The guys jumping on the beach on Moreton Island...
Inside the tour van...
Vernazza
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
More pictures from Australia
For some reason Sydneysiders feel they need to give direction to tourists. Apparently there have been alot of deaths...
The guys jumping on the beach on Moreton Island...
Inside the tour van...
The guys jumping on the beach on Moreton Island...
Inside the tour van...
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Photos and Videos from Australia
Now that I have quick uploading capability, I thought I would post some more pictures and a video that I couldn't while I was in Australia. Enjoy the pictures and videos.
Red Panda:
Things seem to be faster here in North America. Debra, get Gord to look at this video of the Andean Condor since he's into birds.
Check out the roos too.
Red Panda:
Things seem to be faster here in North America. Debra, get Gord to look at this video of the Andean Condor since he's into birds.
Check out the roos too.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
My long journey home
Part I:
Up at 3:07 am and the morning started off with a bit of an uneasy feeling when the shuttle bus didn't show up until 20 minutes after it was supposed to. I like Australia, but I want to go home. I was told to be waiting outside of the hotel between 4 and 4:15 am, but when the shuttle hadn't shown up at 4:15 I was starting to get concerned, thinking that perhaps I missed it even though I did as instructed and was out there at 4 am. Shuttle bus after shuttle bus went by, but none pulled into my hotel parking lot. I was standing by the road watching intently for my transportation and several taxis drove by. One driver drove by me twice, sure that he was going to get a fare. Five more minutes and I was tempted to flag down one of those taxis that were driving by, and finally, 4:20 am rolled around and the shuttle pulled up. Talk about a feeling of relief.
Part II:
I'm finally on the plane to Sydney. Only 33 hours of travel to go! Oh no, not again! Taxiing down the runway and then take-off. The flight to Sydney was uneventful. A couple from Seattle was sitting beside me and they hadn't had a chance to see Sydney yet, but they had a six-hour layover, so I told them to make sure they see the Sydney Opera House, if nothing else, because at the same time they'll be able to see the Harbour Bridge and those two things are a must-see.
I'm trying to not sleep because I now have to re-adjust my sleep pattern to 17 hours behind. Right now it's 6:22 pm on Monday at home, so I should wait at least four hours before I try to sleep, but if I do that, I will miss breakfast. Breakfast at 10:22 pm??? Oh, wait that's Canada time! What to do, what to do!! I enjoy food too much so I will stay awake.
Here I am in Sydney, for two and a half hours. That gives me enough time do a bit of shopping, or, maybe not - I've spent enough money. I did manage to buy some kangaroo jerkey to take home though. I was about 35 cents short and a nice Aussie man offered to pay the difference for me and I was very grateful. Now, I officially have no Australian currency. No need to worry myself about converting it back to Canadian when I get home. Mission accomplished!
Part III:
The layover in Sydney went without a hitch. The plane landed at the domestic terminal, and the international terminal is six km away, so a free shuttle service is provided. When I finally arrived at the international terminal I found my way to customs, security, and of course the layout of the airport forces a walk through the duty-free store. I had no intentions of buying anything because I think duty-free is a scam. I did have a look at the watches, just to see what there was. I had already spent enough money and besides, I bought my most expensive item yesterday - a very nice stainless steel "ripcurl" waterproof watch. It is designed for surfers because it is a must that they look cool while surfing, and now that I am an experienced surfer, I figured I should have one.
Taxi and take-off. What a beautiful sight!!! I'm glad I got a window seat on the right side of the plane because Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge are just outside my window. There's Sydney Olympic Park in the distance. This city brings back fond memories.
They are now out of sight and I'm feeling a little bit emotional because I will miss Australia. Time now to sit back, relax and take in a few movies for the long journey of 13 and a half hours to LA.
Nix the movies. I can't hear anything, so I have resorted to being a computer nerd again. I guess I will review my pictures. That should pass a couple of hours. I'll have to recharge my battery when I get to LAX. I should have brought my headphones on the flight instead of putting them in my checked luggage.
Suddenly, as I look out the window, jumping 14,000 feet just popped into my head. The only difference now is 17,000 feet, a parachute and, a good looking Aussie to jump with is missing. If my ears hurt from all the wind from sky diving at 14,000 feet, I think my head would explode at this height.
