3rd month of travel: Australia

Day 1 – Fri 24th Oct 2025 – settling into Cairns

Day 2 – Sat 25th – fish and crocodiles

Day 3 – Sun 26th – aquarium

Day 4 – Mon 27th – nothing happening!

Day 5 – Tues 28th – Kuranda

Day 6 – Wed 29th – Port Douglas

Day 7 – Thurs 30th – Great Barrier Reef

Day 8 – Fri 31st – Townsville

Day 9 – Sat 1st – first train journey

Day 10 – Sun 2nd – Mount Isa

Day 11 – Mon 3rd – Hard Times Mine tour

Day 12 – Tues 4th – Mount Isa lookout; Bush Tucker

Day 13 – Wed 5th – Riversleigh Fossil centre

Day 14 – Thurs 6th – back on the train

Day 15 – Fri 7th – arrive Airlie beach

Day 16 – Sat 8th – views of the Whitsunday Islands

Day 17 – Sun 9th – another look at the Whitsundays and the Reef

Day 18 – Mon 10th – moving on

Day 19 – Tues 11th – Brisbane

Day 20 – Wed 12th – Sunshine coast

Day 21 – Thurs 13th – Brisbane city

Day 22 – Fri 14th – Gold coast

Day 23 – Sat 15th – fly to Sydney

Day 24 – Sun 16th – helicopter over Sydney harbour, and other sights

Day 25 – Mon 17th – fish market; Sydney Opera House

Day 26 – Tues 18th – the Blue Mountains

Day 27 – Wed 19th – climb Sydney Harbour Bridge

Day 28 – Thurs 20th – Bondi beach

Day 29 – Fri 21st – fly to Singapore

I had always wanted to do Bali and NZ, and these had been prominent in my mind – Aus was just somewhere else that I should go to whilst in the area. I realised there was a certain amount of trepidation, as Australia didn’t seem as safe as NZ, and I was back to organising the trip myself, but this also made it exciting

The bio security checks were similar to NZ, with a dog being used to sniff the bags on the baggage carousel. Knowing what to expect this time it all felt more straight forward

Coming out of the airport I found a taxi rank. I had both my suitcase that I had shipped to NZ, and the rucksack I had used in Bali, as I had wanted to keep warmer clothes right up until I left NZ. On my flight with JetStar I had been able to take as many bags as I liked in the hold, but was limited on total weight. I increased from 25kg to 30kg, but at the airport I had had to pay a bit extra for another 1kg. I will need to get organised to send one back to the UK again

No taxis seemed to appear but another passenger turned up and he said they can be few and far between – the only international airport he uses when taxis are not lined up ready! It turned out he was visiting Cairns for a lunch appointment, travelling from Papua New Guinea. He also works in Hong Kong and London. He offered to share a taxi and when I said the only cash I had was a 50 AUD note, he said not to worry – he would cover it. A good start to Australia to get free transfer to my hotel. When we got chatting in the taxi it turned out he had been brought up in St Austell, and his parents still live in Charlestown. We even ended up having a conversation about how St Austell beat Launceston rugby team last weekend!

Whilst the toom was being prepared I stored my luggage and went for a walk around the city. The hotel fronts on to a grassy area and walkways by the sea, and the warmth from the sun was lovely – I have missed 30 degree heat!

However, Australia soon reminded me that this country was going to be different. I hadn’t fancied paddling in the sea which turned into mud flats as I walked down the promenade, but then I saw this warning sign:

Definitely won’t be going in then! I saw a white heron and got quite excited, until a few hundred yards later I saw a group of huge pelicans!

There were a lot of aboriginal family groups sheltering in the shade, which seemed odd at first but later I realised there was a hospital and some of them were patients, presumably with some family visitors

Although nobody can swim in the sea for fear of crocodiles, residents and visitors can still enjoy a paddle – there is a huge ‘lagoon’ which is open to all, FOC, straight off the promenade. In the adjoining park there were plenty of sunbathers, and everyone seemed to be enjoying the sun.

After lunch in a busy bar I wandered further into the city, following the usual grid pattern of streets similar to many towns and cities in NZ. One street seemed to be full of personal injury lawyers, which was very different to NZ – because NZ has the ACC scheme to compensate for any personal injury, based on a sliding scale according to the injury sustained, nobody gets sued. This appears to have led to perhaps a more cavalier attitude to health & safety as firms don’t get sued if injuries are sustained on their premises etc. Because of the many lawyer offices here, I assume a similar ACC scheme does not exist in Australia

I visited the railway station as I had bought a pass to use all of Queensland’s railways for a month, and I wanted to clarify how it was going to work. A very helpful lady talked me through it, but was shutting up shop at 2.30pm. The office is not open over the weekend, and she suggested I visit next week in the morning once I knew which specific journey I wanted to book, as they often shut at 2.30pm. It seems the work life balance is very much focused on the life side again in Australia.

From the railway station I walked through a shopping mall and ended up buying a couple of tops that looked like they would keep me cool. The lady serving in the shop was called Sally and she gave me a hug when I said it was my first day in Australia!

As I made my way back to the hotel I was surprised how tired I was, until I thought about the fact that I had been up since 4am, and also gained another 3 hours as we had crossed time zones – it was going to be a very long day!

Back at the hotel I spent some time planning my next few days in Cairns. It is going to be odd having to think again about what I want to do each day, instead of following someone else’s itinerary. I may miss some major sights that I should have gone to, but on the other hand perhaps I can just travel more slowly. I have already decided there is enough in Cairns for me to stay put for a day or two and it was nice to unpack my case a little – in NZ we had got used to just taking out the bare minimum each night so we didn’t have to repack everything every day. Time for a bit of a rest for a while and enjoy the sunshine. And the view from my hotel balcony:

Week 1, Day 2

I walked along the promenade north today, following directions to the best cafe for breakfast according to google – poached eggs on sourdough with bacon was excellent, and the service was great. I passed on the side of kangaroo that was on the menu – perhaps another day

Strolling back looking and listening to the many birds (a masked lapwing, with a yellow hooded face was the loudest) I was struck again at how tame all birds seem to be in this part of the world – I had noticed this in NZ, when even families with chicks seemed unfazed by humans walking past

I saw a man in the sea fishing, with obviously a catch on the end of his line. I stood to watch for sometime as he struggled to bring it in, as did several others. Turned out he had a very big Giant Trevally, which must have been unusual as those watching went down to have a closer look and congratulate him on catching such a big fish

One passerby took photos of him holding the fish up, before he put it back in the ocean to live for another day.

I asked him if he wasn’t afraid of crocodiles, fishing here where signs were warning of them, but he was dismissive – he said he had been here all his life, and rarely saw crocs on this beach. He said they are usually around where the river washes into the sea instead. He said a greater concern was the Box Jellyfish, whose sting can prove fatal – they are usually found over the wet season, so will appear soon. He said he had caught a salmon the day before, which he had kept for dinner.

I had, coincidentally, booked a visit to ‘Hartley’s Crocodile Adventures – the Best Crocodile Show in Australia’. I was picked up from a nearby hotel, and driven north past the airport. The driver pointed out the Royal Flying Doctors base – he explained that the hospital in Cairns was bigger than the population warranted, but that was because it also serviced a 1200 km square area which the Flying Doctors cover from Cairns

We crossed the Barron River, which has saltwater crocodiles (presumably the ones that the fisherman was referring to). Apparently they like brackish water and the river suits them.

We saw fields of sugar cane which is cut back and allowed to re-grow like grass in the wet season.

The road had signs warning of kangaroos along the Captain Cook Highway. This road had been badly damaged by Cyclone Jasper in December 2023, which caused flooding and landslides, and destroyed over 1000 houses, with torrential rain for 5 days.

The Highway runs alongside the coast north of Cairns, after Yorkeys Knob where the cruise ships dock. We stopped at Palm Cove to pick up another passenger, and the place was idyllic. Apparently it is the wedding capital of the area, and the hotels look to be high end. Further on Ellis Beach was a long strip of sand along amazingly blue seas.

At Huntleys we were able to follow a trail through various ponds enclosing both freshwater and saltwater crocodiles. Apparently saltwater crocodiles are badly named, as they can live quite happily in fresh water too – they are bigger than ‘freshwater’ crocodiles, which raise their entire body and ‘gallop’ to reach the water in a hurry. Alligators cannot swim in saltwater.

As part of the visit we were allocated one 20 minute ride on a boat around a freshwater lake where 30 saltwater crocodiles live. There are currently 8 males and 22 females in this man made pond. The males can fight so there is one alpha male which is 4 metres long and 400kg, in the hope he will keep the younger ones in check. He was captured near a farm where he was eating the cattle and causing havoc, and is estimated to be 75 to 80 years old. It is almost impossible to accurately age a crocodile but this one has been with the business for 50 years, and he was fully grown when he arrived. Other crocodiles on site have been bred here and so their actual age is, of course, known.

There used to be another older male crocodile performing this role called Ted. Within 48 hours of Ted’s death the other younger males had killed 8 of the females in presumably an attempt to assert their dominance. One, Borris, lost a foot in a fight with another crocodile, but is happy in a different enclosure now.

The lady who took us around said there were no life jackets on the boat – if it should tip us in for any reason, we wouldn’t have to worry about finding life jackets…

There are 20 species of fish in the ponds. There are also birds who have flown in and chosen to make their home with the crocodiles – many get eaten, but are free to fly away if they wanted to.

Saltwater crocodiles lay eggs on nests, to try and avoid the flooding common in their environment – even so 50% of their eggs are destroyed by floods.

For the entertainment of the crowds the crocodiles are enticed out of the water by tempting them with chickens on the end of poles. Although this is entertainment it is also education, to make people more aware of the risks in becoming complacent living with crocodiles.

The star event is at 3pm every day, when one of the keepers enters a crocodile enclosure and talks about them. The crocodile currently featuring in the show is Hagrid, a 37 year old bred here, 3.6 metres in length. Saltwater crocodiles average 4.5 m to 5m in length, but can be as much as 6m.

When hunting prey a crocodile can adopt the ‘minimum exposure posture’ when only the eyes, ears and nose are just above the surface of the water – just 2% of its bodyweight. It has pressure receptors and can sense prey on land without looking from changes in pressure and vibrations.

To grab prey a crocodile can launch itself at up to 27km/hr using its tail. It will then hang on to what it has caught under water, drowning whatever it is. It can stay down holding onto prey like this for 30 to 45 minutes. Holding your breath or trying to outrun a crocodile when it launches out of the water is unlikely to save you (Olympians run at 9km/hr). Some people have escaped once caught by a croc but it is not guaranteed – eyes, nose, throat may be the most vulnerable parts of the croc which can be attacked, but not always effective

On land a crocodile cannot run fast or far because of its great mass, limited to 10 to 12km/hr over only a couple of lengths. Running in zigzags is unlikely to help – the croc will just run in a straight line towards you. Whilst there are 700 to 900 deaths from crocs annually in the world, in Australia on average there are only 1 or 2 deaths – this is because Australians do not need to be collect drinking water or do their washing in croc infested waters, they just choose to be there. However, most deaths are of locals, who get complacent about their presence. A croc can hide in very shallow water – this pond used for the show is little more than calf deep.

A crocodile cannot eat its prey in one go like a snake can, but rather breaks it up by a head shake or the ‘death roll’ which is what crocs are known for. They actually don’t eat very much – about a chicken and a half per week. They can go months with no food at all.

There are other animals within the site

Snakes – there was a presentation from a keeper who told us that snakes are misunderstood, and that they are not as dangerous as people think. There are over 200 types of snake which have sufficient venom to be considered a risk to humans, and Australia has quite a few of them. Snakes do not want to waste venom on humans, however, and would rather save it for prey it can eat. It will usually only attack if it feels threatened or its escape route is blocked. There are videos of snakes sliding over people’s shoes – the best thing you can do is stand still and let the snake carry on on its way. I spoke to a couple of Australians on the croc boat, and he said that he had been lying reading a newspaper on the grass once, and a snake just slithered right across the paper.

Koalas – these are marsupials and their closest relative is the wombat. They are not related to bears at all. They carry their young, called joeys, in a pouch, for up to 8 months after being pregnant for only 30 to 36 days (the joey is the size of a jellybean when it is born). They eat eucalyptus leaves, which are toxic to other animals – some other marsupials can nibble the ends of the leaves, but koalas are the only animal that can eat all of the leaf. They have no predators, perhaps because their bodies are toxic, given their diets. Dingos will sometimes kill them and tear them to pieces, but wont eat them. They don’t drink, as they receive everything they need from the eucalyptus plant. The nutritional value is so low that they have to sleep 16 to 22 hours/day.

Back in Cairns I got dropped off near the lagoon, which was still in full swing with families enjoying cooling off. It is open until 9pm, and is supervised by lifeguards (although there are signs reminding parents that the lifeguards are not babysitters)

Behind the lagoon are ‘Night Markets’ – this is an indoor market which opens every evening at 4.30pm, and forms the hub of the night time activities in Cairns, being surrounded by food outlets too. The range of street food is extensive, with many Asian options.

There was also an art installation next to the lagoon:

Also in the same area is a pier out around the marina, and many bars and restaurants.

A beautiful warm evening, with crowds of people making the most of it. The bars and restaurants were all crowded, as was the market. I strolled back to the hotel along the 2.5km promenade and saw other families enjoying the many free BBQ’s, music and dance, skate park and playground for the kids, and tennis and beach volleyball courts being well used.

