The Great Barrier Reef then off to the Outback

After our lovely little journey with Precious kaleidoscope had ended we had only one thing left to do in beautiful Cairns, see the almighty reef!! Yes, they call it one of the great wonders of the world for a reason; a self sustaining mecca of marine life miles away from the mainland. It's quite a sight seeing waves crashing into an invisible barrier of coral in the center of the ocean. And the marine life... phenomenal. Jordan and I both took advantage of the opportunity by doing some diving and snorkeling; seeing "nemo's", bright fish and reef sharks. Really cool!!!

After our day on the ocean and a last party with the farm crew and precious kaleidoscope, it was time to hop on another plane...Destination????

The Outback

The Creation of the D.Q through and through...

From Cairns we jumped on a Qantas flight (the Spirit of Australia.......They payed me to say that) to the center of Australia and the city of Alice Springs. Now for those of you who don't know their Australian geography very well, Alice Springs is about 2000km from anywhere, in the middle of the desert. No joke, it is truly the outback. But it is also the jump off point for some amazing Aussie monuments; Ayers Rock, The Olgas and Kings Canyon. One thing's for sure, we were not about to leave this country without a glimpse at the red center.

Upon arriving at the airport and taking a deep breath of the 37 degree dry desert air, we promptly rented our chariot for the next couple of days, the beautiful Toyota Corolla we would soon refer to only as "Vicki". Where does the name come from you ask, well, it is derived from the D.Q through and through. Confused? Hold on, i'll try and explain...

Now, try and stay with me...

For us Canadians, D.Q refers to the fast food chain and colossus of both hot and cool treats, Dairy Queen. Now Dairy Queen has a little slogan that plays on the whole it's "so hot" it's "cool" thing. Well that's what the outback is folks, "It's So Hot It's Cool". Still with me?? And Vicki, well that comes from the Queen part, referring to the great (I know, debatable) former British monarch Queen Victoria who led Britain in it's great imperial years. Well, in our little adventure "Vicki" would be our transport of choice as we were out to conquer the outback.(This is what goes on inside Jordan's disturbed little mind...) There... Story told, now to the adventure...

Our first day was spent driving west of Alice Springs, visiting gorges, gaps and rock formations before returning to the city for a good nights sleep in preparation for our excursion down South. Upon awaking the next day, we hopped in Vicki and began our journey 450km to the south-west to Uluru National Park and the world's largest monolith Ayers Rock and the Olga ranges. The drive was as they say "most excellent", coasting through the desert with barely a soul on the road. We arrived at the park mid-afternoon and first visited the Olgas where we took pictures and went on a little hike, then it was off to Ayers rock in an attempt to see a glowing sunset. Unfortunately, we weren't so lucky as the clouds began to roll in, but the cold spaghetti was excellent and the beer and goon more than satisfying.

Luckily, the next morning was bright and sunny, as we witnessed the sunrise at Ayers Rock before driving to the other side of this huge monument to climb up it's great edge. The climb is arduous to say the least but people from all over the world take on this great challenge, some with better outcomes than others. The top of the rock offers a magnificent view of the desert countryside, but it is incredibly windy. An awesome time was had though and it made for some great photography.

From Ayers Rock we hopped back into Vicki and headed for Kings Canyon about 300km away. The kilometers melted away in a marathon of "Tool" in the high 30 degree sun. By the time we arrived at Kings Canyon it was 2pm and the temperature was a pleasant 40 degrees. As it was incredibly refreshing we decided to take a 5.5 km hike around the canyon's edges with only the wind and many desert flies to accompany us. Sounds tough I know, but the scenery can only be described as breathtaking. After the completion of our climb we hopped back in our chariot and drove back to Alice Springs as the sun set over the desert savanna, simply amazing.

Our next morning was spent east of Alice Springs before we returned to the city itself, had a much needed shower, said our goodbyes to Vicki and caught our flight to Sydney. Yes, this great adventure will end where it all began 8 months ago, but first we have 6 days to tie up all the loose ends.

The Outback of Australia is something that has to be seen to be believed and in retrospect no trip to this great country would have been complete without it. The D.Q through and through, like the adventures before it only served to remind us of the values of traveling and the marvels of this great world. But enough philosophical psychobabble, off to Sydney!!!

