Mungalli Creek Dairy
February 28th, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
While in Australia, I drove through the Atherton Tablelands, which was one of the most scenic parts of my trip. I was on my way through Millaa Millaa when I saw a sign for the Mungalli Dairy Farm. As I am, admittedly and strangely, obsessed with eating yoghurt, I recognized the name from the supermarkets in Queensland. I had no idea what it would be like, but just had to jerk the wheel and check it out.
About five minutes of driving down a narrow lane, I came to what looked more like someone’s home, perched quietly on a hillside under the shade of a few tall trees. It had just a small sign wedged outside the door and a few cars in the stone car park. Turns out it was a book not to be judged by its cover.
On arrival through the door, I was greeted by a jovial woman with a platter of 6 different cheeses to sample. I tasted them all, while watching through a glass partition at the workers and machines making the products. They seemed extraordinarily content with their work, like some episode of I Love Lucy before things go haywire. I half expected them to start skipping and whistling. In any case, it was interesting. And when I finished the cheese, the woman brought me a few small cups of yoghurt to try. And when I finished that, I ordered (yes I was hungry) a slice of (the world’s best) orange-chocolate cheesecake. I sat outside on the verandah with heaven on a plate and a panoramic view of green pastures and distant verdant hills. Afterward, the woman came and sat with me and told me all about the dairy farm and the process of making bio-dynamic yoghurt. I walked out to my car feeling like I might start skipping and whistling.
There were only a few people there when I was, but I think this place deserves to be better known. Though they affectionately call it the “Out of the Whey” Farmhouse, it is not actually all that far. It is the perfect place to break up a drive for some tea, lunch or a delicious treat, and everything is fresh and locally produced. To put it plainly, it is a pleasurable, inexpensive, educational and healthy (if you dont have too much of that cheesecake) addition to the itinerary. What else could you ask for?
Hyundai Accent (rental car review)
February 28th, 2008 by Tim Uden
I had booked a Hyundai Getz for a week driving around Tasmania to update the Tasmanian hostel information on BUG. As usual I asked for a small manual hatchback as they are economical fun cars that I love to drive.
The problem is that rental car companies think they are doing you a favour when they upgrade you to something bigger and I ended up getting upgraded to a Hyundai Accent, which really pissed me off as I hate driving big cars. I know there are many cars that are a lot bigger than the Accent, but it feels like driving an ocean liner when compared with the small zippy hatchback that I had requested. Maybe AVIS should try harder and actually give people the cars they ask for. I guess it could have been a lot worse; they could have upgraded me to an automatic.
After getting settled into the bridge of my ocean liner I negotiated around Hobart’s waterfront and set sail for the Huon Valley. As usual for big cars, it was clumsy to drive and awkward in the city; but I found it surprisingly agile on the open road and it even handled quite well on Tasmania’s many narrow winding roads that make up a large portion of Tasmania’s road network.
Like other larger cars that I had driven. It had an uncomfortable driving position that feels like you are reclining near the back of the car. It is probably just something to get used to and I suppose that people used to big cars would find the opposite uncomfortable when they get behind the wheel of a small car.
It also had the annoying habit of setting off the alarm whenever I turned the key the wrong way when opening the car door. Maybe I have a problem with opening car doors but I’ve been driving for the past 20 years so I figured I should have worked it out by now. I was relieved to discover that it wasn’t a problem with my door opening abilities when, on my travels around Tasmania, I saw other people set off the alarm in their Hyundai rental cars too.
The car could have had a bit more oomph, but it wasn’t as gutless as I expected and it had enough power to zoom up some steep hills. It was one of the better big cars that I had driven but I still would have preferred the car that I had asked for.
Modest Melbourne
February 26th, 2008 by Thomas Maresca
All over Melbourne are signs proclaiming it the “World’s Most Livable City,” which struck me as a funny thing to boast about. I don’t know, it’s just such a modest superlative. Melbourne—it’s extremely… inhabitable!
Melbourne’s lack of civic bluster seems appropriate, however. For a city of its size, there really is nothing instantly identifiable about it, no particular landmark that screams “Melbourne!” to the rest of the world. Even the 91-storey Eureka Tower, the world’s tallest residential building, has a strange way of just blending into the skyline. It’s the most shy and retiring skyscraper I think I’ve ever seen. Standing right next to it, you hardly realise it’s there. Nothing at all like being right underneath Kuala Lumpur’s imposing, futuristic Petronas Towers, as I was a couple of weeks earlier.
