Back in Chapel Hill Sunday morning 12:55 am (east coast time)

Exhausted but happy to see Cleo & Bob...

Australia - Day 30 The Dandenongs Outside Melbourne

For the last day of this For the last day of this amazing journey, I took the tram and the train out to meet Hayley, the gal who was the program director for my sail around the Greek Islands in 2005!  We have kept in touch and it was so fantastic to catch up with her.  She and her French friend, Kat, picked me up at the station and added her "Mum" Lyn to the group and off we went to drive up into the Dandenong Ranges - gorgeous and huge gum trees, Lyre birds (can imitate anything they hear!), tree ferns and lots of walks, shops and restaurants. We started with scones & coffee at Miss Marple's Tea House (The Brits have a big influence here), did some shopping, then went to the heart of the matter:  Ricketts Sanctuary.  This is a garden/park that is dedicated to Ricketts' natural sculptures that are fired clay then placed in the forest setting - they are of Aboriginal subjects because he was a naturalist who believed that those people need protection, respect, and a proper legacy.  The sculptures are truly beautiful. 

Afterwards, we had lunch then a view from the top of the mountain, then back to Melbourne.  Tonight, Kylie and I will be attending the Swing Patrol's Christmas party so that we can experience swing dancing in Australia.  Hard to believe that this wonderful trip is over tomorrow and that I'll be returning to the winter!

Australia - Day 29 - Mornington Peninsula outside Melbourne

Last night's dinner was a blast and I attempted match-making between Kylie and Giles :) 

I had my second tour outside of Melbourne and went to Mornington Peninsula where there are gorgeous farms and lots of tourist spots.  We had a long visit at one of the National Parks where there are old battalions where Melbourne was protected during the gold rush and during both World Wars.  Then we went to a vineyard and winery where we tasted several nice wines - especially good are their Pinot Noirs.  Next stop was a strawberry farm where we picked our own strawberries (not a bad thing to be doing in December) and had amazing desserts.  The last stop was at a lavendar field where there are huge mazes, 2 with giant hedges, 1 with roses, and 1 with lavendar (the giant hedge mazes were a little scary and complicated).  There were sculptures there too (see me with my new boyfriend David) and it was all very beautiful.  Tomorrow will be a reunion with Hayley who was on the sailboat with me four years ago in Greece!

Australia - Day 28 - Melbourne, the heights and the Gardens

Warmest day yet (82 degrees F) and loved walking through Australia's most beautiful gardens (Royal Botantical), where I'm hugging a massive and ancient cedar.  Also enjoyed looking out over all of Melbourne at the height of 89 floors above earth.  My head is served up on a plate here at the International Art Museum.  Chose iced coffee outside over the formal & stuffy high tea at Hotel Windsor (great choice as it turned out).  All in all a lovely day with amazing views.

Australia- Day 27 - Philip Island and the Little Penguins

What an amazing sight - hundreds of "Little Penguins" marching from the sea to the beach and listening for the little crys of their chicks so they could find their way (moms and dads both doing it) to their burrows and feed their young.  They are precious - bright blue on their backs and white chests.  They are tiny and afraid of light, so we are not allowed to take photos (don't worry Emily I was good and didn't take pictures this time) except that we could take some if they are simply sitting in their nests at a different site (hopefully it will show up). This trip took the whole day and in addition to the penguins (formerly called "Fairy Penguins"), we went to see the Botanical Gardens made to represent all of Australia, including the Outback which is all red, the beach, the Nobbies (beautiful and stark rocks along the beach edge), and the ever popular Chocolate Factory where we were even able to make our own chocolate design.  Once again, I ate my way through this tour and will come home about 100 pounds heavier than I left (oh well).  Tonight we will have dinner with Giles, a guy that I met on the 21 hour plane flight over here - he invited us over for dinner on the barbie.

