On Saturday morning, I got together with Dave’s Sister-in-law, Helen, to make a trip to the West End Markets as I often do. When we arrived at the park, the unmistakable smell of eggs and bacon came wafting over from an event going on nearby. I wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but Helen, who is eternally involved in her community, decided we should investigate. As it turns out, the gathering was a ceremony for National Sorry Day. Sorry day is an annual event that has been held in Australia on 26 May, since 1998, to remember and commemorate the mistreatment of the continent's indigenous population. Those outside of Australia may not be aware that up until the 1970’s, children of Aboriginal peoples were forcibly removed from their families by the  Australian government “for their protection.” The result of this act is what is known as the “Stolen Generation.”

We sat down to eat our overflowing plates of free food and listen to the music. Two women were playing guitar and singing songs about living in the missions as children. Before starting her next song, one of the women shared a story about the only time in her life that she ever met a relative. She said she was visited, only once, by her Grandparents as a child. She told how they had brought a photograph of her mother, the only photo she has ever seen of her mother. She described the photo from memory, her mother lifting her high overhead in a billabong when she was a baby. She said she was trying to track down this photo and asked the people gathered there if they would check their photo boxes at home for it. I sat there, speechless, choking back tears, and I know Helen, who found out in the past few years that she was adopted and has Aboriginal heritage, was equally moved by the woman’s story.  

I cannot advocate enough for putting yourself outside of your conform zone and allowing for synchronicity to manifest. Synchronicity is a term from psychology and philosophy that refers to a “meaningful coincidence” that happens when you allow yourself to be open to the world around you. You really never know what you will find! Since coming to Australia, I have found and continue to find myself in the right place at the right time. I continue to find new experiences that touch me and meet people who have something to teach me. As an “outsider,” I would not have wandered into that gathering that day, but I am so thankful that we did.

After a lot of stress and worry, my 457 Visa, allowing me to continue to work at the University of Queensland and live in Australia, has been approved! I am relieved beyond words. Had it not been granted, I would have had to vacate my current position in a months time and leave the country by June. This visa gives me the ability to come and go in Australia for the next four years, as long as I am employed in my current position.

Saturday, January 26th was Australia Day, commemorating the arrival of the first fleet at Sydney Cove in 1788. Not surprisingly, the aboriginal people often refer to this holiday as "Invasion Day." Most Aussie holidays involve the beach or bbq but this year was a bit different due to a tropical storm that created heavy flooding in parts of Queensland. We spent Australia Day weekend on Moreton Island with our friends Hef, Gemma, and Brad. What better way to experience a tropical storm than on a sand island? There are a few new photos in the photo gallery.

I’ve had a whirlwind couple of weeks and thought I would share an update of my adventures. Our Fraser Island camping trip (Dec 7-9) was fantastic. My last blog is about this trip. I really had a blast off-roading and we will definitely be doing more of it. I hit the 6 months in Australia mark on January 19^th…6 more months (at least) to go! I was very fortunate to have paid vacation from the 22^nd through Jan 2^nd.

On Saturday, Dec. 22^nd we joined a heap of Dave’s high school friends for a picnic in the park down the road from us. They set up a slip’n’slide and even had a DJ spinning decks. This is a yearly tradition for the group and there were around 30-40 people in total. I probably only “keep in touch” with a few souls from my school days, so I am amazed by both the size and closeness of this group of friends who all went to either primary or secondary school together, they are quite unique in this respect.

We did a fair amount of cooking and baking for Christmas, which I spent with Dave and his family (His parents, two older bothers and their wives, and his six nephews and one niece) at their home in Brisbane. I introduced the family to a PA Dutch classic, Red Beet Eggs, as well as Strawberry Shortcake and Celestial Seasonings Teas. It was in the 90’s on Christmas day, but thankfully Graham and Penny (Dave’s Parents) have a pool!

After a few lazy days, we mustered our energy to make the drive down to Bryon Bay in Northern New South Wales, one of the first places I visited in Australia. We spent the morning at the beach, then drove up into the rainforest to visit Dave’s brother Chris’ farm property. Once it started to pour, we drove into Lennox Head (a little beach town) for some dinner before heading home.
 

Festival Poster
 

On the 31^st we packed the truck once again to do an overnight camping trip to the Woodford Folk Festival an hour or so north of Brisbane. Woodfordia, as the festival grounds are affectionately known, is THE hippy festival of Australia and it almost made me feel like I was back in Boulder, haha! We met up with Dave’s friend Dan and his motley crew and enjoyed the evening’s frivolities. We barely made it past midnight before the arduous day caught up with us and we retired to the tent.

