huggers are constantly tying themselves to trees and blocking roads. Damn, that reminds me, I ran out of paper for my printer...got to pick some up.
Ended the day at Waytinah lagoon....our campsite adjacent to a freshwater lagoon stocked with trout and salmon....funny how we happend upon this campsite...ha!
Day 3: Wow was it cold last night. Had trouble sleeping and had to start the van and let it run for a couple of hours at 3:00 am. Woke up to fog over the lake. Tried fishing but didnt catch anything...I think the trout in tasmania are homosexuals (as my friend Ken Trout would say).
Packed up and made our way to Queenstown. Crazy roads...up, down, and snake-like. But no vomiting...amazing. Kids and Mary did great....the car-sickness bands must be working! Queenstown is a mining town...they basically stripped all of the hills around the town and now there is this toxic soup of metals flowing from the hills and into the rivers....sounds awful but it makes for some great topography not to mention unusual colors in the rock. The info sheet on the town said they have a remediation plan for the contamination....good luck with that.
We stopped to do a small hike called the Frenchman`s Gap...saw our first Tasmanian snow on the very tops of the peaks. Crossed a swinging bridge...kids loved it.
We made our way to a town called Strahn on the northwest coast of Tasmania. Found a nice caravan park right off the ocean....got settled and then went for a walk. A great town! Also found another hike to go on....hoping to see some platypus in the wild...nope...but found a great waterfall. Oh and Willem figured the white foam in the water was beaver snot...we told him that it cant be beaver snot as they dont have beavers in Tasmania...then it must be platypus snot....of course!
We decided to book a cruise on the Gordon River for tomorrow. Full day on the river...should be great. Should be very RELAXing for Mary.
Day 4 - Up early, rush to catch the boat. It was a fantastic trip. Learned about the history of the area, known for it`s Huon Pine logging industry - which is a very sought after type of pine that can grow to be over 3000 years old! Huon pine cutting is now illegal. All of the wood collected today is from the bottom of the river or what is still washed down from the banks. Went through the 90 meter gap known as "Hell`s Gate" which is the entrance into Port MacQuarie - a very important harbour on the northwest coast of Tas. Lots of wrecks trying to get through here.
Stopped at an island called Sarah Island - basically a penal colony from the 1800s. Very interesting but too boring to tell the history here. The guy doing the tour was excellent...he had this deep dramatical voice that just boomed with enthusiasm....good thing cause I think that kept Willem awake.
Saw some huge aquafarming enclosures that house tasmanian rainbow trout. When I heard the captain say that I thought he was joking. How can that be? This is salt water? I guess there is enough fresh water mixed that the salinity is low enough and conditions ideal to grow large rainbow trout.
We then stopped to do a short walk through a stand of Huon Pine trees.....Robyn was very excited...she saw a sign that showed the type of birds in the area - and one was a pink-breasted Robin.....and of course she was wearing a pink raincoat.
All the while we were crusing the river, the kids were down in this awesome little playroom filled with toys and a big screen TV for movies. Nice! Now that is babysitting. Mary and I RELAXed eating smoked salmon, drinking wine and taking in the scenery.
I think I will stop here....and allow some photos to tell the story. I will post another entry in the next few days.
Back again to tell the adventures of Tasmania. Nobody got the five letter word that you should never ever say to Mary during stressful situations....there is a great prize up for grabs for the first person to post it on our message board. Sorry Mark, nice try...it isnt what Mary called me it is what I said to her!
Okay so to end Day 4 we travelled from Strahan to Cradle Mountain caravan park....man did they gouge us on the campsite....$67 for an unpowered site....but what are you going to do? Cradle Mountain is the most famous mountain range in Tasmania and is a must see. Kids saw some pademelons and a one-eyed possum around the campsite. Pademelons are small kangaroo-type critters that must be the least intelligent creatures on Tasmania....they are everywhere....everywhere on the road dead that is! Tons of road kill....cant go a kilometer without seeing something dead on the road....amazing. Tasmania needs more predators...too bad the Tas tiger isnt still around....or maybe it is? A one-eyed possum is the nickname that Willem gave to his penis....no, just making that up....ha! It is another critter that comes out at night...and the one we saw at the campsite really did have just one eye.
Day 5 - We did a 6km hike around Dove Lake which is at the base of Cradle Mountain. Kids did absolutely fabulous...they walked the entire way....well, almost the entire way for Willem....I felt sorry for him towards the end and voluntarily picked him up and put him on my shoulders....sort of a reward for his awesome hiking. It probably felt like 12 km to him....two steps for every one of ours.
So after the hike Mary went for a massage (where she RELAXed) with Ross at the Cradle Mountain Lodge and I went fly-fishing at the "dry fly-fishing" pond that was right outside the entrance to the spa. While Mary was getting felt up by Ross the gay massage therapist, I was casting a fly to homosexual tasmanian trout. So where were the kids....we locked them in the van to watch a movie on the laptop of course...ha! We are good parents really.
We then went down the road to a Tasmania Devil sanctuary. It was good except for our freaky guide and the in-bred mother and son that asked some crazy questions during our tour. Kids got to pet the Tas devil...they loved it. The one thing we did learn was that because Tasmania has lost most of its top predators (ie Tas tiger, quolls) that there are more critters around which means more roadkill....the roadkill attracts the Tas devils to the roads to feed on the critters which then in turn get hit by the evil cars....one big vicious circle. I think we should send Tasmania some Canadian wolves...or maybe a few bubongs from Seymour Arm?
We drove to a town on the north coast called Ulverstone, found a caravan park and crashed.
Day 6 - We are on the hunt for platypus and penguins today. Drove to a town called Latrobe and found out that we have to come back at night and maybe we can spot the platypus in the stream...not likely. We decided to head to a town further east on the north coast...called Low Head (there has got to be a joke about this name...I am sure Uncle Mark could make one up?).
Along the way we stopped at a winery - called Ironpole Winery. it is run by an older couple that we were told rarely open to the public for wine tastings...we were lucky. The old guy was hilarious...in his 70s I reckon and had the longest eyebrows I have seen in a long time...kind of like Great Grandpa Grant`s. He told stories, poured wine, and drank some himself...I think I know why he doesnt do many open tastings...Mary enjoyed the wines and so we bought a couple of bottles - which we gave to our friends back here. Oh, and we did some stellar parenting again...we drank (just a bit for me - I was driving) while the kids played with some toys they had laying about.
We found our caravan park in Low Head. Went for a hike around the lighthouse, played in the rockpools and then hung out until our big penguin tour that started at dusk. It was really good...better than I expected. The "little penguins" aka "fairy penguins" aka "blue penguins" came out of the water and walked right past our feet. Kids loved it! Got some decent photos and video.
Day 7 - Today we found the platypuses at the "Platypus House" - a rehabilitation and research facility. It was cool to see them up close swimming and feeding on worms. Sent Grandpa Bryan a platypus postcard as I guess it is his favorite animal. Also saw some echidnas (kinda like a porcupine but not really). Platypus and Echidna are called monotremes - mammals that lay eggs. One echidna got a bit friendly with Willem and decided to check out the inside of his shoe with is very long tongue....Willem didnt move a muscle...he was too freaked out...it was funny!
We then made our way to Tasmania`s second largest city called Lanceston. Went for a hike around Catarack Gorge...good scenery but fairly uneventful.
Today we put on a bunch of miles as we needed to get a bit further south....we had the longest 120km I have ever experienced....the roads are so slow, narrow and snaky (is that a word?) Oh, and we almost got wiped out by a logging truck. I thought this only happened in Seymour Arm? But from experience I knew the logging truck wasnt going to make the corner with me in it so I slammed on the brakes, quickly put the van in reverse and got out of his way....all I saw was him waving as he went by....a little scary. We finally made it to a town called St. Helen`s with the hopes of seeing the "Bay of Fires" tomorrow.
I think I will stop here....have been writing for an hour and am getting sleepy....
Scoll down for photos and video.....or maybe I will upload the videos later...sleepy...
We are getting behind on our blog again. It is already May 22, so about a month behind. Time to try and catch up again. But first must finish off our Tasmanian adventure....
Day 8 - Made a quick trip up to a place called the Bay of Fires....it caught our attention in the Lonely Planet guide book as I guess the beach was voted as the 2nd best beach in the world. Given those accolades you cant just drive by a place like this. Went for a hike along the coast to Skeleton Point...kids liked the name. The area was ablaze with colors, from the vibrant oranges (from the orange lichen growing on the large boulders), to the turquoise blue waters and the whitest sand I have ever seen. Wish we could have stayed a bit longer....will have to come back to this place one day.
We then drove down the coast to a town called Coles Bay which is situated in the Freycinet National Park and is home to the famous Wineglass Bay. Got settled in our campsite and then and went and booked a quad trip for tomorrow....looking forward to that. The campground had an outdoor stage so the kids put on some plays for us....they wrote, choreographed and starred in about 5 different plays...."the Clam Stealers" was very good but my favorite was called "The Koala and the One-eyed Possum"....no worries it was G-rated...ha! We met a girl from France that was walking around the campsite in the pitch black dark lost....she was looking for the outdoor barbecues...the 4 of us decided to go for a walk and show her where the bbq`s were...too funny...she had a very strong french accent. Walking in the dark in Tasmania is awesome....creatures everywhere! Glowing eyes....man the kids were freaked out....it was great!
Day 9 - Wow, what a day....not a cloud in the sky and actually was warm out....took the kids out to the beach in their pajamas first thing in the morning....did I mention our campsite was right on this beautiful bay....Coles Bay. We decided to go for a hike/climb today up to the Wineglass Bay lookout before our quading adventure. Kids did awesome again...it was a fairly steep climb up the mountain....Willem wanted to climb every large boulder we came to...he scared Mom a few times by getting to close to the edge. The view from the lookout was amazing....photos dont do justice.
We then met our quad guide and after about an hour of instruction in which all of us kinda rolled our eyes...even Willem...."come on let`s go....where is the green button?", we were on our way. Actually, it wasnt too bad, our guide, Sam was great...just doing his job. The kids and I drove the Ranger (3 seater) and Mary drove the quad....Polaris....they weren`t Can-Ams but they werent bad...sorry Mike. Willem looked hilarious in his big helmet and goggles. Did about a 20 km loop of the backcountry....ended up at a secluded white sand beach....Sam told us about the history, the flora and fauna and some other interesting facts about the area. Felt good to get a bit of taste of home...quading at the cabin that is. However, after the guided quad trip I said to Mary "that was like being given a condom and not being able to use it" When they guide you, they have to restrict your speed, no going off trail etc because we were in a national park. Too funny.
After the quad trip we jumped in the van and headed to Hobart....2.5 hours later we found our next campsite. We had to drive a bit in the dark and were both a bit worried about hitting critters...luckily nothing jumped out at us.
Day 10 - last full day in Tasmania. Today we visited the Cadbury chocolate factory, did a tour of the historical Hobart harbour area, and drove up to Mount Wellington. We were a bit disappointed with the chocolate factory...basically sat you in a room, showed a video, talked a bit about how they made the chocolate and then corralled us out the door to the store to make us buy chocolate. I did learn some things about the chocolate making process but we wanted to see it actually being made...and dammit Willem wanted to see those freaky Oompa-Loompas that work for Willy Wonka....he was looking forward to towering over them. Did you know that oompa-loompas come from Loompaland, which is a region of Loompa, a small isolated island situated in the Pacific Ocean....the kids didnt know that either but now they know and are wondering when we are going to go there...ha!
After eating a bit of chocolate, we headed to Salmanca Square in the harbour area of Hobart. Felt like being in Europe, old buildings and lots of history. We had some fish n chips for lunch from a floating restaurant in the harbour....was really good. Walked around and bought some souvenirs, Robyn found her "heaven spot" at a store called the Fairy Store...a store filled with everything fairies. Mark, I know what your thinking...stop it...this blog is G-rated.
We then went on our last site seeing adventure of the trip....to the top of Mount Wellington. At 1271m, it is quite the climb from sea-level....1271 meters (4200 feet) to be exact...ha! It is often snow covered and it felt like it could snow when we got up there. On the way up, I looked at the gas guage and we had about a quarter tank left....driving up 1200 meters sure sucks up the fuel...good thing it was downhill all the way back...I am sure we were driving on fumes....but what i was really worried about (and didnt tell Mary....and this is the first she will know of it by reading this) was that if we did run out of petrol (gas) it was likely that I would lose my power steering....not the road you want this to happen on!! Mary didnt particularly like my driving on the way up...and she definitely could not RELAX on the way down...ha! Amazing view and fantastic rock formations....tubular masses of igneous rock that has been intruded laterally between layers of older rock pushing upwards by upsurges of molten rock as the Australian continental shelf tore away from Antartica, and separated from Gondwana over 40 million years ago OR simply referred to as organpipe rock formations (gotta love Wikipedia...again). Oh and Charles Darwin as part of his exploration aboard the Beagle climbed this mountain in 1836.
Safe and sound back down the mountain.....found our last campsite near the airport and spent the night packing and cleaning out the van. One last issue, our flight was at 6am and the van place doesnt open until 7:30am....damn...I didnt arrange for this...bonehead. I ended up parking the van outside the lot, locking the spare set of keys in the van, and throwing the keys over the barb-wired fence for them to collect when they got there. But, just as the keys left my fingertips....things went into slow motion....NOOOO!!! We forgot to take Willem`s carseat out of the van...damn again! Stupid....o well, one less thing to check-in at the airport.
If you are ever in Australia definitely take a trip to Tasmania....I am going back there one day to do some of the things we missed....like seeing a platypus in the wild, going sandboarding on the sand dunes and catching one of those homosexual Tasmanian wild trout!
Stay tuned for the next blog....an interview with our other Student of the Week....Robyn Grant!
I have to apologize Robyn, we had this interview about a month ago but your Dad has not been keeping up with the blog. Again, just too many chores to do and not enough time!
So, are you ready Robyn? These are going to be fairly tough questions.
What has been your favorite thing to do so far in Australia?
Go to school.
How come that doesnt surprise me Robyn. You are just like your cousin, Carmen, when she was that age. I hope you feel the same when your 16?
Is there anything particular you like in school?
Playing with my friends.
Who are some of your friends?
Jadezia, Tamika, Lilly, Maddy, Ella, Tamara, and Brooke.
Wow, that lots of friends Robyn. It must be your funny accent that they like?
No, I think they have an accent.
I think your right Robyn. What kind of things do you like to do in your classroom?
News. You get to bring things in from home and show the class.
Right, kind of like show and tell back in Canada.
Robyn, you just learned to ride your bike a couple of months ago. Is that the favorite thing you like to do when you get home from school?
Yes.
Nice answer Robyn. I guess I kind of led you into that answer.
Your playing netball now, can you explain any of the rules and how it is played?
Not really. You have to put the ball through this hoop.
Yeah, I am a bit confused too Robyn. It kind of looks like basketball but you cant dribble the ball and there is no backboard. But I think your having fun.
Your Dad makes your lunch everyday. Are you bored with what he makes you.
Yes. But I like the sandwhiches and treats too.
What is it like seeing your Mom and school everyday? Do you call her Mrs. Grant?
It is fun. No, I call her mum.
I noticed that you spell mom with a "u" instead. That is kind of weird.
What do you mean Dad? That is how it sounds.
I guess your right Robyn. There are lots of things in Australia that are different but also lots of things that are the same.
What do you miss about back home?
I miss my toys and teddy bears, and the playroom, and my fairy dresses.
Are you excited about our next holiday up to Darwin?
Yes, I am very excited about going with Brooke.
That's right Robyn...we get to travel with our friends, the Maloneys.
What kind of animals do you think we will see?
I think possums, platypuses and crocodiles.
I think your partly right Robyn but with so many big crocodiles around I am not sure we will see any platypuses. We have to make sure we keep your brother away from the water cause I am sure he would be perfect Crocodile snack food.
So speaking of your brother, now that he is 5 do you think he has changed?
Yes, he has longer hair and he bugs me more.
Yeah you better get use to that Robyn, that's what little brothers are for!
Anyone back home that you miss?
Payton and Amanda, oh and I really miss Grandma, and my cousins, and my aunties and uncles...oh and Grandpa's too!
What is the first thing your going to do when you get back home?
Unpack.
Nice answer Robyn.
Dad, this is making me miss home more by you asking me these questions. You dont have to write everything I say Dad!
I'm sorry Robyn. How about your surfing? You learned recently, how was that?
Fun, I fell down 3 times but got up on the last one.
Anything else you want to say Robyn?
I learned to tie my shoes and I miss my friends.
That's so nice Robyn. That was a great interview. Now let's put some photos of you for everyone to see.
Getting caught up again. My plan is to give the top highlights for the month of May and show more photos rather than telling stories. I know that is disappointing...the stories are way better than the photos...ha!
Here we go....by highlight:
Willem's first soccer game - Willem played his first game and he played very well. His first time out ever and they throw them into a game. He ran hard and took a nosedive into the grass...got up, spit out the grass and kept running...too funny.
Robyn's netball parade - Robyn participated in a "opening ceremony" type event for netball. All the teams paraded around the court and yelled out their team cheer. Robyn had a great time. (Sshhh....Don't tell Robyn but Mom and I both think netball kinda sucks!).
Robyn's surfing - We borrowed a kids surfboard from some friends and Robyn stood up on a wave. My camera battery was acting up so I wasnt able to get it on film...next time Robyn.
Mother's Day - Robyn and Willem made Mom breakfast and bought her some small gifts from a school "gift table". Mom also got a new Billabong watch. I woke up early in the morning and went down to the beach, the sun was rising, the full moon was setting and the birds were singing like crazy. It felt like the right time and spot to spread some of my Mom's ashes. It is the place I learned to surf and now she can be with me there for every surf and every wipe out...looking out for me as always. Always thinking of you Mom / Grandma!
Bill and Kelly's Excellent Adventure - Had a great few days with Bill and Kelly. Thank you, thank you for the Frank's hot sauce, the clamato juice and our wetsuits! Took them to the beach a couple of times, Kelly surfed, Bill explored. The first day Bill was here we had to run out to the store to buy some roach spray so that he could have it beside his bed...too funny! Took them on a rainforest hike but was disappointed at the end to find out the waterfall was closed....how can a waterfall be closed...damn! The trail was wiped out in the recent floods. Let Bill drive our car...we really only need 3 wheels Bill...dont worry about it...that curb came out of no where! Mary and Kelly planned their next couple of weeks of travel...nice work guys. We then guided them on to Byron Bay in their rental car, shopped...did I mention I think Kelly likes to shop? I think she bought something at every store we went to....Bill mentioned to me that she has her own credit card and it responsible for paying it...wow, I cant imagine letting Mary do that...wait, she makes the money....strike that last comment. Had a great visit with Bill and Kelly....thanks for the visit guys!
Willem's 5th Birthday - Willem had a blast with his mates at Jungle Bungle or as the locals call it "Fungal Jungle"....I guess the odds of picking up some type of biological growth after visiting this fine establishment is rather high...ha! We bought Willem a new spiderman bike...he loves it! Thanks Baxter's and Grandpa's for the money....we plan on making a trip to Nimbin next month....so we will buy him something there. (Inside joke - when you guys visit us at Christmas we will hopefully make a quick visit to Nimbin).
Mary's 24 hour run for Cancer - Mary and her fellow teachers participated in this fund raising event. They did great and Mary almost made it through the night in the cold and rain...but came home for a quick warm up and sleep. It was an excellent event with each individual team having a booth for selling food, clothes, gadgets and various items....great live music, lots of wine/beer, and a Mr. Relay pageant contest...Willem was a bit confused seeing his soccer coach dressed in pink tights and high heels...and he won the contest...ha! Also, Mary put Mom's name on a float in her recognition....good job Mary.
Trout fishing - Went trout fishing with my mate Adrian up in the hills behind Coff's. Didnt expect much as I didnt expect to catch anything...but we managed to land around 14 rainbow trout....and had hooks in just as many. Most of the access to the streams is on private land...so we brought the landowner a couple of bottles of wine and secured out next fishing trip when the season opens back up in October.
Okay....that was the highlights of May and turned out a bit longer than expected...go figure! The next couple of blogs will be our Byron Bay teacher weekend and Uncle Paul's visit....stay tuned.
A quick blog entry to capture the events of our Byron Bay teacher exchange weekend. Each state in Australia has their own exchange association made up of mostly teachers that have been on exchange in the past. They set up these exchange weekends for teachers currently on exchange to gather, socialize and see the sites.
We had a couple from Vancouver (Linda and Steve and their 2 daughters) on exchange in Newcastle stay with us Friday night. They are very tall people and the bed in the basement is a tad small....not sure how they fit? It was good to chat with them and stayed up until almost midnight telling stories.....that is very late for us!
Up early and off we went to Byron Bay. I learned quickly that I really like these exchange weekends! Let me explain, we met the group at a picnic area by the beach. Within 10 min of getting there I decided to head down to the beach and check it out.....a few steps onto the sand and what do I see....a set of perfect barenaked boobies....score!! I got sand in my ah sandals, yeah sandals...and had to sit there and try to get the sand out....awhile later I made my way back up to the exchange picnic lunch.
We had lunch and then a bunch of the group hiked up to the lighthouse. We instead decided to pull out the surfboard and hang on the beach...it was a beautiful warm day with some great scenery...ha! Mary played around on the surfboard and the kids and I played in the water and dug holes in the beach.
We rented an apartment for 2 nights....turned out to be fairly decent....kitchen, 2 bedrooms, living room and a garage.
That night we headed to the "Beach Hotel Pub" to meet the other exchangees for dinner. The Pub use to be owned by Crocodile Dundee - Paul Hogan - "put another shrimp on the barbie"
The next day we were loaded into a bus and headed out for a site seeing trip around Byron Bay. First stop was the Byron Bay market....in the rain. Some weird hippy stuff at the market and some really strange people....at one point I saw this booth with this lady that was stuck in the 60s who had made this big fake magic mushroom statue and was selling...actually I am not sure what she was selling...ha! Had some basil pizza...at least I think it was basil? and the kids had some awesome waffles.
Back on the bus and headed to a town called Nimbin....or some call Numbin. Nimbin is the Cannabis Capital of Australia. I thought about it afterwords...not sure why the exchange association chose to take a bunch of Canadian teachers to the pot smoking capital of Australia....it was a bit puzzling....but very very interesting! Within less than 5 minutes from getting off the bus, with Robyn and Mary walking in front of me and me holding Willem's hand I was asked if I wanted to buy some pot.....whoah...that is strange. Do I really look like I want to buy pot...oh wait...maybe the long hair, scruffy goatee and surfer wear clothing stereotyped me? Ha. I said no but Willem asked the guy "how much?" No, just kidding...ha!
Went into this Pot Museum...very strange...cant really describe it...took a few photos.
The town in centered around the growth, use and distribution of cannabis and cannabis type products - t-shirts, trinkets, flags....and of course lots of places to eat and buy munchies!
Got back on the bus and the teachers had a good laugh of what we experienced and saw. They asked if we bought anything....and I joked by saying not much really just this little bag of herbs....too funny!
We then made our way back towards Byron Bay and stopped in at a place called Thursday Plantation. Thursday Plantation is the first plantation in Australia to manufacture Tea Tree oil. Tea Tree oil comes from a tree called Melaleuca alternifolia which is know for its antiseptic properties...kills nasty bacteria and fungi.....and has made my feet smell a lot better after using some of the spray for the last few weeks....good stuff!
We headed back to Brunswick Head Surf Club for drinks and dinner. Met lots of great people and had an excellent time.
The next day we made our way back to Coffs....but made a pit stop into Macadamia Castle...this area is also know for its huge macadamia plantations....heaps of nuts in this area....not to mention macadamia trees...ha! The Castle is kinda like the "Enchanted Forest" on the TransCanada Highway in BC....nobody from Australia stops here....just stupid tourists. Actually it was good....kids loved it.
Stay tuned for the next blog.....Uncle Paul's visit in Coffs.
Paul arrived on June 10th after being in New Zealand for about a month. Great to see him and I think he was glad to see us...and be able to sleep in a room by himself, eat home cooked meals, not pay for accomodations (little does he know I sent him an invoice), and to hang out with people he knows.
The first morning Paul and I hit the gym and worked out....had the gym to ourselves. I told Paul about the two blonde twins that sometimes work out...but damn they werent there that day. In the afternoon we went to jetty beach and tried out some surfing. Paul's first surf went well...I think he stood up a couple of times in the whitewater....not bad for a almost 40ish Canadian kid.
The next day, Adrian, Paul and I went up to Dorrigo to do a rainforest hike. Hiked about 5km or so...went to a place called Cedar Falls. The trail was not well travelled so we were constantly on the lookout for snakes....we think we saw a big pile of snake poop on the trail...cool! Had our regular stop at the Dorrigo bakery....for a chocolate milk and a meat pie...the people in the bakery must be getting to know us....they had Adrian and I's milks and pies ready for us when we walked in....ha...just kidding. Stopped at a pub in Belligen for a beer....the girls were wondering were we were....it is all Paul's fault....he is a bad influence on us!
Mary had some teacher friends over for drinks and food...and the night was fairly uneventful...it was a great night and nothing really happened that I can remember.
In the morning, Paul and I watched the Stanley Cup Finals....Pens took it 2 to 1 over Detroit in game 7 to win the cup....it was awesome! and it was great to be watching it with my Canadian mate! We got a babysitter, and took Paul out for his birthday dinner....we got stinkin drunk, watched Paul do belly button shots from the waitresses and then after we dropped off Mary, Paul and I went out for more drinks and some lap dances at the local strip club. It was a great 40th birthday night for Paul....okay...sorry Paul, right your only 39...I forgot. I may be exaggerating our night a bit....if anyone has been to Coff's you know that there isnt a strip club in 450 km of here....but they do have Ghetto Barbie!! I will explain later.
Spent the next day at the beach....surfing and hanging out. Both Mary and Paul did great on the board. Not a bad birthday for Paul to spend on the beach surfing. Got a call later that day to go fishing with Ian in the morning....Ian is picking us up at 5:00am.
I think Paul was in shock when I knocked on his door to get him up. Not sure Paul has seen 5:00am in the morning to go fishing in his life....maybe once at the cabin when Seitz and Brent were fishing on the dock at 6:00am....but they hadnt gone to bed yet and were very liquored.
Had an awesome day on the ocean with Ian. Caught a cooler full of fish...snapper! Paul shot his load too soon catching the first 3 fish, then it was the Pat and Ian show after that. I ended up landing a huge 16 pound snapper and ended up winning the "Fish of the Week" for the Coff's Coast and was mentioned in a fishing article in the local paper. Is anyone really surprised at this? Ha. We also saw some dolphins and a bunch of humpback whales....all in all a great day. Fish and chips that night was very tasty!
Spent the next couple of days at the beach surfing....Paul was getting the hang of it and was paddling out with Adrian and I into the real surf...not bad at all.
Now who is Ghetto Barbie? There is a local girl here that is a bleach blonde skinny little thing that walks around town in the shortest mini-skirt ever....she is one of those that look good from afar, but is far from good....she is a bit weathered and is one of the local prostitutes. As part of Paul's birthday gift, we went and got him a barbie doll and wrote on the box "Ghetto Barbie"....then not 20 min after giving it to him, we went out and who do we see walking down the road....YES, ghetto barbie....I pulled over and Paul got a photo of her from behind....he was going to stop and ask her for her autograph and photo but wasnt sure if he would get some mace in the face....too funny! I dont have the photo....it's on Paul's camera....damn!
Paul and I arranged our big road trip north for the next week. Mary gave me a free pass for a week with Paul....wow, what a great wife...she's the best! Thanks Mary.
Stay tuned for the next blog....the Paul and Pat East Coast Australia road trip....3000km in 7 days....40ish guys creeping out young backpacker girls...ha!
This is going to be a short blog entry as I can sum the trip up very quickly…we drove about 3000km, picked our noses (not each others), snorkeled, surfed, creeped out girls in youth hostels and tried to buy the cheapest dinners we could find.
Okay, for those that don’t want to bother with the commentary you may as well scroll down to the photos and skip the text….but your going to miss some great stories…
We left June 19th for a 9 day tour up the east coast of Australia. Nine days with Paul, yeah that’s what I was thinking too, that should be interesting. Well, I spent almost 4 months with the guy 13 years ago on our Europe trip so 9 days should be a piece of cake. First stop was a couple hours up the coast called Nimbin….hey that reminds me, on our Europe trip 13 years ago our first main stop was Amsterdam…both of these places have something in common but I cant think of it? Nimbin, as I mentioned in a previous blog entry is the cannabis capital of Australia. We walked around for about an hour and got out of there….that’s funny….cause that is what we did in Amsterdam. Both places didn’t agree with us the first time….Paul felt like he was going to get into a fight in Nimbin….hey, good to go with your instincts as that is what did happen in Amsterdam…too funny.
We stayed in Byron Bay the first night at the YHA…whoa does this bring back memories. We found an advertisement for a meatpie and beer for $5…we were all over that! It was good too…except the beer was about the size of a shot glass…as expected. Drank way too much the first night and felt it for the drive up the coast the next day.
Next stop was Noosa. Cool coastal up scale surf town…we didn’t fit in at all…ha! Stayed in a really bad hostel but met some great people from Holland and Switzerland. Drank more beer. Watched a surf competition that was happening and thought of entering it but didn’t want to show all those grey haired guys up…yeah right!
Day 3 of the roadtrip was a driving day….spent about 7 hours in the car driving up to a town called Rockhampton. What a boring drive….not much to see on this stretch….and Paul and I can only hold a conversation for about 15 min at a time so mostly listened to tunes and said things like “was that you”…”man do you stink”…”open the window”…ha.
The next day our goal was to make it to Airlie Beach which is the main town for making trips out to the famous Whitsundays. The Whitsundays consist of 74 tropical islands bordered by the Great Barrier Reef…famous for sailing, snorkeling, diving, and beautiful beaches. We made it into Airlie Beach, found a camp spot (it was warm enough to camp now) and booked a snorkeling trip out to the reef for the next morning. The camp spot as we figured out later, was a bit close to the bar….fine if we had to stumble back to camp, but really bad if we wanted to sleep. This place would have been paradise if we were 20 years younger and single (sorry Mary, but it is true!).
The next morning, after listening to the thumping of loud music, we went on a boat tour out to the Whitsunday islands. Met some people from Scotland, England and local Australians. First stop was the famous Whitehaven Beach….voted the best beach in Queensland. Yes, it was good…crystal clear aqua water and white silica sand and a few bikinis running around. I think Paul got caught taking a photo of some bikinis…ha! If you have ever seen that Australia tourism commercial with that girl on the beach saying “where the bloody hell are you” this is where it was filmed. Here is the youtube link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TebeNC-_VjA
The beach was great…but would be better with my wife rather than my 40 year old mate….ha! Spent a couple hours on the beach exploring and did some snorkeling with some rays. We then headed up to a place called Hook Island to do some snorkeling around the coral reefs. Wow, that was awesome. Spent almost 3 hours in the water….coral and fish were amazing. Paul said that it was the highlight of his entire trip so far….we will see after he gets back from Asia??
Headed back to Airlie Beach and had our $6.90 dinner….fish and chips…and it was good. Drank more beer, checked out the nightlife and I think we were in bed by 10:00pm….thump, thump, thump. …but I had bought some ear plugs so it wasn’t quite as loud. Oh yeah, we met a guy from Isreal, going to school in the US (Princeton), and doing a study abroad program in Australia…interesting guy.
We headed off to the town of 1770….where Captain Cook made his second stop in Australia…in the year 1770…very original town name. Went had watched the “State of Origin” Rugby game at a pub….and we scored with free food being dished out to celebrate the game. The game is New South Wales born players vs. Queensland born players…quite the rivalry…kind of like the Oilers and Flames. We did some surfing at a local beach…great waves for us beginners. We then headed to a town just north of Brisbane…put up our tent in the dark and realized the next morning we pitched it right over top of some dog crap….crap!
Day 8 brought us to Surfer’s Paradise….very up-scale youth hostel in the harbour…not sure why they would put a hostel around million dollar yachts and upscale shopping stores? Went surfing again…or attempted that is. The lifeguards probably saw us coming and said “gotta watch out for those two blokes”. The surf was big with some wicked rips. At one point, I didn’t think Paul was going to make it back to the beach….being taken out by the rip. We gave up after about 45min and headed back to the hostel. Went out to check out the town of Surfer’s….tried to get into a “Men’s” club but we needed to have pants and shoes on….no shorts or sandals allowed….seems a bit strange when the entertainment doesn’t comply with their own rules.
Last day…dropped Paul off on June 27th at his hostel near the Gold Coast airport and drove home. It was an excellent trip….not very often two old friends get to travel Australia together. Paul is off to Asia and the land of he/she’s ….good luck with that Paul!
Stay tuned for our next blog….our 2 week adventure in Lamington National Park and the Northern Territory.
A quick blog entry (really this time!) to sum up the couple of weeks before our holiday to Darwin. For the past 3 months or so Mary has collecting milk bottles from the kids at school in preparation for Tyalla's celebration of Canada Day. Now why the milk bottles you ask? Mary figured it would be cool to have an igloo built in the school....with over 300 milk bottles and many glue sticks, an igloo was born....and it was awesome! The kids were a bit dumbstruck never actually seeing an igloo before. It was a great addition to the Canada celebration....most of the kids wore red and white that day, some students built totem poles and Mary showed the students how to play some Inuit games. There was also a disco one night in which the igloo was a glow with lights and the ceiling had colorful lights making it appear like the northern lights. Great job Mary. Mary was famous again, making the local papers.
The next 11 days was the usual...I worked hard at my surfing and finally I think have become a surfer? My mate, Adrian has been calling me "Surfer Pat" ever since he met me.....and after 4 months of going through the motions I think I have earned the name. We have evidence of a couple of good waves....but I will wait to get some additional shots before I upload them.
The kids both got pinkeye which was fun. I had to pay to get the car re-registered, which also means that I had to get a mechanical / safety inspection done on the car. So all told, after getting the car tuned up, minor things fixed, a new muffler system, and the car registered it was almost $2000...damn, didnt budget for that one. I guess I will have to work a few more hours for Harvest to pay for it.
Went for a day trip with the Maloney's to a secret "shell beach" one day....it was excellent...heaps (tons) of shells everywhere....saw a few pods of dolphins and a gaggle of kangaroos - not sure what a group of kangaroos is called? Just looked it up...it is called a "mob" of kangaroos. When the family comes to visit in December, we will take you here but sorry we have to blind fold you....it is a secret spot!
Not much else to report...basically prepared for our trip up to Darwin in the Northern Territory. Stay tuned for the next blog.
Welcome to the blog entry for the Grant / Maloney Adventure….Or is it the Ant and Baloney Adventure? We are the Ants – Willem (Will Ant), Robyn (Snorkeling queen), Mary (Napkin queen) and Pat (Barra hookmaster) and they are the Baloney’s – Mitchell (Giggles aka Tich), Brooke (Weaving queen), Tanya (Mrs. Chocolate) and Adrian (The Guide aka Mr. Chocolate aka Ads).
Now how do I take the events from 15 days and put it all into one nice short blog? I CAN’T that’s how! It is going to be at least a three part entry similar to Tasmania. Just too much to tell. By the way, if I haven’t mentioned before, the blog is partly to share our experiences to our family and friends but it is mostly for our kids when they grow up. They can go back and read about our adventures (mostly from my point of view….which is all that really matters…ha!). Mary does a wonderful thing by having select blog entries made into books by a professional company…it is going to be an awesome collection of travel books when we are done.
One other thing, I will put the potentially boring historical text in italics so that it can be skipped if one does not want to read it…but you really might miss something important if you do!
Day 1 (July 12):
Off to Oreilly’s Rainforest Retreat in Lamington National Park (LNP). LNP is located about 100km south of Brisbane and is a designated World Heritage Site. It is renown for its plethora of flora and fauna…(crapload of plant and animal species), and the beauty of its rainforest, waterfalls and mountains (funny, I don’t recall seeing any waterfalls on this trip?) The area has a great history with the O’Reilly family being the first Australians to settle in this unforgiving environment. There is also a remarkable rescue story of an airplane going down in the rainforest in 1937 and 3 survivors were found by Benard O’Reilly after 10 days – called “The Stinson Wreck”. Unbelievable that they were ever found…after hiking through this forest you get a better appreciation of what they may have went through.
The road up to O’reilly’s was crazy…mostly single lane with heaps of hairpin turns…I loved it…Mary, not so much.
The Ants and Baloney’s shacked up in a swank villa overlooking the valley. The girls went for a pedicure while the boys stayed back and babysat (sorry, parented) the kids and made dinner (well, I sat on my ass, drank beer and watched Adrian make dinner). Tanya and Mary brought in food and wine into the “Lost World Spa” place….and the girls working there said that was the first time anyone has done that…I guess it was quite funny. Ha. Kids were having an excellent time playing together….Willem only had one crying fit which was cured by a short walk down to the Spa to check things out. Brook and Robyn were typical girls sitting nicely and coloring and reading (actually I think Robyn was reading the dictionary that she brought…wow, the making of a geek!) Adrian and I had a big hiking trip planned for the next day….a 20-23km hike in the rainforest. Decided to only drink 8 beer and 6 glasses of red wine….want to make sure I am well rested for the hike!
Day 2 (July 13):
Adrian and I were up early and raring to go on our hike…a bit nervous about how 20+km was going to feel on our joints at the end of the day? Saw heaps of waterfalls, birds, a vast variety of rainforest plants and fungi. There is a section of the trail that has a large number of Antarctic Beech trees….unique that they only grow in certain areas of Australia, are very old, and were part of Gondwana era (when Antarctica, Australia and South America were one land mass). They have massive root systems with mats of moss and lichen growing on them…they look really cool!
The girls and kids went on a shorter hike to Python Rock and on a treetop walk. Had a good time. I tried to get Mary to elaborate for me…but all I got was…yep, we went on a walk through the forest….thanks Mary!
Adrian and I survived the hike, ended the day in the pub having the best beer I have ever tasted…and watching the sunset over the McPherson Range.
Day 3 (July 14):
Up early…legs just a bit sore but not too bad. Packed up and headed down the mountain…..the fun road…Mary was afraid to drive it…kitty! We drove to a place called Natural Bridge…the waterfall over time broke through the top of a cave…pretty cool. Adrian told us some stories of when they were in high school they use to come up here, drink beer and jump down through the waterfall…yeah that would be fun….and dangerous!
Headed to Brisbane and went to the Billabong Outlet store to do some shopping…trouble…escaped without too much damage to the credit card. Found our hotel, had some dinner at a place called Vagelis…wtf? Who would name their restaurant this….and it wasn’t even a seafood restaurant…leave it at that. Tomorrow we leave for Darwin, Northern Territory. Oh…had a 7-11 slurpee…even though they aren’t even close to being the same…it was still good to close my eyes and reminisce about a real slurpee…how pathetic is that!
Day 4 (July 15):
Off to the airport…dropped off the kids and left the car in long term parking (that will be a tad expensive I reckon). We had all the 4 food groups for lunch….pizza, hamburgers, fries and sushi! Yum! It was a fairly uneventful flight…about 3.5 hours to Darwin….and getting off the plane sort of felt like getting off the plane in Mexico…the heat hits you and it is all good! It was around 10C in Coffs the morning we left, so 30C was a bit of a blast.
Shuttle to our hotel, dinner at an Irish Pub along Mitchell Street….where all the backpackers hang out…and then off early to bed. Kids have been great…very patient.
Day 5 (July 16):
Mr. Chocolate and I were up early….I guess the Malonies didn’t have a good night….kids were sick….puking sick…not fun. We went and grabbed the vans, picked up the families and off we went on our Northern Territory Adventure. I found out from a local that NT – doesn’t stand for Northern Territory….it stands for “Not Today”, “Not Tomorrow”, “Not Tuesday” and “Not Thursday”…funny!
Stopped for groceries and booze and we were on our way…..first stop Litchfield National Park…..only a couple hours out of Darwin. First stop (well not really the first stop) was the magnetic termite mounds....looking like tombstones they are actually structures built by termites...these specific ones are from a certain species that build the mounds in all the same direction...thought to be magnetic....very cool. Stopped at Wangi Falls hoping to get a camp spot near the falls…but it was full…headed down the road to another caravan park which turned out to be better as it had grass campsites as opposed to dusty dirt sites at the other spot. Set up camp and then went for our very first swim in the Wangi waterfalls. It was awesome. Robyn absolutely loved it. She put on her mask and snorkel and away she went. It was so refreshing. Great start to our NT adventure. This was the first night setting up our vans…mosquito nets were a fantastic idea…not that there were really any mossies here but it allowed us to keep the van door open to let some cooler air in while the kids were getting to bed.
I will end it here….that was the first 5 days of our 15 day trip…thus Part 1 of 3. Enjoy the photos and stay tuned for Part 2 in a few days.
PS….I didn’t put anything in ITALICS on purpose. Oh, and dont forget to watch the videos at the end of the photos! Oh, and if you havent put anything on the message board...please do...I am sure the kids would love to hear what others have to say...especially when they read this when they are 18....Thanks!
Day 6 (July 17):
Happy Anniversary to us! We survived 10 years of marriage…and not even a single day of counseling. I got a bit itchy around the 7th year but I think that was in 2006 when I hadn’t washed my hockey equipment in 5 years and it finally caught up to me. We didn’t buy each other anything….and since I hadn’t got anything for her I was crossing my fingers that she didn’t get me something. The 10 year gifts are suppose to be leather (modern) and pottery (traditional). I was toying with the idea of hunting down a kangaroo, skinning it and drying the hide which would make a great leather/fur throw rug….but then I thought that would be a lot of work…plus I didn’t want to make the aborigines look bad…ha!
Today we swam in more waterfalls….Florence Falls and had camped at the Florence Falls campground. In the afternoon we went to another river that had about 3 km of small waterfalls and some great swimming holes – called Buley Falls. It was Robyn’s favorite. We were swimming in this one pool when all of a sudden this Aboriginal guy comes stumbling over and falls into the pool with his jeans on…a bit weird, but he was harmless. Robyn almost stepped on a water monitor (a type of large lizard from the goanna family) and screamed like a little girl…wait, she is a little girl…ha! Got some good photos of the goanna.
Back to camp, collected some firewood to have a fire so that we could cook our steak dinner tonight. Got a nice fire going, cooked dinner, drank beer and watched the sun go down…it was great. It actually almost felt like being at the cabin…minus the cooking part…hot, dusty, cool off in the freshwater, drink beer and watch the sunset.
Willem had a bit of an accident coming back from the toilets…it was dusk and he didn’t see the 3 foot high cable fence that was around our campsite….running full out and got clothes lined by the cable…ouch! Lucky he didn’t hurt himself more…but it would have been funny to see…ha!
Princess (Willem) went to bed early while Robyn, Mary, Tanya and Adrian and I sat up roasted marshmellows. After the last kid went to bed we broke out the chocolate and red wine and reminisced about our wedding day…damn, men that are 400lbs shouldn’t wear kilts!!
Day 7(July 18):
Today we traveled to a place called Douglass Hot Springs….down a really bumpy washboard road....another reminder of the cabin. Thermal springs bubble up and mix with the cool river water….the water straight from the source is damn hot…can exceed 60C in some spots. We swam in the river and then found a warm water billabong on the other side of the river…it was awesome…a bit croc-looking but with other people already in I am sure we were fine…cross those fingers again!
We then made our way to the town of Katherine….heaps of aborigines camping out across the street from the stores….waiting for the liquor store to open up. Kinda like what Mary and Shannon do at the lake when they run out of booze…ha!
Kids played in the pool, hung out, ate dinner, kids played, put them to bed and broke out the chocolate and red wine again. Nice routine we are in!
Day 8 (July 19):
Got up early and went for a run down by the river…spooked a bunch of kangaroos and was running with them for about 5 seconds…wow are they fast! I bet I looked fast running with them…with my short stubby legs…ha! Was hoping that there were no crocs in the river waiting for me to run by….I got thirsty and was going to get down on all fours and take a sip from the river….but lucky me I knew watching all those National Geographic documentaries would pay off one day…I recall the wildebeests in Africa getting ambushed by the huge crocs…natural selection working that day!
We headed to a place called Mataranka, found a caravan park and set up camp…and used the awning (that they forgot to put in my van) of Adrians and his tarps to make some shade. Did I mention it was stinking hot in the middle of the day…thank God….no, no strike that….dont want to offend anyone by getting religious….thank the incredible forces of past geological events to give us natural waterpools to cool off in.
The place for a refreshing swim near our camp spot was called Bitter Springs….and it was my favorite so far. Set amongst palms and tropical woodlands are spring fed thermal pools that are crystal clear…almost doesn’t look real. The kids loved swimming and of course Robyn was the snorkel queen again. We drifted down with the current….and I saw a turtle and a water monitor swim by us…very cool. Went swimming twice that day….a little piece of paradise.
Adrian and I after dinner went down to the river to chuck a lure in the water….kinda freaky in the darkness walking the river bank with crocs around. Heard lots of creatures and things in the water but no fish at the end of our lines.
Finished the day drinking red wine, eating chocolate and watching Tropic Thunder…wow that is a funny movie!
Day 9 (July 20):
I got up early again, and went down to the river to try fishing again. So I was standing on the bank, fishing away, enjoying the sounds when I noticed this crocodile slowly creeping down the river in front of me….I stepped back from the bank…but kept fishing of course! I tried chucking the lure to him….but he didn’t go for it….he just sank away out of sight. Okay time to go back the campsite. That was awesome!
Today we headed back to the town of Katherine to check out the famous Katherine Gorge. It is a 13 km river-cut valley with walls over 70 meters high. We wanted to see if we could get a river tour for the afternoon but it was booked…so we booked one for the next morning. We decided to go see if we could get a helicopter flight over the Gorge…try and see if we could get them down on the price per person. Managed to get $10 off per person….so away we went! The kids loved it….first time for Willem in a chopper….Robyn’s second time…under 7 and has been in a chopper twice…a bit spoiled I think! Robyn got to sit in the front seat…Willem didn’t want to…he was a bit scared.
Back to the caravan park in Katherine for a swim to cool off. Dinner, played with glow sticks, put the kids to bed, hung the mossy nets, drank wine and ate chocolate….nice!
Day 10 (July 21):
So we saw the Gorge from the air, now it was time to go in the Gorge in a boat. It was excellent… learned about how the Aboriginals use to use the river and what some of their beliefs where, saw some rock art (similar to the Indian paintings at the cabin…but much better), crocodile nesting sites and some amazing scenery! The kids did great again…Willem was in heaven as we had to do a small hike from one Gorge to the next and there were climbing rocks everywhere…he loved it. Him and I were one of the last ones on the boat going there and coming back…having too much fun.
Back to Katherine to do our grocery shopping for the next 3 days and then off to Kakadu National Park….to a place called Gunlom. Down a very bumpy 37 km road (which we found out later we were not suppose to bring the vans on….oops!), found our campspot and went for another swim in the waterfalls. Another great spot.
Had dinner, but this time Adrian and I decided to go hike to the top of the waterfall to see the sunset (and get away from the girls..shhh don’t tell them)….not an easy hike for those not working out and surfing every day…ha! There was a bush (forest) fire nearby which made for some great color in the sunset. The pools up top looked refreshing so we went for a swim…wow…got right up to the edge of the top of the waterfall…Mary would have killed me if she saw what I did….Gunlom Falls…100ft (30m) drop! Hiked back down in the dark and told the girls they should go for a hike in the morning. Of course had our wine and chocolate with Mr. and Mrs Chocolate.
I will end Part 2 here….if you liked Part 1 and 2 then your not going to like Part 3…you may as well skip the next one.
Enjoy the photos and video. And could someone please write on our Message Board?
Okay, the last part of our Northern Territory adventure. I have lots of work to do for my company back home but I chose to write this instead…this is way better to write than the technical writing I am doing for work…yuck!
Day 11 (July 22)
The girls went for a hike up to the upper pools above Gunlom Falls. They had a relaxing swim and made their way back down. On the way down, Mary went to put her sunnies (sunglasses) on and they weren’t on her head, neither was her hat….damn she left them up top. Okay boys, can you go back up and get them for me…please, please, please.
Okay twist our arms. Away Adrian and I went up…a 40 min hike for some turned out to be a 10 min hike for us…we flew up the hill. We found the hat and sunnies where Mary had left them but they were actually underneath someone else’s clothes….a bit suspect…not sure if they were taking them or what? Adrian and I made a tough, tiring and hot situation of having to climb up the steep hill into a good one! We decided to cool off in the upper pools and do some exploring at the same time….we ended up swimming through this narrow canyon as far as we could go to a small waterfall. We were both kicking ourselves for not having our cameras….it was awesome! Also, some German girl that came up after us decided to give Adrian and I a bit of a show…let’s just say she was very well groomed…ha!
Off we went to a place called Yellow Waters to find our next campsite. Adrian booked us in a the caravan park as well as booked us a fishing trip for the morning and a crocodile cruise for the girls and kids…nice! We got to the caravan park and it turned out they got the dates wrong for our booking….and it was busy here…so after yelling nasty things to the lady and calling her the “c” word she miracously found us two camp spots….just kidding there was no yelling or name calling….just a lot of please please do you have anything for us…ha!
Went for a swim in the pool, drank beer and had snacks…very relaxing afternoon…it is about time we relaxed and went for a swim…ha! Willem tried swimming without his lifejacket…he loved it…swimming under the water with his googles on…he is a fish like Robyn! But had to be careful with him because he thought he could swim…but not really…yet!
Had an early dinner and then went down the road to check out some rock art at a place called Norlangie Rock Art-site. It is known for it’s rock art and the ancient Anbangbang occupation site (I had to ask who was Ann and why did they call her Bang Bang? HA!) Thought to be around 20,000 years old….the occupation site had many different types of rock art – Lightning Man and traditional X-ray style art of animals.
Drove back to our campsite, kids to bed, wine and chocolate…tough life. Up early in the morning to go for our fishing adventure….very cool!
Day 12 (July 23)
Up at 5:40 and over to the office by 5:50. Met our guide, Dean Jackson, who is the one and only guide for these waters….and wow was he tall! Unloaded the boat in the river in the twilight with a misty fog coming off the water…excellent! Kind of reminded me of our early morning fishing days in Alaska…except that instead of having to worry about very large grizzly bears around each corner we had to watch out for very large and very hungry crocodiles!
Birds everywhere…everything was alive…flocks of magpie geese were flying all around us, eagles and kites soaring over, rainbow flycatchers, jabirus (storks), egrets and many many other types of birds everywhere. And then there were the crocodiles in the water and on the banks, fish jumping and our guide teaching us how to fish!
I think the hardest part was trying to concentrate on how to perfect the fishing technique rather than watching everything around us….wildlife overload…it was amazing! So we had to jig our lures a certain way….snapping the line on the water and trying to get the lure to look like a wounded fish…it was tough but I think we finally got it. FISH ON! Adrian had a fish on but lost it…damn. I had a hit and reeled it in….I think it was the hardest fighting stick fish anyone has ever caught…funny…you had to be there. I had another hit…a real hit but lost him. I think our guide was getting a bit nervous….always toughest landing the first fish.
Finally, fish on again….Adrian managed to stick this one….a 63cm Barramundi…excellent….we are eating Barra tonight! Another hit and I had a fish on…but I also had an audience…a boat load of people on a tour boat happen to be cruising by as I fought this fish….landed it and held it up for a round of applause…but it was a bit too small to be a keeper and released it back.
We headed down river through a narrow channel and into a large wetland type area to do some site fishing for cruising barramundi…did I say awesome already? Saw heaps of crocs, heard a couple of them fighting over some fish, watched one nose up to a dead catfish and thought we might get a show…but he just nuzzled it a bit and sunk away into the water out of sight. Wow, I cant imagine falling in the water…I would be out so fast I don’t think I would even get wet…scary!
Fishing was a bit slow as this wasn’t really prime time for barra fishing….I guess April is the time to come, when the water is warmer and the fish get very aggressive and hungry. Dean said they can easily have 100 fish days when it is hot…wow!
Made our way back into the narrow channel to do some casting….and that is when things picked up…fish on! I landed a nice 59cm keeper….more barra for dinner! Caught another smaller one, had many more go after and lost a few…it was very exciting to catch these fish….put on a great fight, leaping out of the water, with big head shakes.
We were able to see the kids and girls on their tour on the river. They had a great time….saw heaps of crocs and birds. Mary captured a croc tearing apart a large barramundi on video…it was really good.
Headed back to camp, watched our guide clean the fish, met up with the girls, had some lunch and off we went to our next campspot. Headed into the town of Jabiru to pick up some flour for our fish feast tonight! Also, needed to get some more beer…but we picked the wrong town I guess to buy alcohol….it was a dry town. I guess Adrian asked one of the workers on the side of the road where he could buy some alcohol and the guy looked at him funny and gave him a smart answer. Also, I guess the town has a NO CAT by-law…no pussies or alcohol in Jabiru…wow, what a downer!
Set up camp at a place called Merl Campground which is strategically set close to the world famous Ubirr Art-site. This place has some of the best collection of rock-art sites in Australia. We toured the many rock-art areas and then headed up to the lookout to watch the sun go down over what looked like something out of the Lion King movie…the wetlands below us could have easily had elephants, zebra, lions and giraffes….I guess what I am saying is that it looked amazing. Took a ton of photos.
Oh, almost forgot, we cooked our barramundi over the fire for dinner. It was fantastic. Mary said that it was the best fish she has eaten in a very long time….yes it must have been the fisherman and the cook of course!
Okay, big day, almost over….but not quite! So we did our usual wine and chocolate thing and were sitting around when I could hear some wrestling around in the bush behind the van. DINGO! Earlier in the day when we had left to go see the rock art I guess the Dingos were in our campsite and stole the bag of flour we left out. Now they were back! Went to bed and listened to the Dingos circling our camp….wow that was cool! Lastly, we had another visitor that the kids enjoyed….a large preying mantis…had some fun playing with it and pretended that it was “Mantis” from the movie Kungfu Panda….ha!
Day 13 (July 24)
The trip is winding down….2 days left. We decided to go check out another spot to swim in some rock pools….called Berry Springs. Turned out that someone just drowned here a few days ago….doesnt surprise me as I recall a number of very drunk people when we were there.
The pools were nice but not quite as good as the ones in the other spots we had been to already. Saw some cool fish and a couple of snakes….keelbacks…not too dangerous.
Headed into Darwin, found our last campsite of the trip at a place called Lee Point. Fairly uneventful day, especially compared to the previous day….hard to top that!
Day 14 (July 25)
Drove into Darwin, picked up our luggage that we left at the hotel (by the way, great idea Mary!), went to our hotel, unpacked the vans, took the vans back, got in trouble for taking it on dirt roads (whatever!), ordered some pizza, drank some wine, ate some chocolate and went to bed.
Very early morning….flight leaves at 6:00am.
What an awesome holiday! Thanks Maloney’s for guiding us, the laughs, the wine and of course the chocolate.
The Northern Territory was incredible….much more than what we expected. We will definitely be back some day to do it all again!
For some reason I cannot upload the movies from our Canon camera....file size is too big...so I decided to put a couple of videos on Youtube. Here are the links - copy and paste the links into your webbrowser to watch:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS-pdcBMIFY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1bwG37Jsu4
First, I have to apologize my entry will not be as funny as Pat’s blog entries.
Friday, August 14th: I left afterschool to catch a flight from Coffs to Sydney, Sydney to Adelaide. I arrived around 10:30 at night to the big hugs of James and Helen. We stayed up until midnight just chatting. It was great to come back to see the neighbourhood and James and Helen did an amazing job on the renos. I was looking for Willem’s crayon pictures on the wall, but they have been covered up.
Saturday, August 15th: Up early (around 5:45am) to get Paul (husband #2) at the airport. We all went back to bed when we got home. Which I never do!!! It is amazing what happens when I do not have children or a husband (#1) around. James and Helen played tour guides for the day. We made our way to Victor Harbour, we stopped at the bakery before going to the footy game. Paul was thrilled to bite into a meatpie again. Sam (Ami’s partner) was playing in local clubs footy game. Paul tried to catch a ball at the end zone (not sure if that is what you call it?), oops he missed!! I was amazed to see people drive up to the field’s edge to watch the game. Then they pulled out their eskies (coolers) and chairs to watch the game from their car. It is great way to watch the game. Drive-in Footy Game! Of course it would not be visit unless you visit a couple of wineries.
That evening we went back to Flagstaff school to be entertained by a school fundraiser called Quiz Night. It is inexpensive way to raise money for your school, and people had a good night guessing the correct answers to the questions. We even had the opportunity to see some karaoke to “name that song verse”. Well done Flagstaff!
Up early again, to take Paul to the airport (To Sydney then back to Canada). Okay, I did not get up early, thanks James for being a great sport!!
That afternoon, James and Helen’s friend, Murray, had an official deck opening party at his home. What a view from his dick (his words), I mean deck!! Murray was serving his guests nibbles, he did not tell us until later that the sausage rolls had camel meat in it. It did not taste like chicken, more like lamb!!
That evening was dinner at the Fuller/Watson house. The family came over for BBQ. Again, it was great to see the crew again. Sally, if you wait long enough (20 more years) Willem will be ready to marry you!
