The Road to Cape Trib

Excuse my recent lack of posting. I’ve started uni (on top of full-time work). I’m working hard. And when I’m not working hard, I’m dreaming of jumping on a plane and running away to somewhere with copious amounts of sunshine. The beautiful town of Port Douglas, located in north-east Australia would fill this brief quite nicely.

Which is why when day dreaming of such things, one particular day always comes to mind. When in Port Douglas recently, me and two new friends – Arlette from the Netherlands and Gavin from the US – decided to hire a car for a day and make the journey through the spectacular Daintree Forest up to Cape Tribulation. It was definitely a highlight of my trip. Such a great day with such amazing people!

First up we stopped at Mossman Gorge, taking the 2km rainforest loop walk to explore its beauty.

These Buttress roots almost look like cardboard fixtures. They stabilise and collect valuable nutrients for the trees. And are generally just really beautiful. 

After the walk we hopped back in our car, anticipation building for the next part of our journey which would see us cross a river to enter the Daintree Forest. On the way we noticed a hitchhiker on the side of the road hoping for a ride to Cape Trib. We kinda thought ‘why not?’ and pulled up. And that’s how our crew got another addition of the awesome Tim from Germany.

We had heard great things about the Daintree Icecream Factory. Being the icecream lover that I am, obviously trying it was pretty much on top of my priorities. And oh my. Let me tell you. Some of the best icecream I’ve EVER had. Like, I dream about it.

With icecream out of the way, it was time to satisfy my second priority – swimming in a waterhole. So we drove further up the coast and found one. There’s something supremely carefree about swinging from a rope and jumping into crystal-clear water surrounded by lush rainforest.

Soon after we arrived a random kid came and had a swing. And when I say had a swing I mean totally-put-us-to-shame-with-his-jungle-kid-like-swinging-skills. He should be a gymnast. Or Tarzan.

Okay, now for the beaches. Driving up the coast it’s seriously a case of wanting to pull over every few minutes because witnessing the coastline from the car simply isn’t good enough.

Needless to say, I took many photos at the four (or was it five?) beaches we couldn’t help but stop at.

Tim’s hometown

We made it to Cape Trib late in the day, and dropped Tim off at his hostel (we actually bumped into him a week later in Cairns!). As the sun was setting, it was time to begin the drive back to Port Douglas. We were in such high spirits. A day like this tends to put you in that state of complete happiness.

Now can you see why I’ve been dreaming of this day? TAKE ME BACK!

The Great Barrier Reef

How many times can you say,

“This is how I spent my day:

Swimming with fishies in the clear, deep blue,

taking the odd snorkel selfie, cos hey, wouldn’t you?

A miraculous wonder was only arms length away,

its colours magnified by the sun rays.

When under the water, I was in a place so removed

from the real world; and my soul, it approved.”.

Trust me, your spirit will turn a new leaf

When you experience yourself, the Great Barrier Reef.

xx

Reaching new heights

I’m the type of person who has to achieve every goal that I set myself. So when I burst out “I WILL SKYDIVE” when discussing new years resolutions in January, I sort of set myself up for, well, this….

Allow me to run you through the experience.

I had flown from Uluru to Cairns in North Queensland the previous day, not really caring all that much about Cairns to be honest, as only one thing was on my mind – I’M JUMPING FROM A PLANE AT 14,000 ft IN THE SKY. I was so pumped and not actually scared one bit. Even if I was, the bunch of guys at Skydive Cairns would’ve made me feel heaps better – they really knew how to loosen the mood and have fun. I was partnered with Hamish, who was such an awesome guy. Me and about six other pairs jumped in a small plane and began our ascent to 14,000ft. It was great seeing Cairns from that view – look to my left, there’s rainforest draped mountains. To my right, beautiful ocean and the Great Barrier Reef. Below, fields upon fields of lush sugar cane. After a brief of how to disembark the plane and ensuring I was tightly strapped to Hamish…it was time to jump!

