Well, I made it. I am officially Down Under. Though having been on the move for 3 weeks, I was virtually useless my first night in Noosa, passing out in front of the TV at roughly 8:30pm. The next day was Christmas and I spend my morning at the beach. That's right, the beach. I must say it was quite nice, even for someone who can't stand the ocean. I was spending time with a friend of mine who lives here, and we in turn spent the holiday with her family, who have a farm spanning roughly 500 acres. I know, spending time with a family you don't know may not be the ideal situation, but it was actually quite enjoyable. They were extremely welcoming and I felt very much at home. It actually reminded me a lot of Thanksgiving, seeing that all we did was eat nonstop for 2 days. I'm not one to criticize their Christmas tradition!
I actually got to take a little driving tour of the property and help them out with a few minor maintenance jobs that had to be done. Later that night, we were discussing all of the dealy creatures that exist in the country and I was informed that nearly all of the deadly snakes have been seen on their land, or live in the area. (Note: 7 of the 10 deadliest snakes live here) Now, I am no farmer, nor do I have the proper attire with me to act like one, but the next time I go out on the farm to help I will be sure to wear something other than my thongs (Australian for flip-flops, so don't let your minds get carried away)! While I did not encounter anything that could kill me that day, I did have a python sleeping in the tree above me soon after.
The days following Christmas have been relatively uneventful, I'm sorry to say. However, I am pleased to say that I've seen a Kangaroo! (hold the applause) However, I flew to Darwin last night and since landing I don't think I've stopped sweating. It is not the most comfortable of places. It is kind of like Miami in the summer, so if you like traveling to Miami in the summer, this is a great place for you. For me, someone who has become used to dry weather, this has been a problem. I think I lost a few pounds just walking around this morning, but luckily my walkabout didn't last all day, because starting in the early afternoon, it began to pour. And pour. And pour. Luckily it decided to clear long enough for me to get some dinner and ramble on a bit on this webpage!
For those of you who are interested, I have a new phone while here in Australia, so if you feel like showing me some love, give me a ring: +61 4 1624 1045 (if you can't figure out the +, just dial 011 instead).
My schedule:
12/28-12/31: Darwin
1/1-1/2: Kakadu Nat'l Park
1/3: Katherine
1/4: Tennant Creek
1/5: Alice Springs
5 comments:
Sounds like an amazing experience. Glad you are feeling better! Happy New Year! -Beth
Happy New Year!! We love your blog and pics. The trip sounds like so much fun. Did you eat the new friend you were holding in the picture? Just spoke to Dad and they had a great trip to Mexico. Keep on having fun and by the way, you are going to many more places than we did. Love, Aunt Barbara
Wow, look at you becoming all Australian on us with the lingo and what not!!! :) Glad you are having a great time. Hope you had a fun New Year's and Christmas. Can't wait to hear more.
I'm at work still (6:15pm) and am very jealous reading about your trip! Happy New Year! Keep taking pictures!
Dude, a week into the new year and we have no stories from how things are celebrated on the other side of the world. what's up with that? Just scream that you're a "first timer" as you go riding down the street with your head out a window and people will love you.
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