Blenheim


Wow, an absolute blast, Christmas week has been a week of endless parties and bbqs and yeah, lots and lotsa booze involved...

I celebrated both Christmas eve and Christmas day in the church and i must say ive enjoyed the service a great deal, though i truly miss my homechurch...

yesterday we had a bbq session at Martin's house and it was really lovely...Summer's here and the weather's cooling, no better way to spend the evening than to lie down on the huge lawn and drink and chit chat and consume lotsa meat!!

yeah, the kiwis are huge meat-eaters, and ive been here long enough to start worrying bout my waistline, and the neverending mouth-watering desserts that come after every single meals didnt help at all...

Next week after New Year im gonna try to get a ride to Wanaka where im hoping to do white water rafting, that would be followed by Glacier walk in Franz Josef, and bungee jump in queenstown...

Then i would be flying off to Sydney and Bali...


:)


p.s. I still cant believe is 2007 already, and im getting way too old to be fooling around!!

wow, such amazing times on the island, breath taking scenery and sumptious farm food...dont i love living on the farm?

Nima's gone back to tasmania where he will be sailing over back to the south island...yeah, such a good idea huh, to fly from here to tassie and to come back here via sea...i guess i'll see him again soon enough...

Right now im still thinking of the place to celebrate CHristmas...possibly Christchurch since i can get a free ride there this friday...

i cant believe im leaving NZ soon...

Picton


as usual, things can have an unavoided turn at the blink of an eye...just when we were about to head for the harbour for our ride to the island, we got a telephone call from our driver, telling us that his boat has broken down and it wont get fixed until monday....what a blow!!

Desperate times call for desperate measures, we went to the harbour anyway, trying to hitch a ride to Arapawa island, just like how we hitched a ride to picton...and while hitching on the road is easy and effortless, it aint so when you wanna hitch by sea...

and there we were at the marina, talking to everyone who were conveniently standing by their boats or yachts, and pushing our luck to see if they would so happen to 'passby' our island by any chance...alas, clearly luck wasnt on our side, the folks wont be leaving till friday, and that's about sum out our fate for the day...we shall be stranded in picton for another night...

Picton is really a gorgeous town with views of the sounds and plenty of sunshine and bars and walkways...sadly, ive had my fair share of walking and tramping for the past few days and more walking didnt really appeal to me...even when nima asked me to join him for a swim in the pool that i had to turn him down...'not today, dude'...

and today the weather is absolutely shitty...it is raining outside now...nevertheless, we are much determined to get to the island later by hooks or by crooks...nothing's gonna stop us!!

im keeping my fingers crossed right now...

picton


It all went very well indeed, Nima managed to sell his car when we were catching a movie in the cinema. We watched 'a good year' starring Russell Crowe and thought it wasnt too bad a film...i particularly can relate to the story really well since i was working in the vineyard and hence did acquire some knowledge on wine producing...loved the countryside of France, loved the language, loved the soundtrack!! cant wait to practise my francais in France...

We also got a call from a woman who's keen to host our stay in Arapawa island in the marlborough sounds and we were psyched! so to celebrate on the glad tidings, we went dining in the local thai restaurant here and couple of hours later felt totally ripped off...alright, the Tom Yum was OK, not entirely authentic as the waitress kept insisting that the kiwis cant take it too hot, and the curry was way watered down...and we hafta pay $16 each for this meal...totally pissed the helloutta us...

It was an emotional moment when we hafta part with 'the goon', nima's car...we love the car to bits as we've been travelling around with it and it hasnt given us much problem at all...but it has to go, it was inevitable, he's leaving nz soon and so would i, lest i would have taken 'the goon'...

now we are officially handicapped again, and hafta rely on our foot to go places...at night, we invited some friends to our place for a lil' fellowship before we leave blenheim...we bought a few bottle of wines for everyone and had a very good evening indeed, playing 'shitheads' and exchanging contacts...

right now we are in picton where we will be catching a ferry to the island tomorrow for a few days of island retreat...

it's all good...



'A traveller has no fixed plans, and do not intent on arriving'
- Lau Tzu

gosh, what have i signed myself up to?? it turned out that the blockade that ive participated is to oppose the coal mining proposal of Happy Valley...

for three days ive been pushing myself hard to get through some really hardcore tramping, to sleep in a freezing tent, and to not able to take a shower, not to mention taking a poo in some hole that is filled with shits...Nima cant help asking me: 'Asians dont like getting themselves dirty huh?', and then go on to lecture me about getting back to basic, to the bare essentials, to be like our ancestors where they dont have anything but still do live in comfort...

well, it was a really good experience, i befriended some greenies in whom educated me regarding the environment and how we can do our part to protect it...i was deeply inspired by these group of people who has devoted themselves to the environment to the extent of putting themselves in risk of getting arrest by the authority...they would die for the trees if they have to!!

right now ive travelled back to blenheim with Nima where he plans to sell his car before taking a ferry up to north island...i suppose im gonna stick around here for a couple of weeks before going south for Christmas...

im rather tired...

Abel Tasman National park, Golden bay


Well i knew for a fact that when Nima asked me to join him in his eco-expedition that im in for the 'real deal'...No, youth hostels and backpackers are not in the itinerary, even putting up a tent is a luxury, because we dont have any!! Yes, his idea of a real travelling experience is to sleep in the car!! luckily he has a spare sleeping bag for me, you have no idea how cold it is at night, even in summer!

we did some kayaking in abel tasman and i thought it was a really good activity...we didnt manage to kayak around the Adele island because the wind built up in the afternoon and the sea got too choppy...for a second i thought we were gonna capsize and the images of drowning came back to haunt me...but we got over the rough sea and head back to shore immediately, the dude knew i was freaking out, and rightly so too...

We also made it to the northern most part of south island, which is the cape farewell, and then followed by the spit, which was nothing but a mere beach...

earlier we rescued a wounded Weka on the road and brought the poor fowl to the vet...Nima has a soft spot for animals and nature alike...he despises loggers who cut down trees and reprimands those who doesnt recycle...i darent take any more pamphlets and brocures from the information centre since i started travelling with him so that he wont get too uncomfortable...

