Halfway Around the World
Here I am in downtown Brisbane, on the 27th floor of the Admiralty Towers on the Brisbane river. From time to time, falcons and bats fly by, but for some reason I keep missing them. The trip has been fantastic thus far. Some highlights include: feeding wild dolphins, parasailing, quad bike riding, body surfing, and visiting the Buderim Ginger Factory How fortuitous that we just happen to be in the ginger capital of the world!
I think I may have seen the Southern Cross last night, although no one was exactly sure. Hopefully I'll get to visit the Planetarium next week and become better acquainted with the southern sky.
We had to abandon plans to visit the distant Uluru, since we would have easily blown the budget/schedule, so we were looking for some ways to learn about Aboriginal culture while here in the more coastal regions. There is next to no mention of Aboriginal tribes here, except for all the place names with multiple uses of the double-o.
We did find a decent tour, which we took today, through Brisbane, with an Aboriginal guide. Carl taught us all about spear and boomerang throwing, and how to play the yidaki (didgeridoo). One of my favorite parts of the tour was walking through a native plant garden and learning about the various medicinal and culinary properties of certain leaves, bark, and berries. Too bad there were signs everywhere that warned us NOT TO EAT anything there. I was so tempted to try a few berries that our guide said were tasty, but don't worry, Mom, I restrained myself. However, we did get to sample a grassy shoot that tasted like peas. Carl also made sure we got to experience the special soap leaves that lather up when crushed.
Our next short trip is to the largest sandy island (in the world?) called Fraser Island. S's cousins are taking us there in their rented 4x4, which is required for getting anywhere on the island. Some parts can only be reached at low tide, so we are being extra careful. I'm also looking forward to swimming in some clear freshwater lakes, and exploring the rainforest a bit.
After that, we head up to the Whitsunday Islands to begin our scuba adventure.
I think I may have seen the Southern Cross last night, although no one was exactly sure. Hopefully I'll get to visit the Planetarium next week and become better acquainted with the southern sky.
We had to abandon plans to visit the distant Uluru, since we would have easily blown the budget/schedule, so we were looking for some ways to learn about Aboriginal culture while here in the more coastal regions. There is next to no mention of Aboriginal tribes here, except for all the place names with multiple uses of the double-o.
We did find a decent tour, which we took today, through Brisbane, with an Aboriginal guide. Carl taught us all about spear and boomerang throwing, and how to play the yidaki (didgeridoo). One of my favorite parts of the tour was walking through a native plant garden and learning about the various medicinal and culinary properties of certain leaves, bark, and berries. Too bad there were signs everywhere that warned us NOT TO EAT anything there. I was so tempted to try a few berries that our guide said were tasty, but don't worry, Mom, I restrained myself. However, we did get to sample a grassy shoot that tasted like peas. Carl also made sure we got to experience the special soap leaves that lather up when crushed.
Our next short trip is to the largest sandy island (in the world?) called Fraser Island. S's cousins are taking us there in their rented 4x4, which is required for getting anywhere on the island. Some parts can only be reached at low tide, so we are being extra careful. I'm also looking forward to swimming in some clear freshwater lakes, and exploring the rainforest a bit.
After that, we head up to the Whitsunday Islands to begin our scuba adventure.