Making our way home

Our last couple of days were spent getting to LA, and then hanging around the hotel because it was 100 degrees outside.

I was proud of myself negotiating the 5 lane freeways, and managing to get to our hotel without a GPS or map.  We didn't really see LA, feeling a bit tired from travel & not really wanting to negotiate the traffic.  We went out for a nice meal, we walked there from the hotel which was fine.  There were even other pedestrians around, as well as a homeless man with his possessions in a shopping trolley that he propelled via a scooter or skateboard device, so he whizzed up and down the pavement.  Ingenious.  The restaurant was Italian, and had football on the big screen, so we were well on the way to feeling nearly home.

After a 10 hour flight back with BA (not as good as Qantas, ie mean with the food & drink) we negotiated our way back to Norfolk.  It was lovely to see my parents again, and then to finally get home, especially as it was a hotter day than we'd experienced properly for weeks!  The garden is overgrown but not uncontrollably so, and we're settling down for a day of pottering, after 8 weeks of indulgence.  I can certainly recommend a long holiday for getting away from every day stuff, and from the awful government we've got now.  But back to reality, and catching up with friends, hooray!

Hearst castle

Hearst castle is an example of more money than sense, which Bill Bryson writes about in his 'At Home' which I'm currently reading.  Hearst went round the auction houses buying up Spanish chapel ceilings, Italian monastery interiors, Flemish wall tapestries etc There are 20,000 historic items in there apparently. 

I was more interested in the acorn woodpeckers in the palm trees outside, but we had a tour to see the swimming pools (exterior & interior), one guest cottage, the dining room and I can't remember what else.  In his dining room he had an Irish mace in pride of place, and flags from the Italian Palio race.  Quite bizarre.






The place was given to the state by the Hearst family, but the state sensibly said it would only retain it if it paid for itself.  And with 4 different tours running hourly, it makes a small profit.  I'm pleased to have seen it, especially as earlier in the year when visiting pubs with Hugh & Angela we'd been past St Donat's Castle, which Hearst bought for a mistress.  Bill Bryson relates that when he told his wife the castle was Norman, she asked Norman who, boom boom.

We left San Simeon to go onto our B&B,  where at breakfast we met a lovely American couple who honeymooned in Cromer last March! (Meant to go to London, but it was booked so got Cromer instead, enjoyed the pubs & Felbrigg Hall amongst other things).  As we went to Ireland for our honeymoon, and did similar things, it sounded good.

Monterey bay

We wanted to explore Monterey, so drove there on our way back to highway one.  It was foggy of course, but had more charm than we'd seen in Pacific Grove.  To my delight we spotted sea otters, lounging in the kelp offshore.  There were lots of sea birds - I'm going to have to check them out - and some delightful harbour seals as well.

There were good information posts about the fishing history.  The sardine industry peaked in about 1942, then collapsed in 1948.  By that time, they'd had so much fish they were grinding it up for fertiliser & animal food.  Leon read that it's believed the collapse was part of a natural cycle, and not over fishing. Yeah, right.


After a relaxing time strollig around Cannery Row we came back to find a parking ticket.  We hadn't noticed that the kerb was painted in a faded red, we were supposedly blocking a pedestrian access, even though the whole area was accessible.  I don't think we'll be able to stay & appeal in court though.

Onto the Big Sur.  This is an area with cliffs, crashing waves, and viewpoints.  It was foggy in some places, but that ended up being quite atmospheric, and we did enjoy seeing the sea.  It was a slow progress, but we made it to Hearst Castle at San Simeon by 3, in time for a guided tour.

Big Sur & highway one

After wasting Monday morning at the Alamo car rental depot waiting for our car, along with about 50 other people, we set off later than expected out of San Francisco.  Found our way fairly easily onto Highway one, the Pacific highway which hugs the coast & gives amazing views of waves crashing etc.  Or at least it does when there isn't fog.  I believe this has been a particularly bad summer, it's been disappointing as we hoped for a bit of sun after the southern hemisphere winter.  We did get some glimpses, and some good views.  As designated driver, because Leon has developed a phobia of driving,  I didn't see as much, but it was still good.  We'd expected a narrow road with hairpin bends, but in fact it's wide & the bends are mostly reasonable, so although it was a slow drive, it wasn't too hard.  Monday evening we made our way through Monterey to Pacific Grove where we were staying in Sea Breeze Lodge - a 'cottage' that turned out to be a motel room that smelt very strange, but seemed clean enough if not very attractive.  A restaurant called Passionfish had been recommended to us by Clint Eastwood's golfing partner, so we went there. Before our table was ready, we went down to the seafront for a drink.  Walking through Pacific Grove (there were other people walking, jogging, exercising dogs so it didn't feel as weird as we'd expected) I heard a strange buzzing.  Looked up, and there were hummingbirds, feeding off blossom.  What a treat, they're just about my favourite bird.   The meal at Passionfish was delicious, so we rounded off our day feeling good.

