Gold Coast 24/03/2012 - 5 nights Part 2

As I write my blog today in Brisbane, it is ANZAC Day** and, like all national holidays, the place has come to a standstill. Oh I don’t mean that everyone has stopped for a minute of silence…everything is shut. Offices, banks, supermarkets and anything else of usual relevance is closed. Can you imagine the same thing happening on Remembrance Day in England? No I can’t either. I’m not complaining as I’m the last one to scoff at a day off from work!

I’ve decided to use some of that time to catch up on my blog. I am digressing as I know how many posts I need to get through until I’m happily up-to-date and I’m not sure how much my head can handle at the moment. To give you a glimpse into my state of mind right now, I’ve just spent around ten minutes in a trance looking at an army of ants surrounding the picnic table I’m sat at. I’m not quite sure what they’re doing or where they are going but they seem more organised than my life is right now. And so begins an inner monologue of how simple an ant’s life is and how many choices are facing me at the moment with my future as well as what I’m going to do in the next country I’m visiting. That combined with the constant factors of money and time whirring through the tired cogs in my brain means that I’m not necessarily close to crazy but I’m feeling the strain a bit. Which leads me back to how, rather than writing about the Gold Coast, I’ve decided to compare my life to an ant. A random dose of escapism and welcome relief certainly, but an underlying sign that the sooner I leave Oz, the saner I’ll feel!

*****

Monday is a duff day for most as it signifies the end of the weekend break and the beginning of another dull plodding working week. All our savings from Sydney are dwindling and the thought of finding a job in Brisbane is slowly creeping up to us.

But this Monday was far from a duff day as it was Mel’s birthday. Steff and I were excited to give Mel her presents and cards. It was, in fact, Steff who excitedly shoved Mel awake. At first Mel frowned and grumbled at Steff until it sank in that today was her day.

Mel received some beautiful presents from her mother including an unexpected shark charm for her Thomas Sabo bracelet. Steff gave Mel her card and a voucher for a spa manicure and pedicure. Mel wasn’t expecting any presents from me so was surprised and thankful for the SeaWorld trinkets that bestowed her. I made sure I wrote a sizable chunk of sentiment in the card rather than the standard sign offs that are given normally.

In our excitable states, we thought that eating breakfast in an all-you-can-eat pancake place was a good idea. It worked out better to buy a pancake set with lashings of extras as the all-you-can-eat pancakes were plain with butter. I need more sugar than that!

After sheepishly asking if they do anything special for birthdays (any chance to get something for free, come on!), Mel received pancakes with the adage of sparklers.

I ate my pancakes without a problem but Mel struggled to finish hers. Steff challenged me to eat another pancake and I probably could have except our next stop was Wet ‘n’ Wild. Regurgitation, I think not.

Getting lost on the way to the water park did take a little shine off of our day but it was all forgotten once we arrived. Unfortunately you can’t take the Go Pro camera down slides so I have no photos but it did mean that we could run wild and enjoy everything without taking care of an expensive piece of kit and wondering whether you captured a good angle.

We started off on the easy wavy slide with mats. You push forward, lying flat and slide down side by side. Each lane was numbered and a digital display showed who came first and so on. Mel and I were comfortably eased into this water slide lark. Before we could consider our next stop Steff wanted to go on the slide next door. A vertical drop? Hell no!

This slide looked scary. You are locked in a capsule at the top and the floor below you drops. You fall down the slide and through a side-ways loop sending you speeding into a massive tub of water. No thank you.

You needed to be weighed before going on. Obviously being too light, you won’t make it round the loop. One poor guy was too heavy to go on. In fact, all the rides had start weights and limits. I’m neither end of the scale so I didn’t have anything to worry about. Although, annoyingly, a lot of the slides were couple rides. You couldn’t go down on your own so I had to wait for Steff to run up and join me.

I went on all but two of the slides - the vertical drop ride and one which was out of service. I think I did pretty well! After going on everything a couple of times, we rested in the wave pool. I cockily started a water fight with Steff but soon lost. I morphed into my childhood self again and attacked Wet ‘n’ Wild like a goofy excitable kid. We’d not had this much fun in a while!

We all ended up spending money needlessly that day. Steff went on a water machine called Flowrider where you can surf or body-board. Mel and I went shopping. They had a swimwear shop with 50% off. I didn’t specifically need anything but the bikinis were really good. Shopping for bikinis is just as hard as bra shopping. A well fitted bikini, for me, is a rarity. I found “the one”, as well as a great pair of swim shorts and a top. Sometimes it’s nice to treat yourself and I didn’t feel guilty for doing so. We decided to leave at that point before we spent any more money!

The facilities at the camp site enabled us to clean ourselves up and look presentable for the night ahead. Mel and I went all out and did our hair (more of a rarity for me then Mel though), full make up (same again) and wore dresses. I decided to crack open one of the two pairs of shoes that I bought in Sydney before I left. I already wore the cream wedges and managed to stay upright through the entire outing. They’re actually quite comfortable too. Having always worn flats or small heels, wedges were a daunting upgrade. Due to my previous triumph, I smugly adorned my second pair. I felt a breeze of contentment as I wrapped each tie around my leg, brandishing a bow for completion. It’s not often that I get to dress up and feel good about myself. For some reason, dresses bring out the giddy girly-girl in me.

Behold the beautiful wedges and ignore the scabby backpacker feet that fills them!

