The Plunge Down Under

Notes from the Outback

After fourteen fairly grueling hours of traveling yesterday, we finally caught our first glimpse of Australia's famous red rock, named Ayers Rock by European explorers in the 19th Century. Sometime more recently the decision was made to revert to its aboriginal name, Uluru, so now this favored destination has two official names. Signs around here list it as "Uluru (Ayers Rock)."

Depending on how we view the situation we were at least fortunate to make it here on our Qantas flight. We departed for Sydney at 6:30am, connecting there to our Alice Springs flight. By yesterday afternoon all Qantas flights around the world had been grounded due to an ongoing labor dispute, stranding thousands upon thousands. We can only hope it will be sorted out by Tuesday when we are due to return.

If we do end up staying longer than we planned, however, it may allow us to see the rock in conditions other than pouring rain. Ross questions whether we should drive at all, even with our four wheel drive troop carrier given all of the standing water on the roads yesterday. We will check with the staff here at Ayers Rock Resort for advice. In the meantime we are huddled together In our Emu Walk Apartment, one big happy family, listening to the rain pounding the roof.

In spite of its length, the four hour drive yesterday from Alice Springs to Ayers Rock was a fascinating one, at least for Ross and me. We passed very few vehicles during this time, most of them triple or quad transport trucks heading in the opposite direction. We felt an overall sense of emptiness and gained some appreciation for how large and empty the center of Australia is.

One thing that surprised us was the amount of green in the landscape, as well as the thousands of trees we passed. The bright red earth we expected was certainly visible, but it was mostly covered in grass, bushes, and trees. The only wildlife we witnessed were carcasses by the side of the road, including one of a feral camel, reminding us that we had better hurry along to make it to our destination by nightfall.

We passed through numerous flood plains, several with standing water along the side of the road. Clearly when it does rain the water is not easily absorbed by the soil underneath. We can only imagine what the return trip will bring.
I took a few pictures yesterday but do not have the capability of posting them from my iPhone. It is still raining heavily as I type, but I read in my guidebook that the rock is a spectacular sight for those fortunate enough to see it in the rain. I don't quite believe it but we are off to see for ourselves.

Headed to the Outback

The mosquito nets for our heads have been purchased and packed, along with plenty of bug repellant, in preparation for our first trip to the red center of Australia.  The sunscreen has been tucked in as well, of course, although given the rainy forecast, we may not need much of it. 

I absolutely detest packing in general, but the camera bag is still a pleasure to get ready.  This time I am lugging along a tripod to attempt to capture the sunset at Ayers Rock, or Uluru, as it is also known, assuming we get enough sun for a sunset.  For practice, I have spent some time with the tripod out in the front garden, and even the younger ones have had a chance to take pictures with the camera securely fastened to three sturdy legs.  Fun, fun, fun for all it has been.

One other thing I will not mind packing is the birthday present I had the pleasure of opening today.  My dad had mentioned that I might be getting something from them at some point in the future, but I was completely surprised to be presented with a beautiful package today, arranged with the help of someone who is not only a shopper extraordinaire, but also has a pretty good idea of what I like.

The pleasure of my favorite color in a pretty pattern is more than enough to make up this year for a birthday that falls on Halloween.  I will not miss the frenzy of trick-or-treating on the night itself, although my kids will.  They had the opportunity to gorge themselves on traditional American candy tonight, however, thanks to the kindness of friends who sent us a package filled with fun treats (thanks to all for showering us with love and friendship!).

Wilsons Promontory by Cameron

On Saturday the 8th of October my grandpa, grandma, family, and I went to Wilsons Promontory. I had a great time taking pictures with my mom's point and shoot.

There was a flood last autumn, so the main trails were washed away. We took another trail to Squeaky Beach.  I enjoyed taking pictures of the Superb Fairywren.

Katie was a bit crazy that day.

We had some very nice views.

We never made it all the way to Squeaky Beach on the walking trail, so on the way back we drove there.

It was very late, almost ten o'clock, by the time we arrived home.

 

 

Trip #3 to Lake Australia (by Christie's Dad)

Back by popular demand, my dad graciously agreed to contribute the following post.

I am thankful to report that the draught is truly over in this fine country.  I don't really mind the rain all that much, and there has been some sun as well.  The rain is one of those things that reminds me of green Ohio.  The umbrella that I purchased here a week or so ago is now ready for the "rubbish" as it is called here - having evidently exceeded design limits for opening and closing cycles.  Sometimes we let our moods rise and fall with the cloud cover, and that is really too bad.  This is a beautiful country rain or shine.  The following photo was taken on the edge of the rain forest--in the rain of course.

Being with family is always the highlight and, of course, this trip no exception.  Watching the grandkids grow and mature is greatly rewarding.  Their enthusiasm and energy levels are inspiring.  Inspiring does not equate with quiet, but I'm not complaining.

