Hasta luego, Brisbane!

The view from our apartment balcony: I'll be leaving for the Whitsunday Islands tomorrow. From there, I'll be taking a 3-day sailing trip in the Great Barrier Reef. Then it's on to Cairns, Port Douglas, Sydney, New Zealand, Sydney again, Adelaide...hopefully all of the way up through the middle of the entire country-- through Uluru and to Darwin. It's a loose plan, I've learned it's best to take these things one-step ahead at a time.

Times are a-changin. I said goodbye to people today, some whom I won't be seeing when I get back (the Swedes and Bri, for instance). I quit both jobs, my paralegal job and teaching English to Koreans. I'll miss my paralegal job. Although it was by no means reliable, I realized how much I value the work atmosphere of a small company. I won't miss the teaching job for numerous reasons. Really, who could love a place where the elevator was made by a company called "Schindler's Lifts"? Ironic, but true.

Dinner with friends tonight made me realize how much I'll miss Brisbane. I've met so many fun-loving, down-to-earth, beautiful, expressive people that seem to burst with love through every pore of their bodies. I've learned a lot. I think I've changed a lot too.

Maybe it's corny, but there's still one moment that will always stand out in my mind when I think of my time in Brisbane. It must have been my first week in Australia. I was in the back of Roman's car, with some people from the blue house (where I'd just moved). We were coming back from a dinner at Gabbby's house and on our way to a dumpster dive (something I was still very much unaccustomed to). The windows were down and the air was warm. Bri was in the front seat.

"Leah, I have a song for you," she said. It was the song "Australia," by The Shins. She turned around and said "Welcome to Australia..." We smiled. I'm not sure why such a moment was so significant to me or why I still remember it. But it was- and I do.

Maybe it was the moment when I knew everything would be fine. Although I didn't have the words in my head at the time, maybe I realized no matter what happened or where I was, there was always someone around who'd be there for me if I looked hard enough. Maybe.

Good bye Brisbane, I'll see you in August.

SkumpaPoolen! Fraser Island

I have a feeling I’m going to be repeating a similar version of this line a lot through my travels, but I’ll say it anyways: Fraser Island has been my favorite place so far in Australia. The trip itself reminded me of why I travel, why I'm alive and what happiness means to me. It was also a refresher of how endless short periods of time can be if one chooses to make the most of it.

About six and a half hours (by bus) north of Brisbane, I stayed five days in total. It was a last minute decision. I hadn’t really been working the past month, although I had an English teaching job starting the 9th of March. I went with my Swedish friend Hannas (who I met at Woodford and have known since through mutual friends) and his friend Fredrick.

We booked a 4WD through a hostel we decided to stay at in Hervey bay, since it is the only possible mode of transport on the island (all roads are made of sand). The hostel placed us in a group with seven others to lessen the cost of the rental (10 is the maximum number per car). The group was more than awesome-- I have since met up with one of the girls back here in Brisbane and hope to cross some of the others through intersecting travels.

From a ferry we took a ridiculously bumpy road (we're talking serious head injuries if I wasn't wearing a seatbelt) to a grand finally of endless beach, with sand so fine it will lodge itself in nooks and crannies you never even knew existed. The island is unique in that it has no roads on the outskirts, in which case we were able to literally drive along the 75 mile beach and stop where we pleased. The beach also served as a free-range runway for what looked to be joy flights. Driving along the beach and having a plane land practically next to you like it's an every day thing... Now, that's a sight to see.

Places we visited include the Maheno Shipwreck, the Champagne Pools, Indian Head, Eli Creek and Lake McKenzie. The Maheno Shipwreck is what you see in the photo above. Not surprisingly, it is a real shipwreck from the 1930s that crashed in a cyclone and was consequently used for target bombing practice during the Second World War. Now it just kind of chills there, I guess.

The Champagne Pools are basically what they imply. A bunch of rocks combined with crashing waves make a pool of the same kind of effervescence you see in champagne. More importantly is that in Swedish it's called "Skumpapoolin." I know this because I overheard Hannas speaking to Fredick in Swedish-- I pinpointed the word and couldn't seem to let go of it for the rest of the trip. It eventually became our "theme" word of the trip, you might say.

Unfortunately, that's the extent of my knowledge of the Swedish language and it looks it may be that way for awhile. While I headed back to Brisbane to start my job, the boys continued North to sail the Whitsundays. Luckily, we left the day the cyclone hit. I am now, more than ever, committed to making enough money to travel in my last months here. The commitment grows even stronger now that I know I may be home as soon as this summer, to help celebrate a most joyous event...Lindsey's Wedding! Sorry Linds, had to throw it in there :)

Oh, almost forgot.


The best Line of the trip was an Australian mother talking to her daughter: "Honey, don't touch the diiingo!"

Renege!