I now have the flight path on screen. I'll give you a blow-by-blow account of our altitude and where we are. Can you tell I'm bored?? Altitude - 31,000 feet; Outside air temp. - -33 degrees celcius; Time to destination - 10:13; Distance to destination - 9,363 km; Ground speed - 1,064 kph; On-screen map shows that we are near a place called "Nadi", about 2/3 of the way to the International Date Line from Sydney.
Hey, there's a kangaroo on the wing. Oh wait, that's a decal! I was hoping Skippy was coming home with me. I'll have to settle for the jerkey I bought.
Hey! What happened? A minute ago it was light outside. I closed the shade and when I opened it, the plane was surrounded by darkness. We must have crossed the International Date Line. Just a minute, I'll take a look at the flight path. Just as I suspected...the tail end of the plane on the map has just crossed it. I am now officially back a day - Four hours and forty three minutes ago it was November 3 and now it's November 2. It's also now -38 degrees celcius outside. It's gotten five degrees colder since I last looked. Oh my Gawd, what am I coming home to? I'm sure glad it's not as cold on land as in the air at 33,000 feet - 2,000 feet higher than when I last looked.
I hope you're enjoying my commentary. We're a bit farther than half way to LA now. Yikes, another 2,000 feet - we're now at 35,000 feet. At 894 kph, we've slowed down abit, and we are 6,815 km from Cairns, but we're going towards the cold this time - -43 degrees celcius. I wonder if that's with wind chill?
I just got back from a walk around the plane a couple of times. It's almost like a walk around the block because the plane is so big. I was beginning to get restless sitting for so long. Poor people beside me have to move all the time, or should I say the person in the aisle seat moves and his wife stays in her seat and I just stand up in my seat and step over her. I walked up to the front to see how the rich live. They have their own pods that they can lay down in. Maaan, I need a sugar daddy ha ha! I've even developed my own exercise program at the back of the plane - wall sits where I lean against a wall and sit, but there isn't a chair for cheating. It keeps my muscles active.
Time to destination: two hours and 15 minutes, and the crew is getting ready to serve us breakfast because it's starting to smell good in here. The food has been excellent, both on the trip to Australia and back. I was curious what Qantas stands for, so I asked an attendant, and in case you're interested, it stands for Queensland Australia Northern Territory Air Services.
One hour 23 minutes to go and I'll be on land again - 4.5 hours to be exact until I catch another plane to Vancouver. I don't understand why we are always ascending. We are now at 39,000 feet. Shouldn't we be descending if we are only an hour 20 minutes out? For all I know, we are in Mexico. We can't be though - it's -59 outside.
We have started our descent now. The sunrise is gorgeous. Gridlock, and it is only 6:30 in the morning. Touchdown! Now Canada is only a short 7.5 hours away. Yeah!
Part IV:
Starbucks?? But how could you??? I almost regretted it the minute I bought the Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte. I told the staff at the counter that Australia's coffee kicks ass over Starbucks. It has been such a long morning/day/night-and-morning-again though that I felt that I needed a pick-me-up.
I can't believe the speed to upload photos and video clips on my blog. It took so long in Australia that half my Internet time purchased was devoted to that alone. It was so frustrating. I think I'm going to devote a couple blog entries just for photos and video clips to share with you.
I sure hope I can get all the way home. I tried to web check-in through West Jet, but didn't have my booking number, only a flight number and I hope that's enough. If not, I will call Air Miles to sort it out.
I'm on the plane to Vancouver now and I'm tired. Almost everybody has a laptop - I'm no longer special. Qantas includes all meals and snacks and it is a pleasure to fly with them. Air Canada is much different and they would charge you to fart if they could. They may charge you to fart, but at least I have an empty seat beside me so I can put my feet up on the seat and sleep. There is heaps of room. There is even more leg room. Ya gotta love these partially empty flights. We're at 35,000 feet and I can't see anything except white outside. I think we're still flying over the Pacific Ocean, but it's not the same as earlier. Oh, oh, the Captain just announced that we have started our descent.
There are islands to the left of me and to the right, ladies and gentlemen, SNOW on the mountains? There was no snow on the last mountains I saw? This isn't the same Pacific Ocean I saw 28 hours ago, and where's the Reef? There seems to be no pride of ownership here on this side of the Pacific - the water here isn't clear.
Touchdown. Welcome to Canada, eh! Now it's off to West Jet to see if I can get to Edmonton. If not, I may be walking.
