Gone chasin' waterfalls

DAY 19
Temp: 18 C
Weather: Partly cloudy
Activities: Mount Keira, Six Daughters of the West Wind, the Abbey, Carrington Falls in Jamberoo National Park, the Yellow Sand Road to Belmore Falls and Fitzroy Falls in Morton National Park, Rainforest Loop Walk in Budderoo National Park,
Accommodation: Selby residence 

Contrary to TLC's advice, I did go chasing waterfalls with my host, guide, and cook Paul all over Morton National Park. I think we hit a total of five or six falls by the end of the day in a race against the sun and night chill.

The morning started off leisurely enough with a feast of pancakes, real butter, and sweet maple syrup with homemade ice cream. I thought I could stop at one and ended eating two after all was said and done because it was just that delicious. (Thank you Cath!) Then Paul and I packed up the car for the day's activities including a bodyboard and fins, lunch, water, towels, GPS, and cords, piled in and headed off.

We left around 10:30 a.m. or so and headed down the road toward the national parks, but Paul, being who he is, decided to take a sharp detour to Mount Keira when he pointed it out and I leaned out to see it. We swerved off the main road and drove the winding one up to the peak where I got to take in the sweeping views of Wollongong, its suburbs, and the vast Pacific Ocean. The Wollongong Botanic Garden on the mountain summit was where Paul and his sweet wife had their reception. We did the bush walk to the other lookout and braved the cliffs for another view of Wollongong and its jungles. This spot had several pyramids of sticks in a semi-circle called the "Six Daughters of the West Wind" which was pretty neat. We had a run about race before heading off to the parks.

We rolled along down the highway and off the major road and still in the spirit of that spontaneity we went off to see this quiet little church Abbey. But we stopped on the road when I spoke aloud about the gorgeous trees wearing their fall colors. I haven't seen an autumn in years and Paul pulled off the road right then to let me get some shots and just be out in it. It was lovely! He's very picture happy himself which suits me. We kept on until reaching the Abbey, walked down the colorful path to the craft house and poked around. Lots of religious things around naturally and they did have Paperback products which I love! (But I really have enough notebooks for the moment.)

After the Abbey and its spangled road of color, we continued on to Morton National Park but did yet another spontaneous stop at the Illawarra Tree Top walk--which would have been totally awesome but not for $24. Nah. But the place was very peaceful as it was in the Abbey. So I can claim I've been there but haven't actually gone through it. The pictures of it looked very nice though! We had falls to see anyway.

Having reached the park for Carrington Falls, Paul and I staked camp on a picnic table for a well-deserved lunch around 1:20 p.m. or so. Bringing out the buttered rolls, cheese and assorted vegetables, Paul realized he'd never packed the lunch meat. He tried to palm off the blame on me because I am pretty distracting, but having been blamed for my share of things for simply being a 'Yank,' I finally had my own ammunition. About time. What a ham!

After lunch, we walked along the path to Carrington Falls which was as impressive as it was high--some 98 meters. The falls were full and broad and absolutely  beautiful. Three runners spilling into a single, massive royal. Beautiful. A little chilly with the wind, but Paul and I ran along the path, jumped the fence (Paul had to pull me over, but it worked because he's a giant) and spirited over the rocks above the falls. Paul is crazy--he loves to perch himself over the edge of the rocks, I didn't. Having been silly in the Grand Canyon can humble you. So while he went nuts, I hopped around enjoying the sun and rushing water from a distance.

After Carrington, Paul and I went on through Robertson township hunting for the Fitzroy Falls and ended taking a detour to the Belmore Falls. There were some men putting down some yellow sand to sure up the path, but they were gone when we got back. This place again had the sweeping view but of mountains and country and with the shadows lengthening in the winter sun. We could hear the falls from where we'd entered the walk and went off the track again to enjoy the view before racing off to find the falls. Belmore was not as wide as the Carrington but it tumbled down in two sections--the first dropped into a pool midway down and the second crashed into the beyond because we couldn't see the bottom. Altogether, the falls added up to about 78 meters. Still quite a drop! We literally skipped back to the car. We stopped when we came up to a path of yellow sand and Paul told me to stop. He took a picture and simply said: "Yellow brick road." Indeed, it was my journey through Oz! I asked him if he wanted to be the lion, the tin man or the scarecrow, and I settled on the giant that was also in the story. The big one.

