Tues Apr 22 - Day 15
I’ve been in Oz for 2 weeks now, and it has flown by. Today I did laundry and a bunch of internet stuff. Then in the afternoon I went on a walking tour of Sydney. It was cool. I saw some of the historic stuff, as well as the Opera House and Harbour Bridge and the Botanical Gardens.
It’s a little weird to be on my own again after spending the last few days with people. It’s good though. I need some time by myself to relax and regroup. It’s harder to meet people in the larger hostels, though.
Wed Apr 23 - Day 16
I took a day trip to the Blue Mountains today. It rained and was also foggy. I believe the phrase used is a "pea-souper". Before the rain started we went to the Olympic village from fthe 2000 games. It was cool to see the complex and it was really great how they made it a "green" (as in eco-friendly) Olympics. The entire roof of the main stadium was covered in solar panels.
After the Olympic stadium we stopped in a little village on the mountain called Leura, which is the aboriginal word for lava. It was little and quaint. And I spent a lovely time in the smallest café I’ve ever seen in my life. There were literally 6 tables for 2. I think the whole place was about 10 feet across and maybe 20 deep. I also stopped into an old fashioned candy shop, but it wasn’t as fun as you’d expect. It is truly autumn here, though. Between the leaves changing colour and falling and the weather, it felt like November feels at home.
The highlight of the day was Scenic World Rainforest park. We took a cable car across the valley to view Katoomba falls. Then we took a train that was in the Guinness book of World Records for the steepest incline at 52 degrees. It was really cool. We got to walk through the rainforest on a raised wooden walkway. There was tons of information about when the mountains were used for mining. Then we took a cable car back up and moved on.
Most of the lookout points where we were supposed to stop were whited out by the fog. We were able to stop at Echo Point to view the rock formation known as the Three Sisters. There’s a really interesting myth behind the naming of the rocks, too. While we were there, we saw an aboriginal performing with a dijeree-doo. I got a picture taken with him and it was pretty cool.
We came back to the city via ferry. It was a cool experience. Sydney has ferries as part of their public transit system. They’re pretty sturdy, so I didn’t feel too sick. Amanda, my friend from Coff’s arrived in town tonight, but she was meeting up with someone else, so I’ll see her tomorrow.
Thurs. Apr 24th - Day 17
I spent the whole day with Amanda. We did the City Sightseeing tour. It’s basically a double-decker bus that goes around town and you can get on and off as many times as you like. It was really cool. We went around Darling Harbour and The Rocks (which is the first settled area of Australia). We got off the bus at the Opera House stop. Amanda is in love with it, so we had to take about 9 million pictures. Then we went inside and wandered around a bit. Didn’t do a tour or see a show cuz it was too pricey.
The weather was really changeable. One minute it was sunny and the next, rain was pelting down. So we didn’t get off the bus too much more. We rode the entire circuit and then got off for the last time at Darling Harbour. We went to the Harbourfront Center, which is basically a big mall and did some shopping. I picked up some souvenirs for people, as did Amanda.
We split up when I had to leave for my Ghost Tour. Amanda went back to the hostel, and I headed into the Rocks. I love the Rocks. All the buildings are restored original and it’s like a rabbit warren of little alleys and twisting streets. You can just feel the history when you walk through it. And the tour was great. My tour group was full of Aussies. I was the only one from overseas. The guide had props for us all and he really knew his stories. I got to wear this crazy medallion and I was "the clairvoyant". It was fun and not really so scary.
When finished I just went back to the hostel to hang out with Amanda. Then went to bed.
Fri Apr 25th - Day 18
Today was a public holiday called ANZAC day. It’s like memorial, or rememberance, day. And it was jam packed full. Amanda and I used the last of our tour tickets to go out to Bondi Beach. The weather was crap, so we didn’t stay, just took a couple pics from the bus. It looks pretty much the same as every other beach that I’ve seen.
When we got back from Bondi, we went to Taronga Zoo, where I finally saw... A PLATYPUS!!!!!!! It was very, very exciting. And I actually saw two. There were also these canine-type things called dholes and meercats. We saw all the other animals too, the lions and tigers and bears - oh my! I even dragged Amanda into the reptile house and we looked at lizards and snakes and frogs. I love the reptile house. For the whole day we were just like kids. Running here and there, taking pictures on all of the statues. It was a long day though. I think we spent about 5 hours at the zoo and the day didn’t end there.
One thing we both wanted to do before we left was go to King’s Cross. So we went there for a Friday night out, with Amanda’s roommate Annabelle (she’s from Belgium). Dinner was fantastic in this cute little restaurant. Then when we tried to go to a club, where we got id’d. Normally, this wouldn’t be a problem, but I’m a moron and didn’t think to bring mine. Being 25 and with a 37 year-old (with the drinking age 18) I didn’t think I’d need it. But they wanted it, so we had to go back to the hostel to get it.
Once we were back in the central part of the city we decided to go to a different bar (where we wouldn’t have to pay a cover). We started at Scubar, which is the backpacker’s bar. It was full of teeny-boppers and it was supposed to be retro night, but the dj was awful and the music sucked. So we left after a drink.
We ended up at an Irish pub called Scruffy MacMurphy’s. It was so much fun. The drinks were cheaper and there was a live band. They played great music, everything from Livin’ on a Prayer to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Greenday and a bunch of other stuff too. We were there until 3am, just dancing and having a good time.
Sat Apr 26th - Day 19
Today was the laziest day. We all slept in. Once we were up and moving we went shopping in the Rocks. I found all of my Garth Nix books and bought them. I have to figure out a way to pack them, so that they’re safe. I think they’re going to stay in my carry-on, right next to my laptop. We had lunch at a little bistro in the Rocks and it was pretty good.
Because we were so late, I didn’t have much time to hang out with the girls before going to the Bridge Climb. I got to climb the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was so cool. It actually wasn’t as thrilling as I thought it would be. I mean, the view was spectacular, but there was absolutely no fear about being so high up. I guess that’s for the best, but still...
The guide was spectacular. She knew tons of stories and she obviously loved her job. My favourite story was about the only guy to "fall" off the bridge and survive. He was an Irish highdiver and he knew how to hit the water properly. He broke a rib and had to have his boots surgically removed from his feet and legs. But otherwise he was fine. How cool is that?
Sun Apr. 27th - Day 20
I was up before the butcrack of dawn today. My bus left Central station at 5:40am. I caught it and got to the airport early, which was good because I’m a moron and went to the wrong terminal. I did catch the shuttle and made it to my plane to Melbourne on time. The flight was short and I dozed most of the way. The temperature in Melbourne is 10 degrees, but it’s nice and sunny, so I don’t mind.
The hostel is outside of the city center. It’s in a suburb that’s like an impoverished small town. All of the shops were closed, either because it was Sunday or just closed down completely. I discovered this on a desperate search for contact solution. I eventually got the receptionist at the hostel to direct me to a grocery store in the city center so that I could get some.
I actually did a lot of sightseeing, in spite of being sick. I mean, I’m only here for a day, right? First I went to Queen Victoria’s Market. It’s similar to the night markets in Taiwan, but it’s huge! There’s a series of open air sheds that take up an entire block (country sized, not city) and they’re filled by vendor after vendor, all selling different things. I managed to finish my souvenir shopping.
Right outside the market is the bus stop for the free tourist bus. So I got on that and rode it around the entire loop. It went through the garden district, and the arts precinct as well as by all the memorials and museums. It’s another hop on and off service, too. I didn’t feel well, so I only got off at one stop.
That one took me to the Dutch Orange Day festival down by the river. It’s the day that all the Dutch celebrate the queen. Everyone was wearing orange. The festival was small, but there were booths for food and other things. One had tulips and another had clog slippers. There was even a performance for the kids. It was just like a street fair at home.
I also started Across the Wall. It’s a novella and a bunch of short stories by Garth Nix. It is fantastic. He covers pretty much every genre, but usually with a fantasy twist. One story is a parody of the "choose your own adventure" style and it is absolutely hilarious. I garnered more than a few odd looks as I read it, because I was reading it with my dinner and kept laughing out loud.
Mon Apr 28th - Day 21
Today is my last day in Oz. I catch my flight to New Zealand tomorrow, after a 12 hour bus ride. My bus doesn’t leave until 8, so I have all day to kill. I’m going to store my luggage at the station and then do the touristy sightseeing stuff that I didn’t do yesterday. I feel a little bit better, even though the temperature is only about 8 degrees. It’ll be even colder in NZ though, so I guess I should get used to it.
Monday, April 28, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
The Gold Coast - Byron, Coff's and Port Macquarie
Mon Apr.14th - Day 7
I’ve arrived in Byron’s Bay. The weather is... not ideal. It is raining super hard right now, as it has been off and on all day. I’m in the common room of the hostel with a few other people. This afternoon I managed to get in a swim between rain showers. I also walked a long way up the beach. I was trying to get to the lighthouse to watch the sunset, but there’s no lighthouse access from the beach and the clouds made any sunset viewing impossible, no matter where you were.
I like it here, though. It’s more mellow than Surfer’s. There’s an elementary school on the same street as my hostel. There are more residences around as well. The whole pace is just slower and more relaxed.
Tues Apr. 15th - Day 8
I’ve decided to stay here an extra day. I really like the hostel and I couldn’t get booked into the tour that I really want to do until Thurs. So I’m here until Friday. For today I’m just hangin’ out and doin’ some laundry. Maybe I’ll hit the beach later, maybe just the pool. BTW the pool is filled with ocean water. There’s no chlorine and it tastes like salt. Crazy.
