DOWN UNDER – PART 2

A day and a half was hardly enough to do justice to Melbourne, but we gave it our best.  It’s a very busy city, and the Sunday crowds on the sidewalks reminded us of rush hour in Manhattan.  We left early Monday morning, glad to get out into the countryside again.  Our fellow travellers hail from Scotland, France, Germany, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, The Netherlands, Belgium, England, and Australia.

Our first destination on Day 1 of the Melbourne to Alice Springs Intrepid tour was the Great Ocean Road, billed as one of the world’s most scenic seaside drives.  It runs for 243 km along the coast and was built between 1919 and 1932 by 3,000 returned World War I servicemen as a memorial to fellow soldiers killed during the War.

We made several stops along the way to take in the highlights, including the Twelve Apostles, a collection of limestone stacks created by the powerful erosive action of the Southern Ocean waves.  Only eight of the original apostles remain, the others having presumably left the Church to follow someone else.  The photo below shows a few.

The unrelenting crowds were a real turnoff, especially the Chinese tourists who push and shove, their singular mission being to take pictures of themselves.  One can only wonder why.  We watched in amazement as six helicopters buzzed around, ferrying gawkers nonstop on ten-minute rides at $100 a shot!

Down the road from the Twelve Apostles, we came to Loch Ard Gorge, an enticing pocket beach reachable only by a flight of steep stairs.  Elva and I watched as the young members of our group were photographed by tour guide Dave while doing “The Jump”.  The photo below illustrates why we enjoy travelling with a younger crowd!

I compared the Great Ocean Road to ones we’ve travelled in Eastern Canada: the Cabot Trail; our own Gulf Shore Parkway; the Gaspé Peninsula; the Port-au-Port Peninsula in Western Newfoundland; and any number of scenic coastal drives on mainland Nova Scotia.  Australia’s is nice, but not as good as what we have on offer.  For me, the most compelling feature of the Great Ocean Road is rather the story of how it was built.

Dave promised we’d see kangaroos before arriving at our destination that first night.  As we hit the foothills of the Grampian Mountains, we saw groups of them in almost every field.  As we climbed, several ran across the road.  By the time we’d arrived in the village of Hall’s Gap, our destination for the night, they were everywhere.  Hall’s Gap has a human population of some 318 souls, and some 35,000 kangaroos!  You really have to watch where you walk!

Next morning, we rose bright and early for the drive up to a mountaintop lookoff.  The sight of the valley below was quite impressive, as were the howling wind and the 10 degree C temperature!  We walked down into a gorge to see the magnificent MacKenzie Falls before visiting an aboriginal cultural centre in Hall’s Gap where we learned the sad story of how the country’s original inhabitants were treated by European settlers.  In the early days, aborigines were considered non-human, and treated as such in every way.  Their story is an all-too-familiar reminder of how we treated our own First Nations in Canada.  And all of the present-day challenges our two countries face are the same.

After a six-hour drive through countryside that looks a lot like our Prairie Provinces, rolling past enormous herds of cattle and sheep, we arrived in the capital of the State of South Australia, Adelaide, a city of 1.25 million.  We checked into the YHA Hostel, our first official stay in a hostel.  There’s a first time for everything!  Actually, we spent a little extra for a private room with ensuite.  We’d heard too many horror stories from fellow travellers, unable to sleep a wink when forced to bunk in a dorm with an inveterate snorer.

We took it easy on our ‘off’ day in Adelaide, opting to take a walking tour of the city and hop on the free bus to get our bearings.  We had lunch at the cavernous Central Market and spent part of the afternoon people-watching on the pedestrian Rundle Mall, entertained by street musicians, buskers, and this couple who offered free hugs.  It was fascinating to see people come up to them.  Everyone smiled and left feeling better.  Adelaide ranks as our favourite city in Australia to this point in our journey.

I’d always wanted to go to William Creek.  There’s something about a place with a population of 12 that appeals to my curious and adventurous nature.  It wasn’t easy getting to William Creek.  We left Adelaide early and drove through wine country until we hit the prairie - vast fields of wheat as far as the eye could see.  Next came scrubbier land as it became drier and drier; the kind of stuff that supports only beef cattle and sheep.

Finally, we entered the Flinders Ranges National Park.  The bus turned into our campsite and our guide, Wayne, directed us to pick up our swags and select a place to sleep.  Reading the Intrepid trip notes, I naturally assumed that ‘camping’ meant in a tent.  Mistake!  A ‘swag’ is a heavy canvas bag - a bedroll, essentially - with a thin foam mattress inside and a plastic underside.  No tent?  No problem!