On the way out of Belmore, we crossed a bit of the road where the water spilled over and, feeling a natural high from nature and the power of the waterfalls, I jumped right out of the car and ran down to the water to feel it. To feel that rush the water must feel before taking that plunge. It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be. I'd be excited too.

Winding out of Belmore, we finally reached out intended destination at the Fitzroy Falls around 4:10 or so. It cost us a gnarly $3 to park (I really think we could have beat any parking lot police roaming about in our brief tour), and we went through the visitor's center and its restaurant to reach the path--a quick 150 meters later we were standing over the falls on this wooden platform. I'll admit I shrank from the edge because this platform was precariously perched right over the edge. We tossed some eucalyptus leaves over the side to watch them flutter and I lost my nerve and edged back. Respect. But these falls were lovely too! Solid as it crumbled over the edge.

We saw there were a few more falls not too far down the path (about 1200 meters) and beat out way down the well-groomed path. We came across a local and her sister touring the area and I volunteered Paul to take their picture together, which he did, then they offered to get a shot of us. We kept them company all along the way to the Twin Falls, which were separated by some stretch of rock wall, chatted a bit with our new friends, then took off at a run to get back to the car. I took the lead leaving Paul to puff and heave in my wake and slowing only until we reached an upward section of stairs. Stairs. We ran a good distance and took the rest of the walk at a fast step as the sun set.

Settled back in the car, Paul drove us back--stopping only to get gas--and got us home. I had a proper sandwich then as I was very hungry from the lunch we'd had hours ago. This was to tide me over as we waited for the homemade pizza Paul made us. I caught up with Cath and his mother Laurice while we all waited for the grub that was totally worth the wait. Cath popped in a video where we watched Paul and a group of folks under the power of Steven Spellmaster. It was quite funny to say the least. I choked on my pizza at one point. We each got a whole pizza. I got onion, bell pepper, chicken, cheese, and spices and it was absolutely delicious! So delicious that I ate the whole thing but for one slice.

I meant to stay up to watch Ocean's Eleven since I've never seen it, but as midnight rolled around, I was done. Completely done. I went through my night routine and dropped off to bed immediately after a full day of adventure! Whew!    

Sydney, Sydney, Sydney!

DAY 16
Location: Sydney
Temp: 22 C to 16 C
Weather: Glorious sunshiny day
Activities: Paddy's Market, Chinese Garden of Friendship (from the outside), Harbourside, Sydney's Visitor Center, Sydney Opera House for Henry 4 play, Royal Botanical Gardens, Vivid Lights show, long walk home
Accommodation: WakeUp!

It's already been an adventure since I boarded the bus from Newcastle that would take me to Sydney.

The two-and-a-half hour ride was perhaps my shortest drive between cities and my head was twisting left and right for the last half hour as we snaked our way into Sydney. I spied this massive blue bridge that simply could not be any other than Harbour Bridge in the distance, and I hoped beyond hope that we would cross it. We did. And I picked the right seat because I saw the Sydney Opera House there flashing her brilliant Vivid Live show colors before Sydney Harbor. To say my excitement was through the roof would be an understatement. This sprawling city is huge. I tried to remember a store or two that might capture my interest, but quickly lost their location as we dove into the concrete jungle.

But as soon as we crossed the bridge, the rain started. Heavy rain, pouring rain, chilling rain, and I knew I was going to have to walk in yet another 'pissing down' downpour to find my hostel--in the dark--as our bus pulled up to the major transit station in Sydney Central. All I knew was I had to go left once I got off. I proceeded left and hugged the building as long as I could before being forced out into the rain, hunting and hunting for Wakeup! I found the Sydney Central hostel right away, directly across from the transit center and knew my hostel was just up the street...somewhere. It was hard to see through the rain. At nearly midnight. Avoiding being completely soaked by all the traffic.

I reached the end of the street, dripping with cold, and couldn't locate Wakeup! And ultimately decided to go back to the Sydney Central I saw to ask for directions. But as I walked up the street, I saw the Wakeup banners lining the corner building and realized I'd stumbled upon it. I took shelter in one eave next to one girl and asked how to get in. "You want to go in?" She swiped her magnetic card and away I went--grateful to finally be out of the rain.

