Insult to Injury

Sunday was time for more Fringing. Brian and I went to the Royal Croquette club and wandered around, wondering what was going on with the barrier of washing machines and getting pleasantly confused. It was a beautifully sunny day, so much so that poor Brian had managed to burn his entire back when he went paddle boarding earlier that day. Irish skin is just as delicate as British-Ginger skin. 

After realising that we had missed most of the shows we wanted to see and poor Brian feeling a touch of sunstroke we headed off through town to the Hello Kitty Cafe.  

I had a slice of cake and a chai latte, everything was Hello Kitty. It was pretty awesome. We then walked through China town and saw the picture of the Sheep on the floor, because it's the year of the Sheep, or Goat... or... ya know. The worst moment of the day was realising that had either of us said something we would have had someone to go to the Danny Elfman concert with, instead we both didn't realise anyone else wanted to go and therefore missed it. Missing that will bug me forever more.

On the Tuesday Brian invited me rock climbing with some friends, his friend Bernard had travelled over from Ireland just for the occasion. Ok, that's a lie, he came over for the cricket but he wasn't impressed with my mention of that at the time since Ireland lost. So we won't mention that Ireland lost in their cricket match, shhhh. It was lots of fun. Given my intense fear of heights and complete apprehension to start with I was quite impressed with myself at the end of it. We all tried the same one to start with but Jess being a pro meant that the other three of us looked like the amateurs we were. After that we kind of just started messing around trying to battle our own personal achievements. Brian attempted the jumping one, and after achieving it once with nobody watching he tried time and time again to achieve it, we did manage to get it filmed but sods law meant I missed the imperative first bit. Also I challenged Bernard by telling him I couldn't take advice from him since he hadn't completed the green one... then he completed the green one, fair dos my friend. Champion. All the while, Jess was pro-ing in the background. Both Brian and I managed to peel skin off our hands and became bandage buddies. At least I got as high as I did up the wall, personal goals and all that.

On the Friday I headed to Bounce, a really cool place here in Adelaide that's full of different styles of trampolines. It was a hell of a lot of fun, the only problem was my back decided to give up on me. I was enjoying it a lot but my back wouldn't let me continue. After admitting defeat and going home, I got a shower and tripped over my own damn flip flop and sprained my ankle, just to add insult to injury. So I hobbled in to bed and tried to get a decent sleep with my aching back and throbbing ankle. 

Despite the pain I had to crack on, it was time to go and watch some ice hockey with Daniel and hope for a fight amongst the players. It was pretty chilly in there and the game was fun to watch but not all that comfortable on those nasty 'seats', if you can call them that. There was a little bust up but nothing worth writing home about. After that we went to get some food and did nothing but laugh the whole night, we drank a bottle of wine then headed out to a bar for a few drinks... Daniel opened up a tab, BAD MOVE! I got completely plastered after a great night of laughing I managed to get the train home in one piece. The next day my hangover was a different story. I escaped to the shops for crisps and a banana milkshake, but banana milkshake doesn't seem to exist in South Australia. I hadn't banked on how hot it was outside and nearly melted, the heat and the hangover didn't bode well. It was a day of self inflicted sorriness. 

The following week after trying (kinda) to rest my agonising back [the foot was better by the Monday] it was time for SUP yoga with Brian. We got on the boards and tried to steady ourselves for yoga positions. Having never done yoga in my life, with a bad back and on a wobbly paddle board I couldn't see what could go wrong. I did what I could and tried my best not to laugh. Although at the end, after everyone fell in a couple of times (I managed to stay on the board the whole time, even if I didn't achieve all the positions) we lay on the boards relaxing but I burst out laughing and tried to contain myself due to the quietness and serenity of the situation. What happened was earlier a guy had asked me if I was from MeetUp, I thought he said "are you from Meelup?" which is a place in Western Australia that I had been to, my response was "no, I'm from England." I'm sure you can appreciate the hilarity of that when everyone is quiet and peaceful and I then realise what he asked me and start laughing to myself, what made it worse was the fact we were on water, so even with trying not to make a noise I was rocking the boat with my body moving in containment of the laugh and therefore creating waves in the water... that just encouraged me to laugh. Whoops. 

After the yoga we were able to use the boards, with paddles in the other pool to do some stand up paddle boarding, my navigation wasn't up to scratch and I did fall in a few times. Once done I went to get dry, one of the things I also found funny at the pool was the rules they had printed in the changing room. I'm a child, of an age... best get supervision from someone. Once moderately dry it was time to go get some hot food to warm up. Pizza and conversations about random things ensued before home. 

Adelaide Begins

I arrived in Adelaide and Marco and I said our farewells. I stayed with my fantastic cousin Diane who so very kindly opened up her home to me and gave this poor travel tramp and real bed to sleep in.

