Fact: It only takes two words to make a backpacker’s eyes light up with delight: “free laundry.”

Fact: It only takes two more words to make that backpacker your friend for life: “free food.”

Living out of a backpack really does make one realize how little is needed in life. With the obvious exception of my book collection, I’ve actually missed very few of my things since I’ve been on the road. It’s a little unsettling to realize that all I need to survive day to day can be stored in one decent-sized backpack. I was especially shocked to realize that I hadn’t had Starbucks for over a month and was no worse for the wear. And with only two pairs of shoes (trainers & flip flops) and limited clothing options, it’s freeing to not have to deliberate over what to wear each day. It quite simplifies the process of getting ready in the morning.

The backpacker’s struggle is this: Everything necessary for daily living must be able to be carried all at once. Too many bags, and you won’t get anywhere. Too heavy a bag, and you’ll drop from exhaustion. Therefore, you give yourself a certain amount of space and weight, and you stick to it. It’s like physics – if you buy something, something else of equal or greater size and weight must be thrown out. It certainly makes you think twice about unplanned purchases. Personally, I wish most things in life worked like this – I think I’ll make an experiment of it next time I make a purchase at home. One thing bought, one thing tossed. It would certainly cut down on clutter, don’t you think?

Some hazards of the backpacker life:

My brand new trainers now look like I’ve worn them every day for five years. Australia’s red center with all the clingy red dust is mainly to blame.

I’ve lost either my shampoo or my conditioner I think a total of four times by forgetting it in the shower long enough for another backpacker to claim it. Oops.

I’ve avoided bed bugs, thank goodness, but just barely. My roommate of one night was not so fortunate. I felt itchy the entire day just out of sympathy for her.

Constant company is fun but can be exhausting at times. I imagine long term backpackers must daydream about just one night in a room to themselves.

Towels never have a chance to dry properly. Damp towels = smelly towels. Smelly towels + dirty tennis shoes = musty smelling clothes. I have learned quickly that backpacking is not a way to impress people with your high sense of fashion. The true (female) backpacker wears zero makeup, hair tied haphazardly into a ponytail-ish bun, wrinkled clothes...and a huge grin on her face because she’s more thrilled about the free food at her hostel than the shopping center down the street. (She couldn’t fit new stuff into her backpack, anyway.)

And on to the primary joys of the backpacker life:

Flexibility! Halfway through my travels from Darwin to Sydney, I decided I wanted to stay a week in Melbourne with some of my new friends. So I did. Simple as that. I love it!

I’ve met people from all over the world! I’ve had long conversations with people from Australia, New Zealand, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Spain, England, Scotland, Ireland, Wales, China, Japan, Canada, and the USA. (And those are just the ones I can clearly remember at the moment.) I’ve been invited to visit people in at least half of these countries.

I’ve witnessed firsthand a Swiss and Belgian debate the best source of chocolate…and the same Belgian debate the best source of beer with a German.

I helped a Japanese girl work on her English, and in return she made me an origami crane out of beautiful Japanese paper.

While in Cairns, I made a new friend every night, even convincing a few of them to join me for dinner & the movies.

While snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, I made friends with a Chinese Frenchman who invited me to visit him in Paris. I think I’ll pass on that one, but it was fun to be asked to meet someone in Paris, all the same. I’ll always be able to say that now.

I’ve met friends in one part of the country, only to meet them again in another! Case in point, I met Maike first in my Jillaroo class in Tamworth, again two months later in Cairns, and again several weeks later in Melbourne!

All in all, I'd say that I rather enjoyed my try at backpacking Australia!

This blog entry is dedicated to my lovely sister-in-law, Nathalie, for lending me her beautiful, sturdy backpack for my trip. Thank you, Nat!!!

The Backpacker's World remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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-Excerpt from the poem "The Man from Snowy River" by A.B. “Banjo” Paterson

Anyone who knows me well probably knows that I love the movie The Man from Snowy River. Until now, I didn’t even know that my beloved movie was based on a poem written by Banjo Paterson. (He is also the author of the song "Waltzing Matilda," which is so well known that it is commonly viewed as the unofficial national anthem of Australia.)

Snowy River Country. To quote Jim from The Man From Snowy River movie, “I think you'd sooner hold back the tide than tame the mountains." Snowy River country is beautiful! When my bus stopped for a “loo and ciggie break,” I snuck down to the river itself to see it up close and personal. Thankfully one person followed, so I was able to get some photographic proof that I have touched the Snowy River!

I was unable to keep my love for the movie to myself, and the driver pointed out to me some areas along the way to Mt. Kosciuszko that were used in the filming of the movie. I’m getting antsy with anticipation to see Jim, Jessica, Clancy, Spur and the brumbies again when I get home.

Mount Kosciuszko. (pronounced “kah-zee-OS-ko”) I have officially hiked to the highest peak of the highest mountain in Australia! Next stop, Everest! Although…come to think of it, it was pretty cold on Mt. Kosciuszko, and it wasn’t even winter. I might need more than a sweater and a scarf for Everest. Hmm…maybe I’ll just hold onto this great victory.

Lakes Entrance & Ninety Mile Beach. Watching the sunset and then having a bonfire on Ninety Mile Beach was definitely one of the highlights of this trip for me! The only thing missing was S’mores. These Aussies need to learn that great American custom!

Canberra. When it came time for Australia to choose a capitol, Sydney and Melbourne predictably tussled over the right. Sydney thought it ought to be the capitol, as the oldest and largest city in the country. Melbourne, however, had already been used as a sort of official playground for a while, so its residents argued they had more of a right. In the end, the country built Canberra from scratch, right in the middle of the two cities. Oh, and interesting fact – an American architect won the right to design the city, so you can see a definite American influence when driving through. Also, most of the designs and procedures inside the Parliament House have been borrowed directly from both England and America.

And that brings me back to Sydney with only a week to explore my beloved city before returning home! I have to admit that, while I haven’t been homesick while I’ve been here, I am looking forward to seeing my beautiful niece and my handsome nephews!

Melbourne to Sydney remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I have enjoyed the first way of traveling for much of my life, but I prefer the second. Hence my lengthy trip to Australia. But while driving along the Great Ocean Road this past week, I have never felt so forced from one extreme to the other...and I admit I was a tiny bit disappointed. Now don’t get me wrong – I very much enjoyed this leg of my trip. The views were spectacular and I’ve made some friends for life. It’s just...it would have been a million times better if I’d been able to close my eyes to feel the breeze on my face at the Bay of Islands or bury my feet in the sand at the Bay of Martyrs, then get up close to the edge of London Bridge. I would have loved to daydream in the caves of Loch Ard Gorge, sitting on the rocks and imagining the lives of the two survivors of the famous shipwreck that the gorge was named after. It nearly killed my poor little “soak up the atmosphere” heart to be told to get out of the bus at each place, take some photos, and get right back on the bus.

