Before I move on to telling you about the Whitsundays, just a little more on Fraser that I omitted in yesterday's post.
First I have to tell you about the crazy bus driver we had on our tour. His name was Dave and he looked like a proper Aussie in his shorts, boots and hat. He had the dirtiest laugh and told the dirties, close to the mark jokes you could think of. He also had an obsession with drugs, mostly of the natural kind like how poisons and toxins affect the body but then he'd spill into what he learnt from a documentary about the full moon parties in Thailand! Most of it was really interesting but he did love the sound of his own voice (and laugh) a little too much at times. Tour guides really don't like silence (especially when you're really tired and in need of a power nap on the bus).
He's got some rap video on YouTube that he re-enacted for us on the drive down the beach but I can't find it to share with you. DJ dingo or something like that but I now can't remember.
Anyway, for those of you who've never been to Fraser, it's the world's largest sand island. It doesn't look like it's all sand as it's covered with miles and miles of forest but underneath all that it's still heaps and heaps of sand. The beaches are beautiful and the water in the creeks and lakes is crystal clear. No murky waters here. We packed so much into our second day that I forgot to mention all the places we went to. After the plane ride we checked out the wreck of the Maheno, walked along a huge sand dune that felt like you were in the desert, looked at the multicoloured layers of sand at the Pinnacles, climbed up Indian Head to see the whales spouting water and slapping their huge fins. We also visited Eli Creek. Definitely not to be missed if you're heading down the Queensland coast.
Anyway, so with that bit of further information for you just so you don't feel like you're missing out, on to the next set of islands - the Whitsundays. This trip was definitely more of a backpackers fest. When everyone rocked up to the marina with crates of beer and boxes of wine I knew it wasn't going to be a peaceful one. Got chatting to a lovely Irish couple, Pat and Theresa, straight away on the boat so that was a good start. In fact the trip was spent mostly hanging out with the Irish as there were four great girls doing their travelling round Oz before settling in Perth to work for the rest of their year away. I practically had an Irish accent by the end of the three days.
So we set off on the boat for South Molle Island, where we were staying. A short walk up through a bit of rainforest and we were watching the sun set over the islands. The trouble with that was that then we were coming down from the hill and through the forest in the pitch black by the time we got to the bottom. Not an easy task even with a few torches to light our way!
After dinner in the bar it was on to the Club 18-30esque drinking games. Yes, it was pushing the limits of my tolerance for a little bit but you've just got to get stuck in and not sit on the sidelines and moan. So a game of beer racing, flip cup and sex positions later and we all knew each other a little better than before! I did get to play the sex positions game with a Canadian guy who looked like the main character out of Prison Break (yes ladies, it's a hard life but someone's got to do it) but it did get pretty embarassing the more intimate things got. We deliberately bailed after a few, not quite entering into the spirit of it.
I was sharing a room with a Belgian girl who was also travelling on her own (the rest of the crowd were groups of friends or couples) and a couple of English guys in their early twenties. Bless 'em the guys were really sweet but there's a reason why you go for all-female dorms in the hostels! One of them must be allergic to alcohol or something as both nights he spent most of his time in the toilets throwing up despite not seeming massively drunk. So there was not much sleep to be had and I think I'm still recovering.
The next day we headed off early on the boat to check out one of the most beautiful beaches - Whitehaven beach. It really is stunning with the whitest sand and the bluest, clearest sea. It was great to just chill out sunbathing on the beach for a couple of hours. We then headed off after lunch to a snorkelling spot before going back to the island for another night of a slightly crap dinner, drinking games, karaoke and general hilarity. The Irish girls were hammered on 'goon' (cheap boxed wine) and Pat and them were trying to teach some of us a spot of Irish dancing.
There were a lot of sore heads the next day as we sailed off to another snorkelling spot where only about half the people wanted to go for a dip. It might have been toasty warm on the beaches in the sunshine but it got pretty chilly sailing around on the boat so put a lot of people of going in the icy water (that and the hangovers). I must admit I bailed on the snorkelling both times, I think it's the fact you have to put a stinger suit on just to go in the sea that does it for me. I promised myself I'll go up in Cairns though, can't miss out on the Barrier Reef for a second time in my life (having never seen it on my previous trip due to a horrendous boat journey that made me never want to go in the sea again).
Just to test everyone's already delicate constitutions, we had a very rough trip back to Airlie Beach. Most of us were sitting up the front of the catamaran soaking up the rays so when we hit the rough water there was no escaping the thunderous waves that splashed all over the boat. We all got soaked and felt like we were hanging on for dear life. I honestly thought someone was going to go overboard but I think a towel was the only casualty. We huddled up the back of the boat for the next hour while a few people's stomaches got the better of them.
It was a relaxing afternoon recovering by the lagoon in Airlie and then a quiet night at the hostel. I'm so glad I splashed out on my own room again as I had a feeling I'd need some time to myself to recover from it. Another bus journey later (delayed yet again, this time by a sick driver during the night) and I rocked up in Townsville a little later than planned. Great hostel to stay in overnight though. It's in the old colonial style and pretty big but with a homely feel to it. Huge rooms and a massive ensuite bathroom plus the kitchen's equipped with all the mod cons. Makes a change from the other very basic places I've been staying in.
