It was a long drive to get there, but it firmed my belief that a cycling holiday in Oz would be perfection. The cabins were gorgeous, with a clear view over the Blue Mountains and wallabies hopping around. We visited the caves and had a tour, and Dad George and I went for a bush walk to find a didgeridoo... no luck. It was a lovely trip, with great company and so relaxing. It was such a breath of fresh air not having to worry about where I would be sleeping/eating that day. Once back in Sydney Craig and Di challenged us to a day of bowling to celebrate Matthew's birthday. Thomas and Matthew are great kids, and I loved bowling and playing rugby with them... and they're both surprisingly good at it. Matthew's going to be a great halfback and Thomas takes no prisoners when he tackles. Believe me, I know. Craig also had some killer skills to show us with his remote controlled stunt plane. Makes me hope Dad will finally finish building a plane and make it last longer than one flight :P
All that's left for Australia is a flight... it was a sad moment saying goodbye. I really fell in love with Oz and will definitely be back!
Sunday, 30 August 2009
2nd -> 5th August (Sydney)
After a very easy flight, I caught Dad and George in the arrivals lounge in Sydney airport. This was a great achievement on Dad's part because I only emailed him my flight times and details that morning. haha! But he's good like that. It was great to see them again, especially as George was wearing the t-shirt and jeans I picked out for him when we went shopping and a leather jacket I'd given him. He also took my aviator sunglasses and put them on. He looked like Maveric, but it was very cute and flattering all the same.We headed back to Pom-Pom's old place and I was given some time to settle in.
The next day us three boys trekked out to the city. We parked up and walked over the bridge, an experience in itself, and visited the bridge museum. The Sydney boat show was on the week so we made our way through town towards the docks, visiting the Opera House, Botanical Gardens, Observation Tower and QVB on the way. Walking through the gardens I was amazed when a fruit bat the size of a golden eagle glided over my head and joined a few hundred others hanging from a tree... and there were a dozen other trees just as full. I couldn't believe how active they were in broad daylight. After a tour of the city and gawping at some boats, we visited the aquarium and I finally got to see a Dugong! I'd heard about them in Cape Tribulation but never saw one.
The next day Craig joined us for the Hallett Manly Beach trip, where we went to the famous pie shop for lunch. Aparently it was one of Pom-Pom's favourite walks, so it was nice to be there, but sad I didn't get to see him and tell him about my trip. I remembered being there before, and it was cool to see the pelicans again. As a kid I was seriously scared of by them... they were bigger than me... and I could see George was being a little wary :) That afternoon Dad treated us all to a hike up Harbour Bridge, and as we came down the sun dropped with us. Sydney looked amazing with the orange glow complementing the skyscraper shadows panning out over the city. An amazing experience I'd recommend to anyone. For some reason I thought I'd climbed the bridge before, but according to Dad I hadn't. Still, the guide presented me with my certificate telling me I was now a "Master Bridgeclimber". Sounded good to me, seeing as the others got a "First Timer's certificate" :D That night Lisa and Javier hosted us for dinner and we caught up on the goss and swapped stories. I loved catching up, they're lovely people and I was very excited that we were going on a trip together with Craig as well to Janolan Caves!
The next day us three boys trekked out to the city. We parked up and walked over the bridge, an experience in itself, and visited the bridge museum. The Sydney boat show was on the week so we made our way through town towards the docks, visiting the Opera House, Botanical Gardens, Observation Tower and QVB on the way. Walking through the gardens I was amazed when a fruit bat the size of a golden eagle glided over my head and joined a few hundred others hanging from a tree... and there were a dozen other trees just as full. I couldn't believe how active they were in broad daylight. After a tour of the city and gawping at some boats, we visited the aquarium and I finally got to see a Dugong! I'd heard about them in Cape Tribulation but never saw one.
The next day Craig joined us for the Hallett Manly Beach trip, where we went to the famous pie shop for lunch. Aparently it was one of Pom-Pom's favourite walks, so it was nice to be there, but sad I didn't get to see him and tell him about my trip. I remembered being there before, and it was cool to see the pelicans again. As a kid I was seriously scared of by them... they were bigger than me... and I could see George was being a little wary :) That afternoon Dad treated us all to a hike up Harbour Bridge, and as we came down the sun dropped with us. Sydney looked amazing with the orange glow complementing the skyscraper shadows panning out over the city. An amazing experience I'd recommend to anyone. For some reason I thought I'd climbed the bridge before, but according to Dad I hadn't. Still, the guide presented me with my certificate telling me I was now a "Master Bridgeclimber". Sounded good to me, seeing as the others got a "First Timer's certificate" :D That night Lisa and Javier hosted us for dinner and we caught up on the goss and swapped stories. I loved catching up, they're lovely people and I was very excited that we were going on a trip together with Craig as well to Janolan Caves!