Tomorrow I’m going kayaking with my roommates. They’re 3 girls from Edmonton and they seem really cool. They kayaking trip is to see dolphins and other marine life. It should be really good. We’re going in the morning, cuz apparently that’s when you see more things. I have no plans for the afternoon, yet.
Then Thurs I’m going to this hippy village called Nimbin. We just stop there for a bit and then go on to the rainforest. We even get to go swimming in a pool at the foot of a waterfall and there are places from which to jump.
So the showers have been happening on and off all day. And normally, I would be cool with that, but the wind that has come with them is making it chilly. I am also getting desperate for a new bathing suit. And this isn’t just me hoarding suits. My favourite bikini broke just before my surf lesson on Sunday. I’m going crazy with only 2 suits here. And everything is either super pricey or skimpy. And I don’t particularly like either of those things.
Wed Apr. 16th - Day 9
Well. Australia has left its mark on me. But you should see the rock that I hit. Actually, I didn’t even see the rock, I had my eyes closed because I was under water at the time. Kayaking in the waves is fun! We fell out 3 times and I only got hurt the last time. And to put you all at ease, I’m not hurt all that badly. It’s just a little cut at my right eyebrow.
I tried to go to the beach yesterday, but it started raining right after I got there. And it was coming down hard. As I was gathering my things, though, I saw a beautiful rainbow. By the time I grabbed my camera, it had already faded away. It was spectacular and huge.
I had a cup of soup for dinner and ate with my roomies. They’re really cool. They’ve decided to stay for an extra night, too. We’ll all be in the same room until Friday. We went kayaking together today. 2 of them are not strong swimmers so they both got to be in the boat with the guide. But the other one and I had our own boat. We even saw some dolphins in the distance. It was only their backs and fins as they were diving, but still super cool.
After kayaking, in true Aussie style, we went to a bbq with the guide at a friend’s of his. I even ate meat, cuz there was no veggie option. It hasn’t upset my stomach yet, but I think that all the gross grease dripped off in the bbq, so I may be ok.
We may be going out tonight, but maybe not. The roomies all have activities booked super early in the morning. One is going sky diving and the others are going snorkeling. I, meanwhile, am off to the hippie village, Nimbin.
Thurs Apr 17th - Day 10
The day at Nimbin was so much fun. It was really a hippie village. There were rainbows and flower power graffiti on everything, even the legitimate businesses, like the tax office. After the village we went to a swimming hole and then for a bbq. The inland topography of Australia is really mountainous. It was kinda like driving through the country in Northern Ontario, only with higher hills.
On the bus, I met a lot of other people. Most of them were Irish. There was a group of boys and one girl (not with the boys, just also Irish). She was cool and we hung out together for most of the day.
At the bbq spot we went on a little walk through the woods. It was really lovely. At least, the spots when we weren’t worried about slipping in the mud an falling on our asses were. In addition to veggie burgers (which I was thankful for) the guide served kangaroo burgers and emu sausages. Everyone seemed to love them.
The swimming hole was beautiful. There was a waterfall and everything. Very few people went in, though, because it was so cold. Also, the only way to get in was to jump from this rock at the top of the waterfall. In spite of the cold, I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t jump in. So I did. The water was so cold that when I got out, I felt super warm, even just in the air.
When we got back from the tour, I went out to dinner with the Irish girl that I met on the bus. We went to this backpacker’s bar called Cheeky Monkey. It was cheezy and fun and the music was entertaining. Also, there were contests every ½ hour or so. Things like Throw the hacky sack through the hole, and Which Paper airplane will go the farthest. They were good fun. I also saw my very first (and probably last) wet t-shirt contest. I was done watching when the 18-year-old removed hers completely and the entire bar got to see her melons.
Fri Apr 18th -Day 11
Today I had to catch my bus to Coff’s Harbour. The rain did not make that an enjoyable experience. The sky opened up just as I was waiting to load my luggage onto the bus. Ans of course there was no cover there. Everything got soaked. I tried to shield things as well as I could with my body, but that only did so much good. My laptop is fine, but my copy of Sabriel got wet. I dried it once I got to the hostel and I just hope that it doesn’t mold the way Abhorsen did when it got rained on. I’m hoping that Lireal manages to make it home safely without acquiring any water damage from the boat.
Anyway, when I got to my hostel in Coff’s, my new roomies gave me a very warm welcome. The weather was still crap though. One of my roomies was actually travelling in the same direction as I am. We’re even on the same bus staying in the same hostel.
After settling into the hostel, I decided to make the most of my time, and set off immediately for the Pet Porpoise Pool. They’re this interactive marine park. You can pet the dolphins, as much as you like. You can feed one of the sea lions, the little blue penguins, and the sharks and sea turtles. And you can get kisses from a dolphin and a seal. I did all of the above, except for the sharks and turtles. I looked at them though. I got pictures of my kisses. The seal was my favourite, because she didn’t feel rubbery and the whiskers tickled.
They also have this really funny show. It was great to see. And for once the weather worked in my favour. There weren’t many other people there, because no one wanted to venture out in the rain. The show was interactive, too, and informative. It was a really great activity. Although, sadly, they do not have any platapi, so my search continues. I’m hoping that there will be some tours, or a zoo, or something in Sydney, so I can see one before I leave.
After the show I went back to the hostel. I met some Irish boys in the common room, playing chess. They let me play with them and I lost, because I’m crap at chess. There was also an all you can eat pizza night, so I ate well.
A while after dinner, a couple of my roommates wanted to go out for a coffee, because everyone was moving on the next day. It was only about 9:20 when we went out, but nothing was open. Everywhere we tried to go was in the process of closing. It was ridiculous. We ended up back at the hostel drinking tea in our room.
Sat. Apr. 19th - Day 12
I had a lot of time to kill between checking out of the hostel and catching my bus. The weather continued to be crap, but it cleared up enough for me to walk down to the harbour and across to Muttonbird Island. It’s this breeding ground for a certain kind of bird. It’s the end of the breeding season now, but I managed to see a couple of them. The view of the beaches and the harbour and the ocean from the top of the island was spectacular.
The walk itself was quite a workout, so I decided on the way back, to reward myself with some ice cream. There’s a little shop, right by the marina, that sells homemade ice cream. It was thick and creamy. I was full after just one scoop. Let me tell you, cinnamon ice cream should be the 32nd flavour. It was superb.
The bus ride was pretty basic. Some nice scenery. Some parts where I had to close my eyes, so as not to get sick. A meal stop (where I had a banana muffin with chocolate custard in the middle and chocolate drizzled on top). And a shuttle from the hostel met us at the bus stop and brought us here. All of my roommates, except for one arrived today. They seem pretty cool.
The hostel itself is like a big house. Where other hostels have felt like hotels or motels, this one feels like a university house. There’s a kitchen, living room, and "dining" room all within the same space, separated only by one wall. The bathroom (with one stall and one shower) opens off the kitchen. And all of the bedrooms open up off of the other rooms. There are additional bathrooms outside with extra showers.
I went for dinner with Amanda (the girl I met in Coff’s) at the Irish Tavern. The food was spectacular. And they make a mean white russian. There was a band playing too and they were pretty good. They played a lot of 70's folk rock, like CCR. And after dinner they made me a spectacular hot chocolate and Bailey’s. I was a little chocolated out by the end of the day.
We made our way back to the hostel after a quick stop at the grocery store. The rest of the evening was spent hanging out in the room with the rest of the girls. They’re a really good bunch. All of them are from the British Isles. 2 girls, Tina and Jacqui are from Manchester, Amanda’s from Hartfordshire(just outside London) and the other girl, Barbara is from Glasgow. I’m the only North American here. But my knowledge of geography is improving every day.
Sun Apr. 20th - Day 13
The weather continues to be difficult. It was pouring this morning and then cleared up. Then it decided to pour and clear up again. It makes it so difficult to plan. I mean, you don’t mind staying in when it’s raining, but when it ends up staying dry for a few hours, you feel like you missed out, by not going and doing something.
This morning a bunch of us decided to wander around and look at some of the shops in town. We found the shopping mall and a few cute little stores. This is a small town, though, so a lot of the stores were closed because it’s Sunday. While we were in the shopping mall, the skies opened up and we decided to hang out and look around for a bit. I was able to replace my broken bikini top. I didn’t have the bottoms with me, but I managed to match them pretty well.
This afternoon, after tea in the hostel, we went to the Koala Hospital. It was really cute. There’s no cuddling or petting, but the tour was really informative. Random fact; the most common killer of koalas (not counting humans or human activity) is chlamydia. There was all sorts of info about koalas, most of it I’d heard at Lone Pine, but some was new. And the other girls took some cute koala pics. I didn’t because I already have about a million.
I just made dinner here at the hostel and I think I’m going to join the girls in town for a drink. We all leave tomorrow. Amanda’s headed in the same direction as I am, but while I’m going straight to Sydney, she’s stopping in Newcastle. The other girls are all headed north.
Mon Apr 21 - Day 14
I started this morning with a swim at the beach. The weather was fantastic for about 20 minutes. Then a gigantic black cloud moved in and I got back to the hostel just as it started to rain.
Once the rest of the girls were up and moving, we went to the Pancake Place for breakfast. It was delicious and a really nice last meal together. After brekkie, I got an Australian SIM card for my cell. So now I have an Aussie phone number, which will be useful for booking things when I get to Sydney.