The next stop is northern westport in which we are supposed to participate in some kinda blockade to protest against loggers with other environmentalist...ever see ppl lying down in front of a huge tree or ppl staying up in the tree to stop lumberjacks from logging? that would be us...

i cant believe im doing this....and im excited to bits!!

Nelson


Alright, im finally on the road again...Nima came around to pick me up earlier and we are now heading towards Golden Bay...It is fun catching up with him again since we had such a good time back in Hobart, Tasmania, where he hosted my stay...and now we are travelling again in another country, aint it amazing?

would love to visit him in Maryland, USA, some time in the future...

Later on im gonna meet up with Nicky (taiwan) and John (Czech) in Motueka...ive missed them dearly since we parted in Te Puke...

it's definitely reunion time, in sync with the festive season...

let us all be merry this season!!

Some photos for your viewing pleasure


Yukata gals i befriended on GuyFawkes'


Firework display during GuyFawkes fest.


Stunning Kaikoura


Roadtrip on the triangle alpine highway

Gondola ride in ChristChurch


ChristChurch tram


ChristChurch Cathedral


Dreamworld, Goldcoast


Brisbane city


Dolphins in ByronBay, NSW

Recently Denise sent me an article in which i found it rather interesting and thought i should share it with you.


# While Malaysia fiddles, its opportunities are running dry
Michael Backman
November 15, 2006

MALAYSIA'S been at it again, arguing about what proportion of the economy
each of its two main races — the Malays and the Chinese — owns. It's an
argument that's been running for 40 years. That wealth and race are not
synonymous is important for national cohesion, but really it's time
Malaysia grew up.

It's a tough world out there and there can be little sympathy for a
country that prefers to argue about how to divide wealth rather than get
on with the job of creating it.

The long-held aim is for 30 per cent of corporate equity to be in Malay
hands, but the figure that the Government uses to justify handing over
huge swathes of public companies to Malays but not to other races is
absurd. It bases its figure on equity valued, not at market value, but at
par value.

Many shares have a par value of say $1 but a market value of $12. And so
the Government figure (18.9 per cent is the most recent figure) is a
gross underestimate. Last month a paper by a researcher at a local think-
tank came up with a figure of 45 per cent based on actual stock prices.
All hell broke loose. The paper was withdrawn and the researcher resigned
in protest. Part of the problem is that he is Chinese.

"Malaysia boleh!" is Malaysia's national catch cry. It translates
to "Malaysia can!" and Malaysia certainly can. Few countries are as good
at wasting money. It is richly endowed with natural resources and the
national obsession seems to be to extract these, sell them off and then
collectively spray the proceeds up against the wall.

This all happens in the context of Malaysia's grossly inflated sense of
its place in the world.

Most Malaysians are convinced that the eyes of the world are on their
country and that their leaders are world figures. This is thanks to
Malaysia's tame media and the bravado of former prime minister Mahathir
Mohamad. The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York
could point to Malaysia on a map much less name its prime minister or
capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a
newsreader trying to announce that a tidal wave had hit some place called
Kuala Lumpur. He couldn't pronounce the city's name and so made up one,
as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala
Lumpur is inland.

Petronas, the national oil company is well run, particularly when
compared to the disaster that passes for a national oil company in
neighbouring Indonesia. But in some respects, this is Malaysia's problem.
The very success of Petronas means that it is used to underwrite all
manner of excess.

The KLCC development in central Kuala Lumpur is an example. It includes
the Twin Towers, the tallest buildings in the world when they were built,
which was their point.

It certainly wasn't that there was an office shortage in Kuala Lumpur —
there wasn't.

Malaysians are very proud of these towers. Goodness knows why. They had
little to do with them. The money for them came out of the ground and the
engineering was contracted out to South Korean companies.

They don't even run the shopping centre that's beneath them. That's
handled by Australia's Westfield.

Next year, a Malaysian astronaut will go into space aboard a Russian
rocket — the first Malay in space. And the cost? $RM95 million ($A34.3
million), to be footed by Malaysian taxpayers. The Science and Technology
Minister has said that a moon landing in 2020 is the next target, aboard
a US flight. There's no indication of what the Americans will charge for
this, assuming there's even a chance that they will consider it. But what
is Malaysia getting by using the space programs of others as a taxi
service? There are no obvious technical benefits, but no doubt Malaysians
will be told once again, that they are "boleh". The trouble is, they're
not. It's not their space program.

Back in July, the Government announced that it would spend $RM490 million
on a sports complex near the London Olympics site so that Malaysian
athletes can train there and "get used to cold weather".

But the summer Olympics are held in the summer.

So what is the complex's real purpose? The dozens of goodwill missions by
ministers and bureaucrats to London to check on the centre's construction
and then on the athletes while they train might provide a clue.

Bank bale outs, a formula one racing track, an entire new capital city —
Petronas has paid for them all. It's been an orgy of nonsense that
Malaysia can ill afford.

Why? Because Malaysia's oil will run out in about 19 years. As it is,
Malaysia will become a net oil importer in 2011 — that's just five years
away.

So it's in this context that the latest debate about race and wealth is
so sad.

It is time to move on, time to prepare the economy for life after oil.
But, like Nero fiddling while Rome burned, the Malaysian Government is
more interested in stunts like sending a Malaysian into space when
Malaysia's inadequate schools could have done with the cash, and arguing
about wealth distribution using transparently ridiculous statistics.

That's not Malaysia "boleh", that's Malaysia "bodoh" (stupid). #


While im rather incline to be on the same page as the author, im much disturbed by one of his comment...

quote:'The truth is, few people on the streets of London or New York
could point to Malaysia on a map much less name its prime minister or
capital city.