Unfortunately that air of wistfulness cracked slightly as I stumbled to the car like Bambi on ice. Damn. I almost looked complete. I spent most of the time sat down anyway. It was only the walk to and from the car that I had to worry about. I think I got away with it…just. I drew a few stares but it was the wedges which stole the show. One girl looked me up and down, then looked back at the shoes. I think I passed the Aussie-once-over.

As it was Mel’s night, the choice of where to eat was entirely hers. Indian (Mel's favourite) it was. The food was tasty. We left the restaurant and looked out to where we would go next. Bars to the left of us, bars to the right of us, but instead of seeing bright lights and smiling faces, we saw an abundance of dollar signs. We stopped off at a bottle shop and grabbed some ciders instead and headed back to the camp site.

Me: looking happy with my cider purchase. Steff: Looking at me like I'm an idiot.

It was a good job that we did as it rained very hard. It literally started just as I settled down in the tent. The timing was impeccable. I did feel little crestfallen that I’d donned my glad rags (and wedges, don’t forget the wedges!) for only a couple of hours but there’ll be other times I’m sure.

*****

The next day, we had a rest day away from the theme parks. Mel, Steff and I headed further into the city. Mel had an appointment booked for her birthday mani-pedi. I wasn’t sure what to do so I just went along for the ride…literally.

We ate breakfast in a café but we were running late. Mel and Steff rushed off to make the appointment and I was left munching on my toast. I finished a minute later but wasn’t up for chasing after anyone. I wanted my food to settle down but did wonder whether Steff would come back for me or had I been abandoned.

I waited a few minutes and was about to get my laptop out but had second thoughts, so replaced it back in my bag. I turned around and Steff was there laughing at me. We knew that Mel would be a while so went to the arcades. I got flashbacks of my time in Japan at the arcades in Akihabara. They even had a pirate ship game that I played on over there.

Steff went straight to the tower of prizes. It’s a simple game. Two lit-up squares move from left to right. You hit a button and the squares lock in. The aim is to get a tower of squares to the top to get a main prize. It’s a rip off though as Steff hit the button at the right time to lock in the squares at the top and the square jumped across and dropped.

There were plenty of other games to pass the time. I went and bought a card with credit to swipe at each game. This is where things changed.

Steff vs  Danielle
3-2

I won two games - shooting hoops and a wack-em game. Steff won at air hockey and a reaction game where you have to touch buttons as they light up. I was at a distinct advantage seen as Steff is tall and has long arms. Oh and I forgot to add, Steff also won the dance mat game. I tried to hide my loser status by ribbing Steff for winning at the dance game. It didn’t work.

We met Mel with her shiny buffed feet and brightly painted nails then decided what we were going to do in the evening. In an effort to do something and not sit around in the tent, we went to the cinema. After seeing a trailer for 21 Jump Street, we decided that a good comedy was in order. It certainly made us laugh and at one point I had tears streaming down my face. This moment was not due to any joke in the film but Steff’s innocent comment about the actor Iced T. Of course, Mel and I knew he meant Ice Cube but it was so funny. It is definitely one of those funny moments that are better witnessed than seen written down.

The night wasn’t over yet. Somehow, Mel had found an ice rink that resembled an abandoned warehouse in the arse end of nowhere. Welcome to Iceland. Mel and Steff were experts but this was my first time. I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect. I’d heard a lot about it but was scared that it’d hurt…ahem. I enjoyed every bit. I didn’t fall over once. Mel and Steff helped me to begin with and then I skated around like a lunatic. I had many close calls and adopted the windmill manoeuvre. That little trick saved me!

An hour or so later and we grew bored of skating around in circles so went back to the tent for some more stories of the blog variety.

** Wednesday 25th April.

Gold Coast 24/03/2012 - 5 nights Part 1

Surfers Paradise is a weird place. There are so many different personalities to it that I didn’t know which one I was getting each day. It was eerie but funny. Not to be mistaken for Byron Bay mind. I only saw the one – party party! – personality to BB but it pleased people from so many different backgrounds.

From the outset, Surfers Paradise looks a lot like how I imagine California to be. A long stretch of an over populated beach edged with a concrete path for joggers and dog walkers. Tall apartment buildings tower over designer shops and boutiques. Whilst looking a little closer, you find a heavy Japanese influence. They have Japanese food chains (e.g. Mos Burger), a Japanese Tourist Information Office, Japanese signposts and even the Japanese noodle bowls in the 7 Elevens. If you’re un/lucky (depending on how you feel) enough to find it, you will also discover the heavy night scene. Enter the idiot party ticket touts. We encountered one on our first day, how nice.

Having set up camp (very tricky seen as the ground was rock hard! Our neighbour kindly lent us his hammer), we went back into the city to see what was about. Having had a giggle in Condom Kingdom and a gander in a few other shops, we were found to be looking around for inspiration. The idiot locked eyes with Mel first, then me. Damn. He started with an overly-jovial, “Hi”. Mel struck up a conversation with idiot and I kept her company in the hope that she wouldn’t buy something insane like a party on a boat, on top of a plane to outer space and back…hmm. So yes, idiot tried the hard sell on Mel for which she ummed and arred. For some reason the guy kept nudging and winking at me – specifically at the moments when he said “jelly fight” and “free pizza” – who has he been talking to? Other suggestive things came out of his mouth and towards my direction but my mind was already elsewhere. Steff too was distracted and didn’t want to be involved. We mumbled our excuses and bolted.