I got checked in and secured my key, a map, and vouchers for the local Side Bar on the bottom floor, and proceeded up to my 8-bed dorm.

A bunch of noisy kids, was the first thing that popped up into my mind when I entered, which either betrays my age or my exhaustion at this point as these barely out of high school kids watched videos on their devices and pumped music right there in this high-ceiling room. I dropped my stuff and promptly went to shower, planning how I could be just as inconsiderate in the morning as they were being now, but came back to a dark room. Shocked, but not complaining, I went right to sleep!

I set my alarm for 7 a.m. but didn't actually roll out of bed until 8, figuring the free bus around town didn't even pick up folks until 9:30. Besides, I had a few hours before I had to appear at the Opera House to catch my show. The weather showed mercy on me and the sun beat away the clouds. Though it was still a crisp morning, it would eventually be a warm day!

I walked out with my map securely stowed and headed for Chinatown, where I knew I could purchase the things I wanted on the cheap. Paddy's Market was a godsend. I'm so glad I waited until Sydney to buy any souvenirs. I got some clothes, some toys for friends, postcards, etc, and didn't break my wallet doing so--so that was great! I did get suckered into a massage by one of the Chinese guys though and wish I'd been more firm about my position--that cost me a fast $20! I continued on to check out what else was nearby as I headed up Harbour St. (Sydney is very good about having maps of where you are and persuaded me to continue onward) until I came across the Chinese Garden of Friendship.

Turns out you can put a price on friendship. Still stinging from the massage fare, I rejected the garden admission and checked out the Sydney Visitor Information Center and Harbourside instead, where I found out about the Vivid Lights show and fireworks that would be hosted right there at Harbourside this evening. Glad now to see an early show at the opera, I checked the time and had to beat back to the hostel to change into proper opera attendance clothes.

I grabbed McDonalds for lunch (should have been $3 something instead of $5.50! AHH!), ate to the brazen leer of a particularly hungry and large ibis, and hurried back to the hostel to change. It was almost 11:30 a.m. by this time and my show was scheduled for 1 p.m.

Back out the door, I made my way to the free shuttle stop, the green 555 bus, and struck up conversation with my fellow passengers while we waited. A pair of ladies were headed to this conservation type of event and I shared I was going to the opera house for a show. They were as excited as I was! They hopped off the bus which granted me some time to make certain of where I was and get off at the right place, but I didn't need to really study my map as half the bus passengers got up at the Circular Quay.

I headed directly for the Sydney Opera House and had to swallow a squeal when the pretty little thing came into view. I took my pictures and made for the box office only to be told I had to go downstairs to the playhouse. I wanted so vainly to have attended an opera while I was here. "Carmen" was on last month and a rendition of Beethoven's symphony was last week. I tore my hair for missing both. But hey, a modernized version of Shakespeare's beloved work isn't too shabby either! I got downstairs and secured my ticket then went to sit and use the opera house's convenient free WiFi to boast precisely where I was and what I had planned on Facebook, before the theater opened.

I got in somewhat early and found my seat with no problems--looking out on a stage set with a jukebox, double car seat bench, cheap plastic furniture, and a giant Union Jack made of colored plastic crates--until I watched in dumbfounded awe as the theater filled. Who says theater is dead? I think only the last two rows had a few seats left open, otherwise the theater was full! Full!

Henry 4 was a bit surprising because while it's set in a modern time, the language was still Shakespeare. I really had to buckle down and listen in the first ten minutes to get fluent in that old dialect again, but I was rolling with the audience in no time; at once funny and profound, as with most works from the immortal bard. It was a three-and-a-half hour show with a 20 minute intermission, and the time just flew by. The actors did a wonderful job in their roles , though one of the characters was so "British" in her speech, I didn't catch a meaning in any of her garbled speak. "The rascal blurdy blur twixt a cockney gurdy goo" and so on. But yes, it was a nice show and a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!

By the time the show ended around 4:50 p.m. the sun was already on its way down and I still wanted a picture of the opera house and the Harbour Bridge together, so I practically ran around the Royal Botanical Gardens to get the shot, ducking and shooting between pedestrians to beat the shadows as I watched the horizon line climb the skyscrapers. It's a bit dark, but I did get my picture and made a more leisurely way back the way I'd come. I veered off the path to get a few photos of the gardens and was forced to boomerang my way back to the opera house--which I have been unable to leave since I arrived. In encroaching darkness, I saw the full moon rise off the opposite horizon of the sunset and felt a real sense of completeness at so simple a phenomenon. I arrived at the new moon now here at the end of my journey was the full. Never mind that solar eclipse right at the start. I accept your blessings heavens!

