There’s a cockroach scuttling along the floor in my friend Amanda’s house. We both squeal as I stand at a distance and attempt to gas the thing with spray. In my head all I am thinking is “die die die!” Who would have thought such vicious thoughts could be brought forward while on holiday? I’ve become pretty tolerant with bugs but I hate, hate, hate cockroaches! Unfortunately cockroaches and Australia go pretty much hand-in-hand. Amanda and I are laughing and screaming as I finally kill the small invader. RIP buddy.
I have had such a fun time during my last week with Amanda. And the fun didn’t just involve insect killing. I remember telling people about my trip to Woy Woy. Most of them either (a) never heard of it or (b) asked, “Why do you want to go to Woy Woy? There’s nothing to do there.” Woy Woy is a smaller town in what is called the central coast of Australia. It takes about an hour to get to Sydney from here by train. Woy Woy is actually on a peninsula and thus you don’t have to go far to find the ocean. And I’ve learned that Woy Woy gets teased for the, shall we say, rough people and the lack of things to do. Well, I certainly can relate to a place that gets a bad rep, coming from New Jersey and all. I used to live an hour and a half train ride away from NYC and to this day still get constantly teased for being a Jersey Girl. But Woy Woy and the central coast are very different from home.
The train ride here from Katoomba was interesting. I got views of gorgeous mountains in the beginning. Then things started to get a bit more populated and developed as we approached Sydney. After I changed trains at Central Station the scenery changed again. I spotted lush hills and pretty boats on the rivers we passed. The sun was setting and I got to catch the rays of light bounce upon the ridges of the water’s surface. Such a different feel from the Blue Mountains and yet so pretty all the same. Woy Woy is close to Umina Beach which, according to a few Woy Woy residents I spoke with, is nothing special. To me it is absolutely beautiful and peaceful! Brown sand, blue water and an island to look at in the distance. And hardly any people around - such a great change from the crowded beaches in Jersey. So the town of Woy Woy doesn’t have much I guess. But it has everything you need: A train station, shopping centers, pubs, cafes, a second hand book shop, and random hippie clothing stores. It’s definitely not a place to visit if you are in Australia for a short amount of time. But I think the central coast is a lovely place and I could see it being a happy home.
I had such a great week with Amanda. The sun was shining and I got to take in gorgeous sights as she drove me to some small towns in the area such as The Entrance and Terrogal. We went to Manly, one of the beaches close to Sydney. The color of the sand was so rich there - more of an earthy tone compared to Jersey’s stark bleached color. We laughed as Amanda got attacked by seagulls as she attempted to eat fish and chips. We took a ferry from Manly to Sydney and I got my first glance at the opera house and the harbour bridge. What a fantastic way to see these two landmarks. I must admit - seeing the opera house was cooler than I thought. I guess it was just the fact that I was looking upon something that I had only seen on TV. A place that always seemed so far away - unobtainable. We didn’t spend time in Sydney, only went to catch a train to Woy Woy, but the ferry ride was like a tantalizing tease. I got a good feeling inside as I observed the skyline from the harbour. I’m extremely excited to spend some time in the city - especially with my sister. On my last night with Amanda we went to a town and saw fireworks at a Christmas celebration. For all my northern hemisphere readers: Imagine that you’re sitting outside at a summer festival. There’s cotton candy (ferry floss is what the Aussies call it), donuts, fish and chips, seagulls by the water, a band playing….and then Santa Claus comes on stage with Mrs. Claus. Singing jingle bells. And yet they are wearing the same warm, fuzzy red coats. Aren’t they hot? I had a blast as I watched the town tree get lit with Christmas lights and was bedazzled by an impressive fireworks display. I’m looking forward to celebrating Christmas here.
Thanksgiving fell during my time in Woy Woy and I thought it to be very important to host a meal. Some things were a little different: a roast chicken instead of turkey, the pumpkin pie a little off, no sweet potato casserole, but many of the essentials were there such as mashed potatoes, green been casserole, and rolls. I had my three diners (Amanda, her mother, and her friend Mel) say what they were thankful for. I will never forget what Amanda said. She said that she was glad to gain a new appreciation for her home after seeing how much I enjoyed it. I guess I reminded her how beautiful it is here. I can see how people get used to things.
I met Amanda on a Contiki trip in Europe last summer. It’s ironic because there was actually a point where we did not like each other. We ended up okay at the end, but I never imagined I would feel as close to her as I do now. Being in Woy Woy this week with her felt like being with my sister or another close girlfriend. Things just were comfortable and right. It was almost as if we were friends for years. I hope wherever I decide to work in Australia is close to her. I want to have Harry Potter marathons with her and catch a drink after work together. Amanda helped me feel like I could do this, I could work and live in Australia and be happy. So to all you people who says that Woy Woy is full of “bogans” I’d like the record to state that the last week has been one of my favorites in Australia so far. I miss
