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| 20 November | Melbourne |  |
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My alarm wakes me up at 3:30. Groan. I packed quietly and was out of the room by 4:00. The Super Shuttle picked me up right on time and it's off to the airport and Australia.
It was a bit of a shock arriving in Melbourne. There were so many people rushing around, construction on all sides, signs everywhere pointing you in the wrong direction. It was rather overwhelming. I quickly found a bus into town and got out of there. Luckily, my first choice for a hostel, Toad's, had a spot. I dumped my bag in the still sleeping room and went down to the back patio to read my LP Australia book. A very friendly family runs this place. They all stopped by to chat and give advice on where I should visit in Australia. This city is a little scary after empty New Zealand. I wandered around town, trying to avoid being trampled by the many people. I checked out Victoria Market. It's an enormous market selling practically everything. Even on Sunday, most of the stores in town were open. Sigh. I'm feeling a little disoriented. I think I'll just sit now and figure out what I'm going to do for the next 2 months... Adding to my disorientation is that everyone's wearing shorts (and very attractive short skirts) but the whole town is decorated for Christmas! There is even a big Xmas tree downtown and wreaths on the lampposts. It's just a little strange... |
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| 21 November | Melbourne | |
| I spent a restful day sleeping in late and reading. It was raining and cold outside. I did make it down to Lygol St. to visit the grocery store. The entire street was jam packed with trendy cafes. With money, this could be a very fattening town. Even without money... | ||
| 22 November | Melbourne | |
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I finally bore down and really tackled the LP book, figuring out which places looked interesting. I didn't go all the way and plan day to day, but I was getting closer...
I spent the day wandering about the city. I visited the library (very nice building) to get some books on Celtic art, walked along the river into the King's Domain gardens, bought sunglasses, etc. |
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| 23 November | Melbourne | |
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I sat in all morning again and finished planning Australia. Then I made a visit to the doctor for a Havrix injection. I got the usual response to my itinerary. Also some new information. The doctor said they've heard reports that some travelers have had trouble on the Kenya-Tanzania border regarding the cholera immunization. The shot's practically worthless, but they've been forcing it on some. I decided to get the minimal dosage just in case. The doctor also said that Havrix has been found just as effective if the first two doses were taken at one time, so I went for it as well. Ouch. Ouch. I left the clinic A$134 poorer and one arm much sorer.
As I was getting into bed that night, Jerry and Marc (London & Brisbane) came in, and also started getting ready for bed. Then someone asked, "how about we go get a drink?" OK, I asked it. All the local places were closed. We went to one bar with 3 very drunk girls, but it was dead and they were almost too pissed to stand, so we got them on a tram home and left. There was nothing open. And this is a capital city?! It must be all out in another part of the city. We finally walked out to King St. where there were a few clubs open. One had a private function -nope, one had A$25 cover -nope, one had a blown out sound system and everyone gone -nope. And the last place we checked would let Jerry in, with jeans and a T-shirt, and Marc, with shorts, but not me, because I was wearing "runners" (my hiking shoes). |
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| 24 November | Melbourne | |
I bought a night bus ticket to Sydney this morning - A$35. The bus leaves tomorrow at 18:30, and gets to Sydney about 7:00. Hopefully, I'll have found housing by then. When I tried to call a few places, I only got answering machines. Dinner at Baloos. I ordered a chicken curry and asked it to be hot... and boy did I get it that way. As my face flushed, my skull broke out in a sweat and my lips tried to crawl off my face, I decided maybe I shouldn't be so aggressive next time. 
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| 25 November | On the road Melbourne-Sydney | |
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Bourke St. Mall: the pedestrian mall with trams running through every couple minutes. I had checked out of the hostel and dumped my bag at the Spencer St. Bus Station. I thought I would sit on a bench in the mall for a couple hours and do some drawing. A huge man sat down next to me, pierced and tattooed from head to far distant toe. After watching me a couple minutes, he complimented my work. He then proceeded to pull out his own sketchpad and quickly sketch a masterpiece of fantasy-type art. He was very talented. I said "you think my work is good?!" He's going around to various tattoo parlors trying to sell his art while finishing up school to become a tattoo artist. You meet all kinds...
I love Melbourne fashion. Short skirts, tight knit tops, bare midriffs and fit bodies. Yum. Hot today, maybe ~30. Ah, the Xmas season, the time for family barbecues, picnics in the park, and going to the beach with friends. After I had enough people watching and drawing at the mall, I wandered down Brunswick St. I had been told that it was solid cafes and bohemia. Hardly. I much preferred Lygol St. My bus took off at 6:30. Sometime during the night, we stopped to snack/stretch. Looking up, I realized how far from home I've come. "My God, it's full of stars!" Orion was upside down! I couldn't find the Big or Little dipper. Instead, I saw the Southern Cross and other very distinct constellations that I've never seen before in the night sky. We're not in Kansas anymore, Toto! |
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| 26 November | Sydney | |
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The bus reached Sydney the next morning around 7:00 after a long sleepless night for me. Hefting my pack onto one shoulder, I walked from one hostel to the next in the Kings Cross area. Every single one of them was full. Finally, one of the Jolly Swagman places told me to stick around. Around 8:00, people should be checking out. While waiting, I overheard someone say. "My room got broken into again last night. Yeah, they know the guy. They're trying to find him now." Eeek. Maybe I can find something else... I called Travelers' Rest again to see if anyone had left. The lady there told me no, nothing likely, but try Eva's. This time, I had some luck.
This neighborhood seems like it's the fringe of Sydney. Walking the short distance between the bank and back, I was approached by 3 hookers. Nice area. The two Canadian girls checking out of my room were telling very interesting stories of the night before. Back home in Toronto, they were professional strippers. They visited a few places here and were not impressed. Compared to places back home, they said there was no comparison, other than that here, they take everything off, just with no skill...
I gave Natalie a call to arrange a get together. Her mother answered, said she was at work, and asked if I was the guy from Christchurch. Interesting. She told me Natalie worked at the Capital Hotel, just around the corner. I fluffed a bit, and then wandered over. She had her voice back! It was good to see someone I knew after all this time alone. We went to dinner together, talked, and arranged to meet at 11 when she got off from work. I phrased it kind of like a date, and she accepted similarly. We'll see. I was exhausted, though, so I went back and slept a few hours so I would be reasonably fresh. At the arranged time, I picked her up at the hotel. We first went to O'Malley's Irish pub right around the corner, but they were absolutely packed. She bought me a drink, but after having to constantly move to let people pass, and too much noise that we couldn't hear each other, we left soon after. We walked through town down to the Rocks, sat on the wharf together, and talked. The night passed quickly. We watched the moon rise through the Opera House's arches. It was a beautiful picture. Looking up at the stars... About 3:00, we got up and walked through town to the bridge, pausing along the way to rest. There was a beautiful view of the harbor and the Opera House all lit up. When we went back into town, I tried to get us a taxi, but at 4:00, there were few taxis and many drunken people going home from the clubs, so competition was fierce. We ended up walking the hour back to her car. We hopped in her Corolla, and she drove me down the street to my hostel. I was finally home at 5:00, but she had an hour ride home, an hour back, and had to be at work at 10:00. Poor girl. She explained that the hotel was full, otherwise she'd stay there. Then as I was climbing out of the car, she asked me to call her again tomorrow, so I guess she enjoyed herself. I shouldn't have kept her out so late... |
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| 27 November | Sydney | |
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Up at 9:00. Groan, I need to get some sleep, but not now. There's too much to see today. There was supposed to be an open market out on William St., but I never found it. I ended up wandering over to Darling Harbor. On the way, I passed many men in skirts. It was a bagpipe gathering of some sort, filling the air with the sound of barking dogs. The harbor area was nice, with fountains and water sculptures everywhere. A monorail passed by overhead. I passed an Irish feis, strolled through the park, and sat and listened to a band. But after I had listened for a couple minutes, I realized it was no ordinary band, this was a safe sex gathering. There were people handing out condoms, lube, AIDs information, etc. The songs were safe sex oriented. There were games, a lube slide, it was a funny gathering, but hey, I got some free condoms, out of it. On the lube slide, they had condom kicking races, where people slipped all over the place on real lube. The contestants got tickets for the drawings at the end. A kid of about 12 walked away with almost everything: the bodyboard, the T-shirts, the mega condom pack, etc. It didn't seem quite right, somehow. The board, maybe, but the condoms? Hopefully, he's not using them yet, so he'll have an awful lot of balloons to take home. A trapeze act lead the way back by the circular quay.