Ruth and I gave the family an 8 day break and flew, first to Sydney, and then on to Port Douglas, up north in Queensland.  Sydney is a wonderful, clean city with much to see.  The harbor is beautiful, and the ferry transportation system is second to none.  At least, that's what the ferry operator said.

There are probably more shots taken each day of the Opera House than of the White House, especially in more recent times.  The photo is not level because the boat refused to hold still.

The  Harbor Bridge is another famous landmark and an engineering marvel as well.  The city train system crosses it right next to many lanes of traffic.  There is also a very popular walkway across offering stunning views.  Climbing up onto the bridge is a cardiac adventure.

No trip to Sydney is complete without a ferry ride to Manly Beach.  The trip provides great harbor views, a sort of smooth ride, and tops it all off with free internet on board. (Don't expect that in the hotel, however). 

The next picture taken from Harbor Bridge shows, besides the seemingly ubiquitous Opera House, a 3000 passenger cruise ship on the right.  Why should I be concerned with a few rain drops every day or so?  The poor folks on this ship, we were told, were not allowed to disembark to see Sydney due to being quarantined with many sick passengers.  Talk about  feeling rejected!  Cruises are great, but not always.

 A one day trip was made to the beautiful Blue Mountains.  The cliche always holds true, that pictures don't do  justice - especially mine.  I'm happy to say that this was as close as Ruth got to the 2000 foot drop-off. (She's the one with the backpack).

Also in the Blue Mountains we were guided to this beautiful Wentforth Falls with its rainbow.

Our trip to the enchanting, tropical state of Queensland was a refreshing step back from the big city.  Port Douglas is a one-of-a kind town at the edge of the well-known Four Mile Beach, only 200 yards from our villa.  This part of Australia is known also for its not-so-gentle salt water crocodiles, but we were assured that they rarely visited this beach (only rarely?).

On our last day here we celebrated Christie's soon-to-be birthday with lunch and dessert at a tea room in downtown Melbourne.  Great food!

Packing up and saying goodby is becoming more difficult each trip.  This is not just due to leaving family and nice scenery, but also leaving some warm, newly-made Christian friends as well.  Gillian and David Brown come to mind, as well as Phil and Sharon Daffy. (Phil is the pastor of Ross and Christie's church).  I will also miss their wonderful Australian accents.  Come to think of it, everywhere we went, folks asked us if we were from the U.S.A., and some even kindly stated that they liked OUR accents.  It's nice to know that, no matter how far away Christian friends live, we can always say: "See you soon."

 

Preparing for Thanksgiving

It took us fifteen months, but this week James and I made our way to the American food store we have been hearing about since our arrival in July of last year.  To tell the truth I am not sure we would have bothered were it not for the motivation of a Thanksgiving dinner planned for the 6th of November.  We have found substitutes for most of our favorite foods, and those we miss most are not sold there in any case, namely dairy products and American style bacon.  Still, I am glad we went, and we did come home with a few things that should make preparing traditional Thanksgiving fare for possibly up to sixty people a bit easier.

The shelves of the USA food store were stocked primarily with canned and dried goods, plenty of candy and chocolate, ten dollar boxes of breakfast cereal (we did not spring for these), and lots of bottled sauces.  I stuck to my Thanksgiving list, which included canned cream corn for corn pudding, cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, shortening for pie crusts (not sure I will actually get any pies made however), sparkling cider, French fried onions for the green beans, and, importantly, mini marshmellows for the candied yams.  I don't think I have ever made the version of sweet potato casserole with marshmellows on top, but its reputation has preceded us, and I find it must be included in our dinner.

Just how preparing Thanksgiving dinner for dozens of people came about I am not exactly sure, but I do recall a conversation in which my friend Gillian and her husband David expressed their sympathy over us missing this favorite holiday with our family last year.  In my memory they invited themselves to our place for Thanksgiving 2011, and as we started thinking of more people to invite, the venue changed to our church hall, and eventually the entire congregation was invited.  I suspect Gillian has had second thoughts about just how much work she has signed herself up for, but I am so glad she has pursued this idea, and is going to help make it happen. 

Between now and the 6th of November we have the final segment of my parents' visit to look forward to (they have been off sightseeing in Sydney and getting drenched in record-breaking downpours in Far North Queensland), as well as a trip to Ayers Rock over Melbourne Cup Weekend (or Halloween weekend for my fellow North Americans), so I am preparing as much as possible this week.

When we arrived home from the grocery store, James wanted me to take his picture on top of our back fence.

He scrambles up there by climbing from the backyard barbecue into the pedestal shown in the picture below.  Somehow the flowers have managed to survive thus far.

Spring Stroll at Brighton Beach

Five full days after the arrival of my parents, the warm spring sun finally made its appearance.  We celebrated by making the familiar drive to Brighton Beach where we soaked in the sunshine on the relatively empty bike and pedestrian paths.  Once again king of his world, James accompanied us on his bicycle.

 

About the time we arrived, the sailboats came out to play.

