First stop: THE OUTBACK
Atfirst we were thrilled by the luxury of our Quantas flight. After traveling with smaller, cheaper airlines such as Jetstar we thought we were finally moving up in the world and were thrilled by the movie entertainment and meal service figuring that this would atleast make up for our extremely early 5 am departure from Griffith Village. However, with the screaming child a row behind us I was very hard pressed to get any sleep in on our 3 hr flight...which was extremely unfortunate as I had not slept much the night before, nervous my alarm would not wake me and even more unfortunate as we would be waking up at 5am every morning for the next 3 days! But we made it off the plane in high spirits...after all...who couldn't laugh when walking off the plane and seeing the size of the Alice Springs airport. Madison airport would be considered huge when put up against this airport. Only one flight to every major city leaves a day. Which made our transportation to our hostel very easy and there was someone waiting at baggage claim to take us where we would be staying for then night.
After checking in we then set off to explore the "city"/"town" of Alice Springs. Walking around here, for one of the first times since being in Australia, I truly felt as if I was in a foreign country. From ordering my food to walking around the streets the town felt very unfamiliar to anywhere else we had been so far. This may have been due to the large Aboriginal community that is based in Alice Springs or also in the abandonded feel the town gives off. The only sites the town boasts of is its reptile museum and flight center, both run down shacks on the side of the train tracks. As these two locaions didnt interest us we simply wandered around taking in the erriness and discomfort in the sun. It also may have been due to the fact that as the day went on I was getting sicker and sicker. By dinner time lifting my fork was becoming an effort as was keeping my head up at the table. I could no longer go to see Sex and the City 2 as we had planned to do [it was just about the only thing to do in that town!] So we ventured back to the hostel, I took a hot shower and finally passed out, no longer looking forward to the trip I had ahead of me in my current state.
Yet bright and early the next morning it was time to get going on our tour with Outback Safari...also apparently known as Adventure Australia...also apparently known as OzExperience. The company we booked our trip with appears to be run by all three of these same companies. A very confusing fact when they came to pick us up in a van saying one thing, shirts saying another and equipment saying yet another.
Day 1: As we were picked up and introduced to our tour guide Tommy we loaded the bus and headed over to the company's [as I said...not exactly sure which company] main office. Here we went through an annoying process of waiting outside in the cold while everyone who hadnt paid already finalized their payment and where I was able to rent a sleeping bag and by a water bottle.
Very inefficient procedure...espeicall for 6 am. No worries- I let them know on their evaluation :) After this was done we were off. As we had a lot of driving to do for the day I was back to sleep before our first stop at a camel farm. At the camel farm we had the option to ride them. But as it was just around a little fenced in area I opted to save my money and spend my time stalking some kangaroos, trying to get them to stand for me and look at me for some quality pics [I think I may have acquired your Dr. Doolittle talent mom because they listened pretty well!]. It was then back to the van, aka back to bed as we drove heaps more [making a few more stops along the way] before reaching what would be the evenings campsite. Once here we unloaded the eskies and set up lunch...leaving Marni to eat one her many Luna bars! This allowed the meal to be a bonding meal as me pulling out a Luna bar usual is because people just don't understand why I am not eating a sandwhich with them....welll people....I am weird. Once the interrogation was complete it was time to head off for our first hike of the trip. This hike took place through the "Valley of the Winds" a section of rock formations known as Kata Tjuta or Olgas. While Uluru is the more famous Rock Formation of the area, Kata Tjuta also has culutral signification to the Aboriginal people as is actually much larger in size. So with my hiking boots laced I set off through the rocks. Now my hiking boots would have been great and I was initially thrilled that I brought them and was finally getting use out of the things that took up the most space in my luggage. But unfortunately a key thing to hiking boots...is hiking socks. A ket item that did NOT get packed. This was noticed around half way through the walk as scrapes began to form from the rubbing against each of my calfs. Atleast I have a scar now to remind me of my great hike at the Olgas?! However, the hike was still very enjoyable and I was amazed at how informative Tommy was as to the formation of the rocks and the Aboriginal culture. She only proved to be even more knowledgeable as the trip went on and I was very impressed! Straight from the hike we rushed over to a highlight of the trip...the sunset at Uluru. All the trips boast of this amazing experience and things that publicized you can't help but be skeptical of. But as we stood and watched as the sun reflected