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 |   Nothing official here; just come chill! |
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Welcome! ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Welcome to my little Den! Here you'll find all sorts of things- mostly blog challenges, but mixed in, you'll notice:  I'm a bit of a fangirl  My life is very busy I enjoy using emoticons  I don't tend to swear, but stuff happens. |
We're flying out to Brisbane this morning and staying in the Meriton Apartment Hotel.  We'll do a bit of island hopping afterwards- from the mainland to Amity Stradbroke Island (Straddie), then onwards to Moreton Island . This means we're first going to Cleveland to take the QRail to Straddie before we get to Moreton via the Amity Trader barge . First off, I have actually been to Brisbane, and might I just say, the place is wonderful!  never been to these islands before, though, so this will be a fun trip. The flight out to Brisbane starts innocently enough- it's a QANTAS Citylink plane, so rather small, which means we 30DBC bloggers take up about 1/3 of the seats.  Brother Nature  takes out Andre once the plane takes off, though, because the monkey claims he wanted to see outside the airplane window and not just stare at people's feet for the whole 2 hours and 14 minutes of the flight. Which is a fair enough assertion, even if it was just an excuse to come out of the backpack and cause trouble. The next thing we know, Andre has leapt out of Joel's arms and disappeared- much to the surprise of the little kid Joel is sitting next to. "Whoa... you have a real monkey? That's SO COOL! What's his name?" The little boy asks. He can't be older than 8. "Andre." Joel replies. and as if on cue, a flight attendant screams. "There's a, there's a, a, monkey in there." She pants, but when her colleague goes to look, Andre's already gone and ready to cause mischief elsewhere. Thankfully, the monkey is wise enough to leave the cockpit alone so the co-captains can focus on flying the plane. He's now leaping from seat to seat and tapping sleeping people on the shoulder then swinging away. We land at the airport and catch the courtesy shuttle to Meriton, where I've booked an Altitude suite, which is supposed to sleep up to 6 people, with 6 single beds, but seeing that there are 4 long couches as well as 2 pillows per twin bed, there is more than enough material to make up an additional 4 beds, even if we only need 3. You pick up these travel hacks when you live in a group environment.  Kit  and I share a room again, and adjacent to us is Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕  and Elycia Lee ☮  . Once everyone is settled in, we head out to the Qrail station to make our way to the island hopping adventure we'll have for the rest of the day.Fun Fact: Qrail= Queensland rail.  Duh, right? I don't know why it never occurred to me sooner. Anyways, they Qrail ride is pretty uneventful. Joel learns his lesson from the airplane, and no matter how much begging and pleading Andre does, he is not getting out of the backpack this time! Even if Nellie bear and Fraidy the cat are both outside of their carriers, obediently sitting with their human friends and enjoying the view. Once on Amity Stradbroke Island (such a mouthful, no wonder it's called Straddie  ), AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! , Andy~hating university and Princess Megan Rose 22 Years  end up at the reefs by Point Lookout, where they decide to go diving together. After yesterday's Reef tour, I guess they wanted to sharpen their skills even more. Everyone else continues on to Main Beach , where SB Musing  and Lyn's a Witchy Woman  swear they saw a dolphin. Nobody else saw it though, so we're all a little confused, even if the site says Main Beach is great for dolphin watching. They insist on it, though, so we stay around a little longer, and lo and behold, Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 points out there is a dolphin! We all snap pictures for our memories, then head back around to Point Lookout to pick up the diving trio and make our way towards Moreton.The ride on Moreton Island Barge is long, and the seas are unsteady, which doesn't make for an overall pleasant two hours. Thankfully plushies can only get seasick if we imagine them to, so nobody really got seasick, which was good. Hanna, Kit, and I do start to feel queasy with about 15 minutes left in the ride, though, and we end up sitting down to avoid further nausea. Once on Moreton Island, it's quite nice. I can see lots of Moreton Bay Bugs crawling around, which makes me really careful where I step. I don't want my foot to be a crustacean's next meal! Moreton is much different from Straddie, in the sense that this place is sand, sand, everywhere! There's even sand dunes that you can slide down, apparently it's called sand tobogganing. We all have a go at this, and then have a nice walk along the beach (even more sand!) where we do spot whales. Unfortunately, it's soon time to head back to the mainland, though, so we bring our stuff back with us and head back to the dock where we were dropped off. Once back on the mainland, we walk around Cleveland for a little bit before catching the public transit back to our hotel. Today was a nice day, and the sleep I get tonight will definitely be well-deserved! |
