Saturday Skinfest Returns

Stop the presses and strike up the band, Saturday Skinfest returns!!! Huzzah!

So it's not Saturday in Brisbane at the moment... when has that ever stopped me? My Internet connection was playing up last night and by 9pm I was sick of trying to figure out why I couldn't upload pictures. But all is good now, so quit yer bitchin'.

I'm off later today to see my beloved Brisbane Broncos take on Miss WTF's equally beloved but injury ravaged Wests Tigers. It's a must win for both teams at this late stage in the season, with the Broncos desperate to stave off their characteristic late season implosion and the Tigers needing to make the top 8 to get into the finals. We also have the bet between Miss WTF and I concerning end-of-season standings, with dinner on the line.

The highlight for all of us attending, even a Broncos fan like myself, will be watching Miss WTF Master 11 (that'd be her son) run the Wests Tigers onto the field. Not only that, but he gets to sit with them on the bench for the entire game! Sweet! Given how many of their stars are on the bench due to injury, he should be in heaven... if he gets the courage to open his mouth.

But you don't want to hear about all that, you want the skin! Since I'm off to the game today, I thought it appropriate to feature Tigers and Broncos today. Let's begin with the yummy Dene Halatau, picture sent courtesy of Miss WTF:



Either the press loves to take pictures of Darren Lockyer shirtless, or Darren likes to train shirtless more than the other guys. Oh who cares so long as we benefit (but Locky, please loose the convict haircut):



I wouldn't forget you guys. It may be winter in Australia, but that doesn't bother the Cowboys cheergirls up in North Queensland. Yee-haw:



Good to be back!

Technorati Tags: NRL Shirtless, NRL Players, NRL Cheergirls

Tales from the Trip - More Pics

I've spent the afternoon uploading more pictures from the trip. Just wanted to tell Miss WTF that before she accuses me of being slack. There are two albums, one of the family (mainly the kids) and one of scenery of Far North Queensland. Just follow the links you see here, or if I really like you (or are related to you) I'll send you an invite.

I'm hoping to do a wrap up this weekend, including the hell that was Innisfail and the bull balls of Rockhampton. Then we shall leave the travelogue behind us and move on to new things, including the return of the Skinfest (insert fanfare here)!

Enjoy!

UPDATE: After going through the files last night, I realized I had some more pictures of the kids and the Hermit in another folder, so I've added those to the family album this morning. So if you're a grandparent who's already visited the online album, you might want to go back and see it again. Lots of pictures of the jumping pillows as well for those interested. And if you haven't seen the pictures yet, now there's even more for you to see for the original price!

Memes-A-Lot

I've seen this meme on two of my daily blog stops - Blogography and View From the Cloud - and enjoyed both of their answers. I enjoyed it so much I swiped it, and now present it to you. Feel free to answer or use for your own blog:

MEME-OLOGY:

GRUB-OLOGY

What is your salad dressing of choice?

French, but not what they call French here in Australia, which looks like an Italian with all the seasonings removed. I like the not-from-nature bright orange American French. I also like Ranch, Honey Mustard and 1,000 Island.

What is your favorite fast food restaurant?

Hungary Jack’s, or as it’s known back home (and occasionally here) Burger King. This recent pregnancy has given me a craving for Whoppers – minus the tomato and onion.

What is your favorite sit down restaurant?

With three kids and a husband who works ridiculous hours, I don’t get out much. If we take the kids, I like Sizzler as it has something for everyone with their salad bar. If it’s just the Hermit and I, then it’s the Royal Thai Orchid in Milton, or Santos just down the road in Albany Creek for their good Italian. Back in the US, I liked Outback Steakhouse, Bugaboo Creek and Friendly’s.

On average, what size tip do you leave at a restaurant?

There’s no tipping in Australia, so I don’t. Back in the US, 15-20%, depending on the service.

What food could you eat every day for two weeks and not get sick of?

That’s a tough question for a pregnant woman! Probably pizza, which is ironic as I wouldn’t touch the stuff until I was 15. Or my mother’s stuffed shells – the best!

Name three foods you detest above all others.

Onions, mushrooms (I don’t do fungus) and beetroot (very popular here in Brisbane).

What is your favorite dish to order in a Chinese restaurant?

There are so many! And these days I prefer Thai, but back in the day it was pu-pu platters as there was a little bit of everything and cashew chicken.

What are your pizza toppings of choice?

Cheese. Seriously, nothing beats a pizza with tons and tons of gooey cheese. I also like Hawaiian (ham and pineapple), Pepperoni and Meat Lovers.

What do you like to put on your toast?

Butter and cinnamon sugar.

What is your favorite type of gum?

I’m not a big gum chewer, but if I have a craving I’ll get something sugarless and in spearmint flavour.

TECH-OLOGY

Number of contacts in your cell phone?

38. Gee, that makes me seems like I have a lot of friends, but many of those are businesses, like the local pizza place and the doctor.

Number of contacts in your email address book?

Over 100. I’m not counting all of them.

What is your wallpaper on your computer?

A custom one made up of images from Astronomy Picture of the Day. It changes every 15 minutes, and I have over 200 images. I’m easily bored.

What is your screensaver on your computer?

The same as my wallpaper.

Are there naked pictures saved on your computer?

Well, there was that one night the Hermit and I were kidding around and had a couple of drinks and the camera was right there… I’m kidding, honest to God I’m only kidding!!! Aside from the odd picture of the Toddler’s backside, no. Or none that I’m aware of as everyone uses this computer.

How many land line phones do you have in your house?

4. The main cordless in the kitchen and three additional handsets – one in our bedroom, one in the Teen’s room and one in the living room.

How many televisions are in your house?

Two that work. One doesn’t and we’re undecided if it will be repaired or not.

What kitchen appliance do you use the least?

Well, I use all the major appliances all the time (yes Mother, even the oven). So I’d have to move to a minor appliance and we’ll go with the food processor. To be honest, I couldn’t tell you the last time I used it and I really should just get rid of it.

What is the format of the radio station you listen to the most?

Talk-back radio on the AM dial, specifically 4BC. All the FM stations here in Brisbane sound the same with the same “best of the 80’s, 90’s and today” crap. I’d rather stuff bamboo into my cuticles.