Success and I've got my boarding pass.
Part V:
It's 6 pm and I'm boarding my fourth and last plane for my journey home. My ears hurt when I blow my nose and they're still plugged. I'm gonna have to go through weeks of feeling like I'm falling because of my inner ear problem, just like when I was in Sydney. Good thing the flight to Las Vegas one month from today is only a few hours.
I feel like Clint Eastwood in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" because I have a blanket from my last flight wrapped around me with a string holding it on. I also feel like a bum because I slept on an airport bench while waiting for the plane to board.
I'm on the last plane on my way home. I can't wait. There is a very obnoxious kid behind me. Shut up already! The flight was just under two hours and when I saw Mom waiting by the baggage carousel I gave her a big hug. It's good to be home. When I got home there was the following picture on the door waiting for me. I suspect it was our next door neighbour. If you can't read the fine print, it says "Good bye Australia, Hello Turin.
AND
From this...
and this...
and this...
To this
All in a matter of a day boo hoo!
Good-bye Australia. I'll be back some day!
Over and Out, Ellen
Up at 3:07 am and the morning started off with a bit of an uneasy feeling when the shuttle bus didn't show up until 20 minutes after it was supposed to. I like Australia, but I want to go home. I was told to be waiting outside of the hotel between 4 and 4:15 am, but when the shuttle hadn't shown up at 4:15 I was starting to get concerned, thinking that perhaps I missed it even though I did as instructed and was out there at 4 am. Shuttle bus after shuttle bus went by, but none pulled into my hotel parking lot. I was standing by the road watching intently for my transportation and several taxis drove by. One driver drove by me twice, sure that he was going to get a fare. Five more minutes and I was tempted to flag down one of those taxis that were driving by, and finally, 4:20 am rolled around and the shuttle pulled up. Talk about a feeling of relief.
Part II:
I'm finally on the plane to Sydney. Only 33 hours of travel to go! Oh no, not again! Taxiing down the runway and then take-off. The flight to Sydney was uneventful. A couple from Seattle was sitting beside me and they hadn't had a chance to see Sydney yet, but they had a six-hour layover, so I told them to make sure they see the Sydney Opera House, if nothing else, because at the same time they'll be able to see the Harbour Bridge and those two things are a must-see.
I'm trying to not sleep because I now have to re-adjust my sleep pattern to 17 hours behind. Right now it's 6:22 pm on Monday at home, so I should wait at least four hours before I try to sleep, but if I do that, I will miss breakfast. Breakfast at 10:22 pm??? Oh, wait that's Canada time! What to do, what to do!! I enjoy food too much so I will stay awake.
Here I am in Sydney, for two and a half hours. That gives me enough time do a bit of shopping, or, maybe not - I've spent enough money. I did manage to buy some kangaroo jerkey to take home though. I was about 35 cents short and a nice Aussie man offered to pay the difference for me and I was very grateful. Now, I officially have no Australian currency. No need to worry myself about converting it back to Canadian when I get home. Mission accomplished!
Part III:
The layover in Sydney went without a hitch. The plane landed at the domestic terminal, and the international terminal is six km away, so a free shuttle service is provided. When I finally arrived at the international terminal I found my way to customs, security, and of course the layout of the airport forces a walk through the duty-free store. I had no intentions of buying anything because I think duty-free is a scam. I did have a look at the watches, just to see what there was. I had already spent enough money and besides, I bought my most expensive item yesterday - a very nice stainless steel "ripcurl" waterproof watch. It is designed for surfers because it is a must that they look cool while surfing, and now that I am an experienced surfer, I figured I should have one.
Taxi and take-off. What a beautiful sight!!! I'm glad I got a window seat on the right side of the plane because Sydney Harbour, the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge are just outside my window. There's Sydney Olympic Park in the distance. This city brings back fond memories.
They are now out of sight and I'm feeling a little bit emotional because I will miss Australia. Time now to sit back, relax and take in a few movies for the long journey of 13 and a half hours to LA.
Nix the movies. I can't hear anything, so I have resorted to being a computer nerd again. I guess I will review my pictures. That should pass a couple of hours. I'll have to recharge my battery when I get to LAX. I should have brought my headphones on the flight instead of putting them in my checked luggage.
Suddenly, as I look out the window, jumping 14,000 feet just popped into my head. The only difference now is 17,000 feet, a parachute and, a good looking Aussie to jump with is missing. If my ears hurt from all the wind from sky diving at 14,000 feet, I think my head would explode at this height.
