Aug 2007

Hello All

So I just got back from the Whitsundays, and Oh my god! Thats about all I have to say. It was amazing! The Scenerey, the beaches, the color of the water, the fish! all were amazing. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before all that, the girls and I had other adventures to relate

Not long after my last entry we all abandoned Brisbane for the upper East Coast. True to form with almost all East Coast trips, our first stop was to be Noosa which we would use as a base camp for our trip to the Australia Zoo (AKA Steve Irwin Zoo) After a tearful goodbye to Andy, Lisa and Debi who were sadly not joining us on this adventure, the crew and I jumped onto the bus for Noosa. We Arrived at Dolphins hostel and after unloading our bags, immediately headed for the beach. It was dark by then, so no swimming, but just listening to the ocean and surf again was enough for the one night.

The next morning kicked off bright and early as our coach to the Zoo was scheduled to leave at 8:30am and we had to rush to the transit point in Noosa Junction. The arrival of the coach was nifty, since it was a double decker bus! we jumped aboard and were immediately inundated with Steve Irwin stuff. There were TVs showing constant re-runs of "The Crocodile Hunters' home videos" Which were amusing as always. We took a scenic rout to the Zoo, arriving at the entrance a little before 10am.

Once inside we went and lined up for the first event of the day, Elephant feeding! Sadly, it wasn't quite as exciting as it all sounds. It was really industrial, with kids and parent alike all lined up in neat rows with a bucket of fruit sitting at the front. We were told to grab a piece of fruit, offer it to the Elephant, but don't touch it, and don't look away from it, then move on and wash our hands and leave. The whole thing took about 30 seconds, and left me with a really goopy hand (ew!) Then it was off to the Crocoseum for the fabled crocodile show. This was the place Steve Irwin had dreamed of, and after a life time of work, made reality. It was really cool to see the show, though slightly sad since you couldn't help but think of the man who made it all happen and how he was no longer around to see the fruits of his labor. It was actually almost creepy that there was so much about Steve Irwin around the entire zoo, but aside from the memorial wall, there was never any mention of the fact that he was gone. Even in the gift shops, you could still buy Steve Irwin action figures, and the post cards had him and his family on them. They even had pins, magnets, stickers, and all sorts of paraphernalia with his face on it.

While we were at the zoo we learned lots about crocodiles, stroked Wombats, possums, tigers, and a baby alligator, and got our photos taken with a 17kilo snake! (that one was for you Grandma!) The snake photo was cool because the snake weighted more than my entire backpack! It was really warm too, and the scales were amazingly soft. We also took our photo on Cameron, which was a model replica of an actual crocodile. He was 27ft long!! I cant remember where the sign said that he was found, but holy crap I would not want to come across him in the wild!

After running full tilt for the bus, we headed back to our temporary home in Noosa to cook, pack, and get ready for the next stop on our journey; Rainbow beach.

We arrived at Rainbow Beach and promptly checked in. The weather here was much nicer this time around then when I was first there. However, being the tiny spit of a town that it was, there was not much to do, so we had a quiet night in. Turns out it was a good idea too, since the next day was our Kayaking.

Now, I know this sounds naive, but I figured that a nice day out on the ocean searching for dolphins might be a little relaxing. oops! Totally not so! Basically I paid to be put through 3.5hrs of intense paddling! According to our guides, we would normally have driven most of the way to the headlands, but part of the mountain (hill really) that surrounded the area had collapsed, blocking the way to the headland via car, which meant we were going to have to paddle to it. Not a big challenge at the time, since I hadn't Kayaked before, so whats the big deal right? We partnered up, and chose boats before the guides helped us into the water. The girls partnered together, leaving me with Mike, a new addition to our traveling party. The girls knew him in Brisbane, but I hadn't really met him before so that was a little awkward. I was in the front of the kyack and he was in the back doing the steering. After a long, long paddle out to the headland, I was despairing that we wouldn't see any dolphins at all, but finally some appeared a little ways away. I'll admit, after having surfed with dolphins in NSW, and seeing them all the time on the beaches at Surf camp, it was more than a little disappointing. That coupled with my aching shoulders left the whole experience a little jaded. But It was still fun. The worst part had to be knowing we still had to paddle back.

Part of our trip back to the beach included a brief lesson in kayak surfing, which was fun. Basically you just paddled hard and rode a wave most of the way in to shore. However, they didn't really tell you not to get too far in or you'd get beached (which we did) nor did they warn you that you'd have to paddle against the waves to get back out so we could get where we were going Mike and I paddled hard against the waves, but were positioned badly and got capsised, and I got stuck under the kayak not cool at all! Eventually though we made it back to where the cars were parked and I managed to get away without any broken bones, but with more than a few large bruises and bumps.

