...people go to Mecca to pay homage to Mohammed,climb Everest to be near to The Gods,visit Mathura to be in Khrishna land,climb to Gangotri to see where Ganges begin its journey,above are great pilgrimages to great places but nothing compares to a place where I was dragged feet first screaming by V&P one Thursday morning in MELBOURNE! a mother of all pilgrimage! oh yes! and the sheer joy those two had as they sank to their knees and hand clasped in real awe at the first sight of RAMSAY STREET,NEIGHBOURS! ======================================================
...6th October 2007...
...departing on 8th for AUCKLAND NZ...THE MIDDLE EARTH...THE HOME OF THE RING TRILOGY & HOBBITS & GANDOLF...cant wait to get there and explore the volcanic land...we have hired a campervan which we pickup on 9th we are in NZ for one month and we are travelling from top to bottom both North and South Islands...
...spent 2 months in Australia and its been just fantastic, a real land for explorers and adventure in mind,it has everthying and I think we have done everything,we have travelled in all the states except Western Australia but then WA is just too big to cram it in our 2 months here,may be for another time!
...we drove around 9000km , by air 4000km,bus ride 1000km and all this in 2 months and countless number of bushwalks ,beach,rainforests etc,etc,etc...most locals have been really kind towards us and so they should be as they like our tourist dollars but the plight of the Aboriginal People and seeing them absolultey marginalised and trodden upon by the whites in their own land is a very sad one to digest indeed and AUSSIS really don't give a damn about this poor people...its a different story in NEW ZEALAND so we hear where indigenous people..THE MAORI...are treated as same as all whites and are looked upon as real asset to the country and thats where we are headed in couple of days... So its Goodbye Kylie,Madmax 1 to 4,Koli,Killer Snakes,Sharks,Killer butterflies,Stingers, goodby Jason Donavan(who?),Rolf Harris (who?),Dame Edna,Rupert Murdoch,Redback & Bluetail Spiders,Lillie & Thommo(who?), goodbye Ritchie Benaud,Chapple brothers,Warney(you cheating bastard!),Neighbours,Home & Away...G'day and GOODBYE MATILDA...and...
...WE ARE THE PATELS AND GET US OUT OF HHHHEEEEEEERRREEE!!!!!!...
===============================================
...THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD...this drive from ADELAIDE to MELBOURNE we spent 7 days travelling this road about 800km...amazing roller coaster drive that hugs the sea on one side and cliffs on the other and very beautiful too! although its only the 180km of the road that is known as The Great Ocean Road and this was built by returning troops from WW1 who had no jobs when they came back and took 12 years to build...it is one of the best coastal drive in the world...
...this route is also known for most accidents in Victoria State as drivers takes their eyes off the road to admire the views...pessengers are encouraged not to say WOW! and LOOK AT THAT! for obvious reasons and I had to stop every few km to look at the views...I think it took us 6 hours to cover 180km with all the stop/start...
...there is huge competition between all the states in AUSTRLIA as to who can be more brash and bolder than the others and hence GREAT OCEAN ROAD was built by VICTORIA governement in 1936 to be brasher than the other states...SOUTH AUSTRALIA built GHAN RAILWAYS that crosses whole of AUSTRALIA from ADELAIDE to DARWIN for same reasons even though it looses them money to run!..its strange but AUSSIS from one state just can't stand AUSSIS from another state,its real love and hate relationship between this lot here,I mean AUSSIS from one state will only drink beer from that state if they can help it...just crazy...I am really surprise that AUSSIS play cricket at all because I think the game is too gentle for their pysche...honest!...I think if AUSSIS invented cricket it would involve bashing each other with the bats rather than using the bat to hit the ball and no helmets either!
...THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD...this drive from ADELAIDE to MELBOURNE we spent 7 days travelling this road about 800km...amazing roller coaster drive that hugs the sea on one side and cliffs on the other and very beautiful too! although its only the 180km of the road that is known as The Great Ocean Road and this was built by returning troops from WW1 who had no jobs when they came back and took 12 years to build...it is one of the best coastal drive in the world...
...this route is also known for most accidents in Victoria State as drivers takes their eyes off the road to admire the views...pessengers are encouraged not to say WOW! and LOOK AT THAT! for obvious reasons and I had to stop every few km to look at the views...I think it took us 6 hours to cover 180km with all the stop/start...
...there is huge competition between all the states in AUSTRLIA as to who can be more brash and bolder than the others and hence GREAT OCEAN ROAD was built by VICTORIA governement in 1936 to be brasher than the other states...SOUTH AUSTRALIA built GHAN RAILWAYS that crosses whole of AUSTRALIA from ADELAIDE to DARWIN for same reasons even though it looses them money to run!..its strange but AUSSIS from one state just can't stand AUSSIS from another state,its real love and hate relationship between this lot here,I mean AUSSIS from one state will only drink beer from that state if they can help it...just crazy...I am really surprise that AUSSIS play cricket at all because I think the game is too gentle for their pysche...honest!...I think if AUSSIS invented cricket it would involve bashing each other with the bats rather than using the bat to hit the ball and no helmets either!====================================================
...this picture I found in a local free paper on KI with a headline...MOTHER AND A DAUGHTER SHAMELESSLY TAUNTING A POOR KOALA ...THE DAUGHTER THROWING ABUSE AT THE KOALA SAYING(in a welsh accent)...OI KOLY ! YOU SO UGLY CAUSE YOUR MOTHER DROPPED YOU FACE FIRST WHEN YOU WAZ BORN!...the other quotes from the papers are as follows...
...we still cant believe what we witness here...it lasted for 2 to 3 minutes and they only stopped cause they were coming ever so near to us with eah blow...it was kicking and puncing,arm locking,neck locking and it was just surreal and these guys were just massively built like tanks...
...I got out to take couple of this picture and this fight was only 10 feet from me and I was fearful that they might turn on me...P had a right go at me for getting out to take pictures and rightly so!...
...Vedanta at one point was tearful cause she did not like these two giants fighting and the one on the left was really getting a brutal beating and even we felt sorry for him...
...CHAMBERS PILLAR...in central AUSTRALIA in SIMPSON DESERT...absolute desolate place of red sand and no life and miles from anything...this pillar was a marker for explorer 200 years ago as they tried to cross this huge land and many many died and never made it...the pillar had names and dates etched on it by those explorer who made it this far and beyond...its quite a haunting and yet very peaceful place...you have got to admire these guys with real balls...
...central AUSTRALIA in the middle of RED CENTER...baked earth turned red...iron dust just like rust...4WD has two petrol tanks just incase one gets lost !
...SIMPSON DESERT...lifeless moonlike land and bloody hot!
...she pulled the short straw as we were deciding who should go to the shops as I ran out of beer! and P ran out of cheese!..V accused us of fixing the straws!...really ! as if we would do such a thing for a beer and cheese!
...driving through red center...
...Vedantas friends in the background...CAMEL BREATH! thats her nickname!
...the GHAN train at ALICE SPRING station...me being a train spotter I had to go and look at this 11:15 from DARWIN to ADELAIDE...thats journey of 6500km(we did not do this train)...this one of the worlds trully adventurous train journey as it cuts across many deserts and different landscapes as it travels right across AUSTRALIA...at one point in its journey it travels 400km dead straight(world record)...journey takes 48 hours...I find any kind of transport romantic..P has added other names to my surname!
...STANDLEY CHASM near ALICE SPRING...this gouged in to tough limestone by thundeing river over millions of years....nature at work...and deep red colour too!
...trekking in to STANDLEY CHASM...it was tough going for P!
...resting on a natural sofa set ...this window had one gorgeous view! and the sandstone rocks wont too bad either!
===============================================================
...4 WD ...only way to see AUSSIE OUTBACK as very few roads are sealed...miles upon miles of driving in open space then sleeping under the stars...at one time we only saw 8 vehicles in 5 hours of driving and it does really feel lonely out there and a bit scary too! Pritti hates it when I remind her of the movie we saw last year called WOLF CREEK about real story of AUSSIE OUTBACK terror on a couple travelling in a campervan...cause as the movie poster read...IN THE AUSSIE OUTBACK NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM!We had arrived in ULURU also known as THE RED CENTRE OF AUSTRALIA and this is the geological center of AUSTRALIA .
