TravelStream™ news feed for member rjsmith on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/rjsmith en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Sat, 14 Jun 2008 05:33:12 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211964300/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211964300/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211964300/tpod.html Sat, 14 Jun 2008 05:33:12 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Portsmouth, England, United Kingdom

Well after 267 days away I have made it back home. My flight left the terminal on time, but within 5 minutes we were parked up again due to a problem with one of the engines. So we were 1 hour late taking off, but the rest of the flight was fine. Heathrow T5 managed to sort out our bags without an issue, and before long I was standing in a cold and wet English summer waiting for a bus out of Heathrow.

It was a bit strange to be back home and not having anything to do everyday. But 5 days after being back in the UK I started work for a small engineering company and I'm now getting used to working life... and thinking about my next trip abroad!

I have already seen a few of you, and hopefully I'll see a lot more people over the coming weekends. Here are my answers to some of the most common questions I get asked:

Favourite places:
Galapagos Islands
Kyoto, Japan
Patagonia

Favourite food:
Steak in Argentina
Sushi in Japan
Ceviche in Peru

Worst food:
Teat in Argentina!

I hope you've enjoyed reading about my travels. I certainly have no regrets about leaving work and I thoroughly recommend a round the world trip!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211898120/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211898120/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211898120/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:07:03 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Hiroshima, Chugoku, Japan

I left my main bag in Kyoto and went traveling light for a few days. My first stop was the mountain top town of Koya-san which is a centre for Japanese Buddhism and one of the most sacred places in Japan. The journey there involved a lovely train ride through valleys and then a funicular railway to the top of the mountain.

The area has many temples and pagodas, but I was most interested in Oku-no-in which is the largest cemetery in Japan. There are more than 200,000 tombs in the cemetery, set amongst tall cedar trees and winding footpaths. In daylight it is an impressive sight, but as night falls the footpaths are lit by hundreds of lanterns making a slightly eerie but amazing atmosphere. The main building of the complex it Toro-do, the Lantern Hall, which houses over 10,000 lanterns. It was a stunning sight to see the building lit up with all the lanterns, but since photography is prohibited you will have to go there yourself to see it!

The next day I headed back down the mountain and caught the Shinkansen to Hiroshima for a completely different experience. The city is famous because at 8.15am on 6th August 1945 it was the target for the world's first atomic bomb. It is now home to the Peace Memorial Park and the very moving Peace Memorial Museum. The museum tells the story of how Hirsohima had grown into an industrial city, why it was chosen as a target, and then goes on to explain what happened during and after the attack.

There are many articles on display including a wristwatch stopped at 8.15am when the bomb exploded. There are burnt school uniforms belonging to just a few of the thousands of school children killed in the blast. The steps of a bank show a dark shadow where a person was sat, protecting the stone from the fierce heat rays. There are also many photos from the aftermath of the bomb, often showing horrific burns and injuries.

The most moving story was of Sadako Sasaki who was just 2 years old when she survived the bomb. But when she was 10 years old she developed leukaemia. There is a Japanese saying that anyone who folds 1000 paper cranes will have their wish come true, so she started folding paper cranes. There was a shortage of paper so she used any scraps she could find, sometimes using a needle to help fold tiny cranes. The museum shows some of her paper cranes. Her wish never came true and she died age 12 years old. Outside in the Peace Memorial Park there is a Children's Peace Monument showing Sadako holding a paper crane. Even today people from around the world send thousands of paper cranes which are housed in display cabinets.

The Peace Memorial Park also contains the cenotaph in memory of all the victims, and the Flame of Peace which will burn until all nuclear weapons have disappeared from the earth. Just North of the park is the A-Bomb Dome, formally the Industrial Promotion Hall. The bomb exploded almost directly above the building, and apparently because most of the blast force was directly downwards the building was left standing after the blast, whilst most other buildings in the area were destroyed. The ruins are a UNESCO world heritage site as a reminder of the tragedy.

Hiroshima was a strange place to visit. The park and museum are very moving, but at the same time the modern city is a very positive place which has moved on from the past.

