After one of the most pleasant flights ever on Thai Air, whose plane resembles something between a spaceship and a Disneyland ride with it's round tube-like seats that go completely horizontal (only taking me about 2 hours to work out how they operated), electronics for every activity one could possibly want in a 12 hour span (e.g. 100+ movies, games, news texts...you can even learn up to 20 different languages with the interactive screen- 'korp kun' (thank you), 'arun sa-wat' (good morning)- I'm really starting to embrace the Thai language with a score of 9/10 on my first go!), and soft lighting, I was perfectly rested upon my arrival in the crazy city of Bangkok.
Having not planned anything, or even purchasing any reading material on Bangkok (theme of my trip), I scoured through my pockets to find the business card from the hotel/hostel where Jason and Alli stayed (side note, I did have forewarning that it was very, very basic, somewhat loud, and only nice relative to a few of the hostels where they stayed in India). I called and was able to secure a place to sleep for the night at the Lucky Hotel. I then stumbled around the airport to find transportation to the hotel and ended up booking something probably nicer than I intended i.e. a leather interior, supped up SUV. I don't quite have my head around the currency exchange, but I recognize in retrospect that my priorities might be askew considering I paid 320 baht for my accommodation and 900 baht for my airport transfer. While Lucky Hotel resembles a crack house (or how I would picture one to be), combined with late night backpackers dancing the night away next door, it does have the redeming quality of it's location smack dab in the center of the famous Kho San area.
During my 6 am stroll, I stumbled across the mango/pineapple stands that I heard so much about, and enjoyed a delicious breakfast for about 37 cents! Top priorities while exploring the city- figure out the conversion and find a new place to sleep tonight.
Monday, April 30, 2007
Saturday, April 28, 2007
Wanaka- the Greatest Place on Earth!!
Recognizing that I am quite an optimistic person, I hope I don't lose credibility when I state that Wanaka might be the most ideal place in the world. Centered around Lake Wanaka and the appropriately named Mt. Aspiring, as far as I'm concerned Wanaka has everything a town could ever need; i.e. endless hiking, mountain biking and running trails, kayaking, sailing, water skiing, open water swimming, skiing, 4 seasons- changing leaves, friendly people, limited traffic, good cycling roads, good food, beer and wine, a killer movie theater (with some of the best, enormous, right out of the oven chocolate chip cookies imaginable), excellent public toilets (had to add that one for Jason!). I honestly can't think of anything that would make it more appealing (well, of course if all of my friends, family, and Matt lived there as well it would be utopia).
April 27
Eager to get back on the bike, Jason and I ambitiously rented mountain bikes for the day. We ventured out to find 'Sticky Forest' where all of the fat tire people seem to go. I wouldn't exactly describe myself as a reckless, fearless, balls out mountain biker (my parents gave all of those genes to my sister). Quite the opposite, in fact. My fear of re-injuring the collarbone didn't help either.
Jason wanted to fly down the gut wrenching black trails, and I was seeking scenic trails with some hills. We went our separate ways for the afternoon after both attempting (more than once) to get to the top of this hill, which by the way looks much worse in person than in the picture!
We met up with Alli in 'sweet ass' (the name coined for our beloved camper van) and headed out to a pub to have a few beers and increase our limited knowledge of rugby.
April 28The day began with a pleasant lakeside breakfast of muslie, yogurt and coffee. After reading Wako's email regarding our upcoming cycling in Europe, I was somewhere between motivated and utterly panicked with his words '...are you sure you're going to be fit enough? ...some tough climbs ahead...'. I took off for a long run around Lake Wanaka doing my best to turn around my potential dwindling fitness.
The afternoon was filled with a trip to Puzzle World. Not a must do, but certainly an entertaining way to spend a few hours. As expected, my limited orientation skills didn't position me well with the 2 story maze competition. In fact using the 'emergency exit', I still struggled to find my way out of it!The crazy thing about Puzzle World is the lasting effects of the distorted mirrors, slanted floors, optical illusion. Both Jason and I felt vertigo for a few hours afterwards (and it was not alcohol induced!).
April 29With all of the surrounding mountains, hiking is a must do in Wanaka. Alli had been hoping to go horseback riding for days and decided that she had enough of walking up hills (hopefully Jason and I haven't ruined her hiking interests after our high mileage on the Routeburn). Dropping Alli off at the ranch, the woman mentioned that there is a man who runs the trail that Jason and I were about to do. He completes the run in ~90 minutes. Jason cringed, I smiled...we had a new challenge on our hands!
The hike isn't long, but is certainly steep. Jason and I opted not to run, but took it at an aggressive pace with heavy breathing and few words. We took a couple of quick picture/water breaks and were pleased to make it to the top in 
under 2 hours. Note how much Jason is sweating! (okay, so my face is a bit red too). We had a pleasant walk down, back in conversation mode and absorbing the scenery of the town of Lake Wanaka below.Thursday, April 26, 2007
The Routeburn Track- beautiful scenery, heavy mileage,heavy rain!
Summary: 
Jason, Alli and I hiked New Zealand's famous Routeburn Track, both directions, ~60k over 3 days. Beautiful scenery, lots of rain, questionable outfit selections, incredible people...all in all a perfect 3 days.
The preparation (or lack thereof):
Knowing that the official trekking seasons ends April 26 (i.e. gas is shut off in the huts, several highly necessary bridges are removed, etc.), we concluded that it would be in our best interest to start the hike by April 23rd at the latest to complete the hike on April 25th. We purchased
our tickets for the huts, bought an enourmous amount of food to get us through the upcoming 9 meals, and then went out for our last real meal of gourmet pizza at Winnie's in Queenstown.
It wasn't until we arrived back at the camper van at 9:30 that we remembered 2 slight obstacles to our early morning departure:- #1 we hadn't showered in 3 days and we were about to embark on another 3 days with absolutely no showering opportunities.
- #2 we hadn't done laundry since before the kayaking trip so all of the clothes that we needed were at best dirty, most likely wet, and worse case scenario moldy.
After a stressful discusson (yes, when traveling around the world, these are life's crisises!), we decided that #1 wasn't a show stopper- what's another 3 days without a shower among friends?! (the lack of showers, you will note, is quite evident when reviewing the pictures). #2 however, was a concern. We frantically found a laundrymat and Alli managed to convince the woman to let us do our laundry despite the fact that she was meant to close. Phew, issue resolved, and the hike was back on as planned.
The Route:
>90% of people do the Routeburn track in one direction over 32k. We opted for a less conventional approach of 60k out and back. Due to the combination of parsimony (after several months of not earning a salary) related to the unreasonable bus fare, and a slight desire to push ourselves, we decided to do an out and back in 3 days. Although later accused of 'racing the Routeburn' by our Canadian friend and showing 'American ambition' from our English friends, we were pleased with our decision. The trade off of doing the extended miles was that we would stay in huts as opposed to camping. I must admit that as the rain pummeled down throughout the night, I was thanking my lucky stars to have a solid roof over my head.
