29/09/09 leaving Cairns for Kurumba

So I have finally caught up with my blogs. I feel like I have been on the computer all day!

I love Cairns so much! It reminds me a bit like Hawaii (minus laying out at the beach..cause of the crocs). There is so much more to do and see here than Alice Springs.

Cairns is by far a party place. (today I am blogging and doing laundry). I don't party as hard as all the other backpackers.. but it is still lots of fun. I have had the same room and room mates since I got here. It turns out there are a lot of Irish over here. I am lucky enough that they like me and invite me to hang out with them. I have gone to BBQs and to a place called Josephine Falls. The falls was so much fun!
I have made a lot of friends on my journey. I am still loving it in Australia!

Tomorrow morning I am headed off to Kurumba it's near Normanton. So if you look at the map of Oz I will be right near the Gulf of Carpentaria. It's on the right side where the water dips in (the gulf).
I asked if there was cell phone service. Yes! And I will be a governess (sounds intense) to two young kids. I think they are 7 and either 4 or 5 years old. A governess is just a more proper word for tutor.

That's just for the next 8 weeks. On a farm. I asked, I will not need to do any farm work unless I want. I will get paid extra for that also. I get weekends off. It sounds pretty sweet.

And I get my own room!! How I miss that! So I hope everything will go well.

Then in the beginning of December Carol and I will be heading down the East Coast to Sydney! We booked our rooms and everything! Whoo Hoo!

Visiting Carol on her farm 16-20/09/09

So after the fun adventures I decided to see how Carol lived on her farm. The kids were super sweet. There was a set of twins (James and Kate, 12) and the youngest (Troy, 10) that she looked after. While I had a lot of fun.. I realized again how bad I am at farm work.

One day we had to draft cattle. Which is where you separate the cows into different groups. There was one crazy white cow that jumped the fence. Which was real funny to see... until the dad ran and grabbed his shot gun. And shot it. Twice. But I guess that taught the other cows a lesson! That was a nice "welcome back to the farm!".
The second day Carol and I got to clean out a truck full of cow poop. Luckily Troy helped us out. Did I mention I don't get paid for hanging out at the farm? I get free meals and a room.. and don't get me wrong.. I am all about helping out with the chores. But in my head I was thinking of doing dishes, or help with the laundry. Not cleaning a truck full of poop. Haha. Apparently Carol and I were cleaning it too well. Which the kids told us later "well, you don't have to make it spotless! It's just gonna get pooped on again in a few days!". Which made so much sense.

It was a lot of fun (besides death and poo). I got into my first ever passion fruit fight. It's like a food fight. But only with passion fruit.

Carol and I went for jogs in the evenings which was an adventure in itself! Hearing laughing kookaburras and seeing kangaroos and wallibies hop away is very interesting.

We even went swimming in a waterhole! It was kind of a lagoon.. But I don't fully know what counts as a lagoon to be sure. We asked the kids if we should be worried about crocs and they said no.. so we kept swimming until we were exhausted.

I gave Kate a couple of items of clothing that I don't wear or it is getting too hot for. I guess she has been wearing them almost everyday. Hahaha.

Oh kids!

Hartley's Croc Farm (with Carol) 15/09/09

I flew into Cairns and Carol met up with me the following morning. It was the first time in over a month since I saw her. We decided to walk around downtown the first two days and then go to the Croc Farm the day before we left (back to Carol's farm).

Hartley's Croc Farm was pretty fun! At first Carol and I saw Koalas and Kookaburras and we thought they were stuffed. The Koalas were sleeping in trees and the Kookaburras were standing on the ground. There was no real in closure besides a fence. So Carol and I decided to snap photos anyways. That's when one of the birds turned it's head and blinked. I was excited!

We walked on to look at the crocs, which once again I couldn't tell if they were real or fake. They were real. Really big!! And some were green! But like pond scum green. I think there was over 100 of them at this farm.

There is a boat ride out to see the crocs jump up and eat. The boat ride reminded me of the Safari Jungle Boat like at Disneyland. Except this ride you really did have to make sure your hands and arms were inside the boat at all times. The boat guide took chicken bits and hung them from an big long stick and showed us the way they ate. It was intense to hear all the chomping and snapping of their jaws. While on that ride I found out that female crocs have this strange 3 month period where right before the eggs hatch they get crazy and over protective of the nest. I heard that one female croc attacked a helicopter that landed too close to her nest. And within those 3 months she takes care of her young.. but after a certain point if her babies are still hanging around... she'll eat them.

We got to touch a baby croc (about a year old) named Bruce. He was pretty cute. Cause his mouth was taped close by good ole scotch tape. We also got to pet the koalas. Still have yet to hold one.. But I will!

We got to feed cassowaries, which really show how birds evolved from dinosaurs. They are just crazy looking! They have long blue necks with a red.. gobble.. and this weird giant fingernail growing from there heads.

