Australia Part 12 - Brisbane 2

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Red backs, steak burgers, a bath under the stars and Morton Island

Well Ben wasn’t kidding when he said we’d be up early to make our way to his parents (ok ok it wasn’t before the birds but for us it was early). We were off to Toowoomba (love the aussies names for places) to visit Ben’s parents and we got the impression they were farmer types so would have all their daily jobs done had breakfast, built a new shed and caught something for lunch before we even got there. After a quick stop off for supplies (4 huge pieces of steak which Ben was gonna use as a burger on the BBQ – yes much to our surprise he did indeed mean that the steak would be the burger and that we wouldn’t be mashing them up together to make burgers –the aussies are bloody brilliant) we made our journey down the very straight road into the middle of Australia. Obviously after a couple of hours I assumed we must be somewhere near half way to Perth on the west coast but turns out we’d gone about a fingers width on the map i.e. not very far at all – it seems I was still not getting the sheer size of the place.

As we arrived the land flattered out and we drove through what looked like a random gap in the hedge at first. Ben’s parent’s house was lovely but not the massive farm house I was expecting. Turns out they have a small amount of land that they happen to have some animals on, a tractor and lots of sheds which they like to build. It wasn’t the huge farm I was expecting but I guess I miss understood what ben meant when he said his parents had a small holding. As we entered the house Liz was busy baking for our arrival (seems Ben brings a lot of random strangers to meet his parents – hope we weren’t the worst) and his dad Jeff, was busy in the garden getting the Billy going. Now for those of you who aren’t “in with the lingo” a tin Billy is basically an old fashion metal tea pot or can that is heated by a little fire. So it’s sort of like camping but in your back garden and hey I love the idea that if it rains you can go back inside. (not that that’s likely over here!) We sat down outside and awaiting Liz with our tray of ready made biscuits and tea cups. I found it hard to sit down anywhere coz of course we were outside sat underneath what was fundamentally a shed, so there were cobwebs galore. I just sat in the end and tried not to think about it and ignore all the tickles that I was felling. I think I managed to convince everyone that I was sat on the end of my seat because I was really interested in the conversation, not because I was actually pooping my pants!

After our home made cookies and traditional Aussie tea break we were shown round the house and garden (well land) whilst Liz finished off cooking our roast dinner (yipppeee). We were introduced to the hens and the sad pony that lived in the field next door (Jeff made sure he was kept in tasty leftovers from the local market) and also shown just how many sheds that Ben had built for his dad. It was like walking through a traditional Aussie film set with tumble weed and rickety sheds housing farming equipment and the odd Kangaroo. We were also shown the infamous outside bathroom that Ben had mentioned to us as a selling point back in Brisbane…and he wasn’t kidding it was 2 bath tubs balanced on a bbq style wood pile and an all important door. Yes his dad had said when he’d seen our terrified faces at the concept of being outside under the stars naked, that we needn’t worry because there was a door. He failed to mention that that was all there was!! Suddenly the waft of roast dinner was upon us and like shoplifters we were gone, all you could see where us shaped dust clouds. I cant remember how long it has been since we had a roast dinner (I know Nath has put a counter on our blog so he can torture himself it would seem) and although we missed the roasts of home, Liz’s was mouth watering. Garden grown vegetables, a soup to start (also made out of the garden veggies), two roasted meats and then my favourite – pudding. We all sat chatting for a while about the differences between our countries; how they work to live and we live to work, how they find us overly polite and we find them too confident and also how we get sarcasm (having invented it) and they struggle!! but on a more serious note Jeff told us about the number of skin cancers he had had removed (and Ben also) and the importance of always covering up, which again is something us brits just don’t seem to consider as important (maybe because we don’t really see this thing called S.u.n) and that 1 in 3 Australians will have skin cancer!!


