2/22/10
From Hervey I was off to Noosa and my whistle stop tour of the Sunshine and Gold Coasts. Spending only one day in Noosa, I got checked in and headed straight to the beach. I hung out there for a few hours making the best of the poorly shaped, knee high waves that were slowly rolling in, until the rain came in and I was forced to head back to the hostel. Once in the hostel, it was another relaxing night. A little bit of pool, some ping pong, some dinner, and off to bed. Next day I headed to Surfers Paradise to meet up with Heidi and Pipsa. Within five minutes of getting off the bus the girls met me at the station and walked me to their house to drop my bags. From there they took me on a walking tour of the beach and the city, before heading back to the house. I had heard from many people that Surfers paradise was actually quite shitty, but I really enjoyed it for a couple days stay. It reminded me a lot of Waikiki and Honolulu. A very nice beach backed by a proper city complete with high rise apartments, offices, hotels, and a very fast energetic center buzzing with people bouncing between the shops, restaurants, pubs, and clubs. Back at the flat, I noticed that the wind had died down so I headed down to the beach to see if I could find a wave. Heidi had to head into work, so Pipsa joined me on the beach. I surfed for about forty-five minutes as the sun ducked behind the beachfront skyline, before dropping completely out of sight. Finally a proper surf; chest to shoulder high plus, and only five or six guys out. After a handful of waves I caught my wave of the day. A beautiful shoulder high little ripper that I rode almost all the way to the sand. A great way to end the day! From there Pipsa and I headed back the house, I had a shower and we headed out for a quick drink and to get things to make dinner. Another early night. Next morning I woke early hoping to get another good surf, but the wind was up earlier than me, and I headed back to bed. Once the girls woke up as well, we attempted to head to the beach and brave the wind, but it proved to be stronger than us, so we headed to one of the local hotels and snuck into the pool and jacuzzi there. After we had our fill of hot water and bubbles we grabbed some takeaway sushi, ate it at the beach, and then headed back to the flat to relax before making dinner and heading out for a night on the town. After a wonderful curry made by their other flatmate, Dolan, we headed to another friend, Kaleil’s, high rise apartment for a drink and a great view of the city. From there we wondered down to the city itself and went to a couple bars. After a couple for drinks I decided to leave the others behind as I headed back to the flat to get some rest before my eight o’clock bus to Byron Bay. I had heard great things about Byron and was very excited to see it for myself.
2.26.2010
Hervey Bay: A Day of Rest
2/22/10
My bus for Hervey Departed at 9:05 pm and arrived in Hervey at 10:00am. Luckily, I took a couple of Tylenol pm’s and slept comfortably the whole way. Once in Hervey, I decided that I did not have the time nor the money to make the two day trip to Fraser Island, so I instead purchased the 24 hour internet and relaxed in the common area and worked on this blog, got caught up on facebook, emails, and did some bookings for my travels ahead. It was actually really nice to do nothing except getting caught up.
My bus for Hervey Departed at 9:05 pm and arrived in Hervey at 10:00am. Luckily, I took a couple of Tylenol pm’s and slept comfortably the whole way. Once in Hervey, I decided that I did not have the time nor the money to make the two day trip to Fraser Island, so I instead purchased the 24 hour internet and relaxed in the common area and worked on this blog, got caught up on facebook, emails, and did some bookings for my travels ahead. It was actually really nice to do nothing except getting caught up.
2.25.2010
I’m Sailing!
2/19/10
Next day I walked across town to register for my sailing trip and made a booking to fill my newest addiction, scuba diving. I killed a couple of hours by walking around town and grabbing something to eat before boarding my boat, “The British Defender”. Walking onto the boat the crew of three, Captain Chris, or Chris-o as he was called, Clint, his first mate, and Melissa, or Mel, the cook and deckhand quickly greeted us with smiles and handshakes, asking each and every one of us our names and knowing them shortly thereafter. Also on board was a volunteer, Jodene, or Jo, who I soon found out had the best deal in the Whitsundays . To volunteer on the boat you only had to pay seven dollars for a t-shirt, so some cooking, some dishes and about three hours of cleaning at the end of the trip. I, on the other hand, paid over three hundred dollars! Anyway, back to the sailing adventure. We were informed that our boat, The British Defender was the not only the best boat in the Whitsundays, but that it was also the fastest and sexiest boat as well. An 84 foot maxi racing sailboat, it had toured the world in many different races. After cruising out past the harbor and heading into the passage, we found out why we had the best boat.
After volunteering to jump on the grinders and hoist the sails I was sitting on the high side of the boat at a 45 degree angle from the water, with my feet hanging over the edge, as the low side of the boat was completely in the water. What a feeling. After sailing around for a couple of hours Chris-o took us to the spot that we would anchor and spend the night. Everyone opened a few drinks and began to mingle as we waited for dinner to be served.
A few beers later and having made a small group of friends, we had dinner followed by a session of drinking games and an attempt to sleep on the deck. Shortly after getting settled in on the deck it began to pour rain. In a rush all of us who had decided to sleep on the deck were running for cover carrying our sheets, pillows, and yoga mats. Now into my bunk for the remainder of the night I battled the heat as I tried to get comfortable and fall asleep. Once asleep, I did get a great night’s sleep, rocked gently by the roll of the boat on the water. Up at six the next morning as we headed to the third most photographed place in Australia, Whitehaven Beach. Upon arriving at our mooring we suited up with stinger suits to protect us from the deadly jellyfish and took our dingy to the shore. I’ve never liked jellyfish, but now I for sure don’t. The jellyfish you have to lookout for in the Whitsundays are as big as your little finger’s fingernail and will kill you within hours if not treated. Not thinking about that though. Once onshore we began a short walk to the lookout point for Whitehaven beach, where we spent some time of snapping pictures of the Brilliant white sand beach and sweeping bay that lay below.