I wandered into the Opera House and found a show in progress. I later found out (duh) it was A$16 admission, but no one asked to see a ticket. Besides, it was only the Junior Nationals. I couldn't figure out what exactly it was. Some teenage women's league competition. I only stayed a few minutes, but got bored quickly. The theatre area itself was very beautiful, though. Glad I stumbled upon it. Back along the water to the hostel. That evening, I called Natalie to talk. We're planning to meet on Tuesday out by her house and drive out to the Blue Mountains together. That should be fun. I just need to figure out how to catch the train to 7 Hills Station and she'll pick me up. A warm glow and a grin as I hung up the phone. Yes. |
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| 28 November | Sydney | |
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I have two tasks in the day ahead. I need to make reservations to stay at the hostel in Katoomba, in the Blue Mountains, and I need to buy my bus ticket north. I found out it was a 10 hour bus trip to Byron Bay. Not again. I'm going to break it up and stop off in Port Macquarie.
I went to Dial a Coach to get my ticket. I decided a Greyhound pass would work best for me. A$149. The guy there said would cost <1/3 than if I bought each ticket separately for my itinerary. He basically liked my route, but knocked a couple places off and added some good recommendations. He said Airlie Beach is the best place for scuba diving, his favorite. Fraser Island is a must see, and cheap supposedly. He also added a few cities north of Cairns. Very helpful. I wandered around the city one last time. It was very windy and cool today. Then back to the hostel to rest for a bit. Around 10:00, I went out to see the city at night. I saw The Pricks (the safe sex group from Sunday) performing again in the square. This is supposedly AIDS awareness month. I walked down the street blazing in neon, advertising everything from takeaways to strip shows, dance clubs to pharmacies and bottle shops. It was exciting and vivid in a sleazy sort of way. |
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| 29 November | Baulkham Hills | |
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I tried to change some money before hopping my train to meet Natalie, but none of the banks opened until 9:00 and the Bureau de Change charged too hefty a commission. Oh well, I'd just better watch it...
I got out to Seven Hills very early. I was expecting problems with the trains, but nothing went wrong. ~A$2.40 for my ticket. They were nice, double decker trains, I had no hassles. Natalie picked me up at 10:00, and we started driving. She didn't really know where she was going. Confused Australian. We went to Blue Mountain National Park and hiked out to Red Hands cave. It was hot going. I was wearing pants because I had been told it would be cold. It was an interesting site. On the inside of a shallow cave, there were outlines and imprints of many hands - yes, in red. They were made by Aboriginals maybe thousands of years ago. It was a lovely setting, except that the whole was glassed in with a steel platform going up to it. The walk in was beautiful. The woods were full of parrots and cockatoos. Rainbow lorikeets, black boy trees, gum trees, I couldn't believe I was seeing these birds out in the jungle, excuse me, the bush. I saw more cockatoos in one day than ever before in my life. It was a hot hike though, we collapsed back at the car when it was over, even though it wasn't a hard hike. After we gathered ourselves up, we went into nearby Glenbrook, grabbed a couple sandwiches, and sat on the swings in a playground across the street and ate. Discussing Natalie's Japan exchange, etc. We then drove up to Echo Point to check out the Three Sisters. While I was standing there looking out over the valley, I suddenly realized that this is what Russell did when he and the others rented their car! We decided to walk down to the 3 Sisters along the cliff. From there, 916 stairs lead down into the valley. A track goes from there to the "scenic railway", a 45 degree incline - one of the steepest in the world. We looked at each other a minute, checked our watches - 4:00, and wondered when the railway stopped. We figured we had at least until 6:00, so we started down. We took our time, stopping about halfway down to admire the view and talk. At the bottom, a nice sign kindly informed us that we had 25 minutes to get to the rail, or else climb back up the stairs. Grunt, I don't think so. The Visitor's Center said it was a 2½ hour hike, we had only actually been walking about 20 min! We started to run full speed down the track. There was beautiful scenery along the way, views up the surrounding cliffs, waterfalls. Nice, but no time to admire now, run! We got there with only one minute to spare. It would have been much easier to go back up the stairs. I was dripping with sweat, but happily not winded, but Natalie has asthma and was gasping for breath. When the train arrived and we piled in, it was a scary ride up. If you looked back, it was almost straight down into the valley! At the top, we realized we were still a half hour walk away from the car. A friendly Aussie offered us a lift just as we were about to collapse, so the crisis was averted. He couldn't get over the fact that it took us less than an hour to do what took him over two hours. When we got to Echo Point, we fell onto a bench near the edge and watched the approaching storm, lightning flickering off of almost every peak! It was an incredible show. That was enough activity for today. We were starving. George's Pizza house - her favorite - had an All you can eat Tuesday for A$8. I don't think I'll be welcome there again... We stayed for almost 4 hours eating, then talking about everything. We were planning to go wine tasting tomorrow, but we had the wrong day, we found out the tour wasn't until Friday, and she couldn't take that day off. Damn. Oh well... By this time, it was almost midnight, and she didn't want me using the trains round here after dark, saying that they go through some bad areas. Back to her place, and right to sleep. |
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| 30 November | Katoomba | |
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We had to get up very early, 5:15, so Natalie could get to work. Groan. Yogurt made our breakfast in the car on the way into the city. We got there all too soon and said our good-byes. Sniff. Sniff. (She gets two sniffs, I think)
Back at the hostel, I cleaned up and did some laundry. The others in my room were still asleep, but the German girl woke briefly when I came in. Yesterday, they were teasing me about my "date." Uh oh. When the others finally woke up, I started to pack and get changed. It was going to be another hot day. I got some knowing smiles and comments about "get any sleep last night?" "Going to stay with Natalie now?" I wish. Instead, I changed money and hopped a train to Katoomba. I found a decent hostel there, in an interesting building, but a big dorm. I felt like doing some cooking tonight, so I grabbed groceries at the huge grocery store. (How does this little area support a place like that!?) I wanted to see more of this area, so I took a walk down to Leura Falls. The Falls themselves were unimpressive, it was still a good walk along the streams and tracks. I was wearing my Tevas today. I kept seeing these little black spiders with red spots all over the place. I paid them no mind, even brushing a few off my bare feet and legs. When I got back to the hostel that night, I asked someone what they might have been. Um. I found out those "little black spiders" I had so casually treated were probably only redback spiders, close cousins of the American Black Widow spider, lethally poisonous, and requiring a fast visit to the hospital for anti-venom. At the right time, I went back to Echo Point, hoping for a good sunset shot, but mist had closed in, hiding all but the 3 Sisters and nearby rocks. Back at the hostel, a guy came in while I was watching TV and let everyone know that a promo slide show for abseiling was being given. I had no intentions, but thought I'd watch. It looked good. I was sold. A$65 for all day, including a huge several hundred foot abseil by the end of the day. It was going to be a small group, and they let you go as many times as you could run up the trails back to the top. It looked worth it, so I gave them my name. A guy I met yesterday when that Aussie gave Natalie and me a ride back to Echo Point had just done it today and said it was definitely worth it. We went out for a pint at a nearby pub. It was freezing cold and raining outside. Now this is more like the Christmas season! |
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| 1 December | Sydney | |
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When I woke this morning, it was still pouring down rain, the mist filled the streets, and there was no way I would consider going outside, so abseiling was off. It was too cold and wet for me to enjoy mountain biking, so that too was off. I still didn't regret coming up here. It was a nice place away from the city, with good lounges, friendly folk, and a nice blazing fireplace. It had a nice ski lodge feel. Very relaxing.
