From Sydney to Cairns

Ok, it was rather ambitious of me to say three posts in one week.  One post every three weeks is far more feasible...anywho!

As mentioned in "Jumping into the Unknown" my good friend, Sean, came to Australia in September and I was able to take two weeks off and get in some Aussie travel time with him! 

The adventure started in Sydney where we met at the airport.  It was so surreal!  Here we are in Australia together!  Last time we saw each other was in Kelowna almost one year ago. It's one of those things that makes life and travel so magical. 

Ponderosa Way reunion!  Travis and I.

In Sydney, we stayed with an old neighbour of mine (and I'm talking back to the Merritt days circa 1990's neighbour), Travis.  Trav graciously opened his home (and let his inner tour guide shine) for a couple days while Sean and I explored the touristy places like Bondi Beach, Manly, and of course, Sydney Harbour.  Funny enough, a great memory of Sydney is actually a film we watched: Red Dog.  It's based on a true story and those who know me, know that any film that portrays the unconditional love that animals give will be one of my faves (and bring me to tears).

From Sydney, Sean and I rented a campervan and started heading north.  We stopped in Newcastle to catch the sunset and stretch our legs before carrying on for a couple more hours and eventually finding a rest stop to set up shop for the night.


Hi there!

The next day we continued on to Byron Bay where we would spend a couple of nights.  But before getting into Byron we stopped at a wildlife park.  This was not my first encounter with Australian wildlife, however; in June, a couple mates and I took a trip down the Great Ocean Road where a giant red kangaroo almost took us out while driving!  Thanks Pants for great reaction time!

The sanctuary was lovely though and we got to feed little 'roos, view some wombats (so cute!), koalas, dingos, and other Australian wildlife.  It was a nice break from driving and I could have hung out with the 'roos all day!  Alas we carried on.

One of my absolute favourite things to do is to eat fresh fish and chips on the beach and that is exactly what we did when we rolled into Byron.  The next day consisted nothing but lounging on the beach, catching some rays and sipping some bevies.


After relaxation in Byron we headed to the digusting party town of Surfer's Paradise.  Don't let the name mislead you.  Surfer's does have beaches but the town itself is full of sloppy and drunk travellers which to me makes it rather disgusting.  But who am I to judge! I might have consumed a bit of wobbly pops that evening myself (when in Rome?) and had a blast at a pub that featured a live band playing all those classic cover tunes that we know and love so much.  I might have also had a dance-off with some dude to It's Like That which he afterwards said, "I've never been shamed like that on the dance floor!"  Yeah, that's right.  Little did he know that when he challenged me to dance-off with him that this Canadian has Ukrainian dance moves rolled up her sleeve - always winning moves! 

Outdoor climbing park at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane. 

Our next stop was Brissie (aka Brisbane) where we stayed with my friend, Gareth. Brissie consisted of drinks, food, museums, hot tubs, rock climbing and tight-rope walking.  It's always nice to catch up with friends and just hang out.  And who knew Brisbane had a fantastic park right in the city featuring climbing cliffs and just chilled out people.

Finally, it was time to fly up to Cairns where the first thing on the agenda was the skydive jump; as I have said before, unreal! 

The following day it was time to head out for an overnight trip to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) aboard the Rum Runner.  The Rum Runner is a 20m sailboat (motor included) owned by Richard.  It's a small company but with that comes fantastic service and a wonderful experience. 

All the guests and the crew of the Rum Runner.

Sean and I were joined by three German girls and a Belgian guy and a British bloke.  It was a bit of a drizzly morning which meant gorgeous weather out on the Reef.  We all sat together as we had introductions to Rum Runner team, the boat, snorkelling and diving.  Things were going well for about an hour (it took about three to get to the Reef) but then I could see a few gills getting a little green, including mine.  Now I may be the daughter of a fisherman but apparently that means nothing when it comes to sea sickness.  Most of us sat and stared at the horizon as we rode the waves.  The only chipper one seemed to be Sean!

