For all of you who find your way here....there is more!!!!! The rest of my year of travel can be found at :
http://journals.worldnomads.com/shantitour
Monday, February 9, 2009
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Southern Cross
So I was looking out at the stars last night and could not remember if I had written about the Southern Cross! Used by the earley explorers to guide them south, pointing towrd the south pole since there is no star marking the pole as the North star does in the Northern Hemisphere.
My first sighting was in The Seychelles, one clear late night while hanging out in the pool with some friends..we searched and found the Southern Cross...very cool to see...and then we all started singing... "when you see the Southern Cross for the first time, you understand now why you came this way- 'Cause the truth you might be running from is so small, but it's as big as the promise, the promise of a comin day" top of our lungs at 2am, nice.. Anyway, it was pretty cool to see and think that I was seeing something that isn't in my sky in the Northern Hemisphere.
Next sighting in New Zealand with the aurora australis, visible on the South island..pretty cool...the Southern Cross or Crux (the real name of the constellation) is on the New Zealand flag..the four stars...quite cool.
Now, the cross was visible most nights while I was down under, however there were only a few occasions...mentioned here..when I took the time to find it, usually with the help of some locals, as there are false crosses in the southern sky, quite close to the crux. Again, with the help of Mark Slade in his back yard in Rotorua, NZ we found the beauty again!
Another side note, not sure I mentioned in my tales from NZ and Oz the ever popular captain Cook! Well if I didn't, I don't know how I left him out, as he is part of every story told about the beginnings and how things came to be in those young countries- 1769 is when he first stepped ashore in NZ and met the Maori's. Story after story of the places he named and why. Australia, same thing...huge statue of him in Cairns, like 8 stories high, and tons more stories of the Captain and his adventures and discoveries...and again in Indonesia...there he was, so strange but true, a bronze Captain Cook amidst all the Hindu statues and temples...quite fascinating stories, I actually would like to read a book on the life of Captain Cook, although I have a really good idea of how it went!
Ok-back to the Southern Cross...Surf Camp, west coast of Oz, our party on the beach, stereo in a rubbish bin with wheels, nice red neck sort of work, rigged up with speaker and all...weather proof, also portable fire, so as not to disturb the pristine beaches and habitat..ok so yeah, there it was, there was some question tonight...no one was really sure, but I think I was right!
On to Byron Bay, Australia sat out on the rock point listening to some drummers and watching the surfers catching the last waves as the sun sets...so lovely..and up come the stars...thank you sweet Steve for pointing! Gorgeous night!
And...of course..Sailing the Whitsundays!! Out on the deck of the Avatar, sleeping on the trampoline, watching the clouds scream by, the clouds in Australia move soooo fast, all the time, they are crazy and explosive, anyway, they pushed aside and all the gorgeous stars appeared as we sat in the bay close to Whitehaven beach, waves lapping below me! Skipper Adam did the pointing tonight, I feel a little crazy and excited each time I see it, it's so fun being in the Southern hemisphere....tee heee
On to Indonesia, Lovely Bali, quiet and peaceful and stars galore, lovely sea and black sand, rest my soul......and it's gone-
I miss it...I miss finding it, I miss the excitement and trippy feeling it gave me...I miss the southern hemisphere.....
My first sighting was in The Seychelles, one clear late night while hanging out in the pool with some friends..we searched and found the Southern Cross...very cool to see...and then we all started singing... "when you see the Southern Cross for the first time, you understand now why you came this way- 'Cause the truth you might be running from is so small, but it's as big as the promise, the promise of a comin day" top of our lungs at 2am, nice.. Anyway, it was pretty cool to see and think that I was seeing something that isn't in my sky in the Northern Hemisphere.
Next sighting in New Zealand with the aurora australis, visible on the South island..pretty cool...the Southern Cross or Crux (the real name of the constellation) is on the New Zealand flag..the four stars...quite cool.
Now, the cross was visible most nights while I was down under, however there were only a few occasions...mentioned here..when I took the time to find it, usually with the help of some locals, as there are false crosses in the southern sky, quite close to the crux. Again, with the help of Mark Slade in his back yard in Rotorua, NZ we found the beauty again!
Another side note, not sure I mentioned in my tales from NZ and Oz the ever popular captain Cook! Well if I didn't, I don't know how I left him out, as he is part of every story told about the beginnings and how things came to be in those young countries- 1769 is when he first stepped ashore in NZ and met the Maori's. Story after story of the places he named and why. Australia, same thing...huge statue of him in Cairns, like 8 stories high, and tons more stories of the Captain and his adventures and discoveries...and again in Indonesia...there he was, so strange but true, a bronze Captain Cook amidst all the Hindu statues and temples...quite fascinating stories, I actually would like to read a book on the life of Captain Cook, although I have a really good idea of how it went!
Ok-back to the Southern Cross...Surf Camp, west coast of Oz, our party on the beach, stereo in a rubbish bin with wheels, nice red neck sort of work, rigged up with speaker and all...weather proof, also portable fire, so as not to disturb the pristine beaches and habitat..ok so yeah, there it was, there was some question tonight...no one was really sure, but I think I was right!
