Arrival in Sydney

PHIL: 

26 Mar/Day 40

Head out of Cairns on Qantas to Sydney. Not very good service which I consider might reflect staff antagonism to current plans to sell the airline to institutional investors (it was until recently, I believe, owned 25% by BA).Flight delayed an only a mumbled apology – none from the Captain, which I always think makes any excuse sound a bit more sincere.

approach to Sydney

All this is compensated for by a superb view of Sydney Harbour, the bridge (75 years old only a week before and built by the company – Dorman Long – in Middlesborough for whom my uncle Gordon worked many years ago.), and the Opera House on final approach to Mascot/Kingsford-Smith Airport. Can’t get used to everywhere  feeling it must call itself ‘………International’ these days instead of a bit of variety and local history.

Allie and I have a slight contretemps over whether or not to take a taxi. Ever the thrifty Schwabian, she thinks bus/train might be (and undoubtedly is) cheaper. I, equally committed as a minimum-hassle-unless-the-cost-is-outrageous adherent, plump for taxi. This has mixed blessings as the taxi driver, I guess a Greek by origin, clearly does not know our hotel despite an exact address and ends up doing circuits of the Rocks area (at my expense).

 

the famous Sydney opera house

The B&B I chose on the internet is perfect and within 500m of the Opera house and even closer to the Bridge. We saw an advert for a performance of Carmina Burana  at the former tomorrow night and rush down before the box office closes only to be told it is sold out. 

Particularly disappointing as Karl Orff is buried at Kloster Andechs near our former Tutzing home. Richard Hickox is musical director, I notice, and I recall seeing him conduct a concert including pianist John Lill at the church on Wandsworth Green in 1984.

ALLIE: DAY 40: Monday, 26^th of March

Flight to Sydney the harbour city of Australia

Another wonderful sunny morning. I run to the beach and dive into the sea whilst Phil is ‘allowed’ to have another quiet hour in bed – the perfect marriage arrangement!

The rest of the morning is spent on the internet or with writing and packing. Then we are off to the airport to drop our hired car and check in for our flight QF 925 to Sydney.

stunning views across Sydney harbour

The flight is delayed, but once we are up in the air it’s only 2 ½ hrs. We cross parts of inland Australia. 

What a huge deserted country. How must life be in these outback farms where your next neighbour lives 100km away from you and the only medical service can be done by the flying doctors?

The approach into Sydney International airport is stunning. We are lucky to sit on the left side and get an excellent view over the downtown city area, the opera house and the famous harbour bridge that had just celebrated its 75^th birthday.

Within 25min of a taxi drive and we arrive at our small “TheRocks” Bed & Breakfast.  The location is excellent. We are right in the middle of the ‘Rocks’ the quirky and lively old town centre. 

It’s just 5min to the bridge and to the harbour side. We take an evening stroll to the famous Opera house and ask for tickets for tomorrows Carmina Burana. But alas it’s already sold out. What a pity!  

The harbour front is full with ferries and lined with trendy coffee shops, oyster bars and expensive restaurants. 

welcome!

You certainly need to earn a fat salary in order to live here comfortably. Everything is very expensive. 

That’s part of the reason why we end up later at an Irish pub eating bangers & mash and fish & chips and not at an harbour front Trattoria eating oysters and looking at the illuminated opera house. 

But we have life music and the band even plays a special song for me! Phil says, he never should leave me alone for a minute, I always get chatted up by some boys.

But if I am left to buy the drinks…that’s what might happen!

Relaxing on Fitzroy Island

PHIL: 25 Mar/Day 39

Allie wakes to find a crystal-clear dawn but no sign of her ‘boogie (waist-bag) with money, keys etc in it. She concludes that she must have left it in an alcoholic haze at the café where we had ‘early doors’ wine last night. By the grace of God (and Australian honesty) an early-morning cleaner at the establishment locates the bag intact.

on our way to Fitzroy Island

Set out by ferry to Fitzroy Island which sounded a more civilised option (96% National Park) than the alternative, Green Island, which offered every conceivable entertainment to the masses. 

Looking at the people in the streets of Cairns – the headquarters of Australian defence against anticipated Japanese invasion in 1942 – it is clear that, whilst the Japs might have failed back then they have certainly succeeded in the early 21^st century. 

