2012 – April 23-May 30, 2012: Australia

Australia Trip

 

Spring 2012

Part 1 – Shepparton

Part 2 – Toyota Van Trip

Part 3 – Phillip Island

Part 4 – Melbourne & San Remo

 

Bruce & Connie Trips – Australia Part 1

 
 

We were fortunate enough to find 2 house exchanges in the Melbourne area during this period, so here we are.  Our first house is a brand new brick bungalow with a huge yard and prolific gardens.  It’s hard to imagine a better introduction to this beautiful country than Shepparton (200K north of Melbourne).  It’s very flat, but we’re enjoying the beautiful weather, the amazingly different bird songs, and of course the ubiquitous Eucalyptus trees.  I’m able to swim at a lovely local pool on a regular basis and between local walks and car day-trips (Kyabram fauna park, a winery and a gold-rush ghost town), we’re keeping fit and happy. 

 

May 1, 2012

 
 
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Food prices are horrendous here, but I’m finding the food quality – everything from produce to meats and dairy products to be more tasty and substantial than in Canada – and the wines – OMG the wines!  Connie even got to attend 2 children’s choir workshops. On Saturday we leave on our 9 day camping trip in our host’s camper van.  We’ll post another album telling about that trip in a week or so.  Australia’s unique animals are shown in the video, so don’t miss out by just viewing the slideshow.

Bruce & Connie Trips – Australia – Part 2

 
 
 
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A camping trip is definitely a departure from the usual house exchange.  We thoroughly enjoyed the time in the Boyle’s camper van, staying in caravan parks around Victoria, experiencing the many environments of this beautiful state.  We know that we’re still in love, since we spent more than a week traveling (mostly in a  Toyota van conversion) without killing each other.  Here are some of the many sights…

May  5 – 14, 2012

Life in the slow lane in Victoria, Australia:

a week in a Toyota Campervan.

  1. –   from “The Ravings of Bruce”

 

The closest Connie and I have come to experiencing hippie life was demonstrating against the Vietnam war an the Yale campus in 1969. Driving a diesel Van in Australia comes close to reviving that glorious state.  Putting down the road, with all the noise, smoke and low power, we might has well have been in a Volkswagen van.  All that was missing was the peace symbol.

It occurs to me that I spent my youth wisely by visiting the zoo so often, mostly watching the monkeys getting around their cages. My observations helped me immensely in figuring out to move around the van, especially when the bed is in place. 

Outside the van presents even greater challenges, given the wonders of the trailer park. The first time I stepped out of the van to go to the washroom, I garroted myself on the awning support.  Then, since we arrived late at the caravan park we found that the toilet/shower complex was completely on the other side of the property. This necessitated marching in front of 20 “mobile” homesteads in the morning looking like total crap.  Having arrived at this distant land, I realized I had forgotten the soap.  So I undressed, started the shower and stepped out to the wash basins and lathered myself up from the liquid soap dispenser. Where there was only one guy at the end of the room when I first arrived, now there are 15, all looking at me like I’m some kind of pervert!

On another occasion I trekked to the facility to wash the dishes at the out-door stand.  I felt a strange combination of triumph when a woman walked by, and embarrassment when a big bruiser with a “footy hat” walked by looking at me strangely.

But I felt totally emmancipated by the elderly gentleman hanging 20 pairs of fine qaulity panties and brassieres. He had to endure the comments of passing men: “well, I guess men can do that too” or muttering: “makes the rest of us look bad.”  For my own part, I had a fairly sheltered childhood, not being permitted to look at the clothesline at the YWCA till I was 18.

My last nocturnal visit to the loo was one of the most surreal experiences of my life, when I stepped out of the van at 3am, I found I was surrounded by no less than 17  wallabies, standing motionless in the half light of a crescent moon.  Weird!!!!

But you know you’re still in love when you’ve spent a week in a small campervan with your wife and you haven’t killed each other.