Sygis Sydneys // Autumn in Sydney

P2rast kaht v2ga kuuma ja p2ikeselist p2eva Brisbane'is s6itsime me 8ise rongiga Sydneysse. Rongis oli t2nu ekstreemsele kliimaseadmele jube jahe (mis on muuseas k6ikides seni kylastatud kuumades riikides kahjuks normiks, v2hemalt juhtudel kus selleks piisavalt raha leidub), seega ootasime pikisilmi, et saaks l6puks rongist v2lja sooja 6hku astuda. Suur oli aga meie yllatus, kui me rongist v2ljusime ja avastasime, et 6ues oli veel kylmem! Kylmast l6disedes k6ndisime me l2bi hommikuse Sydney meie hotelli poole. See k6lab jube ekstreemselt, tegelikult oli v2ljas siiski 17 kraadi sooja, aga p2rast nelja kuud pea lakkamatus 30-kraadises kuumuses olemist tundus see uskumatult kylmana. Kehad harjuvad v2liste tingimustega ikka p2ris kiiresti. Ma m2letan selgelt, kuidas yhel eriti kylmal Eesti talvel tundus -8 kraadi soojana, ja kuidas Edinburghis oli 12 kraadi piisavalt soe et k6ik higistasid. Naljakas, kuidas samad temperatuurid v6ivad nii erinevatena tunduda, olenevalt sellest, millega sa harjunud oled!

Tegelikult saabusimegi me Sydneysse 'kylma'-laine ajal, ja ilm oli enamus meie kahest kesklinnas veedetud p2evast hall ja masendav. Nii kaugel l6unas kui me praegu oleme, on aastaaegasid tunda ja sygis on kahtlemata alanud. Siiski oli saabumisep2eval ilm hommikul hea ja saime enne vihma saabumist natukene p2ikest tunda. Viskasime oma kotid hommikul vara hotelli (ja k2isime sooja dushi all, et ennast yles soojendada hahaa), ja l2ksime kohe tasuta kolmetunnisele Sydney jalutustuurile, et linnaga veidi tutvust teha ja peamisi kesklinna alasid n2ha.

Ametlikult (st et loomulikult elasid aborigeernid siinsel alal juba kymneid tuhandeid aastaid enne eurooplaste saabumist, ent paraku pole t2nap2eval kelleltki nende ajaloo kohta kysida) sai Sydney alguse 1788. aastal karistuskolooniana kui siia esimesed laevat2ied syydim6istetuid toodi. Nende esimeseks asulaks sai ala mida t2nap2eval nimetatakse The Rocks'iks ('Kivid') ning mis asub kohe sadama l2hedal (mis t2nap2eval on kaunis ala jalutusk2iguks ning esimene koht Austraalias, kus tundsime ajaloo h6ngu - seal on isegi munakividest teejuppe!). Karistuskoloonia perioodi algus oli ysna konarlik, eriti kahel suurel p6hjusel - esiteks ei olnud siia saadetud vangidel mitte mingisuguseid teadmisi p6llundusest ning esimestel aastatel olid nad t2ielikult s6ltuvad Euroopast saadetud toidust. See toit pidi aga yle elama mitu kuud kestva laevareisi, seega olid haigused ja n2lg levinud. Probleem lahendati m6ne aja m66dudes, kui siia hakati saatma vabatahtlike uusasukatena p6llumehi, kes siis kohapeal vilja kasvatama hakkasid ja niimoodi uut kolooniat toitsid. Teine probleem seisnes v2hestes naistes. Nimelt olid pea k6ik siia saadetud vangid meessoost, kes m6ne aja m88dudes ent yksikuna tundma hakkasid. See eksimus parandati kampaaniaga, kus noortele ja vallalistele briti naistele pakuti suurep2rast v6imalust Austraaliasse uusasukaks minna. Ilmselgelt see toimis, kuna t2nap2eval on Austraalia austraallasi t2is.

Sydney roll karistuskolooniana l6ppes 19. sajandi keskpaigaks ning sellest ajast saati on ta kasvanud nii suuruses kui t2htsuses. Linn kasvas eriti j6udsasti 19. sajandi teises pooles kui siinkandis avastati kulda. Kullapalavik t6i siia hulganisti uusasukaid, sh Hiinast, Yhendriikidest ja Euroopast, pannes aluse Sydneyle kui eri kultuuride kohtumispaigale. T2nap2eval on tegu yhe maailma k6ige multikultuursema linnaga  - 4,5st miljonist elanikust on yle kolmandiku syndinud mujal kui Austraalias. Tegu on ka v2ga noorusliku linnaga - elanikkonna keskmine vanus on vaid 36. Kahjuks aga on elanike hulgas vaid 1% p6liselanikke, aborigeene (kogu Austraalia elanikkonnast moodustavad nad samuti vaid 3%) - seega tuleb meeles pidada, et suured edulood on saanud v6imalikuks kellegi teise kulul.

Jalutustuuri giid andis meile Sydney ajaloost ylevaate ja taris meid m66da kesklinna peamiseid vaatamisv22rsusi. Eurooplastena oli meie jaoks ysna igav vaadata alla 200-aastaseid ehitisi, mida meile uhkusega esitati kui riigi vanimaid, tunduvalt huvitavam oli aga n2ha moodsat v6i l2hiajaloo Sydneyd. Meie tuur l6ppes sadamas, kus saime heita esimese pilgu kuulsale Sydney Ooperiteatrile (kaunis, aga milline fiasko et saada see ehitatud!) ning kaunile Sadamasillale. Nagu giid viimased s6nad 8eldud sai, hakkas vihma sadama ning suundusime kuhugi katuse alla l6unat s88ma.

Kuna terve 6htu ja j2rgmine hommik sadas vihma, puhkasime ja lugesime niisama hotellis. Teise p2eva p2rastl6unal l2ksime me v2ikesele jalutusk2igule, kylastasime Kaasaegse Kunsti Muuseumit ning siis l2ksime Darlingi Sadama kaidele jalutama ja veini jooma, enne kui vihm meid j2lle tagasi hotelli sundis minema.

J2rgmisel hommikul l2ksime me Hiinalinna jalutama ning l6unat s88ma (leidsime uskumatult maitsva toiduga nuudlikoha!). Tegu on yhe Sydney vanima linnaosaga, kuna siinne hiinlaste kogukond on hiiglaslik - siin on elanud juba mitmeid generatsioone hiinlasi ning uusi asukaid tuleb Hiinast siia ka t2nap2eval.

P2rast l6unat hyppasime me yhistranspordi peale, et minna oma Austraalia viimase HelpX v66rustaja juurde - Jenny, h2sti tore ja lahke hiina naine, p2rit Shanghaist ent Austraalias juba k6vasti yle 20 aasta elanud. Tema kodu on Wahroongas, vaikses Sydney naabruskonnas, kesklinnast umbes 15 kilomeetrit loode suunas. Me otsustasime viimase projekti teha linnas, et meil oleks v6imalus Sydneyt avastada, aga samuti lihtsalt vahelduseks, p2rast kolme viimast projekti rohkem v6i v2hem metsikutes maapiirkondades. Jenny oli siinse koha endale kolm aastat tagasi muretsenud ning on kogu selle aja seda vaikselt remontinud. Temaga koos elab siin praegu Joe, noor iirlasest seljakotir2ndur, kes on Jenny juures juba neli kuud elanud ja t88tanud, aidates teda remondit88dega. Joe on see, kes HelpX abistajatega peamiselt tegeleb ning meile ylesandeid annab. Peale meie on siin ka kaks noort hiinlasest abistajat, Lexi ja Eric, seega saame me siin k6ik koos p2ris paljude t88dega yhele poole.

