Okay, so I forgot to post this one before my last and final post, so let's just pretend...
Australian cities I visited:
Sydney x 2
Katoomba (Blue Mountains) x 2
Melbourne
Pakenham
Wheeler's Hill
Tourquay
Lorne
Apollo Bay
Adelaide
Clare
Quorn
Parachilna
Wilpena Pound
Rawnsley Park
Coober Pedy
Ayers Rock
Kings Canyon
Alice Springs
Cairns
Magnetic Island
Airlie Beach (Whitsunday Islands)
Maroochydore
Noosa Heads
Surfer's Paradise
Coolangatta
Byron Bay
Coffs Harbour
Newcastle
Number of different places/beds I slept in while in Australia = 21
Kilometers driven in Australia = 3,956 (including Great Ocean Road Trip)
Number of car accidents/tickets = 0 (that I know of - I hated those speed cameras)
Notable Differences:
Toilets in AUS have half-flush or full-flush
Speed cameras everywhere and slow speed limits
Major highways are much smaller
Lanscape/scenery is so lush and green (except of course in the outback)
Many more smokers than in the states (includes visitors)
Drinking age is 18
A lot of bars stay open until 4am
Botanical gardens in almost every city
AUS hasn't destroyed their tree population yet like the US has
No ozone layer
AUS radio and TV sensors are not as strict as US
Driving on the other side - which means running on the other side too!
The wildlife - kanagroos, emus, camel, koalas, and birds galore.
Things I missed from America:
Goldfish (the crackers)
Turkey sandwiches
Instant Oatmeal
Dannon yogurt
My loofa
My body pillow
Stride gum (although I brought some with me and Mark brought reinforcements)
Propel
Easily available Pepsi products
Ketchup
What I will miss from Australia:
Cadbury chocolates
White sand (big beaches)
The accent
Warm ocean water/clear water
Driving on the other side - I actually really enjoyed it
Arnott's Biscuits
Bushwalking
The ease of public transportation
Gelato stores everywhere
The Outback sky at night
What I won't miss from AUS:
THE MILLIONS OF BIRDS LIVING THERE! :)
Some great Aussie sayings/words:
Fair dinkum'
Good onya
How you going?
G'day, mate!
Gridiron (American Football)
Pokies (slot machines)
Biscuits (cookies)
Chips (french fries)
Hire a car
Booking (reservation)
"Oz, Oz, Oz, Oi, Oi, Oi"
"In Australia, we drive on the left side."
Arvo (afternoon)
Bathers (swimsuit)
Bloke
Bottle Shop (liquor store)
Heaps (a lot)
Brekkie (breakfast)
Maccas - Macker's (McDonald's)
Lollies (candy)
Chupa chups (lolly pops)
Budgie smuglers (speedo)
No worries!
Bush (the outback, hiking areas, etc)
Grog (beer)
Ripper (something is great)
Servo (petrol station)
Petrol (gas)
Thongs (flip flops)
That's all I can think of for now...maybe I will add to it later.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Sunday, March 9, 2008
There's no place like home...
Yup, that's right, I'm back!!! I flew out of Sydney on Sunday, March 9th at 1:55pm and arrived back in the US on March 9th at 1:20pm. Yes, kind of confusing.
Sunday morning was very eventful. I got up and went for my last run in Australia. It was okay running in the city again, but not my favorite. Mark and I had some last minute shopping and then it was check out time and head to the airport. This was not fun. We got lost all over the city not being able to turn left or right or where ever we needed to go. Then there was traffic into the airport. Once we finally got there and returned the keys, I only had 2 hours before my plane departed - plenty of time, right?!?! Wrong...It took 1.5 hours just to get checked in and then I had to rush through customs and security check. Mark and I didn't even get to say "Have a nice flight!" - we were on different airlines. I made it to my flight though and took a last look at one of my favourite countries before heading to Fiji.
The flights were flights and not much to say about them except I got no sleep. The seats are so small and uncomfortable - I can't imagine what taller people go through when flying. Luckily though, my feet didn't swell this time, WOOHOO!!
Unfortunately for Mark, he too had flight problems and had 2 of his flights cancelled. He did make it back though, so all is good now.
Flying from Fiji to LAX was interesting because it was the first time in two months I have been surrounded by all Americans. I talked to a lot of my neighbors and we shared vacation stories. Mostly everyone around me couldn't believe I was in Australia for 2 months, just traveling and alone. Ahh, the American view on things is so different than what I have been surrounded with the past few months. It did make me feel good though that I had accomplished what most of them said they could never do. I will take so much away from this experience, I can't even begin to explain what the past two months has done for me.
After what seemed like forever, I finally arrived in LA only to wait about a hour for my bags to come out to collect - I think the crews kept taking coffee breaks in between unloading... Then of course I zipped through customs and headed toward the sign that said "Exit To Los Angeles". Turning the corner, one of the first faces I saw was my mom...it was so great to see her smiling face. Once I got through "the walkway where a million people watch you waiting for their 'loved one' to come out", I saw both my mom and dad and was welcomed with big hugs and smiles (it may have been an act, but felt great!). :) Just to add to my long day, my dad decided to take a "tour" of the city of Torrence...yes, in other words, we got lost...but finally made it back and headed home. The scenery here is so different, I almost forgot what it was like. As much as I love American, Australia has it beat on views and landscapes.
I did have to make one quick stop...my good friends Joey and Leslie had no idea I was coming home today, so I thought I would surprise them. Only Joey was home, but he sure was shocked...I would pay money to get a picture of his face when he saw me standing at the door window. I think the dogs were more happy to see me though.
I then finally made it home and unpacked a few things - or as Dad says, made my room look more normal...you know, with stuff all over the floor. I promise I will clean it up (when I move out again...)!!! We then met with a few people for dinner - MEXICAN!!! It was wonderful...nothing beats Mexican in Southern California...
Now here I am at 11:15pm, shouldn't I be asleep by now?!?! Why can't I sleep?!?! I'm hoping staring at the computer screen will help lull me to bed...maybe it is starting to work.
Well, this is it. My Big Adventure is over and on to the next phase of life. What is that, you ask. I have no idea, but I'm sure I will figure it out - one day at a time.
Sunday morning was very eventful. I got up and went for my last run in Australia. It was okay running in the city again, but not my favorite. Mark and I had some last minute shopping and then it was check out time and head to the airport. This was not fun. We got lost all over the city not being able to turn left or right or where ever we needed to go. Then there was traffic into the airport. Once we finally got there and returned the keys, I only had 2 hours before my plane departed - plenty of time, right?!?! Wrong...It took 1.5 hours just to get checked in and then I had to rush through customs and security check. Mark and I didn't even get to say "Have a nice flight!" - we were on different airlines. I made it to my flight though and took a last look at one of my favourite countries before heading to Fiji.
The flights were flights and not much to say about them except I got no sleep. The seats are so small and uncomfortable - I can't imagine what taller people go through when flying. Luckily though, my feet didn't swell this time, WOOHOO!!
Unfortunately for Mark, he too had flight problems and had 2 of his flights cancelled. He did make it back though, so all is good now.
Flying from Fiji to LAX was interesting because it was the first time in two months I have been surrounded by all Americans. I talked to a lot of my neighbors and we shared vacation stories. Mostly everyone around me couldn't believe I was in Australia for 2 months, just traveling and alone. Ahh, the American view on things is so different than what I have been surrounded with the past few months. It did make me feel good though that I had accomplished what most of them said they could never do. I will take so much away from this experience, I can't even begin to explain what the past two months has done for me.
After what seemed like forever, I finally arrived in LA only to wait about a hour for my bags to come out to collect - I think the crews kept taking coffee breaks in between unloading... Then of course I zipped through customs and headed toward the sign that said "Exit To Los Angeles". Turning the corner, one of the first faces I saw was my mom...it was so great to see her smiling face. Once I got through "the walkway where a million people watch you waiting for their 'loved one' to come out", I saw both my mom and dad and was welcomed with big hugs and smiles (it may have been an act, but felt great!). :) Just to add to my long day, my dad decided to take a "tour" of the city of Torrence...yes, in other words, we got lost...but finally made it back and headed home. The scenery here is so different, I almost forgot what it was like. As much as I love American, Australia has it beat on views and landscapes.
I did have to make one quick stop...my good friends Joey and Leslie had no idea I was coming home today, so I thought I would surprise them. Only Joey was home, but he sure was shocked...I would pay money to get a picture of his face when he saw me standing at the door window. I think the dogs were more happy to see me though.
I then finally made it home and unpacked a few things - or as Dad says, made my room look more normal...you know, with stuff all over the floor. I promise I will clean it up (when I move out again...)!!! We then met with a few people for dinner - MEXICAN!!! It was wonderful...nothing beats Mexican in Southern California...
Now here I am at 11:15pm, shouldn't I be asleep by now?!?! Why can't I sleep?!?! I'm hoping staring at the computer screen will help lull me to bed...maybe it is starting to work.
Well, this is it. My Big Adventure is over and on to the next phase of life. What is that, you ask. I have no idea, but I'm sure I will figure it out - one day at a time.
The Sydney Splurge
So Saturday was Mark's last night in Australia and he finally made a decision!! No hostel, we would stay at a hotel in Sydney. I looked some up and found the Amora hotel near "The Rocks". We woke up Saturday morning to dense fog up in the Blue Mountains and I went for a cold run - first in over a month! The day before, we found out that marathon "The Six Foot Track" was actually being held on Saturday - Mark tried to get me to sign up for it last minute and as much as I really wanted to do it, I just don't think I was prepared for it, so I decided not to run it. Maybe it will be something I come back to do...who knows...
We got everything packed up and drove down into the city. WOW, I almost forgot how much I hate driving in cities and Sydney is now on the top of my list...after many turns, u-turns, a trip across the bridge and back, we finally made it into the city. We had to run a few errands first, but finally made it to our hotel around 1pm. We parked the car and I was thrilled to not have to drive anymore - we will walk around the rest of the time in the city.
Our room was on the 28th floor, but the view was mostly of other tall buildings around us. We could catch a glimpse of the Opera House, so I guess it was something! I wasn't complaining though because we had our own room, comfy beds, big pillows (I took the extra one), robes, slippers, a bathtub, WASHCLOTHS!!!, mini bar, TV, ironig board, pens to take, etc - you get the point?!??! In other words, I haven't had many of these luxuries in the last two months...
Next we headed out on a tour around the Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay, the Opera House and the Botanical Gardens so Mark could get some pictures and take a tour of the city - it was a clear, sunny day, so hee lucked out. Then we did some souvenir shopping (my first since arriving here). Mark wanted a digeridoo, but after seeing the prices, he had to get a beer before allowing himself to fork out that cash. We got a Toohey's at the Mercantile Hotel (voted bestt Irish pub in Sydney) and then went back to to the booth so Mark could spend some more money! That was all he wanted too see/do and since I have seen it all before, we headed back to the hotel to enjoy the pool and hot tub - for free!!! Yes, the things you miss while backpacking. I totally needed both and it was so refreshing.
After the relaxing part, we walked back down to The Rocks area for dinner. We both had pasta with seafood (another splurge!) and it tasted wonderful. I felt so out of place, but it was nice to actually sit down in a nicer restaurant and enjoy the beautiful evening. After dinner, we went to Jackson's on George for another drink, but were stuft and tired, that we went back to the hotel after one drink. It was so nice to lounge around in the room, watch free movies and be able to lay all my "crap" out too sort out and repack.
Even though the beds were a deluxe size (about 3 inches wider than a normal sizee), they were very comfortable and I slept really well. Much needed rest after another long and exciting day!
We got everything packed up and drove down into the city. WOW, I almost forgot how much I hate driving in cities and Sydney is now on the top of my list...after many turns, u-turns, a trip across the bridge and back, we finally made it into the city. We had to run a few errands first, but finally made it to our hotel around 1pm. We parked the car and I was thrilled to not have to drive anymore - we will walk around the rest of the time in the city.
Our room was on the 28th floor, but the view was mostly of other tall buildings around us. We could catch a glimpse of the Opera House, so I guess it was something! I wasn't complaining though because we had our own room, comfy beds, big pillows (I took the extra one), robes, slippers, a bathtub, WASHCLOTHS!!!, mini bar, TV, ironig board, pens to take, etc - you get the point?!??! In other words, I haven't had many of these luxuries in the last two months...
Next we headed out on a tour around the Harbour Bridge, Circular Quay, the Opera House and the Botanical Gardens so Mark could get some pictures and take a tour of the city - it was a clear, sunny day, so hee lucked out. Then we did some souvenir shopping (my first since arriving here). Mark wanted a digeridoo, but after seeing the prices, he had to get a beer before allowing himself to fork out that cash. We got a Toohey's at the Mercantile Hotel (voted bestt Irish pub in Sydney) and then went back to to the booth so Mark could spend some more money! That was all he wanted too see/do and since I have seen it all before, we headed back to the hotel to enjoy the pool and hot tub - for free!!! Yes, the things you miss while backpacking. I totally needed both and it was so refreshing.
After the relaxing part, we walked back down to The Rocks area for dinner. We both had pasta with seafood (another splurge!) and it tasted wonderful. I felt so out of place, but it was nice to actually sit down in a nicer restaurant and enjoy the beautiful evening. After dinner, we went to Jackson's on George for another drink, but were stuft and tired, that we went back to the hotel after one drink. It was so nice to lounge around in the room, watch free movies and be able to lay all my "crap" out too sort out and repack.
Even though the beds were a deluxe size (about 3 inches wider than a normal sizee), they were very comfortable and I slept really well. Much needed rest after another long and exciting day!
Friday, March 7, 2008
Coffs Harbour and back to the Blue Mountains
Wednesday was spent in Coffs Harbour as well. What a great town...it reminds me of Carlsbad and I loved it. Only about 18,000 people live in the town but it is very long so there is a lot to look at and visit.
I got up that morning and dropped Mark off at the local golf course. Then I went back to Karen & Mick's and went for a run around the town. It is great to check out new areas and I got to see a lot more of the northern end of the city. After the run, I did lots of fun stuff - laundry, made reservations for Blue Mountains, cancelled some reservations for other stuff, etc, etc...it all needed to be done, so at least I got it out of the way. After picking Mark up, we headed back down to the beach. It was another great day - a little more clouds, but still sunny and beautiful. We somehow have lucked out on the weather...especially since Cairns just got 600mm of rain and is now flooded...
The beaches down this way are much different. Big waves, but since it is in the harbour, they break every which way. It is really weird too because there are sandbars all over, so you will go in a couple feet and all of a sudden be waist deep, but then two feet later, you are standing in 2 inch deep water. It can be a little freaky if you aren't paying close enough attention. The beach is really sandy too, so we were covered in it when we got out.
We again met Mick and Karen after work, and Mick took us to Heritage Park - a local suburb. This suburb was built right in the middle of kangaroo grazing areas, so there are kangaroos all over the place. In people's yards, on the street, in the grassy areas. Needless to say, Mark was finally happy that he got to see kangaroos in the wild. I enjoyed it too, but since I was driving, had to pay more attention to making sure I didn't hit one!
That night, Mick took us to the Sawtell RSL Club (Karen was playing squash) . The RSL clubs are great! Cheap food, cheap drinks and you get to people watch all the locals. I must say though, out of all the ones I have visited since arriving in Australia, the one in Sawtell is by far the busiest and nicest looking one I have been in. For dinner, I had Barrimundi...it was great! On the side were veggies and potato and pumpkin...yes, pumpkin...it is very popular here and you can usually find it served anywhere. Although, I have yet to find pumpkin pie. If I asked for it, they would probably think I meant a meat pie with pumpkin in it...
Side note: Since I have done a ton of driving, the main thing I have noticed here is that there are a million round-a-bouts and half of them are in Coffs! I do like the round-a-bouts though because that means there are less stop signs. And the answer is no for those of you wondering if I have pulled a National Lampoon's round-a-bout...if you don't know what I am talking about, don't worry...
After dinner, we just hung out back at Karen and Mick's. I think Mark enjoyed being around locals and talking with them about the differences between Australia and the US. I again just enjoyed spending time with friends and lounging around in a house. I must say, the Steven's family (and extensions) have made my trip to Australia so much better - what can you say about great friends other than just feeling lucky to have them!
On Thursday, we got up early and headed to the Blue Mountains - I knew Mark would like it up there as much as I did, so that is where we will spend his last few days in Australia. The drive is about 8 hours, so we stopped in Newcastle on the way. It is another great little beach town about 150km north of Sydney. We just drove down to the local beach and hung out there for a few hours. Mark went in and said it was too rough, so I just got wet enough to cool me down, but stayed out of the water.
We walked around a bit and checked out the local salt baths and Newcastle Beach. This sand has the "barking sand" as well. I should try to figure out why it makes funny noises like that - something to do when I get back to the states and have a bunch of time on my hands!
The drive to the Blue Mountains wasn't too bad, but it is so frustrating because half the time we are doing 40, 60 or 80kph because the construction on the roads is everywhere. I will have to come back in 5 years and see if it all has been completed. Maybe then the laws will allow you to drive 110kph for more than 10km!
Well, this trip to the Blue Mountains is completely different from the first trip - basically because it is sunny and warm! It was so warm last night, that I could barely even sleep...I was so uncomfortable.
We got up this morning (and after a quick run), hiked for 4.5 hours. It was great to get out there again and Mark enjoyed all the scenery and birds. Too bad we both don't like them...I could care less and keep walking but he wants to sit around and watch them for hours!!! Oh well...my shoes have definitely had it because my feet were killing me after the hiking. Next time, I will have to buy hiking boots before coming to Australia - it is definitely a must for bushwalking here.
Since we finished hiking around 2:00, we walked around town and got free chocolate samples, looked for digeridoos and just enjoyed the beautiful day. We hung out at the RSL club for a little bit and people watched - oh my, there were some characters in there tonight! Very entertaining. It was crazy, when we got out of the RSL club, all of a sudden the fog had rolled in and we couldn't see much at all. The weather did a 180 from when we went in there. I was kind of bummed because we were going to check out the Three Sister Illuminations tonight, but now we won't be able to see anything, so we won't even bother with it. It has been nice though to hang out up here again - I really do love it up here and it is so relaxing. We head to Sydney tomorrow...
Story from Byron Bay: I totally forgot this story from Byron Bay. The first night we stayed there, a group of French or Italian guys were having a birthday party for one of the guys. They had the whole deck area reserved and were going crazy. I think they were all drunk by 6pm. So by 9pm, they were throwing up and being loud and obnoxious. Then, the birthday boy (after throwing up) decided it was a good time to go swimming...but he of course could not go in with his clothes on, so next thing we know, he is running around the hostel completely naked holding himself so "the women don't see him"...it was quite amusing. The funny part was the older lady next to us all concerned and trying to get his friends to put him to bed...AHHHHH, maybe you had to be there...
I got up that morning and dropped Mark off at the local golf course. Then I went back to Karen & Mick's and went for a run around the town. It is great to check out new areas and I got to see a lot more of the northern end of the city. After the run, I did lots of fun stuff - laundry, made reservations for Blue Mountains, cancelled some reservations for other stuff, etc, etc...it all needed to be done, so at least I got it out of the way. After picking Mark up, we headed back down to the beach. It was another great day - a little more clouds, but still sunny and beautiful. We somehow have lucked out on the weather...especially since Cairns just got 600mm of rain and is now flooded...
The beaches down this way are much different. Big waves, but since it is in the harbour, they break every which way. It is really weird too because there are sandbars all over, so you will go in a couple feet and all of a sudden be waist deep, but then two feet later, you are standing in 2 inch deep water. It can be a little freaky if you aren't paying close enough attention. The beach is really sandy too, so we were covered in it when we got out.
