Well, that's it for my last full day in Australia. Tomorrow morning at 7 I head to the airport, and expect to be back in Halifax some 30 hours later. Woot! It's been a fun and educational experience. What really surprises me is how quickly new things become familiar. I have to actually pay attention to really see the tropical trees, for example. While at first all the vegetation here looked cool and different, now the trees all just look like, well, trees. I wonder if Nova Scotia will look foreign to me for the first few days?
I can hear my big comfy bed calling to me - I imagine it will seem so much nicer after short cramped little hostel beds! But I will certainly miss the nice warm weather, still getting highs around 25 or so here...
Ciao faithful readers. Until the next adventure that is! :)
Monday, April 18, 2011
Thursday, April 14, 2011
Chilling out
Not much to report since the Jenolan caves. I'm back in Sydney, just chilling out and nursing a cold (dammit, that makes 2 colds in 4 months). Spent a couple of days at Bondi Beach and went swimming with some cool fish (just with goggles). No other adventures to report on, just reading and walking a lot! Was going to go diving once more but of course that is not going to happen since I'm all stuffed up...
Four more days, then it's time to go home...
Four more days, then it's time to go home...
Saturday, April 2, 2011
Jenolan Caves - Orient and Lucas Caves
Went on a tour of two of the caves at Jenolan yesterday. The price of $82 includes the 1 hour drive from Katoomba to the caves and back as well as admission to two of the caves. Only some of the caves are "show caves". A lot of the other caves are not open to the public or access is restricted. This is primarily because even just bringing people in causes some damage, even if the people are respectful and don't touch stuff or, even worse, break off pieces and take them home. They actually go and clean the caves on a regular basis, vacuuming up hair and skin and sometimes washing the limestone formations. The formations grow quite slowly, and of course can stop growing entirely if no water happens to be flowing in that particular area...
The caves themselves were pretty awesome. An entirely different world, with an unbelievable variety of shapes. Not just the standard stalagmites and stalactites, but things like ribbons (literally a wavy ribbon of limestone growing down from the ceiling) or even stranger shapes. I took a few pictures (see below) but much better pictures are available online. And again I got that same thought I had when I first went diving, that people who create movie sets get inspiration from places like this.
Each tour lasted 1.5 hours. The guide also talked about some of the early tours a century or so ago. People went in with nothing but candles. In one of the caves, there is a long slope. In times past, the tour guide would set the visitor on a potato sack and send them sliding down the slope with their candle. weeeee.... Then you had to climb back up along a rope. It is certainly a lot easier and less adventurous now. The routes are fitted with concrete steps and railings, totally safe (and also to keep the cave safe from the visitors).
The first picture is a little hole about half a meter across, with all these crystals growing inside.
The second picture is just plain cool...
The third picture shows some of the more random, interesting shapes. There was one area in particular which had a lot of these white sculpted shapes.
The fourth picture is a good example of how large some of these formations are.
The caves themselves were pretty awesome. An entirely different world, with an unbelievable variety of shapes. Not just the standard stalagmites and stalactites, but things like ribbons (literally a wavy ribbon of limestone growing down from the ceiling) or even stranger shapes. I took a few pictures (see below) but much better pictures are available online. And again I got that same thought I had when I first went diving, that people who create movie sets get inspiration from places like this.
Each tour lasted 1.5 hours. The guide also talked about some of the early tours a century or so ago. People went in with nothing but candles. In one of the caves, there is a long slope. In times past, the tour guide would set the visitor on a potato sack and send them sliding down the slope with their candle. weeeee.... Then you had to climb back up along a rope. It is certainly a lot easier and less adventurous now. The routes are fitted with concrete steps and railings, totally safe (and also to keep the cave safe from the visitors).
The first picture is a little hole about half a meter across, with all these crystals growing inside.
The second picture is just plain cool...
The third picture shows some of the more random, interesting shapes. There was one area in particular which had a lot of these white sculpted shapes.
The fourth picture is a good example of how large some of these formations are.
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Blue Mountains - Giant Stairway and the Three Sisters
A few days after the Kiana trip I flew down to Sydney and spent a few days in the city. Then I took a train to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains.
The Blue Mountains get their name from the blue haze often seen in the valleys. I believe it is due to the eucalyptus trees. Katoomba turns out to be a great spot for sightseeing, with lots of spectacular scenery within walking distance.
On my first day I walked out to the cliffs at Echo Point. Here is a formation called the Three Sisters, basically three very large rock formations extending from the cliffs. Right beside them is the "giant stairway", about 900 steps cut into the sandstone and leading down to the valley floor. Total vertical distance this stairway covers is about 300 meters. It basically just zigzags down along the cliff face, essentially a vertical descent. Guardrails are installed or it would be insane to try and go down. I climbed down and back up, at which point I was pretty out of breath...
Over the next few days I did some more hikes along the cliffs, down along the Katoomba waterfalls, down the stairway again and across to the falls and back up, and so on. Can't handle much more than 7-8 km a day, but that's not too bad considering how much of it is up and down steps. Other than that I've just been working and reading...
