Trains, planes and automobiles down under

Trip Start Jul 02, 2003
1
5
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Trip End Jan 17, 2004


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Monday, August 11, 2003

Haven't really been near the Internet in a couple of weeks so it's about time I did an update! I spent a few more days in Alice Springs - The main thing I did was to visit the local reptile centre to see some of the local wildlife - I even let them wrap a 3m python round my neck at one point. One night when I hadn't got much to do I was challenged to a game of pool by a local who claimed to be half aboriginal and half kiwi - an interesting mix - he kept going on about how none of the tours and trips told travellers very much about the aboriginal culture which is supposedly the oldest surviving culture on earth - sadly yakking on to me about it wasn't actually going to change very much. Later we were joined by a particularly feral looking bloke who claimed work for the local camel farm. An interesting insight into the lives of the locals - the guide books say that you should really get to try and talk to a territorian and that's about as close as I got. I also saw a bloke the next day who must have been a territorian - he had a full-on beard and was the spitting image of the old guy who used to run the roundabout in the magic roundabout - Mr Rusty?

Anyway - I'd had enough of Alice and was very keen to get on the train back to Adelaide when it finally came round on Saturday. Once in Adelaide again I went out the next day to Kangaroo Island. The island got its name because when the explorer Matthew Flinders came across it and rowed ashore a load of kangaroos came down to the beach to check him out - no humans had been on the island for about 9,000 years so the kangaroos were a bit curious as to what these people were doing on their island. Flinders and his crew set about the roos with bits of wood and killed about 30 of them ready for a big feast before the rest of the roos did a runner and so the island got its name. It's a very scenic island although the rain on the first day really didn't help! Fortunately we got some breaks in the weather on the second day and managed to see all the main sights. We didn't get to see any platypuses as you have to stand around for a while and no-one was going to do that in the rain although there were lots of koalas to be seen just hanging around in the trees at the side of the roads. There were also loads of seals and sea-lions that you could walk up to on the beach and some very remarkable rocks - well that's what they're called and yes they were quite remarkable although we only looked at them for a few minutes because of the rain!

Next was a day trip to the Barossa valley for some wine tasting which as you can imagine finished quite messily - our tour guide had his own bar that was 'between licences' but we went back there anyway for a few beers after visiting several local pubs, this was all after a day of wine tasting where we tasted around 32 different wines - not sure I learned a lot about it but it was certainly a fun day out.

Then it was time to head to Melbourne and another all day train journey - somehow none of the other train journies lived up to the first one from Perth to Adelaide but they're a pleasant enough way to pass a day watching the world go by.

In Melbourne I picked up a hire car and headed out to see the Great Ocean Road - they offered me a Ford Festiva but for an extra £6 a day I could have a V6 Mitsubishi Magna -you obviously know what I went for - despite the rain it's as spectacular as they say and fortunately on Saturday morning the weather cleared and the view of the 12 apostles was amazing - because of the rain on Friday I spent longer sight-seeing on Saturday than planned and ended up taking my hire car back 5 hours late - I think I've got away with it but still waiting to see! Then yesterday there was time for a quick tour round Melbourne and today I've flown to Hobart, Tasmania for a few busy days before I head up to Cairns and the warmth on Friday.
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