The land of Oz

"Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas any more." 

Like Dorothy I find myself in a world that is very different from the one I was in just a few weeks ago. I know that in reality we all are. Unlike Dorothy I don't have my faithful dog and only two of the three companions, but I'm not too sure which ones they are!

So far I have had three flights cancelled, and the Yellow Brick Road seems to be taking me in circles, I'm nowhere near getting help from the fabled Wizard, the British High Commission in Canberra. Currently it is more like the Munchkins. 

I am one of the lucky ones, yes I am currently stuck, but I have a roof over my head, good food and pleasant company. There are many more who have left their accommodation only to find their flights cancelled as transit airports suddenly closed. People who gave up jobs because they were told by the British government to come home now, even though the flights were already doomed. 

Life outside is treacherous, covid-19 hangs in the air like the Wicked Witch's flying monkeys. The solution is of course water, well soap and water, and plenty of it for at least 20 seconds. 

Hopefully one day soon I'll find my ruby slippers, click my heels three times, and say "there's no place like home."

A land of dragons.

On Saturday, after all our state hopping, Dave drove us up to Tamborine Mountain. Much of the subtropical rainforest was cleared for agriculture, human settlement and logging, but some remains and some has been replanted. 

We first stopped off at Gallery Walk, a street filled with cafes, souvenir shops, distilleries and craft shops. After walking down the one side of the street we crossed over and walked back up the other, stopping off for a cream tea. It was in the gardens of the cafe that I spotted a species of fern that Lynne said was a elk fern (Platycerium bifurcatum), just one of many plants I saw.

After our cream tea we set off for the Tamborine Mountain Botanic Gardens, where we walked through the a rainforest garden, saw a couple of lizards having a fight and found a sculpture by Matt Bird, somthing that Lynne found hysterical.

We then set off for Curtis Falls, in the Tamborine National Park. The walk down to the falls was amazing. The tall straight trees growing ever upwards in an attempt to reach the sun. The forest full of the sounds of birds. The strangler figs in particular were very impressive.

After our walk back up the hill and a cool drink we set off for The Glow Worm Caves.

As I was about to walk down the path a great big metre (well maybe not quite) long lizard ran across the path in front of me. I shouted out in surprise, but by the time I got my camera out it had disappeared into the bushes. I did however get to take some photos of some juvenile Eastern water dragons. 

The glow worm cave was truly beautiful, like a million stars twinkling in the night sky, they didn't fail to please. The project had originally collected 300 glow worms from the forest and the colony is now nearly 10,000. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend a trip to the caves.

Two days, three states.

On Thursday we travelled to the Gold Coast in Queensland. Looking out of the window as we flew there was very little to see other than a patchwork of fields and trees that followed the path of water. So much space without towns or cities.

As we approached the Gold Coast Airport it became clear (or more precisely not clear) that the Sunshine State wasn't feeling very sunny, maybe it had heard about the coronavirus. 

 As we landed the heavens opened, we had been expecting sunshine, so none of us had thought to bring a coat and my showerproof jacket was in my case. As we walked across the tarmac we got a bit wet and it turned out so did my case. It must have been on top of the pile as the rain had managed to make the contents slightly damp!

We drove down to Surfer's Paradise to have lunch . I retrieved my jacket from my case and Lynne found out her fleece, but Dave braved it in shirt sleeves. We managed to get to the place we were eating without getting too wet as the showers came and went. After eating the story was a very different one, at that point the shower became torrential rain with a wind to match. Dave popped into a shop to buy and umbrella, which instant turned itself inside out. We tried walking back to the car, but the wind was so strong we had to take shelter in the protection of a hotel lobby. Eventually as the rain showed no signs of abating we decided to just go for it, by the time we got back to the car poor Dave looked as if he had showered with his clothes on. Luckily there was a dryer where we were staying. 

On Friday I set out early (5:45) to make my way on public transport to the kayaking and snorkelling trip I had booked. Although the rain had stopped there was still quite a breeze and the sea was slightly choppy so we were driven further up the coast where the waters were slightly calmer and we were closer to Wave Break Island. We kayaked over to the island, but it was a real struggle for me in my one person kayak, trying to keep up with the twenty-something couples in the other three. The currents were too strong and so the second island was cut from the trip, even the strongest pair couldn't make headway. It didn't really matter to me, it was the snorkelling that really interested me. 

In the afternoon Dave drove us down the coast to New South Wales to Cabarita Beach and on the way I stood next to The Centenary of Federation State Border marker that stands on Border Drive to prove I had been in two states at the same time. 

 As we drove back in the twilight I look out of the window to see bats, well actually flying foxes. I was amazed by their size, as I said to Lynne, in the UK we have flying mice, in Australia they have flying cats!

 

Safely arrived - check.

I'm a day late, but I am happy to report I arrived safely. The journey from Birmingham to Dubai was very pleasant and I watched both Last Christmas and Yesterday during the eight hour flight. I was lucky enough to have a row of three seats to myself and so I was able to lie down and snooze. I didn't fall into a deep sleep, but the power naps seemed to help the time pass quickly.

The journey from Dubai however wasn't quite so pleasant. It all started very badly when I realised too late that I had lost Tall's watch. I had had it made smaller so I could wear it so was wearing it when I came to security. I was told to take it off and put it in the tray, which I did and then in the rush created by the person on security I thought I had picked it up and put it in my back pack. It was only later that I realised I hadn't. As Tall would have said, there's no point crying over spilt milk, so I have taken it on the chin, but it is strange not having the weight around my wrist.

That was followed by a flight that was delayed by practically the last person on the plane who almost instantly informed the steward he had left his jacket in the airport. Ground staff were called, but no jacket was evident, he spoke to them himself and then after that he went back to his seat, grabbed his bag and left the plane. This caused the staff to have to do a security check, all the overhead lockers had to be checked in case he had left a bomb behind. It took so long that the man had time to get his jacket and return to the flight! Personally I would have been tempted to shut the doors and refuse him boarding. 

The long thirteen hours flight wasn't nice, not helped by the fact I had a seat on the last row before the galley. The constant chatter from two particular members of the crew could be heard over the sound from the film I was trying to watch, spoiling it. The space behind my seat was used for the second half of the journey as a place for people to stretch their legs, something I did myself so I do understand, but their chatter became annoying. The person in front had their seat reclined from the moment the take off was completed until we came to land, I had to eat at a very strange angle, his seat angled over the tray. The final straw was the fact that as the last seat I was constantly ignored by staff, their eyes on the prize of getting back to the galley I was left without drinks and with my food tray uncollected. In the end I had to go to the galley and ask for drinks and return my own rubbish. I just hope the flight back is less eventful!

Tomorrow I'm off to the Gold Coast, and I will fill you all in on my adventures when I get back. I'll leave you all with a photograph of Freddo's Australian cousin, though he is here too. 

Check-in, check.

Well I've completed the online check-in. Clueless as to which seats are the best, I just let the airline assign me a seat. I have an aisle seat for the first leg, but am stuck between two people on the second leg, there were no aisle seats left to Melbourne.Luckily I am short, I don't need the leg room that Tall did, so fingers crossed, all should be okay. 

The butterflies in my stomach / nervousness is starting to keep me awake at night, hopefully that means once I am on the plane, sleep will come easily.  

 

Ready.....

Apart from essential items like my phone charger and my laptop I am now packed. My stomach fills with butterflies whenever I think about Sunday. Only a few days to go.