Lauren's Walk About

I had huge expectations for Australia before I came here. I have wanted to come to Australia since I started university so the long wait created a lot of anticipation and expectations. I was so fascinated by the country that I even wanted to move here at one point (thats another blog post all together...).

The first two weeks I travelled with my mom so I was somewhat insulated from the real backpacker scene in Australia. I'm now on my own so have been thrown into it head first and have made a few observations (note, it doesn't apply to everyone I have met...) While it's been good to see the places I have dreamed about for so long, there is something a bit off about it.

This post may age me a bit but that's okay, I'm starting to like where I am in my life. So far, the backpackers I have met in Australia all seem very young, some might say "green". Yes, I realize I am only 26 (or 23+3 as I like to say...) which is also young but these backpackers are like 19 or really early 20's, pretty much straight out of high school. With that age, I think, comes the desire for a specific type of travel experience, one that is very different from the type of experience I am after. It seems like the emphasis for the majority of backpackers I have met in the hostels so far is to party, sleep in until noon the next day, maybe go to the beach if they are feeling particularly energetic, and then repeat for weeks on end in different locations around the country. For those of you who know me, this is no where close to my scene. I'm actually pretty much as close to the opposite of this as you can get. I like my sleep so I can get up early and see as much as possible while I am here. I may never be here again so I want to make the most of it! This differences makes it a bit difficult to meet people that you have any desire of spending time with. I have been fortunate to have my mom here for two weeks and then a friend from Melbourne came to join me at surf camp last week, so really I only have one more week in Australia to deal with it. There are a few exceptions to this, they are just more difficult to find.

I think Australia attracts such a young crowd because it's English speaking and very similar to the west we grew up in so its a pretty easy place to travel. Let me tell you, based on the places I have travelled, travelling in Australia (logistically) is pretty much a piece of cake! Backpacker travel agencies, decent hostels, reliable internet cafes, free information centers are plentiful making it a really easy place to navigate. Transportation is simple and everyone speaks English so there is always someone around to help. Having mostly travelled in the developing world and coming here direct from the chaos of India, this infrastructure and support is foreign to me. I guess its a nice break from the madness but in a way, I really miss the chaotic and crazy streets of India and Nepal where every time you stepped out of your hotel, it was another adventure and anything (and I mean ANYTHING) could happen. There was always something interesting and different to see and everything seemed foreign, which is a big part of the travel experience. The ease of travel in Australia takes the challenge out of travelling, which is a big part of its appeal for me.

Also, being a developed country, Australia has a lot of similarities to Canada so it really feels like I'm just in a tropical version of Canada with people talking in a different accent, less snow and more beaches.

Don't get me wrong, I am glad I came to Australia and have seen some amazing things and have had a great time, it's just different from what I expected. I guess that is the dangerous part of having expectations, the chance that they aren't met. Travelling in Australia has been good in that it made me really realize what I like and where I should spend me time. I definitely like travelling in developing countries more than in the western world and maybe I should leave those countries from my golden years when I'm sick of the chaos.

I am in Australia for one more week and then I head to New Zealand for a month. I'm really looking forward to New Zealand becuase, for some reason, it seems more rugged than Australia. After that, I'm heading back into what I like best and heading to Africa for the remaining two months of my sabbatical. I'm not going to wish my time away waiting for that leg of the journey but I will say that I am more excited than ever for it!

I have spent the last four days, with my friend Kerryn (who I met in Nepal in December) at the Rip Curl surf camp.

We learnt to surf on 7 Mile Beach, about 2 hours south of Sydney. It was a great beach to learn on because the waves were reasonably tame and the beach was fairly empty so there was less risk that we would hit some member of the unsuspecting public with our boards as we flew off them.

7 Mile Beach

It has been a busy and exhausting few days but SO much fun! The surfing isn't over yet either, tonight we are catching a night bus and heading up the east coast to Byron Bay, a famous surfing spot in Australia.

Surfing is a sport unlike anything I have ever done before. Its hard and frustrating at times but when you catch a good wave and ride it right into the beach, it gives you such a rush. I initially thought because you are on a board, that it would be really similar to snowboarding or wakeboarding but it really isn't. The balance you learn snowboarding or wakeboarding definitely help but the technique is completely unique.

Everyday we had 2, 2 hour lessons. Initially that doesn't sound like very much but when your battered by waves constantly as you try to get out past the breaks, you get exhausted very quickly. There were 2 instructors that taught my group, both of whom have been surfing for years. Our group had about 15 people from all over the world. The lessons and instructors were a bit cheesy at times making us think of group names, cheers and taking group photos but I managed to survive. About 5 years ago, I used to love camp and all the activities that in entailed, including leading all sorts of those things I'm now calling cheesy but I seem to have grown past that...at least when it involves me having to participate in the cheesy activities.

