TravelStream™ news feed for member scrapiron on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/scrapiron en-us Copyright ©2009 TravelPod.com Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:07:54 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1173099600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1173099600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1173099600/tpod.html Tue, 08 Apr 2008 04:07:54 -0400 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Sydney, Australia

Didnt get a wink on bus through night to Sydney and arrived 7am at central station Sydney hammering down with rain.Got subtrain to Kings Cross where had booked Globe hostel(one of daz back homes tips and where we always stay in amsters!)but reception not open so had an hour to kill.Stood tired cold and raining on street with strip joints,prossies,pimps and junkies all hanging round at 7am not best start to city life!Its been a while since Ive updated this so its all a bit hazy!Basically spent the next 4 months or so in Sydney in the heart of Kings Cross, managed to get a job driving the tourist trains around the botanical gardens next to the opera house, sat in the sun driving every 30mins awesome time!Met some great people, ended up sharing a 6 bed dorm with first Joe the crazy German, but then met Jordan (chewie) before Daz, Chris, Jens came over from Melbourne and spent 4-5 months in the room fitted with an ensuite, playstation, laptop,dodgy smoke alarm and Pidge outside as our mascot.Renee the hostel manager was class with the stuff she let us get away with,met Lisa on the trains and still with her, some class nights where we "go the empiiiiire!" and world bar. MessyLeft Sydney for 1st time in June 27th to fly to New Zealand for a month leaving the lads festering in the room!Sydney one of my favourite places in Oz.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1171650240/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1171650240/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1171650240/tpod.html Sun, 25 Mar 2007 05:02:21 -0400 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Torquay, Australia

Went out for Si's last night in Oz to the rooftop cinema for a few beers at the top of an office block open air with a big screen,deckchairs over looking the city before Si flew off to New Zealand on his working visa next morning.Decided to head down to torquay again with Jens in the bus and hired out another board,sleeping at side of road in the bed at back,surfing all day and just walking round bare foot chilling out in the sun.Gave jens a little lesson and was up on his feet first go he was stoked!Crapped my pants one day though as was bobbing up and down on top one day,swell pretty flat waiting for ages for a wave when felt a tap on bottom of board and knocked me off balance into water!shot back onto board looking round in water which was really dark and cloudy dont know what it was but after the 2shark attacks the month before was expecting to see a fin or something coming back towards me!Got back to St Kilda for Daz and Chris coming back from fruit picking and got in bus to go get a subway when half way down street from Just and Jens new shared house room the van exploded!Heard a smash and bang and it was the end of the old girl,had to push her to side of road for night.Went out had good night at area61 club with everyone got back smashed to crawl into back of van and noticed my gear was everywhere-pretty drunk so passed out,got up next morning and after a few hours realised someone'd been in the van and slashed me bag and gone thru my stuff!Hadnt taken anything but ruined my bag prob looking for drugs as it was in real dodgy area where the prostitutes and junkies hung out.Spent last week kipping in back of van and washing and crashing round justs flat watching Dvd's then the van exploded one day,managed to get $165 for it as scrap though!mint-went to Casino in city supposed to be biggest in Southern Hemisphere with Just,jens chris and daz to watch Rocky and then last night went out to watch footy in city.After we kicked ManU's ass all match they robbed us in last minute which didnt go down well as Chris laughing in my face and pub full of Manu aussie fans who didnt even know where manchester was!Got lift into city next day had last beer in the E55 bar downstairs chill out lounge where'd had my 1st beer when came from Freo with Ashley,Dave Jens Just and Dave then got dropped off by Jens and lads at station 7pm for 12hour bus to Sydney.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1171650600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1171650600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1171650600/tpod.html Sun, 25 Mar 2007 01:48:36 -0400 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Tasmania, Australia

After the festival and kipping in the car park at Cooees for free and sneaking in for free showers and food booked the tickets for the ferry to Tassie.Filled up Jens' beast with petrol as didnt think the scooby  van would make it round the hills of Tassie and headed off at 8pm for the ferry.Got told we couldnt take the jerry cans full of fuel so had to do a quick U-ee and leave them with me van outside Justs flat and then crashed down on the floor of the big cabin "Spirit Of Tasmania" for the 10hour crossing to Devonport with a few Boags beers to get us in the spirit for Taz.Moored up at the port and filled our faces with an all you can eat brekkie before headin off to Launceston.First stop of the trip the Boags Brewery where the beers brewed but after seein the price for the tour decided to get some beers from the shop and drink them outside instead!Headed on to the east coast and stopped the first night at Skeleton bay near bilalong and the Bay of Fires.Spearmint coloured water,green grass and cool surf and had the first meal on a free bbq with a massive