Our last two days in Port were uneventful. The weather was fabulous, which unfortunately meant I spent a good deal of time hiding from it. On the plus side, this has given me ample time to finish my book. After my disappointment with Richard Dawkins’ argument or lack thereof, I thought I would try Christopher Hitchens.
‘God is not Great’ is an amusing read- 350 pages of argument can essentially be condensed to 4 objections to religious faith: ‘that it wholly misrepresents the origins of man and the cosmos; that because of this original error it manages to combine the maximum of servility with the maximum of solipsism; that it is both the result and the cause of dangerous sexual repression; and that it is ultimately grounded on wish-thinking.’
He does have some good arguments against religion, but these are somewhat overshadowed by his pompous tone. I would be surprised if Hitchens liked anything in the world, religious or otherwise. He is flawed in the same way Dawkins is flawed: by suggesting that people of faith cannot and do not acknowledge the flaws in religious belief and behaviour. He assumes that all good acts stem from humanism rather than religion, but that all bad acts are a result of religious belief. I certainly enjoyed reading his work, but I don’t think it has swayed me from my Christian agnosticism yet.
Book reviews aside, we did have some great meals in Port. On our last night, we went to Nautilus, which is an outside dining restaurant. I began my night with a 5 spice pineapple daiquari, followed by a white pepper lamb starter and followed by ‘A Taste of the Sea’: seared scallops in Japanese pepper with lotus root, plum aioli & wakame; char grilled bay bug tail al vino bianco; pan seared tiger prawns with garlic & brandy cream; grilled Reef fish with mud crab butter & cucumber noodles. By far the biggest surprise of the night, however, was Graham, who ate two of his least favourite foods- a duck starter and an entire coral trout for his main.
Saturday, 14 August 2010
My new love is the Cassowary
Wednesday saw us embark on the final ‘activity day’ of this trip, the Daintree Rainforest. We were picked up by a huge 4WD vehicle that looked like it might be more use in active combat than in a holiday resort, but it did prove useful for the roads of Northern Queensland.
Our guide, Kelvin, was brilliant at explaining features of the landscape to us en route to the Daintree River. He also explained something of his views on politicians making decisions about crocodile management from their offices in Canberra, which was interesting.
At the Daintree River, we were again given morning tea before boarding a river cruise to hunt for crocs and snakes. Our first croc sighting was a tiny baby sunbathing on a log. He/she shared my birthday, so I felt we had a mutual understanding already! We then saw a female swimming in the middle of the river, which was unusual as the weather was not really cold enough for a croc to want to cool down. Nothing quite compared to the sheer size of ‘Big Al’ who at 5.5m long was quite content to lie on a bank while hoards of tourists took photos of him!
After crossing the river, we rejoined the 4WD and wound our way through the rainforest of the Alexandra Range to the Alexandra lookout, which gives great views of the Daintree River estuary and out to the sea. Unfortunately, it was raining quite a bit, so the photos don’t do the view justice. We continued on our way to the Daintree Discovery Centre, which is a great place to visit – it was amazing to stand underneath the canopy of the oldest tropical rainforest in the world! The aerial walkway gives a great view of all the various climbers and ferns etc. They only had to cut down two ferns to make the walkway- it weaves its way through the trees- apparently it was constructed using helicopters and aerial imaging.
Lunch was in a canopy and was fabulous- a BBQ with steak, seabass and sausage, with mixed salads and fruit. And wine. It was bizarre because we were sitting in the middle of a torrential downpour, but it was still perfectly warm.
After lunch, we continued our journey north to Cape Tribulation, so named after Capt. Cook ran adrift on the Barrier Reef near there. The beach is stunning, although you can’t swim because of the crocs. There is no tarmaced road north of Cape Tribulation, which is a bit disconcerting! It is famous for being the point where rainforest and beach meet. We walked to the Kulki lookout in order to get a better view of the reef, beach and rainforest, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t playing ball!
