Start of Lismore to Sydney Road Trip

On Friday, Ian and Maria picked Katie and me up at 7 am for a day trip north of Lismore. We started off in the National Nightcap Park, where we had previously been for the Minyon Falls hike at the beginning of the semester. This time, we went on a shorter hike around Mt. Mathenson, which was a bushwalk on a trail. It was dark out due to the thick canopy above us, and began to sprinkle about half way through the walk. We were expecting lookouts on the top of the peak but we ended up doing the loop without any lookout points. Either way, it was a nice walk and it felt good to move by passing through Nimbin, and taking in the incredibly unique town.

 Nimbin is the weed capitol of Australia, and it is evident in the people, shops and colorfully painted town. Although we didn’t stop for any “cookies” or “cakes”, we walked along the main street and felt a natural high off the fun-loving energy of the town.

We continued on to the volcano Mt. Warning, which is the first place in Australia that the sun hits as it rises. Although we weren’t there for sunrise, we wanted to check out the surrounding environment because of its uniqueness. We got to the top of the road and saw that the hike up to the peak was six hours and for expert bushwalkers, so we decided to have a picnic lunch up there instead. On the way back, we took a detour towards the coast, and finally got to take a picture in front of Australia’s most easterly point in Byron Bay. We walked down the path past the lighthouse and saw a group of dolphins swimming below against the strong ocean current. I’ve never seen so many dolphins in nature swimming so closely together and jumping over the tall waves above them. It was spectacular! We took a moment to realize that we were closer to America at that point that at any other place so far in Australia. I said belted out a big hello to my family and everyone over seas. It started to rain a bit so we headed back and made our way to Lismore.

Most Easterly Point!!

That night I had to get ready to check out the next morning, so I was up late cleaning and packing. We said goodbye to a few of our friends that night, in case we didn’t seen them in the morning. After our last fun night with Tyler and Justin, we had to force ourselves to say goodbye. Instead of sobbing and ending on a sad note, we decided to just keep it light hearted and playful, as we always were. We had one last group hug that lasted forever and said “see ya later!” It’s odd to think we may never see them again, but they said we will be seeing them years down the road for their weddings. What a thought.

My empty room

As mentally and physically exhausted as I was that night, I still had lots of last minute things to do. I avoided my roommates that night because every time I saw them, they gave me the saddest look and couldn’t stand the thought that I was leaving the next day. I knew after all this time of living together that it would be tough to say goodbye to them. Katie and I each spent time on our own just getting our things together and making sure the house and our rooms were in perfect order for the check out in the morning

The house was extra quiet that night when I fell asleep, and I couldn’t help but to miss the usual loud noise of a party in the living room.

Saturday morning I woke up at 6 am and finished cleaning the house for the final unit inspection. After getting Hannah, the RA to check me out, Katie found me and we said our goodbyes. It was hardest to say goodbye to Tiana, and she’s the only person I let out tears for. It was mainly because of how grateful I was to have become so close to her in the past few weeks. After our girls weekend a month before, we really bonded and had a close friendship for the remaining time I was there. I walked out the door without my purse because they had hid it in order for me to be stuck in Australia with no passport. The scary thing is, I was so caught up in the moment, I forgot about it for a while there! Kevin eventually brought it to me and said he doesn’t me to leave but also doesn’t want me to get stuck with no ID or passport. Nice roomies, huh? :)

Last roomie picture 

Many goodbye shouts later, we loaded up the car to the max and hit the road. Katie is joining us for the last two weeks as we roadtrip from Lismore to Avoca Beach, which is two hours north of Sydney.

By 10:30 we were officially waving goodbye to Lismore and heading south. Katie and I each had a bag of clothes that we couldn’t fit in our suitcase, so we dropped it off at Vinnies which is like our Goodwill. I wish SCU would have had some sort of drop off for all of our possession that we wouldn’t take home, such as lamps, fans, sheets, pillows, clothes, etc. We ended up giving most of it away to our Aussie friends, but we were told to just throw away the rest of it and that didn’t sit right with many of us. I will probably write to the school asking to have a tent on the colleges for give away items and the remaining would be donated to the church or Vinnes automatically. With Air Pacific, we found out it would cost over $400 to take home two suitcases, so I decided to leave one of my suitcases there. As a result, I struggled to fit everything I accumulated over four months in that one piece of luggage, while keeping it under 23 kilograms (50 lbs). Ask a thank you for driving everywhere, and being a great roommate gift, I gave my suitcase to Tiana and told her she has to use it to come to visit.

 

Interestingly, there is no major highways between Brisbane and Sydney, even though it’s the most highly-trafficked route. Instead, there is a two lane road that stretches the distance. As a result, we drove through every small town along the way and could get a feel for places that we would have otherwise missed. I noticed the lush green landscape and thought how there was no signs of the 12 year drought that occurred a few years back. It was a much different experience than the train ride from Sydney to Lismore, because of the  slower pace we went at, and the abundance of daylight to actually see the  land. This entire trip I’ve noticed how there seems to be more cattle on farmland than there are sheep. That has surprised me considering there are more sheep than people that live in Australia. Perhaps the sheep are more inland and in larger ranges compared to the small farms alongside the roads. It was interesting to see the view out my window change from grassy farmlands to distance mountains to swamplands and then gum tree forest. The first town name I recognized was Kempsey, which is where Tiana and Sharyn are from. They had complained that the town was sketchy and ghettos, but from the few minutes we spent driving through it, it seemed really nice. There was a pleasant mix of modern and older homes along with well kept parks and country clubs. An hour further south, we got out and had lunch at a park in Grafton. We had some rolls with cheese, bbq Shapes (similar to our Wheat-Thins), chicken potato chips (which are amazing and I’m not sure why America hasn’t caught onto them yet), and coffee yogurt. Delicious picnic lunch! We were amazed when we saw three young kids played with a boomerang, because it seems rare to actually go outside and throw one around. I thought about how we were taught last month in Cairns how to throw one at a precise angle, and these kids were pretty decent with their tosses.