3 Minutes of Reflection (I'm in this pic!)

Lantern Parade

Streets of Woodfordia

Woodford Map

I am back to work now, things will be picking up soon as we near the start of the first semester of 2013. On my current Work & Holiday Visa I am only allowed to work for an organization for a max of six months, which would be until the end of April. However, the School of Economics has offered me a Business Long Stay Visa which would allow me to extend my current contract through June (and to work in Oz for up to four years). The woman who I am temping for will be required to return to or vacate the position in June, so most likely I will be the frontrunner candidate for the ongoing position going forward from June.

Before it was “discovered” by Captain James Cook in 1770, Fraser Island was known by the Aboriginal peoples as “K'gari” which means Paradise. In 1992, the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (UNESCO) named Fraser Island as a World Heritage Site for its natural beauty and unique ecosystems. The world’s largest sand island, from top to bottom Fraser Island is 123km or 76 miles long and covers an area of 710 square miles. To drive the entire island would be like driving from Lancaster to Baltimore entirely on sand. As there are no paved roads on the island (except around the resorts) driving is done on the beaches and inland tracks.

Planning for our Fraser Island trip began weeks in advance, as the island is notorious for bogging even the most experienced off-road driver. The “Honey Badger,” as Dave’s Holden Rodeo is affectionately known, got a new clutch, suspension, and tires (or tyres as the Aussies call them) in preparation for the adventure. On Thursday evening, we met our guides, Matty Johnston, his wife Jodie, and Jodie’s brother Craig, in Gympie. We hit the road before 6:00am Friday morning, hoping to catch an early barge to keep ahead of the high tide on our way up the eastern coast.

With fuel topped up and tire pressure lowered, we left the hard pack on Inskip Point to cover the 200 or so yards to the waiting barge. Not even 50 yards in, the Honey Badger lost its footing and just as quick as we started, we were bogged. “Great, this is going to be a long weekend!” I thought to myself, but just as we were about to call for support, Dave realized it wasn’t in 4WD. As soon as it was switched over, the Honey Badger was back in action! We paid our $100 round-trip barge fee and made the short trip across the inlet to the Southern tip of Fraser Island.

With Dave and myself in the Rodeo, Matty and Jodie in the Toyota 4-Runner, and Craig in the Nissan Patrol, we made our way North on the beach, bumping and bouncing over dunes and through the surf. The beauty and tranquillity of the drive was frequently interrupted by the sheer terror of hitting an unseen ditch or dune at 60km. The resulting force would hurl our belongings wildly, but only a few times did we actually lose gear from the bed. Following the other vehicles provided us with both an early warning system for unforseen dangers and entertainment as we watched our mates go flying over dunes or smashing through a wave. The island is a true playground for boaters, dirt bikers, 4WDers, and camping enthusiasts and with so much space, you feel as though it is your personal playground.

Around 9:00am on Friday morning we made our first stop at Eli Creek. Eli Creek is a freshwater creek that flows into the ocean. A popular spot for tourists, you can float, crawl, or walk through the crystal clear water to the beach. After a quick dip in the cool creek, we headed on past the Maheno Shipwreck and Cathedral Beach, stopping again at Orchid Beach to refuel and grab some ice. We kept up our pace through mid-day and located a beach camping area about 10km from the most northern point of the island. With camp set up, we ate a late lunch, had an afternoon nap, and fished until dark. It felt like we had the entire island to ourselves because we didn’t see any other people the entire rest of the day. The sky was so clear that night, when the stars came out it was unreal.

We were up early again the Saturday morning, wanting to traverse the Sandy Cape and see the lighthouse before high tide made it inaccessible to vehicles. As we rounded the tip, the waves died down and the beach became very flat, a welcome respite from the dunes and ditches of the previous day’s drive. We reached the entrance to the lighthouse in no time and made the calf-burning hike up the hill to the Sandy Cape Lighthouse, which has stood since 1870. With the tide rising, we made our way back the way we came and headed inland to Ocean Lake.

Surprisingly, Fraser boasts 40 fresh water lakes, “arguably the most pure clear lakes in the world due to the filtering effect of the sand.” Many of the lakes are classified as “perched lakes,” meaning they sit above the water table. Fraser Island is home to over half of the world’s known perched lakes. Ocean Lake was deserted when we arrived, so we took the opportunity to go for a dip. We each took a turn on the rope swing, some more gracefully than others. After a bite to eat, we did some more inland driving to get across to the western side of the island.

