I Might Be A Redneck If.....

It is safe to say that I am getting the full Aussie experience, going well beyond the usual tourist stops of Sydney, Ayers Rock, Great Barrier Reef, etc. I spent my Valentine's day at a B&S Ball, which I'm told stands for Bachelors & Spinsters, but really means a giant redneck tailgate. Seriously. From where I am currently staying, I drove 5 miles into Western Queensland to the middle of nowhere, also known as the town of Meandarra, to a giant field where the 'ball' was to be held. What I witnessed that afternoon was backwoods Mississippi meets a Jimmy Buffett tailgate. It was complete with binge drinking, pick-up trucks done up with a dozen spotlights and CB radio antennas 20 ft high, mullets, cowboy hats and stereos blaring country music. To add to the fun, it decided to rain a bit. Not a lot, but just enough to allow some of the good ol' boys to show off their driving skillz, and allow half of them to get stuck in the ruts that they created. Needless to say, it was amusing. Now I can only guess that the 'ball' label comes from the fact that everyone gets 'decked' out in their finest attire, most of which was, quite literally, purchased at a thrift store. Good thing I didn't bring my suits from home because within 10 minutes of entering the tent, I was covered in red food dye and my left sleeve was ripped off. The night progressed as expected, more rain fell, and country music continued to be played.

The next morning I stumbled out of my tent to witness a true scene. I don't know if it was lingering effects from the night before, or that they got up early to continue the drinking, but apparently someone found a giant tube and felt that tying it behind a truck and getting dragged with 10 of their closest friends was a good idea. It wasn't, but we all enjoyed watching it! Watching them get tossed all over and dragged along the ground, all while holding their beer can high in the air so as not to spill it, was worth the price of admission! They are guaranteed to have been sore the next day. The picture below only tells half the story, and doesn't show the trees that people decided to light on fire! A very good time, but definitely not my style.

Now, that would have been enough to quench any redneck thirst I may have had, but that's too easy. The next few days I went hunting in the Australian Outback and had an absolute blast! I'm not gonna lie and say that I loved every aspect of it, but it was an experience. It was definitely a guys trip, and four of us (including the guy pictured above) drove another 2 hours west to the town of Amby (and by town I mean there is a general store, a bar, and a few large farming properties). The farm we went to spans 40,000 acres and my friends know the owners well. Because of this, we stayed in accommodations that are as luxury as you'll get for hunting but far from 5-Star. We pull up to the farm owners home and are reminded to be careful when going into the shower room, as they recently found a Brown snake in there. My friends had told me it was a Carpet snake, aka Python, which was fine, as they aren't poisonous and normally leave you alone...not the case with Brown snakes, which are listed as #2 on the list of deadliest snakes in the world. If you don't believe me, check out: http://www.manbir-online.com/htm2/snake.22.htm

We were hunting goats, and we found a ton. The hunting itself was a true experience, and in the end, I am pleased to say that I got some kills! I look like I actually know what I'm doing, huh!

In addition to hunting during the day, we had a little fun at night, better known as spotlighting. For those who aren't familiar with this term, basically you drive around and shine a spotlight into a field looking for the reflection of eyes. Well, its safe to say that we found plenty. Now, please don't hate me for what you're about to see. We all love Kangaroos, myself included. They are cute, fun to watch hop around and are the symbol of Australia. However, they are also extremely overpopulated, having numbers over 50 Million (more then twice the human population), and are viewed much like deer in the U.S. So, having said all of that, I'm a pretty good shot...Please don't hate me!

In honor of those fallen roos, here a brief clip of one that I took while searching for goats. I was hoping to get some footage of a dozen or so hopping around on the plains, but never had my camera out in time.

OK, enough redneck stuff. This weekend I was up in Bundeberg, which is about 3 hrs north of where I currently am. The town is nothing special, but they have a little thing called the Bundeberg Rum Distillery which was calling my name. And seeing that it is pretty much the only rum you find here in Oz (I miss you Captain Morgan), I felt it necessary to visit and sample.

Now I find myself back in Noosa, and approaching my last evening here in Australia. It's a little crazy to think that I've been in the country for 2 months, and even crazier to know that I leave for Thailand tomorrow night. My time here has been awesome, and I have a ton of places that I would like to revisit and see for the first time on another trip. I have traveled nearly 20,000 km, seen amazing sites and animals, and managed to escape (fingers crossed) without being bitten, stung, or attacked by any of the native creatures. I can only imagine what awaits me when I land in Bangkok.

Cheers!

Work, Work, Work

It has been just over a week since I last checked in and things have certainly cooled down a bit. Of course, Melbourne is currently on fire. For those of you who have asked me, I am fine and my travels have, fortunately, not been effected by them. (on a side note, it is really awful here, and apparently the worst natural disaster Australia has experienced). My time in that city was great. It reminded me a lot of Boston in its layout and atmosphere, and I would love to return on another visit. I was there for about 4 days, and spent another 4 days or so driving along the Great Ocean Road. I'll tell you, it was incredible. One of the most scenic drives I've ever been on. I was able to stop at plenty of places along the way, both for scenery and to check out some koalas that live along that stretch. I am convinced that these guys have the life, sleeping 20-22 hrs of the day, then eat eucalyptus the remaining time which basically gets them drunk. I think work is for suckers!

Besides koalas, I was able to stop at countless vistas along the way, though the highlight of our touristy stops had to be the 12 Apostles. I spent at least an hour there at sunset, and while it was truly stunning, I'll try to let the photos do the talking:

I know many of you will never make it down there to see the south coast of Australia, but if you have the opportunity, I highly recommend taking the drive. Besides the scenery, it was great to get behind the wheel again. After 2+ months of not driving, it is safe to say that I had a little fun with my rental car! It made it back in one piece, though there were countless turns that I wasn't sure it stayed on 2 wheels! I added to my amusement by driving on the right side of the road (and by 'right' I most certainly mean 'wrong'). Getting used to that really wasn't too difficult, though everytime I went to signal a turn, I wound up hitting the wipers. I felt like an idiot for 4 days, even if other drivers didn't notice.

For the past few days I have been back in Noosa and will remain here (or the area) for the next 2 weeks until heading to Thailand...that is assuming I get my visa sorted out. Dealing with SE Asian governments is a joy. I need to meet with the consulate in the next couple of days. Rumor has it I'm going hunting in the Outback next week for a few days, so I'm sure some good stories will come out of that one! If you're wondering what I'll be hunting, so am I, though my guess would be goats, dingos and/or Kangaroos! I'll get pictures.

Now, unrelated to my travels, I want to inform you all of an observation that I've made. No one in Australia actually works. I'm not talking about weekends, or late at night, or things of that nature. I'm talking general mid-week business hours. I feel lucky if I catch a store open before 10am, and if 4 o'clock hits, I have already assumed that I missed them for the day. I don't know how some places survive. I actually think that some stores are permenantly closed, though remain fully stocked to tease shoppers. Really. I know this sounds ridiculous, but this is exactly what I've encountered. It kind of reminds me of the following conversation from Dumb and Dumber:

Harry: "I can't believe it we drove around all day and there's not a single job in this town, there's nothin', natta, zip"

Lloyd: "Yeah, unless you wanna work 40 hours a week."

Cheers!