lessons learned

This is a long one, but today is all about learning lessons.

I got back from my 3 day Fraser Island excursion about an hour ago, and I am EXHAUSTED, and under -whelmed. I arrived in Hervey Bay Monday afternoon, and woke up at 6:00 am on Tuesday to go through the “orientation” of the Fraser Island trip. I had met an American previously in Arlie Beach, Rebecca, and we decided to do the trip together. As Rebecca and I were sitting at the hostel Paul, a German guy who was also in our hostel room in Arlie Beach walked past us. We called Paul over and he happened to be with two Americans from Colorado who I had also previously met at the hostel in Cairns. (small world). Paul was also with 2 other German guys, so the 7 of us decided to get in the same car. We were also put with 3 Irish, (one couple and the sister of the girlfriend) and an English bloke.

The 11 of us each chipped in $20 and two people (Paul, and the American Dina) went to the grocery store for our food for the next 3 days. Lesson number one- do not send a meat loving German food shopping for 10 other people. Our $220 dollar budget turned into $385, most of which was spent on meat. All types of meat. Chicken, mince meat, hot dogs, sausages, red meat, white meat, the other white meat… you get the point.

While Paul and Dina were food shopping 2 people volunteered to pack the 4x4 truck, while the remaining 6 of us watched a film about Dingos, other wildlife, the history of Fraser Island (its made up of 80% sand) and most importantly car safety, and how to use the 4x4. Which brings me to Lesson number 2: Don’t have the driver of your car pack the 4x4 and not watch the video on how to drive the car.

After the videos the folks at the 4x4 rental place asked for the first driver’s license (who had to be over 21 years old) and one person had to drop a credit card for bond in case something happened to the vehicle. Lesson number 3- ALWAYS ask the first person driving how old they are… ours happened to be 20, which means they were not insured on the vehicle should something happen. Lesson number 4- don’t be the idiot to drop the credit card should something happen.

We all got off safely in the car, all packed, and ready to go. Our group, group C, was in the lead with all the other cars following. Lesson number 5- don’t let a crazy German think its cool to speed and go around corners fast with a top heavy car .

Luckily we arrived at the ferry safely, but realized the two cars following us were no were to be found. Group B finally arrived with just seconds to spare to get their car onto the ferry, and they informed us that Group A, did in fact tip their car over and crash. (this crash made national news programs and newspapers). How our car did not tip with the crazy (emphasize crazy) underage German at the wheel I will never no. Needless to say we were all a bit scared after this happened.

We got to Fraser Island okay, drove in the sand for a bit, got stuck a few times (which we knew would happen) and had a picnic lunch. It was lovely. But oh wait, lesson number 6 is coming: never let a SECOND crazy German get behind the wheel and park the vehicle close to where the waves are breaking. YUP- we got stuck. The mud on the tires (and not in the good way like the country song) was over halfway up each tire. There was no way we were getting out of this! We all were positive that out trip was over, we ruined the car, and we were going to have to pay for damages. HOWEVER, someone was looking out for us and these 3 crazy aussies arrived. They had a rope in their car and pulled us out of the mud. Telling us that you could smell the burnt clutch from 100 meters up the beach. They said our clutch was burnt out, and we wouldn’t be able to drive the car anymore, and we were done for. They happened to have a friend not too far away that was an auto mechanic, and we would check our car for us. Skeptical of this situation right??? I wasn’t, but all 10 of the other were. We went to the mechanic anyhow, and luckily (despite everyone’s disbelief that these 3 beer guzzling unkempt men were giving us a run for our money) the mechanic said our car would be okay. Lesson number 7: I am always right. (I know most of you know that anyhow ☺).

