Buck stops here

Best Scones on the Coast

bucktips — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 10:00:53 +0000

Moorland Cottage is famous for claiming to have the “Best Scones on the Coast”. Now if you want to relax in the quiet shady gardens for a light lunch, espresso coffee, home made pies or devonshire tea, then head to the cottage. It’s located just off the Pacific Highway, 20 minutes north of Taree.

Alternatively, jump on the Oz Experience bus from Sydney tomorrow and sample the authentic and original “Best Scones on the Coast”. Sconzey has returned from overseas to steer his destiny (and the OzEx bus…) on the road to reclaim his title!

Have a story about Sconzey that will no doubt lead to the undisputed claim that he is the “Best Scones on the Coast”?

Aussie Jingle Bells

bucktips — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:25:30 +0000

As the temperature gauge soars above 30 degrees and news reports filter in of cyclones and stinger victims, I know Christmas is almost here.

So for all you guy’s travelling the East Coast that think we ‘re mad, shot-gunnin a few tinnies down the beach in our budgie smugglers and hearing the occasional Chrissy carol about snow and sleigh bells, I thought I’d share the lyrics of a true Aussie Christmas song. Have a safe and awesome Aussie Christmas. Don’t forget to call home!

Aussie Jingle Bells (sing to the tune of Jingle Bells)

Dashing through the bush
In a rusty Holden Ute
Kicking up the dust
Esky in the boot
Kelpie by my side
Singing Christmas songs
Its summer time and I am in
My singlet, shorts and thongs

Oh, Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Jingle all the way
Christmas in Australia
On a scorching summer’s day
Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells
Christmas time is beaut
Oh what fun it is to ride
In a rusty Holden Ute

Engine’s getting hot
Dodge the kangaroos
Swaggy climbs aboard
He is welcome too
All the family is there
Sitting by the pool
Christmas day, the Aussie way
By the barbeque!

Come the afternoon
Grandpa has a doze
The kids and Uncle Bruce
Are swimming in their clothes
The time comes round to go
We take a family snap
Then pack the car and all shoot through
Before the washing up

More bang for your buck!

bucktips — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:40:56 +0000

That’s right, get more bang for your buck! Today Buck donated $75 towards Rainforest Rescue’s Mission Beach Cassowary Care Project. This project identifies and purchases rainforest habitat at risk of development and then protects it forever in a conservation reserve.

Buck’s $75 donation will secure 15m2 of this vital habitat. These funds were raised from the sale of drinks onboard the bus. In fact $1 from every drink purchased is donated. This initiative has run for 3 weeks, so let’s hope more $$$ can be raised throughout the summer.

What is a cassowary?

Cassowaries are ratites, flightless birds closely related to the emu, ostrich, kiwi, and some extinct species.
The Australian sub species is the Southern Cassowary, found in three populations on the coast of Far North Queensland.
The most vulnerable, is located on the wet tropical coast between Townsville and Cooktown.
The world’s third largest bird, one of Australia’s largest land animals, is under threat of extinction in north Queensland.
Scientists believe only 1200 – 1500 cassowaries survive in the wild in Australia.
The cassowary is listed as endangered under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.
Cassowaries are a key stone species which means they are vital for seed dispersal in the rainforest. Over 150 rainforest plants rely on them, especially for dispersing the seeds of large-fruit species.

Cassowary facts

The name cassowary comes from two Papuan words, ‘kasu’ meaning horned and ‘weri’ meaning head, referring to the prominent casque on its head.
An adult cassowary can stand up to two metres tall.The average weight is 38kg for males and 47kg for females.
Cassowaries can live for 30 to 40 years in the wild.
It is estimated cassowaries require about 75 hectares of quality home range forest
per bird.
Cassowaries are generally solitary birds, coming together only to mate during the breeding season which starts around May / June.
The female bird lays several clutches of 3 – 5 eggs, by different fathers.
The male cassowary is solely responsible for incubating the eggs and raising the young. They sit on the nest for 50 days until the eggs hatch. The father teaches the chicks how to forage and by nine months they become independent. The chick’s striped appearance soon fades to brown before their distinctive adult colouring starts to develop. They mature at about three years. Male birds can be aggressive in defending their chicks.

Threats:

Habitat loss, road deaths and attacks by dogs.
More than 80 % of its prime habitat, coastal lowland rainforest, has been cleared over the last 100 years.
Nearly a quarter of the remaining cassowary habitat has poor conservation protection.

