Waimea Plantation Cottages.

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My favorite place to stay in Kauai was at the humble Waimea Plantation Cottages (9400 Kaumualii Hwy, Waimea, HI) which were right on a black sand beach. These refurbished sugar-plantation cottages, which were originally built in the early 1900s, offer a relaxed setting, with tropical-inspired decor
and mahogany, rattan or wicker furnishings. All come with full kitchens,
cable TV, and free WiFi, plus private patios.

Roosters wandered around the property, and walking down the black sand beach feels like walking on another planet. Large black driftwood stumps offered a resting spot on the beach, to sit and soak in fabulous sunsets.  Each cottage has a kitchen, so this quickly felt like home. Set in a coconut grove, this makes a perfect place to set up a home camp on the island.

The cabins are weathered and worn, which I felt added to their local charm, so If you prefer opulent decor, then this might not be the place for you. In the evening, the soothing sound of the surf lulled me to sleep. Staying here of feel chance to slow down, and find some piece. 

When we got back to Orlando, production on the feature animate film, Lilo and Stitch began in earnest and the calming memories helped me crank out piles of drawings and deal with the overtime needed during the film’s crunch time.

Why don’t airports have recliners for everyone?

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Our final leg in Australia was a long drive from Ballerat to Sydney. The large highways offer as boring a view as any highway in America. Australians however have signs warning motorists to take breaks to stay safe. In America we just stress “click it or ticket” for our safety. We decided to stay at a Sydney Airport hotel. The hotel was right next to a junk yard. I still wish I had sketched the rusty mountains of auto parts as my final view from down under.

Sydney has a very modern airport and Terry decided to go shopping before we boarded. That of course gave me time for one final sketch. When I sketch I become invisible and she wasn’t able to locate me in the waiting area. We fired texts back and forth to find each other as the plane boarded.  The woman seated right in front of me looked quite uncomfortable trying to take a nap. This is how I felt for the entire twenty hour flight back to Orlando. I just can’t sleep on planes, so I watched movies non-stop.

In Australia they drive on the wrong side of the road, water swirls down a drain backwards and the sun moves backwards across the sky. They have gun control, offer a free higher education and have an amazing health care system. Melbourne is infectiously welcoming to artists. I consider it my home away from home.

Friends gather at Barney’s Bar Bistro in Australia.

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Another of Terry’s high school friends, Pam Anderson, invited us to her home and it involved a long drive through Victoria to the town of Ararat. The home was surrounded by a gorgeous garden situated on many acres. From the back yard we could see young colts following their thoroughbred moms. The couple were both teachers and their sons had just left home to forge their own lives. One son was a civil engineer and he was making good money out west for a mining company. The mine is in the middle of nowhere so the pay tried to compensate for the isolation. Their other son had moved to New York City. Apparently this trip to America is quite common for Australian youths.

Once a week a group of friends gathers at Barney’s Bar Bistro (Ararat – Halls Gap Rd,, Pomonal, Halls Gap, Victoria) for a bite, some drinks and plenty of conversation. The building is a converted woolshed barn and is has an open layout with exposed wooden beams. We sat out back waiting for a table to open up. In the field behind the bar, kangaroos by the dozens gathered to forage as the sun set. Terry and I were ecstatic at the sight but this was a common sight for everyone else.

Having been behind the wheel of the car all day, I was itching to do a sketch and I started to sketch the second we were seated. Terry apologized for my behavior but no one seemed to mind. By the time our food arrived the sketch was done. Most of the people in the group were teachers, so I got to learn a bit about the inner politics inside the High School. The boys had their mom for one class and their dad for another, so it was almost like being home schooled. A college education is paid for by the government, so youths are highly educated and they don’t start their adult lives deep in debt. American politicians could learn a thing or two from Australia’s example.

A Lorne Australia residential sculpture garden has plenty of surprises.

