Home Sweet Home (100th post)

It feels like it was all just a dream. I'm back in Portland now, after a day without internet. After a day of cold and wind. That's just the way it is at 30,000 feet. I snuck back into town so I could surprise a few people. I told the two kids that I mentor that I had extended my visa and wasn't coming home until August. They freaked out when I knocked on their doors. I tried to trick my mom into buying magazines from a high school kid to fund a trip to Australia, but unfortunately she didn't take the bait and slammed the door in his face as I tried to surprise her by stepping out from beyond her field of view. She thought she was about to experience a home invasion and was extremely relieved when she found out it was just me. Oops.



The funniest thing is that the first true realization of being home was when I went to turn on a light and the switch went up instead of down or sideways or in or whatever. It is the little things that really define what home is. I want coins that make sense (the Australian $2 coin is the size of a dime and the twenty cent coin is almost as big as our half-dollar!), I want to understand what strangers are saying (true, Oz was easier than China, but sometime it was nearly as futile), I want to eat effortlessly (not easy unless you choose Micky D's as your main staple) and I want to see the people that make Portland my home. Ahhhh, it feels good to be home.

Of course, I am technically still homeless. Now that I am back I am going to get my driving and living situations sorted out ASAP. I'm still living out of a backpack and I'll be driving a rental car for the next week. In the next month I hope to either find a house to buy or find an apartment that I can temporarily call home.

And now, a few of my favorite moments from the past four months...


Meeting Elvis, the huge Napoleon Maori Wrasse that lives in Blue Pearl Bay


Surfing the coast with the Mojo Surf Camp in Crezzo and Spot X


Drinking more than too much with my fellow Wolfpackers from Sydney to Airlie Beach


Wakebarding at the cable park outside of Noosa


Successfully ordering our first meal from a non-English-speaking restaraunt in Shanghai


Hanging out with the Shanghai Crew at the Bulldog while we proved how much trivia we didn't know


Spending a true week relaxing, recovering and revitalizing at the Southern Cross Hostel in 1770

Internet Troubles

Just found out that my access to the Internet will be down for at least the next 24 hours. No new news anyway, so I'll be quiet for a couple of days. It's supposed to be very cold and windy tomorrow anyway...

Doing Nothing

Yesterday I was hungover, but today I feel great. Light clouds have rolled in and the humidity has evaporated so it is a perfect 80-ish degrees and occasional sun. There is even a nice little breeze! I swam some laps in the pool this morning, played a few games of ping pong and now I am back in the hammock working on my book. (Not a great book, so it is kind of work)

The family that owns/runs the hostel know me now, so it is starting to feel a little like home. I might stay a few more days again. The only downside is that the internet is up and down all of the time so I never know if I can get my messages and read the news. There are worse things.

Bundaberg Rum and Bin Bags

Last night was party night here at Southern Cross, and once again I drank too much. I had a leftover bottle of Bundaberg Rum (made just a few miles from here) from the Whitsundays trip that I was tired of lugging around, so I managed to "dispose" of that in about an hour. Ouch.

Today is a down day so I can rid myself of this pounding headache. I'm realizing that it is a much different experience to stay in one place than it is to travel every day with the same group. Most people are here for one or two nights, so just as I have met people and remember their names they are gone. What's worse, the outgoing buses that stop in Agnes Water come through at 7am so by the time that I wake up each morning the three other beds in my room are empty again. On the bright side, it is a great way to continuously meet a steady stream of new people. (Since I have been here there have been only girls staying in my room, so I'm not in any hurry to leave!)

I booked a few more nights here since I am having such a good time. This place is just what I was hoping to find, and small paradise that is a little off the beaten path.

Roo Spotting

Oops, I forgot to post yesterday. After a lazy morning I rented a bicycle and rode for several hours in order to spot a kangaroo in the wild. I rode the same route that the Scooteroo tour took me a couple of weeks ago, but all of the places that we had spotted kangaroos were without. Finally, after sweating half of my body weight away I found a house with a huge front yard and there were four kangaroos hanging out. They weren't big ones, but at this point I was so exhausted that I didn't care.

As I pulled out my camera I heard a droning buzz quickly approaching and almost immediately the Scooteroo tour (40+ scooters strong) cruised by and the Kangaroos went scurrying. What luck! After a few minutes the kangaroos came back, though. I took some video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ac4ZPa_zWIA

Today I plan to finish off my book and hang out with all of the girls around the pool. This place has about 50 guests max, and right its about 75% female!

Yeah, but what is it?

