Welcome to Neverland

So just as flights don't always work out, plans along the way don't always pan out the way we want. Unfortunately our tribal experience was cancelled and we were forced to remain in the urban jungle instead. Amy injured her foot pretty badly and was unable to walk and Katie and I just didn't feel right about leaving her. We were all pretty devastated and have decided to never talk about it again. So there, that's it. The rest of the week has by far made up for it though so lets turn our attention to better things.

A, K and I took our 2 day trip to Fitzroy island where we got our intro to scuba diving course in none other than Sharkfin Bay. Are you intrigued? Wow, what an experience. It was one of the most uncomfortable feelings I've ever felt having to artificially breath. I wasn't sure I could do it, while the two others were totally gung-ho (I've never had to spell that before). Well, in the end I gave myself a good talking to and was able to finally relax. Unfortunately K and A realized they were unable to do it. So, it was just the instructor and I. He took me by the hand and we just flew down. All I kept thinking the whole time was "we're like Peter Pan and Wendy and we're flying over Neverland". It was the most surreal thing I've ever done. We would fly at full speed toward a bright coral wall then at the last second he would pull me up and we would fly up parallel to the wall, then nose dive right back down the other side. I've never seen colours like this in my life. I actually started to get misty eyed, then I realized my goggles had fogged up, so I rinsed them and I was fine.

In the evenings Fitzroy Island clears out and only a few people stay over night. We were 3 of them. There were about 15 of us all together and we sat around like a bunch of Lost Boys on this deserted island and had a big prawn on the barbie dinner. One of the guys had a guitar and blew everyone away with how good he was. Turns out he's Cheryl Crow's guitarist who just got off an 18 month European tour with her and needed some down time, so headed to Fitzroy Island for a bit of seclusion. Well he got it, and Amy, Katie and I got a place to stay in Melbourne for 2 months after Christmas. He has an empty house there that he's offerd to us free of charge because he knows what it's like to be a traveller and frankly, he's loaded. How do these situations find me?

Back to Cairns to catch our bus and start heading down the coast. No, we hadn't actually started our "planned" trip yet. I guess this is what travelling is all about. Our bus driver was named B.C. and was an absolute riot! He LOVES Canada and turns out he travelled in Ireland with a girl I used to work with! He took us to a crocodile farm where I saw the largest croc I ever could have imagined! It was a LOAD OF CROC! *shuddder* We actually thought it was fake! I kept listening for ticking coming from his stomach. We also fed kangaroos, I held a huge snake (actaully had it wrapped around my body!) and saw the cassowary, the man-eating turkey which is actaully 5 feet tall, not 3, in captivity. Now you know why we were scared in that jungle! Next, we went to this incredible waterfall that was used in a scene of Preditor or something. Are you impressed? We swam in glacial-like waters (freezing!) but it was worth it to say we did. So....yeah, we did.

Okay, some intersting facts I've learned. Ahem! The Banana is the largest herb in the world, but you cannot smoke it. Trust me, I tried. Sugar Cane is the second largest grass in the world, bamboo being the first. There, now you can impress your friends.

On to Mission Beach where the water was like a bath, but we weren't allowed to swim without a stinger suit because jelly fish season just started. Seriously, forget the sharks and crocs, the jelly fish are the deadliest things in that big blue sea. Next, to Magnetic Island. Absolutely stunning! We arrived in the evening and went sea kayaking until the sunset. I'm just about as good at kayaking as I am at any other sport. Those of you who know me understand. Katie is just as good as I am so we weren't so much paddling the water as we were paddling each other. It was like an oceanic version of gladiator. We were both lucky not to be knocked out of the boat by the other. From afar we must have looked like some enormous sea turtle stuck on it's back with it's legs flailing in the air. We finally parked the kayak on the beach and using it as a surf board, decided to catch some waves instead. I can hear all the serious kayakers gasping.

