Second Day In Launceston

(Originally Dated Dec 22, 2010)

EVEN BETTER than the first. That being said, let me talk about 8 person dorm hostels. It's tough sharing quarters with 8 other people. Especially when the one in the bunk below you snores and farts all night. The guy across from you goes to bed really late, has a super bright flashlight and decides to go through all his things rearranging what sounded to be bags full of plastic bags. You know that crinkly sound that plastic bags make?! Even worse when the same guy decides to get up super early and do the same thing. What really made it worth it though, was listening to the young Canadian lad I met, who had been drinking all day and night with an Aussie native, politely turn her down as she pleaded with him for a good 10 mins to go to bed with her. Truly a memorable night!

The night aside, and a beautiful day ahead, I made my way back to Cataract Gorge. Finding the previous days trail of solitude a little more crowded I headed to a point in the trail I remembered from the previous day where an unmarked path branched off. It headed even further into the national park and obviously not part of the usual tourist hike. After disappearing from view of the main trail I was quickly brought to a dead end, but don't fret my adventure hungry friends. This end was truly a beginning.

I was lead into a large clearing marked with large tufts of tall grass. I crouched and crept slowly into the clearing, minding my steps and keeping close to the grass patches. If my instincts were right...... yes, they were! Wallaby crap! Quite a bit of it too. I paused and raised my head slightly above the grass line and scanned the field.

I break for a moment to describe the task which I set before myself. Wallabies are very small. Nothing close to what you would expect when you think of their cousins, the kangaroo. Their light brown fur and darker faces blend nearly perfectly with the Tasmanian terrain and play of light and shadow amongst the plants and grasses. Extended periods of time i the Canadian wilderness had prepared me for this though.

There it was! 100 meters away I spotted my Camera's prey. A slightly out of place figure that was soon to make my day. Not wishing to scare the wallaby off I continued to stay low and quiet amongst the grass. Also mindful that there could be more hidden en route to my current target. I zig zagged slowly through the grass, stopping to take the occasional photo on my approach. Half way there a small twig snapped beneath my foot. I froze, did he hear it?! I peered above the grass just enough to see my friend blissfully unaware of my presence. Then, to my left, a rustle in the grass just 5 feet away. The grass was thicker here, and harder to see what was right in front of me, let along to move without being heard. I lightly rustled back. Did it work? Yes, I caught his attention. A small head stuck up to have a look. We stared at each other for a moment, in silence. In my head I knew this was not my photo-op. The grass was too thick and the wallaby too well camouflaged. I moved to continue on, the wallaby instantly bounded off in the opposite direction. The pounding of the ground audible each time he hit. Excited now, I continued on with more resolve. Slowly I crept until my path became blocked by a small swampy area. It stretched around me in all directions. I paused to evaluate my situation. I could make it across, but risked exposing my position. So I waited. It wasn't long before I had my opportunity. The wallaby fully turned his back to me. I wasted no time, I leapt across the swamp, fully visible. I landed softly without a sound, back on solid ground. I ducked behind the first grass patch. I was now mere steps from where I wanted to be. The problem now, was the wallaby had his back completely to me, not the best photo. Finally the wallaby turned, I unloaded shot after shot until he eventually took notice and leapt into the forest. Mission accomplished.

This chance encounter brought with it another opportunity. I had been lead straight to a game trail. I followed it and spent the next couple hours exploring the peaceful Tasmanian wilderness. I eventually made it back to town, with just enough time to eat, organise my things and catch my bus for Bicheno.

Mantracker Always Gets His Wallaby

(Originally dated Dec 21, 2010)

I am semi-officialy giving up my Mantracker status. Upon returning to the Americas I will re-adopt it. Just seems more appropriate in a land of larger wildlife like moose and bears. Until then, I am TASMAN!

I arrived in Launceston, Tasmania today. Flying over the island I saw an expanse of untouched wilderness. It was remarkable. Kilometres of untouched beach and forest spread out before me. Launceston has not disappointed me either. After getting off the plane I found the airport shuttle. Luckily it does drop-offs exactly where you want. Even more fortunate was the fact that there were a lot of locals getting dropped off before me. Why is this a good thing, you ask? Because I basically got a free tour of the town.