...ULURU...white people shamelessly named it Ayres Rock after some B grade politician we think!...the ROCK is very sacred to ABRORIGINAL PEOPLE...we have to say it is a magical place and its like a magnet and you just want to get as near to it as possible without actually wanting to touch it so not to offend the spirit of the place...it has magical stories written all over it and these are passed on to the new generations of Abrogines...we have to say most white tourist show no respect to the place what so ever and are totally blind to the feelings of the local worshippers.We also think most white AUSTRALIANS are pure racists towards ABORIGINAL people and are no different to those pre 90s white SOUTH AFRICANS.White Australia have completly destroyed the ABORIGINAL PEOPLEs spirit , have decimated their population and turned them in to drunken lazy people and this once mighty race is on the way to being made extinct.As far as WHITE AUSTRALIANS are concerned they wish ABORIGINAL did not exist.The governement have displaced them in many ways and now have cornered them in to NORTHERN TERRITORY where 80% of them live....and most live below poverty line...when whiteman came to AUSTRALIA some 200 years ago there where over one million ABORIGINAL in AUSTRALIA,now only some 400,000 and 22 million whites...if there was any fairness then this figures shoule be other way round.Finally...as ULURU is sacred to ABORIGINAL culture they say you cannot climb ULURU...but AUSTRLIAN government says tourist can make their own choice whether to climb ULURU or not and most white tourist do choose to climb ULURU...
...colossal ULURU at sunset... from west
...might ULURU at sunrise... from east
...massive ULURU as sun rises over the desert...it changes colour almost every hour as the sun rises...its a massive sandstone and what you see is only quarter of the rock cause the rest is under ground...this is also a WORLD HERITAGE SITE...there are 18 in AUSTRALIA and I think we are seeing 8 of them...
...we walked around ULURU with an ABORIGINAL guide...there are many rock paintings and some are old as 40,000 years...there are also permanent water holes... many caves...waterfalls ...etc
...after 3 days at ULURU...we leave this magical place for ALICE SPRING as sun rises yet again over this RED CENTER...on the OUTBACK dirt track again! We drove 1700km in the outback mainly on deep red dirt track road and it gave me real buzz! I just loved driving 4wd in the outback!
...budding scientist Miss Patel obeserving SEALIONS very closely indeed on KANGAROO ISLAND(KI) off ADELAIDE(Southern Ocean) ...she feels right at home with this LAZY/SLEEPY mob!
We spent two days on KI...it has the most density of wild creatures in all of AUSTRALIA...we saw everything here from SNAKES to huge KANGAROOS...being cut away from mainland influence,wildlife has thrived here unopposed...
...we flew in to ADELAIDE from ALICE SPRING on 25th Sept,picked up another campervan ,been to KANGAROO ISLAND for 2 days and now driving towards MELBOURNE...then catching 12 hour bus from MELBOURNE to SYDNEY on 7th Oct to catch a flight to AUCKLAND,NEWZEALAND on 8th Oct.
...NARACOORTE NATIONAL PARK...this is also WORLD HERITAGE SITE for FOSSIL deposits and FOSSILS found already here(one of 7 such world heritage sites)...LIFE ON EARTH by DAVID ATTENBOROUGH was extensively filmed around here...fossils of marsupials lions ,kangaroos big as elephant,giant snakes etc are found here...95% of the place still remain unexplored!
...black DEATH ADDER...one bite and you have 30 minutes to get anti-venoum or you are a gonner!...this one on KANGAROO ISLAND...this is one of the two snakes we saw this day and the other one was on a beach! check the fear on my face as all the colour disappered from my cheeks...AUSTRALIA is packed to rafters with venomous creatures...from killer butterflies , tiny little killer spiders,killer jelly fish to 15 of the worlds deadliest killer snakes etc ,etc,etc...the fact that as innocent looking as a tiny spider or a jellyfish is out there to kill you in an instance,this thought never leaves you for a minute as you travel around AUSTRALIA! ...weird feeling!
...this picture I found in a local free paper on KI with a headline...MOTHER AND A DAUGHTER SHAMELESSLY TAUNTING A POOR KOALA ...THE DAUGHTER THROWING ABUSE AT THE KOALA SAYING(in a welsh accent)...OI KOLY ! YOU SO UGLY CAUSE YOUR MOTHER DROPPED YOU FACE FIRST WHEN YOU WAZ BORN!...the other quotes from the papers are as follows...
THE SAME PAIR HAVE BEEN ABUSING MY COUSINS ALL OVER OUR LAND...said the friends of koala at the police station...
THIS YOBBISH BEHAVIOUR BY THOSE TWO FROM WALES HAVE CREATED A DIPLOMATIC INCIDENT BETWEEN OUR TWO NATION...said the minister for koala to the sun newspaper reporter from wales at the news conference...
I DONT SPEAK ENGLISH AND I DONT KNOW THEM...said the third tourist through a hindi interpreter who was found near the tree at the time...
WE DEMAND MONETARY COMPENSATION FOR DEFAMATION FOR OUR CLIENT...said the lawyer for justice for a abused koala campaign...
ITS A DISGRACE CALLING OUR KOALA NAMES BECAUSE OF HIS LOOKS...ANYWAY IF YOU ASK ME NEITHER OF THOSE TWO FROM WALES ARE ANGELINA JOLLEY LOOK ALIKE ARE THEY!...said the plastic surgeons union spokes person...
KOALA FOR PRIMINISTER...shouted someone from the public gallery in the house of parlament...WE HAVE ALREADY GOT ONE IN JOHN HOWARD...shouted the opposition leader...
================================
...the four pictures below are just unbelievable as we saw two massive male kangaroos boxing each other violently just 20 feet away from our campervan as we were travelling game watching through a volcano crater called TOWERHILL GAME RESERVE...
...we still cant believe what we witness here...it lasted for 2 to 3 minutes and they only stopped cause they were coming ever so near to us with eah blow...it was kicking and puncing,arm locking,neck locking and it was just surreal and these guys were just massively built like tanks...
...I got out to take couple of this picture and this fight was only 10 feet from me and I was fearful that they might turn on me...P had a right go at me for getting out to take pictures and rightly so!...
...Vedanta at one point was tearful cause she did not like these two giants fighting and the one on the left was really getting a brutal beating and even we felt sorry for him......none of us will ever forget what we witnessed in this amazing crater!
...this crater reserve is like NGORO NGORO CRATER in SERENGTI we visited in DECEMBER 2006...but small and not so deep...its not on any tourist map...but its got all the wildlife one wish to see...just amazing!..a real JURRASIC PARK like atmosphere...
...loads of EMUs at TOWERHILL CRATER RESRVE...
...volcanic crater BLUE LAKE...last erupted 4500 years ago in MOUNT GAMBIER...really superb place but again not on any tourist map...P likes it that way as too many tourist does spoil the real feel of the place...this was just US and the CRATER...felt like a private visit...really good!
...vineyards as far as your eye can see...passed through HARDYS and JACOBS CREEK...some my favourite tipple...drive between ADELAIDE to MELBURNE...
...I have to say what a night we had in ALICE SPRING when we beat the PAKIS in a 20/20 WORLD CUP FINAL...its a place I will always remember ... for me its a place where we won the WORLD CUP and what a match it was...it hurts to say hats off to the PAKIS for putting up a fighjt but having DHONI in our team is just awsome...mans a living GOD!...GAMBHIR was masterful,RP SINGH was devastating and PATHAN was just too clever for them PAKIS!..I loved it when DHONI took his shirt off after the greatest match of all time cool as you like and put it on a young supporter...he is everything you want in your team!...he has that spirit of never say die!... I still have to pinch my self now and then to believe that we did beat the PAKIS and we are the world champs and that I am not merely dreaming!...this finally puts the WI debacle to rest forever! and it feels just amazing to be an INDIAN supporter right now and long it may continue!...and my REDS doing well too! COME ON YOU REDS! and oh! RAFAs god too! and GERRARD!
...CHAMBERS PILLAR...in central AUSTRALIA in SIMPSON DESERT...absolute desolate place of red sand and no life and miles from anything...this pillar was a marker for explorer 200 years ago as they tried to cross this huge land and many many died and never made it...the pillar had names and dates etched on it by those explorer who made it this far and beyond...its quite a haunting and yet very peaceful place...you have got to admire these guys with real balls...
...central AUSTRALIA in the middle of RED CENTER...baked earth turned red...iron dust just like rust...4WD has two petrol tanks just incase one gets lost !
...SIMPSON DESERT...lifeless moonlike land and bloody hot!
...she pulled the short straw as we were deciding who should go to the shops as I ran out of beer! and P ran out of cheese!..V accused us of fixing the straws!...really ! as if we would do such a thing for a beer and cheese!
