Australia - 2001

Originally written for the Tracks Ahead Website, Barb was able to accompany me for this trip.

A fabulous trip to Australia - a dynamic country, a variety of landscapes, fun people, beautiful scenery.  What wasn't to like?  The trip of a lifetime.

August 30

Well, the day finally arrived. The day in reference is the start of the long awaited trip to the South Pacific. Barb and I, as well as the crew, have been anticipating this trip to see the trains of Australia and New Zealand for as long as we have been traveling on the Tracks Ahead series. We are all a little apprehensive about the journey. I don't know why. Perhaps it is the fact that we have had so long to think about this one. Perhaps it is being away for five weeks, the longest of any trip we have taken. Whatever the reason, we were all on pins and needles. We boarded a Midwest Express flight for Los Angeles, and there met with Jim Peck. I hung around LAX for about five hours, and finally boarded our Air New Zealand flight about 9:30 PM. It isn't often that I get to fly a 747-400, and I had forgotten what a large piece of machinery the aircraft. It almost seems impossible that something so large could actually get into the air. But get into the air it did, and we immediately set our watches to fifteen hours ahead. Dinner was served, and we each tried to curl up as best we could and sleep. The rest of the night was - well, long. The flight was choppy, and it took about fourteen hours to finally arrive in Sydney, Australia. We were a little early, and had to slow down a bit so that we could delay landing until 6 AM, as there is a noise curfew, with huge fines for anyone landing prior to the 6 AM hour.

September 1

So what happened to Friday, August 31^st? We lost it, in flying west, across the International Date Line. We’ll gain it back when we have two October 5^th in about five weeks. We checked in at the Hotel Intercontinental in downtown Sydney, and tried to keep going. The first thing we did was walk down to the wharf (quay) and signed up for a harbor cruise. Sydney is one of the largest, protected harbors in the world, and has 200 plus kilometers of waterfront within the city limits. The shore is quite rocky, with sandstone cliffs. The cliffs offer good protection from the Pacific (The Tasman Sea to be correct) and offer some incredible building sites. Houses are pretty much one atop the other, with steep inclines and spectacular views. The original colony here was anchored in Botany Bay, a bit seaward from Sydney today. The reason it didn’t stay there was a lack of fresh water, which was discovered slightly further inland. The housing was very impressive, although like any housing on the water, expensive. We then wandered around The Rocks area, which was a lot of touristy shops and craft places, close to the waterfront. It was actually pretty neat, and not as commercially tacky as are places like it in the States. And then it was back to the hotel for a nap. Dinner at a local seafood restaurant followed. It was good but expensive. The view is lovely. You see the opera house and the bridge. Pretty cool.

September 2

I slept all night. Soundly. This morning I feel great. We shall see if the feeling persists. While yesterday was cloudy and rainy, today dawned bright and clear. After breakfast, I hired a car and driver, which was less expensive than renting a car and trying to figure out where to go. The driver had ferried a bunch of the people around for the Olympics, so knew all the good spots to hit. We did the Harbor Bridge and the Opera House, and then went and shot a reverse angle from the north side of the harbor. Then it was up on the hills east of downtown, to get a high angle shot. The homes that we saw yesterday were even more spectacular up close. We did a little shooting around the opera house, and then headed off for the central railway station. Security stopped us before we had gone to far, but we were able to do the little background that we needed to cut down on the time for tomorrow's shoot. The Ghan was to leave shortly after 1 PM, so the driver took us out to another station along the line so we could see it go past. We'll ride that train in a week, but not back to Sydney. My impression of Sydney is that it is hillier than I had expected, and very pretty. There are lots of parks and green spaces, and it is an interesting mix of new architecture mixed with older British buildings. In the afternoon we wandered back down to the Rocks area, and just watched the people. It is a lot colder here than I had expected. I'm very glad I didn't plan to wear shorts every day. We are all still suffering from some jet lag, and have a tendency to sort of fade in and out of sleep towards the end of the afternoon. Dinner was at the end of a "rocket" cab ride, which put us into a converted warehouse in Wooloomoola, which is a peninsular area close to downtown Sydney. I want the outside propane heater franchise for the area. It is cold. And then back to hotel, this journal, and bed. Plus I'll watch some Australian TV. It is always fun to see how products are advertised in other countries. Tomorrow is the first train trip. We head all the way across the continent, to Perth, a distance of just under 3,000 miles. If you are unfamiliar with the size of Australia, just picture an upside down United States. Put it in the Southern Hemisphere, so that you go north to get warm, and south to see the cooler areas. It is a bit disconcerting.

