Hyva viikonloppu jatkui sunnuntaina. Menimme Summerton biitsille nauttimaan hyvasta ilmasta ja ruoasta, mika ei muuten edes ollut kallista. Samalla hinnalla ei saisi monesta paikasta tuota nakymaa, eika itse asiassa edes Hesen ateriaa...

And the good weekend continued ...
These pictures are from Summerton beach. Good meal with a view, and I couldn't even buy a burger meal with that price in Finland...

Back to the 80s...

Would you trust these guys? Business at the front, party in the back.. or in the side, whatever. Great mullets guys!

Luckily they don't really look that bad. I went to an 80s party last weekend.. The hair and the clothing, It was all there, not to forget those 80s beats. What were the people thinking back then? One thing Im truly wondering is the shoulder pads. How attractive can women with massive shoulders be?

Pojilla on tyyli hallussa. Onneksi vain leikisti! Oli nimittain 80-luvun bileet viikonloppuna. Voi jestas mita vetimia... Taytyy ihmetella kuka naita muoti-juttuja kehitti: Takatukka, kapeat rutkunahka-solmiot, pyllyhousut (korkee vyotaro) rusetit, neonvarit, pitsi-systeemit, olkatoppaukset ja paljon muuta kamalaa.


Hyva meininki! Eika ihme kun taustalla soi viileet 80-luvun hitit...












Karun nakosta sakkia!












Ja viela tuosta takatukasta: Joku tassa tyylissa jaksaa edelleenkin kiinnostaa. Googlaamalla Mullet tulee vastaan heti kymmenia talle luovalle kampaukselle omistettuja sivuja.


Something about this crazy mullet-hairstyle still keeps on inspiring people all over the world. Just google mullet and see the number of web pages dedicated to this wacky hairstyle!



Paikalla oli myos todellinen Paula Koivuniemen kaksoisolento, jolla oli aivan samanlaiset mustat hiukset, otsatukka ja punainen nahkatakki! Aivan kuin ollut takaisin vuodessa 1986. Kuvakin loytyy mutta en viitsinyt laittaa sita nettiin, joku pian haastaa oikeuteen... Tata 80-luku-bile-ideaa voisi kehitella eteenpain. Meitsilla on nimittain synttarit tulossa muutaman kuukauden paasta, ja jokaisen vanhempien komeron peralta loytyy aivan varmasti mita kaameimpia vetimia.

THE GREAT BARRIER REEF















Suuri Koralliriutta oli kylla koko reissun kohokohta! Riutta on maailman suurin korallisysteemi; pituutta riittaa 2,600 kilometrin verran. Taman massiivisen ekosysteemin voi kuulemma nahda kuusta asti! Riutalla riittaa elamaa monessa eri muodossa ja kerroksessa.

Risteilyalus, jolla kuljimme riutalle ankkuroitui riutan laheisyydessa olevaan pontooniin. Saatoimme menna uimaan riutalle rajatulle mutta suht suurelle alueelle.















Well this was truly something: A trip to the Great Barrier Reef, which is the biggest coral system in the world! It stretches for 2,600 km, and apparently you can see this formation from the moon!

We made a day-trip to the Reef and I'm sure its one of those things that you won't easily forget . The underwater world was beautiful and overwhelming with its diverse life and colour! First when I put my head under water I freaked out: It was deeper underneath than I thought, but what really amazed me was the number of fish surrounding me. I though they would have been more shy, but no, there were thousands of them. Then as I swam closer to the reef, I was overwhelmed by the diversity of both corals and fish.

Luckily a cheap underwater camera I bought managed to produce ok pictures. The camera didn't quite capture all the colours but I am happy to be able to give you an idea of what it was like.

On our way to the reef we saw whales but unfortunately weren't able to capture any of them on a film.




















Tata kokemusta ei ihan hetkessa unohda! Vedenalainen maailma oli varikas ja ihmeellinen.
Ymparilla parveili tuhansia kaloja useisa eri kerroksissa.















