Battered Suitcases

Let’s-not-do-that-again!

After our sailing trip to the Whitsundays, we stayed in Airlie Beach one more night before heading back south to Eungella National Park. We camped at Platypus Bushcamp with high hopes of spotting the elusive creature. Despite spending a few hours beside the “crystal clear platypus viewing pool,” we were out of luck. The upside was that we did meet this fellow.

The next morning we continued on our way to tiny Agnes Water and teeny 1770. We approached our final destination (a campsite in a National Park) just outside town, right as the sun was setting. Perfect timing.

You see, driving after dark outside of major cities is not something you want to do in Australia. I mean, unless you enjoy smacking kangaroos up with your car. Or smacking your car up with kangaroos. There is roadkill everywhere and it’s not pretty.

Unfortunately, as we started down the gravel road to the campsite we noticed a sign that informed us we’d need a 4×4 to get there. Uh oh. With the light fading fast we hurried toward Agnes Water to check out the hostel situation. Fully booked. All of them.

At this point we resorted to driving around in the pitch black darkness (ever heard of street lamps Australia?) searching for caravan parks and hoping to avoid any wayward roos. It was not looking good. I was ready to “camp” in a secluded parking lot. In the end we found a caravan park that was closed for the evening. Mike was able to track down the manager and we were saved! No more driving in the dark! No more fear of kangaroos!

(This is also the night that someone in the park was snoring so loud that I could hear him through earplugs and my pillow. I ended up trying to sleep in the car for the added sound barrier. My tolerance for snoring is basically non-existent. I wish I could ignore it like most people but it just makes my skin crawl… Sorry snorers!)

In the morning we headed to the beach but didn’t stay long. The previous night’s events made us eager to get to our next destination long before nightfall.

And we did.

xo, jill

Aussie stuff, of course!Mike and I are getting ready to take what will likely be one of our last (long) road trips in Australia. That got me thinking about what we listen to in the car during those long stretches of road. The radio reception in our car isn’t great, but that doesn’t matter when you’re out in the middle of no where! It’s much better to be armed with a few well charged and well stocked ipods. We’ve been making a point to fill ours with Aussie media when we can to further enhance our Australian experience.

 

Suggestions for your Australian road trip listening…

Podcasts

Hamish and Andy – This comedy duo is a longtime favorite. In fact, spotting Hamish Blake is on our Australian Bucket List (notgonnahappen). If you’re in need of a good laugh, Hamish and Andy always deliver. They host a weekly radio show that is available for download as a podcast. These two are always in high spirits and deliver a brand of comedy that is clever, good natured, and very inclusive. They also have a few tv specials you can check out too.

Sunday Night Safran – Jon Safran is known for exploring religion, race, and other issues through comedy. On his radio show he interviews a variety of people representing fairly controversial ideas. Past guests have included an in-house casino priest, a reformed Neo-Nazi, and a fashion designer of burial garments. He is joined by Father Bob, a curmudgeonly Catholic priest who is rarely able to speak into the microphone! My only complaint here is that the podcast could be produced better. Often one speaker is much louder than the others. He has a few tv shows as well.

Dr. Karl – Dr. Karl hosts a science themed radio show. Callers call in to ask science related questions and Dr. Karl does his best to give the answers. I’m always amazed that one human can know so much! What I like about Dr. Karl is that he’s open and honest when he doesn’t know the answer to a question. He frequently asks listeners who may have expertise in a certain field (an electrician, for example) to call in and help explain or answer a question.

Music

Triple J – Mike describes Triple J as an NPR for younger people that plays music. It’s a government supported radio station that is geared towards 18 to 30 year olds and puts an emphasis on Australian artists. It’s basically the cool kids radio station. One thing I like about Triple J is that unlike at home, the songs aren’t censored. Instead of bleeping out the offensive words, the DJs simply scream, “Language warning, right now!” before playing the song. I’m not really sure how that helps anything because my immediate reaction is, “Oooh, what’s the dirty word?!” but it’s nice to not have choppy gaps in the music (or substituted words).

Triple J’s Hottest 100 – Like I said before, our radio reception isn’t very good and often we are out of range anyways. That’s when we resort to listening to Triple J’s Hottest 100 (2008-2012). Every year listeners vote on their favorite songs and the results are revealed on Australia Day. It’s a pretty handy way to get 100 songs a year that have been somewhat vouched for. Of course, not all the songs are by Australian artists but it’s still fun to see what Australians vote as the top 100 songs of the year. (Can’t say I love all their choices…)

Triple J’s Like a Version – I know, it’s like I have a crush on Triple J or something but Like a Version is a pretty cool simple idea. Basically, the radio station invites a musician or band into the studio. The musicians are asked to bring acoustic instruments, play one of their songs, and play a cover song of their choosing. It’s always fun to see what cover the musicians will do and if it’s better than the original. My favorite is Owl Eyes covering “Pumped Up Kicks.”

Slim Dusty – Now we’re getting into some true Aussie traditional music. Slim Dusty was a country singer and producer who was known for singing songs about the bush way of life. His career spanned seven decades and at the time of his death he was recording his 106th album! His songs are catchy and meant to be sung at the pub or around a campfire. Some of my favorites include “G’Day G’Day” and “Pub with No Beer.” And then there’s “Duncan” which I swear sounds like a pre-school song for adults…

Paul Kelly – I’m not actually very familiar with Paul Kelly but I liked what I heard when we saw him in concert a few nights ago. (Yay for free events in Adelaide!) I might even have a new favorite song of the moment, “One for the Ages.” (If you click one link in this post, click that one!)

So that’s what’s been keeping our ears busy in the car. What do you like to listen to on road trips?Australians, what do you think? Am I way off the mark? What would you recommend?

xo, jill

and the Great Barrier Reef!

After our guided tour of Fraser Island, a sailing trip in the Whitsundays was our next big sightseeing splurge. Before arriving in Australia, I didn’t even know about the Whitsundays… but it didn’t take long for me to be convinced that I needed to go there.

Mike and I drove up to Airlie Beach (gateway to the Whitsundays) and booked our trip over the phone on the way there. (This worked for us because we had a really flexible schedule, but you’re better off to book well in advance if you are more restricted.) Every time we met someone who did a sailing trip I asked about their experience and the company they used. These little chats combined with a little online research led us to sailing on Anaconda III.

Our mega-yacht didn’t set sail for a few more days so we had some time to kill in town. While Airlie Beach is beautiful, it isn’t really my kind of place (party, party). We managed to keep busy reading and relaxing by the lagoon until it was time to depart.

Our trip was for three days and three nights taking us through the Whitsundays and out to the Great Barrier Reef. Along the way we made stops for swimming, snorkeling, and diving. My favorite stop was Whitehaven Beach, a white sandy beach that stretches on for 7km. Pretty incredible.

After three days on the water, I was ready for some dry land and a proper shower. Those boat bathrooms are tiny!

xo, jill