Travel to Port Douglas

I was hoping to get an earlier start but spent too much time trying to get my video of my dive to load to youtube. Four hours and 12 bucks later only one of my five videos was able to load...ehhh So learning that tech and certainly internet speeds here are about 10 years at least behind.  Oh well...just like anything here you'll give up for what you get....the beauty and style are the main take-aways.  Instead of waiting longer for a shuttle or paying an outrageous price for a taxi... I decided to rent a car for a trip up to Port Douglas which is an hour or so up the road.   There are a lot of tours that run out of this smaller more quaint version of Cairns.  Much easier trips with the proximity to the reef...lots of people opt for Port Douglas rather than Cairns...plus its a bit more refined and has a bit older crew of people versus the college set that is on the party circuit.  Panama City goes Laguna Beach....well maybe not that extreme!

Anyway, my first expierence at driving on the wrong side would provide some adventure.  Let me tell you that everything is just off from the right....no wonder my english friends are such poor drivers in the states...they are used to driving on the WRONG side.  Im convinced the car just doesn't operate the same from the right.  Whatever the case I don't like it and wont spend much time other than getting there and back to the airport....which worked out better as well, because I can drop the car in the airport parking and be done with it...no shuttle no taxi... all good!

So not long out of town I was already glad of my choice, even after the dizzying amount of round abouts that almost gave me vertigo... the road got coastal and I enjoyed the beach vistas around each turn.  There was even a local called Ellis Beach...which seemed to have a relaxed "gin n' tonic" feel to it that Im sure Ellis himself would appreciate.  I may try and hit it up for lunch on the way back.  As for now Im ready to get north.  However, some things distracted me along the way... So naturally I had to pull over and document.

I will try and get the video of Hand Glider when I get some time and a good connection.  As I get into town and get oriented, I find its going to be to windy for me to get on some excercise w/ the paddle board....and Im a bit late for a quick reef trip to snorkel....so I settle in and find a place to watch the US / Russia game later.  Not quite the 1980 version of Lake Placid classic....it should still provide some entertainment and a Favored Win for the USA is rare in Rugby so... I hope they just don't choke.  It would be a horrific loss if they somehow did....anyway.  Time to relax.

The Great Barrier Reef

Wednesday, Sept 14

So I was able to get up early on Wednesday morning after arriving late the night before...not really having locked down a diving trip, it was easy.  There were a few people waiting for their tour, so when their opperator / guide came up.. i was able to fold in with them and catch a ride out to the boat/ dock and go on the tour with them.  Carmack from Northern Ireland, Anna from London area, and Pedro from Chile were my friends of the morning and helped me get on the tour by alerting me of the guide and making him aware I was looking to book.

We started our hour and half journey out to the Hastings Reef, later one could figure out that this was named for the battle of hastings since they had some sites named the saxons etc.  If you have google ocean, you can see some spectacular footage of this site.  Otherwise, I will load some video onto youtube later....it will take some time as the HD vid file will require some bandwidth to load. 

I was so excited as the boat took out I could hardly imagine that I was heading into something I had thought about and somewhat dreamed about since I was a little kid.  I really didn't know what to expect. 

As you can see the port at Cairns has some pretty mountains in the back ground, but not massive. I have yet to find out what make up they are, but my guess would be something not of volcanic rock since they are smaller and more worn or rounded....i guess if they were then definitely older and been weathered to their rounded shape.  Anyway, the water is choppy and green...from all the stirring up and the storms. it soon changed to deep deep blue.

I sat and chated w/ my new friends and found out there was another kid....chip who had stayed in the same place as us as well.  He was from Holland and has been traveling OZ for the past 8 months.  He's a surfer so we talked extensively about some of the spots he has enjoyed.  He was on the last leg of his tour as he has yet to do the east coast down to Sydney.... so maybe I will run into him at Byron Bay or something.

Most everyone I have met that is traveling for extented amounts of time... including Carmac and Anna have quit their jobs...or like others are inbetween jobs and going back to grad school.  So I feel lucky to be on paid holiday.  Thank you Tax Payers!