Sunday, 16 August 2009
26th July -> 1st August (Cairns and Scuba Diving)
When I got back to Cairns I booked by scuba diving for a couple of days time and booked a tablelands tour for the day aswell. The tour was ok, not that great due to weather (constant rain) but it was better than doing nothing. The best bit was a stop at a chocolate and cheese factory. Free tastings of everything (made me very happy) and we got to see the factory itself and the cows. I grew quite fond of a baby calf, mainly because it didn't have any teeth and the longest tounge I have ever seen. lol. The day after I hung out with the old crowd for the day and said goodbye to Fanely (I was on the boat for 5 days).
The next morning it was an early wake up: 7:00 meeting by the boat. The bonus was an incusive breakfast: bacon and egg bap :) The boat we were on for the morning was for the day trippers; everyone staying longer was transferred before lunch time onto a bigger boat. This was my home for 5 days, and it was better than I could have asked for. The crew were amazing, and it was a really spacious beautiful boat. When we weren't diving we were either chilling out in the lounge area, chilling out on the upper deck, or eating some of the most amazing food. The y also had a didge onboard, which I took great pleasure in playing and teaching others to play. The cook was a legend and being me I instantly became friends with the cook through my continuous requests for seconds. At first I thought I was being a little cheeky, but I was soon to find out how much food was left over after each meal!
Visibility underwater was poor to say the least. For the 5 days I was on the boat it rained every day. There were patches of sunshine inbetween, sometimes a few hours, but it was mostly wind and rain. It was a shame because what I did see was fantastic, and it would have been a dream to be down there in perfect weather. At the same time, I did have some amazing moments due to the conditions. One that sticks in mind was when I saw a napoleon fish swimming past me around 6 metres above my head. (A napoleon fish is a giant fish 1-2m long with a hump on it's head). It was beautiful because I could only make out it's silhouette against the sky due to the sediment blocking any detailed viewing. I had only admired the sighting for a moment when eight more napoleons came swimming behind the first. It was beautiful. one of the best things about scuba is the lack of sound. It's very slow and peaceful. I did around 14 dives in 5 days and saw so many amazing things: I saw napoleon fish, lion fish (red ones and black ones), groupers, Christmas tree worms, green turtles, parrot fish, wrass, angel fish, clown fish, sea cucumbers, urchins, shrimp, sting rays and a cuttle fish to name a few. No sharks, but I saw them in Thailand :)
After three days, my jolly "guest" status was no more, and I became a "hostie". This was a deal I'd struck with the boat that allowed me to stay on two more days in return for some work. Basically I would serve, clean and organise breakfast lunch and dinner, clean bathroom, make beds and do some laundry each day in return for accommodation on the boat, three meals a day and three dives a day as well; a deal worth $120 a day. I was happy, and the work was actually better than being a guest. I had an amazing team behind me and we made it so much fun! We would sing and dance and play stupid games while we were working and I loved every moment of it. I also got a hell of a lot done, and the crew really appreciated it: when I left they said if I every wanted a job in Cairns I should drop into the office and they'd give me one as a crew member :) Bingo! Next summer's organised already then :)
My favourite time on the boat was actually clearing up dinner. Sounds strange, but we would all pitch in (except this one guy and his gf, from Germany, they were lazy &*)%%# to say the least, but the crew knew it) and we would sing and dance and eat the left overs. Sometimes we fed the fish off the side of the boat, and they were big fish! After all of the clearing up we were then allowed to take as much food as we wanted (YES!) and sit down to eat, and we'd earned it. We would then do our night dive and be back in time to serve and eat dessert :D
The night diving was fun, but not that much going on. I know it may sound obvious... but everything's asleep! The best thing was seeing the silhouette of my buddy ahead of me with only the torch light ahead. The other memorable thing underwater was one particular wrass. At around 10cm long Pill the wrass (yes he was famous on the boat) wasn't the scariest of fish, but he had a trick. There was a place we dived called the Coral Gardens, and if a man would kneel down in the small sandy patch in the middle of the coral, Phil saw his chance. This little Bas---d apparently had a taste for ear hair, and would dig deep to get at it. Now when I knelt down Phil came a-swooping and went for a proper mining expedition. It felt like I had burst an eardrum... my regulator came shooting out of my mouth when I screamed in pain and I had to grab it quickly to breathe. Panick stricken, I swam away very fast and finished my dive in a flustered state. When I got up onto the boat, I told everyone about my experience, and they were all like "Oh, yeah, that's Phil... does it all the time." I was shocked! Could they not have warned me! "Do not kneel in the sand patch!!" or something to that effect. My ear hurt for 48 hours after that, it was so painful. 24 hours and 4 neurofen after it happened, we dived the same reef, and I told myself to avoid that sandy patch at all costs. Some how, twenty minutes in, I thought to myself "this area's pretty... I've been here before... I know that patch of sand... I recognise that wrass... the bugger's coming straight for me!" Like a bat out of hell, no jokes, the little fella was darting straight for me. I had been clever, and put my mask straps over my ears just in case, but none the less I was freaked. I started swimming away. He was still following. I swam faster. He was gaining. I eventually had to bat him away before he gave up the pursuit! He liked our first encounter, he was coming for seconds. The two girls I was diving with were fine, Phil doesn't go for girls... hence the theory that he likes ear hair. They found the whole thing hilarious, and so did the crew when they told them about my little friend's attempts.