Picture La Reine du Barachois faced with the reality that she’ll have to sleep à la belle étoile!  I arrive with two sleeping bags to put inside the swag, at a cost of $30 each.  She says  spontaneously: “So much for the upgrade!”  “Yep, c’est ça voyager avec Intrepid!”, I reply.  We shared a laugh and had to explain to our neighbours what was so funny.  It didn’t take her too long to adapt though.  You can’t be too fussy if you want to see the real Outback.

We went for a long walk around Wilpena Pound and climbed to a lookout that provided a spectacular view of the former cattle station.  The temperature hovered near 35 degrees C.  After a late supper, darkness was soon upon us and we crawled into our swags, not quite sure what to expect.  I stared at the stars, brighter and more numerous than I’d ever seen, and marvelled at the immensity of the universe.  It was the first time I’d ever slept without a roof of some kind over my head.  To my great surprise - and Elva’s - we got a decent night’s sleep.

Next morning, we saw wild kangaroos by the hundreds and emus by the dozen.  They were everywhere!  Most of our long 500-kilometre drive to William Creek was on a dirt road, the Oodnadatta Track.  The only time we saw pavement was in one of the small towns: Leigh Creek, deserted since the coal mine closed; Lyndhurst, home of an eccentric sandstone carver by the name of Talc Alf who’s declared his own republic; and Marree, where guys pass the time drinking beer in the only air-conditioned building in town, the Marree Hotel.  This was the Outback - the ‘Vastness of nothing!’, as our tour guide described it.

After a brief stop at Lake Eyre - dry, of course, for most of the year - we drove through more desert and arrived at the tiny hamlet of William Creek around suppertime.  There may have been a William, but there is no creek.  It was 42 degrees C!  We grabbed a cool drink at the iconic William Creek Hotel which features a dining room built of old railway ties.  After supper, it was time to slip into our swags for a second night under the stars.  We almost died with the heat until a slight breeze mercifully arose.  Both of us slept like babies.  I had to wake Elva!  Who would have known?

 

The flies woke us up.  Ah, yes, the flies!  Australia is as famous for its flies as my hometown of Wellington is for its mosquitoes.  These critters, slightly smaller than a housefly, are incredibly persistent, stopping at nothing to get at their target.  Not surprisingly in such an arid environment, it’s moisture they want, and they’ll get it from any available orifice.  A good reason to keep your clothes on and an even better reason to keep your mouth shut!  Like most of our fellow travellers, we had nets to wear over our heads.  Hellish hard to eat through though!
A short three-hour drive brought us to Coober Pedy, billed as the opal capital of the world.  On the way, we crossed the dingo fence, a 5,000-kilometre-long barrier that prevents dingos, a type of wild dog, from crossing between the north and the south of Australia.  The dingo is very destructive to sheep.

I think we should build a Trump Fence between Canada and the United States to keep ‘you-know-who’ out!

Because of the oppressive summer heat, more than half of the Coober Pedy’s residents live underground in abandoned mining shafts.  So, of course, intrepid travellers that we are, we slept underground too, in a bunkhouse carved out of the rock where the temperature is a comfortable 22 degrees C, summer and winter.  Again that afternoon, the mercury topped out at over 40 degrees.  Our tour guide explained that it has been a ‘mild’ summer, cooler than the normal 45-50 degrees C!  We were literally melting away, urged on by our guide to drink four litres of water a day to avoid dehydration, more if we’re active.
We travel in a sturdy four-wheel-drive diesel bus.  It’s hot and dusty and the road never seems to end.  We seldom meet a vehicle.  This proves to be a plus when someone needs to go to le petit coin.  Our meals are very basic since our driver is also tour guide and chef.  Everybody helps out with meal preparation and cleanup, and no one seems to mind the long days on the road.

Next morning, we rose early enough to see the sun rise over the desert at a place called the Breakaways Scenic Reserve, and made our way towards the iconic Uluru.  Back on blacktop again, we made good time, crossed into Northern Territory, and got our first glimpse of Uluru late in the afternoon.  Along the way, we passed through Australia’s largest cattle station, at 6 million acres almost four times the size of Prince Edward Island!

It almost never rains near Uluru, but it did the day we got there and through the night.  Creepy-crawlies like this poisonous ten-centimetre centipede I spotted in the men’s washroom leave their burrows to avoid drowning.  We were told that a sting from one of these things is like being seared by a hot poker.  I was mindful of this as I sat down to do my business, and got the hell out as quick as I could!
It’s best to get to the base of Uluru early: to see the sun rise; to beat the heat; and to beat the crowds.  It is a spectacular gift of nature; the World’s biggest monolith; the ancestral home of the Mala people; and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  We walked the 11-kilometre trail around the base of the rock, watching its colour change depending on the angle of the sun.  Our guide took us on a cultural walk, explaining the significance of the sacred site to the Anagnu people.  This proved to be just as interesting as the views of Uluru itself.  We spent eight hours at Uluru and saw it from all angles.  It is magnificent.
Up at 4:15 next morning to walk at Kata-Tjutu, Uluru’s next-door mountain cousin.  We did a six-kilometre hike and, by the time we got back to the parking lot at 10:00, the temperature was in the high 30s.  The trails close when the mercury hits 36 degrees C.  I’ve never drank as much water in my life: five or six litres a day!
A long drive brought us to Kings Canyon where we settled in for our last night of camping, and our last group dinner.  Our campsite couldn’t have been much farther from civilization.  We saw dingos (wild dogs) on the way in and had to keep our food away from them.  We had a really rough night.  The temperature didn’t drop below 27 degrees and it was humid.  We tried to sleep but, with no ventilation of any kind, it was stifling.  No one slept more than an hour.