The sand at this beach is 99% pure silica, and is what NASA actually used to make the mirror for the Hubble Telescope. From there we started out on another walk down to the beach itself. Such a beautiful place.
Two different bays on each side. One that was cooler and fed from a river, and on the other a small beach break. A few of us made a trek over some rock and reef to a somewhat secluded beach, stretching at best forty yards. Again, the most pure white sand, crystal clear water, rock outcroppings, all backed by lush greenery.
Staying here for thirty minutes or so it was time to make the walk back to our drop off point and get back in the dingy to head back to the defender for lunch. After lunch, as we headed to our next destination, I volunteered to hoist the sails again, and sailed to our next little cove to snorkel, and for me and Martin, a friend I had made from England, to head out on another scuba. This scuba, though not comparable to The Great Barrier Reef was also pretty amazing. We actually swam through small passageways at around 15-20 meters; saw a few corals, and a ton of fish. We actually had one school of about thirty fish that followed us on our entire dive. I again jumped back in the water for another snorkel before heading back to the boat to relax and have a beer. After everyone had returned from snorkeling we headed to yet another beautiful secluded cove. Once we anchored at this cove I climbed to the deck to find the start of a gorgeous sunset off the stern of the boat.
After taking a few pictures of both the sky and the people we settled in for a few more drinks and eventually dinner. After dinner it was party time. The night before everyone was a bit reserved and just getting to know each other, not tonight. Being that this was our last night on the boat, everyone decided to let loose, even the crew. Once they had finished their duties Clint and Melissa joined in on the activities which included Goon Chugs, night snorkels, dancing, and my little piggy. Let me explain.
Goon is what the Aussies refer to boxed wine as. So, naturally, a goon chug is when you lie on your back, someone places the goon tap in your mouth, and you chug.
A night snorkel is a contraption that Clint made for us that allows you to pour a beer, or other beverage of choice, into a bottle fashioned on top of a snorkel that funnels into your mouth. “My Little Piggie” is a game that was new to everyone on the boat. Clint told us all to sit in a circle, boy girl, boy girl, as he introduced us to our little piggie; a bottle that had the face, body and tail of a pig drawn onto it. The rules: when the piggie reaches you, you say, “This is my little piggie, and I love my little piggie so much that I am going to kiss it on its (fill in body part of choice).”
Then you pass the piggie to your left and so and so forth. Once the piggie got back to Clint he modified the rules. This time you had to pick a body part that was above the knees and below the shoulders.
Once this round was completed and the piggie made it back to Clint again, he asked if we all remembered which body part we had said. As everyone responded yes, he informed us that we were to know turn to the person to our left and kiss them where we said we would kiss the little piggie.
After that round was finished it was more dancing and partying till we had drank the boat dry. A few of us again made an attempt to sleep on the deck, but were once again chased off by the nighttime/morning downpour. Almost everyone on the boat, including the crew, woke the next morning with a head from the night before, as we slowly and painfully made our way to yet another cove for our last snorkel. Once here, most of us jumped in the water to try to straighten out our hangovers. After that it was the girls turns to turn the grinders and hoist the sails as we headed back to port.
Getting off the boat we all exchanged contact details and Melissa invited those of us that had become the closest on the boat to come to her house for a BBQ. So there we were, Will, Fotine, Garreth, Jo, Saschia, Melissa, and I heading to the store to grab some meat, chicken, sausages, salads, chips, and a case of beer and making the trek up a giant hill to Melissa’s house. Though the hill was exhausting the view from the top was worth it. After the BBQ we headed into town to see Fotime and Will off before heading out for the night. Next morning I woke to have a relaxing day by the lagoon with Martin and Luise, a couple from England, who were also on the boat, and Anita from Switzerland. After a long day lounging at the lagoon it was time to get ready to board my 13 hour overnight bus to Hervey Bay. Good thing I can sleep on Busses!
Next day I walked across town to register for my sailing trip and made a booking to fill my newest addiction, scuba diving. I killed a couple of hours by walking around town and grabbing something to eat before boarding my boat, “The British Defender”. Walking onto the boat the crew of three, Captain Chris, or Chris-o as he was called, Clint, his first mate, and Melissa, or Mel, the cook and deckhand quickly greeted us with smiles and handshakes, asking each and every one of us our names and knowing them shortly thereafter. Also on board was a volunteer, Jodene, or Jo, who I soon found out had the best deal in the Whitsundays . To volunteer on the boat you only had to pay seven dollars for a t-shirt, so some cooking, some dishes and about three hours of cleaning at the end of the trip. I, on the other hand, paid over three hundred dollars! Anyway, back to the sailing adventure. We were informed that our boat, The British Defender was the not only the best boat in the Whitsundays, but that it was also the fastest and sexiest boat as well. An 84 foot maxi racing sailboat, it had toured the world in many different races. After cruising out past the harbor and heading into the passage, we found out why we had the best boat.
After volunteering to jump on the grinders and hoist the sails I was sitting on the high side of the boat at a 45 degree angle from the water, with my feet hanging over the edge, as the low side of the boat was completely in the water. What a feeling. After sailing around for a couple of hours Chris-o took us to the spot that we would anchor and spend the night. Everyone opened a few drinks and began to mingle as we waited for dinner to be served.
A few beers later and having made a small group of friends, we had dinner followed by a session of drinking games and an attempt to sleep on the deck. Shortly after getting settled in on the deck it began to pour rain. In a rush all of us who had decided to sleep on the deck were running for cover carrying our sheets, pillows, and yoga mats. Now into my bunk for the remainder of the night I battled the heat as I tried to get comfortable and fall asleep. Once asleep, I did get a great night’s sleep, rocked gently by the roll of the boat on the water. Up at six the next morning as we headed to the third most photographed place in Australia, Whitehaven Beach. Upon arriving at our mooring we suited up with stinger suits to protect us from the deadly jellyfish and took our dingy to the shore. I’ve never liked jellyfish, but now I for sure don’t. The jellyfish you have to lookout for in the Whitsundays are as big as your little finger’s fingernail and will kill you within hours if not treated. Not thinking about that though. Once onshore we began a short walk to the lookout point for Whitehaven beach, where we spent some time of snapping pictures of the Brilliant white sand beach and sweeping bay that lay below.