We arrived at Waddy Point in the afternoon and made camp there. Showers and pit toilets were a welcome sight. Matty brought out his giant kite that evening because the wind was perfect and we watched it pull him across the sand, twisting and diving through the air. Sunday morning we packed up and headed off in search of the Champagne Pools. Arriving around 8:00am, we were the only people there. The tidal pools fill with frothy, bubbly waves but are protected from the open ocean (one of the few spots on Fraser where you don’t have to worry about sharks). We had brought a bottle of Champagne for this very purpose and passed the bubbly as we soaked in the pools.

More inland tracks awaited us as we made our way to one of the best known lakes on the island, Lake Mckenzie. The inland tracks are a mix of corrugated packed sand, deep loose sand, boardwalk, and rubber matting. At some points the bumps were so bad it was like being on a ride at an amusement park, I couldn’t help but giggle. Driving through the rainforest was beautiful as well. Some of the trees there are thousands of years old and would give a sequoia or redwood a run for its money in terms of height and width. Logging on Fraser was a large industry until fairly recently. After it was found to be resistant to marine borers, the Satinay became popular for use in marine conditions around the world, including construction of the Suez Canal and the London Docks after World War II. Scientists are still puzzled at how such a forest can grow in sand.

Lake Mckenzie is lined with white sand beaches with gently sloping shores and lapping waves. We soaked up the sun and wallowed in the water but the stop there was entirely too brief. As it was our last day, we needed to be back to the southern tip of the island to catch the barge before the tide came in. We made a quick lunch, shooing away the salivating Goannas (monitor lizards), and departed.

We circled our way around the lake and popped back out on the eastern beach, racing back down the coast. Back on the barge, we bid adieu to Paradise and with a new sense of driving confidence, expertly navigated back across the beach where our journey had begun. In all, Fraser was Paradise. We covered a total of 300km on the island during the trip and it was a perfect place to hone off-roading skills. The weather was fantastic, the scenery was gorgeous, camping went off without a hitch and the off-roading was a blast. Good food, good people, good times. We will definitely be back again.

I've completed my first week of work with the University of Queensland. I am the Administrative Officer (Coursework, Students & Programs) for the School of Economics, which means I will primarily be compiling Electronic Course Profiles (syllabi) and preparing examination papers for approximately 60 courses a semester. It is quite a lot of responsability, but I think I can handle it! It will run into April, with the possibility of extension after that. Some perks of the position...I got over a 25% raise from my previous academic position, my work week is 36.25 hours/week, any time over 36 hours is "flex time" that I can use however I choose, the building I work in has a rooftop cafe with coffee and snacks, across the street is another cafe that serves food and also has wine and beer (Fat Yak & Little Creatures!), all staff are required to contribute min. 9% to superannuation and the university matches 9%, and I should be able to get a gym membership at the staff rate! Needless to say, I'm pretty pleased with the job.

I'm still trying to figure out why they call Brisbane "BrisVegas," besides gambling (which is omnipresent in Oz) there's little in the way of similarities. However, once you hear it called that, the name sticks in your head. Brisbane is where I first arrived in Australia almost four months ago. I spent about a week here in my first trip and another few days following Thailand. Brisbane has a reputation in Oz for being a “sleepy country city,” and I imagine compared to Sydney or Melbourne, it would be. However I certainly see Brisbane as a city, a small city, but a city nonetheless.

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The Brisbane River snakes its way through of Brisbane, defining the city and neighborhoods. I will be living in a neighborhood just south of the city known as West End. West End is a vibrant community full of unique people, a bit like Boulder but considerably less crunchy. From my building, walk across the street and hang a right down Boundary Street and within a mile or so there are boutiques, restaurants, grocery stores, and everything else you need. 

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This is my building and my street looking west. Below are some of the other areas near where I live, across the River is St. Lucia, where I hope to be working at the University of Queensland. If I do work at the St. Lucia campus, my daily commute would be a walk to the river, a CityCat ferry ride across the river, and a stroll onto campus (not too shabby!). Heading into the city is South Brisbane or South Bank with lots of shops and restuarants as well as museums and the giant ferris wheel.   

In 2011, Queensland suffered a major flood, during which 75% of the state was considered a disaster area. The Brisbane River flooded its banks, putting large sections of Brisbane under feet of water. Below is a photo of the University of Queensland’s St. Lucia campus, directly across the river from where I live.