I just sat and read until a cute, blonde haired, blue eyed girl came and sat in my lap and started kissing me and wriggling all over. The problem? She was only 8 years old. I had played table tennis with her yesterday, and she decided she liked me. She kept trying to tickle me, that sort of thing. I amused her, picking her up with one hand, trying not to smother when she climbed on me, restraining my scream when her foot landed in the wrong place. Ulp! I think I'll make a great uncle or grandfather some day, but I'm not too sure about having my own kid. The kid had incredible energy. She wore me out! I finally broke away and had some lunch. I will return to Sydney tonight, but its comfy here, and don't care to go back to the hustle and filth of Kings Cross. The weather here for the next few days is supposed to be just like today, so it would not be much use to wait around for the weather to get better. Tomorrow at 7:00, I'm on the bus for Port Macquarie. I think I'll just stick around here today and go back just before it gets dark. Yawn. Ahh, this is good. Uh oh, here she comes again! Linda! I returned to the hostel that evening and checked back in. I really didn't care for this place. It was full of people living and working in Sydney on a temp basis. They were a group, not welcoming strangers. The kitchen windows were all closed, but everyone was smoking. Hack, hack. It was hard seeing through the smoke to cook. |
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| 2 December | Port Macquarie | |
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I was up at 5:30 this morning to catch a 7:00 bus. No problems. When I got to Port Macquarie, someone from the hostel was waiting for me and drove me home. It was a nice small place, the guy was very enthusiastic about his town. He had free boogie boards, cheap bikes. There were free and cheap wine tours, and supposedly a great Friday nightlife. This could be a good night.
That night, A group of us went out to a club. Dave, Chris, and Lisa - Canadians, Ann - Scottish, a couple Germans, etc. It was pouring down rain, so we all piled into a cab for 70 cents each. The club had free entry, A$2.30 drinks. The place was raging, but it had terrible dance music. Fun time had by all. A couple of the guys were both going after Chris in a big way, but she had a boyfriend, so was just enjoying the attention. About 2:00, we moved to TC's, A$5 entry, more of a dance club, but still bad music. A "bloke" tried to chat Anne up, grabbed her, and tried to drag her out to dance. She had no interest, but couldn't get rid of him until she dragged me out with her out to dance. I needed sleep, so I left early (3:30), and walked back on my own. At the hostel, I grabbed some water and sat in the lounge talking with some other drunken guests. Everyone was on the edge of sleep and dressed for bed. An Irish girl leaned up against me in nothing but her bra and underwear. Traveling. Huh. Finally to bed about 4:30. |
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| 3 December | Port Macquarie | |
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My next stop will be Byron Bay. I tried to make reservations for the bus, but the afternoon bus was full, so I must take the 4:20 AM bus.
Wild waves at the beach. The body boarders look like they're having fun. The others had to catch their bus at 2:30, but we spent some time walking down the beach. After they left, I felt like taking a jog, so I hiked out to Lighthouse beach, which was supposed to be a long smooth beach - perfect to jog on. It was only a 6km walk away. The beaches were beautiful, with sand so fine it was like flour and squeaks when you walk on it like fresh fallen snow. There were many separate beaches along the way, with trails up and around the rocks to the next one. Each beach had a different feel. Some beaches had parking lots, others were completely abandoned. One was even nudist. I finally got to the lighthouse and rested. When I felt up to it, I took off jogging down the beach for almost 10 km, then back, and collapsed panting on the sand. The hike back was harder, now that I was exhausted. I finally got back to the hostel, scorched, hungry, thirsty and tired. I sometimes wonder what makes me do things like this... I had a tough decision to make. I had to decide whether to go to bed early, or party through the night, shower and get on the bus with no sleep. Well, I was going to go out, but faded early, and disappeared to bed while the party started outside. |
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| 4 December | Byron Bay | |
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After a refreshing -not- 4 hours of sleep, I dragged myself from bed at 3:30. The other guests were are all still partying and going strong. It was funny waking and seeing people completely pissed. I had overslept a bit, but rushed and just made the bus.
Overnight buses are such a grim sight. People are sprawled in their seats, necks bent, mouths open, some glaring at the snoring few who actually slept. I had 2 seats for myself until about 8:00, when a tough looking character sat next to me. He was tattooed, a massive scar crossed his throat, he had a badly broken nose, a scruffy beard, and might have beat out a gorilla in the boxing weight division. At first, I was a little scared, but then he turned to me and started chatting away like we were two old friends meeting for tea. He was actually a nice guy, but he obviously knew the streets. By the time we stopped for lunch at 11:30, he had given me a thorough education about the local pot industry. He had moved from Sydney to the Gold Coast years ago and never left. As the others ate their lunch at the greasy spoon, this guy revealed that he had just gotten out of jail for drug dealing and possession of stolen goods! For his next lesson, he described the local prison system. It sounds like a pretty easy system. Prisoners can bring in or buy just about anything they want. They can even go out for "a beer and a root" if they pass a few bucks to the guards - a common event! He viewed it as more a break from work and a chance for a few regular meals instead of punishment. Of course, this was for the low security prisons. The high security ones are worse. By the time we arrived in Byron, he had given me all the best places to get some good pot, where the hottest (and horniest in his words) women are, he even passed along some techniques on how to rip off a house! It was an enlightening conversation. When I arrived in Byron Bay, a courtesy bus from the hostel picked me up, gave me a quick tour of the area, and deposited me right in front of the hostel. I like this system! The place was nice, but somewhat institutional. I splurged an extra dollar and got the small dorm. Byron Bay is a great place. The place was full of "hippies". Chimes, crystals, aromatherapy, alternative medicine, its all here, mixed with some great cafes, clubs, and takeaways, as well as other shops. I bought a huge kebab at Bay Kebabs, and went down to the beach to eat. There was an incredible surf. One of the best I've ever seen. Lots of surfers, boogie boarders were out there riding it. Back at the hostel, I sat down at a table outside to do some drawing. I kept getting compliments on it, so I think I'm getting better. One girl even asked me to design a tattoo for her arm (which she later had done). I met Matt (Canadian), Carl(Brit), Benny(Danish), and Carena(Swiss) this way. We went out to the Railway for a few drinks and a chat. |
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| 5 December | Byron Bay | |
| Not much to write, it was a lazy day. I walked around town, lay by the pool, drew. I met Allison. | ||
| 6 December | Byron Bay | |
| I went boogie boarding for the first time today. Carl, Benny, Allison, and myself. It was awesome fun. There were some serious waves, some of them 2-3 metres high! I was hurt rather badly before I caught on how to do it. I dislocated my shoulder twice and got the board edge-wise into my ribs. I think I separated some. Then I started getting better and had a great time. The girls only lasted a short time, but Carl and myself stayed out for hours, like little kids, screaming and laughing. We finally came in and sat on the beach for a while, but the sun was fierce and I was afraid of burning. The girls stayed to tan, so Carl and I returned to the hostel with all the boards. Then, we just lounged around the shadowed end of the pool and relaxed for a while. I also did some more drawing. More compliments. I think I like this stuff. | ||
| 7 December | Byron Bay | |
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More boarding today. At first, the waves were not too good, but they soon picked up and we had a blast. We stayed out even longer this time. Again Allison and Benny stayed behind, and Carl and I went home. Went to town, had lunch, bought a shirt. It was a hot afternoon, so when the girls got back, we all jumped in the pool and clowned around.
That evening, I walked out to the beach. Sitting on the sand, I looked up at the stars. It was absolutely gorgeous. I've never seen so many stars within Orion's constellation. The strange new constellations confirmed the feeling that I was very far from home... |
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| 8 December | Byron Bay | |
| The water was calm today. Carl and I sat out in the water bobbing up and down, waiting for waves with little reward. I tried some surfing and could actually get up and stay up on my board, but that's not saying much. Lazy summer day... | ||
| 9 December | Byron Bay | |
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Even with earplugs, the Germans in my room woke me as usual at 6:30 by repeatedly slamming the door and shaking the bed getting up. It was a miserable day. Gray skies, pouring rain, everyone at breakfast was quiet and depressed. Despite the weather, I like this town. Shaved heads are common, as are tattoos. You can find chimes, incense, crystals, get a massage, or get your chakra rebalanced. The place has a very relaxed atmosphere, especially after the cities. Lazy day in front of the TV, drawing and patching up some old clothes, until the others came to the sliding glass door, crying "can Seán come out to play?"