Monday, August 16th: Slept in again!! It must be the soothing motion of the waterbed that helped me sleep longer! Later in the morning, I went to Flagstaff school for morning tea. It was a little strange going back to the school and seeing all the changes that are happening to the infrastructure of the school. I visited with old faces (no pun intended) and met new faces. I was surprised to see that many students remembered me considering I only taught them PE for 3 months.
That afternoon I went and toured around Adelaide and ended up at the outdoor shopping complex called Rundle Mall. I did not buy anything, Pat was pleased about that. Had dinner with James and Helen and left early the next morning.
Thanks again, to James and Helen for being great hosts. Cannot wait to see you again in 2011 somewhere in North America.
I am so behind in my blog again….been very busy…this not working for a living is tough. Okay, so back in April I was surfing the web and saw that Qantas was having a seat sale to San Francisco. Mary said “Pat you should go”. That was all I needed and the next thing I know I had booked my tickets. I had also called Adrian and asked if we wanted to come with me….he got the green light from the boss (his wife of course)…cool!
So for the next 5 months I had to keep it a secret that I was coming to Canada and would be sneaking in on the boys at our annual fishing tournament - SAMFAT (Seymour Arm Men’s Fishing and Adventure Trip). I almost screwed it up a few times…when my Uncle Bill was here and also when my friend Paul was here…I said a few things that slipped…damn! Also, when Paul and I were traveling he sent a package back to Canada of some clothes and other stuff he didn’t want to carry around Asia with him. I tried to convince him to leave it with me as I would have Shelley and Mark bring it back for him and he could save himself $60 bucks…knowing that I could have brought it for him….I was tempted to tell him but didn’t.
Adrian and I left for Canada on Aug 30th and were as excited as 5 years olds being told that the toilet was closed and that they would have to hold it. (Yes that is bad, I was trying to be funny). Can you believe it…the airline lost my luggage…long story but I shouldn’t have let Carlos at the transfer carousel take my luggage…damn. Turns out I spent the next 12 days without my luggage…it showed up at Fran and Bryan’s house in Airdrie a few days before we departed back to Australia. The only thing I really missed was my fly-fishing stuff…was able to get clothes from my place in Airdrie and buy the other things.
So the Grant / Maloney Canada Adventure started with a quick trip to the Livingstone River….caught some nice cutthroat and had Adrian experience the crystal clear trout waters and scenery of southeastern Alberta. Next day we headed to the Columbia Icefield Parkway….I heard a lot of WOWs in Australian accent as we traveled through the mountains…and heaps of photos being taken. Went for a hike up Parker Ridge and got some great views of the glaciers…but there was a ton of smoke in the air which made the photos not as picturesque. The next day we arranged for a helicopter hike/fish up to Lake of the Falls in the Cline River Area…about 40 km from Sask Crossing. Awesome heli-ride into the lake and when he dropped us off we felt very alone! I was hoping that Adrian wasn’t going to fall and break his leg so that I would have to carry him out….or if we got stuck up there and I had to sacrifice him and pull an “Alive” on him. No fish in the lake but had a great hike and it was me that fell when I was crossing some ice….and could have broken my leg…yeah right…it would take a lot to break these tree trunks…ha!
We made our way to Golden and spent the night. I am officially jetlagged. I woke up at 4am, wide awake so decided to go to the Fas Gas and buy some chocky milk (that’s what they call it here) and a hockey magazine. We headed into the Roger’s Pass and did an awesome hike up to a place called Glacier Crest…wow, didn’t think we were going to hike up almost 1000 vertical meters…we were looking down on the glaciers but then got chased off the mountain by a storm…and turns out the same storm knocked the power out in Revelstoke.
Okay, the big day is here….sneaking in on the boys at the cabin. Adrian and I have been talking about it for months….and thinking about how we could do it…turns out we just walked up into the cabin…the boys were all around the island in the kitchen and Adrian went in first (with the camera rolling) with me hiding behind him. So he asks if he could use the toilet….they looked at him like who the fcuk are you?...and then I peeked around him….and I swear the look on their faces was the same as the reaction to Adrian…who the fcuk are you? It’s Pat!!!! What the hell are you doing here? Then the laughing started and the jello shooters came out. I totally blew everyone away by showing up….it was priceless. Sean hung up on his wife….nice cuz to see it is still “bros before hoes”…ha! Mark phoned Shelley and put me on…she was like who is this? So funny! I think there were a few headaches the next day. Good times.
Fishing sucked this year…not a lot of salmon around and there was unfortunately a mud slide somewhere up the valley that caused the Seymour and Anesty rivers to be muddy. Bad luck. We managed to catch 50 fish…but that was 3 days of fishing and 10 fisherman…plus I caught 20 of the 50…so not so good for the others….lowest total in SAMFAT history. Next year will be better…2010 is the big salmon run. Mark managed to pull the winning fish out of his ass the last day to win the tourney…again! It was a great derby….great job Mark and Sean for organizing and I am thinking it was so good that you guys can do it again next year. As the Camp Coordinator I designate you guys again for 2010….plus I wont be back in Canada until July and wont have any time to do the planning.
Adrian and I stayed an extra day and went quading up to Pettapiece Pass with Dad. Thanks Uncle Terry for letting us use your quads…again! Feel free to take my sleds out this winter….I am positive Bill will be raring to go this year on his brand new sled. I introduced Adrian to the comatose clubhouse sandwich at the upscale dining establishment of the Skyline Esso…I think he loved it…and I think he mentioned that this would be the only reason he would come back to Canada…to have another clubhouse…ha!
We made our way to Banff and checked out the sites. Adrian was here 15 years ago and wanted to see his old stomping grounds. We stayed at the Banff Springs...very romantic...if I was with Mary and not a bloke from Australia! Bought some soveniers, went up Sulpher Mountain, and made our way back to Calgary to visit with my family.
We ended our adventure with a sort of gay feeling day and a half in San Francisco before catching our flight back to Sydney. The guy (I think) serving us subs at Subway had breasts…and he was very happy to serve Adrian…kept smiling and winking at him. The guy walking down the street naked and holding a torch was a bit icky too….ha. Toured Alcatraz, rode the cablecars and had a couple of beers at Hooters just to make ourselves feel a bit better.
Awesome trip. Thanks Mary for letting me go…and I know I will pay for it somehow some way eventually.
Stay tuned for our next blog in a week or so….I will keep up on it now.
Mini Fete at Tyalla, Friday September 4th
A mini what? A mini fete is like a carnival with booths and students could play games or get their face painted, hair sprayed with colour. There were a lot of booths set up. The Grade 6’s put it together. Willem and Robyn OD’d on candies (lollies).
Life without our husbands for 2 weeks
After the boys plane left, both Tanya and I looked at each other…now what? She took the kids to a café and I went home to re-clean the house. Sorry Pat, you just don’t have your mom’s cleaning gene but you are making a good attempt at it.
I asked Tanya what they were doing for dinner, she just shrugged her shoulders because she is not the cook in their family. Dinner at our house, I think there will be lots of exchanging of dinners or going out!!
Tanya is brilliant and organized a weekend trip to their family holiday house at Iluka. It is a small town about an hour north of Coffs Harbour. She took us the long way and showed us some scenic spots along the way. Tanya, thanks for the conversations/tour guide comments (on the walkie talkies) on the way to Iluka, you did a much better job then your husband. It was a quant little house just a couple blocks off the beach. After some touring around it was breezer/cruiser o’clock!!! For dinner we went to local small town restaurant…I think we were the only non-locals. There was a wedding going in the tavern…real classy. I never knew a bride could have so many tattoos. Back to Coffs the next day.
One more week and the boys are coming home, actually I am getting use to our routine. All right, I do miss my pool boy, chef, childcare provider, and masseuse. Okay, he doesn’t give massages, wishful thinking!
The week at work went without a hitch, I did have a staff meeting afterschool on Tuesday. Thanks Tanya, for offering to help out but I did not go to the meeting. The kids and I went to their house for a play, and I realized if you stay long enough they might invite you for dinner. I do appreciate the meal and company. Just our luck it was breezer/cruiser o’clock!
It was a kids weekend before their dads go home on Sunday, which included, beaches, rides at the bike tracks (which included cruiser/breezers) and a play at the indoor playground (Tabatinga). The kids (and moms) were excited to see the boys arrive a 4pm. Pat was sleeping by 6pm! Okay, I will give him one day, but tomorrow he is my house bitch again.
Tanya, we need to continue our breezers/cruisers o’clock and our Skype conversations once the boys get home.
September 23rd, 2009
Wow, that is quite the rain storm coming in I told Karen Luchetti, a friend from school. Karen told me, “no you idiot those are not rain clouds, it’s a dust storm.!” For those who never experienced a dust storm, it is like someone emptying their vacuum bag on top of the city. Dust was everywhere, it was even settling in my teeth. It was eerie feeling watching the dust come over the hills (they call them mountains here, ha ha), then the sky turn red and the sun turns colour. It was something like out of the movies.
We had a couple of birthday celebrations the last week in September. Mine and Robyn’s. We had Robyn’s early as hers was during holidays and we wanted her to have a birthday party with her friends.
We celebrated my birthday on the 26th….went and spent the day on the beach, surfing, swimming and playing in the sand. We then went out for dinner with the Maloney’s – and left the kids at our homes with babysitters. So Adrian baked me a cake, I thought okay that is cool….but really was thinking how many dudes make birthday cakes for other dudes (dude playing a dude whose playing another dude – sorry, you have to see Tropic Thunder to understand). But then I understood, it wasn’t a normal birthday cake….all eyes were on me (I don’t like that) as I started to cut into the cake….okay what is happening….turns out not what is suppose to have happened. Adrian made a cake with a water balloon in the middle…so when I cut into it, it was suppose to explode….but fortunately for me it didn’t. The restaurant people stored the cake in the fridge and it must have cooled it too much sealing the icing….so instead the water all poured out the bottom of the cake. Nice try! Had a good dinner (thanks for shouting this one Maloney’s!) and then went back to our place for some drinks…well sort of…Mary had to drive our babysitter home but the time she got back we were all almost asleep….and Mary was ready to go….too bad…guess Mary gets to escape a rare morning without a headache…ha!
We celebrated Robyn’s birthday on the 27th at the Butterfly House. It was a unique party as she had a combined party with two of her classmates (Madi and Lily) that also turned 7 years old on the same day…what are the chances of 3 little girls in the same class all having the same birthday on Oct 10th. I wonder if they were all conceived on the same night? Not really something I would ask the other parents…ha! Robyn loved her party with her entire Year 2 class all attending. The girls dressed up as fairies and the boys wore various costumes. The butterfly’s were great and the games they organized were heaps of fun. Everyone attending was asked to bring one present so at the end of the party each of the 3 girls took turns picking a present from the pile...it worked great. Awesome job again Mary for organizing a wonderful party for our 7 year old daughter....wow, cant believe we have a seven year old....and I cant believe I am almost 40!!
Some other things to mention: I ran a 10K which was a good accomplishment…it was a bit tough towards the end…body wanted to stop but my mind said keep going. Actually a lady beside me on a treadmill, who was clearly recovering from chemo treatments, gave me some inspiration.
Since this blog is really all about me, I have to mention that I caught 2 of the longest waves I have ever surfed at a place called Arrawarra….it was awesome! Cant wait to take the Baxter’s and Sam here to give it a go.
Spent the rest of that week getting ready for our big 2 week holiday….finalizing plans and packing. Stay tuned for our next blog….playing with the dingos on Fraser Island and swimming with turtles on the Great Barrier Reef.
Another 2 week holiday is here…seems like we just had our last holiday…oh wait, every day is a holiday for me…I almost forgot. So I planned a very exciting and fun filled adventurous trip…5 days on Fraser Island and 8 days up in Cairns. I will split the blog into 2 parts…you guessed it…one part Fraser Island, and one part Cairns = 2 parts of sun, sand, reef and a whole lot of photos…615 photos to be exact. Can you imagine if we still had film cameras…that would be about 26 rolls of film.
We left Coffs Harbour on Oct 2nd and made our way to a town called Rainbow Beach…the main town before taking a ferry over to Fraser Island. We took 2 days to travel up, staying in Tweed Heads one night before making the final push to Rainbow Beach. Damn, only 1 day in and I am already in shit from Mary…I got blamed for leaving her book and Robyn’s bathing suit in the hotel….Rela….no I wont say it…but should of anyways or is that anyway? (Sorry, we have a had a few discussions with our Aussie friends about some of the words we use…we say anyways with an “S” and they say anyway without the “S” – can you believe it, Australians are giving us a hard time about the way we say certain words…have you listened to them talk…ha!
Anyways, so yes, got in shit already…Mary called the hotel from Rainbow Beach and got the lady at the hotel in Tweed to put the book and suit aside for us to pick up on our way back. She was really looking forward to reading her book…"Into the Wild"....and here we go into the wild....
DAY 1:
On Oct 4th, we picked up our 4x4, loaded it up with camping gear and food and made our way to the ferry crossing. Before I begin, I should explain what Fraser Island is? It is the world’s largest sand island…123km long and about 22km wide…over 100 inland freshwater lakes, crystal clear creeks, massive sand dunes and tall rainforests…..AND you can only travel on the island in a 4x4 vehicle…this is going to be awesome!
To get on the ferry, we were instructed that we had to put the truck in 4 LOW….and I quickly realized why…holly crap….there were people stuck within a few meters from the entrance on to the beach. So I threw it in 4 LOW (actually, I had to get out of the truck, lock the hubs, and then put it into 4 Low) and I gaver shit….there was no way I was getting stuck the first day….wow, we made it….I was greeted by the ferry traffic guy with a “good job!” We landed on Fraser and took the inland extremely bumpy road about 20km to the beach entrance. Once on the “75 Mile Beach” it was cruising time…amazing. Saw our first dingo, trotting down the beach within 10 minutes of being on the beach…and here I am driving beside it saying “here dingo, dingo!” and then Mary informs me that I can be fined big time by the Park Rangers for doing this…whatever!
We headed north on the beach for about an hour and then stopped at a place called Eli Creek for lunch, and then further up the beach at a shipwreck called the Maheno….a Scottish luxury ocean liner beached here in 1935, caught by a cyclone. This ship actually had made a stop in Vancouver on one of its voyages…and now it is melting away in the sand here on Fraser Island…cool!
We set up camp on the beach, started to get dinner ready and then realized the rental company didn’t give us any cutlery…damn! We ended up borrowing some from a fellow camper down the beach. That night we had a few visitors of the four-legged kind…yes, I am going to say it “The dingo ate my baby”. Actually, recently there had been a few attacks on children on Fraser with a 9 year old mauled to death in 2001. They circled our camp and I grabbed our shovel…just in case.
I think I am going to make this a two parter….I have lots to tell and I am only on DAY 1.
DAY 2:
What a terrible sleep. The mats the rental company gave us were those thin 5mm blue waste of time sleeping mats….or non-sleeping mats. Not comfortable at all. Kids had sleeping bags with built in blow up mattresses…they slept like babies…good thing they didn’t witness the dingos stalking them…ha!
Headed up the coast to a place called Indian Head, named after Captain Cook apparently for the natives he saw assembled there. I am sure they wouldn’t have appreciated being called Indians…I guess that’s better than being called Dole-Bludger Head (sorry, another slang word used in Australia to describe someone who doesn’t work and lives off government handouts – dole).
Anyways (you have to say this in a first-nation accent)…it’s funny, I am laughing to myself now. Not sure everyone reading will understand what the hell I am talking about…whatever...and I am not racist...just having a bit of fun.
The headland gave us awesome views of the coastline, sand blows and heaps of 4x4s and fisherman further north on the beach. This was as far north we could go with our rental 4x4…they didn’t want us to go past Indian Head…too bad, as I guess further north is pretty amazing…but it isn’t too bad on this side of the tracks either.
Headed back south, had some lunch on the beach, kids played and I tried fishing. Damn, my rod just isn’t long enough to get the line out far enough (I had to tell Mary to stuff it after her comment to that - that is my excuse anyways for not catching any fish, and whatever Mary!).
We set up camp 2 on the beach just south of Eli Creek, then went for swim and float down Eli Creek to cool off….kids loved it!
I think I will stop here and save the next 2 days for another posting. Enjoy the photos! Anywaysssss….until next time!
NOTE: Having technical difficulties uploading the photos...I will load them as soon as the server at GetJealous allows me to. Have fun reading!
Time to go inland tomorrow. Mary and I sat up and drank some wine and played cards and waited for the dingos…but don’t think they came until later. Robyn woke up in the middle of the night and said she could hear something outside the tent. I convinced her it was nothing and to go back to sleep.
Day 3:
Up really early as our window of opportunity to be on the beach (because of the high tides) was between 6 and 7 am. We had breakfast and packed everything up and were rolling down the beach at 6:30am. Oh, and the sounds Robyn heard outside the tent were confirmed…a mother and pup dingo…as far as we could tell from the tracks? Nice to know momma dingo is teaching her kin all the good tricks...
We headed inland at Eurong resort to a place called Central Station…only about 9 km through deep sand…kinda like driving through deep wet snow…keep your speed up and never stop on an incline…also like snowmobiling and it reminded me of cutting first tracks into Little Grace after a 2 foot dump of powder. I am sure Mary looked over a few times and I was grinning from ear to ear.
Found our campsite and were setting up camp by 9am…with the smell of eggs and bacon cooking around us. We had our second breakfast, like the hobbits we are and then decided to venture out to a place called Lake Mackenzie. The campground that we are in has a dingo-proof fence surrounding it which Robyn is especially happy about.
Lake McKenzie was about 10km inland from Central Station…and got to 4x4 through some deep sand again…wicked! I am not really going to say much about Lake McKenzie other than WOW! I will let the photos do the talking.
Everyone got to have showers before bedtime tonight…good thing as Willem was starting to look like Mowgli from Jungle Book.
Day 4:
So Mary and I are experiencing actual bruising on our sides…on our hip bones from sleeping on these cruddy mats…we are both “side-sleepers” so makes it tough when you shift to your side at night and wake yourself up because of bruising. Note: If we come back to Fraser, thick foam or air mattresses are a must!
Today we decided to do a loop inland with the main attraction being Lake Wabby. Got stuck for the first time going up a slight incline through some really soft sand, but managed to get through it after taking a couple of runs at it. The track was really bad in spots and we commented that there was no way we could go back the way we came…as the hills were too steep with this sand.
Got to the Lake Wabby lookout….wow, that looks amazing! Let’s got down there! As we were about to go down these two British girls were coming up and were huffing and puffing and all red faced….and commented to us that was a really hard walk back out. Mary and I looked at each other and said, whatever, we will carry the kids back out if we have to….the Lake looks too awesome not to go down there.
We had to cross this big sand dune to get to the Lake…kids were running to get there…and it was hot! Sure glad that water wasn’t a mirage. There were catfish in the lake that seemed to be attracted by splashing…so after a few minutes of Robyn and Willem swimming we had about 20 or so catfish around us. Robyn loved it…Willem did too after he figured out they were harmless.
Lake Wabby is known as a barrage lake, which is formed by the damming action of a sandblow blocking the waters of a natural spring. The sand is slowly inundating the lake and over time will completely fill the lake.
Hiked back out over the hot sand and then up the “grueling” hill…which when my kids got to the top said “is that it?” It was a piece of cake for our little hikers.
The other thing of note was that as I was preparing dinner (the Sheila never gets a holiday from cooking) a crazy Kookaburra swooped down and literally grabbed a piece of steak out of my hand…totally scared the crap out of me…for those that have never seen a Kookaburra (known for their laughing call) they are a fairly decent sized bird….and obviously carnivores!
We leave Fraser Island tomorrow but can’t get on the beach until 1:00pm.
Day 5:
Took our time getting packed up and then decided to go check out another inland lake called Lake Birrabeen…but it was a bit early to swim and really once you have been to Lake Mackenzie it doesn’t quite compare.
Decided to go on the beach a bit early and make our way to the ferry landing. What an awesome trip. Fraser Island was nothing like we have ever experienced…so unique….we have to bring our family here when they come in December!
Dropped off the 4x4 and made our way to a town called Noosa for the night before heading to Brisbane to catch our flight to Cairns. Looking forward to sleeping in a soft bed…I must be getting soft in my old age!
Enjoy the photos.
Cairns is pronounced - "Cans" as in she had the biggest cans I ever saw. Not carns...if you say it like that you will be corrected every time.
Oct 10th:
On our way to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef…very exciting. It is Robyn’s birthday today….cant believe we have a 7 year old daughter! I hope she remembers her 7th birthday flying up to Cairns, Australia….very lucky little girl.
It was a good flight up from Brisbane and got our first glimpse of the reef from the air…very cool. Picked up our rental car and made our way to our condo in a small town north of Cairns called Trinity Beach. So we were given our accommodations for the next 8 nights for FREE! Yes….free, cant get much better than that…especially with my tight wallet. One of the teachers Mary met on our exchange in Adelaide, her Mom has a condo…so she said we could use it…sweet!
Took Robyn out for dinner for her birthday at a beachside restaurant….and we couldn’t have planned it better! They had a clown there performing tricks and magic shows….and we told Robyn we hired him just for her…too funny. No, we fessed up that we didn’t after.
Oct 11th:
Today we drove up to the Daintree and Cape Tribulation…about a 2-3 hour drive north of Cairns. Since we weren’t paying for accommodations we decided we would try and find a place to stay up here for the night. Our first stop was the town of Port Douglas for the Sunday market…was pretty good…but was getting hot out. Mary bought some earrings and Robyn bought a turtle necklace….the boys got squat as usual. Our next stop was a place called Mossman Gorge…awesome river filled with huge granite boulders….that we swam in and of course Robyn snorkeled….saw some eel catfish and what are called jungle perch. We are officially in the Wet Tropics! Not because it was wet, in fact it was unusually dry for the area and were bushfires burning all around the place. The Wet Tropics is the area between Townsville and Cooktown covering almost 1 million hectares. It is a very unique ecosystem containing about 3000 plant species and over one third of Australia’s mammals….and one in particular that I have always wanted to see….the cassowary! Wait a minute…birds aren’t mammals! Ok, but I really have always wanted to see one of these in the wild!
Took the ferry over the famous Daintree river to Cape Tribulation…actually felt like we were going into another world….much less development on this side of the river. Mary found us a place to stay called the Ferntree Lodge…nice place! So we wanted to do a night walk but the organized guided walks didn’t take kids that were under 8…we found out why…ha! We decided to do our own night walk through the jungle…so we put on our headlamps and away we went. The forest was alive…sounds in every direction….the kids were wide-eyed and holding our hands very tightly. But then it happened….a loud crashing sound ahead of us….my Steve Irwin instincts kicked in and I wanted to find out what made the sound? Got it all on video…it is priceless. The kids were bawling by the time I got back to where they were standing….well that was it for the night walk…back to the lodge. I didn’t get to see what it was that made the sound but I am thinking it could have been a cassowary. For those that don’t know what a cassowary is, they are a bird (not a mammal) about the size of an emu that looks rather prehistoric…likely an ancestor of the dinosaurs….maybe archaeopteryx? Check them out…. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary
So unfortunately, our daughter can read very well now and there are signs all over the place warning you that you are in Cassowary country and that they can be very dangerous. I guess they can become aggressive if you come across them in the forest and there have been known cases of human fatalities. So when we were on the night walk in the forest and I said I think the loud crashing sound was a cassowary…well Robyn was just a tad scared…hence the shaking and crying….but it was awesome! Ha.
Oct 13th:
Drove further north today towards Cooktown but couldn’t go very far because the road turns into a 4x4 only road at a river crossing. Besides a weird looking guy we saw come walking out of the forest we didn’t really see too much. We drove back south and stopped at the Kulki lookout where rainforest meets the fringing coral reef….nice view. This blog is getting a bit long again…so I will try and summarize a bit more. Stopped for lunch at a café and I had French toast with this nice maple syrup, Mary had two sausages with eggs done sunny side up and the kids had hot dogs with tomato sauce…..HA HA…a bit too descriptive and boring!
We stopped for some ice cream at the Daintree Ice Cream Company which only serves exotic rainforest fruit ice cream….really good! Stopped at a tea plantation and took some photos and then went on another rainforest walk. But it was “stinking hot” (a term commonly used by Australians to describe when the themometer gets over 30C).
Drove back to our condo, went for a swim in our pool and drank some beer and cruisers….and enjoyed the stinking hot weather!
Oct 14th:
Checked out the city of Cairns today. It was stinking hot again! Hit the city lagoon for a swim and walked around, bought a mask and snorkel for Willem and new snorkels for Robyn and I. We are heading to the GREAT Barrier Reef tomorrow….wow, #32 of our list of things to do before we die, can be checked off…cool!
Walked around Cairns, fairly uneventful and headed back to the condo for more pool and beer/cruiser time.
Big day tomorrow…we are heading out to the outer reef with a company called QuickSilver.
I think I will end the blog entry here…enough about us…how about some more comments on our message board!!!
I have fallen way behind on my blog entries…no good excuse really…just having too much fun. I will try and keep it short so I can get caught up quickly.
Oct 14th:
I lived one of my dreams today…a trip out to the Great Barrier Reef….and it was awesome. Not that the water was the clearest I’ve seen (a bit better in Belize) and maybe not as colorful as I expected but what made it awesome was the experience of snorkeling with my daughter on the Great Barrier Reef…wow was she amazing!
We headed out to the outer reef with a company called QuickSilver…beautiful day, clear blue skies and calm water all the way out…we were very lucky. The only negative to the trip was that we got to snorkel with 300 of our closest friends…a bit too busy for me, but the boat was very comfortable and the tour company was extremely efficient.
Oct 15th:
Today we toured the tablelands around Cairns. Saw some big trees (Curtain Fig Tree and Kiara Pines), visited some volcanic craters, hiked around some waterfalls and then stopped for a swim and lunch at Milla Milla Falls….water was cold…I think I saw a turtle…ha!
It was an excellent day to be in the car…it was stinking hot out 34C….for being the “wet tropics” is was sure dry too….and there were some big bush fires around us (I think it has been about the 1970s since those 2 words were commonly used together…see if you can figure it out).
We told the kids we were going to Edmonton…we had them confused when we passed the sign saying welcome to Edmonton…and there is also an Innisfail just down the road from Edmonton…too funny. Put on about 300km and were happy to be back at the condo for a swim and a beer/wine.
Oct 16th:
We did another trip out to the reef today, except this time we went to and island called Green Island. We weren’t sure what to expect as we had gotten some negative reviews about this place. The weather again was beautiful, ocean was glass again and best of all there weren’t too many people on the boat. Went snorkeling with my daughter again today…but she saw some jellies in the water and was a bit scared. I actually think I saw more “creatures” during this snorkeling trip than the outer reef….and best of all Robyn and I got to swim with a turtle. Saw lots of different colored sea slugs, sting rays, 3 more turtles and a white tip reef shark that made me a bit nervous as I was out by myself a long way.
Really enjoyed the day, didn’t feel rushed and we got to explore the island a bit. Willem was upset that he wasn’t able to hold a crocodile…they had a croc show on the island where you could get your photo done holding a croc….too expensive! (The Grant gene reared it’s ugly head again).
Oct 17th:
Last full day in Cairns so we decided that we would take one last trip out to the reef. Decided on Fitzroy Island, but again weren’t sure what it would be like? The island had a new resort that wasn’t open for very long and ended up going bankrupt. So there was this upscale resort sitting vacant getting a bit run down…
Still weren’t sure what it was going to be like after we got dropped off…had to walk about a kilometer to get to a good beach….and it was called Nudey Beach…but there wasn’t a set of “Cairns” anywhere that I could see The coral was right off the beach surrounding the island….it was brilliant! We were once again very fortunate and felt a bit spoiled for being able to experience the Great Barrier Reef like we did.
Oh yeah, there was a stagette (cant remember what they call them in Australia…something weird I am sure) with about 20 girls that were on the boat with us…they had some very large coolers full of booze and when we left at the end of the day….there were some very drunk girls…Paully D, you should have been there…ha!
What an awesome trip….loved each and every day. We decided that we needed to take our family, when they visit at Christmas, to Fraser Island and get them out to experience the reef.
I reckon that I have about 3 more blogs to complete to get myself up to the present…we are sitting in New Zealand just beginning our world tour. I plan on doing a blog entry once a week after I get caught up on the last 3 entries. Enjoy.
How do I do a quick blog to get caught up? How about just show photos! So here is about a month of things we did....and of course a quick summary and random words:
Australian Halloween, Beerbot (see photo), flooding (again), beaches, golfing, fly fishing around Dorrigo.....and Mary's Gold Coast Teacher weekend (which I didnt hear many stories from....I guess what happens on the Gold Coast stays on the Gold Coast)....Gonorrhea hasnt shown up in our household so it couldnt have been that good of a weekend...ha!
Next blog will be about our weekend in Armidale with the Morris's, our visit with Erin and Regan(sp?) from Canada, Mary's last few days of school and getting ready for the relatives.
Enjoy the photos....
We arranged a trip to Armidale with some Australia friends that we met when they were on exchange in Airdrie in 2008. Greg and Caron (sp?) Morris and their son Luke from Scone, NSW. We stayed at a caravan park and it was, as the Aussies would put it, stinking hot. So we planned our weekend around the hot temperatures. Site see, swim in the pool, shop in the air conditioned mall, swim, site see, swim.
Caught up with the Morris’s on the Friday we got there and then planned a walk (hike) in the morning before the heat hit us. The heat still hit us at 8:00 in the morning. So off we went to a place called Dangar Falls (not danger, dangAR), picked our walking route and off we went….not 5 min into the walk we had an encounter with a lizard…not just any lizard…in fact this lizard didn’t have legs! So Greg is trying to get Luke and Willem to have a look at this cool little lizard and they are ignoring him….then we found out why…about a meter away from them was a red bellied black snake…they were focused on the snake while we had our backs to them looking at the ever so deadly lizard…ha! We backed away and decided to go another route. The falls were too impressive as there was only a trickle of water going down them…but looking at some internet photos they had the potential to be spectacular with a bit more water. The area is in the Oxley Wild Rivers National Park, named after the explorer John Oxley which is one of the largest National Parks in NSW. After Oxley, the “cedar getters” were the first white people to explore the area who were after the Australian red cedar…a very valuable timber.
Later in the afternoon, after a swim we went over to some friends of Caron and Greg’s who were having a 50th birthday party in which we attended that night. They lived on a farm outside of Armidale, raising merino sheep and look to be living a really good life. It was a great experience to be able to share a birthday party with the locals who welcomed us warmly to their party. I wish I could remember their names…darn, I forgot to write it down in my journal…they were awesome people. Merino wool is famous for being the finest and softest wool in the world....and is excellent for regulating body temperature when worn against the skin....it wicks moisture away....I wish I had some merino clothes for my hike tomorrow in New Zealand...brrrrr.
The next day we did an arranged tour of Armidale. Had no idea that a town in the middle of no where could be so interesting. It claims to be Australia’s highest town (that is what my beer cozy said…so it must be true) at 980m….and they get snow….hard to believe when we were sweating our butts off in 35C temperatures. The town is know for its education (University, boarding schools) and cathedrals. People pay big bucks to send their kids to school here and it turns out I may have had a hand in its origins:
The Armidale School was founded in 1894 as a boarding school for the sons of the gentry, however the origins of the school can be traced to 1838, when Patrick Grant, a magistrate at Maitland, conceived the idea of a proprietary school for boys in the Hunter Valley.
I found this doing some research about Armidale…cool, I could be related…sure why not?
We had a great weekend with the Morris’. Kids had great fun playing with Luke who was very patient with them. It was nice to catch up and compare all the similarities and differences between Canada and Australia with our Aussie friends.
On the way home we stopped at Wollombi Falls….it was so hot out, the kids were dying…well Willem thought he was…ha! Impressive views of the valley and falls.
For the next 2 weeks I didn’t write in my daily journal…it was all a blur really…I think I may have surfed a few times…
The next blog…which will land on the internet tomorrow night will be about Dad’s arrival, visit with our friends from Canada, the kids last few days of school and getting ready for the relatives!
I started this blog….a long long time ago…in a galaxy far far away….and am going to finally finish it….here is what I started back in 2010…and it is now 2014!
From about November 23 to Dec 4th (2009) I didn’t keep track of my day to day activities using my journal and it is now Feb 1st (2010) and I am doing another catch up blog….this is a summary of our last month in Coffs Harbour and more importantly the awesome visit we had from friends and family.
I think I went surfing a few times. Dad arrived on Dec 5th and we got into a bit of a routine of dropping off the kids and then heading down to Digger’s to go surfing…not Dad…Adrian and I. Dad walked the beach and headlands around Diggers. Adrian, Dad and I went for a drive up to New England National Park one day…stopped for a Dorrigo pie and chocky milk of course…
There was a presentation day at Tyalla where Robyn performed a singing and dance routine of the song “All is Love” from the movie “Where the Wild Things Are” It was excellent! Willem sang the “Monster Mash” with his classmates. It was a bit strange to have a Christmas/Halloween theme at the end of school…in December…strange…okay, okay…different! Robyn also received an Outstanding Achievement Award for Literacy…highest achiever in her class for reading and writing….nice! She is my daughter!
The kids attended a couple of birthday parties…Alex’s down at the Park Beach and then Mitchell’s at the Big Banana…which we thought was great cause we had been meaning all year to take the kids there and bonus, we have a birthday there!
We had some friends, Erin and Regan, show up from Canada….and I still remember telling Erin at work over a year ago that she should come visit and stay with us…you know, if I would have known she was actually going to show up…I wouldn’t have offered….just kidding! We went surfing, took them to the rainforest at Dorrigo and did some more surfing….had a great visit. (See you in New Zealand…maybe hike the Tongariro Crossing together???)
Uncle Sam, Mary’s brother, arrived on Dec 16th….he made it! Long trip but within less than an hour he was down at the pool with a beer…good on ya…Sammy. And even better he was my apprenticeship pool boy…nice job! Took Sam over to see Mary and the kids at school, also Mary was given a going away present…a motorcycle trike ride around Coffs, which she shared with her principle and vice principle…who were also leaving the school.
The Baxter’s arrived the next day…..and they looked like they had been traveling for over 24 hours…oh wait, that’s because they have! Rest up everyone, big road trip tomorrow!
Dec 18th:
Up early and the plan was to leave by 6am. So we are all ready, the vehicles packed and who do we have to wait for…Shelley has to go poo…and she wasn’t quite ready yet (sorry Shell, makes for good blog material). So after dropping her other kids off at the pool away we went on our big adventure up the East Coast of Australia!
First stop, 10 mins out of Coffs, was a place to view some kangaroos in the wild…well sort of wild…they live in a community. Got some great photos and the family was impressed.
We drove about 8 hours to Rainbow Beach…not too exciting…I am sure everyone was tired and a bit in sensory overload. A fairly uneventful drive, however I heard some gossip from the other car that they sure were glad there were rumble strips on the left side of the highway….Dad was driving…ha!
Checked into our condos and then hit the pool for a swim and drinks. We went over and made sure our 4x4s were ready for tomorrow….the Fraser Island leg of the trip. Dinner at the local surf club and teaching the family how to “order” their food and drinks in Australia….and that you don’t have to TIP….Shelley, calm down don’t get excited yet…even though we don’t TIP they make up for it with expensive food…and in general crappy service.
Dec 19th:
Ahh….Fraser Island…we made it back again! Sam was stoked to be driving on the beach…”this is awesome”, he kept saying. Came across a dead turtle on the beach…looked like it has got chomped by a shark? Stopped at Eli Creek for lunch and beers, a walk and wade in the creek, people watching, and keeping the kids away from the dingos. Cruised up the coast…Mary, it is okay, your brother is a good driver…relax….ooops…sorry strike that. Stopped at Indian Head and hiked up to the lookout…nice views! Headed back down the coast and stopped at the Meheno ship wreck for a photo op. Okay, now for the fun part…going inland at Eurong. “This is so awesome”…from Sammy. We were told the road was crappy and that it would take us awhile to get into Central Station. I wonder what my sister was thinking…ha!
There were a few vehicles having issues on the roads…so we were backed up a bit waiting for them…but then got around them and it was clear sailing into the campground at Central Station. Baxter’s, did we tell you we were camping? But look on the bright side…we are surrounded by a dingo-proof fence…but unfortunately it doesn’t keep out spiders, snakes, lizards and biting ants. Uncle Princess and the rest of the princess family were happy to have a shower and get cleaned up….can you say obsessive / compulsive with hygiene…ha! I guess I am likely on the opposite end of the spectrum for hygiene….I can go days without washing or brushing and not have it bother me…yes I smell, but the way I look at it is that I am building my natural immunity…ha!
The damn cycadas were loud….what did you say? I said, those whakatane(explain in a NZ blog) cycadas are LOUD! For those that don’t know, cycadas are forest insects that rub their wings/legs together to make a loud, ear tingling buzzing sound…all competing with each other to see who can be the loudest…kinda like…no, no, I better not make that analogy.
Sat up and drank some beers with the boys…Sammy, Mark and I …started this massive bonfire…well, not really…we weren’t allowed to have fires…so we started a mini-fire on the picnic table...too funny.
And that is far as I got on this blog entry…and now it is April 2011 and am finally going to finish it!! Here we go…
Dec 20th:
Oh crap…this was 15 months ago…what the hell did we do? I will try and go back to the photos and try and figure it out….
Today we headed to Lake Mackenzie and showed the family this incredible crystal clear water lake….one of those wow moments again. Hung out at the lake and then made our way back to the coast. We were told by the truck rental place that we couldn’t get on the beach too early….but decided to go on early anyways….made our way back to Hook Point to catch the ferry. We made sure not to get stuck getting off the ferry….no issues returning the 4x4s….back to Rainbow Sands resort. I think all 4 of the Baxter’s had to immediately take a shower…ha!
We hung out by the pool for a swim and barbecued some kind of meat for dinner? Tomorrow we head up to the Town of 1770…..and the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.
Dec 21th:
Up early and made our way to Bundaberg…home of the famous Bundy rum. Got there and found out how much it cost to go on the rum tour…the synapses fired sending the price to the cerebral cortex of the brain, the genes that coded the proteins that make up the major components of the brain had already made the decision…and of course we aren’t talking about a normal brain…it is a Grant brain….and there was no fricking way we were paying that much….let’s just buy the booze from the gift shop…ha!
Drove up to the Town of 1770 and our place called Sandcastles 1770 Resort. Got settled and went and hit the beach for the afternoon. Wasn’t really any waves for surf…but a few fun waves for boogey boarding. Sammy wanted to go rent a board but everything was closing up. I think we went out for a bite to eat…or did we cook? I know one night we went out to a pub and the other we cooked and ate on the patio outside our rooms. Tomorrow we are heading to the Great Barrier Reef….Lady Musgrave Island!
Dec 22nd:
Caught the “Spirit of 1770” to Lady Musgrave Island. Mary had a wonderful trip out and didn’t have any sea sickness at all….ha…yeah right! The island is a coral cay and was first discovered in 1803 and later was famous for mining of bird guano…aka bird shit. The island is home to enormous numbers of white capped noddy terns and shearwaters that have a symbiotic relationship with the trees. The trees are called Pisonia trees that produce a sticky seed…when bird chicks fall out of the trees they get trapped in the seeds and die…decompose and add nutrients to the soil which then helps feed the trees…which allow shelter and nesting sites for the birds.
We saw a few dyeing birds and were told not to help them as it was just part of the natural cycle…but that didn’t stop a few tourists from trying. On our walk around the island we saw a school of reef sharks swimming close to shore….it looked like there were hundreds of them…which I read later were in the midst of breeding.
The snorkeling around the island was excellent…even Dad made it into the water and attempted to use his snorkel and mask to look at the reef. Saw heaps of fish and coral, a few turtles that Sam and Stephen tried to catch a ride with. Was definitely worth the almost 1000 km one way trip up to the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef….something I am sure the family will never forget.
Headed back to the port and was a much smoother ride on the way back. Back to our hotel…and I think we had dinner on the patio with wine and beers of course. A great day! Tomorrow we start our way back south.
Dec 23th:
Another early morning…Carm and Stephen must have been in shock…getting up this early and having to spend this many days without texting on their phones. We drove to the famous Australia Zoo that is located just outside a town called Beerwah…nice! Crikey it was a great zoo (I think I have used that line before in a previous blog). Saw all the typical aussie animals….for some strange reason the kids got a bit anxious when we went to see the cassowaries….not sure why…ha! Saw the crocodile show in the Crocoseum and also forgot how much I missed the Bindy pre-show singing and dancing…ha!
After a couple of hours at the zoo we hit the road again and made our way to Surfer’s Paradise….wow, nice hotel….way to go Mary…had awesome views of the coast from our balconies. Checked out the stores and the beach of course. Went for dinner at the Hard Rock Café….and then walked around for awhile….then I think Sammy went to go check out the nightlife…saw a few photos which I shouldn’t really post on the blog…nice! Tomorrow we head back to Coff’s….and it will be Christmas Eve…one day before Santa comes!
Dec 24th:
At some point we stopped at the Outlet shops for everyone to do some clothes shopping…I am sure Carm was in paradise. On our way south we stopped at Byron Bay for lunch and a quick view of the beach…..then the long uneventful drive back to our home in Coff’s Harbour. Christmas Eve!! More drinks….and it really is a blur what we did? I think Sammy did his pool boy duties….nice to have an assistant pool boy. I know we prepared to spend Christmas day on the beach with the Maloney’s.
Dec 25th:
Christmas day in Australia….very cool! Early morning chrissie pressie opening, and of course Brandy Alexanders….a traditional Christmas morning Grant family drink. I actually was able to find the ingredients I needed to make them. Have no idea what anyone got for presents….I seem to recall a few presents people got such as…rashie shirts, aussie hats, wallets, pom poms, books, a digerdoo from the Maloney’s and how could I forget a t-shirt that said “pussy chaser”….ha!
Packed up for the beach….sweet! Going to play on the beach, surf, drink beers and hang out with family and friends…doesn’t get any better than this….well, maybe if it wasn’t so windy!! Wow, must have been one of the windiest days of the year….but we made the best of it. There were a few sunburns, what I like to call whitewater burned eyes, and some successful first time surfers!
Dec 26 – 31st
I am actually writing this 5 years later, I got to Dec 25 and stopped writing – this is definitely the longest I have ever taken to finish a blog….but “finish” is the key word! I don’t have many notes from these last few days. We went surfing in the mornings, the girls went shopping, we had a pool party with the Luchetti’s and Devereaux’s…with the kids setting up a bar and serving drinks.
The boys went on a fishing trip up to Dorrigo – there was Sam, Dad, Mark, Stephen, Adrian and I. I do remember catching all the fish and Stephen absolutely loving the flies…haha!
We took everyone to Shelly beach one day and then dinner out at one of the restaurants around the Jetty as a big group.
If I recall, Sam left on Dec 30th and the Baxter’s left the next day…but I could be wrong….no matter.
I do remember it being a wonderful visit and a great catch up with the family before the Grant’s ventured out on their 6 month world tour….doesnt seem that long ago…as I sit here in the passenger seat writing this while Mary drives us through the outback around Uluru….June 2014.
Go figure – thought we had all of our photos of the trip here – they are on our other hard drive that is back in Canada…so can only post the ones I have...will add to them when I return to Canada in 2015!!
What I would have said to end it….Stay tuned for the next blogs….haha…
January 5th and 6th were very emotional and extremely busy days. We essentially had to have everything packed up out of “our house” that we made our home for an entire year. Said our goodbyes (still not use to hugging people, it is a Grant thing) to people that we have developed tight bonds with. But what an experience, for our kids, for Mary and especially for me (cause it is really all about me…ha). The kids were very sad to leave their friends and we know some day in 15 or 20 years that they will be back to Australia to try and touch base with some of them again…wow, cant imagine how tall Brooke and Mitchell will be by then! I hope by then Ella will have stopped sucking her thumb and I am sure Jordon and Willem will be about the same size…a couple of short-ass stocky kids. Maybe Thomas can keep sending Willem some clothes….ha. Can’t wait to see photos of Robyn or Willem’s trip to Australia in 2025….
Thanks to the Minters for the awesome house, which I hope was in acceptable condition when we left….what a rush it was to get out of there. We had such a wonderful time there and will always be fond of the memories….it will always be our house in Coffs Harbour. I am sure I will still have my reoccurring dream of waking up to thousands of leaves in the pool…wait, that wasn’t a dream…damn leaves!
Special thanks to the Maloney’s for making our year in Australia more than what we ever expected….the surfing, fishing, weekend trips, Darwin Adventure, dinners, red wine, breezers….we felt like we used you guys…thanks, nice knowing you and have a great life…ha. With your help we felt like we truly got to know and experience Australia and hopefully we didn’t turn you into alcoholics. See you in Canada soon!
Finished the book “The Grant’s Oz Adventure” and opening the “The Grant World Tour Adventure” novel….what a read it is going to be!
WEEK 1 (of 25) – Welcome to Kiwi Land
I saw Mary shed a tear as we were on the runway taking off from Coffs Harbour….now, was she crying because she was going to miss this place or because she knows that she has to take care of THREE kids for the next 6 months? My shiela hat has come off…no more cooking, cleaning laundry….yahoo!! Man is she going to kill me!
I knew watching the Amazing Race would pay off someday! Landed in Auckland, picked up our rental van and turned out our GPS didn’t have the New Zealand (will refer to New Zealand as NZ from now on) map layer….we actually had to figure out how to get to the hotel with a shitty map and asking for directions from Apo at the fuel station….but it worked…go figure!
Second day in NZ and Robyn is doing a vertical bungy at one of the malls…nice! Willem tried it but got scared and got off within minutes…I thought he was over that wussyness (not sure that is a word?)….as one of my uncles use to say “stop being a pussy and give it some wood!”
Stayed in a surfing town south of Auckland called Raglan, in a basement suite with a surfing board as a coffee table….wicked! This place is great…it even had a cemetery across the street with a headstone with “William Grant” on it….whoah that was a bit spooky.
Met up with our friends from Canada, Erin and Regan, who stayed with us in Coff’s Harbour (which I will talk about in a previous blog that I haven’t written yet). Tried to go surfing but the weather turned…rainy and high winds. Erin and Regan decided to hit the road and try and find some surf on the other coast. We decided to go for a hike instead…55 meter Bridal Veil Falls….nice! Raglan was a great little surf town but unfortunately we didn’t get to experience the surfing…I was looking forward to my 108th surf…O well, I can see myself when I am 55 years old with a VW van, a 9 foot longboard, a case of Tui (NZ beer), and hanging out in Raglan….funny I am having trouble seeing Mary??
Off to stinky town, Rotorua….known for its thermal springs, boiling mud flows and rotten egg smell. Rented a house on a river for cheap….and I personally thought it was excellent. Mary said that all it needed was a deer head over the fireplace and it would have been perfect! Caught my first NZ trout in the river behind the house….had about 4 hookups and finally landed (well not really) an estimated 4 pound rainbow trout…got it on video…it counts dammit!
Went to a geyser that goes off exactly at 10:15 every day…wow that is amazing….what is more amazing is that they start the geyser spewing by adding soap (acts as a surfactant, releasing the water column being trapped under pressure). Not really that exciting…but had to do it! The rest of the thermal area, called Wai-O-Tai was excellent…however Robyn was getting sick of the sulfur smell…and we kept blaming it on Willem…ha! Champaign pools and craters were awesome…have to be there to experience it. Went to a Lion Park (free with our admission to the Maori Performance and Dinner later that night)….felt bad for the lions but the rest of the park was great….big trout ponds and sheep that like to head butt….Willem didn’t enjoy that.
Okay, the Maori performance and dinner was very cool. We have come to the conclusion that the Maori (equivalent to Canada’s first nations) are very well respected in this country….nice to see….and it appears they deserve the recognition. Learned a ton about the Maori during the performance and the kids loved the chanting, dancing, stick fighting and the naked bums…ha! Glow worm walk in the dark at the end of the night was great…but not so great for Dad who has trouble walking around in the daylight at the best of times….thanks Robyn for letting Grandpa use you as a crutch.
Off again south to a town called Ohakune. Met up with Erin and Regan again…cant get rid of these guys…shhh, don’t say anything. We ended up hiking the Tongairiro Crossing with them….voted the one of the best day hikes in the world…yes, the World! A 19.4 km hike around volcanoes…and the place were Frodo threw the “ring” into the lava at Mt. Doom. Wont say much about it…will let the photos do the talking. Thanks Grandpa for looking after the kids while we played! What a great day!
Our first week in NZ was fantastic and have realized if we stay at this pace my budget is out the window! Actually, not really….might be a bit over but will make it up in SE Asia….I love spreadsheets, I should have been an accountant.
I thought of a new thing for the blog entries….I like to call it “Mishap of the Week” which I will quickly describe something that hasn’t gone as planned for the week.
For the first week it has to be not being able to find our rental van at the airport…the rental company wrote down that the van was in stall Q56 but in fact there was no 56 and the van ended up being in Q76…nice start! A close second was leaving my expensive Oakley sunglasses on the mesh of the trampoline at Ohakune…crap!!
Stay tuned for WEEK 2 next Sunday…Enjoy the photos.
On the road to Wellington which is NZ’s capital city and where we plan to get our visa’s for China at the Chinese Embassy. Forgot to mention that Ohakune, our last stop, was known for it’s carrot crops and the world’s largest carrot…in fact, it has a replica at the entrance to the town…it is a big ffffnnn carrot! Wow, they must have gigantic ffffnnnn rabbits around here!
Holy sheep! I knew NZ was known for it’s sheep but I really had no idea until you pass about a million of them as you drive between towns. In fact, NZ has over 40 million sheep, and only about 5 million people….which works out to 8 sheep for every single person….well I guess the blokes here will never get lonely…ha!
Turned out the embassy visa hours where between 9:00 and 12:00…so we missed the chance to get our China visa…plan B is to get it in Perth. Yes, you were right for once Mary.
I bought a Lord of the Rings guidebook that shows all the film spots…yes, I am a geek and I do plan on trying to find a bunch of the sites. Which I should mention that Wellington was a major spot for many of the film locations and is where Peter Jackson (the director) calls home.
Goodbye Wellington and the North Island….caught the ferry to Picton on the Sound Island and stayed at one of Mary’s teacher friends place who moved to NZ this past October. Lorraine, Brian, Cameron and Jack Powers who currently reside in Mapou outside of Nelson. Robyn and Cameron were in kindergarten together back in Airdrie and Robyn was very excited to visit. The Powers family were awesome hosts…we ate like hobbits…first breakfast, second breakfast, lunch, afternoon tea, dinner (tea)…it was great! We were very spoiled. Went for a “splash” down at the harbour in the Power’s kayaks, went to “Touch the Sea” where we got to touch native creatures that live in the oceans around NZ, and attended a community concert down at the harbour. As I was “people watching” I couldn’t help but think how happy everyone looked…maybe it was the wine/beer, the warm sunny afternoon and the one-man band belting out Bee Gee’s tunes.
Robyn and Cameron spent a couple of days building an aquarium from materials around the house….they were very proud of their masterpiece…and it was great to see how well they clicked together. Thanks Powers family for a wonderful visit.
Made our way down the west coast to a town called Westport. Starting to see reminders of home – rocky peaks, sprawling forests and clear water streams. However, there are large tracts of planted forests in arrow straight rows….similar to our clearcut forests but with different re-planting methods.
Went to a NZ fur seal colony at Cape Foulwind (let me see, how did they come up with that name?) and viewed a surf competition that was going on at the next beach over….made me think, I really wanted to go surfing but wondered about what it would be like surfing with seals…and we would definitely be the slow swimmers (equivalent to being the slowest runner in bear country). Lucky for us, the guy that rented the surf boards wasn’t around…I still would have went if I had a board.
The next day we made our way to Franz Josef about 4 hours down the coast. Wow, what scenery…beautiful coastline…native forests of beech trees, pohutukawa trees (vivid red flowering trees), rata trees, and large tree ferns that grow up to 20 meters. And we cant forget the possums…there are over 70 million possums in NZ…which are destroying the forests and mostly found dead on the highway to the delight of most Kiwi’s that you talk to.
Stopped at the Pancake Rocks…very cool rock formations on the coast…and I could try and describe how they were formed but not sure I would get it right. Saw some Hector dolphins, which are considered one of the rarest dolphins in the world and are also the smallest in the world….and we saw them…very cool.
We also stopped at a town called Ross to do some gold panning…much of the small towns scattered throughout NZ sprang up due to the gold in the rivers. So off we went down to the river with our pan and shovel to strike it rich….and we did…found a few specks of gold! Willem wondered how rich we were…ha!
What can I say about Franz Josef and not come across as being unappreciative? We are from Canada and live a few hours away from some of the largest glaciers in the world and also have been to Alaska which has mind blowing glacier areas. We hiked up to the toe of the Franz Josef glacier, and wanted badly to join the hundreds of others going on a guided hike up the glacier….but once you have cruised across a massive glacier on a snowmobile and felt like you were the only person around for hundreds of kilometers….it just didn’t feel like we needed to experience that. Kids enjoyed the hike pretending to be our guides…Robyn was hilarious making up things about the area…wow, does she have an imagination…and for Willem, he just follows along…ha!
Oh yeah, some old guy stopped me in the caravan park and said you have to go to this church just on the outside of town to get amazing views of the glacier…I guess I must have looked like I needed some spiritual help cause the view really wasn’t that good….but it changed my life and have seen the light (of the glacier)…amen!
From Franz Josef we headed to a town called Wanaka, about an hour north of Queenstown. We stayed in the worst caravan park cabin yet…claustrophobic, 70s style, hot box of a room. But what is funny is that the kids loved this place…it had a pool with a waterslide! Wanaka is a beautiful town sitting on Lake Wanaka surrounded by treeless craggy mountain peaks. It was weird coming from the mountains around Franz Josef which are lush and green to Wanaka which was much drier and almost barren. We toured around the town and went through a new housing development on a hill that overlooked the lake. Architecturally designed homes with very unique designs….not sure where all the money comes from? It must be mostly foreign ownership? And as we found out later, turns out our very own Shania Twain has 40,000 hectares of land around Wanaka. By the way, Mark you need to dump my sister and go after the now single Shania…ha!
Finished the day with dinner at LoneStar…cool western themed restaurant attached to an indoor climbing wall business. The kids did some rock climbing…Robyn loved it…and not surprising, Willem was a bit scared…but eventually warmed up to it.
Okay, enough writing…
Oh yeah…the “Mishap of the Week” We got a flat tire in Wanaka and couldn’t find the jack in the van….but luckily some people pulled up beside us that were driving the same model van and helped us out. A close second was almost getting my finger taken off by a weka (a small flightless bird native to NZ), which I pretended that I had food so I could get a good photo of him…which turned out pretty good!
It’s Jan 31st and we have been traveling for 26 days. I am sitting in the van writing the blog while Mary is driving…and it is raining heavy and there are rocks coming off the sides of the cliff and landing on the road…I think Mary wants me to drive! If this entry doesn’t make it on the blog…well then that is it…we got flattened by a huge boulder!
This last week was chalked full of adventure - 5,4,3,2,1….BUNGY! Wow, that was brilliant! No time to think about it really…strap you in and before you know it your flying through the air. They asked if I wanted to dip into the river….hell ya! But they said it was very important that I tuck my chin and close my eyes before hitting the water….all I remember is my eyes being peeled back and bouncing back up soaked…I wanted to see everything that was happening! Mary said she closed her eyes when she jumped and didn’t open them until she was bouncing up and down on the bungy. We bungeed at the Kawarau River, the site of the very first bungy in NZ and, by the way, the location of where they filmed the “fellowship” paddling down the river in Lord of the Rings. Dad and the kids watched us from above as we plummeted the 43 meters off the bridge, a perfectly good bridge I should add (sorry, it is a skydiving joke). What a great experience.
Next stop was the Shot Over Jet Boating….Dad, Robyn and I went and what can I say again….WOW…those boats are amazing! Dad said that when we zipped by the first cliff, coming within inches of it, he almost crapped in his pants. Robyn absolutely was thrilled…she is a daredevil in the making!
We headed into Queestown for lunch at Fergburger…if you are ever in Queenstown you have to try one of these burgers…”excuse me waiter, I think I ordered the LARGE burger”…ha! Queenstown was cool, kinda reminded us of Banff…nice to visit but not a place to live…the tourists would drive you crazy! The area is also full of wineries and fruit growing…very similar to the Okanagan / Penticton area in BC.
Stopped in a small town called Arrowtown, and I went on a Lord of the Rings hunt…found a few spots using my GPS and took some photos…but really just looked like a river and a patch of trees….but still cool!
Stayed in Te Anua for a couple of nights, did some fly-fishing and got skunked…it rarely happens so it must be that NZ has no trout…damn homosexual fish (as my friend, Ken Trout would say). We toured Milford Sound, the drive to Milford was incredible…we drove through a mountain! The early settlers really wanted to get inland…and they did it by tunneling 140 meters uphill (downhill) through the rock. There were only a few hundred waterfalls, however we were told they hadn’t had rain in 9 days…and that they were going through a bit of a drought. For a place that normally gets over 7000 mm of rain in a year, 9 consecutive days without rain is very unusual! We toured the fjords (they spell it fiords in NZ, which they admitted was wrong) on a 3 hour boat ride. Wont say much about it…let the pictures do the talking. Have to mention that as part of the tour they take you to a floating underwater observatory…which you get to go 10 meters below the surface of the ocean….to see the native creatures of the sea. Kids enjoyed it…and most notably Willem liked the black coral that only grows 1 meter every 100 years….about the same as Willem’s growth rate right now…ha!
