Alice to Adelaide: Heading South

Tour Day 3:

The third day of our tour started with a long lie, the sun was actually up before I stepped outside the tent! The rain had stopped sometime during the night leaving large puddles behind which I side stepped on my way to breakfast, grateful I didn’t need my umbrella to get there. Once everyone was up and about and had eaten we cleared away the breakfast things, loaded up the trailer and were soon on the bus again off to out next adventure. Our destination this time was a mining town called Cooper Pedy via another important aboriginal site known to us as the breakaways. Australia is ancient. The hills and mountains have been eroded to their present size and the long gone seas have left deposits which have solidified and been eroded by weather and tectonic movement giving the seemingly endless landscape stunning features such as Uluru, Kings Canyon, Kata Tjutu and now this vast area broken up by once again similar yet different features. Unlike the previous sites we didn’t venture down in to them but admired them from above (taking the obligatory million photographs of course) until it was time to get back on the bus and finish the drive to Cooper Pedy. On the way there  we were split in to two groups and informed that we would be set challenges along the way to Adelaide and the team with the most points at the end would get a prize. Sadly as the last to get on the bus my friend and I were separated by a German couple and we ended up on separate teams. Though this worked out quite well for me as at least all of my team spoke fluent English!

After unloading the trailer our first stop was at tour of the one of the many mines in the small town. We started with a film explaining the history of the town and how it came to its current incarnation. The main feature and attraction of the town after the opals is that it is mostly underground. After the second world war the men who returned head to Cooper Pedy to make their fortune. As there were no trees for miles around the ex-soldiers, used to building trenches, simply dug in to the hillsides and made their homes there. These days the residents use machinery but living underground is still the predominant way of life there.  After the film we were shown how opals are cut and polished from their rough state in to the stone we see in the stores. Next we were taken underground to see a basic hand mined room that showed how the original settlers lived before being shown a modern setup which looked a lot like a any other home except for the lack of windows. We walked from the house through some tunnels where we were given a short talk on current mining methods and shown a seam of opal in the rock. A quick look round the shop and cultural centre and it was back to our accommodations for lunch. Like much of the town out hostel was built in to one of the hills making it a very different hostel than any I had staying in before.

 

Post lunch we were given a quick tour of the town including an underground church and the coolest grave ever before stopping at a lookout point and getting a good overview of the town. Tour over some of us stopped by the public noodling area to look through the waste rock for small opals. I was a bit sceptical but it was surprisingly addictive and we found many pretty rocks but no big opals, though our guide did find a small one worth cutting and polishing. Noodling is dirty work so I was glad we had time for a shower before our pizza dinner, especially as we wouldn;t have to do any prep, cooking or clearing up ourselves for once. Usually dinner signals the end of the days activities but not this time. After dinner we were taken to Josephine’s Gallery where we saw some pretty good aboriginal art work and didgeridoos. Josephine’s isn’t just a gallery though it is also a Kangaroo orphanage. They take in orphaned Joeys and bring them back to health before releasing them to the wild or into one of the many sanctuaries in the country. We were fortunate enough to meet some of the orphans who for whatever reason wouldn’t survive in the wild and a couple of new arrivals that they hoped to release once they were well enough to survive on their own.  As if all this wasn’t enough we then had the added bonus of being taken out to a shooting range and I had my first attempt at using a shot gun. I am pleased to say I hit two of the clay pigeons though I am sure it was blind luck not skill both times and am even more please to say that our highest scorer was a fellow scot! 