That fish in the picture was massive: About one metre. The fish was not shy at all and was swimming just next to us. These pictures are from an underwater viewing chamber.

Tama kaveri oli noin metrin kokoinen, eika ujostellut sukeltajia tai snorklaajia yhtaan. Nama kuvat on otettu laivassa olleesta vedenalaisesta katseluhuoneesta. Nakyma oli viela parempi kun itse uin kalojen seassa.


































This picture was taken after the first snorkle. I had to go back on ship to warm up. The water was around 20 degrees, so not too cold but I stayed in the water for a long time. I went back for another snorkle thinking this is not something you can do every day...

Olin aika fiiliksissa ensimmaisen snorklauksen jalkeen. Oli pakko menna takaisin veteen viela toiseen kertaan. Veneelta sai lainata markapuvun, jonka ansiosta pysyi lampimana ja pystyi snorklailemaan kauemmin.

















SIISTII!!!

Vedenalainen halpis kamera ei kopioinut kaikkia vareja. Tama iso jutska (miksikohan tuota nimittaisi) oli violetti.














The real scene was a bit more colourful, that Giant Clam was purple.














The surface of the water looks awsome underneath

Veden alla kaikki nayttaa erilaiselta! Veden paalla tuuli ja aaltoili mutta alapuolella oli rauhallista. Olisin voinut snorklata vaikka koko paivan. Valitettavasti saatoimme viipya riutalla vain nelja tuntia.



Corals competing for the sun light
























Snorklauksen ja koko retken kohokohta oli merikilpparin nakeminen. Alla olevassa kuvassa kilppari nakyy osittain. Andrew sukelti ottamaan kuvan. Ihmettelimme kilpparia aikamme ja uimme takaisin veneella pain.





Merikilppari









We were lucky to spot a sea turtle when snorkling. It was just few meters underneath us.
As we swam back to the boat, we noticed the sea turle swimming right next to us. It wasn't scared of us at all and was making its way closer to the corals. Probably looking for food. What an awsome thing to see!




Matkalla riutalle naimme myos valaita.
Valitettavasti en saanut tapahtumaa kameralle..






















On our way back to Airlie beach I was wondering if I had just been a bad tourist and destroyed heaps of the world's coolest and unfortunately suffering natural heritage... Then I concentrated on thinking how cool the experience was..and the cruiser company did have an eco-friendly certificate of some kind...hmm. I decided to blame the global warming instead.

Ja sitten takaisin Airlie Beachille, mika ei hienon retken jalkeen tuntunut kovin ihmeelliselta paikalta. Andrew lenti kotiin sunnuntai-iltana. Mina otin omaa vapaata ja majoituin hostellissa viela yhden yon.

Tama kuva on Airlien rannalta.





















Airlie beach has pretty big beach lagoons (picture below) for tourists to swim in the summer when stingers are a threat in the sea. But as you can see from this picture, there are still no swimmers in the sea, even though it was winter.















Airlie beachille on rakennettu erilliset altaat, jotta turistit voivat uida myos kesakuukausina ilman meduusa-vaaraa.
















Paras tapa tutkailla Whitsunday-saaria olisi varmasti omalla veneella. (Ylla paikallisten veneita) Enpa kuitenkaan valita, oli mahtava reissu mutta aika meni vain turhan nopeasti.

The best way to explore the Whitsunday-islands would be with your own yacht. But the cruises we took were pretty good as well, so Im not complaining. I had a pretty cool holiday...

The WHITSUNDAYS

Vahan niinku Paijanne..
Menimme lomailemaan Whitsunday-saarille Elokuun alussa, ja lomalta tuo tuntuikin. Saaret ovat Adelaidesta koiliseen, ja noin 2.5 tunnin lentomatkan paassa. Unohtui opinnaytetyo mukavasti tata maisemaa pallistellessa!

Few weeks ago (beginning of August) Andrew and I took an advantage of the deals the local jets were offering and moved our bums to the sweet islands of the Whitsundays. Not a bad way to escape your thesis and other responsibilities.
Its pretty convenient how in one country you can fly yourself to a warmer place in just couple of hours.


