Malaysia - Penang and Langkawi

So yes, I got to Penang... It was a really nice place! I was only planning to stay for a few days, but ended up staying longer. I met some awesome people there, and had a GREAT time! Well, after finally finding my way into georgetown (Id started walking the wrong way, before finally biting the bullet, and getting a taxi) and ended up at the Reggae Mansion hostel on Love lane. Nice place, and it turns out that a couple of people id met in KL had decided to go to the same place as well....

So yes, the first day, I hook up with one of them, a bloke called Clint, and Candi (an Aussie id just randomly pulled in with my charm and good looks *coughs*), and went up to Penang Hill. I was going to go there anyway, but they happened to be leaving at the same time, so I thought f**k it, why not. It was really nice up there...the views across penang were amazing, and it was just a really nice place to have a wonder around, and just soak up the scenary (and cooler air).

After that, I just headed back to the hostel and chilled out. Found a cheap bottle of vodka-ish stuff (7rm - $2.20) and a bottle of apple juice to hide the flavour (2rm - 80c), and a nice chilled beer, and chatted and played guitar till the small hours of the morning!

So yes, the next day I didnt do much, I walked around a bit, and sampled the food on offer. The food in Penang I should mention is phenominal. There is everything. Malay, Indian, Chinese, and its all ridiculously cheap. Also I discovered Jack Fruit, which are probably my favorite new fruit...Also I ran into a cool New Zealand / Indian Couple called Subesh, and Lucky, whove educated me in some amazing Indian food. Roti's are probably second below Laksa as my favorite dish over here...Also, a really cool German girl called Johanna. And bizarely a few french blokes who recognised me from Fremantle!

The next day I was considering getting a Scooter and driving around Penang...I almost did it too, except Im not very good at mornings, and id missed Johanna, Subesh, and Lucky by 30mins, so I walked around Penang a bit more, visted the museum, went to a few temples, stuffed myself full of amazing food, and washed it all down with fresh coconut juice. Its a hard life...

Met this cool bloke called Wan as well. He was a 50 year old Singaporian bloke, whod been a pilot in the army, before retiring, and had decided that he didnt want to be stuck in one place, and had gone around Asia for two months travelling...excellent bloke. He kept coming out with all these really deep and meaningfull sayings too. Ill have to try and compile the Little book of Wan one day I think. On top of this, he was a really good guitarist and singer, and its always nice to have someone else play guitar for a change! So yes, chilled out with him for a bit, and this other german girl, Carolina...

So yes, the next day, although I was going to cut across to the Perhintian islands on the east coast, I decided to go with Carolina to Langkawi instead...problem is, again, mornings. Didnt wake up again until 30mins after shed left, So thought fuck it. Ill go anyways. its only a small place...

Pah! Place is massive. Really nice though...a bit built up and resort like, but its got some cool beaches here. Never did find Carolina again though, but thats my fault for not having an alarm I suppose! :)

So yes, Ive just spent the last days here...im 100m from the beach, so ive just been mostly relaxing. The owner likes my guitar playing too, so Ive had (quite) a few free beers thrown my way, and a few nights rent etc. Its also had the best crowd of people coming through...everyone that comes in is awesome! I even got roped into playing ring of fire one night, which was really fun, but did actually kill me. I spent the day before yesterday curled up in bed in the fetal position, waiting for the world to swallow me up. I also broke the hinges on the room door. That was it. My entire day. I havent felt that bad in a long time after a night out..

..So yesterday I decided to make up for it by trying to do something useful with my day. There were a bunch of us, Sam (the manager), Lisa, Julia, Joe, and Me who were all talking seperately about hiring a moped and driving around the town, so we decided to all chip and get a car between us...

It was awesome...we drove up to this waterfall, and spent most of the afternoon swimming in this rock pool at the bottom, which was exactly what I needed to beat the heat. It was full of crazy locals though. The water would only come to the bottom of my thighs, but these kids were jumping in from 20ft up this bloody cliff. Mental Bastards...

Then we went over to Monkey Beach, where we chilled out and did a bit of sunbathing, looking out over Thailiand. Then we went around the island to this Hot Spring place, and then to Black Beach, which is where the sand is black (ish) due to the granite in the rocks, and some other minerals apparantly. I think its probably more to do with the massive cement factory 1/2 a kilometer away over the water, but never mind! :) So yes, had a look at that place, then went round the night markets in Kuah, the capital of the island, where I tried Mangostien (awesome), Some sort of pancakes (awesome), some real nice barbequed fish (awesome), noodles (awesome), and Durian (not so awesome. Smells like...actually. It smells like leeking gas, with a slight hint of pinapple).

So thats that...i was going to go to the Cameron Highlands for a few days before going home on wednesday, but I need to go into the bank on monday to sort some money out and I dont think ill have time. I want to be back in KL for Tuesday night, just incase something goes wrong with travelling, and I need to get another bus, or a transfer or something. To be safe essentially. Buggered if Im going to tear up another bloody plane ticket!

Thats okay though, because Julia is back in KL studying at the moment, and Lisa is flying out of KL at the same time as me, with the same people, so we'll all catch up in KL for dinner or something (and probably a bevvy or three!). Worryingly she goes to Amsterdam, and I go to Heathrow. And she lands in Amsterdam at 8am, and I land in london at 5am. So maybe im going to be going to Amsterdam instead...luckily she says she has a spare bed for me, so that could actually work out better. :) Maybe ill get on that flight anyways.. :)

So yes, one more night here, one more day on the beach, and then im back home! Get the red carpet ready guys! :)

Malaysia Baby!

Finally! They let me out of Australia! I can already hear the collective nation crying... :) What was that? A massive loss to Australian music..? I thought so too! :)

Anyways, because England is wet, and cold, and just an all round miserable place to be in from all accounts, I decided to go to Malaysia for a few weeks to check the place out. I did actually try and go to New Zealand, but apparantly they wouldnt let me travel because its too easy for me to skip back into Australia on a tourist visa, and dissapear. Who makes these rules, I have NO idea..

