whitsunday islands

depth charges in honour of our voyage. that and partying with a brit who apparently is known as the "king of goon," and was recongized by fellow travellers when he got off the bus. you can check out his facebook page. it is all drinking games. while in rainbow beach i lost some pages in my book along with emma's postcard while climbing a 200m sandblow. so i had to abandon reading the rise of the 4th reich for the secret history of lord byron.

as luck would have it the canadians i befriended in the rainbow beach hostel and on fraser island were on the same ship - all able hands before the mast. note on our vessel, the siska: the siska was built and raced by perth sailmaker rolly tasker, designed by german frers of argentina, and built in western australia. dimensions were as follows: 10mm thick aluminium, 32 tonnes, 80 ft. long, mast height of 106 ft. the siska has a proud racing history - winners of races in australia, new zealand, fiji, hawaii, england and south africa. 2 time winner of the sydney to hobart race, with has circumnavigated the world twice. in 1979 with hrh prince charles as part of the crew the siska set the fastest time defeating world champion kioloa, and was first overall in the queen vic cup. also in '79 she came 2nd in the fastnet race, and later won the parmelia race from england to perth.

now, she is a pirate ship. or so we decided. in the spirit of pirates of the caribbean and master and commander we set sail looking for prizes and booty. i, of course, was the captain. by the end of our cruise the ship also boasted a first officer, surgeon, navigator, naturalist, translator, 2 cooks, gunners, a master at arms, etc. i was captain neil to everyone. el capitano. we tried to talk in nautical terms - bow, stern, port, starboard, main sail, head sail, stow, grog, arrgh, matey, avast, etc. no captain had a better crew. i would ask the navigator our course and he would make something up like "sou' sou' west?" our official anthem was fire water burn by the bloodhound gang. by the end of the trip i was receiving salutes while the first officer used a water bottle like a telescope. i would even give the bridge to my 2nd when i went below, and would jokingly order people "as you were" when i passed. at the end of our trip i gave a short speech to everyone how pleased i was with them and how no captain ever forgot his first command. no mutiny either. bonus.

note on the whitsundays: the whitsunday islands are a group of 74 islands, all but 4 of which are completely wild national park. the water is a dazzling blue/green. the area is completely protected within the confines of the great barrier reef world heritage area. it is a flooded landscape - the islands are in fact tops of submerged mountains. coral is everywhere.

our course was due ne as we left abel point marina into the blue. just above hook island we anchored in luncheon bay and snorkeled for the first time. it was amazing to see the different colours of coral come out in the sun's rays. little worlds of darting fish and closing plants. in your stinger suit you switched from diving through underwater coral trenches to just skimming the surface with the coral inches from you. hard coral, soft coral, coral formations twisted below you like the many branches from a giant tree. after our snorkel and some lunch the siska sailed south @ about 8 knots and made anchor in hook passage. after dinner, the goon would come out and everyone would party on deck together. the captain would not disappoint his crew in the games of ping, pang, pong and kings, categories and celebrities. i even taught some of the more willing a new way to skull their jug. at night i would forgo my berth below for the open deck and the ocean, the stars and the lapping waves. the early morning chill would wake me to the pink fingers of dawn.

on the 2nd day we sailed north out of the passageand then se along whitsunday island. everyone would alternate between laying in the sun, talking, listening to music or reading. along the way we would learn about sailing, and would get practice hauling out the mail sail and the head sail and working the grinders. on the se coast of the island we made halted and made inland at tongue bay. once on the beach i proclaimed the spot stevenson landing in honour of my exo. we hiked down to the 6km long whitehaven beach, voted in the top 10 beaches in the world. sand dunes peaking out from the water at low tide, circled in light blue. the sand is so soft you are warned it will get into your camera, the silicon soft against your feet. time for cricket and rounders to please the scoucers. my team thrashed them at rounders, with el capitano being the last one out. then time for a swim where a manta ray breezed right through our group. back to the boat for a n course to dumbell island and more snorkeling. grouper fish, sea turtles, barricuda, parrot fish, sharks - not by me unfortunately, and more life aquatic coral. that night we anchored in nara inlet - a breeding ground for hammerhead sharks. the goon was out before the sun was down. laughing and joking, teaching germans how to play poker while they taught me to speak it. the canadians were again the last ones standing. again back to the deck for another star kissed lullaby.

