Road Trip

We woke up at our campsite at Sundown National Park to the sound of screaming cicadas and decided to pack up and get out of there as soon as possible. We were originally lured to this campsite with the promise of a hot shower and a guaranteed spot with online booking. There were showers but the only running water on the grounds was in the river 500 feet away. If you wanted a hot shower you had to get water from the river and pour it into a donkey boiler they had next to the showers. The boiler was wood fired and I am assuming the water you used for a shower was from the condensed steam coming out of the boiler and you had to cool it and transfer it to an algae coated tank above the showers. I really don't know how it worked and we were not going to try it because we had no firewood and we had showered the day before and didn't need to work that hard to get one this morning. We had our stuff packed up and were on our way out within a half hour of waking up. The campsite was beautiful but I was getting a headache from the cicadas. I took my time driving out of the park stopping a couple times to remove medium sized sharp rocks off the road so that they would not scrape the bottom of our tiny car or ruin the tyres (Aussie spelling). As soon as we made it back to tar roads I apologized to the car and promised to never again take it on any gravel roads.
Shortly out of the park we stopped at an unmanned fruit stand we spotted the evening before. It felt weird raiding some strangers refrigerators in a small shed by the road but all the fruit and vegetables were in plastic bags and had a price written on them. We chose a bag of apricots and deposited three dollars into the coin box on the wall. Traveling a little further along we turned south onto the New England Highway and crossed the state line into New South Wales. The first town we came to was Tenterfield where we stopped just long enough to take a picture of the grand Stannum House. Evidently in the early 1880's this area was booming with the mining of tin, it was so prosperous that they built this building in hopes of it becoming the government house and the city becoming the capitol of the soon to be formed country of Australia.














From Tenterfield we stayed on the New England Highway through Glen Innes a town very proud of its Scottish heritage. Next we drove through Armidale which is known for its real fall season complete with changing colors of the leaves. From Armidale we headed back east on Grafton Road otherwise known as the Waterfall Way toward Coffs Harbour. We only had time to visit a couple of the many national parks along the way. We stopped at Oxley Wild Rivers National Park to have our picnic lunch. At this site the Chandler and Wollomombi rivers have cut a 400 meter deep gorge and at one vista you can see the falls of both rivers at once. Wollomombi is the second (or third depending on source) tallest water fall in Australia at 200 meters.

After lunch and taking in the amazing views I drove the winding mountain roads toward our next stop, the rainforest in Dorrigo National Park. As we got closer to Dorrigo the landscape got greener and more rolling. We were entering an area that used to be a major dairy production area. I was excited to see cows grazing on the green hillsides in a landscape that could have been in southern Germany.
The rainforest in Dorrigo were unique again but here they had a much better visitors center and a board walk that went straight out off the side of a slope into the tree tops of the forest. The easy to walk trails wound around trees draped with vines. Unfortunately we did not travel very far on the trails as I had a goal of making it to the next town to meet up with a fellow WestfaliaSurge milking equipment dealer that I may be working with. We also planned on continuing on the road to find our next campsite before dusk. Upon arriving in Bellingen we finally had cell phone reception so I called the dealer we were supposed to meet. He was not home yet and told us to have a look around town for a bit. We walked around the small touristy town and sat down to enjoy some home made gelato just off of the main street.

I called the dealer again and he was home so we went over to his house to talk about the possibility of me working with him on some future projects. We had a great chat before continuing on to find where we were to sleep for the night. Securing a campsite in New South Wales turned out to be a lot harder than back in Queensland where we started the day because they did not reserve campsites in any of the many national parks near where we driving. We did not realize that Aussies celebrate New Years Eve like we celebrate the fourth of July. The parks along the coast were packed with people who looked like they had been there for a week. After stopping at several campsites, driving many hours and calling several hotels, we gave up and headed inland to find an affordable motel which actually had a vacancy in the town of Casino. Driving the streets of Casino was eerily like we had found ourselves back in some small town in Nebraska. But it was comfortable and quiet as we saw the new year in by watching the spectacular firework display in Sydney on TV.

Kangaroos!

Mount Lindesay

Woodenbong Police Station

Fortunately we had a couple of nice weather days just before the New Year. We took advantage of the excellent weather,  it had been raining for the past week and half straight, and began on our 1400 kilometer (870 miles) road trip through the countryside to the west and south of the Gold Coast where we live. First we headed west to Beaudesert where we stopped and picked up groceries. Then we drove southwest on the Mount Lindesay Highway through Rathdowney. On they way we stopped to take a few photos including Mount Lindesay which we had been driving by for hours, the police station in the small town of Woodenbong, and the Killarney Hotel in Killarney.

