NOT for children!!!

Hey Everybody,

Just one more thing to post from Australia. I have debated this one for weeks & I decided it's too funny not to post! If you are easily offended [or under 18!] do NOT read this. I'm not kidding!!!

 

In Australia a lot of people rent vans for camping. This particular company, Wicked Camper, might just be the coolest option in the country. No, in the entire world!! Best I can tell they only rent painted vans - in fact, for a little extra money you can get the van painted as you wish for your trip. Now that's just cool!

 

One van I saw [no photos; sorry] was The Seven Menopausal Dwarfs. You know them: Itchy, B*tchy, Sweaty, Psycho...etc. The van had all 7 women painted on the van. Along with a couple of lines that I will tell you if you ask me. It's really hard to be sophisticated and noble when you're standing in a parking lot, alone, laughing!

 

I REALLY hope you will be able to read these vans if you click on the pic. My ONLY problem with this Perfect Man/Perfect Woman van is this: when the man is done with the woman she turns into an exotic car [Lamborghini]. When the woman is done with the man all she gets is another man. WHY don't I get the car? If it were my rental van....I'd be getting the hot car!!

 

 

I got caught reading this van in The Outback. I was trying to hide a laugh as a family walked past. Unfortunately, it became funnier when their son [a minor] started reading "the perfect woman" side. The parents were horrified and practically ran everybody to the car. I did have the decency to finish reading and photographing after they drove off....

 

This time I really am done posting about Australia. I confess that my decision to finally post this van stuff was influenced by a FL friend's birthday.... Happy Birthday, ZAH. I know you'll appreciate these pics. Best wishes for a successful year.

 

ps Since I'm online. In case you ever wondered about the relationship between socks & dryers in other countries. I can report that on one occasion a dryer in Australia [Queensland, of course! Thorn in my side that place] ate one of my socks. It just disappeared. Weird!!!



About Vegemite.....

First of all, thanks to MB and Sharmi for these pics that I didn't tell you I was borrowing.....I hope you'll agree that it was necessary :-)

 

Now, one last thing about Australia before we move on to the next adventure. I returned to MT with some packets of Vegemite at the request of my friend's husband. Prior to my departure, I was informed that one website said Vegemite tasted like vomit. I brought some back anyway!

 

From the outside the package seems appealing, right? And harmless.

 





 

However.... it was 100% agreed that this stuff sucked! Really, it is the nicest way to put it. We all tasted it. The best description of it: very salty soy sauce. As you can see, it looks like some sort of gel or tar. We concluded it might be used to fill pot holes or to repair flat bike tires. MB's family tried and reported back that they felt lucky to survive the taste test. 

 



 

If anybody else NEEDS to try it....I would be willing to return to Australia for another visit to get more. :-) Or if any of you decide to go, I would gladly carry your bags just to get there again....

 

When you think about it though, it's scary that I found more people who eat 'roo meat than Vegemite. I never met even one person who ate it. Somebody does....it's in the grocery stores & McDonald's gives it away.

 

That's all for tonight....I'll be in touch in a few days from the road. 

Almost Famous!?

Hey Everybody,

I took a break from trip planning this afternoon to revisit my travels....

 

 

This is a wall in my friend's [Sharmi] classroom. You know, the friend who gets my mail, babysits my car, gives me a room when I'm in town. She's the best!! AND....she has put up US and world maps to share the adventure with students and teachers. She had to buy the maps, hang the maps, make the "Where in the world is J."  I got to push in the tacks and string the thread from place to place. [BTW: Thanks to some of her students who helped!]. If you really look, you can see the red thread on the maps. At some point, we might add a few photos to the maps.

 

 

My conclusion after today's walk down memory lane....it's a big world and I ain't seen nothin' yet! Better keep going....

 

So, thanks to all of you for hanging out with me during this great adventure! Stay tuned...I will be leaving again next week & should have pretty good wifi access for most of September. Enjoy the rest of your summer!

Back in the States

Hey Everybody!

It's just after 3pm here in Montana. It's a beautiful day - sunny, high 80s. The sort of day a person ought to enjoy from outside, but that would require more energy than I have today. It was such an easy transition from here to Australia that I am not prepared for the difficult transition back. I am tired! Of course, I didn't sleep on the 13 hour flight back from Sydney (except for about 30min right at the end) & didn't sleep on the second flight to Denver. And the Billings segment was the most restful, but not long enough for a sleep.