Out to the Beach Hotel. There was a live band playing acid jazz. Great sound, a lot of people were dancing, but I wasn't in the mood to dance, so I just sat and watched. The majority of the people seemed to be high on something, and just grooved all over. |
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| 10 December | Brisbane | |
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It was hard to leave after a week. I was all spread out. Bacon, eggs, cheese omelet and toast for breakfast, then hung out with others until noon and my bus. Bye to all. A euro-kiss from Carena, handshakes from the others, and a kiss on the cheek from Allison. Aw, shucks.
I sat on the bus next to an old Aussie, descended from the Irish. His first reaction was "Bloody Yank," until he learned I was also Irish. He then proceeded to regal me with interesting stories for the rest of the trip. He knew Surfers Paradise back in the 50s when it was just a pub on the beach, with his Aunt's house right next door. Now it's a concrete jungle. His family has been on the some land - a horse ranch - for 150 years now. "After we threw the blacks out." When I got to Brisbane, the city seemed dead. I wasn't too impressed, but it was a late Saturday afternoon, and everything was closed. |
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| 12 December | Brisbane | |
| I decided to stay in town another day and skipped the bus. Nothing all day. Slept, ate, laundry. | ||
| 13 December | Hervey Bay | |
| I had no problem getting the bus to Hervey Bay. Phil from Mangos hostel met me there and gave me a lift back to the hostel. It was a bit primitive, but clean enough. They only had 6 beds and a double. Phil was rather strange, but very enthusiastic about "his" island. He and Trevor - a Charles Manson look-alike, talked as if they own the island. They had tons of books, maps, pamphlets on trips run by others to Fraser Island. He said he could recommend other trips, but they will run one themselves tomorrow. He was asking more money than what I was expecting to pay, but I had a feeling this would be better with one of them than on my own, so I decided to splurge. After I signed on, another couple came in, saying they had heard about these guys from a friend who had a terrific time. Also, Martin (Dutch) was saying the same. Good enough. We leave tomorrow morning. We stocked up on food, liquor, I packed my small pack, and to bed late. | ||
| 14 December | Arinya Beach (Shark Beach) | |
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This morning, we were up with the sun. Out back was our 4wd vehicle for the next 3 days, an old beat-up military truck. The usual vehicle they used had been eaten by the island a few weeks ago. We quickly loaded up, with the boxes and gear in back, 4 people on benches in the rear, and 2 up in front. Our distinguished driver on this fine day was Trevor, looking scarier than ever. He will be running the tour. Except he was quick to tell us, "Don't call it a tour! We're not licensed!" I wasn't all that impressed by the truck, but Trevor obviously knew his way about it, so I didn't let it bother me. We sputtered and roared down the road to the ferry and made it across to the island without a problem. On the other side, it was a different story. Trevor was still trying to figure this particular truck out, and was having problems with the bad gear box. We barely made if off the ferry! The truck kept sliding backwards, almost hitting the truck behind us.
At one point, he pulled up to some trees on the side and pointed to a track headed inland. He told us that there was a fresh water lake, Lake Wabi, out in the middle of the desert along this path. We trudged first through some lush rainforest, but it soon turned into a serious desert. It was quite a contrast: Dunes as far as you can see on one side, trees and ocean on the other. We walked through this barren area with no clue where to go except the general directions Trevor gave us. Finally, we stumbled onto the large lake at the bottom of a steep dune. We wasted no time. Gear was dumped, clothes shed, and we raced full speed down the sand, only to belly flop into the water. It was simply beautiful. A cool walk through the rainforest back to the truck. We ate some lunch, then took a mad race down the beach to Indian Head, the only rock on this entire sand island. Again, Trevor pointed the way. We climbed the rocks to see some mantas in the water below. He stayed behind to ogle some lovelies swimming. I suspect he had a better view... We checked out the champagne pools next, they used to be used as a natural fishtrap. The ocean pounding over the rocks, filling the pools, then draining out, leaving fish stranded behind. Then, an absolutely insane trip through the interior of the island over to the west side. The trails were so rough, I would hesitate to walk some of them, let alone drive. We were going down closed off trails. We crashed down trails that he and Phil cut themselves. We went the wrong way down one way trails at 50 mph. Help!
We are now in Paradise. It is a narrow island. A freshwater stream gurgles past on one side, the ocean's waves on the other. There's a gentle breeze, palm trees, and the sand is a soft as flour. In any direction you look, beautiful views meet the eyes. The stream is sweet, and we drank straight from it. We all dumped our gear, dove into the ocean to get clean, and then into the stream to rinse off. It was an incredible, balmy night, with no light pollution, so we could see all the stars, complete with a meteor shower. John and Fin had a tent, Trevor slept in the truck, but Ira (Yank), Martin (Dutch), and I slept under the stars. Except for the dingos we saw prowling around in the shadows, it was a very peaceful night. |
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| 15 December | Lake Garawongera | |
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Martin had left a couple loafs of bread out next to him while he slept. This morning, they were gone. Dingo tracks! The tide was still high, so couldn't go anywhere yet. With the tide, the stream had become salty. I took a walk along the beach, then swam down the stream. There was a strange, oily look from the fresh and saltwater mixing. The sand in the ocean was likewise weird. Large numbers of bubbles rose all around your feet with each step. It was like swimming in a giant spa pool. Each step sinks beyond your ankle into the sand. It is Aslan's land, with eternal summer and a sweetwater ocean.
Trevor finally decided that the tide was low enough, and we piled into the truck. Problem. No brakes! Sometime during that wild ride yesterday, the brakes must have been damaged. We need brake fluid, but the closest place we could get some was on the other side of the island. Rather than take the time, Trevor assured us he could drive with no brakes. That made me feel all safe and comfy! Hardly.
We got back to the truck to find Trevor finishing up a joint and feeling rather talkative, with strange stories to tell. When we moved on, he was driving all over, looking back at us to talk, then looking forward just in time to miss a head on collision with a tree or going off the trail. Everyone was quiet and holding tight to their seats. He still knew what he was doing, though, as long as he looked forward. We managed to get to the beach and relative safety. I think Trevor wanted to take a nap next, so he took us to Elies Creek. It was nice, but many tourists were around. Everyone walks up the creek, then floats down. Trevor told us to go beyond the sign saying "turn back" for a better view. Just as we were about to enter, a girl came back with a leech on her leg. We decided to try anyway. The water rose up to my neck as the bush closed in over my head. After we went around the bend, the noise from the crowds faded away, until it was as if we were just walking through Eden. It was lovely. I didn't want to risk leaches any more than necessary, so I soon turned around and floated back to the others. We went next to a tea tree oil lake. The water was black and ugly, but the oil is good for your skin, and Trevor says is safe, so in we go. The water had a strange, oily feel and seemed extremely un-buoyant. I couldn't seem to float, I only sank to the bottom. A big iguana sat at the side of water watching the alien visitors swim in his lake. We ate lunch at a nearby park place with tables. There were two extremely aggressive iguanas going after our food. They even charged our tables from each side, everyone jumping on the table to get away. They will climb people, gashing them severely with their claws on the way up just like a tree. Driving out to our evening campsite, Trevor tried a short cut and forgot which turn to take. We ended up crashing through bush, the path vanishing worse and worse, until we ran into a tree fallen across our path. We built it up with branches and formed an impromptu ramp, and Trevor crashed over with minimal effort. We continued until we came across yet another tree across the trail. This one was bigger, with another and another beyond, and little trail between. Trevor decided to give up. But now, he needed to turn around, with thick trees on all sides just inches away from the truck. We found a spot, got out and bent some trees away with brute force, giving the truck room to push through. He broke the mirror (bad luck!), scratched up the sides of the truck, but he made it out OK. He found the correct trail and got us to Lake Garawongera. Lake Garawongera (try saying that three times fast!) was a big tea tree oil lake. The water was yellow from the oils, but the sand was pure white. It was illegal to camp here, but nice, as long as we get out before the rangers come in the morning... The beer, wine, and food comes out again. I took a quick moonlit dip in the lake. Very nice. After we had settled in for the night, the dingos came out again. I finally saw some in the light. There were two of them. Beautiful animals, sort of like a cross between a fox and a German shepherd. They were curious, but ran off when we yelled them away. They didn't seem dangerous, but Trevor told us they have attacked on occasion, so better to be safe. Everyone was tired and turned in early, Trevor first of all. I slept out under the stars again, but not as pleasantly as last night, it was a bit windy. I dozed off, but woke when I heard a growling noise right next to me. It sounded like the animal was right next to me, growling deep in its throat. Remembering Trevor's words, I tensed up and cautiously sat up to look for the dingo, then realized that it was only Ira snoring again. Grr. |
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| 16 December | Bus Hervey Bay - Airlie Beach | |
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Up at 4:45 to see the sunrise. I walked down to the lake, floated on the water, and meditated, feeling the sun rise on my face. It was a very charging time. I really got into it and could just feel the energy collecting. I felt very relaxed and mellow when I walked back to wake the others.
