Thursday, July 8
Today was the big day… our journey to the Great Barrier Reef…. The outer reef – right near the Continental Shelf where the water goes from about 20 feet deep to 1 mile down…. Yikes. The QuickSilver boat took off from Port Douglas -- about 50 min drive north of Palm Cove. I, for one, (and Sandra too) had mixed feelings about the whole experience but were keeping a good stiff upper lift about it. Sandra doesn’t swim and Ashley hadn’t snorkeled before – but both were game to get onboard! The boat travels for 1.5 hours and docks at a permanent platform at the edge of the reef. There is lunch provided and a bunch of different activities… snorkeling, diving (Michael would have his second scuba diving experience), an underwater viewing platform and a semi-submersible submarine which did quick tours of the reef.
I needed to conquer several fears, although a strong swimmer nevertheless …. 1) the ride – I can get seasick… 2) bringing my children on a boat and being out in the middle of ‘nowhere’ in the Pacific Ocean (hence – I haven’t gone on a cruise); 3) snorkeling for me… what would it be like out there with all those fish!! 4) what would the girls do? Would they snorkel – if not – what would we do for 3.5 hours while Michael did his dive and no doubt snorkeled like crazy!
QuickSilver has the #1 spot in this reef cruising market for the masses for a reason … they have nailed the experience. It proved to be one of the highlights of the trip for all of us and for me --- plus conquereing ALL the fears in one fell swoop. You board the boat, get a seat and then they have coffee/tea/drinks for all until the boat leaves. Once the boat leaves, they take the time to explain the reef and the activities. Jellyfish are a deterent for swimming/snorkeling for much of the year- luckily we were out of ‘stinger’ season but there were ‘bluebottles’ that could potentially sting so we were encouraged to don lycra bodysuits if we were snorkeling… you can wander around the boat – inside and outside where u r blown sideways!
When we docked – we couldn’t imagine how all the people in the boat could manage to get their gear (suits, flippers, mask, snorkels) without massive lines and upset…. Well – the Aussies were so lovely and laid back – people managed easily and before you knew it – all of us were going off the platform and snorkeling!!! It was amazing, amazing. Fantastic!! The girls were troopers and loved it. They hung on to me with one hand and had life jackets but we managed to cruise along looking at the beautiful coral and sea life. There was also a makeshift small dock where you could hang on in the middle of the roped off snorkeling areas. Michael did his dive (not as good overall as his first diving experience in Turks and Caicos because it was shorter and they had to hold hands! (bummer))… but he loved the snorkeling and also saw a sea turtle when he took a spin on the semi-submersible sub.
Lunch was a lavish affair considering our location – full buffet and treats. On the way back – they had cheese and crackers and lots of souvenir goodies and underwater pictures for sale. We bought, bought, bought of course! I was thrilled to have conquered the list of fears – thrilled. Sandra wasn’t seasick and Ashley enjoyed the snorkeling too!!
We ended our day with a stroll around Port Douglas and an early dinner outdoors at ‘Mango Jam’ restaurant. When we got back to the apartment – we popped our ‘Welcome’ bottle of champagne we had gotten from the landlords -- which we were keeping to celebrate our vacation together!!
Friday, July 9th
Sadly our last day in Cairns and Palm Cove. This was meant to be our ‘beach day’ before we left for Sydney later in the day (6 pm flight). Although we had a lovely view of the water from the apartment – we had not gone to the beach much due to other activities and the weather too. We had prayed hard for sun and we got it!! Sandra and Ahsley took a long walk (ending up turned around a bit by the one way roads and paths – but did spot a kangaroo!) so I packed up our gear, did laundry and we headed for the beach about 11 am.
We had a great swim all the way down at the beach at Palm Cove (about a 20 min walk along the beach) where there are nets to catch any remaining stingers and the odd crocodile which may be about the place. You do realize in Australia that there a bunch of things that are dangerous in the wild and they are not too far away at any point in time!!
We had great fun in the waves – water and air temps in the low 70s but fun in the surf with the other Australian children on their mid-winter break! We played at the beachfront playground and ate at a nearby restaurant. Back in the water for a “quick” swim before heading back down the beach for showers, final packing and making our way to the airport. Little did we know – that time slipped away and although I wanted to start walking about 2:35 – 2:45 …. We got out of the water at 3:15!!! Ahhhh….. we grabbed our stuff and trotted down the beach. Sandra and Ashley were walking up to meet us and we got a lift a little of the way back.
We made it safely to the airport – with some burning rubber… thank goodness Ashley is a race car driver among his many accomplishments! The flight to Sydney ended up delayed but enjoyable on VirginBlue. We arrived at our hotel about 11 pm – late. The hotel was marvelous and RIGHT DOWN THE STREET from the Opera House, which we spyed as we stumbled in … the view from the room was spectacular – the Sydney Harbour Bridge. We fell into bed – pooped but delighted to having made the transition from tropical beach to city….
