I sat in the front with the pilot when we took off from Lightning Ridge. The noise was kept from my ears by earphones. But there was nothing keeping the excitement out of my heart. I was riding on the back of a huge bee as the propellers spun and the engine hummed at 120 … Continue reading Refueling in Charlesville then on to Longreach Day 2 of the Australia by Heron Tour
Sydney to Lightening Ridge Opal Fields
April 29th we survived driving through the tunnel under the Sydney harbor to find a small airport nestled in the western Sydney suburb of Bankstown. GPS directed us to the wrong side of the airport. A phone call to john Irving at Australia by Heron gave us directions to airport avenue and the terminal. We … Continue reading Sydney to Lightening Ridge Opal Fields
Extending My Visa
Getting an ETA tourist visa to Australia is a snap I just went online filled out a short application and they sent a text back . The visa is electronically attached to my passport so I didn't even have to carry any extra paper. The visa was for three months and after May 7th my … Continue reading Extending My Visa
Understanding Australian
Living in a foreign environment even one that supposedly speaks English leads to many misunderstandings. Usually, if I listen closely and be patient I can appear to understand. That’s what my husband and I did on my first visit to Australia. We were visiting cousins I had never met in Bundaberg. We’d been driving all … Continue reading Understanding Australian
Native Animals at Long Timber
Early in the morning as the sun is beginning to rise above the gravel road and trees in the valley below the kookaburras begin to announce that this is their land. They don't sing alone but answer each other laughing across the horizon. In this video you can hear them laughing with the cicadas singing in the … Continue reading Native Animals at Long Timber
Drying Clothes at Long Timber
"Hand me a pin," I asked as I helped Wally hang up clothes on the line. "It's a peg," said my Australian friend. "We call them clothespins," I answered. "Clothespins are those skinny things ladies sew with." He retorted shaking his head. "Pegs are flat things that go in holes," I responded defending my American … Continue reading Drying Clothes at Long Timber
Mustering the Cattle at Long Timber
My father was an organic farmer and raised beef cattle along with grade B Dairy cows in Minnesota in the 1950s. He died when I was eight years old and my family moved to the city. As a teenager, I became very interested in Eastern thought and at age 18 my fiance and I became … Continue reading Mustering the Cattle at Long Timber
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 3-4
Birdwalk, Buffet Breakfast with the birds, Animal encounter, The Lost World Spa, and Python Rock If you're an early bird O'Rielly's offers a bird walk at 6:30 a.m. It takes an excellent guide to introduce ten noisy tourists to native birds. Our guide on Thursday was amazing, he was a bird whisperer. The wild birds … Continue reading O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 3-4
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 2
Surviving the Box Forest Circuit in Lamington National ParkToday's plan was to do the 10 km Box Forest Circuit. We'd go to the left descending downhill most of the way past numerous waterfalls. Huge Brush Box trees dominate this track, hence the name: This is what the little sign said next to the trunk. … Continue reading O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 2
O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 1
I was so excited I hardly slept the night before. Twenty years ago O'Reilly's was the highlight of my Australian tour, and I was getting to go there again, this time with Lizzie. Lizzie had last been there in the 1960s so she was looking forward to our adventure. I knew I was going to … Continue reading O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat Day 1
Visions from Two Continents. 