jimandlee's TravelStream™ — Recent TravelPod.com entries TravelStream™ news feed for member jimandlee on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/jimandlee en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:05:50 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com Cheryl, here is our travel blog from our trip. — Medina, Ohio, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1206806460/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1206806460/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1206806460/tpod.html Sat, 29 Mar 2008 12:05:50 -0400 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Medina, Ohio, United States

Here is our trip travel blog. Enjoy reading.
]]> Home Sweet Home — Medina, Ohio, United States http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205827380/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205827380/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205827380/tpod.html Wed, 19 Mar 2008 04:29:52 -0400 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Medina, Ohio, United States

After a 36 hour day, we made it home. And it was still St. Patrick's Day. Ended up our flight flew from Melbourne to Auckland to LA to Atlanta to Cleveland. Left MEL at 11 AM and left AKL at sunset. Crossed the international date line and saw the sunrise over the Pacific Ocean and arrived in LAX at 11 AM. Saw the sunset over the mountains and arrived in ATL. Flew to CLE in the night and got home at 11 :30 PM, still March 17th!
Hard to comprehend!
We are in a time warp, got home the I still had some cute Christmas decorations up! Hey, it will be Easter!
All our kids will be home for Easter and the funeral for their Grandpa Mc. So we are anxious to see them and all of you over the next few months.

Thanks for following our blog and we wish you all Happy Travels too.

The happy, jet lagged travelers.
]]> Heading Home — Melbourne, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205792820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205792820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205792820/tpod.html Sun, 16 Mar 2008 18:39:40 -0400 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Melbourne, Australia

In the Queensland area, we went back out on the reef. Quite a differnet trip than the first one. Still amazing. We could do that again. Awesome. but, the interesting part of this trip, we went out to the open ocean from the reef boat and permanent pontoon on a little tender. 10 of us with a marine biologist and photographer were dropped off
2 miles out from the main boat. Only had our lycra suit for pertection from the box jelly fish and a wet suit, no life jackets!
We snorkeled for an hour, So Cool. No shark or rays. Just beautiful fish and coral.

Tried to golf again for the last time but rained out. Water even rolling off the greens and the wallabies playing in the water. Cute but no golf.

Flew to Melbourne yesterday for a stop over and now waiting for the 26 hour plane and airport trip back to CLE.
This is the end of our blog so good by to beautiful, unique and friendly Australia from-
The happy, still talking to each other, bug bitten, sun burnt travelers.
]]> What we have learned so far about Australia. — Port Douglas, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205399100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205399100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205399100/tpod.html Thu, 13 Mar 2008 05:34:55 -0400 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Port Douglas, Australia

So far in Australia we have learned numerous things can kill you!
Today we went up to the Daintree rain forest which is the oldest rain forest on the earth.
We were introduced to some plants which can kill you.
Went to the beach where boxie jelly fish and crocodiles can kill you.
Saw 6 inch spiders in webs that won't kill you, BUT, the ones that come out of the ground, will.
Some seed pods can kill or blind you.
There are 6 foot tall birds called Cassowary's can kick and slice you and you can die.....
We knew the sharks,octopus, snakes , but didn't know all the rest of the story.
Off to the reef again tomorrow, wish us luck!
The happy, cautious, and bug bit travelers.
]]> Great Barrier Reef — Cairns, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205212440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205212440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205212440/tpod.html Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:48:33 -0400 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Cairns, Australia

Left the hot, dust, fly infested, Outback behind.
Flew into the Great Barrier Area. Tropical, Florida like, in the summer. Hot and humid. Lot different then the hot, dry desert air back in Ayer's Rock and Alice springs.

Yesterday, we went out on the reef on a snorkeling, scuba, glass bottom boat adventure. Rode out about 25 miles on a fun catamoran (sp?). Docked at a permanent station out on the outer reef area. Then you got to do everything you wanted to do for 4 1/2 hours. It was cloudy and rainy so didn't have to worry about the sun burn.
Saw wonder coral, fish, turtles, clams, etc. No shark and no jelly fish. Yea.