On to Byron Bay, Australia sat out on the rock point listening to some drummers and watching the surfers catching the last waves as the sun sets...so lovely..and up come the stars...thank you sweet Steve for pointing! Gorgeous night!
And...of course..Sailing the Whitsundays!! Out on the deck of the Avatar, sleeping on the trampoline, watching the clouds scream by, the clouds in Australia move soooo fast, all the time, they are crazy and explosive, anyway, they pushed aside and all the gorgeous stars appeared as we sat in the bay close to Whitehaven beach, waves lapping below me! Skipper Adam did the pointing tonight, I feel a little crazy and excited each time I see it, it's so fun being in the Southern hemisphere....tee heee
On to Indonesia, Lovely Bali, quiet and peaceful and stars galore, lovely sea and black sand, rest my soul......and it's gone-
I miss it...I miss finding it, I miss the excitement and trippy feeling it gave me...I miss the southern hemisphere.....
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Whitsundays Sail Day 1 3/19/07
3.19 Sailing the Whitsundays
Today is sail day!!! We arrive at the beautiful Avatar, a huge trimaran sitting in a huge marina filled with so many big, gorgeous boats. There are 25 of us and 3 crew members for our 3 day cruise, the nice thing about the Avatar are the trampolines on either side that hang over the water and give lots of extra deck space. We head out of the marina, once clear we hoist the sails, 10 people on the main mast to pull her up....Such a beautiful boat when she is sailing!! We will sail for a few hours this morning and go out to Maureen Bay to snorkel and have some lunch. The islands are scattered around, all 74 of them that make up the Whitsundays, most are uninhabited, all are so beautiful, it reminds me of the thousand islands region in upstate NY.
We arrive at Maureen Bay and anchor and stinger suit up!!! The very stylish stinger suits,which include booties and hoods,really good lookin'- are suppose to protect us from the deadly box jellyfish, not so much from the small thumbnail size irigangi jellies, that can also be fatal. The snorkeling here is quite cloudy, we heard it would be, with all the rain and silt washing into the ocean the water is churned and murky..it was a bit disappointing to me, and being Russ's first snorkel couldn't have been to exciting... I will tell you what was exciting!,me, deciding I was done snorkeling and instead of raising my hand for a boat pick-up deciding to swim back! Oh ya, no problem...I can swim, until I start freaking myself out half way back to the boat, I am sure there is a shark following me out there in the open water! Holy Shit,what am I doing???, now I am swimming very fast and about to pass out, when I finally make it back to the boat,damn!!!
. Food on the Avatar was very good, Erin put on quite a feed for each meal, and each day for sunset we got plates of veggies,crackers, cheese and spreads..all went down well with the goon. Have I mentioned goon yet???? Goon is wine in a box, and if you say you are drinking wine you get laughed at.....$12.50 for 4 liters is goon, with names like fruity lexa and dry white...it is the drink of choice among backpackers -as it travels so well once you shed the box and sharpie your name on your goon...soo sad....I refused to buy the $12.50 variety, had headache written all over it!!! Oh to be young again!!
We are off and sailing again...now heading out to Whitehaven Island for the night. We get a great anchor and go ashore for a walk at sunset on the beach...if you see a picture of a gorgeous beach on a post card from Aussie chances are it is Whitehaven Beach....beautiful...powder soft white sand, you just want to walk on it all day, or perhaps roll in it naked! and the rainforest reaching down to meet the beach....lovely...5 of our crew are camping on the beach tonight...
Whitsundays sail Day 2
Day 2
Up by 7am and sailing by 7:30...cruisin around the islands and more snorkeling for the day..doesn't matter it is beautiful and relaxing...we have 11 countries represented on our boat..and 1 older couple...and that is not us..for once we are not the oldest!! The snorkeling is better today and the weather is perfect. This afternoon we will sail to a cove near Hayman island, an exclusive offshore resort...very swanky...We get a good spot for the night and soon lots of boats are surrounding us. We are treated to a double rainbow and then a gorgeous sunset!!!!!! that lingered forever. Dinner was a prime rib roast and very good, and later slaps, a drinking game the..Irish girls taught everyone "what's the name of the game..slaps..what's the aim of the game ..get f*&^&(% up" best game I think I have ever played...scary playing a drinking game with goon....Our boat was rockin until about 3am..after slaps will brought out the guitar for a sing along and then most people passed out...Ferg our crew member from NZ slept up in the main sail...like a hammock
I grabbed my pillow and sheet and slept up on deck on the tramp, our room was in one of the side pontoons, you had to jump down a hatch in the ceiling, however Russ was snoring so loud he was heard all over up on deck!!! The clouds and the moon were mesmerizing and I could barely go to sleep...suddenly there is music and it is 5:45am....payback for our antics last night from another boat nearby..ouch!!
Skipper Adam slept on deck as well, we wake up around 7ish with lots of people up and around and ready to go! and so we go....