So our car is good, we can finish our trip to the base camp now. We got to the base camp around 5:00 pm and I have never been so happy to get out of a moving vehicle. Of course these 3 CRAZY Germans, have been drinking since about 7 am, and are in the pisser. We manage to make dinner, and surprise surprise there is TOO MUCH MEAT. We figure we will save it for the next day. Lesson number 8: meat in heat = rancid garbage. We eat, stay up late, go to the beach and watch the stars (which were INCREDIBLE) and mingle with other people on excursions. We happen to meat this lovely local Aussie who is showing us the pictures of the dingo he saw that day, and a bunch of other pictures about his trip on Fraser Island. Lesson number 9: never tell an enthusiastic young aussie guy where your camp site is, unless you trust him completely. I go up to the tent earlier than 3 others, (Rebecca the American was already sleeping) and I pass out. I get woken up at about 2 am from Steve (the American from Colorado) yelling “DUDE, get out of this tent, it is NOT yours. You are drunk, you don’t belong here. Apparently this Man with no identity was trying to “cuddle/ get some action” from Steve’s Girlfriend who he snuggled up next to. Steve kicked this guy out of the tent, and we had no idea who it was that was in the tent until the next morning. I came upon a camera looked at the pictures to figure out whose it was, and sure enough the dingo picture was there. Lesson number 10- if you are going to try to do some sneaky shit, don’t leave behind your personal belongs, like pictures of you, in your truck, license plate clearly visible. Asshole.

The following morning, we all manage to wake up at 6am, pack our stuff, eat breakfast and head out to Champagne Falls. A LONG walk (about an hour each way) through HOT sand. I even got a blister of my toe the sane was so hot. At Champagne Falls we swam for a bit, laid out, walked around, and headed back to the truck. Lesson number 11: when the tour company tells your to leave at a certain time due to tides, you listen. We left an hour earlier than what was recommended and it was one of the scarier moments in my life, bumpy, going thorough huge washouts, thinking we were going to tip, and just overall not fun.

We make it back to base camp, and once again I have never been so happy to get out of the car. We got back around 2:00 pm and what was there to do? Not a whole lot, so we drank. I wasn’t feeling well at this point, a killer migraine, and start of a sore throat, so I took it fairly easy, and went to bed by 9 pm, because I was in a lot of pain. I have never had worse nights sleep. Lesson number 12 do not, I repeat DO NOT sleep next to someone who snores and has a cough that coughs in your face every 10 minutes. I woke up feeling like death. Never in all my life have I had a headache like I have had all day today. Nothing got rid of the pain, and I am finally able to see straight, hopefully tonight I wont be in too much pain. Anyhow- we took off this morning about 8 am from the campsite and went to McKenzie lake. STUNNING. It reminds me of White Haven Beach, but not nearly as stunning. We were at McKenzie Lake for a few hours before we headed back to the ferry. The 30 minute ferry ride ended and we headed to get some food at Hungry Jacks. (Same thing as Burger King in the states). Lesson number 13 always return your car immediately, even if they brochure they give you says be back by 5:00. We got lectured when we arrived at 4:45, and after the rental company checked through all our equipment, we ended up paying $6 for a missing spatula. Fuckers steal every single cent they can off of backpackers. It is complete and udder shit.

I got back to the hostel tonight, took a MUCH needed shower, and I am ready to hit the sack and it is only 7:30 pm. I have an early start tomorrow, catching a bus to Noosa at 8:00 am, which means I have to be at the shuttle service to the bus station at 7:00 am.

This blog is long I know, but I hope you learned many a lesson.

paradise is called White Haven Beach

I have found Paradise and it is called White Haven beach. HOLY SHIT this is the most spectacular place on the face of the earth. Do you remember the movie "the beach" with Leonardo Dicaprio?? Do you remember that beach??? This is the equivalent. Crystal clear water, sand as white as snow, and stingrays and reef sharks swimming by your feet. Paradise. Its like that song... "ooo heaven is a place on earth".

I went sailing on a boat called broomstick. There were 26 of us on the boat plus 3 crew members. We left Arlie Beach at 3:00 on Monday and sailed all day through the most spectacular set of islands. That night a storm rolled through, and we had some rough seas... nothing too bad and it ended up clearing up with a starry night. The boat was full of mostly English, and other Europeans with the exception of one Korean girl, myself, and one Canadian guy.

