Sunday, May 04, 2008

Magnetic Island

We're BAAAack! From Australia, that is, and now are in a mad scramble to get everything done before flying to Amsterdam tomorrow. But while I wait for a dryer load to finish, here's another post to tide you over till the next ones...on Brisbane and Seoul, Korea (a 23-hour lay-over stop).


This is the view from our living room patio windows in the apartment on Magnetic Island. OMG! That Donica really likes to find the absolute best places she can find for vacation. THIS place really fit the bill!




Just 8km offshore from Townsville in Queensland (the city in the background) is one of Australia's best-kept secrets: Magnetic Island. Australia is well into Autumn now so the weather was very pleasant and sunny every day. Not too hot and not too cold.


For the week, Donica rented this cute little Mini-Moke which was a fun gad-about for getting here to there. Australia is like the UK, with the steering wheel on the right side of the car and the driving on the left side of the road. Fun and games!


We even took the Red Baron one day for a 20-minute tour around the island. That tells you how big the island really is. NOT VERY.


Many of its beaches and harbors are isolated and can be reached only by boat or by walking trails. What a sight for sore eyes! I couldn't take any pictures while flying (I valued my camera too much, which would have been blown away the minute I put it up to snap a pic!), so this picture is taken while on a walk.


Some of the flora and fauna blew me away because it was enough different to make me take a second look.


Have you ever heard of Noni juice that claims to have all kinds of miracle health cures? Here's what the fruit looks like. When ripe, it has a pungent smell that has earned it the moniker of cheese fruit or even vomit fruit. Seriously! We smelled it and agree.


I was most in heaven when it came to seeing up close and personal some of the island's inhabitants, like this mother rock wallaby and joey!


The lorikeets were a hoot. Talk about the Three Musketeers!


This stone curlew stood frozen in time watching us watch the sunset one night on the beach. It was almost eerie except for the fact that he allowed me to take many photos.


But the crowning jewel for me was this one koala I awakened while on a two-hour walk to the Forts from WWII. Koalas sleep 20 hours a day, believe it or not, waking up around 4p. I was there at 2:30 when I found this beauty in the tree....and obviously awakened her while walking over the brush. In the next half hour, she showed me every side she had. In fact, one day I may do a post just of her (since I took 44 pictures)!

Talk about being a happy camper...on my last day there on the island. There was nothing else I could have asked for!


"Good-Bye from Magnetic Island," the sun seemed to say. It was truly a paradise for us and one we'll never forget. It was the ending to a great 3 weeks away! And now you know why it's called MAGNETIC Island!!

Now Donica needs to switch gears and get back into work mode...while I still play with my photos in Amsterdam. I have so much yet to show you! What a memory.

But in the meantime, we have miles to go before we hop back on the plane tomorrow...one of which is to go get the lawn mowed now, drive down to Donica's mom's house to get a liquidator's quote, and eat dinner with Amy and Nicholas tonight in honor of Mother's Day (since we won't be around next Sunday).

I do hope YOU'RE not as busy!?!

18 comments:

  1. April was so busy... May looks to be quieter (I hope)... and we're both still in our jammies at 5 pm.

    Your photos are spectacular Ginnie and make me rather jealous of your trip.

    Here's wishing you a gentle trip to Amsterdam tomorrow :)

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  2. Glad you're back safe and sound. Sounds like you enjoyed AU as much as I did. See you at SC. Mary MacADNski

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  3. And you found time for a fabulous post!! This island looks just incredible, and if it looks this good at your blog, it must be tremendous in person, hearing the sounds, smelling the smells, feeling the great sea breezes. Where you stayed looks amazing, and I know that woman and her travel planning abilities from personal benefit, so bravo once again to Donica! I look forward to more and more. But this island just takes the cake, what a way to end the vacation!

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  4. Ha! I didn't mean I look forward to more and more personal benefits from Donica's travel planning. :D I meant more pics and travel stories from you. But you knew that.

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  5. WOW you are back ALREADY! That time went fast, as I'm sure it did for you too. Australia ia a great place to visit, I really enjoyed my time there 3 years ago. I hope to be going again in 2009 for a family reunion in NZ and then OZ. Great pictures... such a blue sky and blue water! The lorikeets are such fun, saw many of them when I was in Brisbane.

