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...was a bit boring really.
| The longest stretch of traight track in the world! |
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| ....and the dullest.. |
No, it wasn't really, but it was close. We left Melbourne at 10pm - dark,
so other than the city lights of Melbourne disappearing, there was nothing to see. Oh, wait, sorry, thats a lie, there was
the onboard movie system, happily showing a painfully crap remake of 'Wind in the Willows'.
We arrived in Adelaide at 6am and disembarked. I checked my bags in for the Indian-Pacific, which
left at 6pm. I wandered into Adelaide which didn't excite me too much (I guess because it was early Sunday morning and very
quiet) I spent the day wandering through the Botanic Gargens and the Art Gallery and Museum, then wandered looking for
somewhere to sit down.
Grabbed a load of food for the train journey then wandered back to the station. A very wandery
day. Back on the train we set off, and it got dark again, so did not see anything more. I went for a wander (my reason for
travelling by train and not bus) and found the buffet car and lounge car. Quite good really, to have somewhere else to sit.
I catalogued my photos.
Woke up the next day to discover that we were in the famed Nullarbor
Plain, and it was just that. I was keen to see the vastness of the country, and this was it, the only problem is you can't
see how vast it is - you can't look out of the window for that long! It is endless!! Just scrubby bushes and brown soil for
the entire day. We stopped around midday in a small nothingness called Cook, population 2. It seemed to used to be a small
town, but now the old couple still there sell water and tacky rubbish to the bi weekly mass of travelling zombies that
get vomited off the trains and stagger about aimlessly.
But not really endless, the sun went down, and aparently the scenery outside changed because we arrived
in Kalgoorlie, another old gold mining town, now quartz mining town and home of the Super-Pit, and Skimpy Bar Maids.
The train stopped again and we were allowed to get off and experience what Kalgoorlie had to offer.
It was 10pm. I went with a few of the guys from the train, an English couple, a Scottish Girl and and Aussie bloke, to
one of the only places open, the pub.
And its true, the barmaids are just in their skimpies!! We all bought a drink (I got served by
the older boss lady in jeans) and sat at a small table and had a good natter in the corner. Later on one of the
Skimpies came round with a big jar of money and said, "Girls, you dont have to pay anything cos you've got your own boobs."
The whole table had a dumbfounded look, "Ermm, excuse us?", "Oh, our tops are coming off for half an hour, so your gonna see
'em so we might as well get paid for it."
Talk about uncomfortable situations, sitting with a group of strangers, paying to see a girls boobs.
You could cut the British reserve with a knife!! I fumbled for a few coins, as did the ausie bloke. Then she wiggles off and
we returned to our drinks. Soon enough if was time to reboard our train, so we left. And I had had my back to the bar the
whole time, I didn't even get to see any boobs.
Slept through the night, unlike most people, and, first thing in the morning,
we arrived in Perth! A good train journey, but you dont get to see much!
So, I arrived in Perth. I checked into the Barracks hostel as recommended
by Man the Dan, and met Carlton Colleger Rachel McStrachan! Had a good old chat about the good old Melbourne times. A couple
of days later I got in touch with Ex-ragdoller Natalie and she offered a couch to sleep on. She came and picked me up and
drove me way out in the suburbs, great to see her again, a year and a half since I was last in Perth. That evening she was
playing volleyball, so I went along to spectate. It turned out to be beach volleyball - indoors!! A Sports centre with about
5 volleyball courts, all complete with sand!! Crazy! Nat's team was a player short so I was enlisted, and it was great fun.
Spent a couple of days at Nats house, but returned to the city to start my primary objective - searching
for backpackers who were offering a lift in their car up the West Coast, a recognised form of transport here, with folk offering
and looking all the time.
Searched, but nothing appealing was happening, and it started to rain. Perth, one of the sunniest
cities in the world apparently, well, not anymore.
Met up with recently returned world travellers and fellow Africa adventurers Justin and Suzanne.
They had Jo, a friend, staying with them, so took us both for a tour of Perth, but it was more enjoyable watching S and J
discovering how their home city had changed in the two and a half years they had been away! We visited Freo (Fremantle) in
the rain, and had a BBQ with the Hosts with the Mosts, Suzannes Mum and Dad (rain does not stop Aussies from having a BBQ!)
Rachel's sister, Jill, arrived in Perth and so we set up a trip to the South West corner of Oz. Jo
came along too and we all set off for 3 days in our hire car. We drove to Bunbury and on to Busselton, to walk the length
of the southern Hemispheres longest Jetti - in horizontal rain. Back to Bunbury and we stayed in the weirdest Backpackers,
it was like a cult, tonight was Dinner and DVD night. The four of us went out for fish'n'chips and came back and
played cards.
"Are you playing cards?"
"Yes, we are."
"But its DVD night."
"Yeah...and we're playing cards"
"Why are you playing cards? There is a pool table out here... and its DVD night! Are you coming on
tour day tomorrow? Its tour day tomorrow."