On our way back to the Daintree River, we stopped at the Daintree Icecream Company. These people specialize in tropical fruit ice-cream. I had one of their ice-cream taster selections: yellow capote (weird, and not at all as I expected it to taste), whattleseed (like a cappuccino), black sapote (like chocolate pudding) and pineapple (bliss on a spoon). After indulging, we caught the Daintree cable ferry across the river (there are no bridges) and arrived at the south side.
Our final stop of the day was Mossman Gorge. Here, the rainforest borders the Mossman river. I was disappointed we only had half an hour- I would have loved to go swimming here. It was oddly reminiscent of the mountain rivers in Switzerland. They are rebuilding the walkway and trying to involve the local aboriginal community in this project. I would be interested to revisit when it is all finished.
A fabulous day.
Our guide, Kelvin, was brilliant at explaining features of the landscape to us en route to the Daintree River. He also explained something of his views on politicians making decisions about crocodile management from their offices in Canberra, which was interesting.
At the Daintree River, we were again given morning tea before boarding a river cruise to hunt for crocs and snakes. Our first croc sighting was a tiny baby sunbathing on a log. He/she shared my birthday, so I felt we had a mutual understanding already! We then saw a female swimming in the middle of the river, which was unusual as the weather was not really cold enough for a croc to want to cool down. Nothing quite compared to the sheer size of ‘Big Al’ who at 5.5m long was quite content to lie on a bank while hoards of tourists took photos of him!
After crossing the river, we rejoined the 4WD and wound our way through the rainforest of the Alexandra Range to the Alexandra lookout, which gives great views of the Daintree River estuary and out to the sea. Unfortunately, it was raining quite a bit, so the photos don’t do the view justice. We continued on our way to the Daintree Discovery Centre, which is a great place to visit – it was amazing to stand underneath the canopy of the oldest tropical rainforest in the world! The aerial walkway gives a great view of all the various climbers and ferns etc. They only had to cut down two ferns to make the walkway- it weaves its way through the trees- apparently it was constructed using helicopters and aerial imaging.
Lunch was in a canopy and was fabulous- a BBQ with steak, seabass and sausage, with mixed salads and fruit. And wine. It was bizarre because we were sitting in the middle of a torrential downpour, but it was still perfectly warm.
After lunch, we continued our journey north to Cape Tribulation, so named after Capt. Cook ran adrift on the Barrier Reef near there. The beach is stunning, although you can’t swim because of the crocs. There is no tarmaced road north of Cape Tribulation, which is a bit disconcerting! It is famous for being the point where rainforest and beach meet. We walked to the Kulki lookout in order to get a better view of the reef, beach and rainforest, but unfortunately the weather wasn’t playing ball!
On our way back to the Daintree River, we stopped at the Daintree Icecream Company. These people specialize in tropical fruit ice-cream. I had one of their ice-cream taster selections: yellow capote (weird, and not at all as I expected it to taste), whattleseed (like a cappuccino), black sapote (like chocolate pudding) and pineapple (bliss on a spoon). After indulging, we caught the Daintree cable ferry across the river (there are no bridges) and arrived at the south side.
Our final stop of the day was Mossman Gorge. Here, the rainforest borders the Mossman river. I was disappointed we only had half an hour- I would have loved to go swimming here. It was oddly reminiscent of the mountain rivers in Switzerland. They are rebuilding the walkway and trying to involve the local aboriginal community in this project. I would be interested to revisit when it is all finished.
A fabulous day.
Laura attempts to keep a straight face…
As part of the deal with our hotel, we were given a free dual treatment at the hotel spa. Those of you who know me well will know that I enjoy a good massage, but am not particularly beauty-minded. Graham, on the other hand, had no interest in spas or massages, so it was with great effort that I finally managed to bully him to the spa for our treatments.
All was going well until they recommended that we needed to be naked for this experience. After sharing identical looks of horror, we eventually acquiesced and hid under the plethora of towels. We were then told that we would be taken on a spiritual journey from head to toe to make sure all our energies were running in the right direction. Now, I may not have been paying attention, but I don’t remember being told about energy channels running through my body at med school. G looked frankly horrified and I promised myself I would nod and look serious and definitely not for any reason suggest that my energy channels did not exist.