                                                                

Tour Day 4:

Day four was a day of driving. We were up with the sun and left Cooper Pedy shortly after 8am to head south once more. We did stop at the flying doctor run way and attempted to land our own paper planes across it but the wind had other ideas. The direction of the wind meant that most of them went sideways rather than across the road! My team had the ingenious idea of scrunching up one of the planes and throwing it though so we won the challenge for which team got a plane furthest across the road. We passed through Glendambo which had the most interesting population sign I have seen yet and stopped at Lake Hart; one of the smaller dry salt pans it seemed to stretch for miles in to the distance. We stopped for lunch at Woomera where I earned some bonus points for my team by drinking a small sup of salad dressing before checking out the nearby birds. After lunch we stopped to look at some old rockets and planes as the town has it’s own rocket range. Woomera is a strange town. It has a tiny population yet it has a baseball field and oval that are kept in excellent repair and though many building look deserted there is evidence that people still live and work their though we only saw a handful of people whilst we were passing through, It’s easy to see why it could be the object of more than one conspiracy theory! After lunch we had a quick look at the rockets and planes on display nearby then it was back to the bus and on to our home for the next two nights, an old converted Mill in a place called Quorn. Once there we were given a break from meal duties as a tour going North were also going to be there for the same two nights so they took cooked and cleaned giving us a much appreciated break. After a day in the bus it was nice to spend the evening relaxing outside with a cold cider before getting an early night as we had a busy day ahead of us the next day. We had agreed to fit the last two day tour in to one so that we could stop at some wineries on the way in to Adelaide!

Alice to Adelaide: The Red Centre

Alice Springs:

On arriving in Alice Springs the first thing that I noticed was the heat. I had been warm in Queensland but that was nothing compared to the heat I was now experiencing. Thankfully my time in Queensland has instilled good habits in me. I was sure to drink plenty of water and my first purchase was a white sun hat to replace the one I had left in Queensland.

We arrived early in the afternoon and therefore had a few hours before we could check into our hostel. Whilst the receptionist informed my friend of the town layout and recommended a place for lunch I took the opportunity to change from my jeans in to my shorts. All set we headed into town for some dim sim and lychee tea. As we had an action packed week ahead of us my UK friend headed back to the hostel for a well deserved rest where as I wanted to explore the town whilst I could. The receptionist told my friend about a good lookout point called Anzac Hill so I headed that way stopping to purchase my hat on the way. The town was small but bustling with tourists and even some locals.  It was lovely to walk through it on my way to the lookout point. Once there it was a short walk up the hill and the view was worth the climb. I took many photos of the gorgeous surroundings then headed back to the hostel in the hopes of checking in and getting a shower. Once these tasks had been achieved my friend and I had an early dinner at the hostel bar before retiring to our room as we were up before the sun the next day.

Tour Day 1:

Early start for a 4:45am pick up. Our bus was late due to a computer error which meant our guide didn’t know where to pick us up until it was fixed. We were a wee bit worried but a quick phone call soon put us at ease. We signed into the tour with three other tourists then it was on to Kings Canyon in Watarrka national park.  On the way to the canyon we got our first glimpse of some Aussie camels at our first pit stop and then some lunch  at our second. Lunch was prepared by all of us under the supervision of our guide. Once at the canyon everyone on the bus chose to do the longer hour walk along the top of the canyon instead of the shorter walk along the canyon floor. It was hard work but worth it for the spectacular views. Unfortunately my UK friend slipped and hurt her ankle but she soldiered on and we finished the walk within the allotted time. Thankfully it was then time to get back on our lovely air conditioned bus for the drive to the camp site. Dinner like lunch was prepared by all of us and followed by a discussion of the activities for the following day and demonstration on how to roll and unroll a swag. We then cleared up the dinner things and after a quick shower it was another early night but this time under the stars! I have never been so glad to wear 24/7 contact lenses. I woke up in the middle of the night and there was Orion, upside down and clear as anything. It was pretty awesome.

