2005 Australia

February 2005

Thu Feb 24 SEA to SFO and SYD

Pick up Fred at work, drive to SeaTac at 3:50 PM, flight delayed till 6:00

Meet Christopher from Group at SFO

Fri 25 in Transit

Sat 26 Arrive SYD

taxi to Bondi hotel w/ Christopher

Alyson Adventures tour welcome meeting

4 couples, 15 singles, 2 guides

Sun 27 Sydney to Leura (Blue Mountains)

Wet hike to amphitheatre, 3 invisible sisters

D:

N:

Mon 28 Leura 

Day off whilst others goe rappeling down a canyon

L Leura deli

D Italian "Terra Firma"

March 2005

Tue 1 Leura

B: at hotel, scattered Ukrainian cook

Nature Hike w/ Charles Darwin's great-grest grandson

D: with Ron, Spag Bol "Terra Firma" encore

Wine Tasting

Wed 2 Leura to Sydney

BB

Featherdale Wildlife Park, baby wallaby

QVB Queen Victoria Building

Hyde Park, Opera House, Circular Quay

Thurs 3 Sydney

Aquarium

D: Thai

Opera Die Fledermaus

Fri 4 Sydney

D

BBLDN

Sat 5 Sydney

Zoo

Mardi?

Sun 6 Sydney

bbldn

Mon 7 Sydney to Port Douglas

fly to Cairns

Tue 8 Port Douglas

Rafting

Wed 9 Port Douglas

B: BLDN

Thu 10 Port Douglas

Croc Farm

Torrential Rains

Farewell Dinner: Nautilus rest

Homemade bread, swimmer crab omelette, reck of lamb w/ roast sweet potatoes, mango souffle

Fri 11 Cairns to Alice Springs

B BL

Throw away fruit - contraband

Hostel

Sat 12 Alice Springs

Wayward Bus

"Jim's Place" singing dingo

Erldunda rest

Yulara campground (2 nights)

anarchy in the kitchen

Sleep under the southern stars

BBLDN

Sun 13 Uluru

Sunrise walk 2 hour circuit before blazing heat

"George Washington" figure

L: 40 C, up to neck in swimming pool and stay there

lv 4 PM for K-Tjuta, still hot, see it before sunset

Steve, guide, is well informed, but has negative personality!

Darry & Al (nr Swansea, Wales) , Peter (Swiss) show off

grateful for COLD BEER on the bus

Disorrganized dinner again, meat but no bread, no potatoes found...

Mon 14 Yulara cg to Kings Creek Station

Arrive hot midday, wait for pool to clear of chems

ake spaghetti (take charge)
lhts)

Tue 15 Kings Creek to Alice

Kings Cyn N.P.
AM: V
PM: Vi

Accom Hostel  

Wed 16 Alice

slack day
AM: Visit to Pashupatinath and Boudhanath.

L: Leonardo da Chocolate
D Red Ochre game medley

Thu 17 Alice ASP - SYD -BNE Brisbane via SYD

B: hotel
After breakfast transfer to Pokhara by car (5/6 hours). In the evening explore lakeside market. 

Hertz car

Motel (2 nights)

Hertz car

N: 

Fri 18 Brisbane to Byron Bay

Fender bent in parking lot

Accom: hostel

Sat 19 Byron Bay to Oz Faes

call US to initiate claim for collision damage to rental car

Scenic drive Bangalow, Lismore (walk around park)

Nimbin, Sities Theme Park, hippie museum, "Aliens turn spaceneedle into a  mushroom" batik

Ozfaes, Ian (Teacup), Drew & Thomas, Bonnie & Charles bake, Frothy, Lez, Sparkle

Older 40s demographic, collective owners

"Having a body is drag enough, but I'd rather have yours

Palm Su 20 Oz Faes

B: Dandelion root coffee (like chicory)

Weird Jamaican Sarsaparilla liquer (once is enough)

Damiana (Damayana Buddhism?)

Equinox ritual at midday. Calling directions in Southern Hemisphere is confusing: the South is cold

Gary Compton's batiks fall off, get donated to drag pile

Talk of Wolf Creek melodrama, crystal meth a problem in Oz, too

Mon 21 Oz faes to Brisbane

Faes to day jobs

Scenic "Valley of the Tweed"

L: KFC in Murwillumbah

Motorway, to BNE in 3 hours

Bus to downtown mall, feet hurt!

D: Breakfast Creek Hotel, Steak and beer
just OK, good meat but mediocre canned condiments, 1 hour serving time

Tue 22 Brisbane -SYD- SFO- SEA Homeward bound

Hydrate, sit meditate, B: hotel buffet

car from NPD, leave AUD 3000 Visa deposit

QF 521 to SYD lv 10:10

L: crab sand at SYD, send remain cash to OzFaes, buy Bundaberg rum

B747 in back all the way to SFO

Movie "The Village"

fred picks me up in Seattle. Home.

Dr. G. David Kerlick

Phone: +1.206.935.7762

6342 34th Ave SW

Seattle WA 98126-3148