The treatment was actually fabulous, not least because I fell asleep. I’m not sure I buy all the ‘energy channels’ and aromatherapy stuff that goes with it, but I certainly enjoyed myself. The rest of the day disappeared in a haze, but I think we wandered around Port and ordered curry for dinner.
All was going well until they recommended that we needed to be naked for this experience. After sharing identical looks of horror, we eventually acquiesced and hid under the plethora of towels. We were then told that we would be taken on a spiritual journey from head to toe to make sure all our energies were running in the right direction. Now, I may not have been paying attention, but I don’t remember being told about energy channels running through my body at med school. G looked frankly horrified and I promised myself I would nod and look serious and definitely not for any reason suggest that my energy channels did not exist.
The treatment was actually fabulous, not least because I fell asleep. I’m not sure I buy all the ‘energy channels’ and aromatherapy stuff that goes with it, but I certainly enjoyed myself. The rest of the day disappeared in a haze, but I think we wandered around Port and ordered curry for dinner.
Finding Nemo
Today I have visited a wonder of the world. And found Nemo! We went with Poseidon Tours and visited three different dive sites. The Agincourt Ribbon reefs are on the edge of the Outer Barrier Reef and take an hour and a half to get to by boat. Normally sea-sick, I maximized on the overpriced sea-sickness pills the boat was offering, but they worked, so I was hardly going to complain.
The day began in the glorious sunshine of Port Douglas Harbour, where we were asked to take our shoes off. I had no problem with this, although did wonder what was going to happen to them… there were quite a few pair of blue flip-flops that day! On the boat, we were offered ‘morning tea’ which was great, although the terminology still interests me- is there a different afternoon tea? The calmness of Port Douglas Harbour was a little deceptive, as once we cleared the headland, the winds picked up and I was very grateful for my travel pills.
We were given a tute into how to snorkel…I hadn’t realized it was particularly complicated, but as I hadn’t snorkeled before, the guide wanted me to used a foam cylinder as a buoyancy aide. Using flippers was something new and different, and it took me a while to get my head around the concept of not doing the breaststroke! And not breathing through my nose when under water!
The Agincourt Ribbon Reefs are long and narrow and are flushed out at every tide by water welling up from the Coral Sea Trench, which apparently provides an ideal environment for coral. The reef is greyer than anticipated, and the water uninvitingly cold for the first five minutes!
The first dive site was probably my favourite, just because it was my first time of seeing an underwater environment like that. I lost all concept of time and space, just floating with my weird buoyancy aid. I was thrilled to see angel fish and clams and sharks and so many weird and wonderful forms of coral. I ended up drifting off, so was chased down by one of the guides who pointed out just how far I had gone from the boat….oops.
The second dive site was fun because it was more spread out, and the tide had gone out, so I could get a really good impression of the layout of the reef. Again the view from the boat was oddly underwhelming, but once under the surface I was again enthralled. The water was definitely colder this time and I think I glared at the underwater photographer because he wanted me to stay still for too long. I didn’t buy the photo in the end anyway!
The lunch provided on the boat was good- cold meats and salads etc, and all-in-all the service provided by the crew was outstanding. We returned to Port via the Low Isles, where apparently they have turtles, but I think that might have to be left for another trip!
Monday, 9 August 2010
Laura goes from being the palest thing in Port Douglas to the reddest in one hour.
Port Douglas is not at all as I expected. It is smaller and somehow more touristy than anticipated. Our apartment is very nice-set in palm trees and surrounded by pools. Even in the bleak mid-winter, Port Douglas is 30°C, making me very grateful for air conditioning!
We spent our first day exploring the Sunday markets in Port. The market stalls are lovely. A condition of having a stall is that the produce has to be sourced locally and run by local people. It was a highly colourful affair- lots of fresh fruit and locally made clothes and jeweler. Afterwards, we wandered to the four mile beach, which actually isn’t four miles long. It is gloriously sandy with a good surf. I realized that jumping through the waves is fun whether you are five or fifty! Unfortunately, sunburn hurts just as much, and I was suitably annoyed that I had managed to burn wearing factor 30 suncream and only being exposed to the sun for an hour.