Tour Day 2:

Our second day started with another early morning as we had a lot to fit in to our day. We started our day by driving a viewing platform near Uluru in the hopes of seeing sunrise over the rock but bush fires over the previous few days meant that the air was hazy and we were disappointed. Though the photography opportunity was not as impressive as it could be the haziness gave the rock a mystical look making my first look at Uluru more impressive than I expected. After the sun was well and truly up (even though we still couldn't see it) we drove to Uluru and walked around the base. Climbing Uluru is allowed but the Aboriginals dislike it as for them it is a deeply spiritual act which should only be attempted by elder men who have proven themselves worthy. There was no way I was going to attempt to climb it due to my low level of fitness but even if I was abler I am not sure that I would. I can understand why it was such a spiritual place to the aboriginals and I wouldn't attempt it just to say I had done it. On arriving at the start of the base walk we discovered that the climbing path was closed so my unfitness and opinions of climbing were immaterial. My main impressions of Uluru were that it was smaller than I thought it would be yet more interesting. At some points on the walk it towered over us at others the side gently climbed away from us towards the sky. We were privileged to hear the basic versions of one of the many creation stories associated with Uluru before we started on the walk and as I looked at it I could see why there would be so many. It wasn’t hard to see shapes an images in the rocks face and easier yet to understand why upon seeing Uluru the aboriginals would see the associated stories. I only wish that we were privy to more of them.

After visiting Uluru we were taken to another important aboriginal site Kata Tjuta, known also as the Olgas. Sadly my UK friends ankle prevented her from attempting the full base walk at Uluru but she managed to walk round the most interesting quarter of it and once at Kata Tjuta she also made it to the end of the small trail that wound between two of the massive rocks. I kept my pace slow to keep her company and used the opportunity to take many more photos of the rocks which were formed in a similar yet different way to Uluru giving the landscape a much difference appearance. Fortunately for my friends ankle it was as short walk and we were soon back on the bus and heading to meet our next our group and bus. On the way to swap buses it started to rain. We had been told the previous day that there had been a higher than usual amount of rain but it was still something to see it for ourselves especially as an impressive lightening storm accompanied it.

We had a short break away from the bus whilst our bags were swapped over and the buses refuelled. We had been warned that our next guide was a bit larger than life and we were soon able to experience this for ourselves as within the first hour on the bus he was throwing chocolate to us and playing games with us. Us newbies were also given paper, pens and stickers and told to make name signs for above our seats. We were also all convinced to hand over some form of ID as we were soon to cross from the Northern Territory to Southern Australia. Hindsight is a wonderful thing and I am sure you will be unsurprised to find out that the ID was for our guides amusement. ID in hand he then had us all line up and step across the border together before returning our ID to us. Border crossed we then crossed back and got on the bus and crossed it again. On crossing the border it started to rain again and this time instead if a short storm it was evident that it was there to stay. On arriving at our camp site we hurried inside and after storing our possessions in the nearby permanent tents started making dinner. With twice as many people the task we divided in to those who prepared diner and those who cleared up. It was nice to have to only do half the work and a great opportunity to get to know the members of our new group especially as we had a later start the next morning so didn’t have to rush off to bed. Though sleeping in a tent wasn't as good as sleeping under the starts with all that rain I was glad of the shelter and am pleased to report that even with the inferior scenery I slept just as well as I had the previous night

Melbourne with a Friend

The morning of the arrival of my UK friend I got up at the same time as my Aussie friend to say goodbye and thank her for the space on her couch. I then packed my bag up once more and headed into town and the hotel where my UK friend and I would be staying. I wasn’t there long before she arrived and put her bags in to storage. It was another sunny day so we took advantage of the weather and walked over to the Botanical Gardens. On the way we stopped by the impressive St Paul’s Cathedral across from Federation Square. Once at the Botanic Gardens we strolled along catching up on each others news for a while until we came to the Garden Cafe where we stopped for lunch and a scone. After our tasty treat we decided to return to the hotel to check in. We had a lazy walk back and once we were settled in it was time for an early dinner of sushi and sashimi at one of Melbournes many sushi restaurants. It was then back to the hotel as my friend had had a very long day having just arrived in the country.