These ticket kiosks were a frequent feature within Surfers Paradise. We were down to our last few hundred dollars. The last thing we were going to do was burn it on booze. I fear I am leaning into boring-bastard mode but I don’t care! I can get drunk and make an idiot out of myself at home. Why in the hell would I spend 15K travelling the other side of the world to do the same thing? Exactly. I want to be spewing because I just jumped out of a plane, not because I had one too many jager bombs.

I digress. We did find another way to get our blood pumping and it wasn’t from ramped up dub-step (I can get that for free in the car!). Theme park anyone? They have two theme parks, two water parks and a Sea World. Oooooooo….aaaahhhhhh. Buying a combo ticket for Movie World, Sea World and Wet ‘N’ Wild was our main and only extravagance. On the plus side, it was low season which meant that the parks were practically empty and the tickets were cheap. On the down side, it was low season which meant that now was the time they chose to carry out maintenance on some of the rides. Oh bums.

*****

Musical interlude

We awoke to the sing-song chirrups of the birds outside. How lov…
“They’ve shit on the car!” (Steff)
“Aw…and on my towel too!” (Mel)
Haha, the joys of nature. By the time I crawled out of my pit, the offending bird poo had been eradicated and all was well.

Musical interlude

Oh, err, sorry. Today was Sea World day. The handful of people that we had spoken to in Surfers Paradise said that Sea World is pants (my word not theirs. They used something a bit more colourful!). I guess it’s the filler of the combo ticket. As in, they want to charge a lot so include this to bump up the price even though most people who buy this ticket aren’t even arsed about going. Well I wanted to go and see the penguins, dolphins and sharks as did Mel and Steff.

As it was a Sunday, the place was rather busy and bustling with prams and brats that filled them. Yes, I’m still the ice queen that hates children…unless they’re quiet. It’s ok, I kept out of their way and they kept out of mine.

We queued for a while as we had to get our photos taken for our passes. With the combo pass (Movie World, Sea World and Wet ‘N’ Wild) we have unlimited access to each place for three months. This is non-transferable so a picture is needed for verification. The woman couldn’t spell any of our names. Steffan always has problems with his name as most people write is as Stephen. Melissa however isn’t that difficult. The woman spelled my name aloud. D-A-N-I-E-L…ha! It’s been a while since someone made that mistake.
Disappointed with our photos, we slotted them away post-haste. We needed food and I nearly choked when I saw the prices. A small bottle of water was $4. I had a dry sandwich and bought a bottle of water before we entered. It was a hot day and I needed it.

First up was the penguin enclosure. It looked exactly like the one in Happy Feet. I felt sad at first but couldn’t help but laugh at some of the penguins that kept slipping and stumbling around before diving into the water. Steff’s commentary was on top form when he pointed at two penguins that waddled into a cubicle sized indentation in the cave wall. It really did look like two blokes entering and exiting a urinal!

I went a little snap-happy but it’s not every day that you get to see creatures like this up close and personal. I’m hoping to see some in the wild on my travels up the East Coast and New Zealand. Sharks not included of course.

'Sup? 

Shark and shark baby.

There wasn’t as much as I thought there was to see. We saw a very sad looking polar bear.

As well as the above, we saw three shows. The first was a dolphin show which was incredible. I tried filming parts and taking photos but I was too slow. In the end I just gave up and enjoyed the view. The dolphins were chucking their trainers up in the air, carrying them along the water and performing spectacular tricks. You never knew what was coming as the dolphins dove into the water. It was quiet….quiet, then a dolphin jumps up and tumbles in the air. The crowd issued the standard “Oooo, aahhhh, woaaah,” then applause.

The same could be said for the jet ski show. The tricks were impressive and were fun to watch. The sea lion show was more for kids so we left before it finished. We managed to get around and see everything within a couple of hours even though we originally planned on spending the whole day there.

Before we left, we stopped off at the roller coaster there. It had been a long time since I’d been on a roller coaster and I was very nervous. It looked like a very fast ride. Most of the time, I don’t usually enjoy roller coasters. I like rides where I am fully secured in but most of the time I don’t feel that way so I get scared. I don’t like that unsettling feeling in my stomach which bubbles away whilst I’m queuing and then gets progressively worse when I board the ride and it never stops.

Strangely, a wave of calm came over me when I boarded the ride. It was a jet ski ride so I wasn’t fully strapped in. I was excited. The ride was brilliant. I didn’t scream either. I couldn’t believe it. I actually had fun on a roller coaster. I felt a lot better about Movieworld now.

No halfway decent place would go without a gift shop and Sea World was no different. They go in for the kill with their dolphin pencil sharpeners, funky notepads and worst of the worst – cuddly toys. I’ve done so well in avoiding my weakness for these yet today I had an excuse to let go. Tomorrow was Mel’s birthday and, up until now, I’d avoided the subject completely in my head and hoped it would go away. My funds were dwindling and I’d like nothing more than to go to the same extent that I did at Christmas and make Mel’s birthday as special as possible. All I had in my head were visions of going all Blue Peter and making some mangled creation from a discarded egg carton and a cereal box. I didn’t even have newspaper and watered down glue! Paper mache was a no-no, damn.

