Washed Out

For your information, sleeping in a room with 22 other people does not make for a restful night. Even though we had to get up at 7am the next day, many people talked and moved around into the early hours. I could not settle and I didn’t get much sleep.

When I eventually got off to sleep, my dreams were interrupted by ABBA. The band weren’t actually in my dream. Perhaps I should clarify, Uncle Boy’s wake-up call was ABBA music.

I got up and ate in silence. I was too zombified to even consider stringing together a coherent sentence.

Today’s activity was rafting but hardly anybody signed up for it. Thankfully one girl had already pre-booked it and another guy signed up for it as he doesn’t have to pay (because he works at a Base hostel). It meant that I wouldn’t be going it alone as it’s something that I’ve wanted to do for a while and never had the chance to do in Australia.

Everyone smelt Rotorua before we even arrived. It is commonly known as Sulphur City due to the thermal activity there.

Mud dropped us off and took the others further in to Rotorua for a village visit.

After introducing ourselves to the workers, one of the guides briefed us about what we were going to do. He raced through it comically as the sooner we were done with that, the sooner we’d be out in the water. It took a few minutes to take it all in. Numerous rapids, a one and two metre drop…and wait…how big is the waterfall? Seven-flipping-metres. Now I’m officially scared.

We were kitted out in solid gear which reassured me. A helmet to protect my noggin’ and a life jacket to ensure I don’t drown. As well as that, we wore a wet suit, booties and a waterproof jacket to keep us warm.

Up until this point I was pretty laid back about rafting. Of course I didn’t think it’d be a gentle cruise but it hit home that I’m going to get battered by water. I hate getting water in my face, what am I doing here?

You may laugh but there was a woman in the group who couldn’t swim. There is someone madder than me after all.

It took a bus ride to get to the river. Along the way, one of the guides went through some safety measures. What to do if you fall out of the raft, if the raft capsizes, if you fall out during the waterfall drop…and so on. None of it sank in so I hoped that I didn’t get thrown out as I’d have no idea what to do but scream!

When we arrived at the river, the large group was split into two groups of six and one group of four. I got to stay with the two people from the bus which was good.

Before we entered the water, we all took our positions in the raft and went through various actions. The process of what to do when the guide yells, “Hold on!”, is easy enough. The steps when he yells, “Get down!”, are slightly more awkward as you need to get yourself tucked up in the boat.

With that, we entered the water and started to paddle. Getting the right rhythm was sometimes difficult and a bit awkward. My timing was off quite a few times but the raft was moving and that’s what counts!

The rapids were easy to tackle and the first two drops were thrilling more than terrifying but I knew what was coming.

We had enough notice until the waterfall drop but I was so slow lowering myself into the raft that I got bashed around by the water. We didn’t capsize and I didn’t fall out so there was nothing to worry about.

I grew a bit more confident now that I knew the big drop was out of the way. Our guide asked if anyone wanted to go for a swim. Jonny (from the bus), an American guy and I all jumped in. The water was freezing and the current started to pull me away. We swam back to the raft and the guide told us to hold on…ok…

Argh! The raft went into a rapid and I got thrown around, again! I fell for that one hook, line and sinker. Deary me, I’m so gullible. At least I wasn’t the only one who went in so I didn’t feel like too much of a wally.

Whilst we paddled around the course, a guy was taking photographs to buy at the end. There were a series of stops to pose.

At one point, the guide told me to get in the front of the raft. Although I knew something was going to happen, I was game. We came up to another rapid and he steered the raft straight into it so I was submerged and generally battered with water.

Surprisingly, I was smiling in all the photos so I must have loved the water really. It was great fun and not as scary as I thought it was going to be. Between the drops the rapids were quite tame so I wasn’t consistently terrified that I was going to fall out of the raft.

When we got back, I found out that there was only one person who fell out of the raft. Can you guess who it was? Yep, the woman who couldn’t swim.

Back at reception, we got changed and went to look at our photos. I was happy that the only parts of me that were wet were my hair and my feet. The wet suit did a good job!



I decided to hop-off at Rotorua and spend two nights there. I want to do a sky dive at the next stop in Taupo but I didn’t want to do it the same day. Rafting is enough excitement for me in one day. I have five weeks to spread out my activities and I’m in no rush.

Unfortunately, I probably won’t see anyone on that bus again as they’re on shorter timescales than me. I did make loose plans with Jonny to meet up the next day in Rotorua as he was driving back up from Taupo with a friend. However, I had no phone and he had no internet. I took his details and tried to call him later using the payphone. I put in $2 but that only gave me around 30 seconds. It wasn’t enough to make definite plans.

In a last ditch attempt, I sent a message on Facebook. It’d be nice to meet up with people and do something fun in Rotorua. They have zorbing and luging here which would be awesome to do.

I checked in and rested for what was left of my day. The past couple of days had been so hectic so I was fine with doing absolutely nothing.

Later on I met my dorm roommates. One girl, Catlin, looked around my age and gave me a bit of information on what there is to do which was really useful. We ventured out later on to visit the night markets which are open every Thursday evening.

I’ve been to many markets before so I was really looking forward to it. Even though the leaflet said the markets were open between 5pm and 9pm, at 7:30pm, it was dead. There were hardly any stalls and some that were there had started to pack up. There weren’t that many people there so perhaps this week was a bad time to visit.

I spent the rest of the evening writing and thinking about what I’d do the following day.

*****

It had been a few days since I’d had a decent night’s sleep so I thought that I deserved a lie in.

I’d not heard anything from Jonny. I managed to meet Maluen in Kyoto with no phone or internet so I didn’t write it off completely. I checked online and at reception to see if a message had been left but there was nothing.

It wasn’t to be so I decided to go for a walk. I didn’t fancy doing the activities I mentioned before on my own. It’s something that would be fun to do as a group but not something that I’m so keen to do, that I’d go it alone.

Rotorua has enough beauty to keep me occupied so I wasn’t disappointed. I walked the streets to seek out something to eat. I grabbed some food from a café and started to make my way across to the thermal area.

Along the way, I stopped off at the library and found this stunning doll house.

 I want one!

Over the next couple of hours I’d seen and smelt enough of Rotorua for the day. The sun was shining again and I had to take my scarf and jacket off because I was too hot. I knew I had to enjoy that moment as the south island will be the complete opposite!

 A beautiful day.

 This does not help me!

 Phew, it's a bit hot around here.

A lovely viewpoint.

There are plenty of things to do in Rotorua. I didn’t visit Whakarewarewa - The Thermal Village as I’d already engaged in the Maori culture in Maketu. I didn’t visit the thermal pools either as I think I’ll be going there on Saturday when I hop back on the bus. Both of those were a bus ride away and I was happy to relax and take a break. It’s nice to have some time alone.

I’ve enjoyed my time in Rotorua. My next stop is Taupo for the sky dive. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. I’m petrified, excited and nauseous! Wish me luck!

Kia Ora Uncle Boy!

Our journey continued forward from Waitomo Caves to Maketu where we were staying for the night.

Rather than spending the night in a hostel, everyone on the bus signed up for a cultural night in marae accommodation (tribal meeting place). I was really interested in witnessing and experiencing the Maori culture.

On the bus across to Maketu, Mud recounted the words of the haka. It’s not something I would ever be able to remember but repeating back after each sentence was easy enough.

Mud added that our host will expect a hearty welcome from the bus. This meant shouting, “Kia Ora (welcome) Uncle Boy,” at the top of our voices. We had a little practice as there was plenty of time to burn.

The bus was ready in waiting as we pulled up to our accommodation. Mud went in to let our hosts know that we had arrived. We greeted Uncle Boy who smiled his appreciation in return.