All in all I had a great time on the boat, the best time, and I was honestly heartbreaking to leave. I left a lot of good friends behind there. The only disappointment was not eating Phil, but I'll be back, and I'm bringing a harpoon.
Back on land I met up with Fanely and the Cairns crew for one more day before my flight to Sydney. In another random coincidence we bumped into two girls we'd met on Mission Beach, and they tagged along for the evening. A few drinks at a posh lounge bar a friend worked at followed by a trek out of town to Noah's basement... sounds dodgy I know, but we had an awesome time having a house party in the basement listening to old school rock metal. Fanely and I walked back in the early morning to catch some sleep before I had to fly. I left for the airport at midday, leaving an upset Fanely behind, but we're still in contact and she's invited me snowboarding with her near where she lives... I knew there was a reason I chose a French girl :)
The next morning it was an early wake up: 7:00 meeting by the boat. The bonus was an incusive breakfast: bacon and egg bap :) The boat we were on for the morning was for the day trippers; everyone staying longer was transferred before lunch time onto a bigger boat. This was my home for 5 days, and it was better than I could have asked for. The crew were amazing, and it was a really spacious beautiful boat. When we weren't diving we were either chilling out in the lounge area, chilling out on the upper deck, or eating some of the most amazing food. The y also had a didge onboard, which I took great pleasure in playing and teaching others to play. The cook was a legend and being me I instantly became friends with the cook through my continuous requests for seconds. At first I thought I was being a little cheeky, but I was soon to find out how much food was left over after each meal!
Visibility underwater was poor to say the least. For the 5 days I was on the boat it rained every day. There were patches of sunshine inbetween, sometimes a few hours, but it was mostly wind and rain. It was a shame because what I did see was fantastic, and it would have been a dream to be down there in perfect weather. At the same time, I did have some amazing moments due to the conditions. One that sticks in mind was when I saw a napoleon fish swimming past me around 6 metres above my head. (A napoleon fish is a giant fish 1-2m long with a hump on it's head). It was beautiful because I could only make out it's silhouette against the sky due to the sediment blocking any detailed viewing. I had only admired the sighting for a moment when eight more napoleons came swimming behind the first. It was beautiful. one of the best things about scuba is the lack of sound. It's very slow and peaceful. I did around 14 dives in 5 days and saw so many amazing things: I saw napoleon fish, lion fish (red ones and black ones), groupers, Christmas tree worms, green turtles, parrot fish, wrass, angel fish, clown fish, sea cucumbers, urchins, shrimp, sting rays and a cuttle fish to name a few. No sharks, but I saw them in Thailand :)
After three days, my jolly "guest" status was no more, and I became a "hostie". This was a deal I'd struck with the boat that allowed me to stay on two more days in return for some work. Basically I would serve, clean and organise breakfast lunch and dinner, clean bathroom, make beds and do some laundry each day in return for accommodation on the boat, three meals a day and three dives a day as well; a deal worth $120 a day. I was happy, and the work was actually better than being a guest. I had an amazing team behind me and we made it so much fun! We would sing and dance and play stupid games while we were working and I loved every moment of it. I also got a hell of a lot done, and the crew really appreciated it: when I left they said if I every wanted a job in Cairns I should drop into the office and they'd give me one as a crew member :) Bingo! Next summer's organised already then :)
My favourite time on the boat was actually clearing up dinner. Sounds strange, but we would all pitch in (except this one guy and his gf, from Germany, they were lazy &*)%%# to say the least, but the crew knew it) and we would sing and dance and eat the left overs. Sometimes we fed the fish off the side of the boat, and they were big fish! After all of the clearing up we were then allowed to take as much food as we wanted (YES!) and sit down to eat, and we'd earned it. We would then do our night dive and be back in time to serve and eat dessert :D