The next day I headed back to Kyoto via Himeji. The city is home to Himeji-jo, one of the most magnificent castles in Japan. It was build in 1580 and has a 5 storey main tower and extensive grounds. Unfortunately rain had arrived which took the edge off the day, but it was a great place to visit.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211935860/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211935860/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211935860/tpod.html Sun, 01 Jun 2008 10:01:40 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Takayama, Chubu, Japan

Nara was Japan's first capital, and like nearby Kyoto it is full of temples and shrines. The most famous landmark is the huge Daibutsu-den Hall at Todai-ji. The hall was rebuilt in 1709 and is the largest wooden building in the world. It houses The Daibutsu (Great Buddha) which is the largest enclosed Buddha in the world. The huge bronze statue is 15m tall and weighs 500 tonnes. The first statue was completed in 751 but it has been recast several times over the years due to earthquake damage.

The park surrounding the temple is home to many deer which used to be regarded as messengers of the gods. The tame deer are found all around the temples and often pester people for deer biscuits. Despite it being a Sunday, there were still plenty of kids on school trips....do they ever have time off school?

On Monday I left Kyoto and caught the train to Takayama in the mountains. This old city has many original homes, shops and Sake breweries. I spent the afternoon walking around the shops and seeing yet more temples and shrines. I treated myself to a Hida beef dinner in a traditional Japanese restaurant. Hida beef is comparable to the more famous Kobe beef (apparently the cows are massaged and sometimes fed beer and sake!). The beef was cooked at the table on a sizzling magnolia leaf and served with miso, onions and vegetables. It was really good beef.... not quite up to Argentinian steak, but a good effort!

In the morning I headed to an open-air museum called Hida-no-Sato. The site contains traditional Japanese houses that have been moved from their original sites to be preserved at the museum. The buildings are all made from wood with either thatched or slate roofs. It was a great place to spend a few hours before I had to catch the train back to Tokyo.

I spent my last night in Tokyo in a capsule hotel in Akihabara. My capsule contained a TV, radio and a reading light and it was definitely an "only in Japan" moment. The next day I made my way to the airport for my flight home and the end of my trip!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1212139020/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1212139020/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1212139020/tpod.html Fri, 30 May 2008 06:40:43 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Kyoto, Kinki, Japan

I caught the Shinkansen (bullet train) down to Kyoto and the service was as good as its reputation. The trains are really fast, but they also manage to depart and arrive exactly on time.

My first impressions of Kyoto were of just another asian city, with tower blocks and neon lights. But as you walk around you start to find hidden temples and streets of traditional houses. I spent a few days seeing some of the 2000 temples and shrines in the city so here are a few of my favourites:

1. Kiyomizu-dera was first built in 798 and rebuilt in 1633. The main building is perched on the side of a hill and supported by hundreds of wooden pillars. This was the first temple I visited and it was heaving with Japanese kids on schooltrips to Kyoto. They were keen to practice their English and would often run up to me to ask a few questions. They were very well behaved compared to British kids.

2. Kinkaku-Ji is also known as the golden temple because the top two tiers are covered in gold leaf. When the sun shines it is an amazing sight and well worth a visit.

3. Nanzen-Ji has the third biggest gate in Japan, called Sanmon. The gate is 22m tall and the best part is the public are allowed to climb it for great views across Kyoto.

4. Fushimi-Inari Taisha is a head shrine for Inari, who is worshipped for wealth. The mountain side is covered with thousands of torii (gates) which have been donated by people successful in business. It was a spectacular sight to walk along the pathways through all the torii.

5. My favourite garden was at Kodai-Ji. The landscaped garden and tea house provide a great place to relax after seeing so many temples and shrines.

I stayed in a great hostel in the Gion district of Kyoto. Our host Yashi often cooked dinner for us, or would take us for evening walks to see some hidden temples. We would often drink sake, although I still don't like it (and it gives a nasty hangover). Gion is also a famous geisha district and in the evening we would often spot a geisha on the way to an appointment. Geishas normally hide from the cameras in the street, but on one occasion I got lucky and she posed for us.