We were ushered in and shown around. Everyone crowded around the tea and coffee facilities to ward off the cold.

Before the night’s events unfolded, Uncle Boy briefed us on what to expect and the etiquette that’s involved in this. He was very honest and to the point about what would happen if we conducted ourselves incorrectly. It is understandable that we are there as guests and that the tribe’s traditions should be acknowledged.

Uncle Boy tells it like it is.

Once the formalities were out of the way, it was dinner time. Uncle Boy had prepared a hangi meal (buffet) for us. There was plenty of food to go around despite our large group of 23. There was lamb and chicken with stuffing and mint sauce as accompaniments. Fish was another option too and potatoes, peas, pumpkin and salad were also laid out for us.

Even though I was at the back of the room, I managed to be the first one up. People were queuing up by the salad bowls but I went straight for the meat.

The food was top notch and I made sure I complimented Uncle Boy on the exquisite lamb. Everything was cooked to perfection and I went back for seconds. I didn’t fill my plate up too much as there was dessert in the form of pavlova. I was full and happy.

For the next couple of hours we had time to let our food settle and relax. In the meantime, Uncle Boy introduced us to a local Maori tattoo artist who was available for consultations.

I’ve been thinking about getting another tattoo for a few years now but had no idea what to get. I wanted something really meaningful. This trip has definitely been an experience I want to remember and cherish so a tattoo relating to this part of my life would be perfect.

As I’ve been travelling I keep running ideas through my brain but nothing seems to stick. The Maori concept of tattooing is exactly what I’ve been wanting. Each tattoo is made up of a combination of meanings relating to your life. You can include elements to represent your family, struggle, pain, strength, money…anything! Once you’ve set the tone for the piece and describe what you want, the tattoo artist asks a series of questions to truly gauge your mind-set. From this, they design a tattoo. What’s more, gaps are included so you’re able to add to the piece as time goes by.

It ticked all the boxes for me and it’s something that I’d keep in mind for the future. As my time in New Zealand is so active and erratic, getting a tattoo might impede on this.

The time had come for the welcome ceremony. The oldest male member of our group, Rob (American), was automatically selected to be the chief of our tribe. To us, he was no longer Rob, but Chief, and we had to follow his rulings. We were lucky in that we had a kind Chief who did not order people around or demand  things from us. It’s a lot of power to have but it didn’t go to his head.

Our task during the ceremony was to make sure that we didn’t laugh or smile at any point during the ceremony as it’s deemed as offensive.

We all walked through to the meeting room. Our Chief stepped forward and waited. Two male tribal members did everything they could to intimidate our Chief. They spun their spears, hissed, whooped and contorted their faces. Our Chief faired very well and a token was produced in the form of a leaf. If our Chief stepped on it, over it or ignored it we would be in big trouble as this is a major insult against our tribal hosts. Thankfully our Chief accepted the token and the ceremony ended.

 

I would not want to mess with these guys! 

After our Chief accepted the token, the tribe ended the ceremony with a song and dance.

To confirm that one tribe had accepted the other, each of us went round and traditionally greeted everyone. The hongi involved shaking the other person’s hand and leaning into each other until our noses touched.

Getting up, close and personal with everyone in the room.

We all sat to the side whilst the tribe performed a series of songs for us. Towards the end, the girls performed using poi and the guys performed the haka. The latter was very intense, the result being scratch marks and reddening of the skin on their chests and thighs.

It was our turn next! The girls learnt the poi and the guys trained for the haka. Once we sort of knew it, we performed in front of each other.

 

What the guys had to learn for the haka.

 

What the girls had to learn.

Despite our large group, everyone got involved which was great. It made me lose my inhibitions and I wasn’t nervous at all about the performance.

During our practice session, one of the girls teaching us asked everyone to scream one at a time. I certainly wasn’t the loudest but I made sure I gave it my all. It didn’t seem to serve much purpose at the time and we moved on to learning the lyrics and dance.

It was surprisingly difficult shaking your hips to the beat, singing and waving a string with a ball on the end of it. The tune was easy enough to learn as it was the same as the classic song My Guy.

Before we performed, the two people with the loudest screams were told that they would be leading the tribe in the performance. They had to shout – “Ki te poi!” – as loudly as they could. One of the girls backed out as she didn’t like being put on the spot. Everyone looked around at each other and nobody would step forward. I wondered what the big deal was but waited to see if anyone else wanted to lead. There wasn’t so I volunteered.

I donned a tribal dress and shouted on cue. After a few practices we were ready…well sort of!

The guys performed the haka first which was hilarious. I didn’t laugh too hard as it was my turn next.

We performed our song twice – once with me at the front and the other with the second girl leading. Everyone felt ridiculous but because we were all in the same boat, it was a good laugh.

I had to dress for the occasion.

 

Leader of the pack.

The night was rounded off with a final performance from our teachers followed by group photos.

 Strike a pose...

This was us trying to be all scary-like and intimidating. Hmm.

We set up our beds in the main room - a simple mattress on the floor – and the group split off to do various things.

As there were only two showers, I gave that one up for the night and chatted away in the cafeteria. The unavoidable subject of careers came up again. It’s the moment where I get all embarrassed and shrug my shoulders when I say that I have no idea what I want to do or where my life is heading. People are always encouraging but I never feel better about myself afterwards.

In a perfect world, I’d end my travels and become a published writer but, to me, it feels like I’m saying I want to fly or be the Queen for the day. It’s not something that I see as feasibly possible.

At least it’s not something that I need to worry about too much right now. I have plenty of activities to keep me occupied in New Zealand and two more countries to visit. The adventure continues…

Light At The End Of The Tunnel

It’s funny the things we take for granted. Something that you have access to on a daily basis without fail can make you feel lost and disorientated once taken away. Since travelling, I keep adding items to a building mental list. At the top are the obvious things – family, friends and my hometown. As time drifts by, the list meanders into the minor and unexpected which, for me, are food orientated (what I wouldn’t do for a Yorkshire pudding right now!).

Today was another reminder that I have taken my bed, specifically my duvet, for granted. A sleeping bag is not the same. Nothing can ever replace that feeling you get when you loll in your own bed enveloped in a giant duvet. A perfect moment can be had when you wake up and realise you have an hour before your alarm goes off. I stretch out in sweet bliss and starfish. I envelope myself in my duvet once again and snooze until the inevitable alarm goes off.

In comparison to my life since travelling, I rarely get a duvet and if I do, it’s stale, stained and sometimes hairy. Imagine my relief when the lodge in Raglan had a soft fresh smelling duvet to settle under. It made it all the more harder to leave in the morning. It was only one night of salvation but an appreciated one nonetheless.

As the other girls in my room scurried around getting ready, I kept putting off my duvet departure. It was to my own detriment in the end. I had an extra half an hour of warmth whilst everyone else tucked into bacon sandwiches for breakfast. I had to settle for a solitary banana I bought the day before.

There were no breakfast stops as we headed straight to Waitomo Caves. In hindsight I wish I stocked up the day before as I certainly needed it for the activity I booked through Stray.

We had a wide range of choices that involved getting wet or staying dry. The majority of the bus opted for the TumuTumu Toobing which, as the title indicates, mainly involved rafting on a giant tyre through the caves. Others opted for a drier option that involved walking through the caves and a glow worm tour from the safety of a large inflatable raft. I wanted something a bit more challenging and went for the Haggas Honking Holes. The leaflet did say, “Waitomo’s most concentrated action adventure.” Sign me up!

The plan was to go all Indiana Jones, abseiling down waterfalls and rock climbing. Those responsible for making sure I didn’t do anything ridiculous were the lovely Dean and Allan.