After driving a while longer, we came to Port McQuarey, where we got out to take in the incredible sunset over the ocean. This town was obviously newer, and full of beach resorts and swanky restaurants. It was getting dark, so we decided to spend the night in a town called Forster (pronounced Foster). We found a vacant motel and waked to a nearby restaurant for delicious Indian food, We each ordered a different type of curry (lamb, buttered chicken, beef) and topped it off with saffron rice and pommpadoms. It was an amazing meal and we enjoyed the relaxing atmosphere.

After dinner we went to our room and watched REAL football as Ian would call it (AFL-Australian Football League, like rugby, but you can kick the ball down the field), read our books and fell asleep. Thankfully there was a heater AND electric blankets in our room, because it got to be pretty cold that night.

We got up early to go on a morning walk around the rocky beach before we left Forster. It’s been fun traveling with geologists, because they just seem to know everything. We found of the rocks jutting out from the water were from the water were from past volcanic eruptions, and learned about the different minerals involved. After a lovely morning walk, we hopped back into the car and headed to Avoca Beach. We stopped along the way for Paddle Pops which Ian said were a must-try while we were here. They are ice cream bars flavored either chocolate or banana and quite delicious. He went for Cherry Ripes which are like Almond Joys but with a cherry in the middle. When we arrived in Avoca Beach, which is a couple hours outside of Sydney, I was in awe of the beautiful homes and suburbs. Although it’s rare to find an ostentatious, gated community in Oz, there are some neighborhoods like this particular one which looks impressive but family friendly. We’ve checked out the real estate posters from town to town and noticed that in Australia, you generally pay a half million dollars for something that may be only $90,000 in America.

We are staying at Ian’s brother’s (Murray) and his family’s house for the week. His wife Jeanette and their kids Matthew (17), Nicole (16) and Brooke (15) are the kindest people ever. We got settled in and walked to the gorgeous beach and had some fish and chips at the place Nicole works. The rest of the afternoon we walked along the beach and neighborhoods, and got a feel for the area. Avoca is absolutely amazing. Friendly atmosphere, beautiful hikes and beaches, hilly landscape with forest and farms, and city life close by.

We had a bbq dinner and caught up with everyone about our semester. It was so nice to be a part of a family again and it’s incredible to feel so at home.

Ian and Maria are here!!

On Thursday afternoon, I sat outside reading The Hunger Games as Katie and I waited for my aunt and uncle to arrive. Around 2 they showed up in their very nice Ford Focus rented car and Maria jumped out to hug and say hello! It was so bizarre seeing them here, in my temporary home, all the way around the world. That afternoon, I walked with them around campus and gave them a tour of my class buildings, my favorite spots, and my running paths. Ian stopped for a meat pie at the Plaza and we finished our tour at the geology building, where I had never gone in the four months I’ve been here. As enthused geologists, they enjoyed the familiar posters and ended up having a conversation with the Director of the department about his time in America, for conferences and field study.

They came up the hill and met some of my roommates and neighbors that were in 15 and I went with them to check into their motel. The man at the reception desk kept refereeing to Ian and Maria as my mum and dad. I laughed (internally) at the thought, and how he could possibly think we resembled each other. I recommended that motel because it was where Lindsey’s mom and sister stayed when they visited last month. It turned out to be perfect for its location which was just a three minute drive to Orion college. After they unloaded the car, we walked to the Square so they could see where I’d gone the past semester for groceries and any necessities. We stocked up on Tim Tams, some fruit, and some more Tim Tams. After the square we went out for fish and chips around the corner, and ordered a family basket that ended up being more for a family of six. The tree of us struggled to get half way through the food, so I took it back to my place for people there. It was a great time just catching up and planning out the next two weeks that we’d be with them. 

Mt. Cougal Hike

Mt. Cougal-we hiked to the top of the left peak

What an incredible adventure!!! When I signed up for the Mt. Cougal Hike, I had no idea what was in store for us. The drive to the hiking site was three hours away, right outside the Gold Coast area. One of my favorite parts of my time here, has actually been just being in a car or bus for hours, looking out my window. I can’t get over the vastness of the landscape here, and the intensity of green everywhere the eye can see. An Aussie girl in the club drove us there, and we had a great time jammin’ to her Australian music. Usually Australian music is just American music played on an Australian radio. However, she had some genuine mixes of Aussie bands with a cool tone and different sound. Just as with our caving adventure, this hiking trip had only a few club members in attendance. It may have to do with the fact that race day was the day before, and most people were just going to bed as we woke up to hit the road.

