Sunday, January 20, 2008
You're a good man, Charlie Brown.
There is nothing better on a Sunday morning than to listen to anything by Vince Guaraldi, a jazz pianist from the 1950's and 60's. You may not recognize his name, but you'll recognize his most famous legacy, which are his compositions and performances of the music for Peanuts. There can be no heavy-heartedness in the presence of this beautiful, simple, upbeat, smile inspiring music. I recommend his Greatest Hits to start, but definitely move on to some of his non-Peanuts music as well.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Enough already!
Everywhere I turn I am hearing about Generation Zed's supposed new mascot, who it turns out is just a jerky teen with no sense of responsibility or ownership.
It's amusing how upset morning news talk show hosts are at him and how enthralled the nation is to hear of any recent escapades and accusations.
Even I am drawn into this whirlpool of idiocy and spectatorship! I've gone and posted about it!
It's amusing how upset morning news talk show hosts are at him and how enthralled the nation is to hear of any recent escapades and accusations.
Even I am drawn into this whirlpool of idiocy and spectatorship! I've gone and posted about it!
Friday, January 18, 2008
Jimble
Mr. Man spotted this jellyfish, likely a Carybdea rastoni or "Jimble" while snorkelling at Rottnest Island. They are a marine stinger with bodies about 2 cm across and tentacles 30 cm long. Don't worry, we didn't get stung, but if we did, moderate pain would have persisted for two hours with the only after effects being swelling and redness and minor skin pigmentation for a few weeks! Yikes!
Um... is anyone directing this blog?
So... I've been MIA. Mostly I've just been busy living life and trying to manage my internal monologue, but feel uninspired to write about it all. I think that is because this blog has become mainly an avenue for me to talk about cool things I've done while here. But mostly I think this trip is turning out to relate more to what goes on in my mind, heart, and soul. And really, who wants to hear about all that gobbledygook? Perhaps you do. But, perhaps I am just trying to cope with my long distance relationship with my entire "comfort world" by declining to post my innermost thoughts into the oblivion of the Internet.
For those of you returning in the hopes I have written something... Welcome Back! to my intermittent blog. Though I am afraid you might find more of the same in the future. Perhaps I'll just post my favorite photos for a bit until the ebb and flow of all this thinking and feeling is manageable.
For those of you returning in the hopes I have written something... Welcome Back! to my intermittent blog. Though I am afraid you might find more of the same in the future. Perhaps I'll just post my favorite photos for a bit until the ebb and flow of all this thinking and feeling is manageable.
Tuesday, January 8, 2008
Argh..!
Will it ever stop!?!? Its humid today in Perth, but I am not complaining about that. I am complaining about what I saw in the mirror on my way to wash my hands in the ladies room before lunch. "What is that?", you might ask. Its the infamous "wally hair"!
Wally hair is what my wonderful father has bestowed on me. I like to think if it as a gem of a joke genetic trait. Imagine short, fine hairs along my hairline, on the order of 1 to 3 inches long, that curl in the humidity, and stick out to form a kind of vertical halo, if you will, around my face. And it will not be tamed by any manner of product or combing. How am I to be taken seriously by big wigs, peers, and future students looking like such a frazzled wreck?!!. "No really, things are fine Director So and So." *sigh*
Wally hair is what my wonderful father has bestowed on me. I like to think if it as a gem of a joke genetic trait. Imagine short, fine hairs along my hairline, on the order of 1 to 3 inches long, that curl in the humidity, and stick out to form a kind of vertical halo, if you will, around my face. And it will not be tamed by any manner of product or combing. How am I to be taken seriously by big wigs, peers, and future students looking like such a frazzled wreck?!!. "No really, things are fine Director So and So." *sigh*
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Far North Queensland Vacation
At the start of Mr. Man's 5 week Australia visit, we decided to take a big, 12 day vacation in Far North Queensland (FNQ). Its a perfect place to vacation for outdoor lovers, as we are, because both the Daintree Rain Forest (part of the Wet Tropics) and Great Barrier Reef, both world heritage areas, are located there. It was more amazing than I could have imagined it to be.
