Australian Trip

by Tab Hauser

Melbourne, Alice to Ayers, Queensland Rainforest, Great Barrier Live Aboard & Sydney

NY Departure August 10^th 2004 at 3:20PM

After countless hours of planning that can go back to the late fall we finally left NY’s LaGuardia Airport on August 20^th at 3:20 PM.  To put this trip together I used information I gathered form the NY Adventure Travel show, some information on the web forums I went through, travel information I collected for years and a guide book or two.  This trip took  us to see relatives and some sights in Melbourne. We spent 4 nights in the red center which  included a night at the Glen Helen Resort, a cold night in the Kings Canyon Resort  and 2 nights at the Ayer’s Rock Resort Emu Apartment.  After this  we flew to Cairns and drove north to Cape Tribulation and the Coconut Beach Resort for 2 nights and then 3 nights at the Silky Oaks Lodge before we headed back to Cairns to be on a  the live aboard dive  boat Taka II.  Finally the last 3 nights were spent in Sydney before heading home.

Our flight plan had us leave on US Air from LaGuardia with a 41 minute layover in Pittsburgh and change of planes to Los Angeles where we had an almost 4 hour layover.  I would personally like to thank and trash United Airlines for this.  We are flying 1^st Class to LA via Pittsburgh and business class on Qantas.  Our routing was NY, Pittsburgh, LA, Melbourne with domestic flights of Melbourne to Alice Springs, Ayers Rock to Cairns and Cairns to Sydney before we headed home to NY via LA and Pittsburgh. Originally we wanted to fly United Airlines direct across the U.S.  Then change to their planes to the Australia.  On the return we wanted to stop in Hawaii before heading home.  I called United several months in advance on the day the seats were to be released for frequent miles and was told they were not available. In fact they were not available with in a one week date of our travel which tells me this nearly defunct airline does not honor its mileage program.  I could buy everyone of the business class seats as non were booked, but they would not honor them miles usage.   With United failing us we transferred  the miles into our US Air account and went the way stated above.  If United files chapter for bankruptcy we will not shed a tear for them. (Our company personal will only fly to Asia on N.W. or American from now on as a result of not being able to use miles now two summers in a row with them)

Being that we booked business class to Australia, you get to fly First Class domestically.  Our Pittsburgh section was certainly not worth any extra money anyone would have to pay for the 70 minute flight.  Our layover was cut to 20 minutes in Pittsburgh and it was off to LA.  First Class to LA was a little nicer then the first segment but  not as nice in some ways as our American First Class flight to Cancun. (see Mayan Riviera on this web site).   U.S. Air serves coffee and tea in Styrofoam cups.   There was also no pre-board drink service going to LA.  With American serves you warmed assorted nuts, Champaign or cocktails.     

At LAX we had an easy change going from the US Air domestic terminal to the international terminal via the free airport shuttle.  Business class check in was super fast  at Qantas  and it was off to the Qantas business lounge for about 3 hours.  This was a pleasant place to hang out.  We were able to connect via free dial up and have snacks and drinks before boarding. 

The moment we waited for several months arrived when we boarded the 747-400 and went upstairs.  It was a little anti-climatic as I was telling the kids how we were going to have “near – flat” seats with movies on demand and AC power.  When got settled we had the older style business class lounge seats.  There were several movies but  they ran on a 2 ½ hour loops so if you did not pay attention to the time you missed the beginning of the movie.   The thing I found really annoying was the AC voltage power on board required us to buy an adapter for A$195.  We were advised only the Australia to London routes had the upgraded seating and normal power sockets. (I passed on buying it as these things will be outdated soon enough.   All of this is trivial if you are seated in the coach section where your have a lot less space, can not recline your seat and can be stuck in 2 middle seats..   The  lounge seats in business class reclined enough for all of us to get comfortable and sleep a little. (I find an ambien sleeping pill to be one of mankind’s better drugs of choice when flying over night as I am a very light sleeper). 

We finally arrived in Melbourne (pronounced Mel-burn) on time after the long flight. Our 6 checked bags actually came first off the chute and we cleared customs with 5 minutes.   Our stop in Melbourne was really not so much sightseeing but to see our relatives.  Many have never met our son and we in turn have not seen some of our family in 13 years.  The first day we stayed in Caulfield and visited a school where my cousin is principal and than went out for a great Vietnamese lunch at a place called Quan 88 on Victoria Street.

Friday after breakfast we  got up and went to the zoo. Daniel wanted to see a platypus and the Australian section of creatures.  From there we hopped on a tram and went to Victoria’s Market.  At Victoria’s Market you can get fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and seafood at one of the many stalls. There is also a section for souvenirs, clothes, handbags and prepared foods.  Each section is in a different area.  To me the most interesting  section is the meat and seafood areas where the stall workers hock their goods and specials to the passing people verbally.( “we have beautiful  lamb fillets here….”  )  The prepared foods can be bought for “take away” or enjoyed  at tables nearby.   From here we walked down one of the city’s busier streets called Swanston until we reached the tram area opposite Federation Square and got on one to St Kilda’s.

Saturday was a bust.  We had originally planed months in advance to take the kids skiing and snowboarding.  We picked Mount Baw-Baw (www.mountbawbaw.com.au) because it was an hour closer than Mt. Bueller.  The problem we had was that the weather was horrible. In fact we were told it was one of the worst days in Melbourne in 5 years.  Picture a mid December North east storm.   Not cold enough to snow out in the city but damp, wet and cold enough to go through your skin and not want to do too much.  Today our kids stayed in the house with their young cousins while we drove to and walked around the casino as well as  areas around St. Kilda and Caulfield.  St. Kilda is a place we want to come back to when the weather is warmer.

Sunday it was off to Alice Springs.  We arrived at the airports domestic terminal 45 minutes before our flight and an incredible long line.  The guard told us not to worry as the system is fast. They also have a redundant system to help passengers also on line.  In the event you are in the middle or end  of the line and your flight is getting a little close to boarding  they call your flight number to go to a special line to speed things up.  Overall we were  impressed with the Qantas service.  The flight was also pleasant enough. A cold breakfast was served along with a movie.  On board we were told that Alice Springs is 30 minutes back in time rather than one hour.

After some delays at Hertz we took our very large  manual shift diesel engine Toyota Land Cruiser.  These are the same vehicles you see on the news that  the UN people use in such places like Afghanistan, the Sudan or another other location the UN is called upon.  Our model came complete with full roof top rack and climbing  ladder to top side so we were able to see a  sunset or sunrise above other vehicles.  After picking up the truck we headed to Alice Springs in search of sandwiches.  The bakery I had listed in my book was out of business so we found a Subway shop.  My kids being Subway regulars commented on how they have never seen 2 to 3 people prepare your food so fast.

With kids munching down their food we sped 45 minutes west to a place called Stanley Chasm.  This is a private preserve where you walk through the woods to an area with rock face walls forming a chasm.  Along the way we say some very cute rock wallabies. One had a “Joey” in its pouch.  The idea with Stanley Chasm  is the get there as close as possible to the middle of the day to catch the lights glowing on the walls.  We just caught the last of the orange light on one of the walls. Most people stop there hike here and head back.  This would make it about a 30 minute walk.   The kids decided to continue on past the gorge to do some 3 and 4 point hiking.  I followed and made it to the peak and was rewarded with an incredible view.  I would not recommend this place for anyone interested in pictures unless you go mid day.   We continued on to Glen Ellen on the 2 lane road averaging speeds of about 110 km until we reached Glen Ellen where we checked in.   After dropping our bags off our most basic motel rooms we strolled to the  Glen Ellen Gorge that is right off their property.  The kids still wanting to climb, made it up the wall by the gorge while we just enjoyed the sights around.  After this we were advised to go watch the sunset at near by summit.    Basically the Glen Helen Resort is a  2 star hotel with 4 star service and good food.  They offer tours, helicopter rides and lots of good advise on things in the area.  Friendly service would be hard to come by.  At night we ate some good food here where I decided to try grilled kangaroo for the first time.  (no it does not taste like chicken. It is definitely like meat but chewy).  After dinner we decided to head back to the summit to see the stars in the purest of skies not affected by any light pollution.  What we saw was  millions of stars and the milky going from one end of the sky to the other.  The milky way was so thick you would think you were looking at a cloud.  After this we headed to the bar area to hear some live Aussie folk songs before going to bed.  One thing we had to do before dinner was play SWAT patrol  with mozzies (mosquitoes in Australian).  We are not sure how they got in as the room is pretty sealed up but after about 15 minutes of swatting them we were able to sleep.

