There were a few stops to make on the way to Sydney. We landed a housesitting gig for the month leading up to our departure, and didn't have to be there until mid-September so we had a month to explore the coast and slowly make our way. We knew once we got to Sydney there would be many things to do, so we wanted to enjoy our last bit of freedom.
There were many coastal towns with beautiful beaches to explore, and we stopped at a few to check out the prospect of snorkelling. Mission Beach had a great market with lots of things to look at, and we bought some fresh young coconuts from a vendor there. We walked the long beach as we drank the juice and snacked on the flesh, then went for a dip. The water was a bit sandy to see anything, but it was still a nice area. On our way into town we had stopped at a creek area and spotted a cassowary for the first time! He actually gave us a bit of an adrenaline rush as he moved continually toward us, but luckily was only interested in the fallen fruit. We saw another one on the road out of town, walking the tree line in search of food. Bowen was a great little spot, with a beautiful sandy beach at Horshoe Bay, and a rocky border that was full of coral and interesting fish. Airlie Beach turned out to be a really lovely little town, but there wasn't a whole lot in terms of snorkelling. A gal at the local herb shop recommended Coral Beach in Airlie, and while the walk there and the beach itself was great, the visibility wasn't so good. It was too bad, because we were told this would be a great spot to swim with some sea turtles. We collected some coral from the beach and checked out some of the shops in town instead. Some of the other towns had some nice beaches, but we weren't willing to pay to take a boat out to the Whitsunday Islands for the good snorkelling. It was expensive, and we'd spent our money on our reef trip the week before.
The next area we stopped at for a while was just north of Brisbane, at a campsite called Coochin Creek. From here we spent a day at the Australia Zoo just up the road, and got our Crocodile Hunter fix. Seeing Steve's zoo was pretty amazing, and everything was just as I remembered from watching the shows. The most spectacular part was the Wildlife Warriors show, with the big crocs and other critters, but the most touching was the Animal Hospital. It was plain that not many people visited this area of the park, but it was my favourite. As we walked in, a team of veterinarians was operating on a very large green sea turtle, as an exploratory surgery to see what was wrong. Past him, the koala care unit was full of koalas recovering from surgeries and munching on eucalyptus. Most of them had suffered injuries due to being hit by cars, and here they were getting the care they needed. I could tell that this was the heart of Steve's zoo, and it was really special to see this important work in action.
Also very near to Coochin Creek was the Glass Mountain National Park, so we took a drive to check out the scenery and walk some of the trails. We spent one night in Brisbane, doing some necessary flight-planning for Asia, and checking out the night scene which was full of live music. We also caught a bit of the Jazz Festival at Broadbeach on the Gold Coast, just south of Surfer's Paradise. There was a great band with a singer who sounded remarkably like Michael Buble, and we stayed for a while to hear their renditions of some Sinatra tunes.
The next big attraction to the area for us was Byron Bay. We found a rest stop just outside the town which was free to stay at, and we camped there for a few nights in a little space hidden by some trees and overlooking a field full of cattle. We even spent a couple days making and selling jewelry to the folks who stopped in! We checked out the town when we needed to charge our electronics and use some wifi to get in touch with home. We discovered a little music shop off the main road called Three Worlds, and were very excited to find some beautiful didgeridoos and drums. We got talking to the manager, Brad, and even ran into the resident didge maker, Adam. In chatting with the guys, we asked if there was anywhere in town that we could camp cheaply, and they very casually and generously offered for us to park our car out behind the shop where Adam lived in his bus! There was a large grassed area and a few community gardens behind the shop as well. We could tell that this was our kind of place...
We ended up sticking around Byron for a couple weeks, living out of our car behind the music store and busking during the day to make some extra cash. We bought our groceries from the market and used the kitchen space in the shop to cook our meals. We picked fresh greens from the garden for salads, and occasionally treated ourselves to a decadent smoothie from the raw-vegan cafe down the street. We met some really wonderful people in the area, and experienced all kinds of new things as a result! I took our jembe to a drum circle and led the group one night, then we played a little at a community gathering with free chai and massages. Brad hosted a Fire Party at Threeworlds, and we were introduced to fire-staffing, fire-twirling, poi, and hooping. These were skills that the folks practiced not only for fun, but for shows as well, and we acquired a taste for playing with fire. I got some quick lessons in hooping from a beautiful gal, and started practising with a hoop from the shop. I very quickly realized just how much I love to hoop! I made good use of the lawn, between the hooping and practising yoga every day. Jason spent much of his time in the shop practising his didge skills and learning some new techniques from Adam. He was obviously in heaven, playing didgeridoo for hours every day. He even got the chance to witness and take part in the process of making some didgeridoos! Adam had a whole shipment of logs come in while we were there, and Jason got the chance to make a didge from start to finish on his own. The whole time in Byron was an amazing learning experience in so many ways.
After a couple of weeks, it was finally time to head to Sydney, the last stop in our Aussie adventure. We managed to squeeze in a bit more WWOOFing; one week spent at a quiet property in the hills with some horses, a dog and a peacock, with a beautiful new strawbale home and a WWOOFer treehouse; and another week at a Swami Saraswati's Yoga and Health Centre, where we lived as both one of the staff and as a guest. At Swami's, we made some fantastic connections with yogis and musicians, played a number of concerts and meditation sessions, cooked and ate fantastic Indian food, and of course took part in some yoga classes ourselves. It was a great experience, and it felt like we were there for far longer due to all the amazing things we did and great people we met.
We had a lot of things to take care of before leaving Sydney, so a housesitting gig was the perfect opportunity for us to have some essentially free accommodation, and the freedom to get our errands done. We managed to have a place just outside the city centre, only a 40 minute train ride to the CBD. Our task was to look after two gorgeous Dobermans, and just take general care of the house while the owner's were away in the States. Among plenty of drama, we managed to get our visas for our trip to India, ship our many instruments back home, sell our car for the same amount that we paid for it nine months earlier, and even earn ourselves some extra cash at a casual job! It was certainly nice to have a bed to sleep in for that last month, a full kitchen to ourselves, and the freedom to explore the area and the city. We had been living in our car for a solid three months, as well as our stint in Tassie and the road trips prior; and New Zealand would be spent in a tent, cooking over the camp fire once more. After a year tramping around Oz, the first stage of our trip was coming to a close. With feelings of excitement for something new, some anxiousness to move on, and some sadness to be leaving this amazing continent, we said goodbye to Australia and all of the beautiful people we met along the way. We honestly hope to return one day, to see some of the places we missed the chance to experience, and to revisit some of the places and people we fell in love with. Until then!
Check out our videos of the reefs, the Australia Zoo, Byron Bay, and our WWOOFing adventures on Youtube.
Friday 24 January 2014
Sunday 22 December 2013
The Great Barrier Reef
After the National Parks that we had so looked forward to seeing, the last big ticket item fr our trip was of course to visit The Reef! It is considered to be the largest living thing on the planet, as the entire reef itself is in fact alive with many species of corals. The plan was to get to Cairns and either spend a day snorkelling or diving the reef from there. Our budget wasn't any bigger than before, but our anniversary was coming up and we gave ourselves permission to be spoiled at least a little.
So we headed across the desert for the last time, south from Litchfield and then east to the coast. After being in Oz for nine months, this was actually the first time we had seen the east coast, other than from the plane. In Cairns we found some information on the weather for the upcoming week (which of course affects the seas quite drastically) and some info on reputable and affordable companies to sail with. While the reef is massive, it is still quite a ways off shore, so it is necessary to take a boat out to really see it. We made the decision to go on a day with calmer winds and seas about a week later, so we ended up with a bit of time on our hands to see some other area in the meantime!
Cairns was sadly not an affordable place to stay, as there was absolutely NO free camping, and a caravan park would cost at least $35 per night. It's too bad, because the night markets seemed really nice and there were plenty of interesting shops and restaurants by the beach. So we made our way up to the Tropical North, a couple hours above Cairns, and covered in tropical rainforest. We camped at Noah's Beach campground, which, while not free, was minimal in cost and facilities, and suited us well. The site was a good size, and only twenty metres from the beach! While we were there we went for many walks in search of cassowaries, but only found some lace monitors and other small lizards. The rainforest was lush and beautiful, but damp. No wonder. It was a lovely area but after a few days we were longing to dry out our sheets and clothing. We drove back down to Cairns and bit the bullet, paying for one night at a caravan park before our Reef excursion.
The boat was a good sized catamaran, and the company we went with was called Sea Star. They were very professional and knowledgeable about the reef and its inhabitants. Most of the crew were dive masters, and although we decided to only snorkel that day, we learned a lot of SCUBA from them. The trip out to the outer, more pristine reef was about two hours. It wouldn't have been bad, but my stomach was not particularly behaving that day and I soon felt nauseous. I spent the majority of the trip at the back of the boat getting the air and sea spray as a result. When we reached our first location at Michaelman's Cay, we were immediately greeted by very large and colourful fish as we geared up. The water was quite clear, turquoise blue, and seemingly warm enough, but that changes after being in the ocean for an hour or so... We tried to take as many photos and videos as we could, but soon our hands were shaking too much to keep the camera steady! The corals were beautiful, with tons of blue finger coral, large and small plate coral, brain coral and the occasional fan. The most unexpected thing we saw were the giant clams! They are massive creatures, with a pale grey outer shell, then blue or purple lips, and often a red interior. The lips move with the waves, and an electric blue membrane flutters just inside and creates a very intriguing illusion of blue and white lighting up the clam's mouth. Jason took a dive down to one of the clams, and snapped his fingers in front of the clam to demonstrate how their mouth closes up to protect themselves!