When we pulled into the hostel, there were a bunch of little pink and white "barbie" convertable cars that had pink fuzzy seats and were covered in silver stars, parked outside to rent for island driving. They were hilarious and we wanted one so badly! That evening the bar attached to the hostel put on this game called the "Topless Quiz" that the whole hostel participated in. Basically it involed a few rounds of trivia and a physical challenge where we all had to run around like idiots. I'd probably be doing that any. Out of 8 teams, ours won and what did we win? Are you ready for this? A "Topless" car for the day! We had won one of the convertables!!!! B.C. said it was the first time his team had ever won! What are the chances? Unfortunately most of the others had to leave the next so the car was left to 6 of us who split the car for half the day each. Can I just tell you how much fun we had! 3 girls flying around this island along the coast in this barbie car with a big stuffed horse sitting in the back seat in a Hawaiian shirt (our mascot Nelly), the music blaring, the sun shining and all for free! We were on a high for about 3 days after. That night Amy and I went night swimming (sans stinger suits). We won't go sky diving but we'll do something far more dangerous. It was fine. No one had actually seen any yet. Besides, what's the fun if you don't take risks?

After a few crazy days, we decided to kick it down a notch and head to Airlie Beach to relax for a couple days before our big sailing excursion we'd planned. This is a chilled out little town where it seems as though every single person here is between 18 and 30. It's like a big summer camp! We met up with some guy friends from before and decided to go fishing by the bay. For 2 hours the guys caught not a thing so decided to go for lunch and leave the rods with us. Basically they baited them and left them sitting beside us on the grass. Within minutes of them leaving, one of the rods starts to tug. Katie picked it up and after almost being dragged into the water, two fishermen ran over and hawled out our catch. What was it? A FREAKING SHARK! A 3 1/2 foot shovel head shark! We all just went hysterical, jumping up and down and screaming at the top of our lungs! Forget the shark, we were the ones drawing the crowd. We called the guys on their phone and they wouldn't come back because they didn't believe us! We finally had to put it back and all the evidence that was left were the 300 pictures I snapped off. They were SO gutted! On top of that, they didn't catch one more thing for the rest of the day!Ha! Boys.

For the last 3 days, Amy, Katie, and I, as well as 22 others became members of the crew of the S.V. Whitehaven, this beautiful little ship, and sailed the ocean blue. I have found my calling! From the moment we stepped foot on this boat I was on cloud nine. Throughout the 3 days we had 5 snorkelling expedition where we got to wear our incredibly flattering Star Trek stinger suits and caps. Beam me down Scotty! The fish and coral weren't like anything we'd seen before. It was like a big bubbly, spikey, florescent munchkin land down there. Toto, we're not in Cairns anymore. We saw sharks, sea turtles, dolphins, rays and more kinds of fish than I could possibly descibe! We also went on an inland hike to what is rated the second most beautiful beach in the entire world. You wouldn't believe the beauty. On our way through the bush, Andy, the "crazy" crew member told us all to grab one of the bright green transluscent ants off a tree and to put it bluntly, lick it's behind. It tasted like lime cordial!! They're full of citric acid! The aboriginies actually put them in food to add flavour. Just weird!

The evenings on the ship were just as good. The crew and passengers all became friends instantly. There wasn't a bad apple in the bunch. Just a bunch of amazing people from all parts of the world out to have a good time. We laughed and drank and played hilarious games across the deck that Rob the cook had come up with, and everybody got involved. The crew said it was the best group they've ever had! I'd believe it. I have to say though that the best part of my entire 2 month trip was sleeping out on the deck. I know I keep saying that the lastest thing I've done is the best, but this blew everything else out of the water. Ha! OUT OF THE WATER! I'm funny. We grabbed our mattresses out of the cabin and pulled them out on the deck under the stars. Just picture waking up in the middle of the night in the middle of the ocean where the only sounds are the soft creaking of the ship and the water lapping against it. All you can see is the huge mast above you swaying back and forth underneath a sky so packed with stars that you can hardly see the sky, and all you can feel is the gentle rocking of the boat and the warm breeze against your face. Sigh.... By going on this trip, I've also found the cure for any bout of homesickness I might have been experiencing. It just got swept away in the wind. The whole way back to shore everyone just sat around with their legs hanging off the sides of the ship, thinking their own thoughts. It was actually really sad. We had all just shared this incredible experience and it felt like a family was being split up. So, to liven things up I asked George the Captain if I could drive the ship. She (yes, a woman!) said yes. She actually let me drive the ship back to shore!!!! Beep Beep! Outta My Way!!!! You've never seen boats, sea kayakers and fish paddle so hard for their lives! Ha! How does it get any better than this???? Anyway, we made it home (back to Airlie Beach ) safe and happy, and last night went out with all our new friends and the crew for one last reunion.

