CAIRNS 2016

My flight left Perth at 11.10pm. It’s a long flight but I got an aisle seat although I don’t sleep particularly well on planes anyway. The time between flights in Brisbane to Cairns was only two hours and then two and a half hours to Cairns. The fun began when I landed in Cairns and tried to contact the hire car people for their shuttle. The 1800 number kept cutting out for Cairns office. I tried their regular number and got a disconnected message! Great! I was starting to think I’d been scammed as I’d paid for the car in advance. I finally managed to contact their Brisbane office who also had trouble contacting Cairns. They were finally able to connect me and confirm that it was a phone line problem. I was duly collected by the shuttle and driven into the city to collect the car. I was expecting a Hyundai Accent but it sorta grew and became a Toyota Camry – and I couldn’t find the hand brake. Apparently they don’t have one – they have a foot parking pedal – thank goodness for Google! I reckon I look like a meerkat sitting up to drive a car that size. I suppose I’ll get used to it around about the time I take it back! The hotel is comfortable and clean and VERY secure. There are automatic gates that close at 11pm (guests can still enter and exit) and two locked doors to enter your room. Unfortunately there are no lifts (I knew this before I booked) but I had a studio apartment on the first floor so only one flight of steps and that wasn’t too much to handle once I’d got my case up there. Strange I never saw any reviews that mentioned the railway line at the rear of the hotel! Scared the shit out of me the first evening when I was sitting on my balcony and the train whistle blew! Luckily there don’t seem to be many trains. I found out later that the line is the Kuranda Railway and there are only two trains in the morning before 9am and two in the late afternoon. So if you’re out early and home late you’d miss them completely. I checked out another review site when I came home and oh my goodness did one person whinge about the trains! I would have sworn they were talking about a different hotel! The hotel is centrally situated and just round the corner from the large shopping centre and about a 10 minute walk from the waterfront.   Day 1 This was Kuranda Railway and Skyrail Day. Siri took me to Freshwater Station with no problem to catch the train. I’d treated myself to Gold Class so had mocktails on the station after the first train carrying the first load of plebs had left. Very civilized I must say! The second train has the Gold Class carriages and they are so much more comfortable than cattle class! The seating is tub style armchairs set in groups of four and the carriage is wood panelled and really rather swish. They serve munchies and drinks on the journey and I sat with a couple from northern NSW and a family from California. The scenery on the way is beautiful and we stopped briefly at Baron Falls for a photo opportunity and to stretch our legs. There is a commentary about the history of the rail line which is really interesting and it’s incredible to think that all the tunnels and cuttings were originally made by hand. It must have been a huge task.

Cane Fields 

From the train

Once you arrive at Kuranda there is a free shuttle that will take you into the village. It runs every fifteen minutes so you can return whenever you like. The village is very pretty with several markets and the Australian Butterfly Sanctuary, a Koalas Sanctuary and a Bird Sanctuary. I didn’t do the koalas or birds but the Butterfly Sanctuary was amazing. They breed the various species there and a guide will take groups round and explain about the whole facility and the butterflies. The Cairns Birdwing butterfly is enormous and the largest species in Australia. There are some really beautiful butterflies there but it’s quite difficult to get them to stay still long enough to get really good photos.

  I had lunch in the village at a restaurant called Frogs. My opportunity to try out crocodile. There was crocodile in a Sri Lankan curry on the menu. It was nice but quite honestly the meat was a bit tough and probably nice tender beef would have been better. At least I tried it!

The journey back down to Smithfield was by Skyrail. There was quite a long queue waiting to go down but couples or singles were actually able to “jump the queue” to fill partially filled gondolas. There’s an advantage being on your own on occasions! I shared a gondola back with a French woman and her two sons. What great views are to be had from up there. You’re looking down over forests but also out to the ocean. Once at Smithfield, if you drove to Freshwater for the train there is a free shuttle to take you back to your car.  

Day 2 

Daintree and Cape Tribulation today with a 6.30am pick up from the hotel. Our coach driver was really good and kept us interested with a great commentary full of information and facts. Our first stop was at a Wildlife Sanctuary at Port Douglas. Although it’s probably much like any other Sanctuary around the country it was still enjoyable. Most of the animals were in enclosures that you could walk through without any problem. It was a great hit with some Americans who were part of our group. Our Coat of Arms sharing lunch!

Our Coat of Arms sharing lunch

From there it was on to Mossman Gorge and a walk through the rain forest. What a spectacular spot it is. It is so lush and VERY green. It was absolutely beautiful. I was a bit dubious about the walk when it went over rocky ground and up rocky steps but, taking it carefully, I managed not to break my leg or anything!

From there it was on to the Daintree River and the car ferry. It seems the only way north is to cross on this ferry. There are no roads or bridges to take you past it. The coach just trundles on to the ferry, we all stay put in our seats and slowly we head across to the opposite bank!