We made a quick visit to the cay itself, which was covered in thousands of seabirds, and was formed over hundreds of years by parrot fish who chew up the coral and spit out the fine ground coral bones to form the powdery white sand. Then we had a lovely buffet lunch on the boat as we sailed to our second destination. There were many vegetarian and vegan options, which we had called about to make sure, and there was fruit and tea at almost all times. The break also allowed us to warm up slightly in between excursions, though our wetsuits were still cold and wet when we had to put them back on. The second sight where we snorkelled was called Hastings Reef, and was even further out than the first. The coral was pristine, and the reef was quite shallow in most places so we had to hover on the surface many times to avoid kicking anything and damaging the reef. This allowed us to get really close to some of the creatures and fishes though, and we saw so many varieties it was a bit overwhelming! We found plenty of beautiful types of clown fish, angelfish, rainbow-coloured parrot fish, tangs, butterfly fish, and even one great big moray eel. Jason had to dive down a ways to get a photo of him, and I could see just how big the eel was in comparison. We snorkelled around and tried to film until we were cold and shaking, and it was time to head back to shore.
We were exhausted, and the ride back was a bit rough, but we made it in one piece. It was an amazing experience that we won't soon forget, and are looking forward to exploring some more underwater worlds when we get to Asia! All of our videos are on Youtube, and there are plenty of photos of our reef adventure on Flickr. Please enjoy, and stay tuned!
So we headed across the desert for the last time, south from Litchfield and then east to the coast. After being in Oz for nine months, this was actually the first time we had seen the east coast, other than from the plane. In Cairns we found some information on the weather for the upcoming week (which of course affects the seas quite drastically) and some info on reputable and affordable companies to sail with. While the reef is massive, it is still quite a ways off shore, so it is necessary to take a boat out to really see it. We made the decision to go on a day with calmer winds and seas about a week later, so we ended up with a bit of time on our hands to see some other area in the meantime!
Cairns was sadly not an affordable place to stay, as there was absolutely NO free camping, and a caravan park would cost at least $35 per night. It's too bad, because the night markets seemed really nice and there were plenty of interesting shops and restaurants by the beach. So we made our way up to the Tropical North, a couple hours above Cairns, and covered in tropical rainforest. We camped at Noah's Beach campground, which, while not free, was minimal in cost and facilities, and suited us well. The site was a good size, and only twenty metres from the beach! While we were there we went for many walks in search of cassowaries, but only found some lace monitors and other small lizards. The rainforest was lush and beautiful, but damp. No wonder. It was a lovely area but after a few days we were longing to dry out our sheets and clothing. We drove back down to Cairns and bit the bullet, paying for one night at a caravan park before our Reef excursion.
The boat was a good sized catamaran, and the company we went with was called Sea Star. They were very professional and knowledgeable about the reef and its inhabitants. Most of the crew were dive masters, and although we decided to only snorkel that day, we learned a lot of SCUBA from them. The trip out to the outer, more pristine reef was about two hours. It wouldn't have been bad, but my stomach was not particularly behaving that day and I soon felt nauseous. I spent the majority of the trip at the back of the boat getting the air and sea spray as a result. When we reached our first location at Michaelman's Cay, we were immediately greeted by very large and colourful fish as we geared up. The water was quite clear, turquoise blue, and seemingly warm enough, but that changes after being in the ocean for an hour or so... We tried to take as many photos and videos as we could, but soon our hands were shaking too much to keep the camera steady! The corals were beautiful, with tons of blue finger coral, large and small plate coral, brain coral and the occasional fan. The most unexpected thing we saw were the giant clams! They are massive creatures, with a pale grey outer shell, then blue or purple lips, and often a red interior. The lips move with the waves, and an electric blue membrane flutters just inside and creates a very intriguing illusion of blue and white lighting up the clam's mouth. Jason took a dive down to one of the clams, and snapped his fingers in front of the clam to demonstrate how their mouth closes up to protect themselves!
We made a quick visit to the cay itself, which was covered in thousands of seabirds, and was formed over hundreds of years by parrot fish who chew up the coral and spit out the fine ground coral bones to form the powdery white sand. Then we had a lovely buffet lunch on the boat as we sailed to our second destination. There were many vegetarian and vegan options, which we had called about to make sure, and there was fruit and tea at almost all times. The break also allowed us to warm up slightly in between excursions, though our wetsuits were still cold and wet when we had to put them back on. The second sight where we snorkelled was called Hastings Reef, and was even further out than the first. The coral was pristine, and the reef was quite shallow in most places so we had to hover on the surface many times to avoid kicking anything and damaging the reef. This allowed us to get really close to some of the creatures and fishes though, and we saw so many varieties it was a bit overwhelming! We found plenty of beautiful types of clown fish, angelfish, rainbow-coloured parrot fish, tangs, butterfly fish, and even one great big moray eel. Jason had to dive down a ways to get a photo of him, and I could see just how big the eel was in comparison. We snorkelled around and tried to film until we were cold and shaking, and it was time to head back to shore.
We were exhausted, and the ride back was a bit rough, but we made it in one piece. It was an amazing experience that we won't soon forget, and are looking forward to exploring some more underwater worlds when we get to Asia! All of our videos are on Youtube, and there are plenty of photos of our reef adventure on Flickr. Please enjoy, and stay tuned!
Tuesday 22 October 2013
Litchfield National Park
Some people had said to us, "Litchfield-do, Kaka-don't". Well I wouldn't go as far to say that, but it is deffinitly on our list of places to go again. The thing we missed in Kakadu were safe places to swim, and this Litchfield has a great deal of. This park had many things to bring people in like the huge termite mounds, the magnetic termite mounds and some great landscape, but what really draws the crowds are the swimming holes. Most of the water holes were not very wide but due to so many years of cascading would be more than 12' deep. There were also beautiful waterfalls and walks to do. We ended up spending 5 nights in this park and almost didn't want to leave. We were of course sleeping in our car, washing our clothes in the sink at public toilets and cooking on open fires. All of this we got to do for free because no one came to collect camping fees. We met some great backpackers along the way who would come share our fire at night and even ran into some friends we made in Kakadu. All in all a great addition to our trip!
Saturday 19 October 2013
Kakadu
Canada Day in the Australian Outback. A little bizarre, yes, but we found a way to celebrate anyway! The nights in the desert were starting to warm up, and so were the days. We were only an eight hour drive from our destination in Kakadu National Park, but there were some interesting sights on the way. We stopped at a highly recommended spot near Daly Waters, called Bitter Springs, which was much nicer than the name suggests. It is a thermal spring, or hot spring, at a pretty constant temperature of around 96 degrees farenheit, and a beautiful turquoise hue. Crystal clear, we took our snorkel gear in just in case we were to spot a turtle or freshwater croc, but no such action. We hung around for a while, then went on our way to find a camp site. We stopped at a truck stop that was well off the highway, and had ourselves a great fire while the stars came out. We had to imagine our own fireworks, but it was still beautiful.
The next morning we headed through the town of Katherine to stock up on some supplies. Kakadu is a very remote and still quite wild area of the Northern Territory, and even though we were going to be staying in Jabiru, the only town inside Kakadu National Park, the supplies there had to be flown in or trucked from a great distance and were therefore very expensive. We entered the park, purchased our two week pass, and headed to a camping area called Gungurul. As we took a walk, we were very excited to see our first "Warning: Crocodiles. No Swimming." sign, but the creek bed was pretty dry at this time of year and there was no imminent threat. The camping area filled up quickly, and we were thankful to have gotten there early. Little known to us, it was school holidays in the Northern Territory, and we quickly discovered that this meant Kakadu would be very crowded. Luckily for us, we had a place to stay with our friends we met in Margaret River, so we were just camping for the night.
The way up to Jabiru was still quite a distance, so we took our time to see what we wanted to on the way, hoping we didn't have to back-track too much later on. We stopped at Yellow Water, a vast marshland, in hopes of seeing some crocs, but at midday all we got were heaps of mozzies. Then a visit to the Warradjan Cultural Centre proved very educational and entertaining. We learned a bit about the Bininj people who are the traditional owners of the land Kakadu inhabits; about the Rainbow Serpent that formed the landscape according to Bininj tradition; about the six seasons of Kakadu, and the seven regions we had to explore. After having a bit of education, we finally made our way into Jabiru to find Brett and Zsuzsa, our hosts while we were staying in the park. We were very fortunate in being invited to stay with these two; Zsuzsa is a Dutch/Hungarian gal who has travelled Australia for the last six years, and is also a skilled vegetarian chef; And Brett is a local to the area and a former Kakadu Ranger, so knows the local mob and the park pretty well! For our first night they took us for a drive to a very famous art site called Ubirr. Brett did some fishing off the Crossing into Arnhem Land while the rest of us explored the rock art "galleries" and listened to a Ranger Talk. We learned about a bit of the local diet, which was illustrated on the rock walls and in the cave overhangs in great detail! Barramundi was one of the local faves, as well as long-necked turtle, magpie goose, file snake and goanna. After the talk, we climbed up to the cliffs to watch the sunset and take in the views of the floodplains below - a landscape unique to Kakadu, and we had never seen anything like it.
The next day no one had to work, so we all had a bit of a sleep-in and relaxed for the morning. In the arvo, Brett offered to be our personal guide and took us a bit further off the beaten path to Nourlangie in Stone Country. We were intrigued by the amazing rock faces that lined the landscape, sprouting up out of the floodplains so suddenly. He pointed out some of the places that Crocodile Dundee had been filmed, but I knew we were with the real Mick Dundee right now! Brett led us in a tour to some of the art sites in the area, some of the significant rock formations, and told us the stories that accompanied the sites according to the Bininj people. He took us to Anbangbang billabong, so we could see for ourselves what a magpie goose looked like, and we also spotted some wallabies, whistling ducks and a pelican. We made quite a climb for our sunset view of the Stone Country, and savoured the silence and peace of the place. It was one of the few times when there was no one around but our little group. It was those times when we could really tune in to the spirit of Kakadu, and appreciate the land and its history just by feeling and being in its presence.
