Outback bound & hardest goodbye ever!
Door: Birthe van Opzeeland
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Birthe
09 Februari 2014 | Australië, Melbourne
Outback bound! Camel rides, sleeping under the stars, spiders, scorpions, bugs, Heath, water, swimming, views, rocks, flies, sweating, impressed. In one word breathtaking.
But first after I came back from Tasmania I had a couple of days in Melbourne, so we chilled went to the beach and on the 26th of January it was Australia Day! We decided to go to avicii on that day so the Saturday before we had a quiet one and I watched beauty and the beast with Carly with munchies (an English chocolate something, which was great haha). It was so nice to watch a Disney movie again haha, so we were rested for the day after. The next day we went to the beach, we drank something and in the afternoon we went with 16 people or so to avicii! It was so amazing and he was great! We had the best time and it felt awesome. The light show was amazing and at the end there were fireworks! I was kinda sad tho, because I knew I would leave this amazing people soon..... But yeah it was still an amazing Australia Day!
So on Tuesday I was about to go to Alice Springs! I had a flight in the morning and arrived in AS early. I went for a walk and a swim in the pool because it was just so warm! And I already met some nice people, including two Dutch girls. It had been a while ago since I really spent time with dutchies so that was weird again haha. But really nice.
The next day the 3 day tour would start, the pick up was already at 6 in the morning so it was an early one. We drove for a while with first destination Ayers Rock a.k.a. Uluru! The biggest rock here in Australia. But not before we stopped at a camelfarm where I was riding on a camel. It was really nice and weird. They are so high and big and you really have to lean backwards when the camel is going up and down. And then the camel started to run as well, so it was a bumpy ride haha. But so cool and amazing. They even live in the wild in the outback, we've seen some along the way which was pretty cool!
After that through to Uluru! You're allowed to climb Uluru but out of respect for the aboriginals you just don't do that! And it wasn't allowed anyways because it was above 40 degrees! So we did a walk around Uluru, we couldn't do everything because certain walks were closed after 11am because of the Heath. I have to say that I like warmth etc but over 40 degrees in the outback is just too much! We had to have a hat, sunglasses, sunblock, water and water and oh water! The key to not get dehydrated is to drink 2 to 3 small zips every 5 to 10 min because with this Heath there could be a good change you would get dehydrated. But we still saw loads and it was pretty amazing to see and to hear about the history. There is even a myth that if you take a piece of the rock you'll be cursed because its such a sacred place! So there obviously have been people who took something but because they experienced bad luck they would send it back with a sorry letter and in the information centre there is a sorry book with all the letters from tourists who did this. Pretty nice to read how sorry they are. Because of the weather the sky was blue with a couple of clouds and that was an amazing contrast with the rocks that look red because of the corrosion (Uluru is actually grey) and then the green trees! It was just amazing! After this we went to a lookout to see the sunset of Uluru. We had some bubbly and we made some great pictures. So life was pretty good watching the sunset of Uluru with a glass of bubbly!
After this we went back and made dinner, I helped and off course it was BBQ! The food was good as it was the whole trip! Still when it was dark it was still hot, like 25 degrees! After a shower and a cup of wine I tried to play the didgeridoo! I never knew how but they explained and said it was pretty good for a first time! Off course I can not make different sounds but the basic sound would come out, pretty impressed by myself haha. Later after loads of bugs a scorpion arrived! They are small but the sting of them can really hurt badly! So thank god the guide got rid of it and after all of that I decided to go to sleep. I was sitting on my swag when I spotted again a scorpion next to my swag. So we tried to get rid of it thinking of how the guide it did because he was asleep now. In the end we got it and took it away. A swag by the way is a kind of sleeping bag but with a little mattress in it so you only need that with a sleeping bag in it. Because of this we were able to sleep under the stars and because its the outback this was the most amazing sky with stars I've ever seen! How blessed to be in Australia traveling and sleeping under this amazing sky! I woke up a couple of times because its not the most comfy to sleep but luckily no spiders, snakes or more scorpions arrived (well at least not that I was aware off.
