1. to 4. February

Now we’re back in Sydney – but only as visitors. The Edinburgh Military Tattoo is back and we bought tickets. So we hoped that it will be a good show and not too much rain. We had some problems to reach the venue – the traffic was shocking. We took our rain jackets and the camera and couldn’t wait for the show to begin. We were happy that the drum corps from Switzerland were there (I’ve seen them in Scotland), then teams from New Zealand, Jamaica, Norway, China … Australia and of course Scotland took part as well. Every group did their own performance (just playing their drums and back pipes, some kind of stand-up comedy, Highland dances, drills with their machine guns, Haka …). The police performed on their horses and the gun fires were held as well. Unfortunately it started to rain so everyone put their poncho on and the show went on with no brake in between. In the end all teams performed together and one back pipe player stood at the castle and played the last tones of the evening before the fireworks started.

Until next time, Tom and Anja

28. – 31. January

We headed to Tin Can Bay to have another animal encounter – it’s dolphin time!!! Every morning some dolphins are coming into the bay for a feet and you can join them; just be early. We arrived at the bay at 7.00am although the feeding starts at 8.00am. This meant we had the bay nearly for ourselves and could see the dolphins really close. You just get into the water (wash your hands before in a special solution) and wait until the dolphins arrive and maybe they come and touch you – you are not allowed to touch them. During the feeding you were only allowed in the water until your fishes were eaten – earlier I was nearly 30 minutes in the water but no dolphin decided to touch me but they came close so I could see the bite marks and different colours of their skin. We had only two dolphins for the feed – sometimes there are four coming around. Maybe the others were nursing the new arrivals (one dolphin was born on Australia Day).

Unfortunately we didn’t swim in the ocean as there were too many bluebottles and other jelly fishes on the beach so the chance for a sting was high. So we went on a beach walk to see the Coloured Sands. You just had to be careful not be touched by a car – yeah driving on the beach is allowed and even tourist buses are going there. After the walk we went swimming anyway and not just in the pool. We went swimming in a creek just meters off the road. The water was really cold and refreshing. The creek had two platforms, one with little rapids and the other one with a pool. Several young people came around and they even jumped into the water although it was just one meter deep.

The Wildlife Sanctuary in Currimbin was our next stop. There is even a park in the park – you’ve also the possibility to do a “Green Challenge”. The sanctuary itself is quite small but you could travel around with a train. We had a look at the nocturnal animals, the turtles, eagles and tree-kangaroos. We wanted to have a look at the free-flying bird show but I was occupied finishing my challenge.  To participate in the challenges you have to get dressed up – overall and harness – and then start; lock the carabineer to the steel rope and off you go. You have to get over the ropes in different way; slide along the rope, step over swinging bridges, crawling through a pipe, climb through nets, swing like tarzan, pulley yourself up or glide down and be careful to slow down before reaching the other end. It was a lot of fun, hard work and exhausting especially as it started to rain halfway. I was completely soaked.

Finally we got our ocean swim – back on NSW coast in Ballina. The water was cold and choppy and rough. There are even king-tides happening at the moment so there is a lot of water and new rips forming so definite swim between the flags. Then we walk along the north wall which covers the North Creek and Richmond River in Ballina. We also had a look at the lighthouse and beaches in Byron Bay.

Cheers, Anja and Tom

22. – 27. January

We are on the move again – up to Bundaberg to see some turtles and the Hinkler Museum which we did first.  Bert Hinkler was a aviation pioneer – he was the first one to fly solo from England to Australia. He had his first flight attempt in 1913 with a Hang Glider off the coast in Bundaberg. You could give this gliding experience a go – there are two boards with a handle – lay on and it will start showing on a screen where you actually flying. They also display the airplane he owned and his dream about a sea-plane… Bert Hinkler died already 1933 at the age of 40 this might be the reason why he is not know to the public that much…

Another big thing in Bundaberg is sugar. Where every you go you will see sugar cane fields and the warning signs about sugar hauling during May and December. But sugar can be used for something else – you need it for rum production – the famous Bundaberg rum. We visited the rum distillery but did only the small tour without actually going into the factory. But we got to taste the rum anyway. Several people saying that rum tastes better if it’s stored in a wooden barrel but only few people know how to make a wooden barrel. We had a look at the production – it really looks like hard work even for a barrel just 20cm high.

Mystic Craters is a rock-formation just 25km east of Bundaberg. The craters look quite interesting and the scientist are not sure how they were formed.  There are several speculations: volcanoes, water erosion, dinosaurs and even UFO. I think the UFO theory sounds the best – as the craters are only found in a small area, have a different depth, some are filled with water others not and there is no connection between them although they are so close to each other.

 

 One of the harder choices was “where to go for swimming? – Burnett river, the ocean at Bargara or Elliot river”. We decided for the Elliot river – clear water with not many waves but still a strong current. If we would had been sick of this place we could just move around the corner and swim in the ocean.