whale bone hanging over the top of us but watched the sun down over the surf while eating-not bad!Crashed the night in a no camping spot with me and Si in the tent that came with my van and Jens in the back of the jackaroo but got bitten to death by the biggest mossies Ive ever seen,even biting you through jeans!Got up next day and started the drive down past Swansea,stopped at Norms lookout to see the tallest falls in Oz and eventually made it down to Wineglass bay where parked the car to walk the 2 1/2 hours to the look out and beach.Supposed to be one of top 10beaches in the world and after sweating our arses off realised why it was-so difficult to get to so pretty unspoilt!Made it to the beach which was awesome and I spotted a stingray but had gone by time Si got me the snorkel!Then got pelted by 3 sets of the biggest waves right out of nowhere and then stopped to photo a wallaby just bouncing round the beach before moving on down to Port Arthur.Jens wanted to do a Ghost tour as it was a penal colony and so signed up,got together in a group and the guide is looking for 3 people to hold the lanters while we walk round the castles n stuff,last one left is the one who goes out front and has to walk into the empty places on their own to check its ok,guess who gets collared!!!Giving us all these tales and how this place is 3rd most haunted in Oz,then says yeah go on Ryan go on ahead up the garden path to the rectory and stand in front room on your own for 5then call us in-then down a dungeon where they used to do autopsies!triffic.Passed through Hobart after wandering round the Salamancer markets quite a small city and then onto the Cascade brewery for a few pints in the cellar bar before picking up a slab and heading up to Cradle Mountain and Lake St Clair.Walked around Lake St Clair and the walks through the national park real nice like the Lake District back home before driving till late before jumping off in a field to park.Finished trip at Cradle Mountain,named cos it has a dip in the mountain with the shape of a baby lying in it before heading to what wed mainly come for,a Tazzie devil sanctuary where they brought one out like a baby telling us how their in danger from extinction from a disease thats wiping them out and went out back where 2 of them were hunting for the road kill the bloke had hidden and pair of them getting Aggro Steve and making the gnarling noises,quality animals! Back for the ferry back to Melbourne with all of us really stoked as not many people bother heading to Tassie,full of green hills like Wales and stunning beaches.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1170784980/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1170784980/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1170784980/tpod.html Sun, 25 Mar 2007 01:41:32 -0400 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Torquay, Australia

After not getting work(and walking out on 1job after an hour)Me,Si and Jens thought we'd end up having to go and do fruit picking with Daz,the Caseys and Chris and started getting prepared for the slog.Got tickets to see Kasabian at the Palace,St Kilda where me and Si went with 900 other people to this sweet gig in a paladium and got right down the front as their not as big over here,got tickets for 20quid after theyd played the Big Day Out earlier and had a wicked time with bottles of Sol metres away from the band who rocked the place off its hinges.Woke up next morning ready to go with Jens in his jeep 2hours north fruit picking,when Jens starts speakin to a lad at Cooees hostel about tools for sale.Comes out into car park and says this lads leaving for Sydney next day and needs to sell loads and mentions he had a van and surfboards for sale.Ended up calling the bloke to see the board but then thought bugger it ill look at the van.Met him on sidealley as the van wasnt roadworthy,had no MOT and looked like the Scooby Doo Van with a tent,chairs,cooker and fold down double bed in the back!He needed to sell urgent as was leaving the next day and wanted $500 ended up offering him $200-80quid!haha. Jens decided to go buy this 2nd hand laptop for his music n stuff but bought 5litres of oil off the same lad and ended up stuck on St Kilda Road with smoke blowing down the street and the jeep conked out,hed only gone and stuck 5litres straight in(he was stoned as usual!)when it was half full!So there we are in 36degrees,Jens under the jeep outside the Salvation army place in middle of street,oil runnin down the drains and all over him with smackheads and weirdos walking past stopping and me parked down the side so dont get towed away as id get $500 fine for driving illegally.After hours of faffin round we get a call from Daz at the farm saying theyd quit,theyd had to pay $30 to pitch the tent,had to work in sun with long sleeves/trousers/gloves,flies everywhere up a ladder getting scratched to bits,got paid per bin of pairs they filled and ended up getting $70 for 2 days work!Looked at Si and just said right,lets go do Torquay and Bells!Wed been there after new year but not spent much time there and with the combi with the bed in the back just would rather go surf and stay for free in a van than bust our asses working in the fields!Asked Jens if he fancied it,got the usual 'ah yeeah!" and ended up going round Justins who peed himself when i come round the corner blasting the horn,watched the Office box set back to back and got wasted at his house before settin off for Torquay next am.Stopped at Si's greek aunts on way to get his board,realised had a hole in the radiator of van as lad had said you had to stop every 2hours to fill back with water and as pulled up to his aunts the cap blew off(engine was under drivers seat in front!)and a brown fountain of water flooded most of front.After a crackin greek salad and all the trimmings set off with the ipod speakers in,arms out window feet on dash down the road to Geelong and torquay stopping to let her cool.Got to Torquay,found a mint spot up by Bells Beach hidden off track by the trees and for the next week spent had the most chilled out time,pulled off the road,jumped in back,put Jens' laptop on to watch films,up in morning drove down to Surf beach,me and Si surfing all day-Jens with his $10bodyboard,cooked dinner on free leccy bbq at side of beach with music on laptop then watching sunset over beach.Fave place so far over east coast!Headed back to St Kilda for the free festival where 300,000 people come down to st kilda for a massive free music and rides festival-and the van had paid for itself savin me $150 in hostel costs and even made it back in one piece no need for Jens to tow us back!