Allready Dumai, Riau, Sumatra, INDONESIA48 h ride Lampung - Pekanbaru

Spent just one night in Jakarta, this suffocating overcrowded city. Was luckily hosted by a couchsurfer i met on a CS meeting that happened to take place. Getting out of Jakarta was allright.. Made it to the highway towards the west, (Jln Tol Jakarta - Melaka) Standing close to the Toll pay station I got a ride fairly quick, once getting out a bit of the city easy to hitch from the highway. Finally I made it to Melaka, got with a truck onto the ferry to Sumatra. Took 2h or so.

The whole trip Jakarta - Dumai (by drivers estimation around 1500 km) was more or less non stop and i realized once more importance of getting a good nights sleep(last two days way to high frequency of sit-powernaps while in cars). Got a ride with a truck driver for 48 hours, from Lampung to Pekanbaru.. The road was slow.. During thoose two days we saw about 6 or 7 trucks that had either flipped over, went down the ditch or simply crashed into something. Makes you realize how important as a hitchhiker to keep the driver somewhat alert and awake. (which is hard if you didnt have enough sleep either).

In Dumai i now finally got great some great sleep, hosted in a 'neighborhood guard station'. Hah. Tomorrow i take a ferry to Melaka, Malaysia. Down to Singapore for few days and then North north north!!

Henry

Borneo, 12 october - 30 November 2011. Way to short time for such a big place and km's covered. A estimation of the kilometers hitchhiked in Borneo comes down to something around 4700 km.

Before leaving Kota kinabalu, Sabah..











A few pics of some of the stuff i did before leaving Kota kinabalu for the hitch towards Pontianak.. The one on the paper was meant for a cafe in KK but when I was on my way to give it (and on my way to leave KK)I got lost and suddenly was far from the city so I decided to start hitchhiking, the painting i gave to a young driver..

From Sabah to Brunei (And the passport stamp marathon)
Batu Niah caves Sarawak




About one month spent in Sabah Malaysia..! Travelling around, east, west, north, up, down, here, there. When time to leave after great time spent I headed for Brunei.. I had already hitched the road before, almost all way to the border.. Same road, i even ate in the same places.. First, border to Sarawak, Malaysia.. Same country but something is different.. Cant put my finger on it. Lawas.. Im going with a man heading for the TV-repairman in Lawas, as we go fast on the bumpy road the TV bounces back n forth in the backseat. (well its broken anyway right). Walking walking lah! Along the road, allready afternoon.. The rain have caught up with e few times but i always seem to get a ride before it gets really bad. The dark clouds heading southwest just like me.

Before the border to Brunei I get a ride with a Chinese man to his Timber factory in Brunei and he invites me to stay the night. Eating well with his family.. Truck from there in the morning.. This is in the eastern province of Brunei and the city is called Bangar.. Walking walking lah. Sun is hot but i feel like walking. A couple of hours just to see if anyone stops without me hitchhiking. Suddently I arrive at the border. get my exit stamp and see a car has stopped for me, young Chinese man,
- Wanna come with me to Bandar Seri Begawan?
- Sure do, thanks!
Brunei, 3000 Brunei dollar = 2340 USD

Into Sarawak again, Into Brunei again, my passport getting smashed with stamps! Bandar Seri Begawan.. a few hours.. My new-found friend takes me to the museum of the Sultan. In cold aircondition we walk around and look at different pictures of the sultan. Gifts from other countries. This n that. Few more hours a bit of food and i leave BSB. Walking again lah! Brunei is easy for hitchhike, however its just a little bit complicated cause the roads kind of looks like in western europe, there are sidewalks and the roads are narrow and fast. So i cannot find a safe place for cars to stop. Doesn't matter.. As long as someone stops before dark(or before the rain starts again). Finally getting some rides out of the city, get treated with some Bruneian hospitality in a restaurant(Im eating some kind porridge which im not sure what it contained, tastes funny eh) That night i sleep on the beach(or i actually never see the beach but i was told it was a beach)
Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan


Next morning i hitch from the highway, almost first car stops, even if going fast fast. A young girl with long black hair. Short ride, conversation goes something like this(good example of a short conversation while hitchhiking in Brunei,Sarawak,Sabah,Indonesia where the concept of hitchhiking, getting a ride for free hardly exist):
- Hi, are you heading South, towards Seria?
- Noo Seeeeria, its faaaaaar (its about 60 - 70 km but ofcourse far cause across the whole country), You have to take a taxi, or a bus.
- Im travelling by hitchhiking,(trying to explain hitchhiking but there is no word in melay, closest is "Tumpang" but is not the same thing)
Quiet moment, - Ah ok!
Moments later
- So i drop you here, you can take a bus from here to Seria!
- Oh.... ok....., Thanks alot!
(Leaving the car going out to the road again to catch another ride)
Contractor getting free fuel from his constructing site.. Diesel costs 0.32 BND per liter in Brunei($0.25 (1.6 SEK))

Sarawak, Malaysia

I make it to the border with few cars.. Into Sarawak again, heading south south, A driver told me about some caves I JUST HAVE TO visit, so I do. Batu Niah caves.. nice! I spend the night in my tent at the start point to walk to the caves. I've found out my newly Indonesian $15 tent is not as waterproof as i hoped so i usually try to find some kind of roof when setting up the tent. Here i didnt find and i was luckylucky, no rain that night.. Nice caves, nice walk.

Bla bla bla bal bla bla bla bla bal alalal bala balaballlalallaa lalala hehe haha lala.

I end up on a rest area in middle of nowhere. Gets late and I get stuck. Tired, im offered to sleep in a room above the restaurant, great sleep! The longest i've waited in Asia to get a ride but in the morning a driver comes up to me and offers e ride almost to Kuching! Yahoow. All day we go! until 2 hours before Kuching where he lives. Invites me to his home but im in little bit rush and wanna go to Kuching. Arrive in the evening. Look around, nice! Yah really, nice city. So different from other malaysian cities ive seen! I sleep in a strange place, i dont even know what it is myself its so strange. Lets just say its kind of benches for outdoor theater or something(Pls someone tell me what it is if you know, i'll send u a candy from Indonesia)
Sleeping sleeping lah, This spot behind a building in Serian, Sarawak also worked as a studio for painting a t-shirt.


Indonesia satu lagi kali

Leave Kuching. Slow short rides. Finally ride with policeman to Serian where i sleep behind a shop and meet an kind of constantly talking hobo, but that story is just too long to write here(or write anywhere acually). Again short rides to the border. Easy border crossing $25 Visa On Arrival, indonesian 1 month visa. Walking walking lah! End up in perfect place truck stop in Entikong. All trucks is going to Pontianak in the afternoon after loading barang barang from Malaysia. Get a ride with friendly man in heavy rain we go all evening into the night, sleep, up 5 arrive 8 in Pontianak.

Last night a friendly man from the harbor hosted me in his house and tonight im taking a 36 h ferry to Jakarta, hah!

(My plan was to take a boat to p.Riau, south of singapore but the boat leaves in 10 days so bah! And i've tried to ask my harbor friend about cargo ships but no no on that one. Where's my cargo ship captain friend from Surabaya when i need him?!)


One foot in the Southern hemisphere on in the northern.. THE EQUATOR, Pontianak Kalimantan Barat, INDONESIA

Calm before the storm?! Yesterday afternoon in Kuala Penyu.. Sabah, MALAYSIA

Education, with detail.
Made this one for a school in Kota Kinabalu

Painting for Mei, and Canvases

4 of my helpers when painting "Education" Thanks!

This is what i've been up to for the last 10 days or so in Kota Kinabalu.. Taking it easy and painting.. I made it in a few days from Tawau to Kota Kinabalu, hitchhiking was allright.. had long ride with a truck almost the whole way.. Now abit of more travelling in Sabah to be done before going to Brunei-Sarawak... At the moment in Tenom, South sabah...!

Leaving Yogya / Ferry to Borneo

I left Yogyakarta after great time spent there! Got more or less one long ride with a truck from Solo to Surabaya. There i waited for the ferry to Banarmasin for about 24 hours, was about 10 hours late.. Sleeping at the ferry terminal together with 100-200 other people.. Once on the ferry, found a nice spot, lay out my tent as a sleeping mat, slept, talked, slept, ate (small portion of rice) for about 22 hours. Arrived in Banjarmasin in the evening of the 12th october, my birthday. Was hosted by a family i met on the ferry.


