bicycles, bridges and tulips

In recent weeks we have done something that we haven't done since we were teenagers.  We have gone bike riding - twice!    Hiring a bike to ride in Europe is like using a pay phone.  Very easy, and most cities have a system where you can check out, or check in, a bike at stations  all over town.

I'm not so keen on cycling in traffic, but in the Netherlands we went to a large national park near Arnhem where the bikes were free, so you just grabbed one and went.  It was fun and I only had to avoid crashing into other cyclists.  I am not the best bike rider, and I put that down to not having the opportunity to learn until I was 13.  Just a little late for it to be natural.  But the best part of this park was the gallery in the middle with a worthy collection of Van Gogh paintings - what a treat!

Bikes are what stuck out the most in the Netherlands - I presume they are all born on one.  Certainly we saw lots of infants and children on the back, or in the cart in the front (big wheelbarrow like contraptions that can hold up to 3 children).  In fact, being a pedestrian is a risky business as the bikes seem to have the right of way, everywhere.   I know I stepped out in front of many cyclists, but it was a very appealing approach to personal transport.

Of course the reason they are all happy to cycle so much is that the biggest hill they have to climb is the gentle rise of a bridge over a canal. Phil thought it very graceful to watch the pendulum like rythym of bikes crossing bridges; Bridges over canals that were lined with boats. So the dutch must be big on boating too.

Back to art.  This was one of our main reasons for wanting to visit Amsterdam. We agree that Vincent van Gogh was an outstanding artist and we wanted to see lots of his paintings; And we did and they were great. I wish I could go back again and again to feast on his brush work. Better again, just have some of his paintings hanging on our own walls (dreams are free). The other treats were 1. The MC Escher gallery in Den Haag (The Hague). Yet another brilliant mind, but this one focused on exquisite detail, mathematics and design; and 2. Visiting Rembrandt's 300 year old house in Amsterdam with a special exhibition of his stunning etchings.

MC Escher

We timed our visit for spring so that we could go to the tulip gardens - a place called Keukenhof.  Somehow I managed to pick the busiest day of the season to visit - the day of the huge flower parade - so by noon we had to share the park with literally thousands of other people, all trying to stay off the grass even when there was no path left to share.   The flowers were nothing short of magnificent.  Beautiful. Enchanting.  And in the surrounding fields the flowers are grown like rainbows; not just tulips, but hyacinths, narcissus (daffodils) and iris.  We spent 5 hours in the park looking at flowers and it was only the crowds that pushed us to leave.

Our final stop was Delft, the town famous for blue and white pottery.   For us, Delft is famous for wonderful food at reasonable prices.  We used the opportunity to celebrate our anniversary one night and my birthday the next night (well they were our pent up excuses to indulge in one Michellin star fine cuisine).   The chef introduced us to some palate tingling cheeses which we were subsequently able to buy from a local speciality shop to bring some home and extend the taste sensation.  The most memorable was the Delft Blue - definitely a challenger to a good Kapiti version.  This is Delft below.

We didn't see many windmills, but it wouldn't be a blog about Holland without a photo of one so here it is (snapped on the highway).   My final thought is of friendly people.  The country is full of them and that made our visit so much more enjoyable.

Cape tribulation

Last weekend the weather was still fine so we decided to head off on another camping trip. This time we went north to Cape tribulation. We had been there before a couple of years ago, but it rained so we wanted to see it when the sun was shining. From the land, there is nothing "tribulating" about it - just stunning rain forest and beaches for miles.

The Cape itself is about 2.5 hours north of Cairns. We stayed Friday night at Wonga beach on the south of the Daintree River (which is a big river with crocodiles) and then early on Saturday caught the car ferry to the rainforest.

Driving through the trees on the narrow winding road is a delight. Although this is the Daintree national park, there are no extensive hiking trails available. There are three board walks around 1km long which demonstrate the different kinds of bush along the coast here. Each is unique and it was particularly interesting to see the contrast betweent the dry season now and the end of wet season when we were last here.

We were thrilled this time to see a Cassowary taking a bath in a creek - our first cassowary in the wild. It seemed to be aware of our presence, but not too concerned about it, perhaps because we were on a board walk up above.

We camped at Noah beach, just 50m from the beach in a government camping ground with very few facilities. But the beach was magic, so beautiful and so NOT crowded. It was super hot, so we even went for a swim, inspite of the risk of crocodiles and marine stingers.

We woke up to butcher birds at about 5.30am and went bird watching for awhile and then walked up the deserted beach (above). After breakfast we did another boardwalk and went to the viewpoint at Cape Tribulation itself (photo below).

Later we stopped at another beach on the way back down the coast, and risked another swim to cool off (not that the sea water was cold - more like a luke warm bath).

Apart from enjoying the scenery there is not alot to do up here. There are a few tropical fruit farms on the Cape, and one of them makes very interesting ice-creams to try. So we got to sample some wattleseed, jackfruit and mango flavours. The ice-cream place also has a fantastic collection of heliconias and ginger.

On the way home we went to check out the new Hoglunds glass place at Miallo, but it was closed. We did stop in at a Barramundi farm which also grows hydroponic lettuce and bought some of each for dinner. A tasty end to a relaxing weekend.

Undara

Recently we made a trip 3 hours south west of Atherton to the Undara Volcanic National Park. The wet season hasn't arrived yet so we are making the most of camping while we can.

Undara is 2500ft above sea level on the Great Dividing Range. What is fascinating about this place is the underground lava tubes formed by an eruption of the Undara volcano a very long time ago. The tubes run from Undara 160km north west to the sea. Lava tubes exist in other places in Australia and in other countries including NZ, but Undara is the longest lava flow from a single volcano.

As sections of the lava tube have collapsed from erosion and earthquakes, dry rain forest (technically referred to as semi-evergreen vine thicket) has grown up in the cavities which are much cooler and moister than the land above.

It is inland here so it is hot, about 35 degrees. You can't see the caves without a guided tour and we were glad we chose the 1pm as walking down into the caves was like turning on the air-conditioning! The Undara region is regarded as the traditional country of the Ewamian Aboriginal people. It is likely that they passed through during the dry season and used these caves as temporary accommodation (probably because of the aircon) as there is evidence of Aboriginal occupation. In the wet season, the collapsed sections of the tube act like huge drain holes for the savannah, filling with water.

In contrast to the dry eucalypt woodland above, the caves feature moss-covered rocks, fig tree trunks, ferns and tangled rainforest vines. Some of the cavities and depressions are also home to unique plant and animal life including insects and bats, due to their isolation and the habitat.
The tube walls are formed from huge chunks of basalt interlocked like a three dimensional jigsaw puzzle.

Above ground, huge granite outcrops punctuate the endless sea of green. Having grown up with so little wildlife in NZ, the abundance here still excites us, including the feisty wallaroos.

The next day we climbed up to the rim of the Kilkani crater to get a 360 degree view of the volcanic plateau. From here the darker strips of foliage indicating the tubes are obvious in the ocean of gum trees. Somehow it is very peaceful, albeit hot.

At night, Phil went on his usual frog search and found 5 different species, so we may have to go back after it starts to rain. Can't wait!