After Te Anua, we headed to the most southerly point on NZs south island…called Slope Point….it is approximately 4800km to the south pole and 5000km to the equator. The highlights of this area for us were seeing the yellow-eyed penguins, the petrified trees, getting up close and personnel with some NZ fur seals…so close that Dad and I had to run for our lives!!! One of the females didn’t like people getting too close so she would come exploding out of the water and give chase…exciting! We stayed at a place called Pounawea, which I am thinking doesn’t get heaps of tourists like the west coast. Some of the people in the caravan park were more of the local variety…put ten of them together and you might get a full set of teeth…ha!
We drove north to the town of Dunedin. Oh yeah, I have given Mary a new nickname…Mary “stay in the car while you go get a photo” Grant. If it was windy or rainy she would wuss out and stay in the car…she must have gotten soft living in Australia for a year!
Dad and I went on the Speight’s brewery tour while Mary took the kids to an indoor playground. Typical tour, showing how the beer is made...yeah, yeah get on with it…let’s just get to the beer drinking part!
We drove around the Otago peninsula and stopped at the Royal Albatross Center hoping to see some albatross….but at $40 bucks a person we felt that was a bit steep to see a large version of a shithawk (as Robyn calls seagulls). Actually, they are amazing birds…7 foot wingspan and can fly 1000km in one day!
I got chased by a seal again…well, actually twice…scared the crap out of me both times. The second time was a bit close…I was climbing up the cliff looking for penguins and thought I came across a dead penguin…but then it moved…and then I moved down the cliff as fast I could…but then Willem was potentially in the path that the seal may have taken to get back to the ocean…but fortunately she stayed put…crisis over! That was awesome!
We checked out the town of Dunedin, went to St. Paul’s Cathedral located in the “Octogon” – the town square shaped like an octagon. Willem got excited when we told him we were going to the Octagon. In his little mind he was thinking fighting…as in UFC caged octagon fighting. When we were in the cathedral, Robyn asked what a baptism was…which I wisely responded “go ask your mom”…ha! Oh and we drove up the World’s Steepest Hill….and it was steep…for every 2.5 meters you travel horizontally, you rise 1 meter. We didn’t have a calculator with tan/sin/cos on it so we didn’t bother figuring out what that was in degrees. Yes, there is a former math teacher in the car! All I know was that I was crossing my fingers that we had good brakes for the way down.
From Dunedin we went all the way up to Christchurch…long driving day. Made a stop at Moeraki Boulders…perfectly round boulders sitting on the beach…giant marbles! Made by natural biological/geological events…which I could describe in detail but I wont…but I would like to. We didn’t see much of Christchurch as we wanted to get north to a place called Kaikoura.
Kaikoura is home to crays aka rock lobster, seals, and whales oh, and of course there is the odd sheep around. At a restaurant, lobster go for $80 a piece….wow! A bit pricier than lobster at Red Lobster in Calgary! How come things are more expensive right at the source…bananas in Coffs Harbour, gasoline in Alberta (well, not a good example as fuel in NZ is $1.70 per liter), and lobster in Kaikoura. The weather was a bit sus (short for suspect in Australian language), so we decided not to do any ocean adventures…too bad, as Kaikoura has a local population of sperm whales (the Moby Dick type whales)…..instead we went and watched a sheep shearing show….it was great! Robyn loved it, Willem sneezed!
I am ending this blog entry at the end of Jan 27th….so now I am only a few days behind.
Time for “Mishap of the Week” which has to be the seal sleeping up on the cliff and then being awoken by a stupid tourist…serves us right…but I had no idea they would be sleeping that far up in the cliffs!
Our last week in NZ before we head on to Western Australia. We drove to Picton to catch our ferry back to the north island. ACDC is playing tonight in Wellington so consequently the ferry was packed full of metal heads….all heading straight to the ship’s bar to get primed for tonight’s show. Looked like fun…Mary and I thought about trying to get tickets but it just didn’t work out. ACDC is touring eastern Europe when we are there so the plan will be to try and catch them there.
There were a lot of drunk people by the time the boat docked in Wellington…a few stumblers that were likely going to miss the show tonight…too funny.
We changed our plans and decided to stay at a “farm stay” tonight. After driving down a wrong road and pulling a Austin Powers turnaround on a very narrow road we finally found the place. Turned out to be fantastic. Peter and Linda and their godson Josh were great hosts. Josh was one of the funniest 4 year olds…he toured us around the farm…talked about the “bloody plants” that have nasty spines, got head butted by the sheep, knocked over and got back up without missing a step…he did a full on front flip while running down a hill…layed on the ground with his arm pinned under his body…and yelped a small “help”…but before we got to him he maneuvered his arm from under him and picked himself up…”I’m alright” Mary and I were in tears laughing….the kids just thought Josh was crazy.
The next morning (Jan 29) we got to shoot guns and ride quads…ahhh…feels like were back in redneck Alberta! Target practice with a 22 scoped rifle…which I hit the bullseye 9 out of the 10 shots…I missed my calling! Willem and Robyn loved the kids quad and the more time they were on it you could see the fear washing away….they had a ton of fun.
Lord of the Rings was filmed around this area, and in fact you could see one of the film sets right out Linda and Peter’s window. Linda showed us some film paraphernalia and chatted about what it was like during filming…cool…well I thought so anyways.
Next stop was the town of Napier on the east coast of the north island. Nice town on the coast….the most interesting bit about this place was that it was destroyed in 1931 by a 7.9 earthquake. The town was rebuilt, obviously, but was was unusual is that they built it back up using an art-deco architectural design. So every building has these art-deco designs with colorful finishing. Of course we went to a winery, called Clearwater Wines, which claims to have the most expensive Chardonnay in New Zealand…which was not on the list of wines to taste. I guess this particular wine takes around 3 years to make and is either hit or miss….making it a bit financially risky to make. Whatever, give me a box of wine from the local liquor store and tell me it’s expensive and I will believe you.
Okay…I am going to jump right into “Mishap of the Week” cause it was a good one. We left Napier in the rain…not just a little rain, rain that makes you say “damn it’s really coming down”…ha! Our plan was to travel from Napier up to a town called Opotiki on the north coast…but plans changed…the highway was under water…oh oh, feels like Fiji all over again. The only way to get to our destination was to take a short 6 hour detour and cross our fingers that the roads on the detour weren’t washed out as well. Things were going good, and it looked like we were going to make it…but…a big BUT…we needed fuel…and it was Sunday and the population density on this side of the island is low…and is made up of mostly native maori. Long story short, the gas station was closed and we weren’t going anywhere until the morning. Stayed in a crappy caravan park just outside of Hicks Bay…with bug infested mattresses…fun! All part of the adventure…right Mary…ha ha ha…smack in the side of the head…ouch that hurt…stop hitting me Mary!
Our last couple of days in NZ were fairly uneventful….compared to above. Stayed in a place called Waiga beach before heading into Auckland to catch our flight back to Australia…
We had a great time in NZ…put on around 4000km in 27 days and saw a lot of the country…some may say quality is better than quantity but if you only have a window of time you want a little taste of each of good bits…which added up to being very full and satisfied. Mary and I will be back in NZ one day and stay a bit longer at some of those amazing spots.
What do you do for 14 days in Western Australia? Well let me tell you…
You do as much driving as you can, cause you only have 14 days and the west coast of Australia is huge. You change your plans to go north instead of south because the weather forecast for the south shows only highs of 18C and the north is a beautiful 28 to 33C.
You spend over $200 on cab rides cause we changed our plans and booked a motorhome instead of staying in caravan parks…which we couldn’t pick up the motorhome until the next day which meant we had to take a cab to our accommodation, which was 50 km from the airport, which the caravan park wouldn’t let us cancel without losing our money…which meant…damn that sucked.
Wholly crap it is windy here!! Almost unpleasantly windy…almost cut my wrists I cant take this anymore windy…ha! But if you were a windsurfer, kitesurfer or wind generator company you would be in heaven.
Stayed in a town called Guilderton the first night…beautiful spot on the coast beside a river…did you say river…river means fishing! Ended up hooking 3 fish but not landing any of them…who would of thought a fishing net was so important. Attempted a walk down the beach…but the sand blasting in the eyes and legs was just a bit too much for the kids….there is always beer.
Feeling a bit of jetlag today…it was a 5 hour time difference for us between here and NZ…waking up a tad early.
The next day we stopped at the “pinnacles”…awesome rock formations in the desert…formed by a very interesting process…which I won’t describe here (I described it in my daily journal). Next stop was lunch break at a place called Jurien Bay….and a swim…the water looked beautiful so we had to go in for a dip. Stayed in Denison Point caravan park located right on the beach….but again, the damn wind was annoying.
The next day we continued north to the town of Kalbarri. Went on a lobster/dolphin/cliff viewing boat tour. The owner/operators of the boat were excellent guides…showing us how they bring up lobster (cray) pots, finding a pod of dolphins for us to get up close to and letting us throw out a fishing line in hopes of hooking something….nodda. We caught many lobster but only 4 were legal to keep…and to our surprise they let us keep the lobster…sweet! Cooked up the lobster that night…steak and lobster in the caravan park….we were the envy of everyone…well maybe just the people we borrowed the pots to cook them in.
We tried to get to the Murichson river gorges around Kalbarri to see Z-bend and Natures Window (rock formations and deep canyons) but “molly the motorhome” just wouldn’t make it down 25km of corrugated rough road….o well there is always another rock formation somewhere. Instead we stopped at the “blueholes” and did some snorkeling. I was pleasantly surprised with some bits of coral and colorful tropical fish around the rocks that were literally 2-3 feet off the beach.
On Feb 7th we traveled from Kalbarri to Monkey Mia….”molly the motorhome” isn’t the most aerodynamic vehicle on the road….which makes for tough steering in the wind and awesome gas mileage…not! (To our Aussie readers….that is translated to petrol kilometerage…ha). It was a bit warmer in Monkey Mia….around 30C…which was beautiful for us…hotter the better when your around water and have air conditioning when you sleep!
Monkey Mia is located in the world heritage area of Shark Bay and is famous for it’s up close and personnel visits along the beach from bottlenose dolphins. Heading into Shark Bay we stopped at the “Hamelin Pool Stromatolites”…..and I was very excited about this (not that you could tell I was excited….it was my inner excitement showing…ha!). Stromatolites are thought to be the oldest living organisms on the planet….they are cyanobacteria (algae and bacteria living in a symbiotic relationship) that helped create the earth’s atmosphere by releasing oxygen….I learned about these in University….now I am seeing them…very cool…I knew all those years of University would pay off one day…ha! Kids, Mary and Dad didn’t really share my excitement…basically look like some rock stumps in the water giving off bubbles.
Next stop before Monkey Mia was “Shell Beach”. The beach is made up of tiny cockle shells that are layered up to 10 meters in depth and stretching over 120 km. We tried to go for a swim….but had to walk about half a kilometer just to get the “boys” wet.
Off to Monkey Mia….the caravan park was right on the beach and had wild emu’s walking around the park…cool…but as we found out later, they were very irritating…as soon as you brought out food they were on you….had to be aggressive towards them to get them to go away.
Oh…and we met an Australian couple with kids camped beside us that had connections to Kelowna and Calgary. Her brother lived in Calgary and the guy use to be a snowboard instructor at Big White and he lived in Rutland – the same area Mary and I use to live in Kelowna….small world.
Went to the morning dolphin feeding and Robyn was picked to feed one of the dolphins…she was thrilled about that. It was cool to see the dolphins right at your feet…but for me almost too choreographed…I like the so called “wild” experiences better….like what happened to me a bit later on in the day….
So I was snorkeling around the sea grass looking at some clams/oysters and looked up and there was this sea snake coming at me….about a foot from my face….wholly crap did I scream like a little girl through my snorkel. I kept my head in the water and backpaddled as fast as I could…and it was still coming…I moved quicker….and then I lost it in the sand that I had stirred up from the bottom….whew…gone…scared the poop out of me! Sea snakes are one of the most venomous types of snakes in the world…but they rarely bite I guess…I am glad it didn’t happen to me!
The next day I got up at 5am and went fishing….watched the sun come up and managed to hook a fish on a saltwater fly….not sure what it was…about 10 inches long with a mouth full of teeth.
We continued north up to our furthest destination north of Perth, called Coral Bay. We spent 3 nights in Coral Bay – did a snorkel trip out to the Ningaloo reef. Compared to all the places we have snorkeled this one was up there…tons of hard corals and larger type fish…most notably the unicorn, snapper and potato cods. Got to swim with a very large school of parrotfish and Mary had an experience with a stingray and a sea snake! We stopped at two snorkel spots but got quite cold from the wind…we were all shivering. Dad and Willem stayed in the boat…but got to experience it through the glass bottom.
The area is also known for being able to swim with the whale sharks…but they weren’t around, they don’t show up until March…too bad…that would be incredible. We were able to walk down the beach to a so called “shark nursery” to view the many sharks that congregate to give birth to their young. We also saw some giant manta rays that were frolicking just off shore….but we were not happy with the kitesurfers that were surfing in the bay that was suppose to be off limits to any disturbance….damn kitesurfers (Stephanie – don’t tell Ian I said that!).
We spent the next 3 days making the 1132km trek back to Perth. The most notable event being our night at Horrocks caravan park…which was full of 60-70 year olds. It was kinda like our kids being deprived of other kids, when they see kids they immediately go play with them. Well this happened to Dad….he made quick friends with the retiree’s and had a great time chatting with them….Mary and I listened in on the conversations…too funny!
Oh, and we picked up a hitchhiker one day and it turned out Robyn and him didn’t quite get along…and actually Robyn got quite upset with him and screamed at him. He then ran to the front of the motorhome and slipped under the seat…then we think he scurried away when we stopped for fuel…..we had a mouse in the house!
We left Dad at the Perth hotel at 3:30am in the morning. His flight from Perth to Sydney left at 5:45am from the Domestic and ours left at 6:35 from the International. Another great trip. Sad to see Grandpa go…no more halfers on the food and hotel bills…back to “wholers” as the kids would say…ha! Turned out Dad’s trip back home was the trip from hell….the first class flight from Sydney to San Fran was fine….it was the San Fran to Calgary that sucked…couldn’t land in Calgary due to fogged in weather and had to stay a night in Edmonton…of all places, Edmonton…cant think of a worst place to have to spend a night…ha…just kidding my wonderful family!
We are off to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia….stay tuned for the next blog entry….hopefully sooner than later….(I am on a bus going through the jungles of Malaysia…not sure what adventure lies around the next bend…)
Here are our highlights for the first 10 days in Malaysia:
We lost our photos from the first 4 days in Malaysia….my memory card somehow got corrupted…likely due to some moisture getting in to the camera…crap! I thought of getting Robyn to draw some pictures for me of all the things we saw and did the first 4 days and then I would scan them and load them on the blog…but I guess we will just have to have the images in our brains. Losing the photos was definitely “mishap of the week”….close second was Willem almost getting run over by a scooter in Mersing…it would have made the mishap of the week only if he had gotten run over….not to mention we would have likely come home to heal his broken bones…ouch! Mary said it looked a lot closer than it actually was….whew!
From Feb 16 to 19th (no photos): I went fishing and caught a 300lb marlin, six – 40lb tuna, and an endangered hammerhead shark….really I did! I have no photos to prove it…but it counts dammit!
Arriving in Kuala Lumpur (referred to as KL) was fairly uneventful except for the cabbie almost falling asleep on us while driving down a four lane highway…I had to keep talking to him so that his eyes would stay open! And that was tough for me…to try and talk for 40 mins…ha!
We went to the Petronas Towers (now the 2nd largest buildings in the world)…walked around and I am sure Mary was in heaven…shopping heaven….crazy the shopping here….from high-end everything to cheap everything on the street. Too bad we are living on $100 per day…plus our bags are stuffed full already. We went to an indoor amusement park called Cosmos World…kids had a blast….Mom and Dad liked the rollercoaster too!
Dropped our passports off at the Chinese Embassy to get our visas for China and were informed that they weren’t going to be ready for over a week…now what do we do? Travel without our passports around Malaysia? Don’t want to hang out in KL for a week….yep, let’s get out of here…we got copies of our passports…that should work? We hope?
Went to Batu Caves, about a 20 min cab ride out of KL….less than $10 bucks to get there. Batu Caves is a cave system that has been developed by the Hindu religion as a place of worship and offering. In fact, every year on Feb 8th a festival occurs that attracts hundreds of thousands of people….and in 2007 it had 1.5 million visitors….yes that is million! Making it one of the largest one day gathering in history…Wow. 272 steps later we reached the caves…we missed this huge festival by a few weeks but the place still looked like it had been hammered by a million people….very dirty and smelly...but still something to see. The caves have a troop of resident macque monkey’s that are quite entertaining…but they freaked out the kids…so I decided that I would show the kids that they were harmless….which backfired on me! I stamped my foot at one of the small females and she jumped back but then came at me with her wide open mouth showing her big teeth….well Robyn was shaking and crying and wanted to leave like NOW. Oopps…that didn’t work out. I should have remembered my Primatology course in University….never look primates in the eye and always try and show that your not threatening….damn I forgot that!
We left Batu caves…at least the kids will remember this….even without photos! The next day we went to a huge waterpark called Sunway Lagoons…man, I wish I had the photos….crazy place. They like to build things big here. Kids loved the water parks. The mall that the waterpark was attached to was huge…it also had an indoor skating rink…which was quite funny to watch Malaysians try and skate.
Oh, yeah, Mary and Robyn had a very unique massage….they had a fish massage…you put your feet in water that has hundreds of tiny fish and they clean your feet by biting off the dead skin….Mary said it was very weird…Robyn had trouble keeping her feet in the water…funny!
On Feb 20th we took a 6 hour bus ride and 2 hour ferry ride to Tioman Island off the east coast of Malaysia. We arrived at the island, walked off the jetty and we were greeted with “who the hell are you” kind of stares…oh oh. They didn’t have our booking and we weren’t sure if we were going to get one? Problem was…that there is no way to get around the island other than boat…and it was getting late. Finally, I told him I would pay cash for a night…and the guy gave us a key. We left the next morning for the more touristy part of the island. We arrived in a village called ABC Batang….now this is more like it…other travelers…lots of places to stay and eat. Our place had the best beach and 30 feet off the shoreline was a coral reef…sweet! Now it was time to relax! Beach, beers, swimming, snorkeling, eating great Malaysian food and meeting people from all over the world (Spanish, Dutch, Danes, English, Irish, Canadians) occupied our time over the next 6 days.
We met a French Canadian guy, named Francois, who we hung out with....very nice guy. Went out to Coral Island one day…fantastic water and coral….some untouched coral structures with many colorful fish.
Cant believe how cheap things are here…food and beer are dirt cheap…a typical Malaysian meal is about 6 ringgits a plate…which works out to be about $1.80 CAN…wow, my Grant genes are very happy right now.
We ventured out to the other side of the island one day…to a village called Juara…a hired driver with a 4x4 took us…stopped at a turtle rehabilitation center and met their blind turtle, Jo, who was born blind…not sure why they kept it? It just swims around in a tub in circles…but I guess it wouldn’t know any better. There is normally surfing on this side of the island, but our luck it was flat…no waves…damn! The road getting to Juara was about 10km long all hand poured concrete up and over the mountain…a bit crazy…we were hoping the guys brakes worked.
Had a few monkey’s at our door one afternoon…they would come in from the jungle behind us to see if the could find an easy meal. Also would have large monitor lizards scare us as we walked back in the dark…this was my kind of place…oh, and tons of butterflies.
We celebrated Mary’s birthday with pizza’s and drinks on the beach with all of our friends that we had met – Tim and Donna from Ontario (great people…they use to dragon boat race for Canada and won it last year…Tim is 75 and is in amazing shape…hope that is us one day!), a mom and daughter from Holland (the mom would go topless every day at the beach…and she really shouldn’t have…she tried to talk to Willem one day…but he just stared at her droopy nipples…ha), Francois, and a guy and girl (hot) from Spain. I ordered a birthday cake from a village a few kilometers away and they delivered it to us…worked out perfect…Mary was very surprised that I could arrange something like this….I was surprised with myself too…ha!
We really enjoyed this island….the food, the people, the snorkeling and the prices! Will definitely try and come back here one day. We are heading back to KL to pick up our passports and should be on our way to Borneo next week. Stay tuned.
On Feb 26th we arrived back in Kuala Lumpur to pick up our passports and arrange our trip to Borneo. Mary arranged for us to stay at a budget hostel called the Green Hut hotel…but it was full, so they booked us in at their sister hostel called the Trekker’s Lodge….first impressions was that yes it was budget, only paying $23 per night, the lobby was decent, the TV room was good…but then we opened up the room….it smelled. But we could live with this…I’ve stayed in worse…okay, well we will make the most of it. Put the kids to bed, padlocked them in the room and went down to watch the Olympic highlights. Heard some guys whispering about bed bugs….I decided to go check the kids…great they were asleep! I moved Robyn and out from under her scurried the bed bugs….bloody hell! We started searching around the room for more…and there they were…all different sizes…from head of the needle size to tick size. I googled bed bugs and didn’t like what I read…they are attracted to the CO2 we exhale and body heat…and often position themselves on the roof and drop down to it’s sleeping victim, and then feast on our blood…wow, this sounds like fun. What do we do now? I went out and tried to find another hotel…but mostly everything was booked around us…but was lucky enough to get propositioned by this hot looking he/she…ha!
Mary and I took turns checking the kids for bugs all night…a very long night. We also searched on the internet for another hotel. I was literally pacing the room…killing bugs as I went. Mary had to get out of the room so she went downstairs to the lounge…I went and checked on her and she was asleep on the couch with the Olympic Games going on the TV…and it was Live…sweet! Always got to look on the bright side…kids are upstairs getting feasted on by bugs…but we get to watch coverage of Live Olympics!
We managed to find this awesome Bed and Breakfast down the street…and they allowed us to check in at 8:00 in the morning after explaining to them the night from hell we endured. Through all that…the kids slept like babies…a few more itchy spots the next day…but just part of the adventure!
Picked up our passports from the Chinese Embassy no problem, okay let’s book Borneo….the airline doubled the price of the flights…crap! Okay looks like a couple more days in KL….took the kids to a waterpark by Petronas Towers, visited a science center (which was focused around the production of oil and oil products – with a kid twist…was excellent!) we bought a hop on / hop off bus pass…got to tour around the city to see the various tourist spots. We stopped at the Central Market, the Planetarium (watched a great space movie narrated by Tom Hanks, and a kids movie)….Willem was scared of the huge screen at the planetarium…suck it up buttercup! Mary had a massage from what looked like a reputable place…but she came out all oiled and depressed from hearing the Thai ladies stories about how much she had to work to support her family back in Thailand….and wondering if she booked the midnight massage if it would come with a “happy ending”? Enough of KL…it is actually a great city…heaps to do, relatively clean, and cheap as chips (an ozzie expression).
Okay, Borneo here we come! Never thought I would be going to Borneo…this is amazing! Our first night we stayed in a small budget Bed and Breakfast about 1 km from the Orangutan Center. Rooms were great, food was good and we met some people from Melbourne who gave us some great tips about traveling Africa. But really we should have stayed at the Jungle Resort next to the Orangutan Center…which we did book for the next night and also booked a overnight wildlife tour.
We were lucky to see 6 orangutans come out of the jungle for a feeding. Most of these orangutans are orphans found by farmers in the palm plantations who are taken in by the Center and cared for until they are ready to be released. The orangutans that we saw come in are actually ones that have been released. Over time they are weened off the feedings and some transported to other parts of Borneo….and other decide simply not to come back. They were quite active, playing and swinging….awesome experience.
I went for a hike one afternoon by myself into the jungle…left at 2:30 and didn’t get home until 7:30…I told Mary I was only going to be gone for a couple of hours. But, as I explained to Mary, I was about to leave when these professional wildlife photographers showed up…they were looking for the giant red flying squirrel that comes out in the early evening….waited and waited….saw a flying snake…yes, a snake that flies…similar to the way a squirrel flies with it’s thin skin outstretched from it’s body. Heaps of birds, hornbills…sort of like toucans…and then finally the giant flying squirrels….very cool. Walked back in the dark through the jungle…lucky the tigers are only on the Peninsular Malaysia! Mary was worried but it didn’t seem like it…she was hanging with an Australia family that were just coming off a year of living in China and the last 3 months traveling around SE Asia. Got some great tips from them….and were glad to see we weren’t the only ones having similar stories about traveling with kids…”man this would be easy without kids”….ha!
We left March 5th for an overnight trip to a lodge located on the Kinabatangan River famous for concentrated populations of wildlife along the river….and the reason, as we found out driving through Borneo, is that the native forests are disappearing to huge palm oil plantations….so the wildlife is getting squeezed along these protected areas such as the Kinabatangan River. Good for us I guess…cause we saw tons – long and short tailed macaques (monkies), silver langurs (monkies), 3 troops of proboscis (big nose) monkies, orangutans, many different kinds of birds but the highlight being the rhinoceros hornbill…huge colorful beaks, a 4 meter crocodile, otters, and various snakes.
Since I played the night before it was Mary’s turn to do a nightwalk…damn this one would have been better. And I think it was, she saw 2 different types of wild cats (a leopard cat and what is called a civet), scorpions, various birds, frogs and a few large spiders….oh, and she said a “sacred tree” like the one in Avatar…yeah right!
We were hoping to see some elephants, and bush babies and maybe even a large clouded leopard…but that would have been a little much to ask for….next time!
I forgot to mention that on the drive to the lodge we stopped at a cave called Gomamtang Caves....famous for it's harvesting of bird nests for a chinese delicacy of bird's nest soup...wow, had no idea. To sum up the cave I quote Robyn - "that was the most disgusting thing I have ever seen...but it was cool". Imagine millions of bats in a cave with a trail that does a loop through mounds of bat guano (shit)...and with bat shit on the floor of the cave comes the other critters...the floor of the cave was literally crawling with insects....mostly large cockroaches....so cool...ha! On the way out we got to see a troop of rare monkies called maroon langurs...
Spent the next day drinking beer with our new found Aussie friends around the pool…and it was their daughter’s 6th birthday…so we had a cake, balloons, music and presents….the 20 year old backpackers at the other end of the pool were sure jealous.
Our last day in Borneo was in the town of Kota Kinabalu which is the capital city. Stayed in the heart of the action…saw some cool stuff in the Sunday Market. Flying back to KL, we got to see Mount Kinabalu which is a 4095 meter mountain that you can hike up to the summit…takes 2 days…wanted to do it but Willem said he was a bit tired and didn’t think he would be able to make it…ha! The mountain is actually rated the 20th most prominent mountain in the world…Everest of course being number one. …Kilimanjaro is #5…
Thailand here we come! Malaysia was more than we expected…sure glad we ventured here….will definitely go back there one day!
Stay tuned for our next blog….Bangkok and Cambodia.
PS...our small cameras dont take good wildlife photos...but we are hoping some of the people we met with real cameras send us some of their photos...cross our fingers.
We arrived back to a familiar place…Thailand! Home of ping pongs, tuk tuks and the people trying to overthrow the government. Stayed 4 days in Bangkok mainly to get our visa’s for Russia and Vietnam. I was so pissed off after standing in the Russian Embassy line up for over an hour to find out that we couldn’t get our Russian visa while on a 30 day tourist visa in Thailand. It isn’t like we didn’t do our research…damn that sucks! I was in a bad mood…and it is very rare I get upset like that. Now what? How the bleep to we get our visa for Russian? I was also a bit upset with our tourist agent…she new our situation and should have given us some guidance. After a few direct emails back to her she finally gave us some options. 1. Try in Vietnam, 2. Hong Kong, or 3. Send back to Canada. We are going to try Vietnam.
The next day we went to the Vietnam embassy and got our visa’s the same day…cost us about $250 but at least we got them without hassel. One would think you would get more tourists if you made it easier to get into the country…okay maybe Russia still doesn’t trust Westerner’s? or maybe it was that I was wearing my “Canada” t-shirt and they were still upset about the ass-kicking we gave them in the Olympics…not sure? Whatever….that was for sure the “Mis-hap of the Week”.
Our plan was to head up to Chang Mai and then take a boat on the Mekong River over to Laos…but then we heard the water levels in the Mekong River were so low they cancelled all boat trips. Okay, change of plan…let’s go to Cambodia via Siem Reap. We arranged a mini-bus / taxi to take us…very inexpensive…less than $100 for the 4 of us. We still had a couple of days in Bangkok before we left for Cambodia.
The place we are staying is off Kho San Road…the backbacker’s area of Bangkok. The food is great and cheap and you can get anything you want at the market’s…anything! And we were able to get a coke slurpee at the 7-Eleven down the street. By the way, there are 7-Eleven’s on every corner in Bangkok…kind of like Starbuck’s in Seattle. I bought a laser pointer for like $5 bucks…one of those powerful ones that you can use to point out stars, or irritate the hell out of someone…should be awesome at the cabin…will be able to pinpoint people on the “other-side” at night. Robyn got her hair braided and Mary got a tattoo…looks good!
We went to a temple called Wat Arun, looking like it is carved in granite, but on closer inspection (climbing up the steep stairs) it is decorated with porcelain tiles that covers the 82 meter spire. Mary had to buy a sarong to cover herself up to enter the temple…she was showing too much skin…don’t want to get those monks excited…pitching tents in their robes…ha!
Okay, off to Cambodia! So 4 Canadians, 2 Vietnamese, 1 South African, 1 Spaniard, and 1 Israely get on a mini-bus…sounds like the start of a joke…but that is who was on our bus. It was great talking with them, well not the vietamese guys, don’t think they spoke much English. The guys from South Africa and Israel were traveling together…young guys having fun. The Spanish guy was a drama teacher traveling around the world helping different organizations develop theatrical shows…cool! And then there were these 4 Canadians…not sure about that motley crew…ha!
As we were leaving Bangkok, there were military decked out in full riot gear on every street corner. We had heard there was a demonstration suppose to start that afternoon…the so called “red shirts” wanted the current government dissolved…and a new election. We were glad to be leaving Thailand! Not that it would get violent…as history has shown many coup’s have taken place without violence in Thailand…no really…it is actually rare to have a violent demonstration.
After about 3 hours, we arrived at the Thai/Cambodian border…and the fun began! We stopped at a place to fill out paperwork for our Cambodian visa…and presto, 20 min later we had our visas (damn Russians). We had an “escort” to get the group of us across the border safely. It was a bit intimidating….not to mention hot! We had to walk to the border, go through Thai customs, walk across the border, enter Cambodian customs, get on a bus to take us to a place to grab a taxi that would take us the rest of the way to Siem Reap. It all seemed a bit suspect….but in the end it all worked out perfectly. A two hour cab ride later with a non-english speaking cab driver, and we were in Siem Reap…but then we thought we were getting scammed as he didn’t take us to our hotel. But turned out that he didn’t know where the hotel was and needed to pick up an interrupter….so with the interrupter off we went to our hotel.
A small guesthouse with a pool….met some Australian’s on a world tour with their Toyota Landcruiser…Micko and Lizebeth from Perth. Called the Rottnest to Rotterdam tour. Awesome people. It turned out they were in the same predicament as us getting a Russian visa. Touring around in their Landcruiser seemed like an interesting way to travel the world…Mary and I discussed this briefly…maybe one day once the kids are out of the house….
Okay, the world famous Angkor Wat. Now what do I say about this without diminishing the full meaning and scale of this place. Encredible. It is said to be the 8th wonder of the world. But I have to say, with kids walking around in 35C heat it was a bit challenging. We did it in one day and the kids really did great considering the conditions. We only saw maybe one sixth of the place…if we were lucky. Okay, what is it? It was the home of the Khmer Empire between the 9th and 13th Century…a city of over a million people. Skillfull and warlike rulers that built massive monumental religious structures representing Buddha and Hindu cultures. The place was taken over by the jungle and wasn’t until the 1930s that some French explorers re-discovered the full scale of the ancient city. A great experience and my words don’t do it justice.
I should mention that Cambodia is an impoverished country with over 40% of the population under 15 years old. So that makes for a lot of kids begging and selling things on the streets. Very sad to see. And obviously Angkor Wat attracts tons of tourists which attracts tons of child sellers.
This one girl was trying to sell to me and she followed me forever, she finally gave up and cursed at me in Cambodian. This other girl was so clever, she knew we were from Canada because of the flag on my backpack. She wanted to make a deal with me, if she could tell me what the capital of Canada was, the names and capitals of each province, and who the governor general of Canada was that I had to buy something from her. So I had to test her…and she had me! Awesome ploy by her to get people to buy…very clever. I ended up buying these little bronze feline trinkets for the kids for like $2 bucks.
We stayed another couple days in Siem Reap. We had a ‘driver’ the entire time we were there…called a tuk-tuk….a motorcycle attached to a carriage. He picked us up in the mornings, took us wherever we wanted and dropped us back at the hotel. Great deal! Went to a silk farm one day and learned how silk is produced and how clothing and other articles are made…very interesting! Our driver then took us to a local hangout…a lake to go for a swim. What a unique experience, we felt very privileged to be taken here…our tuk-tuk driver was a very sincere, soft spoken guy…must have been gay…not that there is anything wrong with that! While relaxing in the beach huts along the lake, kids and women would come by with food, snacks and drinks to sell us. I bought these coconut covered noodle type things…when you bit in to them they bursted with a brown sugary sweetness…they were awesome! Robyn gagged when she put it in her mouth…she couldn’t get past the outer slimy textured coating…ha! Both Mom and Robyn couldn’t eat them either….they were so good! I passed on the dried lake beetles and salted cycads….looked tasty but just couldn’t do it.
Oh, and almost forgot, we when to a concert at the children’s hospital. There is this doctor that has been in Cambodia since the 70s that has been key in developing a “free” system for child health care in Cambodia. He is a musician as well and puts on what I like to call an “awareness” concert once a week. In a westernized concert hall, the doctor would play his cello for 5 mins and then make a speech about how corrupt the Cambodian government was…play for 5 min, and then discuss the importance of the free hospital and that this was not a political statement….it was very interesting…kids surprisingly liked the music. I also learned that approx 80% of the prescription drugs in Cambodia are fake…knockoffs produced in Cambodia. And about 50% of the hospital’s budget is getting the real drugs from reputable overseas pharmaceutical companies….crazy!
From Siem Reap we traveled to the capital city of Cambodia called Phnom Penh….stay tuned for the next blog update….coming in a couple of days…
The capital city of Cambodia, Phnom Penh – a city of over 2 million people. The guidebook recommends 2 to 3 days checking out the sites of the city….we spent 10 days. Of course this wasn’t by choice per say, but rather out of necessity of obtaining our visa’s for Russia. Phnom Penh is an assault on the senses, immense poverty mixed in with a glimmer of money, smog choked streets with no room for pedestrians, black rivers of sewage, litter in piles constantly being swept away for the next person, and in a case of “one of these things don’t belong” ever smiling Cambodian people.
We tried to make the most of our situation being “trapped” in the big city waiting for our passports. We stayed in a small guesthouse the first couple of nights and then moved over to a larger hotel for the remainder of our sentence…I mean time.
Quading through the Cambodian countryside was a wonderful experience. With Mary and Robyn on one quad and Willem and I on the other away we went to experience rural living. But first we stopped at the Killing Fields of Cheuong Ek…not a place for kids…but something we had to see. In the early 70s, during the Vietnam War, Cambodia in turmoil was taken by the Khmer Rouge – who implemented one of the most radical and brutal restructurings of a society ever attempted. Their leader, Pol Pot instigated a cleansing of western ideas which included, enslaving, torturing and killing anyone part of the old government, anyone who was educated or appeared to look intelligent, innocent children, and the elderly. He forced everyone to march out of the cities and work in slave camps. He was essentially trying to re-start the Cambodian civilization –calling it “Year Zero”….getting back to a agriculture/peasant way of life. In the end, an estimated 2 million people lost their lives and countless others suffering the atrocities of this revolution.
So the Killing Fields are as the name suggests, where mass graves were found. A 17 story glass monument filled with 8000 skulls was erected in memory of those killed at this site. The mass graves can still be seen, and bones and clothing are still sticking out of the soil. A bit difficult to explain to our kids…I am sure they didn’t really get it…but that is a good thing.
Back on the quads to experience true Cambodian rural villages. Very cool and as expected very poor. Houses on stilts, naked smiling kids, cows walking astray, piles of hay, fields of rice and a bomb squad! We came across a Japanese bomb squad company removing old mines and bombs from a rice field…and they showed me the ones that had been removed…a bit nerve-racking, snapped a photo and got out of there. Our guide asked me not to put this on the internet…but to clarify he didn’t want it on TripAdvisor as a review of his company….maybe others don’t want to quad around the countryside knowing that there are landmines…cant see why not? Ha! The other notable thing was that most houses, more like shacks on stilts, had a “scarecrow” at the entrance to their property…it was suppose to keep out evil spirits. Also, we felt like celebrities, we were constantly waved and smiled at…and in particular, we passed by a school and were chased by about 50 smiling, screaming school kids…it was great.
It turns out Mary wasn’t feeling very well during the trip but didn’t say anything…she didn’t want to ruin the trip. But by the end, she was struggling…and I don’t blame her, quading around for 4 hours in the heat and dust was taxing.
Time for “Mishap of the Week”….and it is a whopper! I would have to say this takes the mishap of the trip so far…I hope. My wallet went for a walk without me…I either got pic-pocketed or somehow it fell out of my pocket…not sure…but it was gone. We were in the busy central market of Phnom Penh and there was no way I was getting it back…wow, did that suck! I thought about it after, it turned out to be one of my worst days but for someone who found it, was likely one of their best days. I only had about $100 in the wallet, but for them it would likely be a couple of months of income. For us, just a pain to have to cancel everything and get cards sent to us. Turns out, I had everything canceled and new cards ordered within a couple of hours. A few days later our new credit cards arrived via courier. I was quite upset obviously…and Robyn said to me, Dad, it isn’t that bad…it’s not like you lost us. Wow, yeah that puts it in perspective.
We visited an orphanage and brought them supplies – toothbrushes, soap, writing books, pencils, erasers, and crayons. The orphanage had 107 kids of various ages. It was an eye-opener and in our opinion not run very well…but then again we have nothing to compare to. The property consisted of a dirt-filled courtyard with the perimeter being the multi-room bedrooms filled with bunkbeds, a washroom building, a kitchen, and a school room. The kids in general were dirty but then again so was Willem after just 10 min playing soccer with a few of the kids. Mary and I both had mixed feelings about the experience. Our kids enjoyed being around other kids…Willem playing soccer and Robyn sitting with the girls drawing and writing. This one particular girl who was 11 years old was smaller than Willem and obviously had suffered malnutrition as a baby…but in general most of the kids were very small for their age. Our kids and us are very lucky. We stayed a couple of hours and un-expectantly at around 1:30 most of the kids disappeared – they were off to school….of course, just because they are orphans doesn’t mean they don’t go to school.
One evening we went to a traditional Khmer-style drumming performance at a cultural/art theater. I wouldn’t really call it a theater per se….more like a small stage with a few bleachers. But is was fantastic…kids loved the “monkey” performance….the dancers put on monkey masks and played around the stage. The Cambodian kids that were brought to watch the show were cute…all in their pajamas gathered along the front end of the stage. Each week, the theater has a performance, this week was drumming and next week was shadow puppets, which we would have liked to see. However, at the end of the show they gave us a small snippet of the shadow puppets…really cool.
We felt like we were running out of things to do here…and tried to stretch it out…our hotel had a great rooftop pool that we visited each day to have a couple of beers…which was a nice change from the busy, exhaust choked streets. We tried to go to the Royal Palace one day, but it was closed for some reason…and ended up going to the National Museum instead. Not too exciting for the kids…to them just a bunch of statues and stuff they couldn’t touch. The museum held many of the statues that were once at Angkor Wat. We got to see evidence of when traffic doesn’t flow all that well….a motorcycle that had collided with a small truck….we didn’t see it happen luckily.
Mary took the kids to a waterpark while I waited around the hotel for our credit cards to show up…which they did at the end of the day. Mary said the waterpark was interesting…only a couple of the slides were operational, but the kids loved it. Mary met some girls from the UK who were staying at a guesthouse that only charges a dollar per night…sweet…let’s go find that one!
Finally, the day is here, we received the documents we needed from the Russian tour company and were able to submit our visa application to the embassy. We are now set free for a week to roam around Cambodia. We decided to head south to the coast to a town called Sihanouville. Stay tuned for the adventures in Sihanouville in the next blog entry….
Finally, able to move on to another adventure….we had a week to wait for our Russian visas, so we took the bus south to a town called Sihanouville on the south coast of Cambodia. We learned while we were on the bus to Sihanoville that this stretch of road is one of the most dangerous stretches of highway in Cambodia…dangerous in that there are many traffic fatalities…wonderful. I can see why, cause the drivers are frickin crazy! It makes me think, when you travel you always have in the back of your mind the risks and dangers of traveling….contracting a tropical disease, unstable political governments, kidnapping, bomb attacks, and plane crashes. But I guarantee the most dangerous thing we do is traveling in a vehicle…or in our case this bus to Sihanoukville. So all you worrywarts out there scared to travel or trying new things for that matter, get out there…cause it wont be the terrorist that gets you…it will be driving your car to get milk at your corner store! Damn, hope I didn’t just jinx us.
We heard in the news that 2 female suicide bombers took out 39 innocent people in the subways of Moscow. Now that would be a case of being in the wrong place at the wrong time…kind of like the group of kids being killed on the bus in the Kicking Horse Pass in BC as a result of a out of control semi-truck a number of years ago.
We made it to Sihanoukville all in one piece…except it always sucks arriving in a new place in the dark and not knowing where you are going? Relying on the tuk-tuk driver, we made it to our hotel – The Beach Club Hotel, not on the beach…ha! A small, quiet and relaxed looking hotel a block off the beach on a quiet street…a nice change from the streets of Phnom Penh. Our room was a few meters from the pool….paradise for our kids! The first day we hung out at the pool and drank cheap booze and ate dirt cheap food (we didn’t eat dirt). You can get a BBQ dinner…chicken, seafood, beef with rice, salad and a beer for $3.50 CAN….sweet! And…they have a restaurant called “Happy Herb Pizza” just down from our hotel, that serves, as we were told, actual pot pizza….too funny! Guess Cambodia is a bit more liberal with the drugs then say Malaysia or Thailand…where possession could mean the death penalty. Not sure why, but I got asked to buy drugs all the time….it cant be the bleached blonde long hair and scruffy goatee can it?
We ate dinner most nights at one of the many restaurants right on the beach…no thank-you, no thank-you….felt like I was back in Mexico. Tons of kids trying to sell us bracelets, sunglasses, scarfs etc….and the odd person with no hands and one guy that I nicknamed “snail”…he had no legs and would drag himself up and down the beach….leaving a trail behind him just like a snail…
We ventured out one day to a beach called Otres Beach, a 20 min tuk tuk ride down a red-dirt dusty potholed road. Passing a very poor village before reaching the ocean and a 2 km stretch of low-key beach-side ramshackle restaurants and guesthouses. The beach was clean and the water a touch mirky…but again, paradise for our kids. There was a inner-tube swing attached to a tree that you could swing out to the water…they played all afternoon on that swing.
The next day we treated ourselves to the other end of the lifestyle spectrum….a day visit to the only 5 star beachfront hotel in Cambodia called the Sohka Beach Resort. Not quite as extravagant as our Beach Club Hotel but close…ha! It reminded me of a typical all-inclusive resort in Mexico…but on the star scale would likely have only been a 4 star in Mexico. It had a huge clover-leafed pool and matching $10 cocktails…we settled for water and the free pool-side peanuts (avoiding Robyn). There was an American couple in the pool that looked to have just picked up their brand new Cambodian adopted baby. Lucky little girl….beats growing up selling bracelets on the beach.
I just had a thought…my niece use to sell bracelets she made in the summers at the lake to make some money….so really not all that different than Cambodian children. Joking aside, it is a very poor country and these people are doing what it takes to survive, however, I must say, after talking with a few of the children, they were very bright…spoke excellent English and talked of going to University. One day I witnessed one girl practicing her Japanese writing…amazing. From the surface, it appears this country may have a future….?
Ventured to the central market one afternoon and it was your typical SE Asia market, except that they had a corner that was considered the “wet” market. Where the live/dead animals (chickens, ducks, pigs, fish etc) are out on display. The smell was wicked! Mary and Robyn had to leave. I just had to go look…so I took Willem by the hand and away we went….”Dad it really stinks in here” Ha! The sights were awesome…a mixture of weird creatures in pails of water and your typical half-dead chickens and panting ducks displayed on tables. I think it was the first time I have ever felt sick to my stomach because of odors…wow, that was cool…ha! When I got back to the hotel I had to borrow Mary’s peppermint essential oils to put under my nostrils…the stench molecules where lingering on my nose hairs….yummy!
It turned out that we think our hotel was a magnet for old men and their Cambodian prostitutes. We would watch these Cambodian ladies walk in with these gray-haired white guys and go up to their rooms. Then about an hour later, the Cambodian girl would discreetly leave. Yes a whole hour…there must have been a massage included as well…ha!
We enjoyed our time on the coast and Cambodia but it was time to go back to Phenom Penh and pick up our passports and see another country. Crossing our fingers that there wasn’t any problems with the paperwork at the Russian embassy while we were away….
Stay tuned for our next blog….but not sure when…we are now in China and have intermittent access to internet….and then are traveling through Russia for 2 weeks…so the new blog may not come until Europe in the first part of May? But after traveling on the train for 5 days straight I am sure I will have all the blogs written and ready to upload…even the Family Christmas trip in December…sorry guys.
5 days in Vietnam in not nearly enough…but we just ran out of time…we had to be in China to start our tour on April 5th. So here is what we were able to do and see in the limited time we had.
We took a 6 hour bus ride from Phnom Penh, Cambodia to Ho Chi Minh City (formerly called Saigon), Vietnam. Got in late and had an early morning flight up to Hanoi. So cant really say we saw much of Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). I do know that in 1975 when the communist north took over south Vietnam and the US pulled out with their tails between their legs, the city name was changed from Saigon to HCMC. Mr. Ho Chi Minh was the leader of North Vietnam from 1945 to 1969 and was key in establishing communism in Vietnam. I guess there is still some tension between people from Hanoi and Saigon….and most older generations of Vietnamese living in HCMC like to call their city Saigon.
Early morning flight to Hanoi. Hanoi was occupied by the Japanese in 1940 but liberated in 1945, but then the French came back (Hanoi use to be the capital of French Indochina in 1887) in 1946 and for 9 years the Vietnamese fought the French until finally in 1954 Hanoi became the capital of independent North Vietnam. Okay, enough history, it hurts my brain. Wow, are there a crapload of motorbikes in Vietnam. There is something like 40 million motorbikes in this country and I swear on average there are at least 3 people riding on each one. We commonly saw whole families, their dogs, and sometimes their farm animals all riding on it at once…amazing! Now, try crossing the street with a thousand motorbikes honking and speeding down the road….we actually got quite good at it….and the kids did awesome. I told Willem to just think of it like he was playing Frogger on his DS…and after a few attempts we let Willem cross the road by himself just to see how he would do…ha! Actually it got quite easy….something you just have to experience.
Our hotel in Hanoi was excellent…top floor overlooking the lake and city…and they had an awesome free breakfast each morning. And we were right in the Old Quarter…the shopping district. Mary was in heaven…and I will never forget the look on her face when we entered the “shoe street”….. shoes as far as you could see….if Mary was a man she would have definitely been sporting a tent in her lulu lemon pants!
The morning of April 2nd we departed for our 2 day, 1 night tour of Halong Bay. Halong Bay is a 1500 square kilometer area in northeastern Vietnam that is famous for its limestone karst formations, numbering in the thousands, rising up out of the ocean. After a 3 hour drive from Hanoi to Halong Bay we were taken to our Junk Boat. No, it wasn’t a junk boat, that is just the style of the boat….and we were actually pleasantly surprised how nice our boat was. We thought it must have been a mistake…they gave us two adjoining rooms right at the back of the boat with our own balcony. There were only 17 of us on the boat and they fed us like royalty….lunch and dinners were each a minimum of 9 course meals…and the food was awesome!
We visited some “Amazing Caves”…as that what they were called…and yes they were quite good. Too crowded for me…but still good. We then went kayaking and visited floating villages….and got to see how people survived living on the water. Willem and Robyn kept pointing out the cute little kittens and the barking dogs…and had to explain that they weren’t pets, they were dinner! Really… that is exactly what they were as our guide described with much enthusiasm…and I think we was hungry…ha!
At the end of the night, after our 9 course meal, it was time for Vietnamese Karaoke….priceless! And who was the brave sole that kicked off the singing…our daughter singing “twinkle-twinkle little star”…wow, she obviously doesn’t take after her Dad…not that her singing was any good (sorry Robyn), instead that she was brave enough to stand up in front of everyone and sing….I just figured out who she got this from….Uncle Sammy of course!
Met lots of great people and had a wonderful trip to Halong Bay. One particular couple we gravitated to were a couple from Australia that were originally from Russia who had two eight year old twin boys. Our kids played with theirs and they hit it off really well….sharing their DS games and books, although I think our kids, being that they have been so deprived of playing with other children, would have given up any of their toys just to play with someone close to their own age.
Traveled back to Hanoi, had dinner with the Australian Russians…had some interesting conversations such as what is bad for your kids, what the former Soviet Union was like, and why we shouldn’t drink alcohol….as I was gulping my beer and telling Willem that he could play his DS for 20 minutes before bedtime. Were such bad parents…ha!
For our last day in Vietnam, we went to the water puppet show in the morning and did some shopping in the afternoon. The water puppet show was very cool….kids loved it! Robyn liked the fairies and Willem liked the fire-breathing dragons. Shopping sucked! Sent home a package of goodies by slow boat…wonder if it will ever make it?
Way too short of a stay to really appreciate this country….I only got to drink a few Boi Nai’s (Vietnam beer)…we will definitely be back one day!
Lastly, I must quickly mention that the Vietnamese money is crazy…it is called the Dong (great name…ha!) and comes in huge denominations. The first time at the ATM we took out the maximum….2 million dong…which is only worth $107 Canadian dollars….now that is a wad of bills to try and fit in your wallet….sure hope I don’t lose my wallet with a million dong in it!
Stay tuned for the next blog….3 days in Shanghai, China!
Almost didn’t make it out of Vietnam. Was going through immigration at the Hanoi airport and the lady looked at my passport photo, looked at me, looked at my passport photo again and then told us to wait. She was gone about 5 minutes which seemed like a lot longer and then came back with what looked to be her supervisor. The supervisor looked at the passport and then looked at me and then between the two of them I guess they decided it was in fact me. I know that all of us whitey’s look the same but come on…okay, maybe I am skinnier with long bleach blonde hair and scruffy facial hair….I guess I do look a bit suspect! Mary, said to me after…”you got to get your hair cut” Whatever!
So looking like the business person I am….we were pleasantly surprised to find out that they bumped us to business class for our flight! Sweet! With huge amounts of leg room we looked truly like hobbits sitting in man seats….too bad the flight was less than 2 hours.
We are now in China! I asked Robyn before we got there what she thought China would be like? She said….”Small buildings, mostly farmers and not a lot of lights” Wow, was she in for a shock! Shanghai – home to 20 million people and enough light pollution that I am sure the city could be seen from Mars. If global warming is being caused by burning fossil fuels (which it isn’t by the way) then all we need to do is to turn off the lights in Shanghai…boom… a so called problem solved!
Okay, so we weren’t sure what to expect of our 2 week guided tour in China? We were met by our guide, Jade, at the airport and taken to our private van with a driver. I guess I didn’t read all the details about our tour….I thought there was going to be a group of us being led around like sheep following a Chinese guide holding a sign….nope. We had a driver and guide to ourselves…cool!
We were dropped off at our hotel and quickly noticed a lot of differences…people here smoke their faces off…and there are no rules as to where you can and can’t smoke like back home. Felt like we time traveled back to the 70s in Canada. And for some reason....it appears that Chinese people like to spit. Not just a quick little spit….a “huck, huck, huck….clear all the phlem out of your lungs and violently splay it out on the sidewalk” type spit….ha! I hope not to offend anyone…but man is it gross…and my first impressions of Chinese are that they don’t care about the environment, they chain spoke and they spit everywhere. Sorry, just one man’s observation….and I know they are not all like it and I am sure I am stereotyping. And again…no offence to anyone. I must explain something…the reason for the repeated apologies is because I got called out on my Cambodia blog…..turns out Luna the Lesbian was somehow forwarded my blog….how the hell did that happen? Long story short is that she wasn’t too happy being called a pot smoking pimp and sent a bit of a nasty email to me indicating how wonderful our blog entry was. Did I really say those things…yep…I guess I need to be a bit more sensitive to who might read my blog…as it is public on the world wide web!
So, back to these disgusting Chinese people…just kidding, no but really…maybe there is a reason why respiratory diseases are on the rise in China! Despite the smoking and spitting, the Chinese are very friendly and they absolutely love our kids….almost to the point of celebrity status which I will discuss more in later blogs.
So we were toured around by our English or I should say Chinglish speaking guide. Our guide was fantastic and we would have been absolutely clueless without her. Wikipedia refers “chinglish” to be written or spoken English influenced by Chinese….most notable examples commonly seen with signs in China….ie “Be Cautious to Slip” and my favorite “Fuck the Certain Price of Goods” which I have no idea what it means but it can be found at supermarkets in China...too funny! We learned so much from our guide despite not always understanding what she was saying. She taught us to write some Chinese characters, in particular – earth, jade, king and country….it really is an amazing language…but so difficult and complex to us single language speaking tourists…there are over 5000 characters used in common writing.
Some of the highlights of Shanghai:
1. The Bund – the Wall Street of Shanghai…lining the Huangpu River are most of the major financial institutions in China. A sight to see at night…needed sunglasses it was so bright. And, people everywhere…have never experienced walking in a crowd that big before.
2. Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall: This museum has five floors that detail the ambitious plans of Shanghai's urban planners. We especially liked the film and exhibits about Expo 2010 which starts May 1st. Some of the exhibit buildings looked amazing. Canada’s building didn’t look like anything special compared to some of the other countries.
Expo 2010 is going to be huge….the amount of money spent in the city is incredible….more than the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Shanghai is banking on 70 million visitors between May 1st through to Oct 31st. The mascot for Expo is called Haibao…meaning sky and ocean. Aka as waterbaby. Kids loved him.
Oh, and I learned watching a local English news channel that for Expo the city is kicking out all unregistered migrant workers for the 6 months that Expo is on. All migrant workers are being told to leave….an estimated 7 million people! Wow, cant even fathom that!
3. Yu Garden – a garden in the middle of old town Shanghai that was built by a Ming dynasty emperor in the 1500s. Got some great photos.
4. Jin Mao Tower – 88 story lookout for incredible views of the city skyline….but it was completely fogged out for us. Didn’t get any great photos here. This tower in 2007 was the 5th tallest in the world. Shanghai is now building the 2nd largest tower in the world – the 128 story Shanghai Tower….we could see it coming out of the ground.
5. Traditional Tea Drinking demonstration. This was excellent. We were shown how and when Chinese drink various types of tea and the medicinal benefits of each. We drank a bunch of tea and the kids ate tea cookies....a great experience.
6. Chinese Acrobatics Show – the kids loved it. Willem was in awe of the motorbikes doing circles in the “death ball” and Robyn liked the “circus solei” type flying that a couple did. Myself, I thought that the girl that could bend over backwards and kiss her “Tasmania” was very talented….ha!
7. Jade Museum and the Jade Buddha Temple….that is one big Jade Buddha! The temple was built to house 2 jade Buddha’s that were brought here from Burma by a monk. We learned a lot from our guide about the medicinal properties of jade, Buddhism and other Chinese symbolism – our favorite being the pixut – a creature that was part dragon, horse, unicorn and phoenix. Interestingly, I asked Jade if she was a Buddhist and she said no she didn’t follow any type of religion. Religion, now there is an interesting topic in itself…okay, wait I am going to leave that one alone…I could definitely offend someone if I discuss this. Turns out that the communist party in the 50s banned religion in China and it wasn’t until the 70s that the government relaxed their rules on practicing religion.
And so that was essentially the highlights of our 3 days in Shanghai. Oh, did I mention the food…no I didn’t. The food is awesome….and we have been fed likes kings….so much food. Mary watches me in disgust as I have to sample everything…and when I like one of the dishes I usually eat a lot of it…..got to put that 25 pounds back on I lost in Australia…shouldn’t be a problem at this rate.
We said goodbye to our wonderful non-smoking / non-spitting / non-religious guide, Jade, and were off on a flight to the city of Yichang which was the departure point of our 4 night tour on a boat down the Yangtze River….stay tuned for the next entry….
From Shanghai we flew to the city of Yichang….just a small city of 4 million people, and famous for being a port city for cruises down the Yangtze River and major tourist attraction of the Three Gorges Dam.
Our new guides name was Helen. Oh Helen what went wrong? So on our drive from the airport to the boat Helen told us that our boat was very nice, a 5 star American built boat. She wasn’t wrong, it looked great…plush lobby area with fancy chandeliers, a large workout room, and I said to Mary ‘this is nicer than I thought it would be”. So we patiently waited while Helen checked us in….and there must have been a problem as Helen was yelling at the reception lady. We didn’t know what was going on? Then she came over to us and told us this wasn’t our boat. She took us to the wrong boat! But then to put more salt in the wound the manager and Helen had some more words and finally the manager of the boat switched to English and told us that our guide had “no class” and that she didn’t read her papers correctly. That was a bit awkward…then Helen had to pay for our bags to get portered to the other boat. Helen wasn’t having a good day…ha!