I spent most of the afternoon chilling at the hostel and reading. Then at 5 I got on a bus for 6 hours to get to Sydney. The trip was uneventful and I arrived safely. This hostel is very much like a hotel, through the foyer and rooms. The lounge/internet/kitchen areas are all more laid back and informal. Much more like a "hostel".
I’ve arrived in Byron’s Bay. The weather is... not ideal. It is raining super hard right now, as it has been off and on all day. I’m in the common room of the hostel with a few other people. This afternoon I managed to get in a swim between rain showers. I also walked a long way up the beach. I was trying to get to the lighthouse to watch the sunset, but there’s no lighthouse access from the beach and the clouds made any sunset viewing impossible, no matter where you were.
I like it here, though. It’s more mellow than Surfer’s. There’s an elementary school on the same street as my hostel. There are more residences around as well. The whole pace is just slower and more relaxed.
Tues Apr. 15th - Day 8
I’ve decided to stay here an extra day. I really like the hostel and I couldn’t get booked into the tour that I really want to do until Thurs. So I’m here until Friday. For today I’m just hangin’ out and doin’ some laundry. Maybe I’ll hit the beach later, maybe just the pool. BTW the pool is filled with ocean water. There’s no chlorine and it tastes like salt. Crazy.
Tomorrow I’m going kayaking with my roommates. They’re 3 girls from Edmonton and they seem really cool. They kayaking trip is to see dolphins and other marine life. It should be really good. We’re going in the morning, cuz apparently that’s when you see more things. I have no plans for the afternoon, yet.
Then Thurs I’m going to this hippy village called Nimbin. We just stop there for a bit and then go on to the rainforest. We even get to go swimming in a pool at the foot of a waterfall and there are places from which to jump.
So the showers have been happening on and off all day. And normally, I would be cool with that, but the wind that has come with them is making it chilly. I am also getting desperate for a new bathing suit. And this isn’t just me hoarding suits. My favourite bikini broke just before my surf lesson on Sunday. I’m going crazy with only 2 suits here. And everything is either super pricey or skimpy. And I don’t particularly like either of those things.
Wed Apr. 16th - Day 9
Well. Australia has left its mark on me. But you should see the rock that I hit. Actually, I didn’t even see the rock, I had my eyes closed because I was under water at the time. Kayaking in the waves is fun! We fell out 3 times and I only got hurt the last time. And to put you all at ease, I’m not hurt all that badly. It’s just a little cut at my right eyebrow.
I tried to go to the beach yesterday, but it started raining right after I got there. And it was coming down hard. As I was gathering my things, though, I saw a beautiful rainbow. By the time I grabbed my camera, it had already faded away. It was spectacular and huge.
I had a cup of soup for dinner and ate with my roomies. They’re really cool. They’ve decided to stay for an extra night, too. We’ll all be in the same room until Friday. We went kayaking together today. 2 of them are not strong swimmers so they both got to be in the boat with the guide. But the other one and I had our own boat. We even saw some dolphins in the distance. It was only their backs and fins as they were diving, but still super cool.
After kayaking, in true Aussie style, we went to a bbq with the guide at a friend’s of his. I even ate meat, cuz there was no veggie option. It hasn’t upset my stomach yet, but I think that all the gross grease dripped off in the bbq, so I may be ok.
We may be going out tonight, but maybe not. The roomies all have activities booked super early in the morning. One is going sky diving and the others are going snorkeling. I, meanwhile, am off to the hippie village, Nimbin.
Thurs Apr 17th - Day 10
The day at Nimbin was so much fun. It was really a hippie village. There were rainbows and flower power graffiti on everything, even the legitimate businesses, like the tax office. After the village we went to a swimming hole and then for a bbq. The inland topography of Australia is really mountainous. It was kinda like driving through the country in Northern Ontario, only with higher hills.
On the bus, I met a lot of other people. Most of them were Irish. There was a group of boys and one girl (not with the boys, just also Irish). She was cool and we hung out together for most of the day.
At the bbq spot we went on a little walk through the woods. It was really lovely. At least, the spots when we weren’t worried about slipping in the mud an falling on our asses were. In addition to veggie burgers (which I was thankful for) the guide served kangaroo burgers and emu sausages. Everyone seemed to love them.
The swimming hole was beautiful. There was a waterfall and everything. Very few people went in, though, because it was so cold. Also, the only way to get in was to jump from this rock at the top of the waterfall. In spite of the cold, I knew I’d regret it if I didn’t jump in. So I did. The water was so cold that when I got out, I felt super warm, even just in the air.
When we got back from the tour, I went out to dinner with the Irish girl that I met on the bus. We went to this backpacker’s bar called Cheeky Monkey. It was cheezy and fun and the music was entertaining. Also, there were contests every ½ hour or so. Things like Throw the hacky sack through the hole, and Which Paper airplane will go the farthest. They were good fun. I also saw my very first (and probably last) wet t-shirt contest. I was done watching when the 18-year-old removed hers completely and the entire bar got to see her melons.
Fri Apr 18th -Day 11
Today I had to catch my bus to Coff’s Harbour. The rain did not make that an enjoyable experience. The sky opened up just as I was waiting to load my luggage onto the bus. Ans of course there was no cover there. Everything got soaked. I tried to shield things as well as I could with my body, but that only did so much good. My laptop is fine, but my copy of Sabriel got wet. I dried it once I got to the hostel and I just hope that it doesn’t mold the way Abhorsen did when it got rained on. I’m hoping that Lireal manages to make it home safely without acquiring any water damage from the boat.
Anyway, when I got to my hostel in Coff’s, my new roomies gave me a very warm welcome. The weather was still crap though. One of my roomies was actually travelling in the same direction as I am. We’re even on the same bus staying in the same hostel.
After settling into the hostel, I decided to make the most of my time, and set off immediately for the Pet Porpoise Pool. They’re this interactive marine park. You can pet the dolphins, as much as you like. You can feed one of the sea lions, the little blue penguins, and the sharks and sea turtles. And you can get kisses from a dolphin and a seal. I did all of the above, except for the sharks and turtles. I looked at them though. I got pictures of my kisses. The seal was my favourite, because she didn’t feel rubbery and the whiskers tickled.
They also have this really funny show. It was great to see. And for once the weather worked in my favour. There weren’t many other people there, because no one wanted to venture out in the rain. The show was interactive, too, and informative. It was a really great activity. Although, sadly, they do not have any platapi, so my search continues. I’m hoping that there will be some tours, or a zoo, or something in Sydney, so I can see one before I leave.
After the show I went back to the hostel. I met some Irish boys in the common room, playing chess. They let me play with them and I lost, because I’m crap at chess. There was also an all you can eat pizza night, so I ate well.
A while after dinner, a couple of my roommates wanted to go out for a coffee, because everyone was moving on the next day. It was only about 9:20 when we went out, but nothing was open. Everywhere we tried to go was in the process of closing. It was ridiculous. We ended up back at the hostel drinking tea in our room.
Sat. Apr. 19th - Day 12
I had a lot of time to kill between checking out of the hostel and catching my bus. The weather continued to be crap, but it cleared up enough for me to walk down to the harbour and across to Muttonbird Island. It’s this breeding ground for a certain kind of bird. It’s the end of the breeding season now, but I managed to see a couple of them. The view of the beaches and the harbour and the ocean from the top of the island was spectacular.
The walk itself was quite a workout, so I decided on the way back, to reward myself with some ice cream. There’s a little shop, right by the marina, that sells homemade ice cream. It was thick and creamy. I was full after just one scoop. Let me tell you, cinnamon ice cream should be the 32nd flavour. It was superb.
The bus ride was pretty basic. Some nice scenery. Some parts where I had to close my eyes, so as not to get sick. A meal stop (where I had a banana muffin with chocolate custard in the middle and chocolate drizzled on top). And a shuttle from the hostel met us at the bus stop and brought us here. All of my roommates, except for one arrived today. They seem pretty cool.
The hostel itself is like a big house. Where other hostels have felt like hotels or motels, this one feels like a university house. There’s a kitchen, living room, and "dining" room all within the same space, separated only by one wall. The bathroom (with one stall and one shower) opens off the kitchen. And all of the bedrooms open up off of the other rooms. There are additional bathrooms outside with extra showers.
I went for dinner with Amanda (the girl I met in Coff’s) at the Irish Tavern. The food was spectacular. And they make a mean white russian. There was a band playing too and they were pretty good. They played a lot of 70's folk rock, like CCR. And after dinner they made me a spectacular hot chocolate and Bailey’s. I was a little chocolated out by the end of the day.
We made our way back to the hostel after a quick stop at the grocery store. The rest of the evening was spent hanging out in the room with the rest of the girls. They’re a really good bunch. All of them are from the British Isles. 2 girls, Tina and Jacqui are from Manchester, Amanda’s from Hartfordshire(just outside London) and the other girl, Barbara is from Glasgow. I’m the only North American here. But my knowledge of geography is improving every day.
Sun Apr. 20th - Day 13
The weather continues to be difficult. It was pouring this morning and then cleared up. Then it decided to pour and clear up again. It makes it so difficult to plan. I mean, you don’t mind staying in when it’s raining, but when it ends up staying dry for a few hours, you feel like you missed out, by not going and doing something.
This morning a bunch of us decided to wander around and look at some of the shops in town. We found the shopping mall and a few cute little stores. This is a small town, though, so a lot of the stores were closed because it’s Sunday. While we were in the shopping mall, the skies opened up and we decided to hang out and look around for a bit. I was able to replace my broken bikini top. I didn’t have the bottoms with me, but I managed to match them pretty well.