The next day the guide woke us up at 4:15 in the morning. This is because its summer and really hot, so all the walks you need to start before 11 otherwise they are closed due to the extreme hot weather. So at 5 we were in the bus on our way to Kata Tjuta! First we went to a lookout to see the sunrise of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. After that we started the walk at Kata Tjuta. It was really nice because its like more rocks and you can walk on and in between them! And again an amazing blue sky and red rocks with green trees! I think with this walk I've seen the most amazing lookout ever! After a time of walking, halfway we went up again and all of a sudden you have a breathtaking view, no picture can make the exact image...... It's s view between two big rocks and you have a lookout over a green green big valley! It's just a scene out 'a land before time' (platvoet for the dutchies under us). It's so beautiful and you can not even come there so it's so untouched and beautiful and the sun was shining between the rocks! I just can not even explain it! Too beautiful!
So we continued the walk and it was amazing and so much more beautiful than Uluru! In the end it was a 3 hour walk or so. After this we had lunch and we drove towards kings canyon. All the driving was planned in the afternoons so the walks could be in the morning when it's not that hot. We would go to a campsite with a pool so we were all excited! But on the way the car got overheated so we had go wait next to the road, thank god we had some shelter! And after this we drove back to a farm to find out what was wrong. So we we waiting and after we lost 2 hours we could go further but we couldn't drive as fast as before, but luckily we were on the road again towards the pool! So you can imagine as soon a we arrived everybody hurried to get to the pool and it was amazing! We could cool down a bit. Because although the car has aircon you drip of your chair. Quit disgusting....... The pool was a relief and great, I really appreciated it! So in the evening we had burritos and we sat around the campfire and did some games. The sky and the night were beautiful against!
The next morning we headed down to do the kings canyon walk. First part was heart attack hill! A really steep walk up the canyon. But totally worth it because at the top we watched the sunset which was beautiful! After that we continued the walk and it was amazing! At one point we were heading down a little and all of a sudden you see water and trees and plants! The garden of Eden. So beautiful to see that in the middle of the canyon! Such beautiful nature. And at one point we were allowed to lay down and crawl forward so we were laying at the edge and we could look into the canyon. Quit high but amazing! This walk was 4 hours or so and after this we had lunch and we headed back to AS to our hostel.
Arrived at the hostel I jumped into the pool which was awesome again, such a nice cool down! In the evening some food with our whole group and my guide bought me free shots the whole night because he said he saw that I was always helping with everything, cleaning cooking etc, so I had that going for me haha.
The night was great and I enjoyed the whole trip so much. It was just so beautiful, amazing, awesome and breathtaking! I recommend it to everyone!
So the next day it was time to go 'home' again! I'm always so happy to see everybody again! It feels so good to always come back! So we went out and it was a great night! I can't believe leaving these people and not be able to come home to them..., they won't be around the corner...... But I know they are friends forever! So now the last week is there and I want to enjoy all of it! See my mates and spend time with them!
I kinda forgot to post this so I'm already a week further now and had my last week in Melbourne. I didn't do that many special things. I just went to the beach, had some nice dinners, some nice drinks and went out and just enjoyed my life with my family! On Saturday, my last day, we went to the park in the day and did some games, drank and enjoyed the sun! In the evening we went all out together! It was a good and emotional day! Ive had the bestest time ever! So off course the inevitable would come.... Saying goodbye to people who I've been for months every single day, they have been my friends, my family, my shoulders, my rocks, my mates, my life! I was an emotional wreck the whole morning, I couldn't stop crying! I love them so much that I just can't believe leaving them and not seeing them every day anymore, it's unthinkable..... We spend the morning together and they made me breakfast and said that I couldn't go away 'don't go'!..... I think this was one of the hardest things ever..... They wrote such beautiful and sweet messages and I got an awesome funny and great card and amazing bracelet! I will always remind them although I know it's not a goodbye but a see you later it still hurts so badly because I left a part of me behind with them in melbs! Because everybody was so sweet and because I never really before traveling could see appreciate or let it in! It's just so intense to finally realize people like me and love me because of me, because of my personality and just because how I am. Even a more relaxed, confident, bubbly me. I could let it get out more because I'm stronger now because of the traveling and everything that happened and they have been there and they have seen it, me changing. I know off course people back home love me, but I was just in a place that I couldn't see or I couldn't believe. To believe it now that it can is awesome! I love all of them and never forgot them! They are friends forever! And I'm stronger than ever!
