From Adelaide I flew to Cairns, spent a whopping 18 hours in Cairns, then jumped on a bus for 10 hours to arrive at Airlie Beach where I went on a tour of the Whitsunday Islands in the Great Barrier Reef. The bus ride was a long but interesting one. For starters the route went through some of the hardest hit areas of Cyclone Yasi: Innisfail, Mission Beach, Tully. The damage that still remained one month after Yasi was impressive to say the least. Twisted, uprooted trees, houses destroyed, shorelines, sidewalks, and roads washed away. Looking out into the hills the hills are brown where the trees have died. We drove through fields of sugarcane that resembled fields of corn back home. One nice thing about the bus was there were in-bus movies; 3 to be exact. 2 were pretty good, an Australian movie called Charlie & Boots, The Constant Gardener. The other movie, Weekend at Bernie's, wasn't too good.
The tour itself was by far the highlight of my trip. I went on a tour with 17 other people, mainly Europeans though there were 2 Canadians. It was an awesome experience. I had a great time. The other guests, the crew, the food were all fantastic. Everyone got along really well, everyone, crew included, was very laid back. We all wanted to have a good time, so we did.
The day we left it rained most of the day and was windy, which made for some fairly rough seas. The rain let off in the evening and we dropped anchor in a cove off of Hook Island. That night the sky cleared and the Milky Way and the Large Magellanic Cloud were easily seen. On the water there were tiny bioluminescent creatures congregating around the anchor chain and they were also seen when waves would break. It was the only light seen on an otherwise black ocean. The next day we stopped at Tongue Bay on Whitsunday Island and did a very short walk through the woods to Betty's Beach. On the beach at Tongue Bay there was coral, much like the coral that can be found in fossils back home. I found that interesting, to see how little coral has changed in 220 million years. On Betty's Beach, however, was the whitest of white sand I have ever seen. The sand is composed of over 95% silica and it reflects most of the sunlight striking it, leaving the sand cool under foot. We were fortunate to have beautiful skies and sunshine when we were on Betty's Beach and even more fortunate to see a sea lion when we returned to the boat.
After that we drove for a couple hours to our snorkling stop, Mantaray Bay. The views while snorking were indescribable. There were so many different colors and shapes of the coral, heaps of fish of different sizes, shapes, and colors. There were fish smaller than my pinky finger to fish bigger than a small child. The water was very warm, almost 80 degrees, and blue-green in color. The rain from the previous day stirred up a little silt, but the visibility was still good. It truly was a surreal experience. The soft coral was dancing in the current like grass on wind. There were so many layers in the reefs as well. The bigger fish were above the reefs with smaller ones near the coral and still smaller ones within the coral. There were times when I was literally surrounded by fish. They were so close I could see individual scales on them, yet they were still untouchable. It was as if the fish knew that I was going to reach out to them before I even made the motion. I bought an underwater camera and quickly used all the exposures. We shall see how the pictures turn out.
The last day was bitter sweet as it meant a return to Airlie Beach. The whole experience was well worth it and is something I would not hesitate to do again. It should definitely be one everyone's bucket list.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Adelaide, South Australia
There’s not much trouble to find in Adelaide. But there are plenty of places to repent should you be lucky enough to find some trouble to get into in Adelaide. There are a lot of churches in Adelaide; there’s nearly one on every block. The city is surrounded on all sides by parks. Some of them are nice to wander through, others not so much. Like Sydney, Melbourne, and Hobart, there are parks within the city as well. These inner city parks are nice to stroll through, especially the park that is along the Torrens River. The Torrens River runs through Adelaide, separating Adelaide from North Adelaide. Being the capital city of South Australia, it is a big city but still has a small town feel to it. Adelaide does have the distinction of hosting the largest arts festival in the Southern Hemisphere and hosting the only two Giant Pandas in the Southern Hemisphere.
The Adelaide Fringe Festival is a three week arts festival with events all over the city. All kinds of artists are featured – writers, actors, musicians, comedians, circus/street performers, magicians. The opening night was on Friday and a parade and concert was scheduled. However, due to the nonstop rain that fell on Friday the parade was cancelled, but the concerts went on without interruption. The concerts went from 8.00pm to 1.00am, which I think was the first time something in Australia stayed open past 5.00pm. Normally all the shops and stores, even some restaurants, close for the day at 5.00pm, 6.30 at the latest.
The Adelaide Zoo, like Adelaide itself, is a small zoo but it has a lot to see. It has a really nice collection of birds, which I particularly liked. It had birds of varying sizes, shapes, colors, and regions of the world. In the Aussie animals section there was a Tasmanian devil that was up and about running around its enclosure. It even went for a swim. To see a Tasmanian devil so alive and active was a stark contrast to the Tasmanian devil I saw in Hobart. I was lucky enough to see the Giant Pandas awake and active as well. Since the pandas eat such a low energy diet they spent up to twenty hours a day sleeping, but one was eating and the other was walking around its enclosure when I was there. Pandas definitely rival koalas in the cuteness factor. Koalas may have the lead due to their smaller size.
Speaking of koalas, I took a thirty minute train ride out to Belair National Park today and saw several koalas. All the koalas I saw were sleeping in the nooks of eucalypt trees. The first one I saw was sleeping with its back to me, but I was determined to get a good picture of him. So I went off trail and over a dry creek bed to see the front of him. I apparently made a bit too much noise for the koala because I woke him up. You know that look someone gives you when you wake them up and they have no idea who you are, what you are doing there, or why you are waking them up? Well, that’s the look the koala gave me. After snapping many photos of the koala (I wasn’t sure if I’d see another one or not and I wanted to get my koala fix), I moved on and let him go back to his slumber. I didn’t have that problem with the other koalas I saw, they were either too far or too high (in the tree, that is) to worry about or they were facing me. Belair also housed many rosellas and lorikeets. They are beautiful parrots with vibrant colors and they are quite chatty. I came across what I believe are to be the smartest kangaroos in Australia. I saw about a half dozen kangaroos today and all of them did the exact same thing: they would hop across the trail in front of you, stop, and turn to look at you. Next they would wait for you to reach for you camera. Just when you had the camera nearly out of its case they would jump away into the woods. I swear I could hear them laughing as they hopped away.
