Gold Coast Love

I arrive in Surfers Paradise and walk to the hostel with 2, surprise-surprise German girls. I'd bet that 4 out of 10 travellers between the ages of 18-35 are from Germany. My muscles are adapting to my 21kg monster, as it no longer bothers me as much. Although if I stood straight and slightly leaned to the back I'd no doubt have a first hand encounter of what it's like to be a turtle. The hostel blasts reggae all day, and has some of the best showers on the east coast, it's the small things that make my happy. I make my way to the beach but enroute get caught in a storm. I wait for the storm to pass by window shopping. This is a sad time for backpackers, not enough money or room to buy anything. Once the storm passes and I step on that beach my frown is turned upside down. With sky rises behind me and the Gold Coast at my feet I have another "pinch me moment." I take one of my favourite pictures to date, and walk up and down the coast watching novice surfers get tossed around in the ocean. I contemplate joining them but decide I'll go when Mother Nature isn't being so ruthless. I head on to Byron Bay excited to enjoy it's laid back, new age, organic vibe. I hike to the summit of Cape Byron and check out the stunning views, a lighthouse from 1901, as well as Australia's most easterly point. Anxious to try Stand Up Paddleboarding I sign up for a lesson. We head out to a nearby river and after a brief lesson on how to paddle we get on the boards. While I don't fall I come very close, my legs are vibrating like a rabbits foot. A few deep breaths and I find my centre, I can not convey just how much I enjoyed SUPing. While gliding along the river we spot mantas, a pelican, and a snake in the tree. My show off guide demonstrates how easy it is to do a handstand while on the board, I secretly hopes he falls but he does not. He encourages me to try, I educate him on the fact I can't even do one on land let alone on water but I will rock out mountain pose. The way back we don't exactly glide, the current and wind are against us, making it seem like I'll never make it back. I contemplate rocking out corpse pose and let the wind take me where it may, but I suck it up and literally power through the conditions, promising myself Mexican food if I finish. BTW Australia has some of the best Mexican food you can find when not in Mexico. While it's raining I explore the many shops in Byron searching for a souvenir for my brother and browsing the many Happy Herb shops offering natural remedies. I dig this town and if I can I may head back up here.

Friends, Wine, and City Skylines

Hervey Bay is the number one spot in the world to catch a glimpse of the humpback whale, that is of course if you're there during whale watching season. Lucky for me Hervey Bay has an amazing 22k bike path that borders the coast, and my hostel has free bikes to use. On my tour of Hervey Bay I decide to check out the Vic Heslop Shark museum not really knowing what to expect. Vic is a shark hunter his opinion is that the ocean is over populated with great white sharks. Through his studies he believes that these sharks feed on turtles and whales, and are in part to blame for them becoming endangered. So by him hunting he is creating more of a balance in the ocean. His museum was created to educate the public on his efforts, there is letters from various organizations thanking and supporting him, pictures of sharks he has killed, and various home movies. Perhaps the greatest draw was to see an actual great white shark that has been preserved in a freezer. His hope is that people leave the museum better informed on both sides of the issue. I think thats important to know both sides of something before you make your opinion, at least that way it's an educated one. Too often people only focus on the side they favor. Short bus ride later I arrive in Brisbane and am excited to check into my hostel as online it was described as a sanctuary. Apparently their idea of a sanctuary resembles a prison cell, except in cells I think they get a window. All is not lost however as my roommates more than make up for this dungeon. Two of the three are fresh out of high school German girls, one is suffering from a bout of homesickness so I do my best to console her, and the other makes me envious with her "short 9k runs" it's 35 degrees who runs 9k? The 3rd one becomes the closest friend I've made in Australia so far, she's from South Korea and we click immediately. She shares with me her story of beating cancer and how she is pursuing her dream of working with children by being enrolled in university in Brisbane and starting in January. The next couple of nights in between glasses of wine she shows me around Brisbane via the ferry. City skylines at night have to be one of my favorite things, and Brisbane's is so beautiful. I am not the only that is enchanted by it, many others are as well as I have never seen so many people making out in public

