On the day the I caught the bus to Kaikoura from Christchurch, it was pissing it down, so my high hopes of seeing some whales were steadily declining. Before we'd even arrived, the bus driver announced that all water activities were cancelled and it was fair enough to be honest, it was like a water-based apocalypse out there.
When I arrived at the hostel, I thought that I would still try to make the most of the day and venture out into Kaikoura's main town centre. This was not to be unfortunately as the hostel is literally on the coast and not only was it raining heavily, but the winds were really strong too. 1 minute of attempting to go anywhere resulted in me being soaked. In fact, the reception lady told us all that a school party was also staying at the hostel but I never saw any of them. I wouldn't be surprised if they'd all been blown into the ocean.
So I was forced to stay in and for the first time on this trip, watch TV. It turns out that NZ TV is rubbish (it is an outdoorsy nation, so makes sense) and is mostly American imports. So I watched a programme called "I should have died" and that was as entertaining as it sounds. Luckily the other people staying at the hostel were really good company, so all was not lost.
The next day I went on to Picton, which is where most people head to to get the ferry across to the North Island. It's a really pretty little place, especially around the harbour area and has some nice walks too. As we had crossed through part of the Marlborough wine district on the coach, I purchased a bottle of local white wine to go with my dinner that night. The only other person in the Picton hostel was another English chap, who was nice enough but he dominated most of the conversation. I spent the evening getting slowly pissed on wine whilst he talked at me. I've had much worse evenings I suppose.
Again, just spent one night in Picton and was picked up again by the wonderful Magic Bus (not actually magical unfortunately). This bus company is bloody brilliant and after taking the Greyhound bus for the last few weeks, where the drivers are pretty surley and don't say much, they are such a ray of sunshine. Every driver I've had so far has known so much about the surrounding areas that he's passing through and cheerfully shares it with you. They also do random little stops at areas of interest. One driver stopped us by a seal colony and I nearly wet myself as I was so excited to be so close to them. We were also taken to a waterfall and lagoon by another driver as there were seal cubs playing there. If you stayed still long enough, they just came over to you and stared at you. It was such a lovely experience, I could have watched them frolicking all day.
The driver taking us to Nelson from Picton stopped off at a vineyard, we were still within the Marlborough wine district and there are vineyards absolutely everywhere, makes for a stunning sight indeed. We were able to do some wine tasting for just $2 and they also had an olive grove so I tried some of the local olive oil. It was really tasty, definitely tastes different from Italian olive oil and I was tempted to buy some, but it was a little pricey unfortunately. I got a little drunk I have to say and the long, winding mountain roads the coach took afterwards did not do me much good.
I have been in Nelson for 3 days now and it has been good to chuck my bag down somewhere for more than one night. My first day here I went out to the nearby Abel Tasman National Park, which is a huge area of parkland on the coast. After the bus ride there, you're put on a boat and taken further up the coast, from there you walk/hike your way back to the pick up point. I had an awesome time there and the route you take leads you up into the hills along the coast, so the views were something else. There were various trails down onto the beaches, so you could take those in too if you wished. I did and one beach had a small cave, which for a former reader of the Famous Five books, was jolly exciting indeed! No smugglers though. Boo.
Really loved it at Abel Tasman and wished that I had arranged to stay the night there, as they have huts dotted about the park with hammocks and things in, so that could have been exciting. Or a bit scary.
Yesterday I took in some of Nelson's local walking trails. Like pretty much all towns and cities in NZ, Nelson is surrounded by hills and mountains, so scenic walking routes are often a stones throw away. I took one route that led me to the apparent centre of New Zealand and it gave panoramic views of Nelson and the surrounding area.
For a reletively small city, Nelson has a very good cinema. I thought that I really ought to see a film made and produced in New Zealand, so I chose a film called 'Boy'. This was about a young Maori boy growing up in the 80's and it's one of the best films I've seen in a while, it was so funny. I have no idea if it has or will be released in the UK, but go and see it if it's on. Just before the end credits, the cast do a dance that merges the Michael Jackson 'Thriller' dance and the Maori Haka. Very entertaining. Whilst I was in the cinema, a lady asked me if I'd been hugged on Friday. A fairly random question but I answered no, it turns out that Friday 28th May is 'hug a redhead' day in New Zealand. How nice is that? I didn't get a bloody hug though...
Today I went on another long walk, which took me to a Japanese garden on the outskirts of Nelson. The weather has improved loads over the last few days, so it has been good to take advantage of that. It's been super-nice in Nelson but I move on tomorrow to Greymouth, where I'll be going on a brewery tour and from there it's on to Franz Josef for some ice hike action.
Will probably blog next from the Josef!
Saturday 29 May 2010
Monday 24 May 2010
A messy night in Wellington followed by a puncture-tastic bike ride
Another long one I'm afraid folks...
As the title above suggests, my memory of my last night in Wellington is sketchy at best. What I do remember is that myself, Stu, his partner Hayden and friend Lucy went out for dinner at a lovely little cafe place. The food was awesome and the wine was lovely too. Lucy called it a night at this point (as I bloody should have), so the three of us went on to various bars, where I got absolutely hammered and probably made a tit out of myself in front of Stu's very nice new boyfriend.
I had a taxi booked to come and pick me up at 7.30am the next day as my flight to Christchurch was at 9.15am. I woke up at 8.15am still pissed and almost weeing myself I was that desperate to go. I had to wake Stu up to use his phone to book another taxi and by some miracle managed to get my shit together before it arrived 10 minutes later. The taxi driver (Brian) was very talkative and was asking me loads of questions. I was trying not to be sick and wondering why he hadn't noticed what state I was clearly in.
I got to the airport at 9.05am fully expecting to have missed my flight calling, so went to customer services to see when the next available flight was. I casually mentioned to the guy on the desk my situation and he immediately lept into action and started printing luggage tags and my boarding pass. He frogmarched me over to the check-in counter tearing my backpack off me as we went, threw the boarding pass at me and shouted "well run then!". So I did and I bloody made it too. So relieved.
Christchurch is a lovely city and despite the terrible hangover, I was able to appreciate it. I collected my hire bike, had some food then headed back to my hostel for an early night. My roomy was an Irish chap who has been in NZ for 2 years now and was flying home the next day. He was a lovely bloke, but he asked if I didn't mind him playing some music, to which I said I didn't. He proceeded to play some hard house trance shite, so went off him a bit. He was considerate though and turned it off when I got into bed, so I then thought he was nice again.
The next morning was an early start as I had to catch the Tranzalpine Train to Arthur's Pass, which is the starting point for the bikeride. It is a really lovely journey and took about 2hr 30mins to get there. It takes you through all the mountains and I started to realise just how beautiful this country really is. Just stunning. When I arrived at Arthur's Pass, I stocked up on water and grub and then set off on my way. According to my instructions, this first day covers 83km and takes you along just one road, so very easy to navigate. The journey started off really well, although with it being a highway, cars and lorries do pass by you very fast and sometimes there was sheer drop to my lefthand side. I quickly learnt that when I heard a lorry approach, the best thing to do is stop and let it pass.
Again, this ride was visually amazing, I'm glad there were no flies about as I was open mouthed throughout most of it. The mountains are all snow-capped at the moment and quite often you see low cloud hanging below the peaks. I felt very lucky to be able to see all this.
Several hours later I stopped at a little lodge for some food and coffee. My instructions said this is the last place to stop before Springfield (my destination for that day). Whilst the highway was easy to navigate, it is also very isolated. The best way I can describe it is by comparing it to those iconic images you see of deserted American highways, where there is nothing but desert either side. It is just like that but with mountains and forests instead and the lodge I stopped at was one of only two places on the entire stretch of road. I realised that I would have to make sure I'm in Springfield before dark as there are no lights on the highway and my rear light had fallen off some way back.
This was going fine, although the hills were really hard going. The route is essentially climbing a mountain over several kilometres and the hills were very steep and long. I knew that once I reached the summit of Porter's Pass, it was basically downhill or straight most of the way. That thought did keep me going but the route was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.
