A Travel Around The World

Should we bother with Fraser Island?

2009-11-14T09:10:00.000-08:00

Our plan was to reach perhaps the most popular attraction on the drive up to Cairns listed by Unesco as World Heritage Site and being the world largest sand island, you know already what I am talking about: it’s Fraser Island.

This much acclaimed land is sculpted by sand, wind, with crystalline freshwater lakes (like the intense blue waters of McKenzie Lake framed by nearly pure silica sand being the highlight), giant dunes and lush rainforest opening on the long Seventy-Five Mile beach where dingoes roam wildly.

There are only three launching points to access this remote but paradoxically so close place only separated to the mainland by a narrow strait: Inskip Point, River Head and Hervey Bay, this last one is also the most touristy gateway. Inskip Point happened to be the first on our route, after deviated from the Bruce Hwy at Gimpie, so we decided to detour and checked it out.

Being a protected sand island means there are now roads at all and therefore it’s only accessible with 4X4s. Our junky van would for sure get bogged even before getting to the barge (small ferry) to Fraser Island so we were restricted either to rent one, go on a self-drive tour (the most popular a 2 nights camp trip with 9 fellow dudes) or buy a package trip on a chunky-tyres bus with 28 others, not quite my idea of fun.

Discarded the last two options, mainly cause we wanted to have the freedom to discovery Fraser Island on our own way, we got down to the numbers to see if we could afford or not to hire a 4WD.

Unfortunately for us, math is not an opinion:

vehicle Entrance permit from QPWS $38.25 for a month (that’s the minimum)

+ camping permit $5 pn each (so cheap!)

+ barge from Inskip Point $90 return for a 10 mins cross (or returning via Hervey Bay $115)

+ rental of the 4x4 around $130 per day (ouch)

+ pricey fuel on the island

+ maybe insurance?

= maybe next time!

For a two days trip this was not my plan to hard pinching the pennies! But I didn’t discourage, yet.

By looking at the map provided by the QPWS office at Rainbow Beach, I started drumming it into my head that we could just hike to Mckenzie Lake, which interested me at most.

Some locals even advised us we could also hitch up a free ride to the other side of the channel being a popular fishing route. The only tiny detail that hold us back was the circa 10 (maybe 11 hours) track we would had dare as amateur walkers packed with all the camping gear need it for the night, food supplies, probably at least 5 lt of water, if not even more, each and the heat of the tropical sun... umm now I was discouraged!!

Although this would be for sure the best way to escape the traffic of the congested beach and to experience this enigmatic island through its natural interior, for the time being we would just take it easy in pretty Rainbow Beach. We could always thinking about it in few weeks time once on our way back to Sydney.

The 90km walking track runs around the island but it's break up into short sections.

Snapshot of the week: For life

2009-11-13T06:40:00.000-08:00

Noosa National Park - Queensland

Among the rainforest, these trees merging together seem to me like a tender hug; however it’s more like to be a fight to the predominance to reach the sunbeam.

Strolling about beautiful Noosa

2009-11-09T06:08:00.000-08:00

Noosa is a fashionable thriving destination on the Sunshine Coast with sophisticated boutiques lined along Hastings Street, cool but pricey eateries and upmarket hotels.Yet it’s not tacky as you would expected from many other popular sea-side resorts along Queensland coastline but it retains the feeling of a cozy little beach town. It might be cause there are no skyscrapers around, it's surrounded by the peaceful and picturesque Noosa Coastal National Park along with gorgeous beaches still freebies attractions, which made Noosa even more appealing for some avid nature–lovers backpackers like us.

We had the choice of 15km of track, splits in 5 relaxing walks, to soak up the incredible landscape of Noosa Heads leading through the pretty secluded beaches of Tea Tree Bay, Alexandria Bay till we reached the long stretch of sand on Sunshine Beach, the last change for some good surfing to the rush to North Queensland.

The park is also home to some amazing wildlife like cuddly cute koalas, which make a nonchalant entrance just at the start of our walk, black cockatoos, beautiful wildflowers and a diversity of coastal vegetation from tropical rainforest, eucalypt woodlands to colourful wallum heath and sedgelands. From the rocky cliff of Hells Gates we were amazed as we even spotted a sea turtle rocking through the bumpy water and some dolphins. What a day!

If you want to hang around for longer you wouldn’t get bored either. Take a kayak tour, a Camel safari (I know, I certainly didn’t expect to find them over here but in some part of Australian they are even a pest), visit the nearby volcanic crags of the Glass house Mountains NP or drive along the wild endless beach at Cooloola NP, better known as Great Sandy National Park, only if you have a 4WD or take part to an organized tour up to Fraser Island. Nevertheless, what’s is wrong with just some simple laze about on the glorious beaches?

If you are more adventurous why don’t dare to go camping? Yes, you hear it well, camping. I bet you haven’t been to Johns Landing Camping before, a short drive from Tewantin nearby Lake Cooroibah. Believe me, you must be a Rambo-wannabes to enjoy a stay here. Permanent residents weirdoes apart, including the drunk camp-keeper, as we arrived through the dirt road it looks like the last place on earth forgotten by God. But you know, first appear are not always right. Not in this case! The place seems more a refugee camp or a junk yard set on the bank of a mosquitoes-invested marshy river, where “toilets” leave a bit to desire, dogs are less than welcoming and, when night falls, you wonder who is watching you, but apart that it was a great camping tale to tell and cost us only 10 bucks.

Snapshot of the week: the Miami of Australia

2009-11-08T03:11:00.001-08:00

Surfers Paradise, Queensland's Gold Coast

Surfers Paradise is for sure one of the most popular holiday destinations in Australia and the busiest of the Gold Coast beaches sometimes referred as the Miami of Australia, is it?

My thoughts? Stick around for a couple of days and then keep going up north. There are other jewels’ on the Queensland coast waiting to be discovered.

“Where else but Queensland”

2009-11-06T15:01:00.001-08:00

I couldn't agree any better with the campaign of this blessed state at the north-eastern corner of Australia, Queensland. Maybe it's the 300 days of sunshine a year, the long sandy golden beaches, perhaps the abundant of wild creatures, spectacular coastal sceneries, the tropical rainforests, it has even mountains, dirty and dusty roads through endless harsh landscapes, the blue water of its many tropical islands or, how could I ever forget one of the world's greatest natural wonder, the Great Barrier Reef that attracts over a couple of million visitors each year and we were definitely up for all it.

