Up, Up and Away June 26, 2006

Up a little after 5am and on the road by 6:15 for the 10 minute drive to the airfield, our spirits were somewhat dampened by the rain that fell against the windshield as we drove toward our ballooning adventure. When we arrived we found several other people waiting and the guys with Windward Ballooning Adventures in a positive frame of mind that we were going to make this flight happen. After a few minutes we were loaded into a bus and away we went, destination unknown. By that I mean the ground crewman driving the bus didn’t know where we were going. Damian, the pilot, and another crewman were in a truck pulling a trailer that carried the gondola (passenger basket) and envelope of the balloon and were looking for clear weather. We were like so many of Australia’s four legged residents, sheep, following along blissfully unaware that there were any issues. Then it started to get light. The clouds were thick and low with a steady drizzling rain falling and prospects of floating in the sky looking doubtful. After an hour or so of drive, look and wait, we found sky that was at least dry and clouds that were at least not so low they seemed to be touching the ground.

45 minutes later after unloading the gondola and envelope, the balloon was assembled inflated and ready to fly. 17 passengers and Damian climbed aboard and we were up, up and away. The wind was very light and the balloon moved easily away from our launch site, a small airfield at Cunderdin. Our pilot expertly moved the balloon up and down to catch different wind currents and using those currents, maneuvered the balloon around a tower, trees and buildings. At times we were only 10 feet above the open wheat and barley fields, but at one time we were approximately 2000 feet above the ground. It’s an interesting feeling to look over the side of a wicker basket and see sweet mother earth considerably more than a short hop away.

The flight was a curious mixture of exhilaration and calm. Most of the passengers were quiet as they watched the world go by. Our pilot would offer a bit of ballooning trivia from time to time, but the only real noise was the roar of one or more of the three burners that Damian used to control the altitude of the craft. I believe we were all glad that this was not a constant during the flight and each blast usually lasted 3-4 seconds or less. Another thing I noticed is that it took 5 seconds or more for the balloon to respond to a blast from the burners. That meant Damian was always thinking in the future and planning what to do next and not relying on the speed of his reactions. However he did it, he did it very well.

As I said earlier, the day was cloudy grey and the area we were in had a feel of rain without the actual event. It made for a monochrome experience through most of the flight. The last 15 minutes or so the sun did try to break through and we were treated to colors. Greens, browns and blues mostly with the multi shades of grey always hanging around the fringes of our expanded world.

We were also treated to views of sheep in the fields and their frightened bleats at times when the balloon was at lower altitudes and the burners would roar to life. Two kangaroos bounded across terra firma as we drifted by. I managed to get one picture but as the roo was moving fast, it’s not the sharpest image I’ve ever captured. I also took quite a few black and white pictures of plow and tire patterns in the fields. They were actually very interesting to see and a few of the pictures are pretty good.

Long before we were ready, the pilot was looking for a landing place. He was in radio contact with Matt, one of the ground crew, who was talking to a farmer about landing in his field. From what we could hear of the conversation it did not sound like the farmer was too happy about us landing on his freshly seeded barley field. Damian however guided the balloon to a landing between the edge of the field and a salt marsh; that is, after hitting a fence post and a large bush on the way down. This seems to be the norm in ballooning and we were on the ground with everyone intact. I heard the old adage “of any landing that you can walk away from…” quoted a couple of times and we all agreed. (To appreciate Damians skill; the area between field and marsh was only about 15 yards wide.)

After helping wrangle the massive envelope to the ground, packing it and loading it and the gondola on the trailer, we were off to a champagne breakfast or brunch as it turned out to be noon by the time we arrived back at town. During the trip back to town, the driver slipped in a CD that consisted of Up, Up and Away by the 5TH Dimension, Come Fly With Me by Frank Sinatra and Top of the World by Karen Carpenter. Over and over and over again. Now that I think about it the balloon burners weren’t so bad after all.

After brunch, Holly and I walked up and down the streets of small-town Northam while taking care of mailing post cards, paying bills on-line at the local library and soaking up the local culture and history in this town of 7000. After a Chinese dinner, of all things, we returned to the B&B and called it a night.

As I post this we have arrived back in Hong Kong where we will rest and regroup. We leave July 2 for Osaka, Japan at which time we will continue the log.

We have decide that we will post pictures on our regular photo web site at http://community.webshots.com/user/davishongkong . We will try to have the Australian pictures posted to this website before we leave Hong Kong.

Run For the Hills June 25, 2006

Holly and I made our breakfast appearance around 8:30 this morning. This is a late start for us but because the Fremantle Mariner’s Museum didn’t open until 10 there was not a big rush to get out the door.

The museum was worth the wait with exhibits of ship wrecks from the area, and some of the history of how the colony was founded, all displayed very well. We wandered through the museum for about two hours before heading to a structure called the Roundhouse. The Roundhouse was the city jail, the hill that the time ball and cannon were hoisted and fired everyday at 1PM so that mariners could set their clocks, a lookout point during several wars and also had a tunnel where the whale oil was unloaded. For us it was a place to enjoy another beautiful day.

After a quick lunch and a little unsuccessful Aboriginal art shopping we headed to the Fremantle Prison (don’t ask, we have some twisted need to see where people were incarcerated) for a tour. The prison was built in 1855 to house convicts from England that were going to be used for road, bridge and other civil engineering projects. Their first project was, you guessed it, building the prison that would house them while they did other projects. It is an impressive structure with thick limestone walls, solitary confinement cells and a gallows where 44 people met their maker. Surprisingly, this building remained the prison for Fremantle until 1991.