The night diving was fun, but not that much going on. I know it may sound obvious... but everything's asleep! The best thing was seeing the silhouette of my buddy ahead of me with only the torch light ahead. The other memorable thing underwater was one particular wrass. At around 10cm long Pill the wrass (yes he was famous on the boat) wasn't the scariest of fish, but he had a trick. There was a place we dived called the Coral Gardens, and if a man would kneel down in the small sandy patch in the middle of the coral, Phil saw his chance. This little Bas---d apparently had a taste for ear hair, and would dig deep to get at it. Now when I knelt down Phil came a-swooping and went for a proper mining expedition. It felt like I had burst an eardrum... my regulator came shooting out of my mouth when I screamed in pain and I had to grab it quickly to breathe. Panick stricken, I swam away very fast and finished my dive in a flustered state. When I got up onto the boat, I told everyone about my experience, and they were all like "Oh, yeah, that's Phil... does it all the time." I was shocked! Could they not have warned me! "Do not kneel in the sand patch!!" or something to that effect. My ear hurt for 48 hours after that, it was so painful. 24 hours and 4 neurofen after it happened, we dived the same reef, and I told myself to avoid that sandy patch at all costs. Some how, twenty minutes in, I thought to myself "this area's pretty... I've been here before... I know that patch of sand... I recognise that wrass... the bugger's coming straight for me!" Like a bat out of hell, no jokes, the little fella was darting straight for me. I had been clever, and put my mask straps over my ears just in case, but none the less I was freaked. I started swimming away. He was still following. I swam faster. He was gaining. I eventually had to bat him away before he gave up the pursuit! He liked our first encounter, he was coming for seconds. The two girls I was diving with were fine, Phil doesn't go for girls... hence the theory that he likes ear hair. They found the whole thing hilarious, and so did the crew when they told them about my little friend's attempts.
All in all I had a great time on the boat, the best time, and I was honestly heartbreaking to leave. I left a lot of good friends behind there. The only disappointment was not eating Phil, but I'll be back, and I'm bringing a harpoon.
Back on land I met up with Fanely and the Cairns crew for one more day before my flight to Sydney. In another random coincidence we bumped into two girls we'd met on Mission Beach, and they tagged along for the evening. A few drinks at a posh lounge bar a friend worked at followed by a trek out of town to Noah's basement... sounds dodgy I know, but we had an awesome time having a house party in the basement listening to old school rock metal. Fanely and I walked back in the early morning to catch some sleep before I had to fly. I left for the airport at midday, leaving an upset Fanely behind, but we're still in contact and she's invited me snowboarding with her near where she lives... I knew there was a reason I chose a French girl :)
Saturday, 15 August 2009
22nd -> 25th July (Mission Beach)
Mission Beach was probably the best destination, because it's relaxed, fun attitude came just at the right time. Fanely and I had hitch hiked to a town called Tully, 30 kilometers from Mission Beach, and it was now 8:00pm. The guy who gave us a lift had also given us a warning not to stay out in the dark too long as there had been some bashings recently in the town. Gulp. I decided it was best to wait in the service station up the road a bit and ask if anyone was going our way... but as soon as Fanely put her thumb out a woman driving a 4x4 full of potted plants pulled up and said "Yeah, I live on Mission Beach, hop in!" We had been very lucky up until now with rides, but that was pure fluke! She was a lovely lady and stopped off at a banana plantation and baught some 'pick your own' bananas for us (one of which was a DOUBLE BANANA!!!!) and then gave us a guided tour of Mission Beach before dropping us at one of the two hostels on Mission beach. The guided tour consisted of two restaurants, another hostel, the beach and a petrol station. That was it for Mission Beach, But the reason for it being so great was the Hostel, and the enormous and gorgeous beach.
We walked into the hostel and sat down for a bit. It was called Scotty's, and it was more of a holiday complex than a hostel. It was a series of bungalows joined in a ring around a grass area with palm trees and a swimming pool! Hammocks included! It was gorgeous. That night there was a fireshow going on in the hostel, but one of the performers hadn't turned up. So, with my mountains of experience and showmanship I offered to stand in, and I did pretty well (did all the tricks the woman could do... haha). We spent that night chilling and drinking in the hostel and got to know some awesome people. At the end of the night Fanely and I grabbed our bags and headed for the beach. Fanely had a tent, so we found a hidden area and pitched our tent for a free night. The morning after was worth the hastle... the beach was spotless and the water was smooth as ice. I opened the tent as the sun came up and sat on the beach watching the sun bounce off the small ripples of the water. It was bliss. Absolute silence matched with the tranquility of the water. After a while basking in the solitude we whipped out the didge and broke the silence. We played all morning, and practiced Poi for the onlookers passing by.