We are off on our next excursion tomorrow. Stay tuned.....

Extra Pictures

Wombats, Koalas and Roos, Oh My!

I'm off to see the wild, the wonderful wild of Oz! Where oh where do I even begin??? Katie, Amy and I arrived in Cairns and had a great first night. We encountered our first "experience" on arrival at the hostel where the 150 year old woman behind the desk, Gloria, proceeded to ramble on, completely incoherantly for about a half hour while our bones cracked under the weight of our bags. We watched in amazement as she marched around the counter, directly toward Katie's pack and began conversing with the stuffed animal key chains hanging off of it. And we thought the animals were the ones to be feared. Ole Crazy Gloria..... In the evening we drank wine by the shore and made up our own constalations. "The Rubber Chicken", "The Triangle" and "Jay Leno's Chin" twinkled brightly that night. Sigh...

Onto Cape Tribulation. James Cook named it. He was sad. This was a full-on day where we went to an animal sanctuary and saw wombats, koalas and, you got it, roos, oh my! Also, huge pythons and crocs. Very cool. We then went on a tour through the the oldest rainforest in the world. No really it was. I'm not just being dramatic... this time. This was my favorite. SO incredibly beautiful! Everything is HUGE and so ancient. Just breath taking. We went for a swim in this stunning gorge (croc-free....we think) where the water glowed, then finished the day off on a croc hunting cruise down an infested river. We saw a couple "beauties" as they say. Yup, huge. I swear everything is so big over here! I looked up last night thinking a hawk was flying over. I see these enormous leathery wings. Instinct telling me it was a teradactol, I nearly threw myself to the ground, until I realized it was actaully a bat. Then I nearly threw myself down anyway. Honestly, this thing was unreal and they fly over in swarms that go on as far as you can see. I feel like I'm in Gotham City.

We stayed at a hostel called PK's Jungle Village....and it really was. A bunch of cabins in the middle of the rainforest where every window looks out on trees and vines from all side. It's about a 15 min walk to the beach through the jungle. Absolutely amazing. We were all in awe. I've never screamed so much in my life than in those two days walking through that jungle. Every time a bushed moved I thought "this is it". There are wild animals everywhere, just running including a giant 3 foot mamoth turkey with a horn and big claw that will impale you. Where did these animals COME from? These are things in myths! Seriously, where are the unicorns? If you're lucky like me they won't only run past you, but into you. I had a giant turtle sized beetle land on my back, as Amy calmly pointed out to me as she screamed and ran away. Yeah, so we lived in Jurassic park for two days and I think they were the best so far.

The next day we boated out an hour off the shore (it was so fun!) and snorkelled the great barrier reef, which a lot of has died unfortunatly, but it's still beautiful. Amy and I batted our eyelashes and made friends with the skipper. He boated her and I out from the main boat in a small rubber dingy and dropped us off in his favorite spot. Once we got back I asked if we could jump of the roof of the boat, which is actually illegal on the reef (batting eyelashes) and he let us, then was so impressed that we actually did it, he invited us to a party that night with the rest of the crew. Yay! It's good to be a girl sometimes. So once nightfall came, we ventured out with our flashlights down these pitch black dirt roads, with the constant fear of giant man-eating turkeys and vicious unicorns attacking us from the surrounding jungle. We were very brave, all holding onto eachother for dear life. Yeah, you try it. Once the fog rolled in we figured it wasn't the best idea to keep going and ended up in front of this enchanting restaurant that was this huge log building raised up in the middle of the jungle. I've never said "wow" so many times in one night. It was just so hard to believe that we were sitting there......and not being attacked. We went back to the hostel, which doubles as the biggest bar and basically the only bar in that part of the jungle. We met these Australian Navy divers who actually worked for special services. Obviously they didn't tell us that part, but Katie figured it in a very interesting and clever way. i'm sorry, that's all I can say. Anyway, they're going to take us diving in Sydney when we get back. Can't wait! Afer the bar closed, about 30 of us ventured down through the jungle to the beach where we had a huge bonfire made of coconuts and palm leaves (how perfect!) We all stayed and watched the gajillion stars and listened to Nick Drake, thanks to my ipod and Amy's speakers, until dawn. How do I even try to describe the feeling of that night? Sorry, can't. It was perfect.