After the prison tour we grabbed the car and drove two hours to Northam, a small town in the Avon River Valley located in the Darling Mountains. Holly had acquired some tourist brochures during the trip and we stopped in route to call a B&B and were fortunate that the first one we called had a vacancy. We arrived at the Liddlelow on Avon B&B and are now settled in and taking it easy.

Tonight will be an early one as tomorrow we will get up about 5:30AM to go flying in one of those new-fangled hot air balloons.

Rest Day June 24, 2006

Today we left Margaret River and drove leisurely to Fremantle. The weather was great with temps in the 60s and the sun shinning. When we arrived at the port city we immediately went to the tourist bureau and found a room at a B&B that has internet connection, our first in 5 days. We then had lunch in the historic district after which we toured the open market which began operating in 1898. A movie was on the agenda today as we decided to take it easy.

Tomorrow we will tour the port, more of the historic district and visit the Maritime Museum, keeping our fingers crossed that the beautiful weather we have enjoyed the last few days will continue a few more.

A Whale of a Day June 23, 2006

Breakfast in the town of Margaret River was followed by a pleasant drive (man we were glad weren’t hiking) down to Augusta, which is the town nearest to Cape Leeuwin. Holly had booked us on a whale watching cruise. We boarded the boat along with 30 other souls and headed down the Blackwood River and into Flinders Bay. We crossed the shallow sandbar on the high tide but the captain still had to pick his way to avoid finding bottom. He explained that the mouth of the river had shifted 2 kilometers in the last 15 years and had shallowed considerably.

The day was beautiful, the seas calm and the temperature cool but not cold. The first whales were spotted within 5 minutes of clearing the bar and we headed in their direction. Like most developed countries, Australia does not allow guide boats to approach whales closer than 100 meters, but if the whales come to you it’s OK. Our captain may have pushed this rule a bit. Humpbacks and Southern Right Whales migrate along this coast between May and December making this one of the world’s longest whale watching seasons. For the next 2 hours we sat mesmerized as several groups of whales surfaced and interacted with our boat and themselves. Like our experience with the Menke whales in the Coral Sea, this was a near religious experience. The difference was in the size. These whales were 2-3 times larger than the Menkes, but just as graceful. They are beautiful to watch and as corny as it sounds it is hard not to feel a kinship to these creatures when you are close to them and we enjoyed the experience immensely.

After another careful crossing of the sandbar, during which 20 or so of the passengers had to stand at the bow in order to bring up the stern and allow the props to clear, we headed back to the river and the dock. We disembarked and headed up the hill to town where we lunched at a local café overlooking the river.

After lunch we drove out to Cape Leeuwin and the oldest lighthouse in Australian mainland; an impressive structure that was built in 1895-96. We of course took the tour and climbed the 165 steps to the top while listening to our guide give the history of the lighthouse and the area. (As a note our guide’s father was in the oil business and the family had lived in Houston from 1983 until 1995. Our guide, although Australian, was a graduate of Texas A&M.) The views were fantastic from the top. Holly, now being a seasoned whale lookout, immediately spotted a large whale breeching about a mile south of the light house. She watched through binoculars as the whale breached 5 times. Spectacular!

We left the lighthouse and headed back to Margaret River taking several scenic detours along the way. The last, being just before dark, led us through a forest of huge gum trees. For half an hour we wound our way through the woods and a dirt road, passing only one other car the entire time.
We drove into town to the grocery and restocked our breakfast tucker for next few days. We then ended the day on a perfect note by driving down to the beach and doing a bit of star gazing. There were no lights that we could see and the sky was clear. By that I mean no buildings, no clouds, no pollution, only millions of stars. The Milky Way shown brightly and my favorite constellation, the Southern Cross, was high overhead.

a Real Walkabout June 20-22, 2006

Day 1
We caught the bus in the town of Margaret River and rode the 45 minutes to Dunsborough. A local taxi took us the rest of the way to the Cape Naturaliste Light, where our hike was to start. We thanked Dawn again for her help in arranging our transportation. She then insisted on calling the Chandler’s Smith Beach Resort where we were scheduled to stay that night. We thanked here again and were on our way by 11AM.

The Cape to Cape Track runs along the coast from Cape Naturaliste to Cape Leeuwin, a distance of 135 kilometers or about 84 miles and is a feature of the Leeuwin-Naturaliste National Park. Our three day hike would cover the northern half of the track.

The day was windy and cloudy with more than an even chance of rain. We came prepared with a rain suits and a change of clothes. We also carried a tarp, first aid kit, flashlights, handheld GPS, gators, and food for several meals. The amount of food was due to it being the off season and we weren’t sure what would be open in the small seaside villages that were along our path.

The landscape of the trail varies from beach to forest to sand dunes but consist mainly of waist to shoulder high brush. This would be a tough hike during Australia’s hot summer because of the lack of shade. During the winter the lack of cover means stunning vistas of the Indian Ocean as you move along the path. Today the 30+ knot winds gave added excitement to the scene as 12-15 foot breakers surged onto the beach.

We moved along steadily toward our goal of Smith’s Beach without incident and best of all without rain. We reached Smith’s Beach and the final ¼ mile of the trail was along the beach. This is not fun walking when you have 20-25 pounds on your back. We left the trail at the beach parking lot and walked about 5 minutes up the road to find our accommodations for the night. The manager had told us she leaves at 3PM (everything seems to close early here) and that the key would be in the door to Number 9, the ultimate “express check in”. The bad news was that nothing was open for miles. We cleaned up and had a dinner of instant noodles, cheese and crackers followed by a small block of dark chocolate which came from our tucker (which is Australian for provisions). Number 9 was a suite that has two bedrooms, a bathroom, kitchen, dining area and a covered deck that overlooked the ocean when you looked straight out but a small wooded valley when you look to the right. When we arrived there was a flock of parrots in the yard beyond the deck that were intently pecking at something on the ground.