After several wrong turns and pulling over to ask for directions, we made it to the hiking spot. In the country side of Australia, there’s not much use for GPS or maps, because the roads are unmarked and easily missed because they look like a bike path they are so narrow. We went down the road that was marked as Garden of Eden, and went down what they convinced us was a two-way road. However, there was no way two cars could physically cross paths without colliding, and this was the second windiest dirt road I’ve been on while here. (the winner for windy roads was when our Aussie friend Will took us to Protestor’s Falls, which is located at the end of a few miles of the curviest road ever created.) It felt as if we were doing an obstacle course where there were big orange cones lined up, and we had to weave in and out of each cone without hitting them. 
Oh, and then add a few cars coming the opposite direction. When a car did come up the road, we did have to pull over to the side, which was mostly a ditch so our hearts were definitely pounding. Once safely to the path, we began the six kilometer hike on a steep incline. After a while of incline, I realized we were actually hiking to the top of Mt. Cougal, not just around the area. There were gorgeous lookouts along the way, when the trees disappeared into fields of lush green grass. We passed stalks of cane sugar that seemed 20 feet high. It was like walking through a cornfield on major steroids.

The trail itself was less challenging than the Minyon Falls hike, but at parts it was extremely difficult. There was a stretch were it felt like we were going straight into the air on a vertical incline. Although it wasn’t just a path at that point…we had to climb rocks and boulders to make any progress. At that point we were tired, hungry and our morale was low. 

Thankfully, we stopped for a light lunch by a cave half way up the mountain. Just a short break helped regain our breath, strength and adventurous attitude. I was grateful it hadn’t rained that morning, otherwise the  moss on the rocky path would have been quite challenging to walk on. Just before we got to the peak, the path ended and Sergio said that we’d have to rock climb the rest of the way. With no harness or rope for balance, we scaled huge rocks, using fallen vines as a makeshift rope. If you looked down, there was just a drop off where the cliff’s edge sharply fell into the canopy below us. It helped to not look down. Again, we were challenged both mentally and physically, considering how our bodies and minds were able to put one step in front (or above) the other and keep moving. I became frozen at one point because I truly didn’t feel like I could reach to the next step up on the ledge. By the time our heart rates were similar to an Olympic sprinter, we reached the summit of the mountain. It was well worth the effort, because the view was spectacular. We were at the edge of the volcanic caldera, which is formed by the collapse of land after a volcano erupts. Mt. Warning was that volcano, and we had an awesome view of it from Mt. Cougal’s peak.

We just stood up there and took in the sight for a while, and after we were content and rested, we headed back down the trail. Rock climbing back down was even tougher than coming up, because I kept wanting to face the sky, but we had to face the rocks and scale down just trusting our feet would find ledges. Even though we started early in the day, it felt dark inside the rainforest, as the canopy was thick and kept out most of the sunlight.

During the hike, I got many bumps and scratches, mainly from the surrounding plants and climbing trees. One thing I won’t miss about Australia bushland is the wait-a-while plant, that has tiny thorns that catch your clothes, or your skin. I had so many scratches from these buggers that I became accustomed to looking down and seeing blood all over my hands arms and legs. At one point, there was a vine that I didn’t see low to the ground, and I completely wiped out and fell face down in the dirt. I scraped up my leg a little but it didn’t bother me much.

The rest of the way down was peaceful and quiet, as we all kept to ourselves and got lost in thought. Sometimes it’s nice to just walk with people all around you, and not feel the need to saying anything. 

On the way home, I looked out the window the whole way because the sun was setting against the horizon, making a bright orange sherbet glow against the dark blue sky.

Absolutely amazing last adventure with the outdoor club!!

Race Day in Lismore

Roomies and friends :)

One of the biggest days at SCU is Race Day. Last Saturday we were all awoken at 6 am to foghorns going off around campus to get up and get drinking. No surprise, it’s pretty hard to sleep when your roommates invite the whole block over to party before the sun comes out, so I got up as well. I joined them for breakfast, but no surprise, didn’t party with them. That is the last thing I would want to do at 6 am. I think it’s amusing that people are dedicated enough to alcohol that they will wake up early, but can’t find the motivation to wake up for their 1 pm class. After going to the square with Tiana to find her some shoes and a dress, we got ready with Heather, Katie and Lindsey and headed out to the bus stop. Fortunately, rides were included in the $10 ticket for Race Day.

 The bus ride there was only ten minutes, but with over 70 loud drunk Orionites, it felt more like an hour. We stepped off the bus, as most people stumbled, and headed into the gates. I still haven’t gotten used to getting ID’ed so intensely with security guards, because I forget that their 18 is our 21. After mingling for a while, the races began and lasted four hours.

 They were a lot shorter than the Gold Coast Races because the event is put on by SCU and mostly students attend. It was nice to see everyone out and having a day to relax before exams week start. After a beautiful, sunny day of races and catching up with people, we went back to Orion to continue the evening. My roommate ended up getting in a fight and taken away by the cops, and it took a while for people to get settled down. After that, the girls and I decided to have a more subtle night and hung out with other Aussie friends. The next day I had to get up early for my last trip with the Outdoor Adventure Club! 

Melbourne-Day Four

Another early morning, ate a quick brekky and off to start our last day in Melbourne! Lindsey and I checked out the roof of the hostel while the other two satisfied their Krispy Kreme craving. We met up and started walking towards Flinders Train Station to catch a tram that went throughout the city. It was Sunday, so we got the Sunday Savers all-day pass, which was only $3 instead of the usual $8 ticket. Score! We caught the tram to St. Kilda, a historical town about 25 minutes out of town. It used to be well known for prostitutes and drug dealers, but now is a cutesy town filled with expensive real estate that drove out the previous occupants. When we got there, we ran to the beach, which looked like an east-coast town with all the sailboats and the rocky, pebbly beach.