up at dawn, sore and happy. south out of the inlet and then nw to longfed island. one last snorkel. on the way back to abel point i stood on the edge of the bow bobbing in the huge swells and spray. if you want to be there with me listen to gabriel faure's requiem.

fraser island

some random entries i found in my journal:

"chimps and humans are the only animals which can recognize their own reflection in a mirror. the mona lisa does not have eyebrows. beer is good company." a little random but i am sure there is a deep meaning somewhere in there that has been lost in the translation.

the macolm mcdowell lookalike relieved himself in my dorm room on my last night in noosa. i have finished reading confessions of a dangerous mind, and am on to the rise of the next reich.

but on to fraser island ...

still the han solo tour. i took a bus from noosa to rainbow beach on the fraser coast very early in the morning. here in rainbow beach there is nothing but remote beaches and people who have come from all over the world to see fraser island. it is a backpacker shipping zone as we fedex ourselves to the northwest. the dunes outnumber the banks in town as there are none.

once at the hostel i checked in and attended the mandatory meeting for those heading for the island. it was here that i met my group - an assortment of irish, english, germans and canucks. after the safety briefing we all hit up the bar to celebrate the eve of our great invasion.

in the morning it was up at at them for 7am to stow our gear and check out our 4x4 and camping supplies. she (the 4x4) had seen better days, months and years. if rust was car cancer than this patient was terminal. rust, dents, holes, and salt corrosion littered the body. the doors were dodgy. the wheel was loose. our shovel was broken. none of the sleeping bags worked (mine was best suited for a todler and had a malfunctioning zipper). one the first day on the island one of the girls hung an empty plastic bag on the side mirror to use as a garbage. the mirror fell off.

notes on fraser island: it is said that all of the sand from eastern australia eventually ends up on fraser island, and as the biggest sand island in the world it would be hard to argue (120km x 15km). but even for a sand island the land supports rainforests and over 200 freshwater lakes. there is, however, a lot of sand. tons of sand. more sand than the sahara desert in fact, with sand dunes or blows over 200 meters in height. luckily the whites killed off and/or removed all the aboriginals on the island who were there before the tour groups and loggers wanted in.

our group ferried across and hit the beach like a normandy landing - or so teddy duchamp would say. when the ramp dropped, we dropped the gas and hit the sand with a whiff of diesel and black exhaust. the stones sang satisfaction. our first stop was lake mckenzie. the lake was formed by a waterproof lining of decaying wood and greenery. some sun, cool freshwater, and a nap under a tree on the softest sand possible. the girls used the sand to exfoliate (apparently it is famous for its sand). at lunch while we ate we watched goannas crawl nearby. then it was back to the 4x4 to head north before the tide came in. note: the eastern beach is the only way to transverse the island. it is basically a north-south sand highway. when the tide comes in the "highway" gets awash in the incoming sea tide. wait too long and you risk getting caught between camping areas and swamping your car in the wet sand and salt water. i was always tense as we drove along looking for a camping ground with the tide coming in (we always seemed to get caught driving in the unsafe tide times when our insurance would be void). we eventually made camp right on the beach behind a dune, some 150 meters from the pacific ocean. as night came the beach sports were ended and everyone would help make dinner. after dinner plates were washed in the sand and rised in the ocean. then the stars would come out, and with no lights, the milky way would shine brightly above our camp. stars like this i have never seen before, highlighted by music from the 4x4 and shooting stars.

by morning it was up at 7am again to decamp and head north. we stopped at eli creek and cooled off in the freshwater stream. the water was so cold, the sun so warm. then back heading north to see the wreck of the maheno - a passenger liner that was blown ashore by a cyclone in 1935. just before lunch we reached indian head, 30km north of the coloured sand cliffs called the pinnacles. at indian head we climbed up to the highest vantage point possible. from the headland you could gaze down into the blue ocean and make out the rays, sea turtles and sharks. note: the waters of fraser island are so beautiful, and so deadly. due to crazy rips, and the abundance of tiger sharks, we were not allowed to swim. we even saw a wild dingo which are dangerous and scrawny-looking. after our climb we went as far north as the champagne pools - naturally made pools holed out of the ocean rocks. when the waves hit the rocks the water cascades into your pool while you swim in the salt water. a mad dash later we managed to just beat the tide again and make camp with the others on the beach again behind the dunes. as this was our last night on the island we had a full moon party and celebrated being on fraser island in the middle of nowhere. i even ran into someone from my high school who graduated a year after me. it was year zero, the tet new year, a dance club - whatever you wanted it to be. late at night i got away from the craziness of camp and made my way to the edge of the water to take in the stars again. it made me feel wonderfully small.

