Destination Byron Bay: 2 Days of Travel, Day 1

After talking to one of my bestfriends from home, Jess, she convinced me to get to Byron Bay as soon as possible. It didnt take much for her to twist my arm, and actually I think her exact words were “I would have been there yesterday”. Jeanie, my friend Scott and I decided to go out for Chinese food and drinks to celebrate. We spent the night discussing religion, sex and politics over a few too many glasses of “celebratory” bubbly.

@ a Truck-stop in the middle of nowhere

I woke up to “Somebody that I used to know” pulsing from the alarm clock at 3:00 a.m. That was my cue to grab My Roaming Backpack and catch the 3:40 a.m. bus from Mildura, Victoria to Cootamundra, New South Wales, aka, the middle of nowhere. To top it all off I had one of the worst migraines Ive had in forever, and a ghastly 9 hour bus ride in my immediate future! Everything hurt; smells, light, sound. Really regretting those last few glasses of wine, I wished I could block the world out and go back to bed, but the train ticket was already paid for. "Buy the ticket, take the ride!"

Fields of Cano

 Instead I blocked out as much as I could using earplugs and sunglasses. Then I popped a super-strong form of Aspirin, and asked Scott to work on my pressure points using a technique he learned in Thailand. All I could do was carry on and hope for the best. It was 5 hours until I was relieved on my agony, but I guess it could have been worse. I could have got stranded in Cootamundra! (Jokes, well, not really)

After reaching Cootamundra and waiting 2 hours for the next train into Sydney, I spent the next 6 hours on a train. It was all so boring its really not worth mentioning. It goes a little something like this: Nothingness, nothingness, canola fields, nothingness, more canola fields, old saloon town, dried up river bed, and so on. After a long day we reached Sydney once again, where we grabbed some greasy pizza and falafel wraps and took advantage of the dry sauna and pool at our hostel. I went to bed early and prepared myself for the next morning. In the cards?: a 12 hour train ride to Byron Bay at the crack of dawn.

Adventures Are Full of Mis-Adventures Part 2

Since Jeanie rescued us from our farm fate, we have had two relatively peaceful weeks to look for a job without incurring any expenses. Hallelujah! This has balanced the books a bit and also gave us time to re-group. Although our time has been mostly consumed with boring job applications, writing cover letters, and updating resumes, we've had a good time in Jeanie’s company.

Out the car window, on the way to Adelaide

 Last weekend we drove to Adelaide, South Australia, “the city of churches” (and strip clubs) and also " Australia's Most Livable City"- is that because of the churches or the strip clubs? Kidding...

During the 4 hour ride Jeanie taught us all of the 101 Australian ways to flip someone off on the road. Quite amusing, really! We also checked out a rather entertaining Agricultural Fair in Wentworth, where I tried pavlova for the first time, and saw a man carrying a salami stick almost as tall as him. Jeanie suspects he is trying to make up for something.

Mildura is by no means a happening place for young travelers but I must admit there are some highlights. They've got a great Backpackers store, called Aussie Disposals, that’s where I bought my newest tent- quality stuff! If you’re passing on through anyways, its worth a stop. There's also some great wine around and some good ethnic restaurants, like Thai-riffic, a classy restaurant with a modern twist on Thai classics -they make a beautiful red curry on a bed of coconut rice! 

I can't say I will miss good ol' Mildura, but I will miss Jeanie, her English/Irish vocabulary, our "DnM's" (Deep 'n' meaningfuls) and her collection of “Grumpy Old Women” DVDs. Its time to load up My Roaming Backpack for the next adventure. The destination? An alternative, “hippy” community on the east coast, otherwise known as Byron Bay.