It was a long bus ride from Nelson down to Franz Josef but we did stop at some great stops on the way. We are booked onto inter-city buses which as well as taking you from A to B, they also try to give a bit an explanation of the areas your traveling through, the history and the things to do in each place. They also stop at the sights where tourists want to get their camera's out. We stopped at the famous Pancake Rocks situated in Punakaiki and then continued south, passing Greymouth and then Hokitika, through gorges and mountain peaks and travelled vast lakes.
Eventually we reach Franz Josef. The village of Franz Josef (like it's southern neighbour Fox village) are small, quiet locations encompassing just a few interconnected roads. There is about three or four bars, a few places to eat and the rest - accommodation. It's a stunning place just to come and visit, with extreme mountains looming in the distance and great walking tracks surrounding the village. The main reason that travellers come here however is because the town is the gateway - to the Franz Josef Glacier. First explored in 1865, Franz Josef Glacier had advanced 2km between 1985 and 1996 after a long period of retreat (well glaciers don't really retreat - it's just that the ice melts faster than the body can advance). Since 1996 however the glacier has returned to a state of 'retreat'.
Darren and I booked ourselves on a day's climb over the glacier. Your set in groups, geared up in arctic clothing and then you make the short trip out to the glacier. You first have to trek over the rocky meltwater river-bed which was mostly dry due to the winter temperatures. You then put your ice-pic shoes on and with your guide - start heading up the glacier. Our guide (Kevin from Malaysia) would lead the way, decide on our routes and keep us from wondering off or falling into a crevass!!! Kevin obtained the almighty pic axe which he used to cut our route. We treked for about 7 miles altogether although it was slow and relaxing. Some parts were steep and slippery but generally the ice boots kept you on your feet.
Along the trip we crawled through ice tunnels and holes, past narrow ice walls and across ledges. The whole thing was great fun despite it being relatively tiring. Although it didn't look it at the time we did manage to get quite far up the glacier, passing the dirty (rock embeded) toe of the glacier and continued up, further in where the ice becomes blue and clear. By the end of the day we were both knackered.
While we were in Franz Josef, we also managed to do one of the walking tracks. It was only a 30 minute return walk and the main reason we did it was because the track is home to glow-worms. We obviously went at night - finding our way using the light on Darren's phone but they were there, clambered to the sides of trees and attached to mossy patches - hundreds of brightly blue coloured glow-worms. It gave a very magical feel to the place and it's definately the longest i'v ever spent looking at a worm - I can tell you that. It was well worth it though.
We left the icy Franz Josef and continued on our way down south. We were heading to New Zealand's extreme sports capital. We were off to Queenstown.
Saturday 30 August 2008
Franz Josef
Nelson
Darren and myself departed Wellington and the North Island of New Zealand and headed via a 3 hour boat trip over to the scenic South Island. We had been pre-warned that the ferry trip across would probably be fairly rough even on clear days but actually it was a smooth ride. The boat departure was delayed by an hour of course and we had a bus picking us up from Picton (the drop off point) and taking us on. Our bus was due to depart an hour after we were supposed to get in, so with our delay it became a mad rush off the boat to get on our onward transportation. It's not easy running for a bus with a bag straped across your back that basically weighs about as much as a small African elephant. We did made the bus though.
It was then a two our ride across the scenic views of the Marlborough region (New Zealand's wine capital) and over to Nelson. From there we checked into The Palace Backpackers, owned by a distant cousin (Lili and Cliff's son) who kindly put Darren and myself up for a couple of nights. The hostel is an old English style mansion with heaps of character - at least almost as much as David himself. I would like to thank him for his hospitality, the bar crawl night out and his many interesting stories.
On the one full day Darren and I had in Nelson - we spent it checking the town out. Nelson is a bustling town and a gateway to the South Island's northwestern coastal region to which we were not actually heading to. We did manage to catch the saturday market - buy great fudge and then consume most of it while walking around the town.
The park-land around Nelson is particularly scenic and a short walk east and you can reach the botanic gardens. The gardens provide some steep walking tracks for great views over the Maitai Valley and then continue to the top of a hill for views over the city. From the top of this hill a statue and plaque are emplaced claiming that this very spot is the very center of New Zealand. How they have calculated this, with the fact that NZ is split into two - i'm not quite sure, but if thats what the sign says then who am I to argue.