The Hill Inlet, Whitsunday Island

If you are among the adrenaline junkies make sure you wouldn't miss any opportunity of diving, snorkelling, come face to face with some big crocodiles up north in the Daintree River, skydiving at Mission Beach, white-water rafting on Tully River, trekking among the many national parks or just go wildly crazy at the many parties towns where folk of backpackers flock to get trashed like in Cairns and the Gold Coast with its core at Surfers Paradise. Where the hell did they get the name from, Surfers Paradise?? It give us the impression of a heavily development tourist ghetto with million-dollar theme parks such as Dreamworld, Wet 'n Wild, Seaworld, high rising condominiums, pricey accommodation and loads of bars just the kind of place we want to run away from.

Surfers Paradise, Gold Coast

But don't despair, if that is not your style either, just keep going north, stop in relaxed Brisbane for some urban exploration, till you reach the lazy Sunshine Coast for some relaxing time on the beach, some koala-watching in beautiful Noosa up till the charming little Rainbow Beach and the world largest sand island, Fraser Island, if you manage not to be run over by the heaps of 4WDs to those beaches have been mistaken for a state highway. If by then you'll feel like getting back to the bustling life of a seaside town, don't worry the frenzied traffic of Hervey Bay is only an hour drive away and if you turn up at the right time you could have a truly whale-of-a-time since the majestic humpback whales stop in the calm and warm water of this bay to bread. Do you think you see it all? You are only half way mate, keep going. Coral fringed islands are next along the Capricorn Coast but get ready to splurge some dear cash for the first sight of those spectacular underwater coral gardens of the Great Barrier Reef as a trip to Lady Elliot or Lady Musgrave don't come cheap. If you can wait, you will be probably better off do it in the diving jungles of Cairns. In the meantime you could always unwind in the less untouched corners of Queensland like Eurimbula Coastal National Park, play castaway at Great Keppel Island, get lost at night in the mangroves at Emu Park, go island hopping to the paradisiacal Whitsundays, drive through sugarcane fields, farmlands, banana plantations till you reach the rainforest at Mission Beach but make sure you watch out for those cassowaries. Feel now like to cool down? Why not escape the hot sticky tropical days up in the peaceful Atherton Tablelands taking the scenic Waterfall Circuit before you finally go deep down off the coast of Cairns?

Davies Creek National Park

Thinking you have made it to end of your trip? Go further Cairns backpackers' mecca; even if you are not going as far as Cape York, reaching Cape Tribulation will be a rewarding drive through an extraordinary diverse region with rainforest, coral reef and dangerous rivers.

Have you fall for Queensland yet? We certainly have. Queensland seems to us just lives up to its motto.

Snapshot of the week: Not only a cliché

2009-11-02T14:03:00.000-08:00

Surfer paradise, Queensland

If they would have told me, I wouldn’t have believed it but the Australian cliché of sport nuts couldn’t be truer in Surfer Paradise. Even in this urbanised touristy place spending the day at the beach is a must for the locals and it starts as earlier as sunrise, is everybody suffering from insomnia? We woke up in our hippie campervan at the noises of the many cars pulling over to our same parking spot to find ourselves surround by a crowd of surfers, joggers and swimmers. Although still much asleep I couldn’t resist taking this snap: this bloke checking on the waves on his loose boxer swimsuit and his UGG boots just says it all.

Byron Bay: Wish I could live here

2009-10-28T12:00:00.001-07:00

Its fame hit us well before we enter in Australia and not for anything, only now we could understand the reasons behind it.

Byron is only a small town on the easterly point of Australia mainland. When you drive through it at first, yes, it seems very pretty but nothing new to many other nice seaside villages you might have come across along the East Coast, WRONG! Hang around for a bit longer and you will see what Byron is all about.

A laidback town with a mixed feel of hippy vibe, amazing surfing beaches, friendly locals, backpackers' entertainments, bustling restaurants, sweet little cafes, casual lifestyle, sunny days, beautiful surrounding national parks, fantastic walks, heaps of activities and great wildlife, what else would you want on earth?

We were lucky enough to experience it at its best, during the low season with not many tourists around, but be warned during the peak time in the Australian summer it gets very packed. Even though, I am sure Byron Bay will manage somehow to maintain that cosy feeling of a small town maybe cause you wouldn't find skyscrapers rising over Byron skyline, megastores or the annoying worldwide fast-food-restaurants' chains.

We ended up staying a week here, wandering around the main street for some "window-shopping", people-watching at the Main beach, joining the surfers at Watego beach, working it out through the coastal walks up to Cape Byron's picturesque lighthouse, staring silently at the wild open ocean, catching a glimpse of the many humpback whales splashing their tales in the blue sea during their northern migrations to the tropical calm water of Hervey Bay, observing the gracious dolphins frolicking in the clear water among the surfers' crowd ,throwing few sausages on the barbie for a lunch with unbeatable sea-view and, the most important part, just chilling out on the stupendous beaches.

Byron Bay is beyond doubt one of Australia's most famous iconic destinations and, so far, our top favourite one. We truly felt like never leave it but our journey is not finished yet and we had to keep going, nevertheless we could always come back.

Oddity: watch out how you park in Byron. If you don’t want to find a ticket on your windscreen you will have to get used to park 135° rear back, apparently it’s easier parking this way, eh?

Snapshot of the week: you-have-been-framed

2009-10-24T21:43:00.000-07:00

In Australia you will be never far away to a close encounter with Kangaroos, they are everywhere! This one was a sweet one.

Surf-mania

2009-10-16T20:36:00.001-07:00

Surfing is to Australian like an old fashion cup of tea or, the modern version, a pint to Brits, so we couldn't have come so far and not gives it a go.

