Forest Flying

While we were in the rainforest, we did one of the coolest activities we’ve ever done: forest flying. We hiked to the top of a ridge above a very tropical valley. Then we glided down a 900ft cable to a platform that was suspended about 90 feet high in a tree. Once we got to the platform we transferred all our harness equipment to a second cable line and glided another 500 feet down the valley, to the place we started our hike from.

Gliding was incredibly fun and a bit scary. At times we were over 100 feet above the forest floor, and the trees we brushed past were home countless lethal reptiles and insects. Our gliding equipment included a brake that allowed us to slow up and look at the wildlife in the treetops. The most impressive wildlife we saw was a colony of 4,000 bats. The cable passed within several feet of tree limbs that were lined with bats.

We enjoyed getting to meet Dave and Dona, the people who own the property we were on and run the forest flying business. Dave and Donna live mostly off the land, so as we hiked through the forest, they showed us what they eat. One of the most impressive things about forest flying is that Dave actually put the cable up. Because no helicopters would fly low enough to install the cable from above, Dave actually did it by himself, from the ground. He did it by shooting weighted arrows (with fishing-line attached) over the treetops, and then pulling the cable up. It took over a year. Amazing!

Into the Rainforest

Last Wednesday we left Airlie Beach and drove inland for several hours until we got to the town of Finch Hatton, which is located in Pioneer Valley, on the outskirts of Eungalla National Park. Finch Hatton has a population of less than 200 people and only consists of a few houses, one store, and one pub/hotel/restaurant.

When we got to Pioneer Valley, we thought we would be spending our first night at a cabin just outside Finch Hatton, but when we arrived we learned that we were off by a day, and our reservation didn’t start until the following night. Lucky for us the town Pub had rooms available, so we didn’t have to drive too far to find a place to stay for the night.

Staying at the Criterion (Pub) was one of the most authentic Australian bush experiences we’ve had. The pub is over 100 years old, and has a feel unlike any other bar we’ve been to. We really enjoyed spending time at the pub, playing pool, eating delicious pub meals, and mixing with the locals. We got along really well with some of the locals (especially Stewart, the pub owner).

The natural vegetation around Finch Hatton is dense tropical rainforest, but there are some farms (mostly sugar cane) in areas where the forest has been cleared. The rainforest is home to some spectacular and scary wildlife, including huge bird-eating spiders, tree-climbing pythons over a foot in diameter, and leaches that drop from shrubs onto humans. We got to see some impressive creatures, some of which we could never see elsewhere in the world, such as platypuses. We also saw turtles, lizards, thousands of bats, and even flying turkeys (see picture).

Life in the tropical rainforest is quite different that what we are used to. It was interesting to see a town where mobile phones and internet are still uncommon. We learned that many of the people in the area are rarely seen, because they intentionally built their houses in secluded parts of the forest where they can live entirely off the land.

Sailing to Whitehaven Beach

Yesterday we went sailing to one of the nicest beaches in the world. We left Airlie Beach early in the morning on the Camira, a 36 meter purple catamaran. The boat and crew were impressive. We first sailed to Hook Island, where we had “morning tea” (a.k.a. breakfast) and then went snorkeling on a small coral reef just off of the island.

Once we had all returned to the boat from snorkeling we set sail for Whitehaven Beach, on the eastern coast of Whitsunday Island. Whitehaven Beach is renowned as one of the top 10 beaches in the world. It is known for its pure white sand and perfectly clear water. The entire island is a national park, and you can only access the beach by boat or seaplane, so the beach is never too crowded. We were suspicious that Whitehaven Beach wouldn’t live up to all the hype, but it did! We felt like we were in a postcard; it felt fake. We loved swimming and playing in the little waves. The water was really inviting because it looked like pool water. We loved floating on our backs because we were more buoyant in this water than in pool water. The water was very warm but we had to wear stinger suits because it is jellyfish season. After playing on the beach, we had a delicious BBQ on the boat before sailing back to Arlie Beach. What a memorable day.