On Saturday we crossed the road the Melbourne Goal for the much lauded Gaol & Watch house experience. The gaol was small so they made the tour interesting by having information about inmates and the living conditions in the early years of settlement. They also had a short play acting out the life story of the infamous Ned Kelly as told though his, his mothers and his acquaintances point of view. It was well done and quite entertaining especially as for me at least it was unexpected. After spending a good few hours reading all the information in the goal we headed to the watch house. Here we were given cards with ex-prisoners details on them. Some of the group were asked their name and crime as writing on the card. We were then ‘processed’ and taken through to the holding cells. After a quick visual inspection to ensure we weren’t carrying any contraband we were led to a holding cell where we sat for a few minutes in the dark getting a feel for how the prisoners must have felt at night. We were given a few minutes in the holding cell area then taken to exercise area which thankful was now roofed over as we could hear the rain on the roof. From there we were taken to the women’s area and again left to look around for a few minutes. The experience finished with a chance to take our own mug shots. Though the day was fun and entertaining I would only recommend it if you are particularly interested in jails, Ned Kelly or it’s raining and you’ve already visited all the other inside attractions. My UK friend was still tired after her long flight so we headed back to the hotel where she had a quick nap before we got dinner in the hotel bar. The rugby was on but the game was fairly uninspiring so I gave up at the start of the second half. My friend had retired to our room straight after dinner but I found she was watching the game in bed so I ended up watching it until the end after all.  It was then time for another early night as we had plans for the next day.

The previous day I had booked tickets for the King Tut exhibit at the Melbourne museum. We were there for nice and early so that we could get as much as possible out of the exhibition and museum. The exhibition was really interesting as there were artefacts from his ancestor’s time as well as from King Tut’s own grave. We had decided to take the audio tour and it was worth the small amount extra for the added information given by an interesting voice. After the exhibition we investigated the permanent exhibits in the museum. Downstairs there were the usual rocks and dinosaur fossils but also a 3-D film on volcanic activity which was pretty cool. Upstairs was a little different. They had an exhibition detailing the progress of Melbourne since the first settlers landed in the 1800s.  There was also an exhibition exploring the mind and the little we know about it. Between these there was enough to keep us busy until the museum closed. Aft6er getting a quick dinner we were once more back at the hotel. This time it was me who really wanted to get back as I had to finish packing a box of stuff to send over to Perth the next day.

Our last day in Melbourne was spent at Healesville sanctuary so my friend could see some native Australian wildlife. The day started with a quick trip to the post office then it was on to the railway station and we were on our way to the sanctuary. Although I have seen many of the animals before the Sanctuary was still a fun experience. We were able to visit their hospital and see some of the new borns as well as learn about how they take care of the sick animals. The surroundings were beautiful and once more my camera got a good work out. I was also excited to see not one platypus but four swimming about playfully. The echidnas were also being very active until a volunteer tried to feeed the neighbouring wallabies at which point they went into hiding which was also very cute. My friend took the opportunity to get up close to some dingos but I was happy to watch from afar and be snap happy once more.

After we had seen al there was to see at the sanctuary we went into Healesville itself for a delicious dinner at Giant Steps/Innocent Bystander. The wine was also enjoyable but we couldn’t stay as we had to catch a bus back to the city and get back to the hotel for another early night. As much as I loved Melbourne my time there was over for now as we had a 5am start the next day so we could get a flight up to Alice Springs for our six day tour, the highlight and main reason for my friends visit.

Thoughts from the Treasury Gardens, Melbourne

I miss my friends, I really do. I would love to go to the Hogs in Aberdeen, Huddies in E.K. or the Slug and Lettuce in York for a night out with my friends. I miss inviting myself to dinner and sharing wine whilst watching Strictly or a film. I  miss being able to pick up the phone and talk to them. I miss my family. I miss my daily hugs from my mountain friends and hanging out in the Railway Square YHA common room in Sydney. Yet right here and right now I am happy. Sitting in the treasury gardens by myself knowing there is nowhere I need to be. No-one I need to report to. Nothing I need to do. Well, except buy cake on my way back to my friends apartment. I am happy in my own company.