We again met Mick and Karen after work, and Mick took us to Heritage Park - a local suburb. This suburb was built right in the middle of kangaroo grazing areas, so there are kangaroos all over the place. In people's yards, on the street, in the grassy areas. Needless to say, Mark was finally happy that he got to see kangaroos in the wild. I enjoyed it too, but since I was driving, had to pay more attention to making sure I didn't hit one!
That night, Mick took us to the Sawtell RSL Club (Karen was playing squash) . The RSL clubs are great! Cheap food, cheap drinks and you get to people watch all the locals. I must say though, out of all the ones I have visited since arriving in Australia, the one in Sawtell is by far the busiest and nicest looking one I have been in. For dinner, I had Barrimundi...it was great! On the side were veggies and potato and pumpkin...yes, pumpkin...it is very popular here and you can usually find it served anywhere. Although, I have yet to find pumpkin pie. If I asked for it, they would probably think I meant a meat pie with pumpkin in it...
Side note: Since I have done a ton of driving, the main thing I have noticed here is that there are a million round-a-bouts and half of them are in Coffs! I do like the round-a-bouts though because that means there are less stop signs. And the answer is no for those of you wondering if I have pulled a National Lampoon's round-a-bout...if you don't know what I am talking about, don't worry...
After dinner, we just hung out back at Karen and Mick's. I think Mark enjoyed being around locals and talking with them about the differences between Australia and the US. I again just enjoyed spending time with friends and lounging around in a house. I must say, the Steven's family (and extensions) have made my trip to Australia so much better - what can you say about great friends other than just feeling lucky to have them!
On Thursday, we got up early and headed to the Blue Mountains - I knew Mark would like it up there as much as I did, so that is where we will spend his last few days in Australia. The drive is about 8 hours, so we stopped in Newcastle on the way. It is another great little beach town about 150km north of Sydney. We just drove down to the local beach and hung out there for a few hours. Mark went in and said it was too rough, so I just got wet enough to cool me down, but stayed out of the water.
We walked around a bit and checked out the local salt baths and Newcastle Beach. This sand has the "barking sand" as well. I should try to figure out why it makes funny noises like that - something to do when I get back to the states and have a bunch of time on my hands!
The drive to the Blue Mountains wasn't too bad, but it is so frustrating because half the time we are doing 40, 60 or 80kph because the construction on the roads is everywhere. I will have to come back in 5 years and see if it all has been completed. Maybe then the laws will allow you to drive 110kph for more than 10km!
Well, this trip to the Blue Mountains is completely different from the first trip - basically because it is sunny and warm! It was so warm last night, that I could barely even sleep...I was so uncomfortable.
We got up this morning (and after a quick run), hiked for 4.5 hours. It was great to get out there again and Mark enjoyed all the scenery and birds. Too bad we both don't like them...I could care less and keep walking but he wants to sit around and watch them for hours!!! Oh well...my shoes have definitely had it because my feet were killing me after the hiking. Next time, I will have to buy hiking boots before coming to Australia - it is definitely a must for bushwalking here.
Since we finished hiking around 2:00, we walked around town and got free chocolate samples, looked for digeridoos and just enjoyed the beautiful day. We hung out at the RSL club for a little bit and people watched - oh my, there were some characters in there tonight! Very entertaining. It was crazy, when we got out of the RSL club, all of a sudden the fog had rolled in and we couldn't see much at all. The weather did a 180 from when we went in there. I was kind of bummed because we were going to check out the Three Sister Illuminations tonight, but now we won't be able to see anything, so we won't even bother with it. It has been nice though to hang out up here again - I really do love it up here and it is so relaxing. We head to Sydney tomorrow...
Story from Byron Bay: I totally forgot this story from Byron Bay. The first night we stayed there, a group of French or Italian guys were having a birthday party for one of the guys. They had the whole deck area reserved and were going crazy. I think they were all drunk by 6pm. So by 9pm, they were throwing up and being loud and obnoxious. Then, the birthday boy (after throwing up) decided it was a good time to go swimming...but he of course could not go in with his clothes on, so next thing we know, he is running around the hostel completely naked holding himself so "the women don't see him"...it was quite amusing. The funny part was the older lady next to us all concerned and trying to get his friends to put him to bed...AHHHHH, maybe you had to be there...
Tuesday, March 4, 2008
More of the Tour and Coffs Harbour
Yesterday (Monday), I got up and went for a run around Byron Bay. It was nice to see more of the area. I ran up to the lighthouse and when I say up, I mean it. It was about a mile long steady incline/hill up to the top. There was a path that continued on past the lighthouse, so I kept going and ended up getting to the "Most Easternly Point of Australia Mainland." Of course I didn't have my camera with me, so I was not able to take a picture. Byron Bay is a great little town with beautiful beaches and some great waves. There didn't seem to be much to do in the town other than going out diving, kayaking or snorkeling, but you can pretty much see the whole town in a hour or so.
After eating breakfast, Mark and I walked around the town to see some more and take some pictures. We decided to drive back up to the Quicksilver Pro Tour again today to hopefully watch Kelly Slater surf in the competition. We weren't even sure if the competition would be on, but we headed back up there. When we arrived, we found out that it would start at 10am. Kelly would be in the 3rd heat of the day, so we stuck around to watch. We had to leave the area around noon to get to Coffs Harbour by 5pm. The first two heats were good, but it was crazy to see all the spectators come out of nowhere for Kelly's heat. Where we were sitting, we got some great shots of him sitting in the "Surfer's Area" getting ready for his heat. (Erin - he is hotter in person!!!) The best part was when he came down to the beach and headed out to the water, he walked right in front of where I was sitting. I'm not kidding, I was about 3 feet from him - great picture opps! He had an awesome heat and it was amazing to see him surf in person. What a talented guy. He just made it look so natural and easy. We were so impressed and glad we make the trek back up to watch more of the competition - it was well worth it!
Next, we were off to Coffs Harbour - a four hour drive from Coolangatta. The landscape is still so beautiful. I don't think I have seen any place with so much great scenery. We haven't driven through one area not worth driving through again. The weird thing though is that we have been on their main highway the whole time and yet the majority of it is just a two lane road. There are a lot of overtaking lanes, but still, we have gone over 2,000km and the most we have seen is a 4 lane road. Also, the speed limit here is 100km/hour (62mph)...it is soooooo slow! The car doesn't have cruise control, so it has been a little frustrating a times. They have speed cameras all over the place, so I have to be very careful and really can't go over the speed limit by more than 5km/hr. I am learning to be patient...
Side note: Funny/bummer thing for Mark...he so badly wants to see wild koalas and kangaroos, but has not had any luck. We see warning signs all over for the animals, but he still has only see a couple kangas. I have seen heaps, but he is starting to think I am just pulling his leg and there aren't any really in the wild. I think they are all just hiding from him...
We arrived in Coffs and met up with Mick and Karen Stevens (Kim and Fiona's parents) at their store in the downtown area. Since we got in later in the evening, we just stopped for coffee and groceries and then headed back to their place to eat and hang out. It is so nice to be in a house again. It felt great to have a home cooked meal and was nice to just sit on the couch for the night. I'm glad Mark will get some "Aussie" experiences while he is here.
We were both obviously very comfortable in the house because both of us slept until 8am...not having to worry about checking out by 10am or getting on a tour at 7am made it easy for us to relax. I went for a run to check out the neighborhood and then Mark and I headed down to Coffs Harbour Jetty. It is such a great town here and the weather was perfect today - not a cloud in the sky! We walked out on the jetty and up Muttonbird Island to get some great pictures of the town. Afterwards, Mark rented a surfboard to go surfing and I hung out on the beach soaking up some more sun. The water is getting colder as we have gone further south, but it was still pretty decsent - especially when it is so hot out. Then we walked around the Coffs Harbour downtown area and checked out some local stores.
Tonight, we met Karen and Mick and went to their local RSL club for Bowls Night. Mark subed in for Karen and played with Mick and another guy. He did pretty well and caught on quick. They unfortunately lost, but had a great time. It was a nice night because Karen and I got to sit around and chat and catch up on things. It is nice to be around friends again...
After eating breakfast, Mark and I walked around the town to see some more and take some pictures. We decided to drive back up to the Quicksilver Pro Tour again today to hopefully watch Kelly Slater surf in the competition. We weren't even sure if the competition would be on, but we headed back up there. When we arrived, we found out that it would start at 10am. Kelly would be in the 3rd heat of the day, so we stuck around to watch. We had to leave the area around noon to get to Coffs Harbour by 5pm. The first two heats were good, but it was crazy to see all the spectators come out of nowhere for Kelly's heat. Where we were sitting, we got some great shots of him sitting in the "Surfer's Area" getting ready for his heat. (Erin - he is hotter in person!!!) The best part was when he came down to the beach and headed out to the water, he walked right in front of where I was sitting. I'm not kidding, I was about 3 feet from him - great picture opps! He had an awesome heat and it was amazing to see him surf in person. What a talented guy. He just made it look so natural and easy. We were so impressed and glad we make the trek back up to watch more of the competition - it was well worth it!
Next, we were off to Coffs Harbour - a four hour drive from Coolangatta. The landscape is still so beautiful. I don't think I have seen any place with so much great scenery. We haven't driven through one area not worth driving through again. The weird thing though is that we have been on their main highway the whole time and yet the majority of it is just a two lane road. There are a lot of overtaking lanes, but still, we have gone over 2,000km and the most we have seen is a 4 lane road. Also, the speed limit here is 100km/hour (62mph)...it is soooooo slow! The car doesn't have cruise control, so it has been a little frustrating a times. They have speed cameras all over the place, so I have to be very careful and really can't go over the speed limit by more than 5km/hr. I am learning to be patient...
Side note: Funny/bummer thing for Mark...he so badly wants to see wild koalas and kangaroos, but has not had any luck. We see warning signs all over for the animals, but he still has only see a couple kangas. I have seen heaps, but he is starting to think I am just pulling his leg and there aren't any really in the wild. I think they are all just hiding from him...
We arrived in Coffs and met up with Mick and Karen Stevens (Kim and Fiona's parents) at their store in the downtown area. Since we got in later in the evening, we just stopped for coffee and groceries and then headed back to their place to eat and hang out. It is so nice to be in a house again. It felt great to have a home cooked meal and was nice to just sit on the couch for the night. I'm glad Mark will get some "Aussie" experiences while he is here.
We were both obviously very comfortable in the house because both of us slept until 8am...not having to worry about checking out by 10am or getting on a tour at 7am made it easy for us to relax. I went for a run to check out the neighborhood and then Mark and I headed down to Coffs Harbour Jetty. It is such a great town here and the weather was perfect today - not a cloud in the sky! We walked out on the jetty and up Muttonbird Island to get some great pictures of the town. Afterwards, Mark rented a surfboard to go surfing and I hung out on the beach soaking up some more sun. The water is getting colder as we have gone further south, but it was still pretty decsent - especially when it is so hot out. Then we walked around the Coffs Harbour downtown area and checked out some local stores.
Tonight, we met Karen and Mick and went to their local RSL club for Bowls Night. Mark subed in for Karen and played with Mick and another guy. He did pretty well and caught on quick. They unfortunately lost, but had a great time. It was a nice night because Karen and I got to sit around and chat and catch up on things. It is nice to be around friends again...
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Quicksilver Pro Tour
http://www.aspworldtour.com/quikpro/
Well today, was almost exactly like yesterday except for the fact that it was the men's day to compete. We stayed in Byron Bay last night, so we had to get up early and drive back up to Coolangatta for the event - luckily, there is an hour time difference, so we didn't have to get up too early. We made it up there around 7:45am, but of course they did not start the competition until 9:45am because they were waiting for the swell to pick up.
Since we got there so early though, we were able to secure some space under one of the tents set up for anyone. It made a huge difference with sitting out in the sun again all day. We still got a bit of sun and heat, but after yesterday, it was nice to be covered up for most of it.
So again, I had another Carlsbad nostalgia going today. In the third heat, I got to see Taylor Knox compete - he is another hometown surfing legend. He won his heat and will advance to the next round. After he finished, I went up to take his picture and saw him talking to some lady...I went up after and asked if she was friends with Taylor and if she was from Carlsbad/USA. She said she was friends with him, but not from Carlsbad - although she is also friends with the owner of Carlsbad Pipeline Surf Shop. We talked for a few minutes and I asked her to let Taylor know there were 2 Carlsbadians there cheering him on. Hopefully the message got passed.
We watched 10 heats - including Mick Fanning (currently ranked #1 in the world) and Taj Burrows - a major threat and one of the fastest guys on a board these days. There are 16 heats, but they called it after 10 to continue tomorrow. Kelly Slater is in heat 13, so we didn't see him compete, but as soon as they called it, he went charging into the water for a free surf session. We watched him for a little bit. Never have I seen him surf and now I have watched him in real life twice in three days - CRAZY! We haven't decided yet if we will go back tomorrow or not. We haven't done anything in Byron Bay and will be leaving tomorrow for Coffs Harbour.
The weather at the competition today was nice, but here in Byron Bay, it is kind of cold and raining on and off...hopefully we still get some sun in the next week so I can keep my great tan going!!! :) I don't think I have ever been this dark!!!
Well today, was almost exactly like yesterday except for the fact that it was the men's day to compete. We stayed in Byron Bay last night, so we had to get up early and drive back up to Coolangatta for the event - luckily, there is an hour time difference, so we didn't have to get up too early. We made it up there around 7:45am, but of course they did not start the competition until 9:45am because they were waiting for the swell to pick up.
Since we got there so early though, we were able to secure some space under one of the tents set up for anyone. It made a huge difference with sitting out in the sun again all day. We still got a bit of sun and heat, but after yesterday, it was nice to be covered up for most of it.
So again, I had another Carlsbad nostalgia going today. In the third heat, I got to see Taylor Knox compete - he is another hometown surfing legend. He won his heat and will advance to the next round. After he finished, I went up to take his picture and saw him talking to some lady...I went up after and asked if she was friends with Taylor and if she was from Carlsbad/USA. She said she was friends with him, but not from Carlsbad - although she is also friends with the owner of Carlsbad Pipeline Surf Shop. We talked for a few minutes and I asked her to let Taylor know there were 2 Carlsbadians there cheering him on. Hopefully the message got passed.
We watched 10 heats - including Mick Fanning (currently ranked #1 in the world) and Taj Burrows - a major threat and one of the fastest guys on a board these days. There are 16 heats, but they called it after 10 to continue tomorrow. Kelly Slater is in heat 13, so we didn't see him compete, but as soon as they called it, he went charging into the water for a free surf session. We watched him for a little bit. Never have I seen him surf and now I have watched him in real life twice in three days - CRAZY! We haven't decided yet if we will go back tomorrow or not. We haven't done anything in Byron Bay and will be leaving tomorrow for Coffs Harbour.
The weather at the competition today was nice, but here in Byron Bay, it is kind of cold and raining on and off...hopefully we still get some sun in the next week so I can keep my great tan going!!! :) I don't think I have ever been this dark!!!
Saturday, March 1, 2008
Roxy Pro Tour
http://www.aspworldtour.com/roxypro/
Check it out...this is what we did today! The ASP World Tour Roxy Pro competition was on at Rainbow Beach/Snapper's Rock in Coolangatta and we got to see the women compete.
We left the hostel at 8am and got to the competition around 8:30. We were there the whole day and didn't leave until 3:30pm. It was a great day with pretty good swells and amazing weather - they had been calling for rain, but there were just a few clouds here and there. It did get pretty hot though and yes, I got sunburnt. How could I not...7 hours in the sun. I have never seen a whole day surf competition, so it was great to watch it all. I may have to start watching more of those back home...
When we got there, the first thing I did was check out who the competitors were. I didn't really recognize any of them and there is only 1 girl from Cali and 2 others from Hawaii - all the rest are Australian or South American. Then all of a sudden the announcers started talking about Julia de la Rosa Toro - formally known as Julia Christian - as in the Julia Christian - graduate of Carlsbad High! I couldn't believe it. Here I was watching a surf competition in Australia and one of the competitors is from my home town. She has actually been off tour lately, but just happened to join this tour last minute. The other thing too is that she now lives in Peru with her husband (Magoo de la Rosa Toro) so she was listed as surfing for Peru (sellout!)...It was great to sit there and cheer her on. She made it to the quarterfinals, but unfortunately had some bad luck with waves at the end of the heat and didn't make it on to the next round. I tried to talk to her at one point, but she couldn't hear me or was ignoring me - who knows! It was still pretty cool to see her competing.
Afterwards, Mark and I were walking back to the car and just saying to each other "How amazing is it to watch a pro surf competition in Australia and not even have planned it but just happened to be in the area?!?" It worked out great for us. The men are scheduled to compete tomorrow, so we are going to head back up to Coolangatta to watch them (Kelly Slater is on the program - should be great!). We had already planned to stay in Bryon Bay tonight and tomorrow, so we kept those plans and since it is only 70km south of Coolangatta, we will just head back up there in the morning tomorrow.
Hopefully my sunburn will be okay for tomorrow - otherwise I may have to find an umbrella to rent for the day.
Oh yeah, we did eat at the Mexican restaurant last night. We both had enchiladas and it was pretty good...especially for Australia...it was funny though because I don't think I have ever been served Mexican from a white Australian - almost didn't feel right. But we decided we had to compare it to the real stuff, so we broke our promise of not eating any Mexican on the trip and indulged...
Check it out...this is what we did today! The ASP World Tour Roxy Pro competition was on at Rainbow Beach/Snapper's Rock in Coolangatta and we got to see the women compete.
We left the hostel at 8am and got to the competition around 8:30. We were there the whole day and didn't leave until 3:30pm. It was a great day with pretty good swells and amazing weather - they had been calling for rain, but there were just a few clouds here and there. It did get pretty hot though and yes, I got sunburnt. How could I not...7 hours in the sun. I have never seen a whole day surf competition, so it was great to watch it all. I may have to start watching more of those back home...
When we got there, the first thing I did was check out who the competitors were. I didn't really recognize any of them and there is only 1 girl from Cali and 2 others from Hawaii - all the rest are Australian or South American. Then all of a sudden the announcers started talking about Julia de la Rosa Toro - formally known as Julia Christian - as in the Julia Christian - graduate of Carlsbad High! I couldn't believe it. Here I was watching a surf competition in Australia and one of the competitors is from my home town. She has actually been off tour lately, but just happened to join this tour last minute. The other thing too is that she now lives in Peru with her husband (Magoo de la Rosa Toro) so she was listed as surfing for Peru (sellout!)...It was great to sit there and cheer her on. She made it to the quarterfinals, but unfortunately had some bad luck with waves at the end of the heat and didn't make it on to the next round. I tried to talk to her at one point, but she couldn't hear me or was ignoring me - who knows! It was still pretty cool to see her competing.
Afterwards, Mark and I were walking back to the car and just saying to each other "How amazing is it to watch a pro surf competition in Australia and not even have planned it but just happened to be in the area?!?" It worked out great for us. The men are scheduled to compete tomorrow, so we are going to head back up to Coolangatta to watch them (Kelly Slater is on the program - should be great!). We had already planned to stay in Bryon Bay tonight and tomorrow, so we kept those plans and since it is only 70km south of Coolangatta, we will just head back up there in the morning tomorrow.
Hopefully my sunburn will be okay for tomorrow - otherwise I may have to find an umbrella to rent for the day.
Oh yeah, we did eat at the Mexican restaurant last night. We both had enchiladas and it was pretty good...especially for Australia...it was funny though because I don't think I have ever been served Mexican from a white Australian - almost didn't feel right. But we decided we had to compare it to the real stuff, so we broke our promise of not eating any Mexican on the trip and indulged...