Last Tuesday marks two weeks since I’ve worked last. Funny, that also happens to be the last time I wrote in my blog. Ironic, how as soon as I put something down in words, the opposite happens.

About a week ago, I was called in for an informal interview with Law in Order for a full-time position in another department (they were afraid they might lose me because I wasn’t getting enough hours as a casual). They offered me the job, only to take it away again when an employee decided to switch shifts.

I’m not going to pity myself— although I need money, I was ready to leavc Brisbane anyways. I’ve already called the Sydney division office for job openings. One of my backpacker friends also contacted me with an invitation to join in fruit picking. Perhaps ?

I haven't written and I apologize for that. I've been working. And when I haven't been working, I've been traveling. And when I haven't been traveling, I've been soaking in Brisbane. And when I haven't been soaking in Brisbane, well...it's hard to sit down and write with so many people around.

Ever since Woodford, many travelers have passed through the house (some never left). Strangers have become friends, many of whom I hope to see again. The lease here ended, so some of the housemates will be different. The problem has been that no one here has been quite prepared to leave. Therefore, the house has been simultaneously full of old and new housemates. It's beginning to settle down now, seeing as how a few people have left for month-long trips to places like Port Douglas and New Zealand.

And where have I been?


A few weeks ago I went to Byron Bay, which is known for it's lighthouse and the most easterly point of Australia. From the lighthouse, we could see dolphins, manta rays and some white floating stuff that I think was just sea phlegm. It was still pretty.

A few days before Obama's Inauguration (!!), I went to Melbourne. I liked Melbourne for it's lack of humidity in comparison to Brisbane. What I did not like, however, was how easily I got sun burnt-- I heard from people that the ozone is the worst in Sydney and Melbourne. In Melbourne, we shopped in the Camberwell and Queen Victoria Markets, walked around Federation Square and sat just outside the Australian Open in Melbourne Park.


For the last two days of our stay, we drove down The Great Ocean Road from Geelong to the Twelve Apostles (above, taken from Justin's camera). I think it may have been one of the most breathtaking views I've ever seen. The road leads to Adelaide and I hope to take the whole thing one day (either from Melbourne to Adelaide or vice versa).

Other updates that I'm too lazy to weave in:

1. We have chickens in the backyard now. There are four.

2. I have officially given up pork (it's been serious for about 3-4 weeks now?). I couldn't eat it after I found out pigs have the brain intelligence equivalent to that of a 3 or 4-year-old child.

3. I've also been cutting down on beef for global warming purposes (methane from livestock). It's something I'm going to avoid, though I'm not sure if I'll ever have the tenacity to cut beef out of my life entirely.

4. Australia Day was yesterday. Happy Australia Day! In my opinion, it's a lot like the poor man's version of America's Independence Day. There's lots of drinking, except they aren't celebrating their Independence and there are no fireworks.

Woodford Folk Festival

Taken at sunrise (just before 5 AM) upon a giant hill at Woodford on New Years Day:


In the distance are the Glass House Mountains. If you are wondering if that's a viking up close, you are absolutely 100% correct.

Sometimes, it's best not to ask questions.

We left for Woodford around 6 AM the morning of my birthday and stayed until January 2. We slept in tents, which became unbearably hot to sleep in at any point past 7 AM. As a result, not much sleep was had throughout the week.

To avoid paying $450 AUD to be there, I volunteered as a bar cashier for 3 or 4 5-hour shifts. It felt like a pretty good deal, considering the amount of free time I had.

The focus of the festival was International Arts. With over 2000 performers, it involved concerts, dances, forums, street theater, circus shows and a film festival. A few music artists I took away from it based upon live performance were That 1 Guy (really, amazing), Kate Miller-Heidke and Jambezi.

I noticed many of the local performers always seemed to incorporate one of my favorite instruments, the didgeridoo.

On New Years Eve, I was surprised to hear references of Obama coming into the White House and what a big step it is for mankind. Although I realize it's a big step for the USA, the whole comment just felt so out of context considering it was said in an ampitheatre at a festival consisting of thousands of (mostly) Australians in Australia...

Although I didn't meet any people from the United States, I befriended a handful of Canadians at the festival. I met two Canadian backpackers, in particular, who made me reconsider how I'm spending my time in Australia. Because I arrived here extremely low on cash, I've stayed mostly in the same spot until I can make enough money to travel somewhere else. Having arrived around the same time as me, they've been traveling up and down the whole coast using a car they bought, picking fruit for money. While they were jealous of my grounded lifestyle, I, in turn, was extremely jealous of all they've seen-- from Melbourne to Sydney to Brisbane and all that's in between.

I suppose there isn't much I can do except wait until money from work begins to build up (there's been setbacks such as health insurance). I'm leaving for Melbourne for 4 days in about two weeks with Adam and Justin, which I hope will subside at least a little of my traveling antsyness.