So yes, thats one more ticket wasted. Malaysia on the other hand turns out to be an awesome place. And cheap(er than australia by a long shot!) too. Somehow on the last night in Australia, I managed to get through nearly $100 on christ knows what. $100 will last a week and a half if you look after it.

So yes, got into KL, and ended up at this really cool backpackers in China Town called Reggae Mansion (they played Reggae once.. :P). I was a bit apprehensive, id booked myself into a 24 bed dorm because it was the cheapest room. Now, backpacking has taught me that this would be in a cramped 2x2 room, with some rickety Bunkbed..

...Nope. It was a huge huge room, and each bed (6 on each wall, 2 sets high) was a queensize double. Probably the best bed ive had in two years. They went back into the wall, and had a curtain you could pull across and everything. The people there were awesome too. Grabbed the ol' Gweetar and played for free beer on the first night, and that was that! Met too many people, because I cant bloody remember the names of any of them, but a great group!

I obviously walked around and saw all the sights as well, the Petrona towers, the museums, the parks. Chinatown, the Markets, etc. The parks were really beautiful..I met this really cool argentian couple as well, who were as lost as I was and we all explored them together....and the food. The food is ridiculously amazing, and really really cheap. You go to the street venders, and it costs 50p. :)

This blog isnt making much sense, but as the travellers amongst you are possibly aware, Asia is basically an assault on every one of your senses, and quite impossible to explain, and though Malaysia appears (so far) to be less hectic than say, Hong Kong etc, its DEfINATELY asia. :)

Now ive headed up to Penang today. I got the bus up (30ringitt), and enjoyed the spectacular scenary out the window..half the mountains look like a giant has come along, and taken massive chunks out of the side. Pretty cool stuff...

Im in Georgetown for a few days now, then im going over to Langkawi I think..Set myself up on an amazing beach for a few weeks before my trip back to sunless, good beachless uk! :)

Melbourne, Melbourne, Sydney, Melbourne, Immigration, Melbourne

So yes, the final outcome of the passport debacle was that I sent away for a new one, which stupidly, goes to the High Commission in Canbera, who then send it off to the High Commission in Wellington NZ, who THEN send it off to London, who THEN send it back to me! What a bloody palava...

Anyways, I did it, and then just had to wait basically. So I go and watch paul play footy, helped him and Phoebe move into thier new house, found out that Ikea, if you sign up for thier free card, give you free tea and coffee. As much of it as you want, and bloody cheap (but nice and big portioned) meals as well . $2 for fish and chips and veg, $4.50 for a plate of meatballs mash and gravy. Cheaper than cooking! so went there quite a few days after speaking to immigration.

Then after that, Alex is driving up to Sydney to try and get some work. Ive sold my amp to a bloke the other side of sydney, and was a bit concerned about getting my money through, and so think sod it, ill jump in. Moneywise it was a bad decision. Id forgotton that Sydney just evaporates your money. You dont walk in a shop and youve spent $50 somehow..

But I did meet up with my mate Nancy, who Id met in Fremantle, one night. We just went to a bar, had a few drinks, caught up on the past year...It was really good to see her! then I won all my money back id spent that night on the Fruit Machine (put in $10 and won $40), then caught up with my mate Dom, who I also knew from sydney, and his flat mates. He left the monday just gone..

That was a good night. It was ANZAC day, where every australian celebrates thier victory (? I always thought that nearly everyone died in this battle?) in Gallapoli by getting absolutely wasted from 6am to midnight it seems. Its always a good day in Sydney, and I thought hell, ill capitalise. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same thought, and there was about 30 buskers per metre. I did make a fair bit of cash though, which was good. Then went and met up with Dom in this pub, and ended up being up on stage there with my hat down earning even more money, and also drinks.

Then the curse of Sydney struck, and I ended up with $50 the next day, which after $20 worth of train fares and $10 worth of food to get back to Alex and our mate Raj in Horsely park, seemed a bit annoying! Never mind eh?

So yes, after that I booked a ticket back from Sydney, and am back in Melbourne. Had to wait for paul to come in from work to get back into thier house, so I ended up going to watch the Avengers at the Cinema, which is an awesome film, if only because of the over the top explosions and fights! :P

Anyways, My passport has finally arrived. Ive managed to pull the whole chip off, where it had the sticker saying 'please peel off', so hopefully that wont cause any problems. Other than that, ive got a ticket to Kuala Lumpar, Malaysia booked tommorrow, where I plan to spend the next 3 weeks on a beach!

So yes, Ill keep you all posted, but looks like this is the last entry of Stottydoessydney, and the first of StottydoesKL :)

Bloody immigration

So yes, I get to the airport, give them my ticket, looking forward to the next step of my adventure, and the bloke says I need to print out the ongoing ticket. Not a problem, although time is ticking by. I run to the jetstar desk, print the ticket, run back.

Bloke then gets his boss. Now, Apparantly because the ticket I had from Christchurch in a month was (Well, is) going back through Melbourne Tullamarine, it apparantly didnt count. Also there wasnt enough time on my passport for the visa to be valid.

I explained quite clearly (for once) that the reason I was going to go to NZ was to GET said passport,, and then I could get a new visa, but it wouldnt matter, because I wasnt going to australia, I was going to MAL-AY-SIA. Like it says on the ticket.

Nope, apparantly this wasnt good enough. They also point out that my visa is about to run out, so I cannot stay. Anyone else out there seeing anything ridiculously stupid about this situation? *I* point out that I know, and THATS WHY I HAVE THE TICKET TO NEWZEALAND! (at this point in my minds eye im slamming the stupid woman behind the desks face into the table, but Im staying nice and calm). She says that I cant use the ticket to NZ because its comes back through Australia. *I* say yes...THEN on to Singapore, and THEN onto Malaysia. The other two bits on the ticket. Im not just going there and back again. 

