Wonderful Adventures through Never-Neverland.

March 13th:

Because I am an idiot, I missed my bus this morning. So, I had an extra expense of buying a train ticket to get me to Port Macquarie. I just hopped on a little past 2pm and now have four hours to occupy. I just finished reading The Tenth Circle by Jodie Picoult (recommended, btw) and am going to run my computer batter down as my next form of entertainment. Then it will be my iPod, and hopefully by then, I will have arrived!

The last time I was on a country train (one that lasts for more than an hour) I was in Europe. Looking out the window now, it really doesn't look much different... well, the houses aren't bavarian styled or old victorian homes... they are built after 1900. There are no mountains in the back, or rolling hills for that matter. I do know that there is a beach not to far from the tracks, however. Somewhere there is a sand dune and some guy surfing. And, I can understand the conversations around me. That is one big standout from Europe.

The first time I ever rode on a country train was when I was younger and my parents took me on a vacation from Kansas City to St. Louis. I don't remember if it was the trip there or back, as little details like that seem to fade with time, but I do remember we were stuck on that train for hours longer than we should've been due to a failed engine. For some reason I think it was about 16 hours for what should've been a 5 hours train ride. Maybe it's my mind exaggerating, but I remember the heat and the lack of food, and a boy about my age played cards with me.

Years later, Abbie and I took the train to Chicago, then I took it all around Europe (my first solo experience was by myself, sitting in a train compartment with three buff Italian men who very well could've been in the mafia).

I still think I'd much rather travel by car or by bus, but there is something about trains that can put you in a different mood. It's like you can imagine yourself in a different time, exploring countryside that hasn't quite been affected by urban sprawl. However, this train squeaks, and is quite obnoxious.

I'm sure most of you know, but Australia is a very new country. Growing up in America, you know that most things aren't older than 1776. Sure, Native Americans predate that, but most of our history spans a short 350 years. Australia's is much shorter. Yes, the Aboriginals have a history, and no it shouldn't be overlooked. But, I'm talking about the growth of a country, when Australia really started to be put on the map: and that was January 26, 1788. Buildings don't predate the 1800s here. The commonwealth, that we know Australia as now, was formed in 1901. Crazy how young they are!

Thus, another reason I often feel I'm in America. Although, fall days in America don't look and feel like this. I don't get sunburns on a fall day in Kansas (or Iowa, or Tennessee... etc...), but I do in Australia.

Next stop is Port Macquarie, where my one goal while I'm there is to kayak. I've gone canoeing in my life, but never kayaking. They better give me a helmet, cause I'm pretty accident prone. LIke that time my entire family almost drown while kayaking down the river, one summer.

Family vacations became very rare after that and probably with good reason.

While in Newcastle I managed to only harm myself slightly by getting a huge blister on my toe and having it pop while on the beach... sand and oozing wounds are the best of mixtures. But, no death (yet). I did however see a koala in a tree eating a leaf. We were about 10 feet away from each other... i wanted to reach out and touch, but his claws looked pretty damn vicious. I always saw my first wallaby. I like to call it dogpig. Not the most endearing of animals, but neither are elephants or hippos, yet somehow Americans love them.

BTW, I forgot just how hard it is to pee in a moving train, especially when you have to bring your backpack/purse thing with you because it contains all of your valuables. I didn't pee on myself, so I'm considering it a successful trip.

One thing that I noticed about travelling to smaller towns is how willing the locals are to strike up a conversation with you. I think it's like that in America as well. Whenever you're in the city, people are too busy rushing from one thing to the next to even manage a smile or an 'excuse me.' But, in small towns, you have all the time in the world. Strolling down the promenade an elderly man asked where I was from and how I was enjoying his city. Sometimes back home people do this and you get freaked out that they have ulterior motives. You can usually hear it in the smoothness of their voice. But, I felt he was genuine. Then the ladies in the stores, or on the bus, or wherever I go, they want to chat and are more interested about me then I probably am about them. But, when you do strike up a conversation with a local, you learn just a little piece of their story. They aren't special people by any means, but they are unique. That's what travelling has taught me. Everyone has a story, you just have to be willing to listen.

.....

I am picking this blog up two days later, sitting at a rest stop somewhere just north of Port Macquarie. I am on the greyhound, heading north to Coffs Harbour. My first day in Port Macquarie I spent inside, editing some video that I shall post here ASAP... or, as soon as I have sustainable Internet.

My second day in Port was magical... I saw bats (thousands of them above my head!), koalas, and dolphins! Sitting on the breakwall, in between the ocean and the river, I watched the sunset as dolphins played within metres of me. It was breathtaking, really. I never wanted to leave.

The koalas that I saw were in a koala hospital, which is free to the public. Since their areas are so endangered, they are often injured by people or fires, and have to be put in intensive care. These koalas were the cutest things you have ever seen, and were fighters! I didn't get to see any in the wild, although I was told they are EVERYWHERE in the trees! They are definitely hard to spot.

This morning (Monday the 15th) I woke up and tried... wait for it... VEGEMITE! We get free breakfast, so a jar was just sitting there. I had met a German girl the night before, and she was just like "Don't do it! Don't do it!" and laughed at me as I preceded to spread just a teeny-tiny bit onto a corner of my toast. I have to say it wasn't the worst thing I have ever tried, but it was definitely not the best. I won't be going back for seconds any time soon!

The German girl, Carolin, and I decided to go Kayaking... we rented a kayak for two hours and splashed around in the river for a little while. She was too afraid to go upstream through "horrible and scary rapids"... really, it was a rock with some waves.... so we had to get out, carry the kayak up a hill and over the highway to get to the other side. People laughed at us... I was laughing at myself too. Well, we get up there, and she decides it's too much effort (yea... you JUST realized that??), so we go back down, she's too scared to climb down the rocks and get in the water ("it's dangerous!"), so I do it myself. We then went the other way, around Pelican Island, which was gorgeous and so serene. 2I saw an Oyster farm! I'd seen it before on Dirty Jobs, but never in real life! I also saw a water dragon. About a foot and a half long! Even he was laughing at us.

It was a good two hours though! :) I had never been kayaking, just canoeing (remember my story about last time I went canoeing??).

I am now on a bus, that smells like piss, eating pistachios and orange juice, and waiting to get to Coffs Harbour.

Oh, my band of the moment is Rascal Flatts. I think I have officially become more southern just by moving away from the south. I have had two of their albums on repeat for the last week!

Love,

Michaela