We were up at 8AM  and up for a nice breakfast before heading out on the long dirt roads connecting Glen Helen and Kings Canyon.  On the way we saw 5 wild camels a hopping kangaroo in the distance.  The camels were literally walking on the dirt road in front of us so we had to stop.  This gave us a few minutes for pictures.    It was after we closed in for better pictures that we saw them doing a waddling type of run and get  off the road away from us.  This in itself was interesting as the camels decided to waddle back on the road as we getting close so we had to slow down again.  One large camel decided to get off the road and hiss and spit in our direction.  (the photo does not lie).  Anyway after closing in on them at 10km per hour they got the hint and waddled of the road so we can pass.  Doing so though spooked the only wild kangaroo we saw on the roads and we watched his tail in the distance spring out of the area.  Our next mini stop was at Taylor Summit for a good view of the Gross Bluff. We then drove another 30 minutes  into this 140 million year old crater for a look.  From there it was another 2 hours to Kings Canyon where we saw termite hills, wild watermelons growing along the road as well as a big dingo at a watering hole.  The Merinee road we traveled on took about 3 hours.  It  were  in pretty good shape made of packed dirt or what seemed to be scraped earth.  There were  occasional small pot holes as well as areas that were not smooth enough to keep speeds of 80 to 100km but it was a neat way to get to Kings Canyon.

The reason to come to Kings Canyon is the incredible scenic 3 hour hike around the rim.  The hike is meant for anyone in “average” condition if you do not mind a little huffing and puffing at the beginning of the trail.  The trail starts a little steep but once you reach the top of the hill when entering to the left the rest is more or less flat and then down hill.  From the trail you see the different rock formations around the top as well as the magnificent view on the tall walls of the canyon.  I have read descriptions as this being Australia’s version of a grand canyon.  Do not let anyone fool you into thinking this.  The U.S. Grand Canyon has nothing to do with Kings Canyon.  However this hike should be a highlight of the area and the reason to come here.  If you are on an extremely limited amount of time or can not climb up to the top as mentioned earlier you can get a feel for the place by talking the flat hike to the center of the canyon.  This is only about an hour and is very easy.

While Kings Canyon is a great place to visit, Kings Canyon Resort is another story. In my opinion Kings Canyon Resort offers a 3 star hotel room with sub-2 star service service.   We were not impressed with the hotel reception as well as the managers solution to solve the problem of no heat. We were further not impressed that guests are suppose to pay around $170 for a room and not have control of heat or air conditioning in  the rooms had they even worked.   In our kids room the thermostat was at a normal level to adjust.  In our room there was a note stating that the temperature was set for our comfort and the only way we could adjust it was to step on a chair!   This of course did not matter as there was no heat anyway and no portable heaters either.  Worse than no heat was the lack of satisfaction given to us at check out or the fact that guests checking in were not told of the heat problem.  Heat here is not a problem 9 months of the year except it gets very cold in the desert at night during winter.  After the manager said there was nothing he can and refusing to pay my AMEX bill on two rooms he finally took off $69 on one room.  What we liked about about Kings Canyon as the  buffet dinner at Carmichael’s. The food and service was very nice.  I started with peel your own the cocktail prawns that tasted fresh and were of a nice size.  The rest of the hot dishes were very good. The buffet was $45 per person over 15. The surprise was my 13 year old was free.  (a fact the front desk did not care to tell us when we checked in and asked about where to eat.   The check in people were  informative on Carmichael’s and they seemed to only to push  the Outback BBQ for food.   The Outback BBQ from what we saw looked only fair.  They offered meat, fish, chicken and crocodile as well as  12” pizzas (for $17).  Personally I do not like steaks cooked on a steel grill which would have been another reason to avoid this.   Overall, if I come back to this area  to due this wonderful hike I would consider staying down the road at the Kings Creek Station.  On nice note was the bartenders seemed to be very friendly at their pub. This was a good  place to chill out before calling it a night.

On Tuesday the 18^th I checked out only to realize breakfast was not being served in their cafe for some unknown reason.  We took wound up getting picking up some bread and cereal at the gas station / shop before making our way to Ayer’s. This part of our drive was all going to be on paved roads and they are quite good.  While they are not very wide, they are flat and smooth.  We were able to cut off almost 30 minutes on the ride by doing at times 120km per hour in sections. The Land Cruiser stuck to the curves in the road quite well.  I can say that if I ever need to trade up my mid sive SUV for a larger one, I would seriously consider this truck.

After almost 2 ½ hours we stopped on the side of the road. In our excitement to see Ayer’s Rock we mistook it Mt Ebeneezar and took a few photos.  It was 20 minutes down the road that we realized our  mistake and saw the Ayer’s.  It was a dumb mistake as Ayer’s is very smooth while the other one looks like a large plateau. Blame it on over anxiousness to be there and being in the truck a long time!

30 minutes after this stop we arrived at Ayer’s Rock Resort which is more like a village and checked in.  We were a little concerned about staying here at first as this place is run by Voyages.  This is the same company that managers King’s Canyon where we stayed  the night before.   Here check in was friendly, fast, knowledgeable on things we needed to see and do.  To speed things up the desk clerk sent a luggage valet to our truck who took our bags direct to our room while we were able to head to the Aboriginal cultural center  next to the rock and plan what to do next.

To get to Uluru as Ayer’s Rock was called, you pass a gate and pay a $25  fee for people 16 and older that is good 3 days.   We headed to the cultural center to see what was there and to learn about any tours and have lunch.  The place was  interesting showing  a short film, paintings and local lore on different walls.  There was also an information desk staffed by a park ranger.  He advised us that a ranger does a 10AM tour every morning covering about 2km in 1 ½ hours at the monolith. This was called the Mala Walk.   The other option was to pay $52 per person and have a guaranteed aboriginal guide give us a 2 hour tour in the area and teach us how to make glue and throw a spear.  During our barely palatable  lunch at the center our family decided it was not worth $52 pp to learn how to make glue and throw a spear if the free talk about the area was similar.

From here we headed to the Olgas also known for its local name as Kata Tjuta.  This place has monoliths roughly 200 meters higher than Uluru with different shapes.  It has a popular hike called the Valley of the Winds Walk.  This walk is 7.4 km and took us with a few rest stops and pictures about 3 1/2 hours.   If you are in decent shape it is not a great hike.  If you are in average shape like myself and are willing to huff and puff a little here and there,  this is well worth the effort.  I thoroughly enjoyed this hike as it is was very diverse.  I would rate it in some ways a little tougher than our Kings Canyon trek the day before because it is more up and down while Kings Canyon had most of the up hill part at the very beginning.  This place in many ways is more interesting than Uluru (Ayer’s Rock) as you go along the sides and in between the monoliths until you climb up Karingana lookout where you feel the wind blow and are rewarded with  spectacular scenery. After the lookout you head down hill and see a serious of small monoliths and more good scenery.  While Ayer’s is a one magnificent monolith, the Olgas are taller and more diverse.   We did this trip during their winter so we warm in the sun and a little cool in the shade.  The park guide states they close this place for hiking at 11:30 AM in the summer when the temperatures start to reach 36 to 40C or upper 90’s  to over 100F.   They do this so you are not picked up off the floor roasting in the mid day sun.  After this beautiful hike we were going to take some pictures of Ayer’s at dusk on the way back. This plan changed as Maureen slipped on the trail and did a minor injury to her ankle.   (My advise to any photographers is to not let an option of taking this picture go by and plan on doing it twice if need be as I another missed chance later on.)