Not here long in Townsville so I headed out into town on the bus to soak up as much as possible. It's a really nice town with some old buildings with a touch of the French Riviera about them. Or that's what it feels like to me. I walked halfway up Castle Hill to catch the stunning views of Magnetic Island but decided not to go all the way to the top with the sun going down. Didn't want to be descending in the dark like the other night. I managed a quick walk through the Botanic Gardens and a walk along the Strand by the manmade beach before the sun finally set.
Another quiet night in at the hostel despite the liveliness of the town centre as I was coming back. Everyone looked like they'd been to a wedding with all the ladies in posh dresses and fascinators and the lads in their smart suits. I managed to deduce from earwigging on people's conversations that they'd been to the races. There were a few drunken casualties even at 7pm. Got to watch the celebratory fireworks from the hostel verandah though.
I'm moving on to Mission Beach shortly and looking forward to staying at the yoga retreat in the rainforest that Nick recommended. Something a bit different, now where's a yoga mat when you need one?!?
Saturday, 23 July 2011
On the buses
Been a while since I've posted I know. So much to do and so little time and all that. I'm currently in Townsville on the Queensland coast, slowly making my way up from Brisbane (otherwise known as Brisvegas) to Cairns. It's been a busy week with Fraser Island and a trip to the Whitsundays to cram in. Feeling pretty exhausted but all good. Lots to fill you in on so I may have to split it into two parts - as my internet allowance might run out halfway through...
I set off from Brisbane last Friday on the Greyhound bus near my aunt and uncle's. It was a long wait for it to arrive as the driver had already had problems with the first bus he was assigned. His (and my) luck didn't get any better as the day went on as a few hours later the bus had to have its bearings overhauled as we broke down just on from Maryborough (at least I think that's where we were). A two-hour wait later and we managed to get picked up by the next bus heading in our direction. The gap was filled by sitting in the service centre's lunch room drinking tea and playing Yahtzee with a really sweet Dutch couple and a kiwi. I won the game with beginner's luck, woo hoo!
The unexpected delay meant that the day was pretty much wiped out with not really any time to see Hervey Bay by the time I got there. It did mean that I got chatting to a guy from New Zealand who was luckily staying at the same hostel so we headed there together and grabbed a bite to eat and a drink later in the evening at a local cafe. A couple of XXXXs later and I was huddled round the roaring fire in the bar at the hostel. It might be warmer during the day as you head up the coast but the evenings can still be a bit on the chilly side.
In the morning I got chatting to my room mate (it's always a bit strange when you don't get to say hello before going to bed but we soon made up for that in the morning) after a well deserved lay in and we hung out over breakfast, deciding what to do as the rain poured down most of the day. The trouble with such an outdoorsy lifestyle is that when the weather ain't great there's not that much to do. It finally cleared up late afternoon so we headed down for a walk along the beach as the sun was setting on the horizon.
When we returned to Katy's car, she realised she'd left her lights on during the two-hour walk and had been left with a flat battery. Luckily she had RAC membership and the guy turned up pretty quickly. We then had to drive round for a while to charge it up and sat in the carpark back at the hostel to ensure it would still start in the morning when she headed off for her first day working at a spa on Fraser Island.
That night we had a new roomie join us, a German girl who happened to be going on the same trip as me to Fraser the next day. It was good to know someone from the start although conversation was a little difficult to glean from her at first. We ended up hanging out with an Aussie and an Italian girl over the two days as the rest of the group were mostly couples or friends already and not the most sociable bunch in the world. Which was a shame as it was such a beautiful place to spend some time but the evenings got a little bit dull without a livelier lot to hang out with. No one was drinking (not that it's essential to have a good time but it certainly helps when you don't know each other).
Despite this the scenery and what we saw during our time there more than made up for it. The second day was particularly fantastic as the weather perked up and we spent the day driving down the beach, catching sight of wild dingoes, manta rays in the sea and whales from the headland, beach and the flight in a little plane that I made a last minute decision to splash out on. So glad I did as it was definitely the highlight of the trip for me.
I braved swimming in Lake Mackenzie and Champagne pools, despite most people wimping out, deciding that it was too cold for their delicate constitutions. It wasn't too bad once you got stuck in. Our accommodation on the island was pretty basic but suited us just fine and the food was along the same lines but filled a hole when you needed it. Pretty much a backpackers trip rather than the lap of luxury but you get what you pay for after all.
I managed to catch up with Katy when I got back to the hostel on the mainland and we swapped tales of the previous couple of days. The following morning was spent speed washing what I could and praying it would dry in time to pack up and get the next bus up the coast.
This was a long one, a semi-overnighter to get me all the way to Airlie Beach in the middle of the night. However, my luck with the buses had not improved. This time we got stuck after Rockhampton for a couple of hours while controlled fires were burning in the fields alongside the road. Which meant that instead of arriving at 2.30am I didn't get to the bus station until 4am, not what I needed when I had to check out of the hostel at 10am and head off to the Whitsundays that very same day. But I managed to get a few hours sleep and check out a bit later than they would have liked!
I'll fill you in on the Whitsundays tomorrow, a very different trip from Fraser in many ways...
