Today was a day trip to Milford Sound (cool fjordlands). On the way we went through a valley with a few waterfalls, that apparently is amazing in the rain. Every single little ledge all over the valley walls turn into a waterfall, and there are tousands of them. I'd like to see that.
The sound was cool, we went on a ferry. Lots of little (well, far away) waterfalls, and really awesome rolling clouds.
On the way there and the way back, our bus driver kept whispering "...fergburger..." under his breath. It made me want to chow down on one when we got back to Qweenstown.
2007/11/18
2007/11/17
Elastic Can Be Your Friend
Today I went bungy jumping at Nevis Highwire Bungy. It's basically a 20-ish-person pod suspended over a valley (ravine? What's the difference?) on big wires, really big wires. Unfortunately for me, bungy jumping is a bit of a let down after skydiving. The first few seconds are awesome. It's still-air freefall, just like if you jumped off a building (at least, what I imagine it would be like), the rush from that was pretty amazing. Then the cord starts slowing you down, and it gets boring.
In other news, I left a battery in a charger at the hostel in Franz Josef, fortunately the camera I bought in Auckland uses the same stuff, but I was planning to give the camera to my folks if they wanted it, so I was trying to find camera stuff today. It's all ridiculously expensive. I never thought a battery and charger could cost so much. Needless to say, I skipped that particular purchase.
Hmmm, what else... I bought too many groceries. The hostel kitchen's fridge failed, and there wasn't much room in the room fridge, and didn't seem like it was keeping anything very cold. I survived.
In other news, I left a battery in a charger at the hostel in Franz Josef, fortunately the camera I bought in Auckland uses the same stuff, but I was planning to give the camera to my folks if they wanted it, so I was trying to find camera stuff today. It's all ridiculously expensive. I never thought a battery and charger could cost so much. Needless to say, I skipped that particular purchase.
Hmmm, what else... I bought too many groceries. The hostel kitchen's fridge failed, and there wasn't much room in the room fridge, and didn't seem like it was keeping anything very cold. I survived.
2007/11/16
It's a Puzzling World
On the way out of Wanaka we stopped at a place called Puzzling World. All manner of optical illusions and small puzzles littered the inside. I tried to bend my mind around some of the puzzles, got a few. I couldn't unsolve one of them. After that, on to Queenstown. There was an awesome burger place (I only had the veggie options) in Queenstown called Fergburger. They had a delicious tofu burger they called "Holier Than Thou", and a falafel burger branded "Bun Laden".
2007/11/15
The Ground Isn't the Place for Me
I think I should have been born with wings or fins. I feel more at home in the sky and water than I ever really have on land. And I certainly drink like a fish (as many a friend will attest to). I went on my second skydive (in two days) today; it was awesome, again. Side note: one of the disadvantages of skydiving with a big stupid grin on your face (like I did both times) is that your teeth get really really cold, and are sensitive for a few days afterward. The skydive today was to 15,000 feet, a full minute of freefall. I went with the option where a second person jumps at the same time as you and records everything. It came out pretty well. The people at this skydiving place felt a little more professional than the ones by fox glacier. The office was nicer too.
2007/11/14
A Cold Wind Blows
Helihike canceled! !!! The place where the helicopter lands gets winds funneled through it and it's dangerous for them to land when it's windy. Bah! And the day was so beautiful, I didn't think there was even a chance of the hike being canceled. The front desk person at our hostel was really nice and planned a mini hike up close to the glacier so we could at least get a good view of it. Fortunately my skydive came to the rescue. No, we didn't skydive onto the glacier, but it was super fun, the best rush I've had in a while, and made the day a success in spite of the failure of the helihike.
I really liked skydiving. A lot.
I really liked skydiving. A lot.
2007/11/13
Heli-Deer-Tackling
Yes, you heard right. We went to the Bushman's Centre, and as part of the admission price, they showed us a video all about deer hunting/control in New Zealand. At one point, there were guys who rode helicopters right up next to the deer, and then jumped onto them, bringing them to the ground. It was pretty cool to watch. They also talked about the other live-capture methods that the kiwis came up with, some of which were used in America to reintroduce animals to some areas. There were also some possums and a really big wild pig.
Were staying tonight and tomorrow night in Franz Josef, a town right by the Franz Josef Glacier. I'm planning on doing a helihike and a skydive tomorrow. I'm pretty psyched.
Were staying tonight and tomorrow night in Franz Josef, a town right by the Franz Josef Glacier. I'm planning on doing a helihike and a skydive tomorrow. I'm pretty psyched.
Pancakes, Rock and Otherwise
I almost missed the bus yesterday. I really wanted some breakfast, but I didn't really have time for it, but I tried for it anyway. Egg on avocado on toast. It was good, despite the fact that I ended up having to eat it out of a plastic bag. After breakfast we stopped at the Pancake rocks (they weren't terribly exciting), and a seal colony (I think I saw maybe 1 seal, must have been an off day). I had some pancakes at a cafe nearby and they were good.
Next on the agenda was a stop at Greymouth for shopping to create costumes for the night's bad taste dress-up party. I went as overly-holiday-themed-when-it-isn't-even-the-holidays guy. Sunglasses, holiday hat with antlers, red shirt with blinky Christmas tree on it, green striped thermal undershirt, musical blinky holiday tie, board shorts, and flipflops. I made the Christmas-tree shirt myself. I later found out that a kiwi experience ahead of us had a holiday theme for their party. I must be on the wrong bus! Also, I didn't win the contest (oh, I didn't mention the party was also a contest? Sorry...). I think I definitely did better than the second place guy, maybe not first place, but definitely second. Oh well... It was fun to hang out with everyone.
Next on the agenda was a stop at Greymouth for shopping to create costumes for the night's bad taste dress-up party. I went as overly-holiday-themed-when-it-isn't-even-the-holidays guy. Sunglasses, holiday hat with antlers, red shirt with blinky Christmas tree on it, green striped thermal undershirt, musical blinky holiday tie, board shorts, and flipflops. I made the Christmas-tree shirt myself. I later found out that a kiwi experience ahead of us had a holiday theme for their party. I must be on the wrong bus! Also, I didn't win the contest (oh, I didn't mention the party was also a contest? Sorry...). I think I definitely did better than the second place guy, maybe not first place, but definitely second. Oh well... It was fun to hang out with everyone.
2007/11/12
Dogs on Rye
Did a hike around Lake Rotoiti, a lake in the Nelson Lakes National Park. Jet boated down the Buller River. It was pretty cool, except it wasn't quite as fast as I was expecting/wanting. I am a G-force junky though.
We stayed the night at Bazil's (a YHA hostel in Wesport. I found some Sanitarium veggie hot dogs for dinner, but there were no buns, so I had them with rye bread instead (it was actually pretty good). I did some laundry (just in the nick of time). The wireless didn't work for me, again. It hadn't worked in the YHA in Auckland or Christchurch either. The really unfortunate thing is that I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm using Linux and/or Firefox.
Watched The Cooler (starring M. C. Macy and Alec Baldwin), and I thought it was really good, talk about bad-luck-good-luck, jeez. Note: the movie isn't about refrigeration.
We stayed the night at Bazil's (a YHA hostel in Wesport. I found some Sanitarium veggie hot dogs for dinner, but there were no buns, so I had them with rye bread instead (it was actually pretty good). I did some laundry (just in the nick of time). The wireless didn't work for me, again. It hadn't worked in the YHA in Auckland or Christchurch either. The really unfortunate thing is that I think it might have something to do with the fact that I'm using Linux and/or Firefox.
Watched The Cooler (starring M. C. Macy and Alec Baldwin), and I thought it was really good, talk about bad-luck-good-luck, jeez. Note: the movie isn't about refrigeration.
2007/11/11
Bye Bye, LJ
Made avocado and eggs for breakfast (didn't have enough time for toast). A quick stop to see some seals, I got some good pictures. We stopped at Picton to drop LJ and Bernie off, and pick up a new driver (a guy named Jamie) and a bunch more people. After the bus filled up, we continued to Nelson. A quick stop on the way to do some wine tasting (yay... I get to feel left out...), but I did buy some delicious desserts, chocolate cake thing and some banoffee pie (both, but especially the banoffee, were soooooo good). Right by/in Nelson is the exact center of New Zealand, I walked up the hill to it and took some pictures.
They had Talisker in the bar at the hotel/hostel we were staying at! I tried to find someone that wanted a glass of it, but no takers. It was kind of expensive too, NZ$10.50 or so.
There was a big hullabaloo about the "backpackers" dinner, bangers and mash. A bunch of people got 3 sausages, but my friends only got 2, and theirs were cold. One of them complained, and it took forever for the kitchen to get it right. I had to get the veggie option, spaghetti with marinara. It was too watery. On the upside, I bought some delicious garlic bread and potato wedges. On the downside, even after giving a lot of them away, I still ate waaaay too much...
They had Talisker in the bar at the hotel/hostel we were staying at! I tried to find someone that wanted a glass of it, but no takers. It was kind of expensive too, NZ$10.50 or so.
There was a big hullabaloo about the "backpackers" dinner, bangers and mash. A bunch of people got 3 sausages, but my friends only got 2, and theirs were cold. One of them complained, and it took forever for the kitchen to get it right. I had to get the veggie option, spaghetti with marinara. It was too watery. On the upside, I bought some delicious garlic bread and potato wedges. On the downside, even after giving a lot of them away, I still ate waaaay too much...
2007/11/10
An Early Start
I took a shower the night before, because I had to meet the Kiwi Experience bus in front of the hostel at 7:30 AM. After I got on, the bus had to drop off two people that had gotten on the wrong bus a day too early. The bus stopped at a coffee shop for breakfast, I had some eggs and toast (yum!), and met a few of the girls (Zoey, Katie, and Amy). The destination was Kaikoura, and the activity choices were whale watching, dolphin watching, dolphin swimming, and seal swimming. I went with dolphin swimming, and it was awesome.
They kit you out in a wetsuit, hood, booties, mask, snorkel, and fins. I really wish that they had given me gloves. After they show a short video, it's into a bus, then into a boat and out to sea. There were lots of dolphins. Hundreds, probably. I had cold hands, sooo cold. The video gave you tips on how to entertain the dolphins into interacting with you, but they mostly swam right by me. After the last swim, the boat found dolphins to take pictures of, and I took lots and lots of pictures. Only a small number of them turned out.
Kaikoura is an amazing place. There are mountains with snow on the peaks, and in the same frame, you can see the town and waves crashing on the beach. It's scenes like that that make me want a better camera, and a panoramic lens. I think someone said that the ski lodge is only about 50 kilometers from the town, it only operates in winter though.
We hung out at the hostel for a bit, then the bus took us to the grocery store, but I couldn't find any vegetarian stuff (where are you when I need you, Sanitarium?), so I went for takeaway (that's take-out to the yanks) pad thai when we got back. It was pretty good, but not really spicy enough. After dinner was drinking. Lots and Lots of drinking. I had a good time getting to know some of the people better. I met three girls from the Stray bus (they were hanging out with us that night): Amy, Lee, and Lisa. On the Kiwi Experience bus there's John, Sam, Anthony, Anna, Natalie, Katie (another one), Bernard (but he's going to the north island today), and the three I met before. I hear we're going to have a full bus today with all the people coming from the north island. I'm curious to know exactly how full is full. I went to bed at about midnight, I was too sniffly to keep going, and it was frickin' cold on the deck.
They kit you out in a wetsuit, hood, booties, mask, snorkel, and fins. I really wish that they had given me gloves. After they show a short video, it's into a bus, then into a boat and out to sea. There were lots of dolphins. Hundreds, probably. I had cold hands, sooo cold. The video gave you tips on how to entertain the dolphins into interacting with you, but they mostly swam right by me. After the last swim, the boat found dolphins to take pictures of, and I took lots and lots of pictures. Only a small number of them turned out.
Kaikoura is an amazing place. There are mountains with snow on the peaks, and in the same frame, you can see the town and waves crashing on the beach. It's scenes like that that make me want a better camera, and a panoramic lens. I think someone said that the ski lodge is only about 50 kilometers from the town, it only operates in winter though.