The sand at this beach is 99% pure silica, and is what NASA actually used to make the mirror for the Hubble Telescope. From there we started out on another walk down to the beach itself. Such a beautiful place.
Two different bays on each side. One that was cooler and fed from a river, and on the other a small beach break. A few of us made a trek over some rock and reef to a somewhat secluded beach, stretching at best forty yards. Again, the most pure white sand, crystal clear water, rock outcroppings, all backed by lush greenery.
Staying here for thirty minutes or so it was time to make the walk back to our drop off point and get back in the dingy to head back to the defender for lunch. After lunch, as we headed to our next destination, I volunteered to hoist the sails again, and sailed to our next little cove to snorkel, and for me and Martin, a friend I had made from England, to head out on another scuba. This scuba, though not comparable to The Great Barrier Reef was also pretty amazing. We actually swam through small passageways at around 15-20 meters; saw a few corals, and a ton of fish. We actually had one school of about thirty fish that followed us on our entire dive. I again jumped back in the water for another snorkel before heading back to the boat to relax and have a beer. After everyone had returned from snorkeling we headed to yet another beautiful secluded cove. Once we anchored at this cove I climbed to the deck to find the start of a gorgeous sunset off the stern of the boat.
After taking a few pictures of both the sky and the people we settled in for a few more drinks and eventually dinner. After dinner it was party time. The night before everyone was a bit reserved and just getting to know each other, not tonight. Being that this was our last night on the boat, everyone decided to let loose, even the crew. Once they had finished their duties Clint and Melissa joined in on the activities which included Goon Chugs, night snorkels, dancing, and my little piggy. Let me explain.
Goon is what the Aussies refer to boxed wine as. So, naturally, a goon chug is when you lie on your back, someone places the goon tap in your mouth, and you chug.
A night snorkel is a contraption that Clint made for us that allows you to pour a beer, or other beverage of choice, into a bottle fashioned on top of a snorkel that funnels into your mouth. “My Little Piggie” is a game that was new to everyone on the boat. Clint told us all to sit in a circle, boy girl, boy girl, as he introduced us to our little piggie; a bottle that had the face, body and tail of a pig drawn onto it. The rules: when the piggie reaches you, you say, “This is my little piggie, and I love my little piggie so much that I am going to kiss it on its (fill in body part of choice).”
Then you pass the piggie to your left and so and so forth. Once the piggie got back to Clint he modified the rules. This time you had to pick a body part that was above the knees and below the shoulders.
Once this round was completed and the piggie made it back to Clint again, he asked if we all remembered which body part we had said. As everyone responded yes, he informed us that we were to know turn to the person to our left and kiss them where we said we would kiss the little piggie.
After that round was finished it was more dancing and partying till we had drank the boat dry. A few of us again made an attempt to sleep on the deck, but were once again chased off by the nighttime/morning downpour. Almost everyone on the boat, including the crew, woke the next morning with a head from the night before, as we slowly and painfully made our way to yet another cove for our last snorkel. Once here, most of us jumped in the water to try to straighten out our hangovers. After that it was the girls turns to turn the grinders and hoist the sails as we headed back to port.
Getting off the boat we all exchanged contact details and Melissa invited those of us that had become the closest on the boat to come to her house for a BBQ. So there we were, Will, Fotine, Garreth, Jo, Saschia, Melissa, and I heading to the store to grab some meat, chicken, sausages, salads, chips, and a case of beer and making the trek up a giant hill to Melissa’s house. Though the hill was exhausting the view from the top was worth it. After the BBQ we headed into town to see Fotime and Will off before heading out for the night. Next morning I woke to have a relaxing day by the lagoon with Martin and Luise, a couple from England, who were also on the boat, and Anita from Switzerland. After a long day lounging at the lagoon it was time to get ready to board my 13 hour overnight bus to Hervey Bay. Good thing I can sleep on Busses!
The Heidi and Pipsa Express
2/19/10
Walking up at seven, I called the bus company to cancel my bus and see if I could get a refund, I was told I couldn’t, but didn’t matter I was going to travel in comfort and have great company for the ride. That was worth the money to me. Turned out to be better anyway, because it allowed me to get a free bus later in the trip anyway, but I’ll tell you about that in a bit. The girls showed up pretty much on time and we started out on our adventure south, to Airlie Beach, home of the Whitsunday Islands. Making our first stop along the way in a town called Boulder, we took a short hike to a beautiful river with some huge boulders and amazing rapids.
On the walk back to the car we were passed by two huge and beautiful butterflies in the middle of some sort of mating dance. I tried to capture it with my camera, but they wouldn’t stay still long enough for a good photo.
Do you blame them? If you look close enough you can still make out their form and colors. From there our next stop off was Josephine falls. This, a bit of a longer trek was well worth the beautiful walk through the lush rainforest. Once we reached the falls themselves we found that there was a natural waterslide built in.
So naturally, we decided we needed to go slide down them. I had left my board shorts in the car, and Heidi had not thought to bring her swimmers either, so I volunteered to head back to the car to grab them. At the car, I changed into my boardies and grabbed the bag that I thought her swimmers were in. Running back down the trail to the falls, barefoot, shirtless, and in my boardies, it started pouring rain and thunder. Returning to the falls I handed Heidi the bag so she could change and we could begin our decent down the slide. I, not knowingly, I swear, was informed that I had grabbed the wrong bag though. No worries. In what I would like to assume is Classic Finnish style, Heidi said, “Its okay, I’ll just go in my underwear.”