Nope, nothing. Ive had more productive conversations with my tea cup. So after chatting with an immigration lady, who told me to go down to the office first thing on tuesday, because its a bank holiday and immigration is apparantly open for everyone when theres the promise of a beer and a barbeque on, and get it sorted out.

So yes. Thats it. Back to pauls I go...It was pretty good actually. I get to see more of him and Phoebe before I leave, but bloody stressful. On top of that, Air NZ took my airfare twice, and it took me 1.5 weeks to get it back....

So yes, que 3 weeks of immigration fun. Sorted out now though, which is all good....

The Two M's, Mildura and Melbourne

So after farming I went into Mildura for the weekend, and caught up with my old mate German Chris who id met in Red Cliffs last year..It was pretty cool, I went out, did a bit of busking which went really well out there. I even got about 3 offers to play in bars, but unfortunately my visa was running out and I didnt have time...Then after busking I met up Chris, and had some drinks.

The next day I managed to run into another old friend, Jake, who I met in Red Cliffs last year, and actually travelled to perth with which was a nice suprise! I was supposed to meet up with beers but didnt have time in the end, which was a shame. I met up with Benji from Broome, and Dan from Mildura too, so yes. It was a busy few days...It was nice catching up with everyone, but equally nice to get the hell out of there!

So to Melbourne I went...It was good to be back, although Alex wasnt taken with the city. Hes more of a Sydney man I think, but then again theres no accounting for taste.. :P. The first few days I stayed over at my friend Ruth's (who I met in Broome) house and caught up with her, which was pretty cool. Did a bit of busking, and made my plans to go home...

Which basically, because my passport was running out (It had 3 months left) and the only place you can sort out your passport in Australiasia is New Zealand, I thought a month in NZ was the only logical choice. Then onwards to Malaysia. Then home. Bosh, Job done.

So with this in mind, I catch up with my mates Paul (welland, from back home!) and his Girlfriend / almost wife Phoebe for a few days, put my amp on Ebay, because theres no way I can safely carry it around Asia. It would die.. Go to a party with alex and my mate from Melbourne Dave round my mates neil, Chandler, and Jess's house, dance and barbeque the night away. It was a fucking awesome party, and really good to see everyone again..I even got offered a 60% discount on a hooker (at $160) at this brothel in Wellington which this blokes mum owned somehow...Gotta admit, thats the first time thats ever happened!

And went off to the Airport the next day, where everyone lived happily ever after....

Adelaide

So yes, as I was saying in my last post, I went round my mates Reece and Alex's house in Adelaide. My original plan was to get there and do lots of busking, because it was the fringe festival. This didnt work because partly the people of adelaide arent actually impressed by anything. In fact, there was this bloke I was watching, balancing on a ladder, juggling flaming knifes, and stripping down to his pants, and noone even clapped first of all! It was pretty funny. The bloke (who was english) was like 'oh come on! Its taken me 2 years of practice alone just to balance on the ladder, not to mention the juggling, AND! im stripping! What does it take to impress you people...CLAP!' .

So yes, that says it all. They did clap after that, but when my depressing folk music is up against stripping, balancing knife jugglers, I was onto a loser really. I got a bit of cash, but nothing like the money I was hoping for, so yes. I went to plan B, and spent 2 days getting pissed and having barbeques around Reeces house. I think this is called Job Hunting, yes? (it sounds boring, but it wasnt. Its just there wasnt much more content to it than Goon, Ice pops (as ice cubes. Can I get an 'Oh yes!'), burgers, movies, and catching up on old times (thats one year ago.. :) )

Anyways, yes. Job Hunting. It was definately job hunting, because I rang up a farner I worked for last year, and got me and Alex (Gosbee) a job picking mangos on his farm!

It was pretty cool. Just outside of Red Cliffs (I know I swore never to go back, but what can you do??). Colignan. There was nothing there but the farm basically, but we could stay on the farm, and it was a pretty cruisy job (although it broke alex a bit, as hes used to doing 3 days on 3 days off in an aircraft office now I think). I got a 4x4 and a bucket, and Alex got the chance to drive a tractor...Ken the farmer offered me the job, but I thought its going to come in a hell of a lot more handy for Alex than it is for me now. Ill just pretend I did in the future! :)

So yes, that went on for 10 days in the end. On our day off, this bloke Dennis took us out fishing. Turns out hes the luckiest man alive..he was saying at one point how hed put $2 in the pokie (fruit) machine, and got $4k out of it, then he'd won $160k on the lotto, and then $1.6million. THEN he'd won a boat..and this bloke. Well, he just looked like a farm hand. Certainly not a millionaire, so when we went round to his little cottage (which he got for free), for him to take us fishing, there was a boat there. Which he'd won. And a brand new Hi-lux. And whilst he was fishing, he was saying we should all go and get pissed next weekend, but oh wait. No, he couldnt because he was picking up his brand new Mazda from town...So yes. He really was the luckiest man alive! :P

Good bloke though,...he drove us around the national park too, showed us a few of the sights. Its a shame we had to go, but the job ran out...narrowly missed Flower Picking, which I dont think I would ever have been able to live down, despite the fact they were 'spikey MAN-FLOWERS' according to the farmer :P. The other farmers daughter didnt particularly want us there in the end though...shed got friends with the two german girls who were working in the packing shed, and kept them on, and kicked us out. Still, it was good while it lasted...