Precious Kaleidoscope goes camping...

Cairns, The Tablelands and Cape Tribulation

Upon arriving in Cairns and checking out the party scene for a couple nights we decided to rent a van, a few tents, get some hot dogs and beans and go on a good old fashioned camping trip. But before I discuss that I must relate an experience of Jordan's, who went to a local bar with a couple of friends and ran into none other than Matthew McCaunahey. That's right all you ladies, Mr. Rothe was within 10 feet of the sexiest man alive himself - I can feel the jealousy through the fiberoptic cable. But on to the trip...

We picked up our Toyota Taurago in the morning and off we went to the tablelands, a beautiful stretch of countryside filled with beautiful gorges, waterfalls and lakes. Day 1 was spent viewing these beautiful landscapes before making camp next to a majestic lake.

As the sun lightened the morning sky on day 2 we were already on the road, passing through small towns on our way to Kurunda, where we took a gondola tour overtop of the rainforest canopy, stopping to view rainforest animals, flora and fauna. We then boarded our van once again and made the trip up towards Cape Tribulation, a world renown beach location about 100km north of Cairns. Our night was spent cooking hot dogs over the fire and camping in the rainforest next to the beach. Simply marvelous!

Day 3 took us to Cape Tribulation and then back down towards Cairns, stopping at a crocodile, snake and animal farm for a tour, some crocodile feeding and an all around good time. Soon another day had passed and we were back camping on the beach. Oh, what a life we lead.

Camping was an awesome time for all; sociables in the car, beach sing songs, roasts, definitely an awesome way to see tropical North Queensland.

From Brisbane to Cairns...


The Creation of Precious Kaleidoscope

As the last week of our farm experience passed, Jordan and I began discussing where to go next and how to get there. The decision for a location was Cairns in far north tropical Queensland and the method of transport we chose was a good old fashioned camper van relocation courtesy of our good friends at Apollo van rentals (remember team Apollo folks?).

As we Canadians are so fond of saying..........................ROAD TRIP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The trip from Brisbane to Cairns is a beautiful 1700km journey along the Australian East Coast, but in order to make it economically viable we needed a few traveling companions. Thus the creation of Precious kaleidoscope; consisting of members Jordan, Caroline, Sarah, Hayne and myself. I'm sure you're wondering about the name, the truth is like many things in this trip, it makes no sense! Just a simple boredom induced collaboration of minds between Jordan and Sarah. But we thank them whole heartedly.

We had 3 days to do it and the memories piled up with the miles. Nights in the camper watching Family Guy, games of sociables over boxes of goon and good old fashioned road trip music and conversation. This would be the beginning of an adventure that would continue through Cairns...

Return to OZ...

The Farm




After our 5 or so weeks in Thailand it was time to return to the mighty country of Australia, so after a few last meals of pat tai and spring roles, we boarded a plane back to western civilization. Upon arriving and smelling the amazingly fresh (by comparison to central Bangkok) air we were off to stay with our good friends the Penner's for a week or so. It was there that we searched and found a job that every backpacker has experienced and most dread, the almighty fruit and vegetable picking job.

Our choice product was vegetables and our choice location was a little town called Forest Hill about an hour or so outside of Brisbane. I'll tell you the metropolis that is Brisbane fades very quickly into back country Australia. We stayed at a quaint little working hostel called "Woodstock" where we met loads of great people, some there to make a little cash, some there to extend their visas (which takes 3 months of farm work in this country) Slave labor, I tell ya.



Life on the farm is a world unto its own folks; 4:30am wake up calls, long days cutting cauliflowers or lettuce or sugar loaf or cabbage or whatever in the hot sun... It is not for the faint of heart. But as good Canadian "blokes" we were not about to be deterred by a little back-breaking labor. As time tends to do, it passed, some days quicker than others, but it passed. The main thing that helped? People people people, Irish friends Allan, Fergal, Mullarky, Jane, Laura, Barbarra, Sean, Paul (there was a lot of Irish), English friends Senghi, Caroline, the Scots Jon and Kenny, The Koreans and Japanese (Nikki and Jimmy), Sarah and others....Great Memories!





One things for sure, our tans are better for the experience, we now have intimate knowledge of where our produce comes from and we know every native Australian swear in the book (though we never use any of them). After 3 weeks though, it was time to say goodbye, we had picked our last vegetable in this great country and more adventures beckoned...