I set off from Brisbane last Friday on the Greyhound bus near my aunt and uncle's. It was a long wait for it to arrive as the driver had already had problems with the first bus he was assigned. His (and my) luck didn't get any better as the day went on as a few hours later the bus had to have its bearings overhauled as we broke down just on from Maryborough (at least I think that's where we were). A two-hour wait later and we managed to get picked up by the next bus heading in our direction. The gap was filled by sitting in the service centre's lunch room drinking tea and playing Yahtzee with a really sweet Dutch couple and a kiwi. I won the game with beginner's luck, woo hoo!
The unexpected delay meant that the day was pretty much wiped out with not really any time to see Hervey Bay by the time I got there. It did mean that I got chatting to a guy from New Zealand who was luckily staying at the same hostel so we headed there together and grabbed a bite to eat and a drink later in the evening at a local cafe. A couple of XXXXs later and I was huddled round the roaring fire in the bar at the hostel. It might be warmer during the day as you head up the coast but the evenings can still be a bit on the chilly side.
In the morning I got chatting to my room mate (it's always a bit strange when you don't get to say hello before going to bed but we soon made up for that in the morning) after a well deserved lay in and we hung out over breakfast, deciding what to do as the rain poured down most of the day. The trouble with such an outdoorsy lifestyle is that when the weather ain't great there's not that much to do. It finally cleared up late afternoon so we headed down for a walk along the beach as the sun was setting on the horizon.
When we returned to Katy's car, she realised she'd left her lights on during the two-hour walk and had been left with a flat battery. Luckily she had RAC membership and the guy turned up pretty quickly. We then had to drive round for a while to charge it up and sat in the carpark back at the hostel to ensure it would still start in the morning when she headed off for her first day working at a spa on Fraser Island.
That night we had a new roomie join us, a German girl who happened to be going on the same trip as me to Fraser the next day. It was good to know someone from the start although conversation was a little difficult to glean from her at first. We ended up hanging out with an Aussie and an Italian girl over the two days as the rest of the group were mostly couples or friends already and not the most sociable bunch in the world. Which was a shame as it was such a beautiful place to spend some time but the evenings got a little bit dull without a livelier lot to hang out with. No one was drinking (not that it's essential to have a good time but it certainly helps when you don't know each other).
Despite this the scenery and what we saw during our time there more than made up for it. The second day was particularly fantastic as the weather perked up and we spent the day driving down the beach, catching sight of wild dingoes, manta rays in the sea and whales from the headland, beach and the flight in a little plane that I made a last minute decision to splash out on. So glad I did as it was definitely the highlight of the trip for me.
I braved swimming in Lake Mackenzie and Champagne pools, despite most people wimping out, deciding that it was too cold for their delicate constitutions. It wasn't too bad once you got stuck in. Our accommodation on the island was pretty basic but suited us just fine and the food was along the same lines but filled a hole when you needed it. Pretty much a backpackers trip rather than the lap of luxury but you get what you pay for after all.
I managed to catch up with Katy when I got back to the hostel on the mainland and we swapped tales of the previous couple of days. The following morning was spent speed washing what I could and praying it would dry in time to pack up and get the next bus up the coast.
This was a long one, a semi-overnighter to get me all the way to Airlie Beach in the middle of the night. However, my luck with the buses had not improved. This time we got stuck after Rockhampton for a couple of hours while controlled fires were burning in the fields alongside the road. Which meant that instead of arriving at 2.30am I didn't get to the bus station until 4am, not what I needed when I had to check out of the hostel at 10am and head off to the Whitsundays that very same day. But I managed to get a few hours sleep and check out a bit later than they would have liked!
I'll fill you in on the Whitsundays tomorrow, a very different trip from Fraser in many ways...
Thursday, 14 July 2011
Wet and windswept
I had my first proper moment of feeling homesick and just wanting to go home the other day. Not bad going to take three months to get there I suppose and it can't be fun and games all the time. I'd headed over to Amelia's from a day out in the city centre with Paul, getting rained on and walking round doing some more exploring. When I arrived I realised she'd sent me a text to say she'd gone to the gym but would be back soon. So I sat on the doorstep all damp and cold, just wanting to be inside somewhere that I could call home. Fighting back the doors I pulled myself together and stopped feeling sorry for myself until she arrived back.
A night in to myself cooking some dinner and vegging out in front of the tv soon sorted me out. The next couple of days were spent being fairly chilled out. I did a spot of work, doing some reading for Amelia's fledgling business, haven't lost my touch it seems. Then it was a case of catching up on emails, booking some accommodation for my trip up the coast and pottering around Brunswick Street or popping into town for a browse around the shops.
In the evenings we went to Amelia's parents for dinner and absorbed ourselves in a programme about refugees and boat people. There have been a lot of programmes about this issue on while I've been here. You may have heard of one that took six people with various strong views about refugees and put them in situations similar to those arriving in the country, waiting for assylum seeker status in other countries and even took them back to where it all begins in Iraq and Sudan (I think). Very interesting stuff and a real talking point here.
We had a proper Saturday night out with Amelia's friends at a Vietnamese restaurant and then a nice bar across the road. There was a lot of dancing, both good and bad and it was great fun. Sat next to a guy at dinner who was from Ecuador so he's given me his email address to get in touch nearer the time and hopefully his friends back home might take me out for a drink or two when I'm there.
