6:44am
When you meet travellers, they never talk about their jobs. Granted some of them
probably don't have anything they'd call a job, some of them might be professional travellers.
No one that's travelling alone has someone who loves them waiting at home, or at least they
never speak of them. They speak of home but mostly to compare its weather or its politics
to those of the country they've travelled to. Travellers never talk about going home, only
where they're going before that. When travellers list the places they've been, it's boasting for
some, a resume for others. Travellers don't really miss people and most of their friends are
people they've known for less than a week.
I'm glad I'm not a real traveller.6:52am
8:33am
Yesterday's hostess on the courtesy pick-up bus was much cooler than today's. She
reminded me of Talia, but with less capacity for being sassy. There are seatbelts on this bus
and our driver is much older than Cooky. Today I'm looking forward to tomorrow. But I'll try to
appreciate.
9:54am
Today's tour guide is named Grame. He seems a lot more Australian than Cooky.
Whatever that means. He just seems more authentic. Right now he's asking everyone where
they're from. It's putting everyone immeadiately at ease. He is bird-like and friendly.
Yesterday the lamingtons made my belly sick when the bus started moving, but I adore
them and can't resist. I'll have to bring some back for my family. Today I'm trying the Billy
Tea too. Shaughn would like it. I like it too, strange because I don't like tea. I didn't
(There is a strange looking girl in an incredible orange dress who is travelling with her
boyfriend.)
have any vegemite today though. Oh, I forgot to write about my first vegemite
experience. Angela had been asking me everyday if I tried it yet, so finally one day last week
I put some on some toast and tried it. Apparently, I used too much. Regardless, it is really
awful stuff and I don't anticipate ever having it again. But at least I can say I tried it. Angela
eats it constantly. It's an acquired taste, I suppose.
(What I was saying up there is that I wish I was the one travelling with my boyfriend.
How blissful that would be.)10:08am
1:10pm
We're boarding the bus after lunch at Ferguson's Winery in the Yarra Valley. I'm not a
wine person so I didn't participate in the tasting afterward. I did have some wine with my
vegetarian lasagna though. Figured I couldn't come to a vineyard without at least having
a bit.
I sat across from this guy who I initially thought was the Australian version of Yannick but soon discovered that Yannick is much better looking and infinitely more interesting. How does one politely inform someone that their conversation is boring? My subtle hinting just didn't work. No worries though cuz the tour people are divided between more wineries and the Healsville Sanctuary this afternoon and that guy is looking to get drunk I think while I'm going to visit the Australian animals.
Grame's telling us interesting things about Australian wildlife. I like Grame. Both him and Cooky are very splenderific tour guides in entirely different ways.
There's a girl from Italy sitting beside me. This morning I noticed her wearing green in the same way I first noticed Jennifer. After speaking to her, the illusion was maintained. She's basically Jennifer with an Italian accent. I don't know her name and I don't think I want to. It's okay if she's named Jennifer in my head for the day.
There was a guy playing classical guitar filling the background at the restaurant. I decided to approach him before I left and thank him for the music (cuz I know how it is to be background). We ended up talking for a few mintues and exchanging CDs. I think his music is the kind of thing I need to take home with me. A reasoned meeting.
This could be a romantic trip, if I had an excuse with me.1:34
2:56pm
We're in Healsville now. It's been largely disappointing thus far. Mostly birds. Who wants
to see birds at a wildlife sanctuary? I haven't even seen a koala yet, although our guide
assures me we will on the way back from the Birds of Prey show we're waiting for. I did see a
platypus, it was smaller than I expected. And I took a photo of a wallaby for Matthew. The
girls had way more fun at the Calgary Zoo than I am having here. I reckon it would be fun
here too with them.
4:38pm
The girl whose name is probably not Jennifer misses her boyfriend at home too.
8:17pm
I'm just not feeling very community-minded today. Which is unfortunate since that's the
point of youth hostels in general. Community. I've been moved to a different room for my
last night and it's a twin share (there were four other women in the last room) but the other
girl hasn't shown up yet. I like the increased privacy but room B1 here at the Chapman
Gardens YHA is in probably the worst place in the entire building. Coming from either the
common room, kitchen, office, laundry or front door, hostel guests have to pass directly in
front of my door. And they tend to do so loudly. Right now there's a group of teenage boys
outside boisterously discussing negative risks of throwing darks and lights in the same load of
washing. There is
barbed wire along the top of the fence outside my window. I'm not going to start thinking
about what that's supposed to keep out. Is 12 1/2 hours too much to sleep in one night? I
really can't think of anything else to do. 8:26pm
to Thursday, December 7, 2000
to australian tour diary
oz = can
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