Down Under – Page 2

Great Barrier Reef, Australia (Video)

When my family and I went to Australia in October 2012, we spent a few days in Cairns in the far north of Queensland. One of the highlights was our daytrip to the Great Barrier Reef about an hour off the coast by ship. We went snorkeling and took a submarine ride along part of the reef.

Here’s a video clip of the reef on the World Adventurers Channel. The scene reminded me of a scene out of the movie Finding Nemo…or perhaps the other way around. More on Australia soon, but until then enjoy the clip!

[embedyt]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Yvcfuqt0W4&list=UUPEwRY8SkpE70BrPUeBdJAQ[/embedyt]

Click here to subscribe to the World Adventurers Channel on YouTube and enjoy more great travel videos

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Down Under in Australia

In October 2012, my family and I visited Australia. We traveled to Sydney, a must-see destination Down Under, and Far North Queensland, a great jumping-off point to the Great Barrier Reef and the world’s oldest living rainforest. The country’s so big that the flight from Thailand was more than nine hours, much of it over Australian territory!

We began our trip with a visit to Sydney Harbour, the best starting point to explore the city. The walking tour through the city’s old town known as The Rocks, Circular Quay port and shopping district, Royal Botanic Gardens, and the iconic Opera House is an excellent daytrip.

Taking in the brilliant sunset from the Sydney Harbour Bridge is a breathtaking, once-in-a-lifetime experience that will awe even the most seasoned traveler. After sundown, return to The Rocks for dinner at one of the many restaurants that cater to the cruise liners moored in the Quay.

A visit to Darling Harbour for shopping and entertainment, Taronga Zoo, and one of the city’s ocean beaches are fun trips in Greater Sydney. Plan these excursions on Sunday when all public transportation, including ferries, costs just A$2.50 per person for the whole day.

The Blue Mountains west of Sydney are a great out-of-town getaway. We were awed by the Jamison Valley and the Three Sisters rock formation near the town of Katoomba. A trail descends more than 1,000 steps to the valley floor. It’s a three-hour nature hike to a gondola that carries visitors back up to town.

A three-hour flight from Sydney, the city of Cairns in Far North Queensland is a launching point for trips to the Great Barrier Reef and Australia’s northern wilderness. The city has a laid-back atmosphere with a whiff of adventure. Tourists can enjoy cruises to the reef islands and shoals. We spent the day swimming with the fishes, snorkeling, and helmet diving courtesy of renowned tour operator Reef Magic, and making friends with Wally, a giant fish a la Dory from the movie Finding Nemo that loves to play with humans.

No trip to Cairns would be complete without a drive up the coast to Daintree National Park. We spent the day on the beach at Cape Tribulation and exploring the Jurassic Park-like atmosphere of the world’s oldest rainforest at the Daintree Discovery Centre.

Whether it’s the fascinating mix of Aboriginal and international culture or sweeping vistas, unique animals, or natural and manmade wonders, Australia is well worth a visit. Beware, though. Two weeks is barely enough time to catch a glimpse of this awesome place.

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Thoughts & Sayings (October 2012)

Here are some thoughts and sayings I posted on Twitter and/or Facebook in September. To my knowledge, I made these up (for better or for worse). Sit back, relax, and enjoy the write!

Encouraging Words

1. Keep on peddling, but don’t oversell.

2. I may bite my tongue if I say something tongue in cheek.

3. I have champagne tastes but a beer budget and had to trade my flute for a mug.

4. If technology were a pet, I would send it to obedience training.

5. After two failed attempts, I’m back to fail again.

Twisted Words

6. One person’s junk is another’s Chinese vessel.

In Its Own Write

7. I’ve turned a page and am headed in the write direction.

Holidays & Events

8. On Labor Day, America rests while the rest of the world labors.

9. Today at the political party convention, the candidate will deliver this month’s speech of their life.

Random Musings

10. Overheard at a linguistic convention: “I speak Danish, Norwegian, and Swedish.” “Yes, but what about Finnish?”

11. I flew to the other side of the world to get away from jetlag, but it followed me.

12. My bark is worse than my bite, but I do bite.

13. Disruptive technology: The day Twitter shakes up the 140-character limit by varying it.

14. When I moved to the Southern Hemisphere, my world turned upside down.

Click here to read the previous batch of Thoughts and Sayings.

Images courtesy of Microsoft.

M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain, a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories and Alexander the Salamander, a children’s story set in the Amazon. His books are available to purchase as an e-book and in print from Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers. Contact him at me@mgedwards.com, on Facebook, on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.