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Currently I'm in Nambucca Heads, which is in the state of New South Wales and is about 8 hours north of Sydney. Yesterday Christian (Austrian travel buddy) and I left Newcastle after spending a few days there. Newcastle had some nice beaches and marina. I saw one enormous boat worth $100 million in USD there which is owned by an American billionaire. It would be a workout just to get from end to end on this boat. We also went to another wildlife reserve in Newcastle where we saw your token Aussie animals - koalas, emus, wombats. I tried surfing at a beach in Newcastle. I didn't realize it was so hard! I'm not sure who finds this sport enjoyable because it wasn't my idea of a good time to get smashed in the face with one wave after another. I may try it again with an instructor who will actually swim out beyond the breaking waves with me. We got free surfing lessons from the hostel we were staying at. After 10 minutes of instruction, the instructor told us to get into the water. After a few minutes of trying to make my move beyond the breaking waves, I looked back to see that the instructor had already left! Well, it was a free lesson afterall! Needless to say, I'm not going to be making my living by surfing. Christian was a far better surfer than me. He actually got out beyond the breaking waves and cruised in on a few waves although just on his knees.
I've experienced my first time on a Greyhound bus here. I think these buses are as old and outdated as the ones I've seen in the US but I have an Aussie Pass with Greyhound here which allows me to hop on and off whenever I want on the east coast. This is a very convenient way for backpackers without a car, like me, to get up the coast.
The farm Christian and I are at now is definitely off the beaten path! We had to take taxi here from the local bus stop and we had to hike on a gravel track into the forest with all of our luggage to find the house. These people here live in a house that used to be a convent. It has stained glass windows of saints, nice high ceilings, and hardwood floors. I'm not sure what nuns would have done out here in the secluded bush. Perhaps lots of praying and meditation to protect them from all the critters lerking in the forest! There is an enormous spider in the corner of the house that I noticed right off the bat when I entered the house. I've been told it's not poisonous. I don't want to find out if that is true or not. At night I hear all sorts of noises from all the birds and others animals outside. It is very peaceful here with no neighbors in sight. The people here are so strange. They are probably some of the weirdest people I have ever met. One afternoon Phil, the caretaker of the farm, told me that he saw people who weren't really there! And, the 26 year old son of the owner of the place told me of his recent encounters with UFOs. The son also doesn't respond to direct questions at times. This place is crazy!! I'm so glad I'm traveling with someone else! After working today we are going to catch a lift to the nearby beach. This Friday is Australia Day which is a public holiday. We're hoping to join in on some festivities up the coast.
Random Observations:
When you go into a deli and order a sandwich, they always put butter on it!
They refer to math in school as maths because they don't have separate classes for like geometry or alegra. All math classes are taught in one general class.
They call all Americans Yanks even if I say I'm from the South, which doesn't mean anything to them.
Voting is mandatory here, which I think is good.
Jelly is jello here. They've never hear of Jello!
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