1/8/15 OZ Day 6: Canyoning on Tassie

Buffet breakfast at the hotel once again included the standard fare of baked beans, tomatoes, and mushrooms. Andy remarked that it is a standard farmers' fare for Australia. We loaded up the coach for the short ride up the street to The cradle mountain parking lot. We had to go in one large bus, while Sophie and Scotty took our vans on the daytime ferry ride. There was simply no room on the evening ferry ride, and we barely were able to secure passenger berths for all of us. W and crag divide the group into three and we stood out on the porch of the building to get our instructions, wetsuits and helmets.

http://www.cradlemountaincanyons.com.au

Our Canyon guides, Leon and Al, instructed us to gather up our gear and put them in the large backpacks that we were to carry into the canyon. It was a beautiful hike across about 2 miles of floating wooden walkways over scrub, past paddymelons and through completely untouched forest. We walked into and out of a rainforest, stopping at a rock formation to suit up in our gear, including wetsuit, best, jacket, neoprene socks and booties, topped off with a helmet. Another scramble downhill and we arrived at our first stop, rappelling or abseiling down a several story drop. I didn't look down and had no issue bouncing down the cliff side, landing in waist high water. 

Once we were all down, Leigh Ann gave us instructions on how to float on our backs with feet up through the deeper sections of the water, until we came to an outcropping of rocks. We shimmied across them, stopped at the edge, and then Al simply pulled us off, slamming us into the water. Hello - water up my nose! The next several hours included jumping off heights up to 6 meters into small dark pools, climbing across rock faces, sliding down old trees stuck in the canyon, and freezing our tears off. It was so cold!!! W said to me at one point 'this is not my happy place.'    

I was cold but all right. My biggest fear was jumping off some of the high jumps. I did every one!!

The students finished with a human pyramid at the end for our photo happy guides. Then came the surprise...we had to climb up the side of the cavern in all our gear. And we thought the tough stuff was over yesterday! Rocks, big climbs, holding onto trees, sliding along cliff faces, all of it with several pounds of water in our booties and hip flexor movement blocked by wetsuits. I stayed right behind W even as the kids slowed down :). Several times he told me, just look at the rocks so I wouldn't get stuck looking into the abyss. After about 25 minutes of climbing, we reached our bags, stopped to change back into our clothes and to make lunch. It was a light pick nick with wraps, turkey, hummus, and vegetables including beetroot. Then on with the bags again for the 2 mile hike out. 

The sun was starting to peek out at this point and we hustled to make it back before getting fried. But we were able to wonder at the beautiful view of mountainsides, low brush and  lots of green (plus some square wombat droppings). We got cleaned up at the visitors' center and waited for the other groups. 

Once back on the bus, almost everyone was asleep in 20 minutes. It was a pretty ride across Tassie back to Devonport where the students wandered off for shopping and food. Andy, Craig, W and I ate at Molly Malone's, a counter service pub. Then we wandered the town, talking to drunk twenty somethings and being amused at the early closing hour of the shops on a Saturday evening! 

We waited several hours at the ferry terminal, then boarded around 9pm. Everyone of the adults headed to bed early. It was a wild night on board, with the boat crashing loudly through waves for several hours in the middle of the night. But the late departure meant we could sleep until 7:30am!!!

1/7/16 OZ Day 5: Tassie and Cradle Mountain

I woke at 5:45am and walked a bit outside, chasing paddymelons as they crashed through the brush. After getting cleaned up, Wally made pancakes while we all prepped for breakfast and lunch. The students really moved and we were out by 7:45am. 

We drove to Cradle Mountain, one of the most famous sites in Tasmania, a popular tourist destination and a World Heritage site. To be honest, it is difficult to begin to summarize the day. Beautiful, challenging, breath-taking, scary as hell, empowering....these barely cover it. 

The kick off included the standard group photo with the Elon flag, then we began the long walk at Dove Lake. The terrain was rocky and quickly ascended into white boulders with chain fences to help you up. Wooden boardwalks with chain link coverings were the other main passage, designed to protect the fauna. We scrambled up over several kilometers, with our path framed by low scrubby brush, bushes and the occasional stubborn daisy-like flower. We even saw a small wallaby! 