Steff cornered me at a weak moment and asked me what I was doing and I snapped back. It didn’t take much from Steff to make me crumble into a heap of guilt. In comes the gift shop a la Sea World. Thankfully Mel had already gone around and pointed at a few things that she liked. I bought a penguin shopping bag to hide the gifts I had bought Mel. I didn’t realise how well my surreptitious behaviour had worked as Mel went back to the shop to buy a polar bear shopping bag!

We still had half the day left and had no idea what to do. Steff wanted to find a park gym as we drove past a couple of guys doing pull ups by the beach. What Steff lacks in memory capacity is quadrupled in his incredible strength. He has the appetite of a sumo and the diet of a five year old addicted to sweets. Despite this he has such a high energy. I say this through gritted teeth as I don’t eat nearly as much or as badly as him and I’m podgy and feeble.

Steff flung himself around and made it look so easy. Monkey bars used to be my speciality so I rubbed my hands with confidence. I heaved my bulk up and started swinging but something was different. Instead of flying across like I used to, I was struggling to get past the third bar. Oh dear. Now I felt old. Spider Steff was the term Mel had dubbed at that moment. I don’t think there’s a term for my efforts.

As we settled down for the evening, Mel and I tended to our sore arm muscles. Bored of watching films or surfing the net on all our laptops, the guys asked me to read my blog to them. It was an unusual but rather welcome request. Steff was out like a light after my second or third entry. I wasn’t offended as Steff falls asleep so quickly. Mel lasted longer but too got sleepy after a while. I don’t think they realised how many posts I had made. They wanted me to start from the very beginning which was rather apt as my first post is titled Once Upon A Time. Reading bedtime stories to two sleepy listeners…now I definitely feel old!

Byron Bay 23/03/2012 - 1 night

Coffs Harbour to Byron Bay was the longest drive so far. Surprisingly Steff drove the whole way despite Mel and I offering to take over. Some people naturally prefer to drive than be a passenger which is fine by me! You’d think I’d have extra room now we’re back to a threesome but I was still surrounded by crap. Typical.

We made a little detour to Lennox Head before entering Byron Bay. Steff heard that there was good surf here. It was the briefest of brief visits. We got out, walked over and bought a drink – in my case a yummy smoothie – looked at the beach, paced up and down a bit, got back in the car and went to Byron Bay. Strange I know but it was a nice stop to stretch our legs.

Mel and I needed the toilet before we went. I was on spider look-out duties. Now I am cool, calm and collected when it comes to entering places that might harbour the nasty critters but as soon as I see one I scream like a banshee. My attitude is, if I keep thinking I’m going to see one, the likelihood is I will see one or at least THINK that I see one. When I first arrived in Sydney I was jumping at everything. One time I walked down to reception without my glasses and shot to one side at the sight of a rock…a ROCK! All I saw was a blurry dark thing near my foot that shouldn’t be there. In my room I’d flinch at my own shadow lurking in the corner of my eye. I’d bat at my leg furiously even though the only thing that stroked my leg was my bed sheet. This got old very quickly. Instead, I just act all blasé.

Now Mel on the other hand is crazy. When she gets nervous or uncomfortable about something she reels off a list of questions. Since being in Australia Mel has become the encyclopedia of everything that can kill you here. I’d rather not know thanks! That lady does make me laugh. If I ever do get into a life or death situation Mel will be the first person I turn to. If I did get bitten by something I’d know approximately how long I had left to live.

*****

Arriving into Byron Bay, our jaws dropped. This is not what I expected. I thought I was in Kavos or some other 18-30s party area. Shit. I was expecting a laid back hippy-dippy scene but instead it was full of idiots wanting to get drunk. Hmm.

We stopped off at the tourist information place but the guy at his desk just pointed to the rack of leaflets every time we asked a question. Dick.

The nearest campsite we drove to was ridiculously expensive. It would be near enough the same price to stay in a hostel which is what we ended up doing. Thinking we’d be better off in a hostel rather than a campsite was very much an overestimation. For some reason, the facilities at a campsite are very well kept whereas in a hostel people don’t really give a shit. Don’t worry, I’m not turning into a snob. I know by now what to expect from a hostel but it is like a lucky dip. Sometimes you can pay an average price and get a fantastic place and other times you might pay more for a dive.

It only took us a couple of hours to decide that we’d only stay one night in Byron Bay. Cue gasps. I know, I know. Before we arrived I thought I’d want to stay a few days as I’d heard great things about this place. Perhaps we didn’t see the same Byron Bay as you guys but it just wasn’t our scene.

We didn’t leave without seeing the beach of course. Again, I was pretty underwhelmed. It didn’t look much different to all the other beaches I’d visited before. Steff tried out the surf and Mel and I dipped our feet in the sea. Mel came prepared with her bikini under her clothes. I didn’t think I’d go in the sea so didn’t have any bikini bottoms on. I felt a bit lonely on the beach and it was a piping hot day. Mel reassured me that my knickers look just like bikini bottoms and I should come in the sea anyway. I naively believed Mel and ran into the sea. So far so good. Nobody looked at me strangely so I assumed I’d gotten away with it.

Unfortunately I underestimated how powerful the waves were. Each time a wave crashed into me my knickers crept down my legs. Holy moly! One giant wave later and I’d flashed my snowy-white arse to a bunch of guys across from me. Arse…literally! Well it could have been worse I guess. The guys shot me a cheeky grin and I turned to Mel in horror. Clinging to my knickers for dear life, I waddled back to shore. I think that’s enough embarrassment for the day!

