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| Agnew Water Camp Site |
Day 283 Sat 01/19/2013
Agnes Water for Camp
“Today I leave Airlie Beach with Austrian brothers Alex & Thomas along with French friends Claire & Justine. We camped at Agnes Water tonight. We BBQ’d & I met the French girls travel buddy, Petroo the Kangaroo.”
Well there are five of us crammed into this Ford Falcon station wagon, but we all get along and the girls don’t seem to care to be stuck in the back with the American. The campsite we found in Agnes Water was a large open area with lots of options for privacy. The bugs were pretty bad. I remember covering myself in the strongest bug repellant we had. Showering was not an option, because I wanted to be dripping in bug off.
Thomas & Alex are great cooks. They enjoy the barbie, so we were served great food tonight. This will be the only night the French gals are staying with us. They are hopping out at Noosa beach tomorrow as we pass through. Han Solo & Petroo enjoyed each other’s company tonight as the six of us drank Toohey’s New Tinnies (Toohey’s New being the beer make & Tinnie meaning they are aluminum cans).
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| Petroo & Han Solo getting loose! |
Day 284 Sun 01/20/2013
Noosa Beach
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| The pavilion in Gimpy we ate lunch under |
“We packed up camp from Agnes Water. I made Nutella sandwichs along with Vegemite & cheese sangers (sanger = Australian for sandwich). We ate lunch in the town of Gimpy under the pavilion in the middle of the square. We dropped the girls off at Noosa Beach, but not until after we jumped into the ocean to cool off. I really liked Noosa, but off to Brisbane.
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| SANGERS! |
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| Noosa Beach from left Claire, Justine, Tomas, Alex, Petroo & I |
Once in Brisbane we checked in for a shower at the hostel. We grabbed some quick dinner, then we met Patricia who was living & working here. We headed down to Kangaroo Point for some rock climbing. We had so much fun. I must climb more when I get back to the USA. We were top roping. I’m so glad Alex & Thomas knew what they were doing. Patricia even gave it a go. She sure did leave in a hurry though and didn’t seem too interested in talking with me. Oh well.
Alex & Thomas had made arrangements with two other girls to ride south with us from here in Brisbane named Kim & Kim. They came to see us at Kangaroo Point while we were climbing.”
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| Patricia & Thomas |
Noosa is a hippy little town where surfing and relaxing by the beach is a way of life. I wish I could have spent more time here, but I am desperately low on money. I have a cheap way to travel right now with my new friends. We split the fuel and meals 5 ways. We are eating sausages and sandwiches for all meals. I cannot afford hostels, and we are tent camping in free camping areas. I must stay with this ride. I have called my old friend from the US, Kurtis, hoping to catch up with him. Work is slow this way according to him. He is living over here close on the Gold Coast somewhere.
I’m going to be in trouble. We just blew right through the Sunshine Coast, & I think this is where Kurtis is living. Before I knew it we were in Brisbane checking into a hostel. We had a shower and decided we could treat ourselves to a meal at a restaurant. I would be using the credit card, because all of my cash will be going to the Austrian lads for the ride.
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| Brisbane at Night |
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| Thomas is silhouetted while his brothe Alex is climbing |
Alex, Thomas & I went for a drink after our climbing and found out this city, or at least the area we are in, shuts down after 10PM. There was NOTHING going on anywhere. We found one bar to grab a drink in, and boy was it a trip. There was a little person in a motorized scooter crushing beers. Imagine Mini-Me from Austin Powers in a power-chair drinking pitchers of beer at a time. He was running over everything. There was some bogan Aussie there with him, and we couldn’t tell if they were friends or not. To me it looked like the guy was taking advantage of the little guy’s disability. Both were completely plastered drunk. I remember looking over at Alex & Thomas thinking, “Where the hell are we?” We finished our drink and left in a hurry. I am sure we found the worst spot in Brizzy. So to all my buddies who are from there and/or live there I am not counting your city out. I have heard it is an awesome town.
Oh, and after rock climbing somehow we jumped onto a ferry that took us from Kangaroo Point down the river. We crammed a good bit into the few hours we spent here.
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| Brisbane |
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| Thomas climbing with Alex on belay |
Day 285 Mon 01/21/2013
Red Lion Inn
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| Our campsite for the night |
“We went to go get Kim (Germany) & Kim “Kimbo” (England) from their hostel first thing this morning on our way out of Brisbane. We had carrots & coleslaw for a snack. Our lunch spot was up on Mount MacKenzie Lookout. We had a HUGE bag of chips. Stopped at the Red Lion Inn for a cold beer. We would have stayed here at the red Lion Inn, but the girls were unsure about it. Taylor & Annie, the owners, were going to let us stay there for free as long as we ordered another beer and a meal. I was game, but like I said, the girls were not.