causing the rock to glow a bright red I was shocked. It happens in a matter of seconds, so fast you can miss it simply trying to fix your camera settings. But the instant change in color that the sun can make is really crazy! After our amazement....and some short time to play in the soft red sand that the ground is made of it was back to the camp site to prepare dinner. With a dinner of chicked stirfry I was finally ready to eat one of my first full meals of the week....proving the outback was making me healthy. A mircale of fresh air and red sand?! I was hoping my luck would keep up for the remainder of the three days as I sat around the camp fire and enjoyed the company of my trip mates and the music people were attempting to play around the guitar. When it came time to sleep we pulled out one of my next highlights. The swag. In australia, the swag is a common piece of camping gear used instead of tents. A swag is more like a larger padded sleeping bag used to put your sleeping bag in to add an extra cushion and extra warmth for cold nights like we were having. The swag also has a piece that can be pulled over your head to completely conceal your entire body from the outside. While at first I found this piece to be silly and actually rather scary it came in handy when minutes after falling asleep I heard some tapping on my swag. Seconds later I processed this tapping on my face to actually be rainfall. I yelled this out to Rachel to make sure I was not just dreaming...or going crazy in the outback...and in my sleep put my swag over my head and continued sleeping outside. The next morning most members of our group didn't even know it had rained!Day 2: Again it was time for a super early wake up to pack up camp and head over to see Uluru light up in a whole new way. We arrived at the sunrise look out and wondered up the path, hoping the sunrise would light up the rock in the same amazing way sunset had the night before. Unfortunately based on the position of the sun as it rose on the corner of the rock experienced this cool glow as the sun came up, but the colors of the sky that morning were still amazing. After taking way too many pictres [something you will notice I did throughout this trip] we headed over closer to the rock for a walk around half of the base. Others in our group had opted to do a full base walk instead of go to the sunrise look out point and we met up with them just as we were pulling up [the full base climb option was closed that morning due to windy conditions].The rock looks very very different from up close and it was neat to get to walk along side something that is so commonly photographed as representing Australia. It was also interesting to hear how important it is in Aboriginal culture. It is regarded as a sacred site and there are debates as to whether or not the climb to the top will still be permitted when the contract is reexamined in the upcoming year.
When we made it around the base walk our walking and learning continued as Tommy met us to continue around the last remaining part with a guided base walk. Here she informed us of some of the sacred sites along the rock as well as cave drawings, and aspects of Aboriginal culture such as man's business and woman's business and the stories they tell in which they use nature to teach moral lessons. When our walking for the day was complete we completed our knowledge of Aboriginal culture by visiting the cultural center before our long drive to Kings Canyon. For this long drive Tommy decided to turn it more into a "road trip" style, splitting us into teams for us to have a little competition throughout the rest of the trip. Noone was too enthusiastic about these teams on this day as we really just wanted to nap during our rides, but we followed Tommy's instructions and played some of her games such as making up quiz questions for the other teams to be answered the next day. By the time we got to camp it was starting to get dark already. We hopped off the bus to snap a few "happy snaps" [a common Tommy phrase] of the sunsetting over Kings Canyon before setting up camp. For tonight's dinner Speghetti with meat sauce was being served...but as the "veg-o" of the group Tommy made me a special sauce of no meat and extra veggies mixed in. She added vegemite into the sauce just to get everyone worked up a bit but the meal was good and I love requesting vegetarian meals in this country! Along with the meal we also had damper. Damper is the traditional Australian bread of the swagman [traveler] and is prepared by flower and water and made of the camp fire. It was delicious and Tommy added cream and sugar to one loaf and another salty version [which I was not too much a fan of as it tasted like bacon]. We then all gathered around the camp fire to roast marshmallows. And let me tell you- Australian marshmallows and American marshmallows are not the same. For one they are smaller and come in white and pink. Most on the trip believed these two colors to taste the same. They did not...although they were both equally gross. They tasted like passover marshmallows gone bad? [So dad, maybe you should get alot of australian marshmallows?] Following the heaps of food it was back in swag. It was so nice to fall asleep under the stars and to the sound of the guitar with all my new friends from various parts of the world around me. While it may sound cheesy, how could a moment like this not be a highlight of my entire experience abroad?!