Apparently as the nearest piece of tropical Western-style civilisation to Tokyo north Queensland is the prime destination for Japanese desperate to make efficient use of their short holiday entitlements.

ALLIE: DAY 39: Sunday the 25^th of March

A leisurely day out on Fitzroy Island

A beautiful morning! Bright sunshine, not a cloud in the sky. But disaster strikes me just after I get up – where is my moneybelt? I must have left it at the bar yesterday. How utterly stupid of me. Race back to the pub, but of course its Sunday morning 7.20 and nobody there. But my fortune angel is with me, and a minute later the cleaning lady turns up, opens the doors and we find the purse with all my belongings in it. Not a cent stolen! How lucky was that?

Later that day, my husband looses a strip to secure his glasses (which we bought to prevent loosing them!). But like me, he is lucky today and the thing turns up a bit later. We swear to ourselves to be more careful, but actually we are quite careful about our things, but nevertheless we tend to loose things at the rate that we buy them!

exotic flora

Anyway, our day trip out to one of the small islands in the Great Barrier Reef is saved and we drive to Cairns to board a catamaran that takes us in 45 min to Fitzroy Island. The Island actually belongs to the national park, but a tiny stretch of land is privately owned by the company that runs the ballooning opposition to Johns Company.

Since it’s still off season, the boat only has one service a day and so the odd 40 people that have arrived with us are the only visitors on this island. But even they seem to disappear after a short while on various other tours and Phil and I find ourselves alone on Nudey beach. Well, it could be indeed a nudity beach, since we feel like Robinson Crusoe with nobody around us, just the blue sea and the lush green jungle around us.

We put on our hired black stinger suits (Phils resemblance to James Bond now is remarkable!) and dive into the warm clear waters. A fantastic underwater world opens up: corrals, fish and fantastic colours make the snorkelling a really great experience. I swim through what seems blue deer antlers, yellow human brains, long red hair and landscapes like the karst hills of Guilin. 

Suddenly I find myself surrounded by a huge swarm of little fish. It’s amazing how quickly they all react turning and moving in the same directions. My greatest discovery is a big sea turtle, the chelonia mydas. Out of the world wide 7 species 6 of them live here in Australia. It doesn’t seem to be afraid of me and I can follow it just a meter above. It moves very gracefully just paddling with its front legs and then disappears into deeper waters.

empty beaches on Fitzroy island

It’s a pity to see that this island won’t stay as it is for long. The company is planning to build a huge hotel with 3 swimming pools and all the rest of the entertainment junk. 

So at 4 pm we wave good-bye to one of the last remaining paradises near Cairns and return to Trinity.

We celebrate our last evening and enjoy a nice dinner at the L’Unica Trattoria with John. The wine is so good again that back home I immediately collapse into a very deep sleep.

Finally up in the air again: Australia, country 22 for me!

ALLIE: DAY 38: Saturday, 24^th of March

My 22^nd country and Australia in the Ballooning logbook!

Finally, ballooning again! We both felt some sort of withdrawal symptoms after nearly 4 weeks without it. But getting up at 3.00am in the pitch dark morning makes you think “you are mad!” And it’s raining!

inflation!

We drive the 56km up the windy roads to the Atherton Tableland. Still drizzling we set out with the rest of the team and 3 big balloons (the biggest being a 450cu feet balloon-bus) to drive to the launch site. By 4.30 we launch a few test balloons.

finally air-borne over Australia!

The sky looks stunning. I have never seen such a clear wonderful shiny milky way. We spot the southern cross and know we a to the north of it! All the preparations are done by just the pilot and one crew man – and in the pitch darkness. 

By 6 am the busses with the passengers arrive and the balloon is ready to be fully inflated. Even before sunrise we take off into a magic looking sky. The first flight takes exactly 30min and takes us over mango and banana plantations, before John pops into a tiny field to exchange passengers.

But we may stay on to enjoy a second flight with even more spectacular sights and much better light. The sun breaks through the dark clouds and creates a mysterious light like out of ice age at the time of the first dinosaurs. 

flying over the Atherton Table land

We are reminded to be in Australia when we spot a few kangaroos jumping away from the noise of the burner. This time John does his final landing in a big field that is inhabited by some zebu like cows.

