I’ll great barrier your reef you Cairnsy mofo

My goodbye to the Rainforest brought me into the el touristy town of Cairns which is famous for its nightlife, tourists and the fact that it is the main spot to hit the great barrier reef from. I waited two days for the wind to die down and the weather to nicen up before I tried the great barrier again, and I spent a few nights out on the town. The first was with the oddest collection of human beings, three Saudi’s, Three Italians, one Aussi and a drunk as little South Korean guy. We even ran into another American friend of mine from Sydney at the bar Gilligan’s a two story three dj dance club and our silly as part was complete, we spent the night dancing our asses off drinking the cheapest beer they had on sale and helping our South Korean friend get a girl, needless to say we failed at the third part. Night two had me joining out five Germans, a Canadian, a Brit, and the only large Black Swedish guy I recon I shall ever meet, and it was two of their 21st birthdays yeah and we went to a bar were you can dance on the tables, enough said. I decided in my brilliance to follow this night out with my trip to the great barrier, not my best idea but swimming in the ocean with sea turtles does help a hangover.

The next day out on a giant Catamaran (sailing shit with nets to lay in), it was bit cold with the wind, but so sunny and the water was so clear, so let’s go snorkelling. In another life I will be a scuba diver but till then just kicking around the shallow coral beholding the wonders of the great barrier reef is good enough for me. I swam with sea turtles, giant Gropers ( fish almost as long as myself) and a cornucopia of tropical critters and amazing coral. We dived two spots one next to an island that was part bird sanctuary, and the other renowned for stub nose (harmless) sharks. This matched with a giant buffet of tropical fruit and prawn left me feeling I had earned every cent plus some on the trip as we caught the wind and sailed back to shore. I live a blessed god damn life, three months back from my travels if I ever try to complain kick me in the shin and show me this post.

Cape Trib

After the Ashram I flew north to Cairns and the travelled further north to the Dantree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation, entering the forest via a barge that is the only real entry to the Dantree, keeps out the hords keeps in the beauty. Crossing on the ferry our driver mentions that there are crocs that can usually be seen in the rivers, they all have names and are regular celebrities, seems we are not in Sydney anymore. Crocodiles the Yha of Cape Tribulation is a collection of Bungalow’s in the jungle itself surrounding an outdoor tented restaurant, bar and living room. Waking up to the sound of the pouring rain and looking out the window on the rainforest itself is quite an awing thing. My first walk to the bathroom underneath a tarpped walking path scared the bejesus out of me as a mouse, bandicoot and bush turkey waltzed by me as if everyone was all normal as they scurried about the bush . I spent the next day wandering around the nature reserve and rainforest park, wandering among hundred year old trees full of birds, rodent and plenty of creepy crawlies and imagining that this place look this way thousands of years ago as well.

This was followed by the most quite walk along secluded jungle beaches were if I was lucky maybe I passed a dozen other people who had discovered the little cove of Cow Bay like myself, It was a peaceful day by myself in a little slice of heaven. That eve I hung out with a hodgepodge of internationals all in the Dantree Banana picking, a couple of Southern Asians, Germans, English, Bangladesh’s and French. The next day came scuba diving the northern part of the Great Barrier Reef or so I thought! It was such a windy day, and the ocean was so choppy that we barely made it out of the bay. Our group of 15 people on a tiny little boat hit choppy weather that literally tossed our little boat in the air. Although these boats are ment for that type of punishment the passengers didn’t manage as well. With Three attempts we had to call it off as three of an older group of women couldn’t take the rough weather or were injured with the harsh slamming of the boat and hell I was ridding in the front and a few smacks made my teeth rattle. The day was not a complete loss, my money was refunded and I spent the better part of the afternoon wandering the beach with my two French friends Mary and Marion and a runaway dog that tried to rape Marion, all and all if I didn’t have so much amazing stuff to see I might never leave the rainforest.

