“It’s too hot and humid to do anything physical”

“I wouldn’t think of going anywhere north of Brisbane over summer”

Well let me tell you something ladies and gentleman, I’ve been in Tropical North Queensland for the past two days and had one of the best, most enjoyable and trips since arriving in this fair state back in 2009.

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This visit is all about a taste of adventure. Being the Adventurous by Nature capital of Australia, Cairns and the region hold a few events around the calendar to appeal to those people who love the great outdoors, keeping fit and enjoying life to the full. I think I fit into all three of those brackets.

First stop was Port Douglas, the gloriously beautiful town 75kms north of Cairns where I met up with Pat Kinsella (who also fits into all three categories), an adventure writer for a number of publications based out of Melbourne. He’s here to cover a few of the key events taking part in 2012 and it’ my job to escort him and have some fun.

Stand Up Paddleboarding (SUP) – something I’d tried once on the Brisbane River a few weeks ago with Riverlife….which was good. But take the boards and head out to Low Isles, a stunning coral cay, 30 minutes boat ride from Port Douglas marina and you’re talking about a different experience all together.

Brett from Wind Swell runs courses in SUP and kite surfing and is a wealth of knowledge on life on the water and the reef. Once we’d got our balance and found our sea legs he took us on a tour of the island, the mangroves and then together we all made the crossing to Woody Island in the distance.

I won’t lie to you here, the rain started….and intensified and came down in bucket loads but we were all having such a good time no one even cared. We were all armed with snorkels and masks and it’s something I never, ever get tired of – jumping in the water and snorkelling to my hearts content.

The corals around Low Isles are renowned for their colour and beauty and were fantastic. After spending an hour underwater clicking away with my camera I’d seen stingrays, turtles, sharks and so many fish it was like rush-hour on the reef!

All too soon we headed back to the shore smiling and laughing about how good the day had been and how little the rain had effected us. Pah it’s only a bit of water!

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When the Solar Eclipse takes place on November 14th this year, a thin strip of land in the north of Queensland is plunged from day into night for around three minutes, a rather exciting event will be kicking off in Port Douglas, the Solar Eclipse Marathon (SEM).

Having participated in the 2011 Great Barrier Reef half marathon, I can vouch that it will be huge. The location rocks, the course is challenging and undulating and the climate at that time of year will be as close to perfect as you can get.

It was our job to head off and try some of the course out. At the 15km mark of this year’s full marathon the route arrives at the base of a 300 metre climb up through the rainforest….and definitely the hardest part of it is the Bump Track. It was originally an Aboriginal trail between the coastal and mountain regions, but became a crucial link between Port Douglas and the hinterland for settlers and miners.

After 40 minutes of slogging our way up the incline, we arrived at the clearing with views of the Coral Sea to one side and dramatic waterfalls to the other. It’s a hard grind but so rewarding when you hit the top! Just remember that during the event you have to then run all the way back down AND another 21kms to the finish line!

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There is definitely no rest for the wicked on this adventure, so Pat and I jumped into the car and drove two hours south to the cane fields of Babinda. On the banks of the creek, Garry and his wife Linda run a very unique company called Babinda Kayak Hire offering kayak trips along the river. The local press from Channel 7 were there to meet us and filmed our departure as we floated off downstream enjoying the very tropical weather – again!

The creek winds through cane fields, past bamboo plantations, under bridges and eventually to the sandy beach of Babinda. Can I tell you this was fantastic! Four guys, a river to take on, some torrential rain and smiles all the way I guarantee. Sometimes the simplest things in life bring the greatest pleasure and this is one of them for sure.

So tomorrow….I really need to get some sleep now so that’s all I have time for today. Be sure to visit again in a couple of days time when we’ll have run Dunk Island, raced the Magnetic Island ferry and mountain biked some very exciting trails.

Needing sleep, but having a total blast in Tropical North Queensland – Adventurous by Nature!