The Walk:
Perhaps the greatest part about trekking is the amount of 
thinking time and having the ability to simply enjoy your surroundings. Hiking has the ability to make me appreciate the simple pleasures in life e.g. dry clothes, warm coffee (even instant), sitting down (even on wooden benches!).. Of course the walk isn't all about longing for what I don't have, with 7 hours of nature, Jason and Alli, we delved into a variety of topics that I might not ever take the time to explore to such great lengths - e.g. lthe prospect of living 2 years alone in a hut, ideal relationships, chemistry lab, cultures, Americanism, etc. etc. After exhausting the conversation topics, we each had plenty of thinking time to reflect on just how lucky we were to be walking in such a beautiful country.
Cabin Life (McKenzie Hut):
The McKenzie hut is simply a shelter with dorm beds, toilets, a kitchen (counter space and gas stoves) and a common area (benches, tables and a fireplace). We ate our meal immediately upon entering the hut (i.e. dinner at 4:45 pm)- just to have something warm in our bodies and then positioned ourselves as close as physically possible to the coal burning stove.
One of the best parts of the 3 days was meeting people in the hut. I was ecstatic to meet fellow Nottingham trekkers and a female Ironman athlete. We stayed up (until at least 9pm!! The night owls of the hut) chatting with the hikers from all over Europe, the US, Australia and NZ, exchanging travel adventure stories.Wednesday, April 25, 2007
Queenstown, Arrowtown, Glenorchy- Night out, then SLOW day
April 23It's always a pleasant surprise to drive during the night, pull over when tired, and wake up to some of the most spectacular scenery imaginable. That continues to happen to us on our travels through the South Island.
After the Routeburn
We decided that a big night out was in order after completing the Routeburn track. Alli, Jason and I somehow managed to rally after 6 hours of hiking, experience one of the top 10 best showers ever (arguably the most necessary shower ever), and then head out for a night on the town in Queenstown. We started with the only Mexican Restaurant in town (I have yet to learn my lesson that it will not be same as the delicious Mexican food that I am used to, but I still have to try!), and then headed to the World Bar to try the famous teapots. It must have something to do with the close quarters that the 3 of us have shared over the past few weeks, but we found it completely normal to entertain ourselves by making up drinking games involving memorising multiple gestures and/or dance moves.
As always, there was no shortage of laughter or humilation among the group.Arrowtown
April 26 was a slow moving day for the 3 of us after the long hike, the ridiculous number of teapots, and the arrival at our camper van at 4 a.m. the night before. In desperate need of a slower pace, we left busy Queenstown to check out Lake Wanaka. Our afternoon stop in Arrowtown was just what we needed- a quaint village with a museum, gold mining, and older folk singing and playing instruments.
Saturday, April 21, 2007
Franz Joseph Glacier, Pancake Rocks and Camper Van Life
Pancake RocksApril 20
On our journey south, we have been in the unique position to tailor our travel based on exactly how we feel at that moment, deciding as we go where we want to stop, what we want to see, etc. One of the brief stops we made on our way to the glaciers was the 'Pancake Rocks'. Although I'm still not convinced that they look like pancakes, they were neat to see.
You will note that Alli and I have both made the highly necessary purchase of Kiwi thermals (there really is no other way to go than the rainbow stripes). Setting the fashion scene now with the sunglasses purchase and the stripes and frequent use of the term 'sweet as' we are embracing the NZ culture at rapid speeds.Franz Joseph Glacier
A
pril 21
One of the necessary stops when on the west coast of the South Island is the glaciers (either Fox or Franz Joseph). We selected Franz Joseph as it was described as a bit more challenging to climb and more scenic. The glacier, if nothing else is enormous and fast moving. It moves about 5 meters a day, which is approximately 10x the speed of most glaciers. Although not psyched about being on a guided tour, the glacier was certainly worth seeing. We were even given ice axes to ensure that we had impressive pictures!
Alli somehow managed to take a blue tinted picture of Jason- which looks particularly hard core.
To ensure that it wasn't just any old day on the Franz, we decided that it would be a good idea to submerge ourselves in the glacier lake, just to verify that the water really was as cold as it looked.
Alli and I (and the Germans) took a quick dip in the pool. I didn't even regret it as much as I thought I would. Although cold, it was bearable. Don't know why the urge to get in these cold waters seems to be unavoidable for me.Journey to Queenstown
April 22
Jason has been a superb driver of the camper van, selecting only the best locations for sleeping and picnics. A few pictures of the campervan life & the scenery that we get to enjoy everyday...
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Abel Tasman- Kayaking, hiking...essentially paradise
April 17-19
In hindsight, Kayaking 30+ kilometers just 5 weeks after the collarbone incident might not have been the best idea. Luckily for me, I was paired with Duncan who was not only able to carry his weight, but about 90% of mine as well.
We spent the evenings preparing the campsite, making our well earned meal and playing endless rounds of the name game (perhaps even learning a thing or 2 about NZ rugby).
The last day we continued our hike, crossing streams (some with a more unique style than others)
and caught the water taxi back to Marahau. Typical of New Zealand, it wasn't just any water taxi ride, we had a race with dolphins, and stopped to pick up a crayfish from a lone scuba diver who waved us down.
Summary: 
Just when I think New Zealand can't get any better, we stumble across Abel Tasman for a 3 day 
kayaking/trekking/camping adventure.
With little to no advanced notice, I called my Kiwi friend Duncan (I met him in Turkey last September) to let him know that we were in his hometown Nelson. A kind man in the bar let me borrow his cell phone, so Duncan didn't exactly have a way to get in touch with me. Luckily he got my message and showed up at the bar where we were enjoying our Monteith's. 30 minutes later, Alli, Jason, Duncan and I were cooking dinner at Duncan's house and plotting out our Kayaking trip.
Just when I think New Zealand can't get any better, we stumble across Abel Tasman for a 3 day 
kayaking/trekking/camping adventure.With little to no advanced notice, I called my Kiwi friend Duncan (I met him in Turkey last September) to let him know that we were in his hometown Nelson. A kind man in the bar let me borrow his cell phone, so Duncan didn't exactly have a way to get in touch with me. Luckily he got my message and showed up at the bar where we were enjoying our Monteith's. 30 minutes later, Alli, Jason, Duncan and I were cooking dinner at Duncan's house and plotting out our Kayaking trip.
In hindsight, Kayaking 30+ kilometers just 5 weeks after the collarbone incident might not have been the best idea. Luckily for me, I was paired with Duncan who was not only able to carry his weight, but about 90% of mine as well.It's hard to capture just how incredible the Abel Tasman park is. We spent two days on 
turquoise water visiting lagoons, watching herons, and stopping on private beaches.
turquoise water visiting lagoons, watching herons, and stopping on private beaches.
We ambitiously took a dip in the water (a very brief swim), not fully comprehending just how cold it might be. 
We visited 
'Seal Island 2' where we were literally surrounded by over 50 baby seals (just in time for our camera battery to die). They entertained us for over an hour with their noises, swim races, yawning, jumping, etc. Alli and I even had one come up and sniff our coats. Unfortunately, we didn't smell good enough for them to venture onto our kayaks.