We sailed, snorkeled, ate, drank, and soaked up the Australian sun. It was phenomenal. We stopped at place called White Haven Beach, and this is the epitome of perfection. It was about a 15 minute hike through the woods to this lookout where the view was out of a dream. Once we hiked down to the water, and wandered about waist deep stingrays, and reef sharks swam around us. Absolutely incredible. This is above and beyond the most beautiful place I have ever seen.

After spending time on White Haven beach, we went back out sailing. I ended up sleeping on deck the second night, because the cabin was so hot. The stars were out and shining. I have never seen a sky full of stars like this. It was one of those moments where you pause and think to yourself... shit- look where I am. look what I am doing. look at your life. a pretty surreal feeling, and wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world right now.

We snorkeled again our last day on the boat, and went to this area where "elvis" lives. Elvis is a HUGEEE fish, that our captain fed bread to, and thousands of fish came up to where we all were and swarmed around us. I felt like I was one with the ocean.

Last night, I went out with some people who I met on the boat, and some others who I met while traveling on the bus. It is great to see the same people over and over again. Familiar faces are always nice. I am headed to 1770 tomorrow night on an overnight bus. 1770 is supposed to be a cute litter surfer town. Should be fun. Ill be with about 6 people I have met along the way. Then it is off to Fraser Island, where I will rent a 4x4 and cruise around the island. :)

Im having the time of my life... just like I said... it is a bon voyoz... a great journey thus far.

I dont know where to begin.

first let me apologize for not writing more. Internet here is like 5$ an hour... realllly expensive. So you can imagine that I am not online too too much.



So let me backtrack and tell you all the adventures from the last few days. I left mission beach and met this cool English dude on the bus down the magnetic island. Everyone here is either traveling north to south, or south to north. Simon (English dude) has a few friends he has met along the way that are also traveling south, and there was a group of 8 of us that all hung out together on magnetic island. We went on a small hike called the fort walk where at the top you can see the forts the aussies built during WWII. Also Magnetic Island has the densest population of koala's and on the walk we saw about 6 or 7... totally cute.

We also rented this buggy like cars and cruised around the island for a day, hitting up all the different beaches, and ended up going food shopping and having a bbq on the beach for dinner, where I saw a wallaby hoping down the road. It is like a really small kangaroo. The hostel on Magnetic Island was cool, really chill, except my room had no AC, so you can imagine how hot it was. At night, after the hostel bar closed down, a bunch of us went down to the beach and just looked at the stars, they are incredible, I saw at least 2 shooting stars.

Yesterday I left Magnetic Island and came to Arlie Beach. I am leaving on a sailing trip today for 3 days and 2 nights on the Whitsunday Islands. Apparently the sand is so white and fine it looks complete white. Should be gorgeous. My boat is something like 24 ft long, with 3 crew members and 24 other passengers. I am a little nervous about getting sea sick, but hopefully ill be okay.

As a side note, I thought Australia would be cheap since the American Dollar is worth more, BUT NOOOO!! it is so f'ing expensive here. Water is like $3. A TINY jar of Peanut Butter is $6, and forget about me ever wearing make up again, because a thing of covergirl mascara that is like $5 in America, is $15 here... YEAH... REALLLLLY expensive.

okay that's it for now... I need to go change some travel plans. After I get back from my boat, I am meeting up with a bunch of ppl from the UK and going down to 1770 with them. (a surf beach town).

shoot me some emails, or post some comments for me.

xo

the rainforest is buggy

I am currently in Mission Beach, staying at Scotty's Backpackers Hostel. It is an OK place... there really isnt much to do in Mission Beach, especially since you can't go swimming in the beach because of the jellyfish, but it is nice to just chill out.