Tomorrow starts my whirlwind tour of the East coast. I fly from Adelaide to Cairns tomorrow and will travel about 1600 miles in two weeks to end up in Sydney in time to catch my return flight home. Along the way I will be stopping to go a cruise in the Great Barrier Reef, do some hiking on Fraser Island, and go to the Australia Zoo.
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Great Ocean Road and Grampians National Park
The tour I took was very nice. It was a small tour of about 15 people which made for a relaxed and friendly atmosphere. We went to all the places of interest along the Great Ocean Road and all of those places were well worth the stops. We first stopped and did a short little walk through a rain forest of fern trees and gum trees. The forest was pretty thick, you couldn't see too far into the forest due to all the vegetation. After that we made several stops at places along the coastline. All the places we stopped at featured limestone stacks off the shore. The coast is made up of limestone and sandstone rocks. Over time water and wind wore away at the softer sandstone, leaving huge stacks of limestone standing as the shoreline eroded farther and farther inland. Stopping at the 12 Apostles I was in for a shock. It was a tourist magnet. There were countless tour buses in the parking lot and the walk out to the viewing area was packed with tourists snapping photos. I joined the masses and took a gander at the formations. The 12 Apostles are a series of 8 stacks close to one another. The name is a misnomer, there never were 12 stacks; there were 9 stacks but one collapsed in the 1990s. At any rate it was a sight to behold: large stacks of sandy brown and red rocks juxtaposed against seagreen coastal waters giving way to an azure ocean stretching to the horizon.
The stretch of coast from 12 Apostles to the Bay of Islands is known as the Shipwreck Coast. Since the late 1800s there have been more than 80 shipwrecks along that stretch of coastline. We stopped at the site of one of the most famous shipwrecks along the coast. Loch Ard Gorge is a gorge named after a ship that became one of the 80 ships that wrecked along the coast. The wreck of the Loch Ard is famous because out of more than 50 people onboard there were only two survivors, a 23 year old sailing apprentice and an 18 year old Irish girl. After they were rescued there was pressure for the two to get married, though it never happened. The girl, having lost both parents and 5 siblings, returned to Ireland to live with her older sister. The gorge formed a narrow cove along the coast. I had fun watching the tourists walk to the edge of the surf and pose for a picture, only to have a wave come up behind them and soak them from the knees down. Just as fun was watching people run away from the encroaching waves.
The next two sites, London Bridge and Bay of Islands, had formations similar to 12 Apostles but nowhere near as large. London Bridge at one time had two archs jutting out into the ocean, but the span connecting it to the mainland collapsed about 5 years ago. London Bridge was nice because we had the place to ourselves. We took advantage of that and took a group photo, one of the few photos that I have been in since arriving in Australia.
We spent the night at a hostel in the Grampians, hanging out and drinking beer. The next day we went on a short hike to a waterfall that was more like a watertrickle. Next we climbed Mt. Zero which offered some nice views of the surrounding area. The Grampians were very neat, jagged mountaintops raising out of a flat plain. Kangaroos were all over the park. There are several Aboriginal rock painting sites within the park, though we did not go to them. Much of the Grampians was closed at the time as a result of rockslides and landslides caused by the large amount of rain that had fallen recently. The tour really only offered a sneak peak at the Grampians as the park itself is fairly large. But we were in the Grampians long enough for me to see two emus just off the road.
In Horsham myself and about 8 others left the tour to board a bus to Adelaide as the tour was headed back to Melbourne. The bus we boarded was a luxury bus compared to the other buses I've been on. More leg room, comfortable seats, even an in-bus movie all made the 5.5 hour trip to Adelaide a pleasant one.
My plan is to take a train into the heart of the outback and arrive at Alice Springs. The train doesn't leave until next Sunday, so in the meantime I will be spending the week in and around Adelaide. Adelaide is much smaller than Melbourne and a little bigger than Hobart. Even so, there seems to be a fair amount of things to do. Part of the time I will be meeting up with Giulia. She has been in Adelaide for about 3 weeks working. The hostel I'm staying at has a pancake breakfast every morning and apple pie every night, which is quite nice. Also nice is that the hostel coincidentally put me in the same room as Giulia, so I don't have to go far to meet up with her. We shall see what kinds of adventures Adelaide has in store for me.
The stretch of coast from 12 Apostles to the Bay of Islands is known as the Shipwreck Coast. Since the late 1800s there have been more than 80 shipwrecks along that stretch of coastline. We stopped at the site of one of the most famous shipwrecks along the coast. Loch Ard Gorge is a gorge named after a ship that became one of the 80 ships that wrecked along the coast. The wreck of the Loch Ard is famous because out of more than 50 people onboard there were only two survivors, a 23 year old sailing apprentice and an 18 year old Irish girl. After they were rescued there was pressure for the two to get married, though it never happened. The girl, having lost both parents and 5 siblings, returned to Ireland to live with her older sister. The gorge formed a narrow cove along the coast. I had fun watching the tourists walk to the edge of the surf and pose for a picture, only to have a wave come up behind them and soak them from the knees down. Just as fun was watching people run away from the encroaching waves.
The next two sites, London Bridge and Bay of Islands, had formations similar to 12 Apostles but nowhere near as large. London Bridge at one time had two archs jutting out into the ocean, but the span connecting it to the mainland collapsed about 5 years ago. London Bridge was nice because we had the place to ourselves. We took advantage of that and took a group photo, one of the few photos that I have been in since arriving in Australia.