I got to Porter's Pass eventually and the view was magnificent, I didn't have time to dig it though as I could see that dusk was coming so had to crack on. I floored it down the hill and the highway then stretched out very flat. I guessed I was approx 10-15km from Springfield so was fairly confident I would make it just before dark. I then got a nasty puncture on my back tire, which was a bit of a problem really. My first thought was to just mend it at the side of the road, but dusk was really coming on at this point and I wasn't sure how long it would take to sort it all out. I decided to just flag a car down and see if I could get a lift. Just as I thought this, a red estate car came along, I waved it over and it stopped. A bloke came out of the car and I explained I had a puncture and needed to get to Springfield. Straight away he offered me a lift and luckily the seats were back in his car, so the bike could fit. When he opened his boot, he pulled out a rifle and must have seen my expression as he quickly explained that he hunts deer. When we got in the car I proceded to just babble rubbish at him so he would think that I'm too irritating to kidnap. I am of course joking and didn't think anything of the sort :). He was a lovely guy and he even dropped me right in my hostel carpark. It turned out I was only 8km from Springfield, so really annoyed that I was not able to cycle that last part. It was just as well that I did wait to mend the puncture though as the bike pump needed some adjustments to fit the valve and without help, I wouldn't have known what to do.
The hostel in Springfield was fantastic, it was so small and cosy. There was a furnace fire going and free tea and coffee. I was put in a dorm with an English guy called Russell who had cycled in from Christchurch. The other guys staying at the hostel were 3 rather strapping chaps who work for an NZ rail company and have to travel all over to work. I had a very relaxing night at that hostel as it was like being at someone's house, the company was ace too. The next morning Russ very kindly brought me tea and a banana in bed and then cycled off into the sunrise. I've just realised how that sounds. He's happily married and no we didn't, he's just a nice bloke. Filthy sods...
I set off early too as I had 73km to cover and again hills were involved, not as bad as the day before though! This route was lovely too and took me through lots of farmland and farm communities. There were so many places that were selling free range eggs and organic fruit and veg, that I wished I was driving as I'd buy loads of stuff. I got another puncture but had the benefit of knowing I had lots of daylight ahead of me, so took my time with it at the roadside. My destination for this day was a town called Rangiora, but I had actually booked accomodation at a little town called Woodend about 5km onwards. When I arrived in Rangiora, I got a bit lost and couldn't find the road I needed so asked an old lady. She asked where I had cycled from and when I told her Springfield, she exclaimed "oh darling!" and told me where I needed to go. She then slapped me really hard on the back and said "go girl!". I really do like the people here.
After the last two days, today's bikeride was pretty easy. It was a mostly flat 42km route back into Christchurch and this took me along coast. It would have been fantastic except it pissed it down for the entire journey. In fact, I reached saturation point very quickly and soon didn't even notice how heavy the rain was. I got another puncture and didn't fancy changing it in the rain, so I made my way to a nearby farm and the farmer let me use one of his sheds to change it in. Despite the rain, the coastal roadway was amazing and the sea was lashing everywhere, so looked awesome. I made it back into Christchurch at around 1.30pm this afternoon and once I sorted out returning the bike and the equipment, I checked into a hostel and stood under a very hot shower for a long time.
A very awesome 3 days and quite an adventure too I have to say. I have also seen a huge part of this country that I wouldn't have normally had a chance to, so totally worth it. Great to be on the bike too. Tomorrow I have an early coach to catch to Kaikoura, where I will be staying two night and doing some whale watching (weather permitting of course). Will blog in a few days!
As the title above suggests, my memory of my last night in Wellington is sketchy at best. What I do remember is that myself, Stu, his partner Hayden and friend Lucy went out for dinner at a lovely little cafe place. The food was awesome and the wine was lovely too. Lucy called it a night at this point (as I bloody should have), so the three of us went on to various bars, where I got absolutely hammered and probably made a tit out of myself in front of Stu's very nice new boyfriend.
I had a taxi booked to come and pick me up at 7.30am the next day as my flight to Christchurch was at 9.15am. I woke up at 8.15am still pissed and almost weeing myself I was that desperate to go. I had to wake Stu up to use his phone to book another taxi and by some miracle managed to get my shit together before it arrived 10 minutes later. The taxi driver (Brian) was very talkative and was asking me loads of questions. I was trying not to be sick and wondering why he hadn't noticed what state I was clearly in.
I got to the airport at 9.05am fully expecting to have missed my flight calling, so went to customer services to see when the next available flight was. I casually mentioned to the guy on the desk my situation and he immediately lept into action and started printing luggage tags and my boarding pass. He frogmarched me over to the check-in counter tearing my backpack off me as we went, threw the boarding pass at me and shouted "well run then!". So I did and I bloody made it too. So relieved.
Christchurch is a lovely city and despite the terrible hangover, I was able to appreciate it. I collected my hire bike, had some food then headed back to my hostel for an early night. My roomy was an Irish chap who has been in NZ for 2 years now and was flying home the next day. He was a lovely bloke, but he asked if I didn't mind him playing some music, to which I said I didn't. He proceeded to play some hard house trance shite, so went off him a bit. He was considerate though and turned it off when I got into bed, so I then thought he was nice again.
The next morning was an early start as I had to catch the Tranzalpine Train to Arthur's Pass, which is the starting point for the bikeride. It is a really lovely journey and took about 2hr 30mins to get there. It takes you through all the mountains and I started to realise just how beautiful this country really is. Just stunning. When I arrived at Arthur's Pass, I stocked up on water and grub and then set off on my way. According to my instructions, this first day covers 83km and takes you along just one road, so very easy to navigate. The journey started off really well, although with it being a highway, cars and lorries do pass by you very fast and sometimes there was sheer drop to my lefthand side. I quickly learnt that when I heard a lorry approach, the best thing to do is stop and let it pass.
Again, this ride was visually amazing, I'm glad there were no flies about as I was open mouthed throughout most of it. The mountains are all snow-capped at the moment and quite often you see low cloud hanging below the peaks. I felt very lucky to be able to see all this.
Several hours later I stopped at a little lodge for some food and coffee. My instructions said this is the last place to stop before Springfield (my destination for that day). Whilst the highway was easy to navigate, it is also very isolated. The best way I can describe it is by comparing it to those iconic images you see of deserted American highways, where there is nothing but desert either side. It is just like that but with mountains and forests instead and the lodge I stopped at was one of only two places on the entire stretch of road. I realised that I would have to make sure I'm in Springfield before dark as there are no lights on the highway and my rear light had fallen off some way back.
This was going fine, although the hills were really hard going. The route is essentially climbing a mountain over several kilometres and the hills were very steep and long. I knew that once I reached the summit of Porter's Pass, it was basically downhill or straight most of the way. That thought did keep me going but the route was a lot tougher than I thought it would be.
I got to Porter's Pass eventually and the view was magnificent, I didn't have time to dig it though as I could see that dusk was coming so had to crack on. I floored it down the hill and the highway then stretched out very flat. I guessed I was approx 10-15km from Springfield so was fairly confident I would make it just before dark. I then got a nasty puncture on my back tire, which was a bit of a problem really. My first thought was to just mend it at the side of the road, but dusk was really coming on at this point and I wasn't sure how long it would take to sort it all out. I decided to just flag a car down and see if I could get a lift. Just as I thought this, a red estate car came along, I waved it over and it stopped. A bloke came out of the car and I explained I had a puncture and needed to get to Springfield. Straight away he offered me a lift and luckily the seats were back in his car, so the bike could fit. When he opened his boot, he pulled out a rifle and must have seen my expression as he quickly explained that he hunts deer. When we got in the car I proceded to just babble rubbish at him so he would think that I'm too irritating to kidnap. I am of course joking and didn't think anything of the sort :). He was a lovely guy and he even dropped me right in my hostel carpark. It turned out I was only 8km from Springfield, so really annoyed that I was not able to cycle that last part. It was just as well that I did wait to mend the puncture though as the bike pump needed some adjustments to fit the valve and without help, I wouldn't have known what to do.
The hostel in Springfield was fantastic, it was so small and cosy. There was a furnace fire going and free tea and coffee. I was put in a dorm with an English guy called Russell who had cycled in from Christchurch. The other guys staying at the hostel were 3 rather strapping chaps who work for an NZ rail company and have to travel all over to work. I had a very relaxing night at that hostel as it was like being at someone's house, the company was ace too. The next morning Russ very kindly brought me tea and a banana in bed and then cycled off into the sunrise. I've just realised how that sounds. He's happily married and no we didn't, he's just a nice bloke. Filthy sods...