As if to make this point, a recent episode of The Simpsons features a
newsreader trying to announce that a tidal wave had hit some place called
Kuala Lumpur. He couldn't pronounce the city's name and so made up one,
as if no-one cared anyway. But the joke was on the script writers — Kuala
Lumpur is inland. '

I know im not someone who's well-travelled, but throughout my course here, ive met so many travellers from all over the world, and i can proudly testify that most foreigners bloody know where KUALA LUMPUR is, for crying out loud...

when informed that im from Malaysia, the first question they would ask is:'are you from KL?'and followed bÿ 'that's where the twin towers are right?'

at that i would simply smile and nod...truth is, im not particularly proud of our petronas towers, indeed, ditto the author, we have very little to do with it, other than the drainage and irrigation and perhaps some gardening of the exterior, we have minimal participation, if not zero contribution to the construction and development of what used to be the tallest building in the world...

but to say that few ppl know of our country is a harsh insult, that just proves how really ignorant the americans are...dont get me wrong, i really have nothing against them, but it's about time they get outta their comfort zone and start showing more interest in the rest of the world...

KL rocks...

Marlborough, south island

One plus point of working in the vineyard is that, you get to know of the different varieties of wine...

so we went wine tasting last weekend and visited some eight wineries or so, i wouldnt exactly call myself a sommelier now but it was really an informative trip...i can now differentiate between chardonnay, pinot noir, pinot gris, rose, sauvignon blanc, riesling, spatlese and lots more...

my personal favourite is the german wine of Spatlese, translated as 'late picking', it is of riesling variety and carries a sweet tone in which i love...I bought a bottle from Fromm wineyard and it only costs me nzd26...

on the other hand, im thinking of moving on soon...the adrenaline activities in the southern region of Queenstown are beckoning...

just cant wait....

Marlborough


Ever heard of the world renowned wine region of Marlborough? Well, this is my current pit stop where im helping out in the vineyard, Pernod Ricard to be exact (previously Montana)...The money isnt fabulous ($12/h), but hell, at least i get to pay for my food and accommodation...and if im thriffty enough (less drinking + shopping), i might even be able to save up some travel funds...

the work is relatively easy, i only hafta pull out shoots from the plant, and you are allowed to do it at your own comfortable pace without supervision...the best thing about the company is that, even if it is raining (like today), they will still pay you three hours wages for sitting at home...

So if you should come across PR wine in the supermarket, do acknowledge my contribution, as im part of the production team.... :)

im thinking of doing this for a month before moving on to the next location, which is the Golden Bay and followed by West coast...


***********

For some reason or other, Garuda Airlines has decided to terminate their only service out of Auckland to its indonesian precinct, hence effective immediately, my airticket to Bali is declared VOID...imagine my annoyance when the ticketing agent rang me up and announced amiably:'Hi Marcus, im just calling to inform you that your flight to Bali has been cancelled'... :) '

but being the responsible airlines that they are, and to avoid my bitching of them for years to come, Garuda has volunteered to fly me to Sydney with AirNewZealand, all expenses paid for...and from there on fly to Bali with their aircraft...

in other words, i can fly to sydney again...!!

So i hitched a ride from Christchurch to hanmer springs, a solitary countryside town that is famous for its spa pool and natural hot spring...i spent a nice relaxing evening at the hot spa and indulged in the much needed pampering...

the weather was perfect for the spa, it was cold and gloomy and the sky was gray, and it's been pretty much like that ever since...

the next morning i hopped on a ride with a mate that i got to know in the backpackers, he's from Chicago and offered me to ride with him to Kaikoura, so i jumped in...i can be quite an opportunist u know...

the ride was quite a risky one as the dude was not accustommed to driving on the left hand side of the road, he kept blaming on his american instinct...well, we eventually made it to the whale-watching town of kaikoura and was quite disappointed when we were informed that the whale-watching trip has been cancelled due to the rough sea condition...

i content myself with just some seal watching by the coast and for the rest of the day just laze around for the most part...

im a lil' weary with my travelling...

Blenheim

question: what do you do when your money is running dangerously low and you're on the verge of turning into a pauper?
answer: you bloody get a job pronto...

im stopping at this town and hoping i can find something worthwhile to do and earn some cash...

we'll see if it works out...

Christchurch


While Ozzy is warm and sunny and feels like summer, the winter in NZ still lingers on...flying back from 30 degrees to 10 is not a good feeling at all...

worse still, all my winter wears were left in melbourne...

im gonna die of frostbite soon...

Sydney ---> Port Stevens ---> Coffs Harbour ---> Byron Bay ---> Brisbane


After saying goodbye to David at the train station, i took a 2-hour train ride to NewCastle...this is just another city and you know how much i loath them...so i contacted Archie the dutchie (he told me he's gonna be in Newcastle) and asked him if he wants to grab a coffee before i leave the place and carry on my journey up north...

As it turned out, the dude was actually thinking of leaving the place too, and he hasnt yet found a travel partner to go with him to Brisbane...so i jumped in and become his travel mate for the second time...

One thing we both have in common is that we hate the cities...he didnt spend a minute in Sydney at all when he dropped me off there and now he cant wait to leave newcastle...so we hit the road immediately, there was no time to lose...

our first stop was Nelson bay where we pulled in at TeaGardens and Hawksnest...hmm, nothing spectacular here except hmm, nothing...i was conned by the tourist brochure which boasted phenomenal pictures and beautiful words, with promises of Koala and Dolphins sighting...we didnt see a single shit...

Also, it was a terrible day to travel, the wind was blowing and the sun was nowhere to be seen...we thought we could pullover at Palms spring and have a nice picnic but was forced to eat in the car two minutes later...the wind was blowing our sandwiches away!

we then decided it is pointless to do anymore sightseeing in such a gloomy weather, so we headed off full throttle to our pit stop for the night, some i-dunno-where place by the name of Nambucca...

this is a nicer caravan park compared to the one before, and the camping ground is situated just inches away from the river, totally awesome...we did our usual stuff and some catchingups and before long we were snoring away amidst howling winds and some stormy clouds threatening to pour on us...

*****

The next day, we woke up to a brilliant weather of sunshine once again, we are getting closer to Queensland, the Sunshine state, and it is easy to see how the state got its reputable name...

