THE Outback

As soon as I arrived on Australian soil I felt at home. The customs people were friendly and smiling, the shuttle driver spoke English, and in general everyone was happy and kind. Not to say they're unfriendly in SE Asia but it's definitely a different feel. Especially as a foreigner...you stand out. So, as I walked down the street my first day in Darwin, I suddenly realized how well I blended into the crowd. I could easily be mistaken for an Aussie and it felt......different, but not in a bad way. It didn't take long to plan the next few legs of my journey. I was on a tight schedule as I already had airline tickets booked. Instead of staying 2 days in Darwin, a cute little town, I only stayed one. I opted for a tour through the outback, as opposed to a bus or train as I originally planned. It ended up costing the same and it included 2 nights of accommodation, 3 days worth of meals, and numerous interesting sights. The only drawback would be the 5:40 am pick up scheduled....yuck. I set my alarm on my watch (I've sadly lost my travel alarm clock, or neglected to pack it in Chiang Mai) for 5 am. I slept fabulously, I had not slept the night before due to my flight. I woke at 3:30 and was excited to see I had some time left. The next time I glanced at my watch sent me springing out of bed though. My watch read 6 am. Which meant not only had I missed my alarm and slept in, I had also missed the pick up. Worst feeling in the world! My heart pounded as I grabbed what I could and carried it outside where I started shoving things into any space I could find in my bags. I got to the front gate and a bus pulled up. Relieved, I ran over with my bag, only to find it wasn't for me. A lady informed me though that my pick up had come and gone. I frantically tried to fix my botched packing job and hoped feverently that the bus would come back for me. And low and behold moments later I heard my name being called. I was still reeling when I stepped on the bus where I apologized profusely. Later I found out that they hadn't waited for me so I must have been the first stop and then she came back. I will forever be grateful to Kym for coming back for me. I had the most amazing time and made some amazing new friends!

We began with a stop at Katherine River...site of a gorge which I learned is the same as a canyon except a gorge holds water. So apparently the Grand Canyon is actually improperly named. We had time for a swim and some lunch before heading South to some mineral springs. The clear water felt good and we actually were a little cold. By this time we'd already formed a nice group as there were only 7 on the tour. We wandered around before heading back to the bus. This is where I saw my first wallaby! She was a mom and it was easy to see the bulge in her pouch. Who knew there were animals resembling a kangaroo? Not I! I was quite excited and enjoyed taking many pictures. Our next stop was going to be our home for the night. A roadhouse with a pink theme, right down to a bus. We each had our own little cottage with camp cots. It was so cozy. After a delicious meal we headed to the pub and met Barney. Quite a local character he was. He played the spoons amazingly well and sang to accompany them. He bought me a drink when I played the spoons for him. He also serenaded me with a song including my name. A true outbacker which made our night very interesting.

After a restful sleep we were up early to continue our journey. We arrived at Daly Water's Pub in the late morning. This was the half way point and a famous roadhouse indeed. Inside is covered with things left behind. The tradition started when cattle ranchers would leave money on the wall so they could buy a drink their next visit through. It's been extended now to hats, pictures and ID's, underwear and of course people still do leave money. It was an interesting place to check out and we BBQ'd our lunch beside their pool. Our home that night was a cattle station and we were there when a road train pulled in full of cows. Australia is famous for these road trains which are really just semi trucks but they have up to 4 trailors. They didn't seem so bad to me but I don't think it's that common in other parts of the globe. We got to our campsite just in time for sunset and then we had an amazing meal, a campfire with marshmallows, and then we set up our swags. We were sleeping under the stars! A swag is an outback necessity. It's made of canvas with a tough plastic bottom and has a small foam mattress inside. It zips up both sides on top and has a flap you can use to cover your head. You still use a sleeping bag but it adds another layer of warmth and protection. It was comfy indeed. The stars were amazing and as we lay, all clustered together, we saw a shooting star. It was amazing. It's quite a way to wake up in the middle of the night. In fact I barely slept because I kept waking to look at the stars. It's one of my favourite activities and I don't take the time often enough so being on your back all night with this amazing view was just too extraordinary.

The next morning we woke early and got started before the sun was up. We stopped on the side of the road to enjoy the sunrise. Our tour guide, Kym, was good like that and stopped any time she thought there was something worth seeing. Today was a driving day and we spent most of our time in the van. Our big stop was at Devil's Marbles where giant round boulders are scattered over the land. It's a magnificent sight and we spent an hour taking funny pictures and wandering around.  We also stopped at Tropic of Capricorn which, I think, means it's the half way mark of the southern hemisphere. When we arrived at Australia's UFO capital we had some fun by making little tinfoil antennae. We also stopped when Kym spotted giant black eagles (the largest of te species) eating road kill. At last we arrived in Alice Springs. It had been a great few days. I made some amazing connections. Sam, from UK, was one of them. She has such a positive energy and is so fun to be around. We all met later for dinner. I was honoured when Kym told me what a great addition to the group I had been and what a positive energy I had brought. I was so touched as I've worked so hard this trip to change my thinking to be positive and upbeat. It was sad to say goodbye as we'd had an amazing group who really clicked. Lorenzo and Alessandra from Italy, Daniel and Anya from Germany, Sam and I....and of course Kym! I thoroughly enjoyed myself and even loved camping under the stars! Maybe I'll do it again at home!