...driving through red center...
...Vedantas friends in the background...CAMEL BREATH! thats her nickname!
...SIMPSONS GAP...near ALICE SPRING...this towering gap caused by 60 million years of a river-a river that barely runs...this evening we saw ROCK WALLABIES coming out of their holes to feed on either side of the gap in this jumble of huge rocks...the gap also has excellent echo capabilities!...there is a permanent watering hole at the far corner behind these two tourist!
...the GHAN train at ALICE SPRING station...me being a train spotter I had to go and look at this 11:15 from DARWIN to ADELAIDE...thats journey of 6500km(we did not do this train)...this one of the worlds trully adventurous train journey as it cuts across many deserts and different landscapes as it travels right across AUSTRALIA...at one point in its journey it travels 400km dead straight(world record)...journey takes 48 hours...I find any kind of transport romantic..P has added other names to my surname!
...found this THORNEY DEVIL in a desert ...amazing creature...We have been very lucky to have seen many animals in the wild in AUSTRALIA including CROCODILES,PLATYPUS,SNAKES,SEALS,all sorts of MARINE CREATURES during diving PENGUINS,KOALAS,KANGAROOS,WALLABIES,SPIDERS,EMUS,ECHIDNA,FROGS,TURTLES,lots of BIRDS ,WILD CAMELS & HORSES,WHALES,DOLPHINS etc,etc,etc.
...we came across this TABLETOP MOUNTAIN called MOUNT CONNOR...its not on any tourist map here but if it was in any other country it would be a MAJOR tourist attraction...the point is ... AUSTRALIA is so huge and there are so many world class tourist attractions that anything less than really 5 star world class site it will not get on the tourist map...other examples are DEVILS MABLES,VALLEY OF THE GIANTS,STROMATOLITES,TOWERHILL etc,etc,etc....AUSTRALIA is so huge that many parts just remain unexplored and they are finding new things here everyday...new plant,animals,marine creatures,mineral deposits,oil deposits,gold,silver,etc,etc,etc...few years ago a solo light aircraft pilot crash landad at some remote place in AUSTRALIA...he acually landed on a soild land made of iron that had some 100 million tonnes of raw iron in it and worth billions to the government...few years ago they found a skeleton of a man in a remote place holding some 15kg of raw gold nugget and they are still looking for that elusive gold mine but its out there somewhere!
...the other thing about AUSTRALIA is ...its so far away from other western countries and other countries just do not take any notice of this vast land and AUSSIS just hates being ignored by other countries...they really feel unloved by other nations and others also view them as beer swelling distant cousins in a far away remote land...the truth is AUSSIS infact drink less than ENGLISH do! ...they only have a reputation...
...few years ago there was a huge explosion in some remote desert in AUSTRALIA and it was only slightly noticed by some far away travellers ,no one else knew or took any notice...then 12 people were killed in TOKYO subway by SARINE gas released by some mad JAPANESE religious group in opposition to one thing or the other,four years after the killing in TOKYO subway the AUSSIE GOVERENMENT by chance finds that the same JAPANESE religious group owned a desert region in AUSTRALIA a size of BELGIUM and its the same region where that huge explosion took place...point is AUSTRALIA is so huge that no one knows who owns what and it takes four years to realise that some nutters are buidling a nuclear bomb in some remote place...just crazy!
===================================================
...STANDLEY CHASM near ALICE SPRING...this gouged in to tough limestone by thundeing river over millions of years....nature at work...and deep red colour too! ...trekking in to STANDLEY CHASM...it was tough going for P! ...resting on a natural sofa set ...this window had one gorgeous view! and the sandstone rocks wont too bad either!===============================================================
...4 WD ...only way to see AUSSIE OUTBACK as very few roads are sealed...miles upon miles of driving in open space then sleeping under the stars...at one time we only saw 8 vehicles in 5 hours of driving and it does really feel lonely out there and a bit scary too! Pritti hates it when I remind her of the movie we saw last year called WOLF CREEK about real story of AUSSIE OUTBACK terror on a couple travelling in a campervan...cause as the movie poster read...IN THE AUSSIE OUTBACK NO ONE CAN HEAR YOU SCREAM!We had arrived in ULURU also known as THE RED CENTRE OF AUSTRALIA and this is the geological center of AUSTRALIA .
...ULURU...white people shamelessly named it Ayres Rock after some B grade politician we think!...the ROCK is very sacred to ABRORIGINAL PEOPLE...we have to say it is a magical place and its like a magnet and you just want to get as near to it as possible without actually wanting to touch it so not to offend the spirit of the place...it has magical stories written all over it and these are passed on to the new generations of Abrogines...we have to say most white tourist show no respect to the place what so ever and are totally blind to the feelings of the local worshippers.We also think most white AUSTRALIANS are pure racists towards ABORIGINAL people and are no different to those pre 90s white SOUTH AFRICANS.White Australia have completly destroyed the ABORIGINAL PEOPLEs spirit , have decimated their population and turned them in to drunken lazy people and this once mighty race is on the way to being made extinct.As far as WHITE AUSTRALIANS are concerned they wish ABORIGINAL did not exist.The governement have displaced them in many ways and now have cornered them in to NORTHERN TERRITORY where 80% of them live....and most live below poverty line...when whiteman came to AUSTRALIA some 200 years ago there where over one million ABORIGINAL in AUSTRALIA,now only some 400,000 and 22 million whites...if there was any fairness then this figures shoule be other way round.Finally...as ULURU is sacred to ABORIGINAL culture they say you cannot climb ULURU...but AUSTRLIAN government says tourist can make their own choice whether to climb ULURU or not and most white tourist do choose to climb ULURU...
...colossal ULURU at sunset... from west
...might ULURU at sunrise... from east
...massive ULURU as sun rises over the desert...it changes colour almost every hour as the sun rises...its a massive sandstone and what you see is only quarter of the rock cause the rest is under ground...this is also a WORLD HERITAGE SITE...there are 18 in AUSTRALIA and I think we are seeing 8 of them...
...we walked around ULURU with an ABORIGINAL guide...there are many rock paintings and some are old as 40,000 years...there are also permanent water holes... many caves...waterfalls ...etc...KATA TJUTA ...white people named it THE OLGAS...at sunset...this is some 60km from ULURU and its another awsome place...we trekked in to KATA TJUTA for couple of hours and its some spirutal place!
...after 3 days at ULURU...we leave this magical place for ALICE SPRING as sun rises yet again over this RED CENTER...on the OUTBACK dirt track again! We drove 1700km in the outback mainly on deep red dirt track road and it gave me real buzz! I just loved driving 4wd in the outback!=============================================
...CROCK relaxing on a bank as we look for more wildlife on DAINTREE RIVER...
...GREEN TREE SNAKE waiting for dinner to arrive...on DAINTREE RIVER bank...
...spotted this in a nearby carpark...spelling is wrong to start with...cant think what to write as she is bound to erase it with something nicer!
...hanging from the RAINFOREST canopy...weird sensation!
...LACE MONITOR as we trekk through DAINTREE...it was HUGE!
...such a cute face and slimy too! ...we are not talking about the frog!...Vedanta wanted to kiss the frog and transformed it magically in to a PRINCE by the name of RAJJUUUUUU!!!!!!...Indian ofcourse!
(VEDANTA SAYS SHE WILL ONLY MARRY AN INDIAN BOY IF HIS NAME IS RAJU!)
...BARRON FALLS as seen from SKYRAIL...
...longest SKYRAIL in the world...6km in all...as you fly over the rainforest canopy of BARRON FALL RAINFOREST...takes over an hour!
...learning to throw BOOMRANG and SPEARS..infact I threw the longest spear and YES! BOOMRANG does come back after throwing...I was told I am natural at throwing spears...then my wife jumps in and says ...well darling! it goes with your cave mentality!
...BUSHTUCKER TRIAL!...from DAINTREE RAINFOREST... some are real killers if you eat them...we gave it a wide berth...birds and animal eat them and infact they will only germinate if they go through the stomach of a particuar species of bird or animal...
...real natural paradise here as two WORLD HERITAGE SITES meet on this beach at CAPE TRIBULATION...one is the WET TROPIC RAINFOREST that comes right to the beach and the other is the GREAT BARRIER REEF as you deep your feet in to the water...only place on earth this happens...the beauty was just mind blowing...real natural paradise... you could almost sense DAVID ATTENBOROUGH coming out of the rainforest with a TV crew!