Hello, San Francisco

I came to San Francisco on the way back from Australia 20 years ago.  It was November, cold, wet, we were hard up & it all seemed a bit scary.  Now both the city and me have changed, and for the better.  We're staying in a lovely hotel Inn@Union Square We've got a suite with a comfy sitting area, 2 flat screen tvs. bath robes!  The breakfast is continental, and is served in a lobby,  which is just outside our room so we can fetch the pastries & coffee & eat in our room.  The staff are very friendly and helpful, I think it's one of the best hotels I've ever stayed in.

We were a bit jetlagged after the flight.  Had a nice meal on Friday night at Rose's café to celebrate my birthday.

 Then yesterday got up quite late, had a leisurely morning and then walked to Fisherman's Wharf.  On the way found some good gift shops, and the bookshop frequented by Ginsberg & Kerouac - it had a section called 'Muckraking'.  American book prices seem very reasonable so I may have another excuse to buy things.

The wharf was packed with tourists, and apart from nice views of the bay wasn't that interesting. We got the F line along the piers to Embarcadero - managed to get a seat so didn't have to wobble around like those standing.








We then did some browsing - Macy's, Ghirardelli chocolate shop, Merrell outdoor clothing where Leon bought a very nice new jacket.

In the evening we went to a cocktail bar in the neighbourhood of Tenderloin (also known as Tender Nob much to our amusement cos it's near Nob hill) Had excellent cocktails - Basil Gimlet with gin, very refreshing. 


Although there are a lot of beggars, it feels an unthreatening place.  Lots of buskers, and just a lovely vibe.

Up north

North of Auckland are the remaining kauri forests. These incredible trees can last for 100s of years, and are massive.  So most of them were cut down for shipping and furniture in the late !9th century.  A few patches were kept, and we saw the oldest in NZ -  with a girth of about 13.8m it’s estimated to be between 1200 and 2000 years old.  We preferred the Trounson Kauri park, a boardwalk through another area of kauri which though smaller was more atmospheric.  We returned for a guided night walk on a chilly, starry night with Herb from the caravan park, and a German family.  We hoped to see a kiwi, but first saw an eel which he’s been feeding for about 8 years.  There were some glowworms, and the cave weka which is a bit like a very long-legged grasshopper and can jump up to 2m high.  Not sure why.  In the water we also saw native crayfish and the kokopu fish.  At the end of the walk we saw the rear end of a creature disappearing into the bush.  It did look like a kiwi bustle, but then again it could have been the rounded end of a possum, we didn’t find it again to be sure.

Matakana cinema

The cinema at Matakana has been open for a year and a half.  It’s housed in a large wooden building which doesn’t look at all like a cinema.  The foyer had artistic brightly coloured rugs, comfy sofas and a fireplace with (I think) a gas flame fire.  The biggest surprise was when we went into the Paradiso screen.  It was a larger screen than we expected, and the ceiling was covered in what looked like orange and yellow paper roses.  Around the edge of the ceiling and on top of speakers were imiation birds - tui and fantail.  It made for an amazing setting.  We sat at the back in very comfortable large seats, and enjoyed the second in the Millennium series of Stieg Larsen.

Wining

Another day, another rain storm. It was a beautiful clear sky when we woke up this morning. However as has been the way, rain clouds moved in, and we took to the road again.  We headed up past Auckland to the final area of our Kiwi exploration, the Northland.  We identified a nice sounding coastal area around Matakana, which had the bonus of being wine country. On arrival at Matakana we found a thriving little town, with a multiplex cinema, showing the Girl who played with Fire  early evening. So we made a plan - bit of culture, bit of luxury, then the big screen.  We went to a vineyard with a sculpture trail, had a good potter around there.  I particularly enjoyed a sound sculpture playing under a bridge which sounded quite spooky and evoked the Billy Goat Gruff story. We’ve got a recording on Flickr. Also a sculpture of plastic birds made to look like pirates. Sculptures are much easier to photograph than real birds.
We had our first wine tasting - one white, 2 red,  then a cheese and olive platter in the glass house looking out over a lake.  This was superb, the cheese was sublime, the olives some of the best I’ve ever tasted, and there were lovely touches such as quince paste and a dukkah to dip bread into.  God I’m such a foody snob! 

