Thursday 25 November 2004

Week 92, Day 607

It's been six weeks since my last update and as you can imagine, there's too much to say on one page, so I will try and be as brief as possible.

LAST WEEK OF NZ
We did jet boating and quad biking (through lots of mud!) in Taupo, come third again in a pub music quiz, did some fantastic CD shopping in Auckland and caught up with old friends Damian and Charlie.

WEEKEND IN SYDNEY
Boogied to Mark Rae(of Rae & Christian fame)'s set in Kings Cross, chilled out, hired a car for our travels, saw friends and ate gelato.

EAST COAST OF OZ

GOSFORD - Stopped overnight at my older sister Luisa's place to say hello.

BYRON BAY - Stayed two nights at the hippiest hostel, The Arts Centre. We enjoyed didjeridoo lessons, getting in touch with the surrounding nature and animals, watching a fire juggler perform along with a band that included a shifting didjeridoo, a trip to Nimbin and a hike at Minyon Falls where we were greeted by many lizard friends and attacked by local Kookaburras.

GOLD COAST/BRISBANE - Spent a week with old school mate Johanna, and her boyfriend Jase. Apart from the usual touristy haunts like Dreamworld (theme park) and Wet 'n' Wild (waterslide themepark), we also took a trip to Brisbane to see Groove Armada play for our second time this year. They were awesome as expected. Visited Johanna's mother's place to relive some memories. But the top three highlights were going to a rave on the Goldcoast's Wavebreak Island, visiting Steve Irwin's Australia Zoo (and seeing the man himself!) and then concluding the visit with a night at the best club I've been to yet, Family, in Brisbane to see Sasha. Rock on!

FRASER ISLAND - Three days on the world's biggest sand island in a 4WD with 8 other people left me exhausted but all worth it. Our group consisted of a Swedish couple on their honeymoon, two German girls, an English girl, an English guy and two English 18 year olds who were dubbed 'Beavis & Butthead' by one of the Swedes. First night we camped by the beach and shared our campsite with lots of dingoes. The Second day was the best with beautiful sights from Indian Head where I spotted a school of dolphins, a manta ray and turtles. Third day visited the weirdest and sandiest lake I've ever seen (high sand dunes lead down to the lake). All a lot of fun.

ROCKHAMPTON - A quick stop off to see my nephew Anthony, neice Christie and her daughter (my great-neice!) Taseda who's only one year old and the happiest kid I've ever met. A quiet two days of catching up with the fam, seeing a few local sights and eating one of the best Australian steaks I've ever had.

MAGNETIC ISLAND - More time for relaxing. While we missed the Whitsundays and Great Barrier Reef, our day spent sailing was just what we needed. Andrew, our Polish host, took us and two other couples on his own-made sailing boat to a few bays around the island. We snorkelled for a few hours, had a lunch of home-made pizza, boom-netted the way back (that's where you sit on a net in the water which trails the boat, and it feels like one big water massage), and tried to play along with Andrew to some jazz on percussion instruments.

CAIRNS - Limited time meant we only took one trip and that was to Cape Tribulation, via the Daintree Rainforest and River. We went on a crocodile hunting boat trip. Unfortunately we only saw one croc, but our guide also showed us an Amethyst Python he had recently caught and we spotted a few local but exotic birds. We also stopped at an animal sanctuary at Port Douglas where we fed some Kangaroos, Wallabys, and other wildlife. I also touched my first ever snake (no jokes there thanks), a Python.

CAIRNS to ALICE SPRINGS - I dreaded this three day bus trip but soon realised it was well worth it. While there's not a lot to see and do along the way, our bus driver Bernie ensured that we all had a good time. There were 24 of us on there - Germans, Dutch, Norwegians, Canadians, English and Irish. The second day was the best. We went to Python Gorge where a local explained the Aboriginal paintings on the wall there and a few other historical facts about how the gorge came about. It was followed up by a BBQ Bernie did for us while we were at the gorge. We passed through Middleton, population 7, which includes a pub, a pet kangaroo called Alco(short for Alcoholic) and a football stadium- well, that's what THEY call it anyway. I would describe it as two football posts and a few viewing seats. The sign on it says 'Middleton Footbal Stadium. Admission fee = 1 stubbie (No Foster's crap!)'. And as if that weren't Aussie enough, as the field is over 500m long, there's a small bar in the middle of it so the players can stop for a drink on the way.

That evening was brilliant. We stayed at family's farm. They have adopted many lost and injured baby animals including wild Kangaroos, Emus, dogs, pigs, turkeys and sheep. Alex and Espen (Norwegian guy) found it most entertaining to rouse the biggest of the Kangaroos, Poppy, and get him fighting them. It was also discovered that Poppy will do anything for a beer and we have the photos to prove it.

In Alice Springs, our accomodation booking was mixed up and to make it up to us, they booked us in a nearby villa for the same price - it felt like luxury! The evening saw us meet up with the rest of the bus tour for dinner at a hostel where there was a Reptile Show on. Alex and I got to hold a few lizards and a mighty big Python by the name of Olive. I am now in love with snakes.

ALICE SPRINGS TO ADELAIDE

Six days in the dusty outback in a small bus with 23 other people sounds like hell but it proved otherwise. We took another tour to get us down to Adelaide via many popular attractions. First stop was Kings Canyon and then overnight at Uluru's campsite. Up at 4am the next day to see the sunrise at Uluru and then Alex & I thought it would be great to climb it. It's the hardest climb I've ever done. I honestly thought I was going to die the first part. Then you get to the top and realise you're still nowhere near the top and you have to battle strong winds to get there. At least the Japanese tourists who made it up there provided us with some amusing diversion as we watched them drop to the floor and cling on to the rock for their dear lives. It was all worth it though - the view is spectacular. Would I do it again? Ask me in a few years time.

After Uluru, the beautiful Valley of the Winds at the Olgas, but I was too hot and tired from the previous walk to appreciate it like I should. Our dodgy driver, Kelvin (he's a kiwi so it figures), snuck us into the villa's pool for a quick dip. That was just the beginning of his dodgy doings!

On the third day we drove further south to Coober Pedy, the arse end of the world - literally. The locals live underground to shelter from the extreme summer heat (56 degrees!) and the only reason they're there is the possibility of riches from the local opal mining. After a mining tour and a few card games, we had dinner and all got horribly drunk. Thankfully so, as we met some of the locals at the bar and only just managed to survive their meeting.

On the fourth day we drove to the Flinder's Ranges. Very uneventful except for the dinner that night - Kangaroo steaks, Emu sausages and Camel burgers. Delicious. The burgers were the best.

On the fifth day we moved on to another part of the Flinder's Ranges and climbed Mount Olhssen Bagge. It was hard work for part of it but like Uluru, worth it. At the top we had the gorgeous view of the Wilpena Pound - a set of ranges and valleys that looks like a huge comet crater, but isn't! As it was our last night, we all got incredibly drunk at the campsite. We played Twister, and many drinking games around the campfire, trying to make as much noise as we could to disturb the other tour group that was there who were extremely boring! One dutch girl taught us a drinking game revolving around Cowboys and Cowgirls which soon got changed to use Osama, Islamic and other politically incorrect references by the Scotsman in our group. Oh what a night!

The last day we drove through the Barossa region where we stopped to do two wine tasting sessions. The second at Leasingham's was the best and subsequently, we had to buy some wine. That evening in Adelaide, we all met up for dinner and drinks, and got drunk together for the sixth night in a row. I still can't get over how 24 people can get on so well in such a short time. I'm sure it's not the last time we'll see those guys!

Another week and another tour to go. I wonder what surprises that will bring!

x
Vanessa