Well, my latest holiday is now over. All that is left is for me to pack my bags and head back out West.
Before I do this, in the tradition of rasing cultural awareness, telling you the highlights and the laughs of the last month, that have somehow been missed. Here Goes.
1) Are Canada and Americans really that different. The trip to Fraser Island was one of the highlights of the tour. Not only because of the wonderful rainforest, the amazing beaches and the fresh water lakes, but like all these trips, also because of the people you meet. On this particular tour, were some English, Italian, Brazillian, and Canadians. The English comprised of 3 lads (Us) and middle aged man and his wife, and their parents. Now the old man of the group was origianally from the North East and while he may have been a little mad, he was great fun. He told us all about himself and even kept up with us on the beers. The best thing he told us was about his son - "You know" he said, "My son is a top doctor in Brisbane", "I know he doesn't look very clever but he really is a smart lad" He was of course right, and I still can't decide if this was a compliment. The Brazilian and Italian were great fun, and laughed along with us about everything !
The Canadians on the other hand were a new beed of traveller that I have not before come accross. The were indeed very well travelled and spent the majority of time discussing where they had been when. I'll give you and example - HIM "two years ago I was in Singapore having a look around whatever" HER "no that was three years ago because two years ago you were in China while I was in Turkey, I can't believe you don't remember that" HIM "No it was definetly two years ago because three years ago i travelled to Mexico while you were in Spain and France, don't you remember anything" Seriously that could go on talking at you for hours and at the end of the 'conversation' you had neither said nor learnt anything.
75 Mile beach is actually a recognised road in Oz and has road rules like and other road. It is also quite busy with around 400 motors a day going up and down it. While our guide was talking to us about some of the food that you could find on the beach and pulled over to show us an example of some shell fish that we could eat, we noticed a large number of jellyfish on the beach. They are known as blue bottles as they are blue in colour. The Canadian chick spotted one of these jellyfish that has been runover by around half of the motors that day. The first question she asked was . . . . get ready . . . . "is this one dead ?" Unfortunatly I didn't get to hear the answer the guide gave I I had passed out laughing at her. When I came around I had a look (just to make sure it was dead you understand) and you could actually see tyre prints over the top of it. I can't believe that pople that have survived the number of trips that they had done, could still ask questions such as that.
At Manly - a suburb of Sydney we all went into a restuarant to a meal. It was about 930, but there was no mention of the time. We ordered a started and a main each, and were impressed when the strated came aftoe only about 5/6 mins. Unfortunatly the main arrived about 5mins after the starter. Needless to say none of us had finished the starter. We got the impression that the staff wanted to go home, and this was confirmed when the staff began to pack up around us. Tables were taken away, unberellas folded away and we were pretty much left in the middle of the street by ourselves having a strated and a mian togerther with groups of drunks wandered by. Just before we finished and before we even had the option of ordering a sweet (Yeah right) the waiter came over and asked us to pay so they could finish balancing the till. I will never eat there again.
Anpther mealtime story happened at Airlie Beach (Catcus Jacks) Easter Sunday. We ahd arrived back of the trip around the Whitsundays and were looking forward to a shower and a meal and Mel decided Mexican was the way to go. He even knew where the resturant was and we followed along. The resturant was busy but the guy said that if we were happy to wait 15/20 mins in the bar they would have a table ready for us. Not wanting to miss out on drinking time we said that would be fine. Sure enough after a couple of drinks we were seated and our order was taken. Is arrived about 30 mins later with an apology. No too bad so far. However the starter was finished and the plates not cleared away. Eventually we had to ask for our mains to be served and after a wait of about an hour I got my chicken and tucked in. About 10 mins later Andy and Mel got their chilli. By this point were were just about passed hungry but gave it ago anyway. When it came time to pay we did have a go with the guy that had booked us into the resturant, and he said -
We were lucky to get a table on Easter Sunday with out pre booking (God I really felt soo lucky)
We were told we would have to wait (But not told we would have to wait 1 hour between courses)
The grill was very busy - it had suprised them (We didn't have anything off the grill so it really suprised us)
If we had booked the service we had recieved would have been better (How is that a logical explanation for anything)
So to anybody that reads this and apologies now the the keyworlds I am putting on here now
Cactus Jacks Airlie Beach
Airlie Beach Mexican
Mexican Food Airlie Beach
Do not eat at CACTUS JACKS - Airlie Beach. Hogs Beath Cafe is really good !!
I know what you are all thinking . . . God he moans - Food too quickly/not quickly enough. I like my food to be served with a short gap between the courses. Surely that is not too difficult.
Thats all for now and I'll be intouch again when I get back to Jessivale.
Ed
xx