I set off early too as I had 73km to cover and again hills were involved, not as bad as the day before though! This route was lovely too and took me through lots of farmland and farm communities. There were so many places that were selling free range eggs and organic fruit and veg, that I wished I was driving as I'd buy loads of stuff. I got another puncture but had the benefit of knowing I had lots of daylight ahead of me, so took my time with it at the roadside. My destination for this day was a town called Rangiora, but I had actually booked accomodation at a little town called Woodend about 5km onwards. When I arrived in Rangiora, I got a bit lost and couldn't find the road I needed so asked an old lady. She asked where I had cycled from and when I told her Springfield, she exclaimed "oh darling!" and told me where I needed to go. She then slapped me really hard on the back and said "go girl!". I really do like the people here.
After the last two days, today's bikeride was pretty easy. It was a mostly flat 42km route back into Christchurch and this took me along coast. It would have been fantastic except it pissed it down for the entire journey. In fact, I reached saturation point very quickly and soon didn't even notice how heavy the rain was. I got another puncture and didn't fancy changing it in the rain, so I made my way to a nearby farm and the farmer let me use one of his sheds to change it in. Despite the rain, the coastal roadway was amazing and the sea was lashing everywhere, so looked awesome. I made it back into Christchurch at around 1.30pm this afternoon and once I sorted out returning the bike and the equipment, I checked into a hostel and stood under a very hot shower for a long time.
A very awesome 3 days and quite an adventure too I have to say. I have also seen a huge part of this country that I wouldn't have normally had a chance to, so totally worth it. Great to be on the bike too. Tomorrow I have an early coach to catch to Kaikoura, where I will be staying two night and doing some whale watching (weather permitting of course). Will blog in a few days!
Wednesday 19 May 2010
Awesome but rainy Wellington
I had a really good night in Melbourne as again was blessed with some rather nice roomies for the evening. One of them was a bonkers lady from Taiwan called Queenie and a German lady named Anna. Anna had just flown in from NZ so was able to tell me about good places to visit. She also showed me her photographs from when she did a skydive and it's made my mind up that I definitely want to do one.
My flight over to New Zealand was awesome as yet again I was given a window seat, so when we approached the coast of NZ, I could see the landscape. It looked bloody brilliant and I really can't wait to start exploring here properly.
When I arrived at the airport I called Stu and we met at Wellington's railway station in the city centre. Stu has just acquired a flat here and as he is still new to some parts of the city, he wasn't sure of the way there. It was very amusing. We did get to his place eventually and I realised how hilly Wellington is. It's a georgous city as it's surrounded by all these mountains, with lovely houses built into them, but the hills to reach these areas are like nothing on earth! You'll get a really nice arse if you lived here and walked to work every day.
Stu's place is a lovely ground floor flat that is about 20 minutes from the centre of Wellington. He was a real gent and carried my backpack up the hills for me, I was glad of this as I'm pretty sure I would have tipped over backwards. On the first night, we had some wine and headed into the city centre for some food. We ate at a lovely cafe and it was some of the nicest food I'd had in ages. We had some more wine in another place and then headed back.
I'm really ashamed to say that I slept in until about 11.30am on Wednesday morning, although technically I was still on Oz time, which is 2 hours behind (I'm now 11 hours ahead of ya'll) so really it was 9.30. I got lost on my way into the city as couldn't remember how we got there the night before, but made it eventually. I had a walk around to get my bearings and also had to do some shopping. My wardrobe for the last few weeks has been vests and short shorts, but NZ is too cold for all that nonsense, so had to buy more suitable clothing for the weather.
I met Stu after work and went for a beer, which then turned into several. We had dinner at a lovely Malaysian restaurant and the food was bloody lovely. We went on to another bar, which is where Stu met his current partner. I can't remember the name but it was a really cool little place that was decked out in loads of plants, so was like sitting in a garden. A couple of very drunk people came to speak to us, including a very hammered gay guy who kept telling me I was beautiful and then kissing my face. Happens to me all the time...
We got pretty hammered I have to say and I'm a little worse for wear today. We're doing it all again this evening though as we're going out with Stu's partner and one of his friends, so just steeling myself up for that one. I'm having an ace time though and Wellington is a terrific place, seeing Stu is also ace. I'm going to the Te Papa Museum this afternoon, which comes recommended by lots of people. I'm looking forward to seeing the section on NZ wildlife as one of the most amazing things about this part of the world, is the wildlife. It never fails to amaze me.
I'm off to Christchurch tomorrow and will be picking up my bike for my 3 day bike ride. I'm a little nervous as it's 202km and I'll feel like a massive tit if I don't return within the 3 days. I'm sure it'll be fine though and I'll get to see some lovely areas of the South Island. Fingers crossed it doesn't rain either!
My flight over to New Zealand was awesome as yet again I was given a window seat, so when we approached the coast of NZ, I could see the landscape. It looked bloody brilliant and I really can't wait to start exploring here properly.
When I arrived at the airport I called Stu and we met at Wellington's railway station in the city centre. Stu has just acquired a flat here and as he is still new to some parts of the city, he wasn't sure of the way there. It was very amusing. We did get to his place eventually and I realised how hilly Wellington is. It's a georgous city as it's surrounded by all these mountains, with lovely houses built into them, but the hills to reach these areas are like nothing on earth! You'll get a really nice arse if you lived here and walked to work every day.
Stu's place is a lovely ground floor flat that is about 20 minutes from the centre of Wellington. He was a real gent and carried my backpack up the hills for me, I was glad of this as I'm pretty sure I would have tipped over backwards. On the first night, we had some wine and headed into the city centre for some food. We ate at a lovely cafe and it was some of the nicest food I'd had in ages. We had some more wine in another place and then headed back.
I'm really ashamed to say that I slept in until about 11.30am on Wednesday morning, although technically I was still on Oz time, which is 2 hours behind (I'm now 11 hours ahead of ya'll) so really it was 9.30. I got lost on my way into the city as couldn't remember how we got there the night before, but made it eventually. I had a walk around to get my bearings and also had to do some shopping. My wardrobe for the last few weeks has been vests and short shorts, but NZ is too cold for all that nonsense, so had to buy more suitable clothing for the weather.
I met Stu after work and went for a beer, which then turned into several. We had dinner at a lovely Malaysian restaurant and the food was bloody lovely. We went on to another bar, which is where Stu met his current partner. I can't remember the name but it was a really cool little place that was decked out in loads of plants, so was like sitting in a garden. A couple of very drunk people came to speak to us, including a very hammered gay guy who kept telling me I was beautiful and then kissing my face. Happens to me all the time...
We got pretty hammered I have to say and I'm a little worse for wear today. We're doing it all again this evening though as we're going out with Stu's partner and one of his friends, so just steeling myself up for that one. I'm having an ace time though and Wellington is a terrific place, seeing Stu is also ace. I'm going to the Te Papa Museum this afternoon, which comes recommended by lots of people. I'm looking forward to seeing the section on NZ wildlife as one of the most amazing things about this part of the world, is the wildlife. It never fails to amaze me.
I'm off to Christchurch tomorrow and will be picking up my bike for my 3 day bike ride. I'm a little nervous as it's 202km and I'll feel like a massive tit if I don't return within the 3 days. I'm sure it'll be fine though and I'll get to see some lovely areas of the South Island. Fingers crossed it doesn't rain either!
Monday 17 May 2010
Back in Melbourne
I never did sample any of the Bundy Rum (this is rum made in a town called Bundaberg - would have loved to have visited the distillery but alas did not have time). I was far too tired after the day at the Whitsundays to suggest it. I am determined to try it though, so will not doubt have another opportunity.
It was another long Greyhound ride to Cairns and I arrived there at around 6pm. The hostel was quite a fair walk from the bus stop and it is very hot in Cairns. I looked pretty sweaty with a slight hunchback when I arrived - my rucksack gets heavier everytime I leave a place.
When I had showered and settled in, I took a walk to the Cairns night market. This is a really lovely indoor market which is open until 'late' - I suppose that means when the stall holders get fed up. The stuff they were selling was awesome and I spotted so many great souvenirs for people (crocodile/kangeroo biltong, chilli wine, local honey, handmade jewellery etc). Unfortunately money is tight so couldn't buy anything. I just thought I would tease you with what might have been...
