Bookends

In true Gemini fashion, I am ending my Around the World trip as I started it - with a trip to the Bay Area to visit Craige and Greg, including a side trip to Lake Tahoe to see Dawn and Steph. It is really great to be "home" again. See August 2008 blogs "Veuve Clicquot - again", "Kayaking at 6300, Hiking at 8500" and "19 Lesbians and 3 Fags".

Tahoe is all about food, food and more food. When we finish one meal, we start planning and prepping for the next one. Greg and Steph are particularly good cooks, and we are eating like kings and queens.

This is all being enjoyed on the new back deck, in what can only be described as perfect sunny weather.

I am back in Vancouver on July 11, and the gang has already planned a little party for July 12. Then it is off to Salt Spring to catch up there, and retrieve my car (which I hear has died).

See you soon, gang!

Six Continents Down, One to Go

With this Around the World trip, I have now visited 6 of the planet's 7 continents. Only Antarctica left on the list. I got kind of close the other day at a very interesting Auckland attraction - Kelly Tarlton's Antarctic Encounter. It has a very well done Antarctic habitat with all kinds of penguins in it. You ride through the habitat on an automated snowcat - kids just love it. There is also a very good aquarium there, with several acrylic tunnels where you can view sharks, rays and other cool critters.














For those of you following my travels, today Sunday June 28, I am flying from Auckland to San Francisco. After what I know will be two wonderful weeks with Craige, Greg and Higgins, I return home to Vancouver on Saturday, July 11. My flight is AC 567, and it arrives at YVR at 4:22 PM. Robert and Nick are picking me up, but I would just love to see more smiling faces when I arrive.

This has been an amazing adventure, but so looking forward to returning home, and seeing my wonderful family and friends.

Mother Nature Cooks Lunch

I took a day trip to Rotorua on Thursday. It is a bit of a drive and in hindsight, I should have made my way there on my own, and stayed a day or two. Oh well, live and learn.

We drove through the beautiful green New Zealand countryside. It is probably just as you imagine it - peaceful, tidy with lots of sheep and cows. Inland and south of Auckland it was colder, so lots of frost around. We were diverted by a terrible accident on a frosty corner. Later in the day we saw another car flipped over on a similar corner.



























We arrived safely at Te Whakarewarewa village near Rotorua. The shorter name is Whaka, the longer one is just ridiculous. The village itself is quaint and cute, and there is steam everywhere, plus the faint smell of sulfur.

Steam vents are everywhere, including people's backyards. There are also boiling ponds, bubbling mud pools and geysers.














After a tour of the village, we were treated to a traditional show of Maori song and dance. As soon as it started, I had a smile on my face, as it sounded something like the sounds of Hawaii. I realize what a wonderful time in my life Hawaii was (not to also mention now, and this amazing trip.














After the show, there was some time to take more pictures, then we sat down to a traditional hangi meal that had been cooking for a good part of the morning. The meats are wrapped in foil, and steamed in wooden boxes build over certain steam vents. The vegetables are wrapped up in bags, and placed in some of the hottest pools that boil constantly. The food was simple, delicious and fun.














After lunch we toured the Rotorua area, including the large lake. We also stopped by Zorb-Rotorua, where people strap themselves into large plastic spheres and role down hills and over bumps. Nobody was zorbing when we got there, and I was not about to lose my hangi lunch, so we did not get any pictures. These Kiwis sure think of crazy ways to entertain themselves.

Our last stop of the day was at the Waitomo Caves, famous for the glowworm experience. We toured the caves with a guide, then got into a boat on a river that flows right through the caves. It was now completely silent, and pitch black, except for the blue starlight galaxies of glowworms on the cave ceiling. It was an eerie, surreal and totally unique experience.

The glowworms hatch out of eggs on the cave ceiling, and immediately eat their nearby siblings. They drop lines of sticky thread, and start to glow. This attracts insects in the dark caves, who get caught in the threads, and are then reeled in by the glowworms for a meal. They grow for about 8 months on this diet, go into the pupa stage, and then hatch as a large fly. The fly has no mouth, so it starves to death in a couple of days; just enough time to lay some more eggs and start the cycle again.