Ben

**If you’re here as a regular visitor and have no idea what I’m talking about, then head over to the Nuffnang website.

What’s the deal you ask? Well the deal is this. Last year Tourism Queensland launched a new campaign called Vitamin Me. No idea what this is?

Well it can be found in all forms, but is best attained by experiencing exciting adventures, soaking up some arts and culture, consuming delicious food and wine, or enjoying some beautiful scenery and wildlife. Not surprisingly, the richest sources are found in Queensland.

All you have to do is compose a post on your blog explaining how you would boost your Vitamin Me levels if you won a $5,000 dream holiday to Queensland.

The competition opens today (24 January) and runs until 3pm (AEST) 10 February 2012, so get your posts in quick on the Nuffnang competition entry page.

Check out my video below to get inspired. And remember that we’re looking for originality and creativity, in the form of photos, video or words (however your blog readers prefer).

Happy blogging!

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After nearly four months of being closed to the public, the Queensland Museum and Sciencentre in Brisbane reopened its doors to the public and celebrated its 150th birthday today.

A throng of excited kids complete with eager mums and dads lined the concourse at the museum, all expectantly awaiting their chance to run inside and find out why this is one of the hottest educational tickets in town.

But they weren’t alone…patrolling the entrance were two life-sized dinosaurs complete with razor-sharp teeth, earth-shuddering growls and tails that would knock you off your feet! These are seriously the most realistic human-driven models I’ve seen providing much amusement to everyone there.

The Queensland Arts Minister, Rachel Nolan cut the celebratory cake and opened the doors to the public, who rushed into the halls to see for themselves the huge improvements. The new space is vastly improved with escalators, staircases and lighting leaping the exhibition into the year 2012.

I used to love going to the Science Museum in London when I was six years old… nothing has changed!

There’s something amazingly cool about walking into an exhibition hall and seeing a life-sized dinosaur skeleton in front of you, or sifting through the drawers of the Discovery Centre looking at butterfly collections, or even peddling as fast as possible to generate enough electricity to light ALL of the lights at the Playasaurus Place. I was back in a fantasy world!

A year ago the museum was mopping up after the floods. Today they’re welcoming people back through the doors and it has to be one of the best ways to amuse, educate and entertain the kids (and of course grownups too).

Upstairs there’s a new area dedicated to the wild weather that hit Queensland in 2011. It’s a poignant reminder of the floods and the way Queenslanders pulled together to form the Mud Army – the teams who cleaned the city in their thousands and brought it back to life in a matter of days.

With not long left of the school holidays I encourage everyone to get down there and have a great day out!

Just watch out for those dinosaurs!!!

Ben

I’m more atoned to physical activities… bashing my way through the rainforest, running up gravely mountain-sides or swimming in freezing cold lakes. These are the things that make me tick, motivate my mind and fill the body with feel-good endorphins!

Living in a city doesn’t have to mean the end to that lifestyle, far from it. It’s a chance to embark on micro-adventures – ones that might not test my physical side, more the mental. To add a wider appeal to my blog I’ve been thinking outside of the box…try to do something others have a great interest in, something I take for granted every day.

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I’ve always loved cooking, I have to admit my repertoire isn’t the most extensive, but there’s something deeply satisfying about creating a wonderful meal from scratch for someone using fresh ingredients, and of course so I can stuff my face too.

There’s word on the street here at TQ that a new course has just started up specifically for people like me….men.

Mel Townsend from Vanilla Zulu caters for all tastes with her introduction to the world of gastronomy. Men Behaving Badly is a three hour feast of education, preparation, creation and of course dining.

With a small class size of like-minded eager beavers Mel took us through the menu, how it’s constructed and cooked and then prepares it in front of us whilst we sat sipping wine and beer. It is a cooking course after all!

But it’s not all about a group of guys having dinner prepared in front of them, this is a hands on experience (washed of course) and requires us to make exactly what we’ve just witnessed. We break up into smaller groups (Aussie mate-ship kicks in here with fun barracking and jovial jokes the theme) and together fumble our way through the method until we’ve replicated, almost, the stunning example Mel created.