July the fifth was in fact my birthday, and I could not imagine a more perfect place to spend it. We took a picnic lunch on the road, and all piled into Brett's 4WD. We stopped at Mary River Roadhouse to pick up a treat, some (very expensive) Strongbow Cider, and then made our way up to the first swimming spot that Brett and Zsuzsa wanted to show us. There was certainly no way that our little car could have made it up there, the boulders that made up parts of the road were half the size of our tires. There were just a few other people there, and it was obvious that there were not a great many vehicles that could have gotten that far. After a short walk down toward the sound of the water, we found the waterfall. It was beautiful, clear water, plunging into a deep and fair-sized pool. The sun was filtering through the trees in the middle of the pool, but most was in the shade thankfully, as it was already heating up. Jason and I eagerly donned our snorkelling gear and jumped in. There were tons of fish, most of which we had never seen the like of before, but that we recognized from our education at the Cultural Centre. We practised our freediving and chilled out under the waterfall. We thought this was great, but Zsuzsa was convinced that we would like the next place even better, so we didn't linger too long.
Brett took us to another area known as Ferni Gully, and the road was even sketchier than the last. It could hardly have been called a road at all, most of it was overgrown with the grasses that sprung up nearby. When we reached the so-called parking area, when took our lunches and our ciders with us and walked the short track to the pools. It was amazing. There was no one else around for miles, no crocodiles in the water. Just crystal clear, turquoise pools with cascading water falls and the rest of nature. There was even a little pool inbetween a couple falls that served as a jacuzzi for Zsuzsa and myself! We enjoyed our crisp ciders in the warm sun and the cool waters. Paradise.
The only thing I really wanted for my birthday, was to see a croc in the wild. We had been looking in the rivers and on the banks as we drove over every bridge, but no luck, until we were on our way home. Brett slowed down over a large bridge, and sure enough there was a long dark shape moving along the water's surface. We parked and exited the car, camera in hand. A real live crocodile! Just cruising, looking for some fish. Then as we continued back toward Jabiru, we payed a visit to Yellow Water, where we had nothing but mosquitoes a couple days earlier. The sun was nearly setting, and the crocs were coming out! There were two really good sized blokes just off of the boat ramp, and we were able to get a really good look at them. We were fortunate to see many, many crocodiles in Kakadu. We watched them hunting at the Crossing for the next few days at high tide, and then we got really close to them on the Guluyambi Cruise. Big and small, they were everywhere.
The thing that sets Kakadu apart from so many other national parks in Australia is the richness of culture, and the willingness of the local Aboriginals to share that culture with visitors. The Ranger Talks were amazing, there were many at different locations throughout the park, some being 'walk and talks', and others more of a discussion focussing on a specific artwork or subject, like Family and Kinship. The complexity of the family systems that the Aboriginal peoples use is way over my head. I only began to grasp the basic concepts that keep blood lines clean, and the idea of family being everyone in your clan, and having multiple "mothers" and "fathers". It was so interesting and unique to this culture. Another we really appreciated learning were the artistic traditions from the area. Of course, Jason was keen on playing some didgeridoo and maybe learning more about the building process. He didn't quite get the Walkabout experience, but there were some great blokes form Arnhem Land who were keen to play. These guys taught a workshop about the local painting style, and I jumped on board! They talked about the significance of what they paint, how they paint it, and the colours they use. I even got to do some painting with them and ask all the questions I could think of! They were super open, and very talented. I can say it takes a very steady hand and a lot of time and patience and practice to get those super fine cross-hatched lines, using only a river reed as a paint brush. These guys were pro. I did get to practice more throughout our trip, and I can definitely say I've improved since then. There were also some women from Arnhem Land that came and taught a workshop on how to make the amazing pandanus baskets and bowls. It was a three hour workshop, and let's just say most of didn't get passed the initial splitting of the grass fibers... Truly amazing work.
We spent nearly two weeks in Kakadu, but there was just so much to take in. Before we left we were super lucky to be invited onto the Guluyambi Cruise by Brett and Zsuzsa's neighbour, Robert. He was also a really well known artist in the local tradition, but during the day he worked on the cruise giving guided boat tours. He took us, and twenty other people, on this gorgeous cruise to get up close to the crocodiles and really see them in their environment. He talked about the local plants and all their many uses, his people's hunting traditions, favourite places to find bush tucker, and he took us across the river into Arnhem Land for a spear-throwing demonstration. He had carved the spear and the woomera (spear thrower) himself. On the way back, we talked a bit more about Country, and the history of the landscape, and how the locals use cool fires to burn Country in the cool dry season to avoid really hot fires in the hot and dry. The Aboriginal techniques for land management are so simple and effective, and only now are "experts" acknowledging how intelligent their solutions really are. We got quite the education in Kakadu, and it certainly opened our eyes up to another world. It is one of the places we would definitely come back to if there were a second trip to Australia in the future...
Our next leg of the trip takes us to Darwin, to the famous Mindil Beach Markets, and then to Litchfield National Park for a very different experience. All our croc and Kakadu photos are in our gallery on Flickr. Til next time!
The next morning we headed through the town of Katherine to stock up on some supplies. Kakadu is a very remote and still quite wild area of the Northern Territory, and even though we were going to be staying in Jabiru, the only town inside Kakadu National Park, the supplies there had to be flown in or trucked from a great distance and were therefore very expensive. We entered the park, purchased our two week pass, and headed to a camping area called Gungurul. As we took a walk, we were very excited to see our first "Warning: Crocodiles. No Swimming." sign, but the creek bed was pretty dry at this time of year and there was no imminent threat. The camping area filled up quickly, and we were thankful to have gotten there early. Little known to us, it was school holidays in the Northern Territory, and we quickly discovered that this meant Kakadu would be very crowded. Luckily for us, we had a place to stay with our friends we met in Margaret River, so we were just camping for the night.
The way up to Jabiru was still quite a distance, so we took our time to see what we wanted to on the way, hoping we didn't have to back-track too much later on. We stopped at Yellow Water, a vast marshland, in hopes of seeing some crocs, but at midday all we got were heaps of mozzies. Then a visit to the Warradjan Cultural Centre proved very educational and entertaining. We learned a bit about the Bininj people who are the traditional owners of the land Kakadu inhabits; about the Rainbow Serpent that formed the landscape according to Bininj tradition; about the six seasons of Kakadu, and the seven regions we had to explore. After having a bit of education, we finally made our way into Jabiru to find Brett and Zsuzsa, our hosts while we were staying in the park. We were very fortunate in being invited to stay with these two; Zsuzsa is a Dutch/Hungarian gal who has travelled Australia for the last six years, and is also a skilled vegetarian chef; And Brett is a local to the area and a former Kakadu Ranger, so knows the local mob and the park pretty well! For our first night they took us for a drive to a very famous art site called Ubirr. Brett did some fishing off the Crossing into Arnhem Land while the rest of us explored the rock art "galleries" and listened to a Ranger Talk. We learned about a bit of the local diet, which was illustrated on the rock walls and in the cave overhangs in great detail! Barramundi was one of the local faves, as well as long-necked turtle, magpie goose, file snake and goanna. After the talk, we climbed up to the cliffs to watch the sunset and take in the views of the floodplains below - a landscape unique to Kakadu, and we had never seen anything like it.
The next day no one had to work, so we all had a bit of a sleep-in and relaxed for the morning. In the arvo, Brett offered to be our personal guide and took us a bit further off the beaten path to Nourlangie in Stone Country. We were intrigued by the amazing rock faces that lined the landscape, sprouting up out of the floodplains so suddenly. He pointed out some of the places that Crocodile Dundee had been filmed, but I knew we were with the real Mick Dundee right now! Brett led us in a tour to some of the art sites in the area, some of the significant rock formations, and told us the stories that accompanied the sites according to the Bininj people. He took us to Anbangbang billabong, so we could see for ourselves what a magpie goose looked like, and we also spotted some wallabies, whistling ducks and a pelican. We made quite a climb for our sunset view of the Stone Country, and savoured the silence and peace of the place. It was one of the few times when there was no one around but our little group. It was those times when we could really tune in to the spirit of Kakadu, and appreciate the land and its history just by feeling and being in its presence.
July the fifth was in fact my birthday, and I could not imagine a more perfect place to spend it. We took a picnic lunch on the road, and all piled into Brett's 4WD. We stopped at Mary River Roadhouse to pick up a treat, some (very expensive) Strongbow Cider, and then made our way up to the first swimming spot that Brett and Zsuzsa wanted to show us. There was certainly no way that our little car could have made it up there, the boulders that made up parts of the road were half the size of our tires. There were just a few other people there, and it was obvious that there were not a great many vehicles that could have gotten that far. After a short walk down toward the sound of the water, we found the waterfall. It was beautiful, clear water, plunging into a deep and fair-sized pool. The sun was filtering through the trees in the middle of the pool, but most was in the shade thankfully, as it was already heating up. Jason and I eagerly donned our snorkelling gear and jumped in. There were tons of fish, most of which we had never seen the like of before, but that we recognized from our education at the Cultural Centre. We practised our freediving and chilled out under the waterfall. We thought this was great, but Zsuzsa was convinced that we would like the next place even better, so we didn't linger too long.
Brett took us to another area known as Ferni Gully, and the road was even sketchier than the last. It could hardly have been called a road at all, most of it was overgrown with the grasses that sprung up nearby. When we reached the so-called parking area, when took our lunches and our ciders with us and walked the short track to the pools. It was amazing. There was no one else around for miles, no crocodiles in the water. Just crystal clear, turquoise pools with cascading water falls and the rest of nature. There was even a little pool inbetween a couple falls that served as a jacuzzi for Zsuzsa and myself! We enjoyed our crisp ciders in the warm sun and the cool waters. Paradise.
