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Kiwis and Kangaroos

a travel blog by exumenius


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A Zombie in Adelaide - Night 124

Adelaide, Australia

I slept poorly at best on the ride. We stopped again at 3am to change drivers. Going for a short walk outside to stretch my legs, the air was noticeably drier and crisper. The bus finally rolled into Adelaide at 6:15am, which was actually 6:45am Melbourne time as the state of Southern Australia is in one of the those annoying half time zones that is on the :30 when the rest of the world is on the hour. I remember having this weird dream that we had to drive through flood waters on our way into town, which is strange considering Adelaide’s climate is borderline desert and the area been in a drought for the last seven years.

The sun was just coming up as I grabbed my


The Adelaide Conservatory
bags and headed off in search of my hostel. A faint smell of desert air drifted about in the cool morning breeze. Walking by a large, fancy condominium building on the way to Wayland Street, I came upon a completely naked man arguing with a woman (presumably his wife) over the streetside intercom. The old man, about 60 years of age, had absolutely nothing on nor anything in his hands, as if he had either A) went outside with nothing or B) was robbed of all his possessions on his morning jog. I picked up my pace and quickly found the YHA which was just around corner. It is never advisable to be the third party in a domestic dispute, especially when one of them is standing outside naked at 6am.

Check in wasn’t until noon, so I crashed in the lounge for a much needed nap. After checking in, I wandered around town eventually scoring a dirt cheap buffet meal at the main market in town. In the afternoon, I toured the University and the botanical gardens. The lack of sleep had sort of caught up with me and I felt like a zombie sort of stumbling though the day. Adelaide is an interesting place from a city planner’s perspective. The downtown area is a compact 8 block by 6 block area of orthogonal streets all surrounded by a huge greenbelt, giving it the feel of a small, dense city. However, beyond this circle of parks lies an immensely sprawling city of 1.5 million.
I didn’t do much in the evening other than prepare for a decent night sleep.

What I Learned Today: It is entirely impossible to get into a comfortable sleeping position on a Greyhound bus unless you are under 4’11 in height.


Sunset in Adelaide

permalink written by  exumenius on February 11, 2008 from Adelaide, Australia
from the travel blog: Kiwis and Kangaroos
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Glitzy Glenelg - Night 125

Adelaide, Australia

Late morningish I took the tram out to Glenelg, the Oceanside suburb where the rich Adelaidites go to play (or so a brochure said). I was expecting a quaint beachside community much like Byron Bay, instead I got high rise resort hotels and condominiums. It looked like what Puerto Penasco would be if the Americans and not the Mexicans controlled the Bay of Cortez. All glitz and glamour aside, it was a very nice, calm beach, though granted it was a Tuesday afternoon. The southerly breeze cooled any ambitions I may have had to take a swim.


The Glenelg Beach

Prior to leaving for Glenelg, I perused the Lonely Planet guide at the hostel. The author recommended stopping by the Glenelg Book Exchange because of their “large selection and friendly staff.” I don’t know who wrote this, but I think Lonely Planet ought to send out some fact checkers. The Glenelg Book Exchange had neither a large selection (and the books they had were garbage) nor a friendly staff (the single old man was an ass). While I’m ranting about bookstores, I would just like to say that I have yet to come upon a decent used bookstore in all of Australasia. Every secondhand shop I’ve been to is nothing more than a collection of trashy fiction books along with huge selections of Australiana or New Zealandic literature.


A Wee Creature
Quality non-fiction books in a second store seem to have gone the way of the Tasmanian Tiger or the Moa in this corner of the globe.
After returning from Glenelg, I traipsed through the Rundle Street Mall collecting goods for my upcoming sojourn to the Outback. As if finding a hoodie to buy on a 90 degree day in the middle of summer wasn’t hard enough, it seems that neon, especially pink and yellow, are in fashion down here at the moment so nearly every hooded sweatshirt I found looked like something out of Cyndi Lauper’s closet (who by the way is playing in St. Kilda this Sunday). Finally, I found something to suit my needs, as I expect it will get cold in the desert at night, at Ed Harry (the name of the store) and returned home triumphant. .