It's hard to resist it since everywhere we went on the East Coast we came across a nation of surfers competing for their "right of way" in the blue sea. I am not only talking about the hot athletic bodies running on the beach with the surfboard under the arm, sorry I need to stay focus.. right where I was.. even girls, elders, little kids are all out there catching the waves. I guess it's in their blood, a hereditary gene they all born with, and no wonder all coastal towns have its own surf club and all Australian live within 5miles of the coast.

We spent hours 'n hours admiring the Ozzies mastering so naturally this art, enough to believe we had absorbed the techniques: paddle out to the ocean, wait for the right wave, catch it, stand up and just ride it, so simple, right?

I reminded myself what a crap I was at any gym's lesson in the high school and, a part of me, was sure I was going to make full of myself but, with an encouragement from Chris, which made me believed it would have being as easy as on my first snowboard-ride down the Val Senales Glacial (only after, I recalled I ended up going off track, landing on a rock, having a horrible, painful green bruise on my bum for weeks, before somehow I miraculously reached the end of the slope), there I was, squeezing into a wetsuit, staring at the ocean to spot the best angle to approach it. I guess I looked such a professional surfer that a dude approached me asking for some wax. What for? Looking at him suspiciously "sorry mate", before I realized the board need to be spread with it to increase the grip, I would had needed lots of it!

Me, my board and my foolish confidence

No more chatting, time to get serious. All surfers were out there around the same spot, the waves looked terrific, perfect we thought and here we go.
I started paddle to reach the other surfers but there was a slightly issue: no matter how harder I tried, I couldn't get any further than a certain point. Already exhausted, I decided there it would have been the right spot I would have waited for my wave. After some failed attempts, here I was: riding a wave.. well, kind of, body surfing, I was having enough troubles to hold steady on the fast-running board that stand up was not an option. Yet, it was so excited, so fast; it was seconds of pure exhilarating fun before it quickly turned to frightening anxiety when I saw I was washed furiously ashore against some massive rocks, sh't! I had no idea how to stop that thing. Before I knew it, my board stranded on the sand and I was tossed around in between some rocks like some socks in the spin-drier. Phew! I didn't know how but I was all in one piece.

I was still convinced I could do it so, after I calmed down and with Chris still in the water, I gave it another go. This time I placed myself as far away from a possible trajectory against those rocks and after minutes of wait there I was, same story and same ending. That was the moment I knew this sport was not for me or at least next time I would have need some professional help, a lesson wouldn't have heart me.

Watching it was an entertaining pastime, but do it was a complete different story altogether, have fun!

Tips:

· best surfing spots (not that I am an expert but cause I saw lots of surfers there) are probably around Sydney's beaches, from Bondi to Manly beach, Byron Bay and Surfer Paradise;
· you don't have to splash much of your budget to get some qualified tips, one-hour surf's lesson is around 60 bucks or you could hire a board for $20 for all-day-long plus a tenner for the wetsuit

Snapshot of the week: Unexpected surprisingly

2009-10-16T17:33:00.000-07:00

Barranjoey Lighthouse @ Palm Beach, Sydney - NSW

Less than an hour drive north of Sydney CBD, you will be rewarded with spectacular beaches and ocean views.

The golden Palm Beach, one of the jewels of the Northern Beaches, is nestled on a lush peninsula among the blue waters of the Pacific and the calm sailing-paradise waters of Pittwater. At the end of the beach, there is a steep track to the summit to Barrenjoey Head Lighthouse a well-worth work out for a breathtaking view.

NSW North Coast Roadtrip, through our trip top-to-bottom of Australia East Coast

2009-10-08T21:43:00.001-07:00

Having ignored the bit between Sydney and Byron Bay? That's exactly what we were going to do like many other backpackers, mistakenly bypassing this part of the Central Coast of NSW and head straight to Byron, but thanks to some locals who tipped us off about some coastal hideaways we didn't miss out some magnificent drives.

At first though, we had to struggle going through the traffic of Sydney but likely we didn't have to drive far away to find our first peaceful and beautiful stops, about 30km north, first in Palm Beach and then in the lush Lane Cove River National Park. Soon after, we followed the Pacific Highway but couldn't resist the call of the brown-tourist signs on the side of the road so, now and then, we found ourselves taking a right-hand turn in search of a secluded beach. We spared ourselves a bar-hopping night in Newcastle but not before having spent an afternoon strolling along its pretty waterfront and once again we were off searching our next detours.

Sugarloaf-Bay,Seal-Rocks

The Lakes Way was another pretty drive which weaves from Myall Lakes to Seal Rock. Unfortunately the weather wasn't on our favour and, after stared at the tremendous power of the rough ocean, we carried on till we reached the Booti Booti National Park to settle our tent on the pristine Camp Elim campground. The place was literally all to ourselves and with some clear days in front of us we just unwind for days, kayaking through the shallow, peaceful, emerald water of Wallis lake, which silence was only break by the noises of the huge pelicans' colony on a small floating island in the middle of it, and gazing at the powerful waves breaking just offshore at the untouched Seven Mile beach. At the entrance of the lake, the two twin towns, Forster and Tuncurry facing each other off, were our stop for refuelling our bellies on some great fish&chips.

Not long after we left this pretty place, we found another detour to Crowdy Bay NP. A never-ending unsealed rough road took us where kangaroos roam free in abundance and gum trees blend with the lush forest. Time to move on and soon we reached Port Macquarie from where the highway starts running closer to the ocean and there are plenty more chances to stop along the many seaside resorts, all very similar to each other offering the same holiday-maker experiences and Nambucca Heads was among ours.

It wasn't long we needed to break up from these holiday-destinations' atmosphere and for a glimpse of alternatives lifestyle we went up hill to the charming, little Bellingen, where time seems to run very slowly, but nothing prepared us to the mellow unusual charm of our next destination: Byron Bay. Awesome beaches, great weather, cheerful locals, great chill-out atmosphere and although it is a small town it offers all the glitz to surfers, backpackers and artist minded people.

The 7km stretch of sand of Tallow Beach, Byron Bay

Nearby Nimbin is supposedly where all the real hippies had moved since the Aquarius Festival in 1973 but to welcome us was, not the expected very friendly approach, instead the hassle of the pot dealers along the short main street (by the way are they not supposed to "share the love"? ) My vision of the hippie-happy town soon vanished, though my eyes seems amazed to see passing by some "real" hippies, maybe too old to care anymore about sharing a smile with one of the too many tourists.