Australia - Day 26 - Melbourne and Playing Tourist

Took both the tourist bus and the tourist tram around Melbourne to get the big picture of this great, eclectic, and energetic city.  Visited Kylie at the University of Melbourne (35,000 students), which is one of the 7 elite "sandstones" -  like our "ivies."  I enjoyed going to the Koorie Heritage Trust which exhibits Aboriginal arts and crafts.  One of the exhibits was of possum cloaks (sewn with kangaroo sinew and decorated by using sharp shells), based on those worn in 1800.  Hopefully it shows up in the picture (that I was not supposed to take).  Can you say "Wuta biganga yananeyepuk?"  (all possum skin cloaks together).  Also visited the Australian Centre for the Moving Image which has an exhibition showing early film to today with lots of interactive displays. They had a TV show in the `60's that was just like Lassie called "Skippy the Bush Kangaroo" and, naturally, Skippy always saved the day (it was adorable).  I also saw the dress worn by Cate Blanchett (an Aussie) in Queen as well as her Oscar for her performance playing Katherine Hepburn (cool to see a real one in person).   Went through the shopping district, saw Town Hall and Parliment and had an exhausting but fun day.  Saw some of the really interesting laneway graffiti that is permitted here.  The photo just shows a tiny portion of one.  There are cute Christmas decorations everywhere.  Met Kylie and her brother for a Japanese dinner, followed by gelatti.  People here are crazy for their Italian coffee (I've learned to make it), freshly baked breads, and their cakes & gelato - I completely agree.

Australia - Day 25 Melbourne Markets

Day started out with saying goodbye to Sarah, who is moving to Adelaide for her new job in Environmental Sciences and then taking the tram with Kylie (pictured here where we are showing off our new scarves) down to the Market in South Melbourne which has fresh, local produce, fish (just caught), and many local wares.  I bought my first pair of authentic Australian Ugg boots!  Then we walked to another neighborhood to meet Kylie's friend for brunch, where we met a nice couple (who have a kiln on their sailboat!) and had a nice chat.  Because I have apparently brought the rain with me (Melbourne is happy because it has been dry), we are going to a movie and will see The Boys are Back.  Tomorrow will be a tourist day for me seeing all of Melbourne.

Australia - Day 24 Melbourne and the National Gallery

Started the day with yoga in a nearby neighborhood, which was a wonderful tonic for my poor muscles, followed by a delicious lunch in Kylie's backyard garden under a huge lemon tree (that the possums have yet to devour).  We ventured into the city and had a great visit at the National Gallery of Victoria, which has local artists beginning from the mid-19th century.  One of the highlights for me was seeing the beautiful carved Emu eggs (kind of like our Fabrege eggs) and the train station.  Yarra River was lovely as were the many shops and galleries all around.  Kylie gave me an overall tour of Melbourne, which is a really eclectic and interesting city - very European in feel - and vibrant.  We gathered maps of walking tours of the city and we'll probably take one of them tomorrow, along with some shopping.  I may even get some local Ugg boots!

Australia - Day 23 Melbourne Bound

Early morning flight from Auckland to Melbourne and made my way by Skybus and Tram to Kylie Gould's home at St. Kilda's beach.  Kylie is the gal who is an attorney at the University of Melbourne who stayed with me for a week after the annual NACUA conference in Toronto.  It's wonderful to see her again and to meet her friends and the neighborhood is wonderful down here just south of the city and next to the beach.  I had the chance to tour all around the neighborhood, walk down the pier, and book some tours and then we had dinner with her friend Sarah at a tapas restaurant - lots of fun.  Weather here is very changeable and it is known to give you 4 seasons in one day (and that truly is what happens!).  Also pictured here is a statute of the famous Captain Cook (who was the founder of this whole nation, it seems) and the beloved Australian "Christmas Tree: which in this one is just beginning to show its red flowers.  It's hard to believe that this is my last week of the trip!

New Zealand Day 22 - Bay of Islands on the Sailboat

After an early morning of kayaking and shelling, a few of us went in the dinghy with snorkels, masks and fins to go mussel diving!  We got lots and then had them later for lunch!  It was really fun to harvest the mussels (green lipped mussels) and they were delicious. We saw a "Brutus" whale and it was about 12 feet long!  Also saw a sunfish that is so odd - looks like a shark but when you see it's picture it looks like it was lopped off just behind the gills - scary, though, when you think it's a shark!  Anyway, we all said our goodbyes (aren't the crew cute?) and hopefully will stay in touch via email. 

New Zealand Day 21 - Bay of Islands on the Sailboat

Our boat, which only has 8 passengers and 3 crew, is especially beautiful when the mainsail and jib are up.