Auckland - The City of Sails

With a little work, my airport shuttle driver found my homestay address in a residential area near downtown Auckland. It was evening, and my host David was out. He left me a note inviting me to make myself at home, and after I eventually found the key in a pair of boots, let myself in to the house. I was greeted by Monty, a friendly and chubby little Jack Russell.

The house and my room were nice, but unfortunately freezing due to no central heating. David does have space heaters, which I cranked up. June 21 in the Southern Hemisphere is the equivalent of December 21 in the Northern one.

I was feeling quite energized, so went out exploring the new city in the dark. David is in a great neighbourhood, lots of funky shops, bars and restaurants on two nearby streets. Of course, I found a cozy little gay bar - I seem to have a nose for this.

I met David the next morning, and he had a nice big breakfast spread all ready. He said the difference between a homestay and B&B, is that a homestay is like being someone's guest. With that, he offered to take me on a quick tour up to Auckland's highest point, Mt. Eden, then to Auckland Domain, with some ideas of how to get around and what to do.

Auckland Domain is a beautiful park in the middle of Auckland, that contains the Auckland Museum. It was definitely worth a visit, with a beautiful collection of Maori items, plus others from various Pacific Islands. It was interesting to the both the differences and similarities with Hawaiian artifacts.














I walked out of the Domain and into Auckland's Central Business District. The Skytower dominates the landscape, and there are some fairly tall buildings, but not like Sydney or Vancouver. I am not sure if I am going to go up Skytower, but I definitely know I am not walking around the outside, or jumping off guided by wires. Someone did that just after I snapped a picture. Remember, all my pictures are on my flickr page.

I walked down to the waterfront, and the city started to remind me of others. The ferry building was a bit San Francisco, the harbour was like a junior Sydney, and the working port and ferry reminded me of Vancouver and the Seabus.














I took the ferry across to the charming suburb of Devonport, and checked out the village and houses there. Unfortunately, it had clouded over and the wind had picked up a bit, so I did not stay too long.

It was back across the harbour to check out touring options, then out to Navel and Family bar for happy hour. It was really nice to spend a quiet evening at "home" later watching a DVD, and relaxing with Monty puppy.

I can feel this trip winding down, and am looking forward to seeing all my friends in San Francisco and Vancouver. See you guys soon.

Air New Zealand Business Premier

I had a smooth and uneventful Qantas flight down to Melbourne from Cairns. It was back to winter again with 12 degree temperatures. I got a hotel close to the airport with a free shuttle.














I was up the next morning and off to the airport for my noon flight to Auckland. I did not bother to eat anything as I hoped the Air New Zealand lounge would have some breakfast food. I arrived at the airport, changed the last of my Aussie dollars for Kiwi ones (73 cents CDN), checked in at Business Class and headed through Priority Security to the lounge.

The lounge was nicely done and quite large. It had the best selection of breakfast food I have ever seen in a lounge, lots of delicious filling food, nicely prepared and presented. I had a great relaxing breakfast, including 2 lattes.














We boarded the plane, a 777-200ER, right on time, and I did a "Robert" and smirked at all the people walking though Business Class looking at our huge seats/beds. Air New Zealand has those angled seats that are like little pods, that fold into flat beds. The NZ sparkling wine they gave us as we sat down went down well.

The inflight service was very good. They handed out menus and took our selection of drinks for after take-off. After a vodka and cranberry juice (42 below vodka is NZ made), they set my huge table, and offered me a roast duck salad, and my choice of wines (a NZ Sauvignon Blanc, of course).

For the main, I had an absolutely delicious and tender beef fillet with a surprisingly good NZ Syrah red (did not know they made good reds too). Choice of desserts was followed by a cheese and fruit plate, topped up with coffee and a Grand Marnier.

