Holiday (Vacation) Reflections

Re. Dennis Theme - Whitewater World is a park with lots of water slides located in the Gold Coast. Luna Park is an old-fashioned 1930s style amusement park in Sydney.

I noticed that my packing list had some new terminology in it. I have taken on the kiwi terms jandals for flip flop sandals and togs for swimsuits. The term holiday is used for vacation.

We have been back home about a week now. The break from routine was welcomed. The top thing I wanted to do was to go to the Great Barrier Reef. We did that day two of the trip. We were picked up by a bus and then rode a big boat out to the reef. It was an overcast and windy day. The charter company has their own pontoon island which had snorkeling area marked. Tom and I snorkeled and Dennis went on one of the glass bottom boats. It was pretty cool to see the fish and corals in their home environment. Being nearsighted and without my glasses snorkeling, I didn't notice as much as Tom and Dennis. Near the end of the time on the "island" Dennis got more interested in snorkeling. We wore blue anti-stinger suits as an extra layer of protection.

When visiting our friends in Sydney, we decided that Australia is the land of "suits." The blue suits were for snorkeling. When surfing people wear wet suits. At the beach people wear rash tops or high SPF suits to protect from the sun. When we climbed the bridge we got to wear a special blue grey suit, so we would blend in with the bridge and so that we could attach hats, glasses and gear to it.

I did a couple of things that were up high. One was riding the cable car over the rain forest in Cairns. It was a three part ride with two breaks to walk on boardwalks in the rain forest. We ended in a small town called Kuranda. I enjoyed browsing the shops. We returned on a scenic rail tour. It was a pleasant day out.

You've seen the photos. I actually climbed the bridge in Sydney. I admitted to being nervous and so I got to be first climbing. One steep section, when I could see through the stairs, I had to breathe deep and just keep going. The guide told me afterwards that that was the worst part for those of us with height issues. She was right. However, the parts where we walked over steel mesh, I did not look down. Other climbers took this approach too. We were physically attached to the bridge the whole time. A roller mechanism was attached to our belts. It was like having an umbilical cord. Afterwards, we fondly admired the bridge and were glad the attachment was now emotional rather than physical.

I bought myself a piece of aboriginal art for a souvenir. I have to get it framed and then it will be a colorful addition to our lounge. Dennis would have liked to get a didgeridoo which is a long wooden musical instrument. Tom got around that one by saying we couldn't bring wood back into NZ. Dennis does just fine making noise without the assistance of a didgeridoo.

There was only one thing I wouldn't repeat. One night we stayed in a little trailer in a holiday park. The stove was gas and the flames were a bit wild. The sheets weren't soft. Tom was sick with a nasty cold virus and I was just starting to get it too.

Kiwi'isms

I learned two new Kiwi phrases today ...

An oily rag - to be frugal.

As in: I am running my engine on an oily rag.

Mooted - open for discussion.

As in: We recently mooted the going to Madrid next year.

Dennis' Theme

My Theme Australia

I like Whitewater World.

I also like Luna Park and I like making sand castles.

Down to One Mouse

Our mouse sitters thought they had a dead mouse on day 3. The small one, Sasha, had been sick and recovered, then became sick again when we went to bring the mice home. This morning our sick mouse was a stiff mouse. Dennis dug a hole and we buried her in the back yard. Of the two, Sasha was Dennis' favorite mouse. Right now the one mouse left, Missy, seems healthy. Dennis wants to get another mouse. I told him he has to wait three weeks; we have to wait and see if Missy gets sick or not.

The Haka

At the start of every All Blacks Rugby game the All Blacks perform the Haka. The Haka is a traditional Maori war challenge. I have had the privilege of watching one Haka in person (the rest of them I have seen on youtube!)

Following is a video of the Haka as it was performed in Ireland a few years ago. Each one is unique so I suggest that you click on a few of the links that come up at the end.

Here is more information than you wanted to know about the Haka.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haka

The Haka

Tuesday

Today is the last day of our vacation. We have packed our bags and are ready for the taxi to pick us up. Chris and Dennis are over at a park and I am writing out last blog entry while in Oz.

I can truly say that Australia has been amazing! We have had a great time, met some great people, and seen some great sights. I was talking about what we have done last night with our Sydney hostess Monica. We have:

Snorkeled on the great barrier reef

Took a cable car above the rain forest

Took a scenic train through Baron Gorge

Pet Kangaroo's

Got lost in a Giant Maze

Seen the Australia Zoo and the infamous Crocodile Show!

Swam in the Tasman Sea.

Made Sand Castles too numerous to count

Seen a glorious Light House

Watched the Sun Rise over Australia

Went to a water park

Pet a Dolphin and a Seal

Rode Camels

Toured the Powerhouse Museum

Climbed the Sydney Bridge (oh my we really did that!)

Walked around Darling Harbour

Taken multiple boats on Sydney Harbour

Got up close to the famous Opera house

Explored Downtown Sydney

Went to an Amusement Park

Wandered around Manly Beach

And today we went to the Australian Maritime Museum here in Sydney.