It wasn't long after that one of the German girls coughed her cookies, followed immediately by her friend, followed immediately by Dries (the Belgian).  How I did not follow suit, I'm not sure but I just sat at the stern, hugged my legs tight to my chest, stared out in the distance, and focused on my breathing.

We finally made it to the Reef and getting motivated was difficult after feeling so gross; alas, it was a gorgeous day and shit(!), we're at the GBR!!  So in I went (snorkelling) to check out the creatures that call the GBR home.  Simply beautiful.

In my last post I talked a bit about fear and trying to overcome it.  Well one of my greatest fears is actually diving. Something about relying on apparatus to breathe and being 10 metres under water.  Unfortunately, I could not get past the fear.  In combination with feeling slightly ill, choppy waters and the internal battle I was already having with myself, I couldn't bring myself to do it.  However, I have decided that I will start my diving experience in a pool where I can practice techniques and then move it to the open water.  I will overcome this fear!   Anywho, over the two days, we moved around to different areas on the Reef to explore.  It really was incredible seeing all those tropical fish and I really was quite content just snorkelling around. 

When we returned to dry land on day two, we stayed in touch with Dries and he became a travel buddy for Sean after I returned to Melbs.  Over the next couple of days we were real bums in Cairns.  "Beach" (I put beach in quotes because it is a man-made lagoon in Cairns), food, beverages, dancing, sleep and repeat.  It was actually quite strange to be in that 'backpacker mode' again.  These days my idea of travelling is really immersing myself in the culture, forming relationships with locals, just really finding and experiencing the authenticity of a city and a country.  However, I still had a blast just relaxing and hanging out with travellers. 

For one of those days in Cairns, Dries, Sean and I took a day trip to Port Douglas and Mossman Gorge (in the Daintree Rainforest); it was a lovely escape to nature for the day.  We also visited Hartley's Crocodile Park along the way where we learned about these amazing (and frightening) creatures. Be croc-wise people!

Anyway, that about sums up my two-week adventure.  It was really nice to throw the ol' backpack over the shoulder again.  Australia is a beautiful country and I have only seen a bit of it.  I look forward to more Aussie adventures in the year to come!

The iconic Opera House.



There was a plane flying around the harbour writing things in the air so I thought I would take advantage of the situation and show my angelic side ;)

"Hey Fred, quite they day, eh?"  This is all I kept thinking.  Two birds hanging out in the harbour watching the boats coming in and out...I think I've watched too much Nemo.

Sydney Harbour Bridge.
 

Sydney skyline - on the ferry to Manly.





Harbour Bridge from the other side near Luna Park.
 

Luna Park entrance - not as frightening as the one in Melbourne.

 

Bondi Beach.

Surfers at Bondi.

Sean chattin' up a Sydney Fire Captain.

Newcastle Lighthouse at dusk.

A little dancer in front of the setting sun. Newcastle.

A Rainbow Lorikeet (I do believe - correct me if I am wrong!)

A little Joey popping out of momma's pouch!

Feeding momma and her joey.

This one can't get enough!

Byron Bay by day.

Byron Bay by dusk.

This little one reminded me of Red Dog!  What a sweetie.

Relaxing in a Brisbane park with a good book and a bevie.  Such a life!

Brissie.

The outdoor park at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane.

Sean belaying Gareth.

Because why wouldn't I try walking on a slack line?!

The magnificent Great Barrier Reef.

Taking in the sights, smells and sounds...feeling better it seems. 

Snorkelling!

Duuuude, it's Crushhhh!  So cool swimming with a sea turtle!

This picture could be one of my faves. Sean captured this moment after dinner (or for some, a few bites of food here and there). Sea sickness at its finest. 

En route to Port Douglas and Mossman Gorge.

Hartley's Crocodile Park.

Frightening!

Croc foot!  I have to say I like these feet more than 'Crocs' shoes.

Jumpin' Jesus!  They all come out of the woodworks for feeding time.

Cruisin' together.

Flippin' terrifying!

Dries and I munching on BBQ'd prawns (in Port Douglas).

The beach in Port Douglas.

Sean cooling off at Mossman Gorge in the Daintree Rainforest.

Such a serene spot!