Day 3: This morning we woke up for our final hike of the trip; a hike of Kings Canyon. As Tommy had warned us the night before that this hike was a long and hard hike and had for the first time of the trip given an easier option I was actually a little nervous to agree to this physical activity at such an early hour of the day. And so after packing up camp for the last time we head over to Kings Canyon. Getting off the bus I immediately started taking my happy snaps as the sky was just as beautiful, if not even more so, as it had been throughout our whole trip. Then we were off up the hill. The first 15 minutes were a gruesome uphill climb, but honestly nothing what I was expecting based on her warning. Throughout my time in Australia I have done some brutal hikes and these 15 minutes were nothing compares to the final steps of the Blue Mountains or even parts of the Fox Glacier climb in New Zealand. As Tommy was guiding us through this hike every few minutes she would stop and inform us about various trees and bushes native to the land and further information such as how the Aboriginal community would use such landforms for weapons. She even tricked us for a little while in to thinking there was a different type of koala in that region that we had never heard of [and I loooove koalas so you can imagine how excited I was]! The hike went on for about 3.5 hours and it was amazing the change in weather from when we started to when we finished- the difference the sun can make in this country is incredible...its just so strong, I am not sure how I will leave without its warmth!
So 3.5 hrs and 300 pictures later the hike was over and it was time to head back to the bus and back to Alice Springs. We had a 5 hr drive ahead of us, full of sleep and plenty of games. Shockingly enough I think I was so overtired/excited over the success of the trip that I don't think I slept more than 30 mins in the whole drive. But I was kept plenty engaged with the games we had going throughout our "road trip" back. we even managed to take up 2 hours of time with an eating contest. Each person took turns being timed eating an Australian cereal bar that when eaten without milk is extremely dry and hard to swallow. It is a very similar contest to seeing how quickly one can eat a certain number of saltienes. The times were all recorded and added together and averaged according to the teams designated the night before and the losing team was to buy the winning team a drink when we got back to Alice Springs. To add more excitement to the game each person was to sit at the front of the bus during their time to eat and were given a theme song as inspiration music. This got very funny very quickly, especially with so many different nationalities on board! People got very into the game...and needless to say...my team won! By the time we got back we were all a little closer than when we left and it was nice that that evening Tommy had arranged for us to all meet for dinner at Annie's Place- very convenient considering it was the hostel where Rachel and I would be staying for the night! She also agreed to drop us off there even though most of the group was staying at Haven, where we had all stayed thenight before our trip. However, when we went in to get out big suitcases from storage [we had left them there and taken small carryons for the camping trip] we see Tommy's van pull away as we are coming out. Rachel and I look at each other and begin to chase after her van, a little panicked as all of our important belongings are still on the bus! Eventually we get her attention as she is turning around- or perhaps she realized she forgot us two seconds after she pulled out and we ran across the road to meet her at the other side. A very silly error on her part especially considering the other girls still in the van were planning on staying in our room with us to hang until dinner as their hostel was even further outside of town. But no worries we made it to Annie's place and after a confusing few minutes of figuring out how to get in [they use a number code system- which you clearly dont have to check in so unless someone is coming in or going you cant get in?] we were checked into our rooms. On first glance it was very nice and complete with its own bathroom and very large closet which was great for our big bags. It was nice to finally be able to shower again, something I had not done since the last time I was in Alice Springs. Then it was time to meet the group for our $5 dinner. It was a great way to end the trip with the group and it was amazing how much the group bonded in this last night! We all talked for hours about nothing and it is a shame we had not all gotten to know each other on this level sooner. But I met so many great people on this trip from Holland, Germany, Finnland, France, Australian, and fellow americans and we have all already started to keep in touch through a facebook group. I hope this keeps up and I am one day able to see many of them in their home countries as well. After a few hours it was unfortunately time to hug the group goodbye and head off to our room to attempt the door's code and crash. Little did I know how unpleasant this sleep would be. Apparently with Alice Springs essentially just being a launching point for tours of the Outback hostels such as ours have a very quick turn over rate. At 5 am I woke up to my roommates checking out to leave for their tour. This was expected and did not bother me. Yet when I was shivering and could not fall back to sleep due to noise and hour later I opened my eyes to see that the whole bar/pool area which was outside my door was staring back at me...yup that's right...my door was open! Top bunk Marni was not very pleased by this and I climbed back down, closed the door, put on my sweatshirt and climbed back up to continue shivering under the air conditioning that was also apparently on in the freezing cold winter! Apparently I was able to fall right back asleep though as Rachel later informed me that an hour later, new roommates came to check in,
followed by a man who climbed right above my head to swat at the air conditioner continuously to turn it off....all of which I slept right through. I guess that is not too surprising. It is a shame he did not get there any sooner because when I woke up...I was no longer Outback Healthy. Coughing and congested we headed to the airport ready to begin our adventure further west!! Next stop: PERTH!!