Phuket




After 4 nights on Railay it was back to the traveling, this trip consisted of a longboat ride (these are thai style taxi boats that are everywhere), a ride in an open air bus, a ride in the back of a pick-up truck, a ride in a minibus then a ride in another minibus... This my friends is typical traveling in Thailand, it's amazing you ever get where you want to go! They slap a sticker on you and somehow you always arrive where you plan. Magical stickers, only in Thailand! We arrived in Phuket and checked into our guesthouse then roamed the streets and markets, actually found salted bugs at one of them too, delectable.



Our next day in Phuket was spent ensuring we could stay in the country legally for a few more days (our visa's needed extending), planning our elephant trek the next day and booking our flight back to Bangkok, all while trying to stay out of the rain. The next day was beautiful and hot though, perfect for elephant trekking. Eliza was certainly the most energized, giddy you could almost say. Aahhhh, ain't she cute folks? : ) Before the trek we saw a monkey show, sat on waterbuffelos, saw how coconut oil is made, tapped rubber trees and had a lesson in making curry. Really cool stuff. Then it was on to the elephants. We were first given a small show from 3 elephants, who kicked soccer balls for us, danced, painted and picked up various things. It was certainly entertaining! Then it was off on our trek led by our guide through some gorgeous scenery. Eliza was sure to get a picture with her Montana's shirt on. Got Ribs?!



From trekking it was back to Phuket and the next day we were on a plane back towards Bangkok and nearing the end of our incredible Thailand journey...

Return to Bangkok


We landed in Bangkok nearly a month after we'd first left. No longer were we little virgins in this Eastern world, but experienced Thai hardcore travellers...and of course there was shopping to be done! We returned to Khao San Rd and promply went to work accomplishing our last goals in Thailand. After checking into our hotel, we each made a list of what we wanted to do and away we went. Our last few days were action packed with all kinds of fun things. We started by visiting the Grand Palace, an absolutely amazing compound full of goegeous temples, palaces and gardens designed in the greatest detail. It's also the home of the royal family; who's billboards, pictures and posters can be seen throughout the country.



From the Grand Palace it was off to the Chatuchat weekend markets. These are possibly the largest markets on the face of the earth with something like 10-15 thousand stalls. Needless to say we found many gifts and trinkets. Some of you readers may be lucky enough to recieve something...if you're worthy... : )


Our last big night out on the town consisted of buckets at a local bar, then a trip to the Pat-pong markets. We arrived just as they were beginning to close, but we still managed to buy some fried grasshoppers and get a little taste of the local cuisine. Also sampled some Thai MacDonalds. Funny, no matter what country you visit, MacDonalds always seems to taste the same. I think it's some kind of conspiracy. Jordan and I also decided to get some custom made suits designed for us because they were "cheap cheap" as well as another little suprise that will not be dicussed at this moment. Don't you just love suprises!



Our next day and Elizabeth's last day was a fairly quiet one, I think we were all a little sad that this incredible month was coming to an end. Spent the day doing some last minute shopping and went out to a great Italian dinner. At 4am Eliza had to catch a cab to the airport, saying goodbye was tough but she's off to conquer the nursing world. We miss you already Miss Eliza!

Our last 2 days in Bangkok were spent doing final suit fittings and celebrating a cool Thai girl named Yo-Yo's birthday. Jordan was lucky enough to discover true love and we also saw Justin Sing and his girlfriend again. Also had to get our last massages, corn on the cob and servings of pat thai and spring rolls.


Thailand is an amazing country in many different ways with a culture totally distinct from any that we'd previously seen. We all agree that we'd love to visit this beautiful area again sometime soon. To Elizabeth, thanks for sharing an incredible month with us, team EL-ORD-ATT will forever be in our hearts. Now it's back to Australia but until then: "You stay classy...PLANET EARTH!!!"

