Cairns

Wayne made it safely back to the boat and he and Capt Paul have been fixing things on DWD anchored off of Keppel Island!  I "jumped ship" a day before Wayne arrived, got a Queensland Rail pass and thought I'd see a bit more of Australia!

I really like Cairns.  At least what I've seen of it.  I've stayed in Cairns four nights and only have had one day to look around a little... well, really my tasks were to do laundry, book my next adventure and book train tickets.  I was out on a live-aboard dive boat for 7 days, diving of course... Port Douglas for a day of diving and up into the rainforest for a day (Kuranda). Cairns is an expensive place to be however.  Breakfast yesterday cost me AU$25.50 for a ham and cheese omelet and a pot of tea! A gal that was on the dive boat with me lives in Cairns and they had just purchased a modest older home... no view (except of the hillsides) for AU$420,000!  She mentioned that her sister in Texas had just bought an updated bigger home in Texas (I can't recall where exactly) for US$178,000!  BIG difference!  There is also a prevalent homeless community here... for such a small community there were quite a few to be seen on the streets.  I was never approached or asked for money like in other places I've been though! 

So back to the beginning...I arrived by train on a rainy afternoon and walked with all my luggage through the mall (so as not to get as wet).  I actually did walk around for awhile (with luggage) as I got misdirected a few times by kindly helpful folks... so getting a little tired and frustrated on my way past I stopped in at the Best Western and asked how much for a night...I was told AU$120.00!  Nope... found motivation and finally found my destination only four blocks away at the Bohemia Central (backpackers place).  I was able to get a room to myself for the night for only AU$30.00!!!  It is definitely a tourist town... easy to walk around with luggage.  A lot of people are... just not as much as I had (dive gear AND underwater camera gear AND a few changes of clothes).  Which reminds me...almost everyone wears a hat here in Australia!  I first noticed in Gladstone... waiting for the marina courtesy bus across the street from a school.  At recess all the children would come outside wearing the same color hats!  Another observation on my short stay in Cairns is that a majority of the tourists here are of Asian decent.  I met a young Chinese gal on the dive boat, and another Japanese gal.  I digress... 

After returning from the wonderful dive trip (another story for another day) I came back to the Bohemia Central hostel and the owner looked at me a bit funny.  I had told him I would be back (can't beat the $30.00 for a private room) but I guess he thought I would find another place!  Perhaps he thought I did not really fit in with the other residents there!   Ha ha ha!!!  He gave me the same room...a big one which is great for organizing all my stuff!  Oh, and yesterday was Anzac Day in Australia!  It is something like Veterans Day in the U.S.  This was celebrating 100 years!  I did miss the parade and the music... laundry you know!!! 

These pictures were taken out of Port Douglas... another tourist town.  This is Cape Tribulation... where the rainforest meets the sea!

Cruising boats out near this lighthouse island...I imagine it is where Wayne might spend a night or two when he gets up here.  It is beautiful!

So, I'm finishing this blog on the train.  I'm headed south to the Whitsundays.  I'll be there for 6 days (and some diving) to see what all the fuss is about... then to Townsville to go diving on the Youngala for a few days before meeting back up with Capt Paul and Wayne in MacKay.  At least that is the plan right now.  Subject to change of course!  This blog has been a bit of this and a bit of that.   It hasn't covered a lot of what I've been doing but at least it's checking in!  Bottom line is that I do like Cairns!  Perhaps enough to come back again some day!

 

Getting to know Gladstone!

It has been mentioned to me that Gladstone is considered a transient community.  The nature of it's business... being a big harbor town... I would have thought otherwise.  Nonetheless it has been wonderful to get to know this town!  Capt Paul and I both seem to think it reminds of the U.S. towns in the 1960's!  Church Easter Sunday was great!  Very friendly people!  No air conditioning... but five double doors on each side of the building so that the breeze went right through! 

I met a couple of gals out walking at the lighthouse park last week.  We seemed to "click" then, so Mary Ann gave me her phone number, address, and email address!  I emailed her to see about getting together this week for lunch.  She asked me to call her... so since I am without a phone...I used one of the MANY payphones that Gladstone still has all around their City (this one was conveniently at the marina) but WOW... it has been YEARS since I've used a payphone!!  She picked me up at the marina and off we went to Spinnaker Park for lunch.  We met Pauline there and had a lovely time chatting away!  They wanted to show me Gladstone so off we went to the winery! 

I guess there is only one here... Gecko Winery.  Here is a picture of me and the "girls"... we joked about our ages...50...60...and, 70! 