Now it was time for the probably most famous attraction in Bundaberg just available between November and March – the turtles!!! The beaches are haven for nesting turtles, Loggerhead, Flathead and Green turtles lay their eggs and you can watch them – under supervision by a ranger of course. The nesting season is between November and January and the Hatching season starts in January. Unfortunately we didn’t see any turtle laying eggs (it’s already late January) but we saw turtles hatch. It’s interesting to see them suddenly burst out of the sand and starting the long way into the water. The hatchlings are not bigger than a thumb. When they walk/crawl into the water they get imprinted on the beach and hopefully will return when they’re going to lay eggs in probably 30 years.

Cheers, Anja and Tom

1. – 21. January

Finally the first entry in 2010!!! We spent the first three weeks in Brisbane not able to do much due to Tom’s back problems. I just discovered the both sides of the Brisbane River and told Tom about my experiences.

But not all was done alone – we’ve visited the Police Museum which is located in the Police Headquarters. It displays how the police developed over the years in Queensland – from just a little outpost near the river and “tent-stations in the outback” to what it is now. They even had a motorcycle on display which you could climb and start the lights. One section was devoted to the unsolved crimes and how a crime scene is established.

Close to the Police Museum is the Roma Street Parklands a beautiful landscaped garden featuring different plants – you could easily spent half a day.  In some parts you really have to watch your steps – the water-dragons appear out of now where and 

they are everywhere. Listen to some kind of music is made easy – just play the Japanese Harp. You have to get water dropping over a stone while the water is dropping put your ear to the tube and you can actually hear it – fascinating.

As we like railways the railway workshop in Ipswich was a must visit. The museum had “Thomas the tank engine” as a special theme so most trains had a face on and they had other signs up. You could even drive a train yourself –

standing at the controls and playing the railway simulator. They offered some behind the scenes tours and you had to go with a special designed machine into the workshop area.

Do you know what XXXX stands for? We do as we did the XXXX-brewery tour. Mr Fourex told us that this was a sign to establish the beer quality and it was the bet quality you could get around 1880 when this brewery started. After the tour which lasted around 1.5h going through the theory of brewing and through packaging line as well we had time to taste some (4) of the beers. We tried Summer Breeze (a special summer brew), a dark brew (quite strong) and a Hahn. Yes, they brew Hahn beer as well as Toohey’s and XXXX. It was a day well spent and don’t worry I’m still  able to count – I had a two Summer Breeze.

You can enjoy Brisbane’s river and skyline differently – cruise the river with the river cat or the ferries, walk along the river side or even go into a Ferris Wheel in the Southbank Parklands. We enjoyed our trip at night – in fully enclosed air-conditioned cabins going up to 60m. Several buildings and some bridges are lit at night – they change the colour from green, purple, red to blue and back to green.

CU, Anja and Tom

11. – 31. December

We drove to Townsville mainly to visit Magnetic Island. We arrived on time to board directly onto the ferry to Magnetic Island and purchased a daily bus ticket. We drove to the northern part and walked along  the promenade and to the lookout. From the lookout you could see Townsville, the ferries boarding and of course the ocean. After the walk we took the bus across the island to Horseshoe Bay on the south side. We went swimming and walked to a beach only accessible by foot or boat. Back in Townsville we discovered that the RAAF base museum is open on Sundays so the plan for the next day was set.

The RAAF museum was quite interesting. The guide showed us around and explained a lot of the things which were on display. Most displays were about the involvement in Vietnam War. Unfortunately there were no big planes we could look at. After spending two hours we left for Brisbane. We even stopped at a Driver Reviver and chatted to the guys for an hour or so.

On the drive south we stopped at a Dam close to Gladstone before we headed to Agnes Water and the Town of 1770. Finally we’re again in the region possible for surfing and of course we saw several surfing. We stopped at a caravan park which has just opened and wasn’t finished yet – the camp-kitchen was not ready. But we made the best of it and had our dinner on our picnic rag for the amusement of the other guests. We also went swimming and could dive the waves again. More fun than just be inside the water.

After some de-tours (never trust the GPS as only source) we finally arrived in Brisbane and got our car lifted by 2inches. But unfortunately we had to go to the guys again to get every thing right. Luckily we found a good caravan park with good amenities, pool and BBQ area. We visited the Queensland Museum with the Scientific section and on the other days we kept it quiet and relaxed as far as you could relax as it was raining most of the time.

Now we hope you spent your Christmas well and have a good start into 2010. Enjoy the fireworks where ever you’re watching.

Cheers and until next year, Anja and Tom

 

7. – 10. December

After leaving Mission Beach we stopped at the Tully Gorge to look if the Tully River is a good spot for White Water Rafting. The river has more water than Barron River and we could see several rapids but it looked a bit harmless. Probably the most interesting thing is how do they get the rafts from the street to the river (50m below)? Easy, they hang them onto ropes and wire them down.

Our next stop was Murray Falls. Unfortunately you can only watch the fall from lookouts. But you could access the water 100m below and you could camp. You could even enjoy cold showers under the sky. We decided to keep on driving.

