Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Missions Beach pictures
Our home away from home in Mission beach (thanks Mary). We stayed in the bottom floor.
Colton and Miranda swam in the cool pool on a hot afternoon
Cooking supper
I really wish we liked Pau pau (papya)
We went for a drive to see a very nice waterfall.
A daddy casawarie and his 2 chicks. The male birds raise the young.
Rats and buses
We stepped off the plane in Darwin to hot, humid rainy weather. It had just finished a hard rain right before we landed and we were lucky enough to get to our new home away from home without getting wet. We hired a taxi to our new home(Allen's house) and were welcomed by Peter the next door neighbour. He knew we were to arrive around 3 pm so he was there with our new dog for 2 days Spike. Spike is an old dog with some health problems (exposed tumor) and we need to give him 2 doses of meds every day to bring the tumor down and to relieve his pain, poor guy. Colton and Miranda are a bit grossed out as there is a huge open tumor on his leg and it does look kinda gross.
We needed some groceries. Colton and Miranda did not want to leave the house. So Dean and I asked the neighbour, Peter, how to get to a grocery store to buy food for supper. We had top take a bus. So he told us where to go and off we went.
We didn't have to walk very far to catch the bus. It was only one street over. As we waited we noticed all the dead things on the street. There were a few dead cane frogs, dead monster bugs and oh, there was a dead squashed rat. Lovely. Oh well, there comes the bus and off we went. It was a short bus ride to the Coles grocery. The bus driver was so helpful. Showing us where to get off for the store, where to get back on later and what time the next bus came.
So off we went to get groceries for the next few days. After our shopping spree we headed back to the place where we were told to get back on the bus. Bus number 3 pulled up 20 min.s later and we then realized we didn't really know the street we were to get off on. Because the bus runs in a loop. We would not recognize the route because we would have not been on this part of the route. Hmmm well, we would just have to keep our eyes peeled for the stop that looked like ours. As we pulled up to each bus stop I would say, does this look familiar? No, Dean would say. Our stop had mesh around it. Oh ya. Then we both remembered. the dead squashed rat. That should be unique about our stop.
As we pulled into the stop, we both looked at the alley we walked through, the mesh around the bus stop and yes, there was the dead rat. We're here! We made it.
Tomorrow we want to find some big wild crocs!!
We needed some groceries. Colton and Miranda did not want to leave the house. So Dean and I asked the neighbour, Peter, how to get to a grocery store to buy food for supper. We had top take a bus. So he told us where to go and off we went.
We didn't have to walk very far to catch the bus. It was only one street over. As we waited we noticed all the dead things on the street. There were a few dead cane frogs, dead monster bugs and oh, there was a dead squashed rat. Lovely. Oh well, there comes the bus and off we went. It was a short bus ride to the Coles grocery. The bus driver was so helpful. Showing us where to get off for the store, where to get back on later and what time the next bus came.
So off we went to get groceries for the next few days. After our shopping spree we headed back to the place where we were told to get back on the bus. Bus number 3 pulled up 20 min.s later and we then realized we didn't really know the street we were to get off on. Because the bus runs in a loop. We would not recognize the route because we would have not been on this part of the route. Hmmm well, we would just have to keep our eyes peeled for the stop that looked like ours. As we pulled up to each bus stop I would say, does this look familiar? No, Dean would say. Our stop had mesh around it. Oh ya. Then we both remembered. the dead squashed rat. That should be unique about our stop.
As we pulled into the stop, we both looked at the alley we walked through, the mesh around the bus stop and yes, there was the dead rat. We're here! We made it.
Tomorrow we want to find some big wild crocs!!
Monday, May 17, 2010
off to Northern Australia
Today we leave this amazing city for the north. Cairns is a city that only takes 20 min. to drivwe across. It is small, quiet and just lovely to be in. We didn't spend too much time here as we were in Mission beach for most of our week. But from our short time driving around, we would definatly come back some time.
We have been staying at a CS's home aagain in Cainrs. His name is Steve. We havn't met Steve yet though because he is in Sydney. Steve was nice enough to let us crash at his house anyway and it has been so comfortable here. He got home late last night after we were all ni bed and so we will meet him this morning. Another CS who has been staying here let us in and showed us around. Very cool.
So ya, today we will be flying to Darwin. We are also CS in Darwin and Allan (host) will also not be home. He is out camping for the week. So we will pick up his keys from the neibour and dog sit his old dog while we are there. What a guy.
We fly to Singapore on Thursday. So only 2 short days to see Darwin and we hope to get a look at the huge crocs in the area. From Singapore we are not 100% sure yet. We think we will take an overnight train North through Malaysia to an island to hang out for a week or so before heading again further North into Vietnam and Cambodia. Any suggestions???
We have been staying at a CS's home aagain in Cainrs. His name is Steve. We havn't met Steve yet though because he is in Sydney. Steve was nice enough to let us crash at his house anyway and it has been so comfortable here. He got home late last night after we were all ni bed and so we will meet him this morning. Another CS who has been staying here let us in and showed us around. Very cool.
So ya, today we will be flying to Darwin. We are also CS in Darwin and Allan (host) will also not be home. He is out camping for the week. So we will pick up his keys from the neibour and dog sit his old dog while we are there. What a guy.
We fly to Singapore on Thursday. So only 2 short days to see Darwin and we hope to get a look at the huge crocs in the area. From Singapore we are not 100% sure yet. We think we will take an overnight train North through Malaysia to an island to hang out for a week or so before heading again further North into Vietnam and Cambodia. Any suggestions???
Great Barrier Reef
We went to the Great Barrier Reef today. It was an amazing trip where we saw many many different sea life and coral. We went with a tour company called Passion out of Cairns. They are a great company that put on a great food spread and really takes care of everyone really well. We had a great time.
We first went to a small (tiny) island. This island is a bird sanctuary. We snorkeled from the beach for an hour and a half. We saw so much brightly coloured coral and fish. Similar to the reef at Belize but the coral is bigger here and the fish are more plentiful and also many more large fish here.
The catamaran sailboat has a net in front that we sat in .
After our time at the island we had an amazing lunch of prawns, fruit and hot food. Then we went to a different location where we saw many many fish including green turtles and white tipped reef sharks.
Dunk island and Mary's house
picking coconuts
making a hole to get the coconut juice out to drink
morpho butterfly
Mary's house at Mission beach.Our home away from home.Saturday, May 15, 2010
cairns
We are leaving mission beach today to head back up to Cairns for a few days before leaving for Darwin. We will be in Darwin for 2 days and then fly to Singapore. If anyone knows of a good place to stay (on an island) in Malaysia that would be great. We haven't had time to research the best way to go as we are hoping to stay out of Thailand for as long as possible. We would like to fly from Singapore North and then from there possibly head the Cambodia/ Vietnam and hopefully by then the unrest will be over in Bangkok.
Will try to blog more once we are in Cairns.
Will try to blog more once we are in Cairns.
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