Jan 19 2010

Day 12 – Daintree Rainforest (January 19)

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Wet students looking out into the rainforest with Rick

Wet students looking out into the rainforest with Rick

Today we went to the Daintree rainforest. The Daintree rainforest is well renowned for a diversity of flora and fauna and is thought to be one of the oldest rainforests in the world. Well, probably to the students chagrin, it lived up to its name. Specifically, it brought the rain to rainforest. Shortly after leaving Cairns this morning the skies started to open up. It seems that there is a front coming through and they believe it could turn into a cyclone. That could be fun.

Students eating lunch at the Cassowary Cafe

Students eating lunch at the Cassowary Cafe

After about a two hour drive north of Cairns, we arrived to the entry of the Daintree rainforest. To get into the rainforest we had to crossover a cable ferry which is always quite interesting and then we had a 20 minute drive to the Discovery Centre. After some tea, coffee and biscuits, we then went on a short interpretive walk. I will emphasize short because it was much shorter than normal because of the rain, but we did get to see a fair amount and had the opportunity to go up the discovery tower to lookout into the rainforest. Our guides Tom, Tom and Rick were fantastic. This is the third year that we have gone with Wilderness Challenge and once again they provided us an excellent experience (even if they can’t change the weather).

Crocodile cruise

Crocodile cruise

After our interpretive walk, we then head north a bit further for lunch. Probably for many, this may have been the highlight of the day. We ate at the Cassowary Café which is amongst the Ferntree Resort. The café was very nice and the food was excellent. After lunch we headed back to the cable ferry where we met up with our Crocodile Cruise. Unfortunately, the company sent a boat that was not quite big enough for all, so I had send Lauren with the students. Unfortunately, the poor weather greatly influenced what could be seen. For the first time since I have been doing the course, NO crocodiles were sighted. This was a big disappointment. Following the cruise we had some more tea, coffee and biscuits to try and warm back up and dry out and then we headed back to Cairns. The scenery of the drive was beautiful, unfortunately we were not able to see as much as normal on this day, but hopefully the weather will cooperate with us tomorrow.

The coast from Rex Lookout

The coast from Rex Lookout

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Jan 18 2010

Day 11 – Great Barrier Reef (January 18)

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GBR - 1

Students in their stinger suits getting ready to go in the water

GBR - 2

This is the ship that we took out to the reef

Today is a day that many of us have been waiting for quite some time. Luckily we had great weather which means that it was not too windy; therefore, we had a smooth ride out to the reef and back. We went out with a company called Passions and they have a smaller boat than many companies, but it has its perks because it also means fewer people and we are able to dive at two different reefs.

Parrot Fish chomping through the reef

Parrot Fish chomping through the reef

After about a 2 hour boat ride where we had a safety brief and were able to get our equipment, we made our first stop at Michaelmas Cay. This is a unique area because it is a small island that is also a bird sanctuary. You can either get a ride out to the Cay or then have all the area between the beach and the boat to snorkel. On the first dive some students saw reef tip sharks, stingrays and sea turtles. Unfortunately for me, I just saw fish and coral. Even with this disappointment I was able to see some great colors, a wide variety of fish and coral, as well as some beautiful sea clams. After this first outing, we had a nice buffet lunch and then a short ride to our next destination.

Giant Sea Clam

Giant Sea Clam

Our next destination was Paradise Reef. This was a much different area in that now we just jumped off the back of the boat to snorkel, but it was much deeper. I think this allowed everyone a much different perspective of what they could see. I heard of some shark and barracuda sightings, but once again I just saw more beautiful fish and coral.

Fish amongst the blue staghorn coral

Fish amongst the blue staghorn coral

More fish near the bolder coral

More fish near the bolder coral

Fish near the table coral

Fish near the table coral

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Jan 17 2010

Day 10 – Cairns (January 17)

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This morning we caught an early flight to Cairns. Needless to say it is hotter and more humid here. The main activity that we had today was the Reef Teach. We had about a two hour lecture about all that we will see at the reef tomorrow. The first half of the lecture discussed many of the different types of fish that we will see. Hopefully this will help everyone understand what they are seeing.

