Svalbard – 20160614 – Under Way

6:30 in the morning the voice of Luccho, our expedition leader, comes across the PA system…there are whales surrounding the ship…time to roll out of bed, grab the camera and head forward to observe some fin and blue whales spouting.

After lunch the ship anchors on the western coast of Spitsbergen at Krossfjorden fjord with a monstrous glacier.  We board the zodiac boats and head to the shore for an exploration walk. Each guide is outfitted with a flare gun and a 3006 rifle for polar bear protection…it’s the law in Norway that you must be armed.

in the zodiac

walking towards the glacier

glacier selfie

Our group of 20 explore the cold and barren landscape but there is plenty of life…lichen, moss, birds, fox, caribou…and bears! The glacier is stunning and periodically we hear it rumble and calve off a section.

Back to the ship, dinner and up to the bridge to watch the captain take us right up to a 2-mile wide glacier. Stunning.

approaching the glacier

No closer

we glide thru the ice

pano view

Svalbard – 20160613 – Flying to Svalbard

An early breakfast and out for a walk down to the waterfront…there are lots of wooden boats here.

Looking for a drugstore on the way back to replace the toothpaste confiscated at the airport…what’s allowed thru by TSA is not the same in Canada.

We board the bus and head back to the airport to catch our charter flight to Svalbard. It’s a 3-hour flight north of Oslo.  

Svalbard is above the Arctic Circle at 79 degrees latitude. From the window the landscape is stark, snowy, mountainous and exciting. 

from the plane

The approach to Longyearben is RNAV and features mountain ranges on both sides.  We land and immediately apply strong brakes…we stop with roughly 750’ of runway left…before the water.

Onto more buses for the short ride to our ship, the Explorer. This is the ship we traveled on in Antarctica and feels like an old friend. Our luggage magically appears in our room; we unpack and head for the lounge for the mandatory safety briefing.  We seem to have “muscle memory” about getting around the ship but other times we still need to look at the signs to get around.

It’s a wonderful ship that sleeps approximately 130 guests…while there are different cabin levels they are all quitee nice. The staff is mainly from the Philippines and Eastern Europe…working on the Explorer is a coveted job and we meet some who have been here for over 10 years. 

Our plane

from our cabin

In the lounge...orientation drill

Our dining room table

Captain's welcome

The Honey Badgers stake out a table for dinner and we sit for our first meal. After dinner it’s back to the lounge and exploring outside…it’s brisk but not that cold.  Around 9PM it’s time for bed but we are reminded that we’re not home…the sun never sets at this latitude and it’s always light.  I’m glad I brought my eye mask.

Svalbard – 20160612 – Arriving in Oslo

The British Air flight from Toronto was worth the points ... lay flat seats allowed us to get some uninterrupted sleep.

A great selection of movies but none watched. Landing at the Oslo airport was uneventful ... Norway is totally green and well manicured appears from a few thousand feet.

We are met by a rep Lindblad who welcomes the few of us who have managed to collect ourselves. Then onto the bus for the 45 minute bus ride into the city. Oslo is absolutely clean. I had forgotten That the Nobel prizes were given out here.

After checking in we go on a bus tour of the city.

The reception

There is a welcome reception in the evening. Becky and I were talking to our "Global Luminary" Fen Montaigne and I learn That he used to visit the town I grew up in ... Woodstown. "Fen" was short for "Fenwick" which is the name of one of the founders of Salem County! I have never met anyone who knew where Woodstown was ...

 Off to sleep as we have to have our bags ready for pickup at 7AM.

Svalbard - 20160611 - Toronto

The Honey Badger’s head to Svalbard

Back in 2009 Anne and I decided to visit Antarctica with our friends John McHugh and Becky Brown.  We booked a Lindblad cruise and headed south. Once we boarded the Explorer we quickly ran into Mark & Jenny Sadow who we knew via Crossroads School.

The six of us got along great so we decided to organize another trip for the six of us, this time to Africa. One of our planning dinners focused on what animals we really wanted to see…the black mamba and the Honey Badger.  Jenny even made us Black Mamba bags.

But the event that changed our lives in so many ways was when I discovered Randall’s Honey Badger video.

  

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Crazy_Nastyass_Honey_Badger

We realized that we identified with the Honey Badger and from that moment on began to refer to ourselves as “the Honey Badgers.” As Randall says “the Honey Badger doesn’t give a shit!” and that’s us.

2012 the HBs toured Africa. 2014 we toured Australia and New Zealand.

Now we’re sitting in the British Air lounge in Toronto waiting to head to Oslo via London.  We’ll spend a night in Oslo, fly north to Svalbard and board the Explorer for the second time.

Hungry Honey Badgers

Watch for the updates.

Down Under – 3/16/14 – Kuranda Rail / Rainforestation / Skyrail

Picked up by a new driver we head another touristy day of pre-planned activities...we never know what to expect with these days.

First stop is the Kuranda Skyrail.  We get into the cable cars and head up over the rainforest.

Up we go

Video of us on cable car

First stop in the rainforest.

The Cassowary bird

You don't want to run into an actual Cassowary in the rainforest as they can kill you! http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cassowary

We tag along on a ranger led tour and learn some interesting things.  For instance there is one tree that sheds its bark so that no vines will grow on it.

The dam at the top of Barron Gorge

Shopping for polished stones at Kuranda Village

We didn't have time to check out the snake zoo

At the top of the skyrail is Kuranda Village.  We really didn't have much time to walk around here as we were scheduled to take a ride on an amphibious Army Duck vehicle.