On Sunday I picked up a right old banger (it was the cheapest rental I could find) to take me down the Great Ocean Road. It wasn't a good sign that I struggled to figure out how to start it! You had to put it into first gear before starting the engine, most strange. I then had a complete panic at the garage filling up with petrol when I thought I couldn't get back in the car - the key wouldn't work in the lock - until I realised I had failed to lock the passenger door. Phew! You get what you pay for I guess. When I returned it the guy helpfully told me that it was going to the scrap heap soon, better late than never. Though I can't really complain as it did get me there and back without any further hassle. I just had to put up with the wind whistling through the windows constantly. And it was pretty damn windy.
I drove all the way down the coast to Apollo Bay for two nights at a fantastic hostel. All very eco-friendly it had a great lounge area with a woodburner. After a tasty meal at the local bistro I went and joined a few of the residents in the lounge and got chatting to some nice guys who worked there and a cute French guy who gave me lots of tips on Peru. The next night they invited me out to the bingo at the local bowls club. I should have won the first round but in my tired state I missed one number when it was too late.
The day was spent driving further down the coast to see the 12 Apostles and taking in Port Campbell. The weather was pretty fierce the whole time I was down there, I've never seen the sea so ferocious and angry. But it made for a very atmospheric scene, the waves battering the rocks, demonstrating how all these formations were created in the first place. I thought I was going to get blown away at the top of Cape Otway lighthouse, the power of the wind was so strong.
The next morning it was an early start to drive all the way back up towards Melbourne and head to Phillip Island for a spot of penguin watching. On the way I drove through Lorne, a very nice looking town, stopped at Bells Beach and Torquay to see what the surfing life is all about. The surfer dudes looked like a colony of black seals out at sea on their boards waiting for the perfect wave. There were plenty to choose from in those conditions but I wouldn't have fancied it myself. Well not as a complete beginner like me anyway.
I then headed to Queenscliff to make a short cut on the ferry across to Sorrento and for the novelty factor of taking the car across the water. After five or so hours of driving I arrived at a very different hostel on the island. Very open despite the weather and much more old-fashioned than the others I've stayed in. But I met a nice girl, Jenny, from Bolton who was on a trip to find out if she wanted to live over here. We got chatting and ended up sharing a room, heading off for a nice walk on Woolamai Beach the following morning and having lunch in San Remo before going our separate ways.
But first the penguin parade. Ohhh they were so cute and just how I expected, though much much smaller. This particular kind are the smallest and looked like they'd struggle to get across the beach, up the rocks and through the undergrowth to find their homes. I'm glad I paid a bit extra for a more exclusive experience as the numbers coming in were pretty low and I got a much better viewpoint from the front and further up the beach where they tended to stop and rest for a while.
A couple of hours' drive the next day and I was back at the airport dropping off the car and waiting for my flight back to Brisbane. It's been good to see the sun and experience warmer climes again. More of that further up the coast hopefully. It's another early start tomorrow to get the Greyhound bus up to Hervey Bay.
A night in to myself cooking some dinner and vegging out in front of the tv soon sorted me out. The next couple of days were spent being fairly chilled out. I did a spot of work, doing some reading for Amelia's fledgling business, haven't lost my touch it seems. Then it was a case of catching up on emails, booking some accommodation for my trip up the coast and pottering around Brunswick Street or popping into town for a browse around the shops.
In the evenings we went to Amelia's parents for dinner and absorbed ourselves in a programme about refugees and boat people. There have been a lot of programmes about this issue on while I've been here. You may have heard of one that took six people with various strong views about refugees and put them in situations similar to those arriving in the country, waiting for assylum seeker status in other countries and even took them back to where it all begins in Iraq and Sudan (I think). Very interesting stuff and a real talking point here.
We had a proper Saturday night out with Amelia's friends at a Vietnamese restaurant and then a nice bar across the road. There was a lot of dancing, both good and bad and it was great fun. Sat next to a guy at dinner who was from Ecuador so he's given me his email address to get in touch nearer the time and hopefully his friends back home might take me out for a drink or two when I'm there.
On Sunday I picked up a right old banger (it was the cheapest rental I could find) to take me down the Great Ocean Road. It wasn't a good sign that I struggled to figure out how to start it! You had to put it into first gear before starting the engine, most strange. I then had a complete panic at the garage filling up with petrol when I thought I couldn't get back in the car - the key wouldn't work in the lock - until I realised I had failed to lock the passenger door. Phew! You get what you pay for I guess. When I returned it the guy helpfully told me that it was going to the scrap heap soon, better late than never. Though I can't really complain as it did get me there and back without any further hassle. I just had to put up with the wind whistling through the windows constantly. And it was pretty damn windy.
I drove all the way down the coast to Apollo Bay for two nights at a fantastic hostel. All very eco-friendly it had a great lounge area with a woodburner. After a tasty meal at the local bistro I went and joined a few of the residents in the lounge and got chatting to some nice guys who worked there and a cute French guy who gave me lots of tips on Peru. The next night they invited me out to the bingo at the local bowls club. I should have won the first round but in my tired state I missed one number when it was too late.