Not only did she take care of me like the amazing loving person she is, she also invited me out on the boat, which of course meant a trip on the biscuit, and boy could that thing go. I squealed like a banshee most of the time, almost getting tossed out, at least Rob could hear my screaming over the engine noise to slow down before I had opportunity to come pelting out. Apart from almost bouncing out on to Diane's lap and bumping knuckles with Dan I thoroughly enjoyed the thrill.

As a lot of you know, and have probably worked out from the pictures, I'm a very proud ginger. That said, I have had, for the first time in 25 years, someone do something to my hair other than cut it... Highlights. That meant bleach and a whole lot of fear. Diane decided to put blonde highlights in my hair, I was very apprehensive about it. Bits of tinfoil in my hair and the foul smell of bleach had me fearing the worst... what if it turned green? I could do without that. Green and ginger isn't the best combination. Luckily it turned out very nicely, but don't worry, I will never lose my ginger. Highlights is one thing. 

The next thing we did was head to Mannum to go camping and see the Hot Rod show, lots of 50s cars and ladies dressed up beautifully in 50s style outfits. This made me pleased that I brought a 50s style dress that I love! Yes! The Saturday was once again spent on the biscuit off the end of the boat. Brennan, Jacqueline and I went on and after a few goes Rob managed to throw us out, I went in head first feeling as though I had hit concrete, Brennan landed on me and Jaci skidded across the water before going under. It's a good job we were camping because the impact meant I lost a contact lense! 

One of the things I saw in Mannum that amused me was in the Op Shop, look at what Harry Potter was classified under in the book section of the shop. Sure thing, Australia. I am hoping that was a mistake or just put back on the shelf incorrectly. Although it's funnier to think someone truly believes that. I laughed. Loudly. 

Whilst the Fringe was on I met up with Brian and wandered around the Garden of Unearthly Delights where we ate some delicious food, had great conversation and a pineapple full of alcohol, it had to be done. We also discussed several promising business opportunities... just need investors and the motivation to actually achieve said opportunities. 

After Brian started feeling the cold of the Adelaide evening we went and got a hot chocolate before realising I had missed the train and had to wait an hour for the next one, oh well, time to casually stroll to the station. When we got there I had to work out which train I needed to get. Obviously I knew where I needed to go, but that doesn't mean the trains final destination was the same. Then I realised, I was going to Belair. Yo home to Belair! I was extremely amused and very tempted to break out in to song. That had to be the best part of the night (sorry Brian). 

Three Weeks Later

For the first time on this road trip I woke up before the sun, 5am to be precise. After a god awful nights sleep due to the heat I woke up super early to Skype my beautiful nieces'; who wouldn't get up to see their cute faces. In the blazing heat rubbing my eyes meant one of my contact lenses fell out so with one seeing eye and one very fuzzy one I had a lovely Skype chat with my eldest sister and niece's. After that it was my turn to wake Marco up! Muhahaha. I woke him up politely and went for my shower. After some early morning ukelele playing it was time to get on the road! Adelaide here we come.


On our drive we tried to get a bit of 4wd in since South Australia had been letting us down so far when it came to off-roading. First it was to the next town to get some fuel, and quite obviously an early morning ice-cream; imperative on these travels (sorry Nadia, I still haven't had a Maxibon). Once we were full of fuel we went on our merry way with only one stop in mind! ADELAIDE! WE CAN DO IT! 

We went through a town called Laura and I had to send a picture back home to my aunty Laura. I'm not sure she's that much of a sentimental bloke though... hmmmm... 

Before we got through Port Augusta we started playing with the cb radio, we had had a guy being quite promiscuous with his responses on the radio and it seemed like a free for all on this channel. With his radio silence it was time to get on to a different channel with more happenings, we chose to go on the truckers channel as we couldn't see past the road train and needed to over take. Once the first car had communicated with the truck to over take successfully it was our turn, but he kept on blabbering on the radio... it was a good job because without the communication we would have assumed he was just pulling in and we would have over taken. HOWEVER, there was an even bigger convoy coming in the opposite direction and it was more of a 'move off the road by choice or just get shoved off by the juggernaut'  so I'm pleased we heard the conversation and did as the road-train did. Road hog. 









Once we overcame that we got to Port Augusta and drove straight through, it was getting more populated and more city-like the closer we got to Adelaide. Regular encounters with civilisation was feeling peculiar after the frequent days without so much as a trace of other people. 
Given our desire to make it to Adelaide in good time there was no other stopping, and as per usual, feeding a hungry Italian whilst driving was an important part of our trip. The skills of not getting my fingers bitten was rather important and achieved! What a winner. 