In a short time we’ve learnt to bake a sumptuous Focaccia bread filled with bocconcini, rosemary and olives. Whilst this is cooking we knock up one of the simplest yet most effective starters I have eaten, haloumi, asparagus and prosciutto parcels with a balsamic glaze and lime and berry scented sauce….extreme yumminess!!

For me and the rather busy lifestyle I lead I need food that’s good for me, fresh and quick to make. Main course fits all three requirements.

My love of fish is rewarded with fragrant Moroccan line fish with a fragrant lime scented gourmet mash topped with chermoula. Using a stacking ring to elevate the food up from the plate is genius; it looks good, displays all of the glorious colours and allows the ‘piece de resistance’, the fish to perch (excuse the pun) on top of the munch-able mountain.

I had a great time with all the other guys in the group, everyone got on well, had a good laugh and shared stories of life, work, travels and food disasters of course. One poor guy had been sent there by his wife as he’d NEVER cooked a meal in his life!

Saving the best to last, Mel cracked the desserts out of the freezer we’d made earlier in the evening. I have to say that my example could have done with just a little more time in there…rather melted! But brûlée and white chocolate scented semi-freddo with nutted caramel shards taste good however they’re presented!

I left the building with a sense of accomplishment, fulfilment and a stuffed belly. It’s not often I eat three courses AND bread in a sitting. Having learnt new things, techniques and a complete recipe I just have to work out when my housewarming/birthday/engagement party will be so I can invite some friends around to test…try out…sorry, enjoy my new found cooking skills!

Thank you to Mel and her team at Vanilla Zulu for a brilliant experience. I feel ‘at one’ with the kitchen now – ohmmmmmm

Ben

The destination was Dreamworld on a quiet afternoon to watch the opening of the new Holiday Shrektacular. The show runs until the end of January and I headed down to see the giant green ogre open the show of dancing, singing and good times.

Shrek is joined on stage by a gaggle of other Dreamwork characters including Kung Foo Panda and Puss in Boots. They all have one goal – to keep everyone entertained! Being the first show of the holidays I have to say the audience was HUGE, kids and parents everywhere waiting for it to begin. It really was great fun with sing-along classics and a Christmas summer holiday vibe to the show.

We sneaked out before the end though to take full advantage of queue-less rides and some more adult fun – rollercoasters!

The classic rides are still there to scare the crap out of you…..Tower of Terror 2 (which now sends you backwards at warp-factor 10) and Giant Drop – which is still one of the scariest for me.

Then there’s the dramatically beautiful Tiger Island which is a must-see. These huge, gracious animals are superb performers and if you’re heading there is definitely worth a visit!

The new Buzzsaw which terrified me to the core. You step into the car expecting a shoulder harness to come down over your head, but no. Nothing more than a simple lap-strap to hold you in as your twist and turn upside down! I thought I was going to fall out…but no, seriously it’s safe as houses, really it is.

As I walked away from the ride after three (yes twice as many as normal – thanks guys!) complete turns and revolutions my legs felt like jelly and the photo below shows you exactly why – this is one seriously fun ride:

If the kids are still screaming and you’re pulling your hair out then pack the car up, cram them into it and head down to what is definitely one of the best days out on the south coast of Queensland.

Now I think I need to sit down….

Ben

Time to take a drive north in the Colonel to the aptly named Sunshine Coast and see just how much I can cram into a weekend away!!

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I’d been speaking to the fantastic team of Beverley and David who run Fairseas Apartments in Caloundra last week and suggested the idea to them. “There’s loads to do here, come up and stay!’ Their perfectly positioned holiday units overlook the picturesque Pumicestone Passage at Golden Beach.

I head north, pull into their car park and eventually rest my head on the pillow in the apartment knowing full well my sleep will be short….

Saturday morning 3:45am…alarm clock goes off!!! Argghhh am I really going to do this?

Coolum Surf School is run by Master-of-the-Ocean Chris who doesn’t like lazing in bed. We’d arranged a 5am meet and I was 40kms away. Still nothing like a good surf to wake your head up.