After a chilly walk along the boardwalk, we saw a pier in the distance and headed towards it. It reminded me exactly of the Huntington Beach Pier in California, with the wooden boardwalk and café at the end. We stopped in and had some delicious warm drinks and enjoyed the view of the sailboats lined up in the bay near the pier. The Chai tea came to the table in five parts: the cup, the water with the Chai leaves in it, the strainer, the cream and honey. It was the best tea I’ve ever tasted! Today was all about taking our time and enjoying the sights, smells, sounds tastes and feel of the area. It was a nice change of pace from our usual constantly on the go tempo.

We walked back towards the town and headed to the Botanical Gardens. On the way, we found the St. Kilda markets, which was basically one long street of white tents. I thoroughly enjoyed these markets, as each little tent was unique and special. After browsing through silk scarves and oil paintings of the city, we continued walking to the gardens. We then hit Ackland Street, which is famous for its blocks and blocks of cafes, pastry shops and British pubs. We stood and stared at the window displays of pastries, and decided we would never leave if we went inside. So, we kept on moving and just stared at all the people eating the divine looking desserts. As we entered the neighborhood before we got to the gardens, it looked like a suburb straight out of the Midwest. I couldn’t believe how identical it looked with the autumn leaves fallen on the street, and the bare trees lining the streets with parked cars outside of the smaller homes.

The Botanical Gardens were a little piece of natural Heaven in the middle of the town. It was a perfect place to unwind and just breathe. We had a blast taking tons of pictures and laying on the grass while the sun peered out for a few moments. It was one of those times where everything is still, and everything is good.

After a couple hours walking around and relaxing, we realized we hadn’t eaten since breakfast and were getting really hungry. It was only 5 pm though, and we wanted to wait until after we went to the beach at sunset to see if there were any penguins out. Apparently St. Kilda beach is the place to be to see penguins at twilight walking on the beach. We were walking back, and Lindsey felt really nauseous all of a sudden so I took her to a bathroom to find cold water to make a make shift cooling pad for her neck. She was burning up quickly and then had chills. The other two sat outside and waited a while, but after a half hour, they came in to see what was up. Lindsey couldn’t really stand up without thinking she’d get sick, so we were in the very narrow hallway to the bathrooms just sitting there making people step around us. It was quite the scene. Lindsey just kept repeating how glad she was that she was in the hands of a CNA and how it made her feel better. After a lot of runs back and forth to get cold water on her, she was able to get up and walk outside. I was convinced some cool fresh air would help and after a few minutes, it did. I got her a ginger beer which settled her stomach and we had quite the experience in the 7 Eleven there.

 An Aboriginal man was yelling at the cashier who was Indian and going on about people taking their land and how everyone is rude and cowards and it got really heated really fast. Lindsey and I just waited for it to be over, and it wasn’t happening. The cashier look at us with a really worried and apologetic look and told the man to please leave. He wouldn’t leave and he reached across the counter towards the cashier and had his walking stick in his face. The other customers backed off so we did too. All of a sudden, the cashier reaches under the counter and swiftly whips out an object. Lindsey and I internally freaked out because it looked like he was whipping out a gun or other weapon. It was just a phone though, whew. He called the police and the Aboriginal man stormed off knocking things over and that was that. We checked out and the cashier man apologized and said it’s not rare for them to get yelled at by Aboriginal people on the streets.

That reminds me of what one of my Aussie friends was telling me after he mentioned they have “typical” Aboriginal people where his home town was. I asked him to explain why white Aussies seem to look down upon their indigenous people (at least among many people I’ve talked to, they refer to Aborigines as filthy, victimized, rude people.) I never understood that because I have a few friends here who are partially Aboriginal and they are some of the nicest people I know here. Well, apparently he said that the full Aboriginal people living in their communities are known to riot and wreck havoc on the towns, yelling how the white people took their land. They bash their cars and rob their homes. Ironic how that’s what we (whites) did to them in the past.  Of course, two wrongs don’t make a right, but I can’t blame people for acting out in anger after being torn apart from their homes and families and left to rebuild their lives. I get the sense that there is much more hostility and separation of Australian people and their indigenous culture compared to Americans and our Native Americans.

Back to St. Kilda though-Lindsey was feeling a lot better and we took a stroll down the beach as the sun was setting. It was the most beautiful sunset I’ve seen since Fiji. The sun peered through the clouds and the beams of light hit the water with a warm color. Absolutely stunning evening, as we stood out on the pier waiting for penguins. Derick had seen some further down the beach, but we didn’t end up seeing any.

After a while longer, we couldn’t ignore our hunger any longer and decided to head back into town to find somewhere to eat. Tonight, we were craving Chinese food we headed to China Town. Now the trick there, is to know what places are both authentic but won’t give you food poisoning. After checking out over 10 places, we found a Thai restaurant where we recognized a few things on the menu. I ended up just pointing at one of the menu items and it turned out to be amazing. It was a sweet and sour pork with incredible rice and noodles with vegetables. After dinner, we decided to head back to our hostel and figure out the night. We had a 6 am flight the next day so we saved $30 and decided to sleep in the airport. We had to check out of the hostel at 10 am earlier that day so all our our things were in the holding closet until we left. Instead of going to the airport right away, we stayed and hung out at the common room of the hostel. Their was a footy game on and all the English guys were crowded around the TV, eyes peeled. 

