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Published: October 12th 2005
The train
Not a bad place to live for three days . . . helps that they served scones all day :)Back in Auckland now! I made the 3 day journey from Sydney to Perth two weekends ago on the Indian Pacific train. It was quite remarkable to see the various landscapes across the southern portion of Australia. We stopped in Broken Hill (ghost town - previously busy mining town), Adelaide (charming city - great parks and botanical gardens - I went for a run and skirted around a number of lovely outdoor weddings, one of which had the bride and groom leaving on motorcycles!), and Kalgoorlie (once famous for the Australian gold rush). We passed through the Nullarbor Plain, which was quaint, but perhaps similar to driving through Kansas over and over again.
Upon my arrival in Perth, I stayed at Cottesloe Beach for two nights and had a great view of the Indian Ocean! Unfortunately, my visit coincided with some inclement weather so my enjoyment of the beach was mostly limited to sidewalk viewing. Unlike the east coast, where the reef prevents large waves from reaching the shore, the waves here are quite large and intimidating. The water isn't as nice, though; much of it is a dark brown color from seaweed.
Perth itself is a nice city
with the Swan and Canning Rivers running through it. Not surprisingly, there's loads of of green space along the water, Kings Park being the most well-known. It's one of the most isolated cities in the world - people in the east of Australia joke that Perth is "two hours and ten years" behind them. It's much like the North-South rivalry in the US.
On my last day in Perth, I tried surfing for the first time ever . . . I stood up on the third wave I attempted!! And I actually managed to stay up . . . but that's not the challenging part. I probably stood up once for ever four or five waves I tried, and it became increasingly difficult as my fingers and toes (the parts not covered by the wetsuit) went numb from being cold. My instructor was extremely kind and towed me into the waves so I didni't exhaust myself paddling back each time. While it was a terrific high when I got it right, I think surfing entails too much effort for me. I'll stick to running.
I am getting used to certain customs here. Popular phrases that I have picked
up are "Cheers!" and "No worries!". I also learned the proper pronunciation of scone (it doesn't rhyme with cone). I think the way of doing business here is better - the prices are listed inclusive of tax, and there is no tipping. The total bill is always rounded to the nearest five cents - I don't think pennies are even in circulation. There's no waiting for the check at a restaurant either. You just pay on your way out when you're finished. (I only sat there for about 10 minutes before I figured that one out.)
So now I'm on the North Island of New Zealand for a week. I'll spend a few days in Auckland just hanging out - I'm staying in a great hostel that overlooks a park and from which you can see SkyTower. I'm just about to run out of reading material, so if anyone has suggestions for good fiction, please email me . . . I almost picked up Russian literature the other day, which tells you how much time I have on my hands. Later this week, I'll go to Taupo to either bungy jump or skydive (barring any detrimental weather).
Cheers!
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Terri
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Living vicariously
Mohna -- it sounds like you are having quite an adventure! Keep the stories coming...I am getting my fix for international travel from all of my friends...