They don’t seem to mind and he lands the big balloon gently in the middle of the field. The retrieve crew soon arrives and we all help to pack this “biggy” with its 1000kilos away.

Its time for a hearty breakfast and the obligatory champagne. We drive a few miles to a little farm where a plentiful breakfast is served (there is even miso soup and rice for the Japanese passengers!).

I talk to Martin, a German, who has chosen Australia as his new home. He loves living out here but gives me the secrets in how to obtain dual nationality even though the German government only allows you to have one.

The secret is paying 300 Euros to a bureau in Cologne, waiting for 7 months and the being allowed to keep your passport. But he said, getting the Australian one, just took him 30 min on the internet and a quick hello to somebody. And now he is officially Aussi!

Phil and I decide to use our time whilst already being up on the plateau and we drive down highway….Phil gets his share of aeroplane spotting with a stop at a war museum which features a few wrecked aeroplanes and the Mareeba airstrip with another few aircraft.

On to the little hippy town of Yungaburra where we stroll along the monthly market ( a bit tacky with lots of handicraft and food stuffs) and taste history in the old hotel pub of 1910. 

The town looks to me like out of a cowboy film. Very hippie and laid back. The town is also famous for watching the Australian beaver like species called Platypus. But its Saturday lunchtime and even they must have decided that its time for a break from visitors.

packing up the balloon

Now its time for my share of our “travel-deal” (after being to 3 aeroplane spots in only 24hrs!) and we drive to the crater lake of Eacham. But I spare Phil the task of a 4 km walk around the lake when I discover that its allowed to swim here. 

The water is beautifully clear and warm (even though the Lonely planet talks about it being cold). The drive back to Trinity is a windy pass with endless bendy curves. We both nearly fall asleep after such an early morning start.

Later more work on the compi and emails, a drink at the favourite beach bar and another home cooked dinner. This time it’s lamb with cuscus and salad.

PHIL: Day 38/24 March

great Australian breakfast after the flight

Up at 0300 to go ballooning with John up on the Atherton Tablelands. A false start as Allie realises, after 5km of following John on the tortuous route, that she has left the camera behind.

I bite my tongue but speak to her gently  in a tone reserved for sub-humans. Then we have a depressing hour’s drive in drizzling rain over the coastal ranges and into the plateau around Mareeba.

After several stops to review possible launch sites we take off, in company with four other big tourist balloons, as the Southern Cross fades in the clearing dawn sky reminding us we are truly in the Southern Hemisphere.

A slightly depressing day around Cairns

PHIL: Day 37/23 March

A disastrous day. We discover that our rental car – with a $2700 insurance ‘excess’ – has been ‘grazed’ by an anonymous green vehicle whilst parked in Port Douglas. Then I notice that our new digital camera, only bought in Hong Kong as a replacement for the one stolen in Namibia, has a deep crease in its casing. 

Neither of us can remember it being dropped or squashed, so I conclude that I must have inadvertently stumbled on it in its case in the darkened bedroom last night, with understandable consequences from the application of an unexpected 80kg.

 

A day as spiky as those mangroves!

To cap it all one of our camera batteries appears to be missing. I am seething with anger and railing against the injustice of our collective misfortunes, a mood shared by Allie and only marginally assuaged by the subsequent discovery of the absent battery in one of our suitcases. 

We soothe the pain with lots of red wine over barbecued chicken at John’s.

ALLIE: DAY 37: Friday, 23nd of March

A day around Cairns and some disappointments

We don’t go ballooning this morning. What a pity. I had been looking forward to it. But the weather forecast wasn’t too good, so John recommended us to try tomorrow.

This is today's first disappointment. The second was to find a dent in our newly bought camera. We both don’t have a clue how that happened. The third annoyance is a scratch in our car – again, not done by us. The fourth thing is, that none of Phil’s favourite aeroplanes that he wanted to fly in, are operating right now, and the last annoying thing is, that someone has corrupted an article that I had written.

 

best not to try and swim here!

So we do our usual morning emails and then set off to Cairns to explore the city. Its surprisingly low-rise and quite traditional in many ways. We find a lot of wooden houses and historical looking buildings with nice brass balconies and roofs. 

A walk around the botanical gardens through some jungle area gives us an insight in the countryside of Queensland.