Me with Instructors (sense my thoughts on the lameness of having to take picture in my face...)

Group (again, lame picture that we were forced to take...)

We started the week by learning the basics including how to do a surf check, the proper position on the board and how to catch a wave. I started the week riding a 9 foot board, which is the typical board to start on as a beginner but as the week progressed was able to move up to an 8 foot board. At the beginning of the week, I was falling off every wave I tried to catch by by the end I could catch the majority of the waves I was attempting. Here are some action shots to prove that I actually did get up...

Going for a wave

Catching the wave

Riding the wave (although a bit wabbly...)

We surfed at all times in the day. The first few days, we tended to go out later but this morning we had a session at 6 am. It was a rough show getting up but once we were out in the waves we had a great time and I had one of my best sessions riding two really big waves! We even got to surf under a rainbow...

Overall, I would say surf camp was a success. I learned how to ride the waves and could do it fairly consistently. We'll see how I do out in the big bad world of surfing, away from the shelter of surf camp, tomorrow when Kerryn and I hit the waves at Byron Bay. I will keep you posted so stay tuned!

I thought a few photos of our time in Sydney would be better than a description of what we saw. We have spent the last two days in Sydney trying to do as much as possible! There was a camera mishap and a few other things that cut our time a bit shorter than expected but we did manage to hit the highlights. We went to Darling Harbour, CIrcular Quay, the Sydney Opera House, Pylon Lookout on Harbour Bridge, the Botanical Gardens, Bondi Beach and even went to Hillsong tonight (GREAT). Here are my favourite pictures...

Sydney Opera House (an obvious first picture for Sydney...)

Sun shining on the Opera House

Harbour Bridge

Taking it all in...

Mom and I at Darling Harbour (we took a "hop on hop off tour" and the driver insisted on taking a picture of us there...I think we got about 7 as he played with different angles and backgrounds...it was hilarious!)

Ceiling in the Queen Victoria Building

Sailboats on the Harbour

Bondi Beach, Sydney's most famous beach

Famous Lifesaving Crew of Bondi (Surf Rescue is a great TV show on OLN where I first found these characters...SWIM BETWEEN THE FLAGS)

Its been a great time in Sydney. Tomorrow I am heading to Manley, a northern suburb of the city to meet up with my friends Merrie and Pete who I met in Peru 5 years ago. Its been 5 years since I've seen them and I'm really excited. Monday I head off to surf camp with a friend I met in Nepal. My mom is heading home tomorrow. I'm sad to see her go, and in a way, wish I was going with her but I'm sure that feeling will pass (hopefully). Its been a great vacation and we have made some memories I will cherish forever.

The next big adventure my mom and I had in store for our time in Australia was a three-day camping trip in the outback. We flew from Melbourne to Alice Springs, from the mild temperatures to the extreme heat of the desert.

When we were researching our trip, we looked for the most authentic outback experience possible. I travel to get the most authentic experience possible, to really see the country, its people and how they live (some would say I’m a “traveler” and not a “tourist”…yes, there is a BIG difference. Authenticity is good but I think sometimes its overrated. This trip was not easy! I feel a little bit guilty I signed my mom up for this because even I found it really hard!

To give you a little background, it is currently summer in Australia. Summer is low season in central Australia and now I know why! The combination of the temperature and the flies were sometimes unbearable and almost drove us mad. The heat during the day was oppressive with temperatures between 42 and 49 degrees. It didn’t cool down until 3 a.m. and even then the temperature only fell to 25 degrees. The flies were constant and unrelenting. I have camped up north in the early summer when the black flies and mosquitoes are out in force but they have nothing on the flies in the outback.

We slept in things called “swags”. I didn’t pay too much attention to this aspect when booking the tour because I figured they were just a kind of tent, but boy was I wrong. Swags are basically canvas sleeping with a mattress inside. There is no zipper that zips all around you to protect you from the elements or the crazy outback wildlife. We were truly sleeping under the stars!

Our wheels in the Outback

The first day we spent at Uluru, the main tourist site in central Australia.

Uluru

Uluru up close

Wall Paintings at Uluru

Sunset at Uluru

The second day was spent at Uluru and Kata Tjuta. We had to get up at 4 am in order to make it to sunrise over Uluru. This may seem like an ungodly hour but when your “sleeping” (read, lying awake checking your watch every 5 minutes) in a swag with the thought of snakes and lizards crawling all over you, getting up, despite the time, is a relief.

Sunrise in the Outback

After watching the sunrise, we went to Kata Tjuta and did the 7.5 km hike of the Valley of the Winds. We started the walk about 7:30 am because by 11 am, it’s too hot and the trail is closed. It was a hard trek because of the heat even at such an early hour but we managed to complete the whole trek! For me, hiking isn’t really a big deal but for its not really my mom’s bag so I was so proud of her when she finished!