This time, footy was actually soccer, which I haven’t seen on TV in a while! They were so into the game and shouting at every little pass and throw. Around midnight, we decided to walk to the Southern Cross Train Station, which was about 20 minutes away. We got there and took the shuttle to the Melbourne Airport.

 It was about 1 am when we walked into the airport and were told the security wouldn’t be opened till 4 am so we had to find somewhere to sleep by baggage claim on the ground level. It was freezing outside, and the wind blew in through the doors that were near us and through the baggage assembly line. Lindsey and Katie found some wooden benches and got “comfy” for the night, and were able to fall asleep. Heather and I laid on the floor that literally felt like an iceberg. I felt like they were pumping AC from every vent as I tried to fall asleep. It just wasn’t going to happen. The other three girls were asleep and I decided to walk around to get warm, After an hour of laps and riding the escalator up and down, I tried again to fall asleep. 

No such luck. I decided it just wasn’t going to happen to I wrote in my journal for a while and listened to music. Around 4 am we got our things and headed up to security, where the agents had just gotten there, so we stood and waited another half hour. We were the first ones through the security which was pretty fun! I guess that’s as fun as things get after a sleepless night in a cold airport at 5 am.

Our flight home landed in the Gold Coast and we had three hours before the bus came to take us back to Lismore. It was a hot, gorgeous, sunny day in the Gold Coast, so we laid on the beach for a few hours. It was a heavenly way to spend time waiting, especially in comparison to the night before.

We arrived back in Lismore late afternoon and were re united with good ol’ Orion and the roomies. I went to sleep in my own bed, feeling happier than ever that our last trip here was so spectacular!

Melbourne-Day Three

This morning we got up at 7 am, ate some brekky, and walked to the Queen Victoria Markets, which is one of the biggest markets in Australia. They aren’t kidding! When we arrived, we couldn’t even tell where they begun or ended, because they just kept going for what seemed like 50 blocks. Lindsey and Katie started at the souvenir-type stands, and Heather and I kept walking down farther because we can’t stand to see more of the cheaply made same souvenirs that are in every shop in Oz. We ended up by alpaca wools and hand-carved wooden stools and tables. The apparel, accessories and ‘stuff’ part of the market was a massive area that became pretty overwhelming after an hour. How is there that many things that people buy?!  I felt so happy with my belongings, knowing they are few but with quality and personal value. We moved on to the produce markets which I was impressed by. I’ve never seen so many colors of fruit and vegetables in one place, stretched out in such a big area. I looked for food items we didn’t have in America and couldn’t find many, but I found Buddha’s Hand to be interesting. 

I asked the seller what they were and he told me how they originated and that they are the first lemons to exist. They smelled exactly like a lemon and had the skin of a lemon, just in a hand-like shape. Maybe we do have those in the states, but I’ve never seen them before. We got to try many fruits along the stands and were taken aback by how a fruit can be so tasty and pure. Peering at all the vegetables, all I wanted to do was buy everything in sight and make a big stew.

 If I lived in Melbourne, that would be my shopping for the week, because the markets are open every weekend. I can just imagine coming down and buying all the fresh produce and supporting the local farmers so contently.

Many people I know here own or run their own farm and sell their food items at the markets around New South Wales. My visual culture professor has an organic farm with over 180 different types of fruit, vegetables and herbs. My host family’s friends own a macadamia nut farm and harvest the nuts to sell in the markets.

Heather and I looked at each other after both catching a wiff of a rank smell. We followed our noses and found the cheese market! I’ve never seen so much cheese in my life. Aged, spotted, white, yellow, blue, hard, soft, crumbled, hanging, in wheels, in sample trays, in wrap, stuffed with herbs… so. much. cheese. I took a little video on my camera for all my cheese-loving family members. I’m not one of those members however, so I got out of there after scoping out the 16 different types of feta cheese I saw. Whenever there is feta cheese on my meal when I go out to eat, I’ve noticed it has a very distinct taste, like goat’s milk. I’m pretty sure that is what they generally use in Australia for fine cheeses in general, but my taste buds could be mistaken. All I know is it is definitely different from the feta cheese or any cheese we have in the States.

We then continued on to the meat market. As much cheese as I just saw, there was more amounts of meat. SO. MUCH. MEAT. Hanging meat, slabs of meat, spiced meat, raw meet, cooked samples of meat, fish fillets, real fish, blue crabs, biggest shrimp I’ve ever seen. largest strips of bacon I’ve ever seen (seriously-they were over a foot long), butchers chopping meat in mid air, meat in buckets on the ground..

My Aussie friends say that they would never buy the meat we buy for sandwiches-in the pre-sliced cheese section, made by Kraft or whoever packaged the meat. They also have gone to the deli to spend a little more on ‘decent, proper meat’ and they say. You can completely tell the difference, too.

There were so many people and so much meat, that we felt a little out of place not standing at the counter talking over other people to get their kilos and slices of steak or fish or my favorite, ox kidneys and hearts.

We went on to the wines, honey and salsa dips. I tried a jam looking dip that said ‘Hell Fire’ and I experienced both of those things on my tongue for about ten minutes after I tried it. I hoped the harmless sounding ‘Mango Chili’ would ease the pain, but it made it that much worse. Now I know-do not underestimate the intensity of Australian dips and preserves.