...CROCK relaxing on a bank as we look for more wildlife on DAINTREE RIVER...
...GREEN TREE SNAKE waiting for dinner to arrive...on DAINTREE RIVER bank...
...spotted this in a nearby carpark...spelling is wrong to start with...cant think what to write as she is bound to erase it with something nicer!
...hanging from the RAINFOREST canopy...weird sensation!
...LACE MONITOR as we trekk through DAINTREE...it was HUGE!
...such a cute face and slimy too! ...we are not talking about the frog!...Vedanta wanted to kiss the frog and transformed it magically in to a PRINCE by the name of RAJJUUUUUU!!!!!!...Indian ofcourse!(VEDANTA SAYS SHE WILL ONLY MARRY AN INDIAN BOY IF HIS NAME IS RAJU!)
...BARRON FALLS as seen from SKYRAIL...
...longest SKYRAIL in the world...6km in all...as you fly over the rainforest canopy of BARRON FALL RAINFOREST...takes over an hour!
...learning to throw BOOMRANG and SPEARS..infact I threw the longest spear and YES! BOOMRANG does come back after throwing...I was told I am natural at throwing spears...then my wife jumps in and says ...well darling! it goes with your cave mentality!
...BUSHTUCKER TRIAL!...from DAINTREE RAINFOREST... some are real killers if you eat them...we gave it a wide berth...birds and animal eat them and infact they will only germinate if they go through the stomach of a particuar species of bird or animal...
...real natural paradise here as two WORLD HERITAGE SITES meet on this beach at CAPE TRIBULATION...one is the WET TROPIC RAINFOREST that comes right to the beach and the other is the GREAT BARRIER REEF as you deep your feet in to the water...only place on earth this happens...the beauty was just mind blowing...real natural paradise... you could almost sense DAVID ATTENBOROUGH coming out of the rainforest with a TV crew!...infact lot of the LIFE ON EARTH and LIFE OF PLANTS is filmed around this part of the world...real bit of magic...
========================================================
...about to board SILVERSWIFT...superfast way to GREAT BARRIER REEF...sleek and smooth vessel...
...about to board SILVERSWIFT...superfast way to GREAT BARRIER REEF...sleek and smooth vessel......the seven pictures below were taken by a professional photographer from SILVERSWIFT who follows you for a while with you on your dive to take these AMAZING PICTURES !
...US three sonrkelling on GREAT BARRIER REEF...this one called PELLOWE REEF...I am the one with the cold one in my hand!
...turtles glides by as though you are not there...
...millions of small and large rainbow coloured fish gliding pass you...natural wonder...like being in a HUGE tank!
...clown fish...NIMO!...in dazzling colours...
...little girl was really brave on this day and she saw loads of marine life...but she was also real scared as you could clearly see the bottom of the ocean 18meters down and just full of sea creatures!...amazing...
...on real RUSH of Adrenaline before the dive...or was it just PURE FEAR!
...these are massive LAVA TUBES formed some 180,000 years ago from 3 months eruption of UNDARA VOLCANO...the volcano is 140km away from here,it created 180km long tubes as lava flowed through a dry riverbed towards the sea and as surface of the lava cooled and hardened,hot lava continued to race through the centre of the flows and as last of the lava drained out ,eventually leaving these enormous lava tubes...its fascinating natural attraction..
...this visit was early in the morning,but previous night we were here for night safari as some 500,000 bats live in this particular section of the lava tube and sun went down over the horizon,we saw thosands of bats flying out of the cave for feeding on insects at night...many bats would just fly past your ear...it was just magical...
...we were on this spot last night standing as thosands of bats flew past our ears...but at the same time we also came to see snakes called TIGER SNAKE,which hangs from the tree at the entrance of the tube and strikes out to capture the bats as they fly pass the snakes...but as it was rather a chilly night ,snakes fail to turned up,but in summer there are as many as 30 snakes waiting for the bats!
...LAVA TUBES were some 180km long when formed but now in some parts they have cavedin...they are 20 to 30 meters in diameter and the walls are some 5 meters thick alone!
...standing on a hill near the lava tubes,we had cheese and crackers with chilled champagne as the sun set over the horizon and then we went to the entrance of the lava tubes to watch bats flying out...at the same time one could see so many kangaroos and wallabies hopping around the national park...real LIFE ON EARTH telly viewing!
...Vedanta in feeding frenzy as kangaroos looks on from around her...we had to increase our food budget as she is on feeding frenzy allday!
...this is ROAD TRAIN ie a length of 10 normal lorries...IT... DO NOT reduce ITs speed for no one as IT approaches you and IT will just keep driving straight at YOU!...you just come off the road and wait for IT to pass you and as IT passes you its like mini nuclear bomb explosion as dust ,stones and other debries fly all over the place and as you dust yourself off and thank the lord that you have survive...another BASTARD comes at you...its just not real!...this single lane roads requires super-concerntration as its like driving in San Francisco...up and down!
======================================================
...this kind of road signs are every few miles on ...signs includes crossing crocodiles,turtles,wild camels,wild horses,snakes and our favorite is CASSOWARY crossing signs...these are endangered flightless birds and are as big as grown man and have known to kill man before,we spent many hours in rainforest looking for one but no luck ,so we went to see a captive one ... and it is HUGE!..there are only 1200 left in the wild.Camels ,dogs ,rabbits ,horses(just a few examples) were not native to AUSTRALIA but brought over by whiteman over last 200 years and so they escaped and became wild...now there are 3 million wild camels,4 million wild horses running round AUSTRALIA...our favorite is rabbit,Mr RON WILLIAMS in 1886 imported 15 rabbits from ENGLAND for shooting sport and as rabbits breed like rabbits,now there are 300 million rabbits eating its way through AUSTRALIA and converting lush green land in to dusty deserts...and all this thanks to RON!...this country is so HUGE...its unreal...you can fit whole of WESTERN EUROPE twice in to AUSTRALIA and can still be left with plenty of empty spaces...
...bridges built over the roads for wildlife to cross safely...as you travel across AUSTRLIA via roads...many wild animals like wallabies,kangaroos ,snakes etc are killed by vehicles and littered everywhere off the roads...so many its unreal...some are huge kangaroos killed by travelling lorries...we have yet to hit one!...even our campervan has ROOBARS fittled below the windscreen incase we hit some big animal...dawn and dusk are danger time to drive here as all wildlife comes alive looking for food...
...we are parked for 2 nights in middle of an amzing WET TROPIC RAINFOREST...behind us is massive rainforest and the noises coming out of it at night are scary but awsome...200m in front is the PACIFIC OCEAN...we are in NORTH QUEENSLAND where THE RAINFOREST meets THE SEA...sight to savour as there are very few places on earth where this happens...
...another trek through rainforest...this one on MISSION BEACH,NORTH QUEENSLAND(NQ)... this part of Australia is full of WET TROPIC RAINFOREST and they are all WORLD HERITAGE SITES...they contain mammals,birds,spiders,snakes plants etc that exist nowhere else on earth and are real lethal...AUSTRALIA has 16 out of 20 of the worlds killer snakes...we have trekked through some six different rainforests about 2 hours at a time and each time we are so happy to come out of it...it gives you such BUZZ when you are in there!
...another mode of transport for us...this one on MAGNETIC ISLAND...in 1745 Captain COOK was in the waters around here while discovering AUSTARLIA and his ship compass played havoc as he approched this island and so he named it MAGNETIC ISLAND...we are also now in THE GREAT BARRIER REEF region and the waters are just amazing blue/green and crystal clear...
...wild KOALA BEAR in rainforest of MAGNETIC ISLAND...this area has the highest number of KOALA BEARs in AUSTRALIA ...also has loads of rock wallabies,bats and possums and all surrounded by GREAT BARRIER REEF which is also WORLD HERITAGE SITE...
...seven pictures below with this one are from FRASER ISLAND(FI)...
FI is the worlds biggest sand island...120km by 25km...it has worlds unique diverse ecology...it has rainforests,some 200 fresh water lakes,dunes big as 224m high,DINGOS(man eating wild dogs)...off-shore,whales,sharks,dolphins,turtles etc can be seen easily from high points...the lakes are lovely to swim in but the sea is lethal with its under currents and man eating sharks and killer jellyfish called STINGER...
...Vedanta is standing in lake MCKENZIE...this lake was crystal clear and beautiful to swin in and we did swim...all the lakes have sand bottom...
