Dear Mammy,
How are you? I am… well… I am, uh. I think the term is “gone troppo”. It’s ok, you don’t need to worry about me but I will say that if some of this letter doesn’t make any sense, there’s a reason for it.
Darwin really is a party town. To this point, on our way in, Randal our guide gave us a quick tour. It consisted of “here’s a pub, oh, there’s another pub, oh and here’s a pub that does cheap beer on a Wednesday”. Exactly.
Arriving in Darwin, after checking in to our hostel, all of us from the tour went out for dinner and drinks. It all started off in a very civilised and sedate manner but within an hour had descended into absolute mayhem. That said, nobody was ill or fighting or anything like that, no, but I did discover that I have an innate talent for dancing on tables, hopping between tables mid air and twirling on benches. Interesting transferable skills to have but you never know when such things come in useful.
I did my best to get out and see some things but to be honest, it was so hot and humid that I really felt very out of it most of the time. It’s a nice town, but I don’t think I could live there, my brain would just shrivel up and hide.
As I said, I did get to see some stuff. I did lots of walking down along the wharf, and saw the waterfront and the wave pool, and the famous Stuart Wharf. I did not try the fish and chips - in that heat even a cucumber is too much for my stomach to handle. But I hear the food there is nice.
I also went up to the museum with Jenny from the tour one of the days. It was interesting because they’d loads of Aboriginal art on display. They also had a display about Cyclone Tracey which basically obliterated Darwin in the 1970’s. It was sad to read about all the destruction and see the ‘before and after’ images. They have this small completely blacked out booth that you can go in and they play a recording of Cyclone Tracey that someone had recorded. Initially I thought that would vbe stupid and I was laughing up my sleeve but I said I’d go in and experience it anyway seeing as how I was there. Well. It scared the living beeejaysus out of me - I ran out of there so fast when it was finished. Not nice.
Ooh apart from that has to be the fact that they have Sweetheart the crocodile (obviously not still alive). This croc used to live in one of the estuaries but being a 5.2 metre male croc, he was a little uh, territorial. The only problem with this is that the sound of a boat propeller is pretty much the same as one of the crocodile aggressive grunts so he kept attacking boat propellers because he thought they were challenging him. The locals decided to move him (for everyone’s sake really) but unfortunately, when they were trying to get him out of the water he drowned. So they stuffed him and put him in the museum. He’s bloody big I tell ya, even stuffed they’re very scary beasties.
I saw some real ones too, at Crocosaurus (or something like that) Park. It was ok, but to be honest, having been at Broome croc farm, and the Wyndham croc farm, this was a little tame. They did the feeding tour as well but as usual there were about 90 million people on the tour and it was impossible to see anything. I don’t meant to be grumpy but to be honest the only thing that I thought was cool there, was the aquarium with the saw fish and the big barramundi in it. The crocs were cool, but I felt like I’d seen it all before. They’re still amazing animals, I think I’m just a bit over it.
What else… oh yes. The markets. Oh dear. I’m really just not destined to have any joy with markets. I had my heart set on going to the Mindil Beach market. All the guides and books I’d read said it was *the* highlight of Darwin, that the food is fab, there’s live music and you can watch the sun go down. Oh boy, I tell ya, I was in pseudo-hippy heaven just thinking about it. Sooo off we went (Jenny and I) on the Thursday. Disaster. It bucketed down rain and the market was closed. The previous day? Glorious sunshine. The following day? Glorious sunshine. I’m telling ya, someone upstairs is having a laugh.
Not to be put off entirely, I found out about another market, the Rapid Creek market which is on, on Fridays. So off we trundled (Jenny and I) with an enthusiasm and confidence that only a glowing Lonely Planet (new edition) review can instill. Eventually (after about a 20 minute bus journey) we got dropped off at this run down old shopping centre (about the size of the Loughboy shopping centre) which had one Asian grocery store, a hippy food shop and about 40 boarded up ex-shops. So in we went to the hippy shop where the poor lady very apologetically explained that the damn thing hadn’t been on for ages (we’re talking several months or more). Sigh.
That said, Darwin wasn’t a total wash out. I decided I needed to do something touristy. Given their very thoughtless lack of a big jolly tourist bus (they should get one, everywhere should have one) I plumped for a trip on the ‘duckasaurus’ tour instead. It’s basically like the Dublin splash tour, a bus that turns into a boat. I have to say it was actually loads of fun! We did a quick scoot around Darwin and saw some of the old building (the ones that survived the wrath of Tracey) and then off to the harbour. It was cool going into the water but I did have a mild moment of panic when I started to question the sea-worthiness of a bus. Luckily we didn’t sink. Sinking here, above anywhere else in the world is a *horrible* idea. Not only do they have the constant possibility of crocs, there are sharks and box jellyfish too. Ugh. NOT nice. Because of the jellyfish situation though, the authorities had closed off Mindil Beach so our guide decided to drive out of the water, hare down the middle of Mindil beach and splash back into the wather. Why? In her words “because we can”. I like Darwin!