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1198781400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1198781400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1198781400/tpod.html Sun, 25 Mar 2007 01:34:50 -0400 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Melbourne, Australia

After no sleep-again stumbled outside Pirates where the shuttle bus came with 40mins before the flight and the driver had to jump 3 red lights,checked in red eyed clothes everywhere with 30mins to the flight and walked upstairs jumped straight on the plane!Touched down in Melbourne where Simon from Buxton/Bali had sorted my digs and met him at Southern Cross station and checked into Bev N Micks which was cold damp and dark crap after Pirates!Went over to Federation Square to watch the boxing day test on the big screen,still no sleep and feeling  like death when someone jumps on me.Turned round to see Si,Sonia Neve and Just and ended up going off to the pub to wake me up!Met Mazza and Ben from Freo too and went down to the coolest cushion chill out lounge where we all got shteamin then onto the Joint club,still no sleep in 2days and realised I had to find my way back to hostel where Id been once!Walkin round lost eventually found it and got up next morning to meet Danny from the shark dive trip whod sorted us tickets out for the Ashes test at MCG.Met him and stood with the Barmy Army,wicked even though we got spanked still made more noise from 8000 english than 75000 Aussies-he was well guttted!MCG quality stadium though,95000 capacity and well worth going.Got up next morning to meet everyone at train station for train down to the festival and at 10am was all back on a box of red goon getting into the spirit and onto a bus along the ocean road past Torquay and onto Lorne where the festival was.Bus driver wouldnt stop for us and all ill say is Son,neve and just got caught short-euwwww sorry drive!Got the free bus from Lorne,nice seaside resort town and got a decent spot behind the main stage pitched up and got the beer tokens in ready for the festivities!Warmed up with some local aussie bands which were cool,but then it kicked off when Basement Jaxx hit the stage with the full line up,Si on my shoulders everyone lovin it!Feelin rough next morning but nice weather so just chilled on grass watching main stage,met Danny again whod smuggled us 2 bottles of Bourbon in as not supposed to bring own beer,ended up in the mosh pit watching Eskimo Joe and Hilltop Hoods smashed with Si wearing his Pig mask that hed got from Joke shop freaking everyone out!Last day new years,warming up with some mint bands,Michael franti awesome LA chap,John Butler Trio who r unbelievable and then the main event,Wolfmother!30000 people rammed couldnt move as they rocked the stage best live act ive seen,when Joker and the thief comes on thought our heads were gonna explode!Missed 12 as overrun and count down was late but didnt care!Had to get out to beer tent,evryrone hugging people gotta be the best new years ever with live acts,30,000 people and 5 of us whod met up in Perth the coolest people,couldnt ask for more.Had heard about this place called the village,so decided to have a look needing to chill out after Wolfmother,cant explain but ended up right in forest in this dreamland theyd set up with weird shows,Pocoro Pocoro and massive fake cows walking round spraying you with wee out their tails-just designed to do your head in we were all lookin round thinkin what the hells goin on!Stuck it for 2 hours working out where wed landed and went back to the tents scared!then the famous Ry and Si midget conversation(dont ask)and next thing were havin to pack up in the rain and q for buses in the mud feelin like death hardest thing ive done!Managed to get bus or wed be left stranded in field and trudged round Lorne looking for somewhere to crash but the place was rammed with people chargin stupid $'s for camping,so eventually hopped on a bus to Anglesea further long the great ocean road,ended up on a camp site with a jacuzzi,mint!Neve and Mar left next day back for city but rest of us couldnt face going back to all those people and so carried on to Torquay and famous Bells Beach where Rip Curl Pro is held with everythin geared up for surfin.Crashed in the garden of backpackers in the tents as no room either,then Sonia has the best idea and call "Petes Wrecks" hire a toyota pulsar car $45 a day and all pile in to drive down Great Ocean Road.Best drive ever where the road hugs the coast all way along winding California style scenery and made all along to Port Campbell and the 12Apostles,where rocks are dotted along coastline.Walked down to beach really rough and cold but me Si and Just decide to run into sea and get battered like washing machines!Stopped in a real red neck town and pub at night and then camped in Irskine Falls on last night in Lorne where I walk into a massive spiders web in the dark going for a pee.Eventually made way back to Melbourne after the best new years week ever and to St Kilda,a place outside of the city on the beach with palm trees and smaller