There was a guy there who had a bunch of snakes with him, being a fan of snakes I decided to go over and speak to him. The snakes are carpet pythons and he took a few photos of me holding the larger one. The snake is called Honey and she was very curious and wouldn't stay still, I was rather taken with her though.
When you stay in Cairns, you are able to book various trips such as snorkling the Great Barrier Reef and trips through the surrounding rainforests. My budget for Oz is pretty much spent and I took in some of the Barrier Reef when I sailed the Whitsundays, so decided not to book anything. My plan was too just explore the city and then spend the afternoon swimming at the large lagoon near the ocean. Imagine my horror when I arrived at the lagoon to find that it has been closed for 7 weeks. Those bastards! On the upside though, I did find a really nice art gallery nearby, so it wasn't a wasted journey. I did really like Cairns, it is a fairly small city, but really nice to walk around and you can see the mountains that surround the region. It is so hot though that I had to flee screaming into the shade on several occasions, the sun really is wasted on me unfortunately.
I went back to the night market in the evening as they have an awesome food court there and I fancied some Chinese food buffet action. I was not disappointed. Tasty noodles! I did some wine tasting too, as there was a tropical wine stall. I felt a bit bad for not actually buying anything. There was a little beautician section in the market and it looked slightly ropey but was cheap, so I thought I would I get my eyelashes and eyebrows tinted. This lovely Japanese lady, did the honours and she was so gentle that I hardly noticed her touching me at all. She did a marvellous job too.
On the way back to the hostel I got harrassed for money by a bunch of people on the street, they were fairly polite about it so gave them what little change I had left in my purse. One of them moaned about the amount, so was half tempted to take it back, except that there was 6 of them and I'm pretty sure they could take me.
Today, I flew back into Melbourne and it is really nice to be back here, even if it is a flying visit. I'm flying to Wellington tomorrow and will be staying with my friend Stu for a few nights before heading to Christchurch for my 3 day bikeride. I am really sad to be leaving Australia as I've had such a great time here. The people are lovely and the country really is beautiful, it's just a shame that I only had just under 3 weeks. There are so many places I would loved to have visited, but will no doubt come back here in the future. I'm really looking forward to New Zealand now and my next blog will be from there!
It was another long Greyhound ride to Cairns and I arrived there at around 6pm. The hostel was quite a fair walk from the bus stop and it is very hot in Cairns. I looked pretty sweaty with a slight hunchback when I arrived - my rucksack gets heavier everytime I leave a place.
When I had showered and settled in, I took a walk to the Cairns night market. This is a really lovely indoor market which is open until 'late' - I suppose that means when the stall holders get fed up. The stuff they were selling was awesome and I spotted so many great souvenirs for people (crocodile/kangeroo biltong, chilli wine, local honey, handmade jewellery etc). Unfortunately money is tight so couldn't buy anything. I just thought I would tease you with what might have been...
There was a guy there who had a bunch of snakes with him, being a fan of snakes I decided to go over and speak to him. The snakes are carpet pythons and he took a few photos of me holding the larger one. The snake is called Honey and she was very curious and wouldn't stay still, I was rather taken with her though.
When you stay in Cairns, you are able to book various trips such as snorkling the Great Barrier Reef and trips through the surrounding rainforests. My budget for Oz is pretty much spent and I took in some of the Barrier Reef when I sailed the Whitsundays, so decided not to book anything. My plan was too just explore the city and then spend the afternoon swimming at the large lagoon near the ocean. Imagine my horror when I arrived at the lagoon to find that it has been closed for 7 weeks. Those bastards! On the upside though, I did find a really nice art gallery nearby, so it wasn't a wasted journey. I did really like Cairns, it is a fairly small city, but really nice to walk around and you can see the mountains that surround the region. It is so hot though that I had to flee screaming into the shade on several occasions, the sun really is wasted on me unfortunately.
I went back to the night market in the evening as they have an awesome food court there and I fancied some Chinese food buffet action. I was not disappointed. Tasty noodles! I did some wine tasting too, as there was a tropical wine stall. I felt a bit bad for not actually buying anything. There was a little beautician section in the market and it looked slightly ropey but was cheap, so I thought I would I get my eyelashes and eyebrows tinted. This lovely Japanese lady, did the honours and she was so gentle that I hardly noticed her touching me at all. She did a marvellous job too.
On the way back to the hostel I got harrassed for money by a bunch of people on the street, they were fairly polite about it so gave them what little change I had left in my purse. One of them moaned about the amount, so was half tempted to take it back, except that there was 6 of them and I'm pretty sure they could take me.
Today, I flew back into Melbourne and it is really nice to be back here, even if it is a flying visit. I'm flying to Wellington tomorrow and will be staying with my friend Stu for a few nights before heading to Christchurch for my 3 day bikeride. I am really sad to be leaving Australia as I've had such a great time here. The people are lovely and the country really is beautiful, it's just a shame that I only had just under 3 weeks. There are so many places I would loved to have visited, but will no doubt come back here in the future. I'm really looking forward to New Zealand now and my next blog will be from there!
Friday 14 May 2010
Fraser Island and The Whitsundays
It is now my last night in Airlie Beach and I have to say that this is a lovely little place too. The hostel is nowhere near as awesome as Hervey Bay, but my roomies are a lovely bunch and the sun is very shiney here. More about that later...
I spent a glorious day on Fraser Island a couple of days ago and it thankfully the weather was amazing. We've a had a couple of bursts of rain over the last week, so was very thankful for the sun. I was picked up at the ungodly time of 0615 and we sailed across to the island at 7. Despite the early start, it was so lovely to see the surroundings at that time, as the sun was just coming up. When we arrived on Fraser, we were introduced to our guide for the day, who was an awesome chap called Kevin. He's been a guide on the Island for around 15 years and really knew his stuff. Not only about the Island's indigenous inhabitants, but also the plant and wildlife too. The Island is the largest (I think) sand Island in the world and I find it both bizarre and ace that a lush rainforest/bush can thrive on what is essentially a massive pile of sand. It's bloody enormous too, it stretches out for more than 100km.
Anyway! Our tourbus was a cross between a coach and a monster truck. As the Island is just sand, the roads are just sand track through the bush, so it was a very bumpy ride. The best way I can describe it is by asking you to imagine driving over a load of speed bumps, whilst scally kids run alongside you rocking the bus. One woman had to get out to be sick, but it was very exciting! Kevin took us through a large section of bush and stopped when he saw a snake sleeping at the side of the road. We all got out and took photos of it, but mostly used the zoom option. We ended up on the beach and he drove for what felt like ages along the shore. The beaches on Fraser are just beautiful, but they won't let you swim in the ocean as there are sharks and jelly fish and stingrays (oh my!). Fair enough I think. We saw a couple of dingo's on the beach and we were not allowed out of the coach to photograph them. Something about them mauling people apparently. Dingos are in the wolf family, so they're alright by me! He did stop by the ocean though next to Eli Creek, which is a freshwater creek leading back into the bush. We could paddle and swim in that, so I had a frolick in there for a while. Next we carried on up the beach to the Maheno, which is a shipwrecked boat that has been on Fraser for sometime now. A good section of it has sunk into the ocean now so it really was an amazing site.
After lunch came a 2km walk through the bush. Just before we started the trail, Kevin told us to be careful of snakes and what to do if we encounter dingos. He then said I'll meet you at the other end and pissed off back to the bus. I swear they do this deliberately. It was a good walk though and I saw an eel in the creek and some big spiders. Very humid in there though. Last stop was the fantastic Lake McKenzie. This is a freshwater lake inland on Fraser and has a high acidity level, so very good for the skin. Apparently you should feel 10 years younger after a swim in there, I can't say I felt 21 when I emerged from there, but I did feel pretty damn good I have to say. It was so lovely though and the water was crystal clear. I swam quite far out to a fairly deep part of the lake, but then remembered all those films where people get dragged under water, so swam back to where I could see the bottom. Feel a bit silly now.
I was quite sad to leave Fraser I have to say, although before I got on the coach Kevin approached me and said I should always make an effort to stay pale and how lovely it is to see. He was saying that he has to get scanned every so often and they always cut moles off him each time. I really was touched by that as whilst I am more than happy being pale, I am certainly in the minority out here and often surrounded by tanned lovelies who can occasionally make me a little envious. Kevin's comment really topped off my day.