We began to walk out of the markets and it started down pouring rain, so Heather and I seeked shelter under a café and got some warm drinks. After giving up coffee in the mornings, I have a new appreciation for the rare occasion that I do get a coffee-based drink, and can actually enjoy the one small cup.

 

A few hours of strolling around the markets had left all our senses in high alert and we felt highly satisfied with our market experience.

We walked around for a while longer and found the Melbourne Museum, which we wanted to check out. It was $12 to get in but it said ‘Concession’: free. We pulled out our ISIC cards and the lady at the desk gave us a smirk and said, ‘Nice try, these cards are expired.’ Well we hoped not considering they last two years and we got them in February. We told her that we are American, so the date is month/day/year, not day/month/year. She said that international cards always have the date the “right” way and so we weren’t telling the truth. It was the first time someone has challenged us on the cards expiry date, so I pulled out my driver’s license and said-‘this is my birthday and it matches the one on the ISIC card.’ After a few more remarks about how America needs to change their ways and just convert to the normal measures of time, she let us in for free. (YES, it was worth saving $12-we are on a budget here!)

The museum was absolutely incredible! There was a ‘Bugs Alive’ exhibit that I usually wouldn’t spend heaps of time at, but it was displayed with visual interest and really fun facts. My favorite part was the marine life section where they had all sorts of unique sea life in Australian waters. They also had a display explaining the first people who voyaged to the farthest dept of the ocean floor and survived. The water pressure was equivalent of 300 cars on top of a person’s head. Now that is dense.

Another amazing part was the dinosaur fossils and blue whale skeleton. I haven’t seen dinosaurs since I was in elementary school and when we went to a science museum for a school field trip. It made me miss my mom so much because she would always be a parent chaperone for those kinds of field trips.

There was an outdoor section called the Forest Gallery, which all native to Australia species of plants and flora. We walked along the Seven Seasons ribbon path which represented the Aboriginal seasonal calendar along the Upper Yarra Valley.

I really enjoyed the Old Melbourne exhibit where they had huge photographs of the same streets we had just walked on, but in the early 1900s. It is just amazing to me how much the world changes, yet how people seem to stay the same. There were business men in suits walking with briefcases, and woman and children hailing a cab. Real people from a real time in the same places crossing the same streets, just 100 years later.

There was another exhibit displaying the local high schoolers’ works in design and fashion. I loved seeing how different the fashion taste of young people is in Oz compared to other places in the world. On these particular displays, it seemed like as long as the outfit had more than seven miss-matched layers of clothing, it was seen as high-fashion.

Unfortunately, the Aboriginal exhibit was under construction so we missed out on it this time. There were plenty of paintings done by local Aboriginal artists hanging on the wall, which are always interesting to look at. The last exhibit was the Human Mind and Body, where they had astonishing displays, interactive models, and real human organs to observe. It was one of the coolest human exhibits I’ve seen in a long time.

After four hours of mental and visual stimulation, we were ready to find something to eat! We had coupons for the Pancake Parlour and decided to find it. It was in a mall apparently, and we knew what street it was on, but seemed to pass right by it several times. Finally we asked around and we were guided down the escalator on the street to the vintage-feeling restaurant area. (By the way, Melbourne people are truly the friendliest, most helpful, sincere people I have met in Australia so far. We walk down the street and if for a moment we look confused or lost, every time some one has stopped and asked if we need directions. Just SO nice!)

We sat down and ordered our short stack with whipped butter pancakes, as that was what the coupon was for. The other ‘fancy pancakes’ on the menu tantalized us, but the $18 price tag for pancakes diminished that desire. They were just plain, original pancakes, but some of the best I’ve ever had. The other girls ordered milkshakes, but I did not because Australia milkshakes are just milk, ice and the flavour. When I crave a milkshake, I want it to be as thick and ice creamy as possible. :)

 

After the delicious meal, we walked back across town to our hostel, and hung out with people there for a few hours as we waited for it to get dark. We did this so when we went to the Eureka Skydeck Tower, the city would be lit up against the dark sky. Derick and Kay joined us as we walked to the tallest residential building in the world, and we stood below it in awe of its grand stature. It usually costs $17 to go to the top skydeck, but with our handy ISIC cards, it was only $10. We read all the interesting architectural facts about the building, and learned it was built only six years ago. As we entered the elevator, they gave us a look of ‘good luck’ as we shot up 88 floors in 15 seconds. I’m not one prone to motion sickness, but I felt nauseous and slightly got faint from the intense upward motion. It went away after I stepped off to the fantastic view of Melbourne by night.

 Cars were tiny specks of dust below us and the Yarra River was more like a small creek running through the city. We stepped outside to this caged in platform and our adrenaline instantly shot up. I’m always the one to look down. Again and again. After a while, I got sort of used to being up so high, that is until I almost had a heart attack after Derick scared me and pushed me slightly forward. After a very heated discussion with him about how NOT fun I am about getting scared, he apologized and said he would try his best to not do it again. Oh, boys.