pubs etc away from the husslewhere Kirsty and Bev from Pirates were landing and met them in city before going to St Kilda next day and meeting up with gang again for Sunday session in the vineyard and a few Sat nights where goon was guilty again as Sonia fell over smashed her knees up and Kirsty ripped her jeans-all because of the goon.Spent the next few weeks trying to get a job but with only commission and crap pay decided it wasnt gonna work and decided to make most of time here with everyone before moving on.Si moved into a smackpad above a pub for $90 a week with Mick and Just and Son got a flat share,after Bev and Kirsty moved back up to Darwin,the other Pirates gang joined us- Daz and Chris,Ashley and then Liz,Jens and Jonny after doing a road trip from Perth-(bringing Little Ry with them to pee me off!)Eventually moved to Cooee's b'packers as was better than the other dives and me chris daz jens jonny stopped for a week,went out their first night met Leyla a local in the cushion lounge who kept feeding me and Chris flavoured vodka back at her flat where her sisters brother kept prancing round in his liverpool kit before thinking itd be a good idea to take me to a club in the city at 7am!?rock and roll!Saw that Kasabian where playing St Kilda after the Big Day Out and got tickets for $60 after Australia Day where we all went round Just and Son's flat getting wasted out back on goon in the sun before hitting the clubs then having nowhere to stop as everywhere was chocca after Oz day cos of the Aussie Open on in the city and after ringin every hostel had to go stay in a smackpad in thew city for 2nights.Went out for Jonnys last night playing pool in hotel b4 into city and the joint where got chatted up by some girl Kelly(and her husband!?)Made my excuses after she showed us where we could see the footy at 5am and ended up with Hoppers bumbling round the city till 10am trying to find more bars!Daz and Chris brassic and so had to go off fruit picking pears for $5 an hour!After Mick had to fly home Si moved into Cooees after going under in his hostel and started bracing ourselves for fruit picking after the Kasabes gig!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1195763220/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1195763220/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1195763220/tpod.html Sun, 25 Mar 2007 01:27:57 -0400 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Perth, Australia

We checked into Pirates in Fremantle,a harbourside town outside of the city with a "cappucino strip" where the game was drinking and hanging out on the streets.After 1 day me and Si signed up to a job cash in hand clearing a fellas garden which turned out to be putting fences in and digging holes sweating like pigs and then the next day me working on the fellas scrapyard like Steptoe!Pirates was absolute class,a courtyard through the back where everyone chilled out together eating drinkin etc where your Ipod ruled the speakers and could get back at 4am and carry on drinking in the courtyard on the fave couch.One of the best nights ever,2 48 hour drinking sessions with no sleep,in the market bar/sail and anchor on the red seats/newport!After a week we signed up for a fishing job with Me Si and Dom from the hostel.Hung over we agreed to do it 6 days out to sea and to get a % of the fish value-unbelievable!!!!20hours flat out on the 1st day down to Cape Naturalist with the skipper who looked like Eric Pollard,sick as dogs soon as we went down to the cabins but for the next 6days we'd get woken up by him "wakey wakey fellas!!!" at 3am,stagger out into the deck freezing cold with wet wellies to cut up squid and shark onto 50 hooks which went onto a shoot line,stick out about 6 lines,back to bed by 5am,up again at 7am and then straight thru till midnight before starting out again!Q banter with the lads after the skipper started calling me "big boy" once,and asking us to keep going down to the walk in freezer!The fish we tugged in were awesome,5 sharks and loads of 8bar cod and blue travalla weighing bout 50kgs each with massive eyes!Ended up getting a hook in the hand and rope burns round the legs after a few accidents and hated it but on the last day we chilled out sailing back,watched dolphins and whales going past and was well worth the experience.The next 2months in Freo were the best in Oz yet and wont mean anything to any one else apart from boring them so wont go into it all,but met the coolest people they know who they are,went to see Killa Kela in Metro Perth,Carl Cox at a ampitheatre the next day,Goldie from Uk the next week and some of the funniest nights out in the harbourside club.Worked at a factory for 2 weeks with a fella who liked to call himself "hobbit!" cleaning out toxic drums which nearly melted my hands in the most unsafest place in the world!Went on a road trip with Vinny,Yoko,Sonia and Si in his good old Jackaroo down to Margaret River,down the south west coast where we went all the way past Albany,Denmark and to the Valley Of The Giants,forest full of Karri trees highest in the world.Did a canopy walk which was quite high all around the trees,then onto Denmark where we got to the Gloucester tree which is 60metres tall and you can climb.Thinking it'd be on a rope or whatever got there and this massive trees just got pegs hammered into it working their way up like a spiral staircase!So me and Si are bricking it,one peg at a time with it bending nd nowt to stop you falling when this Korean guy comes down half way up with a massive camera making us go right to the edge of the peg.......made it to the top and slowly came down shaking like a leaf when this Korean woman sticks a mike in my face and says can you give an interview for Korean Tv!?! Im shaking and sweating liek a leaf but was well funny,Hello Mom!Got to Margaret river where theres tonnes of vineyards so we decided