Barriärrevet dagstur
Idag tog vi vår efterlängtade dagstur ut på Barriärrevet ännu längre upp än Whitsundays. Alltså här utanför Cairns. Vi hade förbokat denna snorkeltur med 1 introduktionsdyk också! Olyckligtvis så fick inte Nastasja dyka då hon hade astma för över 10 år sedan.. Det hade tydligen gått med läkarintyg, som hade kostat mer än själva dyket.. men det hade vi inte så det får bli en annan gång. Jag hoppade i alla fall i och gjorde mitt första dyk! Läskigt alltså, folk säger att det är onaturligt att slänga sig ut och hoppa bungy, men jag tycker det är mer onaturligt att andas långt under vatten. Aja, efter att vänja sig att faktiskt kunna andas under vatten så gjorde vi lite övningar för att sedan gå djupare och djupare och "dyka" en sväng. Klappade en enorm Napoleon fisk på läpparna bland annat innan det hela var slut.
Nästa snorkelplats (100 m bort) hoppade jag i med Nastasja och vi drog runt lite. Så svårt att hålla koll på alla de fiskar vi såg osv, så många! Hittade iaf ett snorkel-set mitt i det stora barriärrevet! Så dök ner o plockade upp det! Perfekt, vi har snackat om att köpa det så vi sparar massa dollaros!
Fler bilder kommer
Simma lugnt /DD
The belated Kangaroo Island post
Our first stop was the beach where to crazy surfers were in the freezing water.
We went to Seal Bay where this sign stood outside.
Our guide, Ron, told us that that the sandy patha we see here are made by the Australian sea lions (seals). They climb up on land to rest and their pups stay there until they are old enough to go to the beach.
Mum and pup.
Saying hi!
Our pup - Toby Ron.
Wild koala on the way to go sandboarding in Little Sahara (Daniel has those pictures).
The next morning we went to the Remarkable Rocks. The massive bolders are right on the edge of a cliff.
Hiding from the wind!
One of my favourite pictures so far.
Seals!
JP cooking at one of the many BBQ's that are placed out for anyone to use for free.
Wraps for a change (not, haha. But still yummy).
Heading through to a hidden beach.
Then we went to see the awesome pelicans!
- Nastasja
Great Ocean Road
Picture bomb from our tour along the Great Ocean Road between Adelaide and Melbourne! It took us three days and two nights. We had some great views and a good time except that it rained two out of three days
MacKenzie falls - The Grampians
Jaws of death - The Grampians lookout place thing
After a 1 hour morning walk we arrived at the top of a moutain in Hall's Gap
Then we finally arrived to the coast
London Bridge
12 Apostles (But really it's only 7 of them left)
We made a stop at Koala Cove and made friends with all the birds
We made a stop in a rainforest and made a short walk
There was a chance to spot the Platypus here, but unfortunately we didn't, if you see them it's suppose to give luck. Probably because they are so rare to see.
// Daniel
The Rock Tour - day 3
Day three started at about 4.30am because we had to get ready quickly and leave for the sunrise at Uluru. It was so cold in shorts! We put out the breakfast on the table with our cameras hanging off our shoulders. We made tea and toast and watched the sun rise next to the mighty rock.
After that we did the remaining 8km of the base walk around Uluru. It started to get hot and as soon as the flies felt us breaking sweat, they were in our eyes, noses and mouths, haha. Horrible creatures. We saw an elefant on the way though, can you spot it?
This is where you could start the climb if the conditions were right. They close it if it is too windy, too hot or if there is a risk for rain within three hours.
After this it was time to head back towards Alice Springs. On the way we stopped at a camel farm.
I asked Nate to take photos of us, so he took a few selfies as a nice reminder of himself too, ha!
It was more painful for the guys than us girls, haha.
THE GANG!
TIPS FOR YOU WHO ARE GOING TO THE OUTBACK
- a pair of long pants is not a bad idea, even if it is summer. It does get chilly in the evening.
- a torch or headlight is going to be one of your best friends, especially going to the toilette in the complete darkness.
- hand cream, if you are like me and hate having dry hands.
- a fly net to go over your face is the ugliest thing ever but atleast it does keep the flies out of your mouth.
- a good hat.
- the obvious WATER and sunscreen.
- don't wear stuff you might be worried won't get completely cleanl; my socks and trainers are still a bit red from the sand, and things get covered in sot!
The Rock Tour - day 2
We had an early wakeup call at 5am were we had to roll up our swags and load them onto the trailer. We had breakfast in the dark and then went to have showers and use flushing toilettes.