Killarney Hotel

We stopped for our picnic lunch along the river at a park in Killarney. This area had recently had a lot of rain and we could see signs that the river had been much higher and flooded the park where we had stopped. We continued our drive to Warwick and then headed south on the New England Highway to Stanthorpe.

On our way into Stanthorpe we got off on the fruit run through Applethorpe. The area around Stanthorpe is at a higher elevation, 1000-1200 meters and posts some of the coldest temperatures in Queensland. Surprisingly it can even freeze here during winter. It is located within a region referred to as the Granite Belt for all the large granite boulders. This area is very agricultural and the primary non-tropical fruit growing region in Queensland. Stanthorpe is full of vineyards, wineries, as well as fields of strawberries and orchards with apples, apricots, peaches, and nectarines. Strawberries and stone fruits were in season during our visit. We stopped at a few fruit stands to see what was available and prices. In town we took some photos of the Target country store, post office (complete with English crest) and went to the visitor center. This Princeton sized town of 4300 residents is a popular place for tourists. 

 

Unfortunately we only had enough time to make it to a strawberry farm due to our late arrival in town and businesses closing by 5pm. We stopped and  purchased a kilo (2.2 pound) package of fresh strawberries and headed on the road to our campsite at the remote Sundown National Park. I had made reservations online for our campsite, only $10. We knew we had to hurry so we could setup our tent before dark.

On the drive to the park we had a kangaroo run out in front of us but luckily there was enough distance between us. It was the first live kangaroo I had seen since arriving in Australia. The only kangaroos I saw before were dead on the side of the road. David had seen kangaroos on a couple of occasions on his drives in the country for work. I was surprised by how fast and graceful it was able to hop by us. It took us nearly 90 minutes to reach the park, all was sealed road but the last few miles being rough gravel with large rocks. David drove quite slowly and on our way into the park I spotted a kangaroo, and then another. We stopped and watched the pair a bit. As we got further into the park there were kangaroos everywhere on both sides of the road. We stopped several times and watched them. I would agree with David's description of kangaroos having a dog like face and ears kind of like a rabbit that can stand up. The kangaroos were very aware of our presence and watched us while they ate grass. They would only hop away if someone got out of the vehicle or if startled by our driving. There were hundreds of kangaroos in the area (a large group of kangaroos is a mob) and we spotted around 50 close to us. The young kangaroos, joeys, were with their mothers. Most joeys were fairly grown in size but we did spot one in the pouch. As it was getting dark we proceeded on to our campsite. On the way we spotted kangaroos eating grass in one of the camp sites. Considering the remoteness and the rough road to get there we were surprised to find people in at least four of the other campsites. When we got out of the car the sound of cicadas was deafening and we hoped it would not last all night. Luckily as it got darker the noise died down and stopped completely. We setup camp and then walked around exploring the campground a bit more walking out to the nearby river. Since there weren't any picnic tables and we didn't even have camp chairs we ended up just eating cold food in the car. There were fire rings but they were out of firewood that they usually supply and we hadn't picked up any on the way. Later we laid out on a blanket and stared up at the clear moonless sky. I don't know if I have ever seen so many stars or stars so bright. The next closest star gazing experience I had was at my Aunt Sharon's farm near Mille Lacs lake starring up at the milky way. The one familiar constellation was Orion which we could see in much greater detail. As it got later we could begin to see the Southern Cross constellation rising above the trees. Like any summer camping experience there were of course mosquitoes. The first day of our road trip adventure had come to a close under the starry Australian sky.

Our First Christmas Down Under

This was the first Christmas Eve dinner (feast) that we had made together. Our meal consisted of a rolled pork roast, mashed potatoes, green beans, bread, a roasted macadamia nut and mango salad, and bread pudding with rum sauce for dessert. We prepared everything except for the bread which we purchased from a local bakery.

We spent the entire afternoon working on the meal and it turned out quite well and tasted delicious. It was definitely not the same as being with our families which each have their own Christmas Eve traditions. Since it was just the two of us we had plenty of leftovers to enjoy for the coming days.