Cairns has certainly made an impression on me and I am not sorry to be staying a few more days

Week 1, Day 3

My view from the hotel window (Cairns Harbourside) is a real pleasure every morning

Cairns has a relatively modern aquarium, which seems appropriate given its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef. It was set out very well, with a winding path through the exhibits leading from freshwater rivers, to the rain forest, then the Reef before finishing in the wider ocean. There was a LOT you could read. some of the facts I learnt:

• The Wet Tropics region of Australia stretches from Townsville in the south to Cooktown in the north. At 2 million hectares it takes up only 0.26% of the Australia’s landmass, but contains the highest combined biodiversity of plants and animals in the country. The World Heritage Area is about half of this but contains eg 40% of Australian bird species; 30% of Australia’s mammal species; 60% of Australia’s butterfly species etc etc
• Australia has its own large flightless bird, called the Cassowary, with brilliant red and blue neck wattles. They are difficult to spot in the wild now. The males raise and attend to the chicks
• Most fish can only live in either river systems (freshwater) or the ocean (saltwater). Over millions of years some fish have evolved to be able to swim from the ocean into the rivers (usually to breed, as less predators) and back to the ocean, by changing the amount of salt in their blood to match the water they are in. This is called osmoregulation.
• Early Europeans had little interest in tropical North Queensland until surface level gold was discovered in the Palmer River in 1873. Within a couple of years 30,000 men were in the region panning for gold, many of them Chinese.
• Tropical North Queensland experiences 2 metres of rainfall each year with 60% of the rainfall falling in the ‘wet’ season months of December and April. The highest mountains can experience up to 10 metres of annual rainfall, creating a lush and diverse rainforest

I had paid a bit extra to do an arranged tour of the turtle ‘hospital’ enclosed within the building of the aquarium. I was a bit disappointed for two reasons – firstly because of the amazing experience we had in the Caribbean seeing them free in the ocean, and secondly because of the rather childish way the speaker referred to the turtles, like pets, humanising their behaviours. However, I found out a few facts

• There are 7 species of turtles worldwide, all of which are vulnerable or endangered. 6 of these 7 are found in Australia – Flatback; Green; Hawksbill; Loggerhead; Olive Ridley; Leatherback
• Some are carnivores, some omnivores and others are herbivores.
• The Leatherback is the biggest, and can be up to 990kg – huge!
• only 1 baby turtle out of every 1000 eggs will survive to adulthood
• The sex of a turtle depends on nest temperature and moisture levels
• Females return to the nesting grounds where they were born to lay their own nests; males spend almost their whole life at sea
• Nearly all threats to turtles are from human activity, such as actively hunting them; artificial lights sending the hatchlings the wrong way; boats and jet skis harming them etc
• If they eat human waste they cannot regurgitate it again. Their bodies are made to bring up seawater and blow it out through their mouths or noses but bthey cannot expel waste materials

The ‘hospital’ in the aquarium only has 3 holding tanks. There are 2 other locations which are bigger, and which are used to repair the turtles that are damaged, or diseased. In the biggest tank is a turtle called

In the biggest tank is ‘Tommy’, a Green sea turtle. He has suffered from a disease which has been treated, and is due to be released again imminently. The second tank holds ‘Brichelle’, also a Green sea turtle, which is in recovery from spear wounds, and will follow Tommy out into the wild again once ready. Finally in the 3rd smaller tank was ‘Chrissie’, a Hawksbill sea turtle, but we couldn’t actually see her in the tank.

I moved on to the Reef display – I hope this is what I will see when I get out snorkelling on the Reef next week

The big blue fish on the left with a lump on its head is the Humphead Maori Wrasse. These fish are born as female, but can change into a male fish if there are not enough male fish around – apparently this one is mid process. They can grow to 2.6m long and 190kg.

In the last big tank are sharks and rays. The keeper here, very knowledgeable on the subject, said that sharks were misunderstood (much like the snakes the day before). Sharks have 2 main roles – to contain other fish breed numbers and to mop up diseased animals. Sharks will go for the easiest prey, so will eat damaged and injured fish and seals etc. Often surfers are mistaken for injured seals – from underneath the shape could be a seal; the water vibrations created by a surfer could be the same an injured seal would make, not swimming smoothly; and finally sharks can detect heart activity through electroreception and a surfer’s heart beat could be mistaken as a seal not acting normally. These 3 indicators may lead a shark to then progress to a ‘bump and bite’ strategy to test out their conclusion. Surfboards are now being printed with patterns and eyes on the bottom to try and camouflage them, or make the shark realise it is not an injured seal.

Many sharks are becoming endangered, with a dramatic decline in numbers in recent decades. They have had a bad press, and not many people are keen to protect them, but without sharks the eco system will be impacted. They are hunted in their own right (shark fin soup and sometimes in fish & chips); caught alongside other fish especially when trawlers are used; changes in habitat. The keeper saw her role as educator, so that the reputation of sharks can be changed and saved. She referred to humpback whales, which were threatened with extinction but because of public support have now recovered in number

I had planned to relax in the afternoon at the lagoon, but after walking in the sun chasing down packaging tape and other things I need to use to send my suitcase back to the Uk tomorrow, I didn’t fancy getting changed so walked back to the hotel and used the hotel pool instead. I bought a churro to give myself an energy boost en route, as I had so enjoyed it the day before, coated in sugar – might become my daily treat!

I had no mobile reception all day, and I am not sure why. I restarted my phone but it made no difference – hopefully back tomorrow! Back at the hotel I used the hotel wifi, and found the following post on facebook

I had seen the helicopter at the hospital as I walked back to the hotel. Apparently 3 local boys were fishing, standing knee high in the water. On of his friends helped to save him. In the comments on facebook there were some calls for crocodiles to be culled, whilst others said humans just need to respect them more.

Week 1, Day 4

What a day – I had booked to have UPS pick up my spare clothes in a bag to ship back to the UK. After sorting out trying to pack my bag with the right labels showing etc, and not likely to come off mid-journey (why didn’t I bring gorilla tape with me? And why doesn’t Australian duct tape stick to my bag?) I waited all day in the hotel reception to ensure no issues when UPS came to pick it up…to eventually concede a ‘no show’.

So it has been booked for the next day and I am going to have to trust the hotel reception to deal with it, as I cant spend the next week in the reception area! The hotel is busy with people coming and going, and different staff on reception all the time, and I am concerned that when UPS do turn up (hopefully) they wont know what they’re talking about…Oh well, its only clothes (albeit my favourite cold weather coat and jumpers etc)

I did have a bit of excitement when packing the bag on the floor of my room in the hotel last night, as a cockroach shot out from under the bag. I don’t think I have ever seen one before, and they are massive – over an inch long (maybe two?) with twitching antenna, and don’t they move fast! I tried my usual trick of catching it in an upturned glass, but it was gone before I got close enough each time. Eventually it ran out of the room under the closed door, so I realised I had no way of keeping it out anyway. I called reception and a very nice lady came just to check I was ok, armed with a can of insect spray. When she saw I wasn’t going to throw a complete fit, she said it is just a fact that they will be around in the tropics, like mosquitos. She made a nominal job of spraying in dark corners, but I think just for show, and left me with the can. I never saw the cockroach again and convinced myself it had gone…or I could live alongside it anyway.

So, no pictures, and a rather uneventful day. I ate in the hotel and then spent the evening re-packing the bag I am sending home as I received new labels, and trying to work out why my O2 contract on my mobile isn’t giving me any network coverage. I have bought an e-sim, but have to be careful to switch on and off to avoid using up all the data. And it doesn’t give me access to calls or texts.

I called O2 in the end from the hotel room (FOC!) because trying to do online was a nightmare – went round in circles ending up with O2 sending me texts so I could verify the number – not much good when I cant get the texts! Didn’t get very far with O2 on the phone either. Apparently my ‘unlimited’ contract isn’t unlimited at all, with caps on data use, and also a 63 day in each 4 month period ‘fair usage policy’ cap.

I felt a bit tired dealing with all of these things, from the cockroach, UPS, O2, hotel reception, and mosquito bites which are itching! Perhaps I am not so keen on Cairns anymore!

Week 1, Day 5

I decided to leave the bag going back to the Uk with the hotel, and just enjoy my day. I had booked a tour and was collected at 7.50 in a coach with lots of others (including some other British couples on holiday). The plan was to catch a heritage railway up to a village in the mountains and rainforest (Kuranda), enjoy some attractions there including lunch, and then the sky rail back down again (a cablecar that travels back down across the rainforest)

The railway was built as a result of the goldrush in the late 1870’s – it proved to be a huge engineering nightmare which took longer than expected, and wasn’t open until 1891. The railway included 106 cuttings, 15 tunnels, 244 metres of steel bridge spans and 1,894 metres of timber bridges. At the height of construction there were 1500 workers, including Irish, Italian, English and Chinese. 32 men were known to have died in its construction

The carriages on the train were made in the 1900’s. We had allocated seating on plastic covered bench seats, with no air con except open windows. Some struggled on the 90 minute journey, especially some who don’t like travelling backwards. It was difficult to get to the windows to take photos. At Barron Falls station we were able to get off the train onto an enclosed platform, which gave an opportunity to get pictures of the train at least

We had been given an itinerary and a basic map, with a timetable, indicating that we should be at the Butterfly Sanctuary by 11am. On the way we walked through the village with a lot of different gift shops and art galleries etc. With hindsight I would have probably preferred to spend more time looking around these, but felt obliged to visit the Sanctuary as it was on the itinerary, and I always follow a plan! I don’t really like anything flying around my head so it was a bit of a moment walking into the aviary and being met with butterflies all around me. One small girl was a bit frightened, and I had some empathy with how she felt!

The prize exhibit were two Hercules moths, which were huge!

I was happier back outside, eating and ice cream, admiring the surrounding plants!

We were then collected and taken to an odd place – Rainforestation Nature Park, which was a random collection of exhibits. It was a bit like the Maori centre we went to in NZ, but not as organised. First we had lunch, which was an ‘Australian BBQ’ – meat and salad, with fruit. It was perfectly adequate but not like the huge feast we were given by the Maoris.

After lunch we were free to wander around the ‘wildlife park’, which was quite small.

I queried the small size of the ponds allocated to the two male saltwater crocodiles, but was told it was adequate – they are happy if they have their own space, with access to food and fresh water.

Some areas were given to Aboriginal’s to demonstrate their skills (mainly boomerang throwing) and members of the tour group were able to have a go. They also gave us a demonstration of their dance

Opportunities for some audience participation – very cute little lad from our tour who had been asking questions all day

And the finale

Quite randomly the centre has a load of DUKW (called Ducks) – amphibious vehicles traditionally used in the military getting troops and supplies from ship to beach, and also used in later years for rescue operations such as after Hurricane Katrina. As part of our entrance we were given a tour in one of these around the rainforest

The driver stopped at various locations and described some of the plants, and how some were edible whilst others were toxic. One in particular is called Gympie Gympie, which is Aboriginal for ‘Bad Bad’, one of the world’s most venomous plants – one sting as you brush past can cause months of excruciating pain.

I was really looking forward to the trip home on the Skyrail, the main event as far as I was concerned when I booked the day. Unfortunately we were told on the coach taking us there that we wouldn’t be able to travel that way because of lightning – the cable car had been shut as unsafe. We were instead taken back to Cairns in the coach, which wasn’t quite the same!

The extreme weather events around the world appear to be following me. In Australia they had had unseasonal heat with temperatures up in the late 30’s, but then further south huge storms, including hail stones 5cm across in Brisbane! We just had some light rain, but still very warm. I never saw any lightening, but it was definitely in the air – lights were on at 4pm as the sky was so dark, whereas sunset isn’t usually until much later in the day (around 6.30pm).

In NZ they have now been having extreme weather with torrential rains filling the rivers, causing flooding, and now snow, blocking the passes we had travelled over the mountains. We would have had a different holiday if we were in NZ now

At least when I got back to the hotel to pick up my bag I was told that UPS had taken my bag for the UK, so at least that’s sorted.

I had booked into a cheaper hotel across the road for the night, and just popped up to the supermarket to get some food for the evening.

Week 1, Day 6

So when you come to Queensland you have to go visit the Great Barrier Reef, no question. I looked at all the different options (some are for proper divers; others are for the sail to the Reef with a bit of optional snorkeling thrown in; others somewhere in between). I found one which seemed particularly concerned about the future sustainability of the Reef which I think is important, so I booked it

I knew the boat sailed from Port Douglas at 8am but I underestimated the issues of getting there on time from Cairns. I decided to get there the day before and stay a couple of nights, and I am so glad I did

Having arrived on a transfer I booked, which went via Cairns airport to pick up others, I walked down to the Marina to check out where the boat will go from. I could see immediately that the whole town is a cut above Cairns, with some well heeled visitors! I stopped for lunch at a restaurant overlooking the Marina and had the best meal I have had so far in Australia – halloumi salad and a glass of Pinot Gris. I felt quite emotional when the radio playing in the background played ‘With or Without You’ by U2, a throwback! Time to relax and enjoy…

Just at the end of the main street is Four Mile Beach. Looks beautiful, but the signs about potential crocodiles (just baby ones that have strayed according to a shopkeeper) and ‘stingers’ (not yet according to my hotel manager, they don’t come until November) gave me the excuse not to go in. In fact there is a small 100 metre stretch between flags which is monitored by lifeguards – I was still not convinced…

I decided to do a sunset boat ride (5-6.30pm) to make the most of the mood.

I booked a place on a sailboat, which basically went out of the port, round the headland to the Four Mile Beach, and back again, but once the engines were off, and with the sun on my face it felt amazingly relaxing. They even played a track by Ben Howard, another throwback!

At dusk the birds really come into their own with the noise they make, in both NZ and Australia. This evening was probably the loudest though! I think some were the flying foxes (fruit bats) which we saw in Indonesia, as they looked very similar.

When I walked back to the hotel after getting something to eat, in the dark, I was reminded I was in a different country – lots of really odd noises from the treetops and the bush generally, rustling and unfamiliar animal calls. I was glad of the streetlights

Week 1, Day 7

Today was the day for the Great Barrier Reef tour, a fantastic day. I didn’t take any photos myself as I didn’t take a waterproof camera, but we were given a link to a dropbox upload after the event with photos taken on the day by a designated member of the crew (job for George, my son, I reckon!)

We were really lucky with perfect weather – it was like glass in the port, and when we headed out to the Reef we were told 90% of the time you wouldn’t be able to see this mountain range – the fact that we could see it all boded well. In fact this is the Daintree National Park, with is a World Heritage Site because of the Rainforest there and the varied biodiversity not found elsewhere. The Great Barrier Reef is similarly a World Heritage Site, because of the marine biodiversity, and Cape Tribulation is the only place on earth where two such sites meet.