Day 2
Sore and stiff after covering about 20k the day before we were somewhat skeptical about covering the 31k that lay in front of us today. We decided to call a taxi from Dunsborough to pick us up and drop us at Moses Rock, an access point 11-12k further down the track. Before leaving Number 9 we were standing on the deck and noticed half a dozen kangaroos in the wooded valley to the right of the deck. It reminds us of seeing deer in fields back home.

We were on the trail by 9:30. The day started cloudy but the wind had dropped to about 15 knots. By noon skies had mostly cleared. We hiked past the stiffness and soreness and soon were back in the rhythm of the trail. A couple of hours into the hike we came upon a rock climbing class. A group of about 6 people were being taught to repel down the side of a cliff to rocks that were 100 feet or so below. The rocks were at the waters edge and it looked like the guys were stepping off into a void as they backed over the edge. Another couple of hours on the trail brought us to the body of a dead kangaroo just off the trail. This was a big animal that looked to have stood 5-6 feet tall. We’re not sure what happened, but it did not appear to have been killed by dingoes as the carcass was intact. The day ended in dramatic fashion as we rounded a rocky headland to see our destination of Gracetown across a small bay and as a bonus it was only 3PM.

After wandering around a bit we found the Gracetown Chalets and checked in. There was a small general store that had a slim supply of food, but at the time we looked gratefully at this windfall. We picked up some noodles, spaghetti sauce and ground beef. . I even bought a bottle of wine. This along with Holly’s cheese bread was our end of the day feast. Again we had a two bedroom unit with kitchenette, although it was not as modern or as well kept as Number 9. The only source of heat was a fireplace. The lady that checked us in dropped by, handed me an axe and told us that the wood pile was in the back. “Please help yourself to as much wood as you need”. The wood turned out to be dry, easy to split and burned readily. The blower on the fireplace warmed the apartment nicely that night but the next morning with the fire having burnt down during the night, there was a chill in the air.

Day 3
We were on the trail by 8AM and looked forward to reaching Margaret River. The day was mostly clear although it had rained the night before. This part of the trail runs along a section of the coast that is very popular with surfers. There are a lot of trails that criss cross the Cape to Cape making it difficult to follow the path, and we spent a lot of time looking for the C to C marker posts. As with all trails that we have hiked, this one is marked better in some places more than others. This was an area that could have used more markers. We backtracked almost a kilometer at one point trying to find the trail.

Back on the C to C we found ourselves in thigh high wet brush. Cold and wet we pushed on and finally reached a more open section of the path. Another couple of kilometers brought us to a historic site named Ellensbrook. This was a homestead that was started in the 1880s and thrived, at one time stretching more than 30 kilometers down the coast with cattle and timber being the mainstay. We lingered for a few minutes but then pointed our feet south once again.

For the next hour we were treated to a walk through a forest made up mainly of large eucalyptus trees. This was a treat after walking on the open windswept cliff tops for the past two days, although the trail along this section was comprised of a 4 wheel drive road that was mostly soft sand which made for difficult walking. When we broke out of the forest, the trail once again led us to the beach where we stopped for picnic lunch. The day was sunny, warm and relatively calm and we enjoyed the brief respite immensely. Between us and our destination lay the Margaret River which when running, floods the sand bar at the mouth of the river. There is a point along the trail when you decide to take a detour which means a couple of hours of road walking or staying on the trail to cross the bar. The local Department of Conservation and Land Management will tell you if the trail if the bar can be safely crossed and we had the numbers to call.

Our plan was to call when we reached the detour. In slogging along the soft sand road we had missed the detour point and did not realize that until we stopped for lunch. I’m sure it will surprise no one when I say we did not have a phone signal. Armed with the knowledge that this has been one of the driest season in years we pressed on, knowing that we may not be able to get across which would mean back tracking 6-7 miles. Another two hours of hiking along a rock strewn beach and over the Cape Mentelle headland brought us to the moment of truth. As we climbed over the last hill the silent prayer we had offered to the trail gods was answered when the bar across the mouth of the Margaret River came into view. We crossed quickly lest they change their minds and headed to the beach resort where we were to spend two nights in a row. As we walked along the road toward the resort, Holly spied a short cut across a low lying area that saved us at least another 15 minutes of walking along the hilly highway. Double Bonus!

We were tired, but happy to have had the experience of trekking through this part of the world. The Aussies do a great job of enjoying the natural environment without putting too much strain on it. The park is well used but not abused and as in all parts of Australia that we have visited, clean is the byword. Litter was nonexistent as was vandalism, graffiti and other related problems that we have seen in parts of the US.
First, pizza for dinner at the Sea Garden Restaurant, then a good night’s sleep with the contentment of having hiked about 40 miles through some incredibly spectacular scenery.

South to Margaret River June 19, 2006

We left the hotel this morning about 8 AM heading south toward Margaret River and the beginning of our 3 day hike on the Cape to Cape Track. We pointed the car toward the coast thinking we would take the scenic drive.