I’m literally dangling out of the plane

And we’re off!

What I would look like with botox

Our parachute went up just as we were going through the clouds. It seemed surreal floating through the clouds; it was such an immensely beautiful experience.

Hahah nice face

Hamish made a great tour guide, pointing out many features below

Okay, so now it’s time to learn how to land. I totally forgot about this bit!

Fast approaching ground and getting ready to land…

Probably not the smoothest landing haha

Fuck yeah that was awesome!

The verdict? IT WAS AWESOME. I would highly recommend you skydive whether it be to conquer your fears or just for the hell of it. Falling through the sky is just rad. I’ll definitely be doing it again. (Next time I’ll make sure I equalise properly! I didn’t do it right and my ears were blocked for the rest of the day… it was slightly hilarious, I couldn’t hear what anyone was saying haha).

Here’s to reaching new heights!

xx

Next post sees me amongst the Great Barrier Reef!!

The Road to Uluru (Part 2)

I recently returned from a trip that took me to the centre of Australia, during which I camped, hiked and smiled my way to the wonder that is Uluru. See part 1 here.

If you were woken up at 5:30am in close to zero degree temperatures with your only choice of toilet a hole in the dirt, how would you feel? This was the situation I found myself in on day two of my camping tour – and I was so alive with excitement for the day ahead, and appreciation of where I was awaking, that absolutely no negative thoughts even considered crossing my mind. After some warming tea and porridge, it was time to head to Kata Tjuta – and let me tell you, nothing prepared me for what I was about to experience.

Kata Tjuta

Kata Tjuta blew me away; the 7km walk I did through its beautiful landscape had me captivated in its entirety. ‘Kata Tjuta’ is an Aboriginal term meaning ‘many heads’, given due to the amount and shape of its many domes. The walk was really enjoyable, comprehending rocky tracks, climbing up and down rock faces and crossing flowing streams.

Stream flows down while I climb up

Uluru

After a quick lunch it was time to head to the base of Uluru. Driving towards the massive rock was actually kind of strange. An overwhelmingly strong feeling rose inside me that acknowledged the spirit and beauty of what I was viewing, yet my mind could not tell me why; I couldn’t wait to find out what gives this rock its spiritual and cultural significance. The Cultural Centre was exactly what I needed. It provided me with information about the Mala people who once occupied the rock, and the events that occurred which characterised the rock and indeed the Anangu (traditional owners) way of life. Afterwards Josh took us on the Mala walk, recounting the story and actually displaying its evidence on parts of the rock. It was then that I could fully understand the uplifting feeling inside me.

We went to the sunset viewing area to witness something truly beautiful and watch the sun set over Uluru, seeing it change from one striking colour to another against the evolving sky.

It was bitter-sweet arriving at camp that night; while in happy spirits, knowing it was the last night I would spend with my wonderful tour group was quite sad! We sat around the camp fire, toasted marshmallows and chatted the night away. Then, it was a night sleeping under the stars in my swag by the camp fire. Possibly the best way to sleep.

A beautiful way to end the tour presented itself the following morning, as we headed straight back to the Uluru viewing area to watch the sun rise (it was so cold – me and some of the girls had a mini aerobics session to try and warm up hehe).

With Christie and our awesome tour guide Josh

We then undertook the 4km walk around Uluru’s base, seeing up close its stunning intricacies. And yes – that uplifting feeling inside me remained! Uluru really is a sacred place, and I feel so blessed to have experienced it first hand. (Note – some may wonder why I didn’t climb it. My answer is that after learning of its cultural and spiritual underlying, I personally found it to be quite disrespectful. It was actually a bit sad to see people jump off a tour bus and immediately commence the climb with no thought to learn about its histories. No disrespect at all to those who do choose to climb – just consider it a bit more :))

After three days, about 20km of hiking, two nights in a swag and a sore face from smiling so damn much, it was time for the tour to come to an end. I can honestly say this was one of the best things I have ever done, and even some of the best days of my life. The knowledge, perspective and pure experience the tour provides is so invaluable and even life-changing. But the biggest positive of all? The friendships. I made 21 new friends that will have a place with me forever.