Our playing was halted though when a serious looking man asked us to move off the beach, as it was now a landing strip... confused, we moved out of self-preservation. A sat by the trees at the beach edge. A few minutes later a parachuter swooped down from the sky and glided along the wet sand with both feet before stopping and lowering his parachute. He was wearing a helmet, with a camera stuck to the side of it. Another three came down and did the same thing, and were soon followed by four tandem skydivers. It was only once they had all landed that we noticed the skydivers were some of our friends from the night before. We went to chat, and they were all a bit spaced out. The sky dive was from 12,000ft which included a 45 second free fall. They were grinning from ear to ear, and a month later I would understand why, because I would be doing a sky dive in the NZ mountains.
That night I stayed in Scotty's. We had slept in the tent for four nights and I was looking forward to a real bed. That night there was a massive bonfire on the beach, with everyone invited... even the people from the other hostel! Every backpacker on Mission beach was there chatting away by the fire, at least 70 of us. There was beer, wine, a guitar and speakers all getting us in the mood. We swam, we sang, we danced around the fire and kept it up long into the night until it rained. Everyone scattered. It was monsoon size rain drops, soaking you through with one hit. After 10 seconds of it we were soaked so gave up running and skipped home in a long line singing "Singin' in the rain". I'm very glad there weren't many locals. Once back at the hostel we were still partying so we swam in the pool and played music and the girls went off to sing Madonna songs in the girls toilets.
In the morning everyone was a little slow, but we had to check out by 10am, so there was no long lie in for us. I went to the desk and it was only then that I noticed that the whole staff of the hostel had been out partying as well. There was me thinking "I hope we don't get chucked out for making noise and swimming in the pool well past the 11 o'clock curfew" and half the people doing it were the staff members! We were lucky that morning (again)... a friend was driving to Cairns that same morning. So off we went.
We walked into the hostel and sat down for a bit. It was called Scotty's, and it was more of a holiday complex than a hostel. It was a series of bungalows joined in a ring around a grass area with palm trees and a swimming pool! Hammocks included! It was gorgeous. That night there was a fireshow going on in the hostel, but one of the performers hadn't turned up. So, with my mountains of experience and showmanship I offered to stand in, and I did pretty well (did all the tricks the woman could do... haha). We spent that night chilling and drinking in the hostel and got to know some awesome people. At the end of the night Fanely and I grabbed our bags and headed for the beach. Fanely had a tent, so we found a hidden area and pitched our tent for a free night. The morning after was worth the hastle... the beach was spotless and the water was smooth as ice. I opened the tent as the sun came up and sat on the beach watching the sun bounce off the small ripples of the water. It was bliss. Absolute silence matched with the tranquility of the water. After a while basking in the solitude we whipped out the didge and broke the silence. We played all morning, and practiced Poi for the onlookers passing by.
Our playing was halted though when a serious looking man asked us to move off the beach, as it was now a landing strip... confused, we moved out of self-preservation. A sat by the trees at the beach edge. A few minutes later a parachuter swooped down from the sky and glided along the wet sand with both feet before stopping and lowering his parachute. He was wearing a helmet, with a camera stuck to the side of it. Another three came down and did the same thing, and were soon followed by four tandem skydivers. It was only once they had all landed that we noticed the skydivers were some of our friends from the night before. We went to chat, and they were all a bit spaced out. The sky dive was from 12,000ft which included a 45 second free fall. They were grinning from ear to ear, and a month later I would understand why, because I would be doing a sky dive in the NZ mountains.
That night I stayed in Scotty's. We had slept in the tent for four nights and I was looking forward to a real bed. That night there was a massive bonfire on the beach, with everyone invited... even the people from the other hostel! Every backpacker on Mission beach was there chatting away by the fire, at least 70 of us. There was beer, wine, a guitar and speakers all getting us in the mood. We swam, we sang, we danced around the fire and kept it up long into the night until it rained. Everyone scattered. It was monsoon size rain drops, soaking you through with one hit. After 10 seconds of it we were soaked so gave up running and skipped home in a long line singing "Singin' in the rain". I'm very glad there weren't many locals. Once back at the hostel we were still partying so we swam in the pool and played music and the girls went off to sing Madonna songs in the girls toilets.
In the morning everyone was a little slow, but we had to check out by 10am, so there was no long lie in for us. I went to the desk and it was only then that I noticed that the whole staff of the hostel had been out partying as well. There was me thinking "I hope we don't get chucked out for making noise and swimming in the pool well past the 11 o'clock curfew" and half the people doing it were the staff members! We were lucky that morning (again)... a friend was driving to Cairns that same morning. So off we went.
