Oops forgot to post this. Last part of my amazing journey:
28 Days Later...I don't really care for that movie...I could be all the bloody-ness, or the sound effects that make me fly out of my seat, or the fact that it makes me paranoid of every little sound. Nor do I like the fact that I only had 28 days left in Australia. June 28th...it was the date looming in the shadows, waiting to take me home.
June 2nd, Laura V, Tyna (Laura's best friend from Jersey who came to visit), and I kicked off the month with my much anticipated trek to the Australian Outback! Laura V and I went immediately into planning in early May for this trip. The last day of classes were June 2nd, and we left on a flight from Sydney to Melbourne at 8:45 pm that night. When my class ended at 5, I had about an hour to put the finishing touches on my packing. I was so proud at how lightly I packed, much unlike my Melbourne trip. We lugged our carry-ons, practically sprinting toward the Macquarie Centre to grab a quick bite to eat before we caught the series of trains to the airport.
I didn't get the memo that I was supposed to print my ticket from online, so when we arrived at the airport I almost freaked out. The line for Tiger airways was the longest line I had ever seen at an airport. There was no way I was going to make it through the line in time to catch the flight. But after some careful maneuvering, I snuck over to a side desk and got my ticket in hand. Thank goodness! The flight to Melbourne was smooth, but the Tiger terminal was sooo sketchy. There was no possible way I would be caught sleeping there at night. The three of us ventured toward the main domestic terminal, and just for curiosity's sake, we checked out prices at some of the surrounding hotels. It was worth a shot, but everything was a little bit out of our price range. However, we did sit comfortably in their lobby for a few hours. When our tummies were rumbling we finally ventured over to get some food.
We did a few laps around the domestic terminal to find a place to sleep for the night, and settled on an area by a blocked off hallway. After playing some rummy, I caught some shuteye. Little did I know, Laura and Tyna were up taking pictures with me sleeping in the background. This was my first time ever sleeping in an airport, and its not the most comfortable accomodations ever, but hey, we were on a budget...In the morning, we ventured back over to Tiger's terminal, and waited for our flight to Alice Springs. Basically waving goodbye to civilization, I watched from the air as the city turned to green....and then I fell asleep. When I woke up and looked out the window, all I could see was barren land. Red. Orange. Brown. Everything looked dried and cracked and there was only one solitary dirt road. I understand why they call it 'The Red Centre' now...
We arrived at the Alice Springs airport that afternoon (it was even smaller than the Kalamazoo/Battle Creek airport). We were picked up by a cheery bogan, who took a detour so we could have a photo op with the Alice Springs sign. Then he dropped us off on the front step of our hostel. When the three of us checked in, the man at the front desk said that he was going to upgrade us for free, giving us a trailer with three beds. We really were in the bush. There were a few things we had to pick up from the store, so we headed into town. They had a Target, which we found quite comical being out in this desolate territory. It was a quick day, and before we new it the warm desert sun surrendered to the frigged night temperatures. People we knew warned us that the desert is nice during the day, reaching into the 70's and 80's, but when night falls...so do the temperatures, hovering around 30 degrees. I was hoping I was packed for the extremes.
Alice Springs is the only sizable town in the Northern Territory, and it truly is in the middle of nowhere. One bizarre thing to mention is the fact that the Northern Territory is a half hour behind Sydney time. A half hour?!? So in the morning we woke up at 5 am (my alarm accidentally when off a 4:30 am because I didn't set it for Alice Springs time...oops) . After a quick breakfast and after gathering our belongings, we hung out by the side of the road until our tour bus came to pick us up. The bus was exactly how I had imagined it....roo bars and everything. Since the sun wasn't even up, either were most of the people. We had plenty of time to sleep with a 288 mile drive from Alice Springs to Uluru.