So far we seen it all, wildlife, tourist-trapped villages, untouched national parks, weirdoes but we still missed something, oh yes the warm tropical weather and the boarder to Queensland was now few miles away.

Sydney top 10 on a budget

2009-09-20T22:49:00.000-07:00

Sydney is a huge vibrant city but after all it was surprisingly manageable as all major attractions are easily reachable, a large number free and set around its beautiful harbor. It is for certain a great place to dive into the Oozy cultures: great beaches, bars, entertainments, outdoor activities and sunshine, even in ‘winter’ we got a fantastic week of warm and sunny days.
Here, what we enjoyed most of it:

get the best amazing view over the iconic Opera House and Sydney inlet just by walking the footpath along the Harbour Bridge;
spend an evening staring at the mysterious creatures of the ocean at the Sydney Aquarium. It hosts great exhibitions on Australian rivers’ system and its habitants, including a big croc, but we spent most of our time observing the amazing oceanariums with various species of sharks (though no sight of the big white), huge manta rays, two mysterious dugongs and an exhibition entirely dedicated to the Great Barrier Reef. There were only few people around which made our experience even more magical;
the Opera House, although we imagined to be a more colossal structure, as many other sightseeing around the world it looks smaller in reality but it is a beautiful building which remind me the form of a seashell, maybe I got influenced by its stunning setting by the waterfront;
escape the concrete jungle to the Botanic Gardens, strolling along lush gardens, gazing at the many species of plants, flowers and the sleepy bats hanging down on the trees’ branches, ending up at the nearby Art gallery of NSW which host Aboriginal art plus many European famous artwork pieces ;
chill out at the bustling Darling Harbour enjoying the sunshine and the great view of the shiny skyscrapers in front of us;
enjoy a walk along The Rock, where Sydney first began in 1788 when the first European settlers start their camp here. In the past a rough place, it has now beautiful renovated warehouses, sailors’ home, charming restaurants and a pretty touristic market for all your souvenirs;
grab some fresh massive seafood platter at Sydney Fish Markets and enjoy a fantastic lunch by the waterfront; watch out for the pesky seagulls they are very greedy and more than happy to ruin your feast;
catch the ferry from the Wharf to Manly, a must ride while in Sydney at only $6 per way;
take a stroll around Sydney’ suburbs: King’s Cross, the backpackers’ ghetto stuffed with tacky shops, bars and nightclubs, Newton with its alternative lifestyle, funky shops ‘n cafes and Manly with its relax atmosphere;
Bondi is probably the most famous beach in Sydney, thanks to its reputation it is also the most commercial, but there are plenty of other as beautiful and less crowded beaches around starting with Coogee beach, just a short drive away, Manly and my favorite picks Palm Beach and La Perouse, where, if you are more lucky than us, you will enjoy a reptiles’ show at the main car park on Sunday afternoons;

Bondi beach on a quiet day

Tips:

you could enjoy some undisturbed free web-surfing at the huge State Library, just next to the Parliament House;
Sydney has heaps of walkways around the harbor and protected rock pools in almost every beach;
why spend grand part of your budget on a hotel room or a crammed full hostel? Gumtree is a great site to find cheap short term accommodation just browses it through or place an ad as we did. We ended up staying in a pretty dependence with our own bathroom with a very welcoming family for only $250 pw just a stroll from Maroubra beach;
if you plan to do some sightseeing watch out for the many free magazines around the city (any hostels or backpackers’ travel agent will have it) which are packed with interesting vouchers. We got a 20% discount on our entrance at the Aquarium, so we managed to splurge $51.50 between the two of us, all well worth it. Allow plenty of time to see it and bear in mind it is open till 10 every night, isn’t that great?!

Melbourne to Sydney: the start of our coastal roadtrip

2009-09-20T22:36:00.000-07:00

We already spent a week in the Victorian bustling and multicultural capital city, Melbourne, just before leaving for New Zealand, so it was time to pick up our parked van and start to hit the road on the conquer of Australia East Coast. We decided to proceed along the Princes Hwy (A1) which carves its way through the 1100 kilometres of coastline that separates Melbourne to Sydney, the two largest cities in Australia. We were not on a hurry but it was getting chilly down here and our desire to reach the hot Tropical North was growing anxiously inside us. So, decision was made to leave behind Philip Island, home to the famous nightly penguin parades, besides we already admired them in the Kiwi land.

We set off over verdant rolling hills, rural roads, forests and rugged coastline until we reached the Gippsland lakes district, the largest inland water system in Australia. We carried on northeast, past the popular seaside town of Mallaccota, across the imaginary border to temperate New South Wales and smaller charming villages like Eden, Merimbula, Tilba Tilba until we reached the unspoilt Illawarra region and the breathtaking Jervis Bay, a sheltered bay with a squeaky-white stretch of sand, (supposedly the whitest in the world) and crystal clear waters.

This was exactly what we were looking for from our roadtrip, a dreamy landscape coming true. We based camp within the tranquil bushes of the Booderee National Park. We enjoyed silence days strolling along the spectacular beaches within the park, bushwalking among it while, by night, we enjoy the free show put up by the local wildlife such possums and kangaroos which would roamed curiously around our van or even sneaked in it scaring the hell out of me.

We were craving to see more of these natural wonders, we had to keep going, but not before having spend some time in the dazzling, much acclaimed Sydney, our next stop.

The amazing view of Sydney Harbour and Opera House from the Harbour Bridge

On our way back from Sydney to Melbourne, we would avoided the coastal road and eventually fast-tracking through the Hume Hwy detouring only for a quick stop to Australia's National Capital – Canberra which, surprisingly, we found it to be a very quiet and a bit boring city. Mussolini would have probably like it, with its geometrical grand appear, but to us it didn't say much, maybe just not our cup of tea.

A Wild World: Australia’s unique and dangerous wildlife

2009-09-03T07:02:00.000-07:00

Crocs, koalas, kangaroos, that’s only few of the exotic animals we were looking forward to come across on our journey in Down Under and we weren’t disappointed. Australia has such an incredible biodiversity of animals that in Europe we could only watch on telly. This land has been so isolated for centuries that only here you are able to find certain species, even the swans are different, they are all black.