We did manage to get some 4wd done... kinda. Although having missed the first turning we headed for the next one, we got on it but became apprehensive once we realised we were heading towards mountains... last time we headed up the side of a  mountain we had to delicately reverse the car as it could have very well tipped over. Marco got his serious face on and we progressed nonetheless. 


We made it up and around the mountains to the scenic route, it was a very nice route and I took far too many pictures of it along the way. Now I realise to everyone else looking, they look 90% the same. However, Marco and I know the difference, we have seen so many areas that just look so flat and bushy, a change of scenery is just what we need every now and again. 

Alright ok, so we did have to make one stop on the way but it was brief... 

I can't tell you how grateful I was for the air con when I went out of the car and felt the heat hit my chest. The kind of heat that means you can't quit take a proper breath. Back in to the car and back on our way. After two weeks with Marco and three weeks on the road I was so close. Even Marco was starting to get fed up. 

A little off roading later... WE HAD MADE IT!

HELLO ADELAIDE!   

I just want to take this opportunity to thank you for reading my blog and my adventures so far. I hope you are enjoying reading my blog and effectively joining me on my trip. 

Beyond the Grave

Marco once again got up to watch the sun rise, I'm still not rising that early, pal! 

Today we were heading to one of Australia's many National Parks, today it was Coffin Bay, for breakfast. On the way there we had to hit one of the ports so I could use the toilet, if an actual toilet is available then us girls would prefer to use it, not so easy or dignified squatting down to pee as it is for men! 

There were some very beautiful views from the National Park where we had stopped, I do enjoy eating my breakfast outdoors (when I can, I am British after all) but I doubt a grey skied garden will ever compare to the kind of views I had for breakfast here. I even got the binoculars out to have a nose at the islands, still no sharks spotted. 

After breakfast we headed to another part of the park so Marco could have another attempt at fishing. I was so engrossed in my book that I stayed in the car reading and admiring the view (if you read the previous blog you will know I was still unwell). Surprise, surprise, Marco didn't catch any fish. Come on, don't act like you expected it after the last two successes. 

After falling asleep in the car leaving the National Park I found us doing a very tight 85 point turn on a ramp near the beach... I think maybe we took a wrong turn? Then we actually made it to the beach and drove along what little beach there was to the end where the 4wd track was. Having not deflated the tyres very much, or be bothered doing so, when we reached a steep incline covered in soft sand the poor car struggled. We tried getting up there a good 8 or 9 times before admitting defeat and going to check it out on foot. The annoying thing was the soft sand was only on the incline. The bugger. 

We decided to give up on that track and head off in another direction towards Port Lincoln. We got on a track and would you believe it? Another No Entry sign. DAMN IT SOUTH AUSTRALIA! A little warning before getting most of the way down the track would be fricking awesome.

Due to this we detoured around about 3 or 4 times before ending up on someone's farm. THERE WERE NO SIGNS! That's even worse than a sign half way down. We casually tried to shoo these 4 cows out of the way of the track, one of which a calf, and another a bull. Well shit. This could end badly. Luckily they moved, most lucky as had we gone around we would have been front end in a massive ditch. 

So we followed the tracks along the fence, trying to find a way out, only to realise we are now circling around on ourselves. Eventually finding our way off the farm, at least, we got to a fence gate; we could see the bitumen road on the other side, within 10 metres of getting off this track for good, but no, 5 padlocks prevented us from getting anywhere. Turn around. 

Managing to turn around and literally going AAALLLLLLLLLL the way back we made it to where we started. Awesome. Big fat waste of time. ONWARDS! Deciding to stick to actual road this time we headed towards Port Lincoln. 

We made it in decent time 

and went straight to the information centre. Marco needed the in-house knowledge on the fishing companies. We also stopped and had lunch, yes, you read that right, lunch! We managed it for a change. Fish that was caught the day before (and two that were just given to Marco - I think someone felt sorry for him). We had those and then I wanted cake! Went and got cake, I have to say Australia never really offers a lot in terms of cake options, at least ones I like, maybe I'm looking in all the wrong places. And why the heck does everything close at 4pm? Do people not like cake after 4pm? 

We got in the car after cake and went to see if we could get Marco in good with the fishing boats. No such luck, most things were closed. 

After the farm mishap and feeling defeated at the lack of fishing jobs we decided to just drive straight up to Whyalla and stay the night in a Caravan Park. We had pasta for dinner in the unbelievably hot kitchen then tried our best to sleep, 36 degrees at midnight? Sheesh. It had even been raining on the way, like what?! Hot hot hot. Car doors open since the options were roast to death or risk getting eaten by mosquitos, the mosquitoes won. Try to sleep now... maybe it will be cooler tomorrow... yea right! 

Ok, I thought the title was funny because we went to Coffin Bay on this trip and then a few places beyond that. The play on words amused me.