(Source: Australian Rainforest Foundation)

Cairns five secret swimming spots

bucktips — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:00:06 +0000

Suffering a hangover from the Woolshed ? Not up for a boat ride to the reef or a bus trip to the Rainforest! Why not visit some of Cairns’ secret croc and stinger free swimming spots this summer:

1. Crystal Cascades

Small waterfalls drop into large pools surrounded by boulders and rainforest a short 20 min drive from the City Centre.

2. Babinda Boulders

The Boulders are a popular swimming hole and picnic area for locals and tourists, and a place of spiritual significance for Aboriginal people about 45 mins south of Cairns.

3. Josephine Falls

This pretty waterfall is fed by rains falling on Queensland’s highest mountain, Bartle Frere, which looms above this popular picnic area. The falls are located 60 mins south of Cairns.

4. Lake Eacham

Lakes Eacham and Barrine are a reminder of the violent volcanic past of the Atherton Tablelands.

5. Mossman Gorge

Mossman Gorge is one of the most visited spots in the Wet Tropics. Part of the Daintree National Park, the gorge is just over an hours drive north of Cairns.

Let’s go!

It’s best to hire a car and grab a map to visit all these Secret Cairns Secret Swimming Spots.

Alternatively, Oz Experience can take you to Josephine Falls and Lake Eacham for a boardies and bikini day trip known as the Atherton Tablelands and Waterfalls Tour.

Magnetic moments that cost less

bucktips — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 05:55:39 +0000

So you’ve blown the budget booking your holiday in Cairns or by partying hard at Airlie. It’s now time to chill out, recharge the batteries and rest the wallet on Magnetic Island! Here are some tips to get more bang for your buck on Magnetic Island.

Free stuff

See koalas in the wild on the Forts Walk. It is a one hour walking track. The best time to see koalas is late afternoon or early morning. Concrete structures from the Second World War and gun emplacements are still intact and offer 360 degree views. The track is classed as a moderate walk. Don’t forget hat, sunscreen and bottled water.

Take some left over fruit and veggies to feed the rock wallabies late in the afternoon at Arcadia. Take some bread and feed the fish at the same location.

Chill out around the pool or laze in a hammock at your hostel.

There are weekly markets on Maggie where you get to meet the local identities who sell everything from jewellery, fruit and vegetables and bric-a-brac. Arcadia markets are on every Friday from 6pm – 9pm and Saturday mornings from 8am to 11am. Located next to the RSL Club on Hayles Ave.

Cheap stuff

Go fishing from the jetty at Picnic Bay.
Snorkel on fringing reef, see magnificent coral and colourful tropical fish just off the beach at Florence Bay and Arthur Bay. These 2 bays can be accessed from the start of the Forts Walk.

Getting there

Oz Experience overnight in Townsville, which allows you to travel to Magnetic Island on the same day as your bus arrives and departs. Your Driver/Guide can hook you up with an overnight accommodation and ferry package to Base Magnetic Island for only $44.00!

Bob Irwin fights for cassowary

bucktips — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:12:30 +0000

BOB Irwin is the face of Australia’s koala and hairy-nose wombat conservation campaigns, and now he is fighting to save the endangered cassowary.The father of Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin won hearts when he made a special trip to the Far North this week to nationally launch a land buyback scheme for Mission Beach, south of Cairns.

Mr Irwin is urging Australians to donate money to Rainforest Rescue for voluntary rainforest block buybacks, and he has called on the State and Federal governments to match whatever money is raised.

“The best estimate is we have 1000 cassowaries left in North Queensland … and in Mission Beach the population may now be as low as 40,” he told a crowd of supporters yesterday.

“These birds are in danger of extinction and we need to act right now to preserve their habitat. We want every single (rainforest) block that can be purchased by the public and government.”

Rainforest Rescue’s Kelvin Davies said his not-for-profit organisation had previously sunk $600,000 worth of donations into land purchases for nature refuges in the Daintree.

“We can keep writing letters to politicians but we can also take a lead for the government to follow,” he told the crowd of his joint campaign with Mr Irwin and Mission Beach conservation group C4.

The local organisation has estimated about 40 per cent of its town’s essential cassowary habitat remains unprotected. Mr Davies said valuable land was already on the market.

“We won’t be coercing anyone to sell,” he said. “But we are on the lookout for rainforest properties and while one or two properties won’t solve the problem we do hope it will demonstrate to all levels of government that people want this.”

Donations were already trickling in after a launch on the group’s website late on Wednesday, he said.

