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.

Australia

After arriving to Brisbane, Australia in the end of November me and Karol decided to head out on a few weeks hitchhike trip south, we started right in Brisbane center, Close to stanley st. Some traffic light there and we managed to get a ride on the M3 fairly quickly, a few rides south and Byron bay became our destination that day. That place filled up with tourists, we had an nice evening thought.. Next day heading further south south, caught a couple of rides, mostly waiting between 5 and 15 minutes for a car to stop.
Somewhere around grafton we meet another hitchhiker from Wales, so suddently we are three guys trying to catch a ride on a 80km/h road, not the best odds, but after a few minutes one car stops and we get a 500 km ride with a man that liked to talk.. alot. Set up a tent outside Newcastle and next morning we get to Sydney where we are supposed to stay with a couchsurfer. Before that we almost get mugged by a guy with a knife in a park, long story short, a dutch guy saved us(and he also gave me a job the following day, how about that?! Thanks Meindert!) A few nights at gabs place, in Bondi, true couchsurf appartment. After a few days and goonsacks later we head for blue mountains, spend some days hiking and looking at views. Beautiful.
We ask a man where we can set up a tent in Wentworth falls and we end up staying for free for two nights in his Bed and breakfast(a house for ourselves, food in the fridge, thank you Ian!) Hitch down to canberra and have a fun night out with backpacks and everything, end up setting up a tent right in City hill(the pumping heart/roundabout/picknick park of the city), good night sleep. Spend some hours trying to get out of canberra, walking, walking, short ride and bang its allready dark. Now who would pick up two guys in the outskirts of canberra in the dark(reflective wristband) A 70+ year old woman, very kind of her, Almost hits a kangaroo on the road and takes us to Cooma. Setting up the tent for a cold night in the old courthouse's garden. Next day we slowly manage to make it to Thredbo and the Kosciuszko National park. Our month long goal, to climb the massive mountain, the peak of Australia(its just a hill ( 2228 m)) Spend one night half way up, and in the morning walks up to what they call the top. Then down, finished.

Hitching towards the coast, we are about to split up, karol is heading south then to Adelaide then to Alice springs(where he is on his way as im writing this i guess) Im heading back to Brisbane for christmas. However we get a ride with Cal, who convinces us to come with him to his mothers partners farm outside Tathra, seems like a fun place and we go with him, spend some great days with great people, eating good food, fishing, surfing, riding. From there i continue alone, North. Get a ride with David and his wife who invites me to stay in their house in Jervis bay, beautiful place and nice people, thanks for the beers! Next morning up to Sydney where i stay with two girls i met hitchhiking, Thank you Rachel and Caiti, Some nice days, drawing and relaxing..

North again, aiming for Coffs harbour to search for a job but end up going inland, Walcha-Armidale(cold cold up there, standing in thsirt waiting for the ride when sun is coming down, cold wind. Some kids try to help me get a ride, wants to bring me back a sandwich but i get a ride before they return) Small kangaroo filled roads to Grafton, hunger, mashed potatoes, dodgy tentspot. On my way to Coffs harbour again, feels wrong going south, walks over the road, ask a man in a bus/motorhome if he can take me abit north, he takes me for several hours and offers me a job. For one and a half day i were digging holes for a fence in Kyogle, putting in poles, cement. Rain is on its way and i decide to hitch back to Brisbane on the 23rd of December. rain for a week. Me and Lukasz make christmas food. Drink a bit of goon. Now new years, we're having a party.

Happy new year!

My tent in Grafton

Karol on the way up Kosciuszko..

Two german hoolahoop girls and Henrik juggling, byron bay(photo Karol)

Possum, canberra

Karol hitching towards Sydney