Borneo

Pygmy elephants on the river bank

Borneo was somewhere Phil had always wanted to visit. It seemed like such a remote place with exotics animals, dense rainforests and meandering rivers. We hoped to enjoy some walking in the rainforest and to see some of the wildlife like the Oranutang that is only found on Borneo and Sumatra.

We arrived in Borneo on a flight from Perth with a short stop in Kula Lumpa. We landed in Kota Kinabalu in the north east of Borneo in the Sabah area. We had booked a tour whilst we were in Australia that consisted of a short internal flight and then a 3 hour boat trip from KK down the Kinabatangan River to the Sakau River Lodge for 2 nights and then transfering from there by road to Borneo Rainforest Lodge in the Danum Valley for 2 nights. The Kinabatangen river was how you would imagine a river to be in a rainforest, muddy brown water with luscious green vegetation on either side consisting of mangroves and various types of palm trees. We entered the river from the sea and followed it upstream into the rainforest. After about 2 hours along the we were lucky enough to see a herd of Pygmy Elephants on the river bank. The video below shows a short clip of this.

The Borneo pygmy elphants are unique to Borneo and are a subspecies of the Asian pygmy elephant. It was amazing to see them in the wild and be so close to them. They were obviously used to boats going up and down the river as they seemed very relaxed whilst we stopped to look at them. 

A village on the Kinabatangen River

Afternoon river safari

We arrived at the Suka River Lodge and after a quick check in we were ready to go on the first of many river safaries. We were ready with our binoculars and camera to see the wildlife that presented itself. Luckily the guides are very good at spotting the various species. Without them I don't think we would have seen much. They have really sharp eyes! After a while we turned off into a narrower tributary river and the guide soon began to be excited and told us that there was an orangutan in one of the trees. After a while we spotted it too and manged to take a photo. We have many photos of the various animals that we have seen but few good photos. Without having specialist equipment and waiting all day for the perfect picture it is difficult to take good pictures from a moving boat of small animals in trees.

Our first picture of an Orangutan

Either a short or long tailed Macaque

The orangutans have a specific smell and after a while we were able to tell that there was one close by! There were several other more common monkey specicies to spot in the trees like the short and long tailed Macagues. These were very acrobatic and often did spectacular jumps.

A Proboscis Monkey

A Red Leaf Monkey

One of the more difficult monkeys to spot is the Proboscis Monkey with its characteristic big noise. Again we were lucky and saw one of these although it was difficult to get a good portait picture! The Red Leaf Monkies were more obliging.

At night we went on night safaries in the small boats. The guides had powerful torches that the would shine along the river banks and up into the trees. They could spot the wildlife seeing the reflection from their eyes. Again, they were very good at spotting things from a distance and would suddenly change direction and cruise over to what they had seen. Some of the animals that we saw but were hard to photograph at night were monkies (trying to sleep) in the branches of the trees, snakes, lizards, a Civet (a bit bigger than a domestic cat), various birds and two baby crocodiles.

A Kingfisher at night

A White Stork

The Kingfishers were easier to photograph as we learnt that they see badly in the dark and so once they have landed on a branch for the night they do not want to take off again because it is so difficult for them to land on another branch in the dark.

The video below is a short clip from an electric motor boat. Being electric it is very quiet giving more of a chance to see some of the wildlife without scaring it off.

Another short video showing a Long Tailed Macaque taken from one of the boats:

  

A Fig tree with a large buttress

The second lodge was based around walking as opposed to boat trips in the first lodge. Walking in the rainforest was wonderful but it was hot and humid. We also wore leech socks to try and stop the leeches from getting in and sucking our blood. They worked very well as neither of us got bitten by them although we did get some on our clothing and noticed them before they could set to work.