Of course we didn't just drive straight through, but stopped at several dusty and weathered gas stations and camel stations. Personally, I had NO idea there were camels in Australia. The very first camel to ever set foot on the red Australian soil arrived in 1840 and came from the Canary Islands. (This was a somewhat unlucky camel, as it accidentally caused its owners death and was subsequently shot...) But this first camel was soon followed by others. 24 more camels arrived in Australia in 1860 to be part of the Bourke and Wills expedition. And in the next fifty years an estimated 10 000 to 12 000 camels made their way to Australia! The camels came to Australia mostly from India and Palestine.
It was the camels, and the camel drivers or cameleers, that opened up the Australian Outback. The camel drivers came mostly from Afghanistan, but also from Pakistan and the Turkish Empire. The camels and the cameleers, their endurance, knowledge and labour skills, were crucial in the Australian Outback in the early days. Not only the first explorers relied on camels as they traversed the inhospitable Australian desert regions. All the key projects that made the Australian Outback accessible for us Europeans depended on the camels and their drivers as well. (Projects like the Overland Telegraph Line from Adelaide to Darwin, the Transcontinental Railway Line or the Canning Stock Route, to name just a few.)
The camels in Australia multiplied, and multiplied, and keep multiplying... They live in the arid central deserts, half of them on the Western Australian side, another quarter in the Northern Territory, and the rest in South Australia and Queensland. Nobody knows how many there are exactly now (2007), some say around 600 000, some say they he numbers have reached at least one million.
So who knew?! When we got off the bus, still groggy, I noticed a sign that said "One yard = $6."
"Only one yard?" said Laura in disbelief. We had a good laugh about that one...of course they didn't literally mean the measurement, but promised a trip around the fenced in area.
So Laura, Tyna, and I walked through a rust red barn, and into the camel yard. The camel driver had the two camels waiting calmly, ready for us to climb aboard. Once we sat down, the cameleer gave a command and the two camels lifted off the ground. We walked around a curve, and swayed with their walk. Once we rounded the other corner, the cameleer began to jog and the camels bounced us around. I found this complete amusing, because Laura's head of hair, which was in from of me, looked so disconnected and hilarious. The camel driver stopped us at the end of the yard and said "hoosh." She had to repeat the command a few times, but eventually the two obeyed and kneeled to the ground.
So now I can add another first to my list: Riding a camel.
There wasn't much to look at when you are driving in the Outback. It is one straight road (we only took 2 left hand turns), and lots of red dirt with endless horizons of baked, infertile land.We finally made another left into the Uluru campground, where we all gathered together to prepare lunch. Once the rumbling of our stomachs were silenced, the group of about 20 of us hopped back into the bus, and made our way to Kata Tjuta. Along the 32 km drive, we caught our first glimpse of Uluru, but we will get back to that later.
Kata Tjuta is also know to many as The Olgas, or the literal translation of Kata Tjuta means 'many heads.' Mt. Olga is the tallest point, which it were the alternative name comes from. Kata Tjuta is, in fact, a red rock formation of a collection of massive domes. There are 36 domes, covering an area of 21.68 km2 (8.37 sq mi), are composed of conglomerate, a sedimentary rock consisting of cobbles and boulders of varying rock types including granite and basalt, cemented by a matrix of sandstone.The structure is absolutely beautiful; red rock against the clear blue sky. It is very striking.
There are two walks that you can take around the Olgas. The Valley of the Winds Walk, which is along a 7km track that circles several of the Olgas. The other walk, which we hiked,is the Olga Gorge Walk and is a 2km walk into the beautiful gorge. The group of us walk up into the gorge along a tough, not exactly flat, path. Everyone was snapping pictures left and right, craning their necks to see to the top. Also, we were all doing the Aussie salute, which essentially means swatting flies away. Bill Bryson puts it best: "Flies are of course always irksome, but the Australian variety distinguishes itself with its very particular persistence. If an Australian fly wants to be up your nose or in your ear, there is no discouraging him. Flick at him as you will and each time he will jump out of range and come straight back. It is simple not possible to deter him. Somewhere on an exposed portion of your body is a spot, about the size of a shirt button, that the fly wants to lick and tick and turn delirious circle upon. It isn't simply their persistence, but the things they go for. An Australian fly will try to suck the moisture off your eyeball. He will, if not constantly turned back, go into parts of your ears that Q-tips can only dream about. He will happily die for the glory of taking a tiny dump on your tongue. Get thirty or forty of them dancing around you in the same way and madness will shortly follow."