It was as we were driving towards Cape Tribulation from the ferry that we saw our first cassowary off to the side of the road in the bush. As an endangered species (they estimate that there’s only about two thousand left in the wild) we were very lucky to see one. Some people go years and never see one at all. To cap it off, we saw another one with a chick on the way back! Lunch was at the Beach House at Cape Tribulation and then a look at the beach itself. The road down to the restaurant is very steep and the coach must park at the top. Our guide asked me if I’d be OK with the steep slope. I told him I’d be fine – once I got going I’d just keep going until I hit the brick wall at the bottom! Actually it was fine but going back UP would have been a bit more difficult so he arranged for one of the staff of the resort to drive me back. It was hilarious. My “transport” was a really old, rusty Holden ute with a column change and no lining in the inside of the doors. The resort of one of Eco Resorts so it’s not “posh” looking, although I’m sure it’s quite expensive. I actually think the poor old Holden had nearly as much trouble as I would have had getting up that hill!

  Cape Tribulation Beach in the middle of winter! One thing that surprised me at the end of the day was that no one, not even the overseas visitors, tipped the driver. I had really expected to see the Americans at least give him a tip.   

Day 3 - Hot Air Ballooning

The pick up from the hotel was 4am! A very early start! It’s an hour’s drive up through the hills on a very twisting road to Mareeba in the Atherton Tablelands. The first problem I had was the hotel security gate. Reception had told me there was a button on the inside to press to open the pedestrian gate but I couldn’t find it! Luckily there is a key lock on the outside of the gate and I was able to hand my keys to driver and he let me out!!! We duly arrived in a farmer’s paddock where about three balloons were being readied for flights.

 If you booked a half hour flight and you were on the second leg, the coach with you in it would attempt to follow the balloon on the ground. If you booked an hour, you stayed on board when the first half an hour was over and those on the chasing coach then joined you for the next half an hour. That meant you got to land twice for your hours’ worth! Actually, landing wasn’t really a problem – a couple of bumps and that was it. The first landing the pilot was aiming for a paddock but balloons isn’t really able to be steered with any accuracy and we landed in a mango plantation. Luckily the space between the rows of trees was wide enough to accommodate the balloon safely!

The magnificent sunrise over the Atherton Tablelands

Other balloons making their way up through the ground fog

The BIG problem came with how to get in and out of the basket. I had been under the impression that they had removable steps or even a gate on the basket – but NO. They showed a safety video in the coach on the way to Mareeba and horror upon horrors – you have to CLIMB into the basket using toe holds in the wicker and then climb out again the same way – UNAIDED (it’s a safety regulation). I might have had second thoughts if I’d realised that but there I was, on my way, so I decided I’d just have to make the best of it. I managed to scramble into the basket in a most inelegant manner! My 73 year old knees don’t bend that well these days! But I made it. Getting out was more difficult as I’d been standing in the basket for the hour flight but I was helped out – after all, they couldn’t leave me in there regardless of safety regulations at that stage! The amazing sunrise There was a thick ground fog and it was amazing to rise above it and then see other balloons following us up through it. It’s a great feeling, just floating along and it’s silent apart from the occasions when the pilot releases more gas. The sunrise was incredible and I was surprised that it really wasn’t particularly cold. It was an experience not to be missed that’s for sure.  

Day 4 - A trip to Green Island 

It was a beautiful day to be out on the ocean. It was warm but with a light breeze blowing and just perfect on the upper deck.

I’d opted to include lunch in my ticket and it was a good plan. The lunch was buffet style but there was plenty of food available and you could go back as often as you liked.  I did a trip on the glass bottomed boat to see the reef which was really good but doesn’t really lend itself to photography unfortunately. We were sitting back up on the top deck again about mid-afternoon when we heard a lot of splashing at the rear of the catamaran. Looking over, we saw loads of fish swimming around right near the surface. About ten minutes later it increased when one of the crew went down to feed them. Apparently it was a regular afternoon occurrence and the fish were there waiting! Don’t let anyone tell you fish don’t have good memories!  

 Day 5 

This should be named “Panic Day”. For some reason I got out my e ticket for the flight home and suddenly realised it was booked for 15th August instead of 15th July! The month must have ticked over when I did the booking and I didn’t notice. I spend an hour on the phone to Expedia, who were really helpful, and I finally got the last seat on the only flight from Cairns to Brisbane that would allow me to connect with my Perth flight. Being a Friday I guess it’s a popular day to head to Brisbane for a weekend. With the ticket drama sorted I decided to head out the Coffee Works in Mareeba. I had been intending to go the Gallo’s who also do chocolate and cheese tasting but the driver on the Daintree trip said that they did the second best chocolate. When asked who did the best he said “Coffee Works” – so, another trip up the winding road but with me driving this time! Coffee Works showcases locally grown and imported coffees and they make chocolates. You can sample as much of both as you like. The varieties of chocolate are amazing. Flavours like chilli chocolate or lemon and myrtle, orange marbled chilli chocolate, the list just goes on! It’s quite expensive to buy as you would expect but I brought some home with me. Not being a real coffee affonciado, that didn’t make a lot of difference to me, although I tried a few different varieties. Liam would have loved it!

