Australia Highlights

Overall, I enjoyed Australia a lot. Unlike in NZ, I decided not to worry about money and did a lot more. I ended up on 2 good tours, and 2 bad tours. But even the bad was not so bad. While I saw a lot of highlights, I ended up skipping all the little towns in between. I think it is better for me that way. Travelling so much causes you to be jaded a bit. By the time I was in Australia, I only wanted to see & do things that were unique. The other thing I realized was that I didn't particularly like travelling alone for so long. I got tired of not really getting the chance to know people I meet too well. That's another reason why I went with tours. You at least get a few days to get to know people instead of just a few hours in most cases.

Darwin to Alice Springs & Ayers Rock

I went on a six day tour from Darwin to Alice Springs where 3 of the days were spent around Uluru, Olgas, and Kings Canyon. I can't even be bothered to go into detail, but that tour was such a rip off. There was hardly anything involved for the first half of the trip, and on the second half, the guide was a complete ass. Anyhow, I've been on many tours, and I've never felt more ripped off than with this tour. So, if you ever consider taking a tour, don't use Adventure Tours unless you don't have other options.

The highlights of these 6 days was hiking in Katherine Gorge, the Devil's Marbles, Ayers Rock, Olgas, and Kings Canyon. They were all pretty spectacular in itself, but it marked the end of my journey in Australia. I've now seen all I wanted to see, for now, here in the Outback.

Darwin

There didn't seem to be much to do in Darwin in the wet season. There's not a lot of people there this time of year, which was nice, but that meant there was a lack of atmoshphere too. One of the days that I was there was so hot, I didn't even want to go outside so I sat in the airconditioned TV room the whole day. Oh, I saw the movie The Last Samurai while I was there. I was wondering for a while why the movie isn't starting on time, only to find out that Northern Territory is half hour behind Queensland, which is an hour behind New South Wales, even tho they are on the same latitude. Seems Queensland wants to be different from NSW and decided not to adopt the daylight savings time.

Kakadu NP

I had another 3 day/2 night camping trip, this time through Kakadu NP with Kakadu Dreams. There was only 6 of us in a 4WD - James, Max, Hannes, Ako, Heike, and me. Our guide was Lyle and he was half Aboriginal (indeginous people of Australia) so he knew a lot about their culture and was a great guide. There was a lot of hiking and swimming involved in the tour, but I got more cultural experience than I expected. That was great, because otherwise, I may never have bothered to try to learn anything about the Aboriginal culture. It is a significant part of Australia, so it would have been a shame not to have seen any of their art or hear a didgeridoo played properly.

It is currently rainy season in Kakadu, so it's the low peak season and hence only the six of us on the tour. The 2 girls were close to my age so we got along really well so that was great. The 3 boys were much younger, but the 2 Austrian boys were so funny they had me clutching my stomach and laughing half of the time in the car. Actually, I just remembered Max was my age. I would've never known it though from the way he acted. James, from Italy, was pretty chill & nice too. He had been taking didgeridoo lessons and was really into the Aboriginal culture.

Cairns

Cairns was just a stop over before catching a flight to Darwin. I had only one night here so I just spent a bit of time walking around. This is probably the most touristy place I have been to, and it seems to cater really well to Japanese tourists. And it just so happens that my ex-boyfriend who lives in Japan and a bunch of his friends were flying into Cairns tomorrow to go on a dive trip. We were going to try to meet up, but he says they are going straight to their hotel in Port Douglas, and I had no plans to go there. Notice, he says "HOTEL". It got me thinking, what the hell am I doing staying in these cheap ass hostels?? I used to make X dollars - I shouldn't have to stay in hostels. I'm right, I don't. But if I do, it could mean not having money left for school or travelling longer or on anything else. It's a choice I made. Actually, when you're travelling alone, it's better to stay in hostels so you meet people. I know I said I got tired of meeting new people, but I think I would go more nuts if I never met anyone while travelling.