How many sex toys do you own that require batteries?

Who would buy something that is built specifically for your nether regions that is hooked up to an electrical outlet! I’ve never understood that. It is a rather damp area, after all. What if it short circuits? Haven’t you heard of electrical shocks? And that, my friends, is the only answer you’re going to get.

BI-OLOGY

What do you consider to be your best physical attribute?

My calves. They’ve always been toned and slender, unlike the rest of my legs.

Are you right handed or left handed?

Right handed. My left hand is useless, good only for my wedding ring, my watch and shifting gears in the car.

Do you like your smile?

No. I hate it. My teeth are crooked and discoloured and I think I look like an idiot. If I had the extra money one of the first things I do is fix my teeth.

Have you ever had anything removed from your body?

Three, soon to be four, children. My tonsils when I was in the second grade. My wisdom teeth when I was 28.

Would you like to?

Aside from the Tadpole who must come out in December? Not really. I’d like to keep my parts.

Do you prefer to read when you go to the bathroom?

It depends on how long I’m going to be. I’m not opposed to the practice, but it’s not a requirement.

Which of your five senses do you think is keenest?

Well, since I’ve needed glasses since I was 16 and my hearing is fading those two are out. I’d probably go with touch, as I have sensitive fingertips.

When was the last time you had a cavity?

I had to have an old one repaired last year, but I haven’t had a new one since I was a kid. I had plenty then, however, as evidenced by the amount of silver in my mouth.

What is the heaviest item you lift regularly?

The Toddler, who weighs in at 14 kgs., or nearly 31 lbs.

Have you ever been knocked unconscious?

Not that I can recall, despite the Bastard’s best efforts to do so.

MISC-OLOGY

If it were possible, would you want to know the day you were going to die?

No. Where’s the incentive to live well, to enjoy yourself when all you do is count down to a pre-determined date? What a downer.

If you could change your first name, what would you change it to?

Something longer. My married name is short, and so is my first name.

How do you express your artistic side?

By writing. I have the blog, of course, and I also – ok, confession time – write fan fiction. No, you cannot read it. I’m not ready to expose that much of myself to you yet.

What color do you think you look best in?

I have no idea. I know I don’t look good in orange, yellow or light green however.

How long do you think you could last in a medium security prison?

Guess it would depend on what I did to get in there. What kind of crime does one commit to land in medium security?

Have you ever swallowed a non-food item by mistake?

Probably as a child, but I don’t remember if I did or not. I, and several other nurses, once took a sip of GoLytely to see how we tortured our patients who had to drink a gallon of it overnight. It was horrible and I developed a whole new empathy for them.

If we weren’t bound by society’s conventions, do you have a relative you would make a pass at?

Are you kidding me? Who would do that? Hell no.

How often do you go to church?

When someone dies and the service is in the church.

Have you ever saved someone’s life?

I’m a nurse, and it’s kinda my job. So yes. Outside of my job, no.

Has someone ever saved yours?

Touch wood I’ve never been in that situation. No.

DARE-OLOGY

Would you walk naked for a half mile down a public street for $100,000?

That’s a lot of coin. You betcha!

Would you kiss a member of the same sex for $100?

Sure. It’s a kiss, we’re not talking…

Would you have sex with a member of the same sex for $10,000?

… oh, now we are. I see. Do I get to pick the girl? Yeah, as long as there were no camera’s involved.

Would you allow one of your little fingers to be cut off for $200,000?

Hell no. I like my fingers.

Would you never blog again for $50,000?

No. Since I started blogging, and uncorking that part of me that was bottled up for so long, I’ve been much happier. No amount of money is worth giving that up.

Would you pose naked in a magazine for $250,000?

Have you seen me naked? It’s not pretty. If some idiot wanted to give me a quarter of a million dollars for nude shots, well a fool and his money are soon parted. Besides, it’s not porn – I could go the Demi Moore route.

Would you drink an entire bottle of hot sauce for $1000?

Would I have to actually do it, or just make an honest attempt at it? Because I don’t think I could, but I’d have a go.

Would you, without fear of punishment, take a human life for $1,000,000?

Never. For any sum.

Would you shave your head and get your entire body waxed for $5,000?

No. Not that I’m vain, but $5,000 isn’t enough to listen to the Hermit complain about the lack of hair on my head. I cut it short two years ago and he whinged like a girl for 10 months until I agreed to grow it long again.

Would you give up watching television for a year for $25,000?

Where’s my money? I don’t watch much of it anyway, and when I do I usually fall asleep within a few minutes.

Technorati Tag: Memes

Tales from the Trip - The Laundry Incident

I spent many of my formative years in a laundromat. We lived in a small two bedroom apartment until I was 12 and did not own a washing machine. So I spent many a Sunday with Momma Mooselet doing the laundry, and when I was old enough, to take it there myself as Momma Mooselet worked 12+ hours a day and Pops was not the domestic type. Therefore I am well versed in the Laws of the Laundromat.

The first and most important Law is thus: If you leave your shit in a machine when the laundromat is busy, it's fair game for removal.

Traveling with 3 children, you generate a lot of laundry. The first thing I did upon our arrival in Cairns was to haul out the bags of dirty clothes and take them over to the laundromat. This is when I discovered that for a caravan park that caters to literally hundreds of people, the main laundry had only 8 washers and 8 dryers. No where near enough, I thought nervously, and it was too late in the day to hang anything up, but I managed to get our laundry done without incident.

Until the next day. We spent the day hanging out at the park, and it had been raining off and on all day. The go-karts looked like a lot of fun, so we booked three for that afternoon. No sooner had we started zooming around the park than it starting raining again. It rained for the entire hour we had the karts, from a light drizzle to a heavy rain to everything in between. Luckily it wasn't a cold rain, despite it being winter, so we stayed out. We had a blast, but when we got back to the motorhome we were soaked through. When everyone was dried off and changed I had a bag of sodden clothes and, more importantly, wet towels. They were the only towels we had - no more in the closet like at home - and needed drying that night. I headed for the laundromat.