The first town we came to was Fremantle which hosted the 1987 America’s Cup race. We drove straight through the town but plan to go back and tour on Sunday. The highway alternated between two and four lane following a more or less direct route south. The drive was uneventful until we reached Australind where we took a smaller side road that was marked “Scenic Drive”. The road ran along Leschenault Inlet. Not as dramatic as we had seen in Tasmania but a nice change from the drive so far. During our ride this morning we had seen a number of kangaroos that had been hit on the highway, but had not seen any live ones. Along the scenic inlet road we saw herds(?) of them lounging in fields along the wayside. They were lying about in pastures which made us wonder if this was a “roo” farm as there is quite a bit of the meat served in Australia. The only fence was a five strand barb wire about 40-45 inches high which we didn’t think could contain the animals. We concluded that they were wild and in the fields along with some horses because of the availability of feed.

We stopped at Cape Naturaliste, the starting point of our hike, so that we would know where to go tomorrow morning and not waste time at the beginning of the hike. When we arrived we found that they gave tours of the lighthouse. We couldn’t resist as we are avid fans of lighthouses as well as the old time lighthouse keepers. While we were waiting for the tour to start I asked the guide, a very nice lady named Dawn, if she knew of any shuttle service between Margaret River (MR), where our resort is, and Cape Naturaliste, where we will be starting the hike. She said there was no service but believed there was a bus that ran between MR and Dunsborough, the closest town to the cape. In seconds she was on the phone calling the bus line and had all the information shortly, and we were set. Our plan is to leave the car at MR take the bus to Dunsborough, a taxi to the cape and the walk back to MR along the track over 3 days.

The tour of the lighthouse was short but interesting. After a brief history Dawn took us to the top, explained the historical and present day workings of the light and let us walk around the cat walk at the light level. I haven’t mentioned before but it had been raining off and on during the day and the wind had been blowing. From the top of the lighthouse the wind was the strength of a gale. Dawn told that they had a wind speed measurement of over 40 knots that day. The sea was in turmoil below us with the Indian Ocean surf running 10-15 feet high. After the tour we went to a lookout point called Sugarloaf Rock that Dawn had suggested. The water was thrown 70-80 feet into the air as it crashed against the rock. We climbed over a jumble of large rocks to get a better view and pictures but had to continually fight to stand against the wind. Holly and I were both humbled by the display of nature’s power.

From Cape Naturaliste we drove another 45 minutes to the Margaret River Beach Resort where we are staying tonight and will leave the car until our return on Thursday after the hike. We had the best meal of the trip at a little place named the Sea Garden Café. It’s run by a Kiwi that has real imagination with food. Dinner was served with a show as his two young sons followed behind the waitress blowing out the table candles immediately after she had lit them.
Tomorrow’s forecast is for more wind and rain. I believe it; as I sit here writing this the wind is pounding against the windows and sliding door of our studio apartment. (Off season traveling is a good thing sometimes) We’ll hope for the best as we have three days of hiking ahead of us.

Hither and Yon June 18, 2006

Up at 4:15am and at the Hobart airport by 5:10am, today was a travel day in which we moved to Perth, West Australia. Other than the first flight being delayed and some momentary concern that we would miss our connection, the 6 hour transit was stress free. The weather was clear most of the way and we were able to view a good deal of territory in route. We were even treated to an optical illusion called a bull’s eye. This is a round, target-shaped sun projection on the clouds made up of the colors of the rainbow. As we descended and got closer to the clouds, the shadow of the airplane appeared in the center of the bull’s eye.

Once at the Perth airport we picked up the rental car and headed into town to our hotel, The New Esplanade. The hotel is located downtown in the older section. In Hobart “historic section” was a proper term, but here “older” seems proper. Perth seems to be in the process of urban renewal with construction running rampant.

Our room wasn’t ready as it was early yet, so we left our packs and went for a walk in search of lunch. A short walk from the hotel we found a small café / pub that looked like a hangout for the local rugby and soccer crowd as there were 8 or 10 of them drinking beer and watching a game when we came in at 11am. (Perth is 2 hours behind Hobart).

I decided that since we have been touring for 10 days and it was Father’s Day, I was taking the afternoon off. I went to the hotel and started editing photographs that I had taken. Holly, being the tenacious tourist that she is, went for a walk along the Swan River in the park that stretches for a couple of kilometers along its banks and also fronts our hotel. She came back with some great pictures of black swans, cormorants, and a graceful looking pelican. (photo of cormorant with wings spread).

She also visited a tower that is billed as a one of the largest instruments in the world at 60 meters tall and is made up of bells that were housed at St. Martins in Trafalgar Square from the 14th century. The bells have heralded the coronation of every British Monarch since as well as the defeat of the Spanish Armada and the return of Capt. James Cook.

With the sunset at around 5:30pm, we are in the room for the night and looking forward to the drive south to the capes tomorrow in preparation for the coming trek.

A Walk-About Town June 17, 2006

After the Lodge’s adequate continental breakfast, Holly and I headed for the Salamanca Market which is held every Saturday morning along the street of the same name. It climbs uphill from the harbor and resembles a flea market with anything and everything for sale. We strolled through looking at the wares and listening to the street musicians. One of the larger bands had 8 musicians and at the same time we saw several 8-10 year old violinists that were playing solo. Holly bought a pair of earrings to replace ones she had lost a day or two earlier. I bought a less decorative item, a pair of Australian wool socks to keep my feet warm while we are here.

We moved on to an area of town called Battery Point. This is part of the historic district and the narrow streets are lined with small quaint cottages and houses built beginning in the 1820s. Hobart has the feel of a small San Francisco with the town spreading up and away from the original central harbor. It is picturesque, yet with a much lived in neighborhood feeling.