Still, at the Bay of Martyrs I did manage to sneak in a barefoot sprint to the water’s edge. The water was freezing, but the day was beautiful. And as everyone knows...

Mel’s Travel Rule # 1: On beautiful days at scenic beaches, urges to run barefoot into the water cannot be ignored.

The rock formation known as London Bridge (below) used to look like its namesake, but the first arch of rocks collapsed into the water not too long ago. No one was hurt, thankfully, but a honeymooning couple was stranded out there for hours waiting for a helicopter to pick them up. I figure it would make a nice honeymoon to be stranded on a little private island for a while...although I suppose the news crews probably made it not so private.

Mel’s Travel Rule #2: When crossing perilous rock formations, bring makeup – you never know when you might be on TV.

We spent sunset at the Twelve Apostles. It used to be called The Piglets until someone decided that The Twelve Apostles sounded more dignified as a tourist attraction. They were probably right. No one seems to know if there used to be twelve of these rock formations, although it is assumed so. Today there are eight. (Nine or more if you ask some people, eight-and-a-half if you ask my tour guide.)

Mel’s Travel Rule #3: As long as you’ve got more friends than you can number, it doesn’t so much matter how many rocks you can count.

Hollow Mountain and the Grampians. I hiked...and hiked...and hiked. And I reached the tops of both Hollow Mountain and the Grampians! Yeah! (Notice in the photo below that I’m not quite to the edge of the cliff. That’s because I’m not crazy.)

Mel’s Travel Rule #4: Don’t die if you can help it.

Princetown, population 9, exists basically as a tourist spot for people stopping by to see the Twelve Apostles. (I should add that rumor at the local pub has it that the population is now up to 15, counting children. Watch out, world – it’s a population boom!) I stayed in a little hostel in Princetown with a massive DVD collection, bed bugs, and snoring roommates.

Mel’s Travel Rule #5: Bed bugs don’t exist if you don’t think about them.
Mel’s Travel Rule #6: Snoring strangers are less forgiving than dads if you throw a pillow at them. Only use that method as a last resort.

Next we stopped at the Otway Fly tree top walk. My top five most useful purchases of all time: my car, my computer, my bed, my glasses, and now...my $3 rain poncho. Yes, that’s right, folks – after three weeks of hot weather, I went into the rainforest...and guess what? It rained! And me in my shorts. Ah, well. Clara joined me and bought a rain poncho as well, which was fun, as at least I didn’t look like a lonely ghost. However, we did worry a few people behind us into thinking they were following two members of the KKK. Definitely not something one wants to be mistaken for. Better a ghost any day.

Mel’s Travel Rule #7: Don’t accidentally dress up as anything more offensive than a tourist while in a foreign country. In some countries, don’t even dress as a tourist.

I hope you enjoyed your lessons! Stay tuned for the next leg of my trip from Melbourne to Sydney, including Ninety Mile Beach and Snowy River Country!

Adelaide to Melbourne remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Oh, and here's another interesting fact about kangaroos for you: Have you ever wondered what the word "kangaroo" means? No? Oh. Well, come to think of it, I haven't either. But I'll tell you a little story anyway. See, when some of the first European settlers asked the Aboriginals what those strange hopping animals were, the response was, "kangaroo." So that's what the settlers started calling them. Little did they know that the Aboriginal word "kangaroo" means "I don't know." Haha!

The portion of my trip from Alice Springs to Adelaide was a little long, so in order to not bore you with the little details about how great my group was or how much fun we had at each little stop, I'll cover the highlights:

Kings Canyon. The tour company has a rule that if the temperature climbs above 35 degrees Celsius at Kings Canyon, the planned 3-hour hike through the canyon is canceled. (I guess they have some silly thing about not wanting the tourists to die on them.) So naturally, it was 43 degrees (109.4 F) on the day my group showed up. We were still given the option to climb to the first lookout point, which most of us did, then we went on a less strenuous hour-long walk through the base of the canyon. Good news was that the extra time meant we were able to make it to Uluru in time for sunset!

Uluru, aka Ayers Rock. Look at any travel guide or tourist brochure about Australia. You know that big iconic rock in many of the pictures? Yeah, that's Uluru. It's beautiful, though the area is unfortunately very touristy. I completed the base walk around the rock (9.4 km/5.8 mi), beginning before sunrise. Yes - I am Tourist, hear me Roar!

FYI, Uluru is the Aboriginal name; Ayers Rock is the white man's name. Aussies are trying to revert back to using the Aboriginal names for significant places, hence Uluru.

For our two nights near Uluru, we slept in swags under the stars! And I didn’t see or feel a single insect try to take over my swag! Have you ever fallen asleep under a star-filled sky with the breeze on your face? Amazing. I highly recommend it. Just...you know...watch out for the spiders...

Coober Pedy. I have never before been to a place like Coober Pedy. My first impression was that it looked like a hick town, and my last impression honsetly matched my first, but there’s more to this little town than that. See, what makes this town special is that it is known as the opal capital of the world because of how many opals are mined there. But the really fascinating bit about Coober Pedy is the fact that most of its residents live underground! See, the temperatures get so hot (as in hotter than an Arizona summer), that people converted underground mine shafts into rooms and houses, then dug up more housing out of the sides of hills. The temperature underground stays nice and cool for them year round, isn’t that nice? And yes, folks, I slept underground too! And I tried to find an opal myself, but in the end my debit card had to find an itty bitty one all by itself. Good debit card.

Flinders Ranges. I always figured it must be funny to Europeans to come to America and hear all about our past, it being such recent history compared to their extensive past. Our historic buildings are newer than many of their homes, after all. Then I came to Australia, where we visited “historic ruins” that were built after the American Civil War! Ah, those cute little ol' Aussies. But I have to say that the Flinders Ranges held some of the most magnificent views I've encountered thus far in this trip through Australia.

Dutchmans Stern. I went hiking quite a bit these few days, but my favorite was Dutchmans Stern. It took a while to get to the top, but once I did, it was amazing. Beautiful views, beautiful temperature, beautiful breezes. Get the drift?

And that's it for now! I'm enjoying my travels so much that I'm a bit behind on my blog, eek! Stay tuned to hear about the rest of my trip from Adelaide to Melbourne, and then back on to Sydney!

Alice Springs to Adelaide remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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If you didn't already know, the didgeridoo is an instrument played by the Aboriginal people of Australia. And now...by ME! I tried to play a didgeridoo yesterday for the very first time in my life! Alright, so admittedly this is a very weak attempt, but it's my first. And it's hard.

Not too inspiring, eh? One has to have very good lung power to really play. Also, good didgeridoo players have perfected the art of breathing in through their nose and at the same time breathing out through their mouth, in order to keep the sound of the didgeridoo constant and steady. Try to do it - it's nigh unto impossible!