A small group of us were taken out to a remote spot in the countryside to get kitted out for the cave trip. Wet suit, check. Helmet, check. Boots, check. Belt thingy, check. Looking like a complete loon?

I’ll let you decide!

The wetsuit felt like a second skin it clung to me that tightly. A slightly saggier second skin that restricted my movement that is. It took me a short while to get used to moving around in all the gear.

Ready to go!

I had a sudden rush of excitement as we all ventured out to tackle Waitomo Caves. Before we were let loose, there were a few safety measures and practice runs to go through. Dean stayed back with us to do this whilst Allan went off to the first cave in preparation.

Although I wasn’t the only one who had never abseiled before, I certainly was the class clown. I was all fingers and thumbs. Everyone else picked it up easily. I hoped it was just nerves behind the fact that I kept forgetting everything Dean had explained to us.

By this point, we were all introduced and relaxed around each other. Our group included Eleanor (New Zealander), Daniel (Swiss), Tam (Swiss), Jordan (Scot) and I was unfortunately left to represent the UK. Sorry!

As we walked down to the cave, I was eager to get going but nervous that I was going to faceplant the cave walls.

Our first abseil was almost instantaneous so I had to leave my qualms behind pretty sharpish. One good thing about the drop was that it was too dark to see how far down it was.

I was very shaky to begin with and the initial leap off the edge was scary. Not being able to see too much around you and leaping into nothing with only a thin piece of rope supporting you was perplexing to the system. My heart was pounding hard whilst my brain was going into panic mode. My balance was nowhere to be found but after a minute or so I got into the swing of things (sorry I couldn’t help myself).

Reaching the bottom was an achievement for me. I was relieved and elated. I couldn’t wipe the stupid grin off of my face, I felt fantastic. I wanted more!

As I was the first person down, I had a chance to look around the caves and spot the glow worms. I switched off my helmet light and watched as the dark cave walls were painted in tiny flecks of luminous green.

After the last person dropped down, we went on to tackle three abseils down waterfalls.

Looking up is much better than looking down.

Once they were completed, we ventured deeper and further through the caves, crouching and crawling our way down. Now was definitely not the time to be coy. I threw myself into everything with gusto.

Sometime into the trail, we took a short refuge underneath a long stretch of glow worms. Allan went into more detail about the life of a glow worm and it’s not as glamorous as the pretty shiny lights make out.

Further on we saw oysters within the rocks. It was great how informative the tour was despite the active setting. Both guys certainly knew their stuff and everything ran smoothly. It was almost like a military operation in a sense. After we left one guide there’d be another at the next point. How did he get there? It meant that there was never anything holding us up and there was always someone around to help if you needed it. I think Allan might have regretted that decision as I fell onto his lap at one point. Whoops.

Despite my debilitating pace (I was running on empty remember!) none of the group nor the guides grew impatient with me. I wasn’t patronised or laughed at, even when I did keep forgetting how to turn my head torch on and off! I had a fantastic time. I enjoyed every bit.

I was never macho enough to be Indiana unfortunately. I squealed like a little girl when I was dropped down a dark hole. I was attached to a rope and Allan was at the bottom to ensure my safe landing. I had to tuck in my legs, head and arms it was that narrow! I knew the drop was coming but there was no countdown or anything. It was steeper than I thought! I can laugh about it all now though.

In an attempt to man-up, I later tried to tackle a difficult wall climb. I crawled through to a spot where you could use a ladder or rock climb. It was my job to make sure that everyone was clipped in securely and to shout up “climb” or “ladder” to Allan at the top. I’m not sure what made Dean pick me out of everyone...ahem.

Eleanor went up the ladder and the guys climbed. It looked really tricky but I gave it a go. It was so slippy and it was difficult to see where to put my feet. Water was tumbling down and filling my boots making it harder and harder to lift myself. My legs felt like lead weights pulling me down. Dean climbed up the ladder and spurred me on but I had no energy left and my legs were shaking with the strain. In the end I had to climb the ladder.

Although bitterly disappointed, I was rewarded with a glass of juice and a Freddo (chocolate frog) at the end of it so I felt a bit better.

We were almost near the end now. It was just a case of crawling…a lot and clambering over larger rocks to reach the top again.

Getting down and dirty!

As I stumbled into daylight I got a waft of stale water and sweat – a sign that I’d worked hard and needed a shower. Thankfully there were showers at the site so I didn’t have to get back on the bus all grimy.

Dean and Allan made excellent guides. They were helpful, friendly and informative throughout. They made everything so easy that anyone can do it, although I would recommend that you have a hearty breakfast before doing so!

Thank you Dean and Allan for one of the best experiences of my travels so far.

Anyone Up For Some Fush And Chups?

Eurrrgh-thump was the sound I made when I got up at 6am. I forgot what time I was meant to be picked up so I made sure I gave myself enough time to get my things together and leave.

It turned out I was an hour early so I took refuge in the hostel kitchen and had a little nap. I didn’t get much sleep last night as there was an epic snorer in my room. I had my shuffle on full blast and I could still hear him. It wasn’t the most dulcet of tones to drift off to.

I checked out shortly before my pick-up was due and waited with a few others. Before I had chance to introduce myself, I was accosted by an overly-chirpy local. He asked where I was from. As soon as he heard that I was from England he did not stop talking to me for 15 minutes. It was impressive how he barely came up for breath. He mentioned the Chelsea match, David Cameron, the royal family, travelling, and then I sort of zoned out a little bit. Despite hardly saying anything, the guy proceeded to tell me I had a lovely personality and welcomed me to New Zealand.

As soon as he left, the bus arrived. The driver loaded our bags into the trailer attached. I was first and became embarrassed when I struggled to lift my bag up. I turned around and saw someone with a suitcase that was twice the size of mine. I felt a bit better about myself.

We made a couple more stops to pick up people and we were ready to go. At the last stop, a fellow passenger and I eyed up the bakery across the road. I drooled at the thought of a hot bacon and egg sandwich and a pastry. We were both tempted to dash across and get something as neither of us had eaten anything for breakfast but the fear of being left behind or holding everyone up prevented us from making our move. The driver took a lot longer than usual and we could have had time if we were stealthy enough.

With everyone on board, the driver introduced himself as Oscar (AKA Mud). Mud didn’t get off to the greatest of starts as the bus became stuck down a cul-de-sac. One poor passenger got out to help push the trailer back and hold on to it whilst Mud pulled the car around. Oops.

Slightly red-faced, Mud made a pit-stop along the way for breakfast. I had to settle for a McDonald's. I hoped it would be the first and last time I visited one in New Zealand…unless it was the only place to get free wifi. It’s not good for my arteries or my increasing waistline!

Saying that, Mud proposed we all chip in $5 and get some fish and chips for dinner. In his native accent it came out as fush and chups. He kept repeating it to the amusement of others. My taste buds tingled and I wanted that meal right away. Healthy eating will have to wait until I have more money.

After the cul-de-sac incident, it seemed that Mud's day was about to get worse. As we travelled onward from McDonald's, a few cars beeped their horns at us. I thought there might be something wrong with the trailer dipping into the other lane. A fourth car honked their horn and the front seat passenger shouted that we’d lost luggage out of the trailer. Oh dear!

Well I knew straight away that it couldn’t be mine as it weighs enough to pin most peoples’ bags in, never mind making a leap for freedom.

Mud pulled up at the side of the road dumbstruck. A truck pulled up in front of us and the driver got out and spoke to Mud. In a massive stroke of luck, another car pulled over and unloaded two bags which had fallen out of the trailer. That was an incredibly nice gesture and a dangerous one too. In the UK you’d have traffic cones and lane diversions round that thing!

It turned out the bags belonged to the same girl who got out and helped move the trailer. What a surreal day.

