Monthly Archive: May, 2012

Spring Onions, Bacon and Other Stories from Alice Springs

Most tourists don’t come to Alice Springs to be in Alice Springs. For many, it’s just a launching point to get to Uluru (formerly known as Ayers Rock), the massive and ancient swooping… Continue reading

Slowing Down: from Kakadu to the Ghan to Uluru

The day I got on the Ghan in Darwin, I’d been having a rotten morning. I’d woken up at 4am to a shaking and rumbling. My first trained thought was, “Oh, god, an… Continue reading

The Ghan and the Australian Overland Telegraph Line

As I write this, I am back on the train again and it feels almost as if I have come full circle. We’ve got the rad crew, the same ones we had on… Continue reading

Hostel Life in Darwin, Northern Territory

You can tell a Californian when they start talking about medical marijuana; I’m listening to a kid near me at the hostel talk about the 25 max plants right now, and it occurs… Continue reading

Australia’s Backpacker Circuit

The trip so far has been a nice mix of hostel and home: I’ve spent a fair portion of the time alone or with people I know at their houses; I’ve spent a… Continue reading

Round and Round I Go: A Trip in the Kimberley

Somewhere on that burnt red off-road track, after my sleepless and sick night of camping in Broome, when my feet burned from sand fly bites and my stomach burned from Sambuca and smoke,… Continue reading

Broome Adventures: Some Lessons Learned

Remember how I said Aussies have optimism built into their DNA? When I told everyone I was headed up to Broome, the response went unvaried: “You’ll love it!” and “Charming town!”. What’s funny… Continue reading

Broome Adventures: Bouts with the Mozzies

I go to bed cradling a bottle of mosquito spray. I know, it’s come to this. I hold the bottle close at night so that when I wake up at 3am to pinpricks… Continue reading

Travels in Broome, Western Australia

Broome is an outpost of 15,000 in the north of Australia. Look it up on a map. You’ve probably never heard of it unless you collect pearls or you read the article about… Continue reading

Fremantle: My favorite things, part two

I’m staying in North Perth, but sadly all I can really tell you about the city is how to get to the Wellington Street Bus Station to catch a train to Midland or… Continue reading