The Oz Experience day one: The Crocodile Farm, Heading onto Mission Beach:
Accommodation: Absolute Backpackers
Driver: Ute
9/07/10
The Oz experience pulled up and we were ready to hop on, I met some great people (Pete Newman if you are reading this, I met another Pete Newman on board.. Lol). Our driver Ute (they all have nicknames, and this is the type of car he owns) was a laugh and filled us with knowledge about the sugar cane farms, waterfalls and towns we passed through on route to the crocodile farm.
On arriving at the crocodile farm, a guide was approaching our bus holding a tiny crocodile and he had a snake wrapped around his neck. I was sat at the very front of the coach so he decided to rest the crocodile on my bag. I admit I was a little terrified, as it looked like the tape was only loosely wrapped around its mouth, but he was pretty cute all the same. (He won’t be in a couple of years he’ll be 10 times the size!)
On entering the zoo we got to hold the small croc, a snake, a parrot that enjoyed nibbling my hat and a dragon lizard.. Oh dear I can’t remember its actual name I have made that up. But he was the cutest little thing, so placid and docile. They would be a lovely for a pet but I don’t think Angus would approve.
Then it was time to see the big fella’s.. The huge crocs! The males that is, the females were a quarter of the size and they didn’t get a look in at feeding time, as we were told the males would eat them.
Two guides went into the enclosures and left the gate open.. just incase. We were stood about ten feet away behind a wire fence, which was like chicken wire and some of the fences weren’t fully intact as at times the crocodiles would destroy them just for the sake of it (one escaped the once because it knew its neighbour was being fed and he wasn’t getting any). The guides were crazy, dangling meat over the crocodile until it leapt up and took it from their hand. I have quite a few pictures on Facebook to show just how insane the keepers were when feeding them.
After watching most of the male crocs been fed (poor females!) we went and had pictures with kangaroos! (The first time I have seen Kangaroos since being in oz) They were gorgeous!! One just came and sat right by me, so I got a little snap happy and took photos of the two of us (again they’re on good old Facebook). We were then taken to see the Cassowary (a huge black bird with colourful markings, about the size of an ostrich).. They’re not as friendly as they look.. by a long stretch. A few people have been killed by them, and they sounded like pretty horrific deaths.. but I won’t go into it as some of you maybe squeamish.
We then got back onto the Oz Experience bus and a few of us were taken to Mission Beach and dropped at a lovely hostel called “Absolute Backpackers” where I have met some great people! There was one thing I had on the agenda at Mission Beach… A Skydive!
Skydiving over Mission Beach
10/07/10
The anticipation was killing me, we were meant to be skydiving at 7.30am, then it got put back to 9, then 11.. and finally the sun came out at 11.30 so we were ready to rock!! We filled in lots of paperwork in the office - scary stuff that I skim read and quickly signed without reading in depth (about who to contact in an emergency…)
Prior to this there was a guy sat in front of me on the coach to Tully airport and he was telling me horror stories about skydiving.. As if I wasn’t petrified enough.. Hehe.
We were then driven to the beach where we watched the group before us, it looked incredible and I couldn’t wait to get up there! We got back on the coach and were taken back to the airport where we got fitted into our gear. I met my instructor Ben who told me it was his third jump and asked whether I nervous.. It turned out he had jumped over 2000 times, so I calmed down a little. I was filmed for my DVD and the camera man asked if there was anything I’d like to say to people back home.. Any final goodbyes! Lol. Ok now I was feeling a little on edge!!
We boarded the tiny aircraft, there was about 16 of us crammed in, we had to position ourselves on our instructors laps so we could be attached to them and have our gear properly fitted. Ben looked at his watch and told me we were 3,000 feet in the air. I couldn’t believe it, it felt like we had been climbing for ages and we still had another 11,000 feet to go.
