Australia is america, but upside down. And with a funny accent. The geographically vertically-aligned-but-flipped cities match up frighteningly well.
*Perthians would get along with San Franciscans famously. Mediterranean weather, rather hip, and they like their coffee. Perth might line up with Seattle more, and that would still kind of work. But it felt like SF. I'll let you know after i visit Seattle
*The best match by far would be the Northern Territory and Texas. Disturbingly so. Right down to the buffalo-horn decorating style. Darwin can be Houston. Texans? Jut?
*Sydney would be New York. No question.
*Melbourne felt bostony, but more city-y. It seems to line up well with Chicago, and I'm told its a good match.
*Tasmania can be New England. And all of Canada. There were fishing towns there that could have been airlifted from Maine.
*Cairns is Miami, just way smaller, and consequently without my hatred. Cairnsians confirm this. No offense Miami, just mixing humidity and a billion people isn't my bag. And I'm opposed to fun.
*Adelaide is St Louis. Sorry!
*I hadn't thought of it before the post, but Bris-vegas needs a twin. It's looking like Baltimore geographically, but I'll get back after I roll through.
Curious. But they do have meat pies and ginger beer here. Get with the times, America.
Friday, April 27, 2007
Bring out your lackadasical writers...
Still not dead! Still too lazy to write in anything more complete than bullets!
Since leaving alice for Darwin:
*Drove 900km, enjoyed the nothingness, slept at the Daly Waters pub. Great decorating aesthetic there: people leave whatever, and it gets stapled to the wall. There's an ID section, a badge section, tshirts, hats, underwear (mens and womens), sandals (thongs in oz-speak), etc.
*Drove up to Darwin, went on a 3-day tour of Kakadu national park. did one ~20km off-trail hike all over the place. saw numerous gorgeous waterfalls. did a croc tour on the south adelaide river. wait for a picture of the big guy. can't say i'm scared of typical australia 'murderous' animals - jellyfish, snakes, sharks, spiders, scorpions, what have you - but i'm still scared of crocs.
*Five-day 3200km drive from Darwin to Cairns. Much of it on single lane highway, and I don't mean a single lane each way. Add an oncoming to road train and be afraid. Gorgeous scenery though. Flatter'n kansas in the tablelands. Highlights include
- Paying $1.70AUD/L for gas in Cape Crawford (at the Heartbreak Hotel)
- Blue tongued skink on the Barkly Tablelands highway
- Chillin in Karumba
- Lava tubes in Undara NP
- Other things i've already forgotten
*Three-day scuba liveaboard trip on the Great Barrier Reef. Absurdly good diving, got my Advanced Open Water cert, and met some fantastic people. And had a hilarious but morally bankrupt evening of incredibly insensitive jokes. We were this short of writing up a checklist of demographics to offend, but I think we hit all the high notes anyway.
*Rented a motorcycle, and had a frighteningly good time riding the Gillies Highway (~260 turns in 19km) and the Atherton tablelands. Beats every road I've ridden in California, hands down. Which is saying a lot. And the bike (1984 Yamaha RD250R) was a pure hoot. A two-stroke motorbike screaming murder at 11k rpm while it claws its way up a twisty hill is more fun that should be allowed. On an unrelated note, I owe QLD's finest $150AUD. Moving on...
Shab's done with his stupid-awesome dive trip with Undersea Explorers (one of Nat Geo's top 10 adventure trips), and soon we'll probably pop up the coast to Cape Tribulation (I love visiting places with unfortunate names) and then bomb down the east coast to Sydney, and then make for places where the people are browner and their english worse. Probably gonna skip En-Zed for the time being, but I'll make it back with a motorcycle someday. Pictures later. If you're lucky.
Since leaving alice for Darwin:
*Drove 900km, enjoyed the nothingness, slept at the Daly Waters pub. Great decorating aesthetic there: people leave whatever, and it gets stapled to the wall. There's an ID section, a badge section, tshirts, hats, underwear (mens and womens), sandals (thongs in oz-speak), etc.
*Drove up to Darwin, went on a 3-day tour of Kakadu national park. did one ~20km off-trail hike all over the place. saw numerous gorgeous waterfalls. did a croc tour on the south adelaide river. wait for a picture of the big guy. can't say i'm scared of typical australia 'murderous' animals - jellyfish, snakes, sharks, spiders, scorpions, what have you - but i'm still scared of crocs.