We hung out at the hostel for a bit, then the bus took us to the grocery store, but I couldn't find any vegetarian stuff (where are you when I need you, Sanitarium?), so I went for takeaway (that's take-out to the yanks) pad thai when we got back. It was pretty good, but not really spicy enough. After dinner was drinking. Lots and Lots of drinking. I had a good time getting to know some of the people better. I met three girls from the Stray bus (they were hanging out with us that night): Amy, Lee, and Lisa. On the Kiwi Experience bus there's John, Sam, Anthony, Anna, Natalie, Katie (another one), Bernard (but he's going to the north island today), and the three I met before. I hear we're going to have a full bus today with all the people coming from the north island. I'm curious to know exactly how full is full. I went to bed at about midnight, I was too sniffly to keep going, and it was frickin' cold on the deck.
2007/11/08
Finding a Hat...
Made breakfast with Friedi, but I had (as per usual) gotten a late start. We had to rush a little near the end, and I was a little worried I wasn't going to make the flight. Don't worry, this story has a happy ending, I made it in time, and the plane was 10 minutes late, and I flew to Christchurch in business class!
It had been cold in Auckland, and was cold in Christchurch, so I figured I would need a hat. I never imagined how hard it would be to find a hat like the the one I left at home (at least, I hope that's where it is). I managed to spend at least a few hours walking around town searching in vain for a hat I could buy. Nothing was the style I wanted, they had those turn-up edges or some sort of embroidery (I frickin' hate embroidery on my hats/bags, I'm not generally a fan of being a walking billboard for anything) or both. When I finally did find something that was acceptable, I looked at the composition, and it had possum fur in it. I asked the lady (already knowing the answer), "Do they have to kill the possums to use their fur?" "Yes," she said. Sigh. All of the wool hats in Christchurch have possum in them. Eventually, I reached the breaking point, and settled on an acrylic one. It's kinda funny looking, it's a beanie that that dips down a little so it can cover ears. It wins on the most important thing though: it's warm.
That was a bit of a pain, but I had found an Indian restaurant on the way, and I went there for dinner. It was good, really scratched my Indian food itch. Good. On top of that, the public library has free wireless. Plusgood.
It had been cold in Auckland, and was cold in Christchurch, so I figured I would need a hat. I never imagined how hard it would be to find a hat like the the one I left at home (at least, I hope that's where it is). I managed to spend at least a few hours walking around town searching in vain for a hat I could buy. Nothing was the style I wanted, they had those turn-up edges or some sort of embroidery (I frickin' hate embroidery on my hats/bags, I'm not generally a fan of being a walking billboard for anything) or both. When I finally did find something that was acceptable, I looked at the composition, and it had possum fur in it. I asked the lady (already knowing the answer), "Do they have to kill the possums to use their fur?" "Yes," she said. Sigh. All of the wool hats in Christchurch have possum in them. Eventually, I reached the breaking point, and settled on an acrylic one. It's kinda funny looking, it's a beanie that that dips down a little so it can cover ears. It wins on the most important thing though: it's warm.
That was a bit of a pain, but I had found an Indian restaurant on the way, and I went there for dinner. It was good, really scratched my Indian food itch. Good. On top of that, the public library has free wireless. Plusgood.
2007/11/07
Met a New Friend
I bet you can't guess where she's from...
...that's right, Germany!
I met Friedi when she was checking in at the front desk. We got to talking and decided to hang out for the day. We went to Devonport and ate chips (fries to all you Americans) at the top of Mt Victoria. Then more walking around and finally dinner at Pizza Nicolino, a Greek pizza joint. I had some warm chocolate mud cake for dessert... it was sooooooooooo good. After that, we rode the ferry home and picked up some food to make breakfast with tomorrow.
I also picked up a SIM card, a new camera (my current one started making loud clicking sounds when the lens zoomed in or out) and booked my travel arrangements, I'm flying into Christchurch tomorrow (the 8th), and then catching a Kiwi Experience tour the next day. I went with the "Southern Round-Up" tour, which hits most of the spots in the south island, and has a minimum travel time of 10 days.
...that's right, Germany!
I met Friedi when she was checking in at the front desk. We got to talking and decided to hang out for the day. We went to Devonport and ate chips (fries to all you Americans) at the top of Mt Victoria. Then more walking around and finally dinner at Pizza Nicolino, a Greek pizza joint. I had some warm chocolate mud cake for dessert... it was sooooooooooo good. After that, we rode the ferry home and picked up some food to make breakfast with tomorrow.
I also picked up a SIM card, a new camera (my current one started making loud clicking sounds when the lens zoomed in or out) and booked my travel arrangements, I'm flying into Christchurch tomorrow (the 8th), and then catching a Kiwi Experience tour the next day. I went with the "Southern Round-Up" tour, which hits most of the spots in the south island, and has a minimum travel time of 10 days.
2007/11/06
New Zealand!
Getting out of bed in the morning was really hard. I'm not exactly sure what it was, but it was at least partially the time that I went to bed (1 AM) combined with the time I tried to get up (6:30 AM). After giving up on a shower, I finally dragged myself to my feet at 8:30. I managed to get to the airport and through security in time to catch my flight, which is always a plus.
It was an "international" flight, but it didn't really feel like it, considering my flight from Darwin to Sydney was over twice as long. They did have personal entertainment centers, and I got to watch a movie, unfortunately the selection was poor. To give you an idea, the movie I went with was Evan Almighty. It was incredibly mediocre. That's sad considering how much I like Steve Carell. Tonight in Auckland I finally got to see Resident Evil: Extinction (no friends to give me something better to do). It was good, not great, and pretty much exactly what I expected. Tomorrow I try to figure out what I'm going to do with my time in New Zealand. I'm thinking about a tour, either from Auckland down to Christchurch, or just around the south island. Well see what the YHA Travel Desk recommends.
On another note, It's kinda depressing for me to be in a country where I don't know anyone. I'm really missing all the new friends I made in Australia, and all the old ones I've left behind in the states (hi everyone!). I'm glad my next stop is going to be in Hawaii with my best friend in the whole wide world David. On the flipside, I really don't think I be in New Zealand long enough to do it any sort of justice. I guess only time will tell.
It was an "international" flight, but it didn't really feel like it, considering my flight from Darwin to Sydney was over twice as long. They did have personal entertainment centers, and I got to watch a movie, unfortunately the selection was poor. To give you an idea, the movie I went with was Evan Almighty. It was incredibly mediocre. That's sad considering how much I like Steve Carell. Tonight in Auckland I finally got to see Resident Evil: Extinction (no friends to give me something better to do). It was good, not great, and pretty much exactly what I expected. Tomorrow I try to figure out what I'm going to do with my time in New Zealand. I'm thinking about a tour, either from Auckland down to Christchurch, or just around the south island. Well see what the YHA Travel Desk recommends.
On another note, It's kinda depressing for me to be in a country where I don't know anyone. I'm really missing all the new friends I made in Australia, and all the old ones I've left behind in the states (hi everyone!). I'm glad my next stop is going to be in Hawaii with my best friend in the whole wide world David. On the flipside, I really don't think I be in New Zealand long enough to do it any sort of justice. I guess only time will tell.
2007/11/05
Sydney in Half a Day
I arrived in Sydney at 6:20 AM local time. I mulled around the airport, and finally took the train to Central Station, a few blocks from Sydney Central YHA, where I'm staying tonight. I was planning on using the whole day to see Sydney, but I hadn't slept well on the plane, and ended up napping for a good chunk of the day.
As a side note, I think there was some sort of developmentally disabled people convention, and a lot of them were staying at the Sydney Central YHA.
I planned to meet up with Susannah (a friend from SF who's living in Sydney for a while) at 9 PM, and left my hostel at about 6 PM. I walked up through Darling Harbor, up under the Harbor Bridge, and around to the opera house. I took a few photos along the way. Overall it was a good day, but I don't think I shouldn't be as tired as I feel. Maybe I'm sick...
As a side note, I think there was some sort of developmentally disabled people convention, and a lot of them were staying at the Sydney Central YHA.
I planned to meet up with Susannah (a friend from SF who's living in Sydney for a while) at 9 PM, and left my hostel at about 6 PM. I walked up through Darling Harbor, up under the Harbor Bridge, and around to the opera house. I took a few photos along the way. Overall it was a good day, but I don't think I shouldn't be as tired as I feel. Maybe I'm sick...
2007/11/04
Last Day in Darwin
Sadness. I'm leaving all of my new friends behind. At least I'll be able to keep up with a bunch of them on Facebook (you should join if you haven't, and friend me if we're friends). I'm curious as to how well we'll keep in touch. Only one way to find out... wait.
Darwin was pretty incensed at the sheer audacity I had in leaving, and showed this by giving me a lightning storm as my shuttle drove to the airport. It was pretty cool, actually. There was lightning all over the sky, and the clouds made it really dark.
Oh my, was it cold in Sydney. I was shivering as I waited for my bag (inside!) so I could pull out a long-sleeve shirt to put on. I'm really, really glad I decided to wear jeans and shoes.
Darwin was pretty incensed at the sheer audacity I had in leaving, and showed this by giving me a lightning storm as my shuttle drove to the airport. It was pretty cool, actually. There was lightning all over the sky, and the clouds made it really dark.
Oh my, was it cold in Sydney. I was shivering as I waited for my bag (inside!) so I could pull out a long-sleeve shirt to put on. I'm really, really glad I decided to wear jeans and shoes.
Soccer, Oh How I Love Thee
Yesterday more of the same, beating the heat, surfing the net. At night we watched a soccer game (yeah, they call it soccer here too). It was Manchester United vs Arsenal. It ended in a 2-2 tie (I love soccer...), but the company was good. Many rounds of Madge-Madge-Harold were played, much was drunk by everyone but Mary. That experience proved to me that I can feel just as bad after drinking a pitcher of Coke as I can after drinking a pitcher of beer, maybe worse.
After that bar closed down, we were trying to meet up with Jenny, but we tried the Vic and she wasn't there. There was a live band, and Tim and his friends were upstairs. Oh, also, Andy got in with thongs, and I can't help but think that having Mary on his arm helped out a little. I decide to hang out with Tim & Co. because the others were being boring, and then they (Tim, etc) got kicked out, that was pretty funny. I hung out with them outside for a while, went back in to try to find Andy and Mary, but didn't, and when I can back outside I ran into Adam and Shannon. They were both pretty drunk (Shannon very much so), but I hung out with them anyway. We went back to the hostel, chilled on the pool deck, then Adam and I crashed (he used a spare bed in my room). I don't know what happened to Shannon.
After that bar closed down, we were trying to meet up with Jenny, but we tried the Vic and she wasn't there. There was a live band, and Tim and his friends were upstairs. Oh, also, Andy got in with thongs, and I can't help but think that having Mary on his arm helped out a little. I decide to hang out with Tim & Co. because the others were being boring, and then they (Tim, etc) got kicked out, that was pretty funny. I hung out with them outside for a while, went back in to try to find Andy and Mary, but didn't, and when I can back outside I ran into Adam and Shannon. They were both pretty drunk (Shannon very much so), but I hung out with them anyway. We went back to the hostel, chilled on the pool deck, then Adam and I crashed (he used a spare bed in my room). I don't know what happened to Shannon.
2007/11/03
A Walk Around
I walked around the park in Darwin yesterday. I managed to avoid sunburn even though I didn't use any sunscreen (I'm just that good). Unfortunately, the weather here really isn't good for walking, it's way too hot and humid. I was sweating like a waterfall. There wasn't really too much to see, but the park was nice enough.
Later I ran (well, walked quickly) to take some pictures of the sunset. The sun was down by the time I got to a good spot, but the clouds were still amazing. Gorgeous pinks and purples.
That night, I poked around, trying to find someone to hang out with. Found Tim and some of his friends, played pool (my team lost 2/2 games). Then they all went to the Vic, and I was feeling super tired, and decided to take a short nap. The short nap turned into a very long nap, but I finally got up the energy to get to the Vic, but then they wouldn't let me in with thongs (flipflops). Then I was all like: "F that noise" and went to sleep.