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Gold Coast
This morning, I got up to run and Mark went down to the beach to check out the surf. It wasn't that great though so he didn't rent a board but instead indulged in the traditional HUGE aussie breakfast with eggs, hashbrowns, bacon, toast and other stuff I don't remember. My stomach hurt just watching him finish the last bites of it.
The place we stayed at last night, Halse Lodge YHA, was a great little place. It was in a nice location right by the beach and national park and it just had a great homey feel to it. The staff there were really nice too. The only weird thing about our room (mixed again) was that the guy sleeping below me was asleep before 9pm and still sleeping at 7am - how is that possible?!?!? There are also a ton of turkeys around the area. At least we think they are turkeys. There was this baby one in the dining area that came around and started pecking at my feet - why can't the birds just leave me alone?!?!??!
Our drive down to the Gold Coast was uneventful. We ended up deciding not to visit Brisbane because neither of us were too excited about visiting a large city - we just want to enjoy the beaches. So we past Brisbane and headed for Surfers Paradise. We arrived around 12:30 and what can I say but total disappointment. It is jampacked with highrise buildings. The beach was nice and the waves were pretty big compared to the Sunshine Coast beaches, but it was way too touristy for either of us. We walked around for a bit but were just so stunned at how different it was than what we pictured so we left pretty quickly. This kind of put us both in a down mood.
So we headed to Coolangatta - our stay for the evening. It is about 20km south of Surfers and is the "Gateway to the Gold Coast". We checked in and were a bit disappointed because our YHA is not near the city. We wanted to do something though, so we got back in the car and headed into town. First stop, Kirra Beach. The beach is HUGE!!!! I can't believe how much sand there is between the road and water - at least a football field. There was a huge Kid's Ironman competition going on so we watched for a bit (this Ironman is different - they swim and paddle on knee boards but do it a few times - I don't know all the details). We walked around a bit and drove into Coolangatta - there is a Mexican restaurant - I think we are going to eat there tonight! We can't wait.
Next stop - Rainbow Beach. So this is the most exciting part of our day. We arrived here at the perfect time because the Quicksilver/Roxy Pro Surf Tour is going on right now at Rainbow Beach. Today was cancelled due to bad swells, but it is supposed to go on tomorrow instead. We still went down to the beach though to watch the surfers out there and guess who we got to see surfing - Kelly Slater! It was great to watch him out there with all the other surfers just catching waves like he is some ordinary bloke...unreal. Mark and I watched for a good hour. There were a ton of other pro surfers out there as well, but we weren't able to spot anyone else out. Our plan is to spend all day down there tomorrow to watch the competitions.
The day started out crappy, but ended up really nice after spending the time at the beach watching the amazing waves and surfers. It also got a bit sunny out, so we were able to enjoy some more rays!
P.S. I will try to get all my recent pictures up on the site as soon as I can...
The place we stayed at last night, Halse Lodge YHA, was a great little place. It was in a nice location right by the beach and national park and it just had a great homey feel to it. The staff there were really nice too. The only weird thing about our room (mixed again) was that the guy sleeping below me was asleep before 9pm and still sleeping at 7am - how is that possible?!?!? There are also a ton of turkeys around the area. At least we think they are turkeys. There was this baby one in the dining area that came around and started pecking at my feet - why can't the birds just leave me alone?!?!??!
Our drive down to the Gold Coast was uneventful. We ended up deciding not to visit Brisbane because neither of us were too excited about visiting a large city - we just want to enjoy the beaches. So we past Brisbane and headed for Surfers Paradise. We arrived around 12:30 and what can I say but total disappointment. It is jampacked with highrise buildings. The beach was nice and the waves were pretty big compared to the Sunshine Coast beaches, but it was way too touristy for either of us. We walked around for a bit but were just so stunned at how different it was than what we pictured so we left pretty quickly. This kind of put us both in a down mood.
So we headed to Coolangatta - our stay for the evening. It is about 20km south of Surfers and is the "Gateway to the Gold Coast". We checked in and were a bit disappointed because our YHA is not near the city. We wanted to do something though, so we got back in the car and headed into town. First stop, Kirra Beach. The beach is HUGE!!!! I can't believe how much sand there is between the road and water - at least a football field. There was a huge Kid's Ironman competition going on so we watched for a bit (this Ironman is different - they swim and paddle on knee boards but do it a few times - I don't know all the details). We walked around a bit and drove into Coolangatta - there is a Mexican restaurant - I think we are going to eat there tonight! We can't wait.
Next stop - Rainbow Beach. So this is the most exciting part of our day. We arrived here at the perfect time because the Quicksilver/Roxy Pro Surf Tour is going on right now at Rainbow Beach. Today was cancelled due to bad swells, but it is supposed to go on tomorrow instead. We still went down to the beach though to watch the surfers out there and guess who we got to see surfing - Kelly Slater! It was great to watch him out there with all the other surfers just catching waves like he is some ordinary bloke...unreal. Mark and I watched for a good hour. There were a ton of other pro surfers out there as well, but we weren't able to spot anyone else out. Our plan is to spend all day down there tomorrow to watch the competitions.
The day started out crappy, but ended up really nice after spending the time at the beach watching the amazing waves and surfers. It also got a bit sunny out, so we were able to enjoy some more rays!
P.S. I will try to get all my recent pictures up on the site as soon as I can...
Sunshine Coast
I don't have much to blog about today, but I thought I would leave a note just to let everyone know I'm good and alive. Internet access has been sparce in the last few days.
On Wednesday, Mark and I left Airlie Beach and drove south. We were going to stop in the Town of 1770 but were making great time and decided to just head all the way to Noosa Head and the Sunshine Coast. The drive was fine but it is weird how the main highway coming down from North Queensland is just a two lane road. Thankfully, there are many overtaking lanes to pass people. I think I also got down passing on the right. Mark sat in the passenger seat during the whole 12 hour drive and watched for Koalas - but no sightings. He did see some kangaroos later in the day so he was somewhat happy.
We couldn't get beds in Noosa Head, so we ended up staying in Maroochydore - kind of a crazy 60's type place, but it was a bed. The only thing they had left that was available though was a mixed dorm. OH MY GOSH...I walked in to it and thought I was walking into Ryan and Pat's room from back in the day. It smelt like a sweaty hockey bag!!! Thankfully I was able to get some sleep and then Mark and I had a great run this morning around the town. It is actually pretty nice and I could see people living there a long period of time. It is not quite as warm as up north, but still pretty humid. After eating and packing all our things up, we decided to drive back up north to Noosa Heads. We checked in at the YHA and then explored the Main Beach here. The water was nice and the sand was great too. The weird thing though was the sign that said there were water lice in the water today. I asked the lifeguard and he said they are microscopic bugs that bite but don't hurt much and you don't get scabs. The whole time we were in the water, we felt like we were getting eaten alive - even after we got out. It was great though to not have to wear stinger suits. The water felt like San Diego water in the summer - not much warmer. The waves weren't that great, so Mark didn't surf - maybe tomorrow.
After a quick lunch, we went for a walk in the Noosa National Park and saw some more great views of the area. We also saw some dolphins in the water and a guy catch and try to release a sea turle in the Hell's Gate area. It was an interesting thing to watch because the waves kept crashing against the rocks and it took him a while until he finally just cut the string. Unfortunately, it was cloudy today and rained off and on, but we actually still got some sun so it was still a great day.
Side note: What will I not miss after all this traveling?!?! The showers...when i don't have to shower with 20 other bugs and lizards/geckos, it will be a great day! It is sad when you get used to showering with spiders though and when they don't bother you anymore. It is also sad when you feel lonely if there are no bugs in there with you...not to mention, it will be nice to not have to take all my stuff with me everytime I shower...
On Wednesday, Mark and I left Airlie Beach and drove south. We were going to stop in the Town of 1770 but were making great time and decided to just head all the way to Noosa Head and the Sunshine Coast. The drive was fine but it is weird how the main highway coming down from North Queensland is just a two lane road. Thankfully, there are many overtaking lanes to pass people. I think I also got down passing on the right. Mark sat in the passenger seat during the whole 12 hour drive and watched for Koalas - but no sightings. He did see some kangaroos later in the day so he was somewhat happy.
We couldn't get beds in Noosa Head, so we ended up staying in Maroochydore - kind of a crazy 60's type place, but it was a bed. The only thing they had left that was available though was a mixed dorm. OH MY GOSH...I walked in to it and thought I was walking into Ryan and Pat's room from back in the day. It smelt like a sweaty hockey bag!!! Thankfully I was able to get some sleep and then Mark and I had a great run this morning around the town. It is actually pretty nice and I could see people living there a long period of time. It is not quite as warm as up north, but still pretty humid. After eating and packing all our things up, we decided to drive back up north to Noosa Heads. We checked in at the YHA and then explored the Main Beach here. The water was nice and the sand was great too. The weird thing though was the sign that said there were water lice in the water today. I asked the lifeguard and he said they are microscopic bugs that bite but don't hurt much and you don't get scabs. The whole time we were in the water, we felt like we were getting eaten alive - even after we got out. It was great though to not have to wear stinger suits. The water felt like San Diego water in the summer - not much warmer. The waves weren't that great, so Mark didn't surf - maybe tomorrow.
After a quick lunch, we went for a walk in the Noosa National Park and saw some more great views of the area. We also saw some dolphins in the water and a guy catch and try to release a sea turle in the Hell's Gate area. It was an interesting thing to watch because the waves kept crashing against the rocks and it took him a while until he finally just cut the string. Unfortunately, it was cloudy today and rained off and on, but we actually still got some sun so it was still a great day.
Side note: What will I not miss after all this traveling?!?! The showers...when i don't have to shower with 20 other bugs and lizards/geckos, it will be a great day! It is sad when you get used to showering with spiders though and when they don't bother you anymore. It is also sad when you feel lonely if there are no bugs in there with you...not to mention, it will be nice to not have to take all my stuff with me everytime I shower...
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Sailing the Whitsundays
Yesterday (Monday), Mark and I arrived in Airlie Beach. The drive wasn't bad at all - only about 3 hours even with getting lost a little. We finally did stop to get a road map. We ran into a little ran along the way, but once we got to Airlie, the weather was nice and humid. We just spent the afternoon walking around and taking in the sites. It is a small little town, but with a great feel. The water is amazing and looking out to the Whitsunday Islands is incredible. I can only imagine what it would be like on a nice clear, sunny day.
Rebecca just got back from a 3 day sail trip so we met up with her for the night and hung out for a bit. It was nice to catch up and share stories about where we have been and what we have done. We were also able to give each other some advice on places to go and things to see. I have enjoyed making a new friend in her because we are very similar in why we ventured out here to a completely different country - alone. We will definitely keep in touch back in the states.
This morning, I got up and went for a run, but had to head out at 5:30am because we were getting picked up at 7:10 for our day of sailing. There is a great little boardwalk along the coast, so I just headed north and got to see a lot more of the area. Surprisingly, I wasn't the only one up that early - I guess they too want to get the running done before the weather gets too hot/humid.
Our bus picked us up at 7:10 and we meet up with the rest of the group at the Abel Point pier to board the Camira - it would be our vessel (catamaran - sp?) for the day. First thought...it's purple!!! We got underway about 8am and what a day it was. Let me explain a little more about what the day's package included. It was all day sailing around the Whitsunday Islands (there are 74 total, I don't know how many we saw, but a lot), snorkeling off one of the Islands, morning tea, visiting Whitehaven Beach (one of the top beaches in the world), all you can eat BBQ buffet lunch, afternoon tea and oh yeah, unlimited beverages (yes, alcoholic). We could not believe the amount of service and food and drink we got on the boat. It was incredible and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
Snorkeling - not as good as the Great Barrier Reef, but we still got to see some cool stuff. It was a short snorkel trip and we still had to wear Stinger suits, which weren't that bad. The water was a little cold, but it felt good.
Whitehaven Beach - Wow, simply amazing. This beach has the whitest sand I have ever seen in my entire life. It is so soft and fine - more fine than sugar. It never heats up, even in the summer and just feels so cool under your feet and in your toes. When we got there, Mark and I walked for about 40 minutes up and down the coastline. It is about 9km in length and only about 2o yards wide before it turns into a jungle of some sort - I have no idea what is in there...We saw jelly fish all along the shore and yes, I poked them with sticks. We also got to swim for a bit in the water and it felt great. Everyone had to be taken to the shore via a dingy, but Mark and I jumped in the water and swam ashore...it was cool - "You only live once!" Unfortunately, we couldn't swim back to the boat, but that is okay...
BBQ - great food! The best part was having reef fish - my first seafood since I have been here...I know, surprising! It tasted wonderful and everything else was great too.
Everyone aboard ship pretty much just layed out on the front netting, ate, drank, slept, chatted and just enjoyed the sights all day long. It is really hard to explain how great it was unless you were there. I could have stayed on that boat for ages. Something about sailing and being out in the middle of nothing but nature does it for me! I told Mark we should stay here for the rest of the time and just sail out to the Whitsundays everyday...
My pictures don't do it justice, but atleast will be good memories for me...
Rebecca just got back from a 3 day sail trip so we met up with her for the night and hung out for a bit. It was nice to catch up and share stories about where we have been and what we have done. We were also able to give each other some advice on places to go and things to see. I have enjoyed making a new friend in her because we are very similar in why we ventured out here to a completely different country - alone. We will definitely keep in touch back in the states.
This morning, I got up and went for a run, but had to head out at 5:30am because we were getting picked up at 7:10 for our day of sailing. There is a great little boardwalk along the coast, so I just headed north and got to see a lot more of the area. Surprisingly, I wasn't the only one up that early - I guess they too want to get the running done before the weather gets too hot/humid.
Our bus picked us up at 7:10 and we meet up with the rest of the group at the Abel Point pier to board the Camira - it would be our vessel (catamaran - sp?) for the day. First thought...it's purple!!! We got underway about 8am and what a day it was. Let me explain a little more about what the day's package included. It was all day sailing around the Whitsunday Islands (there are 74 total, I don't know how many we saw, but a lot), snorkeling off one of the Islands, morning tea, visiting Whitehaven Beach (one of the top beaches in the world), all you can eat BBQ buffet lunch, afternoon tea and oh yeah, unlimited beverages (yes, alcoholic). We could not believe the amount of service and food and drink we got on the boat. It was incredible and I would definitely recommend it to anyone.
Snorkeling - not as good as the Great Barrier Reef, but we still got to see some cool stuff. It was a short snorkel trip and we still had to wear Stinger suits, which weren't that bad. The water was a little cold, but it felt good.
Whitehaven Beach - Wow, simply amazing. This beach has the whitest sand I have ever seen in my entire life. It is so soft and fine - more fine than sugar. It never heats up, even in the summer and just feels so cool under your feet and in your toes. When we got there, Mark and I walked for about 40 minutes up and down the coastline. It is about 9km in length and only about 2o yards wide before it turns into a jungle of some sort - I have no idea what is in there...We saw jelly fish all along the shore and yes, I poked them with sticks. We also got to swim for a bit in the water and it felt great. Everyone had to be taken to the shore via a dingy, but Mark and I jumped in the water and swam ashore...it was cool - "You only live once!" Unfortunately, we couldn't swim back to the boat, but that is okay...
BBQ - great food! The best part was having reef fish - my first seafood since I have been here...I know, surprising! It tasted wonderful and everything else was great too.
Everyone aboard ship pretty much just layed out on the front netting, ate, drank, slept, chatted and just enjoyed the sights all day long. It is really hard to explain how great it was unless you were there. I could have stayed on that boat for ages. Something about sailing and being out in the middle of nothing but nature does it for me! I told Mark we should stay here for the rest of the time and just sail out to the Whitsundays everyday...
My pictures don't do it justice, but atleast will be good memories for me...
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Cairns to Magnetic Island
On Saturday (my time), Mark and I got up early and went for a run along the Esplande in Cairns. I was able to talk him into running with me and it was great to finally have a running partner again. I had a great run even though it was extremely humid at 6:30am. Both of us were drenched by the time we got back to the hostel.
It was only 7:30 when we got back and there were some pictures of downtown Cairns I wanted to get before we left, so I grabbed my camera and heading back down to where we were running and took pictures. There is this huge wading pool in the middle of the boardwalk area. I think it is there because you can't swim in the water, but the weird thing is that is just in the middle of everything. There is no gate, no fee to use it and I saw a few water classes being conducted the other days. They do have lifeguards, so it isn't a big risk. It was the first time Mark saw it and of course, since it was water, he had to go in it. We were still in our running gear, but as Mark says "You only live once!" So we went for a swim - yes, I took off my shoes at least. It felt really good on the legs and cooled us down considerably.
Once we got all our stuff set back at the hostel and checked out, we went and hired our car. It is the exact same car I got when I did the Great Ocean Road, but it is a darker blue. I drove first because Mark was a little uneasy - I think I have pretty much gotten used to driving on the other side. He still was nervous as a passenger though, so I kept trying to get him to take a nap or something so he didn't bother me - he finally did but it was only for a short while, so I just had to tell him to get used to it!
We had to pick up our luggage at the hostel, so we made one stop before starting our trip. I parked in a spot right in front of the hostel and we were lucky we went back to our car when we did because as we got there a street checker was looking at our car and about to write us a ticket! I was able to talk him out of it but imagine that...we hadn't had the car for 15 minutes and almost got our first ticket!!!! That would not have been a good start.
Our trek now is south, so I got on the Bruce Hwy and headed towards Townsville. We passed a ton of small little towns and saw a lot of farms - cattle and sugarcane. The scenery was still so green and it was nice and sunny so we got to see a lot. We made it to Townsville in about 3.5 hours and then got lost a little bit before we found the ferry to take us to Magnetic Island. The ride was only 25 minutes across, but I was having flashbacks of my trip to Avalon - no, no 50 miles will be run on this island!
We checked in and what was the first thing I walk in to?!?! Yes, they have their daily feeding of Larakeets at 4:30 and so there were about 30 birds in the pathway to our bungalow. They would fly on people and just land on their heads. I got through there as quickly as possible!!! Then, we get to our bungalow and there are two birds (I forget their names, but will look it up) that have a nest outside our door. These birds though growl and hiss at you if they feel threatened, so everytime we walk by, we have to check were they are and not get to close because they will go at you with their wings spread. I DO NOT LIKE BIRDS!!!!
Then we walked down to Horseshoe Bay (a 3 minute walk from Bungalow Bay Koala YHA - yes, it says that in the brochure). We were amazed at how small the bay area was. There are about 3 restaurants/bars and a few shops. There are two other main areas around the island but we didn't make it to them because you had to take a bus. We just stuck around the hostel and went for a swim (it was hot and humid even at 7pm) and then hung out in the bar area.
Today (Sunday), I got up and went for a run, but it was a big mistake. The humid was ridiculous and I am 100% this island has more hills than Catalina - and they were steep. I'm surprised I made it home in one piece...I was dripping in sweat though.
The first thing we did today was take a 2-hour tour of the Koala sanctuary - it was included in the package we booked to stay here. We got to hold a snake, koala, crocodile and cockatoos (I skipped the birds!). I almost didn't hold the snake, but last minute decided "You only live once!" The koala was cool but not as soft as I imagined it would be. The claws were massive though and I can see how they can ripe you right down the middle if they attacked. Dexter wasn't even holding on hard and I could feel them digging into my skin. Then we got the crocodile. Its mouth was taped shut, so I was okay with holding it. It felt all slimey and weird, like the snake. I have never held any of these animals, so it was a cool experience.
After lunch, Mark headed out to find a bay to go snorkeling. I wasn't too interested, so I found "The Fort Walk" and did my own 2.5 hour hike. It was beautiful because I hiked to the top of one of the taller hills and was able to get great views of Balding Bay, Arthur Bay, Radical Bay and also of the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef. We had perfect weather today because it was sunny and so the weather was a beautiful blue color. The downside was that is was still very humid and both Mark and I was sweating like crazy and were very tired from our different walks. He did do some snorkeling but I guess the water was warm and the visibility wasn't that great, so he didn't stay out long. When I got back from my hike, I spent a hour or so at the pool. It felt soooooo good to soak in the water and it cooled me down a bunch from my time out in the sun.