I spent the next two hours ducking back and forth waiting for a dryer to open up. I was getting desperate - I started stalking people who were going through their clothes to pull out the dry stuff in the hopes they were done. Finally I got lucky. A dryer had stopped and the owner of the items inside was nowhere to be seen. Now I had seen Law Number One applied the other day, so I knew it was a Universal Law and not simply the American version - the machine and its contents were fair game. I snatched the green basket waiting on top of the machine, pulled the warm but not-quite-dry contents out and stuffed mine in. I hastily feed it an hours' worth of money and scarpered off. Because Law Number Two states that while your shit is fair game, no one wants to be caught applying Law Number One.

An hour later and the Teen accompanied me over to the toilet block - right next to the laundromat - to wash up for the night. I finished first and wandered over to check my laundry when I saw her, the owner of the green basket. She was complaining loudly to a group of older women and a large balding man about the 'rudeness' of people to take laundry out of a machine as she cast what was now my machine dirty looks.

'Bitch, it's the Law of the Laundry,' I thought as I non-chalantly studied a road map of Australia and applied Law Number Two by keeping my mouth shut. I eyed my machine, knowing it would betray me by shutting down soon. Why had a left my bright orange laundry bag on top of it? The Teen called out to me and I put up the 'wait a minute' finger as I suddenly found the road between Darwin and Alice Springs fascinating.

"Mum, what are you doing? I'm finished. Is the laundry done?"

"Shhhhh!!! Do you see that woman there, the one with the green basket? No, don't look! It was her machine I used, I took her stuff out."

"You stole her machine!"

"Shhhhh!!! I didn't steal it, I applied the Law. It was her own fault for not being there when it finished."

The Teen started to giggle. "She looks pissed. What are you going to do? Our stuff'll be done soon."

I pointed out Perth on the map. "I know, I know. C'mon, we'll go back to the motorhome and I'll come back and get the laundry in a bit." Casually I put a loving arm around the Teen and steered her out of the laundry before her laughter got too loud.

Ten minutes later and using the toilets as a decoy, I passed by the laundry. She and her gossiping grannies were gone! I snatched my bag off the top of the dryer and crammed my things inside. Eyes darting from side to side to make sure she wasn't hiding behind a bush in a Laundry Stake Out, I hustled my butt out of the bright lights of the laundry and into the safety of the night. My identity was safe. She may have suspected me, especially as she saw me later in the week with my Halloween-orange laundry bag, but she couldn't prove anything. Besides, I had the Law on my side!

The following Monday we decamped and headed for Townsville. That night the Hermit and I were leaning against the front of the motorhome, taking a break from the kids inside and chowing down on some ice cream. Across the road from us a couple were setting up their camper trailer (see the pic for an example) for the night. We watched with interest, as we'd decided we've been bitten by the caravaning bug but unless we hit the lottery would only be able to afford a camper trailer.

"Go talk to them, check it out," said the Hermit after I expressed an interest in their set-up.

I froze like a moose caught in headlights. "I can't. It's her," I whispered.

"What? It's who?"

"It's that woman from the laundry! The one who's machine I took!" I beat a hasty retreat inside as the Hermit laughed at me.

Bitch had followed me to Townsville! Were the Laundry Gods out to get me? I had followed the Law dammit! I was not at fault. Then why did I check out the front the next morning to see if she was there before I made my way to the showers? Why did I check every park we stopped at to see if I still had my Laundry Stalker?

Next time we go caravaning, someone else is doing the laundry.

Match Report Monday

I have a few more 'Tales from the Trip' to go, and I promise the return of the 'Saturday Skinfest' this coming weekend (I was waylaid from its return this weekend by too much to do, including the return of the Teen from a week-long school camp). Until then, let's get our another regular feature of Mooselet Musings, Match Report Monday which is brought to you by Miss WTF. We've only got 5 matches to go in the regular season (plus a bye this coming weekend), so keep your fingers crossed that our boys get it together and make the playoffs. Only the top 4 teams make it, and while the top two spots are locked up the remaining two are wide open. Go Wests!!!

Date: 21 July - our first night game! (So no pics this time - sorry folks)
Where: Kev McKell Park, Arana Hills
Who: Wests Panthers V Wests Arana Hills Panthers
Score: 6-6


What a game! Friday night footy at it's best. Arana Hills had been dropped back to our grade for being consistently beaten by bucketloads of points earlier in the season (sound familiar to anyone who was involved with our team last year???) and this very team were actually responsible for inflicting our worst ever defeat of 72 - nil last year. However, this year, it was a very different affair.

Our boys looked good from the outset but unfortunately, had a brief brain spasm allowing Arana to get first blood and points on the board. Down 6 - nil, the Wests team then started to play some great footy. They spread the ball wide, they looked great in attack and looked really solid in defense. It was a great game to watch. We all went up thinking that Zac L had equalised close to half time when he followed a kick through, but the ref ruled that the ball had been grounded by Arana (bummer!! I was looking through the video camera and dead set, it looked like a try to me, but that's footy!). The score remained 6 - nil at half time.

In the second half it was all Wests. We had so much ball but just couldn't capitalise. When we didn't have the ball, we defended like champions. Arana made heaps of breaks through the line, but our last line of defense would either chase them down, or take them into touch. All the boys tackled well but a huge pat on the back to Josh who tackled like a champion, sometimes tackling for 4 or 5 of the 6 tackles in a set. It was a brilliant effort by all of the boys. Finally Zac L went in to score in the corner and Michael kicked the conversion and we were all tied up at 6 all! That's how it stayed until 3 seconds from the end, when Arana put in a little kick and as the full time siren sounded they raced down the field and re-gathered to cross the line. (The unluckiest bounce I ever saw - in the complete opposite direction from the 3 Wests players racing for it - Mooselet) It was a great try or so we thought and most of us were gutted and Arana parents and players were going off, cheering and clapping... only to realise the ref had called it back to the point of the kick because it was a bomb (where the ball goes higher than it goes in distance) and they're not permitted in our age group. I really did feel for Arana (as I think all but the most prejudiced parent did - Mooselet) but we were all happy to take the draw in the end and cheer the boys off after a great game of footy all around.