Okay, so we were shown the Bentley of boats…what was ours going to be like? We were scared! Yep ours was a Chevy…or maybe a Datsun? Okay, it wasn’t that bad….it just seemed bad since we were just dangled a sweet carrot in our faces and then given a sour apple. Felt a bit bad for Helen…she was so embarrassed…but then again it was her job to take care of her clients…and she failed…I am sure she will learn from this mistake.
So how to turn a situation that seems bad into something awesome? You get an upgrade to the Presidential Suite….the Chevy wasn’t very busy so they offered us an upgrade for only an extra $150 bucks. Not that our rooms would have been that bad but the Presidential room was awesome! It was at the front of the boat with it’s own private balcony…we could sit on the leather couches and get great views of the river as we cruised…and even views when we were laying in bed. Now this is pretty good.
There were a total of 50 passengers and 125 crew members for our 4 day cruise down the river….we had the boat almost to ourselves…and in fact we did…cause we were the only four English speaking people out of the 175 people on the boat…ha! All of the other passengers were Chinese tourists with a few Malaysians and Singaporeans. We got a lot of attention from the staff…they wanted to make sure everything was okay for us…and they loved our kids. Fortunately, our river guide, Allen spoke very good English and took very good care of us. Whenever they made announcements over the intercom system they did Chinese first and then English…but the Chinese version was always much longer…and I am fairly certain in more detail then what we got.
Here are the highlights of our 4 day trip down the Yangzte River:
1. The Food! Wow, did we eat…and it was the best Chinese food I have ever had. We had a total of 8 served dinners and lunches and there was not one dish that was the same. Also, this region of China is known for it’s use of red peppers and garlic in food preparation. There was this one chicken dish that actually made my tongue and lips start to go numb and tingle. Allen, after I told him this said…”no, your not suppose to eat the peppers”….thanks, now you tell me…ha! Our kids ate mostly rice and the odd dish that wasn’t spicy.
2. The Gorges. The cruise itself was excellent…scenery was amazing. The Yangtze River is the longest river in China and the 3rd longest in the world. Originating in the glaciers of the Tibet and 6300 km later it enters the East China Sea at Shanghai. We went through 3 main gorges (hence the name Three Gorges Dam)…high cliffs with spectacular karst mountain formations. It was unbelievable how high some of the houses were up on the mountains in relation to the river.
3. The Three River Gorge Dam. It is the longest dam in the world at 2.3 km and has the capacity of producing 22000 MW of energy. Took 12 years to complete at a cost of over $30 billion US dollars. It displaced 1.3 million people and was obviously a huge controversy when it was constructed. The impact of the dam has been immense – biodiversity loss, loss of cultural relics, increased erosion and sedimentation, national security issues (I guess Taiwan has indicated that this would be a great target if they were ever to go to war with China), and future potential mass loss of life if the dam ever lets go – it is situated right on top of a fault line!
Entire cities were submerged and then brand new cities were built on higher ground. We went through the dam via a series of 5 locks….very cool! I was so surprised how quickly that water was pumped into the lock when the doors closed. However, it still took us 4 hours to go rise up the 110 meters.
4. Excursion to Shennong Stream. Spent half a day on an excursion to a tributary of the Yangtze. We were transferred to a smaller boat to take us up a smaller valley and eventually into a small canyon that is home to a minority people called the Tujai. We then transferred to small wooden boats that were rowed by the locals upstream…and it turned out to be a bit of a competition rowing up the river….it was amazing…these guys weren’t spring chickens and they must have rowed hard for a good 30 mins. They then demonstrated how the local tribes in the past (before the river was dammed) pulled their boats up stream in the shallow waters using ropes made of bamboo. Traditionally they use to do it naked because the strong currents of the river use to shred their clothing…makes sense to me…ha! The Tujai use to hang their dead in coffins high up on the cliffs so that the spirits would be closer to the heavens. We only saw one hanging coffin as I guess most have them have rotted away and the bodies have fallen into the river and washed away. On our way back down, our Tujai guide sung traditional songs to us…very cool. What a unique experience…again, our kids loved it…and the thought of the men being naked made them go “ewhhh”.
5. Excursion to Fengdu Ghost City – We spent about 4 hours exploring this ancient city on the banks of the Yangtze. It contains many shrines and temples of the Buddha, Taoist and Confucianism religions. The Chinese believe that this is the place that spirits of the dead come to rest and much of the art work and depictions focus on how the spirits made it to this so called afterlife. The Chinese believe that there are both good and evil spirits….each person has both…and when you die the good spirit goes into the heavens and the evil go to the underworld…where, based on the look of the statues, they get tortured. It was kind of creepy….but interesting. We were very disappointed with our guide…she totally ignored us while giving long descriptions in Chinese to our group and then giving us the 2 second version…we finally had enough and went on our own.
We had an amazing experience on this boat tour and has been a highlight of the trip so far. I recommend this as a must do in a person’s travel list. We arrived at our destination, Chongqing on the morning of April 11th and were met by our new guide, John, to take us to our next adventure….stay tuned for out next blog….
Fresh off the boat and we were in the world’s largest city…unknown to most, Chongqing (pronounced Chong-Ching) has an estimated population of 32 million people! Speaking of “fresh off the boat”, which is the name of an asian gang in Calgary, Chongqing I guess is notorious for its organized crime and corruption. And as our guide, John, told us has the most beautiful women in China. He explained that because Chongqing is a humid, subtropical mountainous region also known for it’s spicy food….the girls are not fat and have a good complexion. John was very animated and excited when he told us stories…it’s too bad we only had a few hours with John…seemed like a really good guy.
We had a few hours to kill before our flight from Chongqing to Guilin (pronounced Gwee-Lin) so John took us to a Tang Dynasty temple built over 500 years ago. It is sad to say but we have been to many temples already and they are starting to blur with one another…I hate to say it but once you have seen one temple you have seen them all…except for maybe the Ghost City temple that I mentioned in our last blog…that was different!
Nice to meet you John…and off went to the city of Guilin. The flight was good except I had this Chinese man beside me that didn’t actually sit in his seat….he squatted on it! It is common to see asian people squatting as I believe they find it to be a comfortable position. So it looked very odd for this man beside me to be squatting in his airplane seat….there’s a first for everything I guess! Guilin is located on the Li River and is famous for it’s karst mountain formations which is depicted on the 20 Yuan bill (see photo). It was warm here….around 24C…compared to the cool 8 to 10C in Shanghai…it was t-shirt and shorts weather again…sweet! We were met by our favorite guide so far….named Annie. Annie was great….so helpful for us…she explained where we should eat, where to buy some warm clothes for the kids (for Russia) and was great with our kids always looking out for them…cause someone has to…Mary and I tend to let our kids fall down and cry it off without picking them up….Annie did the picking up for us so to speak….I think Willem was intentionally putting himself in dangerous situations just so that Annie would come to the rescue.
I rarely talk about our hotel rooms but this one had an amazing view and was in a great location next to a small river. Was able to go for runs in the mornings without having to worry about getting hit by cars.
Highlights of Guilin:
1. Reed Flute Caves – have seen many caves but this one was different….it was enhanced by multi-color lighting and in the largest part of the cave system they put on a laser show to music….only in China! Kids loved it…oh, and they also had a bubble machine. The cave got its name from the type of reed that grows outside that is made into musical flutes….got use to hearing…”hey mister, only 1 dollar…2 for 1 dollar…okay, 4 for one dollar….okay, okay…you can have the flute and my only child for one dollar”…well maybe not quite but they could be very aggressive at selling.
2. Elephant Trunk Hill – a hill shaped like an elephant along the Li River. Not really much to say….it was cool. Got to see some fisherman that were using a technique very close to how we nymphfish for trout back in Canada. I was excited…I often wonder what the blog would be like if one of the other family members were writing it? I guarantee nymph fishing would not have even been on the radar.
3. The Li River – we did a 4 hour boat tour down the Li River. A clearwater meandering river running through karst mountains lined with bamboo and pine trees, small villages, and green grass fluvial areas grazed by the token ox with an egret on it’s back. Amazing really… I took a ton of photos. We got off the boat at a town called Yangshou…which had a really good vibe…a backpacker mountain trekking type town…both Mary and I agreed we would like to come back here one day to spend more time.
4. Pearls – stopped at a pearl farm, and I saw Mary’s eye’s twinkle…oh, oh…there goes the daily budget! While she was thinking about buying some pearl earrings all I could think about is the ZZ top song…”she wore a pearl necklace”….ha!
Said goodbye to Annie and we were off to our next destination….Xian. Xian (pronounced She-Ann) is a city of a mere 9 million people and most famous for being the stop off point to visit the Terracotta Army. We were met by our least favorite guide – Jennifer. Jennifer had no personality, was a bit pushy, and had no idea how to “rescue” our kids. The day we got there she showed us the sights and then asked if we wanted to go to a dumpling dinner and Chinese opera ….we said sure that sounds great…but then I asked how much…of course! It was too much for us….would have been about $200 for dinner and some singing that the kids would not have enjoyed. So we told Jennifer thanks but no thanks….but then she made us feel guilty and said that she might be able to get it cheaper. We agreed to just to the dinner part of the show instead….and the dumpling dinner was excellent…whatever was inside the dumpling was what the dumpling was shaped like…so chicken…in the shape of a tiny dumpling sized chicken, pork like a pig, beef like a cow, dog like a dog….we skipped those ones…ha!
Anyway(s), then there was the Willem leaving the hotel incident. We were all leaving the hotel via the rotating circular door…Jennifer first, then Willem….then helpless us. So Jennifer goes through first and stops and here comes Willem…no problem…but then a car comes racing through the hotel dropoff spot which is right outside the rotating door….both Mary and I see it in slow motion but were helpless being inside the rotating door. Meanwhile, Jennifer watches Willem walk out in front of the car and does nothing….obviously the car stopped but it scared the crap out of us. Really we shouldn’t blame Jennifer…it was our responsibility….but come on…Mary and I both said that would have never happened with any of our other guides or anyone else for that matter with a brain.
Highlights of Xian:
1. Not having to take Willem to the hospital (always a positive in everything!)
2. Hanyang Tomb – the burial spot of the Emperor Jing and empress of the Han Dynasty. There are over 80 burial pits containing clay soldiers, animals, chariots and various artifacts….all things the emperor would take with him to the afterlife. It is the first underground museum in China. The museum was very well done and even our kids enjoyed it.
3. Big Wild Goose Pagoda – one of the most famous Buddha pagoda’s (temple) in China. Finished in 652 AD it is 60 meters in height and amazingly built out of bricks without using any cement. Kids weren’t too impressed…they just wanted to know where the big goose was? Didn’t seem like too much of an architectural marvel to me….the thing looked like the leaning tower of Pisa….ready to fall down on some poor unsuspecting tourist.
4. Xian City Wall – built in the 14th century during the Tang Dynasty, it is the largest and best preserved ancient fortress in the world. It is 13 km long and completely surrounds the old city of Xian. It snowed on us the morning we visited the wall so it made for some good snowball fights with the kids pretending to defend the city.
5. The Terracotta Army – I don’t get too excited about anything but this was just awesome! Well, it was for me anyways…kids were cold and were wondering when they could leave. I learned about this in a boring insignificant options class in University and read a few articles over the years in National Geographic….and now I was seeing them in person! The so called “them” are the famous Terracotta Army, said to be one of the most important archaeological discoveries in history. They were discovered in 1974 by a farmer digging a well….ooopps…I am sure he just wanted water and looks back now and likely says…I wish I would have just kept going and not told anyone. Maybe not…he is famous now and is worth a crapload of money. We saw him signing autographs in the museum. So, the army was buried with the first Qin emperor to help him rule another empire in the afterlife. To date what has been found is an estimated 8000 soldiers, 130 chariots, and 670 horses all buried in pits….but what is very special and incredible is that they were all life sized. Made from a brown clay, hence the terracotta look, each soldier made to look different…facial expression (crap I’m getting buried…ha!), hairstyle, stance etc… They use to be all brightly colored but only a handful of statues today show evidence of the colors. There are still many pits to be un-covered and the final size of the army is still unknown.
Jennifer took us to the airport, asked us for her evaluation and walked away….I think we may have said goodbye? Whatever. As we found out later, we think we partly know why she was the way she was….will explain in the next blog…..3 days in Beijing!!
We flew from Xian to Beijing on April 14th and met our new guide at the airport. Okay kids, is it going to be a boy or a girl? It’s a boy…and his name is Forest! Really…I said to him…Forest? Yes, he said….and I replied “can you run?” Turns out he has never seen Forest Gump before…ha! We could tell right away Forest was an excellent guide….and my bet is that he is really good at ping pong!
Highlights of Beijing:
1. Tiananmen Square – is the largest city square in the world and the name means “Gate of Heavenly Peace”….but it is best known for the fateful events in June of 1989 where it is estimated 3000 protesters were killed. So much for the gate of heavenly peace. We were impressed by the squares size and by the amount of people lined up to see Chairman Mao’s body in the mausoleum. Willem enjoyed playing hop scotch over all the big lugies (spit) on the ground…nice!
2. Forbidden City – from Tiananmen Square we walked to the Forbidden City. I must admit, I didn’t know much about it until now….Forest was excellent at explaining the history. Now what he said and what we heard and remembered could be a bit different. The Forbidden City was the Chinese Imperial Palace from the Ming to the end of the Qing dynasty. The place is huge…containing over 900 buildings and 8700 rooms. We saw where the emperor’s use to sleep and get busy with their concubines, which they had many….”the emperor was a busy man” Forest told us with a hearty laugh. (these are the types of things I could remember…ha!) The colors were amazing…vibrant maroon, yellow, blue, green and real gold. The number of statuettes at the end of the roof of the buildings determined the importance…the highest number being 10 for the “Hall of Supreme Harmony”….Willem figured that a different building should have more statuettes….the toilet! Okay Dad, I really gotta go!
3. Temple of Heaven – we exited the Forbidden City and walked to the Temple of Heaven….where the emperor’s came to conduct intricate rituals to ensure a good harvest for the nation. The temple design looked like the main building in Chinatown in downtown Calgary…but just a tad bigger and more significant. The building is built on a 3 tiered marble base and is made completely out of wood with no nails. The temple was designed with square and circle symbolism representing the connection between earth and heaven. The number 9 is also symbolic…it represents the emperor and is apparent in some of the building structures and designs. Sure seems like a lot of work just to ensure a good harvest…for some reason I don’t think it always worked…nice try though!
4. Summer Palace – we then walked…yes, kids more walking…they were getting a bit tired and so were we…gave them some Fanta and some carmel popcorn (which we thought was buttery popcorn but were disappointed that is was sweet) and they were good to go…sugar high! We walked down the “Long Corridor” famous for it’s length…almost 1 kilometer and it’s intricate paintings…over 14000 of them! Walked around the lake and to the kids delight we were done!
That was Day 1 in Beijing…or so I thought. Forest dropped us off at the hotel and Mary decided we should go shopping…oh no! Alright…so off we went on our own (without a guide) to the Silk Market. Forest wrote everything down in Chinese before he left to give to the cab driver explaining where we wanted to go. What a crazy place….7 floors of shopping hell! The ladies in the stalls were super aggressive…actually physically pulling you into the stall to look at their stuff….and then when it came time to negotiate…wow, this one lady was not happy with me…I walked away after negotiating for Robyn’s winter coat…and she came running after me saying okay 100 yuan ($15 CAN)…which started at 450 yuan…and we probably paid too much…but for 15 bucks for a polo down-filled jacket…seemed like a good deal to me? We made it out of there alive with 2 winter jackets for the kids, a new hoodie for Willem, Willem’s birthday present – a Ben10 watch, and a pair of binoculars for me (Bushnell for $6 bucks…sweet deal!)
We couldn’t get a cab back to our hotel…the traffic was so bad, the cabs were refusing to take us…saying it was too busy. I finally got into one cab and before I told him where were going I made Mary and the kids get in too…then told him where we were going…luckily he didn’t kick us out…but by his facial expressions I think he wanted to. We were tired and had another big day tomorrow….THE GREAT WALL OF CHINA!
5. The Great Wall of China – okay, the day is finally here…I have been looking forward to this since we arrived in China…this is going to be cool! Forest and the driver picked us up early for our drive out to the Wall – a place called Badaling, about 50 km out of Beijing and subsequently the most visited part of the Wall.
We first stopped at a pottery factory – called Chinese Cloisonne…which is a type of pottery made from enamel inlayed with copper wire. We were taken on a tour of the factory and shown how the pottery was made. It was very interesting, each pot going through many stages with a huge number of man hours to complete – looked like slave labour to me! The work conditions were pretty bad…cold, dark and uncomfortable….sad really….and then they took us to the store expecting us to buy something…no thanks! A bit hypocritical thinking I suppose…cause most of the clothes, toys and almost everything else we purchase comes from factories like these in China. Makes you think….hey Willem, you could get a job here really easily…ha!
Now, back to the Great Wall. There is a common myth that the Wall can be seen from space…this is totally false….dont believe it. Also, the Wall is not just one wall, it is many Walls….some restored like the section we were on, most in ruins, some just small earthen mounds, and thousands of kilometers of missing wall. So why was the Wall built, most think it was built to protect the northern borders of China from nomadic groups including the dreaded Mongolians…which is true, but what is also not well known, and you wont here about it in China is that the Wall was to protect these same nomadic groups from the Chinese invasion and efforts to expand the Chinese empire. So in fact, at different times the Wall served both nomadic groups and the Chinese empire (I read a book called “The Great Wall” by John Man). In any event, the portion of restored wall that we climbed was incredible. Despite the face there were thousands of people climbing the wall that day, we still managed to find a piece of it without anyone.
We gave our kids some Powerjuice and with some enticing we climbed as far as we could go on the Wall the opposite way most of the crowd was going. And it was such a good decision….Mary said to me many times….”that was such a good idea Pat”…I will take the credit…doesn’t happen very often. Willem powered up the Wall, he was on a mission and I kept in behind him making sure he didn’t get too far ahead. A lady commented to me that she was so surprised how well he did and as she put it “he kicked everyone’s ass climbing up here”….it was true.
The Wall was better than I expected…Forest told us about a trip he does a few times a year. He takes people to hike and camp overnight on different sections of the Wall. I am definitely going to come back and do this one day!
We drove back to Beijing and stopped at a couple of places along the way….a Jade Factory to have lunch and then a place called the Sacred Road…but we were on a high from just climbing the Great Wall so anything we saw after that was insignificant to us.
Okay, now I must explain something about our tour which was described to us by Forest. There are two types of tours that are organized….a “Shopping” and a “Non-Shopping” tour…I guess we were on the “Shopping” tour which for us not knowing the difference was fine for us. But what we didn’t know was that the guides were paid according to the type of tour….so Forest made jackshit….50 yuan ($7.35 CAN) perday…that’s right…per day!! Where they had the potential to make money was if their clients bought things at the shops we visited they made 5% of the purchases. Now it all made sense….we felt no pressure from any of our guides except for Jennifer…we didn’t buy hardly anything on her portion of the trip and she wasn’t happy…bitch!
Forest performed his duties beyond what was expected….he helped us send mail back to Canada, hauled our dirty laundry to the Laundromat and made sure we weren’t gouged on the price of getting it washed, and on his off day, took us to the train station to make sure we caught our train to Russia. We were under the assumption that tipping wasn’t expected on this tour and therefore hadn’t tipped any of our guides. We felt that Forest deserved a tip…and relative to the $28 dollars he made in wages guiding us for 4 days….he did pretty good with our tip. We felt a bit guilty for not tipping Annie. And maybe it was Forest’s ploy to tell us how much he made so that we would give him a tip…but I don’t think so…he was very genuine and actually told us that our family has inspired him and his wife to try and live their lives differently. It is not all about materialistic things, having a nice house or car, or designer clothes….which in an emerging China today is the goal for most Chinese. He told me that he is going to save money to go travel the world one day hopefully like us….it was a nice compliment.
On our last day in Beijing before catching our Trans-Siberian train we had a free day to get ready for our journey across Russian. We needed English written books, groceries and money. Spent $100 bucks on books for Mary and I….cause we knew there was going to be a lot of reading being done on the train. We also ventured out to the Beijing Zoo to see the pandas as we didn’t get a chance to go try and see them in Chengdu (a place in central China were you can see panda’s in the wild). The panda enclosures at the Zoo were excellent….the rest of the Zoo was appalling….almost made Mary cry….the not so important animals like the tigers, panthers, bears etc…were kept in tiny barred cages. We had to leave the Zoo after seeing this. Not a great way to end our time in China and really it didn’t surprise me….that is China for you. Don’t get me wrong, there were things about China that were amazing but then other things not so good….however, we will still come back to China again one day to explore….cause that is what we love to do….”I love the whole world” Boom De Ah Dah, Boom De Ah Dah (Discovery Channel Commercials).
Stay tuned for the Trans-Siberian train journey from Beijing to Moscow!
We boarded the train (Train #17) at about 10:30pm on April 17th….a bit chaotic with everyone trying to push on and us with our 2 big bags….our provodnitsa (Russian word for carriage attendants) showed us to our room and quickly realized she didn’t know any English. Willem was so tired waiting in the train station…he hit the wall, crying and carrying on….but then once we got settled on the train he was wide awake and excited…I think we all were. First impression of our carriage was wow, it is small…6 days in this should be fun.
The Trans-Siberian Railway….wow cant believe we are doing this…very cool. We are actually on the Trans-Manchurian Line out of Beijing which joins up with the TransSiberian line in a town called Tarskaya, about 1000kms east of Lake Baikal. We decided to break up the trip by stopping in Lake Baikal for a few days. Our total journey on the train took 6 and a half days and approximately 9000 km….
I am going to quickly (ya right) summarize the trip by events of each day:
Day 1:
Had a surprisingly good sleep…clickety clack, constant vibration and the odd shake was actually quite soothing. Our room was a bit hot, and found out later how they heat the train….with coal burning boilers…each train car has one and bags of coal are loaded as needed. I had to explore the train…went for a walk through each train car…there weren’t too many English speaking people on the train. Found the food car, full of Chinese people smoking…go figure.
I got off at the first stop and Mary was worried that the train was going to leave without me…no worries…I think the provodnitsa was worried too…she was constantly on the lookout for me. I had 20 minutes. I bought some noodles for lunch from one of the seller stalls and think I got charged too much plus she tried to pawn off all of her old ripped currency on me….I said no way…so she hesitantly gave me some better quality bills back.
We learned our first Russian word….vil-ku which means fork. We didn’t have any utensils to eat our noodles / soup so I used our Lonely Planet book to find how to ask for a fork….it worked, and our Russian attendant was impressed giving me a big friendly smile….which, as we have found out doesn’t happen very often with Russians in general.
Our next main stop, at 3:00 in the afternoon, was called Harbin (still in China) which is approximately 1400 km from Beijing. We have been on the train for 15 hours already. I bought some more noodles and got a better price this time. Just outside of Harbin is a Tiger rehabilitation center…just south and east of here is where the Siberian tigers live in the wild.
Looking out the window we saw lots of small towns, coal factories, oil wells, farming developments, greenhouses and very poor looking housing. Around Harbin there were frozen lakes and rivers and patches of snow in the ditch. The terrain looks a lot like Eastern Alberta in the early spring, very barren, big sky country.
Found some English speaking people on the train, a couple from Brisbane, a Russian lady from Moscow, and an old guy traveling by himself, which as I will describe later, got to know him quite well during the trip.
Had dinner in the dinner car and it was surprisingly very good and not that expensive. We chatted with old English guy, named Ian and he told us he had just been to North Korea for 10 days…wow, you don’t meet too many people that have traveled in North Korea.
Sure glad we bought a bunch of books to read, but I found myself staring out the window much of the time enjoying the scenery. The kids were in heaven watching their I-pod movies and playing Nintendo DS. Mary relaxed much of the time and read her books….and I didn’t even have to tell her to RELAX…ha!
Day 2:
We were woken up at 3:00am by two very grumpy Chinese security ladies. We were in the Chinese town of Manzhouli on the border of Russia. I opened the door and I am sure to their shock they saw this grungy long haired shirtless foreigner standing there with a stunned look on his face. I gave them our passports and they shouted to Mary to “get up” but then a funny thing happened….as soon as they realized that we were a family of 4 with two young children their demeanor automatically changed….they were smiling and telling us not to wake the kids. Advantages of traveling with children!!
About 2 hours later, just as I got back to sleep, our provodnista opened the door and started telling us something in Russian….all we heard was “passport control” and waving her arm to hurry up. So we woke up the kids, got dressed and proceeded down the train station platform only to be turned back by a Chinese guard. What the frick! So we went back and our Russian lady said go go…waving her arms…but then we tried to explain that the Chinese guard would not let us go….so we attempted to go again and this time I wasn’t letting him stop us….we were tired, cold and very confused….and the worst part was we didn’t have our passports….the Chinese ladies that woke us up at 3:00am took them for passport check. Yeah the guard was holding a machine gun but dammit I need to get our passports back…that is what I was thinking. So long story short, some other Russian attendants were able to communicate to us that don’t worry you will get your passports back in 30 minutes…so back on the train we went. What the hell is going on…we were so confused!
Okay, so what we think happened was that our provodnistna wanted us to get up and go to the toilet at this train station because when trains stop they lock the toilets for security reasons….and since we were going to be here for about 4/5 hours without use of the toilets she wanted us to go…understandable….if you could speak Russian! But then since we took a bit too long getting ready to get off the train, the Chinese guards didnt think we had enough time to use the facilities before the train moved up the line. That kind of sucked…a bit stressful.
The reason we had to spend so much time at the border between China and Russia was that the train lines between the two countries are not the same size in width….so they have to change the undercarriage of every car to fit the track width in Russia…interesting.
Our passports were checked a couple more times….and the same thing happened again as in Vietnam…the Russian lady looked at me a few times not sure it was me or not. We also were scanned with a portable thermal temperature gauge to make sure we didn’t have a fever. Customs came through, pulled a few of the Chinese passengers off with their bags to be inspected….they left us alone.
After about 6 hours, we were off again rolling down the track. Reading, sleeping, DS’ing, eating noodles and I deciphered the Russian alphabet so that I could figure out the names of the towns we were in. It was like a puzzle and I enjoyed doing it. It wasn’t like I was too busy.
We made a bonehead move….we didn’t buy the TransSiberian Guidebook….it would have been very helpful describing all the towns we were going through….but we did manage to borrow a copy from old English guy…nice!
Oh yeah, Mary and I are watching the Lord of the Rings trilogy each night before we go to bed…at 3 hours each…adds up to 9 hours of movie time…and we only manage to watch about an hour each night…should work out perfect by the time we get off the train….
Day 3:
Stopped in Petpovskee Zavod (my deciphering attempt) at 8:10am (4:10am Moscow time) for about 10 minutes. There are numerous small stops like this the entire route…ranging from 2 to 30 minutes. The rule is that if the stop is longer than 15 min we are allowed to get off the train...it would suck to be left behind…especially in some of these small towns.
Our provodnista is taking care of us…some drunk Russian guy kept bothering us…something about his cell phone….and she booted him out of our carriage a couple of times. Mary thinks the guy had stolen a phone from a tourist because it was in English and he wanted our help to set it up? Not sure? I was willing to sit and drink with him…shoot the shit….well, maybe not…him speaking Russian and me English…could have been entertaining!
The scenery has changed – we were now in more forested, rolling hills – The Taiga – the world’s largest forest!! Many small towns along the railway…small wooden houses with bright blue shutters, very poor looking, but have been told that houses in Russian are like books, never judge a book by its cover…the outside might look rough and in shambles but the insides are much different…decorated very elegantly….we experienced this in both Irkutsk and Moscow.
Stopped in Ulan-Ude, city of 400,000 people…the third largest in Siberia, 5600 km from Moscow…we stopped for a whopping 25 minutes…great…time to explore! Ha…ya right….I had to run back to the train when train lady started waving at me…Mary thought I was an idiot….what, I had to explore, it is what I do.
In the afternoon, we had our first glimpse of Lake Baikal – the deepest most voluminous freshwater lake in the world…holding about 20% of the surface freshwater on earth….And it was still frozen! It was beautiful! We had an awesome view of the lake as the train circumnavigated its perimeter. I was completely surprised by the mountains surrounding the lake…it looked like amazing ski and snowmobile terrain. In fact, we passed a ski resort that was still open for the season. Had a quick stop in a town called Slyudyanka with it’s “all stone” train station and ladies trying to sell omul (type of fish).
We arrived in Irkutsk (pronounced Err-koost) around 5:00pm on April 20th and was our 5th pit stop on this leg of the race….not really, but it sure felt like an “Amazing Race” around the world.
Stay tuned for the next blog – 3 days in Lake Baikal.
We were met by Olga at the train station in Irkukst and transported to our homestay about an hour away in a town called Listvyanka on the shores of Lake Baikal. Olga told us about the area, how cold it gets in Siberia, when the snow melts, how short the summers are here, the rare bear attacks that have occurred in the area, the Angara River that flows into Lake Baikal, the shaman rock in the middle of the Angara River, stats about the lake and the town.
Quickly, more about Lake Baikal – again, it is the world’s deepest lake at 1642 meters, the oldest lake at an estimated 25 million years – formed in a rift valley where the crust of the earth is pulling apart, and home to over 1700 species of plants and animals. Most notable are a type of salmonoid called the omul and a freshwater seal called the nerpa.
We weren’t sure what to expect about our “homestay” – what we thought and what it was, was completely different. It was more like a bed and breakfast with separate rooms and a common eating area. Our place was in a valley about 700 meters from the lake, situated on a hill surrounded by forest. It was a log cabin style house and to our pleasant surprise the kids got their own room…nice! We had a great view of the the lake and the mountains in the distance and a perfect place on the deck to drink beer and wine. Our host, had dinner prepared for us when we arrived….freshly caught omul (fish), rice and veggies…and these really good sweet bread rolls for dessert.
The next day we had a free day to do whatever we wanted, a nice change from being scheduled on our China tour. We took a cab from our place to a ski hill as we were told we could ride the chairlift to get a great view of the surrounding area….but, got there and it wasn’t operating. Luckily we had the cab driver stay and wait as it would have been a very long walk back into town. He took us back into the middle of town and dropped us off at a Bakery. We “sugared” up the kids and then went for a hike on the lake….well, it took a bit of enticing but finally got Mary out there….”look Mary, there is a truck driving on the ice, I am sure if it can hold the truck it can hold us!” She was still very nervous.
As we were walking, there were a group of people standing around a hole in the ice…they were scuba divers…ouch, that would have been a major turtle event! Watched them drop below the ice…very cool…both cools! We met a lady from New Zealand…I saw her on the shoreline and I could tell she wanted to come out on the ice…but she was nervous…so I told her I would go with her…she was thrilled. Her name was Annie and it turns out she is on the same train as us to Moscow…I am sure we will get to know her more on the train.
The ice was about 2 feet thick at the hole the divers used and I was told can get as thick as 5 feet. We walked the entire length of the town….a beautiful blue sky day. Saw a billboard for snowmobile rentals but it was closed for the season….damn that would have been fun. We had lunch back at the bakery….Mary had her favorite meal – borsch of course! Yuck!
We met a girl, Becky from England, while at the internet café and it turns out she is also on our train to Moscow. We then decided to go to the “seal show” not sure what to expect? It was weird! The nerpa seals were trained to do tricks, while the young bleach blonde…too much makeup wearing trainer, barked orders in Russian…we didn’t have a clue what she was saying? The kids loved the cute, big black eyed nerpa seals…the world’s smallest seal....adults growing to a length of 1.3 meters. There is an estimated population of 60,000 seals…but numbers are declining….like the bad press we get in Canada, the baby white-furred nerpa seals are also clubbed to death for it’s fur…you can get 1000 ruble ($35 Can) per pelt….I wonder if Paul McCartney has ever been to Lake Baikal? We also ran into Ian (old English guy) at the seal show…very nice guy…and he is also on the same train to Moscow with us….we have tons of English speaking friends now to chat with on the short 4 day train ride to Moscow…ha!
After dinner, I decided to go for a hike up the forested hill behind our place….through the snow, up the steep hill I went to the ridge…I walked a lot farther than I planned to…hoping there weren’t any crazy Siberian squatters looking to pull a “Deliverance” on me. The only thing I heard and saw was a woodpecker and dogs barking in the valley. Nice to get a leg workout after spending 3 days on the train.
The next day we travelled back to the town of Irkutsk to spend one night in a homestay. The city of Irkutsk is on the Angara River has a population of 600,000 people of which approx 130,000 are University Students…..and as we found out walking the banks of the river there were tons of young people hanging out, drinking beer (out in the open), and carrying guns! Saw one guy with a handgun tucked in the side of his pants and he made sure everyone saw it. If we hadn’t felt the mafia influence yet, we sure felt it now….a bit scary. Also, if you were a single guy, it would appear you would do alright here….there seems to be a high proportion of women to men, and they all dress in high heel boots (what we call “fcuk me boots” back home). It was very entertaining…Mary felt very underdressed she said.
Our apartment was also interesting…on the outside it looked like a rundown shantytown building…and on the inside it looked like a rundown inside of a shantytown building…ha! No, not that bad, it wasn’t anything special…clean and did the job. Great location to everything and our German landlady did her best to communicate with us.
We ran into Ian (old English guy) walking the streets and he gave me a big hug…he was happy to see someone he knew and could talk to. He would be on the train with us the next leg of the journey.
We made sure we were well prepared this time for the 4 day journey to Moscow…stocked up on instant noodles and potatoes, lots of snacks, chocolate and of course beer….I made sure to stay away from the vodka.
We boarded the train at 17:00 and who happened to be our neighbor…Annie from NZ….
Stay tuned for the next blog.
We boarded the train on April 23rd and arrived in Moscow on April 26th….here are the highlights of this portion of the journey as a continuation of the Trans-Siberian Part 1 blog:
Day 4:
We were well prepared this time….had tons of food/booze, snacks for the kids and were completely aware of what to expect. I kept a written journal of all of our stops and anything worth writing down. Much of the journal was like this – 12:10 (5:10) Arrived in Angarsk, 12:36 (5:36) Arrived in Usole-Sibirskoe, 13:38 (18:38) Arrived in Yepemxobo – Willem is playing with a little Russian boy in the carriage beside us…but the boy has a wicked cough and am hoping Willem doesn’t get it. And so on….
The two times are local time in brackets and Moscow time….the train schedule is on Moscow time….crossing this many time zones we were bound to suffer at some point.
Chatted with Annie quite a bit…she was trying to avoid her room as she was in with this old Russian guy that creeped her out…and then later on in the journey the old Russian guy got off but then two other men got on that had horrible body odor…we could smell them from our room. Mary hung water soaked towels with essential oils on them to help with the smell. Annie had a wonderful story of how and why she was traveling…long story short was that she always wanted to travel but never had enough money….one day she received a letter from a friend in Germany with a bunch of money and a note saying go live your dreams and if she got a chance to come see her in Germany. Well, Annie the farm girl from New Zealand, never having travelled before, was on the Trans-Siberian crossing Russia by herself. She started the journey with her husband and kids but left them in Beijing and was now on her own. She was making her way to Germany and then eventually to Canada to visit some friends in Calgary/Drumheller. Annie, if you are reading this, sorry if I got the details wrong.
Day 5:
We reached the halfway point between Beijing and Moscow today which was suppose to be marked by a white obelisk on the side of the rail line. But didn’t see it…I took a photo of what may have been it but who knows…everything was covered in snow? Many of the towns in this area are known for supporting big open cut brown coal (lignite) mines. Still very poor looking towns, run down rusty industrial buildings and endless miles of forest.
We had Annie and Becky over for drinks.…kids slept right through it. I ended up drinking too many #9s (Russian Beer) that were “supercans” and were 8% alcohol. I needed more beer, it was so funny…just about the time I ran out we stopped at a small town, I jumped out, lined up at the little train station kiosk window…and there was this girl that looked like she belonged behind a counter at a nightclub…she was wearing the low cut cleavage shirt, low cut jeans with the back tattoo and attitude like you better give me a good tip. So I purchased my beers, gave her a tip, jumped back on the train and within minutes we were rolling. One of those moments you just had to be there…unreal. Had a great sleep…until I woke up…pounding head and like someone pooped in my mouth. I rehydrated, popped some ibuprofen, and laid in bed….but then I really had to go to the toilet! Damn…we are stopping and the provodnitsa has locked the toilet doors….hold it in….please hold it in…I was pacing. Mary had no sympathy for me. Turns out the girls didn’t really like the $8 dollar box of sweet white wine, that they were drinking….so really it was only me with the major hangover.
Day 6:
Didn’t have too many stops today. We stopped in a city called Yekaterinburg which is famous for being the place that Czar Nicholas II and his family were murdered by the Bolsheviks in 1918. Their bodies weren’t found for another 80 years and it wasn’t until 2008, with DNA testing, that the remains were correctly identified. Yekaterinburg is also known for a discovery of a fully preserved woolly mammoth, mining of precious gemstones, huge military factories and the gateway to the Ural Mountains.
Today we had another important crossing…the Asia / Europe border…the so called place where the two continents are thought to be clashing, but in fact, there is no tectonic plate here….it is purely a geographical/politcal border. Again, this one was suppose to be marked by a Eiffel tower looking monument….yep, found it…took a blurry photo as we zoomed by.
Had another party in our room with Becky and Annie, but this time still feeling the effects of last night, I opted out of this one. They switched to a box of plum wine this time…yuck! Our kids are so good.....they can sleep through anything. We stayed up until 1:30am (local time), trying to get ourselves on to Moscow time.
I need to mention more about Ian, the old English guy. Mary said to me “that is you in 25 years”….yes, well I hope I am fortunate enough to be able to do what he is doing when I am that age….which we guessed he had to be between 70 and 75. Ian is an adventurer…he has traveled to more places than anyone I know…as he said “ it is what I live for” He loves the anticipation of going somewhere new, exploring places and meeting people. He said his worst experience was having a knife held to his throat (cant remember where?) but he shrugged it off and said it is all part of traveling….ha! That is awesome. When he finishes one adventure, he already has his next trip planned and booked. Ian worked 41 years for Shell as a deckhand on the oil tankers and is now lives to travel. I believe his next trip is in October…..to Burma and then the one after that is traveling through the “stans” Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan etc. He is planning a trip through Canada and so we gave him our contact information…and hope he stops so that we can show him around.
Robyn and Willem are just about done Grade 2 and Grade 1 respectively…that is if DS and I-pod movies are part of the curriculum…ha! No, actually they managed to get a fair bit of school work completed…and I must say, when the topics of Siberia or Czar Nicholas II or St. Basil’s church in Moscow etc.. come up in school….our kids will have a better appreciation for it…they were there, rode the train, walked on the lake, talked to the people, ate the food, heard the sounds….and if they don’t completely remember it…we have this record and our photos to remind them.
Day 7:
Last day on the train. Woke up early…well not really sure what time it was? It was snowing…big flakes…looked to be about a foot of fresh snow in some places…beautiful. We came to an abrupt stop…screeching sound of brakes….what the? Saw policemen come running down the sides of the track. About 15 min later we were rolling again. Turns out that Ian had overheard that someone had pulled the emergency stop lever on one of the train cars….never found out why?
We arrived in Moscow at about 16:30….said our goodbyes to Annie, Becky and Ian…oh and a South Korean we also briefly met. We were met by our mafia looking driver, Sergei, wearing his suit and tie and driving his black window tinted Volvo. Sergei drove us to our next homestay where we would stay for the next 3 nights.
The Trans-Siberian trip was a great experience…definitely a highlight of the trip so far. Nothing like fully relaxing on the train…eating instant noodles, drinking Russian beer and wine, reading books, meeting interesting people, and looking out the window for hours at a time without a care in the world…..oh, and what a big world it is!
We were dropped off by our mafia driver at our homestay and met by our host – Mrs. Z…we cant remember her name? This was a true home stay…we were staying in her home with her…and we found out very quickly that she was extremely particular about things. As soon as we walked in the door she made sure we kept our shoes on the doormat and then pulled out a cloth and started wiping our luggage as it had some dust on it. Not sure how she is going to like our kids…she was so funny. She was hard of hearing and wore a hearing aid in one ear and walked around talking to herself…at first I thought it was that she was irritated by something we were doing or not doing….but then realized later that it was just what she did. “MARIA”…is what she would yell out in her Russian accent when she wanted something from Mary. And she wasn’t scared to tell the kids not to do something…it was great!
Mrs. Z was very well read as we could tell by the hundreds of books in her apartment…both in English and in Russian. It appeared she was particularly fond of John Grisham books as well as Art History. “Maria” she would call out…make sure you turn off the lights…power is very expensive here. Mrs. Z was also well traveled…which she showed off by placing souvenirs from different countries around her apartment. I chuckled at the number of fridge magnets she had. We really liked her, she was a women that knew what she wanted, but at the same time very friendly and warm.
Mrs. Z was our guide for our walking tour of Moscow. She told us breakfast is at 9:00am sharp and we leave for the walking tour at 10:00…I was a bit scared….ha! Why are we riding on the Moscow Metro? Just a few weeks ago there were two suicide bombers that blew themselves up at two different stations and sadly took many innocent people with them. You could actually feel the tension in the air…always wondering if it was going to happen again…but security was tight so the chances of it happening again would be reduced…we hope?
The Metro stations in Moscow are famous for being extravagantly decorated…art work, statues, paintings….there is actually a Metro tour that you can go on with a guide that stops at the stations to explain the significance of each one. One thing that amazed us was how deep the metro stations were…coming out of the station we rode the longest escalator I have ever been on. The kids were getting bored it was so long, and I swear I heard Willem say “Can I play my DS”…ha! We got off a few blocks from Red Square.
It was one of those WOW moments again…walking into Red Square…cant believe I am here! With St. Basils Cathedral on the south end, the State History Museum to the north, the high walls of the Kremlin (fortress) to the west and the GUM Department store to the east….it was awesome! And the kids ran…they haven’t had much open space lately…so a chance to run around in the Red Square was quite the experience. With Lenin’s tomb just off in the distance and the sun shining, again, it was one of those moments. Mrs. Z wanted to walk us through the GUM department store that was converted into high-end shopping. Very posh. Mary wanted to buy a Russian Olympic jacket but at $300 bucks it was a bit steep…and she said she couldn’t justify it. I was happy of her decision…ha!
Crazy lady, I mean Mrs Z. toured us around…saw the Bolshoi Ballet building, the National Library, the KGB building, and the general area around Red Square. After she was comfortable that we knew where we were and how to get back to her place…our walking tour ended and we were now on our own. Let’s eat! The easiest was McDonald’s…I think we have eaten at McDonald’s in every country. We wanted to try a local restaurant but it is very difficult to order food when you cant read the menu and have no idea what to order?
We walked down a tourist souvenir street, bought some t-shirts and headed to McDonald’s for a second time…but just to use their free internet.
The next day we went to walk around the inside of the Kremlin walls. We didn’t have a very good map and I was too cheap to get a guide…which would also never work with our kids…standing listening to a guide talk…the kids would never make it through it. The Kremlin is a historic fortress complex that consists of the Kremlin Wall, the Kremlin Towers, 4 cathedrals, 4 palaces and is the home to the Russian President. It was good, but our kids were done with cathedrals and looking at stuff that didn’t interest them. We did our best to “educate” them on the significance of where they were….but to Willem, a gold plated onion dome with religious paintings and things behind glass that he cant touch just doesn’t do it for him.
Headed back to Red Square and got a better look at St. Basil’s Cathedral. The colorful and complex domes, spires and arches are a sight to see. It was designed to look like flames of a bonfire rising to the sky. Speaking of sites to see, I must mention that the women here are very beautiful. I think Mary made more comments about them then I did….instead of making comments I just stared….ha! I think Paully D needs to make a trip to Russian in the near future. It appears there is a lot of money in Moscow….nice cars, expensive shopping, and very well dressed people….but also blanketed with corruption. We saw a program on CNN about IKEA and how corrupt it was trying to start up the store in Russian. The amount of money paid out for all the different kinds of “permits” was astounding.
A couple of days in the big city of Moscow was enough for us but would love to come back one day and see more of the sites and definitely try and go to a Moscow Dynamo hockey game.
Stay tuned for our 3 day adventure in Kiev, Ukraine. Home of baba’s, pickles, borscht, and the Chernobyl disaster.
We arrived in Kiev, Ukraine with thunderous clapping and cheering…no, not for us…from all the passengers on the airplane when it landed. I thought, okay, that is strange but then figured it must be because they were happy that we didn’t crash….wonder if AeroSvit Airlines has a dodgy accident record?? Wait, let me check….well, not bad…only one crash with no survivors since the company started in 1997.
We rented an apartment in downtown Kiev for 3 days and were picked up at the airport by a Ukrainian man who worked for the apartment company….he didn’t know a single word of English. Well, maybe one…Hello. That was the extent of our conversation the entire 45min trip to our apartment….that is a lot of awkward silence.
Okay, he wanted something from us…he was rubbing his thumb and fingers together….ah, you need cream for an itch…no, oh…you want us to pay you? Da…da…(means yes in Ukrainian) Okay, how much? The entire 4 nights accommodations plus the airport transfers. That’s fine…but I need to find an ATM. Remember this is all happening without any English being spoken…all sign language. So off we went to find an ATM, first one didn’t work, second one didn’t work, I could tell he was getting a bit nervous, went into a bank and found someone who could speak English….and they recommended trying the CitiBank ATM. Okay, it worked…we are all good….transaction complete…and goodbyes were said…okay he can speak two words of English….Hello and Bye. I guess that is more than we know in Ukrainian.
Our apartment was in a great location just off what was called Independence Square – the heart of Old Town Kiev. Kiev really surprised me….it is a beautiful city with friendly people (that don’t speak English) that seemed to be full of life and excitement. Maybe it was because we were there on what we call a “long weekend” holiday and everyone was drinking in the streets and celebrating. Anyway(s), it was a nice change from the blank faced serious Russians.
Kiev is a city of about 3 million people, on the banks of the Dnieper River. It is one of the oldest cities in Eastern Europe believed to be a trading post in the 5th Century. With the fall of the Soviet Union, Ukraine became independent in 1991. Did I mention that this place also has very beautiful women…and maybe even better looking than Russian women…of course, it is where my beautiful wife’s ancestry is from….she is Polish / Ukrainian….a PUKE! But, the women here seem all to have really long legs….Mary must have gotten the Polish gene…ha!
After settling in to our 1 bedroom apartment with the urine smelling lobby, we ventured out to buy groceries and booze. It was tough finding a grocery store….they don’t have the big ass “StupidStores”….sorry kids…I mean “SuperStore” like we do back home. Sometimes if your lucky there is an indication on the outside of a building that they sell food…maybe a picture of fruit or raw meat? Mary found one and we were in business…food and booze and a comfortable place to sleep….and bonus it had satellite TV…but the only English speaking channels was a music video channel playing 80s/90s videos…nice! I forgot how much I loved the Scorpions! “Rock you like a Hurricane!!!”
Sightseeing began the next day….now that was an adventure and a half! We wanted to go to a place called the “Larva” or more commonly known as the “Monastery of the Caves” Never heard of it…but it sounded cool. First of all, our English map has the English spelling of everything including the Metro station stops….problem is, is that when you get down into the Metro all the maps and signs are all in Ukrainian. Arsenala Metro is not spelled like this in Ukrainian…it is more like “zsefsadkjn”??? So, to say the least it was very tricky and unlike many of the European countries not very many people speak English. We had to crack the code…the Ukrainian spelling of words that is….felt like I was Tom Hanks in the Da Vinci Code….but only trying to find some monk caves.
We got off at the right Metro stop, but now where?? We almost gave up….but then a miracle (if you believe in them?) happened…this old guy begging for money spoke English….he pointed us in the right direction and of course I gave him some money….well earned. But then it was still tricky to find…okay, where are these damn caves? Finally after walking and walking we found them…..and then Mary decided she didn’t want to go in…what? I don’t get mad very often…but from some deep spot hidden in the corner of my brain the neurons fired and I said some nasty things to Mary…well, that didn’t go over too well. Sorry, I shouldn’t have said what I said…damn, glad those neurons don’t get excited very often. Long story short….we saw where the monks built an entire system of caves and walkways under the ground that are filled with monasteries and dead monks. You light candles that guide you through these claustrophobic tunnels and every so often there is a monks casket that people stop at to kiss and pray. I thought it was very cool. We didn’t let the kids go in…too freaky for them. Along with the subsurface structures there were also beautiful Cathedrals, bell towers and churches….it is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the Seven Wonders of Ukraine….not sure what the other six are? Maybe a large bowl of borcht or come to think of it has to be the giant Easter Egg (a pysanka) in Vegreville, Alberta…ha!
That evening there was a concert going on in Independence Square…tons of people in the square, drinking, listening to music and having a good time. I still find it strange to be walking down the street drinking a beer in public. I cant imagine this happening in Canada…there would be fights everywhere, bottles broken over heads, bombfires, cars turned over….but luckily that only happens when the Montreal Canadiens lose in the playoffs….which tends to happen a lot actually….ha!
There are some great green spaces in Kiev. We took the kids to a couple of parks that were packed with other parents and kids….playgrounds, jumpy castles, pony rides, food stalls, and of course you could buy booze….the parents have to have fun too!
The next day we bravely ventured out again to find the Chernobyl Museum. And I made sure to keep the “asshole” neurons suppressed this time….which made for a more enjoyable outing….ha! Of course everyone knows about the disaster at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant back in the 80s. Meltdown, explosions, radioactive fallout, cancer, and death. A warm and fuzzy story….and not to mention great for the kids…actually it was. The museum has a collection of models, artifacts, video, photographs, etc designed to educate the public about the disaster. The kids learned quite a bit from a cartoon video that was unfortunately dubbed over in Ukrainian but they managed to figure out what it was about…about nuclear power and what happens when things go wrong. We will definitely have a much more vivid impression now when we here the word Chernobyl.
They offer tourist trips out to the disaster site…crazy! The radioactivity is still huge….they suit you up and away you go…okay, I would do that…but definitely not for my kids. It turns out that there is a type of fungus growing in the reactors now that are actually thriving on the high radioactivity….harnessing the energy of the ionizing radiation…very interesting! Well maybe not to everyone…but to me it is. I digress…but it just shows you…life will go on even under the harshest conditions….when the earth can no longer support air breathing organisms….other life will flourish. Okay…focus…focus.
Before we left Kiev, we did some souvenirs shopping down a historic street called Andriyivskyi Uzviz….an old cobblestone street winding down a steep hill, lined with people selling paintings, jewelry, and of course Ukrainian souvenirs like easter eggs, Matroyoshka dolls (the doll inside a doll, inside a doll etc) and the typical t-shirts with “My parents went to Kiev and all they got me was this stupid t-shirt”…ha! The top of the street has St. Michael’s Monestary with its gold domes and baby blue walls….distinctive of Ukrainian churches….which made for some great photos. One negative thing…had lunch at one of the restaurants on the street and were charged the equivalent of $20 Can for a few chicken wings….I knew we should have ordered the Chicken Kiev…ha!
Almost forgot, Kiev has the deepest metro lines in the world....the Arsenalnaya station is 102 meters below the ground....and we thought the Moscow escalators were long...amazing.
Will definitely come back to the Ukraine one day…we usually don’t like big cities so if a big city like Kiev is enjoyable I am positive the rest of the country would be amazing. One drawback is that not many people speak English, however, to us it makes you feel like your really traveling to a foreign country….it’s a challenge…but a rewarding one once you figure things out.
Early 5:00am pickup by our mime speaking driver….and we are off to Athens, Greece.
Okay, I am determined to finish the blog in the next few weeks….we have only been back from our trip for almost a month….its time to get it done!
Arrived in Athens without our luggage…that sucks! Our flight from Kiev had a short connection through Rome to Athens, so we made it but our bags didn’t. Actually it turned out better that we didn’t have them cause we had to take the Metro from the airport and then walk to our hostel…it was an easy walk without lugging around the bags. We still got lost trying to find our hostel but eventually found it….The Aphrodite Hostel. Nothing special…located in a residential area of Athens but close to the Metro station. Our luggage showed up later than night…perfect!
The next day we went to pick up our boat tickets to Crete from the Port of Pireaus…which took up most of the morning. We then ventured off to see the sites….it has been 14 years since Paul D. and I were here….and I think it has changed a bit. I remember there being less people and it was colder, and I wasn’t carting around 2 little kids and a wife for that matter…ha! We witnessed an incident while we were having lunch outside a bus stop….there was shouting and then I saw this old man slap this girl across the face a few times…and yelled at her as she walked away….she was a pickpocketer….Athens is notorious for it…and the old man was letting her have it for catching her trying to take stuff out of her wife’s bag. Serves her right….it reminds me of a joke…but I can’t tell it…I might offend someone…like Luna again…ha!
We headed over to the Acropolis….okay I have been here before but I can’t remember how to get up there? Last time, Paul, myself and this girl from Saskatchewan just walked up the hill through people’s backyards. We walked through the old city, called the Plaka, at the base of the Acropolis. Acropolis means “highest city” in Greek and was chosen naturally as a great place to see your enemies coming. After walking through meandering narrow streets, getting some great photos, we finally were given some directions. The kids were getting tired and needed a break in the shade. Up we went, paid 12 euros each…wait a minute…Paul and I didn’t have to pay last time. The view of the Parthenon – the main pillared building that everyone focuses on, is an amazing site. The “Acropolis Restoration Project” started in 1975 and continues still today. It must be a painstaking process of piecing together the puzzle. New white marble carved to replace stones that could not be salvaged stand out against the ancient stones. Mary said she really enjoyed walking around the Acropolis. The kids had fun climbing on things, “Willem get down, your not suppose to stand on 500O year old statues!”
The next day we went to a place called Cosmo World. Don’t ever go, it sucked! Well okay that is a bit harsh….it was okay, but we paid a $75 entrance fee to see some weird paintings, play with math puzzles and view a 10 minute 3D virtual reality animation of the ancient Olympics.
Traveling is an adventure and sometimes things happen that are not under your control….sometimes being in the wrong place at the wrong time. We exited the metro to what sounded like a marching protest…we had heard that the transit workers were striking and didn’t think too much of it. The Parliament Building was above and adjacent to the Square we were in. We had got some food from a bakery and needed a place to sit and eat. The noise from the crowd was getting louder and I could hear what sounded like firecrackers. Okay, I better go up and get a better look. There were hundreds of police in full riot gear and gas masks defending the Parliament Building. Protesters were throwing rocks and fire bombs at the police and the police were countering by shooting tear gas towards the crowd. Alrighty then….after taking some photos and video, I ran down to where I left Mary and the kids and told them that we better get out of here.
“Okay, but let’s just quickly stop at this used bookstore” said Mary. There is a dangerous riot going on just a hundred meters away and Mary wants to stop at a bookstore. What, it was closed…I wonder why? Ha. But we really needed books! We tried to go back to the metro we came out of but quickly were told to go the other way as the riot was moving this way. We were surrounded by police wearing gas masks. Bizarre feeling….funny thing though, our kids were oblivious to it…”Dad, why are they wearing those funny looking masks”
We headed to another metro with the thousands of other people trying to get out of the area. We sardined ourselves into the traincar, lifting the kids above our head so that they wouldn’t get squished….good times!
In the end, we were safe and got to experience the passionate nature of the Greeks. Unfortunately, 3 people died when protesters set fire to a bank. We learned more over the days why this was all happening….the Greek economy is in shambles and in an attempt to correct it the government proposed wage cuts, cuts in pensions and increased taxes, which if they succeeded in doing would get a boost of money by the European Union….sounds complicated to me! And of course the people weren’t happy, however, we learned that the Greeks have been a bit spoiled over the years (early retirement, big pensions) contributing to huge debt and economic crisis.
The following day we ventured back out but decided to stay away from the Parliament Building area. We walked around the Monastiriki area, visited some ruins – old city of Agora, saw some turtles, Hadrians Library, Temple of Zeus, and then made our way to the Panthenon Stadium – the original Olympic Stadium. Paul and I had been here 14 years ago, but I must admit it was better this time. Running around the track with my kids pretending to be ancient Olympic runners…it was priceless. We really enjoyed the self-guided electronic tour…and surprisingly both Robyn and Willem listened with anticipation of what was going to happen next in the tour. Robyn particularily liked walking underneath the stadium to wear the athletes use to get ready for the events….the commentary said “the athletes use to get naked and perform a ceremony around a fire before entering the stadium” The kids laughed about that.
To complete the day we took a cablecar up a hill called Lycabettus Hill – meaning “the hill walked by wolves”…and at 277 meters is the highest point in Athens. Met some Canadian girls traveling on a tour, we chatted and they were amazed to hear about how long we have been traveling especially with little kids….yeah, we are too. We walked the path down and made our way back to our hostel.
Last day in Athens before catching our overnight boat to Crete later that night. Walked around Syntagma Square, the National Gardens, and visited the bookstore again…and it was open this time. You would never know that this area just 2 days ago was the site of a mass violent protest…okay, maybe you would….there were a few burned cars, a media van, and some blackened buildings…but other than that the tourists were back out in full force.
