Thursday, July 21, 2011

From Cape Tribulation, down

Hi Everyone,

We trust you are enjoying your summer (or winter, depending where you are).
Sydney just had its wettest day in 23 years and it is only 13 degrees outside, BUT we just got back from 26 degrees up around Cairns - not bad for winter eh!

So, after 22 days on the road we are back in Sydney.  We fed crocs, swam with sea turtles, walked through rainforests that are 130 MILLION years old, climbed volcanoes that are 27 million years old, built sandcastles, got warm, got wet, played cards, wrote cards, drove through cyclone damaged communities, took four flights, rented two cars and one campervan, fed wallabies, visited hippies, visited friends, made friends, watched sunsets, never saw a sunrise, admired the moon, watched the State of Origin on a 40 ft outdoor screen, played tennis, bocce ball and badminton, sea kayaked, tried scuba and snorkelled...
But not necessarily in that order.

It was a good trip.

June 25th through July 16th...


Palm Beach (just N of Cairns), and Scott below



Wendy modelling her Stinger suit on the Great Barrier Reef
This is Coool! 
Taken by the photographer on Wendy's trip; this is actually her and the Sea turtle.
Best shot of the trip.


I wish photos could do it justice. 
These are a collection of Wendy out on the Reef and the two of us snorkelling in the Whitsunday's






Hartley's Croc Farm.  This fella was named Sollie, after the dog he ate.  Notice Scott and Jack

Feeding the locals


Overlooking 4 Mile beach at Port Douglas


Mossman Gorge, just S of the Daintree River

Friendly Butterfly



Buttress Roots and their cool coloring

The only way across the Daintree River

Cape Tribulation under a Rainforest shower


The Daintree is home of the Cassowary, we never saw one...

... but we did see Emu though

... and Termite Mounds

...plus Wallabies at Granite Gorge


Scott checking out the dinosaur footprints


Sunset at Granite Gorge while Jack reads


Barron Falls, near Cairns.  It doesn't look it, but they are massive!

The giant gumboot in Tully, very close to where Cyclone Yasi made land fall

We noticed this fellow a long way off, his wings were like foil paper

This photo should be on it's side, notice the ribbons of green granite and the person

Close to sunset on Castle Mtn. in Townsville, overlooking Magnetic Island - eating Nutella


We went snorkelling here at Horeshoe Bay, near Bowen (not island) - Go figure eh!

On approach to Daydream Island, in the Whitsundays

On approach to Whitehaven Beach

Princess Wendy on her boat

GORGEOUS Whitehaven Beach

You can see our yellow boat (where we had lunch - tough life)


Jakson's first Scuba experience, on Daydream Island, with dad


Cool shot from Beerburrum Mtn in the Glasshouse range (n of Brisbane)
with smoke rolling through the valley below. 
The Mtns are plugs from old Volcanoes of 27 million years ago.


Mtn Ngungun (gun gun) with others in the background - and our favourite Calgarians Julie& Ali

From Left to Right - Gavin, Ali, Scott, Wendy, Ian, Jackson and Julie on Ngungun


Surfers Paradise

Brunswick Heads, near Byron Bay

We had a visit to the hippie town of Nimbin


Hangin with one of the locals

On Mount Warning looking out over the coast and Byron Bay

Cape Byron




This Humpback Whale was only about 400m off Cape Byron


As close to home as possible from Cape Byron, well sort of.


Muttenbird Island at Coffs Harbour


2 comments:

  1. thanks for reminding me just how remarkable our country is. Sounds like an AWESOME trip.

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  2. What amazing sights you are seeing. You are giving us some good ideas for when we arrive in Australia in November. Looking forward to seeing you and hoping you can show me around your school Jackson!

    ReplyDelete