I am now actually looking forward to my 12 1/2 hour flight to San Francisco - it may be even better than this one. God, I never want to fly economy again!

A Day Trip to Kuranda

Today, I did a trip that is a "must do" if you are in the Cairns area - a day trip to Kuranda. Andrew dropped me off at Skyrail, a gondola system (just like the ski areas) that skims over the top of the tropical rainforest. It feels like a nature special on TV, in that you are viewing the forest from the canopy. It also gets you over a range of mountains, dropping you off at 2 stations for forest walks and viewing.














One of the stops gives you the opportunity to view Barron Falls and the surrounding Barron Gorge - spectacular!


















The gondola then sails high over a wide tropical river, and "sets down" in the inland town of Kuranda. Kuranda used to be a hippy haven years ago, but like many a similar place, tourist have really changed the town. It is actually really nice, a bit of an upscale tourist town with nice restaurant, shops and galleries.

The train arrived about the same time I did, and the hordes came out. Fortunatly, the town is big enough to disburse everyone.

I wandered around town, had a nice lunch, and browsed some galleries and shops.



























We returned to Cairns in a completely different fashion - the Kuranda Scenic Railway. The line was build for the gold rush in the 1880's, and is now used for a wonderful tourist train.

The route was spectacular, stopping at Barron Falls to give the view a completely different perspective. We wound along the Barron Gorge, going through a total of 15 tunnels.














The train took me all the way back to the centre of Cairns, so I used the opportunity to check out the town, before returning to Kewarra Beach in the evening.














If you come to this part of Australia, I strongly recomment this tour.

Tropical FNQ

That is a common abbreviation given this area - Tropical Far North Queensland. It is the area surrounding the two big tourist towns of Cairns and Port Douglas. By the way, it is pronounced Cans, as in cans of tuna.

It is the winter here, and the temperatures are perfect. Low humidity, and highs of about 26 to 28, lows of 17 to 20 - just ideal.

The area here is beautiful, in that the Great Barrier Reef is close to shore, the mountains come close to the sea, the area is protected Tropical Rainforest (it is the dry season now), and there are wonderful beaches.

I arrived after a full day bus trip from Airlie Beach. Andrew, one of my hosts from Boyz on the Beach, was at the bus station to pick me up. I have splurged a bit on the last part of my trip, staying at a gay B&B. Andrew and Bob are wonderful hosts, and their two dogs, Lady and Boof, are very friendly.














Breakfast is served in the dining and lounge area by the pool. It is kind of a seamless link between inside and outside - there is a ceiling, but no walls. Everything is wide open and tropical. My room is in a connected building. I have a huge shared bath, but as there is no one in the adjoining room, it is all mine.














I bought a package from the guys that includes airport (or bus) pick-up and drop off, 5 nights accomodation, a special rainforest tour, a Great Barrier Reef snorkeling trip, and a trip on the Skyrail to Kuranda with return by scenic rail.














Every second day I just get to relax, and of course they helped me find the clothing optional beach up the coast - Buchans Point. Luckily Cairns has a good bus system thoughout its beach suburbs, so I can get to all these places. Boyz on the Beach is actually in the suburb of Kewarra Beach.

Today I have come up the Skyrail to Kuranda, and am now waiting for the train back through the rainforest back to Cairns. I will write about this wonderful experience in my next blog.



























By the way, this is my bedroom, and the morning view out my bedroom window (notice my big feet). The B&B backs on tropical rainforest.

Sailing the Whitsunday Islands

Imagine the Gulf Islands with fewer people, plunked down in the warm, turquoise, tropical waters of northern Australia. Add some tropical vegitation, and sprinkle with a few powdery white sand beaches, and you have some idea of what the Whitsundays are like.



























Oh, and the beaches..... just increadible!!!! We stopped in the afternoon at Whitehaven beach, 7 kms of 98% pure white silica. The sand is cool, powdery and clean; it squeaks when you walk on it. The water is that perfect aqua blue colour, and very calm, clear and clean. And since the island is a National Park, there are no tacky hotels, restaurants, etc... just daytrippers dropping anchor.