But now, look at what the professionals can do with the aid of some creativity and a drummer:

Didgeridoo...the Good, the Bad, and the Melanie remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Aaaa!!!

Without a doubt, the point of these three days has been to get us from Point A to Point B and keep us from going stir crazy with a few stops along the way. Still…those stops were pretty entertaining.

First day, some of us went canoeing at Katherine Gorge. (In the canoe with me is Christina, my new friend from Austria.) The gorge was beautiful, though we didn’t have time to canoe the entire length of it. Apparently, it’s quite long, with thirteen gorges including rapids and falls.

That night we wanted to take full advantage of our campsite by building a campfire. Unfortunately, it was so hot, every few minutes everyone would stand up and move the benches further away from the fire. But we played some campfire games and enjoyed it all the same.

The second day we stopped at the Mataranka thermal pools for swimming, followed by lunch at Daly Waters, the oldest pub in the Northern Territory. (It also happens to be in the middle of nowhere and the home of Australia’s most remote traffic light…which doesn’t actually work.) If you ever make it there, check out the walls – they’re covered with money, underwear, shirts, license plates, and pretty much anything you can think of, all left behind by visitors from over the years.

Daly Waters even has a “thong tree” in the backyard where visitors are encouraged to give their flip flops a good home. Unfortunately, I love my flip flops too much and couldn’t bring myself to part with them, even for so great a cause as Daly Waters’ Thong Tree.

Apparently while in the middle of nowhere, aka the Australian Outback, movie theatres and bookstores are scarce. I um…think people are expected to…er, entertain themselves! *gasp* Fortunately, I’m pretty easily amused. Julie and I found some boxes with bowling pins and balls and lugged them out to a little-used road to play a few games while waiting for lunch. And I got a strike!

First stop on day three: Devils Marbles! Apparently some Aussie bloke lost a fair amount of cattle there, which for some random reason he blamed on the huge granite boulders balancing precariously on top of each other…hence their name. Turns out the cattle just ate some poisonous weeds. But at the risk of sounding callous to history, we all cared more about the great photo possibilities.

Meet some of my tour buddies!

Oh! And most importantly, I found a bookstore in Alice Springs! I’ve got plenty more driving through the Outback up ahead as I journey from Alice Springs to Adelaide in six days. Joy of joys, I now have TWO books to read!

Life is good.

Darwin to Alice Springs remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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The first three days of my tour consisted of a camping trip to Litchfield and Kakadu National Parks. It was hot, humid, and there were spiders and flies. And yet, not only did I survive, I saw some of the most amazing waterfalls and went on some of the most memorable hikes of my young life! And by “hike,” I’m not talking about a breezy jaunt on a gravel path; I’m talking about climbs over boulders, through gorges, and past “Danger: Crocodiles” signs. I sweat more in three days than I my poor memory can recall ever sweating before, and I proudly gave up on modern conveniences without having much time to get around to missing them.

I met several more friends on our tour, most notably Rieneke from Holland, Julie from Belgium, Nell from England, and Christina from Austria, all of whom are about my age and traveling alone through Australia. After only a few hours, I felt like I was on a camping trip with old friends!

We slept in two-person tents each night, so my new friend Rieneke and I shared a tent for all three nights. Now, to anyone who knows me and is reading this, it will come as no surprise that I have zero love for spiders. So after finding a great big spider in our tent and realizing that I wasn’t the only one screaming and running outside in terror, I knew that I’d found a kindred spirit in Rieneke. From then on, it became a ritual to perform thorough nightly flashlight checks in our tents. I’m so glad I have Rieneke to be a big ol’ wimp alongside me!!!

Here are some pictures from the trip:

After learning about the iconic Australian termite mounds the first day, we stopped at Buley Rockhole for a swim. So refreshing!

The next waterfall we saw was Florence Falls, first from a lookout and then for a swim after walking down to the plunge pool.

Last stop of the first day was a wildlife spotting cruise on Mary River.

The second day, we swam in Barramundi Gorge (Maguk).

In the afternoon, we hiked to a lookout at Ubirr, where we saw and learned about Aboriginal cave paintings along the way.

Day three was mostly a travel day, but we made it to two waterfalls, Jim Jim Falls and Twin Falls. Jim Jim only flows during the wet season, but since it wasn’t flowing, we were able to go right up to the plunge pool and swim with the freshwater crocodiles! (Don’t panic, mom, I still have my arms. And at least one leg…)

I did wonder what happened to this tourist…

Stay tuned for the next leg of my trip, driving through the Outback on Stuart Highway to Alice Springs!

Litchfield and Kakadu remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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“Don’t worry while you’re snorkeling/diving: reef sharks are mostly harmless.”

“Stingrays are like pancakes with tails: they won’t hurt you. Just…don’t get too close.”

“Go ahead and swim with the freshwater crocodiles. They don’t hurt people…at least, most of the time.”

“Spiders? Ah, spiders won’t hurt you! They don’t even bite. Well, except for that one. Oh, and (insert list). But otherwise, harmless.”

“Hold this snake! It might bite, but it doesn’t look venomous, so that’s okay.”

“Kangaroos won’t hurt you. Well, unless they kick you in the head. Then you’re pretty much dead.”

Oh, and did you know that koalas, despite appearances, aren’t exactly cute and cuddly creatures? They can actually get pretty nasty, which is why it’s more difficult than you might think to find a place that will let you hold them.

I will either leave Australia with a healthy respect for animals or with plenty of fodder for nightmares. Though seeing as how I have already gone swimming with reef sharks, stingrays and crocodiles, I think I’ll be okay. I even like holding snakes, though I do prefer reassurances that it won’t bite me, even in a non-lethal way. Spiders are where I draw the line. I’m fairly certain my arachnophobia is incurable, and I’ve no plans to change in that respect.

Never fear though, I'll leave you on a good note with the cutest Aussie critter I've seen yet:

Australian Critters remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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That pretty well follows my train of thought when I stepped foot off my plane in Darwin (Northern Territory) in jeans and a sweater. At least I wasn’t the only one going through a minor shock. It’s amusing people-watching at the Darwin airport. There will always be someone to walk outside, come to a sudden halt, run back in, shed as much clothing as possible, take a deep breath, and walk back out to what you can tell they think may be their impending doom. I wonder if people go through that process at Sky Harbor (the Phoenix airport). I’ve never thought to notice.

So why, you may ask, did I come to Darwin? Well, you see… After three months, I have experienced life in the city, working on the beach, and living out of a backpack on the East Coast. But the important thing missing from my trip to Australia thus far is, of course, the OUTBACK! From Darwin, I am joining up with my Adventure Tours group to see the Australian Outback with total strangers. Yeah mate! Since I’m on my own, I decided to go with a group in the hope of meeting some friends from all over the globe to travel with. As luck would have it, I sat next to a Dutch girl, Rieneke, on the shuttle bus from the airport, and as we got to talking, we realized we were going to be on the same tour! To celebrate our newfound instant friendship, we trekked to the Darwin markets together and watched the sunset at the beach.

