After getting our rudder somewhat back together we decided to pass on doing the 1,000 miles down and back passage to Sydney. We needed to do a Visa run the first week of February and were feeling pinched for time. We are on a 12 month visa in Australia that is multiple entry for a maximum of 90-days at a time, and our 90-days are up soon.
So we spent some time in the Southport area, which is Fort Lauderdale with more jet skis, less charm but nicer beaches.
While in Southport we did a road trip courtesy of our friends Judy and Sherman on the half US and half Australia boat Fair Winds. I managed to forget to bring my camera with me, so only got a few cheap Huawai phone shots. This is the Byron Bay Lighthouse on Cape Byron, the eastern most part of mainland Australia. It was built in 1901 and still flashing away to the cruisers passing by offshore at night.
Almost like a selfie but with some additional help.
We drove inland into the coastal mountains to the town of Nimbin. The main reason to go here was to see the Museum of Marijuana. Unfortunately it burnt down two years ago. Pot is illegal in Australia, but Nimbin seems to be a Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell kind of town in the state of New South Wales. It makes its money selling pot paraphernalia and t-shirts to tourists while supporting a robust 1970’s hippy community.
After Southport we brought the boat up to Manly and took a slip for a few weeks so we could explore Brisbane. Manly is about a half-hour commuter train ride from Brisbane. It is a major boating stop on Moreton Bay. After we purchased our GO Cards (Queensland trasport cards) and learned to use the train, bus, ferry system, getting around was easy.
The bird life in Queensland is really impressive. You see a wide variety of interesting critters just walking around town and the parks. This is a white ibis that goes after junk food like sea gulls would in the states.
These cranky and noisy Rainbow Lorikeets come out in flocks to feed each evening.
If you didn’t get the hint from the photo at the top of this blog, here’s another hint. We went to the Australia Zoo. This is the private zoo started by Steve Irwin – the Aussie who was famous for saying ‘Crikey!’ every time he got near a wild animal.
The zoo is nicely laid out with a bunch of somewhat interactive exhibits. The Saltie Show, aka saltwater crocodiles, doesn’t allow for a lot of customer interaction with the Salties. In practice, you don’t really need to be concerned about the crocs in NE Australia as long as you stay at least 25 feet back from the waters edge and never swim in it
The waters around here are really full of unfriendly creatures. You don’t swim in any of the murky waters due to the territorial bull sharks. The clear waters are OK as long as there are no Great White sharks. Over the last two weeks three people have been stung by Stone Fish – majorly painful. There was just a warning not to swim off the beaches on Fraser Island because of the poisonous and potentially deadly box jellys. It’s a tough crowd here.
Koala’s make for an iconic picture of Australia. Big claws, but not deadly.
Chris snuck up on this Koala and followed the petting rules: not on the head.
Meerkat looking for overhead predators.
The bird presentations at the Zoo were even more interesting than the Salties. This Red-tailed Cockatoo was in training. She’s workingon showing less attitude about people being close by.
The other iconic Australian critter is clearly the kangaroo. Look close and you can see the Joey in the mothers pouch.
Joey sticking his head out of the pouch to get a little fresh grass treat.
The Kookaburra – I’d say iconic but you aren’t allowed to have three iconics in one blog post. We were walking back at night from seeing a movie (and to escape the heat) and saw a Kookaburra sitting on a No Parking sign and occasionally swooping down to pickup bugs attracted to the evening lights. Check out their famous laugh here (scroll down to the audio clips). The movie was Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri – two thumbs up.
A few more gratuitous koala pictures. Mom with a baby – neither one very alert.
Now this youngster was busy getting to the freshest gumtree leafs.
We are still in Manly, Moreton Bay, till some weather passes through. Then around Wednesday we plan to make the 200 mile sail north back to Bundaberg. We’ll put the boat on the hard there and fly out just before our visas expire. This will start an extended state-side visit and grandkid fix.
Paul
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