This afternoon, after tea in the hostel, we went to the Koala Hospital. It was really cute. There’s no cuddling or petting, but the tour was really informative. Random fact; the most common killer of koalas (not counting humans or human activity) is chlamydia. There was all sorts of info about koalas, most of it I’d heard at Lone Pine, but some was new. And the other girls took some cute koala pics. I didn’t because I already have about a million.
I just made dinner here at the hostel and I think I’m going to join the girls in town for a drink. We all leave tomorrow. Amanda’s headed in the same direction as I am, but while I’m going straight to Sydney, she’s stopping in Newcastle. The other girls are all headed north.
Mon Apr 21 - Day 14
I started this morning with a swim at the beach. The weather was fantastic for about 20 minutes. Then a gigantic black cloud moved in and I got back to the hostel just as it started to rain.
Once the rest of the girls were up and moving, we went to the Pancake Place for breakfast. It was delicious and a really nice last meal together. After brekkie, I got an Australian SIM card for my cell. So now I have an Aussie phone number, which will be useful for booking things when I get to Sydney.
I spent most of the afternoon chilling at the hostel and reading. Then at 5 I got on a bus for 6 hours to get to Sydney. The trip was uneventful and I arrived safely. This hostel is very much like a hotel, through the foyer and rooms. The lounge/internet/kitchen areas are all more laid back and informal. Much more like a "hostel".
Monday, April 14, 2008
Learning to Surf in Surfer's Paradise
Sat Apr. 12th - Day 5
Surfer’s Paradise lives up to its name. The beach is beautiful, but there are about nine billion high rises, because everyone and their grandmother want a ‘beach view’ apartment. Of course half of them are blocked from seeing the beach by the other half.
My hostel is cool. I’m in a room with four other people. So far I’ve only met two. One is actually my bunk mate (in bunk beds, no less and I’m on top) and her name is Sophie. She’s from the UK. I actually didn’t catch the other lady’s name, but she seemed nice.
I spent the whole day shopping and at the beach. I bought some gifts for the little people stuck at home. Also, I bought a towel. I realized that my sandy towel from the beach is not going to dry me off very well after my shower. So now I have 2 towels.
I have a surf lesson scheduled for tomorrow. I’m so excited. But really, other than the surfing, there’s not much to do here. It’s just like The Bend, only nicer and with surfing. There is this one cool section that’s a pedestrian mall and it goes right down to the beach. That was where I shopped today.
I’m out of here and heading to Byron Bay on Monday. I plan to spend a little longer there. Apparently there’s tons to do, so we’ll see.
Sun Apr 13th - Day 6
Surfing is awesome. And hard. Really, really hard. It’s kinda like tobogganing where the hardest part is getting to where you can do the fun stuff. Let me tell you, walking in waist deep water against the current while trying to direct a 7' long, floating object is not the easiest thing to do.
However, all difficulties aside, I did manage to catch some waves on my own and I got up on the board. There is even photographic evidence to prove it. It was great, cuz there were only 3 people in my class and the two other guys (from Denmark) both had class yesterday, so they were catching their own waves from the beginning. So the instructor could help me a lot and I needed it.
I am so sore. I have bruises on top of bruises and all of my muscles ache. And my legs are in bad shape. I had some time to kill before my lesson this morning, so I went out to chill by the pool. I slathered myself with sunscreen and thought I was fine. But I forgot to do my legs. Then I went surfing, where the fronts of my legs were constantly hitting the board, which was covered in sand and salt water. Imagine rug burn, but with salt, on top of a sunburn. That’s how my legs feel right now.
My tan is getting nice, though. And I’m getting buff from carting around my luggage constantly. I cringe to think about how sore I’d be if I hadn’t been building up muscles this past week. Surfboards look light, and sure, they float, but they are long and awkward and difficult to maneuver.
I think I’ll try surfing again in Byron’s Bay. My instructor gave me the name of a really good school down there to try. I’m finding, though, that I’m doing my trip backwards. Everyone I meet has gone Sydney to Brisbane and I’m going Brisbane to Sydney. It makes it really difficult to make friends, when I’m only in each place for a night or 2 and no one is traveling in the same direction as me.
Surfer’s Paradise lives up to its name. The beach is beautiful, but there are about nine billion high rises, because everyone and their grandmother want a ‘beach view’ apartment. Of course half of them are blocked from seeing the beach by the other half.
My hostel is cool. I’m in a room with four other people. So far I’ve only met two. One is actually my bunk mate (in bunk beds, no less and I’m on top) and her name is Sophie. She’s from the UK. I actually didn’t catch the other lady’s name, but she seemed nice.
I spent the whole day shopping and at the beach. I bought some gifts for the little people stuck at home. Also, I bought a towel. I realized that my sandy towel from the beach is not going to dry me off very well after my shower. So now I have 2 towels.
I have a surf lesson scheduled for tomorrow. I’m so excited. But really, other than the surfing, there’s not much to do here. It’s just like The Bend, only nicer and with surfing. There is this one cool section that’s a pedestrian mall and it goes right down to the beach. That was where I shopped today.
I’m out of here and heading to Byron Bay on Monday. I plan to spend a little longer there. Apparently there’s tons to do, so we’ll see.
Sun Apr 13th - Day 6
Surfing is awesome. And hard. Really, really hard. It’s kinda like tobogganing where the hardest part is getting to where you can do the fun stuff. Let me tell you, walking in waist deep water against the current while trying to direct a 7' long, floating object is not the easiest thing to do.
However, all difficulties aside, I did manage to catch some waves on my own and I got up on the board. There is even photographic evidence to prove it. It was great, cuz there were only 3 people in my class and the two other guys (from Denmark) both had class yesterday, so they were catching their own waves from the beginning. So the instructor could help me a lot and I needed it.
I am so sore. I have bruises on top of bruises and all of my muscles ache. And my legs are in bad shape. I had some time to kill before my lesson this morning, so I went out to chill by the pool. I slathered myself with sunscreen and thought I was fine. But I forgot to do my legs. Then I went surfing, where the fronts of my legs were constantly hitting the board, which was covered in sand and salt water. Imagine rug burn, but with salt, on top of a sunburn. That’s how my legs feel right now.
My tan is getting nice, though. And I’m getting buff from carting around my luggage constantly. I cringe to think about how sore I’d be if I hadn’t been building up muscles this past week. Surfboards look light, and sure, they float, but they are long and awkward and difficult to maneuver.
I think I’ll try surfing again in Byron’s Bay. My instructor gave me the name of a really good school down there to try. I’m finding, though, that I’m doing my trip backwards. Everyone I meet has gone Sydney to Brisbane and I’m going Brisbane to Sydney. It makes it really difficult to make friends, when I’m only in each place for a night or 2 and no one is traveling in the same direction as me.
The Australia Zoo!!! Fri Apr. 11th - this one's long
Fri Apr. 11th - Day 4
Holy crap! The zoo was massive. I saw so many things, but I’ll just do the highlights. First (actually, last chronologically, but most exciting) I got to feed an ELEPHANT!!! I fed her a piece of cantaloupe. It was super cool. I’ll try to do the rest of my day chronologically.
For starters, the bus was late. But it came eventually and got me to the zoo, so I’m not too upset. On the way there, we watched a special on Steve Irwin. It was kinda sad, cuz it was made before he died and he talks about what he wants to be remembered for.
Once at the zoo, I started with the koalas and roos. They were cute, like always. There was another roo heaven, where you can go in and pet them. It’s a little weird, but I’m getting sort of blase about it. You know, like ‘you’ve pet one kangaroo, you’ve pet them all’ kinda thing. They’re still super cute and some of their mannerisms are just like people. I also got to pet another koala, but I didn’t get to hold this one. Also, I finally got to see the echidnas. They were right next to the kangaroo area.
Next I wandered through the aviary, which was really cool. It’s just this whole section of forest that’s under nets. As you walk through, the birds fly right around you. And they’re not particularly shy, cuz they’re used to people. Of course, the birds of prey are in another enclosure, which you are not allowed to walk inside. Most of them were nocturnal, so I couldn’t see many. There were a few kingfishers, though.
Wombats followed the birds. They are big, ugly rodents. I didn’t stay with them for too long. I moved right along to the snakes. They were divided into 2 sections; venomous and non-venomous. I love the snakes. They are just so cool with their slithering, and writhing, and smelling with their tongues. I spent a lot of time just looking at the different snakes.
I saw a bunch of crocodiles on my way to the camels. Being The Crocodile Hunter’s Zoo, all of the crocs have names and most of them have their own enclosures (sometimes shared with a significant other). So 5 crocs took up a whole lot of space.
I couldn’t see the camel, cuz she was in the middle of a show somewhere else. But I did get to see the fox, in the habitat next door. It was asleep at the top of a waterfall. I wasn’t surprised that he was sleeping. It’s what nocturnal animals do during the day.
Next we have some more Aussie animals. The Southern Cassowary is a flightless bird, almost as big as an emu. It’s way prettier than an emu, though, cuz it’s head is bright blue. Sadly, they are endangered. But the dingoes, which I saw next, aren’t. They’re just like dogs. And I think the ones at the zoo have been somewhat domesticated, so they don’t even have that fierce look that other wild dogs have.
The Tasmanian Devils, being nocturnal, were sleeping. But there was this cool viewing chamber that showed the inside of the nest, so you could still see them. They’re really cute. A little later in the day, I saw one of the trainers walking a Devil on a leash around the zoo, just like it was a dog.
