Summer Hill

So far my last 9days in Mount Gambier we're the best days in OZ. My main job in farm was to feed baby lambs three times a day (7am, 1pm, 7pm) and in addition I did several other random jobs around the farm, whatever needed to do. I've never ever before been in farm and this was my first time as volunteer as well but couldn't be anymore happier that I decided to go there. My hosts we're really awesome and also their friends who came there for the Easter weekend. We had some great time during weekend, one top thing was clay shooting, yet again another thing I hadn't done before, reckon I had quite a few first-times in farm and that made the experience even better. Their cat Sake was a bit so-so, guess she couldn't make up her mind how to react towards me, sometimes she was begging petting and the next attacking me.. Their dogs, Jasper & Cheyenne we're really fun to play with, especially Jasper was really playful.

Sake

Jasper

Jasper & Cheyenne

Gotta admit that I did started feelin a bit soft towards those lambs more I spent time with 'em. Slowly started to recognize their personal differences. Especially one of the middle ones was so funny cause he had a completely different pitch on his voice than any other. In the beginning there was 18 of them but within first few days one of the smallest ones passed away during the night but that was kinda expected cause it wasn't really drinkin milk at all. Sunday morning completely out of the blue one of the big ones had passed away as well, it had found a small piece of plastic cup and got few pieces on to his throat.. Don't wanna sound too soft but I really felt bad for quite a few hours after I found that one lying at the corner of their den, guess I was already so attached to those little creatures. During almost every feeding I found myself just stayin with 'em and just watchin and laughin cause they we're jumpin all over me tryin to find more milk. Luckily I get to see them one more time cause we're headin on our road trip to Summer Hill for one more night before makin our way towards Adelaide.

Finally tomorrow I'm startin my road trip with Heidi, Lola & Lou towards Cairns via Uluru & Red Centre. First Great Ocean Road and from there on towards outback, can't wait to get to middle-of-nowhere. One place that I'm really looking forward is Uluru, no matter how touristy it is but I believe it's gonna be beautiful and memorable place anyway. I'm also hoping that we could spend some time at Kakadu National Park close to Darwin but just gotta go with the flow and see how things start to evolve. From now-on I've got no idea how often I can get to internet updating this blog, reckon that especially in outback it might be a bit difficult but hey, you never know..

My deepest thanks to Brett and Michelle for giving me a chance visiting their farm and home and spending a really unforgettable week in there. I really hope that I could come back some day in future. Thanks guys.

Weight of Your Life

Have you ever wondered how much your life weighs..? Okay, gotta admit I’ve got this idea from George Clooney’s movie Up In The Air (btw, it’s a really good movie) but yet again, the answer is pretty easy for me at the moment - 35kg’s.. I know that’s quite a bit to drag with you when you travelin but I know I’m gonna throw some stuff away pretty soon. At the moment it’s electronics which makes it a bit heavy for me, I’d say I’ve got about 7kg of electronics.. ..a bit too much at this stage but it includes my laptop, two cameras, sat-nav, razors and way too much of different cables.. For me laptop and camera are the most important things, might get rid of my sat-nav at some point when I’m not on the road trip anymore and guess I gotta figure out which cables are un-necessary for me. And, I got way too many books, reckon they come up another 2 to 3kg in my bags, yet again, I’m assuming won’t be needing them after road trip. So guess I could get the weight of my bags drop to less than 30kg or maybe even more, but yet again, reckon 35kg ain’t that much when that’s all you got.. How much your life weighs..?

While I’m writing this I’m sittin at the Southern Cross railway station in Melbourne waitin for my train. I’m headin to Mount Gambier, South Australia for a week to work as volunteer in a farm. Apparently I’m supposed to help feeding baby lambs and doin some other easy work around the house. My hosts have a small gathering of friends in Easter so really waitin for that as well, havin some fun. And, I really need a break from the city. I’ll be back in Melbourne next week for a night or two and then, finally startin my road trip on Wed 27th, really can’t wait to hit the road.

Maru

I had been thinkin of going to this one koala park for months, can't even remember from where I found this place on internet. In there you're supposed to get lot closer to animals than in 'normal' zoo's and you could also get a close encounter with some of the animals. Obviously I had been very interested about gettin my hands on to koala and dingo.. Finally, I decided to hire a car for a day and got my room-mate, Patrick to join me for a wee day-trip towards south, koala park was only about 100km south of Melbourne, in Grantville on a way towards Phillip Island. Admission itself was pretty cheap, just 15$ but for close encounters you'd be paying 20$ and gettin a photo taken by keepers (with koalas you can pay just 10$ and get photos with your own camera) so obviously I was gonna go for those, wanted to have some nice, printed photo out of my experience. At first we had about an hour before the next koala talks and we headed straight towards kangaroo enclosures since I had bought a small jar of roo food, couldn't wait to get to feed them.. And, I was definetily not disappointed, I was havin so much fun with these guys just followin me and beggin for more food, especially one of them was very persistent and I had to push it few times a bit side but it just kept comin and comin and also raised itself towards me few times but surprisingly I wasn't really afraid that it might try to kick me.

