Apologies for the lack of posting as of late, but I've just been soooo busy with holidaying I've not had a chance to relax and take a breath! OK, sorry that isn't nice b/c I know most of you are probably reading this whilst sitting at your cubicles or office desks, wishing you were somewhere else - maybe somewhere where you could walk outside in shorts and a t-shirt, somewhere where vineyards line the road home, somewhere where your biggest decision of the day is whether to have a shower before breakfast or after.
Mwwwahhhhhahahahaha - I am LOVING the Life of an Unemployed Traveller..aside from, of course, the dwindling bank account, which I wouldn't be so concerned about except that the Australian government has royally screwed up my tax return and so I wait impatiently every day for a cheque that I should have rec'd in mid-February.
Ah - but for the record, in the first 42 days of my travels I spent an average of $23.08 PER DAY. This includes everything except my airfare (two flights at $130 total). All food, accomodation, other transit, sights, toiletries, etc. I am v. proud of myself as this is below the budget I set for myself.
OK, enough of that - here are the highlights from the last couple of weeks:
TASMANIAN ROAD TRIP
Sara and I left our Helping job in Launceston on Friday morning (Feb 23) to meet up with AMo & Craig, who'd come from Sydney for the weekend - friends of mine but all of a sudden I was outnumbered 3:1 by British people. Egads! We picked up our car hire and headed East, towards the coast. Our destination for the night was a small town called Bicheno, one of the many places on the east coast where you can see 'little blue penguins' or 'fairy penguins' come ashore. We had booked a penguin tour and thoroughly enjoyed seeing the penguins as the walked around us and into their burrows.
Saturday morning we headed to the nearby Natureworld so we could see some Tasmanian Devils. I didn't think it would be v. enjoyable, but it turned out to be a huge highlight because there were wallabies (small kangaroos) and kangaroos walking around freely. They would approach us looking for food - so we bought some and fed them by hand - awwww!!! We also got to touch a really cute wombat named Elsie and a Tasmanian Devil and saw emus, ostriches, koalas and snakes.
We headed south to Freycinet Park where we endured a 4 hour hike (11 kms) so we could see Wineglass Bay, which was lovely despite the grayish skies. After that we were all pretty knackered and happy to sit in the car and drive 3 hours to Hobart. It was Saturday night so we headed out for a bite to eat and the Brits for a few gallons of beer, while I sipped my Diet Pepsi (darn New Year's Resolutions!). - sidenote for the record - still not eating junk food or drinking alcohol but seem to be the same bloody weight anyways!!
Sunday we took it easy because some of us (read the hungover ones) really couldn't handle much more than sitting in a car. We drove back to Launceston via the Great Lake route - due to drought it wasn't so Great anymore and seemed to have divided itself into a few Less Great Lakes.We said our goodbyes to Amo & Craig then headed to our hostel on the mountainside (brilliant!!).
Monday we drove to Cradle Mountain (v. famous mountain in Tasmania) and hiked around Dove Lake (6 kms). By the end of that we were pretty tired of hiking and headed back to Launceston to get a good night's rest before our flight the next morning back to the mainland.
THE GREAT OCEAN ROAD AND ONWARDS TO ADELAIDE
The Great Ocean Road is one of the world's greatest driving experience due to the amazing scenery sculpted into the coastline of VICTORIA by seas from the Antarctic. I have to admit, it was pretty breathtaking, although the highlight (12 Apostles) wasn't quite as enjoyable through the fog & mist we encountered.
We were to spend 3 days and 3 nights travelling 1,100 kms along the Great Ocean Road and to Adelaide. We decided we needed another person along for the drive, so I had put up a notice and an English guy the same age as Sara & I ended up coming along - he was good company and Sara enjoyed having another beer-drinking buddy. My favorite part of the trip was from the first day when Sara was driving along a winding road and slowed to a stop because there was a koala just plodding along on the road. EXtremely unusual - they are always way high up in the trees. Anyways I got out and was only about four feet away from it. Did I mention it had a BABY koala on its back???? By this time a few other cars had slowed down to a stop - we were afraid it was going to get hit. It stopped walking and just sat down smiling (Sara insists it was frightened to death but I like to think it was happy for the attention).
We spent a night in Apollo Bay, then saw the big sights on Day 2, spent the 2nd night in Mount Gambier (which rests at the base of a volcano - dormant) and the third night just south of Adelaide in Victor Harbour.
