So much has happened since I last posted. I keep writing blogs on word, then planning to post them when I can get online, but unfortunately internet has not been readily available on this trip & the few times we have gotten it, it has been extremely slow, so posting was next to impossible. I’m not sure if I will get pictures on with this post, so I’m not promising anything. I will re-write this blog for the 10th time now & try to remember everything we have done since leaving Kuranda two weeks or so ago.
Alright, where to begin?......
We left Kuranda a few days earlier than expected simply because we already had a rental car & were itching to get south & have some extra sun & surf before leaving Australia. Lucky we did, because we were all packed up & ready to leave the house when we got a phone call from a friend saying that floods were coming in a hurry & they were in our path on the way south, so we switched on the TV & sure enough, floods were coming & the Bruce Hwy, which is essentially the only road through, unless you drive through the outback (which is dangerous & not a good plan in a small car…you’re supposed to bring spare gas & tires etc…)so, we stepped on it & hit the road at high speed. We drove through the night stopping only a few hours to sleep on the side of the road around 2 am, then made it through Rockhampton just 2 hours before the roads were shut off. (They are still closed, and the town is under water)We had to drive through some flood waters, but it was manageable.
I’m not sure how many of you have gotten the news about the flooding here, but it has been totally devastating the Queensland & New South Whales states (the two states we are in) Many towns are underwater & main highways are closed & underwater as well. We were lucky to make it through when we did & have been seeing the flooding first hand down where we are now too. It feels as though every town we visit has been flooded after we left. We have some newspaper clippings from yesterday that show a flooded road that we went over just an hour after we successfully crossed it, it became a disaster zone. Cars were washed downriver when it became too deep & too swift to cross.
Yesterday a new town had a terrible flash flood just a few KM from where we had been staying. 75 people are missing & 8 are confirmed dead. They had no warning. Cars were washed away from gas stations, people clinging to trees, on top of vehicles floating down the river…horrible. These are only a few examples. I could go on & on. We have successfully evaded it until now & will remain dryish until we board the plane in two days to come home….although Brisbane where we fly out of is expecting mass floods tonight…they have been put under high alert.
We have been getting monsoon rain almost since we left the house. Yes, we are tent camping, so it’s lucky that we have a fairly waterproof tent!!!
So, after making it through Rockhampton we kept going south en route to Sydney. We made it to Noosa head where we camped out in a caravan park, which is pretty much the only place you can camp in Australia unless you plan WAY ahead. We kept going south & passed through Byron Bay, but decided it was just way too crowded with new years to try & get a camp spot. (and camping at “peak” season was just as expensive as a hotel)On we went to a town that I just can’t remember the name of right now. Oops. We ended up staying in a hotel, which I loved & watched fireworks from the balcony. We walked around town & took pictures of the beautiful trees & convent. We left in the morning & after coffee & an internet session to find accommodations in Sydney we found that it was too expensive to go there & no hotels were in our budget, so new plan!
We went back up to Byron Bay & it had mellowed out just enough to find a reasonable camp site. It looked like a bomb had gone off though with all the new years partiers. We stayed 4 days I think?..It was really nice at Byron as far as weather goes. We got lots of sun mixed in with our rain, so it was fun to go to the beach & hang out. Ben & I both go to surf here, although Ben went way more than me. Henry loved the beach & played in the sand & waves from morning until dark. It’s a super busy town & we have never seen so many fit people in our lives!! I think 90 percent of the population here surfs regularly.
Speaking of surfing Byron, I was out the first time at a really nice beach with rocks coming up out of the water on a point & I decided to paddle way out to get a good out of the way view of the breaks & scope it out before I jumped in (It’s been a while since I’ve been out, so I didn’t want to just wing it) I ended up drifting pretty far off to the outside & was all alone. I like to sit way out sometimes, because it’s really peaceful being out there. Unfortunately I was not as alone as I thought. Ben & I have decided that I’m some sort of freaky animal magnet. I have random encounters that seem totally unreal every time I go somewhere…and even in my own front yard at home. I saw some fish swimming at me & thought, cool. Wait, not cool…it’s a bait ball!!! Big things follow & cause bait balls…hands & feet came up out of the water & I just laid on the board waiting to see what else was there if anything. Oh no, there it was, a big fin! Just my luck. I have to admit I was a bit panicked at this time, but just laid still. There it was again, I wasn’t dreaming, it was only 10 feet away this time. Out from under me a dolphin came up & nosed my board about 6 inches from my face. It looked at me & left. I about lost it until I realized what it was. It was so amazing meeting a wild dolphin’s eye so close! I’m so grateful it didn’t knock me off!!!! I found out later from a local that there are often dolphins & two giant turtles out there. I wish I had known that before, so I wouldn’t have been so freaked out! Funny though. What are the chances of that`?!!