After dinner we all went to visit Ben’s sister and her family, mainly because Ben rarely got to see his niece but also because they had a dog which was of much more interest to me. Diesel was a huge dog that lived outside, which seemed to be the norm for most pet dogs in Australia, the mere idea of having a non working dog indoors was still a foreign concept for most. We took Diesel for a walk and he was a nervous lad but sweet enough, although I’m sure the dog walker we passed would argue differently when Diesel bit his dogs lip!!! We chatted with Ben again about the whole CS thing, and I probed for how many weird or bad experiences he had had. Luckily he hadn’t had many but did recently have a couple come to stay who literally did use his house as somewhere to stay for free and would speak in their native language through out the night and not include Ben at all. How rude, Nath and I already felt like offering to wash up and cook a meal wasn’t enough, but by the looks of some people’s standards, we needn’t have worried.

We headed back to Ben’s sisters house and played with diesel in the garden, and then met his sister and her husband as they arrived back from a wedding. So there we were all of Ben’s family and Nath and I chatting in their back garden like this was the most normal thing ever. Looking back on it, it seems bit weird really but it felt comfortable and fairly natural to just be chilaxing at someone’s house. I think the travelling lark makes you feel you need less long term knowledge of someone or history to just hang out, coz you know shortly it’ll be over anyway or maybe bens family are just super friendly. As suspected, anyway, Ben’s family were lovely (Tish his sister, Rhiana his niece and Ben her husband) but I was glad to be leaving back to Ben’s parents as the promise of our steak burger and outside bath was far too exciting to leave much longer.


Unfortunate by the time we had returned to the house it was getting a bit dark to start up the bbq, so Ben cooked our massive steak burgers (with a fried egg, cheese slab and dressing!) and passed the towering flesh mountain to us. My chin was on the floor and Nath was swimming in a pool of his own saliva as we both looked on in amazement as Ben ate his like it was an every day occurrence. I unfortunately (and surprisingly) couldn’t fit mine in my mouth, so managed to get in a right state as the egg exploded all over my chin and the meat was wedged in sideways. We explained to Ben that we were amazed that this was such a usual occurrence for Aussies as an alternative to a “proper” mince style burger because for us steak is so expensive and if anything is a special treat so would never be put in a burger - that was sacrilege. But having seen the Aussies way of life it was bloody brilliant- they might not be able to do sarcasm but by hell can they do carnivourism!! With indigestion about to set in from consuming half of daisy the cow, we relaxed in the lounge whilst Ben went and set up the outside bath – what service, if everyone on CS is this nice then I don’t think we’d ever go home!

Before long it became apparent to me that I was looking forward to sitting out in the dark with all the bugs that exist in oz being attracted to the heat and light of the outdoor bath. I decided on my walk up to the bath in the dark to not think about the webs I could feel I was walking through and just enjoy the novel experience. Only one of the baths was filled as it took ages just to heat one, so I went first. If it hadn’t been for the huge meal we’d just had I was sure Ben would have been brining out the chopped carrots and seasoning to add to the…well basically bubbling iron bathtub that I had chosen to sit in. I made Nath pile my clothes up very carefully in the dark as I didn’t want bugs climbing all over them. It was bloody cold and just a little strange standing butt naked in the back garden of some people we’d only just met. But it was lovely once in and when Nath had left me there in the bath with a torch by my side, the stars were really bright and it was just silent except for the odd sound of animals and the wind rustling the trees. At one point I was aware of something falling on my arm and freaked out thinking the worst. This wasn’t helped by my inability to find the touch and turn it on in time to figure out what it had been. It wasn’t long before my imagination set in and I realised I was out in the dark naked and alone in a weird country. The lovely rustling of trees and animal noises were now monsters waiting in the dark for me – stupid cow. Luckily Nath soon arrived to rescue me from myself and to have his turn in the now slightly cooler bath tub. Before he had arrived, when I had been looking for the monster spider that must have fallen on me, I noticed how scummy the water was from where I’d been sitting in it (I do wash everyday still even though I’m travelling promise) and hoped that Nath wouldn’t shine the torch on the water before he got in it!!

