Wacky Races

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About two months ago I came up with a Really Great Idea. This Really Great Idea (or RGI as it shall now henceforth be known) was to fly to Bintan Island, off the coast of Singapore and take part in a cycling road race with my friend Eileen. This despite never having ridden 55 km before in my life, avoiding hills like the plague and completely forgetting about the humidity in this neck of the woods. Well now this RGI has finally come to fruition and I sit here nervously anticipating the Discovery course of the Tour De Bintan, not entirely convinced that I will actually make it, but going to give it a damn good try. I can’t even blame alcohol for this decision, dear reader, for I was entirely sober!

Fortunately(?) our bikes survived the journey and while they were accidentally sent to the start line before we had actually put them together, there is nothing standing in the way of the finish line (except many, many hills). Did I mention that thunderstorms are forecast for tomorrow?

We’re staying at the Nirvana Gardens (oh dear lord) Resort which puts me in mind of an Indonesian Dirty Dancing movie. Unfortunately a tall, dark and handsome bad boy is nowhere in sight to romance me on the dance floor, but there are plenty of limber and lithe lycra-clad cyclists wandering around. I should point out that I have neither the stamina nor the physique of a cyclist (let’s just call me curvy), but will post a photo of me in my cycling kit anyway… perhaps before I fall off my bike across the finish line J

Red Gorge Adventure

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Oh my – words just fail me – which is going to be a bit of a problem given I have a blog post to write. I’ll do my best to convey the wonder of my canyoning adventure but may have to resort to some fairly overused adjectives such as awesome, amazing, incredible, mind-blowing etc., etc…

I mean, I thought the gorges were pretty remarkable anyway, but nothing prepared me for my epic adventure into the heart of old Karijini. There is nothing quite like going places that you can’t ordinarily get to – being so remote that it seems like you are the only people on the planet while simultaneously reminding you how insignificant our lives are in the presence of rocks millions of years old. Continue reading →

Can I have the key to my room, please?

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So I’ve made several rookie mistakes on my flashpacking/glamping adventure. The first was bringing an ungodly amount of white clothing on this vacay. Note to self for future outback adventures: red dirt gets EVERYWHERE! Second was to ask for my room key for my tent lol. Now I did realise my mistake as the words were leaving my mouth, but you can’t take it back once it’s out there. The third – and this is probably the biggest of them all: I didn’t prepare in any way for hiking up hill and down dale. My calves are on fire and I’m sure I’ll be in a sorry state for basketball Saturday (sorry girls). Continue reading →

Flash packing

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Holy mother of god – I’m staying in another caravan park! But never fear, I haven’t given up on my desire for luxury accommodation and the finer things in life generally, I’m merely positioning myself in Tom Price to take maximum advantage of my stay in the beauteous Karijini Eco Retreat. Mind you, in Tom Price this is about as good as it gets anyway, and at least I got treated to an early evening concert of country favourites, dined at a combination Asian/Chinese/Indian restaurant and caught a tonne of Pokemon lol. Life is good 🙂 Continue reading →

Famous last words

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fish_butts

Fish butts

It occurs to me, as I trudge alone on an isolated 4WD track heading to a remote beach to do some snorkelling, that this might not be the smartest thing I’ve ever done. Oh sure, I’ve done far stupider things; some in the name of love and some for no reason at all, but age should really have given me something else besides wrinkles. A slip on the rocks a short time later confirms my hypothesis, although the lack of mobile reception should have done that already. But I trudge on regardless. The tracks of those that have gone before me reassure me in some small measure. Not all are human. But at last I reach my goal. Only… I work myself into such a state at the thought of being snatched by a great white shark and no one knowing I’m gone that I barely skim the edge of the reef and hurtle back at break neck speed to the safety of the shallows. It strengthens my resolve though: I’ll do this in a group next time so if a shark attacks I’ve got a chance of making it out alive. Continue reading →

Call me Ishmael

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dingo

Charlie the boat dingo

A dingo sat next to me on a boat this morning and nuzzled my neck. So that was different. I mean, I knew there was a good chance I’d see a whale shark, but I wasn’t expecting the dingo. But let’s not get distracted by my canine friend – I came to Coral Bay to swim with the whale sharks and swim with the whale sharks I did. Well actually, it was only one shark which we swam with repeatedly, but who the hell cares? I swam with a whale shark and have the stubby holder to prove it!