We arrived in Cardwell and did the forest drive to have a look at the different lookouts featuring the town and Hinchinbrook Island. Then we walked through the Edmund Kennedy National Park where you can see mangroves and rainforest. If you’re lucky (or early) you might spot some  rare birds. You could also see a rare palm species (Arenga palm) but we didn’t know how it looks. Unfortunately you can’t swim in the ocean (too many crocs) but luckily there are some freshwater swimming holes. We spent an afternoon at the 5 Mile Swimming Hole and tested our flotation tools.

The next day we took the cruise to Hinchinbrook Island. We were just 10 people on board so they took the small one – it looked much nicer than it actually was. They had white leather seats but they were so uncomfortable you wouldn’t believe it and there was not much room left with 10 people on board. We drove to the island and then through some mangrove channels to Ramsey Beach from which the 4-day walking trek also starts. As we just did a daytrip we just spend one hour on the beach and we saw a little ray swimming within 1m offshore. Then we headed to another place and started the little walk (5km) to the Resort. The walk started directly at the beach, went through some rainforest before another beach-path (2km) and then via forest track to the resort. We had a look at the turtle bay as well. Unfortunately we didn’t see any turtles and got wet feet. Finally we spent some time at the pool before returning to Cardwell. The resort itself is closed at the moment as it’s wet and cyclone season.

After spending the night at a rest-area close to the highway (and we had a good night sleep) we drove to the Wallaman Falls – the highest sheer drop in the Southern Hemisphere. The falls drops 270m and creates a 20m deep pool. You can view the waterfall from different lookouts but we just looked from the top ones – didn’t walk to the base lookout as there were too many biting flies.

 

Then we drove to Jarouma Falls (yes again a waterfall) but this time we walked to the lookout and the walk was unusual as you had to cross the creek several times. Luckily they created a path with stone piles so you could relay on them and it was easier to cross the water. I mean there was not much water flowing but you could see that this could change quickly. If the water-level rises you might get caught in the area as you already had to cross the creek to access the area.

Crystal Creek was the last stop for the day and we had our refreshing swim after putting up the tent. When you’re at the camp site you can’t imagine that there is such a beautiful and actually big waterhole just meters away. You had to walk 200m from the camp site over some rocks and then you could slide into the water. The water was crystal clear and deep – we still could see the ground but no way of touching it. It might have been 3m deep. The water temperature was nice and didn’t change if you swam in the afternoon or early in the morning at 6.00am.

CU, Anja and Tom

2. – 6. December

We left Cairns to go back into the Atherton Tablelands – there were still some things to discover. First we stopped at the Davies Creek National Park. Of course it had a waterfall incl. swimming and a picnic with camp areal. We had a look first at the fall before we went swimming. Actually you couldn’t really swim – not enough water and space so we more likely relaxed in the water which formed a little spa and a bathtub. The picnic area is nice – directly at the creek so we enjoyed our lunch there.

Then we tried some other vehicle – we were driving a GoKart at the Mako GoKart International Raceway. It was a circuit of 411m and  each session runs for 8 minutes which gives you 18 laps at max. I just managed to go for 12 and Tom for 15 so we have time for improvements. Only if the track is not busy I would do it again… We also played a round of minigolf and again it isn’t really my sport and Tom is much better than I am. The night we’ve spent at Rocky Creek Memorial Park again. And Bruno and Terry (the dog and caretaker) recognized us and enjoyed our company once more.

Coffee Works in Mareeba was again our stop – any ticket is valid for 4 weeks so we had to come back and taste the chocolate, coffee and tea.

Later that day we started the waterfall circuit close to Millaa Millaa. There are three along a 15km way. At the Millaa Millaa fall you could nearly touch the base of the fall – if you dare to swim that close. But you can just have a look at the Zillie Falls. They are fenced in but there are still enough people ignoring sign and climb over fences and go directly to the water. The last fall, Elijaa, is visible from the top and bottom – there is a walk but you can’t go for a swim. We took the scenic route to our planned camp so we could look at some more waterfalls.  We drove to the Souita Falls which are around 15km off the scenic route and had to stop due to the rush hour of cows – it was time for giving milk. The Pepina falls are directly at the scenic route. We also looked at the Tully Fall but the water didn’t fall at all. You could just see some water on the top and on the bottom of the fall but nothing in between. If there would have been any water it would drop around 200m.

Paronella Park (www.paronella.com.au) – Queensland no. 1 to visit – was our next stop. It’s a park which was developed by Jose Paronella in 1930. He built several buildings including a ballroom, tennis court and change rooms. It was popular to go there and play  tennis or just go for a swim in the Mena creek. He also planted several trees which are forming a walkway. There are several micro bats nesting in the artificial tunnel which fly out at night. We did the night tour which is good. The guide explains things about the park and you could see some buildings and the waterfall illuminated.

Our next stop was Mission Beach where we just relaxed and enjoyed swimming and the sun. You could actually go for some walks and jump the beach. But we weren’t in the mood for skydiving. It was interesting to see them landing right in front of your eyes. While we were watching none had to swim, they were all landing right on the sand.

CU, Anja and Tom