Sydney

Sydney is a beautiful city, settled in one of the largest natural harbours with its landmark bridge that elegantly straddles the bay; walking across it you have panoramic views across the whole city. But it is the Opera House that commands your attention, from a distance it is a cluster of brilliant white yacht sails, but up close they gain in mass and transforms into the jaws of a great whale. It is an incredible structure. Delving into a little culture we perused a few art galleries in the ‘historic’ Rocks and attended the opening of the Contemporary Art Museum, many pieces were bizarre and some I didn’t get or perhaps there wasn’t much to ‘get’. But a few caught my attention, like the grand-piano that played back a warped but recognisable version of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. The original had been beamed to the moon, bounced back from the crater ridden surface and recaptured in its incomplete and distorted form. Another piece, a 24 hour video featuring thousands of clips from movies and tv that showed time and clock faces that actually correlated with real time. The most impressive for me was Daniel Crook who messes with videos and the end product is pretty cool so have a look at his website. We took a short bus journey to Bondi Beach and sampled the waters; there are more surfers here than on any beach I have seen, but really not particularly good waves. The sands here are gorgeous and contain little else; they satisfyingly crumble under weight.

Whilst in Sydney we resided in Wake Up! it’s a lively hostel moments away from central station, and although it was fun something began niggling at me that I had first come up in Melbourne hostels. The majority of backpackers here in Oz seem distinctly different to those I befriended in Asia; they are harder to get to know, more immature (pot,kettle,black?) and want to drink, and only drink. Inside the clubs and bars of Sydney I felt like I was talking to the same people I had met a hundred times before. But there was no thirst for exploration and adventure that I had related with so much elsewhere. I believe I have an explanation for this contrast; Australia is often viewed as the safe choice of first time travellers, it is in so many ways similar to home, but this becomes the problem; I think people find it hard to break from their usual patterns whereas in Asia the cultural difference can be so vast that you do not hesitate to leave your comfort zone and embrace fellow backpackers with open arms. These opinions may well be expressed prematurely, after all I have only visiting two cities (and must I concede I have met some good people), but the difference amongst the many is still noticeable and worth mentioning.

Another problem I am having with traveling in Australia (and not working) is eating healthy. In Asia prices are low allowing you to dine in restaurants for the 2 meals a day, most convenient stores were modest 7elevens selling only essentials. Australia hails the return of the supermarket, it’s weird because I’ve been around them all my life, even working in them but after Asia they feel strange. As you potter around the hamsters maze under the bright fluorescent lights you are bombarded by the countless brands that shamelessly shout out at you in their boldly coloured packaging, and the trouble is that the unhealthy foods are less expensive and in greater quantities than any healthier options and this fact counts for a lot on such a tight budget. It’s a messed up scenario, but I can’t talk as I am guilty of eaten my fair share of McDonalds here in Australia, they are so numerous and relatively cheap, but that’s not the reason I keep coming back, it is the free wi-fi on offer. In Europe (and Asia) we are so spoilt for choice that you take it for granted whereas Australia, even in the large cities they have been slow to catch on, most hostels have capitalised on this fact and charge extortionately for internet. So unfortunately blogging has become an unhealthy habit..

I'm rambling on so back to the city, Sydney is far more busy than laidback Melbourne but there is many interesting spaces to discover (most featuring elaborate water features) that help to break up the urban grain. Walking around the botanical gardens you can appreciate why so many of us immigrate to Australia, this is their autumn and the sun still warms the soil underfoot with businessmen, student and families sharing the green with cockatoos and parrots. In the denser areas the plants grow large. Everything is on a greater more dramatic scale, like the over sized insects and fluorescent legged spiders that sit proudly in centre of their webs showcasing an impressive haul of mummified flies. Looking up searching for the origin of a screeching sound you see flying foxes swooping between trees, their leathery wings show blood vessels against the midday sun. On the outskirts of the gardens and nestled on the harbour edge is Andrew (boy) Charlton outdoor swimming pool (since colonial days it had functioned as natural baths but now has been adapted into a saltwater Olympic pool). I jumped in the bracing water, cool but perfect once the body warms up and I swam in the lanes for a good hour or so, I felt the old familiar ache in my arms and shoulders and welcomed it. The sun shone above and was reflected in a mosaic of light on pool tiles. I could see my distorted form on the bottom. Meters away million dollar yachts sailed on pass.