During the meal we reminisced about past Christmases. This was not our first Christmas together without snow or being away from family. After we were married we spent our first Christmas in Rome as part of our honeymoon. We left my Aunt Sharon's place very early on the morning of December 24th for our 5am flight. It was quite a memorable morning as it involved a lost passport, which was found just in time for us to catch our plane. We ended up running through the airport to arrive at our gate as final boarding was called. We spent Christmas Eve at airports and flying arriving in Rome on Christmas morning in time to hear the new Pope Benedict XIV give the Christmas address. Like our first Christmas abroad it is quite green here and rainy. We saw the sun on Monday and Tuesday when we had beautiful clear blue skies. However, it has been grey and rained every day since then. On the plus side it has kept the temperature from getting too hot as often Christmas can be one of the hottest days of the summer (95 F or warmer) here in Australia. It was about 78 degrees Fahrenheit for a high on Christmas with a low of 72. I am not sure whether friends and family, particularly in Minnesota, will be envious of the temperatures or just the lack of snow. However it is quite humid especially with all the rain that has been falling. In my phone conversations with my mom she keeps reminding me of how beautiful everything looks with the pine trees and yard all covered in a nice blanket of white snow. I can picture it but am not presently missing the idea of shoveling the record amounts of snow that has fallen in Minnesota and -20F temperatures. However it does feel different not having any snow or cold weather for Christmas.

For Christmas Day we attended church and afterwards volunteered at the James Jacob Fellowship Christmas Lunch which was being held in the church basement. This was the 3rd annual luncheon organized by a couple, Jan and Leigh who lost their son in 2005. It is geared towards individuals who have mental illnesses some who are currently hospitalized or institutionalized or anyone else who needed somewhere to be for Christmas day and  had signed up in advance for the catered meal. As it was raining it likely deterred some guests from attending but it was a good time. There was a kitchen crew that prepared all the food and served up the plates of food. David kept busy as the cappuccino man making the cappuccinos and serving them to the guests and volunteers. I participated in singing some Christmas carols and serving some of the plates of food to people seated at the tables and just having conversation with different people. I'm guessing there were around forty or so guests for the meal plus a dozen or so volunteers. Everyone seemed to really enjoy themselves and the food. The meal consisted of salad, turkey, ham, potatoes, carrots, peas, and Christmas pudding with custard sauce. On the table were chocolates, candy canes, Christmas crackers (complete with paper hat, joke and toy), and confetti poppers (which explode and shoot confetti streamers). All guests received a gift bag with some small presents that had been donated. 

Volunteering at a Christmas luncheon was much different than our usual Christmas Day celebrations with family. Since both of our families lived in close proximities we were always able to attend two Christmas in one day, one at my Grandparents and another with David's relatives. In talking with people at the lunch we did learn more about the holiday traditions here in Australia and about the Gold Coast region. The traditional Christmas meal really isn't any different from those I've had in the USA but the Christmas or plum pudding is a holiday tradition we do not have. At my family Christmases there is always a wide variety of holiday desserts including cookies (or biscuits as they refer to them here), pies, rosettes, fudge, and other treats. I have heard from different coworkers that when the weather is really hot at Christmas time some families serve cold meats or have picnics at the beach. I can understand why they would not want to heat up the house with roasting meat and all the traditional fixings. 

Later that evening David and I watched National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation which was being broadcast on the television. This movie is a staple of my family's celebration of Christmas as they watch it every year on Christmas Eve.

We hope that all our friends and family (around the world) had a wonderful Christmas and wish you all many blessings ahead in 2011.

Christmas preparation

Christmas is almost here in Australia and we are making preparations for the holiday. Like in the USA shops have had their Christmas junk out since mid November and the cities have decorated the streets. Unlike the USA the radio stations are not playing that many Christmas songs and very few people have real Christmas trees. I have, however, heard one song and it cracks me up; here is the link to the video, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OnJ8jsw4BSo, the video is lame but the song is what many Aussies like. We have purchased a fake tree for $10 from KMART and decorated it with $25 worth of lights and a few decorations I brought back with me on my recent visit to Minnesota. The day after Christmas is Boxing Day (another holiday) and it is supposed to be the biggest shopping day of the year. Between Christmas and New Years only retail shops will be open, but all other business will be closed down. No one will be at Jenny's lab and I have been told that farmers don't really want to have me come by unless it is an emergency. However since I did not work for the three weeks while I was in the USA I need to work whenever I can. Unfortunately Jenny and I cannot make a big trip during that week. We are planning a couple more small excursions and hope to be able to get out of town for a day or two.

