Home » Australia » 1995 Travel Diary (Part 1)

I saw the New Year in with my brother and friends watching the impressive fireworks over Sydney Harbor. After the display we walked across the famous Sydney Harbor Bridge and then headed down to the nearby celebrations in the Rocks area. It was really kicking down in the Rocks area with all of the New Year madness one would expect. It was a great feeling as the New Year rang in and I realized that the next year was mine to travel and have fun - not to work. As I wondered what the New Year would bring I had a feeling that this trip was going to be a long one! I thought I would probably spend 6 months in Oz and then head over to Indonesia - after that I had no idea!

1995 Travel Diary (Part 1)

Gjcmcclurg
2005-12-23 14:34:04

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it was closed as it would have been too dangerous at night! In the bar there was no furniture and everything was caged over to prevent it being smashed up by the 'rowdy' clientele!

In Katherine I met up with a group of five girls who were staying at the same hostel and we all hung out for a few days. We hired kayaks and explored the spectacular Katherine Gorge. The gorge had some great waterfalls, pools for swimming and bird life. After Katherine I headed up to Darwin. Darwin had a frontier town feel about it and seemed to be full of travelers so I quickly got back into the socializing scene for a few weeks. I was staying at a very comfortable hostel with a pool so the time just slipped by. While in Darwin I booked my flight over to Kupang in Timor, Indonesia and got ready to travel in the third world.

From Darwin I went on a 5 day camping trip out to the world famous Kakadu National Park - a UNESCO World Heritage Area. The Kakadu National Park covered an immense area and included wetlands that were teaming with wildlife. Over the five days we explored the park and spotted a good deal of animals and birds. One of the highlights was going out at night on a small motor boat and spotting the crocodiles - their red eyes seemed to peer at us from every angle as we cruised along the pitch black waterways!

I had chosen to go to Kakadu with a guide who was one of the most knowledgeable about the Aboriginal culture. A substantial portion of our tour was devoted to explaining the Aboriginal culture and their beliefs. We visited some of their holy places and the guide took time to tell us about some of their 'Dreamtime' stories. Our guide also took us to see some of the cave paintings and explained their significance. It was a very interesting 5 day tour with the blend of the spectacular scenery, the wildlife and the emphasis on learning a little about the people indigenous to the continent. After the tour we returned to Darwin where I spent a few more days preparing to fly to Timor, Indonesia - getting vaccinations and medical supplies, arranging money, buying gear and sending mail etc.

On 7th June, after exactly six months in Australia, I flew to Kupang in western Timor. My Merpati flight was a little delayed due to a RAAF FA18 fighter making a crash landing on the main runway, but we finally got away at about 17.00 hrs!