Video of Army Duck prep

After the duck ride we were off to another tourist lunch...this one was actually pretty good.

It was time to check out the little zoo they had and then on to the Aboriginal Culture show with the Pamagirri Dancers.

Dingo

Jenny taking big chances

A big croc

Waiting for his next victim

The obligatory koala bear

Video of Rainforestation and Aboriginal experience

Video of didgeridoo performance

Video of spear throwing

After that it was time to head back down on the Kuranda Scenic Railway Gold Class.  http://www.ksr.com.au/Pages/Default.aspx

All aboard

Jenny and Mark sipping champagne

Barron Gorge

Overlooking Cairns

Video of Kuranda Scenic Railway

Down Under – 3/15/14 – Great Barrier Reef / Underwater videos

Last night we checked in at Peppers Beach Club Resort & Spa at Palm Cove. http://www.peppers.com.au/beach-club-spa/ and proceed....to dinner of course.

Major topics of conversation revolve around the various ways that we can die on the barrier reef and Mark is an authority on all ways...even the various drivers delight in telling us how we could pass on.  Jellyfish are the main method and there are big ones and microscopic ones that can kill you.

http://cairnsdiveadventures.com/reef-info/cairns-jellyfish/

In the morning we are picked up by the bus and we have a 45 minute ride to Port Douglas where we will depart on the Quicksilver cruise ship. Things to do in Port Douglas  Quicksilver Cruises

*** lots of movies later on ***

On the bus

We arrive at Port Douglas and head for the dock to board the large aluminum Quicksilver boat...it holds over a hundred people.  Once on the boat it starts an hour cruise out to the dive site where they have a permanently attached structure for diving.

Up top

Jack, John & Mark planning our next move

I talked John into going diving with me.  The last time I did a scuba dive was almost 30 years ago...I was PADI certified.  Unfortunately because I was on blood pressure meds they would not let me dive without a doctor's note.  Bummer.

So instead 4 of us decided to do a helmet dive.  This is where you put a helmet on and air is fed to you.

Signing up for the helmet dive

We arrive at their structure and it's massive.  Virtually everyone signs up to rent these full body lycra suits that protect you from the jellyfish...we were sufficiently scared off from diving without one.

Now all of these photos and movies were taken using my new GoPro camera.  I have been intrigued by all the unusual movies people take with this tiny camera so I decided to experiment with one.  It's housed in a waterproof container so there is not much sound.  Overall I was quite happy with it.

The movies I am posting here are unedited but as I learn more I will edit them and re-post.

Suiting up

Suiting up

 Video of group putting on the anti-jellyfish suits

Underwater viewing stand

Divers showing off a sea cucumber

The Helmet Dive

So Mark, Jenny, John and I signed up for the helmet dive.  Basically you put on a plexiglass helmet that they pump air into and you walk down some stairs under the water...sounds simple, huh?

Underwater video of me watching others helmet dive.

Now it's our turn to get ready...the first step is to put on some weights so you don't bob to the surface.

Video of us putting on the weights

One by one they plop a helmet on your head and you walk under the water.

Video of Jenny walking under the water

Then it's my turn...I get the helmet on and start to walk under the water and I notice that the water is up to my chin...and I start to get a bit uncomfortable.  Unfortunately as I get older I have developed a bit of claustrophobia sometimes.  So I head back out of the water and after a minute I head back down.

Video of Jack heading underwater

All 4 of us are underwater and this interesting video shows the tremendous variety of fish that will gather around when they chum the water!

Video of Jack, Jenny, Mark and John Helmet Diving

Video of us climbing out at the end of the Helmet Dive

Video of Jack snorkling, fish, divers, etc.

Returning to Port Douglas

Down Under – 3/12 - 3/14/14 – Brisbane / Sunlander Train

We say goodbye to Cottesloe at 5:15AM and I drive us to the Perth airport to head across Australia to Brisbane

We arrive in Brisbane and check into the Sofitel and immediately do the one thing we have truly perfected...eat!  We walk to a large shopping center and find the food court.

Afterwards some decide to go shopping and Anne & I head for a rambling walk to up our Fitbit count.

We first stop into a travel agency as I have a question as to whether our luggage is accessible on the train we will be taking tomorrow to Cairns...it will not be so we have to pack an overnight bag.

The agent with knowledge

 We stroll down the street to find the public botanical gardens and happen upon a lizard scoping out his next meal.

Lilly pond

Lilly pond

They have bike sharing too

We head from the gardens to the harbor and walk along for some time.  We have to be careful to walk on the correct side so we don't get run over by the bikers.

For random boaters there is this first-come-first-served dock area that is free...no big yachts here.

Restaurants on the harbor

We turn in early as we're bushed...tomorrow is the train to Cairns. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairns

We get up and head for the train station to get on the Sunlander.  http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g255068-d612043-r129846437-Tilt_Train-Brisbane_Queensland.html

We have to thru this strict weigh-in process as each bag cannot be over 20kg and they make us take out items until we meet this limit.

Our cozy cabin

Onto the train we go!  There is a restaurant car and a club car with snacks.  The train is filled with all types of people.  And, BTW, today is 3/13 and is my birthday.  My fellow travelers actually fake me out and sneak presents onto the train right in front of my face:

• a 3 foot gummy worm  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RXmNRr8x7I
• a box of jelly beans

I ended up sharing the gummy worm with everyone in the club car after the chef graciously cut it up (he did wear gloves)

The jelly beans

Miles and miles of sugar cane

And bananas

I can't say that I slept fitfully on the train but this was a restful interlude in our otherwise hectic schedule.  We pulled into Cairns around 7PM on 3/14/