Railay beach





From Phi Phi island we took the quick ferry trip back to the mainland to a place called Railay beach. Unlike the hussle and bussle of the tourist mecca of Phi Phi, Railay is much smaller and layed back. It's divided into two separate beaches only a five minute walk apart and surrounded on both sides by incredible lush mountains. Because of these amazing cliff faces Railay is famous for it's hiking and mountain climbing.
On the way to Railay we ran into a fellow a Edmontonian named Janice, who joined our little adventure for a few days. Railay treated us very well, our bungalow was like a little treehouse, really cool. Spent a few nights at a reggae bar drinking buckets and playing pool, did some all night jammin' at the cliff bar with a bunch of Thai's and foreigners and had a couple of great shish-kebob, baked potato and corn on the cob meals. Highlights though definitely include hiking up over Railay beach (and Jordan's deathdefying climb to a lagoon), sea kiyaking around huge rock formations, cliff diving and caves with sacrificial falluses...very interesting?? Oh, and Daniel Station, we played some Edward 40hands with big thai beers, just for you my friend!!!

Koh Tao, Koh Panghan and Koh Phi Phi

From Koh Samui we hopped on another ferry destined for Koh Tao, the smallest of the eastern islands and island most famous for it's snorkelling and diving. Upon arriving in Koh Tao we found accommodation near the main town at a diving resort called Ban's. Jordan had decided beforehand to take his open water and advanced diving courses there so it became our home for a few days. While Jordan hit the books and water Elizabeth and I spent a day on a snorkelling tour around the island, stopping in various places to view tropical fish and coral. We also rented a quad for a few hours on a rainy day and made our way around the island. Needless to say we had quite the adventure. We spent our nights on the beach, soaking up the sea air. Also had a fun night at a bar that looked like Fred Flinstones house, pretty neat.

While Jordan finished his advanced course(sharks, night dives, more sharks, EEEP!), Elizabeth and I hopped on another ferry destined for the last of the three main islands in the area; Koh Panghan. Koh Panghan is the middle island of the big three. The resort we stayed at on the island was a nice change, much quieter than our previous week and a half. Spent the days laying in the hammock, reading and walking along the beach. Also had another random run-in with an old Spruce Grove friend; Justin Sing and his girlfriend. It never ceases to amaze me how small the world can sometimes be.

As a shake-up to our quiet few days Eliza and I went to the half-moon party, which unlike the massive beach full-moon party, is smaller and takes place in the jungle. We met up with Chris and Ty again and had another memorable night. After three days in Koh Panghan we hopped on a ferry, then bus and headed south to the city of Krabi on the southern ocean. It was there where we reunited with Jordan and were on our way to discover some of the most

beautiful scenery of our lives...

After a day in Krabi, we jumped onto another ferry (we rode on a lot of boats) destined for the tiny island of Koh Phi Phi Don. This area was struck by the heart of the December 2004 tsunami, but you would never know it. It's absolutely pristine. The island of Phi Phi is much smaller than the eastern islands we'd previously visited. In fact cars and other motorized vehicles aren't even allowed on the island. We spend 5 days on this piece of paradise; shopping, sightseeing and partying. The highlight was definetly a day spent touring Koh Phi Phi Lay, Don's small neighbour island made famous in the movie "The Beach." We spent the day diving off our tour boat, sea kayaking, snorkelling, playing frisbee and visiting the most spectacular beach any of us had ever seen on Bamboo Island. Absolutely amazing!!! Other highlights include taking in some Thai boxing (these guys beat up on each other like nothing I've ever seen!), discovering that Jordan has an Irish pub (and looks good in a speedo) and eating some amazing roast beef(Oh Matt...). From Phi Phi it was back to the mainland and on to the famous climbing and hiking area of Railay beach...

Thailand

Bangkok and Koh Samui

Jordan and I arrived in the legendary city of Bangkok towards midnight. After getting our bags and negotiating a price for the cab ride we were off to the heart of the city. One thing's for certain, even from a cab in the middle of the night it was clear that Thailand and Bangkok would be a much different adventure than Australia. As morning dawned, Jordan and I were off to Khao San road, the famous tourist road in Bangkok. This small stretch of street is littered with hotels, bars, shops and stands selling everything your little heart could desire. We arrived, found a hotel then decided to do some investigating. On a little stop inside a 7 eleven for some water we were amazed to run directly into a face from my past back home. A friend named Chris Watson, who I haden't seen since my high school days. He had just arrived from Canada with his buddy Ty on a 6 month trip around South-East Asia. We promptly decided some beers were in order. The next 5 or 6 hours we aquainted ourselves with a selection of Thai beers and visited one of Bangkok's legendary markets and red light districts; Pat-Pong markets. We'll just say that everyone should experience this area. Once you see it, you'll never forget it.