WINE IN MCLAREN VALE
On Friday morning we arrived in Adelaide and said goodbye to our buddy James. We then got picked up by our Helpxing hosts and taken to their home in McLaren Vale, where we are now staying. The area is beautiful - vineyards, olive farms and almond trees everywhere. The family is really really into making good food and we are working it off every day by cycling to the library(for Internet) and doing 4 hours of dragging brush and tree branches from here to there. I am sore all over.
By the way - I will be back in Halifax on June 4th. If anyone has a job for me, it would be much appreciated! Or a place to live..in Charlottetown.
'Two roads diverged in a wood, and I -- I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference.' Robert Frost
Sunday, March 04, 2007
Monday, February 19, 2007
Cadbury, Convicts & Chinese New Year - Part Two
On Saturday morning Sara and I explored the famed Salamnca Markets where sellers come to tote their wares - crafts, organic foods, etc. It was enjoyable enough, but unless you have money and some way to transport things home, it's not really a necessity to visit.
WE picked up our rental car and headed towards the Tasman Peninsula - as far south as you can go in Australia. The peninsula is home to Port Arthur, where some of the worst convicts from England were sent in exile. It is also home to a horrible massacre that took place about 10 years ago when a local guy killed 35 people.
On our way to Port Arthur we stopped at a Strawberry U-Pick and, well, picked some strawberries of course ! The Tasman Peninsula was gorgeous ...it reminded me a lot of the Isle of Arran in Scotland - mountains and valleys - v. picturesque and unspoiled.
I waited while Sara explored Port Arthur then we hopped in the car and went to a few lookout points and a beach. Back in Hobart we went out for Indian curry then called it a night.
Sunday we headed up to Launceston. Originally this was meant to only be a stopover on our way to a little village called Derby where we were going to do some Helpxing, but teh woman didn't want us to come until Monday and this really didn't make any sense financially, so we are now staying for the week with a family here in Launceston that need helpers. Yvonne, the single mom who runs the house, is v. much a fan of Asian culture and, in fact, lived there for four years. She has a lot of young asisn females that stay here.
When she picked us up on Sunday afternoon we headed to a Chinese New Year picnic where we were fed loads of yummy food including a massive quantity of asian dumplings. Apparently it's a tradition and I wasn't going to argue.
So we are now settled into a suburb of Launceston and helping out with a bit of household stuff. Yesterday we ventured down to the Cataract Gorge where there is a huge swimming pool and the river set against a breathtaking vista of cliffs.
WE picked up our rental car and headed towards the Tasman Peninsula - as far south as you can go in Australia. The peninsula is home to Port Arthur, where some of the worst convicts from England were sent in exile. It is also home to a horrible massacre that took place about 10 years ago when a local guy killed 35 people.
On our way to Port Arthur we stopped at a Strawberry U-Pick and, well, picked some strawberries of course ! The Tasman Peninsula was gorgeous ...it reminded me a lot of the Isle of Arran in Scotland - mountains and valleys - v. picturesque and unspoiled.
I waited while Sara explored Port Arthur then we hopped in the car and went to a few lookout points and a beach. Back in Hobart we went out for Indian curry then called it a night.
Sunday we headed up to Launceston. Originally this was meant to only be a stopover on our way to a little village called Derby where we were going to do some Helpxing, but teh woman didn't want us to come until Monday and this really didn't make any sense financially, so we are now staying for the week with a family here in Launceston that need helpers. Yvonne, the single mom who runs the house, is v. much a fan of Asian culture and, in fact, lived there for four years. She has a lot of young asisn females that stay here.
When she picked us up on Sunday afternoon we headed to a Chinese New Year picnic where we were fed loads of yummy food including a massive quantity of asian dumplings. Apparently it's a tradition and I wasn't going to argue.
So we are now settled into a suburb of Launceston and helping out with a bit of household stuff. Yesterday we ventured down to the Cataract Gorge where there is a huge swimming pool and the river set against a breathtaking vista of cliffs.
Cadbury's, Convicts and Chinese New Year
Tasmania - home to the worst of Australia's convicts, a chocolate factory, an extinct tiger-striped marsupial and the Devil.
Yes, I did finally leave the horse farm (sniff sniff). It was with sadness that I said my goodbyes to the McInnes family after 4 weeks of wonderful rest & relaxation and only a little bit of horse poo shovelling. After a brief stopover in Melbourne I made my way to Tasmania and met up with Sara in Hobart.
