Easter in the Sticks
Hi y’all..
I had no idea Australia had so many tiny little towns that were so…..well, hick! Other than the main big cities here-Sydney, Brisbane, Adeliade, Melbourne, Darwin and Perth (maybe Cairns so some other ones I don’t know about) the rest of the country is small little burgs with shops that close early and …they are just very quiet and empty!
We are making our way (from Hervey Bay) to Airlie Beach to do our Whitsunday trip on wednesday, and I didn’t want to do a 13-hour bus trip so I convinced Jim for us to stop at a place in the middle called Rockhampton. Also known as the beef capital of Oz!
We got here late and stayed at a place with a restaurant/pub downstairs that does “stonegrill” steaks. Of course Jim was excited about that. So we went and he ordered a porterhouse and they bring it on a SUPER hot rock and you basically leave the steak there and it cooks. He said it was very good but not the best ever, as they brag.
Today was Easter Sunday and not only are we in a tiny little town, but the hostel is a bit of the way OUT of town. Jim kept saying he wanted to hear me apologize for making him come here. Ha.
So we walked all the way into town and actually found a Subway and KFC where we ate. Also found a variety store that was open and stocked up on shampoo, conditioner and face wash, which I needed. I got Herbal Essences shampoo because it smells so great, and then later I realized that was stupid because a scent could attracts “mozzies” (mosquitos)! Doh!
This is just an example of the spiders you see EVERYWHERE. I know my mom will hate this picture. This spider was on some building.
When we got back, I sat on a couch in the hostel and suddenly my legs were itchy and I had like 6 bites of some sort that itched like crazy!!! I don’t know if they were fleas in the couch or what! Argh!
After a while we made our way to a movie theatre we discovered and we finally saw the Passion of Christ. I don’t know if I’ve ever cried so much in a movie. I didn’t have a tissue so my shirt was so wet afterwards! Ha! But anyway it was so gruesome but good. The only thing that bugged me a little was that they showed Mary Magdelene WAY more than Mary, and it bugged me because Mary M. was the gorgeous Monica Bellucci and Mary was a plain looking woman. Coincidence? Jim tried to tell me that Mary M. was probably more important than Mary in the Bible and stuff. Hmph.
Then we came back to the hostel and ate 70 cent pasta in a box that we got on sale and it was gross.
Later the hostel owner came in and told us we had to leave (I don’t have time to explain, but that was very unusual.. our bus didn’t leave until midnight and I’ve never seen a hostel person kick someone out just because their bus left late and they didn’t pay for a bed that night.) Anyway, he said he was going to a rodeo and we could go with him.
It was the WEIRDEST thing. It was like going back in time, in the South or something! EVERYone was wearing jeans (the tighter kind that taper at the bottom that no one wears anymore), with studded belts, cowboy hats, boots, etc. A lot of the younger women were all dressed up like they were going to the pub and looking for guys or something! Dressed up at a rodeo! I saw a heavy-set woman with jeans and a denim shirt that said “honky tonk,” a cowboy hat, and ugly boot-spiked heels. I wanted to take a picture of her but Jim wouldn’t let me. This is all we got.
After that we took the 6/7 hour bus ride to Airlie Beach.
Tags: Australia
Kelly
hi kelly. please tell jim to check his hotmail account. we left him two e-mails and we need a response.
thanks
Hmmm, “Mary Magdelene,” you say…? Don’t know her. The only bell that rings is from remembering that 80’s tune by German singer Sandra; “(I’ll Never Be) Maria Magdalena”… 🙂
Oh well, me and my heathen ass are off to watch the decisive game in the Swedish Hockey League finals *my team’s in the finals this year again! :-)*
/Carl
Hi Tiff–Jim’s going to check it now. I don’t think he usually uses that account thats whyt he didn’t check it.
Ha ha, heathen Carl. 🙂 Good luck to your team BTW!