I now have the flight path on screen. I'll give you a blow-by-blow account of our altitude and where we are. Can you tell I'm bored?? Altitude - 31,000 feet; Outside air temp. - -33 degrees celcius; Time to destination - 10:13; Distance to destination - 9,363 km; Ground speed - 1,064 kph; On-screen map shows that we are near a place called "Nadi", about 2/3 of the way to the International Date Line from Sydney.
Hey, there's a kangaroo on the wing. Oh wait, that's a decal! I was hoping Skippy was coming home with me. I'll have to settle for the jerkey I bought.
Hey! What happened? A minute ago it was light outside. I closed the shade and when I opened it, the plane was surrounded by darkness. We must have crossed the International Date Line. Just a minute, I'll take a look at the flight path. Just as I suspected...the tail end of the plane on the map has just crossed it. I am now officially back a day - Four hours and forty three minutes ago it was November 3 and now it's November 2. It's also now -38 degrees celcius outside. It's gotten five degrees colder since I last looked. Oh my Gawd, what am I coming home to? I'm sure glad it's not as cold on land as in the air at 33,000 feet - 2,000 feet higher than when I last looked.
I hope you're enjoying my commentary. We're a bit farther than half way to LA now. Yikes, another 2,000 feet - we're now at 35,000 feet. At 894 kph, we've slowed down abit, and we are 6,815 km from Cairns, but we're going towards the cold this time - -43 degrees celcius. I wonder if that's with wind chill?
I just got back from a walk around the plane a couple of times. It's almost like a walk around the block because the plane is so big. I was beginning to get restless sitting for so long. Poor people beside me have to move all the time, or should I say the person in the aisle seat moves and his wife stays in her seat and I just stand up in my seat and step over her. I walked up to the front to see how the rich live. They have their own pods that they can lay down in. Maaan, I need a sugar daddy ha ha! I've even developed my own exercise program at the back of the plane - wall sits where I lean against a wall and sit, but there isn't a chair for cheating. It keeps my muscles active.
Time to destination: two hours and 15 minutes, and the crew is getting ready to serve us breakfast because it's starting to smell good in here. The food has been excellent, both on the trip to Australia and back. I was curious what Qantas stands for, so I asked an attendant, and in case you're interested, it stands for Queensland Australia Northern Territory Air Services.
One hour 23 minutes to go and I'll be on land again - 4.5 hours to be exact until I catch another plane to Vancouver. I don't understand why we are always ascending. We are now at 39,000 feet. Shouldn't we be descending if we are only an hour 20 minutes out? For all I know, we are in Mexico. We can't be though - it's -59 outside.
We have started our descent now. The sunrise is gorgeous. Gridlock, and it is only 6:30 in the morning. Touchdown! Now Canada is only a short 7.5 hours away. Yeah!
Part IV:
Starbucks?? But how could you??? I almost regretted it the minute I bought the Venti Skinny Vanilla Latte. I told the staff at the counter that Australia's coffee kicks ass over Starbucks. It has been such a long morning/day/night-and-morning-again though that I felt that I needed a pick-me-up.
I can't believe the speed to upload photos and video clips on my blog. It took so long in Australia that half my Internet time purchased was devoted to that alone. It was so frustrating. I think I'm going to devote a couple blog entries just for photos and video clips to share with you.
I sure hope I can get all the way home. I tried to web check-in through West Jet, but didn't have my booking number, only a flight number and I hope that's enough. If not, I will call Air Miles to sort it out.
I'm on the plane to Vancouver now and I'm tired. Almost everybody has a laptop - I'm no longer special. Qantas includes all meals and snacks and it is a pleasure to fly with them. Air Canada is much different and they would charge you to fart if they could. They may charge you to fart, but at least I have an empty seat beside me so I can put my feet up on the seat and sleep. There is heaps of room. There is even more leg room. Ya gotta love these partially empty flights. We're at 35,000 feet and I can't see anything except white outside. I think we're still flying over the Pacific Ocean, but it's not the same as earlier. Oh, oh, the Captain just announced that we have started our descent.
There are islands to the left of me and to the right, ladies and gentlemen, SNOW on the mountains? There was no snow on the last mountains I saw? This isn't the same Pacific Ocean I saw 28 hours ago, and where's the Reef? There seems to be no pride of ownership here on this side of the Pacific - the water here isn't clear.