The only thing I really wanted for my birthday, was to see a croc in the wild. We had been looking in the rivers and on the banks as we drove over every bridge, but no luck, until we were on our way home. Brett slowed down over a large bridge, and sure enough there was a long dark shape moving along the water's surface. We parked and exited the car, camera in hand. A real live crocodile! Just cruising, looking for some fish. Then as we continued back toward Jabiru, we payed a visit to Yellow Water, where we had nothing but mosquitoes a couple days earlier. The sun was nearly setting, and the crocs were coming out! There were two really good sized blokes just off of the boat ramp, and we were able to get a really good look at them. We were fortunate to see many, many crocodiles in Kakadu. We watched them hunting at the Crossing for the next few days at high tide, and then we got really close to them on the Guluyambi Cruise. Big and small, they were everywhere.
The thing that sets Kakadu apart from so many other national parks in Australia is the richness of culture, and the willingness of the local Aboriginals to share that culture with visitors. The Ranger Talks were amazing, there were many at different locations throughout the park, some being 'walk and talks', and others more of a discussion focussing on a specific artwork or subject, like Family and Kinship. The complexity of the family systems that the Aboriginal peoples use is way over my head. I only began to grasp the basic concepts that keep blood lines clean, and the idea of family being everyone in your clan, and having multiple "mothers" and "fathers". It was so interesting and unique to this culture. Another we really appreciated learning were the artistic traditions from the area. Of course, Jason was keen on playing some didgeridoo and maybe learning more about the building process. He didn't quite get the Walkabout experience, but there were some great blokes form Arnhem Land who were keen to play. These guys taught a workshop about the local painting style, and I jumped on board! They talked about the significance of what they paint, how they paint it, and the colours they use. I even got to do some painting with them and ask all the questions I could think of! They were super open, and very talented. I can say it takes a very steady hand and a lot of time and patience and practice to get those super fine cross-hatched lines, using only a river reed as a paint brush. These guys were pro. I did get to practice more throughout our trip, and I can definitely say I've improved since then. There were also some women from Arnhem Land that came and taught a workshop on how to make the amazing pandanus baskets and bowls. It was a three hour workshop, and let's just say most of didn't get passed the initial splitting of the grass fibers... Truly amazing work.
We spent nearly two weeks in Kakadu, but there was just so much to take in. Before we left we were super lucky to be invited onto the Guluyambi Cruise by Brett and Zsuzsa's neighbour, Robert. He was also a really well known artist in the local tradition, but during the day he worked on the cruise giving guided boat tours. He took us, and twenty other people, on this gorgeous cruise to get up close to the crocodiles and really see them in their environment. He talked about the local plants and all their many uses, his people's hunting traditions, favourite places to find bush tucker, and he took us across the river into Arnhem Land for a spear-throwing demonstration. He had carved the spear and the woomera (spear thrower) himself. On the way back, we talked a bit more about Country, and the history of the landscape, and how the locals use cool fires to burn Country in the cool dry season to avoid really hot fires in the hot and dry. The Aboriginal techniques for land management are so simple and effective, and only now are "experts" acknowledging how intelligent their solutions really are. We got quite the education in Kakadu, and it certainly opened our eyes up to another world. It is one of the places we would definitely come back to if there were a second trip to Australia in the future...
Our next leg of the trip takes us to Darwin, to the famous Mindil Beach Markets, and then to Litchfield National Park for a very different experience. All our croc and Kakadu photos are in our gallery on Flickr. Til next time!
Tuesday 15 October 2013
The Red Centre
Our first goal on the way up north was to spot some Southern Wright Whales as we drove up the Great Ocean Road. These whales were nearly hunted to extinction in Australia in the 1800s, but have since recovered somewhat. There are still only estimated to be about 2000 in the wild, but we were determined to try to spot some on this trip! Our first whale-watching location was in Warnambool, and while there were plenty of surfers braving the chilly waters, we didn't see any whales. Our second day along the coastal road did not yield any whale sightings either, but as we camped for the night in Coorong National Park we did come in view of some emus! The park sat on the coast, sheltered in a bit of an inlet, and seemed a good sanctuary for many critters, as was evident by the diversity of tracks left on the beaches. Our third day on the search took us to Port Elliot, where there was even a dedicated Whale Watching Centre. We quickly learned that there had already been whales sighted that morning at Basham's Beach, a short drive back the way we had come, so we hurried off to see if we could catch a glimpse! As we drove the ten minutes back to Basham's we came in view of the ocean. Jason made sure to keep his eye out as we approached the beach, and as soon as we turned onto the road facing the water, a big beautiful tail flipped out of the water as if to wave at us! We got down to the beach and could see at least seven whales in the pod, including a calf, all spread out along the bay. We were lucky enough to see some breaching, lots of tail slaps and fin waves. This was the first time that either of us had witnessed whales in the wild, and we sat very satisfied as we ate our lunch and watched the show.
After the coast, the scenery into the top of Southern Australia changed very quickly. The iconic red dirt appeared in various shades as soon as we were north of Adelaide. The eucalypts quickly changed into scrub again, and we were once again in the Outback. Our fifth day on the road took us to a little town called Coober Pedy, which apparently is the Opal Capital of the World! The road in and out of town is lined with mining equipment and mounds of dirt, and the town itself is almost entirely underground. This is mostly to help the residents deal with the heat, but also lends itself as a tourist attraction. There is an underground hostel, restaurant, bar, many opal shops and underground galleries. You can even take a tour of a working opal mine. This day would also prove to be our first encounter with wild dingos! We camped about an our north of the town, and while we were preparing to cook our dinner, we heard the ominous howl of a pack that was obviously quite near... There was only one other vehicle in view, and they seemed to be getting dinner ready as well. The next thing we knew, a dingo had crept up on Jason as he was making the fire! Posing no threat, just curious as anything, and a bit bold. He was only about 3 feet away from Jason when I spotted him and alerted him to its presence. The dingo spooked easily, but kept coming back to sniff things out until after the sun went down. We would later see many more dingos, but in comparison this one was a really gorgeous dog and one hundred percent dingo, though perhaps a little skinny and scruffy. Truly unforgettable.
The following day we found ourselves at the crossroads of the main highway and Lasseter Highway that would take us to Uluru itself. There was of course a fuel station at this intersection, and as we had steadily watched the price of fuel increase, at this point it was up to $2.19 per litre! The most we ever did see was $2.30, but managed to avoid paying it. Everyone was wise to fuel up at this station, as there were only two more on the road to Uluru, and stations have been known to occasionally run out of fuel in the middle of Australia. Another couple hours of driving along the Lasseter Highway and we found ourselves at our campsite for the night, a place called Curtin Springs, that was a privately owned station turned into a caravan park. For unpowered sites, which of course is all we need, it was free to stay with a suggested donation for using the showers. There were also powered sites, small cabins, and community fire pits. It was here that we met a group of lovely Irish backpackers, and shared a fire and some tea and stories with throughout the night. These travellers had already been through quite a bit of Asia, where we were planning to go after Oz, so we very eagerly picked their brains! They were also heading to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park the next day, so we decided that we would at least meet up again the next night to watch the sunset over Uluru.
That night while sleeping in our car, we were awakened by a loud noise, what Jason thought was someone yelling. He got out of the car to have a look around, and make sure that no unwatched fires were the cause of distress, but upon not finding anything unusual came back to bed. In the morning, we learned that two of our new Irish friends, while sleeping in their tent, were rudely awakened by someone or something slashing at the outside of their tent in the middle of the night! One of the other Irish gals sleeping further away in her own tent heard this, and rushed to their help, to find that it was a resident emu who was so rudely attempting to enter their tent in the night. I'm sure from inside it seemed as though they were being attacked by some crazy person, but we were all relieved to learn that it was just a curious and inconsiderate animal. Turns out Jason's instincts were right after all, but things had settled down by the time he had gotten outside.
The next day, it was time to greet Uluru at last. As we drove along the highway toward the national park, we began to see the massive red rock rising out of the ground in the distance, and with the sun illuminating its face was such a breathtaking sight. It was hard to believe its enormity from the distance, but we soon found ourselves much closer, and in disbelief of its sheer size and natural beauty. After an educational visit to the Cultural Centre, nestled in Uluru's shadow, we headed to a side of the rock not often seen to take a bit of a walk to a waterhole. There we found a gentle waterfall, and some of our first Aboriginal rock art galleries. The marks and scars in the rock each seemed to have their own stories and legends, accorded to them by the Aboriginal ancestors who used Uluru as a gathering place, an oasis, and a place of spiritual discovery. This place was alive with dreamtime stories, illustrated on the walls by the tribes that frequented this place. The base of the rock was dotted with Sacred Sites, places of much cultural significance to the Anangu people and their Mala ancestors, and that were not permitted to be photographed or disturbed. At the cultural centre we had learned that the Mala, the people who frequently used this landmark, named themselves after the rock wallaby that had since disappeared from the area, but who was depicted in much of the rock art in the Sacred Sites.This place was an oasis for many species, and supported many birds, small marsupials and a multitude of reptiles.
After our waterfall walk, we drove around the base of the rock to the more frequented side, and found it was certainly much busier. We were appalled to find a large metal rail and chains had been pounded into the side of Uluru to assist people in climbing up the rock to the top. Along our journey to this place, we had often been asked if we were going to climb it. We hadn't even a notion that you could, and didn't decide if this was something we wanted to do. At the Cultural Centre, there were many stories and legends surrounding this place, telling of the spiritual journeys that the Mala people took to get here, and that climbing the rock was something that only men at a certain stage in their life were permitted to do, because it was of huge spiritual significance and not to be taken lightly. It was upon learning this and more about their culture that we had decided it was not something we wanted to do, or that we should, out of respect for the place and the people to whom it meant so much. So when we saw this huge scar in the rock, and children and adults running and jumping all over it, we were simply in shock. Not only this, but all along the area were signs asking you to PLEASE not climb Uluru. The chains had been put there in the eighties to encourage more tourism by white folks, but the Traditional Anangu Owners were now in joint partnership trying to petition to have the chains removed. I hope they are soon successful.