I really liked Kyoto. There is so much history and fascinating culture to explore, not to mention excellent food. Its one of my favourite cities in the world!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211149260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211149260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1211149260/tpod.html Fri, 30 May 2008 05:17:44 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Tokyo, Japan

On Saturday morning I was up very early to get to the Tsukiji fish market. This the largest fish market in the world and at its best before 8am. The market is a very busy place with carts and scooters flying around so you really have to keep your eyes open. There was a huge variety of fish and seafood including tuna fish, octopus and weird shellfish. It was a fascinating place to walk around, but after a couple of hours I was getting hungry which meant only one thing... time for sushi. I headed to a nearby restaurant where they had a nice menu with photos and English descriptions of the available sushi. I could just point to the menu and the chef on the otherside prepared the fresh sushi for me. I've never had sushi so fresh and it was amazing!

Next stop was the Sony Building which displays all the latest gadgets including cameras, TVs and the Sony Rolly -a weird dancing music player. The latest digital cameras detect when you smile and automatically take a photo, although I had to force a grin like a Cheshire Cat before it took a stupid photo. The most impressive thing was a 4k cinema showing a film on Iguazu Falls in full 4096x2160 resolution. The picture quality was amazing, even if I didn't understand any of the Japanese commentary.

The rest of the day was spent walking around the National Diet and the Imperial Palace gardens, before heading to Roppongi to check out the infamous nightlife.

On Sunday I visited the National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation, which was a great science museum and not just for kids. The museum is home to ASIMO, a Honda built humanoid robot which can walk and run on two legs. In the afternoon I headed over to Meiji-Jingu shrine where a wedding was taking place, so I saw some traditional Japanese outfits. This was in contrast to the nearby Jingu-bashi where Tokyo teenagers dress up in goth and punk clothing. It was quite a weird place, but its what makes Tokyo so fascinating.

Later on I headed over to Asakusa to catch the end of the Sanja Matsuri festival where portable shrines are carried through the streets. The nearby Senso-ji temple was heaving with people, whilst in the grounds there were hundreds of food stalls selling local specialities (some more palatable than others).
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1210937100/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1210937100/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1210937100/tpod.html Fri, 30 May 2008 04:20:51 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Tokyo, Kanto, Japan

My flight arrived in Tokyo 20 minutes early, but by the time I had passed through immigration, picked up my rail pass and figured out the trains to Tokyo it was getting late. I arrived at Shinjuku Station at 10pm and I was really tired, but first I had to figure out how to get to my hostel. Shinjuku is the busiest railway station in the world with over 3.5 million users per day and it was still busy at 10pm. It also has over 200 exits if you count the underground city of shops and restaurants!

My hostel was actually a basic capsule hotel. First thing to do was to leave my shoes at the door and pickup a pair of slippers. The Japanese certainly keep things clean. My bed was a top bunk, but unlike normal bunks each bed has its own small room or capsule, with a curtain for privacy. There were 28 capsules in the room and I could already hear the sound of snoring businessmen, but I was so tired it didn't keep me awake.

The next morning I set out to discover some of Tokyo. There are over 12 million people living in Tokyo, which is actually made up of 23 cities (wards). I walked around the Shinjuku area first of all and got used to the noise and activity. I made the mistake of wandering into a gaming arcade full of pachinko machines. These are a kind of pinball/gambling machine which consist of thousands of balls falling through pins. The noise of the balls falling was horrific, but added to that was the cheesy music, flashing lights and loads of cigarette smoke for the hundreds of 'businessmen'. Surely they should have all been at work at 11am on a Thursday morning? I had to leave after a few minutes to get some fresh air.

I then headed over to Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices to visit the free observation deck on the 45th floor. The lift was full of young Japanese people who kept glancing at me and smiling. Eventually one girl asked me where I was from. When I replied 'England' there was a chorus of 20 'ahhh's and everybody in the lift seemed happy. The view from the observation room was amazing and really showed just how huge Tokyo is. It stretched out as far as the eye could see in all directions. I spent the rest of the day exploring some of the other areas of town, including the famous Shibuya crossing, the stereotypical Tokyo 4-way pedestrian crossing. One of the more unusual places was Nekobukuro, an apartment for cats. You pay an etnry fee and then spend as long as you like playing with the cats. Unfortunately the cats seemed worn out and tired of playing with all the Japanese kids.