So, we left Byron & went North again when it started to rain hard & decided to see the Australia zoo!!! We went the scenic route through the country & beautiful mountains. It was so gorgeous! We took Lyons road, which is way out in the middle of nowhere & we just happened upon it & thought, why not?! It started at a town named “The Risk”, so we wanted to see the town too. It was well worth the risk to take this road, because it was awesome. We crossed the river like 30 times on these rickety looking old wooden bridges & although the water was a few feet under the bridges when we went through, you could see where they had been recently flooded. The water must have been 6 feet over the top of the bridges at some places before & trees were still lodged on the sides of them. Once again, managed to see a flooded place without being shut out or swept away. Yay Team Davidson!
We stayed in Tweed Heads in another caravan park for 2 days. We had a nice time there, although it was dumping rain. They have lots of kids play areas & Henry loved those. He is the master of slides! You put him on the top & he giggles all the way down & tries to climb back up to do it again over & over. We did not surf there, but went out the beach both days in the rain anyway & watched surfers at Kirra & Coolangatta.
We went to Beerwah next for the biggest thing I was looking forward to on the whole trip which was the Australia Zoo (home of Steve Irwin & family) Yay!!! It rained quite a bit on us, but not the whole time. We had an amazing trip to the zoo!! It’s unlike any zoo I’ve ever been to!!! It’s like nothing is off limits. We started off in the morning by feeding the Asian Elephants. We got to feed Bimbo. She was very nice. You are supposed to get fruit out of the bucket & walk up to the elephant & hold the fruit out for her. Ben & Henry went first. Henry did not want that cheeky elephant taking his melon!! Not at all. She reached out & tried to grab it with her trunk & he fought her over it. He had his fingers all up her nose & her trunk was wrapped all around his little hand & neither was letting go of that melon. He is very stubborn & Ben had to pry his little fingers off it. He was not afraid of Bimbo at all. It was really hilarious. He gets a little too big for his britches sometimes. I’m not sure I would pick a fight with an elephant over her breakfast….. I went next & apologized to her & gave her a nice pat on the trunk. She ate my fruit without a fight.
Next we saw a show at the “Crocoseum” with the Irwins. Bindi arrived with the elephants & did a big song & dance concert which was really quite good. She actually has a really nice voice. The songs were definitely kid’s songs, but we enjoyed it all the same. Next there was a snake show where they brought all kinds of snakes in & walked them around for us to see up close. They showed how to mend a snake bite to. Next was the bird show!! It was amazing! Birds were doing choreographed flying all over above & through the crowd to awesome music & there were all kinds! We thought the osprey was amazing. It came in from its enclosure elsewhere & flew only a few feet above us before landing & it was HUGE!!!
After the birds the Irwin family (Terri, Bindi, & Robert) came out & did a croc show. Terri & her crew of croc handlers were doing demonstrations & showing how high they could jump out of the water & one guy actually swam in the water with the croc to demonstrate its speed & agility (he was at the other end of the pool)We were totally freaked out for him, and it was such a cool show!! Bindi fed crocs too, but at only 7 years old Robert was too young to help, so he commentated & was actually very funny.
After that we walked around & saw lots of other super cool animals. A dingo sniffed Henry & if I would have let him Henry would have petted it’s face (I did not trust the dingo)It did not come up to anyone else, just Henry. We all fed red & gray kangaroos in an open enclosure. I went out first into the pasture while Ben was getting himself some food & out of nowhere a roo hopped right up to me. It was unbelievably fast. One second nothing was there, the next a roo was almost on top of me. They were really gentle & sweet. Henry even got to feed one. We saw a leopard up close (it was out on a leash) Beautiful!! We saw lions up close swimming with their trainer & playing with toys. We got to pet koalas in trees. They feel like wool & are very sleepy. I loved the koalas. The enclosures are so open & the ones with koalas & kangaroos are just fields you walk into with no fences, and the birds are in a jungle setting that you walk through, so it feels like you are cheating & get to go in behind the scenes. You can touch so many animals its unreal!! I totally recommend it to everyone!!
We stayed in a hotel nearby after the campground we were headed for was shut due to weather conditions.. you can guess why. Once again, a hotel suited me fine. After spending so much time in a soggy tent with Henry the sleep crawler (seriously…he crawls in his sleep!!!!)He just can’t sit still ever. Even in his sleep. He sleep mumbles too. We left in the morning & took that road that was underwater & ended up in another small town with another strange name that I can’t remember the name of. It was just dumping down rain & there was no hope of getting the tent to stay up with the crazy wind & monsoonal rains, so we ended up at a backpacker’s hostel. It was really nice & we had our own room with bathroom & shared kitchen. I would have loved to stay there longer, but the weather just would not permit any sightseeing or surfing. The waves were huge & windblown & messy.
we went back to the south where rains & floods were less likely. We are back in Byron Bay now. Although it has rained on us here it is nothing like up north. After we passed through Brisbane they announced the flood warnings & floods from towns just a few over from where we were the night before. Good timing again. Ben is surfing now & I’m in the car with a finally napping Henry sitting out the drizzle. We were here yesterday & will be tonight. Not sure where we will go after that. We took the most amazing walk today up to the lighthouse & all around up & down mountains. It was a bit brutal, but totally worth it. I think we will go again tomorrow before we leave. It is the 11th & we are flying out on the 13th. Hopefully the airport isn’t under water.(kidding…I hope)
Can’t wait to see you all soon!!! Sounds like it’s cold back at home in Washington, so we will have to dig our winter clothes out of storage as soon as we get there! We are leaving on the 13th & arriving on the 13th…after 24 hours of flying. We actually arrive in Seattle just BEFORE we took off in Brisbane! Wish us luck. Henry is as busy & feisty as ever, so I just hope we all make it in one piece with a bit of sanity left. He has a couple new tricks now including whistling. He got a cool wooden whistle for Christmas & learned to use It, so now he thinks everything has the possibility to be a whistle including but not limited to his food (you cannot imagine the mess)his toes, his bottle, blankets, books all his toys, pretty much whatever he can get his hands on needs to be tested for whistling ability.
