Dawn light touches Half Dome (at left).
Looking further up the valley – typical Yosemite! Granite and fir trees.
The cable section near the summit. I saw many people with grossly inadequate footwear slipping and sliding on the steep granite. It’s no wonder there are a few fatalities each year…
Fantastic views at the summit! That’s El Capitan behind me.
Half Dome seen from the valley floor.
A typical view down Yosemite Valley in late afternoon.
Wheeler Hall.
Haas School of Business. Sather Gate at Sproul Plaza.
The view from above Memorial Stadium with the Campanile and San Francisco in the distance.
While back in Australia, I took the chance to visit my aunt Karen up in Townsville, in far north Queensland. I hadn’t seen Karen in years and I thought this would be my last chance to catch up with her for the next few years. Also, being winter, it was a great chance to catch some sun and work on my tan!
Karen’s place is in Alligator Creek, just south of Townsville.
A huuuuge green tree frog that calls Karen’s place home.
A fresh seafood feast for two! Those weird looking things are Moreton Bay Bugs which have a crab’s body and a lobster’s tail. They’re delicious!
After a couple of days around Karen’s place, we took a trip to Magnetic Island, about a one hour ferry ride from Townsville. The island is a great place to relax on the beach, which is exactly what I did.
A few days later we drove up into the mountains north of Townsville. We had a lovely lunch surrounded by all sorts of native tropical birds, and then took a short hike through the rainforest.