We start to go over the basics of Scuba and what to expect.  I am in a later group.  So with the first stop at Hastings Reef... I go snorkeling for 30- 45 minutes while the others do their instructional dive.

I wish I would have brought the cam out for the dive as there some cool stuff to see in the shallows of the reef.  We are aprox 30 to 40 miles offshore... so the currents are strong and alot to work to keep in one spot.  Luckily the drift pushes you back to the edge of the boat.

I go in a bit before my group is set to dive so I can get some water and relax....the others coming in have huge smiles on their face so... I assume its all good.

My dive is with Joe our instructor... laid back Aussie who has made this his job after getting hooked some years back.

The first dive was amazing and I was able to stay calm, thus staying out a bit longer since I didn't use all of my air up in 15 minutes like some heavy breathers out there!!!  It was ridiculously cool and altogether better than I thought it would be.  I find myself floating and looking up a lot as the bubbles float toward the sky and sun...it is almost like being in some sort of wierd dream.  I guess its only what I could imagine space flight / walking would be like.... the motion and floating around is cool.  Once you get used to kicking along diving and adjusting to deeper depths... its easy to see how people get hooked.

We came in and had a rather spectacular lunch... I was definitely hungary.  The second dive was going to be at the same location since weather conditions had gotten rougher and would take us longer if we decided to take off to a different location. So staying in the same spot allowed us to dive for a longer amount of time.

It was definitely worth it...and I got some great video as I took the gopro in the water with me.  Right off the bat...there were more schools of fish.... don't know if the storm or the pressure change from it had brought more fish in...but we also went to a different location of the reef...deeper caverns and interesting views abound.  I even saw a TURTLE... so I was pumped about that.  I fairly large Hawks Bill  was chomping on some coral and didn't mind me getting up close and with in touching distance of filming.  Speaking of which...among both dives is a friendly Puffer fish....apparently called Larry... since he's always around and likes swimming with the divers whenever they come out here.  Amazing!  got some great shots swiming along with him.... about the length of your arm he was very curious.  ALthough I think he did tire of my camera...as he went after it and tried biting the lens!!  So I gave him a break and turned my attention to all the wonderfully different colored fish.  The coral and the fish change colors when the sun comes out so inbetween showers things change... amazing stuff.... again like some sort of dream.   I can't wait to see the video in HD!!!

There was a spectacular clam... with purple innerds... and the two distinctive valves which it uses to fliter and feed.

Apparently, while doing so much filming I got a little seperated from the group...and they spotted a sting ray hovering in the sand.  Off in the distance there was also a small reef shark.  Both swam away by the time the joe got me to catch up to the group.  Oh well... it was sensory overload as it was....can only imagine what it would have been like to see those two.

As we wrapped things up and headed back to the boat... I didn't want it to end.  My face hurt from the pressure of the mask.. and I could feel my head starting to ache...so probably best.  When we got back on the boat the group was estatic at what we saw and cleary we saw much more diverse stuff than the other groups so I was glad I went out when I did.

The ride back was increadibly rough as 1-3 foot seas gave way to 6-7 foot seas!  the winds even got up in the upper 30 knot range!  Anyway, I made it through and enjoyed talking to the skipper of the new boat as we headed back in.  Truely an amazing day.... about 6 hours on the water.   Needless to say I was exhausted.  Held it together and showered up for the drink up afterwards that the tour guides put on... which was cool.  We ate, drank and watched rugby games of the day... but my mind was far from that...as Carmac downloaded the vid from the day on his computer... crazy to think about really.   I remember being young and watching Jock Custeau and his travels and love for the ocean.  The vido he shot was always cool... and I think what always made me think of this place as being a sight of a lifetime.  It was just that... and now I can't imagine with the technology of the day... that I can enjoy it for years to come...    really crazy.

Cairns is a cool town and full of young travelers partying it up... I stayed down by the water on the Esplande...  I will have a couple more days to play with before heading to Sydney.

Off To Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef

Not much of a day again, very blustery weather and hurricane style wind and rain coming inbetween bands of sunshine.  Spent the day wrapping up plans for the trip to Cairns, accomadations and tours etc.  The flight from Auckland to Cairns takes Six Hours!!!  Almost like flying from Raleigh to London.  jeeeez.