After reaching the 14,000 mark, the aircraft door suddenly opened and the green light flickered.. Ready to go. I had no time to think about it, a girl went before me and then it was my turn! I was shuffled to the door and bam, we were out!! 60 seconds pure free falling - it was the best minute of my life.. and the adrenalin rush I can’t explain.
The parachute then opened and we were flung back up, it was a good feeling to look above and see that it had opened! It took about 5 minutes to land, but this time I could take in my surroundings. The sky was so blue and everything was really clear, I couldn’t have picked a better day! (I’m looking out of the window now and it’s pouring down)
Landing was great, we just gently glided in.. Ben did all the work and when we were inches from the ground I put my feet down. It was the most incredible thing I have done, and it was number one on my list of things to do in Australia so I can now happily tick it off! And I wouldn’t hesitate to do another (second on my list is sailing the Whitsunday’s, third hug a Koala, fourth the harbour bridge walk.. So a few more things yet) but blimey anyone who wants a thrill sometime in your life do a skydive.. you only live once.
Second Sector on the Oz Experience - Magnetic Island
Accommodation: Base
Driver: Woody
12/07/10 - 15/07/10
Still on a huge high from the skydive it was time to leave Mission Beach and hop on the Oz experience to our next destination. Woody was our driver for the day; with her beaming smile and unique dress sense she made us all feel very welcome.
Little did I know, I was about to meet three of the nicest guys on the bus who would be my travel buddies for a huge bulk of the trip. They were sat right behind me; Matt and Chris from Luton and Fraser from Edinburgh.
The bus journey to Townsville was a few hours, but it was broken up by a visit to the Golden Gum Boot in Tully (also renowned for being “A pretty wet place”) . The Gum boot (known to us Brits as wellies) represents the amount of rainfall that hit the town in 1950 and it reached a staggering 79 metres!! How they re-built the town I don’t know, not after seeing the images displayed inside the boot.
Back on the bus my Ipod was being so temperamental, it decided not to play at all. That didn’t matter, Woody’s taste in music was great - a bit of Paolo Nutini (Sunny side up) got me in the summer mood.
We drove through Townville, a pretty bleak mining town and dropped two passengers off, how they spent there time there I don’t know, it certainly didn’t look like a very happening place. We then caught a ferry over to Magnetic Island (v windy crossing - I got a brochure out to ask Woody a question about a sailing trip and the wind caught hold of it and whacked it into my face, pretty embarrassing!)
When we arrived at Magnetic Island it was absolutely beautiful. We stayed in a hostel called Base, right over looking the beach with palm trees, it was magical. Matt, Chris and myself were put in the same dorm, which turned out to be a tiny cabin housing 8 of us. I was on top bunk (huge mistake). Not quite sure how I managed it but I whacked my head on the beam above me. I don’t know what startled me but I whipped myself up from my bed and thwack my head didn’t half go with a bang! You would have thought I would have learnt the first time, but that same night I managed to hit my head again on the beam. (They say it comes in three’s and it certainly did, what with the brochure attacking me too).
Base provided a lot of evening entertainment, ranging from party games, A Bingo night and a night of cross dressing “Gender Bender“, and wow what a night the latter was! I downed my dresses and girly clothes for a rugby kit, giant shoulders (tissue and sock enhanced) and a drawn on tash and goatie. Whilst Matt, Chris and Michael (who I had just met) wore my clothes and padded out my bikinis. Chris pulled the short straw and ended up wearing my pyjama shorts which were tiny on him and a top which stated “In your dreams” which was equally as small. A lot of effort was put into the costumes, considering it was a pretty spontaneous evening, one in which we weren’t aware of before turning up to Base. The guys certainly went all out, make up was applied, dresses were worn and a few staggered around in high heels. The picture below will give you an idea of how hilarious this night was - Matt, Chris, Paul and Michael the images of you as women will never fade!
We left Magnetic Island on the 15th July, I had such an awesome time there, and anyone reading this who plans to travel the East Coast, it is definitely worth a visit. Also there’s an amazing walk “the Fort Walk” where you may even stumble upon some wild koalas! Next sector of the trip, Airlie Beach and the magnificent WhitSundays.
