The australian way of life

Bas Geertsema

Sorry I had you waiting such a long time. But here it is, the story continues..

For not apparent reason I can think of, but me and horses never seem to get along. Ever since I was a kid they didn’t like me, showing it by nervously kicking around, and I did not like them. Showing it by mainly avoiding them, or for that matter any other animal which head is bigger than mine. So I was a bit nervous on my way to a real australian farm, located some 150km inland from Rockhampton, where I would ride a horse around the cattle for a few hours to experience that real australian-cowboy-outback-farmer-feeling. Fortunately I got a horse named ‘Abba’, which was as sweet and easygoing as the famous swedish musicband. Although she did not really act to pretty much any order I gave out by kicking and pulling, I got around and made it to a safe end. My anxiety for horses has at last been challenged! The stay at the farm was great. The farms are huge and so you have to go around on horses or motorbikes. They grow cows on that farm (not breed them), and in Australia this is a very good business. I finally got to see kangaroos in the wild, and toasted my breakfast above a big fire. Although I stayed only one day, I really enjoyed seeing this part of australian life after visiting all those beaches!

If one travels up the eastcoast, one has to do the Whitsunday Islands. Or so they say. So off I went to Airlie Beach, the small touristic beachplace from which you can take one of the numerous sailing trips around the islands. I went on a one-day trip one a small family owned boat, which was great since the group of people is therefore also small and you get to know eachother better. We sailed around and snorkeled near a beach. I have done quite some snorkeling before, but this spot at the Great Barrier Reef was by far the best I have seen! You can spot over a hundred different kind of fishspecies, and many different types of coral. The broad colors, from black via bright purple to white is the finishing touch!

But after seeing all these beaches and beautiful nature, I was ready for something different. So I decided to rush a bit up to Cairns, stay there one day and fly back to Melbourne. That day in Cairns I decided to take the leap and went bungee jumping for the first time in my life. I can tell you this.. it’s much scarier than skydiving!! My scream, which was a mix of fear and joy, could have caused a small tsunami..

Next stop was Melbourne. I decided to slow down my pace of travelling, and to settle here for a longer time (some two weeks). Which will not be that hard, since there is a lot to do here! Melbourne thrives on vintage shops, bars, pubs, live music, cinema, comedy, festivals, food, etc! I am now staying a great small hostel with some nice people to hang out with and just explore the city. I just got back from my 2-day trip along the Great Ocean Road, a scenic freeway along the south-west coast of Australia. I will tell you more about this and australian life next time!

Catch ya later!

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