At the hostel I was told check in would not be until 2pm. Seeing as it was only about 10am I had some time to kill. I roamed the town exploring, but mostly in search of food. Afer a very thorough maunder through town I headed for Cataract Gorge National Park. This was truly a magical hike through the Tasmanian wilderness. A large portion of the trail did have a lot of foot traffic, but it didn't take me long to find the trail less travelled. At the end of the "family/tourist" trail, where most people looped back around to the beginning, there was a sign pointing further on. It was a long hike which most likely deterred most from continuing on... just what I wanted. For the 2 hours I hiked the lonely trail I encountered only 5 other people. It was sheer tranquility and peace. It was just me, the wilderness and my sporty camera. I put racing stripes on it to make it look more cool and aerodynamic. Not a true story. Along the way I saw a lot of skinks, one baby bearded dragon, a wallaby and all sorts of colourful birds. One of the most interesting things was coming across a large section of the woods teeming with cicadas. The noise was so loud that I of course left the trail to trek off into the woods and see what all the fuss was about. The trees were covered by thousands of large cicadas, 2-3 times the size of the ones at home in Canada. I've never seen anything like it. As I journeyed on I came to an old abandoned power station and a suspension bridge spanning the gorge to turn me back on my way to town. The return leg had nothing special to mention, but was equally as visually appealing. Overall, the perfect way to spend the afternoon. I may go back tomorrow, weather permitting.

You should have seen the other guy...

Top 10 Reasons to Not Start Drinking at 4pm (originally dated Dec 19, 2010)

1. That is a damn clean pane of glass. While many people do this completely sober, I managed to pull it off whilst being slightly intoxicated... slightly. That's right, at full speed I walked straight into a clear glass door. I have the bruise on my nose to prove it!

2. Was that my floor, or my super tight jeans. One of the many other hazards of a rough night is smashing your phone. To be fair, the phone was already pretty banged up. It just needed that final blow. What I'm not sure of is if that final blow was from falling flat on my ass or if my tight jeans were really tight enough to squeeze that final breath of life out of the phone as I busted a move out on the dance floor.

3. At least it was my bed and it was empty. Though I am aware of my amazing sense of direction, it always astonishes me when I am able to get home with no help from anybody else.... that's right, no help.... except for Gavin who made sure I got on the right train..... but no help from anybody else!

4. My head hurts. In most cases I would say headaches are due to excessive drinking. In this case I must refer back to reason #1. That damn clear glass door. Who cleans windows that well anyway... jeez!

5. Whoever remembers these things anyway. Reason 5 refers to the fact that I actually don't have reasons 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. I'm sure they exist, I just don't recollect what they may be.

6. Um

7. Hmm

8. What?

9. Fizzbots

10. .....

The Empire Blogs Back

I like Star Wars! The next couple of posts were actually written in my journal, cause I didn't have a computer to post at the time. So, I will be including the original written date with the post!

Astronomy lesson

Since I was a young lad I've always had a fascination with the stars and the universe. If you know me, then you probably know that. As many of you know, or can deduce, there is a completely different visible sky in the southern hemisphere. The constellation Orion is completely upside down from this perspective, really threw me off the first time I saw it, although I did expect it. The most exciting thing for me to see though was the Large and Small Magellenic Clouds.

The Magellenic Clouds are irregular shaped galaxies, very near to our Milky Way. Until 1994, they were the closest known galaxies to our own. The Sagittarius Dwarf Elliptical Galaxy was discovered to orbit much closer though, only 70,ooo light years distance from earth, compared to the Large and Small Clouds which are approximately 150,000 and 200,000 light years away. After all these years being so fascinated by the clouds, I finally saw them. At 4:30am I stepped outside into the night, looked up and saw them clear as day. They were bright, I did not have to strain, or get out a star chart. I knew they would be easy to spot, but not that easy. I was very excited and wanted to tell somebody, but only Winston the cat was there. He was far more interested in the bowl of food I had just put down for him. I've seen them a couple times since, and every time and happy to stand and stare, despite the ridiculous hour at which I'm viewing them.

