The half way Report

January 29

Day 78 of 156

The half way report.


Well today marks the halfway mark in my journey across Australia. I have now been in this foreign country 3 months, with still anouther three months left. Chris is completely broke and we are now working a bit so that we can keep going. Gas isn't cheap up north, aparently like 2 bucks a liter. Anyway I found myself missing home a lot, especially when I get the e-mails stuff telling me what is going on, the good the bad and the truely mundane, but I love hearing it all. I am not sorry that I went on this trip, though I do miss my friends and family back home. It is hard to beleive that I hav been away from home for 3 months, it seems like such a long period of time, and it is even harder to beleive I still have like 3 months still to go. Well enough of my heart to heart, here is my australian half way report,

It is strange really I just went through my list of my favorite things so far in Australia, and I came to a sudden realization, it is all about the people I have met along the way. The only real natural features I want to mention are the drive through the Snowy Mountain Ranges and snorkling on Rotness island. All the rest were people we met along the way. In Tasmania it was the nice evening we spent in Hobart with the other 2 Canadians from Guelp and Quebec. Melbourne reminds me of spending 2 nice days with Jasmine, the Murry River reminds me of Mick the mechanic and those 4 guys who invited us over for drinks on their houseboat. Adelaide was all about all the cool people I spent christmass with. The Nulabour brings Kia into my memory, Perth bring out the wonderful people of Jane, Gerard, Dr. Sarah. Then there is Boyup Brook, which is packed full of memorable people, Harvey, Sandy, his wife, Hugo, and Pom. The Prongrup mountains only register to me as Scott, Die, and their family who wo stayed with for the last 2 weeks. oh ya, also beach vollyball and all the people I met playing it. The mountains themselves seem insignificant next to them. Which I think brings me to something that has been causing some tension between my co-traveler and myself. I have been leaning to stay at hostels if we can so that we can meet more people, maybe pick up some passengers, etc. However there is one problem with this from Chris, it costs money, we don't even go out to the bar to have the odd drink, we usually drive off way out of town into the middle of know where, where there is know one, for free camping. I find it ironic, that the most populated state NSW, is only on my list for a natural feature, no memerable people though, how strange is that? I just remembered NSW did have one memorable person, the crazy yute lady in Sydney I told you about.

I guess to sum up my halfway report is this, talk to people, feel the culture, become something other than a tourist. Signing off from Australia