The Sunlander Train -- A Wonderful Step Back in Time

We began the final phase of our Northern Queensland famil Tuesday morning when we boarded Queenslander Rail's Sunlander train which travels along Australia's eastern coast between Cairns and Brisbane. The train began service in 1953 – the year of Queen Elizabeth's coronation and Sir Edmund Hillary's scaling of Mt. Everest. We were fortunate enough to be traveling in private compartments in Queenslander Class which is their premium, all/inclusive category. We had our own Maitre 'd, Justin, who was delightful and took very good care of us

We'd only been aboard 30 minutes when Morning Tea was served with steaming hot scones, cream and jelly – oh well, what's 5 more pounds at this stage! With hunger (what's that?) satiated, we returned to our compartments to get unpacked and found gifts (a lovely robe and slippers, a backpack, and a 'pamper pack' complete with toiletries) that Queensland Rail had given us. We all got a good laugh when one of the girls modeled her robe for us. Apparently, the seamstress had omitted two important letters, “CL,” from the word Class on her robe! That set the tone for our 2-day journey.

Soon it was time for lunch. The Queenslander Class has two sleeping cars on the train plus its own lounge and dining car. I had no expectations regarding food on the train but hoped it would be better than airline food – what an understatement! Lunch was a seafood platter consisting of the best oysters I've ever tasted, huge prawns, 'bugs' which are similar to lobster, tuna dumplings and crab claws. It was absolutely incredible and was followed by a hot fruit crumble and ice cream. Oh, and did I forget to mention the sparkling wine? I waddled back to the cabin for nap.

I was awakened about 4pm by Justin announcing that we were arriving in Townsville and could get off the train for about 15 minutes. This was the first time I had noticed how long the train was -- 18 cars!

Back on the train we continued southward with ever- changing landscapes. Initially, we had been in rainforests, but that slowly began to change to banana and sugar plantations. The terrain eventually became drier with low grasses and eucalyptus trees but not to the extent of our drought in Texas.




We continued to pass beautiful rivers and small towns.

Just before sunset we saw spectacular sites. Apparently, Queensland sugar cane farmers still clear their fields by burning them. Fields were ablaze everywhere. And above this amazing scene were formations of birds that kept flying back and forth over the fires.

Dinner was just as amazing as lunch For an appetizer I chose the grilled vegetables with Haloumi cheese. This is an Australian cheese that is always served grilled and is absolutely delicious. I'm hoping Central Market can get it? This was followed by probably one of the best filet mignons I've ever eaten. And, dessert was the crowning glory. I can't remember the name, but it was a dense, dark chocolate tart filled with chocolate sauce and accompanied by macadamia nut ice cream.

While we were at dinner, the cabin stewards transformed our day compartments into very comfortable beds for the night. I left my blinds up, thinking I'd awaken occasionally and check out the scenery. I didn't know anything until 6am. Needless, to say I slept very well.

Wednesday morning began with a leisurely breakfast and time in the lounge car sipping coffee, chatting with the Aussie passengers and enjoying the scenery. There was a stop in Bundaberg known for its rum produced from local sugar cane.

Our second day on the train passed much too quickly and we arrived in Brisbane about 5pm.
David is on the left, Luke and Justin from Queensland Rail on the right in the photo.

I am convinced this is the perfect way to end an Australian vacation After a busy schedule of touring, it was wonderful to have 2 days to just relax and travel in the civilized style of past eras.

Tomorrow I fly back to the US with memories of a wonderful trip and the anticipation of a return to this wonderful Land Down Under  soon.
Linda

Rainforests and Crocodiles

Today's destination was Silky Oaks Lodge in the Daintree Rainforest but on the way we did site inspections at several properties in Palm Cove, a charming little beach community just north of Cairns.. Lunch was hosted by one of the hotels and my fish curry and the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc were delicious.

It was almost 4pm by the time we arrived at Silky Oaks where we were warmly greated by the owner Paul Bremer who apologized for the appearance of the grounds (I thought they looked lovely.) He explained that they had received a heavy rainfall earlier that day which resulted in the Mossman River rising 11 meters.. Fortunately, the waters had subsided by the time we arrived. The landscaping was beautiful and our individual units were designed to complement the surroudings with a big

hammock on each balcony.  Unfortunately, there was no time to enjoy it. Originally from The Netherlands, Paul had been a professional tennis player and had played against many of the great names in the sport. Two years ago he and his wife Barbara bought Silky Oaks and have great plans for the property.