Cab to the port, and boarded the boat….it was a beautiful ship….kids played in the park while Mom and Dad had some beer and wine. We retired to our cabin, had a great sleep and the next morning we were in Crete….what a great way to travel.
Stay tuned for Part 1 of our Crete adventure. I have 5 blogs left – Part 1 Crete, Part 2 Crete, Egypt, Kenya, and London / Home!
Walked off the boat in Heraklion (the port city of Crete) and we were met by our car rental guy – Miron….typical hairy barrel-chested Greek man….but he brought us the wrong car…we rented a intermediate sized car and what he had was a small car that barely fit our luggage. Miron said that it was better than what we had requested…ya right. We found out later that he has done this to many other people and there were some terrible reviews about his company on TripAdvisor. O well, whatever, we made it work.
Mary drove as I did not have my driver’s licence…some Cambodian kid has probably stolen my identity and the next time I go to SE Asia I will be arrested…ha! It was a beautiful drive along the coast….except I was scared (let’s face it, I don’t trust Mary’s driving…and she doesn’t trust mine) and Robyn puked. Her first and only car sickness puke of the entire trip….which is amazing since we have been on some wicked winding roads in Tasmania and New Zealand.
We arrived in a town called Irepetra, the only major town close to where our condo was on this side of the island. We got lost down a narrow street but found our way out, bought some groceries and cheap wine and beer. Okay, back on the road…destination Makrygolias…approximately 30 minutes east of Irepetra along the ocean. Amazing views, rocky cliffs, azure blue ocean, and the smell of olives in the air….which by the way actually smells “yucky” as the kids would say.
Wow…is this really our place? It was brand new…a condo complex with views of the mountains and ocean. The place was immaculate…studio style apartment with a kitchen and separate bunk bedded kids room…perfect for us and a perfect place to relax for 2 weeks! A welcome change from traveling.
The next couple of days we relaxed by the pool, went to the beach, watched people surf….you gotta be kidding me…there were people actually surfing! I tried to find a board…even asked the surfers when they were coming out of the water if they new where I could get one…no go…that was painful. But it turns out…that was the only day there was a wave that was big enough to ride the entire two weeks we were there…so not that torturous…but then the slalom waterskier went by….ha!
Damn dog stole my flip flops (aka thongs, sandals or jandals if your in New Zealand). I really liked those sandals. One of the worker’s dogs must have come up on our balcony when we were inside and took it.
The kids love the place….it has a pool and a mini greek amphitheater where they pretend to do shows for us….I particularly liked the zoo they built and the rollercoaster that Robyn took us on. In the mornings we can really smell the olive trees as well as the tomatos…there are numerous greenhouses around us that are packed full of tomatoes. The greek salads here are awesome….tomato, cucumber, green pepper, olives, feta cheese and olive oil….they don’t taste the same back home.
We drove to a town just inland from us called Pefki. It is a traditional village with old greek style homes surrounded by olive plantations, pine trees and incredible views of the ocean. We stopped at a place called the “Pepper Tree Taverna” named appropriately for the huge pepper tree in the courtyard. We had a beautiful lunch on the patio overlooking the countryside….now this is Greece! An orthodox monk in his black robe and black long beard stopped by for lunch…he had his shot of ouzo, a greek salad, and some large green beans.
We have lost track of the days…I think we are finally rested from 5 months of traveling….well, let’s go see more of this island. We headed out on May 12th to see the very northeast part of Crete. I should stop and give the couple sentence historical outline of Crete…impossible. There is so much history here. Crete is Greece’s largest island, has a population of about 600,000 (more than I thought), the center of the Minoan civilization (starting almost 4000 years ago), the first advanced civilization in Europe and I must say home to the best driver’s in the world! We love the way they drive….we had to learn the rules…if you are driving slow and as long as there is room you are to move over to the shoulder and let the person behind you go by…and with no drama, giving the bird or road rage…so I would be driving 110km/hr down the highway and if I was to come up to someone driving slower they would automatically move to the shoulder to let me go by…it was sweet! There is no way that would happen in Canada…maybe the odd time people do it…but it is expected in Crete that you move over to every driver coming behind you.
So back to our day adventure to the northeast part of Crete. We drove to a place called Vai Beach…the only palm-lined beach in Crete. A beautiful little pebbled beach with a beach-side restaurant…but then the tourists buses showed up and it got busy…but on the plus side, there were a few topless women that had every right to be topless…ha! (in other words, they weren’t old with boobs hanging down to their bellies). Robyn and I went for a quick snorkel, had some lunch, went for a hike up on the headland. We then drove to an old Minoan ruins called Itanos…had to convince the kids to go for a walk to see some old buildings that were built on some cliffs overlooking some shallow coves….”your coming or no DS or I-pod for the rest of the trip”...that seemed to work…ha! Found another secluded beach, Hiona Beach….after missing our turn and driving inland about 15 minutes…um…I don’t think there is a beach this far inland.
On our way back towards our side of the island we saw this development that looked very interesting…looked good from afar, but far from good….like some of the Greek women…which I must say are not like Russian/Ukrainian women. It was called Dionysis Village and it was like a ghost town…the concept looked great…build a mini self supporting village with shops surrounded by rental properties. It looked great…but it didn’t fly and everything was getting run down…too bad.
The town by our condo is called Makrygolias and it has the best bakery…wow, no wonder the women here don’t look Russian…ha! We sampled a few of their desserts. There is also a large resort called SunWing…and it is kid central…there are kids everywhere here…mostly young parents with strollers…and mostly from the Scandinavian countries.
We are relaxed! Stay tuned for Part 2 of Crete. A trip to the northwest of Crete called Hania, a day trip to the most picturesque place in the world – the island of Santorini, and celebrating our sons 6th birthday.
Roadtrip!! A four hour drive to the northwest side of the island to a town called Hania. But first had to stop and exchange our car with Miron from the rental place…the AC wasn’t working and we needed AC…after a bit of hassle we exchanged cars but found out that this one was worse than the first one…along with no AC, the brakes on this one squeaked…damn…no luck.
Next stop was Rethymno to pick up our ferry tickets that Mary arranged to go to Santorini on the 20th. Had some lunch and our waiter gave us some complimentary ouzo shots…gave Mary goosebumps…it was smooth going down…yum.
Hit the road again and made our way to Hania. Did I mention we love the way they drive in Greece…excellent. The sides of the roads are covered with native flowers…yellows, reds and pinks…and some snow capped peaks…yes, really…had no clue there were high enough peaks in Crete for snow. The two highest mountains are Mt. Psiloritis (2456m) and Lefki Ori (2453m)…some awesome views…glad Mary was driving….did I actually just say that…ha! Arrived in Hania and we were immediately lost…narrow busy streets… felt like we had gone back in time with a Venetian style atmosphere…we figured out where we were, parked the car and then walked into the old town of Hania.
Hania is the second largest city in Crete with a population of about 55,000. Despite being bombed by the Germans in WWII, the harbour is one of the most beautiful spots in Crete and the focus of Hania…built by the Venetians in the 13th century who built a massive fortress around the city to protect it from pirates and invading Turks.
The place we stayed at was called the Tereza Pension…wow, what a place…amazing rooftop patio looking over the harbour and the room was full of antiques and Greek books…talk about ambience. I think I will surprise Mary for our 20th wedding anniversary and come back here…o wait…okay I messed that up.
Going out for dinner was interesting…the harbour is shaped like a horseshoe and is filled with restaurants all looking for your business…the Greek men “selling” their places, offering free drinks, free kids food…”say Hi to Mama, she is our cook….and there she was waving on cue” Too funny. We picked the place with the kids playroom…and it was great…got to enjoy a romantic harbour front dinner without the kids…okay what do you want to talk about now? Ha!
Touring the old town was a photographers dream…photo opportunities everywhere. Bought some souvenirs, avoided the restaurant men that we promised to come to their place for lunch, and walked around the narrow streets. Robyn loved the small art stores and says she wants to open an art store one day to show off all of her paintings…and sell them of course!
We will definitely come back to Hania one day. From Hania, we drove to a famous ruins called Palace of Knosses – the largest archaeological site on Crete and the ceremonial and political center of Minoan civilization. Kids weren’t that excited…but they had fun running around and jumping on ancient stones they shouldn’t have. Knosses is famous for its colorful Frescoes that decorated the palace walls which made for some great photos. We took the scenic way back to our condo…got lost a couple of times and drove down some crazy steep, winding roads…definitely an adventure….and nobody got car sick…amazing!
For the next 4 days we relaxed by the pool, went to the beach, went for morning runs along the ocean…which has to be the most scenic run I have ever gone on. We ate tons of feta, tomatoes, olives, olive oil and sweet desserts from the bakery.
I must mention our mosquito problem at the condo…for some reason every night we would get tons of mosquitos in the condo…couldn’t figure out why…they would buzz my ears at night…and I would put on my headlamp and try and kill them…it drove Mary crazy. We finally figured it out by the 4th or 5th night that one of our windows wasn’t fully closed…that seemed to solve it. No more late night mossy hunting episodes…ha!
Went for a scenic gorge walk one day by Moni Kapsa called Periviolaka Gorge…cant believe how far we went through this gorge…kids did great once again. The wild goats were a bit upset with us for disturbing them. Willem made it the whole way there and back stepping over tough spots and then he falls on the last stone just as we finished the hike…poor guy.
On May 20th we drove back to the port at Heraklion to catch our ferry out to Santorini. However, there were strikes going on in Greece and we were originally told not to travel on the 19th due to the planned transit strike. But they changed the date to the 20th after we already booked our trip to Santorini. Damn. We tried to find out before we left whether or not our ferry would be going…but couldn’t get a solid answer…decided to risk it and make the 2 hour drive in the morning to catch our ferry. The ferry was there waiting for us…nice!
The ferry ride out to Santorini on the Vodophone fastcat didn’t agree with Mary…it was a tad rough…and Mary was green! Poor girl. She made it without speaking to “Ralph”…ha! Picked up our rental car from the port and away we went to explore the island. Santorini has to be the most picturesque place in the world….the town of Fira, Oia, red and black beaches, windmills, the caldera, whitewashed buildings…wow! Fourteen years ago, Paul and I visited the red beach and had lunch on a bluff overlooking the ocean…I left my swiss army knife laying in the grass that fateful day. What are the chances it would still be there? I had to go look….and can you believe it!!! I walked to the exact spot and there in the grass was….nothing…ha! I had to try.
Santorini was awesome…and highly recommend it. We took the ferry back to Heraklion and checked in to our hotel called the Star Beach Hotel….kid heaven! Willem has been counting down to his birthday for the last 3 weeks…so cute….and the day is here. We celebrated Willem’s 6th birthday by the pool and in the kids club. Perfect. Nice job Mary organizing this! The hotel brought Willem out a cake and all the kids from the kids club sang him Happy Birthday….a great celebration.
We had a couple days left in Greece before our flight out of Athens to Cairo, Egypt…AFRICA! Cant wait! Stay tuned for camel riding around the pyramids, coming face to face with King Tut and cruising on the Nile.
Our flight out of Athens was at 2:30pm so we had lots of time to get from our hostel to the airport. Pulled the bags down the narrow streets of Athens to the metro stop. Mary was in charge of the kids and me the bags. At this point in the trip I have developed some tricks on maneuvering the bags around obstacles….the bag slide down stairs, the curb jump, and the push/pull method through narrow entrances. I may have to start a “Bag Maneuvering 101” travel course when I get back.
Flight to Cairo was uneventful except for the strange noises coming from then engines on takeoff. Egypt Air….little late to look it up now but recent stats show out of 1.07 million flights they have had 4 crashes involving multiple fatalities….below average compared to other airlines. In case one was wondering, the airline with the worst accident rate in the last 25 years is…..Cubana Airlines, followed by Iran Airlines, China Airlines and American Airlines. Good to know….I guess?
Arrived at Cairo airport and were a bit concerned about getting our Visa to enter the country. Wow, that was the easiest Visa ever to get…go to the bank teller at arrivals, buy a sticker and take it to the customs agent. Russia needs to take note…especially for their Olympics in 2014.
Mary had arranged an airport pickup from our hotel…not quite what I expected but it worked. Our driver didn’t know English and of course we didn’t know Arabic….well I know some but it is a bit rusty…ha! The driver loaded our bags on the top of our car and tied them down…not sure what type of car it was…but it was definitely retro…loved it! You could definitely tell we were in a different country with different customs. Cant believe we are in Cairo, Egypt….get to see the fricken pyramids tomorrow! Amazing.
Traffic to our hotel was a bit crazy…but got our first glimpse of the Nile and the oasis of green along its shores. Now, the Isis Hotel…to be cliché…never judge a book by it’s cover….well this place was a hole on the outside, very sketchy….and a hole on the inside…ha! No, actually it was perfect for us, and our hotel reception guy…crap, cant remember his name, okay we will call him Akmed…was excellent. He set us up with our tours for the next 3 days and made sure we felt right at home….well, not Airdrie home, but as close as home you could be on the 21st floor of a multiple century old building overlooking the Nile River. Sweet view!
Akmed ordered us pizza but the kids and I didn’t like it as it was covered in olives and tasted like olives….the only one that liked it was Mary. Wow, we are going to the pyramids tomorrow!
Our guide picked us up the next day from the hotel in a very posh touring van….and away wewent to the Pyramids of Giza! I see them in the distance….another wow moment! He took us to a camel ride shop where we learned the custom of bartering for services in Cairo. We sat and drank some very sweet Egyptian tea while we told what each tour involved. We were glad our driver was there as he advised us how much was a reasonable price. We agreed on the 1.5 hour camel tour through the desert around the pyramids and the Sphinx for about $200 Can for the 4 of us….not bad considering we are riding camels around the pyramids!!
So everything was going good, our camel ride guide was very knowledgeable, the camels were behaving, the kids were having fun….but then about 30 min in just as we arrived at the base of the pyramids….Willem starting itching, his eyes started swelling and he began to cough….damn, Willem is allergic to camels!! We had to get him off the camel….we walked around the pyramids…incredible, something everyone should get a chance to see in their lifetime. The stone blocks are massive, cant even fathom the logistics and manpower used to build these perfect structures. Despite the millenniums of erosion…they are truly awe inspiring icons of the dessert….had to keep pinching myself…holy crap, we are walking around the pyramids…and I get to experience it with my family!! I am not sure Willem is going to remember these iconic pyramidal structures in the dessert…more like I was riding these camels one time and my eyes swelled shut and I couldn’t quite make them out…ha!
I was impressed how well preserved the area is around the pyramids…the Egyptian government has managed to keep a perimeter of what appeared to be untouched dessert. I will spare the history lesson of the pyramids but must point out that the Great Pyramid of Giza (aka Pyramid of Cheops) is the tallest of the 3 pyramids of Giza and was once the tallest structure in the world for over 3800 years. It was once thought to be around 480 feet tall but over time with erosion and the removal of the golden cap it has lost about 30 feet of elevation. Oh, and how could I forget…the Sphinx! A mythical creature with a body of a lion and the head of a human. The word sphinx comes from the Greek meaning “to strangle”….derived from lions killing their prey by strangulation…..apparently the word sphincter derives from the same root. Now every time I think of the Sphinx I am going to think of my butt muscle….damn…ha!
The Sphinx is constantly being probed, measured and looked after….especially important since it is well over 40 years old…okay enough of the butt jokes…I make myself laugh.
Part of the camel ride tour was a stop at a papyrus painting factory…learned how papyrus was made and were a bit pressured to buy something….BUT fortunately or unfortunately we had a kid going into anaphylactic shock and needed medication soon….so got out of there without buying anything and headed to a pharmacy. Not a London Drugs or Shopper Drug Mart….a small hole in the wall with a single pharmacist dispensing drugs….more like a Terry White Chemist…ha…just kidding. That was a joke for our Aussie friends who are owners of a pharmacy in Australia called Terry White Chemists. If you are ever in Australia this is the only place to get your prescriptions filled….there, a marketing plug for the 10 or so people that read our blog. Whatever we gave Willem it worked…about 20 minutes later, the Martin Short swelling went down (from the movie Pure Luck where Short’s character is stung by a bee and swells to an unbelievable size).
We then traveled out to another area called Saqqara, an ancient city south of Cairo to see some more pyramids. The most famous being the Pyramid of Zoser or the Step Pyramid….the oldest stone monument in the world. I got in trouble from one of the guards for going outside of the marked off area and we were almost tricked into needing a guide to walk through around the ruins. We were able to go into the Pyramid of Teti, walking down the narrow tunnel into the throne room, the walls covered in ancient writing, the air being stale and the tomb cover damaged by looters….it was awesome! And better yet, it was just us down there....another wow moment for sure!
Our driver took us back to our hotel and then later picked us up to take us to the evening Pyramid Sound and Light Show….so cool….a dramatic story of the pyramids narrated by the Sphinx (hehe) giving snippets of history and mythology….laser superimposed face of the Sphinx telling us stories with each of the pyramids lit up in changing reds, blues, yellow and purple colors….very cool.
The next day we had a guided tour of the city of Cairo. Cairo is one of the most densely populated cities in the world and is nicknamed “the city of a thousand minarets”. Minarets are spires of Islamic mosques. We were definitely feeling the cultural differences. For the most part, all women here are covered up….some more than others and at times Mary felt very uncomfortable, constantly stared at by the Egyptian men. They are not use to seeing so much skin…and Mary said after leaving Egypt that next time she would make sure she dressed a bit more conservative….I told her not to wear the Australian bikini out on the street…ha! Some of the highlights of our Cairo city tour included:
1. Old Cairo – containing Coptic Cairo with the Hanging Church, Ben Ezra Synagogue and many mosques. A very multi-religious area. Happened to chat with an Egyptian man that had lived in Calgary, worked at Costco…but he moved back to Cairo, the winters were too cold for him.
2. Khan El-Khalili – the ancient market of Cairo. No matter where you go around the world, shop keepers are always telling us they have the best deals. I bought some scarabs…stone beetles modeled after dung beetles, that were once thought to be the protectors of written documents and were often placed in Egyptian tombs.
3. Mohammad Ali Mosque – a huge mosque on a cliff overlooking Cairo with views of the pyramids in the distance. Not related to the boxer, the mosque inside in unlike traditional churches. There are no seats, the floor is covered in rugs, and there isn’t a requirement to be quiet. Also, it is required that females be fully covered…Mary enjoyed that…not!
4. The Nile River – considered to be the longest river in the world. The Nile was thought to be the causeway between life and death and the afterlife with the god Ra (the sun), underwent birth, death and resurrection each day as he crossed the sky. We were surprised at the amount of traditional farming that still remained on the banks and on the islands within the Nile.
Our last day in Egypt was dedicated to visiting the world famous Egyptian Museum. We read mixed reviews about the place…from being overcrowded and expensive to being the best museum in the world. It has a collection of over 120,000 artifacts and the largest collection of Pharaonic antiquities. The big draw being King Tut’s treasure room….wow again. I read books, wrote papers in grade school, and dreamed about King Tut…and here we were face to face with the golden mask and sarcophagus….unreal. Unfortunately we weren’t able to take any photos in the museum….too bad. We then paid extra money to go into see the Royal Mummy Room that contained a bunch of very very very old mummified Pharaohs. The most notable being Queen Hatshepsut – the longest reigning female Pharaoh. We could see the uncovered heads and hands of most of the mummies…looked like dried prunes with coarse hair and bad teeth….it was sort of eerie. The kids were a bit puzzled why these dead people were displayed out for everyone to see? Willem liked my description of how they use to remove the organs and especially the brain – making an incision through the nose and pulling the brain out using a hook…cool…ha!
We went to a famous restaurant called the Felfela….which as we walked through the streets soon found out that everyone knew about this place and pointed us in the right direction. The traditional food of falafels were excellent….but the most memorable thing was an Egyptian man giving the waiter a piece of his mind for sitting him and his family so close to some tourists…very interesting.
That night we went on a dinner cruise on the Nile. Turned out better than I expected…we cruised the Nile with views of the city lights and the famous Cairo Tower. During dinner there was a belly dancer that performed and she was very well endowed….Mary couldn’t stop looking at her…ha! Robyn got up and danced with her…it was priceless. We then had a guy come out in a dress and spin around the stage…not sure what that was about…again, Robyn got up on stage and participated….she definitely does not have my shyness gene!
We really enjoyed Cairo and are going to go back again one day to explore more of Egypt, the Nile River and hopefully do some snorkeling / diving in the Red Sea.
Next stop….KENYA! Two more blogs left! Life got busy again, but I am determined to get them completed.
Our last big adventure of the trip and it is going to be a good one – a 10 day safari in Kenya! Kids are about ready to go home, they talk about home and how it would be like to play with their friends, jump on the trampoline and go to the cabin for the summer….not much to worry about in their lives….nice!
We arrived in Nairobi very early in the morning on May 28th. We don’t usually like to arrive in new countries when it is dark and especially in a place as unfamiliar to us as a central African country. But we had arranged everything with our tour operator – Natural Track Safaris and crossed our fingers that we were going to be picked up at 3:00am. The airport was very quiet, and it was easy to spot our names on a piece of paper that our guide, James, was holding up for us. Before we left the airport, we took money out of the ATM…something that we learned while traveling…the most reliable ATMs are at the airports….and cash is king in Africa…so it is very important to have access to ATMs…(as we found out later turned out to be a bit of an issue).
James drove us through the dark country-side into Nairobi….normally we would be sleepy at this time of the night/morning but arriving in a new country is exciting and are senses were heightened by all the new sights, smells and sounds. We read that Nairobi can be a very dangerous place….and has been nicknamed “Nairobbery” for the amount of muggings that happen in this city. James checked us in at our hotel – and we could immediately see that that crime was a potential problem here…their were guards stationed on each floor 24 hours a day. We were given two rooms – a boy room and a girl room….”boys rule, girls drool!” We crashed and had a great sleep looking forward to exploring Nairobi the next day.
May 28th (Day 1):
Due to our early morning arrival we took our time in the morning getting ready….our tour organizer, Elizabeth, arranged to meet us for breakfast and go over the details of our tour. Elizabeth was very professional and had a warm, quiet presence about her. Okay, let’s go explore Nairobbery and try not to get mugged! As we were leaving the hotel, the concierge stopped us and asked where we were going? We said we were going to walk downtown. That is okay, he said, it is safe, but make sure you don’t walk back in the dark…take a taxi. Hmmm….that makes us feel safe…ha! So we headed out and immediately we could feel the eyes staring at us…we were like a pinch of salt in a sea of black pepper. We didn’t feel threatened but definitely felt like we were under the microscope. There are a lot of diesel engines in Nairobi and I am sure there are no emission standards required on vehicles….a layer of blue exhaust hangs in the air, not quite as bad as the swirling filth that constitutes the air in China…but close. Our walk to downtown only took about 20 minutes and we had no idea where we were going? We wanted to find a grocery store and grab a late afternoon snack. When you look lost it usually means that now your more of a target and we were targeted. “Hey mon, where do you need to go?”…a bloodshot eyed man asked us. I said we were looking for a grocery store and he politely told us where it was….but we didn’t quite trust him…thinking he was going to lead us to uncrowded area and rob us. We said thank-you but he kept following us and telling us about his shop that was around the corner…thanks, maybe later….he followed us always being a few short steps away. We found the grocery store, bought our snacks/drinks for our trip and decided we better just make our way back to the hotel. And who was waiting for us outside….our Nairobbery guide…Mr. Shadow. No thanks, we don’t need to buy anything we told him. We made a quick stop at a take-out food place and bought some hot dogs and chips. Our shadow was finally gone. We got to see our first World Cup 2010 celebration….3 dancers on top of a truck, hiphopping to music and wearing soccer/football attire. We made it back to the hotel without incident….definitely an experience.
Again, I think our kids saved us again….I am positive if Robyn and Willem weren’t with us that Mary and I would have been robbed….even thieves may have a conscience?
We are meeting James at 7:00am tomorrow to start our 10 day safari…we are excited and glad to get out of the big city.
May 29th (Day 2):
Okay, this isn’t starting the way I expected…it was 7:30 and James wasn’t here yet. We did have a great breakfast….the selection of breakfast food was really good….I have a feeling we aren’t going to starve on this portion of the trip.
We finally called Elizabeth and told her James wasn’t here yet. She said she just talked to him and he was on his way. He didn’t arrive until after 8:00 and it turned out that he had a flat tire and had trouble getting a replacement. We immediately knew why he had got a flat tire, the roads in Kenya are terrible…crater sized potholes, heaving earthquake chasms that would swallow a vehicle, and drivers that drive like the roads are perfectly smooth. On our way out of town we stopped for bottled water, cash at the ATM, and 3 or 4 service stations for a couple of spare tires…which are a hot commodity in Kenya.
Some observations as we drove out of Nairobi into the surrounding countryside – mud brick factories, Del Monte juice factory, Kenyatta University surrounded by a high mud brick walls (turns out not to keep people out but to help prevent the students from throwing things on the highway when they protest), coffee plantations and pineapple farms, bags filled with charcoal sitting on the sides of the road and the noticeable poverty.
We were on our way 370 kms north of Nairobi to the Samburu game reserve. We crossed the equator at around noon and got our first glimpse of the 17,058 foot Mt. Kenya….which had a small amount of snow at the peak….very cool…snow in Africa! As we crossed the highlands around Mt. Kenya I noticed the fields were full of wheat and canola….much like the foothills of Alberta. I told James that this looked a lot like Canada and he looked at me with a puzzled look on his face.
Finally, we had arrived at the Samburu National Reserve gate and could see the tribal villages surrounding the border of the reserve….however, this reserve does not have a fence, it is only an imaginary boundary where animals roam freely. Hence, the villages have high thorn bush perimeter borders to prevent animals (like lions) from entering….just like scenes from the movie “The Ghost and the Darkness” – based on a true story of two man eating lions causing havoc to railway workers, dragging them from their tents at night and devouring them. It happened in 1898 in a park called Tsavo in southern Kenya. Sure hope the lodge we are staying in has more than a than thorny bushes surrounding it?
Immediately after passing the gate into the reserve we saw our first African animal….the ever elusive African gopher...ha! But then minutes later we saw giraffes, zebras, and dik dik’s (explain later). The kids were very excited almost as much as I was! We arrived at the lodge that was deep into the 165 square kilometer park…took way longer on the dirt tracks than I thought it would. Had a late afternoon lunch and a quick rest and not wasting any time went out for our first evening game drive.
Our vehicle, which we got to know really well, was a pop-top style 6 seater van, perfect for our kids, who got to hang like monkey’s from the roof as we traveled down the dirt tracks looking for animals.
Wow…now this is amazing….we saw impala, warthogs, giraffes, elephants, a plethora of birds…the park has over 350 species of birds alone! I particularly enjoyed the guinea fowl with their bright blue plumage and white spots….but seeing the smiles on the kids face as we drove up close to wild giraffes and elephants was priceless!
The sun was setting as we made our way back to our lodge….the Samburu Sopa Lodge….almost deserted with only a handful of other guests. Centered around a watering hole and no perimeter fence…thus had to be escorted to dinner from our room by guards…added to the excitement for sure! What a day….cant wait until tomorrow!
May 30 (Day 3):
Up early for breakfast in our regular spot on the patio overlooking the watering hole. Our waiter, Michael, was a soft spoken Kenyan man that appeared to love his job telling us about the many animals that visit the waterhole. I guess we had just missed the giraffes that were in early to drink.
We saw so many animals in our morning game drive which I will summarize in a list at the end of the African portion of the blog. Instead of telling about everything we saw I will pick a highlight from each game drive:
Morning game drive highlight: Hands down it was the mother leopard feeding her two cubs a freshly caught small antelope called a Dik dik. Funny, our kids never really caught on about the name of this animal being related to the male anatomy. Mary and I had a laugh…with various “dick” jokes. A professional wildlife photographer was there taking photos of the leopards….and I had “lense envy” big time! Our little snapshot digital cameras just didn’t cut it….and vow if I ever come back to Africa I am never going to have “dik dik….I mean lense envy” ever again! Watching the leopards was one of those WOW moments!
Afternoon game drive highlight: Tracking down 3 female “sister” lions and following them to the river as the sun was setting. Really don’t have to say anymore. Kids were so excited to see the lions.
May 31st (Day 4):
Willem crapped the bed….definitely not a highlight of the day. I must mention that all of us were having some stomach/bowel issues….and Mary believes it was because of our visit into the pyramids in Egypt….we were cursed for going in. I am pretty sure it had something to do with the food or water in Egypt….read that 90% of the bottled water in Egypt comes directly from the tap. So after cleaning up poo boy, which is never a fun thing to do before breakfast, we packed up and went for breakfast. Got some great photos of Mount Kenya in the early morning light.
Today was a bit of a travel day….but on our way out of the reserve we stopped at one of the tribal villages. We met “Steven” the chief of the tribe who explained that he had 4 wives and would have more but that they were very expensive….having to pay a dowry of sheep and cattle to the parents. He also explained they weren’t quite ready for us yet as they were preparing for a ceremony that morning….which happened to be a female circumcision….ouch! I knew that this happened in certain parts of the world…but not here….took me by surprise. When they were ready, the tribe greeted us with chanting and then later a traditional dance where I had to dance with one of the girls….Mary thought it was hilarious…whatever…I thought I was good! We got to see the inside of the huts, made with sticks and covered in elephant dung. Steven explained that they cook inside the huts which helps to keep the mosquitos away….it was dark and hazy, but surprisingly comfortable. The tribe was undoubtedly poor and relied heavily on tourists. We felt very pressured to buy some of the goods that the tribe had made…we bought a giraffe hair bracelet and I had to buy a necklace with a dik-dik horn…it was cool. We didn’t buy much, but we did leave the tribe with a bag full of the kids toys which we convinced our kids to leave for them….which went over very well.
We had about a 3 hour drive to a place called Sweetwaters Game Reserve where we arrived to a beautifully manicured property surrounded by an electric fence. Our accommodations were tent-style huts overlooking another large waterhole. Didn’t know that you could put luxury and tent in the same sentence to describe an accommodation but that is exactly how I would describe it…instead of hard walls it was thin canvas. Mary was glad this place had an electric fence and moat protecting us from the animals….I told her they could jump it if they really wanted to….ha!
Afternoon game drive highlights: We went and visited a Chimpanzee Rehabilitation center, had an encounter with some elephants on a narrow enclosed track, saw our first black rhino, a troop of baboons in a tree, and went and saw a blind white rhino that the rangers care for and makes for an opportunity for tourists to get up close to a rhino and learn more about them. The park is the largest black rhino sanctuary in East Africa.
Dinner was great, however, we got our first taste of how rude large groups of Indian tourists can be….rich people from India treated the staff like they were peasants....interesting to watch really.
So much to tell….I think I will end it here and make this blog entry a 2 parter…. or maybe even a 3 parter?
June 1st (Day 5):
Mary woke up to the sounds of the buffalo by the waterhole and an absolutely beautiful sunrise over Mt. Kenya. Today we were off to Lake Nakuru, famous for the millions of pink flamingos. Along the way we stopped at a town called Nanyuki for fuel, snacks and a spare tire. Nanyuki is known as a market town and a stop for climbers to stock up on necessities for making the climb up Mt Kenya. I read that there was a huge tree just outside of town called “The Trout Tree” that was hollowed out and made into a restaurant…and famous for serving trout prepared various ways. Have to add this one to the list when we come back again one day.
We passed by Aberdare National Park that is known for its mountain peaks (14,000 feet), waterfalls, bamboo forests, rainforests and has a high population of black rhino. We stopped at one of the waterfalls called Thomson Falls, a beautiful 70 meter waterfall created from the Ewaso River draining the mountains of Aberdare. Discovered by Joseph Thomson in 1883, Thomson was a Scottish explorer and the first European to walk from Mombasa to Lake Victoria. It was a bit touristy, shops and stalls surround the entrance to the walkway leading up to the falls…and the ladies wanting us to come to their stores….but compared to the ladies from China these girls were very passive. Saw a guy holding a really cool little chameleon…but wanted money to take a photo of it of course. There were grevalia and blue gum eucalyptus trees growing on the sides of the river….bizarre….like we were back in Australia. Mary spotted a gorgeous little girl in a pretty dress as we were about to drive away…she told James to wait…and she jumped out with a few of the kids toys in hand and gave them to the little girl….the look on her face was priceless…Mary’s and the little girls…now that feels good…a great moment.
Further along we entered the famous Great Rift Valley, running 9600 km from Israel to Mozambique….we noticed it to be a very productive agricultural zone with the main crop being corn, coffee and tea….and James told us that the people in this area are very bitter towards white people….James, we really got to go pee….umm, no you don’t, we aren’t stopping here…I think he was serious? “Mzunga” – Swahili for “white man” and could hear the kids yelling it as we drove by.
We arrived in Lake Nakuru, paid our park entrance fees and then made our way to the Lodge – Sarova LionHill Lodge. One word to describe this place….MOSQUITOS! They must have forgot to spray or maybe being on the lake it is like this all the time. It was a beautiful Lodge but the mossies made it uncomfortable to be outside….we did our best to cover up and use repellant…but still got bitten….we sure hope the malaria pills are working?
Evening Game Drive highlights: Hands down was the flamingos….thousands and thousands of flamingos lining the shoreline of the lake, incredible…just like you see on those National Geographic shows. We drove the perimeter of the lake and were lucky to come up on a pride of lions hanging out in some trees….got very close...wow! We drove up to a lookout called Baboon Cliffs and further on to the spots where they filmed the movie “Out of Africa”. Incredible view. Got some great photos of rhinos and also tried to track some leopards that had been spotted nearby…but couldn’t find her. The baboons were a bit scary…Robyn and Willem didn’t want to leave our sides…and I guess it is common for them to bite the tourists.
We ran into more rude groups of people from India at dinner. But I must admit, with the large groups of Indians comes whole sections of Indian food at the buffet…love Indian food! Mary not so much.
June 2 (Day 6):
We are half way through our safari…wow, it has been amazing…if it ended here I would be satisfied…but there was still so much to see and do….
James showed up late today…we had to sit out at the lobby swatting mosquitoes for a half hour before he finally showed up. He apologized for being late but did not give a reason…Mary and I figured he may have had a few wobbly pops that night and slept in….make no mistake though…James is a fantastic guide and wouldn’t trade him in for anyone. Today we made our way to Lake Naivasha….famous for it’s HIPPOTAMUS’S ….the kids are very excited….and were singing “all I want for Christmas is a hippotamus”…
But the excitement quickly drained away as soon as we got in this tiny little boat and headed out in the lake to go see the hippos. Robyn knows that the hippo is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa…and here we are in this little wooden boat to go get close to them…gulp! It was so cool, cruising across this lake. There are an estimated 1500 hippos in the lake with the male being the king of the harem, keeping all other males away from his females, even killing young baby males when he gets the chance. It is at night when all the hippos come out of the water and feed….and this is usually when they can be dangerous. This portion of the safari was an “extra”…in other words we had to pay to go see the hippos in the lake…we paid about $100 Can total….well worth it!
From the lake we headed to our Lodge – Lake Naivasha Sopa Lodge….probably our nicest Lodge yet…a colobus monkey (long haired black and white monkey) greeted us as we drove in to the entrance…and then quickly escaped to the roof as we stepped out of the van. A huge pool surrounded by beautiful gardens….the kids swam while we were able to check our emails using their wireless connection and of course have a couple of drinks from the bar. But no rest for the weary….James picked us up for our afternoon adventure.
We headed to Hells Gate National Park….one of the only parks in Kenya where they allow people to ride their peddle bikes through….which I find a bit strange as we were told there was the odd leopard around and even lions have been spotted by fast peddling cyclists….as long as your not the slowest rider I guess you would be all right? The landscape was very unique…we entered into a valley surrounded by high red cliffs – Hells Gate Gorge…and animals were abound….giraffes, warthogs, zebras, gazelles, and a unique rapter called the Lammergeier…an enormous orange bone eating mountain vulture that nests on the cliffs.
We had picked up a guide, Simon, who also worked for Natural Track, to guide us on a hike through a canyon. We did not expect this….we hiked through this narrow dry creek bed, climbing over rocks, hoisting each other up rock faces, down the sides of waterfalls….it was awesome! Willem was in heaven because he loves climbing (Robyn told me to write this…she is watching me right now type this…ha). There are natural hot water springs in the area which have been tapped by a large geothermal Chinese company….we could hear and see a large geyser blowing in the distance. I wanted to take photos of some of the surface infrastructure of the thermal power stations but was told that I wasn’t allowed to…okay then. I didn’t pull a “Sistine Chapel” sneak photo….as I think the consequences may have been a bit more severe here.
Back to the hotel….to eat another fantastic meal and sit around the lobby fireplaces while listening to Don Henley from the Eagles belt out tunes from the lobby speakers. Oh, and we had to be escorted from our room to the lobby as the hippos from the lake come up to feed in the hotel gardens at night. I asked our security guard about the hippos and he said he would come get me when they come out later that night. Around 10:00pm I heard a knock at the door…..holy crap this is going to be cool! So this little black man with a big stick is smiling outside my door….”want to see the hippos?” he asks. Oh yeah. So 20 meters from the entrance to our room was this massive male hippo grazing on the grass….and all that stood between me and this hippo was this smiling black man with a stick….priceless!
June 3 (Day 7):
Today we had a long drive to the Maasai Mara National Park, a large game reserve in south-western Kenya. The park is named after the traditional local people and is home to a huge amount of wildlife and the world famous wildebeest migration into the Serengeti during July and August….damn….we missed it! But we heard that during the migration the number of tourists almost outnumber the wildebeest…ha! So in fact it was a great time to come!
On our drive to the Maasai Mara we passed Longonot Mountain – a dormant volcano that last erupted in 1860s….steam vents are found along the rim of the crater….we were told by James you can hike into the crater…..another one to add to the list.
The road into the park was particularly rough…so much that we got a flat tire…and there seems to be an unwritten rule by the guides that you stop to help out whenever you see anyone in trouble.....we had lots of help! As we were waiting to have the tire changed a group of maasai warriors came walking by….they didn’t speak English and in fact have their own dialect which James could not understand either. They stared at us in wonder as we did to them….they were very interested in the kids and what they had on their laps….their Nintendo DS’s.
Arrived at our Lodge – the Simba Mara….not as nice as the other Lodges but still pretty good…were just spoiled. Funny story…so their was this “happy” American guy at the Lodge by himself….he had been a bit rude to his waitress and as karma goes a monkey jumped on his table….he screamed at the top of his lungs like a little girl….it was so funny. The restaurant balcony overlooked a small river….we were able to watch the hippos and crocs while having drinks on the patio.
Afternoon game drive highlights: We saw all the “Big 5” – lion, leopard, elephant, black rhino, and buffalo but hadn’t yet seen Willem’s favorite animal – the hyena! And to our pleasant surprise we saw about 5 hyenas that afternoon…Willem named 3 of them – Shenzi, Bonzai and Ed….from the movie “The Lion King”.
Getting tired….stay tuned for part 3 of 3 of our Kenyan Safari.
June 4th (Day 8):
Morning Game Drive highlights:
It had to be the 13 lions we literally almost drove over while trying to cross over a creek. One of those unbelievable moments again…that make you say “holy crap”….James was trying to get across the creek bed and drove up over this knoll and as the creek came into sharp view there was a family of lions sitting there basking in the sun. James quickly turned off the van but seemed to get a bit nervous as we only sat there for a few minutes before moving on. He described later that the male lion must have been close by and then proceeded to tell us a story about what happened 3 years ago to an unlucky guide.
The van they were in was exactly like ours with the pop-up top for game viewing. It had started to rain and the guide decided to quickly jump out and put the top down. As he was getting into the side of the van a big male lion came out of the grass and grabbed him, dragged him into the grass but he amazingly was able to run back into the van when the lion let him go. The guide was so traumatized that he has never guided since…don’t blame him! And we found out that this happened really close to where we saw the family of lions along the creek bed.
The other highlight of that morning was finding a Cheetah! She was stalking a herd of impala and patiently waiting to see which way the herd was going to move. I could have watched her all day. Unfortunately we didn’t get to see her chase but James had mentioned that she could sit for hours waiting for the right opportunity…and even then, she may not attempt a chase for days on end.
We headed back to the Lodge for some lunch and the kids met some other kids from the UK. They had a quick play in the pool before heading off on our afternoon game drive.
Afternoon Game Drive highlights:
Definitely the hippos in the “hippo hole”. We were able to get out of the van (not sure that is so wise now that I have heard James’ story) and watch a pod of hippos with one big male and a harem of 30 or so female and young. Robyn wasn’t comfortable being out of the van and with the loud snorting sounds coming from the water I could hardly blame her. Being one of the most aggressive animals in the world, we were sure glad they seemed content hanging out in the water.
We saw another cheetah hiding out in the grass, a huge bird called a ground hornbill with a bright red pouch on its neck, and a spitting cobra that quickly slithered across the track as we passed. And of course all the usual animals – zebra, giraffe, antelope, and elephants…that were almost as numerous as gophers back home…ha!
June 5th (Day 9):
Today we headed to the southern end of the Maasai park and entered into the Serengeti National Park….known for the massive annual migration of wildebeest and holding the largest population of lions in Africa! We crossed over into Tanzania….no visa required as it was a dirt track which we took a photo of us half way in Kenya and half in Tanzania. We crossed the Mara River where the famed enormous crocodiles gather to prey on wildebeest attempting to cross the river. We are doing what? We are getting out and walking along the river bank? Okay then…gulp! Robyn was very nervous this time and so were Mom and Dad! But we had a black man with a large machine gun guiding us….okay that makes it all better…ha! Richard was very knowledgeable and told us that he hasn’t had to shoot any animals in his 7 years guiding along the Mara…however, he told us that it is common for him to have to shoot his machine gun in the air to scare away the animals….well the kids would love that….ha! He proceeded to tell us it wasn’t the hippos we had to worry about cause they come out only at night, it wasn’t the 5 to 7 meter crocodiles cause they generally stay on the river banks, it wasn’t the lions lurking in the bushes (he didn’t say why?)….the animal you have to be weary about is the lone male buffalo…ummh…like that one there behind that bush? Yes!, he said….okay let’s keep moving…he had his finger on the trigger as we backed away….what an adrenaline rush! Kids needed diapers I think? Now that was cool! We got to see the gigantic 5 meter crocs laying on the banks getting ready for the wildebeest that show up in July (we missed it by about a month)…and of course the loud snorting hippos in the river.
We drove to a new Lodge…called the Sarova Mara Game Camp…luxury tented accommodations again. There was a poster on the wall in the lobby with a message from Sir Richard Branson, who had just stayed here earlier in the year. He said this place sucked and that we should find something else….ha…of course not…this place rocked! Food was excellent as usual….and I kicked Mary’s butt in ping pong….the undisputed ping pong champion of Africa….Sir Patrick Grant!
Our last Afternoon Game Drive:
For me we saved the best for last! We hadn’t had a good view of a male lion yet…we had seen one laying down in some bushes but couldn’t really see him. There was excitement over the guide’s radio…we could hear “simba!” being spoken in Swahili…which is obviously “lion” in English. James calmly drove us towards a herd of buffalo grazing in a field…and then told us there are three male lions coming our way…..WOW! And there they were in the distance….the heads of 3 lions coming through the grass…they must be huge…the grass is over a meter tall and we can easily see their entire head. Our camera’s were useless…piece of shit underwater camera…what was I thinking?? But my $6 binoculars that I purchased in China were absolutely brilliant! We were excited…they were getting closer…but NO….they stopped, one head disappeared, then two and finally the third was gone! James said they didn’t want to be seen as they got closer to the herd of buffalo that were behind us. James wanted to get closer for us to see them….so he broke a rule…he drove into the grass off of the track…punishable by an equivalent of about $200 CAN fine….He also told us to get the kids to sit down….cause you never know what could happen when you get between 3 hungry lions and their dinner…ha! We drove through the grass literally holding our breath…
We couldn’t find them….they were like ghosts…gone, disappeared like they were merely apparitions. James said they will likely hunt that night…each of them being able to take down a full size buffalo. And unfortunately we were leaving in the morning….but still an incredible experience…..and a great way to end the safari.
June 6th (Day 10):
Today was essentially our drive back to Nairobi. Nothing too exciting compared to our last 9 days. We had some money problems….problems in that we couldn’t get any! The ATM machines wouldn’t let me take any money out…damn! I had to give James a tip for the trip and was very embarrassed to have to tell him that I couldn’t give him his tip. He was really good about it and said it actually happens all the time. I promised that I would send him money when I got back to Canada and he was fine with that.
Later that night, we went for dinner with Elizabeth (our tour organizer) at the Carnivore Restaurant. Rated one of the top restaurants in the world….which served mostly salads and vegetarian type foods despite the name….ha, just kidding. It was all meat….and as much as you could eat! The waiters would bring out these huge chunks of meat on spits and carve big slabs of juicy mouth-watering meat on to your plate. We had beef, chicken, pork, camel, crocodile, and ostrich….no bush meat allowed I guess. It was so good…and you eat until you cant eat anymore…then flip up the little flag in the middle of the table telling the waiters that we surrender!
We said our goodbyes to Elizabeth…such a pleasant lady and agreed to meet James in the lobby of the hotel at 2:30am for our 4:30 am flight to Cairo.
Everyone asks us what was the highlight of our trip….for me, hands down this was it….there were many close seconds, but for me, being a biologist and a geeky birdlover this was “a trip of a lifetime”. And Mary and I hear this all the time…”what a trip of a lifetime”….and I have to 100% fully disagree! This is only the tip of the iceberg for planned travels while I am still breathing on this earth….I wont reminisce too much as I plan to sum up our adventure in one last blog….the one after the next blog….our trip to London and then home….stay tuned….
I am going to list all of the animals that we saw during our 10 day trip…..I recorded a total of 126 different species but probably missed a ton that I forgot to write down as James was describing them. It will be great for the kids to go back and read this when they get older….
Mammals (44 species):
Warthog, Hippopotamus, Giraffe (Maasai), Giraffe (Reticulated), Common Duiker, Dik Dik, Bushbuch, Klipspringer, Thomson’s Gazelle, Grant’s Gazelle, Gerenuk, Common Waterbuck, Defassa Waterbuck, Gemsbok Oryx, Hartebeest, Topi, Wildebeest, Impala, Lesser Kudu, Greater Kudu, Common Eland, African Buffalo, Black Rhino, White Rhino, Plains Zebra, Grevy’s Zebra, Elephant, Rock Hyrax, Giant Rat, Banded Mongoose, Spotted Hyena, Leopard, Cheetah, Lion, Golden Jackal, Side-striped Jackal, Clawless Otter, Vervet Monkey, Savanah Baboon, Black and white Colobus Monkey, Chimpanzee, Savanah Hare, Striped Squirrel.
Birds (76 species):
Ostrich, Great White Pelican, Pink-Backed Pelican, Reed Cormorant, Gray Heron, Goliath Heron, Yellow-billed Egret, Hammerkop, Yellow-billed Stork, Marabou Stork, Saddle-billed Stork, Sacred Ibis, Hadada Ibis, African Spoonbill, Lesser Flamingo, Greater Flamingo, Black Kite, African Fish Eagle, White-backed Vulture, Bateleur, Lammergeir, Tawny Eagle, Secretarybird, Grey-breasted Spurfowl, Yellow-headed Spurfowl, Helmeted Guineafowl, Vulturine Guineafowl, Gray Crowned Crane, Red-knobbed Coot, Kori Bustard, Wattled Lapwing, Three-banded Plover, Crowned Plover, Wattle Plover, African Morning Dove, Red-eyed Dove, Speckled Pigeon, Sand Grouse, White-bellied Go-Away-bird, Blue-naped Mousebird, Little Bee-eater, Lilac-breasted Roller, Crested Hoopoe, Red-billed Hornbill, Southern-Ground Hornbill, Red-fronted Barbet, Red and Yellow Barbet, Yellow Wagtail, Golden Pipit, Bush Shrike, Common Fiscal Shrike, Scrub Robin, Groundscraper Thrush, Spotted Thrush, White-eyed Flycatcher, Southern Black Flycatcher, African Paradise Flycatcher, Yellow-fronted Canary, Red-billed Buffalo-Weaver, White-headed Buffalo-Weaver, Speckled Weaver, Speke’s Weaver, Grey Capped Social Weaver, Superb Starling, Blue-eared Starling, Yellow-billed Oxpecker, Black Crow, Little Swift, Egyptian Goose, Sooty Tern, Crested Francolin, Black-bellied Bustard, Lappet-faced Vulure
Reptiles (6 species):
Nile Crocodile, Spitting Cobra, leopard turtles, Red-headed Agama, Tropical Gecko, Five-lined skink
I barely remember what we did in London as I stopped writing in my daily journal….I asked Mary what we did and I quote “well it fcuking rained”…ha! Thanks for the help Mary. This was it, 4 days and we would be home….the kids are very excited and Mary and I are also excited but also sad to be ending this amazing adventure.
We arrived back in Cairo around 11:00am and our flight to London wasn’t for another 7 hours. What are we going to do now? Turns out Egypt Airlines has a policy that if your layover is more than 6 hours they put you up in a hotel…sweet! And better yet they put us up at the Marriot (a 5-star hotel) and fed us lunch and drinks all complimentary….wow, that would never happen in Canada…you would be lucky to get a packet of stale pretzels…ha!
During our flight out of Cairo we flew over the Mediterranean Sea, and I happened to look out the window and saw a crescent shaped island with what looked like a bunch of white buildings on it….hey, that is Santorini, Greece….we were just there a few weeks ago…cool! We arrived in London late, it was raining…go figure…and we decided to take the tube to our hostel….no problem taking the tube to our stop but when we came up to the surface we had no idea what direction the hostel was? It was dark, raining and the kids were tired….we tried asking directions but didn’t have much luck? Okay, let’s try this way….Mary had some directions written down and as soon as we found a street sign we were good to go….found the hostel, checked in and put the kids to bed…..long day!
The next day we arranged a double-decker bus tour of London….in the rain! Mary had been to London before but just passed through and never really got a chance to see anything. Paul and I were here 14 years ago towards the end of our trip and were a bit tight with our money by then and thus didn’t really do much….come to think of it, we were always tight with our money and still are!
The rain was off and on….we were like yo-yo’s…when it rained we went to the lower level of the bus…and when it stopped up back we went to the top of the bus. London has a ton of character…a very exciting city and of course much history. Trafalgar square where Nelson’s monument sits to commemorate the Nelson’s victory over Napoleon, neon-lit Picadilly Circus rivaling the power usage of a street in China with a statue of Eros (the love god) – where was the porn queen? When Paul and I were here 14 years ago there was a porn queen that showed up in a limo and looked like they were going to do a shoot….but to no avail it did not happen. A bit different this time….a wife and two kids…and I wouldn’t trade it for anything! House of Parliament with Big Ben along the river Thames, the London Eye which we decided not to ride in the rain, Tower Bridge, Buckingham Palace and Hyde Park where we went and visited Diana’s Memorial Walk and children’s park. The kids had fun in the park….it was beside Kensington Palace…we could here a chopper coming in so we decided to go have a look…and to our surprise there was Camilla getting out of the chopper…I could really care less but it attracted quite a bit of attention…armed guards with their machine guns surrounded the area…who would want to take out Camilla? Well, maybe a few crazy Diana fans?
We rode the “tube” which was a great experience for the kids…I loved explaining to Willem what “mind the gap” meant…as I snickered with the twisted perverted thoughts in my mind.
Back to the hostel to hang out and have some beer and food….gotta love English food. Some guy in the hostel had his bag stolen that had his wallet and passport in it…damn that sucks! But as we have learned traveling, never ever leave anything laying out in a hostel….too many poor travelers looking for easy pickings.
The next day we spent most of it at the Natural History Museum…picture the “Night at the Museum” with Ben Stiller and that was this place…but better....the kids thought that the dinosaur skeleton at the entrance might come to life…it was awesome! I could have spent days in this place….there was a section called the Darwin Center housing hundreds of thousands of specimens and with actual scientific experiments being conducted that you could interact with the scientists. Willem found this out by accidently touching a button and all of a sudden two researchers were talking to him asking him if he had any questions. Too funny. Robyn explained to them that her Daddy was a scientist too….and so had to explain to the Darwin Center scientists what I did…which I then proceeded to strike up a technical discussion on environmental science initiatives that Canadian Oil companies were undertaking….I didn’t mention the fact that we killed 300 birds in a massive oil spill…damn!
This was it….our last night of our adventure…we are going home tomorrow! Wow, cant believe it….very emotional actually. In some respects we are very happy to go home….but then again there is so much more to see….what’s around that next corner? Where do we stay? How do we get there? I hope there isn’t any bed bugs? Do they have internet? Where can we do laundry? What do we eat? Is there peanut in this? How much is this in Canadian dollars? What cool things are we going to do today? And most importantly what is the local beer called? After a 10 hour flight I know the answer….it is called LUCKY! Hello CANADA! So good to see the family….it has been such a long time. Thanks Uncle Paul for leaving a few Lucky Lagers in the fridge for me at home….home, home….?? This is going to be weird…or maybe just a bit different!
I had planned to do one last blog summarizing our 18 months traveling abroad….but have decided against it….too much work….ha! Instead I have decided to write a book….and I am going to make everyone I know buy a copy and make everyone they know buy a copy and so on….should be able to sell at least 20 copies…Ha!
Stay tuned…..
Actually I lied…I have one last blog to do ….from last Christmas when our family came to visit us in Australia….somehow I missed that one! While I am on a role I will try and finish it up this week (Nov 22, 2010).
I feel like I have said this before…”we are back in Australia”…yes I have, it is our third time….this is getting like a bad habit, an addiction…to be honest I don’t really like these exchanges but Mary insists that I take the year off and surf, fish, explore and just take care of myself….oh okay, I will sacrifice my career for this I guess :)
But this time seemed to be a lot more work and stress to get here…we had some troubles with visas (wait a minute, where have I heard that before?...maybe China, maybe Russia…oh don’t get me started about Russia…ha!) After many sleepless nights, a few tears, a tumultuous time of going over scenarios of what might happen, I one day had enough and decided that it wasn’t going to happen and I all of a sudden felt much better. I was glad I hadn’t given my notice at Harvest yet cause after months of secretly telling too many people that I was going back to Australia I was now telling everyone there was a good chance we weren’t going. But then it happened…Mary phoned me in tears and said we were granted our visas! Wow, I cant believe it, we were 4 days from terminating our exchange. And more importantly from all of this, without getting into personal details, our daughter is healthy!
But boo hoo for the Grant’s, our life is so tough…back in Australia…don’t feel sorry for us!
Robyn and Willem are going to miss their friends and hockey and of course we will miss our family and friends….but for some strange reason, maybe through experience, we will get over it really quick when we are sitting at the beach where the sand is so pure it squeaks under your feet, the ocean is blue (with envy), and the rainforest birds are so plentiful they wake you up in the morning – well okay could do without that one…ha!
I left Canada on Jan 17th while Mary and the kids spent the first 2 weeks at our condo down in Mexico…rough life! I stayed at my sisters place as the Aussies (Deb and Ian Flood) had moved in to our house. Thanks Baxter’s, hope I didn’t make too much of a mess. What great people the Flood’s are, they got along with us and our friends very well…Ian kept saying on New Year’s Eve, as we were drinking at the Lowey’s, this is exactly what it is like at home with our friends…I think they will have fun in Canada….but they just have to pretend the snow is sand and that the cold temperatures are just a figment of their imagination…and if they keep having shooters like they did that night maybe they wont feel the cold…ha!
15 hours later we had arrived in Sydney! A bit of a layover in Sydney and we were on our last flight to our new home town – Port Macquarie, New South Wales, Australia! For our domestic flight, cant believe we didn’t get charged for our luggage…were well over our weight limit with 5 big bags….will have to thank Sir Richard Branson for that one day! Mary and the kids, from the time they left the condo to the time they arrived in Port, had travelled for 37 hours….just a tad tired!
Okay, bromance, broke back mountain, boyfriend…whatever, everyone is just jealous as to what Adrian and I have together…haha! Whatever, we are just two dudes that like surfing, fishing, beer and birds, yes birds I said it….now just back off…ha! Adrian met us at the airport in Port Macquarie and no we didn’t reenact the two people running in slow motion to each other…stop it Mary J. Was great to see the Maloney family again…and wow have they have grown…I mean their kids have grown…not sure what is in the water over here…oh wait, maybe it is something called genetics….it’s Mary’s fault. Willem 5% for height, Mitchell 95% for height….a perfect bell curve scenario.
Our new home is excellent, we really like the layout and backing out on to the forest reserve which helps to feed my desire to record what birds I have seen in my bird book….yep I am a geek…and this one is my Mom’s fault…ha. However, it is also home to other critters too….and I am sure this happens all the time….but our first morning Robyn spotted something walking in the backyard…Dad!!, she called, I think it is a koala….so I said let’s go check it out…and sure enough it was a mother koala with a baby on her back. They climbed up a tree and sat there for us while we took photos. Thanks Ian and Deb for arranging it for us…perfect!!
Mary had a rough go the first couple of days…she had a case of the Mexican stomach bug…I could go in to more details, but I wont. Top it off with the jet lag and it wasn’t too much fun…thanks for visiting with us Maloney’s….we will be more exciting next weekend when we come visit!