to spend the day going to every one and to the cellar door where we tried every wine there before buying one bottle at each!Plastered by midday and then decided to go to the cheese factory and bought the best cheese in the world wiith chilli in it.Drove around and dived off the road into the woods to find a mint camp spot without paying and had dinner a la carte with our wine snags and cheese!Spot on.Got back to pirates for Yokos last night on the Friday and about 25 of us hit the strip for a meal,more wine and ended up totally wasted back at the hostel with the ipod on full blast,me donning the trusty crash helmet and riding the womans white bike thru the hostel,then getting my kecks cut off by the girls after giving me the biggest wedgy ever.Week before leaving went over to rottnest island,a paradise place over on the ferry and camped for 2nights after getting wasted on the beaches with boxes of goon,and waking up in the night with a Quokka(kangaroo/rat thing!) hopping about in mine and Daff/Craigs tent after the pizza box!Spent Xmas day with everyone with a crackin dinner and more goon and secret santas before nearly missing my flight day after boxing day checking in 5mins to spare for the flight to Melbourne and heading off to meet Si,Sonia,Justin and Neve to head down for New Years and the Falls Festival!Some names to remind me and stuff thatll mean nothing to others so sorry bout that but wiull mean loads to the people we met!Daff,Craig,jerseys,Guido,jens,Gin Lizzy,Shoplifter Daz,Kinky Jimmy,ELLO DDDAVVVVE! Brendan,Sonia,Mazza,Dom(ey!ey! big boy!) Yoko,Cockney Vinny(av you got these in a size 10love!!!!?) Neve,Irish Jonny,Jensey!kirst and bev,Gun with his massive rice!Ramshankin/partyboy/guns/riding in on the white bike crash helmet/fish hooked/scuttlebutt/musclecar/stone roses!!!!!!!!!Absolute class
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1163343600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1163343600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1163343600/tpod.html Thu, 28 Dec 2006 05:42:04 -0500 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Coral Bay, Australia

Left Broome and drove for 6hours,road trip soundtrack full blast AC/DC,Chili peppers etc and headed off on long journey down coast with miles and miles of red dust to the sides,no hills or mountains but tarmac road off in a straight line as far as you can see,unbelievable the size of the place we'd be driving for hours on end without seeing another car.After 6hours driving started looking for somewhere to park and camp for the night as its so risky driving after dark cos of the Kangaroos-which wed see dead at the side of the road every 100metres,usually with massive crows or wedge tail eagles feeding off them-one which we nearly ran into!The roo's are ok when hitting the big buses or road trains,massive 40metre long trucks which the big roo's just bounce off but would seriously take out your car if you hit one in a normal car.Pulled off down a long 4WD track and paid an old fella $8 to camp along 80mile beach(as it sounds!)and after him warning us to look out for crocs in the area as we were parking at the side of the river/sea popped the top got some dinner on and went to bed.Woke up at 3am to the sound of water and crapped ourselves when we saw the tide had come in and was around the jeep tyres,one of the most spooky things ive ever seen when we had to get out and then the car wouldnt start imagining what was in the water if we had to go round the front and push the jeep out the sand with crocs waiting!Managed to start the jeep and moved further up the beach after the 1st scare of the trip.Up at 5am for sunrise as we did for the next 10days and another 6hours drive past nothing but dust and the occasional road house to fill up on derve and stopped off at Dampier,a Salt mining town with a nice beach and Aboriginal art work and after seeing the tiny town ended up pulling onto a beach which we had to ourselves.Went off looking for the rock art,which we stumbled on after wading thru grass thinking it was full of snakes but was class,just piles and piles of rocks in mounds with markings scratched into them which we saw by clambering up and to the top coming across kangaroos,snake and pattern markings god knows how old,absolute class.nearly caught a massive mud crab for dinner that was caught when the tide was going out but would have had my fingers off,so got the meth cookers on but ended up cooking off an open fire as it was too windy probably the worst pasta weve ever had!Up again at 5 and another drive towards Coral bay,the world class Ningaloo Reef,the biggest west coast reef in the world which was supposed to be better and more untouched than the Barrier Reef and pulled up to a farm land outside of the bay for $2 and landed a spot on the side of the sand dunes,nothing around for miles and miles and with an empty turquoise beach on the other side of the sand dunes,mint!Grabbed the fishing chairs and had dinner sat at the top of the sand dunes watching the sun set across the Indian ocean on an empty beach,must be the best sunsets in the world on the west coast.Next day was one of the best ever,where we did a 4w track like a trench which I tanked round all along the coast dunes to Coral Bay,hammering round the bends with Kangaroos jumping next to us and nearly got stuck on the top of a sand dune when the road ran out!Ended up in Coral Bay and man,one of my favourite places so far!A tiny resort with a few camp sites and the clearest turquoise sea ive ever seen.Checked into a powered site so managed to get a shower and went to book up a snorkel trip but were gutted when wed missed the season to dive with whale sharks,so booked a manta ray snorkel trip for the next day and borrowed fins and masks to go out and snorkel Ningaloo reef.Woah,waded out onto the reef only 100metres off the beach amazing not like