The Journey Through OZ Continues...

And so does the rain...

There was a sufficient break in the clouds for Susan to get this shot on the way out of Sydney:


The visit in Brisbane was short and the tour consisted of a trip to Zoo Australia. this was an all day affair and even though there were a few showers, it was still an enjoyable outing. The boys tried their hand at a little kangaroo feeding. There are several more photos from this outing over at The Travel Pages.


From Brisbane, we flew to Cairns and it was raining there, too. I know that there is nothing to be done about the weather, but it really is beginning to wear on us. Cairns is on the Coral Sea and our hotel is right on the beach. It is another very nice place and we are enjoying our stay.




Our first outing there was an excursion to the Great Barrier Reef. This consisted of an hour and a half boat ride from Port Douglas to the Agincourt section of the reef. The weather was overcast, but the showers had abated and we were relatively rain-free throughout the trip. The water was too cold for my liking so I passed on the snorkeling opportunity and opted instead for the mini sub ride and we also took a helicopter tour. Here are some shots from the day.



The second day's outing was to the rain forest and the morning was more promising the the past several had been... there were actually some rays of sunshine peeking through the clouds. The day progressed well with partly cloudy conditions and a few sunny spells.



We took the train up to Kuranda, which was a pleasant trip with lots of nice scenery as you climb the lengthy grade. After a visit to the village which included a bird and koala exhibit, we rode the Skyrail back down. This is a cable gondola in two sections that skims the top of the forest canopy and provided some breathtaking views. Lunch was at the bottom of the hill at an Aborigine cultural center and the entire afternoon was most enjoyable. We got to try our hand at spear throwing and boomerang tossing. Lachlan had the best toss, as the guide had to knock the boomerang down just before it hit them both.

Tomorrow we head to Yulara and Ayers Rock. The forecast is for sunny, clear skies and I have to say that I feel we are about due. More later.