Touchdown. Welcome to Canada, eh! Now it's off to West Jet to see if I can get to Edmonton. If not, I may be walking.
Success and I've got my boarding pass.
Part V:
It's 6 pm and I'm boarding my fourth and last plane for my journey home. My ears hurt when I blow my nose and they're still plugged. I'm gonna have to go through weeks of feeling like I'm falling because of my inner ear problem, just like when I was in Sydney. Good thing the flight to Las Vegas one month from today is only a few hours.
I feel like Clint Eastwood in "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" because I have a blanket from my last flight wrapped around me with a string holding it on. I also feel like a bum because I slept on an airport bench while waiting for the plane to board.
I'm on the last plane on my way home. I can't wait. There is a very obnoxious kid behind me. Shut up already! The flight was just under two hours and when I saw Mom waiting by the baggage carousel I gave her a big hug. It's good to be home. When I got home there was the following picture on the door waiting for me. I suspect it was our next door neighbour. If you can't read the fine print, it says "Good bye Australia, Hello Turin.
AND
From this...
and this...
and this...
To this
All in a matter of a day boo hoo!
Good-bye Australia. I'll be back some day!
Over and Out, Ellen
Sunday, November 1, 2009
The morning after the last day
Yesterday was a very nice and relaxing day; just how I planned it.
I took my time getting started and then the first order of business was the continental breakfast that was included with my room. I went to the dining room and it felt special because I knew it was my last morning in Australia and it was nice to just throw on some clothes and not have to worry about brushing my teeth or even putting sandals on. I went in bare feet, a skirt and camisole.
The second order of business was to find a phone booth to confirm my pick-up to go to the airport. Then I threw some laundry in and started walking towards the Esplanade looking for some kangaroo for lunch - I wanted to eat kangaroo on my last day. I wish we had kangaroo in Canada because it is so lean and tasty - better than any beef I've tasted. Oh, oh! I can't go anywhere until I put my wet clothes in the drier. I walked back to the hotel and decided to put my wet clothes in my room and dry them later. I don't want to be tied down with house duty.
I had a delish kangaroo dish at a restaurant called the Raw Prawn and sat on the patio on the Esplanade looking out at the ocean - well, actually it was the mud flats, not very attractive, but I had my eye out for crocs because these waters are infested with them. I didn't see any. It would have been awesome seeing one crash up through the water to eat a bird, but no go.
I went to the Qantas office to find out more details about my flights. Apparently, I didn't need to confirm if the flights were on time because they must always be on time. I guess they never have to worry about de-icing wings.
OK, I'm ready now. All the dirty work has been taken care of. All I have to do now is shop.
I took my time getting started and then the first order of business was the continental breakfast that was included with my room. I went to the dining room and it felt special because I knew it was my last morning in Australia and it was nice to just throw on some clothes and not have to worry about brushing my teeth or even putting sandals on. I went in bare feet, a skirt and camisole.
The second order of business was to find a phone booth to confirm my pick-up to go to the airport. Then I threw some laundry in and started walking towards the Esplanade looking for some kangaroo for lunch - I wanted to eat kangaroo on my last day. I wish we had kangaroo in Canada because it is so lean and tasty - better than any beef I've tasted. Oh, oh! I can't go anywhere until I put my wet clothes in the drier. I walked back to the hotel and decided to put my wet clothes in my room and dry them later. I don't want to be tied down with house duty.
I had a delish kangaroo dish at a restaurant called the Raw Prawn and sat on the patio on the Esplanade looking out at the ocean - well, actually it was the mud flats, not very attractive, but I had my eye out for crocs because these waters are infested with them. I didn't see any. It would have been awesome seeing one crash up through the water to eat a bird, but no go.
I went to the Qantas office to find out more details about my flights. Apparently, I didn't need to confirm if the flights were on time because they must always be on time. I guess they never have to worry about de-icing wings.
OK, I'm ready now. All the dirty work has been taken care of. All I have to do now is shop.
Last day in kangaroo country
This is it, my last day in Australia. I leave early tomorrow morning and fly to Sydney and then to Los Angeles and then to Vancouver and then home. The flight to LA won't be quite as long as coming here because I will be flying against the rotation of the earth.