We left Nelson (and David) the following day. We were heading down the southwestern arm of the South Island and our first stop.... was Franz Josef.
Wednesday 27 August 2008
Wellington
We left the geothermal city of Rotorua on an overnight bus. It was ridiculously crowded, very uncomfortable and we even broke down at one point - it felt just like SE Asia again!!! We were skipping some great North Island locations on our way to New Zealands capital but we knew we would be coming back to experience them all later on in our travels.
Darren and I arrived into Wellington early in the morning and after some serious hostel hunting, we finally found a spot, some way up a steep hill. After a small asthmatic fit, we went to check out town. Wellington is totally different to the urban sprawl of Auckland. It is the cultural heartland of the country, with a thriving cafe and entertainment scene and a great university town feel to it. It's far smaller than Auckland, set aginst a harbour and surrounding rugged mountain terrain. Wellington is set on the very southern tip of the North Island and provides the gateway to crossing over to the South Island. Because it is situated on the strait between the two halves of the country it can get very windy here - and as such has been termed 'Windy Nelly', although it was actually quite warm despit it's strong breeze. Darren and myself wanted to hit the South Island of New Zealand as quickly as possible so we only spent one day here. We would see this relaxed capital city again when we returned but for now we resided to spending our day walking the streets, along the harbour and up to the outer park for a bit of a scenic overview of the area. I did manage to persuade Darren to also head into the Te Papa museum - specifically because it currently had a huge section on volcanoes of New Zealand.
I have also just found out that my work studying volcanoes in Taupo is set up but the office is 8km out of town and no public transport runs to the small area of Wairakei. It looks like I now have to purchase a bike - a contraption which I have not used since I was about 8 years old - it should be fine though - they say it's as easy as, well, riding a bike!!!
The night life in Wellington seemed positively lively (to the suprise of Darren and I) and is centered on a long strip known as Courtney Place. We noted this down for our return. The following day we finally headed over to the South Island - which they say really is like stepping into Middle Earth - yes, my skills as an elf would finally be utilised..........
Wednesday 20 August 2008
Rotorua
Before you can head to the South Island you really have to stop off at Wellington which is on the very southern tip of the North Island. We wanted to see Wellington anyway so that wasn't a problem, the problem was it was 9 and a half hours from Auckland to get there, so we got round this by stopping off along the way. The place we decided to stop at was Rotorua. It's a popular tourist spot for a number of good reasons. We spent about three good days in Rotorua and we covered almost all those good reasons.
The town is termed sulphur city because of the high volcanic or - geothermal activity taking place here. It's an area where magma comes up close to the Earth's surface and heat's underground reservoirs of water producing gases which rise through cracks and cravasses towards the surface. As such all across the town, in very random locations you will see vents of steam pouring out of the ground and giving the whole place a bizarre, unreal feel to it. The gas that is vented out is strong in hydrogen sulphide and the sulphur expelled has a strong rotten egg smell to it. The place reminded me of my time at the volcanoes in Indonesia and also many years ago when I visited Iceland which both produced exactally the same smelly odours.
Rotorua is a small town, situated along the edge of the huge Lake Rotorua, the largest of 16 lakes in the area. The lake was once the sight of a large volcanic eruption but the watery mass is all that remains of it. I believe the volcano is not extinct however, but merely resting. We arrived into Rotorua at night when the whole place appeared to be one big ghost town. There was nobody anywhere which was eerily disconcerting, but we were soon relieved the next day when people sprouted out almost, it felt, like they had emerged out of the ground along with the geothermal gases. Rotorua is cold. I haven't checked exactly what temperature it is but it feels freezing. Auckland had been relatively chilly but this was getting silly. We had only traveled a little further south too - I couldn't wait to see how cold the South Island was going to turn out - or at least I could wait. It is winter here though - so I suppose I can't really complain.