It is interesting how most people take this experience in. When I got out to the Three Sisters, a lot of people where on the viewing platform by the tourist center, all taking pictures and walking maybe 50 or a 100 meters down one of the paths. Beyond this, the population thinned out to maybe 1/50th - so at most one out of every 50 people went further than a 100 meters from where they got of the bus. Going down the giant stairway, I saw one other person... It really shows how for most people this is a consumer experience. They pay, get taken to places like this by bus, spend maybe an hour milling about and taking each others pictures, and then leave again. I think they spend more time telling their friends back home about the trip than they actually spend here. I'll have been here at least a week before I leave, and barely feel like I know the area at all or have really experienced it.
Pictures: In the picture of the Three Sisters, note the walkway and tiny black mark of a person on the far left, for scale.
The picture of the stairway naturally only shows a tiny piece, but it was all like this. Metal steps where the sandstone ones had fallen down. In most places the handrail is followed by a vertical drop, down, down, down...
The third picture shows one of the rock overhangs on a path around the waterfalls. Lots of places like this.
The Blue Mountains get their name from the blue haze often seen in the valleys. I believe it is due to the eucalyptus trees. Katoomba turns out to be a great spot for sightseeing, with lots of spectacular scenery within walking distance.
On my first day I walked out to the cliffs at Echo Point. Here is a formation called the Three Sisters, basically three very large rock formations extending from the cliffs. Right beside them is the "giant stairway", about 900 steps cut into the sandstone and leading down to the valley floor. Total vertical distance this stairway covers is about 300 meters. It basically just zigzags down along the cliff face, essentially a vertical descent. Guardrails are installed or it would be insane to try and go down. I climbed down and back up, at which point I was pretty out of breath...
Over the next few days I did some more hikes along the cliffs, down along the Katoomba waterfalls, down the stairway again and across to the falls and back up, and so on. Can't handle much more than 7-8 km a day, but that's not too bad considering how much of it is up and down steps. Other than that I've just been working and reading...
It is interesting how most people take this experience in. When I got out to the Three Sisters, a lot of people where on the viewing platform by the tourist center, all taking pictures and walking maybe 50 or a 100 meters down one of the paths. Beyond this, the population thinned out to maybe 1/50th - so at most one out of every 50 people went further than a 100 meters from where they got of the bus. Going down the giant stairway, I saw one other person... It really shows how for most people this is a consumer experience. They pay, get taken to places like this by bus, spend maybe an hour milling about and taking each others pictures, and then leave again. I think they spend more time telling their friends back home about the trip than they actually spend here. I'll have been here at least a week before I leave, and barely feel like I know the area at all or have really experienced it.
Pictures: In the picture of the Three Sisters, note the walkway and tiny black mark of a person on the far left, for scale.
The picture of the stairway naturally only shows a tiny piece, but it was all like this. Metal steps where the sandstone ones had fallen down. In most places the handrail is followed by a vertical drop, down, down, down...
The third picture shows one of the rock overhangs on a path around the waterfalls. Lots of places like this.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Kiana - Little Moments
On the 1st day we had first gone to Whitehaven Beach and then moored at another island. Just as we had finished mooring, 5 or 6 little swallows showed up and sat on a high spot at the back of the boat, chattering away and fluffing their feathers and being all-round adorable. Wonder what they were talking about?
At this spot, we also saw 2 goats high up on the cliff. What was even more entertaining is that a brief but lively discussion ensued, as to whether these creatures standing high on this rock overlooking the ocean were cows or goats. Imagine a cow hanging out on the cliffs! :)
I blinked, and missed what the guy beside me saw - a stingray jumping out of the water. Never did see a stingray on this trip, but my fellow traveler was shocked and awed indeed.
Sunrise on the third day - I was the first one up and stood way in the bow of the boat. With the boat behind me, there was nothing in the world except me, ocean, and a slowly brightening sky.
At this spot, we also saw 2 goats high up on the cliff. What was even more entertaining is that a brief but lively discussion ensued, as to whether these creatures standing high on this rock overlooking the ocean were cows or goats. Imagine a cow hanging out on the cliffs! :)
I blinked, and missed what the guy beside me saw - a stingray jumping out of the water. Never did see a stingray on this trip, but my fellow traveler was shocked and awed indeed.
Sunrise on the third day - I was the first one up and stood way in the bow of the boat. With the boat behind me, there was nothing in the world except me, ocean, and a slowly brightening sky.
Friday, March 18, 2011
Kiana - Day 3
Another early start to the day. I got up at 5:30 as soon as they started the generator (for cooking, etc.). Watched a lovely sunrise over the ocean. It was cloudy at first and then the cloud cleared and we had this lovely ball of fire hanging over the horizon.
Immediately after breakfast we went diving again, then snorkeling again while the new divers went on their dives. Saw this large lionfish on this dive:
Snorkeling this time was from the boat since there was little or no current to carry us away. Spent a long time, until they blew the horn for us to come back. For some reason I can't seem to equalize my ears when freediving (diving without scuba gear), so I only went down maybe 4-5 meters and then it hurt too much. So much coral, and again many different types of fish.