We spent the night at a hostel in the Grampians, hanging out and drinking beer. The next day we went on a short hike to a waterfall that was more like a watertrickle. Next we climbed Mt. Zero which offered some nice views of the surrounding area. The Grampians were very neat, jagged mountaintops raising out of a flat plain. Kangaroos were all over the park. There are several Aboriginal rock painting sites within the park, though we did not go to them. Much of the Grampians was closed at the time as a result of rockslides and landslides caused by the large amount of rain that had fallen recently. The tour really only offered a sneak peak at the Grampians as the park itself is fairly large. But we were in the Grampians long enough for me to see two emus just off the road.
In Horsham myself and about 8 others left the tour to board a bus to Adelaide as the tour was headed back to Melbourne. The bus we boarded was a luxury bus compared to the other buses I've been on. More leg room, comfortable seats, even an in-bus movie all made the 5.5 hour trip to Adelaide a pleasant one.
My plan is to take a train into the heart of the outback and arrive at Alice Springs. The train doesn't leave until next Sunday, so in the meantime I will be spending the week in and around Adelaide. Adelaide is much smaller than Melbourne and a little bigger than Hobart. Even so, there seems to be a fair amount of things to do. Part of the time I will be meeting up with Giulia. She has been in Adelaide for about 3 weeks working. The hostel I'm staying at has a pancake breakfast every morning and apple pie every night, which is quite nice. Also nice is that the hostel coincidentally put me in the same room as Giulia, so I don't have to go far to meet up with her. We shall see what kinds of adventures Adelaide has in store for me.
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Apollo Bay, Victoria
I'm traveling along the Great Ocean Road which runs from Torquay to Warrnambool along the coast of Victoria. After landing in Melbourne, I took a train to Geelong and from Geelong I took a bus to Apollo Bay via the Great Ocean Road. I've been on many bus rides, but this ride takes the cake as being the most beautiful, most scenic ride I've ever taken. In some places the road is level with the coast and you can hear the waves crashing against the shore from inside the bus. Outside the blue-green water of the Southern Ocean gives way to frothy white foam as the water meets the land. Other times the road climbs high above the coast, leaving you with amazing views of the coastline.
I'm staying at a very cozy little hostel about 3 blocks from the shore. This hostel feels more like the hostels I stayed at while hiking the AT than like the hostels I've been staying at here in Australia. My first day in Apollo Bay I did a little beach walk before heading up to Marriners Lookout, which offered a gorgeous view of the coast and Apollo Bay from a couple hundred meters up. I had mentioned to the owner of the hostel that I was finding it very difficult to get to Adelaide without having to spend several extra nights in different towns. The owner recommended that I book a tour that leaves Apollo Bay for Adelaide. I looked into it and decided that doing that would be the fastest, cheapest, and best way to get to Adelaide. The tour goes through the Grampians National Park, which excited me a lot because I had to scrapped my plans to visit the Grampians. But now I get to spend some time in the Grampians, so that's going to be nice.
Today I walked a stretch of the Great Ocean Walk, which is a 90 km coastal walk from Apollo Bay to the 12 Apostles, I rock formation along the coast. I walked for 8 km along the coast to a picnic area in the Otway National Forest. The walk was beautiful, alternating between sandy beaches and rocky beaches. Along the rocky shorelines there were rock pools to inspect. I learned an important lesson about walking along the rock pools: take off your sunglasses. The water in the rock pools was like a sheet of glass, transparent and smooth. When you have sunglasses on you do not see the sun's glare on the water. So I took a step onto what I thought was a dry rock, only to discover I was stepping into a shallow rock pool. The water didn't go past my ankles and I had boots on so I was OK. Yet another lesson learned while traveling.
Blackberries are in season right now. I stopped and filled a liter bottle full of blackberries and probably ate about a pint of blackberries while I was picking. I didn't have to go far from the beach to find the blackberries either. The forest went right down to the beach. There was no transition zone, just forest and then a sandy beach covered in sea shells.
I'm staying at a very cozy little hostel about 3 blocks from the shore. This hostel feels more like the hostels I stayed at while hiking the AT than like the hostels I've been staying at here in Australia. My first day in Apollo Bay I did a little beach walk before heading up to Marriners Lookout, which offered a gorgeous view of the coast and Apollo Bay from a couple hundred meters up. I had mentioned to the owner of the hostel that I was finding it very difficult to get to Adelaide without having to spend several extra nights in different towns. The owner recommended that I book a tour that leaves Apollo Bay for Adelaide. I looked into it and decided that doing that would be the fastest, cheapest, and best way to get to Adelaide. The tour goes through the Grampians National Park, which excited me a lot because I had to scrapped my plans to visit the Grampians. But now I get to spend some time in the Grampians, so that's going to be nice.
Today I walked a stretch of the Great Ocean Walk, which is a 90 km coastal walk from Apollo Bay to the 12 Apostles, I rock formation along the coast. I walked for 8 km along the coast to a picnic area in the Otway National Forest. The walk was beautiful, alternating between sandy beaches and rocky beaches. Along the rocky shorelines there were rock pools to inspect. I learned an important lesson about walking along the rock pools: take off your sunglasses. The water in the rock pools was like a sheet of glass, transparent and smooth. When you have sunglasses on you do not see the sun's glare on the water. So I took a step onto what I thought was a dry rock, only to discover I was stepping into a shallow rock pool. The water didn't go past my ankles and I had boots on so I was OK. Yet another lesson learned while traveling.
Blackberries are in season right now. I stopped and filled a liter bottle full of blackberries and probably ate about a pint of blackberries while I was picking. I didn't have to go far from the beach to find the blackberries either. The forest went right down to the beach. There was no transition zone, just forest and then a sandy beach covered in sea shells.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
Hobart, Tasmania
I decided to go to Tasmania on a whim, and it was an excellent decision. My last 3 days in Melbourne saw the temperature soar into the high 90s and 100s, and when I landed in Hobart the temperature was in the low 60s. In fact, the temperature never saw 80 the entire week I was there. When I arrived at the Hobart Airport I disembarked the plane onto the tarmac and walked into the airport. The airport itself was small, I think the Butler County Airport would give the Hobart Airport a run for its money in terms of size. I arrived to dull, rainy, grey, dreary weather, which suited my mental condition at the time after having spent a sleepless night at the Southern Cross Rail Station waiting to catch a 5.30 am shuttle to the airport. My first day I wondered in and out of the rain in Hobart familiarizing myself with the town and planning my week.