We went down to the Bay for dinner and drinks and just watched the sun set behind the mountains and the water just peacefully splashing on the shore. It is not very busy down there at night, so it was a great time to be down there.
Tomorrow we leave for Airlie Beach...
It was only 7:30 when we got back and there were some pictures of downtown Cairns I wanted to get before we left, so I grabbed my camera and heading back down to where we were running and took pictures. There is this huge wading pool in the middle of the boardwalk area. I think it is there because you can't swim in the water, but the weird thing is that is just in the middle of everything. There is no gate, no fee to use it and I saw a few water classes being conducted the other days. They do have lifeguards, so it isn't a big risk. It was the first time Mark saw it and of course, since it was water, he had to go in it. We were still in our running gear, but as Mark says "You only live once!" So we went for a swim - yes, I took off my shoes at least. It felt really good on the legs and cooled us down considerably.
Once we got all our stuff set back at the hostel and checked out, we went and hired our car. It is the exact same car I got when I did the Great Ocean Road, but it is a darker blue. I drove first because Mark was a little uneasy - I think I have pretty much gotten used to driving on the other side. He still was nervous as a passenger though, so I kept trying to get him to take a nap or something so he didn't bother me - he finally did but it was only for a short while, so I just had to tell him to get used to it!
We had to pick up our luggage at the hostel, so we made one stop before starting our trip. I parked in a spot right in front of the hostel and we were lucky we went back to our car when we did because as we got there a street checker was looking at our car and about to write us a ticket! I was able to talk him out of it but imagine that...we hadn't had the car for 15 minutes and almost got our first ticket!!!! That would not have been a good start.
Our trek now is south, so I got on the Bruce Hwy and headed towards Townsville. We passed a ton of small little towns and saw a lot of farms - cattle and sugarcane. The scenery was still so green and it was nice and sunny so we got to see a lot. We made it to Townsville in about 3.5 hours and then got lost a little bit before we found the ferry to take us to Magnetic Island. The ride was only 25 minutes across, but I was having flashbacks of my trip to Avalon - no, no 50 miles will be run on this island!
We checked in and what was the first thing I walk in to?!?! Yes, they have their daily feeding of Larakeets at 4:30 and so there were about 30 birds in the pathway to our bungalow. They would fly on people and just land on their heads. I got through there as quickly as possible!!! Then, we get to our bungalow and there are two birds (I forget their names, but will look it up) that have a nest outside our door. These birds though growl and hiss at you if they feel threatened, so everytime we walk by, we have to check were they are and not get to close because they will go at you with their wings spread. I DO NOT LIKE BIRDS!!!!
Then we walked down to Horseshoe Bay (a 3 minute walk from Bungalow Bay Koala YHA - yes, it says that in the brochure). We were amazed at how small the bay area was. There are about 3 restaurants/bars and a few shops. There are two other main areas around the island but we didn't make it to them because you had to take a bus. We just stuck around the hostel and went for a swim (it was hot and humid even at 7pm) and then hung out in the bar area.
Today (Sunday), I got up and went for a run, but it was a big mistake. The humid was ridiculous and I am 100% this island has more hills than Catalina - and they were steep. I'm surprised I made it home in one piece...I was dripping in sweat though.
The first thing we did today was take a 2-hour tour of the Koala sanctuary - it was included in the package we booked to stay here. We got to hold a snake, koala, crocodile and cockatoos (I skipped the birds!). I almost didn't hold the snake, but last minute decided "You only live once!" The koala was cool but not as soft as I imagined it would be. The claws were massive though and I can see how they can ripe you right down the middle if they attacked. Dexter wasn't even holding on hard and I could feel them digging into my skin. Then we got the crocodile. Its mouth was taped shut, so I was okay with holding it. It felt all slimey and weird, like the snake. I have never held any of these animals, so it was a cool experience.
After lunch, Mark headed out to find a bay to go snorkeling. I wasn't too interested, so I found "The Fort Walk" and did my own 2.5 hour hike. It was beautiful because I hiked to the top of one of the taller hills and was able to get great views of Balding Bay, Arthur Bay, Radical Bay and also of the Coral Sea and Great Barrier Reef. We had perfect weather today because it was sunny and so the weather was a beautiful blue color. The downside was that is was still very humid and both Mark and I was sweating like crazy and were very tired from our different walks. He did do some snorkeling but I guess the water was warm and the visibility wasn't that great, so he didn't stay out long. When I got back from my hike, I spent a hour or so at the pool. It felt soooooo good to soak in the water and it cooled me down a bunch from my time out in the sun.
We went down to the Bay for dinner and drinks and just watched the sun set behind the mountains and the water just peacefully splashing on the shore. It is not very busy down there at night, so it was a great time to be down there.
Tomorrow we leave for Airlie Beach...
Friday, February 22, 2008
Great Barrier Reef
I don't even know how to begin today's blog...It was a dream come true what I did today and is one of those items listed on my "Bucket List." Today I snorkeled in the Great Barrier Reef (in two different locations). I was on such a high all day because of this - it has been a dream of mine ever since I first visited Australia.
The day started off (well, after my very humid run) with us checking in at the pier at 8am. We boarded our vessel and departed at around 9am - heading for the Great Barrier Reef. Matt and Cory booked the trip too, so the four of us spent the day together (I was nice catching up). We got out to the reef about 10:30am and had a quick snorkeling course - just safety tips and everything. It was weird how as we were boating out there, we were cool and it was a nice temp, but as soon as we anchored and were listening to our "lesson", it got extremely hot and we all started sweating and just wanted to jump in the water.
Finally we got suited up. We had to wear either wetsuits or stinger suits because it is just the end of stinger season and as a precaution, they make you all wear them. Mark and I quickly dressed and go into the water and were off for our first trip out into the open waters. WOW! That is about all I can say because I don't know what other words to use to describe it. The water was around 72 degrees, but along the reef felt a bit warmer. When you got to deeper waters though, it was strange how quickly the water got cold. We saw such beautiful coral and hundreds of fish. We were constantly swimming through schools of fish and then saw these massive fish called Big Bump Parrot Head (I think - now I can't remember). They feed off the coral though and look like they have big buck-teeth. Luckily, Mark brought an underwater camera, so we got a ton of pictures - I will upload his as soon as possible. All the fish were so colorful. It was neat to see how they all live together in the same environment.
We were out there for awhile just swimming around, when all of a sudden I spotted a sea turtle!! It was one of the best experiences because both Mark and I took turns swimming along side it and taking pictures. I can't believe how much wildlife I have seen in the last few weeks. This sighting just made my day. I probably could have stayed out there with the turtle for hours. We followed it as it came up for air and also dove with it. It was great!
After a hour and a half, we all got back on the boat for lunch - Mark and I were the last one's on - I think we were having a bit of fun! Lunch was good because all that swimming really worked up an appetite. After I finished eating, I sunbathed out on the front of the boat, but couldn't stay out there too long because it was so hot. Once everyone finished eating, we went to our second location. We all thought it would take some time to get there, but it seemed like they just moved 100 ft from where we were before so they were able to say "Yeah, two dive locations!" We all got back in - Mark and I were first off - and had another hour to snorkel around the reef. It was a lot more shallow here, so I got a bit scared thinking I was going to hit the coral and hurt myself or break some off. I managed to get away with neither of those things happening. The second trip out into the reef wasn't as exciting (no turtle), but we still saw a bunch of new fish and just heaps and heaps of them all around. It was cool to be a little closer to the reef because we were really able to check it out in more detail. The whole time I was out there, I just couldn't believe I was doing it - it felt unreal. Hopefully once I get the pictures uploaded, it will do the scenery justice, but probably not.
We all had to get back in the boat at 2:30 and then dropped some passengers off at a near by "Live-On Board" boat because they were sleeping out on the reef overnight. Pretty cool! I was impressed with how the boats were able to dock together and exchange passengers and goods. During this time, Matt, Cory, Mark and I just hung out on the back deck and drank and talked. There were a lot of people up there, so we talked with some others and just enjoyed the 90 minute ride back to Cairns. I just don't think I can say it enought - my day was absolutely amazing!
The day started off (well, after my very humid run) with us checking in at the pier at 8am. We boarded our vessel and departed at around 9am - heading for the Great Barrier Reef. Matt and Cory booked the trip too, so the four of us spent the day together (I was nice catching up). We got out to the reef about 10:30am and had a quick snorkeling course - just safety tips and everything. It was weird how as we were boating out there, we were cool and it was a nice temp, but as soon as we anchored and were listening to our "lesson", it got extremely hot and we all started sweating and just wanted to jump in the water.
Finally we got suited up. We had to wear either wetsuits or stinger suits because it is just the end of stinger season and as a precaution, they make you all wear them. Mark and I quickly dressed and go into the water and were off for our first trip out into the open waters. WOW! That is about all I can say because I don't know what other words to use to describe it. The water was around 72 degrees, but along the reef felt a bit warmer. When you got to deeper waters though, it was strange how quickly the water got cold. We saw such beautiful coral and hundreds of fish. We were constantly swimming through schools of fish and then saw these massive fish called Big Bump Parrot Head (I think - now I can't remember). They feed off the coral though and look like they have big buck-teeth. Luckily, Mark brought an underwater camera, so we got a ton of pictures - I will upload his as soon as possible. All the fish were so colorful. It was neat to see how they all live together in the same environment.
We were out there for awhile just swimming around, when all of a sudden I spotted a sea turtle!! It was one of the best experiences because both Mark and I took turns swimming along side it and taking pictures. I can't believe how much wildlife I have seen in the last few weeks. This sighting just made my day. I probably could have stayed out there with the turtle for hours. We followed it as it came up for air and also dove with it. It was great!
After a hour and a half, we all got back on the boat for lunch - Mark and I were the last one's on - I think we were having a bit of fun! Lunch was good because all that swimming really worked up an appetite. After I finished eating, I sunbathed out on the front of the boat, but couldn't stay out there too long because it was so hot. Once everyone finished eating, we went to our second location. We all thought it would take some time to get there, but it seemed like they just moved 100 ft from where we were before so they were able to say "Yeah, two dive locations!" We all got back in - Mark and I were first off - and had another hour to snorkel around the reef. It was a lot more shallow here, so I got a bit scared thinking I was going to hit the coral and hurt myself or break some off. I managed to get away with neither of those things happening. The second trip out into the reef wasn't as exciting (no turtle), but we still saw a bunch of new fish and just heaps and heaps of them all around. It was cool to be a little closer to the reef because we were really able to check it out in more detail. The whole time I was out there, I just couldn't believe I was doing it - it felt unreal. Hopefully once I get the pictures uploaded, it will do the scenery justice, but probably not.
We all had to get back in the boat at 2:30 and then dropped some passengers off at a near by "Live-On Board" boat because they were sleeping out on the reef overnight. Pretty cool! I was impressed with how the boats were able to dock together and exchange passengers and goods. During this time, Matt, Cory, Mark and I just hung out on the back deck and drank and talked. There were a lot of people up there, so we talked with some others and just enjoyed the 90 minute ride back to Cairns. I just don't think I can say it enought - my day was absolutely amazing!
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Cairns/Cape Tribulation
Yesterday I flew into Cairns which was uneventful - although I did get a full meal on my flight - Australia is definitely the place to fly domestically. So the biggest shock was leaving Alice Springs at 43 degrees and extremely dry to arriving in Cairns at 28 degrees with probably around 85% humidity. Major climate change.
So the best part about arriving in Cairns...getting to bagging claim and seeing Mark!!!! My friend from home decided to come out and spend a few weeks traveling the East Coast with me. It was so great to see a friendly face from home. I have enjoyed traveling alone, but the truth is, I prefer to travel with friends or family. It just makes a world of difference.
We got to our hostel and it was funny because this has become second nature to me, but is new to Mark, so I had to explain how everything works with where you sleep, eat, shower, etc. Cory and Matt are also here right now, so we met up with them for a bit and chatted. Crazy thing though, the three of them ended being roommates - small world. After dropping our stuff of in our rooms, we headed out to get Mark some dinner and pick up some groceries. Cairns seems like a great town and has a nice downtown area with lots of shops and restaurants and bars. We indulged in some gelato and then headed back to the hostel to get some sleep. Poor Mark had been up for quite some time and I think the jetlag was setting in.
This morning I got up and went for a run along the Esplande that runs around the lagoon here in the city. Since it was so hot, I left at 6am and wow, there were tons of other people out running, walking and swimming. Now when I say swimming, I mean in the local pool that is just out in the middle of the esplande and looks like a big fountain. You can't swim in the water up in this area because of crocodiles and jellyfish, so I will obey the signs and stay on land.
At 7:30, our tour guide picked us up and we headed out for our Cape Tribulation Day tour. Oh and guess what, I got the tire seat again!! But this time, it was more like a booster seat, so I was sitting about 6 inches above Mark. It was weird looking down to talk to him everytime. My neck started to get stiff. It has been raining like crazy here lately, but we ended up lucking out and barely had any rain - if anything, it was a view sprinkles here and there.
Driving up to our first stop, Mossman Gorge, it was amazing to seeing the new climate setting I was in - going from one day in the Outback to being in a rainforest...not many places where you kind do that easily. This is the area where the rainforest hits the ocean - literally. Some areas there isn't even beach - just rainforst and then water. On the way up, we saw sugar farms (not in season yet), tons of cattle farms (did you know there are white cows???), waterfalls and just beautiful scenery. Funny story: Mark saw the white cow and said "Hey look, sheep!" So now everytime I see a cow, I say "Hey look, sheep!" - even if it is brown...maybe you had to be there.
When we stopped at Mossman Gorge, we all got out for a short hike into the gorge area and into the rainforest. There was a calm swimming hole area, so of course Mark had to go for a swim - give a guy some water and he will go swimming!
Next stop was the Daintree Wild Zoo. It is a small zoo with maybe 20 animals and 100 birds. A lot of the animals have been raised from hatching or at a really young age. I didn't really like this zoo because it seemed like a farm. They had Euros (a type of Kanagroo) and you could just go up and pet them like dogs because they are so tame. There were also crocodiles - but you couldn't pet them - they mostly hid, but we did get to see them. They also had a lot of birds (loud birds!) - yay - can you tell I was excited. I tried to get out of there as quickly as possible. Not only that, but it was getting really hot and humid and we were just sweating standing there.
After our morning tea (tea, coffee & biscuits - similar to cookies), we heading to Cape Tribulation. At one point, we had to catch a ferry across the river (about 150 yards), but it was just on a cable rope that went back and forth, so it was much of a ferry boat. For those of you that don't know, Cape Tribulation is a VERY small town. Maybe about a block in length and has a lodge, cafe and pharmacy. I was expecting something much bigger. We drove past the town (didn't take long, blink and you miss it) and went for a walk on the Marrdja Boardwalk which goes through some of the Daintree National Park rainforest. We saw a variety of amazing trees, crabs (the water up there is saltwater that comes up from the ocean), spiders, birds, roots that stick up above ground and just some indescribable scenery. The walk wasn't long, but we had a great time checking all the new views out.
Then it was lunch. We went to Kulki - a beach in Cape Tribulation and also part of the Daintree National Park. It was weird, one minute we were in the rainforest and the next minute we were on a beach with white sand and clear water. Again, we still could go swimming and there was actually a bottle of vinegar there in case you got stung by a stingray, you could poor it on the wound. Hmm, just one more animal to worry about hurting you. It was great sitting on the beach and eating lunch. After, we walked up and down taking pictures and touching the water - very warm! Two cool things we saw down there - 1. Weird spirals of sanding coming up from ground - it is sandworms digging their way deep into the sand. It wasn't actually the worm, but what they ate and let out the other end. 2. Small round balls of sand on the ground from crabs digging into the sand.
We loaded up the bus and the next stop was the Daintree Ice Cream Company. This is on a fruit farm where they grow their own fruit and make their own ice cream everyday. Since they don't know which fruits will be available everyday, the menu changes daily. Today's selections - Jack fruit, Wattleseed, Sour Sop, and Blueberry. I have no idea what the first three are but they weren't that bad. It was a quick stop though because we had to get back on the bus and head to our river cruise.
We got on our boat right where the ferry boat goes across the river. It was a 5km cruise along the Daintree River and took about 1 hour. We weren't sure what to expect but ended up having one of the better rides of the day because we saw 4 crocodiles! One 4 year old, a 1-year old, a 9-year old male and a female croc nesting (the guide guessed it was about 15-20 years of age). There was great scenery all around (all rainforest), but I didn't see a lot of it because I spent most of the cruise looking at the banks trying to spot the crocodiles. It was hard too because logs would be floating in the water and you would think it was a croc, but never was. I tried to get pictures of the crocs, but they keep themselves pretty well hidden. It is amazing to think that one chomp from the 9 year old (3 meters long) and you would be crushed! The female croc nesting is also apparently the most dangerous type to come across because they are so protective. Thankfully, she was up on the bank and we were in the water - a nice comfortable distance away!
At the end of the river cruise, we had afternoon tea (more tea, coffe and biscuits) and left for Port Douglas. This is a very touristy town with only about 100 people living there but about 100 hotels (or so it seemed). Apparrently, this town is where all the famous people stay when they come to Cairns, so it is pretty expensive up in the area. We just did a quick driving tour and then left to get back to Cairns.
It was quite a long day and we are beat, but seeing the rainforest, beaches and wildlife was well worth the exhaustion. It was a great day and even better for me now that I have a friend from home to share it with! Until tomorrow...
So the best part about arriving in Cairns...getting to bagging claim and seeing Mark!!!! My friend from home decided to come out and spend a few weeks traveling the East Coast with me. It was so great to see a friendly face from home. I have enjoyed traveling alone, but the truth is, I prefer to travel with friends or family. It just makes a world of difference.
We got to our hostel and it was funny because this has become second nature to me, but is new to Mark, so I had to explain how everything works with where you sleep, eat, shower, etc. Cory and Matt are also here right now, so we met up with them for a bit and chatted. Crazy thing though, the three of them ended being roommates - small world. After dropping our stuff of in our rooms, we headed out to get Mark some dinner and pick up some groceries. Cairns seems like a great town and has a nice downtown area with lots of shops and restaurants and bars. We indulged in some gelato and then headed back to the hostel to get some sleep. Poor Mark had been up for quite some time and I think the jetlag was setting in.
This morning I got up and went for a run along the Esplande that runs around the lagoon here in the city. Since it was so hot, I left at 6am and wow, there were tons of other people out running, walking and swimming. Now when I say swimming, I mean in the local pool that is just out in the middle of the esplande and looks like a big fountain. You can't swim in the water up in this area because of crocodiles and jellyfish, so I will obey the signs and stay on land.
At 7:30, our tour guide picked us up and we headed out for our Cape Tribulation Day tour. Oh and guess what, I got the tire seat again!! But this time, it was more like a booster seat, so I was sitting about 6 inches above Mark. It was weird looking down to talk to him everytime. My neck started to get stiff. It has been raining like crazy here lately, but we ended up lucking out and barely had any rain - if anything, it was a view sprinkles here and there.
Driving up to our first stop, Mossman Gorge, it was amazing to seeing the new climate setting I was in - going from one day in the Outback to being in a rainforest...not many places where you kind do that easily. This is the area where the rainforest hits the ocean - literally. Some areas there isn't even beach - just rainforst and then water. On the way up, we saw sugar farms (not in season yet), tons of cattle farms (did you know there are white cows???), waterfalls and just beautiful scenery. Funny story: Mark saw the white cow and said "Hey look, sheep!" So now everytime I see a cow, I say "Hey look, sheep!" - even if it is brown...maybe you had to be there.