From here I split with the girls, as the next day they headed off for Fraser Island, and I was Bundy bound, again As per usual, I had impeccable timing, arriving in the city just days after another person was killed. Eesh! I met with some of my old fruit picking friends for the brief 10 hours I was back in the city before running for the Ozbus to get to Kroombit.

Once aboard the bus with my new driver, Puddles, I quickly found there were actually more Canadians on the bus this time, and not only that, but there were 5 of them from my very own city! Small world, sort of hahaha.

Anyway, the trip to Kroombit was fun, as we played some games and watched Crocodile Dundee. Upon arrival at our "out back cattle station" though, it began to pour rain! Oh well, it would be more fun, or at least it wouldnt have been as bad if I wasn't wearing white shorts in the Red Dust area. Oops! While at kroombit we had the opportunity to do Skeet shooting, horse back riding, goat rodeos, lassoing, whip cracking and mechanical bull riding. I'm proud to say my rodeo team (consisting of 2 other Calgarians and myself) grabbed, subdued and branded our goat in 20 seconds flat! Some of the other teams had their goats jump right out of the ring! Talk about cheating!

After the rodeo I actually managed to rope myself a goat too. Grandpa would be so proud Too bad the goats weren't really moving, but all the better for me! Activities were adjourned for dinner, however, and we learned a bit about the area we were in, and over heard one of the farm hands talking about how he found a Red Back spider in his sleeping bag (ick!!) before we were herded over to learn the fine art of breaking the sound barrier with a whip. I managed to do it a couple times, and I only hit my arm once or twice. Yay me! Mechanical bull riding was amusing as well, mostly because the 6 of us from Calgary were very cocky about how good we'd do. And most of them did great! Lasting the longest, and setting records and such, except for me. I lasted a whopping 2 bucks! Which was better than the 1 buck I had predicted for myself.

After a rather noisy nights sleep in a cramped dorm, it was back onto the bus early morning for the 9 hour drive to Airlie beach. Here we played some very dubious games, including a treasure hunt which included the two Scottish girls on the bus running back and forth up the isles. (risk assessment anyone?) And we also stopped in a nice little town called Serina for a game of barefoot lawn bowls. Then we finally hit the tropics!

It was noticeable at once how much hotter it was as soon as you stepped off the bus in Airlie beach. It was gorgeous! The bus rolled past the Abel Point Marina, where you have a nice hill top that over looks all the sail boats and the crystal clear water and just a distant hint of the many lovely islands that make up the Whitsundays. In all my infinite wisdom, I decided upon arrival to repeat the mistake I made in Hervey bay, and stay with Koalas. To anyone considering coming out here, give this chain a pass its $27/night to sleep in what, at first glance, appears to be a decent cabin. Closer inspection however, reveals leaking toilets, crappy mattresses, cockroaches, a shower head that falls off the wall, and a "breakfast room" instead of a kitchen. Lovely! Oh well, some people are chumps I suppose >.<

It wasn't long after I arrived in Airlie beach that some family friends from home arrived here as well It was really nice to see Sherry, Don and Tasha though it was a little weird to think that I was sitting there having dinner with them on the other side of the globe They were really great to me though, and if you guys are reading this, I'd like to say thanks again They let me stay at their accommodation for a couple nights (real mattresses, pillows and blankets!) and took me out for dinner as well. They also brought me a lovely little care package from home which was very nice and Grandma, I wear that necklace every day. Time went fast though, and on the 3rd day, they departed for their 1 day cruise to the Whitsundays while I went to rejoin the girls at Magnums hostel.

The weather around Airlie was amazing! and I'm glad it was because that meant that we could sit and laze about the swimming lagoon all day in the sun. Which I did on numerous occasions.

Saturday dawned though, and it was time to get up and get ready for a sailing trip of our very own. Originally, I had planned to be on the Ron of Argyl, but after meeting back up with everyone, I decided I'd have more fun on the same boat as them, and thus switched from a classic sail, to a party catamaran! We met Max, our hostess who kept us entertained (and kept some of us thouroughly drunk) for the whole trip, as well as Simon, the skipper and Heidi, another helper on the boat. Day 1 consisted of sailing to our Island destination. As some of the girls were worried about sea sickness, they picked a boat that docked every night, so instead of cramped ship cabins, we got decent holiday resort style cabins on South Mole Island. The Island its self was as beautiful as everything in the area, and it included a golf course, tennis courts, spa/hot tub, full size swimming pool, archery area and much more. It was an early night for most of us, since we had to be on the boat again at 7am the next day.