Day 1: The flight to perth was an amusing one as Rachel and I remained delirious from our previous days of traveling and early wake ups. To our surprise again, Qantas fed us lunch on the way to Perth. With this flight I was more suprised that they chose to feed us lunch than they were feeding us at all considering our flight took off at 10. But I suppose it was a 3 hour flight? Even though when we landed it was 2 hrs earlier in Perth. When they came around with the ham and cheese sandwhiches at Rachel's suggestion, even though I was not hungry, I asked the flight attendent if they had a vegetarian option. He asked me if I had ordered one I told him I did not know that this was an option becase upon purchasing our tickets we were never told of any meals- all true. So he walks away saying he'll see what he can do. A few minutes later he comes back, pushes my call button and walks away again. Another few minutes later I different flight attendent comes up asking how can she help me. At this point a huge deal has already been made about a meal I am not at all hungry for but she is staring at me like I am crazy so I tell her another flight attendent pushed my call button but I was wondering if there was any way to get a vegetarian option. She huffs off and comes back with a different sandwhich, still looking like nothing I will eat, giving me a lecture on how this is a "premo" option and next time I really ought to let them know 48 hours in advance. Needless to say...I was still not hungry at 11 am for lunch and as soon as we arrived in Perth, the sandwhich was dumped into WA's custom's rubbish bins. Its weird here how different states here have entirely different regulations on what foods can and cannot be brought into the state. The remainder of the day was pretty uneventful as Rachel and I were both decreasing in health as the day went on.
We checked in to our hostel with ease and tried our best to look through all the travel brochures the hostel could provide to plan out the rest of our time there, something we had not done before arriving! With a tour successfully booked for Friday to head north to the pinnacles dessert we head out into the city to treat ourselves to Sex and the City 2. We kept our fingers crossed that the tiny nearby theater would have it playing and we were in luck. At 6, we sat down for the movie, planning to eat when it was over. Little did we know that everything in Perth closes at 9 and by the time we were out of the movie we were out of luck for food!! This left us stuck eating in our hostel bar- the same place where we had eaten lunch. Had the menu had much variety to it this would have been a very cheap and convenient option...however this was not the case and my lasanga only left me feeling more nauseas than I was already feeling at that time. But with the location of our meal atleast we were able to call it an early night once again...hoping we would be recovered the next day and ready to explore the city!Day 2: Unfortunately the next day...regardless of the fact that I got about 12 hours of sleep for the first time since I left America [that is since the plane ride from LA to Australia!?] I woke up only feeling worse. However, I was not going to let this stop me from seeing the city. We head out for lunch in the Northbridge area, the location of the city rumored to house all of the city's restaurants and bars. Once again I was shocked to see how many places were closed at such odd times of the day! How do any of these places make any money?! Or maybe they don't and they are actually all closed for good?! Whatever the reason it made food rather difficult on this trip...not that food in this country had ever been too easy I suppose, but I had been getting used to east coast eateries I suppose. Anyways, after too much walking we finally found a small italian place where I was able to get delicious minestrone soup and a side of vegetables in pesto. The soup felt amazing on my throat and I wished it was a bottomless bowl. Unfortunately it was not...meaning it was time to keep walking. We headed back towards the heart of town in search of the Perth Mint- rumored to be a highlight attraction of the town. After watching a gold pouring and taking a "tour"...I am not exactly sure what the hype is all about. It was cool to see gold be melted and poured I supposed, but the part making it most worthwhile was to finally see an Australian penny, something I had become curious about upon paying for things and realizing I could never have exact change based on the coin system they have and that I was being ripped off a cent! If anyone has a fair explanation for this...let me know. With my penny knowledge fulfilled we headed over towards the water to get a closer look at Perth's bell tower. We had missed our last opportunity of the day to get our own chance at ringing the bells, but seeing them up close was plenty excitement! After snapping our happy snaps we walked the path along the water hoping if we continued along it it would take us to Kings Park, a location in Perth rumored to have great views of the city skyline and a must do. After the last rumored "must-do" turned out to be a bust I was a little skeptical at the true need to venture so far along this past, especially at the rate we were going, we were getting lost, in the dark, and fast. Apparently this old couple saw how lost and hopeless we were about to become as well and they stopped their leisurely stroll along the path and asked us where we were looking to go. We responded that we weren't really sure and the man's immediate response was that you MUST go to king's park! He began to give us directions and then just as quickly changed his mind and decided that him and his wife were headed that way and to follow them. And so we joined the older couple's walk, trading information about our lives and hearing alomst everything about his.
