It’s hard being homesick when you don’t actually have a home. Yet somehow, I managed a hint of the feeling yesterday. The Netherlands is my home-home, where I was born and raised. But other than my family, there is nothing left there that is “me”. Manchester is my home, where I created a life for myself with jobs, friends, and memories. But I said goodbye to that life, meaning I now no longer get to call it home. So where is home, which place am I sick for? I’m not sure. Probably it’s the people we meet that make us feel home, rather than a place itself. But nostalgia hit me and I hope all my friends and family are well, wherever they are. You all make me feel at home.
In the last blog, I left you in Byron Bay, just as we were about to head up to Surfers Paradise. If you ever find yourself in this neck of the woods, let me save you the trouble: don’t bother going. Surfers Paradise is exactly what I was hoping not to find in Australia: a skyscraper-clad beach, tacky souvenir shops littering the arcades, tourists exposing their poorly chosen tattoos and untrained bodies across the beach, whilst surfers try and avoid hitting people in the head as they swim outside the flags. It was by all means a poor impression of Waikiki. The second we arrived, we booked ourselves onto the next available bus out of the city which, to our dismay, wasn’t until the next evening. So out of pure boredom, I had my hair cut into a bob so short that the Italian hairdresser shaved the back of my head.
The long-awaited evening bus took us to Brisbane. After one miserably failed city, we decided not even to give Brisbane a chance and, after a quick night’s sleep close to the bus station, took the first bus leaving for Australia Zoo. My expectations for Steve Irwin’s legacy were high. But then again, never having particularly liked the Australian hero, I should’ve known that his vision of a zoo would differ significantly from mine. At AUD60, the zoo does not come cheap. For that kind of money, you expect a state-of-the-art zoo with a lot to offer. Instead, you get a run-down version of a wildlife park with animals that look bored, and “animal presentations” so incredibly showy they would give SeaWorld a run for their money (which, I suppose, explains why Bindi Irwin, Steve’s golden child, has recently formed a partnership with the much criticized SeaWorld). As a visitor, it is allowed to touch almost any animal that common sense would allow. Kangaroos are lying on the grass, constantly subject to petting, spooning, and feeding by visitors that are told this is a normal way to interact with wild animals. Koalas are handed from person to person as if they’re a spliff, looking so bored with the process they may as well be stoned. The crocodiles, which must’ve been Steve’s pride and glory, are lying in abandoned pens with poorly designed signs stating their name and “what a beaut she is”. As we walked through the zoo, I become more and more disappointed with the idea of this being considered one of the best zoos in the world. We have a long way to come yet.
After I (again) contemplated my life’s decisions in studying zoo management, we got onto the bus to Noosa. Not knowing much about it, I had no idea what to expect. But Noosa is probably as close to Coffs Harbour as we got – a relaxed atmosphere, a small hostel, and plenty of beautiful spots to pick from. Life in Noosa was therefore incredibly relaxed. We were supposed to stay a couple of nights, but deciding to go to Fraser Island, we stayed until our pick-up would take us right from our hostel door. So we had plenty of time to kill in Noosa. Remo took me surfing and, to mine but probably mostly his surprise, I managed to stay afloat and even paddle at bits. The bruises afterwards suggest I may have been slightly less coordinated than I thought at the time, but it was an effort I was proud of nonetheless.
We also visited the stunning Noosa National Park, where the beaches are wide and almost deserted. Later we found out that this was mainly because Alexandria Bay is one of the few nudist beaches in the area. In the park we ran into a friend we’d met previously in Coffs Harbour, and who’s birthday it was the next day. As Dennis is probably one of the few people that actually read my blog and was disappointed he had thus far not appeared, here’s a special mention just for him. His birthday was another one of those nights where you have no way of knowing how it ends – starting with a couple of beers at Dennis’ hostel, we ended up at a bonfire on the beach where people were juggling and swinging around fire. It was a beautiful experience.
But soon the time came for us to go to Fraser Island. Without a doubt, Fraser has been the most amazing experience I had in Australia so far. We were picked up by our energetic tour guide Simen, a Norwegian that I (sorry Simen!) at first mistook for a girl due to his amazing, long, blonde hair. Simen advised us to sleep while we could: “No sleeping in the cars once you get to Fraser! There’s too much to see.” Once we met the rest of the group, Remo and I ended up in the car with three Israelis: Hadar, Adi, and Ziv. We drove up to the ferry with Ziv behind the wheel, in our blue car later to be known as Bob. On the ferry we saw numerous sea birds, fish, and beautiful close-up views of Indo-Pacific humpbacked dolphins.