After our hike we returned back to  Ayer’s Resort and there fully stocked small supermarket.  Staying in the Emu Walkup Apartments was a good idea for our family. The kids had their own room and we had ours along with a kitchen and living room to spread out in.  With this type of set up we decided to make breakfast here each morning.   For dinner the first night we ate at the Gecko Café.  The kids had large plates of pasta.  I had an excellent grilled chicken Caesar’s salad while Maureen had a greek salad and the special spinach and goat cheese pizza.  Other than giving our order accidentally to the next table and waiting for it to cook again, we found the place to be very nice and worth it.  One quirky law we learned about here was when my daughter tried to get her left over pasta to take back to our apartment.  She was not allowed to due to local laws that forbid it.  It seems there is a concern if you take back pasta and you do not prepare it correctly they may be held liable.  The waitress who seemed to think this law was silly also did tell us we would be able to take away pizza though.  This is because it is a “take away” food.  I guess people who take home pizza prepare it properly while pasta eaters are out to poison themselves and sue the people who send them home with it.  We laughed it off and told the kids that travel means learning about others customs that we do not understand or agree with.  In discussing different laws with the waitress, we told her that if she comes to Ontario Canada she had better order her hamburger well done or forget the raw egg in a New Jersey Caesar salad due to health laws.  She laughed at this and thought it was equally ridiculous.     

On Wednesday, August 18^th   we made our way back to Ayer’s Rock to catch the 10AM ranger guided Mala Walk tour.  We considered ourselves  lucky on this tour because we had an aboriginal guide lead the walk.  He told us all about the folk lore of the mala. The mala, extinct in this area but due to be reintroduced here soon, are a small hare like marsupial.  Besides being told of local legends about the mala, we were shown caves with paintings and told what they represented.  Our guided tour also passed by a  sacred area important to the aboriginal women.  This was the only area we were not allowed any photography.   Our guided stroll ended in a water hole at the base of a dried out waterfalls.  He explained that dingo, emu and kangaroo could get water there much of the year.  It was a pretty corner of Ayer’s Rock surrounded by trees.   Next we returned to the parking lot so we can drive around the monolith with a stop at another cave.  After this we decided to take a slow drive around Ayer’s Rock.    When we circled around we noticed the chain link trail to the top of rock was open.  It was closed when we started our guided hike due to winds.  The guide books and entry tickets to the area request you respect local culture and not climb up the rock.  This seemed very odd to us as if they did not want you to climb it why keep a chain link trail to open assist climbers on the strenuous walk up and down.  Also, if aborigines did not want you on it, why are they not there to ask you to stay off it or why not close the trail down?    Originally we promised our Son that he can climb up with his sister he insisted explaining the cultural reason not to climb it.    He still wanted to go up but his sister backed out which left me to go up with him.  This is not a hike for people in poor shape.  I huffed and puffed a good part of the way up taking breaks a few times.  My 13 year old on the other hand kept asking me what was taking so long.  The trail uses short poles connected to chains so that the climber going up can pull on it or use it for balance.  It would also be essential to hold on to these if the wind kicked up as it is easy to understand why there is concern about people’s safety from falling or being blown off or fall down. 

We made it to the top of the chain links in about 25 minutes but did not continue on the 2.4k trail due to lack of time and water.  The view was amazing.  We were able to see for perhaps 80 miles to Gosse Bluff.   The good thing about the climb down was that is not strenuous on me so the hard breathing was over.  What the climb down did require was concentration and balance.  There were very steep areas where it was essential to hold on and take baby steps.  Deciding this was not the best way to go I straddled the chain, gripped it with both hands and leaned back as you would repelling.  While my son beat me  up hill, I got him on the down hill.  He did not like the idea of the hand over hand repelling idea so I was coming down twice his speed but of course waited for him to catch up.  One man coming down with us saw what I was doing and copied it.  There was no strain on the calves coming down  this way.  One important thing to note is that doing this repelling type decent does not work during the crowded morning times when 3 bus loads of people get out and climb.  The next morning after I saw the sun rise the trail was crowded with  people.   The round trip for anyone interested in doing this was just over an hour.  I do not recommend this in the summer as you will roast and  burn with out lots of sun protection.  You will also dehydrate if you do not carry enough water. This is a difficult hike up.

After our hike we headed to  only laundry machines  at the Pioneer Hotel in the Ayer’s Resort.  Pioneer is  a basic type hotel with hostel or community bunk beds available.  Lunch their was take away.  Maureen and the kids ordered a couple of different wraps. I tried the kangaroo cheeseburger.  When I got it I realized it was not what we would call a hamburger but more like slices of tough meat on a bun.  When I went back and told them I could not eat this they were very nice and totally understood.  They switched it for the barrumundi fried fish sandwich at no extra charge and even threw in a soda for the trouble. After lunch the kids took the complimentary shuttle back to the apartment while we finished up with the laundry.

At 5:30 we were off to the “Sounds Of Silence” dinner.  A large bus took about 60 of us to a remote section of the desert area allocated for this dinner.  After disembarking the bus we were lead to a viewing platform to see the sun turn the rock orange as we sipped on Champaign and had canopies of dried emu, roasted kangaroo,  pesto cream cheese and smoked salmon on croutons.  (we found these offerings flavorful and good.  It seems kangaroo really needs to be in a marinade to soften it up)  The sun set to be honest with you  was a bust and not nearly as good as the sunset viewing area you see by car.  The angle we were on had three things against it. First, it was farther away so it was not as dramatic as the parking area.  Second, it was not in a direct line with the sun so it was not as spectacular as it could have been because part of the monolith was shaded.  The third reason for it not being as good was because there were a few buildings in the distance spoiling any photographs to be taken.   Again, the ambiance, the digeroo being played and Champaign was very nice.  The pictures were horrible and not what I have been waiting years to take (beer, wine or soft drinks were also available during sunset). 

Once the sun went down we were directed to candlelit tables and introduced to the chef and serving staff.   Dinner was very good.  It was buffet style combining western food with some “bush tucker”.  They served  bite size citrus marinaded crocodile in a green bean salad next to it was a beef in a mango glaze, boneless roasted chicken thighs, baked barrumundi fish and kangaroo stew.  The  first course was a delicious pumpkin soup served table side. The wine was a Stony Creek chardonnay or Shiraz/Cabernet blend.  After we finished our main courses the staff came around and blew out the candles and turned off the lights.  Then a man came out in a deep authoritarian voice explaining he was the residential astronomer and went into  45 minute lecture on star gazing.  He covered all the bases from astrological signs, to local folk legends to scientific facts pointing out various galaxies and stars.  To point out the planets, stars and zodiac signs he used a powerful wide beam flashlight (or torches as the locals call them).   After this informative talk we walked down past the fire place to view things in his telescopes.

There was a variety deserts next.  It was served with hot mulled port wine and coffee and tea.   Our family was lucky to sit with another family of 4 from England.  The nice things about traveling is swapping stories of where each party has been or is going as well as learning a bit about what other families in the world are like.  In this case they had a 19 and 15 year old boy and the kids were able to swap snowboard / skiing stories about each area.  We highly recommend this classy dinner when you at Ayer’s.  I would recommend making reservations for it when you book your hotel.    The cost was $130 per adult and ½ for kids.

Thursday:  Being that I missed out on the famous sunset pictures I decided I would have to settle for the reverse.  This of course meant waking up early and catching the sunrise.  The problem here is two fold. One is getting up and the other is that the sunrise viewing area is much closer to the rock than the sunset area so unless you have a wide angle lens of  28mm or even less you will not get the entire rock in its morning brilliance.   I made to the sunrise parking area a few minutes after the sun came up.  With bushes and sometimes people in the foreground I climbed up the ladder to the top of my Land Cruiser where my roof top steel luggage mount was able to hold my weight and shot away.  Due to only having the wrong lens I shot the big orange rock a few times in half hoping to get software later that will splice the pictures together.  I also drove around a little and found a bright kangaroo crossing sign that I put in the foreground with most of Ayer’s in the background set to a beautiful sky.  (I will post these shots on my web site soon). 

We checked out was this morning as we had our flight to Cairns was at 12:30.  With time to spare we  headed back to the park for a few more pictures of the big rock at different angles and settings in the late morning sun.    Our flight to Cairns left on time and was pleasant enough.  It seems all Qantas flights of a few hours have a movie and usually a snack or a meal.

