Destination: Australia

November 25, 2010

I’m sitting here at the airport in Fiji awaiting my plane to Brisbane to load. I am a bit nervous to go there. Maybe I’m just frustrated with how the morning has gone and the fact I could not sleep well due to the mild meowing of a cat outside my dorm. I’m nervous to go, worried it is going to cost too much cause I am traveling on a budget.. for sure!! It has been such a hassle to get here at the airport, I had to wait in a huge line to print off my ticket then I get up to the front and find out I have to get on the internet and buy a visa so I can enter Australia. It was sooo stressful. I run to get on the internet and my computer is dead and no outlets are around. Then I go through the security and they threw away my sunscreen. It was even in a small container. I just want to break down and cry right now. This morning was so stressful and it took me so long to get to this spot waiting to load the plane, but hey, at least I finally made it.

I hope I don’t’ have baggage issues on my other flights. I need a bigger backpack too. I’m using a school sized backpack… great for a hike, school, or a day trip, but bad for nearly a month trip. I have shoes hanging off it, and other nice things, like my poncho, hammock, and sleeping bag. I just look like a true blue backpacker I guess.

November 26, 2010

I arrived in Australia yesterday at approximately 9 A.M. then I made my way from Brisbane to Cairns. After a lot of waiting and a chicken & cheese pesto sandwich, I made it to the city of cairns. Some people told me that Cairns was more like a town because it was so small and not so much a city. Well, I beg to differ, I would say that Cairns is a city. It’s like a park city that’s targeted towards the summer activities all year instead of the winter. I absolutely love it here! I can’t swim in the ocean here because there is sometimes the salties (salt water crocodiles) that swim out and about the beach area, but that is okay, I have had plenty of beach time in Fiji. At least the reason I cannot swim in the ocean is not because of the pollution, that makes me feel soo better!! Seriously, I hate pollution.

Just in case you were wondering, Australia recycles and I appreciate that. I’m staying at Corona backpackers resort here and its rather nice. Its in a great location in town and it has everything I need, a bed, shelter, a kitchen, toilet, shower, yep. It’s nice and cozy, glad I chose it.

I must add that it feels so good to be able to walk down the streets and feel safe again. I feel at peace and relaxed when I walk down the streets here, people are not staring, pointing, creeping, or harassing me repeatedly. I’m just able to be “normal” and fit in and it really feels good. I’m able to walk into a store and not be followed constantly, I’m just able to feel more free again. I did not realize how I felt about safety issues, etc so much until I left. Of course I am only feeling this way because I was raised somewhere else than Fiji. Fiji was great, I had a blast overall and I learned a lot through my travels there. I also learned a lot through all the staring, pointing, creeping, and harassing I got. It makes me thankful. That’s cute, eh, that I feel thankful I mean considering it is thanksgiving back home. I am thankful to feel at peace again and to feel safe. I am thankful for all my family and friends. And I am thankful for good food, I just wish it would settle in my stomach and not make my bacterial belly explode.

Adjusting from American Food (preservative full) to Fiji food (organic and maybe a little more bacteria too) was really rough to my body system. Now going from Fiji to Australian food is very hard too. It’s basically the opposite now because Australian food is not much different than American food on my opinion. I need my bacterial belly to heal and fast please. I cannot stand having emergency toilet runs through town. Yes I said it, I think people here would phrase it as “pissing out my ass.” (Sorry for the overshare, but it happens and its not pleasant).

So what have I done since I have been here.

1. Got a taxi for 5 dollars with some random girls at the airport. I did not want to spend 12 for the bus since I was traveling alone, so I just started asking people if they were heading into town in a taxi and if I could tag along. A taxi is roughly $20 from the airport.

2. Realize, the Australian dollar is the American dollar. There is maybe .2 cent different so yeah. That’s nothing.

3. After getting to town I had no plan as to where I was going to go. I knew of two hostels and I knew one was one of the cheapest I saw. So I asked how I could get to that hostel and started walking, back pack and all.

4. I finally found it, Corona backpackers and at $15 for a night stay. Sounds good to me. (other hostels are around 20-30, maybe 18 if your lucky). It includes a dinner voucher as well that is at the woodshed or something like that.. it’s a bar that’s just 3 minute walk.

5. The rain followed me to Cairns, I’m mad.

6. I really wanted to go to the daintree, but I did not want to book a tour because they were a bit much, I am already paying a lot for my dives so yeah, I have to try to budget. I woke up early, found out the bus leaves at 7 am and 1 pm if I took the 1 pm I would have to turn around as soon as I got there so I had a ride back on the bus. So I scratched the daintree idea, I’m bummed a little, but its okay.

7. I decided since I could not make it to the daintree I would go to the Cairns tropical zoo. At least if I went there I could get a good look at the animals of Australia.

8. When I took the bus to go to the zoo, I went to Palm beach first and just stayed on the bus, you can’t swim there because you can die from either a crocodile or a jellyfish. Crazy right.?

9. It was a good choice, I loved the zoo and I fed Kangaroos. I think I almost cried when I saw them I was so excited. I was excited to see kangaroos like a little girl is excited to see a Disney princess. Now that is magical stuff there.

10. I ate subway today, it was a mouthgasm to the max. So good, best subway I have ever had because it has been far to long. Unfortionately, my bacterial belly did not like the mouthgasm food that much because I got sick soon after.

11. I just love the zoo and touching animals.

12. An Australian told me a funny thing about Utah. He said why is it the Utah Jazz, Utah does not have Jazz. Then he continued saying that New Orleans should probably have a jazz team because they really have jazz (as in music in case you didn’t get it). I thought it was clever.

13. I was talking to a late 30’s Norwegion guy thee other day and he asked me what I wanted for my birthday and I just looked at him and was like, this is good, as in Australia. He thought I sounded very mature and grown up for my age because I said I did not want anything, I had enough because I was here in Australia and that makes me happy. Just saying, some people think I’m mature and that is nice. Cause I am….father.

14. I kinda sorta need to figure out how I am going to get to Sydney in 5 days. Cairns is up north, Sydney is down south basically, well almost. If you were to drive it would take about 40-44 hours of driving. And well, I am thinking I should do that if its cheaper. This will be interesting.

15. I am diving the Great Barriar Reef tomorrow with Tusa Dive. Should be exciting. I must mention that it is time for the coral reef to spawn. You know what that means. Biggest sexual thing in the world is about to happen and I may just get to watch it. I may get to watch all the corals have sex, crazy right. It’s not porn, its natural and its under the sea so that just means its going to be amazing. I love the ocean. Tomorrow, November 27, 2010, aka my birthday. I become a mermaid to hopefully witness corals spawning time!! Keeping my fingers crossed.