Our first stop was Marion's lookout, a high overlook to the lakes below.   A quick snack, some photos and we were back at it again, coming up onto a large plain with descending steps and a grassy landscape with lots of rocks. It looked somewhat like a lunar landscape. We stopped and ate lunch at the Kitchen Hut, a tiny two level wooden building that our guide Andy once slept in with 11 students and 3 backpackers during a blizzard. Also at Kitchen Hut is the lone bathroom, a frightening smelling room with a toilet, sink and no tp. The human waste is actually flown out by helicopter. 

Then the rough stuff started. By then we could see the path up the mountain face, with people dotting it. The path eventually ceased and gave way to small boulders and large rocks, outcropping with little grass or greenery. Then the greenery stopped entirely and we bagn walking or scrambling up with large boulders, some of which were the size of a VW. The rocks were not the issue. The challenge was the sheer drop off below and the possibility of slipping into a crevice. I made the mistake of stopping to help one of the students, primarily in carrying her pack. That and waiting while Andy looked for first aid supplies for a student, left me with far too much time to think. By the time I got started again, I was almost sick with fear of the heights and the challenge. 

The two of us started up again and within 15 minutes, W had come back down to find us. He took the student's pack and concentrated on helping guide both of us up the steepest climb to the false summit. This consisted of giant to fist sized rocks, many at odd angles leading to sharp drop offs and many deep crevices. At one point two young girls bounded past us like Billy goats, talking me through a couple of maneuvers. I was thinking that I couldn't get over my fear at a large rock that I had to lean back to get around, when W said 'you will kick yourself in the morning if you don't get to the top of this." That was what I needed to stop thinking and start climbing. We reached the false summit, a small crest before a dip and the real summit, when W made the tough decision to ask the student to wait there. We simply wouldn't make it in time and would have to turn back early at the pace she was going. She agreed and we pressed on through the rock valley and up again the other side. I saw the light at the end of the tunnel when the crevices ended and grass grew in small patches between the rocks. While limited, these made me feel safer. We finally reached the top where I got a rousing 'yeah, Mrs. B!' from the students. 

We ate some food at the summit while the kids caught some sun. Then we took some photos and prepared ourselves for the Longblock back. W had to talk one of the students through a panic attack and then we set off. It was a crabwalk scramble down the mountainside, helping each other to find our footing down the steep rocks. 

Instead of returning the way we came, we headed to the left around wombat lake, looking at the large lakes below. It took us over two hours to return back, and we reached Dove lake and the car park around 4 PM in the afternoon. While the way up was a mental challenge, the way down was just physical. With our tired legs, it was easy to trip and stumble around the loose rocks. I really enjoyed it however, due to the variations in vegetation and topography. By this point, many of the students were just talking about wanting a cold beverage. 

Our next accommodation was the Cradle Mountain Hotel, about as far different from the Gowrie Park campground as could be. Two level hotel rooms with jacuzzi tubs, sliders to outside and a very welcoming lobby and bar greeted us. A quick change, 3 minute drive and we were figuring out the ordering and seating process at Pepper's Restaurant at Cradle Mountain Lodge. Most of the students had dressed for a 70 degree night on what was closer to 55 and outside seating was all that was available to start. The guys sent the students in to order 10 at a time, and they staked out indoor tables. The guides, Craig, W and I found a small bar around the corner of the restaurant and settled in with ciders and beers. About two hours later we got our food, all served with fries as is standard. Off the bed! Another active day in the morning. 

1/6/15 OZ Day 4: Tassie

An easier day today as we hopped off the ship in Devonport. The wake up call was 5:45am, but I went outside at 5:30am to try to find the sunset. People were sleeping all over the ship, with thin white blankets covering their bodies and faces. 

Onto the busses and into Devonport for breakfast. Half the group headed to a local diner, while we found something that looked remarkably like a Panera but with a light 'brekkie,' toasties and small breakfast pies. Craig was given the hottest cup of coffee known to man, and I had to choose a pre-made egg and cheese toastie with either BBQ sauce or hollandaise. 

Once out of the seaport, the expanse opened up to beautiful forest, cut up by farmland. Sheep, cattle, horses and the occasional goats and emu live next door to poppy fields for pharmaceutical use. The mountains in the background frame the green landscape. 

Water is not plumbed so each home has a cistern for rain collection Nearly every house has solar panels on the roof. 