Hitchhiking Kalimantan!
The first day of hitchhiking in Kalimantan i dont even put my hand out for a ride.. The first truck i see parked on the side of the road gives me a couple of hours ride north. The second ride, two girls on a motorbike helps me get, they have seen me on the side of the road outside Banjar and insists on buying me dinner. Then helps me getting a ride with a truck, i squeeze in between 3 guys in a small truck heading for Tanjung. Many hours and coffee breaks later we reach Tanjung which was my goal for the day. The truck driver suggests i can sleep outside the mosque, there's already a person sleeping there. So i do.. Atleast until 4 in the morning when the prayers start(and im not to far from the speakers!) I move 100 m away and continue sleep.

A couple of trucks towards Balikpapan, a few short rides with motorbikes.. The road ha so far been O.K not to bad.. Many big mosques and quite nice houses along the way! East Kalimantan is rich, alot of resources here! Timber, Petroleum, Coal.. And sadly the forests and nature suffers from this..

I reach Balikpapan with a truck transporting stone for a government project. Two persons in most trucks, one person driving the truck, one person unloading, in this case a truckload of 20 - 30 kg stones, by hand.. That day i make it to Samarinda where im hosted by a young couple with a little babygirl.

Heading up towards Bontang, the roads get worse(but still not that bad) Crossing the equator somewhere around there but not really sure where.. To Bontang with private car, otherwise mostly trucks, which is what im aiming for, little bit slower, but for free.. Up here on theese raods more and more cars are shared taxis. Another truck to Sangatta, in the evening i reach an rest area in the middle of nowhere north of Sangatta, Spend the night on a carpet in a restaurant. In the morning i get a ride with a convoy of three brand new pickup trucks heading for Palm oil plantations. They even have police escort, cause their vehicles are not yet registered.. From the morning to the evening we drive on _bad_ roads, very bad, keeping 20 -30 km/h slowing down, turning, trying to avoid the holes in the roads(many places more holes than road) They invite me to stay with them for some time and i gladly accept their invitation. spend two days there, Dayak village.. Checking out palm plantations, huge areas. Lots of beautiful forest exchanged for palm oil used for Biodiesel.. The day I've planned to leave north for Berau my new friends have to go there to get spare parts so i get a ride. few hours to get there, still bumpy road. Just one hour before Berau the roads is allright again. Berau to Tanjung Selor is pretty good road, got a ride in the afternoon and made it to Tanjung Selor in the evening.

Took me 6 days from Banjarmasin. Im not sure how far, maybe Banjarmasin - Balikpapan 800 km, Balikpapan - Tanjung Selor another 1000 km. To bad i didnt have more time(my visa finishes in few days!)

This morning i took a ferry from Tanjung selor to Tarakan where iam now.. Tomorrow i plan take a ferry to either Nunukan(close to the border) or Tawau, Malaysia. No border crossing by land possible here.. The ferry goes in rivers and deltas, thick jungle surrounding us and im sure lots of crocodiles hide in the mangroves..

Hati Hati!!!

I spent few days painting this one for Tiphaine! (Yogyakarta)

I Spent a week or two making this mural in Yogyakarta

I slept here a week or two while painting the mural

This is Couchsurfing JOGJA

Yogyakarta is full of art and after around 3 years of hardly any inspiration to draw and paint i have inspiration again. Thanks to Yogya.. Im still here for a bit of time. Want to do a few more paintings before leaving. Then Kalimantan...

Short entry about equipment.
This stove im no longer carrying, i left it in Bali, it served me well during some months, the pot i got for under a dollar in Fiji the stove is made from two beer cans and is used with methylated spirits. It worked O.K, not more than O.K.. Decided to leave it cause its so easy to find food in Indonesia, and cheap. It wasn't so much the stove but to carry the fuel with me, to much weight.
Aluminum foil as a windshield worked well. Everything fits nice and well. Small and light. The little soya sauce plastic thing i must picked up in sushi place in Australia. Right picture shows everything on the left picture + ziplock bag with couscous.

