Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Australia. Show all posts

Wednesday, June 4, 2008

Australian Adventure: Great Barrier Reef, Lake Tinaroo, Undara, Cania Gorge

Day 10 - Cairns - Green Island - Great Barrier Reef

Today we visited the reef by way of a full day Big Cat to Green Island ($190) with lunch. Traveling with 2 small kids still learning to swim, this tour option gave us a beach based snorkeling opportunity with shops and toilets nearby. Also the weather today was degrading with increased wind and surf due to an impending storm expected for the weekend.


The kids quickly overcame fears of swimming and breathing through a snorkel. The kids with flotation vests tandem swam with Lori and I off the beech a hundred yards to view the close in coral formations.

Beach Club lounge hire (includes kids pail and toys) was $22 for 2 chairs with an umbrella. This seemed a bit steep but gave us some refuge from the sun and sea. When the kids were done swimming, they played with the toys while we took turns venturing into deeper water for somewhat better coral viewing.

Most of the interesting photos are on the underwater camera. We'll have to pick the best and post them later. I'm not an expert of tropical fish species, but I'm guessing that I saw Spotted and Striped Trigger fish, large Parrot fish, Yellow Tang, Butterfly fish, some little electric blue and bright green fellas, , clams, a variety of hard and soft corals, and a zerba stiped fish that came right up to my mask to have a closer look.

The day's finale was the daily boat feeding of some meter long Batfish and Giant Trevally fish.

Recommendations:

The reef accessible from the beach is in very poor condition from overuse. There were enough tropical fish and corals to keep the kids entertained, but for the serious snorkel or dive experiences I could not recommend this option. I would probably opt for a smaller boat on an all day outing that visited several spots. We noted that "Calypso" was one such option.

If you do take the Big Cat out, the on board BBQ for $10 pp included was the best value. Island meals may be a bit fancier, but expect twice the cost.

While the Great Barrier Reef is nearest to the mainland near Cairns (about 10 km), the consensus was that the best of the reef is reached out of the Whitsunday Islands about 40 km from shore.

Wear a swim shirt and use sun block lotion. Its hot out there!

Day 11 - Cairns - Lake Tinaroo - Undara

Out of Cairns, we headed westerly over the Gillies Highway to the Atherton Tablelands. This road was built on an Aboriginal walking track and orginally had some 612 bends in 20 km. It has since been straightened to 260 bends. Hold on for the ride.

Off the highway we drove Danbulla Forest Drive around Lake Tinaroo stopping for short walks to Heales Lookout, Cathederal Fig Tree, Mondo Crater Lake, and the Lake Tinaroo spillway.
Giant Termite Mounds 4 to 5 ft tall dotted the landscape. The tall mounds provide a natural sort of air conditioning for the nest, drawing cooler air from underground and venting through the upper sections.

On reaching Undara, we found our booking had been thoroughly confused by Cairns. Ah well - nevermind. We got it all straight and booked in for 1 night in the Wilderness Lodge and 1 night in the family swag (tent). We also booked in 2 adults and 2 kids for the 1/2 day Lava Tube tour ($222) and Sunset Tour ($114).

Recomendations:

Seek out a guide book "Atherton Tableland - Over 150 Attractions, Places and Activities" ($6.50). It was an invaluable source of information for this area.

Day 12 - Undara - Lava Tubes

This system of lava tubes are not unique to Undara, but Undara does provide one of the world's best examples of this phenonom and were key to unlocking mysteries of on the moon. The Undara lava tubes extend over 160 km and some 69 sections are still complete. The collapsed roof sections provide shelter from the unrelenting sun and microclimate forest and lush grown spring up within their confines.


Of course getting ready for this kind of adventure requires a hearty bush brekkie. Nic is toasting his bread over the camp fire while the billy boiled on other other fire. You had to mind your plate lest the ever present ravens and kookaburras make off with your meats.

The 1/2 day tour also took to some rock bluff providing an excellent vantage point overlooking the 100 mile swamp.

The swamp looked pretty dry from where we were, but under a crust of only 6 to 8 inches is water or mud.Our top gun tour guide, Steve, was very knowledgable in the history, geology, flora and fauna of the area. He also showed great humor with kids despite Nic pestering him with 10,000 questions. Thanks again Steve.