September 3

We were up early and headed down to the wharf to sit and have breakfast (brekkie) out among the commuters. The weather was clear but cool. It is rather strange to go from hot days to cools days almost immediately, and to have to go north to hit the beaches and find warmer weather. We wandered off to the Botanical Gardens and did a brief stroll there, before returning to the hotel for checkout. We, along with our mountain of luggage, got to the central railway station about Noon. We shot some material of the Indian Pacific, which will be our home for the next four days. It consists of 27 coaches, and was waiting on two tracks. The railroad personnel greeted us about 1:30, and we were shown to our rooms. The rooms are small, but adequate, with seating for three, two bunks, and a private bath. Right on schedule, at 2:55 PM, the Indian Pacific departed Sydney for it's long journey across the bottom of the Australian continent. We settled in, and shot some material of the Blue Mountains, so called because of the blue oily haze the Eucalyptus trees give off. By the time we got finished with that, night had fallen, and so had we. All tired, we settled in for a dinner of kangaroo, which was quite tasty. It was tender meat, and well served. If the meals to follow are like this one, we shall all gain weight. We were in the late serving, and had a chance to talk with a few of our fellow passengers. We are the only Americans on board, and the rest were mostly Australians on holiday. After dinner, we returned to our rooms to find the bunks made up. We hit the sack. And it hit back, as we encountered a rough night of bad track. But we are off, on our exciting cross continental journey.

September 4

We all had our alarms set for 6:30,which proved to be totally unnecessary, as the train crew woke everyone up at that time. I took a shower, which was pretty cool. It is a like a camper shower, with everything - sink, toilet, storage - all enclosed in one small area. So things fold into the wall, and pop out. Pretty neat! I did not previously mention that I was the cause of the train being about forty-five minutes behind schedule last night. I went to use the toilet, and had no water pressure. I told the attendant, and they had to pull the train off while they fixed the water supply for the whole car. Ah, if not me, then someone else would have asked about it. But we were back on time this morning, and ate breakfast while watching the landscape which is reminiscent of north Texas flash past. Of course, the landscape was dotted with hopping kangaroos and emus. I did try some toast covered with Vegemite, the Australian equivalent to peanut butter. I can't say as I would add it to my must eat list, but it wasn't as bad as I had been lead believe. We stopped at Broken Hill, which is considered to be the doorway to the outback. Of the 18 million or so who live in Australia, the vast majority live on the coasts. Only about 500,000 live in the interior, away from the coastline. Broken Hill was noted for silver and zinc mining, as well the home of the Royal Australian Flying Doctors, who perform up to 20,000 emergency flights to outback residents each year. They service an area larger than Texas, England, Germany and Japan combined. The mines have closed, and the town is trying for more tourism. The land is sagebrush covered and with some rolling hills. We were able to get an overview of the train from the Miner's Memorial Museum, which bore chilling reminders of just how dangerous a profession is mining. The semi arid land gave way to vast tracts of agriculture, going to a horizon that seemed impossibly far away. It is green and endless, with huge farms. From the air, the train must look like a silver arrow cutting across the landscape. We are all tired. John is shooting some running footage to cover this portion, and then that's it for today. I'm doing computer work, and trying to capture the scope of this place. We all sort of zoned out on things after a while. We pulled into Adelaide late in the afternoon. I made some calls on the mobile phone to rent a car for our return next week. It was rather strange to call across town by calling through Switzerland, but that is the way it works with this thing. The train was refueled and rewatered, and at 6:30 we were off once again. Dinner was early, and afterward we sat and talked again with some of the passengers. We arrived back at our cabins to find the beds turned down, so it seemed a perfect opportunity to hit the sheets. Sleeping this night was much better until we hit a rough section of track about 3:30 AM. Then it was hit or miss until wakeup at 6 AM.

September 5

We awakened to a beautiful terrain of low scrub of blue bush and saltbush, punctuated by stands of multi-trunked Eucalyptus trees. The ground was a deep red, and gently rolling. There were hopping kangaroos, as well as an occasional Emu. John shot some of the terrain after breakfast, and then we entered the Nullarbor Plain, which is one of the most remarkable landscapes on earth. It is a vast (250,000 square kilometers) salt plateau, which extends for just less than 700 kilometers and is covered by nothing but saltbush and blue bush. As you might expect from the name, there are no trees, and one can see forever. We stopped in Cook, South Australia, which was once a thriving railroad town of as many as 300 people. The town was officially closed in 1998, and now has a population of 4 - a caretaker, his wife and two children. The town is still a vital refueling stop for trains traversing the longest straight stretch of track in the world, which is about 478 kilometers. The stars must be simply incredible here at night. The Nullarbor is vast, and you can look to the horizon in any direction and see - nothing. The British tested some nuclear weapons here back in the 1950's, and no one ever knew about it. It is remote. And yet we watched the wedge tailed eagles fly over the landscape, and kangaroos and an occasional dingo as the train cut a path across the endless land. I also forgot to mention that Australia has more camels running around than any other land. John and Gail got up into the locomotive cab after lunch, and were treated to about an hours ride. We shot some of the coach car, and will do a few interviews with passengers once they get back to the lounge car. We continued our dash across the plain, and soon began to see more trees start to appear. The track also started to gently curve, indicating that we had left the Nullarbor. Around dinnertime, we grabbed a few of the passengers we had met, and talked briefly with them about their impressions of the train and the land. We talked to Australians, as many of the people on the train were there for the first time. The train rolled into Kalgoorlie, a mining town in the state of Western Australia in the early evening. Once we had stopped, we talked with the service manager, Jackie Pampling. We opted not to go on the package off train tour, figuring that the gold mine would be pretty lifeless in the dark (it was) and that the downtown would be pretty dead (which it also was). So, with the interviews completed, we walked through the closed and shuttered downtown, and then headed back to train and went to bed. It was strange to slip beneath the sheets in my berth, without the rocking and swaying of the train. I actually had some trouble getting to sleep.

