destination: australia

it's a totally inhospitable place, you shouldn't be here, the sun, you live about three quarters of a mile from it, i've seen insects walking around with kneepads, you fling yourselves into the sea when you're not actually walking around audibly crackling in the heat and the sea is full of jellyfish and sharks and other things who hate you, but you persist in living here... so you know, it's a jail, you live in, it's lovely, you've done wonderful things with it, but you're all still in denial.

~ dylan moran, irish comedian, melbourne international comedy festival

yep, it's a tough life down under. the locals seemed to be cursed with an insatiable yen for the unknown and they bend to it willingly, fleeing for weeks, months even, into that vast spot in the middle called the outback. and it's a big out back; you can travel indefinitely without coming within cooee of a phone call or an email. nuts! instead you have to make do with landscapes that shift from saffron to ochre beneath a seemless canopy of deep indigo. and then there are ancient aboriginal cultures, dazzling salt pans, secretive reptiles, rough-cut canyons and pristine gorges. some australians simply go walkabout, traversing national parks filled with such devilish critters as koalas, sugar gliders and knee-high wallabies. other whiz through world heritage rainforests on mountain bikes or apply ropes to their limbs, chalk to their hands, truely skimpy shorts to their nether regions and scale lofty summits like bronze-backed insects. and some simply launch themselves into the sky with parachutes attached to their backs.

then there are the australians who feel separation pains if they stray from the coast. so they don't. they sport permanent golden hues, adopt languid gaits and wear cheeky grins. they glue themselves to surfboards, kayaks, and boats and loll in the surf for hourse (days even!). as if that weren't enough, they flee to the whitsunday islands, the ningaloo reef or the immense great barrier reef and spend days under the water defending themselves from kaleidoscopic marine life, colossal whale sharks, giant turtles and mischievous dolphins.

fortunately, this lovely country is not without its urban havens, and in its dizzying cities you'll find folk who indulge in saner delights. rather than risk life and limb in the feisty australian bush, they litter the beaches like comatose seals, reluctant to move unless emergency dictates. or they populate pubs with enormous beer gardens and focus all their energy ont eh pint/schooner bicep curl. they watch hours of sport and possess a vast amount of knowledge about most cames, without ever having actually played them. of course australia's metropolises also offer glorious ways to wrap your head around the country's culture in myriad museums, theatres, festivals and galleries. a solid study of the bars and restaurants will reveal the population's helpless addiction to coffee, seafood, organics and global cuisine; and the wine industry delights discerning connoisseurs from around the world.

ask an australian what issues make them tick and you'll get a diversity of responses to match the multicultural mix. in general, they're a pretty laid-back mob and the fundamentals of family, friends and fun tend to keep them relatively placated. to avoid 'spirited' discussions it's best to keep talk regarding lacklustre performances of australians sports teams to a minimum. many australians feel a strong connection to the land, regardless of their background, and in recent years, the fragile state of the environment has emerged as a universal equalizer. as much of the world tackles climate change at a theoretical level, australians experience it at a micro level. this is the driest continent in the world, and water restrictions are now the norm in most cities. but australians tend to face such difficulties with the same cocky spirit as anything else, and although the question of when will it rain/how will it rain/will it please bloody rain is a constant, they cope with little complaint.

so yep, it's a tough life down under. but only if you're averse to wide open skies, dramatic landscapes, countless activities, fine wining and dining, and friendly locals.

~ lonely planet, australia, p. 20-21

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and i am here. the past couple of weeks i have spent my time hibernating with thoughts of confusion, not sure of which direction i want to go in next. there are so many options available to me and the choices are endless. my time here in sydney is coming to a close and i suspect that within the next 6 weeks i will be packing my bag to set out on another journey. another adventure. i just had to figure out where it is that i want to go.

so, the past few weeks, i pretty much shut out the rest of the world (aside from going to work, sleeping and eating) and spent my waking hours researching what australia has to offer me. what i want to do. whether i even want to stick around in australia. i contemplated educational opportunities, other areas of the world to jetset to, large adventureous treks to partake in and meaningless jobs to fill my days with. i looked up prices of caravan hires, how one could travel by bus, plane or foot and where the best areas are to spend my time when february comes to an end and it is time for me to move on.

i wish i could say that the time doing all this has brought me with a 100% certainty in what it is that i want to do, but as i know - and those who know me know - i tend to change my mind every 2 minutes..... that, and in life, there are no garantees.

but as it stands, i have an extreme curiousity to explore the southern and western portions of australia next. i want to step foot onto tasmania and explore the vaste wilderness that encompasses much of the small island state. i want to go on lengthy bushwalking trips, maybe pick up a job as a local waitress/barista or even a tour guide. i want to go sea kayaking along the sparesly inhabitated shorelines. i want to immerse myself in the historically laughed at state and learn of those who have come to call this state "home."

i want to be able to go and explore flinders ranges of south australia. lonely planet has stated that "the shimmering red and purple folds of the majestic flinders ranges herald one of the most stunning destinations in south australia. beloved of bushwalkers and artists, this ancient range rises from the northern end of the spencer gulf and runs 400km north into the arid outback. it's a spectacular geological formation, snactuary for wildlife and significant destination for campers, caravaners and travellers seeking the essence of australian bush.

then there's the city of adelaide - dubbed one of the most boring places to visit by many locals - which makes it a place i would definitely like to check out. along with alice springs, in the heart of the outback. but then i can't forget perth, or the the western coastline that offers some of the most prestine surfing conditions on uncrowded shores. not to mention the opportunity to swim with whale sharks in ningaloo marine park or ride camelback in broome.

there is so much to explore. so much i want to do - as i said, the choices are endless. but i feel as though i have some direction now and i am only too excited to see where that takes me after i finish up here in sydney. i can hardly believe how much time has past since i initially left calgary, alberta, canada....... and yet it has. the other day my mind wandered to my life as it was when i was in elementary school. when i wanted to become a "mommy" when i grew up. when i thought that i would marry my classmate the next desk over. when my biggest stress was trying to memorize the spelling of the 10 words my teacher gave me each week. there wasn't a thought in my mind that indicated i would ever be where i am today. it never entered my imagination. and yet here i am and i am learning more and more that life is very much a journey in which the possibilities are endless. i try to dream big as one day that dream just might come true.