Half a life ago

Today, it's been 6 months since I've left, and already 3 weeks since I've put my travels on hold. Maybe it's time for a little reflexion on what has changed for me. I apologize in advance if it gets too personal for the Internet, where everything must be entertaining.

By the way, I am aware of the difference between life and lifetime, I just prefer the title that way.

Honestly, apart from the fact that I live on my savings and not on a daily routine of a job in front of a computer, I don't see much difference. My problems are still with me, and I don't see any change in my character. Okay, maybe I'm a bit less temperamental, but basically, I'm still the same person that left, or at least I feel like it. Hell, even in the middle of nowhere, if there are sales, I'm turning back into the fashionista I was... As there is no one to see the change, I will probably have to wait and meet my friends again to know if I have really changed.

One of the important things for me is that when I go back to the "real" world, all the qualities that made me employable are now proven through this trip: Time management, planning and scheduling, being adaptable, becoming customer-oriented, being a quick learner, not being afraid to take important decisions on the go, and so on... The biggest improvement is definitely to be able to stand calm facing people undermining me.

And as an engineer turned barmaid in the middle of farmers, you get that sometimes...

not as much as you would elsewhere, though, because Aussies are good people...

Coming from a backpacker, this may sound uncommon to talk about the After-Travel and how to use it in the workplace, that seems like defeating the whole purpose of freeing yourself from it for a year! Nevertheless, it is still important to me, whatever place I may end up in the future workworld.

My best friend recently told me that I reminded her of Julia Roberts in Eat Pray Love. The compliment went  obviously straight to my heart, but I still didn't want to read the book, as I didn't want to be influenced by others' experience, and I had the feeling that the search for spirituality in the book was completely different from my own search. 

I actually still don't know why I left. 

Because I was turning thirty and it was my last chance to go on a working holiday visa could be reason enough. 

Because I was turning thirty and I was in search of myself? or running away from my problems? or too scared to enter a new decade without a big plan?

I really can't say. 

Anyway, when I told my friend that Australia wasn't for me as spiritual a country as India could be, she told me that a country shouldn't be spiritual, you make it spiritual. And that is very true.

She should probably write this blog instead of me... 

I have yet to see Uluru, said to be the most spiritual place in Australia, but you can find spirituality in the beautiful western coast.

You can find spirituality in so open an horizon in Victoria.

It's actually in the Top 5 things I'm going to miss in Australia

1. TimTam

2. Ginger Beer

3. Garlic Bread

4. The warm sun

5. The open horizon

You can find spirituality by talking to people who live so differently from you.

Well, anyway, after that, I finally read Eat Pray Love. Or more precisely, I devoured in a day 2/3rd of it. I want to keep the Bali part for after I've myself done Bali. I'm very happy to have read it, and I'm also very happy I waited to read it. If I've read it when it came out, I might have been inspired by the author's own personal experience, and it would have ended in a not-so-genuine wanderlust. And I'm so glad I read it, because, like all good writers, she talks to me. I was both right and wrong, her search for spirituality took a completely different path than the one I'm in, but basically, it is the genuine search of self which we have in common.
I think everybody can enjoy reading that book, but I don't think everybody can relate. For instance, my friends that are happily married, having or expecting babies probably wouldn't connect with all she's been through. And that's good for them. As for me, she's had me hooked as soon as her 109th bead, that is to say her introduction. I've laughed and cried with her, envied her sometimes and basically had a good - and unfortunately too short - reading time.

In the middle of that reading, a bittersweet moment happened: I had a Skype call with friends, and I realized how little had changed. Of course, babies are on the way, and I will have to adapt to that, but it was sweet and reassuring to see and hear them still being my friends, and not just parents or parents to be. It was bitter, though, to realize that I haven't changed a bit. I am still affected by their love and the way they look at me, and basically, what I dread at the beginning of the article, I didn't have a big epiphany on who I am and where I'm going.

Of course, it's only my vision of myself, and I still need my friends when I go back to tell me if I'm right or wrong.

It is indeed dreadful for an impatient control freak of a girl like me, who wants everything now or at least in a precise agenda. And it is made all the more excruciating by the fact that right now, my life is on hold. I am in the middle of nowhere, and since I have learned - one thing at least I've learned - to make the most of every moment and opportunity, I try to see the benefits of those two months away from my year of wandering.

Hence my search for spirituality several lines ago... 

At the same time, I'm fighting really hard to avoid becoming an apathic brooder that stays in bed 12 hours a day. Maybe I'm trying too hard; maybe, all I need is let the flow of time pass me by, but I must say that this Nowhere I am right now doesn't give me many opportunities to make it pass faster, and it's really tiring.
The only element that glues things together is knowing that so much more opportunities will arise in the not so distant future in September. And for sure, learning patience will make me change for the better.

