Category: An Odyssey Down Under: Australia & New Zealand

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 30 & 31

Friday, March 6 and Saturday, March 7

This morning we checked out of our hotel and were transported to the Cairns Airport for our flight to Sydney.

Our last views from our hotel.

Our flight was delayed so by the time we arrived in Sydney it was late afternoon. Below are views of the Reef as we flew over the water on our way to Sydney.

Leaving Cairns!
Flying into Sydney!

We spent the night at a hotel right by the airport. It was time to say goodbye to our group. We all had various flight times and some were extending their trip in Sydney.

Our flight was 11:00 AM Saturday morning. We were up early and walked to the airport to check in. Covid-19 was now becoming a worldwide pandemic so we didn’t know what to expect when we landed in Los Angeles.

Sydney Airport

Our flight to Los Angeles departed close to on time. We were glad of this because our connection from LA to Columbus was a little over two hours and we would need to clear customs. A big help was our Global Entry!

Several hours into our flight!

When we landed in LA we were expecting to have our temperature taken or some sort of Covid-19 screening but the only thing we were asked was if we had been to Asia within the last 14 days. We were lucky since we had such a short time frame to catch our flight home!

After being gone for a month, the “Welcome to the United States of America” sign was a greeting that we were thrilled to see! Our trip to New Zealand and Australia was incredible but as the saying goes “there’s no place like home”!

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 29

Thursday, March 5

Our day began with a lecture from a local expert who talked to us about the Wet Tropical Rainforests of North Queensland.

After the lecture we traveled with our expert, Russell, to the town of Kuranda. It is a mountain village near Cairns. It is surrounded by the world’s oldest living tropical rainforest. We enjoyed walking around the town and had lunch at Frogs Restaurant.

  • Kuranda Visitor Center
  • A statue of an Opal miner. Opals are the national gemstone of Australia.
  • Our lunch restaurant
  • Our lunch guest
  • “Yes?”

We took the Skyrail to Caravonica but first we stopped at the Rainforest Interpretive Station. We followed along the forest trail to see different trees, vines, lianas and ferns.

  • Russell our expert

The Skyrail Rainforest Cableway was quite a way to see the oldest living tropical rainforest! The Skyrail crosses the McAlister Range, through the Barron Gorge National Park. There were 4 of us in a gondola. Our one way ride took about an hour and a half. This Daintree rainforest and its ancient ferns, emerald green vines and lush canopy provided inspiration for the movie Avatar!

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway

After our gondola ride over the rainforest we visited the Tjapukai Aboriginal Park to learn all about the lifestyle of the northern coastal Aboriginal Australian peoples.

Tjapukai Aboriginal Park

After the program, we had the opportunity to throw a spear and try our luck at boomerangs. Dave was able to get his boomerang to return!

It was another full day of exploring and learning! We loved every minute! This evening was our farewell dinner to Australia and our group got together before dinner to have a memories and shared highlights of our 29 days together! Each of us shared our highlights!

After our farewell dinner, we all needed to pack for our flight tomorrow back to Sydney!

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 28

Wednesday, March 4

We were anticipating today and hoping that the weather would cooperate because we were going on a full day cruise on the Great Barrier Reef! We were going to have the opportunity to snorkel among the coral reef and the marine life around the area.

The weather was perfect! We boarded our boat with our sunscreen applied and cameras ready! At 8:30 AM we departed for Michaelmas Cay. This Cay is a National Park and a protected sanctuary for migratory seabirds. It is located on the western tip of Michaelmas Reef. The entire Great Barrier Reef is a World Heritage area and part of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. It is also one of the seven wonders of the natural world.

It was a relaxing ride to Michaelmas Cay. When we got close the crew gave a safety demonstration, reef brief and snorkeling demonstration. We got fitted with our snorkeling masks, fins, life jackets and wet suits that had mittens to protect our hands and hoods to protect our heads.

When we arrived at Michaelmas Cay the crew did a fish feeding demonstration. We saw some really large fish!

Our group ate lunch and had a Semi-submersible tour with our guide. He pointed out the various fish that we saw and the many types of coral. The pictures that we took in the semi-submersible don’t show the beautiful colors of the fish and the coral.

  • Our guide

We took the beach buggy shuttle to get to the island where we put on our life jackets, masks and fins and then began our snorkeling around the reef.

We spent the entire time that we had to snorkel around the area. It was magnificent!

  • We’re getting ready!
Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef

Our boat returned to Cairns late afternoon. By the time we showered from our day spent at the Reef it was time for dinner.