When I ate my lunch, I got up close and personal with a few of the birds. They aren’t part of the exhibits, they’re just wild birds that like the easy pickings of the zoo cafes. One walked right up to my foot and another was watching me from the table behind me. Cheeky birds.
After my lunch, it was time for the otters to have lunch. And the cute trainer made them do tricks so that I could take pictures. Except that the shutter speed on my camera isn’t fast enough, so the movement made all the pictures blurry. Still, the otters (and their trainer) were cute. Before they were fed, they chased each other in a circle around the pond in their habitat. Over and over again. First one would chase, then the other. It made me tired just watching them.
Moving along, I came to the American alligators. They look pretty much like any other alligator I’ve seen. Then I saw another few crocs. It’s kinda like the kangaroos. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Except, one was moving around, and that was super cool to watch.
Then it was time for an animal show. It was in the Crocoseum. There were snakes, birds and a crocodile featured. The whole message of the show was conservation. Most of the animals were endangered species and there were tips throughout about how to be a ‘Wildlife Warrior’.
For the snake part, they brought out about 6 different snakes (one of which was a water python and they put it right into the pool) and did a snake bite demonstration. It was all quite funny, cuz it was aimed at the kids, but it’s still good stuff to know.
The bird show started with green wing parrots. They swooped right above our heads, way closer than at lion safari. Then there was a comedic interlude where some of the audience members made fools of themselves and then there were more birds. Cockatoos came out first followed by something else and they were followed by lorikeets. By the end of the bird demo there were about 20 different birds flying across and around the amphitheatre, all of them making their calls. It was super noisy and awesome to see.
Last, they brought out a croc named Murray. He was the very first croc at the zoo. They did some safety tips (i.e. how not to get bitten by a crocodile). Then the trainer fed him and made him do a tail walk. He was super cool. Random crocodile fact; Crocodiles as a species have not evolved in over 60 thousand years. They are the closest living link that we have to the dinosaurs.
That was the end of the show, so I moved to the Southeast Asia section. "Elephantasia" was where I got to feed an elephant a piece of cantaloupe. And the tiger temple contained - big surprise - tigers!! There were some cubs and then they brought out a mama. The sun was reflecting off of the glass, so I couldn’t get any pics of the babies. Got a cool one of Mama, though, just as she was coming out of the water. The cool thing is, the enclosure is just for display. The tigers actually live (and eat and sleep) somewhere else.
I saw lizards, too, including a Komodo Dragon. Those things are huge. I swear it was the same size as me. And at one point he came right toward me and stuck out his tongue. I think I looked like lunch. There were also monitors and skinks in enclosures, but some of the coolest lizards were wild ones. I took a lot of pics of them just stopped on the road. One even tried to scare me away. I saw him leave the bushes and froze to watch. He froze and puffed up his neck frill, then he quivered his jowls and ran a few steps toward me, before freezing again. I didn’t move and he repeated this a bunch of times, until he was past me. It was really cool.
Just before I left, I found the reticulated pythons. They’re separate from the other snakes, cuz they’re so big. They grow to about 5m. In an enclosure nearby, I also saw more kookaburras. These ones had been injured by cars and couldn’t fly. It was a little sad, but also happy, because they get to live at the zoo and don’t have to starve to death.
The bus ride home was uneventful. As was the walk from the bus terminal. I’m on a bus tomorrow for Surfer’s Paradise. I’m really excited, now. Today was the first day where we actually had the weather I’d been expecting. It was hot and sunny. And yes, I did remember sunscreen. I spent all day outside and didn’t even burn.
Holy crap! The zoo was massive. I saw so many things, but I’ll just do the highlights. First (actually, last chronologically, but most exciting) I got to feed an ELEPHANT!!! I fed her a piece of cantaloupe. It was super cool. I’ll try to do the rest of my day chronologically.
For starters, the bus was late. But it came eventually and got me to the zoo, so I’m not too upset. On the way there, we watched a special on Steve Irwin. It was kinda sad, cuz it was made before he died and he talks about what he wants to be remembered for.
Once at the zoo, I started with the koalas and roos. They were cute, like always. There was another roo heaven, where you can go in and pet them. It’s a little weird, but I’m getting sort of blase about it. You know, like ‘you’ve pet one kangaroo, you’ve pet them all’ kinda thing. They’re still super cute and some of their mannerisms are just like people. I also got to pet another koala, but I didn’t get to hold this one. Also, I finally got to see the echidnas. They were right next to the kangaroo area.
Next I wandered through the aviary, which was really cool. It’s just this whole section of forest that’s under nets. As you walk through, the birds fly right around you. And they’re not particularly shy, cuz they’re used to people. Of course, the birds of prey are in another enclosure, which you are not allowed to walk inside. Most of them were nocturnal, so I couldn’t see many. There were a few kingfishers, though.
Wombats followed the birds. They are big, ugly rodents. I didn’t stay with them for too long. I moved right along to the snakes. They were divided into 2 sections; venomous and non-venomous. I love the snakes. They are just so cool with their slithering, and writhing, and smelling with their tongues. I spent a lot of time just looking at the different snakes.
I saw a bunch of crocodiles on my way to the camels. Being The Crocodile Hunter’s Zoo, all of the crocs have names and most of them have their own enclosures (sometimes shared with a significant other). So 5 crocs took up a whole lot of space.
I couldn’t see the camel, cuz she was in the middle of a show somewhere else. But I did get to see the fox, in the habitat next door. It was asleep at the top of a waterfall. I wasn’t surprised that he was sleeping. It’s what nocturnal animals do during the day.
Next we have some more Aussie animals. The Southern Cassowary is a flightless bird, almost as big as an emu. It’s way prettier than an emu, though, cuz it’s head is bright blue. Sadly, they are endangered. But the dingoes, which I saw next, aren’t. They’re just like dogs. And I think the ones at the zoo have been somewhat domesticated, so they don’t even have that fierce look that other wild dogs have.
The Tasmanian Devils, being nocturnal, were sleeping. But there was this cool viewing chamber that showed the inside of the nest, so you could still see them. They’re really cute. A little later in the day, I saw one of the trainers walking a Devil on a leash around the zoo, just like it was a dog.
When I ate my lunch, I got up close and personal with a few of the birds. They aren’t part of the exhibits, they’re just wild birds that like the easy pickings of the zoo cafes. One walked right up to my foot and another was watching me from the table behind me. Cheeky birds.
After my lunch, it was time for the otters to have lunch. And the cute trainer made them do tricks so that I could take pictures. Except that the shutter speed on my camera isn’t fast enough, so the movement made all the pictures blurry. Still, the otters (and their trainer) were cute. Before they were fed, they chased each other in a circle around the pond in their habitat. Over and over again. First one would chase, then the other. It made me tired just watching them.
Moving along, I came to the American alligators. They look pretty much like any other alligator I’ve seen. Then I saw another few crocs. It’s kinda like the kangaroos. You’ve seen one, you’ve seen them all. Except, one was moving around, and that was super cool to watch.
Then it was time for an animal show. It was in the Crocoseum. There were snakes, birds and a crocodile featured. The whole message of the show was conservation. Most of the animals were endangered species and there were tips throughout about how to be a ‘Wildlife Warrior’.
For the snake part, they brought out about 6 different snakes (one of which was a water python and they put it right into the pool) and did a snake bite demonstration. It was all quite funny, cuz it was aimed at the kids, but it’s still good stuff to know.
The bird show started with green wing parrots. They swooped right above our heads, way closer than at lion safari. Then there was a comedic interlude where some of the audience members made fools of themselves and then there were more birds. Cockatoos came out first followed by something else and they were followed by lorikeets. By the end of the bird demo there were about 20 different birds flying across and around the amphitheatre, all of them making their calls. It was super noisy and awesome to see.
Last, they brought out a croc named Murray. He was the very first croc at the zoo. They did some safety tips (i.e. how not to get bitten by a crocodile). Then the trainer fed him and made him do a tail walk. He was super cool. Random crocodile fact; Crocodiles as a species have not evolved in over 60 thousand years. They are the closest living link that we have to the dinosaurs.
That was the end of the show, so I moved to the Southeast Asia section. "Elephantasia" was where I got to feed an elephant a piece of cantaloupe. And the tiger temple contained - big surprise - tigers!! There were some cubs and then they brought out a mama. The sun was reflecting off of the glass, so I couldn’t get any pics of the babies. Got a cool one of Mama, though, just as she was coming out of the water. The cool thing is, the enclosure is just for display. The tigers actually live (and eat and sleep) somewhere else.
I saw lizards, too, including a Komodo Dragon. Those things are huge. I swear it was the same size as me. And at one point he came right toward me and stuck out his tongue. I think I looked like lunch. There were also monitors and skinks in enclosures, but some of the coolest lizards were wild ones. I took a lot of pics of them just stopped on the road. One even tried to scare me away. I saw him leave the bushes and froze to watch. He froze and puffed up his neck frill, then he quivered his jowls and ran a few steps toward me, before freezing again. I didn’t move and he repeated this a bunch of times, until he was past me. It was really cool.
Just before I left, I found the reticulated pythons. They’re separate from the other snakes, cuz they’re so big. They grow to about 5m. In an enclosure nearby, I also saw more kookaburras. These ones had been injured by cars and couldn’t fly. It was a little sad, but also happy, because they get to live at the zoo and don’t have to starve to death.