Peace out! <3
But first after I came back from Tasmania I had a couple of days in Melbourne, so we chilled went to the beach and on the 26th of January it was Australia Day! We decided to go to avicii on that day so the Saturday before we had a quiet one and I watched beauty and the beast with Carly with munchies (an English chocolate something, which was great haha). It was so nice to watch a Disney movie again haha, so we were rested for the day after. The next day we went to the beach, we drank something and in the afternoon we went with 16 people or so to avicii! It was so amazing and he was great! We had the best time and it felt awesome. The light show was amazing and at the end there were fireworks! I was kinda sad tho, because I knew I would leave this amazing people soon..... But yeah it was still an amazing Australia Day!
So on Tuesday I was about to go to Alice Springs! I had a flight in the morning and arrived in AS early. I went for a walk and a swim in the pool because it was just so warm! And I already met some nice people, including two Dutch girls. It had been a while ago since I really spent time with dutchies so that was weird again haha. But really nice.
The next day the 3 day tour would start, the pick up was already at 6 in the morning so it was an early one. We drove for a while with first destination Ayers Rock a.k.a. Uluru! The biggest rock here in Australia. But not before we stopped at a camelfarm where I was riding on a camel. It was really nice and weird. They are so high and big and you really have to lean backwards when the camel is going up and down. And then the camel started to run as well, so it was a bumpy ride haha. But so cool and amazing. They even live in the wild in the outback, we've seen some along the way which was pretty cool!
After that through to Uluru! You're allowed to climb Uluru but out of respect for the aboriginals you just don't do that! And it wasn't allowed anyways because it was above 40 degrees! So we did a walk around Uluru, we couldn't do everything because certain walks were closed after 11am because of the Heath. I have to say that I like warmth etc but over 40 degrees in the outback is just too much! We had to have a hat, sunglasses, sunblock, water and water and oh water! The key to not get dehydrated is to drink 2 to 3 small zips every 5 to 10 min because with this Heath there could be a good change you would get dehydrated. But we still saw loads and it was pretty amazing to see and to hear about the history. There is even a myth that if you take a piece of the rock you'll be cursed because its such a sacred place! So there obviously have been people who took something but because they experienced bad luck they would send it back with a sorry letter and in the information centre there is a sorry book with all the letters from tourists who did this. Pretty nice to read how sorry they are. Because of the weather the sky was blue with a couple of clouds and that was an amazing contrast with the rocks that look red because of the corrosion (Uluru is actually grey) and then the green trees! It was just amazing! After this we went to a lookout to see the sunset of Uluru. We had some bubbly and we made some great pictures. So life was pretty good watching the sunset of Uluru with a glass of bubbly!
After this we went back and made dinner, I helped and off course it was BBQ! The food was good as it was the whole trip! Still when it was dark it was still hot, like 25 degrees! After a shower and a cup of wine I tried to play the didgeridoo! I never knew how but they explained and said it was pretty good for a first time! Off course I can not make different sounds but the basic sound would come out, pretty impressed by myself haha. Later after loads of bugs a scorpion arrived! They are small but the sting of them can really hurt badly! So thank god the guide got rid of it and after all of that I decided to go to sleep. I was sitting on my swag when I spotted again a scorpion next to my swag. So we tried to get rid of it thinking of how the guide it did because he was asleep now. In the end we got it and took it away. A swag by the way is a kind of sleeping bag but with a little mattress in it so you only need that with a sleeping bag in it. Because of this we were able to sleep under the stars and because its the outback this was the most amazing sky with stars I've ever seen! How blessed to be in Australia traveling and sleeping under this amazing sky! I woke up a couple of times because its not the most comfy to sleep but luckily no spiders, snakes or more scorpions arrived (well at least not that I was aware off.