I didn't know there were "Coffee Fairies"!

I stopped at Emerald Creek Ice Creamery on the way back and had the most delicious Guava Rose and caramel Macadamia ice cream. As on who doesn’t usually go for ice cream I can say it was really nice! While I was there three beefy looking sorta middle aged men came in and sat down with their ice creams. I left and when I got to the car I found three huge, black, shiny Harley Davidson motor cycles parked next to me. Now they and my car were the only vehicles in quite a large carpark! I started to back out and looked at the ice cream shop and there was one of the blokes, standing in the doorway watching me reverse out. Trusting souls!!!!

 Day 6 

I decided to go to Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures, even though I’ve done the whole “crocodile thing” up in Darwin, and I’m so glad I did. It was so entertaining! I would heartily recommend them to anyone going to Cairns. They have a man-made lagoon (which looks totally natural) and your entry ticket includes a half hour boat trip on that lagoon to view the many crocs in residence. The guides are full of knowledge and also very funny. They interact with the audience so well.

Nigel

I watched a crocodile show and a baby in the audience was restive. Says the presenter “have you got a problem there? I can fix it for you…” and glances at the croc meaningfully. “how old is baby?” “nine months? Oh well you won’t have grown too attached yet….” And the audience is roaring with laughter…and so it goes on.

Future shoes and handbags?

Later in the afternoon there was another crocodile where the same presenter is actually IN the pen with a 3.8m croc named Hagrid. I realise that they keep them well fed so they are less likely to attack but you have to bear in mind that crocs are territorial and don’t necessarily attack from hunger!

Hagrid

There was also another presentation which was snakes, including a King Brown and a Taipan, the most venomous snake in the world. They really have to know what they’re doing!

King Brown Snake

Deadly Taipan

On the lagoon cruise we saw an old croc which they estimate to be about 100 years old. He’s over 5m, has no teeth left and is going blind but he still chases the lady crocs and will mix it with any of the males who care to take him on. I had lunch there but no crocodile this time. I actually had barramundi which was really nice and certainly not expensive, sitting with two ladies from Alaska. 

Day 7 - Last day. 

The rental car people were nice enough to let me keep the car until mid-afternoon. It had been due to go back at 11am. It was really good because I would have been stuck at the airport so early for a 5.10pm flight. I decided to drive down to Innisfail as I hadn’t been south of Cairns. It was the only day that was wet and about half way it just bucketed down. If there had been anywhere on the side of the road to stop I would have but, alas, nowhere, so I just had to keep imitating a meerkat and keep driving! It soon stopped, thank goodness, and I reached beautiful down town Innisfail. Well, the “fail” part is correct. Unless you absolutely HAVE to go there – don’t! It was a nice drive though and it meant that I didn’t have to get to the airport too early. It also meant that I had plenty of time to miss my turning at the airport and have to go round again to get to the hire car drop off! I know that it would be a reasonably tight connection between flights (40 minutes maximum) so I arranged assistance to be sure that I got to the Perth flight on time. It’s just as well I did. There was only 15 minutes between flights by the time we landed in Brisbane. I sat next to a couple of kids from Doubleview and their parents were on the other side of aisle. There was a little people mover beep beep thingy waiting for me to take me the next flight. They waved as I went past and the driver stopped and told them to hop on so they rode with me, passing all those scurrying for the flight. I’m sure they would they probably would have waited a few minutes though as there were 27 passengers on the Cairns/Brisbane flight connecting with the Perth flight. All in all, it was a great holiday but, as usual, it was really nice to come home!

Canberra Capers 2006

CANBERRA

10^{th – 11th} August 2006

The flight left Perth on time at 11.50pm.  We only just got there in time for the luggage to get on the plane though!  What a thought, three days with no change of knickers – phew…….The guy on the check-in counter wanted some ID for Shannon.  Of course, it was the last thing I’d thought of.  So he asked Shannon “who are you going to Canberra with?”  She looked quite puzzled and I was sure she was going to tell him she had no idea – that this strange woman had picked her up in the car park.  Luckily she twigged what he meant and answered OK.

We got into Melbourne at 5am and had two and a half hours to wait for our connecting flight…..boring……. The flight to Canberra was only something like about 35 minutes and it was well under half full.  Obviously not too many people see Canberra as a desirable weekend destination!

We picked the car up at the airport.  They upgraded us from the Getz to a Mitsubishi Lancer.  It was very nice to drive – which was just as well as we spent a LONG time driving around totally lost!