We learned how to locate water in the dry outback by choosing which kind of tree to dig near. We learned the difference between the male and female wallaroo by examining only the skull

Day 13 - Undara - Charters Towers - Belyando Crossing

We got a photo of the family swag before we left. The tent is off the ground and includes electric lighting, a sink (cold water only) and fridge. This one had a bunk bed, a single, and a double bed and a kitchen table and 4 chairs.

The amenities block was just 50 meters away. Last night was much more conformable than the first night in the 'Wilderness Lodge' for the same price. Of course you may opt for the first class accommodation in the old rail carriages.

Today was a driving day and we covered a lot of km through the back country on mostly a 1 line national highway. We passed many road trains, some 3 and 4 trailers long.

A late lunch was found at Charters Towers. We learned that this was Queensland's second city and was the only non-capital city to host a stock exchange. The town at the center of numerous mining operations was home to the countries top mining school. Today Charters Towers has numerous boarding schools for young Australians of the surrounding stations and farms.

As dusk enveloped us and the early evening became the dark of night, we sighted numerous kangaroos, cattle, a possum, a rabbit, several wallabies, and a feral bush pig all on or near the road. Driving after dark is NOT RECOMMENDED.

Recommendation:

Having stayed in both the Wilderness Lodge and the Swag Tent Village, we strongly recommend the Swag Tent Village as your preferred option.


Day 14 - Belyando Crossing - Sapphire - Cania Gorge

Following a great breakfast at Belyando Crossing, it was not too far to the towns of Rubyvale, Sapphire and Emerald.

We stopped at Pat's Gems and did some real fossicking with the kids out back. Lori, being the mark of efficiency, did her fossicking in the shop.

Pat's was recommended to us as you can sift through first cut diggings to find your prize - no 'seeded' gravel or trailings here. The cost is $6 for 1 bucket or about $25 for 6 buckets of dirt. The kids actually found some very small blue, yellow and green sapphire fragments.

It takes a fairly large rough stone for gem quality as about 2/3 of it is cleaved to to produce the final product. Anything less than about 5 mm is too small to produce a useful gem.

The rest of the day was driving, arriving at Cania Gorge about 8 pm. As dusk grew into dark our road speed reduced from 100 kph to about 50 kph. Again, driving the back roads at night is NOT RECOMMENDED

Day 15 - Cania Gorge


Cania Gorge was a beautiful place to stay. The national park is just adjacent to the caravan park, there is a lake for fishing (canoe and dinghy rental from the caravan park).

The park offers numerous bush walks on marked trails ranging from 1.2 km to about 6 km return. We explored Two Story Cave, Bloodwood Cave, and Dragon Cave.

The highlight of the afternoon was the daily bird feeding. The lorikeets started gathering up to 2 hours before the appointed time, joined by kookaburras, king parrots, spinifex pidgeons, and apostle birds.

The lorikeets (over 200 of them) were offered a sweet mash of honey and something (bread or oatmeal). The ensuing roar of squawking would wake the dead. Next on offer were some meats for the kookaburras who patiently lined on up the pole. Finally split corn, sunflower seeds and other seeds were on offer for the stunning but gentle green and orange king parrots.

Day 16 - Cania Gorge - Forest Glen

Lori got up and out early today, hot coffee in hand and down to the pool in the river where the platypus are known to live. Sadly, no luck in spotting these shy critters today so here's the camp social wallaby instead.

We say good-bye to this beautiful national park today. We could have easily stayed another night or two. If you missed the link to the Cania Gorge National Park info sheet - here it is again.

Today's Internet stop was in Monto at the town IT Center next to the police station - best public Internet facilities we've seen. Breakfast was at the "Lounge Lizard Cafe", next to "The Best Little Hairhouse in Monto".

We decided to close our holiday with another scrumptious dinner at Verandahs at the Forest Glen Caravan Park. This was by far the finest restaurant of any of the parks we stayed.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

Australian Adventure: Brisbane, Bundaberg, Rockhampton, Cairns, Kuranda, Green Island

DAY 1 - Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast

After arriving in Brisbane, we collected our Thrifty Mitsubishi Pajero (Montero) and headed some 30 minutes south to the fridge hire place - Camping Hire Australia. The onboard fridge is brilliant to keep milk, cheese and meats cold for breakfast between stops and roadside or park lunch stops.

With the fridge in place we could really start our adventure, heading north via the Bruce Hwy to Forest Glen in the Sunshine Coast.