'Seal Island 2' where we were literally surrounded by over 50 baby seals (just in time for our camera battery to die). They entertained us for over an hour with their noises, swim races, yawning, jumping, etc. Alli and I even had one come up and sniff our coats. Unfortunately, we didn't smell good enough for them to venture onto our kayaks.
We spent the evenings preparing the campsite, making our well earned meal and playing endless rounds of the name game (perhaps even learning a thing or 2 about NZ rugby).
The last day we continued our hike, crossing streams (some with a more unique style than others)
and caught the water taxi back to Marahau. Typical of New Zealand, it wasn't just any water taxi ride, we had a race with dolphins, and stopped to pick up a crayfish from a lone scuba diver who waved us down.Sunday, April 15, 2007
Christchurch, Marlborough, Blenheim: Wine tasting, campervan, Jason & Alli!
Adios a Australia!A strange and wonderful place in life when the 6am alarm conjures up a burst of excitement and positive connotations for the day ahead. Friday, April 13th, 6:02, my alarm did just that. I smiled, sighed, and sat up in my cozy room in St. Kilda Australia to begin my journey to the South Island of New Zealand.
I arrived in Christchurch to meet Jason and Alli's smiling faces at the airport. As Alli and I immediately jumped into stories of our trips so far, Jason took responsibility for figuring out where we needed to go and how we were getting there (so nice to have someone organized once again!). We arrived at our hostel, went out for raspberry beer and mussels at an excellent Belgium restaurant and then plotted our next 3 weeks of our travel adventure over a bottle of wine.
Transportation/Accommodation- home for the next 17 days!!!
April 14Quickly assessing our options, we made a unanimous decision that really, the only way to go was to rent a camper van for our travels in New Zealand. Selecting the most economical of all of the motor home options, we were nervous about the reliability of the van e.g. did it have 4 wheels, would it start, would 3 of us really fit in it. We were pleasantly surprised to find our van not only had sufficient room for all of us, but had a refrigerator, stove, counter, a lovely sleeping space that holds all 6'2'' of Jason perfectly. We were set.
Our drive from
Christchurch to Blenheim was nothing but pleasant as we had ample space in our home/car, great music, and endless stories of our travels (Jason's explanation of how he acquired the mysterious leg rash, Alli's rendition of the Divers from Thailand, trekking in Nepal, dodgy hostels in India, etc.).Wine Tasting by bike
April 15
I'm convinced that every person, at one time or another, should take the opportunity to go wine tasting by bicycle.
For the second time in a 7 day period, I found myself on a very heavy bike with a kickstand. This time, however, the objective was to sample a plethora of wine and still have the ability to ride a bike. We toured as much of Marlborough County as one feasibly can by bike, covering at most 12K, enjoying the famous pinots, savignon blancs and chardonnays that the region has to offer. 
We took a brief break from wine tasting to delve into a cheeseboard among other treats. The day absolutely flew, and before we knew it, we were pushing the pedals as hard as we could to make the 5 p.m. cutoff at the last vineyard. All in all a perfect day and we retired to our lovely home/van.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Great Ocean Road by bike
April 9-12Summary
280k from Geelong to Warnambool- a spectacular coastal ride that borders cliffs and passes surfing beaches and quaint towns along the southern coast of Australia.
Route
- Day 1 (100k): St. Kilda to Southern Cross Station, Geelong-Torquay-Bells Beach-Lorne (+ side trip)
- Day 2 (95k): Lorne- Apollo Bay- Levers Hill
- Day 3 (60k): Levers Hill- Port Campbell
- Day 4 (67k): Port Campbell to Warnambool
- 'Shogun Metro' touring bike
- Panniers
- swimsuit, cycling shorts, warm evening clothes- 3 tops, coat, jeans, flops
- SPDs, mountain bike shoes
- 4 Peanut butter & honey sandwiches, gels, power bars, water, muesli bars
The Bike
The ocean blue Shogun Metro and I became very close over the 4 days of the ride. After a slow start on day 1 (dropping the chain, multiple unsuccessful attempts at clipping into the SPDs, panniers bouncing- and nearly flying, off the bike- Cat 5 tattoos, perceived flat tires, etc.). Old Blue and I finally began to work well together. I happily used every one of the gears and I'm only slightly embarrassed to admit that both the kickstand and the triple came in handy!!
Weather- Perfect (24-28 except the morning of day 4)
Long Version
Day 1- Geelong to Lorne
I couldn't be more ecstatic about today and the upcoming 3 days ahead on the bike. Awake at 6 a.m. and out the door of my St. Kilda hotel, I rode to the Southern Cross train station (side note- immediate concern when I could barely get the bike to move along flat road- I knew I had a long 4 days ahead).
Completing my first climb of the day heading out of Torquay, I started to wonder if my fitness had diminished in 4 short weeks or if the heavy bike made that much difference. With the encouragement of a couple standing on the side of the road 'good on you, mate!'), I made it to the top.
Arriving in the posh town of Lorne where the city folk come for holiday, I enjoyed an organic veggie lunch and walked to the beach. I somehow mustered up the energy to hop back on the bike for another 20k in search of koalas and Eskender Falls. David, owner of the St. Kilda hotel, recommended that I check out the road for a bit of quad burning!
Day 2- Lorne to Levers Hill
I made it to Apollo Bay (my destination) by 11:30 a.m. I had a leisurely lunch attempting to decide my next move. Dilemma: stay in the nice accommodation in Apollo Bay or push on and risk accomodation at Levers Hill. Of course I decided to carry on in hope that I might make it in time for the Rip Curl surfing finals that were happening ahead (they had moved from Bell's Beach to Johanna due to surf conditions). For some reason I was intent on seeing the surfing competition. My entire surfing knowledge consists of the following 3 facts: I've heard of Kelly Slater, I've attempted to surf 1 time, and I'm a huge fan of the movie Blue Crush. 
Outcome: I pedalled my way up to Levers Hill and just missed the end of the competition d'oh!, and the only accommodation left was at the less than ideal 'Roadhouse'. I won't go into details of the cabins, but I'll just say that it wasn't quite the Four Seasons. The Ride: Regardless, the ride and the road to Levers Hill were spectacular. I passed Ron, the fellow cyclist who I rode the train with, and we exchanged enthusiastic greetings.
Day 3 Levers- Hill to Port Campbell
Rearing to go at 7 a.m., I bid adieu to my cottage to begin the mostly downhill journey to Port Campbell. The 12 apostles, much like the book implies, appear out of nowhere, and I must say that they are quite an impressive sight.
I arrived at Port Campbell midday, had a bite to eat, slept on the beach, and then ventured out on a hike along the coast (side note- need to return to do the 91k hike along the Great Ocean Road).
Day 4- Port Campbell to Warnambool
I awoke from a deep sleep to the peaceful sound of my alarm at 6 a.m. I had approximately 70k to the train station in Warnambool and literally only 1 option, the 11:45 train, to make it back to Melbourne. I built in plenty of fluff time assuming I would get lost (of course, I fulfilled on that assumption).
I did make it in time for the train and managed to sleep the entire 3 hours, waking up to the people around me telling me that it was time to get off the train!
Riding the Great Ocean Road was another unbelievable experience on the life journey.