Jenny kodu t6elised staarid on aga tema neli koera. Ma jumaldan koeri juba niisamagi, aga need neli siin on t6esti yhed k6ige lahedamad koerad keda ma kunagi n2inud olen! Siin on kaks vanemat poissi, Apple ja Bronte, m6lemad umbes 2-aastased, ja nendele muretseti seltsiks kaks tydrukut, Mei Mei ja Chocolate, m6lemad umbes 7-kuused. Neljakesi koos on nad yks paras energiat ja r66mu t2is seltskond ja k6igil neljal on t2iesti erinev iseloom, mis tuli juba esimeste tundide jooksul kohe v2lja. Apple on vanim ja pealtn2ha k6ige targem, ja yhtlasi Jenny esimene koer. Ta on pallim2ngu ekspert ja saab k2sklustest imeh2sti aru. K6ik koerad jumaldavad pallim2ngu, ent Apple on alati see, kes palli tagasi toob (ja tundub, et ainuke kes saab aru, et m2ngimiseks tuleb pall tagasi tuua, ja ka pallist lahti lasta). Apple on ka k6ige armukadedam ja ei talu seda, kui teisi koeri patsutad, eriti Brontet, kuna ta on tema rivaal. Bronte (kes on nime saanud Sydney Bronte ranna j2rgi, kus Jenny'l oli yle 20 aasta kohvik) on austraalia kelpie-t6ugu, ja k6ige suuremana on ta ka alfaisane. Ta tunneb vajadust oma yleolekut Apple'ile vahetevahel t6estada (kuigi Apple tundub teda mitte eriti t6sisena v6tvat), aga tegelikult on n2ha, et ta on endas veidi ebakindel. Ta ei n2ita silitamise vastu erilist huvi siis kui teised koerad l2heduses on (peab ju ennast tugevana n2itama), aga nii kui sa temaga yksi j22d, sulab ta yles ja tuleb sulle praktiliselt sylle ja nurub paid :) Mei Mei (mis hiina keeles t2hendab 'v2ike 6de') on grupi kiire ja kaval liige. Ka tema on kelpie-t6ugu, ent n2eb v2lja rohkem nagu Vana-Egiptuse jumal Anubise jaakalikehastus ja mul on tunne, et tegelikult on tema k6igist k6ige targem, kuigi ta ei uhkusta sellega. Ta on kiire nagu v2lk ja kui ta sulle sylle kipub siis ei pysi ta hetkekski paigal, proovides aina su n2gu lakkuda ja musi anda. Pallim2ngus hoiab ta alati veidi eemale ja j2lgib pingsalt m2ngu ning kui v6imalus tuleb, naksab palli Apple'i ja Bronte nina eest 2ra, hoiab seda m6nda aega endaga, kiusates poisse, ent l6puks annab ta selle alati Apple'ile tagasi. Ja l6puks siis Chocolate. Chocolate on pruun labrador, ja ta on grupi aeglane ja armas liige. Ta on veidi laisav6itu, s8rkides pallim2ngu ajal paar sammu palli poole, ent siis lamab koheselt j2lle maha. Kui teised koerad on terve hunniku k2sklusi selgeks 6ppinud, saab Chocolate aru ainult sellest kui talle 'istu!' 8elda (ilmselt sedagi ainult sellep2rast, et talle meeldib istuda :). Ta on ka ysna kohmetu, ja ta kukub ja komistab pidevalt v6i l88b oma pead k6iksuguste asjade pihta. Ta pole ilmselt veel aru saanud, et ta pole enam v2ike kutsikas ning on nyydseks juba p2ris suureks kasvanud ja ei mahu enam kitsastest kohtadest l2bi (ta on ka niimoodi paar korda kinni kiilunud, vaeseke!). Chocolate on tohutult naljakas ja nii kohutavalt armas, et temast on t2iesti v6imatu m88da k6ndida ilma talle pai tegemata. K6ik neli koera on nii 2gedad, ma v6iks nad k6ik siit koju kaasa viia kui saaks!

Peale koerte seltskonna nautimise (90% meie ajast siin) oleme me ka siin t88d teinud. T88tame hommikul kella 8st kuni keskp2evani ning siin oleme me teinud varasemaga v6rreldes meeldivalt teistsugust t88d. Kuna tegu on v2ikese magalakrundiga, on siin ainult pisike aed ja enamus t88d on remondiga seotud. Seega oleme me teinud k6vasti liivatamist ja v2rvimist. Seni v2ga meeldiv t88.

Kuna me l6petame juba keskp2eval, on meil pikad vabad p2rastl6unad ning seni oleme me kylastanud siin yht l2hedalasuvat parki ning paari kesklinnale l2hedalasuvat randa - sh maailmakuulsat Bondi randa, kust me jalutasime m88da ylikaunist huvitavate liivakivimoodustistega rannikut kuni Bronte rannani. Siinkohal peaks mainima, et ilm on algusega v6rreldes paremaks l2inud. Nyyd on siin p2ikest saanud ja 25-kraadist sooja, mis on meile randaminekut lubanud. 6htud on aga j2tkuvalt jahedad, seega tundub nagu eesti suvi.

N2dalavahetused on meil vabad ja eile v6tsime me Jenny pakutud jalgrattad ja s6itsime pika tee Manly randa. Manly (inglise keeles 'mehelik') on naljakas nimi ja t2hendab t2pselt seda mida nimi ytleb. Nime sai ta siis kui 1788. aastal toonane kapten Arthur Phillips (kes hiljem sai New South Walesi regiooni esimeseks kuberneriks) rannikut esmakordselt kylastas ning leidis kohalikud aborigeenid olevat v2ga 'enesekindlad ja mehelikud', misj2rel nimetas ta koha Manly laheks. T2nap2eval on tegu populaarse rannakylaga, kesklinnast vaid 10 kilomeetrit kirde suunas. Me s6itsime ratastega sinna ja tagasi maha yle 60 kilomeetri, mis oli ysna ekstreemne, arvestades, et ma pole augustist saati ratta seljas olnud. 6nneks on viimaste kuude fyysiline t88 meid siiski vormis hoidnud, ja s6it polnud liiga kurnav (kuigi p2eva l6puks olin ma p2ris v2sinud!) ja taas ratta seljas olla oli ylimalt meeldiv.

Me j22me Jenny juurde ka j2rgmisel n2dalal ning n2dalal6puks plaanime me minna paariks p2evaks l2hedalasuvatesse Sinim2gedesse, et veel yks viimane doos austraalia loodust saada enne kui meie siinne aeg l6pule saab ja me tagasi Aasiasse s6idame.