on the last day we pointed the 4x4 south and bounced our way to lake wabby. we left the 4x4 on the beach and walked a km inland through a eucalypt forest. after the forest we emerged into a massive sandblow that stretched over the horrizon. crossing it i thought of lawrence of arabia and tatooine. i can't tell you how beautiful and surreal the surroundings were as we trudged up and down the sand dunes. over a km. the ocean and forest behind us, a never-ending golden sand ahead. at the top of a massive dune we saw the lake below, hidden and fake looking. like an oasis. our group celebrated our arrival by rolling down the 200m dune all at once into the cold water. it really was an oasis in the desert, seemingly impossible for the surroundings. we swam across the lake and rested on the opposite shore. i thought about the fact that the lake is disappearing, and felt glad to have seen it.

then back to the 4x4 to head back to the ferry and rainbow beach. back up the ramp. island secure.

sand is in everything i own. clothes, bags, toothbrush, etc. it is in my ears and eyes, my hair and watch. and the shower when we got back never felt so good.

i will never sleep that close to the pacific ocean again.

noosa

2 hours north of brizzy is noosa, a group of communities around the noosa river in a lush, tropical climate. it is posh. like niagra-on-the-lake, except with palm trees and koalas. high rises are as unwelcomed as fast food outlets, and as such, they have been banned by the residents. one of the streets in town, hastings street, is the 3rd most expensive street in australia. but no matter which street you take you are bound to run into world class accommodations and restaurants. the wealthy live here, or at least dock their yachts here like at monte carlo. for lyds and i it is another hostel, and a growing resentment to those with tennis courts and golf cart chauffeurs. at night hastings street is alight with tiki torches.

everywhere there is a beach or water way as the city is bound by the coast on one side and the river to the north. the ocean is more calm here than in byron at the time of the tsunami warning, and while surfing lessons are a main part of the tourist economy here, lyds and i were making fun of the beach break people were trying to surf. while hiking we found a better surfing beach that was deserted, probably due to the fact that there is no shark netting there. must be tigers in the water. since arriving we spend our days walking the town, beaches and national park. noosa national park marks the end of the sunshine coast, and lyds and i spent the day walking the coastal trail to the hell's gates rock formation at the edge of the south pacific. on our way back i had another wildlife experience - some snake or lizard ran across my feet while i was hiking in my flip-flops. i have no idea what it was, and will never know. a giant yell of surprise and a severe ninja kick sealed its identity in the bushes. i think lyds was just as startled by my yell. we then caught the sunset on the rocks below the trail.

since being in noosa lyds and i went to see the movie 300. too cartoony. i finished reading ben-hur. stuggled through it. it may be an american classic that rivals uncle tom's cabin, but remind me to skip that one then. in honour of our upcoming sailing i read master and commander. amazing. i can't wait to read the other 19 novels in the series. in hostel news our roomates are swedish, and try and get male attention by going around in their bras and decorating the room with sex magazine articles and racy pics. just shameful. little too obvious too. lyds is not a fan of them. i think we are both missing our surfing company.

now i am doing the trip han solo style for a little bit (lyds left this morning for rainbow beach in the north). i follow tomorrow with a different group. so now i am living with an insane young malcolm mcdowell lookalike who talks to himself and asks himself outrageous questions like, "did i have sex last night." he also answers himself.

going to be m.i.a. for the next little bit. heading to north to the fraser coast torainbow beach tomorrow morning to do a 4x4 tour of fraser island - at 120km x 15km the world's biggest sand island. then when i get back it is back on an overnight bus to airlie beach on the capricorn coast. there in shute harbour my roders are to report for duty with the siska for a cruise of the whitsundays in the great barrier reef national park. i have been told she has a fine battle record.

happy anniversary mom and dad.

just like captain cook in 1770.

brisbane v1.1

australia zoo day - also known as steve "the crocodile hunter" irwin's zoo. the zoo was a good 1.5hr train ride from brizzy into the glass mountains. these mountains, however, are a sight to see. all of a sudden they rise out of the ground like sculpted cylinders. it reminded me of the opening in jurassic park with the chopper flying into the costa rica island.

