Steve’s Travel Blog

Hello all,

Well I continue to make my way south on the east coast and the further I go the colder it gets.  The days are still plenty warm but the nights are getting down to about 5-6 degrees.  I guess that is not to bad for it being winter.

I left Mission Beach and made my way to Townsville, along the way I had to stop to fill gas and then noticed a big dent in my rear panel.  It looks like some ass hit my car and just took off.  It must have happened in the parking lot at Mission Beach and I am not very happy about it, but what can you do but move on.  I did have a laugh at myself when I went in to pay for the gas the lady behind the counter asked where I was headed and I told her Townsville and she asked if I was going for the big race?  I told that I didn’t know about any race and she informed me that a big V8 car race (similar to Nascar) was going on and that there would be no rooms.  Since I had not booked before hand I got into the car and started phoning right away and luckily the first hostel I called had a bed left.  Sometimes it is great to not care where I am but I guess I could get caught without a room but then I can camp as well.  At least it got my mind off the dent in my car.  I got into Townville and  headed up to the town lookout (Custer Hill) to get a view and the place was packed with people.  I could not believe how busy the place was until I got out of the car and saw that they were all watching the race from the lookout as the track was right below.  I watched the race for a bit and checked out the rest of the lookout which was empty and got a few pics.

After the lookout I made my way to the hostel and got checked in and then did a tour around the downtown area.  When I was walking around it was pretty dead but when the race finished the area picked up and it was a hopping evening with all the bars and pubs in the area.  My main purpose for going to Townsville is that is where you catch the ferry to go to Magnetic Island.

The next morning I hopped on the ferry and then a bus and was at my hostel (Bungalow Bay Koala Resort) by about mid day.  I got settled and then went for a walk on the beach at Horseshoe Bay.  This worked out very well, while I was walking I saw a fishing charter that was heading out and I went and talked to the captain and 10 minutes later I was out fishing the Great Barrier Reef.  We did not go out very far but we were catching a lot of different fish.  Most of them were pretty small but we caught a lot of what he called Pike (not like our pike at home) and Cod.  After that I was pretty tired and just relaxed for the evening. The next morning I was up early and took the bus to Picnic Bay and the only golf course on the island.  It was a 9 hole par 33 course and a lot of fun to play.  I had a family from Victoria, Canada playing in front of me and they were pretty slow so I played 2 balls for the whole course.  I shot 40 with one and 44 with the other, which I thought was alright since I had not played in a while and the clubs I was given were horrible (the driver was actually an old wooden head).  After the golf I went to the beach at Picnic Bay and checked that out as well as Hawking Point which had a really cool lookout.  I hiked all the way back to Nelly Bay where the ferry port is and then caught the bus back to the hostel after picking up a few groceries.  I figured that I must have walked about 9-10kms for the day and felt pretty good.  After a quiet first night I got to know my roommates a little better but the bar was pretty dead and we all made it another early night.  I was up early again and this time my day was going to be a lot more hiking.  I started off on a trail at the end of Horseshoe Bay and crossed over to Balding Bay, which the sign said was a nude beach but when I got there no one else was even there so I took a few pics and continured on my way.  From there I went to Radical Bay and then on to Florence Bay.  At Florence Bay I went for a snorkel in the warm ocean water but did not see much and then tanned far a while on the beach.  After some lunch and some more tanning I made my way to Aurthur Bay and then up a huge hill to the Forts walk.  The Forts walk is one of the most recommended walks in the Magnatic Islands and for good reason.  If you go later in the day you can see Koalas and that is exactly what I did.  The walk goes to a old fort made during the war but most of the buildings are demolished now and the highlight was the Koalas.  I saw a small one that was sleeping on my way to the fort and then 2 large ones at the fort that were sleeping as well.  On the way back down the small one was up and moving and I sat there for about 1/2 hour just watching him/her.  It was so cool to see it moving around and it was very agile and was going all over the place.

I was plannng on hiking all the way back to the resort but I was pretty tired and got a bus for the last few kms, but I still walked about another 8kms for the day.  There was a big trivia night at the bar and all the roommates were into the idea so that is where we went.  There were 14 teams and we ended up in 3rd place.  Most of the questions I did not know the answer but one that did come up that I answered and I have no idea why I knew it was (What does the symbol Fe on the Periodic Table stand for, right away I said Iron and no one else was to sure so we went with it)  I was correct and have no idea how I knew that or where it came from but I was feeling pretty smart.  It was a great night with a really fun group of people.

The next moning I was up and on my way back to Townsville on the ferry and then I decided to drive on to Airlie Beach.  Once I got into the town I walked around and booked a tour to sail the Whitsundays which should be a highlight on everyones list.  I was trying to decide where I was going to stay for the evening and in the end I decided I would try something different.  So far I have been staying in my tent or at hostels which all cost money.  I decided that I would sleep on the back seat of my car and thus have no cost for accommodation.  It wasn’t because I couldn’t afford it but I just wanted to try something different since there are a lot that are traveling this way.  I picked up some groceries and went into the downtown area and pulled into a spot by the McDonald’s and opened the back and made a sandwich and ate on the street.  After I started up my computer and used the McD’s free internet.  Now you can not sleep on a busy street in the downtown plus I think it might be illegal in certain towns so I got into the car and found a quiet side street and parked.  I got out my sleeping bag and curled up in the back seat.  I wasn’t perfectly comfortable but it was okay.  I had a decent sleep and no one bothered me.  The next morning I got up and drove to Conway National park and did a short hike to Cedar Creek Falls and then out to Shute Harbour for a tour around the area.  I went back into the downtown area where Magnums (a huge backpackers) is and walked in like I knew what I was doing and went back to the showers and got all cleaned up.  I decided to sleep in the car again and went thru the same procedure as the night before. The one place I did find this evening was a pub called the Rum Bar.  It had 147 varities of rum and it was hard for me not go crazy and try them all.  I controled myself and made it out before I decided to live at the place.

I was up really early to get to the harbour so that I could get a free parking spot before they all filled up as I was going to be gone on a boat for 3 days.  I packed my small bag and covered everything else in the car and was on my way to meet the crew of my sailboat.  I decided to sail on a Tall Ship called the Alexander Stewart.  We had 18 guests on the boat and 3 crew (captain, first mate and cook) to take care of us.  We got on the boat and got a safety demonstrationwhich was pretty quick and then on our way for 3 days of sailing.  We used the motor to get out of the harbour and then we got to help hoisting the sails.  We sailed past Daydream Island and through Unsafe Passage and onto Hook Passage.  Usually the wind blows from the east and they can’t sail the last part but today it was coming from the west and we got to sail all the way to our snorkeling spot at Dunbell Island.  The snorkeling was wicked and we saw so many fish and turtles, absolutely amazing.  After the snorkel we motored into Tounge Bay and did a hike to the lookout at Whitehaven Beach.  It was a short hike and then back on the boat for the evening.  We stayed in Tounge Bay and got a great supper and everyone got to know each other a little better.  There was an older German couple, a swiss couple, a brazilain couple, 2 canadian couples, a dutch couple with another friend along who ended up as my roommate and then 2 Scottish girls, a German and Austrain girl.  We all got along pretty well and had a good night.  The room I had was at the front of the boat and my bed was about as wide as me and not very long either.  It was comfortable enough I just did not move around a lot.  The next morning we went back to Whitehaven Beach which is known as one of the best in Australia and spent 2 hours there.  I spent most of it walking around the water and ended up seeing 6 stingrays in the shallow water swimming around my feet.  It was really cool and most of the others did not see any rays. Once we got back onto the boat we motored to the top of the Whitesunday Islands and then sailed all along the top Stonehaven Beach where we stayed for the night.  Another fun evening but we were all tired and in bed a lot earlier than the first evening.

Our last day on the water we motored to Langford Island and went for another awesome snorkel where we all saw turtles and plenty more fish.  From there we motored a little way and then caught a great wind and sailed all the way back to Airlie Beach, which the captain said that does not happen very often.  Once the sails were down an alarm started to go off and they were not sure what it was so the captain got me to take the helm and he went below to investigate.  I must have done a good job because when he came back he told me to stay where I was and I took us all into the harbour area.  Once we got close he took over and got us parked.  After 3 great days and 2 fun nights I was very happy about my sailing adventure on the Whitsundays and it was everything that everyone said it would be.  We all ended up meeting up at a bar that evening for a few drinks before we said goodbye for good.  I decided to stay at a hostel because I did not want to drive after having a few drinks.  The hostel ended up been a shit hole and I would have been better off in my car but oh well.

The next morning it was time to move on and I drove to Mackay and was there by lunch time.  I stopped for lunch and then was right back on the road.  On my way out of Mackay I saw 2 hitch hikers (one male and one female) with Canadian flags on their bags.  I pulled over and they hopped in.  They were both from a small town outside of London, Ont and had been in Aus for about 6 months.  We traveled to Rockhampton together and then found a caravan park to crash in.  We stopped at the store and picked up some steaks as Rockhampton is the beef capital of Aus and then went back to the park. We had a great supper and chatted for most of the evening.  There is not much to see in Rockhampton so they continued on in the morning and I toured around the city.  That lasted a few hours and with not much accomplished I made my way out of town and drove to a small community on the ocean called Anges Waters/1770.  1770 was named by Captain Cook when he landed here in 1770, that’s a tough one to remember.  I got into a hostel called Cool Bananas and it is a great place.  I chilled out in the evening and made some plans for the next few days or prososed plan.  I got up the next morning and did a tour around the area and found some places I could go fishing.  I talked with a guy at the bait and tackle shop and found out the time to go fishing and will be doing that tomorrow.  I did a few small hikes in the afternoon and finally finished writing this blog.

I will stay here another day and then on to Bundaberg which is named after the local Aus rum and where the plant is and yes I will be doing a tour.  From there I will be going to Hervey Bay and Fraser Island for a few days and then onto Brisbane and the sunshine coast.

Take care all,

Steve

PS:  Happy Birthday goes out ot my cousin Tyler even though it has passed.  Upcoming events are a birthday for my friend Angela and a wedding for Jon & Jolene (a big congrats to the 2 of you).  The Dietrich family reunion goes this weekend at my sisters farm in Gem and I think most are going to be there, unfortunately I will not but I plan to make a call while everyone is there.  On a more serious note, my newest nephew Nicholas (Gregs son) is going in for Kidney surgery and everyone is praying that all will be ok, no one 6 months old should have to go through this but i guess sometimes it happens. I guess that is it so I will quit rambling on….