Sunday, April 8, 2007
Exceding Expectations (Melbourne)
It's so nice when everything just seems to work out. So far my journey to Melbourne has been just that way. The past 24 hours have been filled with running, riding and walking through the incredible city of Melbourne. Although I'm not usually a fan of big cities, this one is ideal with beautiful botanical gardens, multiple parks, extremely friendly and outgoing people (constantly asking if I need directions, or want to join them for a beer, etc.), cycling and running trails absolutely everywhere, and beaches along the entire city.I'm staying in a lively and funky area called St Kilda filled with cafes, ethnic restaurants (the most restaurants per square mile of any area in Melbourne), book shops, and is located right on the water. I found a boutique hotel which I selected based on the fact that it was close to a bike
shop and advertised bike storage. Turns out the owner of the hotel is an avid cyclist and has been invaluable in helping me plot out my ride along the Great Ocean Road.I will set out tomorrow with my 50+ lb touring bike (yep, even has a kickstand!), panniers, mountain bike shoes, spd pedals and I will begin the 280K journey along 'one of the world's most scenic roads.'
Saturday, April 7, 2007
Theresa's Hysterical Rendition of OZ & NZ
By Theresa Urban
Oz Round 2
Amy’s on a seven month sabbatical and we just had to meet up with her; after perusing the list of options (mostly consisting of hard core riding in Europe) we decide to go watch her Ironman and witness the elation that comes with the first Ironman finish. Anticipating the well deserved break after all that training, we were also naively hopeful that we could possibly keep up with her. A bike ride with her beau and a lava rock later, the Ironman plans went awry. The Amy we visited was outwardly strong (though obviously disappointed) and tapered and ready for Ironman jonesin’ to move. And move we did.
The first part of our trip took us to NZ’s North Island. Everyone says (even north Island kiwis) that the South Island is far more beautiful; knowing no better I was pretty impressed with the North Island. Joanne and I landed at Auckland airport before dawn presenting us with the joyous task of finding Amy in the dark, best completed while driving on the wrong side of the road with no sleep and little idea of where we were headed. Throughout the trauma of navigating the city, I did discover that my cell phone worked (stupid work call) which only added to the confusion. Excited for adventure and complacent that Amy is still Amy, we scorched under the NZ sun while touring the city. In her efforts to minimize further damage, Joanne wore long sleeves for the next several days (claiming adversity to freckles). Despite the solar beating, we found Auckland pleasant and livable, reminiscent of San Francisco. Note that I am intentionally not allowing the youth hostel we encountered on our second Auckland stay to skew my view.
The city behind us, we headed for the beach. The landscape and vegetation welcomed us as we past by farm after farm. Joanne giggled like a school girl when she noticed two cows ‘doing it’ (Amy nose down in her journal or more likely sleeping missed it—both times). We literally stumbled across our hotel in the early evening and hit the town. The beach towns in both New Zealand and Australia’s Gold Coast were similar, offering a smattering of food options sprinkled with art galleries and the requisite shopping options. By comparison, Cairns (where we spent the last few days of the trip) was exponentially more touristy and less quaint though functional, offering tour options up the wazoo.
The mission in Mt. Monganui was to participate in a 2.8 km ocean swim. The beach is notorious for surfing and the waves intimidating. After a brief practice swim I felt more confident though the long times of the shorter swim put off our start giving the ocean the opportunity to swell (or perhaps that was my over active imagination). Joanne rocked despite a lung crushing cough and later discovered that she took 2nd in her age group. I fared less well, completing one of two laps and donating my $30 dollar goggles to the wave that swallowed me whole. My confidence shaken not stirred, I smartly sat at the beach during the next ocean swim in Port Macquarie.
After 2 days at the beach walking, hiking, and jealously waiting for Amy to return from her run (I stupidly left my sneakers at home) we headed south and inland for National Park Village to do the esteemed Tongariro crossing, by far the highlight of the trip. Already anticipating my next trip to NZ, I plan to do the crossing as part of a multiple day trek complete with tents, sleeping bags and absolute griminess until plodding into town for a hot shower and alcohol.
Our pre-hike meal consisted of disappointing calamari and a souflette cup of rice (for Amy and I to share!); obviously, we both would have preferred Joanne’s gluten-free veggies and mashed potatoes. Regardless, we arose to a beautiful morning. Amy the sure-footed billy goat climbed well ahead of us. Despite warnings that we should bring jackets and hats we had a flawless day with abundant sunshine and stunning views of the surrounding mountains and emerald lakes, rumored to be featured in the Lord of the Rings movies (though of course most of the filming was on the south island). The only near mishap was Amy dropping her wallet and stubbornly going down to get it herself (Joanne and I didn’t clue in in time to mitigate risk to Amy’s struggling collarbone).
Satiated by the great outdoors, we headed back to Auckland via Taupo. On the way down to National Park Village we took the scenic route, stopping at mini-hikes (walks, actually) along the famous thermal highway. We switched up the route a bit on the way back to Auckland, hoping for new scenery and perhaps a vineyard. Taupo was our first stop, offering an opportunity to oogle at the lake that makes Ironman seem potentially enjoyable. While in Taupo, we took in the sights including a view of the powerful Huka Falls, a critical player in the North Island’s source of power. Our hike was basically a loop so I leisurely strolled behind the leggy girls (boy, was I happy when Betty arrived!). Though we got a little lost only once and briefly, our empty stomachs and crashing sugar levels made it seem far worse. We ended our day in Taupo with Thai food (a group favorite) and drove on toward Auckland. Joanne experienced first hand the Mexican food phenomenon that provides Amy and I with endless entertainment as she and I forced down “nachos” at a pub while wanna-be anorexic Amy watched. Unfortunately, we found nothing further of interest and had an early night in Auckland preparing for our flight to Sydney.
We arrive in Australia and meet up with Betty (a.k.a Amy’s Mom) who has been waiting patiently for 5 hours since her flight from the states landed (which had to be excruciating…). She had a lot of time on her hands, which she spent calling her bank collect to get her debit card to work oversees. That rocks. Betty’s hudspa was striking on one other occasion when she humiliated me at an all out war over the check at a nice restaurant! Amy and her Mom have the same lips, nose and walk but the similarity ends there; hygiene challenged Amy nearly embarrassed glamour-Mom on more than one occasion J.
Our Australian adventure began with a brief (though confusing) drive from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and included a near disaster at the toll booth since Amy, Joanne, and I had ZERO Australian dollars. Thumbs up to Betty’s hudspa. After lunch in a charming mountain town (though seemingly overrun by bees) we stayed at a darling villa one block from the famous Three Sisters rock formation. Though there were constant tour buses through our end of town we didn’t spend much time at the villa during the day. By nightfall the tour buses ceased and we had the place to ourselves. We enjoyed a sunset with a bottle of wine (NOT Yellow Tail) purchased from the shop owner that educated us in Italian wines (specifically, the sangivovese grape from the chianti region). Sadly, I learned nothing of the Australian crop until later in our trip when we toured Hunter Valley region on our way to Port Macquarie.