Drove up to Port Douglas this AM. going to the Daintree rain forest in 2 days. Rivers of crocs! snakes? Oh no!!
It is all guided. Swiimming in blue pools and hopefully, safe!
Should be wonderful. then on Friday, back on another reef boat for the day of snorkleing again. Love it out there.
Hopefully, we can load our underwater photos we took and hopefully, you can see them. Little clouldy under water because of all the flooding they have had lately.
Later from the almost finished travelers.
]]> Outback area — Alice Springs, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205102280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205102280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1205102280/tpod.html Sat, 08 Mar 2008 18:44:51 -0500 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Alice Springs, Australia

Flew in on Thurs. AM. Went into town for lunch and to go to a bottle shop(wine). Had a hugh cultural lesson on the indigeous people here. ( Aboriginals). Later on that.
Day #2 here went on a tour bus to the Ayer Rock area ( Uluru), saw the sun rise and set with a ton of tour groups. The rock changes color with evey 5 min. of the rise or setting of the sun. Beautiful.
Met new friends from Canada., Aust, and Japan Fun Days but FLIES! Had to buy fly nets for our heads.
Unbelievable....
We are back now in Alice Springs and ready to fly to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef area this afternoon.
Later from there. the bug bitten,happy travelers

]]> Driving back to Melbourne — Melbourne, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1204698480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1204698480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1204698480/tpod.html Wed, 05 Mar 2008 00:44:20 -0500 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Melbourne, Australia

Had to drive back to Melbourne to fly out in the morning to Alice Springs (outback).
While on the drive we stopped for 9 holes of golf at a very unusual course. Had about 500 kangaroos on it.
We hit into them, walked passed them, they walked and hopped past us. Hard to concentrate so only 9 holes.
Driving we saw very cute koalas in the trees. Also said good bye to the Southern Ocean, don't think we will have our feet in that ocean again,
Well, later from the outback. Think it will be 100 degrees there. Oh well, beats snow...Ha Ha...
.love, the travelers moving on.
]]> Great Ocean Road — Warrnambool, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1204526580/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1204526580/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1204526580/tpod.html Tue, 04 Mar 2008 01:36:33 -0500 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Warrnambool, Australia

PSTook a car ferry over the bay to the Great Ocean Road, heading west.
We saw koala bears in overhanging trees along the road. Really neat. Had a traffic jam with everyone stopping to take pictures.
Staying right on the Southern Ocean. tomorrow going for a ride west for about 100 miles to see all the sites along the road.

Head out of the area in a couple days. Will be flying to the outback in Alice Springs. Should be a real change of weather and scenery out there. Later, the happy travelers.

PS. Today we drove more of the Great Ocean Road. Hiked around the 12 Apostles which are really large sandstone colunms on a beach area. Walked down a very steep path to be on the beach and see them looking up.
Further down the road, you look at them looking down!

Drove to a refuge park and walked more and hiked more. Saw koalas and kangaroos and emus. Emu is a very large bird like an ostrich. They also mooch off the picnic tables like a squirrel! Amazing.
Tomorrow off to the Melbourne airport, but a stop at the kangaroo golf course. Should be interesting. Later,
the travelers.
]]> Mornington Peninsula — Sorrento, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1204519620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1204519620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1204519620/tpod.html Mon, 03 Mar 2008 02:26:07 -0500 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Sorrento, Australia

We have moved from Melbourne to the Mornington Peninsula area. It's like the Myrtle Beach of Australia, (lots of good golf courses)

Over the past week we have tried to video confrence (Skype) back home with the family everyday, regarding my Dad's memorial service. This was one of those times where there are no good solutions but you make the best of things and go on. Tom, Sue, Jeannie and our boys Jeff, Jay and Meghan did a great job of dealing with everything. As for Lee Anne and I, as well as Debby and family dealing with things remotely was hard to deal with as well

Thanks to all family and friends for the support and kind words.



the travelers
]]> We are staying in Australia. — Melbourne, Australia http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1203843720/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1203843720/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/jimandlee/1/1203843720/tpod.html Mon, 25 Feb 2008 14:56:46 -0500 We are off to our first of many adventures of our retirement life. We are going to New Zealand and Aust.on Jan.13. We will golf, tour, cruise and wine taste! We'll keep you informed on our travels.
Melbourne, Australia

After discussions with our family, we are staying in Australia and finishing our trip. The actual funeral for Pop will be the week when we get home or soon after. We are too far away and too long of a trip to be there when needed. The memorial service will be this week some time. No details are finalized yet..
Thanks for all your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate it very much.
Later from Melbourne. It was a long drive today. And no pretty scenery in the middle of the country...


Been in Melbourne a day now. This is a very busy city. Not as pretty as Sydney nor the beautiful Opera House type things. Thought we would send you some road sign photos that you would not see in the good old USA!

The travelers.
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