PPS:just before I sent this blog, I got an email from mom saying that Nicholas’ surgery went very well and all is good!!!

Hello all,

I am sitting beside the beach in the beautiful sunshine as I write this actually trying to get motivated to write a blog.  I figured it had been about a week since I wrote and then when I looked in my day timer I noticed that it is closer to 2 weeks ago that I last wrote.  It is amazing how time goes by and days flow into each other.   Most days I need to ask to find out what day it is as it never really matters if it is Monday, Thursday or Sunday.  Damn I am one very lucky person!!!

Well I got back from Vanuatu all safe and sound but just like Fiji the bugs decided to leave a lasting impression on me and when I got back to Oz I had 5 very large bites that have got infected and required a doctors visit.  Everything is okay no and they are going away but it is amazing that I am not bothered the while time I am there and as soon as I leave these bites show up.

I checked into Travellers Oasis again in Cairns and had a nice chat with Cathy (the owner) in the morning.  I was making plans to go to Cape Tribulation and by noon that day Cathy had 3 girls to go with me.  I spent most of the day relaxing from all my hikes and travels in Vanuatu as well I wanted to rest my leg (where the bites are).  I spoke to my parents on Skype, it is always great to see them and to my sister, Boyd and Nadean on Facebook.  It was good to get updated on all the news going on at home.  I also met the 3 girls that I would be travelling with Andi from Toronto, Jessica from the UK and Kendra from Edmonton.

We all met in the morning and were on our way north.  Our first stop was the Rex Lookout and a stop for some great pictures, then our next stop was Port Douglas.  Port Douglas looked like a rich mans town and filled with luxury houses and resorts, we spent some time at the pier and at the town lookout.  From there we headed to Mossman Gorge where there is a swimming hole and I went in up to my knees but it was pretty cold and I really did not feel like getting all wet.  We took some pictures but it was a real tourist stop and had to many people around.  We continued on and missed our turn to Cape Trib and ended up in Daintree which was alright because as we entered the little village some girls were doing a car wash and I pulled in.  It cost $6 and was the first time I washed it since i got it, so it was definitely worth it.  From there we got direction back to where we were supposed to be and continued on our way.  We crossed a small ferry and then went straight to the Cape.  We got into our hostel and took a walk to the beach and chilled for the rest of the afternoon.  We all made supper together and while cooking I met some guy from Medicine Hat.  There are way to many Canadians in Australia right now.  We took it easy for the evening, had a few drinks and chatted about our travels.  In the morning we headed for the beach and chilled there all morning and the early afternoon with some swimming included.  After a late lunch we started our way back to Cairns.  Now sometimes some people do not get my sense of humour or when I am just having some fun and the drive back was a little tense for that reason.  The road is nice and curvy and thus fun to drive, I didn’t go to fast but did drive fairly aggressively but in complete control.  One of the girls did not like it to much and I slowed down a bit and I explained that I have a lot of confidence in my driving ability and the car I was driving and with my years of experience on the road that she was in no danger.  Just as everyone was getting calmed down the road turned into a twinned highway with the other lane out of site, but none of the girls noticed this so when I decided to pass the car in front of me on a curve the one just started freaking out.  I tried to tell her that it was twinned but she would not stop screaming, when she finally figured it out she was mad that I didn’t say anything and I just smiled which pissed her off even more.  She didn’t say another word the rest of the trip which was kinda pleasant.  Not sure if she will end up reading this but if she does I am sure she will probably reply with her own story.  It is actually the first time that I think someone really doesn’t like me but she did not like telling that since she was from Toronto, that it was just like been from the US.  Oh well, I am actually still smiling as I write this.  We got back to Carins and I dropped the girls off at there hostels and went back to Travellers Oasis.  They are so nice there and happy to see me come back.

While I was in Cape Trib a Us navy ship (USS Essex) pulled into Cairns along with it 4000 sailors and there huge egos.  Most of them we on there best behavior as the newspaper reported but it was the snide comments made that kept on pissing me off.  The girls I was out with did not want anything to do with them and thought most were asses but a bunch of other girls were just throwing themselves at them.  The paper also reported that the brothels were extra busy as well.  The ship itself is huge and was hard to miss, you can land Harrier Jets and Hewy Helicopters on it.  It was the weekend so I took a couple of days to chill and go to the beach to play some volleyball.  On Saturday night (July 4th) there was a big fireworks show for US Independence Day and a big group of us went to watch and then to the bar for a few drinks and dancing, but this time I stayed off the tables.

I know that to some everyday I am out here sounds terrific and yes most are but sometimes certain days really stick out and Monday was one of those days.  I got to snorkel on the Great Barrier Reef and it is one of my best days ever.  I was transported to the boat (Seastar) early in the morning and met a great crew.  I informed them I was really excited but nervous still about the water, and they took great care of me all day.  We got out to our first stop which was a small sand island about 1 hour away from cairns in the middle reef.  Some jumped straight in while others got ready to do some diving.  Myself and 5 other took a small boat to the shore of the island and our snorkel tour began from there.  I got into the water and everything was going great, no leaks in the mask and breathing normal and all of a sudden some guy beside me stated panicking swinging his arms and bumping me and so I got away from him fast and back to relaxing.  I realize that most people would turn and help the guy in a panic but when it comes to water I am not post people and someone else can save him, which they did.  From there we snorkeled out and saw so many amazing fish, a rare sting ray and the highlight a great big turtle.  We snorkeled for about 1 hour and then had some free time and I did some more snorkeling.  When we were just about finished 3 other boats showed up and took over the water, I think my group has this toured planned really well because they show up and we leave.  On our way to stop 2 they served up lunch and did a talk about the reef.  We got to spot 2 in no time and this time there was no islands around, just beautiful blue water everywhere.  We got into the water and taken on another snorkel tour of the area and again amazing fish, coral and everything else the reef offers.  We were in the water for another 2 1/2 hours here and just can’t believe how amazing it is.  Unfortunately I can only put a few pics here but I have them all on Facebook and would suggest that you all take a look there.  We got afternoon tea on the way back and took in some sun.  I got back to the hostel at around 5 and got ready for the planned Aussie BBQ at the sister hostel down the road.  Another great meal of Kangaroo, Emu and Croc with all the fixins made for one great last evening in Cairns.

I had spent enough time in Cairns and it was time to move on and so on Tuesday I headed for the Atherton Tablelands.  It is an interesting drive leaving the city and getting into sugar cane regions and then into the rainforest area the Tablelands are known for.  This is the first time on the road that I will be travelling alone but it is only for a few days until I get back on the main road.  I stopped at a lookout and got an incredible view of the area and then stopped at the Cathedral Fig Tree.  These trees are huge and it would take at least 2 dozen people holding hands to get around it.  I drove thru a few small towns and to Yungaburra where the hostel I am staying at (On the Wallaby).  I got in about 4:30 and started making plans right away.  I was taken at about 6 to Platypus spotting but none showed up and then at 8 we went out for a night canoe ride on the river.  We saw some really amazing animals with the spotlights we were given including Green Ringed Tailed Possum, plus other kinds of Possums, Bandicoots, Pademelons, Owls and bats.  It was a great evening and we ended up back at around 10:30 with everyone else in bed.  The next morning I left and did a driving tour around the area and saw another huge Fig tree and and a couple of waterfalls along 2 different hikes about 1 hour each. I ended the afternoon with some bird spotting at a swamp and some rare birds.  That evening I went Platypus spotting again and struck out again.  The next morning i was on my way to Mission Beach where I am now.  On my drive I stopped at 4 more waterfalls and did one 3 hour hike into the rainforest.  The weather on this day was not very good with lots of rain but I am getting used to hiking in the rain and it really didn’t bother me.  I made it into Mission Beach around 5 and got into a hostel and relaxed for the evening.  The hostel put on a fire show with a guy and girls twirling fire everywhere, they were pretty good too.  In the morning I got up and went to the boat dock and did some fishing, with a little success but nothing worth keeping and eating.  In the afternoon I went to the beach and did some swimming backed up with relaxing and writing this blog.

I will leave Mission Beach tomorrow and head to a place called magnetic Island outside of Townsville and then the Whit Sundays, Bundaberg and Fraser Island.  The further south I head the cooler it gets and with it been the middle of the winter it is still only getting sown to about 6-8 at night.  Now I know that is not that cold but when you are used to much warmer I am really starting to feel it, good thing the days are still getting to 26-28.  One part of me says to slow down and stay here a while and let it warm up in the south but the another part knows that I am spending to much money and need to keep moving. On that part my monthly spend in June was outrageous with $5379.30 spent or $179.31 per day.  Most of this is because of Vanuatu but now I will need to watch for the next while and maybe finish Oz in the next 3 months.  I do need to get to Sydney soon because I need to apply for a new passport before I leave Oz and that will take about a month to process.  We will see how it goes along the east coast as most of the activities are Diving, Snorkeling and Surfing in the area and not at the top of my list as things to do.  There is also lots of bungy jumping, sky diving and other activities that I have already done.  One thing is for sure is that the beached are great and it is nice to just relax some days.

Back home Stampede is in full swing and I am seeing some pics on Facebook and I am sure everyone is having a great time.  Today is my cousin Cordell’s birthday so a big Happy Birthday to him. I continue to enjoy myself and I am having a great time.  It is different not travelling with anyone but that will soon change and the people I met at the hostel last night are cool.  I just keep on been me and that seems to keep me and everyone else happy.

Till next time, everyone take care.