A Day to Remember Past and Present

Sunday, Sept. 11th

The next day was an early rise for myself as I had to get the ESPN Radio tunned in on my iphone and listen to the Tennessee, Cincy football game.  After all it is a big deal for me to be away fro TWO WHOLE months of College Football.  Thank gawd for  tech-mology and i love the fact that with college and pro football weekends, Rugby World cup is like the triple crown frosting to my perfect sports cake!

Seriously, all this rugby and the way it's handled, presented and broken down is like March Madness every week.  Its just truely amazing and altogether uniquely NZ.  Not even England or Austraila love their Rugby as much as the Kiwi's.  South Africa would have to be the next runner up in fan appreciation or country wide support....and Im only going others words for that....as for the other countries I have definitely witnessed and know for a fact that rugby takes a back seat to Soccer, Gaelic Sport, and even Ozzie Rules Football.

It just never gets old seeing this sport idolized here!!!!

We all got up and had a proper breakfast and coffee then headed off to the local pitch to watch some ragtag thrown together group of US club rugby players take on the TeKupa Cast Iron Chickens!  Yeah, I know...pretty intimidating stuff!

Well you know anything with a rooster or cock as its mascott I will support whole heartedly with the pride of my surname ringing through.

It was nice to see a club house, especially on a wind and rain laden day such as this....the tamanian sea was cooking up some sideway precip and not something I was interested in taking on all day. We all happily made friends inside and enjoyed some rather nicely priced beer from our hosts....FINALLY!

This club has been around almost 125 years and had lots of cool stuff to read and enjoy...along with the throngs of old guys wandering in....they were all happy to see us and welcomed us like family.

A pleasant surprise was met when another raleigh rugby old boy wandered in and after finding out I was in the house...started yelling...  Cox...... Coooox patrick Cooooooxxxxx.   He used to people looking at him strangely so no difference here, when Mike Baker rolls in to town.  I had heard from a couple of my friends the night before I left town that he was going to make it down under for the RWC, just had no idea it would be this soon when I ran into him...  He had a couple Cape Fear rugby guys with him...one being a fairly recent UT graduate. So again.. some Marty Bradley as well as UT Football talk came about and was mulled over in great detail.

It really is ridiculous to think about that I am a Half a World away and hanging out with some people that share the same couple states roots (and stories of other people) as I do... again, I never get tired of admiring that fact and altogether liken it to the Kiwi love of the All Blacks... All the same it doesn't go unnoticed by the locals who are proud to be the host for this renunion of sorts...just cool stuff.  Especially when you realize after talking to them...most have all grown up in this town of 50 or 60 thousand people...and never left.

Anyway, enough old langzeye or how ever the hell you spell that...!!!

One good thing I learned was that tickets to some of these RWC games were being more and more available at reasonable prices. Mike Baker n' friends were all able to attend the opening match NZ vs Tonga for well under a 100 bucks a ticket. Pretty amazing since anything under 500 was considered good a few days/weeks/months prior to the RWC opening.  Somehow he found a ticket broker on Craigslist.NZ and this guy had a decent seleciton and great prices.  Yeah, wait back up right... someone Baker was on Craigslist...yea  I had a chuckle as well, just  way too funny!!!  Anyway I have to admit I wasn't smart enought to think of looking there myself as way around the gouging cost of watching RWC games.  So he gave me the brokers card and I think I will try him out once back in country from OZ, Im sure the Sweed Hanky will be gung ho to get some more tics.  However, he did pull a good job getting tickets to one of the quarter finals and one of the semi final matches for a total of 370... I was ultimately helped out by the  US to Krona conversion...as every little bit helps...but all together I was happy to pay that for what is sure to be some stellar rugby....especially if its half as good as the the comp / games has been to this point..... but still... its nice to have an option for cheaper tickets.