Later I ran (well, walked quickly) to take some pictures of the sunset. The sun was down by the time I got to a good spot, but the clouds were still amazing. Gorgeous pinks and purples.
That night, I poked around, trying to find someone to hang out with. Found Tim and some of his friends, played pool (my team lost 2/2 games). Then they all went to the Vic, and I was feeling super tired, and decided to take a short nap. The short nap turned into a very long nap, but I finally got up the energy to get to the Vic, but then they wouldn't let me in with thongs (flipflops). Then I was all like: "F that noise" and went to sleep.
2007/11/02
A Long Night
Not particularly long in terms of time, just in terms of hassle and how I felt at the end.
The day was largely unremarkable, like many that have come and gone. I had some breakfast, got my internet fix, hung about for most of the rest of the time. One strange thing did happen. While I was sitting with some of my new-found German friends, one of their Australian friends (a cool guy named Tim) was sort of assaulted by a scary-looking very-drunk fellow. This was while we were hanging out on the pool level of the hostel. It seemed like the drunk fellow was really mad at Tim for some reason, but I don't think we really ever found out what it was had him so incensed. He grabbed Tim's hand and slammed it down a couple of times, but Tim said later he was mostly hitting his own hand. I got up to try to deflect some of the anger to me, and it worked, kind of. But he also got more angry and hit me open-handed in the throat. Eventually the hostel staff diffused the situation, and I think some of his friends took him to his room to sleep it off.
That night held its own brand of excitement. It was the Swiss girls' last night, they were flying to Cairns in the Morning, so we all went out for drinks and dancing. The night started at Shenannigans (an Irish pub) and there were a bunch of people there that were connected through various tours. Things started to go south when security or the bar manager or someone reacted badly to one of our group dancing near/on some benches. He got kicked out for the night. A couple of people tried to round up everyone to go somewhere else (we eventually decided on the Vic), but it was like herding cats. Once we finally got everyone (or at least, most of the people) out of the pub and to the Vic, the doorman denied entry to two of the girls on the grounds that they were "too drunk". After alternating sitting around, pleading with the doorman, and generally being frustrated, we decided to go back to the Irish bar. One of the other guys (I didn't catch his name) switched shirts with Terry (the Irishman that got ejected from the pub before) in a vain attempt to get him back in. It didn't work. The night ended with our group seriously split. I think some of the people stayed at the Vic, a couple of people left with Terry to go somewhere else, and a few people stayed at Shenannigans. I wasn't feeling the dancing too much that night, so I went home early, probably around 1 AM, and went to bed soon after. I hung out with Tim for a little while, but kept falling asleep.
The day was largely unremarkable, like many that have come and gone. I had some breakfast, got my internet fix, hung about for most of the rest of the time. One strange thing did happen. While I was sitting with some of my new-found German friends, one of their Australian friends (a cool guy named Tim) was sort of assaulted by a scary-looking very-drunk fellow. This was while we were hanging out on the pool level of the hostel. It seemed like the drunk fellow was really mad at Tim for some reason, but I don't think we really ever found out what it was had him so incensed. He grabbed Tim's hand and slammed it down a couple of times, but Tim said later he was mostly hitting his own hand. I got up to try to deflect some of the anger to me, and it worked, kind of. But he also got more angry and hit me open-handed in the throat. Eventually the hostel staff diffused the situation, and I think some of his friends took him to his room to sleep it off.
That night held its own brand of excitement. It was the Swiss girls' last night, they were flying to Cairns in the Morning, so we all went out for drinks and dancing. The night started at Shenannigans (an Irish pub) and there were a bunch of people there that were connected through various tours. Things started to go south when security or the bar manager or someone reacted badly to one of our group dancing near/on some benches. He got kicked out for the night. A couple of people tried to round up everyone to go somewhere else (we eventually decided on the Vic), but it was like herding cats. Once we finally got everyone (or at least, most of the people) out of the pub and to the Vic, the doorman denied entry to two of the girls on the grounds that they were "too drunk". After alternating sitting around, pleading with the doorman, and generally being frustrated, we decided to go back to the Irish bar. One of the other guys (I didn't catch his name) switched shirts with Terry (the Irishman that got ejected from the pub before) in a vain attempt to get him back in. It didn't work. The night ended with our group seriously split. I think some of the people stayed at the Vic, a couple of people left with Terry to go somewhere else, and a few people stayed at Shenannigans. I wasn't feeling the dancing too much that night, so I went home early, probably around 1 AM, and went to bed soon after. I hung out with Tim for a little while, but kept falling asleep.
2007/11/01
Halloween, Kinda.
Woke up at about 1:30 PM yesterday. A good 8 hours of sleep. Showered, had some egg on avocado on toast. Did some laundry, note: I hate laundry, someone needs to invent clothes that clean themselves, maybe using nanobots (I mean, really, what could possibly go wrong?). By the time all that was finished, it was already pretty late. I hung out for a bit with some friends, and went to dinner with some others, then to Roma Bar for my daily internet fix.
When I arrived back at the hostel, Mary and Neil were about to go out to meet some people they had toured with earlier. I wasn't super keen on the idea of going with them, but decided to anyway. I ran into Maik (A German I met in Exmouth, and ran into again in Broome), and when we got to the bar (Duck's Nuts or something...) I ran into a couple more people I had met in Broome. Later on, the Swiss sisters (Nadine and Sandra) showed up, fresh off of their Kakadu & Litchfield tour. After a few more drinks, we went to a club (The Lost Ark, maybe?) and ended up at the Vic until 4 AM. Jesus, Europeans smoke a lot. That's one thing I'm really not going to miss about coming back to the states. My throat hurts just from being around them.
In spite of all that, I had a good time. I'm starting to warm up to dancing a little. I think it's all about what kind of people you're out with. Fun people = good time. People do some interesting things when they're super drunk though. I enjoyed watching everyone, but I had definitely had enough by the end of the night.
When I arrived back at the hostel, Mary and Neil were about to go out to meet some people they had toured with earlier. I wasn't super keen on the idea of going with them, but decided to anyway. I ran into Maik (A German I met in Exmouth, and ran into again in Broome), and when we got to the bar (Duck's Nuts or something...) I ran into a couple more people I had met in Broome. Later on, the Swiss sisters (Nadine and Sandra) showed up, fresh off of their Kakadu & Litchfield tour. After a few more drinks, we went to a club (The Lost Ark, maybe?) and ended up at the Vic until 4 AM. Jesus, Europeans smoke a lot. That's one thing I'm really not going to miss about coming back to the states. My throat hurts just from being around them.
In spite of all that, I had a good time. I'm starting to warm up to dancing a little. I think it's all about what kind of people you're out with. Fun people = good time. People do some interesting things when they're super drunk though. I enjoyed watching everyone, but I had definitely had enough by the end of the night.
2007/10/31
Party 'Till the Break-a-Break-a Dawn
Yesterday was an uneventful day for the most part, mostly just beating the heat, checking email, catching up on my feeds.
The night was less uneventful. We went out to a pub (Shenannigans) for a few beers, and to meet up with some of Neil's friends, Shannon and Adam. Adam was cool, kinda crazy, but lots of fun. A couple of people Mary had met came out as well. After the pub it was the Vic for many more drinks and dancing. That went on for quite a while, but eventually one of Mary's friends started feeling unwell, so she went back. Adam and I ended up back at the hostel around 4. When we got there, there were some people chilling on the pool/bar area, one of them was practicing guitar. We decided to join them. We were up until around 5:30, hanging out and bantering.
The night was less uneventful. We went out to a pub (Shenannigans) for a few beers, and to meet up with some of Neil's friends, Shannon and Adam. Adam was cool, kinda crazy, but lots of fun. A couple of people Mary had met came out as well. After the pub it was the Vic for many more drinks and dancing. That went on for quite a while, but eventually one of Mary's friends started feeling unwell, so she went back. Adam and I ended up back at the hostel around 4. When we got there, there were some people chilling on the pool/bar area, one of them was practicing guitar. We decided to join them. We were up until around 5:30, hanging out and bantering.
2007/10/29
Returning the Car
I returned the car today. Took it to a wash-it-yourself sorta place, topped up the tank and dropped it off. It was a good car (94 Ford Falcon, if memory serves), and got me from point A to B no matter what kind of abuse I heaped on it. It's a little weird to be without on after having it for so long (and so many kilometers, around 6000, all told).
2007/10/28
Canoing at Kathrine Gorge
So, much later, the Russian guy I mentioned earlier came back and began espousing the virtues/glories of Mary's body, all in very broken English. It was frickin' hilarious.
Unfortunately for me, the room was way too cold, and I didn't really get any sleep. We went to bed pretty late anyway, but the air conditioner was blowing right on me, and all I had was one thin sheet. I think it was set on 20 or 21 degrees Celsius. Man that night sucked. I don't think Mary fared much better.
Regardless, we were both up early in the morning to get to the gorge and do some canoing. Grabbed some quick breakfast and drove to the canoe rental spot. The guy at the hostel that had made our canoe reservations for us had said they only had singles left, but it turned out they had some doubles, so we decided to do that.
The first half-hour of us trying to work together was pretty hilarious/frustrating. There was a lot of turning instead of going straight. I'd like to blame the canoe, and when we got to the second gorge and tried out another canoe it did work out better, but I just don't know. The first gorge was okay, but the second gorge was awesome. It's too bad we were running out of time and had to go back, but I'm glad we did. It turned out to be a pretty big struggle to get all the way back to the beginning in the first gorge. Again, I'm not sure if it was the canoe or us, but I think maybe a little of both.
After we had returned everything, we hopped in the car and drove to Darwin, with a pit-stop at the petrol station to fill up and for me to get a quick rinse and change my clothes. The road to Darwin was pretty standard, with Mary completely passed-out (as per usual).
We had one final bit of excitement when a turn came up way faster than I expected (I swear I was going the speed limit) and we bumped against the curb and lost a hubcap. Could've been worse.
The hostel seems pretty nice, but I can't remember the name of it to save my life. Something with an 'M' that seemed vaguely Hawaiian.
Unfortunately for me, the room was way too cold, and I didn't really get any sleep. We went to bed pretty late anyway, but the air conditioner was blowing right on me, and all I had was one thin sheet. I think it was set on 20 or 21 degrees Celsius. Man that night sucked. I don't think Mary fared much better.
Regardless, we were both up early in the morning to get to the gorge and do some canoing. Grabbed some quick breakfast and drove to the canoe rental spot. The guy at the hostel that had made our canoe reservations for us had said they only had singles left, but it turned out they had some doubles, so we decided to do that.
The first half-hour of us trying to work together was pretty hilarious/frustrating. There was a lot of turning instead of going straight. I'd like to blame the canoe, and when we got to the second gorge and tried out another canoe it did work out better, but I just don't know. The first gorge was okay, but the second gorge was awesome. It's too bad we were running out of time and had to go back, but I'm glad we did. It turned out to be a pretty big struggle to get all the way back to the beginning in the first gorge. Again, I'm not sure if it was the canoe or us, but I think maybe a little of both.
After we had returned everything, we hopped in the car and drove to Darwin, with a pit-stop at the petrol station to fill up and for me to get a quick rinse and change my clothes. The road to Darwin was pretty standard, with Mary completely passed-out (as per usual).
We had one final bit of excitement when a turn came up way faster than I expected (I swear I was going the speed limit) and we bumped against the curb and lost a hubcap. Could've been worse.
The hostel seems pretty nice, but I can't remember the name of it to save my life. Something with an 'M' that seemed vaguely Hawaiian.
2007/10/27
Jeff Still Hasn't Learned the Lesson
Yesterday we lost an hour and a half from time-change. That's not including the hour we lost because we had to drive back to Kununurra after I forgot to put the radiator cap back on. That little oversight meant that as soon as I stopped the car, all the radiator fluid boiled over. On the good luck side, I had an extra liter of fluid, and somehow the radiator cap managed to stay undisturbed right next to the opening. Some up there is in a hate-love relationship with me, I guess.
Lake Argyle (the first place we stopped on the way, and the place where the radiator boiled over) was pretty, but there weren't any really good places that we saw to just chill out next to the lake.