Steff wanted to take advantage of the good surf so walked further up the beach. After a while, Mel and I grew bored and went back to the hostel. We sat by the pool and chatted away about random rubbish to the annoyance of others. We got daggers from a couple of girls sat reading their books. Meh.

Time ticked on and there was no sign of Steff. Mel started to worry and hoped he hadn’t run into trouble whilst surfing. To be fair, he’s never normally more than an hour surfing. It’s hard work! Mel wanted to find him so we took the car and went back to the beach. We searched high and we searched low but SteffSteff had been out for over two hours. We had no choice but to head back to the hostel and hope that he was there. He wasn’t so we asked at reception if anyone had seen him. At first the receptionist had no clue but then she started waffling on about a guy waiting for a long time at reception with a surf board saying that he was looking for two girls. Ah-duh! Mel walked up the street towards the beach and was finally reunited with Steff. Phew!

It wasn’t the only stressor of the day. The Steffan Syndrome reappeared. After driving around like a maniac thinking of all the places he could have left his wallet, Steff eventually found it on the boot of the car. How the hell did it stay on there whilst he was tear-arsing around Byron Bay I don’t know! Like I said before, he’s a lucky one!

We were all famished and drained from the day that unfolded. I showered (one of the worst in Australia) and changed half-heartedly into whatever was nearest to me in my suitcase. Everyone around me was glammed up and wearing cute little dresses. I wasn’t bothered.

I’d say we hit the town but really the town hit us. It was buzzing with people of all varieties. Singers, guitar players, weed smokers, drunken idiots, hobos, dressy girls, surfer guys…and so on and so forth. It was a lot to take in. I guess there’s something for everyone in Byron Bay.

We settled on somewhere to eat then walked the streets for inspiration. The long drive here took it out on all of us and nobody was in the partying mood. I bought a cake, naturally, and Steff and Mel went into a nearby shop for a drink. Mel and I were in hysterics as Steff donned remnants of Mel’s lip gloss post-kiss. The guy at the counter looked at Steff as though he had two heads. The counter guy was a stern Aussie who looked like he would do the, “You call that a knife?” skit from Crocodile Dundee. A guy you wouldn’t want to mess with, let’s put it that way. It was refreshing not to be the butt of the joke for once. Good times.

Back at the hostel, we got chatting to a few of our roommates. Funny guys but difficult to carry a standard conversation with. Everything seemed to be about drink and weed. Because I Got High is definitely the theme tune to Nimbin,  a nearby village, as well as Byron Bay.

*****

The next day we left pretty hastily for Surfers Paradise. Money was running low and we wanted to take in as much as we could before hitting Brisbane in the hope of finding work.

Coffs Harbour 20/03/2012 3 Nights Part 3

Yesterday was a surreal day in the best possible way. Our third day in Coffs Harbour was surreal alright but nobody was smiling.

Sarah made the decision to go back to Collaroy and everyone was in shock. When I was told the news I didn’t feel anything as I knew that no matter what I said, Sarah’s decision was final. It’s a big deal to get up and leave a group mid-trip so I doubt a few nice words would have made her change her mind.

Travelling with a group of people isn’t a decision that should be taken lightly. I’ve been on trips with girls who were my friends and came across problems and drama so travelling with practical strangers is always a risk. Mel, Steff and I are like family and, despite the odd quarrel, still remain close no matter what. Sarah was a newcomer and it’s the hardest role to slot into. Sarah also had the least amount of money. Before Sarah came into the mix, I was the one with the least amount of money. My good friend Emma warned me that this could cause problems later on down the line when some people want to do activities or go to places that are out of another person’s budget range. But sometimes the unexpected can get in the way. You can be the best of friends but living or travelling together brings out the neuroses in everyone whether you like it or not. Some bond and some hate the very presence of someone. There’s not a lot you can do if you don’t get on with someone.

I’ve surprised myself with how many different types of people I can get along with. I don’t mean this in a condescending way. It’s more the fact that I usually stick with people who have similar personalities to me or are pretty laid back. This is partly to avoid conflict but also to almost guarantee that I’d get along with them. I hate time wasters, fake people, liars and two faced idiots. You’d think that people would grow out of these immature traits but you’d be surprised. The thing is, you can have similar personalities, be from the same area and know the same people but in an enclosed environment even the seemingly nice people can change. It’s almost like seeing them with fresh eyes. You can’t predict it either; it’s a risk you take. I’ve seen it happen to other people and have witnessed it myself many times.

If anything, a major change like this would be best off happening early on in the trip. Mel, Steff and I have been together (on and off) since Phuket. We may bicker, have our differences and do things that one of us doesn't agree with, but despite this, we are incredibly close. Now that Sarah has left, it’s almost like a relief as awful as that sounds. It feels like nothing else majorly disruptive can happen now. Anything negative that would occur will be tackled by all three of us collectively. In a sense, we’re stronger now. I don’t feel like I need to worry about how I’m being or how everyone else is feeling. I already know that!

With that set of philosophising aside, we still had the rest of the day. After yesterday’s antics, I was ready for a chilled out day. We couldn’t think of much else to do activity-wise in Coffs Harbour but Steff knew exactly what he wanted to do – go karting. The boy is obsessed! He went to a place in Phuket that had souped up carts and drove around like a nut case. In Australia however, it’s not as mighty but the price surely is. He paid $55 for 20 minutes. Mad.