We got underway early in the morning, again being served a light morning snack, along with coffee and tea. Soon after leaving the harbour, the huge sails were raised, and we were off flying through the water.... it was a fairly windy day. I love the way sailboats run so fast yet silent, you feel the water, not the hum of an engine.

We stopped at another island for snorkeling in the morning, then were back to the boat for individual shrimp cocktails - love this company. We were then off to the above mentioned Whitehaven Island for some onshore R&R (like we needed to relax).

While we were relaxing on one of the world's most beautiful beaches, our busy crew was prepping lunch, including BBQ'ing all the meats. After a couple of hours of beach bliss, we were back to the boat to feast.

We once again hoisted the sails, and were off tacking back towards Airlie Beach. Oh yes, forgot to mention, in addition to all the wonderful food, on this cruise we were offered unlimited beer and white wine. Yours truly behaved himself well, unlike a couple of English girls (why are they always English??).

Overall, it was a good group of people on the ship, and we all had a great time.

Heading home we passed an island that reminded me of the Gulf Islands, and I contemplated my possible move to Salt Spring.














Just another day in paradise.

Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef

Well, it is another one off the list of 1001 Things to Do Before You Die. It is probably up near the top of many people's lists - Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef.

All the way up the coast on Greyhound, I have been noticing this "backpackers special" for daytrips in this area. It looked like too good a deal to be true. When I got here and talked to the people at my hostel desk, they confirmed it, it is these two trips in the brochures, but if you are a backpacker, you get great savings. I have a Hostelling International card, and this definitely made it worth getting.

The first trip was to the Great Barrier Reef on a really great looking boat. It seemed to include a lot of extras, and was $199. The second trip was on a sailboat through the Whitsunday Islands, again, a real swish boat. This trip was $165. As a backpacker (please don't tell them I don't do dorm rooms!), I could get the two for $199. What's the gimmick - there is none!














So I took the trip, but had fairly low expectations - you get what you pay for. Well guess what, the first trip to the Reef was fabulous, and I am really looking forward to tomorrow's sailing trip.

The staff was just excellent, and they served coffee along with morning tea. It was all kinds of pastries, including scones with jam and fresh whipped cream. Out at the Reef Pontoon, snorkeling gear was free, as were trips on a semi-submersible, trips on the glass bottom boat, and a great buffet lunch. On the way back, afternoon tea of savouries was served.

The snorkeling was amazing. I have done a bit in Hawaii, but this was 1000 times better (and bigger). We had wetsuits, so I managed to stay in for about an hour, as the water is only 24 degrees.














My camera does not work underwater, so I could not capture the feeling. This picture I found on the internet pretty well shows what I experienced.... magic!



On the way home, we had an amazing sunset while sailing through the Whitsunday Islands. That is where I am off to tomorrow on my sailing cruise, including Whitehaven Beach, supposidly one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.

More from Cairns soon.

Here's to Miss Davis

"So what's in Rockhampton?" asked the Greyhound agent in Brisbane tagging my luggage.

"A good night's sleep on a real bed, I can't sleep on the bus" I replied.

"Right".

Yes, I did head north from Brisbane, and did stop at "Rocky" for the night to get a good sleep after 12 hours on the bus. Rockhampton is the beef capital of Australia (sorry veg family and friends), and sits smack dab on the Tropic of Capricorn, so the next day I was in tropical Australia.

There is another significance to Rockhampton, and is probably why I chose it as a place to stop. It is the home town of my Grade 3 teacher, Miss Davis.

She was one of my favourite teachers, and as a young impressionable child living in cold and wet Kitimat, I remember her tales of Australia... a place where schools had outdoor pools you could swim in year round... a place where you went to the beach on Christmas Day.... you could BBQ your turkey.... there were pineapples growing in your garden! I was fascinated and hooked; I already loved Australia, and I had to go there.