Day 1, Cairns, a busy and very touristy city. I was shocked at how humid the climate is when I got off the plane, coming from arid Perth. We stayed in Cairns (waiting from Shawn's luggage) for a day before renting a car and driving North to Cape Tribulation. Yes, I drove a car on the left side of the road. It was a bit strange, but after riding my bike around Perth for the last months, it was easy to remember to stay on to the left - though there are signs every once in a while to remind you of that. Roundabouts were a bit more unnerving, and I had to practice to get shifting down - though thankfully it is how I am used to the stick shift being - first gear up and to the left, etc. The only thing I kept forgetting is the directional, which was no longer on the left, and I kept turning on the windshield wipers instead!
At Cape Tribulation, we stayed at Crocodylus, an awesome youth hostel built in the rain forest with wooden guest cabins with toilets/showers and a main open air building with a sitting area, dial-up internet (yikes!), a bar, a kitchen for guests to use for cooking their own meals, or a restaurant where you could get any of the three squares from a really tasty, daily changing menu. We signed up for a rainforest night walk, where our guide showed us tons of plants, insects, and spiders, and a few birds. After 3 hours in the forest we were tired, and a bit disappointed that we didn't see any lizards or mammals in the trees.
About Cape Tribulation and the surrounding area - they are not on the power grid. After you cross the Daintree River - by ferry only - all locals and businesses have to produce their own power. Most use diesel generators, but some use renewables, like the Daintree Ice Cream Company, who use solar energy during business hours as a way to increase the pleasure of the ice cream experience (i.e., to reduce irritating noise).
Day 3, we took a kayak trek to Snapper Island with our guide, Dennis - who was just super. He was shoe-less the whole time and totally laid back and relaxed. We were the only two people on the tour, which was at first a bit strange, but he was friendly and we soon were at ease. He set us out in the two person open sit-on-top kayak from Cow Bay and we paddled down the coast towards the island, which is just 2 km out from the mouth of the Daintree River at Cape Kimberly. We stopped off at Shipwreck Bay to snorkel, but the surge had kicked up the sand and visibility was poor. After we got to Snapper island, we helped Dennis unload the boat (he was in a power boat with the gear) and he sent us out for a snorkel on the fringing reef along the north side of the island. It was amazing. Giant clams, fishes, lots of coral, warm waters, and I could go on forever. All through the area there are reefs that fringe the shore (therefore called fringing reefs) in shallow water. We of course wore our stings suits to protect us from box, irakanji, and other stinging jellyfish. During the trip, we ate great meals and snacks prepared by Dennis, snorkeled for hours, kayaked around the island looking for reef sharks in shallow mangrove nurseries, turtles playing in the waves, eagles, and admiring the rocky cliffs and forest. It was great. We camped for the night and watched the sunset and stars and moon and ships sailing in the distance. It was quiet, except for Mr. Man hunting down cane toads in the forest to take pictures of at night. We did see some blue bottles (man of war jellies), but luckily they were not in the area we were snorkeling. I did see a small jelly on my last snorkel, but immediately swam away and hopped onto the kayak Mr. Man was piloting around. Turns out it was a harmless type, but better to be safe than stung.
Day 5, the Daintree Discovery Center, where we learned about the rain forest some more and took a very touristy walk-through. We then headed onto Port Douglas for some relaxing time at the beach - though there was not much swimming because of stinger season. We stayed in apartment type accommodations which are quite popular and reasonably priced. We got food for lunch and breakfast and ate dinner out, which was a nice budgetary compromise. On Day 6, we took a ride on the beach with our rented bikes and looked around the town, and then got on the Lady Douglas for a crocodile river tour. We were anxious to see one of the cold blooded beasts we were being so warned about. Under no circumstances are you to swim in rivers near the ocean in estuary environments due to the threat of being eaten. Crocodiles have even been spotted several miles out to sea on small islands (Snapper Island even!), so beware. It is not IF you get eaten, it WHEN you get eaten. It was a nice afternoon cruise and we did spot two crocs, a sea eagle, and a kite.
