AUSTRALIA and HOME

BY JOHN MASTALIR jmastalir@yahoo.com

ANOTHER OF THE WORLDS GREAT JOURNEYS

11-12 AUGUST 2011...LEAVE LAS VEGAS 29 HOURS...CROSS DATELINE AND ARRIVE IN AUSTRALIA

13 AUGUST 2011...ARRIVE IN CAIRNS AUSTRALIA...MEET TOUR GUIDE...GAZ...HE IS THE GREATEST...WALK THE CITY TOUR...CATCH 6 AIRPLANES DOING A SHOW OVER THE CAIRNS BAY, A LOVELY ACCIDENT IN TIMING...DINNER DOWNTWON....LESS THAN A MILE FROM OUR HOTEL OF OUR NIGHTS...THE DAMN THING HAS A WARM WATER JACCUZZI...I AM IN 4 TIMES DAILY.

14 AUGUST 2011...CAIRNS...GREAT BARRIER REEF...WHAT TO SAY...BOAT TRIP OUT AND BACK...I GOT SICK OF COURSE BUT RALLIED TO SNORKEL THE REEF, WALK ON THE OCEAN IN DIVERS SUIT AND MASK AND TAKE THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT TOUR ...TWICE...STAFF SENSATIONAL ...ITS SORT OF AN ISLAND ON THE REEF REST STOP...HOW MANY HAVE DONE THIS.

15 AUGUST 2011...CAIRNS...BREAKFAST TRAIN TRIP TO KURANDA...WONDERFUL,SCENIC, COOL,HISTORIC, TOP OF THE HILL CITY, TOURIST TRAP TYPE BUT GREAT WITH BUTTERFULY WORLD, BIRD WORLD, KOALA PICTURES, SHOPPING AND THE WORLDS WORST SMOOTHIES...TOOK THE TRAM DOWN THE HILL OVER THE RAIN FOREST CANOPY WITH TWO BEAUTIFUL STOPS. A LAS VEGAS MAGIC SHOW AT THE CASINO THIS NIGHT...SMALL NOT REAL GOOD...LACKING PRODUCTION AND LATE...CAUGHT A LOVELY FIREWORKS SHOW OVER THE BEACH ON THE WAY TO THE SHOW...CHINESES FOOD COURT DINNER AFTER THE SHOW. YAH.

16 AUGUST 2011...OUR 35TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY IN LAS VEGAS
OUR 36TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ON EASTER ISLAND
OUR 37TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY AT ALICE SPRINGS CENTRAL AUSTRALIA
A LOVELY DAY FLEW FROM CAIRNS TO ALICE...DEAD CENTER AUSTRALIA AND NEAR AYERS ROCK...DOWNTOWN WALKING TOUR AND SHOPPING TRIP...BARBECUE BY OUR TOUR GUIDE...KANGAROO, PRAWNS, LAMB, BEEF AND CHARM WITH OUR 17 MEMBER TEAM TOUR GROUP...ALL PLAYED ALONG AND A DIGEREDOO SHOW...WHAT A TRIP THIS WAS...BEST GUY IN THE WORLD, FULL PRODUCTION WITH SLIDE SHOW AND LASERS 88 MINUTES...2 SETS OF PERCUSSION AND ONE DOOOOOOER. FABULOUS...SLEPT WELL AND LONG...COOL IN THE WINTER HERE AND THE SMELL OF FIRE ASH IN THE AIR...ROMANTIC.

17 AUGUST 2011...ANOTHER DAY IN HEAVEN....ALICE SPRINGS AUSTRALIA...WALKED DOWNTOWN...HOSPITAL MUSEUM...GREAT...QUEENS MUSEUM...GREAT-HISTORICAL-ANCIENT...SHE WAS HERE AND THE PRINCE GOT FOOD POISONING HERE...AFTERNOON TOUR ...FLYING DOCTORS PROGRAM MUSEUM...ALL OVER THE PROVINCE...GOOD...RURAL STUDENT EDUCATION PROGRAM...MUSEUM...EDUCATE 120 KIDS OVER A SPACE THE SIZE OF TEXAS...DO IT ONLINE AND THRU THE MAIN...TERRIFIC...TELEGRAM HILL MUSEUM...LIVE KANGAROOS...HISTORICAL TELEGRAM SETUP THRU THE COUNTRY FROM SOUTH TO NORTH 100 YEARS AGO...CAMEL TRAINS...SUPER SPOT...WENT TO TALLEST HILL IN THE CITY TO OVERLOOK THE AREA...LOTS OF FIRE SMOKE RESIDUE IN THE AIR...GREAT SPOT...COOL HERE IN MIDDLE OF WINTER...TEAM DINNER WITH OUR GROUP OF 18 ...EVERYONE PLAYED ALONG...GREAT FOOD IN THE CITYS HOT SPOT...ALL SORTS OF HISTORIC SHIT ON THE WALLS...VERY NICE ...FOOD GOOD AND PRICEY.
TO BED...SOME WITH A.M. BALLOON TRIP WE GO TO AYERS ROCK FOR ONE NIGHT...6 HOURS ON THE BUS HERE...ANOTHER DAY IN HEAVEN