September 6

It turns out that all of us really didn't want to get up this morning. It was so cozy and secure in our little berths. But get up we did, and found ourselves greeted with the old Tracks Ahead curse - rain. It did make for some beautiful rainbows over a verdant rolling landscape. The view from the windows was so different from the flat scrubland of yesterday. The train pulled into Perth, Western Australia, at about 9:30, in a driving rainstorm. After collecting our luggage, we had a long wait for a series of taxi's to take us to the hotel. Perth has a population of about one and a half million, and is associated with the Port of Fremantle. We were able to get into our rooms, and set out to shoot the conclusion to the Indian Pacific story. We first shot from Kings Park, and lovely green space on the top of a hill overlooking the city and the Swan River. There were some school children there from Nargoole, a town about three hours away. They were a rambunctious, inquisitive, yet well-mannered group, who wanted us to come look at the young Kookaburra, the national bird. Unfortunately, the bird had other ideas, and took off as soon as the camera appeared. Barb started to sing "Kookaburra, kookaburra sits in the high gum tree..."  The girls were amazed that she would know the song.  So that was a good conversation starter.  Then it was off to Fremantle, with a stiff wind, making the day seem very much like an April day in Wisconsin. There were windsurfers having a great time in the surf, along the strand, and we grabbed some footage before heading off to the hotel. The Indian Pacific story is almost complete, lacking a single passing shot, which we shall try to get tomorrow. The rain let up for periods of blue sky mixed with gray. We found a hire driver, along with a maxi-cab, so we have some transport for tomorrow as well. Perth is nice, with red tiled roofs on houses that front on million dollar views. It is quieter than Sydney, and has been described as "the Minneapolis of Australia." We are off for dinner, probably back in the Fremantle area. Later. We took cabs down to the Fremantle area, to a place to the Little Creatures Brewery. This was a quite a surprise, as the Tracks Ahead crew hardly ever frequents these places. (Ha!) Australia, except for the hotels, appears to have no central heat. All over we have seen the standup propane radiant heaters, and this was no exception. With temperatures in the low teens (Celsius) down to mid single digits, we have been freezing. I'd buy a sweatshirt, but can't find one. We opted not to eat at the Brewery, but went next door to a place that looked like the Denny's of seafood restaurants. The food was anything but! All our meals were first rate. It seems strange to be so far away from home, yet having everything seem so familiar. There is no sense of foreign to the place. Everyone speaks English, of course, and while the prices seem high at first glance, they are comparable with US prices, adjusted for the US dollar conversion. So automobiles are advertised at $50,000 which is roughly in the mid $20s, US. Gas is about the same at about 96 Australian cents per liter, roughly four dollars per gallon, or about two dollars US. Many cars are converting to LPG, which is about half the cost. On high use vehicles, the conversion pays for itself in about a year.

September 7

The day dawned party cloudy with rain again predicted. The residents need the rain, as it has been unusually dry and warm for about the last ten years. We hooked up with Drew, our driver, at about 10 AM. He took us east of town, so that we could set up for a shot of the Indian Pacific leaving Perth heading back east. We found a nice shot of the tracks crossing over a river with the still water in the foreground. As it was somewhat rustic, we saw a few green and gold parrots, as well as cockatoos flying and roosting in the trees. The train arrived right on schedule; we got the shot, and headed back to the hotel. John took off for a tour of the mint, and Gail and Jim and I went out to the ocean and the Western Australian Aquarium. The place was pretty interesting; with a special underwater walk through a giant shark tank. The Plexiglas tube was quite thick, and the signs indicated that the fish we were seeing were reduced in size to 1/3. That being the case, the rays and the sharks were really, really big. We took a cab back downtown, with Abdul the Grumpy, and then took the ferry across to South Perth and had dinner at a very nice restaurant, which overlooked the skyline of the city. Perth is quite an attractive town, with a very laid back atmosphere. I'd like to spend more time here, even to the extent of renting someplace for a couple of months. Everyone we have talked to has been very open and friendly, and I haven't heard one bad thing about the area. It is a little strange to think that Singapore is actually closer than Sydney, but I suppose you get used to that. Now it is time to repack, and get ready for the early air flight tomorrow. One segment is complete; we have six more to go. But I really would like to spend more time here in Perth. I hope I can return in the near future.