Monkey Mia Road Trip

After ranting about how painful it is to travel around WA without a car, and seeing how especially difficult it is to go to Monkey Mia (airway is too expensive and the bus stops around 190 kms away), I decided to go on a road trip from Geraldton to Monkey Mia and return.

I went with Avis, and renting the car cost me around 150 $ for 5 days (starting on Monday afternoon), 150 kms included each day (clearly not enough, and each extra km costs 30c).

Day 1:

After a long afternoon of waiting for the Avis office to open (it was a public holiday in WA), I finally got into the car, and headed to Kalbarri, because I wanted to see the sunrise on Nature's window. And guess what? Just the next day, June 4th, some road work started on the road to... Nature's window! And apparently it will be so until October 2013. But I still had fun, met the great friends I had made the first time I went there and spend a good time there.

Day 2:

Even though the sunrise was then out of the question, I still woke up early and headed to Kalbarri National Park, to see some beautiful gorges still accessible by car. And the National Park didn't disappoint.

doesn't look like an early morning winter light, right?

After that, I arrived on the North Western Coastal Highway, and it was practically one long and boring line of a road. After refilling half a tank at the Billabong Roadhouse (25 l for around 50 $), I turned left on the World Heritage Drive of Shark Bay. And after a while, I could see the nice blue of the Indian Ocean next to the road, and simply had to stop at every lookout. That is one of the things telling me that I did well to rent a car. I couldn't have taken so many pictures if I hadn't had the opportunity to stop wherever I wanted.

And that would have been too bad...

I stopped at Denham to have a look at the "Shark Bay Discovery Centre", but as I couldn't book the scenic flight I wanted, I went on to Monkey Mia itself.

Monkey Mia is a kind of resort from the Caravan Park to the luxurious beach front cottage, and in its heart lies the Tourist Centre and the Dolphin Interaction Area. Apart from the dolphins themselves, the good thing about the location is that you can see the sunrise and the sunset from the same area. And the beaches are protected from strong surf. The bad thing... I'll come back to it later.

So after setting myself in one of the dorms of the resort, and discussing with my roommate who was a volunteer for the Dolphin Interaction Centre, I went to see the sunset on the beach.

beautiful sunset colors.

Day 3:

Early wake up call to see the dolphins feeding that starts at 8 AM, but everyone is already there at 7:30. The feeding starts with explanations on the dolphins and the local dolphin Who's Who. 

Then the volunteers arrive with the baskets of fish, make 3 or 4 people give the fish to the dolphins, and that's it. The feeding is highly limited, only 500 grms per dolphin per feeding, and only 3 feedings between 8 AM and 12 PM. 

So after the first feeding, I decided to switch to my favorite activity in Australia, that is to say: walking on the beach. 

that was rewarding

And after a morning of walking and a light lunch in the camp kitchen, I decided to give snorkelling a go.

Remember when I told you about the good things of Monkey Mia? Now the bad things: the snorkelling is just void. I only saw one fish that I nearly missed (it being white on white sand) and one starfish... And even though the surf is non existent, the current is still rather strong. The other bad thing, is that the sand is not just sand. It's also broken shells... Which doesn't make for a nice walk barefoot...

pretty, right? Try walking on it...

So after a nice little snooze on the beach, I just went back to the resort and read in the sun.

Day 4:

After another dolphin feeding in the morning, I checked out and hit the road at once, with a self catered breakfast at the Blue lagoon...

and several other stops along the way, including Shell Beach

you can't see it here, but it's entirely made of shells...

and Hamelin Pool, home of the Stromatolites:

Riding back on the same road the opposite way, I arrived in Kalbarry in the beginning of the afternoon (after another refill of half a tank for another 50 $). As the day was beautiful, I just walked along the beach in Kalbarri then chilled out after the sunset with the guys of the YHA around several beers.

Day 5

After another early morning, I checked out of the YHA and decided to have a look at the coastal cliffs of Kalbarri.

Worth it...

Then I headed back to Geraldton, via Northampton, which was a pretty nice drive.

After giving back the keys to the car to Avis, I took the bus from Geraldton to Cervantes, where I will spend the next 3 weeks, before heading back to Sydney to hopefully find a job there to help me finance my trip to NZ in October. So I fear this blog will be on hiatus until September, which will be quite eventful with Uluru and Bali.

See you then!

WA! The Red North

The Red North

After South West Australia, I didn't know what to expect of the wild wilde north west, and that's exactly why I fell so much in love with it. It is so wild, so wide, so preserved and genuine - and so are the people there, that it was impossible for me not to.

The Red North

Kalbarri

Aah, Kalbarri... I spent such an amazing time there that it's the only place I came back to. I met wonderful people, the weather was so nice, and there are so many things to do! Kayaking, sunset cruising, walking the trail of the National Park... And of course, horseback riding. I write "of course", because I actually worked for a couple of weeks at the Big River Ranch during the school holidays, guiding the rides along the Murchinson River, and it was just great... Living for a while a life I often dreamed of is truly priceless. 