Sailing Around Whitsunday Islands

Airlie Beach

I had 2 days to kill in Airlie Beach before my sailing trip, and it was raining both days. It was more like a storm on the first day. There's not a whole lot to do in Airlie. Even if it was sunny, you can't swim in the beaches in Queensland from like November because of stingers. (There is a man made lagoon, or pool, tho for public use.) I had already decided that Australia is not the kind of place I like to sit around and relax. I hate days when I'm just sitting around, but at least in NZ, I was sitting around in nice hostels with nice sceneries. Hostels in Australia are pretty crap. I might have mentioned somewhere before also, but I'm also tired of chatting up with people I may or may not see again so I don't even bother trying to talk to anyone in hostels anymore unless I'm really bored or have a need to.

Sailing on the Siska

I had booked a 3 day/2 night sailing trip on a maxi Apollo III, but I was moved onto another boat at the last minute. The trip was with Southern Cross on their Siska. It was a boat actually recommended in my guide book, so I wasn't too bothered about it. The boat was a proper sailing yacht so it wasn't big, but not so small that it was uncomfortable down below. There were 20 passengers on board and 5 crew. A skipper, crew, cook, and 2 volunteers. The passengers were all different mixes in age and nationality, but everyone was down to earth and pretty nice. I enjoyed everyone's company. One guy, Andy, is planning to go to Japan to teach English in June, so we may try to meet up with each other than.



Around The Whitsunday Islands

I had an absolutely fantastic time sailing around the islands. Fortunately, we had great weather all three days. I know some people who'd gone out before us didn't have as great of a time because it rained a lot. I couldn't see how the trip would've been enjoyable if it rained on us also. It was a bit rough getting out on the first day though and most of us kind of sat still up top trying not to get ill. Once things calmed down a bit I got to take the helm for a bit.



Each day we spent some time snorkelling. It was the best snorkelling I've done. The corals were pretty, and I saw lots of wildlife including clown fish (like Nemo), rays, and a giant turtle. It made me want to do some snorkelling or diving up in the Great Barrier Reef, but I didn't plan on doing it on this trip. Perhaps I'll make another trip to Australia for that. I do have other parts of Australia that I'll need to visit later anyways. Aside from snorkelling, we spent some time on Whitehaven beach and on some short walking tracks to a look out with some stunning views.
On the very last day, we had winds of up to 30 knots and had great sailing!! The boat was keeled over onto its side and a lot of people were nervous, especially when Adrian took the helm. It was lots of fun tho, well, until we ripped a sail about an hour away from the marina. In the evening, we all met up for dinner and drinks, followed by a bit of dancing.

Fraser Island

Playing Survivor

To get on and around Fraser Island, you need a 4WD. The cheapest and a popular way to do it with backpackers is to go on a self-guided tour with other backpackers. What happens is you sign up to do this, and the hostel or tour company will throw a group of 9-11 people together, randomly it seems. They give you a pretty run down 4WD, some camping equipment, food, and some vague instructions, and send you on your way for 3 days and 2 nights. Immediately after I arrived on Rainbow Beach, I attended a briefing with other backpackers going the next day to Fraser. We were broken up into groups. Mine had 10 people in it, and 7 of them were 20 yr olds! Luckily, the other 2 were girls in the late 20's and we got along really well. Still, it was a challenge to coordinate and plan things as a group - especially when it came to cooking and cleaning up. Most of the time, it was the usual half of the group doing all the work.

Fraser Island

The first day of the trip was pissing rain, but most of the day was spent driving up the island (start in Harvey Bay instead of Rainbow Beach if you do this trip). We drove on the beach some, and then inland over the rough roads. Our camp site for the night - Indian Heads - was at near the top of the island so we had lots of ground to cover. We stopped in Elli creek for a swim in the pouring rain. It was almost like a scene from a military movie where your sneaking through uncharted grounds. On the way up to Indian Head from there, we saw the Maheno Shipwreck, and some coloured sands. Once in Indian Head, we went up to the sand dunes to catch sunset, but we missed it. Still beautiful up there tho. At night, the sky cleared some and we can see many stars. There are no lights (or facilities for toilets & showers) at Indian Heads so the stars are bright. I think I saw my first shooting star. It was too bad we would be eaten alive by bugs if we slept outside.