We couldn’t check in to our motel until 1pm so we went off and had a drive round the new Parliament House.  At least that’s easy to find.  There’s hardly a spot in Canberra where you can’t see it.  It really just looks like a large, modern building.  The pollies had all gone home for the weekend (nice work if you can get it – a long weekend EVERY weekend!) so we didn’t see a lot of point in going in.  We did, however, go and check out the old Parliament House.  It really has character and is much more interesting.  Shannon was given a Super Sleuth card which was a series of questions about exhibits with a badge as a prize at the end of it.  She had a lot of fun filling it in.  We were able to sit in the old House of Representatives and the Senate – we became opposition backbenchers for a little while!  We finished up with a photo of Shannon taken where Gough Whitlam’s famous “God Save the Queen…..” speech was made November 11^th 1975.

“God save the Queen because nothing will save the Governor General…..”

From there we went to the National Museum.  It’s very modern and Shannon was most taken with a replica skeleton of a giant wombat.  They even have a full size replica of the Federation Arch from Sydney.

We finally went to check into the motel.  It is located only a short distance from The Lodge – but isn’t quite so fancy!  It was quite old and fairly dilapidated looking from the outside but clean and comfortable.  It’s also quite close to the city without being in a really busy place.  We decided to take a drive and see if we could find a fairly large shopping centre to get something to eat (the local one only had a milk bar and an IGA).  Checking in the street directory there didn’t seem to be many large centres but we picked one that sounded “big” and set off.  We did eventually find it and it was a reasonable size but not as large as Whitfords.  They also charge 60c an hour to park in the shopping centre car park!  Going back to the motel was the problem – we got horribly lost!  I swear we passed through the same intersection at least three times (from three different directions!).  Michelle and Derek phoned a couple of times and were wetting themselves laughing.  We certainly did a Cook’s Tour of suburban Canberra.  Shannon was navigating me (and doing a good job – it was just that the roads on the map were nothing like the roads on the ground).  I asked her a question – no answer – pulled into a side street and there’s my navigator, fast asleep with her mouth open!  I finally navigated us back to the motel just before dark.  We were both quite tired by that time and Shannon was a little weepy but she was fine again by the time we went to bed.  We watched a little bit of TV before putting out the lights. 

They had an advert on for Monday evening’s “Today Tonight” (Canberra version).  It’s about speed cameras and how wrong they can be.  They clocked a solid brick wall doing 7kph!  No wonder we were lost – the roads probably move constantly also!

12^th August 2006

We headed off for the snow this morning bright and early.  Thankfully we managed to get there without getting lost again……how lost can you get on one straight road?  We stopped just the other side of Cooma and rented snow boots for both of us and ski pants and parka for Shannon.  We also rented a toboggan.  The guys there gave us directions and advice to go to Perisher Valley.  We got all the way to the Kosiuscko National Park entrance only to be told that we couldn’t go in because we didn’t have snow chains in the car.  We didn’t actually need them as it was blacktop the whole way but it’s law that you have to have them in the car anyway unless you’re in a 4WD.  Apparently the weather at that particular spot can change without warning.  I can’t understand why the guys didn’t try to rent us some.  On the way back I notice chains for hire just about everywhere for $20 a day.  Of course, by that time I knew what the hell they were for!  The lady in the pay booth advised us to go back to Thredbo as no chains were required to get in there.  Half an hour later we finally made it to the snow.  Unfortunately toboggans are banned there.  What a shame.  There’s a dedicated toboggan area at Perisher.  Parking was at a premium but Michelle’s parking luck has obviously rubbed off on Shannon and we found the only empty bay in the car park on the main street.  I lugged that dratted toboggan around with us everywhere as we didn’t find out until we actually got to the snow area that we couldn’t use it.  I couldn’t be bothered going back to the car as the snow boots are actually quite cumbersome.  Shannon took her first step onto the snow and went A-over!  Shame I didn’t have the camera ready so she had to do a re-enactment. 

The snow was a bit hard packed as there were a lot of people walking, skiing, snowboarding over it but she managed to still make a miniature snowman

Her snowballs were more like ice balls though and it was just as well she didn’t throw them as she’d probably have killed someone!  We took photos at a giant snowman (obviously a professional job especially for photos) then Shannon found a mound (probably the remains of yesterday’s giant snowman) and had a ball sliding down – first on her rear end then on her tummy.  Tummy-first if she’s been wearing black and white she would have looked like a refugee from “March of the Penguins”. 

We left to head back to Canberra just after 2pm as it’s a long drive back and we planned to stop for lunch in Cooma.  It’s incredible how few eating places, other than expensive restaurants, there seems to be over here.  Luckily I’d noticed a few likely places in Cooma on the way through.  I actually got breathalysed driving through Cooma – my Diet Coke didn’t show up though!