So bra and thong it was to go for a slide. I know you think I’m making this up that this point, and that’s okay. I was looking for the hidden camera and the guy that jumps out to say, “...you’re on Candid Camera”. Didn’t happen though. Instead, we went sliding down a waterfall to the soundtrack of pouring rain and booming thunder. Brilliant. Heading back to the car, we dried out, changed and continued heading south to stop and get some lunch. Short detour in some shit town for lunch ,and then to our next stop, Townsville. Once in Townsville we drove around for a bit looking for the lagoon, in the hopes of another swim, but the lagoon was not as much as we expected, so it was back into the car. Next stop, Airlie Beach. The girls had not made a booking for the night, planning to sleep in the car, so I told them they could get ready in my room after I had checked in. A few beers in the room as the girls, did their makeup and changed to get ready to go out. First stop, a beer at the lagoon. Almost immediately after we opened our beers a security guard came over to tell us we couldn’t drink there. When he saw that we only had one each, he said it was fine and sat and talked with us for a while. We asked him what would happen if we were caught swimming in the lagoon after hours and he told us that legally he could not remove us from the pool.
We asked him to take a couple pictures of us and told him that we may or may not see him after the bars. Next stop, Mama Africa. The main nightclub in Airlie. After about five minutes of being inside, we decided it was way too loud, too small, and that the music was not very good. Solution, head back to the car and just hang out and have a few beers.
We had a great time hanging out in the car as if we hadn’t just spent over nine hours in the car earlier in the day. After finishing the last of our beers, we headed back to Mama Africa’s ready to dance but had seemed to had missed the lockout. Strange thing in Australia. Even though a club, like mama Africa, was open till 5:00am if you weren’t there by a certain time, in this case 3:00am you could not enter. Soultion, go for a swim in the lagoon, this time proper swimwear was worn by all. Unfortunately, our friendly security guard had his wife/girlfriend/mistress with him and was in the middle of an argument and therefore not so friendly. After only about ten or fifteen minutes he was telling us to leave or he would call the cops. Thankfully, due to the argument we swam to the other side of the lagoon and he seemed to forget about us for a while. Eventually we left the warm waters of the lagoon and said our “see you laters”. The girls invited me to come stay with them in their flat on the Gold Coast once I made my way to Surfers Paradise. So it was off to bed to prepare for my three day sailing trip throught he beautiful Whitsunday Islands.
Walking up at seven, I called the bus company to cancel my bus and see if I could get a refund, I was told I couldn’t, but didn’t matter I was going to travel in comfort and have great company for the ride. That was worth the money to me. Turned out to be better anyway, because it allowed me to get a free bus later in the trip anyway, but I’ll tell you about that in a bit. The girls showed up pretty much on time and we started out on our adventure south, to Airlie Beach, home of the Whitsunday Islands. Making our first stop along the way in a town called Boulder, we took a short hike to a beautiful river with some huge boulders and amazing rapids.
On the walk back to the car we were passed by two huge and beautiful butterflies in the middle of some sort of mating dance. I tried to capture it with my camera, but they wouldn’t stay still long enough for a good photo.
Do you blame them? If you look close enough you can still make out their form and colors. From there our next stop off was Josephine falls. This, a bit of a longer trek was well worth the beautiful walk through the lush rainforest. Once we reached the falls themselves we found that there was a natural waterslide built in.
So naturally, we decided we needed to go slide down them. I had left my board shorts in the car, and Heidi had not thought to bring her swimmers either, so I volunteered to head back to the car to grab them. At the car, I changed into my boardies and grabbed the bag that I thought her swimmers were in. Running back down the trail to the falls, barefoot, shirtless, and in my boardies, it started pouring rain and thunder. Returning to the falls I handed Heidi the bag so she could change and we could begin our decent down the slide. I, not knowingly, I swear, was informed that I had grabbed the wrong bag though. No worries. In what I would like to assume is Classic Finnish style, Heidi said, “Its okay, I’ll just go in my underwear.”
So bra and thong it was to go for a slide. I know you think I’m making this up that this point, and that’s okay. I was looking for the hidden camera and the guy that jumps out to say, “...you’re on Candid Camera”. Didn’t happen though. Instead, we went sliding down a waterfall to the soundtrack of pouring rain and booming thunder. Brilliant. Heading back to the car, we dried out, changed and continued heading south to stop and get some lunch. Short detour in some shit town for lunch ,and then to our next stop, Townsville. Once in Townsville we drove around for a bit looking for the lagoon, in the hopes of another swim, but the lagoon was not as much as we expected, so it was back into the car. Next stop, Airlie Beach. The girls had not made a booking for the night, planning to sleep in the car, so I told them they could get ready in my room after I had checked in. A few beers in the room as the girls, did their makeup and changed to get ready to go out. First stop, a beer at the lagoon. Almost immediately after we opened our beers a security guard came over to tell us we couldn’t drink there. When he saw that we only had one each, he said it was fine and sat and talked with us for a while. We asked him what would happen if we were caught swimming in the lagoon after hours and he told us that legally he could not remove us from the pool.
We asked him to take a couple pictures of us and told him that we may or may not see him after the bars. Next stop, Mama Africa. The main nightclub in Airlie. After about five minutes of being inside, we decided it was way too loud, too small, and that the music was not very good. Solution, head back to the car and just hang out and have a few beers.