It was a tremendous result for our boys who played their hearts out a few players down. A fantastic team effort boys. You all put in 100% against a team that were equal to the best sides we've played this year, or perhaps even better. Congratulations on a huge result.

Train hard boys and I think we can take Brighton the following week. Arana were a better side than the Roosters and if you play like you played on Friday night, and with a full team, those Roosters will be roasted. (Lunch anyone? - Mooselet) Train hard, keep the focus boys. You're playing some fantastic football.

Technorati Tag: Junior Rugby League

Happy Birthday to Her

In three short years the Toddler has gone from this:


To this:


Happy Birthday sweetie! You've brought so much to our lives in such a short time, and we can't to see what the future brings.

Love,
Mummy

I Am CatDog

You Are: 50% Dog, 50% Cat

You are a nice blend of cat and dog. You're playful but not too needy. And you're friendly but careful. And while you have your moody moments, you're too happy to stay upset for long.

Are You More Cat or Dog?

Tales from the Trip - Ingham

I have a fascination with cemeteries. Not new ones, mind you, although some headstones are remarkable and/or touching. I like old cemeteries. The older the better. So when Miss WTF told me about an old Italian cemetery in the town of Ingham, between Townsville and Cairns, I was there. Fortunately, the Hermit has come to accept this interest of mine and is always willing to stop for me to check out the local burial sites.


I don't find these old cemeteries creepy or morbid at all. On the contrary, they are full of history of our not-so-distant past. The designs on the headstones range from plain to intricate to downright bizarre. The sculptures are always so beautifully done, it truly is an art form. This was all done for people who once laughed and loved and cried as we do, and who were mourned as we will one day be mourned.


This cemetery had a lot of marble that has weathered remarkably well. It is on the edge of a waterway, a marsh or swamp, and we saw several graves that were in the water or well on the way to such a fate. I wanted to get closer to some of them to try and make out dates, but the Hermit reminded me we were in North Queensland and therefore crocodile territory. I hastily retreated. The grounds were literally covered in kangaroo poo, and I happened to see one emerge from the grassland along the side before getting a glimpse of us and hopping quickly away.

Ingham has a large Italian population and many of the headstones were inscribed solely in Italian. Since I don't read the language I was left wondering what they said, as there was usually more in older stones than the dates of birth and death. Those who are more familiar with American-style graves may wonder if the coffins are above ground in the large crypts visible. No - everyone is down under (so to speak) and the crypt style simply reflects the Australian style. This is obvious when you come across the many older sites that have collapsed over time - no bodies, no coffins. Just open space.


You can see all my pictures from the cemetery here. We spent about an hour, maybe more, exploring before continuing north. It's not a side trip many would take, but it's one I'll always remember.

Technorati Tag: Ingham Cemetery

The Official Date

Just a quick Tadpole update. All is well after a visit to the OB today and after discovering my fees are going to fund vacations in France, we have come up with the official surgical due date (as there is NO question of my having a natural birth - see this rant) of 8 December 2006.

Now those who can count backwards will quickly come to realize that the 8th puts me out of the two week "comfort zone" if my actual due date is 26 December. However, my OB is again going on holiday in December (ah to be so lucky) and the 8th is the latest he can do the cesarean. Why push simply so my doctor can do it? Selfish on my part?

Not really. Well, yes but we both have good reason. After pulling the Toddler from the comforts of my womb, my poor OB (whom I really like despite suffering holiday envy) discovered oodles and oodles of scar tissue resulting in various bits and pieces of my innards being stuck together when they shouldn't.

How bad was it? "It was bad. I mean it was really really bad. I wouldn't want to leave Dr. X with that mess if we go in and find it's happened again. I wouldn't be able to prepare him for that, even if I told him. It was that bad," he said to me today as we discussed it.

Gee doc, do you think it was bad?

So I'll , or rather the Tadpole, will get a dose of steroids 24-48 hours before the scheduled time (I have no doubt he'll save me for last of the day) to give us some "insurance" for her/his lung function. We're talking 4 days outside that buffer zone, so I'm not overly concerned.

Mark your calendars boys and girls, aunts and uncles (both actual and honorary), and all grandparents! And stay tuned for the boy/girl update after the ultrasound due in a few weeks.

Tales from the Trip- The Caves

"So," chirped the tour guide, "who's been in a cave system before?"

Every hand in the group save 3 went up. Anyone want to guess whose hands weren't raised?

"Ah, newbies!" she chuckled. "Don't worry, we'll be easy on you."

Yeah, thanks for all that unwanted attention.

We were looking for something to see before we stopped for the night in Rockhampton on our way back to Brisbane and after ferreting through some maps and travel stuff given to us by the RACQ came across the Capricorn Caves.

The Capricorn Caves are the only privately owned cave system in Australia and are just 23 kms north of Rockhampton. Since we were coming from the north all we had to do was turn of the Bruce Highway and follow the signs. Too easy. Caves here we come.

The closest I've ever come to a cave is exploring the old tunnels at Fort Revere where I grew up, while the Hermit had some sewer pipe adventures back in New Jersey. (Now don't get all 'ewwww' on me. What young boy (and a few young girls) didn't think getting into the local sewer pipes was cool?) We told the kids we were going to the Batcave, which the Toddler totally believed and got a laugh out of the Tween. The Teen rolled her teenaged eyes and announced she'd wait in the motorhome. I wasn't going to argue with her; if she wanted to miss the fun that was her problem.

We rucked up shortly after 1 pm and checked out the gift shop and surrounding bush while waiting for our tour to start at 2 pm. There is a lovely dining area, all undercover, where we encountered, of all things, an American flag. Huh? What was that doing there? It was a group of kids from the People to People Student Ambassador program. (On a complete side note we've run into this organization several times since we've been in Australia, from our initial plane ride here to this. Freaky!) Anyway, we sat outside and enjoyed an ice cream until our appointed time and began our hour long explore of the cave system.