Over the next few weeks, follow with me as I travel the Stuart Highway from Darwin to Adelaide, stopping for sights such as Litchfield, Kakadu, Devils Marbles, Kings Canyon, Uluru, Coober Pedy, barren and beautiful landscapes, wild roos and crocs, and pit stops in the middle of nowhere.

Now that I’ve a plan and a friend, watch out, Outback – here I come!

Darwin, Australia remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Great Barrier Reef Photos remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I don’t get colds incredibly often. When I do, they’re not fun, but in general I tend to be pretty healthy. So I should have known that my body would conspire against me to get sick the very week I was signed up for a 5-day PADI learn to dive course on the Great Barrier Reef. I took a chance in attending my first class, knowing that they conduct a medical to ensure your level of fitness prior to taking the course. And I got a clean bill of health too…until the doctor failed my medical because she thought I’d have trouble equalizing due to my cold. They gave me no choice but to drop the class, thankfully giving me a full refund, and I suddenly found myself with 5 unplanned days in Cairns. Needless to say, I had an instant craving for chai tea and some travel brochures.

Yes, I’m a little bummed at the lost opportunity to scuba dive the Great Barrier Reef. Who wouldn’t be? But at least due to the change in plans, I have some downtime to get over my cold. And anyway, I don’t think I’ll have a problem finding something to occupy myself…I’ve already found three bookstores within a block of my hostel.

Oh really, come on, folks – do you really think I would spend my entire time in a foreign country holed up in a bookstore? Of course not! …Just an hour or so each day will suffice...

Saturday, 4 October 2008 – Skyrail, Kuranda, and Scenic Train

I have seen the light at the end of the tunnel! Of course, it was an actual light at the end of an actual tunnel. Hey, if reality is all I can find, I’ll take what I can get. But before we get to that, let’s rewind to the beginning:

After my dive trip plans were canceled, I signed myself up for a day trip to Kuranda, a quaint village in the rainforests. I took the Skyrail to get there, which used to be the longest in the world until they outdid it in some place I might remember the name of if I had been listening to the guide more closely. It was a little scary to be hanging from one bar attached to one cable high above the treetops! It also occurred to me as my ears were popping that it was a fitting sort of revenge to go up to the highest elevation I could find the day after I was told I couldn’t handle the sea elevation. Take that, dive doctor! Never let it be said that a cold got the best of Melanie! *cackle, cackle*

Oh, and a funny thing happened on the way to the Skyrail – I ran into my German friend Maike from my Jillaroo week in August! We hadn’t seen each other since Tamworth, so imagined how surprised we were to run across each other all the way in Cairns, and on the same daytrip, at that! I joined up with her and her three guy friends (also from Germany) for the day of sightseeing.

Pictures: That’s Maike in the middle of the first picture. You can see a portion of the Skyrail cables and cars in the second.

Kuranda was cute and there was quite a bit of Aboriginal art and shopping, plus beautiful jungle walks, but really we only needed a few hours to see all there was to see.

Pictures: Me at the entrance of Kuranda Village / My German entourage / A jungle view

The best part of the trip was the several-hours train ride back on the Kuranda Scenic Train. Gooooorgeous views! We learned quite a bit about its history, which I’ll not bore you with, except that it wasn’t originally built as the tourist attraction it mainly is today. The relaxing rocking of the train, with the breeze from the open window and the countryside rolling by, was a perfect end to the day. The train even stopped for 10 minutes by Barron Falls to let all the passengers get out, stretch their legs and take pictures of the beautiful sight.

Pictures: Me on the train / Barron Falls / The train in motion / View of the countryside

Okay, now wait for it…

Wait for it…

It’s the light at the end of the tunnel!!!

Stay tuned! Next stop, more of the Great Barrier Reef…with some better pictures this time around!

When You Fail Diving, Take Up Flying remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Monday, 30 September 2008 – Great Barrier Reef

My first day on the reef. Wow. My first thought, admittedly, was “my mask is too big for my face.” But my second thought was “and I thought God was creative on dry land!” I can’t even begin to describe how amazing the ocean floor is. But snorkeling from a boat so far out that all you can see around you is blue sky and blue water, then viewing the amazing coral and fish and learning how they all interact together to form a complete working system…well, I am simply amazed at God’s handiwork.

My disposable camera didn’t take as nice pictures as I would have liked, so I’ll try again later in the week with a better camera. For now, look at the pretty fish that swam past us!

Tuesday, 1 October 2008 – Rainforests

Our daytrip to the rainforests was packed full of adventure, not least of which was our Aussie guide’s um…enthusiastic driving on the narrow, windy roads. All in one day, we visited the Rainforest Habitat Wildlife Sanctuary, Mossman Gorge, Coconut Beach (beautiful!), and a Daintree River wildlife cruise to spot crocodiles! And yes, we did spot one or two.

See the pretty pictures of (in order) Coconut Beach, Mossman Gorge, the Daintree River, and our crocodile friend:

Wednesday, 2 October 2008 – Jungle Swinging

As Wednesday was Megan’s last day in Cairns, we decided we had to do something extra special. We thought about doing jungle surfing canopy tours (where you’re connected to a zip line and “surf” through the jungle), but we decided on jungle swinging. Instead of floating softly through the trees, we went what I like to call “bungy jumping light.” Basically, we were strapped into harnesses and dropped from 45 meters (approx 150 feet) high down to 1 meter in 3 seconds. The cables caught us so that we swung back and forth through the trees…just like Tarzan and George!

Here we are, starting to slow down:

Unfortunately, this day marked the end of Megan’s time in Cairns, and here is where we parted ways. Megan left for Sydney to spend Australia’s Labour Day weekend before returning to the States. Meanwhile, my plans involve staying on in Cairns one more week to take a scuba dive certification class and dive trip before continuing on to Darwin.

Farewell, Megan! You’ve been an awesome travel companion these past months. See you in November!

Great Barrier Reef and Rainforests remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Last Days in Sydney

Since I returned from my Jillaroo experience, life has become…well, life. Sure, I am living in a foreign city, meeting people from all over the globe, and not noticing the melting pot of accents so much as I did initially, but for a while now I have not had any grand adventures or new sightseeing. It’s just me, an apron, and a job near the beach. I’ve loved almost every minute of it, but due to how Americanized Australia is, I have had a hard time truly believing that I am living in another country. Sydney itself…well, it’s difficult to explain how much I can love a city and at the same time not want to make my stay here long term. It’s like New York on a smaller scale. Downside: dirty, crammed with people, impersonal. Upside: no shortage of shopping and basic non-necessities, short distance to the beach and beautiful sights. But even though I will never move here, I hope to visit again and a part of myself will always consider Sydney as a home.