Day 2 dawned a little cloudy, but we piled onto the boat non the less. Before going though, one of the Island crew gave us our first view of Reef style ocean life. They dropped some bread into the sea beside the gang plank and these huge fish, called Bat fish. They seemed gigantic to any fish life Id seen before. They seemed really surreal for it too. I wish I had gotten a photo. The ride to Whitehaven beach (our stop for the day) was choppy until we put up the sails, and the girls and I sat on the front of the boat with our legs dangling over the side for most of the ride. It was fun, kind of like being on a swing but um ... well not. All I can really say is, if anyone remembers the boat swing ride where you go back and forth like a pendulum, it was kind of like that, but not as severe.

Arrival on Whitehaven though, was an absolute feast for the eyes. The beach seemed to stretch forever, and it was all a pure, sparkling white, rimmed behind by tropical foliage and mountains, and in front by the most clear water Ive ever seen! The boat had to anchor a little ways off shore, and while the crew was readying the speed boat to take us over to the land, we spotted a sea turtle just a little ways off the ship! (that I did get pictures of!) We were told that if we wanted to, we could swim into shore and our bags would be brought over for us, so thats just what Helen and I did. We dove head first into the cool water and swam like mad for the turtle, then to shore as we realized the turtle was much faster than us. I went swimming and snorkeling for most of the day, with a small spattering of time spend sun bathing on the beach. Helen fell asleep and had her Bikini top stolen and there was much drunken party antics by many of the people on board the boat. too soon though we had to get back on the boat to head back to the Island for the night. The ride back was just as fun as the ride to the island as we danced, snoozed, and did what ever on the way back to the Island. On arrival back, the girls and I made a bee-line for the spa and pool area. The spa, or hot tub, was basically a rock pool with a warm waterfall. It wasn't hot like a Canadian hot tub, because of course, in the summer no one wants to sit in hot water, but it was nice all the same. We headed back for showers, dinner, and another fun party night at the bar.

Day 3 was much the same as the days before, but today instead of beaching it, we were going snorkeling on the reef! And I couldn't wait! It was windy as usual (one of the other girls on the boat lost her hat!) so the ride was choppy, but it only took us about an hour to reach the snorkel destination. Here again they gave us the choice of boating over to the snorkel area or swimming, and as usual, Helen and I chose to swim, and Erin joined us But first, we had to put on our stinger suits. Its currently low season for jelly fish risk here, but that being said, a girl did get stung by one of the deadly jellies just a few weeks before we arrived, so we all thought it a wise investment to put $15 toward a stinger suit. These looked like black and red feety Pajamas. It was a hilarious look! but I did see one tiny jelly fish, not sure what kind, so I was glad to have it. Once the speed boat arrived at the reef, Heidi and max would throw bread crumbs into the water and the fish would swarm! So you put your mask into the water, and all around you is this ever moving mass of color! We saw black and white stripped zebra fish, some kind of greeny blue fish with pink lines on its head, green fish with yellow fins, and so much more that I cant even remember! I stayed out for a bit after the girls got bored, but eventually decided that it wouldn't be too bad to swim back out to the boat instead of waiting for a speed boat pick up. As we all know though, not all my ideas are good ones. It wasn't long before i realized that the boat looked one hell of a lot closer than it actually was, and it also wasn't long before i realized that I could no longer see the coral below me. Now, I don't consider myself naive about sharks, I know the risks, I know the breeds and I know what to look for. That being said, when you realize there is something around 60 feet of open water below you, and nothing on 3 sides, you start to get a little panicky. Especially when you realise that you are also alone in said conditions and making an awful lot of noise and looking conspicuously like a wounded seal or fish. needless to say, I swam faster than I had in all my life and literally jumped onto the swim step to get onto the boat. What fun!

Our sailing ended way too soon for my liking, because before we knew it, we were pulling into the marina again. Sigh back to dry land. However, believe you me, when i say that we still felt like we were on that boat for days afterwards! You get in the shower and start swaying as your sea legs return. It was good fun.

This entry is disgustingly long though, so i will stop it here, and pick up when I get back from Magnetic Island and the full moon party.

Cheers all!