We experienced much of the geothermal activity during our time here in Rotorua, as this was particularly interesting to me. We visited a number of locations including; Te Whakaewarewa - a thermal reserve of fumaroles, mudpools and Pohutu - a large geyser; Hell's Gate which is someway east of town and is named so because of it's firey and Hell-like look about it. It has similar geothermal pools, bubbling mud, a small mud volcano and the largest hot thermal waterfall in the southern hemisphere. We also experienced geothermal activity in Kuirau Park - situated in the center of town (and you don't have to pay to see it) and went for a swim in the Polynesian Spa - where they heat outdoor pools using geothermal waters. Some reached the uncomfortable temperatures of 43 degrees celcius which was more like burning to death than having a hot bath but others were relaxingly cooler. It reminded me of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland where I had had a similar experience.
Because of my love of volcanoes I also headed out (without Darren) to the buried village, the site of a village (Te Wairoa) which was totally buried and thus devastated by a huge volcanic eruption in 1886. There is a museum and then you can step out into the ruined town (now excavated) for an explanation of how this small village was completely destroyed by the eruption of Tarawera. It was literally covered and buried in ash, mud and other volcanic debris - very interesting if a little sad. We also passed some great lakes along the way for spectacular views - notably Blue and Green Lakes (not very original names), Lake Okareka and Lake Tarawera itself.
Apart from all the volcanic's here, we also indulged in some Maori culture. We walked to the Ohinemutu Maori Village which is situated on Lake Rotorua. You can see their buildings and tribal sculptures from here. From Te Whakarewarewa, there is also an exhibit explaining about Maori culture and history, and at Hell's Gate we met a tatooed Maori for a long chat and he explained to us the Maori hongi - or greeting which I am now an expert at.
Besides these wonderous things we indulged in another of New Zealand's crazy inventions of the extreme-ish variety - zorbing. It simply involves climbing into a big inflatable ball and then rolling down a large hill. It's completely ridiculous but heaps of fun. You can either do it dry and they tie you in, or you can experience the wet version. Darren and I wanted to go in the ball together so you have to do it wet. They take you to the top of a large straight hill, they fill the inside of the ball with a small amount of hot water, you both jump in, they seal it - and then they push you down the hill. It lasts about 10-15 seconds and your thrown all over the place inside the ball as you slip and slid downhill. When you reach the bottom your completely soaked and you return to the real world a giggling mess. I definately recommend it if your totally insane.
After all this chaos of being a hamster for the day, making friends with Maori's and breathing in too much sulphur from the geothermal activity, we left Rotorua for NZ's capital city.......Wellington.
Auckland (New Zealand)
The day I left Australia was my 6 month anniversary away from home. I actually completely forgot that fact on the day as you tend to forget anything time related. I'v come to realise that time doesn't travel in straightforward lines but merely wiggles about through space to compliacte and confuse people - thats if it even travels at all. When you travel, you generally have no idea what day of the week it is, what date or even when your supposed to stop to eat lunch. Actually the reason that I had no idea it was on my 6 month's of traveling was because I was too worried about my plane flight. Never before have I been scared of a routine trip towards the stratosphere, but my airliner (Quantas) had been having some severe problems in the past week. Within 8 days, all their planes decided to stop working, including an emergancy landing in Manilla after a hole was blown in the fuselage, one plane had to turn back when the wheel shutters wouldn't close and two other planes were seen as unfit to take off. Three hours later I landed safely in New Zealand's largest city - Auckland.
For the first four days I spent my time along the suburbs of the city. I had some distant relatives (third cousins as I believe I have worked out correctly) - Lili and Cliff who I was going to meet and spend some time with. They live about a 45 minute drive away from the city centre in a small town called Howick. The few days I spent there provided a perfect introduction to New Zealand. We spent our time admiring the suburban beaches of Mission Bay, St Heliers and beyond. The countryside is just how you imagine the North Island countryside to look like - generally flat land, punctured by small rounded hills (most of them extinct volcanoes - this is the Auckland Volcanic Field) filled with grazing sheep. They say that there are more sheep than people in New Zealand. It's not a difficult fact to believe - this isn't a very populated country. All in all there are approximately 4.5 million people in NZ. In London alone we reach over 12 million inhabitants. I was interested to see during my time here whether in some places I would actually see people at all!!!
Liliy and Cliff certainly looked after me during my stay with them. They took me up the top of One Tree Hill (an extinct volcano of course) which should actually be called None Tree Hill as the tree had to be chopped down some years ago due to old age. I hear they are planting a new one. At the top you get great views over Auckland's city centre and beyond. We also headed out to areas even further away from town where I could sample life in the real New Zealand countryside, and I met other relatives of mine - who I have no idea in what way and if it's even physically possible to work out - but who were all very welcoming none-the-less. I thank them both for taking me in, showing me the sights and keeping me well fed. I am also very interested to see some of the adverts that Lili (an accomplished actress) has stared in and are showing at this very moment - although only in the south island. Eyes are peeled.