 A bit frightening is the poster that says “Crocodiles have been spotted here. Beware of them. Don’t go to near the water!” Hm, we are just walking on this boardwalk which doesn’t have a fence and is only about 50cm above the marsh waters. In a way I’d love to see one of these reptiles, but maybe not right here!

that part of the coast looks better for it!

A visit to the Flying Doctors Museum proves to be quite interesting. In 1928, John Flynn (now honored by residing on the front of a 20 Dollar Note!) invented this service that nowadays is the major source of medical aid in the out backs. 

The base in Cairns is the largest outfit in the whole of Australia and every settlement that is more then 100 years out from Cairns has to rely on their help for medical treatment. A very impressive service and all for free!

Back past the Cairns airport for Phil to take some more aeroplane pics. He is iffing and blinding about the fences and restrictions to get decent shots. 

I try to stay calm and remind him, that that’s the case now all over the world, and nobody will get much better pictures of aircrafts then him.

I need decent swim in the sea. The waves are not as strong as yesterday. Feels good.  Walk back and start on my pile of emails again.

John cooks us a nice dinner and we stay at home preparing for an early morning start.  

Exploring the coastline of Queensland and Port Douglas

PHIL: Day 36/22 March

Head for Port Douglas up the very tropical-looking coast. Sugar cane, banyan trees, mangroves along a windy road which eventually leads to Cape York in the extreme north another 1000km towards the Torres Straight. 

mangrove swamps along the coast

Port Douglas is evidently experiencing a real-estate boom with condos and luxury bungalows going up everywhere, rather detracting from the historic atmosphere of its history as a gold and sugar export point. 

Between torrential downpours we circle the boutiques and bars – one offering cane toad racing daily at 7.30p.m., which we decide to give a miss to.

I was keen to get a flight out to the Great Barrier Reef in an ancient de Havilland Otter seaplane, but their office tell me the aircraft is ‘on maintenance’ because of the ‘low’ season, so I must wait until next time to take this opportunity.

history museum of Cairns

Evening planned at a sea-side restaurant at Yorkie’s Knob, the nearby point where the Cairns marine Pilot sets out to guide big ships through the treacherous surrounding reef. A very sophisticated yacht club ambience prevails.

ALLIE: DAY 36: Thursday, 22^nd of March

Up along the Queensland coast to Port Douglas

Had a fantastic night and slept until 8.30! A very rare thing. Have to go to the near by shopping mall to get some food, since dear John – obviously being a bachelor (or rather now divorced for a long time) - doesn’t have anything in his kitchen except a long row of tiny ants.

We start to explore a bit of the coastline by driving up north to the small town of Port Douglas. 

This place was first discovered by the Brits in the late 19^th century as a sugar cane country. Its been rediscovered in the 80ies by property investment firms and the sporting or tourism agents. But prices are dear in Australia. 

Whether it’s property, drinks or food, it’s in the same price category as the U.K. if not even more expensive.

We walk around the town, are showered by a huge rain shower and escape to the harbour bar for a drink.

I agree to my husbands request to visit the local airfield, but all we find is a helicopter and a guy that flies the microlights.

Back to Trinity its time for a proper dive into the sea. Since the coast here is pestered by stinging and quite dangerous jellyfish it’s recommended only to swim where the country provides big swimming nets and live guards. But it doesn’t feel as nice as swimming in the open sea. The enclosed area is quite small. All one can do, is to swim a few meters up and down. Still, lovely temperature and water.

 

Phil and John at the guitars

The rest of the afternoon we spend in catching up in writing, washing clothes and going out for a meal with John to the Yacht club in Jorkey’s knob. 

The wine we are having is a Shiraz 2004. Compared to most of the other wines that state elaborately how great they are, this just says “the Lodge Hill produces Shiraz of distinctive qualities. 

This wine is a reflection of the vineyard and the 55 years we have made Shiraz in Clare.” We certainly enjoy it – and the Kangaroo steak!

A day on aeroplanes flying to Cairnes

ALLIE: DAY 35: Wednesday, 21th of March

A day travelling on planes from China to Australia

              

Flight CX 103 takes us around midnight again across the equator, past Indonesia and Papua New Guinea – and alas even past Cairnes – down to Brisbane. 

over the Great Barrier Reef

Just an hour later we get on the same aircraft to fly the 2hrs back up to Cairnes, our final destination. 