We saw a guy do one of those crazy "get in a cage and make the croc do tricks" guy. It was really neat. He got really close to the croc too. His name was Bart (the croc). So he didn't sound too scary until he started doing the ever famous "death roll".

It was a very exciting and very Aussie trip! And it was fun to geek out with a friend! Who else would let me climb on top of a fake prehistoric croc to act like I was surfing?!?

Uluru 10/09/09-11/09/09

So Uluru. THE Rock.

I got to see it twice! Whoo hoo! Well, two days in a row. It was massive!!!

I loved it. I was hoping to climb up it.. but sadly it was too windy. Which we thought was a ploy. But one point on the ground I was swayed by the strong winds.

There is so much more to the rock then what is seen from post cards. We went there the first day just to talk about it and see cave paintings. Also to get sunset photos of the rock. I had a couple of beers and decided to "rest" against it. I am so clever! Haha. We got to see how steep the climb up is too. That's why I am pointing in fear at it. But if I ever get a chance to go back I will climb up that rock, darn it! The photo of the sunrise was really pretty. But as you continue to walk around the base of Uluru you realize you are just facing the sun coming up. So what starts out as "magical" just makes you squint and get sweaty. But when I finally got around to other parts and views of the rock it was pretty sweet. It took about an hour and a half to walk all the way around it.

All in all I was disappointed that I couldn't test myself by climbing up it. But it was such a beautiful sight that I couldn't be too sad. You could still see the moon as you walked so I felt like I was on another planet. The planet of the apes, actually.

It was a great tour and I suggest it to any one who would want to go. There are ritzier ones where you stay in a hotel and whatnot.. but roughing it sounds so much more fun to me!

Kata Tjutas (The Olgas) 10/09/09

So Kata Tjutas was day 2 of my tour. It was a lot of giant rocks. Red rocks. Rocks that are hard to climb up. Haha. It was my least favorite of the tour. It was still enjoyable. I felt like it was such a smooth hike up Kings Canyon that the rocky steep climb up the Olgas was a bit much. After the climb into the main area it was fun. There was a valley which was pretty.

Kata Tjuta (the t is silent) is a sacred men's place for the aboriginal community. The tour guide didn't know why, and even if he did he couldn't tell us. It was very hush hush.

I like the valley area where we got a snack (maybe that helped). The guide found these different colored rocks and told us that the aboriginal people use to use that as paint. So I got my arm painted but the lovely English girl Nikki. I instantly thought of the natural sidewalk chalk. Teaching has taken over my brain! Haha.

I loved the "Hold on to your hat" sign. I didn't realize until looking at the photo it was drawn on. Oh well! It made me giggle!

I liked the way the trees stood out against the red rocks and the brown dirt. I thought is so so amazing to see trees everywhere in this desert.

It was a long day! Later on that night we went next to Uluru and got to see it at Sunset.. so on to the next blog!

Kings Canyon 9/9/09

Kings Canyon was a beautiful hike! It took about 2.5 hours. Which is a lot in the desert...and climbing up a canyon. It was by far my favorite place on the tour.

When you get there you can't really see how cool it is until you climb. There are these natural stairs (well, with the help of carving and chipping) that you have to climb up. I did a couple of "I am stopping here so I can take photos" bit. The picture next to the one of me sitting all bunched up are the "stairs". It was breath taking (really!) to walk around on the top of the canyon. I found out that this canyon use to be covered in a deep sea. There is a photo of fossilized imprints of jelly fish. It was strange to walk around a place that you use to have to swim in.

Once again I felt like I could have seen tons of dinosaurs walking around there. It was great. I tried not to be a geeky tourist and get snap happy with my camera.

At one point I climbed on the rock and pretended it was a bull. If you use your imagination you should see it too.

It was a great way to start my trip!!

The Mulga Rock Tour 09/09/09-11/09/09

So I have been a bit behind on writing blogs. (I am so sorry Grandma! And China!) I apologize. But I will try my best to catch you up!

So from the 9th until the 11th I did a 3 day, 2 night tour to see Kings Canyon (my fave!), Kata Tjutas (or the Olgas), and Uluru (Ayer's Rock). It was neat/nerve racking to be camping in the Outback. Or Bush.. they call them both and I can't really figure out the difference.

I slept in a swag for the first time. What is a swag, you ask? A swag is, according to wikipedia: A modern swag is a waterproof canvas sleeping compartment that is sometimes bug-proof. All swags come with a foam mattress, and can comfortably be slept in with the addition of a pillow and sleeping bag. When rolled up the swag is lightweight and very compact, making it ideal for storage and transport. It is typically easy to erect and roll up can be done quickly.

It was still pretty cold out at night.. seeing how it was the beginning of Spring here. The first night I was bundled up and next to the fire. The next night at another camp I was just fine. I heard that a Dingo got into our camp and tried to (and did) eat some of our Wheet Bix (think Shredded Wheat, but the big ones). So there Brittney, I don't believe they would eat a baby. There was even other food... they ate cereal. Tu Madre!