After those few days I finally made it into Auckland city centre where I spent another short while. A good friend from home - Darren had emailed me about a month and a half ago and said that he was bored with his job in London and was thinking about coming out to see me. I told him he should - so thats what he did. Darren arrived in Auckland and we would be spending at least the next month traveling the country together. The plan is actually to spend most of our travels in the South Island, simply because on September 15th I have a job starting in Taupo (North Island) studying volcanoes with a company called GNS (Geological and Nuclear Sciences). I then have another month working in Auckland in the same field. As such I would see the sights of the North Island later on and Darren would decide if he was to join me in finding work or heading home. Ultimately it meant that we didn't spend much time in Auckland - we wanted to move on as quickly as we could. Before we left we did have a look around - along the harbour, through the streets which Darren said reminded him of New York - I told him many cities in Australia looked likewise.
We did also have time for one activity. New Zealand is the home of extreme sports. If you can leap off something tall in a ridiculous way then the kiwi's will have done it first. We headed over to the tallest structure in the southern hemisphere - the Auckland Sky Tower. From there they have whats called a base wire jump. It's not like a bungy or a sky dive - I suppose it's somewhere inbetween. Attached to your back is a rope / wire, you head over to the platform, situated at 192m (630ft) above the ground and then leap off the tower to a target below. The decend is controlled. So what happens is you jump, fall for just 10 meters and then they hold you there, dangling, 182m from the city street - so you can have your photo taken. You have to attempt to look happy at this point - 'cheese' was not on my mind. Then when the pics are all done - you plumet to the ground in what is the highest jump in the southern hemisphere (besides sky diving). Actually you don't fall that fast and as you reach the bottom the rope tightens for a smooth landing. The views over the city are incredible though. I would say the only really scary part about the whole thing is when your at the top and you look down - your so far up that you can barely see the red target or any people whatsoever, which didn't fare well as i'v decided 100% to do New Zealand's scariest bungy jump (the Nevis) in a few weeks. Darren and I both took the plunge and then naturally bought the DVD. Afterwards we headed back up the tower so we could get some photo's of Auckland when your not falling to the ground at high speed.
Of all the bad things people say about Auckland, I found my time here most enjoyable. I would definately be back here in a few months for work and will get to explore New Zealand's largest city further then. First though we were heading south - and the first stop on our route was sulphur city, also known as - Rotorua.........
Wednesday 13 August 2008
Australia - Facts And Figures
The facts and figures of my Australian Adventure;
2 Months: 8th June 2008 - 8th August 2008
States Visited:
*Western Australia
*Northern Territory
*Queensland
*New South Wales
*Victoria And Melbourne
Top 15 Experiences (in no particular order)
1. Up The west Coast - Swimming with sharks on the Ningaloo Reef, seeing dolphins at Monkey Mia and the amazing Pinnacles Desert.
2. Cairns And The Great Barrier Reef - The incredible GBR, an underwater world of colour and wildlife. A natural wonder of the world - you can see why!!!
3. Uluru - Watching Ayers Rock change colour at sunrise and sunset then getting up close on a walk around the world's largest rock.
4. Daintree And Cape Tribulation - Sailing down the Daintree River in search of many wild, saltwater crocodiles, then trekking through another of the world's oldest rainforest's.
5. Whitsunday Islands - Sailing around the many Whitsunday Islands, living on the boat for three days and standing on the most incredible beach in the world - Whitehaven Beach.
6. Fraser Island - Cruising in a 4x4 jeep with 9 others across the largest sand island in the world. Speeding down the beach, taking in the stunning lakes and camping out with the dingoes.
7. Melbourne - A fantastic multicultural city where you can have much fun with a Neighbours star and see a game of Aussie Rules where you have no idea whats happening at the famous MCG stadium.
8. Outback Australia - The bizarre town of Alice Springs, camping out under a million stars in the freezing red center and seeing the amazing Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon.