| Cairns is known as the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, so we've got an earlier start today since we're going on the Great Barrier Reef Snorkeling Tour . It starts at 7:30, which means we're leaving our hotel around 7, but don't worry about breakfast, as we'll get breakfast and lunch onboard the ship. Tonight we'll fly down to Brisbane, where we're staying in the Meriton Apartment Hotels! This sounds like a fun day- I've always wanted to learn how to snorkel. Not that I swim well, to begin with. But hey, this is a virtual blog trip, so anything can happen, right? Honestly, I'm a little bit disappointed with their breakfast. A "hearty BBQ Egg and bacon roll with fruit platters, tea, and coffee" Welll I'm not a bacon person, and fruit platters and tea aren't very filling.  Oh well. I suppose it's known for being a tour, not a cruise. Kit is very hesitant about this because she says she can't swim well, but I'm not a strong swimmer, either, so I tell her there really isn't *too* much to worry about. I don't blame her for being nervous, though! On the other hand, Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 , Elycia Lee ☮ , and SB Musing are loving the experience, and Andre... well, he's being Andre. "ooh ooh ah ah"ing over everything, and swiping at fish and coral through the glass bottom. Good thing he's a plushie and the glass bottom is quite sturdy. The captain ends up asking Brother Nature to keep better tabs on the monkey, or else he'll have to return back to port and ask them both to get off.  Princess Megan Rose 22 Years and AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! end up being really good at diving- they claim to have no previous diving experience besides in the pool, but they both qualify for the second certified dive and go for it when the time comes. Meanwhile, Kit and I are struggling to pass the beginners' dive, and everyone else seems way far ahead as well. After the first dive, we have our BBQ lunch, which is much better than the breakfast, because the portions are larger and not bacon. We float along the waters of the reef a little longer before reaching the second dive location, and watch all the coral and sealife pass by. Lyn's a Witchy Woman comments on the beauty of it all and how it's a shame the water pollution and global warming is slowly killing them off.During the second dive, Andy~hating university reveals that he's a seasoned pro when it comes to diving- he's apparently a natural, alongside Megan Rose and AlyCat, who must have been mermaids in another life. After the cruise, I take the opportunity to explore Cairns a little bit after I slept through the alarm I set yesterday afternoon and missed the chance. Kit and Elycia take me around the city, and it's great fun, walking along the beach and through Paronella Park, until we realize it's about time to get back to the hotel so we can make the flight down to Brisbane tonight. |
| It's a 3-hour flight from Darwin to Cairns, so we'll fly out mid-morning to get there by noon/early afternoon- in time to check in to the Tropical Heritage Cairns , have a rest, then check out the night markets down the street. Tomorrow, we'll check out the Great Barrier Reef. Make sure to set your watches and clocks forward a half hour, though, we've arrived in Queensland, which means we're in the Eastern time zone! Even though I did have a blast at Leanyer yesterday, I'm pretty glad we get to sleep in and rest our bodies for a little bit. That fall had me nursing my old tailbone injury again, though, which I will admit isn't the funnest thing in the world, but I'm alive and I went out having fun, so that makes it a little better. I decide the comfort of the hotel bed is preferred to getting up for breakfast, and since I'm already dressed in going out clothes, all I really need to do is pack up my clothes from yesterday's excursion into a plastic bag, and then I'm all good to be on my way again. Good thing I only packed a giant luggage and my backpack, too, otherwise it would literally be pain to try and maneuver a bunch of luggages all at once. We arrive in Cairns around 2 pm, and woot! We've made it into AEST! Honestly, I think the eastern shore of Aussie has the most fun stuff. I mean, there's all the theme parks/amusement parks on the gold coast, Sydney's Bondi Beach, a bunch of cool stuff in Melbourne, and really nice, nature-y places in Tasmania. This place is known to have some great attractions (not as wonderful as the amusement parks on the Gold Coast, but still pretty neat!) like the Great Barrier Reef- and many, many tours of the reef as well, which, if you're in the area, how could you pass up? The Tropical Heritage is pretty nice- definitely not Lasseter's nice- that was a Casino-hotel-resort place, but it's a nice hotel. We get two family suites- 5 people to each room is exactly enough for us. Kit and I are rooming together again, and SB Musing shares our room too. on the other side are AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! and Lyn's a Witchy Woman . Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 , Elycia Lee ☮ , and Princess Megan Rose 22 Years share their suite with the guys. Andy~hating university doesn't seem too keen on sharing with Andre and Brother Nature again, but it sure beats rooming with a gaggle of giggly girls.Sarah and Kit go out to explore Cairns a little bit before we go to the night markets, but I opt to stay put- for now, the less movement, the better, because that tailbone is finicky! But, like I said, if you're gonna get hurt, have fun doing it! Make it worth it. I snag the sofabed in our suite and decide to take a short nap- 30 minutes- just so I don't completely mess up my biological clock any more than it already is- but next thing I know, I have Nellie's arm flopping all over my face, a hysterical Kit, and a very entertained-looking Lyn watching a laughing Sarah help Nellie wake me up. "Ugh, what time is it?" I manage to grab Nellie from Sarah and hug her to my chest. "6 pm." Kit announces. "No way. I didn't just sleep for 3 hours." I yawn and slowly sit up. "Looks like you did." Kit replies. My watch read 5:58. There goes my plans for sleeping well tonight! "Where's the others?" I ask. "Are we all ready for the night market?" Sarah says Elycia said Andre went missing on an afternoon walk with Joel, so the other room is looking around for that troublesome monkey now, though otherwise everyone is good to go.All these problems Andre's been causing makes me very glad I brought Nellie. As silly and huggy as she is sometimes, at the very least, she doesn't randomly wander off! Sarah's phone goes off again, and she reads the text from Hanna- "We