I am in BAD need of a dentist, a massage, & a job. Hang tough! Things could be worse.”
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| Alex |
Kim & Kim were good travel buds also. They were very laid back. I had taught the two French gals the game of “HEY COW” I had learned from Janina. Hearing Claire yelling “HEY COW” in her French accent was great. The 2 girls travelling with us the previous day were better at this game than the two new gals. I cannot remember if I even could get these two new ladies to roll the window down a have a go. That’s OK though.
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| Thomas on the barbie |
It would have been nice to camp out back behind the Red Lion Inn. The owners were super nice. They were even offering Kimbo a job there serving if she wanted it. The food would have been great, and the prices on beers were super cheap. This place was in the middle of nowhere though. They just wanted to have some friendly people to talk to. Yes, yes, I know it sounds like the beginning of a horror story, but this would have been a great addition to this story. It was out own personal country pub in the middle of nowhere for the night, and both owners were game to have us stay for free with one meal. I had no dog in this fight though. I was along for the ride. The girl’s said NO, so the bros said fair enough.
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| Thomas |
The HUGE bag of chips I speak of means at some point in a servo or Wooly’s (grocery) we picked up a bag of individually bagged chips that was enormous. I hope I have a picture of it. We all got a laugh at the size of this miscellaneous bag of chips. Everyone loved the ranch dressing I bought to dip the carrots in. Actually, I might have just bought mayonnaise. I remember whatever it was, it was a hit. We were sick of eating straight up carrots. Last time I had to eat a plain carrot I was with Frank & Roel out in the bushland somewhere. I ate half the carrot and threw it a mile into the bush in anger saying “I cannot eat another damn carrot!” Dipping these carrots in this dressing is amazing.
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| Kim (GER) & I |
Day 286 Tue 01/22/2013
Lighten the Load
“(New England, Uralla, Armidale, Glenn Innes, Walcha, Aslpey Falls, & Thunderboltz Way) Aspley Falls is just 20km SE of Walcha. We found a Kentucky & Texas here in NSW. The brochure I had gives the story of Captain Thunderbolt, a legendary Australian Bushranger from 1863. My filling in my already broken tooth is loose and about to come out completely.
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| Aspley Falls was quite amazing |
As we were crossing the Manning River I got news about Dad and the surgery he was having today. All went well according to Mom, but he was not being sent home just yet. She assured me there was nothing to worry about.
Leah is stuck in LA trying to get back to Perth. On a completely different note, the Austrian brothers’ vehicle really needs some new shocks. This car is bouncing all over the place, but it’s still an awesome ride. It makes a world of difference having a vehicle. I must come back here and do it the right way (with a vehicle).
More “HEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYY CCCCCCCCCCCOOOOOWWWWWWWWWWW!” Many cows looked up from eating grass today. This reminds me of when one of our friends back in the US would just say “Cow” every time she saw a cow. It was kind of strange, but always very funny.
The bill for the RideShare was only $60. This was for food & fuel! The furthest they go is Newcastle. I’m going to take the train into Sydney. They drop me on the curb right near the train station. I thank them for everything, and we wish each other best of luck. I throw away Daniel’s bag with some of my stuff still in it on purpose. Now I am down to my big backpack & my small one (ditched the duffle bag that was full of SCUBA gear). I still have the Santa Cruz.
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| Alex at the overlook |
Did I mention Kim from Germany taught us some Chinese? Ni Hao Ma? How are you?
I take the train into Sydney, and from there I jump on another train to Bondi Junction. Astrid, Mie & Cecilie have been living down on Bondi Beach ever since we had all parted ways. I’ll book a hostel down there & look for work. I managed to ride my bike down to Bondi Beach with all of my bags & met the girls at Moo Burgers. I booked into Surfside Bondi Beach Backpackers. It feels DAMN GOOD to be down to only 2 bags! Why did I bring so much stuff over here with me? Two pair of cowboy boots! Really? Jeez! I’ll know how to do it better next time. My fins Jason gave me from the Rum Runner have been slightly bent in this journey down. I’ll have to work on them later.
I ate pizza tonight after the girls had their Moo Gourmet Burger. Ceci bought me a green tea that was so delicious. Thanks Ceci!”