Lunch was next on the agenda so we headed for Mures Lower Deck. Mures is a longtime establishment famous for its fish and chips, which we tried. Very tasty. I followed it with a local brew wearing the Cascade label (made here in Hobart). I like to sample the local beers when we travel and I was not disappointed with my choice. Mures is located on Victoria Dock which is next to Constitution Dock. Constitution Dock is where the sailboats moor at the end of the Sydney to Hobart race that starts in Sydney on Boxing Day (the day after Christmas). Holly and I saw the start of the Sydney Hobart a few years ago when we doing the Harbor Bridge Climb in Sydney. Very exciting when you have seats 300 feet above the harbor.

With lunch behind us, the Maritime Museum was the next stop on our self styled walking tour. Housed in one of the older buildings along the harbor the museum is small but filled with interesting exhibits. When visiting port cities and towns we try to make a point of going to the maritime museums. Almost always, the early days of these communities will have been molded by the sea faring trade or naval warfare. These storehouses give the visitor a more in-depth look at both the history and current day workings of the sea ports, the inhabitants and the sailors that visited over the years.

The Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery was just across the street and our last tour stop of the day. This is a large museum / gallery that displays Aboriginal history, European history, natural history as well as special exhibits. The current exhibit is about Antarctica, and again covers all aspects. Another interesting display contained the log of Capt. James Cook and the diary of the naturalist on the voyage, Joseph Banks. Right next to this was the log that Capt. Bly kept beginning with the mutiny of the Bounty’s crew. He sailed a lifeboat with 20 loyal crewmen almost 4000 miles to Timor where they found passage back to England. Say what you will about Bly, but the man could sail a boat and maintain discipline. There were no major works of art in the museum and the art focused on colonial life here which made it interesting.

Today’s weather was typical of a cool fall day; blue skies, white clouds and a weak sun that creates very long shadows and casts everything in a soft light. The high temp was probably 60 degrees and the low in the 30’s. Perfect.
I wish that we had more time in Tasmania as we have just scratched the surface. We have been told the western side of the island is even more dramatic and rugged than the areas that we toured. The people here appear easy-going, and have been very friendly and helpful. They seemed to consider themselves as part of, yet separate from the rest of Australia. The culture is international. The land and sea are spectacularly beautiful and spotlessly clean while the air is fresh and unpolluted. If you have the time and want to see what life can be like I would suggest a trip to Tasmania. Once you get here the rest of Australia and New Zealand are just a few short flight hours away. I think you would find it time well spent.

On The Convict Trail June 16, 2006

We were up early this morning so that we could catch the sunrise from the Cape Tourville Lighthouse. The lighthouse sits on a promontory about 200 feet above the surf which was pounding its granite walls. Some of the granite here has a distinct red color which is vivid in the early morning light. We stayed for about 45 minutes and then the wind, cold and the call of the open road started us moving.

We left FNP and headed south in the direction of Port Arthur. Along the way we stopped to admire and photograph the stunning vistas and to get a publish worthy picture of all things, a sheep or sheep(s). Holly had become taken by the little woolly buggers and wanted a picture with some scenery attached. Another example of what you think would be an easy chore turns out to be a Herculean task. I now believe that sheep are just slightly less accommodating than butterflies when it comes to having their picture made. She was able to get a few shots but as we haven’t reviewed them yet on the big screen she is not sure if at least one is satisfactory. If so we’ll plug it in when we overcome our technical difficulties.

As the kilometers rolled by we continued to be astounded by the scenery. Stops were made at the Tasman Monument where Able Tasman first stepped ashore in what is now the village of Dunalley.
A natural phenomenon called the Tessellated Pavement is an usual rock formation caused by the sea depositing salt water on layer of hardened compressed silt. As the water evaporates the salt that is left behind causes the silt to crack in a cobblestone like pattern. The pattern ran along the shore for about half a kilometer.
The next oddity was a blow hole. Here the sea has eroded a tunnel through the cliff and a somewhat circular section of the roof collapses leaving a pool about 50 yards inland. As the surf hits the cliff face, water is forced through the tunnel and spouts upward in the pool. Very cool effect.
The Tasman Arch was similar except the tunnel that was eroded into the cliff face was about 75 feet high and had formed an arch. Again, very impressive.
The neat thing about this kind of touring is that you can pull off and look at any of these things that may tickle your fancy. As you can tell our fancies were continually delighted as we saw all of this and more.

We have seen signs for “The Convict Trail” several times since leaving Hobart yesterday. We’re not sure if this a road that was built by convicts or a figure of speech referring to the early population of the area by convicts but in any case we decided to make the last tour stop for today Port Arthur. Port Arthur was a working maritime village when someone in merry old England decided that with a little cheap labor a successful commercial venture could be managed from here, and so a prison was born. It was established as a penal colony in 1830 and operated until 1877. An impressive array of buildings on a site that would be the envy of a modern day resort gives you a first impression that maybe prison life here wasn’t so bad. To further promote that thought, we were told that this was designed to be one of the more progressive penal institutions of its day. This was put into perspective for us when we were told that meant no more than a hundred lashes at a time and chain gangs were usually no more than 20-25 people chained together. To put it mildly Victorian England did not molly coddle her criminals. There was also a boy’s prison here with the average prisoner being between 14 and 17 years old. The youngest on record was 9. The last few years the institution was in operation it became a pauper’s depot and a “Lunatic Asylum”. (Note; this is somewhat of a personal travel milestone for us because it is the furthest point south that we will travel on the Davis East West Expedition. In Port Arthur we were at S 43ﾟ08 .735’ latitude.)

