Our last big adventure here in Aussie was heading out on a tall ship for two days and two nights in the Whitsunday Islands, Great Barrier Reef.

We sailed around the islands, stopping only to snorkle and explore the 98% silica sand beaches.

We swam, sunned and snorkled ourselves silly- soaking it all in as our time in Aussie was drawing to an end.

Done with deadly

We cracked.
After over a month of convincing ourselves that we could find our own darn kangaroos, wombats and crocodiles, we finally dug deep and paid to go to an Australian animal sanctuary.
It was actually worth it.
Not only did Kath and I almost get a kangaroo to bite Rob in the butt, but Kath finally got to pet a koala (something we had been hearing about since Day 1).
We also learned a fair bit about the Aussie animals from the rangers in the park. Did you know that a crocodile's sex is determined by the temperature it is exposed to in the egg?

There were koalas, kangaroo, emus, crocs, wombats, and more. There were also snakes....

I watched from as far back as possible (with feet up on the bench) as the ranger pulled snake after snake out of oversized pillowcases.
I listened as she told us all about the different snakes, how to tell which ones were venemous and which ones weren't. Which ones could kill 100 humans with one strike, and which ones could only kill a small child. I noted that most venemous snakes have skinny heads, not boxy heads and that you shouldn't try to play with snakes in the wild like she was playing with them in the park. I also noted that snakes don't like to be surprised, taunted or stepped on...among other things.

After the crocodile feeding session, and a serious hand washing session, we hit the road. satisfied with our Aussie animal encounters.

The next day, we drove into the rainforest outside of Cairns to find a waterfall that cascaded into a fresh water swimming hole. It was H-O-T and muggy and we were all feeling a little groggy. A cool dip was in order.

We got into our bathers and headed down to the rocks. I stopped to read a sign about the Aboriginal history of the area...apparently, this was the place that the Aboriginal people believe their 'creator' brought all of the SNAKES!!! Perfect...my kind of place. At least those snakes have had a few million trillion years to move on and find new homes...or so I thought.
We continued walking down the dirt path. It was then that things started to move in slow motion. I felt Rob's arm swing out in front of me. I looked down and saw a big patterned stick crossing the path...hmmmm....a big patterned stick...snake? stick? snake? SNAKE!!!
My yells made Kath, who was walking in front of us, shorten her gait mid-stride, bringing her foot down less than a foot from the stick/snake.

By this time, I was 3 meters back down the trail in the direction we had come. Kath and Rob were close behind. The snake, all six or seven feet of it, the diameter of a cob or corn, lay unmoving, aside from its little tongue.

Kath ALMOST stepped ON the snake. I thanked the snake gods that the snake was just about as groggy as the three of us or Kath would have been snake food.

One very important thing that I think the ranger could have touched on when talking about snake safety, was where to walk in the bush...from personal experience I have decided that is is safest to walk second in line.

Here I am petting the joey...no snakes or crocs for me thanks!

Sand, sand, and more sand

When we went to Farewell Spit in New Zealand (the massive sand dunes stretching out into the ocean at the very northern tip of the South Island) I was blown away by the sand. I thought I wouldn't see that much sand again until I traveled to the Sahara Desert. However, that was just a warm up for the amount of sand that Australia has on it's East Coast alone.
Last week we went to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world.

We joined a group of 6 other backpackers and rented a 4x4 vehicle with all the gear we would need for 3 days on the island. Unfortunately, Howard had to be left on the mainland, 4x4's are the only way to get around the island as there are only sand road and beaches to drive on. As promised, there was A LOT of sand on Fraser Island. There were beautiful beaches and crystal clear dune lakes and streams.

The company we rented our 4x4 from called the self-drive trip an Authentic Aussie Camping Experience. I think that referred to the camping equipment they gave us, as I have never seen anything like it.
The tents were super simple to put up- one pole in the middle, tee pee style. However, they didn't fully close. The doors simply flapped over the entrance leaving and opening at the bottom.
Now, as you well know by now, I like to be organized and prepared. So it should come as no surprise that I have read every section of the guide book on Australia's Dangerous, Poisonous and Deadly Creatures. Australia has more deadly things...spiders, snakes, insects, etc. than any where else...and Aussie are quick to remind you that many of these creepy crawlies pack lethal punches. Not to mention the dingos on Fraser Island...the purest, wildest strand on earth.

So when the same Aussies turned around and sent us into the bush with a tent that doesn't close, I started to question whether they really want the tourists to return from these 'Authentic Aussie Camping Experiences'. However, I ignored my suspicions and went with the old saying...when in Australia, do like the Aussies.
Below is an email I sent home upon returning from Fraser Island....my "Authentic Aussie Camping Experience".


So last night, at about 2am I woke up screaming in our tent...something had just stung me in the neck. I started freaking out.
Rob woke up and instantly turned a light on...I was freaking out trying to feel if my airway was closing...I was sure that I had only 8 minutes to live and we were on a sand island with no help for hours...
"Relax, relax, relax" Rob kept saying...and I kept thinking I have to listen to him...I read that it is super important to keep calm if you get bitten by poisonous things so you don't send the bad stuff pumping through your body.
But then I felt something string my leg inside my sleeping bag.
By now Kath was awake and I was frantically trying to get OUT of my sleeping bag.
"It stung my neck" I kept yelling "It's stinging my leg"...2 minutes left of life now I am sure....
Then I see it...down near the bottom of my sleeping bag...A CRAB!!! A freakin' crab!

So I am still alive, I have a crab bite mark on my jugular vein, but otherwise I survived unscathed... and Kath and Rob think it's the funniest thing ever that i freaked out so much over a crab...but Rob admits that it was a rather large crab to have on ones neck...

Okay, so maybe I was little paranoid from all the reading material. Regardless, I am looking forward to getting back to my own, North American tent, where the doors FULLY CLOSE and the only things we have to worry about are big mammals like bears and cougars.

Family Reunion

I am officially a blogging delinquent. Once again, my apologies for the delay between entries.
My last blogs were written in Brisbane where we stayed with Rob's sister Jessie and her partner Matt for a few days. They are living Down Under for the year so it was great to see them, catch up and spend some time. We hit the beach for a day, checked out downtown Brisbane, made some delicious meals and even caught a rugby league game.




As you can see by the photo, we made ourselves right at home...Rob, Kath, Jessie, Matt and I all sleeping in one room...one big, happy family!


We're already looking forward to seeing them at Christmas.