We made it the rest of the way to Katherine fine, and there were some interesting characters when we got there. One of the guys we were hanging out with works in Cannes convincing celebrities to stay at his employer's hotels. Also, there was a colossally drunk Estonian/Russian fellow who at first claimed "Germany is shit", and wanted Mary to explain why it was so great, but then wouldn't listen to what she said.
Good times.
Lake Argyle (the first place we stopped on the way, and the place where the radiator boiled over) was pretty, but there weren't any really good places that we saw to just chill out next to the lake.
We made it the rest of the way to Katherine fine, and there were some interesting characters when we got there. One of the guys we were hanging out with works in Cannes convincing celebrities to stay at his employer's hotels. Also, there was a colossally drunk Estonian/Russian fellow who at first claimed "Germany is shit", and wanted Mary to explain why it was so great, but then wouldn't listen to what she said.
Good times.
2007/10/26
To Kununurra
The drive to Kununurra was uneventful. Although Mary did manage to teach me some "useful" German phrases like: "Thursday evening I ran out of gas." And: "Running out of gas can be fun, but I wouldn't recommend it."
Well, I shouldn't say entirely uneventful, there was a sudden torrential downpour, and a loud noise coming from the wheel well. We never figured out exactly what happened, but the only noticeable damage was a broken wheel-well liner that was probably hitting the tires. That and the incredible wetness I managed to accrue from being outside for only a few minutes of trying to see under the car. It's never good when your windshield wipers can't keep up with the rain on their highest setting.
The Sunset/Moonrise was awesome, clouds all over the sky splashed with color, and a beautiful orange moon that transitioned into a bright shining orb in the sky. I got a picture of it, but it's too bright to make out any details.
The Kununurra YHA was pretty cool, I'd like to check it out for longer if I'm ever in the area again. It was more than half empty in anticipation of a big group of workers showing up. I wonder how the vibe would have been different with so many more people.
Well, I shouldn't say entirely uneventful, there was a sudden torrential downpour, and a loud noise coming from the wheel well. We never figured out exactly what happened, but the only noticeable damage was a broken wheel-well liner that was probably hitting the tires. That and the incredible wetness I managed to accrue from being outside for only a few minutes of trying to see under the car. It's never good when your windshield wipers can't keep up with the rain on their highest setting.
The Sunset/Moonrise was awesome, clouds all over the sky splashed with color, and a beautiful orange moon that transitioned into a bright shining orb in the sky. I got a picture of it, but it's too bright to make out any details.
The Kununurra YHA was pretty cool, I'd like to check it out for longer if I'm ever in the area again. It was more than half empty in anticipation of a big group of workers showing up. I wonder how the vibe would have been different with so many more people.
Driving Ms. Mary: Jeff Ruins the Day, Kinda
Yesterday was a bit of an adventure. A bit more of an adventure than I would have liked.
It started out normally enough, Mary had decided to ride with me from Broome to Darwin, so we packed up, bought some food and ice for the esky (that's what they call coolers down here). The first item of interest was a random rest stop with a really big hollow tree, but it was still alive, very cool. After that, more driving, and then Fitzroy Crossing and Geike Gorge. We went on a small hike through the gorge and back, man was it hot. Then we continued on our way.
A little more than an hour later, I think it was around 6:30 or so (the sun sets at 6:00 in WA this time of year), the cruise control shut off. I looked down at the instrument panel, and tried to turn cruise control back on, but it wouldn't go. I tried to give the car some gas, but that didn't work either, that's when I looked at the fuel gauge, for the first time in a long time. We were out of petrol (that's what they call gas down here). Shit. We were over 100 kilometers from the nearest town, and cars don't pass by too often in Western Australia. Fortunately, right after we ran out of gas, everything started to go our way.
There was a car in front of us that pulled over after frantic signaling from me, and inside it were two very nice German guys (Marcus and Ruben) that were willing to lend a hand. So Mary and I piled into their car, and we went in search of petrol. We had decided our best bet was a 24-hour campground called Mary Pool, which ended up being about 80 kilometers away. 20 kilometers into the journey, we hit a kangaroo. As luck would have it, only the left turn signal was broken, and the passenger-side door was a little wonky. We got off easy on that one.
At Mary Pool, the first people we tried only had a small jerrycan (5 liters), with only a liter of fuel. The second group was much larger, and they were running generators, so they had 20 liters of spare fuel, and sold it to use. Unfortunately, they gave it to us in an oil barrel, and all we had to funnel it into the car was a cut-off soda bottle. We tested out the soda bottle on the German's car, but we decided it wouldn't work, so we went back to the first guy (later I found out his name was Tony), and borrowed his small jerrycan as well.
The drive back to the car was uneventful but long. Once there, we poured the petrol bit by bit into the jerrycan, and used it to pour into the car. It was quite the production, with Mary glowering at me the whole time (not really). With the gas in our car, we said our goodbyes to the Germans, but planned to see them again when we all got to Darwin.
Mary and I hopped in the car, but decided that instead of driving straight to Halls Creek, we should go by Mary Pool again to inquire after more petrol (it would suck to run out of gas again). When we got there, we didn't find any more petrol, but Tony (the guy who loaned us the jerrycan) suggested we stay the night there, and eat dinner with him and his friends (he was traveling with two girls and a guy, all in their 20s, he was probably in his 60s or so). Mary liked the idea, and it sounded good to me as well, so we did. After dinner there was much drinking, and we played the game where everyone gets a famous person/character on their forehead that they have to guess using only yes or no questions. I was Paul McCartney, and managed to guess mine second. The other young guy took the longest, he was Crocodile Dundee. I went to sleep soon after I guessed mine, or at least got into one of the hammocks they had set up for us (with mosquito nets even!), I didn't really sleep at all. Mary and Tony stayed up talking and drinking until it was time to go (around 6 AM). I think that might have been one of the reasons I didn't get much sleep.
We asked around one last time for more petrol, but no one had any, so we had to make it on what we had. That was a long 100 km, driving at 70 kph. Mary seemed high-energy right before we left, but as soon as we got in the car she zonked out. We made it to the petrol station fine, with about 5 liters to spare. We were both pretty destroyed from having stayed up all night, and I decided we should go to the caravan park where we were initially planning to stay, and nap/shower, before heading on to Kununurra (think Ka-nu-NA-ra, but don't ask me why). The Carvan Park people were really nice, and set us up with a single and added a bed for me on the floor (they had already charged me for last night when we didn't show up). I still didn't really sleep, but the shower was nice.
Mary took the whole thing pretty well, considering. I mean, we're still on speaking terms. :) In all seriousness, she claims it was a positive experience on the whole. Not that that really makes me feel any better about it.
Moral of the story: Always fuel up when you can. Especially if you're under half a tank of petrol. ESPECIALLY if you're traveling in Western Australia. Especially if you don't want to look like an idiot. And finally, especially if you don't have the good luck part of my bad-luck-good-luck.
It started out normally enough, Mary had decided to ride with me from Broome to Darwin, so we packed up, bought some food and ice for the esky (that's what they call coolers down here). The first item of interest was a random rest stop with a really big hollow tree, but it was still alive, very cool. After that, more driving, and then Fitzroy Crossing and Geike Gorge. We went on a small hike through the gorge and back, man was it hot. Then we continued on our way.
A little more than an hour later, I think it was around 6:30 or so (the sun sets at 6:00 in WA this time of year), the cruise control shut off. I looked down at the instrument panel, and tried to turn cruise control back on, but it wouldn't go. I tried to give the car some gas, but that didn't work either, that's when I looked at the fuel gauge, for the first time in a long time. We were out of petrol (that's what they call gas down here). Shit. We were over 100 kilometers from the nearest town, and cars don't pass by too often in Western Australia. Fortunately, right after we ran out of gas, everything started to go our way.
There was a car in front of us that pulled over after frantic signaling from me, and inside it were two very nice German guys (Marcus and Ruben) that were willing to lend a hand. So Mary and I piled into their car, and we went in search of petrol. We had decided our best bet was a 24-hour campground called Mary Pool, which ended up being about 80 kilometers away. 20 kilometers into the journey, we hit a kangaroo. As luck would have it, only the left turn signal was broken, and the passenger-side door was a little wonky. We got off easy on that one.
At Mary Pool, the first people we tried only had a small jerrycan (5 liters), with only a liter of fuel. The second group was much larger, and they were running generators, so they had 20 liters of spare fuel, and sold it to use. Unfortunately, they gave it to us in an oil barrel, and all we had to funnel it into the car was a cut-off soda bottle. We tested out the soda bottle on the German's car, but we decided it wouldn't work, so we went back to the first guy (later I found out his name was Tony), and borrowed his small jerrycan as well.
The drive back to the car was uneventful but long. Once there, we poured the petrol bit by bit into the jerrycan, and used it to pour into the car. It was quite the production, with Mary glowering at me the whole time (not really). With the gas in our car, we said our goodbyes to the Germans, but planned to see them again when we all got to Darwin.
Mary and I hopped in the car, but decided that instead of driving straight to Halls Creek, we should go by Mary Pool again to inquire after more petrol (it would suck to run out of gas again). When we got there, we didn't find any more petrol, but Tony (the guy who loaned us the jerrycan) suggested we stay the night there, and eat dinner with him and his friends (he was traveling with two girls and a guy, all in their 20s, he was probably in his 60s or so). Mary liked the idea, and it sounded good to me as well, so we did. After dinner there was much drinking, and we played the game where everyone gets a famous person/character on their forehead that they have to guess using only yes or no questions. I was Paul McCartney, and managed to guess mine second. The other young guy took the longest, he was Crocodile Dundee. I went to sleep soon after I guessed mine, or at least got into one of the hammocks they had set up for us (with mosquito nets even!), I didn't really sleep at all. Mary and Tony stayed up talking and drinking until it was time to go (around 6 AM). I think that might have been one of the reasons I didn't get much sleep.
We asked around one last time for more petrol, but no one had any, so we had to make it on what we had. That was a long 100 km, driving at 70 kph. Mary seemed high-energy right before we left, but as soon as we got in the car she zonked out. We made it to the petrol station fine, with about 5 liters to spare. We were both pretty destroyed from having stayed up all night, and I decided we should go to the caravan park where we were initially planning to stay, and nap/shower, before heading on to Kununurra (think Ka-nu-NA-ra, but don't ask me why). The Carvan Park people were really nice, and set us up with a single and added a bed for me on the floor (they had already charged me for last night when we didn't show up). I still didn't really sleep, but the shower was nice.
Mary took the whole thing pretty well, considering. I mean, we're still on speaking terms. :) In all seriousness, she claims it was a positive experience on the whole. Not that that really makes me feel any better about it.
Moral of the story: Always fuel up when you can. Especially if you're under half a tank of petrol. ESPECIALLY if you're traveling in Western Australia. Especially if you don't want to look like an idiot. And finally, especially if you don't have the good luck part of my bad-luck-good-luck.
2007/10/24
The Day After
We went shopping for real today, got food and things, I picked up a decent pair of sunglasses to wear with my contacts. Drank some coffee and smoothies at a coffee shop downtown. The Swiss girls and I went to pick up Sandra's card, and they got it back. Yay! Mary and I also picked up some CDs for the big drive to Darwin.
Went to the beach for our last day in Broome together. :( It was sad, but the sunset was nice, and I got to play frisbee in the water, which was interesting.
Went to the beach for our last day in Broome together. :( It was sad, but the sunset was nice, and I got to play frisbee in the water, which was interesting.
2007/10/23
Jeff Saves the Day
The plan was to go shopping, then go to the beach. Unfortunately, sometimes plans change.
One of the Swiss girls I had met earlier tried to withdraw some money from her account with her bank card, but the ATM machine confiscated it. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), she was a bit shaken up by the whole experience. Losing a bank card is trouble enough when you're home, but of another magnitude entirely when you're halfway around the world.