We had a great time hanging out in the car as if we hadn’t just spent over nine hours in the car earlier in the day. After finishing the last of our beers, we headed back to Mama Africa’s ready to dance but had seemed to had missed the lockout. Strange thing in Australia. Even though a club, like mama Africa, was open till 5:00am if you weren’t there by a certain time, in this case 3:00am you could not enter. Soultion, go for a swim in the lagoon, this time proper swimwear was worn by all. Unfortunately, our friendly security guard had his wife/girlfriend/mistress with him and was in the middle of an argument and therefore not so friendly. After only about ten or fifteen minutes he was telling us to leave or he would call the cops. Thankfully, due to the argument we swam to the other side of the lagoon and he seemed to forget about us for a while. Eventually we left the warm waters of the lagoon and said our “see you laters”. The girls invited me to come stay with them in their flat on the Gold Coast once I made my way to Surfers Paradise. So it was off to bed to prepare for my three day sailing trip throught he beautiful Whitsunday Islands.
“You’re Going To Airle Tomorrow? We’re Going to Airlie Tomorrow! Come With Us!”
2/19/10
With the help of a few locals, my night took me to The Woolshed, which turned out to be the best possible place to end up. Upon walking in I was asked if I would be interested in purchasing a drink voucher for ten dollars that entitled me to five drinks. Naturally I said yes. After heading to the bar and claiming my first beer I noticed a large crowd gathered by the dance floor and an MC announcing that they were about to begin the “famous” goldfish races. Gathering participants from ten different countries they began dropping goldfish into a long plastic tray filled with water to which the contestants had to blow though a straw to encourage their fish to finish first. Brilliant. After the games were over, I claimed my second drink. Standing near the bar two drop dead gorgeous girls came and stood next to me wearing leis. I asked what the leis were for and they let told me they didn’t know, they were just given them when they came in. We continued talking, going through the routine of normal backpacker questions, where are you from, how long have you been travelling, where are you heading next, etc… As I told them I was heading to Airlie Beach the following morning on a bus they excitedly responded, “You’re going to Airlie tomorrow? We’re going to Airlie tomorrow! Come with us! As we worked out the details of where to meet and how much money they would need for me to chip in on the car they had hired, we realized we didn’t even know each other’s names. So there it was. I was cancelling my bus and heading to Airlie Beach in a car with Heidi and Pipsa from Finland. Fortuitous. I claimed my remaining drinks, walked the girls to their hostel, and headed to my hostel to pack my bags for the ride to Airlie.
With the help of a few locals, my night took me to The Woolshed, which turned out to be the best possible place to end up. Upon walking in I was asked if I would be interested in purchasing a drink voucher for ten dollars that entitled me to five drinks. Naturally I said yes. After heading to the bar and claiming my first beer I noticed a large crowd gathered by the dance floor and an MC announcing that they were about to begin the “famous” goldfish races. Gathering participants from ten different countries they began dropping goldfish into a long plastic tray filled with water to which the contestants had to blow though a straw to encourage their fish to finish first. Brilliant. After the games were over, I claimed my second drink. Standing near the bar two drop dead gorgeous girls came and stood next to me wearing leis. I asked what the leis were for and they let told me they didn’t know, they were just given them when they came in. We continued talking, going through the routine of normal backpacker questions, where are you from, how long have you been travelling, where are you heading next, etc… As I told them I was heading to Airlie Beach the following morning on a bus they excitedly responded, “You’re going to Airlie tomorrow? We’re going to Airlie tomorrow! Come with us! As we worked out the details of where to meet and how much money they would need for me to chip in on the car they had hired, we realized we didn’t even know each other’s names. So there it was. I was cancelling my bus and heading to Airlie Beach in a car with Heidi and Pipsa from Finland. Fortuitous. I claimed my remaining drinks, walked the girls to their hostel, and headed to my hostel to pack my bags for the ride to Airlie.
The Great Barrier Reef
2/19/10
Once again I was up early after taking it easy and going to bed early the night before and heading to the marina to board my boat for the day trip to the main reef, Ocean Freedom. Starting out on the ocean to the reef some 30 kilometers away was breathtaking.
Watching from the stern of the boat as the city of Cairns became smaller and smaller, and looking to the side to see islands and headlands appearing in the distance. The water was such a clear blue green that was amazing, and the sky brilliantly blue with scattered cotton ball-like clouds. Once at our first destination in the reef, I immediately jumped in the water to snorkel around for forty or so minutes.
The most amazing view ever. It was like being submerged in the largest tropical fish tank ever. Everything from clown fish, angel fish, damsels, triggers, to giant clams and corals, and even a white tipped reef shark. Two actually. Seeing the first shark, I started to freak out. Being a surfer I think it was my natural reaction because you never want to see a shark, but as I told myself it was okay, and calmed my breathing to a normal pace again, I began swimming right alongside with the four foot shark. What an experience! After the snorkel it was time to put on my scuba gear and go for my first ever dive. A bit nervous, but completely excited I jumped in the water and began breathing. At first I was a little panicky, but within minutes got used to the breathing and was off for twenty minutes of discovery. Cruising around the reef wall with the dive master, holding hands the whole way we saw of the same things from the snorkel, plus so much more, but in a completely different way, and with a completely different view. If you have never done a scuba dive before I highly recommend it. Back in the boat after my dive I immediately signed up for a second dive at our next destination on the reef. I snorkeled around for another twenty minutes or so before it was time to head back to the boat for lunch. After lunch we headed to our next destination, a little white sand island in the middle of nowhere on the reef.
When I say a little white sand island, (actually a cay) I truly mean a li
ttle white sand island. Probably only thirty yards in diameter, covered in nothing but white sand, and truly in the middle of nowhere. Unbelievable beauty. Once again I was put fitted with a dive tank and jumping off the boat. This time I was heading out with Chris, a local dive master who I had befriended almost instantly when I boarded the boat. This time I was allowed to swim free on my own with Chris guiding me around the reef. This dive was even more incredible than the first, and we stayed down even longer. Cruising around on freely and with Chris and I being the only two in the water was mind blowing. To say I am hooked on diving would be an understatement. We swam through many schools of fish ranging tropical sorts to barracuda, saw more reef sharks, giant clams, and thousands of corals.