Let me reiterate how amazing it feels to be down to TWO bags, which believe me is still too much. Compared to what I had though I am free as a bird. Yes, having SCUBA gear landed me a job working dive boats. Yes, cameras have added so much weight as well, but I have priceless photos and videos to justify. Actually, it will be scary to run through the videos I have from this trip. My hard drive has crashed and I think I have lost many videos, but more than likely I have NOT lost everything. Back to the point! I wore my Lady Gaga T-Shirt for a month in Darwin. A smart traveler would have come with one t-shirt. If you need another one then find a deal on one at a thrift shop in the country you are travelling in. This T will have more meaning to you than any T’s you bring from your country. I came with way too much stuff. Leah was right! |
| Aspley Falls |
I threw away many items as I got out of the vehicle with Thomas & Alex. I was on the street near the train station, and if I couldn’t carry it quickly I was dead in the water. I took a photo of Daniel’s bag one last time before filling it with dirty clothes, worn out clothes, and various other items I have chosen to forget so as to not be sad about tossing them. I strapped my BCD onto the outside of my large pack and hung my fins there as well. I looked like a homeless SCUBA diver with a hella nice mtn bike. I remember thinking “If someone wanted to rob me I am helpless with all of this hanging gear.” Grab my bike and I can’t run fast enough to catch you. If I did drop my bag to chase you then there is a bag with everything I own in it.  |
| Goodbye to my brother's bag :( |
Did I really need any of this though? Most of my pictures had already been put on the internet. So they were backed up. I had clothes on. My SCUBA gear is rags after hundreds of dives along the east coast and Great Barrier Reef. Not a big loss losing them. The fins have sentimental value because a pirate of the Coral Sea gave them to me (Thanks Jase!), but he would understand. I told myself I didn’t need any of the stuff in my bag. I had my passport in my pocket. I didn’t have any cash. I think if someone took my bike I would be relieved! I am tired of not riding it in the mountains where it belongs anyways. I can ride a stolen rusty old shitbox of a bike around in the city. It will match my overall look anyways.
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| Waiting for the train in Newcastle heading to Sydney & Bondi Beach |
I sat at the train station waiting for the train into Sydney. I was fairly mobile as well. I had the large bag on my back, the small camera bag on my front, and could walk my bike beside me. I met a guy named Jules from a local band called Rap Scallion. This guy was broke as well, with dreads, a guitar case, and a bag smaller than the camera bag I was carrying. He told me he had friends in Sydney near where his band was playing tonight who were offering a free place for him to stay. He was carrying everything he owned as well. I felt very lucky with what I had. Not counting everything I had waiting on me back in the USA.
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| Writing in my journal on the train ride into Sydney, NSW This is what you are reading right NOW. ;) |
I was still not the best with public transport, but I managed to get in the right spot to hop immediately onto the train to Bondi Junction. According to the Danish girls living on Bondi Beach there is another bus I will need to take down to the Beach. It is too far to walk from the bus station at Bondi Junction to Bondi Beach. Well the bike wouldn’t work on the bus. I cannot remember exactly how I managed to get on my bike with all this weight and actually ride down the street. I put my headlamp on backwards so not to get run over (it was dark by this point) and flew down the road to Bondi Beach.
The girls saw this Beverly Hillbillies style biker come flying down the streets looking for Moo Burgers. They got a laugh. I am sure they did the look over the shoulder to ensure they had no friends nearby. There was no way they would claim me. However, to my surprise they were all hugs! They finished their burgers and I grabbed a pizza slice as I went to check into my hostel. I showered and cannot recall if we did anything at all this night. The green tea Ceci got me was super tasty though. Welcome to Bondi Beach! |
| Astrid & Me |
Day 287 Wed 01/23/2013
Bondi Beach
“Today I tore out on my bike looking for jobs. I stopped by a pet grooming store, a servo (service station), & a café. I met Astrid down on the beach for lunch. I had picked up ham, cheese, an avocado, & crackers at the IGA. YUMMY! After lunch we went back up to the girls house and played a card game called 500. Winner = ME! First Round… Second Round… Booyah! J
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| Astrid playing 500 card game |
Took a shower back at the hostel (this tells you how rarely I shower when I put hygiene details in my journal). We are having dinner tonight at a friend of the girl’s house, David, over in King’s Cross. They made TACOS!!!!! This was very good company as well. I even got a fairly decent marriage proposal from a very cute (cute meaning good looking since cute is not used properly anymore) a very cute Australian girl, named Sarah.
I put so much cheese& sour cream on my tacos Ceci decided I needed to just eat a cheese & sour cream sandwich. Other than getting a full on blown out of a flat tire on my bike heading home due to glass this was a great night.”