Thanks to an almost total lack of street names on signs – they may use arrow and Fishwyck but don’t tell you what the road is called – great if you know the suburb you want but useless if you’re trying to follow street names – we got a little lost again.  We accidentally found the shops down the road from the motel so we avoided the endless drive again!  We had a really nice pizza at the Italian Pizzeria in this little shopping centre, agreed that it wasn’t quite a good as Michelle’s and went back to the motel.  It was a long day of driving but worth it, particularly for Shannon.  On the way home we decided unanimously that we wouldn’t swap Perth for Canberra under any circumstances.  In fact, apart from seeing Old Parliament House etc we couldn’t see why anyone would want to come back.  We both got into bed and watched “Crocodile Dundee” on TV.  Eventually I dozed off.  The next thing I remember is Shannon saying “are you still watching this or shall I turn it off?” and it was 11.15pm!  She’d been sitting in bed doing her diary and then puzzles.  Just as well we didn’t have to be up early the next morning.

13^th August, 2006

We eventually surfaced about 8am and headed to the Australian War Memorial first.  We actually got there without getting lost.  We must be improving.  It’s an incredible place and the displays are really great.  It’s a mixture of great sadness and pride to go through there.

It was good that the first memorial we came to was Simpson and his donkey, which Shannon immediately recognized. 

The dioramas of various World War 1 battlefields and Gallipoli are extremely well done and they had a lifesize model (stuffed horse I’m sure) of a mounted Light Horseman.  I hadn’t realised that the 10^th Light Horse were all from Western Australia.  There was a similar model (with a definitely stuffed camel) of a soldier from the Australian Camel Corps. There’s a room dedicated to VC winners from all wars and the special show at the moment was 1916. 

With one of the original Gallipoli landing boats

The chapel with the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is beautiful and it’s quite difficult not to become emotional.  It’s a little ironic that from the front of the Memorial you look down the broad expanse of Anzac Parade to Parliament House where John Howard is doing his bit to add more names to the Rolls of Honour surrounding the eternal flame.  We could have spent a lot longer there as there was so much to see but I think the two hours that we did spend were quite enough for Shannon.  Any longer and she would have lost interest.

From there we went to Questacon, which is just like a giant Sci-Tech. One of the displays is “face your Fears”.  There’s a Free Fall 6m high.  They give you overalls to prevent friction burns and you climb the tower.  You swing out, holding a bar, over a vertical drop that curves out into a slide.  You body doesn’t touch the slide until you get to the curve.  Even some adults were chickening out when they got to the edge.  I couldn’t get Shannon off it!  We even went back for a few more goes before closing time! 

The other “fear” was a guillotine where the blade stops short of your neck but Shannon wouldn’t put her head in that one!  There’s a section that is Check your Sporting Skills.  There was balancing, driving a race car, snowboarding, walking (how fast can you walk?) and how fast you could throw a ball at a target.  They also have an Earthquake House.  It’s like an ordinary kitchen and you sit down on chairs.  The room starts to move very, very slightly – really more of a funny feeling than a movement.  Gradually it builds up to really shaking.  The cupboards fly open, the fridge door swings open and cracks appear in the walls.  It starts to shake quite violently and make a lot of noise.  Now this was something Shannon didn’t like and found quite scary.  Just as well it wasn’t real!  We were at Questacon until closing time and still probably didn’t see absolutely everything.

14^th August, 2006

What should have been a simple drive to the airport (even though it was peak traffic) didn’t eventuate.  We got lost again.  I took a wrong turn and we found ourselves on the

Monaro Highway

heading in the opposite direction.  It’s nigh on impossible to turn round on a major highway.  I finally took the next off ramp and just heading in the general direction of where I figured the airport was.  Saw a sign saying “City” so followed that.  We finally saw Parliament House and headed for that.  Shannon found us on the map and guided me back to the right road.  We finally found the airport and at least it meant I didn’t leave too much petrol in the car.  I’d paid in advance for the tank of petrol so it was in my interest to bring it back as empty as possible.  I’m glad I opted to pay in advance at $1.32 a litre as most of the service stations were charging $1.49.  Canberra Airport is much smaller than Perth.  When we arrived we didn’t even walk down a tunnel, we had to go down the steps and walk across the tarmac.  With this in mind I don’t know why we found boarding the flight to Sydney so surprising!  We went through the departure gate and down a passage and some steps and out onto the tarmac again.  No plane in sight.  “Just follow the path” says a guy – and there, in the middle of the tarmac, all by itself is this dinky little plane.  I’ve been on Qantaslink before but not one this small!  12 rows of 4 seats, two on either side of the one central aisle and two flight attendants. 

Homeward Bound - Sydney

When we got to Sydney we went down steps to the tarmac again but onto a bus this time to take us to the terminal. 

