Fraser Island

Who needs paradise island when you can go to Fraser Island?

All the hype and expectation that led to this trip was about to be tested to its max.

Note: To back track a little bit, as my friend Alana was leaving town for an indefinite period of time, this was her last big hooray with her mates before she headed out. This trip was planned several weeks ago and was about to be put into action.

We begin by packing up the pickup truck with the usual camping supplies, like the usual 2 twin foam mattresses every person needs, the bongo drums, amp, guitar… oh and who could forget the laptop and bar fridge (which we didn’t end up taking for obvious reasons). A stopover at the liquor store and after $260 worth of booze (I might as well add that this was far more than the total grocery bill) split between 4 people, we decide we were ready to go!

As I mentioned before, it was necessary to have a 4w4 to get onto the island (by law). The next note of importance was to know when the tide came out. Yes folks, this was no ordinary camping trip. As we leave the ferry boat, we begin our trek up the island and drive as quick as we can because our road was about to disappear into the ocean.

Once we set up camp, it was off to do the crazy and wild things people normally do while camping which I won’t get into too many details. Highlight definitely had to have been Lake Mackenzie which was the most amazing lake I have ever been to. Surrounded by white sands and trees, then filled with the clearest and freshest water that progressively gets darker in color the deeper you go in. The change from light blue to dark was something out of a club med commercial. This combined with a gourmet lunch/picnic, the guitar, some beer and great people could be described in 2 words…Simply AWESOME!

There was simply too much that happened on this trip and too little time to explain each event. I'm summarized a few of the more memorable moments and added a few more pics to help describe them:

Other highlights included:

• going to Lake Wabby, which was a lake surrounded by sand dunes which led directly into the water.
• Champagne pools where ocean waves came crashing over top of you while you were wadding.
• Attempting to fish off the ocean with 5 meter poles with shark infested waters and a rip current
• Driving through the dirt road circuit in a 4w4 and feeling like you were on ESPN as we would hit speeds I dare not say
• Getting bogged down and having to pull out the tow rope to get out
• Being away from civilization and really getting to know what Australian culture is really about

This place was probably one of the most amazing places I have been in all my travels.

“one small step for a Canadian, one giant step for the Lone Asian”

Byron Bay Surf and the Gold Coast

4 days after staying in Brisbane, we decide that was enough and it was off to venture into the unknown once more. Our temporary stop would place us in Byron Bay. Most people would describe this town as a very chilled out, laid back type of place and they were right. Definitely one of the most relaxing places I have been to yet.

It was like we traveled through a time machine and landed in the 70’s. Not that I have ever been to Woodstock but I can imagine it would be similar to this. This town was the perfect getaway for any city dweller, beach bum or perhaps simply a pot smoker (more on this later).

This is also the place were I finally decided to take the plunge into the ocean with a surf board. Getting started, I decide to go completely against my beliefs of being a natural born athlete, and humble myself by joining a 3 hour class to learn the basics before I make a complete fool out of myself. As you can see, there was no fool this day! It was on my third try that I was able to balance myself on top of a wave “all by myself”. What a feeling it was! Though it was no 50 foot wave, it was nice to know Asian’s can surf.

The evenings at Byron didn’t leave much to the imagination. It would start out with Simpson’s and beer (literally), followed by death billiards (one of which Island Rice came out champion), then finally a trip to the local bar/club.

As relaxing as it was, time simply flew by. On the day we were leaving, we end up hearing about a place called Nimbim. This was situated in the interior and was simply a place where the weed would grow faster than snow would fall in Canada (I apologize for the lack of creativity in my metaphors). I was told that this is the only place in the world that hosts the cannabis Olympics. Before I cared to find out what that was, we were on our way back to Brisbane with a stop over in Surfers Paradise.

I guess you could say that because we conquered the waves, we earned the right to visit the infamous town. Truth be told, it was a cheap, cheesy and dodgy version of LA’s Venice beach or Florida’s Daytona beach. Yes, there was over 25 km of beach and waves, but because of commercialization and major corporations, they turned this small town into half a concrete jungle with shops, theme parks and heaps of buildings.