It has a wonderful tribute to the USA exploring the ties that bind the two countries from the 1700's through to today. We also were able to get onto decommissioned post WWII class Destroyer and Submarine.

It was a good day, however it is sad day in that we are leaving. As much as I love New Zealand and our adopted city of Wellington there is something about being on vacation ...

Shopping!

Shopping is such a bore. Even when it is for my own clothing. I will not bore you (or myself) by writing out the details. I was in and out in 45 minutes and exchanged looks with an Aussie bloke who apparently hates shopping as much as this American counterpart. We left the goods behind (by design) and went to Luna Park.

Luna Park is an amusement park between the Sydney bridge and the Waterfront on in North Sydney. You can read all about it at (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luna_Park_Sydney.) Dennis had a great time running between all the rides. He made a new friend Jacob who was on holiday in Sydney like Dennis. Chris and I shadowed them and chatted with Jacob's parents.

After Luna Park it was off to Manly Beach (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manly_beach) where we met Monica. We walked one kilometer on the Corso from the ferry terminal to Manly beach itself; where we had Fish and Chips for lunch. After lunch we wandered around for an hour or so while Dennis payed in the sand.

The way back was a quick 20 minute bus ride! Boy do Kurt and Monica live in a great location!

Sadness

It is with great regret that I inform you that we did not build a sandcastle today. I would have liked to however we left pretty early and did not get back until late.

Of course we did start the day with the Climb of our Life on The Sydney Bridge!

Wow was that a climb! Chris lead the way with me as number two and twelve others somewhere behind us. We started on the South side of the bridge and worked our way to the top, the very top. Along the way they explained a few things about the bridge and the sights; and of course took the obligatory pictures of us ($20 each.)

Our guide, Dee, was great. She had an excellent sense of humor that kept me laughing. Her knowledge of the bridge, its history, and Sydney in general made the trip go quickly. I also appreciated how she helped Chris, who is afraid of heights, with the climb. I am glad she was my guide.

After the climb we met Kurt, Monica and Dennis and wandered through "The Rocks" together. As today is Sunday "The Rocks" was alive with a street fair. We wandered trough the general stuff: food, clothing, wind chimes, etc. until hunger dictated that we sit down somewhere and have a bite to eat. I took everyone off the street through a side building. In this building Chris was enticed by a Aboriginal Art Gallery where Chris succumbed and purchased a piece! I am sure that you will see a picture soon enough!

For lunch we choose "The Argyle." Which is located, strangely enough, Argyle Street. Argyle has the distinction of having a unisex community bathroom. I wish I had taken a picture of this but without one here it goes. A long trough in the middle for washing your hands. Little rooms with either "W+M" on them or "W" (I will let you figure out the significance; and a series of pods with a urinal on the back side.

After lunch we walked to the waterfront and worked our way to the Opera House via Circle Quay. There are shops galore and other distractions which made it a much longer walk than expected! Dennis climbed the Opera House. We wandered through the lobby for a while and

took in the sights. And like my first time at Sydney the air temperature around the opera house seemed to drop by 5F or so.

After the opera house we caught a bus back to Kurt and Monica's and went over the bridge again. Amazing how easily I can spot the bridge climbers now!

Sydney!

We have a great picture of Dennis and I with the Sydney Opera House over our right shoulder. This was taken on the ferry ride back to Neutral Bay after a delightful day wandering around the city.

We started our day at the Powerhouse Museum (http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/) The Museum of Science and Industry was Dennis' favorite back in Chicago so we thought he would enjoy this one as well. What I did not expect was how much fun I would have at this museum! There were plenty of interactive exhibits for the children that entertained me as well. (No comments from the peanut gallery please!)

The exhibit I liked the best was the space exhibit. They showed a Russian Lunar Lander. (I didn't even know they had one, did you?) A whole bunch of replica manmade satellites including a replica of Freedom One the current habitable orbiter.

After the museum we met Monica and Kurt at Hanna's Hot Pies (http://www.hannahs.com.au/) and I had a beef pie with Mushy Peas. Quite tasty I highly recommend it.

AFter lunch we started a two hour walk to circle quay and the warf. We wandered through Hyde Park. Then up Macquarie Street where we saw the Sydney Hospital, Library, Parliament House, and the Cathedral. We then took a detour through the Hotel Sofitel and to an aboriginal art gallery. I just managed to get Chris out of there without buying anything. We ended up at the Custom's House where they have a three dimensional model of Sydney under a glass floor. From there across the street to the Wharf and our boat home!

Iceberg

Part of what I love about Wellintonians is their sense of humor. For instance a fake iceberg in the harbour ...

You can see this in all its glory, and read about the reason why, over at my friends Jeremy's blog The Wellington Daily Photo. http://blandforddailyphoto.blogspot.com/2009/08/798-oriental-iceberg.html

First day in Sydney

We arrived in Sydney around 11:00am today after a non-descript drive from Terrigal. We are staying at the home of Chicago friends, Kurt and Monica, who moved in June of 2008. They are on their own great adventure! Half the reason for going to Australia was to spend time with this great couple!