A few nervous passengers asked if they could check their luggage. At first Mud was quite laid back about it and said he couldn’t see any bags missing. The cogs ticked over a little and he probably realised what might happen if there were more bags missing. After a thorough check, everything was in order and we were back on the road.

We took a slight detour to the Stray office in Auckland for a briefing about how the pass works. I picked up a couple of bits of information and a massive pack of coupons which I’ll probably never use but it still makes me feel a bit better having them there just in case.

The team kept it brief and we were back on the road to our first stop – Raglan - within minutes. I got so wrapped up in figuring out dates and bus ticket bookings that I actually forgot what we were meant to be doing in Raglan.

Activity sheets were passed around for that day and the next day (Waitomo Caves). As Raglan is an excellent place to surf, a surfing lesson was the main activity for the day. There was nothing else scheduled. I didn’t fancy it as I had a couple of goes in Australia. Although the sun was shining it was still pretty cold. So basically I wimped out.

In an effort to feel all active and productive, I put my name down for an action packed trip at the Waitomo Caves. It was an Indiana Jones-style adventure full of rock climbing and abseiling. I already have experience in the Temple of Doom at Port Macquarie so this can be another notch in my Indiana belt.

The lodge we booked into for the night was very picturesque with it being located right within New Zealand bushland. At least here, the only thing that will be grabbing my attention at night is a glow worm. No venomous spiders, snakes or dingoes to dodge tonight! 

View from outside my room

I checked in and lugged my suitcase up to the second tier of lodges. The rooms are spacious and only hold four beds which is a welcome break from the traditional 6+ that I’ve been used to in Australia (or a tent!).

It was such a beautiful day. After I dumped my stuff, I joined my roommates Liz, Gemma and Sarah in walking up to the viewpoint. Inspiration Point to be exact.

Hooray, there's sunshine in NZ still!

S to the T to the R to the A to the Y

We still had a couple of hours to burn whilst the others surfed. We decided to head to the beach to see them. Although we didn’t see surfers from our group, there were plenty of others out to admire. The swell looked awesome and surfers were tackling waves and staying on for ages!

The beach was made up of large rocks with small pebbled areas interspersed at random points. We sat down and soaked up the sun while we still could. The further south we head, the colder it gets.

There was still a while until we were due to get food but there wasn’t much else to do. We headed back.

Back at the room, Gemma noticed that there were dirt marks on her sheets. I’m not sure how they got there seen as Gemma was on the top bunk. Moments later, Sarah picked up a loaf of bread that had fallen out of their food bag. Puzzled, she turned to Liz and asked if she’d had any of the bread. We soon realised that we’d had a little visitor whilst we were out. I instantly thought it was a possum after my past experiences in Australia. It turns out a fat cat had stealthily broke into our room and had a feast. Very random.

*****

The time had arrived for fush and chups! Mud was asleep on the couch and didn’t look like he was moving any time soon. But I’m not a person to be messed with when I’m tired or hungry. I was both.

Everything became very confused and nobody really knew what was going on. Mud said earlier that he’d call ahead and pre-order the food but that hadn’t happened. We handed our money over and ten minutes later Mud came back in asking who of us had paid. Oh dear.

A group of us decided to stay back and wait for our food to arrive. Over an hour later and I was feeling sick with hunger.

The food was good but because I’d not eaten in so long, I didn’t feel too great afterwards. There wasn’t enough to feed everyone unfortunately. Some of the wiser travellers bought separate meals and had a good feed. Damn my laziness.

Once food was devoured we went out in search of the ping pong table. Along the way we saw glow worms in the bush. They lit up the way but we still didn’t know where we were going. Eventually we found the table in a warehouse. There were also sofas, music speakers and a fussball table. Awesome. What wasn't awesome were the spiders. One guy thought it would be wise to prod a massive hairy spider with a golf club. I made a swift exit soon after!

Regardless of the spiders, it was a nice way to wind down the evening. I went to the TV room and saw the back end of Dirty Dancing. This day has been full of surprises. It makes me wonder what else New Zealand has in store for me.

The Loneliest Number

Saying goodbye to Mel and Steff was gut-wrenching. Up until I got to the bus stop I was absolutely fine. I know I’ll see them again and we’ll stay in touch. We had a laugh and a joke about what I was wearing. I look like a jumble sale as I hardly have any winter clothes. Colour coordination is out the window to be replaced by comfort and warmth.

The bus pulled up and Steff helped me load my bag. We looked at each other in silence. What do you say to the friends that have been everything to you for almost seven months?

Steff was the first to speak. I can’t remember what he said but I started welling up. I hugged him and then tears started rolling down my cheeks. I moved on to Mel who too started crying. We hugged and started blubbering. I didn’t say much of anything really. I was in shock that the time had finally come for me to leave, It never felt like it was going to happen.

I waved out of the window and started to sob slightly. I managed to compose myself by the time I arrived at Proserpine airport. I checked in and was pulled to one side by an elderly security guard. He wanted to check my clothing and bags to see if there were any explosive materials on me. He brushed a ball attached to a stick within my bag and on my jacket and boots. All clear…obviously!

I sat in the departure lounge and a nice old lady started talking to me. She was from New Zealand and invited me to stay with her. I wasn’t really sure what to say so we brushed past the subject. She doesn’t live near where I’m heading anyway. It was very nice of her to offer and normally I’d jump at the chance of couchsurfing but I needed to be in Auckland to catch my bus and there were too many things to think about. Like I said, I want an easy life in New Zealand.

*****

I landed in Brisbane around an hour and a half later. I thought I’d have a few hours to burn at the airport but I didn’t. Everything was a bit rushed as I tried to use up all my internet, eat and call my mum for the last time. I managed all but the former. I had 2GB to burn and I thought I’d be able to download something or watch something but I simply had no time. I wish I gave my dongle to Mel and Steff now as there’s no other time I can use it.

I spoke to my mum for around half an hour but it felt like two minutes. I tried to say as much as I could but my mind went blank and I couldn’t think what to say. I had to go through immigration before I reached the departure lounge so I said goodbye.

Once I got through, the boarding time had changed and I had another 20 minutes! That annoyed me so I cheered myself up by buying some Tim Tams for old time’s sake. I had some loose change that needed spending so I didn’t mind paying extra.

Before I made it through, I had another bomb check. Maybe somebody’s been tapping into my blog thinking I’m going to bomb a load of Aussies. Sheesh.

I made it in time for my flight and watched J.Edgar. I wasn’t really sure what film to watch so I opted for that as I heard good things. There weren’t any decent comedies or anything light hearted that I wanted to watch. Leonardo was on top form again.

When I got off the plane, my whole body shook as the cold hit me. Damn. I got changed into something that was meant to help me keep warm but it didn’t work. The plane landed at midnight and I was going nowhere. I decided to sleep at the airport for a few hours and then make my way across to the hostel.

It didn’t quite work out that way as the airport was incredibly loud and cold. There were people everywhere. I was surprisingly wide awake when it came to leaving the airport. I purchased a bus ticket and waited a few minutes for it to arrive. The ticket attendant said that the bus driver announces each stop so I don’t have to worry about not having a clue where I’m going. Perfect.

It didn’t work out that way as the bus driver didn’t announce the stop. I got off two stops late and had an arse of a walk, in the rain, uphill. Rubbish.

Reception was open so I checked in. Sometimes I can be lucky and am able to access my room early, but not today. I put my luggage in storage and went to the common room. I tried to stay awake but I couldn’t fight it any longer. I slept for a few hours and then went out for a wander.