Dinner at the park resturant - Verandahs - was terrific. The Barramundi dish was flavorful and artistically presented. The vegetarian Thai Tofu with Green Curry was supurb as well.


DAY 2 - Sunshine Coast to Bundaberg via Noosa


First stop was a kids activity. Nostalgia Town seemed to fit the bill for fun featuring a ride in Albert's Time Machine, the Enchanted Railway and a round of mini golf in a graveyard.

We visited Noosa for lunch and a few groceries. We also found the Koala Resort has an Internet Cafe where we caught up on some e-mails

After lunch we settled in for the bulk of the day's drive to Bundaburg. Bundaberg is famous for it's brewed Ginger Beer soft drink and of course Bundaburg Rum.

Dinner at the local RSL was functional and very economical, feeding a family of 4 for about A$35.


Day 3 - Bundaberg, Rockhampton, MacKay

At a roadhouse stop we met Ken and Helen Harris on their way to the Brisbane to Gold Coast rally. They'll be joined by rallyists from other capital cities around Australia to support the Variety Club benefits for the needs of underprivileged and handicapped children. We wish Ken and Helen good luck and safe rallying.

Tropical Caravan Park is about 5km south of MacKay on the highway. Our cabin was in the back so the highway noise did not pose a probem.

The cabin at Tropical needed some airing out of musty odors when we got there. The park is recently under new ownership and is recovering from being severely run down.

Day 4 - MacKay to Townsville

We found this little cafe on the beachfront at Horseshoe Cove just outside of Bowen. After lunch we enjoyed a short bushwalk to a lookout.

Saturday night at the caravan park we were treated to an Aussie BBQ and fed the family for $6, listened to some local entertainment, and enjoyed a fireworks display.


DAY 5 - Townsville - Magnetic Island


To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised at how clean and modern Townsville was. The historic high streets were alive with cafes nicely decorated in a quaint way that belies the modern sea port just a few km away.

We took the Magnetic Island ferry ($47 for a family of 4) across the straight for a quick 20 minute crossing. We'd decided to hire the Mini Moke rather than use the bus service.

For those of you who know me, the Moke was a tight fit. Getting the little buggy into reverse required some unnatural contortions. The island speed limit is 60 km/hr but 40 km/hr suited us as the use of 4th gear was limited by the ergonomics of a vehicle designed for those with a lesser stature. The speedo max indication of 140 km/hr was ambitious we thought.

We found a short bush walk before lunch and found some interesting little lizards with orange heads. We were also fortunate to observe a wild bush turkey foraging on the hillside, an eagle riding the air currents over the beach, little swimmer crabs buried in the sand, lorikeets chattering in the trees and guinnea fowl foraging in a field. Our lunch stop found us at a pub on Horseshoe Bay followed by a kids swim in the balmy shallow waters with a gentle lapping surf. Our selection of holiday in August was well chosen as there was no danger of the stinging jellyfish normally active from November to May.

Back at the camp the kids went on a successful frog hunt - two green rainforest tree frogs were discovered. On returning to the cabin we had a special treat - 2 geckos standing guard over our door hunting fat juicy moths and mozzies.


Day 6 - Townsville - Cairns

Today was a traveling day. We made the 4 hour trek from Townsville to Cairns along the Bruce Hwy with a lunch stop in Ingham and a detour to Lumholtz National Park for a short walk and viewing of these spectacular falls.


If We Had More Time.... There were signs to an attraction "Paronella - The Dream Continues" near Innisfail that seemed quite interesting.

Day 7 - Cairns - Kuranda

The gondola ride via SkyRail over the 5.7 mile distance took us high over the rainforest canopy where we had a good look at the treetops and traveled through no fewer than 3 microclimates. The view out to Cairns, the islands and reef was breathtaking with visibility in excess of 16 km.

There were 2 stops along the way where we could get out and explore the boardwalks and interpretive centers. A family of 4 can ride the tram one way for A$75 and return by bus for $16.

In Kuranda Village we found the Butterfly House and a Bird World. Entry for 1 Adult and 2 kids for both attractions was $32.

Our tour package included a return trip by rail in these vintage rail cars over 11 bridges and 15 tunnels as we descended the spectacular gorge.

Day 8 - Cairns - Quiet Day

"Beautiful one day - perfect the next".

We used the day to laze by the pool, for the kid to play in the Adventure Playground, and to do some shopping in downtown Cairns. I also took some time to take photos of the resort seen to the right.

