SCUBA diving in Cairns

Of all the things in Australia that I thought might kill me I never imagined the possibility that a cyclone might do me in. The last day of our 3-day scuba adventure came to an end a day early. At 3:00 am, cyclone Tasha broke our bow mooring line. The engines were started and the stern mooring line was released so we could get away from the reef and into deeper water. The deeper water couldn’t puncture the hull and sink us like the coral could, but it did have bigger waves. The ride to the leeward side of a large island was like a cheap roller coaster with no inverted maneuvers but plenty of bone jarring action. While behind the protection of the island the storm passed, and as the day progressed we were treated to a nice lunch at a newly renovated resort, but no more scuba diving.
The diving we had the first two days was splendid. We had several guided dives that helped us feel comfortable with our newly acquired skills and allowed us to focus our attention on enjoying the reef and all its wonders. The diving we originally did in Thailand seemed two dimensional, with flat reefs all at one depth. Here the diving took on a third dimension with coral walls that would go down, down, down. We saw some very cool stuff on a night dive including sharks, rays, and sleeping sea turtles. There was one turtle awake and swimming. The guide helped Ahnika and Mikayla scratch it’s back. Apparently turtles like this because our fingernails removed things from their shell that they cant get off themselves. You can imagine how special the girls thought this was.
The first picture shows Mikayla, Ahnika, Gary, and Kristy from left to right. The second picture is a giant clam about 3 feet across. The meat of the clam is white so the colors you see are other organisms living on the clam.
~Gary

We've Arrived in Australia!

December 21, 2010
After 4 days in Australia, here are a few words from each of us...

Mikayla:
About a year ago I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be in Australia for my winter break, but here I am! A few weeks ago I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be on a boat, on Christmas day, getting ready to scuba dive in the Great Barrier Reef. And I few days ago I wouldn’t have imagined, even in my wildest dreams, that I would hold a Koala. ☺

Ahnika:
The best perk so far is that they speak English. ☺ After living in a country for 6 months that doesn’t speak my native tongue, I can be fully grateful for that simple commonality. In fact, I could even be considered an Australian here. People don’t question your presence like they do in Thailand.
As my family notices the differences that separate America and Australia, I’m just amazed by all the similarities. Having been in two new countries in the last six months has given me a better perspective of the US. I’m quite the visual thinker, and I have a constant map of the world stored in my head. Now, each time I visualize that map, the US seems smaller, but more accurate in size compared to Asia and Australia.


Kristy:
The English influence in Brisbane was so evident; the Parliament Offices, churches and the architecture of so many buildings. They have recently created a gorgeous river walk full of running/walking paths, markets etc. And even have several city pools “lagoons” along the river, which had many teenagers at all hours. Brisbane is definitely a clean, green and friendly city that one could grow to love, somewhat of a mix between Madison and Portland.
There are showers in almost all of the public bathrooms, even at the airport!
The Koalas were adorable. We all loved watching the moms with their babies. The kangaroos were different than I expected, so incredibly muscular with gigantic feet and LONG nails.


Gary:
So how would you like to go? In Australia, Queensland especially, there are a number of ways. Of the 10 most poisonous snakes in the world, all 10 are in Australia, and several, including the coral snake are in Queensland (northeastern Australia). The most poisonous creature in the world and possibly the most agonizing death occurs at the hands, or better said tentacles, of the box jellyfish. If you’re a James Bond fan you know of the blue ringed octopus, a certain death sentence. You could step on a deadly stonefish (I won’t bother with the neurotoxin details). Lots of very poisonous spiders but probably treatable if you get to a doctor in time. Rip currents drown a few dozen people or more every year. If drowning sounds peaceful, you could always be left on the reef by a dive boat. My favorite demise would be the saltwater crocodile. They live in the estuaries. The largest on record is over 5 meters.
Good ‘ay mates, we’re having a great time down under.

My first drive

Do you remember what it was like driving for the first time? In case you’ve forgotten and you want to relive it…come to Bangkok and get in a rental car and take a drive to Khao Yai National park. It’s like driving in a car that you are unfamiliar with times ten. Everything is backward, everything! A guy showed up with the rental van at 6:45 am, showed me where to fill with gas, handed me the key and said “I come back at 7 on Monday, you pay me then.”, then walked away. No paper work, no money up front.

As we where about to drive away that morning, I looked up and adjusted the rear view mirror; it just didn’t feel right; all the angles were confusing. We met some friends in our little community Nichada, then started off with a drive through some local streets first. Not so bad, the speeds are slow and I had been on these streets many times in taxis and on my bike. It was also 7:30 am on a Sunday morning so the traffic was light but would grow quickly on this three-day weekend of the Kings birthday.

As we entered the freeway things started getting crazy. Keep in mind this was an 11 person passenger van with curtains covering half of each window behind the driver so the visibility was poor. As I checked my (right) side mirror to merge on this elevated two-lane freeway, a car was passing another on the left at a very high rate of speed. I let him go whizzing by then pulled into the lane. As I brought my attention forward I realized that I hadn’t noticed the onramp was coming to an end. Now my heart was pumping, my hands where clinched and beginning to sweat. I was using every bit of my starbucks double mocha to keep from crashing into someone or something while at the same time trying to keep up with my friend that drives like the Thais. OK, it should be noted that he was from California. But still, California drivers got nothin’ on the Thais.

It wouldn’t be so bad if the speeds where constant and everybody drove in the same direction. Apparently there are no laws that encourage this. Our two lane freeway had sports cars and SUVs going 70 miles an hour in the right lane, while big trucks, scooters, and little Toyota pickups with 10-15 workers in the back, where doing 40 miles an hour in the left hand lane. And then there where the crazy drivers doing 80 plus miles an hour making the others look like ski gates in a downhill race.
The two lane freeway soon gave way to an even more exciting 3 lane (each way) highway that had cars merging and exiting from roadside stands, while about every 2 miles you could expect to see cars from the other side of the highway doing u-turns in front of you, or the cars in your lane slowing down to make a u-turn. Oh, and people drive the other way on the shoulder. If you miss a freeway exit, no problem, just back up until you get to it.

In America we have signs for deer crossings, elk crossings, etc. Keep in mind the damage they can inflict on your car. In Thailand they have signs for elephant crossings. You might as well run broadside into a cement truck. In Thailand the most common animal to cross a highway or freeway is by far the homo sapien. You’ll sometimes see a half dozen of them on a highway median attempting to cross three lanes doing 60 plus mph. Two to four of them will make a break for it while the others, either because they are slower or more cautious will remain behind. As you pass, you glance in the rearview mirror and find yourself half looking for carnage and half hoping they will make it.