Another Birthday in the Can - Cairns That Is!

Hi!

Well. Here we are, another Sunday evening. Complete with yammering crows (still waiting for those yappy happy lorikeets to return with the warmer, lighter weather….).... But am just in time for the way cool jazz tunes radio show…… the chores are half-done (laundry), got the nice glass of standby white wine – life is good! Sorry I missed last weekend, I was away, but more on that later!

So work. Yep. I actually had one day of real work to do. That was pretty exciting for 7 & ½ hours…….. Shame it can’t always be that busy. I wait and hope. Still pretty quiet, even tho they’ve posted multi-billion dollar profits, I don’t see any of it in my pay check or in an increase in work. Hmmmm. Otherwise, all’s well. Always happy to have gainful employment though!

And then there were the weekends…... Last weekend, as you might remember, I was vacationing up in Cairns for mah Birthday! Stayed with Glen and his fiancée Alison at their most excellent and just really nice house up at “The Peak” (note: if you zoom in on the map, look at it in "satellite" mode, house #31 is Glen and Alison’s place – nice!). Cairns is soooooo pretty – green and hilly, rainforest comes right down to the sea. It’s beautiful up there. My first day was really good, in fact, flying in was reallyreally cool because I happened to sit on the right side of the plane (no, really, on the right side of the plane) as we flew over the Great Barrier Reef – awesome. It’s amazing. Huge, sprawling, fascinating, something I’ll have to add to my “List of Things to Do in Australia” – fly over it in a little plane and land on one of those little islands – it was just so neat.

So Glen picked me up from the airport and we drove the 10 minutes into town and walked all along the Esplanade/Promenade and checked out the Esplanade Lagoon – had a look at all the fancy restaurants, cafes, tour operators, etc. Then we wandered down to the marina to scope out a few of the super-yachts moored there – fanceeee indeed. Stopped for some early lunch at La Pizza (goood pizza, no website - hmmm) and ice cream at Movenpik. I was stuffed. For some reason I felt like I hadn’t eaten real food in months and inhaled a whole pizza at 10.30am – with a glass of wine no less….. must’ve been the tropical air! What a pig! But it was all so good and it’s such a nice spot that Esplanade, lots to do and tons of places to eat along the Pier. Then we went back to their place to dump my bag and have a quick nap (hey, I was up at 4am) while we waited for Alison to come home from work (she’s a Pediatric Doctor. Cooool). Then, after a couple glasses of wine, we went out for dinner at this really good middle-eastern restaurant called Mecca Bah. I felt like I’d been eating all day and by bedtime I was just stuffed. The food was so good up there!

And Friday was reallyreally interesting – I’d taken Glen’s advice and booked myself on the Skyrail to go up to the little artsy crafty village of Kuranda – tucked up in the rainforest in the hills just beyond Cairns. That was so cool. Gondolas and a ride that seemed to go for ages (an hour and a half to be exact – and that was one way!). It stopped twice – once at Red Peak and Barron Falls to have a quick look and walk around a little bit of the rainforest and take some pictures of Barron Gorge and the waterfall there. Then it was back in the gondola for Kuranda, a spot of lunch and a good wander along three of the easy, hour-long walks that included the “Jum Rum Creek”, “Jungle Walk” and “River Walk”, finally ending up, basically, where I’d started from - at the historic and nicely restored Kuranda railway station. Seeing as I was a bit early for the train back to Cairns, I stuck my head into their huge pub, the Kuranda Hotel, for a beer (after those walks I was parched, it was so warm up there) until it was time to get on the train.