Valley of the Winds

The third day (Australia Day) we spent at Kings Canyon. Kings Canyon was absolutely spectacular! I almost think it was better than Uluru. We did another 6 km hike in the heat of the day.

Kings Canyon

At the top of Kings Canyon

The first half was a climb up the canyon wall to the rim and lead to the “Garden of Eden”, a lush swimming hole in the middle of the canyon.

The second half of the walk was along the northern rim providing views of the deep canyon below. It was another very difficult walk because of the heat but again; my mom finished the whole thing!

I give my mom a lot of credit for getting through this tour. Sleeping on the ground with no tent and the possibility of snakes, lizards and insects crawling all over you while sleeping, oppressive heat, bug bugs and more bugs, and some annoying group mates all made it pretty challenging. The scenery was spectacular and made the rest of the stuff worthwhile.

After a harrowing journey from Kochi in the south of India that involved 4 separate flights, a suspended airplane ticket in Delhi and a frantic call to my travel agent in Toronto at midnight, a 7 hour flog delay sitting on an airplane with little food or water, a missed connection to Sydney in Hong Kong and a reschedule flight to Melbourne, I made it to Australia! Anyone who knows me at all, knows that I have wanted to go to Australia for a long time now and to be here is amazing and surreal.

My mom met me at the airport, which was an amazing surprise after a two-day marathon plane journey. She had no idea that my flight had changed or what time it was coming in at so it was a miracle that we found each other.

We spend a day in Melbourne and then rented a car and have been driving the Great Ocean Road (GOR) for three days. The GOR runs from Torquay to Warrnambool along the ocean delivering some absolutely spectacular views. Around every corner is another stunning view and amazing beach. There is tropical forests and steep cliffs along side each other.

Finding the Beach for the along the GOR

View of the GOR from Lookout

We rented a car in Melbourne and promptly named her Matilda (I thought it was a fitting name for the small, blue Huyandai).

Matilda

Mom was a bit nervous at first, and rightly so, since in Australia, they drive on the other side of the road but she did a great job and got us onto the M1 heading for the GOR.

Helpful reminder signs...

The first part of the GOR is called the “Surf Coast”. Our first stop on this part of the road was in Torquay, pretty much the world’s surf capital. We went to the Surf World Museum, which showed the history and evolution of the sport in Australia.

We then wondered through Surf Plaza, which is filled with enormous surf shops!

Rip Curl in Surf Plaza

My brother would have been in complete heaven! We then visited Bells Beach, the home of the surfing world championships.

From there we drove onto Aireys Inlet and the Split Point Lighthouse where we got some amazing views of the coastline.

Mom and I in front of Split Point Lighthouse

As we were wandering around the lighthouse, a reporter from the local paper approached us to ask us why we were visiting the lighthouse. We ended up making it through the cutting room floor and into the paper so here is a link to the article…http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2010/01/25/140151_bigsummer.html

We made it through the GOR Memorial Arch just before lunch. The GOR was built by soldiers returning from WWII as a way to reintegrate them into society after the war. The arch was built to commemorate their service and the work they did building the road.

In front of GOR Sign

We stopped for lunch in Lorne and then drove on to our final destination for the day of Apollo Bay where we spent the night.

The next morning we got up early and kept driving. We tried to find some secluded beaches recommended by Lonely Planet but had no luck and so started the day by visiting the Cape Otway Lighthouse. Cape Otway is the beginning of the part of the GOR called “Shipwreck Coast”. The cliffs down to the ocean were steep and jagged. The waves crashed with immense power against the rock providing for epic views.

Cape Otway Lighthouse

On our way from the Cape Otway Lighthouse, we saw some koala bears on the side of the road! They were just sitting in eucalyptus trees next to the road and were so docile that we were able to get really close! It was a quinticential Australian experience.

By mid-day we were at the highlight of the GOR, the Twelve Apostles. One word, breathtaking! I think I took 250 pictures of these alone! We took a helicopter ride over the coast to see them from another vantage point, which was just icing on the cake.

Exploring the 12 Apostles from the Beach

12 Apostles

View from Helicopter

After the Twelve Apostles, there is little to see along the GOR so we drove straight to Port Fairy, a quaint little town on the coast.

Harbor in Port Fairy

Our final stop on our road trip was Grampians National Park. It took about two hours to get there and provided a completely different type of scenery than we saw along the coast.

All I can say is the GOR was incredible. I’m sure it will definitely be a highlight of my time in Australia and to do it with my mom made it even better. We seemed to be a good pair (besides my constant back seat driving) with her driving and me navigating.