The second day began with an early rise (0430) to catch the sunrise from Indian Head. Absolutely beautiful. Some people even saw sharks in the water below. After going back for a bit of a nap, the rest of the morning was spent at Champagne pools. We could not leave the area until the afternoon due to tide restrictions. The Champagne pool is an area on the beach protected by sharks from the rocks. But we had to be careful of the crashing waves coming over the rocks. There were also other rocks people were cutting their feet on. The waves were strong at high tide and hard to swim. But I stayed there all morning going in and out in some of the calmer bits, being careful to slather on sunscreen often as it was blazing hot. It was better than hanging out at the campsite in this heat. Once we were able to get going, we stopped at Elli Creek again, but today there were many tourists here because of the good weather. In the end, we've ran out of time and missed Lake Wabby. We went on to Dilli Village for the night where there were some facilities. I drove most of the day, and while it was fun driving along the beach or 4WD inland, it was quite tiring with lots of driving. I was pretty beat by end of day.
We headed over to Lake Mackenzie first thing in the morning on the third day, tho it was not soon enough for those of us wanting to spend a lot of time there. Lake Mackenzie was the most beautiful lake I've ever seen - such a clear blue water. The water temperature was just right for me. Also, the lake was large enough and out of the way that it was not so jam packed with tourists, even tho lots of people were there. It was so great for swimming. After couple hours tho, we had to get going. We had to make lunch and get down to Hook Point to catch our ferry.

The Group and Trip Organization

Although the island was magnificent, we missed out on spending lots of time in the best places, and seeing some other parts of the island. Part of the reason was due to inefficiency of the group. Half of the group didn't help out a whole lot, slowing the progress when we tried to pack up and get going after camp, meals, etc. The other problem was poor planning I think. The tour company gave us an itinerary to follow with lots of restrictions on time due to high tide on the beaches. We ended up spending hours and hours at Champagne pool, tho I would rather have been at Lake Mackenzie for it. They also didn't give us a lot of info on the island. Combined with the 3 hr drive to and from the ferry drop off to the main bits of the island, there just wasn't sufficient time to enjoy it thoroughly. Our group cohesiveness was poor, tho it could've been worse I think. Food was mediocre, and equipment - well not the very best. Our car broke down once and our torch light broke on the first night, leaving us w/o light on the second night. I suppose this is the price you pay for a budget trip. The group I think, is always a hit-or-miss situation. I've been with some really good groups, and some that were okay. This one was by far the worst, but I could think of much worse people to be with. 5 of the kids were actually a group of Swiss folks, and they kind of kep to themselves a lot. They weren't very proactive either and kind of slowed the trip a bit I think. The other 2 kids were actually great - they put in more than their fare share of team effort. As for me, I'm actually lucky that there were 2 girls I got on well with and could share the responsibility of leading the group.

Noosa Heads

First thing on my agenda after settling into the hostel was cooling off at the beach. The beach here is a bit crowded, and dirty, but the water was still warm and jumping over the waves was fun. The next day I spent couple hours walking around the National Park there and chilling on one of the beaches. I've lost most of my tan and I want to get it back. I also spent quite a bit of time shopping around for trips to Fraser Island and Whitsunday. There are so many options to choose from, it was a bit of a nightmare at first. After collecting my thoughts and deciding what's important to me - group size, boat type, cost, etc., I finally narrowed it down. I booked into 3 day/2 night self-drive (in a group) with Dingoes on Fraser, and 3 day/2 night sailing on the maxi Apollo III in the Whitsundays. I booked the tour with Peter Pan's, and they even gave me free e-mail just for looking, and of course more free e-mail after booking with them.