The day was spent driving further down the coast to see the 12 Apostles and taking in Port Campbell. The weather was pretty fierce the whole time I was down there, I've never seen the sea so ferocious and angry. But it made for a very atmospheric scene, the waves battering the rocks, demonstrating how all these formations were created in the first place. I thought I was going to get blown away at the top of Cape Otway lighthouse, the power of the wind was so strong.
The next morning it was an early start to drive all the way back up towards Melbourne and head to Phillip Island for a spot of penguin watching. On the way I drove through Lorne, a very nice looking town, stopped at Bells Beach and Torquay to see what the surfing life is all about. The surfer dudes looked like a colony of black seals out at sea on their boards waiting for the perfect wave. There were plenty to choose from in those conditions but I wouldn't have fancied it myself. Well not as a complete beginner like me anyway.
I then headed to Queenscliff to make a short cut on the ferry across to Sorrento and for the novelty factor of taking the car across the water. After five or so hours of driving I arrived at a very different hostel on the island. Very open despite the weather and much more old-fashioned than the others I've stayed in. But I met a nice girl, Jenny, from Bolton who was on a trip to find out if she wanted to live over here. We got chatting and ended up sharing a room, heading off for a nice walk on Woolamai Beach the following morning and having lunch in San Remo before going our separate ways.
But first the penguin parade. Ohhh they were so cute and just how I expected, though much much smaller. This particular kind are the smallest and looked like they'd struggle to get across the beach, up the rocks and through the undergrowth to find their homes. I'm glad I paid a bit extra for a more exclusive experience as the numbers coming in were pretty low and I got a much better viewpoint from the front and further up the beach where they tended to stop and rest for a while.
A couple of hours' drive the next day and I was back at the airport dropping off the car and waiting for my flight back to Brisbane. It's been good to see the sun and experience warmer climes again. More of that further up the coast hopefully. It's another early start tomorrow to get the Greyhound bus up to Hervey Bay.
Wednesday, 6 July 2011
A winter's tale
Bloomin' 'eck it's a bit parky down here in the deep south!! Well, it's not so much that it's freezing cold, it's just that central heating isn't exactly Australia's forte. Sometimes you could just do with a nice warm house that's warm all over (rather than in the one room that's got a heater). So I'm sitting here right now on a Thursday morning, tapping away in two jumpers and a blanket wrapped round me. And I did got to bed the other night in flanelette pjs plus leggings and a long-sleeve top underneath. But then I'm not known for being great in the cold. You still see people wandering around in shorts and flipflops but they are definitely in the minority.
But enough of my cold-weather moaning. Only a week or so and I'll be chasing the warmth up the coast towards Cairns - looking forward to that. But first I've got to hope that Tiger Airways, who I'm supposed to be flying back up to Brisbane with, are no longer grounded by the authorities for safety reasons otherwise I'll either be stranded or forking out wads of cash on another flight. Not ideal.
Aside from all that, I do really like Melbourne. It's a funky, arty, interesting place. I'm currently staying at Amelia's in Fitzroy, an old friend from the Audit Commission who moved back home to Oz a few years ago. Fitzroy is a trendy slice of bohemia, where the cool kids try so hard not to be cool, striving to be subversive and alternative but just ending up the same as everyone else (which makes me laugh!). The weekend was spent hanging out with some of Amelia's friends - for tapas on Friday, and Canada day celebrations over brunch on Saturday. Saturday was spent feeling a bit hungover after not enough tapas and a little too much wine. My first experience of sparkling red wine though, which I like, I like it a lot. More of that later!
My host was feeling more worse for wear than I so I ended up driving her car, my first experience behind the wheel in over a year. At least they drive on the same side of the road although it took a while to get the whole tram etiquette. Melbourne has one big tram network spanning the city and it's pretty sprawling. They run pretty frequently and aren't a bad system. I just hadn't realised when they stop you aren't meant to undertake them as passengers are disembarking and need to get across the road. A yell from Amelia soon sorted that out. But it was good to get back into driving. I'm tempted to hire a car and head along the Great Ocean Road independently rather than booking a bus tour with hoards of others.
We spent the rest of the day being pretty lazy and slobbed in front of the tv watching episodes of Big Love and rubbish films. We did manage to pop out for a tasty pizza down the road but then it was back to the sofa.
Sunday was my first introduction to an Aussie favourite (or so it seems when you get out and about) - powerwalking! Not a big fan as it goes against my very English love of a nice long walk in the countryside, taking in the sights and sounds, getting a bit of exercise but not overexerting yourself. Powerwalking just means you don't have time to take it all in and you end up a bit puffed out but with none of the pleasure, as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps it was because I was unprepared, fooled into thinking it was going to be a traditional leisurely stroll. Although the gym gear of my fellow walkers should have given it away!
After a wander round Fitzroy, resisting the temptation to buy any clothes and blend in with the cool kids, I headed over to Paul's in Mont Albert, my new home for the next few days. Another friend from the Commission, he was part of the pub quiz team and then emigrated out here six months ago. Mont Albert is a leafy, quiet suburb further out of town. One delicious roast dinner later and we were catching up on all the news and gossip.
As he hasn't yet found work, busying himself with getting married and finding a new home, we hung out for the next few days. We took in a trip to St Kilda, a nice part of town with a pier, beach and funky streets of bars, cafes and restaurants. The whole city is definitely the food capital of Australia. With a strong Italian contingent it is the second largest consumer of coffee in the world, after Rome. You can't move for coffee shops and they do a great selection of teas too, which suits me.
