I met Philip, a 20 year old German guy, via another contact. He was traveling down the Great Ocean Road to Adelaide. He bought his own car, seemed very intelligent, but lacked lots of social skills. His voice was shaky, as if he wasn't use to talking, he was twitchy, and constantly talked about his life...which just involved his loving parents. At a McDonalds, we picked up Dutch guy headed that way as well. He had the flu or something, and was passed out in the back seat the entire time. Just an extra guy to split the cost of gas.
It was a full two day journey, ~600km , along a very twisty road along the ocean. It's one of the most sought after backpacker places in Oz.
We slept in the car the first night, in the parking lot of park in a random town halfway there.
The second night, we spent the night in an actual campsite. Both Philip and the Dutch guy got sick, so I slept in the tent that was brought along.
Because Philip got sick, I was needed to drive, for the first time, on the left side of the road. I kept veering one direction or the other. I don't think Philip got much rest. He didn't let me drive in town, just on the open highway. Probably a good thing.
Romanians in the Australian Air Force
I spent three days in Adelaide, as it was a gateway so I could fly to Alice Springs.
It was here I met Nikson, whom I had been talking to months before on another website. When we met up so we could go grab drinks and talk to girls, I found out he was Romanian and not Australian. He also had his own drink named after him: the M.I.T. As seen here:
At $17.50 per drink, x8, it added up to a large amount of cash. Of course, I didn't buy them all. We basically 'shouted' each other all night (aka, split the rounds). Nikson flirts with the bartender, shows me how to make flower napkins, and we both talk to large sets of people, in attempts to become instant friends. Which we do. It was a typical night for him. We find a few clubs, but they have outrageous cover charges and are full of 18 year olds. I decide that Adelaide is kinda boring.
Alice Springs and angry Aboriginals
The next day I flew out to the very middle of Australia to the only town there, Alice Springs. 15% White rich people and 85% poor Aboriginals, racial problems and alcohol abuse are a huge problem here.
General saftey is needed, such as:
-If you're white, don't walk outside after 8:00p.m.
-Take of expensive looking watches if walking out alone.
-If someone asks you the time, keep walking and tell them from a distance.
-Lift up toilet seats before using, in case spiders are under them.
-Walk a little faster than everyone else. If someone is keeping your pace...be aware.
I only spent about three days in Alice Springs because it was a gateway to go on a tour of the Outback. I booked a tour to visit Uluru, a giant tectonic plate that is stuck sideways up through the earth and is spiritual to the Aboriginals.
The tour took our van of 14 or so people through Kings Canyon, Valley of the Winds, and Uluru. We slept in sways (canvas sleeping bags with a mattress) out in the middle of no where. With zero light pollution, you could see the sky from horizon to horizon and every star in it. A scorpion did fall out of my sleeping bag, but other than that no problems. Snakes saw humans as to large to be prey, and the spiders were attracted to the heat of the fire, rather than our bodies.
Out tour guide couldn't eat gluten due to a brain injury he suffered while competing in a motorbike challenge. Doing so, causes short term memory lose. He told us he avoided his girlfriend for two days because he had no clue who she was or why she was in his apartment.
Road Trip
After the outback adventure, I met a girl from Canada at the hostel, with her own car. We decided to split gas and drive to the coast. It was a long three day drive. We took turns sleeping and driving. She had a mattress in the back of the station wagon were we slept. We stopped by the Devils Marbles, a giant lake up north to go swimming in, visited a bat recovery house. I should also note, that she manage to hit roadkill while it was in the middle of the road...with both tires. On the second night, we sneaked into a more expensive campsite, parked the car, and slept there. In the morning, there were kangaroos hopping around outside the car. We left before any managers noticed. It was good to not be using road side bathrooms.
European party city of Cairns
I stayed in Cairns for about one month.
It's a smaller city full of backpackers. The girl from Canada and I got an 8 share bedroom with other backpackers at a recommended hostel from a guy in Alice Springs. I talked to the owner and convinced her that I could do tasks in exchange for a free room for a week or two. I painted walls, fences, cabinets; scrubbed floors, and cleaned up the BBQ area. It was a pretty good deal and saved me about $200.
Two Dutch girls were also in our room, as was another random Dutch guy. After going out downtown, they decided to have sex at 4a.m. on their bunk bed. It is one room, with 8 bunk beds lined up in it. I felt bad for the guy on top of the bunk...all moving around and the squeaking noise below him. The girl from Canada was freaking out the next morning. Luckily, the whole act only lasted less than five minutes.
The rest of Cairns was all about meeting people from all over the world (Scottland, Ireland, Germany, Holland, Korea, Japan) and then getting drunk off cheap wine with them on the open air balcony at the hostel, then going to The Woolshed, a bar that encourages dancing on tables, stripping contest for travel vouchers, and doesn't close till 4a.m. Something like this would never get by in America before someone would sue someone for something. I guess that's the beauty of a backpackers city...everyone comes and goes within the month...or days.
The Great Barrier Reef
I guess I knew this, but didn't really realize it. The Great Barrier Reef is not just off the shore of Australia. It's an hour long boat ride on the ocean. With big choppy waves. When you get seasick 45minutes from the shore, there is no possible way to stop the up and down/side to side motion. It's like being stuffed inside a washing machine...all you hear is the sloshing of the water and your own vomit.
After we finally got to the anchor location, I actually felt better. I was given a stinger suit (which makes you look like a Smurf) to protect from jellyfish. I ordered an underwater camera the day before and took full advantage of it. The sky was clouded over that day and the reef wasn't as bright and colorful as the magazines make it look. It was still full of life and crazy corals and all very exciting. I was slightly nervous about the vast emptiness below me. The reef sometimes just ended and dropped off into dark water. One moment you would be swimming along a shelf full of color with sand below you. The next there would be nothing.
Remember the scene in "Finding Nemo" where Nemo is chasing after his friends through the reef, then all of a sudden he finds himself outside the reef, floating in the dark, empty ocean.
It was very much like that.
I was also really nervous about all the things going on below my feet I couldn't see. Bopping in the water, you couldn't see anything below you. But as soon as you look under the water, you'll find yourself inches from the reef itself and fish and other creatures zigzagging right next to you.
The whole trip was worth the discounted price. -Back in Melbourne there was a guy who sold trip vouchers at an auction and I won the snorkeling trip for 1/2 price.
I don't know exactly how long I stayed in Cairns, but I was running out of money. That's when I finally resorted to farm work...the theme of the next post.