The second half of the lecture focused on all the different types of corals that we will see. In addition we learned some fun facts about the reef and how it can be protected. We also learned how to hopefully take good photos at the reef. Tomorrow we will see the real thing and I will have many more pictures.

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Jan 16 2010

Day 9 – Brisbane (January 16)

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Koala

Koala

Today was a good day in Brisbane. This morning we were able to have our first opportunity to see Australian animals. We started off with going to Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary. This is a very popular place in Brisbane to see animals. It was recommended by the travel guide that Lauren had.

Kangaroos hopping away

Kangaroos hopping away

They say they have over 130 koalas, but they also had kangaroos, dingoes, emus, Tasmanian devils, cassowarys and many other animals. I am glad the students finally had a chance to see some native animals. Many took the opportunity to hold a koala and have their picture taken with one.

Lorikeet Feeding

Lorikeet Feeding

While I was there I was also able to watch them feed the Lorikeets and also a Sheep Dog Show. Both of these were a lot of fun as well.

Sheep Dog Show

Sheep Dog Show

After viewing Lone Pine, we made the drive down to the Gold Coast and specifically Surfers Paradise. This was a beautiful beach. Students had to take their first exam, but I thought this would be a good location for them to do so. They then had a couple of hours to enjoy the shopping and beach. Unfortunately many of them may have failed to put on sunscreen because a few seemed a little reddish.

Surfers Paradise

Surfers Paradise

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Jan 16 2010

Day 8 – Arrive in Brisbane (January 15)

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Group shot leaving O'Reilly's

Group shot leaving O'Reilly's

It was tough, but today we left O’Reilly’s. I know everyone had a great time. This morning I took one last hike on the Tree Top Walk and had a great view of the valley. In fact, I was able to see a rainbow; hopefully you can see it in the picture.

View from Tree Top Walk (Hope you can see the rainbow)

View from Tree Top Walk (Hope you can see the rainbow)

We then headed down the hill to Brisbane. I have never really spent much time in Brisbane so I was excited to check it out. Brisbane is the fastest growing region in Australia and they think in the upcoming years it could equal Sydney and Melbourne in size. I can definitely see why, I have enjoyed my time here so far.

View of the Southbanks

View of the Southbanks

 After checking in, Lauren and I explored the city a bit. Specifically we went across the Brisbane River to an area called South Bank. South Bank was built when the World Fair came to Brisbane in 1988 and is now considered the cultural hub of Brisbane with many shops, cafes and other offerings.

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Jan 16 2010

Day 7 – O’Reilly’s (January 14)

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Today was our last full day at O’Reilly’s so everyone was trying to squeeze in some final activities. This may have been pool time, a nature walk, laundry or the Flying Fox. I started my day with a great surprise. I went on the morning birdwalk and had the opportunity to see the Albert Lyrebird. This is the same bird that I had seen the night before watching a video. This is a fairly rare bird that is only found in a very small region that includes the Lamington National Park. One thing that makes this bird so fascinating is that it mimics the calls of many other birds and sounds. Needless to say when Glen Therlo heard its natural call he had us almost running to where it was and luckily we were able to view it for about 10-15 minutes. Unfortunately I was not able to get a good view of it due to the canopy.

Glen Therlo in the forest

Glen Therlo in the forest

I then decided to go on a tour with Glen in the morning. This was supposed to be a Eucalypt Bird Walk, but it ended up being more of a driving tour down the mountain with him showing some interesting things. I was originally the only one who was doing the walk, but I convinced a couple of students to come along knowing what a character Glen is. We did not see as much as hoped, but Glen kept us entertained. Glen has produced many documentaries that they show at O’Reilly’s and some have been viewed on the BBC. He was the one who made the documentary that Lauren and I saw the night before on the Lyrebird so needless to say he is a wealth of information having guided at O’Reilly’s for the past 30 years. One other fun fact about Glen is that he was a technical advisor for FernGully.

Meateater ants "attacking" Ted

Meateater ants "attacking" Ted

After lunch I went for a quick hike to Elbana Falls. This is always one of my favorite sites to see while at O’Reilly’s. I had a quick 4 mile hike to go take it in. One other unique thing about Lamington National Park is that they have these beautiful blue crayfish that I was able to see. I don’t have a great photo of one or I would show it.

