Perth fits my US description of a west coast city. Relaxed, warm and full of people who love beer, wine and the ocean. I thought I was relaxed on my cruise in the Whit Sundays but this city has me even lazier. I feel like a Golden Retriever.
The New Ones
Another friend I made was a quirky English pilot/writer. He brought his notebook with him to every beach and all sides of the ship, outdoing me in writing nerdiness. He engaged us all with that impossible sense of English humour. Was he being rude or just funny? I still do not know....
The extraneous surfers
Naturally Australia is full of 'em. I have met pros and newbies...all with their own tales of how they got into the sport.
Jimmy had a cockney accent so thick I had to have him repeat his story four times. (Many English accents sound like pig latin...vaguely familiar yet totally non understandable). He realized his trade (carpentry) was needed all over the world so is not using it as a means to support his international surf habits.
Nick in a Perth native. When he asked me if I surfed I said "Of course. I am from California (no ones needs to know I just picked up the sport 6 months ago and still look like a sick sea turtle most of the time.) I asked him if he did. His reply "I'm from Western Australia. Of course." He was competing in the Marget River Competition. When he's not surfing, Nick is a welder.
Do any surfers have white collar jobs? I have yet to meet an investment banker or history professor out here......
I am off to Margaret River in one hour. Home of wine and the biggest waves in Australia, it's San Francisco's near cousin. It will be my last taste of "west coast" before I head for the very different culture of Vietnam.
So now that I am happily calm (from the warm sun and exhaustion. A few hours of biking Perth's nearby Rottnest island left my legs as jello.) I will take some time out of adventure writing to mention a few of the unique individuals I have met.
The Byron Group
Australia is full of familiar faces.....no, not because I happen to know everyone here but rather because travelers seem to keep running into one another. In Byron Bay I had a solid group. We entertained each other with tall tales and odd dance moves. A dutch PhD student, a military enthusiast, a Canadian Human Rights scholar, and a sweet English girl. The unlikely duo-the PhD and the military man- teamed up to hitch hike up the coast together (apparently they were picked up by 'hot' women drivers). The Canadian found me in Noosa, where we picked up our conversation (solving world hunger, naturally) right where we left off. We cursed the rain and drank our favorite beer on the porch. I left the Canadian only to meet up with the PhD again aboard Power Play! It is so wonderful to run into "old friends" who know you! Mr PhD had been well briefed on my tendency to over analyze and let the "what ifs" and "should haves" invade my dreams. He came aboard Powerplay equipped with a new strategy for me. 'Heidi, you see those puffy little clouds? Those are your thoughts. See them, but also let them drift away." Amazingly it worked! All I really thought of during my sail trip was...well the ocean......and when the next meal would be served. Diving makes you hungry!
The Byron Group
Australia is full of familiar faces.....no, not because I happen to know everyone here but rather because travelers seem to keep running into one another. In Byron Bay I had a solid group. We entertained each other with tall tales and odd dance moves. A dutch PhD student, a military enthusiast, a Canadian Human Rights scholar, and a sweet English girl. The unlikely duo-the PhD and the military man- teamed up to hitch hike up the coast together (apparently they were picked up by 'hot' women drivers). The Canadian found me in Noosa, where we picked up our conversation (solving world hunger, naturally) right where we left off. We cursed the rain and drank our favorite beer on the porch. I left the Canadian only to meet up with the PhD again aboard Power Play! It is so wonderful to run into "old friends" who know you! Mr PhD had been well briefed on my tendency to over analyze and let the "what ifs" and "should haves" invade my dreams. He came aboard Powerplay equipped with a new strategy for me. 'Heidi, you see those puffy little clouds? Those are your thoughts. See them, but also let them drift away." Amazingly it worked! All I really thought of during my sail trip was...well the ocean......and when the next meal would be served. Diving makes you hungry!
The New Ones
And as good as it was to have old friends, there were new friends to be discovered as well. Two women (English and Canadian) became the 3 day BFFs aboard Powerplay. They had both left their understanding boyfriends at home to travel the world solo. Why is it that women seem to be much more adventurous than men? No offense to the rare few men in my readership that are travel enthusiasts (Yes Paul I know you are in Tajikistan at the moment) but I have found that men either travel in packs of other men (and spend half their time drunk), or must be prodded by their spouse to leave the comforts of their home beer and sports matches. Women, on the other hand, just pick up a backpack quite happily and fly away solo across the world.....I love my fellow women travelers! We all share like pasts and futures and instantly understand one another....
Another friend I made was a quirky English pilot/writer. He brought his notebook with him to every beach and all sides of the ship, outdoing me in writing nerdiness. He engaged us all with that impossible sense of English humour. Was he being rude or just funny? I still do not know....The extraneous surfers
Naturally Australia is full of 'em. I have met pros and newbies...all with their own tales of how they got into the sport.
Jimmy had a cockney accent so thick I had to have him repeat his story four times. (Many English accents sound like pig latin...vaguely familiar yet totally non understandable). He realized his trade (carpentry) was needed all over the world so is not using it as a means to support his international surf habits.
Nick in a Perth native. When he asked me if I surfed I said "Of course. I am from California (no ones needs to know I just picked up the sport 6 months ago and still look like a sick sea turtle most of the time.) I asked him if he did. His reply "I'm from Western Australia. Of course." He was competing in the Marget River Competition. When he's not surfing, Nick is a welder.
Do any surfers have white collar jobs? I have yet to meet an investment banker or history professor out here......
I am off to Margaret River in one hour. Home of wine and the biggest waves in Australia, it's San Francisco's near cousin. It will be my last taste of "west coast" before I head for the very different culture of Vietnam.
2 comments:
Pictures are beyond unreal - please keep them coming! We are all living vicariously and loving every moment of it. - Brooke
sounds like you are having an amazing time - i LOVE the pics (the jumping ones are amazing!) Can't wait for the next report :)
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