We left the crowded area with the signs and went for another walk, passing by some amazing caves that had obviously been inhabited and well used. And more amazingly, we were suddenly alone! It seems that the vast majority of the people who came to visit this place wanted to climb it, conquer it, and be on their way. Very few took the opportunity to enjoy the peace and beauty it had to offer, the surprise waterfalls and pools, and the many varieties of birds that make their homes here. The tall eucalypts were dwarfed by the towering red walls of rock, and we were lost in the unusual landscape. There was something very spiritual about this place; it seemed to us that Uluru had a personality and presence all its own. This was such a landmark moment in our trip, and somewhere we had anticipated being for so long, we savoured every moment.
That afternoon, we headed out a little ways to find our view of the rock for the sunset. We wanted a good spot, so we got there a bit early and had some fun! Jason pulled out his didgeridoo and added to the sounds of the Outback, while I dragged my mat onto a platform and absorbed the sounds and surroundings through my yoga. It was magic. A little later the Irish friends we had made joined us, and we watched the sun transform the rock into a glowing red ember as it sank closer to the horizon, illuminating the few clouds with pinks and purples. Shortly after the sun went down, the moon started to rise, and came up directly behind the centre of Uluru. It was the night before the Super Moon, and its brightness lit up the landscape as we flocked away from the event, back to find a place to camp for the night.
The next day we set out early to explore a lesser known rock formation, in the same park as Uluru, called Kata Tjuta (also known as The Olgas). While covering nearly twice the land and being also quite a lot taller than Uluru, we weren't very familiar with it, and had only seen it in the distance as we approached Uluru the day before. We were immediately stunned by the size, and its resemblance in shape to a giant submarine on the one side. We took the Valley of the Winds walk, which did involve some climbs, but each one rewarded with astonishing views. The highlight was the highest point of the walk, where we ascended many, many rock steps into a channel surrounded by two massive rock faces. As we reached the top of the steps, we could see the amazing valley views and orange rock formations, lit up by the midday sun and perfectly framed between the cliffs. But then, as we turned around to face the direction we came, we could see our ascent and the oasis down below, of trickling waterfalls, birds flying, and green eucalyptus leaves. We lingered here for a while and took some pictures, which sadly could not do it justice, and then climbed back down toward the oasis. When we reached the streams at the bottom, we spotted some beautiful green and yellow budgerigars, who were making their homes in the gum trees. Definitely a special place. We capped off our day with another Uluru sunset and a view of the Super Moon, and said goodbye to these magnificent natural monuments.
Our visit to the Red Centre had one more major stop to be complete, a series of sandstone cliffs and plateaus called King's Canyon. This was much different from the sandstone that makes up Uluru and Kata Tjuta; instead of being smoothed and polished by the elements, the monuments that make up King's Canyon are quite jagged and reminiscent of the Pyramids. We took a long walk around the canyon's rim, about 4 hours, and were again surprised by the hidden oases and groves in the canyon, one aptly named The Garden of Eden. Toward the end of our walk, as we were descending back down the cliffs, we were lucky enough to spot a rock wallaby foraging in the bushes. That night we found a spot to camp at a rest stop, though it was a bit crowded by caravaners who had assembled a sort of village... And we met up with a couple German cyclists who we were expecting to see from our previous night's camp. This lovely couple started their journey in Adelaide, where they had purchased all of their gear, and had so far made it over 1600 kilometers to the Red Centre. We had many enlightening conversations about their travels, the highs and lows of cycling, and how they were possibly carrying their food supply in such slim panniers! We really got on well with this couple, and promised to visit them in Germany one day (on another trip for sure!) where they graciously offered to host us. We all sat around the fire until it was time for bed, keeping nice and toasty warm into the cold desert night.
Something magical happened on our trip through the Red Centre; as were camping in the West MacDonnel Ranges, around our big, beautiful fire, I ventured to give the didgeridoo a real go. I had such a hard time circular breathing in my previous attempts, but for some reason it felt so much more natural this night in the Outback. A couple really intense efforts, and I could feel what it was I was striving for! And it was addictive, once I got a feel for it, I didn't want to give it up. Good thing we had two didgeridoos! Since that night I have been working on my sounds and techniques, and I'm coming along quite well. Very excited to show all of you at home how far I've come!
On our way up to Kakadu National Park, our northernmost destination, we stopped at Karlu Karlu (or the Devil's Marbles) to see some more very unique rock formations, Wycliffe Well, the UFO capital of Australia, and Alice Springs for a bit of civilization and to let our folks know we were still alive! It was an awesome experience, and I had knocked a major destination off my Bucket List at Uluru. Next, we were destined for crocodile country, and the home of Mick Dundee. Kakadu and Arnhem Land is home to the most culturally alive traditions in Aboriginal Australia, and we were about to experience it first-hand. Stay tuned!
Please visit our photo gallery here to see our adventures for yourself!
That night while sleeping in our car, we were awakened by a loud noise, what Jason thought was someone yelling. He got out of the car to have a look around, and make sure that no unwatched fires were the cause of distress, but upon not finding anything unusual came back to bed. In the morning, we learned that two of our new Irish friends, while sleeping in their tent, were rudely awakened by someone or something slashing at the outside of their tent in the middle of the night! One of the other Irish gals sleeping further away in her own tent heard this, and rushed to their help, to find that it was a resident emu who was so rudely attempting to enter their tent in the night. I'm sure from inside it seemed as though they were being attacked by some crazy person, but we were all relieved to learn that it was just a curious and inconsiderate animal. Turns out Jason's instincts were right after all, but things had settled down by the time he had gotten outside.
The next day, it was time to greet Uluru at last. As we drove along the highway toward the national park, we began to see the massive red rock rising out of the ground in the distance, and with the sun illuminating its face was such a breathtaking sight. It was hard to believe its enormity from the distance, but we soon found ourselves much closer, and in disbelief of its sheer size and natural beauty. After an educational visit to the Cultural Centre, nestled in Uluru's shadow, we headed to a side of the rock not often seen to take a bit of a walk to a waterhole. There we found a gentle waterfall, and some of our first Aboriginal rock art galleries. The marks and scars in the rock each seemed to have their own stories and legends, accorded to them by the Aboriginal ancestors who used Uluru as a gathering place, an oasis, and a place of spiritual discovery. This place was alive with dreamtime stories, illustrated on the walls by the tribes that frequented this place. The base of the rock was dotted with Sacred Sites, places of much cultural significance to the Anangu people and their Mala ancestors, and that were not permitted to be photographed or disturbed. At the cultural centre we had learned that the Mala, the people who frequently used this landmark, named themselves after the rock wallaby that had since disappeared from the area, but who was depicted in much of the rock art in the Sacred Sites.This place was an oasis for many species, and supported many birds, small marsupials and a multitude of reptiles.
After our waterfall walk, we drove around the base of the rock to the more frequented side, and found it was certainly much busier. We were appalled to find a large metal rail and chains had been pounded into the side of Uluru to assist people in climbing up the rock to the top. Along our journey to this place, we had often been asked if we were going to climb it. We hadn't even a notion that you could, and didn't decide if this was something we wanted to do. At the Cultural Centre, there were many stories and legends surrounding this place, telling of the spiritual journeys that the Mala people took to get here, and that climbing the rock was something that only men at a certain stage in their life were permitted to do, because it was of huge spiritual significance and not to be taken lightly. It was upon learning this and more about their culture that we had decided it was not something we wanted to do, or that we should, out of respect for the place and the people to whom it meant so much. So when we saw this huge scar in the rock, and children and adults running and jumping all over it, we were simply in shock. Not only this, but all along the area were signs asking you to PLEASE not climb Uluru. The chains had been put there in the eighties to encourage more tourism by white folks, but the Traditional Anangu Owners were now in joint partnership trying to petition to have the chains removed. I hope they are soon successful.
We left the crowded area with the signs and went for another walk, passing by some amazing caves that had obviously been inhabited and well used. And more amazingly, we were suddenly alone! It seems that the vast majority of the people who came to visit this place wanted to climb it, conquer it, and be on their way. Very few took the opportunity to enjoy the peace and beauty it had to offer, the surprise waterfalls and pools, and the many varieties of birds that make their homes here. The tall eucalypts were dwarfed by the towering red walls of rock, and we were lost in the unusual landscape. There was something very spiritual about this place; it seemed to us that Uluru had a personality and presence all its own. This was such a landmark moment in our trip, and somewhere we had anticipated being for so long, we savoured every moment.
That afternoon, we headed out a little ways to find our view of the rock for the sunset. We wanted a good spot, so we got there a bit early and had some fun! Jason pulled out his didgeridoo and added to the sounds of the Outback, while I dragged my mat onto a platform and absorbed the sounds and surroundings through my yoga. It was magic. A little later the Irish friends we had made joined us, and we watched the sun transform the rock into a glowing red ember as it sank closer to the horizon, illuminating the few clouds with pinks and purples. Shortly after the sun went down, the moon started to rise, and came up directly behind the centre of Uluru. It was the night before the Super Moon, and its brightness lit up the landscape as we flocked away from the event, back to find a place to camp for the night.
The next day we set out early to explore a lesser known rock formation, in the same park as Uluru, called Kata Tjuta (also known as The Olgas). While covering nearly twice the land and being also quite a lot taller than Uluru, we weren't very familiar with it, and had only seen it in the distance as we approached Uluru the day before. We were immediately stunned by the size, and its resemblance in shape to a giant submarine on the one side. We took the Valley of the Winds walk, which did involve some climbs, but each one rewarded with astonishing views. The highlight was the highest point of the walk, where we ascended many, many rock steps into a channel surrounded by two massive rock faces. As we reached the top of the steps, we could see the amazing valley views and orange rock formations, lit up by the midday sun and perfectly framed between the cliffs. But then, as we turned around to face the direction we came, we could see our ascent and the oasis down below, of trickling waterfalls, birds flying, and green eucalyptus leaves. We lingered here for a while and took some pictures, which sadly could not do it justice, and then climbed back down toward the oasis. When we reached the streams at the bottom, we spotted some beautiful green and yellow budgerigars, who were making their homes in the gum trees. Definitely a special place. We capped off our day with another Uluru sunset and a view of the Super Moon, and said goodbye to these magnificent natural monuments.
