5 Nights in Honolulu

Lovely days walking the beach, sipping margaritas, eating great Asian food and getting some sleep. The jet lag is always worse going east. We fly in to Albuquerque late tomorrow night and then on to Santa Fe Thursday morning.  It's been a great trip!

Back to the Future

We left Sydney after sharing a couple last drinks in the lounge with Jerry before going through security.  Our plane left Australia at 4:30 pm on Friday, May 12, and arrived in Honolulu at 5:30 am on Friday, May 12. The sunrise was beautiful but we were on the wrong side of the plane. Marg's FitBit watch had its own fit, but we both felt we looked a bit younger upon arrival. We are staying in Waikiki and will rest up and hopefully lessen the jet lag. More later...

Thank You, Ta very much, Muchisimas Gracias, Molte grazie, Terima Kasih!!!!

   

  As we leave this beautiful country, we want to express our love and gratitude to our Australian family for the generosity, hospitality, help and time you  gave to us throughout our time in Oz.

   Sarah and David.... what a gift David made in trusting us to drive several thousand kilometers in his incredible KIA....and on the opposite side of the road!!!  Thank you, dear friends, for our time at The Farm and at Mission Beach. You both are so good to us, and we do count you as family. Sarah....51 years later. How lucky are we?

  To Jerry .... it was so kind of you to come to Sydney, not once, but twice, to meet up with us. And so much fun!!! The week at your place was very, very special. 

 To Janie, thank you for making the trip to WangiLand and for such a relaxing and laid-back time at your place. It was much needed and sooo much fun. Sort of like a stairway to heaven! Can't wait for camping!💕

   To our nephews and nieces....Sean, Lisa, Sam, Sally, Laura, Andy, Dan and Farida....you are beautiful people and incredible cooks! It made us so happy to see how happy you are. We hope we don't wait eight more years before seeing you again!

   And to Layla, Evie, Jamie, Jack, Harry, Max and Flossie...thank you for your laughter, hugs and kisses. It is good for the soul to be with little ones!

     We love a sunburnt country....

Three More Nights in Sydney

After a lovely morning at the Sydney Aquarium,  we met up with Jerry, Dan, Farida and Harry for a two day eating and drinking fest. Korean barbecue, a ferry over to Watson's Bay for lunch at a waterside pub, German beer, Mexican margaritas followed by delicious Lebanese food. Our diets start soon. What a fabulous way to end an incredible trip!

Next stop: Honolulu 

A Morning in Cairns and Back to Sydney

   We left Mission Beach early, and after a two-hour drive, said goodbye to our dear friends David and Sarah (a bit tearfully) in Cairns. Cairns is north of Mission Beach, right on the coast, and one of its sister cities is our very own Scottsdale, AZ! 

   Our flight south was several hours after theirs, so on David's recommendation, we walked the beachfront promenade. We passed a gorgeous heritage building  turned into a shopping mall and conference center called Bolands.  How could that not be fabulous???  (Shout out to all Marg's Boland family!)  This little jaunt was much nicer than an airport sit, and we saw shore birds, more incredible FREE community pools and landed at Prawn Stars. Yes, you read that right.  Prawn Stars. Several fishing boats tied together in the harbor formed a floating restaurant with fresh seafood.  We shared some cold sauv blanc and a dozen salty, sweet oysters and said good-bye to Australia's tropics. 

Drive time to Cairns: 1 hour 50 minutes

Distance: 90 miles

Flight time to Sydney: 3 hours

Air Distance: 1222 miles

Four Nights at Mission Beach

The Big Drive stastistics.....

Distance from Townsville to Mission Beach = 147.3 miles

Driving time to Mission Beach = 3 hours 

Total Driving Distance:  2494.3 miles 

Total Driving Time:  53 hours

   We've spent four nights and three days in yet another Australian bit of paradise.  We are in the North Queensland Tropics...hot, humid and steamy. Yet, at this time of year, there is no need for

air conditioning as the lovely ocean winds and the ceiling fans keep everything cool and comfortable.  The house is right on the beach with a trail alongside into the small beach town nearby, and has an inviting lap pool for some serious exercise or a sandless cool-down. David and Sarah have created a lovely, welcoming and comfortable beach home, and we are  grateful for their hospitality. 

   Beach walks, rainforest hikes, shell collecting, dinner or breakfast coffee with their friends and neighbors, a bar-b-q and champagne to celebrate or giggle at the coronation, and an ocean swim between the stinger nets while watching red-tailed black cockatoos.....what a fabulous way to end the Big Drive!

   The only piece of the Queensland Tropics that alluded us was the cassowary....that huge, dinosaur-like, non-flying bird that roams the rainforest here. Signs warning drivers of their presence are everywhere, but these birds were shy this week. Next time..... Photo thanks to the Queensland park service.

Next stop: Cairns and back to Sydney 

We Made It!!!! Townsville to Mission Beach

   The Big Drive is over. We arrived at Mission Beach this afternoon.....details to follow!

Airlie Beach to Townsville

 

 We are closing in on Mission Beach.  Tonight is our last night on the road.  We are in Townsville which is a larger coastal city of over 180,000. We can see Magnetic Island from our hotel balcony and we are parallel to the Barrier Reef.  Townsville has many heritage buildings as well as a beautiful waterfront made for people to enjoy with pools, exercise parks, beach, walking tracks, and beautiful park lands. We spent some time at the ANZAC Memorial Park as well as at the tribute to Olympians dating back to 1960.  Townsville has many residents who participated in wars as well as The Games.

Distance: 172 miles.  Time: 3.5 hours

Next stop: Mission Beach 

Airlie Beach

   Airlie Beach is a great little sailing town which is a gateway to the Great Barrier Reef and the Whitsunday Islands. We earned lots of steps just walking around town, stopping for our favorite flat white coffee and wading through the Airlie Lagoon.

   This part of the world, while spectacularly beautiful, has its dangers. Death adders, one of the most venomous snakes in the world, are common in the Whitsundays as are stingers, nasty jellyfish with a killer bite, and warnings are everywhere. If you snorkel, you must wear a head to toe stinger suit. Airlie Lagoon solves that problem for the general public. It's basically a public pool that looks like an actual lagoon with varying depths, lap lanes and sun-shaded areas. People sun bathe on the grass which overlooks the real beach.

   We took a catamaran day cruise through the Whitsunday Islands, part of the Great Barrier Reef National Marine Park, met some delightful Australian couples, watched a beach cricket game and waded through clear ocean water with transparent fish of all sizes. Maybe you can see them in the photo.  We lunched at the Sailing Club and just relaxed in this laid back beach town.

Next stop: Townsville