We had the opportunity to snorkel for a total of 3 hours, on 3 different sites – two on Tongue Reef, one on Opal Reef. It takes about an hour and a half to reach these Reefs, but when we were there we saw no other boats. There were about 50 on our boat, and sometimes it got a bit crowded around the boat, but the Reefs are so big it was easy to find your own space

Tongue Reef has Turtle Bay and we were lucky enough to see a 2 or 3 turtles (or 1 swimming around us a lot!). At one point I was swimming alongside almost on my own, and that felt very special. The turtles are truly wild, not fed by the boat operators, so never going to be like swimming with the turtles in the Caribbean, but perhaps more special because of that.

In each location we saw beautiful coral and a multitude of colourful fish – absolutely stunning colours. My favourites were probably the iridescent blues/purples, but each one looked perfect. Some were tiny, some much bigger, and sometimes there were just great big schools of them swimming all around me.

There have been a lot of coral bleaching events in recent years. Coral is an animal made up of lots of polyps, which then relies on a plant for food. They get a significant amount of energy from a symbiotic relationship with algae called zooxanthellae, which live inside the coral’s tissues and produce energy through photosynthesis. Coral bleaching is the process where corals expel their symbiotic algae due to stress, causing them to turn white. This is not a death sentence, as they can recover if the stressor is removed. However, prolonged stress leads to starvation and death. The main cause is rising ocean temperatures from climate change, though other factors like pollution, low tides, and changes in salinity can also trigger it.

The current Great Barrier Reef is only about 8,000 years old, as the whole area we sailed across was land before the end of the last Ice Age when sea levels rose and flooded the continental shelf. The current Reef is built on a foundation of older structures formed in previous Reefs.

The various animals and plants in the Reef are built to regenerate given ideal conditions, and the Reef can recover from bleaching given the right conditions, but climate change will challenge those conditions

The resident marine biologist on board imparted this information, and also talked about the Giant Clam which we saw – these only appear in this area of the world. They have a unique reproductive system, releasing 500 million sperms and eggs in a broadcast spawning event once a year, which then fertilise externally, float in the water as larvae and then attach to the reef to develop into adult clams. They also use algae to provide food by photosynthesis. Clams cannot move – the only defence it has is to close up at night, which can be simulated by waving your hands in front of it, blocking the light, making the clam believe temporarily that it is night.

Parrotfish are a group of reef-dwelling fish known for their bright colours and fused, beak-like teeth, which they use to graze on algae which we also saw. They are vital to coral reef ecosystems because their grazing helps control algae growth, and their digestion of coral and rock produces the fine sand that forms beaches and helps new corals grow. They keep the fastest growing coral in check (commonly the blue antler coral). They can change sex in their lifetime, from female to male. We were told that very occasionally the eggs produced when female can be fertilised by their own sperm, mid transition, but this is disputed by google.

Some of the group saw some sharks which are also on the reef. I didn’t go out of my way to see them, but apparently they are harmless. We were told if you don’t want to see them, close your eyes, count to two, and when you open your eyes again they will be gone…

It was a great day, topped by seeing some dolphins on the way back to port. We were given marine safe sun cream, which I used liberally, but failed to do enough on the back of my legs which were exposed to the sun when we were snorkelling. I wasn’t the only one – even those wearing short wetsuits ended up with red calves. I chose to wear a buoyancy aide (BA), which I have done before when snorkelling, so that I could just float along looking at the coral and the fish without also having to think about swimming. I did this time get to grips with using flippers, however, so a step forward!

Week 2, Day 8

I thought I had better start heading south, as I have booked my flight home from Sydney, and it is a way to go! To start with I had arranged a pickup from a company who do transfers to and from Port Douglas and Cairns, and got a lift to the train station. I had to take a few last photos of the beaches along the Captain Hook Highway, including one of Ellis Beach

I had a few hours to spear before my connection onwards. I had intended to catch the train to Townsville but the timings hadnt worked out so I had booked a set on the Greyhound bus. It reminds me of my trip to America 40 years ago when I caught a Greyhound bus from New York to San Francisco – if my memory serves me right this took 3 days and 3 nights of travel. This time the bus from Cairns to Townsville will only be 5.5 hours, from 3pm to 8.30pm

The view along the route wasn’t that exciting – mainly fields and fields of sugar cane. One of the bus drivers I had had on an earlier tour had told us that his grandfather came from Poland, and his job was to cut the sugar cane by hand, out in the heat, minding the rats and the snakes, 6 days a week, 12 hour days – he didn’t think driving an air-conditioned bus was too bad in comparison. Apparently after the gold rush finished a lot of those that stayed in the area tried their hand at agriculture. After trying many different crops with limited success they found that the climate suited sugar cane best, and this has been grown since the early 1900’s. Banana plantations also featured heavily. According to google ‘The bags [on the plants] create a microclimate that traps heat and moisture, which helps the bananas grow larger and mature faster by creating a warmer, more humid environment. They also prevent damage from insects, birds, and the bunch rubbing against leaves’. Good old google…

There are huge rivers throughout the region, and many signs warning of flooding. Similarly to NZ much of the land has been reclaimed from swamp land. The older houses in Queensland are built on short stilts, to keep the living accommodation above potential floods. With recent improvements in drainage some of these areas have now been converted to extra rooms/garage/storage etc

We stopped at about 6pm for a half hour toilet and food break.

Eventually we arrived in Townsville. I had expected a small country town, with no reason except the name sounded like a one street kind of place. In fact Townsville appears to be a huge city, and was in full swing being a Friday night and also 31 October, Halloween. I hadn’t seen much about Halloween in the build up, but it is obviously an excuse for young adults to celebrate in the pub, wearing whatever costume they fancy. The girls were wearing a lot of witches outfits, which seemed to require VERY short skirts, and veered towards school girl outfits with garters and black tights. The boys were wearing a real assortment – some in skirts too, but others in multi coloured onesies. I saw some real random outfits, like one guy dressed as a hotdog. The hotel I had booked seemed to be above the bar where everything was happening, so I watched for a while, tucked away in the rooftop bar above, with a balcony looking down on the street where the partygoers were getting dropped off. Luckily my room is set back a bit and I couldn’t hear any noise once inside

Week 2, Day 9

I had been a bit tired the last few days, so decided not to rush around trying to see anything in Townsville, which looked like any other city – I am sure it has some attractions but I didn’t have the energy or time to investigate

I quite liked the hotel I had booked, with the rooftop bar and swimming pool, so I decided to swim first thing, which was bliss before it got too hot and with the pool to myself

I had breakfast a 10 minute walk away. I am finding hotel buffet breakfasts disappointing and relatively expensive. In Cairns I paid 33 AUD. In Townsville I found a buzzy cafe, surrounded by plants inside and out, and had perfect poached eggs on toast and regular latte for 20 AUD – about £10.

Prices generally seem reasonable, except perhaps hotel rooms, but i suppose they’re not cheap in tourist locations in the UK either. Beer seems more expensive – 9 AUD for a ‘schooner’ of lager, which is less than a pint

I had requested a late check out so that I could relax in the hotel before heading out to the train station. On Google maps the station was a mere half hour walk, but in the heat it was tough at midday. By the time I arrived I was very hot and sweaty!

I had booked the Queensland (QLD) inlander service from Townsville to Mount Isa in the outback. I wanted to experience something other than the east coast of Australia and this seemed an ideal way of doing so. I had bought a QLD Explorer rail pass back in the UK, which gave me 30 days pretty much unlimited travel on QLD rail network.

The train was scheduled to leave Townsville at 12.50pm, and reach Mount Isa at 9.35am the next day! An overnighter.

There were not many on the train but we all had to sit in our designated seats. We were checked off and notes made as to who needs to be woken up in the night for their stop. There are toilets, obviously, but also separate washroom and even a shower should we want to freshen up

The fare also covers food – we were given a sandwich, juice, biscuits and a piece of fruit for lunch as soon as the train got going. There is a lounge carriage with unlimited tea and coffee we can make for ourselves, although the urn is currently broken so we got the drinks brought to our seats.

There are blinds at the windows so photos of the views are difficult. Not that there is much to see. The land got arid very quickly. The few trees were bleached white, or black, presumably as a result of a previous fire. I saw my first two wild kangaroos hopping away from the track

At each station we can get out and stretch our legs. One of the stewards I talked to explained the speed of the train is restricted because the heat can flex the rails. The train is restricted to 80km/hr to start with, reducing to 60km/hr later on this journey

I had a chat with a young lady from Belgium who got off at Charters Towers to stretch her legs too. She had been travelling and met her husband and stayed. She was travelling from Townsville back to Hughenden where she now lives. She tries to get back to Belgium maybe once a tear or so, but uts expensive and a long way to go. She said you get used to the crocs, the snakes, the spiders etc – you just take basic precautions and avoid the. She still gets videos sent from Europe from people worried about the dangers which she thought was funny

Week 2, Day 10

The night on the train would have been much easier if it was warmer – I was really cold for mist if it. Luckily I hadn’t bothered to put my luggage in the hold but kept in the carriage, so I ended up getting a couple of jumpers out which I wrapped myself in.

Earlier in the evening, after dark, I got out at a station and despite it being really windy it was much warmer on the platform than back on the train. It was a relief to stretch my legs at Cloncurry at 6am, but then felt cold getting back on the train again.

Lights were turned out at 9pm, and the lounge was closed from 9pm to 7am. Nothing to do except try to sleep, although I did read my kindle a bit. Internet was almost non existent with a little bit available at stations, nothing in between. And the stations were up to 2 hours apart. I did manage to sleep for a couple of hours at a time but I was grateful for a coffee after Cloncurry, and daylight to see by and sun to start warming up the carriage again!

The train was running about an hour behind schedule. Apparently we had hit a kangaroo in the night and the train had stopped whilst ‘it was sorted out’

The most exciting thing before Mount Isa was the huge solar park (and I found some windows with no blinds between carriages so I was able to take a proper photo)

Stepping out onto the platform at Mount Isa I was met with the expected wall of heat. My motel was a 15 minute walk from the station, so I dug out my hat (I had burned my head a little bit when I was snorkelling, as well as the back of my legs) and followed google maps.

It was 11am when I reached the motel, which was very easy to find, and check-in wasn’t until 2pm, but my room was ready which was a nice surprise. Whilst I had been fed on the train, it was mainly bread, biscuits and juice for each meal – my stomach wasn’t very happy with the quantity of bread, and I felt that I needed some proper food for lunch to see me though the day. Google maps directed me just around the corner to a very busy cafe serving good breakfasts. The only issue I had was the Christmas tree already in situ!

The cafe was actually very busy but apart from getting the Christmas tree into the picture I am also a bit wary of taking photos of individuals, after Steve in NZ told me it is actually illegal there to take a picture of someone without their explicit agreement (he thought that was why there were no speed cameras in NZ). I don’t know if the same rule applies in Australia, but I didn’t want to upset anyone, so just kept the photo focused on the entrance and not the busy internal section.

I strolled along to the ‘Outback in Isa’ tourist information centre and booked some activities for the next few days. I am here for 4 nights, as the next train back to Townsville is not until Thursday. Unfortunately I found out that they tourist season here is April to September, and so a lot of attractions are now closed for the year (eg underground hospital used in the war; all ‘North West Tours’ which included a trip to a now unused Uranium mine I had wanted to see, as well as a sunset tour to the nearby lake, and even a city tour). There are still some activities available from the ‘Outback in Isa’ location so I booked one for each day Mon/Tues/Wed and will just take it steady.

The weather could be interesting anyway – there has been some large storms across QLD whilst I have been here, and Brisbane was again hit by hailstones. I had seen lightening whilst on the train, and I was told at the tourist information that storms are expected, and maybe a lot of rain. The temperatures last week apparently got up to 47 degrees, so they were quite happy that the temperatures were now dropping (estimated about 41 degrees that morning). There is a constant danger of fire – they showed me an online map which has real time information on current fires in the area. Apparently the grass grew quite high in the previous wet season which was very wet, and that means it is more likely to catch fire now. Even a car pulling to the side of the road can cause enough heat on the grass to trigger a fire. One lorry lost a tyre last year, and it caused a fire as it ran into the bush. They have underground machines working in the mines to prevent fires there, and last year they were brought up to the surface to try and help control the fires encircling the city – they caused quite a site rumbling along the road.

As I was ready to leave to head back to the motel to do my washing, it started to rain quite hard. I had the showerproof cape I had bought in Indonesia which kept the worst off, and anyway 10 minutes after I got back to the motel it was as hot as ever and my trousers soon dried out.

My sunburn is improving but I decided to take it easy in my air conditioned room in the evening. Because of the heat I have been reluctant to wear my walking boots with socks, and had bought some flip flops in Cairns from Sketchers. My little foot was struggling with the lack of support, however, and so a rest with my foot up is needed. There also seems to be more ‘mossies’ around again, so I will stay in and watch Australian TV and learn a bit about their culture from the TV! In NZ a lot of the programmes were UK imports – odd to be watching UK versions of Location, Location, Location! In Australia there seems to be more Australian content, but still sometimes based on UK formats (eg Australian ‘The Chase’ or ‘The Voice’).

Week 2, Day 11

After a LOT of rain overnight the temperature was a chilly 25 deg rather than the 40 deg of the day before when I set out on my mine tour. I had an interesting breakfast at the museum cafe – ‘savoury’ scones according to the smiling waitress were served covered in so much jam and whippy cream I couldn’t taste the scone underneath, but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t savoury! .

There were 5 of us signed up for the Hard Mines tour, led by a guide who worked in the mines for years. We dressed up accordingly, except the guide who kept his colourful shirt on

I later spent a long time in the accompanying museum learning a lot about the city of Mount Isa, so the following is a potted history from what I can remember, with some pretty pictures (or not!) from the mine tour to break it up

John Campbell Miles was a ‘gouger’ who roamed the country, doing odd jobs where he could, funding his preferred lifestyle of digging for gold. His horse was his company, called ‘Hard Times’. On his way to the Northern Territories in search of gold he saw some rocks which looked interesting and he chipped some off and left to be collected for testing – the rocks proved to be full of lead, zinc and silver. Rather than moving on he staked his claim to the area and with some other ‘gougers’ they started to dig with manual tools for the mineral. Miles called the area Mount Isa, apparently named after Mount Ida, a Western Australian goldmine.