I started to make my way back to the bus stop to get back to Harbourside for the show, only to see a mass of people lined up against the railing along the harbor. Now what could they possibly all be here for? Oooh, the Vivid Lights of Sydney! And I paused. Pictures of the harbor and opera house would look way cooler than anything Harbourside would have to offer. And, accepting I would miss the last free bus at 6 p.m., I turned back to find a space along the rapidly filling rail.

I stood around a good half hour until 6 p.m. and watched the light show consume the city skyscrapers, the P&O Cruise ship and the Opera House and I knew I'd made the right decision. I watched the opera house loop (about 10 or 15 minutes) and went inside to locate the Bistro Mozart I'd read about for dinner. Going for the gusto, I ordered lamb rump (which I never eat) and happily had vegetables for a side, and a glass of cabernet sauvignon for a treat. I seriously have dropped more money in Sydney in one day than I have in the last week. I can calm down tomorrow though at the Sydney's Writer's Festival since all of those events are free. The bus is free! I just need to eat eventually.

But wow. One day in SYDNEY and the world's your oyster!

Nuances of Newcastle

DAY 15
Location: Newcastle
Temp: 15 C--Feels like 8 C with wind chill
Weather: Partially cloudy, raining, windy as all get out!
Activities: Newcastle ocean baths, Hunter Street Mall, West Newcastle, Civic Park, Queen's Warf Tower
Accomodation: WakeUp!

I actually did get the 4-bed dorm to myself last night! And, since it was a quiet, restful night, I didn't feel all that rushed to hurry out of the room. Having paid for some net access, I updated a few things before leisurely eating breakfast (back to my meager fruit bar ration), getting ready, packing up, and checking out. I dumped my bag in the day storage and finally walked about this unorthodox YHA. It really is like an old English school, complete with dorms, communal bathrooms and showers, fireplace commons, huge common area with pool table, computer lab, kitchen. All it needs are the classrooms. Even the furniture here screams Ye Olde English pub.

Having my fill, I walked out of the YHA and into the wind. The kind of wind that you can lean into with some force and not fall flat on your face. Mean wind.  Vengeful blustering gales. Good morning to you too, Newcastle!

I made my way to the beach and the ocean was all whitewater; just rabid with froth as the wind whipped the seas to the shore. The cloud I saw roiling in was actually saltspray. But with the sun on my back I pressed on past the empty skate park, the crumbling cliffside, and down to the ocean baths carved especially for this navy rear admiral. I didn't even know they were there and stumbled upon them while watching the furious sea pound its breakers on the rocks below. I was at least twenty feet up from the rocks, but the waves exploded up to where I was standing. I got wet. It was amazing!

My eye on the threatening rainclouds out to sea, I beat a retreat back up the coast and wandered into to town for lunch. I went up and down Hunter Street Mall in search of a bite and passed a place called One Penny Black; this coffee shop with a lot of character. I passed it twice and found I kept coming back to it. Before I could walk in though, the petite woman ahead of me commented about the clothes on the street and I remarked I couldn't afford them and she knew instantly I was foreign and extended a formal greeting. Nice lady, but she made me think of a witch. A nice witch! Is that awful? She was very kind though and we parted on good terms as I doubled back to the One Penny Black for an apple-soaked-in-blueberry danish and a moccha: $10. INSANE!

The nice thing about Hunter Street is the city provides two hours of free WiFi! So I posted several backlogged pictures of my journey to Facebook, checked mail, etc. All the my heart's content, before moving on to find the local Woolworth's for a cheap lunch and to pick up some incidentals that I'd run out of. (Floss and shampoo among them.)

It was a good twenty minute walk to West Newcastle but I walked past Civic Park, the Newcastle Council building, and a bunch of other shops. Hunting for some travel-sized goods (and finding none) I ran into the witch lady again! It's a small Australia indeed. We chatted about sports awhile, surprisingly she's a fan of some American tennis players, before parting again and I walked back to Civic Park to eat yet another bag of Caesar. A sharp whistle on my left announced  the intentions of a hungry local bird as it eyed me and my lunch. It pecked around my feet for some old chips and I watched in a removed bemusement as it hopped beneath my legs and back again. Fearless.