Never mind, breakfast was at 4:45.  Then, the drive to the Canyon and our six-kilometre hike up to the rim where the views were spectacular.  After an early lunch and a six-hour drive, we finally arrived in Alice Springs, a nice city of some 28,000, right in the heart of the continent.  We checked into our hotel and turned on the air conditioning.  No alarm clock tomorrow.  Time to get some clothes washed and rest up before beginning our West Coast adventure.

DOWN UNDER – PART 1

We left Fort Myers on January 31 and drove the four hours to Orlando, boarded our flight to Toronto and finally hit the sack around 1:00 am.  Lucky for us, we spent a very pleasant one-day layover in Toronto with old friends, Joanne Best and Del Zelmer.  I’d worked with Del in the mid-70s during our Toronto adventure, and Elva and I spent many memorable weekends at his dude ranch north of the city while there.  Although we hadn’t seen them in years, we picked up where we left off, as if time apart meant nothing.

After a gruelling twenty-two-hour flight from Toronto, via Vancouver, we set foot on our sixth continent and forty-sixth country on the morning of February 3.  We lost a day crossing the International Dateline but will get it back in March.  We were amazed by the efficiency of the new E-Passport system at Sydney Airport.  The journey from aircraft to arrivals hall - with our luggage - took no more than fifteen minutes.  “Like shit through a goose!”, as they say.

Australia is a huge country, about the size of the continental United States, and is home to some 23 million people, about two-thirds the population of Canada.  the continent’s first inhabitants, the Aborigines, arrived here by sea more than 60,000 years ago.  The first European colonists came in 1788 on eleven ships: 750 convicts, 201 British marines, and 40 women and children.  It must have been one hell of a place in the early years!

No sooner checked in to our hotel, we donned our walking shoes and set out to explore downtown Sydney.  On our first jet-lagged day we at least wanted to make it to the waterfront and see the iconic Sydney Opera House.  It was worth every step!  We found Sydney to be a very busy city, not surprising given that it has five million people - just a bit smaller than Toronto.  It is also very expensive: $5 for a coffee, and most meals near double the Canadian price!

On Day 2 we awoke to a steady rain.  But, as they say: “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes!”  We took a walking tour of the city, presented masterfully by an ambitious young woman who knew and loved her city.  By mid-afternoon - Elva’s birthday - we’d seen most of the highlights and knew what we wanted to visit our second time around in March.  That evening, we ate at a busy Thai restaurant and thoroughly enjoyed their spicy fare.
Next morning, it was on to Hobart, the capital of Tasmania.  Driving in from the airport, we were struck by how the topography and vegetation reminded us of the Okanagan Valley of southern BC.  The city’s 200,000 residents make up about 40% of the island state’s population.  After checking in to the luxurious Grand Chancellor Hotel, we explored the waterfront as well as the old neighbourhood called Battery Point, admiring the many charming cottages overlooking the harbour.

On our second day in Hobart, we once again explored on foot, going first to the war memorial, then to the Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens where we witnessed beauty rivalling that of Vancouver Island’s Butchart Gardens.  Elva spent part of the afternoon wandering through the bustling Salamanca Market.  It was a long weekend in Hobart, with plenty to see and do and lots of people around.  We’d have liked to rent bikes to see more, but ran out of time.

Next morning, bright and early, guide Jerry of our tour company Under Down Under, picked us up at the hotel.  I could tell right away from her beautiful smile that we were in for a good trip.  She would be our driver, tour guide, and cook - and good at all three!  We drove up the Derwent River Valley and followed it all the way to its source, Lake St. Clair, crossing into Lake St. Clair – Cradle Mountain National Park where we walked to Russell Falls.

Our route, the Lyell Highway, was built during the Great Depression as a public works project.  The terrain is rough and hilly - said to be one of the largest temperate rain forests left on earth - and it reminded us of the Cape Breton highlands.  Tasmania has put a premium on conservation, and 45% of its land area is under some form of state or national protection.  The National Park we visited is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Area.