...as we came out of rainforest ,there was LAKE MCKENZIE...all the lakes are open -air beauty salons,where you can exfoliate your skin with the mineral sand and soften your hair in the clear water...the lakes contains many turtles and many varieties of fish...
...LAKE WABBY...real spectacular!..it is surrounded on three side by rainforest while the fourth side is a massive sand dune,which is encroaching on the lake at a rate of 3m per year...so in few years the lake will just cease to exist as it will be under the moving sand dune ...
...on FRASER ISLAND there are no paved roads...just sand and so only 4 wheel drives are allowed and you can also drive on the beach...one beach is 85km long!..
...as 4 wheel drive buses and jeeps with towering fat and chunky tyres are driving along an idyllic beach backdrop of white sand and waving palm trees,it all looks like something out of a sci-fi movie...
...PRITTI and VEDANTA will swim anywhere,both are fearless swimmers and as for me,I like to stand on a firm ground...they are swimming in a river calles ELI...this is a fresh water river that goes in to Pacific Ocean...it was beautiful!
...this is the wreck of the MAHENO,a passenger liner that was blown ashore by a cyclone in 1935 while on its way to TOKYO...it was a very tall ship and three quarter of it is below the sand line...it was kind of ghostly feeling being there and just surreal that it was there on the beach and so rusty...TITANIC comes to mind under the sea as you look at MOHENO wreck...they try to re-float her in 1935...but the more they tried the more she went under the sand as it is a sand island...so they just left it there...
...this is ROSE from TITANIC looking for JACK!...
I will survive by CELINE DION comes to mind...
...this tree is 1000 year old ...its named CURTAIN FIG TREE...watch DAVID ATTENBOROUGHs LIFE OF PLANTS and it will all become clear or watch LIFE ON EARTH or just come to OZ land and see it for yourselves!...
...US three sonrkelling on GREAT BARRIER REEF...this one called PELLOWE REEF...I am the one with the cold one in my hand!
...turtles glides by as though you are not there...
...millions of small and large rainbow coloured fish gliding pass you...natural wonder...like being in a HUGE tank!
...clown fish...NIMO!...in dazzling colours...
...little girl was really brave on this day and she saw loads of marine life...but she was also real scared as you could clearly see the bottom of the ocean 18meters down and just full of sea creatures!...amazing...
...on real RUSH of Adrenaline before the dive...or was it just PURE FEAR!
...diving GREAT BARRIER REEF...two dives in a day for me ...P had some ear problems and so came out of the water during the first dive and then spent time snorkelling with Vedu...I spent some 85 minutes uner water at a maximum depth of 16 meters...and saw some amazing marine life...dived in the morning at PELLOWE REEF and THETFORD REEF in the afternoon.
...STEVE IRWINE from CROCODILE HUNTER fame was stabbed in the heart by lethal tail of a huge MANTA RAY at BATT REEF...only 4km form here!
==============================================================
.seven pictures below are from our visit to UNDARA VOLCANIC NATIONAL PARK in the Australian outback...
...these are massive LAVA TUBES formed some 180,000 years ago from 3 months eruption of UNDARA VOLCANO...the volcano is 140km away from here,it created 180km long tubes as lava flowed through a dry riverbed towards the sea and as surface of the lava cooled and hardened,hot lava continued to race through the centre of the flows and as last of the lava drained out ,eventually leaving these enormous lava tubes...its fascinating natural attraction.....this visit was early in the morning,but previous night we were here for night safari as some 500,000 bats live in this particular section of the lava tube and sun went down over the horizon,we saw thosands of bats flying out of the cave for feeding on insects at night...many bats would just fly past your ear...it was just magical......we were on this spot last night standing as thosands of bats flew past our ears...but at the same time we also came to see snakes called TIGER SNAKE,which hangs from the tree at the entrance of the tube and strikes out to capture the bats as they fly pass the snakes...but as it was rather a chilly night ,snakes fail to turned up,but in summer there are as many as 30 snakes waiting for the bats! ...LAVA TUBES were some 180km long when formed but now in some parts they have cavedin...they are 20 to 30 meters in diameter and the walls are some 5 meters thick alone! 
...standing on a hill near the lava tubes,we had cheese and crackers with chilled champagne as the sun set over the horizon and then we went to the entrance of the lava tubes to watch bats flying out...at the same time one could see so many kangaroos and wallabies hopping around the national park...real LIFE ON EARTH telly viewing!
...Vedanta in feeding frenzy as kangaroos looks on from around her...we had to increase our food budget as she is on feeding frenzy allday! ...this is ROAD TRAIN ie a length of 10 normal lorries...IT... DO NOT reduce ITs speed for no one as IT approaches you and IT will just keep driving straight at YOU!...you just come off the road and wait for IT to pass you and as IT passes you its like mini nuclear bomb explosion as dust ,stones and other debries fly all over the place and as you dust yourself off and thank the lord that you have survive...another BASTARD comes at you...its just not real!...this single lane roads requires super-concerntration as its like driving in San Francisco...up and down!======================================================
...this kind of road signs are every few miles on ...signs includes crossing crocodiles,turtles,wild camels,wild horses,snakes and our favorite is CASSOWARY crossing signs...these are endangered flightless birds and are as big as grown man and have known to kill man before,we spent many hours in rainforest looking for one but no luck ,so we went to see a captive one ... and it is HUGE!..there are only 1200 left in the wild.Camels ,dogs ,rabbits ,horses(just a few examples) were not native to AUSTRALIA but brought over by whiteman over last 200 years and so they escaped and became wild...now there are 3 million wild camels,4 million wild horses running round AUSTRALIA...our favorite is rabbit,Mr RON WILLIAMS in 1886 imported 15 rabbits from ENGLAND for shooting sport and as rabbits breed like rabbits,now there are 300 million rabbits eating its way through AUSTRALIA and converting lush green land in to dusty deserts...and all this thanks to RON!...this country is so HUGE...its unreal...you can fit whole of WESTERN EUROPE twice in to AUSTRALIA and can still be left with plenty of empty spaces...
...bridges built over the roads for wildlife to cross safely...as you travel across AUSTRLIA via roads...many wild animals like wallabies,kangaroos ,snakes etc are killed by vehicles and littered everywhere off the roads...so many its unreal...some are huge kangaroos killed by travelling lorries...we have yet to hit one!...even our campervan has ROOBARS fittled below the windscreen incase we hit some big animal...dawn and dusk are danger time to drive here as all wildlife comes alive looking for food...
...we are parked for 2 nights in middle of an amzing WET TROPIC RAINFOREST...behind us is massive rainforest and the noises coming out of it at night are scary but awsome...200m in front is the PACIFIC OCEAN...we are in NORTH QUEENSLAND where THE RAINFOREST meets THE SEA...sight to savour as there are very few places on earth where this happens...
...another trek through rainforest...this one on MISSION BEACH,NORTH QUEENSLAND(NQ)... this part of Australia is full of WET TROPIC RAINFOREST and they are all WORLD HERITAGE SITES...they contain mammals,birds,spiders,snakes plants etc that exist nowhere else on earth and are real lethal...AUSTRALIA has 16 out of 20 of the worlds killer snakes...we have trekked through some six different rainforests about 2 hours at a time and each time we are so happy to come out of it...it gives you such BUZZ when you are in there!
...another mode of transport for us...this one on MAGNETIC ISLAND...in 1745 Captain COOK was in the waters around here while discovering AUSTARLIA and his ship compass played havoc as he approched this island and so he named it MAGNETIC ISLAND...we are also now in THE GREAT BARRIER REEF region and the waters are just amazing blue/green and crystal clear...
...wild KOALA BEAR in rainforest of MAGNETIC ISLAND...this area has the highest number of KOALA BEARs in AUSTRALIA ...also has loads of rock wallabies,bats and possums and all surrounded by GREAT BARRIER REEF which is also WORLD HERITAGE SITE...
...seven pictures below with this one are from FRASER ISLAND(FI)...FI is the worlds biggest sand island...120km by 25km...it has worlds unique diverse ecology...it has rainforests,some 200 fresh water lakes,dunes big as 224m high,DINGOS(man eating wild dogs)...off-shore,whales,sharks,dolphins,turtles etc can be seen easily from high points...the lakes are lovely to swim in but the sea is lethal with its under currents and man eating sharks and killer jellyfish called STINGER...
...Vedanta is standing in lake MCKENZIE...this lake was crystal clear and beautiful to swin in and we did swim...all the lakes have sand bottom...