I worry about this sometimes. I love my friends, worry about them, care for them and am happy when good things come their way but I am okay about the fact I am not always there to share those moments with them. Does this mean I don’t care as much as I should? Is it grief that has made me this way? I built my world around one person and I thought that they would always be there. I was wrong. Maybe that makes me scared to care too much, too deeply, to dependently. Am I scared to love?

I don’t want anyone to depend on me. I don’t want to be anyone persons all and everything. I want to travel. I like meeting new people and discovering new places. To live like this I need to let people go. I’m getting good at letting people go never knowing if I’ll see them again or not. Am I cold? Or am I just practical?

Yet.

Whereas my first six months was about meeting new people and discovering new friendships my second six months are shaping up quite differently. I’m in Melbourne spending time with two very different friends. One I met whilst travelling in the USA last year and one from my time in the snow. Before Melbourne I returned to Sydney specifically to see some friends from my first six weeks in Australia and some different friends from the snow. Tomorrow a friend from the UK arrives, my second UK friend in fact. Once she leaves I shall be meeting yet more friends from the snow before heading to the west coast to stay with family.

I’m still seeing new places and meeting new people but mow they are friends of friends not randoms. It’s nice. It gives me hope that despite my worries of not being there for my friends I can still be their friend. I sometimes feel bad that I had to come half way across the world to get to know myself, to work out who and what I am. I know it’s hard to understand as I’m only now beginning to comprehend it for myself.

The thing is I’m somewhat of a wiki friend. I’ll be whatever my friends need me to be. Not on purpose, it’s just who I am. I tend to understand and I think it’s fair to say I have a decent amount if empathy. I like that I can make people feel better. I want to support my friends I but I couldn’t do it anymore. I couldn’t be there for them and figure out what I wanted and how I wanted to live my life. I had to walk away from everyone else’s opinions, ideas, morals, ethics, thoughts, emotions, hopes and ideals because there were too many. Not one of my friends would impose any of this on me I just absorb it switching between them like a chameleon changes it’s skin. I found myself falling back in to this habit when I was in the mountains. I think I do it because it helps me to understand other people, which is fine up to a point. What I am trying to learn is where my centre is so I can still see where my friends are at but return to me. Having said that I don’t want my ‘centre’ to be fixed. I need it to be flexible but the changes to it have to be considered. Not this flitting from one place to the next as is my habit.

When I arrived here I felt tired and older than my years. Now I feel young. I am uncertain. I am unsure. I do not know what tomorrow will bring and it doesn’t bother me. I have half a dozen ‘homes’; not places that belong to me but places where I belong. My friends are my extended family. I love them and I miss them but I know they are always going to be there for me. They might not understand my wandering but they accept it as part of who I am.

 When I arrived I hated that I was no longer the world to one person but now I realise that as no one person is my world either and that makes me free. I know my friends are taking care of each other. There is not one friend I can think of and not think of at least one person who is there for them that they can always count on and I know that just because that person isn’t me it doesn’t mean they love me any less. They simply do not need me there and that is a gift I am fortunate to receive many times over.

When I first told people what I was going to do some though that I was running away. Maybe in part I was but now I am sure I was also running towards. I knew I needed this. I’m not afraid to love. More than one person has found space in my heart since I got here; joining the many friends and family I left behind. I’m not afraid to stay. If I’m needed somewhere I’ll stay as long as I am needed. But I love to travel. I love to explore new places. My grief is the same as it ever was but my jar is certainly bigger and I look forward to discovering how big I can make it. It will never be so big that my grief is lost. I would still swap this life for my old one in a heartbeat. But I can’t. And somewhere in the last six months I have started to accept that this is my life and that in this way I can live it, just as Jonathan would want me to.