I called the number on the machine, but they weren't any help. "Nothing we can do," they said. That was a little disheartening to hear, but I had a backup plan: Go to the local branch office and ask them for help. I talked to the customer service rep, she explained that we would have to wait until Thursday afternoon to get the card back. That would have been fine, except for the small detail that the girls had a flight to Darwin on Thursday morning. The rep (who really earned the spot of Person of the Month in my book), called up the company that empties the ATM machines, and found out they could do an extra run on Wednesday and pull the card out then. The only catch, it would cost around AU$100. Pricey, but they decided it was worth it.
Bad luck, good luck, I guess. The beach was nice, and we played cards later.
One of the Swiss girls I had met earlier tried to withdraw some money from her account with her bank card, but the ATM machine confiscated it. Needless to say (but I'll say it anyway), she was a bit shaken up by the whole experience. Losing a bank card is trouble enough when you're home, but of another magnitude entirely when you're halfway around the world.
I called the number on the machine, but they weren't any help. "Nothing we can do," they said. That was a little disheartening to hear, but I had a backup plan: Go to the local branch office and ask them for help. I talked to the customer service rep, she explained that we would have to wait until Thursday afternoon to get the card back. That would have been fine, except for the small detail that the girls had a flight to Darwin on Thursday morning. The rep (who really earned the spot of Person of the Month in my book), called up the company that empties the ATM machines, and found out they could do an extra run on Wednesday and pull the card out then. The only catch, it would cost around AU$100. Pricey, but they decided it was worth it.
Bad luck, good luck, I guess. The beach was nice, and we played cards later.
Par-Tay
Yesterday was laid-back. At least until the evening.
We were all sitting around in the hostel's public area, wondering what we were going to do next, when a guy in a bikini top and a towel came up to us. He asked the girls if they wanted to come to a party he was throwing for a mate of his who was about to get married (stag party). The catch: they needed to wear bikinis. There was a girl with him, professing how harmless it all was (which always makes me more than a little suspicious). The girls didn't exactly understand what was going on, and I tried (unsuccessfully for the most part) to explain it to them. Eventually they got it, but still wanted to check it out, so they went over. After a while, one of them came back to get the rest of us, apparently it was okay for me to come as well. I figured I wasn't going to enjoy it much, but I didn't have anything better to do. Especially when all the people I was interested in hanging out with had gone to the party.
Calamity! In my haste to attend the party, I managed to hit a brick step in exactly the wrong way, taking a small chunk out of my big toe. The same one that had gotten into a fight with an escalator about a year ago (it lost that one too). Fortunately, Nadine (one of the Swiss girls) is a nurse, and we fixed it up well enough, and I went to the party.
The party was way more fun than I expected. It was just a few people (around 10 or so), hanging out drinking a bunch and having a good time. All but one of the girls were from my "crew", so I didn't feel like I was stealing the guy's thunder. All the guys were cool, but I never met the man of the hour. Apparently, they had been partying hard all weekend, he was crashed out in his room. Much fun was had.
We were all sitting around in the hostel's public area, wondering what we were going to do next, when a guy in a bikini top and a towel came up to us. He asked the girls if they wanted to come to a party he was throwing for a mate of his who was about to get married (stag party). The catch: they needed to wear bikinis. There was a girl with him, professing how harmless it all was (which always makes me more than a little suspicious). The girls didn't exactly understand what was going on, and I tried (unsuccessfully for the most part) to explain it to them. Eventually they got it, but still wanted to check it out, so they went over. After a while, one of them came back to get the rest of us, apparently it was okay for me to come as well. I figured I wasn't going to enjoy it much, but I didn't have anything better to do. Especially when all the people I was interested in hanging out with had gone to the party.
Calamity! In my haste to attend the party, I managed to hit a brick step in exactly the wrong way, taking a small chunk out of my big toe. The same one that had gotten into a fight with an escalator about a year ago (it lost that one too). Fortunately, Nadine (one of the Swiss girls) is a nurse, and we fixed it up well enough, and I went to the party.
The party was way more fun than I expected. It was just a few people (around 10 or so), hanging out drinking a bunch and having a good time. All but one of the girls were from my "crew", so I didn't feel like I was stealing the guy's thunder. All the guys were cool, but I never met the man of the hour. Apparently, they had been partying hard all weekend, he was crashed out in his room. Much fun was had.
2007/10/21
Success.
As in, this day was a.
Egg on avocado on toast for breakfast. Delicious success!
Went with some friends to a Crocodile park, went on the feeding tour, they let us hold a baby croc. Too many pictures... While they were feeding them, I was taking multiple pictures one after the other. The crocodile pens seemed small, but the tour guide said the crocs liked it fine (like he would say anything else). Crocodillic success!
After we had finished the tour and held the crocs, we went to Cable Beach (named after a telegraph cable used to communicate between Java and Broome). Threw the frisbee a little. Cable Beach is awesome. The air was 31 C, the water was 30. It was colder to be out of the water than in it. I bodysurfed for a long time, caught a few good waves. A few other ones roughed me up pretty good, at one point I thought one was going to slam my head into the sand, but it didn't (yay!). Threw the frisbee a little more. Sandy success!
Once we were beached out, we went to pick up one of our errant friends at a barbeque, and I drove a guy to the airport. The airport just happens to be basically across the street from our hostel. That mission complete, we returned to the Kimberley Klub, I rinsed the sand off and changed, and we went out for pizza. The pizza was good, and I'm looking forward to having the rest of it for breakfast tomorrow (maybe I'll add some avocado...). Italian success!
Total success. With a few more good hours left in the day. Nice.
Egg on avocado on toast for breakfast. Delicious success!
Went with some friends to a Crocodile park, went on the feeding tour, they let us hold a baby croc. Too many pictures... While they were feeding them, I was taking multiple pictures one after the other. The crocodile pens seemed small, but the tour guide said the crocs liked it fine (like he would say anything else). Crocodillic success!
After we had finished the tour and held the crocs, we went to Cable Beach (named after a telegraph cable used to communicate between Java and Broome). Threw the frisbee a little. Cable Beach is awesome. The air was 31 C, the water was 30. It was colder to be out of the water than in it. I bodysurfed for a long time, caught a few good waves. A few other ones roughed me up pretty good, at one point I thought one was going to slam my head into the sand, but it didn't (yay!). Threw the frisbee a little more. Sandy success!
Once we were beached out, we went to pick up one of our errant friends at a barbeque, and I drove a guy to the airport. The airport just happens to be basically across the street from our hostel. That mission complete, we returned to the Kimberley Klub, I rinsed the sand off and changed, and we went out for pizza. The pizza was good, and I'm looking forward to having the rest of it for breakfast tomorrow (maybe I'll add some avocado...). Italian success!
Total success. With a few more good hours left in the day. Nice.
A Museum, a Beach, and some Dancing
Yesterday I went the Broome Museum with a friend. It was interesting, mostly a bunch of information about the pearling trade and how it's changed in Broome over the years. There were also various other tidbits about the development and history of Broome. I'd say it was worth the AU$5.
After a bit of lounging, I drove some people to the store, and we went to Cable Beach. The air temp was 33 C, and the water temp was 30 C. Oh man, I could stay in that water for hours. Way warmer than the water in Los Angeles in August (sorry David). I also threw the frisbee around, which is always a plus for me. I only wish the girls I was with had been more into staying the the water. It's just not quite as much fun by yourself.
To complete the day, all of the people I knew were going out dancing, so I succumbed and went with them (wearing my Mr. Messy shirt, of course!). Much alcohol was drunk by others, much dancing was done by me. It was okay, I'm just not a fan of loud music or dancing, and I don't drink anymore, so clubs really aren't my kind of place these days (even less than they used to be). One nice thing about the night (in addition to being able to hang out with my buds) was that the DJ played some Gorillaz, and managed to do some interesting things with other songs.
After a bit of lounging, I drove some people to the store, and we went to Cable Beach. The air temp was 33 C, and the water temp was 30 C. Oh man, I could stay in that water for hours. Way warmer than the water in Los Angeles in August (sorry David). I also threw the frisbee around, which is always a plus for me. I only wish the girls I was with had been more into staying the the water. It's just not quite as much fun by yourself.
To complete the day, all of the people I knew were going out dancing, so I succumbed and went with them (wearing my Mr. Messy shirt, of course!). Much alcohol was drunk by others, much dancing was done by me. It was okay, I'm just not a fan of loud music or dancing, and I don't drink anymore, so clubs really aren't my kind of place these days (even less than they used to be). One nice thing about the night (in addition to being able to hang out with my buds) was that the DJ played some Gorillaz, and managed to do some interesting things with other songs.
2007/10/20
Hmmm...
Sometimes I think maybe I have more of an effect on people than I realize, but I can't get past how conceited that sounds.
2007/10/18
Port Hedland and Broome
I stayed in Port Hedland for just one night. The hostel I was planning on staying at must have closed or something, I couldn't find it anywhere. So I went to the caravan park. It was nice enough, but the internet connection was a PITA. Met some cool guys doing road work, surveying or something. Watched an episode of House (good show). Peanut butter and honey sandwiches for dinner (I've been eating that a lot lately).
The drive to Broome was relatively uneventful, lots of road. When I got to Broome, I went to the Kimberly Klub, although I had a little trouble finding it. I like it, it's really open-air, has a pool, bar, pool tables, pingpong tables, tv, lots of common space. The only unfortunate thing is that the room I'm in doesn't have AC, and the ceiling reflects sound really well. I used my eyeshade and earplugs, and slept fine.
Today I looked around and found a cool little health food store that had some really good curry and rice. Also bought some real food considering I'm planning on being here for at least a few more days. Broccoli and hummus anyone?
The drive to Broome was relatively uneventful, lots of road. When I got to Broome, I went to the Kimberly Klub, although I had a little trouble finding it. I like it, it's really open-air, has a pool, bar, pool tables, pingpong tables, tv, lots of common space. The only unfortunate thing is that the room I'm in doesn't have AC, and the ceiling reflects sound really well. I used my eyeshade and earplugs, and slept fine.
Today I looked around and found a cool little health food store that had some really good curry and rice. Also bought some real food considering I'm planning on being here for at least a few more days. Broccoli and hummus anyone?
2007/10/16
Into the Pilbara
Left Exmouth the day before Yesterday, and spent most of yesterday in Karijini National Park. It's a pretty sweet place. It has all sorts of cool gorges and rivers in the gorges. I had a lot of fun hiking all over the place in my flipflops, getting really sweaty and not caring. I really need to get some photos of it up (not the me being sweaty part).
I stayed at a motel for two nights. In some ways it was a nice change from having to share everything, but I also missed the camaraderie of the hostels. It was also way more expensive.
The drive out through Karijini was amazing as well. There were lots of mountains with red tops and light green sloping sides. That went on for kilometers, and then, suddenly, flat.
I stayed at a motel for two nights. In some ways it was a nice change from having to share everything, but I also missed the camaraderie of the hostels. It was also way more expensive.
The drive out through Karijini was amazing as well. There were lots of mountains with red tops and light green sloping sides. That went on for kilometers, and then, suddenly, flat.
2007/10/13
Open Water Diver am I
Today we did two more boat dives (I'm really tired of practicing mask flooding), and got our temporary certification cards! We had to send away for the official ones, it takes a few months.
The two dives today were nicer because I didn't have to pay quite as much attention to my buoyancy and could concentrate more on looking at the fish. We saw a pair of sea snakes and a spotted ray on the first dive, and another sea snake and a lion fish on the second. Good times.
Later that evening I was hanging out with some of my new friends, and we played some Capitalism (rich man poor man, Asshole, whatever you want to call it). It's been a while since I played, but we used to play it all the time in college in the dorms (Freshman and Sophomore years). It was good fun, I was President for a good while, until someone dethroned me and I had to work my way back up. I managed to get back to President on the last hand we played. I'm hoping I'll get to hang out with them again, we're traveling in a similar direction, but they're on a tour. We'll see.
The two dives today were nicer because I didn't have to pay quite as much attention to my buoyancy and could concentrate more on looking at the fish. We saw a pair of sea snakes and a spotted ray on the first dive, and another sea snake and a lion fish on the second. Good times.
