Traveling Australia (December 29, 2010)

People traveling through Australia have lots of choices. The idea of driving across the Outback does seem like fun. Maybe this will be a future trip. These people have really taken lean traveling to the extreme.

Sunrise at Ayer’s Rock (December 29, 2010)

Below is another view of the sunrise at Ayer’s Rock. This time it was from the observation deck at the resort. The picture attempts to get both the sun and Ayer’s Rock at the same time.

Ayer’s Rock – Part 2 (December 28, 2010)

The alarm went off at 3:45 AM this morning. That is real pain. However, if you want to see the sunrise on Ayer’s Rock this is what you have to do. There is a special observation platform to watch. The platform is directly between the sun and Ayer’s Rock so that you can see the light as soon as the sun rises on the rock. The colors of the rock change as the sun rises. There were quite a few people watching and it was quite cool.

Outback Dinner (December 27, 2010)

After a quick rest, it was time to explore the resort. There are several different hotels each with a different theme. I am staying at the Desert Gardens, a supposedly 4 star hotel. No. Think Best Western. It is clean but it is not a 4 star hotel.

The Outback hotel is far rougher. The guests at the Outback hotel have a shared bathroom and showers. Ok. The Desert Gardens seems much better after seeing the Outback hotel.

The Outback hotel did have one very cool thing, dinner. You can buy your meat, walk to a set of grills, and cook the meat however you like. The best option was an Australian meat sampler that came with Kangaroo, Crocodile, and Beef. The Kangaroo and Crocodile came on skewers. The Beef was shaped like hot dogs.

The Kangaroo and Crocodile were excellent. I passed on the Beef. It was a lot of fun and may be dinner again tonight.

Ayer’s Rock – Part 1 (December 27, 2010)

After checking into the hotel, it was time to go see the rock. I booked a van to the rock and arrived about 12:30 PM. There is a 9.8 km walk around the entire base of the rock. What a great idea. Walk 9.8 km at the hottest time of the day, in the desert. The walk was actually quite amazing and there were quite a few great views of the rock along the way. I was very tired when I finally made it back to the hotel.

Hello Uluru (December 27, 2010)

There is really only one reason to come to Uluru, Ayer’s Rock. (Actually, I think Uluru is another name for Ayer’s Rock.) Ayer’s Rock is a gigantic rock in the middle of the desert. The aborigines have claimed the rock as a sacred place. The locals have constructed a resort that caters to people coming in town to look at a great big rock.

There is a shuttle bus that meets you at the airport to carry you directly to the resort. I don’t think there is anything else here. Once at the resort, you are in the resort system. All prices are very high, think more than Disney. For example, a breakfast buffet would cost $33 AUD. Pass.

Things do appear to run on schedule and the staff is nice. Now it is time to go to the rock.

Goodbye Cairns (December 27, 2010)

It is now time to leave Cairns. It has been fun here but it is time for the next stop. This is going to be a dramatic change. The climate will change from the rain forests of Cairns to the desert of Uluru.

Cairns (December 26, 2010)

Today is all about exploring Cairns and learning what is in the local area. Cairns is the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef. There are lots of tour buses and tour ships. Cairns exists for the tourists. There are lots of shops, restraints, and even a casino. The roof of the casino has a zoo where you can actually hold and have your picture taken with a live Kola Bear.

Cairns (December 25, 2010)

Merry Christmas! This is the mid point of the trip. Most things are closed today. This day is just for relaxing around the hotel.

This is what Christmas in Cairns looks like.

The Great Barrier Reef (Part 2) (December 24, 2010)

The snorkeling was awesome! It was about a 1.5 hour ride to the reef. The ship stopped and everyone was ready to go. The ride over taught us about the different types of coral and fish we might see. There were more fish than any other snorkeling trip I have ever taken. You could reach out and almost touch one any time.

The fish's name is Wally. Wally has grown quite fond of the tour groups and comes to play when the boat stops. It is stinger (jellyfish) season this time of year. Everyone was recommended to wear the full body suit. The weather and water were nice and warm.

The Great Barrier Reef (Part 1) (December 24, 2010)

The main reason to go to Cairns is access to the Great Barrier Reef. The area is dedicated to ships that will take you out for snorkeling, diving, or to visit one of the islands on the reef.

It is stinger (jellyfish) season in Australia. They have full body suits for you to wear to protect. There were no real worries today but almost everyone wore the suit anyway.

The weather was very rough. The ship was moving all around. I got very queasy. A few other people on the ship were worse off than I was. One of the funny things about feeling bad on a ship is that as soon as you hop in the water, the feeling goes away.

Cairns, Kuranda (December 23, 2010)

It is now time for the skyrail down. The train ride took 1.5 hours to go to the top of the mountain. The skyrail can do it in 45 minutes. This will be interesting. Image a skybucket at a Six Flags park that goes down an entire mountain. This is what is about to happen.

Cairns, Kuranda (December 23, 2010)

It has been very wet the whole time in Cairns. This makes sense given how green everything is. Today is a trip to the rain forest in Kuranda. The best way to go is to take the 1.5 hour train ride to the top and a skyrail down.

At the top, the area is about Aborigine life. There are shops, art galleries, and a few other tours to take. Some of the Aborigine art was amazing. They were also very proud of their art. There will be none coming home.

Cairns (December 22, 2010)

Wow! The initial impression after stepping off the airplane is that we landed in Hawaii. It really feels like Maui here. The vegetation and temperature are very similar. Cairns is the longest leg of the trip. It is not clear if anything will be open on Christmas and Boxing Day in Cairns. That is part of the adventure.

The hotel in Cairns is located directly on the Marina. This is good considering most things to do here are water based. The Fleet Street Terminal is right next door. Enjoy a view from the hotel room.

Quantas (December 22, 2010)

This was the first time to fly Quantas. I always find it interesting to compare the service of foreign companies to U.S. domestic companies. So far, the U.S. companies have the lowest level of service for any airline. Quantas still does believe in serving food on the plane.