New Zealand Day 20 - Paihia for the 3 Day Sailing Trip in Bay of Islands

Wanted to add that the seaplane tour in Rotorua was amazing and this is one of the pictures from the plane showing the sulphur bays and the beautiful views.  I took this little flight just before taking the the bus from Auckland up the coast to the gorgeous Bay of Islands to spend the evening/night and then leave early in the morning for the sailboat - a 74 foot single hull lovely boat.  Paihia is the little town on the coast and one of the restaurants I came across has world record marlin heads on the wall - they were huge.  Too bad Daddy and brother Steve aren't here marlin fishing - they would love it.  Here is a picture of one of the dolphins that swam with us - not sure if this one is a bottlenose or a common dolphin, but they were adorable, especially the 2 day old calf.  This sailing trip was a great idea - gives me all the adventure things I was hoping to do in New Zealand:  kayaking, dolphin and whale watching, sailing, swimming, snorkeling, hiking, and island hopping!

New Zealand Day 19 Auckland the City of Sails

Auckland's main draw is its Viaduct Harbor, with the millions of sailboats - many of which are huge and some of which actually participated in the America's Cup.  The rest of the city is pretty normal, with the usual gardens, museums, beaches and neighborhoods.  I never made it up the Sky Tower, but suppose that the view is pretty nice from there.  New Zealanders are friendly and helpful, as are the Aussies, and many of them ask if I'm Canadian - which I've just learned is intentional because if they ask a Canadian if he/she is American, it is considered an insult!  That was good to know, because I really didn't think that I was beginning to say "aboot" rather than "about" or anything else that would identify me as a Canadian.

This is a  photo of the church where Sir Edmund Hillary's funeral was held.  Since he was so famous, it seemed appropriate to take that shot. 
It is a lovely city and a pity that I was only able to see it for one day.  Now off to Paihia for the sailing adventure!

New Zealand Day 18 Rotorua

What an amazing and busy day - from the lake, garden, and sulfur point walks to the Gypsy Fair (Borat would love it) to the private mineral bath from the natural hot springs all the way to the sea plane tour over the volcanos, craters, geysers and mountains, it was all wonderful!   Had lunch at the Fat Dog Cafe and rode the bus back to Auckland (no smelly guys this time, thank goodness) and checked in - ready to tour Auckland tomorrow and take the bus late tomorrow afternoon to Paihia for 3 days of sailing (probably no computer access there).  Hard to believe I'll miss Thanksgiving with the Christian family, but I'll be thinking about them and giving thanks for the opportunity to be on this wonderful trip. 

New Zealand Day 17 Rotorua and the Mineral Baths

Early bus from Auckland to Rotorua started off well but when the guy who obviously has not washed his jacket in a couple of years sat down next to me, I tried to push my way so far to the left that I almost catapulted out of the window.  I plastered grapefruit & ginger lotion all over my nose not once but twice, to no avail.  I kissed the ground when we arrived in Rotorua and I could breathe in the fresh outdoor air - however I discovered that the air had the very distinct aroma of sulphur.  This entire town is based on the volcanic lakes and geysers that surround it and people have come here for years for its healing powers.  Naturally I'm going for a massage and maybe also a mud bath late tomorrow morning.  Today I toured the local museum, which was terrific, and then went to a Maori show that featured song, dance, rituals, a huge meal, and geysers.  As you can see, my new boyfriend was in the show - isn't he cute?!  Met many interesting people from Holland, France, and New Zealand and it feels as if the world is getting smaller and smaller each day. 

Australia Day 16 Leaving Great Barrier Reef for Auckland, New Zealand

A full day of traveling from Port Douglas to Cairns, flying into Brisbane and going to the International Terminal, and on to Auckland, New Zealand and I'll arrive at midnight.  Early in the morning, I'll take a bus to Rotorua where there are volcanic lakes and amazing mineral baths and it is supposed to be a "must see" place.  Since it's not terribly exciting to post pictures of airports, I tried to post a couple that are from Port Douglas but this stupid computer won't let me.  The evening last night was terrific and Jane (my New Zealand friend who just moved to Port Douglas) and I started with delicious dinner at Salsa (I tasted kangaroo!), then went to the Toad Race - yes, again, but Jane had never been and actually I was a jockey (luck of the draw) for a big toad, Aussie Aussie Aussie and he came in 2nd place!, then had dessert at the very fancy Nautilus Restaurant under the tropical vegetation and the Southern Cross (I'll try to get a picture of it in NZ).  xox

Australia Day 15 Two Sailboats in One Day!