Saturday, July 10
A good long sleep later…. We woke up to the great bliss of the Quay Grand Suites. We overlooked Circular Quay – one of the many working docks in and around Sydney - Our room was very cool in its design – ooos and ahhhs … Jacuzzi, full kitchen, washer/dryer, 2 TVs… iPod docking station – pull out sofa and then a bedroom which u can make separate room. We collected ourselves together – had a bit of room service and a bit of food from our Palm Cove experience (they children loved Cocoa Bams… a cross between trix and cocoa pops…).
My dear friend Meg and her husband Greg live in Sydney. Meg is American as well. We met in London @ LSE … gosh over 25 years ago! Greg is from New Zealand with his own Health Products online site. Meg has her own media and public relations firm. Meg and I agreed to meet early afternoon.
We were very anxious to walk down the block to the Opera House. We did that and were amazed at its grace and beauty… such splendor and brilliance in the design. We would have loved to have seen something performed… another day when girls are older. The Botanical Gardens were across the street – so a wonderful location. We grabbed some lunch dockside before heading into town.
Although our plan was to head to CentrePoint – for a look around Sydney from above – we ended up strolling the streets in search of a jacket for Michael …. Who btw made it w/o one down under!)…. We decided to head back to Meg’s house and see Greg and their two dogs – Lily and Lucy. The ferry ride was such a treat. Much of Sydeny is water oriented – both residential and industrial. Water is part of the life of most Australians – with over 90% living on or near the coast…!
Meg and Greg live very close to the water in a gorgeous, spacious flat. We visited, walked, fell in love w/their dogs (still MISS YOU LUCKY!!) and went out to dinner at a local Italian restaurant - graciously driven back to our hotel! All were asleep very quickly!
The food in Sydney was terrific – all sorts of ethnic varieties reflecting the population, coffee amazing. They take coffee VERY seriously here. Meg and Greg had a coffee machine fit for Starbucks and there are coffee spots everywhere… great for ‘round the world mama’ here. I needed the boost often. I still need to work out what a “flat black” and ‘Long white” coffee are!!
Sunday, July 11
We had another lazy morning although we got up earlier – a good sleep after our first day in Sydney. There was a pool, hot tub and gym all in the same area in the hotel so Michael and Elizabeth went downstairs. Stephanie was still feeling the effects of our marathon swim on Friday and had decided to continue to play … Club Penguin (a ‘membership’ was her reward for doing so well so far…I did a load of washing to keep us up to date for Hong Kong.
We got going around 11:30 to Meg’s great suggestion of Toy Story 3 @ IMAX cinema. We got there and were disappointed to find out that the 12:30 and 3 pm shows were sold out. We bought tix for the 8 pm show w/Mom having grave doubts since we had to get up early for our Hong Kong flight the next day. Tix cost … $US 65 for 4 of us!! We went off to enjoy the other delights of Darling Harbour. – where this a Maritime Museum, Aquarium, etc….
All around the world…Sunday/early Monday morning was the day of the big Match – Netherlands versus Spain in the World Cup. We had been following the tournament since we left in June. In Sydney, there was a spot in Darling Harbour where huge TV screens were erected for all the soccer (“football”) fans to gather… that meant 4:30 am Monday . There were events on Sunday celebrating the biggest day in worldwide soccer – including an opportunity for the kids to play on a floating mini-field with 7 other kids of all ages and nationalities …which they did and loved!!
Lunch next and Meg met us there. She is a gem!! We decided to use her good advice and car to secure an earlier movie spot elsewhere and grab a museum in the interim. We went to the 5 pm show and enjoyed a few moments at the cool Powerhouse Museum of Science and Design.
Kids loved the movie and celebrated with a romp at the video arcade where Elizabeth beat all in a 4 way simulated car race and was the big winner on ‘Deal or No Deal’ game! A cab ride home, quick stop at shop next to hotel and we had a dinner of chicken soup, fruit and leftovers! Love the kitchen in the hotel…
Monday, July 12
So off went the alarm @ 6 am, on went the Sports channel and Michael and I watched the last minutes of the World Cup Final Match and overtime as the girls continued to snooze next door. The ending was what Michael wanted. SPAIN! So the day was off to a good start. We then got a call that our taxi needed to come early due to the horrendous Sydney traffic… I think many people waited until the match was over and THEN started off to work.
We arrived at the airport – no problem, early in fact! Each country is different in the ticket documentation it requires so we needed to get a print out from Air New Zealand of our tickets going out of Hong Kong… we did that and had a chance to walk through the spectacular Sydney airport. Wow…. There really is everything available (most non-essentials) but it was a site to behold!
Quantas did not have a full flight (hence our last minute change to Quantas from Cathay Pacific) and the plane was brand new and gorgeous. This time we were going coach (9 hours and no sleeping required)…. The kids loved the selection of movies and promise of ice cream for dessert and I for one appreciated the extra room that fewer passengers presented!
Many, many movies, meals and snacks later ….
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