Some giant coral as big as a VW bug and giant clams as big as me. Once back on the boat Chris told me he could not believe how comfortable I was in the water for only my second dive and that I should look into getting certified and becoming a dive master. I think I just may! After our dive was over it was back into the water for some more snorkeling, and before I knew it our day was done and we were heading back to Cairns. Honestly, not only one of the best experiences of my life, but for sure one of the best days of my life as well. As we disembarked the boat, I approached Captain Redbeard to asked if I could stay and clean to get a discount and come back out the following day, but he said he would love to have me, but unfortunately was no longer allowed to do that. It was back to the hostel for me to book a bus to Airlie Beach and figure out what to do for the evening
Once again I was up early after taking it easy and going to bed early the night before and heading to the marina to board my boat for the day trip to the main reef, Ocean Freedom. Starting out on the ocean to the reef some 30 kilometers away was breathtaking.
Watching from the stern of the boat as the city of Cairns became smaller and smaller, and looking to the side to see islands and headlands appearing in the distance. The water was such a clear blue green that was amazing, and the sky brilliantly blue with scattered cotton ball-like clouds. Once at our first destination in the reef, I immediately jumped in the water to snorkel around for forty or so minutes.
The most amazing view ever. It was like being submerged in the largest tropical fish tank ever. Everything from clown fish, angel fish, damsels, triggers, to giant clams and corals, and even a white tipped reef shark. Two actually. Seeing the first shark, I started to freak out. Being a surfer I think it was my natural reaction because you never want to see a shark, but as I told myself it was okay, and calmed my breathing to a normal pace again, I began swimming right alongside with the four foot shark. What an experience! After the snorkel it was time to put on my scuba gear and go for my first ever dive. A bit nervous, but completely excited I jumped in the water and began breathing. At first I was a little panicky, but within minutes got used to the breathing and was off for twenty minutes of discovery. Cruising around the reef wall with the dive master, holding hands the whole way we saw of the same things from the snorkel, plus so much more, but in a completely different way, and with a completely different view. If you have never done a scuba dive before I highly recommend it. Back in the boat after my dive I immediately signed up for a second dive at our next destination on the reef. I snorkeled around for another twenty minutes or so before it was time to head back to the boat for lunch. After lunch we headed to our next destination, a little white sand island in the middle of nowhere on the reef.
When I say a little white sand island, (actually a cay) I truly mean a li
ttle white sand island. Probably only thirty yards in diameter, covered in nothing but white sand, and truly in the middle of nowhere. Unbelievable beauty. Once again I was put fitted with a dive tank and jumping off the boat. This time I was heading out with Chris, a local dive master who I had befriended almost instantly when I boarded the boat. This time I was allowed to swim free on my own with Chris guiding me around the reef. This dive was even more incredible than the first, and we stayed down even longer. Cruising around on freely and with Chris and I being the only two in the water was mind blowing. To say I am hooked on diving would be an understatement. We swam through many schools of fish ranging tropical sorts to barracuda, saw more reef sharks, giant clams, and thousands of corals.
Some giant coral as big as a VW bug and giant clams as big as me. Once back on the boat Chris told me he could not believe how comfortable I was in the water for only my second dive and that I should look into getting certified and becoming a dive master. I think I just may! After our dive was over it was back into the water for some more snorkeling, and before I knew it our day was done and we were heading back to Cairns. Honestly, not only one of the best experiences of my life, but for sure one of the best days of my life as well. As we disembarked the boat, I approached Captain Redbeard to asked if I could stay and clean to get a discount and come back out the following day, but he said he would love to have me, but unfortunately was no longer allowed to do that. It was back to the hostel for me to book a bus to Airlie Beach and figure out what to do for the evening
2.23.2010
Koastline and Koalas: The Great Ocean Road
2/16/10
Sunday morning Jo made us breakfast, I packed my things, and we headed out for a drive along The Great Ocean Road. Starting just out front of Jo’s house our first photo op was Winkipop surf break and the world famous Bell’s Beach.
There was some surf that day as well. First I had really seen so far. Looked about head high, but not lined up very well. Jo said the swell direction was a little off and described how wioth the right swell it breaks completely across the bay. From there we headed down the road stopping here and there to take advantage of the beautiful coastline. We stopped off at a golf course that is famous for having heaps of kangaroos. We saw none. Jo said it was probably too hot that day, I think they’re just a myth, as I have yet to see one. Continuing on we reached a really cool little town, Lorne.
The surf here was smaller but had some really good shape, and there were a handful of people out catching the little rippers. From there we pulled off on a little side road and went searching for Koalas. I was certain we would not see any since I had yet to find a kangaroo, but thankfully I couldn't have been more wrong. Not more than two minutes into the drive we found our first Koala. a huge one, sitting in a tree just feet from the road.
Continuing on for about thirty minutes or so we counted at least twenty more of the cute little guys nestled in the forks of the branches above us. After we had our fill of koalas, we were back on The Great Ocean Road and our final destination, Apollo Bay.