I did alot of crazy activities during the last month that I would never have done in Edmonton. Most of the crazy things I did were optional activities that were offered through OzExposure, the tour company I was with. I've decided to boycott winter this year because what's the sense of having a tan if I can't show it off with summer clothes. People may look at me funny, but getting embarassed is not one of my strong suits. Can you boycott a season?
Although I thoroughly enjoyed my trip of a lifetime, I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, getting back into my routine and seeing my family and friends again. And yes, I'm looking forward to getting back to that thing called work and showing off my tan, if I still have it. I've heard there are alot of changes that have come down the pipe, so I think I'll be on an SRD learning curve. Oh, and I'm starting a new travel fund when I get home. The World Masters Games is in Turino, Italy in 2013. I'll have to learn to speak Italian. I've caught the travel bug.
Today is kind of a house cleaning day - laundry, checking flights, confirming shuttle transfers and catching up on my blogs. Thanks everyone for reading them. I enjoyed sharing my trip with you and enjoyed reading your comments. Today I feel so Sarah Jessica Parkerish because I'm typing this from my laptop on the bed just like she did. There were times on this trip that I was referred to as a computer geek because I would always pull out my laptop on the bus to update my blog. They mock me, but this way everything gets entered and I don't forget anything. It was all in fun though and the group is looking forward to reading my blog, so I'll have to send the link to all of them. I would even be at the train station in Sydney and pull out my laptop and just sit on the ground typing as I waited for the train. Now that's the sign of a die-hard blogger.
When I get back to St. Albert I'm going to have to start training for the 1/2 marathon I'm running in Las Vegas in early December and then after that start training for Ironman next summer. I think the 1/2 marathon will be a bust since I haven't been running since October 18. I've got the base, but four weeks just isn't long enough to get enough long runs in, plus I have to taper, but what the heck...I'm gonna see Cher with my new outfit from Australia. I bet nobody else can say that. Anyway, enough of that.
There have been so many highlights on this trip, but I would have to say I had the most fun on the tour with my 13 friends from the United Kingdom (Hannah, Emma, Stephen, Calum and James), Croatia (Elia and Ivan), France (Gaelle), Canada (Rachael), the U.S. (Marie), Scotland (Ross with the dead sexy accent), Holland (Jolanda), and of course, Australia (Sarah). White water rafting was probably the most fun, but we also had alot of fun bouncing around in the 4-wheel drive on Moreton Island. Aussies, especially the ones that live in a beach town, have alot of fun and live life free and easy. Perhaps some North Americans could learn a thing or two from them. I think I could fit quite nicely into Aussie culture because I am a free spirit.
See you all when I get home, and thanks for reading.
Enjoy the picture below. It was a road sign on one of our travel days on the tour.
Ellen
I did alot of crazy activities during the last month that I would never have done in Edmonton. Most of the crazy things I did were optional activities that were offered through OzExposure, the tour company I was with. I've decided to boycott winter this year because what's the sense of having a tan if I can't show it off with summer clothes. People may look at me funny, but getting embarassed is not one of my strong suits. Can you boycott a season?
Although I thoroughly enjoyed my trip of a lifetime, I am looking forward to sleeping in my own bed, getting back into my routine and seeing my family and friends again. And yes, I'm looking forward to getting back to that thing called work and showing off my tan, if I still have it. I've heard there are alot of changes that have come down the pipe, so I think I'll be on an SRD learning curve. Oh, and I'm starting a new travel fund when I get home. The World Masters Games is in Turino, Italy in 2013. I'll have to learn to speak Italian. I've caught the travel bug.
Today is kind of a house cleaning day - laundry, checking flights, confirming shuttle transfers and catching up on my blogs. Thanks everyone for reading them. I enjoyed sharing my trip with you and enjoyed reading your comments. Today I feel so Sarah Jessica Parkerish because I'm typing this from my laptop on the bed just like she did. There were times on this trip that I was referred to as a computer geek because I would always pull out my laptop on the bus to update my blog. They mock me, but this way everything gets entered and I don't forget anything. It was all in fun though and the group is looking forward to reading my blog, so I'll have to send the link to all of them. I would even be at the train station in Sydney and pull out my laptop and just sit on the ground typing as I waited for the train. Now that's the sign of a die-hard blogger.