I rested inside in front of the open fire Ben had lit and for a moment felt very sick and dizzy, which I at first attributed to the spider bite I reckon I’d got from it dropping on my arm, but It was more likely I suppose, being as I couldn’t find fang marks, that I had over heated whilst cooking in the bath tub. Soon Nath was back all wrinkly but smiling, what a great experience, you wont find that in any guide book, which is an excellent example of why Couch Surfing is so great. (and what a great idea Ben had)


The next day was a quiet day which was started by a nice lay in; it was great just for once to not necessarily have to get up for anything. We enjoyed more tea from the Billy can and Nath helped Ben potter around the garden whilst I took pictures around the garden of all the arty sculptures and bits. Nath had been very excited that morning after Ben and he had found this HUGE moth, as big as his finger – no wonder the spiders have to be so big!!! Ben then showed Nath their mini tractor and Nath became a small boy again when he was allowed to drive it and push some wood around!! We had enjoyed seeing all the wild life at Ben’s parents but the best bit was when he found a red back for us in a pile of wood. It was beautiful in the way its markings looked like an aboriginal painting. We apparently only hear the extreme reactions people have of these spiders, as Ben, as a kid had had one inside his bike helmet as a kid and when it had bitten him the doctor just sent him home with a few pills!!! Turns out you wont die in a few minutes, only if, as with everything, you’re an asthma sufferer or really old or ill etc!!


We had lunch before leaving and again enjoyed an amazing home made soup with vegetables from the garden. We said our good byes to Liz and Jeff and thanked them for the wonderful time we had had. On the drive back I slept in the back and dribbled on my arm – very attractive, whilst Nath and Ben chatted the whole journey home. Ben had convinced me to try some kangaroo steak for dinner; apparently it is a very lean and healthy meat but also because they aren’t farmed but culled to maintain wild numbers the meat would be literally left to waste if not eaten. So as Ben suggested its better they haven’t died for any reason. With that idea in my head, justifying my new desire for meat in every meal, Nath and I enjoyed a lovely kangaroo dinner that night (tasted like game).

The next day being Monday, Ben went to work again and I actually spent most of the day in bed as I had not felt quite right all weekend and now had a headache and stomach cramps. However half way through the day I decided I was well enough to go back to the library to do more internet stuff; so I got on the little boat and Nath joined me a while after as he wanted to walk in instead. Same old same old really, felt like I’d looked at lots without actually getting anywhere but this time I felt too ill to be all moody (which I’m sue Nath was pleased about), so we headed back to Ben’s for a farewell meal and bottle of wine. It was a real shame to be leaving, Ben’s was so relaxing and he was such fun, it felt like, that last night, we were really getting to know each other so I was disappointed our time with him was over. Never mind I’m sure we’ll return the favour one day when we have our own place…….one day.

Ben being such a popular guy already had someone else lined up to stay shortly after us, so although we had a another couple of days in Brisbane, we felt it best to let him have his few days free before having to entertain again and so we headed back to the YHA. Luckily this time we knew about the 4 day special offer so I didn’t need to yell at the receptionist girl again. However it would seem that this special offer was for a room in the basement without windows, which is fine but considering how hot it still was it meant we were melting in the room, plus by the time we checked in Nath and I had the last two beds on the dorm, which were the rubbish top bunks. We had spent ages chatting with Ben about whether we should visit Fraser Island or not, as we had had mixed reviews and if it wasn’t for the fact it was quite expensive it wouldn’t have been an issue. Near by in Brisbane there was another island that offered pretty much the same thing, a place called Moreton Island, and it was half the price. Needless to say after weighing everything up we decided to do both just in case. This is why I think this trip as been so expensive, we don’t dare miss anything out just in case, as we suspect, we may never get to return to these places.