When I got back to the hostel, I had 2 hours before I caught my overnight Greyhound, so I headed to the bar to get some BBQ food. The previous night at the hostel, I met two lovely ladies from Canada, Judy and Renee, who are a mother and daughter travelling around Oz in a camper van. They were such good company and luckily I saw them again in the bar when I arrived. We shared a bottle of wine and I was so sad to leave their company when I had to catch my bus.
The Greyhound to Airlie Beach was a lot better than the other overnight bus I took, as I actually managed to sleep for about 6 hours. I spent the first day at Airlie just exploring the town and went along to the lagoon, which is a huge swimming pool basically. Again, you're not advised to swim in the ocean here due to things that sting and bite etc. I met a German lady called Alena on the bus and the hostel staff put us in the same room. We also met another German lady called Marianne (probably spelt that wrong) and a Danish lady called Nanna, who is bloody hilarious. They're the best roomies I've had so far.
Today I was up at the crack of dawn again to go sailing around the Whitsunday Islands. The trip I booked took you around 3 of the islands, including Whitehaven Beach, which I think might be the most stunning beach I've ever seen. It was ace sailing around the Islands though, they're so lush and green and the ocean is so inviting. I had to resist the urge not to throw myself in. I had a go at snorkling on Hook Island and that was a brilliant experience, it took me a few attempts to get used to it though! They provide you with a free 'stinger suit' when you arrive as there might be jellyfish in the water. This is basically a very tight catsuit, which looked rather foxy I have to say. I was like an Argos Emma Peel, I didn't want to take it off really. Should have stolen it, might come in handy one day.
I'm hanging out with my lovely roomies this evening, might even sample some of the local Bundy rum at last if I'm lucky. I have an early Greyhound bus to Cairns tomorrow though, so can't go mental. Anyways! Very hungry and can smell nice food coming from the hostel kitchen, so will bid you fairwell. Will hopefully blog again from Cairns. x
I spent a glorious day on Fraser Island a couple of days ago and it thankfully the weather was amazing. We've a had a couple of bursts of rain over the last week, so was very thankful for the sun. I was picked up at the ungodly time of 0615 and we sailed across to the island at 7. Despite the early start, it was so lovely to see the surroundings at that time, as the sun was just coming up. When we arrived on Fraser, we were introduced to our guide for the day, who was an awesome chap called Kevin. He's been a guide on the Island for around 15 years and really knew his stuff. Not only about the Island's indigenous inhabitants, but also the plant and wildlife too. The Island is the largest (I think) sand Island in the world and I find it both bizarre and ace that a lush rainforest/bush can thrive on what is essentially a massive pile of sand. It's bloody enormous too, it stretches out for more than 100km.
Anyway! Our tourbus was a cross between a coach and a monster truck. As the Island is just sand, the roads are just sand track through the bush, so it was a very bumpy ride. The best way I can describe it is by asking you to imagine driving over a load of speed bumps, whilst scally kids run alongside you rocking the bus. One woman had to get out to be sick, but it was very exciting! Kevin took us through a large section of bush and stopped when he saw a snake sleeping at the side of the road. We all got out and took photos of it, but mostly used the zoom option. We ended up on the beach and he drove for what felt like ages along the shore. The beaches on Fraser are just beautiful, but they won't let you swim in the ocean as there are sharks and jelly fish and stingrays (oh my!). Fair enough I think. We saw a couple of dingo's on the beach and we were not allowed out of the coach to photograph them. Something about them mauling people apparently. Dingos are in the wolf family, so they're alright by me! He did stop by the ocean though next to Eli Creek, which is a freshwater creek leading back into the bush. We could paddle and swim in that, so I had a frolick in there for a while. Next we carried on up the beach to the Maheno, which is a shipwrecked boat that has been on Fraser for sometime now. A good section of it has sunk into the ocean now so it really was an amazing site.
After lunch came a 2km walk through the bush. Just before we started the trail, Kevin told us to be careful of snakes and what to do if we encounter dingos. He then said I'll meet you at the other end and pissed off back to the bus. I swear they do this deliberately. It was a good walk though and I saw an eel in the creek and some big spiders. Very humid in there though. Last stop was the fantastic Lake McKenzie. This is a freshwater lake inland on Fraser and has a high acidity level, so very good for the skin. Apparently you should feel 10 years younger after a swim in there, I can't say I felt 21 when I emerged from there, but I did feel pretty damn good I have to say. It was so lovely though and the water was crystal clear. I swam quite far out to a fairly deep part of the lake, but then remembered all those films where people get dragged under water, so swam back to where I could see the bottom. Feel a bit silly now.
I was quite sad to leave Fraser I have to say, although before I got on the coach Kevin approached me and said I should always make an effort to stay pale and how lovely it is to see. He was saying that he has to get scanned every so often and they always cut moles off him each time. I really was touched by that as whilst I am more than happy being pale, I am certainly in the minority out here and often surrounded by tanned lovelies who can occasionally make me a little envious. Kevin's comment really topped off my day.
When I got back to the hostel, I had 2 hours before I caught my overnight Greyhound, so I headed to the bar to get some BBQ food. The previous night at the hostel, I met two lovely ladies from Canada, Judy and Renee, who are a mother and daughter travelling around Oz in a camper van. They were such good company and luckily I saw them again in the bar when I arrived. We shared a bottle of wine and I was so sad to leave their company when I had to catch my bus.
The Greyhound to Airlie Beach was a lot better than the other overnight bus I took, as I actually managed to sleep for about 6 hours. I spent the first day at Airlie just exploring the town and went along to the lagoon, which is a huge swimming pool basically. Again, you're not advised to swim in the ocean here due to things that sting and bite etc. I met a German lady called Alena on the bus and the hostel staff put us in the same room. We also met another German lady called Marianne (probably spelt that wrong) and a Danish lady called Nanna, who is bloody hilarious. They're the best roomies I've had so far.
Today I was up at the crack of dawn again to go sailing around the Whitsunday Islands. The trip I booked took you around 3 of the islands, including Whitehaven Beach, which I think might be the most stunning beach I've ever seen. It was ace sailing around the Islands though, they're so lush and green and the ocean is so inviting. I had to resist the urge not to throw myself in. I had a go at snorkling on Hook Island and that was a brilliant experience, it took me a few attempts to get used to it though! They provide you with a free 'stinger suit' when you arrive as there might be jellyfish in the water. This is basically a very tight catsuit, which looked rather foxy I have to say. I was like an Argos Emma Peel, I didn't want to take it off really. Should have stolen it, might come in handy one day.
I'm hanging out with my lovely roomies this evening, might even sample some of the local Bundy rum at last if I'm lucky. I have an early Greyhound bus to Cairns tomorrow though, so can't go mental. Anyways! Very hungry and can smell nice food coming from the hostel kitchen, so will bid you fairwell. Will hopefully blog again from Cairns. x
Tuesday 11 May 2010
Haaaaarvey Bay
The above location is actually spelt Hervey Bay, but thought I would show phoentically how Annie made me pronounce it a few days ago.
I am currently in Hervey Bay at the moment and it is very lovely here. This hostel has now stolen the honour of being my favourite so far. Really lovely surroundings - frogs and lizards everywhere! My room is great, the bar is awesome and they lay on a free breakfast. Top banana!
Going back a couple of days, I had a good time in Nimbin, although very quickly realised that I probably was the only person in the hostel who wasn't stoned (this does include the staff too). It was such a great place though and I got some much needed relaxation time. It occurred to me when I was in Nimbin, that I have not actually had a day of doing very little. I have constantly been out and about, so it felt ace to just be surrounded by beautiful scenery and be able to finish my book.
Whilst cooking my tea, I met a lovely chap called Robert who is currently cycling down the east coast. It was a fortuitous meeting foodwise as I had too much garlic and he had too much onion, so we did some swapping. He was also kind enough to share his bottle of organic Australian Red with me whilst we ate and hung out.