The next day I was up early to get to the Sumo stadium for 8am. The Sumo tournament lasts a couple of weeks, and I was lucky enough to be in Tokyo at the right time. A few hundred seats are available to buy on the day, whereas the most expensive ringside seats were all sold out. I was inside the stadium to see some of the early bouts which were between the youngest sumo wrestlers. They really weren't very experienced, but it was worth going to see because you are allowed to sit in the empty ringside seats until the 'owners' came along. But after an hour I was bored so I spent a while wandering around Akihabara Electronic Town. This is where all the electronics shops are selling the latest computers, phones, cameras and gadgets. I also visited the nearby Edo-Tokyo museum which covered the history of the city.

Later in the day I headed back to the Sumo stadium. The professional athletes were arriving now (by underground tube of course). Infact I was in a small corner shop when one Sumo wrestler walked in to buy some snacks. It was a small shop but I managed to let him squeeze past.... I didn't want to get in the way of him and his food! The Sumo bouts later in the day where much more fun than earlier. Some of the wrestlers played for the crowd, but there was still a lot of bowing, throwing salt and preparation. The bouts themselves lasted anywhere from a few seconds up to perhaps 30 seconds. I really enjoyed the experience though.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1210696260/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1210696260/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1210696260/tpod.html Fri, 16 May 2008 07:24:40 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

I flew back to Brisbane since it was cheaper and so much faster than the bus. I got back to Iain's house to find that his mum had come to visit, and Sally's friend Joey came over so we had a busy house. Whilst I was away Iain had bought a Nintendo Wii, so I had time for a quick game of tennis before we all headed out for a BBQ on South Bank.

One of the good things about Australia is the free BBQs in public places, and Brisbane is no exception. Iain had brought a huge range of meat including home made burgers, kangaroo, prawns, sausages, steaks and lamb chops. Infact there was far too much to eat, and the leftovers fed 4 of us for dinner the next night! South Bank also has a large lagoon for swimming in, so after dinner and a few drinks Ian, his mum and I all went swimming. It was a great evening and unsurprisingly I had a bit of a hangover in the morning.

On Saturday Sally, Iain, his mum and I headed up to the Eumundi Markets, which are famous throughout Australia for their arts and crafts. There was some interesting stuff but I avoided buying any souvenirs due to having to carry stuff around. I did eat some great salt and pepper calamari though.

We stayed overnight in a hostel in Maroochydore and then the next morning we headed to Australia Zoo, made famous by the late Steve Irwin. I was a bit worried when we realised we had arrived on (Australian) Mother's Day, but it turned out to be fairly quiet and we got free muffins and chocolates. The animal enclosures are all really nice, although at first I was disappointed with the lack of information on the animals. However, at this zoo you really have to visit certain animals during feeding time. This is when the keepers are on hand to talk about the animals and to answer any questions. All of the staff were friendly and really knowledgeable, which made the zoo so special. The show in the "Crocoseum" included snakes, well trained birds, and of course the famous crocodiles. Elsewhere we hand fed an elephant and stroked an alligator, kangaroos and koalas. I also saw tasmanian devils, wombats, tigers, a komodo dragon and many snakes (including the Fierce Snake, the world's most venomous snake). In fact I never saw a single wild snake whilst in Australia.... although I did see redback and trapdoor spiders!

On the way back home we called in at the Breakfast Creek Hotel which has a reputation for fantastic steak. I chose a dry aged steak which was very good, but nowhere near as good as the steak in Argentina! (I don't think I will find a better steak outside of Argentina). The bar also stocks XXXX lager in wooden barrels so I had to try it too. It was warmer, flatter and tasted slightly different to normal, but I wasn't particularly impressed.