After lunch, I returned to Hunter Street to eat up my free WiFi minutes and this homeless guy came to sit next to me on the bench. He carried a smoke, a guitar and a drink--which I thought was illegal in Australia--drinking in public like that. And it seemed he was already drunk. He played me a song when I asked him about the guitar, something by Neil Diamond, and I played an Irish song for him and then he begged me to give him a kiss. Really? He hadn't kissed a girl in six months. Can't help you there, partner. He was extremely insistent and I took that as my sign to leave--which I promptly did. All righty then, Newcastle, what else you got for me?

I went up and over the street to the Queen's Warf Tower, found it open, and climbed up the 30 meters to get a panoramic bird's eye view of the city. It also took me out of the beating, relentless wind and I had the tower to myself for the entire time I was up there. The whole thing swayed because of the wind though, which was a bit unnerving--and probably the reason why I was the only one there! It served as my refuge for a good long while before the setting sun prompted me to come back down and start walking back to the YHA. The wind swept me right back into a chill as I walked along the harbor and finally back to the YHA.

It was a full day of walking and sights and tonight I catch the late bus to Sydney. The last!

There's gold in them thar dunes

DAY 12
Location: Byron Bay
Temp: 10 C (Brr!)
Weather: Overcast with patches of sun. Would have been much warmer without the breeze.
Activities: Walk to the lighthouse, surfing!
Accommodation: Backpackers Inn

The view opened up on the path to the lighthouse and I was just blown away by the sight. Byron Bay, you should belong to Gold Coast because you are golden.

Well, I technically passed the Gold Coast last night, but there is certainly something magical about Byron Bay.

Maybe it's the perpetual orange and pink blaze over the rugged purple coast of New South Wales, or the seemingly endless rights crumbling in a surfer's dream over the shore, or the easy, relaxed demeanor of its residents, but Byron Bay is a beauty on all counts. I think I can grasp why Australians swear on the cool sands and warm waves of this bay over Brisbane. Having been here for a full day, I really wish I could have stayed longer even as my schedule pushes me farther down the coast.

I had a bit of a rough night last night. I was in a 4-bed dorm and quickly made friends with  Tasha, my only roommate for the night and a vegan surfer girl. We both agreed on the merits of going to bed early to get up early and we did just that. But the room we're in is freakin' cold. I actually couldn't fall asleep until I unwound my sleeping bag and lay under it, my sheet, and my blanket to get warm. It was just that cold. (I think our sliding door doesn't seal properly, so all the cold just leaks in. It was terrible, but the fleece sleeping bag saved me.)

I studied this map awhile trying to choose the best route to the lighthouse and ended up taking the longest way around. It was a workout but worth it.

Sleeping in longer than I'd meant, I finally rolled out of bed around 9 a.m. and decided to walk the 3 miles or so to the famous lighthouse over Byron from the hostel. Happily, I had a gone shopping the day before and had a fruit bar, Snickers, and half a baguette left to my name. I ate the fruit bar and packed the rest for the hike because it was going to be a long one!

I came across this sign on the walk and was surprised to see it in two languages:  English and one I assumed to be aboriginal. The declaration above is in fact from the Bundjulung Jugun peoples that populated the space between Port Macquarie and Moreton Bay.

I set out around 10 a.m. and I checked out the little corner mom and pop stores bursting with character all along the way before turning off on the beach path and heading to the hike around the eastern-most point of Australia. I stopped several times because I was caught watching this diagonal surf crumbling in these beautiful, clean cut, perfect rights and the surfers just slicing along the crystal faces. The place was called the Pass. A-freakin-mazing. I wanted to go in right then it looked like so much fun! But I continued on the hilly, roundabout path to the lighthouse.

Behold the easternmost point in Australia. I was a bit too tired to walk the trail down the finger, but it was still neat to see.

The estimated hour it was supposed to take took me about double that as I paused to watch this huge pod of dolphins catching the surf on the eastern side of the horn. There had to be 30+ individuals just hanging out, having fun. I spoke with some locals as I wheezed hello on the crest of a hill and they knew I was American right away. They commended me for walking and I told them they were smart to drive.