These first prospectors never made much money, and it took the formation of a company (Mount Isa Mines (MIM)) which could raise capital to buy out the loads of separate claims (leases) of the gougers in an attempt to rationalise the exploitation of the minerals. Many of the first prospectors sold their claims (including Miles) for shares in the new company. Miles then sold his shares at a reduced price over the next few years and moved on, only to re-visit the area as a local celebrity many years later in his 70’s, by which time MIM was the biggest mining company in Australia

In fact millions of dollars were invested in the machinery needed to develop the mine, and faced lots of problems (not least the worldwide Depression of the 1930’s), before eventually turning a profit in 1937, after some collaboration with an American mining company.

The second world war again changed the fortunes of the mine, as copper became so valuable. Copper deposits had been found at nearby Cloncurry in the 1880’s but the cost of smelting and transportation had meant the business was not economic. It was known that there were also copper deposits in Mount Isa, and as the price rose so the lead smelter was transformed into a copper smelter (considered to be technically very difficult) and copper was mined.

The heyday of the mines in the area controlled by MIM was the 1950’s. During that time the town grew as workers were attracted to work the mines, earning good money. MIM was a paternal employer, providing housing, hospital, school, social and sporting facilities, and access to credit for food and household items, deducting payment over time through the miners’ pay cheques.

Meanwhile the price of lead was also making the extraction of the lead, silver and zinc more profitable again, with a ‘lead bonus’ being paid to the miners based on world prices, which ended up being higher than the standard weekly wage. Problems came in the 1960’s when this lead bonus was standardised at a (lower) fixed amount which caused the miners to go on strike, for 8 months. After the issue was resolved and the miners returned to work things were different. The company didn’t need to help the workers to the same degree as before, as the town was now established in its own right with its own economy – it had come of age

Manual tools used to put in the holes used to blast out the rock were eventually replaced by pneumatic drills used by miners – we were able to feel the power for seconds – it would have been painful to use for 8 hours but perhaps less prone to injury than the manual method of using a sledgehammer on a pin held by your team mate. As mechanisation continued the heavy pneumatic drills were replaced by huge machines brought down into the mines.

The ‘mine’ we were shown around was actually purpose built as a tourist attraction/information centre. MIM was committed to allowing tourists to enter the mines, and used to take people down into the working mines in Toyota trucks until one tourist climbed out when she shouldn’t, hurt herself and sued the company, and won. It was felt important that people had the experience of the mines, and so this area was purpose built, with a lot of redundant machinery moved across to this reclaimed site. The mine was built but only 15 metres below the surface (instead of nearly 2000 metres). Nevertheless the experience felt very real, with the lift down, train in and various exhibits which we were shown.

We were taken to the ‘crib room’. I queried the name as I thought ‘crib’ was a Cornish term, and our guide confirmed it came from some of the original miners who were Cornish, bringing their expertise from home. We were even given a cup of tea and a ‘pasty’ (not a proper Cornish one) before being returned out of the mine in the back of a truck.

Apparently there were a lot of different nationalities attracted to the mines – the Finns get a special mention. One commentator on a film I watched in the museum afterwards, who grew up in Mount Isa, pointed out that a lot of people came to the town to find work, so there was a lot of people of a similar age from very diverse backgrounds, all there to earn money and have a good time. It created a quite different environment from more structed historical towns with an established social structure.

Interestingly the city is now accommodating a lot of government services in office buildings as it is geographically central – there was a couple from NZ on the tour whose daughter has started work for child protection services based in Mount Isa. I asked what it was like to live somewhere like Mount Isa which appears to be in the middle of nowhere, and mum said that there is a whole group of workers doing similar work and of a similar age in the city, and they are all having a good time. Bit like George, my son, in Whistler, with the other transient workers who form their own community. They all have 4WD vehicles and are very active – they went with some to a pub last night, which was a 2hour drive along winding roads which you could only drive with a 4WD. Our guide talked about going out for dinner on their motorbikes when he was younger, to a place 5 hours away. Australians have a different view of distances!

Back to mining: Our guide said current wages are 180k AUD pa for miners working 7 days on, 7 days off, 12 hour shifts. Because of the distance from the entrance to the work the 12 hour shift starts from when the men enter the lift – it can take a while to get prepared and ready to actual start work at the workface. The mine is open 365 days pa, including Good Friday and Christmas Day which used to be holidays but the work no longer stops.

The copper is generally 3.2% of the crushed ore brought up from the mine. After further grinding, separating via a flotation chamber and other processes, it is 99.7% pure by the time it leaves Mount Isa. It is then shipped out by train or truck to Townsville for further refining and becomes 99.99% pure, which is the best in the world, before being shipped abroad.

Before the railway was built the lead was shipped out by horse and carriage. In 1929 the railway was extended from the existing route from Duchess to Townsville. The track could have been more direct if built from scratch, but loops down to Duchess rather than straight to Cloncurry because that was the end of the line at that time.

The mine actually closed recently, in 2025, as copper prices have fallen. The copper smelter in Mount Isa is one of only two in the country. Our guide was cynical about the environmental concerns that have contributed to this decision and the fact that more smelters are not being built. A lot of metals are sent to China now, which have no such qualms and they are benefiting from the profits of the added value process.

MIM, now Glencore, is transitioning its focus to long-term zinc and lead assets, which include the George Fisher Mine, the zinc-lead concentrator, and the lead smelter. The George Fisher Mine is located about 20km north of Mount Isa.

When the town developed there was initially ‘Mineside’ and ‘Townside’, split on each side of the river. Mineside was the part of town developed by the mines, with all the facilities listed above, but these were only accessible by those who worked in the mine. All other ancillary services were run by others who lived in makeshift camps on ‘Townside’ who didn’t have access to the hospital even, or any of the other facilities. Eventually, when the copper price was very high, it was realised that more accessible copper deposits were under the properties in ‘Mineside’ so eventually they were moved to Townside, and the city is now all as one.

Other interesting facts about the area

• ‘Pastoralists’ moved into the area, looking after cattle in a semi-nomadic way. This brought them into conflict with the Aborigines, as the cattle muddied the water, trampled plants and frightened away the wildlife from creeks and waterholes, which were all so important to the Aborigines in such a dry environment. Some cattle and even settlers were killed, and the retribution culminated in 1884 when over Aborigines were killed on what is now called Battle Mountain, to the north of Mount Isa. It is estimated that over 5,000 Aborigines were killed in Queensland in the 1870’s and 1880’s, the ‘Wild Time’.
• During the Second World War the Japanese bombed the hospital in Darwin which was next to the airport. It was felt Mount Isa may be next because of the proximity of the lead mine. It was agreed to build an underground hospital which was completed in 15 weeks, being built by miners after they ended their mine shift. It was occupied occasionally when alarms were sounded and patients were moved there, but the main hospital was never harmed, so the underground one was not needed for permanent use
• Cloncurry still holds the record for the highest temperature recorded in Australia – 53.1deg in 1889. Conditions were very tough with none of the modern ways of keeping cool
• The Australian Flying Doctor service was initiated after a mining accident in Mount Isa when the injured miner was taken to Cloncurry hospital in 1927. The first official Flying Doctor commenced service on 15 May 1928 from Cloncurry.
• In 1954, when uranium mining became feasible after a change in the law and increased demand for uranium, a Norm McConachy struck lucky when his geiger counter indicated big deposits when his truck broke down. He named the mine ‘Mary Kathleen’ after his recently deceased wife, and it was exploited by Rio Tinto during a profitable couple of decades. In 1983 the mine was closed for the last time, and the whole town sold off and buildings moved. There are still big deposits of uranium in the area but political concerns means it will stay in the ground for now
• Some enterprising Mount Isa Rotary Club members started a Rodeo in Mount Isa in 1959. By offering good prize money and making sure the space was suitable the Rodeo was a great success and continued to grow in later years – it is now the largest Rodeo in the Southern Hemisphere!
• When aeroplanes started to fly from Brisbane to Darwin they stopped at Mount Isa to re-fuel which led to more visitors in the city.
• Mount Isa is credited in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest city in the world, by geographical area, extending to 40,977 square kilometres. It also has the longest city road at 189km long

An interesting day

Week 2, Day 12

Mount Isa has a lookout point which I had expected to walk up the previous day, but was warned off by one of the people in the tourist information office, because of the black clouds – ‘you don’t want to get hit by lightening’. I certainly didn’t, so left it a day – the weather has changed again to warm and sunny, with the rain long past, although quite windy.

The lookout itself focuses mainly on the view towards the mines and associated activities

The whole view shows how the city is surrounded by hills, but is itself very flat

There is a signpost to indicate distance from Mount Isa to other places – 15,724 km from London!

The trucks going through the city are impressive and only reinforce the fact that this is an industrialised area.

I felt that I was being bitten and there seemed to be flies around me. I sat for a little while until I realised there were a lot of insects all around my feet and up a post next to where I was sitting.

I haven’t found much to love in Mount Isa, but maybe I just don’t get it. I had had breakfast in the same cafe as before, with the Christmas tree, and on the wall behind me was a lovely painting with a description outlining the artist’s love of the surrounding hills and countryside. Hiking seems to be a popular activity, away from the city, but I don’t feel confident enough to do this on my own, with talk of snakes etc, and the heat. Perhaps being confined to the city I am missing the beauty of the area?

At 1pm I returned to the ‘Outback at Isa’ building for a Bush Tucker talk. I was the only one signed up for the tour, but the guide was happy to do it anyway. When she started it was if she was talking to a huge group, in a loud voice, but over time she calmed down and spoke just to me, perhaps because I kept interrupting her with questions. I can’t remember all the information she told me about the plants used by the indigenous population as there was so much, but here are a few snippets:

The map shows all the different Aboriginal tribes and their associated areas. Each has its own language and culture, all very distinct from each other. One tribe cannot understand the language of the other. Some areas are large, where resources are scarce, whereas others are tiny, indicating that resources are concentrated in a small area. The guide was from an area on the east coast, next to the ocean. Mount Isa is within the traditional lands of the Kalkadoon people.

The didgeridoo is a man’s instrument – women are allowed to handle it but cannot play it. To do so would be paid karma, and if pregnant the women would be likely give birth to a deformed baby, according to their traditions

The guide showed me several items made of different materials, including a musical instrument made with seeds; part of a tree bark used to carry fruit and even babies or used as a shield, obtained by ‘scarring’ a tree, cutting the bark away but leaving the tree to carry on living; clap sticks made out of different woods (whichever is available in each area); fire sticks used to make a fire (which can take up to an hour by a woman because of the strength needed in your arms to twist one stick into the base to generate a stick; men can do this quicker); a spear which acts like a passport to visit a neighbouring tribe, depicted with a story carved on it which will tell the neighbouring tribe about the owner; a lump of resin type material used to make spears and hand tools, formed from the burnt spinifex plant

I had come across the term ‘spinifex’ a few times and realised it relates to the grasses that form clumps everywhere in the outback. Apparently it doesn’t grow along the coast, so the guide’s tribe use a different method of forming a resin which can work like glue. Here the spinifex is burnt and allowed to rest for a couple of days, before the glutinous remains are collected in a lump. It can then be heated again to be used to affix a stone, sharpened to a point, to a stick which has been split for the purpose, as in the photo above

A particular interest of this guide was protection of the swordfish, and she has worked as a ranger monitoring these fish. They are often killed by fishermen who cut off the ‘sword’, and leave the fish to die as it cannot survive without this. It is an important part of the ecology, working like a vacuum cleaner in the brackish part of a river (where fresh and salt water meet), cleaning up the bottom of the river. The guide makes a point of mentioning this to each tourist to educate where possible

Out in the botanic garden attached to the centre we walked around and she talked about the different trees, plants and seeds etc

This tree is particularly useful – the stems reaching down to the ground are used for the fire sticks, and provide hiding places for small animals. It is always found near water, and can be tapped for water if standing water is not available nearby. It has cups in its branches which collects rainwater for birds. Its leaves are dried and used for weaving. Its trunk can be used for scarring. I cant remember what it was called!

The paper bark tree is also useful, as the bark can be pulled off and used to insulate a house made of sticks, like we would use moss. It would form a waterproof layer but would soak up moisture in the colder nights, and slowly release it during the day, so providing basic air con. The bark is soft and malleable and can be used to line the harder bark used to carry babies.

The guide described some of the initiation ceremonies that young men go through to recognise their development into men – eg shaving ceremony when the uncle shaves 16/17 year olds, with shells in the past, but now more modern shavers. Boys are also sometimes cut on their chests to reflect their change to adulthood, to show that they can adopt the pain of their ancestors. Young girls are taken to a spring when they have their first period, by their grandmothers, and they sit in the water to cleanse them – the guide has been through this process herself. She was adamant that she must learn the ways of her tribe before the elders die.

Of the seeds and berries she showed me she said normally ‘black and red is dead’, but then spoke about one red berry/seed which is taken like a contraceptive pill. She referred to elders with 5 women, who keep producing children because they don’t have any contraception, so they can take this. It will cause a lot of pain, but will line the uterus and ensure no further pregnancies. If a man eats it he will become infertile.

I had a further wander around the garden after the guide finished, but the warning that it was now ‘snake season’ and to just keep an eye out made me a little nervous!

A walk around to the local cinema 10 minutes away was a good way to pass the time that evening

Week 2, Day 13

I had booked to do an indigenous painting class this morning at 10am, but had been warned that it may not happen as the lady who does the class had a ‘sorry case’, which translated to a relative in hospital, terminally ill. It was left that I would be contacted if it wasn’t going to happen, but hearing nothing I turned up at the required time to be told that it wasn’t going to go ahead. Whilst I understand that these things happen, it would have been nice to have been contacted before I made my way to the centre

I whiled away the morning, using the opportunity to have a manicure and a pedicure as my nails were looking worse for wear. I thought it would be an opportunity to talk to the locals, but we spent most of the appointment in silence. Eventually two ladies spoke to me, one Danish and one from the Philippines, both attracted by the good money paid in Mount Isa, even for bar work. The Danish one was off to Melbourne next week, however, as ‘nothing much to do in Mount Isa’

The salon was again run by Asians, who made no attempt to interact. I found it difficult to understand when they did speak as all 3 were also wearing face masks

It made me wonder how many actual Australians I have interacted with – a lot of the services are run by visiting youngsters, keen to improve their English. Thinking back I think generally the actual Australians I have dealt with have been the most confident and helpful of all those I have met, just perhaps not enough of them. Perhaps I have interpreted lack of confidence with the language as rudeness.