Our visit to the Red Centre had one more major stop to be complete, a series of sandstone cliffs and plateaus called King's Canyon. This was much different from the sandstone that makes up Uluru and Kata Tjuta; instead of being smoothed and polished by the elements, the monuments that make up King's Canyon are quite jagged and reminiscent of the Pyramids. We took a long walk around the canyon's rim, about 4 hours, and were again surprised by the hidden oases and groves in the canyon, one aptly named The Garden of Eden. Toward the end of our walk, as we were descending back down the cliffs, we were lucky enough to spot a rock wallaby foraging in the bushes. That night we found a spot to camp at a rest stop, though it was a bit crowded by caravaners who had assembled a sort of village... And we met up with a couple German cyclists who we were expecting to see from our previous night's camp. This lovely couple started their journey in Adelaide, where they had purchased all of their gear, and had so far made it over 1600 kilometers to the Red Centre. We had many enlightening conversations about their travels, the highs and lows of cycling, and how they were possibly carrying their food supply in such slim panniers! We really got on well with this couple, and promised to visit them in Germany one day (on another trip for sure!) where they graciously offered to host us. We all sat around the fire until it was time for bed, keeping nice and toasty warm into the cold desert night.
Something magical happened on our trip through the Red Centre; as were camping in the West MacDonnel Ranges, around our big, beautiful fire, I ventured to give the didgeridoo a real go. I had such a hard time circular breathing in my previous attempts, but for some reason it felt so much more natural this night in the Outback. A couple really intense efforts, and I could feel what it was I was striving for! And it was addictive, once I got a feel for it, I didn't want to give it up. Good thing we had two didgeridoos! Since that night I have been working on my sounds and techniques, and I'm coming along quite well. Very excited to show all of you at home how far I've come!
On our way up to Kakadu National Park, our northernmost destination, we stopped at Karlu Karlu (or the Devil's Marbles) to see some more very unique rock formations, Wycliffe Well, the UFO capital of Australia, and Alice Springs for a bit of civilization and to let our folks know we were still alive! It was an awesome experience, and I had knocked a major destination off my Bucket List at Uluru. Next, we were destined for crocodile country, and the home of Mick Dundee. Kakadu and Arnhem Land is home to the most culturally alive traditions in Aboriginal Australia, and we were about to experience it first-hand. Stay tuned!
Please visit our photo gallery here to see our adventures for yourself!
Sunday 1 September 2013
The Long-Lost Cousins
After spending five weeks driving around Tasmania, in some very cold and wet weather, and sleeping the whole while in our car, we were very glad to have a few weeks house-sitting for Jason's cousin, Vince. They had a lovely place outside of Melbourne in a rural area, and it was our job to look after the house, sheep, cows, chooks, garden, and their little Jack-Russel, Lolly. We never knew just how much we had taken so many luxuries for granted; things like a proper bed, a hot shower any time of the day or week, a garden full of greens, and a real kitchen! Not to mention that they also had a hot tub, a computer, and a large house that we had all to ourselves. Five weeks cooking on our tiny camp stove or heating up cans on our engine block was quite the life, but we didn't winge to have a gas stove we could control, an oven, a blender, and a fridge to store leftovers. And being in one place for a period of time gave us the chance to look into ways to make a bit of extra money to fund our travels.
After much searching, we managed to land a job conducting door to door market research for an educational software company. It was the world's easiest job (just completing a five question survey), and our boss was a lovely Irish girl who was super easy-going. It wasn't exactly the most exciting job however, and we were soon a bit bored with it; but it was making us twenty-one dollars an hour, each, and we got to work as a team for four hours every evening. There were a few doors that got slammed in our faces, along with some other disgruntled home owners whose dinners we had interrupted, but we also met some really great folks and had some interesting conversations with some very friendly Australians. We were even invited in for tea once or twice!
It was in this way that we discovered a West African drum and dance group in the area, after Jason spotted a dun dun in the back of someone's car when he approached their house. Turns out he was a jembe player and led a class every Tuesday! We had only wished we knew about it sooner, we had so much fun drumming with these folks and met some really great people. The drumming was pretty heavy, and it certainly tested our memories and skills, but the lead drummer and the dance teacher were very impressed and pleased with our performance. It felt great to get back into the West African tradition and share our love of drum.
After house-sitting for Vince, we headed back to Jason's other cousins' place for a couple more weeks. Catherine and her family were the ones we stayed with before our adventures in Tasmania, and we were all eager to spend some more time together. They are such a tight-knit group, and that's a good thing as there are seven of them living in one (not very large) house! Plus the two of us made nine, which was so strange for us - we have had only each other for company for quite a while. We wanted to help out as much as we could while we were there, so we tried to share in the shopping and cooking for the family, and Jason helped Kevin out with some home plumbing and repairs. We had some great sushi and spring roll nights, pizza dinners and many other gourmet meals followed by family board games! It started with Pictionary, then slowly evolved into Charades, and then a mish-mash of both. It was nice to feel like part of this big family, when we hadn't seen ours for six months or more.
As we had all gotten so used to each other and gotten along so well, it was definitely difficult to leave Melbourne and continue our travels up north. After some really lovely days spent together, climbing the 1000 Steps with the kids, taking a family hike to the beach, and some lively cooking lessons, we finally had to move on. We still hope that one day we will be able to see all of them again, either when we come back to Australia in the future or maybe even if they venture to Canada one day! We truly loved our time with our Aussie family, and can't wait to see them again.
After much searching, we managed to land a job conducting door to door market research for an educational software company. It was the world's easiest job (just completing a five question survey), and our boss was a lovely Irish girl who was super easy-going. It wasn't exactly the most exciting job however, and we were soon a bit bored with it; but it was making us twenty-one dollars an hour, each, and we got to work as a team for four hours every evening. There were a few doors that got slammed in our faces, along with some other disgruntled home owners whose dinners we had interrupted, but we also met some really great folks and had some interesting conversations with some very friendly Australians. We were even invited in for tea once or twice!
It was in this way that we discovered a West African drum and dance group in the area, after Jason spotted a dun dun in the back of someone's car when he approached their house. Turns out he was a jembe player and led a class every Tuesday! We had only wished we knew about it sooner, we had so much fun drumming with these folks and met some really great people. The drumming was pretty heavy, and it certainly tested our memories and skills, but the lead drummer and the dance teacher were very impressed and pleased with our performance. It felt great to get back into the West African tradition and share our love of drum.
After house-sitting for Vince, we headed back to Jason's other cousins' place for a couple more weeks. Catherine and her family were the ones we stayed with before our adventures in Tasmania, and we were all eager to spend some more time together. They are such a tight-knit group, and that's a good thing as there are seven of them living in one (not very large) house! Plus the two of us made nine, which was so strange for us - we have had only each other for company for quite a while. We wanted to help out as much as we could while we were there, so we tried to share in the shopping and cooking for the family, and Jason helped Kevin out with some home plumbing and repairs. We had some great sushi and spring roll nights, pizza dinners and many other gourmet meals followed by family board games! It started with Pictionary, then slowly evolved into Charades, and then a mish-mash of both. It was nice to feel like part of this big family, when we hadn't seen ours for six months or more.
As we had all gotten so used to each other and gotten along so well, it was definitely difficult to leave Melbourne and continue our travels up north. After some really lovely days spent together, climbing the 1000 Steps with the kids, taking a family hike to the beach, and some lively cooking lessons, we finally had to move on. We still hope that one day we will be able to see all of them again, either when we come back to Australia in the future or maybe even if they venture to Canada one day! We truly loved our time with our Aussie family, and can't wait to see them again.
Monday 26 August 2013
Tassie Mania
Being able to wind down in Melbourne for a week was really nice; not having any WWOOFing obligations, no work, no camping, just relaxing and getting to know some long-lost cousins. I say long-lost, but Jason had actually never met these cousins, so it wasn't much different than the WWOOFing experience, arriving at a stranger's house that you've only spoken with over telephone and email. We seem to have very good luck though, and we got along famously. We felt right at home in Melbourne, but wanted to get to Tasmania very soon, as the temperatures were dropping rapidly and the rains were coming our way!
The ferry ride cost us a pretty penny, but this was our choice so that we could bring our car along with us. The plane tickets are ridiculously cheap at around $80 each, but we planned on spending the next five weeks covering a lot of ground and camping along the way. So instead of renting a car or campervan or something, we spent the extra money initially and had our transport and sleeping quarters come with us. It still worked out to our advantage financially, it just felt like a blow to the wallet all at once.
We had two WWOOF hosts lined up when we left Melbourne, one in the north of the island and the other in the south. We were set to arrive at our first host the same day we got off the ferry, and this was when we got our first real taste of Tasmanian forests and mountains - but also of Tasmanian roads. The landscape was just breathtaking, and it would continue to amaze us for the rest of our visit. The coast was rocky and sandy all at once, with clear, cool waters, and inland was temperate rainforest climbing uphill until the trees broke and the mountain peaks sat on top in the sun. To get to these beauties however, we needed to traverse some extremely steep and winding dirt tracks. I say track and not road, as often it didn't seem maintained by anyone and sometimes there was even grass growing in the middle of the dirt road! It was a bit stressful to test out our little car through the abundant potholes and rocky terrain, but we did manage to get back to Melbourne eventually in one piece.