So that was it really. From Darwin I flew down to Alice Springs and booked on a ‘rock’ tour. I’m off to Uluru, Kata Tjuta and Kings Canyon in a couple of days. First a few days to relax in Alice Springs!
I’ll write and tell you all about Alice!
Hope all is well back home - how are the Halloween preparations going? I’m going to have to bring Halloween to Australia!
Love ya xx
Your Daughter
(the one who ran away)
Monday, October 25, 2010
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Into the wilds - The Kimberleys expedition
Dear Mammy,
How are you? I am fine. I was super excited to hear about Scott learning to ride a bike. I was a little bit disappointed to realise it was only a push bike but I suppose he IS only 12 so he has time.
Since I last wrote, I’ve had probably the most interesting expedition that I’ve ever done, through the Kimberleys. I did think it was funny that one of my highlights of Australia is called Kimberley…
In Broome, I was debating on how to get to Darwin and I’d heard about a 4 wheel drive track called the Gibb River Road. Obviously I wasn’t going to be able to walk it so, having looked into my options I decided to go with a tour group (in spite of my deep seated prejudice against that way of travel, I sucked it up). I decided to go for the 9 day 4 wheel drive expedition through the Kimberley region and up the Gibb River Road. I wont go into all the details because, well, I couldn’t be bothered and anyway you’d die of boredom, so I’ll give you some of the highlights!
On day 1 I really was beginning to wonder if I was suffering from temporary insanity when I booked - I couldn’t get my head around the idea of being told what to do 24/7. I’m glad I stuck it out though, we had a really good group! Well, apart from Crazy Jonnie who (no word of a lie) actually put on his feedback form that we were all lucky he didn’t blow up the bus. Apparently he’s not keen on people having fun… scary!
We did lots of gorge walking and swimming, which was fantastic. Now you know I’m not particularly uh, “outdoorsy” so I was super proud of myself for managing all the walks. The toughest was El Questro which was about a 4 hour scramble. About half the group didn’t make it to the top but I was determined to get there and I did! The only down side was, sitting in the water hole at the top, I actually got nipped on the leg by some random fish that lived in a rock!! No lie. I got the fright of my life!
Speaking of El Questro, that’s where I celebrated my birthday. I went to the pub with some of the guys off the tour and we met the local character Buddy. We’d heard a rumour that he’s in the habit of buying wine if he takes a shine to someone so we had a challenge - who can get the bottle of wine. Of course I won… but it being my birthday I think I had a bit of an unfair advantage if I’m really honest. The record was broken by Clare (the Botox saleslady from Melbourne) who got him to buy her dinner. Game, set and match I believe.
I was super impressed that the guys managed to bake me a cake with only a camping stove, an open fire and some cake mix - and it was Deeeeelicious! The cooking in general was awesome, given what they had to work with, in no small part thanks to Simon and Garfunkel (also known as Simon and Tracey who own a hostel in Cairns and were over in the Kimberleys on holidays).
All in all we had a really good group dynamic which was proven the day the bus wouldn’t start. Picture the scene, Sheila (a mahoosive offroad 4 wheel drive bus) getting pushed by the team. It was all grand until the 8 ton bus started to roll backwards on us. It was ok, nobody got hurt, just splattered in mud. Yum!
The other big memory of the trip was the trio of crazy tour guides who were on “HORRIDAAAAYS!” from Alice Springs. Lead by Tommy (a girl) Juno (a boy) and Claire (Scottish) who had so much energy, the group took on a little bit of their madness, which made for lots of giggles! I did see a liiiiittle more of them (diving from the highest rocks they could find in the nip) than I would ideally have liked but we’ll let them away with that!
Unfortunately because we were on tour just in the build up to the wet season, we couldn’t get into the Bungle Bungles. That was a little bit disappointing but to give him his due, Randal (also known as Randy-pants) did his damndest to get us in, and really didn’t give up until the last minute. Instead we took a trip up to Wyndham to see a crocodile farm. That was AMAZIIING! The owner was the real life honest to God embodyment of Crocodile Dundee. He even spoke like him! He went around feeding the crocs and some of them even tried to attack people through the cages! I thought for a minute Juno was a gonner but he was far enough away to escape. That was funny though because the man said that the croc will always try and go for the smallest member of the group - not this time! Juno was the biggest member of the group by at least a foot! I don’t think I’d like to get that close to a croc again, it was super scary.
