Our little "Adventure"

I know I haven't really been able to post too much lately, so I thought I'd give just a little snippet from our time at the beach town of Agnes Water. Please enjoy this lengthy, verbose rendition of a little escapade we experienced....

A few days ago, after a few days of lazy relaxation at our current hostel located somewhere along the eastern coast-north of brisbane, south of rockhampton is all I know- reading books, swinging in hammocks, watching movies, taking naps, well you get the picture, Chris and I decided to actually be productive, take a shuttle into town, and try out a free kite-surfing lesson on the beach. Sounds like good, simple fun-right? Yeah. I thought so too.

Well it all started out well. We woke up in time, had a nice free breakfast of cereal (which I upgraded with a banana I bought at the market-cha-ching!) and read for an hour before our shuttle was set to depart at 10. We were supposed to meet up with a girl we had met to find out where the lessons were. Unfortunately the first shuttle was full so she didn't make it on. Now here's our error. We decided once dropped off at town we would make our own way down to the beach and scout it out ourselves. Hmmm.

So here we are...fresh and ready after a good nights sleep, well lotioned up with sunblock protection, armed with our towels, a bottle of water, and sunblock reserves we start our way down the street in a direction we think the beach just might be. At this point we're feeling good. The sun is beating down but in a soft, warming, comforting way and we spot a sign proclaiming "public beach access here". Success! We make our way down the footpath and step onto the beach. Not bad-not as pretty as the beach from the weekend before but water and sand nonetheless. However, it's not a very busy beach. There are no flags staking claim where you may safely enter the water without fear of being attacked by jelly box fish or bluebottles or stingrays (seriously, the ocean is freaking dangerous) and we see no sign of promised surf lessons/kite surfing lessons/ect. in the vicinity. Surely we are in the wrong place? So here's our plan...walk down the beach to the turn and see what's around the bend. Maybe the beach of our dreams is just around the corner waiting to be found. Also, we figure this is our way into the small town of 1770 which we would like to see. We congratulate ourselves on our plan and start to make our way hand in hand down the picturesque walk....

Cut to twenty minutes later: at this point we're still feeling rather optimistic...the sand is cool under our toes, the waves are gently tickling our feet, enjoying a little sun and surf as it were. However, that bend that we're heading to does not seem to be getting much closer....

Another twenty minutes elapse: That 'warm and comforting sun' is evolving into a more uncomfortable presence-beating down, reflecting off the water, and stinging my neck, shoulders, arms and even feet; at the same time I'm really starting to 'glisten' which is a nicer way of putting 'sweating like a pig'. I decide to lather up with another round of sunblock. Bugger. That slimy white lotion is just sliding off my sweaty body....

30 minutes later: I'm really gettting a bit nervous....that 'bend' in the beach looks more like a rock fall off and the 'building tops' I imagined at the top of the hill are trees. Oh yeah, and the sand is like fire burning my feet as I continually sink in only to push back out again and repeat. It's like being on a freaking stair stepper. In crazy, sweat inducing, oxygen sucking weather. And lava sand....

After yet another 15 minutes we've reached the end of the beach. Our choices? To hike over the hilly terrain to our left, turn back for a two hour return walk on the now seemingly treacherous beach, or dive into rock infested waters, which I'm pretty sure is the least worrisome type of infestation that we would encounter in doing so. Sigh. Bring it on hill....

So after an 'invigorating' thirty minute hike over the hill, hopping a couple of fences, trudging down a couple of roads, and harassing a few strangers for directions we finally reach the Town of 1770, grab two beers, order some much needed food, and collapse in the shade sweaty and, in my case, sunburnt to a crisp. Hooray adventure (I hope you can sense the sarcasm through the text).

And do you want to know the real kicker? Later that evening we ran into the girl we were supposed to meet up with only to be informed that she had seen us walking down that very same beach at the beginning of our travels, tried to wave us down, and finally gave up. Yep. We were in the right place all along. I'm sure this will be funny in a couple of days. Or months. Or years. Or maybe just when this gosh awful worst sunburn of my life finally subsides. Did you know that after suffering from raw skin for a couple of days, the sunburned areas can actually swell up making one of your feet feel sprained and your forehead look like an alien only to spring up millions of tiny blisters once the swelling subsides and eventually turn into flaky bits of your skin falling off revealing raw, splotchy, disolored skin? Well it does. Needless to say, no pictures with me in them for awhile...

Hope everyone is living sunburn free....I miss you!

Quick update...

Hey all!
Just wanted to quickly update you on what's going on while I have a chance (not sure when I'll have internet access again):

I don't have much time so I'll keep it short and sweet:

• Spent the weekend at a friend's rental unit of the beach so...I saw the ocean! Not my first time to see the ocean but exciting nonetheless. Especially since it was storming. Beautiful and majestic is a cheesy but true way to put it. Took tons of pictures that of course I can't post yet. Look forward to photo overload once I can post from my own computer. Sigh.
• I got a job! Woohoo! So here's the deal- I'll be working at a 'roadhouse' (which apparently means service station) in the outback in a town called Alpha, population 300. No, I am not kidding. It's only for three months though and I figure it will be a good way to save money and have a true Aussie outback experience. The job starts March 1st so until then we'll be...
• Spending some time in the Town of 1770. We leave today on an 11 hour bus ride to get to this sleepy beachy resort town that Chris has quite the nostalgia for. Not looking forward to the long bus ride though. Oh the life of a nomad.
• Finally, I've been sick. Of course. How come every time I leave the country I come down with some ailment? It was mostly chesty cough/slight fever/throat ache/headache/stuffy nose business but I believe I'm almost recovered. Just been pretty sleepy but I figure it gives my body time to recover. Unfortunately now I have a whiny sick boyfriend to deal with.

