Road Trip
Sometimes Australia doesn't seem that different but when I suddenly cycled through a flock of wallabies on my morning cycle ride along the river you have to think again. We borrowed Mia's car for a 360 km trip up the coast to Cairns.
The scenery was dramatic and the later part dominated by sugar cane and banana plantations.
Sugar cane means Rum so I had to try a Bundaberg rom and coke that evening. Different but not again. The trip took 5 hours and we were greeted in Cairns by traffic jams. We had hired an apartment overlooking the bay.
there is no beach or bathing here. Only mud flats and crocodile warning.
Agneta felt safe enough to play a lttle Candy Crush on the esplanade. To cure my curiosity we ordered the mixed grill Hop Skip Swim & Jump from the menu at the evenings restaurant. So Kangaroo, Emu, Barramundi and Crocodile all on the same plate. Can recommend the fish and kangaroo.
Rainforest
Mia took us via a narrow and winding road up in the mountains to their neighbours cottage which they look after. At 950m above Townsville and deep the tropical rainforest, Paluma has a completely different climate and the village logo is "Walk in the clouds".
Animals of australia
The day began with a breakfast with handpicked small bananas from Mia's garden.
To solve the problem of not seeing any Australien animals we went to the local animal sanctuary and got to met them all at once. Not quite the same as feeding the horses but close.
Luckily it was not one of these that are in Queensland that Jessica got the chance to cuddle with but she was not too sure about this anyway.
How do exercise a crocodile? Make it work for its food.
Moving on
The last stage of the Swedish invitational triathalon took place at 7.30 in the harbour. This was a 2 km swim in the "not often" shark infested waters but today there was only a stingray, a jellyfish, a dolphin and an australian mermaid for company.
A 10 o'clock departure to Sydney was the start of three flights that ended up at 6 in the evening in Townsville.
Australian in flight food is even below BA in standard being saved by airports foodmall. At the airport we were greeted by Mia and her family and could quickly change into shorts for the first time for an evening meal now being in tropical Queensland.
Friday in Coff's
An early morning start. Jon's girlfriend has to keep to her training schedule so it was a before work run today so we joined her at 5.30 for a run around the harbour.
Back home for a protein shake as now I am taking anything that will keep me going. After a few hours the rest of the family got up and we are on our way for breakfast. Jessica's friend, one of the dogs Harry got a grooming.
Eating out for breakfast seems to be a big thing here so we joined the locals in Seewood where Niklas went all in with a breakfast burger.
At what was claimed to be a place where there was always kangaroos the now thought of mythical creatures were abscent. We continued on to the world heritage subtropical Gondwana rainforests stopping on the way to see the view at Griffiths Lookout.
On the way back we stopped over at the old hippie town of Bellingen where everything was "organic".
Coff's
We took a long morning walk along the beach and headlands from Jon's house to Coff's Harbour jetty.
Though a bit windy for some!
We passed by a drive thru liqour "bottle store". Which even had a fast lane and a browsing lane.
This took nearly 2 hours so we worked up an appitite for lunch. We refueled at a upmarket burger restaurant where I took a Mr.Snappy, a crocodile burger. Very good a bit like chicken.
Jon and I then ventured out for a cycle ride. This was on road bikes as Jon is in training for a trip to the Alps in September. I managed not to crash and was able to keep up apart from the downhill bits. Partly afraid for my own safety but also Jon's bike which was worth about 10 000 pounds!
Then it was directly to swimming pool for a session. This is a boot camp trying to keep up with the iron man training sessions. We later met up with some friends for a meal at a restaurant called Fiasco, which didn't live up to its name.
Going North
Transfer north from Sydney by propeller plane to Coff's Harbour.
We got picked up and taken to Jon's very impressive building Coff's Cardiology. Back to his house on the cliffs overlooking the coast. Yesterday the whales were migrating north in the bay so Jessica has taken up a lookout post on the balcony.
The newly built house which is directly out of House and Home complete with B&O av systems.
Jon took us inland to take a look at the coasline and the subtropical rainforest complete with all its inhabitants.
A quick run with the dogs and dinner at home with Jons girlfriend who is soon off to Hawaii to compete in Ironman. She hopped over the desert which was local mango sorbet ice cream.
Day 3 in Sydney
Jessica worked out a tight schedule for our last day in Sydney. Having seen the Opera house from nearly every angle I took an early morning run and finished it off by running around it and actually saw the Swedish Hoganas tiles that coat the roof.
Just around the corner from us is the world's largest aquarium which was well worth a visit but did nothing to cure Jessica's shark phobi.
The recommended lunch of Yum Cha was an experience where we managed to avoid the dim sum dish of chicken feet.
The last bit of culture was a guided tour of the Australian museum where we learnt more about boomerangs and wallabies etc We were the only ones on the tour and the guide said "oh yes, I have been to Scandinavia once in 1967 to Kristinehamn!
Just around the corner from us is the world's largest aquarium which was well worth a visit but did nothing to cure Jessica's shark phobi.
The youngsters went up the viewing tower whilst I got a handmade self designed Magnum ice cream which I covered with goji berries, pistachio nuts and rose petals. Yummy.
Sydney in detail
To get to know Sydney better we took a guided 3 hour walk of downtown Sydney run by a company called I'm free. Which was not actually true as you pay what you think they are worth. Interesting idea for work. They were pretty good so they did get a decent 'tip'. Later we took a trip to the north side of the harbour with the ferry to the hip surfers hangout Manly Beach. Lunch at one of the "top ten bars in Sydney' Manly Wharf Hotel which is at its best in the summer.
It's amazing that they still let me into the hip surfers shops but I do have to say I'm looking for something for my son.
We timed our ferry home perfectly seeing the sunset over the Opera House and Sydney Bridge. Too tired to go out we tried ordering from a pizzeria that had closed down. Not very succesful. But we tried one of Jon's great aussie reds from his 'wine drawer'.