First order of business (after unloading the car) was to eat a bag of Doritos! Turns out they are sold here in Australia, I know what I am going to use to fill out my suitcase. After catching up with Monica (Kurt is at work) and planning when we were going to make the Sydney Bridge climb it was off to drop off the car.

I drove across the Sydney Bridge with a view of the Opera house on my left. Wow! It was magical to be on that bridge and to see the Opera house again. Even though I had been here before it still is amazing view. After dropping off the car I walked back through Sydney to catch the bus back. My route took me through Hyde Park.

Hyde Park is a large park (2x10 blocks) in the center of the Central Business District. It has two large groves of trees that run parallel up the center of the park with a large walkway between them. As it was lunch time there were tons of business men and women enjoying a quick bite to eat on the lawn and benches.

The bus was simplicity itself. Monica's directions were perfect and 10 minutes later I was back in their home in Neutral Bay. We took a 20 minute walk down to Neutral Bay (the waterfront) for some coffee and to give Dennis the opportunity to build a Sand Castle!

The walk through Neutral Bay (the suburb) was delightful. The architecture is stunning many old Brick Victorians with Iron Lacework surrounded by Tropical flowers. When we arrived we took a few pictures and then had Coffees and Hot Chocolate on a balcany over the water. We gazed at Sydney across the bay and watched the pedestrians exit and board the commuter ferry. A very relaxing afternoon.

Right now (5:45pm) Chirs and Dennis are playing a card game, Kurt is on his way back from work, and Monica is making something for dinner that smells very very good ...

Thursday

Thursday started with a Sand Castle (what else?) We are staying at the Terrigal Pacific Resort (more of a hotel really) which is about a half mile from the sea. Finding our way to the sea was easy as and we went out to a very active beach. Not in terms of people but wave action! Boy was the surf rolling in! We managed to just stay dry and build our best sand castle yet.

After the sand castle it was time to find a place to eat. Parking was free and a couple blocks from the waterfront. We had Thai on the beach front watching the people walk by.

The afternoon was spent alternating between the pool and hot tub at our 'Resort.' The pool is sterilized by salt not chlorine which makes for a much more enjoyable swim. The hot tub was nice and hot!

Dinner was Fish and Chips while watching a Rugby game in the room.

A very enjoyable day it was!

Hoosh!

Today (Wednesday) I woke up feeling pretty good, which was good. For the first words out of Dennis mouth when he saw me was “Dad are you well enough to make a sand castle this morning?” I said “Yes!”

After breakfast Dennis and went looking for the beach. A short walk later we found a completely empty beach that leant itself very nicely to making a sand castle. We scoped out the best spot and built the best sand castle ever! I am sure that it ultimately succumbed to the waves ... however it would have taken a while! The 'ideal' spot was on top of a one foot ledge of sand that ran the whole length of the beach. The water has to rise a long way then overcome our wall!

After the sand castle we were off to ride the camels! So we packed up, loaded up the car and went back to the beach (a different beach.) John runs the camel rides on the beach from 8:30am to 2:00pm every day of the week. He is quite the character and showed it real quick when he told Dennis to help himself to anything he can find the lucky dip bag located right underneath the camel’s tail. We had to sign something which basically said if we get hurt tough. We were fitted out with helmets (I thanked him and tossed it aside) and we went over to the camels.

I have a video of Chris and Dennis getting on their camels when it was my turn I found out why he kept on saying lean back. When the camel gets up he does it rear legs first. If you lean forward you will end up in the sand. Once up John had a few things to do so we just sat there waiting for him. While we sat there the Camels stood still. I could have been on a statue for all it moved. This was not a long period of time, say two minutes, however I was shocked that the camel just stood there without moving for two minutes with me on its back. When I have ridden horses they always seem to move around.

Then we were off for a 30 minute walk up and down the beach. The walk was very entertaining with John telling us about Camels, their history in Australia, his customers, and a bit about himself. At the apex of the walk he took my camera and photographed the three of us together and individually. The most interesting fact that I heard was that it was a camel that delivered the first piano in New South Whales. They strapped it to a camel’s back and off they went. The largest recorded weight in Australia is one ton. (I suppose that would have been a regular US Ton as it was recorded in the 1800’s not a metric one.) They strapped a ton onto a camel, it stood up, walked a mile or so to win the prize for its owner.

These camels were not quite up to that game but impressive non-the-less.

When we arrived back John gave the camels their last command with us on board. Hoosh! That means kneel. So the beasts kneeled down and we stepped off. Nothing to it!

The (very) long day ...

I watched the sunrise on Tuesday. I was up before dawn and thought of the light house and figured that there would be no better way to start the day than watch the sunrise from the lighthouse. So off I went! The sunrise was what you would expect on the ocean with a light layer of clouds on the horizon. Suppose you could complain about the clouds blocking a total view of the sun itself. However I was more than compensated by the watching the clouds run through the hues of orange.