Then back to this amazing arty cinema where I’m writing this, sitting in the foyer which has a gas-powered real flame fire, arty seats and décor, and is incredible in a place the size of Stalham!  So incredible I shall write a separate post on it.

Birding in the rain

The woman in the craft shop had recommended bird watching, wild camping on the beach further up the coast, and fish and chips at Kaikoua.  Unfortunately it was then pouring.  So we made a mad dash across a rain-beaten marsh to a hide, and got soaked through.  There was a large flock of wrybills  as a reward.  They’re quite a rare NZ endemic, and are so-called for their wonky beaks.  After some atmospheric sea watching which brought Sheringham to mind, we dashed back to the van and got changed.  Given the weather and our wetness we decided to go for a campsite with hot showers and proper toilets rather than rough camping.  Miranda holiday resort had a heated mineral pool, so after hooking up I lounged in that.  We then picked up fish and chips for Leon, and ended a happy day skyping and reading, snug in our van.

Singing in the rain

We’ve travelled quite big distances in NZ, partly to see as much as possible, but also trying to find some better weather.  The bonus for us of rain is that because we haven’t brought waterproof leggings, we can’t really walk that far, so instead we potter around the shops, drink coffee and eat cake.  Which of course are among our favourite occupations.  So on Saturday morning when we woke up to rain instead of visiting Hot Water beach as planned, where at low tide you dig a hole in the sand to create your own spa pool on the beach, we set off back down the peninsula.   To pass the time I started singing, but I discovered that I don’t know the lyrics of many songs.  So when we get back we’re going to start learning all the words to Abba, Kate Bush and for more credibility the Jam. We got to a place called Thames, named by Captain Cook as the estuary resembled the Thames in his view.  This was a one street town, and on a Saturday had half day closing.  Fortunately a lovely NZ art/craft shop was open, allowing me to spend more money, as well as Sola café, a vegetarian place slightly reminiscent of the Treehouse in Norwich.   After a delicious lunch we bought some secondhand books and then set off to birdwatch at Miranda.

Cocoon

After our short visit to Napier, we headed back up the country, in the hope of some nicer weather.  On the way we stopped and had a walk at Lake Taupo.  Apparently it’s the skydiving capital of the world, with 30,000 a year.  You can also do kayaking, whitewater rafting, bungee jumping etc.  All the sorts of adrenalin sports that we hate!  In the summer it looks like it would be a beautiful area, but in winter it was a bit limited for us so we continued on to Tauranga.  The caravan park there was quite sweet, there seemed to be several old people living there, I met an old man wandering around in his slippers. People in campervans don’t usually have slippers, although that’s a sensible form of footwear.  Was Cocoon a film about lots of old people in a holiday camp, that's why I've given the post this title, must check.

Next day we woke to a cool but blue sky day.  After breakfast we set off around the bay up the east coast of the Coromandel peninsula.  We stopped off at Wentworth Falls for a 2 hour walk to the falls and back.  Very good path, no danger of getting lost.  Lots of tree ferns made it feel very wild.  We agreed that we’re not keen on waterfalls.  For me, it just seems a loud noise and rush of water, and there isn’t really variety.  Whereas the sea coming in and out has a rhythmic hypnotic quality.  And when we got to Hahei for the night, we had a pitch with a seaview, and could hear the sea all night, far nicer than a waterfall.

Art deco capital of the world

We came to Napier solely to see the Art Deco architecture.  After a serious earthquake in 1931 demolished most of the buildings, and also raised land out of the sea thus expanding the city footprint, the rebuilding was undertaken in an Art Deco style, partly for safety reasons, also for cost as it was the time of the great depression.  All the architects worked together, and some amazing features were created.  In the 1980s buildings in the shop centre were being pulled down and a trust was formed to lobby for conservation of the architecture, allied with promotion of the city as a tourist place of interest.  They’ve done a good job.  We went on a 2 hour walking tour run by the trust, and as it’s winter there was just the two of us.  Our guide, Matilda who moved here from Germany over 20 years ago, knew her history, and was a passionate promoter of the city.  It was fascinating to see the styles which we sometimes now associate with Hitler, and it was amazing to see a whole street of beautiful buildings.  Interestingly the NZ architects of the 30s introduced some Maori patterns into the Art Deco, which fitted in well with the Mayan, Aztec and Egyptian themes that were also used. Luckily the rain held off during the walking tour.  Later in the evening we came back to see the lights - the Tom Parker fountain glows red, green, orange and yellow, and was very pretty.