But the things is, I don’t get the impression Melburnians want their city to be any other way. Melbourne’s charms reside at street level—cool shops and galleries and places to eat and music venues, all in pedestrian-friendly neighbourhoods or hidden down narrow pathways. And what better way to get around a city than by tram? (Trams seem to me a sine qua non for the ‘liveable city’ concept.) In any case, Melbourne doesn’t assault you with its appeal, but I, as a visitor, had the pervasive feeling that there was a lot of stuff going on that I wanted to know more about. By my third day there, the thought popped into my head almost as if by magic: I could really imagine living in this place.
On the Wallaby
February 23rd, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
There is something about a road trip through Australia that really stokes nostalgia and gives you that sense of journey which is often missing from package tours and public transport. Rolling hills, the wind in your hair, and a good song, and suddenly life is a highway.
I cannot stress enough how important I think it is to experience this. Far too many travellers jump on the buses and wind up in a different city every few days sampling the pubs and seeing no more wildlife than a dead ‘roo on the roadside every once in a while. Get your own wheels. Get on the wallaby (and find out what that means). Here are your options:
Car. Hire a car from any of the 5 billion rental agencies. Pretty straightforward. Or buy a car from one of the 5 billion sales ads posted on hostel notice boards and try not to get ripped off. Something to consider is buying from a dealer with a buy-back guarantee- that saves you the headache of trying to sell it to another wary traveller at the end.
Camper/Kombi van. Hire a camper. Check out the most popular (and so least likely to rip you off) companies around, like Wicked Campers (the ones with the psycho graffiti all over them), Hippy Campers (the ones with the flower power all over them), and Calypso Campervans ( the ones with nothing all over them- in case you want to be a little more low-key)…
You may want to head north on the buses, and then hire a camper for the trip back down south. I have met heaps of travellers who decided halfway up the coast that they should have done the self-drive thing.
Hostels often offer free pick up service, but for out-of-the-way places this can be a real hassle. You initially take the bus option because you think it will be easier, but it ends up being more of a pain in the long run. Although some Australian towns and cities are excrutiatingly sign-deficient, driving is for the most part straightforward (albeit on the other side of the road). And when you see the sign for Yungaburra, you can (and should) take it.
Just two rules: don’t drive like an idiot and wind up with a $250 fine. And don’t buy a car on its last legs/diff gears and wind up stranded in a mining town in the Outback. Believe me, it’s not pretty.
But everything else is.
Down Under Dive
February 18th, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
Going on a dive trip to the Great Barrier Reef is just something you have to do if you are in Cairns. There isn’t very much in this city to keep you on land, after all… well, besides perhaps a bad hangover. Snorkelling and diving trips abound; some of them are pricier than others, all of them are worth it. ProDive is one of the most popular companies since they offer high quality and heaps of different trips to choose from. There is also Silver Series, which is excellent but expensive. For real budget trips, Compass has the best prices; the facilities arent as nice, but you still go diving at the same places as the others. Then there is Down Under Dive. They have competitively priced, high quality tours with possibly the best crew of the lot.
You check in at the Reef Fleet Terminal, which is a lot like an airport terminal, bright and early. You pile into the cabin, have lots of coffee and slowly wake up to meet the other passengers and the crew. Two hours later you are swimming with sharks.
You are put into groups of 3 or 4 and taught some basic techniques for the dive, which mainly consists of the ‘OK’ sign, the ‘I have a problem’ sign and the ‘This is awesome’ sign. As guessed, the latter is used the most. It is a bit scary at first, butonce you are down there, you dont want to come up. Almost everyone comes up and yelps “I wanna do it again!” We saw sharks, turtles, giant clams and sea anemone galore. The fish are absolutely brilliant, and the coral sparkles with life. It is something you cannot miss.
Lunch on board is BBQ meats, fish, and salads, with tea and coffee again after that, which nobody takes because they are all jumping back into the water as fast as they can. You have the option of diving again, snorkelling, or just relaxing on the front deck of the boat. By the time they cut the watermelon, you have made new friends and are planning to meet everyone for dinner in the city.
Throughout the journey, the crew is gregarious, helpful, and caring. They really make the trip what it is. On the way home the guys play music and crack jokes, and most of them end up making plans to meet everyone afterward for dinner and drinks. You arrive back into the harbour with that carefree feeling of travel accomplishment, which can be so elusive, and so rewarding.
And that’s just a day trip. Your options are endless, and I have heard some great stories from people who did their dive course while living aboard the boat for a few days. If you have come all this way, and you’re going to get out their, I guess you might as well go all the way.
About those Stingers…
February 12th, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
There is some confusion among backpackers as to what exactly a stinger is. In fact, the term encompasses a few different types of “killer jellyfish.” The most deadly being the box jellyfish, aka sea wasp. This guy has a large transparent body and tentacles around 3 metres long. It is most prevalent from November to March in coastal water from Queensland to the northern coast of Western Australia. Their sting causes excruciating pain and in many cases, death, since it will quickly cause respiratory failure or shock to the heart.