What I Learned Today: Do you ever have those days where you are incredibly excited about life?....yeah, me too.


permalink written by  exumenius on February 12, 2008 from Adelaide, Australia
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Wilpena Pound - Night 127

Hawker, Australia

At 8:30 our show hit the gravel road for a

Our Fearless Bus
leisurely drive through the Flinders Range National Park. The Flinders are very old, weather mountains that would merely pass for hills in the Western U.S. The desert landscape and red rocks give them an Arizona-esque feel, though on a smaller scale. We arrived at the Wilpena Pound site around the noon hour. Wilpena Pound is a large valley enclosed on all four sides by mountains. Its unique shape allows it to retain much of the precious little rainfall that happens here in Central Australia. Historically the site was a large sheep ranch, but has been returned to the state for use as a park.


On Top of Wilpena Pound
Our itinerary called for a hike to the rim of the Pound. Scooter advertised the walk as strenuous, which was enough to scare away four of the girls from attempting it. Forty-five minutes later Kristin (the other American and an active marathoner) and I were standing on top seriously questioning the Australian definition of strenuous. Over the next 30 minutes the rest of the group tricked in to the summit viewing grounds. About half of the bus are habitual smokers (mostly the Europeans), so upon reaching the peak there was a massive lighting of cigarettes. This is the one thing I don’t get about Europe; why the normally healthy continent (in terms of exercise and food intake) continues to smoke amidst all the certified health consequences.


The Nothingness of the Outback

We ate a small late lunch after the hike and took off for Rawley Park for the night. A caravan park/hostel, Rawley also offered a pool and a shop with ice cream and wine, the two staples foods of Outback travel. While the young European girls frolicked in the pool, I talked politics and life with the old Irish pensioner, Peter. We both enjoyed the view.

What I Learned Today: Playing the role of translator, no matter how slight, is a truly rewarding activity.


permalink written by  exumenius on February 14, 2008 from Hawker, Australia
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Welcome to Coober Pedy - Night 128

Coober Pedy, Australia


The Beginning of the Stuart Highway
With an eleven hour drive to Coober Pedy in front of us, we departed promptly at 5am. Awaking at such an hour is second nature to me, though many of the other literally had to be dragged from their beds. Scooter was is need of a Kangaroo spotter, someone who wouldn’t fall asleep for the first two hours driving through the dark. Volunteering for this got me the front seat, which with its extra leg room was a bargain at half the price.

After backtracking to Port Augusta, we finally hit paved road at sunrise. About the same time, we returned to an area with cell phone covered and the mass of riders began busily returned texts and calls from the past two days. After four months without a cell phone, I don’t really even miss it (well sort of). Just outside of Port Augusta we turned right onto the beginning of the Stuart Highway, that straight, desolate 1,200 km road to Alice Springs. We wouldn’t leave it for two days.


Lake Hart
Five hours and two toilet stops later we pulled into the Lake Hart visitor’s center. Lake Hart is a massive salt lake that only fills with water once in a decade or so. Strangely, when Scooter was in the military a few years ago, he tested missiles out on this same dry lake bed. The entire area that we were driving through is off limits to civilians (other than those driving through) because it is an international missile testing range for Aussies as well as the Americans and the Brits. The U.S. even tested its Mars Rover vehicles out on these desolate plains. We built a multi-million center and adjacent town for our activities and then when finished sold it all to the Australian Government for one dollar.


Welcome to Nowhere
We arrived in Coober Pedy, the world’s most famous opal mining town, at 4pm. Drunken aborigines laid in the road and strange looking miner-types roamed the streets. Coober Pedy isn’t exactly a center of culture and refinement. Of the 3,000 permanent residents, 80% of them live in old mines under the ground. Our museum tour took us through one such home, and it was actually quite nice, though I don’t think I could deal with the lack of sunlight. We too, would be staying beneath the earth tonight. The natural air conditioning of the ground kept our rooms nice and cool, even when it was over 100 outside.