The first few days, after getting over jet lag and stomach bugs, were fairly smooth, not as much of a culture shock when it’s your third time doing this. Bought a car – Honda CRV…and no it is not a mini-van! It should take us on the beach and be good on the highway….it’s not a mini-van…ha! And yes I have put on my “Sheila” hat once again…meal planning, laundry, getting the kids ready for school, in fact I feel like “super-sheila”…(translate to North American – super mom!)
The first week here was actually very smooth, almost very familiar, like we have just slipped back in after 5 years since last time. Different house, different town but much the same…I know the Aussie slang, I know where to find the Jatz crackers in the grocery store, I only had one near miss head on collision the first few days, I know to slice the sausages so they cook right through, I know which meat pies we like from Ridgey Didge Pies, the kids are excited to go to school and play handball, Mary knows how wonderful the school technology will be here once again (inside joke – must be careful what I say…ha), the cycadas no longer phase us, and really the only big change that I see is that they now sell Franks Red Hot Sauce in Australia!!
So happy to be back!! Stay tuned for next week’s blog….Trip back to Coff’s Harbour and staying at the Maloney resort, first day of school for Mary and the kids…and my first day of holidays…ha!
What was exciting enough to talk about for week 2? Not much really, let’s just make this a photo blog with no writing….well maybe I can figure out something to write about….
After getting settled here in Port and before the kids and Mary had to go back to school we decided to spend the weekend with the Maloney’s in Coffs….not just any weekend, it is Australia Day long weekend! Jan 26th - Australia Day represents the anniversary in 1788 of the arrival of the first British fleet at Sydney Cove. Instead of the British saying let’s forget about Britain, Australia is much better than home, they decided to send their convicts here and the majority of them stayed in Britain…I don’t get it? Warm, beautiful sub-tropical setting with amazing beaches and plentiful forests and oceans to rainy, cold drab British Isles….why didn’t my relatives steal some bread and get sent here…damn, just plain unlucky I guess.
Some Aborigines call January 26th “Invasion Day” – the day they lost their land…and some are still rather bitter…example being this past Jan 26th some had vandalized Captain Cooks original cottage in Melbourne by spray painting some rather not so nice artwork on the building... “Jan 26 – Australia’s Shame”. Interesting times but not uncommon with aboriginal societies around the world.
Where was I? Oh yeah, we headed to Coffs Harbour, our former home in 2009, for the long weekend. It was weird driving in to our old home town, decided to drive past our house on Beryl Street….ah…so many memories – an accused stabbing, a motorcycle accident, an assault and a garage door accident all within our front yard….good times. Yes there was also great times at Beryl, loved the pool, the wee tree, the views of the rainforest, the bats at night, the huntsman spiders and of course the coachroaches…ha! We also went by the old school which the kids remembered well. We then headed up to the Maloney’s resort in Bruxner Park….a great drive up the hill, Mary absolutely loved it…ha! Narrow, winding and on the side of cliffs for about 3-4 kilometers (I think?).
The Maloney’s resort is the house they are renting while they get ready to build on their block (Lot) they just purchased just down in the valley from their current place. The views are amazing! Will let the photos tell the story. Adrian made his famous meat pies for us…but even better this time…chunky steak inside…very nice! Oh, speaking of nice...this is one of three words Mary very much dislikes….the other two are “fun” and “cool” which are considered non-descriptive words that she tells her students are “jail” words…nice!
In the morning we went to Digger’s Beach…special memories here, very NICE to be back and we had a lot of FUN which was very COOL. All kidding aside, Digger’s is very special to me as it is the place where I spread some of my Mom’s ashes on mother’s day in 2009. I will come to this place often.
The Luchetti’s came over for a BBQ that evening…great to see Karen, Glen, Monique and Thomas. Thomas hasn’t changed…just a bit taller and just as much of a chatter box as he was 5 years ago….ha! That’s okay Thomas, I was much the same…had a lot on my mind – sports, Lego, had to keep moving, no time for useless conversation…ha! It was nice to catch up with Karen and Glen again and I am sure we will see them a few more times this year before we jet away at the end of the year.
Went to the beach again the next day, if we have to again…ha! Went to Moonee beach and drifted down the river to the ocean…wonderful spot…but it was actually a bit cold….yes cold, my nipples almost cut through my shirt! This never happens in Canada…we wear thicker shirts…ha!
That evening Adrian and I went fishing on the beach, yes the beach again! Long rods, cast the bait consisting of whole squid out past the breakers…and hope to catch something….and that’s about all I did was hope…caught squat. Adrian caught a jewfish aka mulloway…wonder what’s up with the double name…will have to look that up, someone must have been offended? Had to throw it back as it was too small – had to be over 70cm. Was still a FUN night Mary :).
Thanks for the weekend Maloney’s…had a great time, always enjoy discussing how “weird” and “different” out two cultures are. Don’t forget that summer ends March 19 this year…just think you get a few more weeks to enjoy it before it starts to get cold and snow…ha!
First day of school for the kids and Mary this week….and my first day of holidays…sweet!! Mary started a day before the kids so it was shopping day for me and the kids….oh I love shopping…it hurt, it really did. Bought kids their uniforms ( I wish Canada would adopt this British tradition), went shoe shopping, went school supply shopping….went shopping…ahhhhh!!! When it was finally over and done Mary said….NICE job....Mary that word is against the law!
Jan 29th was my first day of holidays and the first day of school for the kids. I was nervous for them, all the kids gathered in the COLA – cant remember what it stands for but is the outdoor covered handball playing area and where the students gather before going to their classes. The principal split the years (grades) in to two groups - 1 to 3 and 4 to 6 and sent the younger ones away to another area in the school. Willem and Robyn waited patiently as the principal called out every students name to let them know what class they were in. I was getting back sweat sitting there waiting…and thinking when is this going to end…I have stuff to do…ha! Each kid lined up as their names were called….Willem of course was one of the taller ones in his class…haha. Actually Robyn was fairly average for height in her class. They were both nervous I could tell. With that out of the way…here starts my routine for another year….drop off kids, go to beach, surf if good, if not, go get fishing rod, go fishing, if not good for fishing, find a place to explore, if weather not good…stay in and watch fish porn…haha! I should actually do a formal decision tree so I don’t have to stress on what I have to do each day.
Actually I have been really busy…wait, yes I have been really busy. I went surfboard hunting ( I wont call it shopping cause that is such a negative word). Didn’t find one that suited me so ordered one on-line from a warehouse on the Gold Coast….should be here in a few days…cant wait!
Kids have adjusted well, made some friends already and are having FUN at school. Mary is enjoying it and has a really NICE class of kids….she has a different attitude this time….work hard but also have FUN and the motto for the year is “here for a good time, not a long time”.
Stay tuned for next week’s blog – waterslides in Wauchope (pronounced Warhope..not sure how they got that?), dinner with Deb’s sister’s family, my surfboard arrival, and another trip back to Coff’s Harbour for Brooke’s birthday!
I am already getting behind in my blogging…just so darn busy…really, and I give credit to every house Mom or Dad out there, it is a tough job…cooking, cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping etc….and then after all that I only have a wee 6 hours in the day for myself…ha!
We (we being the Grant’s and McCune’s) headed to a town called Wauchope, pronounced Warhope – how? After doing a bit of research on this town the only few interesting bits were that it was almost called “Wanghope” a misprint in the government gazette that wasn’t corrected until 1889. Haha…Wanghope…like a female wanting to be a male…get it wang hope, haha…hmmmm, actually not that funny. The other notable bit was that Wauchope was one of the largest producers of timber in Australia and timber from this region was used in the construction of the Sydney Opera House.
The reason for our visit to Wanghope was to visit the pool and waterslide…not waterslides, waterslide – singular, as in one slide. We went with the McCune’s, the other Canadians on exchange in Port with us. Was a great afternoon, kids loved the pool, diving boards and slide. Willem practiced his 50 meter freestyle swim in the pool for his school swimming carnival coming up next week. I think he is going to break some Australia records…ha…for the slowest 50 meters ever.
Went over to Deb’s (our exchange partner) sister’s place for dinner. Robyn and Adrian put on a great spread of food, drank some wine and beer, listened to music, kids played in the pool and hung out with Noah and Anton. They have a wonderful house, decorated in Robyn's paintings – she has a studio in the bottom floor and is an art teacher…Robyn should take some lessons…not Robyn, our Robyn…ha! Their yard is amazing with a beautiful pool and 3 chooks (look it up). We had such a boring time that we didn’t stay long….left at 11:30 pm…on a SUNDAY night! Ouch, kids are going to be just a tad tired tomorrow, but it was FUN.
My surfboard arrived!! Couldn’t find one my style here in Port so ordered one from the Gold Coast and it finally arrived…let’s go surfing! I am so out of shape but I am way ahead of the game this time as I didn’t start surfing last time I was in Australia until March when I met my mate Adrian – who offered to teach me…he probably regrets that now…ha!
I don’t want to embarrass our kids but I must mention that they had an emotional night this week. They both said they were homesick, missed their friends, missed their school….teary eyed Willem said “I want to go home”….ahhh, very sad to hear. As I am writing this blog, all is better, they are in week 4 of school, have established friends (took a little longer for Willem – will tell that story later) and are having a great time. It is different this exchange, they are older and Robyn is going through some changes….ummm, I will leave it at that…ha!
Kids had their first after school surf lessons with Soul Surfing – picked up at school and away they went to the beach. Mary and I of course had to follow. They did awesome (another one of Mary’s jail words) and are going to be ripping waves after 10 weeks of lessons….cant wait!
We headed back to Coff’s Harbour again on the weekend for Brooke’s 12th birthday party celebration on the beach. But first we headed over to Steph D’s place (teacher friend from Tyalla) – has been 5 years since we have seen Steph, Ella and Jordan and they haven’t changed hardly at all. Jordan cracks me up…still has big toes and is a solid little (getting big) kid, Ella still likes her thumb – which I told her that I had that habit for a very long time as a kid too and not to ever give it up…ha. Steph looks great, younger if that is possible, must be all the stress free time around the pool now! She did a major reno on her house with the addition of a pool and landscaping…makes me want to be a pool boy again!
The next day we hit the beach for Brooke’s party – a combined party with two of her friends also turning twelve. There was heaps of food, a smoothie bar (cool), a couch made of sand, and friendly people. Perfect spot and good times! Brooke has some great friends and is lucky to celebrate her birthday on the beach…not many Canadian kids get to do this….we suck on icicles, build snowmen, shovel snow off the rink and play shinny instead.
And how could I forget….I took the mini-van on the beach…was very exciting! She performed well…kids named her Hanna the Honda. I, on the other hand, did not perform that well…it wasn’t Hanna’s fault we got stuck in the sand, it was mine. Before we left, we decided to go for a rip down the beach, all was good, even managed to turn around in the deep sand high up on the beach. The problem occurred in one spot where the deep sand and ocean where coming together…I didn’t want to drive in the water so was staying up a bit high, problem was that I was moving too slow and we sunk in the sand…resulting in stuckage. Wouldn’t have been an issue except we had a time issue…in other words, the tide was coming in quick! It all happened very quickly, kids jumped out and started digging around the wheels, Adrian scrambled to get in place with his tow-rope to hook up and pull us out, and I started digging with the shovel under the front. Adrian couldn’t hook up the tow-rope as the loop wouldn’t fit in to the hook on the Honda….oh shit. I dug out some more sand and decided to give it a go….reminded me of being stuck in the snow, backed up a bit and then went forward, once I got my momentum I made it back to the solid sand and was on my way. Through all of this….where was Mary?? Haha…she said she wasn’t worried, all calm in the front seat. I guess she figured that I have been stuck with vehicles, quads, snowmobiles and that I would figure it out…haha…no worries, it all worked out. Even though we could have lost our vehicle to the fast rising ocean….I absolutely loved it!! The mini-van survived another day and I got to write about something interesting in this blog.
I must say watching the winter Olympics on TV in Australia sucks! It just isn’t right listening to an Aussie try and commentate a hockey game…I cant even say in words how bad it is….but all part of the experience. I do miss CBC coverage and being able to follow all the Canadian athletes. When Australia got its first medal all they played on TV was re-runs of Torah Bright winning her silver medal in snowboarding. But she wasn’t bad to look at so not a total loss…ha!
Before leaving Coff’s had a surf at Digger’s…didn’t surf well but just love being out there….and brings back lots of great memories.
For next week’s blog – arrival of Dad and Viv, the Sydney Teacher Exchange weekend, the Manly Beach surf competition, and a trip to the impressive Timbertown in Wauchope.
We had our first overseas visitors this week – my Dad and Viv (his girlfriend for those that don’t know). They are over for approx. 3 months to travel around Australia – I think they are calling it the Geriatrics Tour Downunder – or something like that…ha! Before coming to Australia they drove our Jeep from BC down to San Jose Del Cabo and then stayed at our condo for a few weeks. Sounds like they had a great time driving down and weren’t kidnapped and tortured by the Mexican cartels which makes it a successful trip! Their flight from Sydney to Port Macquarie was delayed and then all together cancelled…were suppose to be here at 1:00 and ended up not getting here until 5:00…a very long 43 hour journey of travel. Despite the exhausting trip, they were both surprisingly in good spirits.
I know where I get the uncontrolled desire to make lists for everything – Dad had a list of things to do for the next day. Coffee/cream for Viv – check (very important…ha), SIM card for phone – check, go to Visitor Info center – check, visit some beaches in the area – check, and do some grocery shopping – check! We were leaving for the Sydney teacher exchange meeting on the Friday so added getting a rental car to the list before we left so that Dad and Viv could go explore the area on their own while we were away.
Drove to Sydney with the McCune’s (the other Canadians on exchange) – did a kid swap to help keep the kids entertained and the parents sanity in check. Was an uneventful trip – did the kid swap back before entering Sydney and the drove to our friends, Scott and Michelle Warnock, who moved to Australia about 7 years ago. Pulled up and all the lights in the house were off…hmmm, for some reason I don’t think they are expecting us…my initial thoughts were that Mary must have messed up….cause, as she will even admit, sometimes gets dates/numbers wrong….but turns out she didn’t and it was all Michelle’s fault…haha! The door opened and all we saw was the confused expression from Michelle – who the hell is knocking at our door this time of the night…ha! It was a Thursday night, their kids (Rome, Ava, Griffin and Carter – yes a troop of kids!) were in bed as it was a school/work night. We ended up sitting up until 1:00am talking and catching up….early morning tomorrow to get to downtown (the CBD)…better go to to bed!
Mary and Dave said the teacher exchange meeting was excellent and very informative and actually wished that it went on for a couple more days (not sure who reads the blog so am being positively sarcastic J). While the teachers were having a great time at the meeting, the exchange partners went on a walkabout around Circular Quay, the Rocks, the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House and the Botanical Gardens.
We went on this walk 5 years ago with the kids but only lasted about 15 min as they were a bit young and I remember it was really hot out…and we were with Grandpa last time…not that Grandpa couldn’t handle the walk…ha! This time they did great, they lasted the entire day….and it was a long day! We walked from about 10:00am to 4:00pm with about a 45 min lunch break. There were heaps of other kids all did really well considering how far we walked. I was going to do some research about the history of “the Rocks”, Harbour Bridge etc and write about it but we are limited by our internet usage right now. We have 25 gigs per month but seem to eat up the data very fast…we are so not use to having limited usage internet, very annoying but hope we can work it out with alternative arrangements soon! Had dinner back at the Warnock’s that night – some amazing lamb shank cutlet appies, steak and salads. So good to catch up with the Warnock’s.
The next day we went on a Harbour Cruise – I remember this from last time, but this time the kids were able to fill out the quiz on their own…okay maybe I helped a bit by Googling some of the answers…shhh, don’t tell anyone Willem J. The Sydney harbor is beautiful with so much history….which I cant explain as I have a short memory and cant use Wikipedia right now…ha! Got to know some of the other Canadians on exchange – there was so and so from Ontario and so and so from Manitoba and what’s there names from Edmonton…haha…I am so bad with names. I can describe in detail what everyone looked like but am clueless when it comes to names….I need to fix that. Did I mention it rained most of the day.
Back to the Warnock’s to drink some booze – we had all three food groups – started with Irish Cider, moved on to Victoria Bitter(VB) beer and then red wine. Was a good night…ha!
It was still raining in the morning and we wanted to go down to Manly Beach to watch the Hurley Australian Open Surfing Comp.….may as well anyway. It was the semi-finals for the women’s heats. Was a cool surfing vibe scene…tons of people out watching despite the downpour. While the women were catching waves some young kids were bogey boarding in front of us where they weren’t suppose to be…they were totaling ignoring the female lifeguards and actually one of the surf comp women on her last wave surfed right in and had to weave around the kids. They finally brought in the male lifeguards and then they seemed to listen…flipping the bird as they left. Bought some hoodies and t-shirts from the famous Manly Longboard shop – not sure if it is famous really…ha! Mary and I both really liked the Manly area and said one day this would be a great teacher exchange placement….okay, twist my arm…ha!
Back to our home in Port and a couple days of siteseeing with Viv and Dad. Went to another “world famous” place called Timbertown in Wauchope (Warhope aka Wanghope). Essentially the equivalent of Heritage Park in Calgary….can you say lame x 10…ha! But rode on my first steam powered train, watched a colorful bloke (true Australian cowboy) move a team of bulls around a circular pathway pulling a cart load of logs – and must admit that was kind of interesting, sort of, okay maybe not…ha! We then drove to a winery called Bago Winery which was located on a backroad south of Wauchope. We tasted some wines and then had peak at their garden maze – claimed to be the largest hedge maze in Australia – kids would love it, will have to bring them back here so that we can set them loose to get lost in the maze while Mary and I drink wine…nice!
Had a good visit with Dad and Viv, they are off tomorrow to Perth to begin their geriatric trip around Australia…will see them back here in April some time.
Stay tuned for next weeks blog – an Interview with Willem Grant – will see how it compares with his last interview done exactly 5 years ago almost to the day.
I interviewed Willem on March 17, 2009 when we were on exchange in Coff’s Harbour – he was 4 years and 10 months old and he had some interesting answers to my questions. He was very focused on his puppy at the time which he still has and sleeps with every night….sorry Willem don’t mean to embarrass you. I wanted to ask him the same kind of questions and see how his answers compared to last time now that he is 5 years older. Okay here we go…
Willem, what’s your favorite thing so far in Port Macquarie?
The Beach.
Nice one, at least you didn’t say your puppy this time! What specifically do you like about the beach?
Ummm…I like surfing, boogey boarding and skim boarding.
Right, I remember when you first got your skim board you wiped out twice really hard on your butt. I was laughing but you were really hurt and I said get back up and do it again cause the more you do it the better you will get. Now look at you go, your great at it.
Tell me about school. Who is your best friend?
My best friend is my puppy. (He really did say this…ha).
No seriously who are some of your friends?
Finn and Nick.
I haven’t met Nick but I know Finn quite well. He is very much like you…blonde hair and teeth, both like surfing, wake boarding, flat brim hats and nerf guns.
Do you have any girlfriends yet Willem? I have seen you after school eyeing up the Sheila’s
NO! What are Sheilas Dad?
They are what Australians call females here. And if I can give you some advice, try and sleep with as many of them before you get married…haha, no I didn’t tell him that but one day I might.
I make lunch for you everyday and notice that you don’t always eat everything. Can you tell me if it something that you don’t like in your lunch?
Nah…I like everything but I only get 10 min to eat lunch and everyone eats faster than me. Dad are we almost done? No, but I get a lot of apples. Dad do we have any tinfoil.
Focus Willem, wait until we are done…(Willem is obsessed with paper and tinfoil, he likes building things with them...ninja stars, boomerangs, tinfoil boats…he is actually quite good at it).
What do you think of your Mom being at school with you again?
It’s fun, she thinks she is embarrassing me but she actually is not.
Good answer Willem!
Every day that I drop you off and pick you up lots of kids are saying Hi to you. How are you handling being in the spotlight?
I am not in the spotlight this time, because I am not the smallest in the school this time.
Yeah that is cause your in year 4 now. Who would you like to say Hi to back home in Airdrie?
Umm….Colten!
Anyone else? Nathan and Brandon.
Anyone else? Not really.
What about your family?
Oh yeah!
Anything that you want to say before we end this?
I don’t like this interview. Are you going to write this down…chuckle.
Willem are you homesick?
Kind of.
What do you miss most?
Our house, I miss home! My family, friends….and snow…that’s a big one. Can I go now?
Yes we are done….runs away looking for some tinfoil. Well that was a bit different than 5 years ago, and am guessing he takes after his Dad with the talkative gene.
This is another catch up blog – going to cram 2 weeks of stuff in to one blog. Might be a long one….nah, will make it short. How about just the highlights:
The Hoy’s – we met Willem and Robyn’s school friends – Finn, Cassie and their Dad, Steve. He has a great house one block from Nobby Beach. My dream house when I get divorced from Mary J. Filled with surfboards (Steve use to own a surf shop), pool table, huge covered deck, a Balinese-style pool, a full size skate board ramp in the backyard, and half of an old car built in to the wall in his kitchen. Sweet place. When we first met Steve, he came roaring up on his Harley with his daughter on the back. He had a BMW and ski-boat on his driveway. I think I will get to know Steve…wait a minute I am married and I like girls…ha!
Waterskiing with Sharks – Steve invited us to go boating on the Hastings River the next day. Yeah let’s do it! I was a bit hesitant about bull sharks as I am sure the river is full of them, but Finn jumped in without hesitation and away he went on the wakeboard. He was really good! Next was Robyn and just as she was about to slip off the back of the boat with her board on, Steve says to her “watch out for the sharks”. She nervously laughed and away she went. Willem went next, which surprised me, but think he wanted to show Finn he could wakeboard. Cassie hit it old school on the kneeboard….ah the kneeboard, brings back so many bad memories…ha! Then it was my turn…okay, what length rope, the ski boot doesn’t really fit me, and am I going to get my fat ass up out of the water? I made it out, barely….the rope was a bit short and the wake was huge….not a Skiba wake that was for sure! I went hard and blew the boot off the ski…but managed to get it back together and go for another one. As I was swimming back to the boat, one of the kids says, “hey look there is a fin in the water”…..I thought they were kidding, but they weren’t! I swam a bit quicker….turned out they were dolphins…whew!! Steve went next and I drove the boat…a bit weird driving in a narrow river, my turn was a tad sharp for him…ha! Was a great day!
Mary’s Birthday – Five years ago, let’s see Mary was 37, so now that makes her well beyond 40! I arranged for the kids to hang out with the other Canadians on exchange – The McCune’s, and Mary and I went for dinner and a movie. Dinner was at a Thai restaurant called “The Mekong” which overlooked the river, definitely not the Mekong River because if it was the dinner would have been a quarter of the price…but of course Mary is so worth it! After a great dinner, we went and saw a very romantic movie – Wolf Creek 2, a lovely movie about relationships, the Australian Outback and a crazed Australian serial killer named Mick who preys on tourists that venture in to the Outback. Nice one! Great date movie!
So being that it was Mary’s birthday on the 25th, meant my Mom’s birthday was a few days later. We really miss her and cant help but think how she would have loved it here. And I am sad that she cant see her wonderful grandchildren grow up to be taller than their Mom. However, like I have always said, Mom is here with all of us…she lives in my cells, I feel like I am looking through her eyes some days…kind of surreal but also very comforting.
Other highlights: It was Mary’s turn to cook on one of the weekends and she cooked a roast. Normally I would say, she made a fantastic roast beef, but obviously wouldn’t be telling this story it that was the case. Took it out of the oven and cut in to it…it smelled a bit funny and had a reddish color – it was Corned Beef! We were going to attempt to eat it but it was so salty and yuck! Mary ran to the shops to get a pre-made roast chicken…which was really fantastic…ha!
Mary started kayaking with her teacher friends on Wednesday’s after school. She had a great day a few weeks ago – saw a wallaby in the morning, dolphins while she was kayaking in the afternoon and then a family of kangaroos at the park just down from us. A great wildlife day! I also had a critter experience…not so great, picked up a leech while I was mowing the lawn, it somehow crawled in to my shoe and attached itself between my toes. When I took off my shoe there was this blood engorged leech stuck to my toe. Instead of grabbing salt I just ripped it off….then it starting bleeding….and bleeding….the little bastard injected a lot of anti-coagulant in to me that it didn’t stop bleeding for 20 minutes…I almost bled out…ha!
Last of all, we stayed up late (1:30am) and watched Canada kick Sweden’s ass in the gold medal game. YEAH! I am fairly certain not too many Australians stayed up late to watch a hockey game….it is just so in our blood…best game in the world!
Stay tuned for the next blog….More critter stories, Camping at SW Rocks, and climbing Mount Warning.
On the weekend of March 8 we went camping at a place called South West Rocks with the Hoy’s (Steve, Cassie and Finn) and the Maloney’s (Adrian, Tanya, Brooke and Mitchell). The McCune’s (Dave, Michelle, Danielle, Joel and Rosie) also came on the Saturday but just for the day. A beautiful camping spot on the ocean, in a protected bay with shallow warm clear water. The campground is called Trial Bay Gaol Campground and is situated around the old “gaol” or jail. Here comes the short history lesson – in 1861 a breakwall was planned so that ships could harbor in the bay. It was to be a huge breakwall extending 1500 meters out with large granite blocks – this would require a lot of labour…so not unlike many of the infrastructure and buildings built in Australia, it was decided to use convicts to do the work….okay, let’s build a gaol (jail) or rather get the convicts to build their own jail and then the breakwall. It must have been pure torture for them….they had to do hard labor and incarcerated looking out over this beautiful bay.
We had a great day playing in the ocean, pushing the kids onto small waves on the surfboards and drinking some beer. Drank some more after dinner, and some more red wine as the night went on. The kids had fun walking around the campground and also playing “telephone” which I have no idea what that was until Robyn told me….whew…glad they aren’t playing “spin the bottle” yet! Woke up in the middle of the night with a very dry mouth, hot and sweaty. I moved out of the tent and crashed in the car. Had a great weekend of camping...we will definitely come back here!
Critter story time – headed out the deck patio doors to go hang some laundry, which by the way is a really good way to dry clothes and saves on the electricity bill, however sometimes there are so many ants and spiders on the clothes line they can be annoying…and I actually got bit by a spider last week, thumb swelled up a bit but I was OKAY (think that is from a movie?), oh and got our first electricity bill - $370….but not bad since that is for 3 months….anyway(s)…I digress, where was I…oh yeah so I headed out the deck patio doors to go hang laundry and noticed some movement on the other side of the BBQ, which by the way whenever I open the BBQ to use it a few cockroaches scatter….sorry, so noticed some movement….it was a red-backed spider that caught a penny lizard in it’s web and was proceeding to inject venom in to it…..it was so cool…something out of National Geographic or those Planet Earth documentaries. I must have watched the drama for about an hour until finally the lizard succumbed to the venom. Time to clean off and spray the deck. Talked to Ian (our exchangees) and he said that they don’t normally get red-backs on the deck….okay then….I better start spraying a bit more.
So I was folding some laundry the other day and turned the TV on….the Ellen DeGeneres show was on….after about 15 min, it was scary…I was in to it, giggling and smiling like a, like a…not sure, but this just cant happen. I had to chug (skull) a beer, go sort my fishing hooks and wax my surfboard to get that out of my system…haha.
The next day I went fishing with one of the teacher’s husband (Robin) from Mary’s school (Mrs. Brest)…I needed that. We went to a secret spot down a narrow track and launched our kayaks in to Limeburner Creek. We pumped the mangrove muds for our bait, yabbies’ and soldier crabs…damn the yabbies’ claws hurt when you try and put them on your hook…one of them got me good…then he got me a fish…ha! Caught a whiting (always think of Mark and James when I hear whiting), a flathead and a brim….but mostly got bitten by mossies…wow, was so bad, reminded me of hiking up at Grace Mountain. Thanks Robin for showing me the spot, will definitely be back there!
The following weekend we (the Grant’s and McCune’s) were off to climb Mount Warning as part of a teacher exchange weekend event. A quick history blurb – approximately 4 hours, okay maybe 5 hour drive from Port Macquarie , is the remnants of an old volcano that last erupted 23 million years ago and was estimated to be about 6200 feet in height. A volcanic plug remains today at a height of 3793 feet (more impressive giving the height in feet rather than meters) and was named by Captain Cook as it could be seen a long way off the coast and “warned” sailors that land was approaching. It is also the first place on mainland Australia to receive the sun’s rays each day. The Aboriginal name is Wollumbin and was once a place of rituals and ceremonies for the Bundjalung people….and despite the 60,000 people that climb the mountain each year, the aboriginals request that people do not climb it….ooppss…too late. That’s all I have to say about that. (Just finished watching Forest Gump with the kids tonight – great movie).
So we had a couple of mishaps on our drive to Mount Warning. Since Michelle and I weren’t working and could leave early, we decided to head out early so we could get there before dark and set up the tents. I wont dwell on this too much, but didn’t make it before dark, battery on the car died as we left the lights on to help us able to see while we put up a tent that I had never put up before….Michelle and I needed wine…but was in the other car with Dave and Mary. It all worked out and it was a fantastic campground….except for the partying teenagers in the campsite next to us. They managed to keep the entire campground awake until about 2:00am…which they heard about it from a number of people the next day.
Oh, and one other mishap which is definitely “mishap of the week” (use to have this the last time we were on exchange for my blog). I pulled the cooler out of the back of the Honda and said to Mary, wow this is really light! Okay, Mary you had three things to do before you left Port…I cant remember the other two, but the third was to take the food out of the fridge and put in the cooler (esky)….dohh!! We, sorry, MARY forgot the food in the fridge….o well, part of our weight loss program I guess?? Mary said to me, after saying sorry, I need to take note of how you reacted to this…cause if the tables were turned she wouldn’t have been so calm about it….I now have brownie points in the bank!!
It was a great climb! There were 3 families on the climb…us, the McCune’s, and another family on exchange from Ontario – Tara, Tom and their two kids (twins) – Jada and Emma. Tara and Jada stayed back as Jada had cut her foot on a oyster shell a few days before. Jerry, our guide, a former exchange teacher and local Australian led us up the mountain….that is until Willem and Joel decided they wanted to summit the mountain first. The only thing that stopped them was at the 4.0 km mark there is a set of chains that run straight up the remaining 400 meters of the hike to the peak….and someone told them to wait for their parents before going up. Glad they did as it was fairly steep. Willem claimed the bragging rights of being the first to make it up. We all made it to the top and were greeted with fantastic 360 degree views of the volcanic caldera and ocean in the distance.
As if Willem and Joel didn’t expend enough energy going up they decided to run the 4.5km all the way down…well, Willem confessed he stopped 3 times because he had some cramps…crazy kids. A wonderful climb with great company. Ended the climb with a cold beer provided by Tom…thanks Tom!!
This entry is getting long…..will shorten it up. Had dinner that night at Jerry and Pams’ house, met their professional tri-athlete son, all met for breakfast BBQ the next day at Kingscliff, were invited by Tom and Tara to stay at their place that night. Wow, what a place…photos will explain….they scored on their exchange! Had a good dinner, drank some wine, had some good deep conversations with Tom that night…deeper the more wine we drank…ha!
Mary went and visited the Kingscliff school the next day, and was how she got the extra day off school to extend our weekend. She said it was very good and got some good materials/information to bring back with her. Stopped in Byron Bay for lunch…love Byron, great place…heaps of character….and made our way home….
Stay tuned for the next blog…..An Interview with Robyn Grant.
Like Willem, I had interviewed Robyn approximately 5 years ago to the date on our last exchange. Now let’s see how she does with similar type questions?
What has been your favorite thing to do so far in Australia?
Surfing, actually surfing and going to school.
What do you like about surfing?
I like going to the beach and I like being in the water.
Do you remember your best surf experience so far?
On our last lesson we got to go “out back” and I caught some waves out back.
That’s awesome Robyn. For those that don’t know the term “out back” means you paddle out beyond the break so that you can sit and wait for the good waves.
What do you like about school?
I like my teacher, learning and friends.
Who are some of your friends?
Cassie, Zita, and Holly.
Are you the shortest of your friends?
Yes, but pretty much we are all the same…and I am actually the second oldest.
What’s your favorite thing to do in school?
Spelling, Language Art and Sports.
What sports?
Relay racing, cross-county, and touch footie.
Cool, touch footie, a great Aussie sport!
What do you miss about back home?
My friends, school and my house….no,no,no and hockey, hockey, hockey!
What about your family?
Grandma….and I dunno, my whole family!
What is the first thing you do when you get home from school?
Unpack my backpack, eat, change out of my uniform.
How do you like your uniform?
I like it, I like the colors – light blue and dark blue.
We just got back from a big vacation what were your favorite things that you did?
Snorkeling in the cold water, seeing the dolphins, driving in the campervan. Eating chocolate. And seeing wave rock.
Do you remember your Mom being drunk?
Yes, I remember her yelling “I don’t care what happens tomorrow”. Then the next day she was very sick. I am not doing that when I get older.
I am sure your Mom will appreciate me putting this in here…haha!
Anything else before we end this interview?
I am very fortunate to be here and really love my parents for giving me this wonderful experience….okay I might have elaborated a bit on this.
Thanks for the interview Robyn! Maybe we will do it again in another 5 years….you will be 17 years old….no!!!
I haven’t been diligent on my blog this time….not that I don’t like doing it, just not sure, difficult to explain…I am lacking motivation for writing. I am waiting for the day that I have an inspiration to continue writing my book too. I found out today that Farley Mowat passed away…92 years old…and he is quoted as saying “I’ve never enjoyed writing,” he admitted. “I enjoy having written. The completion of the exercise is marvelous!” “If someone tells you writing is easy, he is either lying or I hate him.” I loved Farley Mowat’s writing – really an iconic Canadian writer – most famous for Never Cry Wolf but had other excellent books as well.
Anyway, maybe I will find my inspiration some day….maybe today…or tomorrow, but it will happen, one of my top goals.
Going to collapse 21 days in to one blog…and trying to think how best to do this. I looked at my blogging last time and I did an alphabetical catch up blog which was fun to write….think I will do that again.
A – April Fools – had a good time with the kids in the morning…I saran wrapped the toilet hoping Willem would get up in the middle of the night and use the toilet….but then realized that maybe that would be bad as I would be the one who has to clean it up! Mom got us by removing all the cutlery from the house and putting paper towel in the kids shoes. Willem hung Ozzie (Robyn’s stuffy) from her fan.
B – Birthday – went to Finn’s (Willem’s mate) birthday party – heaps of kids, walked down to the beach played beach cricket and touch footie. Robyn and Willem didn’t have a clue how to play. Robyn has recently been learning the rules of touch footie in school so now gets it. I was trying to explain how you had to stay behind the ball….so opposite of hockey…hard for her to understand.
C – Canada – Mary gave a PowerPoint presentation to the parent/teacher/school council. It was well received and her principal really enjoyed it as it involved trivia questions – which I guess he is a trivia hound. He questioned some of the answers…of course he did…ha!
D – Dolphins – I was out for a surf with Steve and a pod of dolphins showed up. Normally they keep their distance but these ones came right in and were surfing waves with us. They then hung out around us showing off their babies. Such a wonderful experience!
E – Excellent Food – we were invited to Steve’s birthday party. Didn’t realize that it was sort of a theme party. Everyone brought a curry dish. It was so good! One difference we have noticed about Australians is that they like to bring their kids to drinking venues and events. They bring their kids to pubs and to parties. A party like this back home we would be getting babysitters. The house was full of happy kids while the parents drank. Good times.
F – Forest Gump – showed this movie to the kids, what a great movie. We have been renting movies from Blockbuster…so weird…I really miss this, going in to the movie store, looking for movies, and making sure to bring them back on time so you don’t get late charges. Another example of how Australia is a bit behind….but sometimes that isn’t a bad thing!
G – Gym Membership – Mary and I purchased gym memberships so we can “pump you up” (said in a Austrian accent). I really enjoy the gym, for some reason there are a number of girls that go to the gym just to be looked at…and I really don’t mind giving them what they want…ha!
H – Harvest – my old work is a bit short staffed so have helped them out on a few small projects. Really miss my old work mates, such a great team of people. Also missing the day-to-day social interaction that work provided. There is only small talk out in the surf and the women in the gym want to talk to me but I am playing hard to get…haha!
I – I – I got nothing for I.
J – Jonesie – I have been wearing my work mates t-shirt I got in our Christmas exchange party. It is a picture of him with a moustache with the words “Excuse me, I moustache you a question” I actually had someone tell me the other day that they really liked my shirt. No kidding David!!
K – Kayaking – Robyn and Mom did some kayaking at Lake Cathie one weekend. Willem and I fished….Willem caught a number of small fish…he was very excited.
L – Love – I really love my wife for doing this teacher exchange :)
M – McCune’s – our fellow Canadian family on exchange in Port. Their vehicle wouldn’t start one morning so was asked to drive them to school. No worries! Also drove Rosie to her dance lessons the next morning…any time guys.
N – Night Club – I actually went clubbing…can’t believe it! Steve asked if I wanted to go out as his mate was heading off to Indonesia to get married and wanted to have a couple beers with him. Started at a pub and the next thing I know I have swapped my thongs (sandals) with a bloke that had shoes. Turns out you cant get in to the nightclubs with open toed shoes. This was an interesting place…I actually felt young! Really! It was a nightclub for the older crowd. Called the DownUnder NightClub…I guess the younger crowd goes to the bar above this place…not sure what it is called? Was a fun night except the drinks were $11 each…holy crap!
O – O how I love surfing – didn’t have anything for O either…ha!
P – Perth – got ready for a big trip to Western Australia for our Term 1 break. This will be the next topic of my next couple of blogs. We did heaps and will have lots of stories to tell.
Q – Quiet Willem – something we say a lot to Willem while we are watching moves. Quiet, sit still!!
R – Rainbow Beach – a beach south of us that we went to check out one weekend…were hoping that the surf was going to be good here…but it wasn’t, the winds were up and made it messy.
S – Snake - Was cutting the grass and ran over a snake…oops! I think it was the harmless kind so felt a bit bad.
S – Surfing – kids finished their surf lessons. They had a great time and are very keen to keep surfing….cant wait until we all paddle “out back” together one day!
T – Thumb – Mary sprained her thumb while surfing…a big wave hit her and she fell back on her thumb….suck it up buttercup and get back out there…she didn’t like that…haha.
T – Tim Tams - already used T but this is such a funny story have to tell it. So Willem is rooting around in Robyn’s backpack and pulls out a small round packaged product. Willem says what is this a Tim Tam can I have it? Nooo…Willem. Mary and I burst out laughing. It was a tampon…Robyn is carrying them just in case the day comes when she is at school. It was so funny. So them Mom showed Willem a video on female puberty. Now he gets it…sort of! I will have to have my own discussion with Willem on this subject one day…ha!
U – Ummm…got nothing.
V – Van – we are going to be living out of a van for two weeks on our Perth trip. Living in a van down by the ocean (river)!
W – Willem – He was picked to be in the school’s speech competition. His speech “Who would win the fight – Canadian vs Australian animals. I guess his classmates loved it. He now has to stand up in front of the entire school to give his speech. I am nervous for him…but doesn’t do it until after the school holidays.
X, Y, Z – you would think these ones would be easy…got nothing.
Splitting this entry in to 2 parts as we had spent 15 days traveling in Western Australia with our Coffs Harbour friends - the Maloney’s, and such there are heaps of stories to tell!
Here we go…drive to Sydney, catch an early morning flight to Perth, cab to the van rental place…and here is where it gets interesting. We rented our vans from a place that we had rented from before out of Perth 5 years ago…well that was 5 years ago. The name had changed, the location had changed and the customer service definitely changed. CampAbout Oz is not a van rental place that I would recommend. CampAbout Oz customer service is very poor. CampAbout Oz is going to go out of business soon. I keep using CampAbout Oz in the sentences to increase the chances of getting found on an internet search….so that people can read this and not use them. Okay, well I could also go on TripAdvisor and write a pleasant recommendation as well. The problem was that they were very disorganized for our pickup….it took them 2.5 hours before they even started to even think of us. Without getting in to it too much, it was just horrendous. The Maloney’s were losing their minds…where I was my calm patient self, but really inside I was also extremely frustrated…ha! But I also think it comes from the experience of rolling with the ups and downs of travel…when you travel for 6 months straight there is at least something that frustrates you every other day….after while it just becomes the norm.
Finally got our vans, which turned out were fine and did the job. After spending only 24 hours with the Maloney’s we had had enough of each other and were going our separate ways! No just kidding…we wanted to go visit my friend, Mark Duk and family that transferred to Perth with Conoco-Phillips about a year ago. The Maloney’s decided to head north to see the Pinnacles and we would meet back somewhere on Monday. The Duk’s live in a suburb called City Beach, a bit of an upscale part of the city, beautiful big house with a pool and view of the ocean. But really the special part of the visit was meeting their 13 month old daughter, Miss Anika Duk, for the first time. A beautiful girl with such a calm demeanor….a great quality to have if I don’t say so myself…ha! She loved Robyn and Willem and the kids had a good time with her. Loved the “all done” talking she would say when finishing eating. Had dinner at the beach that night and watched the sunset over the water…which is different for us being on the east coast getting only the sunrises.
Krista booked us on a working sailboat the next day out of Fremantle. Not just any sailboat – it was the STS Leeuwin II, a 55 meter long, three masted barquentine (fancy word for a ship having three or more masts). It is operated by a not for profit organization that runs youth training programs. We all got to pull on the ropes to lift the sails…the kids got to climb out on front of the boat (I am sure there is a technical name for it?...haha). Was a great trip, good food and great company…well, Willem was a pain in the ass as usual but…no just kidding, kids were all great, including Anika! Walked around Freemantle, had some drinks in a pub – tried the famous “Little Creatures” beer, girls drank sangrias, and the kids, where were the kids…oh yeah, left them in a arcade with $30 credit…come get us when you are done kids! Oh and the name of my beer “little creatures” was inspired by a song lyric from the Talking Heads and refers to the live yeast cells that turn the sugars into alcohol….cool as! Bugger – the West Coast Blues and Roots festival was on tonight but just didn’t work out – Dave Mathews, Elvis Costello, John Mayer and the Doobie Brothers….yes the Doobie Brothers....ha! I would have loved to have seen Dave Mathews, he is one of my favorites….o well in another life. Oh, and ask Paully D about Dave Mathews, he loves him!
Was awesome to see Mark, Krista and Anika and hope that they can come and visit us on the East Coast later this year! “All done” with our visit Anika, cant wait to see you again.
The next day we drove to Busselton and walked the longest wooden jetty in the southern hemisphere….so long, they have a train that takes you out to the end, so long it took Willem 15 mins to run non-stop to the end of it, so long….okay enough….the jetty is 1841 meters (1.841 kilometers) long! After walking there and back we needed a swim….let’s go jetty jumping!! We all jumped…it was very refreshing! From Busselton we drove north to the Peppermint Caravan Park and met back up with the Maloney’s. Kids were happy, there was a jumpy pillow! First night in the van – had in my journal “ate some chocolate, drank some wine/beer and went to bed” – seems like a pretty good end to the day!
Van was very comfortable – Robyn on the top and Mary, Willem and I on the bottom…heaps of room, there are definitely advantages to being vertically challenged! Drove up to Meelup Beach for a quick look, great calm water bay…if it was a bit sunnier would have been a great spot for a swim and snorkel. Then headed a whopping 13km to our next destination – Yallingup which is an Aboriginal name meaning “place of love”…really, I wish I would have known that then…ha! We hadn’t plan to stay here but decided to go ask the caravan park if they had any spots available….yes they did! Nice one, such a great spot overlooking the ocean. A well known aussie surfer, Taj Burrow, built a three million dollar shack here…damn I should have been a surfer instead of a science geek...ha! Once we confirmed our accommodation for the night we headed out to see the sights of the area – first up, Canal Rocks – massive banks of granite that have eroded to form canal features. Kids enjoyed climbing around the rocks. Next stop, finally…a winery! Called the Wood Nock Estates – small winery that the Maloney’s had stopped at many years ago on their tour around Australia. Did our first wine tasting and Mary got out of control and drank too much…no, no just kidding, but it did happen later…haha! Next stop was the Margaret River Chocolate Factory….free samples!! It was all about the free samples…went back a couple of times to get a few handfuls of milk and white chocolate chips. I think we were all on a sugar buzz…better go drink some more alcohol. Drove to the Cheeky Monkey Brewery and Cidery – got a combo tasting of beers and cider…I drank the beers and Mary drank the ciders. Kids played at the park and had some nibblies to help dilute the sugar and alcohol in our bloodstream.
Yallingup has a reef system and protected bay area that looks excellent for snorkeling. We decided to give it a go in the morning, but it was a tad chilly and overcast, Willem only lasted about 10 min and Robyn and I only about another 10 min after him. I think it would have been really good if it was sunny, but was good just to get out there. Watched the surfers catch some waves, and the surf school catch the little waves on the calmer side of the reef break. Maloney’s headed off on their own and we caught up with them later on in the day. Hit a couple more wineries…dam it is only 10:00am, why don’t these places open up earlier so we can drink some wine…haha! Made our way to the town of Margaret River to do some shopping…I needed a jumper as I only had my raincoat and it was cold in the evenings. Mary bought a wetsuit that she really liked and Robyn got a cool flat-brimmed hat…she is so stylin! Stocked up on supplies…the important stuff….Captain Morgan’s Spice Rum….going to be a good night…ha!
We headed to a lighthouse called Cape Leeuwin…where the Southern and Indian oceans meet…or do they? I guess it is debatable, Wikipedia says that Australia considers the Cape the meeting point of the oceans…of course they do….while most other nations consider it to be located south of the 60th parallel. Anyway, can say we think we saw where the Indian and Southern oceans meet…ha. Also, who is this Leeuwin person…we were also on a boat called the Leeuwin….okay, lets find out? Interesting…Leeuwin was a Dutch galleon (ship) that discovered and mapped some of the southwest corner of Australia in 1622. They also make some really good wines…ha!
Prevally – our next spot for the night. A very small town on the coast known for some significant surf breaks…and guessing some really big sharks…ha! Caravan park was excellent, we were able to have a fire! Fires make camping just so much better…not to mention rum and coke! Robyn, Willem and I stayed up after everyone went to bed and talked around the fire. They said once again they were a bit homesick…not homesick for Port, homesick for Canada! Ahhh…I told them to enjoy the experience here and that we would be home before we knew it…it must have been the fire talk…talking about the summer at the cabin.
I think this blog is turning in to a three parter…tired of writing. Stay tuned for the next blog – kids learning how to play “bumhole”, climbing a really big tree, swimming in green pools…and many other adventures…
Where was I? Oh yeah, we were in Prevelly, the good campground with the fire pit. I have something I must confess to Mary…you know that run I went for in the morning…I came back a bit late and said that I got lost…well not true. What actually happened is that while I was on my run along the ocean this girl passed me and well let’s just say I stopped looking at the views of the ocean…next thing I know I had sped up and was way further down the coast than I had intended to. She was wearing these tight lulu lemon type pants but better….okay I better stop…haha!
From Prevelly we headed to Warren National Park – approximately 287 km southeast of Perth. Warren NP is famous for it's tall karri trees that are over 90 meters tall. Some of them were used as fire lookouts in the 1930s and 40s and one in particular which is 75 meters tall, called Dave Evans Bicentennial Tree can be climbed. Not sure why anyone would want to climb this tree that had rebar spikes spiraling up 75 meters off the ground….call me “anyone” – I did it! Wow, what a view! Robyn climbed to the first platform but the rest of the group bowed out…come on! The Warren river runs beside our campground and it is known to have trout in it….I tried casting but nodda.
On our way out, Mary, Tanya and the kids decided to walk out on a trail, and we would meet them in the vans at the Bicentennial tree. They said it was a nice hike through the karri forest…actually not really sure how they liked it, but I am sure they liked it….ha!
I heard one of the kids say “Let’s go in the van and play bumhole”….I did a double take and then laughed. The adults were playing the card game “asshole” and the kid version is normally called “apple” but then they figured out that a better name for the game is “bumhole” – too funny. They had a great time playing bumhole, just don’t announce it too loudly in public please!
Next spot was in a place called Walpole – it was the campsite from hell…well not that I know what hell is like…and actually don’t really believe there is a hell….stop, no religious talk…haha! We were packed in with bucket loads of other campers, and there were young toddlers everywhere, on the loose, don’t they have parents…haha! I strung a rope from tree to tree to hang some wet clothes, then about a half hour later the campground nazi came by and told me to remove the rope as we were in a park and it wasn’t allowed. I said yep will do but I guess I didn’t move fast enough for him as he got on me again and told me to get it down as he didn’t want to get a fine from the parks people. He needs to take a course on how to deal with people, if he had come up and said “how’s it going”, my reply would be “good”, and then if he said “you know we have a rule that we cant have ropes tied to trees so do you mind removing it when you get a chance”…my reaction would have been much better and maybe even a bit faster…and maybe I wouldn’t have cracked a beer and pretended not to care what he just told me…haha!
We got the hell out of dodge the next day. Where does that expression come from “hell out of dodge”? Ahh…from the show Gunsmoke were villains were told to get out of the city of Dodge City, Kansas. I was definitely a villain in the eyes of nazi campground guy. From Walpole we drove to the Valley of the Giants Tree Top Walk – was good, but felt like we had done this before, wait, yeah we did this in Tasmania…and it was even higher and more impressive than this one.
Next stop was Elephant Rocks and Green Pools. Beautiful spot with rocks shaped liked hippos…not sure why they call them Elephant rocks? The Green pools were more bluish…what is going on? Haha! We went for a swim in Green Pools – Robyn was in her element, snorkeling around the big rocks, diving down to get shells. I found some really large conical shells that I would have loved to take home, but of course I didn’t. Kids started getting cold so we swam in – the current pushed us in nicely….way easier coming in.
On to the town of Albany – 418 km southwest of Perth. The largest town in the south part of Western Australia, first settled as a military outpost – they were worried about the French trying to colonize this area, hmmm that would have been interesting if the French were successful…would have been similar to Canada. The town was then a gateway to the eastern inland gold fields. We found our campspot at the Big 4….which are always nice campgrounds. This one had a nice pool and spa, a games room and had movies playing each night. About a week before we arrived, a dead humpback whale washed up on the beach right out in front of the campground and it had attracted a really big great white shark – estimated to be 5 meters long…dam we missed it, that would have been cool to see!
The next day we toured the sites around Albany. First stop, granite rocks that were inland towards the Stirling Ranges. Side note – Stirling Ranges are high enough to get snow! That would be cool…and cool to see…ha! We were about to do the 2 km hike up to the Granite Rock skywalk and who do we see in the parking lot – another family from Canada on exchange. Tom, Janette and their daughter Jocelyn from Ontario. We caught up with them while on the hike…such a small world. The Granite Rock skywalk was excellent, beautiful view of the Albany farmland to the south and the Stirling Ranges to the north.
Next stop of the tour – Gap Rock. Wow, we saw a guy tightrope across the gap…absolutely ridiculous…well not really, just wanted to use that word…he had a safety harness on but it was still took a huge set of …to do that! Photos do better than my explanation. Last stop was a quick look at the blowholes – yep they are blowholes – put my head over one of them, which your not suppose to do, and it blew my hat off…nice! The reason your not suppose to is that sometimes sand and small rocks can be blown out with the water vapour…ouch that would hurt!
From Albany we wanted to get to Esperance…but was a bit of a drive (almost 500km) so decided to stop in a town called Hoptoun. Known for nickel mining but better known for the bra-less lady and her sidekick Cookie that ran the Hoptoun caravan park…haha! Not sure I would stop in Hoptoun again but kids had fun playing handball, bumhole and thong throwing. Also, I will never forget Hoptoun, it is the place I found out that our wonderful neighbors (sarcasm) place at the lake was for sale….yahooo!! It is like when you ask where were you when during 911 or when Michael Jackson died….yes it is that significant..haha!
Okay, tired again of writing…will be one last part to the Western Australia adventure…stay tuned for the beautiful beaches of Esperance….getting lucky at Lucky Bay…. And catching waves and a hangover at Wave Rock.
Esperance – save the best for last! Wow, loved this area, such unique terrain with low shrubbery, granite outcrops and sheltered white sand beaches. The French were credited with the first landfall in this area, hence the name, and you have to say it with a French accent…the kids do it well, Esperance huh huh huh. In French it means hope. Not sure why the French left but the area was first settled by a Scottish family called the Dempsters – good score!
From Esperance we headed to Cape LeGrand – and it was very grand! Beautiful snow white sand and crystal clear waters….but there is a better beach as indicated by Adrian. Hellfire Bay – wow, amazing bay – something you just have to see rather than me write about it. We went for a swim and snorkel, water was a little chilly and definitely saw some turtles around…ha! Next stop was Lucky Bay and did we get lucky! There was a small campground here with a few open spots – let’s stay! Adrian was a bit hesitant of staying and wont necessarily tell the story but let’s just say he had a unstable stomach. We decided to stay. Willem, Adrian and I went for a sunset hike up on the headlands with views of the surrounding bays…Willem entertained us as usual.
We have reached the furthest east we were going in our trip. Maybe one day we will come back and drive the Nullabor Plain to Adelaide. In the morning, before leaving the area we decided to hike Frenchman’s Peak….well not all of us, someone, not naming any names had to stay close to a toilet. Tanya, Mitchell, Brooke, Mary, Robyn, Willem and I hiked the steep rock up to the peak. Excellent hike, steep in spots, Mary was on edge literally, worrying about the kids and me getting too close to the edge. Views were incredible, but once again, photos tell the best story.
In the afternoon, we took a boat excursion around Esperance harbor and out to an island called Woody Island…great name…ha! Along the way saw dolphins, the rare Australian sea lions (threatened species), the cape barren goose and sea eagles that we enticed by throwing frozen fish in to the water to get them to come down off their perches. On Woody Island we had the choice of snorkeling or going for a hike – we chose snorkeling which was good, but I shouldn’t have. I was feeling a cold coming on and after getting out of the water, which was not warm, my body temperature dropped and I could not warm myself up…I had body shivers the entire trip back. Anyway, the kids had fun snorkeling and looking for buried treasure....a few colorful fish around too.
I was struggling, so Mary made me go have a hot shower and then she drugged me…yes I think she gave me too much as I slept for 10 hours straight without waking up…wonder if she took advantage of me….let’s hope so…ha!
Big drive today, last full day and night in the van before returning to Perth. On our way to Hyden to see the famous Wave Rock. Took about 4.5 hours and arrived in a well manicured caravan park. Okay, let’s go see the wave! As the name suggests, it is a natural rock formation of a tall breaking wave – approximately 14 meters tall and 110 meters long. It was impressive, however, I heard a few people around us say, “we drove that long for this!” It was on our way back to Perth so not really out of our way, definitely glad we saw it. Willem tried catching the dragon lizards that were scattered about on the rocks….way too fast for him…but it entertained him. I still wasn’t feeling well, so after the hike went for a nap (kip). While I was sleeping, actually, I didn’t really sleep as I could hear everything that was going on outside the van, the other adults started drinking. I started feeling better after dinner and had a beer but was way behind the others…especially my lovely wife who ended up having “the best night ever”!
We were playing music, having a few drinks, the flies disappeared, and it was a very warm night relative to all the other nights we have had on the trip. Mary was the DJ, spinning all the tunes from the 70s up to the current music. Then the music started cutting in and out…must be the battery…went to start the van and it was flat (dead). Damn the party was over. After a few more drinks, Mary did her best to “sneak” away…opened up the van door and she was gone….haha! There was no way to sneak as we were sitting a meter from the door. I told her to stay up, drink some water, don’t go to bed with the van spinning like a merry-go-around. She didn’t listen to me….and let’s just say she paid for it the next day.
Uneventful trip back to Perth, except for the odd pit stop for Mary. Got to Mark’s, unpacked the vans and then drove them back to the rental place….oh, the memories of the van rental place…we have come full circle. However, good for us that they were closed and we dropped the keys and we were gone…never to hear from that place again.
Caught the red-eye back to Sydney with a connection through Melbourne…was a long night. One last event to end the trip….got to the carpark and forgot where I parked the car??? It was dark when I arrived and was in a hurry to catch the plane and forgot to take a mental note of what part of this massive carpark I left the car in? After about 30 min of searching I finally found it…BUT then when I went to start it, the battery was dead. Walked over to the office and got one of those portable chargers…hooked it up and immediately the horn starts going off. Someone must have bumped it and it stayed on until the battery went flat. So, got it started, drove back to the office to drop the charger off and turned off the car…I must be tired…doh! Had to get the charger again….BUT then drove about 30 min, needed fuel, stopped to get fuel, turned off the car…wouldn’t start…damn…rough morning! Had to buy jumpers from the service station and ask someone for help….I was done…let’s drive home!
It was a great trip, despite how it ended. Saw heaps of the southwest part of Western Australia…beautiful place, will return one day.
Stay tuned for the next blog – field hockey, the Port Macquarie Ironman, and Willem’s 10th Birthday party!
We signed both Robyn and Willem up for field hockey and they had their first training session and game. Wasn’t too sure what to expect? We were hoping that maybe this could be a substitute for real hockey for when they get back home. Turns out field hockey is nothing like our hockey. I would say the only similarities are that there is a stick and a net and that it is called hockey. There is some stick-handling that will help with their hand-eye coordination which is good, but it is completely different in the way you hold the stick, the shot is more like a golf swing, and the rules…haven’t figured them out yet. Too many whistles for me…but I am sure it is because all the kids are still learning. Robyn wants to bodycheck the player off the ball but learned soon after that there is no contact allowed…she was disappointed! They both also wanted to use their feet to kick the ball up to their stick….like real hockey, but that isn’t allowed either….hmmm, maybe this wasn’t such a good idea? But at least it isn’t netball…haha! I am sure this will offend a few of our Aussie friends.