17th -> 21st July (Magnetic Island)
Jake's car was... an antique... but it was a fun ride :) The drive was over 4 hours and we listened to rock music most of the way. It was great. Windows down, iced coffee in hand and one of the most beautiful roads I've been on stretching out in front of us. It was amazing to have the sea to the left of us, the tablelands to the right and farmland surrounding us as we drove down the straight road. All the way to Townsville the side of the road changed from banana plantation to sugarcane field around every 40 minutes, separated by a few minutes in a town or village. I loved it.
We arrived in Townsville, waved goodbye to Jake and headed for the dock. Townsville seemed well groomed but nothing seemed to have any character... so we didn't hang around. On the ferry across to Magnetic Island Fanely and I were reading a map and getting a little worried about how to get to a backpackers to drop off our bags (the nearest one to the ferry was a 3k walk... fine with my bag but not Fanely's). She spotted a guy with a 4x4 and went to ask for a lift while I started chatting to a pair of English girls. I came away with success :) They had a camper van with room. Score!
The four of us ended up staying in Base Backpackers, on the south coast of the island. It was a nice place, with a big bar area, but they charged us $12.50 each to pitch up a tent! Not best pleased we all then joined in the $10 dollar all you can eat BBQ on the same ticket. hahaha! That'll teach them. After eating 3 or 4 plates of meat (can't remember how many) we chilled at the bar and met the locals. It had become common practice by this stage, it just felt natural to sit at a table full of strangers and chat away... not like home. I'll definitely try it when I get home, but I don't think it'll be the same. The next morning we still felt cheated by the camping fee so we stayed another night without paying. hahaha! Teaching them twice!
The island is amazing, I loved it, and I will go back again. It was full of amazing walks that take you through the bush, onto beaches, over rocks and up to the highest places on the island. It was a stunning island and the weather was perfect. The best part for me was the wildlife. I saw Akidnas, Koalas, lorakeets, cockatoos, a red tailed black cockatoo, rock wallabies, lizards and sea eagles to mention a few. I was loving it!
For our third night Fanely and I hitch hiked up to the north of the island and stayed at a place I was dying to go: Koala village. It was an open plan camping area with, yes you guessed it, lots of wildlife. We met two girls from Sydney and spent the day on the beach, walking in the bush and fishing. That night we sat out in a group of six eating dinner and three possums came down from the trees to suss us out. they obviously knew it was food time! But we weren't eating a lot: we had booked in for a Bush tucker breakfast for the morning, all you can eat :) my favourite. I havn't eaten like that ever since!
Sadly it was time to leave and we headed back to Townsville and stayed in a backpackers ready to hitch hike in the morning. It was the most dull place I visited. The people in the hostel were great, and the marina was beautiful but no character or spirit in the place. So we left early the next morning for magnetic island. But to complicate things, Fanely decided to buy a didgeridoo... a great idea, and great fun (we'd been playing other people's didges everywhere we went) but it did make hitch hiking a little harder...
We arrived in Townsville, waved goodbye to Jake and headed for the dock. Townsville seemed well groomed but nothing seemed to have any character... so we didn't hang around. On the ferry across to Magnetic Island Fanely and I were reading a map and getting a little worried about how to get to a backpackers to drop off our bags (the nearest one to the ferry was a 3k walk... fine with my bag but not Fanely's). She spotted a guy with a 4x4 and went to ask for a lift while I started chatting to a pair of English girls. I came away with success :) They had a camper van with room. Score!
The four of us ended up staying in Base Backpackers, on the south coast of the island. It was a nice place, with a big bar area, but they charged us $12.50 each to pitch up a tent! Not best pleased we all then joined in the $10 dollar all you can eat BBQ on the same ticket. hahaha! That'll teach them. After eating 3 or 4 plates of meat (can't remember how many) we chilled at the bar and met the locals. It had become common practice by this stage, it just felt natural to sit at a table full of strangers and chat away... not like home. I'll definitely try it when I get home, but I don't think it'll be the same. The next morning we still felt cheated by the camping fee so we stayed another night without paying. hahaha! Teaching them twice!
The island is amazing, I loved it, and I will go back again. It was full of amazing walks that take you through the bush, onto beaches, over rocks and up to the highest places on the island. It was a stunning island and the weather was perfect. The best part for me was the wildlife. I saw Akidnas, Koalas, lorakeets, cockatoos, a red tailed black cockatoo, rock wallabies, lizards and sea eagles to mention a few. I was loving it!