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After two very hot and very sunny days in Brisbane, we took an overnight train down to Sydney. It was freezing cold inside the train, from extreme air conditioning (which is sadly ubiquitous in all the hot countries where we have been to, at least where it can be afforded), so we were looking forward to getting off the train and feeling the Australian heat again. Imagine our surprise, when we stepped off and it was colder than on the train! We walked through an early morning Sydney towards our hostel, freezing our arses off. I know I make it sound extreme, when in reality it was still 17 degrees, but it's surprising how cold that feels after spending four months in nearly constant 30-degree heat. Our bodies adapt surprisingly quickly. I clearly remember thinking that -8 degrees felt warm during one icy cold winter in Estonia, and how in Edinburgh 12 degrees was hot enough to make everyone break a sweat. So it's funny how different temperatures can feel, depending on what you're used to!

In truth, we arrived during a particular 'cold' spell, and the weather was dreary and miserable for most of the two days we spent in Sydney city centre. As far South as here, you do have seasons, and it's clear that autumn has indeed arrived. Still, we were lucky with the weather in the morning of the day we arrived, and we got a bit of sunshine before the rain arrived. After dropping off our bags (and having a hot shower to warm up lol) in the hotel in the early morning, we went straight for a free, three-hour morning walking tour of Sydney, to get our bearings and learn a bit more about the city. 

Officially (as in, of course Aboriginals had lived here for tens of thousands of years before, but little is known of what it was like then since there is no one to ask that today), Sydney was founded in 1788 as a penal colony and that's when the first shipfuls of convicts arrived. Their first settlement was what is now known as The Rocks, an area just next to the harbour (and a lovely place for a walk, the first area in Australia that we have seen that actually feels a bit historic and old - it even has cobbled streets!). This first period was plagued by two major problems - firstly, the convicts who were sent here had no knowledge of farming, so the first years they were completely dependent on food being shipped in from Europe. Since this food was stuff that had to survive a months-long sea voyage, disease and hunger were widespread. After a while, this problem was rectified by sending new settlers (not convicts but those who came voluntarily) who were actual farmers to work the land and provide for the newly established colony. The second problem was the lack of women. Nearly all of the convicts sent here were men, and after a while they became a bit lonely. This oversight was amended by a PR push to get young, unmarried female settlers to come live in Australia. Obviously it worked, since there are lots of Australians here today.

Sydney's role as a penal colony ended in the mid-19th century, and since then it has grown in size and importance as a major settlement and port. A huge growth spurt happened also in the mid-1800s, as that was when gold was discovered nearby. The gold rush brought tons of settlers over from China, United States and Europe, securing Sydney's future as a cultural melting pot. Today it's one of the most multicultural places on Earth - of its 4.5 million inhabitants, over a third have been born overseas. It is also a very young city, with a median age of only 36. Unfortunately though, the native Aboriginal population stands at only 1% (compared to 3% of the whole population of Australia) - so we shouldn't forget that the big stories of success have come at the expense of someone.

The guide of the free walking tour gave us an overview of Sydney's history and took as for a long walk in the city centre. As Europeans, it's a bit underwhelming to be presented 200-year old buildings and monuments as the oldest in the city or the country, so it was actually more interesting to see things from the modern Sydney, or things from a more recent past. We ended our tour near the harbour, where we got our first glimpse of the Sydney Opera House (beautiful, but what a fiasco to get it built!), and the gorgeous Harbour Bridge. Just as the guide was saying her final words, the rain started and we were off for lunch somewhere indoors.

Since it rained for the rest of the evening and the following morning, we stayed in the hotel, reading and resting. The second day we went for a little walk and visited the Museum of Contemporary Art in the afternoon, before heading toward Darling Harbour for a walk along the wharves and an aperitif before heading back to the hotel to cook us some dinner.

The next morning we went for a stroll and a super delicious noodle lunch in Chinatown. It's another Sydney's oldest neighbourhoods, since the Chinese community here is huge, with many generations having lived here already well over a hundred years, and new people arriving from China still today.

After this, we took the city transport to head to go meet our final HelpX host in Australia - Jenny, a lovely and generous Chinese lady, originally from Shanghai, but who has lived here for well over 20 years already. Her place is in Wahroonga, a quiet Sydney suburb, some 15 kilometers north-west of the city centre. We had decided to stay in a more urban setting for our last project, to have the liberty of exploring Sydney, but also to try something different after three projects in the countryside, with varying degrees of wilderness. Jenny has a property that she acquired three years ago, and has been renovating it ever since. With her lives Joe, a young Irish backpacker, who has been living and working at Jenny's for the past months, helping her with the renovations. It is him that manages the HelpXers who come and help with the various jobs that need doing. Apart from us, two young Chinese HelpXers were already here too, Lexi and Erik, so we are getting lots of work done with this many people.

The main stars of this place, however, are Jenny's four dogs. I already absolutely love dogs in general, but these four are some of the most wonderful dogs I have ever seen! There are the two older boys, Apple and Bronte, who are both around 2 years old, and then there are the two young girls, Mei Mei and Chocolate, both around 7 months old. They are a formidable gang of energy and joy, and each has such a particular and distinctive personality that came out within the first hours we were here. Apple is the oldest and the first, and seemingly the smartest. He is an ace in fetch, and can understand your commands perfectly. All the dogs are crazy about playing fetch, but it is always Apple who brings the ball back (and the only one who gets the concept that you actually need to bring the ball back, and also that you need to let go of the ball). Apple is also the most jealous, and can't tolerate if you pet the others, especially Bronte, the other boy. Bronte (named after Bronte beach, where Jenny had a cafe for 20 years) is an Australian Kelpie, and as the biggest of the bunch, he is the Alpha. He does feel the need to assert his dominance over Apple sometimes (who seems to be in denial about who is boss), but you can tell that he is actually a bit insecure. He doesn't really show interest in having pats when others are around (he needs to show that he is tough after all), but when he is alone, he is a total sweetheart and comes to you for cuddles :) Mei Mei (meaning 'little sister' in Mandarin) is the quick, sly one of the group. Also a Kelpie, she actually looks more like the jackal incarnation of the Egyptian god Anubis and might just be the smartest of them all, although she does not show it off. She is fast as lightning and when she comes to you for some love, she jumps on your lap and fidgets about so much, trying to lick your face and give you kisses. In fetch, she stays back and watches the game, and when opportunity presents itself, she snatches the ball from under the noses of Apple and Bronte and marches away with it, keeping it for a while before handing it back to them. And finally, there's Chocolate. Chocolate is a Chocolate Labrador, and she is the slow and sweet one of the group. She is a bit lazy, and might strut a few steps toward the ball when we start playing fetch, but will then lose interest and lie down. While others have learned tons of commands, she only understands 'sit' (probably because she likes sitting down :) She is also a bit clumsy, having taken a few tumbles and hit her head on the table, against the other dogs etc. She has probably not yet realised that she is no longer a little puppy and that she has gotten quite big, and will no longer fit through small spaces (she has also gotten stuck sometimes, poor thing). Chocolate just cracks me up so much, and she is so sweet, it is impossible to walk past her and not pat her. All these dogs are so wonderful, I could just steal them all and take them with me!

So apart from enjoying the company of the dogs (90% of what we do here lol), we have also actually worked. We work from 8am until noon, and it has all been refreshingly different kind of work to what we had been doing in the other projects. Since it's a small suburban property, there is only a small garden, and most of the work is renovating the back of the house. So there has been a lot of sanding and painting to do, primarily. It has been very pleasant work so far. 

