I had another good ol’ day in sunny Australia. I woke up at 8:30 and Jessica hadn’t left for work yet, so I said good morning and showed her my picture with the koala. She thought it was very cute. She left for work and I left shortly thereafter. I stopped for a Red Bull and then used my student ID to get a concession all day ticket for $9. So, I made up the $9 I lost yesterday. On the way a truck cut the bus driver off and the bus rear-ended the truck. No one was hurt though, although we had to wait like 10 minutes while everything was sorted out. Anyways, I got to the Nerang train station a short time later, and the train came straight away. The train to Brisbane takes an hour and takes too long! Mostly what I see is heaps of graffiti, but we do stop at places with interesting names like Yeerongpilly and Beenleigh. I got into Brisbane at about 11:00 and then stopped at the bank to cash my traveler’s checks. I prefer to exchange currency at a bank, rather than bureau de change and other places. It’s because the bank gives a better exchange rate. I got A$620 for US$500. I got another Red Bull and then ran to pay for my flight to Alice Springs, which was $716! That’s more than double the entire cost of the Outback tour. But, that’s OK because it’ll be worth every penny! I went next door and tried to put pictures on MySpace, but the computer froze. I didn’t attempt again though, because I was worried about my pictures getting damaged or deleted. I had to go back later on to get my plane ticket, so I strolled around. As I continued down George Street, I walked over to the Brisbane River. I took pictures of downtown and then made a wish to come back to Australia and threw two five-cent pieces into the Brisbane River. I then walked around some more and got a few postcards. I walked through the central square and got lunch at McDonald’s. After eating I went back to the travel agent and picked up my plane ticket. I wish it didn’t cost so much, but it’s all a part of traveling. I then decided that I wanted to go back to Jessica’s because I wanted to spend some time with them. So, I caught the train to Nerang at 3:00 and then just enjoyed the view. The train ride takes an hour. I got off at 4:00 and took the bus to Ashmore Rd., getting dropped off outside the BP gas station. I got a Diet Coke and then called Mr. Hanley from the payphone. He told me that I made a smart choice in going to Uluru on this trip because it would be cheaper than visiting on a future trip. However, one of these days, I’m going to do a complete run of the Australian Outback. I want to go to Exmouth, Broome, Darwin, Tennant Creek, Katherine, Kimberley and all those places. I then took the walk back to Jessica’s and saw rainbow lorikeets, magpies, and sulfur-crested cockatoos in the wild. I picked Jessica a flower as well. I made it back at 5:00 and Kyle was home. I was telling him that I’ve noticed that XXXX (pronounced “Four X”) is popular out here and that I haven’t seen a single Foster’s sign. I passed the XXXX brewery the other day when I went to Lone Pine. Jessica came home at about 6 PM, and I asked them if we could go out to eat. I decided that I wanted fish and chips. I actually haven’t found any fish and chips here that are as good as New Zealand fish and chips. So, we all set out; my first time going somewhere with a friend in Australia. We stopped at the fish market a little bit away and Kyle told me what fish he usually gets, so I got that one. The clerk wondered where my accent was from. Everywhere I go, I seem to have an accent, because I was born in Easton and haven’t been there since I was 6 years old. People usually think my accent is from Texas or elsewhere in the southern US, but I haven’t been to Texas since I was really young. I think I’ve picked up a diverse mixture of accents because I’ve also lived in Arizona and have been to Australia and New Zealand. Afterward, we went back home and ate our fish and chips. Since I’m staying with a friend I feel more like I’m living in Australia rather than just staying here. After we ate, Jessica and Kyle took me for drive to Surfer’s Paradise. The high rise buildings look very futuristic. We brought Jessica’s sausage dogs: George and Dakota, with us. They are so cute. We drove along Surfer’s Paradise Blvd. and there are throngs of crowds. We drove around for about 15 minutes and started heading back. I might go to Surfer’s Paradise or Noosa when I come back from the Outback, but I don’t think I’ll have time for both because they are on opposite sides of Brisbane. Nancy told me she loved Noosa and Nanees loved the Gold Coast, so it’s a tough call. On the way back, I jumped out to have a go at a night photo of the Gold Coast skyline, but it didn’t come out to well. I was bitten by a bull ant while trying. These ants are similar to the army ants I used to get bit by in Arizona. Kyle told me that wiping saliva on the bite kills the pain. We stopped at McDonald’s and Kyle got me a hot fudge sundae. We then drove home. Since my flight leaves so early on Thursday, I booked a hostel bed in Brisbane. I’m going to have to wake up at like 4:30 on the 18th. Jessica told me she’s going to be gone until the 27th, so I’m going to have to stay someplace else, and possibly come back the final two nights. Either way, it is very nice of them to let me stay there, because not many people would do that. I told them they could stay at my place if they come to California. I just surfed the Internet and relaxed and then took a shower. I have another day ahead tomorrow, so I’ll see you soon. Have a good night.