the zoo itself was expensive to enter, but worth it if you like crocodiles. it is very specialized with several different croc paddocks, and a great tiger viewing area called the tiger temple. most of the land around the zoo is national park, and before his death steve irwin purchased the land. this means that when the animals are not on display they are let loose in huge tracks of natural land. lydia and i immediately noticed a difference in the animals. the zoo, which was started by steve's father, has now grown to 75 acres. they are currently expanding to 1000 acres. also in true crocodile hunter fashion they have made it a focus to try and get you as close to the animals as possible. during the shows the handlers hold raw meat to leaping and snapping crocs, and all day in the tiger temple the handlers are in with the tigers playing with them. lyds even got the chance in one of the open areas to lay next to a resting roo for a picture. it didn't even mind her presence. there is a great memorial to steve at the zoo as well. hundreds of signatures, letters, etc. people have sent in from all over the world telling how much he meant to them. they also had a copy of his dad's eulogy where he stated not to be sad for his son, but for animals in general as they, and he, had lost their best friend. crikey. emotional.

the next day lyds and i walked around southbank which lies across the river. it was beautiful with a man made beach off the brisbane river, including tons of fountains and toys for kids to play with. for the adults there were bars, the cultural center, and walkways with a lattice-work above you woven with flowers.

our last day in brisbane was also an adventure. lyds went off to do her own thing and i was set in finding boggo road prison - brisbane's maximum security facility for years and the home for seven years of nathan jones. on my way there i asked directions from a passing lady (erica), and she was curious why anyone would want to go and see the site. when i explained she opened up to me and told me that many years ago she had just broken up with her boyfriend, and was invited to hang out with a guy she just met at his house and listen to some tunes. her friends urged her not to go with him as she wasn't very keen, and to instead go clubbing with them and find a new guy. she refused. that night the club her friends were in, and she was supposed to be at, was firebombed. the guy who did the act was incarcerated in boggo road and became known as the whiskey-a-go-go murderer. one of her friends was murdered. she married the man she listened to music with that night, and is still to this day. by the time i reached the prison it was closed due to repairs (which is typical) - but erica gave me a first hand history lesson. i left the prison site and went to the nearby police station and talked to the officers on duty complaining. they agreed with me and said i could see one of their cells if i chose. i declined.

then we were off to noosa. it is crazy that the more we move north the warmer it gets, and the more palm trees we see. it takes some getting used to.

mom - if you have divorced dad can you give me his new number? everytime i call he is never around anymore. is he pokeroo or what?

brisbane v1.0

the trip to brizzy was a little rough. we took a bus to narang train station and then took a train north. unfortunately, in true queensland style, the track was under construction so we had to get off the train and use a bus for the section that was being worked on. then it was back on the train further down the line and into the cbd of brizzy, whereby we found out that we had come too far on the line and missed our stop. back on the train and then on foot where a lady gave us directions - in the wrong way. walking- lost, took a cab - got lost. finally checked in late, frustrated and tired. note: cabbies in brisbane rely on gps to ferry people around town. the problem with this system is that they never really have to learn the city. they become reliant on the computer. we have had a few bad drivers here. it is the same reason i can't do long divison anymore. i rely on my calculator.

note on brisbane: with 1.5 millon people brizzy is australia's 3rd largest city. founded in 1824 from the difficult prisoners from nsw, the city is large but quiet. it is almost like it doesn't even try to compete in the melbourne vs. syndey race. maybe it is just because of the long weekend but the city seems so empty.

we spent our first day here almost entirely planning the rest of our time in australia. we booked our return flight from nz, and booked our frazer island tours and whitsundays ships. then we snagged some groceries and goon, and got tickets for the rugby game between the queensland reds (brizzy) and the sharks (south africa). before the game i chated up members of the red army - brizzy's insane and often painted fans. they made lyds and i honourary members of the army, and gave us free hats. we sat with them in their section and tried to cheer, but the atmosphere was a little dissappointing. the reds, losers of their last 7, fell again 56-16. the red army guys teased me for knowing i was a canadian from my hockey-isms. the beer helped the loss.

go reds.