The first thing to keep in mind is that these are actually above ground limestone caves, as opposed to your more classic underground cave. For us this meant it was a lot drier than your typical cave and as it was winter it was not as cold. They are a natural habitat for several breeds of bats, including the ghost bat which is the only carnivorous bat in Australia. Again, as it was winter we didn't see any bats but it also meant we missed out on seeing the snakes that prey on the bats. Wasn't sorry to miss them! The limestone was formed as an ancient coral reef, similar to the Great Barrier Reef, and lifted millions of years ago as part of tectonics plate movement. Rainwater took care of the rest to form the caves as you see them today. Again, Mother Nature simply amazes me.

Our tour took us through narrow passageways, some pretty steep, and into large chambers. All but one passage/chamber are completely natural, formed over thousands of years. As it is an above ground cave, we didn't see the impressive stalagmite/stalactite/columns you may see in some caves but they were there! We saw cave coral and other formations that reminded me of the spot-the-shape-in-the-clouds game. One man's wallaby was another's dinosaur. There were hundreds of fig tree roots pushing their way through the cracks in the limestone from 10 metres or more above looking for nourishment. Nourishment in a dry cave? Sure, in the form of the metres and metres of compacted guano we were walking on!!! Ok, you can give me that 'ewwww' now. The one man-made tunnel/chamber we saw were made by guano miners in the late 1800's.

The highlight of the tour, at least for me, was when we entered The Cathederal Cavern. It is a large chamber that has been turned into, quite literally, a catherdal complete with natural altar and choir steps. It has been outfitted with pews to seat about 90 and is popular for weddings:
It also has what has to be the perfect acoustics EVER! I'm not exaggerating. We took a seat and, with nothing but candlelight, were treated to a sound and light show. OK, so the light show was no Pink Floyd, but it did highlight some of the more interesting rock features (including a natural cross in the rock) of the chamber. But the sound... you would've sworn there was a 20 speaker state of the air surround sound system there instead of a dinky CD player in the back. It was the most amazing thing I've ever heard. They also treated us to the meaning of "pitch black" when all the lights were extinguished for about 45 seconds or so. To the Toddler's credit she didn't freak out as I kept speaking to her softly to reassure her we were still there, because you couldn't see a thing. It gave me a whole new perspective on the original explorer of the caves, John Oleson, who did it all by candlelight!

At the end of the tour we had the option of taking the adventurous route out via the John Oleson Zig-Zag passage with your own candle lighting the way or the easy wheelchair ramp. The Toddler was getting cranky at this point so I opted for the ramp while the Hermit and the Tween went with the rest of the group down dark narrow passages and over a rickety bridge to the exit.

The other thing I found incredible was that there is no evidence of Aboriginals ever using the caves. No drawings, no fire remnants, nothing. I can't believe they didn't know the caves were there, so I was left wondering why they were ignored.

All in all a great way to spend a couple of hours, especially if you're into nature. You can see pictures from our afternoon here, or follow the link in the sidebar to my online albums. Hope you like them!

Technorati Tag: Capricorn Caves

Match Report Monday

We take a break from our travelogue to bring you the return of Match Report Monday. More Tales from the Trip to come, but now allow me to step aside for the talented Miss WTF and her match report:

Date: 16 July
Where: Purtell Park, Bardon
Who: Wests Panthers v Albany Creek Crushers
Score: Wests 12 - Albany Creek 6.... yes folks, you read it correctly... (fire up Queen's 'We Are the Champions' now) we were 12 and they were 6. We were the victors, the winners, the conquerors, the triumphant, the vanquishers etc ad nauseum... WOOOHOOOO!!!

NOTE: It was all a bit exciting, so I may have got the order of things wrong here, but the try scorers are correct...they may have just been in reverse order!

I think we need to have more holidays interspersed within the season because, for some reason, our boys win after holidays. Unreal! I was of two minds as to whether or not to video the game, but decided to see how it went and started filming. Apparently, the opposition had been told by their coach to target Jake on our team. (Which was disappointing to hear because Albany Creek has been a very sportsmanlike side to play - Mooselet) Tough luck to them because the whole team played well and they just couldn't shut us down.

The boys came out firing and it was really tight for the first 5 minutes, then they spread the ball wide and Harrison bolted 50m to score in the corner. Kick converted...woohoo!! We're up 6 nil. The next few minutes we piled on the pressure and got a few lucky penalties, one of which Zac L went to kick for touch but got it all wrong and ended up kicking the ball straight into the face of an opposing player - OUCH! Fortunately, his team mate picked up the ball from an offside position and was penalised so we got the ball back. (I thought the ref was very fair, even if he did pack more scrums in one game than I've seen all season. See the picture - Mooselet) With all the pressure the boys were piling on, Albany Creek had to crack and they did as Chris caught them all napping and darted over from dummy half to score right in the corner. Converted....up 12 nil at the halftime hooter.



Oh my god!!! Could this be the week they finally win??? All the parents were very optimistic that the boys could hold on, but our optimism waned early in the second half when Albany Creek went over to score, helped by some ordinary defense on our part. However, the scores remained the same until full time. (I even attempted to bribe the timekeeper, Coach Adrian, with $10 if he'd speed up the clock a little. I was unsuccessful - Mooselet) The Crushers were held up over the line, were short of the line a couple of times - basically, it was our defense that won the boys the game.



GREAT EFFORT FELLAS! A really good solid game by all of you. Let's hope we can keep that going for the rest of the season and we're a still a chance to make the finals... a rough chance... but I've backed worse chances and come out smiling :-) At the end of the last round, there were 3 teams sitting on 6 points and we were on 1 point. With our win and if things go to plan, we can definitely make the finals as there are still 6 rounds to go. It's just a matter of how much you want it boys!

Technorati Tag: Junior Rugby League

Tales from the Trip: Photos

Hooray, I finally started getting pictures up online! Now some of you may have gotten the invite from Webshots, so either just ignore that email or ignore this post. Whatever floats your boat. I've got two sets up, one from the trip to the Great Barrier Reef and the other from the Kuranda trip.

Those who have never seen my online photos before can, if you're absolutely bored to death, can see some other albums I've got up. There is one of the Hermit's track bike - a Honda VFR400 - and another from the infamous Brisbane Hailstorm of 2005 that I would recommend, but the others might bore you to tears.

