CANADA CALLING:AS TIME GOES BY; A/D SPEAKS
 

As Time goes By: Voice From the Past

When last heard from, John and I had escaped our cages at the flying fox research station and were about to begin our tour of mangrove swamp boardwalks on our way back to the Daintree River crossing. We enjoyed all the boardwalks and a chance to get up close and personal with the mangroves. I personally wish all my hiking could be on boardwalks; they are so nice and dry despite the local weather system amongst the mangroves ( Neil: tra e la, eh?). We tried to do a Cooper River Cruise, but never did spy the right turn off.

Back in the not so far north of Port Douglas we cast our lodging fate to the local tourist office and were soon comfortably lodged at a small B&B. In town we checked out the beach for some only in Australia netted swimming, but with free sun screen from the life guard crew. Generous to a fault these Aussies. A locked room mystery awaited our return to the B&B. Whilke ( a canadian cross between yikes and while) we were out despite locked doors some animal had gotten into our room, died, left behind its guts and removed its corpse all without benefit of the room key. The perplexed inn keepers could offer no explanation, but did upgrade us to a luxurious suite. Folks in Port Doug were friendly and generous. The local pharmacist personally bandaged my aching knee ( remember that fall off the cannon at the mouth of Sydney Harbour) and a walk in massage lasted an hour and half for the one hour price whilkle our dinner waiter comped us thai beers.

After another hike at beautiful Mossman Gorge and lunch in lovely Palm Cove we returned to the welcoming arms of Pat Mike and the poodles at Lilybank. : Unfortunately bad news awaited us; a message from Greg at daintree Air informing us that our flight out to Lizard Island would probably be off the next day due to lingering wet. In Greg’s hmo, advertising the end of the wet at the beginning of May was often not accurate and he felt the tourist offices would be more accurate to say beginning of June to avoid despearate house wives , er tourists. Do any of you local meterologists care to chime in w/ a forecast?

We spent the next day with Bennett Walker ( a connection made through John’s non profit work) near Mossman. Bennett is an aboriginal fellow who was raised in a closed reserve and became one of the first aboriginal park rangers. He is actively involved with his bands welfare and land issues near Mossman. He had some pretty amazing yarns to share with us about his family’s experiences in the early to mid 20th century. A grandmother was saved from a Rabbitproof fence experienceby being hidden in a basket. Bennet is running among other things a car repair training program for local youth and is quite an amazing fellow. We were invited to lunch and met other familiy members. Bennets’s sons run a touring business with insights to local aborinal culture. Within the last century his family has evolved from pure bred aboriginal to some dirty blonds. An intriguing, generous and stimulating group of folks


We were met that evening for dinner by an American friend who had recently married a Cairns lad. Unfortunately Phoebe’s fabulous garden room was closed . The altenative was the Red Earth (?) downtown where we had way too much lucious food on combo seafood platters including the “bugs”, crocodile, prawns, mussels, barramundi, etc washed down by copious amounts beer. As we left the restaurant the skys opened with the most glorious downpour and we swam back to the car. Regretably the marriage of 2 hemispheres did not last and I think Stella was back in Santa Fe before we boarded our return flight from Sydney a few weeks later.

Our next chore was to return our one way rental from Airlie Beach to a parking meter in downtown Cairns. A call to the local contact of the rental office was mystifying: they had never heard of us and our car; weren’t expecting us and could care less if we brought it back. Since we had rented it with fake ID s we thought of gifting it to new friends at Lilybank who were heading of to some nameless unmettalled track. But decided honesty was the best policy if we ever wanted to return to the antipodean shores

Our fall back to our cancelled Lizard Island junket hastily arranged by Pat was the Skyrail and train combo up to Katoomba. This was rather underwhelming and I think a day at the Lilybank pool and poodle club would be my choice in the future. Time came to bid our wonderful hosts goodbye. This is the place to stay in Cairns and I don’t care what other picky reviewers have to say.

Next Up: “Kakadu Or Don’t; assaying the opinions of ozzies and harriets whove never been including john_j’s whose arrival in Oakland and Santa Fe in April we anxiously await”
(PS he’ll be posting reviews of our accomodations soon after no doubt (senza dubbio, eh Neil)

Aha! He does exist! Still!

Good to see you!

Dear Margo. I've been up in Victoria BC since the
beginning of November enjoying another super
natural place. I figured it was time to get off my sorry butt and finish my trip report before I forget everything that really happened and have to make the whole thing up.

How have you been ?

cheers

AndrewDavid

I skipped this post yesterday, thinking from the title it was some weird spammer... :">

Thanks for posting another trip installment, A/D!

Lee Ann

Dear Lee Ann,

Do you think I should resubmit with a new title? How are things in NM. I hear you are in drought conditions. I'll be back in Santa Fe Mar 1-7

Andrew

Andrew, the weather is sunny and beautiful (temps in the low 60s), but it is *so* dry! There have already been a few brush fires near Albuquerque.