surfer's paradise

arrived in surfer's paradise a few days ago to take in the gold coast of queensland. this is the miami beach of down under, where meter maids stroll in gold bikinis and club music leads you to your next party. for lyds and i, however, surfer's is a chance to get in some r&r from the byron nightlife. note of clarification: i have received numerous questions on what slapping the goon is. allow me to explain. "goon" is cheap, boxed aussie wine that you drink from by removing it from the box and handling the bag directly. to slap the goon is to simply drink from the goon bag. for the really hardcore, the goon bag once deflated of wine can be re-inflated and used as a pillow.

there isn't much surfing in surfer's paradise anymore - just a little swell suited for beginners. what is tall is the rows of high rises, condos and vacation housing that have sprung up from the sand to line the beach. lyds and i even managed to get a hostel in the shadow of the southern hemisphere's tallest residential building. most of surfer's paradise comes out at night, where you and your money can be seperated very quickly. even the indy car race takes place in its streets each october with likewise speedy cars racing at over 300km.hr. as four our fellow touristas - most are asian so the marketing machine must be working in that part of the world to bring them here. while lyds and i both really like surfer's paradise, the best part is its name. again sex sells and a sexy name sells better.

we breezed in and breezed out of surfer's paradise, but not before catching a movie (reign over me) and a themepark (dreamworld). best part of surfers is still the beach - you could walk all night long along the surf with the wind and the waves around you. the neon, well, that is for you to decide.

and no we did not touch a surfboard.

byron bay v1.1

• gabs left earlier in the day to begin his trip home to switzerland. gabs, or "arnold" as he is known around camp for sounding just like california's governator, shared a claim to fame with the author of these notes. it was on the second day that gabs and i caught the same wave and managed to shake hands while surfing it. adios arnold. hopefully you'll be back.
  
  we had one last blowout in byron with the remaining surfers. a big game of kings with way too much male nudity (don't worry i only lost my shirt) due to girl friendly rules. then we had our own full moon party on the beach for one last night of slapping the goon. people lost cameras, passports, and wallets, however, with friends, the loss of dignity is only temporary and is restored after ribbing the next day. when big dave collapsed in the sand what could we do but bury him? the irish were kind enough to carry him home and deposit him into the tub for the night. then it was paddy and me singing radiohead both on the beach and our walk home. man. we sounded champ.
  
  by the morning everyone had awoken covered in sand, and kevin and paddy had already caught their 6am transportation. lyds and i also awoke to a tsunami warning that closed the beach. my hangover would have hindered my ability to escape any wave, but luckily the warning was downgraded as the day wore on. we quickly made the decision to get out of dodge. all of our close friends had left besides big dave, and who knew when he would arise from the tub. it just felt like we had been senoirs too long and it was time to graduate. we checked out of our hostel in 10 minutes flat, and lyds booked our next hostel in surfer's paradise. then it was time to see the beach in daylight (a first for both of us), and lunch at paul hogan's restaurant. unfortunately, there was no sign of mick dundee.
  
  back at the hostel it was time for goodbyes with the remaining mojosurfers. we had partied hard for a full hannukah cycle. some people were drunk before dinner, and still blind when they woke up in the morning. but it just got to be one too many mornings waking up with no socks and matching underwear. lyds and i were both exhausted, but we'll both look back on byron and our surf crew with happiness and pride. we rocked hard, surfed hard, and slapped the goon hard while avoiding sharks and dishes.
  
  rehab is for quitters. happy easter.

byron bay v1.0

so ... what's the crack? as the irish would say. the party has continued at byron bay with our surf group in the same hostel. it is ironic that in a town named after captain cook's navigator (and not the famous grandson poet as widely believed) you can lose yourself so easily. note on byron bay: is the most eastern point in australia and is marked by hedonistic abandon and alternative lifestyles. there is nothing to do here except party. listen to the eagles song hotel california and you'll know what it is like. as such, our surf group has fit right in. we hit up the bars fueled by our surfing clothing and goon. as each member of our group leaves to resume his/her travel we celebrate their departure irish wake style.

i received massive respect from my male boardies the other night at the bar when i convinced some impressionable girls that we were all pro surfers who were celebrating wrapping a surf documentary on big hill in crescent head. this was partly true, as we had surfed there, and it helped that we were still decked out in our mojo surf gear. it was fun to stand back and see the girls break off to talk to the famous international surfers. my friends were more than polite in answering their surfing questions.

soon we will be heading north to surfer's paradise. there is only so much you can party, and the group continues to dwindle with kevin departing tomorrow. tonight we are going down to the beach with the goon and some tunes to "do it" one last time.