I ended up spending 2 months longer than expected in Oz, as the place is somewhat addictive, so there is obviously a lot I have had to leave out about my time spent on the rock....so this is mainly a summary of the highlights....
So arrive in Sydney and it is quite a shock to be back around western world ways. My first reaction is inevitably: OMG the price of everything! In Asia 2 dollars would buy a night’s accommodation or a seafood feast, here you can barely get a cup of tea. Regrettably it doesn’t take long to get back into the swing of consumer society and I start getting excited about things I recognise from home: bakeries with fresh bread (and banana cake everywhere...wow!), cheese, wine and other such treats!
(yes 'Australia's favourite cheese' really is called COON!)
Australia is known for its proximity to the sun (about 45 minutes away?) and although autumn is fast approaching, the summer has been an exceptionally hot one here. I had heard about the bush fire devastation in areas of Victoria while I was still in Indonesia and as soon as we landed there was evidence of how seriously it had effected and mobilised the country. Melbourne had experienced an unprecedented and uncomfortable heat wave similar in its extremeness to the news of a recordbreakingly cold winter in Europe! The climes they are a’changin!
Australia is a truly awesome entity; a continent, country and island all in one! It is a massive great big place with just 28 million inhabitants. The phenomenon of Europe seems quite alien when you imagine that 80 million people live in Germany alone!
Sydney is blessed with some of the most amazing beaches in the world (eh em, I should expect, not really having seen a huge amount of them) and I totally get into the coastal life vibe. Coming from Cambridge, England, my idea of coastal living is the Norfolk coast wearing big yellow raincoats and hats, gails and walking into the wind on shingle beach. Here you are in a international city and a just a bus ride from the centre there are white sand beaches with clear blue water, wonderfully maintained and facilitated, clean and safe (although there was a buzz in the news about recent shark attacks but don’t let that put you off). Maybe it is just a refreshing break from not having to constantly refuse the offer of a pedicure or Sarong, but I am truly taken with the beaches in Sydney.
Bondi Beach!!!
The shift in cost of living in comparison to Asia is most obvious in accommodation prices. That is why on the recommendation of others I had arranged to try ‘couch surfing’ (www.couchsurfing.com) and start my career as a global freeloader. It didn’t last long as it soon became clear that making networks with existing friends and family is much easier! Although you do get to meet cool people through the project!
It was so much fun catching up with Hayley who, as a dental nurse, is up there on the list of skilled migrants granted resident status in Oz and as a result has been living there for 2 years. We had a ball and celebrated our birthdays at the Hawaiian party and dressing up for Mardi Gras was a blast. To get out of the city and get my first taste of Australian natural wonders I went to the nearby Blue Mountains which were stunning and where I enjoyed a few days of bush walking.
It was so much fun catching up with Hayley who, as a dental nurse, is up there on the list of skilled migrants granted resident status in Oz and as a result has been living there for 2 years. We had a ball and celebrated our birthdays at the Hawaiian party and dressing up for Mardi Gras was a blast. To get out of the city and get my first taste of Australian natural wonders I went to the nearby Blue Mountains which were stunning and where I enjoyed a few days of bush walking.
The Blue Mountains.
After another few nights in Sydney I headed up by Greyhound to the Mecca of the chilled East coast wy of life; Byron Bay. Unfortunately my hostel experience in Byron wasn’t great. The dorm life firstly seemed like a brutal reminder that it is now nearly 10 years since was 18, secondaly proved how drinking something called ‘Goon’ is never gonna be pretty and thirdly taught me how much I hate the term ‘backpacker’. I have since vowed that my hostelling days are over. Well in Australia at least. Despite badly selected accommodation, Byron Bay is beautiful. Australia’s most easterly point, some coastal rainforest, great beaches and primetime surfing and surf watching! Hippies and getting high to boost! Also caught the annual nude cycle ride! Awesome.
Nude Cycling in Byron Bay
After 4 days in Byron, I spent a night at Brisbane airport (quite comfy, see http://www.sleepinginairports.com/) before flying to Adelaide. Step-uncle and cousins Mark, Milly and Josh pick me up from the airport and take me back to their lovely home just outside Adelaide. It is nice to be in a home rather than a hostel and they are very accommodating to me while I stay there. They live 5 mins from Maslin beach which is a totally different landscape, much redder geology, and which is west facing so has fabulous sunsets every night. The secluded beach is good for walking and the water is so clear and really cold so I increased my life by 5 mins a day by going for a dip in the mornings!
Sunset at Maslin Beach
On my grampa’s recommendation, I arrange a shared car ride to the Flinders ranges with Regis and Laurent. 2 French guys staying in Adelaide, Regis is a geophysicist (he knows his rocks) living and working in Adelaide and Laurent is a photographer on a working holiday visa. We drove for 5 days to the outback (well they drove as I still haven’t replaced my stolen licence ; ) and the remoteness of some of the towns and the grand scale of the landscape was an amazing to experience. To an English person who would rarely drive for over 3 hours without an overnight stop, the driving to be done in Australia is epic! We camped in some great campsites and I enjoyed the immensity of the night skies. We climbed to the top of the tallest peak in South Australia, St Mary’s Peak and saw the interesting geographical formation that is Wilpena Pound. The experience was really refreshing and rewarding, thanks for the recommendation gramps!