The next day the Happy Bus came to get me to take me back to Byron Bay and unfortunately Annie wasn't driving this time but this driver was rather cool too. He didn't go for the 70's rock unfortunately and one of the tunes he played was an Australian dude rapping about having sex with his friend's mum. Luckily I bumped into Nicola on the bus, so we met up for some more Byron Bay ale that evening. It was nice to catch up with her on my last night in Byron and this is one of the downsides of moving on from a place so quickly, you do leave nice people behind.
I had to catch my Greyhound Bus at 0640 the next day to take me to Hervey Bay. Not a bad bus ride actually and it took in a few of the places that I had intended to visit had my flight not been re-scheduled, so I got to at least have a look.
As I said above, the hostel here is just amazing and the staff are brilliant. I got here fairly late at night so pretty much just showered, had a quick explore of the hostel grounds (spider city by the way) and went to bed. I hired a bike this morning and did the 28K round trip of the coastal cycle route that leads you from Hervey Bay to Vernon Point. The beaches here are beautiful and it was super sunny, so had a really great ride. Still no tan though, the factor 50 is still working!
I'm just about to head off for something to eat and will have to get an early night as being picked up tomorrow at 0615. I have booked a day trip to Fraser Island which is a place just off the coast of Hervey Bay. It is entirely sand and has a rainforest, which you walk through on the trip. There is also a huge lake called Lake McKenzie and a 75 mile beach, that is taken in on the trip too, so really looking forward to that.
I think that brings us up to date! When I come back from Fraser Island tomorrow, I have to grab my stuff and head off to the Greyhound stop, as I'm taking the overnight bus to Airlie Beach. I shall no doubt blog from there.
Ta ta for now...
I am currently in Hervey Bay at the moment and it is very lovely here. This hostel has now stolen the honour of being my favourite so far. Really lovely surroundings - frogs and lizards everywhere! My room is great, the bar is awesome and they lay on a free breakfast. Top banana!
Going back a couple of days, I had a good time in Nimbin, although very quickly realised that I probably was the only person in the hostel who wasn't stoned (this does include the staff too). It was such a great place though and I got some much needed relaxation time. It occurred to me when I was in Nimbin, that I have not actually had a day of doing very little. I have constantly been out and about, so it felt ace to just be surrounded by beautiful scenery and be able to finish my book.
Whilst cooking my tea, I met a lovely chap called Robert who is currently cycling down the east coast. It was a fortuitous meeting foodwise as I had too much garlic and he had too much onion, so we did some swapping. He was also kind enough to share his bottle of organic Australian Red with me whilst we ate and hung out.
The next day the Happy Bus came to get me to take me back to Byron Bay and unfortunately Annie wasn't driving this time but this driver was rather cool too. He didn't go for the 70's rock unfortunately and one of the tunes he played was an Australian dude rapping about having sex with his friend's mum. Luckily I bumped into Nicola on the bus, so we met up for some more Byron Bay ale that evening. It was nice to catch up with her on my last night in Byron and this is one of the downsides of moving on from a place so quickly, you do leave nice people behind.
I had to catch my Greyhound Bus at 0640 the next day to take me to Hervey Bay. Not a bad bus ride actually and it took in a few of the places that I had intended to visit had my flight not been re-scheduled, so I got to at least have a look.
As I said above, the hostel here is just amazing and the staff are brilliant. I got here fairly late at night so pretty much just showered, had a quick explore of the hostel grounds (spider city by the way) and went to bed. I hired a bike this morning and did the 28K round trip of the coastal cycle route that leads you from Hervey Bay to Vernon Point. The beaches here are beautiful and it was super sunny, so had a really great ride. Still no tan though, the factor 50 is still working!
I'm just about to head off for something to eat and will have to get an early night as being picked up tomorrow at 0615. I have booked a day trip to Fraser Island which is a place just off the coast of Hervey Bay. It is entirely sand and has a rainforest, which you walk through on the trip. There is also a huge lake called Lake McKenzie and a 75 mile beach, that is taken in on the trip too, so really looking forward to that.
I think that brings us up to date! When I come back from Fraser Island tomorrow, I have to grab my stuff and head off to the Greyhound stop, as I'm taking the overnight bus to Airlie Beach. I shall no doubt blog from there.
Ta ta for now...
Friday 7 May 2010
Byron Bay to Nimbin then back to Byron
This is going to be a long one!
The overnight Greyhound bus from Sydney to Byron Bay was not too great really as I just couldn't sleep. The driver was also one of the most unenthusiastic people I'd ever met, at one point he actually just sighed into the microphone. He did get us to Byron Bay in one piece though, so shouldn't grumble. I did meet two very nice people on the bus, one was an Irish girl called Denise who was very funny and had spent the last 3 months in Melbourne. Having her to sit next to did make the journey much more bearable. I also met Nicola who went on to become my Byron Bay buddy.
I arrived in Byron at around 7am and again had no idea how to find the hostel. Luckily it is quite a small town and some helpful locals pointed me in the right direction. After a (much needed) shower and snooze, I explored the town a little and it really is a lovely place. It's basically just a chilled out surfer town and was a nice contrast to the two large cities I visited previously. There are loads of small independent shops and apparently they boot McDonalds out everytime they try to open a branch there. Once I had my bearings in the town, I headed over to the beach, which is just a few minutes from the main road. The beaches in Byron are just beautiful and it felt so good to be that close to the Ocean. I walked a fair way to a viewing platform that looked over a part of the beach frequented by surfers. I stayed and watched them for a while, they make it look ridiculously easy. From there I took a costal path that lead to a lighthouse on top of the cliffs. This took quite some time and was mostly uphill, so I feel like I lost about 2 stone. Completely worth it though as the views were amazing and I also passed through a miniture rainforest on route. I walked back via the main beach and bumped into Nicola, so we arranged to meet later for some food and a few beers. When we out in Byron in the evening, we met a guy who had set up a telescope on the pavement, which was pointing at Saturn. He was inviting people to take a look, so I did of course. Rather interesting I have to say, you could just make out the rings too.
The next day we hired bikes from our respective hostels and grabbed a cycle route map from the visitor centre. We were also joined by Lisane (I'm pretty sure I've spelt that wrong), who is staying in the same dorm as Nicola. The 3 of us followed a couple of the cycle routes and they took us fairly far outside of Byron Bay. We eventually ended up on an almost deserted beach, so we hung out there for the rest of the afternoon. I was able swim in the ocean too, which is one of my favourite things to do (I was able to put sharks and box jellyfish out of my mind for a few hours). Luckily whilst coming into the ocean, we got talking to a lovely chap who told us the safest way to swim in the ocean. It was good advice as the beach didn't have a lifeguard and it is amazing how strong the riptides are when you start to really venture out. The ocean was bloody georgous though, really warm and clear. We got back into Byron just as night was falling, which is just as well as the bikes don't come with lights!
The 3 of us met up again later in the evening as there was a reggae night in Nicola and Lisane's hostel bar. It was a really good night and the bar was ace with a huge outdoor area where the band and DJ played. I also got to sample the locally brewed Byron Bay ale, which was rather nice.
I was a bit hungover this morning, but had to get up quite early to pack and get going again. I had planned to get the Greyhound to Hervey Bay, but on advice from a few people I decided to spend one night in a town called Nimbin. The only way to get to Nimbin from Byron is via the day trip shuttle bus, so the hostel organised for me to get on a tour shuttle and have a next day return. The bus I took to Nimbin was called the Happy Bus and it was like a really big camper van painted with psychedelic colours on the outside and the inside was decorated with stickers saying stuff like "thank you for pot smoking", "rehab is for quitters", "don't get a job" and "sluts are nice". The driver was a rough-around-the-edges Aussie lady called Annie and she was awesome. She grew up just outside Nimbin so had loads of local knowledge. She also played 70's rock really loudly on the journey there too. She took the scenic route, which involved various mountain roads, so we got some fantastic views of the countryside and surrounding mountains. On the way, we took a detour to Minyon Falls, which is an enormous waterfall on the edge of a extinct volcano. The area surrounding Minyon Falls is a rainforest and is the remaining 2% of the original rainforest that used to stretch all the way up to Brisbane. We were able to get off the bus and stand on the viewing platform opposite the falls and it was just stunning. The view goes on for miles and you have this fantastic waterfall right in front of you. I really can't do this scene justice by just writing about it.