9. Noosa - Surfing the waves at Noosa - so much fun even with all the injuries.
10. Perth And Freemantle - The city which still holds it's country town feel. Great atmosphere and a perfect place to start your Australian journey.
11. Byron Bay - A beautiful, chilled out, hippy town with a great variety of people. stunning scenery and a perfect spot to relax. Nimbin completes the hippy vibe.
12. Sydney - A dramatic city with loads to see and do. from making it up the Sydney Tower to chilling on the beach at Bondi. Plus just setting eyes on the Harbour Bridge and Opera House is enough to come here.
13. Magnetic Island - Chilling on the stunning and peacefully quiet Magnetic Island.
14. Brisbane - Partying hard in this sunny, clean and very livable city that even has a beach stuck in the middle of it.
15. Blue Mountains - Unbelievable views of this famous canyon, with the three sisters standing proud and where it snowed for added dramatic effect.
Most Expensive Place -
Sydney (especailly but unsuprisingly by Circular Quay).
Cheapest Place -
Brisbane
Longest Bus Journey -
Airlie Beach to Hervey Bay - 14 hours.
Best Hostel -
The Arts Factory (Byron Bay)
Average Spend -
40-50 pounds a day.
People -
Mad as a box of frogs but friendly as anything!!!
Well thats it from Australia - sad to leave but must be moving on!!!
Sydney And The Blue Mountains
I had about five days in Sydney over all. Luckily Matt had been here a few months ago and knew the city well, so he knew exactly where to go and what to do. He planned out my whole time here.
Sydney is a very dramatic city. It isn't multicultural like Melbourne but then it doesn't have to be. You come to Sydney to see those picture-postcard places. We naturally spent a lot of time around Circular Quay, home to views of Sydney's Harbour Bridge and Opera House. It's just like the photo's you see all over the world of this famous spot and it is no less impressive when it's presented in front of you. The Opera House is an oddity up close - made up of tiny tiles that are honestly the size that you would have in your kitchen.
We also checked out Darling Harbour, home to a 1000 docked boats and strolled through the big streets of the city center. We took a walk through the Botanical Gardens, which are filled with all sorts of species of flora and have the resident fruit bats up in the trees - which are fascinating to watch. Actually we had seen some huge bats all over Australia - especially in Byron Bay but none were quite as noisy as these guys. From the Botanical Gardens you also get the best views of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.
We stayed in the backpacker area of Kings Cross - which just like in London is the seedy part of town with many eccentric and perhaps a little dodgy - characters. We didn't spend much of our time there however except to park our heads for the night.
We did manage to take a trip up the Sydney Tower - where we got great views over the whole city. You can literally see for miles. We also headed over the Harbour to the North Shore where lies Taronga Zoo. It has a great variety of animals and above all probably has the best backdrop (Bridge and Opera House can be seen from there) of any other zoo in the world.
Around Sydney are also some great beaches. In fact many of the world's most famous beaches are found here. The most famous is Bondi Beach. We spent quite a bit of time in Bondi. Matt had worked here when he was last in Sydney and still had many friends around. Most of our nights out where spent with his ex-colleagues around Bondi. The beach area is impressive - it's a nice beach theres no denying it, with great surf and Bondi has a very cool feel to it. Not meterologically, I mean that people around Bondi just appear cool and seem a little bit more good-looking than everywhere else.
We did make the trip up to Manly Beach too - the most famous on the North Shore of Sydney which has a similar scene to that at Bondi, and we also took the very long bus trip up to Palm Beach. Way up in the north of the city, it's a great beach and is home to the filming of the soap - 'Home and Away' of which I have never seen before but still had all my pictures taken in the appropriate spots.