Later that evening I was hanging out with some of my new friends, and we played some Capitalism (rich man poor man, Asshole, whatever you want to call it). It's been a while since I played, but we used to play it all the time in college in the dorms (Freshman and Sophomore years). It was good fun, I was President for a good while, until someone dethroned me and I had to work my way back up. I managed to get back to President on the last hand we played. I'm hoping I'll get to hang out with them again, we're traveling in a similar direction, but they're on a tour. We'll see.
2007/10/12
UPDATE: Wind Still Blows
Bah. The boat dive was postponed again, this time only until 11 AM though. On the upside, we took the final written test, and I passed. Only missed one question. One of those annoying questions where it could really go either way.
Fortunately, they actually happened at 11. We went out and did two dives by Lighthouse Bay. The first dive I was a little preoccupied with keeping my buoyancy under control, and trying to control mostly through how deeply I was breathing. The second dive was better, and we got to see a white-tipped reef shark, and a sea snake. The sea snake really liked the bright-blue dangling end of Jon's (one of the students) weight belt. I think it also bit his fins a couple times.
Fortunately, they actually happened at 11. We went out and did two dives by Lighthouse Bay. The first dive I was a little preoccupied with keeping my buoyancy under control, and trying to control mostly through how deeply I was breathing. The second dive was better, and we got to see a white-tipped reef shark, and a sea snake. The sea snake really liked the bright-blue dangling end of Jon's (one of the students) weight belt. I think it also bit his fins a couple times.
2007/10/11
Wind Blows
Wind really blows. It was too windy to go on the open water dive today. I'm bummed. They've rescheduled to tomorrow, and conditions are supposed to be better (and even better the day after). He's hoping they don't have to reschedule anymore.
On the plus side, I managed to catch up on my blog posts, so I didn't have to backdate this one at all! I also bought a Telstra SIM card because Vodaphone doesn't work very well (read: at all) in the smaller towns, we'll see if Telstra fares better (I have 5 bars with Telstra right now, vs. Emergency Only with Vodaphone).
Last night I met some cool people (some of whom I had met briefly before through Francis) and I might have someone to ride with me to Darwin. We'll see how that works out. I'm enjoying the hostel-style of travel.
On the plus side, I managed to catch up on my blog posts, so I didn't have to backdate this one at all! I also bought a Telstra SIM card because Vodaphone doesn't work very well (read: at all) in the smaller towns, we'll see if Telstra fares better (I have 5 bars with Telstra right now, vs. Emergency Only with Vodaphone).
Last night I met some cool people (some of whom I had met briefly before through Francis) and I might have someone to ride with me to Darwin. We'll see how that works out. I'm enjoying the hostel-style of travel.
2007/10/10
Breathing Underwater is Offically Cool
I had loads of fun in the pool today. I am really, really looking forward to the boat dive tomorrow.
Today we learned how to put all the gear together, and what each piece was for, in addition to practicing a bunch of different surface and underwater maneuvers. I normally wear glasses, and didn't want to deal with a prescription mask, so I got contacts before I left on my trip. They worked pretty well, but it meant I really didn't want to open my eyes underwater. That meant that the mask-off exercises were a little bit harder. The hardest one was swimming around with your mask off (being led by your buddy) and then putting it back on and clearing it.
It's an awesome sensation to be breathing underwater, I highly recommend it. One of the harder things we had to do was control our buoyancy using our BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) and managing our breathing. I got a little bit sunburned, but it was definitely worth it. Oh, and the equipment is really heavy, when you're all geared up, ooof!
Today we learned how to put all the gear together, and what each piece was for, in addition to practicing a bunch of different surface and underwater maneuvers. I normally wear glasses, and didn't want to deal with a prescription mask, so I got contacts before I left on my trip. They worked pretty well, but it meant I really didn't want to open my eyes underwater. That meant that the mask-off exercises were a little bit harder. The hardest one was swimming around with your mask off (being led by your buddy) and then putting it back on and clearing it.
It's an awesome sensation to be breathing underwater, I highly recommend it. One of the harder things we had to do was control our buoyancy using our BCD (Buoyancy Control Device) and managing our breathing. I got a little bit sunburned, but it was definitely worth it. Oh, and the equipment is really heavy, when you're all geared up, ooof!
2007/10/09
SCUBA!
I had my first day of SCUBA courses today. It was all book-learnin', and I'm looking forward to tomorrow's confined-water dives (in the local swimming pool).
We watched a bunch of tapes, and took some quizzes, and the material was all 80's and lame-by-trying-to-be-funny. But it was okay. It looks like the course was made for video-dive-video-dive etc, but we're just doing all the book stuff upfront, and all the water stuff tomorrow. There are only 3 other people in the class, and older woman and two younger guys. They all seem cool. I've always been good at school, so it wasn't very hard, we'll see how it goes tomorrow.
We watched a bunch of tapes, and took some quizzes, and the material was all 80's and lame-by-trying-to-be-funny. But it was okay. It looks like the course was made for video-dive-video-dive etc, but we're just doing all the book stuff upfront, and all the water stuff tomorrow. There are only 3 other people in the class, and older woman and two younger guys. They all seem cool. I've always been good at school, so it wasn't very hard, we'll see how it goes tomorrow.
2007/10/08
No Night Driving
I left Denham today (the 8th) and drove to Exmouth (about 700km). I planned an early departure, and managed it without too much trouble, and grabbed some petrol on the way out of town. It seems to get more and more expensive the more north you go.
There was a lot of road. I got tired of driving a couple of times, and pulled off into on of the many roadside stopping points (marked with a with P in a blue square) to take a nap and catch a bite to eat. One of them had cool looking clouds. At the second one, I though my battery had gone dead, but it turned out I was trying to start the engine in D (I'm glad I didn't ask the guys stopped behind me for a jump!), man I felt stupid. I made a stop in Coral Bay for a very belated lunch, and to check out the town. The beach was beautiful, and the town was tiny. It was a little bit cloudy, and the clouds looked really picturesque (yes, I took pictures). After my lunch (at about 3 PM), I left Coral Bay, and made it to Exmouth straight away. One notable thing about the last portion of the drive is that there are termite mounds all over the fields near the road, hundreds of them.
My SCUBA course starts tomorrow and I'm psyched.
There was a lot of road. I got tired of driving a couple of times, and pulled off into on of the many roadside stopping points (marked with a with P in a blue square) to take a nap and catch a bite to eat. One of them had cool looking clouds. At the second one, I though my battery had gone dead, but it turned out I was trying to start the engine in D (I'm glad I didn't ask the guys stopped behind me for a jump!), man I felt stupid. I made a stop in Coral Bay for a very belated lunch, and to check out the town. The beach was beautiful, and the town was tiny. It was a little bit cloudy, and the clouds looked really picturesque (yes, I took pictures). After my lunch (at about 3 PM), I left Coral Bay, and made it to Exmouth straight away. One notable thing about the last portion of the drive is that there are termite mounds all over the fields near the road, hundreds of them.
My SCUBA course starts tomorrow and I'm psyched.
2007/10/07
Seeing Shark Bay
I had one day in Shark Bay, and one of my dormmates (a tall German named Francis), decided to go with me. We hit all the major sights (that you can get to without 4WD), but we should have done Monkey Mia first, because by the time we got there, all the dolphins were long gone. We went back to Denham and had dinner at a local pub, they made me a special veggies + sauce over rice dish that was pretty good.
The hostel (Bay Lodge YHA) was cool. There were a bunch of birds in the inner courtyard, and a pet roo hanging around. The bathroom to person ratio could have been bad if all the bedrooms using ours had been full.
There was definitely more to do that I missed out on by not going on some of the tours and not having a 4WD. I could've gone to the most western point of mainland Australia, and I'm sure there was some good diving/snorkeling to do as well. I think it would definitely be worth going back there again.
The hostel (Bay Lodge YHA) was cool. There were a bunch of birds in the inner courtyard, and a pet roo hanging around. The bathroom to person ratio could have been bad if all the bedrooms using ours had been full.
There was definitely more to do that I missed out on by not going on some of the tours and not having a 4WD. I could've gone to the most western point of mainland Australia, and I'm sure there was some good diving/snorkeling to do as well. I think it would definitely be worth going back there again.
2007/10/06
Highway to Hell
I'm driving into the sunset, down an Australian highway in roo country, their carcasses littering the ruddy-red roadside. My fuel needle is hugging E, the sky is lit up like fire, and I can hardly see through my bug-coated windshield. My mind is ready to crack, and my eyes are ready to bleed, from the strain of searching for animals to avoid, and suddenly AC/DC's "Highway to Hell", blasting through the beat-up-stationwagon's speakers, takes on a whole new meaning.
The Long Road to Shark Bay
After a shower & shave, I stopped by the local mall. I was looking for something to hold my CDs in, they were currently wrapped in a piece of paper. In addition, I wanted a charger for my cellphone, I had left mine at home, thinking I could charge it using a standard wall-wart USB charger, no luck. Finally, I wanted a throw-sheet to cover the stuff in my car (luggage, etc), to make it less interesting to undesirables. I found everything but the charger.
The drive-plan for the day was north from Geraldton, through Kalbarri, and finally to Denham (in Shark Bay). The drive was okay, but I got distracted by a bunch of lookout places with beautiful views, an Kalbarri's beach wasn't hard on the eyes either. I stopped at the visitor's center to look for the hostel I was planning to stay at, so I could thank the woman that suggested I stop in Geraldton. Unfortunately, no luck. I ate at a nearby cafe, Black Rock or something. I ordered the nachos (I know, I'm lactose intolerant, but I was craving them). Now, when most people that are reading this think of nachos, they probably think of tortilla chips, melty cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, jalapeños, etc. What came out was Doritos-style chips marinara-style sauce, and cheese. Needless to say, very much not what I was expecting. I ate it anyway, and while it wasn't nachos, it was still good. On the way out of Kalbarri, I went through the National Park, and saw some more cool sights. The rest of the drive was rather uneventful. I made it to Bay Lodge YHA (in Denham) by 7:15, 15 minutes after reception closed, but they were nice and let me check in anyway (I had made a reservation).
The drive-plan for the day was north from Geraldton, through Kalbarri, and finally to Denham (in Shark Bay). The drive was okay, but I got distracted by a bunch of lookout places with beautiful views, an Kalbarri's beach wasn't hard on the eyes either. I stopped at the visitor's center to look for the hostel I was planning to stay at, so I could thank the woman that suggested I stop in Geraldton. Unfortunately, no luck. I ate at a nearby cafe, Black Rock or something. I ordered the nachos (I know, I'm lactose intolerant, but I was craving them). Now, when most people that are reading this think of nachos, they probably think of tortilla chips, melty cheese, guacamole, sour cream, salsa, jalapeños, etc. What came out was Doritos-style chips marinara-style sauce, and cheese. Needless to say, very much not what I was expecting. I ate it anyway, and while it wasn't nachos, it was still good. On the way out of Kalbarri, I went through the National Park, and saw some more cool sights. The rest of the drive was rather uneventful. I made it to Bay Lodge YHA (in Denham) by 7:15, 15 minutes after reception closed, but they were nice and let me check in anyway (I had made a reservation).
2007/10/05
Plans Change
So with my car kitted out, I dropped back by the hostel to pick up my bags, and I was on my way. It just so happened that my route took me right by Gaynor's house, so I dropped in to say hi/bye. By the time I finally left there, it was around 2 PM, and I was planning on staying the night in Kalbarri (563 km away). Needless to say, I didn't make it. The nice lady at the hostel I was planning to stay at told me (over the phone) that I wasn't going to make it, and that I should stay the night in Geraldton. Good advice. As it was, I didn't make it to Geraldton until after dark, and it's dangerous to drive at dawn/dusk especially and while it's dark also (animals roam across the road, and my car doesn't have roobars).
The hostel I stayed at in Geraldton (Batavia Backpackers) seemed a little more run-down than the Perth one, but the staff was very nice. There was also an angry guy (kinda grumbly about everything, etc...) staying in the dorm, people like that weird me out too. The dorm was one huge room, and the grumbly guy said it was packed full (40-something people) about four days before I got there, over a long weekend.
The hostel I stayed at in Geraldton (Batavia Backpackers) seemed a little more run-down than the Perth one, but the staff was very nice. There was also an angry guy (kinda grumbly about everything, etc...) staying in the dorm, people like that weird me out too. The dorm was one huge room, and the grumbly guy said it was packed full (40-something people) about four days before I got there, over a long weekend.