Working at the Beach

I don’t think I’ll ever find a job more suited to me than working as a runner at Gertrude & Alice, a café/used bookstore on Bondi Beach. Essentially, I get paid to work on the beach, eat free food, borrow books at my leisure, and serve what has been voted as “the best chai tea in Bondi.” How I found such a perfect travel job for me, I’ll never know. But perfect it was – and I made some pretty awesome friends from all over the world while working there!

Australian Money

In my young life, I have worked my fair share of cash registers. But until now, they have all been in United States currency. While taking money and making change in Australian dollars took a bit of getting used to, it is quite a bit easier here. Firstly, Aussies don’t have 1-cent pieces. All costs in Australia are in increments of 5. Second, Aussie taxes are required to be included in the published prices. If a drink is $2.50, then you will pay $2.50. Period. I love this – it makes things so much easier when you don’t have to worry about tax! Third, no tipping. Certainly, you may tip if you receive exceptional service, but it is not expected, and you will not be starting an international courtesy war should you not tip your waiter. It makes things so much easier when you go out to a restaurant and know that since tax and tip are not a factor, what you see on the price list is exactly what you are expected to pay.

Canadian or American?

Working in a café/bookstore is a good way to meet people, particularly the locals. I have begun to recognize people by name, and many more by face, and they are coming to know me as well. Many people have struck up conversations with me due to my accent, most by asking me first if I am Canadian. (Some have been more reluctant to guess and simply ask me, “States or Canada?”) When I asked two people why most people guessed I was from Canada, one responded that Sydney attracts more Canadians. The other said I sounded more Canadian because of my speech and word choices. Huh. Who knew? Guess I gotta get me more American slang, yo! Um, or not…eh?

Response to Poll

Thank you Karen, April, Lisa, John & Nathan for your votes on what I should do during my trip! So far zorbing, scuba diving, and jungle swinging have made my list. Unless time, money and bravery allow, I'll probably skip the skydiving, shark diving and ballooning. Stay tuned - I'll be posting updates shortly on my first trip to the Great Barrier Reef and rainforests!

Meet some of my new friends!

These are a few of the ladies I worked with at Gertrude & Alice Cafe Bookstore.

Last Days in Sydney remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Let’s rewind to about two weeks after we arrived in Sydney. See, at about that point, Megan and I were still seeing quite a bit of each other and jointly experienced the unfortunate state of boredom. Moving to a foreign city is bound to be fun, but it’s not all it’s cracked up to be right at the first. After settling in, finding a place to live, and beginning our job searches, we had not yet made friends or become familiar enough with our surroundings to know what to do or where to go, particularly after mid-afternoon. (Things close earlier here than they do in the States, despite being in the middle of a city.) After realizing that Megan and I deal with boredom in decidedly different and potentially mutually annoying ways, we determined that something had to be done. And so, armed with our daypacks and good walking shoes, we bought travel passes, allowing us complete access to Sydney’s trains, busses, and ferries for one week. Of course, we didn’t have a clue as to where we were actually going to go, but it turned out to be quite the travel memory in and of itself. Throughout the next several days, we developed a short-lived habit of hopping on and off random buses and ferries without a care as to where they were headed – only making certain that we had a way back. This is the way we first discovered most of the places in Sydney that I described in my Sydney Suburbs posting, including my first ferry view of the Opera House.

On that very first day, we took a bus to a pretty place we later discovered to be Watson’s Bay. Complete with green grass, jagged cliffs, sparkling blue ocean meeting the horizon, and even a little lighthouse on the cliff, it was made for Melanie to visit, yes? I think yes! What made this trip memorable, however, was Megan’s venture over the fence and onto the cliffs themselves. I wasn’t keen to join her (I love life, thank you very much), but as she was set on it, I agreed to take video and pictures. What I didn’t count on was hearing the comments of every person walking past. Bits of conversation such as “foolish girl,” “can’t believe anyone would…” and “did you hear someone died out there?” were enough to cause me to urge her back into the land of the safe and the sane. She’s fine, of course, but the interesting part came a bit later when we relayed our story and pictures to our Aussie roommates back home and Jessica exclaimed wide-eyed, “I think you went to The Gap!”

Apparently The Gap is an Australian cliff where many people have been killed or committed suicide. Saying someone “went to The Gap” is basically another way of saying someone met a tragic and untimely death.

Megan is not allowed on the other side of any kind of fence ever, ever, ever again.

Even if the view is to die for. (Pun not originally intended...but if it can't be used now, then when?)

The Gap in Oz...Not a Clothing Store remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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During our Natural Horsemanship lessons, we learned techniques that Tim used with the horses. It was interesting to see the way he trained the horses to respond to both touch and gestures before riding them, then translating what he taught them on the ground to foot and reign gestures while on their backs. One of the important things I learned was that in training a horse, you don't keep going until you reach the perfect movement. If they make one right step or give one little indicator that they are starting to understand what you want them to do, stop. Go away and let them think. Whether it takes one minute or three hours, the point at which you stop with the horse will teach them more than the amount of time you work with them. Interesting and makes a lot of sense.

So in order to make it fun for us while he showed us a few ways he trained the horses, we played a few games in our Wednesday class. One was a limbo match between us and the horse. If you spot me, pardon the fact that if it were a subject in school, I'd have failed Limbo long ago. But in any case, here is one of our feeble attempts to out-limbo the horse. (We had a music section, but they were slacking during the video. Tsk, tsk.)

On Thursday, we took turns catching and "wrestling" calves (in groups of two or three since the calves were very strong). Here's a video for the sole sake of showing you that despite what you shall soon see, I am not a wimp - these calves are strong! Even Collin and Ben found some difficulty in catching and keeping one.

So in case you wondered how many people it takes to throw a calf to the ground, the answer is two, plus a little time, effort, patience and possibility of failure. For my group, the answer was six. Three to handle the calf, two to direct, and one to take a picture. Hehe, calf wrestling, I fear, also does not seem to be in my future. Good thing I have other aspirations, because otherwise I would have had to try, try again. And that would annoy any self-respecting calf.

Return of the Australian Cowgirl remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Pardon the alteration of Mr. Toby Keith’s song – had to be done, seeing as how I have no actual desire to be a cowboy. So show of hands, who else can say they’ve done everything on that list??? No? I can! Well, except for stealing a cowboy’s heart...but that wasn’t included on the Jillaroo course curriculum, so I haven’t learned how to put that part into practice as of yet. But I did everything else, including strapping a toy gun onto my horse’s saddle so I could have a six-shooter. In case you are utterly and completely lost, allow me to announce that I am now a Jillaroo, otherwise known as an Australian cowgirl. For the past week I have been on a real working farm about an hour out of Tamworth, Australia, learning how to rope, ride, muster sheep and cattle, lasso, crack whips, train horses and even how to sheer and butcher a sheep. I slept in a bunkhouse, ate every meal around a campfire, rolled around in the dirt to catch sheep and wrestle calves, and perhaps most shocking of all, took 3-minute showers - gasp. Some people take these courses for holiday, while others take them for work experience or actual training for working on a farm. It’s a good thing on a resume for someone wanting to work in the Outback.