Australia abounds of wild animals and didn’t take us long to spot Kangaroos and other small marsupials like the possum or wallaby, colourful birds, huge pelicans, cute koalas waggling or climbing in many national parks, lizards like the big komodo, turtles, dolphins, whales and much more.

Many species have adapted well to the urban environment and live in “harmony” with the mankind (maybe not reciprocally as some, like the possum, are considered a pest) others, you could only spot in the wide wild and not all are harmless, actually many are poisonous animals. Spiders, snakes, scorpions are only few dangerous animals that could have ruin our holiday and I could go on and on with the list like the cassowaries, a large flightless bird which could also become very aggressive.

Not only on land but also the sea holds great hazards with jellyfishes, like the deadly box jelly, stingrays, stonefishes, sharks, blue-ringed octopus infesting especially the tropical waters during the wet season.

Likely for us, we didn’t see any of those terrifying animals (Chris saw a peaceful ?? reef shark) but, even if they could be so dangerous, bear in mind that some species are shy or even more scared than us and in most cases they would move far away from us asap.

Regardless, ever underestimate nature cause for some creatures it will only take a minuscule amount of their venom to kill a man in minutes, straight into cardiac arrest.
Even the apparently innocuous male platypus, famous icon of Australia, has poisonous spurs and you wouldn’t want to annoy a peaceful stingray, see what happened when it got threatened by Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.

At first, I got a bit intimidated by the plentiful of potential dangers of such poisonous creatures but I learned not to give a negative attribute and to threat nature with respect, even better to watch out for that big yellow warning sign, and I survived!

the ungly stonefish; it expertly camouflages among rocks, sand and mud. You don’t want to step on it as its spines could cause death or in “better” scenario paralysis

Best places we watched for wildlife:

for the underwater world undoubtedly hit to the Great Barrier Reef, it is just legendary;
kangaroo: well everywhere but good spots are Jervis Bay, Tewantin Golf Course, Crowdy Bay National Park;
humpback whales: during their breeding migration to tropical waters (June-November) you could just spot them slapping their huge tail from Byron Bay’s Lighthouse or go to Hervey bay for a boat tour encounter;
turtles: along Noosa Heads coastline and also at Hervey Bay’s Harbour and of course again on the great barrier reef;
salties, the big croc: Cape Tribulation resident in Myall Creek;
sharks: Chris fished one smallish in Sorrento, Mornington Peninsula, it was too beautiful that we realised it, and spot one under water on great barrier reef;
dolphins: Tin Can bay, they have regular b’fast everyday @8am at the marine, or try Byron Bay where they swim wildly.

Our Van-tastic Australia Roadtrip

2009-08-31T03:52:00.000-07:00

Here we go; the long-awaited part of our trip was truly undertaking a grand drive in the so unfamiliar and so acclaimed Down Under land.

As the rest of our whole journey around this world, little planning was made and all we knew was the roughly 6’000 km we would have drove along Australia East Coast, easy we thought. Nothing prepared us to what we would stumble upon, such diverse and spectacular sceneries, the most epic roadtrip we ever accomplished.

The idea was to buy one of this hippie cool Volkswagen campervan which would become our mobile home for the next 3 months. Somehow, we found ourselves with a panel van with a mattress throw in the back, who knows how many times before it already attempted the Big Loop.

From then, it all began. We’ll never forget the emotions that hit us the moment we embarked on this adventure, so excite but so daunting.

The destination: no itinerary was really set except we would have start in Sydney, reach Cairns and back. Inconveniences struck straight away and instead we set off from Melbourne and headed back to where we began. Not a big deal, we got our own wheels and we could just feel the freedom of roaming around at our own time, detouring at any points or stopping just whenever we felt like.

The only (wrong) advice we have been told at start, was there’s nothing interesting in between Sydney and Byron Bay, just a couple of hours south of Brisbane, but we were not in a rush. So we went off driving through rugged Gippsland and coastal Victoria, seaside towns all along New South Wales coast, tourists’ havens on the Queensland’s Gold Coast, laid back Sunshine and Fraser Coast, up to the Tropical North where rainforest enchants at Cape Tribulation and the Great Barrier Reef is a truly living wonder.

We ended up covering 14’282 km over 3months, but it was a van-tastic time!

Snapshot of the week: "you've got mail!"

2009-08-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

Kiwis don’t like it standard! We were amazed, when driving through New Zealand, to come across such funny and strange letterboxes, definitely not the usual boring mailbox we are used overseas. In some villages it seems to be a competition to create the most original one and soon it was a contest between Chris and I who spotted the weirdest one. What’s your favourite one?

Top 10 New Zealand North Island’s unforgettable sights

2009-08-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

Although we didn’t manage to fit all things we want to see in the North Island of New Zealand, like for example the art deco city of Napier, the Waitomo cave or the Waikaremoana lake, after having drove bottom to top through this island over 3000km I think we got enough to put together our top 10, so here we go:

1. the bubbling and smelling evidence of the earth’s powerful forces in Rotorua, despite its distinct smell of farts..sorry I meant sulphur, and the “Sacred Water” of Wai-O-Tapu Thermal Wonderland (27k south – entrance $35) packed with interesting thermal features from the Champagne Pool to the mineral terraces despite we missed the foreseeable lady Knox Geyser which goes off like a Switzerland clock every day at 10.15 (with a little manmade trick using some soap, cheeky);

2. forget about New Chums beach (Whangapoua/Coromandel), rated by someone one of the top 20 beaches in the world, what??, and the much photographed Cathedral Cove instead lose yourself in the pristine and secluded Whale Bay, near Matapouri along the Tutukaka coast, and you will see why I felt like taking off all my clothes and jumped in the water, not quite, I tried but the water was too cold even for immerse one foot;

3. the thunderous Waikato River and its Huka falls another proof of the unstoppable power of the nature. Crossing the footbridge I could feel my feet shaking;