Great Barrier where you need a boat out to,but after 100metres me and Si were in the reef with the clearest coral some 10metres deep.After a game of beach volley with some local lads got up next morning for the Manta Ray dive and headed out to sea with a spotter plane in the sky flying round to radio down when it spotted a ray.The gig was to get ready at the back of the boat with 10others ready and when the chap said go!go dive off and follow the ray,but the first one was absolutely motoring!we hammered it flat out trying to keep up but he was just too quick even though it didnt look like it was moving,but the next 3 jumps were mint,managed to catch up with some slow ones and the last one came right up to the surface next to us with a little shark next to it!Found out on the way back in that a tiger shark'd been spotted round the coast by the plane,wonder why they didnt tell us that before!Picked up a couple of hand reels and tried our hands at bit of fishing but after Si caught a tiddler first time got no luck and headed off next morning towards Carnarvon and Monkey Mia.Stopped at Carnarvon a big farming place and walked out to Mile Long Jetty(as it sounds!) and threw another line out hoping for some big snappers for our tea but nothing apart from a couple of turtles popping up off the side of the jetty to say hello which was awesome!Got to a place called Little Lagoon outside of Shark Bay,a massive national heritage place and parked up with the usual pasta beans etc and camp fire making shapes and bed by 9!Up the next morning and hit Monkey Mia,a resort where for the last 30years dolphins come into the shore every day and swim round you for no known reason but after waiting for hours one showed up and hung round for 20mins but with too many people waiting headed off towards Kalbarri our next stop.Pulled into Kalbarri park to stop and check the gorges out but with the usual 1000flies trying to go up yer nose and in your mouth moved on to the town and off to a fishing spot and picked up some bait to throw in but again no luck!Off the next morn and got to Geraldton where pitched up off the road out of site and found a peach spot and hired a surf board for the day and spent the day hitting the waves before heading onto Cervantes,a desert near the coast(bizarre!) full of limestone pillars like a massive field of gravestones but got there midday when the flies were out in force with the tour buses so headed off to the beach to get some grub on and headed back at dusk when everyone had gone and had the place to drive round ourselves,with one of the best skys ever seen just like candyfloss pink across a desert full of gravestone yellow pillars,class.Eventually headed off on the final straight to Fremantle and 3hours later checked into Pirates Backpackers in Fremantle, a harbourside outside the city till we decided what we wanted to do!Road trip,absolute class seeing stuff at our own time and without the tourist buses and sunrise and sunsets every day.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1162220400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1162220400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1162220400/tpod.html Fri, 22 Dec 2006 01:24:43 -0500 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Broome, Australia

Had a crappy nights stay in one of worst hostels in Oz so far,Roebuck but had a walk over to the other side of Broome to Cable Beach,supposedly one of the top 3 beaches in Oz.Broomes a tiny little town with a small high street with a few cafes,but mainly a massive lawn usually full of Aboriginies sitting in the shade of a tree with a box of goon wine between them.Walked over and checked into Cable Beach Backpackers after sweating our wotsits off which was right on the beach with a nice pool and a bar with Ben,an aussie bloke with long curly hair that just called us Rysie or "champ" every other word.Spent 10 days just catching the free bus into town to get shopping in.Met Abi,Alex aka Sideshow bob,Roz from Brisbane and Kris a cool lad from Geraldton and had a few sweet nights out with them and Si at the bars round town.Cable beach was gorgeous,a massive spotless beach and every night me or me and Si would go for a jog down along the beach at sunset,the best place to go jogging with the sun setting as your running and with loads of camels doing sunset treks walking past,brilliant.Managed to catch something that only happens now and again called 'staircase to the moon", where the moon rises really low on the horizon across mud slats which creates the appearance of a ladder effect up to a crystal clear moon.We went to the mangoes hotel with Kris,Roz and Abi and caught it but not that good photos cos of the effect on the camera and then onto an open air club where chicks were dancing in cages and all sorts.Started lookin for a lift down to Perth,signing up for relocations where car and camper van companies need a car bringing back from somewhere and you pay $1 a day to drive it back for them.Tried to book with Wicked campers only to be blown out and basically left facing staying in Broome waiting for a campervan for weeks till we got an email from a welsh couple whod set up a 4x4 cruiser company and had a Land Cruiser pop top camper van being driven from perth to Broome and would let us drive it back in 10days for them for cheap so jumped on it!Went out for few beers with Roz,Kris Abi and Si on cable beach drinking out of the esky under palm trees on the last night and after going in the Sailors bar for a beer with Si and getting the evil eye from the local hells angels called it a night!Got up to collect the jeep,a toyota land cruiser with a pop top and sliding bed with fridge,sink and cooker in the back and 2 fuel tanks what a beast compared with our Jackaroo trip from Darwin,loaded with music,snacks and supplies and started the road trip down the West Coast with Si.  
