Sydney,Australia- February 8,2017

This morning at 7:30 am our group loaded up on a bus for a tour of the city of Sydney.  Our first stop was at a park across the harbor from the Sydney Opera House.  At this location we had a group photo done by a professional photographer with Opera House and the Sydney Harbor Bridge in the background.

  Sydney is Australia's largest city with nearly 5 million people and rapidly growing.  The median cost for a house in Sydney is 1.2 million dollars (Australian).
Our next stop was at BondI beach.

BondI (pronounced bond eye) beach is a very popular beach in Australia but also a very dangerous beach.  Many people have been killed due to the tide motion.  Everyday there are numerous rescues done.  On one particular day 360 rescues were done before noon.  There is a local TV show called BondI Rescue that is filmed on this beach.
It was then onto the Sydney Opera House where we had a guided tour through this magnificent structure.

We were allowed into several theaters but taking pictures were not allowed.
From the Opera House we walked a short distance around the harbor where we boarded Captain Cook's cruise boat for a lunch cruise around the harbor.  The lunch was buffet style with seafood and other foods.  While eating there was a narration about the harbor and the buildings surrounding  the harbor.

After the cruise we were on our own for the remainder of the day.  Tom and I came back to our room in the hotel which had not been made up yet.  So when the maid came to clean we left and walked to a shopping area called Victoria's.

 This mall was at least 4 levels, very crowded, and up scale stores.  After walking about we finally left and walked back to the hotel.
A little later in the evening we walked around the shopping/restaurant area surrounding the harbor.  We ate salad type entrees at a little Mexican restaurant.

To Sydney— February 7, 3017

This morning after eating breakfast our group assembled in the hotel lobby where at 9am we loaded into a bus that took us to Cairns airport.  About 10:50am we were on the plane and taking off.  About 3pm Sydney's time (an hour ahead of Cairns time) we had landed in Sydney.  Luggage was collected and we loaded on a bus that took us to the Hyatt Regency hotel, arriving there about an hour later.  We got our keys and found our rooms and the luggage was brought to our rooms.  It is cooler here with temperature in the 70's  and there had been rain prior to our arrival today.
The hotel is located near Darling Harbor and a shopping/restaurant area.

Tom and I walked over to this area and had dinner on an outside dining area.

Tomorrow we will be touring the area.
Later note:  This hotel, Hyatt Regency was the worst hotel of the entire trip, small room with very little space to place luggage or toiletries.

Skyrail Rainforest Cableway- February 6,2017

Today, Monday, we had signed up to go on an optional tour that involved  train travel and cableway.  After the rains of yesterday with water rushing down the mountain some of the train tracks had been washed away making the train travel impossible.  We were still able to take the trip only both ways would need to be done by  cableway.  So a little after 8am we loaded up in a bus to go a little ways just outside of Cairns city limits to the Smithfield station to get on a cableway, Skyrail ,gondola.

This Skyrail is a 7.5 km. cableway that glides above the rainforest in the Barron Gorge National Park.

 There were 3 stations after the Smithfield station that we could get off and walk around the rainforest.  At one station a ranger was giving a tour explaining the environment.

 Another station had an interpretive center.

The Barron falls station was as the name implies where Barron Falls could be seen and today water was surging over the falls.

 In one area a cassowary, second largest bird in Australia, was seen.

 Kuranda was a little village at the 4th station which we walked about and found a restaurant to get lunch before returning across the cableway to our point of origin.

We really enjoyed the cableway and was not disappointed of missing the train ride one way.

Great Barrier Reef- February 5, 2017

This morning at 8 am we were picked up by bus that took us to Port Douglas.  At Port Douglas we got on board a big catamaran that transported us to a portable island structure in the Great Barrier Reef.  This area is in the monsoon season and there were clouds and showers all day.  Out in the reef area snorkeling, scuba and other diving could be done.  Tom and I opted not to try snorkeling in the very choppy water.

We did take a boat with a submersible underside that allowed viewing of the reef.

 We saw lots of different coral as well as many fish.   A buffet lunch was served.  About 3 hours was spent in the reef area before we loaded back into the catamaran for the return to Port Douglas.  Many people had gotten seasick going out in the morning but the return trip most had taken medication for the seasickness and slept much of the way.  We were returned to Cairns by bus.  We did see wallabies in a field eating grass on the return trip.
In the evening the tour group went to a restaurant, Dundees, for dinner.  The food was good.

Uluru-Kara to Cairns. -February 4, 2017

Today is Tom and my 50th anniversary and the reason for taking this wonderful trip.
At last we had a day that did not start early.  First on the schedule was to be checked out our room by 10 am as we would be moving on later in the afternoon.  We left our bags in the room and porters move them to a point to be picked up by our bus driver, Myles.   As a group we walked a short distance to the center of this resort where we had a lesson in aboriginal art and then we each had a canvas panel to do our own painting using aboriginal symbols.

We then had time to do some shopping or to get some lunch.  We had some cheese and apples from breakfast that we ate.  We wanted something to drink so we went into a small grocery store where they had diet coke in 1 liter bottles for $4.00 plus and in 2 liter bottles for $2.00 plus.  We got the cheaper 2 liter bottle knowing that even if we didn't drink it empty we had paid less .
About 1:30 pm we had all met up at the hotel, boarded the bus for our ride to the airport.  Checking in at the airport proved to be a fiasco.  We had overweight carry-on luggage.  So we had to take things out of the bags and put these items in other bags to finally be allowed to proceed.  Once checked through we placed some of the items back into the luggage.  It was all going to be carried on the plane whether on 1 luggage container or in additional bags.
About 3:20pm we were taking off for Cairns which was about a 2.5 hour flight.  We landed a few minutes before 6pm.  Luggage was obtained and we then met up with our waiting bus driver and loaded up.  We are staying at the Cairns Hilton Hotel.
We walked down the street looking for a place to eat and found Barnacle Bill's and had a wonderfulness of seafood jambalaya.  Great meal to celebrate 50 years.

Uluru-Kara Tjuta National Park- February 3,2017

A real early start today as at 5 am we were boarding the bus for the sunrise on Uluru.  Once at the park another reception area had again been set up but this morning there were hot beverages and biscuits (cookies).  We had to follow a pathway with red lights until we came to an area with green lights which indicated the viewing area.

Unfortunately, there again was a heavy cloud cover so this rock formation was not lit up as the sun rose.

We were back at the hotel by 7:30 am for breakfast.  At 8:30 am we loaded into the buses again heading back into the park and did some walking about the base of Uluru-Kara with our tour director,

Dave, pointing out the aboriginal wall paintings and giving some aboriginal information.

 A cultural center was another stop that was made before returning to the hotel for rest and some lunch.  Tom and I walked the short distance to the resort center for lunch.  At 4 pm we were once again on buses going into the park but this time we were at the huge rock formation of Kata Tjuta.

 A walk through a gorge which Tom and I just walked part way because of the heat. When we returned to the bus, our bus driver had a cooler of cold wash cloths that he handed to each of us.  How refreshing and thoughtful of Myles, a terrific bus driver. 
Finally we went to another viewing area to watch the sunset on Kara Tjuta- and like last evening we had an assortment of beverages and canapes set up for our benefit.  It was a lovely evening with a nice sunset that added color to this rock formation.