Robyn and her friend Cass are on one team and Willem and Finn are on another. They played each other a few weeks ago and Willem’s team won! However, Robyn almost scored two goals which would have tied the game. They had a bet on the game…if Willem won he got “shotgun” in the car for a week, if Robyn won, Willem had to sleep without his puppy for a night. Not sure what was in it for Robyn on that deal…maybe she just wanted to see her little brother be in agony for all the irritation he causes her…ha! Oh, and field hockey is a right-handed game and Willem shoots left so he is learning to shoot the opposite to what he is use to. I told him Gordie Howe use to have a straight stick as he could shoot both ways. I got a “cool Dad”….nice! Lastly, the coaches are very good…especially Robyn’s, I was very impressed the way he controlled the practice and drills.
So I was out surfing one day…really I was…ha, and was having my best surf morning of the year…catching little right-handers out of the corner. I wonder what time it is…oh crap…Willem’s speech competition! I was having so much fun I forgot about it…damn…quickly changed out of my wet boardies and raced to the school….whew…I didn’t miss it. Willem made it to the finals of the speech competition and he did very well delivering his speech in front of a large audience…very proud of him. During the speeches I looked down and saw that I had sand all over the back of my legs and feet, still had zinc on my face and my hair was wet…I am sure I look like a very cool Dad to my kids, but to others…maybe a bit bogan (Aussie word for redneck).
The Port Macquarie Ironman event was on the weekend of May 3rd….Mary signed us up to volunteer during the race as well as compete in the 5K fun run. Our kids did amazing in the race…Willem finished in 26 min, Robyn in 28 min and the parents brought up the rear. My excuse was that I was just staying behind to watch out for our kids if they stopped or had any issues…but really I am just a slow runner! The Ironman is a huge event for Port, 1800 racers competing! 3.8 km swim, 180km bike and 42 km run. I cant imagine doing that! Mary and I volunteered on the bike portion of the race, had to make sure cars stayed off the race course…tough job! Watching some of the competitors, I couldn’t believe some of them were doing the Ironman…there were some big people…how could they be with all that training?? I took the kids to the finish line to watch the leaders come in…sure glad we did, cause the energy around there was awesome. There was talk that a Canadian was in the lead…sweet! Sure enough, Elliot Holtham, from Vancouver came in at a time of 8 hours 35 mins…wow! When he got close to the finish line and saw no one behind him, he stopped running and walked in, taking it all in from the crowd, giving high fives…and actually gave Robyn and Willem high fives…well Robyn said she got a slap in the face…haha! What a great event!
At the kids school, in Term 2 they started what is called kilometer club. Each morning before school kids can come and run around a 1 km track around the school grounds. The goal is to add up every km run by the kids to equal the distance around Australia. Willem and Robyn’s goal was to run 42 kilometers – a marathon! Willem became addicted to it and actually surpassed his goal by a long shot…he ran 106km in about 20 school days…averaging about 5km each morning….wow! Robyn I think ran just over 60km. I ran with Willem and his mates one morning and I couldn’t believe how fast their pace was…I had trouble keeping up. The goal was achieved…the Hastings Primary kids ran around Australia – over 14,000 kilometers! It even made the news. I just recently heard from Mary that next term they are going to do it again, but this time try and run around Canada….not sure how they will figure out the route? Anyway, Willem wants to beat his last term’s distance.
We had Willem’s 10th birthday party at a place called the Darkzone…combination of laser tag and rock climbing. Cant believe I have a 10 year old son…crazy! Willem had about 10 mates join him in the fun. And they all had heaps of fun running around shooting each other…and literally climbing the walls! We came back to our place and fed the kids sausages and watched them run around more…wow, what energy!
We had dinner at Trish and Robert’s one night…a work colleague and good friends with Ian and Deb’s (our exchange partners). They are going to Canada to visit Ian and Deb at the end of June and staying in our house…so weird! We talked about Canada and some things to see, but best of all, Robert lent me one of his longboards to use for the rest of the year….very cool! I am sure they will have a great trip.
One last significant event during this time period…one morning we all went down for a morning surf and I got to paddle out beyond the break with Robyn before the sun came up. We both sat on our boards and watched the sun come up….something I will never forget, a very special moment for me. I am sure Robyn didn’t feel the same, it was just a sunrise sitting on a surfboard in Australia….but hopefully one day she will appreciate it as much as I did. And to top it off we both caught some waves!
Stay tuned for the next blog – the Men’s fishing trip weekend– similar to SAMFAT!
We celebrated Willem’s birthday early, his actual birthday was May 21st and he got to pick where we went for dinner that night. Where do you want to go Willem – you can pick anywhere, what does he pick – KFC! Nice one….Willem informed us it stands for “Kids Fattening Center”….yep I do believe that, but Willem could use some fattening up so I am sure he will be fine.
Mary drove me to a town called Macksville for the fishing weekend with Adrian – the one car syndrome. Met the Maloney’s for dinner and then did the exchange and drive back to Coffs Harbour. Adrian and I went over to a neighbors place, Steve to see if he wanted to come fishing for the weekend with us. He was keen! It was actually a family we had met 5 years ago when we were on exchange, Lily was there daughter who had become friends with Robyn – their birthdays were on the same day and had a combined birthday party last time we were on exchange.
In the morning after kid school drop off we went to check out the surf but it was messy on the Digger’s side, cleaner on the Macaully’s side but too big for me. Brought back memories looking at the surf in the morning with Adrian and chatting with the other surfers – even saw hairy Jim…ha! Gave surfing a miss and headed back to the house to pack up. Let’s go fishing!!
Stopped in Dorrigo for a meat pit and chocky (chocolate) milk….another tradition we use to have before fishing. Stopped at Allan’s Water to see if we could spot any fish around – oh yeah, saw a brute of a rainbow in one of the shallow pools. We quickly rigged up our fly rods and casted to him, drifted nymphs within inches of his nose but he just ignored it. I estimate that he was about an 18 inch fish…not that long but he had girth to him – 3 to 4 pound fish I reckon and with full spawning colors. The area closes in about the week so that the fish can have sex…ha!
After throwing a few other things at the fish…maybe a net would have been better, we headed over to Bald Hills – a private land holding that requires permission to be on the land, and a nice bottle of red wine helps with the relations. We did some 4x4 fishing in the river valley of the pasture – a new experience for me…kind of nice jumping from pool to pool in a comfy vehicle. Down to the first pool under the waterfall and Adrian gave me the honors of first cast. First cast and fish on!! Landed a little rainbow on a green beadhead flash nymph….okay, if you haven’t realized by now, this is purely a “men’s” weekend of fishing blog…you may want to just skip to the photos and miss the commentary if your not in to this sort of thing…ha!
We caught a few more fish before heading back to claim a camp spot. It looked like rain so decided not to set up the swags. For those unfamiliar – a swag is a one person mummy like tent – not for the claustrophobic type. Got a fire going, had some drinks, Adrian made me dinner – wait a minute this is sounding very “Brokeback Mountain” haha. We slept in the truck…me in the back cab and Adrian in the very back of the truck…way back…ha! Even if we decided to sleep in the swags, they are separate….no brokeback stuff going on here!!
Steve met us in the morning which was a very crisp morning, guessing about 2C. Had an uncomfortable sleep in the cab…I am so tall that I couldn’t stretch my legs out….they need bigger trucks here in Australia! Steve showed up as planned and we headed out to the lower canyon. Did a car drop at the top and then drove to our spot to hike in to the top of the waterfall. Got off to a rough start – bushwhacked slightly in the wrong direction – where was our guide taking us? Back up we went pushing our way through the clinging jungle – the plants love to grab on to you with their spikes leaving their mark on your skin. Back on track and made it to the top of the waterfall – a very high waterfall! There was a pool above the waterfall so we gave Steve first crack at it….he rigged up his spincaster with a soft plastic….about the third cast fish on!! This is going to be a good day!
We followed the river upstream, taking turns in pools, catching a few fish each. Was tough going in some spots, having to climb above the river to get around to the next pools. I finally decided that I didn’t care if my boots got wet and went in…much easier but slippery without proper felt bottom boots like back home and a bit colder. Steve got some really nice fish, and I made the mistake of saying most of the time fly fisherman can out fish spincasters on a trout stream like this….most of the time! Steve caught some beautiful rainbows and browns on his wiggly plastic….and definitely out fished Adrian and I. My only excuse is that I don’t know this river and the fact it appears not to have plentiful invertebrate critters that the rivers back home do. It appears the fish rather target other small fish and not drifting insects in the water column. Adrian had luck on his flash woolly bugger – which acts more like a swimming fish. I stuck to the nymphs for a bit then changed up and had more success. I am sure this last bit to the non-fisherman sounded like blah blah blah…haha!
We found our way out of the canyon and back to the drop off truck – we were a bit worried not coming out at the right spot, but I do have to take credit for suggesting hiking up this one spot to see if we could spot the truck – it worked, there it was….we weren’t that far off. Was a great day of fishing!
Back to the camp, set up the swags, had some dinner, drank too much rum and wine around the fire and had a much better sleep in the warm swag.
Up the next morning for some breakfast, eggs and hashbrowns….stomach was a bit quesy…did I have a hangover? Not sure, I don’t feel too bad…I managed to eat breakfast. Headed out once again for a shorter walk on a different river. Caught a few more fish, absolute beautiful sunshine day on a great river! Funny, Steve caught a nice big rainbow at a pool above me and wanted to show us, so he comes running down the path with the fish in hand…haha! Normally you wouldn’t handle a fish out of water for this long but needed to get a good photo and I am sure the fish survived.
We caught 24 fish for the weekend and had many more on and lost. We all surprisingly landed 8 fish each. A great weekend of fishing with my mates from Australia!
Stay tuned for the next blog – State of Origin game, Robyn’s race, and other random stuff.
The “State of Origin” is an annual rugby league 3 game competition between players born from New South Wales versus players born in Queensland. I was invited by Steve to go over to his mates place to watch the big match. There are two different types of rugby games in Australia – one is called NRL (National Rugby League) and the other is Rugby Union, which the former is what I played in high school and what most of the population outside of Australia is familiar with. Rugby League is a modified version of Union. I will try not to offend my Aussie friends…but might be tough..ha! In my opinion, the game is absolutely terrible…a very large bloke carries the ball, runs into another very large bloke, falls to the ground, does some kind of strange worm-like contortion, picks up the ball and passes it to his teammate to start the process all over again. After so many attempts to crash through the wall of bodies, they have to kick the ball ,which then goes to the other team and back it comes the other way to repeat the process. Now I have played Union, and it wasn’t like this at all – there was strategy and flow and way more to the game. But this could be my ignorant interpretation not knowing the game….kind of like Americans that try and watch NHL hockey – they cant follow the puck and if they don’t know the strategy they find if difficult to watch. There was even at time that the American TV networks tried to digitally light up the puck with streaking light so that our friends from the south could follow it….most Canadians couldn’t stomach it.
Anyway, it was entertaining to watch my Aussies mates react to the game at a well equipped backyard covered deck with a large screen TV, BBQ and fire pit. NSW ended up hanging on to win the game to everyone’s surprise. The next game happened a few weeks later, which was even worse than the first one. Everyone says how rough hockey is….but usually hockey is rough with clean hard hits (not always) and when it is not then it is settled with a “managed” fight between two opposing players and the game resumes. This second game was just plain dirty, guys taking cheap shots, smacking each other, elbows to the face etc….if they allowed a good fight then I bet the dirty stuff would disappear….or not, could become a gong show. But that is what people don’t understand about fighting in hockey – it is necessary and there are rules to a fight and occasionally the two fighters finish the tussle and tell each other “good fight”.
Wow did I digress, was suppose to be a short description about going to watch a NRL game and some mates place. NSW won the second game to win the State of Origin for the first time in 8 years…but then they go on to still play the third game….strange…but will leave it at that….ha!
Robyn made it to the district cross country finals for her school and competed at a town called Kempsey. There were about 50 girls from about 12 different schools in the district running in the 3 km race. Told Robyn just to try hard and do her best and that I wouldn’t be happy with anything less than first place…haha! She did fantastic, she came 8th and was only 7-8 seconds behind the winner. After the race she said she could have run harder but wasn’t sure about the pace. This was her only second time running in a race like this and explained to her it is likely the top 3 racers trained for it and that if she wanted to beat them she would have to train. Was a great experience…she is definitely a natural athlete, where did she get that from…haha!
On the June 1st weekend with no plans we decided to drive out to a place called Point Plomer. Approximately 20 km north of Port down a gravel road you come to a little piece of surfing paradise. The road is not always passable with some large water holes and sand blows – but my mini-van made it…I think we can graduate the Honda to a 4X4 vehicle now for sure…ha! We arrived at the Point Plomer campground and I immediately got a surfing hard-on…haha…beautiful soft clean waves breaking around the point…a perfect longboard beginner wave. Robyn and I paddled out – was a long paddle and had to get out to where the wave was breaking….took us a bit but when we finally got to the spot we both caught some waves. After awhile I could see Mom getting ready so told Robyn to stay and I would go in and give Mom the surfboard….I got a perfect wave all the way in to the beach…guessing about 100-150 meters….which for non-surfers this is a very special experience. Mom paddled out to Robyn but struggled paddling on to the wave…but it was great to see the two of them out there sitting on their boards together. Mary just needs some paddle strength and needs to get out more – told her August to December will be her time!
Robyn was off to Canberra this week on her school field trip – our daughter will be away from us for a whole week…I was fine with it, but could tell Mom struggled a bit. Robyn was so excited, I think she started packing a month ago. We dropped her at the bus at 5:00am on the Monday morning….said our goodbyes and away she went with a very big smile on her face.
Stay tuned for the next blog – a special blog written by Robyn giving us a snapshot of her school field trip to the nations capital – Canberra. (At the time of this posting, Robyn wasn’t ready to post her blog so will insert it at a later date).
It was a long weekend and we were headed to Byron Bay for a teacher exchange weekend….a gathering of other families on exchange set up by former Australians that have been on exchange. This seems very familiar…of course it does we did this exactly 5 years ago!
Robyn was scheduled to be home from her Canberra trip at 6:00pm Friday night so couldn’t leave as early as we wanted to. Decided to drive to Coffs Harbour and stay at Adrian and Tanya’s place to break up the drive. Another family from Ottawa on exchange in Kingscliff came down to Port as their daughter made the regional cross country finals in Kempsey. We visited with them, had one beer (driving tonight), ate some pizza and off we went.
We really enjoy Byron Bay – has such a unique vibe…backpacker, surfing, dreadlocks mixed in with upscale shopping, good restaurants and multi-million dollar homes overlooking the calm waters of Byron Bay. I told Mary I was going to try and dreaklock my hair….I got no response, just a stare that said “like hell you are”…haha. There is a point break at Wategoes beach that is fantastic….another nice soft easy to catch wave…the only downside is that it is a haven for beginner surfers and can be very busy. We met up with the organizers of the weekend – Marlene and Steve and enjoyed a picnic lunch with the other exchangees. We invited Suzanne, a lady by herself from Sylvan Lake on exchange in Inverell – about 4 hours inland from Coffs Harbour, to join us for a surf at Wategos and then a walk up to the lighthouse. Robyn paddled out with Mary and they both caught some waves…nice! Willem was content boogey boarding closer to the shore…he isn’t quite strong enough yet to paddle out on his own. I then went out and caught a few waves. I chatted up this blonde Swedish backpacker that was sitting beside me in the surf and cursed myself again for not coming here with Paul after University instead of Europe…haha! The fun ended when a sand blowing wind came up and chased us off the beach.
We headed up to the Lighthouse, the most easterly point on mainland Australia, with amazing views of the coastline and the whales that are now migrating north…mostly humpbacks. We went for a hike below the Lighthouse to a point and spotted some dolphins surfing in the waves. A nasty storm cloud was moving in so we hurried back to the car….made it!
So we were very fortunate to be offered free accommodations from a friend of Ian and Deb’s, Helen who had a beach house in Brunswick Head – 10 min drive from Byron. We hadn’t heard from Helen yet so decided to drive to Brunswick and hopefully she would text or ring us back. We stopped at the Brunswick Hotel Pub – wow what a great place – it was the place to be in Brunswick…couples of all ages, families, girls all dolled up in high heels and fur coats…yes really…and a band setting up to play for the night. Let’s stay here! Had a couple of drinks with Suzanne while waiting for Helen to contact us. Didn’t hear from her so headed back to Byron to meet the exchangees for dinner. We got a bit worried that we would have to sleep in the car as Byron is usually always booked out on weekends….but then Helen called…guess she had trouble with her mobile (cell) phone. All worked out, had a good dinner at the RSL and then drove to our accommodation for the night. Sleeping in the car…would have been fine except my kids are very gassy…there would have been a lot of FET’s (Fart Evacuation Technique) – rolling down the windows…but wouldn’t have worked all that well in stationary vehicle…haha!
Great place, not what I expected, thinking a beach house it suppose to be on the beach…but not complaining as this place had heaps of character…definitely a beach theme…older house that was renovated a number of years ago…with that yellow/blues/white beach motif look….wait a minute, what am I doing, I sound like I should be writing for Better Homes magazine…it had a fridge for my beer and a deck to hang our wetsuits…there that’s better.
Today was touring around the Byron area but unlike 5 years ago when we all piled on a bus, they didn’t have the numbers to rent a bus, so we convoyed in our own vehicles. First stop was Channon Market – pronounced Shannon…we were definitely in hippyville – have never seen so many dreadlocks, tie dyed shirts and moccasins in my life! Okay maybe I did 5 years ago? Great people watching place, with live music, stalls and stalls of crap, and food venues….had a Sharwarma and Mary had butter chicken – very multicultural as well. Kids wanted to buy a chook (chicken) for 5 bucks and bring it with us, they had a name picked out already, I suggested Parma, as in parmesan chicken…haha!
Next stop….our favorite little pot smoking town of Nimbin….not legal but accepted and is what drives the economy of the town. Last time, with Willem in hand, it took about 5 minutes after getting off the bus to get offered to buy weed…this time it amazingly took more than twice as long…11 min, 33 seconds…we timed it…ha! But the only reason was that we had parked further away. Cookies, brownies, weed….no thanks! I still find it strange that an organized teacher event weekend has the marijuana capital of Australia in it’s itinerary.
Last stop was back to Thursday Plantation that manufacturers Tea Tree oil. Went back to the boobie pillar that was the entrance to the hedge maze. Took a photo of Robyn beside it and will compare it with the one we took 5 years ago..
Ended the weekend with a dinner at the Brunswick Head Surf Lifesaving Club where Marlene and Steve organized a great spread for us. Met some other Australians that had been on exchange…Winnipeg back in 1997…ouch…going to Winnipeg (from a Fountain Tire commercial)….his family got in to the hockey and said they enjoyed watched Teemu Selanne play…cool…and surprisingly they said they had a great time in Winnipeg….guess they didn’t know any better…ha!
5 hour drive back to Port and we were home….yes, 5 months in now and it feels like home!
It is June 9th and just a quick note that this was my Mom and Dad’s anniversary – it would have been their 47th…if my math is correct. It is these special days like birthdays, anniversaries, Mother’s Day etc that brings a bit more sadness but also allows more reflection on the great times we had. She is with us every day in our adventures here…not spiritually as I am not really in to that sort of thing…but literally as I have her ashes with us...haha…and of course biologically as I have half of her genetic material….in a way I am seeing things through her eyes….
Stay tuned for the next blog – Pat and Mark’s surfing safari weekend!
The kids competed in their first school athletics competition – what we call track and field back home. The 100m, 200m, and 800 m running events as well as Robyn qualified for the shot-put field event. Willem finished 4th in his 100m heat but didn’t qualify for the finals…he is more of a distance runner and finished 5th in the 800 m out of about 40 kids…well done! Robyn cant remember her placing’s, but she did make it to the finals for each event and finished around 4th or 5th in each one. Great results considering again that this is their first time running like races like this. Proud of my little well rounded athletes.
My friend Mark Duk, who is living in Perth with his family, came to visit for a weekend of surfing. I had a loose plan of where we should go and Mark was game for whatever. Picked Mark up at the airport after he had taken the red-eye from Perth to Sydney and then the morning flight to Port. He was a bit tired but was happy that he was able to watch one of the World Cup soccer matches in the lounge in Sydney. Mark is a huge soccer fan and was a little concerned about not being able to watch his team – Holland plays early the next morning. Insert comment about the Dutch here…haha! Mark was keen to surf so he was fine just seeing the highlights on the web later on.
We drove to Point Plomer, down the dirt track and arrived in a nearly empty campground…set up camp, had a beer and Mark went for a nap. I headed out for a surf…conditions weren’t great as the wind was up and there was only one other guy out….caught a couple waves and came in…it felt “fishy” out there….or should I say “sharky”…whenever you are out with more people it feels safer…safety in numbers of course! There were a couple by us that had been here a few days and said the surf had been really good in the mornings. Mark and I creeped on the girl – blonde, blue-eyed surfer girl…how could we not…haha!
My wonderful wife and kids showed up around dinner to spend the night with us and the next morning for a surf. Mary pre-made chili before we came, so sat by the fire having some drinks and eating chili….glad Mark is in a separate tent….remember my kids are gassy…ha!
Woke up to an overcast drizzly morning, but as our surf instructors kids say "your wet anyway" ! Mark and I paddled out, Mark was a bit intimidated as it had been a long time and unfamiliar with what I was getting him into…I can totally relate, I take it for granted now that I am comfortable in most reasonably sized surf conditions. Plus he didn’t have much paddle strength and was tired out fairly quickly. He decided to go in and then decided to come back out….and his shoulders were officially done…ha! That’s okay, surf wasn’t that great anyway. Robyn wanted to come out so I paddled out again with her…my shoulders were feeling it! She did great, catching as many waves as I did!
Headed to Crescent Head for lunch. Crescent is a beautiful spot with a very popular right hand point break – way too many people out for us…we would be like speed bumps to the other surfers. Said goodbyes to the family and Mark and I were off on our adventure up the coast.
Drove to SW Rocks, no waves, drove to Nambucca, no waves…this isn’t good…especially when you need waves for a surf safari! After a bit of contemplation, agreed that we should go to Coffs Harbour and surf my old stomping grounds in the morning. The Maloney’s were away for the weekend otherwise I am positive Adrian would have been joining us. We drove up to Adrian’s place to show Mark the views and since it was raining, pitched a tent on their front deck….sorry guys hope you don’t mind….a little late now…ha!
We surfed Digger’s in the morning and it was absolutely beautiful…small wave coming out of the corner….Mark had a blast, and got some great shots of him. He said after looking at the photos that he thought the waves were bigger…haha…that is always the case! Had lunch in Woolgoolga – the town with the Shik Temple and many options for East Indian dining – love east indian food but decided to have lunch at a café in the sun. East Indians own the banana plantations in the area that Coff’s is famous for.
In the afternoon we drove to Arrawarra…but I couldn’t remember how to get to the headland….which turns out was a good thing as we drove in to one beach and it had some decent waves but I wanted to find the headland. Finally found it and the ocean was absolutely flat! So headed back to the other beach we found. Had a really good surf…only two others out. Then about an hour in these 4 surf groms about 8 to 10 years old came out and ripped the waves….it was hilarious….not a sign of parents and these kids were absolutely tearing it up….fun to watch! Mark and I tore it up too I must say…haha! We must have surfed for over 2 hours and we were both happy.
We drove back to Port that night and had a good meal and warm sleep at home. Mark got to catch up on soccer. In the morning, after kid drop off I showed Mark my surfing routine – drive to Town, look at surf, drive to Flynn’s, look at surf, drive to Shelly’s, look at surf, drive to Lighthouse, look at surf….and then decide which one is best for me. That day we chose Shelly’s….it was the biggest wave of the weekend….convinced Mark to paddle out. Was great to sit with him in the real surf and enjoy the water and sunshine. Caught a few and called it the end of our surf safari. I dropped Mark off at the airport later that afternoon. Had a great weekend with my mate from Calgary, now Perth. Hope to see the whole family again later in the year.
Stay tuned for the next blog….the Central Australia Adventure. Oh, and by the way, Maloney’s we didn’t stay on your front deck….just taking the piss….the Park Beach Caravan Park suited us just fine.
The big day had arrived, we are starting our drive to the center of Australia. What are we thinking? When people ask what we are doing for the holidays and I tell them we are going to Uluru they are all excited and happy for us. Then I tell them we are driving and I get an Aussie laugh…your driving? , mate you know it is a long way away. And my response is yep, and we aren’t just going to drive straight west to get there, we are going to go the long way around. And again I get, mate you know there isn’t a lot out there to see, mostly roos and scrubland. Yep, perfect…the famous Outback…that’s what we want to see….thousands of kilometers of emptiness, sounds brilliant.
The kids and I departed on June 21st and headed north, the plan was to meet Adrian and Mitchell in Toowoomba. I recall reading about Toowoomba in a book about water – the town had critical water shortages in their dams back in 2005 and it was proposed to use recycled purified sewage water to top up the damn…the water would have been cleaner than the water in the dam…it was turned down by public outcry – turns out nobody can stomach the thought of drinking their own and others urine…but in fact would be just purified water.
Mary would join us 8 days from now by flight to Alice Springs. Tanya and Brooke would meet us a few days after that in Uluru. I had packed many things to keep the kids occupied in the car – of course the electronics, but also games and books and tinfoil! Yes, tinfoil, it keeps Willem occupied for hours building things…mostly airplanes, but he did build a weapon with toothpicks for spikes…and it got me one day later in the trip….it made me bleed…nice work Willem!
About 8 hours later, down a dark narrow road we arrived at Adrian’s mates place – Travis and Kris and their 2 kids Emily and crap…no not crap, just forgot his name. Had a few beers around the fire and earlier before we arrived Adrian and Mitchell got to shoot the gun at targets or at anything that was unlucky to move in the yard…ha! Travis works at the open pit coal mine in the area and had a great place in the sticks…or rather tall cactus which I was surprised to see. Turns out the cactus (Prickly Pear – Opuntia) was brought in to start a cochineal industry…a what?? Cochineal is a strong red-dye produced by mealy worms that feed on the red fruit of prickly pear – and an important dye for the red coats of the British soldiers – interesting! Later it was used to feed the cattle during droughts, and now is rampant…sounds very familiar with introduced species in Australia. Immigrants do very well in Australia…so do the introduced foreign species such as rabbits, foxes, ostriches and camels!
The next day we only drove about 650km – a short day…ha! We drove from Travis’s place to a small town called Augathella. Famous for having a football team called the “Mighty Meat Ants”…nice! We drove through towns called Dalby, Roma and Miles. Miles stood out for me as I had seen evidence of gas wells in the area…which means money! The town was benefitting from the gas development as there were new buildings – hotels, apartments, a recreation center and I am sure methane in their water wells…ha! Couple of other notable things about the drive – we started seeing roadkill and decided to start counting – Robyn is keeping the tally. We are up to 105 after day 2 – mostly kangaroos, and would be more but we were only counting the fresh ones! The other thing I have noticed is that I am constantly trying to keep things charged – the GPS, my phone, the kids I-pads, the DVD player…there are cords everywhere! I made a rule for the kids that they couldn’t have their head down in their devices the entire trip…we had daily talks and periods of time just staring out the window….but there were stretches where I could have had a nap and wouldn’t have missed a thing…ha! After a long day in the car, and after checking in to our motel, decided to get the kids to go for a run – just a quick 3 km down main street. Willem runs way too fast for me.
Woke up in the morning early and it was nipply outside…3 degrees!! Ouch…my nipples could cut glass! Today our goal was a place called Longreach. The highlights of the day were the absolute carnage on the road – in about a 100km stretch we must have counted 200 fresh road kill…bloated, legs in the air kangaroos that had been hit the night before by the road trains. Okay, road trains, for those that don’t know, in the Outback, trucks are allowed to hook up multiple trailers – I saw a sign that said that road trains can be up to 53 meters long!! It would take Usain Bolt about 4 and a half seconds to run the length of this semi-trailer…holy crap!
The other highlight was watching Adrian wee (pee) on the Tree of Knowledge in a town called Barcladine. The town was famous for the birth place of the Australia Labour Party and is marked by an elaborate structure over a dead tree (poisoned in 2006) and poisoned again with Adrian’s pee…ha! He didn’t actually piss on it but rather had a strategically placed water bottle with a stream of water for a photo…good one! That’s one benefit of doing a trip like this with an Australian, who would have known that I should desecrate the Tree of Knowledge in a small town in Northern Queensland.
Day 4 saw us drive to a town called Winton – we were making good time as we still had 4 days to get to Alice Springs, so we decided to venture off to a place called the “Dinosaur Stampede” – 200km detour down a corrugated dirt roadout to a very cool place! 95 million years ago at a place called Lake Quarry, herds of dinosaurs came to get a drink on the banks of the lake, when a huge meat-eating theropod came along and caused the herd to scatter, leaving footprints in the mud. Turns out that some researchers, just recently, dispute the findings of the footprints and that it might not have been a carnivore causing smaller dinosaurs to stampede across the mud flats…damn! Whatever, it was fantastic – I think I recall seeing photos of these footprints in one of my Uni textbooks and come to think of it there may even be a replica of these prints at the Calgary Zoo?? Will have to check that? Went for a great hike around the hills surrounding the building where they house the footprints. We were looking for our own fossils – managed to find some too.
I have many more observations of the towns we stayed in, the places we ate, the people we came across…like the rough girl in the town pub that gave us wrong info about a campsite. Winton has a pub that is the typical iconic Aussie small town pub…where people gather at night for frothy pints and pub food. Couple of blokes in dusty white singlets (wife beaters) and sweat stained cowboy hats – not like our cowboy hats, the brims are flatter and not curled up, came in and couldn’t help but think I really am in the middle of the Outback. Oh and to finish my thought…so many observations, but the blog would be too long – will just have to stay as notes in my journal for me (and my kids to read one day).
The next day we drove to Mt Isa…only 448 km. Oh, but wait, before hitting the highway we were told by a fellow camper to go check out the Musical Fence. Glad we did, kids had a blast hitting things with metal sticks, wouldn’t call it music but it was fun for them. The musical fence is a wire fence that can be played like a musical instrument and is the first permanent musical fence in the world…I feel special…ha!
The terrain changed – reminded me of a bit like the Baja in Mexico without the tall cactus, the road-kill diminished and termite mounds started to show up. Funny, people decorated the termite mounds with shirts and hats to look like people. I kept saying to the kids, oh, look another person out for a walk on the side of the road. Come to think of it, very much like Mexico, except there are people sometimes walking on the side of the road in the middle of no where…ha!
Mt Isa is a mining town having one of the most productive single mine in the world for lead, silver, copper and zinc….and you cant miss the mine…the factory and massive smoke stack dominates the skyline of the town. Found a Big 4 campsite and set up camp. Some people showed up later and gave us a hard time for taking up too much space on the camp spot – but they were confused as they thought the boundaries of the spot were in a different location. Don’t get pissy with us Grandpa…or Adrian will slap you one…ha! We ordered pizza to the campsite…nice one!! It was good. Wonder if the wives were here if they would have ordered pizza? Think that is what Adrian and Mitchell lived on for almost the first week of the trip…haha!
June 26 – big 666 km drive to Tennant Creek – which is a milestone as it is the place we start heading back south towards Alice Springs. We have been heading north, northwest for the last 5 days and soon we will head back south. Tennent Creek, how do I describe it without offending anyone….that will be tough…TC is a shithole. I had booked a hotel the night before and when we got in to town we did a drive by of the place and told Adrian we are not staying there…it was attached to a bottle shop (liquor store), and when I went by there were police arresting some Aboringines (aka Aboes) and scores of other Aboes hanging around the place. I am sure we would have been fine, but our vehicle contents may not have been there the next day. The Northern Territory has the highest murder and violent crime rate in all of Australia….and I think Tennent Creek adds to those stats. We ended up staying further up the road at the El Dorado motel with at least a semi-gated compound with some security cameras at the entrance. And bonus…it had a restaurant so we didn’t have to venture too far away from the motel at night. The restaurant only served schnitzel – think it was called the Texas Schnitzel?? And it was pretty good!
Had an easy day the next day and would be arriving in Alice Springs. We stopped at a place called the Devil’s Marbles …enormous piles of smooth granite boulders scattered all over. Kids had a blast climbing the rocks as large as houses. Some defied gravity standing alone on a base as small as a manhole cover. We crossed the Tropic of Capricorn on the drive….had to get a photo with the kids. I would say they are well traveled kids – they have been to both Tropics (Cancer and Capricorn) as well as the equator in Kenya. Now need to get them to the Arctic circle and down to Antartica…one day!
We passed a place called Wycliff – should have stopped as it as known as the UFO capital of Australia…saw some saucers and little green men statues as we passed by…damn that would have been interesting! Next time!
Checked in at the Hilton Alice Springs – we must be meeting the girls soon, no more camping….ha! Now this is nice…pool time…okay maybe not, the water was about 4 degrees! We all jumped in but quickly hit the hot water spa beside the pool. We meet up with Mom in the morning…kids and I miss her.
Stay tuned for the next blog – Alice Springs and what I have only seen in photos my whole life – once known as Ayers Rock, now called Uluru…
Picked up Mary from the airport in Alice Springs on June 28th….now I can relax and Mary will be the organizer of everything…ha! Funny but true! She is much better at it than me. Willem’s lack of showering for a week wasn’t my fault, he said he didn’t need one…ha!
That night, after Mary organized food and Willem showered, we went to the bowling alley, aptly called the “Dust Bowl”…just like any bowling alley I have ever been to, has that leather bowling shoe smell. Played a couple of games and was a good time.
We had a day to explore around Alice Springs so we headed out in the morning to a place called the McDonnell Ranges A series of mountain ranges about 600km long that were first discovered by non-Aborigines in 1860. The highest peak is called Mt Zeil at about 5000 feet…not bad! First stop, and furthest away from Alice was a very large crater resulting from a comet impact 140 million years ago. Looked amazing from a distance. We then made our way back stopping at a bunch of sites – Redbank Gorge, Ormiston Gorge, Serpentine Gorge, Ellery Big Hole (the Alice Springs beach in the summer we were told), and Stanley Chasm which we gave a miss cause Willem and Mom had an argument about something which was good cause I didn’t want to pay $25 bucks to see a chasm – the Grant gene prevails!
Today we will see something that we have only seen on TV, books, postcards and the miniature one on the Pacific Highway towards Sydney – Uluru aka Ayers Rock. First discovered by the outside world by William Gosse in 1873 and he named it after the Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers – Ayers Rock. But first we had to drive there from Alice Springs…there is a misconception that Uluru is by Alice Springs…it’s definitely not, it is a 4 hour drive away! Along the way, there is a flat-topped butte that from a distance could look like Uluru – but I wasn’t tricked as I had read about it in the Lonely Planet book before we got there. The butte is called Conner Mountain. An hour or so later, caught our first glimpses of the magical rock! Up there with those wow moments -seeing the pyramids in Giza, the Great Wall of China, or seeing my wife’s beautiful face each morning when I wake up…definitely a wow moment…haha!
Uluru is 348 meters high…about double the height of the Calgary Tower…I didn’t think it was that tall! It is also about 10km in total circumference. And the color…words definitely cant describe how it changes with the different light. Or maybe I am just too lazy to try…maybe I should ask my daughter to describe it (turns out she is an amazing writer…I had no idea…will be posting some of her work in future blogs).
Checked in to our $350 per night hotel room at Yulura – the only place in the entire area where there are accommodations…they have the monopoly! But we did manage to move for the next couple of nights to a cheaper option – some cabins at the campground, about half the price. Small world again, saw a couple from Canada in the parking lot – Will and Christine who are doing an exchange in Dubbo. There is an ongoing joke when we first started doing exchanges, that there was always a fear that you could get placed in Dubbo….kind of like being placed in Edmonton…too far from surfing (skiing) or saltwater fishing (trout fishing). But they are from Edmonton so maybe they feel right at home! Haha…I have about 20 relos (relatives) from Edmonton cursing me right now…but deep down they know Calgary is a much superior city. About the only thing they have going for them is the Edmonton Oilers….damn wait a minute…haha! I will always cheer for the Oilers no matter how bad they are!
That night we went to the “Sunrise viewing area” to see the sunset…the Lonely Planet book said to give it a try for some dramatic silhouette shots of the rock. And it was right…wow, it was fantastic. Couldn’t stop looking at it and taking photos. We also had dinner out there under a viewing shack – and Adrian tried to burn the place down with his portable stove…something you don’t want to make the news for…the Aboriginals would have been pissed! Okay, wait, poor choice of words, rather very upset!
The next day was Canada Day! Mary and I started it off by leaving the kids in bed and going to see the sunrise over Uluru – was cold and not near as good as the sunset last night. Let’s go climb Uluru!! But we aren’t suppose to, the Aborigines don’t want us to…but it is a rock, it is meant to be climbed, but it is sacred to them, but I will appreciate it more if I climb it, but it is dangerous and many people die on it (so they say), but we are fit and there is a safety chain, but it is too windy….damn, it was closed, the Aborigines close it if there are sustained winds over a certain speed…crap! I was very disappointed, Mary wasn’t, she was nervous seeing what we were going to climb up…quite steep! O well, will maybe try it tomorrow – decided to go hike the 3.5 hours around the base of the rock instead. Hike was good, about 10 km around with many interesting signs telling the significance of certain spots around the rock. I call it “the rock” cause it really is the rock, likely the most photographed rock in the world!
When we got around the other side of the rock, we could see what looked a line of ants going up the rock….it is open!! Let’s do it…after some convincing and puppy dog eyes from me and the kids it was on! We were a bit tired after the 10 km hike but when are we going to get this chance again! Mary was very nervous, not for herself, but rather the kids. Up we go, was surprised how steep it was and how they didn’t have more than just a chain. Made it to the top of the chain without too much trouble, and then more convincing to go further…okay we are good to go further, just stay on the dotted white line and don’t go off or you could fall to your death! All I can say is wow, what an experience and view! Back down we go, which was actually worse than going up, literally had to slide down on our butts in some sections and hold on to the chain…Willem loved it…Mom not so much. We all jumped off the rock on to flat ground together….tick…amazing feeling.
By the time we got down, it was already time to go que up for viewing the sunset. Went to the “Sunset viewing area” this time…but again have to say it wasn’t as dramatic as the other night….but the colors were brilliant!
What a day, will always remember this Canada Day, sunrise, walk around Uluru, hike up Ulura and sunset – the full experience! It ranks up there with the one Canada Day at the lake when I was about 26, was about 100 houseboats down at the point, a band playing, bombfires, wet t-shirt contests, my girlfriend (yes it was Mary) attempting to jump off the lighthouse naked – like the best beer commercial you have ever seen….beautiful!
The next day was a short drive to Taju ?? (aka the Olgas). Went for a hike through the center of the rocks – called Valley of the Winds…not sure why it was called this, wasn’t windy at all…ha! The rock structure of the Olgas is much different geology than Uluru. Ulura is more shale, sedimentary type rock and the Olgas is a conglomerate – like a rocky cement. Interesting how two rock structures so relatively close together can have different morphology…wow, almost sound like a geologist…no, not even close!
Like Uluru, we had to do the sunset over the Olgas…wasn’t as spectacular as the other rock but was still good…some amazing colors. Photos really don’t do it justice…you cant see all the tourists jousting for the best spot to get the perfect photo…all part of the experience.
Stay tuned for the next blog – King’s Canyon, the underground opal town, and a visit with our first exchangees in Adelaide.
On our way to King’s Canyon, about 3.5 hours from Uluru and famous I think for large mountains…no wait, that’s not it…I got it….a high walled canyon. The walls are over 100 meters high with Kings Creek at the bottom. We checked in to our overpriced room – a dormitory style room with 4 single beds, but had an amazing view of King’s Canyon in the distance….and better than sleeping in a tent…it was cold that night…between 2 and 3 degrees! The Maloney’s room wasn’t quite ready so we decided to go for a hike along Kings Creek. The best part of the hike was a lady having a smoke and drinking a coke and being held up by her friend as they walked (very slowly) along the path. It wasn’t a hard hike. Well maybe not the best part, the 100 meter high walls that shimmered a bright red in the sun may have been a bit better.
We found Will and Christine’s tent and decided to play a joke on them and tied all their fly strings together across the entrance of their tent. When they arrived we watched to see what they would do…but instead they chatted with their neighbors…so we went over to chat too. Turns out they were talking with this older couple that have been travelling around Australia for over 20 years…wow…they said if we had any questions ask away as they likely have been there. We watched the sun go down at the sunset viewing area with Will and Christine and then later had everyone over to our dorm for a visit. Before leaving, Will and Christine filled up their water bottles with hot water to try and keep them warm for the night…good luck with that!
The next morning we did the rim walk around the outside of the canyon. Fantastic….took heaps of photos. The hike started with a straight up climb for about 10 min, good for a bit of a leg burn. Dodging Chinese tourists, we tried our best to hike without too many people, it was impossible. Made some inukshuks – of course we did, we are Canadian! Saw some really cool rock formations – ancient ripples of rock that were former ocean shorelines and weathered sandstone domes similar to the Bungle Bungles in Western Australia. I got a bit close to the canyon rim for Mary’s liking…saw her walking away shaking her head…but I got some cool shots! I guess awhile back a person was standing close to the edge and it gave way…but luckily she was wearing a parachute and was able to land safely at the bottom…no, actually not true…she plunged to her death.
Willem figured out that if you smash the rocks they turn in to a white sand…then after him and Mitchell smashed a bunch of rocks we saw a sign that said please don’t smash rocks…haha!
Enjoyed a good steak dinner at the restaurant…well not nearly as good as the steak we get back home…but the potatoes and salad were great! There was a live one man band playing my favorite music – country and western…funny listening to the Australian talk in his Aussie accent and then he would start to sing and he sounded like he was straight from Nashville. Got out of there as fast as we could…haha!
Big drive the next day to a town called Coober Pedy….if you had to describe this town in only one word it would be– shithole…or is that two words…Actually again not true…the one thing that makes this place famous is Opals!...but it was still not a very aesthetically pleasing town. Coober Pedy produces 90% of the worlds opals and has over 2.75 million holes in the ground with 2.75 million piles of waste rock in mounds all over the place. The name Coober Pedy comes from an Aboriginal term meaning “white mans hole”…very fitting! The other thing about CP is that it gets stinking hot in the summers – over 50+ degree days! To combat the heat and survive, residents build there homes underground using the old mine shafts created for searching for opals. We booked a hotel that had underground rooms. As I was sitting in the room I was thinking that this seemed oddly familiar….then it hit me, I have lived almost my entire life in an underground room…it is called a basement in Canada! We love our basements in Canada…cool in the summer and warm in the winter….and great place to watch TV…quiet and dark. Not to mention, easy place to sneak out of your house as a teenager through the small basement window…haha!
We took a mine tour at “Tom’s Mine” and learned all about how Opals are mined. Very interesting….kids enjoyed finding bits of opal using a UV light and seeing their teeth glow white. Also as part of the tour we got to do some “noodling” through the waste rock piles for bits of opal that the miners may have missed. We managed to find some…but the non-precious white opal that was essentially worthless…but still fun to do. Went and did a quick drive through the town and saw some of the sights…wow, that was quick. Saw the original big winch that sits on top of the highest hill in town…got a photo of the big witch…I mean Mary in front of the winch…haha! Also stopped by the golf course…not a stitch of grass could be seen, black sand greens and dirt fairways…decided to give it a miss.
Another big drive the next day to a town called Port Augustus…just another stop on the way to Adelaide. We said goodbye to the Maloney’s as they headed for home directly east of where we were. As we played cards that night, we discussed how that this was likely the last time we would do a trip together as two families…the kids are getting older and it is likely we wont be back in Australia for a long time.
Next stop was Adelaide and home of our first Australian teacher exchange back in 2007 with James and Helen. It felt weird driving up to the house, like we had spent a bit of time here once upon a time. There to meet us at the door with his big towering frame was James. Over the next few days, James and Helen spoiled us with dinners and great hospitality. It was wonderful to catch up with them, their kids and grandkids. James also drove us to go ice skating which I bet he didn’t think he would be standing in a cold rink watching our kids skate. Wow was it busy, in fact we got to the place and it was lined up out the door so we decided to go check out the newly renovated Adelaide Oval. Huge stadium that is home to cricket and AFL. This use to be James’ home field when he use to play footie for Adelaide back in the day…that must have been long time ago…haha! Also went through a museum dedicated to a cricket player nicknamed “the Don” – Donald Bradman, the greatest batsman of all time. He is like the Wayne Gretzky of cricket. Some say the Don was the most dominant athlete of any sport with the numbers he put up. But being Canadian I would have to argue that Wayne was just as dominant in hockey and if not a bit more looking at his numbers.
Back to go skating…bad plastic blue skates like the ones in Coff’s…felt bad for Willem as he had to wear figure skates again a they didn’t have his size in hockey skates…well I wouldn’t call them hockey skates…as there is no way you could play hockey with them. But Robyn was in her glory…she so misses hockey and is eager to get home to start playing again.
One of the days we spent the morning and part of the afternoon on bikes that were free to use in the downtown core (CBD)…rode around the Oval, the botanical gardens and Zoo…oh and Robyn remembers leaving her little toy parrot at the Zoo over 7 years ago…so funny. We only had one wipeout on the bike…of course it was Willem…but he was okay!
Again, great to catch up with James and Helen and their family. James is retiring at the end of the year and is planning a big ski trip to Canada with the boys in February. Going to live the ski bum life for approximately 3 weeks…good one! We will try and get out to ski with them in Kelowna and will of course catch up when he comes out to Calgary for a visit. James and Mark can talk about whiting again…haha!
Going to stop here…stay tuned for the next blog…doing the Great Ocean Road, going to the snow, the big push for home and how could I forget…going to jail!!
From Adelaide we drove to a town called Mt Gambier, which is actually my third time here…first time was with Mary and the kids on our first exchange in 2007, the second was Dad, Willem and I on the boys trip in 2009 and now the family again in 2014. It is known for the blue lake and sinkholes…been there done that. Mary booked us in to stay at the old goal (jail)…told the kids that we had unpaid parking tickets and the police were making us stay in a jail for the night…they were excited…ha! The jail closed in 1996 and was purchased by a family (that live there) and converted in to a hotel. One of the most unique places we have ever stayed…so much character and highly recommend it. The common kitchen area was in the old chapel, the bar was in the inmate mess hall, and it is said that the place is haunted…of course it is. As it got dark, it started to drizzle…we went for a walk around the jail grounds…kids were a bit spooked…so cool. It is said a ghostly figure in a white dress is commonly seen between the dining hall and the cells between…thought to be an inmate that died in child birth at the jail. Another interesting fact was that a man in 1871 was sentenced for life for bestiality (beast)…haha nice one! Got caught wearing velcro gloves…here sheep, here sheep…
The next day was the drive on the Great Ocean Road to Apollo Bay. It was all new to the kids as they were quite young when they did it the first time, although Robyn said she remembered some of it. I forgot why they called this the “Great” Ocean road…it really lives up to its name. More because of the section closer to Apollo Bay where rainforest, deep valleys, and rivers meet the ocean…spectacular really. We did the usual tourist stuff…London Bridge, Loch Ard, and the 12 Apostles – so many people! We got frustrated with people not knowing how to walk on the path…stay to the left people…we are in Australia…they do things differently here…and could definitely tell who the tourists were that drove on the other side of the road, cause they walk on the right.
Stayed at our favorite YHA (hostel) in Apollo Bay…such a hip town, wish we could stay a bit longer. The hostel hadn’t changed much in 7 years,..still laid back, clean, with a huge common area and kitchen…wonderful place to meet other travellers. Willem learned a new (but really old) game…monopoly! He loves it, of course he does, he loves money.
Stopped in at Torquay and checked out all the surf shops…a cluster of surf shops in one area – Billabong, RipCurl, Roxy, QuikSilver etc. We also stopped in at Bell’s Beach to check the surf…wow! Incredible, and so did about 150 other people thought so too…water was packed. Some amazing waves, reminded me of the surf we saw in Hawaii called Slaughterhouse – great name, that is what would happen to me if I went out there!
Last day with Mom, dropped her off at the Melbourne airport – good riddens, now back to just the kids and I…..only Dad rules now…haha! After our goodbyes (see you in a week or so) we drove to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Grounds) to see if we could get tickets to tonight’s big AFL game –Essedon vs Collingwood…two Melbourne teams and a great rivalry. We are in!! Not the greatest seats and had to explain to Willem what “nosebleed seats” meant. Kids and I were right in to it…very exciting game to watch live. Some Australians call it aerial ping pong….ball gets kicked back and forth….but I like it better than NRL I must say….way faster and much more going on.
The next day we drove to the snow! If you ask an Australian if they have ever been skiing, and they haven’t, they often say “no, never been to the snow”. I have never really thought about it cause in Canada the snow always comes to us!! Mt Buller is about a 3 hour drive from Melbourne and you come to a town called Mansfield – right away it has that ski town vibe. Ski rental places, tyre (tire) chain hire (no all season tires in Australia), young people with dreadlocks and a Subway restaurant of course! After eating subs we drove the rest of the way from Mansfield to Mt. Buller, about 40 km. We came over a crest (hill) and caught our first glimpse of the “mountain”….and in fact it was a mountain…I was completely surprised! It had a rock peak with snow, looked like a mountain….it really was a mountain...I was shocked. The area was beautiful with green rolling hills, sheep, gum trees and the odd dead wombat on the side of the road. You definitely don’t see that driving to Lake Louise at home. As we ascended the mountain we saw snow…and immediately the kids wanted to build a snowman….not yet I said. Made it to the parking area…squeezed in to a spot…they pack the cars in tight here…then took the shuttle the rest of the way up to the resort. They don’t allow people that aren’t staying on the mountain up to the base area….good idea. Kids played in the snow. I had no intention of skiing as we had no clothes (well no winter clothes), no gear and knew it be very expensive. The runs looked good and looked like they had some snow recently…but was also about 5 degrees so looked very icy…normal for Australian snow I reckon. So glad we went up there, great experience seeing the snow on the gum trees and smiles on my kids faces (they so love the snow and if you can believe it is one of the main reasons why they are home sick!).
The next day the goal was to make it to Canberra. It was raining. The M31 motorway from Melbourne to Canberra is an excellent highway…4 lanes all the way. It was pouring rain when we got to the Canberra turn…said to the kids what do you want to do? Let’s keep going! Okay, let’s target Sydney then…got to Sydney and it was still pouring rain….we are only 4 hours from home…should we? Found the first 7-Eleven we could find, bought the largest slurpee money could buy and off we went….hyped up on caffeine and sugar we pulled in to Port Macquarie approximately 12 hours after (1100km) leaving Mansfield, VIC. What a drive! So at least I know now that I can hop in the car and be at the snow in a mere 12 hours…yeah right!
What an adventure…gone almost a month, through almost every state in Australia (except for Western Australia and Tasmania) and put on approximately 11,700 kms! Saw a huge part of Australia and I can guarantee the kids don’t want to go for any long drives in the near future!
Stay tuned for the next blog….hiking the second highest waterfalls in Australia, offshore fishing – did I catch the big one again, and other random stuff…
On July 17, 2014 Malaysian Airlines Flight 17 was shot down over the Ukraine by Pro-Russian rebels. The rebels in previous weeks and months had actually shot down other Ukrainian military planes as part of the war…I don’t think they had any intention on shooting down a commercial airline which made it a very unfortunate event. 298 people perished including 27 Australians and 1 Canadian.…they were all innocent people and lost their lives because of the fighting between Russia and the Ukraine. One particular story of 3 young children traveling with their Grandpa…cant imagine as a parent losing all your kids. Anyway, that’s why I try not to read newspapers and watch the news too much…it is all too depressing....cant imagine filling my head with all that negativity and sadness every morning if I read the paper…I do look at CNN and the Herald every once and awhile…Two people fatally shot in Marlborough Park the other day…where we use to live, motorcycle fatalities, beheadings….then it reminds me not to do that to myself, don’t go looking for bad news…if it is significant enough it will find it way to me.
On to living life. The Grant's and McCune's went and visited the second largest waterfall in Australia and the sign said second largest in the southern hemisphere – Ellenborough Falls. Second largest in the southern hemisphere is completely false – there are many waterfalls in Africa and South America 3 or 4 times the size of this one. Anyway….a water droplet falls 200 meters in the air before hitting the rocks below,…and it appears a good number of those droplets don’t make it to the bottom, rather forming a mist in the air....beautiful view! A steep hike down to the bottom and then playing amongst the boulders…Willem…stay off that ledge, not too far please…being a responsible parent…ha! What goes down must come up…unless your that person at King’s Canyon that fell off the ledge…bad joke. Steep hike up and then feasted on some donuts that the McCune’s brought…mmm…donuts, I miss donuts…they aren’t as prevalent in Australia as Canada…which isn’t a bad thing…not that Australians don’t eat sweets, they just aren’t donut eaters…think there is a joke here somewhere…but better not…ha! Took a few wrong turns on the way home and ended up in Taree…much further south than we intended…oh well was a great drive and a great day with our other Canadian friends. We had dinner that night at our place and then introduced the card game Frustration Rummy to Dave and Michelle…and as Dave can attest to, and I will second it, Dave is not a card player…he may have been slightly “frustrated” with this game…ha!
Finally feeling like I can surf again…or at least paddle on some bigger waves and actually surf them…still not a good surfer by Australian standards…but not bad for a out of shape 43 year old Canadian prairie boy that normally only gets to surf a couple times a year. My kids will be much better than me even if they too only surf a few times a year. As I am writing this I am in Bali at the end of our trip (yes I am that far behind on my blogs), Mary surfed here in Bali and I can see she is becoming a surfer…paddling on to some waves and surfing….great to see. Oh and I had another brilliant experience again one morning out in the waves in Port. Was surfing a place called Flags (where the town flagpost is situated) and saw some dolphins coming in from a distance…I paddled on to a wave surfing the clean water and what do see right under my board…a big shark…no, not really, gladly it was the dolphin…very cool!
On July 24th I watched the opening ceremonies of the Commonwealth Games that were in Glasgow, Scotland….excellent show put on by the Scots! And watching the Games on Australian TV is actually really good (unlike the Winter Olympics) as the Aussies get right in to it and have an excellent broadcast. Canada did as expected in the Games for medal count…coming third place behind England and Australia. We did really well is swimming and gymnastics and not to forget a silver in lawnbowling…haha…stole one from Australia! Didn’t even know Canada competed in lawnbowling? and didnt realize lawnbowling was a competitive sport...ha!
Went offshore fishing with Mr. Watts…a fellow teacher at Hastings Primary…met him at his place at 5:30am…my wonderful wife drove me. I wish I had some fish stories of the big ones that got away, fighting a huge snapper or battling a big shark…but I cannot tell a “fish” story…we caught fish but were all small and really not worth mentioning…I didn’t even take a photo of the small fish we caught. It was still great to get out on the ocean and roll with the swell in a small boat that you would feel more comfortable in on a small lake…but lucky for me I have never experienced any kind of motion sickness…unlike someone I know. Speaking of that, I realize this blog is mostly about me…but it is because I get to do all the fun stuff and the kids and Mary have to go to school all day…wait a minute, strike that…this fishing trip was on the weekend…but we did go surfing later in the afternoon when we got back!
Mary and Robyn went to a school function called Sugar and Spice. Robyn said, and I quote “It sucked”. Robyn said it was so girly and weird. It was a bunch of stations set up with booths to get your hair or nails done, a costume photo booth, a singing booth…and it was again, I quote “all pink and ewww!” It is safe to say Robyn is not a girly girl…she’s more of a sporty girl that likes hockey, greens/oranges and hates getting her photo taken…hmmm, sounds like someone I know.
The other notable event for this blog entry was the running race in Sydney called “City to Surf”. We stayed with the Warnock’s again and this time they were expecting us…haha! Michelle and Mary still laugh about the last time. We pulled up to the Warnock’s and saw a beautiful newish looking black convertible BMW in the driveway…my first immediate thought was they must have company, but then as I was walking up said to Mary I think Scott got a new car! Yep, he did…Scott made partner at his company and this was a present to himself…nice work Scott! Spent the next day with the Warnocks at their kids sporting events (netball and soccer), hung out at a pub at Manly Beach, had a great dinner and played Pictionary. Tomorrow was the big 14 km run!! The kids were pumped…they so badly wanted to run it, meaning not be held up by their old parents…but we couldn’t let them go on their own as there was 80,000 people in the race….yes…80 thousand runners…many dressed up in bright colors or costumes. What a great atmosphere….was a blast…the DJ – Redfoo was playing music at the start, getting everyone pumped up. Before we knew it we had already completed 7 km and hardly noticed “heartbreak hill”….great views of the Sydney downtown.