We got on the flight to Perth and sat there, and sat there, and sat there………Eventually the captain announced that there was a “baggage handling issue” and we’d get going as soon as possible.  Another 15 minutes came and went and we’re still sitting there.  Then another announcement that “the baggage has been located and removed”.  The next thing some official looking bods come down the aisle and back again escorting a passenger between them.  He’s boarded the plane directly in front of us.  The flight attendants then went along checking overhead lockers that the luggage in them belonged to the person sitting below.  The there was an announcement that, for security reasons, a passenger had been removed and that his luggage had been located and also removed.  Apologies for the delay but they couldn’t be more specific earlier so as not to panic him!  So we had our very own security scare!  I must say they handled it extremely well.  We have no idea what he’s done or why he was taken off.  We took off about 45 minutes late and had to change course, which meant we flew back over Canberra.  All that hassle of being lost could have been avoided – we could just have been catapulted up to meet the plane from the Telstra Tower had we known.

Our observations of Canberra:

• We only saw one ATM – apparently they don’t have such luxuries in the suburbs.
• We saw one cinema (when we were lost trying to get to the airport)
• Large shopping centres appear to be few and far between and when you do find one you have to buy a parking ticket.
• Fast food eg McDonalds, Hungry Jacks etc are scarce – of course this isn’t really a problem but worth mentioning.  We never saw a KFC at all except in Cooma, which is actually in NSW.
• I never saw a “Food Hall” or similar – plenty of expensive looking restaurants but virtually nowhere that looked like you could get a decent, cheap meal for a child.  Thank goodness for the cafeteria in Questacon!
• There are roundabouts everywhere and a lot of dual carriageways with cloverleaf systems which mean that often when you want to turn left you have to turn right first – terrific if you happen to be three lanes over to the left!
• The lack of street names is infuriating.  They seem to be there when you don’t need them and non-existent when you do.

In closing:

I have to say that Shannon is great to go away with.  She’s sensible, helpful and certainly not demanding.  People commented on her good manners and she did a brilliant job of reading directions and the street director for me – even if we DID get lost a fair bit.  Blame the roads!!!!!!  She did really well for her first long trip without Mum and Dad.

NEW ZEALAND 2004

NEW ZEALAND 2004

We left Perth at around 11pm on the 27^th and pm on the 27th and arrived in Melbourne around 5am the next morning when very little was open.  The airport sort of woke up around us!  Four and a half hours is a long time to wait netween flights!

Liam had a window seat again – this time with something to see.  The coastline of NZ when you first see it out of the clouds is very rugged and spectacular.  As Liam said, it’s really Lord of the Rings stuff.  Unfortunately it was 14C and raining in Wellington – some summer!

The cinema where the world premiere of “Lord of the Rings” was held is just around the corner from the YHA and it has a huge dragon draped over the roof.  Definitely eye-catching.

The couple of weeks preceding our arrival there had been floods all up and down the North Island.  At one point, Wellington was totally cut off from the rest of the country.  I thought about going straight on to the South Island, but as there were things we really wanted to do in the North, I decided to chance it.  When we picked the car up, the AA told us what major roads were still closed and told us we’d just have to watch for local road signs along the way.  There were lots of places where you could see land slides (land slups in Kiwi), washaways and the aftermath of flooding.  We headed north for Waitomo Caves.  We got to Waiouru, where we had to chuck a rightie to Rangataua, then head up to Taumarunui.  This was a real problem (and still is) as neither of us could pronounce any of them.  Just out of Taumaruni we had to drive through flooding over the highway.  It was manned by road crews but I was desperate not to stall in the middle!  We got through and breathed a sigh of relief and moseyed on through the unpronounceable town.  Waitomo here we come!  Not to be – just the other side of town was another road closure.  Says the man on the barrier, “go back through town and go to Turangi.”  At least we could pronounce that.  YES……I had to drive BACK through the flooded section!  We got to Whakameru and found the road closed yet again.  Another detour.  We finally got to the road into Waitomo (the ONLY road into Waitomo) only to find it flooded.  There was a motor home parked at the flooded section so I pulled up next to it and asked if he knew how deep it was.  “Don’t know” came the reply, “but four or five cars have gone through.”  “How about you going first then?  You’re bigger than me.”  “Oh no, we’re going to Otorohanga.”  He sounded like an American so I didn’t tell him he was facing the wrong direction!  He stayed there anyway while we drove through – only to find the caves were closed because they were flooded and everything else was closed too.

The only main road in or out of Waitomo Caves

We must have been two of about six people staying at the YHA!  By the next morning things had started to open but the caves were still shut (and stayed shut until after we’d well and truly moved on!).  It’s a shame the weather was so bad.  We did a lot of driving through mountains around the edges of Tongariro National Park, but because the cloud was so low, we were driving through it and not able to see what must have been magnificent views. 

We still spent our two nights at Waitomo.  There were other things to do and see apart from the waterlogged caves and we saw our first kiwis (the feathered variety) in the excellent Kiwi House in Otorohanga, although it meant driving out and then back in again through the flooded road!