The city looked like an electric current of waves all interwoven to make an intricate pattern against a black background. It was spectacular. The skydeck itself was very swanky and chic, but intimate and romantic. Speaking of romantic, we were walking around the corner to get the whole 360 degrees of the city, when we saw a guy get down on one knee. He proposed to his girlfriend and she starting jumping and shouting and then I started shouting and jumping and everyone in the room was all excited. Eventually she calmed down enough to actually say ‘yes’ and they kissed and we took pictures of them for them. Well, I just took a picture of them for me, because they were so darn cute. Again, Melbourne is just the most romantic city and later that night, we saw a bridge and groom get out of a horse and buggy with her huge white dress and he in a sharp tux. It was straight out of a movie.

You could make reservations for a Degustation Meal on the 89^th floor that was $95 a person! Seems a little steep for me-haha, get it? :)

We stood up there, so far above the ground for a couple hours and realized it would be closing down soon, so we took our final pictures and got on the elevator. Down 88 floors in 15 seconds is even worse than going up. A few minutes of dizziness passed and we were back at ground level.

It was pretty late, so we decided to head back towards our hostel. We took our time enjoying the horse and buggy carriages, the late night café eaters, and all the people strolling about the streets downtown.

Melbourne-Day Two

6:00 am, up and getting ready for the Great Ocean Road tour! We had a quick breakfast at the hostel, which was much better than the one in Cairns. I don’t know how toast and cereal can be better, but it was for some reason! You know you’re in Australia when they’re a bulk-sized container of Vegemite next to the bread on the counter. I went for the jam instead. Speaking of jam, I’ve learned how they don’t say jelly unless it’s for Jello-O. So every time we say ‘PB & Jelly’ sandwiches, Aussies give you a strange look. By now, they’re used to it, but at first they think you’re saying you put peanut butter with Jello-O on a sandwich. Oh the little differences in lingo! After breakfast, we met up with Kay, a girl from St. Cloud Minnesota, and Derick, a guy from LA. They came to Melbourne for the weekend as well so we ended up spending some time with them which was nice to have other friends along. We were waiting for our bus to arrive and were anticipating a big tour bus like a  Coach or Greyhound. Instead, a small shuttle-like bus shows up and the driver gets out, wearing army pants and huge penguin slippers. He introduced himself as Paul, the tour guide who was on his last tour ever, and we hopped on the little bus. We would be spending 12 hours on the road, and Paul seemed like a fun guide to spend that time with. He told us a few fun facts about the buildings around Melbourne. My favorite fact was that the Flinders Train Station was a mistake. The blueprint plans got mixed up and somehow the Melbourne building was being built in Mumbai and vice versa. I’m so glad he mentioned that because the first thing I said when I said the train station was how aesthetically strange it looks with the Skydeck tower in the background. I thought ‘how could the city planner not see how odd this building looks smack dab in the middle of the most contemporary looking street.’

 

Our first stop was Bells Beach which was 40 minutes out of Melbourne. We took in the gorgeous sights of the cliffs meeting the ocean’s waves as we sipped on some warm Milo with the group. It was super windy, but the rain held off all morning and the sun was shining. It was nice to have many short stops along the way, because the winding roads and changing altitude might have been overwhelming otherwise. Paul chatted to us about everything we could have wondered about the famous road. It was a war memorial after WWI that gave 3,000 people jobs to work on. Completely created by hand, no machines were used in 1917 when they started all through 1934 when it was finished. No fatalities occurred during the creation of the Great Ocean Road as well! There were a few houses built along the steep hillside, but it was nothing like the hills of California where they are spoiled with hundreds of homes. I get the feeling that nature is respected here and people would rather live in small, compact neighbors than spoil Australia’s natural beauty.

Next stop was Koala’s Cove, which was a little rest stop with a cute shop where we all got ginger beers- (non-alcoholic, by the way). They helped settle our stomachs from the hours on the road. This was one of my favorite stops, because of the birds there! It was exactly like I experienced ten year ago at an eco park in Melbourne. The colorful birds flocked to us and landed anywhere and everywhere. They were a lot more painful than I remember though, which their sharp claws and feisty beaks. Also, they were pretty heavy, especially when they landed on your head without you seeing them coming! Strips of color were everywhere as they flew from person to person. So fun! There was also a koala nibbling on the gum tree in front of the shop. We learned that no animals in Australia carry rabies, but they can carry Chlamydia. Imagine getting scratched by one and trying to explain to your partner you got the STD from a koala!? Strange, strange.

It costs $2,000 to rent that room!

Back on the bus, Paul mentioned all the encounters he or people he knows have had with snakes in Australia. The fact that the most poisonous snakes in the world are frequently spotted around the area hasn’t seemed to bother me at all. I guess if I see one, and if I’m not smart enough to avoid it, and it bites me, then I’ll worry about it.

We stopped a few more times at different lookout points and just stared in awe at the beauty. The ocean was so much more aqua than I remembered, and it felt like the most vast ocean I’ve ever seen. I could just feel the great white sharks happily swimming in the colder, deep waters out there. It was a nice thought. Speaking of which, Paul mentioned how the most fatalities from an animal in Australia is from the common bee! So back off, shark-haters. :)

There were fields of dead Eucalyptus trees up on a hill that we passed, and we learned how koalas actually kill the tree after eating their leaves. I wasn’t aware of how flammable and toxic Eucalyptus oil is, either! The only animal that can eat the leaves are koalas, because they develop an enzyme that can break down the toxic oil.

After 11 years of drought in the 90’s, Australia had many forest fires that affected hundred of kilometers of forest land. Now, forest fires are used to control re growth along the coastal areas and we passed by an area that had a controlled fire a week ago. There was already new growth and green sprouts coming from the ground!