Third Sector - Airlie Beach
Accommodation: Beaches
Driver: Keeno
Sailing The Whitsunday’s on The Condor
15/07/10 - 23/07/10
We caught the ferry early in the morning back over to Townsville (pleased to say it was a lot less windy this time) and we were greeted at the ferry port by our next Oz Experience driver Keeno. The journey was so long and there wasn’t much to look at outside, so I stretched out over two seats and fell asleep for the majority of the journey.
I had booked my Whitsundays sailing trip when I booked my Oz Experience pass back up in Cairns, however it was an open ticket and I therefore had to phone and confirm a date in which to set sail. I rang up and was told that I could go the following day (16th July) or five days later. I really didn’t fancy waiting nearly a week, but after the intense partying on Magnetic island a few recovery days were very much needed.. However, at 23 recovery is not an option, so the following day it was.
Packing for three days on a boat was a little tricky, particularly because there were guidelines on what bag to take, no zippers (due to bed bugs nesting in the zips) and nothing too big because of the small amount of space on board. I settled on a small cotton bag which I packed to the brim (being the light traveller that I am).
Tyla, a girl I had met on my first Oz Experience bus journey was also on the same boat, which was awesome. We boarded the Condor and we were ready to set sail. We got the chance to pull the ropes and crank the sail, so we could really ride the ocean. The crew members and fellow travellers were amazing, I couldn’t have been put with a nicer bunch of people. After a day at sea, a snorkel/ scuba dive stop and some scrumptious food, the boat was put to rest for the evening under hundreds of stars, it was truly amazing, we played a few drinking games and just got to know each other.
Day two on the boat - we sailed (very choppy waters) to Whitehaven Beach (pictured below) and wow what a beach! I have been on some beaches in my life, but nothing can describe the beauty of Whitehaven.. utter paradise!! The sand, like powder in between your toes, the water, gorgeous, a mixture of umpteen shades of blue, it was just beautiful. The silica-sand is so precious not even a remnant can be taken from the beach. It is amazing, you can use it to clean your teeth (if you’re brave enough to put it in your mouth, knowing you may be crunching on it for the rest of the day) and you can use it to clean your jewellery. We took a few crazy photos (the classic jumping ones) and explored the island before getting back on the boat. After a few more hours of sailing, the anchor went down and we stationed for the evening. More singing and more drinking took place. We were sat on the deck, a little windy (as I was about to find out), and a big gust of wind blew my hat off, my poor reaction time and limited co-ordination (alcohol induced) could not grasp it before it went overboard. I can’t describe how gutted I was when I looked over to see that it was nowhere in sight, I was told that because it was straw there was no chance of finding it as it would have sank in seconds. Still peering over and watching the torch bounce off the water I uttered farewell to my hat and sat back down. After a few minutes of drowning my sorrows (hehe) and getting back into the spirit of the sing-a-long I felt this wet, soggy item being placed on my head… MY HAT!!! James, one of the crew members (my hero. lol) jumped in the life boat the moment the hat had left my head, sped round to the side of the boat and lifted it from the water before it sank. I gave him the biggest hug and fell in love there and then (just kidding) but what a guy.. I will treasure that moment.
I better stop waffling now, but the Whitsundays was one of the most incredible adventures on the East. Airlie beach was a fabulous place too, but just don’t get stuck there for longer then a few days. Unfortunately we couldn’t get onto the Oz bus when we wanted to and had to spend two extra days at Airlie (7 in total) and there isn’t an awful lot to do there, apart from lounging by the lagoon and drinking, but the Whitsundays is a must for anyone who is reading this and the Condor is pretty impressive, a sail boat which has won many races.