They also give away my not-so-secret identity, and that of my family. I briefly thought about making the new albums blog-compliant, but then I'd have to go back and change everything else and that would confuse people who had no idea about my blog. Too much.

I'll work on other pictures tomorrow and the weekend. Hope you like them.

Tales from the Trip - Kuranda

Did I mention that along with the photos, memories and stories I also brought home a head cold? Between the nearly blocked nose - especially when I lie down - and the Tadpole slowly squashing my internal organs against my diaphram breathing has been difficult of late. I spend a fair bit of time gasping.

But never mind that! It's getting better and there are more stories to tell. The other thing we did while in Cairns was spend a day up in Kuranda. Kuranda is a small village 25 kilometres northwest of Cairns, up in the rainforest. On its own, it's nothing special. There are hundred of small artsy type of villages up and down the coast of Queensland with many a lot closer to home. In this case, however, the journey made the destination worth it.

There are three ways to reach Kuranda - road, rail or gondola. Since we didn't have a car (the motorhome didn't count - who wants to unhook everything all the time) and had far too many days on a road to begin with, we opted for the rail up and the gondola down. The Kuranda Scenic Railway, or as it was then known the Cairns-Kuranda railway, was begun in 1886 and took over 9 years to complete. That it was ever completed at all is simply amazing given that the workers had only "strategy, fortitude, hand tools, dynamite, buckets and bare hands." If you click on no other link in this post, go and read the brief history on the building of this railway. I was gobsmacked. Hell, the Big Dig in Boston, a "modern marvel" of engineering (someone fetch a mop to clean up this sarcasm please) is falling in upon itself, but this century old railway is holding up just fine and still in use.

It was a spectacular hour and a half trip up that seemed like it took only half the time. We passed through the rainforest, over steep gorges and passed two waterfalls. As we rounded a few of the nearly 100 curves (one of which allowed us to see the front of the train and we were 9 cars back) we got some great views of the Coral Sea. I can imagine the waterfalls in the rainy season must be spectacular, but the drop at Barron Gorge was impressive on its own - water or not! Some pictures to tempt you with while I still work on getting the lot up online:





We had several hours to spend in Kuranda, with lunch being top of the list. As it has evolved into a tourist attraction there were no shortage of places to eat and thankfully NO fast food! We chose a small bistro along the main road on the way to the 7 day markets. It was good timing as the rain which had dogged us since arriving in Cairns 3 days before made an appearance. I think the place was called Billy's and I have to say it had the best potato wedges I have ever tasted! Crunchy yet fluffy, still moist and full of potato inside they were simply awesome! Sure the chips were good (that's steak fries to the US folk) but these wedges were to die for. I kept sneaking them off the Toddler's plate. If I drove home after that I would've been happy.

The markets were, well, markets. Markets are a big thing here in Brisbane, especially on the weekend, so I've been to a fair few. While Kuranda had more than its share of Aboriginal art, and combined with the multitude of shops on the way to and from the railway/Skyrail stations there was no lack of opportunities to spend, it's nothing I haven't seen before. We did, however, find the Toddler a really cool hat at a good price that makes her look super cute:


As I mentioned, we opted for the Skyrail to get back to Cairns. It is one of the world's longest gondola cableways, stretching 7.5 kms from tip to tail (I said on a comment to a post of yellojkt's that it was 11 kms - sorry 'bout that!). It takes you over the top of and into the rainforest over the course of the trip. The cars seat 6, so we had one to ourselves. You get an idea of just how big the rainforest is - there were times we couldn't see the forest floor! We passed over rivers and the Barron Gorge, where we saw the Scenic train on its way up. There are two stations you can get out at the explore the rainforest more along the boardwalks, but I admit we were a bit worn out by this point and so merely changed cars at Barron Falls Station to continue our way down. A few snapshots from the "sky train", as the Toddler termed it:




It was a great day, even with the Toddler refusing to sit still on the bus ride back to the caravan park to the point where I threatened to leave her on the bus when the rest of us got off. If anyone decides on a trip to Cairns, I highly recommend this experience.

Technorati Tags: Kuranda Village, Kuranda Scenic Railway, Kuranda Skyrail

Tales from the Trip - The Great Barrier Reef

When you think of Australia, two places are likely to spring to mind. The Sydney Opera House and the Great Barrier Reef. I went to Sydney and saw the Opera House back in '03, among other places, so there was the Reef to see. The Reef stretches over 2000 kilometres along the coast of Queensland, with Cairns just at the northern end. So it was only natural that while we were there, it was a must-see destination.

The weather had been rainy and blustery for a few days before our trip, but on that Sunday it was a clear sunny day and the wind had dropped off a bit. We got to the wharf and boarded our huge catamaran, waited for the couple of hundred other tourists - mostly American and Japanese - to get aboard and we were off! Unfortunately the water started to get really choppy about 30 minutes into our 80 minute trip. The Tween started to look a little green about the gills and the Tadpole decided his/her name just didn't fit. Luckily half the ship felt the same way - nothing worse than being the only one seasick. The crew was obviously used to it as they slapped on the latex gloves and started gathering up the used baggies. The Teen, who cannot stand to witness anyone even gagging, never mind actually vomiting, beat a hasty retreat to the upper decks. The Hermit was left alone to deal with a crying Toddler who wanted her mummy whilst I put down my own barf bag long enough to drag the Tween outside for some much needed fresh air. I blamed it on the Tadpole to make myself feel better.

We arrived shortly after and docked to the permanent pontoon where we were able to get our first glimpse of the coral and the spectacularly coloured blue/green tropical water. The Teen and Tween, who quickly recovered from his seasickness, went right for the snorkeling gear while the Toddler begged to go swimming. There was a huge area directly off the pontoon for snorkeling with plenty of fish and coral to be seen, and a kiddie pool - really just a large underwater fenced-in space - for the little ones. The Toddler was delighted with this and started splashing away... until she realized that the fish could swim in under the steps and around her feet! She absolutely freaked out and had to be sat up on the edge until she got used to the idea. This took the rest of the trip. Thank goodness we didn't book a trip with one of the guides further out to the reef with nothing but life vests and a life ring to hang on to!