Elbana Falls

Elbana Falls

After dinner, Tane gave our group a short little lecture about the area of Lamington National Park and where O’Reilly’s now sits. He incorporated in a little bit about the Yugambeh people who used to roam the land as well.

Tane talking to our group

Tane talking to our group

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Jan 16 2010

Day 6 – O’Reilly’s (January 13)

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Our guide Chris before we start our hike

Our guide Chris before we start our hike

While we are at O’Reilly’s, we have a number of different activities to choose from. I won’t be able to talk about all the activities that people did and some activities are offered on multiple days so that everyone has a chance to do things such as the Flying Fox and glow worms.

Grabbing a quick snack and dip at the Blue Pools

Grabbing a quick snack and dip at the Blue Pools

I would say that the two big activities for the day that people took place in were either A Walk with Mick or a long hike on the Canungra Creek Circuit. I went on the long hike, but from what I hear the students who had the chance to meet Michael O’Reilly and go on his walk had a great time. I have been on this walk previously and Michael is a wealth of information about the land and history of the site. He has pretty much lived on the mountain all of his life and is very witty and it seems like everyone had a good time with him.

Students hiking across Canungra Creek

Students hiking across Canungra Creek

I went with 18 students and our guide, Chris, on walk of the Canungra Creek Circuit. This is a long hike of about 14.5 kilometers or about 8-9 miles. Since we knew we would be missing lunch we were able to order some packed lunches which was great. We left the guesthouse around 9 am and started on our journey down the mountain. Having 20 people on the hike probably scared some of the wildlife away and it was probably a little longer than some of them expected, but overall the group did a great job. Chris was a great leader and was able to educate us about what we were seeing. It was fun to be on this track because it had recently been opened up after it was closed for the past few years because of landslides and other problems. Therefore, I was excited at the prospect to check out the route.

One of many waterfalls seen on the hike

One of many waterfalls seen on the hike

After hiking for a couple of hours down, we stopped at Yerralahla, otherwise known as the Blue Pools, for a quick dip in the water and snack. Plus a chance for everyone to rest awhile and get some much needed water. After this time we then headed up the creek for quite some time and ended at Yanbacoochie Falls for lunch. Along the way we passed many other waterfalls and saw a wide variety of vegetation. Shortly after lunch we started making the trek up the mountainside. Needless to say, when we had finished the hike, everyone was a little beat and glad to be done.

Group Shot after Lunch

Group Shot after Lunch

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Jan 16 2010

Day 5 – O’Reilly’s (January 12)

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Today we left Sydney. We had an uneventful flight into Brisbane and then jumped on a bus to head to O’Reilly’s Guesthouse in Lamington National Park. This is about a two hour bus ride with the last almost hour being all uphill to the top of the mountain with many switchbacks and one lane roads. This is obviously good fun when you are in a large bus. Luckily our driver had taken the road many times and was excellent.  

View from Pat's Bluff

View from Pat's Bluff

Upon arrival to the guest house we were able to grab a quick bite to eat before heading out on afternoon activities. A good number of the students went on the Flying Fox which is a zip line down part of the mountains, others used the afternoon to explore the area and some came with Lauren and me on the West Cliff walk. Travis was our guide on the walk. It was good to see Travis again because he was a guide for us last year and did an excellent job.

The walk was a good introduction to the area for the students. It allowed us to see many of the species of trees and plants in the area and a few birds. The highlight of the trip was ending up at Pat’s Bluff for some scenic views of the valley. According to the Lamington National Park walking track map, “Pat’s Bluff affords a view over the Albert and Logan River valleys to the Great Dividing Range.”

Our guide Travis explaining the rainforest to the students

Our guide Travis explaining the rainforest to the students

Later that night, some of the students went on a night time wildlife walk while I went with some students to see the glow worms. The glow worms are quite an impressive sight in that they almost light up the bank of the creek and it looks like stars. The bad thing is that it is nearly impossible to take photos of them, but still quite an impressive sight.