This is why I have followed Australia all my life, and know more than the average Canadian about the country. It is also likely the first seed of my travel wanderlust, that has led to my doing an Around the World Trip by myself.

So, I now find myself heading through Rockhampton on my way north.

Here's to you, Miss Davis.

The Brisbane Boys

I met David and John about 3 years ago in Vancouver. They were travelling the West Coast, and we hit it off. I invited them to stay at my place, and now they are returning the favour in Brisbane.

I think many of you sensed that I was tiring of travel towards the end of Thailand, and you would be right. Once I arrived in Australia, the familiarity of the place (no, I have never been here, but it feels a lot like Canada) gave me a boost, and I started enjoying travel again.

It got even better when I got to Brisbane, and got to stay in a real home, with real home cooking again (John is a fabulous cook). You don't eat enough fresh veggies when you travel, and the first night here we were out in the garden picking veggies to go with dinner. The dinner was great, just like the company.














We have been touring around Brisbane, seeing the sights, and checking out the town. The city is dominated by the Brisbane River, which winds through town. The skyline is pretty impressive, and gives the impression of a much bigger city (Brisbane population is 1.8 million).

The climate is subtropical, with all kinds of wonderful palms and exotic plants growing in a city that otherwise looks a lot like a Canadian city.














Some friends came up from Melbourne, and are also staying here. A bunch of us went out to a big gay event in the city, White Wolf. Big party, lots of drinking and dancing, not my usual, but fun when you know lots of people. I met many of their friends, and Brizzy guys are a real friendly, casual bunch.

Tomorrow I head north, and overnight in Rockhampton, right on the Tropic of Capricorn. Then I am in the tropics, with 4 nights in Airlie Beach, then 6 nights in Cairns.














G'day mate from Brizzy!

My Birthday Suit

I managed to spend my birthday doing what I probably like more than anything else, laying naked in the warm sun on a beautiful beach by the ocean.

Kings Beach is about 5 km south of Byron Bay, and me, without a car. My hostel rented bikes for a very reasonable $5 a day, so I grabbed a mountain bike, and off I went. Closer to the beach is got quite hilly, and I realized it had been a while since I rode a bike, ooohhh, my legs were sore. It was the typical walk down a steep hill to get to the nude beach, and there I was. I found it quite easily.

It was Tuesday, and approaching winter, so it was fairly quiet at the beach. An odd thing happened when I stepped into the forest to pee. There were these weird birds around that looked like small turkeys. One attacked all my clothes, and got scratches all over the shoulder bag that has accompanied me around the world. Some good war wounds for the bag. I shooed him off before he penetrated the bag.

Otherwise a quiet, relaxing peaceful birthday.

I have just arrived in Brisbane, and looking forward to hooking up with David and John.

Byron Bay Birthday

Interesting that I find myself in Byron Bay, Australia for my 52nd birthday. Australia is a place I have dreamed of visiting since I was a little kid, I think my Australian Grade 3 teacher lit the fire. And Byron Bay, so symbolic of the life I seem to be moving towards.

Byron Bay is absolutely beautiful. I was surprised how lush and green it is here, lots of subtropical rain forest with tons of native palms. The beaches are fantastic, with beautiful sand, and great waves for surfing. The place has an alternative vibe, kind of like Salt Spring Island, with lots of new age, alternative therapies and aging hippies. Like Salt Spring, there is also lots of money here.















There are lots of interesting shops and restaurants, so I may treat myself to a nice dinner out tonight. My real birthday will be celebrated later this week with my friends David and John in Brisbane. I head there tomorrow.

Thanks for everyone back home for the well timed birthday greetings - we are almost a day ahead here.

I am renting a bicycle today, and heading south in search of Byron Bay's nude beach.

Semillon and Kangaroos

Well, I am sorry to say that yet another rivalry between Sydney and Melbourne goes in Sydney's favour. The Hunter Valley is much nicer and more developed than the Yarra Valley, sort of a friendly Southern Napa.