When we stopped at Mossman Gorge, we all got out for a short hike into the gorge area and into the rainforest. There was a calm swimming hole area, so of course Mark had to go for a swim - give a guy some water and he will go swimming!
Next stop was the Daintree Wild Zoo. It is a small zoo with maybe 20 animals and 100 birds. A lot of the animals have been raised from hatching or at a really young age. I didn't really like this zoo because it seemed like a farm. They had Euros (a type of Kanagroo) and you could just go up and pet them like dogs because they are so tame. There were also crocodiles - but you couldn't pet them - they mostly hid, but we did get to see them. They also had a lot of birds (loud birds!) - yay - can you tell I was excited. I tried to get out of there as quickly as possible. Not only that, but it was getting really hot and humid and we were just sweating standing there.
After our morning tea (tea, coffee & biscuits - similar to cookies), we heading to Cape Tribulation. At one point, we had to catch a ferry across the river (about 150 yards), but it was just on a cable rope that went back and forth, so it was much of a ferry boat. For those of you that don't know, Cape Tribulation is a VERY small town. Maybe about a block in length and has a lodge, cafe and pharmacy. I was expecting something much bigger. We drove past the town (didn't take long, blink and you miss it) and went for a walk on the Marrdja Boardwalk which goes through some of the Daintree National Park rainforest. We saw a variety of amazing trees, crabs (the water up there is saltwater that comes up from the ocean), spiders, birds, roots that stick up above ground and just some indescribable scenery. The walk wasn't long, but we had a great time checking all the new views out.
Then it was lunch. We went to Kulki - a beach in Cape Tribulation and also part of the Daintree National Park. It was weird, one minute we were in the rainforest and the next minute we were on a beach with white sand and clear water. Again, we still could go swimming and there was actually a bottle of vinegar there in case you got stung by a stingray, you could poor it on the wound. Hmm, just one more animal to worry about hurting you. It was great sitting on the beach and eating lunch. After, we walked up and down taking pictures and touching the water - very warm! Two cool things we saw down there - 1. Weird spirals of sanding coming up from ground - it is sandworms digging their way deep into the sand. It wasn't actually the worm, but what they ate and let out the other end. 2. Small round balls of sand on the ground from crabs digging into the sand.
We loaded up the bus and the next stop was the Daintree Ice Cream Company. This is on a fruit farm where they grow their own fruit and make their own ice cream everyday. Since they don't know which fruits will be available everyday, the menu changes daily. Today's selections - Jack fruit, Wattleseed, Sour Sop, and Blueberry. I have no idea what the first three are but they weren't that bad. It was a quick stop though because we had to get back on the bus and head to our river cruise.
We got on our boat right where the ferry boat goes across the river. It was a 5km cruise along the Daintree River and took about 1 hour. We weren't sure what to expect but ended up having one of the better rides of the day because we saw 4 crocodiles! One 4 year old, a 1-year old, a 9-year old male and a female croc nesting (the guide guessed it was about 15-20 years of age). There was great scenery all around (all rainforest), but I didn't see a lot of it because I spent most of the cruise looking at the banks trying to spot the crocodiles. It was hard too because logs would be floating in the water and you would think it was a croc, but never was. I tried to get pictures of the crocs, but they keep themselves pretty well hidden. It is amazing to think that one chomp from the 9 year old (3 meters long) and you would be crushed! The female croc nesting is also apparently the most dangerous type to come across because they are so protective. Thankfully, she was up on the bank and we were in the water - a nice comfortable distance away!
At the end of the river cruise, we had afternoon tea (more tea, coffe and biscuits) and left for Port Douglas. This is a very touristy town with only about 100 people living there but about 100 hotels (or so it seemed). Apparrently, this town is where all the famous people stay when they come to Cairns, so it is pretty expensive up in the area. We just did a quick driving tour and then left to get back to Cairns.
It was quite a long day and we are beat, but seeing the rainforest, beaches and wildlife was well worth the exhaustion. It was a great day and even better for me now that I have a friend from home to share it with! Until tomorrow...
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Alice Springs
And that is about all I can say about Alice Springs...no, seriously, I haven't done much at all since I got here and there really isn't a lot to do when it is 40 degrees out 8am! I was going to get up and run yesterday, but by the time I woke up at 7:30am it was just to hot. Instead I walked around town for 1.5 hours. There isn't much to see, but it was nice to explore the town.
The rest of the day was spent uploading pictures, responding to email, hanging out around the pool all day and doing laundry. It was nice to have a relaxing day with nothing planned. I actually could have done some other things on the outskirts of town, but the truth was, I enjoyed just being able to be lazy and I actually got a lot of errand type things done that needed to be done.
I also didn't have much desire to explore because it is a weird city. Many aboriginal people live here, but I can't tell if they are homeless or just wander the streets all day long. The town can actually be quite unsafe walking around alone. Most of the people on the streets are loud and smell like they haven't showered in days. I haven't seem many locals other than inside shops or pubs. The city thrives on tourism, so I wonder if the people walking the streets are used to getting handouts or are the ones everyone says to watch out for. That being said, I don't mind staying in my hostel...
Small world story: I met the lady sleeping in the bottom part of my bunk bed and she is from Lemon Grove out here on vacation as well. I haven't met many Americans compared to people from other countries, so when I do, it seems as if it is a huge deal.
Last night, Gemma - a Spanish girl from my trip - and I went to Anzac Hill to watch the sunset behind the West MacDonnell Ranges. It was great because we got a panoramic view of Alice Springs - we both said that was our sightseeing of the town...My last outback sunset and it didn't disappoint.
Today will be about the same, but I did wake up even earlier to get a long run in. I found the path along the Todd River (usually dry) and got a few miles in. But even finishing at 7:45am, I was already extremely hot. How can anyone do anything here?!?!?! I will hang out by the pool today some more and then head to the airport at 3pm for my flight to Cairns - on to the next journey...the East Coast!
The rest of the day was spent uploading pictures, responding to email, hanging out around the pool all day and doing laundry. It was nice to have a relaxing day with nothing planned. I actually could have done some other things on the outskirts of town, but the truth was, I enjoyed just being able to be lazy and I actually got a lot of errand type things done that needed to be done.
I also didn't have much desire to explore because it is a weird city. Many aboriginal people live here, but I can't tell if they are homeless or just wander the streets all day long. The town can actually be quite unsafe walking around alone. Most of the people on the streets are loud and smell like they haven't showered in days. I haven't seem many locals other than inside shops or pubs. The city thrives on tourism, so I wonder if the people walking the streets are used to getting handouts or are the ones everyone says to watch out for. That being said, I don't mind staying in my hostel...
Small world story: I met the lady sleeping in the bottom part of my bunk bed and she is from Lemon Grove out here on vacation as well. I haven't met many Americans compared to people from other countries, so when I do, it seems as if it is a huge deal.
Last night, Gemma - a Spanish girl from my trip - and I went to Anzac Hill to watch the sunset behind the West MacDonnell Ranges. It was great because we got a panoramic view of Alice Springs - we both said that was our sightseeing of the town...My last outback sunset and it didn't disappoint.
Today will be about the same, but I did wake up even earlier to get a long run in. I found the path along the Todd River (usually dry) and got a few miles in. But even finishing at 7:45am, I was already extremely hot. How can anyone do anything here?!?!?! I will hang out by the pool today some more and then head to the airport at 3pm for my flight to Cairns - on to the next journey...the East Coast!
Monday, February 18, 2008
Day 6 - Outback
Kings Canyon to Alice Springs
Today was our last early start - leave by 6 - although we didn't end up heading out until 6:30. Everyone was a bit slow this morning. I think 6 days of getting up before sunrise has started to get to everyone. We will all sleep in tomorrow - hopefully!
I slept outside on top of my swag last night - and with only 1/2 my sleeping bad on me. It was extremely warm even during the night - and was hotter than the night before. So sleeping outside in the outback is probably one of the best experiences I have ever had. I woke up a lot last night because the dingos were out howling and snooping around the campgrounds, but it was still a great experience. At one point a girl in our group woke up and saw a dingo standing over one of the other girls. She went to grab her camera, but it ran away. Makes me wonder how many of us had dingos visiting our swags...it was a new experience for me being that close to wildlife and nature.
Once we all got going, we headed to Kings Canyon for a 3 hour hike along the rim of the canyon. It was a nice hike, but we stopped a lot so Scooter could explain different trees and plants and what the Aboriginals used them for. He also gave us a lot of history about the rocks and formations. For most of the hike, Scooter, Andy, Nikki and I were together. It was so much fun because we were just making jokes, picking on each other and acting stupid - a very memorable hike. The worst part though was stopping for people to have a smoke. It is crazy - most of the tour guides smoke. There was also a nice water hole in the middle of the canyon where we took a break and some people swam. It was a good thing we started so early because by the time we got done (at 10:15am), it was already up to 35 degrees. We all were sweating pretty hard. On the way down, I saw a sign for a different 22km hike - I would love to come back a take on the challenge...maybe in the winter though!
Inside stuff: the Koreans wanting pictures with all the girls, "Sweet!", "Smooooth", "Rooouuughhh", pushing Nikki off the edge, "I need a picture of a rock, I haven't gotten any!", images of Peter (70 year old Irish bloke) carrying Linda (the 40 year old German teacher) on his back, "Is that Uluru?", "why is the rock red? What's rust?"...
We went back to the resort for our last lunch. Janine, Nikki and I ran through the sprinklers to cool off and others went to the pool. I preferred the sprinklers - much more fun! we are now headed to Alice Springs - I can't believe the trip is almost over. It had its low points, but all in all was a great and adventurous trip for me. From beginning to end, we covered 3,105km, visited 4 Aboriginal countries and used 713 litres of fuel. That is a lot to do in 6 days...
When we got to Alice Springs, Scooter dropped us all off at our different hostels and we all checked in and showered and then met for dinner at Alice's Place. It was nice to meet up again to say goodbye and dinner was only $5 each, so yay! We had a great time and made heaps of memories together. It was a good trip because even though I was with 24 other people, I still felt I had a lot of alone time to take in my surroundings and enjoy all of it. Tomorrow will be a day of relaxing and laundry. I plan to sit by the pool all day - it is supposed to get up to 40 degrees tomorrow...
Today was our last early start - leave by 6 - although we didn't end up heading out until 6:30. Everyone was a bit slow this morning. I think 6 days of getting up before sunrise has started to get to everyone. We will all sleep in tomorrow - hopefully!
I slept outside on top of my swag last night - and with only 1/2 my sleeping bad on me. It was extremely warm even during the night - and was hotter than the night before. So sleeping outside in the outback is probably one of the best experiences I have ever had. I woke up a lot last night because the dingos were out howling and snooping around the campgrounds, but it was still a great experience. At one point a girl in our group woke up and saw a dingo standing over one of the other girls. She went to grab her camera, but it ran away. Makes me wonder how many of us had dingos visiting our swags...it was a new experience for me being that close to wildlife and nature.
Once we all got going, we headed to Kings Canyon for a 3 hour hike along the rim of the canyon. It was a nice hike, but we stopped a lot so Scooter could explain different trees and plants and what the Aboriginals used them for. He also gave us a lot of history about the rocks and formations. For most of the hike, Scooter, Andy, Nikki and I were together. It was so much fun because we were just making jokes, picking on each other and acting stupid - a very memorable hike. The worst part though was stopping for people to have a smoke. It is crazy - most of the tour guides smoke. There was also a nice water hole in the middle of the canyon where we took a break and some people swam. It was a good thing we started so early because by the time we got done (at 10:15am), it was already up to 35 degrees. We all were sweating pretty hard. On the way down, I saw a sign for a different 22km hike - I would love to come back a take on the challenge...maybe in the winter though!
Inside stuff: the Koreans wanting pictures with all the girls, "Sweet!", "Smooooth", "Rooouuughhh", pushing Nikki off the edge, "I need a picture of a rock, I haven't gotten any!", images of Peter (70 year old Irish bloke) carrying Linda (the 40 year old German teacher) on his back, "Is that Uluru?", "why is the rock red? What's rust?"...
We went back to the resort for our last lunch. Janine, Nikki and I ran through the sprinklers to cool off and others went to the pool. I preferred the sprinklers - much more fun! we are now headed to Alice Springs - I can't believe the trip is almost over. It had its low points, but all in all was a great and adventurous trip for me. From beginning to end, we covered 3,105km, visited 4 Aboriginal countries and used 713 litres of fuel. That is a lot to do in 6 days...
When we got to Alice Springs, Scooter dropped us all off at our different hostels and we all checked in and showered and then met for dinner at Alice's Place. It was nice to meet up again to say goodbye and dinner was only $5 each, so yay! We had a great time and made heaps of memories together. It was a good trip because even though I was with 24 other people, I still felt I had a lot of alone time to take in my surroundings and enjoy all of it. Tomorrow will be a day of relaxing and laundry. I plan to sit by the pool all day - it is supposed to get up to 40 degrees tomorrow...
Day 5 - Outback Tour
Ayers' Rock to Kings Canyon
I slept in the swag last night! What an amazing experience to wake up to a million stars above you. I saw two shooting stars. I woke up at 4:15am to go for a run - after going to bed around 10:30pm (I have gotten no sleep!). It was nice to run- felt really good. It was very dark out though and I had to have my flashlight with me because not all of the area had street lights - at one point I wasn't sure if it was a good decision, but oh well. I saw 2 more shooting stars on my run.
Once I got back, I had to quickly wash up and eat because we had to leave by 5:30am to see the sunrise at Uluru. Again, there were heaps of people there to view it. Uluru is amazing, but the touristyness of it takes away from the meaning. They sky was incredible but I am not really sure what all the fuss is about with watching the sunrise. Maybe on a different day, it would be better.
After the sunrise, we did the base walk - it is 8.4km long, so I got a lot more exercise and it felt good. There is also the option to climb the rock, but the indeginous people in the area ask that you do not climb it because it is disrespectful to their spiritual grounds. The climb was closed anyway because it was too windy - they find any excuse to close it. I didn't mind though because I wouldn't have climbed it. The base walk was nice enough and you got to see it all up close. The only bad part were all the flies - they just don't leave you alone. There are also still many sacred sites on the rock (you aren't allowed to take pictures of them) and the tribes still hold ceremonies on and around the rock.
Next, we went to the Cultural Center and were able to get more information about the people from the area and their world and lifestyle. they history about the rocks is so interesting and long standing. It is weird how similar things were with Indians in American. It would have been nice to take a tour from an Aboriginal to hear stories and to have traditions and customs explained to my by someone who actually follows them still...maybe next time!
By the time we were done with all the activities, we were all quite tired and very hot. We headed back to the campsite and are now heading to Kings Canyon. I'm exhausted! This lack of sleep is really catching up to me...
On the way to Kings Canyon, we made three stops. The first was a lookout of Mt. Conner - it is similar to a mesa in Utah/Arizona and is the middle of no where with nothing else like it around. Strange how these formations stand alone and come out of no where. The second stop was just on the side of th road to gather wood for our fire tonight - to cook dinner. It was kind of hard to find good thick pieces of wood - after all, it is the outback and most of it is dead! The third stop was sudden because we saw a herd of wild camels! They are not native to Australia, but it is said there are around a 1/2 million wild camels in Australia - how do they figure these numbers out? I picutre a large wire being put down in the outback to count how many animals cross it...you know like contain cars on streets...I think this heat has taken over my sensibility!
This evening/night was a lot of fun. We got to Kings Canyon Resort and stopped at the main area 1.5 hours - we will sleep in a campground 15 minutes further on with nothing around but other campers. In that time, Janine, Nikki and I went to the bar and got a 6-pack of Strongbow Cider to share while we sat around until 6. It was fun because we sat in the grass, drank, told stories, people watched and then more of the group came around, so it was quite a social gathering. The cold cider felt so good in this heat. I'm really starting to enjoy this trip and am glad I have done it. I do think though that if I had done the 3 day tour instead, I would have had as much fun and more sleep, but oh well...no worries!
We got to camp and it was more of deserted than the night before. We had a fire pit, so once we settled in, Scooter started cooking dinner on the pit. It took a really long time, but was fun because we all sat around and drank, talked, made fun of each other for things done/said on the trip and then showered! Then we climbed some rocks to watch the sunset. The sky was clear and it was a beautiful sunset. I can't remember the last time I saw so many sunsets/sunrises this many days in a row. Makes you appreciate the things in nature we usually take for granted. If you just take the time to enjoy it, it makes a world of difference. We finally ate around 8:15, but it was sooooo good (chicken & veggies on the barbie) that is was worth the wait.
After dinner, we hung around the fire and roasted marshmallows (no one knew what a S'more was, so Andy and I had to explain...I didn't realize it was an American thing!!!!!) and told stories. We finally found out how Scooter got his nickname (real name is Adam). He bought this really tiny kid scooter and did some tweaking to make it into this super powered scooter. One night, a friend called because he had a flat tire and needed tools to change it. Scooter was already pissed, so he didn't want to drink and drive. Instead he decided to drink and scooter. Unfortunately, he passed cops along the way and they pulled him over for riding and driving. He lost his license and spent the night in jail...how crazy!
Hard to believe this is our last night - the tour ended up going very quickly!
I slept in the swag last night! What an amazing experience to wake up to a million stars above you. I saw two shooting stars. I woke up at 4:15am to go for a run - after going to bed around 10:30pm (I have gotten no sleep!). It was nice to run- felt really good. It was very dark out though and I had to have my flashlight with me because not all of the area had street lights - at one point I wasn't sure if it was a good decision, but oh well. I saw 2 more shooting stars on my run.
Once I got back, I had to quickly wash up and eat because we had to leave by 5:30am to see the sunrise at Uluru. Again, there were heaps of people there to view it. Uluru is amazing, but the touristyness of it takes away from the meaning. They sky was incredible but I am not really sure what all the fuss is about with watching the sunrise. Maybe on a different day, it would be better.
After the sunrise, we did the base walk - it is 8.4km long, so I got a lot more exercise and it felt good. There is also the option to climb the rock, but the indeginous people in the area ask that you do not climb it because it is disrespectful to their spiritual grounds. The climb was closed anyway because it was too windy - they find any excuse to close it. I didn't mind though because I wouldn't have climbed it. The base walk was nice enough and you got to see it all up close. The only bad part were all the flies - they just don't leave you alone. There are also still many sacred sites on the rock (you aren't allowed to take pictures of them) and the tribes still hold ceremonies on and around the rock.
Next, we went to the Cultural Center and were able to get more information about the people from the area and their world and lifestyle. they history about the rocks is so interesting and long standing. It is weird how similar things were with Indians in American. It would have been nice to take a tour from an Aboriginal to hear stories and to have traditions and customs explained to my by someone who actually follows them still...maybe next time!
By the time we were done with all the activities, we were all quite tired and very hot. We headed back to the campsite and are now heading to Kings Canyon. I'm exhausted! This lack of sleep is really catching up to me...
On the way to Kings Canyon, we made three stops. The first was a lookout of Mt. Conner - it is similar to a mesa in Utah/Arizona and is the middle of no where with nothing else like it around. Strange how these formations stand alone and come out of no where. The second stop was just on the side of th road to gather wood for our fire tonight - to cook dinner. It was kind of hard to find good thick pieces of wood - after all, it is the outback and most of it is dead! The third stop was sudden because we saw a herd of wild camels! They are not native to Australia, but it is said there are around a 1/2 million wild camels in Australia - how do they figure these numbers out? I picutre a large wire being put down in the outback to count how many animals cross it...you know like contain cars on streets...I think this heat has taken over my sensibility!