The man was very eager to tell us all he knew about Perth as well as share what he knew about Australia. It was not until the very end of the walk that he introduced us to his silent wife, when he felt the need to tell us that she was Korean. Yet despite all the personal family information he shared with us, it was not until Rachel asked how he and his wife met that he decided that that was an "awkard question" and stopped sharing. It was very weird and the wife was clearly trying to get rid of us as she kept trying to step forward and give us directions to continue on. And so we said our goodbyes to our new friend and headed off to Kings Park. In all the talk of the park noone had warned of the hill that had to be walked to reach the top and I was in for a nice workout. But when we reached the top as the sun was setting it became worth it for the view of the sunset on one side and the city skylights lighting up over the water on the other side. Again happy snaps were snapped and then it was back down the hill in search of dinner before the clock struck 9 and the city shut down. On our way back we past this building that looked very colonial amongst the modern city. We decided to check it out and saw that it was labeled Old London and was in fact a whole street of stores with this same old fashioned look. Rachel was convinced it was Diagon Alley from Harry Potter. I had had no idea that this was a city highlight until wandering around a gift shop later in the evening and seeing it all over the postcards. Glad we stumbled upon it! Dinner that night was chicken terriyki and miso soup in case you were wondering- miso soup...great on the throat! And then back to bed to get up super early the next morning [you cant tell we were wild animals in Perth!]Day 3:Today it was off to the Pinnacles. We woke up bright and early, showered [in the downstairs bathroom as the one conveniently located across the hall from our room was being renovated until our last day-- thanks YHA!], and head out to the tour's meeting location 2 blocks away. On the walk we stopped in Crossiant Express for a delicious latte and cinnamon bun [made out of a crossiant of course!] then it was time to wait outside the meeting place in the freezing cold [40 degrees] for our late tour bus. Waiting with us were the drivers of the other tours who got us excited as they were very nice, silly old men. However, the second ours arrived and opened his mouth to explain the day, this excitement went down the drain. Already looking around our tour it was far from the demographics of younger travelers we had thought we had signed up on a trip with. And our driver, Kieth, was far from an appealing man to listen to for a full day. However, we tried to take this all with stride and laugh it off in the Australian way. This became easy as our first stop took me right up to my favorite thing...KOALAS! If I could start every day staring at koalas I would be a very happy girl. I just cant help giggle looking at them...kinda like when kangaroos jump...or ducks bob their butts in the water [all things that make my giggle]. This wildlife park stuck us in a room where koalas where just crawling all around everywhere- every right at our feet. I had never seen them so active before- nor so close [aside from when I got to hold one!]. It was very fun until we were rushed along.
The lady at the wildlife park was constantly yelling at Rachel and I to "hurry along girls" in a voice as if we were two year olds. She was probably a few years younger than us so this was pretty amusing. Next it was on to the kangaroos. This wildlife park had white kangaroos too which I had never seen before and they were very silly to look at. Apparently they are not found in the wild and are only bred in wildlife parks...but they wanted us to be absolutely clear that they are not albino kangaroos- i repeat they are NOT albino! Lastly we were rushed on to see the wombat. By see a wombat I really mean we got to sit next to a lady holding the wombat and have our picture taken with her [and the wombat] and then later look at this picture, thus SEEING the wombat! That is how fast this whole trip through the wildlife park went. I guess as the pinnacles are very far outside of perth they wanted to incorporate stops in the trip to make it more exciting but in reality there is not enough time in the day to truly be having all these stops. And so we were shoved back on the bus and headed back on the road. Our next rushed stop was to an old fishing town for lunch. Here we got a drive by tour of the town, in which Kieth pointed to the Indian Ocean, and then stopped at a little road shop where he set up lunch. After giving us full instructions on how we were to go about the table in clockwise fashion we started our meal....which appeared to be containers of leftovers. A very odd meal. But after we finished the man's leftovers it was finally time to see the Pinnacles. The pinnacles are limestone rock formations covering this desert area in Western Australia. When we got there Kieth began to lead us in a walk through the desert. Yet in his usual fashion this walk was at warped speed, leaving no time for pictures. This was not going to work for Rachel and I and we broke off from the group to explore for ourselves. Thanks to our Outback skills we were able to manage on our own and not get stranded in the desert, meeting Kieth back at the bus promtly on time and ready to head out to his next destination! To our delight, this stop was the Indian Ocean. Really- it was a bathroom stop and place for Kieth to let air out of his tires before hitting the sand dunes, but as Rachel was anxious to stick her feet in the water of the Indian Ocean we took off. At first I was reluctant to stick my feet in the water, not wanted to get my feet all sandy knowing I still had a long day in sneakers a head of me. But when else would I have another chance to stick my feet in the Indian Ocean?! I clearly gave in. 
