Still in Queensland, Australia.
Zvi and I both needed this stop to rest and recuperate. It’s really been a tough trip; it’s not the long hours you’re flying, it’s the hassle trying to get through customs and immigration and security at the airports which is quite annoying and time consuming.
We are still visiting our friends Norty and Margaret Gill. They have been fabulous hosts and can’t do enough for us; we are trying to entice them to come and visit us in the USA in the spring.
Spent yesterday at the Great Barrier Reef; it’s about a two hour boat ride (26 miles). Then had the opportunity to snorkel in two different areas and spend about 45 minutes on a glass bottom boat — it was an eight hour excursion (8AM to 4PM). We were told that the reefs are not in any danger now (as it was reported several years ago due to an increase in water temperature and starfish population).
We don’t have any major plans today except to get to the airport at around 5 PM to refuel. We plan to have about 240 gallons of fuel on board for a 12 1/2 hour flight, which gives us a reserve of at least three hours.
We will depart Australia at 5 AM tomorrow morning. We need to be at the airport by 4 AM to go through customs and immigration. The early departure should gets us to Fiji around 8 PM.
Because of the 10 day loss of time with the tire blowout on Sardinia, we eliminated Jordan, Jakarta, Indonesia, and Port Vila, Vanuatu (between Australia and Fiji) from our original itinerary. We decided not to change the website itinerary that has been created by our friend Charles Kush, as so far I believe he has changed it at least five or six times for us.
Our remaining itinerary is Cairns, Australia > Nadi, Fiji > Pago Pago, American Samoa > Hilo, Hawaii > Oakland, California > Oklahoma City, Oklahoma > Manville, New Jersey. We cross the international date line between Fiji and Samoa and actually arrive the day before we depart, gaining the 24 hrs we lost flying eastbound. Still hope to be back in New Jersey November 6th.
Bird exploring Zvi’s head. Norty identify the bird as a magpie lark.
Playing with sea turtles
Beautiful Port Douglas
Our men are in Fiji as of Friday, October 28 and some rest and touring are in order. Weather enroute was reported by Ed to be fairly void of significant clouds or turbulence as the latest 12 hour flight is now in the books with two long flights remaining. After a short hop to Pago Pago, American Samoa on Saturday, October 29, our aeronauts will depart on their 14-15 hour flight to Hilo, Hawaii. The time and date in Pago Pago crosses the INT date line so they leave pick up a day on that leg.
A little info on Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceana in the South Pacific. The republic consists of an archipelago of some 330 islands of which 110 are inhabited. Most live on two islands , Vanua Levu, and Viti Levu. About 3/4 of the population live on the coast of Viti Levu, either in the capitol of Suva or where Ed and Svi landed, in Nadi.
Fiji has one of the most developed economies in the Pacific through its abundant forest, mineral, and fish resources. The currency is the Fijian dollar, with the main sources of foreign exchange being the tourist industry, remittances from Fijians working abroad, bottled water exports, and sugar cane. The Ministry of Local Government and Urban Development supervises Fiji’s local government, which takes the form of city and town councils.
So we are off in spirit to Pago Pago in American Samoa. Ed will have more on that in his next blog.
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