This evening/night was a lot of fun. We got to Kings Canyon Resort and stopped at the main area 1.5 hours - we will sleep in a campground 15 minutes further on with nothing around but other campers. In that time, Janine, Nikki and I went to the bar and got a 6-pack of Strongbow Cider to share while we sat around until 6. It was fun because we sat in the grass, drank, told stories, people watched and then more of the group came around, so it was quite a social gathering. The cold cider felt so good in this heat. I'm really starting to enjoy this trip and am glad I have done it. I do think though that if I had done the 3 day tour instead, I would have had as much fun and more sleep, but oh well...no worries!
We got to camp and it was more of deserted than the night before. We had a fire pit, so once we settled in, Scooter started cooking dinner on the pit. It took a really long time, but was fun because we all sat around and drank, talked, made fun of each other for things done/said on the trip and then showered! Then we climbed some rocks to watch the sunset. The sky was clear and it was a beautiful sunset. I can't remember the last time I saw so many sunsets/sunrises this many days in a row. Makes you appreciate the things in nature we usually take for granted. If you just take the time to enjoy it, it makes a world of difference. We finally ate around 8:15, but it was sooooo good (chicken & veggies on the barbie) that is was worth the wait.
After dinner, we hung around the fire and roasted marshmallows (no one knew what a S'more was, so Andy and I had to explain...I didn't realize it was an American thing!!!!!) and told stories. We finally found out how Scooter got his nickname (real name is Adam). He bought this really tiny kid scooter and did some tweaking to make it into this super powered scooter. One night, a friend called because he had a flat tire and needed tools to change it. Scooter was already pissed, so he didn't want to drink and drive. Instead he decided to drink and scooter. Unfortunately, he passed cops along the way and they pulled him over for riding and driving. He lost his license and spent the night in jail...how crazy!
Hard to believe this is our last night - the tour ended up going very quickly!
Day 4 - Outback Tour
Coober Pedy to Ayers' Rock Resort (Uluru)
Another early start - 5am - and I still didn't get any sleep last night. I woke up at 3:15am and couldn't fall back asleep. It also didn't help that there was another group staying next door that was still up drinking and being loud. They didn't even go to bed until we were leaving. It was pretty rude, but you couldn't talk to the tour guide because he was passed out next to the rest of the drunks...
On the way, our main stop was at the North Territory/South Territory Boarder crossing. It was uneventful, but we got to take pictures. There are tons of flies up here though, so not fun. I got a sunscreen with insect & fly repellent, but it doesn't really seem to work. Oh yeah, on the way there, we watched The Simpson's Movie - I watched to pass the time, but it was so dumb that I am glad I didn't wast my money on it.
After another 10 hours on the bus, we made it to the Ayers' Rock Resort and "checked in." We are staying in a private campground tonight - in sleeping bags. We have the option to sleep in a swag, but so many people are that I think I will get more sleep in the hut.
We dropped some stuff off and headed for the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to do a walk around Kata Tjuta (Mt. Olgas). We will do Uluru tomorrow. It is really beautiful and amazing how the rocks were created and that there aren't any others around like it. The clouds have come in though, so hopefully we will have a good sunset.
Sidenote: Some of the people on the trip are really starting to annoy me. Especially the "know-it-all" girl from Wales (who sits in front of me on the bus) and the German teacher behind me. They don't stop talking, complaining, etc. Maybe it is the heat, lack of sleep and exercise, but my patience is wearing thin...
When we got to Uluru, I was surprised at how many people were there to watch - and the funny part is that the sun sets opposite the rock, but everyone stares at the rock to get pictures of the color changing on the rock. Since it clouded over, the sunset ended up putting on a better show than the rock - at least I thought so. Scooter brought champagne and snacks so we joined in with all the other groups and toasted another sunset at Uluru. We had a "disco night" drive back to the campsite as Scooter played old songs and flashed the lights in the bus. It finally felt like we were having some real fun on the trip. The next few days are what it all builds up to and people are finally starting to get along, have fun and loosen up. Scooter is also a lot more interactive now and has a bunch more stories for us.
We didn't get back until 8:30pm, but I'm exhausted and just want to sleep. I hope too that I can run tomorrow before we leave - I need it! I can't wait to admire the outback sky again tonight. It is already putting on a great "show". It is just so hard to believe I am actually here - what a dream come true!
Another early start - 5am - and I still didn't get any sleep last night. I woke up at 3:15am and couldn't fall back asleep. It also didn't help that there was another group staying next door that was still up drinking and being loud. They didn't even go to bed until we were leaving. It was pretty rude, but you couldn't talk to the tour guide because he was passed out next to the rest of the drunks...
On the way, our main stop was at the North Territory/South Territory Boarder crossing. It was uneventful, but we got to take pictures. There are tons of flies up here though, so not fun. I got a sunscreen with insect & fly repellent, but it doesn't really seem to work. Oh yeah, on the way there, we watched The Simpson's Movie - I watched to pass the time, but it was so dumb that I am glad I didn't wast my money on it.
After another 10 hours on the bus, we made it to the Ayers' Rock Resort and "checked in." We are staying in a private campground tonight - in sleeping bags. We have the option to sleep in a swag, but so many people are that I think I will get more sleep in the hut.
We dropped some stuff off and headed for the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park to do a walk around Kata Tjuta (Mt. Olgas). We will do Uluru tomorrow. It is really beautiful and amazing how the rocks were created and that there aren't any others around like it. The clouds have come in though, so hopefully we will have a good sunset.
Sidenote: Some of the people on the trip are really starting to annoy me. Especially the "know-it-all" girl from Wales (who sits in front of me on the bus) and the German teacher behind me. They don't stop talking, complaining, etc. Maybe it is the heat, lack of sleep and exercise, but my patience is wearing thin...
When we got to Uluru, I was surprised at how many people were there to watch - and the funny part is that the sun sets opposite the rock, but everyone stares at the rock to get pictures of the color changing on the rock. Since it clouded over, the sunset ended up putting on a better show than the rock - at least I thought so. Scooter brought champagne and snacks so we joined in with all the other groups and toasted another sunset at Uluru. We had a "disco night" drive back to the campsite as Scooter played old songs and flashed the lights in the bus. It finally felt like we were having some real fun on the trip. The next few days are what it all builds up to and people are finally starting to get along, have fun and loosen up. Scooter is also a lot more interactive now and has a bunch more stories for us.
We didn't get back until 8:30pm, but I'm exhausted and just want to sleep. I hope too that I can run tomorrow before we leave - I need it! I can't wait to admire the outback sky again tonight. It is already putting on a great "show". It is just so hard to believe I am actually here - what a dream come true!
Day 3 - Outback
Rawnsley Park to Coober Pedy
Last night after dinner, I sat around for a bit and chatted with a few other people. We were all mostly sharing stories about our countries and comparing things - it was nice to learn more about other countries as well. Then I showered and took a quick walk around the area during sunset. One of the Spanish girls came with me and we saw a ton of kangaroos out eating. There was even one with a Joey in the pouch - I wish I took my camera. It was early to bed, but I am having such a hard time sleep lately, so I needed to try and get some sleep.
So the one good thing about not sleeping well, was having to get up at 3:30am to go to the bathroom - when I walked outside and looked up, I saw the most amazing sky I have ever seen. It looked fake - like a backdrop in a movie - I couldn't believe how many stars were out. If I wasn't so tired, I probably would have sat down and stared at it for hours.
We all got up around 4:30am to be on the road by 5 - we have a very long day of driving today (700km). Our first stop wa s 2 hours later in Port Augusta - where "the sea meets the outback." We have seen a ton of wild life and even pulled over at one point so Scooter could drag a dead kangaroo to the side of the road - it was a fresh kill, so very bloody. FACT: Studies say there are 6 kangaroos for every 1 Australian citizen (almost reminds me of deer in America).
Our next stop was Pimba - which is the start of the Woomera Prohibited Area (127,000 sq km). The only public access is via the highway because the rest is the Australian "Area 51". It is one of the largest bombing and rocket testing ranges in the world. rumor is that Americans tested the Mars robots here before sending to space. The landscape has completely changed now. It is flat, dry and you can see forever - no mountains or hills - and barely any bush. It is more of an orange clay or sand on the ground. Many of the lakes around have dried up but since they were salt, you can still see where the lake is because all the salt is still in place.
We ended up stopping at Lake Hart which was huge, but is actually one of the smallest ones around. We walked out on the lake. It was so weird because it looked like snow in the middle of the outback. I tasted some and it definitely is salt!
Our only other stop was for lunch and then we made our way to our overnight stop, Coober Pedy - the Opal Capital of the world. I had no idea what to expect. The majority of the city is underground in dug out caves. Since it can get up to 57 degrees Celsius here, the underground works because it is a constant 22-24 degrees inside - no need for heating and cooling. The city reminds me of a star wares scene. When you get there, it seems like only a few hundred people live here, but since so much (houses, hotels, businesses, etc) are underground, you don't see it all. There are shaft holes coming up from the ground everyone which indicates where things are. We got a great tour of an old opal mine and underground house. We first got a tour of the city and there actually is a lot - school, hospital, church, library, pool, oval (w/the only grass in town), drive-in theatre, aboriginal reserve, supermarkets, liquor store, many pubs, hotels...you get the point. There are about 3,000 resident here and it is a big tourist attraction area. I couldn't imagine living here - so hot and deserted. Tonight, we are staying underground as well. Each bunk has 4 beds, but only 2 of us are in the one, so hopefully I will get some sleep - its another early start tomorrow.
Dinner was at the local Pizza bar. Scooter finally got a night off from cooking, but still played bartender. I ended up sitting next to 2 swiss guys and 2 girls from England. I hadn't yet talked with any of them, so it was nice to get to know more people in the group and share more stories about our cultural differences. For instance, they all thought I was weird for putting Parmesan cheese on my pizza, but the English girls tried and liked it. A few others were doing it too - including Andy - so I didn't feel too out of place.
After a cold shower (to hopefully help me sleep!), I sat outside for a while and talked with the Swiss guys and another couple from Switzerland. they know I am a runner, so we were talking about that - they girls is a runner too, so it was nice to chat with someone who understood the feeling I am missing from not running. A couple from France overheard us talking and told us they are cyclists and are also having "withdrawals." At least I am not alone! The weird thing is though that the other 3 are chain smokers...yuck!
FACT: Coober Pedy brings in and treats their own water for the city. They are the only town not on water restrictions in Australia. The difference - in Sydney, you pay .50/liter and in Coober Pedy, it costs 5.80/liter - so it is .88 to flush the toilet. We joked about taking really expensive showers tonight!
Last night after dinner, I sat around for a bit and chatted with a few other people. We were all mostly sharing stories about our countries and comparing things - it was nice to learn more about other countries as well. Then I showered and took a quick walk around the area during sunset. One of the Spanish girls came with me and we saw a ton of kangaroos out eating. There was even one with a Joey in the pouch - I wish I took my camera. It was early to bed, but I am having such a hard time sleep lately, so I needed to try and get some sleep.
So the one good thing about not sleeping well, was having to get up at 3:30am to go to the bathroom - when I walked outside and looked up, I saw the most amazing sky I have ever seen. It looked fake - like a backdrop in a movie - I couldn't believe how many stars were out. If I wasn't so tired, I probably would have sat down and stared at it for hours.
We all got up around 4:30am to be on the road by 5 - we have a very long day of driving today (700km). Our first stop wa s 2 hours later in Port Augusta - where "the sea meets the outback." We have seen a ton of wild life and even pulled over at one point so Scooter could drag a dead kangaroo to the side of the road - it was a fresh kill, so very bloody. FACT: Studies say there are 6 kangaroos for every 1 Australian citizen (almost reminds me of deer in America).
Our next stop was Pimba - which is the start of the Woomera Prohibited Area (127,000 sq km). The only public access is via the highway because the rest is the Australian "Area 51". It is one of the largest bombing and rocket testing ranges in the world. rumor is that Americans tested the Mars robots here before sending to space. The landscape has completely changed now. It is flat, dry and you can see forever - no mountains or hills - and barely any bush. It is more of an orange clay or sand on the ground. Many of the lakes around have dried up but since they were salt, you can still see where the lake is because all the salt is still in place.
We ended up stopping at Lake Hart which was huge, but is actually one of the smallest ones around. We walked out on the lake. It was so weird because it looked like snow in the middle of the outback. I tasted some and it definitely is salt!
Our only other stop was for lunch and then we made our way to our overnight stop, Coober Pedy - the Opal Capital of the world. I had no idea what to expect. The majority of the city is underground in dug out caves. Since it can get up to 57 degrees Celsius here, the underground works because it is a constant 22-24 degrees inside - no need for heating and cooling. The city reminds me of a star wares scene. When you get there, it seems like only a few hundred people live here, but since so much (houses, hotels, businesses, etc) are underground, you don't see it all. There are shaft holes coming up from the ground everyone which indicates where things are. We got a great tour of an old opal mine and underground house. We first got a tour of the city and there actually is a lot - school, hospital, church, library, pool, oval (w/the only grass in town), drive-in theatre, aboriginal reserve, supermarkets, liquor store, many pubs, hotels...you get the point. There are about 3,000 resident here and it is a big tourist attraction area. I couldn't imagine living here - so hot and deserted. Tonight, we are staying underground as well. Each bunk has 4 beds, but only 2 of us are in the one, so hopefully I will get some sleep - its another early start tomorrow.
Dinner was at the local Pizza bar. Scooter finally got a night off from cooking, but still played bartender. I ended up sitting next to 2 swiss guys and 2 girls from England. I hadn't yet talked with any of them, so it was nice to get to know more people in the group and share more stories about our cultural differences. For instance, they all thought I was weird for putting Parmesan cheese on my pizza, but the English girls tried and liked it. A few others were doing it too - including Andy - so I didn't feel too out of place.
After a cold shower (to hopefully help me sleep!), I sat outside for a while and talked with the Swiss guys and another couple from Switzerland. they know I am a runner, so we were talking about that - they girls is a runner too, so it was nice to chat with someone who understood the feeling I am missing from not running. A couple from France overheard us talking and told us they are cyclists and are also having "withdrawals." At least I am not alone! The weird thing is though that the other 3 are chain smokers...yuck!
FACT: Coober Pedy brings in and treats their own water for the city. They are the only town not on water restrictions in Australia. The difference - in Sydney, you pay .50/liter and in Coober Pedy, it costs 5.80/liter - so it is .88 to flush the toilet. We joked about taking really expensive showers tonight!
Day 2 - Outback
Parachilna to Rawnsley Park
Happy Valentine's Day!!! Mine started out great because I got to wake up with my true love - running! This morning was the only morning we got to sleep in, so I decided to get up early and go for a run. It wa s so peaceful running in the outback. I saw a fox and dead emu! I also got to see the sunrise over the Flinder's Ranges. So wonderful to be that close with nature. I needed it after yesterday. I thought Phoenix was flat...my run this morning was the longest, flat and straight road I have ever seen! I think only 6 cars passed in the hour I ran, so it must have been rush hour.
Our first stop of the day took 2.5 hours to get to and it was all on dirt roads, so it was very bumpy and rough. The good part about driving on the back roads were all the wild animals we saw (alive!) - kangaroos, emus, eagles, wallabies and sheep (those weren't wild). FACT: Difference between wallaby and kangaroo is that wallabies are under 20kg and kangas are over 20kg. It was a very scenic route, but there wasn't much other than dry sand and half dead brush. We stopped at one lookout along the way to get a view of the rangers, but then headed to Wilipena Pound in the Flinder's Ranges. It is weird to see these mountains in the middle of the outback. The hike we did was 4km up (8 total). Luckily, Scooter let everyone do it at their own pace because it was quite steep. The mountain was only 900m and we only had to hike up 400m. I ended up pairing of with Andy (from Seattle) and we took off up the mountain. It is nice to find someone the same speed as you and we had some great conversations going up - made the climb easier. Once at the top, it was a beautiful view. The mountain range is only 17km long and 8km wide with a valley (Wilipena Pound) in the middle. It was awesome up top seeing all the other mountains surrounding the area. Apparently, when flying over it looks as if a crater hit the area (because of its shape).
After the hike, we had lunch. I feel bad for Scooter because people are starting to complain about the food and it is only the 2nd day. This is an outback tour, what do they expect!!!
Our accomodation tonight is at a sheep station - Rawnsley Park - that turned the old ranch hand barracks into a caravan park. It is in the middle of no where and it hot! It seems as if the mornings are windy and a bit cool, but the hottest part of the day is from 1-6pm. When we got here, some people went swimming. I explored the area and walked some more. It was great because I saw some kangaroos along the way - I was just glad they didn't attack since I was alone.
Happy Valentine's Day!!! Mine started out great because I got to wake up with my true love - running! This morning was the only morning we got to sleep in, so I decided to get up early and go for a run. It wa s so peaceful running in the outback. I saw a fox and dead emu! I also got to see the sunrise over the Flinder's Ranges. So wonderful to be that close with nature. I needed it after yesterday. I thought Phoenix was flat...my run this morning was the longest, flat and straight road I have ever seen! I think only 6 cars passed in the hour I ran, so it must have been rush hour.
Our first stop of the day took 2.5 hours to get to and it was all on dirt roads, so it was very bumpy and rough. The good part about driving on the back roads were all the wild animals we saw (alive!) - kangaroos, emus, eagles, wallabies and sheep (those weren't wild). FACT: Difference between wallaby and kangaroo is that wallabies are under 20kg and kangas are over 20kg. It was a very scenic route, but there wasn't much other than dry sand and half dead brush. We stopped at one lookout along the way to get a view of the rangers, but then headed to Wilipena Pound in the Flinder's Ranges. It is weird to see these mountains in the middle of the outback. The hike we did was 4km up (8 total). Luckily, Scooter let everyone do it at their own pace because it was quite steep. The mountain was only 900m and we only had to hike up 400m. I ended up pairing of with Andy (from Seattle) and we took off up the mountain. It is nice to find someone the same speed as you and we had some great conversations going up - made the climb easier. Once at the top, it was a beautiful view. The mountain range is only 17km long and 8km wide with a valley (Wilipena Pound) in the middle. It was awesome up top seeing all the other mountains surrounding the area. Apparently, when flying over it looks as if a crater hit the area (because of its shape).
After the hike, we had lunch. I feel bad for Scooter because people are starting to complain about the food and it is only the 2nd day. This is an outback tour, what do they expect!!!
Our accomodation tonight is at a sheep station - Rawnsley Park - that turned the old ranch hand barracks into a caravan park. It is in the middle of no where and it hot! It seems as if the mornings are windy and a bit cool, but the hottest part of the day is from 1-6pm. When we got here, some people went swimming. I explored the area and walked some more. It was great because I saw some kangaroos along the way - I was just glad they didn't attack since I was alone.
Day 1 - Outback Adventure Tour
Adelaide to Parachilna
Today started off waking up at 5:45am to meet the bus by 6:20am. While our leader, Scooter, loaded all the bags, the other 24 of us got on the bus. This is where I made a big mistake - I saw a spot with a footrest type thing, so I took that spot thinking it would be nice for my short legs. Obviously, my brain doesn't function that early because I sat on the rear tire - its been a bumpy ride!
So we drove for 2 hours before our first stop in Clare. W e refueled, loosened our legs, used the loo, ate and headed back on the road. Next stop was a hour and a half later for another pit stop. we arrived in Quorn around noon and stopped for lunch. It was a hamburger cookout where everyone chips in to help prepare the meal. Apparently, this is how it will work all week, so that will be fun. Their hamburgers look different than ours - maybe it is a different meat - but they are a lighter color and very thin but bigger around. I dunno...I was pretty tired at this point - having not slept much the night before, so I tried to walk around a bit to wake up and move my body. It did help, so that was good.
After lunch, we headed to Kanyaka Homestead Historic Site. On the way, to pass time, Scooter had us all draw our country on our window with an "X" on the city we are from. Thankfully, someone had a map of the world, so my USA wasn't half bad looking.