Nature is beautiful.

 

Jumping into the Unknown

First off, I need to apologize for my lack of contact.  There is honestly no excuse except my lack of motivation to keep up with a blog.  But I have made it a goal to pull my socks up and continue sharing.

Over the next week, I will have about three installments of the latest adventures and happenings of life in Australia.  I am going to begin with one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had.  Ever.  And it deserves a blog post of its own.

Skydiving. 

In early September one of my best friends, Sean, came to Australia for one month.  I met up with him for two weeks for a little east coast travelling.  I had said to him a few months prior, "Hey! Let's go skydiving when you're here!  In Cairns!"  He was very easy to persuade. 

Skydiving is something I have always considered but have always been too chicken shit to actually do and I never thought I actually would get the balls to do it (wow, sorry for the profanity and vulgar terms).  Anyway, what changed my mind was hearing about a newfound friend's experience while I was in India.  He had me hooked and all of a sudden I lost the fear aspect of it all. 

Fear is what generally holds us back.  Standing up to your boss - fear - fear of being reprimanded.  Telling someone we love them - fear - fear that they don't love us back.  Getting into and staying in a headstand - fear - fear of falling.  Jumping out of an airplane - fear - fear of an unknown experience (and for some, death).  Sometimes, we just need to recognize and acknowledge that fear and then let it go.  And that's what I did. 

Let's get back to the night before the 'big jump'.  I had just booked mine and Sean's jump earlier that day.  That was it; it was going to happen.  The lead up to it I was a complete ball of nerves and excitement.  I would burst out at the most random times, "Remember how we are jumping out of an airplane tomorrow?!?"  Sean was cool and collected and I could tell that me continually reminding him was making him nervous - on the inside of course.

I had a restless sleep and when my alarm finally went off, I thought "Oh shit! It's here! Guess what we are about to go do, Sean?!?"  The big van picked us up at 7:00am where we joined about twelve other jumpers.  The dropzone was about an hour's drive away and during this time, we were all filling out consent forms basically stating that we understand that we could die.  The crew members were cracking death jokes like nobody's business.  There was an option for insurance if you didn't already have it and the one guy was like, "Haha, that always makes me laugh, what's the point of having insurance if you die?"  Definitely a real knack of making you feel at ease!  But honestly, they were just mocking all the flack skydiving gets when really, it is very safe.

When we get there, I can feel my heartrate increase and when presented with anything stressful, I resort back to yoga and focused on my breath to calm myself.  We are all sitting around and one of the instructors, Sergio, starts giving us a brief rundown.  Next thing I know I hear, "Tracy!"  My name was the first one to be called.  I join Sergio and he goes through everything at a more personal level.  Once I am all harnessed in, I follow him to a small little plane.  If anything, it could have been the flying in a teeny plane that I feared the most.  Sean and his instructor get in next, followed by an Asian couple and their instructors.  So there you have it, there is no bailing from me; I am squashed in this tiny plane.  I resort back to controlling my breath and calming my nerves.  It had to be one of the most confronting experiences though - just honestly not knowing what to expect. 

The plane starts down the runway and we're off!  The plane was loud, the gear was uncomfortable, I was cramped, I was so nervous but I was also unbelievably excited.  Sergio asked me how I was doing and I said, "Yeah good! Doing my yoga breathing!"  It was definitely one of those internal battles.  I could give in to this fear or understand and accept that there was no turning back and I could just truly enjoy the experience.  The latter is what I chose to do.

We finally get up to 16,000 feet and it's time to open the door.  This precise moment is when I heard the other girl start freaking out...but it was hard to determine if it was pure excitement or pure fear.  Her boyfriend was the first to jump and the best way to describe it is simply: Now you see him, now you don't.  The time between jumps is quick and there is no BS of sitting and waiting until you are ready at the door; you probably will never be fully ready.  The second to go was the girlfriend and my god, what a scene!  We soon discover those yips and yelps were absolutely not excitement.  As her instructor tries to shift her to the door, she is grabbing onto anything in her reach. She even throws her arms at Sean and his instructor.  They finally get to the door and he gets her to cross her arms and down they go, her screams being heard over the engine.  Sergio turns to the pilot and says, "We got a screamer!"