Also met some cool people. On top of Dennis, there was Bob, a 65 year old Abalone diver, who was keeping up with 20 year olds picking oranges, mental bloke. He didnt look a day over 40 either...it was only when he mentioned that he was going to collect his super (annuation) in a few weeks that it clicked, and Jay a crazy french guy! He was only there for a few days at the start, but he is definately added to the growing number of french ive met that are actually cool people, and not in the slightest bit selfish and arrogant. In fact, I now know more good than bad french, so perhaps they really have changed! :)

Coober Pedy

Coober Pedy, or White Man Down Hole in the local aboriginal translation, is a beacon in the desert. They have nothing for hundreds and hundreds of kilometers either side apart from flat scrub and dessert. Then suddenly you see these piles. Then next thing you know, youre in this tiny place, full of opal miners..

It was also where Mad Max and some other space film was filmed, and you can still see the giant space craft sitting there in town! Also, because its the hottest place in australia, where temperatures in summer regularly exceed 53c, they all live in underground houses..they have an upstairs bit, and then dig into the rock underground to make mansions that they can live in at a comfortable 25c all year round.

Unfortunately we didnt have enough money spare at this point to stay in an underground hostel, but we went in a few underground houses and the underground church.

There is also a pile where you can fossick for opal, because the miners have taken out all the big bits, and dumped the rest of it. We were barking up the wrong tree first of all, just sieving through rock, when this twister sprang up, took our water bottle, took alex's hat, and nearly took mine! (it did break the crocodile band off it though. It still needs re-gluing!). So alex, who wasnt going to lose his hat for any bloody reason, chased after it, and it had landed on this big lump of quartz crystal. So he thinks 'hmmm', hits the thing with a hammer, and finds a bit of opal inside!

So we grab a few bits of opal, and made our millions, and now live on the moo..oh, alright, they were only tiny bits, but it was pretty awesome non-the-less! That was it really, we packed up after that, and headed down into South Australia..

Stopped off in Port Lincoln for a little bit, then drove all night through this thunderstorm (the lightning was hitting 15m each side of our van. Bit hair raising!), and went to my mate Reece and Alex's house...

Ayers Rock! (via a town called Alice)

Yes. Alice Springs...centre of the universe.

Actually, it seemed a nice enough town. You hear horror stories, but Tennant Creek was much worse in my opinion! We stopped by for a few days, just so I could try a bit of busking, but it wasnt really the time of year for it. I think, after the campsite and food, i only made a spare $30, which sucked!).

Apart from that, we just wondered around, and took a look. There was this old telegraph station open just outside of the place, which was pretty cool to see, although it must have been bloody lonely working there! I was told about a Kangaroo sanctuaray by Debbie Brown back home ,but I couldnt find it. Never mind, so afterwards we carried on to Ayers Rock. Popular belief tells us that its actually in Alice, or at the very least 'just round the corner'.

Nope. Its 5-600 sodding Kilometers away! Took ages to get there...and petrol by that point was hitting uk prices at $2.50 a litre. $120 would just about fill the tank for 450ks. Then when you get to the rock, and are charged $25 to get in and see it, you're initially left thinking. Oh. Its a bloody great rock. Right. Then you go to the campsite there, and get charged $40 per night for parking on what was essentially a gravel car park, with no hot water in the camp kitchen, broken barbeques, and think 'Okay. What a waste of time and bloody money!'

THEN you see the rock at sunset, and everything melts away. It. Was. Stunning. You really have to see it, but to watch it turn from Brown, to Red, to Purple, and then (just after the sun went down) bright bright red for about 30secs or so, was pretty damn awesome...then we went to the bar. After loosing so much money that day on everything else, I figured 'hell. Why not add a few beers to the growing list of outgoings?'.

It was cool, there was a good band on, and we had good fun. I did break Alex, who, after driving round to the rock for sunset, promptly died, and didnt really surface properly for a good 12 hours or so! :P I got him up around 2pm, and did a bit of a walk around the rock. Not the whole lot...I figure once you see one part of a giant bit of stone, youve probably seen it all, and its 16k in circumference. So I drove. Job Done.

I was thinking about climbing, but it was ridiculous. it was a rock face with a iron railing on to pull yourself up. But not a ladder, just a railing and a 75% hill. :) So yes, went back to the car and started driving to Kings Canyon after that...

All the rest areas (roadside free camping places) in NT are really cool, although they did have 20 billion flies, and 100 billion trillion ants underfoot that kept biting you. Very VERY irritating! :) So yes, stopped over night, got to Kings Canyon the next day, which was really really nice. Much Better than Ayers rock...after a 500 climb up some steps carved in the rock, we walked along the top of the canyon back to the carpark. Took in the scenary, and loved every second of it, it was spec-bloody-tacular!

Then after that it was Cooper Pedy

Aye Karrumba! (to Devils Marbles)

Then the next day we went up the coast to this tiny place called Karrumba. Awesome little place...right on the beach, all the aussies went up there for fishing. There were even people who'd driven up from Mildura right at the bottom of Australia, because they heard that it might flood, and they wanted to get all thier fishing gear up there!

It was perfect weather, so me and alex thought we'd try our hand at a spot of fishing. These two Canadian  girls who we were supposed to be picking limes with had given us a fishing rod, so we went out and got a few lures, and tried our hand. I caught more weed than it should be humanly possible to draw in, and an old weight. Not as good eating as it sounds! :) Alex ended up catching something, but because it was a 10lb line on an 8lb rod, it just took the lure and went!

After that we went a bit mental and brought another 30lb line, but we couldnt get the lures out far enough...we never did catch anything after that. Bit of a shame, but never mind. I wont add fisherman to my list of talents! :P At least we had a crate of beer to keep us occupied whilst we caught weed and sunburn eh? :P

We just spent a few days doing that. It sounds pretty boring, but it was a really nice spot, everyone was really really friendly, and well. everyone deserves a rest after a hectic few years trying as hard as possible to do nothing, eh? :P

So yes, that was it. Karrumba. Awesome place!