found Andre!" Yay! That means it's time for the night market! We get there, and it's actually much smaller than I expected- there's lots of shopping stalls but not much food. There's a crepe stall, and waffles as well- I think I'm going to end up having desserts for dinner. I get Nutella egg waffles from the Waffle and Puff stall, a crepe from The Famous Crepe Shop, and a cup of ice cream from the New Zealand Natural Ice Cream shop. We all get different stuff so we can try everything, and it's not long before we're all close having food comas. Megan Rose comes up with the idea of walking off the food by doing some shopping, and we all agree. It seems like a good way to explore more of Cairns anyways, so we hit the shop stalls, only to find that Andy has a stall named after him! They sell UGG boots and other souvenirs-y stuff there. Andy, you never told us you ran a business in Australia! Kit, Hanna, and I play around in the Bush Hats shop- trying on all sorts of hats and taking silly selfies in them. Hanna actually decides she wants a floppy hat so she goes to buy a light pink one she tried on previously. We spot a beach towels shop as well, and I decide to buy one because the designs are really cute and the price is actually decent. Kit makes and buys a didgeridoo from the didgeridoo shop for Fivesixer  because she thinks it'd be fun to watch him try and get a sound out of the instrument.  I support her theory, because from what I remember seeing on TV and such, these instruments definitely aren't for those who are faint-lunged. We meet back up at the food stalls around 10:30 to have one last snack in case any of us are hungry- the market ends at 11, so we've got some time to eat again before everyone packs up shop. I go for the Korean stall because I really liked what AlyCat brought back the first time around. This time, we just get our own stuff without sharing.  We get back to the hotel and I already know I'm going to have a not-so-sleepy night after the 30-minute-turned-3-hour nap I had earlier. I make myself a cup of tea and plop in front of the TV to watch whatever might be on- chances are I'll be more sleepy after some screen time than if I were to lie in bed and toss and turn the whole night! |
| We're spending the day at Leanyer Recreation Park - it's got wet and dry playgrounds, a park, and canteen, so all you need to do is bring your bathing suits! It's a 20-minute drive from the resort, so we'll head back once the park closes, and fly out to Cairns in the morning. Oooh, yay! A mini water park! And only a 20-minute drive from the hotel? Even better! I get up slightly earlier so I can put on my rash guard and swim shorts underneath my regular clothes and still make it to breakfast on time afterwards. The hotel doesn't actually offer breakfast, but there's a place close by called The Roma Bar that is supposed to be really good for breakfast. By the time I'm ready, Kit and Lyn's a Witchy Woman are still asleep, so I try waking them up to invite them for breakfast- it's already 10 am! Lyn grumbles something about "not yet" but Kit peeks her eye open at the mention of coconut bread and omelettes. I text into the group chat as well, to see who else might want to join, though it seems like most people are sleeping. Oh well. Kit and I grab our stuff and are giving Nellie a "see you later" pat when a knock comes at the door. "Dragon? Kit? Are you still there?" SB Musing 's frantic voice comes through. We open up to let her in, and she breathes a sigh of relief. "I thought you left already. Just wanted to know if I could tag along to breakfast?" We look at each other. "Sure! The more the merrier!" Kit replies.Sarah sends another text into the group chat- "Last chance for breakfast with us! We're leaving now. Meet in the lobby or be square and hungry!" By the time we're down to the lobby, we don't see anyone else, but Elycia Lee ☮ calls out just as we're stepping out. "Wait up!" We let Elycia catch up, and then begin the walk to the restaurant. It's supposed to be a pleasant, 10-minute walk away, so I take plenty of pictures and group selfies along the way. There's some cool sites along the way, like the Chan Contemporary Art Space , and the Remains of the Palmerston Town Hall . We take a silly group selfie in front of the Double Decker Tours bus stop, and soon enough the 10-minute walk turns into a 20-minute mini-expedition because we're just taking pictures everywhere and anywhere, and taking detours along the way. Elycia strikes a funny pose in front of the Northern Territory Local Court  and I snap a picture of that as well. We finally arrive at Roma Bar, and we find out it's a little pricey, so we order three things to share instead- the coconut bread, banana pancakes, and the omelette supreme with spinach instead of mushrooms. The food is delicious, and we all leave feeling full and happy. We also decide to check out the Civic Park and ABC building  on the way back, because we passed by them earlier but deemed ourselves too hungry for more pictures.It's almost noon when we get back to the hotel and everyone's just about ready to head out to Leanyer. We're just missing Andre and Brother Nature . Andy~hating university says he saw them earlier this morning but doesn't know where they've gone off to now. Andy calls Joel's phone, only to get the voicemail, saying "this is Andre's, erm, Joel's voicemail. Leave a message!" We sit down and wait, and I text him in the group chat, saying "we're going to leave without you if you don't respond in 5 minutes!" The elevator dings, and out he steps, with flippers in one hand and an Andre in scuba gear in the other. "Finally!" Princess Megan Rose 22 Years exclaims, and we head out to the car to start the ride to Leanyer. It's not very far so I volunteer to drive, and so does AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! . We get to the park and it's surprisingly empty. Oh well, more room for us! Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 , Kit, and I are glad the water is quite shallow- only about up to my mid-calf. We have a go at the waterslides and it's quite fun. Someone sneaks up from behind and drenches us. Turning around, I see Andre legging it. Wrong girls to mess with Andre. It's 3-1. Haven't you ever learned to pick on someone your own size?  Hanna ropes in Elycia and the four of us sneak up on Andre and drench him right back, which starts a water fight- we're splashing everyone regardless of who or where they are, and I think I get a mouthful at some point from being splashed while I was laughing. The water fight ends when Andy slips and falls onto Andre, who inadvertently starts a game of dominoes- Joel falls and knocks down Kit, who lands on me, and I hit Hanna, who brings down Elycia with her. Elycia knocks down Lyn, who lands on Aly, and she brings down a laughing Sarah. Once we're done laughing and slipping about trying to get up, we head over to the canteen for lunch and decide to eat on the grass to dry off.The rest of the day passes by without too much trouble- we run around the dry playground and have fun in the grass as well, and before we know it, we're being told the park is closing in 10 minutes and we should get our stuff ready to leave. That was one day I don't think I'll be forgetting soon! |
| You'll be glad to hear we're only driving for about 3 1/2 hours today. We'll stop at 2 1/2 hours to see Litchfield National Park , then drive the last hour to Darwin, where we'll stay at Palms City Resort and you can have the rest of the day to yourselves. Apparently Litchfield doesn't have any couple-hour-long tours, only day tours and multi-day tours, so looks like we're going to be exploring by ourselves. *checks yesterday's driving schedule* Looks like Kit and I have had the longest non-driving break, so we're back at the wheel. Lyn's a Witchy Woman says she's feeling better now and can assist Kit, which means all is good- or as good as it can be- in terms of transportation. Especially since this is probably our shortest roadtrip drive yet. 2 1/2 hours? Piece of cake. Or, maybe, we should say, walk in the park. We don't leave Pine Creek until about 10 am, which is nice because we're all breakfasted and well-rested by that time, and we get to Litchfield at a decent time in the early afternoon, which allows us to explore more freely. The drive, for me, was uneventful, since I was the driver- I can't really be involved in any non-driving interactions, unfortunately. Litchfield is very nice- the waterfalls are really pretty, and Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 and Elycia Lee ☮ decide to go waterfall and waterhole hopping, much to our entertainment. Andre eventually joins in, though he does more splashing about than relaxing. Brother Nature points out the Tabletop Track and Andy~hating university wants to join him in going to explore it. A quick search on the phone tells us this is an absolutely terrible idea: none of us are experienced bushwalkers, for starters, and to add on to that, the track itself is 39 km long (for those who prefer miles, that's 26 miles of track- the conversion ratio is 1.5 km to a mile). Naturally, the km measurement has no meaning Joel, though Andy, upon hearing that, wisely backs out. I inform Joel 39 km is equal to 26 miles. 26 miles of bush to hack, stomp, push, and fight through, only to make your way back to the beginning. It's a circuit track, apparently, so it wouldn't take us anywhere excitingly new anyways. SB Musing and Princess Megan Rose 22 Years chime in their opinions on how we should avoid the Tabletop Track at all costs, and I think that settles the vote overall, even if Andre thinks anything Joel says is bound to be correct.AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! surprisingly supports Joel's notion, though. "Why wouldn't we do a bushwalk if we're already in Australia?" she points out. And it's a good point, but not one we'd love to have made right now. We end up doing one of the easiest bushwalks, keeping in mind the different fitness/non-fitness levels of everyone (I fall into the latter category, of course. ) which makes it a nice time for bush exploration and chatting. Kit and I inevitably end up towards the back and the conversation turns to plushies, because focusing on what our plushies are doing while we are away is a much nicer thought than following behind two adventurous people and a monkey who wanted to go bushwalking. I love nature and have nothing against other people bushwalking, but me and bushwalking just don't make a great combo. They say the Shady Creek/Florence Falls walk is only supposed to take a half-hour, round-trip, but with me and Kit taking our dear time to pick our way through the weeds and stopping for OJ breaks, our round-trip time comes in more towards an hour. By that time, we're all pooped, so decide it's definitely best to start making our way to Palms City and Darwin. The last hour passes by really quickly, and before we know it, I'm pulling up to the hotel's gates, with Kit and a relieved Lyn not too far behind. We check into the "Standard Hotel Room"s we have booked- 3 of them for 10 people on the trip, and even though we get some strange looks about Andre, nobody is actually brave or curious enough to ask anything about him. Kit and I share a room again, and today we've got Lyn bunking with us as well. We three decide, after all that driving, sleep is really the best option, and we're definitely not in a good position to go exploring the city, as much as we'd like to. |