We had a bit of hiking today. First to yet another beautiful oil lake. Then through the majestic rainforest. Satinay, gum trees, palm trees, very nice. Lots of lizards, spiders, and snakes. At the end, Trevor waited with the truck at Central Station. After lunch, we took another walk through the valley. Streams, hollow trees, eels. Trevor gave us a choice next, go back to Elies or check out a waterslide he found last year. We choose the latter, not knowing what we were in for. He drove us further down the island until we got to a stream. Trevor pointed it out and said, we go that way. He led the way. The first part was easy, but then reeds, submerged trees, and other plants clogged the stream, with differing levels at each step. One step, the water only reached up to your ankles, the next up to your neck. The crystal clear water that flowed over the top concealed a cold muck you didn't want to think about when you sank up to your knee in it. After all that struggle, the waterfall had collapsed. Ah. We splashed back, coated with green slime. Yuck. Rinse off in clear water. Our last stop was Mackenzie Lake. It is a huge crystal clear lake with beautiful beaches all around. Trevor said that most people go there first, then they're unwilling to enter the other murky oil lakes. It is also quite crowded in the morning, but when we got there, we had the place to ourselves. Once again, I swam a good deal of the lake before it was time to go. Trevor called us together shortly before 4:30, saying the ferry will be leaving soon and we'd better get going. We got there at 4:20, but the ferry was far off in the distance. At the time, we thought it had left early, but I later found Trevor had just made a mistake. Ira and myself had planned to be on the bus tonight, so we had a problem. Trevor promised us he would get us on our bus, and turned the truck around... There was a passenger ferry from the Kingfisher Bay Resort (at Hook Pt) in 35 minutes. I really thought I'd die. We had no brakes, the truck rolled on to 2 wheels half the time, scraping trees on all sides, barely staying in the truck. We made it with 5 minutes to spare. A quick good-bye, we grabbed our gear and 2 beers, and Ira and I tumbled onto the ferry. That beer went down nicely. We couldn't get in touch with Phil back at the hostel, so we hitched a ride back in short order. Ahh, that shower felt good! We made our bus with time to spare, even time for dinner at a pub. It was going to be another long night. A huge Brit sat next to me and spread out across both seats. Groan. |
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| 17 December | Airlie Beach | |
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The bus rolled into town about 9:00. I found the nearest room at Beaches Backpackers. They had a nice setup, 5 beds, not bunks, a private kitchen and bathroom, a couple pools, and a pub/restaurant. There was not much to town, just a diving slum, with not much but dive shops, restaurants, and pubs.
The five day diving course I had planned to take was not running over Xmas, so I decided to pamper myself and do it to the hilt. It was my Xmas gift to myself. I signed onto a seven day scuba course with Oceania. It would be three days in the classroom, 1 day on "On the Edge" - Australia's fastest sailing yacht around the islands and 2 dives, then 3 days/3 nights on the Anaconda II, biggest maxi yacht in the world, out to the reef, 2 more training dives, then 8 pleasure dives. It seemed a good way for me to spend Xmas. It doesn't start until Tuesday, so I must pass the time until then. Somehow. |
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| 18 December | Airlie Beach | |
| Yawn, what to do? Nothing. The only notable thing that happened today was hanging out with a couple topless Melbourne girls that were sharing my room. Yawn. Nothing new. Passing time until Tuesday... | ||
| 19 December | Airlie Beach | |
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Last day to waste. I did nothing until noon. The Melbourne girls were quite entertaining, packing all their stuff, asking me to take pictures from the balcony of them in pool below topless together, drying out their wet underwear by wearing them around the aircon room. God, I love traveling.
The doctor (required by Oceania) gave me a clean bill of health to go ahead with the diving course. 80kg. 187 cm. The course finally starts tomorrow. Back at the hostel, Ira showed up briefly from 3 days of sailing but I lost him soon after. Tomorrow, I get started on fulfilling one of the first of several life dreams I've had. Next, it will be the Himalayas, Tibet, Egypt, Africa. The Andes will have to wait. Plenty left to see and do... |
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| 20 December | Airlie Beach | |
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At 8:30, a bus picked myself and the other students up at the Oceania shop and took us down to the school. More people slowly appeared until we have a group of about ten. Instructor Chris Griffin started up. I found it all interesting, but we had very long class sections with no breaks. We covered all the academic side of scuba diving. Dive tables, decompression sickness, descriptions of the gear we would use, etc. In the afternoon, we geared up for the first time. Shorties (wet suit), weight belt, BCD (buoyancy control device), tank, regulator, fins, snorkel, and mask. What a rush to breath underwater! We did a series of exercises to practice our skills. At one point, I became so used to being underwater that I forgot I couldn't actually breath underwater myself, and when I had the regulator out, I took a big lungful of water. Cough, splutter, hack!
It was a long day, but we were done around 6:00. I returned to my hostel to find a shock. The two quiet people of the night before had been replaced by a crowd of 5 partying away in the room. They were a friendly bunch, Canadians and Poms. They had been pissed for 3 days straight now. We all went out to an all you can eat BBQ at another hostel, but it was pretty sad. They left hungry. I was glad I had leftovers. On the long walk back, Bret and Joanna, Tim and Vickie were making out like crazy the entire way. Back at the hostel, Bret and Neil drunkenly decided they'd better get back to work tomorrow. Tim had been seduced by Vickie and decided to stay. Those two went out for a while, I stayed in and talked with Jo. Manchester girl. She was funny, but totally pissed. She asked me for a foot massage, and of course got one. I then gave her a long back massage. She was very responsive, but didn't fall asleep, just mumbled encouragement from time to time. She finally drifted off. Tim and Vickie came back around 3:30 and stumbled straight into the bathroom, when noises soon emerged. Moan, moan, bang, bang, squish, squish. They went at it noisily for a couple hours. That's one of the problems with hostels, there's not exactly a lot of privacy. They finally finished, and all went to sleep, some happier than others... |
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| 21 December | Airlie Beach | |
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Up early for class. Groan. I didn't used to get hangovers... The others in my class were in similar states. There was Peter (Can), Ursula and Sabine(German), Frank(Dutch), James and Ron(Dutch), Jody(NZ), Luigi(Swiss), Jason(Pom), and Karl(Austrian). Hey, I actually remember all their names! Karl's daypack was stolen last night with his contact lenses, passport, etc. Major bummer. Jody was only about 16, and afraid of the water, but the class was a gift from Mom and she couldn't say no. She was doing OK. We had another long morning of details and quizzes, then into the pool for some more skills. I buddied with Ursula, and spent a lot of time repeating for her, guess she had trouble hearing from the other side of the pool and in a foreign language, though her English was perfect. It looks like this group will work OK for 4 days on a boat together. Only Peter and Jody were not joining us, they were only taking a 5 day course...
I got back to the hostel and found the others in my room still pissed from yesterday, and the day before, and before, etc. Today, they had been drinking since 10:00. Tim and Vickie were amorous as usual. They go out to get pizza for themselves and took some back for Jo. The two of us sat up in bed together and watched Xmas movies on TV as the balmy summer day faded outside. |
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| 22 December | Airlie Beach | |
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Today was the last day of scuba classes. We spent almost the entire day in the pool. I managed to pop my eardrums during a deep-end exercise. It was very painful, but I managed to get through the day. I was totally debilitated and very tired by the end. But tomorrow, we hit the reef!