Steve

If you like blogs about the road less traveled than most of this is going to be for you.  I have just spent the last 13 days roaming around the different islands of Vanuatu.  I started with 6 days in Port Vila which I spoke about in the last blog and  decided I needed to get to the outer islands and see what the real Vanuatu was like.  I booked the entire tour with a very nice lady by the name of Mima who runs Island Holiday Tours.   The entire tour cost 184,000 Vt which equals around $2000 Australian dollars. This is the account of those 13 days:

Day 1: Today was a tour of the main island of Efate where Port Vila is located. I was picked up at 9am by a van with 7 others and already I felt like a tourist instead of an explorer but after I had paid for the whole tour Mima threw this part in for free.  I couldn’t be that bad and the people were nice.  Our guide was a university student that was studying law and skipped out to do our tour for his aunt(Mima).  We did a short tour in Vila and then headed east along the coast, everything looks pretty much like jungle on one side and the ocean on the other.  The road is the only road and it goes all around the coast and I would be generous to actually call it a road but it is what I would expect in the smaller pacific nations.  They are in the process of fixing it as the Americans donated the money to get it done and a New Zealand group won the contract to fix it.  It is a slow process but it is getting done and as I continue to see it is not the Vanuatu people getting rich from projects in their own country.  The first stop was a place called Banana Bay which had a nice beach and our morning tea.  Sometimes the tourists would snorkel here but this early in the day no one was that interested and the weather was okay but not great.  We then had 2 stops for pictures at Forai Wharf and Epule River, after which we made our way to a village that is not on the map and I did not get the name of but we got to watch a custom dance from the men in the village.  The costumes reminded me  a lot of Fiji but the dance was very different and very entertaining.  After 4-5 dances we made our way out of the village and onto another village called Taka where we were fed a traditional meal of laplap and it was great I and most others went for seconds.  We then made our way to Emua where most of the boats come into Efate.  We walked along the port and onto the boat launch, I was walking toward the end and wanted to see how cold the water was and got to close because all of a sudden I was sliding into the water on the slippery boat launch.  I had enough time to throw my camera so that it did not get wet and i ended up wet up to my waist.  The workers got an oar and reached it out to me so that I could get back up and while I was getting back our guide can down and did the exact same thing and we all had a big laugh (by the way the water was warm). We then went by Havannah Harbour on the east side of Efate where the USA was based during WWII.  The area is known because when the war was over the Americans had a lot of equipment that they did not want to take back to the States so the pushed it all into the ocean and ruined it all and it is mostly still there today. From there we made our way back to Vila and back to my motel.  I went out for as nice supper figuring that I would not get many chances over the next 13 days and then early to bed.

Day 2:  I had the morning to myself and I did a little shopping for the trip and made my last payment.  I was picked up at noon and headed to the airport.  I got checked in for my trip to the island called Tanna and ended up meeting 3 Americans (Patrick, Molly & Anna) that were going back to Tanna to visit friends that they met from working their while in the Peace Corp.  They asked if I would be interested in touring with them on Thursday and since it was a free day for me I said I was in.  The main attraction on Tanna is the Mt. Yasur volcano which is very active.  I was picked up by my accommodation (Jungle Oasis) and we drove into the main town called Lenakel in a very nice 4wd.  We picked up supplies and the Americans negotiated a ride as well and they rode in the back of the truck.  We drove thru the jungle and then onto what they call an Ash Plain where obviously the ash from the volcano is settling.  It is amazing how in changes from lush jungle to nothing but a huge plain of ash.  My bungalow is at the bottom of the volcano and the closest accommodation to the volcano.  It gets dark around 5:30 so I basically got a quick tour and then had supper and back to my bungalow.  The power is by a generator and they turn it off at about 8:30 so it was an early night after some reading.  I am the only person at the place and everything is amazingly quiet except for when the volcano erupts and it sounds like thunder the keeps on going.

Day 3:  Breakfast was at 7am and then I had a little free time.  My guide (Sam) for the day showed up at about 9 and we walked to a village back in the jungle and I got to watch a custom dance by the villagers with the volcano in the background.  Now that it is only me and the guide it is feeling more traditional and the dance was great.  After we walked back to Jungle Oasis and I had some lunch and then showed up with 2 horses and said that we were going for a ride.  My horse was 20 years old and he went at his own pace which was slow and I did not mind that, I can’t remember the last time I was on a horse but my uncle, aunt and cousins in Bow Island would have been laughing (I guess I should have spent more time out there and actually learned how to ride one of these animals).  We rode out to the ash plain and got a great look at the volcano.  Sam tried to get the horses to go up the volcano a bit but my horse did not want anything to do with climbing and so we stayed at the bottom.  On the way back we went thru the jungle and along a bush track.  We were gone for about 2 hours and I had a lot of fun with it.  After a little break it was time for the highlight of the day, hiking to the top of the volcano. We made our way thru some jungle and ended up in a village where they have a tree house way up in a banyan tree, they plan to use it for accommodation once it is finished.  We continued from there and ended up on a road that takes most of the tourists up to the volcano.  We were about 3/4 of the way there and it was starting to get dark and so when a truck came by we hopped in the back and got a ride for the last bit.  The trucks drop you off and then you have to hike to the top of the crater.  We got to the top just at dusk and I got to see it in the light as well.  It got dark pretty quickly and this is the way to see it.  I have to say that this was an amazing site, we were about 100 yards ( 1 football field) above the lava on the crater edge.  The explosions of lava were loud, big, bright and went a long way into the air.  It is incredible that we can be so close and no barriers or precautions for the visitors, I am sure in almost any other country we would not be where we were.  This is an experience that no picture can explain but that is the only thing i have to show you and it is something I will never forget.  We were supposed to hike back in the dark but as we were there it started raining and Sam negotiated a ride down the volcano and to the resort.  They had supper waiting for me when I got back and then after a very full day I read for a while and went to bed.

Day 4: Today was a free day for me and the plan was to meet up with the Americans.  Unfortunately the weather was really bad all day and the Americans never showed up.  The days was spent reading and doing puzzles.  In the middle of the afternoon a group of day tourists showed up and they were fed and a local string band played some music which was a good way to break up the day.  I had supper and then i got out my computer and played some of the music on it for the locals and they played some of their local music. It was a fun evening as the rain continued.

Day 5: Breakfast was at 7 this morning and at 8 we were on our way back to Lenakel where I walked around the market. On our drive we stopped at a roadside stand and picked up some fresh peanuts, they were still attached to the stems of the plants.  After selling nuts for so long it was cool to taste them in there original form before they would be roasted. I bought some kind of bread/donut kinda thing for 20Vt and 3 mandarin oranges for 20vt.  My brother Rodney would love the markets in Vanuatu as he is a big fan of mandirin oranges during Christmas and there are absolutely tons of them here all year around and they taste great.  I was then taken to a back part of the village and had a traditional lunch for only 250vt and there was tons of food.  We then headed for the airport and my flight back to Vila.  I was picked up by Mima and taken to my motel with a few stops along the way to pick up some money and supplies.It was raining for most of the day again in Tanna and Vila and I am hoping that it gets better quickly before I head out on more hikes over the next few days.  I spent a little time on the internet and checked the weather and it does not look god for me.  I talked with a few locals and it seems that Vanuatu gets more rain tan sun.  They do not have dry and wet seasons and it seems that they are getting more and more rain every year.  I guess I should have looked at that before i left, oh well.  I have also been thinking that since the start of my trip I seem to be doing a lot of hiking and really liking it but not sure why I never got into it when I was back home with the Rocky Mountains at my doorstep.  I guess I will just put it to the busy life of a working man but I will need to do some exploring there before this is all over.

Day 6: Originally my flight to Pentecost was supposed to be at 9am but I got a phone call to say that I was on the early flight and that I would be picked up at 5:45am.  They were right on time and we made our way to the airport where I was told that I was not on the early flight and that my check in was not until 8am.  Mima was very sorry and lucky enough there is free internet at the airport so I checked a few things out and got caught up on Facebook.  At 9am we were on our way to the island of Pentecost where the traditional custom is Land Diving.  Now what is Land Diving you ask, well think about bungee jumping and then instead of stretching cord around your ankles it is vines from a mangrove tree which has no bounce.  They climb a tower that looks like it could fall at any moment and jump off a plank to the ground, and yes they hit the ground.  I am not sure what to call it (crazy, stupid or amazing).  The tradition started long ago at the start of Yam harvest so that the crops would be plentiful.  At the top of the hill all the locals gather and sing and chant before the jumper leaps off to lots of yelping and cheering.  The traditional dress in also intriguing, as the women were a grass skirt and are naked from the waist up.  The men are completely naked except for a leaf sheath that is wrapped around their penis, everything else is hanging out.  I was sitting with another Canadian girl from London that has been living in Australia for 6 years and is now a doctor and we both could not believe all that was going on.  At one point they had to stop jumping because the tower was unstable and they ties 1 vine to it and said it was good to go.  Every time they jumped I thought the whole tower was going to fall.  There were 7 jumpers and all lived to do it again.  After it was over most of the tourists that were there were ushered back to the plane and off to Vila.  I stayed behind and got a boat ride from where I was to another island called Ambrym.  Now the boat driver was told that I was supposed to go to the village of Ranvetlam.  The weather in the afternoon started to go bad again and here I am on a small boat in the middle of the ocean.  The waves were huge and we probably had no business been there but we made it across except not at Ranvetlam.  The driver ended up at a village called Magam and left me with the villagers there because they wanted to get back to Pentecost before the seas got to bad.  The locals called my guide in Ranvetlam and he came to pick me up in a fishing boat.  By the time he got there it was getting dark and we only went as far as a village called Ranon where they fed me and gave me a bungalow to stay in.  It was not much but it was all I really needed.  They gave me a lantern for light and with as full as the day was I was in bed early.

Day 7:  In the ,morning I got breakfast and then on the boat again to get to Ranvetlam.  Today we hike to another volcano.  I met my guide (Ben) who will take me around for the next 2 days into the jungles of Ambrym.  Most of my clothes and stuff was left at the village and it would meet me at the airport on my way out, so I had my day pack and a tent to carry.  Ben carried all the food and the rest of the stuff.  We hiked for about 3 hours in rain and sun through the jungle and ended up out on an ash plain.  This plain was different than in Tanna as there was jungle all around the plain.  It looked like when the volcano (Marom) last blew (1913) the lava flowed through certain parts and others were untouched.  We followed the ash plain for another 2 hours and made it to or campsite.  We set our tent and threw our bags in and continued on our way to the top.  Marom is not active like Mt Yasur with big explosions but it is still active.  We continued up the volcano and the weather was not co-operating very well, it was windy, rainy and there was a ton of smoke coming out of the volcano.  We got to a point near the top and Ben said that it would be unsafe to continue and that we would be risking our lives if we went on.  The wind was strong and almost blew me off the volcano a couple of times so I was not about to argue.  It was really disappointing to get so close (we were about 15 minutes away from the top) and not be able to complete the hike.  As we hiked back down to the campsite it got a little nicer but when you looked back at the volcano it was completely covered with cloud and smoke, I am not sure how we got as close as we did.  Our total hike today was bout 15kms and by the time I got back I was very tired.  Ben went out and collected some firewood which was not easy with all the rain we were getting but he was able to get enough to have a nice little fire.  Between the fire and out flashlights that was the only light we had from 5:30 on thru the night.  We had our supper of tuna and rice and chatted about our different cultures.  I asked how many people actually do the hike I was on and Ben said that there are usually about 100 per year but this year was slow and I was only about the 20th to do it.  They only hike the volcano from January to September because the locals say that during planting season it is bad to hike up the volcano because it might bring bad crops.  We went to bed at about 8 but I did not sleep very much.  All I had was a thin mat to sleep on and the ground was very hard and uneven.  Good thing it was not that cold out because we did not have sleeping bags either.  I put on my sweat pants and fleece and was warm enough.  I think Ben was a little more used to this as he was snoring in a mater of minutes.  At one point in the night I looked at my watch thinking that it must be getting close to morning and it was only 12:30.