We drove without any detours all the way to Byron bay, which was a mere four-hour drive...and the second we arrived at this bustling town, we knew this is the place to be....i cried out: now that's what im talking about!

Byron bay is a lively town with lively people, hot chicks and surfer dudes crowded the streets that is filled with pubs and bars and pizzerias and hostels...everyone is half naked and everyone has beautiful bodies to showoff...this is definitely the place to get that million-dollar tan!

it didnt take us long before we joined the bronze bodies on the beach...sunshine is aplenty and the sandy bay is few miles long, so everyone has a piece of serene sandy spot for themselves, no one is stepping over another...

Ever since the tragedy in the ocean few days back, i have not ventured near the ocean again...but right now is different, there are hundreds of beachcomber here, well, if you still drown, at least people can see you drown, you wont have to die alone...

Alright, i must admit i have a boogie board this time around, so chances of me drowning is zero, is only the sharks that will kill me...We spent hours in the sea and on the beach, before heading back to the backpackers to bask in the sun by the pool...

At night, we hangout with our new friends cum roommates at the bar...the other two dudes are from America and Scotland...the scottish dude is pretty cool but the american is a little on the weird side, well, the fact that he is 40 will give you a clear idea...

we drank a little, played pool a little, and generally just having a grand time...the thing about byron bay is that you feel no pressure at all, everyone is on a holiday here, and the spirit is skyhigh, you wont bump into workingcows like in Sydney or Melbourne and feel bad that you're not working...the objective in byron bay is just get totally wasted every single night!

No surprise, archie woke up with a hangover the next day and felt as if his head is splitting apart...but we have to move on, i really need to be in Brisbane sooner than later...

to cut things short, we made it to Brisbane, he dropped me off, we promised to catchup soon, and then im on my own again...

C'est la vie...


Hanggliding@byronbay


Byron Bay


Trainview of Dangar Island


Archie setting up tent


boating in Dangar Island


Sunrise at Windang Beach


Archie, the dutchie

Gosh, wish i had had the time to do more updates here, because i simply dont know where to begin now....lotsa events have taken place in Sydney and post-sydney stopover...will take my time to update 'em as i go...

current location: ChristChurch (yeah, im bach to NZ again....hehe)

*********

Dangar Island, Sydney

So what do ppl think of when it comes to Sydney? Opera House and Harbour bridge? Gosh, there are more to that in Sydney than the mere national icons...

Fine, i did spend like HALF A DAY doing all that tourist obligation of taking pictures around the rocks, circular quay, darling harbour and hyde park, but i left the CBD soonafter...

i have no intention of spending more time in the city if i can help it, ive seen everything that has to been seen during the last trip here anyway...so this time around, i hopped on the train with David and his 11 y/o son, Ben, and we were on our way to Dangar Island...

David was telling me that no tourists know bout this haven just outside sydney, even not all the locals know bout it, so im indeed very lucky to be invited to stay in the island...

the entire population of the island is 250, and the locals are adamant that it remains that way, strictly NO TOURISTS allowed...

my first glimpse of the place tells me that this is truly paradise, pristine clear water with lush greeneries carpeted the entire area and surrounded by two national parks...i can definitely stay here for a while...

For the next two days, David took me on endless walks to explore the rich nature that the area has to offer, we watch the locals fishing, dolphins playing in the water, oysters rearing, and house visiting...he introduced me to many of the locals and they are all very gentle and amiable ppl...

good times are often short-lived...after spending three days there, i was forced to move on, i still have some journey to cover...and very little time...


*****

A tribute to Archie, my rescuer...

Such a coincident really, i was contemplating whether to hitchhike out of canberra to sydney or to take the train, when i happened to come across this dude from Holland who said he could give me a ride to Sydney...

so i hooked up with Archie and he came around to pick me up at the Museum...he's only been in Canberra for few hours and thought he has seen it all, and i caught him just at the right time when he's about to leave...

he's a pleasant fella who used to do boxing back in Holland but right now looking to settle down in oz, and he's currently completing his last section of australian tour of Southeast NSW and Queensland...

Initially i thought we were gonna just head straight up to Sydney via the freeway and it will take us only 3hours, but the dude said he would like to explore the south coast route, which suits me perfectly as everyone's been telling me that the south coast drive up to sydney is HEAVENLY...one not to be missed...

So we headed South from Canberra through the great dividing range towards batemans bay, where i spent couple of nights at Heather's before my canberra trip...so i rang up Heather and asked if we could stay at her beach house for the night, and she said: 'Certainly'...and then we were on our way to Malua bay...

At night, Archie made us some Dutch dinner, which consists of potatoes, brocolli, and funnily enough, Kangaroo meat....fancy having kangaroo meat in a dutch cuisine huh? It was my first time eating kangaroo meat, and ironically, Heather's as well...she's been an ozzy her entire life and had never tasted the kangaroo, she said something about being weird eating the animal from the national emblem...and after her first bite, did she love it!

after dinner we chilled out over some beer and pleasant conversation and retired early to bed for an early morning headstart...

Breakfast consisted of toast with jam and syrup and cheese and ham, and then we hit the road right after...so our first stop was wairoa beach where we took our first morning dip in the ocean...the temperature in NSW hit a high of 29 and we thought it would cool us off in the water...

the water was ICY cold! nevertheless we put on our boardies and took the plunge into the ocean...the waves were magnificent and Archie taught me body surfing...he's been learning to surf in western australia and cant wait to practise his skills after months of not surfing because of the cold spell...All was well and fun when suddenly he turned around and said: 'dude, there're three sting rays in the water'...i froze and looked where he pointed, and sure enough, three silhouette of what seemed like a roundtable-sized creature can be seen drifting just above the seabed, the water was so clear that it is eerie to see something in it apart from yourself...i freaked out and ran towards the shore, while Archie just stood near the rays and laughed at me...i cried out: the damn thing killed Steve Irwin for goodness sake! dun mess with it...

we left the beach and continued on our journey, before long, we felt the need to swim in the ocean again because it was really scorching hot! so we bought some food of potato and egg and bacon salad, some fruit, bread and ham, and went picnic at Jervis bay...the water here is calmer as it is a bay and we dipped like hot stones in the water...and then i saw it: not far from us a black patch broke the water surface, and followed by the tale-telling fin! My first thought was: Shark!! and after further inspection and observation with my body steer clear outta the water, i realized it was a dolphin...Stop thinking im being a bit of a wuss, but my years with animal planet channel have impressioned upon me that Australia is wild with dangerous animals, and by dangerous, i mean deadly...so it is perfectly natural to be a tiny bit more vigilant...