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1162044600/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1162044600/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1162044600/tpod.html Mon, 18 Dec 2006 03:32:34 -0500 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Katherine, Australia

After a big last night out where we hit the clubs and the Vic in Darwin,danced with a fella in a wheelchair,got chatted up by the hot dog woman and watched Mick pour a pint of Lager over his head we met Flores at the back,and eventually crammed the gear into his Holden(vauxhall in oz)Jackaroo even strapping Si's surfboard to the roof.After driving around Darwin for 2hours trying to find a spare tyre for his wheel as we'd heard all about the loads of punctures you get eventually motored along the Stuart Highway down out of Darwin towards Lichfield National Park,passing the massive "Road Trains"-huge arctic lorries that are about 30metres long and pull you over the other side of the road if your in their slipstream.Pulled into a local store in outskirts of Lichfield to get some pasta and stuff for tea later when we get into the car....it wont start!sat there getting more and more pee'd off with it until I jog down to the only tiny workshop garage and get the bloke to tow us to his garage.After loads of huffing and puffing the geezer tells us as its a Japanese car and an electrical fault,he cant fix it as you need a computer to tell you the fault!!Brrrrrrillliant!So we go back to the only bar/restaurant in the place,a butterfly farm/restaurant run by a bloke from Huddersfield who sounds like a cross between Jimmy Saville and Mick Dundee and keeps offering us apple crumble.Only thing for it is to get towed back to Darwin the next morning,costinf Flores $270 and the owner lets us pitch our tent in his backgarden and gives us loads of cold beer and chips.Up at 6am next morning to load the jeep onto back of the tow truck and get hauled alllllll the way 3hours back to Darwin and to a leccy shop,where they tell him his spark plugs need changing and will cost him $250-for a car the lads bought outright from a dealer for $6000 cash!So he says ok I have no choice,and after an hour of waiting and them not able to find any more faults we set off yet again along the same road out of Darwin and this time drive past the stores and right into the heart of the national parkThe park is thousands of m2 big and we stop on the way to see the Magnetic termite mounds,a field full of gravestyard like termite mounds where the clever little buggars build their mounds on the right compass point so it gets heated by the morning sun and then cooled in the afternoon-and they are massive about 10metres high.We carry on driving and eventually stop at the waterfalls where we pitch up for the night and go for a swim in the pools.The most natural setting Ive seen with a massive lake with waterfalls falling down from the rocks,and after reading the sign "freshwater crocs are found in this lake and SALTWATER crocs can move unnoticed BEWARE!" we dive straight in!Bit eerie swimming in green dark water when youve just read that but really wanted to cool off!Waterfalls surrounded by trees FULL of fruit bats and after getting a fire going and cooking up the pasta we all sat back and watched them all fly out at dusk in their thousands off to hunt,wicked sight.Got up early for another dip and then drove deeper into the park,stopping at some mint natural pools for more swimming,the planned to stop at the last falls before heading on down to Katherine and the turn off to the Gibb River road,.....when we get back to the car and yeah,again it wont bloody start!!!!So were stuck,in a national park deserted thousands of squaremiles in the forest/desert with no one around to even tow us.Somehow managed to get it going and jumped straight in and said to FLores look mate,lets just keep going and not stop or it wont start again.So we head off on the 4hour drive to Katherine,and the engines fine when an hour into the drive along the highway,the engine starts overheating,and steam coming from the bonnet.We pull over and are straight away hit by the most annoying thing Ive found about Oz so far-the flies.Hundreds of them in your face,and I mean,like swarming trying to go in your ears,up your noes and in your eyes and mouth apparantly searching for moisture.So were all sat there,bonnet up on the Stuart Highway one of the most deserted arid places on earth with red dust and shrub as far as the eye can see,sat in fold out chairs,heads wrapped in towels to try and keep the flies out thinking we might die out here as theres no one around,no signal on phones and about 5litres of water left!We manage to get her going again and keeping the motor under 60kph stumble into Katherine after being overtaken by every man and his dog,but relieved we made it back.CHeck into hostel in Katherine,an aboriginal settlement with nothing there,and after having a chat with Si decide we cant keep wasting time and money on this road trip as