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Josie Browne, a high school classmate of Terry’s told me that I had to check out the front yard of a neighbor of hers named Deborah. She gave me directions and I set off with my art supplies in hand. Her neighbor is a well known sculptor in Melbourne. When I got to her property, I was met by “Big Dik” and “Tits“, a bull and cow whose sexuality was bright red. A ram named “Baby Tart” negotiated the space between them as they faced off. A bright pink sheep was covered in plastic forks and spoons which created a rich texture to her coat. A nude blue couple stood in the background near the entrance to the home-studio. Even the trees were alive with faces and covered in giant lady bugs.Unfortunately Josie couldn’t recall Deborah’s last name. My online research lead me to a Deborah Halpern, but her work has much more of a Picassoesque feel to it. My online search for “Big Dik” and “Tits” didn’t result in any bovine sculptures.

Josie told me of the time she visited the sculptor for tea. She was a bit terrified at first to see the inside of the sculptor’s studio. They became immediate friends and keep in touch. Awkwardly, I planted myself in the corner of Deborah’s front yard to sketch. If she was home, I would just have to hope that she wouldn’t mind me sketching her quirky work. Lorne Australia has a Sculpture Biennal where sculptors place their work along the long stretch of beach.  There were exciting and unexpected arts scenes like this throughout Australia.

Ravenwood is a quaint Bed and Breakfast perched high up a hill in Lorne Australia.

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The day started out with a leisurely walk on the beach with Josie and her sheep herding dog. Large sheets of volcanic rock  on the beach had solidified with the positive and negative shapes of un-popped lava bubbles. The inverted cups filled with ocean water as the tide went out and became mini aquariums. All forms of life from algae to crabs thrived in the tide pools. Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by tide pools. I love any kind of self contained ecosystem.

Half way up the hill to Josie Browne‘s house, I stopped to sketch Ravenwood. First, I liked the name of this Bed and Breakfast thinking it might be occupied by Edgar Allan Poe, but also the building reminded me of paintings done by Edward Hopper. As I sketched, Terry and Josie continued walking up the hill. I remember as I walked up this steep hill alone once, I saw an old man coming down the hill. I thought to myself that I should control my breath a bit so I wasn’t huffing and puffing as we passed each other. He remarked, “Darn, I’m more winded than you just going downhill.” I laughed and began huffing and puffing again.

There is so much of this old Victorian architecture in Australia. I wondered if there was a way up to the widow’s nest. Metal roofs reflect the sun like mirrors. And the front yard of this home had a vibrant garden filled with pink roses.

Remeniscing about senior year at Melbourne’s Lauriston Girl’s School.

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At Terry’s high school reunion for Lauriston Girl’s School in Melbourne, she met Josie Browne who offered us a chance to stay in her Lourne, Australia beach house. The house was designed by an architect for himself and it has unique panoramic windows that give the sleek modern interior a feeling of being open to the environment. Josie was incredibly open and sincere, we both liked her immediately. Apparently her husband is her polar opposite, being loud and always seeking to close the next big deal. The family dog is an incredibly intelligent sheep herding dog. His greatest joy in life is retrieving a tennis ball that Josie tosses down the beach using a plastic sling. The house isn’t right on the beach but up a steep hill. The second floor balcony allows a sweeping view of the ocean over the neighboring roofs.

Josie’s daughter was back home and working long shifts at the restaurant in a hotel at the bottom of the hill. Her love is animal husbandry and someday she may fulfill her dream of living on a farm with plenty of horses. As Terry and Josie talked about Lauriston, a Sydney horse race was on the telly. Horse racing is huge in Australia. It became a national past time right after the gold rush and money from the races helped build the city infrastructure.

At the restaurant at the bottom of the hill there was outdoor seating. Signs of the railing around the dining area said, “Don’t Feed the Cockatoos”. The entire trip Terry had been looking for cockatoos because she missed our pet cockatoo named Zorro. As we ate dinner, cockatoos landed on the railing to watch us eat. If you turned your back for a moment they would swoop down and grab some of your food. At a trash can by the beach, cockatoos had pried the lid off and were rummaging in the garbage. I put some of the trash back and scolded a cockatoo as if I were talking to Zorro.  A few minutes later, trash was once again being thrown to the ground. Come to think of it, Zorro never obeys either. The cockatoos also chew and destroy any wooden surfaces on buildings. To say the least, cockatoos are considered a pest in Lourne.