September 8

We were up and out of the hotel by 6 AM this morning. True to his word, Drew, our driver, was on time and got us to the airport in plenty of time. We hopped on the plane to Ayers Rock, but not before a quick bite to eat in the airport. Interestingly, every place we have eaten - fast food, whatever, has featured real flatware and plates. No throwaway utensils and things were to be seen. And it certainly shows in the lack of litter. We all pray that plastic grocery bags never appear here. Ayers Rock is actually a series of resorts around the Uluru National Park. The sandstone monolith, which is called Urulu by the natives, and Ayers Rock by the rest of the world, was deeded back to the Aborigines a few years back. Part of the package was that the government could run the tours and park. We checked in at our hotel and were almost immediately on a tour to the rocks domes known as The Olgas (Kata Tjuda). I hiked back into the canyon, which was kind of neat, but that is about all I can say for it. The surrounding desert is presently in full bloom. We are among only a hand full of people worldwide who have ever seen the desert in this condition, as there has been an abundance of rainfall in the last three years. So there are blooming flowers and covering grasses. Normally this is just flat red sand. The area is called the Red Center, and it is easy to see why. Our tour guide regaled us with tales of what the natives ate (eat) and the desert flora and fauna. It was all pretty interesting. As an example, I give you the desert oak, which really isn't an oak at all. It was so named because the early explorers were looking for things that reminded them of home. It lives about 800 years, and while still a juvenile for the first 50 years or so, sinks it's roots deep into the soil. Then it starts to spread its branches. The root system can be up to five times its height. We watched the sun set on Uluru, which was just OK. The impact is lessened by the hundreds of tour buses, kids that pay no attention, the laughing, the chattering, and the general irreverence that goes with any large group of people. Rather than just sit quietly and experience things, people feel that they have to "improve" the experience. It is quite disheartening. On the plus side, once we got back to the hotel, we were able to get away from the light and see the stars. They are magnificent. The Southern Cross is easy to spot, as is Scorpio, which I think is only a southern hemisphere constellation. But they are sharp, and clear, and bright as diamonds, scattered in the heavens. Tomorrow will be early for the sunrise.

September 9

The hour of 4:45 AM dawned dark. We all stumbled out to the lobby to be picked up by the bus. And we were then trundled off to the sunrise viewing area. Along with a gazillion other tourists. Normally sunrises are rather majestic. Watching them at the Grand Canyon or anyplace else, the audience is pretty quiet. Such was not the case here. There were to many people, all talking and carrying on to make it much of a worthwhile event. We had been told before we came that, "Ayers Rock? It's just a big - well, rock." Sadly, I would have to agree. I'm glad I came to see this. But the number of other people seeing it detracts from the overall experience. The bus driver agreed, saying that the number of people arriving has been steadily increasing. Add the helicopter and fixed wing traffic and what little solitude there is to be found is interrupted by the slap of rotor blades and the drone of engines. But with only one sunrise and one sunset per day, it is going to make it difficult to manage. On the plus side, we did stay on the bus for two short walking tours, with the driver as the expert. They were informative and well done, with walks to the base of the rock, some cave paintings, and some historical perspective. If you got away from the crowds, and just stood and listened and experienced the environment, it was pretty easy to see how awe-inspiring the place could be. Because for miles around - as far as the eye can see - there is nothing but desert. The Aborigines had no written language until just recently, so all generational knowledge was passed down in the form of proverbs and stories. There was more on this at the cultural center, which we visited before getting back to the hotel about 11 AM. We are all planning on taking naps. Later. We all just lounged around the pool drinking a few Boages in the process. The weather is perfect. The temperature must be around 21, with a light breeze. Afternoon eventually turned to evening, and we got ready for part of the package that allowed us to be here in the first place. That was the "Sounds of Silence" Dinner. A tour company picks you up and takes you out to a desert location in about groups of 16. There is a barbeque dinner, champagne, wine, and stargazing. Because the groups are so scattered, you really do get a sense of the serenity and isolation of the desert. The sun drops, every one toasts, and the dinner is served. The Mains (Entrées) were chicken, kangaroo, emu sausage, barramundi (fish), and lamb. Everything was delicious, except that the saltiness of the sausage would later cause everyone to drink gallons of water. While there was some cloud cover, the stargazing was spectacular, with shooting stars, and most of the southern constellations easily visible. I don't remember ever seeing Scorpio quite so clearly. The Southern Cross was easily seen, and the attendant showed how to use the pointers as defined by the Crux constellation and the right angle line to the Centauries to be able to find the south pole. It was pretty cool. And it really was quiet. If everyone was still, you could hear the sounds of the night desert. Soon, however, it was back to the hotel and bed. The next week promises to be a long one.

September 10 

The day dawned with rain. It also dawned after many trips during the night for water. That Emu sausage was way to salty! Eventually, we boarded the bus, and headed for Alice Springs. We chased the rain all the way. The land is empty. It is reminiscent of North Texas, with the flat lands giving way to gently rolling hills. But it does get hot. The cab driver in Alice Springs said that generally in January and February the temperature was at least in the low 40's for 28 days out of each month. Then it starts to cool to the high 30's. That is hot! We stopped at a couple of truck stops along the way. They resembled truck stops the world over, except here they have to service road trains, which are full-length triples and quads. And they had parrots. We arrived in Alice Springs slightly after 7 PM, and headed to the Overlander Steak House for dinner. The food was good but the service was abysmal. Plus it was a tourist trap. And that, dear reader, was pretty much it for the day. Nothing exciting, with the exception that I finished my book and am now starting a new one. So far, I have found Australia to be a wonderful place. The land and people are open; there is space to breath, and a sense of civility in a harsh land. Further exposure over the next two weeks may prove otherwise, but time will tell. My initial impression is highly favorable. Tomorrow we are back on the train. This time, we board the Ghan for the trip to Adelaide.