I went to the Rainforest in Cape Tribulation on Tues where we went to Mossoman Gorge and went swimming, and then took a river cruise on the Daintree River to go Croc spotting. The tour guide said it was really really realllllly unlikely for us to see any of the big crocs, because during the hot weather at high tide they tend to stay underwater. The guide found us a baby croc sitting on a log that was only about 1 foot long, and after that, he was headed back to the boat launch, and said... "ok guys, everyone stay seated"!!! Of course, no way stayed seated, and comming along down the river was "Scarface" a 4.5-5 meter croc. That is 13.5-15 feet long for everyone who doesnt understand meters. (AKA me... although I am getting better at meters, celcius, etc). Scarface is anywhere from 40-70 years old, and the guide said we only had a 5% chance of seeing a croc like him. Lucky us. I will post pictures once I figure out how. hah.

Anyhow- after the Daintree River Cruise, we went and had lunch. After having my first leech on me, (eww) our guide said he would supply dessert... on a hot day what could be better. If only I had known the dessert he would supply are green ants comming off the tree. Essentially, you hold the ant by the head, and lick its backside, which is a green bubble, and it does in fact taste like sherbet. I know most of you probably dont believe that I licked an ant... but you better believe it!

The place I stayed in the rainforest was called "the beach house" and the spiders in the rainforest and surronding the hostel were HUGE... I MEAN HUGEEE... Apparently they get a lot bigger than the ones I saw, but so help me god if I see a bigger bug, I may faint.

This morning I woke up early and took a bus, about 2 1/2 hours to Mission Beach. Like I said, not much to do here, but its chill and sunny... things could be worse!
I guess that is esentially it, for the last few days

Cairns or bust.

I am here! phew.  I landed in Cairns on Sat at about 11:30 am.  The Hostel has a shuttle that picked me up from the airport and brought me straight here.  This is above and beyond the nicest hostel I have ever stayed in.  The people working are amazing, there is a sick pool, a bar, a restaurant, clean rooms, and a kitchen to use.  What more could you ask for?

So let me catch you all up on the last 5 days of my journey.

I left Los Angeles on Thurs night after thanksgiving with my brother.  (Side note, this was the first thanksgiving I have had with him in about 6-7 years!! WHOA).  I got to the airport and had a couple hours to kill...aka-go to the bar.  As I was standing in line to be seated at the bar, a gentleman approached me, and in his Aussie accent said something along the lines of "shit this place needs more bars eh?"  Two hours later and and few rounds of drinks later, I know his while life story... best of all he was born and raised in ...drum roll please... CAIRNS.  what luck!! Weirdest part of all is his name... YUP, you got it... GEORGE.  Thanks Steve, you totally jinxed my trip.   Unfortunately, this George is middle-aged with two teenage boys, and not a hot twenty something surfer.  

anyhow, there are 5 other girls in my room, all sweet, all from Europe.  In fact I hadn't met a single American until today.  The music in the hostel is all american music... dave matthews, jack johnson, and so on, maybe they will play some country sometime soon...doubtful.

Yesterday I just walked around town for a bit... tried to get over my jetlag.  And today i went scuba diving at the great barrier reef.  It was an incredible, awesome, amazing, phenomenal, once in a lifetime, experience.  Can you tell i enjoyed myself??  I went down the first time- scared as shit I might add.  It was really hard to get used to breathing out of the oxygen tank.  Once I got used to it, things went swimmingly (literally).  However my second and third dives were not as great.  I couldn't get my ears to equalize, so I was only able to go down about 3 meters... bummer.  no worries though- still fantastic in every-way.  I saw tons of Nemos, coral, and lots of other fishies... no sharks though, maybe a good thing in retrospect, but I really would have liked to have seen one... Im sure I will in due time. 

Tomorrow I am headed to the rain-forest, and going croc spotting... just call me Sarah Erwin the croc hunter!!  :)

im here!

quick message:

I am here.
I am safe.
I am loving it.
It's hot.
Scuba diving on the reef on Monday.
Will write more tomorrow when I have more time at a computer.

xo

at least the american dollar is worth more somewhere

Here is a link to how the american dollar compares to the Australian dollar.  Thank god there is still one place out there where the American dollar is worth more... knock on wood this lasts. 