The koala encounter was nice as well but it was just sittin in a tree being lazy and nipping the grass from my hand so nothin that amazing but yet again, what can you expect from a koala, after all they sleep about 18 to 20hrs a day.. I was still a bit surprised how soft the fur was. After koala came that one moment I've been really waiting for, I got to go to dingo close and pat them them, just a bit of shame that only one out of three wanted to really meet me, althou the second one gave a small lick to my hand but third one just kept it's distance. But you gotta understand, these animals are still more or less wild even thou they have been in capture. Apparently dingoes are a lot like dogs but yet again they do act pretty much like cats, if they don't like or trust you, they're gonna avoid you. And like my cats in the past, if they thought that I was sometimes an a**hole, you can't really chance that but that's one thing why I've always liked cats. They got their own mind like these dingoes. At least that one fella was willing to stay close to me and I could pat it pretty as much as I liked, definetily the best moment of the day. Sorry guys that I'm not puttin any photos of me and koala, I'm still kinda tryin to hide my identity so I'm not completely showing my whole ugly face..

After Maru we decided to take a drive towards Phillip Island and possibly visiting the Penguin Parade beach where every evening small penguins arrive from their day at the sea back to their burrows on the beach. I'd still say it's a bit too much commercialized event but yet again.. We we're just thinkin of takin a walk on the beach and gotta admit that I was a bit annoyed cause even durin day time hours you'd have to pay 4$ just to go to the beach.. ..oh well, since we here.. Eventually, it turned out to be a good choice, we we're lucky to spot one lonely penguin and that was it, the day was saved and admission worth it. To be honest, of course in Phillip Island you get too see lots of penguins every night but with a high cost, if you just take a wee walk to St.Kilda beach in Melbourne you get to see 'em for free. Obviously, in Phillip Island it's all about the quantity of them but still, I'd rather choose St.Kilda. All in all, our day was one of my best days in Australia so far, just lookin for lots of days to top this one.

penguin beach and their burrows scattered all around

'Piss Off!!!'

R.I.P. Poju

Just a quick update..

Today, when I was calling back home to my mum, I got a bit sad news.. ..my brothers pet turtle (well, actually, my mum's..) had a some kind of infection and she had to be taken to pet doctor and.. ..it was the last call for her.. For the last few weeks she had been a bit tired and didn't wanna eat much at all so my mum took her to a vet, and..

Unfortunately, I couldn't find any photos about her right now, I just took few photos a day or two before I left to Australia but I'm not sure at the moment have I deleted them or put to a some random folder that I just can't remember, bollocks..

About Poju (who we thought of being male at first, hence the name..), maybe she wasn't the most active pet you can get but I still do remember just watchin her just eating salad or simply doing some random laps around her aquarium. Althou she wasn't really that much of a pet, but she was still part of our family for about 10years.. ..she's always gonna have a spot in my heart.. I just wish I could find those photos of her that I took, where the bloody hell I put them.. ..I couldn't delete them or could I.. ..hope not..

Melbourne

Last few weeks have been a bit quiet, just been spendin my time more or less in Melbourne just tryin to figure out what to do in here.. I've been in Zoo, Aquarium, Victoria Market, checkin penguins at St.Kilda beach, reckon only thing that's left is Eureka Tower. Last week I took a wee drive to Mornington Peninsula with Adam, we drove all the way to Rye for dinner and this monday I was on day-trip to Grampians National Park. So, basically, it's been a bit quiet last few weeks.. ..guess I've managed to do at least somethin but I just can't wait to get on my road trip..

Mr. Grumpy, eh..? ..just like me at hangover-mornings..

notice the paw reachin.. ..love or just close friends.. ..sweet anyway, right..?

Gotta admit that I really liked Melbourne Zoo, as always any zoo that I go, guess I'm just a one big animal lover.. ..really miss my pets, it's been now slightly over two years without a furry friend around me.. Sooner or later, when I eventually settle somewhere (hopefully..) first thing I'm gonna do is to get myself a pet. Anyway, back to the zoo - I really enjoyed just watchin roos from distance of about just 1metre, fascinating animals. They weren't doin much, just relaxin and scratchin themself but I was  just stuck with them, reckon someone from here might have same reaction with reindeers..

..I just wonder how can you sleep on that position..

I went to Aquarium with my finnish room-mate, gotta admit that it was pretty nice place but yet again, they could have a bit more to show for that price.. ..but anyway, I don't wanna complain too much since I'm just a tourist in here, at least for now..

I'd reckon this is one of the biggest reasons why people go to Aquarium, penguins

Mr. (or Mrs.) Grumpy part II

show-off

now that's a big (and ugly) crab

can you spot the fish..?

The Grampians tour was pretty ok, althou I'd say for the price amount of hiking was a bit small.. ..to be honest I was expectin and hopin for about 3-4hrs of hiking instead of one 45min and another 1,5hr hike but yet again, the views from the top of Hollow Mountain we're just absolutely amazing. And, the weather was on our side as well, on our way it looked so bad, it was raining in the beginning but then it cleared up and when we got to the top sun was shining from clear sky, awesome. And, one great thing on our trip was that we got to see wild roos, just amazing.. ..yeah, I know, some aussies might be laughin at me now, but come on, it was my first time ever seeing them in the wild..

Beehive Falls(!!) and my mascot, I'm still yet to come up a name for him..

on the top of Hollow Mountain