Day 7, we went to Mossman Gorge for a look around, but ended up staying most of the day into the afternoon. There is a cool, clear river going through the rocky gorge that is for swimming and a short rain forest trek for tourist-types and a longer more rugged trek that is more like regular hiking. We did all of these things (thank goodness we packed a lunch!), and it was so fun. The forest was so humid! As soon as we got into the trees, our clothes were soaked and we had not really started sweating from hiking. After the morning hiking, we ate lunch and then swam in the river. Mr. Man got out his snorkel and mask and underwater camera and hit the rocks looking for fishes. He even spotted an eel. There were tons of people there, but plenty of room for everyone. It reminded me a lot of Bash Bish Falls in MA, USA, and that made me feel really homesick, but at the same time it was comforting.
Day 8, we were back in Cairns and took a skyrail and train tour to Kuranda, a touristy, hippy town in the mountains where there are some wildlife "parks" It was the most touristy thing we did, but it was really fun taking the skyrail. We rode up over the tops of the trees from the sea level coast to Kuranda, with stops at Red Peak and Barrow's Falls. We got off the gondola at both of these places and they had little walks in the forest talking about the history of the area. Barrows falls was the coolest view and had really great history, as it used for hydroelectric power. After a short stay in Kuranda (including lunch and visiting a small "zoo" for Aussie animals, snakes, and lizards), we returned to Cairns on the Scenic Railway.
Day 9, Christmas Day, we spent hanging out at a cafe on the Esplanade reading books and chatting, waiting to get on the dive boat at 4:30pm. We of course called home, which was Christmas eve, my favorite, and I got to talk with a lot of family and friends. We got on the boat, got geared up and assigned rooms, and got the safety briefing. Oh, and rule no. 1 enacted the foot freedom act - no shoes were to be warn on the boat due to it being vacation and because the crew thought it was safer. There were 27 other divers on board, along with 10 crew. The trip was 10 dives over 3 nights and 3 days.
The first night, we sailed to north of Cooktown and our first dive was the next morning (Day 10) at Challenger Bay. Following that was two dives (before and after lunch) at Cod hole, the second of which was the cod feed by one of the dive masters so we could get a look at those large, loping, bumblebees of the sea. It seems contrary to nature that those huge fish are not bottom dwellers! Our night dive was a Pixies Reef, and that was really fun. At the end of the dive, there were large trevally (aka jacks) at the surface slurping up heaps of very small schooling fish attracted to the spot lights at the back of the boat. It was a bit unnerving coming to the surface, as those small fish were running into my legs and arms. I was wearing a 3 mm shorty wetsuit (kind of like shorts and a t-shirt) and there were lots of other small stinging things in the water and some menacing looking flat worms undulating around. Kind of creepy.
Day 11 we dove at Steve's Bommie twice, which was my absolute favorite. This little reef structure is in the middle of no where (well, relatively) and is kind of a rest stop for sea life. There were tons of fish schooling and it was a nursery for small fishes. There was so much to see and I could have spent a week there alone! I was amazed at the abundance of coral and fish diversity and how beautiful everything is. It was one of the most fantastic experiences of my life. After that, we moved to Two & Two Thirds, (between the second and third ribbon reef, how clever), which was also great diving. Our night dive was at Beer Garden, which was now quite close to civilization onshore. Our dive master told us to expect lesser quality reef, as runoff from agriculture and humans in general led to changes in the sea water quality, etc. Prior to this site, the sites we visited were amazing at all depths (I went as deep as 27 m) but here, there was a lot more algae and dead coral at depth. There was still tons of life on reef structures, but more so at the surface near the sun (which is true for all places). The think that is great about this site, though, is how close to the surface the reef is. The mass of the reef was really powerful at night, and several times I shined my torch above me to see if there were any little creatures hiding in crevices, and I found myself looking up and to discover I was in a giant crevice myself! Its fun diving at night looking for little hiding things in the walls, and thats when most fish who can change color change to browns and reds for night camo and when corals and other stationary things pop out of their "houses" to feed on small creatures (plankton) roaming around for food themselves. I wish I was still there! The last two dives on the last day were at Split Bommie, which provided lots of area to discover creatures. Overall, the diving was amazing and so was the trip.
Here are some links to photos: Rainforest, Beach and River, Kuranda Railway, Great Barrier Reef, Snapper Island.