West End has a real community feeling, with events like block parties and Saturday morning Farmer’s Markets. West End Magazine writes articles about the community happenings and features local people and businesses. One of my favorite spots in West End so far is Archive Beer Boutique because of their craft beers on tap and a unreal list of imported and domestic brews.

Right now, Brisbane is covered in the purple blooms of the Jacaranda Tree. The Jacaranda is known to the natives for blooming during school finals. It is a gorgeous tree, I just can’t get over the vibrant color!

What I am enjoying most about Brisbane right now is the beautiful weather, sunsets from my balcony, and discovering new places of interest. I've had the good fortune to experience Brisbane's Riverfire, a large fireworks display that stretches across the city and I've also attended a Brisbane Broncos National Rugby League game. There a plenty of places to go and things to do and I'm looking forward to getting to know Brisbane better. 

Thailand. An exotic paradise filled with history and culture. A place I’ve dreamed about visiting for years. So, when a coworker's girlfriend mentioned a deal she was looking at on flights and accommodation and I found out Dave, my host from Brisbane, would be in country with his family around the same time, I jumped at the chance. My trip began on a Friday, when I departed Cairns for Sydney and Sydney for Bangkok. Thankfully, on the nine-hour flight to Bangkok there was nobody in my row and was able to stretch out for the long haul. I was so excited when I landed in Bangkok and as I walked through the airport marveling at the intricate Thai murals that adorned the walls. I fumbled my way through customs and found my driver waiting for me. As we exited the airport he popped on some music and I had a chuckle as “Love to Love You” was the first tune.

I arrived at the Royal Orchid Sheraton just before midnight, giving me approximately five hours before I needed to check out and make the 45-minute drive back to the airport in the morning to catch my flight to Phuket. The next morning after navigating back through the airport, I noticed something unexpectedly familiar…Auntie Anne’s Pretzels. How funny, for one Mennonite woman from Pennsylvania to make soft pretzels so good that they are popular on the other side of the globe! Of course I had to get my fix. Belly full of pretzel breakfast sandwich, I boarded my flight to Phuket.

Upon arrival I was met by another driver who took me to a marina when I boarded a speedboat for an hour ride to Paradise Koh Yao, an Island in the bay between Phuket and Krabi. As we passed beautiful islands piercing the blue waters I spotted flying fish as they skipped across the bay. We arrived in Paradise just as a storm was brewing on the horizon. I had another boat to catch that afternoon, so after a quick check in, I made my way to my room to drop my things and change. I returned to the dock to hop in a long-tail boat bound for Railey Beach Club, where Dave's family was staying. It started to drizzle as we made our way around the tip of the island and headed into the storm. As I watched the water trickle in the sides of the wooden boat, I was acutely aware of the growing waves. The ride seemed to take forever as I passed island after island.

Finally, we arrived at Railey and I plodded down the beach looking for a familiar face. I located Dave and he took me back to the group of villas his family had been staying in. In all, it was Dave’s Mom and Dad, his brother Chris and sister-in-law Kelly, and their four boys. That night we had a great dinner, my first real Thai food. Afterwards, as Chris, Kelly, Dave and I hung out and chatted, I just could not get over the fact that I was sitting in Thailand. I was pleased as punch.

Sunday morning we said farewell to Dave’s fam who were leaving to go north of Krabi to the village where Kelly’s oldest boy, Abraham’s father lives. Dave and I spent the morning exploring Railey, including the caves, “Princess Diana” beach (she once rented out the entire beach), and the lingham alters. Lastly, on a tip from Kelly, we decided to climb a steep slope to a lookout at the top of a hill. Bruised, bloodied, and muddied, I reached the top soaked to the bone in sweat. It was well worth the effort though, because from the top you could see the entire resort below. The trip back down the cliff took twice as long and I’m still finding mud from it.

That afternoon we took another (not so direct) long-tail boat ride followed by an incredibly bumpy ride in the back of a truck through the rubber forests and back to my resort on Koh Yao. Paradise, as it was known, included a bar, restaurant, beach, pool, spa, yoga studio, activity hut (biking, rock climbing, kayaking, etc.), and approximately 30 rooms. As a part of my package at Paradise, we went on a snorkel trip to nearby islands, did morning yoga, went kayaking, and had traditional Thai massages. The food was fantastic by my standards and I got to try lots of new things.