Next post sees me in sunny Queensland, where the awe and adventure definitely didn’t end…

The Road to Uluru (Part 1)

I’m back from my trip safe and sound! It’s amazing how just two weeks have had such a profound effect on me. My views have changed and my appreciation for my country has soared. Most importantly, some new true friends have been made. I did ALOT on this trip, so will fill you in through a few separate posts over the next week or so:) First up was my camping trip to Uluru (you may know it as Ayres Rock). Our journey begins on a sunny afternoon in a town located in Australia’s Red Centre: Alice Springs…

Alice Springs

Town centre. I want the windmill.

I arrived in Alice Springs with absolutely no idea of what to expect. I have been previously ‘warned’ of Alice’s safety (or lack thereof); the town has a pretty bad name for itself. I refused to enter it with such pre-conceived ideas so, when my foot hit the dusty tarmac, I stepped into the complete unknown. How exciting is that?

I was in and out of my hostel within ten minutes as I was ravenous and just NEEDED food. Alice is what you would expect I suppose – lots of dirt and bushes – really quite beautiful actually. The level of safety I felt was not what I was told to expect – I felt more than comfortable walking alone as the sun went down.

Anzac Hill in the late afternoon

After a day exploring the town, it was an early night for me as I had to wake up bright and early to depart for my camping trip! I woke to a dark and cold morning, but the excitement and anticipation spread warmth right through me. As I met my tour guide Josh, and my fellow travellers, I knew it would be an amazing trip; everyone was awesome! I clicked with everyone straight away.

Kings Canyon

We drove for a few hours – in which we watched a beautiful sunrise and got to know each other by writing stuff about ourselves on the windows – and eventually arrived at Kings Canyon. I was ready for some serious walking! We hiked the Canyon, which started with a section called ‘heart attack hill’ – and for very good reason. So. Many. Stairs. The view at the top was definitely worth it though! After a short break to get our breath back and take in the view, we commenced the rest of our 6km walk, with Josh giving us some really interesting info along the way.

We had to write our name , where we’re from, our favourite place (Margaret River and the ocean), animal (drop bears), desired superpower (I wanna be a mermaid) and favourite Australian adventure (everyday is an adventure). Excuse my lack of controlled writing.

I sat next to the beautiful Christie. She became a true friend!

The bottom of heart attack hill…

…and the top.

Josh tells us about the Ghost Gum. Such a smart tree – when it’s dehydrated it cuts off circulation to a limb or two to survive (that’s the black bits). It also gives a white powder like substance that can be used to protect from the sun.

Two members of the back seat crew – Malenka and Christie :)

Arghhhh we’re falling!!!! (Kind of. But not really).

The Garden of Eden in particular was just a stunning part of the walk; a beautiful oasis tucked in between the red, sandstone cliffs. The contrasts are so striking.

Shaped like Australia!

It rained and it was beautiful.

The best group EVER. Yeah I made everyone fist pump.

After 3 or 4 hours our walk was done, and it was time to head to camp (not before pulling over on the side of the road to collect wood for our fire, and stopping by the bottle shop to collect beer for our bellies).

Going bush in Curtin Springs

For our camp that night, we really went bush. AND IT WAS AWESOME. We arrived in the dark and made our fire with the wood we had collected and started preparing dinner – which would be cooked on the fire, of course. There’s something beautiful about standing over a fire with a cider in hand, watching the coal embers sizzle on your pot of wholesome, homemade food. After some damper, chille con carne and vegetables, it was time for bed. We rolled out our swags, said our good nights and fell into a happy slumber. The next day would be a big one, as we would make our way to Uluru- Kata Tjuta National Park and experience Uluru for the first time….