With the Port Arthur tour finished we headed back to Hobart where we are now back in the Lodge on Elizabeth. We’ve just finished a delicious dinner of instant noodles (Holly) and a peanut butter sandwich (me). Once we were installed in our room neither of us felt like getting back out as it has rained on and off all day and has been windy and cold. Not a bad meal, but we are looking forward to some local sea food tomorrow, which we have designated as Hobart day. We will stay in town and see the local sites.

A Wineglass and Wallabies June 15, 2006

Over breakfast at the Lodge this morning, we decided where and how to spend our first day in Tasmania. After conferring with our new friends Keith and Ann, we decide we would drive to Freycinet National Park (FNP).

It’s a beautiful two hour drive to FNP northeast of Hobart through country where the sheep outnumber the people 100 to 1. The narrow two lane highway meanders through rolling hills while crossing rivers and skirting the coast of the Tasman Sea. Eucalyptus (gum trees), beech, pine and various fruit trees spotted the hill sides. The occasional vineyard passed our gaze as we leisurely made our way to the Freycinet Peninsula. The one constant was sheep. At first these woolly non-threatening animals added a sense of domestication to the bucolic scene, but after the first million or so we began to have the feeling we were being cast in a bad remake of a certain Alfred Hitchcock movie.

All our trepidations were forgotten as we approached the town of Swansea. A few kilometers shy of Swansea, the road begins to parallel Great Oyster Bay. The opposite side of the bay is defined by Freycinet Peninsula. Freycinet is a rugged, mountainous finger of land that extends due south from Cape Lodi. The wind was gusting to 30-40 knots across the bay, blowing the tops off of waves as they rushed toward us to finally crash on the beach. It was a wild chaotic scene made more dramatic by the backdrop of Freycinet’s Hazard Mountains.

We arrived at FNP around 2:30pm and were afraid that would not have time to climb to the Wineglass Bay overlook. This is one of the more famous views in a part of the world known for spectacular scenery and we did not want to miss it, but we also didn’t want to be out on a rugged unfamiliar trail after dark. We had read that a round trip would take about three hours and with darkness falling about 5pm it did not look like we were going to have time to complete this hike. We stopped at the park visitor’s center and were told by a very helpful lady ranger that it would take 3 hours for a round trip to the beach but only about 1.5 hours to hike to and from the overlook. We hurried to the trailhead and started toward a gap in the hills that rose in front of us. The trail climbed steadily as it left the parking area winding its way through the gum tree forest. As we topped a rise, Holly pulled up short as she spotted a wallaby sitting by the trail. A wallaby is a small (this one was maybe 12-15 lbs and standing about 24 inches high) kangaroo looking creature; it seemed not too disturbed by people, or at least not in a national park setting. He let us get within 15-20 feet and as we didn’t make any loud noises or quick movements he sat calmly as we continued on toward our goal. Five minutes later we were at the overlook and being rewarded for our efforts. (If we can sort out the problem with publishing photos we will post a shot of Wineglass Bay and the wallaby. By the way it was named Wineglass Bay because of the symmetrical curve of the beach and the dark color of the water. No I’ve never had any blue wine either but I guess you have to use your imagination). After spending 20 minutes or so at the overlook and with the light fading we headed back down though the pass. Our wallaby friend was no longer on the trail, but as we continued down the mountain we met several others. Like a lot of animals they are most active at night. They are also so damned cute that it’s hard to resist wanting to pick one up.

We did not have hotel reservations for tonight so we started looking for a place to stay. Although this is a national park and a tourist area, it is remote so we knew that we may end up driving back to Swansea (50k) or further to find lodging. Good fortune smiled on us and we are now housed in a small but new cabin in a place called Iluka Holiday Centre in Coles Bay, just a few minutes from the park entrance.

Tomorrow we head south, so stay tuned.

Further down Under June 14,2006

Our flight took off from Cairns about 1:30 PM today as we headed south toward Hobart. Being that we are living in the topsy turvy world of the Southern Hemisphere two things begin to take meaning; one is that although it is June its winter time, two is that as we go south it will get colder. In Cairns we were at approximately South 15ﾟlatitude which means that we were in the tropics, or to put it another way if we were in the Northern Hemisphere and at the right longitude we could have been in Martinique, West Indies. Now, being in Hobart which is at South 43ﾟthat would be the Northern Hemisphere equivalent to being in Portland, Maine and I will remind you that it is winter here.

Having whined enough, it’s not as bad as it sounds. The high temperature in Cairns today was forecasted to be 77ﾟ, the high in Hobart was forecasted to be 55ﾟ. Not exactly a winter wonderland. According to the Tasmania Tourism Board it rarely reaches the freezing point in Tasmania or anywhere else at sea level in Australia. It must be something to do with ocean currents and prevailing winds.

Tasmania is another of the Australian states that was founded as a depository for England’s castoffs. Convicts were shipped here and used as labor to build a new British colony. A sentence of seven years hard labor was not unusual for the horrific crime of stealing a loaf of bread. My guess is that the economics of sending someone on a three month one way all expense paid cruise dictated that you needed to get your pound of flesh in return, not to mention that those damned new Americans had not only stopped the revenue stream from those colonies but had also cost the British a few shillings in war debt. What was the empire to do?