And I certainly have enough now from flying, sitting and eating. The coastline below me looks stunning and I can’t wait to be out in the warm, sunny weather and dive into the sea.

  

We hire a car and drive the 20 odd Kilometers up north the coast to a small community called Trinity where we are invited to stay the next days with John Medlock, a ballooning friend of Phil. He emigrated from the UK to live and work here.

Phil and him haven’t seen each other for 15 years so there is much to catch up in talking over a drink at the nice sun-downer pub near the beach. I’d rather go for a walk and get some exercise after hours on aeroplanes.

The temperature is wonderful. Humid, breezy and 28 degrees. A barbeque dinner at home is the last I can remember before collapsing into a 12 hours deep sleep.

aerial view over the 'highlands'

PHIL: Day 35/21 March

A day mostly spent in aeroplanes, overflying Cairns only to return there about five hours later. Attempts to hire a compact (=cheap) saloon fail, but we end up with a ‘deal’ on a Toyota LandCruiser which is enormous but fun to drive – especially after the really crappy VW we had in Namibia. Find John Medlock’s house  in …..Beach without too much trouble. 

At John's house, Phil relaxing with wine and guitar

John is a professional balloon pilot who was introduced to his trade by me in the early 80s when he ran my local pub, the ‘Six Bells’ on Warborough Green near Oxford.

He’s now more-or-less permanently established in Queensland flying very big balloons for Japanese and Chinese tourists up on the Atherton Tablelands inland from Cairns. 

We try to catch up on the intervening 20-odd years over a couple of glasses of excellent Oz wine at John’s regular watering hole on the beach before a steak ‘barbie’ and early bed.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Mausoleum and flight via Hongkong to Australia

PHIL: Day 34/20 march

Sun Yat-Sen , father of Chinese proletarianism, is buried in a memorial park nearby. Allie tries to unravel for me the complexities of 20^th century Chinese politics including the ‘Last Emperor’, Pu Yi, Japanese puppet Emperor in Manchukuo, Chiang Kai Shek’s KMT Nationalists and Mao’s Long March Communists. Very complex and incestuously inter-related once you add Western interests and WWII.

entrance to the Sun Yat-Sen mausoleum in Nanjing

Flight to Hong Kong and then a long transit awaiting Cathay Pacific to Cairns, our destination, via, illogically, Brisbane. The wi-fi works at both Hong Kong and Brisbane, however, and we catch up on news. 

Not before I am in trouble with Allie for packing the laptop power lead in our checked luggage, so I creep off sheepishly to buy some expensive replacement which offers power in cars, on aeroplanes and even from Australian plug sockets. Our aircraft, however, has none of these.

ALLIE: DAY 34: Tuesday, 20^th of March

Bye-Bye to China and on to the land of down-under!

Since we are already used to worship ‘great leaders’ we don’t want to miss the founder of the republic of China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen. His memorial grave is set against the green hills of the purple mountains with a long fleet of steps gradually climbing up towards the mausoleum.

Dr. Sun Yat-Sen

Dr. Sun Yat-sen died in 1925 just 13 years after the abolishment of the monarchy in 1911. He is highly revered even today by the Chinese people for his progressive ideas of democracy, equality and peace.

The weather is beautiful and it’s nice to be outdoors before we have to spend the rest of the day in transit lounges and on aeroplanes. 

Three things I find remarkable: the masses of Chinese tourists here (it’s 10.30 on a Tuesday morning), the incredible high entrance fee of 80yuan per person and the noise and laughter around his tomb. 

So far for Suns ideas of equality, or paying reverence to their great leader. If North Koreans would watch this amusement here, they certainly must be shocked.

A quick visit to the Lingyu Temple and then its time to say good-bye to Nanjing and leave for the new Pukou Airport, 37 km to the south of the city. At 15.00 we take off and fly down to Hongkong. 

long stairs up to the Memorial

The service of China Eastern is not our favourite (cold beef with white and also cold noddles!) but the flight only takes 2 hours. 

Alas immigration prevents me from exiting the airport and seeing my friend Teresa again, but at least we have a nice chat over the phone.