Four Bocks in Australia

Bamboos in Sydney

2010-01-21T12:22:00.002+11:00

For all you bamboo aficionados, here’s an expanded page with photos of the bamboo varieties I saw in the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. The descriptions below are from the American Bamboo Society’s Species Source List.

BAMBUSA MULTIPLEX
(Hedge bamboo)
Height: 25 ft
Culm diameter: 1.5”
“Each node bears a large number of branches down to the culm base, making a dense hedge. Hardiest of the Bambusa, grown down to 12F by some in otherwise very favourable sites.”

BAMBUSA MEMBRANACEA
Height: 70 ft
Culm diameter: 4”
“A strong growing bamboo with very straight culms forming loose clumps. Also known as Dendrocalamus membranaceus.”

BAMBUSA OLDHAMII
(Giant timber bamboo)
Height: 55 ft
Culm diameter: 4”
“The most common giant tropical bamboo grown in the U.S. Culms straight and erect with relatively short branches. Leaves are rather wide.”

BAMBUS TEXTILIS ‘GRACILIS’
(Weaver’s bamboo)
Height: 30 ft
Culm diameter: 1.3”
“Tight clumps. An extremely handsome plant that arches gracefully. The thin-walled culms are used for weaving. Culm more slender than the typical B. textilis, nodding top, graceful foliage.”

BAMBUSA VENTRICOSA
(Buddha’s belly bamboo)
Height: 55 ft
Culm diameter: 2.3”
“It becomes a dwarf with swollen internodes when grown in pots under dry conditions. In the ground it reverts to a giant with zigzag culms and branches.” (NOTE: The specimen below showed no dwarfism whatsoever!)

BAMBUSA VULGARIS ‘VITTATA’
(Painted bamboo)
Height: 50 ft
Culm diameter: 4”
“Common throughout the tropical world. Open clump, culms spaced a foot or two apart. Culm cuttings root very easily. Used for banana props. Similar to the species, golden yellow culms with green vertical stripes that look like drip marks. A very popular ornamental. Potted culm cuttings do not always survive.”

DENDROCALAMUS LATIFLORUS ‘MEI-NUNG’
Height: 65 ft
Culm diameter: 8”
“From southern China. The large, dark green leaves are 10 to 16 inches long and 3 to 4 inches wide. Light green culms striped with dark green.”

GIGANTOCHLOA ALBOCILIATA
Height: 30 ft
Culm diameter: 2”
“Tight clump. It has long (up to an inch) culm leaf ligules, narrow leaves. Light gray-green culms, white stripes.”

GIGANTOCHLOA ATROVIOLACEA
(Tropical black bamboo)
Height: 50 ft
Culm diameter: 3.5”
“From Java and Sumatra. Brown to black culms striped faint green. Dark green leaves. Sheath blades reflexed.”

PHYLLOSTACHYS NIGRA
(Black bamboo)
Height: 30 ft
Culm diameter: 2”
“Culms turn jet black after the first 6 months to one year. Popular because of its graceful habit and the sharp accent of its culm color. Said to grow larger in northern climates.”

PLEIOBLASTUS VARIEGATUS
Labeled as such. Not clear which pleioblastus species it actually is. Any guesses?
UPDATE: Brad Salmon of Needmore Bamboo Co. told me that this variety is now called Pleioblastus fortunei. Thank you, Brad!

THYRSOSTACHYS SIAMENSIS
(Monastery bamboo)
Height: 40 ft
Culm diameter: 3”
“One of the most graceful bamboos known. Culm walls very thick, almost solid. Sheath persistent. In monasteries in Thailand.”

Saturday, 1/16/10: Last full day in Sydney; Balmoral Beach

2010-01-16T21:57:00.001+11:00

Today is our last full day in Sydney. Tomorrow afternoon we’re flying home, back to reality and our Northern California winter. The weather these last two days has been wonderful; overcast and slightly breezy in the morning, with a little more sun and heat in the afternoon.

Heather, Katrina and the two younger offspring (Elena and Lucy) are off to the shops to buy stuff for our beach picnic later today. We’re planning on going to Balmoral Beach located in the spiffy suburb of Mosman, not far from Willoughby where the Ellises live. Thanks to its scenic location on Middle Harbor, it’s been popular with locals since the 1920s, with buildings such as the Balmoral Rotunda and the Bathers Pavilion dating back to that decade. It’s amazing how many beaches there are in Sydney, both harborside and along the ocean. I’ve never seen a city that has that many miles of shoreline—Sydney Harbor alone has over 150 miles of shoreline and 35 miles of city beaches! And that doesn’t include the Pacific Ocean beaches stretching from Palm Beach in the north past Bondi, Tamarama and Bronte in the middle to Cronulla in the south.

Maps © IA Connections Sydney Australia

We got to Balmoral at 11ish, and to our surprise found a prime parking space. Reflecting the upscale nature of this slice of paradise, the fee was AU$8.00 for the first hour and AU$6.00 for each additional hour—certainly the highest we’ve paid so far but soooooo worth it.

There’s a large grassy area studded with palm trees between the houses, street and the beach proper, and we staked a claim to a shady spot for our picnic. The adults shared a chilled bottle of Audrey Wilkinson 2008 Rosé from the Hunter Valley (north of Sydney) and a very tasty basil-and-cashew dip that Katrina had prepared this morning while the kids quickly wolfed down their sandwiches and then headed off to go swimming.

As you can see from the photos below, the beach is picture perfect: fine sand with a pinkish tinge, turquoise water, sensuously nestled in this protected spot on Middle Harbor. Actually, there are two beaches, separated in the middle by island-like Rocky Point from where you have beautiful views of Middle Head across the harbor and the bush-like Grotto Point Reserve to the north.

In the photos below, you can see the Bathers Pavilion, originally built in 1921 as a changing shed and after a multi-million dollar renovation now a fine-dining restaurant. The setting is so timeless that it’s easy to imagine Victorian-era couples in their finest dress strolling arm-in-arm down the promenade.

Balmoral is certainly no secret to Sydney locals. Next to our picnic spot, a group of people set up for what turned out to be a baby shower (complete with white table cloths and origami table decorations, not to mention tasty looking nibbles and cakes). Further down the beach, next to the Bathers Pavilion, there was a wedding in the Rotunda, located in a shady spot between huge trees. But the park and beach weren’t crammed with bodies, which I really appreciated. Since Balmoral is located on the North Shore, I’m not sure how many tourists actually make it here. For purely selfish reasons, I want Balmoral to remain as it is now, and not turn into another Bondi. (I’m sure zoning laws are on my side.)

I’m so glad that we saved this excursion to Balmoral until the end of our trip because it provided a fitting finale. Having seen quite a few Sydney beaches, both on the harbor and on the Pacific Ocean, Balmoral is hands-down my favorite. That’s quite a feat in a city that has more natural beauty than any other I’ve ever visited.

For dinner, we went to Bill and Katrina’s favorite restaurant in Willoughy called Bombe Alaska. It’s run by a Chinese couple, but the food is French/international fusion. The meal we had was not only delicious but also slow and relaxed, and it gave us a chance to celebrate our visit and the bond between the Bock and Ellis families. We were at the restaurant for a good 2 1/2 hrs and by the time we’d walked back home--just up the a couple of blocks--we all felt sated and content. Really, the perfect note on which to end our trip.

Tomorrow will be packing, maybe a last-minute walk, and then it’ll be time to head the airport for our flight home. I don’t expect that saying goodbye will be easy.

Friday, 1/15/10: Luna Park & Darling Harbor

2010-01-16T08:51:00.001+11:00

Today’s morning outing was to Luna Park, an old-fashioned amusement park at Milsons Point, right at the base of the Harbor Bridge. Fashioned after the original Luna Park on New York’s Coney Island, Sydney’s Luna Park opened its doors in 1935 and has been a beloved attraction for locals ever since. It offers a wide variety of rides, from a roller coaster (looks tame, but according to Heather is anything but) to a Ferris wheel to bumper cars and a carousel. Since my stomach doesn’t take kindly to the kind of violent agitation inflicted by roller coasters and the like, I opted not to buy a pass and instead watched the others being subjected to various kinds of abuses by mechanical contraptions. Apparently nobody was worse for the wear, just the opposite. Judging from the grins and happy faces, I’d say a very good time was had by all.

Here is the entrance to Luna Park. I don’t know about you, but I find the giant mouth swallowing people a bit diabolical.

Heather and Elena riding a bumper car.

Sophie, Lucy and Elena on the carousel.

Elena, Laura and two Luna Park employees who seem to have escapes from the set of Tim Burton’s Alice in Wonderland.

In the afternoon, Bill dropped the four Bocks plus Sophie off at Darling Harbor, a large pedestrian precinct just west of the Central Business District. Darling Harbor was originally part of the commercial port of Sydney and had become derelict by the 1980s. Sydney poured millions of dollars and huge amounts of design genius into the redevelopment of Darling Harbor, and as far as I’m concerned, their efforts were hugely successful. Darling Harbor is now home to a variety of shopping and entertainment centers, including the world’s largest IMAX screen (where, of course, Avatar was playing), the Sydney Aquarium, Sydney Wildlife World, the Powerhouse Museum, the National Maritime Museum as well as large outdoor spaces for playing and just hanging out. The waterfront setting is spectacular, with the high rises of the Central Business District providing a stunning backdrop. We only spent about four hours there, but I could have hung out all day, just walking around, watching people.

Granted, Sydney is a unique city with geographical features that virtually no other city in the world can offer, but even our lowly Sacramento could have something along the lines of Darling Harbor if they ever put their minds to it (for example in the old railroad yard adjacent to Old Sacramento).

Here are just a few photographic impressions of Darling Harbor, in no particular order.

When everybody was hot and tired, we decided to hop on the ferry across the harbor to Milsons Point (where Luna Park is located). The ferry didn’t just zoom across the harbor just instead bounced around to four other stops, which was a lot of fun. As I’ve said before, riding the ferries has been one of the highlights of our time in Sydney, and I was so glad that I had this final opportunity.

Here are some views of the Harbor Bridge and Opera House from the ferry (top) and from Milsons Point (bottom).

After dinner, we went over to friends of Bill’s and Katrina’s for dessert (merci mille fois for your warm welcome, Eleanor and Alain) and then Katrina took me around to Blues Point and Milsons Point for one final shot at photographing the skyline at night. Writing this, I feel bittersweet, knowing that we have only one full day left in Sydney. Over the last three weeks, Sydney has become home away from home, and I fallen head over heels in love with this city.