September 11

We started the day by exploring the downtown of Alice Springs. It is the jumping off point for a lot of tours to Ayers Rock, and as such was extremely touristy. Frankly, I was not very impressed. It was devoted to trinkets and souvenirs, although there were one or two high-end galleries of very nice Aboriginal art. There was nothing to interest me, although Jim and Gail both purchased didgeridoos and had them shipped home. They are pretty, but what would I ever do with such a thing? We headed for the station, and our trip to Adelaide on the Ghan. The train is so named because of the Afghan drivers and camels that made the trip to the Red Center before the advent of the train. A narrow gauge rail line was completed back in the 1930's, but was so prone to washouts, breakdown, and the like that it became legendary in it's late arrival. And we aren't talking hours, here, or even days. Some times it was months before the train got in. The early ties (sleepers) were wood, and the termites would eat them, thus loosening the rails. The story goes of a train that was halted about 30 miles short of Alice. The conductor was approached by a very pregnant young lady who asked how much longer it was going to be before the train got in, as she was about due to give birth. The conductor said he really didn't know, and said to the young lady, "You really shouldn't have undertaken this trip in the condition you are in." Whereupon the lady said, "Sir, I assume you. I was not in this condition when the trip started!" The train is just like the Indian Pacific in makeup; although the IP's passenger consist was primarily Australians on holiday. The Ghan was tourists. As a sidebar, the Qantas flight from Ayers Rock got cancelled. One set of tourists (from Texas) had to charter a plane to make the train departure time. The engine was painted up in an Aboriginal art scheme, and was rather striking. We rolled out on time, through small hills and lots of red soil and scrub. John and Gail did a great job getting all the train footage, while Jim and I pretty much stayed out of the way. We managed to get the fullest of interviews after the third dinner seating, so it was 10:30 or so before we finished.

September 12

After a rough night on the rails, we were awakened with the news of the New York terrorist attacks. It put a damper on the day. The train continued its path through lush farming country, and into Keswick Station in Adelaide. I was taken to the airport, where my rental 12 passenger minibus was waiting, and I managed to drive back to the station without running over anything. We did have some problems getting to the hotel, as we were on the wrong side of the street, and thwarted by a shopping mall area. Eventually, though, we were able to get settled. John and Gail went off and shot some of the town, and Jim and I met with the Barossa Wine Train folks over tomorrow's trip. And that was about it for today. It is easy to see why Americans love Australia. It is really like the US about 40 years ago.

September 13

I couldn't sleep last night. It must have been the day's events. At any rate, I got up about 6 AM and went down to breakfast. The news of the Trade Tower attacks just goes on and on. The Australians have offered condolences and have all pretty much said that the acts were deplorable. And everyone is waiting to see what the US will do. And that they had better do something. The crew got on the train at 8:15 or so, and I drove the van out to Tanunda to meet them. Adelaide does have a lot of old churches, and the public buildings (like the parliament building) are official looking. The ride out on the A20 looked just like 76th street, with tons of car dealerships. But I did arrive in good time at the Tanunda station. The station turned out to be the location for a local FM radio station, and the trains just used the platform to transfer the passengers to buses. Jim got some on board interviews, and then we all headed up to Anguston where the train was going to park all day. The VIPs on board turned out to be headed by Mortimer Fuller, who is the owner of the South Australian Railroad, based in Arlington, Illinois, and a friend of my friend, John Gohmann. Small world! The Barossa Valley was very pretty. Germans settled it, as it resembled their homeland. It is full of rolling hills and lots and lots of vineyards. Some of the vines were as old as 150 years, and still producing. We had lunch at a winery (German meal, of course) and then shot material in the area. The sales manager, Todd Miles, was a nice chap, having been back in Adelaide for only four months, after serving a stint in Canada. He showed us some great lookout spots, one of which was Mengles Lookout, which offered a sweeping view of the valley. We grabbed a shot of the rain as it departed Tanunda, and then did a chase for two more shots. The train itself is called a Blue Bird, and based on the Budd RDC design. It has two under-carriage Cummins diesel engines, coupled by automatic transmission and drive shaft to a single axle on each truck. The only appearance difference is that the high mounted Budd radiator blisters, are mounted below the roofline. So the cars don't have the "dome car" appearance. Our drive back into Adelaide was uneventful, but driving on the left requires a great deal of concentration for this driver. Of particular note were the fields of yellow, that would pop up every now and then. They are fields of canola. Back to the room, out for a delicious dinner of Thai food, and then back to do these notes. Tomorrow we are off for Melbourne. I wonder what the airport security will be like.

