Parks and beaches: Brisbane to Noosa

Arriving in Brisbane, I began the last leg of my time in Australia – wandering up the east coast to Cairns. I only had one day in Brisbane before catching the bus to Noosa. As it was a sunny day I spent most of my time sitting in the sun in the city botanic gardens next to the river. 

In Noosa I was staying in a hostel 2 minutes from the beautiful beach. A lot of Noosa is protected as a national park. I walked part of the coastal path round the protected headland to Dolphin Point – sadly there were no dolphins to be seen, but it was a beautiful view. You can spot koalas in the trees and there are several little beaches along the path. I also visited the Eumundi markets – a 45 minute bus ride from Noosa. The markets have every type of food, jewellery, clothes and alternative healing you can imagine, along with much more. 

My time in Noosa ended watching the sunset over the beach. Heading north now to Fraser Island.

The Top End: Crocodiles, Waterfalls and Rock Art

After recovering from my outback adventures I spent a few days wandering Darwin. The capital of the Northern Territory, Darwin is used to rebuilding after being destroyed twice – first by bombs in WWII and then again by Cyclone Tracy in 1974. It is a tropical city in which the threat from crocodiles is ever present – you would be very foolish to swim in open water or stray to close to the water’s edge. The waterfront is a great place to spend an afternoon, and the Mindil Beach markets have a wonderful view of the sunset. The markets are very popular, offering every type of food imaginable, plenty of shopping and didgeridoo and whip shows.

After exploring the city I headed out to the national parks – first stop Litchfield National Park. Our first stop was a visit to Wangi Waterfall which had only been opened for the season 10 minutes earlier. During the wet season the crocs move around so extensive checks of plunge pools have to be done before swimming is allowed. Wangi was a beautiful place for a swim, and thankfully croc free! Our second stop in Litchfield was another waterfall – Florence Falls. It was very different to Wangi – full of clear water so you could see the fish swimming beneath you. Our final stop in Litchfield was to look at the magnetic termite mounds – termite mounds exactly lined up with the earth’s magnetic field so as to keep it at a constant temperature throughout the day.

We then began the off-road trip to Kakadu National Park. Along the way we spotted a baby freshwater croc and an adult in a creek. Freshwater crocs are not naturally aggressive like the saltie (estuarine) crocs, but are still formidable predators. We drove through miles of Savannah woodland – the orange salmon gums sticking out amongst the rest. We camped in Kakadu national park amongst millions of mosquitos and many cane toads. The night time silence was only disturbed by a wild horse trotting through our camp.

Early the next morning we went on a cruise on yellow water billabong, which was magical. Watching the sun come up was amazing, we saw so much wildlife- tree snakes, a Rufous Night Heron, a white bellied sea eagle eating a catfish, snake-catchers, magpie geese and Jesus birds. We even found a saltie. 

We spent the rest of the day exploring Kakadu’s waterfalls. Gunlom was my favourite – after a steep climb we reached the top plunge pools with their spectacular views over the national park. It is like swimming in a natural infinity pool – definitely work the impressive bruises I collected getting down again. We also stopped at Magook falls – only accessible by wading through a creek by foot and saw the very impressive cathedral termite mounds, some of which are over 7ft tall. The sunset on the way back to camp was beautiful.

Our final day was spent at magnificent lookouts and seeing some Aboriginal rock art. Some of the art we saw is thought to be over 20,000 years old, preserved by the oil seeping into the rock from the animal fat in the paint. The art depicts everything from creation stories to health warnings and food. The views from the lookouts we visited were spectacular. 

I have loved my time in Kakadu and in the top end, though I am looking forward to escaping the mosquitoes! 

Outback Adventure: Alice Springs to Darwin

My outback adventure began in the town of Alice Springs – the meeting point for our tour up to Darwin. Before the tour I managed to squeeze in a quick didgeridoo lesson – let’s just say I don’t think I have found my future career. Our first day began with a luxurious late start of 6am – 4:30am soon became the norm. As with our other days we spent he early hours driving through the deserted outback. The centre of Australia used to be an inland sea many millions of years ago, meaning there are vast water reserves beneath the ground. As a result, it is a semi-arid region and as there had been rain the week before, it was surprisingly green.