Let me elaborate on the scenery now...It has changed quite drastically. It is nothing like where I have been for the last month. Everything is so dry and brown. Scooter says it only gets worse from here. You can tell where creeks used to be because there will be random areas of trees swerving along a path. Back in the late 1800's there was a major drought that left most of the area deserted and dried up on the creeks/rivers. Which brings us to Kanyaka. This area used to be a prosperous sheep farm with 40,000 sheep and 70 workers. In 1867, after many years of drought, almost 20,000 sheep died and only 15 workers remained. By the 1890's, the people just walked off the land and abandoned it because it could no longer be used. The land is still privately owned by the descendants of the people who bought it in the 1920's, but no one lives on it full time. All the sheep farms are much further south now - and yes, there were heaps of them we passed along the way this morning.
After walking around and taking pictures, we headed to the Yourambulla Caves Aboriginal Paintings. It was just a short 1km hike to a VERY steep flight of stairs. Up top was a small cave with Aboriginal paintings. It was nothing big and I wonder how anyone ever found it. Scooter says the paintings are elders leaving stories for the younger generations. But since it is all art work, no one but the author knows the whole story.
I must say that I hope things change on the trip. Scooter has done many of these tours, but he doesn't seem too excited about them. He doesn't have much input and he isn't very excited about what's going on. Knackers was a much better tour guide - so far. Maybe once we start seeing more things, it will be different.
After the caves, we headed to Parachilna for our overnight accommodation. Scooter told us the place was small, but I had no idea what he meant until we got there. Oh but first, on the way, we saw 2 wild emu and a dead emu being picked at by a Hedge-tailed eagle. we pulled over to take pictures of both, but I was on the other side of the bus, so I didn't get any. Also on the way, Scooter had all of us go to the front of the bus and say our name, age, how long we are traveling, what we do back home and our favorite drink - yup, we are in Australia! Most people are from Europe - UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and France. A few are from Koreo and there is one other guy from the US - Seattle. He actually is originally from a small town in WI, so we had something to talk about while sitting at the pub this evening.
So Parachilna, Scooter wasn't lying. It is about the length of a football field - with a hotel and pub and our accommodation area. I'm not even sure why the town exists, but it must have been bigger at some other time. Scooter says 4 people live here, which I totally believe. There is a pool here, so some people went swimming before dinner and some of us helped prep then headed to the pub - there are 5 bar stools and that is it! I guess enough for all the locals and 1 extra for a guest! We are cooking a BBQ tonight. It is quite a "family" feeling because it will just be the 25 of us for the 5nights/ 6 days. Should be interesting...
Some things I've learned from the other 24 people...
1. You CAN get bed bites - 3 people here got them in hostels.
2. Most people don't put carrots in their salad and most salad dressing is oily.
3. There is no roll-on deodorant - it is all spray.
4. Aussies automatically get 4 weeks vacation if they work full-time. Much of Europe is like that too.
5. Everyone, but me, smokes!!!!
So dinner...I had kangaroo, emu and camel! I can't believe I tried it (can you?!?!), but I'm glad I did. The kanga and emu meat was quite good, but I did not like the camel sausage. I guess I have my limits. It was nice because we all sat around family style and ate. After cleanup, everyone headed to the pub and to watch the sunset. My first outback sunset - hard to describe, but something about it was just amazing! (No, I didn't see a flash...)
Today started off waking up at 5:45am to meet the bus by 6:20am. While our leader, Scooter, loaded all the bags, the other 24 of us got on the bus. This is where I made a big mistake - I saw a spot with a footrest type thing, so I took that spot thinking it would be nice for my short legs. Obviously, my brain doesn't function that early because I sat on the rear tire - its been a bumpy ride!
So we drove for 2 hours before our first stop in Clare. W e refueled, loosened our legs, used the loo, ate and headed back on the road. Next stop was a hour and a half later for another pit stop. we arrived in Quorn around noon and stopped for lunch. It was a hamburger cookout where everyone chips in to help prepare the meal. Apparently, this is how it will work all week, so that will be fun. Their hamburgers look different than ours - maybe it is a different meat - but they are a lighter color and very thin but bigger around. I dunno...I was pretty tired at this point - having not slept much the night before, so I tried to walk around a bit to wake up and move my body. It did help, so that was good.
After lunch, we headed to Kanyaka Homestead Historic Site. On the way, to pass time, Scooter had us all draw our country on our window with an "X" on the city we are from. Thankfully, someone had a map of the world, so my USA wasn't half bad looking.
Let me elaborate on the scenery now...It has changed quite drastically. It is nothing like where I have been for the last month. Everything is so dry and brown. Scooter says it only gets worse from here. You can tell where creeks used to be because there will be random areas of trees swerving along a path. Back in the late 1800's there was a major drought that left most of the area deserted and dried up on the creeks/rivers. Which brings us to Kanyaka. This area used to be a prosperous sheep farm with 40,000 sheep and 70 workers. In 1867, after many years of drought, almost 20,000 sheep died and only 15 workers remained. By the 1890's, the people just walked off the land and abandoned it because it could no longer be used. The land is still privately owned by the descendants of the people who bought it in the 1920's, but no one lives on it full time. All the sheep farms are much further south now - and yes, there were heaps of them we passed along the way this morning.
After walking around and taking pictures, we headed to the Yourambulla Caves Aboriginal Paintings. It was just a short 1km hike to a VERY steep flight of stairs. Up top was a small cave with Aboriginal paintings. It was nothing big and I wonder how anyone ever found it. Scooter says the paintings are elders leaving stories for the younger generations. But since it is all art work, no one but the author knows the whole story.
I must say that I hope things change on the trip. Scooter has done many of these tours, but he doesn't seem too excited about them. He doesn't have much input and he isn't very excited about what's going on. Knackers was a much better tour guide - so far. Maybe once we start seeing more things, it will be different.
After the caves, we headed to Parachilna for our overnight accommodation. Scooter told us the place was small, but I had no idea what he meant until we got there. Oh but first, on the way, we saw 2 wild emu and a dead emu being picked at by a Hedge-tailed eagle. we pulled over to take pictures of both, but I was on the other side of the bus, so I didn't get any. Also on the way, Scooter had all of us go to the front of the bus and say our name, age, how long we are traveling, what we do back home and our favorite drink - yup, we are in Australia! Most people are from Europe - UK, Ireland, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and France. A few are from Koreo and there is one other guy from the US - Seattle. He actually is originally from a small town in WI, so we had something to talk about while sitting at the pub this evening.
So Parachilna, Scooter wasn't lying. It is about the length of a football field - with a hotel and pub and our accommodation area. I'm not even sure why the town exists, but it must have been bigger at some other time. Scooter says 4 people live here, which I totally believe. There is a pool here, so some people went swimming before dinner and some of us helped prep then headed to the pub - there are 5 bar stools and that is it! I guess enough for all the locals and 1 extra for a guest! We are cooking a BBQ tonight. It is quite a "family" feeling because it will just be the 25 of us for the 5nights/ 6 days. Should be interesting...
Some things I've learned from the other 24 people...
1. You CAN get bed bites - 3 people here got them in hostels.
2. Most people don't put carrots in their salad and most salad dressing is oily.
3. There is no roll-on deodorant - it is all spray.
4. Aussies automatically get 4 weeks vacation if they work full-time. Much of Europe is like that too.
5. Everyone, but me, smokes!!!!
So dinner...I had kangaroo, emu and camel! I can't believe I tried it (can you?!?!), but I'm glad I did. The kanga and emu meat was quite good, but I did not like the camel sausage. I guess I have my limits. It was nice because we all sat around family style and ate. After cleanup, everyone headed to the pub and to watch the sunset. My first outback sunset - hard to describe, but something about it was just amazing! (No, I didn't see a flash...)
Monday, February 11, 2008
Adelaide
I left Melbourne yesterday and what an adventutre that was. Phil took me to the train station and I got a train to the Southern Cross Station in the city. Then I got on a bus that took me to the airport. I was there with time to spare, so I walked around and read a little. We boarded our flight, got out to the runway and then there was some mechanical difficulty, so we headed back to the gate. After 10 minutes, they told us the flight was cancelled, so we all had to go to baggage claim and then head back to check-in to get rebooked. Luckily, I got there fast and was able to get on the next flight out - which was in 15 minutes. So I had to rush through security (it is much easier than the US) and almost run to my flight. Of course once I got there, they hadn't even boarded yet, so I had plenty of time. We were about 30 minutes late, but atleast I got to Adelaide. All that tired me out though, so I checked in and went to bed at 9:30!
Ahh, to be back in a hostel. I have to say, I didn't miss it much at all. I feel very out of place in my room because the other 5 people in there are all from Germany. Mom, I so wish you taught me the language while growing up. I felt like I was in a nail salon - everyone talking in a different language and you can't help but wonder if it is about you!
Today I woke up and found a trail along the river running through town, so I went for a nice long run and explored some of the city. I enjoyed this run because once I start my outback trip tomorrow, who knows how long it will be until I get to run again! I left at 7:30am, so it was still cool out, but very sunny! It is so great to see the blue skies and sun again. The temperature was supposed to get to 25 today - and I'm sure it did because it was quite warm all day.
After breakfast and a call from Lisa (yeah!!! I was so happy to hear from her and talk to her -I miss my roomy!), I headed out on "The Walking Tour" my Lonely Planet book suggested. It was nice to walk around the city and see all the old buildings, gardens, government houses and churches. They call Adelaide the "City of Churches" and now I know why. You know how Starbucks is on every corner in America?!? Well some type of church seems to be on every corner here in Adelaide! It is a very beautiful town though - much smaller than Sydney or Melbourne. I saw most of it within 3 hours. Another great thing about this city is that the Art Gallery and SA Museum were both free, so I spent a little time in each. It was neat to see all the Aborignal things and read a little about the history of the people. Getting me ready for this week!
So on a side note, annoying thing happened today. I bought this camelback type thing in Melbourne and the stupid bladder inside the backpack kept leaking on me all day. So when I checked it in at the museum, they must have laid it down flat and when they gave it back to me it had leaked all over the place. It was funny, but I felt stupid when the guy handed it back to me and water was dripping all over the place. I guess I can laugh about it now though, so all is well! Hopefully I can fix it before I leave tomorrow.
After the Walking Tour, I got on the tram and headed down to Glenelg - the local beach. It is a short 25 minute tram ride, and very cheap. What a sight though when I got to the beach. The water was so clear and green and blue and all different colors. I could see for miles in each direction. It was beautiful. The sand was so white and grainy. Nothing like the sand at our beaches in San Diego. I spent some time laying out and reading and listening to music and it was just so peaceful. I wanted to go in the water, but it was actually cold. This better just be a south Australia thing because everyone keeps saying how warm the water here is, but I have yet to find it. I think I may have gotten a little sunburnt...you can't reach all the spots when you are alone! Hopefully it won't be too painful tomorrow. After sunbathing, I walked around the area and did some more sightseeing. There is the University of Adelaide in town, so you can tell the majority of people in the area are students. There was a lot of student housing around and most of the other people on the beach were students - it is Tuesday though, so I don't know why they weren't in school! :)
I took the tram back to the city and walked around some more to find somewhere to eat. I wanted something easy and lo and behold, I found a Mexican Take Away place. It is just like Chipotle, so I got their burrito thing and enjoyed every bite of it! I doubt I will get any Mexican food the at least the next 6 days, so it was nice to indulge.
Now I'm off to shower, pack and watch movies before I go to bed early. I have to get up at 5:45am for my tour tomorrow, so it will be a very long day. Because I will be in the outback, I have no idea how much internet or phone access I will have for the next 6 days. Don't fret if you haven't heard from me...I will catch everybody up once I get back to civilization.
Ahh, to be back in a hostel. I have to say, I didn't miss it much at all. I feel very out of place in my room because the other 5 people in there are all from Germany. Mom, I so wish you taught me the language while growing up. I felt like I was in a nail salon - everyone talking in a different language and you can't help but wonder if it is about you!
Today I woke up and found a trail along the river running through town, so I went for a nice long run and explored some of the city. I enjoyed this run because once I start my outback trip tomorrow, who knows how long it will be until I get to run again! I left at 7:30am, so it was still cool out, but very sunny! It is so great to see the blue skies and sun again. The temperature was supposed to get to 25 today - and I'm sure it did because it was quite warm all day.
After breakfast and a call from Lisa (yeah!!! I was so happy to hear from her and talk to her -I miss my roomy!), I headed out on "The Walking Tour" my Lonely Planet book suggested. It was nice to walk around the city and see all the old buildings, gardens, government houses and churches. They call Adelaide the "City of Churches" and now I know why. You know how Starbucks is on every corner in America?!? Well some type of church seems to be on every corner here in Adelaide! It is a very beautiful town though - much smaller than Sydney or Melbourne. I saw most of it within 3 hours. Another great thing about this city is that the Art Gallery and SA Museum were both free, so I spent a little time in each. It was neat to see all the Aborignal things and read a little about the history of the people. Getting me ready for this week!
So on a side note, annoying thing happened today. I bought this camelback type thing in Melbourne and the stupid bladder inside the backpack kept leaking on me all day. So when I checked it in at the museum, they must have laid it down flat and when they gave it back to me it had leaked all over the place. It was funny, but I felt stupid when the guy handed it back to me and water was dripping all over the place. I guess I can laugh about it now though, so all is well! Hopefully I can fix it before I leave tomorrow.
After the Walking Tour, I got on the tram and headed down to Glenelg - the local beach. It is a short 25 minute tram ride, and very cheap. What a sight though when I got to the beach. The water was so clear and green and blue and all different colors. I could see for miles in each direction. It was beautiful. The sand was so white and grainy. Nothing like the sand at our beaches in San Diego. I spent some time laying out and reading and listening to music and it was just so peaceful. I wanted to go in the water, but it was actually cold. This better just be a south Australia thing because everyone keeps saying how warm the water here is, but I have yet to find it. I think I may have gotten a little sunburnt...you can't reach all the spots when you are alone! Hopefully it won't be too painful tomorrow. After sunbathing, I walked around the area and did some more sightseeing. There is the University of Adelaide in town, so you can tell the majority of people in the area are students. There was a lot of student housing around and most of the other people on the beach were students - it is Tuesday though, so I don't know why they weren't in school! :)
I took the tram back to the city and walked around some more to find somewhere to eat. I wanted something easy and lo and behold, I found a Mexican Take Away place. It is just like Chipotle, so I got their burrito thing and enjoyed every bite of it! I doubt I will get any Mexican food the at least the next 6 days, so it was nice to indulge.
Now I'm off to shower, pack and watch movies before I go to bed early. I have to get up at 5:45am for my tour tomorrow, so it will be a very long day. Because I will be in the outback, I have no idea how much internet or phone access I will have for the next 6 days. Don't fret if you haven't heard from me...I will catch everybody up once I get back to civilization.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Healesville Sanctuary
Today was my last full day in Melbourne and it was sunny!!!!!!!! On Saturday, Trevor came and picked me up and brought me back to stay with he and Jill for my last couple of days. My time in Melbourne would have not been anywhere near as good as it has been without these two. They have been so welcoming and have taken such good care of me. I only met them once 9 years ago, but they have treated me like family. They really have gone out of their way to make my stay here a good one and I have been so lucky to be in their company.
Janet, Jill and I went to the movies yesterday while the guys played in their Pennant League Bowling game. After the movie, we headed to the club to watch the end of the games. It was fun because it is all an older crowd their (Jill, Trevor, Janet and Phil are part of the younger crew, so when I've been coming around, I think all the older men are looking at me like "Why is she here?!?")
After bowls, we met up with some of their extended family for a farewell dinner for their aunt. She headed back to England today. After dinner, when everyone headed to the Pokies and out for a smoke, I sat around with Trevor and Phil and watched the Pre-season opener for the Australian Rules League (footy). It was played in Dubai, but was on TV. They explained the game to me again and I really enjoyed watching it. I hope I get to see a few more games while I am here - maybe even at one of the stadiums.
On the way to the pub and back, I got more stories about their family and what a history they have. Jill, Janet, their Mum & Dad and five other brothers (including Mick - Kim's dad) all immigrated to Australia in the early 1960's. During this time, England had incentive programs for people to immigrate to Australia. Their family signed up and within a month left for the month long boat ride to Australia. They were picked so quickly because of the number of men in the family - add to the work force. The deal was that the whole family was able to make the trip for only 10 pounds, but they had to stay in Australia for at least 2 years. If they came back before them, they would have to repay the government the actual fare it would have cost them (obviously a lot more than 10 pounds). Quite a story and to think that only happened within the last 50 years. It just shows you how the young the country still is.
Today, Phil and Trevor had another bowls tournament and Janet was working at it, so Jill and I went to the Healesville Sanctuary. Trevor let me drive his car (Jill doesn't drive) - which apparently shocked everyone because the only other people he allows to drive his car are service people. I guess I felt a little special! The Healesville Sanctuary is a small scale zoo with a wildlife hospital and exhibits. It was a lot of fun to go to because we got to see some great animals and many of them were quite active. The most surprising were the Koalas. Two of them were actually awake and moving around and one even jumped from one branch to another - I had no idea they could jump!!!
The next highlight was when Jill put another tourist in his place at the kangaroo exhibit. You can actually walk into the enclosure and get pretty close to the kangaroos. There is just a rope that really separates you from them. Well there was this one guy that was yelling noises to the kangaroos to try and wake them up to look over at him for a picture. When that didn't work, he picked up the bark pieces on the ground and threw it at them. UNBELEIVABLE!!! Jill told him to stop and I was so glad she spoke up...some people are just so oblivious or stupid or whatever it is!
There were lots of birds at the sanctuary - oh yes, I was so excited (can you sense the sarcasm?!?). We did see about 6 pelicans though and at first I was excited because I actually love pelicans. But then they started walking over to us and flapping their wings and making noises and got really close. It freaked me out a bit, so I had to walk away. But I did manage to get a great picture of the pelican at full wing span, so check it out. We also went to a Parrots in Flight show - which wasn't too bad, but then we skipped the Birds of Prey show. I wasn't all that interested and Jill has seen it before.
It was a small sanctuary, but you really got to see a lot of great local animals and were able to get pretty close to them all.
I managed to get Trevor's car back home in one piece, so I think he was happy about that. Later tonight, the five of us went out for my farewell dinner and just sat around and chatted. I really do get along well with all of them and am so glad I have made such great new friends.
Janet, Jill and I went to the movies yesterday while the guys played in their Pennant League Bowling game. After the movie, we headed to the club to watch the end of the games. It was fun because it is all an older crowd their (Jill, Trevor, Janet and Phil are part of the younger crew, so when I've been coming around, I think all the older men are looking at me like "Why is she here?!?")
After bowls, we met up with some of their extended family for a farewell dinner for their aunt. She headed back to England today. After dinner, when everyone headed to the Pokies and out for a smoke, I sat around with Trevor and Phil and watched the Pre-season opener for the Australian Rules League (footy). It was played in Dubai, but was on TV. They explained the game to me again and I really enjoyed watching it. I hope I get to see a few more games while I am here - maybe even at one of the stadiums.
On the way to the pub and back, I got more stories about their family and what a history they have. Jill, Janet, their Mum & Dad and five other brothers (including Mick - Kim's dad) all immigrated to Australia in the early 1960's. During this time, England had incentive programs for people to immigrate to Australia. Their family signed up and within a month left for the month long boat ride to Australia. They were picked so quickly because of the number of men in the family - add to the work force. The deal was that the whole family was able to make the trip for only 10 pounds, but they had to stay in Australia for at least 2 years. If they came back before them, they would have to repay the government the actual fare it would have cost them (obviously a lot more than 10 pounds). Quite a story and to think that only happened within the last 50 years. It just shows you how the young the country still is.