...as we came out of rainforest ,there was LAKE MCKENZIE...all the lakes are open -air beauty salons,where you can exfoliate your skin with the mineral sand and soften your hair in the clear water...the lakes contains many turtles and many varieties of fish...
...LAKE WABBY...real spectacular!..it is surrounded on three side by rainforest while the fourth side is a massive sand dune,which is encroaching on the lake at a rate of 3m per year...so in few years the lake will just cease to exist as it will be under the moving sand dune ...
...on FRASER ISLAND there are no paved roads...just sand and so only 4 wheel drives are allowed and you can also drive on the beach...one beach is 85km long!.....as 4 wheel drive buses and jeeps with towering fat and chunky tyres are driving along an idyllic beach backdrop of white sand and waving palm trees,it all looks like something out of a sci-fi movie...
...PRITTI and VEDANTA will swim anywhere,both are fearless swimmers and as for me,I like to stand on a firm ground...they are swimming in a river calles ELI...this is a fresh water river that goes in to Pacific Ocean...it was beautiful!
...this is the wreck of the MAHENO,a passenger liner that was blown ashore by a cyclone in 1935 while on its way to TOKYO...it was a very tall ship and three quarter of it is below the sand line...it was kind of ghostly feeling being there and just surreal that it was there on the beach and so rusty...TITANIC comes to mind under the sea as you look at MOHENO wreck...they try to re-float her in 1935...but the more they tried the more she went under the sand as it is a sand island...so they just left it there...
...this is ROSE from TITANIC looking for JACK!...I will survive by CELINE DION comes to mind...
...this tree is 1000 year old ...its named CURTAIN FIG TREE...watch DAVID ATTENBOROUGHs LIFE OF PLANTS and it will all become clear or watch LIFE ON EARTH or just come to OZ land and see it for yourselves!...
...this is TIN CAN BAY near Rainbow Beach...where 5 to 10 wild dolphins comes everyday 8am from the ocean and they are fed rare sweet fish delicacy that they like and then they return to the ocean...they are only fed 1/10th of their daily food need ...so they still have to hunt for rest of their feed and thus remain wild...they have been coming here for many generations...tourist like us can also feed them...but on this day when we were there they did not turnup as there was heavy rain during the night and thus turned part of this salt water bay in to fresh water and dolphins being clever animals realised that they would catch virus from fresh water if they were to swim up this bay this morning...mother nature at work...
==========================================================
...RAINBOW BEACH...CARLO SANDBLOW (sand dune)
... at RAINBOW BEACH...Pacific Ocean on one side forest on the other side with massive moving sand dune known as CARLO SANDBLOW in the middle...destroying and burying the forest as it moves 4m per year...one can see nature at work 1st hand...such vivid colours...
...buried forest as sand dune moves inland...amazingly colourful place...
....Rainbow Beach...Carlo Sandblow...terrific sunset to warm your heart...watched from top of the huge sand dune...
...HERVEY BAY...parked right on the beach for 5 days,its more like a lake than sea but it is PACIFIC OCEAN,the bay is so large it creates very calm sea and no waves with plenty of food for HUMPBACK WHALES...over 3000 WHALES in this bay between June and November,give birth,then move on to ANTARCTICA...
...RAINBOW BEACH...CARLO SANDBLOW (sand dune)
... at RAINBOW BEACH...Pacific Ocean on one side forest on the other side with massive moving sand dune known as CARLO SANDBLOW in the middle...destroying and burying the forest as it moves 4m per year...one can see nature at work 1st hand...such vivid colours...
...buried forest as sand dune moves inland...amazingly colourful place...
....Rainbow Beach...Carlo Sandblow...terrific sunset to warm your heart...watched from top of the huge sand dune...==================================================
...HERVEY BAY...parked right on the beach for 5 days,its more like a lake than sea but it is PACIFIC OCEAN,the bay is so large it creates very calm sea and no waves with plenty of food for HUMPBACK WHALES...over 3000 WHALES in this bay between June and November,give birth,then move on to ANTARCTICA......HERVEY BAY is where WHALES and DOLPHINS play...
...on our way to meet and greet WHALES and DOPLHINS in HERVEY BAY...
...our first glimpse of a baby WHALE...
...THIS giant weighing 45,000kg,15m long went right under our yacht and within 15 feet of us...it was an awe-inspiring moment...
...another giant swims under our boat cool as you like...all in all we saw total of 10 whales and few dolphins in 8 hours on the yacht...all of them were seen near touching distance as they cruise under the yacht or side of the yacht...they are all real show-offs...
...magnificient...
...whale with a injured tail...
...this one was the mother of all WHALES...huge but elegent and cruising like a real champion...had the most amazing massive body and tail...
...this had the most beautiful aero-dynamic tail and so gracefull...
...we saw total of 4 pods,one containing 4 huge whales,another two pods with two whales and another mother with a baby only 2 weeks old!
...rules are only 3 boats can be around any one pod of whales and each must be 300m away...but boats normally get between the path of swimming whales and thus pass very very close to the boats...some brushing the boats even for a free scratch!...
...this one went pass our yacht with free scratch...
...this is a 2 week old baby playing with her mother,baby is sitting on top of her mother and this baby was real acrobatic even at this age...at birth baby was 4 to 5m long... ANTARCTICA water provides whales with their richest food source...but it is too cold and harsh to have babies and hence they come to warmer waters of HERVEY BAY to have babies...baby grows very quickly as she feeds on mothers milk high on fat content(thick as yogurt, 40%fat)...baby drinks hundreds of litres daily...
...same baby showing off as mother watches from underneath...
...more acrobatics from the same baby...
...beautiful waters of HERVEY BAY as whale just glides past our yacht...
...first sign of a whale in the sea is to watch for ...BLOW...these whales have two lungs, each the size of a small car, and as they surface,they exhale water forcefully through two blowholes on top of their haed,the water is vaporised as it comes out at 200km an hour...and you can hear the noise miles away in a calm sea...
...real giant...
...two more glide pass our yacht,one of them with a blow...whales can remain under water for just over an hour before coming out for their next breath...
...two more playing around...
...this monster passed under our yacht within touching distance...it's against the law to touch this whales in fear of passing human virus to them...
...look at one of the eyes of this beauty...whales are naturally curious creatures and tolerance towards spectators and are real showman...makes you wonder who's actually watching whom!
...they look and are built like nuclear sub-marine...
...most magical view of the day...these two were just sublime......
...beautiful...
... Coffs Harbour...loads of wild dolphins spotted here with whales...
...this guy was well pleased to see us!..Kangaroo warming up in the sun... and no thats his tail!
...no ! this is not our new baby!...Koala bear holding ceremony...we had to give this one back...they refused to take Vedanta as a fair swap as we saw it!...
...Criky Mate!...Steve Irwin way ...THE crocodile hunter...this near his AUSTRALIA ZOO...BIG ZOO too!
...our home for 30 days as we drive 4000km from SYDNEY to CAIRNS to DAINTREE and back to CAIRNS...1997 model Toyota 2.4L engine,236,500 miles and it drives like new ...gods truth...
...having breakfast at COOLANGATTA by the river...
...slept like a baby here for 10 hours by the river only to find out from our neighbours the following morning that freshwater CROCODILES are seen in THIS river regularley...just as well he told us after a good nite sleep...we moved on fast from here to our next destination ...
...wild WALLABY... seen at BYRON BAY national park...the most eastrley point of mainland Australia...
...THE MOST EASTELRY point of MAINLAND AUSTRALIA near BYRON BAY ...we spotted two adult Humpback Whales just off the coast playing in the water...
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I have put on weight and gone dark , but my friends this aint ME ! its the local playing with his THINGY! DIDGERIDOO! near OPERA HOUSE
Yaah! thats me! Patel Hasselhoff from BAYWATCH! going for his surf board to save Pritti Anderson from eating too many Aussie Chocs! on Bondi Beach.
...spot us three surfing the BIG ONE if you can ,I am the one with bad back! Bondi beach
...thats me going for one more Toohey! I look a bit pale!..Bondi beach
Bondi beach Sydney,its an awsome beach for surfers and a barbie and few Tooheys!The sand is just brilliant golden kind of powder...you have to see it to believe it...Bondi beach is legendary and more than what we expected...amazing!
...me again with yet another different color surf board...