Towards the end of the trip we went to Lake Argyle. It’s actually a man made lake but it’s over 80 kilometers long! It started off as a river and most of the lake bed was once a station, but now it provides water for Kununurra and the surrounding area. Apparently it’s estimated that there are over 250,000 freshwater crocs in there so why we decided to swim in there is beyond me. That said, we all survived so there’s no need to worry.
This trip was, in a way, very much about facing my fears. The obvious one is facing my fears of dogs. It was really scary one day in particular when we stopped off for lunch. We were greeted by a dog, wasn’t too bad, about a 6 on the Labrador bouncy scale, but the problem was, when we went into the shop there was another dog so I was trapped. When some moron tried to pet it and it barked I burst into tears - I was SO embarrassed! The team were awesome though, and I honestly had about 10 people on puppy patrol, they were so sweet. I did draw the line at Lake Argyle - the boat owner had a 10 month old staffie - about a 400 on the Labrador scale of bouncy. I nearly lost my life. I was so glad I’d talked to the skipper the evening before (he joined us all for dinner) and told him about my, uh, canine issues - he said he normally takes the dog on the boat - can you imagine?? Crocs in the water, bouncy dog on the boat - trapped much! Luckily he didn’t bring him so I was able to stay on the boat.
My other fear was rock diving (basically leaping off anything high into a deep pool of water. In one spot we had a rope swing - it took me a bit to get the balls to jump but I did in the end. I wasn’t very graceful (at all, in fact!) but I did it! The other big one was Lake Argyle. It’s kind of funny but I really was so scared even at the lowest point. It was as though my brain was saying “ok, let’s go, time to jump” but I physically couldn’t move. I was completely rooted to the spot. We all tried to jump together but when the rest jumped I just stayed stuck. I did manage to get my nerve up and jump (twice HAHA!) but bloody hellfire, it took a few minutes I tell ya!
The other ‘first’ for me was sleeping in a swag. It’s basically a big heavy duty sleeping bag yoke with a mattress inside. You open it up and put your sleeping bag in on top of the mattress. It was unbelievable to be able to sleep staring up at the stars. When it started to rain I did initially join Olivia in one of the tents but after 2 nights in the tent I jumped ship and went over to team swag. It’s quite the experience to sleep in a swag under a tarpaulin in the lashing rain and not get wet - I tell ya, there was no going back to team tent after that, I was a fully fledged member of team swag. Fair enough I didn’t take the 9 day challenge (no shower for 9 days) but I was allowed to stay anyway. To be fair I think I did about 4 days of the no shower challenge before I quit in a moment of weakness. I think it was the smell of my shampoo that did me in.
Supermega kudos to Randy-pants for the best trip ever!
I’m in Darwin at the moment but I’ll write about that in another letter, I think your eyes are probably starting to bleed. My hair is on fire. Just checking… ;o)
Love ya lots, miss ya and will write again soon! Xx
Your Daughter
(the one who ran away)
How are you? I am fine. I was super excited to hear about Scott learning to ride a bike. I was a little bit disappointed to realise it was only a push bike but I suppose he IS only 12 so he has time.
Since I last wrote, I’ve had probably the most interesting expedition that I’ve ever done, through the Kimberleys. I did think it was funny that one of my highlights of Australia is called Kimberley…
In Broome, I was debating on how to get to Darwin and I’d heard about a 4 wheel drive track called the Gibb River Road. Obviously I wasn’t going to be able to walk it so, having looked into my options I decided to go with a tour group (in spite of my deep seated prejudice against that way of travel, I sucked it up). I decided to go for the 9 day 4 wheel drive expedition through the Kimberley region and up the Gibb River Road. I wont go into all the details because, well, I couldn’t be bothered and anyway you’d die of boredom, so I’ll give you some of the highlights!
On day 1 I really was beginning to wonder if I was suffering from temporary insanity when I booked - I couldn’t get my head around the idea of being told what to do 24/7. I’m glad I stuck it out though, we had a really good group! Well, apart from Crazy Jonnie who (no word of a lie) actually put on his feedback form that we were all lucky he didn’t blow up the bus. Apparently he’s not keen on people having fun… scary!
We did lots of gorge walking and swimming, which was fantastic. Now you know I’m not particularly uh, “outdoorsy” so I was super proud of myself for managing all the walks. The toughest was El Questro which was about a 4 hour scramble. About half the group didn’t make it to the top but I was determined to get there and I did! The only down side was, sitting in the water hole at the top, I actually got nipped on the leg by some random fish that lived in a rock!! No lie. I got the fright of my life!