Well I guess that's all the vitally important info I need to impart. I hope my next post will be sooner than later so I can tell you more. Love you guys!

Welcome to the Wonderful Land of Oz....

I'VE ARRIVED!
Well not in the 'I've arrived as a powerful woman in this world making my own independent way to glorious fortune and fame' but I HAVE physically arrived in Australia! Hoorah! Unfortunately this Texas girl was not ready for the heat and humidity (go figure-what the crap is wrong with me? I've gone soft since leaving Austin apparently) and it feels sweltering to me here. Anywho...here are a few highlights from my trip so far:
[DISCLAIMER: I'm typing this blog on a paid internet computer so unfortunately no pics yet-though of course I already have like a hundred-such a camera nazi]

The Plane Ride(s)
So believe it or not, traveling for over a thirty hour time period is never very fun, but we did make the best of it. Did you know the STRAIGHT LINE distance between Amarillo and Brisbane is over 8,000 miles and let me tell ya we DEFINATELY did not travel in a straight line- Amarillo to Vegas, Vegas to L.A., L.A. to Auckland (New Zealand) and Auckland to Brisbane. Whew! A few interesting things did happen along the way: I SLEPT ON THE PLANE! Yep. A full two hours. Nice. Also, have you ever thought about someone living a Parallel Life to your own? I never really had before, but I think I met the girl who is living mine: 23 year old female from Texas, graduated from A&M, moved abroad to New Zealand, met a Kiwi (that's what those crazy New Zealanders are called), he came to visit her in Texas a couple of weeks ago, and they are about to move to Australia together for a year. Crazy right? And I sat next to this girl on the plane...what are the odds? Anyway, something to think about.

A day in the life of a Traveler
So we've only been in Brisbane a little over 24 hours, but here's a quick breakdown of what I've experienced:
6:56 am (12:56pm Texas time) Our plane touches down on Australian soil and we are T-I-R-E-D. I think Chris slept even less than me on the plane.
7:30am Collect our baggage and make it part-way through customs. Unfortunately we have a slight detour when Chris has to declare his rugby boots because they have foreign soil on them.
8:ooam They let us in the country..yay! I was a bit worried about this since I don't TECHNICALLY have enough money according to the visa specifications but no one asked any questions so I didn't offer the information. duh. I exchange about $500 American dollars, and I'm feeling pretty good at this point since I get about $800 Australian dollars in return. That is until I discover they have quite a bit of inflation here....$3.oo for some yogurt. From the grocery store. I mean honestly.
8:05am EEK! We realize we aren't sure how to get from the airport to the hostel we picked out. Information Kiosk anywhere? Oh good...there it is!
8:08am Successfully purchase bus tickets into Brisbane and look up hostel on map...short walk from bus station. Good.
9:52am One sticky bus ride, a grumpy bus driver, 4 block walk (WITH 100lbs of luggage), and a few direction inquiries later we've made it the hostel. Oh. This place does NOT look too encouraging.
10:15am Cloud 9. That's the name of our hostel. Yeah. Maybe if they had clouds in HELL. Ugh. I don't know if I've just gotten lucky in the past, but all the hostels I've stayed at before have been pretty nice, more like the Marriot when compared to this place. Chris DID pick it out, but I'm not pointing any fingers. It's just my idea of comfort is not staying in the "nicer" of rooms they offer (since that is all that is conveniently available) with 6 other people (three of which we find out are crazy Swedes who stay out late, come home and yack away for hours in foreign languages) in a dirty room, with a tiny bathroom that I won't even use (it's bad when you WANT to find a public restroom to use) that is supposedly air conditioned. Oh well. All part of the adventure right? I wonder if this is where old travelers who don't have a will to live anymore come to die...I should enquire at the front desk.
10:45am Feeling slightly more sane. Have showered (with my eyes closed-I DO NOT want to see what is in this bathroom) and changed into fresh clothes. At least the hole of hostel serves a purpose-we want to find jobs ASAP to get out of this place.
11:55pm After using the $4 an hour internet service next door, we feel highly discouraged. The fruit of our frantic job searching labour is two shaky leads. We proceed to sort out phones and grab some fruit at the grocer before stopping into a Backpackers travel/job finder place.
3:40pm Walk out of Travellers at Work (the name of backpacker place) $145 lighter. Argh. Been convinced I should pay 100 Australian dollars for joining an online job service finder for the next year and $45 for a permanent mailing address service. Chris is all gung-ho but I just hate spending my money on that. I guess it IS an investment, and we definately weren't successful searching online by ourselves. Cross your fingers this works out....
5:00pm Well in need of a couple of drinks, we decide to spend some of our precious cash on a few ciders at a backpackers pub. MMMM...nice and crisp.
6:15pm Feeling significantly more relaxed but also significantly HUNGRY. The last real meal we had was on the plane more than 12 hours ago. We decide to forgo cooking in the kitchen at the hostel (personally, I don't think food should be allowed anywhere near that place), we pop into subway for a sandwhich.
7:00pm Drag our feet back to the hostel climb into bed and have blissful sleep until those crazy Swedes get back from their partying. Thanks goodness for headphones and Coldplay to sing me back to sleep.

Well that was our first day-kinda depressing huh? Oh well, I'm feeling much more optimistic today. It's only noon, but we've already walked all around central Brisbane, through some beautiful botanic gardens, along the river, through famous shopping on Queen St., and now we're back to work searching for jobs at TAW. Right now we're thinking about finding jobs out of Perth and driving across the outback in a rented camper van to get to the West coast. Man I love adventures....