i’m broke, but i made it
that title pretty much sums it up. i've made it to cairns, the final destination on this once-in-a-lifetime journey...but i'm all out of money! if you've been following you may remember my post from brisbane in which i listed the various activities i would be partaking in. yes, i've completed most of them and my bank account ain't too happy about it. since my arrival i have gone skydiving, scuba diving, white water rafting, camping on fraser island and i took a cruise around the whitsunday islands. i've spent about everything i have, but i can't say i regret it.
magnetic island was magnificent. it has become, quite possibly, my favorite place on the face of this planet. my time there was, by far, one of the best segments of my trip. as soon as i set foot on that island i knew, with absolute certainty, that i was not supposed to be anywhere else in the world. i met some incredible people there and had, literally, the best time of my life.
having reached my destination (and that of many others), i'm forced to say goodbye to many people who are now going home or continuing their travels elsewhere. i am not, of course, the only person backpacking up the east coast of australia and i have met some truly amazing people since i have arrived. i will never see many of these people again but i can guarantee that i will never forget them.
meeting these people has also stimulated my thirst to continue traveling around the world. england was never on my list of places to visit but it has quickly risen to the top. germany, bali, thailand, sweden and denmark have been added to the roster as well. i could do this for the rest of my life.
well it’s been a while…
...since my last post. i have been incredibly busy and haven't had time for anything other than australia. i have been to seven towns within the past twenty days and i just arrived in my eighth, a little town called ayr. i will be diving the s.s. yongala shipwreck tomorrow, reaching a depth of approximately 30 meters (100 feet). the ship went down in 1911, taking with it all 122 people aboard. this oughta be good.
since noosa (my last post) i have completed a 4wd camping trip on fraser island and a sailing/diving cruise around the whitsunday islands. i could go into details but it would likely evolve into a ramble with many connecting (and disconnected) tangents. i'll spare both your time and mine.
next stop: townsville, the jump-off point for magnetic island. i've gotta finish this trip soon...i'm running out of money! it's been seven weeks since i began my journey here and, as do most things, my trip must find an end. i figure i've got about ten days left. 2200km down, 450 to go.
toilets, american pie, koalas and plane jumping
the one question that most people from the states want to know the answer to: do the toilets really flush in the opposite direction? nope. they flush straight down. a big stream of water just pops out like a fountain and down it goes. disappointing, i know, but it's the truth. the australians seem to have engineered their bathrooms quite well, actually. they have two buttons for flushing--one is a half flush, only using half as much water. if everyone in the states is so concerned about environmental conservation, someone please tell me why we haven't adopted this idea. it's pretty genius, actually. their bathrooms also tend to use a deadbolt locking system which, when locked, changes an indicator on the outside of the door from "vacant" to "engaged." basically, it's a port-a-potty door and the need to knock is completely erradicated. they've obviously put a lot of thought into this.
the one question that most everybody else in the world wants to know the answer to: are the parties in american really like the movies? well, the answer is yes. and many people have used 'american pie' as a comparison. it's funny, actually, that more people ask me that question about the states than anything else. barak obama comes in as a close second. we have such an excellent reputation.
and finally, the one question that i ask most people from other countries: do you hate americans? and most of the time the answer is yes, they do. as a united states ambassador i have a lot of work to do. and i can't say, with much certainty, that i'm doing a very good job ;-)
i visited the australia zoo (steve irwin zoo) yesterday. it's kind of unsettling seeing a gigantic photo of a dead man plastered on every piece of wall in the entire joint. but, by crikey, i enjoyed myself. i held a koala bear. i hugged it and loved it and made it mine. rest assured that, upon my return to the united states, i will be in posession of, at the very least, one koala bear. these things are quite possibly the most adorable little balls of fur on the planet.
i jumped out of a plane two days ago. 14,000 feet is pretty high, by the way. a 60 second freefall was followed by flips and turns over houses and treetops that i could almost touch with my toes. it's exhilirating and exhausting but, yes, i did it, and i will probably do it again. coupled with the koala cuddling i have now completed two items on my bucket list.
off to noosa in a couple hours, then rainbow beach to begin my self-guided 4wd camping trip around fraser island. sailing and diving cruise around the whitsunday islands happens in just a week and a half. this is the good stuff.
brisbane
brisbane is a lively and eccentric city. street performers, ferris wheels, asian gardens, breweries and man-made lagoons surround the brisbane river, reticulated only by landmark bridges and lesser-known freeways; there is much to do here. i arrived yesterday and spent today in 'south bank,' wandering through the queen street mall which, if i weren't practicing this thing called self-control, could capture me in its tentacles for days. this city is a fascinating place and i may end up staying for a few more days than i had originally planned. tomorrow i will visit the local farmer's market with high hopes of catching a glimpse of true australian culture. these hostels certainly can't provide me with a proper taste of this civilization. this place is like a friggin hotel.