Left Tent change. Right last time sleeping in Black wolf, during walking on the beach in Bali

I changed the left tent for the right one. The left one is called Black Wolf and an Australian made tent(made in china?) It was a gift from Ben from France, he gave it to me in Cairns but now ive decided to give it away and change it for the smaller, lighter, definitely worse quality one from Indonesia (150 000 rupiah=$16.9) The Black wolf is an excellent tent but to heavy and big for one person. I don't use tent often here in Indonesia, either i get hosted by people or sleep outside without tent(rainy season is about to start, ha ha ha ha)

This would be my fourth tent since i left Sweden, the first one, from LIDL for about $10. Quite heavy but served me well. Gave it to my friend in Martinique. Found my second tent amongst junk on the beach in Martinique, fixed it up a bit,(Actually the same design exactly as this new Indonesian one), Great tent but in Australia water started leaking in when it rained(from the ground and the ceiling). Gave it to Italian friend in Cairns.(lets hope it wont rain when he uses it)

My backpack still going strong with few repairs, North Face 45 l.

As for me im still in Yogyakarta.. :)

Hitchhiking Java..
On 2nd September I arrived in Ketapang, the ferry from Gilimanuk took 45 min or so and cost me around 60 cents. Happy to be in Java i start to walk out of the city. Lots of motorbikes. Hitchhiking went slow in the beginning but it didnt really matter, walking in the sun, talking to people on the way, smiling, laughing! I get a couple of rides, I were heading to Jember to meet up with the hitchhiker Taylor. I get one long ride with a man who has a small ice-milk factory in his home, i get a plastic bag full of ice-milk (yeah ice-milk, tasting funny and icey-milkey) I get snacks from another driver and I must refuse another one. I've eaten to much sweets in one day. Finally making it to Jember i meet up with Taylor at the central square(we were lucky there was a central square) We sleep in the park that night.

Taylor and wood

Volcanic adventures and sketchy car accident

Going down in a car from the beautiful Mt. Bromo the breaks of the car stop working. The road is narrow, steep and curvy. Its me and Taylor, 4 indonesian guys heading for a hiking trip. Our driver try to use the handbrake when both breaks fails but we're going to fast for the handbrake to work.. Slaloming a bit, keeping the car on the road(not to go down the steep hill on the right side) Our driver has no choice but to crash into the mud-wall on our left side. Despite no seatbelts all of us were allright, the car is a bit smashed but not to seriously. We get help from a passing car, changing tyre and a lift down the mountain. No hiking on Mt.Bromo that night.. After a long day of walking and hitching we sleep well outside a shop(or was it a house) in a small village.Perhaps 2/3 from top of Merapi

We continue hitching west.. many nice rides, sometimes in cars sometimes going in small trucks filled with bricks, wood and plants. Some drivers spoke a bit English some didn't. Over cold mountains, beautiful scenery's meeting with good people everywhere. Finally we make it to Merapi, an active volcano(not close to as boiling as Mt.Yasur in Vanuatu thou) close to Yogyakarta. We arrive in the evening to Selo, starting point for hiking Merapi. Asking to set up a tent in a front yard of a house we are invited to sleep on a carpet in the house. Next morning we head out to reach the top of Merapi, takes us a few hours(we take special, extra exciting path involving climpbing and losing the path) The last bit, summit, is the hardest, steep and lots of rocks and ash. Finally up we enjoy a gorgeous view and noodles with a special tomato relish made by an Australian real man(inside joke).Taylor n clouds n top Merapi
Taylor n Henrik on top (photo taylor)

That day hitchhiking is slow down the mountain and we end up in a city with the funny name Blablak. There we find shelter and sleep in an indoor badminton court. Next day Taylor head north to hitch to Bogor for a wedding and i south towards Yogyakarta. Few hours walking before getting a ride(overlapping villages, loads of buses,minibuses). Finally arrive in Yogya and arrive to a couchsurfer Taylor were supposed to surf with(im substitute) Here im in the middle of extending my visa for 30 more days.

