We left Brisbane at sunrise and arrived to Carnarvon Gorge after the sunset. The 10-hour bus ride to Carnarvon Gorge went by very fast for me since I took a ZQuil and slept the majority of the way. My classmates, including Dr. Kris, said they were amazed at how I could sleep in awkward positions on a bus. I like to sleep. Speaking of sleep, I have been having some bizarre dreams while in Australia. I don't know if it's because my mind is on vacation mode and I am not stressing, but I am able to remember all of my dreams, scary and happy. It's quite interesting.
Our bus drivers Collin and Steve were fabulous. In addition to driving us around the Gorge, they cooked us our meals. I expected our "camping" meals to be plain and simple, but we were given a full buffet for every meal. We had stir fry and pasta and pancakes and bacon and eggs and cake and ice cream and so much more. The quality (and quantity might I add) of the food we ate was superb. Dr. Kris loved the stir fry for dinner one night. He was very much impressed! Steve gave us seconds and thirds and made sure we all ate up during every meal, especially since we were hiking and being so active. He didn't want us to have any empty stomaches… which is how I live my life. I was a happy, content, over-fed girl.
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| Team Dingo |
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| Kyle and I cutting rope with quartzite rocks |
During the first full day, on Friday, June 13th, YES I SAID FRIDAY THE 13TH… dun dun dun… we had an Aborgional competition where we spit into two teams: The Dingos and the Wombats. Kyle and Alex are the only two boys, so they were our captains. Our teams were determined "dodge ball style". As I guessed… I was picked last… the BEST for last right? I think my pink fuzzy socks came off intimidating, so they each were assuming I would get picked by the other. Whateves, I pulled my weight as a Dingo.
We were given three different tasks:
1) Carve tools out of stone that are sharp enough to cut rope
2) Construct a water container our of raw material
3) Carve a returning boomerang
These tasks gave me a sense of what the Aboriginal people had to do on a daily basis, heavily relying on nature. Kyle and I were in charge of finding rocks to carve tools out of stone. We threw full quartzite rock on other rocks to cut the rocks in half, creating sharp edges. Kyle cut as I held the rope tight and motivated Kyle to cut faster! After cutting the rope at least 7 times, we won! Goes to show that those picked last are the true winners hehe. However, we lost on the water container and boomerang carving. Although we lost, we had amazing team work. Plus, our face paint looked fierce.
After the Aboriginal competition, we went on a water hike in the Wagaroo Gorge with our tour guide, Simon Ling. Simon brought a wealth of knowledge of the Gorge's plants, animals, landscapes and cultures. He combined his deep love of the Australian bush and a talent for communication to lead us to a greater understanding of the natural world and the place of humans within it. Simon explained where we were and why it is important with fascinating commentary. When I said we went on a water hike, I mean water. We were about chest deep in water, hiking along a narrow Gorge. The greenery within the Gorge and the sunlight shining down within the Gorge's walls were amazing. From swimming across large puddles, walking along a log as a tight rope, and climbing the Gorge's walls to continue along the route, we had to help each other with each challenge. I mounted my Go-Pro on my head, which better illustrates my adventure visually.
I will post a video of my water hike soon~
Later that night, we went on a night walk and nocturnal wildlife spotting. Unlike the nocturnal walk at Lamington, we saw multiple creatures in the dusk. Kangaroos, wallabies, yellow-belly gliders, and a king toad. From dawn to dusk, I learned there is a lot of activity happening throughout the day.
The next day, Saturday, June 14th, my classmates and I went on one-heck-of-a steep hike, estimating 1,000 steps. The thing about Simon is he doesn't wait for ya. He leads the group and expects to meet you at the end of the trail. Since I learned that from yesterday's hike, I tried my best to be close up front, next to him. I definitely kept my pace to keep up, but let's just say I went from wearing 2 jackets, a beanie and gloves to stripping down to a tank top and using my hand-held battery-generated fan by the end of the journey. I went from freezing to bloody hot within 5 minutes of the hike. Collin and Steve prepared grilled-cheese sandwiches before the hike, which was definitely worked off by the time I got up the mountain. When we arrived to the top, I didn't know what we were looking at until Simon pointed out the great divide. It was a beautiful siting. Since we weren't moving, I got cold again. I swear, I put on, took off, put on, took off clothes multiple times during the day. Actually, for the entire time we were at Carvnarvon Gorge. I couldn't keep up. Oh, and I completed this intense hike wearing high-top converse…
I will post a video of my steep mountain hike soon~
Day 3 came too fast. On Sunday, June 15th, I woke up at 5am to make it to 6am breakfast then our 7am hike. Did I mention I woke up at 5am? Yeah… Although we had to wake up before 7am each morning, it was worth it. We were able to fit SO many activities during the day. The 7am hike ended around 4pm. Hiking for 9 miles was quite the experience, let me tell ya. Since I wore my Nikes the first day for the water hike and my Converse the next day for the mountain hike, I was shoe-less since they were both still wet from me washing them. Big mistake to think it was a good idea to do that. Fortunately, Kathleen let me borrow her Nike shoes… bless her heart! I am so thankful to have met Kathleen on this trip. She is a one-of-a-kind person with a sincere heart, always willing to help. She has been my partner in crime this trip.
During the long trek, we saw history, wildlife and grey nomads along the way. Steve told me what a grey nomad was. Can you guess? They are the old tourists at Carnarvon. They embrace it. They know that's what they are called. My classmates and I were without a doubt the youngest people at Carnarvon. I realized this outback was tourist spot for those retired. They were nice though! When we started talking to them, they knew we were from the States (or Canada). What I like the most about Australia is that I blend in. When studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain (twice), it was hard for me to adapt to the culture and language and style. Living in Australia, people don't think I am a tourist until I open my mouth. My accent gives it away. It's a nice change.