My first trip took me to the summit of Mt. Wellingtion, which looms over Hobart like a gargoyle. It was a very nice day hike. It was fairly moderate with some rather steep sections. I gained about 2600' while climbing through a thick fern forest before going above treeline. While in the forest I saw a couple pademelons, which look like tiny kangaroos. Ravens were calling overhead and little lizards were scurrying about my feet once I reached the treeline. The summit, at 4170', is in an alpine ecosystem with the temperature about 20 degrees cooler and much windier at the summit than in Hobart. I was reminded of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire because there is a road one can drive to reach the summit the people who drove were sporting shorts, shirts and sandals while I donned hiking boots and a windbreaker. The view of Hobart itself was covered due to fog, but I had a spectacular view of nearby Glenorchy. It was an extreme change of environment for being so close to Hobart. Interesting side note, Charles Darwin climbed Mt. Wellington when the Beagle landed in Hobart in the 1830s.
Next I went to Mt. Nelson, which is a hill in comparison to Mt. Wellington. I hiked Mt. Nelson in reverse as the easiest way to get there was to take a bus to the summit and then hike down and back up. Mt. Nelson offered a nice view of Hobart from its summit. The trek down was through a dense forest. Along the way I saw a dead Tasmanian Devil in a creek. So that's yet another Aussie animal I can cross off my list.
Saturday found me heading to Tasman National Park on the Tasman Pennisula. When Australia was a penal colony the pennisula was used to house the worst offenders due to the fact that it is connected to the mainlandby a very narrow strip of land. Dogs were employed to guard this narrow strip, making escape very difficult. Maingon Bay in the National Park was beautiful. Sandstone cliffs falling into the sea with the blue-green waters of the ocean crashing against the rocks. I went on a nice coastal trek to the stunning Crescent Bay. It is a crescent-shaped bay with white sandy beaches and large sand dunes rise up behind it. It was very peaceful and relaxing. Then I climbed Mt. Brown, which again was more like a hill. But the view from the summit was just as stunning as the bay. There were wonderful views of Tasman Island and Cape Pillar. I had the opportunity to cross yet another Aussie animal off my list as I saw a wombat on the trek.
I spent Sunday in town at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. It is a very nice museum with exhibits and Aboriginal culture, zoology, geology, Aussie's convict history as well as Tasmanian artists. But the best exhibit was the Antartic exhibit. That exhibit encompassed nearly every aspect of Antartica, from its climate and environment, to the flora and fauna, to the history of Antartic exploration. I was surprised to find out I spent five hours in the museum as the museum itself isn't very large.
Monday I took it easy and bummed out in the hostel. A TV channel carried the Super Bowl, which started at 10.00 am on Monday here. So I treated myself to a little taste of home. Though I didn't get to see the Super Bowl commercials because the station aired local commercials instead.
I realized just how small of a world it truly is while in Hobart. At the hostel I met a mother/daughter couple, Karen and Rachel respectively, who grew up in Zionsville, IN just outside of Indianapolis. Rachel went to Miami University and worked for five years in outdoor education out West. Her father lives in Cataract Falls, which is 15 minutes away from DePauw University. Karen and Rachel are two super nice and chill people. We chatted for a while about Miami, DePauw, backpacking, and a whole lot more. Karen said Rachel and I have led yin and yang lives, seeing how we switched locations for college and afterwards Rachel went West for outdoor education and I went East. And we wound up crossing paths in a hostel in Hobart Tasmania. Which I suppose is the most likely place for us to have met.
Hobart, and all of Tasmania for that matter, is truly a special place. It is like Australia's best kept secret. There are heaps of National Parks to go trekking in and the scenery varies from white sandy beaches, to rain forests, to alpine environments, and then the historic sites are thrown in just for good measure. It would be very easy to spend six weeks travelling across Tasmania seeing the sights. All this for an island that can't be much bigger than Ohio.
My first trip took me to the summit of Mt. Wellingtion, which looms over Hobart like a gargoyle. It was a very nice day hike. It was fairly moderate with some rather steep sections. I gained about 2600' while climbing through a thick fern forest before going above treeline. While in the forest I saw a couple pademelons, which look like tiny kangaroos. Ravens were calling overhead and little lizards were scurrying about my feet once I reached the treeline. The summit, at 4170', is in an alpine ecosystem with the temperature about 20 degrees cooler and much windier at the summit than in Hobart. I was reminded of Mt. Washington in New Hampshire because there is a road one can drive to reach the summit the people who drove were sporting shorts, shirts and sandals while I donned hiking boots and a windbreaker. The view of Hobart itself was covered due to fog, but I had a spectacular view of nearby Glenorchy. It was an extreme change of environment for being so close to Hobart. Interesting side note, Charles Darwin climbed Mt. Wellington when the Beagle landed in Hobart in the 1830s.
Next I went to Mt. Nelson, which is a hill in comparison to Mt. Wellington. I hiked Mt. Nelson in reverse as the easiest way to get there was to take a bus to the summit and then hike down and back up. Mt. Nelson offered a nice view of Hobart from its summit. The trek down was through a dense forest. Along the way I saw a dead Tasmanian Devil in a creek. So that's yet another Aussie animal I can cross off my list.