I am hopeful that this exhausted feeling will pass in a day or two....I got stuff to do! Laundry, booking flight to S. America for the quickly!!! approaching Antarctic trip.... Just want to sleep!

Still, I think I can find the energy to tell you about the long flight back. First, the turbulence during the second half of the flight was unpleasant. It wasn't the worst I've experienced, but it felt different & made different sounds out there over the Pacific. TWICE I thought I heard the landing gear go down... that was not comforting!! And the wind just seemed to howl against the plane. About 30 minutes out of Los Angeles the woman in my row said she thought we were goners; I thanked her for keeping that to herself during the night. What else could I say? I'd been trying hard to stay hopeful....

Secondly, we had the most dysfunctional flight attendant crew I have ever seen. It was both funny and ridiculous. They seemed unable to keep up with the work, couldn't agree on how best to distribute beverages & then collect the trash, and openly complained to each other about each other. This went on for 13 hours!!


Having said that, I had no problem with any of them at all. However, the dude wearing purple/pink polka-dot pajama bottoms, a long-sleeved pink dress shirt, and slippers when not barefoot (nicknamed Barney by the crew) did! He was constantly in their way, kept asking for more drinks, and kept going up/down aisles shaking hands. Somehow, I avoided him the whole flight! When one person said "no more drinks" he'd just go ask another: "She told me no more drinks. Will you get me one?"

Here's the crew's take on Barney: young, loser kid on a trip to America and trying to pick-up chicks on the plane. With some success, I might add. Crew figured those girls were desperate! Here's my fear about the dude: not so young, but maybe mid30s; not visiting America b/c he already lives here. Just a middle-aged "man" - LOSER - coming home from one big Aussie hangover!!

Nevertheless, when a woman collapsed about 7hrs into the flight (putting us right in the middle of nowhere on the map!) the crew was instantly on the ball - grabbing oxygen and defibrillator, found a doctor on board, and the person lived. I wasn't certain of that till morning because I couldn't see everything going on, but it looked bad early on.

So, that's all the excitement for now. I probably will be off the blog for a few days since I have nothing to report. I have to recover from this trip & get ready for the next one; what was I thinking?! :-)

Thanks for travelling along! I will be in touch.... And thanks to MB for the airport service, Mitch for the dinner run, and Sharmi and crew for a place to stay!

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Time's up...

Hey Everybody!

Last night:

My watch tells me it's 8:15pm as I sit down to write one last post from Australia. It also means that in almost exactly 24 hours I should be almost asleep in Billings.

Anyway, I am up way past my recent bedtime, but I gotta pack & post a couple pics from the Blue Mountains. I did make it up there today, but it wore me out. One bushwalk and I was quickly reminded that's the most exercise I've had since swimming on Saturday. Bushwalking required breathing, which led to coughing. But I got there even if it was not enough time to really explore.

It is a World Heritage Area, beautiful, and worth a visit. You are looking at The Jamison Valley with the Orphan Rock in the foreground. If you look closely at the rock you might see the fence around the edge. Apparently, this rock was once open to visitors....how?!

Next, the Rough Tree Ferns. It can grow 36 ft high with fronds 13.5ft long. They are one of the oldest species of plants on earth & found only in the Southern Hemisphere.

The Blue Mountains National Park is probably most famous for The Three Sisters, which is an Aborigine sacred spiritual site. Mt. Solitary is in the distance (on right). The last pic is a close-up of the Three Sisters - look way left for the red jacketed person. It's not me. But that is where the one bushwalk led me....it's a nice walk, but not when breathing is an inconvenience :-). The bridge ends just beyond that dude...in the gash.

That's Australia in a nutshell! It's an awesome place! I hope to get back here again someday. Thanks for stopping by, as always!

Fly day:

What a difference one night can make. I didn't get up at all overnight with coughing fits. I think they're gonna let me on the plane; a couple days ago I had real doubts about that! Cold is not gone, but it is better.