Now this wasn’t any ol’ train – this was the historical Kuranda Scenic Railway from 1884-ish. And seeing as it was my Birthday weekend, I had to go Gold Class (niiiiiiice)! The train ride back into town was awesome! There was a little recorded history (and some video) about how the railway was built and what it’s been used for over the last 100+ years (including troop and goods carrier during WWII). It was really interesting. Except I couldn’t hear all of it as there was a rather boisterous group of Chinese tourists having way too good of a time on all the wine they could drink (hooray for Gold Class and the never-ending bottle of wine!)! But the scenery was stunning and it was fascinating how they built all those tunnels next to sheer drops. They were certainly made of stronger stuff back then, that’s for sure. And when I arrived at Freshwater Station Glen and Alison were there to pick me up. Now, Freshwater Station wasn’t your average station either – it was built in the same late 1800’s Victorian style as a tribute to the folks who built the railroad – it was nice and big with a restaurant, a couple shops, a little historical cottage and a little museum – all of which were closed, as I’d come through at the end of the day. But it was pretty neat the level of effort they put in to make it historical. And then that evening Glen and Alison made a lovely pasta meal and we watched “The Adjustment Bureau” (eh, it wasn’t bad, interesting idea…..).

Then Saturday (Birthday!), Glen took me out on a drive up to Port Douglas to have a good look around and have a short wander along 4 Mile Beach there…… Well, all I can say is Port Douglas is beautiful and has all the big, fanceeeee resorts and was just basically really really nice. It kind of reminded me of Hilton Head, North Carolina, but, well, not. It was nice. And there were a few tour operators that go out to the Great Barrier Reef for diving and snorkeling (I’ll go next time – this visit was simply reconnaissance) but the biggest tour outfit was by far Quicksilver – they were massive, they even had a fleet of tour buses that they use to shuttle hundreds of tourists in one go from Cairns. I’ve never seen a tour operator so huge. A fleet of buses!!!!!!!!!!! (Note to self – not to go with that company, that’s way too many tourists). So after having scoped out the beach and the marina, it was time for a glass of champagne and a few breads and dips. Man, it’s a nice spot. Have also added a short stay and some diving from Port Douglas to my “To Do List…”!

Then, back in Cairns with Alison fresh from another day of saving small lives, we went out for a drink at Salt House (at their outdoor “deck bar” – very cool, very hip and groovy) and then we were off to a very nice dinner at Piccolo Cucina. It looked like a rather unassuming place tucked in there along the Pier with the other restaurants, and even tho it was crowded and we didn’t have a reservation, we managed to get in – sweeeeet! Dinner was excellent and they even brought the dessert out with a sparkler in it for mah Birthday! Hooray!

And then, Sunday, Alison had the morning off so we all drove out to the really lovely ‘burb of Palm Cove for a little wander along their pier and a spot of lunch (can’t remember the name of the café to save my life). It was kind of like Port Douglas only a lot smaller, more down-to-earth and not nearly as many tour operators. If I had to pick, I’d live at Palm Cove, it had a nice, friendly, relaxed vibe. Not to mention a stunning outlook across the sea. So by the time we finished it was time to head to the airport and back home. Now I’m kicking myself for having spent 8 days in NZ for my break a couple months ago and not going to Cairns instead. It’s so nice and there’s so much to do and eat! So when you come over, if you have time, we’re going to Cairns!!! So hooray – Adventures were had!

And then there was this weekend. Bland in comparison to this time last weekend, like oatmeal without brown sugar and berries. Tho it started off nicely Friday evening with dinner with Jan at a lovely Lebanese restaurant called Rouj. It was very nice, classy, pretty, the food was amazing, and bonus – it’s in Rosalie, the ‘hood right down the hill from me! Ahhhh it’s always nice to catch up with Jan. We usually go to some pretty nice restaurants – it’s the only way I can try them it seems! And Saturday afternoon was a bit of an unexpected surprise - I met up with a friend I hadn't seen in ages and we went to lunch a really nice place called Eves in the equally nice 'hood of Teneriffe. I haven't been there before and man it was niiiiice. Gorgeous view right there on the river.

And the rest of the weekend was chores and the usual…. I started watching the TV series “Breaking Bad”….. Am a little late on the pick-up (they’re into Season 4 while I’ve only watched the very first 3 episodes…), but man, it’s gooooooooood! If you can handle it, I can recommend it!

Otherwise, Adventures aside, all is well. Same ol stuff – work, home, work, home, Adventure, work, home………… And the weather, tho chilly at night, is beautiful during the day – perfect for a visit to Australia! Tho I’ve been watching on the news that things aren’t going to get any better up there any time soon, so I understand if you won’t be able to head this way in a while. And I won’t be able to head up that way for a long while either – I have ages to go until I have enough vacation time saved up! So for now, drop me a line (and maybe some photos) and let me know how you all are up there!