The next morning our itinerary called for a full-day tour of the rainforest, but one agent had a possible Deep Vein Thrombosis and was taken to Cairns for an Ultrasound (fortunately, no DVT); another developed a severe nosebleed just as we were about to leave and was taken to the clinic in nearby Mossman where a physician was able to stop it; and a third had a very nasty rash on both legs which she had acquired after trekking through the farmer's field when our hot air balloon landed. We were dropping like flies, but thus far, “your's truly” has remained intact!

Norm, our guide for today, picked the remaining survivors up, and we headed north to spend the day in the Daintree. Although the Amazon also lays claim to being the oldest rainforest, we were told that researchers have found older trees here in the Daintree. It was certainly the most breathtaking rainforest I'd ever seen. Not only were there gigantic old trees but also beautiful plants. A really interesting tree was the Stranglehold Fig Tree. Apparently, birds deposit Stranglehold seeds onto existing trees. These sprout and send out roots down the defenseless host. Soon the Stranglehold Fig grows over the original one and kills it. This photo is of the base of a Stranglehold Fig Tree after it has completed its grizzly task.

Hiking out of the dense forest we reached one of the beautiful beaches in the Cape Tribulation region (named by Captain Cook after being shipwrecked on the reefs) and had a stroll along the sand. It was about noon and hunger pangs were setting in, but not for long as Norm took us to a lovely setting near the river where we had the option of swimming while a delicious lunch was being grilled.. The water was so pristine we could actually drink it. A swim would have been nice but more adventures awaited so we packed up and headed down the coastline -- the views of Cape Tribulation were breathtaking.

Our final activity for the day was a cruise on the Daintree. Captain Freddie, our guide for the cruise, was very knowledgeable and had that wonderful Aussie humor. He pointed out various birds such as the blue Heron and different species of mangroves, but the real attraction were the crocodiles. He explained that these creatures prefer a much higher percentage of females to males, about 4 males to 25 females, and mentioned one local mom along the river who killed her newborn male. That is definitely taking Tough Love to the extreme! We were again reminded of how dangerous these huge, vicious seawater crocodiles are when he told us about a local 5 yr-old boy who had ventured into these waters and  been devoured  by one nearby just a few years ago.

This evening Northern Queensland Tourism hosted a lovely dinner for us in nearby Port Douglas, one of the more popular beach communities. Tomorrow we return to Cairns and board Queensland Rail's Sunlander Train back to Brisbane.

Up, Up in the Air and Dining with the 'Roos

Another painful morning – 3:15AM wake up call!  But it was for a very good reason. We were going hot air ballooning over the Atherton Tablelands this morning.. 

We flew back yesterday from Lizard Island and are staying in the Shangri-La Hotel on the Marlin Marina.(view is from my balcony).  This is a lovely hotel, but, I must admit, we were all going through withdrawal pangs after leaving Lizard Island.  Our stay was truly paradise.

 

A bus arrived at the hotel promptly at 4:10am and we were off to the departure location at Mareeba, about an hour's drive north of Cairns. Couldn't see much along the route except a very winding road. The sky was pitch black until shortly before we arrived. By then the sun was starting to rise and we found ourselves in a big field with about 6 or 7 giant balloons, all in the process of being 'fired up'  for flight. These '450' balloons are the largest in the Southern Hemisphere, holding 450,000 cu. ft. of air. The balloon itself was 33 meters tall. Our balloon  The Koala,had a basket that held about 25 people.  

My first hot air ballooning experience was in Australia's Yarra Valley several years ago and there were only about 8 or 9 of us in the basket. I actually prefer this smaller balloon, but the scenery below us was fascinating.  There's no other experience to compare with floating gracefully over beautiful landscapes. The pastoral countryside below us had acres and acres of neatly planted rows of mangos, pineapples, lychees, bananas and pumpkins. I never realized when driving past the orchards how perfectly aligned the rows were. This area is apparently one of the best for ballooning as it is protected from strong winds by the surrounding mountains. Unlike other less protected destinations they only have to cancel about 25 flights a year.

Our pilot told us to watch for kangaroos as he slowly descended and sure enough we began to spot them.

As we dropped lower, they would start to run, but I was able to catch a few photos. You will have to trust me that there really is a kangaroo in the picture on the right, but he's there. As soon as we landed, we were put to work gathering and deflating the balloon – not an easy job for such a large one.

Our pilot, a typically funny Aussie, had told us there were 2 things you could count on about ballooning. One, you WILL come down and Two, it may NOT be where you had planned. Sure enough, that was the case for us, and the owner of the farm and his wife had a few choice words for  our pilot while we gathered the balloon!

It was a great experience and well worth the early rising. And good news awaited us in Cairns-- we had a totally unscheduled day until the evening. Unfortunately, the wheel on my large suitcase had broken off yesterday so I was off to the local Meyers (the store that hosted our dinner in Melbourne), to buy a new one.