Thursday morning we packed up and made the voyage back to Phuket to catch our flights to Chiang Mai. After collecting our belongings we were whisked through the city and into the lush hills. Perched on the hills surrounding a cascading waterfall in the rainforest, Sukantara Resort was just unreal. The buildings were all traditional Thai architecture with intricate carvings and the property was adorned with gardens and Thai antiques. Oh, and did I mention Angelina Jolie stayed there? Not too shabby!  

The next morning we started early, as we had a full day of activities planned for us. Our first stop was the Maetang Elephant Park where rescued elephants from all over Thailand are brought. We hadn’t even been there for five minutes before we were on the back of an elephant and on our way into the jungle, baby elephant in tow. We meandered past exuberant Chinese tourists who waved at us enthusiastically from the back of their pachyderms, stopping every so often to be hollered at by Thai women selling sugar cane treats for the elephants. Our Mahoot (elephant handler) took tons of pictures for us, all the while yelling at the elephants to turn this was and that, as if they were stubborn super models.   

After the jungle trek, we were treated to the Elephant Show, which included examples of how the elephants work in logging, their acrobatic, dancing, and musical skills, athletic prowess (including kicking soccer goals and dunking basketballs) and most amazingly, their artistic skills. We watched as three easels were set up and three elephants were brought out. The handlers would put paint on the brushes and hand them to the animals. They the each painted their own unique pieces. The announcer pointed out that one of the elephants was trying something new that day, that she usually painted something different, and that another elephant was only 3 ½ years old, the youngest elephant they ever had learn to paint. After painting trees, leaves, elephants, birds, and flowers, they signed their names! I was in awe. Dave ended up buying two paintings that day, all of the proceeds of which go to the elephant emergency hospital on site.

After leaving the elephants behind, we headed to the Karen Longneck Hill Tribes. The Karen women are unique in that they bind their necks with brass rings, starting as young girls and adding a ring for every year. At some point their bodies begin to conform to the rings, pushing their collarbones down and making it impossible for their heads to be supported without the rings. We were surprised just how commercialized and touristy the setup was. Each woman had her own stall full of trinkets and textiles and would tell you in a rather pushy manner to buy something at her stall. Even the little girls were full-on salesmen. Even still, it was a unique experience that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss.

After the Karen Tribe we went to the Tiger Park. To our amazement, they actually let you inside the pens with the tigers, from the smallest all the way to the largest cats. Our plan was to do both the small tigers and the biggest tigers, but they messed up our tickets so we ended up only doing the small tigers. “Small” is a relative term, these cats were at least the size of Labrador Retrievers. Our instructions were to touch them firmly, as a light touch might feel like an insect and invite a swat. The handlers carried bamboo sticks and the pens were lined with electric wire. We each took turns sitting with and petting these beautiful creatures before they were lured onto logs for more photo ops. There were a few times when the cubs would turn quickly and take a swat at you. Man did that get the blood racing! I’m not sure I would have had the nerve to cozy up to the big boys, it was unnerving just watching other people do it. We left the park on an adrenaline high and ended our day at an orchid farm where I happily took way too many pictures of flowers.

The next day we lounged around the resort until the afternoon, then headed back into Chiang Mai to visit some temples. The first temple we visited was the Temple of Doi Suthep on top of the highest mountain in Chiang Mai. As the story goes, the King put a relic on the back of a white elephant and the elephant wandered around with the relic until he reached the top of the mountain, trumpeted three times, turned around three times, and then died. The temple was built on the spot where the elephant stopped and from there you can see all of Chiang Mai below. After we finished there we went into the market below to a jade factory. Jade is very popular in Thailand and the saleswoman explained to us what each of the different colors of jade represents. We got to see some of the craftsmen carving intricate designs and I was impressed by the sheer size of some of the pieces. I made it out without buying, but Dave succumbed to the urge. We visited at least three more temples from different eras in the old city, each uniquely impressive.

When we were finished with the temples our driver dropped us off at the walking street where local merchants came to peddle their wares. The driver made it clear that this was better than the famous night markets in Chiang Mai because it wasn’t full of tourists. Just as we were about to jump out of the taxi the heavens opened up, so we borrowed umbrellas and prepared for an adventure. The downpour lasted a good twenty minutes or more and all of the stalls had covered up their goods with plastic and hunkered down until it passed. Once the rain passed the marked came back to life and we made our way down block after block checking out the array of items and catching whiffs of street food. When we finally found a store with wooden carvings and lacquered wood, specialties of northern Thailand, it took us the better part of an hour to peruse the trinkets, make our selections, and get laughed at as we attempting to haggle over prices. I made off with a serving tray and four coasters with gold inlayed traditional Thai designs. Food was the next priority, so we sampled chicken and pork satays, fish cakes, waffles with chocolate chips on a stick, sausage balls, and some pad thai from the street vendors. Once done munching, we met up with our driver and headed back to the resort as we had an early flight to Bangkok the next morning.