At 2.30pm I had booked a guided tour around the Riversleigh Fossil Centre, which is again housed with the ‘Outback at Isa’ centre – everything happens there! There was one other person on the tour – a German who turned out to have a doctorate in Chemistry. The guide was a man called Alan Rackham who had worked down the mines, and said immediately he was not a trained paleontologist but he seems to have dedicated his life to understanding the fossils.

Riversleigh is a site 250km north of Mount Isa, and is a World Heritage site because of the importance of the fossils discovered there. Since it was first discovered over 300 dig sites have been opened and over 300 named faunal species discovered, many of which are now extinct.

Apparently ‘there is no other site like it in the world – it documents the changes in our animals in one region from about 30 million years ago to about 30,000 years ago – no other site on the planet has done that, and it shows us not only our strange extinct groups of animals but also the origins of our modern fauna’. David Attenborough is equally impressed

Due to a unique set of circumstances animals were fossilised in the wet limestone that was created as water levels changed over several ice ages. Another important source is bat guano (bat shit), which covered animals dead on the floor of their caves, and solidified into a solid that kept the fossils safe.

The lab, which was part of the tour, included rocks being soaked in acid for days to help the extraction of the fossils held inside. Alan spends hours sifting and reviewing everything that is brought in, on his own. There is no funding as the fossils are not dinosaurs. He has one lady who comes in on a Thursday to help sometimes, as a volunteer. Alan takes photos of anything interesting and sends to the scientists to review. He is actually employed by the Council, and does the guided tours of the mines as well, and any other jobs that need doing around the centre and outside in the garden. He talked about having great grandchildren, but I wouldn’t like to guess his age. His passion for the subject was obvious

He doesn’t believe everything the scientists say, and often refers to things his countryman have observed for years to challenge their assumptions. The fossils themselves show how animals have evolved over millions of years and previous ‘knowledge’ can be undermined by new discoveries – eg a bone found in 2019 at the site increased the expected height of the big flightless bird that used to be in Australia by another metre.

There were models of some of the extinct animals they have discovered – this pleistocene is thought to have had a short truck, because its skull showed a nasal opening similar to that of the modern elephant.

Some bones and fossils (teeth are particularly useful), have shown the development of kangaroos changing from smaller animals like the rat marsupials that still exist in the Daintree rainforest (which resembles the forest that used to cover the whole of Australia) to the big red kangaroos in the outback deserts, which learned to hop as the most efficient way to cover the ground between water holes and vegetation.

Alan has been encouraged to write down all the knowledge he has gained over the years since 1985 when he first got involved. He is adamant that a technical scientific paper wouldn’t get read by anyone, so he is thinking of writing children’s stories which will include the facts they have discovered – children want to learn, but also parents and grandparents will be educated as they read the books

One of the interesting things I learnt was how do they age the fossils? Apparently they use uranium-series dating (i.e. by measuring the uranium in the surrounding rock they can calculate the age of that rock, and therefore the fossils contained within).

Whilst I struggle to get excited about fossils, Alan’s enthusiasm and passion was impressive and I left in awe of his devotion shifting through such tiny samples.

On the way out I passed a piece of art that depicted some of this evolution, all made in copper. There was no details of the artist – apparently I was told that the Council were so slow paying the artist and his father, based in Brisbane, when it was commissioned that the whole project when sour and he doesn’t want to be associated with it. The copper didn’t even come from Mount Isa – it was imported!

Week 2, Day 14

Time to leave Mount Isa and return to the coast. I never really got to appreciate the outback as some obviously have in the past

The train journey is from 1.30pm on Thursday, reaching Townsville at 10.10am Friday morning. It takes 4 hours to reach Cloncurry because of the big loop down to Duchess and back – apparently it takes about an hour by the more direct road. To drive to Townsville takes approximately 10 hours by road, so this is definitely a slower form of travel!

The German guy I met at the fossil centre is also travelling back to Townsville – part of a 12 month travelling adventure for him. There is only 4 passengers on the train, with the whole of Carriage B behind empty, as it was on the way out. There are 3 members of staff looking after our needs and acting as conductor etc, and I think 2 train drivers. I asked about how such a service is justified economically and was told it was run as a service for the community (although 3 out of 4 passengers were tourists!).

The most exciting part of the journey was the sunset – as we were travelling east back to the coast the sun set behind us

The German passenger asked for a blanket, which I didn’t know were available. I had one too, and this with my sleeping bag liner which I had found ready for the journey meant I wasn’t so cold overnight. The blanket was in a sealed bag and I was told they were thrown away if I didn’t want to keep it, which I didn’t because of lack of space. A shame they couldn’t give them away to people who need them.

Week 3, Day 15

In Townsville I had a wait from 10am to 2pm before I could catch my train south. I left my suitcase at the station and walked about 15 minutes to the Old Railway Cafe just to get a bit of exercise and proper food

The train going towards Brisbane was much busier, almost full, with several carriages. Dinner was an option for 9.5 AUD, ordered and delivered by people working on the train (3 options, including corned beef, or sausages and mash). I didn’t order any as I was due to get off the train about then

There is a connected bus to take passengers from Proserpine to Airlie beach – the bus fare is included in the cost of the train fare (nil for me, because of my pass) and it waits for the train’s arrival. It takes about 1/2 hour to travel the 27km. There were 5 of us on the 52 seater coach, with a very jovial driver who took details of each of our accommodations and dropped each of us off as near as possible to where we needed to be.

I walked into town to again stretch my legs and get some real food, and ended up in a restaurant with live music, selling steaks, which was perfect. There is a music festival on all weekend at Airlie Beach but I have no idea who the bands are so happy to just hear the music in the bars and restaurants and soak up the atmosphere. It seems like a bit of a party town, but a lot of the people eating seem a similar generation, although definitely youngsters too.

I stuck with a sirloin steak and peppercorn sauce, rather than trying the more adventurous Australian game menu!

Week 3, Day 16

After a really good night’s sleep catching up, I woke up to this view from my balcony

I wandered around the port and admired the many boats moored in the marina, on a beautiful sunny day. There was also a market selling all sorts from clothes to food (including some impressive banana waffles folded into a cone) to recycled goods to jewellery etc.

I was picked up for a flight I had booked, on a small plane across the Whitsunday islands. Apparently these islands were discovered by Captain Cook in 1770 on ‘Whit Sunday’, the Christian celebration, and the beach on Whitehaven has been voted the best beach in the world, so not to be missed!

There were only 7 on the flight, to ensure everyone gets a window seat. I was chosen to be co-pilot for some reason, so I was right up front with the pilot and all the dials. He told me not to touch the joy stick or the pedals!

We flew over some of the Whitsunday islands and saw the white beaches, and the coral reefs around them

We then flew further out, to the Great Barrier Reef – the colours were just amazing

We did a special fly over of Heart Reef, but I don’t think I captured it on the video (probably because I couldn’t see a heart shaped reef below me!)

We flew back towards the mainland over some of the Whitsunday islands again.

Whitehaven island was, of course, a featured location – we again flew over twice so that the passengers on each side could see the inlet where the different colours are all swirled together, This is what is featured on every photo you see of the Whitsundays

The sand is so white because of the content of silica in it. It doesn’t retain heat so you can walk on it in bare feet even if the air temperature is very hot. It is illegal to take home even a handful of sand.

Apparently the beach was used in one of the Pirates of Penzance movies, although they planted palm trees all along it for the short scene. When filming was finished the palm trees were dug up again, and replanted along the esplanade at Airlie Beach.

A fantastic experience – I offered to be co-pilot again anytime they needed me!

The driver of the minibus returned us to Airlie Beach – not very far but made longer as he completely forgot he had any passengers and drove past the port and the around the town and headed back to the airport before realising he was supposed to drop us off!

I found the lagoon which seems to feature in most Australian towns (I found out on the train back from Mount Isa that they have one too, but I hadn’t thought to look for it). Lovely to do a bit of sunbathing

On the way back to the accommodation I stopped off in a crowded bar and had a ‘schooner’ of ‘mid strength lager’ and got chatting to an Australian bloke who had driven up for the weekend’s music festival.

I had decided that perhaps I hadn’t seen the best of the Australians, not because they were offish but perhaps because I had stopped making an effort. When I had been in a tour group, especially in NZ, I hadn’t had to think about or plan anything, and was free to make conversation with everyone I met. Because I am planning Australia on my own I haven’t had the emotional energy to engage perhaps. So today I made an effort and had a lot of good conversations: with a lady in a gift shop; a couple of stallholders at the market; the pilot; the guy in the bar. I also had other chats, with a NZ couple staying where I am, and an Austrian lady who was on the flight on her own (her husband had done the flight in the morning because they have 2 small children and they took it in turns for childcare).

So going forward I am going to take it easy, do the usual hotspots on the coast down to Sydney and relax a bit so that I can engage with the locals. Not that I always understand them – the guy in the bar was talking English, but it was a bit like when I moved to Cornwall and I got a few words but not the whole sentence! We seemed to muddle by for the short time I was there to drink my lager, and then I left him to it.

Week 3, Day 17

I wanted to make the most of the ‘best beach in the world’ so I booked a boat tour for the day. After being picked up at my accommodation I was then fitted out with a ‘sting suit’ as part of the registration process. A ‘sting suit’ is like a wetsuit but made of lycra type material (and so much easier to put on) – it is supposed to protect against stings by jellyfish (although our head, hands and feet were exposed – we just hope they don’t fancy those bits). At least it stops sunburn too

The whole sign up and registration was the most exhaustive of any trip I have been on, with waivers to sign, and details required about my medication and swimming/snorkelling ability. I found out later, chatting to the skipper of our boat, the business was previously a family business, but now owned by some multi-national company and the risk assessments have increased. Apparently above a certain age you are required to wear a buoyancy aid, whatever your experience of snorkelling – I hadn’t had that conversation because I said I was happy to wear one at registration, so I don’t know what the age limit is. I find it easier to have one and just concentrate on looking at the coral and fish

3 boats were taken out – the company was called Red Cat Adventures, and all the boats were painted bright red. It was a bit different to my snorkelling in Port Douglas – this boat was all about getting us there quickly, with no luxuries. It was also aimed at the younger generation I think, as they played loud music whenever we were moving, and BYO alcohol was permitted (although I didn’t see much evidence of this). There were 40 on our boat, 16 of which were part of a tour group called Contiki (aimed at 18 to 35’s)

Anyway we zoomed out towards Hook Island, and stopped at Mantaray Bay for some snorkelling. Apparently the company has a licence to feed the fish, so we were met with shoals of fish as soon as we jumped in. However it felt unnecessary, as further away from the boat the coral and fish were stunning. Unfortunately no pictures on this trip, so you will have to take my word for it! I saw a fish about 4 feet long and when I queried it with the tour operators they said it was probably ‘George’, a humphead wrasse who likes to swim around here. They said I was lucky to see him.

We then went to Mackerel Bay, also off Hook Island, where turtles are sometimes seen. The coral runs around in a semi circle around the bay, and the turtles are usually seen in the drop off – I followed it around but unfortunately didn’t see any this time. We were not allowed on the beaches of Hook Island, which is within the Whitsunday Islands National Park

We then went on to Whitsunday Island, and landed on the bay the other side of the island from Whitehaven Beach. There is a clear path up to the Hill Inlet Lookout, looking over the famous beach and the inlet where the sand swirls create a moving pattern mixed with the turquoise water of the coral sea through the movement of the tides

I stood for a while admiring the view in front of me, next to where the path opens out onto the decking viewing area, and without exception every visitor said ‘wow’ as they saw this phenomenon laid out in front of them

Obviously I took lots of photos and it is difficult to decide which to include, so I will have to post most of them!

We had some time on the beach and I walked out to the white sand spit – the water was up to my waist but then barely covered my toes on the spit. I sat down and ran the sand through my fingers – wet it has the consistency of wallpaper paste

Just incredible! Imagine sailing a boat up through this inlet – I think I could stay there for days. Manta rays use the channel and I saw a couple from the lookout, and maybe one when I was walking in the sea (but it was difficult to be sure because of the sun on the waves causing dappling everywhere).

On the way down to the beach I was on my own as I had let the others go ahead. I heard some scrabbling in the bush and wondered if it was a snake, but it turned out to be a large iguana. I couldn’t get a photo because he was so well camouflaged within the undergrowth. A bit further down a wallaby came jumping out of the bush, across my path and gone again – he was too quick for a photo

After some time on the beach we got back on our boats for the journey back to port, about an hour away. By the time I was dropped off by the minibus I couldn’t wait for a shower and to wash my fair, which was a tangled mess! I was also extremely tired – snorkelling, the sea air and the sun is a wicked combination.

Week 3, Day 18

I was supposed to be going kayaking but unfortunately it was cancelled because of strong cross winds. Probably a good thing as I woke up feeling quite ill and was actually sick. Probably dehydration the day before although I had been drinking water when I could. Perhaps skipping dinner hadn’t helped – after a packet of crisps and a twix bar I just had an early night (I can hear my sister’s horror at the food choices!)

I decided breakfast might help, but actually struggled to eat it, although the pot of tea went down well!

Because of the location of the kayaking I had booked a return coach to the train station at Airlie Beach Shopping Centre, which is at Cannonvale. I could have got a taxi there but my pickup wasn’t until 4.19pm so I decided to walk. I knew I would be on the train for several hours, so best to stretch my legs first.

I took it slowly, wore my hat, stopped often for drinks (cafes and the free water fountains) and I was really glad I had chosen to do this as there were great views, and the shopping centre was just a few shops that were closed in a precinct with the big supermarket, Coles.

The boardwalk along the coast made for easy walking with my case, and better than walking along the main road that Google maps suggested was the only route

The mangroves reaching into the sea reminded me this is still in the Tropics, although the lack of biting insects has been a joy

At Cannonvale beach stinger nets had been out up to give an area safe to swim in. A couple were in there, with their dog sitting on the beach patiently waiting for them, which was surprising given the heat. When she saw me she came running, tail wagging!

