Australian Shark Bait

I got to admit I was laughing at loud on the flight over to Australia; Bryson’s writing gets me every time. His take on the dangerous animals the book In a Sunburned Country was hilarious, sharks, snakes and spiders being far more deadly in Australia. I was a bit shocked when I watched the news and heard that two surfers got bitten by white tip sharks yesterday at Binalong Bay and Fingal Head. This morning I went head to head with some koala bears at breakfast, just par for life here on Hamilton Island. This after noon we are taking a private sea plane trip flying around the Great Barrier Reef. We will also stop at a secluded island for some swimming. Hope I’m not going to be Kibbles and Bits for some gnarly shark!

Climbing Mount Pfaender, Austria

At 1064 meters Pfaender isn’t the tallest peak in Austria but it sure provided a challenge for us. We started the nearly straight up climb in the warm sunshine and immediately felt the pull in the hamstrings. We all had the chance to catch the cable car up but no one took the easy way. A few hours later we all had at one point or another wondered if you made the right choice. I am proud to say that once Todd a.k.a the Burgermiester and I finished we were mighty happy and very glad that we struggled up. My Tevas worked just fine though they aren’t the best Austrian climbing shoes!

From the top of Pfaender you can see views of Lake Constance, Germany, Switzerland and 240 peaks of the Alps. Mission accomplished we took the fabulous cable car down.

Lake Constance

Tomorrow I fly to Switzerland to begin a trip to Europe’s third largest lake from the banks of Switzerland, Germany and Austria. The trip will take me to some quaint cities and beautiful vistas. Hiking and biking and water exploration will be the focus as well as concerts and vineyard visits. Lake Constance is also known as the Bodensee and Swabian Sea.