we dont trust the car any more and itd be suicide to try the GIbb River Road as its even more remote than what weve been lucky to get away from.So we tell Flores were catching the greyhound to Broome the next day,not the way we wanted to do it as would have been awesome to stop where we wanted in the desert on the way but we had no choice.Felt a bit sorry for Flores,who was stuck then with a crap car that no one wanted to buy not even the dealers in Katherine would take it in part-ex,and whod have to get a lift all the way back to Darwin again,wait until someone was offering a car share to come all the way back again and losing $6000 on a heap of junk!Next day up to get together and get some goon for the greyhound ride(to help us sleep!)and after nearly scrapping with the travel agent whod forgot to book a space for Si's surfboard and eventually said theyd send it on the next day,got onto the greyhound bus for the 19hour journey across the border into W.A and Broome.Hit about 6 Roo's in the night which arent a prob for the buses as they just bounce off the bull bar but would give you serious probs if you were driving in a normal car.After getting checked at the border for apples etc stopped in a garage for 30mins where Si got told off for walking into the massive freezers like some kind of trapped caveman,got to broome and into the Roebuck backpackers 8am the next morning!PHEW thankful and relieved to have gotten there and not having to worry about breaking down!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1152716400/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1152716400/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/scrapiron/asia-oz/1152716400/tpod.html Thu, 23 Nov 2006 12:34:41 -0500 South East Asia-Oz,Ry's Travels

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Cameron Highlands, Malaysia

Got up at 8am and walked to 3 different travel agencies until managed to book a ticket for 27ringhit to the Cameron Highlands.Bus from Georgetown for 1 hour,then changed onto the smelliest,dirtiest and ricketiest bus youve ever seen!5 hours drive into the middle of Peninsular Malaysia,winding really slowly up massive mountains to the Cameron Highlands,a chilled out hill station famous for Tea plantations.Took an eternity for the bus to crawl up the sides of the jungle,sheer drops either side looking down into the jungle.Arrived and checked into Daniels lodge,a tiny box room near the hills with a crap springless bed. Had a walk downtown not a lot there one long road of shops and stalls,loads of places advertising cream teas and scones my old man would be in heaven!Watched the football in a tiny hut next to the lodge and met Alan from Scotland and Haydn a Chelsea fan,but was alright!Said i was going to do one of the treks in the morning so arranged to meet Hay at 1,weather in the highlands was colder than England,so high altitude and in the clouds,had to wear trousers and jumper to bed!Got up next morning and moved into the dorms as all the rooms were booked up-dorm was in the attic of the lodge with loads of bed bugs and we were sure asbestoss hanging out of the ceiling!Did no.9 trek through the jungle of the highlands with Haydn and eventually came to a track where Alan was just getting out of a mini van.Took van up the hills to Boh tea plantation where did a free tour to see the plant and factory where they made the tea and had a nice cuppa sat out the back looking out to the mountains!Memory card buggered up on camera so couldnt take any photos and decided to wait till I got to Kuala Lumpur to buy another one.Had met German couple on a world tour in morning when getting some brekkie and said their hut had a better T.V so went with the lads up to Fathers lodge at night where we sat in a side shelter watching the france game with a load of other English lads from Derby,sat drinking till 5am watching Brazil and all sat testing each other on stupid footy trivia questions-worst of the night came from lad from Coventry whos question was-Whats unique about Hull City?......Its the only team in the league whos name hasnt got any letters you can't colour in!!!!????Got up the next morning and had planned to meet up with few of the lads to have round of golf but after ringing the course was going to cost 100ringhit for a round.I went off on a trek while others went for a game as too expensive for me especially as id have just hacked me way round the course!and so spent 2hours climbing up no.10 route all way through thick forest and jungle up steep tree route steps to top of the mountain-what a sweat i had on!!!!Went to Fathers lodge again next night after having slap up curry,rice,curry,roti,water and cup of Chai tea for 20ringhit-about 3quid!Watched the game and played Texas Hold Em with some of the lads after,winning 4times but called it a night and booked bus to Kuala Lumpur next morning at 9am.Alan headed off to Teman Negara and said would meet up with Haydn in Bali somewhere when he got there!
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