Good Time Sally

A Bumpy Landing In Paradise

Ok....So travelling hey. Pretty fun isn't it.

Well first and foremost I hope that you are all well. I'm sure you'll all be pleased to know that I am doing great and I am safe and sound tucked up in one of the longboard capitals of the world Noosa Heads. Seriously guys it is stunning........this in itself is probably the most average description for this place that I could give so I am going to work a little harder and try and build you a true picture of where I am. One that you can build in your mind for yourselves, as I truly think that any photos taken of this place will not do it any justice.

You see particularly after a couple of events that took place last week, to be in this sanctuary feels like I have been given a new window into life, a new persepctive and a million friends.

I have to tell you a little story first, oh man, what a bumpy ride getting here, and no I ma not referring to turbulance, all the pilots have seemed to know what they are doing. But as for the groundcrews, not so much. When I landed in Brizzy I hung out at the conveyer of luggage cruelty with a couple of buddies I had made on the plane. Todd (what's up toddie?) and Justin (how was transporting althought authentic london buses Jus?). For what seemed like forever waiting to spot my packed out rucksack, full to the brim with no doubt very little that I will actually need for this trip. You know what it's like everyone gets off the plane spaced out greater than MIR and bloated (farting) and you all drudge up to the rubber luggage killer where you stand, stare and prey. You prey that every little piece of what you left home with has also made it to the same country as you. You get that deep sick feeling after the first 5 cases have come off that you will not be so lucky, and then after the last person has taken their bag believe me that feeling gets worse. I said goodbye to my 2 new friends and continued to wait. I must add to the picture at this stage that there was one bag left on the conveyer, a very beaten sorry ass looking bag, that certainly was not as bulky as the bag I had left with the girls at chekc-in. I laughed a little inside, Ha whoever owns that is travelling light I thought, and upon looking around I noticed that realistically I would be laughing at myself, the only loser left clinging to life round the conveyer. RIGHT I thought, this will not do, so I walked to customer services and I said politely but sternyl "excuse me, but it appears the bag I left with your colleagues at Heathrow seem to have either left my bag on the plane, or they have replaced it with this poor little thing........Turns out there is now some very well dressed singaporean in a yellow quiksilver tee with my favourite billabong boardies. Dude if you are reading this remember I am coming to Singapore and I will find you. But you can keep the clothes I have nice shiny new ones, with brands I haven't even heard of so you lose.

Good start hey.

Well no worries, I thought as I travelled into Brizzy city, this is what travelling will be like, and its about how you handle these minor hiccups that makes you a traveller. So in true cost effective travellign style what did I do, I wenty straight to the nearest surfshop (as we all know killer expensive) and restocked. Brilliant travelling insurance you cheeky little fella you.

Now from here I knew I had to get to my pre-booked accomodation in a place called Stradbroke Island (see inserted picture, soon), and little did I know I had probably done one of the smartest things I had ever done, in booking this escape. Firstly as it got me the hell out of the city, and secondly because it was so far out of the city and city life as you can get in any country. Indeed Straddie Isl is a realy haven, a small hawaiin type affair just off the coast. Beautiful. Famour for its diving and its 1 surfing beach I was sto-o-o-o-ked.

Travelling over to Straddie and waiting for the ferry on the mainland, I bought my ticket and came out of the office only to hear "alright mate", I turned around and thought, please don't mug me.......squinting adn sweating into the sun......far from it in fact. The chirp came from a guy c alled Ben, who had been standing behind me at the counter in a camping store where I bought a new backpack add on, and had patiently waited for me to finish spilling my lifestory to the poo girl who was by the end sleeping on the till. Not only this but Ben was a 24 year old English brother, who had actually been on the travels for 5 years (mum, dad, take note) and had been living in Brizzy for the last 18 months. He was also travelling over to Straddie to spend a week camping on the island. Literally saving my life Ben and I chatted about what this game is all about, and things he had done and accomplished in his time away. We caught the Bus together and turned out his campsite was on the same plot of land as the diving and surf lodge I was staying at, and by plot of land I mean beach......