The Car
So getting the car turned out to be much more of a hassle than it should have been. Everything was going great, right up until they tried to charge me for the actual rental (they had already authorized a AU$2000 bond). My credit card was denied. So, it being a VISA card, I called the VISA Australia 800 number, but they couldn't do anything about it (they answered after about three minutes), so they transferred me to Capital One Customer Service. The first person who answered there (after about five minutes) couldn't do anything about it, so I was transferred to the fraud division. The person who answered from fraud (after about 45 minutes) couldn't do anything about it, and transferred me to the person responsible for approving questionable charges. Finally, the person who answered (after about 20 more minutes) was able to sort the whole thing out. It was made more complicated by the fact that the call quality seemed to degrade with each successive transfer, and thank my lucky stars my cellphone has amazing battery life and that Traveller's Auto Barn was located in an area with good reception.
After that was all sorted out, I drove across the street and bought a big tub of peanut butter, a squirt-tube of honey, bread, a can of wasabi peas, some paper towels, garbage bags, ziplock bags, and a giant cooler-bottle of water (just in case).
After that was all sorted out, I drove across the street and bought a big tub of peanut butter, a squirt-tube of honey, bread, a can of wasabi peas, some paper towels, garbage bags, ziplock bags, and a giant cooler-bottle of water (just in case).
2007/10/04
Hostel
I had my Dive Physical this morning, and passed with flying colors.
I'm staying the night in a hostel (Perth YHA). There were two other guys in the 4-person room when I arrived, one named Dave (I think) and one named Jeff. We hit it off well, and went out for dinner at Annalakshmi (Eat to your heart's content and pay what you heart feels), it was really really good. So, it turns out Dave (who's English) was #2 in gymnastics in all of England, when he was 16. Jeff was cool, although he seemed really happy the whole time (I get a little weirded out by people who are really happy constantly, like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop). All in all, a wonderful first hostel experience.
I'm staying the night in a hostel (Perth YHA). There were two other guys in the 4-person room when I arrived, one named Dave (I think) and one named Jeff. We hit it off well, and went out for dinner at Annalakshmi (Eat to your heart's content and pay what you heart feels), it was really really good. So, it turns out Dave (who's English) was #2 in gymnastics in all of England, when he was 16. Jeff was cool, although he seemed really happy the whole time (I get a little weirded out by people who are really happy constantly, like I'm waiting for the other shoe to drop). All in all, a wonderful first hostel experience.
2007/10/03
The Missing Link
I finally booked a car for my west coast driving extravaganza yesterday (with Traveller's Auto Barn), but neglected to book a bus ticket back to Perth, which was where I was renting the car from. And all the cars were rented, and all the bus seats were booked (for the next few days). Oops.
Fortunately, Jen knows Nicole, who was working reception at the backpackers (hostel) down the street. We stopped by and asked around for a ride. One group was going to Perth, but seemed reluctant, saying their car was pretty full. I should have told them about my offer to pay for petrol (gas). Other than that, no takers. After that failure, Jen and I went to dinner at the Twisted Head and while we were eating, Nicole called, and had found a guy to give me a ride! All it would cost is AU$50 (cheaper than a bus ticket). It turns out I was buying a seat on a tour, and we went to the Stirlings and hiked up the mountain (I think it was Bluff Knoll, but I could be wrong) and back down again, then I got a ride to Perth. All in all: 12 hours door to door. The hike was fun, and I managed to take some good pictures of wildflowers, I think.
Fortunately, Jen knows Nicole, who was working reception at the backpackers (hostel) down the street. We stopped by and asked around for a ride. One group was going to Perth, but seemed reluctant, saying their car was pretty full. I should have told them about my offer to pay for petrol (gas). Other than that, no takers. After that failure, Jen and I went to dinner at the Twisted Head and while we were eating, Nicole called, and had found a guy to give me a ride! All it would cost is AU$50 (cheaper than a bus ticket). It turns out I was buying a seat on a tour, and we went to the Stirlings and hiked up the mountain (I think it was Bluff Knoll, but I could be wrong) and back down again, then I got a ride to Perth. All in all: 12 hours door to door. The hike was fun, and I managed to take some good pictures of wildflowers, I think.
2007/10/02
Travel Plans
Here's a map of my travel plans up the west coast of Australia:
Show Map
View Larger Map
I'm not sure how concrete this is, I definitely want to hit Shark Bay and I have to be in Exmouth for at least 5 days for my dive class. We'll see how it works out. Granted, I don't even have the car booked yet. Spent all day yesterday, and part of today figuring this out, and researching rental car companies online. One-way travel can be pretty expensive, if you go with a major rental company. The relocation fee alone with Hertz was something like AU$1100. I'll probably go with Europecar or Traveller's Auto Barn.
Show Map
View Larger Map
I'm not sure how concrete this is, I definitely want to hit Shark Bay and I have to be in Exmouth for at least 5 days for my dive class. We'll see how it works out. Granted, I don't even have the car booked yet. Spent all day yesterday, and part of today figuring this out, and researching rental car companies online. One-way travel can be pretty expensive, if you go with a major rental company. The relocation fee alone with Hertz was something like AU$1100. I'll probably go with Europecar or Traveller's Auto Barn.
2007/09/30
Walking Among the Tingle's Tips
Jen took me to the Tree Top Walk in the Valley of the Giants. On the way we stopped by Denmark (the Denmark Bakery) for some delicious curry veggie pasties and chocolate mud cake.
The Tree Top Walk is a walkway that goes up to 38 meters high among the tops of the trees in the Valley of the Giants. It was fun to be up there, although the walkways would swing a little if I walked in time with Jen. Also, I'm not a huge fan of heights. But that wasn't a problem on the second part, where we walked through the Tingle forest. The Tingle trees have root balls that form hollow shelter-like things when the inside burns out in fires.
The Tree Top Walk is a walkway that goes up to 38 meters high among the tops of the trees in the Valley of the Giants. It was fun to be up there, although the walkways would swing a little if I walked in time with Jen. Also, I'm not a huge fan of heights. But that wasn't a problem on the second part, where we walked through the Tingle forest. The Tingle trees have root balls that form hollow shelter-like things when the inside burns out in fires.
2007/09/29
The Wind the Bridge and the Gap
Mind the gap. It's quite large.
Jen and I took an awesome trip to the wind farm near Albany. 12 rotors, sun setting, I got some great pictures, I'll work on getting them uploaded. Also went to see a natural bridge and a gap (more exciting than it sounds, also good pictures). Apparently they used to be attached to Antarctica.
For dinner we made (or attempted to make) some Indian curry from some curry paste Myles had made earlier. First yogurt, then veggies in the wrong order, then more paste, cocnut milk and boiling down. The rice turned out great though (I made it).
Jen and I took an awesome trip to the wind farm near Albany. 12 rotors, sun setting, I got some great pictures, I'll work on getting them uploaded. Also went to see a natural bridge and a gap (more exciting than it sounds, also good pictures). Apparently they used to be attached to Antarctica.
For dinner we made (or attempted to make) some Indian curry from some curry paste Myles had made earlier. First yogurt, then veggies in the wrong order, then more paste, cocnut milk and boiling down. The rice turned out great though (I made it).
Total Footy Destruction
Jen and I went down to her and Myles' house in Albany yesterday, but Myles is off in Esperance and she needs to catch up on work, and I'm still trying to plan this whole car rental/dive class thing. But we took some time off to watch Geelong DESTROY Port Adelaide by 119 points (that's a lot) in the Grand Final (of AFL - Australian Football League). I haven't watched much Australian Football, but I find it significantly most interesting than most other sports. If I understood the rules better, I'd probably enjoy it even more. It's like soccer, but people score more often, and it's like football but people pass more and don't wear pads, also there's no resetting the line.
2007/09/27
26 for Jeff on his 26th on the 26th
That is, 26 things to find on my 26th birthday on the 26th of September.
After I did all that, I met up with Jen for dinner, we went to a delicious vegetarian restaurant in Perth called Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant.
After that, we went back to the Mitchells' house (Myles' parents) and I continued the tradition of using my birthday as an excuse to force people to watch 70's SciFi movies, this year, Logan's Run. Also, there was delicious cake to eat.
* means I got a picture of it or did it.Hanke's list of 26 for his 26th on the 26th!!
- *Perth Mint to see the gold pour
- *Perth town hall
- Someone wearing ugg boots.
- *an akubura hat
- *London Court
- *the bell tower
- *the Lucky Shag
- *the CAT bus
- *a Java Juice
- *an Australian Flag
- *Captain Cook Cruise boat
- Fremantle train station
- didgeridoo shop
- Maritime Museum
- *Perth railway station
- Barista Cafe
- *Art Gallery -> Egyptian exhibit
- aboriginal art
- painting of a swag
- a busker
- vegemite
- boomerang
- cricket bat
- *palm tree
- *parrot
- *surf shop
After I did all that, I met up with Jen for dinner, we went to a delicious vegetarian restaurant in Perth called Lotus Vegetarian Restaurant.
After that, we went back to the Mitchells' house (Myles' parents) and I continued the tradition of using my birthday as an excuse to force people to watch 70's SciFi movies, this year, Logan's Run. Also, there was delicious cake to eat.
2007/09/25
Iron Chef at the Mitchells'
Jen wanted to cook dinner, and I decided to help. I learned about making a roux for a leek tart, she also made a spinach "puff", I put together some lemon tahini dressing (under her direction), and some apple & beet salad (pretty easy to do), green salad, and a violently delicious blueberry crumble. All in all, too much good food. No complaints here.
2007/09/24
A Seppo Spends the Avo in Freo
After the wildlife park, I went out to Northbridge (north of Perth) with Jen, Myles and some of their friends. Jen made me dance, but it was okay. I totally fell asleep on the train back to Guildford.
Jen, Myles and I (along with some of the people that were out with us last night) decided to hang out in Fremantle for the afternoon. During the car ride down, Jen introduced me to Jackson Jackson. I found one of their songs particularly appealing: Waxed World. "I’m a hairy man / In a waxed world", here's a sample: http://www.mp3sale.tv/track.php?ms_trackid=958963 .
Our first destination was Little Creatures (a pub in Fremantle). They have really good veggie nachos, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their beer. We stayed there for a while, some people came and went. Eventually we headed to Mexican Kitchen for dinner, and really, the "Mexican" should be in quotes. My quesadilla tasted decidedly pizza-like, I think they used tomato sauce on it, but was good nonetheless.
Jen, Myles and I (along with some of the people that were out with us last night) decided to hang out in Fremantle for the afternoon. During the car ride down, Jen introduced me to Jackson Jackson. I found one of their songs particularly appealing: Waxed World. "I’m a hairy man / In a waxed world", here's a sample: http://www.mp3sale.tv/track.php?ms_trackid=958963 .
Our first destination was Little Creatures (a pub in Fremantle). They have really good veggie nachos, and everyone seemed to be enjoying their beer. We stayed there for a while, some people came and went. Eventually we headed to Mexican Kitchen for dinner, and really, the "Mexican" should be in quotes. My quesadilla tasted decidedly pizza-like, I think they used tomato sauce on it, but was good nonetheless.
2007/09/23
Koalas and Wombats and Roos, Oh My!
After the Birds of Prey, we headed into the Caversham Wildlife Park (inside Whiteman Park), another AU$17 (soooooooooo worth it). This is the kind of thing you can do and then think to yourself: Well, the rest of Australia can't be that much better than this, I'm good, let's go home now. At least, for me it was.
After we saw all sorts of cool Australian animals, we made it to a kangaroo enclosure where you could go and hang out with kangaroos and even pet them. I took full advantage of that. Also, some of the kangaroos had joeys, little feet sticking out of the pouch. There were even some white kangaroos, they aren't albinos though. After that there were a bunch more cool animals, and a super-cute pair of black swans with cygnets.
One of my favorite parts was the shelter where you could pose for a photo with a wombat!