Success! The Cape Byron Lighthouse at last!  This is a picture of the lighthouse from the Wategos Beach trail.

But I finally made it to the modest white lighthouse and took in all the surrounding panoramic views of the coast. Marveling at the perpetual sunset on the horizon and the dolphin pod on the other end. I wandered into the lighthouse museum and made fast friends with one of the volunteers there who took it upon himself to educate me on some of the more interesting bits of the tower.

I didn't see any whales this time around, there was a massive pod of dolphins playing in the surf. I found this board informative.

He took good care of me and gave me the last ticket for the 12:15 p.m. tour of the lighthouse light. So, 25 minutes later, I was standing at the top of the lighthouse and snapping more pictures of the fantastic view at a new vantage. It was gorgeous! I chatted a bit with my tour guide also, who nailed that I was American from the start, I keep wondering what gives it away, my "accent" or my dress. We talked about the dolphins and he enquired where I was from, always a fun exchange.

If you watch very carefully, you can see dolphins jumping out the backs of these waves.

I headed back down the winding path and paused at one overlook to eat my leftover baguette, but really didn't need to as I stopped at the Pass Cafe for some lunch around 1:45 p.m. I decided to indulge for this lunch because one, I was hungry, and two, this place was just neat! The laid back atmosphere, wooden deck overlook, I'd seen it on the way out and already knew I wanted to stop there for a bite.

I'd guzzled most of my moccha waiting for my cheeseburger-without-cheese-please to come out. It was delicious treat after I'd starved myself for so long. Budget be damned, I'm at the Pass!

I ordered a cheeseburger without cheese, simply because it was the cheapest meat item on the menu, and got weird looks for it. "You want a cheeseburger...without the cheese? So...you just want...the meat...and the bun?" Even the cook teased me about it. But whatever, I had chips and ketchup (er, tomato sauce...) so it was all good! I also ordered a moccha (correct spelling) which was delicious and just the pick-me-up I needed. It still made for an expensive lunch though. To my surprise, everyone I'd spoken to at the lighthouse, the volunteer, guide, and another guy, all showed up to eat there for lunch! I waved hello and they grinned and waved back. 

As I got my order, a cheeky magpie flew down on the deck rail, three feet from me I kid you not, and eyed my fries. Beautiful bird. We watched each other very closely, but with very different motives. My lighthouse volunteer friend leaned in and asked "Making friends with the wildlife already?" I sure was. The magpie eventually gave up, but not until my plate was clean. I wished a good lunch to my lighthouse friends and headed back along the beach where I stopped next to an Aussie man watching the surf.

LOOK! Look at those clean, even sets! There was a surfer on each rivet at one point, just gliding along. And the 'sunset' colors may not be so apparent here, but I swear, Byron Bay was this perpetual sunset place! I wanted to get out in that.

We chatted a good twenty minutes me and this surfer. He told me all about the area and how he'd surfed it for thirty years. I wanted to get out there too and he encouraged me to go! He was wondering if he should go back in himself as the waves had cleaned up that afternoon. My clock was reading 2:30 p.m. or so, still plenty of time to shred, but he said the little voice was telling him to go home and I advised him to listen to it, I always regretted it when I didn't.

I continued on along the beach, watching the cut-glass surf, the surfers, and just the people lounging about on the headland watching. The wave symphony went from the gentle applause of rain to the roar of commercial jets and back again as it ran up the beach. The soft pastels, the caress of the breeze. And the magic set in. Wow, I can't even describe it, this vibe. Peace, maybe.

Another shot of those gorgeous waves coming in from the Wategos Beach trail.

I passed my hostel on the way back but navigated to it in short order and teetered on the edge of whether or not to rent a board myself. The air was cold. The water had to be colder. But as I watched the newbies struggle and flop, my mind made up, and I raced back to the hostel to rent a board. I was back on the beach in my gear and board under my arm in a flash.

The surfing rules in Waikiki are--there are none. The constant influx of tourists who have no idea what they're doing choke the beaches and the instructors are no better. I was all too happy to be educated by this board board before starting a surfin' turf war with the locals.