Napier seemed a curious mix.  There is an air of gentility from the beautiful buildings - even some of the manhole covers were decorative - but there is apparently a gang element and we saw several boy racers driving round with blaring stereos which was incongruous.  It’s quite isolated.  We drove for 2 hours from Taupo across the mountains without there being a petrol station and no real towns or villages along the way.  So it has that small town feel that you get in rural areas where there’s one centre of entertainment.  We were only there briefly, and I think it would look even better in sunshine, but it was still good.

Stinky place

Rotorua was quite wet when we arrived.  There was a strange smell around the campsite, initially quite offputting.  Then we realised it was the sulphurous fumes from the steam coming out of the ground.  We enjoyed several jokes about bad wind, I imagine the locals don’t find those funny any more.  The place is full of bubbling mud pits, and vents of steam coming out of the ground.  It reminded us of some primeval swamp, or Jurassic Park.  The fish don’t seem to mind swimming in warm water, apparently it’s a good area for trout.  Within Rotorua we visited the museum, which is in an old bath house which operated as a spa hotel for years.  It is very grand, and is being restored gradually by a trust.  There was a sounds exhibition on with all sorts of instruments to play with such as a theremin, air pipes, Indonesian gamelan.  A party of littlies arrived as we were starting a guided tour, and the guide couldn’t compete with their hoots, toots and bangs.

In the afternoon we went to Rainbow Springs.  It’s a bit like Pensthorpe, with birds in aviaries, and a conservation programme to help the kiwi.  I was very taken by the kiwi.  ‘Kiwi Encounter’ takes you through a hatchery, nursery and then into the pen area where the lighting is reversed to make day into night, and 3 kiwis should be foraging. Because they’re quite territorial they each have a separate pen.  The old lady kiwi, I think she’s about 30, was asleep next to the wall,and just looked like a big fluffy hedgehog.  One of the youngsters,  who I want to call Billy though I’m not sure if that was his name, was dashing around sticking his beak into the ground, and feeding from a dish.  Initially the trust had tried to provide natural food of beetles and worms etc but couldn’t keep up, so now a supplemental feed is made for them.  It includes juliennes of ox heart (their description), rolled oats, vegetables and fruit and Billy appreciated his bowl full.  Kiwis have nostrils at the end of their beak, and have to constantly snuffle to clear them of soil.  Again this makes them seem a bit like hedgehogs.  It was delightful to watch him - he could run very fast, and was a real character.  I think they’ve become my favourite bird now.

Bird paradise

I’d heard of Tiri Tiri Matangi from Stan who loves birds, and had said this is his favourite place.   I can see why.  We took the catamaran across the harbour on a windy Sunday morning.  The captain said it might get a bit sloppy - luckily we didn’t see our breakfasts again, but it was certainly bumpy.  There was a group of paddle surfers - very muscular tanned guys in wetsuits, who were going to paddle back to the harbour.  They were fortifying themselves with energy drinks, tinned rice pudding and more energy drinks.  Mind you, I think one felt seasick!

When we got to the island, they paddled off.  After our sea kayaking, I can’t imagine what there is to enjoy about standing up on a board paddling & presumably falling in lots of times, but they said they love it.

Anyway, the island is a sanctuary for flightless birds as all predators (rats, stoats, cats & dogs) have been removed.  You have to ensure your bag isn’t containing a rodent before stepping onshore.  We had a guided walk.  The volunteer has been involved for the 20 odd years it’s been running, and used to come out when you had to charter a fishing boat to get out, and sleep in a tent.  It was amazing.  The birds were everywhere, and when it rained she said the bellbirds make more noise, so we were lucky that it did!

One of the rarest is the takahe a large flightless swamp hen.  We saw these, they look a bit prehistoric really.  We didn’t see kiwis as they’re nocturnal, but we saw & heard Stitchbirds, bellbirds and saddlebacks which were all beautiful.  There is a also a prehistoric creature the tuatara there, but it’s nocturnal so again we didn’t see it.  The native plants and trees were amazing, it felt very ancient,although much was new, grown on the pasture that had been put there for grazing stock.  On the way back we saw some good seabirds as well, and it whetted my appetite for New Zealand birds.
 