The trip included a full buffet lunch complete with curries, seafood (hopefully not too fresh), fruit and breads. I made the kids eat early so that it would be all digested and therefore not revisited on the trip back; the Tween was well and truly recovered as he ate four plates of food! As I waited in the line, I was once again reminded of the reason I hide when surrounded by American tourists. Turned up noses as food was prodded with spoons and "What is that??" heard more than once. Not all tourists are like this, I know, but so many are that I just want to reach out to shake them and yell, "Don't you understand the reputation you're giving the rest of us??? Stop it, you ignorant dickhead!!!" Whenever I'm surrounded by a group of Americans overseas, so often I feel the need to save my countrymen from themselves.

Anyway, back to the trip. After lunch we boarded the semi-submersible for an upclose look at the coral. It was fantastic! The kids and the Hermit saw a turtle, which we promptly named Crush. The size of some of the coral was amazing, especially when you think of how long it took to form it. So many different types, it was overwhelming to think it stretches for hundreds and hundreds of miles. I don't think I would ever get tired of looking at it. If I had one disappointment, it was the lack of colour. The lack of what?? Am I nuts? Have I seen the pictures? Well yes, but as it was explained to us on the sub the light passing through both the water and the glass washed out many of the reds. This is really evident in this picture, where the Tween looks like an extra from Night of the Living Dead:


We took a trip on the glass bottomed boat as well to go right over the tops of some of the coral. Again the same problem with the washed-out reds, but I was still awestruck by the sheer size of the whole thing. I started to imagine the reactions of the first European settlers when they encountered it. How many ships were wrecked on it before they got the idea that sailing over/through it might not be a good idea? What did they think when they realized the sheer size of it? Did they have the same respect for it that we do now? So many questions. On a more practical note, I also got a nice shot of the boat and pontoon:


All of the above activities were included in the price of the trip - did I mention the kids were FREE? So I took a few months off the Teen's age to make her 14 again, but wasn't it worth saving a hundred or more bucks? There was also scuba diving, guided snorkeling tours, even helicopter trips ($125 for 10 minutes, but there were no lack of takers)! There was an underwater viewing room, where we spent time with the Toddler getting her used to fish and where the Tween took this shot:


Thankfully, the ride back to the mainland was a lot calmer than the trip out. I wasn't taking chances, however, and denied the Tween the much-begged-for ice cream cone. The Tadpole made her/his presence known again, protesting at the wave motion but thankfully not embarrassing me by making me only one ill. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip - even the seasickness - and will be making more trips when the Toddler and Tadpole are older. The Toddler has been telling everyone how she swam with Nemo and Dory, and we all got to see one of the Natural Wonders of the World. How could anyone not enjoy that?

Technorati Tag: Great Barrier Reef

Tales from the Trip - The Parks

And by parks I don't mean amusement parks or nature parks or parking the car. I mean the caravan parks where we stayed each night. Since we had the motorhome there was obviously no need to use hotels/motels/resorts, nor did I simply want to pull over to the side of the road and crash for eight hours. Despite coming with a small loo, complete with shower, we only had a 90 litre water tank. That would suffice for the Teen, but not the rest of us.

Being new to the world of caravaning (hugely popular here, especially with the older baby boomer let's-spend-our-money-NOW and let-the-government-worry-about-our-health-care crowd) I opted to use the big name parks. I chose these by the highly scientific method of getting a RACQ (AAA equivalent in the States) Tourist Park Guide and picking the park that was listed first and therefore had the most stars. Who says I'm not an adventurous soul?

4 out of the 5 places we stayed were Big4 Holiday Parks, while in Mackay where there was no Big4 we stayed at a Top Tourist Holiday Park. A quick rundown on each, seeing as we stayed at the same place coming home as we did going up:

Cane Village Holiday Park, Bundaberg: Unfortunately we arrived in Bundaberg after dark both days, so we were unable to fully explore anything beyond the amenities block. It had, by far, the friendliest owners of the lot; not to say the others were dicks but Sid & Tracey were very helpful. There was someone to meet us on our block to help the Hermit park our motorhome and showed him where the power/water/sullage was to be found. The amenities block (toilets and showers) was large and clean, if a little under-lit at night. My only complaint was I had to duck to get my head under the showerhead, and I'm not particularly tall. I'd stay here again if I were to go to Bundaberg, but not as a stopover as it's too far off the main "highway" north.

Tropical Wanderer Resort, Rockhampton: The Teen really liked this one. Two amenities blocks, one of which was especially large and well lit, a fair size bathtub for the Toddler, the only place where our too small waste water hose (thanks Maui) reached, an excellent dump point for the toilet tank (gross and totally the Hermit's job, but necessary) and lots to do. I can see it being especially good in the warmer weather with it's two pools. It was our first experience with jumping pillows, which everyone loved (check out the height the Hermit's getting). Now before anyone gets on my case about several of these places having an internet kiosk and me not posting, let me point out they were $2-3 per 15 minutes. Next time if you want me to post on my travels and the Hermit's wireless access doesn't work (yeah, thanks guys at his office), set up a slush fund before hand for me and I'll do it.

Andergrove Van Park, Mackay: I called it "rustic". The Teen called it "a hole". No, it was no where near as fancy as the some of the other places. And our first night there was a little muddy owing to some rain that had recently fallen. But it did have a good playground for the Toddler, a large camp kitchen (open to all, complete with several BBQ's, fridges, a stove, a sink and many tables) and a decent, if small, amenities block. It also had a bird feeding every afternoon, with many many ducks and rainbow lorikeets showing up for some chow. They tended to hang around - who wouldn't with free food on offer - which meant the Toddler could feed some in the mornings as well. Staying here also meant we could do a drive by of Mr. Mumfies brother's house, who lived not 10 minutes from where we were. Unfortunately they happened to be in Brisbane visiting at the time, but we left a calling card koala and a note for them to find when they returned home. No, I've never meet them... but really, is that a requirement?