Saturday found me heading to Tasman National Park on the Tasman Pennisula. When Australia was a penal colony the pennisula was used to house the worst offenders due to the fact that it is connected to the mainlandby a very narrow strip of land. Dogs were employed to guard this narrow strip, making escape very difficult. Maingon Bay in the National Park was beautiful. Sandstone cliffs falling into the sea with the blue-green waters of the ocean crashing against the rocks. I went on a nice coastal trek to the stunning Crescent Bay. It is a crescent-shaped bay with white sandy beaches and large sand dunes rise up behind it. It was very peaceful and relaxing. Then I climbed Mt. Brown, which again was more like a hill. But the view from the summit was just as stunning as the bay. There were wonderful views of Tasman Island and Cape Pillar. I had the opportunity to cross yet another Aussie animal off my list as I saw a wombat on the trek.
I spent Sunday in town at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. It is a very nice museum with exhibits and Aboriginal culture, zoology, geology, Aussie's convict history as well as Tasmanian artists. But the best exhibit was the Antartic exhibit. That exhibit encompassed nearly every aspect of Antartica, from its climate and environment, to the flora and fauna, to the history of Antartic exploration. I was surprised to find out I spent five hours in the museum as the museum itself isn't very large.
Monday I took it easy and bummed out in the hostel. A TV channel carried the Super Bowl, which started at 10.00 am on Monday here. So I treated myself to a little taste of home. Though I didn't get to see the Super Bowl commercials because the station aired local commercials instead.
I realized just how small of a world it truly is while in Hobart. At the hostel I met a mother/daughter couple, Karen and Rachel respectively, who grew up in Zionsville, IN just outside of Indianapolis. Rachel went to Miami University and worked for five years in outdoor education out West. Her father lives in Cataract Falls, which is 15 minutes away from DePauw University. Karen and Rachel are two super nice and chill people. We chatted for a while about Miami, DePauw, backpacking, and a whole lot more. Karen said Rachel and I have led yin and yang lives, seeing how we switched locations for college and afterwards Rachel went West for outdoor education and I went East. And we wound up crossing paths in a hostel in Hobart Tasmania. Which I suppose is the most likely place for us to have met.
Hobart, and all of Tasmania for that matter, is truly a special place. It is like Australia's best kept secret. There are heaps of National Parks to go trekking in and the scenery varies from white sandy beaches, to rain forests, to alpine environments, and then the historic sites are thrown in just for good measure. It would be very easy to spend six weeks travelling across Tasmania seeing the sights. All this for an island that can't be much bigger than Ohio.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Great Dividing Trail
As I mentioned earlier, I spent the past 12 days hiking the Great Dividing Trail. The GDT runs 190 km (118 miles) from Ballarat to Bendigo in the north central part of Victoria. It was a very nice hike. It is a well marked trail for the most part and no major hills or mountains to account for and I had to average about 19 km (~12 miles) a day. There were many sections of the trail that were "closed" due to the recent flooding, but that didn't stop me from hiking those sections. There were trees down across the trail or a creek crossing was a mass of downed trees and debris but it wasn't anything that couldn't be navigated around.
Day 1
After taking a train to Ballarat I started hiking just past midday. While I was getting organized at the rail station in Ballarat a lady came over and asked me if I was an international backpacker. We chatted for a bit and she reflected the sentiment that I've heard a lot since I've been here about backpackers: there are heaps of backpackers from Germany and France, but relatively few from the US. She then asked me if I planned on traveling to Canberra, Australia's capitol. When I told her I wasn't planning to she said, "That's fine. Canberra's nothing but roundabouts and politicians anyway." "Well I don't have much of a preference for either of them so I don't think I'll miss anything." was my response. The day itself was pleasant, right around 80 degrees with overcast skies. Perfect hiking weather. The extent of the recent flooding that hit the area was evident on the hike. There was one part of the trail that ran along the river and the high water line on the trees was a solid 10-12 feet above the level of the creek bed. Debris was everywhere along the creeks. Massive trees tangled and twisted into and on top of one another were further evidence of the recent fury of the creeks. I camped along a creek at a campsite that was closed due to the flooding. I saw an echidna and 2 kangaroos during my journey as well.
Day 2
Today was sunny and warm, in the mid 80s. There was more evidence of flooding at every creek crossing; lots of trees down, grass flattened where creeks had overrun their banks. I had a lot of road walking to do in the afternoon. I road walked between farm fields. There were heaps of rosellas (a parrot-like bird), and magpies and I saw and heard several kookaburras too.
Day 3
Beautiful day. I hiked along an old railway bed that was used to transport timber to the mills in the 1850s and 1860s. Along the way there were information signs talking about the region's history in the timber industry. 3 echidnas crossed my path today. One interesting thing about echidnas is when they are spooked they either bury their head under a rock or they tuck under themselves and lie real still. If you weren't paying close attention you could easily mistake them for a plant when they are in that position. I guess if you have long sharp quills you don't really need to do much to protect yourself. I came to Sailor's Falls, a nice little falls of about 25-30 feet. I camped right off the trail in the park that Sailor's Falls was in. I'm not sure if it was allowed but I didn't see any signs saying I couldn't.
Day 4
Warmest day on the trail so far. Sunny skies and temperatures in the high 80s. I didn't do too much hiking today, maybe 5.5 miles. The trail passed through Daylesford and I needed to resupply so I took my time. I was in no rush to finish the trail and at this point I'm ahead of schedule. I treated myself to ice cream and bought some cookies to pack out of town with me. I must have walked up and down every aisle in the supermarket twice today just as an excuse to get out of the heat.
Day 5
It was a hot day, in the 90s for sure. I left Daylesford and made it to Hepburn Springs in no time. Hepburn Springs exists because of the mineral waters that flow there. The waters were discovered during the gold rush of the early 1850s. When the gold was exhausted the town turned to the mineral waters. I filled up a litre with some mineral water to drink for lunch. It tasted pretty good; like soda water with a slight odor of sulphor. The woods are swarming with flies. I could hear them in the trees above me. It sounded like the faint hum of electricity or the far away sound of car tires running on smooth blacktop. The flies don't bite, they just annoy the hell out of me. Every now and then one tags along with me for a while landing repeatedly on my face and sunglasses. The first few days followed old rail and tram beds that were constructed during the timber boom. Now I'm getting into gold mining country.