Holland Wedding

The Hollands not only invited us to a wedding but put us up in their house for the majority of our visit to Melbourne, I unashamedly used this opportunity to take a rest bite from the choirs of backpacking, a halfway travel base; time to wash clothes, eat cheese and lay in without worried about checkout times. I am grateful to have this time. Towards the end of our stay we took the Toyota beast down to Wilson’s prom, I sampled the waters (again lacked waves), made friends with parrots and wombats (you smell these guys before you see them) and during that night our tent was bent over double and almost torn apart by treturous weather. Next stop Philip Island, a place to see the smallest species of penguin return from the turbulent seas to rest, a lookout to spot fur seals and even perhaps sharks. Unfortunately we saw none. The penguin march to land had become a tourist trap so we tried to watch from a neighboring cliff but where moved on. The fur seals must have been out surfing waves and no fins surfaced. It was still worth it just to feel the spray of waves on your face and the wind trying to take your balance. Back in the suburbs of Melbourne Ann and Les took us all out for teppanyaki, where the chief in the epicenter of the tables cooks right before you, cutting through veg in a blur and masterfully slicing through prawn and decapitation fish. With this meal audience participation was a must so he launches fried egg through the air as you attempt to catch between your chops, he made some of us sit a distance away from the table and attempt to catch a flying bowl of rice in a empty bowl. Needless to say many got egg on their face and rice on their crotch, great meal.

The days before Andrew (Holland’s eldest son) and Mel's marriage we helped prepare by folding and mounting origami like paper, erecting columns and cutting placeholders and menus with expert precision (4 years of architecture has turned me into a samurai with a ruler). We had the last supper of freedom with Andrew and the best men.The wedding was planned to be held outside on the tip of Melbourne's peninsula on a golf course however the weather on the days leading up had not been kind with lashing of rain and strong winds, during preparations the reception gazebo heaved and protested with rattles and groans. On the big day the final decision came shortly before the wedding began; outside, it was the right decision. The skies behaved and allowed for pockets of blue. Everyone had scrubbed up well for the day with perhaps the exception of Andy and myself. Being ‘travelling folk’ we had not come equipt with required attire for such a event, so we borrowed. Andy had a black suit that swapped him so he now resembled a well to do penguin. I on the other hand looked like a mafia hitman from the 70's donning a brown pinstripe suit and equally vintage shirt, the only thing that may have giving me away was my converses. The actual ceremony was short and sweet, drinks continued to flow into the evening with champagne, wine and cheese consumed in great amounts resulting in much merriment. Outrageous dance moves, splits and handstands where thrown down late into the night.

The Melbourne Grand Prix

Whilst in Melbourne I couldn't pass up the opportunity to watch the start of the Formula One Season. The race is held very close to the heart of the city and you get shuttled to it on the tram system. The track itself is about 3.3 miles long and encircles a lake where you can actually go sailing while watching the racing, but most people sit on the golf course's banks. We walked the circumference of the track and watched the safety cars race, and a speed comparasion test involving a top of the range mecedes production car, a supercar and a F1car all starting on the track at staggered times, needless to say the F1 car won. Whilst the V8 supercars were on track there was a big pileup that blocked the entire track and pretty much ended the race. There were also air displays from Australia's version of The Red Arrows, screaming hornet fighter jets and Boeing 747s. Eventually we found a great corner to watch the F1 practice and qualifying from, It was on a bank at Clark on turn 9. This is where we witnessed Schumacher come off during his practice sessions, he didn't look too happy.