Now, the next thing I am going to tell you is about Matt and it is a story that needs to be told just because I have never seen anything like it before. It is a bit crude so if you don't want to read it then skip this paragraph. In our room are two bunks I am on the top of one, Matt is on the bottom. In the other bunk is two German guys who we had made friends with. On one of our nights out Matt and I had sipped a few beverages but were not intoxicated in the slightest. We went to bed for the night. At 3.45am I am woken up to the light on and the two German guys asking Matt what the hell he is doing. I realise that Matt is standing by the German guys lower bunk bed (which is in the corner of the room) and he is urinating all over his bed. The German guy had woken up to the sound of it and when switched on the light realised that Matt was weeing all over the bed that he was sleeping in. I awoke and Matt still hadn't finished. I asked him what he was doing and with the straightest face in the world turned to me and said - 'whats the problem Alex, I'm just having a piss'. Stunned, I replied that it wasn't the fact that he was having a piss that was the problem but the location of where he was having it. Just as he finished though, like someone switching a light-bulb on in his head, he stopped, realised what he was doing and then proceeded to apologise to the young German for the next 30 minutes. We all realised that Matt had been sleep-pissing - I suppose it's the same as sleep-walking but with a more important desire to urinate. The location he had chosen was an unfortunate one but in the end we all found it hilarious. One thing is for sure - I will be taking the top bunk for the rest of the time that I am staying in hostels!!!
On my last day in Sydney (and Australia), we took a day trip to the Blue Mountains. It's about a three hour trip to the west of the city and it is definately worth going to. It boasts some of the best scenery in the country, with sheer cliffs, chasms and crags. The trip that we participated first took us to a view point over the whole Blue Mountains region. The formations here are older than the Grand Canyon and they are so called the Blue Mountains because of the dense Eucalyptus trees which cover the area giving a slightly blue tint to the whole scene. We then went to the temperate climate town of Leura for lunch where - to our suprise - it began to snow!!! First strong hail and then snow!!! I know we where high up here but I really didn't expect snow in Australia. Later we headed to the heart of the Blue Mountains by Katoomba. We took a Skyrail (which had a glass bottom) across the canyon for spectacular views of the forest below. A second skyrail takes you down into the forest. On the way down you get to see the three sisters - the most famous rock formation in the area, consisting of three large rock peaks, all next to each other on top of the cliff face. The three sisters rocks also have strong Aboriginal spiritual significance. We trekked through the forest for a short while while our guide explained the formation of the area and the processes taking place within the forest. We then headed back up, but not by skyrail but instead by what is considered to be the steepest railway line in the world. The train that takes you up is outrageously steep - it's like being on a roller-coaster ride. A sign pointed out on the way up that we were at over 52 degrees. on the way back to Sydney we stopped off at the Olympic Park for a qiuck photo before getting the ferry back to Circular Quay.
I had had an amazing time here in Sydney but finally it was all over. I said goodbye to Matt and to this incredible country. I'm sure that I will be back here. It's an extraordinary place. In so many ways it reminds me of a cross between England and the USA but then has some aspects that you will never see in either place. The people are as mad as a box of frogs, and yet are as friendly as you are likely to see anywhere else in the world, and the scenery is just breathtaking. In a land where pretty much any wildlife can kill you in the most horrific way - it's those creatures and their bizarre habitats out here that you really come to see. Two months isn't nearly enough time to see it all - but then you will probably never have enough time to see everything that this country has to offer.
I left Australia with some great memories and headed to the Land of the Long White Cloud. At last, it was back to volcanoes for me, for three hours to the East of Australia is a place of fire and ice, where extreme sports are the norm and where Hobbits would happily call their home. I had landed in New Zealand.........
Melbourne
Matt and I flew into Melbourne - it only takes two hours and it was about as cheap as taking a bus for a day and a night. We were staying close to the city center - just north east in a area of town known as Fitzroy - which is the cafe, restaurant, gallery and of course bar region. We stayed in a hostel called 'The Nunnery', which was once a nunnery and had an old, church like feel to it, with big communal areas including a lounge with a fireplace and resident cat.
Melbourne is an interesting city. It is the cultural heart land of Australia and has a very multicultural community here. It makes the city like no other in Australia. In the center, the streets are wide and apart from the English style buildings, has a very New York look to it. You would honestly walk down a street and think you were in Manhattan. However, in the suburbs, or just outside the CBD region, like the area of town which we were staying, there are small side-streets, parks and pubs and you genuinely feel like your walking down a street of London. If I had suddenly woken up in these areas of Melbourne mysteriously, I would probably have guessed that I was home. The weather was just like England too, it was the middle of winter here and due to it's southerly location, Melbourne was rainy and cold for pretty much most of the time we were there.