Mel and I weren’t interested so waited by the side and tried to take photos.

...and failed. I did say try!

Steff thinks he looks like this...

When in actual fact he looked like this...

Nice gloves Steff!

I am cheeky I know! I get ribbed all the time so this is tame in comparison. I got full beam lights on me whilst going to the toilet a few days ago, this is nothing!

It looked pretty boring. I’d have to be racing someone for me to feel truly excited about driving around in wiggly circles. Steff seemed happy though so Mel and I shrugged and left.

That happiness didn’t last long. Today was the worst for The Steffan Syndrome. I coin this term as Steff is the only person I have ever met that can lose something within seconds of you handing him something. I could give him a key, a minute later I’ll ask him for it and it’s disappeared. It sounds funny, and for the most part it is, but it sure as hell creates a lot of needless stress. I know how worked up I get when I lose something. I have visions of me tearing my room apart looking for my birth certificate or driving papers. The thing is, my room is a tip so it’s not surprising that I lose things in the mountain of mess that I have. We’re bleedin’ backpackers. We don’t have that much stuff to lose and if we do, we only have two places to look. The car or the tent!

Firstly Steff lost his bank card so Mel and I had to chip together to pay for his go karting. It turns out he left it at the petrol station. Steff then lost his wallet so many times that I can’t actually remember. It was always at the time when we were about to set off and do something so everything had to be dropped to find it. Mel and I would be panicking for him as all his money and cards would be gone. Now, we just roll our eyes and sit back as Steff runs around mumbling to himself and trying to re-enact his previous movements. He is extremely lucky in a sense as I have countlessly returned his wallet and phone to him after he abandoned them. So have other people. However he has misplaced two pairs of flip flops, a hoody and a hooded cardigan. So far it has been items that are easily replaceable!

My next surprise came when we visited the mall and bought the best curry I’ve had in Australia for dinner. It was beautiful. On the way back to the camp site we stopped off at a drive-thru bottle shop. We each bought a mixed fruit cider to accompany the tasty curry. It was a perfect evening meal.

A last minute decision was made to go to the cinema out of boredom. We hadn’t been to the cinema for such a long time. Hunger Games was the only film we knew that was out. We had a couple of hours before the showing and Mel chose this time to sort through her clothes. It was yet another culling session. About 70% of Mel’s clothes are newly bought here so you can imagine how hard it was to do this. I have no idea how Mel is going to get all her stuff home! Not that I can really talk! Checking in for my flight to New Zealand is going to be interesting!

*****

As I settled down on my air bed, I started to think about the next stop. I’ve heard brilliant things about Byron Bay so I was happily dreaming of how the next day might unfold. That was until our tent got attacked by screeching bats. It was an eerie moment as one after another flew into our tent. Ok, it wasn’t an attack per se. I don’t think the bats purposefully flew into our tent, but still…weird. I’m getting to witness a wide spectrum of the natural world in Australia and I’m not sure yet whether that’s a good thing!

Coffs Harbour 20/03/2012 3 Nights Part 2

Despite the increasing need for a dose of fun, I wasn’t convinced that a place called The Big Banana would suffice. All I knew was that there was a big water slide and I didn’t feel great about forking out over $20 to go on something I’m not that keen on. I'm not a fan of water slides. I don’t like when the water goes up my nose or generally stumbling around in the water. I can’t hold my breath for that long and I panic. It’s feeble I know but that’s how I’m built.

I was going to go off and do my own thing and use this as an opportunity to get a bit of space and clear my head. Mel convinced me otherwise and showed me photos of where they were going. The largest inflatable slide in Australia you say? I’m in! It sounds like a slip and slide mark two to me. I grabbed my things and went along for the ride.

The weather was pants again. It was raining on and off so we weren’t actually sure if the place was open. The car park looked practically empty. This could be a good thing or a bad sign. Luckily everything was open and my friends wanted to go on the toboggan ride. Oh dear. Well the last time I did this I toppled over so I wasn’t exactly chomping at the bit to go through that again. It worked out to be better value for money in purchasing a combo ticket so I thought I’d give it another bash.

The first time I went round was ridiculous. I was going so slow yet convinced myself that I was going a million miles an hour. When I came out the other side in one piece I was determined to make the second time count. I didn’t brake once and went for it. I enjoyed every minute. I’m so glad I went back on again. I can now laugh at my first experience but rest in the knowledge that I can do it.

Steady now...

Cool Runnings!

I'm still on!

Next on the list was the big slide. We were all pumped and ready to tackle this monstrous creation. It. Was. Awesome. We all had our cameras with us to record the craziness. We went down forwards, backwards, spinning, posing and at one point I was thrown down by Steff. We went on the smaller slide next to it but it didn’t give us the same level of thrills as the mother slide. After a while we got a little complacent and our minds wandered to other slip and slide options around the park. We thought we’d play the fool and go on the children’s slides. Unfortunately it ended in tears…literally.

We certainly slipped and slid across the part obstacle course part bouncy castle. I regretted going in straight away. I couldn’t stand up! I was way behind the others so when I reached the top of the miniature slide, I was oblivious to the chaos that unfolded at the bottom.