Sidenote: It seems I've become quite senile as I left my precious makeup bag at the horse farm and my 'Essentials notebook' with all my flight details and, yep, addresses at the hostel in Melbourne. So..um..yeah..no one will be getting postcards for awhile, except immediate family :)
Anyhoo, upon meeting up with Sara we were greeted by our Couchsurfing hostess, Gai. What is couchsurfing you might ask...and if I were able to work on this new freaking Blogger I'd just put the hyperlink here, but instead I will direct you to www.couchsurfing.com. Gai and her husband live on Mt Nelson - between the two of them they have six children in their late teens and early twenties. The house they've built is amazing - wood and brick throughout. They've built a HOUSE for one of their sons and his Canadian girlfriend (good taste there!) and two of their other sons have a barn-type house to themselves with a loft and pool table and kitchen.My guess is they won't be in any hurry to leave the nest.
Friday we headed off for a tour of the Cadbury Chocolate factory. Yes...that's right - a chocolate factory and they were going to let ME loose in it :) So for one day and one day only I gave up my New Year's Resolution regarding 'No Sweets'. At the beginning and end there were free samples and there was also a bargain shop with big slabs of chocolate and 'seconds'. WEll, the funny thing...after eating only a few of the samples I felt quite queasy and, to be honest, I really wasn't loving the taste. Of course, Cadbury's here is nothing like it is in the UK so that might have been part of it, but in any case I left the bargain shop with a measly bag of mini-eggs and a small pack of jelly beans. And I didn't even finish those off!
Back in the city centre, Sara and I wandered around Hobart's waterfront,which is picturesque, with mountains in the distance and houses stacked on the hills surrounding. I had a wonderful meal of Tasmanian salmon and then we waited for a bus back to Mt Nelson. We waited in a stunning thunderstorm, which also brought rain down in bucketfuls. The bus didn't come and we eventually had to get a taxi with a few other stranded travellers. I swear...me and taxis while travelling..it's like Austria all over again.
Hmmm...well I guess this will have to be Part ONE of a post because Sara is lying here beside me waiting to go to sleep with her sleeping mask on her forehead and her eyes closed. Hint hint.
I will write again asap. Oh - and I booked my ticket home :)
Yes, I did finally leave the horse farm (sniff sniff). It was with sadness that I said my goodbyes to the McInnes family after 4 weeks of wonderful rest & relaxation and only a little bit of horse poo shovelling. After a brief stopover in Melbourne I made my way to Tasmania and met up with Sara in Hobart.
Sidenote: It seems I've become quite senile as I left my precious makeup bag at the horse farm and my 'Essentials notebook' with all my flight details and, yep, addresses at the hostel in Melbourne. So..um..yeah..no one will be getting postcards for awhile, except immediate family :)
Anyhoo, upon meeting up with Sara we were greeted by our Couchsurfing hostess, Gai. What is couchsurfing you might ask...and if I were able to work on this new freaking Blogger I'd just put the hyperlink here, but instead I will direct you to www.couchsurfing.com. Gai and her husband live on Mt Nelson - between the two of them they have six children in their late teens and early twenties. The house they've built is amazing - wood and brick throughout. They've built a HOUSE for one of their sons and his Canadian girlfriend (good taste there!) and two of their other sons have a barn-type house to themselves with a loft and pool table and kitchen.My guess is they won't be in any hurry to leave the nest.
Friday we headed off for a tour of the Cadbury Chocolate factory. Yes...that's right - a chocolate factory and they were going to let ME loose in it :) So for one day and one day only I gave up my New Year's Resolution regarding 'No Sweets'. At the beginning and end there were free samples and there was also a bargain shop with big slabs of chocolate and 'seconds'. WEll, the funny thing...after eating only a few of the samples I felt quite queasy and, to be honest, I really wasn't loving the taste. Of course, Cadbury's here is nothing like it is in the UK so that might have been part of it, but in any case I left the bargain shop with a measly bag of mini-eggs and a small pack of jelly beans. And I didn't even finish those off!
Back in the city centre, Sara and I wandered around Hobart's waterfront,which is picturesque, with mountains in the distance and houses stacked on the hills surrounding. I had a wonderful meal of Tasmanian salmon and then we waited for a bus back to Mt Nelson. We waited in a stunning thunderstorm, which also brought rain down in bucketfuls. The bus didn't come and we eventually had to get a taxi with a few other stranded travellers. I swear...me and taxis while travelling..it's like Austria all over again.
Hmmm...well I guess this will have to be Part ONE of a post because Sara is lying here beside me waiting to go to sleep with her sleeping mask on her forehead and her eyes closed. Hint hint.
I will write again asap. Oh - and I booked my ticket home :)
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