Well, it’s my last night in the Territory. What better time to collect my thoughts on the Territory and the traveling lifestyle in general. What better way to end my trip with the Olympic closing ceremony and all. The Olympics have really been an integral part of my trip as they bring together all the different nationalities here in a common ground that everyone can relate to. The ceremony also allowed me to see Australia show itself to the world from Elle McPherson to Slim Dusty and his crazy good rendition of "Waltzing Matilda." The whole backpacker/hostel lifestyle was actually many times better than I thought it would be. You never feel like you're all alone because you are constantly meeting new people coming and going from all directions. That being said, you only get glimpses ... read more

It's Monday night and I'm lying on a stretcher near Uluru. The stars are so clear in the desert sky. At first today I was just bumming about how this tour wasn't like the Kakadu dreams tour and how all the same people weren't hear. But then I realized. HEY FOOL YOU'RE IN THE OUTBACK IN AUSTRALIA. Snap out of it. This is where you have wanted to be for ages. I shouldn't get down about what wasn't, but rather should be stoked about what was. Ayers Rock was just as I suspected. It was a rock. It was there and nice to look at, but Bill Bryson blew out of proportion in his book. Tomorrow we wake up ridiculously early for an early morning walk around it. Note: The Aussie Diaries are a XX part ... read more

September 17th: Day 2 My second day in Katherine and it ain't that bad. I just got back from sitting down and talking with three aborigine brothers. One of them even sung an aboriginal song about the white man's landing at Darwin. Very cool. They are a very laid back people. Sometimes a little frenetic as they get excited in a good way and wave their arms about. The oldest one said that Katherine was their land and that I was welcome on it. I bought them some rum and cola from the off license. I was just going to give it to them, but they wanted me to sit down and talk. It's funny the money I paid for drinks is a 1/4 of the price of the culture tour. So even if that doesn't ... read more

It’s Sunday and I feel fantastic. Whenever I go to church I always feel like a huge weight has been lifted and I am free to get on with my week with a clear mind. I am on a plane bound for Melbourne. Then I hop to Sydney and then from Sydney to Darwin. It's great being in Australia and just simply slipping into another way of living. Earlier I was sitting in the airport watching the country gear up for the Olympics on the TV. There was an interview with Luc Longley and there was a focus on Lleyton Hewitt. A comment that I made to the taxi driver really clicked. I said "Nothing confuses your mind more than school." It is great to be free of all that. It is great to be traveling ... read more

I'm here on what I think is Boambee Beach, after my first real swim in the Pacific Ocean as well as in the waters of the southern hemisphere. It was reasonably warm and very shallow. The waters came complete with big Australian leaves floating by to startle me. It is a strange beach in that it is surrounded by trees and hills. Something that I am not used to. I have the whole beach basically all to myself. It may have taken me one and half hours to find it, but I persevered. When I reached Boambee Creek Reserve I could hear the far off rumble of the surf, either that or a major highway, so I followed my inquisitive ear and ended up at my destination. It was a moment of triumph when I rounded ... read more