Mar 2009

COUNTRIES
Oz – down under

SITES

Kakadu National Park, Litchfield National Park, Museum & Art Gallery of the Northern Territory, Art Gallery of WA, Kings Park, Cottesloe Beach Sculpture Exhibition, Old Fremantle Prison, Maritime Museum Shipwrecks Galleries, Rottenest Island, Warren National Park and Walpole Tree Top Walk.

Wildlife: Kangaroo, wallaby, dingo, snake, bobtail gecko, quokka, huntsman / orb spider, seals, dolphins, kookaburra, sea eagle, parrots, and pelican. and a barking owl (we both held this on our arm)

TOP MOMENTS

1. Weaving our way though the flooded paperbark woodlands and billagongsbillabongs in Kakadu NP on an aboriginal boat tour. We learnt about the bush skills and beliefs of the aboriginals.

2. Cruising about in the Swan River Harbour on a - Cruiser 560 Express - 58ft speed boat. Chris got to drive it and we stayed the night on aboard it in the marinaharbour over looking Perth city. Check it out on: http://www.endeavourboatsales.com.au/cruisers_560_gallery.asp

3. Experiencing the flavour sensations of chilli rose, honey beer, white chocolate liquor and creamy brie whilst tasting wine, beer, chocolate and cheese tasting in Swan Valley and Margaret River areas.

LOWEST MOMENTS

1. Sleeping in the campervan in Kakadu with extreme heat, 100s of mosi’s and bed bugs in the bedding. It was the most uncomfortable 2 nights sleep we have ever had. Awaiting compensation from Wicked Campervans for bed bugs.

SCARIEST MOMENTS

1. Close encounters with several large spiders. On bush walks, in toilets and in the gap of the car door – Liannah.

2. Walking the wobbly metal structure walkway, 40 metres up in the tree canopy of Walpole - Chris

UNSUAL FOOD

Kangaroo meat – In the form of ‘Kanga Bangas’ and smoked steaks.

Witjuti Grubs – Chris only

Wild Oz Turkey and bush fruit chutney

Seans homemade ‘hotter than the sun’ chilli biltong.

Brads homemade ‘rocket fuel’ blackcurrant moonshine.

MOSTLY MISSING

Football – Playing and watching (especially Liverpool thrashing Man U.) – Chris

My Wardrobe – a wider selection of clothes than the creased ones in my backpack and some glamorous high heels – Lil

MOSTLY HAD FILL OFF

Aussie costs – bring back the Asian prices.

QUOTES

‘Are you falling asleep or just passing out and dying?’
Liannah to Chris – at night in campervan at Kakadu Park. The van was like a tin can sauna.

‘I thought my accent were bad’
A Yorkshire man working in a supermarket. When Chris asked ‘Can you tell me where the ice is?’ he thought Chris said ‘Can you tell me where the oysters?’

‘When the wind came its was like a steam train running into the house, it was an incredible shock, it felt as though the house lifted up and sat down again. That’s the sense of power it was, one of those great steam trains ramming into the house, it was an incredible power, it was just unbelievable.’
Aussie lLady describing Hurricane Tracey 1976, Darwin. Over 80% of the buildings were destroyed in one day.

‘I like collecting yams and plums and hunting for file snake, goanna, fish and porcupine or almost anything that’s edible. Most of all it’s a good feeling because when you’re out there and you get something, after you have eaten it you feel so happy that you have worked for it. Hunting is hard work.’
Jessie Alderson – Murumburr Aborigine Clan, Kakadu

SUPRISING FACTS
Australia has the second highest obesity rate in the world. The 1st, no surprises - USA.

Before Australia was fully mapped post 1700’s it was thought to a huge land mass which was about 3 times bigger than North American and Canada combined, it covered the entire southern tip of the globe and stretched all the way to South America. When it was 1st discovered they called it ‘New Holland’.

FISH CAUGHT
Only one – but a badge of honour in the Northern Territories – A Barramundi.