September 14

We were awakened this morning with the news that Ansett Australia has been shut down. This is the second major airline in Australia, and made things at the airport quite hectic. Unlike the US, everyone was quiet and understanding. Qantas was passing out snacks and tea to people waiting in line. There was no pushing or "I've got an important meeting in someplace and you have to get me on that plane!" sort of thing. We got out and in to Melbourne, and found a clean modern city. There was some protest at the parliament building or something, but we didn't get close enough to see what the deal was. They have trolleys here, and gee, light rail right up the center of the freeways and major boulevards. It's an idea that definitely won't work. They also have a quaint little thing called a "hook" turn. It seems that (in downtown) if you have to turn right, you are to pull all the way left, let the traffic pass you, and then turn right. Sounds dangerous but people said that you just get used to it. After much driving around, we finally found the hotel, which was buried on a side street. It's a nice place, but tough to find. I may have forgotten to mention that cameras monitor red light running and speeding, and they just mail you the ticket. And not just you, but the owner of the car. Think that this has caused some marital disputes? Plus the freeways are all toll, but they have overhead sensors that read each car as you zip past in all lanes at 100 kph. There is no toll lane or slowing. If you haven't activated a toll pass, you have 24 hours to do so or they send you a $100 fine. If you don't want to pay, then you stay off the toll way. Pretty neat. Jim and I went out to the Puffing Billy Railroad in Belgrave, which is about an hours drive. It is probably the most photographed steam operation in Australia, but we couldn't come over here and not see it. The shooting sites are all pretty well defined. Tomorrow will be busy. Driving on the left requires a lot of concentration. It is OK, once you get used to it, but you really have to pay attention - especially in big city traffic. We had dinner in the hotel at Radii, which we read someplace was voted the Best New Restaurant in Australia. It was easy to see why.

September 15

We were up and out at 8 AM, and headed back out to Belgrave through light traffic. We hooked up with David Eaton, the Marketing manager for the Puffing Billy Railway. It turns out that the railroad was named for a steam enthusiast named William who built the railway in 1900. Hence the name Puffing Bully. It is a narrow gauge line, which still connects Belgrave with Gembrook and has never made a penny. It was run on government subsidy until the 1950s. A landslide closed the line and the government divested themselves of it. A preservation society, under government auspices, took it over. They now entertain about 350 - 400,000+ visitors per year. It's a pretty neat little line, running old Baldwin designed tank locos, and open and closed British style carriages. There are a lot of wooden trestles and snaking track. The vistas are great, and the line winds through eucalyptus trees and daffodil farms. The volunteers were very helpful, and we had a grand time. There is a small museum up at Menzies Crossing, and picnic grounds at Emerald Lake. Locals still use the line to travel between towns, as well as the hordes of tourists. We got a rare treat - several Kookaburras. They are quite strange sounding until you realize what the noise happens to be. There is also an abundance of parrots and cockatoos, which makes one realize just how dull the North American birds appear. Fortunately, I was able to get a shot - although at a distance - of a pair of Kookaburras sitting in a tree. Their laugh is unnerving the first time you hear it. We had a driver, Hugh, who took us around, and helped get to the decent shooting locations. Truthfully, so many film crews have shot this line that it is almost a case of "set the tripod up here." Hugh told of one film crew who had a crane shot set up at a bridge. However, they forgot to balance the crane for the weight of the camera, so when the train came along, it just smashed the camera. We finished in pretty good order, as they had three trains running, and drove back into Melbourne. Everyone was lusting for a hamburger and a beer, so we ended up walking over to a place called the Elephant and Wheelbarrow, which was great. Lots of beer, good stories, great people watching, back to bed. Hard to believe that the month of September is half gone.

September 16

It is probably just as well that we departed early this morning. First, it curtailed our Saturday night partying, and second, the airport was very crowded. But the lines moved along quickly, nobody was obnoxious, we got our seat assignments, and checked in pretty quickly. Much more quickly than I think would have happened in the US. People here are very polite and patient. The children stay with their parents, and while they can be noisy, are generally all well behaved. They seem to be under parental control at all times. It really makes going out rather enjoyable. We got to Brisbane around Noon, and took the usual maxi-taxi into the city. We have been told that Brisbane and Perth are the two laid back places to live. My first impression is favorable. The city is built along the Brisbane River, and has water taxis to take people up and down the river. There are plenty of bridges, trolleys, light and heavy commuter rail. The town was having a street fair, or market, so we just sort of wandered around. These things don't really do much for me. To me it is just a lot of junk. But I guess people like them, as there sure was an ample attendance. I think we will find someplace small for dinner. Tomorrow we start the final segment for Australia.