Sydney

We arrived in Sydney early evening on a Saturday.  The room in our hotel wasn't ready which seemed a bit odd, but they gave us a complimentary drink so we didn't mind too much.  However after 20 mins it still wasn't ready.  So rather than get changed out of sweaty rainforest clothes, we went out into the bright lights to find something to eat.  We walked up to the Circular Quay area of Sydney.  Wow, that has changed.  There are loads more buildings, and I thought that the Opera House looked dwarfed in comparison.  I had mis-remembered the walk round to the Rocks area as a lively place at night - it seemed almost deserted. We found a nice little café run by a man on his own, and had a bargain foccacia & chips.  When we got back to the hotel they gave us vouchers for 2 breakfasts for having to wait,  and the breakfast turned out to be really good, so it was a fine compensation.

Kuranda 20 years on

After sea kayaking we spent a quiet few days near Kuranda in the Atherton tablelands. We stayed at Cassowary House, where there is a cassowary family that visits regularly, and so you get up close to these amazing birds. The male is on the nest at the moment so didn't see him, but the female visited one morning before breakfast, and we watched her at a distance of about 2m. If they feel threatened they can eviscerate you so we tried not to alarm it.

Kuranda was one of my favourite places when we visited 20 years ago. It's a village that hippies settled in, and it became famous for its markets. I bought one of my favourite T shirts there - a hand-designed rainforest image, with a little frog on it. I hoped to replace this which wore out a couple of years ago, but the merchandise has changed. Now most stuff is made in China, and there is very little original stuff. I did buy a pendant and ring from a German guy who's been there about 15 years. They look nicer in real life. It's quite weird cos it's a place that gets lots of day trippers from Cairns by the coach load so it get busy for the middle of the day and then very quiet. We found a nice café Village Vibe, the only place that had free wifi and had a relaxing lunch there. And didn't do much else really.

Sea kayaking - the return journey

After a picnic lunch we prepared to leave the island. We carted all the stuff down to the motor boat, loaded it, and finally set off in our kayaks. Aaron had told us that the journey back would be much easier and quicker. Not sure why he’d said this, as it seemed from the start more difficult to keep the boat in the right direction, there was much more wind and swell making the journey difficult. I never realised you could feel seasick in a kayak, but you can. Bet was on her own again, and really struggled. So about a 1/3 of the way, Aaron asked for a volunteer to swap with her. Even though we were really the least fit and experienced, Leon ended up volunteering. So we waited for Bet to catch up, then Leon had to get out of our kayak without capsizing me, then roll into the single kayak. He managed the first part, but not the second. He’s never rolled a kayak before, and Aaron was not good at explaining how to do it. He just kept saying ‘You’ve got to get in there mate, there’s no other way back’. Leon was getting very tired, and just couldn’t manage it. So Aaron impatiently tied up the kayak, and told him to climb aboard the back of the motor boat. Easier said than done. The boat was rocking with the swell, and there were no steps up, he’d just got to haul himself on. It took another 20 minutes for him to get onboard. We thought that he was then going to just ride back in that boat, but oh no. Aaron told him he’d got to get into the kayak by climbing over the side. He managed to do this, so was finally in the single kayak, which had a foot-controlled rudder for direction. We hadn’t got a rudder on our kayak, and had to do the opposite steering thing - paddle on the left side if you want to go right etc. So Leon exhausted and seasick was confused, and started to paddle off into the open sea. Aaron finally realised that it would have been better all along to have just towed the kayak. Yet again for some reason he didn’t do it the easy way, with Leon in the motor boat. Oh no, he towed the kayak with Leon still in it, and went so fast that Leon capsized. And Aaron wasn’t watching so didn’t see him fall in, and it was only his shouts for help that made Aaron (or Moron as I now think of him) stop. It was horrible, I couldn’t get close because Bet & I could hardly paddle our kayak. I imagined he’d somehow got mangled in the propeller and lost a leg, but things seemed to be OK, and Aaron just sped off towards the shore. The rest of us made our way back. It was tough, we were all very tired, and anxious about Leon. Carmen, who was travelling with her 8 year old son Jackson was paddling on her own effectively, and said that she’d just had to grit her teeth and keep pushing on - he felt sick, was crying, but fortunately went to sleep for much of the way.

The sun was blazing down, and made it hard to see the shore. Bet & I were exhausted and frustrated at the difficulty of steering, but just kept going knowing we could collapse when we made it to the beach.