We arrived at our first WWOOF after a confusing and stressful drive, and realized when we stepped out of the car that we were in the middle of nowhere, but also in a valley surrounded by forest and looked down upon by mountains and cliffs. It was a beautiful spot, abundant with wildlife we had never encountered before. We soon discovered that there were pademelons everywhere, (a small species of wallaby, that looks like it's crossed with a rabbit) and that the brush-tail possums can make quite a racket on a tin roof. The composting toilet must've had the best view of any toilet anywhere - looking out over the valley and trees, with a cliff face on the left and a mountain peak on the right. I had hoped to learn a lot at this WWOOF, as it was a herbal tea farm, and my tea-obsession had come with me all the way from home. However, this was one of the few WWOOFing experiences we had that was just not our cup of tea. Our personalities, shall we say, clashed with the hosts', the work was menial and unrewarding, and the hours we put in for our keep seemed to add up long after the work day was over. We were not ungrateful for the quality of the food, as it was almost exclusively grown and processed on-site, and of course was completely organic and delicious. They grew heaps of veggies and herbs, harvested their own honey, and grew and ground their own grains to boot. But, we found ourselves, with the two other lovely WWOOFers who were already there, doing all the cooking, cleaning, splitting and hauling firewood, keeping the fires going, grinding grain, making breads, for everyone in the household. This guy and his son were usually the only ones home, but his wife and daughter were there too. It just seemed an unfair exchange for what we were getting. Did I mention that there was no cell phone reception, VERY limited internet access, and that we did our business outside and slept in a cold and leaky bus? Luckily we did get along great with the other two WWOOFers, one from Germany and one from Spain, and we spent our nights playing board games, reading, and chatting. They were really lovely, and we made sure to share all of our chores as equally as we could.
So weeding peppermint for 5.5 hours a day wore us down pretty quick, and we only stayed with our first host for a week. We then had a week to ourselves to explore some of Tasmania before we were due at our next. We spent Jason's birthday at Liffey Falls, only a few minutes down the dirt track from our first host. Liffey Falls is a state reserve with a lovely walking track from the very top of the falls to the bottom. There are countless tiers where the water flows down to the next level, sometimes gently, and sometimes quite steeply and sudden. We found our way to the upper car park, and spent the day trekking down the trail, exploring the rocks and pools, and stopping at the bottom for lunch. We
made our way back up eventually, but we had all day, and we spent about 6 hours walking in total. We also checked out the Big Tree, and then camped in the lower car park for the night, right beside the river. The next day, we headed into some civilization, a town called Launceston, to use some wifi for the first time in Tassie. Our folks needed to know we were still breathing, and we got some lovely vegan lunch and chai lattes as a little birthday treat. We camped out of town and headed to the Bay of Fires the next day!
The north east coast of Tasmania is home to a beautiful National Park and reserve, Mt William National Park, and the Bay of Fires, which gets its name from the vibrant orange fungus which grows on the rocks along the coastline. The coast was gorgeous, but getting there meant enduring more of Tassie's famous dirt roads, and by the time we arrived at Mt William's the fender on the front end of the car had come a bit loose! We figured that there must have been some home repairs done to it by the previous owner, and it was only held on around the headlight by a couple of bolts. All of the "corrugated" dirt road had shaken it loose, and we only had some rope to tie it back on with! Jason did a well enough job though, and it survived like that until we could fix it properly back in Melbourne.
We spent the next few days checking out some more of the national parks, and fell in love with one called Freycinet, home of Wineglass Bay. The walk down and then back up to the bay was certainly a bit steep, and the stairs seemed to climb forever, but it was a lovely view and we don't mind a work out. After Freycinet we were in for another visual wonder, as we drove through Hobart. This is Tasmania's main city, and houses the majority of its population, which was very evident by the suburban sprawl that surrounded the city and climbed through the hills as far as could be seen. We didn't stop to check out the streets at all, as we prefer the country normally, and we were due at our next host this day, in a wee town called Franklin.
We unfortunately didn't enjoy the time we spent at our previous WWOOF, but Penny and Karim's place was just the opposite of that experience. This couple was so warm and welcoming to us, and although the living quarters in their still-under-construction strawbale house were a bit chilly some nights and very simple, we really loved getting to know these two and learned so much in our time there. Penny is extremely passionate about permaculture and alternative building, as well as food and Australian Idol. Karim is an excellent cook, and made us many gourmet meals, mostly mediterranean and middle-eastern inspired. They were both great for intellectual and personal conversation, and the two weeks we spent there felt so much longer due to the richness of the relationships we built and the amount that we learned in that time. On any given day we would spend a few hours in the garden, with a leisurely break for lunch, planting garlic, building no-dig beds, weeding the strawberries, making compost, and pruning the tagsaste trees. The work was so varied and full of conversation that it was never tedious. Penny was a wealth of information, and she inspired us to also go through just about every book they owned on building and permaculture. They even introduced us to their local pub and billiard bar, and the rest of the evenings were spent watching The Voice or a new episode of A Game of Thrones!
After our time in Franklin, we continued our adventure on Bruny Island, just north east of Hobart. On the island there is a Little Penguin rookery, where about 9000 Little Penguins, or Ferry Penguins, lay their eggs and rear their chicks. Every evening at dusk, these little penguins return from fishing and very hesitantly come ashore to find their chicks. As the world's smallest penguins, they only stand about 9 inches tall, and you can imagine how adorable these guys are when waddling across the beach toward the rookery. We spent hours watching them from the boardwalk, free entertainment and a chance to see a very rare species. While on Bruny Island, we saw another rare species, the White-Bellied Sea Eagle. These are fishing eagles, but as we discovered, they also feed on Little Penguins. We spotted two in a tall tree on a beautiful long walk, and noticed the remains of some of their prey. While in Tassie we were lucky enough to also see five platypuses! They are a very elusive and shy critter, but if you are very quiet and know where to look, you can spot them swimming in Tasmania's creeks. We didn't spot any Tassie Devils in the wild on our trip, but we did see many footprints on the beach while we were in Cockle Creek, the southern most point of the island that you can reach by car.
One of the highlights of our weeks in Tasmania was the trip to Tasman Island. Here we spent a bit of money on a three hour cruise around the island, getting super close to sheer sea cliffs, common dolphin, cormorants, sea lions, Australian and New Zealand fur seals, and massive albatross. Totally worth the money, the cold sea spray and a bit of nausea. Another highlight was a natural phenomenon we encountered in Mt Field National Park. Although it was certainly a chilly night, we ventured away from our fire after dark to take a walk to Russel Falls, where a sign instructed us to turn off our headlamps, hold on to the railing, and follow the path toward the falls. As we got closer, we began to see the glow worms, hanging from their strings and awaiting their prey. We went back to the falls the next morning as well, to view the falling water in the daylight, and were surprised to see a truly breath-taking waterfall. We encountered a couple more lovely falls on our walk that day, and even more as we continued our travels through Tasmania's centre and up to the northwest end. Dip Falls was a bit difficult to find, but so beautiful, and Jason even managed to climb from the bottom of the falls up to where we were camped. Yoga at the falls the next morning was particularly peaceful and rewarding, and we walked away with some fantastic photos.
The last major park on our agenda, and the last critter we still had to find, led us to Cradle Mountain. Here we chose a rather challenging uphill (or rather up-mountain) walk to a place called Crater Lake, and then onward to a lookout point for beautiful views of Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain itself. We were surprised by the variety of colour in the trees surrounding Crater Lake, which looked remarkably like birch, with white and silver bark, and leaves ranging from gold to rust to crimson. There were some lovely small waterfalls and rock pools leading up to the lake, and then ascending above it we were truly aware of the scope of the giant crater. When we reached the lookout point, the views were just indescribable. What really struck us was how many lakes there were, nestled in between different peaks, at different altitudes. There was Dove Lake, at the bottom of our trek, Crater Lake that we encountered about half way up, and then three or four others we could see that were at different levels again. Cradle Mountain was really spectacular to behold, and it was such a clear day that we could see many other peaks in the background as well.
We took a bit of a different route down from the mountain, one that was significantly steeper, and could only be managed by the use of chains and rails that had been put in place along the mountainside. All I can say is that I was very glad we had not taken this way up! When we finally reached the bottom and made our way back to where the shuttle bus would pick us up, a mountaineer tipped us off on where we could find the creature we had come here to see. We took a boardwalk that wound through a grassed and bumpy terrain, dotted with big holes, evident as burrows. After a few minutes walking, we spotted our wombats! And there were many of them. In the distance we could see a mum and her little one, and then several other large wombats, all grazing happily. As we walked back toward the road, we encountered another large wombat who was directly beside the boardwalk, and paid us no mind when we filmed him within inches of his face. We were very glad we managed to encounter some wild wombats before leaving Tasmania, as our time was almost up, and we never did see any more on the mainland, so it was certainly a special experience.
After our five weeks in Tassie we had to get back on the ferry for an unfortunately rocky return to Melbourne. Although it had been quite cold at times, had rained nearly every day, and we never managed to have an indoor toilet or a real bed, we loved our time there, and it was one of the most beautiful places we had encountered thus far. I think it is a well kept secret, as not many travellers, especially those from outside Australia, give it much thought. But we would certainly go back if given the chance, and recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity.
Stay tuned for our trip through the Red Centre and up to Kakadu National Park! Heaps of crocs, dingoes, and many other interesting backpackers along the way.
The ferry ride cost us a pretty penny, but this was our choice so that we could bring our car along with us. The plane tickets are ridiculously cheap at around $80 each, but we planned on spending the next five weeks covering a lot of ground and camping along the way. So instead of renting a car or campervan or something, we spent the extra money initially and had our transport and sleeping quarters come with us. It still worked out to our advantage financially, it just felt like a blow to the wallet all at once.