"Shut up and leave us alone - you freak."
In the Morning we left the hostel and went to visit the Bunbury dolphin centre, where there is the
chance to see Dolphins swim up the the beach and say Hello- we didn't go on tour day.
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| stalgtites..mites...tights? |
Unfortunately there were no Dolphites playing today (it was a bit rainy I think) so we continued south.
We nearly missed Ngigli cave, but stopped to investigate it. Didn't really know what it was, but waited for the tour anyway.
And glad we did! It was fantastic, a huge cavernous cave with Stalamites and -tites, straws, shawls and funny mounds that
looked like an elephants bottom. There were some really fascinating formations, like milk running from the ceiling and paused
in suspended animation. They had all the little nooks and crannies lit up and the lights would change every few minutes to
give a new view and atmosphere. The cave extended along for quite a way through channels and passages of varying widths and
inclinations, and ended with another catherdral-like cavern. Very impressive.
We continued on our way and found ourselves in wine making region, Margert River, so we duely visited
a vineyard, as well as the local cheese factory, brewery, and chocolate factory!
Stayed the night
in Margert River, but didn't go surfing. Drove down to Augusta for a whale watching tour, but unfortunately it was cancelled
due to the wind. We drove along the coast for a bit to try and spot some anyway, but no joy.
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| A tall tree |
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| I can see my feet from here |
Next was Tall Timber Country - and obscenely heavy rain. Luckily it stopped as we reached Pemperton
and I climbed the tallest Fire Tree (tall trees used as lookouts to spot fires amongst the forests), Bicentenial Tree, however
discovered later that it was never actually used as a look out, just built for the Aussie Bi-centenial, its a very large ornament.
But climb it I did. Its a very tall straight tree with iron stakes hammered in horizontally in a spiral staircase
formation, and nothing else below you. There is a wire fence on your side that wouldn't hold a viscious leaf-fall. It is nerve-wracking.
But the view at the top was great, over the canopy of recently doused forest, glistening in the sun. The girls were getting
bored at the bottom so I returned to Terra Firma and off we went to Beedelup falls, avoiding the Red tailed Black Cockatoo
bomobing us with nuts!
We stayed in Pemberton and drove back to Perth the next day, a fun little
excursion.
Back in Perth Jo and I were invited to dinner by Suzanne, and we met the Manno clan - Italian cousins,
grandmothers, nephews everywhere!
I returned to The Barracks, and to searching for a lift up the coast. I
phoned and met a couple of people, but when I arranged to meet a couple of Irish girls who were renting a van, they did not
show up. I was waiting for quite a while, when a familiar face walked by, it was Marlen, from Carlton College, who left a
couple of months ago, and her friend. We chatted, and she asked what I was doing. I told her I was looking for a lift North,
"OH!! PLeeeaase...buy OUR car!!!! We are leaving the country in two days! You can have it really cheap!" I told them
that was a shame, but I didn't really have any plans to buy a car and didn't have enough money.
"Oh Pleeease, you can have it for nearly nothing.."
I said I would see if the Irish girls wanted to buy it and talk later. I said farewell, but never
met the Irishers.
Later on I visited the girls to find out what Nearly Nothing was. They said they would give it to
me for 500 bucks, but I can give them whatever I can. Hmmmm...I went home to think. I have 400 dollars left in my account from
Muffin baking...
The next day I was still thinking..
Went to the Dept of transport and infrastructure to find out how to but a car, quite expensive, an
extra $300.
Still thinking...
Got the train to the girls Hostel, still hadn't made a decision so went for a walk.
still thinking...
walked into town and got my $400
still thinking...
gave money to Marlen and bought car
still errr ... thinking?
I think I thought it was too good an opportunity to miss, the girls said they had had no problems
with it while they had it, and it ran really well. It needed a few things done to it to pass the examination to get it put
into my name, but nothing major, a new tyre, a bulb fixed, an immobilisor fitted legally(?), and the vents unblocked.
As I left the hostel, leaving the girls to pack, I saw their ad trying to sell the car, they were
asking for $2500 !!! I felt really guilty.
Got all the stuff fixed, and examined, and put in my name. Success, I own a car! Oscar is now my new
best friend, a 1987 Mitsubishi Manga Stationwagon, colour - cream! Yum. And the best thing, he came FULL of stuff, the girls
didn't need any of their travelling clobber. I got two tents, two chairs, water bottles, a sleeping bag, a gas stove, pots,
pans, cutlery, pillows and blankets, and two sets of snorkelling gear!! Bonus!
So, I set to the new task of OFFERING a lift up the West Coast. I wasn't
met with the overwhelming response I had imagined (my ad was very entertaining, I thought) I net a few very unenthused people,
a couple of whom I wasn't sure if they were awake or not. But then Norma and Karl from Sweden phoned and we met up and they
seem to have a bit of nonce behind them, so, having met them on Saturday, we are leaving for a great West Coast Adventure
on Monday!!
(But first they want to buy a shovel for the trip!?)
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