Woke up early this morning thanks to the fact that I've had to wake up early the last few mornings for various reasons. It was nice to eat breakfast while everyone else was sleeping. I borrowed a shovel, caught the early shuttle from the hostel to the beach, and spent a couple of hours building a large sand castle/sculpture thing. There were many people walking on the beach and ever few minutes somebody would ask me what it was and I never had an answer. A guy in his forties commended me and told me that I had a better appreciation of the beach than most of the residents of this town. I smiled.

Video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=17dGe7Lf5UA

The sun was hot. After a couple of hours I had to retire to the shade and drink the rest of my water. The sand-thing was crumbling while I watched it and within an hour the tunnels had collapsed and the details had melted. Today was probably around 90 degrees, but it is a heat that is unlike anything that I have ever experienced. The intensity from the sun is incredible. I am an ant under a magnifying glass.

Not sure what my plan is tomorrow. I bought a new book from the overstock at the local library, so I will probably dive into that. Tonight is karaoke night here so hopefully I can impress some of the cute girls that are staying here.

Back to 1770

I watched a captivating, three-hour lightning storm that punctuated a most beautiful sunset over the town of Emu Park last night. It was far enough away that we didn't get rained on, but close enough that the thunder shook the windows in their frames. I love thunder and lightning so i just stayed up until the storm fizzled out.

This morning I had to wake up at 4:40am in order to catch the shuttle bus that took me to a nearby larger town in order to catch the Greyhound. Unfortunately, the Greyhound was delayed because of flooded roads, so I got to sit in an empty parking lot for a couple of hours. I never got to sleep on the bus, so I am teetering on the edge of narcolepsy at the Southern Cross Hostel in Agnes Water. Nap time, here I come.

You may recognize Agnes Water because I was here last week. I have cycled back south while the flooding that is occuring up north recedes. This hostel is a true paradise and now that I am here solo (without the Mojo crew) I can relax and appreciate uninterupted the beauty around me (landscapes and females). I plan to stay here for four nights and then move north again to meet up with the Mojo guys in Mission Beach and then Cairns.

So there won't be a lot of updates from me in the next few days, but trust that life is good.

Emu Park

Took the overnight Greyhound to Emu Park and found another sleepy little beach town. This is probably the quietest town that I have been to, there are only a few restauraunts and the first two that I tried to visit were closed for good. I need a little relaxation, though, so I am heading down to the beach with my book and I plan to spend a few hours with sand between my toes and the sound of the waves breaking.

Tomorrow I am waking up early to catch another Greyhound and am heading to 1770 again for a few days. My group of fellow travelers has started to disband, so I am going to spend the next week dipping my toes in the pool and catching a few winks.

Another Day, Another Room

We partied hard last night, shots kept being delivered tome my friends. The town of Airlie Beach is small, but since it is mainly supported by the vibrant backpacker community there are plenty of bars and dance clubs to choose from. They all vary their happy hour specials, so the patrons cross back and forth from one end of the town to the next like packs of wild dingos.

We are taking a midnight Greyhound tonight, and since we had to checkout of our hostel room at 10am we are temporarily homeless. The rain-to-sun-to-rain pattern has returned, so we snuck back in to our hostel room and are currently squatters hoping that our room stays empty for the night. So far so lucky! At least we have sweet, sweet air conditioning as today is one of the most humid that I have experienced.

Tomorrow morning I will wake up in Emu Park, a town that got skipped because the only hostel was fully booked. I look forward to relaxing in a hammock by the pool and finishing off my book tomorrow.

Brushing My Teeth

Today I brushed my teeth with sand. Seriously. The white sand found in Hill Inlet on Whitsunday Island was washed out of an underwater extinct volcano after thousands of years of swirling against itself. The pure silica sand can be used to polish metals, exfoliate your skin or even to brush your teeth. Just make sure you bring some water for a good rinse!

Went snorkeling again today and met Elvis, the largest tropical fish that I have ever seen. He is so friendly that some of the people in our group even hugged him. He let me run my palms down his sides and it was quite a moment.

The Atlantic Clipper has docked now and we're in Airlie Beach for one last night before we start moving north again.

Hook Island Resort

The Atlantic Clipper stopped by a small, private resort yesterday evening, where our group enjoyed hand-made drinks and frolicked in a swimming pool overlooking the beach. The owner and operator of the resort was also the crazy bartender, and he was a super-hyper, A.D.D.-addled, Redbull-fueled spaz, which made the place even more fun and memorable.

I have no cell signal on the boat, but when I woke up this morning my emails were downloaded, so I'm hoping this email makes it out across the blue waves and around the 74 Whitsunday Islands.

