So, it’s not all rose coloured glasses!

So, obviously my last post was pretty effusive about the wonders of Australia- and it was all totally honest and fair. However, in the 5 weeks that have passed since then we have been reminded that of course even Australia has it’s downsides. Like excessive heat. And, this year in particular, excessive rain. Who knew…?!

Our time in Esperance was lovely and cool- in the wind and out of the direct sun it felt almost too cool. Even once we left there and headed across the Nullarbor (literally “null arbor”, as in “without trees“) we found it cool and comfortable, despite the rumours that it would be brutal and potentially life threateningly hot if we were to have a breakdown and not be prepared with enough water. Heeding the warnings, we packed 45L of drinking water, plus ensured the 35L tank in the van was topped up. We checked all the fluid levels in the van, double checked the tire pressure, and headed out being careful to gas up at almost every stop we came across- on this stretch of road there are no towns, only Road Houses offering food, fuel, a place to sleep and other essential services, and populations of 7 or 12 (not including kangaroos). However, the weather never really heated up and by the time we made it across the 2500+ km expanse three days later we were asking ourselves… when does it get hot? The question was soon to be answered- we stocked up with provisions in Port Augusta and then drove about 2 hours north until we reached Woomera (some sort headquarters for British rocket and nuclear experiments in the 50s) and when we hopped out of the air conditioned van to secure our campsite we realized- this is when it gets hot. And, when it gets REALLY hot is about 350km further north in Coober Pedy where it was 43C in the shade in the late afternoon. Cooper Pedy is the opal mining capital of Australia, and the supplier of most of the world’s opal. Before an opal mine is started, a series of test holes are drilled- apparently there are 2.5 million of these holes in the area surrounding the town, and for each hole is a cone of dirt that had been augered out by hopeful miners looking for traces of their ticket to retirement. Because of the ridiculous summer temperatures (and for that matter, the cold winters), more than 50% of Coober Pedy residents live in dugout homes- literally dug into the ground or hillsides to regulate the temperature year round. After visiting an underground mine, as well as three underground churches where we lingered a little longer than our faith might otherwise have led us to, it was clear that this was a good idea. Unfortunately for us our campsite was not underground, and we spent the night sponging ourselves down and watching the temperature slowly drop to 35C. At this point, the fridge in our van had simply crawled into the corner to cry, and we had to modify our food storage practices.

From Cooper Pedy we drove a further 750km north to reach Yulara- the artificial town whose only function is to service tourists who are visiting Uluru and Kata Tjuta (Ayer’s Rock and the Olgas). After arriving in the late afternoon we set off to watch our Uluru sunset. Eventually we caught on that the time had changed when we crossed the border into the Northern Territory, so we enjoyed an extra hour of sunlight before the magic happened! I don’t know if I can claim that sunset at Uluru was as magical and spectacular as the hype leads you to believe, however it was certainly beautiful and I know that the lighting and conditions would vary every single night to make it a different experience every time and for every one. I think for me, my first sighting of the rock was more breathtaking than the sunset itself- it had never been on my “must see” list until we got within striking range, but the first time you come around the corner and see it really is quite special. It has a similar peace to it that we found at the Taj Mahal. We spent our days at Yulara waking up at 5:00am to see the sun rise at Uluru and the following morning at Kata Tjuta, and then trying to get some hiking in before the sun really became relentless. It turned out to be futile as the sun was relentless as soon as it broke over the horizon, so we had to sweat out the Uluru Base Walk, and the Kata Tjuta Valley of the Winds Walk in the high 30s anyway. While climbing Uluru is still open to the public, the traditional “owners” of Uluru (the Anangu people) request that you don’t as it is a sacred route climbed by their ancestral men, not to mention dangerous. We honoured that request and chose to enjoy the rock from the ground only- with so many different angles and times of day to view it, that’s already a lot to do. By lunch time we had to resort to frequent cold showers and limited movement to survive. One afternoon we used the time to catch up on some laundry and save on dryer costs- by the time we hung the last item on the line, the first items were already dry. As the sun started its descent again we could venture back out to watch the sunset and then simply lie and wait for the mercury to drop (which, for the record, it doesn’t do). After two nights in Yulara, and about $20 worth of Icy Poles consumed, we were relieved to start heading south again, although with such a distance to cover we knew we’d have to tough out one more night in the brutal heat of Coober Pedy. We finally made it back to Port Augusta where 30 degrees literally had us in long sleeves, and we slept soundly for the first night in many. We knew that our next destination, Parachilna in the Flinders Ranges, also had the potential to be wickedly hot and we were nervous to subject ourselves to that again. Seeking advice at the local information booth we learned that in fact almost all the walks around that area were closed due to the extreme heat- we were relieved to have learned that the easy way :) So, instead of heading back into the outback we started a slow meander along the coast toward Adelaide and eventually to Melbourne.