Steff went down the slide no problems but realised that there was a problem. Rather than there being a cushioned bouncy landing at the end, all that was there was a small sponge cushion with carpet on top. In our excitement we missed this feature and the teeny tiny sign that says not to go on the inflatable when wet. Mel came down the slide before Steff had chance to warn her. He shouted after her and Mel panicked and pushed her arms out sideways to grab a couple of inflatable arms that protruded at the bottom. Mel’s arm got caught in one of the loops and, with the speed she was going at, snapped back as the rest of her body fell to the ground. Sarah went seconds after Mel, bounced off the sponge and rolled onto the concrete that came after it. Thankfully, despite coming down the slide like everyone else, I landed just in front of where Mel was lying. Both girls were in pain and Sarah was crying. At first I thought she was laughing as it was a bit of an odd situation – grown adults hurting themselves on a kids bouncy castle – but they turned out to be tears of agony. I didn’t know what to do and Steff was still filming on his GoPro camera!

Mel’s arm was red and throbbing. Luckily, despite the thwack to Sarah’s head, no blood was drawn. Dazed and confused, the girls sat and measured the pain they were in against the fun that could still be had from the awesome main slide. Mel was the first to join in. The three of us ran up and threw ourselves back into the game. Sarah was still feeling dizzy. Mel had me in hysterics as she slid down with her poorly arm stuck out in the hope that it wouldn’t get damaged on the way down. After the first couple of times, Mel released her inhibitions and went for it again like before. The adrenalin must have kicked in. Sarah went on once or twice but sat the rest out. Mel didn’t want to let getting hurt ruin the time spent on the legendary slide. For the majority, we were all on a high.

It's a long way up.

Smiles all round

Steff shows off.

For lunch, we went to Hungry Jacks. There are no Burger Kings here so I believe it’s just that with a different name, except I actually like Hungry Jacks! Mel announced that we should do something else as she didn’t want to come down from the natural high she was on. I agreed so we looked into what else we could do. Steff

Upon hearing that it was half price because it was so late in the day as well as getting student discount, sold it for Mel, Steff and I. Sarah decided to stay in the car. We walked around the entire place within 5 minutes. There wasn’t much to see and we just missed the dolphin and seal kisses. What a photo opportunity that would have been and a great experience. We weren’t too disappointed overall as the pools with the dolphins in had open access. We tried everything to get the dolphins to come to the side so we could pet them. Within an hour, we managed to get them to come over a couple of times. One of the trainers threw in two rugby balls to play with. I managed to grab one. The dolphin saw I had the toy and came over. I threw the ball and the dolphin caught it in his mouth. I did this repeatedly and I never grew tired of doing so.

Success!

There was one moment which made it for me and I even managed to capture it on film...

I made a new friend.

We saw the seals and little penguins but were obsessed with the dolphins. Mel asked one of the volunteers if we could book an experience that day but there was no availability, plus it was mightily expensive. Disappointed, we went back to the pools to try and make friends with the dolphins. We believed we at least got our money’s worth but pushed for more. Mel asked the volunteers how to get the dolphins to come over with no luck. There was hardly anyone around and I had a feeling we were annoying a couple of the other trainers by hanging by the pools but we didn’t care.

One guy walked past and he could see we were struggling to interact with the two dolphins in the pool. He explained that the males are a lot more stubborn but are still playful. He made a sound by clapping the side and they shot across to us. We spoke to him quite a bit about these specific dolphins and their circumstances. They were born in captivity so don’t know any different. They are fed copious amounts of fish daily and are happy. Mel cooed that he has the best job in the world and asked what you need to become a trainer. The trainer replied that firstly the person needs a degree in marine biology. Huff. Well that’s that dream dashed then!

After a while the guy left to see if there was any fish left over so we could witness a dolphin feeding. Time had passed and we were all distracted by one another and generally messing around. I turned around and saw the trainer didn’t have anything in his hands and my heart sank. He then passed the side of the pool with a bucket and I shot back exclamations of joy to Mel and Steff. In a moment of pure randomness and surrealism, the trainer walked up to us with a bucket of fish and a friend…a sea lion! Steff had previously harped on about wanting to see a sea lion up close so this was perfect for him. We couldn’t believe what was happening before our eyes.

Greg (I feel it is now appropriate to be on first name basis with this brilliant man), fed the sea lion and allowed us to take photos next to it. The sea lion saluted us, danced and rolled around right in front of us. We were speechless. Greg left and we waved goodbye to his friend. We were all a flurry with expressions of glee and excitement.

I can see you.

Aww!

If that wasn’t enough, Greg moved through to the front stage of the dolphin enclosure with plenty of fish left. The dolphins performed a few tricks for us and soaked us in the process! Mine and Mel’s cameras were down to the last dregs in battery life after all the photos and films we took. This was definitely a moment to remember.

Greg came back around and we fawned over him with appreciation and gratitude. Oh it wasn’t over folks. We each danced with the dolphins, stroked their backs, bellies and chins. Greg then asked me to stand to one side and get my camera ready. Mel and Steff stood near the dolphins. Greg counted down…one…two…three…

Well you can see the shock on Mel and Steff’s faces. We weren’t expecting that!! We couldn’t believe what had happened. People pay hundreds of dollars for experiences close to this. We felt that we truly got something unique and unbelievably brilliant.

I got a turn too.

So you think you can dance?

We were very lucky that day. It’s a luck that seems to follow Mel and Steff around. They always manage to bag freebies and extra discount on things without even trying. They are the masters of bodging and I bow down to them.