4. Te Papa, this interactive museum that overflows with Maori treasures and enthrals the visitors with insights of this land’s history. If the history doesn’t shake you up try the Earthquake house and I loved also the natural exhibitions with all native species on displays and a colossal octopus which eyes were bigger than a football ball (plus it’s free);

5. relax our body and mind at the many thermal Spas around NZ. The Polynesian Spa, overlooking lake Rotorua ($20 each), is voted one of top 10 spa by Conde’ Nast but we preferred our private pool at Taupo De Bretts Pool (only $10 with access to all pools if you stay at their campground). However we were less thrilled when we overheard the “party” going on next door.. ouch;

6. climb the giant dunes at Te Paki stream at 90 Mile beach and “surf” our way down for what it was supposed to be a high-speed ride to the bottom. Didn’t quite work that way probably because instead of using the conventional hired body board (the shop was closed) we made our own one out of a kellogg’s box and a 1-dollar k-way jacket; that was part of a competition between Chris and I but none of us succeeded and we ended up cover all over of sand in and out our clothes, don’t’ ask me how;

7. dig frantically all over Hot Water beach for our own natural hot pool (we caught the well-being bug). Theoretically, you have to do it 2 hours before or after tide, exactly what we did other than the only thing that seeped up was in practice freezing water ..umm not sure what went wrong, maybe we should have asked for a little help to make this fascinating natural wonder works;

8. unwind in the Coromandel Peninsula missing out time and mileage following the coastal road to the deserted glittering beaches such as Hahei and the 8km stretch of Waihi beach and enjoying infinite picturesque views like the one over the Coromandel Harbour, Bowentown and Matakana island;

9. go walkabout at Mt Maunganui, a popular kiwi holiday’ spot overlooked by the massive hill “The Mount”. There is a great walk up to the summit and to the rocks on the joined Moturiki island, both offering spectacular shots over the sandy Bay of Plenty, or stroll along the long golden Papamoa beach;

10. the loop to the sleepy Matauri bay, north of the Bay of Islands, with its beautiful white sand beach and crystal clear water even if the locals seem not really tourist-friendly.

Snapshot of the week: with no boundary

2009-08-19T20:35:00.000-07:00

Cape Reinga Lighthouse – Far North New Zealand

Believed by the Maori to be the jumping off point for the soul of the dead starting their spiritual journey home, Cape Reinga is the place where the Tasman sea embraces the Pacific Ocean and where we enjoyed a dramatic panorama over the never-ending ocean. It worths to stay over at the nearby DOC campground on the beautiful Tapotupotu Bay.

Discovering New Zealand North Island

2009-08-14T03:39:00.000-07:00

Everybody seem to rave about how beautiful is the South Island of New Zealand, which surly we can’t argue with it, but we wanted to give it a chance also to the North Island so we spared 2 weeks to travel from “Welly” up to Cape Reinga before flying out from Auckland.

We only needed few days touring around to realise that the North Island is definitely more crowded than the South, which in a sense it kind of spoilt a bit its great landscapes, but that didn’t put us off and Wellington, anyway, is not as rushing and institutional place as I would expected from a capital city but has instead an artistic feeling, no wonder here stands the cutting edge Te Papa museum.

Cities were not the point of our travel in this country so we moved on to reach the wilderness of Tongariro National Park. I was too excited to get my hiking boot on for the renowned best one-day hike in New Zealand, the Tongariro Alpine Crossing across three active volcanoes (apparently not to take too lightly), but soon I was cool down by a really bad snow’ storm that closed all streets going into the park for days and the forecast wasn’t going any better, it planned to last a week, thanks!

A distance glimpse of Tongariro N.P., it felt like to be in another planet

No time to waste and I needed to give myself a little treat to made up for this disappointment so we carried on through the acclaimed Lake Taupo, the largest fresh water lake in Australasia (616 sq km) and the crater of a massive volcanic eruption more than 26,500y ago, for an emergency relaxation section at one of the many Taupo’s thermal pools. Aahhh soaking up for a while (well they had to kick us out otherwise we wouldn’t move) in the many mineral pools at De Bretts Pool was just .... fantastic. With our body completely relaxed and steamed, we felt we need to kick in with some exercise so we hit the Huka Falls Walkways, along the Waikato River, till we reached this dramatic falls, despite the fact that we were tempted for another beauty therapy stop at the free natural hot stream en route.

Enthralled by the geothermal power of this part of the world, we rushed to Rotorua with its myriad of thermal hot springs, exploding mud pools, huffing steams and geysers that ooze up from beneath the “Ring of Fire” where some of the Earth’s tectonic plates crush into each other generating this spectacular powerful energy, visible to us when water joint together.

Bowentown Heads, Bay of Plenty

After all we were on holiday so, absorbed the science’s lesson, we hit the road once again in search to spend some lazy time on the beach and that’s where we followed two notable roads: the Pacific Coast Highway, leading to the Bay of Plenty and the dramatic Coromandel Peninsula, and The Twin Discovery Highway heading to the less crowded The Far North. We drove by pristine beaches, wonderful crystal-clear ocean, secluded coves, huge sand dunes and tranquil harbours with some great subtropical weather tag along.

Dunes at 90 miles beach

Tips:

Rotorua and Taupo are on the centre of this wonderful geothermal field and therefore are big money-tourist attractions but you could still enjoy some mineral bath and visit some geothermal park with courtesy of Mother Earth and who of us don’t like freebies? Immerse yourself in the hot pool on the river just next the entrance of Wai-O-Tapu complex and wander around Kuirau Thermal Park in Rotorua, when such amusements are free I enjoyed them even better :-) ;
there are no reason to stop to Kawakawa (really there are weird people around this town) unless you urge to have a wee at the Hundertwasser’s famous toilet but after that ... run away!;
Auckland didn’t impress us either; two days were more than enough to us to visit this busy hub what you reckon?;

Snapshot of the week: the giant marbles

2009-08-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

The Moeraki Boulders, Hampden Beach south of Oamaru – New Zealand South Island

Contrarily of what I first thought, those almost spherical boulders are not the result of the erosion of some great forces instead of 4 million years of a slow natural process accumulating mud, clay, fine silt and calcite. Some of these boulders weight several tons.