After a brief stopover at Kiama to look at some boring blowholes, we checked into a tourist/campervan park...ive never stayed in one such lodging before and was surprised the place is filled with hundreds of caravans and power sites as well as tent sites...Archie expressed a shock once again that im so ignorant, and i had to offer a lame excuse that Malaysians are really not as outdoorsy as they are, i mean c'mon, who among us have actually a caravan and go camping every other weekends like the westerners?

It was a very educating affair altogether travelling with Archie, because he taught me how to put up a tent and sleep in one! again, i dun recall ever sleeping in a tent before...i was excited to bits! we later concluded that he is a 'traveller' and that im a 'backpacker', the difference being i carry my backpack and hitchhike all over the country while he drives around in a car with his tent and surfboard and cooking utensils and stays in campervan park....

we cooked a simple meal of instant noodels in his minature stove and thought it was a rather satisfying meal indeed...as darkness approached, we sat outside the tent and talked crap while the mosquitoes attacked us...little did we know that we are gonna have a near death experience the next day...


********


Alright, sleeping in a tent aint as comfortable as ive thought it'd be, it was a far cry from the luxury bedroom that Heather has for us, and i rarely had any sleep at all...i got up around 5.30am and went to catch the sunrise at the beach, reading my book when the sun lit the place up...and at 8am, we thought we should have a quick swim before we head off...so we jumped into the freezing cold water and fool around with the huge waves...

i was happily swimming in the ocean when i realized ive somewhat drifted apart from the shoreline, so i thought i shouldnt stay so far out in the sea and started swimming toward the shore with the waves...but it is not to be so...the harder i swam the farther im away from the shore...no problem, i thought, im a pretty good swimmer and should be on the ground in no time...

i swam harder, diving into the ocean and paddled furiously...but the current kept pulling me back...at this point i was a little exhausted with all that paddling and my feet can no longer feel the seabed...the moment i stopped paddling, i sank into the sea, and i have to dig harder to get on to the surface again...and when i stayed on my back to keep myself afloat, the waves would come pounding over me and forces salt water down my throat, rendering me choking with air...and then i realized something isnt right, ive not experienced this before, ever...anxiety crept in...

so i called out to archie, who wasnt far away from me, but seemed at ease in the water...he looked at me and grinned, he thought i was pulling his leg...and when i cried help the second time, this time he knew i wasnt joking, he saw me struggling to keep myself afloat and came right over to give me a hand...

you have no idea how relieved i am when i felt his grip on my arm, and i thought i would soon be pulled over to the shore to grab for some much needed air...it wasnt to be so...

Archie tried to pull me away from what i later learned as the 'rip current', but there was little progress...and before long he was struggling himself too...and then i saw it: the fear in his eyes...

he kept yanking me up when i sank below the surface, and he was soon exhausted...by now my lung has already collapsed and the breathing mechanism has been deeply compromised...i was choking for breath...and the drinking of sea water aint helping at all...

he kept yelled at me to swim and stay afloat, little did he know that my body muscles have now all given up on me...i was no longer in command...

When i heard him yelling help to no one in particular, it was then that i knew we werent going to make it...we were gonna die...i sensed it, i smelled it, i saw it, yes...i saw death...

the beach was deserted as it is still too early in the morning, what the hell were we thinking swimming in unpatrolled sea? we watched hopelessly at the empty lifeguard stool and knew that no matter how hard we cry, it would be futile, no one is ever gonna hear us...let alone saving us...

he has never left me by myself all this while, he could have swam away from the rip current and saved himself, but he didnt...he knew i would definitely be gone the moment he let go of me...

lotsa thoughts flashed before me just then, i thought of my grieving family and friends, the ones who have asked me to take good care of myself while travelling alone in foreign land, and the ones who have supported me of my backpacking expedition...i was just talking to mom the night before and she was nagging at me to be extremely careful, i shrugged her off...like always...

i have also told Archie about KyungJoon in our pre-dusk conversation yesternight, the Korean guy that ive met in NZ and then got drowned in Laos a month later while he was tubing, we both agreed that there is a certain risks involved when you are travelling, and that shit happens when you least expected it...too bad we didnt know enough to keep us away from the raging water...

no one would find us until much later, when our bodies were being eaten away into the deep ocean, our abandoned tents would later be inspected and a search would take place...they will declare us dead and we will be in the ozzy news headline, reading:'A dutch and a malaysian guy drowned in Windang beach two days back in what seemed like a morning swim gone terribly wrong...'

****


it hadnt occurred to me at all...only at the last minute when i knew archie could no longer hold me up that i would soon be swallowed by the angry ocean that i knew that was the last thing i had to do...i prayed...

i prayed for Lord to spare me my life, that im gonna do great things for Him, i prayed like i never prayed before...

and then i somewhat had the strength, just a tiny bit of strength but enough to keep me floating...i began coughing out sea water and grasp hungrily for air...my lung cleared a little and more air came pumping...archie saw some progress and encouraged eagerly: 'keep your back down and stop struggling'...

with one arm swimming and the other pushing and guiding me, we were soon heading in the direction out of the current, not towards the shore...soon the current ceased and he pulled me back swimming toward the shore...in what seemed like ages, i remembered being hauled out and then i felt it...the ocean floor...the dude collapsed onto the beach when his leg finally gave up, and i laid on the sand vomiting out salt water...

we survived...