Back at Proserpine station our train was supposed to arrive at 5.16pm but it was running a bit behind schedule. Whilst waiting two goods trains went through, one each way. I counted 70 carriages on one, some containers and some round tanks contai8ning cement.

Week 3, Day 19

I had thought to travel just to Rockhampton and stay there for a night, before moving on to Hervey Bay so that I could visit Fraser Island (K’gari) which has a 75 mile beach, but I decided I was making my journey unnecessarily complicated. Especially as the train arrived in Rockhampton at 11.35pm. Instead I changed my booking to travel all the way to Brisbane and get some miles south done, as my journey to date didn’t seem to have got me any closer to Sydney, and I felt time was running out. I had my plane to Singapore booked for the 21st November.

As it turned out I was glad I had changed the booking. By the time we got to Rockhampton the train was running an hour and a quarter behind schedule, so it was well gone midnight. Easier to stay on the train and try and get some sleep there.

Inevitably I didn’t sleep much but it was easier when the Australian sitting next to me got off at Rockhampton – he was going to pick his car up from his mothers, and hadn’t travelled on the trains before. I was glad when the sun broke through at dawn

The countryside seemed quite different – I was no longer in the tropics. Brisbane has 4 proper seasons, rather than the ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ season that they have nearer the equator. The grass looked like proper grass (i.e. like we have at home!).

We had made up some time overnight, so we arrived at 9.30am rather than the scheduled 9am, but still a 16 hour journey….first stop was Roma Street park behind the station, for a decent cup of coffee

After an exhausting walk following google maps to find my (cheap) accommodation, I used the common space to rest until my ‘pod’ was ready. As soon as I was able I had a shower and felt immediately better, and able to face the world again. I walked down to the ‘Howard Smith Wharves’ area and had dinner in a restaurant under the ‘Story’ Bridge, watching the river traffic

I wandered along the walkway beside the river, minding the many scooters and bikes as well as pedestrians. ‘Wheeled’ traffic such as scooters are catered for, with slopes built into steps so that they can access most areas, or directed around obstacles. The area is being upgraded, apparently in readiness for the 2032 Olympics due to be held here.

I found my way to the Botannic gardens, and then back along the river again, viewing the same space but now lit up.

I had decided the easiest way to get back to my accommodation was to get to the bridge, and up on the road that crosses there and follow it back. I wasn’t quite sure how I was going to get up to that height but when I got there I found a lift which does the job from the street below – perfect! As I walked home I saw some people climbing the bridge, presumably as some sort of organised activity

Week 3, Day 20

By catching the train direct to Brisbane I had missed the ‘Sunshine coast’. Without a vehicle it is difficult to get away from train tracks and organising buses and overnight stays in different places felt a bit like hard work, moving from one place to another all the time. When I got to Brisbane I found an organised day tour that would take me back up the coast to visit Noosa on the Sunshine coast, so this seemed an ideal opportunity to see what I had missed

I had developed blisters, probably because of the heat, so rather than walking to the pick-up point I navigated the public transport, using a bus. It was really easy, using my phone, and I tapped in and out on the bus with my travel card to make payment – I found out subsequently that all journeys are 50 cents, whether on a bus, train, metro or river boat! In fact I talked to some locals who were on the day trip (John and Sindy) and they said they are able to catch a local train from where they live into the city, and spent a whole day one travelling on all 4 types of transport – if you tap in within an hour of tapping out on another it is treated as a continuous ride, so the whole day cost them 50 cents each! (I believe if you are over 60 you can travel for free, but I wasn’t bothered about 50 cents)

We travelled to a lookout over the Glass House Mountains first, although it was a bit hazy and we couldn’t see them very clearly. Apparently they were named by Captain James Cook in 1770, when he saw these solidified lava remains from his ship and thought they looked like the glass houses from Yorkshire.

The lookout was in the Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, which has 55 hectares of preserved rainforest. The land was gifted by Mary Cairncross’s daughters in 1941, to keep it protected, in memory of their mother, an environmentalist from the 19th Century

The driver, Pete, was a great tour leader dropping in bits of information about Brisbane and the area as we went. Apparently Brisbane has grown substantially in recent years, especially since Covid – it has less stringent lockdown rules than say Melbourne and a lot of people made the move and stayed. The climate is good, with mild winters – QLD is known as the sunshine state in Australia, but less hot and humid in Brisbane than say Cairns. The infrastructure is struggling to keep up, with a lack of labour in construction, farming, health industry – it seems to be an issue worldwide. Accommodation is a problem in Brisbane, as elsewhere.

After a coffee stop in a lovely small place called Montville (scones with cream and jam, with John and Sindy – good, but no Cornish clotted cream!), we moved on to Eumundi market. These popular markets are held every Wed and Sat, and everything sold must be made in Australia. I could have spent longer there than the hour allocated, it was so big and colourful. I have to keep reminding myself I have no more room in my case…

At Noosa we were dropped off some way above the beach, and enjoyed a walk down a boardwalk path back to the town, glimpsing the beach as we went. Nobody was wearing a stinger suit as I believe the jellyfish are less common in these waters, and no crocodiles to worry about this far south.

Noosa used to be a small surfing beach but has grown over the decades into an expensive resort where the beautiful people go. Noosa Heads is the small area where the actual beach is, reaching from a protected headland to the river inlet, and is the most exclusive area. Further back is Noosa Sound, and before that Noosa River, alongside the river further inland. There is also Noosa Village which is the locals shopping area and backpacker hostels

I wandered around the shops along Hastings Street but decided I couldn’t afford anything other than lunch, so enjoyed a Greek salad and a glass of white wine whilst people watching

Pete had spent his childhood around the beaches of the Sunshine coast and was keen to tell us that it is not all about Noosa. Over 80km there are 27 beaches, 19 of which are patrolled by lifeguards. Many are growing in popularity as Noosa becomes too big and expensive.

Pete talked about a few other things on the journey there and back:

• The typical QLD houses built above the ground wasn’t apparently primarily for flood purposes, the main reason was an elementary air conditioning by allowing the air to circulate underneath. Often these areas have been enclosed by boards – I queried whether it wasn’t an ideal place for snakes? Pete wasn’t bothered – he said better that than in the house. He was more concerned by termites – they leave wood on the perimeter of their property to try and deter them from the house itself, and test the house annually
• Fire is a big problem and he talked about the importance of the back burning each year to form fire breaks which can help to prevent the spread of fire in the season
• Ghost gums are trees that shed their bark every year, leaving a very white trunk which shines in the dark. They are iconic in the region and important to aboriginal culture
• Sugar cane used to be farmed in the area but has been replaced by more profitable crops like pineapple, lychee, macadamia nuts, all sorts. Sugar cane is till grown in the north of QLD because the climate there gives a slightly better yield and it is still econimically viable
• Australia Zoo was on the route, established by the Irwin family. Steve Irwin is well known for his videos wrestling with crocodiles – apparently the videos were offered to a small streaming service which had 40,000 subscribers – after the Irwin videos were included this grew to 40 million subscribers! Steve Irwin died from a diving accident, unusually stung by a sting ray
• The street names in Brisbane’s central area are named after English Kings and Queens – I had noted already that they were all first names and old fashioned, like Margaret, Mary, Alfred, Edward, George. What I hadn’t realised was that all the female names lie in one direction, with the males ones perpendicular, which I suppose should help with navigation.

Week 3, Day 21

I decided to move within Brisbane, and pay a bit extra for a room nearer the centre. When you move room it is always a bit of a pain, as you have to be out by 10am, and cannot access the new until 3pm, so there is always that period when you are restricted by what to do with your luggage. On this occasion I decided to hang out at the hostel (Lylo) in the common room (with many 20 somethings but also a man from the Uk more my age who has recently separated from his wife and is ‘living’ here, enjoying the young company I think

After checking in at my new hotel I walked down to the city centre, and found the Queen Street Mall, an open shopping mall, with some street entertainment. Down one street from a central hub were the posh shops, getting even posher in Queen’s Plaza with shops like Tiffany’s, Dior, Chanel etc. I am not a great shopper, so I just wandered through – I am sure my nieces Emma and Sammie would have appreciated the shopping possibilities! Note the Christmas tree in pride of place

I decided to walk over the river to the South Bank area, which is the same as London, housing the arty performance buildings, and even the ‘wheel of Brisbane’ like the London Eye

By this time it was gone 4pm, and all the art galleries and museums on the South Bank shut at 5pm, so I just decided to have a snack and move on to the City Cat boats on the river. Given the extremely low cost of this city council provided public transport I decided to catch a ferry and stay on it until one end, turn around and travel all the way to the other end, and back to the middle again, whilst dusk arrived

The initial journey, sitting in the sun at the front of the boat, watching the rowers who had all emerged following the end of the working day, was very pleasant. Every bridge we went under had a different design, and all quite sculptural

All along the side of the river there appeared to be boardwalks/footways, enabling people, bikes and scooters to travel for miles away from the traffic. There is one, the Bicentennial Bikeway, which seemed to go for miles, and must make commuting by bike easier. Maybe London is like this now, but I think it is more likely that bikes are competing with the road traffic most of the time?

As the sun disappeared and the wind picked up, it got really quite cold on the boat. Evenings here are not too bad within the city, but a light jumper or jacket is useful. I would certainly have appreciated it on the boat!

The whole of the river bank on my journey seemed to accommodate either tall office blocks or residential buildings, all looking very smart. There were some particularly elegant properties further away from the city with their own boat moorings on the river.

The whole journey took a lot longer than I expected but was an enjoyable way to see the city. At each stop (on the blue route) a young lad tied the boat to a mooring, pulled down a ramp and allowed passengers on and off. I could tell from the way he flicked the rope around the post he had done this a few times before. At 7pm he left the boat at one of the stops – I asked him if it was end of shift and he said no, it was his lunch break! The last boat, and his finish time, would be 11.45pm. He reckoned that having worked on the boats for 2 years he has tied the boat to a mooring about 400,000 times. Whilst a bit repetitive, he reckoned it wasn’t a bad job to have

On the way back to my hotel I decided to stop at a Banksy art exhibition – a bit ironic that I needed to come to Brisbane to see the art of someone who lives, I believe, a couple of hours from where I live, in Bristol. The art was suitably contemporary, with some striking images and others I wouldn’t confess to understanding

Back at the hotel I squeezed out on to my tiny balcony to admire the view. Whilst the hotel is indeed closer to the city centre, I had again failed to take account of topography, looking as I was at a 2 dimensional map – Brisbane is not flat and my hotel is at the top of a lot of steps or steep curving paths! It does, however, mean there is a bit of a view

Week 4, Day 22

As the tour to the Sunshine coast had worked so well I decided to book a different tour with another organiser, this time down south from Brisbane along what is known as the Gold Coast, including Byron Bay. That way I could avoid trying to organise a route to see each beach myself, but could let someone else tell me about the area

The guide this time was Trevor, who owned the business and the minibus. He had a whole lot of information he was keen to give us, including some pre-taped information he played on the speakers. He had an odd habit of occasionally talking about himself in the 3rd person, but he was well travelled and knowledgeable. He picked me up from my hotel which was a plus, and then 5 others from their hotels (one from Japan, one from Spain, a couple from Chicago and one from Santa Cruz in California).

Unfortunately the weather had changed with some light rain as we set out. We had a long drive ahead of us to the border with NSW (New South Wales) but at least we could sit back and listen to Trevor and not have to worry about driving.

First stop was to the south of the Gold Coast area, to a memorial at the border of QLD and NSW – the steps for QLD are grey; those for NSW beige. Captain Cook named the point here Point Danger. We could just see back to the Gold Coast skyscrapers through the grey mist.

We passed through a town that is divided between the two states – it didn’t really matter until Covid, when each had different lockdown rules and a wall was built defining the boundary which split the community and sometimes families, which didn’t go down very well. On certain dates (eg mother’s day) the families would meet each side of the wall and spread a tablecloth against it and have a meal together, in protest. Apparently babies were passed across to each side.

We stopped at an odd little place called The Farm, which was very similar to Lifton Strawberry Fields at home, although more rustic, and perhaps more of a co-op with different businesses co-existing there. Nice enough place for a coffee and something from the bakery.

Next we went to a small town in the hills called Bangalow, which was one main street, a bit arty, and seemed similar to the other little towns I saw on the Sunshine Coast. We also visited a place selling macadamia nuts, with samples of the nuts coated in different flavours, both sweet and savoury. Outside was a big lorry, funded by donations, which travels around where needed to help with rescuing animals when fire or flood causes them injury or loss of habitat.

Then the highlight of the day. We were dropped off at a place overlooking Tallow beach, ready for a walk to the lighthouse at Byron Bay

We were looking down at the sea along the way to see if we could spot turtles or Rays, but no luck. However, just after the lighthouse there was a wallaby who seemed to pose for his photo – I thought they were supposed to be shy and skittish!

The lighthouse sits above the most eastern part5of mainland Australia. Fraser Island (or K’gari as it is now known) is further east, but it is separated from the mainland

From here we followed the path down and out onto some rocks

We were really lucky with the weather for this walk, with only a few spots of rain. Trevor had adapted the itinerary to try and ensure we didn’t get soaked

We had pre-arranged to be picked up again further along the walk. The path was well marked, with boardwalks sometimes or proper paving – such a feature in Australia and NZ that access is a given and that everything is well maintained

Towards the end there was a group all looking into the trees at a koala right up high – I took a photo but it is hard to see it as it so high up

I was so enjoying the walk, that I paid no attention to the time. I knew that at least one of the group was behind me so I assumed I had plenty of time, and I was really enjoying the walk. I was hoping to see dolphins or whales in the bay.

Somewhere along the route 2 of the group that I thought were behind me went past, and when I caught up with them at the end they explained that Trevor had been trying to ring me as he thought I was lost, and was well past the meet up time. Apparently the last one of the group had got lost and walked back to the lighthouse, so he went back to pick her up. I didn’t think it mattered too much but Trevor must have mentioned a dozen times that most of the cafes in Byron Bay (our lunch stop) would now be closed so it may be difficult to get something for lunch! Whoops. It was nonsense as there were loads of places open, but the 90 minutes we should have had in Byron Bay were cut to 40 which was a shame as the place looked quite interesting.

