Australia Part 2: Rainforests, Reefs and Opera

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Big as your face spider

After arriving in “Tropical North Queensland” we beat the heat and humidity by lounging in the Cairns (pronounced “cans”) Esplanade lagoon pool (I have been swimming more on this trip than in the last 10 years combined) before checking into our apartment in Trinity Beach for six nights.  We rarely stay in one place for that long so staying put in a nice apartment is a real luxury. The next day we went to “Hartley's Crocodile Adventure” where we fed colorful cassowaries (which are called dinosaur birds because they’ve been around forever) learned about crocodile farming, went on a lagoon boat tour where 5m+ crocodiles jumped out of the water to grab chicken parts, and braved a torrential rain storm so Xander and Liam could feed freshwater crocodiles (“freshies”) chicken heads.  We also saw a reptile show where Xander, Liam and I got up close with a python (Jim would have nothing to do with that particular opportunity) and saw a crocodile attack show where an insane guy was in the pond with the huge “saltie” salt water crocodile demonstrating its death role capabilities. Of course we watched Crocodile Dundee after that.  That movie holds up surprisingly well—except for the fashion.  What was everyone thinking in the 80s?

Painting boomerangs at the Aboriginal Center

In Cairns we also went on a Skyrail Gondola/Kuranda Railway trip above and through the tropical rainforest where we got to see big-as-yo-face spiders as well as go to the Mossman Gorge in the Daintree rainforest, where we went on a “dreamtime walk” with an aboriginal guide who regaled us in stories of the healing powers of bush medicine.  We learned more at the Tjapukai Aboriginal Cultural Park, where we painted boomerangs and learned to throw spears (something Xander and I were much better at than using a boomerang).  Aboriginal people have been in Australia for over 40,000 years (!) and are the world’s oldest continuous living culture.  We got to see traditional dances and music, including a didgeridoo demonstration where the musician showed us “recycle breathing” where you can continuously blow out by taking a breath through your nose while blowing out from previously puffed up cheeks.  Try continuously blowing bubbles through a straw to practice (just make sure someone is there to laugh at you trying).

Parrot fish

We attended a “Reef Teach” seminar led by an extremely entertaining and enthusiastic marine biologist who greatly increased our knowledge and anticipation with information on fascinating topics including deadly jellyfish, fish that live in sea cucumbers butts, Christmas tree worms, nudi-branchs (check out pictures of these amazing looking worms) and flatworm penis fencing.  Needless to say, we were very excited to spend our last few days in Queensland on a “live aboard” boat on the Great Barrier Reef where we had the opportunity to snorkel five times a day for three days.    The “GBR” (Australians shorten everything) was amazing and one of the highlights of the entire trip.  We saw all kinds of incredible creatures-- graceful sea turtles munching on jelly fish, white tipped sharks, gorgeously colored parrot fish chomping on coral, bossy striped sergeant fish getting right in your face, huge Maori wrasse bigger than Liam, enchanting Christmas tree worms that quickly shrink back into their holes in boulder coral when you pass your hand over them,  sea cucumbers pooping out sand, almost the entire cast of Nemo, and so much more.

When we weren’t in the water got to meet other travelers from around the world, including several who had also “quit their life” to travel for an extended period of time.  Three cheers for instant travel friends.  At night the divers jumped out into the dark water and we watched the eerie glow of their flashlights reflecting up from underneath the water to illuminate the silhouettes of 3m grey reef sharks swimming around them.   Wow.  Our world was still rocked both literally and figuratively for days after leaving the boat.

We had quite a drama (or “dre-ma” if you want to say it Australian) when we realized that Liam had left Jim’s tablet computer on the boat on the reef.  The reef encounter people were able to rescue it, but due to our travel schedule, they had to ship it back to the states—where it will hopefully reach Tracey in time for her to bring it back to us when she meets us in Vietnam in April.  As Xander optimistically noted, we’re getting a lot more efficient in the time we share on our remaining tablet—and it’s not like both kids are in the hospital or something (shudder).

Sydney Harbor Bridge

After our GBR adventure we flew back down to Sydney, where we spent a few days exploring this green and vibrant city.  We walked over the Harbor Bridge and took a tour of the Sydney Opera House— which we learned contains more steel than the Sydney Harbor Bridge, is covered in ceramic tiles, and is self-cleaning in the rain.  Sydney was a wonderful city to spend time and we wish we had more time to spend (as we wish for almost every place).

Today we arrived in Hong Kong after one of our biggest travel days that included a layover in Singapore.  The Singapore airport wins the prize for nicest airport we’ve been in to date.  It included a butterfly garden, free movie theatre and gaming center.  After a few days in Hong Kong we’re heading to Beijing to meet Jim’s Mom Carol for a few weeks in China.  It’s both exciting and intimidating to travel farther afield from our comfort zone!

Senses

Xander-The fluorescent blue of the Ulysses butterfly flashing across the canopy of the cairns rainforest; The white water of the Crystal Cascades, cascading down a short bluff as the sun makes the river glimmer picturesquely; the sharks ferociously jumping out of the water for the small bait fish as the night diver jump in a few feet away; the rays of sun shinning picturesquely on a brown epaulette shark hiding beneath a coral plate  

Jim- Listening to the knowledge of the local guide explain potential uses of plants through the lush rain forest and realizing we always have more to learn and explain in the world; the beautiful florescent orange, blue and white of the 2 cm long nudi branch; swimming against the rushing flow of the waterfall providing a welcome refreshing stop along the rain forest path; the impressive flowing design of the smooth soft wood lining the walls, ceiling and surrounding the 10,000 pipe organ in the main concert hall of the Sydney opera house.  

Liam- My skin seemingly melting off my body and my toes slowly burning away as I walk across the scalding hot pavement to jump back into the refreshing lagoon pool in Cairns; The small droplets of water sprinkled around the gigantic spider web as I shirk away from its ginormous black and yellow banded creator; the surprisingly strong current of the Crystal cascades pushing me backwards and forcing me to stay in the same place as I try to swim closer to the waterfall; the empty open turquoise ocean abruptly turning into a fish, coral and vibrant color filled reef that made me stop in a dumbstruck awe 

Carolyn- The colorful  "emu in drag" cassowary poking its head aggressively towards my fingers as I hand feed it rotting mango and shy away from its huge clawed feet; The strange smell causing me to look up and see thousands of huge fruit bats hanging from the trees lining the street in Cairns-- all of which were gone into the night when we came back later in the evening; Bobbing up and down as I watch the green sea turtle lackadaisically munching on a huge jellyfish then gliding serenely away on our sunrise snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef; the curved expanse of multicolored white-ish ceramic tiles reflecting the sunlight off the majestic Sydney Opera House.