Hi, there
Since my last entry, have finished the conservation volunteer programme and travelled in a generally westward direction ending up here in Perth.
Except for the 5am starts really enjoyed the animal census at Tuggarah national park which we were doing on the last week of the programme. Basically, this involved laying out traps and checking them each morning before the sun got too high and caused any harm to the critters, hence the early starts. During the course of the week came face to face with black rats, swamp rats, antichinum, (sort of marsupial mouse; the male lives just for a year before going on a mating rampage, when it forgets to eat and then ends up dying, sound familiar anyone...?) ringtail possum, occasional but unspecified snake, a couple of microbats and a pair of powerful owls, fairly rare causing some excitement.
None of these fauna were dangerous and I have to say that other than finding a red back spider under a chair in my first week here, I have not seen any of Australia's fatally venemous creatures although in the third week of the programme, we came across what was thought to be a Sydney funnel web spider's nest. The funnel web is the world's most poisonous spider and its venom rots the flesh, nice.
After finishing the programme, travelled down to Sydney and overnighted before catching the train to Canberra. Have booked rail passes for most of my travels. Most of the rail travel will be covered by the six month Great Southern rail pass which is a bargain at $590 thats about 240 pounds with a further $100 discount for YHA members, (membership costs just $37 and with this and all the other discounts received has paid for itself many times over.) Derided by Bill Bryson as boring and similarly by some of the australians met, Canberra was formally established in 1927 as the home of Australia's parliament. In my opinion.....because I like things like this....its worth a visit for a day. Saw and had tours of the old and new parliament, the latter was impressive, and the australian war musuem, the australians seem particularly drawn to conflict & been involved in most wars going. Joined the Canberra Labour Club,have the card to proove it, for just $2.20. Entry was cheap but beer and food unfortunately was not.
Took a day to travel from Canberra to ShaneWarne, Kylie's and my cousin Philip Cornelius's hometown, Melbourne. Caught up with Phil in a boozer in Richmond and enjoyed a good and rather long session. Phil arrived in Australia in 92 in Darwin and spent a few years here in Perth before moving onto Melbourne and had some good insights and advice including specifically the attractions of Kalgoolie where I hope to be going in a week or so time.
During my four days there, saw what the guidebook told me were most of the sights. Following guidebook advice has its downsides however since on the first night stayed at the Greenhouse back packers, heavily recommended by Lonely planets, what they neglected to mention however was that most rooms lack windows...yuck. Did stay the one night before finding a hostel which did have windows, the Melbourne metropolitan YHA.
Travelled onto Tasmania, arrived at Devonport, hired car and travelled along the north west coast to Stanley and then south to Cradle Mountain, a world heritage site. Enjoyed a day in the mountains, walking around I think it was Dove Lake. Second night stayed at Deloraione Hotel, the towns main boozer where I was the only customer despite a very reasonable $30 room charge. From there, went east to Launceston in the Tamar valley, before making my way back to Devonport for the night sailing to Port Melboune.
Cut it rather fine by allowing just half an hour between landing there and catching the Overlander train to Adelaide but caught it I did with a few seconds to spare. Like Adelaide too, although its different from, more preserved, less high rise, less modern than the other cities I've been to. Took a really good tour of the Adelaide Oval cricket ground and continuing the theme the Don Bradman collection at the Institute. After a couple of days there caught the Indian Pacific train to Perth. Roughly 2,600 km, as far as London is from Moscow, this two day and two night safari across mid and west australia took us safely across the sparsely inhabited Nulabor plain, also the longest stretch of straight railway line in the world. Arriving in Perth, I concluded that having spent four of the last seven nights sleeping in a chair I owed myself a proper bed so have spent the last two nights at the comfortable Ibis Hotel.
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