I bought a bottle of wine to share with Capt Paul... one of their "award winning" bottles of Shiraz.  We hope to taste it tonight and even though I don't drink wine, I will taste it.  I want to see if it just the types of wine historically being offered to me that are not to my taste... or if it is truly wine that is not to my taste... I'll let you know! 

To the Botanical Gardens, a walk around to see the turtles...

notice in the picture there is even an eel in the mix!  

Have I mentioned how many parks there are in Australia?  We stopped at the little café in the Botanical Gardens for some ice cream... and instead we each got a piece of chocolate covered macadamia nut cheese cake!  Needless to say I ate the ENTIRE thing!  It was so good!

From there to the Japanese garden...

and a little guy hanging out in the tree... no idea what he/she is but so very cute!!

And, then off to Mary Ann's house!  Her husband has quite a garden in the back yard and this Elkhorn plant caught my eye!  He has also restored an old car and she wanted me to see it.  He is in the middle of restoring a 1939 Dodge truck as well!  We chatted a bit and it was decided that a ride in the restored 1927 Falcon Knight was in order!  I asked if it could wait until the next day so I could ask Capt Paul if he would like to go!   It was decided that we would go for a drive out to Boyne Island and Tannum Beach the next day!  Unfortunately Capt Paul was not feeling well enough to go.  So at 2:30 in the afternoon I put my best dress on (I figured this car deserved a good dress for the ride) and at a maximum of 45 miles per hour Mary Ann's husband and I were on our way! 

Yes, people looked...a lot....

It is a 6 cylinder (sleeve type?) manual 3 speed.  It has wooden spoke wheels... and  of course...no air conditioning!   We kept the windows down which was fabulous for a cool enough breeze and he left the top up which was nice for the hair!  What fun it was!  I don't remember if I have ever ridden in a car this old!!

After the beach we went to one of their friends house that lives in the area to show me some of his orchids.  The pink one that looks like a bird is in the last stages of bloom, but it was the Harbour Festival Orchid winner!

Back into the car and a bit of a tour around Canoe Point trying to find me a full size Kangaroo!  No... didn't find one... but so sweet to try!

We did get back a little later than planned... but it was before dark!

Such a nice afternoon!

It does turn out the only music I've been able to enjoy so far in Gladstone is in this video!

Every morning!  And, I'm not complaining!!  I love it!!  Mary Ann wants to take me to a place Tuesday night for some live music... maybe!  I will be headed out by rail on Wednesday evening to Cairns for a week of diving in the Coral Sea!  I will slowly make my way south, back to DWD as DWD slowly heads north!  I have enjoyed so very much getting to know Gladstone and a few of the residents here.  Mary Ann mentioned that some people put out 10 "lost" identities with money in it as a "test" for this transient community.  They received 8 back WITH all the money and I.D.!  Not bad Gladstone!
 

Black Jack

Just a few shots of the winner of the race at the end of the finger pier... all 70 feet of her!

Was told that she used to be a Volvo around the world racer... never saw Alive, the second place finisher (by hours).

 Even my wide angle could not get her mast and all in the shot! 

Very glad I took these shots when I did though as she left yesterday afternoon back to Brisbane!

Gladstone Harbour Festival - Finding Easter!

Years ago I remember looking for Christmas... Capt Paul and I took a short trip to Antigua, Guatemala.  Here in Gladstone there is no need to look for Easter... it is all around you!

It has been a few days with a lot of walking!  I made a quick run into town Thursday for some supplies for Capt Paul.  Every clerk that I talked with wished me a Happy Easter!  I loved it!  On Friday, Good Friday, most all businesses were closed so I walked over to the park with the lighthouse and then to the Festival grounds! 

This is the view of the Gladstone Marina from the upper park! 

What an awesome lower park too!

From the lower park looking across the river to the festival grounds. 

 

This morning I headed to Spinnaker Park where the sailboat race finish line was!

I was so worried I was going to miss it (after a 45 minute brisk walk)... then found out that with the tides... the lead boat was not expected until noon!  I knew there were the raft races at the yacht club so I started walking back.  My feet were already tired so I decided I might give hitch-hiking a try.  Before getting back out onto the main road I went into a little coffee bar for some water and there was a detective.  I thought I'd at least better ask if it was legal for me to hitch-hike here in Australia.  He said it was NOT legal... but then also offered me a ride to the yacht club!! Whoooohooooo! 

The raft races were so much fun to watch!  The dolphins were the boys club entry... they didn't get very far... and sort of got swamped.  In the video you can see them all overboard!

The good news for them is this years winner...had the number "two" behind it.  Last years number one sank! Hopefully it will be the boys clubs turn next year!

There were eight entries.