The next day the guide woke us up at 4:15 in the morning. This is because its summer and really hot, so all the walks you need to start before 11 otherwise they are closed due to the extreme hot weather. So at 5 we were in the bus on our way to Kata Tjuta! First we went to a lookout to see the sunrise of Uluru and Kata Tjuta. After that we started the walk at Kata Tjuta. It was really nice because its like more rocks and you can walk on and in between them! And again an amazing blue sky and red rocks with green trees! I think with this walk I've seen the most amazing lookout ever! After a time of walking, halfway we went up again and all of a sudden you have a breathtaking view, no picture can make the exact image...... It's s view between two big rocks and you have a lookout over a green green big valley! It's just a scene out 'a land before time' (platvoet for the dutchies under us). It's so beautiful and you can not even come there so it's so untouched and beautiful and the sun was shining between the rocks! I just can not even explain it! Too beautiful!
So we continued the walk and it was amazing and so much more beautiful than Uluru! In the end it was a 3 hour walk or so. After this we had lunch and we drove towards kings canyon. All the driving was planned in the afternoons so the walks could be in the morning when it's not that hot. We would go to a campsite with a pool so we were all excited! But on the way the car got overheated so we had go wait next to the road, thank god we had some shelter! And after this we drove back to a farm to find out what was wrong. So we we waiting and after we lost 2 hours we could go further but we couldn't drive as fast as before, but luckily we were on the road again towards the pool! So you can imagine as soon a we arrived everybody hurried to get to the pool and it was amazing! We could cool down a bit. Because although the car has aircon you drip of your chair. Quit disgusting....... The pool was a relief and great, I really appreciated it! So in the evening we had burritos and we sat around the campfire and did some games. The sky and the night were beautiful against!
The next morning we headed down to do the kings canyon walk. First part was heart attack hill! A really steep walk up the canyon. But totally worth it because at the top we watched the sunset which was beautiful! After that we continued the walk and it was amazing! At one point we were heading down a little and all of a sudden you see water and trees and plants! The garden of Eden. So beautiful to see that in the middle of the canyon! Such beautiful nature. And at one point we were allowed to lay down and crawl forward so we were laying at the edge and we could look into the canyon. Quit high but amazing! This walk was 4 hours or so and after this we had lunch and we headed back to AS to our hostel.
Arrived at the hostel I jumped into the pool which was awesome again, such a nice cool down! In the evening some food with our whole group and my guide bought me free shots the whole night because he said he saw that I was always helping with everything, cleaning cooking etc, so I had that going for me haha.
The night was great and I enjoyed the whole trip so much. It was just so beautiful, amazing, awesome and breathtaking! I recommend it to everyone!
So the next day it was time to go 'home' again! I'm always so happy to see everybody again! It feels so good to always come back! So we went out and it was a great night! I can't believe leaving these people and not be able to come home to them..., they won't be around the corner...... But I know they are friends forever! So now the last week is there and I want to enjoy all of it! See my mates and spend time with them!
I kinda forgot to post this so I'm already a week further now and had my last week in Melbourne. I didn't do that many special things. I just went to the beach, had some nice dinners, some nice drinks and went out and just enjoyed my life with my family! On Saturday, my last day, we went to the park in the day and did some games, drank and enjoyed the sun! In the evening we went all out together! It was a good and emotional day! Ive had the bestest time ever! So off course the inevitable would come.... Saying goodbye to people who I've been for months every single day, they have been my friends, my family, my shoulders, my rocks, my mates, my life! I was an emotional wreck the whole morning, I couldn't stop crying! I love them so much that I just can't believe leaving them and not seeing them every day anymore, it's unthinkable..... We spend the morning together and they made me breakfast and said that I couldn't go away 'don't go'!..... I think this was one of the hardest things ever..... They wrote such beautiful and sweet messages and I got an awesome funny and great card and amazing bracelet! I will always remind them although I know it's not a goodbye but a see you later it still hurts so badly because I left a part of me behind with them in melbs! Because everybody was so sweet and because I never really before traveling could see appreciate or let it in! It's just so intense to finally realize people like me and love me because of me, because of my personality and just because how I am. Even a more relaxed, confident, bubbly me. I could let it get out more because I'm stronger now because of the traveling and everything that happened and they have been there and they have seen it, me changing. I know off course people back home love me, but I was just in a place that I couldn't see or I couldn't believe. To believe it now that it can is awesome! I love all of them and never forgot them! They are friends forever! And I'm stronger than ever!
Peace out! <3
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