A walk round Albert Park followed, where the Grand Prix is held (thought you'd like that one Dad!). That evening we went to a pub quiz at the Skinny Dog Hotel in Kew. It is very strange spending time in all these places with English names, they weren't very original in a lot of Australia with their naming of areas. I've been to Brighton, Camberwell, Kew, Richmond, Scarborough, Oxford Street, Paddington, and heaps more.
We didn't win the quiz as it was a bit too Aussie focused for three people (although one is a native) who haven't lived here for a number of years. But we didn't totally disgrace ourselves either.
The following day managed to tick one of the main things off my list of activities while I'm here - a wine tour. Heading out to the Yarra Valley with the Australian Wine Company, we took in four cellar doors, all very different. The first was quite old and rustic with a modern twist, the second was very sleek and modern, the third completely rustic and homely and the fourth was Domaine Chandon, owned by Moet & Chandon. Here's something I didn't know before, it should be pronouned 'mowett' not 'mowee' after the Dutch not the French.
We learnt the proper way to taste wine (I still feel like I'm going to choke if I sip it through my teeth and I definitely won't waste good wine spitting it out but call me a pleb!) and then were taken through some of the chardonnays, pinot noirs, shiraz and sauvignon blancs that are popular in the region. The valley is very beautiful, it's just a shame the weather was so appalling during our tour. The wind and rain hampered too many photos being taken of the vineyards or surrounding scenery but it was good to get to Yerring Farm with it's wood burner to huddle around. I could have stayed there all afternoon supping their 2003 pinot noir!!
I hadn't intended to buy any wine, it not exactly being travelling friendly but just couldn't resist some more sparkling red and a pinot noir at our final stop. We polished the former off that evening over pizza and tv but the latter is waiting to be savoured over the weekend, if I can wait that long.
But enough of my cold-weather moaning. Only a week or so and I'll be chasing the warmth up the coast towards Cairns - looking forward to that. But first I've got to hope that Tiger Airways, who I'm supposed to be flying back up to Brisbane with, are no longer grounded by the authorities for safety reasons otherwise I'll either be stranded or forking out wads of cash on another flight. Not ideal.
Aside from all that, I do really like Melbourne. It's a funky, arty, interesting place. I'm currently staying at Amelia's in Fitzroy, an old friend from the Audit Commission who moved back home to Oz a few years ago. Fitzroy is a trendy slice of bohemia, where the cool kids try so hard not to be cool, striving to be subversive and alternative but just ending up the same as everyone else (which makes me laugh!). The weekend was spent hanging out with some of Amelia's friends - for tapas on Friday, and Canada day celebrations over brunch on Saturday. Saturday was spent feeling a bit hungover after not enough tapas and a little too much wine. My first experience of sparkling red wine though, which I like, I like it a lot. More of that later!
My host was feeling more worse for wear than I so I ended up driving her car, my first experience behind the wheel in over a year. At least they drive on the same side of the road although it took a while to get the whole tram etiquette. Melbourne has one big tram network spanning the city and it's pretty sprawling. They run pretty frequently and aren't a bad system. I just hadn't realised when they stop you aren't meant to undertake them as passengers are disembarking and need to get across the road. A yell from Amelia soon sorted that out. But it was good to get back into driving. I'm tempted to hire a car and head along the Great Ocean Road independently rather than booking a bus tour with hoards of others.
We spent the rest of the day being pretty lazy and slobbed in front of the tv watching episodes of Big Love and rubbish films. We did manage to pop out for a tasty pizza down the road but then it was back to the sofa.
Sunday was my first introduction to an Aussie favourite (or so it seems when you get out and about) - powerwalking! Not a big fan as it goes against my very English love of a nice long walk in the countryside, taking in the sights and sounds, getting a bit of exercise but not overexerting yourself. Powerwalking just means you don't have time to take it all in and you end up a bit puffed out but with none of the pleasure, as far as I'm concerned. Perhaps it was because I was unprepared, fooled into thinking it was going to be a traditional leisurely stroll. Although the gym gear of my fellow walkers should have given it away!
After a wander round Fitzroy, resisting the temptation to buy any clothes and blend in with the cool kids, I headed over to Paul's in Mont Albert, my new home for the next few days. Another friend from the Commission, he was part of the pub quiz team and then emigrated out here six months ago. Mont Albert is a leafy, quiet suburb further out of town. One delicious roast dinner later and we were catching up on all the news and gossip.
As he hasn't yet found work, busying himself with getting married and finding a new home, we hung out for the next few days. We took in a trip to St Kilda, a nice part of town with a pier, beach and funky streets of bars, cafes and restaurants. The whole city is definitely the food capital of Australia. With a strong Italian contingent it is the second largest consumer of coffee in the world, after Rome. You can't move for coffee shops and they do a great selection of teas too, which suits me.
A walk round Albert Park followed, where the Grand Prix is held (thought you'd like that one Dad!). That evening we went to a pub quiz at the Skinny Dog Hotel in Kew. It is very strange spending time in all these places with English names, they weren't very original in a lot of Australia with their naming of areas. I've been to Brighton, Camberwell, Kew, Richmond, Scarborough, Oxford Street, Paddington, and heaps more.