Om Shanti Shanti

Proceeding a few well lovely days in Sydney and a house warming that allowed me to see all my best Ozzies I headed to my very first woof let alone Ashram experience. For folks that are curious what an Ashram is,( I never truly understood till I got there) It is a spiritual community of Yogi’s, practitioners, students and visitors where year around Yoga, Meditation and spirutal study happens. About 20-30 members of this particular order (male and female Yogi’s wearing orange or yellow robes) live there year around, and create a likeminded place of spiritual fulfilment and exploration. If you are already wondering how mind blowing connecting and inspiring this place is, your correct. I arrived at breakneck speed from my early travels and city fastness to be humbled and slowed by the soft, quite contemplativeness of this place.

The morning started with yoga at 5:30 followed by a full day of Classes and Karmic Yoga (working with mindfulness) and finished with Moana (thoughtful silence time) from 8:30pm that night until 7:30am the next morning. By day three I found myself already starting to slow, and really observe myself as I worked kitchen prep, farm work or lawn and grounds work. During the day and tea time I found time to learn the stories of these Yogi’s and what brought them to this place, and found people that were inspired by something different, something that connected them to the spiritual world and allowed them to truly help others. I have never before in my life met some many like-minded individuals who have dedicated their lives to a spiritual path, and although I am very much in the Infancy of my own path felt so similar too. It was amazing what one week could do, I left to fly to Cairns wishing I could stay, and marvelling at a how many spiritual friends I could make in such a short time and also how mind changing one week could be. I have never felt so slow, thoughtful, contemplative, soar and connected in my life. Although I know the real world will begin to pull me back, I am already changed, something has shifted, some harsh part of myself has melted and in its place has grown a flower of non-aggressive self-observation that I never believed I could hold. Now it feels that a new world of life can begin, and god have I never been more ready for it than right now. Thank you Ashram, for reminding me of such silence and simplicity

The Great Ocean Road

Step one rent a car
Step two hit the road with our sweet car
Step Three enjoy the hell out of it

Peggy and I got our rent a car (aka Big Betty), a small red economy car, and proceed to the great ocean road which deserves its name most heartily. When you here a name like great ocean road, you expect greatness and damn , because when you get there you find the most winding serene drive along the ocean and cliffs that one could find this side of the world. You felt dwarfed in-between massive cliffs and rock formations, winding road down into valley’s that strangely resemble somewhere in Ireland, and all of a sudden find yourself again hugging the sea as the sun dances off the ocean creating some of the most amazing views I have ever experienced. We chased the sun and showed up at the famous twelve apostles spot right as it turned dark, we were going to get there for a daylight view the next day we swore. Peggy and I then spent one night at Port Fairy a sleepy little fishing town with an amazing Yha, (imagine old manor house turned hostel) and drank wine while counting our blessings and stargazing.

The following morning found us walking around the nearby island nature reserve that was hands down the creepiest Island either of us have ever visited, sense it was covered with dead sea birds. Apparently after a big storm as many as a 100 sea birds can be driven and crushed on land and this is where they go, that along with a few small swamp wallaby’s and one lone old lighthouse the place had all the makings of a mediocre horror film. The second island we visited however was a kick ass nature reserve island in a dead volcano, wicked yep it was as bad ass as it sounded. We had to follow a ranger into the volcano park due to the main road under work and the whole place surrounded by wet lands, so the maitenence road with the park ranger it was. Here we found ourselves hiking beautiful peaks, with wild emmu’s lounging in near by wetlands and wallaby’s and rabbits running everywhere, it was also here we saw our first wild Koala!

Yep he was as adorable as everyone says they are and this fat little furry baby we saw climb a tree so slow that I could have run up grabbed him and swung him around, I didn’t but was so tempted. After this super high we proceeded back up the great ocean road, and after a thousand beautiful cliff stops, millions of photos and another night stop at the Yha in Loerne, were we played cards all and drank beer with a lovely Hong Kong couple named Calie and Barry, we headed back towards Melbourne. Needless to say, Peggy is an amazing travel partner and I wouldn’t have wanted to do the trip with anyone else, I almost convinced her to climb in my luggage and come up north, she would have fit.