Since we finish at noon, we have had lots of free time in the afternoons, and we have so far visited a nearby park and gone to some beaches near the city centre - the world famous Bondi beach, from where we walked along a gorgeous coastal route with amazing sandstone formations to the nearby Bronte beach. I should mention here that weather had improved from the first days, permitting us to go to the beach, with sunshine and temperatures of 25 degrees. Nights are still pretty chilly though, so it feels a bit like an Estonian summer. 

Weekends we have off, and yesterday we took advantage of Jenny's offer to use her bikes to go for a long cycle to Manly beach. Manly is a funny name, and means just what the name says. In 1788, the then Captain Arthur Phillips (who became the first Governor of New South Wales) first visited the area, and thought that the local Aboriginals were so 'confident and manly' that he named the place Manly Cove. Today it's a popular beach and seaside resort, north-east from the city centre. We cycled over 60km altogether to get there and to come back, which was pretty extreme considering that I had not done any cycling since August. But luckily all the physical work of the past months has still kept us fit, so it was not too exhausting (although I was pretty tired by the end still!), and it felt really good to get back on the bike.

We will stay at Jenny's next week as well, and we are planning to go for a trip to the nearby Blue Mountains for the next weekend, to get one last dose of the beautiful Australian nature before our time here comes to an end and we journey back to the tropics in Asia.

Vaatamisv22rsused Sydneys // Sights in Sydney

Austraalia kunagine k6rgeim ehitis k6rvuti praeguse k6rgeimaga // The once tallest building in Australia next to the tallest tower today

Kaunis loodusele pyhendatud pysinstallatsioon - Sydney yhel tagat2naval rippuvad tyhjad linnupuurid, maa peale graveeritud Sydneys kunagi pesitsenud linnuliikude nimed, ning selle k6rvale kostab peidetud k6laritest nende liikide linnulaulud -  nii ilus! // Beautiful permanent installation on a Sydney back street dedicated to nature - suspended empty birdcages, with engraved names of bird species on the ground that used to inhabit the Sydney area, and their songs played from hidden speakers - wonderful!

Skulptuur 'Ootamas' - v2ga elutruu, ning ajaleht mida mees loeb on koopia p2ris 1988. ilmunud ajalehenumbrist // Sculpture 'Waiting' - very lifelike, and even the newspaper there is a copy of a real issue published in 1988

Kaunis seinamaaling The Rocks'is mis kujutab Sydney kujunemist l2bi aastate // Beautiful mural in The Rocks, depicting the evolution of Sydney as seen from the sea

Selline ta ongi // That's what it looks like

Sadamasild // The Harbour Bridge

Kaunis kunstitykk Kaasaegse Kunsti Muuseumis // Beautiful piece at the Museum of Contemporary Art

Traditsioonilised ideed k6rvuti uutega // Traditional ideas alongside new ones

Selline on ta l2hedamalt // That's what it looks like up close

Darlingi sadam ning vaade Sydney kesklinnale // Darling Harbour and views of the city centre

Lahe skulptuur Hiinalinnas, symboliseerimas hiina viite elementi ning yhtlasi hiinlaste ajalugu Austraalias, viidetes 19. sajandi kullapalavikule mis esimesed hiinlased siia t6i // Cool sculpture in Chinatown, which symbolises the five Chinese elements and also the history of the Chinese in Australia, hinting at the gold rush that brought the first immigrants 

T2navakunst Bondi rannas // Street art at Bondi beach

Tervitused Bondi rannast // Greetings from Bondi beach

Ikka Bondi... // Still Bondi...

Lahedad liivakivimoodustised Bondi ja Bronte randade vahel // Cool sandstone formations between Bondi and Bronte beaches

Bronte rand kauguses n2ha // Bronte beach in the background

Austraalias on kakaduud igal pool, ja nad on nagu varesed - ilusad, targad, teevad pahandust ja kraaksuvad koledasti. See siin yritas auto katuselt midagi k2tte nokkida // There are cockatoos everywhere in Australia, and they're like crows - beautiful, smart, michievous and they croak horribly. This one was trying to pry something out of a car roof

Apple

Bronte

Mei Mei

Chocolate :)

HelpX Sally juures – II osa (+ Fraseri saar) // HelpX at Sally's – Part II (+ Fraser Island)

Eile j6udsime me l6puks tagasi Brisbane'i. Meie algne plaan oli Sally juures olla kaks n2dalat, aga l6puks veetsime me seal yle kuu aja. Viimastel n2dalatel olid meil k2ed-jalad t88d-tegemist t2is, mist6ttu pole ma senini j6udnud millestki kirjutada ka - ja kirjutada on mul paljust! Seega, j2tkates sealt kus ma viimati pooleli j2in...

Viimane n2dalavahetus enne poolakate saabumist oli p2ris tore. Laup2eval olime me k6ik kutsutud Sally naabrite Doni ja Janine'i juurde grilli6htule. Nende t2iskasvanud tytar Georgia oli samuti seal, kes muidu elab ja 6pib Brisbane'is. K6ik pereliikmed olid huvitavad ja intelligentsed ning saime k6iksugustel teemadel r22gitud. Don tahtis hirmsasti kedagi kellega koos ta kitarri m2ngida saaks ning 6htu l6puks tinistasid nad Bretiga koos. Vahva oli kohalikega paremini tutvust teha ja see oli nendest ytlemata tore, et nad meid enda juurde kutsusid.

J2rgmisel p2eval s6itsime me j2lle Noosasse. Sel korral ei l2inud me loodusesse jalutama vaid peesitasime niisama rannas ja ujusime suurtes lainetes. Noosa on v2ga tuntud rannalinn ja oluline surfipaik (natuke nagu Biarritz Prantsusmaal), seega on lahe, et me oleme sellest vaid tunnise s6idu kaugusel ning saame sinna tihti minna. 

J2rgmisel esmasp2eval yhinesid ameeriklaste ja meiega Rafa ja Gabi, varajastes kolmekymnendates poola abielupaar kes on p2rit Poznanist. Samas on nad juba yle nelja aasta j2rjest reisinud, l2bi Aasia, Uus-Meremaa ja nyyd Austraalia ning enne reisimist elasid nad mitu aastat Iirimaal. Me veetsime nendega nende pika reisi k6ige viimase osa tegelikult, kuna eile l2ksid nad lennuki peale et tagasi Euroopasse s6ita ja oma pere yle nelja aasta j2lle n2ha. Nad otsustasid oma viimased n2dalad Austraalias Sally juures veeta, kuna nad olid eelmine aasta juba ta juures kolm kuud olnud - ja neile meeldis seal piisavalt et tagasi tulla.

N2dala jooksul t88tasime me k6ik kuuekesi koos, tehes aiat88d, niites muru ja kaevates kive ja vanu aiaposte v2lja. Gabi aitas Sallyl loomade eest ka hoolitseda, eriti lammaste eest, kuna ta oli olnud seal kui seitse kuud tagasi nad paarip2evaste talledena esmalt Sally juurde toodi. Gabi oli Buoy'le piima jootnud, seega tundis ta ennast arusaadavalt reedetuna kui Buoy teda myksata proovis. Seda ei maksa aga isklikult v6tta, kuna Buoy tahab absoluutselt k6iki ja k6ike rammida, sealhulgas mind - mul oli p2ris mitu adrenaliinirikast hetke kui ma ta rynnakute eest 2ra p6genesin.

