So long OzBus

So, its clearly been a while since I last updated this. And to say that a lot has happened is a tad of an understatement. When I last left you, we had just arrived in Indonesia after a horrific ferry crossing. The next day was a long driving day (turns out most of the time in Indonesia was long driving days), but we did get to cross the equator! All there was to let you know where you are is a big pink piece of rock that has a line going down the middle of it (and a sign obviously). Im not sure what I was expecting, but I think it was a bit more than that. The most annoying thing is that we didnt get to do the water test to see which way it drains - apparently it should go straight down when on the equator rather than swirling around the drain. Though later tht day I did notice that the water tended to head straight down the drain, even though we were a bit from the equator at that time. Nothing really happened for the first few days in Indonesia - like I said it was mostly driving on some really awful roads that made quite a few of us feel travel sick the moment we stepped onto the bus! We left Sumatra (on a much nicer ferry crossing) and arrived in Java a while later. We drove through Jakarta but kept going onto another stop over night. After MORE driving, we arrived in Pangdangaran. Its a really lovely beach resort that was wipped out by the tsunami. It was strange to see buildings that had been washed away but not yet repaired while others had been totally rebuilt. I felt quite sad there actually, especially while sitting on a really beautiful beach knowing what had happened. While we were there it was Barbaras brithday; needless to say there was a bit of a party for that! No better woman for it really. After two nights at the beach, we headed for Jogjakarta (Yogyakarta), where it was Aprils birthday! So another celebration was in order! We ended up at a club that night which had a really great live band - Im pretty sure I will never hear the tide is high by blondie with an indonesian rap half way through! After a late night, we had an early start to go to borobodur temple, a massive buddist temple complex which was pretty cool. When you see photos of Java, chances are its of this! That afternoon, Emma, Mel and me (and Todd for a bit) searched manically for accomodation in Bali. Six of us (including April and Alex) had decided to flly down to Bali a few days early, but were having hassle finding somewhere to stay. Eventually, Todd found soemwhere, but it was all a bit dodgy. the guy at the hotel took his name, but didnt take any other details at all. We flew to Bali and decided to ring the hotel to make sure we still had a booking. Which of course we didnt! so it was off to the hotel counter in the airport. we found the most amazing hotel ever! we had a three bed apt in a 4 star resort (jayakarta - totally worth looking at if you are ever thinking of going to bali for a hol!) that was right on the beach and about 10 mins by taxi into legian st, the main pub/restaurant area in bali. the hotel even had swin up bar - talk about living the dream! we had three amazing days there before it was time to leave the heaven of jayakarta and headed to the sympang inn which was much closer to the bars etc, but further from the beach. we had been told that it was one of the nicest hotels that we would be staying in and im sure it would have been if we hadnt jsut been in paradise! but bali was so much fun! we really had 6 great days there! so by the end of it i was sad to be leaving!

But off to Darwin it was! and our last country! we arrived in darwin in the middle of the night. so after a bit of a lie in, myself and abby decided to head off to see the sights of darwin. we were back about 40 minutes later! it really isnt a big city and there really isnt much to see, but it was nice all the same. It was Anas birthday, so once again we hit the town. we had dinner in a bar that turned into a karoke bar - perfect for ana and after that we headed to the local club; strippers and all! classy with a capital K! the next day was spent at the hostel pool before the thought of driving 7,000km in 10 days!