Speaking of El Questro, that’s where I celebrated my birthday. I went to the pub with some of the guys off the tour and we met the local character Buddy. We’d heard a rumour that he’s in the habit of buying wine if he takes a shine to someone so we had a challenge - who can get the bottle of wine. Of course I won… but it being my birthday I think I had a bit of an unfair advantage if I’m really honest. The record was broken by Clare (the Botox saleslady from Melbourne) who got him to buy her dinner. Game, set and match I believe.
I was super impressed that the guys managed to bake me a cake with only a camping stove, an open fire and some cake mix - and it was Deeeeelicious! The cooking in general was awesome, given what they had to work with, in no small part thanks to Simon and Garfunkel (also known as Simon and Tracey who own a hostel in Cairns and were over in the Kimberleys on holidays).
All in all we had a really good group dynamic which was proven the day the bus wouldn’t start. Picture the scene, Sheila (a mahoosive offroad 4 wheel drive bus) getting pushed by the team. It was all grand until the 8 ton bus started to roll backwards on us. It was ok, nobody got hurt, just splattered in mud. Yum!
The other big memory of the trip was the trio of crazy tour guides who were on “HORRIDAAAAYS!” from Alice Springs. Lead by Tommy (a girl) Juno (a boy) and Claire (Scottish) who had so much energy, the group took on a little bit of their madness, which made for lots of giggles! I did see a liiiiittle more of them (diving from the highest rocks they could find in the nip) than I would ideally have liked but we’ll let them away with that!
Unfortunately because we were on tour just in the build up to the wet season, we couldn’t get into the Bungle Bungles. That was a little bit disappointing but to give him his due, Randal (also known as Randy-pants) did his damndest to get us in, and really didn’t give up until the last minute. Instead we took a trip up to Wyndham to see a crocodile farm. That was AMAZIIING! The owner was the real life honest to God embodyment of Crocodile Dundee. He even spoke like him! He went around feeding the crocs and some of them even tried to attack people through the cages! I thought for a minute Juno was a gonner but he was far enough away to escape. That was funny though because the man said that the croc will always try and go for the smallest member of the group - not this time! Juno was the biggest member of the group by at least a foot! I don’t think I’d like to get that close to a croc again, it was super scary.
Towards the end of the trip we went to Lake Argyle. It’s actually a man made lake but it’s over 80 kilometers long! It started off as a river and most of the lake bed was once a station, but now it provides water for Kununurra and the surrounding area. Apparently it’s estimated that there are over 250,000 freshwater crocs in there so why we decided to swim in there is beyond me. That said, we all survived so there’s no need to worry.
This trip was, in a way, very much about facing my fears. The obvious one is facing my fears of dogs. It was really scary one day in particular when we stopped off for lunch. We were greeted by a dog, wasn’t too bad, about a 6 on the Labrador bouncy scale, but the problem was, when we went into the shop there was another dog so I was trapped. When some moron tried to pet it and it barked I burst into tears - I was SO embarrassed! The team were awesome though, and I honestly had about 10 people on puppy patrol, they were so sweet. I did draw the line at Lake Argyle - the boat owner had a 10 month old staffie - about a 400 on the Labrador scale of bouncy. I nearly lost my life. I was so glad I’d talked to the skipper the evening before (he joined us all for dinner) and told him about my, uh, canine issues - he said he normally takes the dog on the boat - can you imagine?? Crocs in the water, bouncy dog on the boat - trapped much! Luckily he didn’t bring him so I was able to stay on the boat.
My other fear was rock diving (basically leaping off anything high into a deep pool of water. In one spot we had a rope swing - it took me a bit to get the balls to jump but I did in the end. I wasn’t very graceful (at all, in fact!) but I did it! The other big one was Lake Argyle. It’s kind of funny but I really was so scared even at the lowest point. It was as though my brain was saying “ok, let’s go, time to jump” but I physically couldn’t move. I was completely rooted to the spot. We all tried to jump together but when the rest jumped I just stayed stuck. I did manage to get my nerve up and jump (twice HAHA!) but bloody hellfire, it took a few minutes I tell ya!
The other ‘first’ for me was sleeping in a swag. It’s basically a big heavy duty sleeping bag yoke with a mattress inside. You open it up and put your sleeping bag in on top of the mattress. It was unbelievable to be able to sleep staring up at the stars. When it started to rain I did initially join Olivia in one of the tents but after 2 nights in the tent I jumped ship and went over to team swag. It’s quite the experience to sleep in a swag under a tarpaulin in the lashing rain and not get wet - I tell ya, there was no going back to team tent after that, I was a fully fledged member of team swag. Fair enough I didn’t take the 9 day challenge (no shower for 9 days) but I was allowed to stay anyway. To be fair I think I did about 4 days of the no shower challenge before I quit in a moment of weakness. I think it was the smell of my shampoo that did me in.
