I'm learning geography

I really began to learn geography in the US when Les and I traveled across the country. Same thing for traveling in other parts of the world. Cairns is in the northern part of the state of Queensland. In this case north is hot and south is cold because we are south of the equator. It feels like Southern Florida here. It is a lively tourist area, trips to the great barrier reef, helicopter tours, etc. It makes for great people watching.

We finished our bird tour yesterday. Our guide, Jun Matsui, was like a magician. One surprise after another. He showed us two platypus a few days ago. I didn't get photos.

Now, some posts completely out of order.

Christmas in Gold Coast Australia, y'all

By request-a photo of our intrepid band

Mt. Field National Park in Tasmania

A beautiful walk through rain forest.

Tasmania, an island state in Australia

Bruny Island is accessed by ferry from Kensington, Tasmania. We made a side trip there to see the Little Pengiun, also called Fairy Penguins or Blue Penguins. Deb had seen them in NZ at Dunefin where they came out of the sea and walked up the beach to their burrows. That was not the case in Bruny. We waited a couple of hours in the dark and could hear some penguins but didn't see any on the beach. We did find several at the entrance to their burrows. This is the view of the boardwalk next to where the burrows are. Called The Neck, the sea is on one side  and bay on the other.

O'Reilly Resort in Lamington National Forest

The birding is excellent. We have seen all but one of the species we expected. O'Reilly has lots of activities including feeding the local birds which keeps them around. They liked our guide Detlef Davies but they also liked my bbb (best birding buddy) Deb Vath.

Actually the socks were the most fashionable part of my "get up" as our mom would have called it.

Apparently there are small leeches in the forest but we have not yet encountered them and hopefully won't. 

It's rubbish here, not trash because that word might be construed as derogatory to some people. A woman we met on Bruny Island referred to the local rednecks. I don't know if that's a term imported from the US or if it's the same slur which came about organically in Australia.

The socks say Bird Nerd, a gift from Lori C. Fashion is not a high priority for birders. This is the rain forest in Lamington National Park in Queensland, Australia.

A little local language.

In New Zealand a cooler that we would carry picnic supplies in was called a chilly bin by our guide. In Melbourne, Australia it was called an esky, a brand name that has become a generic term.

Both countries say "how are you going" and "mind how you go" rather than how are you or how's it going.

Mostly we can work out the meaning and the guides we've had are always willing to answer our questions.

The iconic kookaburra

Oops

Whole fields of kangaroos

We are in Melbourne, state of Queensland, in Australia. It was a 4 hour flight from Auckland NZ. The two countries are very different and I don't think residents of either country like being lumped together. We went about 40 minutes outside the city to a forested area and encountered about 50 kangaroos in 2 separate fields.

A rarity.

Red breasted Dotterel

otterel, quite a rarity. And we observed copulation.

New Bird Species

Silver gull, New species for me and this is a pretty good photo.

New Zealand is gorgeous.

Sparkling blue seas and verdant green hills as we flew in from San Francisco. Our birding company booked us into the Rose Park Hotel which is opposite...wait for it, the city rose garden. Just below that is a bay and the sea.

On the way to New birding adventure.

Thanks to Paula and Marty for the new hat and to Deb J for the best travel snacks in the world and to my wonderful neighbor, for a ride to the airport.