We had two WWOOF hosts lined up when we left Melbourne, one in the north of the island and the other in the south. We were set to arrive at our first host the same day we got off the ferry, and this was when we got our first real taste of Tasmanian forests and mountains - but also of Tasmanian roads. The landscape was just breathtaking, and it would continue to amaze us for the rest of our visit. The coast was rocky and sandy all at once, with clear, cool waters, and inland was temperate rainforest climbing uphill until the trees broke and the mountain peaks sat on top in the sun. To get to these beauties however, we needed to traverse some extremely steep and winding dirt tracks. I say track and not road, as often it didn't seem maintained by anyone and sometimes there was even grass growing in the middle of the dirt road! It was a bit stressful to test out our little car through the abundant potholes and rocky terrain, but we did manage to get back to Melbourne eventually in one piece.
We arrived at our first WWOOF after a confusing and stressful drive, and realized when we stepped out of the car that we were in the middle of nowhere, but also in a valley surrounded by forest and looked down upon by mountains and cliffs. It was a beautiful spot, abundant with wildlife we had never encountered before. We soon discovered that there were pademelons everywhere, (a small species of wallaby, that looks like it's crossed with a rabbit) and that the brush-tail possums can make quite a racket on a tin roof. The composting toilet must've had the best view of any toilet anywhere - looking out over the valley and trees, with a cliff face on the left and a mountain peak on the right. I had hoped to learn a lot at this WWOOF, as it was a herbal tea farm, and my tea-obsession had come with me all the way from home. However, this was one of the few WWOOFing experiences we had that was just not our cup of tea. Our personalities, shall we say, clashed with the hosts', the work was menial and unrewarding, and the hours we put in for our keep seemed to add up long after the work day was over. We were not ungrateful for the quality of the food, as it was almost exclusively grown and processed on-site, and of course was completely organic and delicious. They grew heaps of veggies and herbs, harvested their own honey, and grew and ground their own grains to boot. But, we found ourselves, with the two other lovely WWOOFers who were already there, doing all the cooking, cleaning, splitting and hauling firewood, keeping the fires going, grinding grain, making breads, for everyone in the household. This guy and his son were usually the only ones home, but his wife and daughter were there too. It just seemed an unfair exchange for what we were getting. Did I mention that there was no cell phone reception, VERY limited internet access, and that we did our business outside and slept in a cold and leaky bus? Luckily we did get along great with the other two WWOOFers, one from Germany and one from Spain, and we spent our nights playing board games, reading, and chatting. They were really lovely, and we made sure to share all of our chores as equally as we could.
So weeding peppermint for 5.5 hours a day wore us down pretty quick, and we only stayed with our first host for a week. We then had a week to ourselves to explore some of Tasmania before we were due at our next. We spent Jason's birthday at Liffey Falls, only a few minutes down the dirt track from our first host. Liffey Falls is a state reserve with a lovely walking track from the very top of the falls to the bottom. There are countless tiers where the water flows down to the next level, sometimes gently, and sometimes quite steeply and sudden. We found our way to the upper car park, and spent the day trekking down the trail, exploring the rocks and pools, and stopping at the bottom for lunch. We
made our way back up eventually, but we had all day, and we spent about 6 hours walking in total. We also checked out the Big Tree, and then camped in the lower car park for the night, right beside the river. The next day, we headed into some civilization, a town called Launceston, to use some wifi for the first time in Tassie. Our folks needed to know we were still breathing, and we got some lovely vegan lunch and chai lattes as a little birthday treat. We camped out of town and headed to the Bay of Fires the next day!
The north east coast of Tasmania is home to a beautiful National Park and reserve, Mt William National Park, and the Bay of Fires, which gets its name from the vibrant orange fungus which grows on the rocks along the coastline. The coast was gorgeous, but getting there meant enduring more of Tassie's famous dirt roads, and by the time we arrived at Mt William's the fender on the front end of the car had come a bit loose! We figured that there must have been some home repairs done to it by the previous owner, and it was only held on around the headlight by a couple of bolts. All of the "corrugated" dirt road had shaken it loose, and we only had some rope to tie it back on with! Jason did a well enough job though, and it survived like that until we could fix it properly back in Melbourne.
We spent the next few days checking out some more of the national parks, and fell in love with one called Freycinet, home of Wineglass Bay. The walk down and then back up to the bay was certainly a bit steep, and the stairs seemed to climb forever, but it was a lovely view and we don't mind a work out. After Freycinet we were in for another visual wonder, as we drove through Hobart. This is Tasmania's main city, and houses the majority of its population, which was very evident by the suburban sprawl that surrounded the city and climbed through the hills as far as could be seen. We didn't stop to check out the streets at all, as we prefer the country normally, and we were due at our next host this day, in a wee town called Franklin.
We unfortunately didn't enjoy the time we spent at our previous WWOOF, but Penny and Karim's place was just the opposite of that experience. This couple was so warm and welcoming to us, and although the living quarters in their still-under-construction strawbale house were a bit chilly some nights and very simple, we really loved getting to know these two and learned so much in our time there. Penny is extremely passionate about permaculture and alternative building, as well as food and Australian Idol. Karim is an excellent cook, and made us many gourmet meals, mostly mediterranean and middle-eastern inspired. They were both great for intellectual and personal conversation, and the two weeks we spent there felt so much longer due to the richness of the relationships we built and the amount that we learned in that time. On any given day we would spend a few hours in the garden, with a leisurely break for lunch, planting garlic, building no-dig beds, weeding the strawberries, making compost, and pruning the tagsaste trees. The work was so varied and full of conversation that it was never tedious. Penny was a wealth of information, and she inspired us to also go through just about every book they owned on building and permaculture. They even introduced us to their local pub and billiard bar, and the rest of the evenings were spent watching The Voice or a new episode of A Game of Thrones!
After our time in Franklin, we continued our adventure on Bruny Island, just north east of Hobart. On the island there is a Little Penguin rookery, where about 9000 Little Penguins, or Ferry Penguins, lay their eggs and rear their chicks. Every evening at dusk, these little penguins return from fishing and very hesitantly come ashore to find their chicks. As the world's smallest penguins, they only stand about 9 inches tall, and you can imagine how adorable these guys are when waddling across the beach toward the rookery. We spent hours watching them from the boardwalk, free entertainment and a chance to see a very rare species. While on Bruny Island, we saw another rare species, the White-Bellied Sea Eagle. These are fishing eagles, but as we discovered, they also feed on Little Penguins. We spotted two in a tall tree on a beautiful long walk, and noticed the remains of some of their prey. While in Tassie we were lucky enough to also see five platypuses! They are a very elusive and shy critter, but if you are very quiet and know where to look, you can spot them swimming in Tasmania's creeks. We didn't spot any Tassie Devils in the wild on our trip, but we did see many footprints on the beach while we were in Cockle Creek, the southern most point of the island that you can reach by car.
One of the highlights of our weeks in Tasmania was the trip to Tasman Island. Here we spent a bit of money on a three hour cruise around the island, getting super close to sheer sea cliffs, common dolphin, cormorants, sea lions, Australian and New Zealand fur seals, and massive albatross. Totally worth the money, the cold sea spray and a bit of nausea. Another highlight was a natural phenomenon we encountered in Mt Field National Park. Although it was certainly a chilly night, we ventured away from our fire after dark to take a walk to Russel Falls, where a sign instructed us to turn off our headlamps, hold on to the railing, and follow the path toward the falls. As we got closer, we began to see the glow worms, hanging from their strings and awaiting their prey. We went back to the falls the next morning as well, to view the falling water in the daylight, and were surprised to see a truly breath-taking waterfall. We encountered a couple more lovely falls on our walk that day, and even more as we continued our travels through Tasmania's centre and up to the northwest end. Dip Falls was a bit difficult to find, but so beautiful, and Jason even managed to climb from the bottom of the falls up to where we were camped. Yoga at the falls the next morning was particularly peaceful and rewarding, and we walked away with some fantastic photos.
The last major park on our agenda, and the last critter we still had to find, led us to Cradle Mountain. Here we chose a rather challenging uphill (or rather up-mountain) walk to a place called Crater Lake, and then onward to a lookout point for beautiful views of Dove Lake and Cradle Mountain itself. We were surprised by the variety of colour in the trees surrounding Crater Lake, which looked remarkably like birch, with white and silver bark, and leaves ranging from gold to rust to crimson. There were some lovely small waterfalls and rock pools leading up to the lake, and then ascending above it we were truly aware of the scope of the giant crater. When we reached the lookout point, the views were just indescribable. What really struck us was how many lakes there were, nestled in between different peaks, at different altitudes. There was Dove Lake, at the bottom of our trek, Crater Lake that we encountered about half way up, and then three or four others we could see that were at different levels again. Cradle Mountain was really spectacular to behold, and it was such a clear day that we could see many other peaks in the background as well.
We took a bit of a different route down from the mountain, one that was significantly steeper, and could only be managed by the use of chains and rails that had been put in place along the mountainside. All I can say is that I was very glad we had not taken this way up! When we finally reached the bottom and made our way back to where the shuttle bus would pick us up, a mountaineer tipped us off on where we could find the creature we had come here to see. We took a boardwalk that wound through a grassed and bumpy terrain, dotted with big holes, evident as burrows. After a few minutes walking, we spotted our wombats! And there were many of them. In the distance we could see a mum and her little one, and then several other large wombats, all grazing happily. As we walked back toward the road, we encountered another large wombat who was directly beside the boardwalk, and paid us no mind when we filmed him within inches of his face. We were very glad we managed to encounter some wild wombats before leaving Tasmania, as our time was almost up, and we never did see any more on the mainland, so it was certainly a special experience.
After our five weeks in Tassie we had to get back on the ferry for an unfortunately rocky return to Melbourne. Although it had been quite cold at times, had rained nearly every day, and we never managed to have an indoor toilet or a real bed, we loved our time there, and it was one of the most beautiful places we had encountered thus far. I think it is a well kept secret, as not many travellers, especially those from outside Australia, give it much thought. But we would certainly go back if given the chance, and recommend it to anyone who has the opportunity.
Stay tuned for our trip through the Red Centre and up to Kakadu National Park! Heaps of crocs, dingoes, and many other interesting backpackers along the way.
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