Cairns

Midway through our week, we stayed put and had a relaxing day of leisurely bike riding, walking along the beach and lots of balcony sitting.

The next day we were rested enough for a trip to Fitzroy Island where we took a long hike and enjoyed the coral beaches. Jim swam and tried stand up paddling-more like kneel paddling.. We had heard this was where the locals go, and thought it would be less hectic than some of the touristy islands, and indeed, it was relaxing.

 

The Coral Beach

This is Nudey Beach, but you need to take your togs!

After a late start on our last day, we were off to Daintree Rainforest. We prefer exploring on our own to the commercial tours, but that is not as easy in Australia as it is in New Zealand. However, we did manage to find our way to the Rainforest and the National Park. We took the ferry across the Daintree River and drove through the forest hoping we would spot a cassowary, but unfortunately we only saw the signs. I did, however catch sight of the “electric and iridescent” Ulysses butterfly. Absolutely stunning!

Ferrying across the Daintree River

I saw the butterfly for only a second, and took this pic from the web.

Serious speed bumps, but they have slowed the cars and saved cassowaries.

                                      

Thankfully, it was not the season for crocs, but we were careful regardless.

The meeting of Daintree Rainforest and the Great Barrier Reef at Cape Tribulation

The Great Barrier Reef

Our second day was a real adventure out to Agincourt reef in the Coral Sea. I had unknowingly signed us up for the more adventurous snorkeling experience, and Jim was thrilled! I was more than a little nervous as I attempted my first ever snorkeling out in the middle of the Coral Sea on a platform anchored to a coral reef-with no land in sight! It wasn’t easy, and we both struggled in the cold, choppy water, me more than Jim, but oh, it was so worth it to see the beautiful fish and coral! Forty-five minutes in the water was a long time, and even with a lycra suit for the possible stingers (jellyfish) and a wet suit for warmth, I was pretty happy to get back in my jeans and jersey(a jersey is a hoodie or for the very old of us, a sweatshirt jacket).  

The platform was the size of a large building

All set for the adventure!

Pretty choppy for snorkeling

Jim rented an underwater camera and took great photos!

That's me! I was such a good sport!

Cairns

Our week in Cairns (pronounced cans) was just what we needed in the middle of this dark, rainy and cold winter. Although we would have preferred to be hot, we were grateful for the 23C-25C (73F-77F) temperatures during the day.

We had the million dollar view in our upgraded apartment in Trinity Beach, north of Cairns. We spent many hours sitting on our balcony watching the sunrises and sunsets and listening to and watching the waves. Truly a relaxing time. 

 

We did manage to leave the balcony for a few of the sights around Cairns. A scenic train ride (originally for gold mining) up to the rainforest village of Kuranda, the traditional home of the Ngunbay,  and then the pleasant gondola ride back. We saw koalas, wallabies, kangaroos, wombats, and all kinds of tropical birds. It wasn’t exactly “in the wild”, but we were more than satisfied with our experience.

Ah...  Who could resist?

Feeding the wallaby

Green Tree Frog

Wombat

Cassowary:-1.6-1.8 meters to the top of its head and about 60 kg
(4.9-5.9 ft and 132 lb)

The beautiful Kauri Pine. We missed the 2000 year old kauri in New Zealand and had to settle for this 400 year old tree in Australia

Autumn in New Zealand

Why am I writing about autumn after I wrote about winter? Even in the southern hemisphere autumn comes before winter. Well, we had spectacular autumn weather this year and it was just too nice to be inside writing or looking at pictures! The lovely warm and sunny days were particularly welcome after our cool and rainy non-summer and I didn't want to miss any of it. 

I found it easier and perhaps therapeutic to write about how much I dislike the winter in New Zealand.

Here are a few autumn pictures, mostly from Palmerston North, and a couple from Queenstown.

 





There are always flowers in bloom!

Winter in New Zealand

While a New Zealand winter would be laughable in the Midwest, Jim and I, as 25 year-Texans, find it challenging. Winter is officially June, July and August, and, in fact, none of the seasons are based on the solstice. We are almost through with winter, although not using the solstice messes with my senses, as do so many things in the Southern Hemisphere. So far the coldest morning was -3.9C (25F) on June 17, and that is about as cold as it gets. We had our lowest high of 8.9C (48F) and our highest high of 16.9C (62F). So, no, winter is not too bad. 

But then there is the inside. Most homes are not insulated and have single glazed windows, and, of course, storm windows are an unknown concept. Houses built after 1978 were required to be fully insulated, but that leaves a lot of buildings uninsulated, with single glazed windows and cold. Very few homes have central heat, and many (40% in Palmerston North) heat with wood. People tend to heat the “living areas” and the rest of the house is cold. Most people do not have clothes dryers, and in winter use indoor drying racks adding more dampness to the already damp houses. Gas and electricity are expensive, so people and houses are cold. 

Our 1930 house is uninsulated, has single glazed windows, and is leaky and cold. We have central heating, so it is easier for us to keep the house somewhat uniformly heated, and we supplement with space heaters. Because central heating is so rare, there are no duct cleaning services or filters for sale. Dirty, dusty air and allergies are the result. Jim ordered some filter material and made a filter for the cold air return and the heating vent in our bedroom. With the modifications and an increase in allergy medicine, we manage. I also wear several layers of soft, warm merino wool, from my neck to my toes. 

Another outside winter issue is the smoke in the air from the all the wood burning heaters and fireplaces. New Zealand has a very high rate of asthma-I have read 20% to 25% of children, and the cold, damp houses and breathing smoke from the fires doesn’t help. I don’t have asthma, but my throat, eyes and nose are often bothered by the smoke. With our leaky kitchen, we frequently smell the smoke in our house, and don’t like to go out for walks at night with all the smoke in the air. 

But the flowers never stop blooming! Camellias have been blooming all winter. The calla lilies and forget-me-nots in our yard started to bloom by July 1st, and the lilac bush on our block has been budding for a couple of months, but seems to be slow to bloom. And now the magnolias and rhododendrons! Of course, we couldn’t have all these beautiful flowers and gardens without a lot of rain! 

 

 

A portable ice rink was is "The Square" for a month, drawing a big crowd of skaters everyday.