Another story came about from an older wiser gentlemen (the wiser part remains to be seen) of how the cost of things of Auckland was putting a lot of people out....clearly the Kiwi business owners were looking to cash in and make a nice mint of these games.... hotels were doubling and tripling rates along with demanding 4 night minumum stays....yea that's a bit harsh.  So this guy states that Prostituion is legal in Auckland city limits....so effectively one could stay at at brothel for and pay the one night fee along with services....and it would be 3 to 4 times cheaper than agreeing to the hotel's demands.

uhh ok.

I don't know if by effectively that meant he had put that plan into action or was suggesting that I do...either way i didn't shake his hand after meeting.

The US Mens Club side got slaughtered as a motley colletion of player not ever once practiced or having played together, it showed...not to mention the less than favorable conditions.  But there was a couple instances where there was some horrid tackling by one individual.  Always high and never wrapping up nor effective in taken the other down... it was a sore spot of laughter for everyone up in the club house watching....there were also some rather hard to watch attempts at kicking for touch...where by you are behind the 22 meter line (like the 20 on the football field) and need to kick the ball out of bounds up the field....the ball just needs to go out on the fly...in order to push the other teams advancement back in a game of field position...so effectively like a punt in a football game.

Well anyway, it was nothing resembling a punt nor a kick for touch... anyway, fundamental things like that show off a lack of talent and discipline and all together show our inferiourity to others that are good at the game..... only made worse by after game realizing that the kid making an ass of himelf was from Raleigh.... ehhhh  Well at least not really from Raleigh, but a transplant from another club team up north, but had moved to Raleigh in the past year...and played with the Vipers during the past season.

Oh well...much like the brothel idea for cheaper pension, we all kinda acted like we didn't hear or see him at least not in the presence of the locals...in fear that our street cred would some how be jeapordized. Regardless we were a bit ashamed, but guess that we needed to warm up to that as well...because we were getting close to game time for the USA match and the enevidablility that our lackluster talents would be evident on a national stage.....something that as Amurikenz we aint all to kindly at being used to or like to watch/see happen.

Anyway, it is what is was.

The USA Ireland match up turned out better than what we expected on several fronts.  THe weather held up and we didn't get soaked in the deluges of sheets of pain (rain) that was coming down earlier in the day....and two the US played a respectable game and gave decent effort.  Especially in the First half.   But not being big on moral victories like progams such as Vanderbilt and CU....I wasn't totally happy with the overall play and mistakes that cost us several points both in defense and in offense.  It was nothing to write home about...unless again you cheer for or went to those before mentioned instituitions of excuses!

I not only want to see us play better against Russia on Thursday...but it would be nice to see some highlights to which the Kiwi's can lend some adoration for compliments sake.

After all it's the cold war game...and Russia will always be thencommunistic natural enenmies/rivals for Amurika..

After the match we were once again beat down from drinking all day and whatever else causes a well conditioned athlete as I to get tired after so much of nothing.  Regardless the Club put on a good band...and we stayed watching all the Irish and American Fans party it up and celebrate a great day.  Much different from 10 years ago...our thoughts are miles away from the terrible tragedies that transpired that day....and it was nice and speaks volumes that it wasn't much relevant or constant reminders about today.  I think as a nation and as a world...we all have moved on and have  done so from the help of so many brave souls that sacraficed their time and lives to support a sometimes crazy notion of peaceful existence for all...  well lookiing at this crowd and realizing where I am...how I got here and i will be able to get back home to my family and friends...its all for not.... and definitely a good day!  Thank you.

Pictures from the day at Takupa Rugby Football Club
http://www.tukapa.com/

Day After Match and the Drive Home to Auckland

Chris had to do a short work trip down to Wanganui to see a doctor, it was only an hours drive south of New Plymouth, so we went drove down that way on the loop back north to Auckland... Hwy 3 took us through Hawera, Patea and Waverly along the coast that points southward...after the doctors visit we went down to Bulls where we'd hook up on Hwy 4 to the north which would take us through several different geographical changes and a National Park.  Tonariro almost has a Wyoming feel to it as your driving along and see nice little river winding through its path...flyfishermen like these waters as well.

http://maps.google.com.au/maps/place?rls=com.microsoft:en-US&oe=utf8&redir_esc=&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=tongariro+national+park&fb=1&gl=au&hq=tongariro+national+park&hnear=tongariro+national+park&cid=1081127115369043536

http://www.nationalpark.co.nz/

Its crazy how just in a matter of an hour or two the landscape changes comparative to crossing a state or 12-18 hours of driving in the states. 

