BREAKFAST WITH THE BIRDS
A pretty lorikeet joined us for breakfast at the Rainforest Habitat Centre. We enjoyed all the tropical fruit with passion fruit and star fruit being new to us although we’d had passion fruit juice before. After breakfast, we had a guided tour through three sub-climate areas: rainforest, wetlands, and grasslands. We saw more birds, animals, crocodiles, and fruit bats.
A coach ride along a steep climbing road took us to the little town of Kuranda which reminded us of a hippie village with lots of tourist shops. We had a look around the shops before lunch of fish and chips. As today’s guide said, these activities and field trips are just to fill the time between meals.
Next we had a tour of the Butterfly Sanctuary. There we got to see many native butterflies and their developing caterpillars as well as learn how they are fed at the sanctuary. It was harder to photograph them than the birds!
Next came a sky rail ride over the rainforest canopy. We were amazed at the colors that were evident in the dense growth of plants. Although we couldn’t see any animals, we could certainly hear many birds and cicadas.
When we got back to the hotel, we had snorkeling practice in the pool in preparation for tomorrow’s trip to the Great Barrier Reef. A lecture on the reef by a marine biologist preceded dinner.
WOW! What a contrast tropical Cairns is from the arid center of Australia!
A pretty lorikeet joined us for breakfast at the Rainforest Habitat Centre. We enjoyed all the tropical fruit with passion fruit and star fruit being new to us although we’d had passion fruit juice before. After breakfast, we had a guided tour through three sub-climate areas: rainforest, wetlands, and grasslands. We saw more birds, animals, crocodiles, and fruit bats.
A coach ride along a steep climbing road took us to the little town of Kuranda which reminded us of a hippie village with lots of tourist shops. We had a look around the shops before lunch of fish and chips. As today’s guide said, these activities and field trips are just to fill the time between meals.
Next we had a tour of the Butterfly Sanctuary. There we got to see many native butterflies and their developing caterpillars as well as learn how they are fed at the sanctuary. It was harder to photograph them than the birds!
Next came a sky rail ride over the rainforest canopy. We were amazed at the colors that were evident in the dense growth of plants. Although we couldn’t see any animals, we could certainly hear many birds and cicadas.
When we got back to the hotel, we had snorkeling practice in the pool in preparation for tomorrow’s trip to the Great Barrier Reef. A lecture on the reef by a marine biologist preceded dinner.WOW! What a contrast tropical Cairns is from the arid center of Australia!
Each group of Aboriginals has their own dreamtime stories that somehow intertwine with those of their neighbors although none of them have a deity. The dreamtime stories teach morals, the consequences of behavior, and acceptable ways to deal with behaviors.
This huge rock is composed of fine sand sediment. Since it is a sacred site, we were asked NOT to climb the rock or to take photos of the men’s and women’s caves which are used for special ceremonies.
On Sunday we traveled about 30 minutes to visit Kata Tjuta which means many heads. There are 36 distinct rock formations formed from sediment flow from the same mountain range that formed Uluru. However, this sediment contains much more rock. We saw one rock that looked like a turtle. Since this is another sacred, men’s ceremony location, little is known about the beliefs concerning these rocks. We enjoyed a walk to one of the gaps between two rocks. There were several new flowering plants along the walk. The desert does have a beauty of its own. 
Following lunch at the hotel, we were off to the Ayers Rock airport for the flight to Cairns (pronounced “cans”). More next time on our visit to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef.
Here's a little guy called a Thorny Devil. It's he cute? He looks mean, but we're told his thorns are soft.
The afternoon lecture was on Aboriginal culture and heritage with some discussion of the “Dreamline” (Creation).
Next we went to Standley Chasm where we saw cycad which is palm-like plants leftover from the dinosaur age. We also saw ghost gums and the shiny red walls of the gap. However, before we walked the chasm, we had time for "morning tea."