| Today's another driving day, though we're making a stop after 5 hours at the Lake Woods Conservation Covenant , 16 hours at Mataranka to see the Bitter Springs, and then at 18 hours at Pine Creek Railway Resort , where we'll get a couple family cabins and stay the night. Once more, for safety reasons, we'll switch drivers every 8 hours. Hmmm, three shifts and 5 drivers- looks like most of us are driving today. Sorry Kit . WakeUpAndLive️~🚬🚭2024  and AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! drove all of yesterday, so we'll give them a break and let them drive last. Sooo looks like Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 and Kit are driving first today. We've got 16 hours on the road, so it's just 2, 8-hours shifts. Lyn's a Witchy Woman declares she needs a break so I end up in the navigator's seat next to Kit, and SB Musing helps Hanna navigate. We get to Lake Woods, and I am very glad we're driving 4-wheel drives. Turns out this place is a wetland, and the ground is very, very soft. Not quicksandy soft, where you start sinking into the ground the minute you step foot on it, but soft enough so that if you're not wearing gumboots, your socks and shoes will be really gross- mud, weeds, creepy-crawlies... I have my Blundstone boots- they're not super high like gumboots are, but they suffice, as they're also waterproof and meant for workers, so they work in the bush as well. We see lots of waterbirds, some of whom look to be breeding, so we warn Brother Nature to keep a close eye on Andre so that the monkey doesn't disturb them. Some signs say that visitor access could seriously disturb the waterbirds, so we're all careful to leave them be. We pile back into the car for another 3 hours of driving before switching drivers. I take over for Kit, and WakeUpAndLive️~🚬🚭2024 takes over Hanna's car. It's a pretty familiar routine for me now, settle into the car, get comfortable, and then focus on the road. Before I know it, we're passing a sign that says "Mataranka 2"- we should be there any moment now! There's so much to see at Mataranka, though since it's already getting late, we don't get to do much. I do poke my feet into the thermal springs, though, and Princess Megan Rose 22 Years wanders off with Elycia Lee ☮ to see if they can find the botanic walk path. We've learned our lesson from my early morning in Lasseter's- go with a buddy! And now, the people with smartphones have downloaded what I call the "Stalker app"- it lets you know where people (who've downloaded the app and are in your circle) are once you open it. And you can message people on it, too. So if they're not where you think they should be, you can go, "Hey! Come back here!" I finish enjoying the springs, and then head back to the big group, only to find that Elycia and Megan Rose haven't come back yet, so I message Elycia on the app and tell her we're about to head out. I wonder how far they got, because ten minutes later, they're still not back, even though she says they're on their way. Another 15 minutes of waiting later, they finally reappear, looking a little ragged. "We got lost." Megan Rose explains. Of course. though, see, with the stalker app, you can use it to give you directions on how to get to people as well. Oh well, now we know, and everyone's safe-ish, so let's get going to the Railway Resort!AlyCat is driving now, and so is Hanna. Sorry you had to take a double shift today, Hanna, but I think you're more willing than Kit! We drive the last two hours to the Resort, and it's 4 people to a cabin, though with 10 of us, we can fit a 5th person in each cabin if they bring a sleeping bag, so that's what we do. I decide to take the floor, because why not? I have my fuzzy blanket as well if it gets too hard, so all is good there. |
| Hopefully everyone had a refreshing sleep last night- we're going to check out Anzac Hill and the Telegraph Station today, then driving up to Darwin tonight. We're back on the Stuart Highway this afternoon, though we'll stop at 3 hours at the Davenport Range National Park , and again at 5 hours at Tennant Creek , and stay the night at Bluestone Motor Inn . I wake up super early, not because I want to, but mainly because I think my biological clock is seriously messed up. I try going back to sleep in the nice, cool hotel room but ultimately give up and start pacing around the room. Anzac Hill isn't until 10 or so, but that's about 3 1/2 hours away. Yeah, that's right. it's 6:30 am.  I sneak out of the room, leaving Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 peacefully snoozing away in her bed, the lucky gal. I pace the hallway and decide to hit the health club to maybe work myself into a tired state, but just as I'm about to open the door, my phone buzzes and I see a text from Hanna asking where I am. Oops. I probably should've left a note.  Oh well. I make my way back up- taking the long way- via the stairs and not the elevator- hopefully that'll tire me out more, too, and I can sleep the remaining 2 1/2 hours. I'm on the second flight (out of 5) when the phone buzzes again "WHERE ARE YOU?!  " Aww Hanna, it's nice of you to worry, but I'm fine. I text back and say "coming!" Flight 4, I get another text, this time from Kit : "Hanna texted and said you've gone missing. Are you okay?!" *facepalm* "messed up biological clock" I text back. "On my way!!!"I bust through the door of the last flight of stairs, and Elycia Lee ☮ makes a scene. "OMG you're okay! Everyone, she's okay! Next time text us or something, okay?!" "I did...." and I check my phone: 3 messages not sent. must've been poor service in the stairwells.I get hugs from Hanna and Kit, and after reassuring everyone I am, indeed, fine, we all head back to our rooms for the next two hours. I do end up falling back asleep, thankfully, and the next thing I know, I've got Nellie over my face, courtesy of Hanna. "Wake up!!!" Oops. So first I can't sleep and now I sleep too much. Go figure.Good thing I'm already dressed. I rub the sleep from my eyes and meet everyone else in the lobby. WakeUpAndLive️~🚬🚭2024 and AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! are doing the driving today- it's only 8 minutes to Anzac Hill, and when we get there, I immediately recognize it as one of the "hiding places" for Delta Goodrem's wings. I know I said I'm not big on death and memorials and such, and this place is no different, except I do like what the plaque reads  on the tower- it's simple, respectful, timeless, and does its job. I give the place a once-over look around