I visited the library as they have free wifi. Once I was finished there I stumbled upon an amazing pancake stand. I had a cinnamon and sugar pancake and it was exquisite. It was to be the best pancake I’ve ever eaten. If I could have had a scoop of vanilla ice cream with that I’d be in heaven. Yum! So if you’re ever in Auckland, get a pancake from No1 Pancake.

Back at the hostel I met my first dorm roommate. Yamato is from Japan. Imagine my elation at that fact. We spoke for a couple of hours about our travel experiences. He’s been to my hometown, York, which was lovely to hear. Another roommate came in and, after a brief chat, we decided to go out for food together. Christina is a New Zealander so knew exactly where to go.

We had Lebanese wraps and chips accompanied by a hot sweet tea. They also had shisha there which provided another reminder of Mel and Steff (Reggae Bar, Kuala Lumpur).

The portions weren’t big enough to satisfy Yamato and I but Christina enjoyed it. It was here that she told us all about her religious beliefs and I wasn’t quite sure where to look. Yamato too was silent. Christina was a lovely lady though and really friendly.

*****

I slept in until late in an attempt to catch up on sleep. I was so cosy and snuggly in my duvet that I didn’t want to get up. During the night I was woken up by someone jumping on my top bunk. I cursed Steffan. In the morning I woke up to see if Mel was awake. I always do this as I never wake up until Mel does. I want to have someone to talk to. Plus it means we’re not going anywhere so I may as well get the extra sleep!

Obviously moments later I twigged that I wasn’t with Mel and Steff anymore. It’s like that disorientating feeling you get when you wake up in unfamiliar surroundings. You think you’re in your own bed but you’re not.

Anyway, after admitting defeat I got up, showered and went out for another walk. This time I went all the way up to the wharf.

I stopped off at the library briefly and then on to a café for lunch.

I had a sandwich too!

Auckland has a lot of shops but thankfully they were closed. I don’t need the temptation. It was a Sunday, just in case you wondered what time I eventually got out of bed.

I walked along the wharf, chasing the sunset. Auckland isn’t that much of a built up city. Bright lights beam down from a few tall sky scrapers and the Sky Tower but everywhere else darkens. I can understand why people told me to leave Auckland straight away as there isn’t much to see (in terms of beauty) but I still had fun.

There is a long list of things to do in Auckland but I didn’t really do any of them. I caught up with my blog and then was ill on my last day. For some reason, I always get ill during my first week of visiting a country. Hopefully it won’t last and my trip will act as a distraction. I have an early morning ahead of me. There won’t be any more lie-ins for me now.

The Longest Goodbye

I’ve been ready to leave Australia for a long time. It’s felt like the longest six months of my life. For the majority of people, Australia is the best place on earth. The hot weather, the beaches, easy money with plenty of ways to spend it – what’s not to like? The thing is I didn’t really experience much of the Australian dream. It rained a heck of a lot and I only tanned on one of my last days in Australia (Castaway). I did see a lot of the beaches and they are great but I’ve seen better for a fraction of the price in Thailand. The money didn’t really roll in for me so the less we talk about that then the better and the fact that I didn’t get it meant that the long list of things to do in Oz may as well have not existed for me.

I don’t want to come across as bitter as I was never expecting my full 12 months travelling to be 100% euphoria. What does annoy me is that everyone seems to bum Australia and when I tell them that I didn’t really feel it then I get shit for it.

But now I’m free and I don’t have to work anymore I can talk about happier subjects like my impending travels in New Zealand and Fiji.

For New Zealand, I decided to buy a hop-on-hop-off bus ticket. I was originally going to book separate tickets with intercity and see what happens but I want the easy life. After fretting over money and stressing about not being able to do anything in Oz, I’d rather just sit back and let someone else take the reins. I’ll go wherever the bus takes me and figure it out from there.

Out of the main bus operators, I chose Stray. I’d heard that Kiwi Experience is a bit of a party bus and I think I’ve had my dose of that in Thailand and Oz. One of my friends has used Stray and had nothing but good things to say about it so I’m going for that. If it all goes tits-up then I can blame him!

I managed to get a good discount off the Moe Pass as they were having a massive sale. I booked and paid online for the pass. Once I did this, I received a confirmation email and a further message gave me login details. Like any other bus journey, I need to book a seat on each one. I’ve decided to go ahead and book all of them now. Although five weeks sounds like a long time, it isn’t when you see how many places there are to visit and what you can do/see.

Here are the places I'm looking to visit:

Auckland
Raglan
Waitomo
Maketu
Rotorua
Taupo
National Park
Whakahoro
Wellington
Picton
Nelson
Abel Tasman
Punakaiki
Franz Josef
Wanaka
Queenstown
Gunns Camp
Milford Sound
Invercargill
Stewart Island
Mount Cook
Rangitata
Christchurch

So just a few places...

The website was pretty self-explanatory. I used the proposed itinerary on their website to make sure that I had the correct route. At one point I did lose my login details, but the website has an online chat application which allows you to speak to a representative straight away. I must have called at a bad time as there was nobody available. I left a message and received an email within the hour. I was shocked as normally you have to wait around 48 hours at least for a response. After all the aggravation I had with STA and Peter Pans, it was about time I finally picked a good operator!

As for Fiji, I have everything sorted now. For my first week, I will be staying with a Fijian family which I’m really looking forward to. I’ll then spend my final days island hopping with my Awesome Fiji pass. It includes everything – boat pass, accommodation, food and activities. It should be bloody brilliant!

America is still a little hazy but I should be confirming the details whilst I’m in New Zealand. I miscalculated my time there and I have an empty week. I’m tempted to nip across to Canada. I’ve met so many friendly people from there. The first person to help me in Japan was Canadian. I’m thinking Toronto so I can use it as a base to see Niagara Falls too. This might all change though!

Another possibility on the horizon is to return to Australia and finish off my visa. I know it totally contradicts everything that I’ve been talking about for the past six months but I know I’ll earn more money there than I would back home. I’d also find a job sooner in Oz. I think I need that extra time to figure out where my life is heading next. I’ve been thinking a lot about my future lately as I’ve had too much time on my hands! It’s too soon to tell what I’ll do after my trip ends so going back to Australia can be a safety net for that.

Airlie Beach And The Clipper Boat Trip

Driving long distances is never fun, but driving whilst sleep deprived in the soaring heat is just plain tortuous.

Steff drove for around an hour and couldn’t stand the heat. Mel felt sick so I took over. We stopped once or twice for fuel and a drink. Six hours had passed and I’d barely noticed. I felt like I was in a trance. My body was doing the necessary jobs in keeping the car moving but my mind was on auto pilot. I just wanted to get there and nose-dive into the nearest bed.

As the sun set I grew a little apprehensive. Remembering what it was like last time I drove in the dark, I tried to be a bit more alert. I drove past several abrupt signs – If You Are Tired You Will Die. Every 500m I was haunted by the message of death on the roads. I felt ok though. Mel and Steff drifted in and out of sleep so I decided to carry on.

There were a lot of trucks and trailers on the road that night. It was frustrating driving 80kph in a 100-110kph zone. I confidently overtook most of them but there was one truck that night that I just couldn’t pass. I tried a couple of times but the car was too heavy so I could barely accelerate in the space given.

Next time, I knew I was going to get it so I increased my speed and looked out in front. There were no cars so I went for it. What I didn’t anticipate was a sharp corner and Mel sprang up in shock. I thought I could make it originally but now I knew I couldn’t so I slowed down. In a matter of seconds a cars headlights shone into our car. I was still in the opposite lane and a car was heading straight for us. Mel yelped and cowered, Steff shouted, and I sat in silence.