Then after that it was alot of driving and stopping in rest stops. I did stop in Mt Isa for a bit of busking. There wasnt that many places to do it, but I did get stopped by a load of pissed miners on the saturday night, outside this pub, and managed to get $80-100 for only playing wonderwall. Fecking hate that song, but they were throwing twentys at me...yes! Made a bit outside the shop on the sunday mornng too, and then headed on a very long straight, and uneventful ride to Tennants Creek. The most exciting thing that happened was an oil change on the van that night I think.. :P

Anyways, Tennant Creek, as im sure ive said before on my blog, is a godawful place. Its got a really bad vibe about the place, and the local aborigines have this hungry look about them.. I thought it was just me, but I didnt mention it, and Alex said almost exactly the same words. So we drove through and stopped off at the Devils Marbles that night. They're a set off massive boulders that look like theyre standing on nothing (well, some of them. Youll have to look at the photos to decide for yourself!). It was a really cool campsite, real peaceful, and we had our own pet dingo. What more could you want? :) So yes, had a barbeque, went to bed, and drove the next day to.....

....
....
.........!!!

Limes? Errm. No

Turns out the limes were a bit of a damp squid in the end. (Yeah, yeah, I can almost hear you all saying "no...you just told us they were limes". Shush! :P). Well,  actually the whole hostel... We got there, and there was this hot, but f***ing C-R-A-Z-Y Canadian bird in charge. Amanda. This has no bearing to the story, but I just thought she was worth a mention.. :P).

Anyways, we got there, spent an hour filling out all these terms and conditions on the paperwork. The rent starts off at $150 per week, but keeps going up in $50 increments for every 5 hours per week you work, you have to give one months notice of your leaving, otherwise you lose your $200(!!) bond. That kind of thing...so we're already a bit sus (id just like to add we didnt pay them $200. We told them to sod off, and had to part with $50. Which took 5mins to take, but 2 months to get back!). THEN this woman who owns the hostel charges us $30 EACH to sleep in the campervan outside, without power (though we plugged in anyways!). So we've decided that one day picking limes is all we're going to do in this place.

So we wake up the next morning...its had a bit of rain overnight, and the limes didnt happen at all. Cant pick them because it leaves marks appparantly. Well, the lady who owned the hostel (who was already massively patronising) gave up pretending to be nice as soon as she realised that she couldnt get any more money out of us, and turned into a complete bitch. I could put down the stuff she said, but id be here all week. Suffice to say that shed pissed me off to the point where, If I stood around much longer, id probably just push her over and walk off, and Alex...well, he'd got to that point after the 1st 5mins.

So yes, after much protest ("how can you just f*** off? Its my job to find the farmers work [erm. actually, you run a hostel. its your job to keep us happy and find US work. which involves finding the farmers work]. Your screwing me over! [well, actually, we only came for one day, and that didnt happen, so we're not screwing anyone over] You wont get your bond back! [oh yes I bloody will. thats theft.] Ive offered you another possible job at the end of the week. [Someone wants a day weeding! and if its raining, which its going to do all week, then it wont happen again, will it?] Piss off then, Theres always more backpackers coming through! They wont be so fucking lazy! [whatever. Goodbye.]) we left.

Ended up going through the tablelands (they're a really nice part of Queensland if anyone ever gets a chance to look. Awesome views and some really nice towns), and then across to the Gulf of Carpentaria. It was a really good drive, although the road there had been mostly washed away in last years floods, and was almost non-existant at some point. We passed this old tunnell, which was the only remains of the massive gold mining industry in the region in the past, and stopped in this really cool little town called Croydon for a bit.

It had a massive tourist information centre, must have cost billions, with a film in it linked to holograms, and puppets popping up on the side of the tv, and timed lights, for a town of maybe 1000 people, if that, in the middle of nowhere! :P We walked in just to break the drive, and the two people there was almost fighting each other off to come and help us...we must have been the only tourists in there in months! Very interesting place though...they had a population of, I think, close to 100'000 people when the gold was in town, then when it ran out, everyone just put thier houses on the back of horses and carts, and buggered off! youve gotta love the aussies! :P

After that, after driving over a flooded road. The van almost cut out a few times. We went over to Normanton, and slept there for the night. There wasnt that much there really. A giant statue of an 8m crocodile, the largest one ever shot and recorded (its in the Guinness Book of Records), and a plaque to Kris the Crocodile Hunter who shot it it, and a purple pub. That was about it..

Airlie Beach - Caiiiiiirns, and beyond! :)

Right, straight after we got off the sailing boat, got back to the campsite, and did some washing, it started raining, and hasnt finished since ! :P Luckily its so bloody hot and humid up here, its quite welcome really...

The journey has been pretty cool, altough havent been up to a huge amount. The next stop after Airlie Beach was Townsville, where we stopped at this campsite, met a cool couple, Jack and Carly, who had been kicked out of thier nans really nice comfortable house for a week while a Japanese friend visited, and was forced into a cramped hot tent, just as the rains started! :P Poor bastards..

I did a bit of busking that night, made $185, which wasnt too bad I suppose. The best part of the evening was when a random bloke came along, and started playing slide guitar, and singing with me...he was pretty good, so I carried on. Turns out he was the guitarist for Men at Work (You know, that 'land down under song'). He'd seen all the buskers up the street, and thought he'd grab his guitar and come and join us for a bit. So yes. Ill chalk that one up. Ive now Played with Men at work (Well, one of them) and John Butler likes my voice. :)  So yes, do a bit more busking, chat to the other buskers...cool guys, then headed back..

The next day we stopped off in this place called Flying Fish Point, just because we liked the name :P, then it was Cairns! Did a bit of busking, but I needed a license, so that didnt really work. Made a bit of cash though...enough to get me by. I also keep running into some of the people I met on my sailing trip around the Whitsundays, which was pretty good..

Now, ive bitten the bullet, and have put in to do a weeks farmwork, just to try and get a bit of extra cash, as I need to get through the centre, and there arent any towns, so I dont want to rely on busking...