Day 6
A day much like yesterday. Clear skies and hot. I finally saw someone on the trail: 3 mountain bikers passed me in the morning and I saw a couple looking for sights to do metal detecting. I passed by several ruins of gold mining huts and the couple told me they've found artifacts at sites such as those. Not a lot of gold, but little brass buttons and pendants. Some of which had engraving of shamrocks or Chinese writing, a relic of the Irish and Chinese immigrants who were lured into the bush at the prospect of finding gold. Spent all afternoon at Vaughan Springs, another one of the natural springs in the area. I've seen quite a few wallabies in the past couple of days.
Day 7
It started raining about 7.30 am. Seeing how I was in my hammock I quickly grabbed my stuff and went into a restroom to wait out the storm. Luckily I stayed at Vaughan Springs last night. It rained until about 9 am and then it ended up being a pretty nice day. The blackberries are starting to ripen and I grabbed a couple handfuls while hiking. The trail took me by abandoned gold mines. Again there were little information signs at each one talking about the machinery used and how the gold was extracted. I made it all the way to Castlemaine, I didn't plan on it but I did. I went to the rail station to escape the heat and watched some of the Australian Open. I had trouble finding the trail leading out of town so I asked someone if he knew whereabouts the trail was. He didn't, but when I told him what I was doing he asked me if I had found Jesus along the trail. He then proceeded to tell me how important Jesus was to have in your life and in the next breath said Jesus isn't too happy with him at the moment because he is a bit of a pot head. Needless to say he wasn't much help in finding the trail. I camped by a creek in town with the plan of asking someone else for directions in the morning.
Day 8
I found my way out of town. It turned out the road on the map that is labeled as Bourke Street is actually Happy Valley Road, which was why I wasn't able to find Bourke Street last night. It was another nice hot, sunny day. I passed more gold mining ruins and had my first significant uphill jaunt. I climbed a little mountain and hiked through a pine forest for a bit. It was a nice change of scenery from all the eucalypts and red gums I had been hiking through. I stopped for lunch next to a cow pasture and was the object of intense fascination for 6 cows. They came right up to the fence and didn't take their large, coal-black eyes off of me the entire time I was eating and reading. I felt very much like an animal at the zoo.
Day 9
What a day. Where to begin. It started off in the middle of the night when it began to rain. The way I set my pack against my tent allowed water to run directly into my tent. I realized it a bit too late to save my sleeping bag from getting pretty wet. It was a decent shower, complete with a bit of thunder and lightning. In the morning I dried everything out real well. Actually the sun did all the drying, I just sat around. I wasn't concerned about time because I was only going about 9 miles. Or so I thought at the time. I started up Mt. Alexander, a mountain with granite outcrops. Somewhere on the way down I lost the trail, in a big way. The trail was in poor condition, it was overgrown in area and there were numerous trees to scramble over. Once I realized I had lost the trail I did exactly what you are not supposed to do when lost: I kept walking in the direction I was headed. I spied a gravel track further down the mountain and commenced to bushwhack down the mountain through waist high weeds that hid branches and rocks that would leap up and grab my toes, causing me to trip and stumble my way down. On the bright side I startled many kangaroos and saw an echidna. I got to the dirt track and followed it down hill to a paved road. I flagged a truck down as it was coming down the same dirt track I followed in hopes of getting directions to the trail. My hopes were dashed as soon as I saw the two people in the car. They were, as John and Katie would say, a couple of bucktowners. The driver had a mullet hair cut and the closest thing to a country accent I've heard since I've been here. He pointed in a direction to head with the closing remark of "That should get you to Sutton-Grange Road." I didn't have many options at this point, so I placed all my faith in the "should" and headed off in that direction. It was a very hot day to road walk on black asphalt, but I didn't have much of a choice. I stopped another car to ask again for directions and this driver didn't know too much either, but he did offer me a lift for several miles. I took him up on that lift and found a spot under a tree full of noisy galahs (another parrot-like birds) for lunch and to hash out a plan. At this point I figured my best bet would be to hitch into Bendigo, pick up the trail where it starts in town and head south along the trail. Not 10 minutes after I started walking I was picked up by another car. Now, had Mr. Pot Head Jesus been with me he would have said that that driver was sent to me from God. Alas, Mr. Pot Head Jesus was back in Castlemaine enjoying what I'm sure was a nice long toke at that moment and not with me, so I'll just chalk it up to coincidence. The driver ended up taking me all the way to the Bendigo rail station, where the GDT starts in town. He first said he could get me within a couple miles of Bendigo. Seeing how I was about 8-9 miles from Bendigo by road I was more than happy to get that far. Then he said he'll take me just a little further so I'd only have about a 5 minute walk on account that it was a pretty hot day. Then he looked in the back and said "Aw hell, you've got a big pack with you, I'll just take you all the way to the rail station." He was a real nice guy, we chatted about the absurdity of buying bottled water, the game of cricket, and the travels I've done while in the country. He was a real saving grace. I was getting very frustrated with myself at the moment he stopped to pick me up and when he dropped me off I had a fresh outlook on my situation. I spent the afternoon in Bendigo hanging out in the town gardens. I hiked for about an hour in the evening to camp, which is where I spent my last 3 nights.
Day 10
I did a day hike south along the trail to make up for some of the miles I lost yesterday. I hiked about 14 miles round trip. It turns out I didn't miss much, the trail was very monotonous. The trail followed an access road along a man made water way leading to a fenced off reservoir. Once again the them of the day was hot and sunny.
Day 11
I spent the entire day in the library. I researched where to go and what to see and do when I get back from Tasmania. It was very productive and saved me a day's worth of research when I get back to Melbourne. I realized that there is a lot of Australia left to see and little time left to see it. I will have to make sure I set priorities for myself. Some places and sights will get scratched while others I'll just have to be content to see in passing.