For our third night Fanely and I hitch hiked up to the north of the island and stayed at a place I was dying to go: Koala village. It was an open plan camping area with, yes you guessed it, lots of wildlife. We met two girls from Sydney and spent the day on the beach, walking in the bush and fishing. That night we sat out in a group of six eating dinner and three possums came down from the trees to suss us out. they obviously knew it was food time! But we weren't eating a lot: we had booked in for a Bush tucker breakfast for the morning, all you can eat :) my favourite. I havn't eaten like that ever since!
Sadly it was time to leave and we headed back to Townsville and stayed in a backpackers ready to hitch hike in the morning. It was the most dull place I visited. The people in the hostel were great, and the marina was beautiful but no character or spirit in the place. So we left early the next morning for magnetic island. But to complicate things, Fanely decided to buy a didgeridoo... a great idea, and great fun (we'd been playing other people's didges everywhere we went) but it did make hitch hiking a little harder...
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
14th -> 16th July (Cape Tribulation)
This was the closest to the wild Australia I got, and I loved it. The bus ride there took us to a few stops on the way: a rainforest walk, a mangrove swamp and boardwalk, a creek that was sacred to local Aboriginals (and I could see why) and an animal sanctuary for animals injured by human activity. There was a giant croc in the sanctuary as well as others... I just hope it was hurt by a boat rather than a car... otherwise I'm worried!
Once we got to Cape Trib it was awesome. Fanely and I stayed in a backpackers called PK's, in the middle of the forest, but only 200 metres from the beach. We instantly met a new croud and went for gorge walks (with wild crocs) and explored the various beaches. That night a group of us decided to go to the beach to start a bonfire, and Fanely had a torch. We were halfway there when we saw some silhouettes (can't spell) in the distance. A group of Americans (had to be) had tried to make their was to the beach guided by the lights from their lighter... and run out of gas... Now to make this clear, it wasn't a road, or a tarmac paths to the beach, it was a thin board walk over mangrove swamps to get to the beach. In other words we called them various words all meaning 'idiot' had a good giggle and they joined us for the ngiht. They also had a pile of firewood so it was a good coinsidence.
The next day we walked, talked, beached and sunned our selves and a few of us went sea kayaking on possibly the windiest day for months. Some people found it a bit too hard, but I loved it! Crashing over the waves and flying over waves and slapping back down on the otherside just to do it all again. It was a guided trip, so we went to a secluded beach and walked to a summit and looking out over the sea, beautiful.
After a brilliant excape from the city, it was over in three days and we headed back to Cairns, but not for long. Fanely and I had enjoyed the romantic side of the beach walks and decided to continue together to Mission beach and Magnetic island. A guy, named Jake, who we met in Cape Trib was driving to Townsville (a ferry ride away from magnetic island) in a few days, so our plan was set.
Once we got to Cape Trib it was awesome. Fanely and I stayed in a backpackers called PK's, in the middle of the forest, but only 200 metres from the beach. We instantly met a new croud and went for gorge walks (with wild crocs) and explored the various beaches. That night a group of us decided to go to the beach to start a bonfire, and Fanely had a torch. We were halfway there when we saw some silhouettes (can't spell) in the distance. A group of Americans (had to be) had tried to make their was to the beach guided by the lights from their lighter... and run out of gas... Now to make this clear, it wasn't a road, or a tarmac paths to the beach, it was a thin board walk over mangrove swamps to get to the beach. In other words we called them various words all meaning 'idiot' had a good giggle and they joined us for the ngiht. They also had a pile of firewood so it was a good coinsidence.
The next day we walked, talked, beached and sunned our selves and a few of us went sea kayaking on possibly the windiest day for months. Some people found it a bit too hard, but I loved it! Crashing over the waves and flying over waves and slapping back down on the otherside just to do it all again. It was a guided trip, so we went to a secluded beach and walked to a summit and looking out over the sea, beautiful.
After a brilliant excape from the city, it was over in three days and we headed back to Cairns, but not for long. Fanely and I had enjoyed the romantic side of the beach walks and decided to continue together to Mission beach and Magnetic island. A guy, named Jake, who we met in Cape Trib was driving to Townsville (a ferry ride away from magnetic island) in a few days, so our plan was set.
8th -> 13th July (Cairns)
Hello Everyone!
So, it's a bit late, but I'm going to try and blast out all the information (I can remember) about Aus! So here goes.
As soon as I landed in Cairns it was all fairly straight forward, and I got on a bus to the city centre. The bus was full of backpackers already booked into various accomodation around the city, so I had a good tour of the place before we stopped outside Giligans, the place Mum had been recommended. A few people were heading there so we chatted and I had a look inside. It was nice... almost too nice. I was informed later on in my stay that Giligans is refered to as the "flashpackers" of Cairns; it's for people who want to think they're doing the backpacker thing, but with a hotel style room and top facilities. It was minimum $30 a night for a 10 person dorm... not my budget. So I crossed the road and went to Corona's Backpackers. It was so much better! 4 dorm rooms and a kitchen. All you need, and the people were the best I could have hoped for. (the other thing was, with Giligan's next door, we could go and use their games room / pool / bar / TV room when ever we wanted!)