Fourth Sector The Cattle Ranch
Driver: Toppie
23/07/10
The fourth sector of the Oz Experience was a trip to the Cattle Ranch. I really didn’t know what to expect from this trip, all I knew was that we were about to head back in time, dress like cowboys/girls, learn to muster goats, crack a whip and ride a Bucking Bronco. All a little crazy but I was so excited to experience a night in the outback and live like a cowgirl. Our driver for the day was Toppie, full of life and she made what was the longest bus journey into the best one yet. The crowd on the bus were also fabulous; Heidi, Dawn, Simon, Francis (and not forgetting Matt and Chris). We were given pens to doodle on the windows, Dawn your fat koala and un-proportional kangaroo was the best.. Hehe. We later played a quiz, where (regrettably) our answers were displayed on the windows - My score was a dismal, sport and guess the song/artist unfortunately are not my forte. However, something that was my forte and I was about to find out (sorry Simon) was lawn bowls. Yes, that’s right, we broke up our thirteen hour journey with a trip to a bowling green. We were (unsurprisingly) the youngest people there. It really is an old persons game, but I really shouldn’t knock it too much (it could be me in forty years) and they appeared to be enjoying themselves. The funniest was watching the lawn being flattened, the job was taken very seriously, a large what looked like a sit on mower was ridden sideways at a fast speed, I’m chuckling now thinking about it, but you had to be there to see how hilarious it was. There are strict regulations to bowling, no dropping the ball and creating crater dents in the lawn, and shoes must not be worn, again for any indentations which could be made. We were put in teams, where we played against the other teams and then had a final play off - Heidi had a certain technique where the ball was flung to the ground, thankfully we didn’t get a rollicking off the oldies. Our team won (Matt, Chris and myself) and then…. Somehow I managed to win the final play off. (complete and utter fluke I have to admit). Simon had bowled his ball, where it perfectly sat next to the jack, and then when it came to my turn I was aiming for the jack and somehow managed to roll it at a fast pace and I smashed Simon’s ball out of the way. It was such a fun way to break up the journey and tire us out (hmm about the latter) and back on the bus I think I slept for a good few hours as the view out of the window was pretty barren.
When we arrived at the Cattle Station we were explained how our evening would unfold, and that if we purchased a cowboy hat and a neck chief we would get our drinks at a discounted price (awesome). Everyone looked the part and fitted into the theme of things brilliantly. We were fed well and after we were taught how to crack the whip - it looked so much easier than it was (but then again so did the Bucking Bronco and the goat herding). I really don’t think I’d make a very good cowgirl! Lol. When it was time to go on the mechanical bull, I mistakenly went after Dawn, who I think managed to stay on for about seventeen bucks… but not me. It was a struggle to even get on it and then when I was on and thought I was in the right position I think it bucked twice and threw me off. I was offered another go, but once was embarrassing enough.. Hehe.
The evening was completed with a few drinking games, the main being flip cup.. Oh dear! I had never played before (and I don’t think Heidi had either), our one task was to drink the alcohol from the cup without using our hands and picking it up with our mouth, Heidi didn’t manage to swallow any of hers, but her jumper certainly did, she was soaked, it was just hilarious. Lets just say our side of the table lost and our forfeit, yes, was to drink more alcohol. It was a pretty fun night, before we resided in our tiny cabin, slept for the night and were woken for our next cattle station mission… goat herding.
I really hadn’t had any luck so far with the tasks which had been set, so hopefully goat herding would stand more in my favour. I don’t know where my goat had come from but he was a fruit loop, I couldn’t catch him with the lasso so I had to chase after him and he didn’t half run. It took me a while and the stopwatch was ticking, but eventually I managed to catch him after doing a few laps of the ring trudging though goat doop. Lol. Our day was completed with a quad biking trip around the grounds of the cattle station. We were riding for about two hours and other than the skydive it has been the best thing I have done so far. So exhilarating, and the surroundings were incredible. I think I will leave this blog here, but even though it was clear I didn’t fit the part of a cowgirl, what an amazing experience the Cattle Ranch was.