Magellenic Clouds and breathalizers

What an exciting weekend! What started out looking like a pretty uneventful few days actually turned out to be a little bit of alright. Friday night Gavin and I headed out to Emma's family home in the country, to celebrate her birthday. It was fantastic, they had and outdoor wood stove, and a fridge..... with beer..... always awesome! The pizzas were all made from scratch and all tasted great! A little toooo great, definitely ate too much. I have a hard time saying no to food, if its really tasty. On the ride home, we were stopped by a booze bust. It is very different from at home. Everybody gets pulled over, and no questions are asked. You blow, or you're busted! It was really quick, unlike the breathalizers at home, you only have to blow for about 5 seconds for the officers to get a reading. It was very productive and highly organized, most impressive! With no wait, no fuss, and of course no alcohol, we were on our way in no time.

Saturday started out looking to be a nice relaxing day in, but instead turned into 2 BBQs and one long night of dancing. First was a work related BBQ for Gavin, next a few friends, when we got back to his place there was already a bunch of people over and the party was just getting started. All in all a great Saturday.

So what does this have to do with Magellenic Clouds you ask? Nothing! They're just really cool, tune in again for my next instalment (literally just about 2 minutes from now) and I'll teach you all about the Magellenic Clouds.

A phenominal weekend

Wow, what a great weekend! After dealing with quite a bit of rain throughout the week, the sun decided to finally show for the whole weekend. Friday night I joined Gavin and Andrew at their Flight Centre Christmas party, which consisted of lawn bowling and drinks. I have to say though, there was not so much lawn bowling as there was drinks hahaha. Met a lot of really nice and interesting people.

Yesterday, being Saturday, we took a limo into the Yarra Valley wine region, about an hour outside of Melbourne. We went to the Rochefort winery for a concert series called A Day on the Green. There, sitting surrounded by grapes, we watched 4 groups, most notably Blondie and The Pretenders, perform. It was a great day, with great weather and SOOOO much wine. Absolutely outsatnding. The whole day began at 1pm and didn't end until I got home around 1am. I have to say though, hoooo it was soooooo hot yesterday.... so hot!!!!

Today we rose slightly earlier than I would have liked, to have breaky at Emma's place. It was a fantastic meal with lots of great company. Everything about this place, so far, is so great. It's a beautiful sunny day today, so after this post, and uploading some photos, I'm going to take advantage of the great weather and do something outside!

Bogans, bushpigs and wogs... oh my!

So far, I am absolutely loving the language down here! Yeah, it's mostly english as we know it, but then there are just all these special words. I have to admit though, a lot of them are derogatory hahaha. Bogans, bushpigs and wogs are all terms used to describe the lower ends of society... but boy are they fun to say.

There are many other subtle differences though. Instead of "how are you doing", people say "how are you going". Which always makes me think of those awkward times when somebody asks you "how's it going" and you respond "how are you.... going". Well that's completely normal here!

So far, everybody is really friendly here. The use of the word mate is as frequently used as we believe it to be, which I think is amazing! Instead of saying thank you, most people simply shorten it to "ta"... what a time saver. Absolutely brilliant!

I've of course learned the bar lingo too. Here in the state of Victoria a glass, small glass not a pint, is called a "pot". Outside of Victoria, however, this is called a "schooner". What a wonderful world of language I'm experiencing here. I look forward to sharing more words in the future!

"Back in blog"

I apologize for the brief break in my posts. I have moved to a new house, here in Melbourne, where I don't have internet access. My first weekend in Australia was a total blast. I met a lot of Gavin's mates as we partied through the entire weekend.

On Monday, Gavin took me out into the country to a town called Wangaratta. Nothing too exciting about it, except that Gavin had a shop to visit and it gave me a good opportunity to see a new place. Along the way we saw many interesting birds, parrots, macaws and flocks of cockatoos.

The weather has been absolutely bizarre. In a one hour span the city can go from rain to sun, to rain, back to sun and then finally settling back on rain. Imagine what the course of a day is like! It makes it tough to plan out what to do. Getting caught in the rain is never a good idea, but it really pours here. Fortunately, Tuesday was such a nice day and I spent the majority of the day on the beach. It's a beautiful walk from where I am, in a suburb called Brighton, to the beach. Because the beach stretches a good portion of Melbourne, it is also never very crowded.

Today I began assisting Gavin and Andrew with the website for their up and coming business website, Grundi Tours. I will be helping them enter important tour data onto the site as much as possible for their expected launch in January.

This weekend will be really exciting. Along with a bunch of Gavin's friends, we'll be taking a limo to a winery about an hour outside of Melbourne to see Blondie and The Pretenders in concert. Should be an absolute blast!