Hooked up! The top 10 places to fish in New Zealand

2009-07-27T19:12:00.000-07:00

I never like fishing, I found it the most boring sports ever, waiting for hours and hours before something happen, and always wonder why Chris like it so much even though we often ended up at the fish counter in the store. But that was before we came to the angler’s paradise called New Zealand.

There are countless lakes, rivers and of course the big ocean that surround both Islands home to a real abundance of stock and places to find your own private spot where to cast your line with the plus of not that many fishermen around (taking in account the population of 4 million).

Kiwi’s freshwater also holds an advantage compare to Europe as there is no fret for a dreaded predator, the pike, and adding that to the stock of fish that get through in every season to help maintain and regenerate the number of fishes it’s just their perfect habitat, no wonder why fish grown big over here.

So, bother by the annoyance of Chris to give it a go to this sport, for his sake and for shus him up, I reluctant gave it a go... no long to wait I got my first salmon, I couldn’t believe it! Soon after another one and Chris too, it was like filling up the trolley at the supermarket. And the greatest thing of all it was that at the end of the day we got to eat fresh, al fresco and free! It was then that I realize I was hooked up too.

We did have few skinny fishing days but brown or rainbow trouts, salmons, kahawai and spotties were among the menu’ many times. Had to thanks for that also the many locals fishermen: they hold the secrets of the best spots which sometimes they kept it jealously for themselves but many more times they shared it with us and, when they did, it was like hitting the jackpot, they really have the best knowledge on the matter.

Make sure you keep it a secret too, here are our top 10 places to strike a once in a lifetime fishing experience:

· Lake Taupo, statistics never lie and this is the easiest place to hook a trout in NZ and a big one with a minimum size of 50cm; we didn’t want to spoil the fun and the effort of catching one plus you have to pay $30 per day so we move on;

· Bay of plenty and the Coromandel are big game fishing areas but we didn’t have much luck with surfcasting. You definitely need a boat to do the job but we didn’t leave either empty hands instead with a bag full of succulent mussels;

· Mount Cook Salmon Farm few km from Lake Tekapo where you could fish along the canal while enjoy great views of the peak. If unsuccessful you could always catch your salmon from inside the farm’s net but of course you will have to pay for this extra help;

· Ngongotaha stream at Rotorua Lake it’s a popular especially for fly-fishing; the water of this stream is so clear that you can see through if there is actually any fishes passing by which means they can too and I bet they don’t like the idea of being on your dinner plate. Another good place here is the Ohar Channel an outlet of the lake;

· Matakana coast at the sandspit channel accessible at low tide by crossing the hard sand beach. In particularly when the high tide is slowly coming back all fishes will jump strait into your bucket;

· Pohara Harbours, near the Abel Tasman NP, full of spotties, Australian salmon and also manta rays that will not think twice to snap effortless your line in a second;

· the Bullet River in Murchison;

· Opuha Lake, Chris’s favourite, it was one catch after another;

· Moke Lake near Queenstown not many catches here but when it happen they were big delicious brown trouts;

· the Dart River and Paradise Lake nearby Glenorchy, two fantastic spots to soak up the beautiful scenery while dangle your line.

You got the hits now but before cast your line in inland waters remember to get first your fishing licence ($60 for the winter season a truly well worth investment) and to check out the regulations as all places will have a minimum catch size requirements. Even the local anglers will not hesitate to tell you off if you disobey those rules moreover if you don’t watch out for the didymo (a threatening alga), don’t say I haven’t warn you! For more info check www.fishingnewzealand.co.nz and www.fishandgame.org .

If you feel like taste some local delights without getting your hand dirty just turn up at the right time at one of these festivals: the Scallops festival in Whitianga during August, the Bluff oyster & seafood fair in April and the Seafest in Kaikoura in October.

Roaming around New Zealand

2009-07-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

New Zealander campers’ nuts

2009-07-20T22:43:00.000-07:00

We know that NZ is famous for its rugged and diverse great landscape and what would be the ideal way to experience it at its best? Easy answer: camping of course.

We didn’t need much time to realize in fact that camping for the Kiwis is like a national institution. It’s a way to get closer to nature and the wildlife (including sometimes all that unpleasant insect bites) but that doesn’t mean it has to be a rough and uncomfortable experience, well at least not for all. Along our way we came across some huge and luxury motorhome: fridge/ freezer, plasma tv, rotatable super comfy armchairs (we tried it), huge bed, you named it, all comforts of a real home where there and also the space, way better of all studio-flats I saw in London.
We met many couples which grown children are already “out of their way”, farmers waiting for their next harvest or retired elderly all on the road for an extensive holiday, some few months either as choice of life with no timetable. Would you blame them for their choice? Enjoying a stress-free lifestyle, cruising along picture perfect sceneries, soaking up untouched nature ahhhhh that’s real life :-)

Of course, there are then the crowd of families with kids hitting the road too, youngest with the tent packed in their car boot or adventurers in search of the next challenge with their sleeping bag on their back plus, we haven’t forget them, the huge mass of backpackers. While camping you not only get to stay in prime natural locations (and in NZ you are just spoilt for choices) but you get to do so at the cheapest, the perfect budget holiday.

We stopped whenever we felt like along riversides, beautiful coastline, a myriad of lakes and national parks, sometimes easily accessible other let’s say more remote and barely few of the private more expensive camping grounds. As an old farmer told us, you are better off save your dollars to flash them on activities or to indulge yourselves with lovely meals. There is an issue tough, a big one for many New Zealanders which point all fingers to station wagons and alike with a mattress on the back and a portable cooker (in practical us): spoil their landscape with pile of toilet paper and let’s say other stuff in the bushes. I wouldn’t like either someone coming to my backyard and doing their “business” on it, right Chris? Chris, where are you? Come on, not now and not there!.

Joke apart, you wouldn’t need it to in New Zealand: we found them to have great facilities for travellers on the road even in the smaller towns and what's more if it meant to be only a biological toilet, which case was less pleasant I have to admit.