September 17

The view from the hotel windows was just as spectacular this morning as it was yesterday. To add to the view, a hot air balloon was hovering just across the river. We bundled all our stuff together and headed to the train station via Maxi-Taxi. Our bags seem to pick up weight with each stop we make. There were special instructions for getting to the correct platform for Australia's Orient Express. Caitlin O'Loan, the marketing manager, who was to be our escort for the next three days, greeted us. The train is very much like the one we rode in Zimbabwe several years ago. The undercarriages were refurbished, but the coach bodies were fabricated from scratch about three years ago. The design is very akin to the original Orient Express, with lots of dark and inlaid woods, and period lighting. It is exquisite. All the materials are native to Australia, with the mechanicals updated to current standards. There are two Chairman's cabins, which are each one half of a car, a full double bed, sitting area, and bath. The double staterooms contain a bath with shower, a bench seat, and a single seat. The seats convert to beds, Pullman style. It will be great to lie next to the window and watch the world go past. The whole train is an elegant operation, with a piano bar, and extended open rear deck for viewing, and first class service, food, and beverages. The crew lines up next to the train to greet the passengers as everyone boards. As the train departs, you are greeted by your car steward, served tea, and invited to join the rest of the passengers in the lounge cars. Before you know it, it was time for lunch. Caitlin had a schedule all made up for us, so it was pretty much a no-brainer from our standpoint. We shot the lunch prep, and then a bit of the dinner prep and mock dinner seating. John had bad news after that. The camera has started acting up again. Vibration causes some horizontal flashing. The thing is solid when the camera is on a firm footing, but the train vibration will be troublesome. I called a rental house in Sydney, and they had an HDCam available, but were very reluctant to just send it off to me without a ton of paperwork. We finally settled on a way to rent the unit, but the price was - you ready? - $4,500/day, with no guarantee that I would have the camera by 10 AM the next day. I said, "Thanks, but no thanks." and the guy lost the rental. I then talked to Milwaukee about having another unit sent over. We shall see what happens. Because of the situation in America, our station was reluctant, but was going to see what could be done. So after that little interlude with the train manager's satellite phone, it was back to watching the kangaroos hop along side the train. It was actually pretty neat to look out and see them along the way. They usually appear in groups, called mobs, and are almost have the coloring of a dark seal point Siamese cat. They are prevalent around dawn and dusk, and are hard to spot once the light dims. We have started to run through pineapple plantations and lots and lots of sugar cane. I would not have thought that cane would be such a big crop here in the north. But I guess that's why you travel - to see and learn about new things. An interesting sidebar to the cane growing is that the government doesn't allow the farmers to burn the fields the way they used to do (and still do in Cuba). Apparently they don't want the air pollution. But the further North you go, the more relaxed that restriction becomes. The area is covered with two-foot gauge rail systems, which are used to haul the cane to mills and transfer points. There are just miles and miles of these little cane railroads. They would be fun to explore. And I'll bet you would see a lot of snakes and rats! Finally we settled down for an excellent dinner, fine wines (we were forced to be good guests!), and settled down to bed. There is nothing quite like sleeping on a train, looking out the windows into the darkness. You can see the stars, watch little towns flash past, and just drift off to sleep as the train rocks you along.

September 18

John and Gail departed the train about 7 AM, to find a hired driver and car to take them ahead so they could get runbys. The rest of us were awakened with breakfast in our cabins. The scenery is still sugar cane, with several very large sugar mills. The weather is windy and cloudy, and due to conditions out on he Great Barrier Reef, the planned trip was cancelled. It was just too windy and rough for the helicopter pilots to put down on the train's leased pontoon. We are all highly disappointed, but can certainly understand the difficulties of the weather. Instead, the passengers were bused to a resort area around Proserpine. The weather did clear up, but it was still windy. Helicopter rides were given out to the reef, and though a mix-up, neither Jim nor I was able to go. In order to have the door off for the camera, the passenger load was reduced to two people. So we will have to look at the tape to see what we missed. The rest of the day, we just lounged around the resort. Jim shot a couple of brief stand-ups but that was it, until about PM, when we all climbed back on buses to head back to the train. The passengers consist of people from Australia, some Germans, some Japanese, and some from the UK. I got to talk with an engineer from Sydney, who was a bit of a rail fan. Plus he had a sense of style, being the only one wearing a tux for sinner. The rest of us had to make do with sports coats. It really was kind of nice, with the women dressed up, and the men in ties and jackets. After dinner, we did several more interviews, one with the chef and another with the train manager. Then it was time for just talking to the passengers, watching for 'roos, and sipping wine. One kangaroo was right next to the tracks, just watching the cars go by. Caitlin said that it was a mechanical one that she had specially installed just for this trip. We saw some Emus and lots and lots of stars from the rear platform. The piano player launched into the song "Fernando" bringing back a lot of memories and stories of our trips to Mexico and Cuba. It has been a lovely couple of days. There has been a lot of work, and there is angst about the camera. But the staff and crew of Australia's Orient Express are fantastic. They are making this a memorable journey. Once again, it is off to bed, and the stars outside the window.