******


when we came to regain consciousness, i walked over to him and grabbed him, uttering: 'dude, you just saved my life...'

we later talked bout it in the car and he told me that at that time of the ordeal he had thought bout leaving me there and go for help...but he decided against it when he knew i wouldnt have made it if he let go...so he risked his life to save me knowing that he will never forgive himself if he let me drown out there while he swims to safety...

i owe him my life...

i later asked him if he did pray at that frantic moment...he confessed saying: 'yeah, i kept on thinking out loud 'God, get me outta here, and i will go to church every sunday'... (he's a non-believer)

we both laughed and knew we would never in our life forget about this experience...

Lord, thanks for giving me a second chance...

life is never gonna be the same again...


South Coast


Rip current

Canberra ---> batemans bay ---> Ulladulla ---> Jervis Bay ---> Nowra ---> Kiama ---> Shellharbour ---> Windang

I did my Canberra tour in two days, thanks to Simon and Mike D, who took the time to bring me around and showing me what's there to see in the Capital City of australia...

On the first day, we did alot of cruising of art galleries, trying in vain to appreciate the abstract inspiration of the artist, and while some of 'em are really good, i thought there were lotsa random ideas that were being portrayed...i must say im really not an artistic person...

early morning second day, we went to 'Floriade' festival which sees a variety of blooming flowers on display at the commonwealth park...after that i went to the Museum for an hour and thought this is it, ive done Canberra...

What happened after canberra is the real deal...i cant wait to tell u guys bout it...

Canberra

It's happened again! i got on a joyride with strangers and became friends almost immediately...

John and Kevin gave me a ride to Canberra, and during the course of the journey, which isnt that far, only 140km, we stopped at a farmhouse and four different bars! well, who am i to complain being the hitchhiker, right?

so after some eight pints of beer (Carlton, VictoriaBitter, TooheyNew and Cascade) and meeting heaps of their friends and some pizza, i finally arrived in the capital city of Australia...

Right now im staying with Simon in his cozy house that's plastered with pictures and clips and memo and statements that you can hardly find a blank spot on the wall...it is totally cool, a creative way of decorating your house...

im looking to do some really touristy thing in Canberra later, think museum, think parks, think memorials, think zoo...

update you guys later if canberra is the place to be in oz...

stay tune..

*the following entry might be disturbing to some*

Malua Bay, NSW

It was all rather interesting really...yeah, i started hitchhiking again...and so i was waiting for some 20 minutes when a dude picked me up and said he could give me a lift to Bega, which is the next town after Merimbula...he's 25ish and looked somewhat decent and clean...we were getting along fine, doing all the usual small talks and asking bout each other and stuff...

and then for no reason at all, he took a detour off the highway and turned in to a farm house. I was later informed that the house belongs to him and the dude invited me in to chillout...Before i have time to gather what this buddy buddy thing is about, he was suddenly smoking pot aka Marijuana, and hmm, invited me to try some too...well, i obviously declined...

the entire fiasco lasted bout half an hour, and thankfully, he did drive me to town...

eventually i managed to make it to Narooma where i stayed for two nights in YHA, hoping to get a glimpse of a Whale passing by, since everyone in town is so excited by it...but alas, luck wasnt on my side...

the day after, i hitched another ride to MaluaBay, all was well this time around, and a woman picked me up...i stayed with Heather, a lovely mother of two gorgeous daughters who's living alone in a huge double-storey bungalow with a million dollar view of the bay...she was the coolest mother ever, well, at least that's what she self-declared, and by cool, i later found out, it means that she drinks and smokes a great deal...

so the first thing we did upon meeting up is to head to the local liquor store to get some booze...dinner was a serious affair, she started off by offering me a glass of whiskey and coke (i had four altogether), and then we have the maincourse of ThaiChicken, followed by creamed coffee and cheese and crackers...

i really did enjoy staying with Heather except that she keeps offering me ciggy and joints, and i didnt want to put her down after rejecting it twice...

Malua bay is really a great place to be, with sunshine aplenty and great beaches to stroll and to get tanned...

Canberra's next...

Merimbula, southeast of NSW

omg, im so in heaven right now, the ppl that im staying with are just so hospitable, u just dun wanna leave after the first few minutes of getting to know the initial strangers...

right now im staying with Geof and Barbara at this beautiful house right in the middle of the woods!u can hear all sorts of insects chattering and opossums leaping around, it is incredible!

earlier geof prepared some really first rate dinner of chicken and maize and vege over Gin Tonic, weird combinations huh? but it blended just right, then we have lotsa chocs for dessert with cinnamon tea...

my camera is at the camerashop right now otherwise i would upload some pic of the house, it is really cozy and welcoming, and surrounded by dense trees...just like something from cabinfever, only not as creepy...

it has been a rather long journey uphere from melbourne, some four hours train ride followed by another six hours of bus ride...i have been contemplating if i should start hitchhiking again, because the cost of all this rides are draining me out...maybe i will try that when i head to batemans bay...

tomorrow geof will bring me out for a swim at the ocean in a rather cold temperature of 18 degrees, he said i will survive...then we will do some bushwalk at the national park and some marsupials spotting...it's also the whale migration season right now, im hoping to be able to catch a glimpse of an orca or humpback...

im luvin the sapphire coast...

Some fond memories of Tasmania...




A wallaby and its joey checking me out


Cradle mountain and dove lake


Dean cooking for the both of us


Tamar river cruise


Cataract Gorge


Chairlift through the gorge



Salamanca Market

Cradle Mountain, tasmania

No doubt i can save some money on lodgings while travelling in oz, the cost of commuting still do make my wallet bleeds...even public transport..

yesterday i took a bus out of the city to Cradle Mt., some 3hours journey away, and it actually cost me $127 return, imagine travelling from KL to Penang to and fro and be paying some rm400, i would be better off flying! even if im entitled for a concessioned ticket, i would still be coughing out a hundred bucks...that's really pathetic...

nevertheless, the mountain was brilliant, surrounded by lush green vegetation and numerous lakes, and it happens to be one of the hottest days in tassie! around 17 degrees...

i farewelled with Dean not too long ago, he's going off to canada in three weeks time, then off to south america...geez, dun i wish i could do the same? but as he puts it, the world is no longer a huge place, and we are bound to bump into each other one fine day...