As the name suggests, it rains a lot in a rainforest. However, whilst we were there it only rained on one of the evening walks. This was great because if it had rained I think we would have got just as wet from our own sweat from under our rain coats as from the rain itself. We had carried our walking boots with us so at least we got to use them every day in Borneo. They got very muddy and so the special boot cleaning area at the lodge came in very handy.

Traditional dress at meal times

The Borneo Rainforest Lodge

The Borneo Rainforest Lodge was a fantastic place to stay - luxury in the jungle. The restaurant food was excellent and many of the tables were on a covered balcony looking out towards the river and the towering trees on the other side. It had a very relaxing feel to it and it would have been nice to stay there for another night. Because of a slight mix up and the previous lodge we had been upgraded to a deluxe room with a large outdoor bath on the balcony. We used this after the two afternoon treks and sat in the warm water looking out over the river listening to the birds and various other strange jungle noises as the sun went down - very enjoyable! 

Early morning mist

The authorities have made national parks out of the remaining virgin or primary rainforest areas. Most of the rainforest is now secondary rainforest meaning that the ancient forest has been cut down and new trees planted or they have grown again naturally. Borneo was a poor country and the high quality wood from the forest gave them capital to improve the country. Many of the areas have been replanted with huge (ugly) areas of Palm Oil Plantations. Although this gives sustainable income from three crops a year it has also forced the wildlife to move to other locations and threatens extinction for some of them. The Bornian Rhinoceros is one of the animals under threat since there are now very few of them left. It was no surprise that we didn't see one. Our guide had never seen one in the wild. Another hard to see animal that we also didn't see was the Snow Leopard.

Swimming in the Jacuzzi Pool

One of the walks passed the "Jacuzzi Pool" on the way back to the lodge. This was an idyllic natural pool at the bottom of a waterfall. We were all very hot at this point so it was very refreshing to take a swim. The pool also contained small fish that are used in Asia as means of cleansing your feet. If you stood still or sat at the edge with your feet in the water then about 20 – 30 fish would come and eat the dead skin from your feet. It felt like the fish had teeth and you could only bear it for about 20 seconds before pulling your feet out. We saw these fish in tanks in towns where you had to pay for putting your feet in. This natural experience was enough for us.

Mount Kinabalu

At the end of our rainforest lodge trip we had a three hour 4WD trip on a fairly good gravel road back to the small local airport. On the way the driver suddenly stopped and pointed out a lone male pygmy elephant just coming out of the trees and onto the road. It had just torn a branch off a tree and was carrying it with its trunk. We were sat in the SUV watching and taking photos out the window. We were a safe distance away but the elephant wasn't too happy with us watching. It made a trumpeting noise and walked aggressively towards us. The driver moved the SUV a bit further away and the elephant stopped. It soon started to move towards us again and so the driver said that it was safest for us to drive off since the lone males can be aggressive. We readily agreed. We landed back in KK in the evening. The next day we took a day trip into the Kinabalu Park where south east Asia's tallest mountain is at a height of just under 4000 metres. We saw it from a distance. It takes two days to trek up it with a guide but we decided to spend our time in the rainforest rather than climb it.

World's biggest flower - The Rafflesia

Protecting the Rafflesia from Phil

The Kinabalu Park has the very rare Rafflesia Flower that is infact the biggest flower in the world and can measure up to one metre in diameter. It takes 15 months to bud and then the bloom only lasts for 7 days. Known buds are protected by fences since it is very fragile. If the flowering bud is touched by a human hand it will die. Lucky locals with one growing on their land charge tourists like us to see it. It didn't cost very much but we were very glad we paid to see it. We spent the rest of the day looking around a botanical garden and walking the high canopy pathway.

The next day it was time to leave and to fly north to Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon) in Southern Vietnam. This will be the last leg of this part of our trip and will include Cambodia's Angkor Wat - somewhere else we've always wanted to visit.

Visiting Elisabeth and familiy in Perth

View of Perth from Kings Park

Hmm, the winds a bit strong...