Dinner that night was at Fins, a restaurant just up the road from our hotel. I had the seafood linguine, which included ‘bugs’. Bugs are not rainforest creatures, but are a cross between a langoustine and a crayfish. They are yummy! G had the vegetarian laksa with chilli jam, which was also very good.
We spent our first day exploring the Sunday markets in Port. The market stalls are lovely. A condition of having a stall is that the produce has to be sourced locally and run by local people. It was a highly colourful affair- lots of fresh fruit and locally made clothes and jeweler. Afterwards, we wandered to the four mile beach, which actually isn’t four miles long. It is gloriously sandy with a good surf. I realized that jumping through the waves is fun whether you are five or fifty! Unfortunately, sunburn hurts just as much, and I was suitably annoyed that I had managed to burn wearing factor 30 suncream and only being exposed to the sun for an hour.
Dinner that night was at Fins, a restaurant just up the road from our hotel. I had the seafood linguine, which included ‘bugs’. Bugs are not rainforest creatures, but are a cross between a langoustine and a crayfish. They are yummy! G had the vegetarian laksa with chilli jam, which was also very good.
Saying Goodbye
Friday was a mixed day for me. It began with a lovely breakfast, followed by the most mammoth of ward rounds since I arrived! I will really miss the ICU and the people I have worked with. So much so that I will be back…might see if Newcastle will arrange an international transfer for me. Here’s hoping.
After loitering around the hospital for far longer than was totally warranted, I finally made it back to Coogee. G and I then wandered along the Eastern Costal Walk to Bronte and back. Dinner was at the Spanish Fly, which wins the award for most visited restaurant in Sydney on this visit. We had zucchini flowers, pork belly, halloumi, a dip plate and bread.
It seemed really strange to pack up my room- a bit like leaving at the end of the uni term, but worse because I have enjoyed this placement more than anything I have done before.
After loitering around the hospital for far longer than was totally warranted, I finally made it back to Coogee. G and I then wandered along the Eastern Costal Walk to Bronte and back. Dinner was at the Spanish Fly, which wins the award for most visited restaurant in Sydney on this visit. We had zucchini flowers, pork belly, halloumi, a dip plate and bread.
It seemed really strange to pack up my room- a bit like leaving at the end of the uni term, but worse because I have enjoyed this placement more than anything I have done before.
Saturday, 7 August 2010
Manly, physiology and drinks
Thursday morning saw us catch the early ferry to Manly. This is a beautiful ferry journey and gives you stunning views of the harbour and the various bays around the CBD. Manly is famous for its beach, and we were lucky to be there on such a glorious day. We walked along the promenade, but didn’t have time to do the Manly to Spit walk. We did make it to Ocean World, however, which is quite possibly the biggest disappointment of my time in Sydney! It could have been quite good if the glass had been clean and there had been slightly more to see, but as it was even with taking my time I had covered the entire aquarium in 20 minutes. I had to be consoled with chocolate instead. We did manage to find Ugg boots, which should make me very popular with at least one of my sisters! I’m still struggling to understand the allure, but that is probably because I am old before my time and can’t bear people shuffling in their footwear!
As some of you know, Thursday afternoon is physiology viva practice, which I have been going to for the last five weeks. This week my topic was pressure-volume loops of the left ventricle, which I vaguely remembered from medical school. I’ve really improved my understanding of physiology through these sessions, even if sometimes I can’t quite articulate as clearly as I would like. Even better was going out for drinks with everyone afterwards. I have had the best time working in the ICU and it was lovely to know I have made some great friends in the process.
As some of you know, Thursday afternoon is physiology viva practice, which I have been going to for the last five weeks. This week my topic was pressure-volume loops of the left ventricle, which I vaguely remembered from medical school. I’ve really improved my understanding of physiology through these sessions, even if sometimes I can’t quite articulate as clearly as I would like. Even better was going out for drinks with everyone afterwards. I have had the best time working in the ICU and it was lovely to know I have made some great friends in the process.
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