Gorgeous day here for snorkeling in the Low Isles (saw 6 turtles and swam with one of them!) and met a wonderful snorkel buddy - Jane, a divorced gal from New Zealand who just moved here - and we had great fun.  We also saw giant clams, more clown fish, angel and parrot fish, and beautiful coral.  After the whole day of snorkeling on a sailboat (but no sail because not enough wind), we made our way over to the Yacht Club to see if we could get on one of the free sails with a skipper in return for buying dinner at the Club to help it raise money.  We were asked onto Captain Jeff's huge catamaran and had an absolute blast!  See the photo that proves that I'm not JUST meeting geckos, toads and lizards (the sailors hammed it up a bit!)  Today Jane and I are having a quieter day here on the island and we'll walk on 4 mile beach and do lots of restaurant/bar hopping tonight.  Tomorrow I leave for New Zealand!  I will miss the Port Douglas tropics.

Australia Day 14 Rainforest in Cape Tribulation

Went on a great tour where we visited a Gorge and a World Heritage Rainforest in far northern Queensland that is rare in that the rainforest actually meets the reef.  This area has the most ancient trees anywhere (saw one that the dinosaurs used to eat) and boasts the highest number of venomous snakes in the world (fortunately we didn't see ANY snakes!) - however, we did see all of the following in the WILD (maybe I'll be the next Steve Irwin): 2 saltwater crocodiles [1 mom swimming in the water towards her nest and the other sunning on a log],  1 cassowary (endangered - looks like a colorful emu), 1 "lace lizard" which is about 21/2  feet long and looks prehistoric, and 1 dragon lizard (Boyd's forest dragon].  We also saw gorgeous tropical plants, a strangling fig tree that kills trees that it surrounds, and lots of beautiful tropical flowers and cool birds.  Our group was 8 and they were all from England (not traveling together - just a coincidence) - one couple is traveling around the world because they just retired at age 58 and thought that it would be great fun.  Tomorrow is a snorkeling adventure on a sailboat to the Low Isles and hopefully I'll be back in time for the famous Grouper feeding (pronounced differently in England!).  Amended the post from yesterday to add the picture of me kissing the toad from the races (they are actually poisionous!)  Trip continues to be terrific and thanks to you all for your comments and emails!! 

Australia Day 13 Scuba Diving in the Great Barrier Reef

Went to the outer reef this morning for an all-day scuba and snorkel trip!  Took 2 certified dives and 2 snorkel swims and saw some amazing fish and coral - the colors, the sizes and shapes, and the sheer immensity of the Reef (as large as all of England) is truly overwhelming.  Interesting views were cuddle fish, reef shark,  clown fish (yes, Nemo),  lots of angel and parrot fish, grouper (huge), and beautiful blues and greens (don't know their names).  Met really nice people on the boat (Denmark, New Zealand, Brazil) and I'm looking forward to Wednesday when I go snorkeling on the inner reef and will probably see lots of turtles!  Now I'm off to see a Toad Race (or Jump or whatever they call it - they are apparently really ugly little nasty beasts).  Tomorrow is Cape Tribulation!  (again named by Captain Cook - how did he get to name everything?)

Australia Day 12 Port Douglas and Great Barrier Reef

The 6 hour bus ride up to Cairns turned into an 8 hour ride due to a busted hose (see picture of darling bus driver) so I missed my next bus to Port Douglas (heart palpitations), but fortunately I was advised to take a cab to the airport where I could (and did) catch a bus to Port Douglas (thank goodness), so I arrived at 9 pm and went straight for a dirty martini.
This is a beautiful, high end spot right next to the Great Barrier Reef (much nicer than Cairns, they say) and my unit is right in town, very convenient.  This is a great time of year to be here, at end of tourist season (lower prices) and just before the rainy season, so I lucked out. 
Today, went shopping in the open air Sunday Market, walked the 4 mile beach, hiked to the lookout, and then went to the Rainforest Habitat - highlights were crocodiles (fresh and salt water) and the black stork chicks.

Now for an outside concert and early to bed, for tomorrow morning is SCUBA!! 

Australia Day 11 Off to Port Douglas and Great Barrier Reef

Magnetic Island was named by the explorer Cook because he believed that there must be magnetic forces in the island that messed up his compass.  Apparently that was not true, but the name stuck nevertheless.  It's really a pretty little island with gorgeous bays and beaches and I loved the hikes.  I had dinner with an older gentleman from Tours, France last night who told me all about trekking across Tibet and sitting at the feet of the Dali Lama for 2 weeks.  He has toured the entire world and seems to walk everywhere - a very interesting man.  Now I'm off for the long bus ride up the coast to the heart of the Great Barrier Reef and will be in Port Douglas.