Day 8:  After a very long night were up with the sun at about 6am.  We had some breakfast and took down the tent, luckily we were leaving the tent in the bush so I did not have to carry it the second day.  We started hiking at 6:45 and were headed to  East part of Ambrym and a village called Meltugan.  This hike was along the ash plains of Marom and its twin volcano Benbo.  The rain was off and on again today and we got to the village at around 1pm.  We made very good time because this hike was longer than the first day but Ben was unsure of the actual distance.  By the time we got there I was very tired and we had a light lunch and then I had a nap.  I got up at 3:30 and had a shower which was a bucket of cold water and nothing else. It wasn’t the best shower but it got off some of the dirt.  The really bad part was the toilet, and I won’t even try to describe it, just image it was bad.  Now on a good note, all the different trees in the area are neat, as I look out my bungalow I can see a banana, mango, orange, coconut, papaya and breadfruit trees. Later on the chief of the village showed up and invited me for some kava and supper.  This was the best part of the day, I had been looking forward to trying some local kava but none was offered to this point.  The kava here is much stronger than in Fiji and I could tell after the first cup.  There is no formal ceremony like Fiji they just make it and drink whenever they want.  I got a very full cup to start and felt it right away.  We sat around and chatted for about 1 hour drinking more (I had 2 more cups) and then I was taken for dinner.  I could feel the effects and I probably wasn’t walking that straight.  We had a good supper and then went straight to bed.  We I looked at the clock I could not believe that it was only 7:30 and I was going to bed.  I thin it took me about 3 seconds to fall asleep and was out until about 6am.

Day 9:  What a great sleep and I needed it. Today was a travel day.  We left the Meltugan village around 9 and headed for the airport at Craig Cove. My backpack was there and waiting for me when we got there.  This was an interesting airport as the landing strip was grass and all the locals were there.  The plane only comes twice a week and so this is there only way to get things from the mainland and send things there as well.  I had to laugh because someone had live chickens that they were sending to another island.  Each one was in a rice sack with just its head sticking out, at first I thought it was dead and then it started moving around and so did all the others.  Another local got on the flight and he was carrying his machette, they go every where with them.  There is no checking bags for illegal or explosive items here.  We flew to Malekula to pick up some more passengers and then on to Santo and my next island.  I was picked up at the airport by my guide Timmie and transported to my motel.  I had the rest of the day to explore the town of Luganville and chilled out for the afternoon and got ready for more hiking on Day 10.  Walked around town and checked out the local market and got some supplies for the next few days.  The motel had a kitchen so I made my own supper and then retired to my room and started working on this blog.

Day 10: Today started like every other day in Vanuatu, with rain.  I can’t believe how much it has rained while I have been here and this is supposed to be a good month to be here.  Today was more hiking and a trip to the Millenium Cave.  It got its name because it opened to public use in 2000 after long discussions with the chief who thought it to be a sacred site, but the almighty tourist dollar won out and now people go all the time.  I was picked up at 8am and surprised that I was the only one on the tour today.  We took a 1 hour drive over a rough dirt road to a village northwest of Luganville called Nambel.  Here I met my guide (Aaron) and took a muddy 35 minute walk over bamboo bridges and through lush tropical vegetation to the remote village of Funaspef.  The trek from here leads through thick jungle that was completely wet and like walking in a mud bog.  It is a steep descent down muddy slopes and stick ladders with ropes along the way to help guide you to the entrance of the cave.  The cave is huge with water up to your waist and light stemming in through from above.  The 30 minute walk through the cave using flashlights to guide us was excellent and I got to see bats, sparrows, spiders and lots of bat shit that smelt pretty bad.  The picturesque way out leads to the fast flowing Sarakata River.  This is where we stopped for lunch on the banks of the river and got re-energized.  From here we followed the river over and under large boulders and through fresh water swimming holes.  I was given a small kids floatly thing to ride the current along (thank god that I was also given a life jacket).  We went through 4 different swimming holes broken up each time by outcroppings of big rocks.  The scenery was breathtaking.  The trip ended with a 30 minute hike up a steep incline, which at points we were going up the middle of a waterfall, back to Funaspef village for a light snack and then hiking back another 35 minutes to the vehicle.  This was the only day that it didn’t really matter if it rained because I was in the water for a good part of it and was soaked through, but it rained anyway.  After getting back I picked up a few other supplies and then had supper and chilled for the evening.

Day 11:  Today was a travel day or at least that is what I am calling it because I had no real activities set up for today.  My morning was free and I spent the time wandering around Luganville and see what else they had to offer.  I ended up finding a fishing tour but not enough time to do it but I may still try to go fishing in Vila.  I had lunch at the market and got a steak with rice and veg all for 300Vt which is a great deal.  My ride to the airport picked me up at 12:30 and I got checked in.  The flight to my next destination (Norsup on the island of Malekula) was a long, long  flight of a whole 15 minutes, you gotta love island hopping.  Flying into Norsup was pretty cool as this island has the biggest coconut operation in Vanuatu and there are coconut trees for as far as the eye can see.  I was met at the airport by George and we took a 45 minute drive to my accommodation Rose Bay Bungalows.  They are set up right next to the black sand beach and have everything you would need expect power.  I had some free time to roam around and check out the beach  but no swimming as the waves coming in a really big and it is very windy out, but no rain, cloudy but still no rain.  Supper was at 7 and I got tuna and noodles along with banana bread pudding and the bananas here are great.  I was given a lantern for light but it did not work to well and so much of the evening was spent in the dark and of course that meant early to bed.

Day 12: This morning started with breakfast at 7am and then George and I walked to a village called Amelboas.  This is part of the Small Nambas tribe of people and they did a custom dance for me.  It started with men using tamtams (trees hollowed out to make sounds like drums) and singing.  The men are dressed similar to those at Pentecost with just a leaf around their penis.  After the drumming then the women came out and again dressed only in skirts with beads around their necks they did a song where they passed grapefruit to each other and sang.  Then the men came back and did a canoe dance and then the women came out and did another song and dances in a circle.  It all ended with the men doing a goodbye dance with one dressed as an eagle.  After it all I shook all of their hands and we were on our way back to my bungalow.  We had some lunch and then again walked for about 30minutes to a boat that took me across to a small island called Wala (George is from here). We toured into the interior of the island where they have a cannibal site.  He took me to the grave of a past chief that even the locals do not go to and then to another sacred place where the top of the chiefs skull is kept.  If I was not invited by George to see these things than they say evil spirits will haunt me and as we were walking away for some reason the hair on my arms was standing on end, a little freaky.  We then went to the beach where a lady did the kustom sand writing where once you start drawing the tool used does not stop or come out of the sand until the end.  She did 4 drawings and they were all pretty cool.  After that we relaxed for a bit at the beach and I watched as the men were fishing.  The fishing entailed 6 men, 5 in the water with mask and snorkel and one in a canoe.  They would swim along and search for a school of fish once someone had found one then they all swam toward them and encircled them with a big net.  Once the fish were in the net they would dive down and grab them and throw them into the canoe.  They were pretty damn good at it to and seemed to be getting a lot more fish than the others that were using hand lines from the shore.  We then headed back to Amelboas where i was given some kava and a chat with the chief and now the villagers all clothed again. From there is was back to the bungalow for supper and another relaxing evening.  One thing was different today than all the others in that for once there was no rain all day.

Day 13:  Up and packed early today and breakfast at 7 again.  From there we walked to the transport truck because the road was partly washed out and could not make it all the way to the bungalow.  I got to the airport with plenty of time and got checked in and waited for my 10:30 flight back to Port Vila.  The airport in Malekula is very small and basically consists of  one small building to check people and packages in and a landing strip.  This airport actually has a paved landing strip where plenty are just grass.  They said that the airport in one of the outer islands is closed because the grass is to long to land the plane and the lawnmower is broken and they are waiting for a part for it but it needs to come by plane which can’t land, interesting dilemma to have.  The morning started with sunshine but as we were waiting for the plane a big storm came in a soaked everything.  The plane waited the storm out in the air and ten landed and shortly after we were on our way for the 45 minute flight to Port Vila.  I was picked up by the tour operator and taken to my motel.  I have been writing this blog ever since and trying to get it posted.  But the rest of the day has been pretty relaxing.

Random Thoughts:
I think my nephew and niece (Emerson & Kirstin) would like the outer islands for the chicken catching, but I am not sure they would get very many of these ones.  They know to go into the safety of the bush where you can’t run very fast and they are shifty little creatures.

I am still not sure what to say about Vanuatu as it has been my least favorite spot so far and I would not call in paradise as many of the brochures say.  It is different not liking a place that much since I have loved everything else so far.  I know not every place is going to be perfect but just weird with this been the first one.  If anyone is thinking of heading this way I would recommend Fiji long before Vanuatu.

I have today (Saturday June 27th) and tomorrow left in Port Vila to see whatever else I want and then on Monday I fly back to  Cairns via Sydney and Brisbane.  I will be flying all day as my first flight is at 9am and I land in Cairns at 10:20pm.  Then I have 3 months to see the east coast of Oz.

I think that is all from here, with summer in full swing back home I hope everyone is enjoying some sunshine and warm temperatures.  I am sure most in Calgary are getting ready for the stampede and the golfers are cussing and swearing that those lessons still have not got them any better.

