From: asanders@email.com
Date: Tue, 20 Apr 1999
Subject: G'day my little vegemites!
Dear All,
After leaving Fraser Island, Liz *really* wanted to catch sight of a few koalas and I wanted to quiet her desperate need to see the dirty creatures, so we headed for Rockhampton on a mission. Rocky, as referred to by the locals, was an armpit. Industrial hell.
The people there frightened me. In asking a seemingly normal woman for directions to Woolworth's in order to meet Liz at a set time, she offered me a lift. Minutes later, I'm in her Chevy Nova (had to note that) with 15 yr old daughter Deanne and mother Rosalyn. They both simultaneously light up a cigarette and get in a domestic brawl. It was something out of the movie "Kalifornia". But alas, I made it to Woolworth's. Only it was the wrong one. And well, that was Rockhampton. We left the next day.
Say hello and sing my praises. I am the hula hoop champion of Airlie Beach. Winning the championship (twice, I might add) won me free vodka drinks in a tiny but lively town that hasn't much more to do beyond consumption and sun. Spent five days there doing essentially that.
On to Cairns and the Great Barrier Reef. Spent 3 days on a live aboard dive boat with a total of 10 dives on the reef. Beautiful!!!!!! Got really comfortable and secure with unguided diving. Did 2 night dives and Liz, navigator extraordinnaire, got us around the reef and back to the boat safely with only our torches - no compass! What a feat. Saw very cool stuff - huge sea turtles, barracuda, the works!
Waterlogged and sick of the sun, we set out for a week in Cairns' surrounding rain forests and wetlands. This was some of Australia's most beautiful east coast scenery. That week served itself also as my worst nightmare. Saw way too many snakes and was attacked by 6 leeches - the nastiest creatures I've ever seen. From that first day on, everything was all about leech free or leech infested experiences. Sleeping was all about leech free or leech infested dreams. Lake Eachum was quickly nicknamed Lake Leechum after being attacked by 3 there. But on the flip side of all this horror, I've replaced my 26 yr old snake phobia with a new and exciting leech phobia.
And onto Darwin, the capital (I think) of the Northern Territory, the Australian outback. I love it here. Fed crocodiles on the Adelaide River. Held a python on my own... and enjoyed it. Who would've guessed? Spent 3 days camping in the Kakadu bush sleeping under the stars. Saw the best sunsets I've seen yet, loads of gorges, bush walks, and waterfalls. Went cliff climbing, cliff jumping. Lost my suit a few times on that one. Ate ants and other bush food. Wild plums and passion fruit. Our nights ended with delicious kangaroo stir fry (yummy), emu sausages (which haunted me at 3 AM), and casks of wine (aka. box-o-wine). Piled up on top of our 4WD for midnight wild life spotting and star gazing. Saw not much more than moonies from our crew and kangaroo poo, but had the best time. Oh yes! I nearly forgot. My first sighting of a wild kangaroo was in Kakaudu. I saw the thing jolt in front of our car, Liz screamed, thump, and the thing was dead on the side of the road. Typical.
The Aussies are a funny bunch. Great sense of humor, adventurous, but dim. Let me put it this way. It's obvious the continent was founded on convicts. No question.
I'm leaving this afternoon for Alice Springs. In exactly 24 hours, I will be gazing up at Ayers Rock. Ending Australia with a bang.
I will be in Indonesia on the 25th of April and won't be quite so accessible via email. I may check it once but plan to play catch up in Singapore around the 15th of May.
A friend of mine has upped a website for me fully loaded with my travel dispatches and photos. Have a look! Thanks Sean. You're the best. Go to www.gonewalkabout.com/amy/
Well, that's that. Bill is meeting us in Indonesia on the 28th so I'm looking forward to new energy, a healthy fresh attitude (definitely one improved from my own), and a warm smile from home.
Miss you all (sort of :-) ). As C&C say it best, "Increase the Peace".
G'day mates!
Amy
xoxo