Byron Bay used to be famous for parties and drinking but now, whilst still a young person’s town, a lot of them are in bed by 9pm and up jogging early after having their power smoothie in the morning. According to Trevor anyway. Unfortunately whilst we were there the clouds moved in

It was quite dramatic how these black clouds just appeared and then rolled in over the coast, bringing heavy rain. My views of Byron Bay were therefore very shortlived

We drove back up north along the main motorway again (the M1 completely circumnavigates Australia, and is about 14,500km long), with rain hammering down on us. The area gets a lot of storms this time of year – a couple of weeks ago they had a storm with large hail stones (some bigger than golf balls), but no hail stones this time. The lightening was constant however, and sometimes the thunder sounded right overhead – it was dramatic. The roads were busy with traffic, but I assume the locals are used to driving in such storms.

We were due to drive into the Gold Coast area proper, and by the time we got there the roads were dry. Trevor had an updated report from the Met Office however, indicating that it was coming to Surfers Paradise, so we literally had time to get to the sign to take a picture before the wind whipped up and the clouds rolled in – about 5 minutes!

We escaped back to the city of Brisbane, again within the torrential storm and in slow moving traffic. Eventually we stopped for a comfort break (and some pies – Australians and NZ love pies!) and the worst of the storm seemed to be behind us – even the sun was trying to make a last ditch appearance before sunset

Some of the bits of information we learned during the day that I didn’t know before

• There are 650km of bike trails in and around Brisbane, with a target of 1700km eventually
• There are no koalas or wallabies in the city because there are too many dogs
• The river in Brisbane is a blessing and a curse – lovely usually, but when it floods it causes a lot of damage (2011 and 2022). The dam upstream is being built higher to try and avoid more flooding in the future
• There is surfing on the Sunshine coast to the north and the Gold coast to the south, but around the estuary from Brisbane some islands provide a calmer area, useful for sailing, kayaking and SUP. The Pacific edge of the islands get the surf instead
• The box jellyfish evident in the Whitsundays don’t get as far as Brisbane because of different water temperatures. There are Bluebottle jellyfish instead which are easier to spot and not so deadly, so stinger suits aren’t needed
• The price of real estate has doubled in Brisbane since Covid. Byron Bay has the second most expensive real estate in Australia after Sydney. Chris Hemsworth (actor, Thor) owns a house here, as do his brothers. His house has been valued at 50million AUD…
• The properties along the Gold coast are intermingled with canals. The canals have 440km of frontage altogether, allowing homeowners to keep their boats next to their houses. Property fronting a canal can be worth 30% more to one across the street that doesn’t have the same access to the water.

A good day, although not quite what I had expected. The Gold Coast is actually accessible from Brisbane using a train which is covered by the 50 cents charge so given more time I could have visited that way, rather than through an organised tour. I guess that is why the tour was more focused on Byron Bay, which is further away than the Broadbeach to Southport area which encompasses Surfers Paradise, and no accessible by the 50 cent train. I didn’t feel as if I had missed much – I had heard that Surfers Paradise is now quite hyped and the area is perhaps more suitable for families, with loads of water and adventure parks

Week 4, Day 23

I realised that Australians don’t tend to use trains or buses to get from one city to another. I had spent a long time looking at how I was going to get from Brisbane to Sydney. Trains seemed to be at inconvenient times, leaving Brisbane at 4am, or if I managed to get the later afternoon train I would turn up at Sydney at 6am, and have another overnight on a train. The buses didn’t seem to be any better. I thought about stopping somewhere in the middle but had no particular interest in any places that were on the train or bus routes. I gave up and decided to do what the Australians do and just fly – only an hour and a half. And good transport links each end to and from the airports.

The day started off well with a meandering walk to Roma Street station through the park behind. The storm had cleared by evening the night before, and the day was beautiful again, sun shining, blue skies

I stopped for breakfast at the cafe I had used before, and chatted to a lady on her way to visit a friend at Bundeberg, QLD. The trains to the airport are frequent and easy to find

The sign on the station platform was typical Australian – to the point with some humour. Later when I was boarding the plane there was a sign pointing those in seats 1 to 14 one way, and then those in ’15 to infinity and beyond’ a different way, towards the rear of the plane

The whole airport process was amazingly smooth – no need to get rid of liquids and nothing out of your bag through security; no passport checks. The plane was full, for our hour and a half flight to Sydney.

We were landing right on time at 4.15pm (having lost an hour in the sky as the clocks change between QLD to Sydney, New South Wales (NSW)). We touched down very briefly and then roared up into the sky again. There was a definite moment of panic with all passengers looking at each other. After a short time one of the air hostesses said we had experienced a ‘go around’ which was quite common and the captain would tell us more when he could, but he was busy right now. OK, sort of comforting? After what felt like a little while the pilot explained that the winds were too much and didn’t allow a safe landing so he had taken the decision to not complete the landing. We hade experienced some turbulence as we approached Sydney, and looking out the window it was obvious there was a storm in progress.

The next 45 minutes were pretty scary, as we experienced lots more turbulence and two more attempts at landing before finally touching down at 5pm. The pilot said at one time that we would sit 20km out and wait it out, but I just kept thinking about how little fuel they usually carry. The huge man sitting next to me was terrified and gripping hold of his partner’s hand whilst she tried to distract him. In the seats across the aisle 3 young people all started talking and getting to know each other as you do in these circumstances, and their voices got quite high pitched as they tried to cover up their fear. The guy sitting in front of me, who reminded me a lot of George, was swivelling one way and the other looking out the windows. I think all of us were thinking the worst at one point or another in that 45 minutes

Needless to say when we did touch down there was a lot of clapping and cheering!

I managed to put the flight behind me and navigate the public transport system, getting the train from the airport to Central, and then the L (light train, almost a tram) out to my accommodation. Sydney is divided into lots of areas, as are most cities. The Rocks is the main peninsular on which the opera house stands and the botanic gardens – accommodation here is very expensive. I chose to stay at the neighbouring peninsular, called Darling Harbour, which is quieter and more residential (and cheaper) but will good links to the CBD.

I am staying in a room in a shared residential block. I have a smallish room (but ok for one) and a shared bathroom (with one other room I believe). It is all very hi tech, with lots of beeping as you go through the electronic locks, but clean and good bathroom.

I ventured out for a walk around, through some small parks and out to the river. The bit I walked was still full of warehouses, as this is the fish market area, but I found somewhere to eat once I got back nearer to my room again

Week 4, Day 24

I had decided to book a helicopter flight over Sydney harbour. It is such an iconic place that it seemed to warrant it. My scare on the plane the day before didn’t put me off – it didn’t figure in my thinking at all when I booked the helicopter. I booked the flight for 10.30am thinking I would give myself time after a busy day the day before, but when I saw the email confirmation come through I had been booked onto the hotel pickup at 9am for a 10am flight, and the hotel where the pickup was to be was a half hour way away. Unfortunately me watch stopped for 20 minutes for some reason so when I was leaving I thought it was 8.10am, but turned out to be 8.30am. I just made the pickup!

It was worth it – again we had beautiful blue skies and lots of visibility as the storm the day before had cleared the weather. Unfortunately I didn’t get the co-pilot’s seat this time, but instead was flying backwards in a tight space at the back – a couple, a mum and son and me. All English, although the couple live in Sydney, and the mum and son have been based in Perth for 30 years

I took loads of pictures but I think these are a few of the best

And Bondi beach

A pretty good way to start my stay in Sydney!

I was dropped back at Circular Quay which is next to the Opera house – it is difficult to get any sort of picture close up, as it is better from a distance

The Royal Botanic Gardens are next to the Opera House and I had a wander and stopped at a cafe for lunch. It was getting quite hot and it was good to walk in the shade.

There are no seagulls to nick your food here, but instead these huge birds are ready and waiting, called the Australian White Ibis, or ‘bin chicken’

Like Brisbane the ferry service along the river is well used – I saw loads of the yellow and green ferries, and the wharves were packed at Circular Quay which is the main hub. I caught the one to Pyrmont Bay, which isn’t very far, just around the headland, but it crossed the river for a couple of stops on the other side too

The ferry was busy because the Sydney Aquarium and also the Maritime Museum are here

There is a replica of Capitan Cook’s ship next to the museum

By this time I was hot, sweaty and tired so I went back to my room for a shower and a rest, before heading out again later

The Sydney Lyric theatre was just around the corner from my accommodation, right next door to the Star casino. They were showing a production of Back to the Future, a musical, so I decided to go and see what it was like. I don’t usually do musicals, but I thoroughly enjoyed it, as did the rest of the full theatre – the special effects were very good and there was some lovely humour in it too. Well worth going to see, even if I got a bit lost on my way back to my room, and ended up using google maps, again! What did I do before google maps? Even wandering the streets with my phone in my hand at 9.30pm it felt perfectly safe – I have felt very comfortable in Sydney since I arrived. Brisbane felt safe too, but I never felt like I really got it somehow – perhaps more of a place to live and work in than a tourist location. One of the things I have found in both cities is that a lot of it is on many levels – car parks are underground, and even bus terminals and roads. A lot of the food outlets are inside malls which you can walk right past without knowing they are there, so the streets look deserted, but a few feet away there are hundred’s of people eating, inside. I assume this is because they want the air conditioning, especially in the summer when it gets warmer.

Week 4, Day 25

As my accommodation was so close to the fish market I thought it would be rude not to do the guided tour to understand more about it. Sydney Fish Market was only around the corner from me, but the tour started at 6.30am! I crept out of the house hoping I didn’t wake anyone else up

A very enthusiastic guide showed us around and talked non stop for 2 hours. I don’t think he introduced himself, but over the tour I found out he was originally from Arizona, but had lived in Hawaii, and been involved in commercial fishing, especially tuna, for a number of years before doing this job.

Sydney Fish Market is the 3rd biggest in the world – this is defined by the number of species that are sold through it, rather than quantity. If quantity of fish sold was the determining factor Sydney would be much lower down the list but they pride themselves on the variety. Japan and Mexico are no.1 and no.2 respectively.

99% of the fish sold originates in Australia or New Zealand. Trawlers like the one we saw docked fish for say 36 hours twice a week, and bring their catch in after sorting it. Most of the fish is caught in a wider area and is brought in as freight, mainly from NSW and QLD. It starts to arrive from 5pm the night before, and is checked for quality and graded.

The fish is then put into categories into certain sections of the market trading floor, depending on species and where it came from. The blue boxes are owned by the Market and are sold out to the suppliers, and bought back again at a lower price to allow for cleaning costs before being used again. The white styrofoam boxes are for fish flown in from NZ. Bigger fish like tuna and swordfish are laid out individually

Buyers then bid for the fish. These buyers tend to be wholesalers rather than individual restaurants, buying big lots to break up and sell on. Some have units around the perimeter of the Market, and process the fish for retail sales. The buyers are at the Market from 4am, looking at the different lots and making notes on what they want to buy. They then sit in position (on the right on this photo) and bid in the auction. We were not allowed to take photos of the auction screens as the wholesale prices are sensitive, but we could see them in action

Most fish is sold using a Dutch auction style – i.e. the price is first proposed a few $ above what is expected to be the market value, per kg, and then drops on the huge monitors until someone bids for it. When they make a bid they have 2 seconds to choose how many boxes they want to buy (limited to avoid big supermarkets buying everything available). The auction then continues until the fish is sold. The screens show lots of information about the fish being sold, including where on the floor they are; the supplier’s name (fisherman); the type of fish; the grade; the sex (important for crabs as some females cannot be sold if sourced from QLD) etc.

There are two screens selling different lots in this way at the same time. Some buyers are buying from both auctions at the same time – they need to know what they are doing!

In the middle there is a 3rd screen which uses a different style to auction the more expensive fish like the tuna – here a price is reached and then buyers have the opportunity to bid against each other for specific lots, pushing the price back up.

Once a lot is sold the buyer’s information is passed through to a central system, and their staff on the Market floor get a printout to tell them what has been bought. They collect the lots on sack trucks as sold, and take out to load up to wherever they are going – each lot is bar coded and checked on the way out

We were told a huge amount of information about the various fish on the floor of the Market, but I cant remember it all! Not knowing anything about fish generally it all passed over my head in a blur.

Some fish are obviously worth a lot more than others. Fish coloured red are particularly valuable in the Asian market, where red and gold are colours of good fortune. Some fish are also rare, so will command a higher price.

Surrounding the Market are the wholesalers premises who add value to the fish they have bought, cutting them into fillets etc, to make them more suitable for retail sale.

See below the small piece of blue fin tuna belly selling for $249.99/kg

The whole idea of the tour is to encourage people generally to eat more seafood, which would be good for the industry. They have a designated cooking school to show people how to cook seafood properly at home, and also books with seafood dishes and recipes.

Billions of $ have been invested in a new purpose built building which will be open in just over 60 days. The current building is a re-purposed warehouse, which has sufficed for years but is not ideal and falling apart. In particular it is not refrigerated. The new building was conceived years ago and has taken over 5 years to build. The area under the structure was enclosed and seawater emptied before making an underground carpark. The glass enclosed ground floor area will be the fish market, with the retail units above. The public will be able to see the fish being brought in by trawler, sold in lots, and then processed for sale from the retail units

Once operational the existing unit and car park, along with the whole industrial buildings along the harbourside will be re-developed into new commercial and residential buildings, so this whole area will be re-generated. The ferry boats will have a new stop, directly outside the new Fish Market. I am sure the owner of my accommodation will get a swift uplift in the value of their real estate, if it hasn’t happened already

Property is ridiculously expensive in Sydney. When we were on our helicopter ride we were directed to an area called Point Piper, a headland the other side of the Opera House and Botanic gardens. Apparently the median house price in that area is $20 million, and one property was listed for $200 million!

In the afternoon I had booked a tour of the Sydney Opera House.

When the local government decided that Sydney needed a new cultural centre, on the land known as Bennalong Point, a traditional meeting ground for the First Nation people to meet and perform celebratory dances and rituals, an international competition was held, open to everyone, looking for a design for a new building. A little known Danish architect called Jorn Otzon won the competition in 1957, although the Opera House wasn’t officially opened until 1973, by Queen Elizabeth

The steps up to the entrance from the main concourse reflected Utzon’s idea of having something to which people ascended, above their normal lives

It took 3 years for the iconic dome shapes to become a reality, from the original designs. Eventually Utzon realised that they could best be realised as parts from one sphere

The domes appear to be completely freestanding – they are held in place by the use of 350km of tensioned steel cables, which is more than used in the construction of the Harbour bridge. All the utilities/services are hidden away behind the facade to give the streamlined look.