Finally we were all back. We landed at one end of the beach, not knowing that Aaron would drive the kayak trailer to the other end. So we then had to haul the kayaks through the swell, and load them on. I didn’t help I’m afraid, I was exhausted and also had lost all good will toward Aaron, so as far as I was concerned his kayaks could stay on the beach.

It’s a shame the trip ended like this, we’d been enjoying the kayaking experience and were talking of doing a course. I don’t think Leon will be going near a sea kayak again for a while.

Sea kayaking part three

On arrival at the island Aaron had doled out the sleeping gear - thermarests, foam mats, and we each had a couple of sheets and a blanket. He didn’t bring tents, but put up a tarp for us to crowd under in the event of rain. We each chose a spot for our sleeping areas. Leon & I set up under a tree. There was a hole in the trunk, but I inspected with the torch and it didn’t seem to be inhabited, so we felt relatively safe. It’s a romantic notion to sleep under the stars, with the waves lapping the beach. Of course the reality is that my bones ached as soon as I lay down, the sound of the waves was almost like water torture, and the whining of the mosquitoes drove us under sheets in a vain effort not to be eaten alive.

It was a long night. We did get some sleep, but we both were relieved when morning came and we didn’t have to lie there any more.

And of course the reward was a spectacularly beautiful sunrise over a blue sea, puffs of marshmallow cloud cloaking the rainforest mountains on the mainland. It really was gorgeous, but we’ve got no photos because Aaron advised us not to bring a camera. Grrr.

We enjoyed the morning pottering around the beach again: there was a low tide so we were able to see creatures in the low reef just off the beach - octopus, sea slugs, hermit crabs. We kayaked over the reef and the water was clear which allowed us to see it. We also had our books to read, which relaxing in the hammock I did (although the hammock smelt a bit of pee, not sure why).

Sea kayaking part two

Snapper Island is so named as it looks like a croc’s head in the water. Fortunately no crocs have made it there, and there are no venomous snakes, spiders, creepy crawlies, so camping was not a problem. It’s part of the national park, and apparently owned by aborigines, and the access is only permitted on the small strip of beach that we were on, so there was little to explore when we arrived. Aaron had emphasised that we shouldn’t bring anything that wasn’t waterproof, so we had no camera, binoculars or even a watch. Just a book and a spare set of clothes. It was a shame not to have the bins because there was some bird life, but I couldn’t make it out with the naked eye, other than a beach stone-curlew pair, which were guarding one end of the beach. We felt that in fact as he brought the boat we could have brought the bins in one of the bags, but it was too late by then.

We pottered up and down the beach, watching the waves come in and out, in and out, in and out, It was mesmeric, but with our low boredom thresholds we were a bit restless. Not being snorkelers we weren’t really tempted into the sea, but we did explore the rocks and found crabs scuttling around.

We eked out our reading, and of course by 6.30 it was dark, so it was pretty much bedtime after a moonlit tea.

Sea kayaking part one

After a week of rain in Queensland, we were due to go out on a sea kayaking trip, paddling across to an island, spending the night there camping, then paddling back. We were treating this as an ordeal to be undertaken, likely to be wet, cold and difficult. So when we reached the beach on Monday morning, we were amazed to find the sea blue and still, and the sun blazing. Our guide for the 2 days was a rather laconic Aussie called Aaron. He seemed rather jaded, and although he knew what he was doing, his briefing on how to kayak was somewhat cursory.

We were 5 doubles and a single kayak, with Aaron in a motor boat going ahead to show us which direction to travel in. As Leon and I have never kayaked, and couldn’t really manage paddling a canoe along the river Ant at Wayford Bridge, we were apprehensive. However, luckily as the sea was calm, we got into a rhythm and found that we were enjoying it.

The single kayaker, Bet, was quite far behind. Aaron had told us to stay together as a group, so that if there were any problems he could reach all of us. He didn’t seem too worried about Bet though. And in fact when he checked in with her about ¾ of the way across, she was OK. We made it onto the island at about midday. Our inexperience led to an inelegant landing - as I was getting out Leon went to get out as well, so capsized us into the water. But it was beautifully warm and we soon dried out.

Along the boardwalk

Much of the time at Cape Trib we wandered along the excellent boardwalks that have been set up. This gave the opportunity to get in amongst the rainforest, rather than skirt around the edges. We didn’t see many birds as they tend to be hidden in the canopy, but we heard them. The distinctive call of the wompoo pigeon - wom poo, the rattle of the rifle bird and the occasional rumble of a brush-turkey.