A strange calmness took over. Rather than panic and swerve, cover my eyes and pray or another knee-jerk reaction, I just calmly manoeuvred the car into the middle of the road. The truck moved to the left slightly and the car on the other side of the road moved across too giving me enough room to travel through. I slowed down and moved back into the correct lane. Nobody beeped their horn (I hate that noise) and I just kept saying sorry to Mel and Steff who were petrified by what just happened. We were literally inches from death. A head on smash would have been fatal and we were incredibly close. I felt terrible, not for my close call with death, but the fact that I put Mel and Steff through that and that I almost did kill them!

I carried on driving, wondering why I was so calm in the face of death. Is that normal? It’s a reaction that saved us all. Mel and Steff were surprisingly supportive. I thought they’d kick me out of the car and give me shit. Five minutes later and we were laughing and joking about something. We’d swapped drivers and I was in the back resting. We started talking about the future and Mel got all sentimental and said some nice things about me.

The last hour and a half of the trip felt like treble that amount of time. The hostel which we booked at was at the bottom of the street so we didn’t waste time looking for it.

We parked up the car and made our way to reception which was on the opposite side of the grounds. Tiredness really hit me then and I wasn’t up for being messed around. I just wanted to check in and go to bed.

Reception closed at 9pm and we arrived at 9:40pm. Great. Nobody had any credit to call the night officer so I asked the bouncer across the street if he could help. He radioed somebody to come across and check us in.

It had been 15 minutes and nobody had come across. My patience was wearing thin. I went back to the bouncer and he radioed through again. A few minutes later a guy turned up to check us in.

As I filled in the form two words made me want to vomit. Passport number. I only brought my purse with me to pay. Everything else was back at the car. I asked if I could hand in the information tomorrow but he said that he can’t check us in until everything is filled out. Bullshit. We also needed to give $20 cash deposit for the key. That I did have.

I walked back to the car to get my passport. Steff asked me to get his as well. Mine was within easy reach. Steff’s however was a pain in the arse to get. I needed to shift the heavily strapped in surf board on the roof, open the boot, life his suitcase out and rummage around. Eventually I found it just as Steff was walking up to see if I needed a hand. It’s a bit late now!

I was trying my best to hold in my anger as I knew I was ratty because I was tired. Mel and Steff don’t deserve my wrath and it’d bite me in the ass if I was a dick to the reception guy. It’d only be a short-lived thrill.

Once everything was sorted with the reception guy, I went back to the car and emptied it of my things. Mel and Steff were hungry so went off to get some food. I couldn’t stomach anything. It was only as they pulled away that I completely forgot what room number we were in. The number wasn’t on the key card. I wandered around aimlessly in a feeble attempt to jog my decrepit memory but failed. I sat by the road defeated.

Mel and Steff weren’t that long and laughed at me. I wasn’t in the mood to joke back. We collapsed in our beds. I was glad that the guys took pity on me and let me choose my bed. I hate being in the top bunk.

The guys in our room were chatty and friendly. I tried to join in but my brain wasn’t functioning. The guy said he was an expert on Thailand and had been many times when he was younger. He said he and his mate were due to go back soon and meet up with other friends. I got the last part and asked if he’d been to Koh Phi Phi. I continued to talk about it and say that he should go. Mel laughed at me and explained the above which I’d not heard. With that, I mellowed down and got ready for bed. I tried to be social but my brain’s just not there with me.

*****

Surprise, surprise, we slept in until late. There was a free breakfast at the hostel but there was no way that I was moving a muscle. We checked in for our boat trip due to start the next day and wandered around doing nothing for the rest of the day.

When we returned to the hostel, the two guys from the previous night had checked out and were replaced by a couple. At first I thought they were speaking another language. But then I caught part of their conversation and the guy was speaking to some of his mates with a Scottish accent. Ha!

We spoke to them for a while about our trip and swapped stories. They were heading to Fraser Island and we’re off on a boat trip that their friend went on.

We’d heard mixed reviews. Some said it was brilliant and others said it was too crazy for them. It sounded very much like a party boat. Janine from castaway had just been on the boat and told me some gross stories. I guess we’ll just have to see for ourselves!

I tried to make the day as productive as possible and booked my trip to Fiji. I attempted to haggle and managed to get just over $120 off the RRP. It’s better than nothing I guess.

*****

The boarding time for the boat wasn’t until the early afternoon so we casually checked out at 11am, loaded the car, had lunch, walked around the lagoon area and made our way across. Steff and Mel dropped me off with the stuff and went back to park the car. They were going to walk the ten minutes or so back to the meeting point. It saved us all having to carry our bags that distance as they were heavy. We made sure we had snacks and a good amount of alcohol to last us two days.

Whilst I waited alone, I got chatting to a few German guys and a couple of Aussie girls. One by one, everyone arrived with the same goon. It was fun spotting the people with cheap booze against those who had more cash and could upgrade to a better beer. There was no glass allowed on board so everyone had goon, cans and plastic bottles filled with spirits.

In total, there were 51 people. That’s a scary amount of people on one boat!

We all boarded the boat, dumped our things and headed to the top deck for an intro talk. It was pretty standard. The itinerary was listed along with a few safety rules. Our rooms were assigned. We grabbed our things and made our way to our room.

Steff was not happy with the bed situation.

Our room resembled a game of Jenga. Each bed was stacked up. I was quite happy to be on the bottom bed to begin with, until I saw that Mel’s bed cut right across mine and my legs kept banging against the bottom of her bed. That’s not going to be fun. We also found our toilet and shower was adjoined to the cabin alongside ours. We both opened the door at the same time. That could be interesting!

We all made light of the situation (apart from Steff!). There was no set schedule for the evening. It was just a case of finding our bearings and taking it easy. Everyone started drinking already but I wasn’t so sure. Mel cracked open the goon anyway. It was awful.

I felt incredibly awkward looking around trying to find someone to talk to. I didn’t want to cling on to Mel and Steff for the whole boat ride but that’s exactly what I ended up doing. People were already on the boat with friends. Some groups joined together which made it even trickier to find my “in”.

Soon it was time for dinner which was a welcome distraction. We had fish that night and it was actually pretty good.

Mel and Steff were unsure what to do next so I suggested getting my cards. I thought it’d be a good ice breaker to invite people down to play some drinking games. Nobody else volunteered to go up so I went around and asked if anyone would be interested in playing some drinking games. The music was too loud to make an overall announcement. Everybody I went up to said yes. In the end, practically everyone came down!

Luckily there were other packs of cards lying around so people created their own separate games. Some people didn’t really get the hint and tried playing Ring Of Fire with about 20 people. It was terrible. The highlight was watching one girl licking two oranges suggestively. These oranges had just been down a guy’s pants after a previous bet.

Once that game was over, we moved to the floor and started playing games with signs and noises. Trying to explain the simplest of games to people became rather tiresome but it was all good fun once everyone got the hang of it. I learnt quite a few new drinking games to add to the repertoire.

Now that people had a few drinks down them, they were a lot friendlier and open to conversation which was nice. I didn’t stay up too late though as we were due to be woken up at 6:30am! We went to bed around midnight but the party carried on. I didn’t get to sleep for quite a while and wasn’t looking forward to the wake-up call.

As I drifted off to sleep someone banged on our door. Aren't we a little too old for knock-a-door-run? The banging got louder until finally someone stormed in and opened our toilet door. Obviously one of us forgot to unlock the toilet door the other side. There are other toilets there though. We were shocked and annoyed but too tired to actually do anything about it. Tomorrow perhaps...

*****

A lively crew member banged on the door and shouted wakey-wakey. I groaned and rolled back over. Despite there being breakfast upstairs, I slept in for another hour. We managed to grab the last couple of pieces of toast.

Today was our main day for activities. We stopped off at Whitehaven Beach first. We needed to walk through a bit of bushland to get there. Mel and I saw a photo of a massive spider on a girl’s phone from this trip so we weren’t looking forward to the walk.