Unfortunately there was a change of leadership in the local government mid build and payments for Jorn Utzon’s work were unpaid. Despite a lot of local pressure in support of Jorn eventually he walked away from the project, and in fact never re-visited Australia, so never saw the completed building

The internal design was completed by another architect, Peter Hall. He had been a big supporter of Jorn Utzon staying in situ but when he wiped his hands of it Hall took over.

The House has 6 theatres altogether, with another on the main concourse which is used for opn air events in the summer. There are over 2,000 different performances every year of one kind or another. The building is owned by the government, but there are separate resident Opera and Ballet companies, who rent the space alongside lots of other organisations for the their productions

The two main areas at the front are the concert hall and the auditorium used in turn by the Ballet and Opera companies. The Ballet performances are a couple of times a year, but for Opera they alternate different performances so that the singers can rest their voices. The scenery can be moved up and down on a huge lift able to carry 200 tonnes, which forms a big part of the back of the stage. The concert hall can accommodate 2,700 in the audience, whilst the Ballet/Opera hall is smaller, holding up to 1,500 people. Some of the Ballet performances can last 4 hours so the seating is important – it is made of soft beech wood, which has the same impact on sound as the soft human bodies in the audience will, so the rehearsed sound represents what the full audience will hear

Obviously the sound is very important within the theatres – eg the wood used throughout is Australian brushwood, used for its aesthetic and acoustic qualities. Inside the concert hall new acoustic reflectors have been installed which can be rotated, replacing others which were found to be needed depending on the acoustics required at each performance.

There is a lot of glass in the building especially at the front which overlooks the harbour. The glass was positioned at 45 degrees so that it did not reflect back the internal view, and allowed full visibility of the surrounding river, especially at night. The area resembles the bridge of a ship, further enhancing the importance of the surrounding water. The glass was imported from France

The domes, or sails, are covered in ceramic tiles, imported from Switzerland. There are 1 million individual tiles. Every so often they are tested to make sure they are sound – this was done recently by 10 people over a 3 week period, tapping each and every tile individually. Only 44 needed replacing from the stockpiled spares – good job not many more as they are not made anywhere anymore, and the reserve spares need to last

The tiles don’t need to be cleaned – the rain washes off any impurities inti the gaps between, which hides the internal drainage and avoid the use of gutters.

In 1998 Jorg Utzon was persuaded to record his initial design principles in a book, which can then be used to support any future amendments to this protected building in the future – as long as any changes can be shown to be in line with the original principles then they are likely to be acceptable. In 2007 the building was made a UNESCO world heritage site – Utzon died the year after so he at least lived to see this recognition of his work. Utzon’s son has maintained a relationship with the building and has visited it, including for its 50th anniversary in 2023.

It has been claimed that Sydney Opera House led to a different international perception of the country of Australia, from a cultural backwater to something more progressive

I attempted to enjoy a late lunch outside of the Opera House, overlooking the Bay. My assertion that seagulls are not a problem here was swiftly proved wrong with loads descending on anyone trying to eat. The food is served under metal mesh food protectors, and the only way to eat is to lift it and take a bit before quickly replacing the cover. The Australians are well aware of the problem and are trialling a seagull patrol dog – he looked very cute, and certainly the birds flew away when he was there, but the area is just too big for one dog

That evening I watched a production in the Drama Theatre of the Opera House, called ‘The Shiralee’, a play based on a 1955 novel of that name. The play looks at the life of the Australian ‘swagman’ going from one job to another, and the impact for him and his family. He ends up with his 9 year old daughter travelling through the bush with him, and the impact that has on him and his view of life. Shiralee is an outdated Australian term for the man’s ‘swag’ (bag) or burden. I enjoyed it, as a complete contrast to the musical I had seen the night before

Week 4, Day 26

Time to get out of the city and go and see the Blue Mountains, about an hour and a half drive outside Sydney. Unfortunately another early start, pick up at 6.30am at the hotel which was a half hour walk away. As we were not allowed to eat or drink on the bus it was recommended that we eat breakfast first, so I did a quick detour via McDonalds!

I had booked this day rather than Thursday because of the weather forecast, which seemed a good choice as the views across the ‘mountains’ were very clear

The mountains themselves are yellow, not blue, being sandstone. The blue is the result of tiny droplets of oil released from the many millions of eucalyptus trees looking blue as the sun catches them, in our eyes

I had booked a small minibus limited to 20 people with a tour group called Andersons. The driver/guide Mark talked non stop all the way from Sydney, and indeed throughout the day. He commended us on our choice of tour, keen to get to the lookouts and other attractions before the bigger buses. Unfortunately it is a popular trip out from Sydney and it is almost a race to the top.

We moved on to one of the most famous lookouts in Australia, apparently, at Echo Point, to see the Three Sisters – i.e. 3 remaining sandstone stacks

Included in the trip was a visit to Scenic World, on the site of old coal mines. In 1878 coal was discovered in the hills, under the sandstone, and was being fully quarried by 1883. An almost vertical railway track was built to get miners down and coal back up. In he 1930’s sometimes walkers were taken up the incline in one f the coal skips, but in 1933 a 12 seater car was built and used on weekends and public holidays to take tourists up and down, providing the coal mine owners with a different income stream.

It is now a tourist attraction, a Guiness World Record for the steepest scenic railway in the world at a 52 deg incline, with a vertical drop of 260 metres

It felt like a fairground ride, going over the edge, down through a tunnel and on through the rainforest

We were led on a short walk through the rainforest on a boardwalk, with our guide talking away. The rainforest is distinct from the eucalyptus forests that we had seen filling up the valley.

We were then taken back up using a ‘Cableway’

And then horizontally over the valley back to the minibus

We drove to a lookout overlooking the Megalong Valley. There had been many fires in 2019 with lots of animals killed, but the trees have recovered quickly, so that you can hardly see any damage now

And finally the Katoomba Falls

Mark was very keen that we saw the cockatoos, offering some nuts to bring them to the park where we had stopped.

Lunch was provided at a lovely little family restaurant just outside Katoomba, with surprisingly good food, considering it was included in the tour cost.

After lunch we headed back towards Sydney, with a stop at Sydney Zoo. The Zoo is divided into two, with Australasian animals on one side, the rest of the world on the other. We only had time to visit the Australian side, which included feeding the kangaroos and a very brief cultural ‘show’

I wasn’t keen on feeding kangaroos, and in fact the kangaroos didn’t look all that excited. A couple played along but others were just lying in the sun watching.

The cultural ‘show’ was very rushed and little more than an aboriginal chap playing his didgeridoo

The koalas were cute, surprisingly wide awake – I questioned this and was told we had come at just the right time

There is an exhibit displaying nocturnal creatures such as possums, and also reptiles and snakes etc.

And an aquarium, with the requisite saltwater crocodile, and some sharks. The little penguins were again my favourite

From the zoo we were taken to the Sydney Olympic Park wharf, after a drive around the Olympic Park itself. This was purpose built for the 2000 Olympics out of the swamps that existed before, and is still well utilised today.

The ride on the ferry back to the city was great, with the sun on my face and looking at the progressively expensive houses as we approached Sydney

The ferry back to Pyrmont was waiting as I got off the one from the tour, so I was able to use the ticket we were given to get back to Darling Harbour, near my accommodation

I got off the ferry a stop earlier than usual so that I could walk down through Darling Harbour and get some dinner. Halloumi salad with a beer is becoming my favourite meal

Week 4, Day 27

Having had a busy few days, this day was mainly about a lie and a rest

Getting ready for my climb of Sydney Harbour Bridge! You may have noticed people climbing up the Bridge on an earlier photo of mine?

Now it was my turn! On my trip in NZ it had been recommended I did this at twilight, as the best time of day to appreciate Sydney below me, so I had booked it once I reached Australia, and had been looking forward to trying it out.

There is a very long induction process, which included putting on their very fetching jumpsuits, and leaving all valuables behind. This included watches etc, in case they should fall off whilst we were on the climb, and fall on a car, pedestrian or train beneath us. It also included mobile phones as we were not allowed to take these – all pictures were taken by our guide, and available for purchase. Apparently photography was prevented by the government, but it also stopped phones being dropped, and enabled an up-sale for the company

We were harnessed up and attached to wires at all times. We also had headsets so we could hear the guide (It gets very windy up on the top) and a headtorch held around our neck for when it got dark, to highlight our footings

We were also shown how to climb up the ladders, one at a time, always facing the ladder, one step at a time.

Eventually we were led out on the level part towards the bridge itself. The concrete towers encased in granite are for aesthetic purposes only and do nothing in terms of holding the bridge up. After these we climbed the ladders, and then proceeded up the slope to the middle of the bridge

The build of the bridge started in 1923, and it was opened to much fanfare in 1932. It was a statement of what Australia could achieve, and a step away from a dependency on England. The effective governor of NSW at the time oversaw the opening ceremony in front of a crowd of 1 million people, although his big moment was partly undermined by an irate Irishman who thought the King of England should have been asked to cut the ribbon – he rode a horse through the ribbon in protest, and it had to be tied together again before being cut with the ceremonial scissors

When we were right at the top we imagined what it was like to work on the Bridge, with no harnesses, just walking on the metal structure, hammering in the rivets by hand. Apparently there are 2 times as many rivets holding the bridge up as used in the Eiffel Tower, in France – which makes the Bridge more riveting according to our guide!

On the way up we had the amazing views across the bay to the east, obviously seeing the Opera House, and also stretching to Bondi and Manly Bay in the distance, amongst other suburbs

After we had crossed to then other side at the half way point we were then looking west towards the Olympic Park and the Blue Mountains, and, of course, the sunset. Because we were so lucky with the weather we could see for miles in all directions, and watched the sunset until it disappeared

The whole experience, including coming down, taking off the gear and picking up the photos etc took over 3 hours altogether. The guide was great, and I spent a lot of time chatting to a girl, Charlotte, from London who is 5 years into a medical degree, studying in Wales, taking a break before heading home for Christmas

I found the whole thing surprisingly easy – I had been a bit worried as I froze completely once when I was trying to cross a bridge in Whistler up in the mountains with an open grid floor – perhaps it was the fact that I was harnessed on to a safety line that made the difference. The lady behind me, from Oklahoma, seemed terrified at the start but made it no problem – she said she had a weak knee and was afraid of it giving out half way through.

At one stage we were below the 5 lanes of traffic that use the bridge, and then after we climbed we were above the vehicles. When we were coming down the ladders a train went past very close to me and it certainly made me jump! Because you had to go down the ladders one at a time, and there were 5 all together, you were pretty much alone for that bit, so a train going past only a few feet away was a bit unnerving

I walked back to the usual ferry terminal to get my ferry back, through the area known as the Rocks, which I hadn’t explored before – it was very Christmassy, and buzzing with bars and restaurants

Week 4, Day 28

My last day in Australia before flying to Singapore so I thought I had better spend it on the beach, and where better than the famous Bondi Beach

Although it is a beach associated with Sydney it cannot be accessed by ferry as the ferries would have to go out onto the open sea, which is different to Manly Beach, another option, which can be safely accessed from the estuary behind the headland on which Manly sits. Google maps advised taking two buses, which took an hour and a half, including a brief stopover at Bondi Junction.

Unfortunately the weather wasn’t as warm today, and we even had a spot of rain in the late afternoon. After lunch in the Icebergs Club, which has designated salt water swimming pools for serious swimmers, I laid on the beach anyway and had a snooze and finished my book. There was plenty of room to lay my towel!

Moving on north up the beach I passed the lifeguards tower, and the very narrow section between the red and yellow flags.

Around the northern end are some dangerous rocks which can cause issues when the surf is high

Further up the coast a bit, within a golf course, are some stone carvings apparently done by aborigines many years ago, re-etched in the 1960’s so they didn’t disappear

Walking back to Bondi Junction I enjoyed looking at the variety of different styles of housing. There are quite a lot of Art Deco style properties in Australia, and 1930 type buildings with fancy brickwork. In many areas I had seen 19th century terrace buildings with iron railings on the balconies – apparently they fell into disrepair until it became fashionable to buy these old heritage buildings. Around Bondi there were all sort, all mixed together, including huge very modern houses overlooking the bay and cliffs behind. A lot are being renovated, presumably created from the older bungalow type buildings that were there before – just like Bude and Widemouth really!

I discovered there was a train running from Bondi Junction back to Central, so I took that and then the L1 light rail from Central back to the Fish Market like I had when I reached my accommodation the first day from the airport. The trains are 2 storey, which is quite cool.

Central station is a real hub, and difficult to navigate. I was looking at signs, my phone and a map, working it out when one of the station guards came over and asked me where I was going, and then took some time to explain where I needed to go.

I think I was a bit derogatory about Australians generally at the beginning of my visit to their country but over the 4 weeks I have been here I have changed my mind. People have often stopped in the street when they saw me looking a bit lost, to offer directions. When I was looking at the bus stop earlier on this day a man came out of the shop/cafe and asked me if I was going to the city – when I confirmed yes he said I needed to be on the other side of the road, which was really helpful because as soon as I crossed over the bus arrived

Interestingly John and Sindy (from my tour to the Sunshine Coast, back in Brisbane) said that sometimes the English are seen as reserved and not easily approachable and so Australians hold back a bit. Generally I would say the further south I have come the friendlier I have found most people. I have really enjoyed Sydney in particular – I could see myself living here if I had a spare $20 million to buy a decent property close to the hub of it all!

Week 5, Day 29

Time to move on to Singapore, as part of my journey home

Goodbye Australia – after a slow start I came to appreciate the country and its people. Perhaps the fact that it wasn’t immediate was more to do with me than Australia, as I got used to travelling on my own again, and having to think ahead, organise and plan. There are certainly some amazing places in Australia, and I have only just touched the surface. I have heard a lot about Tasmania whilst I have been travelling, which I would have liked to visit (not least because the ‘other’ Launceston is there), and also Perth and the west coast. Maybe one day I will come back, who knows…