It's Sean's turn next and as quickly as he got to the door, he was out the door. Within seconds of Sean jumping, Sergio was pushing for us to go to the door.  This is it Trace.  To explain the feeling just then is honestly indescribable. You know it is about to happen but you really have no idea what it's going to be like.  Sergio put his hands on the door, positions us, makes sure I am in appropriate jumping form (head back and arms crossed in front of chest) and then the next thing I know, we are out the door and falling headfirst towards to the ground.  You know when you go on a carnival ride or drive over a rolling hill really quickly and that feeling of your stomach getting left at the top? Well that is what the initial seconds were like...except that feeling with every organ in my body.  After approximately ten seconds, I got the okay to open my arms.  It was incredible.  I hoot and  hollered (no yipping and yelping from me) and tried to take in the experience.  Your mind just goes on complete sensory overload.  So many sights, sounds, and feelings.  I remember thinking, "Damn, I should have taken my studs out!  My ear lobes keep flapping and it kind of hurts!"  Then I would look around and be taken aback by the view of the Coral Sea and Daintree Rainforest.  All awhile my body is cruising down towards the ground at speeds of around 220km/hr.  I didn't even think about the parachute; the 60 second freefall could have gone on forever.

Sergio then pulled the parachute and we floated on down towards the ground.  He asked me, "Do you want to fly it?"  Of course I did!  Absolutely!  He explained how it worked and I flew us around a bit and then he took over control as we got closer to the landing zone.  This part did feel like a really terrible carnival ride though (motion sickness can affect me) but I managed to ignore those feelings!  Just before we landed, I lifted up my legs as told and voila!  We hit the ground all limbs intact!  Big high-fives!  Sean had landed just before me and we just looked at each other and smiled and laughed and shared in the absolute euphoria that skydiving is.  To say we were wired is an understatement.  The adrenalin high was unreal.  We couldn't stop talking about each other's experiences.  My body was literally shaking and I was trying to recall every detail.  They say you often forget many details because as I said before, your mind just goes on complete sensory overload.  About twenty minutes later, I started to feel a bit ill as I came down from my high but absolutely nothing to complain about!

We watched others land and seeing their faces and listening to their experiences was just as incredible because you know what they are talking about.  You have felt that adrenalin.  You have felt that euphoria.

Would I skydive again?  Without question.  I am so glad I was able to work past that initial fear, for this experience is one that I will never ever forget.  But if there is one lesson to be had here, I highly suggest not emailing your mom afterwards only stating, "Guess what I just did?!  Jumped out of an airplane!"  I recommend a few more details to ease her mind... Sorry again, mom :)

Below are just a few pictures.  I did not buy pictures or video of my jump - the memory of the experience is enough for me.  Here's to letting go of fear and jumping into the unknown.

After the jump - I think this is when I came down from my high.

Watching others coming down and landing safely :)

Bana from Germany - the look on her face says it all!

Skydiving really does take it out of you! The bus ride back to Cairns.

 

A Penny for my Thoughts

Today was one of those days.  One of those magical days.  Brace yourself mom, I may "go all George Harrison" on you.

I was given the book Shantaram a couple weeks ago from a friend I had just met, Eugene.  The timing was impeccable.  It's like he knew what my mind and soul were craving.  Shantaram is a 933-page book; I am only on page 138 but I have already lost myself in it.  It's a story based on the life of the author, Gregory David Roberts, a robber and heroin addict who escaped prison and his nineteen-year sentence.  He fled Australia to the majestic country of India where he "came to find his humanity while living at the wildest edge of experience." 