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  6. It just seemed like you left! Awesomely beautiful pictures, and I would say they don't do justice for the experience you both got from the trip. Now Donica goes back to work, and you Gina have the supportive lifestyle of giving to her whereby you have the time to organize and get more pics posted to share. God bless you both...Bob

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  7. Absolutely breathtaking photos, Ginnie. What a fabulous holiday! It must be very hectic trying to get ready to go to Amsterdam. Are you still suffering from jet lag?

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  8. Beautiful pics Mom, it looks like you had a great vacation!

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  9. Thanks for sharing your travels with us via these photos. The photos are tremendous!

    Thursday, if all goes as planned, my wife and I will be going to Mexico City with our pastor for five days.

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  10. wow - I'm in absolute picture heaven! Those are so great. Just haven't been in the mood to post more from my trip...

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  11. T1: Thank you ever so much,Kim. It was such a fabulous trip!

    Cuidado: It was wonderful, Mary...and thank you ever so much for stopping by and commenting here! You made my day.

    Ruth: I just HAVE to keep posting about this fantastic place! And, HA, I did know what you meant about Donica. :)

    Ex-S: I would have loved to see NZ as well but we knew we couldn't cram too much into this trip. Maybe the next time. So glad you know what I'm talking about!

    Integrity: It went by very quickly, Bob, but we have memories of a lifetime. Thanks for your kind support of us.

    Karen: No jetlag but things really do feel hectic. Once I get in the car on the way to the airport in 5 more hours, however, I'll start to relax! :)

    Mark: Awww. Thank you for commenting, my son!

    Tim: You'll have a great time, I know! Take lots of pictures. :)

    ET: I LOVE working on my photos and making them into posts, Jen. I think I'm always in the mood for that!

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  12. Oh my gosh Ginnie, that's AMAZING!! The animals... the Koala! The Pool! I hope you took a swim!!

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  13. Ginnie these snippets of your vacation are fantastic, what a beautiful Island this looks. Donica sure knows what she's doing when she books these places.
    As for the Lorikeets they are just as colourful as the three of us!!!!
    Carn't wait to see the rest of your shots:) Glad to have you back.

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  14. The first thing I thought when I saw your photos were: WOW, the colours are amazing!!! (I change the way I spell colors depending on the country you're visiting, lol). It sounds like you and Donica had such an wonderful time, a much needed retreat during all the chaos going on. I would love to see a series of your koala! I think that's why I'm still sticking to blogger and not as much shutterchance because I always tell my stories in a series of photos. I can't wait to see what else you have in store for us! Have a safe trip to Amsterdam. It's 2pm here so I suspect you're airborne as I type. (BTW, Jimmy got the contract with the guy in Amsterdam I mentioned several posts or weeks, it's pretty cool!).

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  15. wowow wowow I am really impressed by your 'adventures' I like also the way you are discribing all you-2 did togetehre and how you travelled, what you saw.... Very interesting . I am waiting for the rest to see!!! (Brisbane Korea)

    Thanks for showing

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  16. What a place. I read about Australia nad see magazine photos, but to see your own personal experiences makes it come much closer! Thanks for taking the time to share parts of your adventure.

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  17. Incredible shots, Ginnie! I've always wanted to visit Australia. I hope that both you got enough rest, because your itinerary seems to be only filled with jet lag ;) Ha! And you sometimes wonder how we do it!??! LOL!

    Hope you had a safe trip to A'dam :)

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  18. These pictures belong in a travel guide, these are so unique and captured with so much love, you do have that eye to see the most stunning things.
    The Three Musketeers are a treat...talking about that koala, the marine, I think you and Donica can say that you have spend every second very well, to explore a beautiful part of the world.
    I would have loved to see Donica race around in that toy-car...on the left side of the road....
    Every picture of it own is a small treasure, the sunset is just stunning.....magic....
    Ginnie, thank you so much for sharing these fabulous pictures and telling about your trip.
    I know you have landed on Dutch soil again, Ginnie and Donica welkom in Nederland.
    See you soon.

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