Im flying out of Launceston back to Melbourne later on, and my next pit stop is Merimbula, a nice coastal town south of NSW...

im actually looking forward to get to sydney asap, and to visit some relatives...its been a while since i last saw a family members, u dun wanna get too detached from blood relations, as im hanging out with foreigners for the most part...

if only the weather can get warm enough for me to hit the ocean...

My lovely hosts in Battery Point, Hobart - Nima(USA), Hamish(Ozzy), Tina(Poland) and Kristina(Germany)


Vietnamese@Fitzroy


LunaPark@St.Kilda


My tempting bedroom@SouthYarra


One of the churches that ive attended


Sunset over Yarra river



CrownCasino


Dude skating

Launceston, Tasmania

I dunno how long i can do this whistle stop travelling, but it's starting to take a toll on me...you have no idea how tiring it can be to be on the go like every two days or so...

Im now staying with a tasmanian guy who's a musician and an athlete and a landscaper and a salesman...he's been travelling for a bit and now saving up to do more travelling...so between two travellers we do have alot to talk about...oh yeah, he can definitely cook, which adds on to my list of guys who can cook WELL...

i'll just stick around here for two days in which time i will visit the Cradle mountain and do more climbing/hiking/trekking...i climbed up Mt.Wellington the other day and earlier i was tramping at the cataract Gorge...i can tell u this is way better work out than FitnessFirst, and it's foc...

Thereon i will fly back to Melbourne and move on to merimbula, batemans bay, Canberra, sydney, newCastle, and Brisbane...at least that's the plan...

or at least while my funds can support me...

later...

Montagu Bay, Hobart - Tasmania

Alright, ive been in tassie for three days now, still trying to get used to the biting cold weather here, but first of all, i wanna talk about recent events that have taken place...

So i left Carlton last tuesday and headed to Mentone/Mordialloc by train...the train system in Melbourne has gotta be one of the best in any metropolis, they just bring you to anywhere outside melbourne!

Ive been buying concession tickets ever since i was caught by the ticket inspector for not possessing any tram tickets...damn, i was scared to death when she asked me to produce my ticket, because i havent got any! luckily enough she didnt write me a summon (the fine is $100) when i acted stupid and told her im backpacking in the country and havent the faintest clue that i was supposed to buy a tram ticket...haha...i know that sounded lame but she bought it....such a narrow escape..

Sorry for the digression...i arrived in Mentone and stayed with these two girls (one aussie and the other Uruguayan)...and my, they are like the craziest host ever...so full of mischief and naughty ideas, and how much fun we've had! the house is located by the bay so i spent two days sun bathing at the beach...it's still too cold to swim so i didnt get to display my speedo... :p but it was indeed lovely to have a picnic on the beach after spending days in town...

On thursday, i left their house and went to stay with Kew in South Yarra, yeah, im back to town again...kew is staying in this luxury town house of Punt Hill group, and i indulged myself immensely having a proper home again...they have dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, totally so-not-backpacker style...but i can definitely get used to it...

Kew has gotta work during the day, so basically i have the entire house to myself, sleeping in every morning, laid on the bed for hours reading my book, cook myself to some hot meals using the oven, and yeah, watching TV on the bed as well....enjoying myself to the fullest!

In the afternoon i would walk down Chapel street and window shop for the most part...Chapel Street is like the fashion street in Melbourne, and it kills me for not able to buy anything because im backpacking, im not about to add extra loads to my already heavy backpack...and the neverending sales in all that boutiques didnt help at all, in the end, i bought two sweaters from CK Jeans...yeah, i succumbed to the power of temptation....

When evening comes, Kew would bring me to the famous eatery in town, to date, ive already tried cuisine from differrent countries, namely Chinese, greek, vietnamese, italian, mexican, american, nepalean, japanese...to name just a few...

it was hard when i forced myself to be on the go again, i was getting very complacent in Melbourne and spending way too much money, and that was totally not in my travel agenda...so i left heaps of clothes with Kew and flew in to Hobart on the 26th.

My second host is an American boy (he's 21), he's an exchanged student in the university of Tasmania, and we clicked instantly when we first met...His house is HUGE, three storeys with a fantastic view of the bay...and geez, this is a student house too, and all seven tenants are from different countries...let me see, we have American, Aussie, German, Poland, Bolimian, UK and another doctor from Ecuador...such a mixture of different cultures...all living harmoniously under one roof...it's amazing...

Nima has to go to school during the day so basically im exploring the town on my own...at night, he brought me to check out the local bars and pubs, two nights in a row! it was funny because he kept insisting that he is not a big drinker, and he kept getting jugs after jugs of beer...i would have loved to stay longer but my time in tasmania is short, so i only limit myself to stay a couple of nights with different hosts each time...but im very sure i will visit Nima in Maryland when i go to the states...damn, i just cant wait...

and now, im staying with a lovely tasmanian at Montagu Bay...she is living here alone in a big house, so i get to have the guest room fully equiped with couches, fridge, and a bathroom....and yeah, my own private garden with sea view...i cant believe how lucky i am...i can definitely save some money in accommodation!

oh yeah, ive gotten my ipod but somehow didnt do much with it...i was so gung ho bout it at first but now i realized is just another mp3 player....though i can play games on it now, but who has time for that?

Im loving tasmania alot, the mountains and rivers and lakes totally suit me to the utmost...wish i could live here someday...

life's good...

Melbourne

On this eventful day, i happened to go onboard a ship when i passed by central pier and saw a crowd gathering round the cruise liner, causing much commotion...

so being the curious soul/busy body that i am, i alighted the tram and went to investigate what all that jokers were doing...and i was deeply inspired thereafter..

I'm not sure if you guys have heard of this organization known as the Sea Shepherd? Well basically they are a bunch of conservationist who aspire to protect marine animals such as whales and seals and to stop mankind from killing them.

I was taken on a guided tour on board the ship where this lovely canadian lady was explaining to us why she is volunteering on the mission. I can clearly see her commitment to the marine life when i caught a tear in her eyes as she was telling us how the Japanese were killing the whales, so brutally, almost inhumane...it occurred to me suddenly that while some japanese are kind and gentle, there are those who's barbarous...