For lunch, we stopped at the famous Apollo Café and enjoyed delicious meals with the group. I got fish and chips, which I seem to get a lot here. I enjoy it so much because it’s not fried fish, it’s just grilled and one fillet with a few spices. There was a Greek waiter there and he came up to me and asked me what I was. I never know how to answer that in Australia. American? Half Greek? I settled for I’m from American, but I have Greek heritage. His face sparked up and he started talking to me very quickly in Greek. It was so fast and with such vigor, I couldn’t understand a word he said. He just laughed and gave me a very flirtatious smile. I went back to my lunch. After the hour, we headed back to the bus, and I was given another very intense smile and wave from the waiter as I left the restaurant. Maybe I was the first Greek-looking person he’s seen there in a while or something. Either way, it gave everyone else something to laugh about.

By this time, we were so satisfied with the day so far, we almost forgot we still had to see the Twelve Apostles! Our next stop was a rainforest walk for about 45 minutes. It was a nice change of pace, enjoying the lush trees and nature. For a moment, it felt like we were in Cairns, besides it still being cold enough for a winter jacket.

 

Finally, we arrived at the Twelve Apostles lookout, and had a brief walk to get to it. Here, it was absolutely freezing and so windy that we had to bundle up as much as possible and try the mind over matter attitude. As we walked around a corner, the amazing sight came into view and we all lit up with excitement. It was the exact image you see on a calendar or desktop background, only way more stunning. I wonder if there’s been noticeable change since I was there years ago. Now, there are 7 or 8 rocks left (it’s debated upon), and they are eroding more and more every day.  The limestone rocks are over 20,000 years old and the soft rock is no match for the strong current of the Southern Ocean. As the rain started to pour down, we barely noticed as we were still in awe of the strong but gentle rocks against the horizon. Prior to 1970, they were called the Sow Piglets, and were later changed from a vote to be called the Twelve Apostles. There is no biblical reference behind the name, but the people felt it was a majestic name that matched the wonder. After forty minutes of enjoying the moment and taking as many pictures as possible, we left the picturesque sight and headed to the Loch Ard Gorge. 

Loch Ard Gorge

Equally as majestic but less famous, the Loch Ard Gorge was my favorite stop. It was just so incredible to see the strength of the water against the rocks, carving out the particular design of the current. We could walk down to the water, so of course, we did! It was still rainy but again, the weather wasn’t really a factor on my happiness level which was sky rocketing. A lady asked if we want a picture of us girls, so we all posed in front of the ocean. Right as the picture was taking, the tide suddenly came up and got our feet soaking wet! It was a priceless moment she said and the rest of our tour group was cracking up at the look on our faces. A little in shock, and a lot in wet shoes, we laughed off the utter freezing feeling we now had. Another 40 minutes passed, and we hopped back on the bus with one stop left. 

The London Bridge

The famous London Bridge that fell down. However, the story behind it is what makes it famous. There was a married couple enjoying their day out on the rock structure and the bridge fell and crashed into the ocean. They were stranded on the rock with the ocean far below them, and luckily the man had a phone and called 000 (911). The Melbourne police helicopters were being worked on that week, so they had to find a news team to come out and rescue them. After the big rescue, the reporter tried to interview the two and found them to be extremely ungrateful and rude. So, she did some researching and found out that the couple was married, but not to each other. Later that month, the story was on national news and their partners found out about the affair. If that’s not a sign to never be unfaithful, I don’t know what is!!

After an amazing day with memorable views, we headed back for the three-hour ride back to the city. One of my favorite things to do is look out a window on a quiet ride back, so I was more than content. Even though we were a bit tired from the long day, we decided to get revived and go out on the town again. We were all craving Mexican food for some reason, so we asked the front desk if he knew of any good places. He kind of laughed and said that since there are no Mexicans in the area, there’s not really our kind of Mexican food. Still, there was one place he knew of that was a few blocks away, so we walked that way. It was packed, as we got there at 9 pm and sat down. We realized it was Cinco de Mayo the next day so that was probably why. When I say I am grateful for (American) Mexican food, I mean it! The chips and salsa consisted of a small bowl with 8 chips in it and about three tablespoons of salsa. Hah. I ordered a quesadilla because the burritos were $19 with no sides. My quesadilla was basically four little triangles on a tiny plate. It was tasty, but I just laughed how unsatisfying our Mexican craving was. At home, the meals are so big we have leftovers for days! Here, the proportions are consistently snack-sized. I sound so American right now, I know…but we were hungry! :)

After our meal, we headed back to the main street when a very drunk Aussie guy asked me where the ‘Falindas Terrian Stadium’ was. I figured he meant Flinder’s Train Station, so we pointed him in the right direction and told him good luck. He was shocked when he heard our accents and didn’t want to believe that Americans were telling an Aussie directions, etc, etc etc. After a quite annoying 10 minutes of walking in the same direction (we had to get back to that main street as well), we decided to take a side road to avoid him. Well, 45 minutes later we realized we were one block up from our hostel’s road the whole time, so that’s why we never saw it. We ended up back at the Captain Cook’s Cottage area, and had to walk back around town, again. Usually I’d be up for this many kilometers of walking, but after a 12 hour tour, sub par Mexican and lack of sleep the night before, I was ready to plop my head on a pillow right then and there. Another while later, we saw the more-incredible-than-ever sign for Greenhouse Backpackers and called it a night!