Thursday, 1/14/10: Smiggle & Art Gallery of New South Wales

2010-01-14T21:25:00.001+11:00

Last night’s thunderstorms continued on and off until early morning. We woke up to cool temps and overcast sky. Took it easy so the girls could do their homework and projects, and then went to Smiggle, an Australian stationery store chain catering to pre-teens and teens with very colorful paper products and accessories. The Ellises had brought us miscellaneous Smiggle products over the years, and Laura and Elena were excited to see a Smiggle store for themselves. The Smiggle range is rather limited, but every product comes in a variety of trendy colors such as pink, purple, apple green, cyan blue and black. I bought four large paper clips for myself, not because I have a real need for them but because they were the cheapest items in the store at AU$0.50 each. The girls got a few things each; luckily we were able to steer them away from the more expensive items :-).

After lunch, Heather and I went off on another solo outing. Bill not only graciously agreed to watch Laura and Elena but he also took us to the Art Gallery of New South Wales in the CBD. The Art Gallery of New South Wales is a very large art museum displaying all kinds of things, but it was their collections of Australian and aboriginal art that Heather and I were mostly interested in. The paintings of the early settlement period by European immigrants were interesting and often quite beautiful, especially the romanticized scenes of a pre-colonial Eden, but what fascinated me the most was the aboriginal art, ranging from bark paintings to burial poles and more modern art on canvas. The dot painting style arising from the Papunya Tula Art Movement of the early 1970s was a particular highlight. I don’t profess to have even a rudimentary understanding of the symbology and iconography, but many of the works we saw have such an innate beauty that I was able to relate to them on a purely aesthetic level.

We also took in the collections of early Japanese and Chinese art, but soon after we reached sensory overload and decided to head outside. The Art Gallery of NSW is located on the edge of the Royal Botanic Garden so Heather I decided to explore some areas we hadn’t seen yet, including the palm grove, one of the oldest parts of the Royal Botanic Garden.

As we were enjoying the many tropical and subtropical plants, we couldn’t help but notice what we initially assumed was the squawking of many hundreds of birds. A look up into the trees revealed something else entirely. What we had thought were birds were in fact, hundred and hundreds of flying foxes—large fruit bats weighing as much as 2 lbs with a wing span that exceeds 3 ft. They roost in the many palm trees in the palm grove and in other areas of the Royal Botanic Garden, and at night venture out in search of fruit and pollen. In fact, these were the bats we had seen a couple of days on our walk across the Harbor Bridge. Seeing these bats hanging upside down from tree branches—some completely still, others twitching, others flying about and screeching—was a completely surreal experience, reminiscent of a bad horror movie of the 70s. What made things even more immediate was the smell—or should I say stench!—of all the bat poop.

After our close encounter with the flying foxes, we walked back to The Rocks and did some window-shopping, marveling again at the high prices of opal jewelry and aboriginal art. Instead of retracing our steps back to the Circular Quay train station, we ended up walking across the Harbor Bridge for the second time this week. The sky was still overcast so the light was too flat to take pictures of the Opera House, but it was still a fantastic experience walking on one Sydney’s best-known landmarks enjoying perfect views of one of the most beautiful structures in the entire world!

From Milsons Point we again took the train to Artarvon, our “home station”, feeling like veteran Sydney commuters by now. Sydney is a large city, but getting to know your way around the central core isn’t difficult, and the public transportation system is excellent, with many trains, ferries and busses connecting the suburbs to the CBD.

Wednesday, 1/13/10: Blue Mountains

2010-01-13T17:42:00.001+11:00

The thunderstorm last night went on for quite a while. It was still in full force when Heather and I went to slept, but this morning it looks like it never happened. The weather is sunny, with some puffy clouds. Still fairly cool and a bit of a breeze—lovely. I wish I could bottle this perfect weather moment and unleash it as needed when it’s 90+ degrees again and humid as Hades.

Today’s outing is to the Blue Mountains, a huge area of rugged tablelands, sheer cliffs, raging waterfalls and inaccessible valleys densely covered with eucalyptus forests. The Greater Blue Mountains Area is a UNESCO World Heritage Site comprising seven national parks. It’s located a couple of hours west of central Sydney.

The drive through the western suburbs of Sydney on the Great Western Highway took us by the site of the 2000 Olympic Games. The stadium is huge; it held over 110,000 people during the games but Bill said that the stadium was modified in later years and now doesn’t hold quite that many people. It’s still used extensively for sports and other events. We also saw the Sydney Ikea store, which seems immense; bigger than our West Sacramento Ikea for sure. Other than that, there wasn’t much that distinguished one suburb from the next. I’d hate to live that far away from my job, but the situation isn’t any different in U.S. metropolitan areas.

Once we reached the Blue Mountains, my enjoyment of the drive was marred a little by the endless construction that’s going on to widen the road. Apparently the Blue Mountains are very popular with Sydney residents and tourists alike, and the existing 2-lane road infrastructure isn’t enough to cope with the number of vehicles. Small towns that would otherwise have been enjoyable to drive through and maybe walk around in are now large construction sites with road workers, temporary traffic lights and an ugly, dusty appearance. It’s all temporary but for now, the area isn’t looking its best.

Eventually we reached Katoomba, with a population of about 7,500 by far the largest town in the Blue Mountains. Our destination was the Three Sisters, the most famous rock formation in the Blue Mountains. I had expected a winding mountain road which eventually ends at a scenic viewpoint, but the reality is that you drive through a residential section of Katoomba and, wham!, the road ends and the viewpoint is right there, at the edge of town.

We parked our car a little ways away from the viewpoint to avoid paying for parking (outrageous at AU$3.80 for the first hour, and AU$4.40 for each additional hour; more even than in Sydney) and dragged our overheated bodies along a dusty residential street. It’s ironic that we chose today to go to the Blue Mountains because we thought we would escape the Sydney heat; the temperature in Katoomba according to the outdoor thermometer of our rental van was 33°C (92°F). While the humidity was still higher than what we’re used to, it wasn’t as humid as in Sydney.

The view was absolutely spectacular. The Three Sisters—Meehni, Wimlah and Gunnedoo—feature prominently in a legend that talks of three sisters who fell in love with three men from a neighboring tribe, but marriage was forbidden by tribal law. Battle ensued, and the sisters were turned to stone by an elder to protect them, but he was killed in the fighting and no one else could turn them back.

Unfortunately, mid-day is not the best time to photograph the Three Sisters (sunset seems to be the best time of day, judging from the postcards I saw at the Visitor Center). But since that’s the only opportunity I had, here’s my meager photographic haul.

We were all exhausted so we volunteered to part with our money for some outrageously priced “gelatto” (somehow using the Italian word is always an excuse for charging more). Here’s best friends Sophie and Laura enjoying their ice cream and posing in front of a giant Christmas koala.

After leaving Katoomba, we decided to swing by Wentworth Falls but unfortunately, the actual waterfall was practically dry. I’ve seen pictures that looked spectacular, but mid-summer is definitely the wrong time of year.

However, what I did enjoy were the views across the Jamison Valley. The deep sandstone cliffs and the eucalyptus forests (blue gum) that seem to go on forever are amazing. I’ve seen so many eucalyptus trees by now, and yet I can’t seem to get enough of them. Gum trees are uniquely Australian, and I like everything about them: their bark (or lack thereof), their stature, their open growth, and of course the heavenly smell of their leaves.

If it had been just the adults (i.e. Heather, Bill and me), we might have explored other areas and trails in the Blue Mountains, but the kids were so exhausted that we decided to head back towards Sydney.

We were able to check off one of the remaining items on my must-see list, the Anzac Bridge. When people think of bridges in Sydney, the invariably think of the Harbour Bridge, which is stunning. However, I find the Anzac Bridge, which I had glimpsed in the distance on several occasions, to be just as beautiful. It spans Johnstons Bay between the suburbs of Pyrmont and Rozelle near the Sydney Central Business District (CBD). I don’t know who designed it, but it reminded me strongly of Santiago Calatrava’s designs.

Driving through the CBD on the Western Distributor (with intrepid Bill Ellis at the wheel), I was busy snapping impressionistic shots of reflections of and in high rises. I can’t remember the names of the buildings, but I love the patterns.

Finally we reached the eponymous Sydney Harbour Bridge, truly one of the most beautiful bridges I’ve ever crossed. Heather and I walked across it last night, but unfortunately the view of the bridge from the pedestrian lane isn’t as impressive as it is from the car lanes. Here are two rather abstract/geometrical images that I particularly like.

6:26pm now, and the weather is gray and overcast and probably in the mid-70s. I’m loving it! Bill and I swung by the bottle shop to pick up more beer and wine. I was determined to try some wines from the Hunter Valley, just north of Sydney, an area Bill and Katrina, wine aficionados that they are, aren’t very familiar with. I picked up a bottle of 2009 Tempus Two verdelho, and I thought it was excellent. Tropical notes of grapefruit and guava, with a very pronounced citrus finish. VERY nice. I’ll be taking a bottle or two home.

Tuesday, 1/12/19: Cremorne Point, evening outing to the City

2010-01-12T14:21:00.001+11:00

This morning we went for a walk around Cremorne Point, a well-to-do harborside suburb on the lower North Shore. The first part of the walk was through a park-like setting, with views of the Central Business District across the harbor. The smaller inlet in the immediate foreground is called Shell Cove.

After a little while, the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House came into view. It was great sitting there on the rocks taking in the view.

The more we walked, the less manicured the vegetation became. This chunk of land closest to the actual point (Robertson Point) is called Cremorne Point Reserve and protects the native flora and fauna, including Sydney red gum (agophora), banksia and other endemic trees and plants.

At Robertson Point, a metal ladder attached to the sandstone cliffs leads down to the rocks from where you have an even more stunning view of the skyline. The sandstone cliffs provide nice framing.

On the left is a view of the Central Business District and the Opera House; on the right is the small lighthouse at Robertson Point.

After dinner, Heather and I struck out on our own for a night on the town. Bill drove us to Milsons Point on the north side of the Harbor Bridge, and we took a leisurely stroll across the bridge. It took us almost an hour because I stopped so many times. As the sun was setting, scores and scores and large bats appeared seemingly out of nowhere and started flying over the bridge—and us. These were very large bats, the size of seagulls, certainly larger than what we see at home.