MOSI BITES
Lil – more than Chris this month = 20+ (bed bugs 395)
Chris = 10ish. (bed bugs 125)

TAN
Toffee

NEXT ON AGENDA
More Australia - East Coast

COUNTRIES

Thailand and Indonesia

SITES

Ko Phang Nga - fire beach party / Ko Toa - Chumpon Pinnacle, Twin Peaks and Mango Bay dive sites / Koh Sok jungle, lake and cave / Phuket and Phi Phi - 'The Beach' from the film and Hin Daeng and Koh Ha dive sites / Bali - Batur volcano / Lombok + Gili Islands - Shark Point and Manta Bay dive sites.

Wildlife:In the water too many to mention them all but some are; dolphins, stingray, turtles, black and white tip reef shark, flying fish, cuttlefish, manta ray, nuddibranch, angelfish, trigger fish, clown fish, trumpet fish, jellyfish, barracuda, parrot fish, lobster, moray and snake eels. On dry land; civet cat, long and short tailed langur / maca monkeys, hunter spider, cave cricket, wild pig, tawny owl, white egret, asian fish eagles, king fisher, giant hornbill, skink lizard, frogs and toads.

TOP MOMENTS

1. Our 1st scuba dive in Ko Toa. A very serene, peaceful and floating feeling with a rainbow array of coral and fish in crystal clear waters.

2. Snorkeling the bays and rocks around Thailand and Indonesia. A neon coloured explosion of reef, fish and sea creatures. Everywhere you look you see something new.

3. Watching and helping an Indonesian guy land a 40-50 lb dolphin fish. Caught on a handline off the back of the Bali-Lombok ferry. (Chris)

4.Surfing the wave breaks on Kuta beach, Bali. We both managed to stand up (for the 1st time) and stay balanced on a wave for several seconds. Totally radical dude!!!

LOWEST MOMENTS

1. Realising we had been ripped of and paid twice what we should have for a tuna fishing trip. Having to argue for several hours to get most of the money back, except about 5 pounds.

2. The underwater Olympus camera deciding it did not want to be waterproof anymore and filling with water whilst snorkeling. It now refuses to work.

SCARIEST MOMENTS

1. Wading chest deep in water through a dark jungle cave tunnel, surrounded by spiders, bats and catfish (Lil).

2. Snorkeling with black tip reef sharks at Sharks Point, Ko Toa. They were not massive (1.5 to 2.0 meters long) but there were schools of 5 to 6 cruising around us only a few metres away.

UNUSUAL FOOD

Not too many weird food but plenty of very nice food. However we did eat a very strange dim sum like green parcel with banana and coconut inside.

FRUITS

Pomelo - sweet green grapefruit

White Mango - blander and less sweet than the regular green mango. Not very nice.

Snake fruit - sweet fruit with snake skin like skin.

MOSTLY MISSING

Being able to drink free clean tap water.

MOSTLY HAD FILL OFF

Early morning wake up calls from roosters (4am) and praying at Mosques (5am).

QUOTES

'It iz diving Liannah, itz not naturalle' – Freddie, French PADI dive instructor, Ko Toa.

'Hong Thong, same same but drunker' – Bom, Koh Sok jungle trekking guide

'Oh my god what have I just done?'– Rick, Phuket. Realising he has liberally sprayed his underarms with a fly killer instead of a deodorant can.

'I give you special honeymoon price' – Nearly every market vendor in Bali

SUPRISING FACTS

Bali grows wine vines and makes their own wine.

If you are rich enough you can have up to 4 wives in Indonesia.

Over half of Hollands dry land in reclaimed from the sea.

FISH CAUGHT - None, although i did help land the Dolphin fish. Also felt a bit weird about catching colourful tropical fish.

BITES and STINGS (new name)- Chris mosi 30+ (also drove into a bee on a scooter which stung me in the throat) Lil mosi 10+. We both got many small stings from microscopic jelly fish whilst diving.

TAN - Demerara sugar

NEXT ON AGENDA

Australia - West Coast Darwin to Perth