We all know what happened on raceday. It was a British win with Button first, followed by Vettel and Hamilton, so not to bad a result. If your reading this thinking ahhh F1, pretty boring, I'd say give it a go watching it live, it's hard not to be impressed by these thoroughbred speed machines, they dart round the corners with unparalleled agility and as they pass in a blur of colour the sound they generate is incredible, you can actually feel it hit you in the chest (earplugs are advised). One very cool thing about the Melbourne Grand Prix is that directly after the race you can walk round the track. Lots of people flocked to the crash spots in hope of taking home some carbon fibre momento, I went to check out the pits. But anyway here's some shiny pictures.

Road Trippin' Part II: The Great Ocean Road

It's arguably Australia's most famous road. Stretching from Warrnamboll to Torquay it winds around the edge of limestone cliffs. Below are golden sandy beaches and massive waves barreling into shore. We went from the Grampians though to Warrnamboll which is a old whaling post, standing here on the old sea defenses, looking out at the deep blue up to the horizon it is weird to think that sailing from here would eventually land you in Antarctica. Listening to the booms of the big waves break it was perplexing to see the total lack of surfers, but I soon discovered the variety of reasons for this; 1. This coast has very strong rip currents, 2. getting caught against the countless rocks and cliffs wouldn't end well, 3. the water is fairly cold and home to a very healthy White Shark population, in fact because these waters are rich in nutrients carried from the Antarctic there is lots of plankton, lots of fish, thus plenty of whales, seals and sharks. I read a recent news article from the area where a roo was swimming along the coast and was taken by a shark, the seagulls flocking around the crimson water where only things remaining to mark the assault.

The Great Ocean Road is home to landmark rock formations like The 12 Apostles, London Bridge and The Loch Ard Gorge. The latter is named after the clipper ship that ran aground during a storm and only two of the crew survived (there are quite a few ship wrecks on this coast). Here the waves stealthily build strength in the depths, charge into the reefs gaining in height and detonate against the colossal rocks. It is impressive and defiantly worth seeing but for me the ocean road didn't hold a candle to the Grampians, In the Grampians you were in the wilderness whereas here, there were little look out points, railings, stairs, helicopter tours and lots of tourists. Whilst camping the weather took a turn for the worse and powerful winds came close to blowing the tent away and ripped apart other unluckier campers shelters. I should also take a moment to mention Australian radio, we listened to it throughout our car journeys and it's kinda different from our own. The adverts are really informal along the lines of "need new tyres, call up and ask for Bill or come in store, we're right next to Tacco Bell" the presenters don't beat about the bush either, ripping into every callers no matter how sensitive the subject and talking about one night stands and boobs throughout the day, we liked the radio, in particular Triple J.

Driving towards Cape Otway we came to a gum tree forest and lounging about above us were Koala, the trees that lined the road were peppered with them, they looked like hunched grumpy old men that had just woken from their slumber. Our final stop was Torquay, the spiritual home of Australian surfing and where Rip Curl originated. This is where we intended to surf on the world famous Bell's Beach and i'd love to say we caught some gnarly waves but we'd stuck out and the sea was quiet. Instead we visited the surf museum home of some pretty oldskool boards like the hollow 16" toothpick boards and some crazy guys who tackling monsters on the very beach that was now calm and tranquil. I think one thing you can say about Australia is it's a pretty unforgiving country;  if you swim in the wrong waters your swept out to sea or dashed against rocks, if you don't watch your footing you step on creatures armed with some of the most potent venom in the world. Back in England you might get pretty cold and maybe stung by a wasp.