After a very long day on the road, we arrived at our destination, a charming, isolated seaside town called Strahan (pronounced Stron) on the rugged, sparsely-populated west coast.  That evening, we enjoyed a barbecue and took time to meet our fellow travellers.  As is usual with Interpid tours, they hail from all over the world: Ireland, England, Wales, Australia, United States, Taiwan and China.

After our meal, we made our way to the little brook a short distance away and looked for the resident platypus.  Although he (or she) didn’t show up, a lady I met showed me a video she’d made the evening before.  The duck-billed platypus is a strange creature, with the body of a beaver, an otter’s paws, and a bill just like a duck’s.   The platypus and its cousin, the echidna (shown below), are the only mammals that lay eggs instead of giving birth to live young.  And that’s the answer to today’s trivia question!

On day 2 at Strahan, we set out for Montezuma Falls, at 150 metres, the tallest in Tasmania.  We walked about 5 kilometres along an old railway bed to get there, crossed over a swing bridge, and took in the impressive sight of the cascade.  There were only two other people there.

On the way back to Strahan, we stopped at the Henty Dunes, and climbed the 30-metre sand wall on all fours to capture a spectacular view of Ocean Beach.  That evening, we attended a play, The Ship That Never Was, where I finally received much-craved recognition and took my rightful place in the captain’s chair!

Our next destination was Cradle Mountain, the main attraction in the northern sector of the National Park.  Jerry suggested we climb to the top of Marion’s Lookout where we’d have the best view of the valleys and lakes below, and of Cradle Mountain itself.  The last fifteen minutes or so was a tough scramble.  I arrived at the summit, only to meet a group carrying huge knapsacks; on a six-day hike, complete with tents, sleeping bags, and food.  Next thing I knew, a father strolled up the path carrying his one-year old daughter in a sling.  Humbling!

After a couple more stops, we arrived in Launceston, the end of the line for day 3.  It’s Tasmania’s second-largest city.  Our guide could have hyped it up to the max and it wouldn’t have made any difference.  We were just too tired to take much of it in.

Next morning, we were off again, heading towards the East Coast and our destination of Bicheno.  Along the way, we stopped in the pretty farming town of Sheffield, walked down to St. Columba Falls, Tasmania’s second-highest waterfall, and went for a swim at Bay of Fires.

We saw a couple of wallabies spring across the road in front of us.  The crows here are very well fed.  There’s roadkill everywhere.  One of my all-time favourite animals, the fearsome Tasmanian devil, just loves roadkill, and sometimes pays the price for its gluttony!

The first highlight of day 5 was Freycinet National Park, where we hiked a beautifully-built trail up over an isthmus and down to Wineglass Bay.  Its picture-perfect beach is reachable only on foot.

Next, we visited a place I’d been looking forward to: the Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary.  It features a number of uniquely Tasmanian species, including the devil himself!  Like most people my age, I first became acquainted with this fearsome fictional creature through the Bugs Bunny cartoons.  Only later would I learn that the Tasmanian devil really exists.

Bonorong is home to some twenty devils, some of them hand-reared from birth.  In the wild, they are carrion eaters, consuming any dead animal they come across - hair, bones and all.  Unfortunately, a cancer called Devil Facial Tumour Disease has spread through natural populations and threatens the animal with extinction.  I sincerely hope they will develop a natural resistance before it’s too late.

On the last day of our tour, we drove from Hobart to the Tasman Peninsula, home of Tasman National Park and the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Port Arthur.  From 1833 until 1853, its penitentiary housed the hardest of convicted British criminals, namely secondary offenders who re-offended after their arrival in Australia.  Rebellious personalities from other convict stations were also sent here.  In addition, Port Arthur featured some of the strictest security measures of the British penal system.

On the eve of our departure, as we sat on the Hobart dock eating fish and chips and the best calamari I’ve had in a long time, Elva and I reflected on another amazing experience.  Yes, the days were tiring, but we’d seen and done so much, and met interesting people along the way.  Every day, we logged over 12,000 steps on Elva’s Fitbit - two days over 25,000.  We kept up with the younger ones and had a great time.

Next, it was onto Melbourne, Australia’s second largest city, where we spent a day and a half taking in as much as time would allow.  On our first day there, we boarded the Circle Tram and toured the downtown area, getting our bearings.  The Saturday crowds were buzzing.  We watched the sunset at Federation Square, a beautiful public space beside the Yarra River.

The next morning, we set out on foot to visit some of the attractions we’d seen from the Tram.  Melbourne doesn’t have as nice a harbour as Sydney, but Port Phillip Bay is quite nice and Middle Park Beach is a great spot for people-watching.  There are public parks and gardens everywhere, all of them lovely places for a stroll.  We enjoyed Melbourne and would have stayed longer.  But, it was time for our next adventure: the Intrepid 10-Day Melbourne to Alice Springs Explorer.