I'm up earlier than expected and have time to get a little more Aussie sand between my toes before heading off to catch the ferry. In fact, I had time to grab one last Billygoat wrap from Billows at the Beach. This is my favorite breakfast in all Aussie travels! Billows is just across from the beach & it has live acoustic tunes of Fridays, hat night Saturdays (eat meal whilst wearing your hat & you get one free drink), and two ladies' nights for a visiting clairvoyant. Staff are friendly and generous with travel tips!

One last thing 'cuz I know you'd want to know. For the first time I caught a morning news show co-hosted by a black woman & white dude. Every time I look at them I am reminded of Donny & Marie. It's just uncanny!

One last important fact - hopefully I didn't post this in during my cold fog. Righty tighty & lefty loosey - almost never applies here, which matters a lot when the hot water gets really hot!

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Almost outta time

Hey Everybody!

I have good news and bad news to report. The bad news is that I'm still sick - not gonna will away this cold. However, between 1a-5a this morning I got my longest undisturbed rest in the last couple of days. That was enough improvement to convince me to tackle a bit more of Sydney for a few hours. I had to limit the amount of walking required because breathing makes me cough....it's a bit inconvenient, but I do believe I will live. I wasn't sure yesterday! I hate being sick....esp. in Australia with time ticking away.

But enough whining....I caught a ferry just to ride it round trip and see where it went. This is one of the stops on the Watsons Bay ferry. And it pretty well represents the parts of Sydney Harbour that I've seen.

Low tide prevented me from taking another ferry in the opposite direction, so I hopped a train & a bus to the Harvey Gallery's The Art of Dr. Seuss. Can't go wrong with him!!

It is located at 8 Oxford St. The front door sign reads: "Come inside, where it's sunny."

This is the first (and only I think) Dr. Seuss art gallery outside the US. It's just cool and fun....and the gallery manager was great, even let me snap a couple pics because he was certain I'd tell others about it. They even have the secret art of Dr. Suess....and there's a whole book about the drawing he did in the middle of the night. Their is a whole world of Dr. Seuss art. At least 40 unseen pieces were found in his home. But this one is familiar to all....

After Dr. Suess I was ready to head back toward base for another early to bed....I have only tomorrow to get to the Blue Mountains. I don't yet know if I can do it; we'll see how the night goes. I'd really like to get there. I did get a couple more pics for you though. This is The Corso - it's a shopping/dining strip between the Manly Wharf and Manly Beach. The other pic is surfers (all those black dots) at Manly Beach still hoping to catch a wave.

And, a few more differences that I remembered today:


1. The man is purse is definitely more common here.

2. Our passing lane is on the left; Australia's on the right.

3. But they don't call it passing....they call it overtaking.

4. If you stop at the little massage stand at Manly Wharf, you can pay $10+ for various massages & then get a health fund rebate. I'm just guessing we don't do that. Anybody?

5. Apparently it's ok for a dude to say "did you lose your knickers?" to a bus driver working in his shorts. Heard that today.

6. One more thing about bus drivers: it also seems to be ok for drivers to bring their small radios on board so they can rock out while they drive -even if they cannot carry a tune. I love that!

7. If you pay almost $20 for yet another lousy fish & chips dinner...sometimes you have to spend an extra .40 on a tiny packet of tarter sauce. Are you kidding me?!

8. I can tell you only two places worth a meal - three if we count Chocolate by The Bald Man. Nando's (chicken dishes), the gelato place at the Manly Wharf, and the chocolate place.

I better post this and get to bed....more soon. Thanks for stopping by!

 

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Back in Sydney

Hey Everybody!

I guess I should have expected it, but I didn't....Queensland's parting gift to me: a cold. Just what I was hoping for during my last few days in Australia. Sunday night I made myself go to bed early and I didn't come out of my room until about Noon. And not for very long even then. It's about 7pm on Monday night and I'm headed back to bed. Don't necessarily sleep, but it's rest & maybe I can will the damn thing away....maybe!

I still hope to see a few things, but mostly when I've been outside I've just wandered across the street to the beach to watch all the surfers enjoying the strong southerly winds.

Since I have no pics for you I thought I'd make a list of some differences between home and Australia.

1. Bottle of water or soda is $3.50-4.00 each at minimum

2. A paperback copy of The Hungry Caterpillar is $25 here! Actually, I have concluded that most books are overpriced here. I don't know why & I asked a local reader who doesn't know why either.