I dragged myself back to the hostel. My ears were hurting so badly, all I could do was collapse in bed and sleep a couple hours, praying I'd be better tomorrow. The others were on their way out to start drinking. Humph. I grabbed some good za and slumped back to my room. I have to get some sleep. |
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| 23 December | Somewhere off the Whitsundays | |
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My ears were still very muffled this morning, but otherwise they felt OK, no pain. I packed quickly, then met the others at the shop. There was a problem with "On The Edge", so we ended up on the "Tri Tigera" instead. I don't know what happened there. It was not nearly as nice, but it was a good enough catamaran. We sailed out to Lonfoid reefs for the day. The day was very hot and sunny, perfect to begin our explorations of the deep. We geared up and took that giant stride off the boat into the sea. We still had exercises to perform. But the reef was incredible. After checking our buddies, we SORTED, doing the 5 point decent. Wow. We settled to the sand on the bottom, brightly colored reefs and fish on all sides. We performed some more exercises, then swam off into the reef. It was an incredible feeling of freedom. Everything was on a 3D plain instead of the usual flat surface people are used to. You looked up, down, to the sides, there were people floating at all levels. I could do flips, fly, swoop, hang suspended upside down. It was more than I thought it would be. Very nice.
We had two dives before lunch, then motored back to Airlie. (There was no wind for the sails). We got back late, so we only had an hour for dinner, then onto the Anaconda II. It was a beautiful 83 foot yacht. We all dumped our bags in the (tiny) bunks below, and climbed up on deck to watch the stars. We sailed out to sea until late, then anchored somewhere during the night. The bunkroom was very stuffy and hot, not much sleep at all. Groan. |
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| 24 December | Little Black Reef | |
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I woke up early this morning to a beautiful sight. It was sunny, there was a nice brisk breeze, we were at full sail, and there was no land in sight. Now, this is the life.
We slowly pulled up to a section of the reef and dropped anchor. We're here! The lot of us quickly geared up and jumped in. We still had some more training exercises to do, but then we took a swim around the area. Within the first 5 minutes, I saw a 1.5m reef shark, all sorts of tropical fish large and small, and coral of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Wow. After a good hearty breakfast and a rest, we took another dive. Lunch was a cold spread, but with great variety. Diving really works up an appetite. After our second dive today, we were officially certified as Open Water PADI! No more fin pivots! No more mask flooding and clearing! We took another dive in the afternoon, this time completely for pleasure. We were led by Frank and Jason, dive masters in training, and both cool guys. Sabine, Ursula, James, myself and few others went along. It was absolute freedom. Our limit was only something like 12m, but Luigi and Karl went to 16, and their extreme lack of air gave them away when they got back. Another beer penalty... We had a delicious curry for dinner and cake for dessert. We're eating well on this trip, but this is just not Christmas eve. Where's the cold weather? The snow? The Xmas carols on every station? We are sitting out on a yacht on the Great Barrier Reef in nothing but our swimsuits and drinking beer. I could get used to Xmas like this. There was a night dive that evening. We were handed torches and glow sticks, and off the side. Instantly, yeouch! Sea lice! The water was full of them. Everyone was thrashing and screaming. Ned on the boat (divemaster) was yelling to us "Put out your torches, light attracts them!" We were viciously attacked until we got below 2m. Sabine was my buddy for this dive. I didn't see too much on this dive. A sleeping shark in a cave, a few sleeping fish, and many wormlike things swimming all around us. They were very distracting. I did find the whole thing very interesting, though. It was like going through a dark cave, with just the torch to see by. The others are only beams of light in the water, you couldn't see any bodies except when light shone on someone. When we finally emerged from the water and got back on deck, I was bleeding from multiple cuts all over wherever the wetsuit left me exposed to the sea lice. Ouch. A Christmas celebration was going on tonight, but not much happened, just good mellow fun. |
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| 25 December | Little Black Reef | |
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We woke up very early today for a pre-breakfast dive. Sabine, Ursula, James, and I were on our own for the first time. Our limit is 18m! We gradually descended. Ursula had some problems equalizing but I went back up to guide her down. We found more excellent scenery and large fish. When we finally got down to 18m - the limit for OW divers, we flipped out - literally. Front flips, back flips, cartwheels, whee! Ursula ran very low on air, so we had to go back rather early. Forgot to check. The rest of us were fine, but rules are rules. Up we go. STEAK - 5 point ascent.
After a nice long break, we took another dive about 11:00. I'm really getting the hang of this. I feel totally relaxed. I found I could hover, descend, ascend, all by controlling my breathing. I could do a mean superman imitation too, but moving very slowly not to startle the fish. Tacos for Christmas lunch. What's wrong with this picture? Ursula and I sat up in the bow and talked for a long time. I think I could get used to this life... Another dive after lunch left me tired, but I just couldn't pass up on a dive. The afternoon was spent lazing up on deck, avoiding the sun as much as possible. Ursula is doing a night dive tonight, but Sabine wanted to do another sunset dive like yesterday. Very romantic, she said. It would be nice with someone special. All the others were doing night dives as well, but there was not going to be enough surface interval between, so just Sabine and I went on this one. I like it, no need to wait for others. Ursula came out in the boat with us to take pictures when we get dropped out at Middle Bommie.
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| 26 December | Airlie Beach | |
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6:30 dive this morning. It was pouring down rain, windy, and cold. A slow, hungover bunch gathered. Everyone woken by "Good Morning Vietnam! Is it too early for being that loud? Hey, too late, it's 0600, what does the "O" stand for? Oh, my God it's early!" It was another good dive. I saw a huge lobster, clams, many different new fish, puffers, etc. As long as we were underwater, you could forget what a miserable day it was up above.
We lifted anchor soon after emerging and sailed to Hook Reef for one last dive. This one was a parachute drop. Everyone geared up and jumped off, one after another, without the boat even stopping. With sunlight, this would have been a spectacular dive, but the colors dim today. It was still great fun. I took advantage of my last dive and really enjoyed myself. Can one get nitrogen narcosis at 16m? I felt good enough for it to be true. We emerged 40 minutes later to face a cold, windy, torrential rainstorm. The boat had been blown far away and we could barely make it out on the horizon. We immediately inflated the "emergency sausage" (a huge orange "balloon" to catch the boat's attention), whistled, screamed and swam in the boat's direction. At first, we saw no response. Then, long minutes later, someone must have spotted us being tossed roughly about in the waves, and a dinghy was sent out. We all clambered in, and that's it for my diving the reef. Sails up, back to Airlie.