As soon as a booked in I was practically assulted by the extremely friendly and sociable Noah who would turn out to be the highlight of my stay: wherever he was, there was a hell of an experience to be had. He has travelled for 4 years, acting, doing bar work and cleaning, even modelling in europe. And now he was in Aus, with no job and $200 dollars left in the world. Good fun :)
It was with Noah and a sturdy group of around 20 guys and gals that I spent many days chilling by the waterfront in a place called "the Lagoon" and many nights in the small but packed clubs and bars of Cairns. One faitful night we were all out on the stairs (the best venue in Northers Australia) having a few drinks and chatting, when one of the girls started doing all the guy's make up. Going back a step... the stairs were really, just some stairs in Corona's, but people from all over would come there with boxes of goon (wine) to drink and share stories! So to cut the story short, we all went clubbing looking like trannies.
This went on for longer that I had intended... chilling in the day with some sun, and going out to varying quality bars. The best bit was the day time. At the Lagoon people would share everything. Food, stories, books and tallent. For a few days we hung out with a guy who had a tightrope, then some Thai guys with Poi and fire sticks. And every other person had a guitar! There was beach volleyball, an open dock (you could go onto people's boats and chat) and so many friendly faces.
Another perk of Cairns was the free dinners :) three places offered free dinners if you had vouchers (just needed to know where to get them) so some days (most) we would skip breakfast and lunch and have three dinners :) Anyway, after a while I decided enogh was enough and I wanted to go explore. Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation were next on the list, and a French girl called Fanely decided she was keen too. So we headed off together, and ended up travelling a lot together over the next few weeks.
So, it's a bit late, but I'm going to try and blast out all the information (I can remember) about Aus! So here goes.
As soon as I landed in Cairns it was all fairly straight forward, and I got on a bus to the city centre. The bus was full of backpackers already booked into various accomodation around the city, so I had a good tour of the place before we stopped outside Giligans, the place Mum had been recommended. A few people were heading there so we chatted and I had a look inside. It was nice... almost too nice. I was informed later on in my stay that Giligans is refered to as the "flashpackers" of Cairns; it's for people who want to think they're doing the backpacker thing, but with a hotel style room and top facilities. It was minimum $30 a night for a 10 person dorm... not my budget. So I crossed the road and went to Corona's Backpackers. It was so much better! 4 dorm rooms and a kitchen. All you need, and the people were the best I could have hoped for. (the other thing was, with Giligan's next door, we could go and use their games room / pool / bar / TV room when ever we wanted!)
As soon as a booked in I was practically assulted by the extremely friendly and sociable Noah who would turn out to be the highlight of my stay: wherever he was, there was a hell of an experience to be had. He has travelled for 4 years, acting, doing bar work and cleaning, even modelling in europe. And now he was in Aus, with no job and $200 dollars left in the world. Good fun :)
It was with Noah and a sturdy group of around 20 guys and gals that I spent many days chilling by the waterfront in a place called "the Lagoon" and many nights in the small but packed clubs and bars of Cairns. One faitful night we were all out on the stairs (the best venue in Northers Australia) having a few drinks and chatting, when one of the girls started doing all the guy's make up. Going back a step... the stairs were really, just some stairs in Corona's, but people from all over would come there with boxes of goon (wine) to drink and share stories! So to cut the story short, we all went clubbing looking like trannies.
This went on for longer that I had intended... chilling in the day with some sun, and going out to varying quality bars. The best bit was the day time. At the Lagoon people would share everything. Food, stories, books and tallent. For a few days we hung out with a guy who had a tightrope, then some Thai guys with Poi and fire sticks. And every other person had a guitar! There was beach volleyball, an open dock (you could go onto people's boats and chat) and so many friendly faces.
Another perk of Cairns was the free dinners :) three places offered free dinners if you had vouchers (just needed to know where to get them) so some days (most) we would skip breakfast and lunch and have three dinners :) Anyway, after a while I decided enogh was enough and I wanted to go explore. Port Douglas and Cape Tribulation were next on the list, and a French girl called Fanely decided she was keen too. So we headed off together, and ended up travelling a lot together over the next few weeks.
Saturday, 8 August 2009
Sorry... :(
I'm catching my flight to NZ in 40 minutes so wish me luck, and I'm sorry I've been useless in Oz... I'll update you all on Australia while I'm in NZ... and DO I have some stories ;)
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