Each raft was given a couple of large buckets of flour bombs (flour wrapped in paper) to throw at each other and a few of them had water canons...

to say nothing of the fire department getting involved and hosing down the entrants!

 I walked over to the bridge and watched most of the race from there!  Great fun to watch and I'm pretty sure a great time was had by all!  Getting wet in this heat... well I was getting misted by the fire hose and didn't mind at all!

When the Great Raft Race had completed I walked back to the main road... and a nice young man with his daughter gave me a ride back to Spinnaker Park!  I didn't have to wait long until the winner appeared.

 Black Jack crossing the finish line in first place!!

The video starts with the park, has some of the festival rides, the parade on Friday night, some of the raft race, and ends with the winner of the sailboat race from Brisbane to Gladstone!

I was disappointed that on the video all the "Happy Easter" wishes from the participants did not come through!   I was and am amazed that so many were sharing their Easter joy!  So for us tomorrow is Easter Sunday.  I will be walking up the hill into town for Easter church services!  With the couple of blisters I have from all the walking this past week... yes, I will still be walking... just going to the church that is the closest!  Thank you Gladstone...HE IS RISEN!!!!

Searching and exploring!

I was off to Heron Island for a week... yes, I know...I said only five days on the last blog.  I stayed a week... that says something in and of itself?  It is a story to be shared another way! 

It was a weekend for searching and exploring!  Saturday morning I walked over the bridge (Whoooohoooo... it has been fixed) into downtown Gladstone to pick up a car I had rented online.  It ended up being a bit more of a walk than I anticipated... but at least I didn't have to go to the airport to pick it up!  I drove back to the marina picked up Capt Paul and off we went to explore Agnes Water Town of 1770! 

One of the office gals at the Marina had mentioned that there was a hike with great views that was not to be missed!  Oh, and did I mention that I was driving on the wrong side of the road?  I will admit one of the most difficult issues for me was that I was always turning on the windshield wipers when I was trying to put the turn signal on!  Turn signals are on the RIGHT side of the steering wheel here!  Years of driving on the right hand side of the road and turn signals on the LEFT make some habits of driving a bit difficult to overcome!  I will also admit (now that the car has been safely returned with no issues) that ONCE I did try driving on the right side of the road!  With a car coming...I realized what I had done... as well as Capt Paul saying something...I just don't remember what... and I quickly got over as far to the right as I could until the young couple (quite upset young couple I might add) passed me in their car... then I quickly got back to the LEFT side of the road!! 

Through the town of Agnes Water Town of 1770 we drove... rather quickly...

not that I was driving quickly... just that there wasn't much to the town! 

Then to one park with the Capt Cook monument! 

Have I mentioned how many parks are here in Australia?

The monument states "Under the lee of this point Lieutenant James Cook , R.N., landed May 24th 1770". 

Back into the car and to another park.  Then up another hill to an exclusive area of homes. 

On our way back I turned down a street and ran across two MORE parks! 

Both of these had quite a bit of hiking involved...

  Capt Paul stayed in the car.  

  
It had to be the area that Tess had been talking about! 

Beautiful rocky hike and beautiful views! 

I was exhausted after the second hike and THIRSTY! 

We both were hungry... so off to the Agnes Water area for lunch at a small café.  I also had gotten a ticket online for the Agnes Water/Town of 1770 Blues Festival.  I was searching for some good new music and wanted to check out Australian blues music!!  So after lunch Capt Paul dropped me off at the festival and I went in to listen and enjoy!  I did enjoy and chatted with some wonderful people!  However, Australian Blues music is really more like rock... and one band even threw in some Australian politics... to many's displeasure!   It was a fun afternoon... but the music I was searching for was not there!

Sunday morning I asked Dave, one of the marina workers, where I might be able to search out some "ru's" within 50 kilometers one way.  100 kilometers was the mileage that was left to be used on the car and I didn't want to pay for overages.  He mentioned that we could for sure see some smaller types of "ru's" near the Awoonga Dam.  I believe they are Wallabies!  After Capt Paul FIXED the electrical issue that the boat has been having when plugged in (Whoops...I might have spoken too soon!!!)... off we went in search of "ru's"!  

It was a short drive through the country side and Capt Paul noticed two little ru's by the side of the road as we were driving past!  Yep... didn't get the big Kangaroo... but I did get some pictures of the little ru's!! 

This next week there will be all sort of activities here near the Marina!  It is the Gladstone Harbour Festival!  Yes, I spelled it with a "U"!  There will be music daily... all day long, vendors, food, fireworks and all sorts of festival activities, including sailboat races!   Our weekend of searching and exploring the great views of Agnes Waters The Town of 1770 and finding some "ru's" was successful.... but there is still good Australian music that needs to be found!