As you can see in the pic of the link, there is an impressive mountain with snow.  It sits kind of like Lake Tahoe in NV as there is a resort and holiday feel to the town of Taupo.

The lake is massive and feeds the cold trout streams below it on the way to the coast.  We didn't stop much as these drives take a while and the weather was nasty as well.  Its kinda nice to get a bit of a preview of things as I can kinda see what to hit or not to hit on the caravan tour w/ the Sweed.
However,  we did stop in Taupo for a "slasher"  Chris is quite funny with his terms.  I have to admit i like the description of this one used for urinating.  Its almost as if I have the Kiwi version of Hanky and his Sweedish Translation.  Only exception is that I can kind of figure out the terminology of the Kiwi's much easeir than that of the Sweeds which usually makes no swense, rhyme or reason!

Anyway, it took us 6 hrs to get back to Auckland.  We relaxed and watched the Rugby games rewind and caught up with Chris' wife Jo and the kids.  I also stayed up a bit to watch the Dallas / NY Jets game.  Two words... Tony Romo!  What a slasher!

http://www.google.com.au/search?q=Pictures+of+Lake+Taupo&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-US&prmd=imvns&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=00BxTp-ZL5CciAfg-d2gBg&ved=0CCUQsAQ&biw=1075&bih=845

The Drive to New Plymouth

Saturday, Sept. 10th

Today was an uneventful day of travel mostly on the road from Auckland southwest to the coastal town of New Plymouth. We got a late start after clearing the cobwebs from a long day of celbrating and enjoying the festivities from opening day of the RWC.  Chris had to get up a bit earlier and get his boy to the last soccer match of the season. Those of you who know New Zeland and their passion for rugby may be surpised to find a Kiwi and former rugby player promoting such a puffer sport like soccer to his own offspring. However, Calum is only 5, and already big for his age....he still pales in comparison to the maorys or other polinesion kids that start out in ripper rugby at ages 4 and 5.  Even at an early age the gene effect of the islanders is very prominant and can scare kids away from the sport of rugby for good if laden with bad memories of getting pumbled by dense legged indigenous boys.  Chris said it is even to the point that some parents will move back to the south island, like in Christ Church and enrol their kids in the myriad of private schools there, so that their sons can learn, play and develop the neccessary skills of the game while developing at their own normal rate so as to one day be at the elite level.  Things tend to even out once the kids get to highschool and onto college.  So he explains, he thought he'd let Calum play soccer and have fun get the footwork in and maybe a little taste for the competitiveness until he gets bigger and stronger, then see if he likes and wants to get into the game of rugby.  Since the area they currently live in is predominately filled with English ex-pats its no wonder they have a soccer league....much to the shigrin of the neighboring townships who call it a puffer sport like Chris' dad did when he found out Calum had decided to forgo the ripper season to play soccer.

As we got out on the road after picking up our tickets at the mall...  you could witness the complete and total love affair with rugby and their All Blacks.  The National Pride is on display everywhere, and coming from a person who enjoyed the sport as a fringe game in the states... I never get tired of seeing the support and only hope a small portion of that is able to flourish in the US one day.  I think its most like the olympic sports or atheletes that participate in various sports.  Imagine just one sport and everyone captivated by it and pulling for all it's players like mad hero's.  I guess the 1980 Men's US Men's hockey team is the only thing briefly that can compare or get one thinking in the realm of magnitude with which these players are idolized.... well okay, maybe a college or pro team of choice operating like a natioal olympic team is a better way to put it....regardless it is cool as hell and makes for the olympics every week of the year.