Free Again!

Heading up to Noosa from the zoo, Rich felt it necessary to check out all of the beaches on the way and took the coastal road. He had more time than I did, so I can understand why he may want to do that. He knew tho, that I only had six weeks and wanted to cover lots of ground in that time. It's his car and I can't make him go at my pace, but I just thought it was a bit of a waste of time trying to see EVERYTHING. I was armed with a guide book, so I had a pretty good idea of where the interesting places to see were. What's the point in going by beaches if they are just like every other one and you weren't going to swim in it?? I had seen many many beaches in my life, and many many just on my trip in OZ so far. Surely he has too. Anyhow, then he goes on to say that he isn't comfortable taking his 4WD onto the much raved Fraser Island. What's the point in having a 4WD if you're not going to use it for what it was meant to do?!? Anyhow, at this point, I was ready to travel on my own again. I'd miss out some small stops between point A and point B without a car, but it was a price I was willing to pay. I was also willing to dish out a few extra dollars each night for some better company in hostels. I've realized today that I can get a long with most everyone - but only for a short period of time. I think there are many more people out there that would drive me crazy if I had to spend an extended amont of time with them. If anyone else says that they can get along with anybody, I call bullshit. Try travellng with them. Rich is not a bad guy by all means and I'm not here to slash him. He was quite nice at first and we compromised well in many ways. I think he had started sensing my dissatisfaction in some of the situations, though, and began to pursue his objectives without regard for my needs or wants. Anyhow, once in Noosa, I declared my intentions and was dropped off at the Koala Beach Resort. I thought he was cool at first with it, but then he kind of left without a word - no byes, no good luck, no enjoy your trip. Hmmm.... Anyhow, I was glad to be on my own again, to be able to do what I want with my kind of crowd.

Australia Zoo

After leaving Brisbane, we went to the Australian Zoo - home of the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. I got to pet a koala and feed kangaroos. Unfortunately Steve wasn't there for the croc demo, but it was still good. I enjoyed seeing all of the native animals of Australia.

Gold Coast to Brisbane

After passing Tweeds Head which is the state line between Queensland and New South Wales, we drove through Surfur's Paradise and up to Brisbane. Neither Rich nor I were really into exploring the city, but I had wanted to stay in or near it so that we could actually do something with the time we had left that night. I wanted to check e-mail, make phone calls, do ANYTHING - but sit in a fucking tent the whole night in the middle of fucking nowhere. Rich is a bit older and has not been in the backpacking scene, and didn't seem too keen on staying at any hostels. At least in a hostel, there'd be a lounge or a bar where we could meet and talk to other people. In the last four days, the only other contact I've had with other people were Rich's friends. I was starting to feel a bit lonely. We camped again in the middle of nowhere, which would not be so bad if it was time to go to bed already, but we pulled into camp at like 1700! I passed the time doing some washing and paying a ridiculous price for e-mail in the camp site.

Sunrise Hike up Mt. Warning

I couldn't convince Rich to get up at 0300 to hike up Mt.Warning to catch the sunrise at the peak. But we did get up at 0400. We were at the trailhead by 0500 and were on our way up. About 30 min into the hike tho, Rich decided he wasn't fit enough to keep going, so I went up on my own, torch in hand, through the dark forest. At about 0600, I could see the red sun rising above misty hills in the distance through the trees. Fortunately, I soon came to couple of clearings where I got a fantastic view and some photos. Near the top, there was some really steep rock climbing with chain holds. By then tho, some people were starting to come down so if I had slipped and fallen, I probably would have been rescued. At the top were more great views of the surrounding. Mt.Warning is actually the tallest mountain on the East coast, and it's smack in the middle of a volcano crater which spans that whole area. The whole hike up & down took me 3 hours.

Springbrook NP

After Byron Bay, we made our way up to Springbrook NP. There was a Natural Bridge where a waterfall broke through so you can see the falls from inside a cave. We also went on a short, 4km, walk around Purlingbrook falls. The Best of View lookout wasn't much of a lookout tho, because by then, the mist came in. We camped in Murwillumbah for the night.