When I get back to St. Albert I'm going to have to start training for the 1/2 marathon I'm running in Las Vegas in early December and then after that start training for Ironman next summer. I think the 1/2 marathon will be a bust since I haven't been running since October 18. I've got the base, but four weeks just isn't long enough to get enough long runs in, plus I have to taper, but what the heck...I'm gonna see Cher with my new outfit from Australia. I bet nobody else can say that. Anyway, enough of that.
There have been so many highlights on this trip, but I would have to say I had the most fun on the tour with my 13 friends from the United Kingdom (Hannah, Emma, Stephen, Calum and James), Croatia (Elia and Ivan), France (Gaelle), Canada (Rachael), the U.S. (Marie), Scotland (Ross with the dead sexy accent), Holland (Jolanda), and of course, Australia (Sarah). White water rafting was probably the most fun, but we also had alot of fun bouncing around in the 4-wheel drive on Moreton Island. Aussies, especially the ones that live in a beach town, have alot of fun and live life free and easy. Perhaps some North Americans could learn a thing or two from them. I think I could fit quite nicely into Aussie culture because I am a free spirit.
See you all when I get home, and thanks for reading.
Enjoy the picture below. It was a road sign on one of our travel days on the tour.
Ellen
Kuranda
First of all, I apologize to those of you who are receiving my blog entries more than once. The Internet boots me out with no warning and I have to go back into my blog to update it. Alot of the problem is this netbook. The cursor jumps all over the place and isn't very accurate so it takes time to place it correctly. Anyway, on with the blog.
I have heard that Kuranda is a nice tourist trap, so Kuranda is the destination today.
The bus was at the hotel for pick-up at 8:25 am sharp.
We arrived at the Kuranda entrance and took the air rail up to the village and markets. The air rail is a gondola. Kuranda is a village in the rainforest, but since I've already been to the Blue Mountains Rainforest outside of Sydney, I was more interested in the markets and shopping. What's new! Let's see how much money Ellen can spend today. Hmmm...I took care of one Christmas gift for my brother, Joe and his wife, Janelle. Sorry, I can't tell you what it is or that would spoil the surprise because I think Joe may be following this blog. Let's just say it will be cumbersome transporting home.
It was a beautiful day even though the sun was in and out. It's always warm because it is the tropics after all.
Time for a latte. We went to a coffee merchant who brews local coffee and I have to say it was the best latte I have had to date and it wasn't even flavoured. The presentation of the cappuccino Jeff had was like a piece of art that you wouldn't want to drink. The coffee guy took alot of pride in his coffee. Unfortunately, my latte wasn't as pretty. I have attached a picture of the cappuccino.
It isn't like in Canada where they just put some foam on and that's it. This guy put a dollop of foam, then sprinkled something on it - cinnamon I think, then put another dollop and sprinkle, and again. Since it wasn't flavoured, you would like it Mom. Only problem is... it's a long way to come for this latte, but if you're willing to spring for airfare I think I could treat you to a day a Karunda and a latte. I might even throw in dinner.
I almost bought a T-shirt for Dad that said "Bank of Dad - closed", but they didn't have the right size. Now, don't get me wrong...Dad doesn't support me, but he does spoil me, or so he says. What are Dads for anyway if they can't spoil their little girl ha ha! Another option would have been a funny fishing shirt, but again, not the right size.
Now, Mom is harder to buy for. A girl can only buy so many bridge passes (private joke) so I settled on a combination gift for Mom and Dad where size doesn't matter.
In Australia, there is a horse race called the Melbourne Cup (I think that's what it's called) and hats are part of the chosen dress code, so I was trying on big fancy rich looking hats. I had so much fun shopping and just being silly trying them on. The hats went very nicely with my touristy look don't you think? What the hell, I am a tourist, but only for one more day and then I'll be back home. At the end of the day, we took the scenic railway back to Cairns. It was a nice way to end the day.
Oh, the airplane below is what the airplane looked like after I skydived from it.
Just kidding. It was actually a plane that flew in the 2nd World War and somehow ended up at Kuranda.
I have heard that Kuranda is a nice tourist trap, so Kuranda is the destination today.
The bus was at the hotel for pick-up at 8:25 am sharp.
We arrived at the Kuranda entrance and took the air rail up to the village and markets. The air rail is a gondola. Kuranda is a village in the rainforest, but since I've already been to the Blue Mountains Rainforest outside of Sydney, I was more interested in the markets and shopping. What's new! Let's see how much money Ellen can spend today. Hmmm...I took care of one Christmas gift for my brother, Joe and his wife, Janelle. Sorry, I can't tell you what it is or that would spoil the surprise because I think Joe may be following this blog. Let's just say it will be cumbersome transporting home.