Also, I need to try and make a bit of money, because ALthough im coming home in a month :(...., I really need to get back to NZ where theres actually a job waiting for me, with thier version of Autoglass, as opposed to sunny england, where a bunch of nameless w***ers have messed up the country, so theres no bloody work. Especially for a travelling bum such as myself. So yes, I need to get enough to get me back out here if possible. Certainly not done with this whole travelling thing...its far too much fun! (also, busking is apparantly really really good in NZ, so thats something else to consider..)

But yes, we'll see....Ive got to survive a 6am start, and a day picking bloody Limes first of all! :)

Brisbane - Airlie Beach

After we left Brisbane, we set off for Rainbow Beach. Its only a small town, but its a really really cool spot. If you read some of my earliest blogs on the trip youll read all about it...Not much happened, we just went back to the campsite (I knew where the free one was this time, and didnt have to get chased around for 2 hours by the police [who didnt want people just camping in the carpark next to the beach], which is always good! :P ). We just chilled out, swam in the sea for a bit, drank a few beers, then carried on up the coast the next day...

The next real stop was Airlie beach, but that was 12hours from Rainbow Beach, so we obviously cut the journey in half. We stopped in a roadhouse in Marlsbourough, which was actually quite nice. It had some weird creatures though. They might have been Praying Mantis', but, Well. I dont know. Ive given up on Australian animals. Im not sure most of them are real. Every time I try to describe them, they end up sounding made up.. :) They were long, green, massive wings. Okay, lets try another way. Cross a Lotus with a Cucumber, and then add two massive antenna...see, made up. That clearly doesnt exist. In fact, I trod on it, so theres a distinct posibility that even if it did before, it no longer does.. :P

Then after that, we set off for the easy (ha!) journey to Airlie....Then promptly got stuck in a closed road, where two trucks had basically ran off the road, and crashed. I saw the remains of one of them go past (12 hours later...good bloody job we had tea, and beers in the fridge! :P), and it was knackered. Shredded...So yes. I started the 1st annual Bruce Hwy Festival 2012, by plugging in my guitar to the vans batterys and hammering out a few songs to keep all the truckies entertained...Cool stuff! The Truckies are all mental though..real nice people, but definately a bit tapped.

 Ha, to give you an example, one was so pissed off with Queensland Police, 'he said, C**t! You C**ts are so F**king Backwards, you even f**king walk backwards! C**t!'. (This was the bloke who was missing the leg that youd use for Accelerator and Brake. Bit dodgy... :)). He also had a massive roo bar on the front of his truck. "Wow, thats one hell of a roo bar mate, you hit many with that thing?" I said. "Yeah, Yeah, Couple. Hit a Blaady car the other day too. C**t cut me up. Pushed the sheila 100m down the road" Came the Aussies reply. I just sidled off and hid at that point... :)

Anyways, like I said, a mere 12 hours later, they finally reopened the road (we couldnt go round, because it was 400ks back to where we started, and then 6-700ks on the loop to the next down, THEN another 300ks to Airlie. And we set off. Slept in a real shite rest stop over night again, because it was too dark, the roads are awful, and we were both pretty tired...

Then we got to Airlie. Its awesome here. Were in a real nice campsite just out of town, but ive been doing a bit of busking. Thursday went okay, $150. Friday would have gone amazing. I made $100 in an hour before the clubs kicked everyone out, but then the sodding police came, and told me to move on otherwise theyd arrest me. Bastards. I mean, seriously, get a real job. In fact I might let them if they ask me tonight. It'll look awesome on my criminal Record. Chris Stott-Busking. 20/2/12 :) Also, it might be a quick way home if I do it after my visa runs out...bang. Free ticket home .. :)

Still, im not stopping. Im going to get the $320 I need for a sailing trip round the whitsundays if it kills me! So yes, watch this space...therell be plenty of updates if they have Wifi in Gaol! :)

Brisbane Baby!

Then that was it, we got to Brisbane. The first night was pretty uneventfull. We stopped in this campsite in Sydneys north to plug into the electric and get the battery in the back recharged. It was pretty expensive though, so after doing a bit of busking in this shopping mall in the morning, we drove into the centre, and had a bit of a look around.

Thats where it started getting good, although we didnt know it yet. Its funny how things work out though. By the time we got back to the camper, it was late, we were knackered, and we'd left it too late to book a campsite. We were both pretty tired and grumpy, so we just chose this little park by the river to sleep in. Tiny place, middle of nowhere. Had a bit of dinner, and went to sleep...

Then the next morning, I got up early for a change (possibly the 1st time ever! :P) and was just sitting watching the river, when suddenly I hear this voice go '...chris?'. I look around, and bugger me, If it isnt my old friend Debbie Shotton from England. I met her at the SGP (with her husband, and also my mate, Ben) in 2004, when I broke my leg, Saw them a few more times in and around london, then lost touch with them in 2006, just after my birthday (October).  Bens Brother Jamie (who I met at thier wedding years ago!) is also just around the corner.

So yes, Dumbfounded I reply '...Debbie??'. And yeah, it turns out they had moved to Australia a few years ago, and lived JUST around the corner. If I hadnt got up early I would have missed her and never known, but  she took us in, cooked us a massive fry up for breakfast, offered us a proper shower. It was really good, and one hell of a good suprise!

Ive been staying round thier house the last few days, in thier front garden, doing a bit of busking in the day, and chatting away all night. Yesterday (Saturday) we went round the Markets in the morning, and then went to this English Shop, and then had proper English Fish and Chips, WITH CURRY SAUCE! (you cant get it anywhere over here...its been hard these two years! :P) Then at night, we had a BBQ, copious amounts of beer, and I headed out to go busking, which I did to some extent. I was pretty drunk, and Debbie kept smuggling me out beers from this Nightclub, which I ended up in later, till 4am.