Since I was away from civilization and therefore without phone or internet connection for the entire eventful week, this blog entry can and will be fairly long. But don’t worry – I included pictures for you visual folk out there!

Day One – 18 Aug 2008

* 9:00 a.m. pickup from our hostel
* Quick stop at a second hand clothing store for work clothes
* Introduction and a cup of tea over campfire on arrival at the farm
* A grooming and saddling up lesson
* A lesson on Natural Horsemanship riding followed by a 2.5 hour ride including bush survival and local bush tucker

There are eleven students in my group, plus the farmhands and the family who own the farm and head the course. Most of my group, farmhands included, are 20-somethings from Australia, England, Germany, Norway, Denmark, Holland, and America. The bunkhouse is separated into two areas, one for students, one for staff, both connected to a common bathroom. The staff does all the cooking, but each of the students has been assigned chores each day, such as dishes or cleaning the bathroom. Every day starts with a 6:30 wake up call, and every mealtime is spent around a campfire with open-air oven cooked meals.

After our morning lessons and lunch, we were each given a horse which will be ours for the duration of our stay. They gave me a pretty white "intermediate rider" horse named Cheeky. They teach Natural Horsemanship here, which is different from the Traditional Horsemanship that I’m used to. No western saddle, no kicking the horse to go faster, and different reign commands than I’ve learned before. Will definitely take some getting used to.

My first impression of Cheeky: Nice horse, shies away from me when I try to touch her head, but follows my basic riding instructions pretty consistently. A little slow downhill and uphill but I’d rather her find her footing than for her to feel rushed and stumble, so I let her take her time.

Day Two – 19 August 2008

* Catch and saddle the horses
* A two hour Natural Horsemanship lesson
* A horse shoeing lesson
* A whip cracking and lassoing lesson
* Play some Natural Horsemanship games with horses
* A barrel race on horseback
* Mustering sheep on horseback
* A talk on sheep health and husbandry, demonstration of tail trimming and neutering a lamb
* A sheep shearing lesson
* Slaughter / butcher a sheep

It was COLD this morning – BRRR! Still, the staff somehow managed to get us up soon after our 6:30 wakeup call. We caught and saddled the horses by ourselves for the first time today, then left them to eat for a two hour Natural Horsemanship lesson, followed by a horse shoeing lesson and whip cracking and lassoing lessons. I’m a pretty good whip cracker if I do say so myself, but lassoing will perhaps be an aquired skill.

My Second impression of Cheeky: She’s Cheeky with a capital “C”. Lets me touch her face now, but still shies away sometimes. Hard to ride when she wants to do her own thing, and she’s also hard to control around other horses. Wants to be in the middle rather than around the edges of the arena like my group was supposed to, which meant that I spent my entire trotting and cantering practice correcting her, not getting any actual trotting and cantering practice. I'm not planning on sending her Christmas cards when all this is done, I can tell you that much.

But I suppose it was a worse day for the sheep we sheered and slaughtered. Lamb stew on the menu for tomorrow…yum!

Day Three – 20 August 2008

* Finish butchering the sheep
* A two hour Natural Horsemanship lesson
* Fencing and yard building
* Pasture improvement

No horseback riding today, but it was a taxing day with heaps of manual labor involved. It makes sense to me now why they started a bit slower this morning (we stayed by the shed and learned how to butcher the sheep we slaughtered the night before) and allowed us a bit more time to relax in the evening. It was definitely needed after tree felling, clearing pastures, and working on building a chicken coop. If anyone thought they’d just be shown how to do these things and not be expected to grab an axe and and shovel and put their backs into it, they were dead wrong! I’m glad we were so hands on though – despite the sweat, dirt, and sore muscles, I learned quite a bit today and had fun to boot! Plus, it was nice to take a semi-nap in the beautiful outdoors during our break!

Day Four – 21 August 2008

* Catch and saddle the horses
* Play some Natural Horsemanship games with horses
* Mustering cattle on horseback
* Yarding and drafting cattle
* A talk on cattle breeds and husbandry
* A lassoing competition
* Wrestling, branding and marking calves
* A demonstration in using working dogs

Yes, that’s right – today I mustered cattle on horseback and roped and wrestled a calf! Yeehaw! It was also our longest ride of the week. We packed our lunches to eat around a mountaintop campfire after we finished mustering the cattle, then headed back to the farmhouse.

Third impression of Cheeky: When checking her back hoof, she brought the side of her metal shoe down hard on my foot and then lifted her tail with the clear intention of farting in my face. On the ride, she attempted to bite and kick several horses. While mustering cattle, she reminded me of a shopping cart that constantly wants to veer right which you have to overcorrect to go left. As if all that weren’t enough, when we finished the first leg of our trip, she tried to headbutt me. Oh, joy. BUT I sensed a clear turning point on our ride back. I think I’m becoming more comfortable with this way of riding, and Cheeky and I were able to work pretty well together by the time we reached the farm. Despite the rocky start (or maybe because of it), I left today’s riding with a sense of accomplishment. I think I feel much better about my ability to keep her under control for tomorrow’s riding.

Day Five – 22 August 2008

* A lesson on maintaining saddlery
* Catch and saddle the horses
* Play some Natural Horsemanship games with horses
* A ride where we take the horses for a trot and canter
* Return to Tamworth YHA around 6:00 p.m. for a big night out

On Wednesday night Becky and Laura hid the radio so that the staff couldn't turn it on to wake us up so early on Thursday. Thinking ahead, they also hid the dinner bell, pots and pans, and anything else that could potentially be used to make noise. In retaliation, the staff made sure that Friday morning we woke to the loudest ruckus of clanging and banging I've ever heard at 6:30 a.m. It was quite funny.

Last day impression of Cheeky: Still a stubborn horse, that’s for sure. But I think now that I’m both more comfortable with this way of riding as well as getting used to her quirks, it was a pretty good day for both of us. Her biggest problem today was getting antsy and wanting to get going when she knew her turn was coming up for barrel racing or cantering practice. I had to reign her in every single time, and not without a struggle. Tim (our instructor & owner of the farm) showed me a few techniques to use with her, and so after getting used to the idea that I would be spending a fair amount of time getting her under control, my riding with Cheeky became more of a fun challenge than a frustration. And as soon as she did what she was supposed to do, I rewarded both of us with some exhilaratingly fast riding.