View from the West Cliffs

View from the West Cliffs

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Jan 11 2010

Day 4 – Free Day in Sydney (January 11)

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Picture of the zoo and city from skyrail

Picture of the zoo and city from skyrail

Today was a free day in Sydney which meant that everyone had the opportunity to go explore the city a bit. It sounds like most of the students went to some beach and enjoyed themselves. A couple went and did the Sydney Bridge Climb, some shopped and others explored the sites.

Say hello to a Tamir - looks like an animal experiment gone bad

Say hello to a Tamir - looks like an animal experiment gone bad

Lauren and I decided to take the ferry from Circular Quay (pronounced Key) and go to the Taronga Zoo. We had a great time exploring the zoo. It was quite comprehensive with an Australian, Africa and Asia Exhibit as well as a Southern Oceans Experience. We were quite lucky in that we were able to see the typical kangaroos, emus and kolas that you would expect t see in a zoon in Australia, but we were also able to see many animals that we have never seen before. Therefore, some of the pictures I am providing are of some of the obscure animals.

Picture of Mountain Goats with City in Background

Picture of Mountain Goats with City in Background

We were also quite lucky in that we were able to see the trainers feeding the seals, lions and tiger. I is always good fun to see this happen. Tomorrow we will be heading to Lamington National Park and will be there for a couple of days. I tell you this to let you know that it will be a couple of days before a new posting occurs on our blog because we won’t have access to the internet until we end up in Brisbane. Please stay tuned.

Seals in Southern Ocean Experience

Seals in Southern Ocean Experience

Picture of Meerkat; one of Lauren's favorites

Picture of Meerkat; one of Lauren's favorites

Red Panda

Red Panda

Sun Bear chillin and drinking coconut milk

Sun Bear chillin and drinking coconut milk

Sumatra Tiger waiting to be fed

Sumatra Tiger waiting to be fed

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Jan 10 2010

Day 3 – Blue Mountains (January 10)

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View of Blue Mountains

View of Blue Mountains

Today we spent in the Blue Mountains. Now, many visitors will go to the Blue Mountains as tourists, but very few people will have the opportunity to experience them the way we did today. Our day began with an early departure and then about an hour and 45 minute ride up to the town of Katoomba. In Katoomba, our outfitter High N’ Wild, fit us with wetsuits, harnesses and hard hats for our adventures.

Absail down 30 meter

Absail down 30 meter

We then had a short drive to an area where we learned and/or practiced absailing or what in the states we call rappelling. We were told that the word absail means “down rope” in German, hence the different names.  Our guides were fantastic in explaining to the group what we needed to do and also in helping give confidence to those who might have needed it. I will say it now, all the students and leaders experience all the absails and were successful. It was a hot day, but the group did great. We practiced on a short 5 meter area, then went to 15 meters and finally a 30 meter absail in the morning.

In the Canyon

In the Canyon

After the morning absails, we grabbed a great lunch provided by High N’ Wild. It was a simple spread for sandwiches but the vegetables and rolls were fresh and very good. After lunch the real fun began. It is hard to explain all that we did, but I will say that we hiked down into a canyon and then decided to hike through the canyon. Due to the much cooler temperatures, which were much appreciated because of the hot weather, we still needed to wear wet suits. We then walked through the canyon for about a mile or so. This walk included a number of water jumps, slides and hiking through some beautiful scenery. Many students commented that it looked like something from Jurassic Park.

Group Picture in Canyon

Group Picture in Canyon

After walking through the canyon we then had to put our new found absail skills to use and absail down a waterfall. This was pretty intense and hard, but without a doubt an experience that no one will forget. After successfully completing the absail, we then had to hike up which was without a doubt the worst part of the day. Overall, fairly successful, a few minor injuries, but nothing that should be permanent. As I mentioned previously, this is definitely not the way that most would experience the Blue Mountains, but will definitely be memorable.

Welcome to Jurassic Park

Welcome to Jurassic Park

 

Sliding down the last water slide before absailing

Sliding down the last water slide before absailing

Looking down before absaling; what did I get myself into

Looking down before absaling; what did I get myself into

Absailing down the waterfall, looks like a movie

Absailing down the waterfall, looks like a movie

Group Picture after completing the canyon

Group Picture after completing the canyon

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