We didn't win the quiz as it was a bit too Aussie focused for three people (although one is a native) who haven't lived here for a number of years. But we didn't totally disgrace ourselves either.
The following day managed to tick one of the main things off my list of activities while I'm here - a wine tour. Heading out to the Yarra Valley with the Australian Wine Company, we took in four cellar doors, all very different. The first was quite old and rustic with a modern twist, the second was very sleek and modern, the third completely rustic and homely and the fourth was Domaine Chandon, owned by Moet & Chandon. Here's something I didn't know before, it should be pronouned 'mowett' not 'mowee' after the Dutch not the French.
We learnt the proper way to taste wine (I still feel like I'm going to choke if I sip it through my teeth and I definitely won't waste good wine spitting it out but call me a pleb!) and then were taken through some of the chardonnays, pinot noirs, shiraz and sauvignon blancs that are popular in the region. The valley is very beautiful, it's just a shame the weather was so appalling during our tour. The wind and rain hampered too many photos being taken of the vineyards or surrounding scenery but it was good to get to Yerring Farm with it's wood burner to huddle around. I could have stayed there all afternoon supping their 2003 pinot noir!!
I hadn't intended to buy any wine, it not exactly being travelling friendly but just couldn't resist some more sparkling red and a pinot noir at our final stop. We polished the former off that evening over pizza and tv but the latter is waiting to be savoured over the weekend, if I can wait that long.
Thursday, 30 June 2011
Have tinnie will travel
I forgot to tell you about my day out in the 'tinnie'! I think my core muscles are still recovering from the experience. It was all good fun though. My cousin Andrea, her husband Andrew, and eldest son Jayden took me out for the day from Bribie to Moreton Island in their little boat that is like travelling in a large tin can. It can go some but not in the most comfortable style. The sea was a bit rougher than Andrew anticipated so it was touch and go at first whether we'd make it to the island. But after spotting a big sea turtle (which disappeared fast as anything once it saw us coming) we ploughed on across the water hoping for the best. About 15 minutes in and I wasn't sure how long I could carry on with all the bumping and lurching but soon settled into it after that.
We saw a large fish, Jayden thought it was a tuna but it was black and white, leaping out of the sea at one point and tried to doubleback to find it but to no avail. Once on the island the beautiful blue and green sea was truly breathtaking and the view of it was even better after climbing up another hugely steep sand dune. More sand surfing down and we tucked into our lunch in need of some sustenance after all that exertion.
A short boat ride further along the coast took us to the tiny resort of Tangalooma for a browse in the gift shop and an ice cream. On the journey back to the mainland, we came across hundreds of birds (we didn't manage to identify what kind) fishing in the sea for something, circling round and diving again and again for their prey. Andrew tried fishing for whatever they were searching for but didn't come up trumps. It was quite bizarre to sail through the flock again and again, a very unique experience.
But back to the here and now, I'm holed up in my hostel in the centre of Melbourne after a busy day sightseeing. The day started with a free walking tour put on by the hostel but was enough to give me a flavour of some of the sights and where they are situated. After a delicious lunch - Melbourne really is the foodie heaven it's painted to be - I headed into a Lego art exhibition. An opportunity to take photos for my nephew, a Lego fiend, that I just couldn't pass up. It is amazing what you can create from a few, or rather thousands, of little bricks!
I then spent the afternoon eyeing up the street art in the lanes around the city and checking out the ACMI, a gallery of the moving image. Some fascinating exhibits by an Aussie artist, Shaun Gladwell. I was transfixed by a particular installation of a number of screens overhead showing various people just spinning round and round in slow motion, either on a skateboard, BMX bike, or just dancing. The pole dancer in the middle was particularly mesmerising!
Off to stay with my old friend Amelia tomorrow and looking forward to a weekend of hanging out with her mates and helping her out with her business that she's just set up. Yes folks, I'm actually going to be doing some (unpaid) work in the next week! That's going to be a bit of a shock to the brain. She's got me lined up for some proofreading and formatting of reports. I'll let you know how it goes.
Tuesday, 28 June 2011
A surreal experience
Last Friday I headed into Brisbane city centre to visit some of the places I hadn't got round to the previous week. I wanted to go to the Surrealism exhibition at GoMA, the city's modern art gallery. But first it was off to the information centre to book my ticket heading up the coast to Cairns in a few weeks' time. Found a good deal with Greyhound buses that includes a two-day trip to Fraser Island, three days in the Whitsundays and a Great Barrier Reef day tour, plus all my bus journeys from Brisbane to Cairns.
The exhibition was really interesting, maybe it's because I haven't really had to use my brain too much or maybe it was too much like going back to University and studying Philosophy again but I struggled with some of the concepts of surrealism. I must have read and reread a few times what Dada and surrealism mean but they still didn't really sink in! Oh well, it was fascinating nonetheless and I particularly liked the depiction of the game of 'exquisite corpse' as I remember playing something similar at school. It's where you collectively assemble a drawing or poem/story but you don't know what the other person has drawn or written. So you write or draw on a piece of paper, fold it over, hand it to the next person and they carry on. Produces some hilarious results. The ones in the gallery looked far too well done to be real to me though!