Other than several toilet stops at servos, our first adventure was collecting firewood. In the outback that means finding trees that have been killed by bush fire and ripping them out of the ground. The whole group set about the task and only afterwards were told that the wood was in fact poisonous – even the trees are out to get you! I managed to get a splinter, but I’m fine (don’t worry Mum). 

Our first major stop was at King’s Canyon where we did our first hike – a 6km loop of the Rim of the Canyon. You get great views across the region, but have to pay the price with a very steep ascent. The canyon is part of the land of the Luritja people. Perhaps the most beautiful part is The Garden of Eden – nestled in the bottom of the canyon a green oasis amongst the sandstone cliffs. Amongst the sandstone there are fossils of jellyfish, shells and the sea bed – remnants of a long lost sea.

Our first night in the outback was spent round the campfire, eating kangaroo steak – Australia is he only country that eats its national animal. We slept in swags – canvas sleeping bags with built in mattresses under the stars. You can see so much more in the night sky here – Mars, millions of stars and even the Milky Way.

Our second day took us to the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park. After catching our first glimpse of Uluru we headed to the cultural centre which focuses on tjukurpa (Aboriginal law, religion and culture) as well as telling of the struggle of the Anangu people to regain the ownership of their sacred sites. The park is now jointly managed by the government and the traditional owners, with the government technically leasing the land from the Anangu.

Our walk for the day was through Kata Tjuta – a group of domed rocks that sits west of Uluru. Kata Tjuta means many heads and is a very significant men’s site. It is an amazing place – formed like Uluru as the mountain range that used to sit in the area was gradually eroded. Both formations continue deep into the ground – it is thought that Uluru might continue for 6km underground. I also managed to purchase a very fetching orange fly net for the walk. 

That night we watched sunset at Uluru – a spectacular sight. As the sun gradually sets the rock changes colour. The next morning we got up to see sunrise as well. It is a very special place. Uluru is a very sacred site for the Anangu people – they ask everyone not to climb, but many still persist. I did not climb – it seems very disrespectful to their culture and ignorant of the significance of the Rock. I understand the desire to see the view, but I don’t think it is worth the price.

The next leg of the tour took me up to Darwin. Our first day we spent basically the whole day in the bus covering nearly 1000kms. We did stop at the Devil’s Marbles – Karlu Karlu to the Warumungu. The site was an important meeting place for the traditional owners. The large granite boulders are balanced precariously on top of one another and some have even split in two. We also stopped at a beautiful Billabong – a picturesque spot I the middle of nowhere. Our destination was Daly Waters – a station that has a population of 3 in the off-season. We stayed at the famous Daly Waters pub where bras, jackets and shoes adorn the walls – a true outback pub.

On our final day of the journey to Darwin we began by swimming in the Mantaranka hot springs. A wonderful way to start the day – the water was lovely – warm and crystal clear. After a few more hours driving we arrived in Edith Falls. Following a quick walk we arrived at the upper plunge pools. The water was wonderfully cool in the tropical heat and a beautiful spot for a swim.

I  have safely arrived in tropical Darwin – trying to get used to the heat again and preparing for the next adventure.

The Great Ocean Road & The Grampians

My wanderings next took me along the Great Ocean Road and into the Grampians National Park. The Great Ocean Road is arguably one of the most beautiful road trips in the world and is actually the biggest war memorial in the world.  It was built by veterans returning from the First World War as a way to provide them with employment. The whole thing was originally constructed by hand with only spades and pick axes to carve through the sheer rock faces. 