By the time we reached Bangkok on Sunday we were beat. Despite our best intentions to explore the city and hit the floating markets, we never made it out of a block radius from our hotel. Dave left that evening after dinner and the next afternoon I hired a driver to take me to Ayutthaya, the old capitol of Thailand, to see the ruins there. Bangkok, the driver explained, has only been the capitol for 400 years. Only 400…The ancient ruins in Ayutthaya were much more spread out than I was expecting. There were a variety of styles of architecture and materials used in their construction as well. I got to see the famous Buddha head in the tree, which had been shown in travel guides about the area and I had hoped to see. The heat was really getting to me that day. I was sweating like crazy and, after rehydrating, passed out on the hour-long ride back to the city. Tuesday morning I made my way back to the airport (by this time I had haggled the trip down from 800 Baht to 500 Baht, I was so proud) for the 7 ½ hour flight back to Sydney. 

Whew! What a whirlwind!

Here I am, sitting in my flat in Cairns on my night off from my new job, brooding over all that has transpired in the less than two weeks since arriving. Well, here is how it all happened…

I arrived in Cairns around 7:30 pm on Friday, June 29^th. Driving through the city, I almost couldn’t believe I had made it to Cairns, finally! I checked into my hotel, the Palm Regis Quay, just a few blocks from the waterfront and, after a long shower, mustered my strength to go out on the town. I walked a few blocks from my hotel on a path I had poured over on Google maps weeks before. On a mission to meet people and make friends (and hopefully not pay for all my drinks), my ears perked up when I heard the music, hustle and bustle of PJ’s Irish Pub. By this time of night the pub was full of people and after making a lap around the bar to check things out, I squeezed myself in to grab a beer. Luckily, a local bloke named Mick offered to buy me a pint and I happily obliged. Mick chatted me up for a while and convinced me to stay for another round, but was unsuccessful in getting me to dance and soon after I politely excused myself to continue exploring the town.

From there, I had a drink at a place called Society, where all the girls were dressed in these skin tight, super short dresses (not exclusive to Society, but they all seemed to be drawn there like a moth to a flame). Not a soul talked to me and I got a drink spilled down the front of me, so I moved on to seek out a place I had looked up before coming, Salt House. I navigated my way down to the pier and found Salt packed with people. Once again, I bellied up to the bar but couldn’t get a bartender’s attention. The guy next to me had ordered a whole slew of drinks, so I piped up and told him that if he could get me a drink I’d love him forever! Jason (who is now my flatmate/landlord) willingly added a fourth espresso martini to his order and we chatted for the twenty minutes or so it took the bartender to make them. Jason introduced me to his party, including his friend Blake. As most people have been, they seemed very impressed that I was traveling alone and had just made the drive from Brisbane. I chatted with Blake for the remainder of the evening/morning before making plans to meet up again the next day.

Saturday morning was beautiful when I woke up, so I grabbed a coffee on my way out of Cairns in search of a beach. I wandered into Trinity beach before 9:00 am and was so tickled just to be there, listening to the ocean and watching beachgoers, boats, swimmers, and dogs. I finished my coffee on the beach, feeling very lucky. Unfortunately, I had to return my rental car that day by noon, so I reluctantly gathered my things and headed back to Cairns.

Saturday night was a bit of a doozy. Before meeting up with Blake at Lilo Wetbar, I took it upon myself to check out Gilligan’s (a very well known Backpacker Hostel and Bar/Club), which I had heard mixed reviews of. I had a few drinks (paid for all of them) with a Stag party (Aussie version of a bachelor party) who had lost their stag earlier that day but were keeping the spirit of the evening alive with sombreros, singing, and what I can only describe as “interpretive dance.” Pretty sure I ended up back at Society after Lilo, but it’s hard to remember now. The next morning, groggy and disheveled, I walked down to a car show on the mall where Blake and his company were displaying their handiwork. Jason was there and after chatting with him and Blake, he mentioned that he had a room at his place where I could stay. I went with Blake that evening to Jason’s to check it out, where I met Jason’s girlfriend Natalie and their friend, Terry. It was obvious that they were good people and the room had everything I needed to be comfortable, so the next morning after checking out of my hotel, I moved in.

