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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Feb 01, 2016 09:00 PM Vanuatu, Vanuatu...
Port Vila - the capital city of the Republic of Vanuatu lies on Efate Island in the nice, picturesque bay.
I have been here several times so today I decided to take the tour outside Vila to the traditional village Ekasup, to see local customs. I usually do not take those tours offered by ship since they are very expensive.
The advantage of the organized tour is that they take you from the jetty and deliver to the village - you do not worry about the transport.
We spent there almost 3 hours listening, watching and enjoying local people...
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Jan 30, 2016 09:00 PM Solomon Islands
Dear Friends. Greetings from hot and humid Melanesia! After visiting few lovely islands of Papua New Guinea I am now in Honiara - Solomon Islands.
Honiara is -the capital city of the Solomon’s. They still do not have a jetty for the big ships so we were forced to sail ashore in tenders. Sunday. But in the little local port there is a lot of traffic. Crowded rusty boats are embarking local people sailing to the smaller islands like Santa Isabel.
Along the main Mendana street flame trees are in full blossom -see the picture – what a view!
It is very hot and humid. I took a walk to the interesting museum (1 dollar entry fee) and to the poor botanical garden with exotic trees and flowers. Near the entrance local ladies were making laundry in the stream. Funny! They do not protest about pictures. People are friendly here…
Then I was climbing to their parlament building located on the hill. Nice view of the bay from the terrace and they allow to see the interesting chamber of parlament -for free! I visited also catholic cathedral with a nice crafts in the altar.
Very hot and humid day. Look at the people in the national costumes playing for us on the pier – this is typical bamboo band of Solomons:
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Jan 21, 2016 09:00 PM Ship on the horizon!
I, the old backpacker I am boarding the ship again. Why? Well, you know that there are islands where you cannot get easily. Once again I came to the conclusion that the most effective and inexpensive method to get to the remote islands of Papua New Guinea will be the cruise ship.
As you know internet connection from the ship via satellite is very expensive. This is definitely not the backpacker's price. So please do not panic if there will be no messages from me during next two weeks. I will try to send something if I will find cheap connection from any port! Keep your fingers crossed, please!
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Jan 20, 2016 09:00 PM Bald Rock National Park
I am still in Brisbane. My friend was so kind to take one day off from his work and invited me for the tour to Bald Rock. It is more then 250 kms southwest of Brisbane, already in NSW state. In the morning we were pushing slowly through the traffic jams of the big city. After an hour we reached and crossed Dividing Range.
Bald Rock is huge granite monolith some 280 m high. It is in the NSW national park so you must pay the entry fee in self-service station – 8 AUD per car. Then you can climb the rock. Ufff… in the strong sun on the naked big stone it was not easy, but after 20 min we reched forest on the ridge and after next quarter of easy walk -the summit. There were Nice views of the thick forest around and the other granite mountains on the horizon. One of them – the Pyramid – we visited later in the afternoon.
Going down the easier, but longer way between big boulders I heared nasty -Miauuuu, miauuuu! And again -Miauuu! Waldek explained: it is not cat in the forest. It is the catbird – one more secret of Australia…
Back in Brisbane we were talking about the world, travel ideas and experiences till late. Waldek and Ala are also passionate travellers. Thanks a lot for an interesting day and your warm hospitality, dear friends!
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Jan 18, 2016 09:00 PM Adelaide after years...
Yes, it is hard to believe but for the first time in Adelaide – the capital city of South Australia I have been in 1986 – 30 years ago. The city is even nicer now. Staying with my hospitable friend Ela I took the public bus to the center. It cost 3,30 AUD and you can travel on any line for 2 hours. They also offer special free bus which will drive you around the centre.
Adelaide has many elegant parks, the Oval Stadium, concert hall - after visits to the remote and small desert settlements of Nullarbor it appears like a really huge metropolis.