Australian animals are known to be 'creatures of the night,' and I've sent clients for years to the Cairns Night Zoo to see some of these remarkable creatures in an intimate setting. Now it was my turn.  The evening began with traditional Aussie food such as barbecue followed by pavlova for dessert.  This is meringue with fruit and whipped cream and is as beloved by Australians as Vegemite (a kind of  thick soy sauce that they spread on buttered toast,ugh!). 

With full tummies (when haven't they been on this trip?) we headed outside with flashlights to help us spot these animals.  The koalas were adorable, as usual, but I definitely wouldn't say that about the crocodiles, snakes, toads and lizard.

The kids loved a chance to pet and feed the friendly kangaroos, and so did I!  The evening ended with Billy Tea and Dampers(tea brewed over a fire in a Billy can and yellow cake with honey)  by the campfire. And, lastly, dancing famous Aussie Bush Dances and singing  favorite  Aussie tunes.

It had been a VERY long day but another truly special one!  Tomorrow we head north to the Daintree Rain Forest region and more adventures but internet may be pretty spotty.
Linda

Snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef!

Another morning in Paradise on Lizard Island. This is my view from breakfast – not bad ,eh? After ordering from the menu, I realized the inside cover contained a summary of Lizard Island's history. “In 1770 Captain James Cook first ventured into these uncharted waters seeking an escape from the treacherous coral reefs that filled the crystal clear waters. Lizard Island promised this freedom as well as a welcome source of fresh provisions. Inspiration for the island's name came to the Captain from the observation that...'the only land animals we saw here were Lizards and these seem'd to be pretty plenty which occasioned my naming the island Lizard Island'. The island was used by the Dingaal Aboriginal people as a sacred place to bring their young boys for initiation into adulthood and also a site for important meetings between elders of neighboring tribes.”

After a more substantial breakfast than I probably needed, I headed to the Beach Club.  To save time today I had been fitted for my snorkel gear and wet suit last night and they were ready for my big adventure – snorkeling on the Great Barrier Reef! For those of you who know me, I am not a big water sports person, and there had been several moments earlier this morning when I'd almost decided to forego snorkeling for lounging by the pool. But the thought of passing up the chance of a lifetime gave me the courage to climb on the tendor and cruise out to our snorkel boat which was anchored in the cove.

We boarded our boat, a 51 ft. enclosed Flybridge Cruiser,(in other words, a BIG boat) and motored about 30 minutes to Destination North where we anchored, and I wiggled (with a lot of help) into my wet suit and donned the goggles and snorkel. I realize this is not my most flattering photo, but I decided to secure a last picture in case I didn't return from my awesome adventure.

All fear vanished as soon as I plunged into the crystal clear waters and got my first close-hand view of life on this incredible reef. There were 4 of us in our group plus our guide Scott who kept hold of a bright orange life saver in case one of us(probably me) needed rescuing or just to hold onto when tired. I have snorkeled many times in the Caribbean, Fiji and Tahiti but nothing compared to the site beneath me. The coral was vivid colors from brilliant blue staghorn coral to giant clams lined with turquoise, purple and bright blue. We saw an Eagle Ray, sea cucumbers, huge angel fish, and even Nemo! Everywhere you looked there were huge corals and each were filled with thousands of fish of every variety imaginable. Now I realized why the Great Barrier is one of the great wonders of the world!

Back on board we cruised back to Lizard Island.  These are photos of the island and the reef sharks surrounding our boat.  Some were really huge, but I  couldn't get a photo of them as they swam too fast.  I was assured reef sharks don't like humans!

By noon we had motored back to shore and were ready for lunch. I was starving and didn't feel guilty about the huge lunch I was devouring– I'd earned it!!

More fun lay ahead in the afternoon. We were treated to complimentary massages, and, believe me, I had a few sore muscles that needed some attention.from all the snorkeling. I was so relaxed when the treatment ended that I barely made it back to my suite where I fell sound asleep.

Dinner was again fabulous and what amazed me is the fine wines that were paired with each course – French champagne, Australian rose, New Zealand pinot noir and a fine port to accompany fresh mango and raspberry sorbets. What a lovely way to end our last full day at Lizard Island.

Tomorrow afternoon we fly back to Cairns for two days and more adventures – did it hear something about Hot Air Ballooning?

More from Northern Queensland, Australia tomorrow.

