I'm blogging from my phone, so apologies for the layout: it's wall of text for dinner and wall of pictures for dessert!
Plus, it's gonna be a short one, I don't like typing on the phone...
I spent the last weeks in the tropical paradise that is Newell Beach in Far North Queensland.
Hans and Wendy are managing a handful of luxury holiday accommodation around the area, and they always have about a dozen backpackers staying to help out with the housekeeping and cleaning. It's great fun with my backpacker housemates from all over the world (well, actually mostly from France haha). We live right next to the beach and go to sleep listening to the waves. It's just paradise.
On the days off work we can go and explore the area. We went to a Wildlife Park to look at all the native animals and to Mossman Gorge.
Thanks to Julia I even have the most wonderful pictures of me in the clear waters of Mossman Gorge - and HOW beautiful is this place!!
I
hitched from Bellingen to Murwillumbah. I went there because for years
now I have wanted to climb Mount Warning, and it felt like now or never.
Strangler Figs. Aren't they creepily beautiful? How they hug another tree so tight, until it dies.
I
reached the summit and just hung out up there, basking in the sunshine
and doing a lot of lookout looking. When I, for a change, looked down - I
saw a python, right underneath the metal grid I was sitting on. He
wasn't very big, but with such pretty patterns on his smooth skin. He
looked at me for while, and then slowly slithered on his way without the
slightest sound.
The
next morning I said good bye to the"Bones" and Kendall and Connor drove
me to a petrol station on the highway. After a while a young couple
pulled over, telling me that they never picked up a hitch hiker before,
but when they saw me, they turned around and came back to get me. Aww,
unbelievable! They asked me where exactly in Brisbane I wanted to go,
and it turned out that they lived quite close to the house of Tim and
Grace, where I was going to stay. So they delivered me right to the
front door! Perfect lift.
With Grace and Tim and their housemate I ventured out into The Valley (Fortitude Valley) that night, and now you guess who I met up with! None other but Tweety! It was so good to see her again and talk and catch up, and laugh and table dive, and get a little tipsy! (it was her first day off work in weeks, so.... ) I love Tweety!
The following days I spent enjoying the terrific company of Sonya and Russell; oh they are the best!
Then it was time to head to the Planting Festival at Woodfordia. Sorry I do not have time just now to write more about it, but I had, of course, another bombastic long weekend at this amazing place! Oh, how I am going to miss it.
At
the Planting, I met Andy again - she was boss of the Fencing Crew the
Woodford before last. She mentioned that she'd be driving up to Airlie
Beach straight after the festival. "You're going to Airlie Beach? Can I
catch a ride?"
So
Monday morning Andy and me started a little road trip. 1000km, two days
of driving, one night in Rockhampton, and many, many hours of listening
to the Illawarra Folk Music Mixed Tapes in Andy's Isuzu. Yay!
Airlie
Beach has been Andy's home for some 8 years, and for about 5 of them
she worked as a diving instructor on the boats cruising around the
Whitsunday Islands. These Islands are what makes Airlie Beach a famous
tourist destination - you all would have heard of the Whitsunday Islands
and the Great Barrier Reef, right?
Famous Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island. I didn't use a filter; those colours are real! Can you believe it?
Snorkeling and seeing the world famous coral was on my list of things that I have to do before I leave Australia.
And
here is another lucky Pony story. Because Andy worked on the boats for
so long she knows the people in the scene, and it only took a little
text message to her friend Gary to get a day trip on a boat for both of
us - for $25 each instead of paying the normal price of $180. Thank you
Gary and Andy!!
This
day might well have been one of the best days of my 2016 and mind you,
my 2016 so far has been absolutely incredibly bombastic, no bragging or
exaggerating.
I
love snorkeling! I love looking at the reef! I could look at it for
hours on end, I won't get tired of it. I really didn't want to get out
of the water.
All
the characters of "Finding Nemo" were there, as well as many many many
others, my favorites being the parrot fish that glitter and shine in all
rainbow colours.
(Those photos were taken at an artificial reef in a man-made lagoon. Because I don't have a waterproof camera ;) )
But Gary had an underwater camera, of course.
Best faces!
A Manta ray
Guitar shark
Posing with the mermaids at Daydream Island.
Airlie
Beach is a lively little beach town, not very big but busy with
backpackers as well as locals, all having fun in pubs, cafes, and bars
along the main street. Every night is a Saturday night. Every night
there's live music in several places - there are so many musicians in
the area!
Walking
home from the sailing club after midnight along the marina, barefoot on
the dimly lit boardwalk, with the waves lapping and the stars shining -
almost the best part of the evening.
What a wonderful piece of paradise to call home.
But after a wonderful week with Andy, Darren, Craig, the music and the Islands, it was time to go, further north.
Cairns.
Never
did a city manage to impress me so much that I wanted to hang around
for long. But I still like to give every big place I go to a chance. I
stay for a couple of days and explore, and then move on again to greener
and less crowded places.
So I found a lovely place to couch surf in Cairns - with Brent, a local
in his late fifties who is a hero on the guitar although he has got a
broken left arm at the moment. His house seems to be always full of
backpackers, most of them young Germans, and that is something you can
basically say about the whole town of Cairns. It's teeming with
Germans!