The Mining Museum

Scooter had arranged for our meal at the local pizza joint, a nice change from barbecued meat and sandwiches for every meal. Post dinner, a few of us headed out to experience the night life in Coober, it was a Friday night, after all. Not much doing. The pubs reminded me of those in any small


Our Underground Accomodation
American town, with the exception of all the ridiculous neon clothing all the men wear and the fact that you could do live horse betting at the bar. We returned early, as we had another 5am start staring us in the face.

What I Learned Today: There is an unwritten man rule that you do not go for what is behind door #3. In otherwords, don’t try to upgrade when you have a good thing going. I violated this rule today and am now regretting it. Only time will show if this was a sound decision.


permalink written by  exumenius on February 15, 2008 from Coober Pedy, Australia
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Uluru and Kata Tjuta - Night 129

Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia

Up at 4:30 to find that the group next

Halfway There
to us was still up drinking in the warm desert night. I’m guessing it was a long drive south for them the next day. We drove straight through to our campground in Uluru/Kata Tjuta National Park; 8 hours through the undulating semi-desert terrain of the Outback. Along the way we crossed into the Northern Territory, a massive state in Northern Australia that only has five towns with more than 1,000 inhabitants. After a quick lunch at the camp kitchen, we loaded up and drove into the park, past Uluru and down the road to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas).


Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)

The Rock

Identical in color to Uluru, Kata Tjuta was formed by a completely different geological process, though only 45 kilometers away. A collection of 30-some odd shaped red domes of conglomerate rock, Kata Tjuta is both higher and larger than Uluru, though it gets much less press. We did a short group hike into a canyon between two of the largest domes. The much better Valley of the Winds walk was closed due to the high winds in the area. The track was busy and we had to consistently pass and fight with the multitude of other tourist groups in the area. The rocks here are sacred and climbing is not allowed (a $5,000 fine if you do), which is a shame because it would make for some amazing climbing. Think about 36 different shear cliff walls complete with premade hand and foot holds (the agglomerate)…a climber’s dream.

After the short hike we drove to the


Scooter and the Booze
ridiculously packed Uluru sunset parking lot. Most of the Japanese tourists in their modern tour busses had fancy tables with white linen cloth and wine and cheese. Being the cheap backpackers that we are, we had to settle for some crackers and cheap champagne served out of plastic cups. Not a one of us complained. The sunset was great, however, the magic of the moment is sort of ruined by the thousand other people who are there. It would be a great place to have your own vehicle and find a nice, uncrowded lot to watch the sun disappear behind the

Drinking at Uluru
rock. The alcohol had everyone’s spirits up so Scooter drove through the lot with the music at full blast scaring the hell out of the old Asian tourists…all in good fun. Sitting in the front, I had the benefit of the megaphone.

Our evening meal was steak, potatoes and salad.


Our Kitchen
Most people knocked off early as we had a date with sunrise, however, the Swiss guys and the Irish girl stayed up with me and drank our box of wine and played (quite unsuccessfully) the didgeridoo until around midnight. That evening most of us chose to sleep outside on the swags with nothing but the night sky for a roof over our heads.

What I Learned Today: I have no patience for high maintenance


permalink written by  exumenius on February 16, 2008 from Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia
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Onwards to Kings Canyon - Night 130

Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia


Sunrise at Uluru
Four am comes early when you fall asleep after midnight, though I felt very good as I slept like a log out under the stars. Similar to last night, the crowds were amassed at the sunrise viewing lot and sort of ruined the atmosphere. With a bit of leg work, one could get away for some solitude.

Look....a rock
Small, wavy clouds hung in the eastern sky, making for a great sunrise. Next up was the 9 kilometer base walk around Uluru. As is common, the climb to the top was closed due to wind, though I doubt I would have climbed it anyways (I’m willing to grant the Aborigines their wish that no one climbs it).