The town is at the mouth of the Murchinson river, allowing a lot of water activities and there are great surfing spots and ocean cliffs around. My description might seem poor, but I really recommend experiencing the tranquil charm of this beautiful place. In their "winter", the temperature is still around 30°C, while in summer, the heat in the National Park can go up to 50°C!

Exmouth

Just like Kalbarri, Exmouth is a small country town, but unlike Kalbarri, there's not much to do apart from water activities around the Ningaloo Reef. Exmouth lies on the East side of the peninsula, where the coast is unremarkable, meaning you need a car to enjoy Cape Range National Park, the Ningaloo Reef and the sunset, which are a good 50 km on the West side. I spent 3 weeks there, and I really enjoyed the low pace and the calm of the YHA.

Three important things to experience in Exmouth, from the least to the most:

- snorkelling at Oyster Stacks on a high tide, it is simply amazingly rich with underwater life. People usually stop at Turquoise Bay, because the beach is pristine, but you definitely should go on 5 more km to Oyster Stacks and enjoy the life there...

Turquoise Bay honors its name...

- swim with whalesharks. It is very expensive, around 380 $ for a full day including one snorkelling and swimming with the whaleshark. For the good of this wonderful fish, it is very regulated, that is to say one boat can only stay one hour with one whaleshark, and you cannot dive with them, just swim on the surface. But if you're lucky, you can spot more than one shark, and at the end of May, people were lucky enough to spot some Manta Rays and Humpbacks as well. So on the whole, it is a great experience.

- Dive in the Navy Pier. It is said to be one of the Top 10 dives in the world, and frankly, it lives up to this reputation. The setting is so amazing, and the waters are so rich with life that you simply cannot believe your eyes. My favorite moment: when a nurse shark came circling around us for a good 5 minutes. And it is cleary the best safety stop I've ever done in my life!

Broome

Risking to cross some people's opinions, I didn't like Broome, that's why I didn't stay long. The weather is rather hot during the dry season (fyi, there is no wet season in Exmouth, it only rains 30 days a year), and the town itself is cut in half by the airport, so wherever you are, you can always hear planes landing or taking off. 

But first I need to tell you how to get there. There is one overnight bus, on Wednesdays and Fridays, costing 200 $ and lasting 16h to go across the 1300 km separating Exmouth from Broome. I always thought people were exaggerating when they were scared of overnight bus drivers not driving straight. I mean, those drivers are obviously well trained professionals, and if there were any risks of accidents, we would have heard of them, and the company would have become bankrupt, right? At least, that's what I always thought, and why I always blindly trusted my life in their hands.

But let me tell you how Integrity Coach line works: There are two drivers, and they depart Perth the day before (so Tuesdays and Thursdays), and arrive in Broome on the morning of Thursdays and Saturdays. They have one day to rest, and go back the same way on the evening of Thursdays and Saturdays. Just to tell you how tired or superhuman they should be, and the roads in Western Australia are notoriously long, straight and boring... Let's just say that the uncomfortable position in which to sleep became the uncomfortable position allowing me the least harm in case of a crash, as the driver kept driving in zigzags during the night.

Anyway, I came out of this ordeal alive, and I really didn't like the atmosphere of the town. The YHA was full of young backpackers working and partying, some parts of the town are 100% aboriginal, and despite the roadsigns stating "no alcohol", they were still drunk and aggressive.

It was actually the first place in Australia I didn't feel safe walking at night.

Besides, honestly, Cable Beach is not that great a beach. Of course, I missed the Staircase to the Moon, but I wasn't feeling like staying 2 weeks there, so I just took a walk around the japanese cemetry and Chinatown - including Matso's Brewery serving amazing ginger beer and mango beer.

So on the whole, I really enjoyed Western Australia, especially with the warm weather up north., and when I come back in Australia, I will definitely prioritize this part of the country, and this time, with a 4WD van!

Next: the roadtrip to Monkey Mia

Reading List

When you travel, you have a lot of time to read, between the buses, the planes, the connexions... And if you're lucky enough to have a kindle or any other kind of electronic reading device, you have enough books at your disposal for 300 lives.

As you can see on the right of this blog, my reading list is getting longer and longer, but today I want to talk about Manuscript Found in Accra, by Paulo Coelho.

I love Paulo Coelho, I've loved all his books, except maybe The Winner stands alone, but only because I found it hard to get into the main character, but nevertheless, it was a good "exercice de style", as we say in French. So when he posted on his blog extracts from his latest book, I knew I would love it. And that I did.

I mean, I'm not even half way through, and I felt compelled to write about it, isn't that proof enough?