It was a beautiful day even though the sun was in and out. It's always warm because it is the tropics after all.
Time for a latte. We went to a coffee merchant who brews local coffee and I have to say it was the best latte I have had to date and it wasn't even flavoured. The presentation of the cappuccino Jeff had was like a piece of art that you wouldn't want to drink. The coffee guy took alot of pride in his coffee. Unfortunately, my latte wasn't as pretty. I have attached a picture of the cappuccino.
It isn't like in Canada where they just put some foam on and that's it. This guy put a dollop of foam, then sprinkled something on it - cinnamon I think, then put another dollop and sprinkle, and again. Since it wasn't flavoured, you would like it Mom. Only problem is... it's a long way to come for this latte, but if you're willing to spring for airfare I think I could treat you to a day a Karunda and a latte. I might even throw in dinner.
I almost bought a T-shirt for Dad that said "Bank of Dad - closed", but they didn't have the right size. Now, don't get me wrong...Dad doesn't support me, but he does spoil me, or so he says. What are Dads for anyway if they can't spoil their little girl ha ha! Another option would have been a funny fishing shirt, but again, not the right size.
Now, Mom is harder to buy for. A girl can only buy so many bridge passes (private joke) so I settled on a combination gift for Mom and Dad where size doesn't matter.
In Australia, there is a horse race called the Melbourne Cup (I think that's what it's called) and hats are part of the chosen dress code, so I was trying on big fancy rich looking hats. I had so much fun shopping and just being silly trying them on. The hats went very nicely with my touristy look don't you think? What the hell, I am a tourist, but only for one more day and then I'll be back home. At the end of the day, we took the scenic railway back to Cairns. It was a nice way to end the day.
Oh, the airplane below is what the airplane looked like after I skydived from it.
Just kidding. It was actually a plane that flew in the 2nd World War and somehow ended up at Kuranda.
The Coral Sea
I have been derelict in my blogging duties and I have a couple days worth to catch up on. Enjoy.
Today we decided that Port Douglas was the place to be, so at the last minute we booked a bus trip out there. The weather was fabulous so with sandals, sunnies, sunscreen and towels in hand, off we went to catch the bus.
Port Douglas is a trendy holiday town with alot of fabulous shops and restaurants. I bought a wicked bamboo purse - the favourite saying in PD is wicked. I seem to be keeping Australia's economy afloat ha ha.
Next, down to the Coral Sea to swim for a bit. The waves were huge and it was alot of fun jumping into them, and the water was so warm.
I was getting short tempered because I was hungry. I finally said "Jeff, just make a decision and let's eat." I hate indecisiveness about such a simple thing. There were some Canadian women from Scarborough in the same restaurant as us. When I finished my lunch, the waitress brought theirs and I said "That looks better than mine was". One of the ladies asked if I wanted a piece of pizza and who am I to say no to pizza.
Time to find a washroom, toilet or loo. You can walk into any restaurant in Australia and the staff doesn't mind if you use the toilet. They aren't only for customers. In fact, they are more than happy to let you use their toilet if you walk in off the street and ask.
Back to finding a loo - I found the loo in a very posh restaurant and one of the walls was an aquarium of tropical fish. I felt like I was snorkelling again.
We headed back to the tour shop for the bus ride back to the hotel and then we were in search of a restaurant for dinner.
Since I had some time remaining on my Internet account that I purchased at the hostel, I wanted to check my e-mail and update my blog on the way to dinner. I caught up on my blog and then we ended up at The Woolshed - the same restaurant the tour group went to a couple of nights ago.
Two hours after I used the computer, I suddenly realized that I forgot my flash drive in the computer, so we rushed back hoping it was still there. It wasn't, so now I owe Janis a flash drive since it was hers. I managed to keep it throughout the Sydney portion of my trip until two days before I leave Australia. What an airhead I am!
Time for more Aussie expressions:
Give me a tick - means give me a moment
I found out what Ridgie Didge means - everything's OK
Bonza - everything's good
Hard yakka - hard work
Dill - I thought it was a spice, but in Australia it's someone who's stupid.
Flat out like a lizard drinking - working hard
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