Heather and I walked through The Rocks down to Circular Quay and around to the Opera House. By the time we got to the Opera House, it was completely dark. The views across the harbor to the bridge and Luna Park just on the other side were simply stunning, as evidenced by the many compact cameras furiously firing their flashes.

I love the way the Opera House is light at night—not too much and not too little, just right for photography. Here are some of my favorite photos from tonight’s outing:

We took the train back to Atarmon from Circular Quay, and as we were going over the Harbor Bridge, I realized that we had now crossed the bridge by car, on foot and by train. The only mode of transport left is by bike but I doubt that we’ll do that on this trip. Still, the most scenic (and my favorite) way is to cross the harbor by ferry. You see so much, in all directions. To date, riding the ferries in Sydney Harbor has been one of my favorite things to do.

It’s 11:28pm as I’m writing this, and we’re in the middle of a thunderstorm. An amazing amount of rain is coming down all of a sudden. After the heat and humidity all day, it feels GOOOOD.

Monday, 1/11/10: Down day & Freshwater Beach, Sydney

2010-01-11T17:20:00.001+11:00

Today has been a slow day, deliberately so. We slept in a little, and Laura and Elena caught up on homework and their independent projects. In the early afternoon, we went to the beach in Freshwater, a northern suburb of Sydney.

Freshwater is a complete misnomer (no freshwater in evidence), but it is a beautifully located ocean beach with very fine sand. Apparently it is the birthplace of surfing in Australia owing to the fact that there’s a headland at each end of the beach that produces excellent surf.

I didn’t see any surfers today but the Bock and Ellis girls sure had a fun time boogie boarding. Heather and I, the stodgy middle-aged couple that we are, were happy to sit on beach chairs in our little sun shelter and watch the goings-on at the waterfront.

Sunday, 1/10/10: Ferry hopping, Sydney Harbor

2010-01-10T22:34:00.001+11:00

Today we went ferry hopping in Sydney Harbor. On Sundays, you can ride public transportation in Sydney (trains, ferries, busses) all day for just AU$2.50 (a little over US$2.00). What great way to see the city, and probably the best bargain in a city where most things are anything but cheap.

Bill dropped us (i.e. the four Bocks) off at Greenwich, the same place where we took the Cockatoo Island ferry yesterday. In fact, the island you see in the first photo is Cockatoo Island. From Greenwich the ferry headed toward the city center, and we had million-dollar views wherever we looked. The 2nd photo below is of the downtown skyline.

Here is the Harbor Bridge, Sydney’s most famous landmark after the Opera House.

From Circular Quay, the big train and ferry hub in the Central Business District, we took the ferry to Watsons Bay, a beautiful beach suburb about 8 miles from downtown.

Watsons Bay is at the end of the South Head peninsula and boasts a spectacular beach. We didn’t have our bathing stuff with us so we didn’t stay too long, but it would be nice to come back during the week when it’s not so crowded.

The ferry to Watsons Bay (and back again to Circular Quay) goes right by the Opera House. It was fantastic getting an up-close view of what has to be one of the best-known buildings anywhere in the world. I can remember looking at coffee-table books of faraway places when I was young, and the Sydney Opera House has been something I’ve wanted to see ever since then. I felt a bit choked up when I saw I so close today. It really is as beautiful as you think!

The Opera House is located right around the corner from Circular Quay, and after we got back from Watsons Bay, we spent a good hour taking photos of the Opera House. I took a look of architectural abstracts that most people would find boring so I won’t post them here, but those were the images the Opera House “offered” to me, and that’s how I responded. Fellow photographers will understand what I mean.

Instead, here are a couple of cute pictures of Laura (with herself on the display of Heather’s camera), and Laura and Elena hamming it up.

After the Opera House, we strolled through the open-air market at The Rocks, a historic precinct of narrow streets very close to the Harbor Bridge. We saw a lot of kitsch offered for sale, but also some nicer stuff, including bowls and platters from native Australian woods. We also dashed into a few stores and saw stunning opal jewelry and aboriginal art. Would have loved to buy a few pieces but the prices were STEEEEP. One pair of opal earrings that Heather really liked was AU$1,600, and a small (maybe 11x14”) aboriginal painting on rag paper was AU$800. Yikes!

Also stumbled across the gallery of Australian landscape photographer Ken Duncan. Check out his website; his work is impressive and inspiring. Out of the many we saw, this one and this one were my favorites. In hindsight, I wish I’d bought one of this books.

After what seemed like hours of walking, our feet were tired and our throats parched, so we took one last ferry, from Circular Quay to Milsons Point right across the Harbor Bridge, and then the train from Milsons Point to the suburb of Artarmon where Bill picked us up.

These two pictures show the Sydney skyline and the Harbor Bridge from the ferry to Milsons Point.

Note to myself: Gotta go back to the Opera House this week to take more pictures.

Saturday, 1/9/10: Cockatoo Island, Sydney Harbor

2010-01-10T21:03:00.001+11:00

Cockatoo Island is the largest island in Sydney Harbor. In its varied past, it has been home to a prison, industrial school, reformatory and in the 20th century, one of Australia’s biggest shipyard. During WWII, for example, more than 20 ships were built there. Industrial activity ended in 1992, and now Cockatoo Island is one of Sydney’s most intriguing places to visit. A campground was opened in 2008 and regular ferry service connects the island to the mainland.

Bill and Katrina had camped on Cockatoo Island twice before and had made reservations for Saturday night. In the picture below you can see the tents available for rent. The tents we had came with two Therm-a-Rest mattresses, two camp chairs and a lantern. You can also bring you own tent if you choose.

The camping facilities are actually among the nicest I’ve ever seen. The bathrooms and showers are large, modern and clean. The outdoor kitchen has free gas barbecues, sinks, cleaning supplies AND refrigerators. Very nice!

For dinner we barbecued hamburgers and sausages on the very handy gas BBQs, and then the adult went for a post-sunset stroll around the island. This is a view of the Sydney Harbor Bridge, with some of the industrial facilities on Cockatoo Island in the foreground.

For photographers, Cockatoo Island is a paradise. Many of the industrial buildings are readily accessible, with nobody chaperoning you along. All lights on the island are turned out at 10:30pm, but until then you can freely walk around. Many of the buildings (some of them HUGE) still have large machinery and equipment in them, which makes photography even more interesting. In the U.S., you’d have to be part of a photography workshop to have that kind of access. On Cockatoo Island it is free!

Here are just some of the many photos I took:

Unfortunately, the weather gods smiled on us a little too enthusiastically. The temps were in the high 90s, with much higher humidity than what we’re used to, and practically no breeze to make it more bearable. The temperatures didn’t really drop much at night either; I think it was in the mid-80s all night. We all suffered a bit from the excessive heat, the humidity and the attendant stickiness, and were wishing for the kind of weather we’d had in Tasmania :-).

Friday, 1/8/10: Sheffield to Launceston back to Sydney

2010-01-08T20:13:00.001+11:00

Our last day in Tasmania.

We left our cottage at The Granary this morning at 9am and drove to Sheffield to take a closer look at the murals. Wow, there is some real talent on display here. Here are just some of the 30+ murals on display on this small farming town of 1,500.

After a quick dash into a bakery for some scones and muffins to sustain us on the road, we continued on to Launceston, with a population of 100,000 the second largest town in Tasmania. Our Rough Guide to Tasmania had some nice things to say about the historic town center dating back to the early 1800s, but the reality was quite different. Yes, there were some beautiful original buildings, but the overall impression of the town was not very positive. Some disastrous decisions were made by the city planners in the 60s and 70s to allow the most hideous concrete structures to be built. Now you have beautiful Georgian architecture surrounded by depressing buildings that would look right at home in some former Soviet republic.

The most interesting photos of downtown Launceston I can offer are these two:

At least they have a sense of humor.

The only decent thing about Launceston is Cataract Gorge where you can walk across the South Esk River on a suspension bridge or via chair lift. The gorge looks quite scenic and seems to be enjoyed much by locals and tourists alike.

We had lunch at a nice café in the village of Evandale just a few kilometers from the Launceston airport. The restaurant had a beautiful cottage garden and courtyard with tables.

The Ellis and Bock girls sure enjoyed their lunch!

Car rental return and check-in at the Launceston airport went quickly, and after a 1 1/2 hr flight we were back in Sydney at 5pm. This past week went by so quickly, and yet it feels like we were gone for a month, probably because we saw so many different things!

Another week left in our Great Australian Vacation…

Thursday, 1/7/10: Marakoopa Cave, Trowunna Wildlife Park

2010-01-08T18:55:00.001+11:00

FROM LAURA’S JOURNAL:

Today we went to Marakoopa Cave [in Mole Creek Karst National Park in north-central Tasmania, about an hour from the place where we’re staying near Sheffield].

We were in the cave for an hour. We got to see an underground river and we also got to see glow worms. The color of them was the color of glow-in-the-dark stars.

After we went outside, we got to eat glow worms (i.e. gummy snakes). We drove into the town of Mole Creek and Lucy, Sophie, Elena and I shared two bowls of French fries (which are called “chips” in Australia).

Then we went to Trowunna Wildlife Park [not a zoo, but a wildlife sanctuary and research center]. I got to:

hold a baby wombat named Otto

pet a Tasmanian devil

watch Tasmanian devils eat [they are fed pademelons, wallabies and possums]

and hand-feed wallabies and kangaroos

HERE IS HOW ELENA DESCRIBED THE DAY IN HER JOURNAL:

Today we went to Marakoopa Cave. It had stalagmites and stalactites. It was 9 degrees Celsius. The cave was awesome!!

Then we went to Trowunna Wildlife Park. We saw a baby wombat named Otto. After that, we saw a bigger one named Lily. She weighed 18 kilos, which is about 40 lbs. Next, we saw the Tassy devils eat. Kate, the guide, went to feed them. Do you know what? Marble, a Tassy devil, was going to bite her! Luckily, she was safe. Soon we went to feed kangaroos. Then we went home. Today is extra special.

HERE IS WHAT GERHARD HAS TO SAY:

Animal Planet come to life. How can you top this?