Beautiful. Here we grabbed bite to eat and got the map out to see if there was a quicker way to get Frankston, where we were having dinner with some more of Jo’s friends, Trudy and Dave. Seeing as how we were already running behind schedule we had to rush. My ability to nap while in moving vehicles hit an all time high on the ride to Frankston. I was not aware but Jo and Theresa had made a bet about how long it would take me to fall asleep. Jo taking fifteen minutes and Theresa thirty. I guess I won as I was fast asleep in the back seat in seven minutes. Reaching the house we were again greeted with giant smiles and warmth. Immediately Dave offering a big handshake and a beer. Once inside Trudy offering a hug and a kiss and a tour of their wonderful home. After some snacks and pre dinner cocktail around the kitchen dinner was on. Truly a feast. While outside with Dave preparing prawns and barramundi on the grill with tomato and basil salsa, Trudy and the girls were fast at work inside preparing a delicious chicken breast stuffed with boccancinni and semi dried tomatoes, satay salad, and regular salad with fruit and berries. There weather was absolutely perfect to enjoy the dinner outside, so we set the table in the pool house and began eating. Dave opening a delicious special chardonnay, I poured it, and cheers. We were on our way to a fantastic culinary experience. Once we had finished our meals we sat and talked for sometime, before Trudy disappeared only to return with a giant platter with different cheeses, fruits, chocolates, crackers, and grapes. To wash all of this down was a delicious homemade pear liqueur. I can’t tell you what time we began eating all I do know is that it was 2:00am by the time we all decided to go to bed. Those of you who think like me and agree that life is all about great food, excellent wine, and even better company should have been part of this experience. The perfect way for me to spend my last night on this chapter of my journey, as I was leaving Melbourne for Cairns the following day. Before heading to the airport there was one very important stop. Seeing that it was Superbowl Monday in Oz Jo arranged for us to watch the game live at a friends house. It was a very strange feeling for me to watch the game over here. It gave me a little piece of home, but definitely made me think of all the things that come with watching the superbowl at home, that I did not have. Either way I enjoyed and appreciated the opportunity to watch a great game! After that it was off to the airport. With mixed emotions we sat and waited for my boarding call. Sad that I was leaving behind someone I had became such great friends with, but at the same time excited for the next part of my journey that was ahead of me. So onto the plane it was, ipod in, and a little time to relax as I flew from Melbourne to Sydney and Sydney to Cairns. Arriving in Cairns I watched as the last of the bags came out of the baggage claim carousel, and realized that mine was not one of them. I walked over to the baggage desk and was told that my bag never made it out of Melbourne. So, even though I have been good for sometime now on not missing a plane, bus, train, or ferry, somehow my bag decided to take a nap before getting on the plane and missed it. However Quantas was great, giving me clothes to sleep in, not that I needed them in the ridiculous heat and humidity in cairns, a toiletry bag, and sixty dollars for anything I might need to buy. Fortunately the only thing I needed was board shorts to take to The Great Barrier Reef the following morning.
Waterfall Bay and Hobart
2/16/10
Up and on the road early again we headed to waterfall bay for another short hike. The view from the hike was absolutely beautiful. Huge sheer cliffs being perpetually pounded by very powerful waves and surges.
Continuing on we reached the bay itself. Again sheer cliffs, pounding waves, and beautiful vegetation scaling the walls of the cliffs. The sun wasn’t shining too bright this day, but it certainly added a nice mist to the scenery.
We walked back to the car and headed for the long drive to Hobart to stay at Jo’s friend Richard and Juliann’s house.
Once we were close to the house we called to see if they needed anything and stopped to get food and drinks for a barbeque. Upon arrival Richard greeted us with a very warm and welcoming manner and happily gave us a tour of his magnificent house. Sitting on top of a hill with not even one other house in sight and over a 180 degree view of the cities in the distance and a bay just below. After the lengthy tour we began to cook dinner. I made some bruschetta while Theresa prepared some delicious chicken. Once we had had our fill of bread, tomatoes, homemade local olive oil, garlic, and fresh picked basil Richard lit the barbeque. Juliann told Jo she was in charge of making sure Richard didn’t screw up the main course as the two of them headed outside. I walked out to see how things were going and noticed that as the sun was going down the bay below the house was just absolutely stunning.
The tide here recedes about an entire kilometer, and with the calm water and the light reflecting in the shallows, I ran in to grab my camera to try and capture the beauty I was witnessing. After snapping a few pictures Jo, Richard, and I began talking. Talking for ten or so minutes Richard suddenly ran over to the barbeque in a rush, realizing he had forgotten the food and charred most of it. Normally this would be disaster, but given the wonderful company and the fantastic view we sat and enjoyed our dinner almost not even noticing how badly overcooked it was. After dinner our generous hosts pulled out “something very special”. Literally, a log of chocolate fill caramel and nougat. Richard placed the chocolate log on a cutting board next to a bowl of strawberries we had bought at a berry farm earlier that day, while Juliann brought out bowls with ice and baileys. Couple of strawberries and a few chunks of chocolate placed in the bowls with the Bailey’s. Perfection. After sitting and talking over this marvelous dessert for an hour we had eaten over half of the over foot long log. From there it was into the outdoor spa. Perched atop the hill overlooking the entire bay Richard had an eight person Jacuzzi. The power had gone out due to a storm that was moving through, so there we were, in the pitch black, with on and off showers enjoying the spa. Some might say we enjoyed the spa a little too much. Around one in the morning Theresa decided to head off to bed since we had to get up at four to make the four hour drive back to the ferry. Thankful that she did so because Richard, Jo, and I stayed in the spa till four and neither of us were in any condition to drive. Quickly getting ready we rushed out to the car, loaded our bags, jumped in and then all looked at each other. Next came the question that you never want to hear when sitting in a car and running late for a non-refundable ferry ride in Tasmania… you guessed it, “Who has the keys?” Out of the car even faster than we had got into it we all scrambled through the house in search of the keys. Thirty minutes later we found them sitting on a post just outside the door and were back in the car and on our way. Not more than five minutes into the drive it started raining horizontally. I honestly, never in my life, have seen raindrops this big. Theresa really stepped up to the plate determined to get us to the ferry on time as I navigated. About an hour into the drive the rain cleared and we had what we thought would be smooth sailing. At six thirty Jo called the ferry to see what would happen if we did in fact miss our boat. The lady on the other end of the phone asked where we were at that moment and politely told us there was no way we were going to make it, and to give her a call back when we wanted to book the next ferry that was available. That ferry departed the following night. Still determined that we could make it we charged forward. We were told the last car was allowed at 8:15am. We pulled into the ferry yard and 8:30 and were the last car loaded. We erupted with smiles, laughter, and stories from the night before after having not said but a few words during the 3 and a half hour drive. On the ship for the long eight hour journey, we settled in for some sleep. The rest of the journey back to Melbourne went to plan. Disembarked, ate some fantastic noodles for dinner, got to Jo’s, unpacked, had a drink on the deck, and went to bed. Following day was the day of domestics. Jo had to go to work, Theresa and I both had laundry to do, and I had a ton of things to take care of on the computer. Booking flights, busses, email, skype, etc… After all of that was done, Theresa and I walked into town to grab a drink and an appetizer while we waited for Jo to finish work. Once Jo joined us we headed to the market to get things for dinner. Arriving back at the house, we sat around drinking wine and making a meal. I prepared steak with roasted tomatoes, and roasted potatoes, and Theresa made a delicious salad with cucumber, bell peppers, and feta. After dinner we all sat on the deck to chat and watch shooting stars. Well, actually, everyone but Jo officially saw shooting stars, but no one was keeping score.