Our stay wasn’t that long as you can imagine but I thought it at least deserved a mention.

- the lone asian

Bris Vegas

After spending a good amount of time up North Queensland to avoid an Australian winter, our next stop was South Queensland or more specifically Brisbane.

Because this was more of a reunion for me with my long time friend Alana, my stay would not be one typical of a backpacker but more of a local. I quickly got used to the luxuries I didn't have as a backpacker that I was longing to have. For example, we finally had our own washing machine/dryer (come to think of it, I never had this ever since I've left home) as opposed to the bathroom sink (actually I'm just exagerating). How about a clean kitchen for once rather than trying to find a pot or pan that wasn't rusted through. Oh, and the best thing was that we had a real bed rather than the army bunks that were usually in hostels. Much appreciated Alana and Jules!

First impressions of this city was definately a cross between Edmonton and Calgary. There was a river that ran through the city and the downtown skyline was overlooking the water. The city itself had more of a small town feel to it.

To sum it up, there was no Vegas strip, no bright lights, no casino, no redlight district (not that I was looking). In fact, I really don't know why they refer to themselves as "Brisvegas". It was a city that had personality and my time spent here will be mostly remembered through the people I was able to meet and hang out with.

New Trends I learned about included:

- shot of tequila with a slice or orange and some cinnamon (vs salt and lime)
- shot of tequila followed with a shot of tomato juice (also known as the "Trubador shot")
- "hotdogs for tea"
- "hump day" is for curry and beer

- the lone asian

Why Surf in the Ocean when you have a Jungle?

Our adventure continues north to a place that's called Cape Tribulation. This is home to the only place in the world that has 2 world heritage sites in its own backyard. Not only does it have one of the oldest rainforests in the world, it also has the Great Barrier Reef.

Our decision was to spend 3 days and 2 nights in an exotic fruit farm away from the hustle and bustle of the backpacker life. More of a chill out place than anything. After spending a day at Cape Tribulation beach, we are back to extreme sports and decide to join a jungle surfing tour. Also known as the flying fox, we are lifted to trees spaning to heights of 20-25 feet where we are catapulted (probably an exaggeration) from one tree to the other. It was quite fitting that I was given a helmet named "Tarzan", not for my strong masculine abilities but simply because I was going to be swinging through the trees much like the fictional character.

The first transfer was slow and steady and more of a warm up. When it came to the final swing, we were placed upside down (our feet dangling from only one string that held us up) and released with little negative tension which meant we were being shot out at a pretty fast speed.

In the end, it was a great feeling to know that we survived and can look back and tell the world that we got to jungle surf in one of the oldest rainforest's in the world.

This was then followed up with a night walk through the rainforests looking for any wildlife creatures we could find which mainly meant giant spiders, crickets and frogs. I could tell you it sort of felt like being the crocodile hunter (also known as Steve Irwin) but it really felt more like I was back at school going on a field trip with the rest of the class. In the end, we did see a few deadly creatures but no huge reptiles were found. Yes, I know it was a bit disappointing. Nonetheless, life can't always be party and sports. We definately need to have some education from time to time.

Remember kids, "stay in school!"

- the lone asian

Let the Water Fall in Atherton

Question: What do you do when you have a day to kill and you've already done everything in Cairns?

Answer: Hire a 4W4 vechile and go exploring!

This is what we ended up doing as we didn't want to spend a whole lot of money but didn't want to be in the city. What a great idea this became. As we hop in the truck, we map out our plan of attack and away we go. Our first stop was Bebinda Boulders which was a glorified version of Lynn Canyon in Vancouver. Now, I don't want to bore you with details of every stop we made but the purpose of this entry is to talk about Josephine and Milla Milla Falls. 2 spectacular waterfalls hidden in the Atherton Valleys and the biggest bonus was the fact that we could go swimming in both of them.

