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.

What Drought?

Although there are many parts of the planet (including at home) that could use some rain, we have pretty much had our fill of it on this trip. It has followed us nearly everywhere. At first, we were pretty lucky about being in the right places at the right times and it seemed that we were inside during downpours, or right near a subway entrance or had some other fortunate means of avoiding the more intense showers (at least until Hong Kong).

One of the things we have not been able to avoid, however, is the effect the bad weather has had on our visits to the higher-elevation places such as the top pf the Eiffel Tower and the Great Wall. Today's excursion to the Blue Mountains fall into that same category. Although we had an occasional glimpse of them on the way up, the rain and fog had set in by the time we got to the top. It pretty much looked like this:
Although it was somewhat disappointing to miss the grand views, all was not lost. There was enough other stuff to see and do that the day couldn't be considered a total wash. Plus the guide was very enjoyable. Plus, we're in Australia, Mate! On the way up we stopped at the Featherdale Wildlife Park and had a look at several species, including koalas and dingoes.


The ride back to Sydney took a little longer than expected due to traffic but ended with a ride on the Parramatta River back to Sydney Harbor. We got this view of the Opera House then:

Go Figure

The flag of every country (and one U.S. state) that we will visit throughout the remainder of the trip also contains the flag of this nation... a nation that has provided the reason that so many other nations have this type of celebration.

It's All Relative

Number one son has often lamented the fact that he was given a "weird" name... You know - the type that can never be found on coffee mugs or miniature license plates in tourist trap junk shops.

Well... it seems that his name is not so weird down here down under.


Number two son still has a legitimate complaint.

Closer to Home

The plotting continues...

Headed Down Under

Beijing - Singapore - Sydney

The flights from Beijing were very comfortable and the layover in Singapore, although long, was restful and pleasant due to the fact that Changi Airport is probably the nicest in the world. The decor is very appealing and there are amenities readily available in all the concourses. We spent the better part of the layover resting next to a Koi pond.




On the flight to Sydney, the captain came by to offer Susan his congratulations on her retirement.

Also, shortly after leaving Singapore, we crossed the equator for the third time and re-entered the winter hemisphere.


A Major Snag

Having left China at a few minutes past midnight, we arrived in Sydney at around 6:30 pm the next evening. After clearing immigration and customs, the transfer to the hotel was there as appointed and we arrived at the hotel at about 8 pm, ready to settle in for a restful evening.

Then it happened.

The receptionist informed us that there was no record of a reservation for us and on top of that, most hotels in the area were fully booked due to a series of rugby matches being played in the city.

If you have ever had something like this happen to you, you know exactly how deflating it can be. When you are halfway around the world from home and it happens, the sinking feeling you get is nearly indescribable. One minute you're looking forward to some long-awaited rest and the next, you have no inkling of where you're going to spend the night.

The boys were very stoic about it and showed more patience than I knew they had. It took some time and several calls to, from and between the hotel and the tour company but we finally secured some lodging and were transported to it.


Sydney

Well, we did have a good night's sleep following the harrowing evening before and went out in the morning for a half day coach tour of the city and a lunch cruise through the harbor. Sydney is an impressive , clean looking city and is very appealing looking from all angles.

A classic view

Morning tea at Bondi Beach


Proof of Purchase shots

Fifty Percent

Today marks the halfway point of the trip... it's hard for us to believe that this much has all gone by so quickly. There still is a lot left to go, though.