and then head back to wait in the car.Telegraph Station is another 7 minute-drive from Anzac Hill, so we take our time at both places. The museum at Telegraph Station is quite interesting and there is even a barracks station, which I decide to skip over, because who want to look at fake apparitions? That's more than a little disturbing in my opinion- it's one thing to write about them coming back to life in "Invalid Item" but watching them pretending to be alive and living in the barracks? Thanks, but I'll give that a definite pass.I buy some postcards from the gift shop as well, then write them and send them off in the bright red postbox-column  , because they get a commemorative franking stamp  , and who wouldn't want that? I make sure to write one to myself as well, just for fun. When we're all done marvelling at the Telegraph Station, we head back to Stuart Highway, with Princess Megan Rose 22 Years and SB Musing holding the maps this time. We've learned our lesson the first time we tried finding Stuart Highway- don't trust a monkey with giving directions from a map! And use a GPS! I've lent my phone to the front since it's got unlimited data and I have the charging cable and such, even though it's WakeUp and AlyCat who are still driving. Kit and I sit in the back and discuss plushies, TNS, and our respective guys for the next three hours. Elycia chimes in every now and then with her opinion on what I should say/how I should act the next time I see him, and the three of us discuss the pros and cons of each method. Good thing Andy~hating university and Brother Nature are in the other car, we'd probably talk their ears off. Once we reach the Davenport Ranges, I'm really surprised to see it's not all mountainy like the name suggests. What is it with Australia and misleading names, anyways? First Lake Eyre is a big basin of evaporated salt water, which just leaves salt, and these Davenport Ranges aren't really ranges, but more like a place in the bush with some hills and water. Maybe like mini canyons, I guess? They're still pretty cool, though. They're just not very range-y. Lyn's a Witchy Woman points out the waterhole, and we all go to check it out. There are so many water birds around the waterhole, and they don't seem scared of us when we approach them. Only when Andre starts running towards them and screeching do they fly away. Oh Andre. After we're done exploring the ranges, we head back for another 2 hours in the car to Tennant Creek and the Motor Inn. The place is definitely not as nice as the other hotels we've stayed in, but hey, it's not a car, and it's got a shower, so I'm not going to complain. Buuut Tennant Creek? no creek! Oh Australia, you and your misleading names. There's a lake, though. A manmade lake, not called Tennant Lake, but Lake Mary Ann. I suppose I'll have to go check that out later since that's my mom's name. |
| It's roadtrip day! We're driving 15 1/2 hours up Lasseter Highway through the Outback to get from Lake Eyre to Uluru National Park, where Ayers Rock is, and then another 6 hours from Ayers Rock to Alice Springs. We'll switch drivers around the 8-hour mark and after Ayers Rock for safety reasons, but hopefully nobody gets carsick! We'll be staying the night in Lasseters Hotel once we get to Alice Springs. Well Kit will be very happy and relieved to know she's not doing this drive. At least, I don't think so... *calculates*AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! and I will drive the first stretch, WakeUpAndLive️~🚬🚭2024 and Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 will do the second stretch, and thennnn hmm maybe you do need to drive, Kit. though your driving time is already less than the 8 and 7 1/2 hours from the first two stretches. I suppose I'll take the lead on the last 6 hours as well. And I've learned my lesson from poor Hanna when Brother Nature 's Andre was "helping" by giving out map directions with an upside-down map. I'll stick to the GPS on my phone, thanks, Andre.  Good thing I have unlimited data, too. Lasseter Highway is relatively easy to drive- no sudden hairpin turns, a couple of windy bends, but mostly a straight road from point A to point B. Pretty boring for a driver who's supposed to keep their eyes on the road. I think SB Musing mentioned seeing a kangaroo at some point, but like I said, I'm driving and I need to keep my eyes on the road and not on the lookout for kangaroos, unfortunately. Fortunately, I did think ahead to bring my Aux cord, charging cable, and car charger thingy so I could charge my phone while driving, and it wouldn't die while giving us directions. That would be bad. And the Aux cord will let us play music from our phones and have it go through the car's speakers instead. I let Kit deejay because I figure her playing some Guns N' Roses might cheer her up from the prospect of having to drive again in 12 hours. Once my 8 hours are done, I decide it'd be a good idea to have a sleep before we see Ayers Rock, since I will be driving again after that. And driving can be a very mentally exhausting activity, so it'd be rather dangerous (even more so than our current driving situation) for me to be behind the wheel again after driving for 8 hours, and not having a rest for another 7 1/2. We don't want to show up on a future episode of those Highway Patrol -type shows! I ask Elycia Lee ☮ and Kit separately to wake me up once we reach Ayers Rock- just in case one of them forgets, and with that, I climb into the back row, take out my ladybug neck pillow, and snooze for the next 6 or so hours. If I'm going to drive again, I need my rest!I don't end up sleeping the full 7 1/2 hours, so there's no need for Kit or Elycia to wake me up, and I look out the window to see if I can spot any dingoes or kangaroos. I am, unfortunately out of luck in terms of seeing any Aussie wildlife on the drive there, but I read ahead that there are some nice mammals around Ayer's Rock, so I can hardly wait for the next half hour to pass until we get there. Once we