Day 1, Cairns, a busy and very touristy city. I was shocked at how humid the climate is when I got off the plane, coming from arid Perth. We stayed in Cairns (waiting from Shawn's luggage) for a day before renting a car and driving North to Cape Tribulation. Yes, I drove a car on the left side of the road. It was a bit strange, but after riding my bike around Perth for the last months, it was easy to remember to stay on to the left - though there are signs every once in a while to remind you of that. Roundabouts were a bit more unnerving, and I had to practice to get shifting down - though thankfully it is how I am used to the stick shift being - first gear up and to the left, etc. The only thing I kept forgetting is the directional, which was no longer on the left, and I kept turning on the windshield wipers instead!
At Cape Tribulation, we stayed at Crocodylus, an awesome youth hostel built in the rain forest with wooden guest cabins with toilets/showers and a main open air building with a sitting area, dial-up internet (yikes!), a bar, a kitchen for guests to use for cooking their own meals, or a restaurant where you could get any of the three squares from a really tasty, daily changing menu. We signed up for a rainforest night walk, where our guide showed us tons of plants, insects, and spiders, and a few birds. After 3 hours in the forest we were tired, and a bit disappointed that we didn't see any lizards or mammals in the trees.
About Cape Tribulation and the surrounding area - they are not on the power grid. After you cross the Daintree River - by ferry only - all locals and businesses have to produce their own power. Most use diesel generators, but some use renewables, like the Daintree Ice Cream Company, who use solar energy during business hours as a way to increase the pleasure of the ice cream experience (i.e., to reduce irritating noise).
Day 3, we took a kayak trek to Snapper Island with our guide, Dennis - who was just super. He was shoe-less the whole time and totally laid back and relaxed. We were the only two people on the tour, which was at first a bit strange, but he was friendly and we soon were at ease. He set us out in the two person open sit-on-top kayak from Cow Bay and we paddled down the coast towards the island, which is just 2 km out from the mouth of the Daintree River at Cape Kimberly. We stopped off at Shipwreck Bay to snorkel, but the surge had kicked up the sand and visibility was poor. After we got to Snapper island, we helped Dennis unload the boat (he was in a power boat with the gear) and he sent us out for a snorkel on the fringing reef along the north side of the island. It was amazing. Giant clams, fishes, lots of coral, warm waters, and I could go on forever. All through the area there are reefs that fringe the shore (therefore called fringing reefs) in shallow water. We of course wore our stings suits to protect us from box, irakanji, and other stinging jellyfish. During the trip, we ate great meals and snacks prepared by Dennis, snorkeled for hours, kayaked around the island looking for reef sharks in shallow mangrove nurseries, turtles playing in the waves, eagles, and admiring the rocky cliffs and forest. It was great. We camped for the night and watched the sunset and stars and moon and ships sailing in the distance. It was quiet, except for Mr. Man hunting down cane toads in the forest to take pictures of at night. We did see some blue bottles (man of war jellies), but luckily they were not in the area we were snorkeling. I did see a small jelly on my last snorkel, but immediately swam away and hopped onto the kayak Mr. Man was piloting around. Turns out it was a harmless type, but better to be safe than stung.
Day 5, the Daintree Discovery Center, where we learned about the rain forest some more and took a very touristy walk-through. We then headed onto Port Douglas for some relaxing time at the beach - though there was not much swimming because of stinger season. We stayed in apartment type accommodations which are quite popular and reasonably priced. We got food for lunch and breakfast and ate dinner out, which was a nice budgetary compromise. On Day 6, we took a ride on the beach with our rented bikes and looked around the town, and then got on the Lady Douglas for a crocodile river tour. We were anxious to see one of the cold blooded beasts we were being so warned about. Under no circumstances are you to swim in rivers near the ocean in estuary environments due to the threat of being eaten. Crocodiles have even been spotted several miles out to sea on small islands (Snapper Island even!), so beware. It is not IF you get eaten, it WHEN you get eaten. It was a nice afternoon cruise and we did spot two crocs, a sea eagle, and a kite.