I am actually in Newcastle, which is much closer to the valley for touring. Yet again, I chose a package including van, and this one was very reasonably priced. It was a fun day in spite of the cool fall weather.

You know you are not in Napa when you pull up to the winery, and the guide points to some fields beyond the vineyards saying "look at the wild kangaroos". Yes, and there they were. One of the very excited Americans in our group almost got run over while running across the road to get a picture. My zoom could not do it, so you'll just have to settle for a cute story.

We toured a number of different sized wineries, including giant Lindemans. All the wineries had excellent tastings and staff - very friendly, knowledgable and generous with the pours. Like Yarra, we typically had a dozen pours at each.

Hunter Valley is known for its Semillon and Shiraz, so we got to know those two better. We also did some cheese tasting - Aussie cheese is super! We ended the tour with a liquour and schnapps tasting, finishing the day downing a butterscotch schnapps flavoured with rosemary and hot chilli peppers.

I left the valley with a smile, and a really weird taste in my mouth.

Stranded in Sydney

It figures that I go to a country that has had severe drought problems for some 10 years, and I hit heavy rains and flooding. It has not been bad here in Sydney, but north of here, in northern New South Wales the storms have been terrible.

You may recall that I have a Greyhound pass that will take me from Melbourne to Cairnes, so I am continuously moving north. The plan was to head up to Byron Bay, but the buses were not running earlier this week due to flooding and road wash outs. Luckily my hostel was able to accommodate me a few more days, and believe me, there are far worse things than being stranded in this beautiful city.

On Monday, I headed out again on Sydney's wonderful Harbour Ferry system over to Manly Beach. The ferries all leave from Circular Quay, and I can get there on a free bus, the #555 (are you listening BC Transit?). The ferry was a scenic 1/2 hour ride across the harbour, and I spent the afternoon wandering around Manly, with its calm inner harbour beach, and surf pounded open ocean beach. Surfers were taking advantage of the huge waves that day.














Tuesday was a running errands day, something that is essential when travelling, yet I know alot of you would consider it a waste of a day. I started out at Greyhound, and no, I could not head north yet. I headed into the CBD, and discovered a nice little barbershop on the way. My hair did not get completely buzzed like it did in Thailand, thank goodness.

Looking less scruffy, I headed downtown to Air New Zealand's office. A very helpful lady there easily changed the dates on all my remaining flights. So, it is now June 21 to Auckland, June 28 to San Francisco, and July 11 home to Vancouver. That's a Saturday, so I expect a huge gathering at the airport (just kidding).

It was a gorgeous sunny day in Sydney, and here I was close to the waterfront. So I headed down to Circular Quay and The Rocks for yet more pictures of the Sydney Opera House. I climbed up the bridge approach watching the crazy people climb up the top arch of the bridge, and decided the sidewalk was more my speed. I walked across the bridge and drank in the stunning views - what a city!

Stopped at a rooftop bar in the Rocks area for a cold beer, and it seemed everyone in Sydney had left their offices that day to do the same (another reason Sydney reminds me of Vancouver).

Got a few more errands and shopping done on my way back to the hostel. I grabbed a light bite out on Oxford Street, and decided to check out the bars on Tuesday night. The Oxford Hotel was fairly quiet, but they have $2.50 schooners of beer at Happy Hour. I crossed the street to the Stonewall where it was much busier. Here, there were also $2.50 schooners, but when I ordered mine, the bartender asked "Heads or Tails?". He flipped a coin, it was in my favour (heads), therefore my beer was free. I did this two more times, both times getting a free beer, then decided it was perhaps time to stagger home.

Today is Wednesday, I was just at Greyhound, and I am booked to Newcastle tomorrow. I plan on checking out the town itself, and probably doing a Hunter Valley wine tour from there. The plan after that is Byron Bay on Sunday, then on to Brisbane after that.

G'day all!