September 19

We woke up to the old Tracks Ahead nemesis, rain. It was really raining. But we kept up our schedule. After breakfast we shot a few more interviews, and then packed our gear. At Cairns, we doubled headed the train and started a climb through the MacAlister Range to Kuranda Station, which is at about 1,000 meters. The low cloud cover blew off enough at times so that you could see the climb. There was one spectacular waterfall at Stoney Creek, and then it was time to get off the train. The train trip was over, but not the day, as we boarded SkyRail, which is a cable car operation that runs from Kuranda back down the mountain to Cairns. It crosses over native rain forest, which has not been touched for hundreds of years. You cross right over the jungle canopy. Parrots fly around, and Caitlin said that she once saw a python stalking a bird. The ride has two stops, and we hopped off at the second one for a little walk and talk with a ranger. He told us about some of the native plants, and gave us a nice little tour. Then it was back on the ride for the last three kilometers. The reason for the station, which is the end of one cable section and the start of a new one, is that the bend at that point was so sharp that the construction had to make two separate cable loops. As it was, the bend on the first and longer leg was the sharpest of any cable tramway in the world. John and Gail were in an open maintenance carriage, so they had a clear view of the entire area. Eventually we found ourselves back in the Orient Express platform in Cairns, saying goodbye to Caitlin and the rest of the staff. The train will now run the reverse trip back to Sydney, with a new load of passengers. We, on the other hand, finally obtained our rental van (a diesel bus) and headed north to Port Douglas, and the Raddison Treetops Resort. The road was pretty winding, and it took me about an hour to get there. Bear in mind that this is all left hand driving, with a manual transmission. We got checked in, and almost immediately headed down town to a place called Salsa for dinner. I had pasta with yabbies, which are a localized crayfish, and quite delicious. The conversation mainly centered on whether we wanted to charter a boat to get in a half day at the Reef, or whether to skip it due to time constraints. It is really to bad that we couldn't get the reef experience in yesterday. I guess this means we will just have to come back. After dinner and a cursory look about the town, we continued the day with ample amounts of Four X (XXXX) beer at the hotel. We are all tired, and it is probably a good thing that last call was 11:30.

September 20

It is a good thing that last call at the bar was 11:30. We are all a little ragged this morning. I did manage to get up early enough to get all of the washers and dryers in my building. So I now have clean clothes once again. This should hold me until I get back to Milwaukee. We drove down town into Port Douglas and got some boxes so that we could ship some stuff home. My stuff consisted of about 15 kilos, all of which I have been carrying around for the last three weeks. Those info packets really mount up. Other than that, the look about the town took about an hour. The locals told us that tourism is really down. It was down before all the American troubles, but now that, coupled with the Ansett problems, has really taken a toll on business. I walked down to the beach, just so I could say that I had put my feet in the Coral Sea. The beach was clean, and deserted. It was unlike the American beaches. There was no close housing, no litter, and no hotels. It was quite nice to stroll along and listen to the waves. The American problems seem so remote. We all hope that things settle down a bit in the next couple of weeks. Then it was back to the hotel, and notes. Dinner is to be at an old restaurant here in Port Douglas, The Nautilus. All in all, it has been a lazy day, and one, which we all needed. All of the Australian segments are done. Only two more to do and two more weeks on the road. Later. Dinner was - well - simply divine. The Nautilus Restaurant in Port Douglas was high on a hill overlooking the city. Except that it was built on platforms in the middle of a forest. So you were under the open sky (or at least a portion of it) and surrounded by dense palms and brush that was under lighted. Not only was the setting outstanding, the food and presentation were to die for. One of my complaints is that restaurants all seem to want to give you massive portions, substituting quantity for quality. This place had smaller portions, beautifully presented, and prepared to perfection. It will certainly go down as one of my memorable meals. To top things off, because we were out in the open, we saw a bandicoot. Satiated, and tired, we headed back to the hotel. Tomorrow we head for a hotel in Cairns which is closer to the airport. It will be our last day in Australia. It has been a fantastic trip, and given us a real overview of the country.

September 21

Today was a pretty lazy day. We got up late, shipped more stuff home, and checked out of the hotel. We drove back down the coast to Cairns, which is very touristy, so that we were closer to the airport for or 6 AM flight on Saturday. We did walk around Cairns a bit, and it is mostly sidewalk cafes and T-shirt shops. It is plainly a tourist area. We checked in at the hotel, had a couple of beers, ate a light dinner, and headed for bed early. These are my final observations of Australia and the people who live here. It is a big amazing place. There is a lot of natural beauty, great opportunities, places to go, and things to see and do. The people are friendly and open, crime appears to be low, and people still take responsibility for themselves. Is it perfect? No place is perfect. Traffic is a concern, but the people seem to be looking at alternative ways to handle more people as well as alternative fuels. The educational system appears very good, with all year schooling and some semblance of minor regimentation and discipline. People appear to work hard and play hard. Of all the places I've visited, this is the one place I have felt that I would be able to move to at any time. It is a comfortable place, and one which I would like to explore further.

September 22

I had no difficulty getting up at 3:45 AM. That is because I had been awake since 2:30 afraid that I would miss the alarm. We got out to the airport at the crack of dark, had a short line for the flight down to Sydney, hopped on the plane, and that was that. Once in Sydney we were driven to the international terminal, grabbed our flight to Auckland, and had a three-hour flight across the Tasman Sea. We were greeted by a transfer agent at the airport and driven into downtown Auckland to the Sky City Hotel. The hotel is also hosting a car rally, which starts tomorrow. So the place is jammed, noisy, loud, and crowded. If this is New Zealand, let me out of here. We stayed at the hotel for dinner, just because we are all tired. Tomorrow we start the tour of the Trains of New Zealand. All in all, this was an uneventful day. Initial observations are that the housing shows signs of a colder climate (less open, etc) and the people appear more reserved than Australia. We shall see. At any rate, this ends the Australia portion of the Tracks Ahead trips.