Germans in the public pool,
Germans in the street,
Germans in the hostels,
German is everyone you meet.
Germans on the esplanade,
Germans encircling you,
Germans in the shops and cafes,
Remind yourself, you are German, too!
Must
be because they love the tropical climate, like I do. It's great if you
can just always walk off barefoot in shorts and singlet; even if you
come home in the middle of the night, you won't be cold.
I caught up with Fiona and Sonnie who I knew from last Confest, yay!
Fiona
is wwoofing at an urban permaculture/social experiment place called the
t-house, a place where everything is painted and dead hippie vans are
sitting in the big overgrown veggie garden.
I
also spent a wonderful evening of vegan ice cream and story sharing
with Azrae, who I was fencing with at the Woodford before last. Man, it
was so good to see her again!
There's some funky people in Cairns!
Now I am in Newell Beach just a bit south of the Daintree forest, where I found a wonderful place to do some wwoofing and veging out in the sun.
And I am fighting to get this post together - damn you smartphone, of course it does not just work as easily as promised. I thanks to Rachel I can use a computer to publish it at last, but everything is in French, so I will just leave it be now: becquse zriting zith q french keypqd is neqrly ipossible zhen iù, not used to it1 qctuqlly this is fun ,qybe I should do so,e ,ore of this just becquse itùs q,using ,e hqhq no just kidding i%, gonnq stop noz qnd go to be qnd leqve so,e poor freqk to figure this out Good night1
Sorry for the holes in the story and the missing photos! I hope you enjoy it anyway.
When Confest was over and packdown almost done, it was time to leave. While most of my friends headed back to Melbourne, I drove south-west to see my friends in the Geriwerd region - the Grampians, a mountain range in western Victoria.
Last year in June I passed through Geriwerd on my road trip with Laurie, my car, and Pumpkin my travel buddy, and we made friends with Jidah and spend a wonderful time with him in Halls Gap. I randomly met him again at Confest, and so for a weekend I stayed with him and Francesca (who was at the Tasmanian Rainbow Gathering). Together we went to see Pumpkin who is now living near Geriwerd. Sunday afternoon, on the way home, I stopped at a scenic lookout called One Tree Hill, and marvelled at a wonderful sunset over the Geriwerd mountains.
Farewell to the west now, and welcome to the east
Farewell to the one who raked the sand beneath my feet
Thank you for the space we shared, and the heart and soul, my friend
I will see you through the colours between the mountains as the sun decends
Oh we twisted and we reflected upon a grin
Common ground we walked upon, with common feelings and common things
Yes it is a cruel world, but there is solace amongst the sin
Peace to you for now, we will share again
Farewell to the west now, my mind is open to the east
To all the new faces, new minds and things to see
I am alone here, and my heart at times it weeps
You will see me through the colours as the sun sinks in the sea
Oh we twisted and we reflected upon a grin
common ground we walked upon with common feelings and common things
Yes it is a cruel world but there is solace amongst the sin
I drove the car back to Melbourne and dropped it back to where it belongs - more than happy to be rid of it! Paying for fuel, navigating through city traffic, having that responsibility... phew. Haha! Travelling with Laurie my car was a wonderful experience and I don't regret anything, but now the thing I need to do is hitch hiking!
I landed back in Eltham at Daniel's and Lauren's place, with Tessi, Sarah, Kaeru and Quinoa being there as well, only wanting to stay for a day or so and then go on the journey north, ultimate destination: The Daintree National Park in far north Queensland. With my visa in Australia running out in mid-June I set myself the goal of seeing this part of the continent before getting on the plane. Can't leave Australia after 2.5 years without having seen Northern Queensland!
Not to mention the cold weather. Summer in Tasmania and Victoria is not too bad, but now it's April and definitely time to move to warmer realms.
I was delighted when Tessi, my Rainbow sister and South Coast Track hiking buddy, asked me if I'd mind her joining me on the trip north. She's planning to live in the town of Bellingen on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. So it's Tessi and me again!
I was feeling a bit tired from the festival hopping and emotional because of all the Goodbye saying. A good part of me really doesn't want to leave Australia - I've done a lot of growing in the time here, it feels like my whole life is here; it feels like home. It's freaking me out that I will leave and not come back for maybe 3 or 4 years AT LEAST. My friends are here, I know my way around, possibilities seem endless, adventures on every corner, and nature's beauty makes me fall in love anew every day. I got a bit too comfortable here; I don't want to go.
The house in Eltham with its fireplace, the cosy cushions and blankets and friendly faces was like a haven I could land in and just allow myself to dangle and feel what needed to be felt. I could talk and cry, sleep and read my book, watch movies, cuddle and be cuddled, and eat as many ice blocks as I wanted.
Lauren is just an angel come to Earth. I wish I could have put her in my backpack and just take her with me wherever I go to laugh at her jokes and swim in her alpaca jumper fluffy presence; Daniel is so easy to be around, he's funny and inspiring and got musical talent coming out of his ears, and with Tessi I can talk about anything and she will have wise words for me. Together we shared dinners and watched movies in a snug blanket ball in front of the crackling fire (calcifer!). So grateful, for it was just that bit of time and comfort I needed.