Making up for the obnoxious flies, the sights were breathtaking. Again, my camera doesn't do it justice, but it sure tried. After the walk, and a stop at a few other lookout points, we made our way toward Uluru.
Uluru is notable for appearing to change colour at different times of the day and year, most notably glowing red at dawn and sunset. By the time we had left Kata Tjuta, the sky was beginning to cloud up. Our bush guide told us to put our mind's to clearing up the sky so we could see the effect the sun has on Uluru. Sure enough, by the time sunset had rolled around, there were openings in the sky, casting is light on the immense red rock.
On 19 July 1873, the surveyor William Gosse sighted a landmark and named it Ayers Rock in honor of the then Chief Secretary of South Australia, Sir Henry Ayers (which is the name most commonly used). The name given to the natural wonder by the Aṉangu is Uluru. These traditional landowners of Uluru say: The world was once a featureless place. None of the places we know existed until creator beings, in the forms of people, plants and animals, traveled widely across the land. Then, in a process of creation and destruction, they formed the landscape as we know it today.
The great red rock is a sandstone formation that stands 1,142 ft high (rising 2,831 ft above sea level), with most of its bulk lying underground, and has a total circumference of 5.8 miles.
Reg, our guide, was right. Until you experience the presence of Uluru and see it's many moods for yourself, you are missing out. Watching what the sun can do, changing it from red to orange to brown to a rock with a purple hue was simply magical. We took so many pictures with it and of it. There are a series of candid photos that I love. They are of Laura, Tyna and I, right after Tyna tells Laura to "stick it in her mouth and smile" Naturally, our mind's were in the gutter so we busted out laughing.
That night we were totally rustic. We grilled kangaroo, camel, and beef, sat by the fire, and stared in amazement at the sky. The air was so crisp and the sky so clear, you just gazed at the 360 degrees of moon lit skies. It was so clear in fact you could see each individual sky and watched as the occasional shooting ball of gas interrupt the black. Our group slept on the red earth under the stars in a swag and sleeping bag. Simply cannot get more outdoorsy and spectacular. Let me also mention that we slept with mice running across our pillows (The trick is to stick your headphones in so you cannot hear their scurrying and try to get your mind off of it)...
In the morning we were up at 5:30 am...before the sun...to do a base walk around Uluru.
Cameras in head, our group took our time walking around the mass and took in the spectacular colors and beauty that was slowly revealing it self to us. As the sun came up, Uluru changed from gray to brown to pinkish to bright orange. I was truly breathtaking...
The Aṉangu request that visitors do not photograph certain sections of Uluru, the reasons are related to traditional Tjukurpa beliefs. These areas are the sites of gender-linked rituals, and are forbidden grounds for Aṉangu of the opposite sex to those participating in the rituals. The photographic ban is intended to prevent Aṉangu from inadvertently violating this taboo.
Climbing Uluru is another popular attraction that brings visitors from all over the world. A chain handhold added in 1964 and extended in 1976 makes the hour-long climb easier, but it is still a long 0.5 mile and steep hike to the top. It can be quite windy, and the climb is often closed. There have been at least 35 deaths relating to recreational climbing since such incidents began being recorded. The local Aṉangu do not climb Uluru because of its great spiritual significance. They request that visitors do not climb the rock, partly due to the path crossing a sacred traditional Dreamtime track, and also due to a sense of responsibility for the safety of visitors. The visitors guide says "the climb is not prohibited, but we prefer that, as a guest on Aṉangu land, you will choose to respect our law and culture by not climbing." The Anangu word for the people who climb Uluru translates as "many ants."