We found our B&B around 10:15 PM without any problems thanks to the computer printed directions that the Hertz agent had given us. The Lodge on Elizabeth Street is where we are staying tonight. Keith and Ann, the substitute inn keepers, made us feel right at home by doing everything but tucking us into bed. They have an Inn in the Sunshine Coast which is located in North Queensland and were nice enough to give their friends who own the Lodge a holiday during the off season. They are very nice people with Keith having a joke for all occasions.

We have a rental car here and will begin touring South Eastern Tasmania on Thursday June 15. We are looking forward to seeing the historical sights as well as the natural beauty of Australia’s most southern state. If we don’t freeze and are not thrown into a convict work program we will try to update again tomorrow.

Going up down under

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Cairns is a tourist town, think Panama City, Florida, with dive and tour booking shops instead of water slides and go-carts. The dive shops obviously are all about the Great Barrier Reef. The tour shops are about Kuranda, Cape Tribulation and Daintree. The area is still mostly in a natural state when you get outside of town so the focus is about ecology and the aboriginal culture.

We opted for the Kuranda Scenic Train to take us into the mountains where the village of Kuranda is located at 1100’ above sea level and return via the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway that brought us back to the beach.

Kuranda was a stop on the Range Railway that stretched from Cairns to Granite Creek. The railway was built between 1887 and 1893 and done completely by hand. The trip that we did today took approximately 1.5 hours and traversed through the Barron Gorge as well as 15 hand dug tunnels. This is a truly scenic trip with views of the costal plains and Coral Sea as well as the Barron River Gorge and Barron Gorge Hydro Electric Power Station. We were also treated to views of Stoney Creek Falls, a waterfall just meters from the tracks as well as the occasional sighting of poinsettia and mango trees. The poinsettias, both red and white were blooming and stood out amid the green rainforest background.

We arrived at the Kuranda station to find a tourist mountain Mecca. (Remember what I said about Panama City.) Holly and I decided we would take in Butterfly World, the largest butterfly aviary in Australia, where we tried for about an hour to get GOOD pictures of the little winged demons. If you have never tried to photograph a butterfly you would be amazed at how little time they spend sitting still in perfect pose. Oh there are one or two varieties that will just spread their wings at the drop of a lens cap but the frustration level with the other 100 or so varieties more than make up for it. Between us we shot about 60-70 pictures. Between us we have about 4 that are worth showing. Enough said about that. The other attractions on the Kuranda circuit were Bird World, Venom Zoo, Koala Gardens, Crocodile Adventures and the ever popular Tjapkuai Aboriginal Culture Park. Starting at US$10 per head, per attraction we declined further exploration into this current day Barnum world.

We had a great hamburger at a small sidewalk café and then headed for the Skyrail. The Skyrail is a 7.5 km aerial tram that passes over the world’s oldest surviving continuous rain forest. The highest point is 1788 feet which it reaches as it crosses Red Peak. The tram is in two sections and you transfer to a second gondola at a midway point in order to complete the entire journey. The views of both the rain forest and the costal plains are spectacular. The rain forest is dense from floor to canopy offering only occasional views into its foliage. When we crossed the last ridge line, the rain forest seemed to drop away and the coastal plains filled the gondola. The low hanging dark clouds gave the scene a dramatic overtone that made us want to find a sturdy roof and a fireplace.
Our Gondola docked shortly after the steep descent from the ridge. We disembarked and went looking for our bus back to town. Twenty minutes after boarding, we were on the streets of Cairns and headed to our hotel. With nothing planned except for laundry and this log, we look forward to a quiet restful night.

Tomorrow we head for Hobart, Tasmania, the second leg of our journey and a visit to winter.

Diving Down Under

We arrived in Cairns on Thursday, June 8th, around 10 in the morning. We checked in with the dive company's office and were told that we wouldn't be boarding the dive boat until 7pm so we walked around town, had breakfast, saw a movie, had a late lunch / early dinner and then finally met our group and proceeded to the boat.

The boat is a twin engine catamaran named SpoilSport. Purpose designed and built for diving she is roomy and is stable at sea. We shoved off around 11pm, heading for the Great Barrier Reef. The wind was blowing 20-30 knots and the seas were rough, but the ride was comfortable enough especially since Holly and I had only slept 2-3 hours the previous night during the flight from Hong Kong.

Friday, June 9th
We woke up Friday morning to cool cloudy skies and the wind still blowing hard enough to take the top off of the waves. We did three dives that day and were thrilled with the pristine condition of the reef. This particular cruise is focused on minke whale watching as it is the time of year when they are sighted in this area; they move through the Coral Sea in June and early July, - we didn't spot any the first day. The good news was the chef on board had taken time off from a 5 Star restaurant to spend time on the sea and enjoy life a little. The restaurant's loss was our gain, all of the meals were wonderful.

Saturday, June 10th
Day 2 of the cruise dawned with the sun in place of the steely grey skies that we had seen the previous day. The wind also laid down which made entering and exiting the water much easier, not to mention life in general on the boat. Holly and I were swimming back to the boat after our second dive when we noticed our crew mates seemingly abandoning ship. When we came to the surface one of the crew yelled to us that they had spotted whales "thar she blows") and pointed us in the direction. The Australian government has very strict rules concerning interaction with whales. The first rule is that you cannot approach them, they must approach you. The second is that anyone in the water during whale contacts must be tethered to the boat by a rope, cable etc. We were pointed in the direction of a line that had been attached to the stern. When we were about 75 feet from the boat we saw our first whale.