On Tuesday, after cleaning and unpacking all my belongings, I decided to get some dinner at Salt, since it had seemed like a good place to meet people. Indeed, I was correct and I ended up chatting with a trio of people who were sitting next to me, Nick, Fabian, and Jody. It was an interesting small world scenario as they explained how they all knew each other. The gents were both from Vanuatu (look it up if you don’t know) and had known each other from home. Fabian, a dead ringer for Orlando Bloom, is a tattoo artist who was in Cairns as a guest artist of a local shop and earlier that evening had tattooed Jody, who is flatmates with Nick. It was all happenstance that they knew each other. They treated me to another glass of wine before convincing me to join them at the Woolshed for another round (or two?).

I nursed a wine hangover from the previous evening’s festivities on Wednesday morning and got myself prepared for the State of Origin game, which Jason, Natalie, and I had been invited to watch at Blake’s place that evening. I was so surprised when we arrived and they had gotten red, white, and blue sprinkled cupcakes with little American flags on them for Independence Day! It was so sweet and thoughtful. About ten of us ate pizza, drank beer and watched the game, which was a very close scoring match, even to the last seconds.

I gotta say…I think I’m in love with Rugby. They have fights like hockey, wear shorts and tees like soccer, and hit like football. It is hard to fathoms that the same guys play the entire game. These men are SERIOUSLY TOUGH, which I imagine comes from years of being knocked around. There seems to be a debate on requiring headgear to reduce concussions, the younger players are required to wear it but it looks so ridiculous, like water polo players. While it does happen, I am constantly surprised by the lack of injury. Mostly commonly I see plenty of bloody noses, unconscious players, dislocated shoulders, and twisted knees. Regardless, it is a heck of a lot of fun to watch.

Since the 4th, I’ve had trips to Palm Cove and Port Douglas, although the weather hasn’t been cooperating for the past few days so I wasn’t able to enjoy them quite as much as I would have liked to. I also got my internet situation sorted out, which has been a big relief. I found an ad for waitressing at Dundees Restaurant and jumped on it, calling, e-mailing, and popping in to introduce myself. I got an informal interview on Monday and they asked me to try out on Tuesday night. They hired me after my try out and I am on the roster for the rest of the week. I’m delighted to not be only spending money and feel pretty lucky at how quickly I was able to get employed (three weeks, not too shabby!).

In all, I think Cairns is a very interesting spot because of all the travelers coming and going. I have met Aussies, Kiwis, Brits, Dutch, South Africans, Canadians, and Italians. Pretty much everyone I meet has something to say about me being American, which I was pretty prepared for before I came. I take pride in bucking the loud, rude stereotype. Surprisingly, most people are curious about the upcoming elections. Unlike the US, Australians are required by law to vote. My comprehension of their political system is limited, but their parties sound similar to ours, as does the seething rhetoric between them. So far, in any social situation I am generally the least cultured and least traveled of anyone in the group. I hope to change that though and considering the relatively inexpensive cost to travel from Australia to Asia and New Zealand, it seems like a very real possibility. I’m not sure how long I will be in Cairns yet, but there is still so much to do and see in the area. I haven’t made it out to the reef yet or into the Daintree rainforest, but I’m sure it is just a matter of time.

Since my last blog post I've logged over 25 hours of driving time as I road tripped from Brisbane to Cairns. I left a rainy, chilly Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon and started north, stopping in Noosa, where the rain let up just long enough for me to snap some pictures of the beach before heading on. At the end of my first day I made it to Hervey Bay, near the largest sand island in the world, Fraser Island. I had hoped to take a trip to check it out the next day, but it poured all night and well into the next morning, so I decided to move on in search of sunshine. I am still in disbelief as the size of some of the potholes on the A1 highway, which runs the entire length of Queensland. I would swerve to avoid one pothole and hit an even bigger one. It felt like the slalom course from hell!

On my second day the rain finally stopped and I took a detour to check out Agnes Water and the town of Seventeen Seventy. I saw my first Kangaroo along the road on the way in and pulled over like a total tourist to take pictures. When I reached the beach I watched these little blonde boys, probably no more than 7 or 8 years old, surfing up a storm, then grabbed dinner and took in the sun set before continuing on to Rockhampton. I decided not to spend my money on a hotel that night, so I ended up sleeping in my car. The next day I started off early towards Mackay, about a five-hour drive, where Jess had offered me a place to stay. I met up with her in a tiny town called Finch Hatton and followed her up a steep, winding road into the rainforests of Eungella National Park. I made myself giggle on the way up the mountain (approx. 1200m or 4,000ft) as I felt like I should have been watching for Viet Cong to lob grenades at me from the dense jungle. 