Arriving at Cairns we picked up our big Nissan 4WD Patrol and headed up to Cape Tribulation. The reason for another large 4X4 was two fold.  First,  one of our goals on this part of the trip is to drive the Bloomfield Track which starts at the end of Cape Tribulation and ends near Cooktown.  The other reason is that we had 6 checked bags and 4 carry on types and needed the storage room.   After  a stop for late lunch at Ellis Beach headed for the Daintree Cable Ferry for sunset.   From there it was a drive on the dark windy narrow jungle road to the Coconut Beach Resort.  We had dinner at their nice restaurant and called in a night.  The next day we let the kids sleep until 9:30 and headed to Cape Tribulation Beach after picking up some breakfast snacks and water at the local market in town.  We missed breakfast at PK’s this morning. (we also missed dinner the night before as their kitchen closed at 8PM.  PK’s looks like a nice place to eat or hang out and shoot a game of billiards. There bar stays open late.   Our 16 year old daughter did not want to go in with us but said she would hang out there with her friends if she had them here.  I would hang out with my friends there as well at nights given the option.

Cape Tribulation is a very pretty beach.  It is assessable just past PK’s on the right where the Bloomfield Track starts.   The waters are very calm here and there is some shade underneath the forest that borders the sand.   The water was also quite shallow for a ways out during the high tide when we were there.    For lunch we picked up sandwiches in town and went to Coconut Beach behind the pool and restaurant we were staying at.  This beach is longer but in our opinion not as nice.  I would consider it a big plus if a hotel as high a quality as Coconut Beach Resort had chairs and umbrellas for guests to take on the beach.   As we were not impressed with the beach we finished our sandwiches and headed back to Cape Tribulation beach with a stop at Mason’s for an internet check and another sandwich.  (Mason’s is the place as far as we are concerned to get take away food.  They also have some benches in the shade next to the building if you want to eat there.    When we arrived at the beach the tide was another 50 feet out.  This allowed us to look at the different shells exposed and wander out far in the shallow water.   

We left the beach to do something I saw on the Travel Channel’s “Australian Secrets”.  This was to do an exotic fruit tasting at the Cape Tribulation Fruit Farm.

(www.capetrib.com.au).   Visiting this farm is a unique thing no one should miss.  A most colorful character named Digby starts out by talking about his wife’s unusual life and how he got to Cape Tribulation.  His life story is just as colorful  as his  exotic fruits he offers to taste.    He then lists 10 different fruits to be tasted on a wipe board serving what looks good that particular week.   Some of the fruits he had I never heard of.  Some I knew about but had no idea what they tasted like. (the jackfruit for instance which is a bit similar to the bread fruit was one of the sweetest one can taste with a higher calorie count than most).  We tasted Tahitian lime, taro, jackfruit, carambola, yellow sapote, sapodilla, solo papaya, red dragon fruit, rollinia and soursop.  The tasting of each fruit went with an explanation or history of it. Afterward all 10 were served and left overs were available he offered a tour of his 10 acres where he proudly pointed out some of his land that he donated to the world heritage park that will stay forever wild no matter who owns the property after him. Next we returned to our jungle cabins to freshen up go out to  an “average” dinner at the Ferntree Hotel which is the sister company of the Coconut Beach Resort.

Saturday we woke up to an ambitious day.  We had planned to take the 80 km Bloomfield Track and continue to Cooktown.   This road is basically a bulldozed logging track in the rain forest running along the water and hills through the jungles in 1983.  Even though environmentalists protested the road, it got built.  This was the good news for tourists and people needing another way to get from Cape Trib to Cooktown.  While the environmentalists lost the battle on this road, they won the war here as this got the attention of the Federal Government to declare the area off limits to logging and turning it to a National Park.

  (our easy water crossing during the dry season)

Our plan today was originally to go to Cooktown for lunch and a quick look at the museum and then head back on the paved roads to Silky Oaks in Mossman.  My guide book says the the Bloomfield Track is a horrible road.  The locals here also said we would not make it to Cooktown in less than 3 1/2 hours.    While we are experienced and trained in driving off road, these skills really did not come into play except at 3 or 4 places including one water crossing at a little over a one foot deep.  Anyway, we started on the road after talking to some people in Cape Trib not knowing for sure what route to take on the return back from Cooktown or even if we should simply turn around at the Bloomfield Falls and call it quits.   We made our way on this largely unpaved road with some minor stream or river crossings and some switch backs.   We were advised 4WD only and I can understand that based on the condition of the road.   We stopped for at a scenic view about an hour out and talked to a guide of  4WD adventure tour who was letting his passengers out for a photo opp.   He advised us we were only 5 minutes from the Bloomfield Falls and 90 minutes from Cooktown.  With this in mind we proceeded to Bloomfield Falls and walked in about 5 minutes where we afforded a great view of this very tall falls.  From here we bought some cup cakes from a local family at the aboriginal village of Wujal Wujal and proceeded on to Cooktown figuring we were ahead of schedule. 

 

We made it Cooktown in 1 hour and 15 minutes from Bloomfield Falls and drove straight up to the lighthouse for the beautiful view of the entire harbor where Captain Cook’s ship Endeavor was wrecked and repaired.  The view also included various mountains and is worth driving up the narrow road to the top.  From here headed into town to take a picture of the Captain Cook Statue.  Both he and I (and Teddy Roosevelt are born on October 27^th.  I have a picture with his statue in Anchourage as well. From here it was off to  lunch and a quick visit  to the Captain Cook Museum.  The Museum while nice is not worth a special trip to Cooktown but should be visited if you are in the area.  It is dedicated to the area more so than the great Captain.  I would like to say that had we dedicated more time to this village we would have taken the self walking day tour.  One last thing about Cooktown we recommend is that you have a beer at the Cooktown Hotel if you are with out kids.  While we did not have one ourselves due to the long drive to Mossman and having kids in tow, we recommend it if you want to get a feel of the local culture.   Saying more would not due anyone justice, but it was 11:30 AM and every bar stool was taken. There were people and beer shooting pool,  as well as two very leathered faced aborigines wearing cowboy hats and jeans saying nothing to each other and nursing a beer.

With advise from the local gas station we made the decision not to take the paved road to Mossman.  This would have nearly doubled our kilometers to Silky Oaks as well as add perhaps an hour to the drive.    We opted to go back via Bloomfield track, past Cape Trib  and take the Daintree Ferry back.   We did the 80 km in under 2 1/2.  I am not a reckless driver, but not a slow one either.  With 4 eyes on the  road and conditions good we used  we knocked off one hour on what the locals say it takes.  While our average speed was just under 40 km hour we were able to reach 100 kmh on some straight sections.  In the switch back areas we slowed  10 kmh.  The water crossings were done at a crawl.   After passing Cape Trib we stopped at the Cape Tribulation Ice Cream factory.     This should be a mandatory stop for anyone in the area that likes ice cream and wants to try the locally made stuff with tropical or exotic fruit flavors.  The rest of the ride was uneventful. The Daintree Ferry had no back up so we were across in short bit and we got to Silky Oaks  20 minutes later.

Silky Oaks is a 4 star resort set in the Mossman Rain Forest.  It has what is called “tree houses” and river houses.  We picked the tree house originally because we thought they actually built these units up into the trees some how.  What they do with the tree houses is set them up in the hill.  The porch side of the cabin is on stilts or tree level while the door is on the side connected to the hill.   They are very nicely appointed with an oversized spa, walk in shower, CD player and lots of living space.  Each unit has a porch with a hammock.  We were greeted with first class check in service, given a tour of the place and then taken up to the cabin  or suite.   The kids dropped their stuff off in their cabin when we arrived  and took a canoe out in the river front area.  The river front area is  not meant for any serious paddlers but fun enough to float around.  Maureen and I also  put on bathing suits and went down to the river.  The river is actually very pretty and deep in areas to swim if you like the cooler winter temperatures of the streams flowing in.   After walking in up to my knees and taking a few pictures of the kids in the canoe we opted to go to the “heated” pool.  The pool is small and nicely laid out. Due to its natural looking pond like shape it is not meant for laps. It was also not heated and took a little while to get used to.   Service here was very good. While we were the only ones at the pool at 5:30 PM, a waitress came by to take cocktail order and served it to us while our feet dangled in the water.  I found the pool invigorating after the long day on the road.