3. I read that people don't travel to Australia for the food, but nowhere did it just come out and state that the food sucks. Sure it was implied...and, mostly....it does! There are exceptions, but not many. And it's all expensive.

4. Bananas are $4/kilogram - ridiculous!

5. Police will write YOU a ticket if you leave your car unlocked, making it easier for thieves to break-in. It didn't happen to me, but I saw a poster about it displayed. It read "crime is everyone's responsibility." While I agree it's unwise to leave a car unlocked I do NOT believe it's a criminal offense! Clearly, I cannot live here after all!

6. Drinking age is 18.

7. Just saw a commercial re: McDonald's new sandwich - a lamb burger.

8. Speaking of McDonald's, Hervey Bay has the first Mobile McCafe van in the world. You know, for those times your party just has to have coffee....I guess.

9. I didn't eat at one, but there are lots of Hungry Jacks here. They look and smell like Burger Kings....anybody know if there's a connection?

10. Much of the Top 40 music is American.

11. American Monday Night Football live games come on at 10am Tues. But I don't know why an Aussie would watch it.

12. After watching some of Aussie's Footy for the last three weeks....our NFL boys, hate to say it, just look like wimps!

13. Every electric switch I've come across is turned on and off individually.

14. I finally found people who like kangaroo meat. According to them, the trick is to find someone who knows how to cook it! And they said to eat it like a steak...more raw than not. Yep, I'm out! I was going to bring back some jerky for people to try, but was told that's the worst way to eat it. Sorry guys...guess you'll have to come here to try it.

15. Aussie's seem to like us as much as we like them!

That's all I can think of right now. Hope to write again before leaving. Have a good week. Thanks for stopping by!

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Queensland strikes again....

Hey Everybody!

I cannot believe I'm saying this, but once again Queensland is challenging me! I am sitting at a McDonald's right now so that I can post these most important photos. I thought I would be all cozy in my hotel room just minutes from the airport....but no! It turns out that I have a room above a pub - no bathroom, no wifi (reception told me that's for the actual hotel rooms, which are sold out). Apparently, Aussie's are not affected by the daggers in my eyes because I sure wasn't hiding them! No point in canceling....they'll keep the money. In their defense I was offered an upgrade for an additional $130. I think not!!!! Oh yeah....and it's a casino. Oh joy....a pub & a casino. That's going to be quiet & peaceful tonight.

Besides all that...I left Hervey Bay this morning and returned to Brisbane (no wonder!) to visit the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. It's the first & largest koala sanctuary in the world. I spent a few hours just wandering around until I could tear myself away.

Mama & Joey - kangaroos were much more fun to feed the other day. I think there are more people visiting/feeding here. But this is pretty cool....

Lace Monitor - at last a big lizard.

This pic is more convincing re: the "devil" in its name dontcha think?

And now the koalas...first, a mother and her approx 6.5mo old Joey. They don't start popping out of the pouch until 6 months.

....and this Joey is closer to 7mo and starting to explore - trying to eat leaves and climb. I have a little video of that, but couldn't post it.

All I know about the next photo is that Q'land is targeting her :-)

Two flowering bushes or trees....no idea what they are; sorry.

I did see a Platypus today....impossible to photograph a nocturnal animal kept in a dark tank, in a dark room to simulate night so visitors can see it awake. And I saw a Cassowary - there are only about 1500 in existence.

I guess I better head back to my luxury accomodation. I return to New South Wales for the last few days of the trip. Hope to be in touch soon. Thanks for stopping by!

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Mother Nature Strikes....

Hey Everybody!

Well, at last I made it to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) for a snorkel. Yesterday the weather on the reef was nearly perfect. Woke up this morning and all looked well. Arrived at the reef and the wind was a force to be reckoned with.

My disclaimer: It is a beautiful island and I'm glad I went, but it was a bit disappointing, albeit out of our control. I spent the longest amount of time in the water (alone mostly, which staff do not support, but it's not forbidden) & it was under 2hrs. The water was somewhat tolerable at about 72-73*. It was warmer in the water than on shore but eventually I had to accept the poor conditions. The currents were a workout and the cold got to be too much. And, yes, Labadee is STILL the best place to snorkel!