Amy

Hey guys

well, I'm now 23 (that feels a little odd, I cant say I'm 22 any more) and I had an amazing time out here on my birthday. Since i last wrote, I hopped a train away from Bundy and finally finished my scuba diving! And let me tell you, I passed by the skin of my teeth

I was supposed to hook up with the dive school on Wednesday before I left to complete my last dive, but unfortunately, the water was too choppy and we would have been beaten to bits on the rocks if we tried to enter the ocean. So instead I had to do my diving on Thursday, which made me a little nervous considering I was leaving at 10am the next day and this was my last chance to complete my certification. Things started off okay, but I started to develop another headache as soon as I entered the water It was not cool. Eventually though, despite a leaking regulator, a broken snorkel, and gear that didn't fit quite right, I managed to complete the mandatory skills to become a certified open water diver. Yahoo!

Anyway, the original plan had been to do my diving on Wednesday, and use Thursday to hit the post office, rum tour and do my laundry. Well since we couldn't dive Weds, my plans got thrown all out of whack. Its alright though, I though, that just means that I'll do the rum tour on Wednesday. The brochures said the tours ran until 3pm every day, so I got a group together to go. However, I called to confirm the tour, and the lady informed me in a not so polite way that the tours were not operating due to a new exhibit in the Rum Museum. Great. Thats ok though, I could always head down there and poke around the museum at least. So Maria and I walked the 40mins (one way) to get to the distillery, only to find that the museum was closed due to the new exhibit which was showing for VIPS only. Arg! Just my luck. It was alright though. maria and I did some shopping and took some touristy photos out front, then headed home.

Thursday didn't start off much better. I arrived bright and early at the dive shop, only to be told we weren't going yet, but to pack our gear and come back in a couple hours. Great... well at least I can mail the stuff I bought. (note: Yes I'm a horrible child, I didn't mail Dad's Birthday stuff for like 2 weeks >.< ) Anyway, I literally ran back to the hostel and picked up all the stuff I'd been carting around since Sydney and the stuff I'd bought at the distillery the day before and booked it down to the post office. Now, just for the record, I bought this really nice rum liquor. A Baileys kind of thing that you can only buy in Bundaberg at the distillery. I figured this would make an excellent top off to the Birthday gifts I'd acquired, the only problem was getting it to Canada without it breaking... or so I thought. Turns out, you cant mail alcohol into Canada and the US! How annoying >.< So now I'm stuck in a non drinking hostel with a really expensive bottle of rum liquor. Sigh. Oh well, the rest got into the envelope and mailed off without much fuss. Then I booked it back to the dive shop, and waited around for about another 3 hours till we got to go diving.

And that pretty much brings us back to Brisbane. I'm staying in the 30man dungeon again, with Sam & Helen, and I've met some new friends, including Jenna and Debs; 2 Scottish girls, and Lisa from England. They are all a total blast We've spent the last 2 weeks hanging out, walking around town, and going to the weekend markets.

This is going to sound horridly cheesy, but on the first Saturday that I was here, Helen, Sam, Hollie, and Lisa and I all went into town to the markets. It was so picturesque I could have wept. Southbank is a gorgeous little area of Brisbane, with lovely sculptures, buildings, and a perfect view of the river. Combine that with a dance festival, night markets selling everything from Kangaroo scrotum lighters to Opal and Pearl jewelry (and fudge. mmm fudge) some of the best traveling friends you could ask for, and a guy on the corner playing the Spanish guitar and you get perfect!. It was amazing! We sat at an out door pub and had a couple drinks before heading back to our place for the night.

We had a birthday party on the camouflage fancy dress Karaoke night, which was awesome fun and the girls bought me a Pirate bag and a really cool card

Most nights we hang out at our hostel bar then head off to a club called Casablanca's for Karaoke. You'd be proud dad Though Helen and Sam are trained singers so it makes me sound something like a dying giraffe

I've had a lot of fun here, but its finally time to move on! The majority of us have booked our east coast package and we leave for Noosa and the Steve Irwin zoo on Monday. I cant wait! The only thing left for me to do is burn my photos to CD so I have tons of room up the coast I'm a little sad since I'll be missing Fraser Island with the girls, but I'll meet up with them again in Airlie beach.

Thats pretty much it for now To those who haven't gotten post cards yet, I'm really sorry I forgot my address book at home. i Know thats a lame excuse but its true! So if you guys could please email me your addresses that would rock!

Oh yeah and Mom, look for a package in the mail soon I'll be sending it in a couple days I think.

Love you all and miss you tons!

Amy