Apparently they have had few encounters with the japanese when the latter tried to ram their ship offcourse, nearly sinking the 'seashepherd' on few occasions...they (seashepherd) have been trying to hinder the whaling ships by chasing them off the protected waters and cutting off their fishing nets...

We were also told of the massacre of seals and its pups by japanese/norwegians, it was totally abominable!! the seals werent killed for their fur, but they were left to die and rot on a bloodbath of ice...Well seemingly the seals were accused of causing the decline of codfish production, but the fact is that the codfish has other natural predators apart from the seals, which only consume 3% of codfish in total...by killing off the seals by the thousands, the number of predators have increased, thus consuming more codfish than ever...that totally makes sense, doesnt it?

The photos that were shown to us gave me a goosebump, i was actually moved by what the conservationists are doing to protect the animals, and vow never to ever buy any seal fur or whale products...but she went too far when she encouraged everyone to become a vegan...hey, i still like eating meat, k? is not like im eating whales or seals or other endangered animals...

Sadly, very little was done on the government part...As it is, the japanese has such strong economical power that few countries would want any troubles with it, even the australian...thus putting on a blind eye whenever the japanese invades the australian seas and comes whaling illegally here...that's absolutely unheardof...

As there was little i can do on my part, i thought i should make it a mission to educate as many ppl as possible regarding the issue of protecting the world wildlife...i have always been an advocate of WWF, so why not for seashepherd as well?

well guys, we are not the only species living on the earth, are we?

let's learn to share...


I am an animal lover too, that's an Angora rabbit (it's real)


Blood-stained sea water after the killing


Poor whale...


The SeaShepherd on pursue of an illegal whaling vessel


The Majestic Humpback whale

Carlston, North Melbourne


Yesterday i slept in till afternoon and spent the rest of the day in Myer and David Jones...talk about dying of boredom....

Christmas comes early this year in Melb, they are already having Christmas decorations in David Jones, damn, it's only september! but it feels good to have all that glitters and tinsels shining around you, it just put you at ease...

Later at night i met up with Kew, a very close friend back in varsity days...he brought me to this Greek restaurant by the name of 'staclactite' and we have something known as Souvlaki, basically just meat wrapped in pita bread and some tasty sauce...we also ordered the appetizer platter which consists of, again, lotsa meat, different cheese, and different sauces...all in all, it was a very satisfying meal...

The fellowship lasted only briefly as we have to catch the tram before they cease operation at 11...we have so much to talk about and so little time...the dude has to work during the day, not like me, idling around most of the time...it does make me feel bad that im travelling while the rest of my peers are working their ass off...

who in the whole wide world would put their career on the chopping block and take off to travel? answer: me

i'll be seeing kew again as im gonna be here for another week or so before flying to tasmania to visit the tasmanian devil...

btw, do you guys know that the crocodile hunter has died? i was suddenly reminded when i saw some folks feeding the sting ray at the aquarium earlier...and he was telling us that 'the sting rays are generally harmless'...such contradiction...

well, i guess i can skip the australia zoo now that steve irwin is no longer around, i have always wanted to see him in action, live...instead of watching him on animal planet...

didnt i tell u guys that life is fragile?

enjoy while it lasts, folks...


Cow on the tree


Sting ray kills!


South bank


Flinders street station (im in the shadow, not ghost)


Greek appetizer platter


Melbourne Central


State Library


Christmas tree


Taking a tram to town


folks chilling on grassland

Melbourne


So it was all very urban yesterday, we did what an average city dweller would do, yeah, we did alot of window shopping in downtown CBD, where i found out that apple has launched the 5th generation ipod, hence rendering the drastic drop of price of the 4th generation ipod...a 30g ipod now only cost aud380....HURRAY...

i was thinking of getting it online because they offer free engraving and i do want my name to appear on the surface of the ipod...but if it is too much fuss and if i can get it at the store later for a tax-rebate price (10 percent cheaper), i'll just buy it straightaway...

we later stopped at the japanese restaurant where gary works and fixed our lunch...i had a nice chashu ramen with a raw-beef-with-raw-egg thingy as side dish...the food was superb...

after more hanging around the malls and shops and lotsa tram rides later, we stopped at Fitroy for coffee and cakes...there are heaps of coffee shops here for ppl to fix their caffeine crave and it was hard to decide which one to patronize...we finally settled down at red tongue where they served HUGE slices of gateoux...i was disappointed with their cappucino though....why did they put a big scoop of ice cream in there for? i didnt freakin' order a float, did i?

anyhow, it is nice to indulge in coffees and cakes again...not that i havent been going to cafe much all this time backpacking, but ive been trying to minimize my craving for this kinda 'luxury', really needa sustain myself longer in a foreign land...but hell with it, didnt i say im looking forward to a fabulous time in Melb? to live an urban lifestyle again, even if it's only a week...i know this is contradicting with my previous wilderness talk, but who doesnt like to sit down on a chic sidewalk cafe for nice coffee and gelato?

i really needa get outta melb asap, dun wanna find myself missing the urban indulgence back home...ive gotten rid of my cosmo lifestyle in this backpacking trip and that's a good thing...a relapse would render everything purposeless...

So in the evening we went to this mexican restaurant for nachos and tacos and fahitas...while the tacos were good, the rice that came with it were bland and dry, almost disgusting...geez, dont i miss TGIF and Chillie?

we head on to a bar later for a beer and chit chat to conclude the one-day-very-melbourne-lifestyle experience...

as i said, i must get outta here sooner than later...

why not later then?

LOL...

Happier time back in Hastings...



Zachary, the most adorable baby ever


Having a game of pool with David, Benjamin and Becks


Having lunch at Andrew and Natasha's


Claybird shooting


Angelica, Sapphire, twins Zachary and Christian


Birds-eyes view of Wellington from Mt.Victoria


Giant waves at Seal bay


Tripod at Courtenay place


Some of my friends in Napier


Seal bay colony