We totalled a week in Melbourne - just enough time to see well some of the main highlights. On our first day, we had already booked a trip to see an Aussie Rules Football match at the famous Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) stadium. Aussie Rules is huge in this part of the country and the MCG is definately the place to see it. The stadium holds 90,000 people, is huge from all angles and (you could tell) would rustle a terrific atmosphere when full. Unfortunately crowds generally only fill the MCG during cricket games - Australian's main sport. We also picked an Aussie Rules game with two teams not particularly doing so well - and so there were only 20,000 people that day - which was a shame. Nevertheless, we watched in complete enthrall and total confusion, for a game where even the players don't seem to know what the hell is going on. The game - with breaks takes about three and a half hours and so Matt and I, along with the rest of the supporters decided (as at most games) to fill our watching time accompanied with beer and pies. We were in the away end (I think) - supporting North Melbourne against just Melbourne. Our team won (I think) and we both thoroughly enjoyed the whole fiasco.
On our other days in the city, we spent checking out town; along the Yarra River; through the shopping center; admiring the semi-old looking Parliament House and other such buildings and just taking in the atmosphere. We did also have time for a game of tennis (I am officially useless at that sport) and to check out the modern art gallery - which was very interesting, especially the fact that a blank canvas just solely painted in a shade of yellow can be up with a price tag of A$40,000. Now I'm no expert in the field, my artistic eye is somewhat short sighted, but I still fail to see how such an item can be considered to cost so much. Other pieces were far more to my taste. If I'm ever short of cash though I'm going to consider painting a piece of paper yellow and hope for the best.
We spent one day in the celebrity good-time suburb of St. Kilda, with it's seaside surroundings and great views of the city and on our last day in Melbourne we went on the famous Neighbours tour. Now I haven't seen the show for many years but we both agreed it was a must thing to do while we were here. The popular soap has been running in England since about the time I was born and is still going strong apparently. On the tour, you visit the Erinsborough School which is much smaller than they make it look on TV, to a few other spots where they have filmed over the years and then to the main attraction - Ramsay Street. They only do the outside shots here and it's a normal road with residents living there. The road is tiny - far smaller than you would imagine, but the houses are just as they appear on TV. We naturally got our picture with the famous street sign and listened to stories of famous incidents from the show by our enthusiastic guide.
Our 'Neighbours' extravaganza in Melbourne didn't stop there though. During most nights out in the city, we headed to pubs and bars, hidden down alleys and side-streets. Like most pubs in Australia - they are all named as a hotel - even though to many a confused tourist - none provide any sort of accommodation. On one of our evenings though - we went on the Neighbours Night. Your put on a table with 7 or 8 other people and there is a quiz (not Neighbours related thank god), games and many drinks. Then 4 stars or ex-stars from the show come out. You can ask them questions before each one comes round to your table for autographs and pictures. We had; Marco (who is new and I had no idea who he was); Ginelle (I think); Stu (who I actually recognised) and the main star - Dr. Karl Kennedy who does this every week and is the main attraction of the whole event, simply because he has been in it for as long as anyone can care to remember. Unfortunately or not, by the time they all came round, Matt and I had had a few too many vodka and coke's and so thinking it was a good idea at the time - decided to pull stupid faces or do stupid things with each picture. The best is naturally of the two of us giving Dr Karl a big kiss - we did that last minute - hence his shocked expression!!! Later, Karl actually gets on stage and plays in a band for everyone to finish off the night. He is trying to get his music career going and his group are called - 'Waiting room'. Actually they were not too bad although I did find it a bit odd that I was on the other side of the world, listening to a Neighbours star that I used to watch when I was a kid - playing 'Mr Brightside' by 'The Killers' in his very own band!!! It was however a great night and one that won't be forgotten until at least that very next morning!!!
Now, I may have made a mistake. I once mentioned recently that its not a small world. Well, I was wrong. On that Neighbours night out, on my table was a girl that I recognised who was in my halls at Southampton University - we reminised over old uni days. On the same table, I get chatting to an Irish girl who I know I have never seen before. She tells me how she has travelled all over Australia (including the West Coast) in a 'Wicked' camper. Wicked camper-vans are those which you hire out but each is unique because they paint (graffiti) them with different designs. She explained that her's had the design of the Beatles on it. Of all the Wicked campers - a Beatles designed camper was the only one I had taken a picture of (for my dad) - over a month earlier when I was traveling up the West Coast. I had my camera with me and it turned out to be her camper. We had crossed paths once before but we may have never realised it. It is a small world after all!!!