We spent just under two enjoyable weeks with Elisabeth and her family in Perth. Elisabeth is an old school friend of Iren's. Elisabeth's husband, Kristian, had accepted an 18 month secondment to his company's office in Perth and so they have all been there for almost a year now. They are renting a good sized house in South Perth with a large swimming pool in the back garden. It was great to see how much fun their 3 children had in the pool (as did we!). Their english has improved dramatically and the youngest has even developed an authentic Aussie accent. We got a chance to join in with their family activities like barbequing in the park, sailing a small catamaran and visting their favorite ice cream cafe.

We used our time in Perth to relax, do some day trips and to plan for some of the rest of the trip. We were able to borrow their bikes on many occasions and used them as our main mode of transport so we got to do a bit of cycling in Australia.

When Elisabeth came to visit us when we lived in Manchester, we went to the theater twice. Not to be outdone when we visited her in Perth she took us to the theater. We watched Private Lives by Noel Coward at the Subiaco Arts Centre. It was a full house and it sounded like everyone enjoyed it judging by the laughter, we certainly did. Phil thought it equally amusing when the Australian actors didn't quite manage to pull off 1930's upper class English accents.

Cottesloe Beach

Cottesloe Beach is an iconic place to visit in Perth. There was not enough room for all of us in Elisabeth and Kristian's car so we cycled. After about an hour cycling there in the heat, we were ready for a swim. It has a long sandy beach and good waves for surfing. However, it was difficult and cold to swim since it was very windy and the surf was up.


Cycling on Rottnest Island





A mother and baby Quakko



We caught a ferry out to the beautiful Rottnest Island where we all cycled. The island is famous for its small Quakkos which look a bit like rats but are more like small kangaroos. We were lucky enough to see several that were just sitting around on the road.

One of the day trips about an hours drive from Perth was a boat trip that included swimming with dolphins, if they decided to turn up. It was a full boat with everyone hoping we would see some. The first hour or so was spent cruising along eagerly looking around to spot the dorsal fins of swimming dolphins. We were divided up into two groups so that not everyone was in the water at the same time. The leader of each group was a guide on the boat. Each person was to hold on to the belt of the person in front and then look down into the water to see the dolphins swimming under us. At last the dolphins turned up and we were ready to jump in.



Waiting for our turn...



Dolphins playing in the boat's wake

Whilst swimming we could hear the clicks and squeaks of the dolphins. It was amazing to swim so close to them and to watch how fast they could swim when the boat sped up so that there was a large wake behind. The dolphins loved to play and jump out of the water whilst following the boat. Kristian came with us on the trip and decided afterwards that this would definately be something that the children could do later in the summer.

A trip to Australia would not be complete without seeing some Kangaroos and Koala Bears at close hand. We had seen a few Wallabies crossing the road (or most of them dead from being hit by cars on the road). We headed to Caversham Park to see them.

Feeding the Kangaroos

An inquisitive koala

Iren was like a child and couldn't wait to get in and feed the kangaroos from her hand. You could not feed the koalas but you could stroke them. Their fur was incredibly soft.

Enjoying it whilst it lasts

Perth is one of the most isolated cities in the world since it''s over 2700 km to drive to Melbourne, the nearest city of any size. However, it felt like a great place to live. We are sure that Elisabeth and familiy will enjoy the rest of their time in Perth when they get back from a Christmas break in Oslo. Thank you all for a lovely stay! See you when we all get back home next summer.

Sydney to Melbourne

Revisiting the Sydney Harbour area

We arrived in Sydney ready to experience a bit of the Aussie lifestyle. After picking the hire car up at the airport we drove down to see the Sydney Harbour area.  Having visited Sydney a few years ago, we just wanted a little taste before setting off to the Blue Mountains.

The end of the working week in Sydney

It was Friday afternoon on the 11.11.11 and the area around the Opera House and the Royal Botanic Gardens were crowded with several wedding parties and after work gatherings. It was a lively, early summer atmosphere. It was nice to spend a few hours reminiscing over the last time we were here.