He has also developed super human baby seat resistance. I don’t know where he got that from, but it takes two of us to get him in the seat almost every time now. He is an acrobat. He ends up on top of it, standing in it, backwards, upside down, everywhere but sitting in it. He has also learned how to open doors with the handle& if he can reach it you have to lock it. He has the car door figured out & can lock his door & roll the window down. He also knows where the blinker, emergency flashers, windshield wipers, and horn are. He knows what the car radio does & will turn it on & up & change stations given the chance to be in the front seat for any length of time. He is so busy it’s unbelievable. I’m sure all little ones are busy while they are figuring the world out, but he is not afraid of anything & will try literally anything you let him. He likes to climb things. He will climb everything in a room if given the chance. In a hotel he successfully got from the floor to the top of the TV cabinet via the chair & shelf. He was not pleased that we removed that & every other chair in the room. He flicks on & off all lights that he comes in contact with. He has a fascination with toilets. He seems to instinctively know where they are in every building we enter & will crawl directly to them & try to get in as quickly as possible before being nabbed. He also loves spying on you from behind shower curtains. It’s really funny. When you find him he laughs hysterically. He thinks he’s quite clever & loves mischief.
We are attempting to teach him words with baby Einstein flash cards, but he only wants to roll them up & whistle them after about 3 cards…so little doses at a time are all I can achieve. He can say dog & points at them when we see one. He is obsessed with dogs & freaks out if he can’t pet one. He points out any animal actually, but can’t say any others. He babbles a lot, but only a few real words are in there. He is very mobile & can walk with the help of either a person or walker, just not on his own. He can do 3 or 4 steps, but then just sits down. He doesn’t really seem to want to walk. Crawling is so much faster! He can stand anywhere though. He will stand in one spot & hold something & play with it, but won’t walk with it. When we walk him around holding his hand, he constantly wants to bend over & pick things up before he keeps going though. He will have 3 things in one hand & still wants to pick up that one last thing….then he loses them all & has to start over, all while walking. It’s really funny. Oh, & he’s a milkaholic!
He is getting up, so I have to go, but I will try to post this tonight. We are at a new campsite with internet, so if it’s fast enough I can even put pictures on. See you all soon I hope!!!! We miss you all!!!
sitting nicely...looking promising.
Loosing concentration, it's starting to go down hill....
I'll just attack it with my face....
backwards spoon whistling...
Oh, I give up, this is the easiest way to eat breakfast!
This is what they call chocolate chips here.....You basically have to learn a whole new language to grocery shop here.
Henry's first birthday!!!
So excited!
He was really full after he ate a whole cream puff by himself..and extremely happy.
This is a strange Amazonian fruit that we got at a farmer's market called a Rollenia.
It looks really strange, but it's very good & Henry's favorite fruit!
Little man loves to swim.
Henry insisted on not having any help in the water. He's a bit over confident in his abilities.
Henry & Ben at mossman gorge
Boyds forest dragon, fairly rare. Ben ran right into it.
On the beach at Daintree.
The water looks so inviting, but you can't go in it at all, because of how dangerous it is...salties & jellies.
Cassowary bird...extremely rare. We are so lucky we actually saw one. These are very dangerous birds as well.
Mr. Cassowary again. The colors on it's head were so cool. The knob on top is hard like bone.
Happy baby on the boat.
looking for crocs
Here's one! This is a salt water croc.
So much fun croc spotting.
My friend the python. I had to get it off the chicken coop yet again...
This is how it has been looking weather wise here for a while.
We have been having floods all over Queensland & the rain is still coming. We can now say we have been in a monsoon.
Henry's sick spots on Christmas. The picture isn't' really good, so you can only see the ones on his face, but they were all over his body. Yucky!
Henry got a new whistle for Christmas & he blows on it all the time. It makes him laugh every time it makes noise.
Henry likes to brush his hair
Then he brushes my hair...nice.
He had to inspect the new earrings Ben got me for Christmas. He is very inquisitive.
The latest progress on the new house.
notching by Ben
rafters. All hardwood
I like to call it stone henge. This huge concrete wall will have another one opposite it & they will have a floor between them to make a loft way up there.
Henry opening one present while reaching for another.
We all got flip flops for Christmas!
Christmas tree ornaments are one of Henry's favorite things.
Our lovely family on Christmas morning bright & early...the crowns are party hats that you get out of these popper things that Aussies open on Christmas & wear all day. 