It was a terribly rainy day in Melbourne so what better way to escape the dampness than to hit a cafe, sip on tea and lose myself in the words of a great story teller.  For the past few months, I have known that I want to go back to India and explore the entire country.  I have felt that a piece of my heart and soul are still there.  I have been trying to find the words to describe why India is the amazing place I believe it to be.  It always comes back to the people and the energy.  There is an excerpt from the book that struck a chord with me:

"You must be careful, here, with the real affection of those you meet. This is not like any other place.  This is India.  Everyone who comes here falls in love - most of us fall in love many times over.  And the Indians, they love most of all.  Your little friend may be beginning to love you.  There is nothing strange in this.  I say it from a long experiene of this country, and especially of this city.  It happens often, and easily, for the Indians.  That is how they manage to live together, a billion of them, in reasonable peace.  They are not perfect, of course.  They know how to fight and lie and cheat each other, and all the things that all of us do.  But more than any other people in the world, the Indians know how to love one another.  Without love, India would be impossible."

There is a magic in India.  If you can see past and just accept the hectic traffic, the sometimes awful smells, the rubbish and dirtiness in the streets, you too will fall in love.  It's a place where your mind is forced to open and embrace love for the people, the culture and just the enchanting place India is. 

As I walked home, I reminisced of my experiences in India.  I remember sitting on the steps at a beach in Kovalam with a couple of locals.  We chatted about life, love, yoga, India, and Canada.  I giggled as I remembered the older woman telling me to bring back some more Westerners for her younger friend and his friends to marry.  I remembered the little boy she had with her and how he wanted to touch me and hold my hand.  I remembered one man asking me if I had any Canadian coins for his son to bring to school.  I remembered eating a fresh pineapple the woman had just cut for me.  I remembered the smell of the Arabian Sea.  I remembered the feeling of true appreciation and the simple things in life that bring happiness.  Finally, I remembered that crow at the Ashram that flew over me telling me that I have made and am making the right choices and where my life is leading is exactly where I need to be.

I then began thinking about teaching yoga and the bliss I feel when teaching.  I had mentioned in a previous post how I was developing my own practise and how I wanted to take more courses before teaching asana classes.  It was the visit from my friend Gareth that changed that for me.  I realized that the aforementioned were just excuses and that ultimately, I was just lacking confidence.  He reignited the flame and gave me the boost and inspiration I needed.  It was a couple weeks after that a coworker had said to me that she always wanted to try yoga.  To her surprise and delight, I mentioned that I am a teacher; I now teach her and her friend two or three times a week.  And now that I am into teaching, I remember why I chose to pursue teaching.  The peaceful energy I feel among my students when our class is finished is what happiness and life are all about.

Melbourne has been an incredible experience thus far for a variety of reasons, many I have outlined already: the people I have met and the great vibe in this city mostly.  I suppose I should let you know that I have been working at a cycling apparel shop which allows me to talk about bikes and lycra all day long!  Along with that, I have working as a face-to-face fundraiser (which I have found a whole new respect for).  I've also been on my bike a lot and am starting to raise funds for my Ride to Conquer Cancer in October with two great guys I met when working for the Ride.  So basically, as I once proclaimed at the age of five, "Life is good!"

So do I know what is next for me?  No, should I?  All I know is that I continue to learn about the person I am and what life is all about - or at least how I believe I should live life.  To me, it's embracing every single day, never having judgment, appreciating the simple things, sharing my aspirations, listening to others' aspirations, inspiring others, turning negativity into positivity, and fulfilling my passions.

One other thing I am certain of is that I will return to India in the near future.  The compelling stories that fill up the pages of Shantaram have absolutely confirmed that for me.  Whatever else the future brings, only time will tell.  I'm just enjoying the journey.

Yes, today was one of those days.  Om shanti.

"...it unlocked this enormous big door at the back of my consciousness."                          ~George Harrison on India

Passing through a village in the state of Kerala, India on way to Neyyar Dam.

Thanumalayan Temple, Suchindram in the district of Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu.  L-R David from Galway, Aishwarya from Delhi, Tyler from Saskatoon and moi. Amazing, amazing temple. Amazing people.

A gorgeous autumn day in Melbourne.

The two Tracy's.  She is one person who has made Melbourne as awesome as it is. A friend for life.

"'Cause you gotta have friends..." Themed parties at their finest: Mafia.  L-R, Belle, Nina, Nick, Lisa, Damian, myself, Mick, Ingrid and Dev.