Bell's Beach Easter Saturday 1965

RoadTrippin' Part I: The Grampians

Our borrowed little red Toyota fully loaded with camping supplies and containers of water ready for the road, I was navigator; compass round neck and multiple road maps sprawled over my lap, Andy was at the wheel. Our first stop was the Grampians National Park, a formation of mountains created by ancient river deposits they stand lonely in the middle of a vast, completely flat and sun scorched landscape. Along the way we stocked up on provisions in the small towns. These sparsely populated communities are like stepping back in time, they have only a few shops and everything closes down by sundown. Our food supplies consisted of pasta, noodles, marmalade, eggs, bread and beans (all cooked to perfection by moi).  It wasn't until nightfall we reached the Grampians and we set up camp in the darkness. Every night in the wild we had to carefully check the tent and sleeping bag for; trap door, funnel web and whitetail spiders, Some have a nasty bacteria mixed with their venom that eats away at living muscle, leaving disheveled limbs, others carry atraxotoxin (one of the world's most deadly toxins). Luckily our only encounters were brief and uneventful. You spot them after dark when the hunting spider eyes flash in torchlight and kick them away from your camp ground. The tent's interior remained arachnid free but during the night you could here the scattering of legs against the outer sheet.

Another frequent visitor was the kangaroo, we saw our first leap in front of the car on the first day and then many many more after that. At night they are brave and come within a few feet, they stole rubbish and made weird snarling noises. We tried chasing them away a few times but they are persistent and up close they really aren't small with adults when reared up on hind legs stand human sized, their bodies are weird with fat muscular legs and tail forming the base of a slender cone of a body that supports a skeletal narrow face. In the mountains we also saw foxes, lizards, owls and deer. By one of the cliff edges overlooking a lake we left our mark in the form of a small stone tower. Most of the time we managed to get back to camp before the night set in. But it really wasn't that dark with the bright stars and galaxies gleaming above.

In the bush we didn't really meet anyone for days, but it was kinda nice to get off the standard backpacker's path and really explore an area for yourself. We explored waterfalls and canyons in the car sometimes taking it offroad through dusty paths and occasionally breaking for Roo's, but the highlight here is the trekking. We walked over the rugged landscape, scrambled between crevices and canyons and shimmying around narrow ledges working our way to the tops of mountains, the views need to be appreciated with your own eyes but what hits you is how truly immense Australia is. The sandstone rock that form the Grampians has been weathered and carved away by the elements, so you can be walking on the edge of a cliff with only eagles souring above you're completely oblivious to the fact that you are standing above a massive overhang with only a thin slither of rock between you and a whole lot of air. Sometimes you step over crack in the clifftop and get hit with a blast of wind, looking below you could see the bleached landscape and the tops of trees too far down to make out many details. On one of the descents I got a bit cocky and sprinted down, jumping between boulders although I had my swissarmy knife just in case my arm got trapped in a rock and I might have to cut it off. I wanna do this every day.

Melbourne

I was unfair on Melbourne when I first arrived; I had left an Asian wonderland for a city that on the surface felt far too familiar, too much like home. It was as if my adventures were over and I was back to reality. It didn’t help that I was staying in a money making machine of a hostel (one in one out flat type) the one advantage was that you could cook your own food, and you need to in Australia because everything is soo damn expensive ($6 for a Scooner of beer, that’s not even a full pint) We resorted to drinking ‘Goon’ something that every frugal Backpacker will get well acquainted with (it’s basically bottom of the barrel wine bladders that also function as a handy pillow when the alcohol hits). The temperature here is on a par with our autumn back home, a far cry from the tropical climate I had become accustom to. Of course I am acting like a spoiled brat who has eaten desert before dinner. I am in Australia, the other side of the globe and I am complaining, however the longer I stayed in Melbourne the more it grew on me.