Josphine Falls had a natural waterslide while Milla Milla was the tallest falls in the region. Both of which were not overrun by tourists at all. In fact, what made this experience more memorable was the fact that I was able to swim to the falls with no one else around. A complete day exploring waterfalls combined with one of the most scenic drives I have seen based on no planning whatsoever. Let's call this entry a "nice surprise"

Also important tid bits to note are as follows:

- road kill here is not a skunk, racoon or squirral, the first one I saw was the corpse of a snake!

- "DID YOU KNOW?" fig trees (which are also known as stranglers) are created by birds feces as they eat the leaves then leave their crap (literarly) on trees. From there, photosynthesis occurs and the trees grow from branches downwards eventually killing the host. We were able to see the largest one in the world

1000 Leagues Under the Sea

After 3 days of sailing in Witsunday Islands it was back to reality on the mainland. Once we docked, our task was to get back to where we came from which was Cairns, North Queensland. My personal goal in the next 24 hours was to avoid a 10 hour bus ride as well as $180 spent between the two of us. With a bit of luck and a charming personality, I was able to con...vince a nice couple from the UK to give us a lift and we would share gas with them. The only catch was that we needed to leave then and there which was fine by us. A long ride, it definately was. We made it in 7 hours straight but nevertheless our goal was achieved.

My next priority was to get my open water scuba certification. After analyzing all the pro's and con's of each and every company in town, we decided to go with the best priced and away we go! 4 days, 2 of which are spent on the Great Barrier Reef and you are certified (assuming you complete all the skills necessary)

To give you a bit more background on diving in this little town, this is probably the number one tourist activity to do. Therefore, it is their mission to get people in and out of their courses faster than Ford can produce pickup trucks or McDonalds can make Big Macs. Crash course, production line, you name it, we felt it. The only reward we had after 2 full days of classroom and pool training was that we were going out onto the reef and spend another 2 full days in one of the natural wonders of the world! 2 days, 1 night, 6 dives and a feeling that you want more!

Highlights of day 1 included a night dive with a torch where I was able to see a shark, a turtle sleeping in a cave, a parrot fish sleeping in his own mucus and thousands of fish swiming at your finger tips when you shine the light at them. After the first day, I didn't think anything could top that experience... I was wrong.

Day 2 began at 6am (for those who know that I am NOT a morning person, this is significant). As we enter the water, it is completely dark everywhere. I don't think that the fish were even awake. But nevertheless, we did the dive and when we came back up, the sun had risen and it was going to be another gorgeous day! If that wasn't enough, we were lucky enough to see the first humpback whale of the season as it breached right in front of us. This was then followed up with a dive where I was able to have a beer, do a little dance and make friends with all the people under the sea.

In the end, the animosity I was feeling towards the quality of instruction was overshadowed by the fact that I did receive my certification and can now dive anywhere in the world! (except for Norway for some reason - which who the hell would want to dive in anyways)

- the lone asian

WHITEHAVEN MAGIC

They say that when you are sea, time sits still. Fortunately for me, this was not the case as I celebrated my 25th birthday for the third time while in Australian waters.

The stage was set. The location was Witsunday's Islands just off of Airlie Beach. We begin by boarding a tall sailing ship that was over 100 years old. This would be our home for the next 3 days. When we set sail, we didn't know what lied ahead. Fortunately we were with a strong crew led by an experienced captain. It was as if Captain Cook himself was with us on our journey and was showing us the way through the islands.

This trip was by far the top highlight! Not only were we able to help sail into the open sea's, we snorkeled with the most colorful fish one can imagine, bushwacked through tropical rainforests, encountered wildlife no where else to be found and of course jumped off the bow of the ship into shark infested waters. The peak of the journey had to have been spending the afternoon on a place called Whitehaven Beach.

The sand was the finest I have ever seen. Because it was considered a national park, the island could only be reached by day and no one could stay there overnight. The water was so clear, you could see for several meters into the bottom of the ocean. Not a bad way to spend a birthday. A special thanks to Island Rice as well as she was able to notify the chef of this day and he made me a cake from scratch. Definately a birthday that will not be forgotten.
When you read about the top ten things to do in Australia, this set of islands is often in the top 3. For me, this would be number 1. Definately do not miss out on this opportunity if presented to you.