It must have been a good night, because we ended up with a traffic cone, a Golf Cart, a Football, and a newspaper. Sign of a good night! :) Today im broken though. I really needed to go and make some money (its pretty tough over here...specially without a battery to plug into, but just couldnt manage it.

So yes, tommorrow we're heading up to Rainbow Beach...it should be good, although itll be a bloody early morning! (9am. :P)

Watch this space people!

...AND Stotty finally gets the hell out of Sydney! :)

Right, after all of that, there was nothing holding us back, so we packed our bags, and with a trumpety trump trump, made our way to the Circus. Well, actually Newcastle, where we stayed the night (We had to transfer the camper into our names). The campsite there was pretty expensive  but it was right on the beach, so we chilled out on the beach, had a few beers, then went for a walk along this jetty where they had incorporated all these ships that had got wrecked before the breakwater was actually built. It was pretty good stuff!


After that we Drove most of the way to Byron. The weather was Atrocious all the way up, with massive storms. We got most of the way, and pulled over in this really shitty layby place with lorries driving by all night (they are huge things over there, with 3 or 4 trailiers on them, and massive 12+ litre engines, so they sound more like moving foghorns than trucks!

Then we got to Byron Bay, and stayed at this really cool hostel called the Arthouse. Also, even though it was raining right up until we got into Byron Bay, then as soon as we passed the sign, it was clear blue skies. So yes. My Curse (every time I went there it rained) was lifted! :P But yes. it was only $20 a night to park the camper in the carpark, we got to use the full facilities of the hostel, and right across the carpark was the Byron Bay Brewerys Buddah Bar, which serves some damn good beer!

On the first night it was an open Mic night, where I won $30, which was pretty good for 2 songs. Especially as everyone else who played was absolutely awesome! Oh, and I got a free beer. So yes, that was a good night! The next day I went on a free tour with this mental bloke called Cockatoo Paul, who had a pet Cockatoo and did bush tours. It was only an hours walk around the grounds, but I learnt a lot of useful stuff about what plants you can and cant eat, making rope from plants, eating flowers, and Throwing spears (Hee hee!) :)

Then I just chilled out and did a bit of busking, before meeting up with my mate Julian from Freo on the friday night, which was good! We went to the Buddah Bar, and then on to this hotel in town where they also had live music. I was pretty wasted, but had a really good night..

Then Gosbees mates from Sydney caught up with us, and and we met up with them for a BBQ and a few drinks on the monday night, (as well as 3 really hot Kiwi Girls) before setting off to Gold Coast and then Brisbane.

Gold Coast (Surfers Paradise) is a pretty shite place though...its all high rise tower blocks, and. Well, I dont like it at all...stopped there for a few hours, chilled on the beach, tried a bit of busking, got bored, then came over to Brisbane..

Stotty does Sydney Still...

Right. Finally found a computer, so got quite a lot of stuff to tell you all, so bare with me! Right. After the three wise monkeys, the next day we got out of the hostel in George St, and went over to the Lucky Swagman in Kings Cross. After a few days, Gosbee finally found a camper. Lubi. Awesome little thing...its got a pop top, and a built in fridge, duel battery system, and a microwave. So thats it. Were all set to go!


Then we went off, and after trying out a few campgrounds here and there (They're all bloody expensive. $40 a night. Ridiculous for a 6x2 patch of grass), we found a carpark surrounded by parklands, just down from the spot where Captain Cook first landed in Australia. It was pretty damn good there. We stood on the rock where the 1st englishman ever set foot on Australian Soil, we went round to where the boat was moored. Wondered around the national park for a bit. Really cool, but strangely they seem to have washed over it a bit. All there was pointing to the fact that this was Botany Bay, the start of modern Australia, and the downfall of the Aborigines, was a faded, falling down signpost as you actually got into the town. Its like Australia are trying to forget, and although obviously its sad that the aboriginies have had thier culture wrecked, thats progress I suppose. Theres nothing anyone can do to change it, and its a really important part, in fact, THE most important part of (modern) Australian history. But never mind..

We ended up being around there for Australia Day which was good. Well, we went just around the corner to Cronulla, which is a bit like the South Eastern Manly Beach. Real nice place...I liked it there! I did a bit of busking in the morning, then after that they had a load of bands etc playing on a stage by the beach, as part of a free festival, so we sat down, drank some goon, and enjoyed the festivities! Its a real shame we dont celebrate St Georges day in the same way back home. It would be aweosme. Everyone here is having a BBQ, listening to Triple J's Top 100, which is a compilation of the years best songs. Normally pretty damn good actually. Yeah, so that was a pretty awesome day!

Then after that we went back into the City to visit my mate Dom from Fremantle. He has this awesome flat on the top floor of this massive appartment building. It had amazing views over the city. Then we went back to Raj's house where I busked some more, and Gosbee sorted out a few last bits on the camper, before ending with an awesome BBQ!

Stotty Actually does Sydney again.. :P

I spent one..well, two (the bus left at 9pm) more days in Byron bay in the end, although had to give up my luxury 12 million dollar appartment with butler, for a 5 bed share dorm in YHA Byron Bay...it was pretty good though. I was just wondering around, and ran into another three mates that I'd met in Fremantle at good ol' Sundancers, so we chilled out and had a bit of lunch together. It was good...although I think theyd had a heavy night the night before, so they were a little subdued!

Then I went back to the hostel, and had an Indiana Jones Video marathon, before getting the f*** out of dodge. So that was it. Another 13 hours on the most uncomfortable (and cramped) bus ever (ive sat on more comfortable concrete!)

So yeah, finally got to Sydney to meet my mate Alex Gosbee, who I found on a park bench across from the train station (he tells me he hadnt always been there, but im not quite sure I believe him.. :P). So yeah, let the new adventures begin! He's after a campervan (he's found a few of them he likes (and about a hundred that he doesnt. One was $4500, its engine was about to give in, it wouldnt start on the gas, and the roof was about to fall off due to rust, and the tracking was about 60degrees out)) so hopefully soon we'll be able to head out on another road trip!