Melbourne is similar to London; a cultural meltingpot with things always happening but it differs from the big smoke with it’s laid back feel. There is room to breathe here, but if it still feels like too much then the beaches of St Kilda are a ten minute tram ride away. I would liken it to a scaled up version of my Uni city of Plymouth. Guided by local knowledge I really got under Melbourne’s the skin I saw the city's sportcentric side, plenty of runners, rowers and stadiums devoted to cricket and Australian Rules Football, I sampled North Melbourne’s music scene, we were treated to a meal in an Italian neighborhood that has seen it's fair share of Mafia shooting. I even went to Ramsey Street and saw Neighbours being shot, I had never seen a episode in my life so didn’t really get what was going on (it looked to be a jubilee special episode so look at for some trampy looking extras in the background). But my favourite parts of Melbourne are the most easily missed; the laneways are tucked out of sight of the gridded main streets, they bustle with European style cafes, buskers and street performers. I soon realised that my initial annoyance with Melbourne’s familiar feel was also what was drawing me in, I feel comfortable here, it’s probably the first city on my travels that I could live and work in.

Enjoying some Goon in one of Melbourne's more secluded parks

We stayed with Andy’s family who lived in the suburbs. It’s amazing how much space there is out here, most of the houses have large footprints and are single storied. Further away from the epicenter into the hills even more space is available with tailored buildings perched on hills looking back towards the city. Ann and Les put us up for many nights and made us feel at home, it was actually strange to be inside a home for the first time in a long while. they were seriously generous in letting us borrow their Toyota Corolla for a roadtrip around Greater Victoria.

Goodbye Asia

So after spending over four months travelling around Asia I will say it has been incredible and there wasn't a single day I did not enjoy. This is the end of one part of my journey and the beginning of a new one. It’s fair to say I’v learnt a few things along the way. Some of my vast wisdom I can dispense with you now:

• Squat Toilets to begin with were a strange oddity, but when you’ve got to go, you’ve got to go; the secret is keep your balance and maintain strong leg muscles. 
• Steal toilet roll at every opportunity, it is embarrassing, expensive and ineffective to have to resort to local currency when you're caught short.
• Lonely Planet is called a 'guide' book for a reason, don't let it dictate a trip, some of the best places I've been too were by complete accident. 
• Don’t piss off locals, Iv seen both machete and guns behind bars.
• Don’t buy Salt Toothpaste.
• Defiantly try local delicacies, but in some places it's a safer bet to be vegetarian.
• There will be times when you feel completely out of your depth, enjoy them.
• Before travelling Asia re-evaluate your perceptions of personal boundaries, they will be invaded often when you use public transport.
• Enjoy every hot shower you get, you never know when you are going to get another.
• Clothes aren’t ‘unclean’ until they fail the sniff test, was in showers, waterfalls and the sea.
• Being ill whilst travelling really sucks.
• Beards are awesome.
• Monkeys Steal.
• Plan all your flights incredibly loosely. 
• Be aware that rivers, sand, oil, dogs, elephants, cows, kids, pigs, snakes, cliffs, police and other motorists all pose as potential hazards on the roads.
• Big bugs will find you.
• When on a motorbike in Vietnam do as the locals do, never look back.
• Try a Chili Eating/Whiskey Drinking contest with a local, but don't expect to win.
• Don't think it's really difficult to go travel.
• There will be some places where you feel you can completely lose yourself in (India, Vietnam) whereas others you can't escape the well worn tourist track (Laos, Thailand) you can still appreciate them all the same.
• Monkeys drink coke, eat sunglasses and gnaw legs.
• Do what you want to do.
• Travelling really makes you appreciate your own country, your friends and your family. Its ok to feel homesick from time to time.
• After departing Asia, it might be wise to take some deworming tablets.
• Don't buy any electronics that have unbelievably low prices they are almost certainly 'genuine fakes'
• Forget all you know about health and safety. Out here your on your own.
• A dog is defiantly not man’s best friend in Vietnam.
• If you are into tea, probably best to bring your own. lots of places have pretty rubbish stuff.
• Thailand is full of surprises, sometimes what you see isn’t what you get, even in the case of local ‘ladies’ So my advice is give them all a wide birth.
• Never base preconceptions on a place from other traveller's opinions and never ever let it decided whether you go.
• You meet the best people travelling. It’s the people that make travelling.
• Don't trust monkeys.
• The vocal soundtrack of this tour has been Flight of the Conchords, Tenacious D, The Beatles and Oasis: the last two everyone in Asia knows, even tribes. The first two we tried to introduce to Asia.
• Goodbyes are sometimes not fun, but moving forward is crucial, you can always revisit a place and see people again later down the line.
• On occasions just stop for a moment, soak it all in and savor the moment.
• I miss cider. Stock up before you travel.