This day was not without its problems for others, however. During cantering practice, Kate (my new American friend through IEP) fell off her horse. Because she lost consciousness for a moment, she was sent to the hospital by helicopter to get checked out. Diagnosis: mild concussion and a bruised rib. She was walking and talking, but understandably sore and tired by evening. Thankfully, it was her last day and so she didn’t miss out on anything except for our Friday evening out in Tamworth.

Meet some of my new Jackaroo and Jillaroo friends:

Clockwise, starting with top left: Stephen (American), me (American), Andre (German), Danica (Australian), Jannik (German), Tracey (British), Laura (from Jersey?), Becky (Australian), and Marleen (from Norway?). There were more people not in the picture.

And there you have it - my Australian farm experience! Now that I'm back in the city, I still have an urge to look for some cattle to muster. Ah, well. Perhaps a few more Outback adventures will be in store for me during the next three months of my trip.

Memoirs of an Australian Cowgirl remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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CITY CENTRE

I spent most of my first week in the downtown area, and I still spend time there every couple days because that is where my exchange program office is located. The center of the city is basically where I know I can find $1 sushi rolls (on King & George Streets), specials on smoothies (one block from my program office), a three-story bookstore (be still, mine heart), and fashionable shops, bars and restaurants everywhere in between. An important lesson I have learned is to watch my back in the central business district (known as CBD) – the taxi drivers aren’t exactly polite, plus if you don’t keep pace, you can count on getting trampled by crowds of businesspeople power-walking to their next appointment.

One tip I am going to share with you, should you go to Sydney: Don’t forget to look up! Yes, that’s right – stop (hopefully out of the way of the people ready to run you over), tilt your head back and LOOK UP. It’s funny how easy it is to become wrapped up in the craziness on the ground level of the city and not notice the amazing architecture and history right in front of your nose. Some of the buildings are pretty amazing. (Not all of the buildings. Not even most. But some are worth looking up for.)

CIRCULAR QUAY

Firstly, it's pronounced "circular key." It's funny how one feels like laughing at the tourists who come through pronouncing it "kway." Then I remind myself that I did too...only three weeks ago. But we won’t talk about that...

Circular Quay is what I think of as the "connected and connecting" area in Sydney. That's where I go if I want to catch a train, bus, or ferry to just about anywhere. And walking down by the ferries at night will give you a gorgeous view of the Opera House, the Bridge, and the Harbour. Not to mention, there are pretty decent restaurants overlooking the views which I have yet to frequent due to their pricey menus. Thankfully there are also a few cheaper options not right on the water, one being McDonalds (which is called "Mackers" by Australians, as I came to realize after a few confusing conversations).

DARLING HARBOUR

We discovered Darling Harbour one day after misunderstanding that our roommate was telling us to find a place in Darlinghurst. Darling Harbour, Darlinghurst...anyone could make that mistake, right? Well, not anyone who has been to both places, apparently. As we figured out for ourselves, one is home to fancy shoppers and well-to-do businessmen and the other is known as Sydney's red-light district. Haha...yeah... (But don't worry. I may not have mace, but I have daylight, a pointy umbrella, and Megan. She took a kickboxing class, so she's practically on par with the karate kid now.)

Darling Harbour, by the way, is the well-to-do of the two. We didn't actually see the water in the harbor due to the fact it was filled with yachts for the Sydney International Boat Show. If you want to go shopping in Sydney, go to Darling Harbour. It’s not the cheapest place in the city, but there’s a three-level mall complete with fancy restaurants overlooking the water. That’s also where you’d find the Sydney Aquarium and Wildlife World, FYI. And when we’d finished our day there, we took a ferry ride back to Circular Quay and saw yet another view of the Bridge and Opera House, just approaching sunset. Beautiful!!!

KINGS CROSS & DARLINGHURST

Known as Sydney's red-light district, we were guaranteed to meet an interesting assortment of people almost immediately after stepping foot off the train at Kings Cross. Despite the shady shops and strange people in this area, we did discover a fairly decent pizza place, a chocolate shop and a temporary job for Megan. (A DECENT job , people!) What place can be so bad if it has all that, right? Of course, right! Megan’s first job was at a little take away shop directly across the street from the station. And as her friend, I was entitled to free chips. I've decided Darlinghurst, while not a place I will spend a considerable amount of time, is actually an alright place to visit.

DOUBLE BAY / EDGECLIFF

I often say I live in Edgecliff because the two are so close and I take the train to Edgecliff to get home, but the truth is that I actually live in Double Bay. You know how some Arizonans refer to Scottsdale as “Snottsdale”? Well, here the locals have a habit of calling Double Bay “Double Pay” due to the high incomes of most of its residents; people also jokingly refer to it as the plastic surgery capital of Australia. Apparently it’s viewed as a nice place to live, which Megan and I didn’t find out until after we moved in. Lucky us, it is a nice place to live – our place is in a cute apartment building only a short walk from expensive shops, trendy cafes, and pretty views of the harbor.

BONDI JUNCTION

This is where I would do my shopping if I weren’t on a budget. Westfield Mall has six floors, including a Target and a Borders, plus a movie theater. Right now the main reason I frequent Bondi Junction is because it’s the connecting point for me to get to my new cafe job on Bondi Beach and my art class on Bondi Road.

BRONTE BEACH

On one of my solo days (Megan was at work), I decided to meander down to Bronte Beach. Bronte is a cute little beach with more kids and grass than Bondi Beach. Also fewer people and quite a lot smaller and less trendy. Basically, if Bondi were the hardback bestseller of beaches, Bronte would be the cute paperback version you just want to stick in your pocket and take with you to the coffee shop. (Yes, that really is the way my mind works.)

I’ve more places to explore and some I’ve barely visited, but I’ll leave you there for now. Too much information cannot be fit into bite-sized blog entries…at least not without stuffing your mouth so full that you cannot chew. But beware - Now that I have my computer, I've some catching up to do!

Sydney Suburbs remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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• Starbucks here have meat pies and sausage rolls and salmon wraps and cheesecake (multiple kinds)...and when looked at altogether, their food selections here are definitely more international. It makes sense, yes, but it's still something to report about, as the drinks, music, and every other product they sell is exactly the same as in American stores. Well, except for:

• Interesting fact: Australia's iced venti cups are smaller than American iced venti cups (20 oz to the US's 24 oz). After discovering that, I just about burst into the American national anthem out of patriotic pride.

• For those of you who may not know, I could be considered a chai tea addict in something like 49 states and 10 countries. BUT you will be happy to know that due to budgetary concerns, I have cut back and have averaged about 1.5 Starbucks chai's per week since I arrived! I'm so proud, I feel like treating myself to a chai in celebration! Oh, wait. Defeats. Purpose.