It was great to stay with Iain and Sally. There was plenty of nice food and drink, not to mention time to relax and two great weekends away. It was nice to have a break from making new hostel friends everyday... after a while its gets a bit boring asking people their name, where they come from and where they have been. But I have to head home to England to start work, so it was time to leave Australia. I spent my last two days in Brisbane getting ready for my trip to Japan. I occasionally got distracted by the Wii, but I also found time to bake bread and cook dinner for everyone.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1210190280/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1210190280/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1210190280/tpod.html Mon, 12 May 2008 01:18:43 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Whitsunday Islands, Queensland, Australia

I caught an overnight bus up to Airlie Beach. It was my first and only long distance coach trip in Australia and I didn't get much sleep. I was excited though because in the evening I began a 3 day sailing tour of the Whitsunday Islands. The islands are part of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area and known for their excellent sailing and diving.

Our boat was Solway Lass, a 127ft steel hull tallship. She was built in 1902 in the Netherlands as a coastal trader for use in the Baltic and North Seas. She was seized by the British in 1915 and used as a decoy in WWI. In WWII the Germans used her as an ice breaker, and until the 1980s she was used as a cargo vessel in the South Pacific. We had 32 guests on board, mostly Europeans and a few Canadians. She was a very comfortable boat with plenty of deckspace and shade for lounging around in. The crew of 6 were fantastic at looking after us, especially Kylie, our chef.

We set "sail" (actually engine) on Saturday night and by 10pm we were anchored in Hook Passage off Whitsunday Island. The sun set around 5pm so we didn't get to see the island until early the next morning. We motored over to Tongue Bay and went for a bush walk to a viewpoint overlooking the stunning Whitehaven Beach, one of the best beaches in the world. The sand is apparently 99.8% pure silica and it is really fine and smooth. When you walk on the sand you can hear a strange squeaking sound. We went swimming in the sea where I saw a few stingrays and plenty of smaller fish. It is currently the end of the stinger season so we had to wear wetsuits to protect ourselves from the jellyfish.

In the afternoon we headed up to Luncheon Bay on hook island. This was our first taste of true sailing. I helped to raise the top sail, but due to stupid health and safety laws passengers weren't allowed to climb the rigging. I spent most of the trip relaxing on the netting at the front of the boat.

The next day we went snorkeling in Luncheon Bay and Maureens Cove. The coral was fantastic and there were hundreds of colourful fish, but there weren't that many large fish. We also had time to go swimming and to play on the huge rope swing. before heading over to Blue Pearl Bay in the exclusive Hayman Island. Just after dinner we were joined by 3 dolphins who were busy feeding around our boat. I also saw a few small sharks, so I was looking forward to our snorkeling in the morning.

The snorkeling turned out to be quite good, with some bigger fish including a 1 meter Giant Wrasse. We didn't get to see any sharks though, and it didn't live up to the Galapagos Islands. After lunch we helped to raise all the sails as we sailed all the way back to Airlie Beach. It was the only part of the cruise where I needed my sea sickness pills, but it wasn't too rough. In the evening we all went out to dinner at Australia's 2nd best fish restaurant where they do a bargain fish and chips. I really enjoyed the Whitsundays and recommend Solway Lass.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1209058620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1209058620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1209058620/tpod.html Mon, 12 May 2008 01:14:06 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

On Saturday I headed up to Brisbane to stay with Iain & Sally. Iain used to be my flatmate in Bristol so it was great to see friends again, and as a bonus I also got my own room with ensuite, cooked meals and plenty of beer! But it wasn't all easy.... on Sunday morning we were all up at dawn because Iain was taking part in a rowing competition along the river. Sally & I sat on the river bank, avoiding the rain showers and drinking beer. The Queensland slogan may be "Beautiful one day, perfect the next", but so far the weather has been more English summer.

On Monday night I went to the Castlemaine XXXX brewery with Iain. The tour of the brewery was quite good, especially the bottling plant where we saw 1000s of bottles of beer being filled. It was quite hypnotic watching all that beer go flying past on conveyor belts. We finally ended up at the bar for the beer tasting. The brewery is the only place in the world where you can buy XXX, which was definitely one of the best beers I have tasted in Australia (not that much of an achievement!). We were only allowed one glass of XXX, so we then tried the less exciting range of XXXX lagers and a stout.