Headed out to the Whitsundays

I leave this morning on the Atlantic Clipper, a three-level, 113-foot party yacht complete with water slide and deck-top hot tub. I won't have any internet until I return from three days of exploration, diving and partying through the Whitsunday Islands.

Chillin at the Lagoon

After yesterday's 70km bike ride we were perfectly happy to relax for a day. Since the sharks and jellyfish are constant dangers, the town of Airlie Beach was thoughtful enough to put in a freshwater lagoon right at the beach. We spent most of the day throwing the frisbee and soaking up rays through our 30SPF.

A travel agent tipped us to a $10 dinner special at a local bar which included steak, chips (fries) and a pint of beer. We all ate two meals and now we're headed out for some late night drinks. Tomorrow morning we'll get on our Clipper and sail through the Whitsunday Islands for three days.

Cedar Creek Falls

Still hanging out in Airlie Beach, but after yesterday's rain-induced confinement we woke early and rented bikes for the day.

We road 70km round trip to check out Cedar Creek Falls, which is an oasis in the middle of the forest. Nothing is flat here, so we were challenged by rolling hills and even a couple steepies that we had to walk up. At one point we even had to cross a road that recent rains had flooded. Knee-deep water didn't stop us! (YouTube vid tomorrow)

Tomorrow is our orientation and safety briefing for the boat trip into the Whitsunday Islands, then the boat leaves the morning after.

Row Row Row Your Boat

I don't have a boat, but I might have to get one soon. This morning we woke up to find several inches of standing water covering the grass outside of our hostel cabin. The sky was dark and fat raindrops were banging off of the tin metal roof so loudly that we had to raise our voices to communicate.

A drainage ditch that runs through the back of the hostel grounds went from dry to raging. I walked barefoot around the town and saw plenty of other visitors hiding under awnings and makeshift umbrellas.

Today is movie day and book day. The bike ride plan has been pushed back until tomorrow.

Recovery

Walked around Airlie Beach today and checked out the town. Not much to see, but tomorrow we are going to rent bikes and roam a little farther. Relaxed and recovered from drinking last night.

The beach was made up of tiny shells more than sand. It was pretty cool just to look at the variety of shapes and colors of the itty bitty shells.

Airlie Beach

Another one-street tourist trap filled with trendy boutique shops and restaurants. We are here for the week then will head out to the Whitsunday Islands on Thursday for a three-day sailboat tour. (now sit right back and you'll hear a tail, a tail of a fateful trip...) After that we'll hit Mission Beach and then Cairns.

Last night was rough, a ten hour bus ride that that dropped us here at 7am. Unfortunately check-in wasn't until noon so we got to sit in the lobby for five hours. Blegh.

Going out drinking tonight. Ciao!

Scooter Roo and Kangaroos

Today was a lazy morning in Agnes Water, since it was our last night here we had to check out of the hostel at 10am, but my Greyhound bus doesn't leave until 9:30pm, so I'm homeless for the day. Taylor and I hoofed it into town and ate some delicious sandwiches, then we went on the Scooter Roo mini-chopper tour. It is essentially a three-hour 50cc scooter tour, on bikes that look like mini Harley choppers.

I FINALLY SAW MY FIRST KANGAROO! As we mini-choppered around the area in our 30-strong biker gang I saw about 20 different kangaroos hanging out in fields and yards along the quiet roads. I tried to snap photos, but my camera wouldn't cooperate as I zipped along on my badass chopper. I feel better having seen some, though.

Tonight is a hardcore Greyhound ride that leaves Agnes Water at 9:20pm and arrives in Airlie Beach at 7am. I plan to read, watch some TV on my laptop and sleep.

Smashing Sandcastles

Today we headed down to the beach in Agnes Water and got our last surfing of the northern journey in. As we move north from here the Great Barrier Reef will block the waves from reaching the shore and surfing is impossible. We also rented a couple of boogie boards which we nearly as fun in the medium-sized waves.

The sand was perfect for sandcastle building, so we made a crazy 70s-era modern castle in about an hour. Some of these guys had never built a sandcastle before and regarded it as work, but I introduced them to the fun of destroying a sandcastle and they were pretty enthusiastic about that.

Tonight is a chill night for us, since the bar at our hostel (one of only two bars in the entire town, and the other is a 40-minute walk on a highway with no shoulders) closes at 10pm. We might play Century Club tonight to use up the extra beer cans that we have been lugging around.

1770 (Agnes Water)

Internet here is crap, and I'll be here for the next two days. No cell signal either, so I can't post my regular photo, but you will survive.

This is a tiny town and there are no real bars or anything, but my hostel has a bar with ping pong and karaoke, so I should be happy for tonight. Tomorrow is going to be surfing and a scooter tour of the town? We'll see.