Glamping at Jabiru Safari Lodge in Australia.

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Terry became quite obsessed about seeing as many of Australia‘s indigenous birds as she could. To beef up her bird list, we went to Jabiru Safari Lodge (Pickford Road | PO Box 1364, Mareeba, Queensland 4880, Australia ) where we camped in the outback. We as usual, got lost on the drive there. A wrong turn sent us into a herd of cattle. A few phone calls eventually got us to the site. There were two huge tents set up on permanent wooden platforms. By the time we arrived, the sun was setting making the trees light up a bright orange. I immediately sketched the new domicile while Terry went for a hike. The tent came complete with a working shower out back, and a small refrigerator and fans to cool us down. It was definitely a step up from the tiny pup tent I took on my cross country bike trek as a teen.

In this part of the country there are large round jar shaped structures found everywhere. They are the homes to termites and some are more than six feet high. There were several right in front of our tent. What makes this area unique is that a large man made lake has been created that is a magnate for tons of migrating and local birds.  There is a lodge right on the water where you can relax and have a drink as the sun sets. Barn swallows have nests in the rafters and the parents are always busy sweeping in to give food to the chirping chicks in the nests.

Thala Beach in Australia offered an intimate hike on the Fringing Reef.

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While Terry went birding with an experienced guide in Thalia, Australia I took a hike down to the beach for a quick second sketch. As the trail opened up to the beach, I discovered a bee hive in a branch that crossed the trail. There were far more rocky outcrops than there was beach.

Being a pale white vampire, I decided that I needed to find shade before I started any attempt at putting the jagged landscape on paper. I found this narrow alleyway of sand between the rocks and I scrunched down and sat in the shade which was quickly disappearing as the sun rose in the sky. This sketch was done quickly and almost flippantly because I was racing the sun. When the sun crept onto the page, I was blinded by it’s whiteness. I darkened the page with washes to darken it up a bit. I got a text from Terry letting me know that she Was done with her birding for the day. I decided the sketch was done and I scrambled up on the rocks again to find my way back to the hotel. I love looking in the tide pools to see what life has been stranded as the ocean receded. Blue craps hid from my sight and tiny fish swam for what little cover they could find.

Terry and I drove up the coast to explore more rain forests and beach side resorts. It was a scenic and relaxing day with very little traffic on the road. We hiked up a gorge and got lost along the way. When it got too hot, we stripped down to our skivvies and waded into the freezing cold river. We didn’t actually get lost, but the trail went much further than we expected. We got more than our share of nature for one day.

Experiencing the Great Barrier Reef

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The boat out to the Great Barrier Reef left early. On the Reef Magic Cruise Ship I had a shady outside aft deck where I could keep my eyes on the horizon. The ocean was calm and so was my stomach. The boat took us to a large off shore platform called Marine World. From here you could choose to take a helicopter flight, a glass bottom boat, scuba diving, or our choice, snorkeling. I had thought ahead and put on my full body neoprene snorkel suit which keeps me warm and blocks sunburn. Rentals for flippers, snorkels and a mask were quite affordable. The water was warm enough so that some people went out without a protective layer, but they got burnt. I wondered why we weren’t warned against the use of liquid sun screen. Imagine all those chemicals diffusing in the water and sinking down towards the corals. I’m sure it can’t be good for this delicate Eco-system.

I used to have a 200 gallon in wall reef tank that I set up in my home. Getting the right balance of light, calcium, temperature and nutrients is difficult.  Some people have computer systems that keep all these levels in check, but I just checked the chemistry weekly while doing massive water changes. It was an amazing amount of work, yet worth it because in its prime, the tank was gorgeous. Then algae took hold and spread. At first I kept it in check with algae eating fish like Gobies but soon it was out of control. I did several large oil paintings of friends reef tanks and then dismantled my tank and patched the hole in the wall. I hung an oil painting where the tank used to be. This way I got to appreciate the beauty without the hard work of keeping it all alive.