Marakoopa Caves 

Millions of years ago a small stream started cutting away through a limestone formation, and today we are left with the Marakoopa Caves, a wonder that was discovered by two brothers in 1906 and opened to the public in 1912. Our guide Alwyn, led us down a forest walk into the side of a mountain. We took the steps by floor, crowding onto platforms in semi-darkness before he passed us with his flashlight and turned another set of lights. We walked all the way up to the grand cathedral, a large round dome in the ceiling caused by another stream millions of years ago. Kristine sang a short piece from Spring Awakening while W and I stood there listening to the echo. It was amazing to see the stalagmites and stalactites formed over millions of years, readying to meet in fingers that would take millions more. The most impressive formation is the wedding cake.  The last stop on our sighting was the glow worms in the lower cave. 

Merita Honey Farm 

A cute shop owned by a mother daughter team, the honey farm is a traditional stop for the Elon students on this trip. Chudley is a small stop in Tassie, with beautiful roses lining the streets with nameplates and poetry quotes. We all tried various honey flavors and ought ice cream, boysenberry for W and hazelnut for me. 

Swimming hole

We went back to the Gowrie Park campground and checked into our rooms along a long hallway off the smelly comonroom. The park is a campground, RV park, bunkhouse and our building, about 12 rooms with a common area at one end and four showers at the other. ($1 to shower for 5 minutes.) We changed quickly and about 75% of the group went with Craig, our guides and I back to a swimming hole. Lots of diving, freezing, sliding on rocks ensued. The highlight was the students holding the Elon flag in front of the river while Scotty, one of the guides, jumped off the makeshift diving board in the background. Yes, I jumped off too. 

A quick shower and we walked up the path to the Old Black Stump Restaurant up the street. The kids made a beeline for the bar, while I grabbed 5 at one time to healthy cheers. Two choices - roast pork or roast chicken with some of the best potatoes ever, cooked carrots and peas and corn mixture. We enjoyed the company and walked back to see some paddymelons, including a momma and her baby. Then we talked to the kids for awhile and headed off to our bunk beds. 

1/5/16 Busy day in Oz! Day 3

W and I headed into town around 6:15am for a brief run, 3 for me and 5 for him. We ran through town and along the seaside, past the carnival and the firefighters' vehicles. Then we packed up our daybags and made our breakfasts and lunches for the day. Thank you for the Nutella!!! 

One final shot on the porch of backpackers with the Elon flag and a tour of the area with C on Facetime, and we were off! The bus took us through the Otways again, passing one wallaby and a TON of sheep farms. Andy informed us that there is no kangaroo farming, but that they are shot by hunters and the meat sold for commercial use. 

Today was a driving day with lots of brief stops:

Maits Rest Rainforest Walk - like walking into another period, a dry rainforest with huge trees and several hundred year old ferns. 

Lavers Hill - gourmet pie shop, teahouse, convenience store, nature walk and more owned by a kind man named Paul. Quick restroom break and lots of beverage stocking. Paul even gave us a bunch of postcards. 

Great Ocean Road

Gibson Steps 

The start of the Twelve Apostles, Gibson Steps are a long line of very thin steps and switchbacks carved out of the side of the cliff. They lead down several stories to a deserted beach, where we walked until we reached two of the twelve apostles. These are large sandstone monoliths, a distant cousin to the 'Goonie Rocks' you would see off the coast of Portland. We took pictures and got our feet wet, admiring the majesty of these huge structures. We learned about ripcurls from Andy and watched two surfers use one to jettison out into the water. 

Great Ocean Walk to Twelve Apostles We proceeded on a rough path under blazing sun about a mile to the Twelve Apostles welcome center. Every nationality was represented in the groups passing along the catwalks and walking paths to view the remaining 8 of 12 Apostles that rise up from the ocean floor. The smell was a bit unpleasant due to the varieties of dwarf bushes that emit a rather strong odor. And the flies were like nothing I have ever experienced. But the sight of the structures made up for it all. Huge, layered sandstone structures rising out of aqua water. It's a picture I do not think will ever leave my memory. 

Loch Ard Gorge - The last big stop for the day was another small climb to reach, a climb down many stairs into a large open gorge with a beach and a large cave. Named after a famous shipwreck, the gorge is a beautiful postcard to Australia and the Great Ocean Road. Most attractions are not as populated as something similar in the States, and this was no exception. There were people there, and a few families taking advantage of the beach, but nothing overwhelming. The students explored rocks to get into the cave. I went up to the mouth via stepping between the rocks. The water was freezing and nearly clear. 

We headed back to Melbourne on a nearly three hour bus ride, complete with me playing DJ and the kids singing along. Play Landslide or Wonder Wall and they all sing along. They even did some Journey for C. Funny that they know Natasha Bedingfield and Vanessa Carlton, but have only a hazy read on REM, the Smiths or Violent Femmes. I feel old. 