*Five-day 3200km drive from Darwin to Cairns. Much of it on single lane highway, and I don't mean a single lane each way. Add an oncoming to road train and be afraid. Gorgeous scenery though. Flatter'n kansas in the tablelands. Highlights include
- Paying $1.70AUD/L for gas in Cape Crawford (at the Heartbreak Hotel)
- Blue tongued skink on the Barkly Tablelands highway
- Chillin in Karumba
- Lava tubes in Undara NP
- Other things i've already forgotten
*Three-day scuba liveaboard trip on the Great Barrier Reef. Absurdly good diving, got my Advanced Open Water cert, and met some fantastic people. And had a hilarious but morally bankrupt evening of incredibly insensitive jokes. We were this short of writing up a checklist of demographics to offend, but I think we hit all the high notes anyway.
*Rented a motorcycle, and had a frighteningly good time riding the Gillies Highway (~260 turns in 19km) and the Atherton tablelands. Beats every road I've ridden in California, hands down. Which is saying a lot. And the bike (1984 Yamaha RD250R) was a pure hoot. A two-stroke motorbike screaming murder at 11k rpm while it claws its way up a twisty hill is more fun that should be allowed. On an unrelated note, I owe QLD's finest $150AUD. Moving on...
Shab's done with his stupid-awesome dive trip with Undersea Explorers (one of Nat Geo's top 10 adventure trips), and soon we'll probably pop up the coast to Cape Tribulation (I love visiting places with unfortunate names) and then bomb down the east coast to Sydney, and then make for places where the people are browner and their english worse. Probably gonna skip En-Zed for the time being, but I'll make it back with a motorcycle someday. Pictures later. If you're lucky.
Saturday, April 14, 2007
Its got a cop motor, a 440 cubic inch plant, its got cop tires, cop suspension, cop shocks...
Ah, the regal 1990(1?) Holden Commodore VN Executive. Luxury on wheels. Features include:
4/100 Air-Con! (Four windows down, 100kph)
Horn Works! (When car is off)
Key Works! (In driver side door)
One (1) functioning dashboard light! (now)
Speaker (left) Works! Mostly.
Starts on first try! (usually)
New fuel injector seals!
Cigarette lighter fuse occasionally stays intact!
Comes equipped with one (1) Dutch. Cooks Well. Currently flown to Caines.
Steering wheel doesn't shudder if you're not going between 70-100kph.
Responds to 'the Commode' and 'Comrade'
Blue. Like lightning, and falcons, and the wind.
Gets multiple kilometers to the liter! Only a fraction of a liter per kilometer!
Trivia: Went into production on the same day as my brother! Madness!
Seriously though, she's a puller, and has done us right. Here's to about 4000 happy kilometers together, and with any luck 6000 more
We gotta get pictures outta here, maaaaaaan
Aboot to head out of Darwin for Port Douglas. 3200km (2000mi) drive. If you know your way around a map, the course is pretty much Darwin (easy to find on a map), Daly Waters (still easy), Bing Bong (hard), Barkley Homestead (less hard), Mount Isa (easy), Cloncurry (easy), Karumba (harder), that volcanic national park (easy if i knew the name), Caines (really easy), and then Port Douglas. So follow along!
By the way, the Northern Terrority is pretty much Texas, Australia - in every way that is awesome. At least the texas in my mind. Trucks, guns, hunting, country music radio, general 'tude. Even saw a 'don't mess with NT'-esque roadsign. And the AAA equivalent here (NTAA) has a buffalo skull for it's logo. Which is awesome.
Without further ado, pictures!
Melbourne sunset, on the way to Avalon airport
The mainland coast just east of Kangaroo Island
Antechamber Bay, KI
Sunrise at Antechamber
I had not seen a cat skin before, let alone a poster telling me buying one would help produce more. Which I suppose is how any purchase works.
Echinda!
Roo!
Some Beach, KI
Some Beach, KI
Wilpena Pound, Flinders Range NP, South Australia
Somewhere on the Stu between Adelaide and Alice (There's about 1700km to choose from). We finally met what Mr. Olesnicky called GAFA - the Great Australian Fuck-All (sorry mom!)
Still Nothin'
Good looking, for nothin'.
A much-requested picture of the trusty Commode. One with scale Ben to be posted.
There were more flies and less people.
Camping underground at Coober Pedy, if you bother pitchin' a tent.
And if you don't bother.
They have the interwebs underground now!
Fun is also not allowed underground.