Day 7, we went to Mossman Gorge for a look around, but ended up staying most of the day into the afternoon. There is a cool, clear river going through the rocky gorge that is for swimming and a short rain forest trek for tourist-types and a longer more rugged trek that is more like regular hiking. We did all of these things (thank goodness we packed a lunch!), and it was so fun. The forest was so humid! As soon as we got into the trees, our clothes were soaked and we had not really started sweating from hiking. After the morning hiking, we ate lunch and then swam in the river. Mr. Man got out his snorkel and mask and underwater camera and hit the rocks looking for fishes. He even spotted an eel. There were tons of people there, but plenty of room for everyone. It reminded me a lot of Bash Bish Falls in MA, USA, and that made me feel really homesick, but at the same time it was comforting.
Day 8, we were back in Cairns and took a skyrail and train tour to Kuranda, a touristy, hippy town in the mountains where there are some wildlife "parks" It was the most touristy thing we did, but it was really fun taking the skyrail. We rode up over the tops of the trees from the sea level coast to Kuranda, with stops at Red Peak and Barrow's Falls. We got off the gondola at both of these places and they had little walks in the forest talking about the history of the area. Barrows falls was the coolest view and had really great history, as it used for hydroelectric power. After a short stay in Kuranda (including lunch and visiting a small "zoo" for Aussie animals, snakes, and lizards), we returned to Cairns on the Scenic Railway.
Day 9, Christmas Day, we spent hanging out at a cafe on the Esplanade reading books and chatting, waiting to get on the dive boat at 4:30pm. We of course called home, which was Christmas eve, my favorite, and I got to talk with a lot of family and friends. We got on the boat, got geared up and assigned rooms, and got the safety briefing. Oh, and rule no. 1 enacted the foot freedom act - no shoes were to be warn on the boat due to it being vacation and because the crew thought it was safer. There were 27 other divers on board, along with 10 crew. The trip was 10 dives over 3 nights and 3 days.
The first night, we sailed to north of Cooktown and our first dive was the next morning (Day 10) at Challenger Bay. Following that was two dives (before and after lunch) at Cod hole, the second of which was the cod feed by one of the dive masters so we could get a look at those large, loping, bumblebees of the sea. It seems contrary to nature that those huge fish are not bottom dwellers! Our night dive was a Pixies Reef, and that was really fun. At the end of the dive, there were large trevally (aka jacks) at the surface slurping up heaps of very small schooling fish attracted to the spot lights at the back of the boat. It was a bit unnerving coming to the surface, as those small fish were running into my legs and arms. I was wearing a 3 mm shorty wetsuit (kind of like shorts and a t-shirt) and there were lots of other small stinging things in the water and some menacing looking flat worms undulating around. Kind of creepy.
Day 11 we dove at Steve's Bommie twice, which was my absolute favorite. This little reef structure is in the middle of no where (well, relatively) and is kind of a rest stop for sea life. There were tons of fish schooling and it was a nursery for small fishes. There was so much to see and I could have spent a week there alone! I was amazed at the abundance of coral and fish diversity and how beautiful everything is. It was one of the most fantastic experiences of my life. After that, we moved to Two & Two Thirds, (between the second and third ribbon reef, how clever), which was also great diving. Our night dive was at Beer Garden, which was now quite close to civilization onshore. Our dive master told us to expect lesser quality reef, as runoff from agriculture and humans in general led to changes in the sea water quality, etc. Prior to this site, the sites we visited were amazing at all depths (I went as deep as 27 m) but here, there was a lot more algae and dead coral at depth. There was still tons of life on reef structures, but more so at the surface near the sun (which is true for all places). The think that is great about this site, though, is how close to the surface the reef is. The mass of the reef was really powerful at night, and several times I shined my torch above me to see if there were any little creatures hiding in crevices, and I found myself looking up and to discover I was in a giant crevice myself! Its fun diving at night looking for little hiding things in the walls, and thats when most fish who can change color change to browns and reds for night camo and when corals and other stationary things pop out of their "houses" to feed on small creatures (plankton) roaming around for food themselves. I wish I was still there! The last two dives on the last day were at Split Bommie, which provided lots of area to discover creatures. Overall, the diving was amazing and so was the trip.
Here are some links to photos: Rainforest, Beach and River, Kuranda Railway, Great Barrier Reef, Snapper Island.
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