To tell you it was a near religious experience does not do it justice. It was a magical experience, as in - Disney eat your heart out - magical. Over the next two days the whales continued to find us (the SpoilSport crew will say it was the other way around, but I believe the whales hold all the aces in this game) and they continued to get closer. By the end of day two they were coming within 6-8 feet at times, eyeing us with what can only be described as a conscious curiosity. I stayed in the water for hours laying face down with a snorkel protruding from my mouth and a mask on my face. The water was in the mid 70's, which is cold for those of you who are not familiar with such things, but I could not get enough of being close to an animal that was large enough to do whatever it pleased yet only wanted to get close enough for a good view of the alien creatures that were on the peripheria of it's world. It was amazing!

Sunday, June 11th
Our last dive was at the famous Cod Hole where we saw Potato Cod that weighed up to 400 lbs. Impressive fish when nothing is between you and them but the glass in your mask. Fortunately they are not interested in people and didn't even aknowledge our presence by moving as we swam by.

The last night on the boat we had a BBQ on the back deck with Captain Pete and Crew Shae bringing out their guitars and entertaining us with both American and Australian songs followed by another great meal. After dinner we had a photo contest that I was honored to win with a close up shot of a surfacing whale that I had taken from the top deck of the boat. The prize, a fine bottle of Australian red wine.

Monday, June 12th
This morning we woke with the boat moored in a protected harbour at Lizard Island and the end of our trip. we took one of the tenders ashore and caught an 8 passenger plane for the hour long flight back to Cairns. The wind was back to 20-30 knots and the flight had to be kept under 1000 feet because of dive retrictions that involve the amount of nitrogen that accumulates in your body while diving. This has to do with the "bends" or decompression sickness as the nitrogen bubbles in your blood stream if you move to an enviroment of less pressure to quickly after breathing compressed air under pressure.) Needless to say the flight was a little rough but we had a good pilot and made it without any problems.

We've attached the winning picture and a picture of Holly and I for your enjoyment. Sorry for the length of this posting, but it has been a very full 5 days. I wonder if this is the model for this trip as we never know when we will have online access.

Until next time.

Just a note; We are having trouble uploading images and will post them as soon as the problem is resolved.

Starting a New Life, for a while anyway

It's 10:30Pm and we're sitting in the HK airport. Our flight is at 11:30 and it feels like we've been here forever. We're scheduled to arrive in Cairnes, Australia at 8:30 tomorrow morning. I'm not sure if a redeye is the best way to start a new chapter of one's life but it certainly lets you know that a change is in the offing.

Tomorrow we board a Mike Ball liveaboard dive boat for 4 days of diving on the Great Barrier Reef and in the Coral Sea. It's Minke Whale season so they tell us we have a good chance to see some whales while we're out. I'll try to find a Minke Whale call tomorrow before we board as well a jumbo bag of whale feed. Holly and I both believe in being prepared so maybe two bags of the feed.

We are excited about getting on the road and all the adventures that are waiting out there. I hope the next entry will have a little less philosphy and a little more adventure. Until then.

June 5: Getting ready to go; two days and counting

When we first thought about taking this trip it sounded very exciting and adventurous. Then we started talking about how to live on the road for 5 to 6 months, moving from place to place in and out of urban settings.

For years I have planned for the day that I would have time to hike the Appalachian Trail which will take about the same amount of time as this trip. The difference is that we won't be living in the woods. We will be living in cities, towns and villages, traveling on trains, buses and ferries, eating in restaurants, going to museums and shopping in markets. In other words we will be constantly interacting with people. So appearance and personal hygiene will be more important than it would if we were spending months in a more remote isolated setting.

We decided that we would approach the trip in two segments. The first is Australia where it will be winter; we have a three day trek planned south of Perth in the western part of the country. After Australia we are returning to Hong Kong and will be able to modify our pack list to accommodate Japan, Mongolia and the Siberian Express. Holly came up with an idea of shipping a box to the hotel in Moscow so we will have some fresh clothes when we arrive. Part of our concern is growing tired of wearing the same clothes everyday. We have talked to other travelers and this has been a common theme of several of them.

First we decided on the type of clothes. Lightweight nylon and polyester clothes pack small and will dry quickly and are suitable for washings in the bathroom sink. While not super stylish we have been able to find clothes that will allow us to move through societies while not "standing out in the crowd". We each have decided on a minimum amount of clothing i.e. 2 pants, 4 shirts (Ts and collared) socks, underwear, jacket, 1 pair of hiking shoes, 1 pair of sandals, a pair of flip flops and miscellaneous caps, gloves, belts etc.

The next items we looked at were bathroom items. Again, we tried to minimize and take only what we need, carrying a reasonable amount of consumables.

Camera equipment makes up the next heaviest category of what we will carry. With 3 cameras and cases, battery chargers, digital storage wallet and accessories, this continues to be the area that I have an ongoing debate with my self. The problem is that we will go through some of the most scenic areas of the world. We want to make sure that we can capture the memories.

We are also carrying a compact laptop, I Pods, compact binoculars, sunglasses, sunscreen, insect repellent, paperbacks, water filter, first aid kit, walking sticks and a small light weight tarp.

The question was how to carry all of this stuff while using so many modes of travel. We decided on lightweight but large capacity backpacks. We chose "GoLite" Galaxy packs because they weigh 3 lbs 9 oz and have a 70 liter capacity. These packs also have split main compartments with two way access that will make it easier to find what we need.

All this has been done over the last month or so and now as we come down to the last few days before we start the trip we continue to look for last minute items and make last minute decisions on what goes and what gets shipped home or to Moscow. We will have to sort this out in the 2 days as we leave on Wednesday, ready or not.