Howdy from tropical Far North Queensland!

From West Coast to East Coast! Leaving gorgeous Western Australia was certainly hard to do, but we found the perfect antidote: Queensland! I really did expect to be blown away by the jungles, beaches, and of course the barrier reef... and I was in no way disappointed! We arrived smack in the middle of a rainstorm in Cairns, which is typical for this time of year... The locals wasted no time in telling us that we had arrived during the height of cyclone season, which was actually less of a problem than it might sound, as rainfalls were low for this time of year and the actual monsoon was taking it's sweet time to arrive... We managed to get in and out again before it actually hit!

After renting our little car at the airport, we headed straight for Turtle Cove, our super-swish little resort hotel, located on an isolated private beach about 20km south of Port Douglas... From the room to the fantastic restaurant, the giant pool to the white sand beach, everything was absolutely immaculate... I can see why this place was named the worldwide gay and lesbian resort of the year in 2005! We ended up meeting a great group of Aussies at the resort and instantly found ourselves with a dozen new drinking buddies and lots of fun poolside conversation!

On our first full day in Queensland, we joined a snorkel and scuba cruise out to the far edge of the Great Barrier Reef, to a secluded reef system called Opal Cay... I was in absolute heaven with my mask and flippers, cruising around the huge and beautiful coral reefs... This was by far the best snorkeling experience I've ever had! We anchored twice during the day out along the reef, allowing us several hours at each stop to just chill out and float around in amazement... I was so proud of Paul, that despite his fears and reservations about the ocean, he ended up spending just as much time in the water as I did! We we able to spot several stingrays and even one small (and harmless) reef shark, not to mention the vast array of tropical fish in every size and color. Fantastic! The excitement I get from snorkeling in the ocean is such an adreneline rush, unlike anything else... am I becoming a fanatic?

We also had a chance to visit a great wildlife sanctuary for rescued animals, where we had another chance to feed the kangaroos, chill with the crocodiles, and do some seriously cool bird watching... Did you know that over 80% of Australia's wildlife exists only here and no where else on the planet?

The rest of our time in Queensland was just spent bumming around the gorgeous little town of Port Douglas, which is far less touristy and populated than Cairns, and hanging out poolside at the resort... 6 days was just not enough! More than a few times Paul and I made jokes with each other about how we might arrange a more permanent move to tropical Queensland... We were just having fun at the time, but who knows... many a truth is said in jest! Maybe one day...

More soon from Sydney! X Jason

Welcome to Perth!

Hello from the glittering urban south bank of the Swan River... It is Monday evening, and Paul and I are preparing for our trip tomorrow to the opposite end of the continent... reflecting on the amazing time we've had here in Western Australia and the new friends we've made during our short visit! The past few days have been a bit of a blur: lots of running around, trying to take it all in, before stuffing our belongings back into the rucksack and boarding yet another flight...

Thanks to our amazing friend Mike in Brighton, who is originally from W.A., we've met some fantastic people here in Perth: on Thursday, our new pal Andrew drove us down to Freemantle, a trendy suburb just south of town, for curry and gelato; Saturday included alfresco dining and a bumping fashionista house party, followed by a drunken tour of Northbridge after dark, with the gorgeous Andy; Sunday night we moved into the fabulous home of our lovely host Brett (complete with a lap pool and stunning views of the city skyline) and enjoyed a 'welcome to Perth' barbeque with several of the coolest guys in the state... These Aussies certainly know how to do hospitality!!! Hopefully, we'll be able to reciprocate one day once we are back on our home turf...

Everything here in Perth has been wonderful: a few days of sunshine (finally!), great food, and such nice people... Only wish we had more time to explore! More soon from Turtle Cove in far north Queensland: I can't wait! x Jason

ps: I almost forgot to mention: we asked at the tourist info if there was anywhere we could go to see some wild kangaroos and the lady looked at us like we asked if they had running water... she told us to check out a golf course just outside of town where we should see some, so I figured one or two... not a pack of about 30!!! It was so cool: we were able to get really close to them before they would hop away... They really do look like HUGE rabbits!

