A Down-Under December

We are finally in Australia. To get here we had to endure one of the longer days of travel we have had yet. We finished up in Kuala Lumpur being quite sick and taking a 4 a.m. bus to the Airport for our flight. When we got to the airport my first stop was the men's room for a nice session of throwing up. I knew it would be a good travel day. Our flight out to Singapore was nice and short but we had a 9 hour lay over in Singapore and we had to wait in the departure area with no real comforts. The flight was a bit delayed but we made it off. We didn't check the itinerary very well because we had the long lay over and then we got into Perth at 1 a.m. and nothing was open. After going through customs we slept at the airport until daylight and headed into town. A lot of the hostels were booked and not super ideal for a tired and sick couple of travelers. We also got some sticker shock on the prices as we are not in Asia anymore. We found a place but it, like all of the hostels were full of binge drinking 20 somethings. The smell was a mix of sticky beer, Ramen noodles and socks. I was having some flashbacks to Upham hall at the U of I dorms. Not bad but maybe it would have been better another time. After checking in we walked around Perth and found some nice parks and sights. After 30 plus hours of no sleep, we finally turned in.

Like we seem to do when arriving in a new place we walked for hours and tried to find some direction and figure out what we are doing there. We spent 3 days in Perth and the Surrounding area. It is really nice, it is summer time here and the Christmas spirit is alive. Perth has the posh feel of any big metro area with nice cafes and nice shops and business men and women having their after work drinks. But it also has a laid back outdoors feel because of the parks, river and being right near the beaches. It is a large center for the oil and mining business and is the only real major city on the west coast and so far away from everything(~4000 km to Sydney). Basically, it has a really unique feel to it that I can't really pinpoint. Somewhere between Seattle, Southern Cal and Anchorage. Australia in general has been good and here are some of the basics: you can drink the water, flush a toilet, they speak English (kind of), you aren't looked at like a walking dollar sign (no hassles), and prices are marked (no haggling). The people are a good mix of "normal" families like you would see in the states, disgruntled youth and rednecks. Most all are extroverted and cheery and goofy in their own way, which makes any conversation fun.

So, after looking at our options we saw that it was very expensive to take a group tour or even take public transport and stay in the pricey hostels. We went to a neighboring town and walked by a car dealership and asked if they had any super cheap wheels. They didn't at the time but took our number and said they would call. We were walking down the street not more than a quarter mile away and one of the cheery used car salesmen pulled up in a shiny white car and said he was just taking it in and it may be available. We came back the next day and checked it over, it was basic but it provided us some freedom. The guys said they would buy it back when we were done and they were glad for a quick turnaround so we made the deal. I knew it would be good as we slammed the hood after our inspection and the front emblem came off. So we are the proud new owners of a 1994 Holden Barina- Swing. It is white with turquoise and pink splashes on the side. I think we will call it the Swingo-Dingo after the fierce and agile dog of the outback. It is one of the more masculine cars I have ever seen. The Geo-metro of Australia. Economical and easy to drive, actually just economical. It's got a bit of hitch in the giddy-up but I've seemed to have gotten it under control. It is a manual and they drive on the other side of the road so the first few hours/days were a bit scary for us and Australia. I am slowly figuring out the coordination of shifting with my left hand and staying on the left side of the road while merging into a two lane roundabout.

We got the car threw in our backpacks, swung by the salvation army and local Big W (Australian Walmart) and got cooking and camping supplies. Armed with a 50 cent Best of the 80's cassette tape we headed down the southern coast. So for about a week we have been checking out the little towns along the coast and camping. The first few days I didn't feel well and am slowly getting better with some self medication of anti-biotics. The coast is nice and the weather is good. We have seen a couple good lighthouses and went up in one at the very southwest tip of Australia where the Indian ocean and Southern ocean come together. It was pretty cool and quite high. We also went to a national park full of huge Karri trees and climbed to the top of a sketchy fire lookout around 225 feet off the ground. To get up there you had to spiral up the trunk of the tree on Rebar spikes that wound around the tree all the way to the top. We were surprised with all of the rules and safety things here but, you weren't required to wear a harness or have any supervision. Regardless it was a cheap thrill and gave a great view. We've also seen a good bit of wildlife, dolphins, emus, pelicans and mostly Kangaroos. The roos are just like deer back in the northwest. A bit of a pest, dangerous to drivers and in most fields near dawn or dusk as you are driving. At one of the visitor centers we got to pet some babies who's mothers had been hit by cars. They were super soft and friendly.

We haven't made it too far down the coast but we like the area, close to the forest and beach and kind of a tourist holiday area. We have a couple leads on some jobs to fund the adventures and may stay in this area a while. This will probably be the last blog until after the holidays -

so Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to everyone