We made it to Jess' place, an adorable little bungalow overlooking the hills below, where I met her border collie pup, Archibald (Archie) and her beau, Todd. After some snacks and a few beers, she took me out on her Rhino into the forest. I don't know how many acres of land they have up there, but it stretched almost to the horizon. Evidently people come from all over the world to this particular area to see platypuses (platypi? hahaha). She made a delicious roast that night and I was sad to part ways the next morning, but I had a long drive to get to Cairns by that night. Jess, Todd, and Archie were fantastic hosts and cool people, so I will definitely be back to their piece of paradise again. I made it into Cairns Friday night around 7:30. I'll have more to say about Cairns in my next post.

Now for things I have learned since arriving in Australia:

Let's start with Football. Rugby/Football, better known as "Footy" is a BIG deal here. First off, there are three distinct types of footy, Rugby Union, Rugby League, and Australian Football League or AFL, which I will explain as best I can.

Rugby Union is probably the type that most non-Australians think of when they hear rugby and is also the kind played most in other countries. Rugby Union, as I understand it, is primarily played at University, but I'm pretty sure they have professional teams as well. This type of footy relies heavily on the scrum (scrummage), the part where the two teams huddle and push each other around to restart a play. They also do the thing where they lift players high up in the air to catch the ball. If I remember correctly, Rugby Union players wear sleeved t-shirts and decent length shorts.

Rugby League, on the other hand, wear skintight sleeved t-shirts and seriously short shorts. Rugby League, I'm told, is probably the most popular form here in Australia. It is played at all ages, all skill levels through football clubs. I'm still figuring out the club aspect, but basically you play in a club as opposed to the American Football (they call it Gridiron) way of playing at school or in college then getting drafted to a professional level. Rugby League doesn't use the scrum as much to restart play, instead the ball is kicked backwards for your teammate to pick up and run with. It is all about moving the ball forward and is very fast paced but easy to follow. On July 4th, the final game of the State of Origin will be played. This is the last of three games played between Queensland and New South Wales and it is probably on par with the Super Bowl with regards to the hype and fervor of the fans. It is basically an all-star game with the best players from the professional teams representing their state. Queensland has won something like seven years running, but I hear they have their work cut out for them this year. I already have my State of Origin outfit all picked out, I can't wait!

Lastly, we have AFL. These guys wear sleeveless t-shirts and play on an oval shaped field. Like Nascar, the diehard fans of this type of rugby tend to be a bit trashier, which brings me to the next important thing I've learned...Bogans. 

Things Australians Say:

Bogan is a derogatory term used to describe someone who is, for lack of a better term, white trash. 

Bludger- a term for someone who is lazy or lives off of government handouts.

Ute- a truck (Utility Vehicle). It seems like everyone in Australia either owns a Ute or a Hatchback.

Shout- a round of drinks (i.e. last shout, who's shout?, I'll shout, you shout)

Schooner- a small glass of beer. Perfect for me!

Fillet, not filet, FIL-IT. As in a fish FIL-IT, a Steak FIL-IT. I had an aussie laugh at me for about ten minutes when I told him we call it a chicken FIL-A.

Flat White- Like a latte only less girly. Seems to be the coffee of choice

How ya goin'?- Australian version of "what's up?" or "how are you?” I'm still not sure exactly how to reply. 

Good on ya- Means "good for you" or "well done". I get this a lot when I tell people I'm traveling alone.

Taking the piss out of someone- (i.e. "I'm just taking the piss outta ya") means having a laugh, pulling your leg, making fun of.

Abbreviations with "y" or "ie"- Brisbane becomes Brissy, Breakfast becomes Breaky, Chicken Parmesean becomes Parmie, and so on

Roundabouts, same as in the states, only here they are EVERYWHERE! Keeps traffic flowing and helps to identify stupid foreigners who don't know where they are going (me). 

"Moving Radar" I learned this one the hard way. Cops can track your speed even when they are going the opposite directions. SERIOUSLY?!?!

Last but not least... Rooting- American "root" for their home team. To Australians, rooting means having sex. Talk about a misunderstanding!