It is worth go take a walk along the main King William St from Victoria Square to the St Peter Anglican Cathedral. On the route you will see the Parliament of SA and hidden in the garden Government building. It is cloudy day today, but still very hot – they expect temperatures up to 39 deg Celsius. My big laundry is already on the string, drying fast in such a high temperature :)
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Jan 17, 2016 09:00 PM Happy end of Nullarbor expedition
Wake-up at sunrise, then breakfast and soon we were packing-up our little camp. Our driver got from the police all necessary papers and at 9.40 we start driving. Not far… In Port Augusta there is interesting Wadlata Outback Center – a kind of the museum showing the nature, history and culture of South Australia. Ticket cost hefty 20.50 AUD but it is worth to be there. They have installed a/c – very important in the temperature of 38 deg Celsius.
Then we were driving in the direction of Flinders Ranges to have our lunch on the roadside under the eucalyptus tree.
From Wilmington we turned 12 kms right to Alligator Gorge. This was the invention of our driver, but let you know that it was not worth the effort and sweat. Heading south – to Adelaide
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Jan 15, 2016 09:00 PM Koalas in Mikkira station
And the end of the day we reached remote Mikkira Station – it is like huge, abandoned farm located at the southern end of the peninsula. It is famous for the koalas and kangaroos. After arrival we had like an hour to wander in the forest to take the pictures of this funny creatures.
So far it was the highlight of the expedition.
Can you see on the map of South Australia the big Eyre Peninsula?. That’s we were driving today after a rather cold night in Coodlie Camp. On the western side of the peninsula there is short but picturesque gravel ocean road with a nice views from the cliff and few idyllic, empty beaches…
Then we had our lunch on the open air (noodles from the last dinner) – the food is not sophisticated…
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Jan 12, 2016 09:00 PM Cliffs of Nullarbor
Internet in the Ceduna is too weak to upload the picture, but maybe I will be able to do that later. When we are in the settlement for, say 30 minutes my companions go to the shop to buy wine and beer for themselves and me – I am running around the village to find the internet and to send you the message. Sometimes I am successful.
In the afternoon we crossed the border with South Australia state – there was time change + 2,5 hours. Dark will come earlier. In the night we experience strong winds which is not so pleasant when you sleep outdoor. I feel good but it is quite hard experience… - real new adventure!
After a night in the bush (there is a lot of bush in the desert) we were driving further east through Nullarbor. The distances are killing here: more then hundred kms from one road station to the next. The main attraction of the day was a visit to the Bigh Cliffs – picturesque ocean cliffs, more then 100 m high.
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Jan 09, 2016 09:00 PM Through Western Australia
Special mini-bus of adventure company was waiting at the door of the youth hostel at 7 am. I met my travel companions: there are different nations:Netherlands, England, Switzerland, Korea and Poland - only 10 people in total. Soon we departed heading to the Wave Rock - our first stopover was in the historic township of York. Very sunny and hot day. After visiting the strange Wave rock (really like a granite wave formed 7 million years ago) we went further west, crossing the area affected by the huge cloud of the smoke from the bush fire. It was already after sunset when we reached Esperance on the coast of the ocean. We camp outside of the town. For the first time I was sleeping in the Australian SWAG - a kind of the heavy army sleeping bag - looking into the stars. Oh, yes, they have mosquitoes, but what a experience!
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Jan 08, 2016 09:00 PM Perth -as pretty as Sydney?
I found Perth even nicer then 15 years ago. The advantage of Sydney is that it is close to the sea. Perth is located on the bank of Swan River. There are nice skyscrapers in the compact downtown and nice samples of Victorian architecture. The best panoramic view of the town is from the Kings Park located on the hill just above the narrows of the river. To get there (it is not easyto climb the hill in the heat) I took a city bus 37. It was free! In Perth within the cectral district you can travel without any ticket. Fantastic invention! Back in the city I enjoyed the fenced Goverment House – where governer lives, many parks and bell tower on the bank of the river. The bells play lovely music but to take the evevator up you have to pay 14 AUD. For another 14 dollars you can sail one-way to Freemantle – the port of Perth with many cooonial houses – I have been there during my first visit to Western Australia.
Tomorrow morning my Nullarbor Desert expedition will start. There will be no internet and in most places no power at all. So do not panic. I will publish next notes as soon as possible – probably in 10 days. Keep the fingers crossed – this will be the great challenge…
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