Supermega kudos to Randy-pants for the best trip ever!
I’m in Darwin at the moment but I’ll write about that in another letter, I think your eyes are probably starting to bleed. My hair is on fire. Just checking… ;o)
Love ya lots, miss ya and will write again soon! Xx
Your Daughter
(the one who ran away)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Voom Voom Brooome!
Dear Mammy,
How are you? I am fine. Thanks for the tea bags! They’ve gone down very well indeed.
This past week I spent in a place called Broome. Thus far I think it’s definitely my favourite town in Australia. I know I’ve said that about everywhere but I actually really mean it this time. I'd love to get back there some day, maybe work on a pearl cleaning boat (dirty work, but who wouldn't want to work on a boat??)
While I’ve been here I managed to get the right mix of touristy things and socialising. I met some girls on the bus from Coral Bay so I spent some time hanging out with them in Broome. They’re all lovely and it was fantastic to have other people to talk to (uh, rather than just talking to myself).
Anyway, the hostel was called Beaches of Broome and I think it was definitely the vury poshest hostel I’ve stayed in to date - we even had air conditioning!! Of course there was also a sheet thief but we’ll talk about that in a minute. The girls stayed in the Cable Beach backpackers 2 doors up and their hostel was definitely a bit tired but that said, the did have a lot more of an atmosphere down there.
The first night we were there we decided to go in search of a beach party (I’d heard a rumour in my hostel, it had to be investigated). We went and got a few small sherries to bring to the beach then went wandering into the dunes using 2 mobile phones to light our way. We were getting very lost when we stumbled upon a group of equally lost other backpackers so we all joined up. The only problem was, we ended up following the drunkest person in Broome who, incidentally also had absolutely no clue where he was going. In the end we found our way to the car park and down onto the beach. Glad there were no snakes or crocs!! We lit a bonfire and sat around down on the beach for ages, it was so starry, and I saw at least 6 shooting stars, it was amazing! The only down side to the night was, when I got back to my room I realised that some gobshite had actually stolen the top sheet off my bed (really!) so I had to use my towel as a blanket, no kidding! It was ok, I got a new one in the morning but I tell ya, that was the first time I’ve ever had my sheet stolen off my bed haha!
I also went to visit Willie Creek pearl farm. It was very interesting to learn all about how they make the pearls and now, I can even tell you (uh, sort of) what to look for when you’re pearl shopping (for a price). Apparently the quickest and easiest way to tell if it’s real is to rub it on your teeth. If it feels gritty it’s real but if it feels smooth then you’ve been had and it’s a fake. There you have it.
On the Tuesday night I went to Captain Murphy’s Irish bar for an open mic night (no, I didn’t inflict them with my special a capella version of Waltzing Matilda, tempted though I was). It was hilarious though because this place felt like it had been lifted right out of the back arse of nowhere in Roscommon, carpet and all! Needless to say there was some alcohol involved but it’s ok, I behaved myself impeccably, no need for the wooden spoon I promise.
The other big highlight of Broome was the Crocodile Farm. I’ve NEVER been that close to one before. There was literally a bit of wire mesh between me and the biggest most prehistoric looking croc-beastie I’ve ever seen. They fed the crocs on this tour and be jaysus I tell ya, I’d really rather NOT get bitten by a croc, they look and act like actual dinosaurs. Incidentally, that was the same farm where some gobshite climbed over the fence one drunken night and tried to wrestle one of the crocs. I don’t need to tell you that he got bitten (big bloody surprise!) but it’s ok, I think he survived. Tried to catch a look at the croc in question but he refused to come out. I was tempted to borrow one of the really pushy loud children on the tour to use as bait but I don’t think their parents would have let me away with that one. Pity. I really wanted to get a good look at that croc.
Apart from that, I saw some wonderful Aboriginal art work, bout me some nice shiny things and drank my own body weight in… water! Mammy! Please! What kind of boozy floozy to you take me for?? Shocked.
I was supposed to be there for my birthday but my outback tour was pulled forward to I had to leave on the Saturday. Unbeknownst to me, Simon had got me the bestest birthday prezzie! He’d organised for me to go on a camel ride on Cable Beach! I was lucky though, and the camel people were able to pull it forward for me, so I got to go on the Friday instead. It was a lot of fun, but I am glad to say that these ones didn’t run (unlike the crazy Moroccan camels). It was super relaxing and I got some awesome photos which I was really please about (check out FaceAche for photos).