BYE!

J!

Eyre Thar Be Adventures!

Hi!

Well. Sunday afternoon.... Got a nice cool breeze through a clean and happy apartment, over a sleeping cat.... The sun is shining bright, the sky is blue with some puffs of clouds, and full of super chatty crows... Ahhhh Sunday afternoon! Got some cool tunes from the community radio station 4ZZZ (a bit early even for the strange show tunes radio show), got the cool glass of standby white wine..... Life is good! Missed last week, so here's to checking in!

So work. Yep. Is good. Still quiet. I had my review this past Monday (got my dates way wrong), I sailed through with flying colors. Boss is very happy and even happier that I haven't considered looking for work with another company seeing as I've been so damn quiet. He knows it's a quiet time across all the Defense contractors but it should pick up hopefully in the next year or so..... All I could think was another year???? Gah! I'm bored as it is! But as long as he's happy..... And we briefly touched on what to do with me when my contract expires in April next year.... Hopefully they'll make me permanent, but we'll see, he liked the idea but was scared about my Citizenship business (still waiting to just get my skills assessed, let alone even filled out any c.ship paperwork). So far so good - he's happy, the few folks I've helped are happy, so fingers crossed come April!

And then there were the weekends. Last weekend was super awesome in that an Adventure was had! After the chores were done, of course. Spent Saturday evening over at Kim's so we could get up long before the sparrows to get to the Brisbane Jet Base (at the other end of the airport, where all the charter flights live) in time to check in for our flight to Lake Eyre. It was a little-ish plane, a 35-seater Dash 8, big propellers. Got to our seats and we realized it was us two and two other folks and we were the youngest folks on the trip. We figured old folks have that kinda money and kids our age (and younger) aren't so interested in cool stuff like a once in every 50 years experience like Lake Eyre....... Anyways, we took off around 7am and soon after they fed us a pretty good sized breakfast. All I have to say I was impressed by the quality and quantity of the food they fed us during the whole trip. There was never an ounce of fear that we were going to starve to death that day!

Around 2 & 1/2 hours later we landed in Charleville to re-fuel, where we had a good 20 minutes or so to stretch our legs and check out the 'bustling' Charleville airport and immediate surrounds (including some of the reddest sand I've ever seen).... Then we were back in our seats for another 2 & 1/2 hours to Birdsville, where again we re-fueled and stretched our legs for another 30 minutes, checking out the very sparse surrounds which included the famous Birdsville Hotel....... Wow, there really is not a hell of a lot in the Outback, and we were in one of the "main" towns! Then we were back in our seats for another hour or so of flying over all the river systems that feed into the lake.... Then, having been more than suitably fed a good lunch, we dropped to around 1,000 feet and took our time flying over and around the lake. It was spectacular. It was huge, it was blue and red and gold, it mirrored the clouds, it showed the sand dunes underneath (the lake itself is only a few feet deep).... It was fantastic. So hard to see through those teeny airplane windows and even harder to capture in photos, but I certainly tried! All I can say is it was massive. Lots bigger than I imagined it would be. Tho no bird or any other critters that we could see - apparently they'd migrated in June to another lake miles away..... But what was most amazing was how all that water from all the rains we'd been having, thousands of kilometers away, ended up making this huge lake in the middle of nowhere. It was fascinating. And then to think that for the better part of a hundred years it's a massive, dry basin totally devoid of life, minus the odd scrubby plant. There's also a road that usually crosses the entire basin, the Birdsville Track, but it stopped at the edge of the lake... for now...... waiting until it all recedes in a few months.