David's trip to USA

I have just returned to Australia from a three week trip to the United States. I arrived in LA the day before Thanksgiving and stayed with my uncle Tim Reiman and his family. I had a great time staying up late and talking with family that I had not previously had a chance to get to know well. I found I had a lot in common with my Californian cousins and felt very welcome in their home. I would have liked to stayed longer, but my travel plans only allowed two days, so Tim dropped me off at the airport to continue on to Minnesota. Kristin picked me up and we had a lot of catching up to do, especially since she just recently got engaged. For the next week and a half I helped my parents however I was needed. My projects included fitting a new kitchen sink, building new steps for the 4020 and 4520 tractors, hanging new lights on the star atop the 80 foot silo and of course doing maintenance on the milking parlor. I also had a chance to finish a project, building an automatic cow brush out of used parts, that I had started before we moved. In the middle of my visit I attended the Reiman family Christmas at my old school in Pease. I surprised a lot of people with my presence. Almost everyone knew that Jenny and I had moved to Australia. The get together offered a much needed chance to get caught up with relatives. Throughout my stay I received packages that I had ordered. Several packages were tools I bought online for a quarter of their cost if purchased in Australia. One package was my first order of parts for Mueller milk tanks to sell in Australia. I also grabbed a few things that I could not find in Australia such a dryer sheets. At the end of my trip was the main reason for my visit, to be a groomsman in Tony Dahlman's wedding. Tony and I are really good friends from our time in FarmHouse Fraternity at the University of Minnesota. The wedding was in Northeastern Iowa so I took care of some business in Rochester before heading to the wedding rehearsal. Of course the next day was Saturday December 11th, the day of the severe blizzard that coated the roads in ice and buried us in slush and snow. The wedding was the most welcoming and friendly I have ever been to, partly because everyone who made it knew they were not going anywhere else. It was sad to see so many empty tables in the reception hall but with a smaller group people mingled more than you would normally see. The only easy part of Sunday was getting my car out of the snow. Overnight the wind had blown all the the snow away from the car; all I had to do was scrape off the ice and drive away. It took me all day to make a trip back to Princeton. Under normal weather conditions it would have taken only 4 hours. I did slide into the ditch but only once. I was proud to have had the chance to prove I could still fight a blizzard and take stories of the weather back to Australia where no-one can comprehend what I had just survived.

Adventures in and around Perth

View of Perth skyline from Kings Park

I was fortunate to be able to attend the Australasian Society for Immunology annual meeting in Perth last week. The society is made up of Immunologists from Australia and New Zealand. There were about 600 people it attendance. Perth is the capitol of Western Australia and was a five and a half hour plan ride (probably similar from flying from Seattle to New York) as the countries are similar in size. I have heard people say that Perth is similar to Los Angeles (maybe because of weather and west coast location). Upon arrival in Perth I noted some similarities to LA including palm tree lined streets. Also it has been quite dry for the past three months so that lawns are brown and it lacks the humidity found on the east coast of Australia where I live.Perth is known for its laid back lifestyle and is one of the most remote large cities in the world.  It is not a large city, about 1.6 million, but it is definitely feeling the effects of the mining boom of natural resources in Western Australia. There are cranes everywhere in the central business district or CBD as they refer to the central commercial area. In addition to attending the conference and learning about the great science and big names in immunology here in Australia I had the chance to visit Rottnest Island (18km, ~11miles) off the coast in the Indian Ocean.

One of the bays on Rottnest Island

Rottnest Island was nearly a two hour ferry ride from Perth. First we traveled from Perth which is inland on the Swan River and then from Freemantle on the coast out into the Indian Ocean to the island. It is a car free island, just a bus service and numerous tourists mostly on bicycle. It is a small island 11km long by 5km at its widest spot (~7 x 3 miles). It is actually quite hilly as I was soon to learn biking around the island and was a good work out.

Quokka

The unique animal for which the island is named are Quokkas. They are very small marsupials only a foot tall and were at first mistaken as being rats by Dutch explorers who named the island "rat nest" and that is why it is called Rottnest Island. We were fortunate to see a few Quokkas, first under a tree and then a couple near a picnic area overlooking the ocean. The second ones were not afraid of people and appeared used to being fed and were even petted by some of my travel companions. It was my first experience up close with marsupials in the wild though the ones we were very close to did not seem all that wild.

A smaller quokka

Biking around the island are beautiful turquoise waters, white sands, and remnants of shipwrecks on the coral reefs. Swimming is available at any of the beaches, just hop into the water, and snorkeling can be done on many of them as well. I went for a brief swim and it was quite refreshing.








The water wasn't as warm as my previous visit to the Indian Ocean in South Africa but was nice and the white sand was quite coarse made up of crushed sea shells.

Beach where I went swimming

London Court (pedestrian mall)

The city of Perth itself was nice and clean. It had a good mix of old buildings including churches and government buildings with character and new buildings. The pedestrian malls were busy and it was easy to get around by foot. The malls were decorated for Christmas.

It was at least a twenty minute walk from our hotel to the conference at the convention center each day. I could walk along the Swan River or pass by the parks near the Government House. The green spaces were quite nice.

Government House grounds