Evening. I wanted to capture the absolutely brilliant night sky so I set up for a multi-hour exposure but when I came back outside in the middle of the night to bring in the camera, the sky was mostly overcast and the lens was fogged up. I didn’t think I’d gotten anything, but the photo actually turned out pretty nice. Here is Mount Roland with partial star trails:

Wednesday, 1/6/10: Cradle Mountain National Park

2010-01-08T18:44:00.001+11:00

Got up early because Bill, Katrina and I wanted to hike to Marions Lookout in Cradle Mountain National Park. Heather graciously offered to stay behind at The Granary to watch the kids.

This is what I saw when I looked out the window of our cottage at 7am. What a view to greet you first thing in the morning!

The 35-mile drive to Cradle Mountain over narrow and winding roads took just a little under an hour. We were able to drive straight to the parking lot at Dove Lake, and it was less than half full. Certainly a huge difference from yesterday afternoon when no more cars were being allowed into the park because the parking lots—small to begin with, at least compared to U.S. national parks—were full.

We started our hike at 8:50am in very windy conditions. The trail started innocuous enough but soon kicked into high gear with a steep boardwalk up to Lake Lilla, one of the many smallish but picturesque lakes dotting the landscape.

Another climb took us to Wombat Pool, the kind of swampy environment wombats prefer. Wombats are crepuscular (i.e. most active at dusk and dawn) so we didn’t sight any right then, although we did later in the evening. What we did see more and and more were rocks beautifully overgrown with green and red lichen. I don’t know what makes the lichen turn red, but it certainly was a stunning color. Bill and Katrina acted as my scouts, finding things for me to photograph.

The rest of the hike was quite strenuous, especially the numerous steep sections. One section, about 3/4 of the way to the top, even had chains installed horizontally like handrails to hold on to as we scrambled over boulders and scree. The hike to Marions Lookout is rated “moderate”, but considering that I spend most of my days glued to a computer and most of my daily exercise consists of climbing the stairs in our house and not boulder-strewn mountains in the southern hemisphere, I got seriously winded on the steeper sections. But when we finally got to the top, I was proud of myself and happy that I hadn’t listened to the lazy bastard inside of me who would have preferred to stay in bed this morning.

It actually wasn’t as windy and cold at the top as it had been on the exposed ridge before the summit climb. When we first got to the top, there were two other people there (one guy was the archetypical “serious” hiker, wearing shorts even in 50°F weather) but they left quickly and then we had the summit all to ourselves! Bill had brought ham-and-cheese sandwiches, and I can’t remember the last time I had such a tasty al fresco meal!

Here are Bill and Katrina at Marions Lookout.

And here am I, incontrovertible photographic proof that I, too, made it to the top.

View of Little Horn and Cradle Mountain from Marions Lookout. The lake below is Dove Lake where we started our hike.

Closer view of Dove Lake.

The descent went quite a bit faster than the ascent although maneuvering the steep sections still required concentration. We saw a lot more people on the way down than we had on the way up, and we were glad that we had started out relatively early in the morning.

Waiting at the bottom was this beautiful view of Dove Lake, Little Horn (left), Cradle Mountain (middle) and Marions Lookout (the mesa on the right). I was sweaty and tired but happy to have done it. Knowing what I now know, I would do it again!

After a quick lunch at the café at the park entrance (same place where we parked and lunched yesterday), we headed to Sheffield to get groceries for this evening’s dinner (pasta with Bolognese sauce).

Heather and the kids had a good day as well. The Granary has quite a range of amenities for fun and play, including an Activity Center with pool, ping-pong and air-hockey tables, PlayStation and Xboxes, hundreds of DVDs and even some old exercise equipment. In addition, there are a tree house, a secret garden, a soccer field and a small miniature golf course—all of it a bit “daggy” to adult eyes, but the kids certainly don’t care that everything is a bit worn around the edges.

For the evening, we had booked a “Night with the Animals” tour at Cradle Mountain. The idea is to drive around the park in vans equipped with spotlights to look for nocturnal animals. Our hopes were high of seeing all kinds of Tasmanian wildlife.

We got on the tour van at 8:45pm and within 5 minutes, en route to the campground to pick up more people, we spotted a Tasmanian devil crossing the road, turning around and crossing the road a second time before running into the bush. Man, was it fast! Tasmanian devils are the largest carnivorous marsupials, about the size of a terrier. They often have white markings on their back to blend in with their surroundings. They are typically scavengers, “nature’s vacuum cleaners”, as our driver said. Tasmanian devils used to live on the Australian mainland as well but became extinct there about 600 years ago, most likely because of food competition from the dingoes who hunt in packs. Tasmania is now the last place where they still can be found in the wild, although in the last 10 years their numbers have been reduced by as much as 70% in some regions because of Devil Facial Tumor Disease (DFTD), a contagious cancer that causes bulbous lesions on their face and then spreads throughout their body. Affected devils are usually dead within 3 months. Feverish efforts are underway to isolate healthy populations to ensure the survival of the species. Our driver said there are probably less than 10,000 Tasmanian devils left in the wild. They are very shy, and seeing them in the wild is a special treat.

Over the next hour and a half, we spotted scores of Bennetts wallabiess, pademelons (pronounced “PADDY-melon”; smaller and plumper than wallabies), and of course wombats. Wombats are the closest relatives of koalas. They are chunky marsupials, looking somewhat like a toppled Buddha statue on four legs. They look fat and slow but apparently can outrun the fastest human over short distances. They have sharp claws on their front feet and can hold their own in encounters with predators. We saw several with bare spots on their back, according to our driver from encounters with Tasmanian devils, who LOOOOOVE to eat wombats.

Another highlight of the tour was the sighting of a spotted quoll, a ferret-sized predator with pronounced spots on its back. Quoll sightings in the wild are even rarer than Tasmanian devil sightings. Everybody on the bus was excited when we spotted it by the side of the road. The driver turned off the engine and we were able to watch the quoll just sit there for almost a minute before it dashed across the road, turned around to look at us, and then ran off into the bush.

At around 10:30pm, after dropping off passengers at their various accommodations, the van made its way back to the transfer terminal where our car was parked. Just before we turned into the parking lot, we spotted another Tasmanian devil! This one didn’t have a stripe and darted off into the bush pretty quickly, but it was clearly a devil. Our driver was as excited as we were!

After we’d gotten off the van and were almost at our cars, our driver called us over for yet another sighting: a brushtail possum on top of a garbage dumpster behind the café where we’d had lunch! Possums are very common—Sophie calls them “Australia’s nocturnal squirrels”—but it was still nice to see yet another endemic Aussie animal.

The hour-long drive back to The Granary along solitary mountain roads was anything but boring. We spotted scores of pademelons and Bennetts wallabies grazing along the side of the road, or hopping about. What a bizarre sight, to see all these small kangaroo relatives in the headlights of our car!

Our last animal sighting of the night was right in front of our cottage: another brushtail possum, this one a fat adult. Even though this isn’t a densely populated area, there are houses here and there, which means more garbage to be scavenged.

The final highlight of the evening was the night-time sky. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many stars! Star after star after star, some extremely bright. We also saw several galaxies, looking like faint clouds in the sky. There is zero light pollution here and the air is extremely clean, so it’s no surprise that the stars are so brilliant. What a way to end an unforgettable day!

Tuesday, 1/5/10: Strahan to Sheffield via Cradle Mountain

2010-01-08T18:34:00.001+11:00

We left Strahan this morning at 9am to heavily overcast skies. The next town we came to was Zeehan, a boom-and-bust silver-lead mining town founded in 1890. At one point in the late 19th century, it was Tasmania’s 3rd largest city after Hobart and Launceston and boasted a stock exchange, 27 pubs and, most especially, the Gaiety Theatre (see below), at the time the largest opera house in all of Australia. Now the Gaiety Theatre is closed—even the Zeehan Jam Shop formerly located on the ground floor is closed. Pardon me for being cynical, but a jam (as in fruit preserves) shop in a moribund town is not exactly the best business plan! These days, Zeehan’s claim to fame is that it’s the only town in Tasmania that begins with the letter “Z”.

After Zeehan, things went downhill as far as towns went. Next came Rosebery—its incorrectly spelled name a testament to its redneck mining roots. However, even Rosebery was high class compared to the next hamlet: Tullah. The only interesting thing about this former silver-lead mining town was its name. Optimists that we are, we stopped in hopes of procuring lunch, but Heather and Katrina’s food-finding expedition into the local “store” (it didn’t even have a name) yielded nothing but a monumental thumbs down. Just as well, I suppose. Who knows what any victuals purchased there might have done to our digestive systems.

Sophie and I entertained ourselves with a game of finding a potential career for her in Tullah. The choices ranged from working in the store, to cleaning rooms at the local motel, which was Sophie’s favorite option. (I would have picked working in the post office; at least it would have ensured you of a pension in your old age.)

Things began to pick up as we crossed into the Kentish Plateau. The photo below is of the prettily named Vale of Beauvoir (“beautiful view” in French). The landscape was mostly marshy grassland, again reminiscent of Yorkshire, minus the gum trees, of course.

It wasn’t much longer until we reached Cradle Mountain National Park, a land of craggy peaks, rugged lakes and alpine moorlands, windswept and exposed to the elements.

We parked at the transit terminal right outside the park, and from the number of cars and people milling about, it was obvious that Cradle Mountain is one of the best-loved places in Tasmania. Luckily, the park operates a very efficient shuttle bus system (free with the purchase of a park pass), and after a quick lunch at the overcrowded and overpriced café we hopped on the bus to Dove Lake, the terminus of the shuttle bus route and the jumping-off point for most hikes in the park.

Before we even had half a chance to ooh and aah over the mountain vistas, we chanced upon a Bennetts wallaby hanging out near the parking area. I couldn’t believe how close it let me come. The photo below was shot with a wide-angle lens! It was no more than 3 feet away.

Even though I’m sure we provided scintillating company for the wallaby, our negligence in giving it food eventually sealed our fate and the wallaby hopped off into the bush. Nice butt!

Here’s a photo of Laura (red jacket) and Lucy (dark green jacket) communing with our new friend.

After the wallaby had gone on its merry way, we finally had an opportunity to take in the views. Pretty darn marvelous! This is Dove Lake in the foreground, Little Horn on the left and Cradle Mountain on the right.

We walked to Glacier Rock, a huge outcropping on the east side of the lake which offers prime views from the top. The wind was blowing hard so we didn’t linger.

The others went on another short walk on the other side of the lake, and I poked around the lakeshore by myself. The photo gods were on my side when I came upon the view below. What could be more iconic than a beautiful mountain, a crystal clear lake and two kayaks ready for a paddle!