The last walk at the Cape we did was Jindalba just south of Cow Bay. It was a wet day, and we’d spent a good hour in the Jambu café at the Daintree Coffee company enjoying coffee, lunch and some magazines. When the rain eased we thought we’d try the walk. There was a short boardwalk, or a longer ( only 2.7km, hardly the Pennine Way!) track. We went for the longer track. The Australians are very good at their route guides - they attach coloured tape to trees so it’s easy to make your way. And this path was also fairly easy to follow. It went up a slippery slope through the forest, and we felt quite intrepid as we made our way. About half way I stopped to scratch my leg, and discovered a leech. It clung on like a leech, but probably breaking bush etiquette I’d pulled it off before I realised what it was. Leon wanted me to leave it on for a photo, but I was feeling repulsed at the thought of it and wanted it off asap. It left a bite hole (well, a tiny spot that was bleeding) so he got a photo of that. The rest of the walk was uneventful, just wet & muddy but I felt like a true bush walker after my first leech.

Rainforest impressions

We spent over a week in the wet tropics, mainly at Cape Tribulation. This was named by James Cook as it offered a challenge when they arrived. And to be quite honest it’s still a challenging environment in which to live. At the exotic fruit farm where we stayed, it rained every day. In fact often we’d find that leaving the farm and going to the beach, the weather was clearer. But on the edge of the rainforest the clouds were low, and the humidity was so high the bedclothes, towels and general atmosphere never dried out. Kieran and Rosemary who were looking after the farm for 6 months while the owners were hiking the Appalachian way said that they’d been advised not to bother with leather sandals in the wet season, as they just go mouldy.

We found the dampness difficult, and couldn’t imagine what the wet season would be like. We managed to potter around boardwalks, and didn’t get wet too much, but the humidity made for an oppressive atmosphere, and although impressed by the beauty of the vegetation, we weren’t seized by a desire to up sticks and move to the jungle.

However I was mesmerised by the sounds of the forest - frogs, insects, birds & bats throughout the night. I loved it.

Bush camping the easy way

We stayed for 2 nights at the bush camp near Murdjuddil. It was very comfortable - sprung mattresses, stand-up tents which were mozzy-proof, flushing toilets, hot showers, and catering by Gerry. On the edge of a billabong inhabited by a croc (luckily we didn't meet him) we were able to enjoy an under-the-stars experience in relative comfort. I did make the mistake of having exposed ankles (see picture taken a week later) and received a number of bites which drove me mad.



The sky was packed with stars and the night hummed with life. We did a nightwalk but didn't spot the croc's eyes in the water. However, we did learn how to find spiders - if you have a headtorch, when you look to the ground it picks out the glow of their eyes like twinkling diamonds, can't wait to try this at home.

We clocked up 100 species on this trip, I'll save the list for another post.

Murdudjurl

We met Sylvia, a member of the Murdudjurl community for our cultural tour. She showed us a digital slideshow of some of the ways of life of her clan. This included images of how to bake turtle, both long-necked and pig-nosed, and killing a snake by biting its head off. I asked if members of the community have ever not wanted to eat meat, but she said this was the case only for individuals adopted in white families. I guess if I'd been born in the unforgiving bush I'd be eating turtles rather than veggie burgers.

Sylvia spoke English pretty well, although it was her second language. She had a very gentle manner, and made us feel welcome. We wandered down to the river at the rear of the community and saw a croc basking in the sun. In the wet season they lost 6 of their dogs to crocs, as the water comes up so much closer and the dogs go too close to the edge.

Our final activity was to weave a bracelet. The clan collect fibres from I think the pandanus plant, then dye them with natural dyes. Using a central bunch of fibres, we then did a blanket stitch around them, pulling it as tight as possible for neatness. I managed to complete mine, but Leon got in a muddle and abandoned his. It was a nice way to round off the afternoon.

God's own country

After an excellent week in Vietnam, we arrived in Darwin, Australia at 04.30, with a 3 hour wait for a pick-up to Kakadu. We were just thinking of getting our binoculars out so the guide would recognise us when a typical Ozzie in safari shirt & shorts approached us, it was Gerry our guide for the next 3 days.