Coffs Harbor

Our first night's stop was Coffs Harbor. On the way, we saw Port Macquerie, Nelson Bay, and Nambucca Heads. It was a full day's drive there and we didn't get to the camp site until late. It's hot as hell in Australia right now, so camping is not all that comfortable, but for an average of $10 per night, I'm not complaining. Before heading out the next day, we spent a bit of time on Digger's Beach. It's absolutely beautiful - clear and warm water, and no stingers or crowd. There's even supposed to be a nudist beach around the corner, but I didn't bother looking. It's probably bunch of old people anyways. The next evening we were invited to dinner at Rich's friend's house in Mullumbimby. Great nachos - thanks, Andrew & Liz. The following morning we checked out the lighthouse in Byron Bay.

Road Trip Australia

Rich and I headed out early today in hopes of trying to make as much distance as possible away from Sydney. Our mode of transportation is a Toyota Land Cruiser 4WD. There's tons of room in the car... that is, until Rich put all of his shit in it. This guy is prepared for anything - tent, gas stove, cooking equip (tho neither of really cooks), water tanks, cleaning stuff, maps & books galore, suit cases, you name it - it's in there. There's a bit of a down side to over packing the car tho. It's a pain in the ass trying to get anything out, and we can't give anyone else a lift. But, I suppose this is the way to camp travel in luxury. Anyhow, we didn't have much of a plan so we just headed out, and I read the guide book as we approached places to decide whether or not to stop there.

Leaving Manly

As much as I thought the Manly Guesthouse was a dump, I was quite sad to leave it on my last day there. I was getting used to washing the dishes before and after each use. Ben had even cleaned our room after Sam left. Although I wasn't into the drinking part much anymore, I enjoyed the routine there of bumming on the beach and in front of the TV. I'd also gotten to know everyone's faces (everyone was called knobhead). It was also sad to say bye to Tess, Chris, and Ben, because this time, there might not be a 'next time'. It's always the same - make new friends, and then say good-bye at some point. I've gotten used to it, but it is still hard. Another bummer is having to leave this one cutie in the guesthouse. To me, he resembled Orlando Bloom a bit - particularly his smile. I think there's something to be said about silence. I often lose interest in guys after they open their mouth. He didn't say much, which made me want him. This guy could've been a total idiot or an ass, but I didn't know that. I did hear him speak once tho, and he does have a sexy voice. I usually like guys who can make me laugh, but here I began to understand the man's shallow perspective of wanting to be with beautiful women regardless of their intelligence. He probably didn't have to utter a single word and I could've been content just staring at him all day long... well, at least for few days. (Damn... I didn't get a photo of him!)

Happy New Year!

I got back to Manly mid-day on New Year's Eve, and then chilled out on the beach in the afternoon. Tess & I had wanted to go into the city for the fireworks, but most of the guys wanted to be lazy and see the fireworks from Northhead. From Manly, we would've had to take the ferry in by 7pm and would have to rush back on one of 4 ferries after midnight. No one wanted to fight the crowds. I almost went in on my own, but gave in after couple of drinks and decided to join the rest of them. We got to Northhead just in time for the 9pm fireworks for the kiddies. Although we got a clear view of the city from where we were, the fireworks were quite at a distance as I had feared. Then we had to kill three hours until the midnight fireworks. It was chilly out, and not much of an atmosphere. We passed the time by playing games and listenning to Chris and Ben singing some muppets song (barararump). That got old after about the second hour of it. When midnight rolled around we couldn't count down because no one knew the exact time. Fireworks went up in four different locations, and we could see all four. Fireworks also went up over the Harbour bridge in the end. It looked like it would have been absolutely awesome if we watched it somewhere closer or with the Opera House in the foreground. I want to come back some day and do it right next time - from a posh suite with a view in Circular Quay.