....BONDI BEACH in all its glory...dream destination....just cant describe the surrounding area...its wild...huge cliffs...great walks...golden sand...historical sites...crystal clear sea water...really clean...tanned Aussies...both Sheilas and Brucies of course...fabulous vege food...rain forests...caves...swimming pool on the beach with ocean water...whales and dolphins not too far...just beautiful! honest! come and see for yourself!
...view of SYDNEY from Sydney Tower...We were real pissed offffff on the top here(67th floor) because you can see everything except THE HARBOUR BRIDGE and OPERA HOUSE...and we paid 40 quid to get here! real Aussie con!
...Opera House and THE HARBOUR BRIDGE...we spent 6 days in SYDNEY ,3 days weather was good other three rain-rain-rain...
...as above from ferry...
...majestic HARBOUR BRIDGE...and very dominant and can be seen from all parts of SYDNEY...from far it looks restraint but not assertive...but up close IT IS ALL MIGHT...it soars to the sky and looks the heaviest thing on earth and it sure is...it has six millions rivets each big as apple...the arch alone weighs 30,000 tonnes! this is not a ordinary bridge...this is MOTHER of all bridges..this is a GREAT bridge day and night...
...Pritti and I liked the bridge more than Opera house and Vedanta the riverse(you have to allow that she is only 6...I mean 7...just...)
...you can walk up and down the bridge...
and many did ...we declined and thought some things are batter left un-climbed...climbing we thought would lose some of its magic...
...so pleasing to the eye...its a marvel and a true icon of a great city...
...equally majestic OPERA HOUSE...
...our favourite picture of SYDNEY...
...two icons in one picture and the bridge makes three...
...views from THE HARBOUR BRIDGE known as PYLON LOOKOUT...
...beautiful...
...as above...
...night view from THE ROCK...
...splenid...
...any city in the world would be proud of this icon on its land...
...we never got a clear sunny day in Sydney hence the pix are not bright as they should be...
...have bought new camera from Thailand so pix are much batter than pre Thailand...I wish my spellings were too! according to my teacher wife,my spellings are as good as 11 year old! back to school for me I think!
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G`day mates!
...arrived SYDNEY 6am on Wed 15th from BANGKOK after 9 hours flight..Quantas flight rather dull service... first impression ...Sydney is very much like UK in many ways for obvious reasons although locals are much nicer than back home...everyone seems so friendly and very helpful..alrite mate is the first thing they all say to you...saw our first ABORIGINE local playing DIDGERIDOO and it all looked and sounded great... he then started talking in real Austrlian accent to the tourist and then it kind of lost its magic and looked all fake ...strange...
...saw OPERA HOUSE and HARBOUR BRIDGE briefly at night time and both looked stunning today we are looking at CAMPERVANS to hire for 29 days from 20th August for our journey from SYDNEY to CAIRNS...
We were a bit sorry to leave ASIA as we had great 3 months there but now we are in AUSTRALIA its very excieting again and looking forward to seeing SYDNEY and beyond...was watching INDIAvENGLAND hilights in a bar last night and watching it with some AUSSIES in AUSTRALIA seemed perfect and surreal... with a pint of Toohey...great beer Toohey!
...by the way AUSTRALIA is not cheap...infact its very expensive...it seems our luck has runout with getting 3/4 star discounted accommodation with Wotif and Asiarooms...we are in SYDNEY for next 5 nights probably in our worst hostel ever... this is HOSTEL FROM HELL... cant wait to pickup that CAMPERVAN on 20th...its not that bad...oh yes it is...its called MATES PLACE...we are in a room with 6 beds mixed dormatory(bunk)...an Englishman and Japaneseman for company...both SNOREs like SNORERS FROM HELL...
AUSTRALIA 2...
SYDNEY!...one amazing city...has everthing and AUSSIES have thought of everything that you need for a perfect life and SYDNEY must be THE place to live and work...the blue sky,sea,beach,outdoor,watersports,sailing,great food,mountains,rivers,lakes,rainforests,diving,scuba and on and on...these and more are like on your door step and in your back garden...OPERA HOUSE and HARBOUR BRIDGE are THE ICON of SYDNEY and they are both real awesome day and night...seeing both from cruiser in Sydney Harbour litup at night with Sydney skyline in the background is THE MAGICAL sight...BONDI BEACH is also breathtaking and the cliff walk between BONDI and COOGEE is trully beautiful and wild...as I said before our hostel was from hell but city of SIDNEY we really
enjoyed...we had some great vege food at HARE KRISHNAs GOVINDA restaurant and it was 10 minutes walk from our hostel from hell...
...we left SYDNEY on AUGUST 20th with our CAMPERVAN...it has a nice small kitchen,double and single bed,table,3 chairs and its real comfortable to drive and livein and we can eat home cooked foof for next 30 days...we are driving from SYDNEY to CAIRNS...3000km in 30 days ...and we have seen lots of KANGARROS in the wild and DOLPHINES too...
AUSTRALIA 3
...date 27th Aug...we are in NOOSA ...we have driven in campervan 1200km...weather is cool and some rain over the last few days but now its cool 24d...campervan travellin is THE only way to see this BIG country...stopping every night to stay at caravan park and sleeping in the caravan..its just magical to sleep and watch stars in what is just HUGE sky in this part of the world(yes...we have toilet and shower facilities at caravan parks...but we cook in the caravan under a night full of stars...its rather scarry sometimes but amazing...so far we have stayed the nights by lakes,beach,rivers and mountains...we have seen wild dolphins,dingos,kangaroos and WHALES!!!!!!!!!! watching these whales from coast is just out of this world and we are going to see them real up close in next few days on a whale watching cruise in HERVEY BAY...there are hundreds of HUMPBACK whales in and around where we are as they migrate here from Antarctica to have babies in HERVEY BAY (we will be in HERVEY BAY from 30th August) from June till November and from November they migrate back to Antarctica.We are watching these majestic whales from the coast lookout points,some are 15m long and 40 tonnes in weight,there are some 3000 Humpback Whales in this waters now and watching them is just awe-inspiring.
Also been walking in and around real TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS which are 60 million years old and it was just wild as you can imagine and to top it all while we were in there it was torrential rain like we never seen before and again it was scary and dark in there...
...on our way to meet and greet WHALES and DOPLHINS in HERVEY BAY...
...our first glimpse of a baby WHALE...
...THIS giant weighing 45,000kg,15m long went right under our yacht and within 15 feet of us...it was an awe-inspiring moment...
...another giant swims under our boat cool as you like...all in all we saw total of 10 whales and few dolphins in 8 hours on the yacht...all of them were seen near touching distance as they cruise under the yacht or side of the yacht...they are all real show-offs...
...magnificient...
...whale with a injured tail...
...this one was the mother of all WHALES...huge but elegent and cruising like a real champion...had the most amazing massive body and tail...
...this had the most beautiful aero-dynamic tail and so gracefull...
...we saw total of 4 pods,one containing 4 huge whales,another two pods with two whales and another mother with a baby only 2 weeks old!
...rules are only 3 boats can be around any one pod of whales and each must be 300m away...but boats normally get between the path of swimming whales and thus pass very very close to the boats...some brushing the boats even for a free scratch!...
...this one went pass our yacht with free scratch...
...this is a 2 week old baby playing with her mother,baby is sitting on top of her mother and this baby was real acrobatic even at this age...at birth baby was 4 to 5m long... ANTARCTICA water provides whales with their richest food source...but it is too cold and harsh to have babies and hence they come to warmer waters of HERVEY BAY to have babies...baby grows very quickly as she feeds on mothers milk high on fat content(thick as yogurt, 40%fat)...baby drinks hundreds of litres daily...
...same baby showing off as mother watches from underneath...
...more acrobatics from the same baby...
...beautiful waters of HERVEY BAY as whale just glides past our yacht...
...first sign of a whale in the sea is to watch for ...BLOW...these whales have two lungs, each the size of a small car, and as they surface,they exhale water forcefully through two blowholes on top of their haed,the water is vaporised as it comes out at 200km an hour...and you can hear the noise miles away in a calm sea...
...real giant...
...two more glide pass our yacht,one of them with a blow...whales can remain under water for just over an hour before coming out for their next breath...
...two more playing around...
...this monster passed under our yacht within touching distance...it's against the law to touch this whales in fear of passing human virus to them...
...look at one of the eyes of this beauty...whales are naturally curious creatures and tolerance towards spectators and are real showman...makes you wonder who's actually watching whom!
...they look and are built like nuclear sub-marine...
...most magical view of the day...these two were just sublime......
...beautiful...
...people watching whales or should it be the other way round...