We saw authentic Aboriginal rock art on the Gorge's walls, which proved to me that this Aboriginal culture and history is real. The stories Simon and Mary Graham said were true. It was a beautiful view and I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. We also trekked to an amphitheater and the moss garden. It's stereotypical to think that an outback is all desert. It's not. Parts of the trek, especially the moss garden, reminded me of a rainforest. Not Lamington National Park rainforest, but a stereotypical lush rainforest with canopies and greenery.
Once the bittersweet hike came to an end, our meat feast was time to begin. On the menu: steak, sausage and KANGAROO. It was ironic to be eating kangaroo when there were kangaroo EVERYWHERE in the outback. I saw at least 10 everyday while. I would be exiting the bathroom and one would just be chilling outside the door. It was the coolest thing. But back to eating them…. I again reminded myself it was the circle of life. Any by golly it was yummy (again). I actually preferred the kangaroo over the Australian steak.
The last activity on the Carnarvon itinerary was the Southern Skies star gazing. I have never seen so many stars in my life. Being in an area with little to no lighting, watching the stars was spectacular. I saw the southern cross, scorpio, Saturn and millions of stars. Overall, Carnarvon Gorge was a phenomenal experience. I rank the outback to a very close second to Lady Elliot Island. I hope to one day go back.
I will post a video of my water hike soon~
Later that night, we went on a night walk and nocturnal wildlife spotting. Unlike the nocturnal walk at Lamington, we saw multiple creatures in the dusk. Kangaroos, wallabies, yellow-belly gliders, and a king toad. From dawn to dusk, I learned there is a lot of activity happening throughout the day.
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| Larissa and me (wearing a tank top) |
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| My classmates and me (wearing everything I brought) |
The next day, Saturday, June 14th, my classmates and I went on one-heck-of-a steep hike, estimating 1,000 steps. The thing about Simon is he doesn't wait for ya. He leads the group and expects to meet you at the end of the trail. Since I learned that from yesterday's hike, I tried my best to be close up front, next to him. I definitely kept my pace to keep up, but let's just say I went from wearing 2 jackets, a beanie and gloves to stripping down to a tank top and using my hand-held battery-generated fan by the end of the journey. I went from freezing to bloody hot within 5 minutes of the hike. Collin and Steve prepared grilled-cheese sandwiches before the hike, which was definitely worked off by the time I got up the mountain. When we arrived to the top, I didn't know what we were looking at until Simon pointed out the great divide. It was a beautiful siting. Since we weren't moving, I got cold again. I swear, I put on, took off, put on, took off clothes multiple times during the day. Actually, for the entire time we were at Carvnarvon Gorge. I couldn't keep up. Oh, and I completed this intense hike wearing high-top converse…
I will post a video of my steep mountain hike soon~
Day 3 came too fast. On Sunday, June 15th, I woke up at 5am to make it to 6am breakfast then our 7am hike. Did I mention I woke up at 5am? Yeah… Although we had to wake up before 7am each morning, it was worth it. We were able to fit SO many activities during the day. The 7am hike ended around 4pm. Hiking for 9 miles was quite the experience, let me tell ya. Since I wore my Nikes the first day for the water hike and my Converse the next day for the mountain hike, I was shoe-less since they were both still wet from me washing them. Big mistake to think it was a good idea to do that. Fortunately, Kathleen let me borrow her Nike shoes… bless her heart! I am so thankful to have met Kathleen on this trip. She is a one-of-a-kind person with a sincere heart, always willing to help. She has been my partner in crime this trip.
 |
| Aboriginal Art |
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| Meme Me and Kat - The best roomies at the moss garden |
During the long trek, we saw history, wildlife and grey nomads along the way. Steve told me what a grey nomad was. Can you guess? They are the old tourists at Carnarvon. They embrace it. They know that's what they are called. My classmates and I were without a doubt the youngest people at Carnarvon. I realized this outback was tourist spot for those retired. They were nice though! When we started talking to them, they knew we were from the States (or Canada). What I like the most about Australia is that I blend in. When studying abroad in Barcelona, Spain (twice), it was hard for me to adapt to the culture and language and style. Living in Australia, people don't think I am a tourist until I open my mouth. My accent gives it away. It's a nice change.
We saw authentic Aboriginal rock art on the Gorge's walls, which proved to me that this Aboriginal culture and history is real. The stories Simon and Mary Graham said were true. It was a beautiful view and I couldn't keep my eyes off of it. We also trekked to an amphitheater and the moss garden. It's stereotypical to think that an outback is all desert. It's not. Parts of the trek, especially the moss garden, reminded me of a rainforest. Not Lamington National Park rainforest, but a stereotypical lush rainforest with canopies and greenery.
Once the bittersweet hike came to an end, our meat feast was time to begin. On the menu: steak, sausage and KANGAROO. It was ironic to be eating kangaroo when there were kangaroo EVERYWHERE in the outback. I saw at least 10 everyday while. I would be exiting the bathroom and one would just be chilling outside the door. It was the coolest thing. But back to eating them…. I again reminded myself it was the circle of life. Any by golly it was yummy (again). I actually preferred the kangaroo over the Australian steak.
 |
| Yum Kangaroo |
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| Meat feast |
The last activity on the Carnarvon itinerary was the Southern Skies star gazing. I have never seen so many stars in my life. Being in an area with little to no lighting, watching the stars was spectacular. I saw the southern cross, scorpio, Saturn and millions of stars. Overall, Carnarvon Gorge was a phenomenal experience. I rank the outback to a very close second to Lady Elliot Island. I hope to one day go back.
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