First view from the Hamilton Island

Lensimme Adelaidesta Hamiltonin saarelle, joka on hieno paikka, tosin turisteja taynna.. Alunperin ajattelimme majoittua talla saarella, mutta onneksi paatimme seikkailla muuallakin, silla Whitsundayn paras anti oli viela edessa...


Our flights were to Hamilton Island. For reasons too complicated to explain here, Andrew and I had different flights. I arrived in the morning and he followed me in the afternoon. Between I explored the island. Ok beach, some nice boats and tourists.. that's Hamilton. Im happy we discovered other parts of the Whitsunday islands as well.

Not bad for winter...

Hamiltonin saarella asuu noin muutama sata paikallista ja muuten saari on taynna hotelleja ja turisteja. Ei kylla mitkaan pahat nakymat...










Da beach















Hamilton Island view, Low tide

Queenslandissa vuorovesi voi olla kymmenia metreja. Maisema olikin aivan erilainen aamulla kuin illalla.



Hamiltonin saarella vain luuserit kavelee! Talta ainakin meininki vaikutti kun vilkaisi ymparilleen. Kunnon turisti nimittain liikkuu paikasta toiseen golf-autolla... No kyllahan taman ymmartaa kesakuukausina, jolloin ilmankosteus on huipussaan ja saaren makien kiipeaminen voi kayda pumpun paalle.

Only loosers walk on Hamilton Island! All the real tourists rent golf carts to cruise around the Island with. It seemed pretty lazy to me, but I understand moving around is tough in the summer months when humidity makes life uncomfortable. The Island also had some pretty steep hills...



















Viherlandian Kallehan se siina. Tosi hassua nahda naita aanekkaita lintuja luonnossa. Kakaduja nakyy muuten Adelaidessakin.















View from the Hamilton Island Airport.















Muutaman Whitsunday-saaren ja maiden valilla kulkee paa-asiassa tama Fantasea-alus.

Kuten olen saattanut aikaisemmin mainita, Australiassa voi tapattaa itsensa monella tavalla. Trooppisen meduusat, joiden pisto aiheuttaa tuskallisen tukehtumisen tunteen tai sydamen pysahtymisen, ovat uhka pohjois- ja koilis-Australiassa. Mutta lahinna vain kesakuukausina, joten uskoin olevani turvassa. Ja nama otukset ovat muuten lahes nakymattomia vedessa...
Taulussa ohjeistetaan kuinka tulee toimia onnettomuuden sattuessa.

In Australia you can get yourself killed in many ways. A touch of a stinger (box jellyfish or irukandji) is one of them. The latter one is only a few centimeters in size but can kill an adult. These creatures are lurking in the tropical waters of Northern and North-Eastern Australia -but lucklily only in the summer months so I didn't consider them as a threat.

Cannonvale marine. (near to Airlie beach in the mainland)


Cannonvalen laitureissa oli toinen toistaan hienompia veneita. Tama kuva on siis maista, lahella hotellia, jossa majoituimme.










Kehikko palmupuun alla estaa kookospahkinoita putoamasta paahan - nain ainakin arvelin.

















WHITEHAVEN BEACH














Menimme paivaretkelle Whitehaven biitsille, joka on aanestetty yhdeksi Australian parhaista. Valkoista hienoa hiekkaa riitti 6km:n rantaviivan verran.
















































The Whitehaven beach has been voted as one of the best beaches in Australia and I could not agree more. The beach is 6 km long so even if there were other tourists there you could still find your own spot.














Andrew ja mina uiskentelimme minka kerkesimme. Muut turistit, kahta englantilaista lukuunottamatta, eivat uskaltautuneet veteen.. Ilmeisesti meduusoita peloissaan.















For some reason Andrew and I were pretty much the only ones swimming.. Perhaps the other tourists were afraid of the stingers.





























Talla saarella 0lisi voinut hengailla kauemminkin...