Everyone take care,

Steve

Hello all,

Well I have been in Vanuatu for 6 days and I have to say that I have a lot of mixed feelings about the place.  When I first arrived it was late in the evening and I took the first available cheap place which was a guest house that cost $1500 Vanuatu dollars which is about $16.40CAD.  That makes it very affordable for accommodation but the place was complete crap and I stayed the night and then went hunting for somewhere else.  After a lot of walking to assorted cheaper places and finding that they were all full I found an internet cafe and tried to book something that way.  The frustration continued and I finally decided that I am going luxury for the first time in 8 months and staying at a hotel.  The hotel I booked was the Meriden at a cost of $170 per night and I stayed 2 nights.  The place was really nice and I had all the comforts that one would expect in this type of place.  I even got to watch game 6 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs live.  As one would expect the food was also expensive but hell its the first time in 8 months, I guess I deserve it.  I didn’t get a lot done the first day so the second day I started to see what the place had to offer.  I played golf on an executive 9 hole course and shot 5 over par except for the mulligan I took on the first tee.  Now I know what your thinking but I didn’t chunk it, all the yardages are in meters and I calculated wrong, even though the hole looked long it wasn’t and I pulled out the driver and ripped one about 50 yards past the hole and into a parking lot.  I didn’t bother looking for the ball, I re-hit with an iron and still hit a good shot and got par.  I am not sure who designs golf courses here but they put trees and a lot of them in the middle of the fairway, and you are never to sure where the fairway actually is.  The 9th hole goes back towards the resort and the hole is beside a kids play ground with no fencing between, I hope most do not hit it long or they are going to take out so kids.  I played way better than I expected.  After I took in some time at the pool and swim up bar and did some reading.  I went to a Melanesian Feast for supper and had a great meal and saw some really cool dancing and awesome music. The band was so good and you almost won’t believe the instruments the used.  There were 3 guitars, and 1 ukulele and a bass that was a wooden box on the ground with a string coming from the middle and it was tied to a long stick and held on the corner of the box to give the string some tension.  They plucked the string and the note depended on the tension given by the player.  Next was the bamboo thing, think of a pipe organ with bamboo except to play it they hit the top of the hole with a flip-flop and the sound was wicked.  Next was the bottles,yup different alcohol bottles filed with water to make different sounds, and again it sounded great.  Finally all sorts of percussion stuff to keep a rhythm.  The only bad part was that I forgot my camera in the room and didn’t get any pictures. After a great night of fun it was time to get back to reality as I needed another place to stay because this was way out of my budget and again it was tough going.  I ended up at a place called the Coconut Palm resort which was still nice but a lot better priced at $3950 VAV, but still over budget.  I got to the resort just in time as some bad weather was approaching and I made it just before the rain started.  This made the rest of the day pretty lazy and some time to reflect.  I thought about all the money I had spent and in the long I am not sure it was worth it but to late now.  One night here and I finally transferred to somewhere affordable, the Vila Hibiscus at $1500VAV per night.  Through these first few days I have been walking around Port Vila looking for what else there is to do in the country and all the tours and islands that you can go to.  I can tell you that I seriously thought about leaving Vanuatu early and heading back to Oz because everything is extremely expensive and I again was wondering if it was worth it.  It is funny that all this stuff is expensive but none of the locals seen to have a lot of money so I am guessing that foreigners have taken over a lot of the trade and are also taking all the money.

Today was decision day as I had talked with 2 tour guides yesterday about what I wanted to do and they were going to put it all together and get me a price.  I went there this afternoon and had a great chat and the lady had put together a great tour and it is really what I wanted to do in Vanuatu but now was it worth it.  In the end I decided that I will only be here once in my life and I better get the best out of it I can, so I paid the $180,000VAV  or $1971CAD and done.  I guess I just won’t eat for a few days, but my mom will be happy because the faster I spend the money the sooner I have to come home.

So what will I be doing for the next 13 days, well I should be amazing and I will only give you the highlights and leave most of it for the next blog when I get back.  I start with a tour of Efate Island which is where I am now.  The next day I fly to Tanna and stay 3 nights to see an active volcano and some custom dancing in a village.  From there I go back to Port Vila for a night and then to Pentecost Island for traditional land diving which is like bungee jumping except it is a vine tied to your feet and they do it over land not water, and yes they do hit the ground, it is part of the tradition that boys do to turn into men, and yes I know it sounds crazy I can’t wait to take pictures.  After the diving I take a boat to Ambryn Island and get a ride to a village.  The next morning  guide takes me hiking to the top of an active volcano and we camp overnight at the top and maybe abseil into it if I want.  The next day we hike out the other way to another village and stay there.  After I fly too Santo and stay nights and do some caving and see what is called the Blue Hole.  Then fly to Melekula for another 2 night to see a cannibal sight and black sand beaches.  And finally back to Vila for 2 nights before heading back to Oz.  I am hoping that this is going to be a great time because so far I have not been that happy with Vanuatu and want a better feeling for it.  I was thinking that it would be a lot like Fiji but so far it is not even close to what Fiji was.

With me going to all these outer islands I do not expect to get internet connections so the next time you hear from me will be in about 2 weeks.  I know what your saying, where are the pictures, well I have not taken many and then when I got here to get this all done I forgot the cord to transfer all the pics from my camera (sorry).

Currently I am sitting at a cafe along the beach front watching a beautiful sunset, listening to music and having a rum, I guess things could be worse.  Man I wish you could  see how great this sunset is.

Well that’s about it for now, take care all.

Steve

PS:  I did see that the Pens won the Cup but did not see it live, it was Saturday here and rugby is the sport of choice on any TV.  While I am island hopping my cousins Danielle June 20th and Trevor June 28th will have birthdays, so Happy Birthday in advance.

Hello all,

Just a short post to keep you all updated.

I have spent the last 6 days in Cairns staying at a hostel called Travellers Oasis and it had been great. I have not got a lot accomplished in the last 6 days but that is all right as I am coming back to Cairns and wanted to leave most of it for then.  I have been getting some sun at the lagoon and playing some beach volleyball.  I have also been in contact with some friends and family to atch up and finally I have been out catching so nightlife that has been hard on the old guy and my recovery time is getting longer.  The people at the hostel are fantastic and are making the stay really nice.

I actually started this blog in Cairns but am finishing it in Port Vila.  I got into Port Vila 2 nights ago and the first night I stayed at a guest house that was very minimal in its facilities.  I got up the next morning and started walking to find somewhere else to say and ended up for the first time in 8 months at a hotel instead of a budget accommodation.  I decided to take in some luxury for 2 nights and then head off to some budget accommodation after that.  I was very happy with the idea as once I checked into my room I turned on the tv and to my amazement Game 6 of the NHL Finals was on live.  I got to watch the 3rd period and watched Pittsburgh tie the series, now I guess I will need to find a tv for game 7.  It has been cloudy here but still very warm and pleasant.  I am in the process of booking some assorted tours around Vanuatu and seeing as many sights as I can before I head back to Oz and the east coast on June 29th.

No pictures this time but I am sure that I will have lots very soon,

Take care all,

Steve

Hello all,I have now reached Cairns (pronounced Cans) and have been chillin for a few days.  The trip across took 5 days and we had a ton of fun.  Olivia, Lindsay and Juliana were all great and helped with tons of the camping duties and we seen everything there is to see (which is not much).

We left Darwin and started south because there is no road that goes straight east.  On our first day all we did was drive because we had all seen the stuff we were passing already on our way to Darwin or on day tours.  We started by getting some groceries and other camping supplies that were needed.  We made great time with the 130kph speed limit and got to a lace called Highway Inn at Daley Waters.  We set up camp at this roadside stop and expected to be eaten alive by mossies but none showed up.  It cooled off a little in the evening which made it great for sleep.  The next morning it was pack up and get back on the road, about mid morning we made it to 3 ways which is the turn to go east.  Finally headed in the right direction!!!  Again not much to see in this part of the drive so we just kept going and made it all the way to Mt. Isa which is a mining town but has some pretty famous sports stars that were born there in Greg Norman and Patrick Rafter.  We got in pretty late so we got to the campervan park and set up.  The evening was filled with playing cards and catching up on a few emails.  In the morning we packed up and did a small tour around Mt. Isa including the lookout which gave a great view of the area.  The only other thing to do in Mt. Isa is to take a 3 hour tour thru a mine build for tourists and never really mined for anything so we passed on the idea.  We continued east and went thru Julia Creek and Richmond.  This is the start of what they call dinosaur country.  Each town along the way has museums with lots of different dinosaurs found in the area a long time ago.  We did a tour thru the facilities at Richmond but I have to say that Drumheller, Alberta puts these exhibits to shame.

After that we went to Hughenden and Porcupine Gorge National Park.  It was to late to see anything by the time got there so we set up and started cooking supper.  While cooking a little animal came up to us for a visit, I was not sure what it was, to small for a kangaroo or wallaby but looked similar.  After some research I discovered it was a Tree Kangaroo.

In the morning it was packing again and then we did a 2.8km hike to the bottom of the gorge and back, it was good to get out hiking again and see something besides roadways.  After we stopped at the gorge lookout on the way out and then back to Hughenden.

We continued on to a town called Charters Towers which was big in the gold rush and still has lots of mining to this day.  We stopped and the town lookout and tried to get to some other attractions but everything in this town closes at 3 and that was when we were there so we drove on and got to Townsville.  Townsville is on the east coast and now all we need to do is go north to Cairns.  The park we stayed at was the best I have seen while camping in Oz, the bathrooms we spic and span clean and the camping area was huge with power sites for the same price as unpowered.  After supper everyone had there computer out and MP3 players and anything else that needed to get charged up.  No internet though as they wanted $10 per hour.  After another good night sleep we were on our way to Cairns, we all decided that we would not stop at any sights on the way because they had tours already booked and other plans.  We had lunch just out side of Cairns and were into town at around 2pm.  I dropped off the girls at the assorted hostels and then started to figure out my plans.  I was thinking of camping but it rained most of the day and the clouds still looked threatening so I booked into a hostel (Travellers Oasis).  It has $5 per day internet so it is working out great.

I have spent the last few days getting everything figured out for the next part of the adventure and doing some research on an investment project that I am interested in in New Zealand(more on that in due time but nothing for now).  I am now booked on a flight to Brisbane from Cairns on June 9th and then from there I fly out to Vanuatu that afternoon.  I have no plans for Vanuatu yet and will just figure it out once I get there, since this theory has worked great so far..  I do have to book a flight out of Vanuatu but have not figured out how long I actually want to stay (2, 3 weeks, a month???), it is nice to be this free but the airlines sure profit from my indecision.  I will take a look at Cairns and maybe do some snorkeling along the Great Barrier Reef or maybe some fishing until then but I want to leave most of it until I get back from Vanuatu and do the whole east coast together in my next 3 month period here.

Today I had a great skype call with Abel and Jen, it was so nice to see them and hear their voices.  I plan a few more calls over the next few days to some others to catch up with them.

I guess that is it for now as I am getting tired of writing and looking at this damn computer.

