August 6, 2012
August 6, 2012
After going through customs, we recheck our bags, and meet one of my forty-two cousins in the airport lobby. He works for Peabody Coal and recently moved to Brisbane on a job assignment. He and his wife took the morning off and rode the train out. I was hoping to have a beer with him but since it is 7am here we opt for strong coffee instead. He gives us the lowdown on Australia and how fun it is to work here.
Unfortunately the layover goes by much too quickly and we are back in the air following the coast north to Cairns. I chose a window seat so I could get a good look at Australia’s world famous Great Barrier Reef. We fly over much of its 1600-mile length. Although some claim it is the largest single organism, it clearly is made up of thousands of separate islands and reefs. They are a beautiful brilliant teal color.
Checked in, we head to “downtown” Cairns to walk along the Esplanade, a sidewalk following the ocean. The weather is delightfully warm and sunny with not too much humidity. Cairns isn’t very big, more of an overgrown beach town than a city. Back at the hotel we eat a quick dinner before a very early bedtime.
Finally, almost two days later we have landed in Australia. In Brisbane, on the east coast. Unfortunately it is not our final destination. In three hours we will be back on a plane to head north. Which brings me to my second reason to avoid Australia. It is too big, physically the size of the United States but with a fraction of the population, mostly spread out around the coast. I had initially planned on renting a motorhome and driving around the country. Only in my dreams. I would need six months and several sets of tires. Driving times here are mind-boggling. Imagine wanting to visit New York, Miami, Denver, and Seattle with only a single two-lane road connecting them and you get the magnitude of the problem. So by necessity we are flying everywhere.
After going through customs, we recheck our bags, and meet one of my forty-two cousins in the airport lobby. He works for Peabody Coal and recently moved to Brisbane on a job assignment. He and his wife took the morning off and rode the train out. I was hoping to have a beer with him but since it is 7am here we opt for strong coffee instead. He gives us the lowdown on Australia and how fun it is to work here.
Unfortunately the layover goes by much too quickly and we are back in the air following the coast north to Cairns. I chose a window seat so I could get a good look at Australia’s world famous Great Barrier Reef. We fly over much of its 1600-mile length. Although some claim it is the largest single organism, it clearly is made up of thousands of separate islands and reefs. They are a beautiful brilliant teal color.
After a two-hour flight we land in Cairns. It looks a lot like Hawaii, with sugarcane fields and lush green hills. After getting our luggage, we pick up the rental car. Since Australia is part of the British Empire, the steering column is on the right. I tell Aimee to keep repeating “stay left” whenever we approach intersections. After driving around the tiny parking lot a few times, we head for our hotel. Before leaving home I bought a SD card that adds Australia to our GPS. It works perfectly taking us right to our hotel.
Checked in, we head to “downtown” Cairns to walk along the Esplanade, a sidewalk following the ocean. The weather is delightfully warm and sunny with not too much humidity. Cairns isn’t very big, more of an overgrown beach town than a city. Back at the hotel we eat a quick dinner before a very early bedtime.
posted by Mike and Aimee at 9:20 AM
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