OUR ITINERARY **NEW, REVISED AND UP TO DATE**

  • If we're going to be in your city and you want to get together for a cup of coffee, leave a message at our hotel, or send me an email ahead of time at shakos@sympatico.ca - we'll try to rendezvous with you. That would be great fun!
  • Sat. Oct. 20 - Arrive in Christchurch, New Zealand and stay at the Copthorne Central Hotel, phone 03 379 5880.
  • Mon. Oct. 22 - TranzAlpine Train ride to Franz Josef, staying at the Franz Josef Glacier Hotel, phone 03 752 0729.
  • Tues. Oct. 23 - Queenstown, staying at the Novotel Gardens, phone 03 442 7750.
  • Thurs. Oct. 25 - Te Anau, staying at the Village Inn, phone 03-249 7911.
  • Fri. Oct. 26 - Dunedin, staying at the Dunedin City Hotel, phone 03 470 1470. Hope to meet Chris Davies for coffee while we're there.
  • Sat. Oct. 27 - Mount Cook National Park, staying at The Hermitage Hotel, phone 03 435 1809.
  • Sun. Oct. 28 - Back at the Copthorne Central Hotel in Christchurch, phone 03 379 5580 till Oct. 30th. We'll then take the ferry to the North Island and stay with Beulah from Oct. 30th, till November 5th.
  • Mon. Nov. 5 - Pick up a car for a self-drive tour to Auckland. (Biting my nails as you guys drive on the wrong side of the road - giggle). Stay at the Lakeland Resort, Taupo, phone 07 378 3893 on the 5th, and at the Heritage Rotorua on the 6th and 7th, phone 07 348 1189.
  • Thurs. Nov. 8 - Arrive in Auckland and stay with Lizzie and her husband John. I've promised to teach an ink and oil rouging design for Lizzie while I'm there.
  • Mon. Nov. 12 - It's all over but the curtain calls. Fly from Auckland back to Los Angeles, where we will stay a week with my aunt. A good chance to shake off some of the jet lag.
  • Sun. Nov. 18 - Back in Canada. All good things have to come to an end. The memories, however, will last a lifetime.

Friday, October 5, 2007

September 24 - Ubirr and Guluyambi Cruise





Today was very much like yesterday, but the weather was cooler. The leaving time was civilized too - 7:50 instead of the usual 6:15. George is managing very well, considering he normally doesn't do mornings!

We travelled the Arnhem Highway this time. Often this highway is closed as it is completely under water when the monsoon rains come. Hard to imagine, but we could see how high the water rose by the debris deposited in the limbs of the trees.

Again today we visited an aboriginal interpretive centre, and took a picture of a poster showing the Aussie mosquitos. Luckily, we didn't meet too many of them - but flies were another matter!
Later we took another river cruise. Seems to be a pattern, doesn't it? Oh well, at least river cruising is easier than hiking - and we do get to see the animals, etc., right up close. There was a once in a hundred years flood a year or so ago, and it completely changed the look of the river, caving in the shore, creating sandbanks where they had not been before, uprooting trees, etc., and of course bringing in more crocs. We had one swim right in front of the boat, then alongside, up over the sandbank and into the water on the other side. That was quite close enough for me. The guide said he wasn't a big fellow, but he looked pretty big to me.

In the afternoon we had a short walk into Arnhem Land to see the different vegetation, etc., and finished the day at the Window on the Wetlands interpretation centre for a glass of wine, some cheese and crackers, and a variety of lovely fruits. We enjoyed watching the sun set over the wetlands before gong on to our hotel for the night. Not nearly as tired today as yesterday.

1 comment:

Vicki and Don said...

Guess you didn't even think about taking a swim today did you with the crocs swimming around?!?