This morning we took the SkyRail to Kuranda Village – a small town deep in the rainforest. The first stop was Red Peak.

The second stop was Bannon Falls.

We reached Kuranda Village about 10:30. Some shops and galleries were open and we saw the whole spectrum of souvenirs – from tacky to top quality paintings and sculptures. I spent most of my time at Koala Gardens – viewing regional wildlife.

Before heading back, we were given demonstrations of boomerang throwing (we all got a chance to throw a boomerang); didgeridoo playing; spear throwing. This was followed by a dance performance.

We rode back on the Kuranda Scenic Railway, built during the gold rush of the 1870s.

I ended my day, and my stay in Cairns, with a ride on the Reef Eye.

Today’s excursion was a ride out to the Great Barrier Reef for a day in and about the water. First up was snorkeling.

After lunch I went down to the observation room.

Then, I rode in the semi-submersible submarine.

My last adventure for the day was the introductory scuba class. We got close up views of coral, anemones, sea cucumbers, giant clams and more. Unfortunately they don’t let you take cameras, so I didn’t get any photos.

Our first stop was the Mossman Gorge Cultural Center. We had a smoking ceremony and were led through the reserve by an indigenous guide who shared some of their history, beliefs, and described how some of the plants were traditionally used.

When someone died, they would cover the body with mud and wrap it in a root from a strangler fig and prop it against the trunk. Over time it would be absorbed by the tree.

The afternoon event was a cruise on Daintree River. The river was high from the rain the day before and it is nesting season so there wasn’t a lot of activity, but we saw one young crocodile soaking up some sun.

I couldn’t resist starting with this picture. But, the day actually started with the sunrise from the veranda.

After checking out of our hotel we drove to Uluru for a final visit.

We saw Aboriginal rock art on the hike to Mutitjulu Waterhole.

After a stop at the cultural center and lunch we headed to the airport for our flight to Cairns.

We drove out to watch the sunset at Uluru after checking in to our hotel.

Alice Springs. Originally the tour was supposed to spend the night at Alice Springs, so I was a bit disappointed. However, Alice Springs is almost 5 hours from Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park which goes a considerable way to making up for missing Alice Springs.

Sadly, Alice Springs is currently experiencing issues related to alcohol abuse which was a contributing factor to the decision to stay closer to Uluru.

We saw kangaroos from the bus on the way to the airport.

We landed at Ayers Rock Airport, loaded our suitcases on the bus, then eight of us went on a scenic flight.

Today’s excursion combined a ride on a steam train with wine tasting at two Yarra Valley wineries.

We had lunch after the tasting at Fergusson. Followed by another tasting at Balgownie. (Followed by a nap.)

Evening excursion to Phillip Island to observe the Little Penguins (aka Fairy Penguins) as they return to their burrows at sunset.

Pictures from the drive down: wallabies, an echidna, bandicoots, Cape Barren geese, swamp hens, and the coastline. Ending with the night sky after the “parade.”

First stop, St Patrick’s Cathedral.

A drive through the sports area.

Second stop, the Shrine of Remembrance (war memorial).

Views from the balcony of the Shrine.

We drove a section of the Grand Prix course on our way to the final stop, Victoria Market.

Last day with Larry and Martyn: breakfast, laundry, lunch and packing up to join the tour. After checking in to my hotel, I did a little sightseeing in my new neighborhood.

It was another blustery day – and we went for coffee and cake with some friends of Larry and Martyn in the morning. We had sandwiches for lunch and I ventured out for a short walk around the neighborhood and did a bit of shopping to replace some items left at home.

We had dinner – homemade pizza – with another couple of friends nearby. They live in a restored 1860s home with an amazing addition on the back that houses a modern kitchen, dining room and sitting area beside a lap pool. Plus a five-car, underground garage.

The flight to Melbourne was long but relatively uneventful. The weather here the first few days was unseasonably cold and wet, so we only left the house for provisions. I did walk a couple of blocks in the neighborhood – mostly small, older cottages, with a smattering of remodels and new construction.

It finally cleared up this afternoon and I walked to, and through, the Melbourne Zoo which is celebrating a 160th anniversary.

The Lovers is a film based on the story of a young French woman who had an affair with an older Vietnamese man (Mr Huynh Thuy Le) in the 1920s. We visited his home.

Then we visited the Kien An Cung Chinese temple – built in honor of the Huyhn Thuy Le family.

Our morning excursion was to Sa Dec, the home of the Cao Dai religion. Our first stop was the temple.

Our final stop was a local where each of our three groups was given 50,000 Dong (US $2.00) and five riddles to answer to determine which fruits and vegetables we were supposed to purchase. (We placed second – none of us had heard of fish mint or wing beans.)

Our morning excursion was by Sampan to Tien Loi where we visited a local man making fish traps and a local woman making flower pots. We then walked through the area before boarding small rowboats for the trip back to the Sampans.

Our afternoon excursion was to Vinh Long where we watched (and helped) them make puffed rice and rice paper. We also watched them make and wrap coconut candy. Afterwards, we had tea and sampled some of the local candies.

We checked out of the Reverie Hotel this morning.

Then we took an excursion to the tunnels of Củ Chi which were used by the guerrillas fighting for independence.

Several of us took an afternoon Vespa tour which included a stop for lunch.

We stopped by a Taoist Temple.

Then we visited the Ten-Thousand Buddha Pagoda. (In Vietnam a Pagoda (chùa) has (a) Buddha; while a Temple (đền) does not.) This four-story bb houses a “cemetery” where people who can’t afford other options, bring the ashes of their loved ones. Memorials range from urns, to paper “headstones.”

After dinner I walked some of the streets around the hotel. They blocked off the street in front of the hotel for pedestrian traffic.

Our morning excursion started with a tour of the Central Post Office, constructed 1881-1886. The Saigon Notre Dame Basilica (1863-1880) is nearby, but undergoing restoration.

Our second stop was Reunification Convention Hall, also known as Independence Palace. It was built on the site of the Governors Palace, which was completed in 1873 and torn down in 1962 after being bombed in an attempt to assassinate president Ngô Đình Diệm.

Our final stop was the War Remnants Museum.