Some weeks in Java perhaps then finding a way to Kalimantan!

Iketut, my host in Lumbung village (Tabanan)

With the catamaran "Tarahumara" we arrived in Serengan(close to Benoa, Bali) on the 21th of August. The 23rd I packed my bag(got rid of a few heavy things like my stove and some clothes) Captain gave me a ride to Kuta and the first idea i got when arriving was to get out of there. I Started walking on the beach to get aay from the busy streets, find a place to hitchhike north. I enjoyed the walk, especially as the expensive resorts and sun umbrellas were behind me. Walked for a few hours and realized i was far out of Kuta. Got this idea, why not walk all the way to Gilimanuk(western tip of Bali)

So i did. First day i made it to Tanah Lot, after hours of empty beaches i peek around the corner of some cliffs and see what looks like a tourist invasion! I walk around for a short bit amongst the souvenir salesmen and then leave Tanah lot. Walking over the rice terraces i find the way back to the beach. The first night i spend in my tent, worrying slightly that the tide and the waves will reach up and give me a wet wake up!

Next day is a long day.. On the map Soka looks close, but its not.. Empty beaches, fishermen struggling to get their boats out of the breaking waves. A few resorts where people seem to enjoy their vacation. In the afternoon i reach Soka, not really what i expected and i continue walking, this time along the road. A guy on a motorcycle stops and we talk a bit. He offers me to come to his house for the night. A good meal(rice and green beans) and a good nights sleep. He takes me a few km to the next beach in the morning. A long day of walking, somewhere outside Pekuatan i stop at a surf village to get some water. A surf-shop-guy offers me to sleep on a bench outside his shop. First i plan to continue, but after sitting down i become to lazy to get going again.

Many temples along the beaches. Many beautiful things and friendly people. Between Pekuatan and Perancak I get pain in my left foot, for every step it gets worse. I sit down under a coconutpalm, pinch a green coconut for cold fresh coconut juice and think over my situation hardly being able to walk far from roads and people(and water). Suddently i remember i have my boots in my backpack(been carying them for 1.5 years hardly used them) I put them on and i can walk again(until they give me blisters and i switch to barefoot again)Patterns in the sand hypnotized me for days

Reaching Perancak in the evening i meet a friendly man who hosts me in his family home. In the morning he gives me a ride around a river i cannot cross by foot. Walking from Pengambengan on a not so nice beach for a change, filled with dead fish and smelly birds. The fishermen say there will be a river ahead but i continue. I reach the river and attempt to cross but it gets deep fast. Trying to find another way but i cant. Almost preparing to go back, but there's nothing worse than going back(especially if its along a dirty beach filled with dead smelly fish) A second try, I walk with my backpack over my head, the water gets deep but as it reaches my breast its getting shallow again and i manage to cross. I walk on, stop in the villages for little bit food once in a while. I realize i can make it to Gilimanuk this day, the fifth day. So i continue and in the late afternoon i see ferries going across to Java, strong wind from the south blowing through the strait of Bali. Happily i reach Gilimanuk, get some food and rest.. That evening i met a man who were happy to host me and im still staying there today, resting a bit before heading to Java tomorrow morning.

Seems like im going to Kalimantan after Java!

Indonesia

A big volcano. Yes it is.

Henrik and friends in Kalabahi, Alor

Crowded Anchorage, Alor

Just a few pics... Im in Labanbajo, Western tip of Flores. Our route were: Darwin - Kupang - Kalabahi(Alor) - Overnight stops on Northern coast of Flores and now Labanbajo where we will stay a few days. Not much wind up here and we've been motoring alot, but with just a bit of wind "Tarahumara" sails well and fast. The captain and he's girlfriend has rented a motorbike for few days, leaving me with the boat. This is first place i see in Indonesia which has tourists.. Its quite different and just a small taste of what will come in Bali i guess.. From Bali probably hitching thought Java and Sumatra.. North, north!

Then i have to figure out which route to take back to Sweden, have a few different interesting ideas...

Hej!

Vågorna glittrar där vi guppar fram genom eftermiddagens sista solstralar.