Abseiling down the Empress Falls

Posing infront of The Three Sisters

The Three Sisters

Ferns in the Grand Canyon

In the early evening we started our journey towards the Blue Mountains, staying the night in Penrith and quickly moving on to the  Wentworth Falls area the next morning. The scenery was beautiful and lush, and so different from the Norwegian forests and mountains.  We walked to the Empress Fall from the Conservation Hut. The stream has made a deep canyon that look like a mini Grand Canyon but with a Rain Forest at the bottom. A popular Australian activity in this area is Canyoning and abseiling down the waterfalls. It looked like cold, but exciting. In Norway we walk up the mountains, here we had to walk down into the canyon and then climb back up again. Just before sunset we arrived in Katoomba where we enjoyed the view of The Three Sisters and the mountains which looked slightly blue in the distance. White cockatoos flew below us above the rainforest. These birds showed up really well against the lush vegetation below.

Walking in the Canyon

One of the many waterfalls

A visit to the The Scenic World was next. We drove on the reputedly steepest railway track in the world, walked the Scenic boarded walkway through the ancient rainforest and took the Scenic Skyway across the valley with a good view of the Katoomba Falls, The Three Sisters and Mount Solitary. We then drove on to Blackheath and The Grand Canyon Walk which had waterfalls, and a deep canyon that we followed for a couple of hours. We saw several Lyre Birds with nice tails. These birds are ground dwelling and seldom fly. We also saw some Red Crayfish in the streams we walked past. We also enjoyed the view from the Evans lookout which reminded us of the Grand Canyon in Arizona. In the evening we drove the Megalong valley which was more like pleasant English countryside. We enjoyed our time walking in the Blue Mountains and could happily have stayed there for longer, but it was time to head southwards.

Some Stalactites in Jenolan Caves

On the way southwards we stopped off at the Jenolan Caves. There are numerous subterranean limestone chambers. The night was spent in Goulborn before spending the next day in Canberra. Luckily we visited Canberra and the Parliament House the day before President Obama came to town.  The Parliament House was completed in 1988 and is situated next to Lake Burley Griffin together with all the other major monument. 

The Parliament building in Canberra

One of the many beaches along the way

Batemans bay was next on the agenda. We walked along the coast where we saw a number of black kockatoos eating some seeds from the trees. There were numerous quiet beaches surrounded by cliffs and trees. We only wished we could have spent more time enjoying them before the drive down to Lakes Entrance. The Gippsland Coastline has the largest inland lake system in Australia. The lakes entrance is the only entrance from the Gippslands Lakes to the sea. Again we marvelled at the lovely beaches and secluded coves.

Lakes Entrance

Before arriving at Melbourne we stopped off at Phillip Island to watch the Penguin Parade. We saw hundreds of penguins coming out of the sea. They settled in the dunes where they preened themselves and fed their hungry young. It was a wonderful sight, but the smell was not so sweet, smelling of fish and penguin pooh.

Melbourne by day

Melbourne by night

We had a couple of days in Melbourne before catching a flight to Perth to visit Elisabeth and the family. The day we arrived in Melbourne was really hot. We decided to make the most of it since rain was forecast. We wandered around visitng a number of the highlights. We were tempted to buy fruit at the bustling Queen Victoria Market before visiting St Pauls and   St Patricks Cathedral. We especially liked the St Pauls Cathedral designed by the English architect William Butterfield. It was finished in 1981. The style is described as Gothic Transitional. Afterwards we strolled in the the 18th century glass archades.

One of the Arcades in Melbourne

It was just as well that we spent the day walking around the city in over 34 C becasue the next day it rained all day. We spent the time in the Ian Potter Centre that is dedicated to Australian art.

Our drive down from Sydney to Melbourne is at an end. We are now going to fly to Perth where we will visit Elisabeth and Kristian.

