Airlie Beach, Whitsundays, QLD, Australia (Day 15, ~1450 km)
Firstly, I want to re-iterate how much valued it is that so many people are thinking of me, reading my triplogs, and most importantly, praying for me - it makes it feel far less isolated than I would otherwise feel. Plus I am sure that having an audience will make me more perseverent when cultureshock, etc hits later on!
Secondly, I have added some photos to the previous triplog - visit http://hamilton2japan.blogspot.com to view them in place.
Thirdly, some people seem to have missed that the images in my emails are clickable, if you wish to view them bigger. This will also take you to my photo album (http://anton.architype.co.nz) which has more photos not included in the trip logs. While I'm on photos - although the photo album interface should be easy for you to find your way around, it's easy to miss that each album has multiple pages (i.e. my Australia section is 3 pages now) - click on the 1, 2, 3 or rewind/fastforward icons at the top and bottom.
Anyway, Sunday was another great day - a second night at my cheapest campsite yet ($10), which, like almost all others so far, has a lovely salt-water pool. Rockhampton (they grow beef here) really wasn't a place I found that savoury - the streets were always deserted (admittedly I was there at the weekend) except for an occasional Aborigine wandering around (or in the park) yelling or singing something incomprehensible - I fear this is the infamous city substance abuse problem. Hopefully there are some areas in the Outback where I can see a more positive display of the Aboriginal culture.
Anyway, after wandering around for over an hour I managed to find an "Apostolic Church" at 10.04, which was just when they were starting. Although for many Hamiltonians this will stir up all-singing, all-dancing, stage-production service connotations, it was actually far quieter than any reformed church I've been to, partially because of the numbers (around 11) and the amateur organist, but predominantly because they are the very structured and conservative brand of Apostolic, unlike Eastside. Regardless, I found the entire service very beneficial, and enjoyed a bit of conversation with the congregation (as a whole, in a group) afterwards.
Not that I've been lacking in conversation - at the pool I met a couple who have a house rented out in the Kaimais (close to Hamilton) and also used to live in Cape Town, so we've lived in most of the same places (he was an oil-rig captain). Also yesterday I spent probably an hour and a half talking to a 70-year-old couple (they looked way younger) who have been teaching English in China a couple of times and travelled all over Asia on the proceeds - we pored over my maps for ages, then they gave me local Outback (swimming holes, safety, etc) advice (he used to manage a roadhouse at Three Ways) and finished off talking flying (he's done over 1000 hours of gliding). They're going back to China in June, but they've just sold their house and are touring around in their campervan looking for a new place to settle. So all in all, it's been quite a social trip thus far.
Sunday afternoon I also attempted wiring in the engine temperature sensor and burglar alarm that I'd made after shipping my bike and before leaving. The temp sensor works, but needs adjusting, and I still need to sort out a circuit issue with the alarm, but it was a successful day in that regard too.
Monday I was on the road by 6.20am, and, had covered over 300 km before talking to the aforementioned English teachers. A fairly uneventful day, I arrived at Airlie Beach, in the Whitsundays, by 3.45pm, where there was an actual breeze - something that has seemed very lacking thus far.
Today I did one of the few blatantly expensive and touristy things planned for this trip - a snorkelling trip out to the coral reef. Fantastic! Although I didn't get right out to Great Barrier, the island snorkelling we did showed me just how amazingly varied the shapes and colours of the coral can be, as well as some of the fish life that inhabits the region. While I could complain about the cowboyish, overly familiar attitudes of the crew, overall they seemed reasonably nice when they weren't putting on a show for the tourists. All in all, well worth it; although next time I will get dropped off somewhere to stay with my tent for a day or two, and snorkel around at my leisure - there are a number of permit-required camping opportunities in the area, which is all a national park.
Of course, although it's probably always sunny here, this morning the weather packed in (picture shows what was in front of us heading towards the reef), and half of the snorkelling time it was raining - not a problem for wetness, of course (and the stinger suits keep you warm) but I think the vibrancy of the colours may have suffered somewhat. Later on, by the time we went off to spend a couple of hours at Whitehaven Beach (around the back of Whitsunday? Island) it was scorching, as normal. The Beach? ... is just a beach. I could quite happily not have paid money to go to the beach - I was after the reef, but in this I was definitely not disappointed - I spent a good hour and a half in the water snorkelling, and did a lot of actual diving below the surface for a closer look.
Anyhow, back for a much-needed shower and washing of clothes, brings me here, to the Internet cafe. Tomorrow I aim for Townsville (although I may not actually go through it, now I've seen some reef, and don't intend to spend much unnecessary money for a while) and from then on, inland - towards Mt Isa, Three Ways and Darwin (probably 2800 km away at a guess, so I'm planning to get there by the 10th, when I hear there is a boat to drive my bike onto).
