Meeting Boghans - Traveling Aussie style

So our huge Maui Camper van turned into a home of sorts for at least 10 days. We were able to put our clothes away in the cubby holes and cook our own meals. Plus we had a great time just traveling the way Aussies do on summer vacation. We left Sydney on the 26th and spent that first night in a rest stop on the side of the road. It was an interesting experience, we were attempting to do what all the posters on the side of the roads say and "not sleep and drive." Odd? Yes, but effective. We got to Jack's other first cousin's house that morning and geared up for a day of sight-seeing in Lake Cathie (pronounced cat high). We drove down Ghost Rode, named so because of the white trees, and up to a lookout on the highest mountain, or hill, in the area. We had some fine fish and chips while we chatted with his cousin Fiona before heading back to her place and napping before dinner.



Dinner that night was wonderful. We ate lobster and prawns again (seems like a true Aussie summer meal) and pulled crackers to celebrate (my first time pulling real cracker with a present inside). What we were celebrating I do not know - but it was close to the new year and I think they were left over. It was great to meet his family, especially his great aunt Joan, who shared some wonderful photos of Jack's grandfather as a boy.

The next few days were spent walking on the beach, fishing in a lake system in a small metal boat (Jack did the fishing, I just watched really), and visiting a zoo of sorts called Billabong Sanctuary, where we walked with kangaroos and petted koalas. We also saw wombats and cassowaries (small versions of Ostriches really). It was a lot of fun, but seeing them all in the wild was much better. On Ghost Road the night before we saw a a whole bunch of wild kangaroos - jumping really high and fast to get clear of the lights from the car, it was crazy.



We then headed up the coast towards Lenox Head and Byron Bay which were packed with tourists! We stopped at other places along the way in the Sunshine and Gold Coasts, just as a storm was headed our way.
Here is a break in the clouds!


We made it to just north of Brisbane for New Years, where we spent an incredibly rainy night in our camper van. We pulled to the side of the road, near where fireworks were supposed to go off, to cook our Indian dinner and open our beers. The rain was pouring down and the fireworks were cancelled. So we headed back to the camp site for the night and spent an absolutely lovely evening drinking Champagne and playing games. It was so much fun, and the perfect was to celebrate an anniversary for us - we've known one another for four years, having met New Year's Eve 2003.



We then spent the next few days traveling up the coast, avoiding the rain when possible and attempting to site see. We made it to an Aboriginal Cultural Center near Rockhampton called Dreamtime. Although mentioned as one of the best in the country, we were a bit disappointed with the lack of overall information on Aborigines. Despite that, we had our share of didgeridoo playing and boomerang throwing - I was quite good :)

Before we got to Townsville, where we met up with our friend Josh again, we headed out to the Whitsundays for a couple of days. It was gorgeous there, and no rain. We took a boat out to the reef for an afternoon and went snorkeling. Although Jack and I expected much more color in the coral, the fish were fantastic. Plus it got us riled up for our scuba diving lessons in Thailand. We've decided that when we go back to Australia, it will be to scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef.

We then spent a few days with Josh in Townsville and got to see the school where my friend Jackie teaches and their new home. It was splendid. I have to admit, there is no way I could live in Townsville, being in the tropics and extremely hot all year, but it was great to see their home there and the life they have together. We also got to experience Josh's fabulous cooking and share our experience with the Boghans!

So in Melbourne Jackie told me all about Boghans. Which, as she described it, were simply sketchy people who tended to have rat tails or mullets. I didn't really understand what she meant - that is, until I saw some for myself. It was in one of the many camp sites we stayed at along the way. This particular one was perfectly nice, with a pool, Internet, laundry and an outdoor grill. I first noticed the family because of the cute kids (I'm a sucker for cute kids) who happened to all have shaved heads except for the tuft of hair at the bottom (i.e. mullets). Then there was mom and dad: mom held a baby of about 18 months and dad was wearing boots, cutoffs and a flannel shirt (also cut off). I was suspicious. Then, without warning the mom got into the pool and started breastfeeding her 18 month old! Right there! I was convinced - these were the infamous Boghans. Josh agreed they must. So there it is folks.

After our trip to Townsville we flew to Darwin for a few days, where we tried to relax, take long walks, and went to see some Crocs!

In between we took in a movie and stocked up on items we would not be able to find in south east Asia. I think we were both ready to move on and travel by bus, plane, and boat again!

Now onto our 7 weeks traveling in Brunei, Malaysia, Thailand, etc.