To Toronto and beyond!

We have become Public Transport Queens.... a 3 hour bus ride, the subway to the Train Station and a 5 hour train ride later and we were met at the Toronto Train Station by a family friend Bill Kennedy. Bill and Chris are friends of my parents who came to visit us in Cairns back in May and offered for us to come and stay with them in Toronto and take us to their lake cottage up in Algonquin National Park as it was time for the leaves to start changing colour for ‘Fall’ (autumn) time.

So packing up our walking attire, a bunch of food and lots of warm clothing we headed 3 hours north to Pickering, for the Kennedy cottage, stopping in at little fruit and veggie stands along the way. The harvest displays were out in full force with amazingly huge pumpkin displays dotted everywhere across homes and shops.

The Kennedy cottage was just gorgeous located right on the lake. Chris cooked us beautiful home cooked meals and even made a delicious Rhubarb pie from fresh Rhubarb from their garden. The first evening we had a glass of wine whilst watching a spectacular sunset over the lake.


Spot the pumpkin...

Is Heidi part of the permanent displayt?

Sunset at the Lake Cottage

Swapping yarns over a glass of red at Sunset

The Kennedy Cottage


The next morning the rain settled in as we made our way again further north for our day trip to Algonquin National Park to see the changing colours of the leaves, go a few walks and even see if we could spot a bear or a moose. Stopping for a famous ‘Tim Hortons’ lunch along the way we arrived early afternoon. Because of the inclement weather we decided on two of the shorter walks, one through a beautiful forested area and the other through a peat swamp area. We also headed into the Information Centre that was set up so well and talked about the history of the area along with all the animals and wildlife. We even did manage to see a Moose – well in the information centre anyway as they had a stuffed one on display! The trees were just started to change colours so we could see the reds and oranges peaking through all the greenery. It wasn’t until the following week that the park was in full change of colour.

Walking one of the many trails at Algonquin National Park in search of Moose

It was back at the cottage that Serena met her new friend Chip. Chip was a very cute and very brave little chipmunk that lived underneath the patio of the cottage. Chris and Bill had brought up some peanuts with them that Serena fed to him one by one. He even got so confident that he came right up to her and took it from her fingers. We think that chip will be the best stocked chipmunk in the area come the winter season and probably the fattest one around! After several hours of feeding chip and taking several hundred photos, it was time to leave Pickering and the cottage and head back to Toronto.

Serena's new friend Chip the Chipmunk gets confident and fills his 'boots'

And yet another peanut

Chip poses for the camera


During our next few days Serena and I explored Toronto on foot finding such areas as Chinatown and their cheap massage that left us both virtually unable to move for the next 2 days! Once again we become queens of the public transport system assisted greatly by Bill with his pick up and drop offs to the train stations. Bill was our run around man. He took us on a tour of their lovely little area where they live and even into the city to meet up with their daughter Sarah one evening for a meal in the city. He was the perfect guide!

Our evening out with Bill, Chris and their daughter Sarah in Toronto

One of our days we decided to head down to Niagara falls. Bill had decided to drive us down there so off the 3 of us went to see the mighty falls. Niagara falls is actually 2 sets of falls – one on the USA side and the other on the Canadian side. We headed first to the Canadian side, in awe of the thundering water curtain that left such an impression. We decided that we wanted to go behind the falls so suited up in our ‘Behind the Falls’ tour rain ponchos we walked through a tunnel which led to a serious of openings, one behind the curtain of water, one right at the point where the water falls and then finally out to a platform up close to the falls where there was no other choice but to get wet! It was just an amazing experience especially looking down at the boats full of people below being pounded as they did the famous Maid of the Mist tour.

The Maid of the Mist Tour on the Canadian side of Niagara

The full scope of both the USA and Canada side of the falls

Serena and I get wet on the viewing platform 'Behind the Falls'

The curve of the Canadian side

A beautiful sight... and the falls were pretty amazing too!

We decided that we couldn’t come all this way and not go over to the US side. So whipping out our passports, having a bit of an interrogation by the US immigration (‘how long do you intend on being in the US?’ ‘um approximately 1 hr!’) we passed through to the VERY tacky USA side.

The falls on this side are completely different to those on the Canadian side. The US falls are much more tame and rocky however they do have a great attraction which is the ‘Cave of the Winds’ tour. Entering the opening you are automatically given water shoes (Tevas/reefs) and told to take off your own shoes. You are then given yet another rather attractive yellow rain poncho but for what reason we are unsure as there is NO way you are staying dry on this tour. Heading down an elevator through layers of rock, you emerge at the bottom of the falls and walk along to an ascending wooden stair case that takes you closer and closer and CLOSER to the falls until finally you get to.... the HURRICANE deck. And yes, hurricane describes it perfectly. You are showered with cascade after cascade of water to the point that taking a shower that night is virtually unnecessary! It was so much fun and Serena and I stood underneath for quite some time while Bill took photos although I have a feeling he was just keeping us there to ensure that we were soaked through to our underwear! We got our usual tourist photograph and headed home via the quaint little town of Niagara on the Lake picking up more fresh fruit along the way.

Bill and Heidi 'prepare' for the Cave of the Winds tour in their ponchos

On the Hurricane deck - why did we bother with the ponchos?!

Don't fall in!

Serena takes in the view up to the American side


We felt quite spoilt at the Kennedy house as we had a room to ourselves each and they made us feel right at home by living up to the saying Mi casa es su casa. Their home was just a beautiful place, designed by Bill and Chris 20 years prior and had a real family home feel to it. The garden was enormous with it’s own herb patch and squirrels running riot (usually being chased by one of their 3 cats). Their son Andrew also stayed at the house so we got to spend some time with him talking travels many evenings. We even sat around the kitchen in the mornings with Bill’s lovely Mum, Kay who lived in the house in her own little ‘granny flat’.

We felt so at home that we decided, travelling or not, we needed to maintain our stunning looks and get rid of the tacky ‘regrowth’ look and dye our hair. Well, Serena’s was warranted however I decided I didn’t want to be left out so why not just get a dye to add a few highlights? Big mistake.... Serena and I spent the afternoon in ‘our’ bathroom mixing solution and dousing our hair in chemicals. Serena did get a bit colour happy though and instead of adding a streak here and there in my hair she decided to just do the whole area.... I think she was one of those children that could never colour within the lines! An hour later, colour washed out and hair drying in process, ‘Uh ohhhhh’ could be heard from the bathroom. I opened up the door to show Serena and we both burst out laughing. We had gone a bit overboard with the blonde! Nothing another colour treatment couldn’t fix... however seeing as though we were leaving that afternoon and it might be a couple of days before I could get around to doing it, I resorted to not looking in the mirror. Might I add that Serena’s turned out perfectly! I even cut her hair to perfection – maybe I have found a hidden talent! So it was up to my dear dear friend Megan in Kenora to help return me to a non laughable colour when I arrived!

It was a very relaxed week with the Kennedys and we grew to love Toronto city with it’s vibrancy and feeling of youth. It is a definite place that we will one day return to.
So the time had come... the dynamic duo had to surgically remove our Siamese twin selves as we were spending a week apart. Tears forbidden, we dropped Serena off at the train station to head north to visit her Aunt and Bill drove me south to the airport to make my way to Winnipeg, Manitoba and onto Kenora, Ontario.......

H and S