Also, I looked up the weather in Cairns to see what I can expect, and let's just say NH and Cairns are about as opposite as possible.  Today (nov 23rd) in NH it was less than 20 degrees when I woke up with a high wind chill.  Cairns by comparison is currently 79 degrees with 94% humidity, and it is only 3 am there (on the 24th).  So you can only imagine how hot it will get later on into the day.  

I really need to work on my celsius vs farenheit conversion skills.

special edition, guest contributor

So about one week ago, I received one of the best e-mails I have ever gotten. My friend Steve from college who also lived near me in the Dirty Jers wrote the following and sent it to a group of about 6 of us. You can imagine the banter that went between the 6 of us for the remainder of the day.

*side note (sorry steve) I had to take out last names.
*side note number 2. You will see Steve calls me Sernah Jernowitz- This nickname goes back many years to one drunken college night.  Long story, not going to get into it here.

So here it is... enjoy the guest contribution edition.

Sernah Jernowitz,

Your gchat away message today shows me that you only have 6 days left in the greatest state in the country, New Jersey. Therefore, it is clearly crunch time because if we do not see you within the next 6 days, we will never see you again...

This is because you are moving to Australia, where you will find some Aussie guy who loves American chicks who sweeps you off your feet. You will spend many a glorious month together, until of course your visa expires. You will apply for reinstatement because you love Georgie, but they will deny you on the grounds that you had quit your job 6 months prior because you wanted to spend all of your time with said Aussie man. After being denied your visa, you and Georgie will run away from authorities, leading them on a wild goose chase through the outback, all in the name of love.

After running for many years, the both of you finally decide it's time to leave Australia, so that you are not living your lives of love and lust on the run forever. You will swim off the island and relocate to India, where you will integrate yourself into the culture and become an official curry monster. There will be no returning to America for you at this point, as the Australians will have notified the US government of your at-large, fugitive status, and if you ever show up at an American port-of-call, you will be arrested on-site.

Georgie and you will spend around 30 years in India (you will be about 60 at this point). It is at this time where you decide that you need to see your mommy, who is obviously quite old at this point. You tell her about your inability to set foot on American soil, so she must visit you. So your mother makes the long trip to India to see you, knowing of course she has to do this under a cloak of secrecy, or else the authorities may catch on to what is happening and get you finally. Her only flight, however, is a connecting flight through Japan. The japanese have been working long and hard to find you because of their alliance with the Australians, and when they notice the mother of Sernah Jernowitz passing through on her way to India, they follow her right to you. It is here that the end of the line begins.

As your mother enters your hut and you see her for the first time in 36 years, you are immediately overtaken by an Australian swat team, who had been permitted to enter the country by the Indian government so they could nab their fugitive. Georgie doesn't want to let you go without a fight, so he pulls out the gun you never knew he had and begins firing on the swat members. He manages to get you away from the one officer who has you in custody, and the 3 of you escape into the woods.

The swat team doesn't give up, however, and they chase you deep into the Indian jungle, weary of the threat Georgie poses to them (it is during this escape that you learn that Georgie is an ex-Aussie special forces soldier, who was a hired government hitman made to kill many evil dignitaries throughout the world who threaten the Aussie way). This troubles you, but also makes you feel a little safer since he knows his way around a war-torn jungle. The 3 of you, however, make the fatal mistake of making camp for too long, and the swat members catch up one night. In a glorious firefight where Georgie tries his best to keep you from them, he is fatally wounded. As you hold him in your arms, dirt covering your face, mother at your side, he tells you that he was in fact hired by an American to meet you in Australia, "fall in love" with you, and bring you back to America, because the man who hired Georgie never wanted you to leave in the first place. This American, in fact, is the one who loves you. But of course, Georgie fell in love with you and plan went to shit.