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| Ceci shuffling for 500 |
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| I would give dogs wicked hair-do's |
I had a chat with the owner of the pet grooming store this morning about working with her. I love animals and could totally fake knowing how to cut the hair of a dog. I have cut my own hair many times, and Dad has always said I had hair like on a dog’s back. I got this. I really wanted a trial run for the sake of the story. She said her only helper was leaving for a month vacation in a week, and she would call me if she needed help. She seemed very sincere. Her English was OK, but she had come from Asia very recently I gathered.
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| Han Solo near the water down off Bondi Beach |
I forget how the servo idea even came about. I think I grabbed an application from them as a last resort. It was an Indian owned servo, and they needed a night shift worker. Yikes, I really didn’t want to put myself through another night job, and this one would be ten times worse than drinking beers with Frank & Roel all night at Monty’s. Hell looking back that job was awesome.
I recall nothing about which café I went by for work opportunity. I think they said they needed a lady to run the front. In Oz they can get away with saying this. They didn’t want my mug up front selling coffees.
Lunch down on the beach with Astrid was great. This is an awesome beach area, and it is one of the most famous beached in the world. Astrid has her own surf board too. She has been taking lessons and getting much better.
Dinner tonight was great. I love tacos! David is pretty funny as well. His friends were all very nice. There was a big crowd, and for the most part I had to sit back and listen. I think I have written notes on tonight somewhere else, but I remember David talking about travelling to Denmark at one time. He said he was amazed at how dark it was indoors at night there. Something about the excess of super strong lamp shades I think. He was poking at his three Danish friends, so I didn’t know what to take seriously. I just know the topic was very funny. Thanks for the hospitality David & friends.
Day 288 Thur 01/24/2013
Will from Jasper TN
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| Mie on the way to David's for dinner. We had a bubblegum bubble contest. |
“I had brekkie (breakfast) at the Danish girls house. They were kind enough to let me use their washer to wash my clothes. Astrid & I swapped pictures from Airlie Beach. Bart called me from Melbourne while I was on my way to Sushi Train for lunch. After lunch I met one of the girl’s house mates, Keegan from Vancouver, Canada. He calls himself Budz, but he also calls everyone else Budz. It is very confusing, but he is hilarious. Fabiano (Brazil) & Justine (France) are 2 other roomies. Astrid has something bothering her today. It seemed like I was the cause.
Keegan & I bought a few ciders to drink tonight. Then we all went to the Bondi Hotel Bar where we met Matt & his mate Dingo. Then I ran into a guy from Jasper, TN named Will Blackburn. No way! He bought us Jack Daniel’s shots. Good NIGHT!”
Will even knew Camp Normal. He has found permanent work in Australia and loved throwing whiskey shots all over the bar at me. It was great to hear from Bart. We are talking a plan about getting the gang back together soon.
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| Jack shots with Will from Jasper, TN |
All of the roomies at the girls house are super nice. Keegan is a trip. This Dingo guy was super sketchy at the hotel bar. I liked hearing his bullshit stories, but he was super creepy towards the ladies. None of my business though. With a name like Dingo I am not messing with him. Damn dingos travel in packs, and he might know every other fool in this bar. Thanks for the JackD shots Will. Meeting someone from your country overseas is awesome. Meeting someone from you state is wicked, but meeting someone from across the mountain is… time for whiskey shots I guess.
Day 289 Fri 01/25/2013
Fully Booked Hostels
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| Keegan (CAN) & Fabiano (BRA) |
“I had to wake up early & check out of my hostel because they are fully booked for the weekend. The money alone was enough to have me check out. The rates went from $30 per night to $75 per night. What the heck? No gracias! I did, however, take advantage of the hostels FREE surfboard rentals with your stay. I surfed for a few hours yesterday, so I have surfed Bondi Beach.
The reason the hostels are so pricey is because this weekend is Australia Day. I’ll stay at the girls’ house tonight, then Bart & I are headed to Wollongong to stay with Angie for the weekend. I watched a funny hockey movie, Goon, with Keegan, Astrid, & Fabiano tonight.”
Angie has been begging to have Bart & I come down & see her and her friends ever since the Solar Eclipse trip on the Rum Runner. When Bart heard the hostel situation he was in for a different plan. He was flying back in from Melbourne in the morning. I was to meet him at 6AM at Bondi Junction so we could hop on the next train south. Goon is an awesome hockey movie too (if you like fighting and very little goal scoring, similar to the movie Slapshot).
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| Biggest turd of a sea gull on Bondi Beach running everyone off (or trying to) |
More good times to come! Thanks for reading! <3
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