My last evening in Broome I went to the Divers bar and had some beers with some of the guys from my hostel. There was a live band which was quite good. The best bit was, they played 7 Nation Army and I said to one of the guys “oooh, I wish they’d play Hotel Yorba!”. What was the very last song that the band played?? You betcha! I was so impressed. I think they may have noticed it was my birthday from all the leaping around the place I was doing. I think I just had the look of a birthday girl about me. Either way, very happy about that!
Soooo! I’ll write again about the Kimberley trip because I’d imagine you’re pretty bored right now and probably have to go wash out the bin or something.
Love you lots and will write soon! Xxx
Your Dautghter
(the one who ran away)
How are you? I am fine. Thanks for the tea bags! They’ve gone down very well indeed.
This past week I spent in a place called Broome. Thus far I think it’s definitely my favourite town in Australia. I know I’ve said that about everywhere but I actually really mean it this time. I'd love to get back there some day, maybe work on a pearl cleaning boat (dirty work, but who wouldn't want to work on a boat??)
While I’ve been here I managed to get the right mix of touristy things and socialising. I met some girls on the bus from Coral Bay so I spent some time hanging out with them in Broome. They’re all lovely and it was fantastic to have other people to talk to (uh, rather than just talking to myself).
Anyway, the hostel was called Beaches of Broome and I think it was definitely the vury poshest hostel I’ve stayed in to date - we even had air conditioning!! Of course there was also a sheet thief but we’ll talk about that in a minute. The girls stayed in the Cable Beach backpackers 2 doors up and their hostel was definitely a bit tired but that said, the did have a lot more of an atmosphere down there.
The first night we were there we decided to go in search of a beach party (I’d heard a rumour in my hostel, it had to be investigated). We went and got a few small sherries to bring to the beach then went wandering into the dunes using 2 mobile phones to light our way. We were getting very lost when we stumbled upon a group of equally lost other backpackers so we all joined up. The only problem was, we ended up following the drunkest person in Broome who, incidentally also had absolutely no clue where he was going. In the end we found our way to the car park and down onto the beach. Glad there were no snakes or crocs!! We lit a bonfire and sat around down on the beach for ages, it was so starry, and I saw at least 6 shooting stars, it was amazing! The only down side to the night was, when I got back to my room I realised that some gobshite had actually stolen the top sheet off my bed (really!) so I had to use my towel as a blanket, no kidding! It was ok, I got a new one in the morning but I tell ya, that was the first time I’ve ever had my sheet stolen off my bed haha!
I also went to visit Willie Creek pearl farm. It was very interesting to learn all about how they make the pearls and now, I can even tell you (uh, sort of) what to look for when you’re pearl shopping (for a price). Apparently the quickest and easiest way to tell if it’s real is to rub it on your teeth. If it feels gritty it’s real but if it feels smooth then you’ve been had and it’s a fake. There you have it.
On the Tuesday night I went to Captain Murphy’s Irish bar for an open mic night (no, I didn’t inflict them with my special a capella version of Waltzing Matilda, tempted though I was). It was hilarious though because this place felt like it had been lifted right out of the back arse of nowhere in Roscommon, carpet and all! Needless to say there was some alcohol involved but it’s ok, I behaved myself impeccably, no need for the wooden spoon I promise.
The other big highlight of Broome was the Crocodile Farm. I’ve NEVER been that close to one before. There was literally a bit of wire mesh between me and the biggest most prehistoric looking croc-beastie I’ve ever seen. They fed the crocs on this tour and be jaysus I tell ya, I’d really rather NOT get bitten by a croc, they look and act like actual dinosaurs. Incidentally, that was the same farm where some gobshite climbed over the fence one drunken night and tried to wrestle one of the crocs. I don’t need to tell you that he got bitten (big bloody surprise!) but it’s ok, I think he survived. Tried to catch a look at the croc in question but he refused to come out. I was tempted to borrow one of the really pushy loud children on the tour to use as bait but I don’t think their parents would have let me away with that one. Pity. I really wanted to get a good look at that croc.
Apart from that, I saw some wonderful Aboriginal art work, bout me some nice shiny things and drank my own body weight in… water! Mammy! Please! What kind of boozy floozy to you take me for?? Shocked.
I was supposed to be there for my birthday but my outback tour was pulled forward to I had to leave on the Saturday. Unbeknownst to me, Simon had got me the bestest birthday prezzie! He’d organised for me to go on a camel ride on Cable Beach! I was lucky though, and the camel people were able to pull it forward for me, so I got to go on the Friday instead. It was a lot of fun, but I am glad to say that these ones didn’t run (unlike the crazy Moroccan camels). It was super relaxing and I got some awesome photos which I was really please about (check out FaceAche for photos).