Today, Phil and Trevor had another bowls tournament and Janet was working at it, so Jill and I went to the Healesville Sanctuary. Trevor let me drive his car (Jill doesn't drive) - which apparently shocked everyone because the only other people he allows to drive his car are service people. I guess I felt a little special! The Healesville Sanctuary is a small scale zoo with a wildlife hospital and exhibits. It was a lot of fun to go to because we got to see some great animals and many of them were quite active. The most surprising were the Koalas. Two of them were actually awake and moving around and one even jumped from one branch to another - I had no idea they could jump!!!
The next highlight was when Jill put another tourist in his place at the kangaroo exhibit. You can actually walk into the enclosure and get pretty close to the kangaroos. There is just a rope that really separates you from them. Well there was this one guy that was yelling noises to the kangaroos to try and wake them up to look over at him for a picture. When that didn't work, he picked up the bark pieces on the ground and threw it at them. UNBELEIVABLE!!! Jill told him to stop and I was so glad she spoke up...some people are just so oblivious or stupid or whatever it is!
There were lots of birds at the sanctuary - oh yes, I was so excited (can you sense the sarcasm?!?). We did see about 6 pelicans though and at first I was excited because I actually love pelicans. But then they started walking over to us and flapping their wings and making noises and got really close. It freaked me out a bit, so I had to walk away. But I did manage to get a great picture of the pelican at full wing span, so check it out. We also went to a Parrots in Flight show - which wasn't too bad, but then we skipped the Birds of Prey show. I wasn't all that interested and Jill has seen it before.
It was a small sanctuary, but you really got to see a lot of great local animals and were able to get pretty close to them all.
I managed to get Trevor's car back home in one piece, so I think he was happy about that. Later tonight, the five of us went out for my farewell dinner and just sat around and chatted. I really do get along well with all of them and am so glad I have made such great new friends.
Thursday, February 7, 2008
Marysville & Lake Mountain
Today, Janet & Phil (Kim & Fiona's other aunt and uncle) picked me up to take me to the Yarra Ranges National Park. We headed to Maryville - a small town up in the mountains about 30 minutes from Pakenham. It was still cold, foggy and rainy out, so I wasn't sure how the day was going to turn out or if we'd even be able to get out and enjoy the scenery.
We started at Stevenson Falls just outside Maryville. It is a large waterfall that is just a quick walk off the main road, so we made a stop and headed out to see the views. There was a 40 minute hike up to the top of the waterfall, so I headed up the steep climb to check out the views. The people who put the sign up that said "Steep Climb" were not kidding. It felt good though to get out there and hike for a bit.
Janet and Phil stayed at the bottom because Janet is not able to make the long walks. She had brain surgery about 4 years ago and has not been the same ever since. I give her a ton of credit though because she used to be really fit and active before the surgery and so it was difficult for her at first - and still is at times. She still does lawn bowling and tries to lead as normal a life as possible, but she is constantly dizzy and gets brain exhaustion when she exerts herself, so she has symptoms of burning heat sensations on the right side of the body, inablility to breathe and swallow and other things. Phil is also a treasure for her. He had to quit his job to take care of her full time and is pretty much at her beck and call since she can't drive and needs someone to walk with her half time she does anything. In fact, the first time she was left alone, she slipped and shattered her elbow. I can't believe what they have gone through in the last few years and how strong the two of them are with each other. Now that is true love and devotion.
After the falls, we went to a little coffee shop in town and got coffees and hot chocolate. I also had a scone - my first since I've been here. It is funny how popular scones, tarts, and pastries are here. Very different from America and Janet & Phil commented on that. They were in the states about 7 years ago and said they had such a hard time finding food because there were no bakeries around. They got a kick out of eating bagels everyday - those are not really part of the culture here. During our stop, we got to talking a lot about the difference in politics between the US and AUS. I like hanging out with the two of them because they like to talk about Australian things and explain the history of Australia to me. They also like to ask me questions about American culture, so it is fun to share stories with each other. I have also realized though that there is still so much about American I do not know and should know. I am proud to be American and I should be able to tell people from other countries about my home country. So there's a goal for when I get back to the US...
Next, we headed up to Lake Mountain - a small ski resort area northwest of Pakenham. It is one of the few areas that gets snow in Victoria, so it is a pretty popular area in the winter. It was deserted today, so we had the whole place to ourselves. There was a 4km scenic loop walk around the area, so Phil and I took off on the hike. Janet stuck around at the resort and waited for us to return. The walk had a bunch of lookouts, but since it was so foggy and misty, we didn't have that great of a view. The walk through the trees and mountains were really nice and peaceful though. It was so quiet up there - all you could hear were birds chirping.
Our next stop was to The Big Tree. The whole Maryville & Lake Mountain area is full of gum trees (eucylyptus) and sequoia like trees (I didn't know their real name) with huge trunks and when you look up you can barely see the top of the trees. The Big Tree is the tallest tree in Victoria. It was huge, but you can't drive a car through the trunk or anything...
After all our hikes and sightseeing, we stopped in Warburton to eat lunch - or actually afternoon tea since it was 3:30pm already. It was another small cute town in the area. I really loved being up in the Yarra Ranges since the scenes are incredible and there is such a small homey feeling in all the local towns. Warburton kind of reminded me of Nederland in Colorado - a lot of hippy and organic types in the area.
They took my home afterwards, but not after driving through the rest of the ranges. It is a good thing I don't get car sick because it was like driving up to Julian for 4 hours. I loved it!
We started at Stevenson Falls just outside Maryville. It is a large waterfall that is just a quick walk off the main road, so we made a stop and headed out to see the views. There was a 40 minute hike up to the top of the waterfall, so I headed up the steep climb to check out the views. The people who put the sign up that said "Steep Climb" were not kidding. It felt good though to get out there and hike for a bit.
Janet and Phil stayed at the bottom because Janet is not able to make the long walks. She had brain surgery about 4 years ago and has not been the same ever since. I give her a ton of credit though because she used to be really fit and active before the surgery and so it was difficult for her at first - and still is at times. She still does lawn bowling and tries to lead as normal a life as possible, but she is constantly dizzy and gets brain exhaustion when she exerts herself, so she has symptoms of burning heat sensations on the right side of the body, inablility to breathe and swallow and other things. Phil is also a treasure for her. He had to quit his job to take care of her full time and is pretty much at her beck and call since she can't drive and needs someone to walk with her half time she does anything. In fact, the first time she was left alone, she slipped and shattered her elbow. I can't believe what they have gone through in the last few years and how strong the two of them are with each other. Now that is true love and devotion.
After the falls, we went to a little coffee shop in town and got coffees and hot chocolate. I also had a scone - my first since I've been here. It is funny how popular scones, tarts, and pastries are here. Very different from America and Janet & Phil commented on that. They were in the states about 7 years ago and said they had such a hard time finding food because there were no bakeries around. They got a kick out of eating bagels everyday - those are not really part of the culture here. During our stop, we got to talking a lot about the difference in politics between the US and AUS. I like hanging out with the two of them because they like to talk about Australian things and explain the history of Australia to me. They also like to ask me questions about American culture, so it is fun to share stories with each other. I have also realized though that there is still so much about American I do not know and should know. I am proud to be American and I should be able to tell people from other countries about my home country. So there's a goal for when I get back to the US...
Next, we headed up to Lake Mountain - a small ski resort area northwest of Pakenham. It is one of the few areas that gets snow in Victoria, so it is a pretty popular area in the winter. It was deserted today, so we had the whole place to ourselves. There was a 4km scenic loop walk around the area, so Phil and I took off on the hike. Janet stuck around at the resort and waited for us to return. The walk had a bunch of lookouts, but since it was so foggy and misty, we didn't have that great of a view. The walk through the trees and mountains were really nice and peaceful though. It was so quiet up there - all you could hear were birds chirping.
Our next stop was to The Big Tree. The whole Maryville & Lake Mountain area is full of gum trees (eucylyptus) and sequoia like trees (I didn't know their real name) with huge trunks and when you look up you can barely see the top of the trees. The Big Tree is the tallest tree in Victoria. It was huge, but you can't drive a car through the trunk or anything...
After all our hikes and sightseeing, we stopped in Warburton to eat lunch - or actually afternoon tea since it was 3:30pm already. It was another small cute town in the area. I really loved being up in the Yarra Ranges since the scenes are incredible and there is such a small homey feeling in all the local towns. Warburton kind of reminded me of Nederland in Colorado - a lot of hippy and organic types in the area.
They took my home afterwards, but not after driving through the rest of the ranges. It is a good thing I don't get car sick because it was like driving up to Julian for 4 hours. I loved it!
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
The Great Ocean Road...
(Kristen's one day self-guided tour of the Great Ocean Rd. - similar to the drive up Big Sur)
5:30am wake up - I used to get up this early every day?!?!? How?!?!? Why?!?!?
Navigating back country roads while dark - Not that it is necessarily a difficult task, but when you have no idea where you are and are trying to remember to drive on the left side, it can be very interesting - especially driving on gravel roads through towns like Koo Wee Rup...
Radio Stations - I wasn't able to find Jeff & Jer, and the stations I did find weren't anything like it. I almost swerved off the road when I heard the guy say S*&t on there and then they played the Gold Digger song and did not omit the "N" word. And, tonight, the Australian soccer team is playing Qatar and the station had a whole segment on chants for the soccer match that totally put down Qatar people. You would never hear anything like that on American radio because the person would be fired the next day. I guess the sensors here are different than the ones in the US.
Road Signs - As I was about to fade off at 6:45am, out of no where I see a sign at the end of a driveway that said "Horse Poo - $1". The funny thing though is that I saw two others that were the same and another that said "Chicken Poo - $2". I guess chickens are worth more, but I'm not sure why. And then a sign that said "Drive on the left in Australia" - in fact, I saw about 50 of those signs all day.
Ferry ride - I made the decision to take the southern route in the morning so as to miss all the commuter traffice driving through the city. The ferry left Sorrento VIC and went across the southern most end of Port Phillip to Queenscliff VIC. It was pretty cool since I've never done something like that on my own. I was a little scared getting the car on the ferry since I was still trying to get used to the other side of the road.
Rain - Yup, it started raining when I got off the ferry - actually I think it was raining on the ferry, but I was inside.
Queenscliff to Torquay - The first stop on the Great Ocean Rd. was the town of Torquay, which is the surfing capital of Australia. The Surf Museum and headquarters for Quicksilver and RipCurl are located in the this city. It is definitely a surfer's town and even with the rain, it was fun to walk around and check things out and get a hot chocolate (I needed a pick me up). I also headed down to the beach and stuck my feet in the water - you know, to say I've been in the water down there! Even though it was cold out, the water was actually still a very nice temperature. If it wasn't raining, I would have gone for a swim. I didn't stay much longer, but of course as soon as I started to leave, it got sunny.
Torquay to Aireys Inlet - I took a quick detour from my route to check out the lighthouse on Airley Inlet. It was a nice little walk - especially after being in the car for a while. (Again, it started out cloudy here and was sunny as soon as I was getting ready to leave.) I wasn't able to go up in the lighthouse though because you have to book it in advance, so I just walked around and checked out the sights.
Airesy Inlet to Lorne - By this time, I had had enough of the car, so I walked the Cliff Walk in Lorne - another seaside escape along the Great Ocean Road. It started with the Swinging Bridge and yes, the bridge swung a little when you walked on it. The path was about a 4km walk out to the pier and back to where I started. There is a beach down there and a bunch of kids were learning how to surf, so it was fun to watch them. (Yup, rained at the beginning and sunny when I left - I must have been chasing the storm or something.)
Lorne to Apollo Bay - Great windy roads!!! The Corolla Ascent I was driving handled the turns beautifully, but again made me think of Vinny taking his motorcycle around this road. If it wasn't raining, it would have been a lot of fun on a bike. Apollo Bay is a small fishing town and since it was still drizzling, I decided to just drive through and only make a quick stop at the local wharf. The locals were friendly or wait, maybe they were laughing at the crazy tourist girl all by herself! :)
Apollo Bay to Cape Otways - More windy roads!!! This is where the Great Ocean Rd. goes from the coastal drive to a rainforest. It was sooooo green and the trees were huge. The best part though - as I am driving along, I see someone pulled over taking pictures up in a tree. I stop and what do you know, wild Koalas up in the trees! Just sleeping there, on the side of the road. As I continued on, I saw 4 more and then an adult and child (or whatever they are called) on a branch together. I was going to do the Otway Tree Top Walk, but since it all of a sudden became super foggy and I couldn't see anything more than 10 feet in front of me, I decided not to waste the time and money on something I wouldn't be able to enjoy anyway. So instead, I braved the twisty-turney roads in the dense fog and continued on.
Cape Otways to The Twelve Apostles - This was to be the first of the rock formations off the coast (and one of the 7 wonders of the world), but as I got closer and closer, I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to see them. All I could think was this fog better clear up because if I can't see the 12 Apostles I will be devastated - they were the main reason I wanted to take this day trip. So I got to the pullout for them and made the trek out to the lookout areas. As I got closer, I got a glimpse of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I don't know how to describe it and maybe I can't - maybe it is something you have to experience on your own. I tried to enjoy it as much as possible but with the rain, fog and heavy winds, it was difficult. The beauty of it though was well worth it.
On to Port Campbell - From there, I stopped at many lookout points to see all the rock formations along the coast. First it was The Archway and The Razorback, next was Loch and Gorge. Further down, I stopped for London Bridge and The Grotto. I will upload my pictures as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the weather was still foggy and raining, so the pictures aren't as good as some of the others I have seen where it is sunny. I still think the limestone formations are amazing - no matter what the weather is like.
Rainbows and Farms - After that, I decided it was time to head home. I was getting tired and had seen everything I wanted to see. It was still raining on and off as I was driving back, but every once in awhile, the clouds would part and I would see rainbows off in the distance. I also saw a lot of new places since I took a different way home and my oh my there are a ton of farms in this area. I don't think I've seen so many cows in one day (look Pat, DOWS!!!).
800km (approx. 500 miles), 15 hours, $12AUD in tolls, $50 in gas - After all that mileage and time, I made it back to Fiona's house. What a long day, but well worth it because the memories are priceless.
5:30am wake up - I used to get up this early every day?!?!? How?!?!? Why?!?!?
Navigating back country roads while dark - Not that it is necessarily a difficult task, but when you have no idea where you are and are trying to remember to drive on the left side, it can be very interesting - especially driving on gravel roads through towns like Koo Wee Rup...
Radio Stations - I wasn't able to find Jeff & Jer, and the stations I did find weren't anything like it. I almost swerved off the road when I heard the guy say S*&t on there and then they played the Gold Digger song and did not omit the "N" word. And, tonight, the Australian soccer team is playing Qatar and the station had a whole segment on chants for the soccer match that totally put down Qatar people. You would never hear anything like that on American radio because the person would be fired the next day. I guess the sensors here are different than the ones in the US.
Road Signs - As I was about to fade off at 6:45am, out of no where I see a sign at the end of a driveway that said "Horse Poo - $1". The funny thing though is that I saw two others that were the same and another that said "Chicken Poo - $2". I guess chickens are worth more, but I'm not sure why. And then a sign that said "Drive on the left in Australia" - in fact, I saw about 50 of those signs all day.
Ferry ride - I made the decision to take the southern route in the morning so as to miss all the commuter traffice driving through the city. The ferry left Sorrento VIC and went across the southern most end of Port Phillip to Queenscliff VIC. It was pretty cool since I've never done something like that on my own. I was a little scared getting the car on the ferry since I was still trying to get used to the other side of the road.
Rain - Yup, it started raining when I got off the ferry - actually I think it was raining on the ferry, but I was inside.
Queenscliff to Torquay - The first stop on the Great Ocean Rd. was the town of Torquay, which is the surfing capital of Australia. The Surf Museum and headquarters for Quicksilver and RipCurl are located in the this city. It is definitely a surfer's town and even with the rain, it was fun to walk around and check things out and get a hot chocolate (I needed a pick me up). I also headed down to the beach and stuck my feet in the water - you know, to say I've been in the water down there! Even though it was cold out, the water was actually still a very nice temperature. If it wasn't raining, I would have gone for a swim. I didn't stay much longer, but of course as soon as I started to leave, it got sunny.
Torquay to Aireys Inlet - I took a quick detour from my route to check out the lighthouse on Airley Inlet. It was a nice little walk - especially after being in the car for a while. (Again, it started out cloudy here and was sunny as soon as I was getting ready to leave.) I wasn't able to go up in the lighthouse though because you have to book it in advance, so I just walked around and checked out the sights.
Airesy Inlet to Lorne - By this time, I had had enough of the car, so I walked the Cliff Walk in Lorne - another seaside escape along the Great Ocean Road. It started with the Swinging Bridge and yes, the bridge swung a little when you walked on it. The path was about a 4km walk out to the pier and back to where I started. There is a beach down there and a bunch of kids were learning how to surf, so it was fun to watch them. (Yup, rained at the beginning and sunny when I left - I must have been chasing the storm or something.)
Lorne to Apollo Bay - Great windy roads!!! The Corolla Ascent I was driving handled the turns beautifully, but again made me think of Vinny taking his motorcycle around this road. If it wasn't raining, it would have been a lot of fun on a bike. Apollo Bay is a small fishing town and since it was still drizzling, I decided to just drive through and only make a quick stop at the local wharf. The locals were friendly or wait, maybe they were laughing at the crazy tourist girl all by herself! :)
Apollo Bay to Cape Otways - More windy roads!!! This is where the Great Ocean Rd. goes from the coastal drive to a rainforest. It was sooooo green and the trees were huge. The best part though - as I am driving along, I see someone pulled over taking pictures up in a tree. I stop and what do you know, wild Koalas up in the trees! Just sleeping there, on the side of the road. As I continued on, I saw 4 more and then an adult and child (or whatever they are called) on a branch together. I was going to do the Otway Tree Top Walk, but since it all of a sudden became super foggy and I couldn't see anything more than 10 feet in front of me, I decided not to waste the time and money on something I wouldn't be able to enjoy anyway. So instead, I braved the twisty-turney roads in the dense fog and continued on.
Cape Otways to The Twelve Apostles - This was to be the first of the rock formations off the coast (and one of the 7 wonders of the world), but as I got closer and closer, I wasn't even sure if I was going to be able to see them. All I could think was this fog better clear up because if I can't see the 12 Apostles I will be devastated - they were the main reason I wanted to take this day trip. So I got to the pullout for them and made the trek out to the lookout areas. As I got closer, I got a glimpse of the most amazing things I have ever seen. I don't know how to describe it and maybe I can't - maybe it is something you have to experience on your own. I tried to enjoy it as much as possible but with the rain, fog and heavy winds, it was difficult. The beauty of it though was well worth it.
On to Port Campbell - From there, I stopped at many lookout points to see all the rock formations along the coast. First it was The Archway and The Razorback, next was Loch and Gorge. Further down, I stopped for London Bridge and The Grotto. I will upload my pictures as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the weather was still foggy and raining, so the pictures aren't as good as some of the others I have seen where it is sunny. I still think the limestone formations are amazing - no matter what the weather is like.
Rainbows and Farms - After that, I decided it was time to head home. I was getting tired and had seen everything I wanted to see. It was still raining on and off as I was driving back, but every once in awhile, the clouds would part and I would see rainbows off in the distance. I also saw a lot of new places since I took a different way home and my oh my there are a ton of farms in this area. I don't think I've seen so many cows in one day (look Pat, DOWS!!!).
800km (approx. 500 miles), 15 hours, $12AUD in tolls, $50 in gas - After all that mileage and time, I made it back to Fiona's house. What a long day, but well worth it because the memories are priceless.
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