The Whale

We said goodbye to Uluru/Kata Tjuta park around noon, had a quick lunch at camp and then set off for Kings Canyon. Along the way is Mt. Connor, a large mesa that looks as though it belongs in Northeast Arizona. Stranger still is that it is privately owned by one of the large cattle ranches in the areas, so the only way to see it up close is to book a tour through the private landowner. About 50 km before Kings Canyon we came across a pack of wild camels grazing near the road. Camels used to be a major form of transportation until the automobile took over. The camels were then released into the wild and have flourished. Australia now has around 250,000 wild camels and even exports them back to Arabia.


Our Kings Canyon Campground


The Fire I Started
We arrived at the Kings Canyon campground in time for a quick swim at the pool and a chance to stock up on beer for the evening. Adventure Tours, our company, has its own secluded campsite at Kings Canyon which is tucked away in a small gorge about 10 km from the main resort. Better still is that they allow us to have a campfire so long as it is for cooking purposes. Naturally I volunteered to start the fire. My helpers, the old Irish guy and the three Koreans proved utterly useless in setting up a fire. I had to can the whole lot and do it myself. With wood this dry, it didn’t take long to have an eye-brow singeing inferno ablaze. The chicken curries and potatoes turned out wonderful. Another night of drinking and making marshmallows over the fire let to a late bedtime. The dingoes howling in the night were no match for my weariness and I quickly fell asleep under the stars again.

What I Learned Today: Americans build the best fires.


permalink written by  exumenius on February 17, 2008 from Uluru (Ayers Rock), Australia
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Finally Alice Springs - Night 131

Alice Springs, Australia


At Kings Canyon
Another early morning as we had to get to Kings Canyon and do the three hour hike before the temperature hit triple digits. We left the trailhead at 7:30 and it was already 84. Kings Canyon is an otherworldly collection of valleys and strange red rock formations all surrounding the one massive central canyon. Perfectly shear rock walls all surrounding a small valley filled with water

Scooter took a Fall
referred to as the Garden of Eden as it provided everything the local aboriginals every needed. A number of the trees here exist nowhere else in the world. Honestly it is almost more spectacular the Uluru, at least for a hiker such as myself. The hike could be done in less than two hours if you are fit, however, moving along with a group (most of whom smoke) takes a lot longer. When we returned to the parking lot at 10:30 the thermometer, which was in the shade, read
97 degrees.


Kings Canyon


Post Trip Pisser at Annie's


Finally
We set off for Alice Springs at noon and arrived in the small desert town around 5pm. By the time we had dropped everyone off at their hostels (we were last) it was past 6pm. A quick shower later and we all walked down to Annie’s Pub for the ritual post-trip meal and drinking bout. By midnight, our numbers had dwindled to seven, so Scooter suggested that we head to his place to help him drink up all his leftover alcohol as he was moving apartments this week.

Uncle Sam Wants You
Not a one of us had any problem with this. Eventually drinking games ensued and the whole lot of us got wickedly drunk. Rumor has it we got home at 4am, though I don’t really remember looking at a clock. We got a bit lost on the way and my superior navigation skills saved us from unintentionally catching the sunrise in some strange corner of Alice Springs. Also, I pulled a calf muscle jumping a fence…my first true Australian drunken wound. The total damage count, one

Crazy Swiss
bottle of Jack, one bottle of Port, four bottles of Champagne (courtesy of Adventure Tours), a few broken glasses, two motor scooter rides, one plastic helmet and seven nasty hangovers.

What I Learned Today: Always choose door #3. (See night 128)


No Idea What is Happening Here

(2)

permalink written by  exumenius on February 18, 2008 from Alice Springs, Australia
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Recovering in Alice - Night 132

Alice Springs, Australia


Sunset over Alice
I did little to nothing today. Six days of waking up before Sunrise and riding in the bus had caught up to me. Catching up on my journal and doing laundry took all the energy I could muster. We did make up it to ANZAC hill for a beautiful sunset over the MacDonnell Range. The walk to the hill and back worked up quite a sweat so we all took a quick dip in the pool prior to heading to bed early for a change.