There were no spiders to be seen. We stopped off at a view point. The whole kingdom and his father were taking photos. I had one taken and was out of there!

The beach was certainly white. The sand was soft to begin with but grew bitty as I walked further in. It was very windy and the Brit in me made me think of the cold bitter days I had on Filey/Whitby/Scarborough beach. There were no fish and chips or ice cream hut to pacify me though.

I tried to lay my towel down but it kept blowing everywhere. Instead, I donned an embarrassing stinger suit and went into the ocean. The water was clear but it was pretty still. I grew bored after a few minutes and came back out. I took off the suit and decided to spend the rest of the time sun bathing. Problem was, it was a bit of a cloudy day.

The group chatted away about random things and we even played charades for a little while. Mel chose a couple of films that were used on Fraser Island so I didn’t bother taking part. It was funny to see other people’s interpretations.

One of the crew members from the boat came over to take photos. It is his job to take a million and one photos of everyone which he sells at the end. I posed for a few photos but recoiled in horror when I saw them later.

The guy tried piling everyone up into a pyramid. I felt so sorry for the guys on the bottom! We managed the jumping shot and general group shots without any problems.

Our time was up and we went back to the boat to head across to the snorkelling spot. I was really looking forward to this. Mel and Steff managed to find a spider to take a photo of on the way back. It wasn’t as big as the one we saw on the girl’s phone but it was still impressive.

Before we headed out into the water we had lunch. Sandwiches and pasta salad filled us up nicely.

We all had to don the stinger suits again. They were cold and sandy from Whitehaven which made me shudder. Instead of life jackets we had noodles. Maybe you might have seen them being used in an aqua fit class back home. It did the job and kept me afloat nicely.

I swam about for a while but didn’t see that much. The reef was nice and there were fishes which swam up close to me but it wasn’t even in the same vicinity as the snorkelling in Thailand. I wish I had my underwater camera for that. I still have the memories though.

Mel and Steff didn’t wake up after we settled down for a lunchtime nap. I went in first and met them after half an hour. They made the mistake of bringing their towels out and it started to rain. I had swam around for over an hour at this point and kept seeing the same things so I called it a day. I was also bursting for the toilet!

Back at the boat, the waterslide had been put out and so had the diving board. Both drops looked scary. I went to the waterslide and sat for a while. Steff pushed me in and I didn’t enjoy it one bit.

As I swam back around to get on the boat, the current kept pushing me further and further out. I was glad there were a couple of other people in the water who helped me back on the boat! I didn’t have a noodle to save me that time!

I decided not to go on the slide again. I tried to jump off of the diving board but it looked too scary. I think it was walking the plank that did it for me. I jumped off the top deck of the boat in Thailand with everyone and that was quite fun.

A couple of girls went in before me and they hated it. I have three videos of me stood at the edge of the plank papping myself whilst trying to convince myself to jump. I don’t regret not doing it. I did the Aqua Loop ride in Gold Coast to prove a point to myself but I didn’t enjoy it. I knew that water would go up my nose and I hate that feeling.

After getting showered and dry, we sat down for a lovely hot brew. Everyone was banging on about how great the snorkelling was.

A group of people, including Mel and Steff, started playing poker. I’d never played before so Mel taught me. It was incredibly satisfying as Mel is very much a risk taker and was down to her last chips. Yet she came back fighting and ended up coming third out of around eight people.

We had spaghetti bolognaise for dinner which again was nice and filling. The crew do a good job to say that they’re catering for such a large number. There was enough for everyone. There’s only one female crew member and the guys always shouted ladies first at meal times. To begin with, nobody listened and I too thought he was joking. It’s a nice gesture which ensures that most people get fed before the greedy get to it!

We were back on the alcohol and I transferred over to Malibu this time. I’d had enough of the goon from the night before. We played more drinking games and then the crew got involved. Everyone was ushered up to the top deck and told to change into fancy dress. By the time I got there, there was nothing but a few shreds of material. I did the best I could and decided to be a granny. I tied a black piece of wetsuit around my head and found some high-waist shorts.

I felt sorry for the crew having to do this day in day out. To begin with it was very cheesy and forced but once we got into it, it was quite fun. We got knocked out at the rowing stage. I got a wet arse for nothing. I went back to my room and got changed.

Back at the top, they were still going until it was down to four people. They had a dance off and an American guy won. He did have some pretty good dance moves!

We carried on playing drinking games into the night again. This time they got a bit more wacky. We played a game called shup-shuppoo. You have to cover your teeth with your lips and raise your eyebrows. This face has to be kept at all times. Each player goes round saying “shup”. To change direction you say “shuppoo”. At first we were in stitches but then everyone got better and better. It was a surreal yet highly entertaining game.

I think this night got a bit more raucous. As we were playing a game, I noticed a couple kissing by the cups cupboard. Someone whispered to me that they were having sex. No way. I looked around and the guy had his willy wonka out! The girl still had her shorts on but I couldn’t quite see. I ran down and told Mel and Steff.

It made me sick. Not what they were doing but the fact that they were doing that where our food was to be served the next day. Dirty bastards. Get a room!

Earlier someone was having sex in the shower. The door was very squeaky. This boat was hook up city or perhaps not as most of the people on board was couples.

We tried to get to sleep amongst all the sex noises and squeaky doors!

*****

We slept in…again. We missed breakfast and the snorkelling. Whoops. We weren’t too bothered as the snorkelling the day before wasn’t up to much. Unfortunately people did come back and told us it was brilliant. But they also said that before so who knows!

The boat trip was almost over. I was neither happy nor sad. I couldn’t tell who was genuine or not. Everyone was friendly when they were drunk and groggy and quiet when they were sober. I couldn’t tell who was genuine or not. I met a nice couple on board who I thought I’d see again in New Zealand or Fiji as we’d both be there at the same time, but I don’t think it will happen. Mel reminded me of this fact when we settled back at Airlie Beach. I hope I do a better job of making friends in New Zealand!

There were hotdogs for lunch but some greedy people went back for seconds so not everyone had one. We were all distracted with our games of poker but managed to just get one.

The boat pulled up at lunchtime and we all parted ways. Mel and Steff were eager to get off and look for jobs. We started looking in hostels and within an hour Mel and Steff had a job.

I checked in to the hostel there, picked up my itinerary for Fiji and had lunch. I didn’t have too much packing to do as I’d already gotten rid of a load of stuff in 1770. I still feel like I’m carrying too much and it’s frustrating. It’s the same feeling I get when I walk into my bedroom. Except this time I really can’t get rid of anything as most of it is bulky stuff that I need.

It still hadn’t sunk in that the next day I would be saying goodbye to Mel and Steff. We were all terribly blasé about it all. We stayed up late to make the most of the evening but Steff fell asleep. Our last night of bonding didn’t quite go according to plan. Never mind!

Castaway 12/05/2012 - 1 Night

None of us had any idea what the castaway trip entailed precisely. I had grandiose visions of what Tom Hanks went through but less traumatic. Finding a Wilson would be a bonus.

Mel and Steff were on an earlier flight than me but we drove across to the meeting point together. In a stroke of luck, the person who was meant to fly alongside Mel and Steff didn’t turn up so I took their place. Steff sat at the front alongside the pilot and Mel and I sat in the back.

The flight across was a short 15 minutes but it was brilliant and well worth the money just to do that. The pilot weaved the plane up and down so Mel and I were thrown about in the back. It was scarily funny. I took plenty of photos and videos to capture the beauty outside.

We were the first to arrive on the island and the group of travellers who we were to replace came out to greet us. We got a tour of the site and a little bit of info on what there is to do.

