Monday, June 26, 2006
Saturday, June 24, 2006
sydney, wicked travel~ free internet with all tours booked!! (or if you just slip in as if you belong there)
big city. biggest. one could almost walk down the street and imagine themselves in any other. still, the harbor and opera house are increadible! nothing like sitting next to that massive structure and taking in those sights to really make you feel like you're in australia. the whole harbor area is swarming with tourists and the shit for sale that goes hand in hand with a crowd of tourists. i snapped a photo for a couple from oklahoma.
spending my evenings sitting around in front of the hostel talking to people and making a few bucks with my guitar. it's a little cold here, but nothing i would call winter - maybe late september. i keep meeting people with michigan t-shirts on, none of them from michigan, or the states for that matter. what's going on around here?
pics on way
big city. biggest. one could almost walk down the street and imagine themselves in any other. still, the harbor and opera house are increadible! nothing like sitting next to that massive structure and taking in those sights to really make you feel like you're in australia. the whole harbor area is swarming with tourists and the shit for sale that goes hand in hand with a crowd of tourists. i snapped a photo for a couple from oklahoma.
spending my evenings sitting around in front of the hostel talking to people and making a few bucks with my guitar. it's a little cold here, but nothing i would call winter - maybe late september. i keep meeting people with michigan t-shirts on, none of them from michigan, or the states for that matter. what's going on around here?
pics on way
Friday, June 23, 2006
newcastle, nomad backpackers internet. basement.
it's difficult to leave byron bay. in fact, most of the permanent residents were at one time just passing through and have been stuck so long that they don't remember where they came from or where they were going to. part of the reason for that is the relatively high content of marijuana in byron's average cigarette, cookie, or bloodstream. just outside of byron is a place called nibin - its population somewhere around 800 - growers, dealers, and stoners all. there are a few daily bus trips out to quiet nibin where you can patron a variety of marijuana themed bars, cafes, and giftshops as well as a marijuana 'museum'. among them, "jim's alternative tour" has become something of legend!
in the morning, jim circles town picking up groups of happy travelers from their hostels in his big, huge bus. the music is loud and jim intro's the songs as they come on. he tells stories and points out places of interest on the way to nibin. upon arrival, a busload of backpackers files out onto nibin's one street and is greeted by throngs of the drug dealing populous. an hour and a half later, everyone is loaded (that's a pun) back onto the bus and the fabric of the universe starts to unravel.
~yeah, yeah, oh yeah - what condition my condition was in~
the bus winds up, up, and up into the wild rainforests of new south whales then roller coasters down a one-lane road in the dark and flying rain to terrifying music. then all is safe and good and ~every little thing.. is gona' be alright. jim makes a daily stop at his hippy friend's 80 acres of hand replanted rainforest and the group samples fruits and nuts grown on the premises. the bus ride home is relaxed and everyone is returned to their hostels where they can eat doritos or just pass out. simply a bryon must-see~
jim's alternative tour, nibin
it's difficult to leave byron bay. in fact, most of the permanent residents were at one time just passing through and have been stuck so long that they don't remember where they came from or where they were going to. part of the reason for that is the relatively high content of marijuana in byron's average cigarette, cookie, or bloodstream. just outside of byron is a place called nibin - its population somewhere around 800 - growers, dealers, and stoners all. there are a few daily bus trips out to quiet nibin where you can patron a variety of marijuana themed bars, cafes, and giftshops as well as a marijuana 'museum'. among them, "jim's alternative tour" has become something of legend!
in the morning, jim circles town picking up groups of happy travelers from their hostels in his big, huge bus. the music is loud and jim intro's the songs as they come on. he tells stories and points out places of interest on the way to nibin. upon arrival, a busload of backpackers files out onto nibin's one street and is greeted by throngs of the drug dealing populous. an hour and a half later, everyone is loaded (that's a pun) back onto the bus and the fabric of the universe starts to unravel.