Bird watching started in the airport car park where we clocked blue-faced honeyeater & black-faced cuckoo-shrike. We then made our way to Fogg Dam which is a water area created from a failed rice growing project. Some of the water birds there were familiar such as egrets. There were also some new ones for us such as comb-crested Jacana, or Jesus bird, which appears to walk on water. We wended our way in the heat up to the Kakadu national park, gathering ticks as we went. No not the biting kind. This was a catered trip - Gerry as well as driving and guiding was our chef and rustled up a delicious lunch under a shady tree. First major stop was for a cultural visit to an aboriginal community, near to the camp where we would be based.

Life in the Mekong

We only spent 3 days in the Mekong area, so this is not an expert view, it's just impressions from our trip. We cycled past the homes of the riverbank residents, usually a single-storey structure one room wide, perhaps 2 deep. The front part generally has a tiled terrace that is opened up during the day, giving a full view of the front room. There are power lines dangling along the river, and almost all the permanent homes we saw had power, which kept a tv going for films and what seemed to be soap operas. Some homes had large dark furniture, which seemed to take up a lot of space in such a small footprint. Nothing is wasted - rice sacks might serve to catch water, or tv packaging to patch the roof. There were often children playing in the homes as it was school holidays. They often called out 'hello' to us, and exploded in giggles when we replied or waved back.

We saw very little destitution - a small number of people living under tarpaulins in one place, and it's hard to quantify what constitutes poverty here. People are working very hard, for little reward, but also relax in the hammocks, play cards or chat more than in the West perhaps. It's partly the heat, people are up very early, so by 11 it's time for a well-deserved break.

For us the noise seemed overwhelming - not just machinery, it's the tvs and radios that are at full volume much of the time. I think our neighbours would have something to say if we got ito those habits!

Different attitudes to animals

As an animal lover, it is sometimes difficult to understand different cultures, where animals are clearly not always viewed as sentient creatures. At a market we saw live fish, crabs and water snakes as well as skinned frogs ready for the pot. We were looking at a cage of rats when the seller retrieved one which he smacked briskly on the ground and handed to a customer for some protein I presume. Our guide said that the rats were caught when the rice was harvested, similar to the UK, when grass is mown in a circle and rabbits end up in the centre of the field. I suppose they hadn't had a bad life, it just feels utilitarian to me.

Café society

Vietnam is the 2nd biggest producer of coffee after Brazil apparently. And everywhere there are cafés, varying in their offerings and surroundings. Most Vietnamese drink iced coffee - a very strong brew is filtered into a cup, then shaken up with condensed milk and ice to produce a long drink. We avoided the ice, so had the brew on its own, which is potent. More to my liking was the Lipton hot tea we found. It tasted nicer in the countryside than Saigon, presumably due to the water though I'm not sure why. We also had jasmine tea which was delicious, and a cold drink - green tea with lemon flavour, very sugary but delicious.

People seem to be eating or drinking all the time in Vietnam, which contributed to a relaxed ambience even in the chaos of Saigon traffic.

Cycling in Mekong

We spent 3 days cycling along side the creeks & inlets of the Mekong delta, on a tour arranged by Innoviet. It was a wonderful trip. Most of the tracks are concrete, although we did go along some muddy & potholed paths which were a bit uncomfortable. We were passing people's houses, and they were often quite intrigued by these strange Westerners who choose to holiday on a bike rather than on a beach. The way of life was a gentle but hard-working pace - farming at a subsistence level. We saw incredible diversity of crops; rice in one area, peanuts, dragon fruit, pineapples, coconuts elsewhere. Rice is the staple for many. We saw it at all stages, first green shoots, golden ready for harvest, threshing the hand-cut plants, drying out on the road, and then at a processing factory. As well as boiled rice, it's processed to make rice papers for spring rolls, and of course rice wine. The husks are either burnt as a fertiliser, or go as pig feed. After the rice has been harvested, ducks were put into the field to feed up on the spilt grains. Nothing is wasted, and I shall think back to the fields of the Mekong next time I have some sticky rice.

Go funky moped

It's interesting what ideas you pick up when you're on holiday. From Vietnam we've taken away the idea of getting a moped. They are so versatile - you can carry most things on them; for example 5 sacks of rice, 3 small children, or a stepladder. More unusually you can pull bamboo canes along behind you, or transport your wares such as feather dusters. Probably the most unusual cargo we've seen was a dead pig (not a piglet note), slung across someone's lap.

Honda is the recommended make here, and they just buzz around and look incredibly useful. The weather probably helps, but it is rainy season, so people are having to deal with downpours - just stick on a plastic cape and you're away.

So when we get back, don't be surprised if we're off to the Caister mod weekends.