The blue smurfs were a bit inappropriate, a group of about 15 guys just smashed, drinking and hugging/high fiving everyone as they went by…but looked like fun to me…ha! I really liked the Bob Marley coverband and could have stopped and listened to them for awhile….but the kids kept us going…they wanted to race! We finished the 14 km route from downtown Sydney and ending at the famous Bondi Beach in 1 hour, 50 mins....which really wasn’t a bad time considering how much we were forced to walk because of the crowds and pleasant distractions. We would definitely do this again if we lived in Australia. Sadly, we learned later that a runner died of a heart attack right at the finish line…young guy too…all these runners so jubilant to finish the race, sprinting in and here you have a guy that has run his last race of his life….very sad…
We were invited back to Earl’s (I mean Lee’s) place after the race for a BBQ. Earl or Lee or whatever…lived right in Bondi…great house…Lee is a former teacher exchange teacher that has been hosting an after race party for years. As soon as I walked in the door all sweaty and smelly from the race this man hands me a plate of breakfast…and says Hi I am Lee…now how is that for hospitality! Hung out and talked with other exchangees (Tom and Maria from Golburn) and other friends of Lee’s…a great way to end a fantastic race. It was a gongshow trying to get out of Bondi…so we jumped in a cab to take us back to Scott and Michelle’s….glad we did. For some reason I like talking with cabbies…this guy had been driving a cab in Sydney for 30 years and was just driving a couple days a week now…a very pleasant person and fun to talk to.
The Warnock’s were so good to us again, great food and drinks and always great to catch up with Canadians – who are actually starting to sound a little Australian after being here for 7 years…but you can never take the Canadian out ever...Scott still craves bacon and misses freezing his ass off shoveling snow in the mornings...umm...maybe not! Mary extended the weekend so that we could stay until Monday by doing a school visit in Sydney…took one for the team…love my wife, even if she did forget our 15th wedding anniversary this year….bazinga…haha!
Stay tuned for the next blog….Pat attempting to bake, dinners with happy endings, and visiting the Hunter Valley (without kids…sweet!).
Thought I would post a couple of samples of Robyn's writing - she is 12 years old. We are very proud of her. I will be encouraging her to write more and maybe she should be writing the blog updates...she is much better than me!
Sample 1: This was an in-class assignment...they were given a photo to look at (see photos below) and were given 30 min to write something about it. Her teacher was so impressed that he sent it to an Australian state-wide writing competition. We havent found out yet how she did, but I am thinking the only reason it may not get picked is because it is a tad dark. We talked to her after reading it and I asked her if she plagerized...had to explain what that meant, she said no as it was done in class. She has been reading teen mystery/thriller books lately so am guessing she is getting her inspirations/ideas from the books she is reading. Here it is:
The lenses of the binoculars cupped against my skin started to fog up. The blazing sun wrapped me up in a blanket as I crawled closer to the open field. I could hear gunshots and screams over the hill where my binoculars were pointing. My brain was screaming at me not to, but my heart was urging me to plunge into the chaos.
“What should I do?” I asked myself. It felt like I was going to be ripped in two!
Without a warning my legs shot into the bare area, which was opposite the forest, and didn’t stop sprinting. They took me up and over the hill, over the fence, through the doors and stopped when I entered the massive building. I could barely hear the horrific shouts over my amplified panting. I also noticed that my expensive binoculars must have flown off while I was madly bolting across the field.
I have never been in an abandoned factory before. The air was musty and thick. When I dropped my heavy backpack the dust, which made me cough, rose like gravity had suddenly disappeared. Familiar screams sounded when I started to climb the stairs. The blood in my ears was pounding like there were thousands of tiny boom-boxes inside. The bloodcurdling screams made my panic grow stronger.
I caught a glimpse of the closed door at the top of the stairs. I nearly passed out on the top step but my body managed to stay upright. My hand grasped the cold door knob and I twisted it with a piercing SCREECH!
It felt like everything was happening in fast motion. There, sitting in front of me, was my innocent, 10 year old sister tied to a chair was a dark, shady man pointing a gun to her right temple. The adrenaline didn’t stop when I attacked the tall evil figure… BANG!
All I could see was the chair toppled over on the floor. The man was chuckling silently underneath my weight. It was too late! This was all my fault!
My sister is… gone.
By Robyn Grant
Sample 2: She wrote this while we were in Bali sitting around the pool. The kids really miss home so she has been asking what I think it will be like when we get home and what the first thing we will do. She is very descriptive. She didnt quite finish as she would leave spaces where she couldnt think of a couple of words...great process!
Home by Robyn Grant
"Here we go," grins my mom as we stumble through the familiar doors.
SLAP!! My excitement takes over me as I drop my iron backpack. Pain grabs ahold of my shoulders tightly. I ignore my aching, tired muscles and race my brother down through the _______, kind room. I almost faint climbing the smooth stairs leading to a place I haven't been in to in, it feels like, years. I stare at the blocked doorway to what I've been dreaming about. I open the door . Silence. I don't miss the creek of the hinges on my _______ door. Tears swell on the rim of my eyelids, in happiness. My stomach bounces around in my body wildly as if it's a cat chasing a laser. Without warning, I spot that my leg has stepped on the noodle-like carpet. The brown, soft material floods into the cracks between my toes. Another step. My emotions take over eagerly and I throw myself into the pool of dark, hairy carpet below me. I just lay there. In amazement.
"I'm actually here," I manage to say, softly. " I'm actually here!"
Soon, I find myself rummaging through my closet, drawers, and cupboards. I laugh, almost viciously yet astounded. All of my belongings are now scattered across the floor. I'm staring. My eyes are enjoying the sight. My legs are shaking as an imaginary taser is pressed against it, hard. I turn to my side and look up, wide eyed. Creek. Creek. Creek. The familiar ladder bends as I steadily crawl up it. My heart is drumming a ferocious rhythm. Blue and brown sheets cover my vision. The fluffy duvet buries my hand in its glorious comfiness. My pillow calls me heavenly to rest my overwhelmed head. I follow it's orders and lay down slowly. A flashback of memories shutter through my mind. I grasp my hot forehead, my breathing is heavy, and I shake all over. I smile. Wide. Wider. The corners of my lips beg me to let loose but I refuse.
" Here I am. I'm actually here. Wow," are the only things that rush through my mind. I laugh in amazement. I can't believe it......
I'm home.
Robin Williams died today (Aug 12)…wow, cant believe it…he was such a unique and talented person. He obviously had some enormous issues that he kept to himself. They often say that brilliant people also have deep rooted issues…he will definitely be missed. We have been renting Robin Williams movies from Blockbuster lately…I want my kids to know who he was and the wonderful movies he made. Yes they still have Blockbuster in Australia…another example of being a bit behind…ha! But I miss going to look for movies at the movie store and paying the late fees…not! Did I write about this already in a previous blog…it seems like have already…oh oh…first signs of memory issues….come on researchers, let’s find a cure!! Anyway, rest in peace Mr Williams, your legacy is your films and of course you will always be alive through your children and life must go on….
I did something that made me feel very domesticated and really need to go back to work…soon! I baked (no baking involved, made is a better word) Nanaimo bars for the very first time….and they were really good! We were having some Aussies over for dinner so we wanted to share with them some Canadian desserts. Mary also made some butter tarts…so good! And Nanaimo bars are truly Canadian and are named after the town of Nanaimo on Vancouver Island with the first reported recipe from 1953. The point is…I really need to get back to work…but I must say I did pretty good for the first time…not as good as my Mom’s – will never be as good as hers! Oh and thanks Aunt Vickie for confirming the recipe!
We had our exchangee’s sister and husband over (Adrian and Robyn) for dinner one night and then Robyn’s teacher Mr. Scott and his wife and child over the next night. We were busy hosts serving Caesar’s and Canadian sweets. We have been asked what is Canadian food? It is a very good question…we came up with smoked salmon from the west coast, Alberta beef, Saskatchewan prairie oysters (haha), maple syrup from Ontario, poutine from Quebec and lobster from the east coast. Not sure about Manitoba…maybe moose meat? Anyway, had a great time hosting our Aussie friends…and it is always weird seeing your teacher outside of your classroom…but they are just normal people like the rest of us…haha!
Kids finished their kilometer club – Willem ran three marathons – 126 km and Robyn ran 108km all in a three week period, running for about 45 min each morning before school. We need to do this back home for sure…a great idea!
Mary and I enjoyed a kid-free weekend in the Hunter Valley – a brilliant wine region just north of Sydney. We stayed with some fellow Canadians on exchange – Tom and Ginette that live not far from the Hunter. We all piled on the “Cock” bus (need to see photo) and off we went to sample the fine wines of the region. Some highlights were Peterson’s winery – small character winery with some excellent dessert wines – bought some Muscat. Bimbagen famous for having what is called “Day on the Green” – a annual concert series they have been having here with some very big names – John Mellencamp, Alicia Keys, INXS, Joe Cocker, Leonard Cohen, Simply Red, John Fogarty, Devo, Simple Minds, Blondie, and Elvis Costella just to name a few….8000 people with great music in a vineyard…what a fantastic setting. We visited a few other wineries doing tastings…but like my experience a number of years ago in the Barossa Valley – after the third or so winery the wine for me just starts tasting the same….brppp…haha! I just dont have the palette to know what a good wine is…and what food should go with it…I get a kick out of how people know what goes with a shiraz or merlot or cab sav blanc… lamb and chutney, juniper with a pepper crusted venison…how about a beer and a sausage…I am so sophistimicated…(ignore spellcheck).
Speaking of sophisticated…the next day we went to a few more wineries, one was an organic winery….we were all sitting around this room while the host was describing the wines. One family, not going to mention names, was eating a bag of chips, crinkling the bag, crunching the chips with open mouths, tipping the bag into their mouths to get the crumbs and then completed the awkward ordeal by scrunching up the bag…..all while the wine lady was trying to describe the wines…I don’t know how she did it without saying something…you could feel the embarrassment everyone felt in the room, except for the chip eaters…haha!
Had a really good visit with Tom and Ginette while staying at their place. They are from the Ottawa area and are really enjoying this area. Ginette also does hypnosis therapy on people and explained some of her experiences…very interesting. She then hooked Mary up to a program on her I-pad that measures how a person is able to affect their ability to calm themselves…she scored well, I did not…I was too busy trying to figure out what was happening on the screen…why was that line going that way, and what does that number mean…oh sorry I am suppose to try and think calm thoughts…right!
While we were tasting wine and trying to figure out what food we should be eating with each wine variety, our kids were in Coff’s Harbour with the McCune’s. Robyn was in a competition called the “Tournament of Minds” – her group picked a topic and had to come up with a way to present their ideas to a panel of judges. They did well, but didn’t win…I told her I was very disappointed…no I didn’t…haha!
What else was worth mentioning during August? Oh yeah, we had a tree come down overnight in the yard, just missing the deck and house…very lucky. It flattened the clothesline but I was able to fix it. A crew of about 6 guys came in and it took them about 5 hours to get it all cleaned up…I had told Ian that I could do it if he had a chainsaw…sure glad I didn’t as it would have taken me a few days and would have likely wrecked something while at it.
Mary and I did the ALS ice bucket challenge with a bit of a spin on it…we felt we needed to recognize the Cancer society as well… so dumped daffodils on us before the ice water. What an amazing run for the ALS charity…millions of dollars raised in a short time – the power of social media! It is now a couple months later, and the hype has completely gone away…I have some mixed feelings about the whole thing but will leave that for another day….but good for ALS and money for research which the findings should benefit other disease research in the end.
The last notable thing for this blog was that Mary got picked up by a football player at the gym we work out at. How can I compete against Lucius Floyd the third, the former Grey Cup champion….he is fitter and bigger (in more ways than one I assume…haha) than me. Mary likes me for my personality of course!
Stay tuned for the next blog – Willem the runner, ice-skating in Australia and the field hockey Grand Finals!
Prologue to the blog – before you read, remember, it is just my opinion…I hadn’t intended to write about this when I started this blog…just somehow got here. Right about now my family is saying…oh oh, now what is he going to write…haha! Lastly, this doesn’t necessarily reflect the beliefs of my amazing and wonderful wife, but she supports and fully accepts my beliefs and gave me her “blessing” to post it.
On Aug 12th, Robin Williams died. I feel it is important to document these events in the blogs as one day my kids will go back and read them and I want them to know about some of the significant events that happened during our travels. I write these blogs for my kids…they will have them forever (Mary creates books of our travels and inserts the blog) and can read them when I am gone….and, I too hope to put a smile on their faces - (jump forward, it is the year 2060, and Robyn is showing this blog entry to her grandkids…and they are going to ask…who was Robin Williams? And she will tell them about him and all the wonderful movies he made and will explain that he was much funnier than Great Grandpa Patrick is in his blog). Wow, that is a bit mind blowing…going to come back to the present.
Lately I have been interested in reading about different religions and pondering life and what it all means. This might be my mid-life crisis…I think it would be easier and safer to go buy a sports car…well, maybe a new pair of skis when I get home! I was not raised in a religious household…I went to Sunday school once because my sister and I heard they were having a competition and were going to being giving away some prizes and money…so funny. Anyway, very interested in all the different religions and how they came about, why people believe in certain things and why some of us don’t?
I think the Iraqi Muslim boy believes in Allah because that is what he was taught by his parents, I think the Balinese girl making the Hindu offering to her god(s) does it cause that is what she is taught, and the Canadian kid from Marlborough was not ever really exposed to it, but is interested and wants to learn more. But before I move on from this controversial topic (which I never do move on from by the end) I must say, how can one religion be right? There are about 3 billion people that believe in one god (monotheism)(including Muslims and Christians), another 1.8 billion that have religions that believe in multiple gods (polytheism), and another 1.8 billion that don’t believe in god(s) or are undecided (atheist or agnostic) (These are approximate numbers). Is there one religion that is right and all the others wrong? Or are they all right? How would a person choose? If one chooses wrong, does it mean we die with all our sins and go to hell (as the bible says not believing is the one true unforgiveable sin)? Is there room in hell for those billions of people?
What if I choose not to believe and just live a life of being a good person, teach my kids to be kind to others, don’t rely on god or gods, be responsible for your own path in life, be responsible for your sins and there is no getting off easy. Whoah…that was deep….but I am fascinated by it all. My faith lies in knowing that I will live forever through my kids and their kids and so on…it is very comforting…probably in a similar way people feel they are being taken care of by a man with a white beard and suit, or is that Santa Claus…no he has a red suit…and he is very real…haha!
In all seriousness, I respect all religions, I just wish everyone else in the world did, it would be a much better place. I think John Lennon “imagined” it and believed the same thing…even to the point of thinking it would be better without all religions. Not sure about that, cause I think there is a place for all religions…but not quite sure as honestly something I am still exploring. Reading about the Crusades, very interesting.
My Grandma Baird passed away on my birthday so that is likely what got me thinking about all this. I can remember vividly when my Grandpa Baird passed away we had the funeral at the church and as the sermon was going on, many of my relatives around me (including me) thought that this wasn’t Grandpa at all, this isn’t what he would have wanted. I remember being almost angry about it. He died in 1992 and I was only 22 years old, I didn’t know much back then and was naïve to it all. Being in Australia, I missed my Grandma’s funeral but was told it was very good and was also at a church. Being 22 years older since Grandpa passed away now I don’t think I would have the same feelings sitting in the church this time. I respect religion and understand better why people gravitate to it…and that, among other things, it gives them comfort. I don’t have to believe in the same things or agree on what happens after someone is gone… as long as everyone can respect everyone’s beliefs, it is all good!
I do like these couple of quotes by Richard Dawkins:
“Let children learn about different faiths, let them notice their incompatibility, and let them draw their own conclusions about the consequences of that incompatibility. As for whether they are ‘valid,’ let them make up their own minds when they are old enough to do so.”
“We are all atheists about most of the gods that humanity has ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further.”
I will read more about religion and maybe my mind will change…but until then will run with the same beliefs as Robin Williams, John Lennon, Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman (but he played God in movies), Trey Parker (no surprise, have you seen South Park), Jody Foster, Eddie Vedder, Billy Joel (Grandma’s favorite), Richard Branson, Ernest Hemingway, Sarah McLachlan (but what about all those songs?), Charles Darwin and Albert Einstein to name a few. They actually have a list of famous people that don’t believe in god or gods…funny! But I am sure there is just as many famous people that believe in one god or many gods.
Now what does any of this do with a travel blog? Travel, for me, opens my mind, and in particular in the case of religion, seeing first hand how people live. The Muslim taxi driver I rode with was a great guy…not sure I understand or agree with what is clearly male/female inequality…but how could I possibly understand… not ever being exposed to it. The Buddhist monks that we learned about do not pray to a god but rather follow traditions, beliefs and practices… essentially a philosophy of leading a moral life, to be mindful and aware of thoughts and actions, and to develop wisdom and understanding. Buddhist’s make up part of the 1.8 billion that don’t believe.
Tying it all back to how this blog started, Robin Williams died, I wanted to document events for my kids whose kids/kids will read this one day and sort of see a small window in to our lives. I started this blog intending to write about what happened in our lives during our travels here in Australia…I just started writing…and ended up here…it is midnight and my battery on my laptop is dying….death, have I talked about that yet…ha! This did not catch me up on my blogs updates and I hardly have any photos to add for this one.
As I babble out what might seem strange to some, one thing I do know, I will miss my Grandma very much like my Mother and Grandpas, but do take comfort in that they will always be with me, they are in my genes and they will pass on forever. I have half of my Mom’s chromosomes and half of my Dad’s…which means I share the same genetic material as all of my Mom and Dad’s families…damn I wish they had the “tall” gene…but will take good looks and brains to make up for it…ha! But I have a theory about “tallness” and it’s evolutionary disadvantages…of course I do…haha!
Religion seems like a taboo topic to discuss but am realizing it shouldn’t be, as long as everyone has an open mind. But therein lies the problem…
Stay tuned for the next blog…something a little more on the lighter side…was Jesus really the son of God…haha! No will leave that alone for at least a few months.
Epilogue – it seems that it is okay to state openly that a person is of Christian or Hindu or Jewish faith but to say your Atheist (meaning without gods, opposite to theist) is almost taken very negatively. Maybe not, maybe I am wrong? It is okay not to believe or believe in whatever theist or atheist religion you choose. If someone says they are a Buddhist, it is generally a positive reaction – but Buddhists are atheists. Maybe I need to come up with my own – how about “Be a good person” religion J. Would love to hear people’s thoughts about this – send me a note privately if you like.
Now I cant remember for the life of me what we did over the next couple of weeks….oh yeah we went on a charity run to raise money for Alzheimer’s. Wow can Willem run, he is 10 years old and was running a 5 minute kilometer. He did 7.5 km in 38 minutes. Had a great day for a great charity…I think I am going to be using it one day.
We drove 2 hours to the city of Newcastle so that the kids could go skating…and they were so excited. Steve, Cass and Finn came along as well. I bet they never thought they would be traveling so far just to go ice skating. Same crappy skates as the ones we used in Coff’s five years ago…and same comment, no wonder Aussies cant skate, their skates are dull and awful. Steve tried skating for the first time in his 48 years of his life….and he did pretty good considering. I was a bit worried he was going to fall on his tailbone and break something but managed to do a number of laps without a fall. Kids skated for almost 2 hours – they loved it. We stayed in the caravan park just outside of Newcastle and then the next morning toured around the main beach and river. We went up to the Lighthouse and got some great views of the city.
Newcastle is famous for its coal and is the largest coal exporting harbor in the world. The coal comes mainly from the Hunter valley area with some very large mining operations. Being a prosperous coal harbor, the population of Newcastle and surrounding areas is estimated at 550,000. There are about 38 coal mines in the Hunter region…wonder how the environmental impacts of these mines compares to the Fort Mac Oilsands region? Bet they don’t get the bad press that Fort Mac gets. Did a quick search – okay maybe they do – some recent headlines “Coal killing Hunter, residents say” “Bust the Dust in Hunter” But assume they don’t get International attention like the Oilsands do. Apparently Australia has the world’s highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions from energy use – would make sense with all that coal and low population. Really need to put Alberta’s Oilsands production in perspective…don’t even get me started about China. In my opinion, Canada has one of the most “responsible” oil and gas production operations in the world. Eventually we will need to lessen our dependence on oil but unfortunately (or fortunately) don’t think it will happen anytime soon. Keep polluting people – makes for good business being an environmental professional starting his own company J. Obviously I am not serious about increasing pollution. Maybe I should stick to talking religion…might be less controversial…haha!
We have been renting DVD’s from Blockbuster…think I mentioned this already in another blog…damn Al! Anyway, we rented E.T. – forgot how funny that movie is…got Willem sticking his neck and finger out and saying…Elliot and ouch…haha!
Willem participated in the “Grand Final” of field hockey. Not just the final but the “Grand” final. I wonder why Aussies use “Grand” final and not just final or championship like us “Americans”? Yep as I suspected, it originated in England. One more thing that shows how similar Australians are to the English. I worked with two English blokes (you guys know who you are) for a number of years and learned some of their “English” lingo and behaviors. Australians are so English…oh man are they going to hate me saying that…haha! But no different than saying Canadians are so American…which is true in a generalization. But then Australians and Canadians are very similar too…for the most part we all descended from the English…whereas Australians kept much of the English traditions, Canadians adopted much of the American traditions. Very interesting.
Anyway, where was I Al? Oh yeah, Willem’s team won the Grand Finals!! They won the game with 30 seconds to go…the hero being Jesse who whacked a hard shot in to the net to win the game and the trophy. The winners got medals and jackets indicating they were the champions! Great experience for Willem.
Mary completed her igloo in her class and once again it was a hit with the students. She had a waiting list from other classrooms to be able to go sit in it. Her students sit and read in it. Some stats on the igloo – it took 550 milk bottles (not jugs here), 100 glue sticks and 4 weeks to construct. Not too often you get to see an igloo in Australia…nice one Mary!
The only other notable event the past couple of weeks was that I was busy getting ready to leave for Bali for 24 days with the kids. How many board shorts and t-shirts should I take with me?
Stay tuned for the next blog – Adventures in Bali!
24 days in Bali – how lucky are we! Took the kids out of school a week early and left Mary where she belongs – at work…she will join us next week. Going to Bali. We debated about where we should go for our last holiday. We decided to check out the Mexico of Australia. Bali is the tropical inexpensive vacation spot for Australians. There is a show on TV that came out a few months ago called “What Really Happens in Bali” The ads make it out that Bali is a highly dangerous place, where Australians get injured, get put in jail, or die. But then when you watch it, it actually is showing how all these bogan (redneck) Aussies go down to Bali and get themselves in trouble by doing drunken stupid things….very much like the Canadians that get themselves in trouble in Mexico.
Bali is an island of Indonesia with a population of around 4.2 million. 85% of the population are Hindu (a polytheist religion – many Gods), 12% Muslim and 3% Christianity. That’s all I have to say about that…said enough in a previous blog. Bali is not a large island – to put it in perspective, it would take approx. 100 Bali’s to fill the land area of Alberta….so having 4.2 million people on a small land space means much of the land is occupied….it can be damn busy! But fortunately for us we were able to find those less populated, almost serene tranquil areas. But not in Kuta…the busiest place in Bali – and our first place we stayed while we waited for Mom to join us.
We strategically booked the Bali Garden Beach Resort that was right across the street from one of the best waterparks in SE Asia – called Waterbom, which of course we went to a few days later. The resort was right on the southern end of the famous Kuta Beach, with 3 pools and beautiful gardens. Balinese seem to be very friendly people…not just the workers in the resort that are paid to be friendly to the guests, but the people on the streets, the taxi drivers, the hawkers selling stuff, the locals catching waves (well except for one that was a dick, that I got mad at while I was surfing with the kids…yes I got mad, told him to piss off and get out of our way…yes really…ha).
By coincidence, our friend and her kids from Coffs’s, Steph, Ella and Jordan, were staying at our same hotel for the next 4 days. Kids were having a great time the first morning in the pool until Willem came running over with blood gushing from his hand….oh oh…he cut himself on a bolt that was sticking out from the pool ladder. I think it could have used stiches…but decided just to butterfly bandage it up and keep him out of the pool for awhile…felt sorry for him. Oh and this was the second thing that happened to him…on the flight over he got sick. Was a bit ironic as at the start of the flight, he grabbed the barf bag and drew a face on it and called it “Barf Bag Bob” and we both agreed that we hope we don’t have to use “Bob” later. Turns out we did…or didnt! Well Willem missed Bob and puked all over the window and down the side….but fortunately for us…it didn’t smell at all and was mostly liquid….was an easy clean-up and he felt much better after of course. The third thing that happened to him, because of course things happen in 3’s is that he got an ear ache from water in his ear…he was in pain. Willem was having a rough go the first few days in Bali.
A group of us (Steph and kids, and Stephs friend Tony and kids) went on a day trip to a volcano in-land called Mount Batur. Drove about 2.5 hours through never-ending towns up to the rim of the volcano caldera. Batur is an active volcano and last erupted in 1968. We were dropped at a restaurant overlooking the volcanos – the highest being Mount Agung (~10,000 feet) in the distance and lakes – amazing spot. Lunch was okay, kids didn’t eat much, but I did of course…had to sample everything on the buffet…reminded me of China. We drove back down and stopped at Tirtu Empul temple in a small town called Tampaksiring where we put on sarongs and went and cleansed ourselves in the holy water. The temple was built in the 10th century and is dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.
Tony organized a dinner celebration at the hotel for Steph’s 40th birthday…great spot overlooking the beach and sunset. Bought the girls some jagerbombs…nice! Then it was time to go get tattoos! Yes, well not me, Steph got her kids names on her foot. The place was a bit dodgy…and turns out the tattoo after it healed kind of sucked…but it can be fixed…no worries Steph…live and learn…ha!
Need to mention, on Sept 14/15 our place in Cabo was hit by a category 3 hurricane…complete devastation…except somehow our place survived, not even a broken window…amazing…maybe my praying worked…haha! Very lucky and fortunate…the people down there were not so fortunate and not sure how many people died as the Mexican government doesn’t like to publicize the info. Turns out there was a lot of looting afterwards too…not uncommon after any major disaster…think they even do looting after the Canucks lose in the playoffs...ha! It has been over two months now since the hurricane and things are being re-built fast…such great people down there…proud to be involved in this place.
Took the kids to what is known as the best waterpark in SE Asia. Wow, it was big…and loads of fun. Kids had a blast. The best ones were rides called the Python, SuperBowl and the Climax! It definitely was a climax…saved it all up to the end…haha. You had to be over 40kg to go on the ride…step in to a pod and the floor drops out from under you….then away you go, accelerating at a speed of 9.8 meters per second squared until you hit the top of the loop and back down you come….wow, that was cool! Obviously Willem didn’t do it, he wasn’t heavy enough but Robyn wanted to but didn’t have the nerve…maybe next time? We did every ride in the park at least 3 or 4 times…fun for all ages!
Going to stop here and make the Bali blog a few parts….stay tuned for Mary’s arrival, hanging in a “remote” area of Bali – Balian Beach, and roaming around the mountain town of Ubud.
Mary had the not so direct flight to Bali….we wanted to save some money and Mary took one for the team! 4 connections and 2 days later she arrived in Bali! I knew when she was suppose to arrive and had arranged the hotel to pick her up so timed it to be in the lobby to meet her at a certain time. Guess she got here early as she had already been to the pool and had some drinks…nice!
Mary got to experience our little piece of paradise (inside the resort) for less than a day before we headed to the northwest part of the island. Traffic is insane in Bali. It took us almost 2 hours to travel 60 km….so many vehicles on the road and then sometimes gets backed up because of people blocking the roads because of ceremony processions. Our driver was named ManKing…great name! He was very pleasant and must have been use to the traffic as there was no road rage at all....but drove fast whenever there was any kind of opening in traffic, even if for only a few hundred meters.
We arrived at our resort in Balian Beach – called the Pondok Pisces. Very different than the busy streets of Kuta. This place was fantastic, reminded me of our riverfront Eco-resort when we stayed in Fiji. Our place was a three-story villa – kitchen and bar on the bottom, kids room in the middle, and our bedroom on the top. We had three nights/four days of relaxation here. Mary and I got in to a habit of going for 2 for 1 drinks at the beach bar and watching the wicked surf break – way too big for me! We sampled a few of the restaurants in the area – very low key, perfect! Woke up abruptly one morning by two geckos fighting above me, and then they dropped on me….but lucky I was covered by a mossie net…scared the poop out of me. The place had an open concept, no screens on the windows, no AC, just open air fans…and everything open to the critters…my kind of place!
We had the itch (no not the itch…ha) to see some sites of the area so we booked a trip from the hotel. Wasn’t too formal, just had a driver meet us in the morning in his traditional Bali outfit, and asked, okay what do you want to see? Off we went, first stop was a Hindu temple called Pura Rambut Siwi built in the 16th century overlooking the ocean with incredible views. The problem with doing as much traveling as us is that when you have seen the largest Hindu temple in the world, which happens to be also the world’s largest religious structure in the world (Angkor Wat in Cambodia), then these temples are difficult to get excited about. Oh, poor us! Although the massive frangipani trees around the grounds were impressive along with the views of the black sand beaches. Robyn did get excited about the tiny kitten she found in one of the corners. After walking through the temple, we drove up the mountain to the giant fig tree that the road went through. On the way he would stop and explain the vegetation – cocoa plants, rubber trees, clove, and coffee plantations – great for me, my kids not so much…except when he said chocolate plant, then they perked up…ha! The next and final stop of the day was a bat cave…now this was very cool. Hundreds of thousands of small fruit bats in a seaside cave above another Hindu temple. This wasn’t a well traveled tourist place and was told that only certain guides can take people here so as to keep the disturbance to the bats to a minimum. You could tell they were disturbed by our presence as they got a bit active…and the smell wafting from the cave opening reminded us of the cave we went in to in Malaysia. Kids were like “Dad do we have to go in this one”…haha. It was a good day – followed by happy hour drinks and a great sunset dinner overlooking the ocean.
ManKing was at our door ready to go right at 9:00am. That is one thing we found about Balinese, unlike Mexico or some other countries we have been to, they are always on time. ManKing drove us to the inland town of Ubud about 2 hours away – and only about 75km in distance. It was a bit busier here….but once again, when your in your resort all the sounds and smells of the street are filtered by trickling water fountains, Balinese music, incense, and flower filled gardens. Our resort was very quiet, quiet in that there was no one else here except for one other lady…sweet!
Ubud is set amongst steep ravines, rice paddies and forests….and is also one of Bali’s major art and culture centers. Different parts of Ubud and surrounding villages are known for specific art types – silver shops, wood carvings, paintings, etc. They have amazing wooden tables that we would love to get back home…but the shipping would be crazy. People love Ubud…and you can tell as there are a lot of them. Ubud was also made famous by a movie called “Eat, Pray, Love” – never saw it …sounds like a chick flick. The first night we went for dinner, found an off the beaten path restaurant down a side street…not much to look at but the food was absolutely wonderful and it only cost us $12 bucks all up for the four of us….I’m going to like this place!
We visited the Ubud Sacred Monkey Forest home to over 600 macaques (monkey’s) but were a bit hesitant as we were warned about the aggressive monkey’s – the kids have never forgotten our experience in Malaysia at the Batu caves when the monkey attacked me…so they were a bit worried as was I! So what happens 5 min after entering the forest, a monkey runs up to Robyn and grabs one of her pom poms on her shorts….but all okay, kids seemed fine, not as terrified as 5 years ago. People are regularly (daily) bitten by the monkey’s and they have figured out that if they attack they get fed…but if they don’t get food then they bite….sounds fun! Actually we really enjoyed the forest, river ravine, temple structures and the history of the local tribes who perform cremations here routinely.
Speaking of cremations, we learned something interesting about the process. Most Hindu Balinese cant afford a cremation ceremony right away so they bury their dead and then dig them up when they have enough money, sometimes years later, to cremate them and free their soul from their body. In some cases, mass cremations are performed to save on the costs on the elaborate ritual. Would have liked to have witnessed one of these events...maybe not with the kids.
The next day we booked a mountain bike excursion starting just below the Batur volcano and finishing 24km away at the owner of the guiding companies house. This company was the #1 most recommended tour company on TripAdvisor…and we would agree. Started the morning with breakfast at the owners house, set amongst a large courtyard with his prized cocks (roosters…haha) set on display in colorful decorated cages. We then loaded in to vans, there were about 10 other people on our tour, and drove to a coffee/ tea / cocoa plantation where we sampled some of the different varieties of tea and coffee – well not coffee, it stunts your growth (Willem don’t drink that!!) but the teas were excellent. Saw how they made Luwak coffee – beans that are consumed by a cat-like animal called a civet, the bean filled poop collected and then processed for coffee. Felt sorry for them being in their little cages and having to eat only coffee beans all day…thinking about it, they didn’t look wired on caffeine at all…interesting but seems like a cruel process to produce the most expensive coffee in the world.
Okay let’s go mountain biking! We were a bit worried they wouldn’t have a bike small enough for Willem but they did and it was perfect…and then the only other thing we had to worry about is the kids going too fast down the roads. We passed through rice paddies/terraces, villages and forests almost all downhill…except for two rather steep uphill parts where most of us had to get off and push the bikes up…I could have made it but decided not to show off...haha. Mary said that this ranked to be one of the best guided trips she has ever done…would have to agree…it was a great experience. We ended the trip with lunch back at the owner’s place – wonderful smorgasbord of traditional Balinese food.
Went for a hike through the ravines, hills, and rice paddies around Ubud the next day….and it was stinking hot! Stopped at a hotel for some cold drinks – freshly made lemon, orange and ice teas. We filled a little sunglass bag that I had with our leftover ice from our drinks and took turns putting it on our necks as we walked. We came up on a little stall of a guy painting wooden eggs…amazing how detailed he was and they were cheap so we bought a few. After walking for about 2 hours in the heat, we came across this guy on the side of the road that said “hey want to see the rice terraces”…he didn’t seem like he was going to lead us to a secluded rice paddy and rob us…so okay why not. We followed him and immediately realized he was going to want some money for taking us through the terraces…but that’s okay, it was well worth it. We were done walking…jumped in an air conditioned taxi and went for lunch back in Ubud.
We thoroughly enjoyed Ubud and would definitely come back one day and explore more of the area. Oh, and we bought Robyn her year-end graduation dress from one of the dress shops in Ubud…she was very pleased and excited…great to see smiles on my kids faces and me too cause it was much cheaper buying it here than in Australia!
Stay tuned for the next blog – meeting up with my best mate Paul and his girlfriend Rory, surfing the Kuta beach waves, exploring Nusa Dua, Uluwatu and getting ripped off by a convenience store scam.
From our place in Ubud we traveled back to Kuta to meet up with Paul and Rory. We booked in to the same place they had booked – called the Wina Holiday Hotel. Not quite as nice as our place at Bali Garden down the beach but far from bad either. Because there were 4 of us we had to pay for two rooms, so in fact we were paying more here than our room at the nicer place. But no worries, Paul and Rory had a great rate on their room – it was at the back of the resort and had wonderful morning sounds of roosters and dogs barking and fighting in the alley…haha!
Paul and Rory had arrived a couple days before us and they were still a bit jetlagged. We found their room and Mary knocked on the door and in a pretend Balinese accent shouted – “Hey, you want massage”….knock, knock…then we hear Paul say “No thanks” and Mary kept at it “Massage for you…with happy ending”…Paul finally got up and answered the door…haha…funny! Great to see Paully D in Bali!!
It was Rory’s birthday and she was having some stomach issues so didn’t want to go anywhere fancy for her birthday dinner. Decided to take them to experience the fine food court dining and the workers that waved at you to come and sample their food. Not the best ambience, but food was good. Willem had to go to the toilet, was a squat toilet with no toilet paper…ahhh memories of Malaysia.
In the morning, the girls went and got pedicures while the boys went surfing! Willem got a cracker left hander that he surfed all the way in to the beach…he was a happy guy. Speaking of happy guys, we brought the surfboard back that we hired off the guy off the beach, but we had broke a fin. I told him that I think it was already deteriorated, showing him the other fins, and that I didn’t want to have to pay him to replace the fins. Well, he didn’t take that very well, he was very unhappy. I said okay man, no worries, how much do you want? $5 bucks – gave him the money and he still was bitter at me. Oh yeah, and when we were surfing this local Bali guy was surfing by a couple of Asian beginner surfers and he was getting mad at them for getting in the way. So then, uncharacteristically of me, acting more like Paul, I got mad at him and told him to go away…waving my hand to get the F out of here. He did, swearing as he went.
Drank a bunch of beers around the pool, had dinner and more beers on our deck – we had pool side rooms so we were the place to be. Mary was DJ master – throwing out the tunes…it was a good night.
The next day was my birthday and we planned a trip with ManKing to drive us south to Nusa Dua, Uluwatu temple and Pelewan beach. In Nusa we did a snorkeling trip out to the coral reef. But this place was tourist central – the ocean was crawling with boats, people on banana tubes, heaps of parasailers criss-crossing the skies, people on those tubes that fly in the air – it was organized chaos. We also noticed many people from the middle east here and we learned later that they were mostly Saudis – the government actually pays their citizens to go on holidays – all expenses paid. Damn, I think Alberta should split from Canada and then we would be stinking rich like the Saudis….Alberta having the third largest oil reserves in the world…that’s a lot of oil revenue to share with 3.5 million people living in Alberta! Actually would never want to separate – love how diverse Canada is. We depend on oil. This computer I am typing on was made from oil, these board shorts I am wearing was made from oil, my surfboard and wax is made from oil, my fishing line I use to catch fish for my family is made from oil….how can we possibly get away from our dependence on oil? It will take time….and again I digress…
The snorkeling was okay – saw a good selection of reef fish, did see some unique feather fish and an eel. The currents were strong. Mary, Rory and the kids didn’t last long…water was a bit cool too. Paul got pushed in to the shallows and got hit by a wave and on the reef…dumbass…haha! He lost his favorite hat!
From Nusa, we drove to Pelewan beach that was fairly new in that a road was only recently cut down to the beach. Beautiful spot, not yet taken over by tourists….but they are coming! We had a number of choices of spots to eat beachside…picked one and had beers and nasi goreng…my favorite.
Final stop of the day was Ula Watu temple – temple on the cliffs. The temple also had monkeys and a monkey pool – we had fun watching the monkeys play in their own pool like resort. The views from the temple of the cliffs were spectacular…amazing coastline and some big waves! Mary was sitting by herself and a monkey jumped on her and stole her sunglasses. She didn’t care about the glasses as they were cheapies…so she watched the monkey play with them, putting them on his face, biting them…but then this local lady decided to get them back for Mary by throwing a banana so the monkey would drop them. She gave them to Mary and of course wanted a reward….I bet the lady and the monkey had a thing going…a symbiotic relationship…ha!
We had a reservation for my birthday dinner at our other resort…so walked down the beach, watched the sunset and had a great dinner with great company.
My Grandma Baird passed away on my birthday…and I am thinking she knew that I was very forgetful so wanted to pass on this day so I would remember….but I will always remember. Grandma was 89 years old and lived such a great life, had an amazing husband, and was always surrounded by her kids and family that loved her…cant ask for more than that. My grandmother passed on her chromosomes and genetic material to her daughter, my Mom, who passed them on to me…I share physical, emotional and personality characteristics with my Grandmother…and got all the best ones which I have passed to my kids…unfortunately Mary’s had to mix in and dilute all the good ones…haha…just kidding! Grandma will always be with me and will always try to live life to the fullest so that my kids learn this characteristic and they can pass it on to each generation which started with my grandparents…everything we have is because of them.
So back to living life to the fullest….Bali is a third world country with third world issues…there are people that earn very little money and there is a percentage of the population, that when given a chance are opportunistic and will take advantage of you. We were taken for $200 from an ATM scam that a convenience store had going on. They somehow rigged the ATM to tell the person getting out money that there were insufficient funds on the screen, it would return your card, you leave, then a few seconds later the money spits out and the store clerk collects it. Anyway, I knew something was fishy, so checked our account and sure enough it indicated the money was withdrawn. So we phoned our bank, they were going to do an investigation and then in a few months we might get our money back….but really I call this an experience and a good story to tell. It actually happens all the time in first world countries – ATMs get tampered with all the time.
Had dinner at a restaurant on the famous street called Poppies II…good music and great burgers! Walked around and found the Bali Bombing memorial – in 2002 a couple of bombs detonated by a terrorist group in a popular bar area killed 202 people including 88 Australians and 2 Canadians. It was an absolutely horrific scene that night…I read some stories and saw some images from the night…cant imagine. But being here, where the bombs went off, you cant help but thing it could happen again anywhere, but then you cant worry about it, we cannot live our life in fear as that what the terrorists want. In reality, you have more chance of getting killed in a fatal car accident within 50km of your home than getting hurt traveling abroad….the world in general is a very safe place…get out there!
We did some more surfing on Kuta beach, Paul was determined to catch a good wave and ended up way down the beach getting smashed by waves. I had told him when you surf you try and stay in the same general spot where the wave is breaking…guess he decided not to listen to me…haha…dumbass! I love that word.
We said our goodbyes to Rory and Paul – they were flying to Myanmar (Burma) the next day to begin their next adventure. We decided to move back over to our other resort – cheaper and a bit quieter.
Mary’s last full day – we decided to show her Waterbom – had a blast again! This time Robyn tried the Climax – loved it! It is such a great workout at the waterslides…you do so many stairs…good fun! Funny story, met a Bali guy on the beach and he asked me what my name was…and I sat “Pat”, he said “Phart”…and I said no “Pat”…he said “Phat”…I said no “Pat”….meanwhile my kids were cracking up…had to be there! We did some last minute shopping with Mom, got a double surfboard bag to bring the surfboards home (Mexico) on the plane. We then said goodbye to Mom….sent her off on a cab to the airport. Seems a bit strange not going with her to make sure she gets there alright…but she’s a big girl, it’s only after dark in a Indonesian country…she will be fine!
The kids and I had another 3 days to hang out and enjoy our last few days in Bali. Did some more surfing, taught the kids how to do some bartering – gave them money and told them they had to go and barter for stuff themselves, they came back empty handed…ha! They went too low, but didn’t budge…nice! Also had them do a scavenger hunt around the resort – a black straw, five unchewed squirrel seeds, photo of squirrel, a selfie with one of the waitresses….kids had fun!
The only other interesting thing on our return trip was that Robyn puked on the cab ride from the airport to our car, glad she didn’t puke in the cab, got him to pull over just in time. Was a good way to end the trip, just how it started…Willem puked at the beginning and Robyn at the end – the circle of life! Bali – beautiful island with amazing people – hope to go back again one day to explore some more!
Stay tuned for the next blog – Robyn’s birthday weekend, Dumbass…I mean Paul and Rory’s visit, Willem’s school camp and celebrating Halloween in Australia!
On our last exchange in 2009 I used a format in a blog to summarize a three week period of time…going to try that again…from A to Z.
A – Australia – we feel so fortunate to spend another year in Australia, time is going by so fast, and we have once again met some wonderful friends, had many amazing experiences and will remember Australia with such fond memories. And if my Alzheimer’s kicks in I can always go back and read these blogs…haha!
B – Birthday – it was Robyn’s 12th birthday on Oct 10th – wholly crap, can’t believe we have an almost teenager! She had 8 girls over for a sleepover. We were going to go camping but the weather didn’t really cooperate so decided to set up the tents in the backyard. We didn’t want 9 pre-teen girls in the house keeping us up all night. Turns out it was a good decision as I think the last ones finally went to sleep around 5am!
C – Camp – Willem went on his 3 night school camp. He was a bit worried about the sleeping part as he is a very light sleeper. Turns out his bunkmate snored so he problem solved the issue by making a bed in the hall and had a quiet night sleep. Willem said he loved the Wombat holes – they were timed going through these cave systems and that he got the fastest time….benefits of being small and compact!
D – Dumbass – Paul was back for a visit…haha! Went out surfing again and Paul got almost sucked in to some rocks by the riptide. I wasn’t worried about him, just didn’t want the board wrecked. Steve was with us and was close to coming out to rescue him, as he knew I wasn’t going to and get myself in trouble. But Paully made it out…he was tired and said he wasn’t worried.
E – Elephant Backpackers – after visiting us for a few days, Paul and Rory were off to Sydney to pick up their van to tour around the east coast of Australia. I drove them to Sydney and stayed the night with them. We had $2 dollar beers and $1 tacos…our kind of place for sure! Walked around Circular Quay and did a quick visit to the Contemporary Art Museum – some messed up things in that place! Reminded us of when Paul and I were in Scotland almost 20 years ago and went to the same type of museum and they called elephant shit in a brown paper bag art??
F – Fishing – Paul, Rory and I went fishing with Jase (Tanya’s husband – a teacher friend of Mary’s). We pumped for yabbies’ (sort of like shrimp that burrow in the mud) and used them for bait. They have this big pincher claw and if your not careful they give you a nasty pinch. Paul didn’t want to put it on the hook and wanted me to do it…haha. We caught a few fish, hung out with the pelicans, Rory pumped yabbies’ for us….great day!
G – Gold Coast – I drove to the Gold Coast to pick up Paul and Rory who flew in from their trip to Burma. Drove back to Port the same day – about 10 hours of driving…but great to catch up with them on their Burma adventures. And I am sure they loved traveling with me…I am such a planner, and cant help but ask what their plans are when they get back to Canada in December. They didn’t want to think about it yet…don’t blame them!
H – Hastings Tastings – actually called “Tastings on the Hastings” but T was already taken. Essentially a food festival at Town Green…packed with people, live music, beer and wine…doesn’t get much better than that!
I – Iggy Azalea – a pop singer from Australia that has many songs on the radio right now that the kids listen to over and over – “I’m so fancy…” and “Blackwidow” – quite catchy actually…Robyn doesn’t like it when I sing along to it in the car…haha!
J – Joel’s Birthday – the other Canadians on exchange’s son’s 12th birthday party – spent the night at a place called the DarkZone – rock climbing and laser tag…had a great time. Willem and Robyn absolutely love climbing the walls!
K – Koala Hospital – Port Mac has the only Koala hospital in Australia. I took Rory and Paul there one afternoon to have a look. They thoroughly enjoyed it. We have yet to go…need to take the kids there before we leave!
L – Lame – Halloween night was a bit lame here…but in all fairness it is a North American holiday. We actually did go out trick or treating and the kids managed to get a very small bag of treats. I don’t think Australians quite get the concept…they go when it is light out and some kids don’t take bags and eat the treats as they are handed to them…strange. They are so missing out on the best holiday tradition ever…our favorite holiday! Adult Halloween party’s rock!
M – Matt Banting is a professional surfer from Port Macquarie who just made it on the World Surfing Tour. I was walking out to go surfing at Lighthouse beach with Paul one afternoon and this really fit guy with a really small surfboard is coming up from the ocean. I recognize him and say “Hey, Matt?” His response was “Hey how you going, haven’t seen you forever” I said, “Well actually we have never met, I just recognize you from the surfing tour”. No I am not a stalker…haha! We chatted about his win in Cabo and him staying at our complex while he was surfing there…he said “that place was rad, or sweet, or dope?”…actually cant remember what word he used…but he liked it!
N – Nimbin – we found out numerous buildings on the main street of the marijuana capital of Australia burned to the ground, including the famous Nimbin Museum…no, not the museum! Wonder how the fire started?
O – Ottawa – On Oct 22, a soldier guarding the War Memorial was gunned down in a cowardly act of violence. RIP Nathan Cirillo.
P – Paleo cleanse – Mary convinced me to try a 21 day Paleo diet cleanse. We learned after about 3 days that it just wasn’t going to work for us…the cleanse was just too restrictive. Mary sent me a text one Friday afternoon – “Do you want to stay on this cleanse”. I said “Do you?” She said – “Fcuk no!” I think the green kale breakfast smoothie but us both over the top! Haha. However, we have managed to stay on the Paleo diet (different than the cleanse) over the last few months – and actually feel great! Paleo is essentially eating meat, veggies and fruit. No good stuff like bread and pasta. We allow ourselves to cheat on the weekends and actually both get upset stomachs, we think from the bread? Think we will stay on it long term – we like it.
Q – Q is such a tough one to come up with something? Last time I used Queensland. I got nothing again!
R – River – went boating on the river with Steve – the four of us, Paul and Rory, Alex and his two kids…there were 12 of us all together. Found a spot up river and set up a picnic spot and Steve took all the kids for a wakeboard and tube ride. But then something happened to the boat – the motor trim stopped working and it was shut off in the up position. We managed to limp back to the boat launch…barely!
S – Surfing accident – Willem’s first time on his new board and what does his Dad do, I run him over and put a big gouge in to his board…damn I felt bad. Mary was so mad at me. But no worries, got Cory (the guy that made the board) to fix it for us…he patched it with a orange color…so we figure that every time he gets a ding in his board he will patch it with orange…eventually it might look like Gerry Cheevers goalie mask…but let’s hope not!
T – Teacher Weekend – Mary flew to the Gold Coast for the weekend to party with her teacher friends that she met in Coff’s Harbour five years ago. What happens on the Gold Coast stays on the Gold Coast I guess as I didn’t hear too many stories. I did hear they got kicked out of the bar the one night, and Mary got in to a fight with one of the band members…haha!
U – Underwear – I used this one last time too…and again, I haven’t worn underwear in at least a couple of months….well not quite true as I do wear them under my boardies when I surf to stop the chaffing…ever had chaffing on your willy? Not good!
V – Vickers – shout out to Sergeant At Arms Kevin Vickers who shot the gunman that entered the Parliament building in Ottawa and prevented more deaths…a true hero!
W – Winery – we went to a jazz session at Bago wineries with the McCune’s one weekend. Great setting and company. Willem guided us around the hedge maze only getting us lost once…but as he said “You can just cut through the bushes”
X and Y – got nothing!
Z – Wayne GretZky – the only Z like word I could think of. Found out my Grandma left me a Gretzky painting in her Will….ahhh…thanks Grandma, that means a lot…it will stay in the family forever, passing it on to Willem or maybe my first grandson?
Stay tuned for the next blog – a visit from our Dubbo friends, having 19 Canadians over for dinner, and trying to get as much surfing in before the end…which has come so fast!
Wow it is November already, where has the time gone? I really could use another 6 months or even a year here for many reasons but it is time to think about going home. We had a wonderful November, dinner with Robyn’s teacher, Mr. Scott. Got to experience the temperature difference between living on the coast and going inland only about 20 min. We left our house at 25C and it was 32C with hot winds at Mr. Scotts house. Then the power went out and the house starting getting hot without the AC so moved outside, but then a big thunderstorm moved in and chased us back in the house. But fortunately after an hour or so the power came back on and we able to finish our visit with the AC working. Had a great visit with Mr. Scott, Vanessa and their beautiful daughter Naomi – they live on a beautiful piece of property with lots of space, great views, chickens, fruit trees and goats.
Over the next few weeks we tried to get out surfing as much as we could, went fishing a few times and basically living the life…we say this a lot, going to miss this place. However, there are so many things back home that we absolutely love and could never move away from permanently. If we weren’t such winter people I think it would be different as we could possibly move to a place like Australia. But hockey is in our blood, the morning Tim Horton’s hot drink run, the familiar smell of an ice rink when you enter the arena doors, the tying of skates, the energy of the kids playing a game that is such an amazing sport, and of course the parent interactions (sometimes both good and bad…ha!) that make it a great social experience. Then there is skiing, which our family tries to make time for when not playing hockey…ahhh…skiing, no words can really express the feeling of floating on powder, being in the mountains, breathing the fresh evergreen air and of course the nachos and beer in the chalet. Then there are the times at the lake in the winter, my favorite place and time – going out in the mornings after a fresh snowfall on the snowshoes, following wolf tracks in the snow, the snow blankets the sound…and it is dead still…amazing. Riding up the trail on a snowmobile and cutting in a new trail through 3 feet of powder, getting up on the mountain and looking at the surrounding glaciers and blue skies, strapping on the skis and tracking up the snow. …wow, I so want to go home now…haha! I know for our Aussie friends this must just sound so strange, but as a Canadian our family fully embraces winter and I for one get so excited seeing the first snows of the winter. Now I do admit, I am not all that keen when the thermometer reads -30 and you have to go out and scrape windshields (screens)….but cant have what we have without the cold and snow!
We had some other exchangees come and stay with us one weekend. Will and Christine from Dubbo (Edmonton) and Tom, Ginette and Jocelyn from the Hunter Valley (Ottawa). We spent the day at the beach doing some surfing…not too bad for a bunch of Canadians! That night we had the McCune’s (Spruce Grove) come over and all together there were 19 Canadians for dinner…oh, and one Australian – Willem’s mate from down the block Thomas stopped by to play…he must have thought he was in another world with all these weird accents floating about. Had some great food, but I must say my favorite dish was the Frank’s hot sauce cheese bake dip that Tom and Ginette made…wow, it was like candy cocaine…I couldn’t stop eating it…everyone commented on how good it was….and have the recipe now so will try it out back home! A close second I must take credit for was the Nanaimo bars….not that it was a competition or anything…of course it wasn’t…cause we are Canadian…and in Canada, everyone wins…ha!
It was perfect getting together with our Canadian friends, telling stories about each other exchanges, the challenges, the moments, how much different and the same we are from Australians and all agreeing we are glad we weren’t placed in Dubbo…haha…sorry Christine and Will!
We went to a beach called Rainbow beach one weekend and had one of the best surf sessions…small clean waves that we all could paddle out on. We all got some waves, and then Robyn and I are sitting out on our boards “out back” and Robyn says to me, I wish we had surfing in Canada….and I said there is, but just a bit different, we have good quality surf but your wrapped up tight in 5mm wetsuits so you don’t freeze your squirrel food off…ha!
It is not all good times in the land downunder for us. We do have our moments. One in particular I need to tell so that my kids remember this one day. I have a rule in the mornings that we leave at 8:35 sharp and that I am not going to hound the kids to get ready. I warned them that if they weren’t in the car by 8:35 I would leave without them. So a morning came along where the kids were out of sorts, kids were fighting about something, I got mad at them (yes, me!), Robyn went to her room upset, Willem went to play on his I-pad….and 8:35 rolled around and I left without them. I think they were shocked, they were very upset, texting Mom wondering what they should do, Mom texting me asking me where I was…and me saying “Tell them to walk!” Ever since, they are usually sitting in the car by 8:30…haha!
On the Nov 21st weekend we spent the weekend at Pt. Plomer camping with Willem’s teachers family and another family that had moved recently here from England. So there are these Canadians, English and Australians out camping and….well, not sure, sounds like the start of a joke. We did formulate that we are all part of the Commonwealth and what the hell is wrong with those damn Americans….haha! Americans get a bad wrap for the most part…majority that we know are great people….but just different in certain ways…which I could give my theory why others around the world give them the bad wrap, but will spare the boring details.
Pt Plomer is a well known place for a right hand rock point break and a beautiful campground right on the beach. It is a bit out of the way, down a rough road which keeps some people away…a good thing! The Saturday was absolutely beautiful, surf was excellent, not big, nice soft wave rolling in from the point. It would break out at the point, continue breaking for about 100 meters, then die out…but then would re-form at the beach. So Willem and Mom could practice on the beach break and Robyn and I could paddle out to the point. Robyn had her best wave ever! However, it is a bit nerve racking surfing over sharp narly rock…so I told her if she comes off her board to make sure she doesn’t go “sharp” in to the water…that is, don’t go in feet or especially head first…rather, splay yourself out flat. And the advice worked as she had a couple wipeouts and did great. We both got some nice waves.
Had another amazing weekend with great friends. Got a kick out of Mel and Mark’s kids – ahhh, I forgot how closely you have to watch young ones…they are a ton of work…so different now having older, independent ones…but don’t grow up too fast as soon you wont want to go on camping trips with us anymore. Mackie and Cooper are a blast, such happy carefree kids…I do miss that age…but is also nice when you don’t have to worry about every move….and then later on when they grow up a bit more will have to count the number of beers in the cooler to see how many they have taken…ha!
The last weekend of November we went to the annual Port Macquarie Christmas tree lighting night at Town Green. Wow, it is so different seeing Christmas celebrations without the snow….just doesn’t seem right, and certainly doesn’t feel like Christmas. However, the night was about the community getting together, listening to live music, lighting the town Christmas tree and ending it with a fireworks show…which was actually really good! I don’t like to compare the last exchange too much in Coffs Harbour with this one…but I must say, Port seems to have a much more community feel…maybe because everything is centered around the Town Green, where everything happens.
We met up with Rhea, Matt and Willem the last weekend in November for a visit. Rhea was Robyn’s grade 1 teacher in Coffs Harbour five years ago. That is not a typo…yes we met up with another Willem!! Rhea named her son Willem…she liked the name after meeting Willem Grant five years ago. This was the first time we have met another Willem…it was great! It was weird calling out Willem and having two heads turn my way. Good to catch up even if it was just for a lunch…we will always be linked together by a two amazing boys.
Oh and one last moment…we went to the Observatory one night to have a look through the telescope. Started off great, got to see the craters of the moon…but then we moved in to the little presentation room and then had a 1.5 hour University level lecture about the formation of the universe. I actually quite thoroughly enjoyed it, but felt so bad for my kids…Willem tried so hard no to fidget but I could hardly blame him….the presenter may as well been speaking Russian for the amount the kids actually understood. Mary nodded off a few times and I must admit he lost me on some things a few times. Did he not look at his audience before he started his presentation….about a third of the audience were kids. He could have come up a few levels…from muons and neutrinos to there was this big bang that formed a bunch of rocks that came together to form planets that happened 13.8 billion years ago.
Stay tuned for the next blog – our final 3 weeks in Australia, our final surf moments, getting the house ready for our departure, and saying goodbyes to some great people that made our exchange once again an amazing experience.