Then, having flown over the lake from one end to the other in a big circle north to south, it was time to head back to Birdsville for more fuel and another 30 minutes to scope out the "town". It was just enough time to take a few more photos, buy a couple of postcards and have the requisite beer in the Hotel. It was pretty cool, in a rough and tumble Outback kinda way. I felt like such the tourist. But it was so cool that I really considered calling in to work sick, staying the night, renting a proper 4x4 and driving myself back to Brisbane - a trip that would've taken a good 3 days (you can't drive at night due to spontaneous kangaroos) - and I was really fine with that. Another Adventure at another time hopefully...... And, ironically staying there very nearly happened - as we were coming in to land we'd apparently knocked a bird on the head with the wheel of the nose landing gear, thus delaying our departure by 15 minutes while they called "headquarters" to check we'd be safe to fly. I had to giggle a little - we hit a bird in Birdsville, whaddya expect?!

And then, having been given the all-clear to fly, we were back on the plane for another 2 hours or so back to Charleville for more fuel and another 20-minute stretch of the legs. By now the sun was setting, casting amazingly long shadows and turning everything red and gold. But as soon as that sun went down, even slightly, ooooohweeee it was cooooold. It is the desert in winter after all.... Then it was back on the plane for the last 2 or so hours and a final meal (again, suitably good and huge) followed by wine and cheese. It was really a nice way to end such a trip. And next thing we knew we were back in Brisbane driving home! On our way back flying towards home, our guide Graham informed us that by the very end of the trip we will have covered over 4,000 kilometers (which is around 2,500 miles). Holy cow. I mean, if you look at it on a map it's pretty far from Brisbane - Lake Eyre basin, after all, sits within the north-eastern part of South Australia. No wonder folks at work were flabbergasted that I'd flown that far in a day. It's far! But I had to laugh when I heard that we'd done 4,000 km's in a day and told Kim that between the money we'd spent and the time we were on the plane, we could've been in L.A.! Because by the time we landed, around 7.30pm, we'd been on the plane a good 12 hours or so. Immensely happy but numb butts (Note: I took over 140 pictures that day, so it was really hard to pick which ones to show!)!

So there you have it, a proper Adventure was had. Now, going on more trips to the Outback is all I can think of planning! To the point where Kim and I are planning to go on another trip (with a different tour company, watch the video on the link - it explains Lake Eyre/surrounds better than I can!) again to Lake Eyre, via Coober Pedy, staying 2 nights and 3 days in one of Coober Pedy's famous underground hotels (the Desert Cave Hotel to be exact) and checking out the lake and surrounds by 4x4 - it sounds awesome. We're hoping to do that in the first week of October, just as the lake will start to recede. We figure we only have one more chance to check the lake out properly from the ground before it's gone! Oh, and the best part about this next trip is that we'll be flying in a 7-seater! Woooooweeee! Exciting! Will keep you posted!

Then there was this weekend. Pale in comparison. Tho last night was fairly exciting - went with Clare (she of the 3 small children and hostess to our bitchin' pizza and games evenings) to dinner at Kookaburra Cafe and then to see the final Harry Potter film - in 3D! It was really coooooool! Boy, 3D sure has come a LONG way since the red and blue cardboard glasses from the 70's/80's! It was neat! And no headaches or vertigo or anything. Sweeeeet. And the movie itself was really pretty good too. Much better than HP Part 1, but you knew that's how they were gonna play it. It was good enough, and the 3D was neat enough, that I would totally see it again. Still, as neat as 3D is, I won't have a 3D TV in my house. Not until they can solve the need for glasses (and the prices drop drastically)....... I simply can't, and don't want to, imagine watching everything in 3D - it's called life - stick your head out the window!

So yes, this weekend, while pretty good, paled in comparison to last weekend. Got the chores done tho, which is good because I won't get to until the weekend after next.... Because this coming weekend I'll be in Cairns celebrating my Birthday with Glen and Alison!!!!!!! Boy, I tell ya, having gainful employment and living in a cheap, run-down apartment sure has it's advantages! Yippie! Hooray! So won't check in this coming weekend, will check in the weekend after - with pictures!

So there you have it. Hope you're all well up there. See? Now that I'm getting out and about a fair bit, when you get here you only need to pick where you want to go and I can show you around! C'mon, it'll be fun! And winter/spring/autumn has to be the best time to check the place out...... so a big window of opportunity! C'mon down!

BYE!
J!