The next day onto Port Douglas, this sleepy little Southern style town, where blues is played everywhere! We really felt like we were in the deep south of the States. It was so beautiful, we almost cried when we left. We left the next night and took a bus back into Cairns. The whole way I kept thinking "How lucky am I?"

So back in Cairns now. We're heading to Fitzroy island the day after tomorrow, where we're going to get our diving and have our first shrimp on the barbie! Next we are going on a personal tour with the bus driver we met on the way to Cape Trib. He's part aboriginal and he's taking us into the aboriginal country where tourists aren't allowed. He only does this once in a while and he doesn't advertise this at all. Just luck of the draw. We're going to hike, camp on the beach, Spear Our Own Fish, if you can believe it, and apparently see some of the most beautiful things we've ever seen, all with our own personal tour guide. This will be a true tribal experience. Ooga Booga!

Just rolling along....

After my delightful stay with Peter I was forced back into the real world...of travellers. Onto Bondi Beach where I spent a relaxing few days on the beach, catching up on my sleep and oh heck, a little bit of partying. I met two awesome English girls, Amy and Katie and from then we have almost become inseparable. Not by their choice. Ha! Suckers. That's what they get for being friendly. So not much to tell for the first week. I can honestly say that the most exciting times were walking through Woolworth's Bakery section. Ah, Tim Tams and sticky buns. Sigh...Just beautiful! Donuts here are $3, for crying out loud!!!! -- forcing my donut addiction or "DA" as it's most commonly known into "CT" - Cold Turkey. Oh the sacrifices a traveller has to make.

I went back to the crap hostel I started I had stayed in first for a night because basically I'd already paid for it. It was just as bad although I did learn some important lesson from the experience. A hostel will offer anything to lure you in. Don't fall for it. This one offered free breakfast, free internet and a free prostitute.... (Yes, they are THAT abundant! - Don't worry, I gave mine back). Leave a hostel when there is no need to wear bug spray outside, but absolutely neccessary inside. And finally there is no was to buy the cheapest bottle of wine in a shop (common on, I'm on a budget) and still hold the respect of the cashier. It is amazing how quickly a smile can turn into a raised eyebrow.

Kelly and Matt, two friends of Suzanne came to rescue me this time and took me to their place. A REAL bed again! Yes, I'm a sell-out traveller and I don't care who knows! They were kind enough to let me stay the rest of the week while taking me on tours each day. It is good to know locals! They had a nice dinner party the night I arrived, where we spent the night discussing the complexities of Anne of Green Gables. It's very big over here. I detected much dissapointment from my lack of knowledge on P.E.I. I will learn one day. Matt and Kelly took me to Botany Bay where James Cook first landed on Australia and shook up the natives a little bit. I have to be honest, I'm so used to Canadian, American and English history where there were huge confrontations and thousands of people died, that when I read the plaque which was a quote from Captain Cook's diary I was a bit...amused. It went something like "Today was a landmark day - we confronted the natives. Although they were all but TWO, they would not budge. One of the natives was holding a sack, which he then dropped and picked up again......." You get the point. And this was an EXCITING day. Kelly then took me to Kiama to see the blowhole, which wasn't blowing, then onto the Melbourne Cup, "THE EVENT THAT STOPS THE NATION", that we sort of missed. I did bet on a horse, Makybe Diva, and lo and behold, she won! I then proceeded to collect my winnings of $2.00 (I bet $.50) Once again, I'm on a budget.

Sorry for basically uninteresting email. Hey, it can't be exciting ALL the time! It was a lovely week, but I'm off to Cairns with Amy and Katie. This is where the adventure really begins....