Then there is the Portuguese Man-O-War, known in Australia as the bluebottle. His sting will make you think you are going to die, but actually should subside within ten hours. Pouring vinegar over the sting will neutralize the nematocysts (stinging cells).
Irukandji are the other well known species. They are tiny (2 centimetres) and inflict a sting causing severe abdominal and back pain, cramps, nausea and vomiting, and possibly death if the victim is not hospitalized for treatment.
Although these creatures are some of the most deadly marine animals known, they do not “attack” humans. They drift into shallow waters hoping to catch small fish or prawns. Stinger nets set up will protect you from the larger ones, but Irukandji can only be avoided by wearing a stinger suit or any type of protective clothing, even women’s pantyhose (often worn by surfers).
Then there are sharks, salt water crocodiles, deadly snakes and spiders, and some aggressive wildlife. To be sure you are safe, you should wear protective clothing in the water. But great white sharks will rip off your arms regardless, so maybe you should just stay on the beach. And don’t walk through tall grass, for fear of snakes. And maybe you shouldn’t drive either, since some spiders crawl into door jams and jump on you while driving.
… maybe you should just stay home.
Or you could go for it, jump in, climb, trek and dive- Aussie style, and have the adventure trip of a lifetime you will be telling stories about for years to come. Hopefully with all your limbs.
Choosing a Whitsunday tour
February 9th, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
There are about 8,000 tours to choose from in Airlie Beach, and about 8,050 people trying to sell them to you. But Whitsunday tours are a lot like hostels - if you don’t choose the right one you could end up with a real dump. Or worse, a case of bed bugs.
I went to the Whitsundays with FantaSea today. At first I was on the 3-island tour, which is basically just a ferry which drops you off for a couple of hours at resorts where “everything is free,” but a bottle of water costs $6 and towel rental is $20, and if you want to rent a buggy…. So I switched my route and changed vessels three times before finally ending up at my desired destination, Whitehaven Beach. The catamaran was bigger and nicer, and the crew more interactive, but it was by no means a party boat. I quite enjoyed it. And Whitehaven was just like the photos- brilliant white sand spilling out from dense forests, warm water fading to darker shades of blue toward the horizon, crowds of Japanese men in flourescent green body suits…
Wait..
To explain, we were given the option of wearing protective suits due to the stinging jellyfish that hardly ever sting anyone (here, anyway). I declined. I wasn’t about to put anything between me and that sparkling azure water, and I figure if Im gonna die, this would be one of the more worthwhile ways to go. But these guys seemed to think that you had to wear them the whole time- even while playing beach cricket. I would really like to see their photos.
Anyway, that coupled with the screaming drunk guys jumping off the side of the “party boat” next to us, inspired me to take a walk. After twenty minutes I came to the next party boat, something called the Clipper. Some of the girls I spoke to on the beach were not very happy with it. For three nights they were stuck with no air conditioning, an empty pool, and bed bugs! Apparently, they did not choose wisely.
I got back to my hostel at the same time as a few people from the Cruise Whitsundays’ Barrier Reef Cruise. They were absolutely raving about it. Good service, amenities (it has a water slide!) food, and diving or snorkelling. They had fun, but it wasn’t too much like a frat party. I thought mine was good, but that sounds better.
Choose your tour like your hostel. There are quiet ones, party-minded ones, eco-tours with bushwalks… the list goes on and on. I think the best thing to do is pick out a few tours you are interested in, ask your roomates if they know about any of them, and then book it a day or two in advance when the best discounts and deals are available. Don’t go for the cheapest thing you can find. There’s probably a (creepy crawly) reason for that. Ask around! Everyone wants to tell you about their trip, and its a great conversation piece in hostels.
Rockhampton Steak
February 6th, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
The slight gestures of kindness and generosity you encounter unexpectedly on your travels can become some of your most fond memories. And they don’t need to cost you $199 including tax and transfers.
While visiting the Ascot Hotel in Rockhampton today, I had the pleasure of meeting Robby (or ”Mum” as she is known to anyone who’s been there a day), the angel who runs the hostel and treats you like you are her favourite child. We sat for tea while she folded some of the guests’ laundry, and chatted about travellers and hostels and life. I could have stayed there with her all day, but work was calling, so I got up to leave. I told her and Will, the kitchen manager, that I was heading north on a four-hour drive to my next destination. Will took one look at my skinny legs and sat me down in a chair with a “you’re not going anywhere, lovey,” and ran into the kitchen. Minutes later he was back with what I believe to have been the entire bottom half of a cow, searing on a hot stone next to some steamed veggies. Will chuckled wildly at the expression on my face, and proceeded to instruct me on exactly how to enjoy “The Best Steak in Australia.” He uses a method called Stone Grilling, where you slice off bite sized pieces and let them cook to your preference, while keeping the rest of the steak hot, and locking in the moisture. With just a tiny pinch of salt, I can say that each bite was more tender and flavourful than any steak Ive ever had. And I ate every bite.