The wombat I posed with was named Matilda. She was decidedly un-rabid (you know, the kind that would only get +1/+2 from a Holy Strength *coughnerdcough*), and seemed pretty sleepy, in fact, most of the animals were just lazing around, I think it was the time of day, we were there around 12:30. Even the Tasmanian Devils weren't moving much, I was a little bummed about that. I would have been more bummed, but there was a little koala enclosure where they were feeding the koalas, and they let us touch them! Best zoo experience ever. Also, there were dingos. No, I did not see them eating any babies.
The only animal I was really hoping they would have that they didn't was a drop bear. I guess it's understandable, given how large and dangerous they are.
The main thing I would change if I were to do it all over, would be to go back around 3 PM, and get to the Tasmanian Devils around 4, Apparently, that's when they feed them.
After we saw all sorts of cool Australian animals, we made it to a kangaroo enclosure where you could go and hang out with kangaroos and even pet them. I took full advantage of that. Also, some of the kangaroos had joeys, little feet sticking out of the pouch. There were even some white kangaroos, they aren't albinos though. After that there were a bunch more cool animals, and a super-cute pair of black swans with cygnets.
One of my favorite parts was the shelter where you could pose for a photo with a wombat!
The wombat I posed with was named Matilda. She was decidedly un-rabid (you know, the kind that would only get +1/+2 from a Holy Strength *coughnerdcough*), and seemed pretty sleepy, in fact, most of the animals were just lazing around, I think it was the time of day, we were there around 12:30. Even the Tasmanian Devils weren't moving much, I was a little bummed about that. I would have been more bummed, but there was a little koala enclosure where they were feeding the koalas, and they let us touch them! Best zoo experience ever. Also, there were dingos. No, I did not see them eating any babies.
The only animal I was really hoping they would have that they didn't was a drop bear. I guess it's understandable, given how large and dangerous they are.
The main thing I would change if I were to do it all over, would be to go back around 3 PM, and get to the Tasmanian Devils around 4, Apparently, that's when they feed them.
The Birds!!! (of Prey)
The plan of the day had Gaynor and me going to Whiteman Park, mainly because they have Tasmanian Devils there, and I was pretty psyched to see one. However, on the way into the park we caught sight of a "Birds of Prey" exhibition. So we set off to see that (after a small walk around the town).
When we arrived at the entrance to the show, the girl selling admissions was preoccupied. Flying ants had swarmed her table, they were completely covering it. She couldn't easily move the table by herself, so I helped her move it farther away from the swarm. We paid the fee (AU$8) and went in to wait for the show to start. There were a few lizards in the bench I sat down on first, and lots of flying ants swarming around, having them crawling all over you is a strange sensation.
The show itself was very cool. It was a simple setup, just one trainer, a bunch of posts in a field (for the birds to land on), and benches for people to watch from. The trainer was mic'ed, and explained all about the birds as she used food to coax them into flying around. My understanding was that all the birds were either in rehab to be released back into the wild, or they could never be released. One bird had been kept as a pet, with first one wing broken, then when that healed, the other one, all to keep her from flying. Saddening.
The trainer showed us some games they used to train the birds, to help them with hunting. With one bird, she spun a ball with food at the end of a rope, and the bird had to catch it out of the air. It looked really hard, and the bird wasn't having much luck. With another one, she had a rubber snake on the end of a rope that she dragged along the ground, and the bird would dive onto it, and tear chunks out of it (apparently the snakes don't last very long).
One of my favorite parts was the barking owl named "Oscar" (as in "the Grouch"). He really did look like him, and if you barked at him, he would bark right back. There was also a barn owl, and a few other birds. That would have been enough, but at the end, we could "hold" a bird (slip our hand into the leather glove he was attached to). I was pleased.
Falcons are awesomely beautiful animals.
When we arrived at the entrance to the show, the girl selling admissions was preoccupied. Flying ants had swarmed her table, they were completely covering it. She couldn't easily move the table by herself, so I helped her move it farther away from the swarm. We paid the fee (AU$8) and went in to wait for the show to start. There were a few lizards in the bench I sat down on first, and lots of flying ants swarming around, having them crawling all over you is a strange sensation.
The show itself was very cool. It was a simple setup, just one trainer, a bunch of posts in a field (for the birds to land on), and benches for people to watch from. The trainer was mic'ed, and explained all about the birds as she used food to coax them into flying around. My understanding was that all the birds were either in rehab to be released back into the wild, or they could never be released. One bird had been kept as a pet, with first one wing broken, then when that healed, the other one, all to keep her from flying. Saddening.
The trainer showed us some games they used to train the birds, to help them with hunting. With one bird, she spun a ball with food at the end of a rope, and the bird had to catch it out of the air. It looked really hard, and the bird wasn't having much luck. With another one, she had a rubber snake on the end of a rope that she dragged along the ground, and the bird would dive onto it, and tear chunks out of it (apparently the snakes don't last very long).
One of my favorite parts was the barking owl named "Oscar" (as in "the Grouch"). He really did look like him, and if you barked at him, he would bark right back. There was also a barn owl, and a few other birds. That would have been enough, but at the end, we could "hold" a bird (slip our hand into the leather glove he was attached to). I was pleased.
Falcons are awesomely beautiful animals.
2007/09/22
Post-Travel Relaxation
Yesterday was a lazy day.
Gaynor took me to see UWA (University of Western Australia), It's a nice campus, with some beautiful spots, I especially enjoyed the sunken gardens. There was a cool white peacock (peahen?) in the courtyard of one of the buildings. We even scoured the grounds to find the Computer Science and Software Engineering building (she was more into it than I was). Later, I had an iced tea at Matilda Bay Cafe (it was good). On the way back to the house, we drove through Kings Park; there are some great views of the city from there.
Gaynor took me to see UWA (University of Western Australia), It's a nice campus, with some beautiful spots, I especially enjoyed the sunken gardens. There was a cool white peacock (peahen?) in the courtyard of one of the buildings. We even scoured the grounds to find the Computer Science and Software Engineering building (she was more into it than I was). Later, I had an iced tea at Matilda Bay Cafe (it was good). On the way back to the house, we drove through Kings Park; there are some great views of the city from there.
2007/09/21
Wind-down
After I had settled in a little, Gaynor gave me a little tour of Swan Valley (big on wine etc). We decided to chase the sun to the ocean, but we missed it. That isn't to say it was a total loss, we didn't quite catch the sunset, but the tail end was still beautiful. We even walked along the beach, and dipped our feet into the Indian Ocean. Also, Australian sand is very comfy. On the way back, we picked up a pizza (I was totally passed out for most of the ride), and had pizza and Bundaberg Ginger Beer (good stuff) with Rod (Gaynor's husband, Jen's boyfriend's dad) when we got back. Then, I promptly fell onto my bed and into a deep sleep (it was about 7:30 PM local time).
28 Long Hours of Travel
The flights themselves were relatively uneventful, as was the time spent in-between.
The first flight was to LA (1 hour 20 mins), with a 4+ hour layover until the second flight, to Melbourne (think "Melbin", 15 hours 15 mins), a 3 hour layover until the third flight, to Perth (4 hours 15 mins). Add it all together, and it comes out to 27 hours 55 mins total. Not including the customs and immigration lines. From 6 PM on Tuesday the 18th to 1 PM on Thursday the 20th. Oooof.
The ride was comfortable, even though my stuffed-almost-to-overflowing backpack and hiking boots didn't leave much room for my feet. My eye shade, earplugs, and travel pillow were essential. To pass the time I mostly slept, did a little bit of eating and watched movies, four in fact: In the Land of Women(***), Mr. Brooks(**), Surf's Up(****), Meet the Robinsons(**) (out of *****). The seatback entertainment centers had a bunch of movies/songs to choose from, although I had seen most of the movies worth seeing (and some that weren't, surprise surprise). It was fun drifting in and out of sleep listening to Portishead (even if the software didn't have a good set-of-songs loop function).
One nice thing (I think I knew this before and forgot), if you request special meals, they give you your food before everyone else.
On the Melbourne-Perth flight there was less sleeping and they showed the Flying Scotsman (****).
Jen's boyfriend's mom (Gaynor) picked me up at the terminal, and she had an old picture (long hair & beard with funny hat) and new picture (short hair, cleanshaven, at the Teacup ride) to recognize me by.
The first flight was to LA (1 hour 20 mins), with a 4+ hour layover until the second flight, to Melbourne (think "Melbin", 15 hours 15 mins), a 3 hour layover until the third flight, to Perth (4 hours 15 mins). Add it all together, and it comes out to 27 hours 55 mins total. Not including the customs and immigration lines. From 6 PM on Tuesday the 18th to 1 PM on Thursday the 20th. Oooof.
The ride was comfortable, even though my stuffed-almost-to-overflowing backpack and hiking boots didn't leave much room for my feet. My eye shade, earplugs, and travel pillow were essential. To pass the time I mostly slept, did a little bit of eating and watched movies, four in fact: In the Land of Women(***), Mr. Brooks(**), Surf's Up(****), Meet the Robinsons(**) (out of *****). The seatback entertainment centers had a bunch of movies/songs to choose from, although I had seen most of the movies worth seeing (and some that weren't, surprise surprise). It was fun drifting in and out of sleep listening to Portishead (even if the software didn't have a good set-of-songs loop function).
One nice thing (I think I knew this before and forgot), if you request special meals, they give you your food before everyone else.
On the Melbourne-Perth flight there was less sleeping and they showed the Flying Scotsman (****).
Jen's boyfriend's mom (Gaynor) picked me up at the terminal, and she had an old picture (long hair & beard with funny hat) and new picture (short hair, cleanshaven, at the Teacup ride) to recognize me by.
Getting to the Plane
I started the day (the 18th) in bed in San Francisco. I was unpacked, but had pretty much everything I needed in my room. I planned to wake up early (7:30 AM) so as to have plenty of time to take care of everything. That didn't work particularly well, and I ended up crawling out of bed at around 10. Anyone who knows me well probably isn't surprised by that. Even starting at 10, I should have still been plenty of time to make it to my 6:05 PM flight.
After breakfast and shower, I was doing okay, but I had to run out and make some copies (passport and driver's license), get a plug adapter (for my dual-voltage hair clippers) and pick up some Honey Maid Golden Grahams (present for my friend). So between all that and the packing, I ended up running 15 minutes late. I left my house at 4:15 in a mad dash for the airport, which didn't turn out to be very "mad" due to the delays waiting for Muni and BART. I arrived at the airport around 5 PM. Unfortunately, I still had make it to the check-in desk, get my boarding pass, get through security and to the gate. I wrangled my boarding pass in only 20 minutes, and security turn out to be relatively quick, so I managed to get on to my flight with moments to spare.
Moral of the story: Don't leave things until the last minute.
After breakfast and shower, I was doing okay, but I had to run out and make some copies (passport and driver's license), get a plug adapter (for my dual-voltage hair clippers) and pick up some Honey Maid Golden Grahams (present for my friend). So between all that and the packing, I ended up running 15 minutes late. I left my house at 4:15 in a mad dash for the airport, which didn't turn out to be very "mad" due to the delays waiting for Muni and BART. I arrived at the airport around 5 PM. Unfortunately, I still had make it to the check-in desk, get my boarding pass, get through security and to the gate. I wrangled my boarding pass in only 20 minutes, and security turn out to be relatively quick, so I managed to get on to my flight with moments to spare.
Moral of the story: Don't leave things until the last minute.
2007/09/15
The Rough Plan
Australia: September 18th - November 6th
Honolulu until December 3rd:
Christmas, etc.
San Francisco: Back in time for New Years
- Perth
- Albany
- Kalbarri
- Shark Reef
- Exmouth (5 days, dive lessons!)
- Broome
- Darwin
- Fly to Uluru (or nearby)
- Fly to Cairns (think "Cans")
- Fly to Brisbane (think "Brisbin")
- Drive south to Sydney
- Drive to Ferry
- Ferry to south island
- Drive around south island
- Ferry to north island
- Drive to Aukland
Honolulu until December 3rd:
- Thanksgiving with David
- Hanging out
- Hanging out with Parents
Christmas, etc.
San Francisco: Back in time for New Years
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