Annie kindly dropped me off right outside the Nimbin hostel, which I was so greatful for when I realised how far it was from the bus stop! The hostel here is an experience in itself and is no doubt my favourite so far. For a start there are no keys, your room is always left open and everyone is trusted. It is surrounded by mountains and views to die for and scattered around the hostel are hammocks and comfy seats for you to just relax and enjoy the surroundings. I am in a mixed dorm this time and I have met one of my roomies, who is a very stoned Belgium guy.
After chucking my luggage in, I walked down the very long road into Nimbin town, on the way a rather nice nice lady named Alana stopped by me in her truck and offered me a lift. She had a small dog with her that hung out the window like Scooby Doo from the Mystery Machine. I spent a few hours in Nimbin and was offered drugs a couple of times, must have looked like I needed them. It's a really pretty little place, with lots of cool shops and cafes. I was offered another lift whilst walking back to the hostel, which again I gratefully accepted. I figure that if you can stay in a hostel with no locks, then I'm sure accepting lifts off completely strangers is fine too!
I am having a relaxing evening tonight and tomorrow I am lucky enough to be here during one of Nimbin's monthly markets. From there I take the bus back to Byron Bay, spend another night there and then head on to Hervey Bay on Monday.
I think I have rambled on enough now, I will more than likely blog again when I arrive in Hervey Bay.
The overnight Greyhound bus from Sydney to Byron Bay was not too great really as I just couldn't sleep. The driver was also one of the most unenthusiastic people I'd ever met, at one point he actually just sighed into the microphone. He did get us to Byron Bay in one piece though, so shouldn't grumble. I did meet two very nice people on the bus, one was an Irish girl called Denise who was very funny and had spent the last 3 months in Melbourne. Having her to sit next to did make the journey much more bearable. I also met Nicola who went on to become my Byron Bay buddy.
I arrived in Byron at around 7am and again had no idea how to find the hostel. Luckily it is quite a small town and some helpful locals pointed me in the right direction. After a (much needed) shower and snooze, I explored the town a little and it really is a lovely place. It's basically just a chilled out surfer town and was a nice contrast to the two large cities I visited previously. There are loads of small independent shops and apparently they boot McDonalds out everytime they try to open a branch there. Once I had my bearings in the town, I headed over to the beach, which is just a few minutes from the main road. The beaches in Byron are just beautiful and it felt so good to be that close to the Ocean. I walked a fair way to a viewing platform that looked over a part of the beach frequented by surfers. I stayed and watched them for a while, they make it look ridiculously easy. From there I took a costal path that lead to a lighthouse on top of the cliffs. This took quite some time and was mostly uphill, so I feel like I lost about 2 stone. Completely worth it though as the views were amazing and I also passed through a miniture rainforest on route. I walked back via the main beach and bumped into Nicola, so we arranged to meet later for some food and a few beers. When we out in Byron in the evening, we met a guy who had set up a telescope on the pavement, which was pointing at Saturn. He was inviting people to take a look, so I did of course. Rather interesting I have to say, you could just make out the rings too.
The next day we hired bikes from our respective hostels and grabbed a cycle route map from the visitor centre. We were also joined by Lisane (I'm pretty sure I've spelt that wrong), who is staying in the same dorm as Nicola. The 3 of us followed a couple of the cycle routes and they took us fairly far outside of Byron Bay. We eventually ended up on an almost deserted beach, so we hung out there for the rest of the afternoon. I was able swim in the ocean too, which is one of my favourite things to do (I was able to put sharks and box jellyfish out of my mind for a few hours). Luckily whilst coming into the ocean, we got talking to a lovely chap who told us the safest way to swim in the ocean. It was good advice as the beach didn't have a lifeguard and it is amazing how strong the riptides are when you start to really venture out. The ocean was bloody georgous though, really warm and clear. We got back into Byron just as night was falling, which is just as well as the bikes don't come with lights!
The 3 of us met up again later in the evening as there was a reggae night in Nicola and Lisane's hostel bar. It was a really good night and the bar was ace with a huge outdoor area where the band and DJ played. I also got to sample the locally brewed Byron Bay ale, which was rather nice.
I was a bit hungover this morning, but had to get up quite early to pack and get going again. I had planned to get the Greyhound to Hervey Bay, but on advice from a few people I decided to spend one night in a town called Nimbin. The only way to get to Nimbin from Byron is via the day trip shuttle bus, so the hostel organised for me to get on a tour shuttle and have a next day return. The bus I took to Nimbin was called the Happy Bus and it was like a really big camper van painted with psychedelic colours on the outside and the inside was decorated with stickers saying stuff like "thank you for pot smoking", "rehab is for quitters", "don't get a job" and "sluts are nice". The driver was a rough-around-the-edges Aussie lady called Annie and she was awesome. She grew up just outside Nimbin so had loads of local knowledge. She also played 70's rock really loudly on the journey there too. She took the scenic route, which involved various mountain roads, so we got some fantastic views of the countryside and surrounding mountains. On the way, we took a detour to Minyon Falls, which is an enormous waterfall on the edge of a extinct volcano. The area surrounding Minyon Falls is a rainforest and is the remaining 2% of the original rainforest that used to stretch all the way up to Brisbane. We were able to get off the bus and stand on the viewing platform opposite the falls and it was just stunning. The view goes on for miles and you have this fantastic waterfall right in front of you. I really can't do this scene justice by just writing about it.
Annie kindly dropped me off right outside the Nimbin hostel, which I was so greatful for when I realised how far it was from the bus stop! The hostel here is an experience in itself and is no doubt my favourite so far. For a start there are no keys, your room is always left open and everyone is trusted. It is surrounded by mountains and views to die for and scattered around the hostel are hammocks and comfy seats for you to just relax and enjoy the surroundings. I am in a mixed dorm this time and I have met one of my roomies, who is a very stoned Belgium guy.
After chucking my luggage in, I walked down the very long road into Nimbin town, on the way a rather nice nice lady named Alana stopped by me in her truck and offered me a lift. She had a small dog with her that hung out the window like Scooby Doo from the Mystery Machine. I spent a few hours in Nimbin and was offered drugs a couple of times, must have looked like I needed them. It's a really pretty little place, with lots of cool shops and cafes. I was offered another lift whilst walking back to the hostel, which again I gratefully accepted. I figure that if you can stay in a hostel with no locks, then I'm sure accepting lifts off completely strangers is fine too!
I am having a relaxing evening tonight and tomorrow I am lucky enough to be here during one of Nimbin's monthly markets. From there I take the bus back to Byron Bay, spend another night there and then head on to Hervey Bay on Monday.
I think I have rambled on enough now, I will more than likely blog again when I arrive in Hervey Bay.
Tuesday 4 May 2010
Cheerio Melbourne, G'day Sidney!
It's actually my last few hours in Sydney and very soon I'll be getting on an overnight Greyhound bus to Byron Bay. 12 hours of rockin' coach time! YEAH!
Last day in Melbourne was super-lovely, especially as the sun came out in force. I went to the Melbourne Aquarium and looked at some crazy looking fish. I think one took a bit of a shine to me. My favourites were definitely the stingrays though. They seem so gentle, like big stabby floating blankets. I managed to get up the Eureka Tower this time and viewed Melbourne from the 88th floor. The views were stunning and I took about a million pictures, which will bore the shite out of you all when I put them on Facebook. It was one of the few times when I have got vertigo actually, but the 88th floor is floor to ceiling glass, so not surprising really!
I was hoping to have some drinks on my last night with the folks I met in the hostel, but was out sparko pretty much as soon as I got back to my room. I'm such a grandma sometimes.
The flight to Sydney was brill as I had the good fortune to be placed in a window seat. It was clear skies all the way, so really amazing views.
I liked Sydney as soon as I arrived and the hostel here is ace. I've had quite a few different roomies in this dorm and they've all been lovely. Everyone has lots of different stories to tell about their travels and I love listening to them. On the first night, there was a BBQ on the roof terrace and I got a kangeroo burger and a beer for $2. Bloody love it here...
Again, I met some folks and spent some time with them in the evenings and mornings. Last night I went to see Iron Man 2 with a lovely Brit I met called Anna and we couldn't believe how nice this cinema was! The seats were like armchairs and there was a ton of legroom.