After the low key accommodations we'd had until now, the Deluxe Villa (with spa tub) was like a first class hotel. Breakfast was served on the front verandah and the kids even helped with washing up the dishes.

The kids practiced their swimming and snorkeling in the pool to get ready for the reef snorkel adventure on Friday. For the afternoon we wandered into Cairns and did some souvenir shopping and found a Greek restaurant serving a set menu of Tapas. Yum!

No one was on Cairns beach. This is probably due to the fact that the beach is really a large shallow mud flat at low tide. Nice beaches can be found further north along Daintree and Cape Tribulation - just stay away from the river mouths where the crocs are more likely to be found.

Just in last month, local authorities captured an 8 foot crocodile on Cairns beach! We were also told the secret of how the locals maintain their dark complexions - they sunbathe on the mud beach. Believe It or Not


Day 9 - Cairns, Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation

An important element critical to the rainforest's survival is also endangered - the cassowary. The kids pose with a life size model.

This aggressive - even dangerous dinosaur of a bird is a primary seed disperser of rainforest fruits. The gentle digestive system actually aids in the germination of the seed. Lab tests of cassowary droppings shows a 98% germination rate of 'processed' seeds.

Next on the intinery was a river cruise on the River Train. We opted for the 2.5 hour tour ($83) that included a rainforest walk and talk and morning 'smoko' (tea and biscuits). We sighted 3 crocs, a green tree snake, and numerous birds.

We learned that you don't use the broad leaves of the Gimpie Gimpie (Stinging Tree) for T.P. The mineral silica based hairs on the plant are hollow and the sap is toxic causing extreem pain for months. Use a hair removal gel or race tape (duct tape) to extract the stingers if you get unlucky.

If We Had More Time... We would have continued just past Cape Tribulation and returned to Cairns via the dirt 4WD track for an uncommon view of the Daintree.

Monday, June 2, 2008

Sydney: Back to Sydney en route to New Zealand

30/06/01 - Bondi Beach, 1215

Sitting at Bondi, surrounded by screaming sea gulls. They're waiting to pounce on food I don't have.



Didn't get a chance to write in Melbourne; I really wasn't there long enough. Melbourne has a very nice feel to it; I really like the old architecture around the city. It was nice not having to stay in a hostel - even if I did end up with a cat sleeping on my neck! (Keith to be precise, belonging to Catherine, a friend from Perth I stayed with).



I arrived in Melbourne around 10pm (after having to sit through "Wild Wild West" on the bus - uggghh). Didn't get a chance to do much that night, but on Thursday Catherine took me on a guided tour of Melbourne: over the Yarra, on the trams and even to the controversial Crown Casino (won $2, but then lost it). They wouldn't let us take photos inside, which was disappointing, but not surprising. The scariest thing about Casinos are the hordes of old people who sit there playing pokies all day and night long.



Caught up with Ash, a friend I've known off the Internet for a few years on Thursday night. Drank many "potts" of beer - when I asked for a "midi" I got a strange look. I guess a "pint" is universal (or a schooner at any rate), but wherever you go in Australia the beer receptacle has a different name. Very annoying.



The food in Melbourne was fantastic. I can't believe how many cake shops there are in St. Kilda - Catherine and I went up there on Friday.



Brunswick Street in Fitzroy was great - the highlight of my stay around there was showing a homeless guy how to use the Laundromat (aptly named "My Beautiful Laundrette"). Freaky thing happened when talking to Catherine's housemate's girlfriend - turns out she's the sister of my high school drama teacher. They all came from Perth initially, which I swear only has about three degrees of separation.




The overnight bus back to Sydney was pretty crap - probably got about four and a half hours sleep. Stopping off at Goulbourn at 3:30am was a surreal experience - there was fog everywhere, and the temperature was down to -5°C, and looming over the service station was a giant merino with a red nose (part of Red Nose Day, a charity fundraiser for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome research).



Off to New Zealand tomorrow - the rest of the day I hope to see Sydney Aquarium and of course, catch up on some sleep.

Melbourne: Home of Australia's own sport, Aussie Rules football

06/27/01 - Greyhound Bus en route to Melbourne, 1458

Currently on the "road to Gundagai". We should drive past in the next hour or so.



Lots and lots sheep out here, a fair few cows too. But mostly lots of sheep. LOTS. And New Zealand will have even more. I imagine the main difference between here and in New Zealand is a more vibrant green in the grass, hills and trees in contrast to the rustiness of Australian environment.