~yeah, yeah, oh yeah - what condition my condition was in~
the bus winds up, up, and up into the wild rainforests of new south whales then roller coasters down a one-lane road in the dark and flying rain to terrifying music. then all is safe and good and ~every little thing.. is gona' be alright. jim makes a daily stop at his hippy friend's 80 acres of hand replanted rainforest and the group samples fruits and nuts grown on the premises. the bus ride home is relaxed and everyone is returned to their hostels where they can eat doritos or just pass out. simply a bryon must-see~
jim's alternative tour, nibin
Saturday, June 17, 2006
byron bay, global gossip internet cafe - i'm a card-carrying member.
i'm staying at "the arts factory" - a hippy-dippy hostel with an equally hippy-dippy clientele. it's cool and there's a painted old double-decker bus you can sleep in - still it's a little contrived - hipsters rolling joints and rolling their eyes at each other. whatever - the beach is gorgeous! AND - i rented a board and tried surfing for the first time~ i spent all day on the fence about it. the weather was kind of crappy and the water was cold and grey, then there was the $25 for the gear rental. i knew if hazen had been there, there would have been no stopping us from getting in there and tearing it up, but me on my lonesome? i found 2 kids from the hostel who wanted to go and we three got wet-suited and spent 2 hours stuggling in the waves. it was hard to catch one - i was in the wrong place for most of my time out there. finally, toward the end i figured out where i needed to be and caught a few - even got up on one and rode it in. not too impressive, i assure you - it was really hard work, but it was fun! i'll just have to live on the ocean one of these days and get into it.
i walked to the lighthouse today and looked out for migrating whales. i didn't see any, but the view was spectacular and i did see some some dolfins. coffe to go on a rainy sunday.
i'm staying at "the arts factory" - a hippy-dippy hostel with an equally hippy-dippy clientele. it's cool and there's a painted old double-decker bus you can sleep in - still it's a little contrived - hipsters rolling joints and rolling their eyes at each other. whatever - the beach is gorgeous! AND - i rented a board and tried surfing for the first time~ i spent all day on the fence about it. the weather was kind of crappy and the water was cold and grey, then there was the $25 for the gear rental. i knew if hazen had been there, there would have been no stopping us from getting in there and tearing it up, but me on my lonesome? i found 2 kids from the hostel who wanted to go and we three got wet-suited and spent 2 hours stuggling in the waves. it was hard to catch one - i was in the wrong place for most of my time out there. finally, toward the end i figured out where i needed to be and caught a few - even got up on one and rode it in. not too impressive, i assure you - it was really hard work, but it was fun! i'll just have to live on the ocean one of these days and get into it.
i walked to the lighthouse today and looked out for migrating whales. i didn't see any, but the view was spectacular and i did see some some dolfins. coffe to go on a rainy sunday.
Thursday, June 15, 2006
surfers paradice, nomad's backpackers internet cafe. $2.50 for 30 min. rip-off.
after fraser it was some major sleep recovery in hervey bay and again on the bus to brisy. i stayed there 2 nights, walked around - beautiful city - class a. not loads happening, maybe, but the planning and developement were first rate. the cliffs along the river can be used by the local inhabitance as a climbing and repelling gym. the river itself is used for cheap public transportation~ groovie. OH! and i got my flight sorted out - i will be back in the us early july via a week in fiji and a stop in LA!
swinging brisbane!
after fraser it was some major sleep recovery in hervey bay and again on the bus to brisy. i stayed there 2 nights, walked around - beautiful city - class a. not loads happening, maybe, but the planning and developement were first rate. the cliffs along the river can be used by the local inhabitance as a climbing and repelling gym. the river itself is used for cheap public transportation~ groovie. OH! and i got my flight sorted out - i will be back in the us early july via a week in fiji and a stop in LA!
swinging brisbane!