Iain works during the week so I decided to head down to Surfers Paradise for a couple of days. This is the main tourist resort on the Gold Coast and I'd heard lots about it, so I was prepared for the worst. I actually liked Surfers a lot more than I expected. The sandy beach stretches for miles, so if you walk a few minutes from the centre then you can find plenty of space. There are swimming zones and lifeguards at regular intervals so you can go swimming in safety. Perhaps the only thing I disliked was by 3 o'clock in the afternoon the towerblocks turn in to huge sundials, casting shadows across most of the beach. Surfer's is definitely a major party resort with loads of pubs and clubs, so if that is what you want then head there for your holiday and you will love it.

I headed back to Brisbane and on Thursday night we all went to see an Eels gig. I remember buying the first Eels album back in 1996, but I have never seen them live before. We were a bit surprised that it was a seated venue, but instead of a support act we ended up watching a BBC documentary film called "Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives". I had no idea that the lead singer 'E' (Mark Oliver Everett) is the son of Hugh Everett III, a famous Quantum physicist, who amongst other things came up with the many-worlds theory about parallel universes. The film showed Mark trying to find out about his father and trying to understand his theory. I found the film really interesting, but some other people at the gig seemed a bit confused by the whole thing. After about 1 hour the film ended and the band came on. Actually the band only consisted of 'E' and 'The Chet', but it was an amazing performance by very talented musicians. Both Iain and I thought it was one of the best live performances we had ever seen.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1209777480/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1209777480/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/rjsmith/round_the_world/1209777480/tpod.html Mon, 12 May 2008 01:07:29 -0400 South America, Easter Island, Tahiti, New Zealand, Australia & Japan

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Rainbow Beach, Queensland, Australia

Iain, Sally and Hayley headed back to Brisbane whilst I headed north to Rainbow Beach. I had decided to join a self-drive 4x4 safari of Fraser Island, which is the largest sand island in the world. We met our group members on Monday afternoon and sorted out important things, like buying alcohol for our trip. The next morning we were given our Toyota Landcruiser and all the camping equipment. There were 11 people in the vehicle, so all our things had to go up on the roof. We were also taught how to drive the 4x4s and told where we were allowed to drive on the island.

I was the oldest person in our group and ended up being the first driver since nobody else wanted to. We drove down to the beach in a convoy with another 5 vehicles, and then caught the short ferry across to Fraser Island. We nearly had an accident on the ferry when one of the girls knocked the gear stick out of 2nd gear, and I learnt that the handbrake really wasn't that good.We just avoided rolling into the vehicle in front!

Fraser island has no real roads so most of the time we were driving along Seventy-Five mile beach, along the east coast of the island. It was good driving along the beach, but I had to be careful due to the streams which run down to the sea. In some places there were drops of 6 inches, and our heavy vehicle meant we had to go very carefully. The real fun came when I drove inland to reach Lake McKenzie. The track was steep and twisty so we really needed the four wheel drive. I was enjoying the driving, but some of the people in the back were suffering more as they were thrown around.

Lake McKenzie was stunning, with crystal clear waters and a lovely sandy beach. It was a bit of a shame that there were so many other people there. We also saw some Dingos, which are a kind of wild dog. They were really nice looking dogs, but they are scavengers and wild so we kept our distance.

Somebody else took over the driving for the trip back to the beach and our campsite. We had a great dinner and most of the people in our group helped out. It then turned to party time along with all the other groups camping in the area. The next morning we woke up with hangovers and I ended up doing the washing up in the sea using sand and seawater. It was not my favourite moment of the trip. I seemed to take on the roll of 'Dad' for the group since nobody else seemed to make decisions or tell people what to do.

The second day was a bit quieter as we headed up to Indian Head and the Champagne Pools, before heading back down the coast to camp near the Maheno shipwreck. Unfortunately my camera was playing up and I couldn't take any photos. We had a quiet evening and most of us were asleep by 9pm. The next morning we had time to visit Eli Creek and Lake Wabby, before catching the ferry home.

Everybody in our group had a good time, and unlike some groups, we didn't have any arguments. We also came back with hardly any food, whereas some of the others hadn't eaten any fruit or vegetables over the past 3 days!
]]>