The Hume Highway runs like a vein through Australian rural history. Gundagui and the dog on the tucker box are all turn offs from this stretch of highway. I've seen some odd things along the way as well: for instance a huge submarine literally sitting on a roadside in the middle of a rural town.




Had a fun night last night; karaoke downstairs in the bar. I was apprehensive at first, but after a while, it was quite entertaining - strictly as a spectator sport though (this time anyway). The most memorable moment was an English guy with a Fear Factory shirt singing "Down Under" by Men at Work. Not surprisingly, the more beer you drank, the more fun you had.



Really didn't do much this morning. Canberra seems to be devoid of accessible and affordable Internet access which is very annoying. No doubt I'll be able to get my Internet fix in Melbourne.



No hostels tonight - luckily I'll be staying with my friend Catherine in Fitzroy.

Canberra: Capital city in a bush surrounding

24/06/01 - Canberra City Backpackers, 1853

Watching TV, warm in my hostel bed; there's crap on at the moment but The Simpsons was just on.

Got a decent sleep last night (finally) - well, decent by hostel standards. It was 80's night at the hostel though, and I could hear drunken singing downstairs to the likes of Men at Work, Culture Club and Dexy's Midnight Runners.

The bus ride down here was fairly boring. As I was waiting to board at Sydney bus station I was "latched" on to by another passenger. I'd seen her before and thought she was a bit unusual. Out of the blue she came over and sat next to me, trying to make conversation. When she asked me if I'd ever had the "call of the open road" I started to get a bit concerned (people who talk like this are always painful). When I told her I was from Perth, she tried to guess which hospital I was born in - as she was also from Perth (she showed me her birth certificate to prove it). Thankfully my bus was about to board, so I managed to escape.


Canberra is a lot simpler to get around in than Sydney, and not just because of the size - the layout of the city is very easy to navigate around. The surrounding mountains are very impressive. The only sight I managed to get in today was the Australia War Memorial. It's on par with the Imperial War Memorial in London, although a bit smaller, but it was very impressive exhibition wise - the detail, aesthetics and historical objects were all excellent. The poppies stuck to the walls of the Roll of Honour and the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier gave it a greater impact than any normal museum - for Australians, anyway.

The amount of Japanese tourists walking around in the museum (more specifically, the section on the war with Japan) created a very odd atmosphere; now both nations are good friends, but around us all were many examples of atrocities committed against Australians and Allies by the Japanese, serving as a reminder that it wasn't always that way.

At closing time, the sunset and last post was quite moving. It was a bit of a shame the bugle was pre-recorded - with all the defence forces based in Canberra you'd think it wouldn't be that hard to organize a live one every day. Shortly after the gates to the Memorial closed, a massive flock of Sulphur-Crested Cockatoos landed outside. The noise they created was nearly deafening.

When I arrived at the hostel, I opened my door to an ugly odour, several half-filled pint glasses and lots of dirty clothing strewn over the ground. After I got back from the Australian War Memorial, I decided it might be a good option to change dorms as I really didn't want to meet the inhabitants of that dorm, never mind sleep with them (um, that kind of came out wrong). Anyway, now I'm with a nice English guy who's doing work experience at Parliament House - much better (and no mess either).


25/06/01 - Canberra City Backpackers, 1710

Didn't get a lot of sleep last night, due to a combination of last night's curry (which was extraordinarily garlicky - it went down fine but I had a foul taste in my mouth throughout the night), an encroaching cold, a wobbly bunk and guys playing on a laptop right outside in the hall. Overall though it wasn't that bad - irritating, but certainly not night-from-hell stuff.

Spent most of the day at Parliament House. It's a beautiful building, and its location is amazing - you can see for miles around from the entrance. There were Indonesian flags flying everywhere, part of preparations for Indonesian President Wahid's visit tomorrow.

All entrances to Parliament House have X-Ray checks, and as I was walking through security picked up my miniscule Swiss Army knife, which I had to hand over. To be honest a spoon from the Cafe would have been a more dangerous weapon. I didn't need my Swiss Army knife inside anyway, so I wasn't particularly concerned.

Seeing Question Time was very interesting. The politician's behaviour is on par with the primary school kids who kept going in and out of the sound proof viewing gallery (purpose built for annoying school children, apparently). I, however, got to sit in the open air gallery and see all the antics close up.