18 AUGUST 2011....ARRIVE AT ULURU AND A LIKE ROCK FOR HIKE AND TOUR....LONG RIDE WITH MOVIES ON THE BUS AND A CAMEL STOP RIDE...BIG GORGEOUS SUNSET PARTY OVER THE ROCK...ORDUVES

19 AUGUST 2011...UP EARLY FROM OUR $450 NIGHT ROOM....THIS FOR SURISE ON THE ROCK...TOUR THE BASE FOR PICTURES AND INFO...GREAT GUIDE AND ON TO AIRPORT TO MELBOURNE....LONG TRIP TO SYDNEY AND THEN MELBOURNE TWO FLIGHTS BUT THE WERE SAFE AND SMOOTH
20 AUGUST 2011 MELBOURNE...UP EARLY FOR ALL DAY TRIP TO PENINSULA ISLAND...SAW KANGAROOS, SHITING SEA GULLS... AND TINY PENGUINS WHICH EMERGE FROM THE OCEAN AT DUSK AND RETURN INLAND TO THEIR DIRT CAVES IN THE DARK...IT IS AMAZING...THEY ARE IN THE UNION AND HAVE DONE IT FOR 10,000 YEARS...CUTE LITTLE BASTARDS.

21 AUGUST 2011 MELBOURNE...WHAT A DAY...RAIN FOREST TRAIN TRIP WITH WINE TASTING AND ZOO TRIP....GREAT TRAIN RIDE 30 MINUTES....GREAT MEAL AT WINE FACTORY....GREAT VISIT TO THE RURAL ZOO WITH BIRD EXHIBIT FOR OVER A 1000 FANS...TRIP BACK TO MELBOURNE...LEFT AT 1956 OLYMPIC STADIUM FOR AUSTRALIAN RULES FOOTBALL...GOT BACK FOR THE LAST 3 QUARTERS...TERRIFIC....MELBOURNE LOST 117-110...LOTS OF RUNNING AND KICKING 40,000 AT THE GAME I LEARNED FROM ONE OF THE NATIVES....$7 CAB RIDE TO HOTEL....COULD HAVE WALKED IT...JANET AND I HAD PASTA, TOMATO PUNKIN SOUP AND ICE CREAM....HOW ABOUT A DAY LIKE THAT !

22 AUGUST 2011....MELBOURNE TO SYDNEY...2 AND HALF HOUR FLIGHT...CITY T0UR...FREE OPAL AT OPAL FACTORY MUSEUM...FAREWELL DINNER...LOTS OF USUAL LOUD MUSIC...I LEFT AT 7 FOR PIANO QUINTET CONCERT...MURO...BEETHOVEN...DVORAK...PERFECT ACOUSTICS IN LOVELY LITTLE DOWNTOWN THEATRE.

23 AUGUST 2011...SYNDY BUS TOUR WITH PICS OF PARKS..OPERA HOUSE ...BAY...BRIDGE...ACTUALLY RAINED A TICH...LOVE THESE CITY TOURS...GUIDE GARY WEST WHO LIVES HERE LED THE TOUR..AFTER LUNCH OPERA HOUSE TOUR...GREAT GUIDE, HISTORY AND PICS...JOHN MASTALIR GOES TO OPERA ...LEBOHEN...1931 VERSION...THEY HAD READER BOARDS AT EYE LEVEL...FIRST CLASS PRODUCTION WITH FULL ORCHESTRA AND GREAT TALENT....THEY STARTED ON TIME...BARE BREASTED WOMEN TOO BUT THEY DID NOT DO CURTAIN CALLS...I HAVE SEEN THE OPERA AT AGE 66 AND LIKED IT.

24 AUGUST 2011..SYDNEY...BLUE MOUNTAIN ALL DAY BUS TRIP AND EXTRA TOUR, COSTLY LOVELY MOUNTAINS WITH AN ONION LUNCH BUFFET...PICS OF 3 SISTERS...PERFECT DAY...TOURED ANIMAL PARK AND GOT PROGRAM STAMPS FROM ALL THE ANIMALS...LOTS OF KOLAS AND BIRDS AND DINGOS. TOURED 2000 OLYMPIC VILLAGE...SYNDEY SAYS IF ANY FUTURE CITY CANNOT PERFORM THEY WILL BE READY IN 2 WEEKS...BACK OF OPERA HOUSE FOR WORLDS GREATES FLAMINGO DANCER...SOLO...WITH VOCAL AND GUITAR...BOY IT WAS GREAT...HE WAS LATE...JANET LOVED HIM....BURGER KING AND BACK TO RYDGES HOTEL WHICH FAILED TO MAKE UP THE ROOM FOR THE THIRD TIME ON THE TRIP.

25 AUGUST 2011...SYDNEY TO LOS ANGLES 13 HOURS 13 MINUTES...ONLY 43 MINUTES FROM LA TO LAS VEGAS....HUGS AND KISSES FOR WORLDS GREATEST TOUR GUIDE GARY WEST...GAZ.
JUST BACK OF LAS VEGAS FOR KENNY KERR AND HIS LAS VEGAS DIVAS SHOW ...HE HAD ON 14 GOWNS.

NORWAY IN SEPTEMBER