- lone asian

Definition of a Backpacker

An Australian definition of a backpacker is renting out the oldest, beat up looking van you can find, spray painting it in multicolors and then plastering the words "Cheech and Chong" along the side and then finishing off with the rear painted "man made alcohol, god made mirajuana, who do you trust" is a good start. No joke, this was the van that was to be our home for the next week and a half. For those who want to find out more, check out the following website: www.wickedcampers.com.au

Traveling now with 6 was a new adventure for me. We join up with 3 other Canadians and one Japanese girl and get picked up when we landed in Cairns, North Queensland (also home to the Great Barrier Reef). Our stay was brief as it was our goal to head south with our new travel mates. After a day trip to the reef to swim with nemo, gil, dorree, the sea turtle and one white tip shark, it was off to the south.

After a quick stay in Mission Beach and Paranella park, our goal was to head over to Magnetic Island, also known as the island where magnetic forces cannot be explained (hence the name). Well, as you'll see very shortly we began to understand why this was...

It was the evening of July 2nd, the day after Canada day. We were told there was a party happpening at one of the beach's on the island. As you probably already know, where there is a party, there is the lone asian. So after a few road pops, we were off on our adventure. [NOTE: you know you're in Australia when you are taking a bus and on the loudspeaker, the rugby game is playing for all to hear] We ask the bus driver to drop us off at radical beach and just as we descend from the vehicle, we hear the words "have a nice walk".

PITCH BLACKNESS was what we were left with. Good thing we had one flashlight between 7 people. (note this importance for later)

Not knowning exactly where we were going, we decide to follow the only path we saw that somewhat led to a beach. 20 minutes pass, nothing. And when I say nothing, this means, NO sound, NO lights, NO OTHER PEOPLE anywhere, just the sound of the wild animals following you and waiting for the appropriate time to attack. 30 minutes, still nothing. Stuck between pride and curiosity, we would walk another 30 minutes just to prove to ourselves there really was a party. Good thing we didn't have to.

45 minutes later our first sign of life. We found people that were actually at this so called beach party. "It wasn't far away" they replied.

When we arrive, we find that we took the long way over and there was actually a shorter trip though it involved some crossing of a swamp with crocs, that was waist high - truth be told, this description seemed to be exagerated more each time it was told by a different person. The party itself was wild as it seemed like a scene out of the movie The Beach. Some DJ playing techno and house music while they had a huge bonfire on the sand where everyone sat around.
The adventure however was the journey back. After a bit of deliberation, we decided to head back through the croc infested short cut. What made it more interesting was 2 more canadian girls joined up with us because the only light they could produce was with a lighter and an empty can. A short time into the journey we meet an Aussie and Kiwi that was also without a light. What we didn't realize was that the Aussie seemed to be high on some type of enhanced substance.

So once again, 8 people now, ONE LIGHT, bush trail with cliffs on one side and did I mention the poisonous reptiles we couldn't see but hear?

10 minutes into the hike, the Aussie begins to freak. He begins to attempt to steal the light from me, then progressively becomes more aggressive with our group by pushing several of the women aside in the pitch black, yelling obsenities at whoever would listen and simply holding us back as he would run ahead, stumble over himself and then lie on the ground complaining he dislocated his shoulder. Had it not been for his Kiwi girlfriend who was with us as well, I would have left him to the snakes and wombats.

This would continue for another 20 minutes with the climax coming off at a major standoff between my Canadian friend and himself. Because I am often known for my calm and collective demeanor, I was forced to become the peacekeeper that I am and successfully diffuse the situation. It was then where Island Rice took over as the psychiatric therapist where her tactics consisted of distracting him with lame jokes and random questions.

We eventually find our way back to civilization and all that we went through would never be spoken of again. Until now of course. So the moral of the story is don't talk to strangers just before you are going on a pitch black hike because anything can happen in the jungle. - that was the best I could come up with.

Oh, and just for those who were paying attention, we never did run into some swamp that was waist high and filled with crocs...

- the lone asian