Day 12
I left Bendigo for Melbourne via train. When I got to the hostel I had a little scare for about 20 minutes. Before I left for the trail I talked to the manager of the hostel and she agreed to stow the belongings I wouldn't be taking with me on the trail. When I got to the hostel to retrieve said belongings the staff working were not able to find them. I initially was told my best option was to come back on Monday (this day being Saturday) and speak to the manager then. When I explained to them that all I had with me was camping gear and dirty, sweaty clothes they allowed me into the storage room to look for my stuff. After about 20 minutes of being assured repeatedly that "we've never lost a bag" and becoming more and more worried the safe was opened and there was the rest of my belongings. The hostel was pretty booked and initially I was told there were no beds available, but the girl that helped me look told me that they always keep a few beds open for emergencies and set me up for 2 nights. That catastrophe averted I showered, did laundry, and treated myself to a half gallon of caramel swirl vanilla ice cream.
Day 1
After taking a train to Ballarat I started hiking just past midday. While I was getting organized at the rail station in Ballarat a lady came over and asked me if I was an international backpacker. We chatted for a bit and she reflected the sentiment that I've heard a lot since I've been here about backpackers: there are heaps of backpackers from Germany and France, but relatively few from the US. She then asked me if I planned on traveling to Canberra, Australia's capitol. When I told her I wasn't planning to she said, "That's fine. Canberra's nothing but roundabouts and politicians anyway." "Well I don't have much of a preference for either of them so I don't think I'll miss anything." was my response. The day itself was pleasant, right around 80 degrees with overcast skies. Perfect hiking weather. The extent of the recent flooding that hit the area was evident on the hike. There was one part of the trail that ran along the river and the high water line on the trees was a solid 10-12 feet above the level of the creek bed. Debris was everywhere along the creeks. Massive trees tangled and twisted into and on top of one another were further evidence of the recent fury of the creeks. I camped along a creek at a campsite that was closed due to the flooding. I saw an echidna and 2 kangaroos during my journey as well.
Day 2
Today was sunny and warm, in the mid 80s. There was more evidence of flooding at every creek crossing; lots of trees down, grass flattened where creeks had overrun their banks. I had a lot of road walking to do in the afternoon. I road walked between farm fields. There were heaps of rosellas (a parrot-like bird), and magpies and I saw and heard several kookaburras too.
Day 3
Beautiful day. I hiked along an old railway bed that was used to transport timber to the mills in the 1850s and 1860s. Along the way there were information signs talking about the region's history in the timber industry. 3 echidnas crossed my path today. One interesting thing about echidnas is when they are spooked they either bury their head under a rock or they tuck under themselves and lie real still. If you weren't paying close attention you could easily mistake them for a plant when they are in that position. I guess if you have long sharp quills you don't really need to do much to protect yourself. I came to Sailor's Falls, a nice little falls of about 25-30 feet. I camped right off the trail in the park that Sailor's Falls was in. I'm not sure if it was allowed but I didn't see any signs saying I couldn't.
Day 4
Warmest day on the trail so far. Sunny skies and temperatures in the high 80s. I didn't do too much hiking today, maybe 5.5 miles. The trail passed through Daylesford and I needed to resupply so I took my time. I was in no rush to finish the trail and at this point I'm ahead of schedule. I treated myself to ice cream and bought some cookies to pack out of town with me. I must have walked up and down every aisle in the supermarket twice today just as an excuse to get out of the heat.
Day 5
It was a hot day, in the 90s for sure. I left Daylesford and made it to Hepburn Springs in no time. Hepburn Springs exists because of the mineral waters that flow there. The waters were discovered during the gold rush of the early 1850s. When the gold was exhausted the town turned to the mineral waters. I filled up a litre with some mineral water to drink for lunch. It tasted pretty good; like soda water with a slight odor of sulphor. The woods are swarming with flies. I could hear them in the trees above me. It sounded like the faint hum of electricity or the far away sound of car tires running on smooth blacktop. The flies don't bite, they just annoy the hell out of me. Every now and then one tags along with me for a while landing repeatedly on my face and sunglasses. The first few days followed old rail and tram beds that were constructed during the timber boom. Now I'm getting into gold mining country.
Day 6
A day much like yesterday. Clear skies and hot. I finally saw someone on the trail: 3 mountain bikers passed me in the morning and I saw a couple looking for sights to do metal detecting. I passed by several ruins of gold mining huts and the couple told me they've found artifacts at sites such as those. Not a lot of gold, but little brass buttons and pendants. Some of which had engraving of shamrocks or Chinese writing, a relic of the Irish and Chinese immigrants who were lured into the bush at the prospect of finding gold. Spent all afternoon at Vaughan Springs, another one of the natural springs in the area. I've seen quite a few wallabies in the past couple of days.
Day 7
It started raining about 7.30 am. Seeing how I was in my hammock I quickly grabbed my stuff and went into a restroom to wait out the storm. Luckily I stayed at Vaughan Springs last night. It rained until about 9 am and then it ended up being a pretty nice day. The blackberries are starting to ripen and I grabbed a couple handfuls while hiking. The trail took me by abandoned gold mines. Again there were little information signs at each one talking about the machinery used and how the gold was extracted. I made it all the way to Castlemaine, I didn't plan on it but I did. I went to the rail station to escape the heat and watched some of the Australian Open. I had trouble finding the trail leading out of town so I asked someone if he knew whereabouts the trail was. He didn't, but when I told him what I was doing he asked me if I had found Jesus along the trail. He then proceeded to tell me how important Jesus was to have in your life and in the next breath said Jesus isn't too happy with him at the moment because he is a bit of a pot head. Needless to say he wasn't much help in finding the trail. I camped by a creek in town with the plan of asking someone else for directions in the morning.