We nourished our day hikes with peanut butter and honey sandwiches as we explored the blue mountains. Most exciting to Amy (and challenging to the rest of us) was the 900+ stairs down to the canyon from the Three Sisters lookout. As we walked back up the stairs, I won the “how many stairs to the canyon” game with the low ball guess. Amy was disappointed, of course, that there weren’t the 1,600 or so stairs that she guessed, so she did it again the next day. Evenings in the mountains were spent digging around for change so that Amy could make one frustrating call after another and spending many minutes on the internet at the video store. The teenager in charge didn’t enforce the “no adult content” law (likely because he didn’t mind it so much) so we got a view of the local uh, “taste”. It’s all part of the cultural experience.
The rhythm of the trip changed a bit as we headed toward Port Macquarie. In no rush, we stopped at the Sydney Olympic center for a glimpse at greatness. Further into our drive, we lingered in wine country and randomly picked the absolute best winery for our post-lunch tasting (during lunch I enviously eyed Joanne’s risotto, disappointed in my quiche). Emma’s Cottage Winery was at the very end of an unpaved road, and worth every minute. The owner explained how twist caps will inevitably replace corks (being more air tight, resulting in consistent quality) as we tasted the various wines they produced. The owner’s wife was an artist (locked away allegedly painting while we were there); her uplifting, colorful pieces decorating the walls. We visited one more winery on our way out of town. Oddly, at both wineries our hosts had “fake” eyes. Dangerous business.
In true form, we arrived in Port Macquarie late and unsure of where to go. We made three phone calls to the B&B which got us close enough to the house to see our host waving us in at the end of the driveway. Awed by the luck that Amy found such an incredible place to stay, we settled in and felt at home. We spent four days in the nearly brand new add-on apartment in a town filled with athletes, Amy among them. The big difference, of course, was that Amy was unable to compete. On one of Amy’s morning runs she had a koala come up to her as if he wanted to be picked up; she more than deserved the special attention.
Race day morning was absolutely beautiful as a dolphin enjoyed a swim in the water with the athletes. The swim times were fast and folks were on their way. After seeing most of the swimmers out of the water, we plopped at a Starbucks to watch part of the ride. After a brief reprieve we all went back to town and sat in the stands for the pro finish, which was absolutely awe inspiring. All but one of the athletes interviewed were humble, gracious, and happy to be done. Unfortunately, the sourpuss was the female winner. Randomly, we ran into the much better humored and all too cute second place female (Belinda Granger) in a bike shop as we scoped out bikes for Amy’s next ride.
The last stop on our tour was Cairns. How can you go to the other side of the world and not make it to the reef? Having done that once, I wasn’t going to do it again. We left Port Macquarie in the morning and planned to swing through Nelson Bay to take a peak on our way back to Sydney. The beaches along Australia’s Gold Coast are gorgeous (many of them in PM) and we wanted to see more. We picked a target from a tour book and headed in that general direction. Unfortunately, our maps were not detailed enough to plan the local part of the route, which wasn’t a problem. At first. After lunch and a glimpse of semi-secluded coastline we quickly realized that we were in danger of missing our flight. Despite my ridiculous speeding (135-140km/hr for most of the way) we barely made it to the airport in time to get on the next flight for a small fee (as opposed to buying new tickets outright). After Joanne later got a ticket for going 90km in an 80km zone, I’m just happy that I didn’t land in jail! Seeing Joanne eat a sandwich—with bread—at a restaurant, however, made it all worth while.
Though we enjoyed spectacular weather the ENTIRE time we were in NZ and Australia (other than a brief shower on our way to the Auckland airport) the wind began to pick up when we arrived in Cairns. Joanne, Betty and I spent the first day in Karunda shopping and eating (and still regretting not purchasing the mango wine). Amy had good intentions but figuring out the bus stop thing was somewhat complicated (we barely made it and we had Joanne!) As Amy leant her shoulder to a little boy that needed a map on the boat ride home from Green Island, the rest of us paid A$13 to get close up pictures of wallabies in the petting zoo. We also took the skyrail back down to town, sailing effortlessly over the jungle canopy. The best part of our day, however, was sitting in a filthy, crazy-dog lady car on our way over to the skyrail after buying some local aborigine art. Despite her obvious eccentricities, our chauffer was extremely generous to offer a ride.
We planned our reef adventure that night at one of the many tourist information centers in Cairns, conveniently a short walk from our hotel. Amy and I planned to dive so we decided on a tour with diving and snorkeling options. We set out early the next morning on a bus to Port Douglas. Despite confessing to her broken collarbone, Amy was able to dive though I got voted off the island. Though choppy, we were able to see colorful varieties of fish and plant life at our three stops. The boat ride home was an intense water ride that I savored out on deck (each of the three levels). The smarter travelers stayed dry as I compared water war stories with the teenage boys out there with me.
The next day was Good Friday and a rainy one at that. We rented a car and set off on a tour of the area, wanting adventure but knowing that another day on the reef would be costly and have poor visibility. On the loop that we took as Joanne graciously drove (regretfully, as the red lights flashed in her rearview), we saw a giant fig tree and a viewing platform to spy platypus (we saw nada). We also stumbled upon a canyon view hike that took us over monstrous rocks in the shapes of dinosaurs, turtles, and whales. Though it sounds like child’s play, the pictures prove that the hike was super hard core J Most of the restaurants, all of the shops, and most certainly the mango winery were all CLOSED for the holiday. Kind of an anti-climactic way to spend our last full day in Australia—unless you count the drama of Joanne’s speeding ticket.
During our travels in New Zealand and Australia, we enjoyed a variety of cuisine including tasty Turkish and Thai (both more than once). For our last supper Amy ordered Joanne to “stop walking” so that we can discuss dinner (Joanne and Betty were both well on their way to Thai when Amy and I threw in our two cents). With reluctance (certainly not on my part) we dined in a Mexican restaurant in downtown Cairns. The mango dip that we ordered was not nearly enough and our sangria was unique but good. Amy and I were disappointed at how normal the food was while Joanne and Betty secretly pouted (I think that they really wanted Thai that night J)
Though our intent was to shop for husbands (for Joanne) our pathetic lack of a night life contributed to our lack of success. On the flip side, the four of us developed an entertaining micro culture. Poor Amy experienced the humiliation of childhood stories (all of which serve as partial explanation for “becoming Amy”) while Betty lured us with sweetness all the while possessing the venom of a barracuda (applied lovingly, of course). We mocked the ridiculous amount of stuff that we brought (Amy eventually shipped stuff home) and ate both luxuriously and cheaply (though unfortunately not simultaneously). Amy proved that her emotional strength matched her physical strength, though to my knowledge she still hasn’t sorted out those heels. While Amy and “Amy Bear” are thankful to be the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world, I am eternally grateful to have the means and opportunity to travel with friends. Especially since they provide hours of entertainment.
Written by Theresa Urban
Oz Round 2
Amy’s on a seven month sabbatical and we just had to meet up with her; after perusing the list of options (mostly consisting of hard core riding in Europe) we decide to go watch her Ironman and witness the elation that comes with the first Ironman finish. Anticipating the well deserved break after all that training, we were also naively hopeful that we could possibly keep up with her. A bike ride with her beau and a lava rock later, the Ironman plans went awry. The Amy we visited was outwardly strong (though obviously disappointed) and tapered and ready for Ironman jonesin’ to move. And move we did.