Sorry Ma, didn't buy you one.
'Quit squirming and let me clean your face or I'm turning this pouch around' (trivia: echidna pouches, already backwards. as if they weren't weird enough already)
Must be something interesting... Tune in after the jump!
By the way, the Northern Terrority is pretty much Texas, Australia - in every way that is awesome. At least the texas in my mind. Trucks, guns, hunting, country music radio, general 'tude. Even saw a 'don't mess with NT'-esque roadsign. And the AAA equivalent here (NTAA) has a buffalo skull for it's logo. Which is awesome.
Without further ado, pictures!
Melbourne sunset, on the way to Avalon airport
The mainland coast just east of Kangaroo Island
Antechamber Bay, KI
Sunrise at Antechamber
I had not seen a cat skin before, let alone a poster telling me buying one would help produce more. Which I suppose is how any purchase works.
Echinda!
Roo!
Some Beach, KI
Some Beach, KI
Wilpena Pound, Flinders Range NP, South Australia
Somewhere on the Stu between Adelaide and Alice (There's about 1700km to choose from). We finally met what Mr. Olesnicky called GAFA - the Great Australian Fuck-All (sorry mom!)
Still Nothin'
Good looking, for nothin'.
A much-requested picture of the trusty Commode. One with scale Ben to be posted.
There were more flies and less people.
Camping underground at Coober Pedy, if you bother pitchin' a tent.
And if you don't bother.
They have the interwebs underground now!
Fun is also not allowed underground.
Sorry Ma, didn't buy you one.
'Quit squirming and let me clean your face or I'm turning this pouch around' (trivia: echidna pouches, already backwards. as if they weren't weird enough already)
Must be something interesting... Tune in after the jump!
They mostly come out weekly... mostly.
Fart Two:
That's one thorny devil. Ha! (Two guesses what it`s actually called
Kings Canyon (is in the other direction)
Valley of the Winds, Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)
Mars now comes with a convenient white-painted line.
Mars-knuckles!
Ben at the spa on top of Uluru (Ayer's Rock). The view was well worth the moral stain on my soul.
Kata Tjuta at nacht.
Not Upside down. Near the Ochre Pits, West Macdonnell Ranges, hiking with locals.
Adam caulking the wagon but not hiring the local guide. risky. same hike as above.
The Larapinta Track (220km) goes through this valley. We did a chunk of stage nine.
Cool fin of harder rock.
Tnorala (Gosse's Bluff) from reasonably far away. 5km dia. crater. Probably the only people to go there that day, in our rented 4WD. Peep the post below for another view.
WAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaa..... thud.
Ow? I mean, Ow, right?
Pointy!
Innagaddadavida, Kings Canyon. Be happy I spared you the 'Putting Cracks to Good Use' picture. (see Geelong, a few posts below)
Drainage of ye olde Gardene of Edene
Shield shrimp alive and well in a very temporary pool on top of Uluru.
Happy grasses in a wind-shielded nook on Uluru.
Uluru isn't as big as they'd have you believe.
2001 Space Oddessy Space Baby on the side of Uluru.
What do you want on your tombstone? Sausage!
Tombstoney!
Nature is pointy in Oz.
That's one thorny devil. Ha! (Two guesses what it`s actually called
Kings Canyon (is in the other direction)
Valley of the Winds, Kata Tjuta (The Olgas)
Mars now comes with a convenient white-painted line.
Mars-knuckles!
Ben at the spa on top of Uluru (Ayer's Rock). The view was well worth the moral stain on my soul.
Kata Tjuta at nacht.
Not Upside down. Near the Ochre Pits, West Macdonnell Ranges, hiking with locals.
Adam caulking the wagon but not hiring the local guide. risky. same hike as above.
The Larapinta Track (220km) goes through this valley. We did a chunk of stage nine.
Cool fin of harder rock.
Tnorala (Gosse's Bluff) from reasonably far away. 5km dia. crater. Probably the only people to go there that day, in our rented 4WD. Peep the post below for another view.
WAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaa..... thud.
Ow? I mean, Ow, right?
Pointy!
Innagaddadavida, Kings Canyon. Be happy I spared you the 'Putting Cracks to Good Use' picture. (see Geelong, a few posts below)
Drainage of ye olde Gardene of Edene
Shield shrimp alive and well in a very temporary pool on top of Uluru.
Happy grasses in a wind-shielded nook on Uluru.
Uluru isn't as big as they'd have you believe.