I had a quick glimpse at the old Parliament House and the Aboriginal Tent Embassy as well; I planned to see the National Gallery but I'll do that tomorrow.

It's really weird being a tourist in your own country; I feel compelled to buy little furry marsupial mascots and photograph lots of natural flora. In New Zealand that compulsion won't be so unusual - I think I'll definitely be brining home some fluffy Kiwis.


26/06/01 - Canberra City Backpackers, 1606

Not a particularly exciting day today. Got my first decent night's sleep since leaving Perth though. This morning I went to the National Museum. The exhibitions looked great, but it wasn't much of a history lesson. The design of the exterior was pretty tacky as well, I think it will probably date really badly.

Trying to get to the National Gallery I took an unexpected excursion to the Canberra Suburbs. I did get there in the end though, and it was a very good gallery. Unfortunately I was a few weeks early for a Frida Kahlo exhibition, which was a shame.

I spent the afternoon at the hostel, trying to rest so my cold would hopefully go away. There are a few more things I wanted to see but they just aren't accessible by public transport - such as the Tidbinbilla Tracking Station and the National Aquarium.

Sydney: Home of the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House

23/06 - Hungry Jack's, King's Cross, 0757

Usual post-flight hangover: throat feels like sandpaper, and the need for sleep is creeping up on me.

King's Cross is fairly innocuous at this time of day, but I've got a pretty good idea of what it will be like at night (or at least I think I do).

Went to Hungry Jack's in search of a toilet, but no luck - however a sign said the nearest public toilet was apparently in the police station. Somewhat apprehensively I went over to the King's Cross police station, and sure enough they had a toilet in the foyer - and it was nice and clean too. I guess no one would want to shoot up in a police station (although I bet it's been done). The King's Cross police have earned some serious brownie points with me now.

I'm basically killing time at the moment until my hostel opens. A sleep would be nice too. I tried on the plane, but just couldn't stop watching the in-flight movie - "Anti Trust". Not the most technically accurate film, but good enough to give me an excuse not to try and sleep in an uncomfortable aeroplane seat.First impression of Sydney - I haven't seen a city like this since Europe, but that's probably just the size and the skyscrapers. Not spectacularly clean either (except the police station toilet of course). But it's an old, big city, so what should I expect. No doubt my opinions will change when I get to see some of the place.

23/06/01 - Pink House Hostel, King's Cross, 2022

In the past 35 hours I've only gotten about three hours sleep. Foolishly I decided to trek around Sydney after checking my backpack in at the hostel.

Leaving around 9am, I went up past the naval dockyards and then through the beautiful and serene botanical gardens (with amazing spider webs). I soon found myself standing right in front of the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House - a spectacular sight to see for the first time.

After a brief and fairly half-assed exploration of the Rocks I headed over to Darling Harbour on the ferry - mostly in search of the "Space Shuttle Buran" which was marked on an Olympic-era map I got from the hostel.

I found it pretty easily - the entrance flanked by two columns of the old Soviet flags. This is when I started to get a bit worried. Unable to resist seeing a real space shuttle, I paid my overpriced admission fee of $19.50 and then found myself watching a series of badly produced, over-cliched "documentaries" on the shuttle, complete with bad Russian accents. A lot of the time the documentaries seemed to be more like video clips for techno with Eastern-Bloc style samples (grand anthems, speeches, etc.).

The educational posters telling the story of the Buran were a joke - many of the pictures had been taken straight of the Internet and been reprinted with awful quality. One in particular summed up the entire exhibition: a picture of a space shuttle with "USA" on its wing and an American Flag on the tail had been captioned "The Buran docks with the Mir Space Station". Yeah right...

Tackiness aside, the shuttle itself was very impressive. A huge behemoth covered in ceramic tiles - I'm surprised it could actually fly.

By the time I got out of that, Zombiness from lack of sleep was setting in. But I had to pick up my Greyhound ticket for my trip to Canberra for tomorrow. Two taxi rides and 90 minutes later I finally got back to the hostel and finally got some sleep.


About 6pm I set off for the Opera House to try and get some night photos. King's Cross doesn't seem that bad at night actually; one really unusual thing I saw was on one corner there was an expensive restaurant, and on the other corner a double bed and some junkie-looking people loitering around on it. That was probably the weirdest thing I've seen in a while.