More Photos of Sailing to Whitehaven Beach

We Found Nemo!

For those who don’t know much about the Great Barrier Reef, it is a 1,200 mile stretch of living coral that runs along the tropical northeast coast of Australia. In whole, the Reef is the same size as 70 million soccer fields, which is also roughly the same size as the UK. Today we went on a boat trip out to the Great Barrier Reef. Seeing the Great Barrier Reef was one of the coolest things we have ever done.

Early this morning we boarded a 125 foot cruise boat that took us 60 miles off the coast to Knuckle Reef, one of the 2,900 individual reefs that comprise the Great Barrier Reef. Once we got there we docked at an enormous pontoon marine base for the afternoon. (The boat is docked at the pontoon marine base in the photo below.) The marine base felt like it was in the middle of nowhere. From there, we spent the afternoon snorkeling, riding in glass-bottom boats, playing on an enormous water slide, and lounging on the viewing deck. Kristen even got a massage at the spa.

The weather out at the reef today was mostly cloudy. At one point it even clouded over completely and rained a bit on us. In a way, we felt we lucked out not getting clear weather because it meant it was not too hot. Since it is stingray and jellyfish season, we wore wet suits (for protection) as a precaution. Otherwise, we would not have wanted to wear wet suits in this warm tropical ocean water.

Seeing the Great Barrier Reef up close was truly amazing. We went on a guided snorkeling trip and saw all types of coral and sea creatures. We saw fish that were so colorful they looked fake. We saw several of the fish that the cartoon character Nemo is based on. At one point we even swam right over a baby shark. Snorkeling in this water was more fun than our past snorkeling experiences because the water is so clear here that underwater visibility was great.

Wildlife

The wildlife we saw at Daydream Island was so impressive that it warrants a special post. We saw bats, kangaroos, wallabies, cockatoos, iguanas, and other amazing birds we don't know by name. On the island there were also several lagoons, which were packed with sharks, stingrays, and other cool fish. Blossom got to pet a stingray at feeding time. I am also including a picture of a huntsman spider (just from our house in Albury), so that you can all appreciate what house-spiders in Australia look like.

We Are In Tropical Paradise!

Today we are in Airlie Beach, Qld, on the Northeast coast of Australia. We just got back to the mainland after spending a few days out on Daydream Island, which is one of the beautiful resorts in the Whitsunday Islands. To get there from Albury we drove to Sydney, flew to Brisbane, flew on to Mackay, drove to Airlie Beach, and then took a boat to the Island. The entire island was one big resort, which had many amenities including restaurants, bars, pools, spas, shops, and lots of things to do for entertainment. It was very relaxing.

The weather up here in the tropics is hot and humid - it doesn’t allow us to get too far from either the beach or a pool. Stepping outdoors is like stepping into a hot steam-bath. Even our camera feels slimy to the touch in this climate. The weather has suited us fine though, since the most strenuous activity we’ve done in the last week has been either mini-golf or swimming/wading to and from the swim-up bar.

In addition to influencing our activities, the climate has also influenced our attire. We all arrived here with suitcases full of clothes, but it turns out we all over-packed. The only thing people ever wear here are swimsuits (and sometimes even less at the beach…). Since it’s perfectly acceptable here to go anywhere in a swimsuit, and it’s always uncomfortably sticky, that’s all you need. It makes getting dressed simple. All we do is wake up and put on whichever bathing suit we didn’t wear the day before. Too easy. (BTW, I am writing this blog outside at 10:30pm in nothing but my board-shorts...and I am sweating...profusely.)

Our favorite thing about traveling here is that everything here is picturesque. The water is very clear and turquoise. The palm trees are tall and loaded with coconuts. The sand is fine and squeaks under foot. It’s a lovely part of the world. Tomorrow we are leaving early in the morning for a boat trip out to the Great Barrier Reef. We are looking forward to seeing one of the natural wonders of the world, through a snorkeling mask.

We'll post again soon. -D