Problem. Almost immediately, the wind dies, the skies clear and the sun comes out. The sails loose their spirit and droop uselessly. This yacht can do up above 20 knots at full sail, but that doesn't help when we're becalmed! They attempt to use the engine, but it keeps flooding. Oh no, we are going to be late... Back to Beaches. I took a long, luxurious shower (vs. 3 minutes on board) and went down to meet the others at Beaches bar. We had a few tables reserved just for us. We shared a good meal, everyone buying jugs. It was a jovial time. Most of the others turned in early, but Ursula, Sabine, Frank, Luigi, Karl, and myself went down to Charlie's for some great music and a bit of dancing. Ursula was trying to get me to change my air reservations for Bali for one week later so we can go there together. I think I'll try, because it would be good to know someone there. I'm just a little nervous. |
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| 27 December | Airlie Beach | |
| Zippo, nada, nothing. I woke up - wow! I booked my bus - gee! I had an early lunch - oh my! I sat next to the pool with Ursula, Sabine, and Luigi for few hours, but it was about 39° C and very humid today, so I was dying. I went back to my air conditioned room and vegged until dinner. Cajun chicken burger with Luigi at Magnums, the others gathering as we finished. This was Ursula and Sabine's last night together. They are splitting up after 2 months traveling together from home. Sniff. I will be meeting Sabine in Ubud on 9 Jan and Ursula on 14 Jan. That should be fun. We had a few drinks, but everyone was tired, so we all turned in early. Big hugs all around. | ||
| 28 December | Mission Beach | |
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I had to get up early for my bus. On my way out, I stopped by the Oceania shop to say goodbye. Keith was there. I just found out last night, he owns most of Oceania, the Anaconda II, etc. He is supposedly worth millions. No wonder he's such a cheerful guy. And I thought he was just another one of the instructors! He gave me an Anaconda II T-shirt to remember them by. (Also a little cheap advertisement)
From there, it was a long bus ride to Mission Beach. The Backpackers there was a decent place. I paid the extra couple dollars for an aircon room. BBQ tonight. I sat with a bunch of mainly Brits, but also one guy from Caven, Ireland. I stuffed myself silly on seconds, then the plum pudding and ice cream and a ½ litre wine. Good graze. After the crowd was good and fed, they started up some games. These were not for the timid (or the sober for that matter). First, there was a pissed version of musical chairs involving retrieving things, even shirts, shorts, and bras, with both the competitors and the onlookers becoming gradually less dressed and more drunk. Next, it was Knights, Vikings, and Cavilers. It was a sort of positions game, like Simon Says, only much bawdier. They started with the three original positions, then added 69, missionary, doggie, etc. You get the picture. I tore my knees up badly by the end, moving quickly from lifting my partner in my arms to dropping hard on my knees to the floor to get in the next position with her. There was much drink flowing, and the night passed sloppily along. My group from supper ended the evening floating around in the pool with a few others. James (Brit) mentioned to me that he thought a Swiss girl sitting by the side was after me. It was news to me, but I started paying attention, and it seemed true enough. The others conveniently turned in one by one, until it was only Sandra, her friend Barbara, and a guy trying to hit on her with little luck. The other two finally turned in, as the guy gave up on Barbara. She went off to bed, but only after making all sorts of lewd suggestions for the two of us. We ended up talking for hours, walking along the beach, trading massages. She was a nurse and gave a good one. Very nice. We ended up staying out until almost dawn, and spent a very pleasant night on the beach talking. |
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| 29 December | Mission Beach | |
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I didn't get up today until after noon. I didn't have much to do. I signed up for white water rafting, but it was full for Friday, so I'll have to wait until Saturday. Sigh. I just hung out by the pool all day. Into town for groceries, a book. That's about the day. Barbara and Sandra were still around. Barbara was getting worse with her crude remarks. It almost made me wonder if it was just her or if Sandra had told her something. More excitement, a table tennis game with James, more paddling in the pool. Sandra made some tentative attempts to get me away, so we ended up walking along the beach again, taking in a beautiful sunset. It was a relaxing, rather than boring, day. |
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| 30 December | Mission Beach | |
| Again, nothing all day. I finished another drawing, read, played more table tennis. Ho hum. Now this day was boring. There was a quiz game in the evening, with Andy, James, myself, Pagan (Yank), 2 Aussie girls on our team. It was sort of like team trivial pursuit. We won! We received a bottle of champagne as a prize, but also a toss in the pool. Some went quietly, some tried to hide, I decided to put up a fight. I rolled kicked, twisted, and screamed all the way to the pool. I didn't try too hard, though, I didn't want to hurt anyone. And so, splash! into the drink I went. Everyone else was laughing at us good natured, but, hey, we were the ones drinking the champagne afterwards! In our own puddles, of course... Good fun, but it quieted down soon afterwards. | ||
| 31 December | Cairns | |
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Time to go rafting! A minibus picks us up at the hostel, and takes us to Tully, where we meet the other buses. Then, we all pile into a huge double decker bus that takes us to the river. About 75% of the people are Japanese. All of the guides kept switching back and forth between English and Japanese, barely pausing to breath.
The Tully river is a hydro river- a hydro dam lets a controlled amount through. It is a very popular location it seems. The area is very busy. There will be 24 boats on the river today! This is not good. We geared up and found our rafts quickly, but then we had a long wait for everyone else to get going and spaced out sufficiently.
There was a good spread for lunch. Burgers, sausages, fruit, plenty to drink as we rested up for the afternoon. Pagan (Yank from Oklahoma) had been knocked around some. She chipped a tooth, and had a major bruise on her cheekbone. Ouch. The afternoon was even better. Longer, faster rapids. At one, our guide said if we wanted to, we could get out and ride it out ourselves. Splash. Whoopee. I was tossed all over, buried under water, and knocked around. It was a bit dangerous, and most people had better sense not to try, but it was great fun. At one point, I was in the back guiding the raft. I thought I was doing great job directing it around the various obstacles, but then we approached a rough stretch of rapids. I told everyone "hold on!", then tried to do the same. Unfortunately, this was my first time in the back of the boat, and I didn't know where to grab. I didn't grip hard enough and was bounced right out. I landed with my spine directly on a boulder, then knocked hard along many more rocks before I finally emerged out the other side. Yeouch! Everyone else in the raft hadn't noticed what happened to me. After they made it through, they sit up, turn around, and they're minus one guide! Laughing at me. Yeah, yeah. I was exhausted by the end of the day. I don't think I could recommend it though. It was far too commercialized and busy.
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| 1 January 1995 | Cairns | |
| It was a slow day. Everything was closed in town. I looked into diving a little, but I'm in no hurry. A group of us went to see Interview with a Vampire. After, End of the World had a drink deal. You pay A$6, you get a A$20 bar tab. It was too good to pass up, no matter how tired we were. Surprisingly, it went very fast. A$2 pots of VB for me, the others went with liquor. I met Sabine, Luigi, Karl, Peter and spent most of the time with them. James and Kim were a couple, all over each other. Lucky guy. I had hoped the dance floor would rev up, but no luck. Horrible 70's music most of the time. Pagan had bowed out, so I danced with Sabine a bit. Not much was happening, so everyone went home early. | ||
| 2 January | Cairns | |
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Up early to check out of the hostel. It was too far out of town. We were all moving to Caravella 149. They picked us up and brought us "home". We had a bigger room, with 6 instead of 3 beds, but with air con, a refrigerator, and ensuite, so the A$14 was worth it. Into town, but most things were still closed, so not much was happening. I changed a little money, got some food, looked around town more. Nothing much. In the evening, we all got a free "meal" at End courtesy of Caravella. The deal tonight was A$1 drinks. Pagan and I went for a walk along the water. There were many Aboriginals hanging out. I find it hard not being just a little prejudiced. Every Aussie I met has talked badly about them, and then the first I really met threatened to place a very large beer bottle over my head.
We eventually went back to the End. James, Andy, and the other guys decided to go to see another movie first, so poor me was left with 4 beautiful women. We found seats next to dance floor and started rounds. They were drinking vodka lemonades, so I joined in. Hm. Where's the vodka? For the next round, we asked the bartender to make it a double, hm, where's the alcohol? The stuff was so watered down, 10 drinks in 2 hours, and I'm not even buzzing. Busting, maybe, but definitely no buzz. The bartenders even admitted it. Hey, what do you expect for A$1? Pagan and I started ordering beers, hoping they were less watered down. The dance floor started to move, and she dragged me out. She was really a good dancer, she gets into the music. But a bad song put us back in our seats soon after. I had told her about how the first time I had danced was only last June. She was giving me advice on how to dance. Just don't think about it, feel it... She had to leave early, with a 6:30 bus the next day, but wanted to stay as long tonight as possible. She made a stray comment about the massage I gave her on New Year's Eve, and so I took charge a little. I ordered her onto a bench next to us and started to give her another. She seemed surprised at first, but immediately got into it. Slumped down, eyes closed, she pulled her hair away. The other girls were all staring, making shocked expressions, etc., but I just ignored them, closed my eyes and really worked. When I was finally done, she slowly stirred, murmured "that was great", and leant up against me for a bit. It was late, though, and she had to go, unfortunately. She gave me a great big, long, rib-cracking bear hug, waved to the others, and tripped out. I considered walking her home, but I actually didn't want anything to happen tonight, I only felt like dancing. So I watched her go. I'm just too much of a nice guy, still... Right away, I hopped out onto the dance floor with the other girls. It was fun, but they tired all too soon, and went home. Kathy, a girl I just met that night at dinner, showed up soon after, and we ended up dancing until about 3:00. And I danced! For the first time ever, I didn't care about how I moved, how I looked, who was watching, nothing but the music. I closed my eyes and just felt it, like Pagan said. It worked, and soon I was really into it. Kathy was the same, and two of us took over our little corner of the dance floor. Perhaps we had a different rhythm than most others on the floor at times, perhaps we may have looked foolish, but it was still great. She was a big flirt and had fun. Eventually, she also tired and went home, saying a pleasant goodbye. I stuck around even longer and danced 'til 4:00, not caring who watched, and many did, as there were few out there by this time. I even enjoyed that, and kept meeting various girls eyes, daring them to join me. Well, at least a little bit. I went home that night completely sober and clear headed, yet higher than anything ever sent me. |
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| 3 January | Cairns | |
| I got up early to get on the standby list for a diving trip. All full! No! Tough luck. The only one available didn't get me back in time for my flight on Sunday. I only had about 4 hours of sleep last night, so I was dragging today, but the GPO was open! I drag James and Andy along and checked the computer printout on the GPO windows. Connolly, Seán 3 times! Yes! There was a package from Mom and a card, and a note from Marc. The package contained Xmas cookies (still fresh), a stuffed Santa, film, chocolate, a letter, my new visa card and checks, and some cards from Francesca. Merry Xmas to me! I was quite satisfied with my haul. I called home to say thanks and to activate the visa card. I tried going out with some people that night for a few pints of Guinness, but I was falling asleep at the table and went home early. On my way home, Kathy spotted me and tried to drag me back to the End to dance, but I was dead on my feet and already half asleep. Snore! | ||
| 4 January | Cairns | |
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I used my visa card for the first time this morning. It was far too easy. I wish I'd had it all along, though I would probably have spent more money as well.