An afternoon excursion to Alice Springs School of the Air showed us how distance learning for 115 students (currently) in an area twice the size of Texas is carried out by computers now although earlier teaching was done by radio transmission. After primary school, these students go to boarding schools with about 90% of the students attending university. 
A visit to the Old Telegraph Station showed the 19th century engineering marvel of a telegraph line that was built from Adelaide in South Australia to Darwin in the Northern Territory that connected Australia to the rest of the world through Java. Because of weak signals, relay stations were required every 150 miles to send the signals. The actual springs - named after the first station master's wife - is located behind the station. Interestingly, the "spring" isn't a spring at all, but simply water seeping up through the sand.
That evening we had a “Barbie” of steak and fixin’s with a local fellow providing Australian songs accompanied by guitar while we ate. Later Barry had the group join in singing songs like Waltzing Matilda, Tie Me Kangaroo Down, etc. Bob and Kitty got to be "the band" accompanying Tie Me Kangaroo Down. Later there was a “night sky” lecture which was hampered by a cloudy sky. The Southern Cross was too low in the sky to be seen. However, we had been able to see it both in Canberra and Melbourne so we weren’t too disappointed. 
A very early morning start saw us on the bus headed for Uluru (Ayers Rock). We stopped at a local camel farm where we took advantage of a camel ride. Camels were brought to Australia originally to be used as pack mules for expeditions and delivery "vehicles" to the outback. Once the trains came through and they were no longer needed, the camels were turned loose on the land where they have survived and procreated quite well. It’s currently estimated there are 500,000 wild camels in the Outback. They are considered “pests” since they are competing with and therefore, endangering indigenous animals as well as cattle. 
We left the shrine and visited Fitzroy Gardens where we saw Cooks Cottage (actually his parents’) which was moved from Great Britain and also the spring floral display in the conservatory. 
From here we went to our hotel to check in and have a surprisingly good buffet lunch. After an orientation lecture on Melbourne and Australia, we headed out on the bus to the second tallest building in Melbourne. From here we got a panoramic view of the entire city. Here’s just one picture showing the neat architecture of the city. It’s a great blend of old and new. 
The folks who flew in from LAX were ready to crash. They did a great job of staying awake!
After lunch we left the hotel for a trip to Phillip Island to see the Little Penguins (or formerly known as “Fairy” – which today isn’t PC). On the way to Phillip Island we stopped at an Australian animal park. We got to see several additional indigenous animals – the Tasmanian devil, the kookaburra, and the wombat. We also had a chance to get up close to some gray kangaroos. 
At the Penguin Parade on Phillip Island, we were not allowed to use cameras – couldn’t even bring them into the area. The penguins start coming on shore just after sunset after fishing all day. They then waddle back to their burrows (or whatever you call their home). They came ashore in groups of 4 to 20. We got to see them up close. They were really cute and hardworking. We got back to the hotel at about 10 pm. Here’s a photo of the “little penguins” at the Taronga Zoo in Sydney. There are two of them swimming in the tank. 
On Wednesday morning we went to the Ian Potter Center at the National Gallery of Victoria. We had an excellent overview of Australian art by Dr. Ruth Pullin. She teaches art history and compares Australian art to European and American art of similar periods. She also gave us an overview of Aboriginal art and its importance to the Aboriginal culture. 
After leaving the art center, we got some photos of the local area. First, here’s a photo of St. Paul’s church. It’s interesting to note that the spires were added after the church was built. The difference in stone color is obvious in person; don’t know if it comes out well in the photo. 
This is the bath house which was originally used by the local population for actually taking baths. Today it’s a state of the art gym facility with indoor pool, so there’s still the water connection. 
Next is a photo of Young and Jackson’s Pub. This was a favorite “watering hole” of American (and Australian) troops during World War II. They went there to “pay homage” to the nude painting of the French Chloe. 
Finally, here’s a photo of the Findley Central Train Station. 