I thought Chris and Dennis would like some pastries for breakfast so I looked for one the way back. It took me 10 minutes (glad the town wasn’t any bigger I drove on every side street) to find a bakery. I arrived back with Croissants, Muffins, and a vanilla glaze donut. Everyone was pleased!

For me the day went downhill from there. I have had a cough for the past week; yesterday morning it morphed into a fever. I had been driving for about an hour when I pulled over to let Chris take over the driving responsibilities - the day literally becomes a blur after that.

I was either sleeping in the car; sweating in the car, or freezing in the car. Dennis and Chris were either too cold or too hot and were constantly asking me to adjust the cabin temperature! When we arrived a the Pet Porpoise Pool I just stayed in the car. I slept most of the time and have a very vague memory of the cars moving on either side of me.

All I know about the Pet Porpoise Pool are the great pictures of Dennis and Chris interacting with seals and dolphins (Yes the Pet Porpoise Pool has Dolphins.) They were chatting away very excitedly about what happened; however I was still half out of it, so while I listened quite intently, I don’t remember a word of it!

As ability to travel was in doubt we drove all the way to Port Macquarie while we could. The rest of the day was uneventful. I was able to keep down dinner (soup) and fell asleep very early 7:00pm.

Castle to Castle

This morning the first words out of Dennis mouth were ‘Hey dad ... Can we make a sand castle?’ As we had not missed a day yet I of course said ‘Yes – after you eat breakfast.’ Dennis wolfed down a box of ‘Coco Pops’ with the last of the milk that Chris and I had been saving for this very occasion. (As an aside here I do have to ask the question why Coco Pops have the same name as the US version while Rice Bubbles are named Rice Krispies in the US?)

The normal morning. Sand Castle wall or two to keep out the waves and a couple of dips in the Tasman Sea. What was different is that I can honestly say today’s Sand Castle did not succumb to the onslaught of the tide. We built the wall quite thick and tall so that when we were done with our second dip the castle was holding its own quite well. So Dennis and I basking in our glory choose to crush the castle walls and rob the tide of its prize.

We left the Dicky Beach holiday park at exactly 10:00am. On our way to White Water World we stopped at Glass House Mountain scenic lookout. The drive to and from the lookout was amazing! We went through some Queensland back roads what were only paved because of the lookout, and they were appropriately devoid of traffic. The lookout was all but empty with great views of all the mountains.

It was another 90 minutes to White Water World. We arrived at 12:30pm and Dennis was wet by 12:35pm. The only thing worth mentioning about White Water World is that they have merchandized the rides. There is a preschooler area stamped with a household Australian Children's Show (I refuse to promote them here!) And there is a school age area that has modern day cartoon characters that are household names to everyone who is reading this blog (Yes even you Dad!)

We finally left (Yes that is an editorial comment by the author) the water park at 3:30pm. Having ridden everything that was open (well Dennis and Chris did, I limited myself to select rides.) one ride is worth talking about - ‘The Ripper.’ This ride was quite simple. A four person inter-tube (yes 4) that went down a very steep chute with one turn. Let me explain. We walked up Seven flights of stairs to the launch. They pushed us out into the dark tube. Just about the time we could not see anymore light from the launch the bottom of the tube fell out and we dropped five stories. Then a sharp right turn (well left as I was going backwards) and we were shot into what is best described as a toilet bowl. A few revolutions around the bowl and a quick drop to the finish.

After the water park we drove 50km to Byron Beach. Byron Beach has the honor of being the eastern most point on the Australian Mainland. We wanted to arrive before night fall, and just barely managed to do so! Because Byron Beach has a light house. I like light houses and this was a working light house. That we got to see in its full glory for by the time we got back from the lookout on the furthest east point of the mainland it was night.

The light house looks like a turret on top of a castle. The lighthouse itself was picturesque against the backdrop of the mountains. I wish we had arrived many hours earlier so we could have looked around the grounds and all the buildings. But as we are staying the night in Byron Bay we plan on another trip in the morning!

Watch this space ...

Steve Irwin's Shrine

That would be an apt way to describe Australia Zoo. A better way would be Steve Irwins most excellent amazing shrine! I expected a something or another about the crocodile hunter; it came off as a tribute to Steve and his family. Now with that out let me tell you about one of the best Zoo’s I have ever attended...

The Australia Zoo is 1600 acres big; that would be approximately 2/3 of a mile square. This place is huge and not all too crowded either. The Zoo is relatively new and is laid out very very well. The buildings are modern and shiny; the grounds are well tended loaded with local floral and fauna. Walking through the Zoo was a pleasure and well worth the side trip in and of itself.

As you may expect from the crocodile hunter there is a disproportionately large area devoted to reptiles - yes and crocodiles. The crocodiles all have names and are displayed in their own pens like Steve’s trophies. Complete with a description of how Steve captured them accompanied by a picture of Steve. With the exception of Elephants and Tigers the rest of the Zoo is devoted to animals found in the Australian Outback.