The bus ride home was uneventful. As was the walk from the bus terminal. I’m on a bus tomorrow for Surfer’s Paradise. I’m really excited, now. Today was the first day where we actually had the weather I’d been expecting. It was hot and sunny. And yes, I did remember sunscreen. I spent all day outside and didn’t even burn.
Tales of Oz - Brisbane
Tues Apr 8th - Day 1
The grand adventure has landed in Oz!!!! I can breathe! And my bed is soft. And no one stares at me just for existing. And I can understand when people talk (mostly, sometimes the Aussie accent gets a little thick)!!! I’m in love with the city already.
Thanks to an issue with the navigational computer on the plane, we were delayed 2 hours in leaving Hong Kong. Then there was an overturned truck on the only road out of the airport, so what would normally have been a $35 cab ride actually cost me $50. But after long delays, the Grand Adventure is coming live from Australia.
Luckily, with the delays, I got here closer to check-in time and my room was ready for me. It was a shoebox with a bathroom attached. So not worth the money. After I dropped my bags, I went right out to walk around the city center. My travel guide is so good. Everything in it is right in the area. I found almost everything in my first wander.
The architecture here is really interesting. There’s some modern mixed right in with Victorian and everything in between. I took a bunch of pics of buildings and stuff. One of the buildings is the Treasury Building, which is now the Treasury Casino. It’s beautiful. I haven’t gone, because I didn’t measure up to the dress code. It’s super swank.
I didn’t really do much tonight. I did manage to find a room for the next 3 nights at a hostel. It’s called Palace Backpackers and it’s nice. I have an individual room (which, again, is the size of a shoebox) but it’s less than half of what I paid in the other place.
After booking my room, I just came back to the hotel and watched "Bring it On" on my computer. Because, of course, it’s just my luck that on my first night here in "the sunshine state" it rained.
Wed Apr 9th - Day 2
This morning I moved into the hostel. Luckily, they had my room ready for me early, so I could move right in. Of course, the elevator is broken and my room is literally on the roof, which is 5 stories high. It was not fun dragging my super-packed luggage up all of those stairs. Well, to be honest, I only dragged it up 3 floors, then a nice boy carried it the rest of the way for me.
This morning I went on a river tour that took me to the Lone Pine Koala Reserve. It was amazing. The mansions along the river are spectacular. More of that crazy mix of architecture that makes Brisbane awesome. And a lot of them have really interesting histories. At one point on the river, we passed this island, which is the natural habitat for the largest fruit bat colony in the world. The bats are huge, too. You can see them hanging from the trees in huge groups.
The tour ended at the Koala Reserve and ticket prices included admission. The first thing I did was wander around and look at the animals within enclosures. There were a bunch of birds, including lorikeets and kookaburras. Also, they had a few fruit bats, so we could see them closer than we could on the river. There were dingoes and wombats, too. But I couldn’t find the echidnas.
I went to the snake exhibit. There were some cool venomous and non-venomous snakes. My favourite thing, though, was the water monitor. It looked like a little dinosaur. It was just swimming back and forth across the aquarium.
After I saw the lesser animals, it was time to get up close and personal with a koala. Lone Pine is the only place in the world where it is legal for humans to handle koalas. So you pay for a photo package and that’s like your admission to cuddle. While you stand there (very still) the keeper puts the koala in your arms. In theory, they latch onto you like you’re a tree. My koala, (whose name was Gandalf) however, didn’t like me. He refused to come to me at first and when he finally did, he decided that he had an itch. So he was grooming himself the whole time I held him. It was cool, though, cuz the keeper waited until he was finished grooming to take him back.
After koalas, I decided to check out the kangaroos and wallabies. They were in an open reserve, kinda like the deer at marine land. You could even buy food from the store to feed them. It was super cool. They kangaroos were super mellow and had no problem letting you close (most of them were napping). Even the moms with little joeys let me feed and pet them (not the joeys. You’re only allowed to pet the moms). The wallabies on the other hand were way more skittish. They weren’t so big on people. And the emus, which were supposed to be contained and weren’t, were really curious. They’re so big that they’re a little scary close up.
Near the kangaroo pen there were crocodiles (there were enclosed and little). There was also an iguana (not enclosed). He was such a mug, posing for pictures and turning his head this way and that. There were also a vulture and a peacock roaming around loose. It was really cool.
By that time, I had to get back to the boat. When I got there, though, before we cast off, I got to feed catfish. There were so many of them. It was crazy! They were kinda gross, though, and greedy. I’ve decided that I don’t really like fish.
After the boat got back, I took another wander around. I found the greyhound station and confirmed my ticket to leave here on Saturday morning. When I returned to the hostel, I talked to the travel guide and it turns out that he’s from Calgary. Small world, eh? (He he he I’m Canadian and I said "eh?") He helped me book my trip to the Australia Zoo for Friday. He also booked my hotel in Surfer’s Paradise for me. It’s super cheap, but I’m going to be staying in a dorm. It’ll be a little weird, but I think it’ll be good.
Thurs Apr 10th - Day 3
Last night I went to the club in the basement. I was expecting a pub-like atmosphere, but it was definitely a club. I intended to have 1 drink, hang out for a bit and then head back to my room. But clubs have dancing. So, I stayed a little longer than intended. Then a guy started dancing with me, and bought me a drink and it was super late by the time I finally got to bed.
I got my hair cut this morning. It’s ok, but the layers are shorter than I had wanted. I went to the hairdressing school, so it was pretty cheap. Of course, the whole reason I waited until I got here was so that there would be no difficulty in communicating. Wouldn’t you know that the student I got was Asian and English was obviously her second language. Luckily, one of the teachers is there at the beginning to make sure the student knows how to do the style and then again at the end to check the cut and smooth things out. It took forever, though. Over an hour, start to finish, for a trim.
Today, I was one busy little tourist. I have the dead camera batteries to prove it. After my haircut, I went to Brisbane City Hall, which houses the Brisbane Museum. There’s not much there. It only took me about 15 minutes to see the whole thing. There was a lot of info about immigration to Australia, but I’m not so interested in that. After the museum, I grabbed some breakfast and went shopping. I need some new undergarments, which are impossible to find in Taiwan in western sizes. I found a couple of things that I liked, but it’s SO expensive.
After a bite to eat, I headed across the Victoria Bridge to The Culture Center on the South Bank. That’s where the Queensland Library, Museum and Art Gallery are. Today I saw them all. Well, technically I saw the Library yesterday and didn’t stay today because it was so busy.
The art gallery was first. It was alright. I didn’t like any of the paintings. There was a lot of modern abstract, which is just... blech. But there were some super cool sculptures and some neat realist/ naturalist paintings, which weren’t so bad. There was even one whole exhibit of "message posters". They covered all sorts of themes; from women’s lib, to gay rights, to HIV awareness, to Australian politics. That was pretty cool, even though I didn’t really get some of the politics ones, cuz they referenced specific people and events.
The last stop in the cultural center was the museum. It was way better than the art gallery. There was an exhibit about Queensland icons. Some were cool; some not so much. But the best part was the special exhibit called Museum Zoo. There were skeleton pieces and so many stuffed animals it was like a taxidermist’s wet dream. It was actually kinda creepy, but in a cool way. The whole exhibit was designed for kids, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. There was also a whole exhibit about Queensland’s endangered animals. That was interesting, but it made me sad. All those poor little bilbys and turtles.
After the museum, I walked along South Bank. It’s a really pretty riverside walk with some interesting sights along the way. The first thing you come across is the rainforest - complete with raised wooden sidewalks, and tropical flora. It goes on for about 200m and it’s really pretty. Shortly after the rainforest you get to Street’s Beach. And it’s right on the river’s edge, but there’s no swimming in the river (due to the propensity for shark attacks and the fact that it’s gross) so the "beach" is actually a swimming pool. There’s sand around it, and it’s bigger and more naturally shaped than most pools, so it’s pretty cool. I was going to swim today, but it was windy and rainy (and windy + rainy = cold, even if the temperature says it shouldn’t be). So instead I continued my walk.
After a while South Bank meets up with a pedestrian bridge across the river. It’s high and long and I walked across that too. The view from the bridge is so amazing. Once I got back to North Bank, I walked a long way around a bend in the river to get to the botanical gardens. They were pretty much the same as any other botanical gardens I’ve been in. But they were pretty. One thing they did have were spectacular fountains with water lilies. Also, a million different birds. I saw a kookaburra in the wild. Also there were a few different kinds of duck (I think) and maybe a heron of some sort. Opposite the botanical gardens, is the Parliament house. I didn’t go in, but it’s a beautiful building, so I took a picture of the outside.
Anyway, I’m exhausted. Late night + early morning + walking all day = super early bed time. Especially because I have to get up early for my Zoo trip tomorrow. Crikey! I’m really going to the Crocodile Hunter’s Zoo!!!
The grand adventure has landed in Oz!!!! I can breathe! And my bed is soft. And no one stares at me just for existing. And I can understand when people talk (mostly, sometimes the Aussie accent gets a little thick)!!! I’m in love with the city already.
Thanks to an issue with the navigational computer on the plane, we were delayed 2 hours in leaving Hong Kong. Then there was an overturned truck on the only road out of the airport, so what would normally have been a $35 cab ride actually cost me $50. But after long delays, the Grand Adventure is coming live from Australia.
Luckily, with the delays, I got here closer to check-in time and my room was ready for me. It was a shoebox with a bathroom attached. So not worth the money. After I dropped my bags, I went right out to walk around the city center. My travel guide is so good. Everything in it is right in the area. I found almost everything in my first wander.