Ahjaa, ma m2rkasin et viimasel korral kui ma k6iki Sally loomasid nimetlesin, olin ma haned 2ra unustanud! Tegemist on kahe halli hanememmega, kes on t2iesti eraldamatud. V2idetavalt oli nendega koos kunagi ka hanetaat, aga kaks memme ei talunud teda ja ajasid ta minema. Nyyd saavad nad rahus koos ringi jalutada, koos syya ja koos igale poole sittuda :) Haned on ainsad loomad kelle eest Aline, Sally eakas ema, ikka veel hoolt kannab. Igal hommikul laseb ta nad oma kuudist v2lja ja igal 6htul tulevad haned 6igeks ajaks aeda tagasi et ta nad tagasi kuuti panna saaks. Uskumatu!

Ameeriklaste, Paolo ja minu jaoks oli t88n2dal sel korral veidi lyhem, kuna reedel s6itsime me n2dalavahetuseks Fraseri saarele. See, et me sinna mindud saime oli t2nu uskumatule 6nnele. Fraseri saar on Sally juurest paari tunni s6idu kaugusel ning tegemist on Austraalia yhe v2gevaima loodusliku paigaga. See on maailma suurim liivasaar, tipust tipuni on yle 120 kilomeetri. See on oluline paik lindudele ning kogu saare puhul on tegemist kaitstud looduspargiga. Seal leidub kilomeetrite kaupa kaunist (ilmselgelt) liivaranda ning yleyldse on tegemist uskumatult ilusa ja ainulaadse paigaga. Saart kylastab tohutult palju turiste, minnes sinna organiseeritud tuuridega, mis on hirmkallid. Me teadsime Fraseri kylastamisega kaasnevaid hindasid ja olime juba aktsepteerinud, et sel korral me sinna ei l2he. Aga siis tuli v2lja, et meid v6etakse sinna hoopis kylalistena kaasa!

Mis juhtus oli see, et Sally oli oma elektrikust s6bra Iani kutsunud enda juurde elektrit8id tegema. Kuna t88d oli palju, j2i ta 88seks meie juurde ja me s6ime k6ik koos 6htust. Ta kuulis, et me ytlesime kuidas me tahaks kyll Fraseri saarele minna, aga et minek on liiga kallis, mille peale ta kostis, et tal on Fraseri saarel suvila - ning et kui ta naine n6us on, v6ime me k6ik neljakesi nendega kaasa minna kui nad n2dalavahetuseks sinna s6idavad! See oli temast uskumatult tore ettepanek ning kuna ta naine Jennifer oli ka n6us meid kaasa v6tma, leppisime me kokku, et s6idame k6ik koos reedel kaheks 88ks Fraseri saarele.

S6idu tegime me Iani ja Jenny Land Cruiseris - Fraseri saarel ei ole teid ja ainult neljarattalise veoga s6idukid saavad sealsete liivateedega hakkama. S6it yle maismaa v6ttis umbes tunni, misj2rel j6udsime me Inskip Pointi kust me praami peale l2ksime - s6it yle vee kestis 15 minutit, ja siis olimegi Fraseri saare l6unatipus. Iani ja Jenny suvila on saare p6hjaosas, seega pidime me s6itma umbes sada kilomeetrit yle rannaliiva m88da saare idarannikut, peatudes mitmes huvitavas kohas. Kiire s6it m88da rannaliiva, vaid meetrite kaugusel mereveest oli ylimalt lahe uus elamus. Randa m88da saab korralikult s6ita ainult m66na ajal, kuna siis on rand lai ja lamedal liival on h6lpsam s6ita. T6us sunnib juhid pehme liiva peale ja sealne s6it on aeglane.

Esmalt peatusime me yhes hotellis kohvipausiks ning seej2rel kaunis imeselge veega j6e 22res. Me jalutasime j6e 22res m88da jalutusplatvormi sisemaa suunas, ning, olles turistidemassist turvaliselt ylesvoolu, j6ime j6est otse v2rsket ja imepuhast vett. Tagasi k6ndisime me j6e sees, mis oli superlahe. J2rgmisena peatusime me teise maailmas6jaaegse laevavreki juures, kus saime hulga lahedaid pilte teha. P2rast kahte tundi rannal s6itmist keerasime me l6puks sisemaa suunas, alustades s6itu kitsastel pehmetel liivateedel l2bi metsa. Jah, metsa - saarel on kyllaga taimestikku vaatamata sellele, et seal on ainult liiv. Tegelikult on seal isegi vihmametsad, ja mitte ainult kuiv v6sastik. Taimestik suudab ellu j22da t2nu liivas looduslikult leiduvatele mykoriissetele seentele, mis toodavad toitaineid mida taimed suudavad tarbida. Kas pole lahe?

P2rast m6nda aega l2bi metsa s6itmist hakkasid j2rsku majad paistma. Saarel on pysivaid elanikke vaid napilt alla 200, kuid siiski leidub alasid kus on piisavalt maju koos et seda v6iks kylaks nimetada. Iani ja Jenny maja oli yhe sellise kyla l2heduses, ent privaatsemas kohas, vaid yhe teise maja l2heduses. Nad olid meile 8elnud, et nende maja on alles pooleli, aga tegelikkuses on nende elamine juba praegu uskumatult kaunis, ruumikas ja valgusrikas - peamiselt on nad ehituses kasutanud puitu. Maja on ehitatud j2rsule kynkale ning eesots on toetatud k6rgetele palkidele. Ylimalt m6nus elamine. P2rast kiiret l6unat hyppasime me tagasi autosse ja l2ksime randa kalastama koos veini ja suupistetega (otseloomulikult ei pyydnud mitte keegi yhtegi kala). P2rast imekaunist p2ikeseloojangut l2ksime tagasi suvilasse 6htus88giks liha grillima. Grillilt tulevad l6hnad meelitasid maja juurde ka yhe uudishimuliku dingo. Dingod on teatud tyypi austraalia metsikud koerad. Tavaliselt on nad punaka karvaga ja valge rinna ja 'sokkidega'. Fraseri saare dingosid peetakse 'puhtaimaks' dingoks, kuna mujal Austraalias on dingod tavaliste koeradega segunenud, ent Fraseri saarel on koerad looduskaitse p6hjustel keelatud. Seega on saare dingod samuti kaitse all ning nende puhul on tegu yhe Fraseri saare ikooniga. Samas, olles nagu koerad, on dingod oportunistlikud ning proovivad inimeste toiduj22tmeid syya. Ja siis on loomulikult tolasid kes neid toidavad, muutes nad inimeste suhtes v2hem kartlikuks. See on omakorda viinud selleni, et dingod on kohati inimesi ka rynnanud (ent peamiselt idioote kes neid h2irima l2ksid v6i lapsi, kuna nad on pisikesed). Et selliseid olukordi proovida v2ltida, on kogu saar t2is dingode eest hoiatavaid silte. Tegelikkuses on nad kaunid loomad ja ei h2iri kedagi kui nad rahule j2tta.