For dinner we were reserved at 7PM and  promptly seated.  The price of our stay included a very nice breakfast with tropical fruits, juices, cereals, yogurt and  bread.  A 3 course gourmet dinner was also included.  We were all impressed with the food that night far and looked forward to having our meals here.

We picked Sunday as a down day from any serious travel as well as day to see what may pop up.   At dinner the hotel staff recommend we take a hike in the Mossman Gorge 10 minutes away.  Maureen and I did so after breakfast.  The kids rebelled and stayed at the resort while we went with out them.  Mossman Gorge should be classified as a pleasant walk in the woods.   It was not a scenic hike compared to our others but it was pretty.   An added bonus here if you wish is to swim in beautiful and safe areas of the river at the entrance.   If you go, park your car in the lot and simply proceed to the paved path.  After the suspension bridge go another few minutes where the path forks.    When you get to the fork, go right as this is an easier way to go due to the way the terrain changes.   There are rock steps along the trail but these were easy. This place is a nice escape from the hustle and bustle of any towns you may have been in.

After returning from Mossman Gorge we picked up the kids and headed to Nevelle Beach at their request.  Nevelle is less than 10 minutes north of the resort.  Lunch was at a basic takeaway place across from a parking area and beach access.  (A simple lunch for 4 was less money than lunch for one at the hotel.)  The beach here is around 3 miles long with fine sand and calm seas.  The kids took off to the end of the south side and returned in 90 minutes with various pretty shells while we read in some afternoon shade afforded by the sun going behind the trees. 

This evening after a dinner with  we listened to the Dave the  manager of Hartley’s Crocodile Adventure give a lecture on reptiles.  This included showing various slides on snakes, lizards and an unusual species I have never seen called a legless lizards.  (The legless lizard looks like a snake except it has ears and eyes that blink like a lizard.)   During his slides of the snakes the manager told stories of how he rescued snakes out of people’s homes. He also said how he would occasionally  put a 5 or 6 foot python in someone’s attic to help get rid of rodents.  He followed up by saying that when the snake finished it’s job it would leave on its own usually with a few months.   The slide show finished up with pictures of some poisonous snakes  ending with the world’s most poisonous snake that resides in the remotest areas of Australia.   After the stories and facts on the creatures he took our Daniel as a volunteer to teach people how to give aid to a poisonous snake bite. To be brief one should always carry  ace type bandages when in the bush where it can be dangerous.  These are used to put over the wound and then wrap and even splint the area so the arm or leg where bitten is immobile until you reach medical help.   The old cut and suck system he said was not recommended any more because the person doing the sucking of the wound could in many cases end up a victim also.  The finale of the discussed was Dave taking out a poisonous brown king snake from a bucket and handling it in front of us.   He put it on the table while he nonchalantly would maneuver it showing us different parts of its body and explaining how these and most snakes do not get aggressive under most situations.   After the king snake was put back in its bucket he took out an olive python.  This snake was about 6 feet long.  He asked people to come up and touch it.  I volunteered to the be the first person to have it draped over my body rotating around my arms, stomach and shoulder on its own thinking I was a tree.  This was a strange feeling and made a great photo opportunity! 

On Monday we had planned a private tour with Dave Armburst.  He has been a guide – naturalist since the early 80’s.   Dave  is an older gentleman who is also an avid environmentalist that deeded  most his  land to the park system to be declared forever wild.   We were told Dave picked us up promptly 7:45 AM in his Toyota Land Cruiser and took us to his 10 acre private reserve he calls Thylogale Nature Refuge that he owns.   He explained that  half his property is what is called “pioneering forest” (meaning reclaimed after it was cut down years ago and allowed to go natural) and the other half is a natural rain forest.  He also instructed us to move very slowly as to not startle the animals when we get there.  Upon arrival we were cautiously met by a few pademelons.  These are small and very cute kangaroo looking creatures being no higher than about 2 ½  feet.  Dave has been feeding what  appears to be his animal friends every day.  He also knows each of these marsupials by name.  Dave talked about their life styles and a little about their family tree.  There were entire families of these pretty creatures as well as one mother with a baby Joey in her pouch.  Besides the family of pademelons we were introduced to Bonnie and Clyde.  These are a male and female scrub fowlhen.    He explained how he has two sets of these birds on his property and how they need to be on separate sides of his property or they compete for land and food.  We were also treated to seeing cat birds up close.   During our stroll around we were visited by Australia’s smallest kangaroo called the musky rat kangaroo.  Dave claims this animal may be the missing link between the kangaroo and non kanagaroo world.  The rat kangaroo runs on all four legs and has a skinny tail like a rate yet has a pouch for its young.

                  (padelmelon and her joey during morning walk)

On our walk-about on his property Dave explained the difference between the two sides.  This included how the trees and shrubs would hold their ground while the rain forest was making its way back slowly and will eventually reclaim the land.  When we crossed over to the rain forest side he pointed out there differences as well.  Dave stated he had plants that are closely related to those that the dinosaurs ate and he also estimates he had a tree that could be several hundred years old.  During our walk he showed shrubs and small trees that were extremely rare.  (To me one looked nearly like the other, but I would imagine that a botanist  could really go crazy here).   After some more feedings of his creatures including his brush turkey  that he usually scares away we headed to what he called  his version “bush Starbucks” for tea (or coffee and hot chocolate).  While sipping tea and munching on his wife’s biscuits we watched many of his animals finish up his left over food he threw around.  

After leaving his property we headed up to the Mount Lewiston Park area.  He explained how we were changing eco zones and that the plant and animals were  different.  Here we drove on a dirt road for about 45 minutes where he let us off to stroll the last 2 km on our own while he went up ahead to start our lunch.  The stroll was pleasant enough with the exception of my daughter being startled by a black poisonous snake crossing her path.   Lunch was where two streams met.  He served   grilled farmed barramundi with rice, salad and potato salad. (Dave did not eat the  fish as he is a vegetarian.  He also said the fish he bought was farmed so no extra sea life was killed in nets.)

After lunch we headed from forest to the outback where we learned about land. Here the climate was very dry with low lying shrubs, dried creeks and many termite mounds.  Our last place to visit was  a visit to  the Mitchell River.  Dave pulled off the paved road and turned on to a dirt road which took us to its banks.   On the way he discussed howcattle grazing was hurting the land in the area not just by the cows eating up the grasses but also destroying the land.  This was because Australia did not have natural plants meant to be stepped on by cattle that have flat hard feet.   On a third try he found a private spot on the river. Here he pulled out our chairs, made tea and hot chocolate while we enjoyed the river passing slowly in front of us.  Dave’s tour is informative and very laid back.  If you want to rush from one place to another to see as much as you can see this is not the type of guide you should hire.  He conducts what seems to be a civilized tour where you not only get to stroll and learn about things,  but also take some time to sit back and watch it with a good cup of tea.  I would like to note if you are staying in Silky Oaks for 3 nights you may be entitled to a package which includes either a trip to the reef or a tour up to Cape Tribulation.  Ours included this but we paid $A220 for the four of us to upgraded for this  private tour.  The Cape Tribulation tour would have been OK also had we not stayed there for 2 nights.  Dave’s web site including his wildlife listing can be found at http://www.anhs.com.au/index.html

Back at Silky Oaks Maureen and I enjoyed a couple of pool side cocktails and a snack of wedges while the kids headed to the cabin for a nap and down time.  Our dinner was at 7:30 where we came across very slow service taking our desert  in the TV room while watching the Olympics. 

The next day we checked out after breakfast and headed to the Cairns Tropical Zoo.  This is one of a very few places I have heard about the lets you cuddle a koala bear.  The price is $14 over the admission and includes a picture.  The zoo happens to be very nice and the perfect size to spend a couple of hours.  We listened to the koala talk before the pictures where they teach you about these animals.  (we learned that  koalas really do not stay drunk all day after eating eucalyptus leaves)  During the talk they also let you pet them.  One other event we watched was the feeding of a large salt crocodiles. We found both the koala talk and the crocodile feeding enjoyable and informative events.   

(they have a few of these 5 foot flightless birds. Check the head out)

After the zoo we headed into downtown Cairns to check in with dive boat people at TAKA and give back our truck.  From there we walked over to the esplanade  for lunch, internet for the kids and then a few chores before boarding.

