Well let's start with an outback flies count: 10.5 millions ....I didn't invest in a fly-net and I deeply regretted it. The question that arises is: what the heck do the flies do when there are no tourist to bother?

The trip started with an early wake at 4,30 am to get ready and meet the lovely bunch for the outback adventure, 22 people for the first 2 days then only 14 for the remaining part to Adelaide.

After fewstops for the usual calls of nature we reached King's Canyon, home of the first big challenge: 2  hours hike in the scorching sun, 42 degrees in the shade and around 48 in the sun.....with the company of the flies....a very tempting situation that we couldn't miss .  Thanks to our well trained bodies mission accomplished with no damages. Despite the age,  we definately can manage all weather conditions.

First night camping, definately better than Fraser, with all facilities and huts instead of tents, but most of the group decided to sleep outside under the stars, a tourist must do. Again early rise at 4,30 to go catch the sunrise at Ayers Rock, with the other hundreds tourists: people all over the road, elbowing each other, and it is low season....

The morning, 7 am (.....), continues with a walk around the Rock (the climbing is possible, but in repect of the aborigenal people we decided not to do it), and then back to camp for lunch and a chill afternoon in the freezing water pool. Next, the sunset at the Rock, with again loads of tourists sipping champagne, watching the landscape. Night at camp, again outside and early rise at 5 to get on the road for Coober Peedy, capital of the Opals.

Due to the weather conditions (50 degress, sand storms, etc) in Coober people live underground, in dug outs. The place is famous for the Opals and some movies shot here, such as Mad Max and Pitch Black. The town is only 60 years old....we are in a young country after all..

Today we get to sleep in.....5,30..and on the road again to reach Flinder's Range and our next camp grround. Tonite a dorm. We all (6 of us in our room) managed to over sleep (no alarm clock set)  and we were waken by Dave, our guide, at 6,20 to have breakfast and head to Wilpena for the hike before the sun got too strong. Definately a hard climb, but again we survived. After lunch on the raod to reach a place in the middle of nowhere.....I can't remember the name....ah Paralchina. Chill out afternoon in the pool.

Last bit of road towards Adelaide, with a stop in a winery or some tasting, and after 6 days we reached our destination, back to society, with cars, shops, people, ....and hopefully some sleep......(I was wrong here as we managed to go to bed at 5 am.....)

One more day in Adelaide, mostly to recover from the trip ,and then plane bound to Melbourne.

Keep u posted

Postato da: grecofla alle 01:06 | link | comments |

Here we go again.

Let's recap the last few days: we left Hervey bay with a very comfortable overnite bus, where we didn't manage to get any sleep, to get to Arlie Beach. We arrived at 6 am, so we had to wait until 8 for the reception to open and give us a highly awaited bunk bed . From here we will depart for a sailing trip of 3 days ( well almost...) around the Whitsundays island, ome of the highlight of the australian east coast.

We left the following day in the afternoon on the sail boat Samurai (http://www.sailing-whitsundays.com/products/listings/l0074.html) with other 15 people and 4 member of the crew. To mention "team Ireland" ( 2 girls and a guy) who boarded with 60 cans of beer and 8 liters of wine for 2 nights. (FYI they easili managed to finish it, fair play ). On the boat we were a bit like sardines, but after all we are at sea, so what the heck could we expect? with one toilet as one managed to break after 2 hours from departure...

We ate plenty of food and then some people managed to give it back to sea while we were sailing on some rough waters....The best part was the snorkelling and then I managed to do 2 scuba dives, at 5 and 10 meters , that made me think about doing the PADI open water course. The other amazing thing was Whitehaven beach (check the pictures!). After 2 days with no shower we got back to Arlie Beach.

The following day bus tyo Townswille, the biggest cuty on the coast, but it seems like a ghost town: no people around at all, just empty streets and shops. I suppose the temperature above 30 degrees and the over 50% humidity didn't help....Nothing to mention besides the huge kitchen in the hostel and that we found in the room the same people we shared the dorm with in Arlie beach.

Next stop Magnetic Island, just 30 min by ferry from Townswille: we arrived around 12 and decided straight away to hire the bikes to tour the island....Sun, hills, being out of shape made the afternoon almost a torture: we actually wondered as we saw no people on bikes, jusy mopeds and cars...As usual we opted for the best option. Not happy with the biking we adventure for an hike in search for the Koalas that supposely live on the island: 2 hours and not a single sight, just liters of sweat.

We made it back to the hostel at 6, in very poor conditions, which I think helped in my decision to sign for the Padi diving course.  3 days starting every morning at 9 until late afternoon ( the first day we finished at 6, the second at 7, and the last at 5...) of practice and theory in the pool and in the ocean. http://www.magnetic-island.com.au/dive-sites.html

I experienced the whitsundays so I was pretty relaxed but in the first dive, during the floating exercise to check if u have to many weights, I sunk like a stone, drinking liters of nasty salty water. It wasn't as fun as I expected . Then we were literally swimming among jelly fish, so we kept looking souspiciouly around. Unfortunately the visibility wasn't very high, and that led on the second day, to us following the wrong instructor and mingling with the wrong group . The best dive was the last, on saturday morning, after we all passed the exam on the friday: we went around a ship wreck . Then time to change and get on the ferry and then on the bus to get to Cairns. Ah, I almost forgot: water temperature between 29 and 32 degrees. Dig it?

I just spent a nite in Cairns ( Ken was there for 2 days as he didn't do the dive course) and then in the morning we took the plane to Alice Springs, for the outback discovery.  First strange thing: the time zone, we had to move back the watch by 30 minutes....I'm still wondering....Then average temperature 40 degrees, no wonder it's low season. And then flies all over the place, if u weren't wearing pants they would be right up ur arse....very annoying, but u can survive with a face net. We have been told that in Ayers Rock will be worse, we can't wait.

Last nite we delighted ourselves with a platter with Kangaroo, Emu, Camel and Crocodile meat: u always hear that corc tastes like chicken, but let me tell you...it's true, and all the rest taste like beef....but it has to be done. To mention the price, it was 60 dollars but then we bargained for the cheap option for the poors (us) and we managed with 35 dollars each.

Tomorrow we leave for a Safari that will take us to Ayers Rock, then Coober Pedy all the way to Adelaide. Departure time 5 am....I better go to sleep...

http://worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/oceania/aucaps.htm

 

  

 

 

 

Postato da: grecofla alle 09:44 | link | comments |

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