The first part of our trip took us to NZ’s North Island. Everyone says (even north Island kiwis) that the South Island is far more beautiful; knowing no better I was pretty impressed with the North Island. Joanne and I landed at Auckland airport before dawn presenting us with the joyous task of finding Amy in the dark, best completed while driving on the wrong side of the road with no sleep and little idea of where we were headed. Throughout the trauma of navigating the city, I did discover that my cell phone worked (stupid work call) which only added to the confusion. Excited for adventure and complacent that Amy is still Amy, we scorched under the NZ sun while touring the city. In her efforts to minimize further damage, Joanne wore long sleeves for the next several days (claiming adversity to freckles). Despite the solar beating, we found Auckland pleasant and livable, reminiscent of San Francisco. Note that I am intentionally not allowing the youth hostel we encountered on our second Auckland stay to skew my view.
The city behind us, we headed for the beach. The landscape and vegetation welcomed us as we past by farm after farm. Joanne giggled like a school girl when she noticed two cows ‘doing it’ (Amy nose down in her journal or more likely sleeping missed it—both times). We literally stumbled across our hotel in the early evening and hit the town. The beach towns in both New Zealand and Australia’s Gold Coast were similar, offering a smattering of food options sprinkled with art galleries and the requisite shopping options. By comparison, Cairns (where we spent the last few days of the trip) was exponentially more touristy and less quaint though functional, offering tour options up the wazoo.
The mission in Mt. Monganui was to participate in a 2.8 km ocean swim. The beach is notorious for surfing and the waves intimidating. After a brief practice swim I felt more confident though the long times of the shorter swim put off our start giving the ocean the opportunity to swell (or perhaps that was my over active imagination). Joanne rocked despite a lung crushing cough and later discovered that she took 2nd in her age group. I fared less well, completing one of two laps and donating my $30 dollar goggles to the wave that swallowed me whole. My confidence shaken not stirred, I smartly sat at the beach during the next ocean swim in Port Macquarie.
After 2 days at the beach walking, hiking, and jealously waiting for Amy to return from her run (I stupidly left my sneakers at home) we headed south and inland for National Park Village to do the esteemed Tongariro crossing, by far the highlight of the trip. Already anticipating my next trip to NZ, I plan to do the crossing as part of a multiple day trek complete with tents, sleeping bags and absolute griminess until plodding into town for a hot shower and alcohol.
Our pre-hike meal consisted of disappointing calamari and a souflette cup of rice (for Amy and I to share!); obviously, we both would have preferred Joanne’s gluten-free veggies and mashed potatoes. Regardless, we arose to a beautiful morning. Amy the sure-footed billy goat climbed well ahead of us. Despite warnings that we should bring jackets and hats we had a flawless day with abundant sunshine and stunning views of the surrounding mountains and emerald lakes, rumored to be featured in the Lord of the Rings movies (though of course most of the filming was on the south island). The only near mishap was Amy dropping her wallet and stubbornly going down to get it herself (Joanne and I didn’t clue in in time to mitigate risk to Amy’s struggling collarbone).
Satiated by the great outdoors, we headed back to Auckland via Taupo. On the way down to National Park Village we took the scenic route, stopping at mini-hikes (walks, actually) along the famous thermal highway. We switched up the route a bit on the way back to Auckland, hoping for new scenery and perhaps a vineyard. Taupo was our first stop, offering an opportunity to oogle at the lake that makes Ironman seem potentially enjoyable. While in Taupo, we took in the sights including a view of the powerful Huka Falls, a critical player in the North Island’s source of power. Our hike was basically a loop so I leisurely strolled behind the leggy girls (boy, was I happy when Betty arrived!). Though we got a little lost only once and briefly, our empty stomachs and crashing sugar levels made it seem far worse. We ended our day in Taupo with Thai food (a group favorite) and drove on toward Auckland. Joanne experienced first hand the Mexican food phenomenon that provides Amy and I with endless entertainment as she and I forced down “nachos” at a pub while wanna-be anorexic Amy watched. Unfortunately, we found nothing further of interest and had an early night in Auckland preparing for our flight to Sydney.
We arrive in Australia and meet up with Betty (a.k.a Amy’s Mom) who has been waiting patiently for 5 hours since her flight from the states landed (which had to be excruciating…). She had a lot of time on her hands, which she spent calling her bank collect to get her debit card to work oversees. That rocks. Betty’s hudspa was striking on one other occasion when she humiliated me at an all out war over the check at a nice restaurant! Amy and her Mom have the same lips, nose and walk but the similarity ends there; hygiene challenged Amy nearly embarrassed glamour-Mom on more than one occasion J.
Our Australian adventure began with a brief (though confusing) drive from Sydney to the Blue Mountains and included a near disaster at the toll booth since Amy, Joanne, and I had ZERO Australian dollars. Thumbs up to Betty’s hudspa. After lunch in a charming mountain town (though seemingly overrun by bees) we stayed at a darling villa one block from the famous Three Sisters rock formation. Though there were constant tour buses through our end of town we didn’t spend much time at the villa during the day. By nightfall the tour buses ceased and we had the place to ourselves. We enjoyed a sunset with a bottle of wine (NOT Yellow Tail) purchased from the shop owner that educated us in Italian wines (specifically, the sangivovese grape from the chianti region). Sadly, I learned nothing of the Australian crop until later in our trip when we toured Hunter Valley region on our way to Port Macquarie.
We nourished our day hikes with peanut butter and honey sandwiches as we explored the blue mountains. Most exciting to Amy (and challenging to the rest of us) was the 900+ stairs down to the canyon from the Three Sisters lookout. As we walked back up the stairs, I won the “how many stairs to the canyon” game with the low ball guess. Amy was disappointed, of course, that there weren’t the 1,600 or so stairs that she guessed, so she did it again the next day. Evenings in the mountains were spent digging around for change so that Amy could make one frustrating call after another and spending many minutes on the internet at the video store. The teenager in charge didn’t enforce the “no adult content” law (likely because he didn’t mind it so much) so we got a view of the local uh, “taste”. It’s all part of the cultural experience.
The rhythm of the trip changed a bit as we headed toward Port Macquarie. In no rush, we stopped at the Sydney Olympic center for a glimpse at greatness. Further into our drive, we lingered in wine country and randomly picked the absolute best winery for our post-lunch tasting (during lunch I enviously eyed Joanne’s risotto, disappointed in my quiche). Emma’s Cottage Winery was at the very end of an unpaved road, and worth every minute. The owner explained how twist caps will inevitably replace corks (being more air tight, resulting in consistent quality) as we tasted the various wines they produced. The owner’s wife was an artist (locked away allegedly painting while we were there); her uplifting, colorful pieces decorating the walls. We visited one more winery on our way out of town. Oddly, at both wineries our hosts had “fake” eyes. Dangerous business.