2001 Space Oddessy Space Baby on the side of Uluru.
What do you want on your tombstone? Sausage!
Tombstoney!
Nature is pointy in Oz.
Spiffy Digital Hootenanny
If you can rock the Quicktime, check out a little bitta this, a little bitta that, and a little bitta some other third pronoun. Or article. Whatever. In australia they don't have parts of speech.
If you can't, well, they're awesome, just take my word for it. First one needs work, but I'm lazy, second one you can zoom with Ctrl and Shift, and the third (from tassie) is way fuzzy, but still cool.
If you can't, well, they're awesome, just take my word for it. First one needs work, but I'm lazy, second one you can zoom with Ctrl and Shift, and the third (from tassie) is way fuzzy, but still cool.
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
There has always been a title here.
Since last I posted:
+Flew from melbournia to adelaideia. only $61AUD! that's like negative in american money!
+Did a three day tour of kangaroo island off of adelaide with four spanish firefighters (no english) and one spanish police officer (very good english) and now know all kids of bad spanish words. Ornitorrinco!
+Met a crazy brit/australian named Damien in an absurdly complicated attempt to get to Alex's (spanish police officer) mountain bike competition. Fail said attempt. Go to aussie baseball game instead. Good ball, won on a dinger in the top of the tenth.
+Buy a car. 1990 Holden Commodore. Temporary (slowly getting less than temporary) name is 'the commode'. Previous owners had a falling out. Ben and Adam pick up shattered pieces, as well as previous passenger, a Dutch girl named Simone. Ben slowly learns Dutch, preparing for eventual conquest of Dutchland. Hoi!
+Day One, Drive to Alice Springs: Visit thrift store in adelaide, buy ugliest sweater on planet. Drive into night, kangaroo broadsides car. Camp first night in Wilpena Pound (aboveground).
+Day Two, Drive to Alice Springs: Hike in the pound, meet quintessential prospector-looking tour guide named Bryan. Did not hear him say 'Consarnit' or 'Dagnabbit'. Interesting coversation regarding climbing Uluru. Camp in Coober Pedy (belowground). Get opal mine tour from Rick.
+Day Three: Make it to Alice
+Three day tour of Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta, and Uluru with tour guide Rory.
+Go on a hike with locals west of Alice in the Ochre Pits
+Rent a 4WD, go to Tnorgala (sp?) (Gosse's Bluff), and Palm Valley with Judith and Elizabeth.
Tomorrow, we start a two day drive up to Darwin, and meet up with Katharine in time for a three-day tour of Kakadu starting saturday.
gotta go, interwebs shutting off
ben out
+Flew from melbournia to adelaideia. only $61AUD! that's like negative in american money!
+Did a three day tour of kangaroo island off of adelaide with four spanish firefighters (no english) and one spanish police officer (very good english) and now know all kids of bad spanish words. Ornitorrinco!
+Met a crazy brit/australian named Damien in an absurdly complicated attempt to get to Alex's (spanish police officer) mountain bike competition. Fail said attempt. Go to aussie baseball game instead. Good ball, won on a dinger in the top of the tenth.
+Buy a car. 1990 Holden Commodore. Temporary (slowly getting less than temporary) name is 'the commode'. Previous owners had a falling out. Ben and Adam pick up shattered pieces, as well as previous passenger, a Dutch girl named Simone. Ben slowly learns Dutch, preparing for eventual conquest of Dutchland. Hoi!
+Day One, Drive to Alice Springs: Visit thrift store in adelaide, buy ugliest sweater on planet. Drive into night, kangaroo broadsides car. Camp first night in Wilpena Pound (aboveground).
+Day Two, Drive to Alice Springs: Hike in the pound, meet quintessential prospector-looking tour guide named Bryan. Did not hear him say 'Consarnit' or 'Dagnabbit'. Interesting coversation regarding climbing Uluru. Camp in Coober Pedy (belowground). Get opal mine tour from Rick.
+Day Three: Make it to Alice
+Three day tour of Kings Canyon, Kata Tjuta, and Uluru with tour guide Rory.
+Go on a hike with locals west of Alice in the Ochre Pits
+Rent a 4WD, go to Tnorgala (sp?) (Gosse's Bluff), and Palm Valley with Judith and Elizabeth.
Tomorrow, we start a two day drive up to Darwin, and meet up with Katharine in time for a three-day tour of Kakadu starting saturday.
gotta go, interwebs shutting off
ben out
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