Next on the agenda was a hike from Snake Hill to Ronny Creek along a wooden boardwalk that crosses sensitive buttongrass and coral fern moors and meanders through a ghost tree forest.

This was one of the most spectacular walks I’ve ever done, not so much because it offered grand vistas (although there were nice views of Cradle Mountain) but because the boardwalk allowed us to get up close to an environment that is usually off-limits due to its sensitive nature.

After catching the shuttle bus at Ronny Creek and riding back to the parking area, we headed to our home for the next three days: AAA Granary, a 130-acre sheep grazing property with a bunch of self-contained cottages located in a place with the heavenly name of Promised Land on the Kentish Plains, 7 miles outside the town of Sheffield in north-central Tasmania. Our rental has four bedrooms, a large living room, dining room, kitchen and laundry room. It’s not the most stylish or luxurious, but it’s perfect for our needs AND it offers stunning views of Mount Roland, a monolithic mountain dominating the landscape to the east. Mount Roland is said to possess a spiritual and mystical presence and is called by some “Tasmania’s Uluru” (still known to most Americans as Ayers Rock).

The photo below was taken from our back deck. The little house seen in the picture is actually a meditation house, now a bit shabby and run down but still offering amazing views.

The next photo is of Mount Roland as well, as seen from the road to the near-by town of Sheffield.

Nowhere Else, Tasmania. Has a certain ring to it, doesn’t it? I can see the commercial: “Out of love, out of luck, out of money? When you think you’ve got nowhere else to go, there’s Nowhere Else to go!”

Sheffield is the hub of activity for this area. An uncomplicated town of maybe a 1,000 people, it’s known as the “Town of Murals”. The first mural was painted in 1986 by an artist named John Lendis, and more than 30 have been added since then. There are hardly any blank walls left in town. We were in a hurry to get our grocery-shopping done before the IGA closed at 6pm and didn’t have much time to look around, but I want to go back tomorrow to do some exploring.

P.S. No free wireless Internet access at The Granary either.

Monday, 1/4/10: Strahan, Gordon River cruise

2010-01-08T18:31:00.001+11:00

This morning Laura and Elena caught up on homework and their independent projects and I wrote the blog entry for yesterday. At 11am, we caught up with the Ellises and walked downtown. All the businesses are on a 3- or 4-block stretch along the waterfront. Strahan only has 500 people so it doesn’t take long to walk from one end to the other. Even so, it is the tourism hub for the west coast of Tasmania and as such can be quite busy in the summer. It is located on the Macquarie Harbour, a body of water six times the size of Sydney Harbour (in American English, we’d call it a bay, not a harbor).

Our first stop was Tasmanian Special Timbers, a sawmill specializing in salvaged and stockpiled timber, including huon pine, blackwood and sassafras. We bought several huon pine burls to take home and got four offcut rounds for free. They also had things like bread and cheese boards made of a variety of woods as well as larger items such as coffee-table tops. It was a great way to get a close-up look at how the famed huon pines are processed.

We then walked along the waterfront to a park and were going to continue on to a waterfall but decided against it since it was starting to rain. Instead, we turned around and walked back into town to have lunch at a bakery. By the time we got our sandwiches and sat down outside, the weather had done a complete turnaround and the sun was coming out. We took our sweet time eating our scrolls (like cinnamon rolls, except these were filled with apples) and scones, and then lazed about languidly under our sun umbrella until it was time to board our boat for the Gordon River cruise. By then (2:30 pm), the sun and blue sky were gone and it was gray again.

Our boat, the Lady Jane Franklin II, is a high-tech catamaran design, 32 m (105 ft) long and 9.5 m (31 ft) wide, with a staff of 30 and a crew of 7. It can carry 212 passengers and goes up to 60 km/h (38 mph). We had four window seats for the kids and four seats in the middle for the adults, but since the windows are floor-to-ceiling and the center seats are raised, everybody had a fantastic view.

After a quick cup of coffee, I headed for the upper deck that extends about half the length of the boat and affords 360° views. Darting back and forth between bow and stern, I tried to take in all the vistas at once. The endlessly changing interplay of sky, water and light was amazing.

When we left Strahan, the sky was an almost solid gray, but within 20 minutes, the cloud cover broke up and revealed patches of blue sky and puffy white clouds. One of my favorite views was the wake of the boat against the dramatic clouds above it.

The first leg of our cruise was from Strahan to Hells Gate, the treacherous 80 m (264 ft) wide entrance to the harbor from the Southern Ocean. Standing at the bow looking out toward Hells Gate was an exhilarating experience. When the boat was going at full speed, the wind was so strong that I had a hard time even turning around. If I hadn’t had the hood of my sweatshirt tied tightly around my head, I’m sure the wind would have ripped my sunglasses right off.

Approaching Hells Gate, we passed two small islands with lighthouses. Looking west past the harbor opening, there’s nothing but open sea between here and South America, some 6,000 miles to the east. It’s almost impossible for me to wrap my mind around this notion.

Right at Hells Gate the boat turned around and started to head inland toward the Gordon River. Braving a squall of rain or two, we passed a number of fish farms that raise rainbow and brook trout, Atlantic salmon and other fish. The superb smoked salmon we later had for dinner came from one of these farms.

About 1 1/2 hours into our cruise, we entered the Gordon River proper. On both sides of the river, the vegetation reaches all the way down to the water. The water is a rich brown from the tannins that leach from the roots of the huon pines growing right along the water and often into it.

A little higher up, celery-top pines, sassafras, myrtles, ironwood and leatherwood trees (currently in bloom) create a mixed forest. Particularly steep sections where landslides had occurred have been taken over by Tasmanian tree ferns.

What is particularly striking is the total lack of human presence. There are no roads, no power lines, no dwellings of any kind. You are surrounded by pristine nature, undisturbed and primordial.

14 km (9 miles) upriver we stopped at Heritage Landing just inside Franklin—Gordon Wild Rivers National Park. A boardwalk leads through an unadulterated section of temperate rainforest, densely overgrown with lush vegetation. Moss and ferns are everywhere, and the air is cool and moist.

Huon pines grow from fallen logs more than a thousand years old, at a glacial rate of 3 mm (0.1 inch) a year. Spindly specimens are 50+ years old while others currently 1 ft thick are 500+ years old. The cutting of huon pines is now illegal; only naturally fallen trees can be salvaged. There are enough fallen trees along the Gordon River to last for another 100 years at the current rate of salvage. After that, huon pines will be very hard to come by. As it is, articles made of huon pines—ranging from small items like cutting boards and pepper shakers to larger pieces like coffee-table tops and abstract sculptures—are already quite expensive, and prices are expected to skyrocket over the years to come. Our tour guide called huon pine timber “wooden gold”.

After our rainforest excursion, we turned around and headed back downriver toward Macquarie Harbour. Fairly soon we were invited to come to the dinner buffet, well-stocked with a variety of salads and my personal favorite, local smoked salmon. The salmon was so good that I went back for seconds. Katrina bought a bottle of Tasmanian sauvignon blanc (2008 42 Degrees South) that was really nice.

Not long after dinner we docked at Sarah Island, the infamous prison island that was notorious for its unrelenting use of punishment for even the smallest infractions. Founded in 1822 (predating the Port Arthur penal colony southeast of Hobart), it soon gained a reputation for being hell on earth.

Here is a list of offences committed by prisoners in 1830, and the attendant punishment:

Leaving his work and going into the garden and stealing parsley: 10 days of solitary confinement [see photo above of cell house ruins]
Stating to the sentry at the lumber yard that he did not give a damn for him or anyone: one month in irons
Having fish hooks in his possession and leaving his gang to go fishing: 25 lashes
Absconding into the woods and taking with him an axe: 150 lashes and irons

The punishment for more serious offences was even more drastic—execution for attempting to escape, for example. Today only a few modest ruins remind visitors of the island’s terrible past.

Everybody else in our group was doing the guided tour of the island but I peeled off and struck out on my own. I took a few pictures of the ruins but my main focus were the island’s natural attractions.

I took a beautiful abstract of teatree trunks ghostly white against the dark background and, just minutes before I had to be back at the boat, some ethereal images of tree fern fronds against the white sky. I’m in love with these images; they’re among my favorites of our trip so far.

The return trip to Strahan from Sarah Island took about 45 minutes and the weather got ever more brooding, with occasional downpours hitting the boat. Everybody had a big smile on their face as we debarked. For me, this cruise was the high point of our Australia trip thus far, and the sights we saw will remain with me for a long time to come.

The walk up the steep hill from the dock to our cabins took only 15 minutes but none of us could wait to kick off our shoes, have a glass of wine and then head off to bed, which is what I’m about to do.

PS: Still no Internet connection, so posting this entry, and all the others from Tasmania, has to wait. Tomorrow we’re leaving for Cradle Mountain. I’m hoping our place in Sheffield will have Internet access, otherwise I’ll post all Tasmania entries from Sydney on Friday evening.

Sunday, 1/3/10: Hobart to Strahan

2010-01-08T18:21:00.001+11:00

After solid and filling breakfast at our hotel, we spent a couple of leisurely hours strolling around downtown Hobart. Hobart was founded in 1804 (Australia’s second oldest city after Sydney) and has a wealth of colonial architecture.

The dockside warehouses of the wealthy merchants of yore at Salamanca Place have been tastefully transformed into galleries, restaurants and shops. This is where the Saturday Market is held (the source of all the traffic yesterday). However, since today is Sunday, and it’s early to boot, there were very few people around.

Several times we heard church bells pealing in the distance as we explored the narrow streets of Battery Point, a quaint and picturesque inner-city village above Salamanca Place reached via Kellys Steps, a steep staircase that connects the wharf to this residential area.

Battery Point was settled in the late 1820s when then Lieutenant-governor Arthur advertised “delectable building sites that will inevitably become the resort of the Beau Monde”. I don’t know if the “Beau Monde” ever lived there, but I loved the beautiful houses, many of them surprisingly compact (like the one below) even though there were larger mansions as well. What did ruin Battery Point a little for me were a few ugly apartment buildings from the 1960s or 70s that would have been right at home in Soviet-Era Stalingrad.

Bill and Katrina at Arthurs Circus in the heart of Battery Point

Sophie

Back at Sullivans Cove, Hobart’s harbor, we saw a neat drawbridge that allows the many leisure craft moored there to enter and exit the jetties. There were still quite a few sailboats from the Sydney-Hobart race that had just taken place—sleek and modern-looking.