Near our hotel there was a large number of flying-foxes. We saw them hanging in mass in many of the trees. At sunset, they fly away to go eat.

We walked along the Esplanade and didn’t have a restaurant in mind. We decided we would eat at a place that looked good to us as we explored the area.

  • Citizens Gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, a sculpture by Brian Robinson
  • Exercising in the Swimming Lagoon.

After dinner, we were still floating from our day snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef! It was a day to remember.

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 27

Tuesday, March 3

Our day started with a visit to Kata Tjuta or also called the Olgas. It is a group of large rock formations that look like domes. This formation isn’t far from Uluru. Kata Tjuta also is sacred to the local Aboriginal Anangu people who lived here form over 22,000 years.

Kata Tjuta in the distance
A portion of Kata Tjuta

We walked along the Dune path. It’s an easy walk to the lookout of the grassy hills and valleys that surround Kata Tjuta’s domes.

  • Those flies were everywhere!

We also did the Walpa Gorge walk. It was a rocky track that rises to a small track. It is a natural creek that carves between the two tallest domes of Kata Tjuta. You walk through the rugged walls of the gorge. The scenery was breathtaking.

Walpa Gorge

After our morning at Kata Tjuta, our motorcoach took us to the Ayers Rock Airport for our flight to Cairns!

Our flight from Uluru to Cairns.

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 26

Monday, March 2

This morning we have a long motorcoach ride to Uluru! It was a great opportunity to really get a grasp for how vast and unpopulated the Red Centre of the Northern Territory or Outback as it’s commonly called.

Mid-morning we had a stop at a typical Outback roadhouse which means it is a roadside service station. You can purchase food, drinks, use the restroom, and/or purchase gasoline.

Roadhouse Stop

Our lunch stop was at the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park Culture Centre. We had time to visit the galleries but no photos were allowed. They are Aboriginal owned and operated. The profits from these galleries are used back in the local community. They focus on selling traditional wooden carvings, paintings, and jewelry.

Uluru was our next stop. We toured Uluru by motorcoach and had a walking tour. It is a sacred Aboriginal site so there were places around the rock where tourists and photos were not allowed. Our guide explained the significance of the rock to the Aboriginal people. These natives inhabited this area centuries before the Europeans invaded in the 1800s. The local tribe is the Anangu. They believe that the landscape was formed during the “Dreaming”. The “Dreaming” refers to when the land and the people were created by the ancestor spirits. Ceremonies are still held in some of Uluru’s sacred caves around its base.

  • Our first glimpse of Uluru from the bus.
  • Our Uluru site guide, Martin
  • Rock Art with symbols, figures, and pictures
  • More Rock Art
  • More Rock Art
  • And More Rock Art!
  • Kitchen Cave
  • Those flies are everywhere!
  • What use to be the climbing path until it was prohibited.
Uluru

We checked into our hotel and later this evening we traveled to Uluru for the sunset over the rock. Unfortunately for us, it was cloudy so the rock did not “glow” or change colors as they say from a vibrant orange to a deep red. We still enjoyed just sitting and viewing the monolith! We also had champagne and snacks. Unfortunately you had to dodge the many black flies.

  • Our group!
  • One of the Aboriginal Artists selling her work.

An Odyssey Down Under: Australia and New Zealand Day 25

Sunday, March 1

Our day began at the Alice Springs Desert Park and it was a good thing because it was hot and the black flies were relentless! We all wore our fly nets to keep them out of our eyes, ears, and our mouths. Here we experienced the Australian desert and the life that can be found in this climate.

  • River Red Gum Tree
  • Australian Bustard
  • Kangaroo Grass
  • Thorny Devil
  • Central Netted Dragon
  • Kangaroo
  • Kangaroo
  • Quartz Veins
  • Princess Parrot
Alice Springs Desert Park

We explored the landscapes, both desert, woodlands, animals that live there, and the Nocturnal House with animals that once were in abundance across the desert. We spent the morning here.

The obnoxious black flies and our fly nets!

After lunch we stopped at Simpson’s Gap. The Gap is located in the Western MacDonnell Ranges and we saw the permanent waterhole that is there. It is quite spectacular to see this water between the Simpson Range!

Simpson’s Gap

This afternoon we went to the Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS). It is one of the largest and most comprehensive aeromedical services in the world. We saw the aircraft and the technology that are used to deliver medical services in the vast distances of central Australia! The RFDS was founded in 1928. The service provides medical care and 24-hour emergency service to people that covers over 3 million square miles! Wow! We’re very fortunate where we live that we have care so close to us.