After diving/snorkeling was all done we took off right away. This time we were under engine and sail power. We moored at another island for lunch, then left for the last leg back to the harbor. During this time we also settled our bar tabs, packed, and the like. They turned the engine off for the last half hour, so that we were only under sail power and just gently cruised back. Then a little stop just outside the marina, so the captain had a chance to say thank you and farewell. The trip wrapped up around 3:00 pm. I spent most of the next day sleeping - guess I needed some recovery time!
Immediately after breakfast we went diving again, then snorkeling again while the new divers went on their dives. Saw this large lionfish on this dive:
Snorkeling this time was from the boat since there was little or no current to carry us away. Spent a long time, until they blew the horn for us to come back. For some reason I can't seem to equalize my ears when freediving (diving without scuba gear), so I only went down maybe 4-5 meters and then it hurt too much. So much coral, and again many different types of fish.
After diving/snorkeling was all done we took off right away. This time we were under engine and sail power. We moored at another island for lunch, then left for the last leg back to the harbor. During this time we also settled our bar tabs, packed, and the like. They turned the engine off for the last half hour, so that we were only under sail power and just gently cruised back. Then a little stop just outside the marina, so the captain had a chance to say thank you and farewell. The trip wrapped up around 3:00 pm. I spent most of the next day sleeping - guess I needed some recovery time!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Kiana - Day 2, Part 2
After diving, we had a lovely lunch. It was really cool being out in the middle of the ocean, nothing but water all around. Right after lunch the new divers went diving, and the rest of us went snorkeling. There was a slight current, so we got dropped a bit away from the boat and basically just drifted back over the reef. In some places the coral was maybe a meter below the water, in other areas it drops down 20 meters to the ocean floor. This was a good chance to inspect some things a bit more leisurely, and of course you see a lot more color at the surface (the water absorbs light, starting with red. so you don't see as much color 20 meters below the surface.) The fish ranged in size from barely visible to over a meter in length (Giant Trevally are BIG!). All very friendly, except for the sharks which tend to run away from people. While snorkeling I dove down maybe 3-5 meters a bunch of times to take a closer look at things. Lots of clams, many different corals and a lot of fish. Saw a whole little school of parrot fish feeding on a small area of coral. But I never saw a fish eat another fish, strangely enough. Sure they do, but not something I managed to see.
By the time I was done snorkeling, both groups of new divers were back and it was time for the certified divers to go out again. So I guess that makes 7 dives in one day for the dive instructor...
This time we went through some underwater canyons. We were about 18 meters deep, almost at the ocean floor. And on either side the coral formations go up almost all the way to the surface. The walls of the formations are basically vertical, sometimes with large overhangs. 4 or 5 Giant Trevally were following us around for the whole dive, which the dive instructor said was quiet unusual. Interestingly enough there was litte coral or fish in the canyons themselves, probably not enough light. But as soon as we left a canyon, the whole wall all the way up to the surface would be covered by life again. I saw some huge clams. One was at least a foot long, with a wavy edge. You could look right into the thing - the opening were it pulled in water was probably an inch across. A nice vivid blue (at 18 meters anyway - no idea what color it actually is). So big they don't even snap shut all the way, just close a bit and pull back if you wave your hand over them. One of those could feed a family of 10, with leftovers...
Also saw a type of coral which is basically like a long, crooked wire. Only a centimeter or two thick, round, and sticking out a good 1 - 1.5 meters from the coral wall. Amazing that it is strong enough to withstand the current.
At the end of this dive it was raining, which looked really cool from underneath the water (last picture).
After diving we had supper and just chilled. Went to bed early, since the next day was another 6:00 am start for diving before heading back.
Some more pictures:
By the time I was done snorkeling, both groups of new divers were back and it was time for the certified divers to go out again. So I guess that makes 7 dives in one day for the dive instructor...
This time we went through some underwater canyons. We were about 18 meters deep, almost at the ocean floor. And on either side the coral formations go up almost all the way to the surface. The walls of the formations are basically vertical, sometimes with large overhangs. 4 or 5 Giant Trevally were following us around for the whole dive, which the dive instructor said was quiet unusual. Interestingly enough there was litte coral or fish in the canyons themselves, probably not enough light. But as soon as we left a canyon, the whole wall all the way up to the surface would be covered by life again. I saw some huge clams. One was at least a foot long, with a wavy edge. You could look right into the thing - the opening were it pulled in water was probably an inch across. A nice vivid blue (at 18 meters anyway - no idea what color it actually is). So big they don't even snap shut all the way, just close a bit and pull back if you wave your hand over them. One of those could feed a family of 10, with leftovers...
Also saw a type of coral which is basically like a long, crooked wire. Only a centimeter or two thick, round, and sticking out a good 1 - 1.5 meters from the coral wall. Amazing that it is strong enough to withstand the current.
At the end of this dive it was raining, which looked really cool from underneath the water (last picture).
After diving we had supper and just chilled. Went to bed early, since the next day was another 6:00 am start for diving before heading back.
Some more pictures:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)