Take care everyone,

Steve

PS: yes more again this time, a BIG HAPPY BIRTHDAY goes out to my niece Kirstin and to my brother Shawn, both on the 3rd of June.  By the way my brothers should be ashamed that I was the only one to contact Kirstin.

Hello all,

I am back in Darwin after camping thru Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks.  Here is a brief rundown of the last week

We (Meghan and I) headed into Kakadu National Park and had to drive to the middle of it to get to the information center and find out all the things we could do.  We toured the Bowali Info center while there and got lots of info on the aboriginal culture and the area.  We then drove north to the East Alligator region and camped at the Merl Campground for the night.  We actually did not leave Darwin till the afternoon so not much got done on the first days but driving.

In the morning we packed up and 3 different short hikes (Merls campground to Cahills Crossing, Bardedjildji walk and Manngarre Rainforest walk) that totaled about 5kms.  Each walk was different and gave us great views of the area.  A lot of the big walks are still closed at this time because they go to close to the water and crocs are still around.  later in the dry season all the walks will be open but that does not do us a lot of good.  After some lunch we got back into the car and drove to the Yellow River Region and toured the Warradjan Cultural Center.  This place was very informative and the building was the shape of a turtle.  We then set up camp at Mardugal Campground and I went for a evening river cruise.  The cruise was on the Yellow river and was absolutely incredible.  It started at 4:30 and we toured along the river and saw at least 10 different spieces of birds, pigs, horses, tree snakes and of course CROCS.  We must have seen 15 – 20 crocadiles during the trip and were able to get up very close to some, so close that we had to make sure we kept our hands in the boat while taking photos.  The cruise lasted about 2 hours and was worth all $74 I paid to go on it.  It was nice to see the crocs in there natural envirnment instead of in cages or zoos.

The next morning we headed to the Nourlangie region and did the 12km Barrk Circuit Walk.  This walk was really cool and again it went thru plenty of different eco systems.  The best part of this hike was the Aboriginal Rock Art from hundreds of years ago.  Each painting has true significance and meaning with some that are easy to understand and others that you just have now clue what they were trying to say.  It was really hot out as well and we were pretty tired after the walk so we just chilled at the Mardugul Campgroundfor the evening.  One thing with camping is that the mossies are definately a pain in the ass.  I am getting eatin alive and it does not mater how much spray I put on or how many clothes i am wearing.

The next morning we got up and did the Mamukula walk and then headed out of Kakadu back to Palmerston to pick up a few supplies and the on to Litchfield National Park.  We camped just outside the park at Banyan Tree Camp Park and even had some power outlets to charge a few things up.  The day was mostly driving and not a lot was seen today.  The next morning we drove into Bachelor to get hiking info for the park and filled gas then were on our way to Litchfield.  Our first stop was at the Magnetic Termite mounds, now unlike the termites at home these ones are good and build homes that are over 15 feet high.  They are cool little creatures that do nothing but work, man am I glad that I am not a termite.

Now it was time for some hiking, we did the Wangi Falls hike which are very popular and lots of people were around.  Litchfield is known for all of its waterfalls and plunge pools to cool off in.  Wangi Falls is the most popular but the swimming hole is closed because of crocs.  The water really needs to low before they can assure that there are no crocs in all of the swimming holes and Wangi is pretty deep.  After the hike we headed to Walker Creek, now this creek had hardly any tourists and was much better.  The hike consists of a 2km walk along 8 campsites that you have to book with the aboriginal community.  We did not stay here but we stopped at one of the unoccupied sites and went for a swim.  It was so refreshing and there were little fish and small crayfish trying to nibble off your toes. After a 1/2 hour stop we hiked back and then drove to the Buley Rockhole.

We set up camp and still had time to enjoy the plunge pools there as well.  These are much more popular and had a lot of people around, it seemed we timed it just right as a group was getting out we arrived and just took over there spot.  This is like a creek with multiple drop offs that create a bunch of plunge pools in a very short distance.  Here is where we run into a few problems, after the plunge we head back to camp to have supper and everything is locked in the car and the key has been in my swim trunks the whole time and it will not unlock the car.  Even when we try to do it manually it will not open.  Soon we have a few others around trying to give us advice on how to break in and I am trying all kinds of things.  It is starting to get dark and running out of options, so I decided that a rock thru the window is probably the only thing left to do.  We tried the key one more time and holy cow it actually worked.  It took about an hour for it to dry out but at least i didn’t have to use the rock.  The next morning we got right back into the hiking and did the Florence Falls hike, then Tolmer Falls hike where you are not allowed to swim and finally the Greenant Creek/Tjaetaba Falls hike.  The first 2 were very touristy and lots of people around, the falls were pretty cool though and I can’t believe how much water is flowing in such a dry area.  The last stop was the best, it is a 2.7km hike to the top of a waterfall that has a plunge pool right before a 100 foot drop.  There was no one around and the pool was completely refreshing.  This would be a great place for some romance it is so beautiful.  After our walk back we headed back to Darwin and stayed at Elke’s Backpackers for the night.

I was up early the next morning and off on a Barramundi fishing trip.  The 6 am pick up was tough but i made it and we were on the water at about 7.  The trip was along the Mary River and in the Corroboree Billabong.  It was a tough day fishing and I had only 1 bite but missed the fish and we landed only oe fish in the whole boat with 4 of us fishing.  It was a big fish (85cm & 15 lbs) but a little disappointing not to get anything especially since I paid $300 to be there.  The guide worked really hard and took us to lots of spots but they just were not biting, and that is fishing.  The gentleman that caught the fish did nt want it and gave it to me and I fed about 12 backpackers that evenings and it tasted great.  The next morning was just a early as this time Instead of river fishing i was going ocean fishing.  I saw n awesome sunrise while we boated for an hour out to our first stop.  I was the first to catch a fish which they called a Triggy Snapper, cool fish.  I also caught several other species for the day and about 15 fish in total.  It was a great day but the one fish I really wanted I did not get.  The big one that we were all looking for was called a Jew Fish and they are over a meter long and about 15 kilo.  There were 7 caught on the boat as well as some small sharks.  We saw a sail fish but were unable to catch it.  What a great day and amazingly the skipper was only 20 and the first mate was 18, these kids definitely knew what they were doing.

So where to now you ask, well tomorrow I leave Darwin and head east and probably to Cairns.  Right now I am going to meet up with my new travel mates and cook them some fish for supper.  I will be traveling with 2 French girls (Ashley and Olivia) and another girl from California (Juliana).  It should be a fun group and they all can drive so this time I will not have to do it all myself.

Well until next time, I hope you all take care.

Steve

PS:  Happy anniversary to Mom & Dad, Cathleen and Darryl, Jay and Liz and finally Don and Audrey.  Lots of birthdays coming up as well so I hope there is some online access along the way to Cairns.

Hello all,

Well I have made it to Darwin and damn is it warm here (33 during the day and 22 at night) and I am loving it.  I will give you a recap of the last 10 days because we saw so much this could be a big posting.  Both Carlijn and Meghan are sticking with me on the drive to Darwin.  We will do some camping on this part of the trip once we get to some warmer weather.

Day 1

We left Adelaide at 9am and headed north on Main North Road toward Gawler and the Borrasa Wine Valley but the girls did a good job of keeping on track and out of the wineries.  We continued on thru the Clare Wine Valley and into the Mount Remarkable National Park.  We did a short hike in the park to the Alligator Gorge which has no alligators, it was named after a guy that lived there by the name of Allie.  This is also what they call the start of the Flinders Range which goes all the way into North Australia.  The gorge was not very remarkable for been in Mount Remarkable National Park, but good to see no the less.  From there we drove to a small town called Quron and stayed there for the night.  We were the only people in the hostel but it had beds for at least 70 people.  The owner was in the process of selling the place and was not looking to have to many people in so she would not have to clean.  I can see that gas is going to be a huge expense as the prices are high from what I am used to, out first day was $56 in gas and about 400kms driven.

Day 2

We left Quorn and headed north further into the Flinders Range and into the national park ( the cost to get into this park and yesterday was $8 each).  Once there we went ot a place called Wilpena Pound that is a vast oval encircled by a steep wall of rock.  We did a 2 hour hike around the area and found some aboriginal caves that had old writings and pictures painted inside.  We also saw a yellow footed rock Wallaby which is very rare and close to extinction.  The walls of Wilpena Pound soar to about 500m and leave a basin in the middle that used to be used for sheep and cows.  We then headed back to Quorn and stayed another night.  We were able to do all this on the gas from yesterday but the tank was very empty. Todays drive was about 330 kms.

Day 3

This is when I found out that this car does not like it when the tank is almost empty and you shut it off.  When I tried later it would not start but when we got it on an inline then she turned over and went straight to the gas station.  When we got going we drove to Port Augusta (which we probably should have stayed at instead of QUorn) and it was a bigger town and had a lot more facilities.  We stopped and got money, food and other supplies because from here everything gets way more expensive.  After all of our stuff was bought we headed north thru Woomer and into a town called Coober Pedy.  Coober Pedy is the opal capital of the world, 80% of the industry is from here.  The place does not look like much as all of the ground they dig up is brought to the surface and then just left there, they do not fill in the old holes so there are signs everywhere telling you to be careful and not fall in one.  During the summer months it gets very hot here so most of the homes and shops are built underground.  We stayed at a hostel (Radeka’s) that was an underground cave.  It was really cool and stays a constant 24 degrees all year.  Not much to do in the town but the underground churched are a popular tourist spot.  Our gas bill for the day was $129 which is about $1.50 per liter.  This was really the first drive in the outback and there is less to see all the time.  Our gas bill today was $129 and about 550kms driven.

Day 4

We were u8p early this morning (7am as to 9am every other day) with a big drive ahead of us.  The drive is very boring with the only stops been cattle stations randomly placed along the road.  We stopped at one and cooked our own lunch and then continued on to Yulara.  This is just outside of the Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park and set up camp at Ayers Rock Campground for the night.  When we finished setting up we got back in the car and we to Ayers Rock/Uluru and walked around the cultural center.  The northern territory has a lot more aboriginal people and culture than what I have seen so far.  The center was a great place to get info on how they lived and all the writings in the caves.  I could have spent more time here but the place closed at 5pm.  From there we went to a viewing point and watched the sunset but unfortunately it was disappointing because there were to many clouds.  The rock goes different shades of red as the sun sets and we saw a little of this but I am sure it can be better.  We then headed back to the campground for some supper and and early night to bed after putting on more than 700kms and $93 in fuel.  One of the stops along the way was sell fuel at $1.75 which is the most expensive we have seen, god thing we didn’t need any at that point. THe national park cost $25 each and the pass was good for 3 days.