Drive thru liquor and other architectural wonders

Yesterday, I took a stroll through the downtown area of Melbourne, or CBD (central business district) as it is called here. I did not take my camera as it was raining for most of the day. Getting to the CBD was easy. There is a fantastic and easy to navigate train system set up throughout the city. Gavin's suburb, called Prarhan (pronounced per-ran) is only a 10 minute ride to the central station on Flinder's Street. Tomorrow I will be moving into a new residence another few minutes down the line in a suburb called Brighton.

Upon entering the city, it was clear that Melbourne is a city that prides itself on architecture. The Eureka building, tallest building in the southern hemisphere, has golden windows at the top strategically placed so that at the right time of day the sun will hit them and cast a beam of light across the city. There is a mix of modern versus old. Century old buildings found amongst the most modern of designs add a unique flavour and keep your attention around every corner. All the streets are lined with shop after shop, restaurants and places to have a drink, a big aspect of Melbourne culture.

There are very few limits on drinking in this city. It is accepted at anytime of the day, and in many public areas. As Gavin and I strolled through the Royal Botanical Gardens, on our way back to his place, I could already picture myself coming back on a sunny day, a bottle of wine in one hand and a pen and paper in the other. What better way to get the creative writing juices flowing?! So popular is drinking here, that there is actually a drive thru liquor store. It's true, I saw it with my own eyes!! There is a liquor store just up the street from Gavin's, called Dan Murphys, larger than any I have ever seen. It was the size of a supermarket... come to think of it, it is actually bigger than the supermarket just up the street from it. The selection of wines was more than I could process, and unbelievably cheap. I know I'll have my work cut out for me, trying to taste them all. I've also tried some delightfully named beers. So far, Fat Yak and Mountain Goat. Next on the list is Blue Tongue.

After bravely walking home from the CBD in the rain we went to check out the place I'll be living at for the next month, then had sushi for dinner with some of Gavin's mates. After that I was ready for sleep.... curse the jetlag. Today was pretty uneventful, since it mostly rained again, but tonight should be a blast. Gavin and I are attending a Movember Gala along the southbank of the Yarra river, which runs through Melbourne. Bottoms up!

... and now, back to predator week

"Hello, and welcome back to the show. This week we've been tracking the elusive jetlag. The jetlag is a ferocious hunter, undetectable by most until it's completely on top of them. Jetlag tricks its prey by lulling it into a sense of being awake and in peak physical condition. When the prey least expects it, the jetlag strikes. The victim is consumed in a matter of moments. Before they know it, their eyes feel heavy, conversation becomes difficult and the only thought running through the victim's mind is SLEEP! Today we have with us recent victim, Ryan. How are you today?"

"Well you know, for the moment I feel great, like I could hike up a mountain."

"So tell us, Ryan, when did you know you had fallen prey to a jetlag?"

"It's like you say, it gets you out of nowhere, when you least expect it. After just arriving in Melbourne, feeling great, I decided to walk around for the afternoon and check out the city. After a couple hours I went back to my friend's place. Before I could even sit on the couch, I was overwhelmed. Jetlag just grabbed me out of nowhere, I couldn't help but succumb to it and pass out."

"That's crazy! Was your friend there with you at the time? Did he do anything to help?"

"No, he just laughed at me and encouraged me to sleep. It was as if he himself was on jetlag's side."

"Wow, well how do you feel now, Ryan? Do you feel like you've finally escaped jetlag's claws?"

"Yes, in fact I feel great... I've.... def.... so sleepy..."

"Ryan! Ryan, are you okay?? Oh my gosh, are you getting this on camera? Keep rolling! ladies and gentleman..."

"Do you...*yawn*... have a couch I could...*yawn*... lay down on?"

"Ladies and gentleman, right before our very eyes, we have caught the jetlag. Wow, I never saw that coming. Just, out of nowhere... I'm speechless. Can somebody find Ryan a couch, a mattress, or a nice spot on the beach for him to sleep? There you have it folks, after a week of tracking, we've finally witnessed this predator in action. Jetlag... it'll get ya!"