Our first stop of the day were the Olgas, also known as Kata Tjuta.
Our first stop of the day were the Olgas, also known as Kata Tjuta.
We did a walk through the Valley of the Winds were our guide, Nate, told us about the different gum trees and their uses. It was overwhelming walking between the massive rocks and round every bend the view was different.
DAVID!
It was just as hot here as it was at Kings Canyon and the flies came out to join us straight away. A fly net around our faces would have been ideal.
We walked up what Nate called "Hernia Hill". It was worse than "Heartattack Hill" at Kings Canyon as it was after two hours of trekking straight up. He told us not to turn around until we'd made it to the top. He was right about it, because the view was uh-mazing. David, 76, made it up all the way as well and he was given a round of applause at the top - incredible man!
When we were done at Kata Tjuta, we made our way to Uluru. We went to an information center where we read about bush tucker (food from the bush), the aboriginal traditions and ways and also about the meaning of the rock. There were stories about people who had taken things from around Uluru (in the Kata Tjuta national park) and had suffered from bad luck ever since, and sent things back. There was also a book where you could sign your name saying you wouldn't climb it.
Nate told us that 26% of the visitors climb the rock, and the Austarlian government won't ban it until it goes under 20% OR that another 4 people die on the rock and make it a total of 40 people. (You have to die on it for it to count, if you bounce off and die you're not in the statistics). Japan is the only coutry in the world that actually promotes it.
We did the first 2km of the base walk around Uluru where Nate told us stories and showed us what different aboriginal symbols mean.
Then we went off to see the sun set over Uluru. The rock changed colour the further the sun set.
We had tea and then headed back to set up camp for the night, exhausted as ever.
- Nastasja
Great ocean road
Nu har vi hoppat på bussen som på 3 dagar och 2 nätter ska ta oss längs Great ocean road till Melbourne från Adelaide. Än så länge har vi bara stannat för lunch och det roligaste vi sett på vägen var en sjö av något slag som var helt rosa!?! Fräckt, men vi fick tyvärr ingen chans att ta bild..
- DD
- DD
Amazing experience at K.I.
We went to Kangaroo Island yesterday and really had no idea what the intinerary was. But we soon found out we were going to be seeing Australien sea lions up close from the beach. Our sea lion guide, Ron, told us that the pups (babies) were just starting to enter the beach and sometimes, though very rarely, they'll be curious enough to come up to humans. If so, we had to stand completely still.
And then it happened. A little pup came hopping/crawling/walking up to us and then got onto mine and Daniel's feet. It sniffed our shoes for a bit and then moved on.
Ron said we were two of maybe twenty-something people it happens two ever year (out of over 100 000 visitors). We were definitely the first this year.
We named him Toby Ron!
- Nastasja
The Rock Tour - day 1
Last Tuesday we flew to Alice Springs and checked into our 6-share dorm at Toddy's Backpackers. We met another Swedish girl, Emelie from Stockholm, and walked up to "town" to confirm our places and to have lunch. The guys at the booking place told me what meals we'd be having and then said they'd give me the money back if I bought my own glutenfree options - golden star, guys!
At 6am we were picked up by our guide Nate (from NZ, drove like a madman, loved beer and was sarcastic most of the time, haha). We were a mixture of people from Sweden, England, Hong Kong, South Korea, Germany, Italy and France. The coolest person was easily 76-year-old ex-teacher David from Cornwall - the oldest Rock Tour participant in history!
So we headed towards Kings Canyon, our first big sight. We covered ourselves in sunscreen and then made sure we all had 3 litres of water EACH for our walk up and around the canyon.
Group photo at the top of Heartattack Hill!
The king and queen of the canyon!
Looking down into the canyon.
After our three our walk in 35 degrees we all fell asleep on the bus until Nate told us to run outside and gather firewood for the two bush camp nights. After we were done we were covered in sut (sot?) and cuts. He then took us to see the sun set and then off to use flushing toilettes for the last time in 12 hours.
Nate and the other guide made a fire.
We helped unload the swags (= a kind of extra-padded, windproof sleeping bag that you put your normal sleeping bag in and then sleep in both). We made chili con carne with rice, vegetables and bread on the hot coals of the fire.
I was dreading goin to the "toilette" because of the spiders and snakes. Nate told us there was a 'bush toilette' in complete darkness for number 2, and number 1 was done out in the free. Everyone had to do the walk of shame and throw their toilette paper in the fire afterwards....