4x4 adventure~
my 2-night, 3-day, 4-wheel drive adventure on fraser island was amazing!! the groups met in the hostel on the morning of and were assigned teams. i was in team B of 2 - a 4x4 of 10, mostly americans and irish, one german girl. 2 ran off to shop for all our food supplies, and i took everyone's booze orders for the bottle shop~ it was boxes of wine all around. we watched instructional vidoes on how to drive a 4x4 on the beaches and roads on fraser, how to share the road (beach) with landing aircraft, how many ocean creatures can kill you, and how to be "dingo safe".
our odd grouping bonded in record-setting rain that night with both teams cramed into 2 tents (set up under the kitchen pavillion at base camp) and in the cars. by the time the clouds cleared we were on the ferry back to the mainland. but what an incredible place! beautiful lakes, white sand, boxed wine! we did have a few dingo sightings, but didn't feel threatened. good times. good people. that was worth doing for sure!
my 2-night, 3-day, 4-wheel drive adventure on fraser island was amazing!! the groups met in the hostel on the morning of and were assigned teams. i was in team B of 2 - a 4x4 of 10, mostly americans and irish, one german girl. 2 ran off to shop for all our food supplies, and i took everyone's booze orders for the bottle shop~ it was boxes of wine all around. we watched instructional vidoes on how to drive a 4x4 on the beaches and roads on fraser, how to share the road (beach) with landing aircraft, how many ocean creatures can kill you, and how to be "dingo safe".
our odd grouping bonded in record-setting rain that night with both teams cramed into 2 tents (set up under the kitchen pavillion at base camp) and in the cars. by the time the clouds cleared we were on the ferry back to the mainland. but what an incredible place! beautiful lakes, white sand, boxed wine! we did have a few dingo sightings, but didn't feel threatened. good times. good people. that was worth doing for sure!
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
airlie beach, global gossip email&internet. calls home $.05 a min. internet $3/hour with membership - but $8 to burn a cd?! shameful.
2 nights on magnetic island! nice~ i took a few short hikes and saw some beautiful bays and even a wild koala! the place i stayed falls into the category of "backpacker resort" - this means that it's got everything a traveling youth could ever want or need - and is thusly designed to take as much money from you as possible. it was however, a nice place to stay, and in a beautiful location. the island was nice. that was a greyhound ago - now i'm on the way to frasier island to join a self-drive 4w-drive, 3-day tour of the island! it's been talked up by most of the north-bound travelers i've met here. there seems to be a list of must-sees that pretty much everyone is doing. anyway, check it out!
x-base backpackers resort, magnetic island
2 nights on magnetic island! nice~ i took a few short hikes and saw some beautiful bays and even a wild koala! the place i stayed falls into the category of "backpacker resort" - this means that it's got everything a traveling youth could ever want or need - and is thusly designed to take as much money from you as possible. it was however, a nice place to stay, and in a beautiful location. the island was nice. that was a greyhound ago - now i'm on the way to frasier island to join a self-drive 4w-drive, 3-day tour of the island! it's been talked up by most of the north-bound travelers i've met here. there seems to be a list of must-sees that pretty much everyone is doing. anyway, check it out!
x-base backpackers resort, magnetic island
Saturday, June 03, 2006
cairns, internet cafe. $1/15 min. freezing in the air-con.
crap-ass tourist town - i'm outa' here. i've had all the cairns i can stand! i was up north in the rainforest and on the beaches of cape tribulation~ it was pretty remote, but they did still manage to clear a space for a few backpacker "resorts". i got to see some crocs from the river boat on the way up and there was some wildlife living around the hostel. i took a guided walk and learned all about the many species of plant and animal that can kill a man within seconds. i did make it back to cairns without deadly incident, but i'm not sure that's a good thing. it's a total tourist sham! did you know that cairns doesn't even have a beach?!!?!
i'm rolling south on a greyhound today, but now i've got to go and buy a ticket. peace.
crap-ass tourist town - i'm outa' here. i've had all the cairns i can stand! i was up north in the rainforest and on the beaches of cape tribulation~ it was pretty remote, but they did still manage to clear a space for a few backpacker "resorts". i got to see some crocs from the river boat on the way up and there was some wildlife living around the hostel. i took a guided walk and learned all about the many species of plant and animal that can kill a man within seconds. i did make it back to cairns without deadly incident, but i'm not sure that's a good thing. it's a total tourist sham! did you know that cairns doesn't even have a beach?!!?!
i'm rolling south on a greyhound today, but now i've got to go and buy a ticket. peace.
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