GuephToday invited readers to share some of their outdoor adventures over the years.
By Dave Penny
Linda and I have always put travel high on our priority list. In 1971 we got married and immediately left for Europe where we toured for nine months, generally following the “Europe on Five Dollars a Day” Plan. When the money ran out we would come home and we did. It was a wonderful experience that prepared us for many things including how to survive a pandemic in a state of self isolation, together.
When we travel, we generally go as just the two of us. We establish a general plan but mostly go where the road takes us. Locals and fellow travelers generally help us find our way. Despite all the warnings in early childhood, I talk to strangers. When we come to a fork in the road, we take it.
In 2001 it was our 13th wedding anniversary. We planned the month of October away, touring Eastern Australia and Northern New Zealand; and then 9/11 happened.
We went anyway, boarding our plane on Oct. 11 for the long overnight flight to Sydney. But it wasn’t an overnight flight. Somewhere over Omaha I noticed an F18 fighter jet off our right wing and sensed that we were turning around. It wasn’t until sometime after we landed back in Toronto that we learned that the compass on our plane was acting up and the pilot wasn’t sure he could find Hawaii without it. There was no way he would be allowed to touch down in the Continental USA. We ended up spending the night in the Toronto airport where we met a number of our travel companions. We were invited to visit them in Canberra and tour first hand a city they were very proud of.
We toured Canberra and the parliament buildings there. Unfortunately there was an Anthrax scare that day so we had to enter by the back door for a Public tour for just the two of us. Bonus!
The Great Barrier Reef was naturally on our list of places to see. Despite several airlines going bankrupt and everything in a bit of a state of turmoil we were able to find a flight to Cairns. Linda keeps a diary of our trips, so I can report that we arrived at the Adelaide Airport at 3:20 a.m. on Oc. 23 and landed in Cairns at 1 p.m. I booked a reef trip for the next day on the Ocean Spirit II for $185. She goes on to say in her diary “I’m kind of nervous, It’s a Sailboat, I don’t think I can snorkel - worried about getting sunburned.”
The trip to the reef was fabulous. We sailed for two hours on the 27-metre long catamaran anchoring next to a tiny white sand island that just barely poked its head above the crystal clear water. Linda got off the boat and went to the island with a group, including a father and son we met and later visited from New Zealand. His daughter was the scuba instructor on the boat.
“I went to the island and actually snorkeled-beautiful fish, big and small-coral not very colourful the deeper you went”
“Dave enjoyed the scuba, but said he probably wouldn’t do it again”
We had a nice lunch on board, salads, shrimp and lots of fresh fruit. After lunch we went in a semi submersible glass bottomed boat and saw lots of great fish and coral. Later we both went back to the island and snorkeled together with a very large sea turtle.
“The sail back was a lot of fun. We sat out on the foredeck and our New Zealand friend played his guitar. Great music! They gave us a glass of cold sparkling wine which Dave refused as the Captain invited him to steer the boat home. It was all kind of euphoric.”
I hope you enjoyed your vicarious tour. Stay safe. Linda and Dave Penny
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