After waving good-bye to Uluru for about 30 minutes, we were back on the straight and narrow dessert roads...I mean road...en route to our next destination, Kings Canyon. As Reg drove, we quickly sped through a bush fire and watched as the sun set over the red rock mountain range as we raced to our way to the new campsite before darkness fell upon us.
Our group quickly prepared dinner in a mice infested kitchen, and then afterward relaxed after a long day around the fire. We told jokes, talked about traditions and stories about home, until it was time to watch the stars and sleep with the mice.
In the morning, we were up before the sun again, and off on another hike. Kings Canyon is yet another popular red rock mountain range 323 km from Alice Springs. Once we were there and accounted for, Reg led us on a 4 hour 6 km loop around the canyon's rim, which traced the top. A steep climb at the beginning of the walk, which locals called "Heartbreak Hill" (or "Heart Attack Hill", due to its steepness), took us up to the top, with spectacular views of the gorge below and of the surrounding landscape. About half way through the walk, a detour descended into the Garden of Eden, a permanent waterhole surrounded by lush plant life. The Garden of Eden was a little secret slice of heaven, appearing refreshingly beautiful and pristine amongst the dryness. The last half of the walk passed through a large maze of weathered sandstone domes. A slow descent brought our group back to the starting point, and the end of our site seeing in the Outback.
It was a quick 3 days packed with events. I met some great people along the way of course. Most of the people on this trip were from the US, Asia, or Europe. In fact, most Australia's actually have never set foot in the Outback, which is quite surprising. But I suppose I haven't seen the Grand Canyon or a few other areas in the States, so I can't be too shocked. Anywho...my visit was a success...I was not stranded, did not need to rope a camel or drink my own urine. So I would call it a success!
The cherry on top came from a very unexpected stunt pulled by the guy from the UK. He proceeded to pull through on a dare, and sprint around in a mankini. What my eyes saw can never be unseen, unfortunately.
I returned the next day on a Quantas flight directly back to Sydney. I actually was given the exit row, which I needed for my extra long legs. When I returned, it was Onur's 21st birthday. Turning 21 to an Australian is pretty much as exciting as it is to turn 21 in the States, instead it is seen more as 'entering adulthood,' as opposed to becoming able to legally drink. For the Turkish it is just another birthday and isn't that exciting. But nonetheless, we sang and ate.
By this point I was done with classes, but had about a week and a half before my first exam. So needless to say, I didn't hit the books right away. For Tyna's last few days, we traveled into the city for an 3-D IMAX show on the world's largest screen. We watched Born to be Wild and enjoyed gelato overlooking the sunny Cockle Bay Wharf. Later that night, Bugra, Laura, Yigit, Mert, and I attempted to bowl. Let's just say we should have used bumpers. One night Laura V. and I introduced Smores to the group. Australia does not have graham crackers, Hershey's isn't popular, and their marshmallows pale in comparison to ours. Since Laura V.'s mom had sent a supply over from the US, we showed the crew the art of Smore making. They were definitely a hit. A little taste of home.
We all know that studying isn't exactly high up on the "Most Exciting Things To Do" list, which is why I haven't mentioned it heaps. The thing about my class experience in Australia was it was so laid back, it made going almost impossible. Each of my four subjects had a lecture (which were about two hours long each, and could be listened to online using iLecture), and then a tutorial (tut for short, which is basically an hour long discussion). Also, I only had 3 days of classes, with Tuesdays and Fridays off. ANDDD most of the assessments were papers...so lectures weren't vital to attend. Confession: I attended all my subjects and all their parts for only two weeks. Then I usually only went to one subject's lecture consistently, but attended all my tutorials for the week. Not exactly my strongest showing academically, but it was pass/fail. So all three of my exams fell within two days. Awesome. Let the cramming session begin. Luckily, the weather made staying cooped up in my room easy, as the rain showed no signs of mercy for about seven days straight.