It is a truly beautiful road. Unfortunately it was pouring with rain for most of our drive, not that it mattered much when we were visiting the ancient rainforest – some of the tree ferns were over 3500 years old. Throughout the day it got brighter and we were lucky enough to see the 12 Apostles in brilliant sunshine. There are actually only 7 apostles that stand today and there is no evidence that there were ever 12. The rocky stacks just off the mainland are very beautiful, and definitely worth fighting through the selfie sticks for a picture!

Loch Ard Gorge, the sight of a shipwreck, is also a beautiful spot with a secluded beach. The only two survivors from the wreck sheltered in a cave on the beach. There are 170 known wrecks off the coast in this area, but there may be many more as yet unknown. Further down the road, we reach London Bridge. The formation was originally connected to the mainland, but suddenly collapsed in the 1990s. The whole area is liable to collapse at any moment, you never know what Mother Nature has in store. 

The next morning we explored the Grampians National Park, again in the pouring rain. The Grampians are truly beautiful – looking out over the national park was amazing. We visited Mckenzie Falls – the biggest waterfall in Victoria. The 270 steps down to the falls and the climb back up was not much fun, but it was definitely worth it. Later we went to another lookout over the park called the Balconies – again an amazing view. Not many tourists make it to the Grampians, but they are definitely well worth a visit if you get the chance.

Next stop: the outback!

Koalas, Beaches and Milkshakes – Sydney and Canberra

Leaving India behind I arrived in sunny Sydney to the blissful temperature of 22 degrees. I never thought I would say that Australia is cool! I only had a couple of days in Sydney so ignored the jet lag and headed straight out to Bondi beach – full of surfers, bikinis and speedos. It is great to be so close to the beach, though the water is a little colder than the Arabian Sea (though still definitely warmer than Newport)!

On my only full day in Sydney I bought a combination ferry and Taronga zoo pass – the easiest way to get to the zoo is to catch a ferry from Circular Quay, giving you great views of the Harbour Bridge and the Oper House, then a cable car to the top of the zoo. Set on a hill, the zoo has amazing views over Sydney and plenty of animals including some Australian natives. I saw platypus, kangaroos, wallabies, koalas, possums, gliders and rather a lot of snakes that I am hoping never to see again. After the zoo I hopped back on the ferry and headed out to Manly beach – another famous Sydney surfing beach. The ferry was definitely the best way to see the harbour – being out on the water was lovely. Eating ice cream and watching the sunset over the moored boats was beautiful.

On my last morning in Sydney I wandered around the Botanic gardens and The Rocks – the area where the convicts settled when they first arrived. The Rocks has a very different feel from the Sydney CBD – it is a much older neighbourhood with winding streets and narrow passages.

After my first greyhound bus journey I arrived in Canberra. It had been lovely to spend a few days with family. The farm is beautiful and getting to see them all was wonderful. While in Canberra I explored the National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery and both the old and the new Parliament Houses. To build the new Parliament House they removed the top of the hill it sits on so the politicians would not be looking down on the people.

I went to a rugby game (Brumbies vs Bulls) with Sarah and sat in the seats that Great Uncle Frank originally got when the Brumbies first started. On a day out with Katie and Jen I ate the biggest milkshake I have ever seen, saw the destruction caused by the 2003 bush fire and koalas in the wild at Tidbinbilla nature reserve. In some of the woodland wiped out by the 2003 fire the National Arboretum has been planted – a vast expanse of different trees with beautiful views.

It has been a great first week in Australia – off to the Great Ocean Road next.

Goodbye India

Today is my last morning in India. I have had a great month in the country – it truly is an incredible country. A kaleidoscope of places, people, religions, colours, food and culture, it is a country where you never know what is going to happen next. 

One of our guides said India had 5 main problems – populations, pollution, politics, plastic and Pakistan. I would add poverty to that list – too many people are facing a daily struggle to survive. Things are especially hard at the moment with the heat wave and very serious lack of water across swathes of the country. Getting any water, let alone safe water, is impossible for some at the moment. 

India certainly has its problems, but it is a country developing rapidly and fighting to make a better future. I won’t miss the roads or the rubbish, but I will miss the wonderful people and the amazing craziness that is India.