The drive took quite a bit of time since most of it was on two lane country roads which actually comprises most of the roadway in NZ. The scenery was nice a change from the city streets of Auckland. The gently rolling hills spattered with houses in the suburps gave way to the farmland and lush green scenery that becomes etched in your vision and the norm throughout 95% of NZ. Its not hard to realize how easy it is to take for granted and become rather blaize about it when its all you ever see, day in and day out. The mall provided more proof and conversation to the high cost of living here and how it among many other things differ not only in the states but now across the world as we become more interconnected in a global economy.  New Zealand has remained pretty stedfast in its ways and true to its low key non "flash" roots, which keeps it unique from the rest of the world and even its closest neighbor Australia.

Chris wife and family used to live raleigh and moved to NZ due to job opportunities and a chance to raise his family in a different more low key environment.  His love for America and time spent there allows for good conversation and comparitives on how things are here as compared to the states and how ironic some things are...  Like how Dairy farmers here are the Nuevo Rich with yaghts in the harbor not the tech wizzards of silicon valley or the SEC Prostitutes of Wall Street.  There has been on individual to copycat an idea from the states (ebay) and turn it into a multi million dollar buyout from an investment house based out of Austraila....but for the most part big money here is still based in Exportable goods, and the thing  that NZ does well is Farming!  China has provided the demand....whether its food products like powdered milk, beef (from cattle, sheep, or Deer) or natural resources like timber, marble or textiles from the sheep....a Billion Chineese provide the profits to make a country of 5 million very very rich....well at least a few that have the right connections....After all some things NEVER change no matter where you are in the world.

With the ratio of Sheep to People at nearly 12 to 1 the countryside is litered with furry little animals that seem to endless eat grass nonstop and dot the horizon for as far as the eye can see.  The landscape  so closely resembles the green Isles of Ireland that it's no wonder so many ex-pat Irish call NZ home.  I am looking forward to partying it up with them as they will surely turn out in Droves to see their national team play USA.

As the 6 hour trip draws to an end, the gently rolling hills turn more abrupt and Kreggy as the coastal volcanic rock starts to show its self and presents some spectacular mountain switch back views of where we have traveled...then before you can blink the fauna turns lush and think with the presence of the fern and the national symbol for the All Blacks.  Dense forests of palms and other jungle looking trees now make you realize you are getting close to the coast.....then you pop out and a amazing view of the black sand beaches presents itself with a dominant Mount Tarinaki that seems to almost float in the Tazman Sea.   I only wish it was clear and not so over cast and rainy... the pics would have been post card worthy.  As it is... I only get one that is muddled with clouds as the sun starts to fall off into the horizon.

The amount of carivans and other cars on the road clearly shows that there is something going on...and if you had no idea where you were...you would think the circus had come to town.

We find our motel for the evening covered up with Irish and caravans like something out of a "Pikey" convention in the movie Snatch!  Its all good, tho as most of them are as happy as us...just glad to be off the road and ready for few jars while watching the evenings full slate of rugby matches.

We caught the second half of the Japan / France match and were entertained to an almost wonderful upset of the frenchies.  Japan with their amazing effort has quickly become the darling of the tournament and in classic Kiwi fashion the favorite non all black team.  That only got people warmed up for the other hated world power England who was to square off against the inferior and for centuries well dominated people of Argentinia.  Its nice to see that NZ is no different than most places around the world with their Distane towards these two Old World countries.  They never clap or hardley recognize the effort by either team during the match....its a welcoming sound of crickets to a surpising contrast of celebration from the team on the television.  But much like the French...the English prevailed...but only less scattered, as their controversial black kits were falling with their numbers tatered and barely recognizable by games end.  You see the All Blacks oF New Zealand are just that....and Icon... they are the NY Yankees of Rugby.  You don't say pinstrips when referring to other teams in Baseball...because there are only one set of Pinstrips.  So goes the all black attire of the Kiwi's and their uniforms.  So when England unveiled their non home/travel kit to be all black....naturally their was a stir down here that was downplayed by most....but you know subconsiously, its standard douchebaggery as usual from the limey yanks that makes for good write ups and jar talk at the pubs.

Both games much like the earlier days matches were "pearlers" or beauties and had everyone amped up to see about town what was up for the offering.

Unfortunately much of our gas  much like the car's tank went out the tailpipe during the roadtrip and with a long day a head of us tomorrow, we decided against it and headed back to the motel to get some rest.