After a quick refueling stop at a “petrol station”, we headed out of town in a westerly direction toward Mt Field National Park. I’d found photos of Russell Falls in a guide book and really wanted to see it myself. At the visitor center we bought a “holiday pass” for AU$60 that allows us to visit all 19 national parks in Tasmania over the next 90 days. That’s an astounding number of national parks for one island! As I said yesterday, 40% of Tasmania is protected in one form or another.

We’d seen Tasmanian tree ferns growing along the road already, but the trail to Russell Falls was unbelievable. We walked through a veritable forest of tree ferns! Many of them were much taller than I ever expected tree ferns to be, with a rather sizable trunk. It was like being transported back to the age of the dinosaurs.

While we didn’t see any dinosaurs, we did see a couple of pademelons (pronounced “PADDY-melon”), a smaller kangaroo-relative, and even a platypus which is very shy and rarely seen in the wild. Laura was the first to spot the platypus and had the honor of logging her sighting in a special register at the visitor center. Her entry was the first of the day!

Russell Falls did not disappoint either. In the U.S., a place like this would be mobbed with people, but there were only 20 or 25 people at the falls at any given time even though now is the prime travel season for Tasmania.

Russell Falls is a two-tiered cascade about 120 ft high. It’s a beautiful site made uniquely Tasmanian by the tree ferns that grow on either side of it. I could have spent hours there, enjoying the rushing water and the tree ferns gently swaying in the breeze.

Since we were on a schedule (we had to reach Strahan on the west coast), we pressed on. The next couple of hours were spent in the car, but the scenery was never less than impressive.

This is Meadowbank Lake near the intersection of C606 and A10 in the Central Plateau, as the highlands in the middle of Tasmania are called.

Highway A10 meandered languorously through open forests of eucalyptus, a sight Heather and I couldn’t get enough of. The weather alternated between moody clouds and outright downpours and was perfect for this kind of landscape.

Further west we crossed vast bogs that looked like the moors of Yorkshire (hello, Emily Bronte!). Except for a few small--very small--settlements, we saw no signs of human presence. I don’t think I’ve ever driven on a road that traverses such pristine beauty.

Close-up of two eucalyptus trunks

At 4 pm we reached the town of Derwent Bridge and decided to take a quick side tour to Lake St Clair, one of the crown jewels of Cradle Mountain—Lake St Clair National Park. It was drizzling steadily now, with temperatures in the mid-50s, and the kids weren’t thrilled by the weather. I, on the other hand, loved it!

At the edge of Lake St Clair, I ran into a nice lady who almost waxed poetic about the rain and the cool temperatures. She was from Queensland, a state known for its (sub)tropical climate and humidity, and was thrilled to experience such cool weather in the summer.

The Lake St Clair Visitor Center had a nice display of Tasmanian animals, and Laura was thrilled to find a stuffed echidna!

Australia has the quirkiest road signs. Their designs are very graphical and sometimes just a little over the top. I’ll do a separate blog entry after collecting a few more examples, but here’s one of our favorites.

Continuing on A10, the Lyell Highway, we saw glimpses of mountains all around. Their peaks were surrounded by swirling mists.

The open eucalyptus forests gradually gave way to a thicker type of forest with a dense undergrowth of ferns, making for an even more primordial landscape. The road meandered up and down mountains, skirted lakes of infinite solitude and beauty, and occasionally revealed vistas of deep valleys that looked like no human had ever crossed them. I don’t think I’ve ever seen so much natural beauty along one single highway!

All of this changed when we got to the outskirts of Queenstown about 25 miles from the west coast of Tasmania. In 1883, gold was discovered on Mount Lyell near Queenstown, and soon copper was being extracted as well. Within 20 years, the hills surrounding the town had been logged (the timber went into the smelters), sulphurous fumes had destroyed the vegetation, and heavy rains had eroded the topsoil. Water filtered through the tailings rich in sulphides to create a toxic brew of sulphuric acid and heavy metals. The damage to the environment was catastrophic. The smelters closed in the late 1960s but it is estimated that it will take another 400 years for nature to repair the worst damage.

Queenstown itself is utilitarian, with tin-roofed houses and a reputation for being redneck--a surprise to no one. Rough-and-tumble places like this aren't exactly uncommon in resource-rich Australia. However, after hours of driving through pristine natural environments, it was a rude shock to come upon such utter destruction of the very beauty we had just enjoyed.

The last leg of our journey, 25 miles to Strahan, was spent fighting off a vague sense of depression that Queenstown had left behind. We arrived in Strahan at 7 pm, tired and hungry after a long day on the road, and quickly checked into our cabins (“self-contained cottages”, as they call them here). After a simple but quite delicious dinner of local trevally (a white fish) and rainbow trout (which looked and tasted like salmon) at a seaside tavern, plus a couple of bottles of surprisingly nice Tasmanian pinot grigio (2008 9th Island), we put the kids to bed. The adults looked at the photos Heather and I had taken today (a couple of hundred, at least) but pretty soon the Ellises went off to their cabin and Heather and I fell into bed, soon dead to the world.

Saturday, 1/2/10: Sydney to Hobart, Tasmania

2010-01-08T18:17:00.001+11:00

This morning, the four Bocks and the four Ellises flew from Sydney to Hobart, Tasmania on Jetstar, an Australian discount airline. Flight time was about 1.5 hrs and many of us snoozed on the plane since we’d gotten up very early.

As we approached Hobart Airport, we got an excellent view of the River Derwent that connects Hobart to the Southern Ocean about 6 miles downstream. Tasmania is located so far south that there’s nothing but open ocean between here and South America, 6,000 miles to the east. And Antarctica is only a hop, skip and a jump to the south, a mere 1,500 miles or so away. If you look at a map or globe, you will see that Tasmania truly is on the edge of the world!

After we landed we got our rental cars, and I volunteered to drive ours with Katrina as my navigator. It had been 5 years since our trip to England so it took some getting used to driving on the left side of the road again. I elicited a few involuntary groans from Katrina by getting too close to the left edge of the road but in general managed to avoid an accident.

First we tried to go to the Salamanca Market in downtown Hobart because they have a large farmer’s market cum flea market every Saturday morning. Unfortunately, this weekend is also a large food & wine festival and the number of cars and pedestrians was a rude surprise, considering Hobart is a town of only 150,000. After driving around the Salamanca Market area for about 30 minutes without finding parking, we decided to cut our losses and head straight to our next destination, the Tahune Air Walk about 90 minutes to the southwest of Hobart.

About half of the drive follows the Huon River, which is surprisingly wide and very picturesque. Parts of the scenery—the river with the mountains to the north—reminded me of photos of New Zealand that I’d seen in books. There are lots of orchards in this part of Tasmania, many of them covered with netting (to prevent birds from eating the fruit?), and we saw fruit stands offering apples, pears and cherries.

The Tahune Air Walk is located on the edge of the Tasmanian Wilderness World Heritage Area that comprises five national parks and 3.4 million acres, 20% of the total land mass of Tasmania. I read that over 40% of Tasmania is protected, either in national parks, conservation areas or state preserves of some kind. Where else are you going to find this?

The area we drove through to get to the Tahune Air Walk looks to be pure wilderness. The nearest town, Geeveston, is about 40 minutes away. The last leg of the drive from Geeveston took us through forests that at first glance could have been anywhere in Northern California. However, it didn’t take long to realize that the trees aren’t the conifers we’re familiar with, but rather gum trees (eucalyptus). Blue gum seems to be particularly common here. The road was bordered on either side by a variety of ferns, almost lime green in coloring. The smaller ones are blechnum ferns, with fronds about 2 ft long. The larger ones are Tasmanian tree ferns, with fronds up to 6-7 ft long. Definitely not the kind of vegetation that grows at home!

The Air Walk is a steel walkway about 120 ft off the forest floor. It affords outstanding views both of the tree canopy above and the forest floor below. The tallest trees were stringybarks, yet another member of the eucalyptus family. We also saw sassafras, dogwood (not related to our Western dogwood), several types of acacia, and a tree called “horizontal” because it tends to grow, well, horizontally rather than vertically. There were also blooming tea trees.

The wind was blowing quite strongly at times (gusts up to 30 mph according to a ranger we met), and the walkway did jiggle a little in spite of its strong steel supports. Normally I’m a bit squeamish about heights—and I absolutely hate suspended foot bridges like what you sometimes find across small rivers—but I was OK with this.

The final section of the walkway is cantilevered and therefore particularly bouncy. The ranger there assured us that it is engineered to hold 12 baby elephants—sure sounds like a lot of weight! It overlooks the confluence of the Rivers Huon and Picton and affords views as far as the eye can see.

Along the River Huon grows the famed Tasmanian huon pine, highly sought after by the early settlers for its rot-resistant wood. Huon pines were used extensively in shipbuilding, a vital industry on an island so isolated. Apparently next to the bristlecone pine found in California’s White Mountains, the huon pine is the oldest living thing in the world; some have been dated to be 3,000 years old. They only grow near the river because they need a constant supply of water.

The tannin from the huon pines leaches into the water, which is why the River Huon looks like black tea. When Laura used the restroom at the Tahune Air Walk visitor center, she came back and told me how gross the water looked. I’d read that even the drinking water in the area is colored, but that it is completely safe. Still, it is a bit disconcerting to turn on the faucet and have yellow, brackish-looking water come out :-).

Here are some pictures of the girls enjoying the Air Walk:

After we got back to Hobart, we checked into our hotel—rather nice, with the reception, restaurant and conference facilities located in a historic building from 1914 that used to house a school for the deaf, mute and blind—and then proceeded to have dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Amigo’s. It was a bit odd to eat Mexican food in Tasmania (definitely not a center of Mexican immigration), but my chicken in mole negro was outstanding. In fact, it was the best mole I’ve ever had in a restaurant outside of Mexico. The margaritas, on the other hand, were rather disappointing due to a pronounced lack of tequila. I’m not sure there was any in it!

Side note 1: After the lackluster margarita, I had a glass of house wine (called “cleanskin” here). It was a Tasmanian riesling that was surprisingly good. Tropical fruit notes, with a coconut overtone. Gotta look for more Tasmanian wine. They grow mostly cool-climate grapes, in particular riesling, gewürztraminer and pinot noir. I love off-dry riesling and will try to obtain a bottle or two tomorrow. In Australia, supermarkets don’t sell alcohol, so you have to go to a “bottle shop” (pronounced “BAW-oh” in Aussie-speak).