• You know how there is typically at least one Starbucks, if not more, within every square mile in Gilbert/Mesa? Well, I was a little worried that I would go through withdrawal until I saw first a map of Starbucks and then witnessed for myself that they are everywhere, at least in the CBD (central business district). There is even one in Bondi Junction! Even if I am trying to stick to a budget, the mere fact that they are for the moment accessible is like a built in "Melanie security blanket".

• And finally... In recent news, Starbucks announced that it is closing 61 of its 85 locations in Australia. Which happens to interfere with not only my chai security blanket, but my hopes of working for them as well. Ah, well. I guess when they told me they weren't hiring, it wasn't because of my uncool accent after all.

And that wraps up your Starbucks lesson for the day! Happy chai's to you!

Starbucks in Australia remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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He was exceptionally sleepy, so I don't think he'll remember meeting me. I learned today that because eucalyptus is so low in energy, koalas sleep about 20 hours a day. Hmm...I think I've met a few humans who could pass for koalas.

If you couldn't tell from the title, Megan and I went to Taronga Zoo in Sydney today. The weather was cold, but I don't think the penguins minded so much as we did. We saw seals, wallabies, a platypus, kangaroos, tigers, lions, bears, meerkats, red pandas, and a dozen other types of animals that escape my memory. Unfortunately, I was spoiled after being able to get up close to the koala. I had an overwhelming urge to pet a kangaroo, ride a giraffe, and take home a platypus, but I figure they probably frown on that sort of thing.

In other news, we drove across the Sydney Harbour Bridge for the first time tonight! Alright, so we didn't really drive; we took a bus. But it was amazing to know that we were riding across that amazing structure, and with the lights of the city all around us.

Here are some more photos to leave you with:

Shh...Don't wake the koala!

Going in for the kiss!

See the cute Aussie!

My Day at Taronga Zoo remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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Alright, it's time for a few updates on my basic needs for survival:

Accomodation
My program sponsor put me up in the Sydney Central YHA Hostel my first two nights, which if any of you has spent time in a hostel, you will know can be fun and, at the same time, not conducive to long-term stays. Megan had to book her stay separately, so we weren't in the same room, and we each shared with three other girls and two sets of bunk beds. The communal bathrooms were worth it when considering that the hostel had a pool, sauna, movie room, several common rooms, and a view of the city from an upper level deck. But...however much fun it was to be in the middle of the city, after only two nights, we were ready to find a place to unpack.

Lo and behold, by the end of those two nights, Megan and I had found a place to live! Our luggage-clad travels between downtown Sydney (in the middle of a World Youth Day parade and the arrival of the Pope's entourage) is enough for a story in and of itself, so for now we'll skip over to the apartment itself. We are now sharing a cute little flat in the Double Bay area with two sisters, Jessica and Lucy. It's only a 2-bedroom apartment, so Megan and I are sharing a room, but considering that we didn't pack our entire lives into our suitcases, it is the perfect amount of space for the two of us. And how's this for a plus - it's about midway between the center of the city and Bondi Beach! Our roommates are very sweet, and I've discovered that Lucy shares my love for all things Jane Austen and Pride & Prejudice, so I believe we'll get along just fine.

Just for kicks, check out the crowd we had to fight to get our luggage-laden selves down to the train station:

Work
After spending most of the first week getting settled into our new home and figuring out the best ways to get around, we are ready to get serious about the part that will make our trip most worthwhile - making money! Er, I mean...getting to know more Aussies and their culture by working alongside them! Yeah!

Megan and I have had one real job interview each, and though mine said they would have a place for me, I haven't heard back as of yet. No worries - I've spent a considerable amount of time reworking my resume. Apparently, Australian employers like it if you spell things correctly. As in, Australian English...which bears more resemblance to British English than our more relaxed American spellings. Organisation, metre, centre, etc. Also, they don't use some of our educational terms, such as GPA's. Huh. Who knew?

Anyway, no job yet, but the search continues in earnest after I print out these resumes and dare to venture out in the rain. Will keep you posted. (Note to self: add umbrella to shopping list.)

Miscellaneous
Got my cell phone set up. Important for hearing back from potential employers. Also opened a bank account and got my Australian debit card. Wow - money in a foreign bank account. Sounds shady. I'll have to work on perfecting my innocent look. Which is difficult with Megan following me into the elegant bank lobby with a video camera. Looked like she was casing the place. (Another note to self: whistling innocently in a fancy foreign bank does NOT make you seem innocent.)

Found the local library, and let me tell you - the view is to die for! See a view of the courtyard below. Unfortunately, they won't let me get a card without jumping through hoops. Ah, well. I'll shrug my shoulders and remind myself that I didn't come to another country to hole up in the library.

Travel
We finally saw the Sydney Harbour Bridge and Opera House the other day! We took a ferry ride across the harbour, and despite the wind & chill in the air, we had a blast! It's funny - I looked forward so much to seeing the Opera House, but it was the Bridge that floored me. It was magnificent! They have climbing tours and I'm looking forward to reaching the top one of these days!

Well, that's about it for now. I uploaded a handful of photos, so check them out in my photo gallery!

P.S. As I discovered from my Uncle Bud, if you want to know when I update my blog with news or photos, you can subscribe to it. Cheers!

The Essentials remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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I'm not opposed to walking. I love it, in fact. It's the only semblance of exercise that doesn't typically cause me to gasp for breath after approximately 30 seconds. (In case you're wondering, yes - I really am THAT out of shape. Running + Melanie = Bad Idea.) So even though my legs have been sore every morning this week, I refuse to give up:

I will walk from one side of Australia to the other if it means saving $7 in train fare!!!

Alright...so I must confess I haven't actually walked from coast to coast, but I have walked to and between Central Sydney and several of its suburbs, with several unintentional detours through residential neighborhoods. Here's one thing I've learned in my treks, particularly throughout Bondi (pronounced like "bonzai," only trade the "z" for a "d"): If you stop someone on the street to ask for directions, they are probably not from Australia. All the actual Aussies are on their cell phones or in their cars. I think they have tourist radar. Probably open their phones and pretend to be talking to their mum as soon as they see a tourist in need of directions glance their way. Oh, and other tourists seem to be realizing the above fact as well. Megan and I have been asked for directions on more than one occasion. Not sure why they didn't stop after noticing the very touristy "Top 10 Sydney" guide book I was holding.

One thing I have definitely noticed after having walked most everywhere in the past week is this: It makes you slow down. Obviously, it takes longer to get places, and you therefore have to schedule more time in your day and plan to do less each day than you otherwise would. I love it. It's like slowing down your hectic life for a figurative warm pot of tea. And you know how I feel about tea!

P.S. I'll be posting pictures soon. I don't have an easy way to download them to the computer at the moment.

Walking: It's Free! remains copyright of the author Aussie Mel, a member of the travel community Travellerspoint.

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