Lucky us, we rented a campervan for cheap. When rental places around here need a van moved from one city to another they give you great deals. So we paid $5 per day for the first three days, then just $150 for the last two days we had the van. Not too bad. Plus we got $150 for fuel.
Not only that, but little did we know we'd be living through what became a big deal...the dust storm. We woke up the first morning after sleeping in our van and I wanted to take a couple photos of our "campsite" (just an empty parking lot... free night though!). Here's Razzu chillin in the van, eating breakfast.
The van with the table set up on the outside. You'll notice it's a really nice, clear blue day out.
So clear you can see Surfers Paradise and all behind.
Then noon rolled around. We were out kayaking and exploring South Stradbroke Island. We got to see a golden wallaby, go through an Aboriginal welcoming ceremony, and learn a little about the area. All the while our guides were getting a little nervous because of the strong winds around. We headed back across a channel to go snorkeling (it was part of the day schedule). They let us snorkel for a few minutes, then told us we had to get going because of the incoming dust storm. By the time we were back at our campervan, my photos started to look like they were taken thirty years ago.
We ended up driving through the dust to pick up Rachel, who was still in town, to hang out for the night. The air smelled dusty/sandy and we couldn't even keep it out of our van. Everything had a coat of dust afterwards. And it seems to have been even worse in Sydney!
A couple photos from our Kayaking trip too. We started on the spit just off Surfer's Paradise, kayaked to a man-made island and had 'morning tea', then went to South Stradbroke ("Straddie") for a bit of a walk.
Razzu strapping in for a paddle.
And our paddle back...the dust storm suddenly hits with a vengeance!
But Razzu got a couple good underwater photos, despite the turbidity. I like the colors on this one and the massive shell.
The van with the table set up on the outside. You'll notice it's a really nice, clear blue day out.
So clear you can see Surfers Paradise and all behind.
Then noon rolled around. We were out kayaking and exploring South Stradbroke Island. We got to see a golden wallaby, go through an Aboriginal welcoming ceremony, and learn a little about the area. All the while our guides were getting a little nervous because of the strong winds around. We headed back across a channel to go snorkeling (it was part of the day schedule). They let us snorkel for a few minutes, then told us we had to get going because of the incoming dust storm. By the time we were back at our campervan, my photos started to look like they were taken thirty years ago.
We ended up driving through the dust to pick up Rachel, who was still in town, to hang out for the night. The air smelled dusty/sandy and we couldn't even keep it out of our van. Everything had a coat of dust afterwards. And it seems to have been even worse in Sydney!A couple photos from our Kayaking trip too. We started on the spit just off Surfer's Paradise, kayaked to a man-made island and had 'morning tea', then went to South Stradbroke ("Straddie") for a bit of a walk.
Razzu strapping in for a paddle.
Paddling away!
After the Aboriginal welcoming ceremony on South Stradbroke Island.
Spear and hunting stick throwing olympics. Representing the US:
And representing Brasil.
Wow my form doesn't look good at all. Brasil, sorry to disappoint.
While Razzu and I are actually still really excited to be out there (adventure!), not everyone felt the same way. They even cut our snorkeling short...and we were the only ones snorkeling. Boo.
Hello, Daniella, is Marly. Your mother sent you blog, i saw yours pictures, how nice are the places and animals. Nice hear from you. Kiss, Marly
ReplyDelete