Side note 2: No free Internet connection at the hotel (the “special” rate is AU$0.79 per minute, or AU$29 per 24-hr period), so it may be a little while before this blog entry gets posted.

Thursday, 12/31/09: New Year’s Eve fireworks over Sydney Harbour

2010-01-01T11:16:00.001+11:00

Sydney has two fireworks shows on New Year’s Eve: a 6-minute display at 9pm and a 12-minute display at midnight. Since we weren’t sure if the younger girls would make it until midnight, we decided to see the 9pm show. We took the train from Atarmon near Bill and Katrina’s house to Milsons Point, about a 20 minute ride, and arrived right under the bridge.

We had to pass through a security checkpoint to enter Bradfield Park. Bill’s backpack was searched for alcohol. It’s illegal to bring alcohol to the various venues although they do sell it there.

It’s hard to describe how crowded the park was. It seemed like every square inch was taken up by blankets, people or lawn chairs. Many people arrive hours early to secure the best spot. We carefully made our way through the throngs to a spot close to the front of the upper terrace and actually had a terrific view of the bridge, the water, and the downtown skyline and the Opera House across the harbor.

Even though there were thousands of people in the park, crowds generate a tremendous sense of excitement, and being part of this event is something I will never forget.

The fireworks started promptly at 9pm and, WOW, they were spectacular. The fireworks were launched from barges on the harbor, high-rises in downtown and from the bridge itself. There was something to see wherever you looked. I don’t think I will ever spend New Year’s Eve in such a spectacular setting again. It was simply a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I didn’t have a tripod with me so the photos below are hand-held and just a tad shaky but they’ll give you an idea of what it was like.

After the fireworks were over, we walked down to the lower terrace, which is basically a promenade along the water. The views were even more spectacular. The blue pattern on the bridge pillar is from a set of giant projectors. It looked like shimmering water.

This is a view of the underside of the bridge and the downtown high-rises across the water.

After walking around for a bit, we made our way back to the Milsons Point train station. The hordes of people were incredible. This is looking at the people exiting the station (on the left) and entering (on the right). Our train was completely crowded, and I couldn’t help but wonder what it would have been like after the midnight fireworks!

We got back to Bill and Katrina’s house at 11pm or so and watched the big fireworks on TV. It was like the 9pm fireworks, except multiplied by 10. Absolutely spectacular! The TV station had cameras in lots of different places, including a helicopter, so the views were out of this world.

Here’s a link to a YouTube video that shows the entire 12-minute display. You should watch it!

Today’s Sydney Morning Herald said that there were 1.5 million spectators out and about, making it the largest New Year’s Eve event anywhere in the world.

This was a New Year’s Eve I will always remember, especially since we got to spend it with such good friends!

HAPPY NEW YEAR TO EVERYBODY!

Thursday, 12/31/09: Sydney

2009-12-31T14:26:00.001+11:00

Postscript to yesterday’s entry: We underestimated the strength of the Sydney sun (seems much stronger than the sun back home). Even though everybody wore water-resistant sunscreen, Laura, Elena, Katrina and I got sunburn in various spots. Elena’s is particular noticeable right under her eyes where her swim goggles must have rubbed off the sunscreen.

Overcast today, warm (mid 70s) and very humid. Went for a “bush walk” to George’s Head this morning, the site of a former Australian navy base. The trail went through a forest overgrown with ferns and all kinds of plants unknown to me. A riot of green wherever you looked.

The concept of “bush” in Australia is different from the stereotype Americans have. It’s not just the outback where the likes of Crocodile Dundee reign supreme, but rather a wooded area, in between shrub land and forest, with thin to thick woody shrubs and bushes, under a sparse canopy of trees (mostly eucalypts). In a more general sense, it can also refer to any natural, undeveloped area either in or around a city.

An interesting synonym of “bush” is “mulga”, after an Australian acacia tree of the same name. This usage was made popular by the famous Australian poem “Mulga Bill’s Bicycle” by A.B. “Banjo” Paterson:

'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that caught the cycling craze;
He turned away the good old horse that served him many days;
He dressed himself in cycling clothes, resplendent to be seen;
He hurried off to town and bought a shining new machine;
And as he wheeled it through the door, with air of lordly pride,
The grinning shop assistant said, `Excuse me, can you ride?'

`See, here, young man,' said Mulga Bill, `from Walgett to the sea,
From Conroy's Gap to Castlereagh, there's none can ride like me.
I'm good all round at everything, as everybody knows,
Although I'm not the one to talk -- I HATE a man that blows.
But riding is my special gift, my chiefest, sole delight;
Just ask a wild duck can it swim, a wild cat can it fight.
There's nothing clothed in hair or hide, or built of flesh or steel,
There's nothing walks or jumps, or runs, on axle, hoof, or wheel,
But what I'll sit, while hide will hold and girths and straps are tight:
I'll ride this here two-wheeled concern right straight away at sight.'

'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that sought his own abode,
That perched above the Dead Man's Creek, beside the mountain road.
He turned the cycle down the hill and mounted for the fray,
But ere he'd gone a dozen yards it bolted clean away.
It left the track, and through the trees, just like a silver streak,
It whistled down the awful slope, towards the Dead Man's Creek.

It shaved a stump by half an inch, it dodged a big white-box:
The very wallaroos in fright went scrambling up the rocks,
The wombats hiding in their caves dug deeper underground,
As Mulga Bill, as white as chalk, sat tight to every bound.
It struck a stone and gave a spring that cleared a fallen tree,
It raced beside a precipice as close as close could be;
And then as Mulga Bill let out one last despairing shriek
It made a leap of twenty feet into the Dead Man's Creek.

'Twas Mulga Bill, from Eaglehawk, that slowly swam ashore:
He said, `I've had some narrer shaves and lively rides before;
I've rode a wild bull round a yard to win a five pound bet,
But this was the most awful ride that I've encountered yet.
I'll give that two-wheeled outlaw best; it's shaken all my nerve
To feel it whistle through the air and plunge and buck and swerve.
It's safe at rest in Dead Man's Creek, we'll leave it lying still;
A horse's back is good enough henceforth for Mulga Bill.'

We enjoyed spectacular views of the opening of Sydney Harbor and saw a large tanker exiting the harbor, and a cruise ship entering. Lots of sea planes flying overhead, probably with sightseers on board.

We heard quite a few kookaburras whose call sounds a little like loud, echoing human laughter. The kookaburra is the most iconic Australian bird, and much beloved.

The sky was pretty gray, with rain clouds threatening to douse us, but I thoroughly enjoyed the cooler air at the Georges Head overlook. This is the view towards downtown Sydney.

Katrina, Heather, Lucy and Elena spent some time exploring the Georges Head Battery, one of three forts in the area that were built for the purpose of defending the outer harbor. Georges Head battery was built in 1871 after the removal of the British forces from Australia in 1870. Georges Head was armed with four 80 pounder rifled muzzle loading guns and two 68 pounder muzzle-loading guns. It took three months and 250 soldiers to roll the gun barrels all the way from North Sydney to the batteries.

Later in the afternoon, Katrina, Bill, Sophie, Laura and I went for a walk to Tunks Park and Middle Harbour. It was basically a continuation of the Flat Rock Gully walk we took on Monday.

Heard lots of kookaburras and Eastern whipbirds which produce a very distinctive whip-crack call. In one spot, the cicadas were so loud that I thought my head would explode—I’ve never experienced anything like it before. Australia has very large cicadas; the one I saw on a tree branch was at least 3 inches long. I tried to photograph it but it didn’t like me getting close.

Also saw lots of angophoras (Sydney red gum), which is fast becoming my favorite tree around here. I love the coloration of the trunk, which is often completely devoid of bark. The bark, usually piled at the foot of the tree, is even redder.

Wednesday, 12/30/09: Sydney, Bronte and Bondi Beach

2009-12-30T17:21:00.001+11:00

Went to Bronte Beach in the morning. Bronte is one of the eastern suburbs of Sydney and has a small but beautiful beach. The sand is a fantastic yellow color with a tinge of pink. The sand is fine and deep. And the stunning natural beauty of the shoreline is hard to beat.

In the photo below, Bronte Beach is in the distance on the left, with Tamarama Beach in the middle.

Katrina graciously agreed to stay at Bronte Beach with the girls while Bill, Heather and I did the cliff walk to Bondi Beach, about 3 miles roundtrip. The trail follows the coastline and offers stunning views of the ocean, beaches and the fantastic sandstone formations. The trail is much used by walkers and runners and by the scandily clad “beautiful people” that just want to be seen. “Sydney sunny side up--bronzed, beautiful, undressed to thrill,” as one website describes it.

The photo below (taken by HEATHER) is the saltwater pool at Icebergs Winter Swimming Club at the south end of Bondi Beach. Quite a stunning location!

This is Bondi Beach, one of the largest and most popular beaches in Sydney, not to mention a must-see destination for millions of tourists from all over the world.

Pictures of the girls having fun at Bronte Beach.

Elena

Laura

Lucy

Sophie and Laura

Group shot

…and a local beach bum for added atmosphere!

Tuesday, 12/29/09: Sydney, Taronga Zoo

2009-12-29T16:35:00.001+11:00

Today went went to Taronga Zoo, a world-class zoo on the shores of Sydney Harbor with a stunning view of downtown and the Opera House. The zoo is very large, with more than 2600 animals on 51 acres.

After a few days of rain, the weather today is fantastic, with blue skies and puffy white clouds. This might explain why the crowds at the zoo were huge. Bill and Katrina said they’d never seen so many people there, and they go quite frequently. We had to stand in line for a half an hour to buy our tickets. Luckily, while we were queuing up, a lady gave us free tickets for the kids so we only had to pay for the adults (AUS$ 41 per person, about US$ 36).

The first display we saw were koala bears, all asleep of course (they seem to sleep a lot and pretty much do everything in slow motion). They looked just as cuddly as the pictures we’d seen, although judging from their claws, they’re probably anything but cuddly.

Next came a display of wallabies, emus and kangaroos. Talk about icons of Australian wildlife! I had to pinch myself a few times—hard to believe I’m actually here in Sydney and not dreaming this!