By 10pm it was time to head to the airport and meet a new arrival to our journey; the incredible, the amazing and the beautiful Elizabeth Munch (she forced me to say that).
After a little searching we were reunited with Elizabeth, and although she was tired from her long journey and a little mad with us (because we originally went to the wrong terminal) she was happy to see us. It was great seeing her again and energized this part of our journey. Thus begins the legendary journey of the fabulous Canadian super-group: EL-ORD-ATT!!

We spent the next couple of days shopping, made a visit to Soi Cowboy (another famous Bangkok red light area...yes they have a few) and planning the next few weeks of our adventure. From Bangkok the three of us jumped on an overnight train heading south, destined for the town of Surat Thani. The train trip was awesome, a really good way to see the Thai countryside. Even met 3 friendly Kiwis and chatted with them to pass the time.

From Surat Thani we quickly jumped on a ferry and headed for the biggest of the three main eastern islands; Koh Samui. On Koh Samui we got our first taste of the Thai beaches and sunshine. We managed to find a nice little resort on the coast and immeadiately began working on our tans. We quickly found out that Thailand is as it's described...a little piece of paradise. Restaurants on the beach, vendors, sandy beaches, picturesque coastline. It was decided that we would celebrate Jordan's belated birthday and our trip by indulging in a little taste of home. Elizabeth in her infinite wisdom brought with her a beautiful bottle of Gibson's Finest rye whiskey. It was a long anticipated moment for us all.

Spent the next few days taking in the sights, went to a tiger and bird show and attended a legendary full moon party. Imagine 10-15 thousand people partying all night on one stretch of beach, VERY INTENSE!!! We had a great time to say the least, although the transport there and back was a bit of a hassle. Our experiences in Bangkok and Koh Samui would set the tone for what would be a memorable month of adventures, sights, sand and memories.

Back to Oz...and up to Brisbane After saying our heartfelt goodbyes to the NZ crew and spending a wonderful night on the Christchurch airport floor (...I was saying boo-urns), it was back to Oz. Landed in Sydney in the early hours and promptly checked into our old Sydney home; The Funkhouse. It was pretty much the same as we left it, but with a new big screen t.v! We were also fortunate and grateful enough to find ESPN and Oilers hockey. Game 6 was brilliant, game 7...well let's just not even go there... ANYWAY, after a few days in Sydney we booked ourselves a bus up to Byron Bay, a beautiful little surf town about 800km north of Sydney. Although the bus ride was a little hellish (16 hours overnight in very uncomfortable seats, Jordan got the flu), Byron Bay is a town that must be seen. We stayed at a great little hostel just outside of town called The Arts Factory. Situated on a 6 acre complex complete with bungaloes, teepees, wild turkeys and everything and anything artsy, it was a great little place. Met some good people there too; The Dutch boys, the girls from Sydney and Alex, also from Sydney. Great all around time except for a little rain. On our fourth day in Byron we decided to take a day tour to the infamous town of Nimbin. Nimbin was first described to us soon after we arrived as something that needed to be seen to be believed. Having now seen it, I agree whole heartedly with that statement. Our tour guide, Fred was quite the character himself, a little spacey with tunes blaring and dreds waving, but he was nothing compared to some of the people we met on the streets when we arrived. All in all it was a great day of fun...from what I remember of it anyway : ) After 5 days in Byron it was up the coast through Surfers Paradise to the Gold Coast where we were lucky enough to be able to stay with Al and Pat Penner at their beautiful home on Hope Island. I'll tell you, after 4 months of hostels and hostel eating patterns, a home cooked meal is something not to be taken lightly. We were lucky enough to spend the week there with the Penner's as well as Devon friends Stew and Dallas. Our days were spent going for runs around the compound, using the gym, looking for work and watching Big Brother and Rocky movies. All and all, it was a very relaxing week or so. Thanks must go to Al and Pat for inviting us into their home and treating us like one of the family for a week. It was appreciated more than you know. From Hope Island, it was off to Brisbane; Australia's most northern large city. It was here that our journey went through a bit of a change...