Great Barrier Reef

If you are not interested in the reef or diving skip this part and go to **

Quality Diving on a Budget:

Great Barrier Reef Live Aboard

By Tab Hauser

Different thoughts come to mind when one thinks of diving on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  These can include not only the sight of pristine coral reef systems along with a multitude of sea life but also the time and expense that goes with such a trip.  For the “average” tourist vacationing in Australia the highlights include places like Sydney, Ayers Rock, the Queensland Rainforest and Cairns to name a few.  Cairns (pronounced Cannes) was one of the destinations we recently visited on a family trip in Australia.  This water town is major jumping off point for seeing the world’s largest living object, the Great Barrier Reef.  Many non-divers and some casual divers with limited time or who are on a bus tour use Cairns as the jump off point for a day trip.  These day trips take all morning on a quick boat holding as many as 300 people to get to the outer reef. (There is a helicopter option)  They spend the day snorkeling or doing a couple of dives before heading back on the long ride to Cairns.   By doing this you get the most basic flavor of the Great Barrier Reef as you visit only one spot.  Many people also take a day boat to one of the islands on the inner reef not far from Cairns.  While this can be nice, the inner reefs are not in the same league as the outer reefs in terms of condition and clarity.

Our family decided we wanted to get more out of the reef than simply hopping on a fast day boat to the outer reef or visiting a place on the inner reef.  With the help of the internet I found a live-aboard dive boat called the Taka II.  

The TAKA II is 100 feet long with a beam of 30 feet.  It has a draft of 11 ½ feet and cruises at 11 knots with a range of 5000 nautical miles.  While the boat was at full capacity during our trip it never felt overcrowded, even at meals or when all of us were gearing up and diving at the same time.    The TAKA II, as one dive master said on board, is a “diver’s ship” and not a luxury cruise boat.    It does not have lots of frills and the prices reflect this.  The least expensive category to sleep in was the lowest deck.  Here you get a bunk with three others to share your dive experience at a price of $900 Australian.   There are no windows in the lower cabins and the heads and showers are shared one level up.   This level can also be a bit noisy, because you are closer to the engine.     The more expensive cabins are on the top deck and range from two single bunk beds to a single bed over a twin bed. One cabin they call the honeymoon suite had a queen bed and extra couch to store things on.  The upstairs cabins come with a small TV with DVD player. The honeymoon cabin also has X-player game unit.  The upstairs cabins all had windows and private bathrooms. Prices upstairs are $1125 to $1300 per person.  With the Australian dollar trading at about 25% less than the U.S. dollar there are some real values attained here.

The food served on board was basic.    Meals were prepared during our cruise by a Swiss gentleman.   He stuck to simple fare that was tasty and filling.  The three dinners during our trip included roasted chicken legs done two ways, fish prepared two ways and on the last night, pasta cooked with three sauces on the side.  Each dinner was served with salads, steamed vegetables, soup and rolls.   Breakfast was eggs, meat, fruit, yogurt and cereal.  Lunch included cold cuts or a hot dish, soup and salads.   There was always fruit and snacks after each dive.   Cold beer, soda, bottled water, and candy bars were available at very reasonable prices.  All meals were buffet style.  The guests ate first, followed by the crew.    Complaints about the food among the various guests included having to drink only instant coffee as well as being served pasta for dinner and then again for lunch the next day.  A few people thought having packaged baked goods for desert was wasted calories.   To keep costs of labor on the boat down, guests were requested to clear their own plates, wiping food into one box and dropping the used utensils in the other.  All meals were in the large salon on the first level.     While the salon was comfortable and roomy to fit everyone, it missed having windows overlooking the ocean.  They tried to make up for this design blunder by having two large flat screen plasma TV’s on each side attached to cameras on the bow and stern.   This “outside” viewing was turned off during movies as well as at night.  When asked why there were no windows,  a crew member told me it would have cost more to design the ship with windows.  I thought this was a poor choice when building a boat. 

As mentioned, the TAKA II is a “divers boat”.   While the Taka II lacks certain on- board amenities, it more than makes up for this on service for the dives. The people here are dedicated to their guests, the reef and the sport of diving.   Extra service was given to the new divers as well as any guest needing extra help.  First, they helped my wife, who has some back trouble,  with her tanks on every dive by bringing them to a lower platform so she can shove off from a sitting position rather than taking a giant stride.  By the third dive they were there to help her before she was even ready.   They were also great with the new divers  (my son included) and took them on a guided trip out on their first dive to make them feel comfortable.  On all dives there was the option to be guided or go on your own.   A better-staffed boat would be hard to find.  

The TAKA II was so perfectly set up for diving that 28 people could all suit up and jump in without anyone bumping into anyone else.  One way they did this was that was that each guest had their own spot on the dive deck for the week.  Each place had a large basket under the bench to store your weight belt, mask and fins.   The smartest thing they do here to speed things up and make life easy on the diver is to keep the BCD’s always attached to the same tank.   During the 10 dives I never had to remove my BCD and change tanks.  After each dive, we unscrewed our first stage, letting them know we were low on air.  The staff would simply refill the tank at your station and reattach the first stage.    For the photographers on the boat, there were three large buckets of fresh water set aside for cameras. 

As with all dive boats, safety was a concern.  Detailed briefings were done on the aft section of the boat under the shade.  No beer or wine was sold during diving hours and there were usually two people to see you off.  One person was there to make sure your air was on, the other to log  in your time leaving.  Upon returning to the boat, you were also checked in and your depth and bottom time was recorded.  At the end of the week all the lists were posted.  This way you could see at a glance your depth and bottom times and double check what you may have entered in a dive log.

The TAKA II runs out of Cairns twice a week.  On Tuesday they depart for Cod Hole and Northern Great Barrier Reef, a three day trip.  On Fridays they do more or less the same trip but spend an extra day going to and from the Coral Sea.   My family opted to do the three-day trip due to time limitations and concern about rough seas on the open oceans going to the Coral Sea.   Trips board at 5PM and travel overnight, reaching the famous Cod Hole in the morning.  From there you move south finishing on your last day with two very early morning dives on the inner reef.  On our trip there was a total of eight day dives and two night dives.  

The crew allows for a lot of dive freedom.  Most dives give you a bottom time of 50 minutes and they request you come up with 50 bar or 750 psi.  While they requested this rule and warned you that you can be barred from a dive if you come up too short on air they were not crazy about this.  I normally came up with 400 to 500 psi and no one seemed to complain or take note of it.  They did have one rule that they were very serious about.  No one was allowed to bring anything up from the reef.  At the first briefing one dive master said that the crew will radio the authorities to report any diver that does not heed this law and that the fine can be $A60,000.

Cod Hole

Our first two dives were at Cod Hole.  The maximum depth of this dive was 100 feet to a sandy ledge.  You would then make your way around some coral ridges and bommes  to a coral wall that went up to within four feet of the surface.  Larger fish we saw here included Potato and Camouflage Cod, Trigger Fish, Maori Wrasse, Coral Trout, jacks and snapper.  The coral here was in pristine condition.  The second dive was also here about an hour later but this time it was to watch the dive masters feed the 200 pound cod we saw.  (It should be noted that what they call large cod here would be similar to what Americans call large groupers.)  On this dive we were requested to swim out to the sandy feeding area as quickly as we could and lie still while the dive master did a controlled feeding.   We were told that feedings were permitted by park officials as long as it was no more than about 2 pounds per day.  The reasoning was that the fish would still have to hunt on their own and not be totally dependent on the divers.

Challenger Bay

The third dive this morning was at Challenger Bay.  Challenger Bay was another beautiful dive that started at about 60 feet and again worked its way up around a few coral bommes until you reached a pure coral wall that went straight up to about four feet. Each piece of coral was laid out beautifully next to one another.  Here we saw lionfish, garden eels, tangs and a school of barracudas. The bottom time allowed for this dive was 45 minutes.   This was also the same place that we did our night dive.  My 13 year old son Daniel with a total only of six dives under his belt decided to try his first night dive at Challenger Bay.  Here he spotted the large jacks and snappers chasing after the fish that left the safety of the reef.  The hunting for these small fish was made even easier to the big fish anytime a diver put their flash light on small fish.  The land analogy would be like blinding a deer with your headlights.  Daniel also was excited when he spotted two five foot white tipped reef sharks in separate areas.