though steve irwin may be dead, i will celebrate his life for a mere sixty dollars at the australia zoo. and for only thirty more i can hug a koala at the lone pine koala sanctuary. a quick tour of the xxxx brewery is only an extra thirty five. and for a couple hundred more i can visit moreton bay, a somewhat smaller interpretation of fraser island, which will only run me about four hundred dollars to visit. and skydiving in caloundra won't set me back any more than three hundred and fifty. a whitsunday sailing sensation is only about five hundred more so i'm pretty sure i'll be living on the street, begging for spare change within the next two weeks. donations are welcome. maybe i need to find a job...
it's funny how the days run together when you're on the road. i can barely remember where i've been. i can barely remember who i've met. i rarely remember what day it is, much less the date. wait, what month is it anyway? i'm taking naps on a daily basis. it's very tiring, taking in all this new information every minute of every day. nothing is ever the same, i have no routine.
new photos posted. something's wrong with my camera and the colors aren't showing up properly. i'll work that out. take a look.
and to whoever is spamming my posts: i don't want to buy your xanax. i'll find it somewhere else. so please, stop. thanks.
signing out,
boston
one territory down!
i made it to the gold coast! coolangatta is a nice little town but i don't think i'd be able to handle more than the two nights i've spent here. the coolangatta sands hotel provided a balcony directly off my room so i slept outside both nights. that was probably the highlight of my stay here, which isn't saying much, but it was refreshing nonetheless. some of the scenery here is just spectacular. i took some great photos which i will post soon.
it's exhausting, traveling like this. i never stay in one place for more than a few days and i'm constantly doing something, trying to make the most out of my time here. i really should take a couple days off, but i'm going to surfer's paradise in about a half hour and i don't think i'll be doing much resting there. it's known to be australia's party paradise and i'm slightly interested in saving the few brain cells i have left.
woah
my nipples are rather sore. surfboards provides no mercy. seriously, it's bad.
byron bay is more or less out of control. i planned on staying through the weekend but i have already spent far too much money. i must get out of this town. somebody told me about this thing called self-control. that's what it's called, right? i'm trying to learn, so i'm leaving early.
it's the small towns that offer true insight into australian culture. byron bay is very touristy and, even though i like it here, there is nothing australian about this town. the weather is pretty much crap anyway so it's time to move on.
ok, the internet is wicked expensive. i'm about to get kicked off so i must bid you adieu.
my regards,
boston
byron bay is next
i've been talking about going skydiving for a few weeks now but it hasn't actually formed itself into a tangible reality until just about...now. i'm going to jump (within the next week) in byron bay, one of the most popular places to skydive in australia. i had considered jumping from above mission beach but, since i'll be gearing up to go scuba diving by the time i get there, now seems to be the most appropriate time. a 14,000 foot jump nets over 60 seconds of freefall at almost 200kph (120mph). i feel like bella right before she jumped off that cliff.
yes, i watched 'new moon' last night. what a terrible decision that was...
i'm starting to think about what's coming next. i've got surfer's paradise to look forward to, brisbane, rainbow beach, hervey bay, fraser island, the whitsundays and more.
i know a lot of people have visited oz before (or happen to live here!). got any recommendations? please, leave a comment and let me know! if you did something spectacular i'd love to hear about it. i might be able to make it a part of my fantastic journey.
surfing in yamba
after a night full of beers, bbq and the beach, i (somehow) managed to get out of bed at 8:30 this morning. nothing like an early morning surf session to cure a hangover. i've been out three times at this point and i am, by no means, qualified to be surfing these waves. i was on the receiving end of many aquatic beatings today. i highly recommend it.
"shane's ten buck tour" involved a four hour walkabout of this tiny little town known as yamba. we went cliff jumping, saw some sights, visited some beaches, took some pictures, etc etc. quite an excellent way to spend the day. as it turns out, the yamba hostel is a pretty amazing place. it's clean, the people are friendly, the commodities are top-notch and the weather is fantastic. i planned on staying one night, but alas, i have been here for two and will be staying for two more. there's something about this town. you just don't want to leave. but i must. my journey must continue.
new photos posted.
i think i'm getting sick. please excuse me while i puke.
welcome to australia, jeremy
these past few days have been quite exhilerating. i had to choke out an aussie native until the cops came. i saw a man get hit by a car. i seem to be making quite a name for myself around here. welcome to australia, jeremy.
i'm currently in coff's harbour. i've finally figured out the way things work (as far as backpacking, staying in hostels and meeting random people along the way goes). the first few days were rather awkward but things are starting to smooth out and i'm getting into the groove. a seven and a half hour bus ride consumed most of my time yesterday, but i'm finally making my way towards the good stuff. the road between sydney and coff's harbour is more or less void of...well, anything. yamba is next, about an hour east of nimbin, the marijuana capital of australia. this oughta be interesting.
surf lesson in two hours. skydiving in a few days. scuba diving in a couple weeks. it's about to get nuts. more nuts. this place is crazy.