the next morning we met our driver and guide for the nxt while. his name is wombat; mostly because he was short, a bit fat and quite hairy! but my god, that man knows a lot about australia! we started our tour of the outback with a crusie on the adelaide river, home of the jumping crocs! lit was unreal to see them so close; they are far bigger than you can even begin to imagine, 4m is small! afterwards we headed into kakadu national park, a massive aboriginal park where parts of crocadile dundee was filmed! we met an aboriginal community, where we were blessed (they take water from a billabong (a type of pond), out it in their mouths and spit it onto your head), taught about bush tucka and shown how to hunt with spears! we had our first night camping that night. i say camping, but it was in a pre-erected camp site that had beds and a proper kitchen! but we were warned about the bush rats (a few feet long) and the dingos! Both of those made the midnight run to the bathrooms interesting! the next day we drove through the park towards katherine where i saw something that would be so illegial anywhere else in the world, a drive thru off licence! how they think its a good idea i have no idea; especially in that part of the world where the aboriginals who have left their communities have massive issues with alcohol and can get quite violent. plus that seems to be the most exciting thing in katherine; well that and the fact that someone walked across the railway bridge to write jesus lives nachos on the side of it! so it was a good thing that we had stopped off earler that day for a swim in edith falls, which also happen to be croc infested! after another nights camping in pre-erected tents, with our first bonfire, beers and toasted marshmallows, and a bit of drama when alex ripped off his fingernail (!!) while moving a log, we were up early to go canoeing in the katherine gorge, or for those who were feeling a bit lazy take cruise up the gorge. canoeing was so much fun, especially going past the beaches that had signs warning us of the croc nests that had lovely drag trails leading down to the croc infested water! though to be fair, we didnt see a single one! after all the exercise, it was time for a bit more aboriginal culture, this time in the form we were beign taught how to paint in their traditional style; not nearly as easy as it looks! after a really great bbq lunch (cheers wombat!) we were on the road again, only to come across some camels (cam and mel apparently) wandering in the bush, not too an uncommon sight by all accounts. we stopped off for another dip, this time in mataranka thermal pool, which was kind of like a scene from cocoon! there are a whole load of retirees who travel around the country in RV's following the sun and the warm weather around the country. but the pools were lovely and warm in a really beautiful setting of a jungle. after driving the length of the uk (seriously) we arrived in daly waters. to say its remote is an understatement! 30 people live in the area, which consists of a gas station, a camp ground and a blooody great pub! i had heard of the pub over the years, but most recently from charlie boormans "by any means", pretty much the same trip as ours. its customary to leave things behind you, tshirts, pictures etc. I left a bra (another tradition) and the whole group left a tshirt - be sure to look out for it if you are ever there! most people camped that night (either in our own tents or a swag, more about that later) but some of us (me and abby inlcuded) decided to pay $5 and stay in the pub! GENIUS idea!

Up before the sun to head off for another massive drive! to alice springs. there were a few stops along the way, most noteably a ufo cafe at wycliffe wells, so strange!, the devils marbels and the tropic of capricorn. alice springs...... what to say? im not sure inbred comes close enough! but it was good to see, but better to leave to be honest. though the flying doctors was great.

we left alice and headed for the kings canyon (in the rain!) and the best nights camping yet (where it had stopped raining). it was like a home! we even had towels and 2 duvets! which came in handy as it started to get quite chilly at night. it was also my first contact with a dingo! well, i say contact, i walked past it and it looked a bit scared. i didnt see any babies around the camp so i reckon it was a quite night for it! but not for us! we are getting used to stubbies and schooners here - typical oz beers!

the next morning we hiked around kings canyon. once we mananged cardiac hill (which was an intense 15 min climb up a steep hill to the top of the canyon), the hike around was gorgeous! and as usual, wombat was full of all the interesting facts that we needed. once we reached the end (3 hours later) we saw just how manly wombat was as he carried an injured april a good few hundred meters back to the bus! now, april is tiny, but still.... thats dam impressive! we also had 2 newbies on the bus, a coupke on honeymoon whos tour had messed up and was sending them in the wrong direction. so, all 24 of us headed off down the road to yulara, the campsite for uluru or ayers rock as it is more commonly known. we went tot the visitors centre at uluru that afternoon and learned loads about the area; well as much as non-aboriginal people can. its incredibly sacred to them, hence them asking people not to climb or take stones away with them. so it was interesting to see the sorry book full of letters apologising for taking bits of rock or climbing it. really made you think! that night we camped again - but this time it was proper camping! i was on cooking duty that night, and while 3 of the girls decided to start on the salad, i was left a pile of meat that included massive sausages, beef and roo steaks! thanks to a v helpful james, we got it all cooked and might i say, the roo was dam tasty! but the proper camping.... i couldnt be bothered putting up a tent, so swag it was! a swag is essentially a massive sleeping bag that you get into in your own sleeping bag. it lets you sleep under the stars which are really really beautiful! but having heard screams about a massive spider, i closed up the flap and slept totally covered up. which was handy when it started to rain i nthe middle of the night! we had ANOTHER early start to see the sun rise over uluru - pretty amazing! it changes colour as the sun rises! then it was time for the 9.6km walk around the base! when we got to the end, we saw where it was possible to climb it, and seeing how steep it is i cant believe people actually do it! after some lunch, and plaster application - blistertastic! - we headed to the olgas, another rock formation near uluru that is even more sacred to the aboriginals. i didnt do the full walk - my dodgy broken toes were causing me some hassle - but the part i did do was spectacular! we saw the sunset at uluru too, where it is tradition to toast with champagne (or sparkling wine in our case), so who am i to go against tradition! another nights swagging it before we had to leave the red heart of australia. it is so beautiful there, words and photos really dont do it any justice!