The girls even got to pet a baby wallaby:

Since Laura is such a huge hedgehog fan, she was very excited to see a pair of echidnas. They look a lot like hedgehogs, quills and all, but are actually relatives of the platypus. Platypus and echidnas are the only mammals that lay eggs (both are Australian natives). It was hard to photograph the echidnas because they were moving so quickly and there were lots of rocks in their enclosure behind which they were hiding. But Laura wanted me to include this photo, so here it is.

We also saw the usual zoo animals, like elephants, tigers, seals, etc. but they weren’t that different from what we have in our zoos.

The animals weren’t the only attraction. In fact, the vegetation was every bit as stunning. I saw a lot of plants that I’ve been trying to grow in Davis for years, with limited success because of their lack of cold hardiness. Here they are the thriving because the Sydney climate is very close to their native environment. Very large shell gingers, all in bloom. Hedychias. Ferns. And of course bamboos (mostly Bambusa vulgaris ‘Vitatta’ but also Bambusa multiplex and Phyllostachys nigra).

The icing on the cake were the views. Taronga Zoo is located on the North Shore, on a hill overlooking Sydney Harbor. The views across the harbor to downtown and the Opera House are stunning.

After an exhausting half day at Taronga Zoo we went back to the Ellises, then to the shops to replenish the larder, and now we’re sitting here drinking wine (a wonderful sauvignon blanc and semillon blend from the Margaret River) and planning our outings for the next few days. Could life be any better?

Monday, 12/28/09: Sydney

2009-12-28T11:27:00.001+11:00

It’s Lucy’s 8th birthday today. Happy birthday, Lucy!!!!

It started to rain in the middle of the night. Soft drumming at first, wonderful to hear as I drifted in and out of consciousness throughout the night. At dawn, though, the floodgates opened, and it began to rain so hard that I felt transported to India in the monsoon season (not like I’ve ever been there, but I did see Monsoon Wedding twice). It didn’t really cool down much at night (high 60s), so the rain felt warm and tropical. Lying in bed, listening to the rain and feeling the warm summer air--all the while knowing that I could stay in bed as long as I wanted--was incredibly relaxing.

After coffee and some blogging, Heather, Katrina and I went to the store (“the shops”, as they say here) to buy groceries. The supermarket we went to, Woolworths, is in a small indoor shopping mall. There are quite a few small stores that sell everything from produce, seafood and baked goods to shoes and flowers. I found it very interesting to walk around the aisles and look at the stuff they sell. It’s like a combination of a U.S. and European supermarket.

Had to photograph the Vegemite and milk displays. Nothing says England & the former colonies better than Vegemite. And the milk in the U.S. is typically fresh and in a cooler case, instead of the ultra-pasteurized long-life milk which Europeans (and apparently Australians) like and doesn’t require refrigeration.

Bill’s brother Michael and his wife Fiona came back at around lunchtime. They live in Southern California but are in Sydney for the holidays. We’d met Michael and Fiona at our house in September and had a great time with them, so we were really looking forward to seeing them again. We did a lot of yakking, fueled by a glass or three of wine. It was a great way to spend the afternoon. Later in the afternoon the adults went for a walk to Flat Rock Creek, a local green area, where we saw all kinds of vegetation unknown to me, including paperbark tree and angophora, not to mention tree ferns in their native habitat. Really, really beautiful.

Many houses here in Willoughby have plumeria trees (called “frangipani” by the locals), and they’re all in bloom. The scent is heavenly. I’ve always associated plumerias with Hawaii because the house we rented in Kauai in 2003 had a huge plumeria tree, but they seem to be very common here as well.

Sunday, 12/27/09: Arrival in Sydney

2009-12-28T10:56:00.001+11:00

The remainder of the flight went very smoothly. All of us slept for at least several hours, Laura and Elena for 8 or more! Immigrations and customs went quickly and efficiently. The officers were actually smiling! Their name badges had their first name and the initial of their last name, opposed to “Office xyz” in the U.S. This simple thing creates a completely different climate while waiting in line than in the U.S. where the mission of the immigration and customs officers seems to be to instill cold naked fear :-).

Bill, Katrina, Sophie and Lucy greeted us as we exited the customs area and there were lots of hugs, smiles and laughs. It was so great to see everybody again! From the warm gentle breeze and the lush tropical vegetation, it was obvious that this was NOT Northern California in the middle of winter!

Before going to Bill and Katrina’s house, we did a quick round of sightseeing. We drove over the Harbor Bridge, stopped for a quick look and photo of the Opera House and then made our way to the suburb of Willoughby on the North Shore where the Ellises live. We unpacked, showered and relaxed for a few hours.

Bocks (and Lucy) in front of Harbor Bridge and Opera House

Crossing the Harbor Bridge—they do believe in signage, don’t they?

Then it was off for the Royal Botanic Gardens, a large public green space near the Opera House. For the plant aficionado in me, it was awesome seeing so many plants that I only knew from books.

Queensland bottle tree

The first highlight (aside from the stunning views of downtown, the Opera House and the Harbor Bridge) was coming upon ibises and sulphur-crested cockatoos that wander about much like squirrels would in Capitol Park in Sacramento. It’s clear that the cockatoos get fed by the passers-by because you can get VERY close to them. All they do is look at you with a somewhat cheeky look that says “Feed me!”.

Sulphur-crested cockatoo

The next highlight for me (even though not necessarily for the others) was the Oriental Garden section of the Royal Botanic Gardens. They have lots of mature stands of tropical and subtropical bamboos, including Bambusa vulgaris ‘Vitatta’, Dendrocalamus latiflorus ‘Mei-nung’, Thyrsostachys siamensis, Gigantochloa atroviolacea and Bambusa membranacea. Quite a few species that we could never grow in the Sacramento area, with very thick culms.

Gigantochloa atroviolacea

Lots of people find them attractive, too, apparently—so much that they feel compelled to carve their names, initials and/or messages into them. At first I was upset that these mature bamboos were disfigured like that, but in a way, the sheer volume of these graffiti makes for a very artistic patchwork of lines and shapes.

Timber bamboo with graffiti

After I had photographed all the bamboos I could find, we went home to drink champagne, eat dinner, drink some more. At eight pm or so we went for a nice stroll through the neighborhood and then the Bocks pretty quickly hopped into bed. It had been a long day and a half since we left Davis!

On board United flight 863 to Sydney

2009-12-27T16:59:00.003+11:00

Sunday, December 27th, 2009, 2:43 am Sydney time

7 1/2 hrs down, 7 hrs to go. We all slept during the first half of the flight. About 1/2 hr ago, they served a “light snack” (limpid turkey and cheddar on a limpid roll) and woke us up. Heather and I just switched seats. She’s sitting with the girls now, and I’m across the aisle. A good time to catch up on my travelogue.

Our flight left 1 1/2 hrs (!) late. After boarding, we sat at the gate and soon impatience gave way to frustration and anger because nobody would tell us anything. Eventually the cockpit announced that due to an incident earlier in the day on a Delta flight from Amsterdam to Detroit, they were trying to disconnect the in-flight entertainment system from the plane’s electrical (?) systems so they could show us movies. It was all very muddled and I still don’t exactly know what the attempted bombing attempt by a Nigerian man has to do with the in-flight entertainment system. But maybe I’ll find an explanation once I’m hooked up to the Internet again.

Anyway, after about an hour they realized that they couldn’t unlink the entertainment system and we finally took off. Dinner was served relatively quickly. Choice of “meatloaf with barbecue sauce and garlic mashed potatoes” or “pasta trio in Alfredo sauce”. I took a gamble on the meatloaf, and it truly was horrid. I don’t know how they can mess up something so simple! Laura didn’t finish her pasta—which, for the record, came with a marinara sauce, not Alfredo—so I had a taste, and it was only marginally more palatable. Elena had already fallen asleep and since my attempts at waking her were fruitless, she skipped dinner altogether. But I saved the best part of the meal for her: the prepackaged brownie.

2:53 am now. Elena, Laura and Heather are listening to their iPods, looking sleepy still. I’ll wrap this up now and will try to watch a DVD, provided the battery in my laptop lasts long enough. Soon we’ll be in Sydney, and I’ll be able to take off the anti-thrombosis stockings that Heather’s parents gave me for Christmas. I’m sure they’re very effective at preventing blood clots in your legs, but man, they are TIGHT.

5:43 am. Featureless bright light streaming in through the windows. Are we in limbo? Stuck between here and there? Or am I hallucinating, maybe because a blood clot made it past my stockings after all? What I know is this: I’m HUNGRY and I want OFF this plane! RIGHT NOW!!!

Computer battery down to 16 minutes so this will be my last rant from the plane. We should be in Sydney is less than three hours. I wonder what their customs and immigrations procedure is like? We had to fill out an arrival card, answering a list of questions such as whether we’re bringing in forbidden items such as pornography. Should I have declared my stash of Hustler?

At SFO, waiting to board our flight to Sydney

2009-12-27T16:59:00.001+11:00

Friday, 12/25/09, 8:50pm

We’re sitting at gate G100 waiting for our flight to Sydney to board. Another hour to go. The drive to SFO was smooth and quick. I’d rented a car so Heather’s mom wouldn’t have to drive home at night and the traffic on I-80 was very light, even (especially!) over the Bay Bridge. Just three cars ahead of us at the toll booth.

It’s funny sitting here at the airport on Christmas Day. Everybody looks drowsy already and we still have a 14 1/2 hr flight ahead of us! I think leaving at this time of day is great because your body will naturally want to go to sleep.

Electrical outlets are always in high demand in airports—at lesson I learned when flying to Vermont a couple of months ago. I couldn’t find an outlet at our gate so we’re actually sitting at a different gate. Shame on SFO, Wi-Fi access is NOT free here like it is at many airports now. They want $7.99 for a day pass. I guess that’s not bad if you have a really long layover, but for an hour or so, that’s too much for me. This means that this entry won’t actually get posted until we arrive at the Ellises in Sydney.

Elena is writing in her travel journal and Laura is reading a sticker book Santa had brought her. Heather’s looking tired but contented, as do I.

Signing off for now. Want to get a cup of coffee before we board.

Laura all happy after seeing a Twilight display at a bookstore

Laura and Elena, with our Sydney-bound 747 in the background

Counting down: one more day...

2009-12-25T05:46:00.000+11:00

Merry Christmas Eve! We're in the throes of figuring out what to take, packing, etc. We'll try to get the majority of the packing done today. We can take two suitcases each, but would rather not. Handling that much luggage is very unwieldy.

Everybody is getting excited...