Since we were sleeping outside I was very surprised when I woke up in the middle of the night... because the moon was too bright. Strange, I know. But the stars were so great to fall asleep under. Since leaving the Norhtern Territory I will have to admit they have the greatest view of the stars.

While on that tour I met some neat people. I made friends with a nice British girl named Nikki. She was hilarious! I was so glad to have met her cause she had the same stupid, off the wall sense of humor as me. I also found out that the only other American on that tour lived in Spokane! Crazy, huh?

The Tour was really great and I learned a lot while on it. It was exciting to think that I have been somewhere that most people will only see in pictures. So I made sure to take everything in.

I will write about each place so the pictures will make sense. I hope!

Standley Chasm and Simpson's Gap 6/9/09

I went on a day tour to Standley Chasm (which sounds like Cazz-um). It was so very pretty. The walk up there was quite easy because apparently people who do this day tour are all older couples. I was slightly taken back by that, but I decided I am geeky enough to fit in. I found out a lot about Alice Springs, Standley, and Simpson's Gap. It turns out that the Chasm was named after a teacher. It was neat to find out that there was a woman who helped out so much that they named this great big rock thing after her.

The walk to it was like taking a step back in time. It reminded me of the "Walking with the Dinosaurs" I saw with Brittney and Carol (remember, I'm a geek). I saw these palms (which was only the top portion) growing out of these rock cervices. They only get a little bit of water but are able to grow. Nuts! You can see how high up it is compared to me standing in the photo. It was a great time.

At Simpson's Gap (which I didn't learn as much about, I think my brain was turning into mush with all the information I was getting) I got a chance to see a black footed rock wallaby. It was pretty cute. Like a little cousin to the kangaroo.

The Gap has a bit of water which looks like an Oasis from the heat. It was very pretty. You are not allowed to swim in it.

But there are flies like you wouldn't believe!!! So I think the fly issue kept me from learning more about the Gap.

Witchity Grub

I ate a witchity grub in Witchity Bore.

So if you have never heard of a witchity grub, think of the movie "The Lion King", then try to remember the scene where Simba eats the worm/caterpillar type thing. That is a witchity grub. But I am neither a lion or cartoon. Just a silly thrill seeking American. Haha. I made friends with some rowdy road workers who stayed at Tilmouth for a bit. I would go and have BBQs at their camp on Sundays. One man conveniently found one grub. That was massive. It was about the length on my middle finger (granted I have small Asian hands, but it's still like 2.5 inches) and the wider than my thumb. Did I mention that it was alive?

The guys were nice enough to let me have a beer as a chaser. One Australian girl said that was the biggest witchity grub she had ever seen. So that helped my nerves. It didn't help that the grub was moving around in my hand. The feel of it was gross! Haha. It looked like it would be hard like a hairless caterpillar. Wrong. It was squishy and kinda soft like a worm. But with grooves.

They convinced me to eat it raw. So I did. I have now killed something with my teeth. I'm like a savage animal now. Watch out. You are not suppose to eat the head. I think they said it tastes bad? But really I think it's just so it doesn't bite you back when you eat it. I bite into it. Chewed about twice and swallowed it down. The taste of it was okay (once I allowed myself to taste the left over after the beer). It tasted similar to sweet corn. Weird, I know. It's really the texture of it and the thought of it that is the most disturbing. I tried to explain to my Australian friends it is kind of like if I were on Fear Factor... which they just gave me blank stares and said "Americans watch way too much reality TV".

It was definitely an experience. I ate it just because I told the Cottrell girls (the girls I nannied) I would eat it if I got the chance. I couldn't let them down.

And it adds to a cool story.

Saturday 06/09/09

So here is a blog I wrote before the Standley Chasm tour. Here, take a peek...


I am still in Alice Springs. I decided to quit my job after being there for a month. It was nice but it was soooo far away from everything. So I am heading off to Cairns next week to look for a job over there. I am staying in Alice for a week so I can do the tours. On the 9th I will be doing a 3 day tour to Uluru and King's Canyon. Today I am going to see the Standley Chasm. Which I still say wrong. Haha. My stay at Tilmouth Well has exposed me to many different things. So I very thankful to that. I have been startled by kangaroos in the middle of the night (on the way to the toliet..what a shock to be half asleep and see a huge roo!), I ate a witchity grub (which is what Pumba and Timone eat on the Lion King), I have seen dead, wild camels, and have had a gecko run across my wall. It's all very bizarre. But I love it. Oh! I saw a dingo with a baby too!

My next job I am making sure to ask about mobile service and internet access. That's key. It's not as fun having all of these interesting things happening without having the ability to share it with others.

Well I have to get my stuff together for my tour. It's a huge gap that you walk in between and the sun makes the rock a fiery red... but it looks cloudy today. Oh well. It rained a bit last week. I didn't realize that I miss the rain. In small doses.

I miss my friends and family. I feel like I have been here for so long. To think I have another 10 months. I am just excited to travel around more. That's what makes it more fun. The traveling. The working is just... ehhh. Haha.