so, south australia it was next! adelaide was out stop that night, which looks like a lovely city, but we got there so late and it was SOOOO cold that i didnt see any of it. and according to dave (my friend who lives in oz for the last 3 years) i didnt miss much. our next stop, and our final night (sob) was in narrandera, quite literally the middle of nowhere. it reminded of me of those mid-american towns in the bible belt. we went for dinner, watched the trinations (which oz lost) and got a bit sentimental about the end of the trip!

the next morning, we were all a bit subdued. three months in each others pockets were about to come to an end. but it was richards birthday, so there was celebrating to do! we drove to camberra, which is nice but boring as hell! then it was time to head for sydney. and the tears started! we reached sydney as the sun was starting to set. and then wombat got lost, so long story short we never got our last group photo taken at the opera house.

we arrived at base backpackers where i was met by dave! and it was time for me to leave ozbus. everyone else (with the excpetion of abby) was staying in the same hostel, so they had more time together. mine however, was over. i left with dave, caught a cab to his (which involved crossing the bridge!), said a quick hello to bec, had a shower and headed back into the city for our last night out. it was great fun and a typical ozbus night out. there were the inevitable tears though! but a great time was had by all, especially richard! what a start to 36 for him!

so, i have now been in sydney for a week. it is such a beautiful city and im having a ball here! but the tiredness has caught up with me meaning i havent been so productive for the last week. didnt stop me going to palm beach, aka home and away! i had a lovely night out on saturday with dave and bec where we had drinks at the opera bar, a bar under the opera house that looksout over the harbour. today the house hunt starts properly and the job hunt is underway. i still cant quite believe that im actually here and that the bus is over. i had been talking about it for so long im not quite sure what to talk about now!

i had the time of my life! i have seen things i never thought possible and done things that i could only ever dream of! so what were my highlights..........

5 best countries:
1. nepal
2. australia
3. pakistan
4. indonesia
5. thailand

5 nicest places to stay:
1. jayakarta, bali (not technically part of the bus trip, but so good it has to be in there)
2. home bay, koh sumai
3. swags at uluru
4. chitwan national park, nepal
5. daly waters pub, northern territory (not so nice as such, but so much fun)

top 5 moments:
1. everest flight, if only for todds genius statement of "are we leaving for the flight from the airport?"
2. elephant safari/bathing, nepal
3. hotair ballooning, goreme, turkey
4. canoeing, katherine gorge, northern territory
5. kings canyon/uluru hikes, northern territory
6. cycling around bruges!

5 things i missed most about home:
1. mom, dad and millie
2. friends/family
3. conor and jaz being born
4. milk
5. clean towels

things i will miss about the bus
1. my new friends!
2. laughing so much it hurts
3. seeing so many beautiful places out the window
4. being able to sleep in the most awkward positions! its an artform!

so, i guess thats it. after 92 days, 18 countries, 10 buses, 5 flights, some amazing hostels and hotels (ah bali!), some really awful hotels (thank you india), seeing everst and the taj mahal, riots in iran, armed escorts in pakistan, baby elephants, wild rhinos, hotair ballooning, horrific delhi belly (which started in pakistan oddly enough), sweating more than is natural, sleeping under the stars at uluru, eating great and awful food, amazing memories and even better friends, we mafe it. ozbus... over and out!