The tents were very old and stank of staleness and urine. I wasn’t looking forward to sleeping there that night. I dumped my things and made my way to the front of the beach to lie down and relax.

Once rested, I looked around to see everyone hugging and taking photos. It felt like an excerpt from Shipwrecked/Survivor. Some had been there a couple of nights and others only one. There were about eight people in total and somehow they had bonded deeply.

After a photo taking session, three departed and one guy ran by the side of the plane until he couldn’t keep up. Jeez, this is a tough act to follow!

In total there were four Canadians, two Norwegians, three Germans and us. Within minutes I knew that the above was actually an impossible act to follow. The group didn’t mix at all and nobody seemed to be bothered by this. Everyone stuck with their friends.

I did find a couple of friendly creatures on the island.

This guy was working the camera. We had a lizard couple to keep us company. They were so tame and confidently crawled up to me and licked my feet. Mel quipped - "It's because they're so cheesy." Thanks.

It didn’t bother me to begin with as I was too busy basking in the glorious sunshine. I was completely relaxed. My sun-coma was interrupted by Mel and Steff shouting for me. I picked myself up halfway and leant on my elbows to see what the noise was all about. They waved me over to the rocks by the ocean. Mel asked me to bring her camera and to hurry up. I picked up my camera and made my across.

I thought they’d probably found a crab or some oysters. To my surprise I saw this fellow…

We weren’t sure what to do. It looked like it was struggling to get out but at the same time, moving it could make matters worse. Steff moved some of the rocks which were trapping the turtle’s flipper. The turtle sensed freedom and flapped about and settled again in a shallow pool of water. From this we decided we couldn’t just leave it there so Steff and I picked it up and moved it across the rocks to the ocean. I made it part of the way but the turtle started flapping again and I had to let go. Steff carried on and placed it in the sea. The turtle shot off.

Within seconds of this, Mel shouted us back over to the rocks yelling “shark!” I hoped Mel was wrong as we would have set that turtle free only to be attacked by a shark.

A fin surfaced and we looked at each other in horror. Moments later water spurted up and we realised it was a dolphin. After we saw that dolphin, two more surfaced metres away from us. We couldn’t believe our eyes.
Steff sprinted off to get a kayak. Mel and I moved across. At first I wasn’t sure whether to go in or not. Screw it! I grabbed a kayak and paddle. There were only two kayaks and Mel decided not to go out so there was no argument over who went out first.

It was only as I was paddling further and further out that I realised I wasn’t wearing a life jacket. If I tipped over and fell out, I’d surely drown. Steff was too far away and there was nobody by the shore watching us. I distanced myself from that thought and carried on paddling out.

I managed to catch up to Steff and we sat there waiting for the dolphins but none of them came. Never mind. I was still happy that within our first hour on the island, we saw a sea turtle up close and wild dolphins.

We paddled back but for some reason I wasn’t moving. Steff shot off and I was sat there paddling away for nothing. Frustrated I put a bit more effort into it and I eventually started moving. In the process of this aggravated floundering, I bashed my finger on the side. I didn’t think anything more of it until I reached the shore and saw that my finger was caked in blood. Mel chirped that sharks can detect a drop of blood from miles away. Lovely!

I put the kayak away and joined Mel who had been talking to one of the German girls. Janine wasn’t attached to the two girls that seemed to be in the same mood as they were at the travel shop the day before. Nobody else was being social so it was nice to meet someone that smiles and responds to your greeting.

Steff didn’t fancy going back out again after our failed attempt at finding the dolphins. Although I was slightly tired, I decided to go back out again.
We paddled out slowly and drifted further and further out. I turned my kayak to face Janine’s and we sat for well over an hour chatting away about our travels and people we had met.

For the rest of the day, all I did was sunbathe. There were scenic walks to take but I was happy with what I’d done already and I just wanted to relax.

Dinner was a beef stew which everyone paid for at the beginning of the trip. With the gas stove provided, it was going to take an hour and a half to cook. I breathed a sigh of relief when one of the Canadians decided to cook dinner. No arguments and no crowded kitchen. Thank you!

The guys went out and collected dead wood for the fire. I wished we brought marshmallows to toast but we decided not to in the supermarket. Mel and I looked out to the sun setting over the ocean. It was beautiful.

Whilst the food was cooking we pulled our chairs around the fire and started to play some drinking games. With everyone loosened up a bit, someone had the idea of playing I Have Never. What I thought was just a bit of fun, turned in to a less than subtle sexual proffering. All the questions were sex related and a test to see who was far from moralistic. One girl didn't really get it and was on the prowl for something else. With questions like - "I have never had an STI." And, "I have never been pregnant." - this girl was after dirt.

In regards to the moral competition, the two German girls won to the delight of the guys. There were only three guys out of the 12 of us. Steff was obviously out of bounds.

The purpose of the night only became apparent when the Canadian guys suggested going for a walk on the beach. The two Norwegians, the Canadian guys, the German girls and I started walking off into the darkness. I brought my head torch so I could see where I was going. The German girls shouted at me to turn it off. They had already coupled off with the Canadians. I looked at the Norwegians and we turned back.

The rest of campers laughed at me as they knew what was going on. The Canadian guys' two female friends told of how their friends have been desperate for sex since starting their holiday. Sheesh.

A chat-up line that one of the Canadian guys had used previous to the castaway was - "Would you like to see my bed?" It didn't quite work out. The girl came back, saw his bed, gave him a hand job then left.

Later in the night, after we’d eaten and drank a little bit more, each of the Canadian guys whispered to the German girls that they were going to the beach if they wanted to follow. No flirting, no flickering eye contact, nothing. Chivalry was dead and buried.

Time was ticking by so slowly that it made things awkward at times. Drinking game after drinking game, until we finally called it a night. Mel suggested to everyone that we should sleep on the beach. I’d rather sleep on the sand than in the smelly tent.

We all dragged our mats out from the tent to the fire along with our sleeping bags. We all laid down and looked up to the stars. There were so many in the sky that night twinkling and shining so brightly. Everyone kept seeing shooting stars but I didn’t see any.

Frustrated, I took off my glasses and tried to get to sleep. I couldn’t get to sleep. I tossed and turned but even the cushioned mat was making things better. If anything, it made it worse as I found out that they were the source of the smell in the tent!

The temperature dropped and I was shivering. I thought I was going to be physically sick it was that cold. It sounds great in theory, sleeping on the beach, but it turned out to be a nightmare.

Everyone asked to be woken up for the sunrise. I didn’t sleep at all so I counted down the minutes and hours until it was time. I sat up and nobody stirred. I started shouting to everyone that it was time for the sunrise but nobody moved. I called out Mel’s name as I couldn’t see her sleeping bag. I got a grouchy return that put me in my place.

I sat for half an hour and nothing seemed to be happening. It wasn’t as spectacular as the sunset the night before. I tried to get some more sleep but ended up lying there urging the sun to rise and warm me up!
One after another, each person announced that they had the worst sleep ever. I just wanted to pack up and leave. I was so grateful that we were on the first flight. It was due at 9:30am. It started to near 11am and the plane hadn’t arrived.

The one person who lives on the island in the lighthouse came down to take some photos for Facebook. He focussed on the German girls whilst he waited.

Finally the plane arrived and we practically sprinted over. Before we could escape it was time for group photos. Instead of the standard jumping shot and cheesy grins, the shoot resembled soft porn. Guys grabbing the girls, crawling in the sand, tiger growls and so on. We stayed right out of it.

Once back, we picked up the car and headed straight up the East Coast to our next stop. At first we were going stop half way but decided to take on the long drive at head straight to Airlie Beach. Roll on a 8-9 hour drive!