Our final stop for the day was the port in Melbourne, where we grabbed a quick snack and ate on the lawn while waiting. Pita and hummus for W and I. Pizza or fish & chips for the students. We all enjoyed the free wi-fi when we made it into the Spirit of Tasmania boarding building. A brief security talk and bag check and we were on the boat, a large overnight ferry that houses cargo containers and cars on the bottom five levels and cabins and common areas on the top five. We made our way through indoor deck chairs and lounge areas, a small eating area and bar to room 7217. It was a very small cruise ship cabin with four bunks, two of which folded up into the wall, a lit desk area, and a bathroom with shower. Not luxurious, but clean and cozy. 

The guys spoke with the kids in the common area near the indoor playground, giving a brief lecture about interpersonal awareness and leaving a positive impression of themselves and Elon. Then they checked in with the Health & Wellness Committee to see how the group was doing. They observed the odd boy / girl separation and recommended more sunscreen. 

Then the students departed and we sat with our hosts for the departure to Tasmania. Ciders and cricket followed, then we all toddled off to bed in our ship caves. 

1/4/16 Day 2 in Oz - Geelong

Our first full day in Melbourne kicked off with a beautiful threee mile run along the Yarra riverfront, complete with sunrise and hot air balloons. 

Breakfast at the hotel was your standard American fare, with the addition of baked tomatoes, mushrooms and baked beans. Plain yogurt and multi-vitamin choose too. We met up with Andy, Sophie and Scotty from Allawah tours, loaded up the bus and van and took off. 

It took about an hour and a half of driving through the suburbs, farmland and through Geelong to get to our surfing site in Ocean Grove. We changed into our wetsuits and met Robert and the other surf guides on the beach, carrying our boards two by two. They gave us a brief lesson and away we went! W got up on his board immediately, as did Craig. I was able to get up on my feet several times, but could never stay up longer than a few moments. The day turned beautiful but it was windy with good sized waves. The students were all good sports and made an effort, with various results. 

We drove along the beach to Torquay, the home of Billabong and Rip Curl. The area is known for its surfing, and the surf lifestyle has permeated Australia. Board shorts and bright colors are the standard. Craig, W and I had lunch at a small Japanese shop; W tried hand roll sushi for the first time (very fresh salmon!) We browsed through shops like Oakley, Reef and Rip Curl before heading to to the outlets. People dug through bins for $10 shirts; Wally found some great board shorts for a good price. The exchange rate right now is about 76 cents to the Australian dollar. 

Then we drove along the coast to the start of the Great Ocean Road, which was built after WWI by soldiers returning home. It is the road that connects all of the seaside towns in southern Australia, with small towns and homes with glass porches along the stretches of vast field and dwarfed trees. Andy provided me with lots of information as we drove as I peppered him with questions. The amazing part of the Great Ocean Road were the miles of beaches, mostly uninhabited. Andy remarked that there is such a lot of beach that they are rarely crowded, even at peak holiday time. And in every town we passed, there were no vacancies at the backpackers' and hotels. 

Our next stop was the pier in Lorne, a busy seaside town that set right up against the hillside. It was evacuated the week before due to the threat of fire, but was packed today. The pier was a several story high metal structure that looked back to the east onto the bay filled with tourists. High schoolers in wetsuits jumped off of the pier and climbed the ladder back up, one even doing so holding an Elon student's GoPro camera. The waves were huge heading toward the beach, providing some challenge to the swimmers practicing for the Pier to Pub swim coming up soon. It is less than a mile, and I would LOVE to do it!

Back in the van and off of the Great Ocean Road and into the Ottways Forest. We spent a lot of time in the van going through hairpin turns and deep forest, due to a fire last week that swept through Wye River, destroying over 100 towns. We drove past many Australian fire trucks, that are still working on active fires in the area caused by lightning strikes and accelerated by dry conditions. The forest was dense with ferns that looked prehistoric, the size of aa small car. Random sites: a pig in someone's yard, a seven foot high T-Rex statue leading Santa's sleigh, a llama in with sheep, lots of cows and sheep. 