In any case that didn’t stop all locals we came across to be what they are known it best for: the genuine kiwi welcome. Although they always tried to bring up this topic, probably to guard their country, kiwi are truly beyond any words the friendliest people and never missed one opportunity to show it off from vividly waving at us while passing with our noticeable pea green hired car (though the north island wasn’t quite the same), coming to have chat even before we managed to get out from the car (they are indisputably very curious) and even the occasionally invites over for a drink or a place to stay, they are really admirable just hope you could experiencing it too.

Tips:

it’s a good idea to stock up for both fuel and food while you hang around the bigger towns as you might arrive at your next destination hungry and with less money on your budget as prices hike up the more remote places you go and shops (and choice!) are scarce;
look out for bargain at the farmers’ market or at roadside stalls offering huge bag of fruit at a fraction of the price in the shops. It often works through an honesty box to leave change eihh don’t try to be cheeky , did you never hear about Karma? It always comes back;
campsites are good place to meet locals and regulars which go to the same spot year after year and they will know the places around as their pockets and you will get the best travel hits;
NZ has a great extensive networks of camping grounds on both islands. The DOC website (Department of Conservation) should be your travel bible. Auckland Regional Council has too a network of parks in the region however many only for self contained vehicles and for 2 to a max of 7 nights stay;
Random numbers: petrol cost 1,58-1,73; camping ground free to $10e for the DOC one or up to $24each for the private one in the most touristic locations; ferry Picton-Wellington circa $200 (2 adults+car) run by Bluebridge or Interislander; Jucy rental car $28 pd but always shop around Econocampers, Escape, Spaceships, Exploremore, Backpackercampervans forget about wicked!

Our top 10 of the Kiwi’s South Island

2009-07-16T20:00:00.000-07:00

1. get a closer look to the giant rivers of solid blue ice of the dramatic glacial valleys of Fox and Franz Josef Glaciers. The weird thing is that we didn’t have to climb high, they are just easily accessible at the foot of the mountains flowing straight into temperate rainforest (300m above sea level) and only 5km each from their town’s centre, just few steps away and we were right in the middle of this iced world brrrrr;

2. the hidden jewels of Golden bay and Abel Tasman National Park unspoiled coastline with its golden beaches and turquoise water plus the sunny weather (at least for few days), a real tropical escape; no wonder this is NZ’ most visited national park. The drive to go over the hill, which isolates this part of the country, was though the unpleasant part: very twisty and steep mountain road about 25km from Motueka, but I survived it.

3. spy the adorable yellow-eyed penguins waddled oddly ashore just before dusk hidden in the hut at the Moeraki’s Lighthouse. We sat there waiting impatiently for about two hours before the acting started but was all worth it plus we got to see the seals lazing around. If you want to have a sure glimpse of this penguin or are in a hurry hit directly to the “Penguintown” to the Oamaru Blue Penguin Colony where every night for circa $20 (http://www.penguins.co.nz/) you could take part of a tour to admire this funny little birds. In any case it worth a stop at tiny Oamaru especially around the harbour. In the evening, walking in the well preserved picturesque Historic Precinct along its narrow streets, where craftspeople still carry on ancient trades, felt like stepping back on time;

4. the roadtrip to Glenorchy and further up to the wilderness of the even smaller Kinloch, a stunning drive we found ourselves while escaping the bustle of Queenstown . The road hugs the immense never-ending shoreline of Lake Wakatipu with gorgeous vistas while going up and down green forest hills;

5. stare at the beautiful mirrorlike Lake Rotoiti in the morning mist fringed by snow-capped mountains;

6. admire our beauty reflected by the crystal clear pool of Te Waikorupupu spring nearby Takaka (also known as Pupu), the clearest spring in the world and the largest freshwater one in NZ. Don’t we look like two famous Walt Disney stars? Yes Miss Piggy and Gonzo the Great from the Muppets, oh well at least we try to get our few minutes of fame :-). Once used by the Maori for ceremonial blessing of birth/death and arrival/departure for travellers, we couldn’t miss it.

7. The Mackenzie Country with its aquamarine glacial lakes such as Tekapo and Pukaki Lake fringed by the scenic peaks of Aoraki Mt Cook National Park;

8. a walk to the longest sandy beach in the world stretching for 35km into the ocean (only the first 4k are accessible unless you take on a 4w-drive tour). Finding ourselves watching the changing colours of the cloudy sky reflected on the ocean along the enormous sandbar all by ourselves was a magical experience;

9. sample the simplest pleasure of life: eating the best fish&chips at Haven in Nelson Harbour while admiring the sunset go down from the nearby beach...we wouldn’t break the bank either, the damage was only $6 each in return of heaps of calories. We also enjoyed many succulent lamb’s chops on the barbie (any meats over here taste way better than anywhere else) and the fresh catches of the day courtesy of the abundance of the stock on NZ lakes, rivers and sea plus a bit of effort from Chris side (had to say so otherwise no more fish for me!);

10. sorry to disappoint you but our last but not least it’s not going to be the much acclaimed Milford Sound (been there) but instead, although quite similar landscape, at the top of the south, the Marlborough Sounds with its inlets and winding roads snaking along the picturesque coastline like along the magnificent Queen Charlotte Drive, only 36km but a very loooong drive.

Random numbers:

get your wallet ready if you want some adrenaline pumping through your veins at Queenstown: tandem skydive 9000ft $249, bungy $165, 2 hours horse ride $ 105, glacier guide 4h $89, jet safari $199, rafting $169 even shearing a sheep (which I can’t see all the excitement of doing it) will cost you $105;
an acqua taxi ride at Abel Tasman NP to Bark Bay kayaking your way back will splash $175 of your budget or a one way to Totaranui $38 and you will have to use your own legs to come back. Departure base is Marahau and, in high season only, Kaiteriteri;
didn’t quite get what was the difference between the many companies cruising the Milford Sound (some tour up to $105 each) but we grabbed a get1-get1free offer with our rental car Jucy at $55 for the two, not bad init;

Snapshot of the week: another untouched panorama

2009-07-12T00:37:00.000-07:00

Peel Forest, South Cantenbury - New Zealand South Island

It wasn’t long before we found ourselves immerse in this immense beautiful landscape just us, the intact nature and sheep, lot of them. If you are around this part of the world, take a detour to Peel Forest and follow the unsealed road to the head of the Rangitata river, you will be amazed, guaranteed.