Secondly, I have added some photos to the previous triplog - visit http://hamilton2japan.blogspot.com to view them in place.
Thirdly, some people seem to have missed that the images in my emails are clickable, if you wish to view them bigger. This will also take you to my photo album (http://anton.architype.co.nz) which has more photos not included in the trip logs. While I'm on photos - although the photo album interface should be easy for you to find your way around, it's easy to miss that each album has multiple pages (i.e. my Australia section is 3 pages now) - click on the 1, 2, 3 or rewind/fastforward icons at the top and bottom.
Anyway, Sunday was another great day - a second night at my cheapest campsite yet ($10), which, like almost all others so far, has a lovely salt-water pool. Rockhampton (they grow beef here) really wasn't a place I found that savoury - the streets were always deserted (admittedly I was there at the weekend) except for an occasional Aborigine wandering around (or in the park) yelling or singing something incomprehensible - I fear this is the infamous city substance abuse problem. Hopefully there are some areas in the Outback where I can see a more positive display of the Aboriginal culture.Anyway, after wandering around for over an hour I managed to find an "Apostolic Church" at 10.04, which was just when they were starting. Although for many Hamiltonians this will stir up all-singing, all-dancing, stage-production service connotations, it was actually far quieter than any reformed church I've been to, partially because of the numbers (around 11) and the amateur organist, but predominantly because they are the very structured and conservative brand of Apostolic, unlike Eastside. Regardless, I found the entire service very beneficial, and enjoyed a bit of conversation with the congregation (as a whole, in a group) afterwards.
Not that I've been lacking in conversation - at the pool I met a couple who have a house rented out in the Kaimais (close to Hamilton) and also used to live in Cape Town, so we've lived in most of the same places (he was an oil-rig captain). Also yesterday I spent probably an hour and a half talking to a 70-year-old couple (they looked way younger) who have been teaching English in China a couple of times and travelled all over Asia on the proceeds - we pored over my maps for ages, then they gave me local Outback (swimming holes, safety, etc) advice (he used to manage a roadhouse at Three Ways) and finished off talking flying (he's done over 1000 hours of gliding). They're going back to China in June, but they've just sold their house and are touring around in their campervan looking for a new place to settle. So all in all, it's been quite a social trip thus far.
Sunday afternoon I also attempted wiring in the engine temperature sensor and burglar alarm that I'd made after shipping my bike and before leaving. The temp sensor works, but needs adjusting, and I still need to sort out a circuit issue with the alarm, but it was a successful day in that regard too.
Monday I was on the road by 6.20am, and, had covered over 300 km before talking to the aforementioned English teachers. A fairly uneventful day, I arrived at Airlie Beach, in the Whitsundays, by 3.45pm, where there was an actual breeze - something that has seemed very lacking thus far.Today I did one of the few blatantly expensive and touristy things planned for this trip - a snorkelling trip out to the coral reef. Fantastic! Although I didn't get right out to Great Barrier, the island snorkelling we did showed me just how amazingly varied the shapes and colours of the coral can be, as well as some of the fish life that inhabits the region. While I could complain about the cowboyish, overly familiar attitudes of the crew, overall they seemed reasonably nice when they weren't putting on a show for the tourists. All in all, well worth it; although next time I will get dropped off somewhere to stay with my tent for a day or two, and snorkel around at my leisure - there are a number of permit-required camping opportunities in the area, which is all a national park.Of course, although it's probably always sunny here, this morning the weather packed in (picture shows what was in front of us heading towards the reef), and half of the snorkelling time it was raining - not a problem for wetness, of course (and the stinger suits keep you warm) but I think the vibrancy of the colours may have suffered somewhat. Later on, by the time we went off to spend a couple of hours at Whitehaven Beach (around the back of Whitsunday? Island) it was scorching, as normal. The Beach? ... is just a beach. I could quite happily not have paid money to go to the beach - I was after the reef, but in this I was definitely not disappointed - I spent a good hour and a half in the water snorkelling, and did a lot of actual diving below the surface for a closer look.Anyhow, back for a much-needed shower and washing of clothes, brings me here, to the Internet cafe. Tomorrow I aim for Townsville (although I may not actually go through it, now I've seen some reef, and don't intend to spend much unnecessary money for a while) and from then on, inland - towards Mt Isa, Three Ways and Darwin (probably 2800 km away at a guess, so I'm planning to get there by the 10th, when I hear there is a boat to drive my bike onto).
posted by Anton at 9:43 pm
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