Darwin - Kupang
Took us almost 3 days to get here.. Left Cullen Bay marina, Darwin at 9 oclock. The wind was very light and we motored most of the way(or wait, all the way acually) On the second day we saw land, got a bit of wind coming into the islands(just 20 knots or so). Arrived at 3 in the morning, lots of small fishing boats out, having some blue red blinking nav lights making them look like floating Christmas trees. Anchored far out and went to sleep.

Kupang is good.

Relax

Brisbane - Darwin

Brisbane

I did spend quite some time in Brisbane, alltogether around 6 months. Staying all the time(except the last week) in S/Y Nekton, by the Botanical Gardens mooring right in the city center.. Time went fast as always.. I were working most of the time as a kitchenhand in a Cafe in the suburb St.Lucia. It was nice job, i learned alot about cooking and had nice time. I had also some other jobs, picking glasses in a bar, another kitchenhand job(or shall we call that one dish-monkey). Winter in Brisbane was cold, heading north felt like an excellent idea. Lukasz and Nekton left in the beginning of June for the sunshine coast to pull the boat up on land for some maintenance. That was 14 months staying on Nekton altogether, great, absolutely great time!

North

Staying with friends for the last week in Brisbane just finishing work off, i head north. Having lots of luck hitching, everything works out just the way it should, i don't worry cause i trust luck, following intuitions and keeping positive. I get some long rides, jumping Sunshine coast - Bundaberg - Rockhampton - Mackay. Waiting between 5 to 15 minutes between the rides. Talking about Pine trees and crocodiles, roads and work, future and life. In the evening I've made it to Mackay, huge mining up there, the road trains passing by with machines that big ive never could imagine.. Mackay, around 1000 km north of Brisbane its still cold in the night. The wind goes through the mangroves beside the road. Occasionally i hear weird sounds and imagining crocodile eyes observing me from the dark shadows of the swamp. Cars fewer and fewer and i decide to get some sleep and an early start.

Next day im up to early. And im tired. I listen to music and try to get a ride but most people seem to go to the mines for work. Suddenly a car stops and two french girls takes me all the way to Townsville. I decide to go in to the city(something i would regret later) walking around having lunch in the park. Im on my way to meet up with french friends i met in Brisbane with a van. To travel with then up to Cairns. Im meeting them in Ingham, 100 km north of Townsville, a short hitch but it takes time. Walking for hours to get out of Townsville i finally get a ride to a petrol station. From there another couple of short rides , jumping 20 k's 30 k's, by dusk i get the final ride with two road workers. Joining up with Claire, Gwen, Ben and Dennis we travel to a national park that night. And next day to beaches, beaches and national parks, and fun, lots of fun! Ive never before travelled in a van like that but i like it. For a while atleast. Heading up to Cairns the girls try to sell their Van and we're hanging around in different beaches with lots of people and having a good time. Watching out for the rangers and their fines( $140(or was it 120) for sleeping in a tent, in a van or on the ground in a place where its not allowed(everywhere except the $10-$15 campings more or less)) We get two warning during 10 days or so.


Outback

Deciding its time to leave i head for the outback.. A slow start, short rides, Mareeba, Atherton, Ravenshoe( Highest town in QLD, and probably coldest too) Dark clouds of rain following me but never really catch up. As dusk comes so does the rain and the cars are few. Almost giving up for the day, a van stops and a Canadian couple saves me from the rain and takes me to Innot hot springs where we set up camp and bathe in medium hot springs, hot springs and extremely hot springs. The day after they take me to Mount Garnet where they will stay and dig for Topaz. I continue the hitching. Run into a(probably very bored) cop who in a guardian voice explains i shouldn't stand in the middle of the road(which i weren't doing anyway) cause he might have to scrape me off the road and we don't want that do we?!? No sir! Sorry sir! Ironic on a road where one car every 5 minutes passes.