J2rgmisel hommikul aitasid poisid Ianil Ikea m88blit kokku panna mis nad olid maismaalt kaasa toonud ja siis l2ksime me j2lle saart avastama. Ian ja Jenny viisid meid luidetele jalutama (ja me ronisime yhe eriti suure ja j2rsu luite otsa ka) ja j2lle uude kohta kalale. Seej2rel l2ksime me tagasi suvilasse et nende kaks kanuud auto peale laadida ja l2hedalasuva j2rve 22rde s6ita. K6ik said kanuuga j2rvel s6itmist proovida ja j2rvevees ujuda, mis oli ookeani v2rske vee k6rval m6nusalt soe. Kyle, olles infotabloolt lugenud, et j2rve l2heduses leidub surmavalt myrgiseid lehter2mblikke, l2ks koheselt nende kergelt 2ratuntavaid lehterv6rkusid otsima. Ja tal isegi 6nnestus yks leida, kuigi tema kurvastuseks (ja meie kergenduseks) oli see ammu juba omaniku poolt hyljatud.

Me s6itsime m6ne 6lle ja sn2kkidega tagasi randa et enne 6htus66ki p2ikeseloojangut n2ha. Me olime hommikupoole otsustanud, et oleks hea loojangu ajaks veelkord tolle k6rge ja j2rsu liivaluite otsa ronida ja seda me ka tegime - ja hea ka, sest vaatamata sellele et 6htupoolik oli pilves ja hall, saime me n2ha t2iesti vapustavat p2ikeseloojangut - kindlasti yks v6imsaim mis ma kunagi n2inud olen. Ameeriklased aga magasid 6ige hetke maja kuna nad j2id varasemalt meie piknikku tulnud dingot pildistama, pyydes talle v6imalikult l2hedale roomata - dingo tundus sellest ysna yllatunud olema.

J2rgmisel hommikul pakkisime me oma asjad kokku ja lahkusime suvilast, ent meil polnud saarelt minema s6itmisega kiire, kuna m66n oli alles p2rastl6unal. Ian ja Jenny viisid meid veel paari huvitavat paika vaatama. Esmalt peatusime me Shampanjabasseinide juures, mis on p6him6tteliselt rannas kivide varjus olevad looduslikud 'basseinid', kus t6usu ajal lained yle kivide l88vad ja basseinidesse hulgaga merevahtu viskavad (seega 'shampanja' nimes). Basseinides ujumine on l6bus ja ysna turvaline, kuna kivide varjus pole ohtu, et laine ujuja endaga kaasa viiks. Samas aga, nagu ma kogemusest 6ppisin, on laine ajal kivide juures hulpimine halb m6te, kuna nad on p2ris teravad ja laine on tugev. Sain suveniiriks endale kintsu ja k2e peale m6nusad kriimustused.

Viimane peatus enne praami peale minemist oli Indiaani Pea nimelise mere22rse kalju juures. Me l2ksime kiirele matkale m2est yles, et k6rget ja v6imast kaljut pealtpoolt imetleda. Vaade on muljetavaldav, ja kalju t6useb otse merest. Koha ajalugu aga muutis kogemuse melanhooliliseks. See oli koht kuhu Fraseri saare kohalik aborigeenide h6im - Butchulla - valgete poolt toodi ning kus nad sunniti kas kaljult alla hyppama v6i pystolilasust surema. Fraseri saare p6liselanikke enam ei eksisteeri, kuna too h2vitusmeetod oli v2ga efektiivne. Suurt osa Butchullade kurvas saatuses m2ngis shoti naine Eliza Fraser (kelle j2rgi ka saar nime on saanud). 1836. aastal s6itis ta kaubalaeval mille kapteniks ta abikaasa oli, ning nad s6itsid korallriffidel karile. Ta j6udis koos abikaasaga l6puks Fraseri saarele, ent mees suri vigastustesse ja n2lga. Eliza ise j2i ellu kuna p6liselanikud v6tsid ta endaga elama, koheldes teda nagu k6iki teisi h6imunaisi - st et ta pandi t88le, ent ta sai syya ja peavarju. Kui ta l6puks kaks kuud hiljem tagasi tsivilisatsiooni sai, r22kis ta (hea rahasumma eest, kindlasti) oma kogemusest, tehes sellest hirmsa loo kus ta kohalike poolt r88viti ning piinati. Ta vyrtsitas oma lugu 6udsate detailidega, mist6ttu hakati Fraseri saare kohalikke n2gema kui koletisi. See eba6iglane maine sai nendele saatuslikuks. Nyyd on valitsusel plaan saar ametlikult ymber nimetada K'gariks (Butchullade nimi saarele, mis t2hendab 'paradiisi'), et l6puks side Eliza Fraseriga katkestada.

Nii saigi otsa meie kylastus sellesse kaunisse kohta. Me oleme Ianile ja Jennyle ylimalt t2nulikud, et nad olid nii lahked ja meile saart n2itasid. Me nautisime iga hetke ja l2heks heameelega uuesti - Fraseri saar on t6esti nii ainulaadne ja kaunis. Ja ma pole elu sees nii palju liiva yhes kohas n2inud!

Me naasesime Sally juurde, et seal oma viimased poolteist n2dalat veeta. N2dala sees t88tasime me Paologa oma onni k6rval oleval alal, et seda korrastada - Sallyl on plaanis sinna tekitada m6nus istumisala vaba6hubaariga. Ma sain k2tt proovida kiviseina ehitamises, kui ma ala eri k6rgusega tasandeid piiristasin. Ma sain ka yhe eriti laheda projektiga tegelada - Sally oli ostnud kaks kasutatud puust baaripukki mida ta palus mul korda teha. Ma vahetasin istumispadja katted, v2rvisin pukid valgeks ja siis liivatasin v2rvi selliselt maha, et pukkidele kulunud mulje anda - et need muu vanamoodse m88bli k6rval kohatud ei paistaks. T88 oli m6nus ja nii Sally kui ma ise olime tulemusega rahul. Kindlasti midagi mida ma ka tulevikus teha tahaks.

N2dala l6pupoole saime me suurt l6ket teha kui me l6puks suurele lantanaoksade hunnikule tule otsa saime panna - Ameeriklased tahtsid l6ket Molotovi kokteilidega süüdata, mis paraku ei olnud p2ris nii efektiivne kui v6iks arvata. See 6htu oli ka pizza6htu, kus Paolo kypsetas hulga maitsvaid pizzasid - otse grillahjus! Reede 6htu oli aga meie esimene p2ris pidu6htu. Sally oli viieks p2evaks oma tytardega puhkusele minemas ja oli planeerinud Noosasse kontserdile minna, koos naabrite Doni ja Janine'i ning Iani ja Jennyga. Ta kutsus ka k6ik oma kuus abilist (st meid) kaasa. Tegu oli rokk-kontserdiga, ja b2nd, the Black Sorrows, oli tegutsenud 70ndatest alates. 6htu oli lahe, kuigi me olime publiku keskmisest vanusest v2hemalt 25 aastat nooremad!

Meie viimane n2dalavahetus m66dus p2ris vaikselt. Kuna Sally oli 2ra, ei saanud me k6ik koos v2lja minna, kuna keegi pidi j22ma ja Aline'i eest hoolt kandma. Laup2eval j2ime me Paologa koju l66gastuma kui teised Noosasse l2ksid, ja pyhap2eval j2id teised koju ja meie Paologa l2ksime s6itu. Meil oli isu m2e otsa ronida, mist6ttu s6itsime me Pomonasse, kus me Cooroora m2ge l2ksime vallutama. M2gi on nagu j2rsk kalju mis ylej22nud maastikust nagu sarv v2lja punnitab, ning p2rast eukalyptimetsast l2bi matkamist l2heb ronimine v2ga j2rsuks. Enamjaolt olid ronimiseks astmed, kas siis metallist trepi v6i otse kivisse raiutud astmete n2ol, ning juures oli metallist kett millest kinni hoida. Viimased 30m pidime aga ilma mingi abita kividest yles ronima. See oli v2sitav aga l6bus (ja hea trenn pealekauba) ja m2e otsa j6udes tervitasid meid imelised vaated. Kuna ronimine v6ttis vaevu ainult kaks tundi, s6itsime me edasi Noosasse, et veel viimast korda sealses rannas ujumas k2ia.

