TravelStream™ news feed for member g0ldiel0cks on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/g0ldiel0cks en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:26:54 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g0ldiel0cks/1/1221085440/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g0ldiel0cks/1/1221085440/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g0ldiel0cks/1/1221085440/tpod.html Wed, 10 Sep 2008 02:26:54 -0400 Big Fish Around the World 08-09

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Whitianga, North Island, New Zealand

First day on the road with Magic and it's been a damp one..
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Wentworth Falls, New South Wales, Australia

Some pics of our weekend jaunt to the mountains... which I'll get round to writing about at some point!
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Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

Through some stroke of luck
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g0ldiel0cks/1/1216940400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g0ldiel0cks/1/1216940400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/g0ldiel0cks/1/1216940400/tpod.html Thu, 31 Jul 2008 19:38:28 -0400 Big Fish Around the World 08-09

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Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia

The last 3 days from Darwin to Alice has been surprisingly different to the top end loop: not so much to see on the way down- miles and miles of arid scrubland stretching off to the horizon with lots of the stops at small outback servos and pubs just to stretch our legs, but our guide, Nat, was so charismatic and full of energy it's been a fun trip none the less. Great music and Pictionary on the windows of the bus has made the miles fly by and the early starts much more palatable- it's hard not to smile driving out of camp at 6am with dawn breaking on the horizon to the soundtrack of The Beatles 'Here comes the Sun'..

In themselves I found some of the pub stops pretty entertaining- about as stereotypically redneck Aussie as you could hope to find (hopefully my photos will do them justice!) - and the Devils Marbles were a pretty impressive sight: seemingly random piles of giant round boulders in the middle of the desert, formed x illion years ago by..... I've also learnt loads about Aussie history and the early exploratory trips to the centre of the country construction of the Telegraph line and Stuart Highway.

We also had a pleasant afternoon kayaking down the Kathering Gorge soaking up the sun and the views.

It's gotten progressively colder as we've headed south and the last 2 evenings have been absolutely bitter. My winter gear has definitively been cracked out of the backpack- jacket, hat, gloves.. the works. (Suddently it feels worthwhile having lugged it all round SE Asia for the past 3 months!).

We reached Alice Springs last night in time for another farewell dinner for those stopping here, and today has been a welcome rest day & opportunity to do some washing, burning of memory cards to DVD etc etc.. though the longed for lie-in didn't really happen what with people crashing round the dorms from 4:30 am getting ready to head off on their trips! It's been nice to have a brief look round Alice also, though there's not all that much here: lot of aboriginals hanging out in the parks chatting and drinking, a surplus of extortionately priced galleries selling aboriginal dot paintings, digeridoos and other tourist paraphernalia, and a few museums.. I spent a fun hour at the reptile centre this afternoon getting some tlc from the native wildlife (the Blue-tongued skink and I really hit it off), wandered up the hill through the Botanic Garden for views over the town and have just shared a beer with Georgette, watching the sun go down on the Todd Mall. Another 5:30 start tomorrow so the agenda for the rest of the evening is pretty much dinner and bed..
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Kakadu National Park, Northern Territory, Australia

2 more days into the tour and a whole lot more miles covered through some stunning landscapes. We've visited the aboriginal rock art site at Ubirr, Bowali, Barramundi Gorge, Twin Falls and last but far from least, Jim Jim Falls- an absolute highlight for me. Words can't describe the feeling of swimming out solo across the ice cold plunge pool with the sheer cliff face of the falls rising skywards above you- absolutely breath-taking!

Tonight we're overnighting in Darwin before setting off on the next 3 day stint down through Katherine to Alice Springs. Another 5:30am pick-up in the morning :( Some of the group will carry on with me for the next leg and we'll pick up some new faces, so we're just heading for a farewell dinner and pub quiz at the Vic Hotel... Next installment from Alice Springs!
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Litchfield National Park, Australia

Since landing in Oz I've been experiencing massive culture shock being back in a Western society (or culture 'unshock' to coin Phil's term- thankyou Mr Lintern!). After months of haggling, constant hassle from touts on the street and being able to live off a pittance, Australia suddenly seems exortionately expensive, highly inflexible- the price on he packet IS the price, & people are indifferent, verging on offhand. Nobody wants to be my friend (a.k.a. trying to charm some money out of my wallet). I no longer feel 'special'! I's aken some getting used to but I'm getting there..

After 2 days caching up on chores and exploring everything Darwin has to offer (Mindil Beach night market and the Deckchair Cinema were particular favourites), I'm embarking on an 11 day truck tour of the Northern Territory taking in Litchfield & Kakadu national parks and Katherine Gorge, and then heading down the Stuart Highway to Alice Springs and the Red Centre. Not the cheapest way to travel, but the only way I can cover off everything I want to see in the time available..

Today has felt like a very long first day, finally rolling into camp around 19:30 this evening having been picked up at 5:30 this morning! I don't think I'd fully appreciated the distances we have to cover to get between the different sites- it makes for a whole lot of driving!! I'm just glad it's not me doing it and I get to snooze in the back of the truck instead ;) For the first 3 days of the tour we've got a pretty small group- just 11 of us- of pretty mixed nationality- a few couples, a few older people, but most of us between 20 and 30- and everyone seems nice enough. Day 1 has been all about Litchfield NP- Magnetic Termite mounds, swimming at Florence Falls and Buley Rockholes, and a sunset croc-spotting cruise along the Mary River. Now just getting set up in our permanent campsite and firing up the barbie, ready to cook buffalo sausages and 'roo steaks for dinner.. all very outback! ;)
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Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia

Well, I've finally made it to Oz- very tired after 4 hours of flight delay in Bali and only around an hour's sleep on the plane.. Now I just have the fun of waiting to see which hostels are going to have dorm beds free for tonight i.e. loitering until check-out time in the hopes that someone is moving on. Plenty of time for reading up on National Park tours I guess!
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Kuta, Bali, Indonesia

To be completed
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Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia

Back in Kuala Lumpur after a pleasant morning strolling round Melaka, soaking up the atmosphere and the final few sights I didn't manage to fit in yesterday. Made a brief lap of the malls at Bukit Bintang this evening, tempted by the idea of some last minute shopping.. but just wasn't in the mood. (Not helped by it being saturday and hence mayhem in the malls!) I will just have to swallow the Aussie prices when I get there instead.

I'm planning to get myself up in time to do the National Museum and Lake Gardens tomorrow morning before my flight so that I can say that I've definitively 'done' K.L. Regrettably I ought to sign off now - I have the daunting task awaiting me of rearranging my pack to reduce my checked in luggage by 4kg (damn Air Asia and their stingy baggage allowances!). Wish me luck!
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Brinchang, Pahang, Malaysia

Well, technically Tanah Rata (not Brinchang) but Travelpod couldn't place the map pin and they'e near-as-dammit the same place..
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