Crossing off items on the bucket list

Sylvia a girl I met in Magnetic Island and I decide on a 2 night 3 day tour which encompasses sailing the Whitsunday's, spending 2 nights at Long Beach which is an island in the Whitsunday's and on the final day snorkeling at the Great Barrier Reef. Like everything in Australia this excursion is a bit expensive, but can you put a price on crossing items off your bucket list? Actually you can, it's about $400. After an hour of sailing we arrive at Whitehaven Beach which is known for its white sands that never retain heat, and is the most Eco friendly beach in Australia. According to the guide it is also one of the top 10 beaches in the world, in my humble opinion it is #1. The water is not only inviting at a balmy temperature of 25 degrees but it has this perfect color combination of blue and green. During lunch I sit with a group of people and who's sitting beside me but a guy from EDMONTON. We're both tripped out about how small of a world it is and immediately start chatting away like old friends. We then find out that the lady across from us is a Doctor from Sydney but originally from Brazil, so we start chatting her up as Brazil is on both our travel lists. After lunch I begin to realize I'm burnt, specifically my back. Once at Long Island I take a look and see the damage -it's bad. The pain lasts for days, and carrying my monster backpack isn't helpful either. As I write this a week later I see the light at the end of the tunnel I'm still peeling but the pain is almost gone. The next day is spent on Long Island where I hike and heal. It's unreal how expensive it is here, a water and an ice tea after my grueling hike set me back $10, believe me I savored every drop. On the last day of my tour we set off to the Great Barrier Reef, which is the worlds largest coral reef system, and one of the 7 natural wonders of the world. Sylvia has decided to head back as she's not feeling well so for this I'm solo and am feeling a bit sad, I wish I had my brothers, sisters, and my niece to share this with as I know they would love it. After a rough ride in which many people got sick, we arrive at ReefWorld which is on Hardy Reef. There is a submersible where you can cruise above the coral, an underwater observatory, and of course scuba and snorkeling gear. The reef is spectacular I am able to spot nemo along with many other colorful fish. I learn a lot about the Eco system and the diversity of species that call the GBR home, many of which are vulnerable and endangered. I'm not here to preach to anyone and I'm aware of the fact that my jet setting ways have a significant impact on the environment. Global warming is considered to be the greatest threat to the Great Barrier Reef. If everyone of us does not start changing our ways and becoming more environmentally conscious and aware of our impact the 6 out of 7 species of turtles, 30 species of whales, dolphins, porpoises, more than 1500 species of fish, the coral, and many other species that call the Great Barrier Reef home will become endangered or worse extinct. This is something I have become very passionate about, and hope that maybe my ramble will inspire you to become more environmentally friendly so that you, your children, your grandchildren, and countless others can experience the natural beauty that this world has to offer. Anyways... after a long day at sea I'm welcomed home by perhaps the nicest hostel owner yet. This hostel is cute every unit which is similar to a storage container with windows has 2 bedrooms each with 3 beds, a bathroom, and a kitchen. The next day I FaceTime with my brothers and 2 dear friends and then head off for my 13hr bus ride to Hervey Bay

Dreaming of cold water...

After arriving in Townsville I'm told that my hostel is 10 minutes away if your driving, and 30 if your walking "but don't walk it's to hot" the airport shuttle guy tells me. In true Michelle fashion I do the opposite and walk, all in an effort to save money. It's a nice walk and by nice I mean pure torture, I'm acutely aware of the fact that yet again I have packed far to much. Townsville is the largest city in Queensland so I figured there would be a lot to do... turns out I was wrong. I spend my time walking around Townsville, going to the botanical gardens, swimming in the rooftop pool, and enjoying A/C in my very OWN room. The place I'm staying in is set up like a motel but with communal showers and a huge communal kitchen. It's a nice little "community" and many people have been there for long periods of time. After Townsville I take a ferry to "Maggie Island" staying in a 3 bedroom bungalow out in the wilderness. Here and like most places there is a communal kitchen and communal shower/bathroom as we'll as a nice lounging area and of course a pool (every place I've been to has a pool). For the most part I quite enjoy living a more simplistic life having only what I need, I would prefer having someone else carry around my things, but in any case it's liberating. Wondering what's near the top of my list of things I miss? Cold water from a tap. I don't get it Australia why must the water always be warm? I set out to do The Fort's Walk which is "the hike to do" while in Maggie. It's a 4k round trip with the first half mostly ascending. The hike had incredible views of the island, a few WWII artifacts and Koala's UP CLOSE, but sleeping of course. On the way down I met up with an older, Mother Nature loving, Swedish woman who also happened to be staying in my room and a guy around my age from England. The Swedish woman entertained me with her travel and life stories and the English guy and I instantly bonded over being at similar junctures in our lives. At night is when the animals in the wilderness come alive, the birds are squawking, bats are flying (which sounds so creepy) and there's animals running in and out of the bushes. A possum tries to get in our cabin, I think he's cute until I'm told there like rats -and the good feeling is gone. Next on the agenda is Airlie Beach and sailing the Whitsundays.