Liam is the one in the red jacket

By the next day, the water had gone down a fair bit and it appeared that we’d be able to drive to Rotorua without having to detour through Fiji after all.  Along the way we did the obligatory detour to Matamata, home of Hobbiton and “Lord of the Rings”.  Considering that I’m not a LOTR fan (I yawned all the way through the first one and haven’t seen the others), I really enjoyed the tour (which was just as well as it cost $50!).  The guide was a veritable mine of information about the movie and how it was made, the “tricks” of the set and where the various features had been placed.  The set doesn’t really exist anymore.  They started to demolish the hobbit holes but were stopped by rain.  In the meantime, people started coming to the farm asking to see the site.  The farmer eventually asked permission to start tours and was allowed to retain the hobbit holes that hadn’t been demolished.  They aren’t allowed to display them as they were in the movie due to legalities, which is a pity, but Liam assured me HE could still imagine the site as it was and, apparently, so have thousands of other visitors.  Me – I’ll have to get the movie out again!  The incredible things that Peter Jackson did to set it all up are just amazing.  I hesitate to relate it here in case it spoils it for any LOTR fans – ask me about it if you really would like to know!

From Hobbiton we headed into Rotorua.  There seemed to be steam rising from all over the place, even back yards!  Liam thought there were a lot of bush fires!  The hostel that we stayed in had its own thermal pools and Liam had a great time in them.  The next morning we went to a thermal region called Wau-O-Tapu.  It has a geyser that very obligingly erupts at 10.15am every morning!  Actually, they put pure soap into it, which causes it to erupt on cue – otherwise it would be totally unpredictable and not good for tourist trade! 

Although Liam insisted on walking around holding his nose, after about 10 minutes, the smell didn’t seem so bad.  The various boiling water and mud pools are really something. 

From there we headed out to Te Whakarewarewa, which is a Maori Cultural Centre.  All the guides are Maori and the one we had was really interesting.  There were more hot springs, mud pools and geysers, which I think were more spectacular than Wai-O-Tapu, and didn’t need a helping hand to erupt!

From there we went to the Sky Park.  This was Liam’s favourite!  It’s an incredible place.  The car park is at the bottom of an enormous hill, overlooking Rotorua.  The only way to the top is in the gondola.  There’s bungy jumping, a sky swing and THE LUGE.  There are three luge tracks winding their way to the bottom of the hill.  Two are suitable for children and one is for older kids/adults.  You use a type of go-kart rather than a real luge and they bring you and your luge back up with a chairlift.  Liam would never have come off given half the chance.  He loved it!

The only way up to the top of the hill unless you've gone down on the luge

Liam on his way down the first time

We had the long drive back to Wellington the next day.  At least all the roads were now open and we could pretty well stay on Highway 1 for most of the way.  We were able to use some of the roads that had been closed and the damage, which was being repaired, was really quite bad, particularly on the “Desert Road” between Wairouru and Turangi.  It’s a great stretch of road, running alongside Tongariro National Park and within easy sight of Mt Ruapahu and two other mountains whose names I can’t spell, let alone pronounce, all snow covered and shrouded in cloud.  Such a difference from West Australian scenery!

   

We went through Taupo.  Lake Taupo is huge but the town seems very touristy.  More so than Rotorua I thought.  The lake is lined with hotels and motels.  We only stopped for petrol.  We got ourselves onto the Motorway just outside Wellington and it suddenly dawned on me that I’d forgotten to ask anyone which exit to come off at!  I was so pleased with myself for guessing the right one.  Actually, it wasn’t so much a good guess as more “geeze, we’d better get off here before we end up at the airport…..”  We went down a couple of streets and there was the dragon on top of the cinema and we knew the YHA was just around the corner.

We took the hire car back the next morning after driving 1,588km in the four days, and caught the ferry to South Island. 

The ferry was late but the train to Christchurch at the other end just waits!  There’s only two trains in and two trains out of Christchurch a day so most of its passengers are off the ferry anyway.  It was a five-hour train journey but an experience for Liam, who had only been on a suburban train.  We spent a lot of time on the open-air observation platform at the rear of the train.  It’s a bit like a covered cattle car with sides you can see out of!  The scenery was terrific and you go through heaps of tunnels.  Most of the time there’s mountains on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other.  There were a couple of Poms with rather loud voices in our carriage who spent most of their time name-dropping all the places around the world they’d been.  I was quite relieved they weren’t sitting opposite us or we’d have had to spend ALL our time out on the observation thingy!

A TrainWith a View

The next morning we went out to the Antarctic Centre.  This was the sole reason for coming to Christchurch.  We went in the Hagglund vehicle first.  They use them to transport personnel over the snow and ice and it’s the bumpiest ride I’ve ever had, including Derek’s 4WD!  They go over a circuit outside the Centre, which includes a 10m deep pool.  It floats through it.  It’s so strange sitting there with the water outside about level with your armpits!  It was great fun. 