The architecture here is really interesting. There’s some modern mixed right in with Victorian and everything in between. I took a bunch of pics of buildings and stuff. One of the buildings is the Treasury Building, which is now the Treasury Casino. It’s beautiful. I haven’t gone, because I didn’t measure up to the dress code. It’s super swank.
I didn’t really do much tonight. I did manage to find a room for the next 3 nights at a hostel. It’s called Palace Backpackers and it’s nice. I have an individual room (which, again, is the size of a shoebox) but it’s less than half of what I paid in the other place.
After booking my room, I just came back to the hotel and watched "Bring it On" on my computer. Because, of course, it’s just my luck that on my first night here in "the sunshine state" it rained.
Wed Apr 9th - Day 2
This morning I moved into the hostel. Luckily, they had my room ready for me early, so I could move right in. Of course, the elevator is broken and my room is literally on the roof, which is 5 stories high. It was not fun dragging my super-packed luggage up all of those stairs. Well, to be honest, I only dragged it up 3 floors, then a nice boy carried it the rest of the way for me.
This morning I went on a river tour that took me to the Lone Pine Koala Reserve. It was amazing. The mansions along the river are spectacular. More of that crazy mix of architecture that makes Brisbane awesome. And a lot of them have really interesting histories. At one point on the river, we passed this island, which is the natural habitat for the largest fruit bat colony in the world. The bats are huge, too. You can see them hanging from the trees in huge groups.
The tour ended at the Koala Reserve and ticket prices included admission. The first thing I did was wander around and look at the animals within enclosures. There were a bunch of birds, including lorikeets and kookaburras. Also, they had a few fruit bats, so we could see them closer than we could on the river. There were dingoes and wombats, too. But I couldn’t find the echidnas.
I went to the snake exhibit. There were some cool venomous and non-venomous snakes. My favourite thing, though, was the water monitor. It looked like a little dinosaur. It was just swimming back and forth across the aquarium.
After I saw the lesser animals, it was time to get up close and personal with a koala. Lone Pine is the only place in the world where it is legal for humans to handle koalas. So you pay for a photo package and that’s like your admission to cuddle. While you stand there (very still) the keeper puts the koala in your arms. In theory, they latch onto you like you’re a tree. My koala, (whose name was Gandalf) however, didn’t like me. He refused to come to me at first and when he finally did, he decided that he had an itch. So he was grooming himself the whole time I held him. It was cool, though, cuz the keeper waited until he was finished grooming to take him back.
After koalas, I decided to check out the kangaroos and wallabies. They were in an open reserve, kinda like the deer at marine land. You could even buy food from the store to feed them. It was super cool. They kangaroos were super mellow and had no problem letting you close (most of them were napping). Even the moms with little joeys let me feed and pet them (not the joeys. You’re only allowed to pet the moms). The wallabies on the other hand were way more skittish. They weren’t so big on people. And the emus, which were supposed to be contained and weren’t, were really curious. They’re so big that they’re a little scary close up.
Near the kangaroo pen there were crocodiles (there were enclosed and little). There was also an iguana (not enclosed). He was such a mug, posing for pictures and turning his head this way and that. There were also a vulture and a peacock roaming around loose. It was really cool.
By that time, I had to get back to the boat. When I got there, though, before we cast off, I got to feed catfish. There were so many of them. It was crazy! They were kinda gross, though, and greedy. I’ve decided that I don’t really like fish.
After the boat got back, I took another wander around. I found the greyhound station and confirmed my ticket to leave here on Saturday morning. When I returned to the hostel, I talked to the travel guide and it turns out that he’s from Calgary. Small world, eh? (He he he I’m Canadian and I said "eh?") He helped me book my trip to the Australia Zoo for Friday. He also booked my hotel in Surfer’s Paradise for me. It’s super cheap, but I’m going to be staying in a dorm. It’ll be a little weird, but I think it’ll be good.
Thurs Apr 10th - Day 3
Last night I went to the club in the basement. I was expecting a pub-like atmosphere, but it was definitely a club. I intended to have 1 drink, hang out for a bit and then head back to my room. But clubs have dancing. So, I stayed a little longer than intended. Then a guy started dancing with me, and bought me a drink and it was super late by the time I finally got to bed.
I got my hair cut this morning. It’s ok, but the layers are shorter than I had wanted. I went to the hairdressing school, so it was pretty cheap. Of course, the whole reason I waited until I got here was so that there would be no difficulty in communicating. Wouldn’t you know that the student I got was Asian and English was obviously her second language. Luckily, one of the teachers is there at the beginning to make sure the student knows how to do the style and then again at the end to check the cut and smooth things out. It took forever, though. Over an hour, start to finish, for a trim.
Today, I was one busy little tourist. I have the dead camera batteries to prove it. After my haircut, I went to Brisbane City Hall, which houses the Brisbane Museum. There’s not much there. It only took me about 15 minutes to see the whole thing. There was a lot of info about immigration to Australia, but I’m not so interested in that. After the museum, I grabbed some breakfast and went shopping. I need some new undergarments, which are impossible to find in Taiwan in western sizes. I found a couple of things that I liked, but it’s SO expensive.
After a bite to eat, I headed across the Victoria Bridge to The Culture Center on the South Bank. That’s where the Queensland Library, Museum and Art Gallery are. Today I saw them all. Well, technically I saw the Library yesterday and didn’t stay today because it was so busy.
The art gallery was first. It was alright. I didn’t like any of the paintings. There was a lot of modern abstract, which is just... blech. But there were some super cool sculptures and some neat realist/ naturalist paintings, which weren’t so bad. There was even one whole exhibit of "message posters". They covered all sorts of themes; from women’s lib, to gay rights, to HIV awareness, to Australian politics. That was pretty cool, even though I didn’t really get some of the politics ones, cuz they referenced specific people and events.
The last stop in the cultural center was the museum. It was way better than the art gallery. There was an exhibit about Queensland icons. Some were cool; some not so much. But the best part was the special exhibit called Museum Zoo. There were skeleton pieces and so many stuffed animals it was like a taxidermist’s wet dream. It was actually kinda creepy, but in a cool way. The whole exhibit was designed for kids, but that doesn’t mean I didn’t enjoy it. There was also a whole exhibit about Queensland’s endangered animals. That was interesting, but it made me sad. All those poor little bilbys and turtles.
After the museum, I walked along South Bank. It’s a really pretty riverside walk with some interesting sights along the way. The first thing you come across is the rainforest - complete with raised wooden sidewalks, and tropical flora. It goes on for about 200m and it’s really pretty. Shortly after the rainforest you get to Street’s Beach. And it’s right on the river’s edge, but there’s no swimming in the river (due to the propensity for shark attacks and the fact that it’s gross) so the "beach" is actually a swimming pool. There’s sand around it, and it’s bigger and more naturally shaped than most pools, so it’s pretty cool. I was going to swim today, but it was windy and rainy (and windy + rainy = cold, even if the temperature says it shouldn’t be). So instead I continued my walk.
After a while South Bank meets up with a pedestrian bridge across the river. It’s high and long and I walked across that too. The view from the bridge is so amazing. Once I got back to North Bank, I walked a long way around a bend in the river to get to the botanical gardens. They were pretty much the same as any other botanical gardens I’ve been in. But they were pretty. One thing they did have were spectacular fountains with water lilies. Also, a million different birds. I saw a kookaburra in the wild. Also there were a few different kinds of duck (I think) and maybe a heron of some sort. Opposite the botanical gardens, is the Parliament house. I didn’t go in, but it’s a beautiful building, so I took a picture of the outside.
Anyway, I’m exhausted. Late night + early morning + walking all day = super early bed time. Especially because I have to get up early for my Zoo trip tomorrow. Crikey! I’m really going to the Crocodile Hunter’s Zoo!!!
Wrapping up the Taiwan Chapter
Fri Mar 28th
I officially only have 1 week of work left. I’m so excited. My replacement comes next week, so we’ll see how he works out. I don’t think the kids really get it yet, though. It may start sinking in on Wed when the new guy teaches for the first time.
Not much else has happened this week. I shipped home my big suitcase with a bunch of clothes inside. The post office was crazy strict about the weight restriction. I was 1kg over and they wouldn’t make a deal. I thought maybe I could pay extra, like you do for a flight if your luggage is over, but they said no. So I had to take out seasons 1 and 2 of Buffy and Heroes, which just for the record was exactly 1 kilo.
I never made it to Luxy, cuz T bailed on me. But I called in the favor and got him to carry my package to the post office this afternoon. When everyone else finishes work, we’re going to Forkers for dinner. I haven’t been in a while and I love the desserts there.
Sun Mar 30th
We did have dinner at Forkers Friday. And I did have a fantastic dessert. Yesterday I read a book and had a tennis lesson. After my lesson I came home and watched a few movies. It was pretty boring. Today I read a book and had brunch at the Diner with Michelle, Cullum, and Brent. I was supposed to have another tennis lesson, but (surprise, surprise) it’s raining.
Isn’t my life a roller coaster of excitement?
Mon Mar 31
It’s opening day!!! And so, I’m sitting here at 12:10am waiting for the stupid afternoon game to start. But I’m so excited!! And depending where I go for dinner tomorrow, I might be able to see some of it, cuz they’re playing the Yankees. And right now I’m listening to an interview with Lloyd Moseby.