In true form, we arrived in Port Macquarie late and unsure of where to go. We made three phone calls to the B&B which got us close enough to the house to see our host waving us in at the end of the driveway. Awed by the luck that Amy found such an incredible place to stay, we settled in and felt at home. We spent four days in the nearly brand new add-on apartment in a town filled with athletes, Amy among them. The big difference, of course, was that Amy was unable to compete. On one of Amy’s morning runs she had a koala come up to her as if he wanted to be picked up; she more than deserved the special attention.
Race day morning was absolutely beautiful as a dolphin enjoyed a swim in the water with the athletes. The swim times were fast and folks were on their way. After seeing most of the swimmers out of the water, we plopped at a Starbucks to watch part of the ride. After a brief reprieve we all went back to town and sat in the stands for the pro finish, which was absolutely awe inspiring. All but one of the athletes interviewed were humble, gracious, and happy to be done. Unfortunately, the sourpuss was the female winner. Randomly, we ran into the much better humored and all too cute second place female (Belinda Granger) in a bike shop as we scoped out bikes for Amy’s next ride.
The last stop on our tour was Cairns. How can you go to the other side of the world and not make it to the reef? Having done that once, I wasn’t going to do it again. We left Port Macquarie in the morning and planned to swing through Nelson Bay to take a peak on our way back to Sydney. The beaches along Australia’s Gold Coast are gorgeous (many of them in PM) and we wanted to see more. We picked a target from a tour book and headed in that general direction. Unfortunately, our maps were not detailed enough to plan the local part of the route, which wasn’t a problem. At first. After lunch and a glimpse of semi-secluded coastline we quickly realized that we were in danger of missing our flight. Despite my ridiculous speeding (135-140km/hr for most of the way) we barely made it to the airport in time to get on the next flight for a small fee (as opposed to buying new tickets outright). After Joanne later got a ticket for going 90km in an 80km zone, I’m just happy that I didn’t land in jail! Seeing Joanne eat a sandwich—with bread—at a restaurant, however, made it all worth while.
Though we enjoyed spectacular weather the ENTIRE time we were in NZ and Australia (other than a brief shower on our way to the Auckland airport) the wind began to pick up when we arrived in Cairns. Joanne, Betty and I spent the first day in Karunda shopping and eating (and still regretting not purchasing the mango wine). Amy had good intentions but figuring out the bus stop thing was somewhat complicated (we barely made it and we had Joanne!) As Amy leant her shoulder to a little boy that needed a map on the boat ride home from Green Island, the rest of us paid A$13 to get close up pictures of wallabies in the petting zoo. We also took the skyrail back down to town, sailing effortlessly over the jungle canopy. The best part of our day, however, was sitting in a filthy, crazy-dog lady car on our way over to the skyrail after buying some local aborigine art. Despite her obvious eccentricities, our chauffer was extremely generous to offer a ride.
We planned our reef adventure that night at one of the many tourist information centers in Cairns, conveniently a short walk from our hotel. Amy and I planned to dive so we decided on a tour with diving and snorkeling options. We set out early the next morning on a bus to Port Douglas. Despite confessing to her broken collarbone, Amy was able to dive though I got voted off the island. Though choppy, we were able to see colorful varieties of fish and plant life at our three stops. The boat ride home was an intense water ride that I savored out on deck (each of the three levels). The smarter travelers stayed dry as I compared water war stories with the teenage boys out there with me.
The next day was Good Friday and a rainy one at that. We rented a car and set off on a tour of the area, wanting adventure but knowing that another day on the reef would be costly and have poor visibility. On the loop that we took as Joanne graciously drove (regretfully, as the red lights flashed in her rearview), we saw a giant fig tree and a viewing platform to spy platypus (we saw nada). We also stumbled upon a canyon view hike that took us over monstrous rocks in the shapes of dinosaurs, turtles, and whales. Though it sounds like child’s play, the pictures prove that the hike was super hard core J Most of the restaurants, all of the shops, and most certainly the mango winery were all CLOSED for the holiday. Kind of an anti-climactic way to spend our last full day in Australia—unless you count the drama of Joanne’s speeding ticket.
During our travels in New Zealand and Australia, we enjoyed a variety of cuisine including tasty Turkish and Thai (both more than once). For our last supper Amy ordered Joanne to “stop walking” so that we can discuss dinner (Joanne and Betty were both well on their way to Thai when Amy and I threw in our two cents). With reluctance (certainly not on my part) we dined in a Mexican restaurant in downtown Cairns. The mango dip that we ordered was not nearly enough and our sangria was unique but good. Amy and I were disappointed at how normal the food was while Joanne and Betty secretly pouted (I think that they really wanted Thai that night J)
Though our intent was to shop for husbands (for Joanne) our pathetic lack of a night life contributed to our lack of success. On the flip side, the four of us developed an entertaining micro culture. Poor Amy experienced the humiliation of childhood stories (all of which serve as partial explanation for “becoming Amy”) while Betty lured us with sweetness all the while possessing the venom of a barracuda (applied lovingly, of course). We mocked the ridiculous amount of stuff that we brought (Amy eventually shipped stuff home) and ate both luxuriously and cheaply (though unfortunately not simultaneously). Amy proved that her emotional strength matched her physical strength, though to my knowledge she still hasn’t sorted out those heels. While Amy and “Amy Bear” are thankful to be the most beautiful girl in the whole wide world, I am eternally grateful to have the means and opportunity to travel with friends. Especially since they provide hours of entertainment.
Written by Theresa Urban
Friday, April 6, 2007
Great Barrier Reef- Cairns, Port Douglas- Diving, Meals, Snorkeling
Green Island, April 4
"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving" -Lao Tzu
In an unintentional mix up involving incorrect bus terminals, poor timing, and general lack of preparedness, I found myself missing the sky tour and day trip to Karanda. I decided to hit Green Island instead for my first shot at snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Although the water was a bit choppy, I saw crazy bright fish that are clearly used to having people swimming near them. They don't even flinch and continue eating away at the corral as I plowed through the water with the other snorkelers. I even had a turtle swim right up near me and completely take me by surprise.
April 5- Port Douglas, Outer Reef
We woke up early Thursday morning and made the trek to Port Douglas, which is the best launching
place to reach the outer reef. It was an all day boat journey out to the reef and checking out some of the best Islands- Opal and Tongue.
I decided I would have to scuba dive- it had been years since I was certified, and I really couldn't remember much about the course. That said, how often are you in the Great Barrier Reef with an opportunity to dive? I filled out an extensive medical form and was happy to see that 'broken bones' was not on the list. I had the moral dilemma of deciding if I needed to tell them or not. I finally decided that I should, and the dive leaders had to call the doctors back in Cairns, but eventually decided that it wasn't a risk. Woo-hoo, I was good to go. Although I didn't see any sharks, eels, snakes (thank the lord!), the coral was absolutely beautiful and I felt like I could have stayed under water for hours. Theresa, my mom and Joanne decided to snorkel which was excellent from the outer reef as well.
April 6- Yungaburra, Atherton, Mareeba, Kuranda loop
The day was off to a very slow start, as we were all feeling groggy after our big night out
of eating barramunda, fighting over the bill (I can't claim to have been involved in the hysterical scene between Theresa, my mom, our server and the restaurant owner!), and late night shopping for Australian souvenirs.