What I Learned Today: Don’t fall six days behind on your journal.


Chilling in the Pool

permalink written by  exumenius on February 19, 2008 from Alice Springs, Australia
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Scorching in Alice - Night 133

Alice Springs, Australia


Thorny Devils
It was well over 100 again today in Alice. Nikki, Rebecca and I braved the heat for a quick walk to the Reptile Museum. Home to some of Australia’s deadliest snakes, some very tame lizards and the crazy looking Thorny Devils, the museum was well worth the price of admission. After lunch in the small downtown, we returned to the air conditioning and pool at our hostel. The rest

Pl;aying with Reptiles
of the day was spent working on the journal, uploading photos and relaxing. Tomorrow we leave at 5:30 am for Darwin, so another day of nothing was rather welcomed.

I apologize that my journal has been a bit light the last week, however, it is just too much to keep up when you are out in the bush. Taking photos is starting to become a chore as well.

What I Learned Today: I’ve hit the point where I’ve lost track of the days and dates. I have only three weeks left, but no end seems in sight. I think travelling has finally become a habit, it is just what I expect to happen tomorrow. Time has begun to slow down…in a good way. After crossing this Rubicon, I feel that real life will be much tougher to adjust to come March, or April, or August, or whenever I return to normal.

permalink written by  exumenius on February 20, 2008 from Alice Springs, Australia
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To the Tropics - Night 134

Tennant Creek, Australia

My adventure tour from Alice Springs to

The Tropic of Capricorn
Darwin left at 5:30 this morning. Our new driver, Trav, was overly enthusiastic at the early hour and once again no one wanted to ride shotgun so I gladly accepted the honor. Shortly after leaving on Alice on the Stuart Highway we crossed the Tropic of Capricorn; we were now officially rocking in the tropics. Not that you could tell. The area was still a bleak and desolate desert. The true tropical climes don’t begin until another 800 to 900 kilometers north of here. The next stop was the historic Barrow Creek telegraph station where a battle between white pioneers and aborigines occurred back in the 1880s. Trav is a bit of an Aboriginal history buff so I am sure we’ll get plenty of history lessons this tour. One of the things I have

Typical Outback Scenery
been most impressed with on these tours is how much explaining the tour guides do regarding nearly everything. They drive, cook, organize and teach and do a damned good job at all. Later we pulled into Wycliffe Well, the UFO capital of Australia. A strange little roadhouse with an even stranger proprietor. Apparently UFOs have visited this place for weeks in a row. It even has the certification of the official UFO society. I wonder if they are hiring…


The Devil's Marbles

Some bit up the road we came to Devil’s


Me and a Marble
Marbles, a forty-acre site of strange round stones that appear to have been randomly tossed about. Amazing scenery, the short walk around the park was absolutely exhausting. The temperature was well above 100, not a cloud in sight nor a breath of wind. At 21 degrees latitude near the noon hour the sun is absolutely relentless. We lunched at the Walchope Hotel, just a fancy name for a roadhouse a few kms north of Devil’s Marbles. The owner’s daughter works for the Adventure Tours company so we got free access to the pool, which was a huge relief from the heat.

Just north of Tennant Creek we pulled into the Mary Ann Dam for a quick dip in the rust stained water. Already you can start to feel the humidity increase, the flora is more lush, the clouds build…we are entering the beginnings of the Top End, the Tropic portion of Australia. A few hours later the tired bus arrived at Banka Banka, our stop for the night. As we ate our dinner a huge, orange full moon rose above the horizon. It was well after sunset until the breeze picked up and cooled it down enough to sleep. Until then, we drank a few beers around the campfire and listened to stories about Stuart Highway’s notorious rash of disappearances and strange crimes.

What I Learned Today: Regret is a bitch…perhaps the worst feeling one can have. “Live as to eliminate all regret.”…or so says the great sage.


permalink written by  exumenius on February 21, 2008 from Tennant Creek, Australia
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