Siis oligi meil vaid kolm p2eva veel Sally juures j22nud, ning p2rast kolmap2eva 6htust viimase p2eva pidu s6idutasid Bret ja Kyle meid neljap2eva varahommikul rongijaama, kust me Gabi ja Rafaga Brisbane'i poole s6itsime. Ameeriklased j2id veel paariks p2evaks Sally juurde, ning Gabi ja Rafa, nagu mainitud, s6itsid tagasi Euroopasse. Me Paologa veedame kaks p2eva Brisbane'is ning siis suundume edasi Sydneysse.

M88dunud kuu oli ylivahva, kuid nyyd oleme valmis ja innukad j2llegi millegi uue tegemiseks ning n2gemiseks.

Aa, ja luban, et j2rgmist kirjutist ei tule nii kaua oodata kui praegust tuli!

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Yesterday we finally arrived back to Brisbane. We had originally planned to spend two weeks at Sally's, but we ended up staying over a month. We were up to a lot of stuff in the last few weeks which is why I haven't had time to write anything until now - and there is quite a bit to write about! So, from where I last left off...

The last weekend before we were joined by the Polish couple was quite fun. On the Saturday we had all been invited for a barbecue by Don and Janine, Sally's neighbours. Their adult daughter Georgia was there too, who currently lives and studies in Brisbane. They were all interesting and intelligent people and we had a great time chatting about all sorts of stuff. Don was keen to have some companions to play guitar with and he and Bret were jamming in the end. It was great to get to know some of the people in the area and we felt it was super nice of them to invite us over.

The day after we went to Noosa again. This time we skipped the nature walk and just chilled on the beautiful main beach and swam among the big waves. Noosa is a very well-known beach town and an important spot for surfers (kind of like Biarritz in France), so it's great that we are so near to it and have been able to visit multiple times.

On the Monday after, the Americans and we were joined by Rafa and Gabi, a married Polish couple in their early 30s, originally from Poznan. However, they had been travelling for over four years, through Asia, then New Zealand and Australia, and before that they had lived in Ireland for years. We actually got to spend the very last leg of their journey with them, since yesterday they left Australia to go back to Europe and to see their families after four years away. They decided to spend their last weeks in Australia at Sally's, since they had already spent three months as helpers with her a few months ago - and enjoyed it so much that they came back.

All six of us got to work on Sally's farm during the week, doing gardening, lawnmowing, digging up rocks and old fenceposts and lots of other things. Gabi also helped Sally manage the animals, in particular the sheep, since she had been there seven months ago when the they had first come to the farm, as little lambs only days old. She had nursed Buoy as a little one, and she could not help but feel a little bit betrayed when he now tried to headbutt her! No need to take that personally though, since he had continued to try and headbutt everything and everyone, including me - I had a few moments of adrenaline when I had to escape from his attacks.

Oh, I also noticed that last time when I described the animals of the farm, I had forgot to include the two lesbian geese! They are a pair of grey lady geese who are completely and utterly inseparable. Apparently there used to be a male goose around too, but the two ladies ganged up on him and got rid of him. Now they are free to be together :) The geese are the only animals that Aline, Sally's elderly mother, still takes care of. Every morning she lets them out, and every evening when she comes down from the house, the geese will be there waiting for her to put them to their pen. It is amazing!

For the American boys and us, the work week was one day shorter this time, since on Friday we went together to Fraser Island for the weekend. And it was an amazing stroke of luck that we did get to go. Fraser Island is a few hours' ride from Sally's place, and it is one of Australia's most amazing natural attractions. It is the world's largest sand island, stretching over 120km. It is an important site for birds and other wildlife, and the whole place is a protected area and a natural park. It has beautiful sandy (obviously) beaches and is just a completely unique place. Lots and lots of tourists visit it with organised tours, which are deadly expensive. We had known of the prices and had already resigned to the idea that we will skip Fraser Island this time. But little did we know that we would be taken along for a trip there!

What happened was that Sally had her friend Ian, an electrician, come over the previous week to rewire the electricity and set up new power points etc. He stayed overnight and we all had dinner together. He heard us saying that we would have liked to go to Fraser, but probably can't, to which he said that he has a holiday house on Fraser Island - and that, provided his wife agrees, all four of us are welcome to come over for the weekend! It was incredibly kind of him to offer, and since his wife Jennifer was happy to have us as well, we had agreed to meet up with them on the Friday to go and stay on the island for two nights.

We drove there in Ian and Jenny's Land Cruiser - Fraser Island has no roads and only four-wheel drive vehicles can survive the sand roads. The journey overland took about an hour, after which we reached Inskip Point, where we took a ferry - and after 15 minutes on the water, we were on the southern tip of Fraser Island. Ian and Jenny's place is in the north, so we then drove all along the eastern shore of the island, along the beach, stopping in various places on the way. It was such a new and exciting experience, driving fast on the sand, just next to the sea. You can really only drive during low tide, since then the beach is wide and the going is easier on the flat sand. High tides push drivers onto soft sand, and there it's slow.

We stopped in a place for a coffee, and then at a beautiful clear blue creek that flowed out toward the sea. We walked along a plankwalk along the creek inland and, upriver from the tourists, drank deep from the clean water. We walked back in the creek, which was brilliant. We then also stopped next to a beached shipwreck from WWII, which was pretty cool. After driving on the beach for over two hours, we finally turned inland onto the narrow soft sand tracks winding through forest. Also - yes there is vegetation on the island, despite it being all sand. In fact there are even rainforests, not just dry bush. The vegetation manages to survive thanks to the naturally occurring mycorrhizal fungi present in the sand, which release nutrients in a form that can be absorbed by the plants. How cool!

After some time in the wilderness, suddenly houses appeared out of nowhere. There are only some 200 people who live permanently on the island, but there are some areas with clusters of houses that can be described as villages. Ian and Jenny's place was near one of these, but a little bit more private, with just one other house nearby. They had mentioned that they were only still building the house, but in truth the place they have is already absolutely gorgeous, spacious and just plain awesome. Built on a hillside, on a raised platform, the house is modern, spacious and bright, and mainly built of wood. We loved it there! After a quick lunch, we were out again with the car to the nearby bar for a quick beer while it stopped raining, and then onto the beach for some fishing, wine and snacks (by now it goes without saying that we did not catch anything when fishing). We were treated to a beautiful sunset after which we went back and had a delicious barbecue dinner. The smells of the cooking meat also managed to draw out a dingo - who suddenly appeared in the darkness just meters away from where we were eating. Dingoes are a type of wild dog native to Australia. They're usually reddish in colour, with a white belly and 'socks'. The Fraser Island dingoes are thought to be the 'purest' dingo out there, since in other places on the mainland the native populations have interbred with domestic dogs, but dogs are not allowed on Fraser Island due to its protected status. Therefore the dingo population is protected and the animals themselves one of the more iconic symbols of the island. However, being dogs, they are opportunistic and will try to scavenge. And then there are idiots who feed them, making them less afraid to approach people. This has led them to occasionally attack people (mainly douchebags who were asking for it, or kids, since they're small). To prevent this from happening again, the whole island is full of warning signs about dingoes. In truth, they are beautiful and will not bother people if left alone.