As I didn't have a huge amount of time in Sydney (about a day and half in total), I went straight for the tourist stuff and took in Darling Harbour, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. I enjoyed every minute of it though as the city is a lovely place to walk around. I also sent a bunch of postcards saying how lovely the sunshine is here. It promptly pissed it down about an hour after posting them, so my photos will make a liar of me!
I am enjoying the backpacker lifestyle I have to say, it is great just doing your own thing in the daytime and knowing that there will always be company in the evenings. As much as I've loved Melbourne and Sydney, it will be nice to move up the coast and be closer to the beaches. My first plan in Byron is to swim and then hire a bike for the day. Will blog again once I've settled there.
Thanks by the way for your comments and suggestions on the other posts, always lovely to hear from ya'll :) x
Last day in Melbourne was super-lovely, especially as the sun came out in force. I went to the Melbourne Aquarium and looked at some crazy looking fish. I think one took a bit of a shine to me. My favourites were definitely the stingrays though. They seem so gentle, like big stabby floating blankets. I managed to get up the Eureka Tower this time and viewed Melbourne from the 88th floor. The views were stunning and I took about a million pictures, which will bore the shite out of you all when I put them on Facebook. It was one of the few times when I have got vertigo actually, but the 88th floor is floor to ceiling glass, so not surprising really!
I was hoping to have some drinks on my last night with the folks I met in the hostel, but was out sparko pretty much as soon as I got back to my room. I'm such a grandma sometimes.
The flight to Sydney was brill as I had the good fortune to be placed in a window seat. It was clear skies all the way, so really amazing views.
I liked Sydney as soon as I arrived and the hostel here is ace. I've had quite a few different roomies in this dorm and they've all been lovely. Everyone has lots of different stories to tell about their travels and I love listening to them. On the first night, there was a BBQ on the roof terrace and I got a kangeroo burger and a beer for $2. Bloody love it here...
Again, I met some folks and spent some time with them in the evenings and mornings. Last night I went to see Iron Man 2 with a lovely Brit I met called Anna and we couldn't believe how nice this cinema was! The seats were like armchairs and there was a ton of legroom.
As I didn't have a huge amount of time in Sydney (about a day and half in total), I went straight for the tourist stuff and took in Darling Harbour, the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House. I enjoyed every minute of it though as the city is a lovely place to walk around. I also sent a bunch of postcards saying how lovely the sunshine is here. It promptly pissed it down about an hour after posting them, so my photos will make a liar of me!
I am enjoying the backpacker lifestyle I have to say, it is great just doing your own thing in the daytime and knowing that there will always be company in the evenings. As much as I've loved Melbourne and Sydney, it will be nice to move up the coast and be closer to the beaches. My first plan in Byron is to swim and then hire a bike for the day. Will blog again once I've settled there.
Thanks by the way for your comments and suggestions on the other posts, always lovely to hear from ya'll :) x
Saturday 1 May 2010
Exploring Melbourne
Quite a lot to report since yesterday morning.
I went to Victoria Market as planned and it was brilliant. It was loads bigger than I thought and it has to be the best food market I have ever seen. I bought two apples the size of my head. Unfortunately I couldn't really dig it as I suddenly realised just how tired I actually was. I went back to the hostel for a quick snooze, however this 'snooze' turned into a 6 hour sleep and I was woken up at around 5pm by a chirpie Aussie voice on the tanoy saying "hey there crazy cats, we're having a barby on the roof terrace at 7". I was bloody starving at this point, so headed up there.
I ended up meeting with some lovely people and having an awesome evening. There were two girls who are from England but currently living in the hostel. One of them, Callie, works for the BBC Asian Network and is currently on a career break. This of course means that she may not have a job to come home to. We were joined by two guys who have been travelling around Australia in a van for the last few months and they plan to sell the van soon and leave for Asia. The last of our group was an Aussie chap who works in the hostel called Michael. Through Michael I learnt some interesting Aussie slang:
Bogan - chav or redneck (apparently they are often seen outside stations sporting mullets and swigging VB)
Handy - wank (and no I didn't before you ask)
Ranga - readhead, as in orangutan. I see what they did there.
Frullet - when someone has a mullet but the wrong way round.
Goon (or goon bag) - the sack of wine inside a box of wine.
And my personal favourite:
Goon of Fortune! - apparently at some parties here, they hang loads of goon bags to rotating washing lines and you stand underneath. When it stops, you drink what's above you! Jen - if we don't play this at your next gathering, I will be very disappointed...
I also asked Micheal if Australia have beer festivals and he looked a bit puzzled and replied "erm... football?" I'm guessing that's a no then.
I went to bed fairly hammered but slept very well.
The next day I walked to the Melbourne Gaol and Watch House. That was really good and I took loads of pictures of the beam where Ned Kelly was hanged.
Afterwards I wandered down to Federation Square, which is next to the Yarra River. This is terrific place with amazing buildings and galleries. Luckily, there is an International Jazz Festival going on at the moment, so I caught some live jazz in the square too. I called into the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) which is basically a huge media centre, but has a great museum about film history. There is also a section where for free you can sit in a booth on a very comfortable sofa and watch Aussie made TV shows, films and documentaries on a massive TV. I watched a few Aboriginal documentaries, which were very interesting. I then started watching Dot and the Kangaroo but got bored and left.
Afterwards I crossed the river with the intention of going up the Eureka Tower and standing on the glass floor (brilliant views apparently) but the queue was huge so postponed that one until tomorrow.
Melbourne really is an amazing city and I'm loving just walking around and taking in the sights.
It is late now, so taking my beer up to the roof terrace to enjoy the mild night. I have a full day and evening tomorrow, so will blog again when I settle in Sydney.
Cheerio!
I went to Victoria Market as planned and it was brilliant. It was loads bigger than I thought and it has to be the best food market I have ever seen. I bought two apples the size of my head. Unfortunately I couldn't really dig it as I suddenly realised just how tired I actually was. I went back to the hostel for a quick snooze, however this 'snooze' turned into a 6 hour sleep and I was woken up at around 5pm by a chirpie Aussie voice on the tanoy saying "hey there crazy cats, we're having a barby on the roof terrace at 7". I was bloody starving at this point, so headed up there.
I ended up meeting with some lovely people and having an awesome evening. There were two girls who are from England but currently living in the hostel. One of them, Callie, works for the BBC Asian Network and is currently on a career break. This of course means that she may not have a job to come home to. We were joined by two guys who have been travelling around Australia in a van for the last few months and they plan to sell the van soon and leave for Asia. The last of our group was an Aussie chap who works in the hostel called Michael. Through Michael I learnt some interesting Aussie slang:
Bogan - chav or redneck (apparently they are often seen outside stations sporting mullets and swigging VB)
Handy - wank (and no I didn't before you ask)
Ranga - readhead, as in orangutan. I see what they did there.
Frullet - when someone has a mullet but the wrong way round.
Goon (or goon bag) - the sack of wine inside a box of wine.
And my personal favourite:
Goon of Fortune! - apparently at some parties here, they hang loads of goon bags to rotating washing lines and you stand underneath. When it stops, you drink what's above you! Jen - if we don't play this at your next gathering, I will be very disappointed...
I also asked Micheal if Australia have beer festivals and he looked a bit puzzled and replied "erm... football?" I'm guessing that's a no then.
I went to bed fairly hammered but slept very well.
The next day I walked to the Melbourne Gaol and Watch House. That was really good and I took loads of pictures of the beam where Ned Kelly was hanged.
Afterwards I wandered down to Federation Square, which is next to the Yarra River. This is terrific place with amazing buildings and galleries. Luckily, there is an International Jazz Festival going on at the moment, so I caught some live jazz in the square too. I called into the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) which is basically a huge media centre, but has a great museum about film history. There is also a section where for free you can sit in a booth on a very comfortable sofa and watch Aussie made TV shows, films and documentaries on a massive TV. I watched a few Aboriginal documentaries, which were very interesting. I then started watching Dot and the Kangaroo but got bored and left.
Afterwards I crossed the river with the intention of going up the Eureka Tower and standing on the glass floor (brilliant views apparently) but the queue was huge so postponed that one until tomorrow.
Melbourne really is an amazing city and I'm loving just walking around and taking in the sights.
It is late now, so taking my beer up to the roof terrace to enjoy the mild night. I have a full day and evening tomorrow, so will blog again when I settle in Sydney.
Cheerio!
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