It was 3:30 p.m. by this time and the sun was already setting. Studying the waves a bit, I chose a spot that was relatively free of surfers but still had a decent break and I went in. To my surprise, the water was warm. Warmer than the air anyway which really threw me, but I plunged in and hopped on my board. The first thing I noticed was the board was shorter than my longboard back home. My 8'8" supported my whole body and then some, this 7' was a shock as my feet dangled for shark bait, but I actually managed to catch and ride my first attempt, though it was short-lived. I tried for a few more and found myself either sliding off because of the poor wax job or falling out the back as the wave diminished. That, and the freakin' current was unreal! I'd be neatly lined up and 10 seconds later, I was thirty feet down the coast, I'm not even kidding.

Tired of fighting the current, I gave up early and trudged up the beach to sit in full melancholy over the less than stellar experience. And while I sat miserable, dripping in the cold, I turned my eyes to where the rest of the surfers were by the  hooked mast of The Wreck, an actual sunken boat maybe 50 yards out from shore, and hesitated. Pros mixed with newbies in two distinct sets, an inner and an outer. I paid $16 for 3 hours on this board, I'll be damned if I didn't catch a decent wave in Oz. Maybe I could try the inner set. So I set out again.

This time was MUCH better. The current was still rough and hauled me down the beach, but I could walk on the bottom here and I fought to get myself in position. Here they came. These sweeping mountains of liquid majesty. I jumped on my board and shoved through the first set because I wasn't quite in the right spot to launch, but as that set diminished and I paddled out, the next one came.

I spun my board back to shore as this monster came bearing down on me and I paddled, paddled, paddled, felt the lift, seized the rails, popped up and sliced all in once motion. It was the most beautiful, most awesome moment ever as I shredded the face of this curling wave as tall as I was like some seasoned surfer on this 7' board; cutting back, sliding down to a bottom turn again, and falling out the back when the wave closed out.

It. Was. AWESOME.

I caught a few more until  the fierce current coupled with my exhaustion and I was done. I had to have been out a good hour and a half, at least an hour in the water--I always lose track. I caught one last wave, mostly white wash, to save myself the paddle in and made it to the beach. The air was absolutely frigid coming out of the water and I hopped back to the hostel for a very hot shower, feeling accomplished and more than a bit buzzed by the experience. Might have graduated to a new level there. 

I took one last jaunt to secure some dinner because saimin just wasn't going to cut it tonight, so I hiked to Woolworth's for a bag of salad, I hovered over the chicken, but it was just too much to eat in one sitting. And I didn't plan to stay overnight, no way I was spending money on expensive food I would not eat. I settled for the salad to tide me over to tomorrow.

I can readily admit I'll be sad to leave this little paradise of Byron Bay. I hardly knew you.

Cairns it!

DAY 1
Location: Cairns
Temp: 28 C
Activities: Cairns shopping mall, Esplande, lagoon, Solar freakin' eclipse

Accommodations: Tropic Days

Sit down.

I flew out of Honolulu International Airport at 2:20 p.m. on a beautiful Wednesday afternoon, landed in Guam at 6:15 p.m. in time to see the blood-red sun set on Thursday, and ran to catch my next leg out of Guam to Cairns where this adventure just takes off.

But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I had to check in to get my passport verified in Honolulu and my boarding pass at the front, only to have the reps tell me the flight might already be closed. But she checked me in and told me to hurry to the gate which, of course, was at the second to last gate at the terminal. So I ran only to find I still had plenty of time. Well, not plenty but enough to take a seat and debate weather or not to purchase a water bottle. I somehow snagged a seat in first and merrily boarded the plane and had trouble finding an open bin to deposit my backpack. When I mentioned this to my seatmate, he told me he knew where an open bin was and got up to stow it. I was touched. We settled in and I snapped up the newspapers the flight attendants offered, reading articles on Guam and doing puzzles to pass the time until our captain announced we would land in Guam at 6:30 p.m. Uh oh. My connecting flight leaves at 6:50. The next flight from Guam to Cairns was in three days.

I mentioned my plight to my seatmate and after already having discovered he was from there, I inquired after his knowledge of the area. "What do I do if I'm held over for three days, Riz?" And he filled me in. It's a lot like Hawaii, he told me, and offered what beaches to hit, what sorts of food to eat, and so on. Surprisingly it didn't really bother me if I did get held over in Guam.  This was all part of the adventure. After the dinner rush, Riz and I talked for hours about traveling, family, crazy anecdotes, even erring on the side of philosophy a bit. It suited me just fine to chat to pass the time, particularly with such an interesting seatmate! Riz and I exchanged contact, his number for my blog, for whatever happened at this airport.