Day 5

The first night of camping and I did not get much sleep.  I think it was just because it was different because I was warm enough but Carlijn was cold all night and see does not have that good of a sleeping bag.  I got up at arounfd 7am and had a hot shower and a tea and felt much better.  We headed back to Uluru in the morning and went on a guided walk along the Mala Trail.  The Ranger that did the walk was great and you could tell that he loved what he was doing.  He gave us a lot of aboriginal info and taught us how to read the writings on the rock.  He explained how they lived and their beliefs.  The walk took about 2 hours and then we needed out to Kata Tjuta which is another set of rocks with lots of history.    We did the Valley of the Winds hike (about 3 hours) and it was fantastic. There is so much culture here I am sure I could stay for week.  After the hike we got in the car and drove to Curtain Springs which is a cattle farm along the road back.  We camped there and you could hear cows mooing all night long.  I am pretty sure they were in the middle of calving season.  It was a little colder here but I was still okay, Carlijn had on about 3 layers of clothes to sleep in.  We drove about 150kms today and gas cost us $72.

Day 6

I was up at 7am again and thought I would give the girls a breakfast treat.  I cooked up some eggs, cheese and toast sandwiches that they loved.  It was better than the PB&J that is normally breakie.  We drove to Kings Canyon and had lunch there and then did a 3 hour hike.  You start at the bottom of the canyon and work your way up to the rim and then hike around the rim.  There were incredible canyon walls to see and the drop offs were very steep.  My facebook page has me on the edge of one of these rocks.  I also so a big Goana lizard kinda thing and that was cool. This was a great hike and worth all the energy it took.  We then drove to Kings Creek Station and stayed the night.  THe sign going into the station said that we were at 550m elevation so I knew that we were going to have a cold night.  We were able to have a fire here and Meghan and I collected some firewood before it got dark.  We had supper and then I started the fire, it was a nice little fire and kept us warm for the evening.  Carlijn put on another layer of clothing but was still cold all night.  I added a layer as well and was fine except for first thing in the morning. Another short drive today of around 250kms and today we did not have to fill gas.

Day 7

A hot tea got me going this morning and when I went to start the car there was no juice in the battery.  We were listening to  music last night and I guess we listened a little to long.  I got one of the park guys to come and give me a boost and all was good.  Today we drove to Alice Springs which is the biggest town between Adelaide and Darwin and decided to stay in a hostel for the night.  Not a lot to stop at on this drive so we went straight thru, we even skipped lunch to get there early.  Once we were there we broke down and went to McDonalds for lunch.  We got and got booked into Anne’s Place for the night and then went for a walk.  We visited the reptile center and I held a couple of lizards and Meghan held a big snake.  This is right up her alley so she had a big smile on her face.  After we walked thru town and to ANZAC Hill for the sunset.  We headed back to the hostel and cooked supper and were in bed fairly early, I think everyone was looking forward to a bed instead of a blow up mattress and a tent.  YOu can also tell that the weather is starting to warm up as we move north.  Todays drive was about 450kms and gas cost $100.

Day 8

Today was another long drive with only a few things to see. Here is probably a god spot to tel you a few things about the outback.  It is very hot and dry but there is a lot more vegetation than I expected to see.  There are lots of trees and bushes that seem to get enough water that the can live.  There are also areas that are pretty bare but that is not the norm.  I am not sure if I was expecting it to be like the desert around Arizona but it is completely different.  We have been driving mostly during the day and staying away from dawn and dusk because that is when most of the animals are hit.  The sad thing is that we are seeing more dead animals than live ones.  I estimate that we are seeing around 50 dead animals (mostly kangaroos) per day.  Now image that happening in Alberta or around Banff and what the speed limits would be.  They are 90km/hr in Banff now what would they make them???  Well in Australia it seems that they don’t care that much.  In South Oz where we started the speed limit was 110 on most 2 lane roads and when you get to the Northern Territory it goes up to 130.  This is great for making time but it does not change at night when these animals are been hit.  Now we are seeing some really cool animals none the less.  We saw camels (did you know these were originally a North American species), kangaroos (lots), emus, lot of different lizards, and termites.  Now these termites I speak of are making the huge mounds in the sands and they can get up to 7 feet tall and are really cool to look at on the side of the road.  The further north we go the more flies we encounter and at Uluru there were tons flying around our faces, lots of people were wearing nets around there faces.  Okay lets get back to day 8, we left Alice Springs after filling up with supplies and drove to Tennant Creek which is about a 500km drive.  We had 3 stops on the way, the first was for lunch at Cattle station around Aileron.  From there we drove to a town called Wcliffe Well where they have a UFO center and where they claim to have had sightings.  The center consisted of fake green men and a spce ship with lots of articles where locals claim to have seen spaceships.  It is all conveintly located around a restaurant and gift shop.  It seemed a little hokey to me but it got us to stop and look and I guess if they can get some people to actually spend some money then good for them.  From there we went to what is called the Devils Marbles, this place was really cool.  In the middle of no where are all these huge boulders stacked on top of one another and over time parts of them have eroded away to make them look like giant marbles.  We walked around the area for about 1 hour and then head for Tennant Creek.  We stayed at a Caravan park and we paid $3 to see a bush tucker show.  So what is a bush tucker show?  Bush is for “outback” and tucker is slang for food/roadkill.  Jim was also a poet and it was a fun evening.  We tried Kangaroo tail and assorted plants ans weeds that are found in the outback.  Our gas bill for today was $126.

Day 9

Today was another pretty long drive but not as bad as yesterday.  Again there was not a lot along the road and we had only 2 stops today and the first was for lunch at another cattle station called Dunmarra.  From here we went into the Elsey National Park and spent about 1 hour in there thermal pool.  It was great to relax and go for a soak, it was very relaxing and there where some really cool spiders living above us.  From there we drove to Katherine for the night and staying in another caravan park.  The caravan parks and cattle stations have cost $10 per person and the hostels were around $20.  Today we put on about 550kms and spent $66 on gas.

Day 10

This morning we packed everything up and headed out to Nitmiluk National Park and took in the Katherine Gorge.  Carlijn and I took a $56 boat ride up the first 2 gorges of 13 while Meghan did a 2 hour walk out to one part of the gorge.  The gorge was very impressive and I got to see my first crocodile.  They try to get all the Salties out og the gorge and back into the ocean.  During the wet season there is so much rain the gorge floods and goes up about 15 meters, yes that is a long way up.  The Crocs can then get in and then it takes some time to get them out.  THey have not seen a croc since the middle of April.  These are the salt water crocs only and the fresh water crocs are left there and they do not attack humans unless provoked.  After they are sure the crocs are out the this turns to a swimming hole for the locals. After we headed to the city of Darwin and out of the outback.  It is very hot in Darwin (33 during the day and 22 at night) and I am loving it.  It is a busy city with lots of backpackers around lots of other tourists.  The hostel is very expensive ($29 per night) and not that great of a place.

I have now been in Darwin for 3 days once this gets posted and i have ot say that I am not very impressed with the city.  I spent a day walking around and looking at the sites which were nice and I did enjoy that part.  The city is a lot smaller than I thought and is lacking in services and the ones they have are very expensive.  I have left the hostel I was in and went to a camper van park a litlle out of town.  It is better priced and has a pool, so hopefully it will be a little better to relax before I head out on the road again.  I am planning to take in the National Parks inthe area (kakadu and Litchfield) and then see where I am after that.  My first 3 months in Oz are almost up and so I have to leave and then come back and continue.  I currently have a flight to Vanuatu on June 9th and will probably spend a couple of weeks there.

Well that’s about it for now, I hope you enjoy the pics but I could not put them all on the site so go to my Facebook page and they will all be there.

Take care,

Steve

Finally I got my car!!!  Thanks goodness.

I bought a 95 Holden Commodore in a private deal and got everything checked over and serviced and now I can head out on the road.  Sorry I forgot to take a pic of the car but I will put it on the next blog.

Meghan, Carlijn and I left on Thursday, making our way to Adelaide.  We started off by going to Ballarat and a place called Sovereign Hill, it was like Heritage Park in Calgary but way better and bigger.  From there we made out way to Geelong and over-nighted.  There is not to much in Geelong it self but it is the start of the Great Ocean Road.

Our first stop on GOR (Great Ocean Road) was at Bells Beach where there is a lot of surfing.  It was cold out (about 12 and the water was about 15) but still had surfers in the water. I expected to see a bunch of young guys but all of them were much older and most older than me.  The drive along the GOR is amazing and the rock formations will stun any traveler.  There are lots of lookouts to stop and take pictures and we did a few but wanted to make it to the 12 Apostles before night.  The 12 Apostles are now only 8  rock formations in the middle of the water but the are been eroded away by the water.  I know the pics look great but they do not do it justice, you need to be there and listen to the waves come in and see how high they get and the force they have.  We stayed over night at Port Campbell.

I was up early the next morning to call mom for her birthday but we had some internet issues so it was a short call and decided that it would be better to Skype call her the next day instead.    We then continued on the GOR to Loch & Gorge where we did a 1 1/2 hour hike. then a place called the Arch and another called London Bridge.  They were all excellent and again hard to tell the whole story with just a picture.  At this point we were a little ahead of schedule so we decided to get back in the car and drive to Granpians National Park and a place called Halls Gap.  We got in just before sunset and just chilled for the evening.

I was up early again but this time i did get to talk with mom and dad and Greg and the new addition to the family Nicolas was there as well.  This was the first time i had been able to see Nicholas and I was happy to get the chance.  Halls gap was like been in the mountains at home except we see different animals and the mountain is not as big.  By this point we have stopped and seen Koalas up in tress, herds of Kangaroos and tons of birds that you never see at home.  We stopped at a couple of places (Reeds Lookout & McKenzie Falls) for lookouts and a small hike.  The falls was not as spectacular as it was made out to be but nice none the less.  We had lunch at the falls with Wallabies and Kookaburra birds around us.  At one point a Kookaburra swooped down at me and took the peanut butter and jam sandwich I was eating right out of my hand.  It scared the shit out of me at first and then I was pissed off because I was still hungry.  The girls got a good laugh but I was real careful after that to protect my food.  After McKenzie Falls we headed for Adelaide, which ended up been a longer drive than what I thought it was.  I was expecting it to be about 2-3 hours and it ended up at around 5.  We got in a lot later than I wanted and I was very tired by the end.  We got into a descent hostel and the manager was really nice.