Once we got to the island, Simen took us to our beautiful beach-side camp and we immediately moved on to Lake Wabby, a beautiful lake in the middle of a huge sand blow. Despite the rain, we all dove in for a swim and introduced ourselves. This is where I found out that, defying all statistical odds, there was another primatologist on the trip. We talked monkeys on our way up to the lookout above the lake, and it felt good to know I’m not the only weirdo out there that likes to study our closest relatives. The night was spent enjoying a BBQ, wishing for better weather the next day, and socialising with a group of amazing people from all over the world. Our new Israeli friends introduced us to my newest addiction: Yaniv. An easy to pick up, but hard to win card game, Yaniv is insanely addictive and I fear it may cost me some friends as we continue to play it everywhere we go.
Simen told us many stories about the island and its original inhabitants the next day. Commonly known as Fraser Island, the Aboriginal name K’gari is more beautiful and means paradise. Visiting the island, there is no doubt that it is indeed paradise. The next morning we drove for miles over the beach, switching drivers along the way so everyone (but me, thanks to failing my driving test) could have a go in the 4WD. We got to Eli Creek, where we were able to swim down to the beach in its crystal-clear waters. The boys played beach volleyball between the cars as the girls sat and played cards. The sun had come out and thanks to our early start (5.50am wake-up by didgeridoo) we had the beach to ourselves. Next,we went to the Champagne Pools. These tidal pools are filled with fish during the low tide and make for a perfect spot to relax and enjoy the view.
Afterwards, we finished the day at Indian Head. Simen explained more history of the island to us while we watched sharks and manta rays in the surf meters below us. With the afternoon sun, it was one of the most magical views I’ve seen. On the way home we collected pillies on the beach, small shellfish that we would have as a snack later at camp.
That night, after another glorious dinner, I spent time on the beach to appreciate the stars now that the sky was clear. The Milky Way was clear as day, and the sky illuminated with different stars, planets, and even galaxies. It was breath-taking and in itself already worth the entire trip.
After lots more Yaniv (I never win!), I went to bed early so I could catch the sunrise. When I got up at 5.45, Adi was already sat on the beach in her sleeping bag, looking at the beautiful colours playing on the sand as the sun slowly rose. It was sad knowing that it was our last day on the island, and going back onto the mainland almost felt like punishment.
Simen took us to the most well-known spot on the island: Lake McKenzie. Again due to tea-tree oil infused in the water, this lake is clearer than most swimming pools and has a beautiful, bright blue hue. With Ben Howard on in the background (Simen thinks of everything) we enjoyed the water, gave each other sand scrubs, and played games. This was probably the most relaxing environment I have been in so far on my travels, and it was a much needed “charge the batteries” moment.
After lunch, we finished our trip in the Central Station rainforest. Originally home to loggers and miners, the island is now a World Heritage site and is completely protected. The rainforest is unlike any I’ve seen so far, with fewer large trees but a much larger variety in palms and small trees. Simen demonstrated how best to climb a palm (really quite impressive) and on the drive back we all sang along in the car and had show-downs over the radio with the other cars.
But all good things come to an end, and we were soon on the ferry back to mainland Australia. Remo and I had planned to stay in Rainbow Beach, to continue our travel upwards, but let ourselves be persuaded to head back to Noosa with the others for a night. That night we all had some drinks and food at the pub, and the next day we met up with Hadar, Adi, and Ziv on Noosa’s beach. They had brought a guitar, blankets, and cards and we swam, sunbathed, and played Yaniv. It was such a relaxing day that saying goodbye to these three amazing people came as a harsh wake-up call. They had an impression on me with their kindness and good company, and I hope they were serious about their offers for me to come to Israel as I intend to take them up on it.
Just as we said goodbye to new friends, we ran into an old one! As I took a shower I heard Marije’s voice over the crowds and ran outside to find her excitedly talking to Remo. Unfortunately our reunion had to be postponed as we had a bus to catch, going up to Hervey Bay. Here we stayed in a ranch-style hostel with a lush tropical garden, and recharged our batteries. We went to the cinema to watch the Avengers (GO!), and enjoyed the sunshine and some downtime. Next thing we knew, we were already at the bus station again to head up to 1770, a suburb of the tiny town of Agnes Water. At the bus station we ran into Marije again, but our reunion is imminent: in three days, we’ll all be on a sail boat on the Great Barrier Reef. My reason for coming to Australia was to snorkel here, and now that it’s so close I can barely wait. So tonight we’re getting on the overnight bus to Airlie Beach with Marije, where we will spend the day before boarding the Ragamuffin II.
All in all it’s been one of the most amazing weeks in my trip so far. Take some time for yourself this week and enjoy the simple things in life; the sunset, the stars, or a good book. It’ll be rejuvenating, I promise.
Faye Vogely 