I think the GBR is the third World Heritage Site I've explored since getting to Australia. The place I went is called Lady Elliot Island. It is the southernmost point of the GBR & documents indicate it is one of the most pristine places for snorkeling & diving. It takes a bit of effort to get there, but look how cool it is (even blurry; sorry). The flight takes about 40 minutes.

This is the plane and runway....I am happy to report that today's small plane trips were much more comfortable than the Baja flights. The best thing about the small plane was John, our driver. He said "'pilot' is for the ones with egos." John was cool & he was a driver - one arm draped on the passenger seat several times. How could I not trust a driver as cool as I am?! :-)

Because the weather was so unfriendly our schedule got all messed up. We spent the first 3.5hrs just wandering and waiting. The less windy side of the island was very nice, but it was the fastest part of the walk. There is a lighthouse....you know I have to post it. It was closed today too.

Some of the shells and coral I had to leave on the beach....

This is the windy side where I actually snorkelled:

Normally, there are lots of turtles - none today. Yesterday a couple people saw a huge Reef Shark (best kind to see since they don't eat humans) - none today. There a number of fish. There is live coral and dead coral. But overall it is said to be quite healthy here with something like 500 different corals. Here are some pics:

Given the conditions, my best finds were Sea Cucumbers (2 pics just for size comparison), Sea Stars, and Giant Clams.

 

This is a Leopard Sea Cucumber

This one is some other kind...

Giant Clam - lots of these. I'd never seen them so big and alive before. It's cool to watch it breathe.

I start heading south again tomorrow. I have only a few more days in Australia. One funny thing before I wrap this up....I gave a young couple a ride from the airport to their campground & said, "No worries" in response to their thanks. I've said it occasionally before ever coming to Australia, but it was the first time it just fell right out of my mouth so naturally since getting here. It's such an Australian phrase that the couple immediately said, "You even talk like an Aussie now." Maybe that means I can stay longer!

Better get to packing; plus I'm very tired tonight.....thanks for stopping by!

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Fraser Island

Hey Everybody!

So, today's unexpected activity was a day trip to Fraser Island. It is accessible only by a vehicle barge (35min crossing) & once on the island by 4WD only. Even some of those vehicles get stuck in the dry sand.

I read about this World Heritage Site and didn't think I'd be able to squeeze in a visit, but then Brisbane happened and here I am.

Fraser Island is the largest sand island in the world. And the only place where tall rainforests grow on sand dunes so high above sea level (656ft). It is known for its colored sand cliffs and 100+ fresh water lakes.

There are a couple hundred Dingoes on the island. I saw none. There are signs all over warning parents to stay with their children. In honor of MB's birthday.....I will confess that Elaine's party line keeps running through my head: "Maybe a Dingo ate your baby." :-)

This was not an easy day and I don't recommend the trip unless you REALLY want to see the island. I'd go back once more, but only if I could arrange a two night stay there. I had no idea I'd spend most of it in a barely air-conditioned bus that bounced us out of our seats more times than I can count. Or that when we reached a spot, we'd only get a few minutes off the bus. One of the conclusions I've come to about Queensland is that its tourism business is so big that some activities are going to be marketed with not quite accurate descriptions.

My pics from today are meager. The rainforest is lovely. The amount of fresh water on this island surrounded by salt water is impressive - and clean enough to drink without filtering. The beach is awesome - we drove at least 50 miles of the beach today. Unfortunately, the sharks and jellies make swimming dangerous. Nobody said we couldn't ditch lunch and wade in... It's not everyday I get to touch the South Pacific!

King Ferns - largest ferns in the world says the guide.

The Staghorn Ferns are huge and plentiful.

The beach:

Eli Creek flowing into the ocean.

The Pinnacles (one example of colored cliffs):

Speaking of jellies...here is one of the many bluebottle jellies I saw. Following is a pic of the S. Pacific ....must be hard for surfers to stay off these waves, but I saw none. There were several fishermen, but I heard that fishermen have been surrounded by Tiger sharks when they wade in with a long line of bait.

This is the Maheno shipwreck (1935) ...this was the first place I could touch the water.

I head out again early in the morning & must do laundry before I go to bed after tomorrow's great adventure (that's your hint!). Thanks, as always, for stopping by! Hope to write again soon.

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