Good Friday was a day of learning lessons mixed in with a few pleasant surprises. We quickly learned the following 3 facts about Australia:
#1 nothing is open on good Friday
#2 the few restaurants/cafes that are open charge an additional 10-15% for working on a holiday (even the gelato stand!- no worries it didn't stop us)
#3 it's not easy (or I would go as far as to say possible) to get out of a speeding ticket, even with 4 females in the car.
Despite these potential setbacks, we had an excellent day ending with the famous Granite Gorge hike that blew our expectations away (granted, our expectations were not exactly high to begin with). The hike involved multiple wallaby spottings
(with babies in their pouches), cockatoos, whale, dinosaur and turtle rocks, and scrambling throughout the rigorous 2km adventure!
"A good traveler has no fixed plans and is not intent on arriving" -Lao Tzu
In an unintentional mix up involving incorrect bus terminals, poor timing, and general lack of preparedness, I found myself missing the sky tour and day trip to Karanda. I decided to hit Green Island instead for my first shot at snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef. Although the water was a bit choppy, I saw crazy bright fish that are clearly used to having people swimming near them. They don't even flinch and continue eating away at the corral as I plowed through the water with the other snorkelers. I even had a turtle swim right up near me and completely take me by surprise.April 5- Port Douglas, Outer Reef
We woke up early Thursday morning and made the trek to Port Douglas, which is the best launching
place to reach the outer reef. It was an all day boat journey out to the reef and checking out some of the best Islands- Opal and Tongue.I decided I would have to scuba dive- it had been years since I was certified, and I really couldn't remember much about the course. That said, how often are you in the Great Barrier Reef with an opportunity to dive? I filled out an extensive medical form and was happy to see that 'broken bones' was not on the list. I had the moral dilemma of deciding if I needed to tell them or not. I finally decided that I should, and the dive leaders had to call the doctors back in Cairns, but eventually decided that it wasn't a risk. Woo-hoo, I was good to go. Although I didn't see any sharks, eels, snakes (thank the lord!), the coral was absolutely beautiful and I felt like I could have stayed under water for hours. Theresa, my mom and Joanne decided to snorkel which was excellent from the outer reef as well.
April 6- Yungaburra, Atherton, Mareeba, Kuranda loop
The day was off to a very slow start, as we were all feeling groggy after our big night out
of eating barramunda, fighting over the bill (I can't claim to have been involved in the hysterical scene between Theresa, my mom, our server and the restaurant owner!), and late night shopping for Australian souvenirs.Good Friday was a day of learning lessons mixed in with a few pleasant surprises. We quickly learned the following 3 facts about Australia:
#1 nothing is open on good Friday
#2 the few restaurants/cafes that are open charge an additional 10-15% for working on a holiday (even the gelato stand!- no worries it didn't stop us)
#3 it's not easy (or I would go as far as to say possible) to get out of a speeding ticket, even with 4 females in the car.
Despite these potential setbacks, we had an excellent day ending with the famous Granite Gorge hike that blew our expectations away (granted, our expectations were not exactly high to begin with). The hike involved multiple wallaby spottings
(with babies in their pouches), cockatoos, whale, dinosaur and turtle rocks, and scrambling throughout the rigorous 2km adventure!
Tuesday, April 3, 2007
Port Macquarie to Sydney- missed flight!
April 2
Bago Vineyard (near Port Macquarie)
More wine tasting...it's not hard to stay entertained in and around Port Macquarie.
April 3
Missed our flight to Cairns!!! Shocking that it's the first flight I've ever missed. We weren't even close to making it! It was a poor calculation of how long it would take us to tour around Nelson Bay, sample some of their famous pies, check out the beaches, etc. We realized (after it was too late) that there was absolutely no way that we would make our flight. It only set us back $50Aus and 3 hours, but the airport has plenty of entertainment.
Bago Vineyard (near Port Macquarie)
More wine tasting...it's not hard to stay entertained in and around Port Macquarie.
April 3
Missed our flight to Cairns!!! Shocking that it's the first flight I've ever missed. We weren't even close to making it! It was a poor calculation of how long it would take us to tour around Nelson Bay, sample some of their famous pies, check out the beaches, etc. We realized (after it was too late) that there was absolutely no way that we would make our flight. It only set us back $50Aus and 3 hours, but the airport has plenty of entertainment.
Port Macquarie- Ironman Day
April 1
The Ironman was amazing and difficult to watch. Theresa, Joanne, mom and I made it down for the 6:30 am swim start. We even saw a dolphin swimming right near the pack of athletes.
The swim times were fast and the bike seemed perfect- rolling hills, 3 loops, 1 very steep climb, excellent fan support. The run course was also ideal, running through town along the coast and then to rolling hills along the more secluded beaches.
We stood in the stands and cheered on the first few hundred athletes to cross the line. Jason Shortis, the second place male was funny and emotional and inspiring to listen to. The #1 woman was a bit less polished, but did an amazing job nonetheless. We were lucky enough to run into the number 2 woman, Belinda Granger, in a bike shop. We spoke to her for about 15 minutes and got the lowdown on all of the pros.
I am motivated and inspired and anxiously await my first Ironman (IM UK still on my mind).
Monday, April 2, 2007
Ironman Blues (Port Macquarie)
March 31
Waking up at 5:45 a.m (standard time for the past month), I knew it would be a day of mixed emotions as I would be surrounded by Ironman athletes in the town that I had been picturing for the past year. I set our for a run around 6:15 to check out the area and try to get my head straight :). As soon as I reached the top of Hill Street, I began to see groups of cyclists and runners. Apparently I wasn't the only one getting an early start to the day. I walked along the beautiful coastline of Pacific Drive. Coldplay's-'nobody said it was easy...nobody said it would be this hard...' appropriately stuck in my head. I smiled and nodded at the oncoming cyclists, checking out the beautiful Cervelos, QRs, Colnagos, etc. etc. etc. and listening to the distinguishable disk wheels as they approached.
I saw something run towards me out of the corner of my eye. I stopped running and saw a koala bear. It ran all the way up to my feet and was literally inches from my toes. The koala stared at me. I stared at the koala- both of us contemplating our next move. After several seconds the koala darted back to the woods where it had come from.
I couldn't stop smiling. When all I was looking for was something, anything, to ease my feelings of disappointment I had a glimpse and an exchange that really did make me feel better. While I'm certainly not over not doing the Ironman, I do keep having friendly encounters that I might not of had otherwise, and that keep me from feeling too sorry for myself!
Sydney & Hunter Valley- Olympic Park & Wine tasting
March 30We spent Friday slowly making our way up to Port Macquarie from Katoomba. We walked through the impressive Acquatic Center in Sydney's Olympic Park.
Continuing our journey north, we traveled to Cessnock and through the wine country. We stopped for lunch at Adina and sampled some of their vino, and then made our way to Emma's cottage- a tiny vineyard with tons of character. The day wouldn't have been complete wihout visiting the chocolate factory offering free fudge.
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