My last evening in Broome I went to the Divers bar and had some beers with some of the guys from my hostel. There was a live band which was quite good. The best bit was, they played 7 Nation Army and I said to one of the guys “oooh, I wish they’d play Hotel Yorba!”. What was the very last song that the band played?? You betcha! I was so impressed. I think they may have noticed it was my birthday from all the leaping around the place I was doing. I think I just had the look of a birthday girl about me. Either way, very happy about that!
Soooo! I’ll write again about the Kimberley trip because I’d imagine you’re pretty bored right now and probably have to go wash out the bin or something.
Love you lots and will write soon! Xxx
Your Dautghter
(the one who ran away)
Monday, October 4, 2010
Coral Bay (AKA Home and Away)
Dear Mammy,
How are you? I am fine. I got your package with the Tayto and the tea bags, thanks, I was only hanging for a Tayto sandwich!
Last week I was in Coral Bay - also known as the real life Summer Bay! I didn’t find Alf Stewart but I did find a lady who was the very embodiment of Irene - well impressed!
Unfortunately I’ve not been great at taking pictures, mainly because I keep forgetting to take my camera, but I’ll try to do better. I did manage to get some nice sunset ones so I’ll be sure and post those on my FaceAche account.
Coral Bay was absolutely paradise so I’m glad I left - I could very easily have had a very different letter to you if I’d stayed a day longer (along the lines of “Mammy I love you but I’m never coming home”). Breathe easy, that’s not going to happen just yet!
The main focus of my week was snorkelling and other water / beach based activities because, well, there isn’t really much else to do, Coral Bay is literally one street!
On the Monday of my stay I did an eco tour with Coral Bay EcoTours which absolutely blew my mind. We did three snorkel sessions in total and were on the boat for about 5 hours. In that time I got to swim with actual real life manta rays!! I did have a bit of a scare when one decided to swim at me with his mouth open but once I’d established that I was too big to fit in there I relaxed. I saw a shark too! It was only a nurse shark which are harmless apparently, but I still swam off the other direction (just in case). “Jaws” has a lot to answer for… I saw plenty of sea turtles too (the ones from “Finding Nemo” hehe).
Ironically with all the reef sharks, and manta rays and what not, the scariest thing I encountered were these like, super-aggressive snapper. I’m not joking, these were MEAN. One day I was out snorkelling when the American girl I was with told me to look behind me. Lo and behold, I had a little entourage of snapper swimming after me. I think the fat b*stards thought I was going to feed them. They’re bloody lucky I didn’t take a bite out of them. I found out later that all the tour operators feed them (mainly as all the people are getting into the water) so they get all excited when they see people haha!
Apart from that, I did do some socialising in Coral Bay, might maybe have had a little sherry one of the days…! I met lots of Irish people there which was odd given that it’s such a small town. Of course I met a few Ozzies as well.
One of the funniest nights (which I probably shouldn’t tell you about but sure feck it, the wooden spoon is in Ireland…) was when I met James and Chris. They’re two young lads from Perth who were up for a holiday. Funny out I tell ya! After we’d been, uh, playing pool, ahem… in the hostel, the lads decided they were going on an adventure so of course, never one to be left out, I had to go with them. What I realised later was that this adventure involved letting the air out of their tyres on their truck thing (they call them “ute”s here - sounds like yooot) they proceeded to go flying off down this 4WD track to the beach. It was fun but I was very very happy to have a seat belt. I promised I’d look them up if I ever get back to Perth.
Another night I went off down to find a beach party with Wendy (from Tallaght) and her fella Chris (they’re all called Chris or James / Jamie I’ve decided) we had to stop by the closed bakery. Except it wasn’t closed. Apparently the bakery does a very lucrative line in after hours pies. I nearly died laughing. In Ireland when you go to a party you try to get more booze, in Coral Bay you barter your soul for an illicit after hours pie. I suppose that’s just how they, ah, roll…
On my last day in Coral Bay I did lots of walking and eventually found the shark nursery. That was very scary - you stand on the beach and look into the water (about 3 feet in front of you) and you’ll see anywhere between 15 and 30 sharks in the water! It’s ok though because they’re reef sharks and not bothered with people but still - aaargh! Needless to say I had to wade in up to my ankles (very very briefly I might add) but how many people can say they’ve stood in shark infested waters?? I know one at least…
So that’s it really. I was very sad to leave Coral Bay but I was super excited to be moving on to Broome because I’d heard so much about it. I took the bus with 2 Irish girls and a Kiwi girl that I’d met in Coral Bay so that was nice, to have someone to hang out with.
