Sydney’s Founding, Fireworks and Fuzzy Creatures

Australian school children are taught that in 1770 James Cook sailed his mighty ship, the HMS Endeavour, half way 'round the world, discovered Australia and planted the Union Jack, claiming the land for Great Britain. Never mind that Cook wasn’t actually captain of the Endeavor, or that the ship’s primary mission was to measure, from Tahiti, Venus’s transit across the sun and assist European astronomers in calculating Earth’s distance from it. Or that the Portuguese  had visited two hundred years earlier, even leaving behind a couple of cannons. Or that in 1642 Dutch captain Abel Tasman popped into Tasmania in the south, just before heading on to ... [Read More]

The Rock

  No, not that one. This rock is ever so much older than the famed prison in San Francisco Bay, and even cooler than Sean Connery. I’m speaking, of course, about Uluru, or Ayers Rock, as it is still known throughout much of the world. In July of 1873, Australian Explorer William Gosse, lost and desperately in need of water for himself and his team of camels, stumbled upon a massive red rock rising abruptly from the middle of the Outback. Stunned by the magnificence of the formation he described as" the most wonderful natural feature I have ever seen," Gosse nevertheless had the sycophantic presence of mind to ... [Read More]

Dolphins, Seals and 35 Knots

Never travel with someone who has the bladder of a chipmunk. During the months of December through March, gray whales pass through San Diego's shores of the Pacific from the frigid waters of the Arctic, en route to the warm lagoons of Baja California where they birth their young. The longest migration by any mammal on earth is undertaken by one of the world's largest. Incredible - isn't it? While in San Diego, I made it a priority to sign up for a whale-watching excursion on a “R.I.B.” I had no idea of what that acronym stood for, so of course I created a barbeque party-boat fantasy in my mind. It ... [Read More]

A PEARL IN THE CITY OF ROSES

Portland sign

It feels like T-ball all over again... In fact, it has for the past two years as my wife Sue and I have traversed the Northwest to attend every, stress the “every,” Whitman College women’s lacrosse game. Whitman is one of the top western liberal arts schools located in Walla Walla, Washington (think sweet onions and spectacular red wine…but that is all for another post) and my daughter Kenna is back at it again for her Junior season. So of course Sue and I, stress the “Sue,” and I are back at it as well, stalking these young athletes all over Washington, Oregon and Idaho, ... [Read More]

My City of Destiny

Mt. Rainier or Mt. Tahoma as the native Puyallup tribe call it.

I figured before I started any dissertations about where I’ve been and perhaps where I am going, I should probably tell you a little bit about where I am. I landed in Tacoma, Washington almost thirty-five years ago, August of 1977 to be exact, to attend the University of Puget Sound. The concept of spending thirty-five years anywhere remains an enigma, as I had never resided anywhere longer than seven years while I was growing up. Well the simple truth is that I graduated in 1981, then married this cool lady named Sue (a Washington native) in 1983. I love Sue and she loves Washington, so ... [Read More]

The Reef

 One of the seven wonders of the natural world, The Great Barrier Reef is either 1,600 miles long, or 1,800, covers 100,000 square miles or 137,000 square miles and is about the size of Italy. Or Kansas, depending on which sources you consult. While few can agree on exactly where The Reef begins, all seem to agree that it’s Great. Very rarely do you find it referred to as the Mostly Swell Barrier Reef. Made up of around 3,000 individual reefs and 900 islands, the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest single living organism. It’s home to thousands of sea creatures, including 1,500 species of colorful ... [Read More]

Aspirations, Aviation and Auberge

  Do you have a bucket list? If not, make one. No matter how possible or impossible, expensive or cheap, practical or silly our dreams may seem, we should all have a list of aspirations and goals, things we’d like to accomplish or do before our time on this earth expires. Life is too short and lately I have been reminded how abruptly it can end. Why put off til tomorrow what can be savored today? When I was in my early twenties (not so recent a time as I would like) I added to my bucket list a visit to Italy for my 30th birthday. I was absolutely ... [Read More]

Northern Comfort

  Spiderman’s uncle once noted that “with great wisdom comes great responsibility.” It can also rightly be said that with great age comes great girth. I've put on some pounds. If I’m mowing my lawn, you can spot me on Google Earth. Even my wife, who is the kindest and most gentle person I have ever met said, “Wow Craig, you sure can put on weight fast.” I don’t believe it was a compliment. In show business I have my picture taken often, so I’d prefer to be less conscious of getting caught in the candid shot, where I am not doing the suck-in belly pose. I am surely smiling ... [Read More]

Condos vs. Koalas

  In 1933 the little town of Elston was a nothingball seaside hamlet straddling a gorgeous stretch of beach along Australia’s Gold Coast. Jim Cavill, a well-to-do hotelier from Brisbane, an hour’s drive north, opened a small hotel in Elston that year. He quickly realized that tourists were unlikely to flock to “Elston” and started pushing the city council to change the town’s name. Cavill suggested, rather firmly, “Surfer’s Paradise,” which just happened to be the name of his little hotel, and the city council agreed (surely not because of pressure from a wealthy businessman.) The rest, as they say, is history. This once quaint, sleepy little town is ... [Read More]

Stupid Tourist Questions While Bare-assed on The Bridge

  Today Soo and I dropped our pants and walked across the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was wonderfully exciting, but not because we were going commando. In fact, we were surrounded by people who had similarly dropped trou before the crossing. Several of those did seem a bit befuddled by the whole thing, terribly unsettled by all these “trouser-less shenanigans.” Thank you for joining us, Stupid Tourists. It embarrasses me to admit that so often in my travels, when I encounter a group addlebrained, self-absorbed dolts, they’re American. (I even once invented a country and claimed to be from it, so embarrassed was I by my countrymen. Unsurprisingly, a ... [Read More]