Around The World In 42 Days

[LizG]

Yesterday was another day in paradise and a day trip by plane to the island of Aitutaki and a boat trip around the coral lagoon. Photos don't do it justice. WiFi is patchy!

[LizG]

Catching up as the WiFi is poor and no phone signal. Vodafone have the monopoly! 

Caught the clockwise round island bus to take in the island and then explored the town of Avarua. Evening meal in Trader Jacks at sunset and watched the youngsters practicing in the local canoes! Did a fair amount of walking as the bus is a flat fare regardless of how far you travel!

[SwanR]

Enjoying seeing your photos and finding out where you are. Looks like nice weather over there. 

[LizG]

Just like that it's Friday and we are back in Auckland. Earlier today/yesterday we caught the bus again but to the lagoons at Muri. Except it's now Saturday and we are at the airport again!

[LizG]

We spent the morning walking around Ponsonby area of Auckland once a run down area now very trendy 'and hip!' Lots of old buildings ....now going back 2 hours!

[kpnut]

Do you mean you keep swopping time zones? If so, how confusing, I suppose just eat when you’re hungry.

[Lulu]

Amazing journey Liz. I feel exhausted just reading this!  Are you getting jet lag? 

[SwanR]

I was wondering whether you are on an organised tour or have put all this together yourselves. 

[LizG]

21 hours ago, kpnut said:

Do you mean you keep swopping time zones? If so, how confusing, I suppose just eat when you’re hungry.

Yep but static now for a few weeks except parts of Australia have 30 minute differences!

[LizG]

20 hours ago, Lulu said:

Amazing journey Liz. I feel exhausted just reading this!  Are you getting jet lag? 

No not really, wake early, fall asleep early!

[LizG]

8 hours ago, SwanR said:

I was wondering whether you are on an organised tour or have put all this together yourselves. 

My husband spent months planning it!

[LizG]

Spent the morning walking around Brisbane. Lots of old buildings including churches squeezed in between the modern! 

[Happy]

So who's building that boat while your on a "jolly"?  

[Troyboy]

Brilliant photos. You have a good eye for these pictures. 

[LizG]

4 hours ago, Troyboy said:

Brilliant photos. You have a good eye for these pictures. 

I'm taking 100s!!!!

[LizG]

Currently off grid at the end of the road north of Cairns in the Daintree Rainforest with limited WiFi so no photos for the time being

[LizG]

Need to do some catching up having been dogged by poor WiFi or none. Surprising how bad some good hotels are. 

We landed in Cairns on Sunday evening and went straight to get the hire car. It was a bit more sophisticated than I'm used to but once I worked out how to make it move we drove to our first hotel!

Next morning we were on the road up the Captain Cook Highway to Mossman's Creek/Gorge in our first visit to a rain forest! We then drove to the Daintree River where we were staying in a quirky Lodge overlooking a crocodile infested river. A late afternoon boat tour found about 6 including 'Hook' a 3.5 m 40 year old male.... Not the featured Croc!

[LizG]

Post 2 we are now Tuesday and we had another boat trip nice and early. The river was shrouded in mist but also too cool for much activity from the crocs although Hook was getting ready to sunbathe on the lowering tide! We were shown evidence of the devastating floods in last December - the river rose 15 metres!!!!!

 

We then checked out and drove to the Daintree Wildness Lodge - the name said it all! Deep in the rain forest and cassowary territory - we failed but may have found it's poo? We had to cross the Daintree using the ferry and stopped at the Daintree Discovery Centre and Cow Bay on the way.

[LizG]

Wednesday 

We thought we would drive to Cape Trib(ulation) to see what was there - the end of the metalled road! There was nothing but some nice boardwalks over the Mangrove Swamps to the sea. We ended the day back in Cairns.

 

We passed a tea plantation and fields of sugar cane!

[LizG]

Nearly caught up now whilst waiting for an extremely late flight to our next destination!

So after an early morning wander around Cairns we then went on an adventure!

We were bussed to the start of the Skyrail cable car to to Kuranda stopping at the Barron Falls and then catching the train back (as featured in one of Michael Portillos train journeys. The brakes could have had a good grease!

First photo sugar cane!

[SwanR]

Loving reading your adventures and seeing your photos. Very good of you to be posting while you’re there. 🤗💖

[LizG]

23 minutes ago, SwanR said:

Very good of you to be posting while you’re there. 🤗💖

It's helps to pass the time whilst waiting for a very late evening flight and the airports seem to have the best WiFi 

[Troyboy]

Keep em coming. Looking forward to our next destination. I mean your next destination. 

[kpnut]

Your photos are superb. What diverse experiences. Many thanks for your tale. 

[LizG]

We arrived at our hotel in Darwin about 2am this morning (groan)! Today is the winter solstice in the southern hemisphere so we were treated to temperatures over 30d c!

We took it easy, found the hotel laundry facilities and then caught the Hop on Hop off bus for a tour around the 'city'! Japanese bombing in WW2 destroyed a lot of the older buildings; what survived got destroyed by Cyclone Tracey in 1974 

We also visited the Royal Flying Doctor museum on Stokes Hill Wharf which also covered more of the history of Darwin in WW2. An interesting city and plenty of WiFi!!!  The Parliament Building is called a wedding cake! There is also wave pool near the hotel!