I got up the next morning and did some walking around Adelaide and seeing the sights. I also needed to pick up a few more supplies for the next part of the trip.  After that I just chilled for the evening.

On Tuesday Carlijn and I went on a wine tour of the Borassa Valley, which is one of the most popular areas in Australia.  We started the day at Wolf Blass and the wines were very average but not surprising for the mass producing they are doing.  We stopped at 2 other wineries and had lunch as well.  The best one of the day was one that I already knew because the wine club I was in at home had brought some of these wines in and they were fabulous.  Langmiel Wines did not disappoint, they were everything I was hoping for and more.  They took us on a tour of the area and we saw some 160 year old vines as well as some very old building and their whole process into wine making.  The tasting itself was great and we had at least 10-12 samples.  I think Lee will be very jealous that I was there, it was one of our favorites.  We had one more winery after and then back to the city.  We had some supper at the hostel and then went bar hopping for a while before heading to bed around 1am and feeling great.

Today has been a chill day and getting ready to leave tomorrow.  We have planned out a 10 day trip to Darwin, which will entail driving straight up the middle of Oz (thru the Outback) to Ayers Rock/Uluru.  The whole trip is about 3000 kms and most there will not be much to see.  Once we get far enough north we will start camping instead of staying in hostels.  I have the car completed outfitted to camp along the way.  We can sleep 2 in the car and 2 in a tent.  I have all the cooking supplies and everything else we will need.  It should be an awesome 10 days.

With deciding to go north I will be missing Perth, Freemantle and Broom but I need to get into warmer weather as this 18-20 degree high is not enough for me anymore.  I will see if I can fly that way later and hop in with someone like people are with me.

With staying in Melbourne for so long and at Matts, my budget is looking a little better than what it was.  My daily spend for April was down to $61 from the huge $112 in March. So far May has been good as well except the wine tour where I spent way to much money, but what the hell.  I was also able to chat with John about how business was going back home and I am glad to hear that everything is going very well.  A few hiccups here and  there but overall it sounds very good.

That is about it for now,

Take care all,

Steve

Happy birthday to my cousin Jay down in the States and again happy birthday to my Mom and for the upcoming mothers day since I will be in the middle of no where at that point.

Hello all,

I know it has been a while since I updated you so here it is.

I am still in Melbourne and no I do not have a car yet but that is all going to change this week.  I have been very picky about the car and still have not found the right one.  I have now seen everything there is to see in Melbourne and it is definitely time to move on.  I also have travel mates for the first part on my drive and the would like to get going fairly soon as well.  My travel mates are Carlijn form the Netherlands (I met her in New Zealand while on the Stray bus, Meghan from Vancouver, yes the same Meghan that I traveled with in Tasmania and Julie a German girl that I met while in Melbourne.  We are all looking forward to getting on the road now I just need to do my part and get a car.  On that note, Norman and I are seeing a few in the morning and if nothing works out there we have another to see in the evening.

So what have I done for the past 2 weeks in Melbourne:

I was Good Friday the last time I blogged so here is the update:

On Saturday I had a awesome Skype conversation with all of my family.  For those of you who do not know what skype is, i can call anyone who has downloaded skype on their computer and the call is completely free.  Skype is also free to download and I have been using it to call a few friends backs home and for this call at Easter.  It was the first time in 6 months that i had  been able to see their faces and I loved it.  Everyone was there (except Nicholas), the kids were crazy as always and everyone looked great.  We talked for about 1 hour and got caught up with all that was going on.  I was on a high for the rest of the day and it was full of adventure.  I was in the downtown area real early to make the call so I toured around for a bit in the morning and then went to the Melbourne Cricket Ground for an afternoon tour and visited to Melbourne Sports Museum.  I was done that about 5pm and then tickets went on sale for the Aussie Rules Football game for that evening.  It cost me $20.60 for a ticket in the general admission seats where it is first come/first serve.  The seats were on the 4th level but I was able to get right up front.  The game was Essendon vs Carlton (the favorite) and I had some of both fans around me.  A group of older people (Essendon fans) were talking with me and took me under their wing and helped me with the rules and everything else I needed to know, like the tradition is to have a meat pie and a beer at the game.  The stadium holds around 90,000 people and it was pretty full with just over 70,000 in attendance.  I have never been in a stadium with so many and it was loud and awesome.  Essendon won the game in a big upset.  I could not have asked for a better day, one of my best so far.

On Sunday i went to Easter mass in the morning (the cathedral looked amazing), and then made my way to the Queen Victoria Market.  The market is the largest one in Melbourne and they have everything and anything someone might want (clothes, computers, hardware, food, etc…)  You get to barter for everything so now I am in my element. I didn’t need anything but food so that is where I went to work.  I worked over a meat vendor and got 5 burgers, 6 sausages, 4 steaks and 4 lamb chops for $8 (wow, i really did well there), then it was on the the produce vendors and I bought stuff from 3 different vendors and spent a total of $7.20 and came away with apples, grapes, peppers, onions, potatoes, mushrooms, plums.  Matt and I ate off all the stuff for a week.  This is also where I met Julie who is going to travel with me once I get the car.

On Monday i took the train out to Port Melbourne and toured around there and then walked along the beach to St. Kilda.  The beach in St. Kilda was really busy and I hung out there for a while and then went and booked myself into a backpackers.  I went back to the beach and watched the sunset and listened to a group of musicians that had set up there (they were very good).  I went back to the hostel and met my roommates for the night (a couple from England, Rich and Sarah) and we had supper together and a couple of drinks.  I was nice to have some new people to chat with again.  It was early to bed because the next morning was going to be early.

On Tuesday I was up a 6:00am and on my way to the pier for a fishing trip.  This is why I stayed in St. Kilda instead of Matts as I would have had to get up at about 4 to get there.  The fishing charter was bigger than what I wanted but it was the most reasonably priced ($75).  We had 20 people on board and it was a pretty big boat.  We were fed breakfast and lunch and they took really good care of us.  Now here is the problem, the fishing was not exactly great.  Of the entire group only 2 snapper were caught, none by me.  The rest of the fish that were caught were Flatheads.  the flatheads we caught were all very small and not worth keeping.  I caught 4 which was okay compared to some.  There were only 2 other people that caught more than me, and one was a grandma that out fished her son in law and her 4 grand children (they were so frustrated and all she did was laugh and catch more fish).  I had no fish to take home with me but over all it was a pretty god day.

The fun just kept coming as on Wednesday I was up early again and into the city for a wine tour. I only had 3 others on the tour with me but it made it for a great day.  We started off with a 1 hour drive to the Yarra valley region and a winery called Debartoli.  It was a good start and we got about 8 different tastings.  I bought a bottle of 2004 shiraz ($40) that tasted awesome (way over my budget but what the hell).  We then went to a winery called Train Trak, it is fairly new and we did about 6 tastings here and then we got lunch.  They gave us so much food and it ws all incredible.  We had a little extra time after lunch so I did some more tastings and bought a little bottle ($14) of the Merlot.  Our 3rd winery was Yerling and we got at least another 8 tastings here and the picture below is of the magnum of wine i wanted to buy, but it was $180 so I went for a $26 normal bottle.  Our last stop was for champagne and some Sparkling wines that were okay but not great.  I got back to Matts at about 7pm and pretty much went to bed for the night.

Thursday was a relax day and went to the mall for a bit.  It is really cooling of here and I have had to buy a pair of jeans (which were to long but I hemmed them myself by hand) but I got a great deal (regular $70 and I paid $20).  On Friday I relaxed in the morning and then went into the city in the afternoon and evening.  I toured along the river where there were tons of people around on a Friday night.  I ended up at the Melbourne Casino (there are only 12 casinos in all of Australia) and walked around there for a while.  I had some supper and then decided that it was time to do some gambling.  I found a slot machine that had a beaver and a Canadian flag on it and figured it was meant to be.  I put $10 into it and it was all gone in about 5 minutes.  Then I looked around some more and found another machine that had fish on it and said what the hell.  I put $10 into it and again it was gone in about 10 minutes, I did not give up on this machine and put another $10 in and now it was time to get paid.  I ended up with $49 out of the machine which ends up been a profit of $19, big winner if you ask me.  I took my money and headed for the exit.  I was walking back to the train station and past where the Comedy Festival is happening.  I got stopped by this female comic that had a show that was starting in about 1 hour and she was trying to get people to go.  As that finished I was walking away and a lady said that she had a free ticket for the show that was starting in the main theater. I was on it like a fat kid on a smarty and in I went.  The seat was fairly close to the stage and the comedian was Arj Barker. It was a 2 hour show and the actual ticket price was $35 (a real winner today).  The show was great and I headed home after.

Over he past week everything has been pretty slow, I have been hunting for the car and touring around some local areas.  I even listened to the Flames game on my computer the other day.  Nice to see they have themselves back in the series. I have been keeping up with the playoffs and yes my Bruins kicked the shit out of the Habs!!!  I am also keeping an eye on the WHL playoffs and the Hitmen as well as Baseball and what ever other sports I can find.  I have had some Facebook conversations with friends and family which is always nice.

On Friday Carlijn made it to Melbourne and we spent Friday and Saturday together roaming the city.  On Saturday it was ANZAC (Australian New Zealand Armed Corps) Day, which would be like Remembrance day in Canada.  They had a parade of all the veterans on the main street to the “Shrine of Remembrance” and then a ceremony after that.  It took about 2 1/2 hours for the parade and had marching bands as well.  It was good to see but I was disappointed with one part.  All the different countries that have fought with Australia were recognized as well and there own place in the parade.  THe US, Turkey, Italy, Netherlands, etc… with lots of soldiers form those countries, but when it came to Canada their was only a cardboard sign and no soldiers at all.  It was not cool and we should have had some representation there.  I plan to send a letter to the government of Canada and express my disappointment.  The rest of the time was great and Carlijn and I are ready to head out of Melbourne once I get the car (you getting the theme yet)(damn I need a car!!!)

Well that is it for now, and I will let you all know when I get my ass out of Melbourne.

Take care all, now time to find that car!!!

Steve

Happy Birthday to my sister Cathleen and cousin Linda both on the 25th, Matthews birthday was on the 17th and I sent him a note already, Uncle Richards was on the 20th and he got a note too, and mom’s is coming soon, I gotta make sure I don’t miss that.