I was so disoriented when I jumped in the water that I had no idea where the whale shark was until I, belatedly turning on instruction from the wildly gesticulating crew member, found him right behind me! I was so excited I nearly dropped the camera and all my photos are very badly framed indeed as a result of my shaking hands. So often these touristy things can fail to live up to expectations, but this was simply marvellous. Continue reading →

Trailer Park Trash

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Coral Bay

I’m staying in a caravan park. There. I’ve said it. I’ve been trying not to think about what I knew deep down to be true, but when I decided to go swim with the whale sharks, there wasn’t a lot on offer and sometimes you have to take what you can get. I’ve been suppressing memories of Mandurah for a good forty years now, and finally I come full circle. Oh well. It’s worth it to be in Coral Bay, although for $200 a night I usually get a whole lot more in the accommodation department! Continue reading →

A Whirling Dervish

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A different place each night? I’ll say one thing: my time in the North Island has been busy… and did I mention there was a lot of driving? But no matter, I’m nearing the end now and I’ve been inching closer to Auckland each day in preparation for my final run home.

Holding on for dear life while striking a pose? Not as easy as it looks

Holding on for dear life while striking a pose? Not as easy as it looks

A trip to the north wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Rotorua so naturally I booked myself into the most expensive spa in town for a soak in the hot springs and a massage. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that I’m probably staying in one of the cheapest hotels in town. I’m just focusing on the fact that the sheets are clean and not trying to figure out what that smell is. Not my usual standard of accommodation is all I shall say. But back to the spa: Even if you don’t get the massage afterwards, the springs are worth a soak, only don’t stay in there too long like I did otherwise you’ll end up with first degree burns. Itchy. But you should get the massage while you’re there. My masseuse laughed at me afterwards and told me I really needed to relax. I laughed back at him and said relaxing is not something I do very well – even on holiday and hoped he didn’t hurt his hands too much. Continue reading →

The basketball monologues

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No wait! Don’t stop reading. This post really isn’t about basketball, although basketball is the thread that binds it together. You see the Boomers vs Tall Blacks game is the reason I’m hightailing it to Wellington – something I’ll never attempt to do again in three days I might add. Yes it might not have been the smartest thing to do, but if I hadn’t done that I wouldn’t have been shouting out “pub quiz for dummies” answers in the pub at Napier* with a complete stranger (we would have won if we had been playing), in between watching the Opals vs the Tall Ferns on tv. Nor would I have accepted an invitation for a drink of yet another stranger in Wellington before the game as we both wanted to find somewhere out of the wind. You know, that’s probably giving the wrong impression – I’m not picking up men in bars! lol The point of all this is that travelling by myself makes me do things I wouldn’t ordinarily do – like talk to people I don’t know – and the surprising thing is: I actually enjoy it.

It certainly is an exercise in personal growth – but I am OVER driving. The weather has also turned to rubbish today so I’m holed up in a beautiful apartment on the edge of Lake Taupo (toe-paw) called Braxmere. I’m just going to NOT drive for a bit and look at the swans on the lake.

*I also wouldn’t have found that pair of leopard skin boots that I probably didn’t need but bought anyway and now have to find a way to fit in my luggage.

 

 

Without a net

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The last time I tried a “fly by the seat of my pants” kind of holiday, it lasted all of a day before we were organised within an inch of our lives. This time the only thing that is certain is that I need to be in Wellington on Tuesday for the basketball and back in Auckland on Saturday to fly home. So how’s it all working out? well it’s been pretty interesting thus far:

I got off the plane, found myself a hire car, then sat in it for about half an hour trying to figure out where the hell I was going. Eventually I decided to just head towards Hobbit territory and hoped to get lucky. I suppose I did in that I didn’t have to sleep in my car, but now I know what the earplugs were for in the bedroom of the motel I found.

In hindsight, trying to get to Wellington in two days was a bit ambitious but the country is beautiful and I’m enjoying the serendipitous encounters with places and people along the way. I’ve made it as far as Napier which is known as the Art Deco Capital of the world and the hotel I’m staying at is a true reflection of that claim. I’ve also just found out that it is prone to earthquakes, but with the lack of sleep the previous night from all those bloody trucks thundering past, I’m sure it would require an earthquake to wake me.