The lovely couple tried to convince me to stay the night in the hostel, but I politely (and reluctantly) declined. So, after some more storytelling and chatting, Will made me promise to drive safely and return some day. He sent me off with a full stomach and a warm heart. These are the moments that make travel so rewarding.
If you are on the Capricorn Coast, I highly recommend a stop in this place. The hostel is old but charming, a home-away-from-home type of place. If you are just passing through, nothing will fuel you up for the long desolate stretch of highway going north like one of Will’s steaks. They also grill crocodile and kangaroo meat for the more adventurous, and though it is a bit tough on the budget, I think its worth every penny. I will more likely remember this afternoon years from now than a day spent trudging through some museum.
Don’t panic, it’s organic.
February 1st, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
Eating cheaply while travelling is a challenge. Eating healthy while travelling is another. Put the two together and you’ve got a seemingly big roadblock in the way of enjoying your holiday. I, for one, can only eat so many McChickens before burning a hole in my stomach, and only shop for organic produce so much before burning a hole in my wallet. I have noticed that many travellers (mostly girls; guys can sometimes seem like beerandpizzavores) are facing the same problem. So I did a little investigation.
I went to the local organic market in Noosa today to find one of my favorite snacks: whole grain pita bread, hummous, and sliced cucumbers (hey its a good source of protein). The grand total: $13.50, and they didn’t even have pita bread; I would have had to settle on white crisps. I then passed by an organic cafe offering some concoction involving pesto and pumpkin slices: $16. Finally, I stumbled upon an Aldi, one of the best things to come out of Germany since Haribo. To my delight, they had all-natural hummous, whole grain pita bread (yay!) and fresh cucumber. And I even picked up a jar of organic yoghurt with muesli. All together it cost me $8.60. Breakfast included.
So while it can sometimes be nice to treat yourself to an oceanfront lunch in a healthy cafe, or gorge on a cheap slice of Domino’s at the hostel, remember that you can have the best of both worlds. It just takes some effort, creativity, and a little help from our friends at Aldi. Sometimes you can find tasty, cheap, and healthy munchies at farmers markets too- a great way to combine your mission with sightseeing and mingling with the locals. Woolworths and Coles supermarkets also have growing organic and natural food aisles, though Aldi’s prices beat ‘em hands down. Just don’t do the organic market thing unless you have to. You end up spending half your budget on breakfast (not to mention enduring the doubtful eyes of the raw foodist yoga dude at the checkout counter- yea, we know tofu ice cream is still ice cream), and you’ll have no money left over for beer.
Shopper’s Paradise
January 28th, 2008 by Tiffany Miller
The name Surfers Paradise conjures up some vivid images of long, glassy waves peeling toward the shoreline with a backdrop of palm-lined empty beaches and a few grass shacks. The city of Surfers Paradise is laughable in comparison. You see it from Coolangatta and the view of the Q1 tower gets heavier as you drive into the concrete jungle. I had read that it was a party town, a trendy nightlife hotspot, a shopping mecca. But I hung on to my fantasy image until the bitter end: cruising down the Gold Coast Highway (now called Surfers Paradise Drive). Passing by a succession of kitsch tourist shops, real estate agencies and luxury designer boutiques, I was still hoping for the grass shacks to show up on the hills ahead.
Alas, there is nothing close to a shack in Surfers. There are lots of five star resorts and sky-high apartment buildings, though. The cars scream money, as do the labels on the backs of tall, bronzed models sipping lemon water at overpriced caviar burger joints. There are 14 shopping malls and arcades, glossy Louis V storefronts, and a couple of corner Starbucks. What the…
The next day I ran down to the beach after work to see what all the hype was about. The sand is definitely white. And soft. And abundant. The water is warm and glistening. The waves… well Im not sure I would say paradise, but there is some potential. All I saw were some gentle Waikiki-style rollers with about 500 bodyboards flailing in the whitewash. It may have just been a small day. I dunno. But now I imagine that those surfers you see walking through intersections check to see who’s looking before waxing their boards.
Im gonna take a wild guess and figure I can find much closer to my kind of paradise somewhere else along the coast. With world-class surf in either direction (Kirra was beautiful the other day), smaller crowds, and cheap burritos, I think its feasible. If shopping and people watching is your thing (and that’s cool too) this may be the hedonistic playground you would love. The nightlife is excellent. The girls are skimpily clad and sociable. The drinks are expensive.
I’m going north.