The first night we were here we tried to meet up with my mate Dom from Fremantle, but hed fallen into a food coma, so we ended up going to this bar called The (three) Wise Monkeys, it was really cool. Well, it was nice downstairs, but half way through the evening we eventually realised that there was a live band upstairs. So yes that made the evening even better! Spent far too much money though...Then yesterday we finally managed to meet up with Dom (albiet far too bloody late. We got there at 10pm in the end)

Today im busking as much as possible to try and get a dollar or two, and Alex is going to get his van (possibly maybe...). So yes, keep you posted!

Its 4509 miles to Sydney, We've got a full tank of gas, Its dark, and we're wearing sunglasses. Lets hit it!

So after a fairly hectic new years, I spent the next week a bit skint, and with a new mission. Alex Gosbee, my mate from England has come over, and he rang me saying that hes just got to Australia, and can I 'just' meet him in Sydney. Well, its 6000k's away, but im never one to shirk from a challenge...well, alright. Im the first one to shirk from a challenge, but this time I wasnt going to let it beat me! :)

So yes, I brought a cheap bus ticket (Greyhound - $310 for 10 days travel wherever I want). So yes, I got the 20 hour bus journey from Broome - Katherine. Katherine was alright. Bit small...ALOT of work going though. Also, there was this awesome hostel. Cant think what its name is now, but although it looked a bit rough around the edges, the lady in charge was really really nice. In fact, on my first night I got given a free (well, I played a few songs on the guitar) meal of lamb, and mash, and vegetables, then she invited a load of us upstairs into her own flat for a film night. Saw the Blues brothers. Id forgotton how good that film is. Really good.

Then the next day I took a walk around Katherine hot springs (which ironically were cooler than the 'Cold' swimming pool at the hostel), then just hung around and waited for the next bus. That was at 10pm that evening, and went to Tennant Creek. I think they filmed Crocodile Dundee there, but it was a pretty poor place. Middle of bloody nowhere. Nothing to do...there were a few more victims waiting around for the next bus out of there. A Cool French guy, and this older lady who was going to visit her son...


So yes, got through the longest day of my life there, and at 10pm again got on a 30 hour bus journey to Brisbane. Got there at 1030am a day and a bit later, and then (after walking around for a bit) had another impuslive moment, and got the bus down to Byron (which is on the way to Sydney).


Byron Bay is an awesome little town...lots of stuff going on! It was a bit of a nightmare when I was coming in and there was no room anywhere. Like, ANYWHERE. I got in at 930pm, and walked around EVERY Hostel, Motel, Hotel, Campsite, and there wasnt ANY room. Luckily, at 1130, I found this place down a back street, and the manager bloke obviously felt sorry for me (I looked a right state because Id been travelling for the past 4 days pretty much) and gave me one of these apartments for $200 for 2 days (its normally $200 per night, but theres 4 beds. well, a double bed, and a double sofa bed). I took it in the end, even though thats a week and a halfs worth of rent, because the only alternative was sleeping on the beach, and it was looking like it might rain. Also, id wake up with all my stuff stolen, and probably raped by a local.. :P


But yes, thats all good now. Ive now got a few bits sorted this morning, and on this afternoons plan? Busk, get drunk, busk some more, and get ready for Sydney. Oh, on top of that im having trouble wrangling $600 out of the people who brought my car. Aparantly it wont start now, although christ knows what theyve done to it. Sounds like theyve managed to knacker the immobiliser or something. They did leave it outside in a Cat2 Cyclone, so its probably got water in its electrics or something. Still, Its a bloody ford. If it falls off stick it back on with Gaffa tape. If it doesnt work, apply a moderate to large amount Technical Percussion to the affected area. solves everything..

I dont know. Im confident it'll work again, and ill get the money, but it does mean that im going to have to start hastling people. Woo-fecking-hoo. :)



So yes, until they work out if they can get it going again, they arent paying me the rest o

Happy f**king New Year!

Did it again. After buying a new camera with my new found riches, and a new mic, because mine broke (and some rent) I set about trying to waste as much money as possible, in as little time as possible :P

Nah, its not too bad, but my body is broken now after the last few days.. :) Ive just been exploring around really. went down and saw some dinosaur footprints at Gantheme point, which was cool, chilled out at various beaches, had a few beers..

New years was good though, after a bit of a swim and a beer in the morning (12pm-2), we headed down to Cable Beach with my guitar and some more drinks, and sat and sang away the afternoon, until later around. well, 1130, we tried to get into this club (with a hawian party, and a band for xmas).

Everyone else got in. The bouncer bloke didnt like my tshirt. 'nah mate, you look like a bum'. 'well, its a hawian party, the point is im supposed to be wearing beachware, and that bloke you let in just spat on the wall' 'sorry mate, you arent coming in'

Fine...so I swap tshirts with my friend, and go back around the front, and the bloke says 'you must think I was born yesterday! Go back, and get your tshirt, and tell your mate im going to come inside and drag the c**t out by his hair'

Well, I sort of lost my temper here a bit (you know, "what is your f*** problem f*** calling me a f*** bum F*** you F*** C*** F** S*** F** C***S***F**B**s!), but feck all good it was. May as well have been shouting at the road. I was just about to storm off home in a bad mood, when my mates said 'just break in...look, noone can see you from here'

Well, They had a point. So on the break of new years (5....4....3....2...1...) I was scaling the back fence of this place, and midnight exactly, id broken into the bar, and was left to enjoy the evening. It was pretty good fun. The band were pretty good, and everyone was there. I was really hoping the t**t of a bouncer would have been there at the end of the night for me to go 'ha. screw you!' but no such luck. He'd gone home.

So yes, first time ive ever broken into a club, 1st time ive ever spent new years climbing a fence, and 1st time ive ever spent $40 on a taxi that went 3ks home...