Terry and I floated out on the water and stayed fairly close together. I made it my responsibility to follow her movements. The reef was unimaginably immense and gorgeous. I swam over a brain coral that was the size of a small house. Plate Corals giant open palms caught the sunlight while soft corals waved in the gentle currents. Everywhere I looked, I saw corals that I used to have in my tank, but here they were part of a large thriving community. Near the platform a grouper as large as me swam lazily by. Fish swam together in schools, darting in between coral structures. In several spots the coral grew so close to the surface of the water, that I had to suck my tummy in to keep from touching them as I floated over. Out near the edge of the roped off area, the reef suddenly dropped down creating a reef wall. Hundreds of feet down, I could see sting rays swimming on the sandy bottom. This was the environment I had tried to recreate with my tank, but the reality is so much more overwhelming. I could hear Trigger Fish chomping on corals and a Tang swam up to my mask to stare at me.

One part of the reef disturbed me. There was a mountain of dead Staghorn coral skeletons. When alive these corals are brightly colored. The dead skeletons were white. Clearly scuba divers must patrol this area of the reef each night after the tourists have left and they collect the dead corals and drop them in this pile. Hard skeleton corals like the Staghorns are the hardest to keep alive in a reef tank. A sudden spike in temperature can cause the delicate flesh to peel away from the skeleton. Despite the colorful beauty all over the reef, I began to notice signs of stress and decay. I recognized the signs because I was always trying to keep my corals healthy in my small Eco-system. Terry and I floated out on the reef as long as we could. I’m so happy I got to see this miracle of nature up close. It may not be there forever.

Back on the platform the staff set up an immense buffet lunch. People piled the food up on their plates like this was their last meal. I barely ate, instead drinking lots of water for fear of sea sickness on the boat ride back. I did get a bit dizzy in the hectic rush of removing the tight snorkeling suit. The platform pitched ever so gently. I’m proud to say I survived the boat ride back. I was starving when we got back to dry land. That night we went out to a wonderful seafood restaurant called Barnacle Bills (103 Esplanade, Cairns QLD 4870, Australia). It was expensive, but well worth it. I had a second glass of wine and loved the world on the walk back to Shangrila. Back at the hotel, I found out that a two inch strip of my forehead had gotten a bright red burn. There seems to have been a gap between the hood and the scuba mask. Exhausted, burnt and satiated, I blacked out, the second my head hit the pillow. Perhaps a vacation from all this vacationing is in order.

Getting over the hump of a long flight.

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Terry and I have been traveling quite a bit this year. Back in June and July we flew to the Rockies in Canada and in October we disappeared for a month to go to Australia. Flying to the opposite side of the world is exciting until you are half way into the flight. Terry takes some medication right before take off that cuts the edge off of her fear of flying. Not only can she relax, but she can pass out on a dime. While we were waiting on the runway to take off, she got annoyed at the delay. She then fell asleep and several hours later she woke up and called over a stewardess. She asked the stewardess why we hadn’t taken off yet. The stewardess calmly explained that we WERE in the air and had been for quite some time.

I can never fall asleep when flying. This was a real curse of the flight to Australia. I watched all the animated films on the entertainment list. I believe John Hurst, a former Disney colleague got an award for his storyboard work in the opening sequence of Rio 2. It is a pretty impressive sequence with Parrots performing a complex Busby Berkeley Song and flight routine. I just saw a live action film I did early storyboards for. It was exciting to see compositional ideas incorporated in the final film. Some of the cast had changed but the action was true to what I remember.

Sketchbooks, clothes and my carry on were all used in an attempt to create a comfortable sleeping position. The delicate house of cards would always collapse and I would nod awake.