So after wangling the best deal I could with the YHA travel desk, we got up very early on a cold morning in Brisbane and made our way to the meeting point for our truck to pick us up for a day trip to Moreton Island. Luckily the weather improved and it did get warmer but when we were waiting for the bus I was literally doing star jumps. There were a few people on board and even though I tried making conversation on the boat it was like talking to my own hand for all the interaction I got!! This was a full day trip which described itself as riding in a huge 4 by 4 over the sand environment, admiring the local wildlife before sand boarding and then snorkelling around some deliberalty sunken boats. In fairness it was an accurate description but they do like to romanticise the whole thing and I did have a slightly different idea of what was involved. Our driver, as always was a cocky Aussies fella who liked to take the piss out of the Americans and the brits. As much as I am more than happy to laugh at myself it is getting a bit tiresome, especially when you are sarcastic back and they just don’t get it – don’t dish it out if you cant handle having it given back!!!

Anyway driving through the sand dunes was a lot of fun, even though a couple of times I bumped my head and hurt my neck a little, it was worth it. The guy enjoyed winding people up it would seem, firstly by asking us to keep an eye out for the special Moreton Island Koalas (which don’t exist as he later said “how do you think they’d have got here – swum!!” – fair enough) and then when I asked him if there was a toilet I could use where we’d parked up he said “yeah just walk straight towards those bushes, turn left and it looks like a bit of dirt with a bush growing out of it – oh wait that’s coz it is a load of dirt with a bush growing out of it”- quite funny really. With this in mind, when he then said that we were walking over coffee rock to get to the sand duning area I was more suspicious. He cleared away the sand to show the dark brown ground underneath and then stuck his finger in it and licked it, saying how much it tasted like coffee. He then invited the group to have a go, but I wasn’t having any of it, not only because of the last few comments but also because I had seen him change his fingers over when he licked it. Sure enough people started licking the dirt and he wet himself!!

We then did some more sand boarding, which after the first time in New Zealand Nath and I were much more up for it but also dreading the walk back. As suspected the ride down was exhilarating but the climb back up was a killer, we only managed 3 goes!! The whole time our “guide” was chatting up one of the girls how had turned up in a miniskirt to sand board –der!!! We then got back in the truck for another bumpy ride back to the beach, well considering the whole place is sand I’m not sure if it counts as a beach more the edge of the island! Included In the price was a nice packed lunch of soggy sandwiches and warm juice, not that we were that hungry considering we’d ingested half a ton of sand each from the boarding!

It was then time to go snorkelling and unlike some of the show offs on our tour I wore a wet suit and I’m so glad I did. Although it is the autumn here which means it’s a good summer back home the water is still cold. It was really clear once you moved away from the shore and there were loads of fish so near by it took a moment to focus. We basically followed the marine version of a tour guides umbrella around the sunken ships and once out in the ocean he handed us some bread to feed the fish with. Nath was busy trying to take photos with our underwater camera, not that I think we will have captured much. It was great to see all the ships they had sunk but also a little eerie looking under the water and seeing them disappear down into the darkness.

By the way FISH BITE and even with little teeth it hurts, I always thought they were gummy like old men but no! Irrespective of the biting it was a great snorkelling experience and confirmed in our minds that we would definitely be doing some more at the Great Barrier Reef. I pretty much slept on the way back whilst Nath spent the entire journey photographing the ship wrecks and sunset.
The next couple of days were spent chilling out and of course researching on the net. The only interesting thing to mention was one evening walking back from the local supermarket a huge bat almost flew into us (well Nath being so tall) which although scared us half to death did allow us to get a few shots of him when he landed in the tree behind us.

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Photos

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Ben lighting the fire for our outside bath!

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Mandy checks out the bathroom

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Shut the door, your letting all the heat out!

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A "Steak" burger

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What a mess!

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First time for everything....... washing that is!!

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awsome experience

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Kangaroo Poo

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Barbed wire V natures barbed wire!

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Nath - make fire!!

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Billy

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That moth doesn’t look that big.....

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.....ok now it does!

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It wasn't that cold Mandy