Linda

Lizard Island - Paradise on the Great Barrier Reef

Our Day in Paradise began on a rather painful note – a 3:15am wakeup call for our 6am flight to Cairns. It was a sleepy bunch indeed who gathered in the hotel lobby for the last time, but we were all hardy professionals and ready for our next adventure

Uneventful 3 hour flight to Cairns, the principle city in Northern Queensland.  This was my 3^rd time to visit but didn't have a chance to see more than the airport until Sunday. A transfer driver took us to a small private hanger where we boarded a Cessna Caravan 12-passenger plane.for the 1 hour flight to Lizard Island. Dave Thomas is our tour director. None of us thought the 2 pilots were out of high school as questioning looks shown on our faces but they proved extremely competent.. It was raining when we boarded the plane, but soon the rain stopped and dark gray skies started to give way to blue skies.

The Great Barrier Reef is truly one of the great wonders of the world. Stretching some 1600 miles and covering 133,00 sq. miles it is located on the Coral Sea off the northeastern coast of Australia and is the world's largest living reef. Looking down at sections of the reef was an incredible sight.

About noon we landed on Lizard Island. The resort is the only property on the island and is Australia's most northern island resort. It's famous for both diving and game fishing as well as a luxurious resort..

A friendly staff from the resort greeted us with cool fruit drinks and/or sparkling wine which is ever present in this country. I've recommended Lizard Island to clients over the years and was excited to have a chance to see it for myself. After a quick tour to the villa Kate and William would have occupied had they chosen Australia for their honeymoon, we were more than ready for a delicious lunch and, naturally,  more wine.

The resort is set on a broad sweeping stretch of beautiful beach along Anchor Bay, and I could walk right out from my patio to this beach (above view is from my patio.) This luxury resort is all/inclusive with a staff ready to bend over backwards to insure their guests lack for nothing.

By now the early morning was taking its toll and I fell into bed for a brief nap. We had been invited to take a sunset cruise so I changed out of my warm traveling clothes and hurried down to the beach to join our group on the boat. The weather was beautiful this evening and nothing could have been more pleasant than cruising in and out of various bays while sipping (yes, more)) champagne and snacking on Australian and New Zealand cheeses. The sunset was beautiful and the perfect culmination to our first day in Paradise.

Linda

Melbourne Cup - Frills and Fillies

What a day!!!  Everything I'd heard didn't hold a candle to actually being at the Cup. Always held the first Tuesday of November, it's a national holiday in Australia and known (aptly so) as The Race that Stops a Nation.

Cameras were clicking as we gathered in the hotel lobby.  What a transformation with the men in suits and the ladies in their frocks and fascinators.  For those of you who missed the Royal Wedding, fascinators are the whimsical hats  British women love.  Well, it's carried over to Australia and adorned every woman in every style imaginable.  This woman was sitting in front of us and will give you an idea of one option.

We walked a short distance to the Yarra River and boarded a river boat for a leisurely one-hour driver to Flemington Racecourse, the site of the Melbourne Cup.  Our group reserved a table in one of the marquees.  The large tents were decorated in colorful decor with balloons, ribbons and flowers.  Australian wines were flowing freely and soon a delicious lunch was served.  Big video screens kept us posted on the other races being run at this track as well as others all over Australia.  Today was truly a national day of horse racing.

After lunch and a bit of champagne, it was time for serious business -- placing our bets!  I had never bet on a horse race so decided to carefully study the entries in the next race to be run at Flemington.  I chose Competitive Kitty as she sounded like a fighter.  She didn't fail me and came from behind to win!

I calmly celebrated my win.

Once I recovered my composure, it was almost time for the Emirates Melbourne Cup race (Emirates Airlines must be a major sponsor).  We had reserved seats in the stands with a great view of the famous track. Quite an emotional moment when 150,000 people stood and sung the Australian national anthem.
The crowd was so much larger than I'd expected  and all elegantly dressed and ready to cheer their favorite.  I chose last year's winner, Americain, who was the favorite today. He was the only American entry and needed support from his countrymen. 

The 23 horses were finally in the starting gate -- not an easy task with these high-strung animals.  And then they were off.  At first a tight cluster, then the leaders pulled ahead of the crowd.  The stands exploded as everyone cheered their pick.  I did my best for Americain but, alas, he came in fourth.  The finish was the closest ever, and it was a couple of minutes before the winner,  the French entry Dunaden(left photo,) was announced.


After a brief stop back at the Marquee tent for afternoon coffee and snacks, we boarded out boat for the cruise back to the city.  Oh, I forgot to mention that I came out $5.50 ahead after subtracting losses from winnings. This money was used for fine dining --a McDonald's Quarter Pounder in the hotel's food court.  

Tomorrow we leave the hotel at 4:30am so will sign out and finish packing.  Hopefully, I'll send an update from beautiful Lizard Island on the Great Barrier Reef.
Linda