I got a good, short haircut and a random barber shop, then some healthy stuff at Woolworth's. Oranges, apples, OJ, carrots, grapes, french bread, pasta and sauce. Had pasta for lunch. It was a nice change from the kebabs I have been eating. After lunch, a lay out by the pool a bit and swam to cool off. I ran into Sabine, back from Cape Tribulation early. She didn't care for it much. Too bad. The two of us decided to go to Karunda and the Tablelands tomorrow, so we reserved a car. It should be fun. Out for the usual free dinner at End of the World, with ice cream afterwards. Then, I actually went to bed early for once! |
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| 5 January | Cairns | |
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In Kuranda, we found a tourist city. There were interesting markets, nice cafés, bungee jumping, and narrow streets crammed full of buses. Sabine bought a tiger shark tooth necklace. There was no hesitation, she loved it at first sight. I also had a bit of luck. I found A$10 on the ground. It was plenty to buy us both lunch. It must be my lucky day. We got back into the Moke to drive through the tablelands. They were not too spectacular, but it was nice to be away from the city for once. And the freedom of having our own car was great. We drove past a few lakes, some interesting trees, and some short walks around the area. On our way back, we stopped by a pub - the Bavarian needed her afternoon drink. For the first time now, I drove. I hadn't touched a car in 6 months, and now here I was driving and shifting on other side. Actually, the hardest part was the turn signal! I kept turning the wipers on. After dinner that evening, we decided on an impulse to drive out to the Crystal Cascades. In the dark. Without a torch or even a lighter. Yeah, real smart. It turned out to be only a 1.5 km hike to the cascades, except that it was a cloudy night without even the moon or stars to give us light. They are supposed to be great swimming holes, but we never saw them. It was very dark. The only light we could see was from the fireflies dancing in the humid night. We managed to find the water, but we couldn't even see more than an occasional glimmer. We changed to go out with James and the others, but Sabine disappeared and I couldn't find her afterwards. (It turned out she was in upstairs showers) The others were pushing to go out, so I went with them after giving up on Sabine. I thought that maybe she had left already or that she would at least show up later. End of the World - the place is aptly named. I'm getting ever-so-slightly sick of the place. Free beer, horizontal bungee jumping, and free food tend to bring the people back, I will give them that much. Tonight, the free beer didn't even seem to be watered down. I definitely felt it. The entire group was in the mood to get terribly pissed, so we stood right at the bar and chugged beer as fast as they served it. I had about 5 in a row for the first free keg and about the same for the next two. Sabine never showed up, but I was going to have a good time anyway. Amy and Kim were doing the horizontal bungee. It was funny. You take a running start attached to a bungee cord, trying to reach someone of the other sex with a beer (usually placed in an interesting location). At the last minute, they draw in the cord and it a matter of how far you can stretch it with your momentum to reach the drink. I'm sure it would make an interesting study for a group of physics students... The others left early to go to another club, but it looked like I was having luck dancing with Sue (a lovely brunette I met in Port Macquarie), so they left me there. She was a flirt, though, and I wasn't in the mood for playing games, so I joined Gaven and 2 other Aussies to find the others at Samuel's. There was another wild party in progress, complete with dancing on the tables, but the others weren't there. Oh well. Walking down street past the Fox and Firkin pub, a group of very attractive women walked past us. Of course, the lot of us turned to watch. One of them noticed and lifted her dress up over her head, wearing nothing on underneath! My, a natural redhead. They then went into the club next door, yelling to Gaven, "come on", who then pants after them. It was a decent club, not a backpackers place, and there was no cover charge. We sat next to the ladies for a while and talked. Someone told me a while back that there was a club where the strippers at 2000BC go after work. Well, we found it! They were nice girls actually. We ended up staying until after 4:00 talking and drinking. It was a good time, though, of course, we all left alone. Not for lack of trying on Gaven's part... |
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| 6 January | Cairns | |
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I woke up early with a throbbing hangover, but I had to make sure the car was returned. I ran into Sabine right outside my door, and she told me no worries. She also said that I looked like I had a good time last night. "In other words, you look like shit." I immediately went back to sleep, as I was still pissed and slept another 5 hours. When I cleaned up and sat with Sabine again, commented "much better." This was her last day in Australia. Tomorrow morning, she has her flight to Bali. I ran errands with her, did some laundry (I'm going to miss that very soon), and then we sat and wrote letters. It was a very mellow day.
That evening after dinner, we went out for a few drinks with Andie, a local Aussie. Most places had live bands and cover charges tonight, as it was a Friday. We were not out for much, so we didn't want to pay. We ended up taking a pedicab to an Irish pub out on the Pier. There was a good view of the lights reflecting off the mudflats... After a few drinks, we wandered home along the waterfront and I said my goodbyes to Sabine. A quick hug and the words "see you in Asia!" |
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| 7 January | Cairns | |
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This was my last full day in Australia. I still have plenty to do. First, I had to get rid of some dead weight from my pack. I shipped my sleeping bag and a few other unneeded items home. It would just be extra gear to carry around that I won't need in hot Asia.
Next, I had to get some supplies to last me awhile. I have no idea what I'm getting into in Indonesia, but better be safe than sorry... Thumbtacks for mosquito netting, a notebook, contact lens solutions, soap, laundry soap, emergency rations (peanut butter, M&M's), mini battery powered fan (OK, but it was just a A$1!). Afterwards, I went back to the cool aircon dorm room to organize and recover from the heat. James, and the others are driving up to the tablelands today, so for the first time in almost a month, I'm alone today. It's a weird feeling. I caught up on my last few days here in my journal, finished writing some letters, packed and repacked my backpack. *yawn* Maybe a nap... The others got back about 6:30. We all cleaned up and drove out to dinner. James drove us there in the nice red jeep they rented for the day. It cost A$65, but with 5 of them paying, it was cheap. There is a very grim feeling going to End of the World for our free meal. "Please sir, could you spare a crust of bread?" After a couple jugs of beer, we decided to get a slab of Carleton Cold at the bottle shop and drive down to the beach. We had the place all to ourselves. James and Kim went off together into the nearby trees, and disappeared for much of the evening. I decided Amy needed a massage, so I moved in. Soon she was very relaxed, almost dozing. It was a very relaxed evening on the beach. Eventually we finished off the slab (James only had a couple because he was driving) and drove back into town. The others were tired and went to bed as soon as we got back, but it was only 12:30 and Amy and I wanted to go dancing. At 18, she's a hot dancer, full of enthusiasm. We had a great time, but the music turned bad after a few songs, so we sat on the side and talked awhile, then gave up on the DJ and left. Another big hug on the corner, and we went to our respective "homes". As usual, I'm the last one to bed in our room. What happened to the nerd who used to go to bed every day at 10:00? Or the workaholic spending 60 hours straight in front of the computer to get a job done? He's not here anymore... The question is, who is here now? More than just a party person, I hope. Tomorrow, I'm about to enter into one of the more challenging times in my life. I'm confident I'll be OK, but I'm still very nervous. Trial by fire, or the time worn tourist track, we'll see which I choose...
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©Copyright Seán Connolly |
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