Liam got kitted up (so did I) to go in the snow room.  He lasted all about two minutes.  Didn’t even wait for the blizzard.  Reckoned it was too cold and came out!  A true son of Aussie is that one!  I couldn’t believe it.  Maybe the fact that he insisted on wearing shorts didn’t help!

They have a “room” which is set up as a re-enactment of the Scott expedition, holographs etc, howling wind that gets worse and the room gets colder.  It’s very well done.  I should have twigged Liam’s reaction to the snow room when he wanted to move on from that one as it got colder!  It’s an excellent exhibition and well worth visiting…unless you’re a wimp with the cold!

Willowbank Wildlife Reserve and the Gondola to the top of Mt Cavendish were our next stops then back to the city and a trip round on the tram.



We flew back to Wellington the next morning.  It’s only a 35 minute flight but flying over the mountains is awesome.  They look so great just poking through the clouds

Quite a change from the eight hours or so that the ferry and train took to get us to Christchurch.  I think the long journey was well worth it though. 

We did a bit of sight seeing in Wellington and went up on the cable car to the top of Mt Victoria, where you get a great view out over the city and harbour. 

Then it was back to the YHA for Liam to do the homework that he’s been dodging all week!  We weren’t going anywhere else as we had a very early flight back to Sydney and I was all souvenir shopped out (and McDonalded out too!).  I hadn’t been able to use an ATM all the time we’d been there (and there’s only so much you can use your credit card for) and we hit Wellington Airport with $9.25 NZ between us!  I was hanging out for an ATM in Sydney!

We had to be at the Airport at 4.30am and in just on three and a half hours we were back in Australia in Sydney.  Headed straight for a Cash Point machine and shock, horror – it told me my bank wasn’t available and try later!  Luckily the train tickets could be bought on a credit card and we “trained” it into the City.  Of course it was morning rush hour and we were packed in like sardines. Thank goodness I live in Perth!  First stop a REAL bank with an ATM.  Thank goodness it worked this time and we got some real money. Liam made a beeline for McDonalds again!  He should have been in seventh heaven.  Two bacon and egg McMuffins and a hash brown later and he was ready for the Sky Tower.  It’s improved since Michelle and I were there.  There’s now the Sky Tour – a virtual tour through Australian history.  We’d heard about it in New Zealand!  Firstly you go into a room where there are cinema-like seats with headphones and there’s an outline of Australian early history.  The sound is really good.  From there it’s into another room.  Cinema seats again with head phones.  There are four large rectangular screens.  The first one lights up and there’s a holograph of a guy talking as the “host”.  He talks you through things like beaches, leisure etc.  The light goes out and the whole floor upon which you are sitting revolves to the next screen.  It’s very well done.  You revolve round all the screens in turn covering all facets of life in Oz.  The highlight is the third room.  The chairs are high-backed and there’s a bar that swings down in front of you like a sideshow ride.  This is the really neat part of the tour.  There is a curved screen and you’re “in” the scenes.  The beginning is a breakneck speed down canyons and your chair moves in accordance to whatever is showing so that you feel that you’re really there.  There’s white water rafting down the Tully River in Queensland, mustering cattle from a helicopter, underwater on the Great Barrier Reef, going through mangroves at Cape Tribulation and ending up in the jaws of a croc.  You find yourself in the middle of SCG in a game between Sydney Swans and Essendon and being shirt-fronted by a Sydney player, aboard the Bounty and being hoisted up the main mast then dropped, driving through Ballarat in the gold rush days in a Cobb & Co carriage and careering off down a gold mine at high speed.  We were both rapt!  The view from the top of the tower paled into insignificance after that!

From there we went on the monorail.  Liam opted to go to the Maritime Museum instead a boat ride round the harbour so we got off the monorail at Darling Harbour.  The Maritime Museum is excellent, probably because it’s the National one – and it’s free.  You pay $10 adult and $5 child to go over the HMAS Vampire and the submarine, HMAS Onlsow which are moored outside. 

There was even a model of the Orcades, the sister ship to the Oronsay on which we came to Australia.  I took Liam’s photo in front of it so that he can prove to his mother and Uncle Ian that I DIDN’T arrive on a sailing ship.



We had a good look over the Vampire and Onslow and still had time to go on a harbour cruise.  Liam didn’t want to go, surprisingly.  He said his legs hurt and he really wanted to go back to the airport so we took the train back.  it was a long wait, something like five hours, but he was just anxious to get home by that stage.All in all, it was a good holiday, although I’d like to go back either with an adult or even on my own and do some of the things that really aren’t practicable with a child – like NEVER have to eat at McDonalds!  I think Liam enjoyed himself, at least I hope he did.  He said his favourite thing was the Luge, followed by the Sky Tour.  I’m sure the Hagglund vehicle ride fits in the top three too!  I think we were both happy when the plane touched down in Perth though.  It’s always nice to come home again!