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You can lose everything, but nobody will take away what you saw and what you experienced...
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Mar 11, 2010 07:00 PM The top of Australia, welcome back to Greyhound!
I am still in the top of Australia. Darwin is neat city - rebuilt after 1974 cyclone "Tracy". Few historical buildings remained but you can see the WWII tunnels built after the Japanese bombing under the Stokes Hill - to protect the reserves of oil (5 AUD entry fee to pay).
There are interesting exhibitions of local pearl industry at the Wharf One (6 AUD entry fee). They also feed the fish at the Aquascene once a day (hefty 11 AUD entry fee). The center is not wide so it is possible to visit it walking.
I have been to the Greyhound agency. It seems that the only way to go to the remote Kimberley is to take one-per-day Greyhound bus and to make few few stops on the route to Broome. They have a special offer for the backpackers: 254 AUD with free stops and one free night in Katherine Gorge.
I thin I will took it. Years ago I was traveling around Australia with a Greyhound pass - and I have the nice memories. So - welcome back to Greyhound!
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Mar 10, 2010 07:00 PM Three new waterfalls to my collection...
If you travel alone sometimes it pays to take a tour instead to rent a car for the day excirsion...
There are two interestieng national parks to visit close to Darwin. During my first stay years ago I visited Kakadu NP. So now I had opportinity to see the Litchfield NP. It is famous for the beautiful waterfalls.
Few local tour companies offer the tour to the park, but only one (NT Escapes) will give you solid - 30 dollard discount if you book through internet. Final price: 49 AUD. Worth to try... And worth to to know that there is no entry fee to the park.
It was full day tour. We started at 7 am.
I saw and took a pictures of 3 magnificent Falls: Tolmer, Wangi and Florence. Every one is different, but two of them (Wangi and Floorence have a swimming pools at the bottom. Wangi pool was temporary closed (due to the danger of saltwater crocodiles) but it was possible to swim under the Florence.
In the heat of the day it is real pleasure!
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Mar 09, 2010 07:00 PM Darwin - Northern Territory...
When years ago I was going from Darwin to Alice Springs by bus the landscape was mostly red and yellow. Now, after few days of solid rains it is red and green.
Lucky me! Since it is still wet season at the top of Australia I was afraid that Darwin will welcome me by cloudy sky and heavy rain. Nothing like that! We had blue skies and strong sun when "The Ghan" ariived to the poor terminal on the outskirts of Darwin. Since we were so much delayed railways offered free transfer to the center of the city. Normally you will pay hefty 12-15 AUD.
Backpackers accomodations are located in the Mitchell street - there is a choice from 22 AUD for the bed in the 8-beds dormitory to 58 AUD for the private room. All with a/c - it is hard to survive in the heat of 40 deg Celsius or so without a/c.
Almost every hostel has little pool in the backyard... Sorry - internet is not free - you have to pay 4 dollars per hour... Shame... In the poor South America in most hostels it is free...
I have a rest after few days on the train and do my laundry - all is sweaty...
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Mar 08, 2010 07:00 PM Great Southern Rail is Great!
Since yesterday we stay at prze Alice Springs stations waiting when the track will be ready. But the rail company is not so bad, well - they are really great.
First of all they replaced all passengers from the red seats to red sleepers - I have now my privete, crampy cabin - like a cell, but there is a bed with a white linen...
Second - they offered us complimentary dinner. breakfast and lunch in the buffet car - little, on the plastic plate but...
Third - they organize for waiting passengers a half-day tour to the Alice Spring Desert Park on the outskirts of Alice (they paid transfer and 20 AUD entry fee) - I did not know this interesting place so I liked the tour.
Very hot day!
At 2.30 p.m. we will probably continue our adventure on the rails - hoping to reach Darwin on the top of Australia on Wednesday morning...
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Mar 07, 2010 07:00 PM Stranded 1500 kms before Darwin...
The chairs in the train were not comfortable and I had not enough space to strengh my legs. In the morning I had a backbone pain - this is the side effect of travelling in the lowest class... But the landscape on the other side of the window was beautiful... Red soil, green trees, blue sky... I was cooking my tea and coffee in the shower section (there is 240V power outlet).
Around 10 am we got a bad message through the loudspeakers: new fooding in the north. Train will go only as far as Alice Springs today ande will wait when they will repair the track. (how do they built their track, that they are so water-sensitive!??)
We arrived to Alice Springs in the heart of Australia at 2 p.m. Blue sky, hot - 28 deg Celsius.
Alice changes to the better - I have been here some 20 years ago going by bus north to south of the Australian Outback.
What now? Let's wait!
Greetings to all of you from the red center of Australia!
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Mar 06, 2010 07:00 PM Legendary "The Ghan" to the north...
On the March 3rd departure of the legendary train "The Ghan" was cancelled due to heavy rains in the north and floodings. There is only one departure per week now and I was afraid that my departure today will be also cancelled.