My dad, our favorite (and cheapest!) handyman, had to explain to James the purpose behind all of the pockets and holders on the carpenter's jeans that James was wearing.

 

Gardens in Spring

We have sent my parents off on an eight day trip to both Sydney and Far North Queensland, which we hope they will enjoy as much as we promised them they would.  During the five days they spent with us before their side trips we made the most of our time, in spite of disappointing weather that gave us a dose of winter just when we wanted it least. 

On Monday morning the girls had one more day left of the term break, so we had mercy on Cameron and gave him the day off as well.  First stop on the agenda was the National Rhododendron Gardens, a place my mother remembered fondly from last year. 

A quick tour of the gardens was followed by the gift from my parents of a ride on the Puffing Billy, a gift that was most happily received by the children.

The rain and cold wind found us huddling close together on the way back.  Cameron took the opportunity to have a bit of fun with the camera.

On Tuesday we chose to try something new for all of us, the Royal Botanic Gardens in Melbourne.  I have been told they are very "Melburnian," and wildly popular on a sunny Saturday or Sunday.  We had no trouble with crowds whatsoever, and enjoyed them very much in spite of the persistent cloud cover.  James was pleased as punch to be the only kid along, and could frequently be seen sporting his "I'm king of the world" expression.

We loved the flowers, and so did the bees.

Wilsons Promontory in Spring

 

When we first visited Wilsons Prom, the southernmost point in mainland Australia, last March, we had no idea that we would be some of the last tourists to leave this beautiful park by car.  Just one week later a massive flood destroyed significant sections of the only road throughout the park, along with damaging numerous walking trails, and buildings.  Those who had camped overnight had to be evacuated by helicoptor, and the park has remained closed until just two weeks ago.

We are so glad it did reopen in time for my parents to see it.  I remember thinking frequently last March how much my mother would enjoy the scenery of this place, and she most certainly did.  Ross and I were both happy for the chance of a second visit, and somewhat to our surprise, we met with no resistance from the kids, in spite of the need to spend more than six hours in the car in order to complete the round trip drive.  Perhaps they have matured somewhat, or perhaps it is because we have taken a bit of a break from sight seeing, or perhaps they were so thrilled to see their grandparents that they were willing to go just about anywhere, we are not sure.  (It may be that they were so exhausted from the previous week that they had no energy to protest.) Whatever the case, we welcomed their enthusiasm.

In spite of a mediocre forecast, the weather mostly cooperated, allowing us to enjoy the luscious farmland on the South Gippsland Highway. Once inside the park, we stopped several times to enjoy the views, including Normans Lookout below.

At the end of our picnic lunch at Tidal River, a pair of kookaburras cackled away directly above us.  I don't think I have been that close to their maniacal laughter before.  Unfortunately, I was not very quick with the camera, but managed to capture one of them.

After lunch we attempted to hike to Squeaky Beach, only to discover the most direct trail was still closed.  We made a valiant effort to take a longer route, but after an hour of going uphill, the majority voted to return to the car and drive there instead.  We did get to see dozens of Superb Fairywrens busily building their nests, various spring blossoms, and we were accompanied by a noisy, rather large flock of Sulphur Crested Cockatoos throughout the two hour walk. 

Cameron discovered some of the joys of photography on this day, and captured the following shot of his grandparents:

This is as close as we came to Squeaky Beach on our walk.

 The highlight of Squeaky Beach this time, for the kids anyway, was climbing the sand dune.  They charged up it several times, making us wonder where that energy was when we were hiking uphill earlier.  James declared it "superfun," and his very best day ever.

We read that it is the quartz that makes the sand squeak.  Is this a chunk, we wondered?

We left for home about two hours before sunset, just the right time for wildlife viewing.  To our delight, we came across half a dozen wombats, the first time we have seen these sturdy creatures outside of a zoo or sanctuary, as well as several kangaroos and wallabies.  It was a great ending to this particular day's adventure.

 

 

Checking In

Two days of cricket training camp for Cameron at the beginning of the week, followed by three full days of Holiday Club for all of us but Ross, the last day of which we were pleased to welcome back my parents for their third trip down under, have meant no spare time to update the blog this week.  Hundreds of photos have been taken, however, so posts will come in due time.  In the meantime, I wish you all a happy weekend.

Cameron's Australian Poem

One year ago if I had asked Cameron to sit down and write a poem about Australia, he would have declared himself incapable.   Last month, however, he complied with this particular school assignment in a matter of minutes, despite a few initial moans and groans.  I have illustrated his poem with a few of my pictures combined with two or three images from wikimedia.

Australian land stretches from city to outback;

There are houses from the biggest mansions to the smallest shack.

Some of the most beautiful nature scenes like Uluru and the Great Barrier Reef;

And the heroic tale of Ned Kelly the thief.

Huge schools with kids dressed in uniforms;

Teenagers come from all over the world to live in school dorms.