This book is the kind of book you think is written especially for you. It talks about hardships, love, defeat, beauty, solitude, adventures on the path of Life and so on, and even though God's presence is often there, it also inspire non-believers like me. It is exactly the kind of book I would recommend anyone who has taken a step forward, out of their comfort zone, to live the dream, whichever dream that may be. It's like every sentence could be used as an inspirational quote for Zenpencils.

So, seriously, read it. And don't hesitate to leave your impressions of the book in the Comment section!

NB: even the man's blog is inspirational, he really is like a role model for me. He is the Copt.

WA!

Western Australia is all kinds of frustrating. I mean, it is so big, you just can't see everything. And it's particularly true if you don't have a car. Every day, I felt the frustration of not having a car, but I simply don't have the budget, and I just have to trust how far my feet can lead me. Once again, one of the things that put me off is... everything I planned. It may sound contradictory, but if I hadn't planned anything, I would probably have been more efficient in my travels.

As I already told you, Australians don't bother with the complicated things. After having cut the East in 3 states and one territory, they cut the center in two, and finally left the west as a whole state. So on this big chunk of the continent, I concentrated my travels between the south coast and the north coast.

Green South
My vision of the Green South Western Australia is reduced to the triangle formed by Perth, Esperance and Margaret River. As the title suggests, the paddocks are actually green, and not a dry yellow like in South Australia.

Esperance
Esperance is not a city you pass by or go to by chance. You must really want to go there to see it. There are regular buses from Perth, but not daily, and the plane via Skywest is quite expensive. And as far as I know, it's as far East in WA as you can go if you don't have a car.
Also, if you don't have a car, you can't go to Cape Legrand NP, as it is some 50 kms away from the city, and if the pictures don't lie and the coast is as beautiful as it was near Esperance, it's really worth it, you should really do it. I didn't, because renting a car wasn't on the budget, and I am not fit enough to try to go there by bike. So I just did what was available by foot.
The Pink Lake is about 12 kms from the YHA, and you have to have a clear day to really see it pink, and even then, it depends on the alga's mood at the time whether you will see it at its "pinkest". I didn't.

you can see the reflection is colored, but it's not as pink as it could be...

But I was glad I walked the extra mile on the side of the road, because it was still worth seeing.
After that, I walked back in the city, and followed one the "10 000 steps" walks that Esperance suggests to its inhabitants to stay fit and be active, which led me to West Beach.

one of the many perfect beaches in WA

Albany
I didn't stay much in Albany, because the weather wasn't very nice at that time, but compared to Esperance, it is a bit livelier, and the city is proud of its "First Settlement" origins. Also, there is a bit more to see, as the city is caught between the coast and the mountains. Fun fact, from Albany on, I mostly met backpackers at the end of their first WHV, waiting on their second one, as if Western Australia was left for the end of the trip.

Margaret River
The road from Albany to Margaret River (via Bunburry) was beautiful. Once again, Highway 1 didn't disappoint, and you drive along impressive Karri forests. And once in Margaret River, well, you quickly realize there is so much to do here! Surfing (of course), skate boarding, horse riding, rock climbing, abseiling, caving, trekking... And for WHV holders, it is also well organized for work in vineyards.

I personally chose a full day tour with rock climbing and abseiling around the Tourist Drive 250 and the Leeuwin Naturaliste National Park. First we went climbing on the Wilyabrup cliffs, right in the middle of the Cape to Cape trail, with a beautiful coastal landscape.

We then had lunch at Cowaramup Bay, in Gracetown, a good spot for surfing - and spotting dolphins very close to the shore!
In the afternoon, we went abseiling in one of the 290 caves in the Leeuwin Naturaliste NP, a cave called Bride Cave only accessible via abseiling, and it was gorgeous, like an untouched patch of Earth full of history... Even though the Fossil Cave in Naracoorte was more glamourous, this experience is one of the best I had of the Green South.

Fremantle
Fremantle is a pretty suburban harbor south of Perth, accessible via TransPerth train (11$ return) or via the river ferry (much more expensive, but apparently worthwhile). The city is charming, but should not take more than a day trip from Perth. The real attraction (to me, anyway) was the Little Creatures brewery, which offers visits of the brewery (at 1, 2 and 3 PM), and a good Beer and Food experience at the edge of the harbor.

Perth
I must say that I didn't enjoy Perth as much as I should have.
On my first stop there, I went to an orchestra performed by the Western Australia Orchestra, which was quite good.
On my second stop, one of the friends I made earlier took me to the Hillarys and woodvale, with a great atmosphere.
On my third stop, I decided to try an indoor climbing structure called Hangout in Bayswater, a nice and quiet neighborhood.
Just like Melbourne, I think Perth is a city you really discover when you actually live in it. I only saw a bit of it, but I found it very promising.

Next is: The Red North