do, though, Ayer's Rock, or Uluru, as the locals call it, is definitely no disappointment. It's massive, and I see people climbing on it, even though a sign asks that we not, out of respect to the indigenous people in the area. Makes you wonder if people actually listen these days. So, instead, we take pictures of each other at the front and side of the rock, and at one point Kit squeals out that there's a bilby! Princess Megan Rose 22 Years rushes to go look, and claims that it's actually a mini kangaroo. But Kit has seen my Matilda bilby and knows her animals, and insists that it is, indeed, a bilby and not a mini kangaroo. Besides, Kit argues, this marsupial doesn't even have a pouch at the front! It can't be a joey or kangaroo! SB Musing just snaps pictures. "He's the cutest thing ever!" She says, and she extends her hand to let the bilby sniff her. She ends up patting the bilby, and we all take pictures of her patting him. I spot an emu further off and snap lots of pictures of it. I know better than to try and ride it, like I did to the emu statue at school when I was 3 or 4. I'm also not too keen on maybe becoming an emu's next meal. Once we're done marvelling at Uluru/Ayer's Rock, we pile back into the minivans, this time with me and Kit at the wheel. I figure I'll lead, and with Andy~hating university sitting in my front passenger seat as designated direction-giver, what could go wrong? Lyn's a Witchy Woman is in Kit's passenger seat again, and I wish everyone a safe and somewhat comfortable journey with us four new roadtrip leaders. There are walkie-talkies in each car so we can keep in touch if the cell service is lost, and a map of how to get from Ayer's Rock up to Alice Springs, with the path highlighted in bright green. I end up zoning out for the next 6 hours just so I can focus on the road and any directions or warnings that Andy gives. Everyone else either falls asleep in the car or plays some sort of alphabet game with the signs- calling out words they see for each letter of the alphabet, in order. Wish I could play, but I gotta drive!  Lasseter's Hotel is a very nice sight after being couped up in the car for so long. The bell boys take our luggages and transfer them up to our rooms while we wait for keys to be cut. Alot of us are fidgety because we can't wait for a nice, clean bed and warm shower! This time, it's only 2 to a room, though Andre decides he's staying with Joel and Andy regardless, and I'm bunking in with Hanna- who claims she wants to shower in the morning, before we leave. Fine by me- I take the opportunity to clean myself up while Hanna does her unpacking- how many pairs of shoes do you need on an outback tour? And after that, I collapse into a heap in bed, with Nellie bear splayed on my stomach as a non-blanket, blanket. Tomorrow is more sightseeing and driving, but sleep is most important right now!  |
| We are well and truly in the outback now, so make sure to bring plenty of water, sunscreen, and aloe vera in case of sunburns! December is summer in 'straya. We're travelling 5 1/2 hours by car in the early morning today up to Lake Eyre National Park - and camping out there for the night- we're making our way up to Alice Springs in Northern Territory via Stuart Highway and will continue doing so in the morning. I didn't get much sleep during the night, but it looks like Kit and Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 are up for driving shifts again, so I'm glad it's not me behind the wheel. Unfortunately, due to my lack of sleep, I suppose my directions weren't very clear, and we may have missed a turn somewhere or another and missed the entrance to Stuart Highway. Thankfully, this is the outback, not the ocean, and there was still GPS signal, so we got back on track pretty soon after we realized Stuart Highway was somewhere behind us and not coming up soon. Andre had been holding the map upside down, as it turns out. Brother Nature did you ever teach your monkey how to read a map? If not, why'd he volunteer? and if so, why was he holding the map upside down?  Oh well. Hooray for GPS and smartphones! So instead of driving for 5 1/2 hours, it ends up being somewhere closer to 7 hours on the road, what with backtracking: finding a place to U-turn, driving back past the entrance, U-turning again, and getting onto Stuart Highway.I'm not sure who it was who thought to bring an ice chest along with us on the road, but thank you to the person who did! It was a wonderful refresher to help us keep cool in the Outback's heat, and we were able to avoid any major medical problems like heatstroke. I brought along a couple 2-liter bottles of Nudie OJ so we'd keep hydrated as well. Once we actually get to Lake Eyre National Park, though there isn't actually much of a lake there. We drive past it a few times, with the GPS saying we've arrived, even if we don't see any water. A quick Google search reveals that all the white stuff on the ground is supposed to be the lake. It's salt. Lake Eyre is a giant salt pan, apparently.1 And it's not really a lake because it barely ever has water in it. but still, it was cool to see all the white glaring up at us, and through an interpreter we got to speak with the Arabana people, the traditional owners of the land. They tell us there hasn't been water in the lake for quite a few months, now, and there being water depends on the yearly monsoon that goes through the state, and if the storm reaches the lake. They show us around the camping ground as well, and show us where we can park our vehicle, make sure it's safe from any roadside burglary attempts. We grab all the camping gear and Lyn's a Witchy Woman begins directing people to set up tents, start a fire, or unload the food. Nobody trusts Andre with fire or food, so he's sent off to do the tents with Andy~hating university , Joel, and Princess Megan Rose 22 Years . Kit, Elycia Lee ☮ and I end up trying to do the fire while AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! , Hanna, and SB Musing unload the food. Dinner is hot dogs, smores, and OJ, and after that we go into the tents to sleep for the night, because tomorrow will be a long, long time in the car.Footnotes |