Anyway things just went from pretty amazing to brilliant, as for the next 2 days myself, Ben and a whole crew of English, Dutch, Kiwi, FijIirish, of course Aussie, just kicked back and soaked up Island life, no shoes, no pants, and loads of discussing home surf breaks, seafood and possible travelling adventures. Guitar was played, and songs sung load into the night. Not forgetting on my first night on the Island Ben made a truly satisfying Sausage Pasta Something that after that first day went down like winning the lottery.

Then it was back to Brizzy, I was kind of dreading it to be honest, back to the concrete jungle/never chilled. I went to a backpackers and got settled in to a night watching 18 year old English girls show Foreign guys of all nations their pants. Brilliant. As they stumbled around the city drunker than a koala on goon.

My roomies were cool that first night, but the second night, things definitely turned up gear. I got back to my room after a day of TEFL training and moping around wishing I was back on Straddie, and I had a new roomie, oh by all my previous roomies left the morning after, could of been a number of reasons to be honest. As choppy (younger bro) will tell you sleep talking, and farting are 2 things I take pride in mastering during the subconcious state. Anyway I got back to my room and there was a sweet freshly turned 19 year old called Morgan swigging Bacardi Breezers in my room, definitely not allwed as a rule of thumb, anyway I started chatting to her about what she was doing and she rolled a smoke. Again definitely not allowed, but I thought go with it as she was local and I was lost. She was telling me about her perspective on life, about her future plans, about her past (just your average small talk) and then she explained that she was in Brizzy to see ACDC, adn that her dad would be joining us. Brilliant I thought this would be classic, then she also explained that her 2 friends were already at the concert, and would be coming home wasted at some point dressed in Angus school outfits, also brilliant.

So the night began I explained that I had to go do some more study, and she asked If I could show her where the train station was so she could meet her dad. No worries I thought, although this does feel like the wrong way round. Then things took a slightly different turn (are you getting the feeling nothing stays on the same path? I know I am) , anyway she said she had to wait like 15 minutes, so I said ok cool lets grab a quick pot and I'll wait.......well 1 pot turned into a scooner (jug) and then no sooner had that finished than her Dad rocked up. Now after the 3rd scooner I thought you know studying is probably not going to happen tonight but both Morgan and her Dad were fantastic people and the night just got better and better. You see they were also celebrating Morgs birthday and out of the kindness of these guys hearts I was accumulated as a new family member, and they insisted I came with them for dinner. Well what I didn't know is that both of them had already eaten and this meant lets go get wasted, so without any lining we went to a backpackers bar (i think to help me feel more at home), well we danced (hard) and sweated, and drank to replace the salts and fluids lost, and then got kicked out at some obscene time (probably only like 12). Then exiting the bar we bumped into 2 dudes dressed as Angus, indeed these were Morgs friends Hammie and Dell, and so it was only right that we took the greeting celebration to a 24 hour bar.

Here Morgs eyelids got heavy and she went back to the hostel to sleep, leaving me with Dad (Ross), Hammie and Dell. Well I just have to say here we had a truly awesome night and thank you to you all for turning my city adventure into a life long memory in my first week. Us boys stayed and drank and slurred a chat until 4am, I was chatted up by a dude, brilliant, and we managed to save the bar from a troublesome kiwi, seriously people just cant write this stuff......

The morning after with a very heavy head we all left the backpackers and went our seperate ways, I now with lifelong friends in Cairns was heading to what in my head would be paradise, in talking with Unky Peng I had dreams of beautiful long beaches, a chilled surf town and 3 minute facey right hand point breaks, surfing along palm tree and koala filled coastline........well friends let me just say this was about the biggest understatement one could imagine. Welcome to Noosa the bus driver said.