Exams were stressful as usual, mainly because they sit you down in a large hall with millions of desks. If you so much as touch a pencil before they said so, you were scolded. To be honest, the whole examination structure was intimidating...definitely not comfortable. The proctors would linger and pace around. But no worries, I survived!! Consequently, I passed all my exams with flying colors, which was a bit shocking. I basically learned how far my bare minimum effort would take me. Cheers =]
I left my last exam and power-walked straight to Wooly's for some celebratory festivities. Oh the relief of finishing exams...
There were a few times I left the square room in exam cram week. I attended a farewell dinner for the first wave of those leaving Oz. Eric, David, Nacho, and a few others were leaving the next day, and it was Emily's birthday--double reasons to get together. A large group of us gathered in Darling Harbour at Baia, an Italian restaurant. Since usually Italian food is the best bang for your buck in the sixteenth most expensive city in the world, I was thinking large portions at a somewhat reasonable price. But to our dismay, the portions were tiny. After dinner, we strolled around the city, and then headed to Macca's for round two.
At one point during exam week, I woke up early to do some studying and I was running down the stairs and managed to practically face plant into a window. I caught my middle tow on the stairs...I have no idea how I caught JUST my middle toe...I guess it's pure talent. From there, I sent myself head first tumbling. Right. Into. The. Window. Self-diagnosis: I broke my toe...It was a lovely dark shade of red, purple and black.
My last ten days in Australia were perfect. The weather was sunny and warm for that time of the year (it was their winter...50s/60s heaven forbid!). All my effort was thrown into marking off my Australian bucket list. I went to a few markets to grab some souvies, watched some of the acrobatic street performers, tried a Turkish kebab, walked across the Harbour Bridge, entertained myself in Luna Park, attended a rugby game, and drove on the opposite side of the car/opposite side of the road (opposite from the US). One day, as a last hoorah, a bunch of us traveled a ways up the coast to Port Stephens, where we went sand boarding. Essentially, sand boarding is sledding but on a sand dune. It was so fun, but not without minor bumps in the road. The first time I went sliding down the side of this large mountain of sand, I was doing really well. But of course, right when Eddie said "Man, she actually did that gracef--," I caught an edge and ate sand. Typical. Sand boarding was a blast, and afterward we roamed around Stockton beach. We left Port Stephen's with smiles on our faces and small deserts in our pants.
I finally got to embark on the Bondi to Coogee walk. It was something I had been meaning to accomplish from the very beginning, and got to do it two days before I left. Torill and I took the bus to Bondi beach, where the walk began, and strolled along for three hours. Along the coastal walk there are several beautiful, white sand beaches. We snapped pictures, watched the surfers, and watched as the sun faded fast, painting the sky with purples, pinks, and oranges.
There were more goodbyes as my good friends left one by one, returning to the States and all over the world. Australia just wasn't the same without them. You can do all the travelling and tourist bits, but my experience would have been nothing with out all the incredible people I met. Although I went to the Aussieland to take classes, it became so much more. I learned stuff that no textbook can ever teach...about people, different cultures, and myself.
Then it was my turn to head home.
Scott, Matt, and I stayed up 24 hours before our flight, saying 'good bye' to our friends...whoever was left...And hopped the first train to the International Airport. I am not sure if it was the fact that I was physically drained from staying up all night or it was because I was carrying three large bags of my belongs, but my stuff bags kept tossing me around. Every time the train started and stopper, I was practically falling down the stairs or into polls. Dangerous.
Part of me wanted to hop on that plane and get home to the promise of a beautiful Michigan summer. I was excited to see all my friends and family again. The familiar. But there was a part of me that wanted me to keep my feet planted firmly on Australian soil.
Unlike our flight over, the travel went smoothly. It was so bizarre when we landed in L.A....the murmur of voices in the background were not Australia. It was going to take some getting used to. I guess this was considered reverse culture shock?
I landed in Michigan with kankles and a welcoming party. It was fantastic to be home...but my heart ached. Everyday I go through thousands upon thousands upon thousands of photos of the past 5 months of my life. I documented them well.