After all that - you would have thought that there could be no other Neighbours stories - wrong!!! Matt had found out that some friends from home had emigrated over to Australia and were living in Melbourne. We went to meet them for a night out. They actually lived a bit out of town - past St Kilda. Somehow - they are family friends with an ex-Neighbours star. He was the Irish guy named Conner in the show and he came out with us on that night. I had always assumed that he was putting on that Irish accent because it was so dreadful but actually he is Irish. He has put on a fair bit of weight since leaving the show but it's him alright. He is a really nice guy and we had a good chat. Later on in the night when he had had a few drinks he told me that he writes rap music and then started rapping to me - which I found quite bizarre. It was fun all round though.
After all that mayhem, we had to leave Melbourne - we had had a great time here but finally it was time to leave. We took an overnight bus to my last stop in Australia. It was of course...... to Sydney!!!
Byron Bay And Nimbin
I left the skyscraper filled, party chaos Gold Coast, known as Australia's version of Miami and continued south to the more pleasant, relaxed atmosphere that welcomes you at Byron Bay. It's a very short trip from Surfers Paradise to Byron and when I arrived I immediately checked into my hostel known as the Arts Factory. I only mention this hostel because it deserves a mention. Hostels around Australia vary considerably. Some are huge modern apartment blocks with all the latest facilities, others are small and cosy with a very homely feel. Some have lots of character or are designed on a theme, whilst others are cheap - designed specifically for somewhere for you to rest your head for the night. The Arts Factory is in a league of it's own. The area of Byron Bay is a beautiful spot with a very hippy vibe. That vibe has extended into the Arts factory. The hostel has hammocks overlooking a small lake. Apart from your normal dorm rooms - you can also stay in a teepee, they have didgeridoo making classes, yoga classes, their own cinema and an assortment of quests who all looked as though they wished it was the 1960's. It's the only hostel that was recommended to me before I left home, is a great place to stay and I also recommend it to any young backpacker heading out to Byron.
Byron Bay is a great little spot. Admittedly it only consists of two roads, but the beach is perfect, Mount Warning Volcano looms in the background and there is a great walk up to the lighthouse which provides perfect views of the surrounding area. The town has a very unique feel to it and they don't allow any fast food chains or any other commercial giants to ruin that.
Matt had joined me from Brisbane and the two of us, now reunited headed up to the famous lighthouse. From the top you can search the waters for whales and dolphins which can often be seen here but luck was not on our side that day. It also claims fame to being the most Easterly point on the Australian mainland so I can now say that I have been to the most Westerly and Easterly points of this vast country!!!
We spent 5 days in total at Byron Bay. However, only our first and last days did we have clear blue skies - which is really what you need in a place like Byron. The three days in between it rained hard and constant. We did manage to get out of bed though and take a day trip to the wonder that is Nimbin. As mentioned - Byron has a very hippy atmosphere, with characters dressed in clothes that goes against all conformity. It is a brilliant place to while away a few days. Nimbin is similar to Byron except that it is a much more intense version. Known as the Bush Amsterdam, Nimbin is only a short distance west of Byron and is synonymous with hippies and marijuana, yet unlike Amsterdam - it's not legal (the marijuana that is not the hippies)!!!
Nimbin consists of one small road which you can walk up and down in about 4 minutes. Like being stuck in a 1970's time capsule - it makes an interesting day trip. The colourful street is full of shops selling hemp clothes, smoking equipment and tarrot cards. The very small Nimbin museum is a collection of rooms that make you feel like your tripping out - with the unified message that we are hippies and we can smoke if we want too. On the day trip, we also headed to a National Park, trekked to a great waterfall and of course had an Aussie BBQ.
Our nights in Byron Bay mainly consisted of going to the only real night-club / bar in the area known as Cheeky Monkeys, where all the youngsters go and have fun. Every night something is going on at the place and often till the very early hours of the morning.
I apologise to anyone who may ever read this who comes from somewhere in between Byron Bay and Sydney and I know there are a few places along that south eastern coast which would appeal to many, but for me, a bit short on time - decided to skip that section. Instead Matt and I booked a flight, flying past Sydney - to the countries main rival city, known as Australia's cultural heart........Melbourne.
