The Grampians to Adelaide - 24-27/2/3
I started off the day by going horse riding with a bunch of the girls from the bus along the beach as the sun came up. (There is a photo on its way hopefully, I didn't take my huge floppy disk camera with me) I got on well with Shadowfax, my trusty horse (OK his name was Ben). Once i'd realised how to trot/canter in line without doing too much damage to my nads I really enjoyed riding the original 1 horsepower machine. I kept making him over take the other horses which seemed to wind them up which was funny.
We left the Great Ocean Road and headed inland to the Grampian Mountain Range. We stopped off and did various walks to take in the grandure of it all. Here in the car park though was a Mum and baby Koala up a tree. The mum kept sitting the baby in next to her and supporting it but the baby kept running off up the tree leaving the mum to sit and look at us with that expression all mums get when their little ones want to climb up a tree...
A lot of the forest in the Grampian National Park is made up of Eucalyptus Trees which gives the air a Blue colour. (like in the Blue Mountains)
We walked all the way down to McKenzie Falls at the base of one of the mountains.
This is a rainbow in the fountain further up. Its not that amazing but it was baking hot and we were walking back up to the top and I had to take a breather...
This is Brambuck Backpackers where we spent that, and also the next two nights. Tom went on to Adelaide to meet up with Joe and the rest (there's now 7 of us here in Adelaide and 5 of us are from Romford!!) the next morning but me and Jason stuck around for the peace and quiet.
Brambucks is the only place Ive ever stayed where they just give you a room number and no key! We were 20 mins walk from town and cars only went past once every 5 mins or so, so they just didn't bother with keys!! Also about 8pm, the people who work there just left and we had the place to ourselves!!
My dorm (which I had to myself once everyone else had gone) is the one to the far left of this photo.
There was loads of wildlife running round everywhere, here are a family of deer that kept wandering past my dorm.
That night we ended up drinking lots of red wine and going into the forest opposite, wildlife spotting. Due to there being 10 of us and one person playing the Didgeridoo we probably scared everything within 10 miles off. At least I kind of hoped so as 10 species of the worlds deadliest snakes live in the park.
We ended up finding a bench and talking rubbish for a while, trying to work out what all the rustle in the bushes was (it turned out to be frogs) We also saw a possum up a tree which was good. You shine a torch around and suddenly see a pair of eyes like a Jawa looking back at you. (Thanks for the photos Alex)
One of the Russian/Australian guys Michael, did Tarot and Palm reading.
Jason had his tarot read and got really freaked out (he kept going "He didn't know I'd already been married, I did't tell him? How could he know??) Michael only did my palm, but it turns out Im gonna be married twice and they're gonna intersect!! But the second marriage will last till one of us dies... Anyway, I saw him again today and asked him to see if he can tell how long the 'intersection' will last. He said "2. No. Longer, 4 or 5 years"
Life is fun :)
After a day of feeling hungover, we hired a couple of Mountain bikes and did a couple of trails around the valley we were in. When we were heading back to the shop we took a route which may have been a bad idea. I ended up going flat out down a bumpy stony hill and went up and over, well, a cliff really*. I landed really hard and my right elbow now looks like a slab of corned beef. Ive got a big bruise on my right thigh and where my left ankle scraped over the gears looks like ive been attacked by an angry snake.
Once we dropped the bikes off and were walking back, we saw a whole load of wallabies in a field and went over to take a photograph. The one looking at the camera started rolling his paws at me the closer I got. It worried Jason a bit who started telling me to be careful (bloody soft northeners) so I got a bit closer and started saying, 'its alright mate, Im not gonna hurt ya' like Steve Irwin. If all else failed I thought I'd kick him in the nuts. As it was I just got the pic and came away.
The next Oz bus arrived and I (stupidly) managed to introduce myself to them during a chilli sauce drinking competition. Once again I bravely stepped forward in the name of Essex and downed some fire sauce to the awe of the crowd. I was in the gang. (God Bless red wine for helping me get there though) We all went for another night walk (no didge this time tho) and managed to see a family of Kangaroos which was good.
Up at 7 the next day for a long drive onto Adelaide via the Naracoorte caves. There were loads of stalagtites and stalagmites, as well as some 20 Million year old fossils in a couple of caves which was interesting. Theres was also a visitors center with some ancient skeletons of extinct Oz species (giant Lizards and Kangaroos).
(One for you Gobo)
We got to Adelaide about 18.30 and met up with the rest of the gang. (from Romford) Tom, Joe, Tony, Daryl, (from Chester) Darren and Jason. You'll be able to find us at chess club or in the library most of the time we're here.
*Should possibly read - When we were heading back to the shop along the long, straight, tarmac main road. I was in my own world looking at the mountains and the sky I didn't realise I'd turned my front wheel 'perpendicular to the bike' (said Jason who was 10ft behind me). My reflexes kicked in before my brain and I slammed on the front brake, thus flying over over the handel bars...