Walkabout Palms Holiday Park, Townsville: We had no problem finding this one, as it was right off the Bruce Highway. The pool was just warm enough for the Toddler, the Tween and the Hermit, who tried to convince the Toddler to go down the big slide by showing her it wasn't so bad (it failed), to have a swim on the way home. The Tween and I bonded over several games of poorly played pool and foosball, and the Toddler enjoyed the jumping pillow. Biggest benefit for the Teen was the excellent TV reception so she could watch her shows. Bonus was the Mobil station right out the front for the morning fill-up. I found the amenities block a little small for the size of the place, but there was a smaller block directly behind the large one so the Teen and I didn't have to wait for our morning shower.

Cairns Coconut Caravan Resort, Cairns: The only RACQ 5-star caravan resort in Queensland, and where we stayed for 5 nights. If you ever stay here and your kids whinge about being bored, you have my permission to slap them right upside the head. There is no way they'd be bored - there's just too much to do and nearly all of it free. The one not-free exception was the go karts, but at $10 for an entire hour it's a good deal. We went twice and I was freakin' exhausted after the second one. It's boasts the world's largest jumping pillow, and was the only one I could go on without feeling like I was going to do my uncoordinated ass any damage. The staff were all helpful and friendly - a miracle given how busy they were - and I had some lovely conversations with the owner of the on-site mini mart and a server at the on-site cafe where we ate after our Great Barrier Reef trip. As the Hermit will tell you, I'll talk to anyone and most Aussies are happy to indulge in a chat with a complete stranger. The resort staff could arrange all manner of tours, with pick-up just outside the gates. My one and only complaint - the laundry is just too small for the size of the place. But that's minor. When I go back to Cairns - when the Toddler and the Tadpole are older (or just born in the latter case) - I'll stay here again.

Next posts will be about our two tours in Cairns, the Great Barrier Reef and Kuranda. Stay tuned, and I hope to have the link to the online picture within the next day or two (honest!).

Technorati Tags: Queensland Road Trip, Caravaning, Caravan Park Reviews

Tales from the Trip - The Drive

The trip started out very well and only 30 minutes behind schedule. This lasted for all of 5 minutes as I realized someone had left a very important bag at home. Who was that someone? Yours truly! I'd been so busy getting everyone else settled and their bags put securely away that I'd left my one bag with, of all things my camera, sitting on the my bed! At least I was the one who had done it as I would have no doubt gotten angry and yelled at the Hermit or various children - which would not have been a good start to a long trip. This way I was only grumpy with myself.

So 20 minutes later we were back on the road and headed north to our first stop, Bundaberg. Now the Hermit and I have not done a lot of extensive traveling outside our own little corner of southeast Queensland. This happens when you not only have a job that requires 14 hour days but manage to have a third child shortly after arrival in your new country! So we were as happy as Larry for the first 90 minutes of travel along the marvel that is the A1, the Bruce Highway.

Before I continue, allow me to turn to the dictionary definition of highway:

high-way n. Abbr. hwy. or hgwy. A main public road, especially one connecting towns and cities

Now I admit to allowing my American upbringing, with it's inherent idea of what a major national highway is (as the Bruce Highway is termed) to colour my thinking. But nothing, not even reading about the abysmal state of Australia's highways over four years, could have prepared me for what we encountered shortly north of Noosa:



It's a friggin' GOAT TRACK people! 1600+ kilometres ( that's nearly 1000 miles) of unsealed one lane road, with no guard rails, little lighting, passing through the major centres of towns and cities where the speed limit would drop to 60 kph (about 35 mph) or less. It was riddled with potholes with few passing lanes. This lead to us regularly being overtaken by large tractor-trailers who were doing well over the 100 kph (about 60 mph) speed limit and nearly forced off the non-existent shoulder a fair few times by impatient cars. We quickly learned to just let them all go if we wanted to arrive in Cairns in one piece. Which, thankfully, we did.

We were two days away from home, between Rockhampton and Bundaberg, when we were stopped by the State Emergency Services (SES). There had been a fatal collision between two truckies and the road was shut down. How long, we enquired. Anywhere between 3-6 hours. This was around 11:30 that morning, and we later learned the accident had occurred about 4 hours previously. We tried to get around it via an alternate route, but were turned back by the local police who told us (and nearly everyone else attempting the same) that the road just wasn't suitable for anything bigger than a passenger car, not to mention adding an additional 300 kilometres to our trip. So we pulled over into someone's front yard (no shoulder, remember) with the other truckies to wait it out. Around 3pm we started moving again, but it was brief as the road was shut down for another 30 minutes. As you can see where were far from alone:



It took us over 30 minutes to pass the traffic backed up in the other direction. I can only imagine the chaos if one of the trucks had been carrying hazardous material - we would've turned around and gone back to Rockhampton!

The Hermit enjoyed the performance of the diesel engine and despite the condition of the road enjoyed the trip:



The kids were entertained by a combination of TV/DVD and PS2 as well as Mum relaxing the seatbelt rule after the first day. I know, I know not very safe but I balanced that against our sanity - listening to the three of them fighting for 4-5 hours a day or allowing them to spred out a bit. It worked out well, except for the brief moment of panic when we were chosen to be pulled over at a Random Breath Test stop one morning. Thank God the curtains were drawn as the order was given ("Quick, seatbelts! Now! Police!") by me before the Hermit rolled down his window.

So to anyone thinking of coming to Australia and taking a driving tour of this great land - for the love of all that is holy go get yourself lots of practice on the most beat up road you can find! You'll have a hard enough time remembering to stay left. And for my Aussie mates, how in hell has the government been allowed to get away with this for so long?

More tales to come, stay tuned. Pictures soon to follow...

Technorati Tag: Road Trip

I'm Baaaa-aaaack!!!

Just a quick update to let everyone know we survived our two week holiday to the wilds of North Queensland. We had a great time and have lots of stories to tell, which should give me plenty of new blog material.

As you may appreciate, especially with three (and a bit) children, I'm pretty wiped out at the moment and still have lots of unpacking and cleaning to do. That and I had 237 emails waiting for me when I logged on today, and that's not the junk mail folder!! So the longer posts will have to wait until tomorrow (sorry Miss WTF).

I'm looking forward to catching up with everyone over the next few days. It's good to be back!