With his last dying breathe, Georgie professes his love to you, regrets how this whole thing ended, and reveals the name of the American who hired him to bring you back because he wanted you more than anything else in this world... Brandon. Georgie passes, and you look to the sky and scream, your mother attempting to console you, but ultimately failing. The Australian swat team finally gets you, and they bring you back to Australia, where you and your mother spend the rest of your days in a maximum security prison in the heart of the Australian desert. There is no escape, there is no hope. There is only the memories, and the thoughts of what might have been had Brandon  just had the balls to tell you to never leave, because everything you had ever wanted and hoped for was closer than you thought....

So since I can tell the future and know this is all going to happen, we need to see you within the next 6 days. When are you free to hang?

NH is cold

I got to NH yesterday night, after a long day packing up all my stuff. I felt like I was back in college again, staying up until the wee hours of the morning cramming for a test. Only this time it was packing up my entire life into boxes, bags, and little crates. (and of course some odds and ends that just didn't seem to fit anywhere). Mom and Mike got to my apt around 8:30 with a u-haul in tow. We were in NH and everything was unpacked in my dad's basement by just after 5:30. Not bad all said and done. NH is cold. I put all my winter clothes is boxes figuring I wont need them in tropical Australia, but shizza...it is below freezing, and was actually snowing when we left Hoboken yesterday.

I officially have 6 days to get everything organized and cross off my never-ending to do list.

Have I mentioned that I am pretty convinced I'm going to meet my future husband down under? Yeah- I don't know why, maybe it's those hot aussie accents. Regardless, Im pretty sure I'm going to fall in love with anyone and everyone who will talk to me in that "g'day mate", "shrimp of the barbie", "roo", and "footy", aussie lingo. Yeah, already in love just thinking about it. :)

procrastination is my middle name.

My mom and her boyfriend Mike are coming to Hoboken to pick me and my furniture up and move me back to NH in only 4 days. Have I started packing yet? No. Procrastination is my middle name. I look around my room and see everything I have to do, yet I can't seem to bring myself to do it. I hate packing, I hate unpacking, I wish I had someone to pack for me. I still cant not believe I am leaving Hoboken so soon, I leave for LA in 11 days and Australia in 13 days. Two weeks from yesterday.

I am trying to say goodbye to everyone around here before I take off but it is more difficult than one would think. I didn't realize how many different groups of friends I have here. I guess people will just have to come and visit me down under.

Okay, I think it's time for me to buck up and stop procrastinating. Time to pack, and get organized. hah- right.

Bon Voyage.. no no, Bon VoyOZ

Bon voyage, a good journey. BonvoyOZ a great journey.

My OZ adventure is official. I purchased my one way plane tix this morning and there is no turning back. I have my 12 month work/study visa, my plane ticket, my passport, and now all I need is to pack my bags and go. Well, maybe I have a little more to do then to just pack up a suitcase or two and head to Australia, but with less then 4 weeks until I fly to Los Angeles (leg one of my journey) I don't have much time to do anything else. Holy Shit, I'm going to AUSTRALIA.

Rewind... 

I got fired. Yup, me. I got fired from my job in NYC. Me... the hardest worker, most ambitious, motivated, eager me. I got fired, and have my gripes, and still think it was unfair. But let's be honest, it was the best thing that could have ever happened. It was the most stressful, anxiety ridden, thankless job... good grief I'm glad I'm gone from it. (PS- sorry to everyone I lied to and said I got laid off because of the economy.  I was pretty embarrassed about it, but now Im coming clean.)

So, I took this blessing in disguise and I am making the most of it; I'm heading to OZ. I'm not quite sure of my plans at this point. As of now I have a hostel booked for the first three nights I am in Cairns, and Ill take it from there. I am missing every holiday this year. Thanksgiving through new years. Hopefully I wont get the holiday blues and come back "home" before I truly want to. eek.