Lee Ann

Lee Ann, We're have a relatively dry winter here, but nothing approaching poor NM. We included a catchment system in our new house for roof water and I imagine its probably empty. I modeled it on the system I saw on john_j's cabin on Scotland Island outside of Sydney, but its common throughout the dry parts of Australia: Large above ground steell culvert jammed into concrete. Ours have hose bibs as they are for garden use.

cheers,

A/D

Just thought that I would let you know AD that Pat and Mike of Lilybank B&B Cairns , who have just spent a few great days with me this week, are on their way home to Cairns as I write and there is a cute little cyclone lurking off the coast expecting to get into a Cat 2 today so we did have a little giggle about your interesting stay at the Tully pub ( hope I am right about this) whilst the water went down enough to cross. I was conjuring up thoughts of Pat and Mike sitting in their car, which is equiped with GPS so they don't get lost on the one long road home, waiting for the next food drop - probably somewhere near the Tully Pub area I should think.
They were tickled pink that you still remembered them, and the Poodles, and no doubt Pat is itching to write her own trip report of her recent holiday to Byron Bay, Gold Coast area and the Hinterland, Sunshine Coast hinterland and the trip up the coast. At least it will be an up to date report for everyone.
Trop - she mentioned that she did think of you as she went past the turn off to Hervey Bay too.
Hope you are enjoying your "sea-change" up there on the Canadian west coast. Liz and in their absence, Mike and Pat

Liz, Are Pat and Mike kidding how could I forget any of you who were so helpful and entertaining while we were planning our Ozerscursion. Besides I still spend a significant portion of my time either referring folks to Lilybank or fighting people who criticsize it.

We were stuck where Pat and Mike could be if they are coming from you on the South side of the crossing at the Euramo Hotel, w/ fabulous Kath Nolan as the proprietor.

cheers

Andrew

PS The only seachange I don't enjoy is when the Sraits are so rough the ferry doesn't sail and I miss a flight on the Mainland!

I hope that if the cyclone gets a bit tough that they will be home by then anyway but it does depend on the amt of rain they get.
You must be on Van. Island are you, or one of the others? Nice spot even if a little too cold for people like me. "tis a problem in rough weather I am sure but what the hec life's like that anyway.

liz victoria on vancouver is where the temp peaked today at 9 celsius! sunny and cool did not prevent post people and many others to be out in short pants!

cheers Andrew

A Canberran would feel quite at home with that - but I fancy it's damper than what we're used to.

Looks as tho'Pat and Mike will make it home without getting their feet too wet as the cyclone has turned into a tropical low now. So they will live to serve another load of happy tourists starting Sunday.
9 deg eh, well it is winter AD and that sure is better than my old town of Edmonton which must be at least -20 right now.

Dear Liz, I heard that..., eh . I didn' realize you had lived up top here. Glad Mike and Pat missed the cyclone. One of our scariest experiences down under was being put in the cyclone room at the Darwin museum and being forced to listen to tapes of the big one.

ciao Neil, yes wetter than Canberra, but drier tahn the Tully River Crossing, eh.

You got the real Canuck talk down pat A/D eh! Betcha didn't think it would overtake that quickly, eh.
We still used to ice-skate on the frozen lake at - 30, eh, but thought that when it got down to - 56 that that was about time to move eh! The North Pole was only - 50 at the same time, eh. Started to wonder what kind of idiot was I trying to survive in cold like that, eh! Used to dream about being able to wear the same clothes that I had on inside to go outside, when it became an obsession it was time to move eh!

Folks, thanks so much for your concern! This particular cyclone did turn out to be a bit of a fizzer but it has made coastal weather conditions somewhat tricky. We've just done a 4000km return trip by road from Cairns to Byron Bay and main the highlight was staying with LizF in her lovely home at Mt Tamborine in southern Queensland. Stunning part of

Queensland, something like 9 National Parks in area, and many thanks to Geoff, Liz's husband for taking Mike (my husband) on a motorbike ride throught some of the best bits.

Dear Liz, well given your aversion to Canada's mild winter climate its a good thing you ended up down under, eh. We had a cold snap the other day and woke up to a hard frost . I had to hose down my car to get the door locks unfrozen . Almost missed my ferry to the mainland!

Pat , Glad to hear you are home safely. Did you get to visit the Euramo Hotel on your way coming or going? When can we see photos of Mike on the motor bike?

cheers AndrewDavid

Does anyone know what Alan is up to?

A/D, your Canadaspeak practice should make you feel more comfortable next time you're in North Queensland. Eh.

Well A/D Pat did take a photo of Mike on the bike. Geoff didn't take Mike on his bike tho'they each had one and like a true biker Mike was fine by the time they got down to the entrance to our property.
I had an email in reply to mine from Alan a couple of weeks ago and for some reason he didn't "sound" all that good I thought. Anyway as I intend to be down his way in less than 2 weeks I hope to meet up with him again and see what is going on.
Hope you are back in action at the B&B Pat and Mike. For anyone reading this post Pat owns Lilybank B&B in Cairns and if you want and interesting stay, and the most helpful suggestions on where to go and with whom then Pat is your gal. As I have said before, don't expect the Hilton but expect genuine hospitality and a wonderfully casual and relaxing stay at their B&B. If nothing else the North Queenslanders know just how to relax and have a good time.

Double that recco for the Lilybank. It was one of the highlights of our 5 weeks down under. Right up there with the Tully River Crossing.

Liz, please send my best to Alan if you see him

cheers A/D

So glad Pat and Mike are back safely.

I'm taking the delinquent aunt to terrorize them later in the year! They'll need all that relaxation then!

AD - what the hell are you doing in Canuckistan - have I missed something again???

Margo, I'm learning to be a pilot w/ BC Ferries and building a house in Victoria. You really have to pay attention to my press releases.
cheers
Andrew

Why do you have to fly a plane over the ferries A/D and do you do it at the same time as building the house or is that seperate?

Liz, Everyone knows women are the best mult taskers. I poor male have to do all this sequentially

A/D

Just to let all know that Alan is alive and well and trying to work out a way of getting a computer that works!

if we can send educational tools to Alan's friends in India, can't we start an appeal to get Alan a computer that works as his info is so useful to us all?

The Victoria Public Library has about 3 dozen for public use , One of the things we love about Canada, eh.

cheers
andrewdavid