So my route was from Sydney to Cairns by bus. At just short of 3000km this was a big distance in 4 weeks. The East coast of Australia is tourist central, maybe not my cup of tea. I'd have to try a little harder to find the good stuff. But it was definitely there to be found as I was to discover.
I arrived in Sydney and headed to the hostel in Kingscross. In the red light district but fairly tame. Kingscross had a bad reputation a few years ago for wild party's. Damn it, should have been there. Still, the smell of marijuana wafts though the hostel gardens most of the day and night.
Sydney's okay, big new city with opera house and big bridge behind it. Go to nearby Bondi beach on a Sunday afternoon, predictably very busy. Loose the hordes by walking along the cliffs to Coogee beach, more chilled out. The Coogee beach hotel has a big open terrace and we sit and drink beer soaking up the Australian culture.
Overnight on the bus to Byron bay. Let me say the similarity with Byron Square in Aberdeen ends with the name. This is a super cool surfer town / hippy hang out and just a little touristy. The town was established by Californian surfer dudes avoiding the Vietnam war. It's all low rise buildings and local people voted in the Green party to keep the big developers from coming in. The Arts Factory is one of the coolest places I've stayed in. Live in a tee pee, it's cool. Big lizards and spiders outside, I take a didgeridoo lesson and one night we go to a beach party. Big fire, and unlike the beach parties at home with the banging sound systems we were greeted by the sounds of the didgeridoo, bongo drums an amazing fire show by some Japanese dudes. All very cool and chilled out.
Near Byron Bay is a little town called Nimbin. Wasn't really on the map until the legendary Aquarius festival of the early seventies. From then on it became Australia's Amsterdam. Smoking and dealing of marijuana is tolerated by the police. Now I can't say I condone this behavior, but when in Rome..... It's a bit odd though because there are no canals or shops selling diamonds? The coffee shops were good though. That day I was lucky enough to see two snakes and and koala in a tree and no I hadn't been eating the hallucinogenic mushrooms they also sell. They grow on the cow pats. Mmme fine!!
Before I arrived in Australia I'd thought I'd spend a fair bit of time on the Gold Coast. I'm so glad I didn't. Concrete jungle. I stay one night at Coolangatta at the southern point. After Byron Bay it's pretty disappointing. Up the coast the high rise buildings of Surfers Paradise stand like giant black chess peaces ready to advance at the nod of the developers head. Not my paradise and goes to show all that glitters is not gold.
Can't say much about Brisbane other than the Castlemaine XXXX brewery is there and it's an interesting tour and tasting of the beer after. The old joke is that they couldn't spell beer and hence the XXXX name. There was however a XXXXX beer and also XXX so maybe I believe them. Not sure if I gave a XXXX though. Brisbane is known as Bris-vegas.... Really not sure about that. Although the hostel was surrounded by a pub, a strip club and a church. Got it all sorted there.
At Byron Bay I'd won a 3 day Safari to Fraser Island. I was well pleased! Me and ten new friends in a big old Land Cruiser 4x4 camping and living it up on the largest sand island in the world. Complete with rain forest, dune lakes and those pesky dingoes for company. The beach stretches for 90km up the coast, we drive the whole way past a wrecked cruise liner, towering sand cliffs to Indian Head. We climb to the top and drink a beer. Possibly the most amazing view I've had to enjoy a beer with. We sit at the very edge of a 100 foot cliff surrounded by shark infested waters. The south pacific crashes onto the beaches either side with an alarming ferocity. The dingoes are pretty cool. There know it's their island and they are the boss round here. They sneak up so quietly, and all of a sudden they are right next to you trying to steal your bag.
Somewhere on the bus up the coast I cross back over the Tropic of Capricorn. It feels like someone has turned the thermostat up several notches.
I arrived at my final destination and Cairns. I go to Cape Tribulation. One of the few places where rain forest comes right down to the beach. Yeah yeah does that in New Zealand as well. It was a really beautiful place though. I think I found a little paradise there, the beach house I stayed in was so nice. A proper holiday from my traveling before the adventures of SE Asia begin. Trekking through the jungle to find a swimming hole. So good to cool off in the cool fresh river water. It's crocodile country here so no swimming in the sea.
A trip to the Great Barrier Reef was a must. Cool old pearl lugger sailing boat, snorkeling and seeing so many brightly coloured fish and coral. A definite high light of the trip. So far it had proved easier Finding Nimo than finding the elusive Kylie....
It was his last day in Cairns and he was walking along the boardwalk to the Marina. He sat on a bench and looked at all the amazing yachts, thinking to himself - if he hadn't spent all his money on fast women, bikes and drink he too could have had one of these. Sitting day dreaming he hears a familiar voice call out - Hey stranger come have a drink on my boat. He needed no further persuasion. The slender blond haired girl welcomed him aboard and they sat down to drink the newly opened bottle of Dom Perignon. She told him she was setting sail for Tahiti in the evening and she would like him to join her because his lovin' was all she could think about. He had a flight to catch the next day to Singapore, but to hell with it. If he didn't go he knew he just wouldn't get her out of his head.
Merry Christmas everybody, from Tahiti!!!!
