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

Melbourne, Victoria

Well, ive finally landed in the land of oz...one glimpse tells me that the city has not changed at all, it is exactly how i remembered it when i left couple of years back...still as vibrant...

I crashed in at Gary's place where i'll be staying until he comes back from Auckland, it's funny how he's flying to NZ when i just flew in from there this morning, like we are playing some kinda musical chair...

What can i say about Melbourne? Well organized in a grid-like township system, with trams aplenty that bring you to just about everywhere, gardens surrounding the square...it's just another toy-city...

I somehow missed the wilderness...well, i suppose grass is always greener on the other side...but im starting to think i belong to the countryside sorta person...i dont fancy buildings and crowds and lotsa malls...at least not anymore...

Maybe i will like Tasmania more...

Wellington

After been travelling with mates for so long, i find it a lil' forlorn and lonely having to be on my own again...I know ive had all that big talk about being independent and shit, somehow it is always nice to have some companionship...

Arriving in this big city of Wellington, everything just seems so out of place...dont get me wrong, this is a very pretty city, but having stayed in a small town for some time now im starting to despise cities for a bit....everyone just seems so distant and cold...and what with ppl hurrying about in the sidewalks of all major cities? Slow down peeps, you will wear out sooner than later hustling like that...

I shall join a day tour tmr exploring all of Wellington's majot attractions like the Zoo, Mt. Victoria, seal bay, botanical gardens and the like...although i really dont feel like going anywhere....i dunno, today i just feel so DOWN IN THE DUMPS...

I suspect it's the visit to Te Papa today that makes me feel this way...Te Papa is the national Museum and ive spent hours staring at artifacts and dead animals and antique exhibits...it is unhealthy really to look back at the past...

I miss my friends already...

I just wanna go back home....

Te Mata Peak (Sleeping Giant)

today we woke up to a brilliant morning when the crimson ray came spreading all over our bedroom...so Yasutomo and myself prepared a picnic and head to the Te Mata forest park...

this is a very well preserved park with a lush redwoods encompassing the entire valley, it took us a couple of hours to get to the peak, the journey was tiring, as im really not the most athletic person, but the view was incredible, we could see through to the Ocean Beach where we went the day before, much disappointed because there werent any seals when we were there...

anyway, we met a nice lady who showed us the shortest route to get around, because we were panting all the way hiking through the woods, and she was encouraging us all along...she was as sure-footed as a lamb, running ahead of us with the slightest lethargy, and kept looking back at us to ask us to hurry up...such embarrassment!

We had a wonderful outing, gorgeous scenery for the eyes and breathing the wood-scented air, sometimes disturbed by a whiff of stench from the sheeps' poo...but they are gentle creatures, would never come close to you even if a wolf is nearby...

***

im leaving tomorrow to Wellington, the plan is to hitch a hike to get there...it is only 300km from here, and im sure it wont be such a hassle....the only thing that bothers me is the heavy backpack that im gonna carry, i cant even imagine what's gonna happen at the airport, im sure it is heavier than 20kg!

Nevertheless, being me who worry bout nothing till the last minute, im sure im in good hands, havent i hitherto been scraping through all this while? albeit not always smooth sailing, but that's the fun and challenge of it...

i can do this...


Yasutomo struggling to the summit


Red woods


Fell wood


Jake(dog) looking inquiringly at the cows

Waipawa

Remember how my car got stolen couple of weeks back? well, being the responsible police department that they are, they managed to get it back for me...apparently they are holding two thieves in captive, and they are doing finger printing and stuff right now for evidence against the villains...

So the police found my car in Palmerston North, a nice University town 2 hours from here, and i will have to go and claim it back...I wont have time to sell off the car as im leaving for Wellington on Sun...so im thinking i will just leave the car by the road side, discard the number plate and im good to go...

In the mean time, my boss has lent me his car to get around, isn't he the best boss ever? I barely knew him for a month and he's leaving his car with me, and no, i didnt even ask for it...so there we go, im not handicapped afterall...and just when i thought i can start keeping fit by walking again...well maybe later...

I'm all set to go to Melbourne for a fantastic time...It's officially spring right now and im sure the Garden city will have a alot to boast about...Sadly, i never got back my camera battery charger, thus really needa watchout for its power usage...Also, im thinking of getting the new Ipod Video 30Gb to store all my photos, it's a time of blossom right now and i just cant stop snapping some breathtaking pictures just about everywhere...

btw, im still quite tight with my finances right now...so if there's anyone outthere in the land of Oz willing to host my stay, i will definitely be a grateful guest...

just wondering...