Final destination - Seaside Backpackers in Apollo Bay, another small seaside town with one strip of shops. We stopped at a 'bottle shop,' a gourmet bar and tasting room, where a student dropped a bottle of liquor. A few bottles of Little Creatures for us, and we headed for the hostel. It is a ramshackle assortment of small houses and outbuildings that we shared with some Austrians, Germans and more. Most of the small rooms housed 2-6 people in bunk beds with common areas of pool tables, puzzles and LPs featuring ABBA and Neil Diamond. We met up with Charlie, Andy's wife and their kids, Mads and Jasper, and got cooking while the students played backyard cricket overlooking the ocean. We ate burgers, salad and tried marinated kangaroo. Afterwards the wind was too strong and temperatures too cold to stay outside, so we migrated into the common area to play pool and card games. (New game - Tourette's). Lots of laughter and lots of beverages for the kids....we went to bed after talking to C around 10:45pm. 

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1/3/16 Greetings from Oz!

For two of the last three years, W has co-led an Elon University course on Sustainability and Ecotourism in Australia. This is a half semester class in the fall, followed by a 23 day adventure in Melbourne, Tasmania, Geelong and more. Now that C is old enough to be left with family for some time (and I have a great job with a reasonable amount of vacation time), I finally get to accompany W on part of the trip. So I'm off to Oz for the 1st - 11th of January, with Gigi and GigiPop Kinkel spending time at our house with one small five year old and a little dog. 

Losing time

We departed from Greensboro airport with our co-teacher and friend, Craig Schmidt. A brief hop to Atlanta and we were off to Los Angeles. We got in our exercise because we headed to the international terminal at LAX, then had to turn around and go back to the United Airlines terminal. We ate dinner at the Rolling Stone Bar & Grill, then met up with the class at our gate at about 6pm Pacific time. Craig and W reminded them of their assignments and then sent them on their way. It was a four hour wait to departure but we stretched, walked, people-watched (cheetah hair) and rested. 

The United flight was on a new Dreamliner, probably the largest and quietest flight I have ever been on. The seats were three across times three and we were in the middle with one of the Elon students. Liftoff was quiet and quick, and dinner arrived fast. Free beer and wine are a nice plus on this journey. I fell asleep watching Spy and slept on and off for the next six hours or so. Upon waking to a very dark plane, I cleaned up, stretched, walked and then explored the entertainment options. I have never taken in that much uninterrupted entertainment at once. 

We landed in Melbourne around 8:30am. After a long wait for luggage and customs, we hopped on a Murray's bus for Melbourne. Ibrahim, our driver, regaled us with his internet conspiracy theories while Craig and I tried to ask him about Melbourne and Australia. 

Lodging - Hotel Ibis Little Bourke Simple, European style accommodations. Very narrow hallways and rooms with lights that only turn on with the key in the inside of the door. We had twin beds on the 9th floor!

First things first - a 2 mile run to try and get some exercise and find W a SIM card for his phone. We ran along the river, through shopping and tourist areas near Lonsdale Street. Clothing here is much more colorful, as is the hair fof both men and women. The post-run shower felt sooooo good. We met up with Craig again and headed to find food. Lunch was Rocket Burger in front of the train station, with fabulous fries. Then we booked it about 2 miles to Melbourne Cricket Grounds. The walk, while hurried, was beautiful. It was along the Yarra River in a park area, with lots of cyclists, families with strollers, street musicians and more. 

Melbourne Cricket Grounds (MCG) was our first formal adventure in Australia. We met some of the students at 1:15, but about half showed up 25 minutes late. W and I went with the first group, hosted by our guide Mark, while Craig took on the stragglers with Richard. Our guides led us on about a two hour tour of MCG, including the Cricket Club area, Long Room, practice areas, turf and more while a women's big bash tournament was going on featuring the Melbourne Stars vs. the Melbourne Renegades. It appeared that about 400 people were in attendance at the free event, in a stadium that seats 96,000. The day before, the stadium had 90,000 people waiting hours to get in through security to watch the men's Big Bash. We learned all about cricket from Mark (though I had the student's understanding when I referenced the end of Bend it Like Beckam.) It is a nearly all day game, played by multinational teams. 

After the tours, the students took off while we enjoyed a pint and watched more cricket. We then started walking and didn't stop for about two hours. We got W his SIM card, failed at getting sushi, then decided to head to Little Creatures brewery in a farther suburb. Funny surprise that we ran into our flight crew while walking alongside a skate park! Pizza and flights of beer at Little Creatures and then walking to get the free tram home. Total? 14 miles and over 26,000 steps. I fell asleep at 8:55pm!