I’m in Broome now, and gearing up to go seeing all the sights. First stop? Sunset on the famous Cable Beach of course!
I’ll keep you posted on all the goings on (within reason of couse - Iloveyoumammy…)
Thanks again for the Tayto and the Barry’s tea bags. You wouldn’t do me a favour and send me over an old block of the Avonmore cheese would you? Mmmm….
Love you!
Your Daughter (the one who ran away)
How are you? I am fine. I got your package with the Tayto and the tea bags, thanks, I was only hanging for a Tayto sandwich!
Last week I was in Coral Bay - also known as the real life Summer Bay! I didn’t find Alf Stewart but I did find a lady who was the very embodiment of Irene - well impressed!
Unfortunately I’ve not been great at taking pictures, mainly because I keep forgetting to take my camera, but I’ll try to do better. I did manage to get some nice sunset ones so I’ll be sure and post those on my FaceAche account.
Coral Bay was absolutely paradise so I’m glad I left - I could very easily have had a very different letter to you if I’d stayed a day longer (along the lines of “Mammy I love you but I’m never coming home”). Breathe easy, that’s not going to happen just yet!
The main focus of my week was snorkelling and other water / beach based activities because, well, there isn’t really much else to do, Coral Bay is literally one street!
On the Monday of my stay I did an eco tour with Coral Bay EcoTours which absolutely blew my mind. We did three snorkel sessions in total and were on the boat for about 5 hours. In that time I got to swim with actual real life manta rays!! I did have a bit of a scare when one decided to swim at me with his mouth open but once I’d established that I was too big to fit in there I relaxed. I saw a shark too! It was only a nurse shark which are harmless apparently, but I still swam off the other direction (just in case). “Jaws” has a lot to answer for… I saw plenty of sea turtles too (the ones from “Finding Nemo” hehe).
Ironically with all the reef sharks, and manta rays and what not, the scariest thing I encountered were these like, super-aggressive snapper. I’m not joking, these were MEAN. One day I was out snorkelling when the American girl I was with told me to look behind me. Lo and behold, I had a little entourage of snapper swimming after me. I think the fat b*stards thought I was going to feed them. They’re bloody lucky I didn’t take a bite out of them. I found out later that all the tour operators feed them (mainly as all the people are getting into the water) so they get all excited when they see people haha!
Apart from that, I did do some socialising in Coral Bay, might maybe have had a little sherry one of the days…! I met lots of Irish people there which was odd given that it’s such a small town. Of course I met a few Ozzies as well.
One of the funniest nights (which I probably shouldn’t tell you about but sure feck it, the wooden spoon is in Ireland…) was when I met James and Chris. They’re two young lads from Perth who were up for a holiday. Funny out I tell ya! After we’d been, uh, playing pool, ahem… in the hostel, the lads decided they were going on an adventure so of course, never one to be left out, I had to go with them. What I realised later was that this adventure involved letting the air out of their tyres on their truck thing (they call them “ute”s here - sounds like yooot) they proceeded to go flying off down this 4WD track to the beach. It was fun but I was very very happy to have a seat belt. I promised I’d look them up if I ever get back to Perth.
Another night I went off down to find a beach party with Wendy (from Tallaght) and her fella Chris (they’re all called Chris or James / Jamie I’ve decided) we had to stop by the closed bakery. Except it wasn’t closed. Apparently the bakery does a very lucrative line in after hours pies. I nearly died laughing. In Ireland when you go to a party you try to get more booze, in Coral Bay you barter your soul for an illicit after hours pie. I suppose that’s just how they, ah, roll…
On my last day in Coral Bay I did lots of walking and eventually found the shark nursery. That was very scary - you stand on the beach and look into the water (about 3 feet in front of you) and you’ll see anywhere between 15 and 30 sharks in the water! It’s ok though because they’re reef sharks and not bothered with people but still - aaargh! Needless to say I had to wade in up to my ankles (very very briefly I might add) but how many people can say they’ve stood in shark infested waters?? I know one at least…
So that’s it really. I was very sad to leave Coral Bay but I was super excited to be moving on to Broome because I’d heard so much about it. I took the bus with 2 Irish girls and a Kiwi girl that I’d met in Coral Bay so that was nice, to have someone to hang out with.
I’m in Broome now, and gearing up to go seeing all the sights. First stop? Sunset on the famous Cable Beach of course!
I’ll keep you posted on all the goings on (within reason of couse - Iloveyoumammy…)
Thanks again for the Tayto and the Barry’s tea bags. You wouldn’t do me a favour and send me over an old block of the Avonmore cheese would you? Mmmm….
Love you!
Your Daughter (the one who ran away)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)