I get a ride with a man in a caravan heading for a fishing trip. He takes me few hours, the landscape getting flatter and flatter as further in we get. He drops me off in Georgetown(population 250) There i meet another hitchhiker heading the other way. He is from Czech republic and has been working on a farm. He says he's been standing for 5 hours and the place is cursed. 30 minutes after he gets a ride with a truck heading east. I stand for hours.. Mostly caravans pass, older couples.. More hours, more caravans, local traffic (driving 500m to the pub) As the evening comes i still hope to get a ride but the traffic is less and less.. Decide to put up my tent in a close by park. Wake up in the night as the sprinklers wash my tent. In the morning im up early.. hours pass.. hours. The Malaysian couple owning the petrol station gives me a muffin, wishing me luck. Says trucks will pass.. I juggle. Sitting in the shade. After 21 hours in Georgetown a family from Cairns takes me to Normanton and we see birds, a snake, a crocodile(freshwater), a pig and cows along the way. I stay in Normanton 1 hour to take a look at the replica of the biggest Estuarine crocodile ever captured (8.6m) Walking out of the town i get a ride in 5 minutes. 400 km of flatness and bushes to Cloncurry. Sneaking in and setting up a tent in a trailerpark. Sleep, wake up, shower, breakfast(dry bread n peanutbutter), sneak out.


I get a ride to Mount Isa, one of the worlds most productive mines (lead, silver, copper, zinc). A quick look through the city then hanging out in a petrol station, planning getting a ride with a truck going in to Northern Territory. I spend a couple of hours.. Finally a get a ride with Marty, he's heading for Camoweal just before the border of NT, and the day after he goes to Katherine just 300 km south of Darwin. A couple of hundred k's to Camoweal where he takes in to a motel(and goes to the pub) and i camp down by the river, beautiful place. In the morning we were supposed to meet up early in the morning to get early start but he wakes up 2 hours later blaming the jukebox and the rum. For the whole day we drive, Marty knows alot of things about the outback, about cattle, about many things. In the evening we arrive in Katherine where i get my final 300 km ride to Darwin, the driver is a a young helicopter pilot/hunter . 5 days it took me from Cairns to Darwin.


Darwin
Good times here.. Staying in a couchsurfers garden, in my tent, lots of people there. We were 14 people the other night. Brendon is a friendly guy, letting so many people stay there. I was helping building a boat made out of beercans for the annual Darwin Beercan regatta. The first week i was searching for a boat and i did find one, a 45 ft catamaran that will take me to Bali atleast. More about that another time cause now alot of things to do before leaving and short of time. Sailing on the 23rd.

Brisbane floods and back to the river

Clearing out a restaurant after the floods

Contemplating

Captain Lukasz"Borys" Natanek having a rest after shocking flood adventures. The chair we found on the beach.

Food shortages after floods

Escaping the river.

When all adventures seemed to be on hold, heavy and more heavy rain hit Queensland for several weeks, so much that the dams filled up and water continued coming, from the sky and the ground. We first heard rumours about Brisbane flooding on Monday, Tuesday a few people left the botanical gardens moorings, Tuesday night we were sitting watching as all things you can ever imagine floating down the river, docks, boats, docks with boats attached to them, concrete 800m walkways, huge logs, trash and more. Wednesday early morning the water police told us we had to leave(with the boat or without the boat) Boats going out from the pilings, smashing uncontrolled into other boats, current was up to 15 knots and many propellers seemed to been left in the river for to long with barnacles growing, making the steering hard. On row C we could easily steer out and leave the pilings. Going down a flood damaged Brisbane, with most of the pontoons, city-cat terminals washed away. zigzagging in the dirt-cappuccino brown water between logs and oil barrels(yeah really) we finally reach the mouth of the river, Nekton smashing against the steep waves. The shallow part of the river mouth crowded with docks and half sunken boats.

First sunny day in weeks and as we put up the headsail and finally relaxed, we were out of the river now, the brown water still smelled of mud but the day was nice, blue sky and 15 knots of wind. Arriving to Scarborough, we were offered staying for free until the floods were over and things back to nomal. Many friends in the Marina and despite the circumstances the two weeks there turned out really good with many parties and meetings.

Things slowly(but surprisingly quick) turned to normal and we went back to a almost normal looking Brisbane. So now back on the pilings. I've started working a bit, a job that's not really my thing but a bit of money coming in.

The route so far, Nov 2009 - Jan 2011