Oh yeah, and work is fine. The new guy is going to be ok with my kids. He already has a favorite. And she’s mine, too. He also kept saying how cute they are. My fears have been eased. I teach my last class tomorrow, and he’ll take over on Wed while I’m still there to help with prep and stuff.
It’s weird, though. I’m not feeling very social for my last week. I’ve been isolated in my room, reading. The new Mercedes Lackey novel will be available as an e-book tomorrow. So, I’ll be purchasing that one.
Sat Apr 4th
I did buy the new Lackey. It was really cute. I also became more social as the week went on. I hung out with Sam pretty much every night after work. We watched movies; Blue Crush, The Untouchables, some British gangster movie called Number 1 Gangster and The Big Lebowski. Other than watchin’ movies and reading, I didn’t do much.
Wed was Jason’s birthday so we did dinner after they all got off of work. I didn’t stay long, cuz it was kinda late for me. Thursday was Ladies’ night at The Brass Monkey. It was also my leaving party. It was so much fun. Before we went to the club, Emily, Sam and I went to a really nice Indian place for dinner. Then Em and I wandered and did some window shopping. She surprised me by popping back into a store to buy me a necklace that I liked as a going away present. She’s such a sweetheart and I am going to miss her.
The club rocked. It was the weirdest mix of music that I have ever heard outside of a high school dance, but I loved it. The only problem was the cigarette smoke. My throat is still raw from breathing through a cloud of smoke for 5 hours.
Yesterday was a national holiday here and all of my roommates are taking advantage of having a 3 day weekend to go away. They’ll all be back before I leave, though, so I will get a chance to say goodbye. I took advantage of the empty apartment to have a bath this morning.
I think I’m having lunch somewhere with Michelle, later. I’m not sure where, but I don’t really care as long as I get to eat. And then tonight I’m going for sushi. Sam apparently found this amazing restaurant that he’s been talking about all week. So we’re going there tonight for dinner, which is just as well, because I’ve finished off all of the food that I had in the apartment.
Sun Apr 6th
So I had lunch at the Thai place with Michelle. Then we were going to get henna tattoos, but she was getting her hair done and it took 4 hours to do, so I had to leave to meet Sam before she was finished. The sushi was fantastic. I even ate a lot of fish, which wasn’t bad. Turns out I don’t dislike fish, I’m just a snob and dislike bad fish. After dinner we ended up at Forker’s for dessert. It was a really nice, relaxed evening.
Today I plan to pack everything that I don’t need tomorrow. I’m almost finished, even though it doesn’t look it. All surfaces are still cluttered with things, but I’ve gotten everything out from inside of things. And there is some organization... kinda. Then I need to sweep the room.
Mon Apr.7th
I’m in the airport awaiting my flight out. After a layover in Hong Kong, I will be on my way to Oz. Yesterday was a great "last day" (today didn’t count, b/c it was all packing and stuff). I spent the day with Michelle, Diana, Richard, and Brent. Robert showed up too, for dinner.
The food that I ate during my last few days in Taiwan was anything but traditional Taiwanese, with the exception of the strawberries I bought to eat on my way to the airport. They’re served on a stick, but they’re dipped in hot sugar that caramelizes around them. They are delicious.
But back to yesterday, we had lunch at a Mediterranean place. I had hummus and it was really good. After lunch we took a walk to the Jade market, but couldn’t find it, so we ended up at Big Tom’s for ice cream. Then we took a really long walk through Taipei to get to Tandoor, which was the Indian restaurant where we had dinner.
I think we were served by the owner and it was so much fun. He was by far the pushiest waiter I have ever had in my life. He forced us to order Tandoori Chicken and would let me order bread until after everything else had been ordered. And even when I ordered the bread, he told me I was wrong and brought something else. The food was beyond my scale of spicy, but it was delicious.
Today I did the last minute packing and travel prep. It took 5 boxes to ship the of my things home and my luggage is stuffed. I did manage to squeeze in lunch with my (now, ex-)co-workers at Casa Della Pasta. It was a good time. I even managed to rope Sam into helping me carry boxes to the post office.
I officially only have 1 week of work left. I’m so excited. My replacement comes next week, so we’ll see how he works out. I don’t think the kids really get it yet, though. It may start sinking in on Wed when the new guy teaches for the first time.
Not much else has happened this week. I shipped home my big suitcase with a bunch of clothes inside. The post office was crazy strict about the weight restriction. I was 1kg over and they wouldn’t make a deal. I thought maybe I could pay extra, like you do for a flight if your luggage is over, but they said no. So I had to take out seasons 1 and 2 of Buffy and Heroes, which just for the record was exactly 1 kilo.
I never made it to Luxy, cuz T bailed on me. But I called in the favor and got him to carry my package to the post office this afternoon. When everyone else finishes work, we’re going to Forkers for dinner. I haven’t been in a while and I love the desserts there.
Sun Mar 30th
We did have dinner at Forkers Friday. And I did have a fantastic dessert. Yesterday I read a book and had a tennis lesson. After my lesson I came home and watched a few movies. It was pretty boring. Today I read a book and had brunch at the Diner with Michelle, Cullum, and Brent. I was supposed to have another tennis lesson, but (surprise, surprise) it’s raining.
Isn’t my life a roller coaster of excitement?
Mon Mar 31
It’s opening day!!! And so, I’m sitting here at 12:10am waiting for the stupid afternoon game to start. But I’m so excited!! And depending where I go for dinner tomorrow, I might be able to see some of it, cuz they’re playing the Yankees. And right now I’m listening to an interview with Lloyd Moseby.
Oh yeah, and work is fine. The new guy is going to be ok with my kids. He already has a favorite. And she’s mine, too. He also kept saying how cute they are. My fears have been eased. I teach my last class tomorrow, and he’ll take over on Wed while I’m still there to help with prep and stuff.
It’s weird, though. I’m not feeling very social for my last week. I’ve been isolated in my room, reading. The new Mercedes Lackey novel will be available as an e-book tomorrow. So, I’ll be purchasing that one.
Sat Apr 4th
I did buy the new Lackey. It was really cute. I also became more social as the week went on. I hung out with Sam pretty much every night after work. We watched movies; Blue Crush, The Untouchables, some British gangster movie called Number 1 Gangster and The Big Lebowski. Other than watchin’ movies and reading, I didn’t do much.
Wed was Jason’s birthday so we did dinner after they all got off of work. I didn’t stay long, cuz it was kinda late for me. Thursday was Ladies’ night at The Brass Monkey. It was also my leaving party. It was so much fun. Before we went to the club, Emily, Sam and I went to a really nice Indian place for dinner. Then Em and I wandered and did some window shopping. She surprised me by popping back into a store to buy me a necklace that I liked as a going away present. She’s such a sweetheart and I am going to miss her.
The club rocked. It was the weirdest mix of music that I have ever heard outside of a high school dance, but I loved it. The only problem was the cigarette smoke. My throat is still raw from breathing through a cloud of smoke for 5 hours.
Yesterday was a national holiday here and all of my roommates are taking advantage of having a 3 day weekend to go away. They’ll all be back before I leave, though, so I will get a chance to say goodbye. I took advantage of the empty apartment to have a bath this morning.
I think I’m having lunch somewhere with Michelle, later. I’m not sure where, but I don’t really care as long as I get to eat. And then tonight I’m going for sushi. Sam apparently found this amazing restaurant that he’s been talking about all week. So we’re going there tonight for dinner, which is just as well, because I’ve finished off all of the food that I had in the apartment.
Sun Apr 6th
So I had lunch at the Thai place with Michelle. Then we were going to get henna tattoos, but she was getting her hair done and it took 4 hours to do, so I had to leave to meet Sam before she was finished. The sushi was fantastic. I even ate a lot of fish, which wasn’t bad. Turns out I don’t dislike fish, I’m just a snob and dislike bad fish. After dinner we ended up at Forker’s for dessert. It was a really nice, relaxed evening.
Today I plan to pack everything that I don’t need tomorrow. I’m almost finished, even though it doesn’t look it. All surfaces are still cluttered with things, but I’ve gotten everything out from inside of things. And there is some organization... kinda. Then I need to sweep the room.
Mon Apr.7th
I’m in the airport awaiting my flight out. After a layover in Hong Kong, I will be on my way to Oz. Yesterday was a great "last day" (today didn’t count, b/c it was all packing and stuff). I spent the day with Michelle, Diana, Richard, and Brent. Robert showed up too, for dinner.
The food that I ate during my last few days in Taiwan was anything but traditional Taiwanese, with the exception of the strawberries I bought to eat on my way to the airport. They’re served on a stick, but they’re dipped in hot sugar that caramelizes around them. They are delicious.
But back to yesterday, we had lunch at a Mediterranean place. I had hummus and it was really good. After lunch we took a walk to the Jade market, but couldn’t find it, so we ended up at Big Tom’s for ice cream. Then we took a really long walk through Taipei to get to Tandoor, which was the Indian restaurant where we had dinner.
I think we were served by the owner and it was so much fun. He was by far the pushiest waiter I have ever had in my life. He forced us to order Tandoori Chicken and would let me order bread until after everything else had been ordered. And even when I ordered the bread, he told me I was wrong and brought something else. The food was beyond my scale of spicy, but it was delicious.
Today I did the last minute packing and travel prep. It took 5 boxes to ship the of my things home and my luggage is stuffed. I did manage to squeeze in lunch with my (now, ex-)co-workers at Casa Della Pasta. It was a good time. I even managed to rope Sam into helping me carry boxes to the post office.
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