As we walked out with the hugest of grins glued to our faces, I thought about what we would say to Sarah. Obviously we were outwardly happy and couldn’t stop banging on about it but wouldn’t that be insensitive to do in front of Sarah? It was slightly awkward in the car. Sarah had fallen asleep and I asked if she was ok. Sarah groggily replied with a half smile. We told her what had happened but held back on the enthusiasm!

To round off the day, we went to the beach. Unfortunately the surf was rubbish again and Steff broke his surf board. It was a bit of a duff ending to the day but we were all still happy.

The guys went out for dinner and I stayed in to make a call to a friend back home. They brought me back chocolate cake. They know me so well! As the sugar high kicked in, so did something else. My ankle was throbbing. I propelled into the back wall of the bouncy slide awkwardly one time as I couldn’t quite turn myself round in time. My ankle crumpled in the impact. What had started off as a niggling pain, turned into a limping discomfort. By the end of the night I was in a lot of pain. Sarah kindly gave me some paracetamol tablets and they kicked in pretty quickly. What a day. What a brilliantly fantastic and awesomely tremendous day. More please!

Coffs Harbour 20/03/2012 3 Nights Part 1

My jungle adventure at Port Macquarie had come to an end and it was time to move on. Coffs Harbour was our next stop. It was another destination that was suggested to us by people back in Sydney. I was only too happy to comply as long as we stayed somewhere that didn’t involve me running around like a loon and screaming until my throat seized up.

It looked like the camping Gods were listening as the site we stayed at in Coffs Harbour was awesome. The area looked more like a beach resort than a camp site. They had a huge pool, a games room, a TV room and something called a jumping pillow. Intrigued, we questioned the receptionist about it. Although it sounded like something for kids, we had no shame. The receptionist told us we could go on it and we grinned like Cheshire cats. We sped over to our camping spot which just happened to be right next to the pillow. Imagine our disappointment when we saw a deflated pillow and diggers moving dirt when we arrived. I felt robbed.

We set up camp as usual. It’s funny as, even though it’s only days into the trip, I actually enjoy camping and would even go as far to say that I prefer it to hostels. The facilities are better and cleaner, the occupants are made up of retired couples and families more than thieving smelly backpackers and I’ve been sleeping better. The latter is more thanks to the air bed we bought. I snapped that up after the first night in Port Stephens. Sarah was reluctant but there was no way I could last on that camp mat.

A brief tour of the place certainly sealed this place as being the best so far. The games room was a blip but the camp kitchen was immense. It was indoors for starters. There was a microwave, two giant fridges, hobs and an OVEN!! I felt like lifting my top over my head and running around the room like a plane in a mad football-celebratory-gesture to sum up my excitement. Instead, we walked up to this almost alien appliance, opened the door, closed it, turned to each other with massive grins and squealed. Those around us looked at us like we just got off the special bus but I didn’t care. Bar Christmas Day, I had not used or seen an oven whilst travelling. It’s a rare sight. We planned on using this bad boy later.

Other than that, our first day wasn’t that eventful. Sarah had been in quite a bit of pain lately from a lump on her underarm. Sarah admitted defeat and needed to see the doctors. Before we could do that, she needed to register with Medicare. That took up most of the day driving around trying to find each place. It was a good job we did though as Sarah had a skin infection.

We chose to chill out for the rest of the day instead. Steff went off for a surf and us girls decided to relax by the pool. For some reason Steff and I weren’t getting on at all that day. He wasn’t his usual cheeky self. This all came to a head later when he stomped back from his surf. He wasn’t happy as the waves were rubbish. I tried to cheer him up by starting a water fight. He fought back but I took it the wrong way and stormed off like a spoilt child who didn’t get her way. Even as I was doing it, I felt ridiculous. I don’t know why I was acting out. I guess my past frustrations bubbled to the surface and decided to rear its ugly little head. I just wished they could have aired in a more graceful way!

Mel took me to one side and asked me what was wrong. I couldn’t even explain my absurdness. Mel then took me by complete surprise and suggested that we might have to part ways. We’d still drive together but do our own thing instead. Tensions were high and it’s not worth us all having a lousy time. We’ve all paid a lot of money to get here so maybe it would be the best in the long run. I tried to fight back the tears but I couldn’t. I hated the fact that I wasn’t being myself anymore. I think we all felt that way in some part. Heads have clashed needlessly and this was definitely the wake-up call we needed. Steff and I hugged things out and we all took the next day as a fresh start.

Perhaps a good hearty meal could make things better. Sarah and Steff confidently told Mel and me that they’d make potato hash. It’s a dish suggestion that Steff always throws out to Mel but it never gets made. This time we decided to give Steff the chance. Unfortunately the guys couldn’t get the hobs to work so the potatoes were hard. The mince was alright though! It was my turn to redeem the moment with dessert. With an oven, I could finally bake. Well, it wasn’t exactly baking. The kitchen was bare so, with no mixing bowl or scales, I was restricted to Betty Crocker’s pre-mixed cookie pack. I combined the ingredients and kneaded the dough. It tasted alright but not the same as my cookie mix. Into the oven they went and we all waited….and waited…and waited. The pack said 10-12 minutes but it was half an hour later and the cookies were soft. I preheated the oven so it should work ok. In the end, the cookies weren’t the soft and gooiness we expected. We tucked into chewy slightly burnt circles of sugary nightmares. I hope this doesn’t count as a blemish towards my reputation! I can bake…honest! Oh well…there’s still tomorrow…