Never a dull moment

Yesterday was my first day in Melbourne. What an amazing place. Already I'm in love. Not 15 minutes away is a beach stretching for kilometres. A pier projects out into the bay, at the end of which lives an actual penguin colony. That's right, penguins. I LOVE PENGUINS!!!! The adults venture out to sea during the day and come back at night. The babies remain, mostly hidden amongst the rocks, but not so much so that I couldn't see them. One had actually wandered out a bit and was just sitting beside the walkway, close enough to pick up and hold. It is of course prohibited to handle them, as they are wild and too much human interaction could affect their livelihood.

The day went on with a stroll along the beach, occasionally stopping to enjoy a beer on a patio. It was mostly overcast, but that didn't stop the sun from giving me a good burn! Lesson learned. First stop on the way home was the chemist (or pharmacy, as we call it in Canada) for some sun tan lotion. It didn't take long, after arriving back at Gavin's condo, for the jet lag, sun, beers and an afternoon of strolling to catch up with me. Most of the afternoon I spent in and out of sleep, trying to readjust myself to the new timezone by staying up as late as I possibly could. I mad it to about 9pm, but I was definitely ready for bed at that point. All things considered, I think I did pretty well. Before going to bed, I glanced out the window at the city skyline. I noticed the silhouette of a seagull sized bird flying towards me. As it got closer, though, I noticed it wasn't a bird at all, it was in fact a giant fruit bat!!! I've never seen such a large bat, it was amazing. Sometime soon I will be heading to a garden they populate to see the colony. All in all, it was an amazing first day. I can't wait for all the exciting things to come in the next few months.

The first class treatment

WOW! My first class treatment all began in San Francisco. The lounge was small, but full of free foods and drinks and internet and such. It was a nice place to chill while waiting for my flight. Then came the call for boarding.

As I approached the gate I could see a long line had already formed. Naturally, being one of the regular folks, I got in line. That's when I recognised somebody from the lounge going through another door..... with no line-up. I was on the plane in no time!

As I approached the door of the plane I watched as all the passengers were directed to the right with only a "1st aisle please" or "2nd aisle please". When I handed my ticket to attendant, "Ahh, Mr. Atwill, you will be up this way." I turned to the left. It was as if I had been admitted into a secret club. I marvelled at the space, my seat which turned into a bed, my own completely adjustable tv, a bag on my seat which included an extra pair of socks for the plane so I could sit back and relax for the 14ish hour flight. Need I go on? Okay, as soon as I sat down I was offered a glass of champagne while we waited for the plane to take off, then asked what I would like as a drink after taking off. I think they were trying to get me drunk!

I was painfully clear, to anybody that looked at me, that this was my first time in first class. I must have had the look of a child discovering something for the first time. I quickly made myself comfortable and after take off, enjoyed a wonderful meal with wine, then proceeded to transform my chair into a bed and passed out!

I awoke to the cabin lights coming on. A bit groggy and completely unaware of any time, I turned my tv to check on the flight progress. WHOA!!?? we were only an hour and 50 mins from Auckland. The flight, along with November 23rd, completely vanished. I slept for the whole thing..... amazing! I was served breakfast and had just enough time to tidy myself up and before I knew it I was on the ground.

Being a pro first classer now, I immediately made my way to the lounge. No detours, no stops, straight on into the best party in the airport... except it is 7am, so no liquor, only orange juice. The lounge here is much larger and has showers, which believe me are a necessity after so long in transit. Probably more so for the people around me than myself hahaha. So now I await my final first class flight from Auckland to Melbourne.... I have seen the light, it is called first class.

A message from Sally Struthers

Every year, every day, people from all around the world fall victim to a most tragic event... THE INTERNATIONAL DATELINE!

Hi, I'm Sally Struthers and I'm here to talk to you about an affliction affecting so many people, losing an entire day in time. I know what you're thinking, it's not possible, it's too horrible a thing that it couldn't be real. Look at Ryan though, this year he will completely lose November 23rd. Gone. As if it never existed.... but you can help!

Help raise awareness of international dateline-itis by experiencing it for yourself. This year, visit a friend in Australia, i.e. Ryan. Show him you care by missing an entire day in time to visit. You know it's the right thing to do, act now!

Just Getting Started

Please excuse the mundane appearance of the blog at this time. I plan to set it up a little better when I have the time to do so. I am right now sitting in the first class lounge of San Francisco airport waiting for my flight. I figured I would take advantage of the free internet access, you know, not the "free" but only if you pay kinda internet offered in the rest of the airport, but really free access hahaha! At any rate, expect improvements SOON!