We landed at 6:15 p.m., thank goodness, and I located the departure board and gate number and ran for it. Guam has a small airport. Lucky lucky me. I got seated in the row with the stiff armrests and didn't get to sleep like I'd hoped, but I did snatch some minutes where I found my jaw hanging open. And I was fed and fed on the first flight and fed again on the second! Wow! I saw Papa Guinea pass below and groaned when I saw the pouring rain over Cairns, but hoped for the best. By this point I regretted not buying a bottle of water.

Landing, I disembarked and wound my way to customs where they checked my passport against my visa, stamped my incoming passenger card, questioned my light load "22 days all in that backpack?", and asked after food and agriculture. I went through each check point smiling like an idiot because I couldn't get enough of the Aussie accent. I barely remembered to exchange my petty cash for AUD to pay my shuttle fare and my driver came up to me immediately afterward "Are you Rochelle? Yeah, get in that bus now."

I did as ordered and piled onto the shuttle, paid my way with my colorful foreign notes, and went on the hairiest ride in my life.

Our driver was supposed to be off work at midnight. When I sat down it was 12:18 a.m. And he knew it. We went ripping around Cairns like we were in some soapbox derby, whipping corners and shifting gears hard enough to throw me into the seat in front, while I freaked at each passing car about to "hit" us before it oh so casually passed on the right. Of course, I was the last to get off and I thanked the driver profusely for waiting past his work hours and fumbled with the gate keycode to get in. I walked forward looking for the safe that held my keys, completely missed it, and asked a hosteler where to find the safe. He guided me to the safe and used his phone as a flashlight while I stumbled over another keycode lock and got my key. This nice young man also guided me to my room where I inadvertently woke all my roommates closing the door. I stuffed everything under my bed and went to sleep right then, in my dress clothes, no brushed teeth or anything and dreamt about a begging humpback whale eyeing my sandwich at the pier.

I got up early and booked passage to the Daintree forest and a Great Barrier Reef dive and passed by a man I'd said good morning to and he stopped me. He and his assistant are journalists and we grilled each other on our plans. He told me to get changed and join them to the city to which I readily agreed. I got scolded for wearing tennis shoes, which labeled me as a Yank, and switched to my slippers so I could fit right in. I toured Cairns proper with Thomas and Sarah and snapped some pictures of the lagoon. 

My new friends Thomas and Sarah hard at work around the lagoon in Cairns proper. Thomas set my Australian trip straight right off from dress to debit and this greenhorn is grateful.

As we walked along the pier we paused at a video camera and asked what was up. "You don't know what's going on? It's a solar eclipse!" And this videographer handed us pairs of solar viewing glasses and lo' and behold, between the perfectly positioned gap of morning rain showers, was this gorgeous solar eclipse. I was blown away. And then the videographer turned his camera on us.

The May 10, 2013 solar eclipse in Cairns! We were lucky enough to see it through the shifting cloud cover. I shot this through my sunglasses. Experience a better rendition here!  

Hardly eight hours into my trip and I'm already making the Australian news. Crikey! Is this really how this whole thing is going to fly? 

We headed back toward the shops and Sarah helped me buy some cheap grocery goods  and sun tan lotion which I hope will save me some cash over the next few days as my daytrips cost me a pretty penny. We came back for lunch, I ate, checked my mail on the hostel's free WiFi, and got invited to join Thomas, Sarah and one of my roommates, Toma, nice girl on working holiday from Germany, to the lagoon for a swim. 

Fish fountains at the lagoon in Cairns. The water was a bit chilly, but not enough to keep me out of it.

Which again, I readily agreed to. I spoke with Sarah in the lagoon until it got to cold to stand, went up to dry, and Thomas and Sarah left and I stayed back with Toma until late afternoon. Toma who had explored the city yesterday, knew the shuttle pickup that brought us back to the hostel just in time to escape the encroaching weather, of which I hope will behave the next few days.

But I sincerely wonder how I can top today. Already. First day in Australia has been an absolute adventure!