| Early start today, though the non-drivers can sleep in the car. Chances are, we can rent 2-3 8-9 seater vans and cram everyone and their stuff in it. Hopefully you're all travelling light! Once in Port Augusta, we'll be staying at the Majestic Oasis Apartment Port Augusta and checking out the arid lands botanical garden . There'll also be an outback day tour from a local for those interested. We'll leave later tonight to avoid other cars on the way to our next destination. So now that we have WakeUpAndLive️~🚬🚭2024 and Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 joining me, Kit , and AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! as drivers, I think this trip will go quite well. Even if most all of us aren't actually licensed to drive in Australia.  Today is a very early start, unfortunately, though I suppose it's necessary to get some decent sleep before anyone can be expected to drive somewhat well. I had lots of fun at Hahnsdorf with Kit last night, and we did get back early, but I couldn't fall asleep on the sofa bed last night. I think I'll have to give driving a pass this morning and hand the keys over to WakeUpAndLive️~🚬🚭2024 . Maybe I can crash after the day tour and then drive tonight. Kit is steering the second car, and since I already gave WakeUpAndLive️~🚬🚭2024 detailed directions, I end up knocking out in the back of Kit's car with my ladybug travel pillow. The drive is rather uneventful- no major traffic accidents or anything, and Lyn's a Witchy Woman is sitting in the front seat keeping a close eye on the road as well. Plus, since I slept through the majority of the drive, it was also quite short- for me, at least. We check into the hotel, and the beds look very inviting- it's all I can do to drag myself away from the door and rejoin the group in the lobby so we can head out to see the botanical garden. To be honest, I was originally a little confused as to why there would be a botanical garden just for arid plants- besides cacti, what else are there? Apparently, alot. There are colors absolutely everywhere, and the tour guide who takes us through the gardens does a fantastic job of introducing all the plants and flowers. After the tour, I can't help but buy a few seeds for the different flowers I really liked: Prostanthera striatiflora 2, Petalostylis labicheoides 3, and Boronia Crenulata 4. They may not be admissible back to the US, but I should be able to bring them back to Tassie or school and grow them there. Good thing I didn't give into the bed and sleep! After the botanical gardens, I feel much more energized so offer to take over the wheel from Kit, who seems more than willilng to relinquish the driver's seat. We drive around Port Augusta until we find a little shack with a hand-painted, wooden "Outback Day Tours" sign hanging by a nail off the front gable. "Is this even legit?" I hear Brother Nature ask. All I can say is, TripAdvisor had some good reviews, so how bad can it be? Andy~hating university and Spacecat look pretty skeptical as well, especially when an old man comes out of the shack. "Are you here for the outback tour?" his voice is gruff and not very friendly, and slightly intimidating. Someone, I think BlueMoon , pushes me to the front and says "Ask her! She signed us all up for this!" Thanks, BlueMoon. "UMmm, yes, we are." He painstakingly turns around and hobbles back to the door with his cane. "JAXON. VISITORS!" He bellows back into the shack, and I'm very impressed that such a loud, strong voice can come from such a frail-looking person. A much younger guy comes out of the darkness- he looks about 30 or so- and introduces himself as Jax, though we can call him Jacko. He whistles a long, sliding note, and a horse comes galloping in- it's as if we're in a move or something, because that steed is very obedient, and listens to everything Jax tells him to do. Jax brings us to a barn full of horses, and tells us to saddle up. What? We're riding horses? I'm going to borrow a quote from Eeyore and say "I don't see this ending well" Not for me, at least! Oh well, new experiences, right? Hopefully I don't fall off, and if I do, here's to hoping these are nice horses and I won't get trampled all over. Maybe I'll just walk. *nods* less dangerous, to an extent. Plus it'll be good exercise. Unfortunately, Jax says that's not allowed, though he gives me a smaller horse who's supposedly "really nice" to ride. According to Mom, these animals can sense your fear and will take advantage of you when they do, so I'm doing my best to not freak out. Elycia Lee ☮ is laughing at me, but I don't see her doing much better. As for Princess Megan Rose 22 Years and SB Musing I think they're secretly horse whisperers or something because they're doing very, very well!Once we're all (somewhat) accustomed to the horses, he takes us around the local desert area, pointing out this and that, from the smallest flora and fauna to birds that happen to be swooping by. We pass by some local buildings and he explains them all- milk bars that have just closed down, old saloons, and some Aboriginal artifacts/landmarks. He's actually a pretty good tour guide, I must admit, and I think Brother Nature , Andy~hating university and Spacecat can say that while it may not be a completely legit arrangement (I don't know if he's really a tour guide or not), it's a pretty good tour. After the tour, we're all tired, dusty, and horse-smelly, so we head back to the hotel with the A/C on full blast in both cars. Hanna ~ Be Kind 💕 and AlyCatAuthor HAPPY 4th! drive us back to the Oasis Apartments and we take turns to wash off all the dust, grime, and horse smell... I decide to skip dinner and have a rest instead, because who knows what other crazy adventures we'll be having tonight when we leave for the next destination?Footnotes |
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