Singapore. A Fine City

Dangling from the bottom of Malaysia is Singapore, I am staying in the heart of Chinatown at ‘Pillows and Toast’ it's got great breakfast toast and very comfy pillows. This is also the first city on my adventure that I can actually drink from the taps, you don’t know how nice this is. If Malaysia was the stepping stone back to the western world, Singapore makes you feel truly grounded back in it, (albeit for a few cultural differences). Walking around the marina and the clusters of glassy skyscrapers that make up the business district you see everyone rushing around in pressed smart suits, there seems to be a lot of westerners working here too. Andy and I failed to blend in with our 2 day old wrinkled t-shirts, flipflops, worn out shorts, facial hair and untamed manes. The malls are epic in size and are the home of celebrity chief restaurants and unpronounceable shop names that sound too expensive to bother stepping into.

The underground (MRT) and buses run with scary efficiency and I have never been in a city so clean, too clean, sterile in fact. This brings me to the insanity of the on the spot fines dished out thoughout the city; Litter in a public place, eat or possess chewing gum, jaywalk, dance in public, picking flowers, unnatural sex acts, spitting, wasting water, consuming food or liquid on public transport, feeding pigeons. All of these offences will have you forking out between S$1,000 to S$10,000. On the more serious side being caught with even a small quantity of drugs or a weapon will automatically send you to death row. To me some of the fines are so alien they are laughable, I mean, dancing in public.. Really! but coming from such a liberal society you have to be constantly aware of what you are doing. I can appreciate that Singapore is a very clean and safe city but I don’t think I would ever be able to live with the deterrents. I wonder what it is like to be born into a country that demands such obedience. I think people here trust their governments far more than we do and  they have a more collectivist attitude towards society, seeing the draconian rules and fines as a necessity for the greater good. We in England think more for the individual and our personal freedoms, therefore the introduction of this level of discipline would always fail back home.

So resisting the urge do the moonwalk we climbed to the top of the skypark, It’s a boat like deck with infinity pool that straddles three skyscraper making up the hotel. The views from here are stunning. We sunk money into the world’s most expensive casino (all casinos are expensive, but this one cost the most to build) this is also my new favorite place to people watch, you see the gamblers in their silk shirts with the long lapels, cigarette hanging from the side of their mouth. Each turn they go about their OCD like rituals such as vigorously rubbing their legs, shouting, tapping their fingers on the table in some meaningful order or slicking back their hair with the palm of their left hand. It is a bit scary when you think about how addictive it all becomes, especially when you consider each Singaporean must pay S$200 just to get in (for westerners it is free). Other days we went to a artificial beach and 'little inda' to check out the mass food halls and spent a whole day sorting out new flights to Australia, we accidently missed the first ones.. 

When compared to London, Singapore is still a fledgling city and as such it’s layout is modern, well thought out and easy to navigate, it’s transport systems are smooth and comfortable, the city just works. At night the young skyscrapers ooze a futurist neon glow but as you stroll through the streets its clear the city is held back by the shackles of discipline, there are no drunken revelers, no buskers in the underground. After dark the city's pulse seems to flatline. But don't get me wrong Singapore is still a really cool city, the locals are some of the most kind and helpful I have met and the architecture has to be seen, It is just the culture that takes a bit of getting used to. So even if you ever end up with a transfer flight here defiantly free up a few days to explore a fine city.