(Taking Daniel on his first night dive)

On our second day they had us do three dives before lunch.  The first one was at place between the 10th and 9th ribbon reef called Steve’s Bomme.  This was a large coral bomme starting at about 100 feet and making a cone type shape until it reaches about 10 feet from the surfaces.  Our ship literally stopped in the middle of what seemed to be open ocean between the ribbon reefs to dive here.  Next to Steve’s Bomme was a memorial plaque to Steve himself who is said to have dived this particular place often before he died.  Depending on who you talked to, his death was either a motorcycle accident or a free dive accident.   The next dive was on Temple of Doom.  This was more of a plateau type coral structure starting at 100 feet and making its way to a flat area about 9 feet under water.  It took about 45 minutes to circle the reef where we kept our depth between 40 and 60 feet.  This site had more fish life than some of the other places we visited because of the way the very slow current comes by with the needed nutrients.  One note on the lighter side is that during the dive briefing we were advised we really can “Find Nemo” here.  What we saw in the middle of the plateau in about 10 feet of water was an anemone about one and half times the size of a basketball with the small center opened about 12 inches protecting three small, very cute, clown fish.  I have seen films and pictures of clown fish swimming in and out of their protective environment and it was neat to see it up close and personal. The last dive this morning was called Clam Gardens.  As the name states, this place is known for the large clams famous in this part of the world.  We saw calms ranging from 3 to 6 feet long with different colors on the inside.  The varied coloring was attributed to a type of algae that grows under the skin.   What I liked about this reef was the diversity of the area. Because the dive briefings were so detailed, we were able to navigate around the bommes in the area and eventually make it to one of the most colorful  sun drenched coral walls I have ever seen. 

At 1PM all divers were up on board and at 1:30  lunch was served to some very hungry guests and staff.    One routine that did not change during the trip was a “quiet time” that takes place on the TAKA II after lunch.  People either headed to their cabins for a long afternoon snooze or back to salon to write in their dive log books and watch a movie.   The salon couches and floor with pillows was also where the crew would take their well deserved afternoon nap. 

After a 3 hour steam the boat stopped for a night dive at reef called Beer Gardens.  We were told the name comes from this being the last night of the 3 night cruise and people celebrating with a beer or two.  Seriously though, this is the place to see sleeping turtles. 

After dinner we left Beer Gardens to rock and roll for about an hour while the TAKA II steamed outside the reef to a protected place for the night called Hog’s Breath.  It was here that we did our 6:15AM dive briefing followed by a 6:30AM dive.  Breakfast was at 7:30 and the second and last dive for the trip was at 8:30 at a nearby reef called  No Name Bomme.   This was our final dive and I have to say I did not miss the smell and feel  of wet neoprene in the morning after this.  After the crew allowed time for showers and lunch we were off to Cairns.  Another “budget” feature of the TAKA II was that all passengers had to be out of their cabin by 12:30.   Rather than be allowed to nap in our cabins, we were advised that the entire crew from dive master to deck hand actually works to ready the boat for a quick turn around.  This meant that we spent the 5 hour cruise back to town either on deck or in the salon.

For complete details on the TAKA trip you can go to www.taka.com.au.  Most major airlines fly into Cairns with a stop in Sydney.  It should be noted that Cairns is also only 90 minutes by car from the famous beaches and rainforest of Queensland and the two areas can be easily combined in one trip.  One last important detail has to deal with anyone that has a tendency of getting seasick.  The weather conditions can make the ship rock and roll a bit especially when they travel out side the reef.  If you are prone to seasickness I recommend getting a prescription from your doctor for the medicine that is built into the small patch that stays behind your ear.  This kept my son and me in good shape for the first and last night.  We found they stuck very well behind our ears even after 2 days of diving. 

Overall we found the TAKA II and the Great Barrier Reef to be a wonderful experience.  This boat and the dives we were on were ideal for any diver whether you were a novice or experienced. 

** Cairns to Sydney

 After departing the ship we were taken back by bus to our hotel. We stayed at what I would call a decent 2 star place called the Comfort Inn Queenslander.  We shared a 2 bedroom suite for one night with a rate of $97 for the 4 of us.   From here we walked to the esplanade to pick a place to eat.  We finally settled on a place called the Raw Prawn.  It is 80% seafood.  We picked it after seeing huge platters of hot and cold shell fish of all types come out of the kitchen. While the kids and wife do not eat seafood, I was promised I can pick out a seafood place to eat one night here.   I ordered a hot platter but skipped on the calamari and asked for an extra moreton bay bug.  The moreton bay bug is a shrimp looking shell fish has a flattened head that gives it a bug type appearance.  They taste is like a cross between a large prawn and a small lobster. In fact the tail meat is a little smaller than some a 1 pound lobsters but larger than a jumbo prawn.  After dinner we headed to the Cairns night market.  This is a place with nice food court and shops where you can buy any kind of souvenir you can think of from about 5PM to 10PM.

The next morning was a late wake up before getting a taxi to the esplanade to find brunch. After eating the kids took off to an internet café while Maureen & I strolled an out door crafts market.  From here we hailed a taxi van who took us to our hotel and then to the airport.  The experience with Qantas at the airport was horrible.  They had us in the system flying business class but there was no eticket registered with them and we had no paper ticket.  Everything in their records said we were OK but the lack of paper from US AIR made us pay $606 each and get put back on coach class.  $2400 to go one way for of 4 of us put a damper on last segment of this trip.

Sydney: Our Last Leg of the 3 Week Trip

Saturday Afternoon:

We arrived from the airport in 20 minutes and was very impressed with Quay (pronounced Key) West suites.  Quay West Suites, 98 Gloucester St, The Rocks.

E: reservations@qwss.mirvac.com.au)

Our suite (1004) was on the 10^th floor of this 23 storied building and our view was magnificent.  After check in we got settled and made ourselves feel at home  resting  up a bit.  The flight was rough on our teenagers ears as our daughter had a cold and my son strained it on his last dive. With dinner hour approaching they told us they wanted to stay in and get room service as well as watch the Olympics.  They also told us take off for dinner with out them.  Having a cell phone in hand we decided that a Saturday night with no kids in the The Rocks area would be nice change.     The Rocks is a very lively area of pubs, shops and places to eat.  This is the small triangle area just west of the Circular Quay Ferry Terminal that is bordered in by the highway going to the Sydney Bridge.    We walked on George Street north until we wondered into Sydney’s oldest pub called Fortune Of War. (this area has several historic landmark pubs).   From there we walked up  George Street  looking at menus, buildings and people.  After few blocks we made a turn and walked down to the water by Circular Quay to look at the menus in the buildings that were on the west side of the bay.  With Maureen not eating seafood the pickings were  be a little tough in these restaurants. We continued up until the Hyatt Hotel and made a turn back onto George Street heading south.  After passing a few places we decided on having for a pub burger and beer.  We walked into Clyde’s Kitchen at the Observer Hotel (92515846 (www.observerhotel.com.au) past the bar to find  Bill Cugino running his pub kitchen as if it were a fine dining  establishment.  To get to Clyde’s kitchen you pass the bar area and walk in the back.  They have tables inside but we elected to sit outside in the small old court yard.  We picked this place to eat because it is not everyday you get to see a chef in a pub inspect each dish coming out of the kitchen and then decorate the plate and wipe any excess gravy or sauces off.  He seemed very detailed and we knew we would be treated to good meal at a reasonable price.   Maureen ordered a French style meat pie in a casserole that was swimming in a delicious brown burgundy sauce with a salad.  I settled for the seafood platter. This cost us $40.  For another $9 I went to the bar and got two small draught beers.