So... of course we left Melbourne later than intended. Eventually Sally dropped us off on the Hume Highway, with a cardboard sign declaring our wish to go to "CANBERRA".
We were picked up by travelling Aussie Rowan, who had just returned from the Philippines and was keen to hear some other travellers' stories. He dropped us near Seymour and there we had to wait for about one hour until a young girl in her white station wagon offered us a ride. Her name was Sarah and she was on the way home to her parents' place near Wangaratta. She was so open-minded and cheerful, and scanning though the CDs in her car we clicked over our very similar taste of music. While excitedly discussing musicians and festivals she spontaneously invited us to stay the night at her parents' place. As it was clear that it was too late in the day to make it all the way to Canberra, Tessi and me didn't take long to make up our minds and accept her offer.
We had such a terrific time at their place! Surrounded by a parklike, carefully tended garden with a big veggie patch, with a view over wide green paddocks and forest hills - they live in a paradise.
Sarah is planning her first big trip to Europe and Tessi and me were happy to tell her some travelling tips and tricks. I invited her to my birthday in June!
They curiously listened to our stories of Rainbow Gatherings, hitch hiking, festivals and places we've been to, and after dinner we all had a dance off to the East Pointers in the living room. Sarah played us some music on her guitar, we sang together - it was the perfect exchange of the backpacker welfare package (bed, shower, food) for a breath of fresh air (music, inspiration, good company).
The next day it didn't take very long until Chandra picked us up - a Sri Lankan man living in Australia and organising tours for Sri Lankan tourists. By chance, he was driving his empty tour bus up to Sydney to pick up a load of them, and decided to give us a lovely ride all the way to the turnoff to Canberra. As I have been to Sri Lanka and Tessi has been to India we had a lot to talk about. Chandra explained that he never really acquainted the hitch hiking, backpacking, music playing, "free spirit" sort of traveller before: we had heaps of stories to share. Listening to bollywood music we watched the vast brown fields and stoney paddocks of the Australian countryside rush past and by the time we reached the petrol station in Yass we were badly craving Dhal curries, Naans and Kottu Rotti.
We got a lift with Matthew, returning to his home in Canberra, and then - oh joy! Ananda and his van came to collect us! How much we love Ananda!!
He's working in Canberra at the moment, building a nest in a house with a fireplace for the winter months. He took us along to two heart yoga singalong sessions, and even though I wasn't able to become excited about getting into a spiritual state of trance while chanting to Hindu gods, I did enjoy practicing my harmonising skills and listening to peaceful guitar sounds. And I learned a lot about being diplomatic with my body language - don't appear bored if you are not! ;)
Canberra - even though the city itself didn't impress us too much, it was blissful to spend time with our dear friend Ananda and also catch up with Rainbow brother Stefan, here hiding between the O and the V in the Art Gallery.
Sharing cups of tea and roast veggies on Ananda's kitchen floor, laughing at our attempts of Australian slang... there's a lot to learn in Bogan-ville. Straya mate!
Off to Bateman's Bay! Who lives there? Juliet!
I got out of the car and stepped on the lush lawn on Juliet's bush property near Shallow Crossing. Instantly I could feel the magic of the place. Some thirty years ago, Juliet and her ex-partner built this wooden house in the remote bush between old spotted gum trees, right on the banks of the river Clyde, and since then filled it with the creative energy of two amazing artists. Solar-powered, with rainwater tanks and a big veggie patch, it's completely off the grid. The outdoor toilet has a pointy rood and its own fireplace, and the shower surrounded by tall white gum tree trunks and green undergrowth - better than any shower curtain.
Kookaburras in the trees...
I'd seen Juliet's paintings and read bits of her book, so I knew she was an incredibly creative, gifted person, but seeing her ceramic sculptures... wicked!
I love doing pottery and know how hard it is do to little detailed bits and get the glazings right; believe me if I tell you, this is world class! I've never seen anything nearly as good.
From Juliet's place we hitched to Bowral where I had such a lovely couch surfing experience with Chris last year in March. Back then he invited me to come for another visit whenever I'm in the area, and a couple of weeks ago I actually dreamed of visiting him, and so we did! He opened his beautiful house up to be a professional, busy B&B now, and when Tessi and me stayed, there were another 4 travellers from Canada, UK and Ireland.
After Bowral we aimed for a house on the northern outskirts of Sydney - the place that Bianca, our faceprinting Rainbow sister, is housesitting at the moment. We made it with only two lifts and one train ride though Sydney. SOOO GOOD to see Bianca again! There's no words for this. Major love rush!
The beautiful big house comes with a pool, a dog and a fluffy cat.
Decadent din-dins.
At the place Bianca is housesitting, there is a half-tamed Eastern Bearded Dragon named Alfreda, and she was happy to eat some chicken out of my hand.
So now I can say that I hand-fed a real dragon!
Tessi and me totally love it here and already stayed longer than we intended to, but tomorrow it's time to hitch further north. Next stop: Newcastle!