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... Coffs Harbour...loads of wild dolphins spotted here with whales...
...this guy was well pleased to see us!..Kangaroo warming up in the sun... and no thats his tail!
...no ! this is not our new baby!...Koala bear holding ceremony...we had to give this one back...they refused to take Vedanta as a fair swap as we saw it!...
...Criky Mate!...Steve Irwin way ...THE crocodile hunter...this near his AUSTRALIA ZOO...BIG ZOO too!
...our home for 30 days as we drive 4000km from SYDNEY to CAIRNS to DAINTREE and back to CAIRNS...1997 model Toyota 2.4L engine,236,500 miles and it drives like new ...gods truth...has fridge, gas cookers,2 tables,3 chairs,2 double beds,sink(P says she is mostly tied to it...not true I say),1 case of Tooheys,half a case xxxx,3 bottles of VB,3L carton of Hardys Cabernet red and so on ...and a small bottle of water! its great having home cooked food for a change...supermarket here sell all Indian stuff including nans and rotis! and all masalas!
...having breakfast at COOLANGATTA by the river...
...slept like a baby here for 10 hours by the river only to find out from our neighbours the following morning that freshwater CROCODILES are seen in THIS river regularley...just as well he told us after a good nite sleep...we moved on fast from here to our next destination ...
...wild WALLABY... seen at BYRON BAY national park...the most eastrley point of mainland Australia...
...THE MOST EASTELRY point of MAINLAND AUSTRALIA near BYRON BAY ...we spotted two adult Humpback Whales just off the coast playing in the water...================================================================
I have put on weight and gone dark , but my friends this aint ME ! its the local playing with his THINGY! DIDGERIDOO! near OPERA HOUSE
Yaah! thats me! Patel Hasselhoff from BAYWATCH! going for his surf board to save Pritti Anderson from eating too many Aussie Chocs! on Bondi Beach.
...spot us three surfing the BIG ONE if you can ,I am the one with bad back! Bondi beach
...thats me going for one more Toohey! I look a bit pale!..Bondi beach
Bondi beach Sydney,its an awsome beach for surfers and a barbie and few Tooheys!The sand is just brilliant golden kind of powder...you have to see it to believe it...Bondi beach is legendary and more than what we expected...amazing!
...me again with yet another different color surf board...
....BONDI BEACH in all its glory...dream destination....just cant describe the surrounding area...its wild...huge cliffs...great walks...golden sand...historical sites...crystal clear sea water...really clean...tanned Aussies...both Sheilas and Brucies of course...fabulous vege food...rain forests...caves...swimming pool on the beach with ocean water...whales and dolphins not too far...just beautiful! honest! come and see for yourself!
...view of SYDNEY from Sydney Tower...We were real pissed offffff on the top here(67th floor) because you can see everything except THE HARBOUR BRIDGE and OPERA HOUSE...and we paid 40 quid to get here! real Aussie con!
...Opera House and THE HARBOUR BRIDGE...we spent 6 days in SYDNEY ,3 days weather was good other three rain-rain-rain...
...as above from ferry...
...majestic HARBOUR BRIDGE...and very dominant and can be seen from all parts of SYDNEY...from far it looks restraint but not assertive...but up close IT IS ALL MIGHT...it soars to the sky and looks the heaviest thing on earth and it sure is...it has six millions rivets each big as apple...the arch alone weighs 30,000 tonnes! this is not a ordinary bridge...this is MOTHER of all bridges..this is a GREAT bridge day and night...
...Pritti and I liked the bridge more than Opera house and Vedanta the riverse(you have to allow that she is only 6...I mean 7...just...)
...you can walk up and down the bridge...and many did ...we declined and thought some things are batter left un-climbed...climbing we thought would lose some of its magic...
...so pleasing to the eye...its a marvel and a true icon of a great city...
...equally majestic OPERA HOUSE...
...our favourite picture of SYDNEY......two icons in one picture and the bridge makes three...
...views from THE HARBOUR BRIDGE known as PYLON LOOKOUT......beautiful...
...as above...
...night view from THE ROCK...
...splenid......any city in the world would be proud of this icon on its land...
...we never got a clear sunny day in Sydney hence the pix are not bright as they should be......have bought new camera from Thailand so pix are much batter than pre Thailand...I wish my spellings were too! according to my teacher wife,my spellings are as good as 11 year old! back to school for me I think!
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G`day mates!
...arrived SYDNEY 6am on Wed 15th from BANGKOK after 9 hours flight..Quantas flight rather dull service... first impression ...Sydney is very much like UK in many ways for obvious reasons although locals are much nicer than back home...everyone seems so friendly and very helpful..alrite mate is the first thing they all say to you...saw our first ABORIGINE local playing DIDGERIDOO and it all looked and sounded great... he then started talking in real Austrlian accent to the tourist and then it kind of lost its magic and looked all fake ...strange...
...saw OPERA HOUSE and HARBOUR BRIDGE briefly at night time and both looked stunning today we are looking at CAMPERVANS to hire for 29 days from 20th August for our journey from SYDNEY to CAIRNS...
We were a bit sorry to leave ASIA as we had great 3 months there but now we are in AUSTRALIA its very excieting again and looking forward to seeing SYDNEY and beyond...was watching INDIAvENGLAND hilights in a bar last night and watching it with some AUSSIES in AUSTRALIA seemed perfect and surreal... with a pint of Toohey...great beer Toohey!
...by the way AUSTRALIA is not cheap...infact its very expensive...it seems our luck has runout with getting 3/4 star discounted accommodation with Wotif and Asiarooms...we are in SYDNEY for next 5 nights probably in our worst hostel ever... this is HOSTEL FROM HELL... cant wait to pickup that CAMPERVAN on 20th...its not that bad...oh yes it is...its called MATES PLACE...we are in a room with 6 beds mixed dormatory(bunk)...an Englishman and Japaneseman for company...both SNOREs like SNORERS FROM HELL...
AUSTRALIA 2...
SYDNEY!...one amazing city...has everthing and AUSSIES have thought of everything that you need for a perfect life and SYDNEY must be THE place to live and work...the blue sky,sea,beach,outdoor,watersports,sailing,great food,mountains,rivers,lakes,rainforests,diving,scuba and on and on...these and more are like on your door step and in your back garden...OPERA HOUSE and HARBOUR BRIDGE are THE ICON of SYDNEY and they are both real awesome day and night...seeing both from cruiser in Sydney Harbour litup at night with Sydney skyline in the background is THE MAGICAL sight...BONDI BEACH is also breathtaking and the cliff walk between BONDI and COOGEE is trully beautiful and wild...as I said before our hostel was from hell but city of SIDNEY we really
enjoyed...we had some great vege food at HARE KRISHNAs GOVINDA restaurant and it was 10 minutes walk from our hostel from hell...
...we left SYDNEY on AUGUST 20th with our CAMPERVAN...it has a nice small kitchen,double and single bed,table,3 chairs and its real comfortable to drive and livein and we can eat home cooked foof for next 30 days...we are driving from SYDNEY to CAIRNS...3000km in 30 days ...and we have seen lots of KANGARROS in the wild and DOLPHINES too...
AUSTRALIA 3
...date 27th Aug...we are in NOOSA ...we have driven in campervan 1200km...weather is cool and some rain over the last few days but now its cool 24d...campervan travellin is THE only way to see this BIG country...stopping every night to stay at caravan park and sleeping in the caravan..its just magical to sleep and watch stars in what is just HUGE sky in this part of the world(yes...we have toilet and shower facilities at caravan parks...but we cook in the caravan under a night full of stars...its rather scarry sometimes but amazing...so far we have stayed the nights by lakes,beach,rivers and mountains...we have seen wild dolphins,dingos,kangaroos and WHALES!!!!!!!!!! watching these whales from coast is just out of this world and we are going to see them real up close in next few days on a whale watching cruise in HERVEY BAY...there are hundreds of HUMPBACK whales in and around where we are as they migrate here from Antarctica to have babies in HERVEY BAY (we will be in HERVEY BAY from 30th August) from June till November and from November they migrate back to Antarctica.We are watching these majestic whales from the coast lookout points,some are 15m long and 40 tonnes in weight,there are some 3000 Humpback Whales in this waters now and watching them is just awe-inspiring.
Also been walking in and around real TROPICAL RAIN FORESTS which are 60 million years old and it was just wild as you can imagine and to top it all while we were in there it was torrential rain like we never seen before and again it was scary and dark in there...
