The Aussie Diaries: Vast Distances

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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 of these people and as soon as you sort of get to know them, they or you go off somewhere else.

I think that three weeks is the perfect amount of time for this kind of lifestyle, as it might get sort of disconcerting after a while. The Alice Lodge has surprisingly begun to feel like a home to me. The Kiwi people who run it are real friendly and I suppose that contributes to it a lot. The pool has been filled since I've been back from the Outback tour. And I love that. I will remember the cat that tried to eat my dinner at night. I will also remember nights watching the Olympics with the girl I met from Massachusetts and the goofy Swiss guy.

Now, as far as the Northern Territory goes, I think it is a great place to visit. You get a frontier kind of feeling as people gather together in little population pockets amongst all this vast space and distance. There is a timeless quality and as I drove through the Outback it reminded me of what it must be like to go through Africa's rift valley. There really was a feeling of being in a place that existed in Pre-History.

As far as the Aboriginals go. I think they are great, although they can be a tad hard on the nose. They seem to me, on the surface anyway, to be happy. They are doing their own thing. They walk around as if they didn't have a care in the world. They like sitting on the grass in large groups. And unless they get really drunk they are not much trouble at all. That being said I haven't been out too much late at night. So it might be different then.

So closes another chapter, and another one is about to commence. Now I will revisit my first Australian experiences. From Sydney to Coffs Harbour and back to my job in Brisbane. Should wrap things up nicely.

Random Things I Will Remember

Paul's Ice Coffee, The Territorian newspaper, BUSH FLIES!!, Many Poms, 95 degree temperatures, Huge Aboriginal population, and the general frontier feeling of the place.



Note: The Aussie Diaries are a XX part series. The entries come directly unabridged from the journal I carried around with me on my first post-university adventure to the southern hemisphere. They are a bit on the rough side.


added october 31, 2005

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Photos

The Many Places of the Outback
Time to sum up my experience.

The Rock by roadside
It was time to say goodbye to Australia's Northern Territory.