The real attraction of the Zoo are shows!

There are Turtle Shows, Elephant Shows, Camel Shows, Fox Shows, Birds of Prey Shows, Koala Shows, Tiger Shows, Crocodile Shows, Bird Shows and a few others we did not see. To write a paragraph for each would clearly give me the record for the single biggest blog entry for the year. So let me tell you this

1. Even without Steve Irwin, somehow the Crocodile show is still very compelling.
2. The Elephant show included an opportunity to feed them. Looking an elephant in the eye while they take their lunch from your hand is quite an experience, and to do it four times is four times as fun!
3. I think the most interesting show was the Birds of Prey. Having a staring contest with an owl flying directly towards me, with their claws out is cause for alarm (and a very quick duck for both Dennis and me.) FYI - the bird handler was about 7’ behind us.
   

All the Zoo employees were great! Many were out there talking with the patrons usually holding a bird or small reptile; sometimes escorting a camel or elephant around the Zoo. After the shows the presenters were accessible and eager to answer our questions.

And in addition to the great grounds, caretakers, animals the weather cooperated. It was a perfect day 70F in the shade and 80F in the sun.

Wow what a day!

Sand Castle and a mouth full of sea water

A slight twist on the normal routine here at Dicky beach.

Dennis made breakfast for us before we went to the beach! He was adamant that HE alone was going to make breakfast and that I was not to know what it was. (Chris was out on a morning walk at this time. So he ushered me out the door permitting me a cup of coffee and would pop out and ask questions. Such as:

Where is the grease dad?
How do you turn on the stove?
Where is the milk?
Do I put the butter in the pan before or after I turn on the stove?

I feigned ignorance as to knowing the end result. Which was a pair of eggs over black accompanied by the serenade of the smoke alarm.

After breakfast it was off to the beach! For our sandcastle extravaganza!

Our first sand castle of the morning was made in more or less the usual spot. However we were an hour later than normal and as the tide moves by a few hours a day I mis-judged the speed of its rise and that castle was not long for the world. Here is a good time to explain the motus operandi for our sand castle building operations.

We build a non-descript tower of some sort which Dennis wants to surround with a water filled moat. And I want to protect from the ocean. The compromise for this is to build two walls around the castle and fill the gap with water. The trick is to build the walls to withstand the rising tide and to divert the flow of water back to the ocean into the gap between the walls.

Yesterday was a perfect example of the above. After the third attempt by the ocean to demolish our beast the captured backflow of water did not soak through the sand and instead we had a moat. Dennis was ecstatic, I was ecstatic, and yet I secretly wanted to see the whole thing go beneath the waves. Today I got my wish.

As Dennis and I were minding our own business making a sand castle a wave surprised us and we got all wet. At that time we had a choice, either move or build faster. We choose to build faster as I thought it was a rouge wave not the real thing. So we quickly built a wall between the water and the castle. That withstood the first onslaught of salt water. By the second attempt at breaching the wall we had our castle surrounded and were feeling pretty good. The water just eked over the ramparts so we quickly went to fortify the front line. While in process a large wave (this was the rouge?) went over and almost demolished our front wall.

Un-deterred we rebuilt the wall with gusto! The next few waves were held back and we continued to build the wall. An older couple came by and laughed at us, I asked them if they would like to help. Dennis took this as an opportunity to go ask his mates who were a couple of hundred yards away on the beach. While Dennis was gone I ceased my effort to save the castle; and four waves came up. The first just overcame our walls thus effectively lowering them for the second; which made the whole effort a shadow of its formal self. The third left the walls in complete ruin but there was still a remnant of the castle. The fourth leveled the walls and tumbled the castle.

Dennis and his friends arrived just in time to watch the fourth wave recede. The enthusiasm of youth kicked in again and we started on another castle on higher sand. (Think about that for a while.) His mates were called away and Dennis succumbed to the siren song of the breakers and we went in for a salty dip.

The water was warmer than yesterday (or I am just getting use to it) so we worked our way out a bit from the shore. I thought I was beyond where the waves break. Well I was wrong once again. Quite a few waves broke over my head. Tossed me about like a rubber ducky (don’t dwell on that image please!) and I had more than one mouth or nose full of water! All the time worried about my kid. How was he going to do with the waves breaking over his head? Everytime he came up smiles and ready for more. Yelling at the surf with glee! I was mortified hoping he would just get cold and go in. Well about the time the fourth under toe managed to kick my feet out from underneath me I told Dennis we were going in.

The sea, just to prove it is boss, sent two breakers that were able to push me underwater as I worked my way back to shore.

Lost!

What do you do when you are in Southern Queensland? (that is when you are not either making sand castles or scoping out your next silicone creation.) You go get lost in a Maze. Not just any maze but the Bellinghim hedge maze. It actually is a very pleasant outing. We packed a simple lunch and embarked on a 20 minute car ride north (well going south it was 20 minutes, north was 60 but that is a different story ...) of the Dicky Beach Holiday Park!