The next morning, the guys helped Ian assemble some Ikea furniture that they had brought with them from the mainland, and then we were off exploring again. Ian and Jenny took us first for a walk along some of the sand dunes (and we climbed a steep one, which was seriously hard work), and for some more fishing. We then went back for their canoes and drove to a lake near their house. We all got to go on the water in the canoes and swim in the lake, which was pleasantly warm in comparison to the cool ocean water. Kyle, having read on the nearby information board that there are deadly funnelweb spiders the area around the lake, immediately spent his whole time there looking for their telltale webs. And he even managed to find one, although to his chagrin (and our relief) it was long abandoned.

We drove back to the beach with some beers and snacks to see the sunset before dinner. We had decided earlier during the day that it would be good to climb the steep dune again in time to see the sun go down, and that's what we did - and good too, because despite the evening being quite overcast and drab, the sunset we saw was one of the most magnificent I have ever seen. The Americans though were late for the summit, since our earlier little picnic was joined by a dingo waiting to see if we leave anything edible for him. The guys proceeded to try and take a closeup photo of the dingo, much to the animals bewilderment.

The next morning we packed up and were ready to leave, but were in no hurry to leave the island due to the low tide being in the early afternoon. Ian and Jenny took us to see some more places on our way down. We stopped first at the Champagne Pools, which are basically sheltered pools among rocks on the beach, and during high tide, the waves wash over the rocks, splashing lots of foamy water into the pools (hence the 'Champagne' part of the name). For people in the pools, it's fun and relatively safe, since the rocks prevent you from being swept away by the big waves. However, as I learned the hard way, it's nonetheless a bad idea to be near the rocks when a wave hits, since they are nevertheless pretty sharp and the wave is strong. I got some cool scratches on my thigh and hand as a souvenir from that visit.

Our final stop before taking the ferry back was at a cliff next to the sea called Indian Head. We went for a quick hike up to see the cliff, which is high and impressive, and drops straight into the sea. The history of the place however makes it a melancholy experience. This was the place where the native Aboriginal tribe of Fraser Island - the Butchulla - were lead to by white settlers and forced to either be shot or to jump off the cliff to their deaths. There are no more native Fraser Islanders, since this method of extermination was very effective. A large part in this fate was played by a Scotswoman called Eliza Fraser (after whom the island is named). In 1836, she was on a cargo ship captained by her husband when they hit a reef and were shipwrecked. She made it to Fraser Island along with her husband, who died later of starvation. She was taken in by the natives, and treated as other women of the tribe - meaning she had to work, but was fed and cared for. When she finally managed to make it back to civilization two months later, she recounted her experience (for a nice sum of money I'm sure), making it up to be a horrific tale of abduction by barbaric Aboriginals who mistreated and tortured her. She elaborated her story with details so gory that the Fraser Islanders were seen as nothing short of monsters. This unjust reputation cost them their lives. Now there are plans to officially rename the island after it's Aboriginal name K'gari (meaning 'paradise'), finally severing the connection to Eliza Fraser.

And so ended our visit to this beautiful place. We were extremely grateful to Ian and Jenny for being so kind and showing us the island. We had wonderful time, and would love to go again - Fraser Island is truly magnificent and unique. Also I've never seen so much sand in my life!

We returned for our last week and a half at Sally's. The following week we worked on making the area next to our cabin nice - Sally plans to have an outdoor bar / sitting area there. I got to try my hand in building rock walls, to help define the two different levels of the area there. I also got to do a really cool little project - Sally had bought two secondhand wooden bar stools, which she asked me to refurbish. I replaced the cushions, painted the stools white, and then sanded down the paint to give the stools a worn look to match the rustic style of the cabin. It was great fun and I liked how they turned out. Definitely something I would like to do again in the future.

Near to the end of the week. we got to have a big bonfire, finally burning the huge pile of lantana branches that had been removed during the previous weeks - the Americans insisted in lighting the fire by using Molotov cocktails, which, perhaps unsurprisingly, were not as effective as you would think :D Paolo also made delicious pizza - in the barbecue! Friday night however was our first real night out. Sally was going away for the weekend for a holiday with her daughters, and had made plans to go out to Noosa for a concert. Her neighbours Don and Janine came, as well as Ian and Jenny. And she had invited all us six helpers along too. It was a rock concert by a band playing together since the 70s - the Black Sorrows. It was good, but we were at least 25 years under the average age of the punters there :D

Our last weekend passed quietly. With Sally gone, we could not all go out at the same time, since someone had to stay and look after Aline. Paolo and I stayed and had a quiet relaxing day on Saturday, and on Sunday we went for a trip on our own, leaving the rest of the guys at the house. We felt like climbing a hill, so we drove to Pomona to climb up Cooroora mountain. It is a steep rock jutting up like a horn from the surrounding landscape, and after the initial stroll through a eucalyptus forest, the climb becomes very steep. It was mostly steps, either metal ones or carved into the rock face, with a chain to hold onto on the side. The last 30 meters though was just a scramble up the rocks. It was tiring but great fun (and good exercise) and we were rewarded by some spectacular views on the top. Since the climb only took us two hours, we then drove on to Noosa for a final swim on the beach there.

We then had just three more days at Sally's, and after a staying up late celebrating our last night on Wednesday, on Thursday early morning Kyle and Bret drove Rafa, Gabi, Paolo and me to take a train to Brisbane. The Americans will stay at Sally's for a few more days, while Rafa and Gabi, as mentioned, took a flight back to Europe. Paolo and I will stay in Brisbane for one more night now before heading to Sydney.

The last month was brilliant, but we are ready and energised to do something new again, and see some more of Australia.

Also, next post will not take as long as this one did, promise!

Alustame s6itu Fraseri saarel // We begin our ride on Fraser Island

Laevavraki sees // Inside the shipwreck

Tyypiline Fraseri saare autotee // Typical Fraser Island road

Iani ja Jennyga 6lle joomas // Having a schooner with Ian and Jenny

J2rsk ylesminek ees // Steep climb ahead

Alla tulemine oli palju l6busam! // Much more fun getting down!

Kyle ja Bret kohe koos alla hyppamas // Kyle and Bret jumping together

Dingo!

Imekaunis p2ikeseloojang // Beautiful sunset

Shampanja basseinid // Champagne pools

Indian Headi kalju // Indian Head cliff

Praamil tagasis6itu alustamas // Beginning our journey back on the ferry

Baaripukk enne... // Bar stool before...

...ja p2rast // ...and after

Kohaliku kyla baar // Pub at the local village

Cooroora m2est ylesminek // Climbing Mt Cooroora

Vaated tasusid 2ra // Views were worth it

Leidsime 6uest vigastatud 88sorri :( Viisime ta loomaarsti juurde, loodetavasti said nad ta terveks ravida // We found an injured Tawny Frogmouth in the paddock :( We took it to the vet, hopefully they managed to fix it