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| Day 2: November 1 -
Brisbane to Montville |
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The
tour kicked off today at 9A when we met our guides
Amanda and Grant in the lobby. Also at the hotel
were fellow travelers Ellen, Jeff, and Maureen.
Together we loaded up the trailer and headed to
the airport to retrieve the final member of the
team - Carrie.
Grant and Amanda are a fun team to lead the trip.
Grant can't be more than 20 (actually 21) and Amanda
seems to be about 25 (actually 31). Both are relaxed
and easy-going. Grant is originally from OZ but
living in NZ now whereas Amanda is the opposite.
Now that we covered the cast of characters, on to the day's activities. We began by driving inland to the Glass House Mountains. They are remnants of volcanic activity where
the outer layers have washed away leaving only the cores. Captain Cook named them after he saw they bore a resemblance to an area in London that had all of the glass manufacturing. An
Aboriginal tale tells of how these mountains were a family. One day the father saw the waters rising and wanted to move his family inland for safety. However the mother was
pregnant, so he asked the oldest son to stay with her and help her. When he moved the younger children away from the rising waters, he turned and looked back to see how the mother
and son were fairing. The son had abandoned the matter and was fleeing in the other direction. The father became so enraged that he went after the son and caught him. He dealt
his son a huge blow to the head and that is why the mountain looks as it does.
Next stop was the Australia Zoo. Lots of fun. They have a more interactive approach to animals and we got to pet koalas, kangaroos, and a wombat. A number of the enclosures
allowed you to freely mingle with the animals and we had a really good time. No sightings of Steve Irwin.
We wound up the day with a drive to Montville and stopped for wine tasting and another stop for cheese tasting. It should be an interesting first night together.
Words/Phrases of the day:
tinnies = beer
thong = flip-flops = jandals (NZ)
cozzies = bathing suit (from costume)
Note: most Australian lingo is simply shortened words |
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Howard with a kangaroo |
Croc Show |
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Koala |
Glass House Mountains |
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