Fiji

One of the many small islands

The plan for Fiji was simple; enjoy a week on the beach with snorkeling to see the underwater life on the coral reef and take part in some of the resort's activities. We had booked into the Blue Lagoon Beach Resort on the Nacula island, part of the Yasawa chian of islands to the north west of mainland Fiji. After landing and taking the complementary bus to the marina we boarded the Yasawa Flyer, a high speed catamaran ferry stopping at all the main island resorts. The voyage took about 4 and a half hours. The first few island stops look exactly how you imagine a small tropical island should look. Sand all around with palm trees lining the beach. It looked like they would take about 10 minutes to walk around.

Island idyl

Getting into the Fijian spirit

Our island was considerably bigger and would take several hours to walk around. The Flyer, as the ferry is referred to, is too big to negotiate the numerous coral reefs outside each resort. Therefore, smaller outboard boats would pull up alongside and take the passengers and their luggage into the beach. The luggage was often thrown from the Flyer to someone who would catch it on the waiting smaller boat. Statistically they were bound to drop one overboard every so often but luckily we saw our bags safely on the deck. One of the first things we noticed was how sunburnt alot of the people were. We resolved that we would not look like that when it was our turn to leave and therefor we used up a whole sun tan spray can supplimented by factor 60 on our faces and shoulders. This plan succeeded.

The Welcome Committee

When we disembarked on the beach the local people gave us a traditional Fiji welcome dressed in straw skirts and singing with guitars playing the local rythms. As we were later to see, this happened twice everyday as people left the island and as the new comers arrived.

Shades of blue and green

Our accommodation was a simple room with a double bed and a fan on the ceiling in the middle of the room and not a lot else. We only slept in the room so this was fine. The bathroom facilities were shared with the other guests and although we were a bit sceptical at first but we soon got used to brushing our teeth next to our neighbours in their underpants. Those paying more forfeited these early morning and evening intimacies.

The local village

So, all that remained was to throw ourselves into the daily routine of lying on a sunbed and cooling off in the sea at regular intervals. Cooling off wasn't as effective as it is in Norway since the temperature of the water was 29C on the warmest day. We have not done much snorkeling before and so the colours of the tropical fish never ceased to make us smile to ourselves whilst our heads were underwater.

View from the walk to the village

There were several trips available everyday: We walked with our barefooted guide up the nearest 'mountain' along the ridge and then down to sea and along the beach back to the Blue Lagoon. This took just over 2 hours. From the top you could see a beautiful view of the whole island and all the coral reefs surrounding it.

We had a great trip to a limestone cave that required a short underwater swim to get into and a torch to see anything once inside.

The local fishermen delivered dinner

Hmm, dancing with the locals

We visited the local village where 450 people lived. They put on a traditional dance in the village hall and sang for us. They put out their handicrafts where Iren bought a pink shell necklace.

We also thought we would take a diving course over 4 days. We took the introduction course which involved watching a video covering the basics of how to use the equipment etc. After that we got into the water to practice what we had learned and then went diving for about 30 minutes. Unfortunately Iren felt queazy and it gave her a headache so we decided not to do the 4 day course. However, we got a certificate which means that we can dive with a guide if we want to in other places on our trip.

This is the life

First prize: Breakfast on the beach

Meal times were very sociable as all the guests ate together. We met lots of nice people during the week ("Hello!", if you're reading this) and so it was always a bit sad when the new friends we had got to know had to leave. Many people were doing the same as us so there was alot of talk about travelling. Our week soon came to an end although the last breakfast was a bit different since our team had won the prevoius nights 'Survivor'  (quiz and games in the bar) competition with a first prize of a Champagne breakfast on the beach.

Bye, bye Fiji!

The end of another relaxing day

The Flyer then took us back to Nadi where we stayed for one night before catching an early flight to Sydney. Next week we will be driving from Sydney to Mellbourne via the Blue Mountains.