Although nothing along that stretch really records on our Amazing Australia list, there were plenty of neat towns and nice beaches to fill the days until we met Jim and Linda at the Melbourne Airport on February 4. Perhaps they brought the Canadian weather with them, or perhaps the cyclones from Australia’s east coast drifted over to us, but either way it was the beginning of some four letter word weather. After trading up our camper van for a Toyota Kluger, and settling into our South Yarra hotel, we headed out for a short walk to a restaurant for dinner. About 30 seconds into the walk the skies opened in a unbelievable deluge. We attempted to shelter ourselves until we realized it was fruitless, and then stood marvelling at flash floods that were pouring down the road around our legs. At the bottom of the hill the water was 3 feet deep within ten minutes, and a VW bug that was parked at the lowest point was floating gently in its spot. Cars that either couldn’t tell the depth of the water, or were simply unintelligent, were plunging into the water only to stall out and need to be pushed to safety by a couple of generous pedestrians. The waves caused by those cars were causing the flood waters to pour into the local businesses lining the streets. It was all quite humorous to watch, but I imagine the insurance claims won’t be so funny. After returning to our hotel with some pizza we found that Jim and Linda’s room had flooded (on the 5th floor no less) which was a pretty ironic welcome to the country…

We spent two more days in Melbourne, trying to sightsee while dodging rain showers and wind storms which marred the experience slightly, although it was enough to see that Melbourne is a great city- much like Vancouver in that “fabulous place to live if you’re fabulously wealthy” kind of way… We left Melbourne and headed west to drive the Great Ocean Road- a 250km stretch of road that is considered the world’s largest war memorial as it was built to honour Australia’s fallen heroes. The road starts at Torquay which is basically the surfing capital of Australia, and Bells Beach which is the most renowned surfing beach in the country (and not actually named after me). From there it’s a winding road with beautiful ocean views, many chances to spot koalas perched in eucalyptus trees, multiple lighthouses, tonnes of beaches and, eventually, the 12 Apostles- giant limestone peaks that have eroded away from the main cliffs, and now stand as solitary sentinels in the water. We reached them late in the day so we had a first look, and the following morning Cam and I went back to catch them again in the morning sun and without the crowds. It’s a beautiful stretch of coastline, and the 12 Apostles (of which only 6 real ones remain) are only a part of it. Areas named The Grotto, Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, and The Bay of Martyrs, all make for stunning views and good photography. It took us three days to finish the road, and then we turned back for Melbourne to hit the Yarra Valley for some wine tasting and a visit to the Healesville Sanctuary- a highly recommended stop for anyone in the area as you can get up close and personal with Australia’s native wildlife without the clutter of traditional zoo exhibits which jam every sort of animal from every corner of the planet into the same park. BTW- how long do you think a platypus is? Turns out not to be 4 feet, as I had thought… A full grown platypus is only about 1 foot long! And Tasmanian Devils don’t look anything like the Looney Tunes guy… See how much we’re learning?!

It was in the Yarra Valley that the rain returned, and continued… As we worked our way east toward Sydney we kept waiting for the Vancouver-gray skies to break and for sweet, beautiful Australia to return. Days passed and we were still wrapped in our rain coats, trapped inside only dreaming of the beaches at our fingertips. We camped on the shores of Botany Bay (where Cook first anchored, before he discovered a much better harbour a bit further north- Sydney Harbour) in a dingy and overpriced cabin, frustrated by the relentless rain. Fortunately, an excellent meal at a local Thai restaurant helped finish the day on a positive note. We left Sydney (we’d be back) by driving over the Sydney Harbour Bridge and glimpsing the Opera House, and pressed on further north passing through many neat towns, trying to find breaks in the weather to have beachside lunches. Finally we arrived at Byron Bay where the sky started to break open and we finally, FINALLY, made it to a beach and dug our toes into the sand. Cam’s suggestion to try an apartment style hotel rather than a cabin in a holiday park turned out to be a huge win, and we settled into a gorgeous two bedroom apartment that seduced us into staying for three days in Byron Bay. The town itself, the beaches fringing it on all sides, and the stately lighthouse marking the most easterly point in the whole country all add up to a wonderful Australian highlight. Although the weather was by no means perfect, the sun:cloud ratio finally was in our favour, and we enjoyed 3 days of relaxation.

From here we head further north to hopefully get ourselves on Fraser Island and onto a sailboat to explore the Great Barrier Reef, and then we fly back to Sydney to finish up our Australian adventure before flying to New Zealand on the 28th. On that note- what’s the capital of Australia? Sydney, you say, right? Nope, it’s Canberra.

An update “Oz by numbers” for the rest of the trip with the campervan:

As of February 4:
Trip odometer: 12406.4 km
Fuel price, $/L (min/max): 1.22/1.84
Total spent on fuel: $2402
Average fuel economy of van (with full a/c): 7.56km/L
Average nightly cost for camping: $24.32 (max = $40, min = $0)
Number of consecutive days where temperature never dropped below 33C: 5
Maximum temperature recorded: 43.8C
Number of km of dirt roads on which we “didn’t” drive (as per our rental contract): ~500
Maximum number of consecutive meals eaten at McDonalds: 3 (it was for the free wi-fi, though…)
Number of places to buy Havaiana (rubber) flip flops: one metric zillion
Number of places to buy fabric flip flops: -1
Longest straight stretch of road driven on: 146.6km
Number of times Bruno Mars’ “Grenade” plays on the radio, per hour: 3
Number of flies Cam flicked to death in a 5 minute span: 9 (kill ratio = 100%)
Number of flies caught in mid air by Cam: 2 (they were then released, and flicked to death)

Until next time…
K and C.