Buck’s Sydney Suggestions

bucktips — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:00:42 +0000

Getting around

3 and more days in Sydney purchase a 7 day green travel pass for unlimited travel on trains, buses and ferries. This will cost $46.
Less than 3 days purchase a day tripper pass for unlimited travel on trains, buses and ferries for each day. This will cost $17 per day.

Day 1

Wake up early and catch a train or bus from Central to Circular Quay.
Jump on the Manly ferry from wharf 3 for the 30 min trip to Manly. Ferries leave every 30 mins.
Have breakfast at Max Brenner’s Chocolate Shop on Manly Wharf once you arrive at Manly Cove.
Go to Tourist Information Booth at the front of Manly Wharf and grab a map for the Manly Scenic Walk
Follow the Manly Scenic Walk from Manly Wharf to Spit Bridge (10kms / 3 hrs)
Catch the 143 or 144 bus from Spit Bridge back to Manly Wharf.
Walk though Manly Corso to get from Manly Cove to Manly Ocean Beachfront.
Suggest takeaway fish and chips on Manly Beach for lunch. Best fish and chips from Fishmongers in Rialto Square or Manly Seafood on the beachend of Wentworth Street.
Walk back to Wharf and have a drink at the Jetty Bar at the Wharf Hotel.
Catch ferry back to Circular Quay.
Head to Cumberland St, The Rocks and visit the roof of the Glenmore Hotel. (Great Views of Sydney Harbour). This is directly opposite the access stairs for the Pedestrian Walkway across the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Walk across the Harbour Bridge and go to Luna Park at Milsons Point to ride the ferris wheel.
Catch the ferry from Milsons Point back to Circular Quay.
Finish the day with a drink at the Opera Bar on the promenade leading to the Sydney Opera House.

Day 2

Wake up early and catch a train from Central to Bondi Junction, head on any bus from Bondi Junction going to Bondi Beach.
Have breakfast at a Bondi Cafe (Check prices first)
Go to the southern end of the beach and start the Bondi to Coogee walk around the coastal headlands. This walk will take about 2 hours. You go past Tamarama and Clovelly Beaches.
Catch the 372 bus back to railway square, then jump on the tram from Central to the Sydney Fish Market’s (tram is not included on the travel pass)
Have a late and long afternoon lunch at Sydney Fishmarkets on the Harbours edge. You can BYO wine.
Catch tram back to Paddy’s Markets and grab last minute souvenirs, then visit Darling Harbour. The city side of Darling Harbour has better bars and restaurants. For food check out Wagamama’s, Chinta Ria and Malaya. Some cool bars include Bungalow 8 and Cargo Bar.

Day 3

Do a Blue Mountains Day trip

Day 4

Choose either a Hunter Valley day trip; or
Jump on the L90 bus from Railway Square and visit Palm Beach (Home and Away’s Summer Bay, will take up to 2 hours each way and you will need to pay a little bit more as it goes beyond travel pass area). Break the trip by stopping off at the Newport Arms for lunch (ask driver)

Other information.

Check for cheap restricted viewing or youth tickets for performances at Sydney Opera House on arrival to Sydney
Visit Watson’s Bay via Ferry and have lunch at Doyle’s Pub or Take way from Wharf and have a picnic in the park (Cheaper than Doyle’s Restaurant)
Eat Kangaroo, Emu or Crocodile pizza’s at Australian Hotel, Cumberland St The Rocks and wash it down with one of 100 Aussie microbrewery beers.
Nightclubs are on Oxford Street
Paddy’s Markets open Thu – Sun for cheap souvenirs near Sydney Entertainment Center
Popular bars in Sydney – Ivy’s, Establishment, Slip Inn
Backpacker bars – Side Bar, Scubar, The Gaff, Scruffy Murphy’s
Music scene – Rock/Pop/Alternative grab the Drum Media. Dance/Trance/Hip Hop grab 3D. Both publications from music stores.
Venue for Jazz – The Basement, Reiby Place, Circular Quay
Venue for Rock/Pop/Alternative – Metro Theatre, George Street Sydney
Newtown – Bohemia style inner city suburb. Great bars and restaurants, many uni students. Catch train from Central
Rugby League info visit www.nrl.com.au
Aussie Rule info visit www.afl.com.au
Major concerts and events visit www.ticketek.com.au or www.ticketmaster.com.au
Sydney Opera House Box Office visit www.sydneyoperahouse.com
Shopping – Westfield’s Bondi Junction, Paddington Markets (Sat/Sun) and Paddy’s Markets (Thu-Sun)