You can find Bellinhim back in the hinderland of the Gold Coast. (Which looks remarkably like northern Georgia to my untrained eye.) With parking for about 25 cars, and the lot not even half full, I was looking forward to a pleasant experience. The walk from the lot to the Maze starts with a magic waterfall which parts from time to time so you can rush through and stay dry. Someone knew I was coming so it was permanently parted. We then walked over a cute bridge over a lagoon fitted out with a stone crocodile and a fountain. Through some bush and to the ubiquitous café. (I have yet to find anyplace in either Australia or New Zealand that does not have a fully functional espresso machine and someone capable of operating it.)

The café doubles as the admission centre (notice the kiwi spelling) Chris paid our $12 a head to enter the Maze and we let Dennis go! The gate to the maze had a simple sign on it asking that you pay before entering. No one here to check a ticket, just the honor system, I like that about this part of the world.

Once in the door we saw a picnic area and two smaller Mazes and the entrance to the hedge maze. Dennis was not distracted he wanted to get lost! So we quickly entered the hedge maze and within five steps he had lost us. I think Dennis’ plan all along was to cull his parents, two go in one go out, taking divide and conquer to a new level! We were not frightened by the prospect, no while he was running around Chris and I took a slow deliberate approach to solving the puzzle thus assuring that we would both make it back to the car and our next stop at the Maleny Cheese Factory!

In the Maze we did catch glimpses of Dennis, and heard him a bit more regularly. I am sure that Dennis went through every turn and twist. I know for a fact he did more than me for there were a few times he would run to a dead end and back, or through a loop at a three way divide, while Chris and I were still talking about which route to take!

We found the centre without too much fan faire. The fountain was less than glamorous and I unfortunately forgot to take a picture to prove our completing of the maze. For the record there were four Pegasus (Pegasi?) with a large shell on their back that had a support to another shell, that had an cherub holding something or another that was spaying water; around this terracotta aberration were six terracotta planters each with a Bougainvilleas.

The way back from the Maze ... well it took a while longer. As for me it is always easier to complete a maze in reverse I figured the way out would be a complete piece of cake. I was wrong! I know I went through a couple of those dead-ends that Dennis had saved me from on the way in. For some reason everything seemed strange and backwards to me. Even as I was thinking about exiting the Maze on my way in an made a point of trying to remember key turns. Apparently I should have focused on the not-so-key turns. :)

Long story short I found our way out and back to the café. It was truly a delightful walk through the Maze!

We finished our time there by having our picnic lunch where Dennis spent more time chasing magpie’s and other birds than eating his meal. Then we went to the café and purchased our requisite coffees and ice cream and chatted with another family that were on vacation. On our way out we visited the Aviary where Dennis was able to pet a nesting bird (stupid bird laid an egg on the people side of the fence!)

Then into the car and off to taste cheese. Where we saw the Glass House Mountains!

They are another blog entry as I have to get some sleep Dennis will wake me up early to build a sand castle with him; which we have to have done so we can get to the Australia Zoo by 9:00am. You can’t come this far and not see the Zoo that Steve Irwin, the Crocodile, built!

Cold!

Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. The Tasman Sea is COLD! That would be very very COLD.

Dennis and I went to the beach today after our six hour trip to the Dicky Beach Holiday Park from the Coconut Holiday Park. The trip started at 8:10am (by the car clock) when we checked out of Coconut. Our uneventful drive to the airport proved that Chris had been paying attention to our various bus trips throughout the week as she took a couple of short-cuts to the airport.

Normal airport stuff check in the car, check in the baggage, check in ourselves. The cairns international airport gets the brass ring for finding the pocket knife that was in my brief case. That knife had made it through the Wellington and Sydney airports earlier in the vacation. The wait in the airport was marked by Dennis having a small fit when we would not buy him a burger at Hungry Jacks (that would be burger king everywhere else in the world.)

The flight was uneventful. I all but finished my book and Chris read a book to Dennis. At Brisbane airport our luggage was the last to come off the carousal. Grabbed our rental car and two hours of ‘are we there yet.’ It was good to arrive, and at exactly 2:10pm (once again by the car clock.) we were checked in.

Dennis went out searching for the pool and playgrounds while Chris and I unloaded the car and moved into our room. Dennis came back asking to be accompanied to the pool (somehow he did not find the beach in his exploration.) It was decided that I would go with Dennis while Chris goes shopping.

The look on his face was great when he discovered the beach. All thoughts of the pool were gone and we were off. The beach itself was amazing! About a dozen people as far as the eye could see. The sand is beautiful the surf magical and the temperature brutal! With the enthusiasm of youth on his side Dennis was oblivious to the temperature. I on the other hand hardened by my 46 years had enough of that water after five minutes and suggested we build a sand castle. Dennis took the bait and the next hour we had a great time building the castle and defending it from the approaching waves.

I eventually had enough so after many warnings, and much complaining, we went back to the room. The sandcastle is all that Dennis could talk about during the evening and I promised him as soon as he ate a quick breakfast in the morning we could go again.

And we did!

Waiting at cairns airport

Thursday

Thursday, what a day! First we were going to go horseback riding through the rain forest. Then during breakfast (pancakes yum!) Dennis made it be known that he wanted to go snorkeling again. So we figured we would go out to Green Island for some more snorkeling and a walk through a rain forest. Then after breakfast Chris as was doing laundry (no snide comments from the female readership please!) she started to feel a bit queasy. Nothing too serious but enough to make either a horseback ride, or three hours in a boat not a good idea. So while Chris convalesced I either read a book (A Most Wanted Man by le Carre) or was bouncing on the jumping pillows (www.jumpingpillows.com.au) with Dennis. ‘twas an enjoyable morning.

Let me take an interlude here to talk about my hat. I have this great Australian Outback hat (you can see it in one of the December posts) that I left on the boat Monday during the snorkeling adventure. It was a three day effort to get it returned to me! Which would not have been possible without the able assistance of Jenny. She made dozens of calls to Quicksilver in order to find the hat and arrange its return, I listened to about half of them. The best part is that Jenny was able to circumvent all the BS paperwork that one is suppose to do to claim lost property! Apparently Quicksilver has a process, however with Jenny’s sweet tongue and persistence she was able to get it delivered here in record time. I will post a picture of Jenny wearing my hat!

Right after Jenny dropped off the hat Chris felt well enough to go and figure out something else to do today. So she arranged a combo Skyforest and Scenic Railway trip for the afternoon. The first part of our festivities, Skyforest, was a five mile cable car ride in three parts all above the rain forest. Wow - What a ride! It ended up in Karanda where we went to a way too expensive lousy restaurant (Rainforest View) for lunch after paying the $120 Chris promptly left me with Dennis and went for a leisurely two hours of shopping. I purchased Dennis an Ice Cream Cone and sat down on the park bench where I could watch him play on the play ground. (Reader take note" If you are ever in the town of Karanda walk to the playground and then select any restaurant in sight. To stop earlier you will be fleeced.)

To leave the town, and the second part of the days adventure, we took the scenic rail road. The train station itself is worth the trip to Karanda. It is a charming wooden structure with a plethora of plants gracing the platform. There are cafes and shops (okay mostly tourist shops but nicely done.) Unfortunately we did not have any time on the platform as the train was leaving soon. So we boarded our assigned seats on car #12 and we were off!

It was a lovely 90 minute trip down the mountain through fifteen tunnels with views of two waterfalls and overlooking the Barron River. I found myself taking in amazing views (and lots of pictures most of which did not turn out, not you will not see anytime soon as I still have not found a way to get them to this MAC.) and trying to keep both Dennis and Chris happy. Dennis was bored out of his skull and his only entertainment was to put body parts out the window; and Chris was scared silly whenever a body part of her son’s went out the window. My only reprieve was the occasional interesting tidbit that the conductor (probably a recording as I never saw the man) would tell us as came to various places along the route. I truly wanted to go to the beverage car and enjoy the ride down the mountain.

Once we were at our station Freshwater Creek we were shuttled back to our car parked in the Skyforest parking lot. The drive to the Holiday park was uneventful, except for the rain which started to come down in earnest. We at the leftovers in the room and Dennis and I watched ET on the big screen.

Now the two of them are asleep and I am typing this blog entry. I will have to join them soon as we depart this hotel at 8:00am tomorrow morning to fly to Brisbane! Where we will spend some time on the beach before we start our drive down to Sydney!

Day three of vacation!

Day three was a great day to sit in a pool of water. Their ‘hot tub’ here is more like a cold tub but frankly as it is pushing 30C (that would be 90F) it is just as well. Dennis and I spent most of the morning in the 'hot tub.' Once I started resembling a prune I called it quits and Dennis followed shortly.

Late morning the three of us went out to explore Cairns. We brought our bathing suits with the intent of swimming in the famed cement waterfront pool (in case you have not heard of this this is where they pump filtered ocean water through the pool - it keeps all the nastys out.) Turned out the pool was closed for some unknown reason ... so we took a long walk on the boardwalk! A delightful walkway that ends at a children's park. The park looked very enticing to Dennis so we promised him a go at it after lunch. Lunch was at a restaurant my wife spotted about half way into our walk. So we crossed the street and doubled back until we arrived there.

The food was not the most spectacular of the trip thus far, on the other hand the view was grand. We could see the Tasman Sea looking to the south, the Coral Sea looking to the North (no there is not much difference between the two from our perspective!) The only reason why we knew is that there was a nautical chart glued down to the table. So I spent plenty of time studying it as I played tic-tac-toe with Dennis while waiting for our food to arrive. (I won one, Dennis another, and the Cat the rest.)

After lunch we went to the Rainforest Park. There were three activities to choose from: Picture with a Koala bear, ride on a duck (that would be an army vehicle that goes on land and water,) and the petting zoo. Not just any old petting zoo. They had a big area full of lizards, snakes and salt water crocodiles! However they only allowed us to pet the Kangaroo's. They had three types, all of them hand trained. Dennis got himself some Kangaroo food (so proud of him he charmed it out of them and did not have to pay.)

The ride back over the mountain was uneventful we stopped at a lookout and took some pictures of Cairns the sea from 1050 feet up. Picked up dinner at a local IGA. (see previous post of Big Ad.) and had a relaxing evening at the park.

(Update on pictures ... we took few today however find ourselves without the requisite cable to transfer them to the laptop!)

Big Ad!

A while ago I found this commercial - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv5U0W8FDDk Go ahead and watch it before reading any more.

Well today when we were out getting dinner I saw a six pack of Carlton Draught. My oh my the very Carlton Draught from Big Ad! So I picked it up. And as I type this into our blog I am having my second.

I will buy another six pack while I am here on holiday, not because the beer amazingly good, frankly it reminds me of a bland Sam Adams; but just for the joy that commercial has brought to my life over the years!

Quicksilver!

The bus was slow, the boat was fast, and the time on the reef was over quickly! It was a very long day (10 hours) for such a short time (3 hours) on the reef. However what a three hours! The majority of that time was spent snorkeling around some awesome reefs. We saw sand, fish, and coral and not too many other people. It was a relatively slow day with the diving platform at about half capacity.

The weather was not cooperating. It was overcast the whole time and drizzled. Which just impacted our ability to see underwater.

Dennis did go out in the water for about a half hour. He is a very powerful swimmer and I had a hard time keeping up with him. At the farthest end he was a little scared and grabbed onto me. Which promptly put my head under water! I took him over the ropes and we slowly made our way back to the platform.

Dennis had a great time on the boat he found another friend and they were running around. On the way back they were a the center of attention when it got rough and they were repeatably soaked by the water coming over the rail. (I was inside with my eyes riveted on the horizon. However I head the cheering and when he came in soaked his story explained much.)

A fun time was had by all. Pictures will be posted after we get them developed. (It is hard to take a digital camera in salt water so we purchased a waterproof disposable.)

www.coconut.com.au

That is the url of the Cairns Coconut Resort where we are staying for the first few days of our Australian Vacation.

We arrived without trouble at 1:30pm local time, that would be 3:30pm Wellington, and 10:30pm Chicago time. The flight to Sydney was marked by the completion of two Sudoku puzzles and reading to placate Dennis as he was very tired. The flight to Cairns was even less momentous ... watched the new Star Trek.

Chris rented a car and we drove the 15 minutes to the holiday park. The car is relatively big (I will get the make later) and it has a v6! Wow what power, what luxury.

The Holiday park is a hit. Two pools, a hot tub, and various other child friendly entertainment. Then there is the free wifi :) Look for pictures to be posted over the next few days.

Tomorrow we go to the Great Barrier Reef! I am excited.

We are off!

On another great adventure. This is of course only a side trip to the truly great adventure of carpezealand! However one cannot but be excited about swimming in the great barrier reef! Going to a grand water park in Oz (well at least for those in the family who have not yet achieved the age of majority.) And some time in Sydney!

It is going to be glorious!

New Plymouth

We went to New Plymouth for a Taekwondo Tournament from July 24-26. It was a bit of driving for a short weekend, 5 hours one way. On the way there it rained and was cloudy. We went convoy style with another family. We talked with them over walkie-talkies. Dennis loved having friends around at our McDonald's stops.

We stayed at a holiday park (campground with cabins and kitchens). Our room was bunk style with the bathrooms across the driveway. It was a bit chilly going to the toilet in the middle of the night, but the payback was getting to see the stars and the milky way. In the morning while I was taking my shower and I heard birds chirping. I wondered if some kind of alarm was going off. Then I noticed the shutters over the door. It was the birds serenading me.

We did well at the tournament. Tom and I did pomsae, aka patterns or forms. We did not win any medals though. Dennis got a medal for sparring. He did not win his match but he did well. He also did pomsae and jumping front kick.

On Sunday we walked on New Plymouth's coastal boardwalk (bottom left photo). We went to two Egmont Visitor Centres to get a closer look at Mt. Taranaki. Dennis just about jumped out the car window when he saw the snow. He enjoyed playing with the snow and ice. The mountain is simply stunning. Maybe in summer we'll come back and climb the mountain; we hear it can be done round trip in a day.

Going home it was clear so we got to see Mt. Taranaki on our right and Mt. Ruapehu in the distance on our left. Both had snow on top! Yes, I get excited about snow topped mountains; they're such an awesome sight!

Mount Taranaki

We took this photo on July 26.

We were in New Plymouth for a Taekwondo tournament.

It is certainly wow! I just love snow topped mountains!

What I love about New Zealand

Please note that there are two things in that container. Strawberries and Sugar. I couldn't figure out why the jam was so good than I looked at the it at breakfast. Wow.