Saturday was spent with my aunt and uncle, plus Rodney's daughter Joanne as she didn't want to attend the BMX race the rest of the family was in town for, so we headed to the Boondall wetlands to spot birds, trees and Aboriginal totem poles.
Since then I've mostly spent time with my other cousin Andrea and her three kids, having barbecues up on Mount Glorious, walking through the rainforest, eating chips and ice cream or picking out nice shells on the beach.
I managed to fit in some Skype calls to mum and dad, and my brother over the weekend. My niece has got lots more curly blonde hair since I last saw her and is getting up to more mischief. Really great to talk to them all back home and they also got to say hello to their Aussie 'relys' as well (am I sounding like a native yet?!).
Sunday night was spent out on the town with a friend of Nick's who I'd never met before but was really lovely. Marnie picked me up (and had to meet all the relatives at once, poor thing) and we went to the Brekky Creek Hotel, a real staple in Brisbane apparently, for beer and a steak - delicious. A glass of red later and we headed off to the Dessert Cafe for two very tasty but sickly desserts. Here's a little fact about Queensland at the moment, bananas are ridiculously expensive here and everyone keeps commenting on it. Most of the crop was wiped out by the cyclone (and I don't think the flooding helped) so my caramel tart came without the bananas advertised.
Heading off to Melbourne today for a couple of weeks to catch up with old friends and see the sights of somewhere I've not visited over here before. Looking forward to it. I've got plans to hang out with penguins, sample some lush wine and pick up the old social life.
The exhibition was really interesting, maybe it's because I haven't really had to use my brain too much or maybe it was too much like going back to University and studying Philosophy again but I struggled with some of the concepts of surrealism. I must have read and reread a few times what Dada and surrealism mean but they still didn't really sink in! Oh well, it was fascinating nonetheless and I particularly liked the depiction of the game of 'exquisite corpse' as I remember playing something similar at school. It's where you collectively assemble a drawing or poem/story but you don't know what the other person has drawn or written. So you write or draw on a piece of paper, fold it over, hand it to the next person and they carry on. Produces some hilarious results. The ones in the gallery looked far too well done to be real to me though!
Saturday was spent with my aunt and uncle, plus Rodney's daughter Joanne as she didn't want to attend the BMX race the rest of the family was in town for, so we headed to the Boondall wetlands to spot birds, trees and Aboriginal totem poles.
Since then I've mostly spent time with my other cousin Andrea and her three kids, having barbecues up on Mount Glorious, walking through the rainforest, eating chips and ice cream or picking out nice shells on the beach.
I managed to fit in some Skype calls to mum and dad, and my brother over the weekend. My niece has got lots more curly blonde hair since I last saw her and is getting up to more mischief. Really great to talk to them all back home and they also got to say hello to their Aussie 'relys' as well (am I sounding like a native yet?!).
Sunday night was spent out on the town with a friend of Nick's who I'd never met before but was really lovely. Marnie picked me up (and had to meet all the relatives at once, poor thing) and we went to the Brekky Creek Hotel, a real staple in Brisbane apparently, for beer and a steak - delicious. A glass of red later and we headed off to the Dessert Cafe for two very tasty but sickly desserts. Here's a little fact about Queensland at the moment, bananas are ridiculously expensive here and everyone keeps commenting on it. Most of the crop was wiped out by the cyclone (and I don't think the flooding helped) so my caramel tart came without the bananas advertised.
Heading off to Melbourne today for a couple of weeks to catch up with old friends and see the sights of somewhere I've not visited over here before. Looking forward to it. I've got plans to hang out with penguins, sample some lush wine and pick up the old social life.
Thursday, 23 June 2011
Photo bonanza
Don't look at them all at once otherwise it'll make your eyes pop but here are some pics from my travels:
Hanoi, Vietnam
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5619054465588603905&authkey=Gv1sRgCJzC-b3_i-e8Og&feat=email
Ladies night, Hong Kong
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5619046712368785937&authkey=Gv1sRgCK6hwJ378PyvSg&feat=email
Hong Kong and China Part I
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5619085074344197281&authkey=Gv1sRgCNSnlNTlgY31qwE&feat=email
Hong Kong and China Part II
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5621260446560954113&authkey=Gv1sRgCNben5ybl_PmFQ&feat=email
Shanghai, China
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5621267626179716769&authkey=Gv1sRgCOCP_ZnH3JDIDQ&feat=email
I think that'll do for now. Australia to follow soon!
Hanoi, Vietnam
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5619054465588603905&authkey=Gv1sRgCJzC-b3_i-e8Og&feat=email
Ladies night, Hong Kong
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5619046712368785937&authkey=Gv1sRgCK6hwJ378PyvSg&feat=email
Hong Kong and China Part I
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5619085074344197281&authkey=Gv1sRgCNSnlNTlgY31qwE&feat=email
Hong Kong and China Part II
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5621260446560954113&authkey=Gv1sRgCNben5ybl_PmFQ&feat=email
Shanghai, China
https://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=carriegoldilocks&target=ALBUM&id=5621267626179716769&authkey=Gv1sRgCOCP_ZnH3JDIDQ&feat=email
I think that'll do for now. Australia to follow soon!
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