On Top: St Mary's Peak
After another few days in the smoke I arrange a car with a friend to drive along the Great Ocean Road to the promised land: Melbourne. The weather is getting colder now and this is the tail end of summer, but again some beautiful coastal landscapes and features such as the Twelve Apostles and London Bridge along this beautiful stretch of coastal road.
The Twelve Apostles
With much excitement about the fortune we will seek in our new temporary home, we arrive in Melbourne! City of lights, city of friends, city of so many things and currently as host to The International Comedy Festival, city of laughs.
On prior arrangement Melbournite Mr. Rodney Sinclair picks me up after breakfast and takes me back to his place in Richmond, a lovely area of the city, where he lives with his lovely girlfriend Lani. Rod is a close friend of Timo’s from their days spent as reprobates in Aya Napa and who I met over 10 years ago in a Japanese restaurant in the Cypriot party town. We reminisce about old times and laugh about my brother! They are so welcoming and helpful and agree to allow me to stay for as long as I need, which in the travelling game is obviously golden.
Rod and Lani!
I find some casual work in a restaurant to keep me out of trouble and to give me a few pennies to make another road trip before going to New Zealand. I hook up with another old friend from school Josh aka Ishwar the Bold and get more than a taste of what there is to do in the Victorian capital. Melbourne has a lot going for it and is more European in character to rival sibling Sydney and frustrated cousins Adelaide and Brisbane. This is mainly due to the many art and cultural things happening, its interesting pub-scene, sub-cuture and street art all of which reminds me of both Berlin and London in different ways.
Melbourne street art
In terms of comedy, I make a point of getting tickets for Dylan Moran, my all time favourite brand of Irish cynicism, and pick up a few other tickets along the way including for the darling of the Australian (and indeed international) comedy circuit; Tim Minchin. I also go to some of the other more low-key ad free gigs going on in the city and am spoilt for quality stand-up!
Dylan Moran
After the comedy festival I developed a taste for top notch events! I reconnect with a friend from Bangkok and we go on a holiday within a holiday to Melbourne’s premier nightspot and coastal suburb; St. Kilda. The reason for our trip is based around having tickets to see De La Soul and Cut Chemist at legendary venue the Esplanade Hotel. An amazing place and an amazing gig!
De La Soul @ The Esplanade Hotel
Following this I get the chance to see an Aussie rules football match at the home of AFL, the Melbourne Cricket Ground. AFL is a unique sport that was originally intended to keep cricketers fit in the winter. The rules seems crazily complicated (circular pitch, 4 goal posts?) but there are lots of men in tight shorts so all good in my books! Every true Melbournian will tell you that seeing at least one match at the MCG (also known as the 'G' in true aussie tradition of shortening everything!) is a must while in Melbourne and I am not disappointed as the match I see (Hawthorn v Carlton) turns out to be ‘the best it gets’. The atmosphere is infectious and there is none of the agro you would expect at a ‘soccer’ match in the UK. Sad but true!
Aussie rules football: Carlton v Hawthorn!!
Another unique Aussie experience was getting up at 5am to go to the dawn service on ANZAC day and stand with 30,000 people while they remembered Australia and New Zealand’s collective effort in the world wars and current conflicts. Moving and testement to the strength of ride in Australian national identity.
ANZAC day: dawn parade
Timo arrived in Australia a week or so before my visa expires so it was off to Sydney for one last blast. Brilliant to catch up with him finally and to meet Lauren. Also great to see Hayley, Gary, the boys from Frames, Flores and Fran again!
Tim and Lauren @ Darling Harbour
A lot of my time in Melbourne was spent trying to replace my wardrobe of sarongs and flip flops with a wardrobe fit for city life, in the winter! All the while considering baggage allowance restrictions and backpacker budget, hmm, not easy despite the quality of Melbourne shopping! But with that task finally complete, it’s off to New Zealand and the cold (only 2 months later than expected)!
I can honestly say I was nowhere near ready to enjoy Australia quite as much as I did! But what a truly great place! With 3 years left before I’m 30, the likelihood of me coming back for a working holiday visa is high! So much more to see and do!
Again, missing everybody loads and hope you Europeans are enjoying the weather in Europe!
I haven’t been reading nearly as much as while I was in Asia but one book I did read and can recommend for a summary of Australian heritage is:
-Wild Colonial Boys by Frank Clune. Australian history from the point of view of bushrangers such as Ned Kelly and Ben Hall!
Also heard some great Aussie tunes worth checking out:
-The Cat Empire
-The Presets
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