Sailing the Whitsunday's day 3
Day 3
It is good Friday today, we will sail all day and arrive back to port around 4pm, the boat has been great..great people, great crew and great time...I find a piece of rope on the boat and skipper makes me a Turkish rope something..he tries to explain to me as he is tying it how it is done....uh...no not getting it, but I get a cool anklet, in America they are big in Nantucket where I think they are called something else????
The winds are fast today and the weather brilliant, we arrive back in Airlie to early and have to tack and turn and go back out to sea for a bit...it is fun and we get to see and race a few other beautiful boats along the way. We all make plans to meet for dinner and drinks at Beaches tonight..later to learn all the crazy good Friday rules..So on Good Friday in Australia there is no drinking alcohol, restaurants get around it if they are serving food....so....we get to Beaches and the line for the food is to the door, you can order food but you get a slip with the time on it and you can only drink for 1.5 hours after you order the meal and no one can drink at all after 10pm...soooo... at 8:30 the doors are shut and no more food cause it is 1.5 hrs til 10pm and..all our crew is left on the other side of the doors...all bars and restaurants are now closed until midnight when they can reopen!!!! We are stuck in beaches and about 2/3 of us are stuck outside...bummer...Thanks for the trip!!!
Fraser Island 3/13/08
3.13.08 Fraser Island
Today we have a bunch to do to organize for our camp!!! Up and out of the rooms by 6:30am....Watching videos, getting maps, learning Dingo safety, how to drive on sand, how to get out of sand if bogged down, not to drive thru ocean water...etc...by *:15 we finally have our group of 10...Team 1..and we are off for the grocery shopping. We have a schedule and have to catch the ferry over to Fraser at 11am, we make it.
We drive our jam packed land cruiser onto the ferry and have a 45 minute ride over to Fraser island, the largest sand island in the world, it also has a rain forest and several eco-systems as well as several fresh water lakes.
First we have to lower the pressure in our tires and head into the sand tracks..damn..really crazy tracks, especially with 10 people in the car and all our gear!! We spend about 45 minutes in the deep forest until we come to Lake Mckenzie.
Lake Mckenzie is a gorgeous fresh water lake with turquoise water and snow white sand, the sand is so fine and soft it is great for cleaning jewelry and even whitening teeth and scrubbing feet. It is a bit overcast so the water does not look as brilliant as it truly is. Dingo's are all over the beach and the parking lot...beware of the dingo has become our motto..altho it is hard to think of them as wild animals..they look like timid dogs...but remember..the dingo ate my baby!!!
We head back thru the Eucalyptus forest out onto 75 mile beach, it is the main road on the island..and also the runway, so you must keep a heads up for planes and yup one landed right in front of us... we are heading to find our campsite along the beach for the night as the tide is rising and we have times we have to be off the beach driving...after a few trips up and in the dunes we find a spot and start pitching tents, really simple..only one pole!!! old army tents, a small bit alarmed about all the snake holes, oh crab holes according to some...but we later learn they are funnel web spider holes...google the funnel web if you want a real scare...I still cringe!!! we eat a lovely meal of sandy sausages and hot dogs coated with sand too..too much drinking goon and cooking, and head with tarp in hand to a neighboring site for fun and games. Night.
Fraser Island 3/14/08
Day 2
This morning we all head out with the shovel to find our personal dunnies, oh the joy of the bush! Me, I go out into the sand dune and hope no one is driving by...I will not venture into the woods like the others, who all come out shrieking with stories of many spiders and critters....The spiders and critters in Australia are very big,furry,deadly and have been seared into my brain for eternity! The dunes are wide open and there is no fear of any crawly thing climbing on me while in a squat!
Back to back the land cruiser..and ...my most horrible memory of Australia!!!! As I am handing in the tents and such I look over on the seat of our land cruiser and see the biggest, furriest, nastiest spider I have EVER seen or even thought of!!! I scream and point it out and of course people are going nuts!!!! Next thing I know someone is swinging the shovel at it...please don't miss and let is burrow somewhere in the vehicle, cause I will not get in!!!!! It flies thru the air...looks like a bird it is sooooo big!!! and then splat on the floor of the truck...oh my freakin shit!!! It was as big as a softball, black and brown and furry and so scary it makes me squirm just thinking of it...and DEADLY as we later found out...you die with in 15 minutes of a bite...oh yay..good to know...can you guys drop me off at the ferry....
Back to the cruiser, it took a lot of inspection time before any of us would get in... we head back out on the beach and stop at the rusty wreck of the SS Maheno a luxury liner that crashed on the island long ago. We keep driving up to Champagne Pools where the violent sea is kept at bay and little Jacuzzis of safe water are filled with bubbling seawater. This is the only place where you can actually swim on the island other than the freshwater lakes in the center of the island, the ocean is too dangerous and filled with sharks and undercurrents. We eat lunch and hang here for most of the afternoon as the tide is high and we can't be driving until 4pm. When the tide is up there is no longer a beach to drive on, gone poof
We head out to Indian Head at 4pm and climb up to the top for a beautiful view of the beach, the ocean and the sand dunes on the island intermixed with the forests, it is so beautiful. The sun is setting and the light is glorious,there is a 360 degree view that takes your breath away....Beautiful Australia!
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