It all worked out as before long we were back on even more sand as Kieth raced our bus along the sand dunes. We had a few scary moments there where I did not think the vehicle was going to make it out. But all was ok in the end and he eventually stopped our thrill ride to let everyone out to sand board. As we had already done a much more exciting version of this on Moreton Island, Rachel and I opted out of this activity, hanging back to take pictures on the beautiful scenery...and everyone else sandboarding instead. Before long- because no activity can be too quick!- it was time for the long drive home. By the end of the day I was very ready to get back into bed and crash for the night, once again hoping to feel better in the morning. Day 4: For our final day in Perth we were off for a wine tour of the Swan Valley, a town right outside Perth known for its vineyards. We started the morning with a cruise along the swan river. On the cruise we received coffee and a muffin and began our wine tasting bright and early. It was a great to be able to see the city from a new view, and nice that we were able to combine the boat cruise that we had wanted to do with the wine tour we had signed up with. The boat workers were very entertaining and it was a great way to start the day.
All too soon the boat reached the first vineyard, where we would be getting off to meet our wine tour with Pink Bus. Our tour director met us at the dock and introduced us to the rest of the group- 2 groups, 25 & 28 yrs old and a 70 yr old couple. This made for very silly dynamics throughout the day and it was a great group to get to know, especially as they were all from the Melbourne area! Throughout the day we went to 4 wineries, a brewery, a coffee factory, and a chocolate factory. Talking with the group throughout the day I learned so much more about Australia and it was great to have so much time with more Australians from different areas of the country. In talking to them it made it easier to see how much I have actually learned in traveling. The more I travel the easier it has become to have conversations with the people I meet, comparing and contrasting things I did not even know to be a difference until they were no longer in front of me anymore. It is very cool how the world has come to seem so much bigger and so much smaller with every place I go! By the end of the day, while we had big plans to stay out, we were way too tired to see these through and we slowly made our way back towards our hostel- hoping to get hungry before the 9 o'clock mark. Eventually we settled in at a sushi restaurant, where miso soup was only $0.50 :) And then...you guessed it...back to bed! Well actually- not quite. As we had ended up having our four person room to ourselves for our whole time in perth we had some repacking and cleaning to do before we would be ready to leave for our early flights the next morning. With us this was a very silly task but it all got done and THEN it was time to put an end to our trip to the west! 
Day 5: Travel day went by pretty uneventfully although it should be noted that when a cab is called for two passengers to the airport sending a cab whose trunk is full is probablyyyy not the best idea. This baffled me....as did the $1.5 booking fee we had to pay because YHA called for us. But you gotta do what you gotta do. And from there we were off with out a hitch. Unless you call me sitting in the middle seat for a 5 hr plane ride a hitch?! The poor lady next to me certainly would seeing as she cringed every time I blew my nose...aka every 5 seconds. Sorry lady. I also had to pay $5 for a Cup of Noodles soup. Qantas feeds you too much, Virgin feeds you not enough. But 3 boxes of tissue later, we made it back to the Gold Coast, ate dinner and were back home by 830 pm with the time change- a long day of traveling cross country!
This trip has been the highlight of my experience in Australia so far. I got the experience to interact with so many Australians and learned so much about the culture of both mainstream Australian life as well as Aboriginal culture. The outback was so unique to any trip I had taken up until now and I think it is such a shame more people do not take the time while they are here to step outside their comfort zones and explore this area of Australia. Even though most of the Australian population lives on the coast, the majority of the land in Australia is the Outback and I therefore think it is very important in being here to get a chance to experience it, just as much as seeing the rainforest and the beach. I am very thankful to have gotten this opportunity to have had such an amazing trip [not that all my other trips haven't made me just as greatful- no worries!!!]
And with that...I am off to Fiji tomorrow morning! I clearly was in much need of a vacation!! No No...in all seriousness...It really has just gotten too way too cold here in Australia for me- can't live without my warmth anymore...not sure how I am going to handle Madison winters anymore if I am calling 65 freezing. EEK! Ha whatever the real reason...my bags are packed, and I'm off :) Back on the 24th for my final 5 days in Australia!!!!!!!
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