Day 8
I found my way out of town. It turned out the road on the map that is labeled as Bourke Street is actually Happy Valley Road, which was why I wasn't able to find Bourke Street last night. It was another nice hot, sunny day. I passed more gold mining ruins and had my first significant uphill jaunt. I climbed a little mountain and hiked through a pine forest for a bit. It was a nice change of scenery from all the eucalypts and red gums I had been hiking through. I stopped for lunch next to a cow pasture and was the object of intense fascination for 6 cows. They came right up to the fence and didn't take their large, coal-black eyes off of me the entire time I was eating and reading. I felt very much like an animal at the zoo.
Day 9
What a day. Where to begin. It started off in the middle of the night when it began to rain. The way I set my pack against my tent allowed water to run directly into my tent. I realized it a bit too late to save my sleeping bag from getting pretty wet. It was a decent shower, complete with a bit of thunder and lightning. In the morning I dried everything out real well. Actually the sun did all the drying, I just sat around. I wasn't concerned about time because I was only going about 9 miles. Or so I thought at the time. I started up Mt. Alexander, a mountain with granite outcrops. Somewhere on the way down I lost the trail, in a big way. The trail was in poor condition, it was overgrown in area and there were numerous trees to scramble over. Once I realized I had lost the trail I did exactly what you are not supposed to do when lost: I kept walking in the direction I was headed. I spied a gravel track further down the mountain and commenced to bushwhack down the mountain through waist high weeds that hid branches and rocks that would leap up and grab my toes, causing me to trip and stumble my way down. On the bright side I startled many kangaroos and saw an echidna. I got to the dirt track and followed it down hill to a paved road. I flagged a truck down as it was coming down the same dirt track I followed in hopes of getting directions to the trail. My hopes were dashed as soon as I saw the two people in the car. They were, as John and Katie would say, a couple of bucktowners. The driver had a mullet hair cut and the closest thing to a country accent I've heard since I've been here. He pointed in a direction to head with the closing remark of "That should get you to Sutton-Grange Road." I didn't have many options at this point, so I placed all my faith in the "should" and headed off in that direction. It was a very hot day to road walk on black asphalt, but I didn't have much of a choice. I stopped another car to ask again for directions and this driver didn't know too much either, but he did offer me a lift for several miles. I took him up on that lift and found a spot under a tree full of noisy galahs (another parrot-like birds) for lunch and to hash out a plan. At this point I figured my best bet would be to hitch into Bendigo, pick up the trail where it starts in town and head south along the trail. Not 10 minutes after I started walking I was picked up by another car. Now, had Mr. Pot Head Jesus been with me he would have said that that driver was sent to me from God. Alas, Mr. Pot Head Jesus was back in Castlemaine enjoying what I'm sure was a nice long toke at that moment and not with me, so I'll just chalk it up to coincidence. The driver ended up taking me all the way to the Bendigo rail station, where the GDT starts in town. He first said he could get me within a couple miles of Bendigo. Seeing how I was about 8-9 miles from Bendigo by road I was more than happy to get that far. Then he said he'll take me just a little further so I'd only have about a 5 minute walk on account that it was a pretty hot day. Then he looked in the back and said "Aw hell, you've got a big pack with you, I'll just take you all the way to the rail station." He was a real nice guy, we chatted about the absurdity of buying bottled water, the game of cricket, and the travels I've done while in the country. He was a real saving grace. I was getting very frustrated with myself at the moment he stopped to pick me up and when he dropped me off I had a fresh outlook on my situation. I spent the afternoon in Bendigo hanging out in the town gardens. I hiked for about an hour in the evening to camp, which is where I spent my last 3 nights.
Day 10
I did a day hike south along the trail to make up for some of the miles I lost yesterday. I hiked about 14 miles round trip. It turns out I didn't miss much, the trail was very monotonous. The trail followed an access road along a man made water way leading to a fenced off reservoir. Once again the them of the day was hot and sunny.
Day 11
I spent the entire day in the library. I researched where to go and what to see and do when I get back from Tasmania. It was very productive and saved me a day's worth of research when I get back to Melbourne. I realized that there is a lot of Australia left to see and little time left to see it. I will have to make sure I set priorities for myself. Some places and sights will get scratched while others I'll just have to be content to see in passing.
Day 12
I left Bendigo for Melbourne via train. When I got to the hostel I had a little scare for about 20 minutes. Before I left for the trail I talked to the manager of the hostel and she agreed to stow the belongings I wouldn't be taking with me on the trail. When I got to the hostel to retrieve said belongings the staff working were not able to find them. I initially was told my best option was to come back on Monday (this day being Saturday) and speak to the manager then. When I explained to them that all I had with me was camping gear and dirty, sweaty clothes they allowed me into the storage room to look for my stuff. After about 20 minutes of being assured repeatedly that "we've never lost a bag" and becoming more and more worried the safe was opened and there was the rest of my belongings. The hostel was pretty booked and initially I was told there were no beds available, but the girl that helped me look told me that they always keep a few beds open for emergencies and set me up for 2 nights. That catastrophe averted I showered, did laundry, and treated myself to a half gallon of caramel swirl vanilla ice cream.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Bendigo, Victoria
A lot has happened and I haven't had the time nor the opportunity to write. So this will be a quick little appetizer. The full entree will come in a few days once I'm back (again) in Melbourne. So after calling around 30 WWOOFing hosts looking for a place, I finally found one. Only problem was it was out near the place Giulia and I just left. So we decided not to take that. Instead, Giulia wanted to travel on her own a bit and try to find a job in Adelaide. That was a bummer to lose my travelling companion. It was fun having someone to hang around with. I thought it'd be nice to visit Tasmania, so after checking flights I found a round trip flight for around $100. Which was awesome. Only it wasn't for another 2 weeks. I could spend 2 weeks and around $350 in hostel fees bumming around Melbourne, or I could find a trail to spend the time on. I found a trail. I left on January 18th to hike the Great Dividing Trail from Ballarat to Bendigo. The Trail is 190km, ~ 118 miles. I had 11 days to do it in, so it wasn't too tough. But it was an adventure. I'll blog all about it once I'm in Melbourne. This will have to hold you over for another couple days.
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