The beginning of the "hop-on-hop-off pass"

I leave Sydney in a rush and head to Melbourne, known as the cultural hub of Australia. I've lucked out here I'm staying in this hostel called The Nunnery which if you haven't guessed it used to be a Nunnery, so it's full of character and is unlike any hostel I've ever stayed in, and I also got a kick-ass roommate for the time that I'm there. The next day I leave on a one day Great Ocean Road Trip with a fellow Canadian and as we're on the bus I notice that I am the only one not wearing a jacket, big mistake -HUGE-. Thankfully one of the guides offers up his jacket! I hesitantly take it but am immediately grateful once it's on. I was not privy to the well known fact that Spring time in Melbs means you can and you will experience all 4 seasons in 1 day. Along the way we see the famous but fickle Bells Beach home to the Rip Curl Pro and is known as the spiritual home of Australian Surfing. Not to much farther we stop in Apollo Bay and I'm delighted to see my first Koala. There are a couple of others scattered around the trees, all are asleep like most Koalas. I'm hopeful but not overly optimistic that I will see a koala moving around, I suppose that's what happens when your diet has limited nutritional and caloric content. We arrive at the Twelve Apostles and are informed there's actually not 12, nor has there ever been, there is now only 7 rock "stacks" as 1 collapsed in 2005. Someone in the '60s came up with this name as a way to attract tourists to the "stacks" which are carved by the ocean. It's unbelievable to me that I'm actually here seeing this with my very own eyes, I take a few photos and spend the rest of my time just enjoying being here. I spend the rest of my time in Mel exploring the graffiti covered lane-ways, the CBD, and "funky" Fitzroy. I beginning tossing around the idea of working on a farm, I do some research and make some calls and am told on the phone that there is work on a banana farm in Tully, QLD and book a flight to Cairns. I spend one night in Cairns and head to Tully. Tully is a one street town with not a lot going on besides the banana plantations and cane sugar factories. I find my hostel and register it's here that I'm informed "sorry doll things slowed up quick, the wait list for work is three weeks, and you're behind 4 other girls." I'm not sure how I could have misunderstood her but I go with it and get on the list. I'm shown to my room, nothing could have prepared me for this... it's a room about the same size as the room bedroom I had in Canada, 4 bunk beds, and 7 very messy but very sweet girls. I take a deep breath and wonder how the heck am I going to live like this for a few weeks. I'm a neat freak, I have OCD when it comes to organization, and I'm set in my ways. I act on impulse but a few hours later I decide to get on the next bus outta there. Later on the girls share stories about working in the banana plantation, in their words "it's like a concentration camp" your at 1 station and do the same thing (putting lids on boxes, cutting bananas into bunches, wrapping them in plastic, etc) for 8 hours a day 5 days a week. The reason these girls and everyone else is doing it is the pay ($750/week) and the Australian government will grant you a 2nd year visa in exchange for 88 days of farm work. My job at home sounds blissfully amazing and I'm immediately thankful I don't need to do farm work, I'm not sure I'd last a day. In life Plan A or B doesn't always work out, good thing there's 26 letters in the alphabet as plan C is to use my hop on hop off greyhound bus pass and travel down the east coast, next stop Townsville.

Going from a plan to no plan...

I'm here, I'm finally here!! I've dreamt of coming to Australia for as long as I can remember, some of my friends will say "...for as long as I've known you, you have been planning this trip." So no one was more surprised than me when this trip got off to a rocky start. You see back when I first started planning this adventure I was going to live and work in Australia, staying for a year or more. Fast forward to a few months before leaving my plan was still to work but rather than be away for a year+ Id come home after 7 months. Life has a way of saying f-u to you're plans and steering you in the "right" direction. After sleepless nights and just "not feeling it" I've come to realize that I need to listen to my heart and go with it. At this moment I'm not interested in working which will inevitably cut down the time that I can stay overseas. I'm at peace with this because what I am interested in doing is enjoying every moment of this adventure, having no set plans except to finally listen to my heart.

City of Angeles

So although I'm in Australia I feel like LA deserves some blog love. If we're friends on Facebook you are likely aware that I'm in love with that city and here's why. First and foremost I love hip hop and LA also appreciates the beat as I hear it everywhere from car stereos to store speaker systems. Secondly it's beautiful, palm lined streets, the ocean, Runyon, Sunset Blvd, the people, the decor inside buildings (outside not so much), and most importantly THE MEN there are so many gorgeous mocha colored men in LA. The the third thing I adore is the vibe the people put out, there are people congregated on sidewalks, at Starbucks, in foyers all just chilling with one another and it's not one group of people over and over it's everyone it many. Fourth it's laid back boho cool here so laid back I was offered medical marihuana in Venice which brings me to number five VENICE. If you've been you know what I'm talking about if you haven't I suggest you go, it's like a boho circus. Last but certainly not least is its close proximity to the beach and ocean. L.A. truly has captured my heart and I can't wait to go back.