Up and on the road early again we headed to waterfall bay for another short hike. The view from the hike was absolutely beautiful. Huge sheer cliffs being perpetually pounded by very powerful waves and surges.
Continuing on we reached the bay itself. Again sheer cliffs, pounding waves, and beautiful vegetation scaling the walls of the cliffs. The sun wasn’t shining too bright this day, but it certainly added a nice mist to the scenery.
We walked back to the car and headed for the long drive to Hobart to stay at Jo’s friend Richard and Juliann’s house.
Once we were close to the house we called to see if they needed anything and stopped to get food and drinks for a barbeque. Upon arrival Richard greeted us with a very warm and welcoming manner and happily gave us a tour of his magnificent house. Sitting on top of a hill with not even one other house in sight and over a 180 degree view of the cities in the distance and a bay just below. After the lengthy tour we began to cook dinner. I made some bruschetta while Theresa prepared some delicious chicken. Once we had had our fill of bread, tomatoes, homemade local olive oil, garlic, and fresh picked basil Richard lit the barbeque. Juliann told Jo she was in charge of making sure Richard didn’t screw up the main course as the two of them headed outside. I walked out to see how things were going and noticed that as the sun was going down the bay below the house was just absolutely stunning.
The tide here recedes about an entire kilometer, and with the calm water and the light reflecting in the shallows, I ran in to grab my camera to try and capture the beauty I was witnessing. After snapping a few pictures Jo, Richard, and I began talking. Talking for ten or so minutes Richard suddenly ran over to the barbeque in a rush, realizing he had forgotten the food and charred most of it. Normally this would be disaster, but given the wonderful company and the fantastic view we sat and enjoyed our dinner almost not even noticing how badly overcooked it was. After dinner our generous hosts pulled out “something very special”. Literally, a log of chocolate fill caramel and nougat. Richard placed the chocolate log on a cutting board next to a bowl of strawberries we had bought at a berry farm earlier that day, while Juliann brought out bowls with ice and baileys. Couple of strawberries and a few chunks of chocolate placed in the bowls with the Bailey’s. Perfection. After sitting and talking over this marvelous dessert for an hour we had eaten over half of the over foot long log. From there it was into the outdoor spa. Perched atop the hill overlooking the entire bay Richard had an eight person Jacuzzi. The power had gone out due to a storm that was moving through, so there we were, in the pitch black, with on and off showers enjoying the spa. Some might say we enjoyed the spa a little too much. Around one in the morning Theresa decided to head off to bed since we had to get up at four to make the four hour drive back to the ferry. Thankful that she did so because Richard, Jo, and I stayed in the spa till four and neither of us were in any condition to drive. Quickly getting ready we rushed out to the car, loaded our bags, jumped in and then all looked at each other. Next came the question that you never want to hear when sitting in a car and running late for a non-refundable ferry ride in Tasmania… you guessed it, “Who has the keys?” Out of the car even faster than we had got into it we all scrambled through the house in search of the keys. Thirty minutes later we found them sitting on a post just outside the door and were back in the car and on our way. Not more than five minutes into the drive it started raining horizontally. I honestly, never in my life, have seen raindrops this big. Theresa really stepped up to the plate determined to get us to the ferry on time as I navigated. About an hour into the drive the rain cleared and we had what we thought would be smooth sailing. At six thirty Jo called the ferry to see what would happen if we did in fact miss our boat. The lady on the other end of the phone asked where we were at that moment and politely told us there was no way we were going to make it, and to give her a call back when we wanted to book the next ferry that was available. That ferry departed the following night. Still determined that we could make it we charged forward. We were told the last car was allowed at 8:15am. We pulled into the ferry yard and 8:30 and were the last car loaded. We erupted with smiles, laughter, and stories from the night before after having not said but a few words during the 3 and a half hour drive. On the ship for the long eight hour journey, we settled in for some sleep. The rest of the journey back to Melbourne went to plan. Disembarked, ate some fantastic noodles for dinner, got to Jo’s, unpacked, had a drink on the deck, and went to bed. Following day was the day of domestics. Jo had to go to work, Theresa and I both had laundry to do, and I had a ton of things to take care of on the computer. Booking flights, busses, email, skype, etc… After all of that was done, Theresa and I walked into town to grab a drink and an appetizer while we waited for Jo to finish work. Once Jo joined us we headed to the market to get things for dinner. Arriving back at the house, we sat around drinking wine and making a meal. I prepared steak with roasted tomatoes, and roasted potatoes, and Theresa made a delicious salad with cucumber, bell peppers, and feta. After dinner we all sat on the deck to chat and watch shooting stars. Well, actually, everyone but Jo officially saw shooting stars, but no one was keeping score.
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