Back from Fraser Island

Just returned this afternoon from a three-day adventure on Fraser Island, the world's largest sand island. Our group, plus three others, were handed the keys to some classic Land Cruiser Troopies and we spent most of three days exploring the sand trails, beaches, freshwater lakes and wildlife on the island. We spent nights at a permanent camp that is shared by several other adventure groups, so there were about 100 people drinking and partying in camp each night.

During the days we swam in beautiful, secluded freshwater lakes with catfish and small turtles nearby. We hiked to vantage points that allowed awesome views of miles of sandy beach. We ate lots of bread and ham!

It was fun, but I'm glad to be back on firm ground with showers and real food. Ate myself silly tonight, stomach hurts a little now. Tomorrow is a bus ride to the town called 1770.

Hervey Bay

A three hour bus ride this morning dropped us off at Hervey Bay, one of the fastest growing communities in Australia. It is a sprawling town that reminds me of every suburb I've ever seen, except that it happens to border a calm, sheltered body of sea water.

Early tomorrow morning our group will pile into a couple of 4X4 Toyota Landcruisers and be ferried across the bay to Fraser Island, the largest sand island in the world. We'll spend three days (probably without any Internet) roaming the island and partying in permanent tent cities at night, with groups of other campers doing the same thing.

The weather has lightened up and the rain has stopped, and though it will remain cloudy for the next 48 hours it will still be warm enough to ditch shoes and shirts. God this place is great!

Rainy Day

Last night as I tagged and captioned photos in my Picasa album on a lounge chair by the pool, a large bat hanging in the palm tree above me spilled some precious guano across my back, shoulders and white towel. After a quick dip in the pool to wash it off I snapped a couple of photos that are worth checking out here:
http://picasaweb.google.com/darrendriven/australia2011
(scroll to the last photos to see it)

Last night a serious rain storm took hold of the region and the roar of rain woke me up several times. It rained all day today so our posse lazily napped and relaxed, trapped in our hostel room. The beach volleyball court turned into a pool and the actual pool overflowed and ran down the pathway leading to the lower rooms.

We escaped the rain inside of the local theater and watched No Strings Attached as we drank cola laced with rum purchased from the bottle shop next door. (props to Jodi and Mica for that practice)

Tonight is going to be another rally night as we just purchased two more boxes of "goon" (wine in a box) and three more fifths of rum.

Tomorrow is a travel day from Noosa to Hervey Bay, where we will stay one night then begin our three-day Fraser Island camping and 4X4 adventure.

RHD and Bli Bli

Totally hungover yesterday, hit the sack early last night while everyone else went out. Felt great this morning and rented a Nissan X-Trail, which is similar to a Honda CRV, and drive around Noosa a little to get used to driving on the "wrong" side of the road. I had no problems, but kept hitting the wipers instead of the turn signals.

Noon was creeping up quickly, and I got the peanut gallery piled into the SUV and we drove about 30km south to Bli Bli. We spent the entire day at a cable park, which is essentially a man-made lake with a long cable running around pulleys suspended from tall poles. You can do laps around the lake and there are ramps and rails just like a snowboard park. (If you fall you get to swim to shore and walk back to the start ramp) I had fun pulling grabs and 180s off of the tallest jump and even successfully navigated one of the intermediate rails. I also crashed. A lot.

Dinner was a great burger at the local Irish pub and a couple pints of Kilkenny's to wash it down. Now I'm pleasantly exhausted and I'll have no problem zonking out.

On the road again...

Went out to a club last night, drank a lot and somehow walked the wrong way when I left. A two-block walk turned into a 40-minute exploration of Surfer's Paradise.

Slept late, watched Zombieland in the hostel's TV room and now it's early afternoon and I'm on a Greyhound headed for Noosa, by way of Brisbane. Three hours in a comfortable air-conditioned reclining seat, I can deal with it!

It's a hot one

The sun was out today and the clouds were gone. 92 degrees is hot in Portland, but in Australia it feels like 120. Since the ozone layer is destroyed here the UV isn't filtered out and you can burn in minutes, so staying in the shade is important.

Today we chilled out at the hostel. I slept 12 hours last night, fighting a sore throat that is tickling the back of my throat. As the sun was starting to dip behind the tallest trees Tyler and I started a tennis match that soon turned epic. After we were tied 6-6 games we played a long tie-breaker that ended well for me. Dripping sweat we shook hands and went back to hiding in the shade.

Hopping on a bus to Noosa Heads tomorrow. It should be a smaller town, quieter and more laid-back.