Lucky me! When I came to the station I saw silver carriages on the two platforms and a crowd of people... Today's train is 900-m long so they cut it into two parts because platforms are short.
We departed at 12.20 pm. I travel in the last expensive "red" class with 40 or so airplane chairs in the big compartment. At the end of the carriage there are two showers and two toilets. They provide towels but nothing else. The train is almost full. I took of course enough food with me to avoid high payments in the buffet car. (Standard breakfast 11 AUD, weak dinner meal - 15).
It was raining when we departed Adelaide, but soon we had a blue sky and a nice sunset. 54- hours train journey is ahead of me!
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Mar 05, 2010 07:00 PM Saturday in Adelaide
It was raining in the night but then morning was sunny with a temperature around 22 deg Celsius. I took a long walk from the central Victoria Square along the main Northern Terrace Street. They have here a lot of well-restored colonial buildings, but I thing thet the nicest is the catolic cathedral of St Francis Xavier.
Libraries are the good institutions here in South Australia - you are allowed to use internet for free in the public library. The time is usually limited to 1 hour but if nobody else is waiting you can register for another hour.
I am ready for the great train adventure: I hope that tomorrow I will board the famous Ghan train departing once a week from Adelaide to Darwin. I have a message that there are floodings in the north but I am still optimistic...
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Mar 04, 2010 07:00 PM Kangaroo Island to Adelaide...
Sometimes it pays to be a senior... Regional airline gives substantial discount for the seniors and do not ask for the Australian concession card. The flight was one hour delayed but arrived and I was flying 20 minutes from tiny Kangaroo Island to Adelaide. In the Adelaide Airport I got for free the map of the city and few other booklets - it is not like in Santiago...
City buses J1 and J2 go from the airport to the centre. But here I am already not a senior since I do not have the card - means if I am not Australian citizen. You have to pay hefty 2.70 AUD for the ride and in the peak hours after 3 pm even as much as 4.40 AUD! But it is worth to know that the transfer to the other line in the city center is included.
Adelaide is a festival city - festival in on now. In the evening there is plenty of open-air music and on the main street I was watching what they call Northern Lights - a colorful, changing every few minutes iluminations of the main historical buildings. Australian Disneyland...
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Mar 03, 2010 07:00 PM Sea lions, fur seals, wallabies... Where are the kangaroos?
Every day at around 8 am the tour bus of Sealink company starts its route to the highlights of Kangaroo Island. Full day tour with the entrance fees and lunch included coul be booked by their office in Kingscote or by the hotel in the waterfront. I joined them - it is the last expensive solution for the single traveller... At the begining I visited eucalyptus oil farm (you will see a lot of eucalyptus trees in whole Australia, koalas like them too!). Then we went to the Seal Bay where I was surprised by the presence of Australian Sea Lions. Last time I saw them in Galapagos... Visit to the beach is with a ranger and in the group only but it was still very rewarding. They do not allow to come them 10 m to the animals - you have to bring good zoom to catch them... After a lunch we attended the bird show - funny place with falcon, laughing kokaburras and the eagle playing the main roles...
Magnificent Rocks staying on the stone monolith rising just on the coast remind me Rodes Matopos Park in Zimbabwe - is is hard to see similar place and they are well worth to visit. Then the bus took us to Cape du Couedic with the high lighthouse. But to see the real attractions of this place you have to walk down to the ocean it is like 20 min walk down.
There is Admirals Arch - like a giant natural tunnel under the rock. On both sides of the arch there are colonies of New Zealand fur seals...
But where are the kangaroos of Kangaroo Island? They sleep in the heat of the day and came out in the evenings. Yes, I saw and took a picture of the lovely family at the sunset time...
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Mar 02, 2010 07:00 PM Kangaroo Island
I am on the Kangaroo Island in South Australia, staying in The Kangaroo Island Central Backpackers in the little town of Kingscote - just 25 AUD per dormitory bed.
Blue sky, some 26 deg Celsius during the day. I saw falready first wallabies and kangaroos, but they have here more wildlife, even little penguins...
The island is beautiful and few people live here. The gateway to Kangaroo Island is Adelaide. You can either take from this city a bus and then a ferry to land in Penneshaw (they have youth hostel there) or to take 20-minute flight from Adelaide to Kingscote. Kingscote is in my opinion better place to stay, since it is more central. No public transport on the 120-kms long island - can you imagine? I intended to rent a car but let you know that it is not New Zealand where you will find many competing companies: it is only Hertz and Budget and they charge 70 AUD per day with free 100 kms - for extra km you must pay extra. Sorry - not good offer for a single backpacker... The island is too big to walk all over the way to the attractions and the tiny traffic goes only to the settlements, not to the distant lighthouses and national parks - so the hitchhiking is also risky. Should I take an organized tour?
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