(night view from our living room)

On Sunday we had a rather “average” brunch at Quay West and then walked to the opera house for the 12PM tour conducted by an older gentlemen named Peter.  If you have any interest in the Opera House I would highly recommend this tour.  We also recommend Peter as a guide.  The tour was supposed to last an hour but being it was Sunday both main theaters we were available to go into and this had the tour run about 10 minutes over.  Peter said most tours only go into one of the major theaters so we were lucky.  If you consider taking this tour ask if they will take you into the large main theater.  During our walk on much of the 11 acres we  told of the history, politics and costs associated with the place.  Peter also told a few stories relating to the different places we stopped along the way in regards to theater set up, seats and sound.  He also added some antidotes that made the place seem more interesting.

When the tour finished we rushed to catch the 1:35 high speed or jet boat ferry to Manly Beach.  We were advised by locals to skip the expensive tour boats offering trips around the bay and take the public ferries.  When we got to Manly it started to drizzle so we did not walk to the beach at first.   Instead we headed down what seemed to the be the main pedestrian street  called The Corso  and had lunch at Manly Beach Pit.  From here we took a quick peak at the calm beach before heading to a few surf shops, stores and pharmacy for ear drops.   For those surfers reading this, we learned  that Manly Beach during much of the year gets hip high waves.  In the winter the water is calmer because the waves come from the south and this beach has a point that protects it from that direction.

For dinner the kids ordered an excellent take away meal from  Giovanni’s on the  opposite corner from Quay West.   Maureen and I were picked up at 7PM by  client of mine and driven to the original Doyle’s in Watson Bay. It is always nice to meet the face one has been emailing and doing business with for the last few years. Being in Sydney we had this opportunity to do so.   Anyway, if anyone can remember the Visa commercials a few years ago where they plugged  places that did not take American Express cards, this was one of them.  (They still do not take AMEX).  Doyle’s is a place on the waterfront in Watson’s Bay that is over 100 years old.  They only serve seafood and fish.  We were surprised when we did see the token steak or chicken on the menu as Maureen at first thought she was going to go hungry here.  She finally settled for the least fishy thing and got a fish and chips dish using John Dory fish.  I had Oysters Supreme as the first course and grilled John Dory.  A nice cheese cake with cherries finished our meal.  Rather than impose on the couple that picked us up to drive us all the way around the harbor, we elected to take the water taxi directly across.  The night ride in the middle of the harbor was a lot of fun.  When we got close to Circular Quay to get dropped off we called the kids to video us in the small boat coming in. 

Monday: Last Day in Australia:

Today we woke up and had a quick breakfast at the little shop across the street from Quay West attached to the Shangri-la hotel and then headed 10 minutes to 5 Cumberland Street which is the headquarters for the famous Bridge Climb (www.bridgeclimb.com.au).  For those that want to do something completely different (and a little pricey) you can climb to the top of one of Sydney’s land marks.

The company that does this takes what they do very, very seriously and nothing is left to chance.  While the actual climb / hike to the top takes almost 2 hours, you spend the first hour being checked out.  This means you are given a alcohol breath test  while signing a waiver. Afterwards then you have everything that can fall off you except glasses and tight fitting jewelry removed and put into a protected locker.  Everything you then take with you is attached to a hooked on the back of your suit so it does not fall.  My daughter was concerned that she could not take her tissues  with her.  For people with colds or need tissues, they have hankies  with elastic bands  sewed to them  that you attached to your a tuck into your sleeve of the “bridge suit.   Even a hair scrungee for my Maureen was available but was attached to the one piece suit via strap.  Sun and eye glasses were also attached by a strap and then to the same eyelet in the back of the suit.  Once you are in your suit you are given a belt harness and shown how it attaches to the cable you are connected to for the entire climb.  From there you are given the option to have a rain jacket or fleece lined outer shell stuffed in a back clipped on to your belt.  There is also the option to take an attached bridge climb baseball cap with you for.   

After you go through this first stage you taken to a practice area and given a chance to see what it is like to climb on the on a the hardest part of the bridge climb.  This means connected to a cable from your belt and asked to climb up a ladder, down a cat walk and down the ladder.   If you can do this you will have no problem.  After the practice session you are equipment with a radio and special headset that goes in front of your ears.  The reason for this is to hear the live commentary by our guide with out him  yell  to 11 or 12 people.  Once all this is done you leave the base as they call it and make your way to the door that gets you to the first stair case to the bridge.  On the top of the steps you are connected to the life line and then it is across the cat walk to bridge.  All during the trip our guide gave us commentary.  This included the dimensions, history and production of the bridge.   He also pointed out that this is the widest bridge in the world and even though it was built over 70 years ago the people at the time had the foresight to vision it being used by a much large population.  It should be noted that the climb itself would take about a 20% less time  but they stop and take photos in a few places for you to buy later.  You get one group photo as part of your package but then they take another 8 shots in different places and views on the bridge of individuals, couples or  families or both. This gets a little tedious and not to mention very expensive if you buy them.  

Considering everything on this tour I would say it was a fun experience.  This can be done by anyone in average shape. People of all ages do this.  There is even a picture of a 100 year old lady on the top.   All you need to be able to do is climb a ladder (at your own pace as no one rushes you) and be able to cross a steel mesh cat walk to get to the arch.  If you have a tendency of not liking heights the cat walk would be your only concern as the easy steps up the arch is on an 8 foot wide area and did not seem to concern anyone in our group that did not like heights.  After the bridge climb we were all very hungry and rather than start looking at menus up and down The Rocks we headed back to Clyde’s Kitchen for a nice lunch.   

After the lunch we rested up in our suite and headed out into Sydney one last time taking a taxi to the Queen Victoria Building at 3:30.  Queen Victoria Building is a one block 4 level shopping mall with nice shops of all types.  The reason we went here is not to shop but to look at the way they restored it.  It is an impressive place with nicely tiled floors on the first floor and large atrium ceilings going up to sky lights.  This place was built in 1898 and is an excellent example Victorian architecture.  There are huge old clocks in different places hung from the ceiling as well as a mannequin of the Queen herself dressed as she was on her coronation when  she was 19.  The display has all the examples of royal jewels, mace and orb she had.

Our next stop was the monorail station near by.  We purchased a family pass for $22 and did one complete loop before getting off at Darling Harbor station.  From here we walked along the harbor until we reached the IMAX theater where we saw Titanic in 3D.  Afterwards we walked on the west side of the harbor through the shops until we reached the next monorail station that we took to Powerhouse.  From here we got off and walked into Chinatown and ate at a place called BBQ King on Goldburn Street.  To get here we walked up the pedestrian street Dixon passing several Chinese restaurants and shops. We ate at BBQ King because it was recommended by the Chef at Clyde’s.  We found the meal good but I am not sure it was China towns best.  They do specialize in BBQ style food and our first course of Peking Duck was very good along with the ribs we had.  The other course we ordered were good but not outstanding.   After dinner it was back to the monorail but this time on Liverpool Street.  This time we got off at Darling Harbor again and walked to the ferry stop by the aquarium to catch the 8:25PM to Circular Quay.  (for those interested the aquarium runs late hours until 10PM when we were here.  We did not visit it because of our 3 days on the Great Barrier Reef a week earlier figuring we have seen the real thing up close)  The ferry ride was a nice way to end our 3 week trip.  It stopped 3 times including Luna Park where you must see the entrance to the amusement park at night.  From there it was ride under the bridge, past the opera house until we disembarked before walking back to the suite at 9:30.

The morning of our flight was on the leisure side.  I was up early as usual doing catch up on email and this log. Maureen woke up at 9 and we woke up the kids at 10AM.  We packed and headed to the airport at 11:30.  Boarding was 1PM and we were up in the air for our long 12 hour flight to LAX.  The connection of nearly 4 hours seemed to drag.  We hung out at the food terminal for 30 minutes watching the planes go by and then too the 10 minute walk to the US Air terminal.  Here we grabbed something to eat and went to the gate an hour early.  Maureen and Daniel were out cold before the plane took off and never new we were airborne until we were well underway.

All in all this was a long trip for any family. Our key to survival were to stay in separate rooms or cabins depending on where we went as well as have a few late start days.  The goal for this trip was  I wanted to show my kids Australia and their family. Due to the long distance to get there I thought 3 weeks would be the minimum time to put a dent in that beautiful country.  We hit many of the highlights Australia is known for on land and under water and were pleased to have done in my way and not through the window of some bus with 40 other people telling us where to go, see and eat.   

email tab@tabhauser.com for permission or comments