The Western Australian Road Trip

Howdy from OZ! Having a good time so far on our madcap Southwestern Road trip, despite the constant and unrelenting rain... From our arrival in Sydney to the southern most tip of the continent, the rain simply has not stopped... Our photos depict the few moments of sunshine in an otherwise very soggy 10-day trip... During the planning stages of our trip, my mind's images of WA were of sundrenched snorkeling spots and blistering temperatures, so obviously a bit disappointed with the persistent downpour! The locals, however, are ecstatic: the entire area is still suffering from a seven year drought.

The last time Paul and I toured the "southwest" by car it was in the good ol' U.S. of A., but now we are having a very similar experience, yet thousands of miles away on a different continent... The Southwest of Australia reminds me in many ways of our trip across the States: super friendly locals, wide open spaces, small towns divided by vast expanses of highway, huge trees, and finishing our journey at some of the most beautiful beaches we've ever seen, albeit a bit drizzly. The overall feeling so far is very much like Southern California... But in the winter!

After a super soggy New Year's in Sydney, we took off for Perth on 02 January... We jumped right in the car and headed south to the coastal town of Busselton, home to the longest pier in the Southern Hemisphere and some of the cutest, friendliest dolphins anywhere in the world... During our first walk on the beach, we were joined by a couple of dolphins playing in the shallow surf, just a few feet away from us! The entire area is full of things for tourists: aquatic centers, cute cafes, restaurants, outdoor parks... most of which were mysteriously closed (during the height of tourist season)?

On a side note: a major political issue in WA is businesses trading hours, which are very limited at best... The head of regional government here is currently facing stiff opposition from business owners and labor unions over legislation that would deregulate trading hours, allowing businesses to stay open later and trade on Sundays... Shops here are closed by 5pm (even grocery stores!) and restaurants by 8pm!!! Our first night in Busselton, a major tourist town, we struggled to find a place to eat at 8:30pm and we ended up begging the Thai restaurant to serve us, even though the sign said they were closed! Our waitress told us that "the cook is very tired. He has been here since 6pm." I am not kidding. After Buenos Aires, the land of the lingering midnight supper, this has forced us to change our daily routine... One benefit: we are getting up earlier and going to bed by 10pm!

After leaving Busselton, we headed south through the huge forests of Pemberton to the tiny town of Walpole, home to several national parks and the super-cool Valley of the Giants (again drawing parallels to California). The amazing Tingle trees live over 400 years and grow to heights of 150-200 feet... One of the highlights of this area is the Tree Top Walk, which leads tourists across a suspended bridge at the tops of the forest... absolutely stunning! We also stopped by the Ngili Caves, which were a fun underground distraction, not dependent on nice weather.

We were blessed with a brief break in the rain during our day trip to an Alpaca farm and animal refuge, where we fed the Llamas, baby cows, goats, pigs, and kangaroos! The "roos" are so friendly and even tempered... really fun experience! Paul was overjoyed to spend so much time with the animals and didn't want to leave!

We are currently in Albany, a surf town with a laid-back vibe reminiscent of Long Beach or Laguna, California... I am trying not to become depressed and too anxious over the fact that it hasn't stopped raining since we arrived in town, and most of the attractions are outdoor/beach related... I had my heart set on doing some serious snorkeling here, which due to weather conditions, the boat cruises have all been cancelled due to cold waters and no visibility. So we are instead spending (wasting?) our time in this beautiful corner of the world reading papers in the cafes, going to the cinema (I highly recommend both Flushed Away and Happy Feet), and taking drives around the area... We leave tomorrow morning for Perth, where we will stay for 5 nights... The weather forecast is for Perth is looking up, so we may not be totally washed out afterall! Wish us luck!

More soon. x Jason