As we stepped out into the foamies, chunky learners board under my arm, the sun broke the distant horizon way out over the ocean. It’s a very special time of day, just a few other surfers, joggers and dog walkers about.

I’ve never had the best balance in the world but an hour later I was riding my plank to the beach. Chris headed out at 7am to take 20 kids for a lesson….I headed to the nearest cafe for breakfast.

The Sunshine Coast is held in place by the Glass House Mountains, a line of 11 craggy volcanic peaks towering above pine plantations, eucalypt forests and open fields. I love mountains and more than anything scaling them! Named by James Cook during his epic voyage along Australia’s east coast, the Glass Houses are rhyolite plugs formed by volcanic activity millions of years ago – fascinating!

With unspent energy left from the early start I donned my running kit and headed to the 253m peak of Mt Ngungun, within 30 minutes I was at the top. Pretty impressive view huh?

There are so many tracks, climbs and walks here in the Glass House Mountains National Park. I could have honestly spent two days here alone.

Next morning another early start, this time to try my hand at kite surfing. I’ve done a fair bit of power kiting in the UK before but that was five years ago and with 25 knots (50kmh) of wind blowing it wasn’t going to be easy.

Mike from Kite Thrills has bucket-loads of experience and quite literally showed me the ropes (or lines as they’re called). With the wind pumping down the Pumicestone Passage just getting to grips with the power of the 9 metre kite was tough enough. Add to that trying to stand up on the board and NOT be dragged to Hawaii was another thing altogether!

I have to admit there was one serious wipe-out…I was hoisted 5 metres in the air at the same time as being dragged horizontally at 40 km/h and then unceremoniously dumped into the ocean. Talk about winded…talk about damaging the crown jewels. Five minutes later I was good to go again. Finally I managed to get everything sorted…I was kite surfing!

The rush of flying across ocean with a huge kite powering you along is hard to beat. If you want to get the blood pumping then this is most definitely the way to do it. Check out Kite Thrills website here.

I returned to Brisbane 48 hours later having had the best time. I may live in the city but with this doorstep so close and so full of fun there can be no excuses – Queensland is the Adventure Capital of Australia!!

With over 2,900 individual coral reefs covering more than 2,000kms you’d think organising an event of this scale would have logistical problems….but nature’s got it right every single time for the past 20,000 years.

This year was no different. On the nights of November 16/17th the spawning of the coral that makes up the Great Barrier Reef hit a crescendo with a blizzard of activity occurring beneath the waves all the way from Lady Elliot island in the south to Port Douglas in the north.

Synchronised spawning happens with almost all the types of coral species spawning on the same night. It happens so the male and female gametes can effectively meet. Imagine trying to match up eggs and sperm in an ocean of moving salt water!

The corals rely on environmental cues to determine the exact time to release their gametes into the water. The cues involve lunar changes, sunset time, day length, water temperature, and/or rate of temperature change. The short-term cue is most often the lunar cycle, with sunset cuing the mass release.

In some places, the spawn can be visually dramatic, clouding the usually clear water with gametes, typically at night.

Coral polyps (the name for each piece of coral) are clever little things. The coral found in the Coral Exhibit at REEF HQ in Townsville (in the middle of the town) spawns on exactly the same night as that found out in the middle of the ocean.

The ocean becomes one of the most fertile soups too with worms, fish and crustaceans all taking advantage of the protein-charged water. Chantelle from here at Tourism Queensland was out on the dive boat Wings III in Whitsundays during the event and managed to photograph some of the worms feasting on the mist of life

With all the diving I’ve done on the GBR I’ve not yet been in the right place at the right time to wittnes this activity. Being sat in the TQ office here in Brisbane doesn’t make it any easier!

But dive operations around the reef acknowledge it’s one of the most incredible events on the calendar with scientists, divers and photographers around the world flocking to Queensland to witness the event for themselves. Next year I intend to head out onto the reef with dive kit, cameras and lights ready to capture the action, but for now here’s some footage of the event: