I'll be traveling to the Oceanic region from February 15th thru March 6th. The path goes like this: Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Gold Coast, Auckland, Rotorua. This is an account of my adventures should I choose to become an illegal immigrant and never return. Wish me luck.

Friday, February 29, 2008

Woke up this morning

and had a spot of rain and decided it's time to get out of Byron before it's impossible to leave.
Oops gotta catch a bus to Surfer's Paradise...more later

Lost in byron

Sorry for the lack of updates but Byron is just too brillant to waist
time on a computer. I finally feel like I'm getting a real piece of
australian culture. The people here are real and the environment is as
close to heaven I think you can get. There are no mcdonalds no lofts
no cheesy tourist shirt stands. Its all real and I love it. Love it so
much that we decided to spend the rest of our time in Australia here.
We had planned to head up to the gold coast today but we've heard its
basically like Miami and I have no interest in that whole thing. We
are still going to hit Steve Irwins zoo on the last day but Byron is
all I need. In fact a lot of the people I've met here came to stay for
like a week and now they've been here 6 months. A bunch of American
draft dodgers came during Vietnam and that how the hippy movement
entered the picture but now its turned this whole shire into a very
vibrant arts and activists community. It is a top holiday destination
but the locals won't let it get developed which makes it perfect. Its
a little like going to petoskey but less yuppy more hippy. This is a
spot I will definetly be revisiting. Its worth the journey trust me.
The past two days have been a blur but here's some stuff we did in no
particular order.

Parties at the art factory with the locals

Learned that aborigines have it worse then native Americans. Most die
by age 45.

Icing the eskey = filling the cooler with ice

Bitch fizz = zima

Went to the nimbin museum and was offered drugs no less then twenty
times. Its more of an LSD trip then a museum. Its basically where
hippies have left their shit for the past 30 years.

Took a bus ride through the hills of Byron going about 60mph listening
to dark side if the moon. You seriously had to be there hopefully the
video does it justice.

Saw a real f'n koala in a tree having lunch in the wild!!!!! Maybe
the highlight of the trip. We were out in the woods. It was like one
in a million.

Had a rainy day to just chill

Watched an Aussie footie game

Met an indoneisian name Johnny Ganjah who played us reggae music.

Went to a club called cheeky monkeys which had a haunting resemblance
to The Dollar for those who know what I'm talking about. The drinking
age is 18 here so the bars are always packed with girls with too much
makeup on and guys with too much cologne. Its funny.

So that's it for now hopefully we can make it out of Byron bay and
into new Zealand by next week but we'll see.


Sent from my iPhone

Tuesday, February 26, 2008

I would tell you about Byron Bay but I'm too stoned to type;)


Seriously this place is wicked! The most laid back beautiful place yet. I'm learning that Australia is all about having time and space to think. There's a lot of space and that's why everyone loves it. Yesterday I met people from Tel Aviev(?), UK, Japan, Sweden, and France. And that was in like an hour. There was a talent show at the Art Factory last night. I almost got up to place a song but made it back too late. Unfortunetly the rain has come today so we're just chillin, which is absolutley what I needed after the past few days of travel. You seriously wouldn't believe this place. I can see why some people never leave.

Meatpies Rule

I am completely exhausted. We packed a weeks vacation in Sydney into
the past 48 hours. Right now I'm waiting at the Brisbane airport for a
bus to byrons bay which we didn't know we were going to until a few
days ago. Apparently its brillant tha. I'm starting to speak
Australian and I can't stop it. When I set something down I go "all
right then" and when I run into someone I go "sorry then" and I have
to go "top off" my wireless soon. So anyway a day ago or two or
something we got up and to a train to the blue mountains. Pete and u r
bot good planners so we missed the train and had to wait awhile. Once
we got out there I could believe the scope. Pete and I opted out of
the main tourists route and when on a bushwack of our own along the
edge of the mountains. It was so cool. We were pretty much on our own
for the most brillant views of the forest.

Later we got back to the city and met up with some of Pete s Uke
friends. They got us on the guest list to one of sydney's hottest
clubs and we parties tip around 4am. So we get out and walk home and
the streets are still insanely packed with people! I've never seen a
US city that crazy at 4am well maybe vegas. So yeah Sydney is frickin
huge. I can't wrap my head around it. But I'm glad we got out it was
draining me. In fact we're both really drained. And ready for thus
hippie commune we are about to arrive at. Oh yesterday was crazy to
we took a ferry out of the Sydney harbor to this awesome beach called
mainly. On our way back I fell asleep. I wake up and Peres gone and
everyone on the ferry, maybe a thousand, is trying to see out the
sides. In panicing because I think we hit an iceberg when I finally
get a look I see avoid a thousand boat swirling around the harbor
watching these two huge oceanliners crossing paths for the first time
in history. Apparently this is a really big deal here because there
was probably 500000 people watching along the Sydney shore. And what
dumb luck pete and I are on a ferry that past right between the
cruiseships. Our ferry is on the front page of the newspaper. Search
Sydney harbor and queen Elizabeth 2 for the pictures. Truly amazing.
So we're done being touristy now time to be all hippy an shit. The
best surfers in the world are in Byron bay right now for a competition
do its gonna be a crazy party. They gave teepees you cab stay in at
our next hostel. I should have some good stories later. Leave a
comment on here if your reading any of these. I'm trying to email
everyone but very short on Internet time. Cheers

Saturday, February 23, 2008

I missed the bus


So today we're going to the Blue Mountains about two hours outside Sydney. Unfortunetly we missed the train by about five minutes. So I've got an hour to burn. Anyway we had an awesome day yesterday! We did a 5 mile walk around all of Sydney's nicest beaches(the Cogee to Bondi walk.) It was unbelieveable. I've been to a lot of beaches around the world, but this stretch takes the cake. And the end stop Bondi, Sydney's most well known beach has everything. Perfect sand, beautiful people, breathtaking views from the cliffs, and amazing surf. After that we went across the street from Bondi and found a Burrito shop. We've both been craving Mexican, and go figure that's the only food the Aussies haven't figured out. But this place changed my option. Imagine Chipotle, but about 50 percent bigger! It was, to say the least, and oral orgasim. We sat next to a guy from Milwakee that has been working here for two years. He convince Pete and I we could get work visas with our skill set. Hmmmm. They are having such an economic boom that they don't have enough people to fill the jobs. They litrally need bodies! We finally got back after dark, completely drained from the sun, but that wouldn't stop us. We showered up and went for the must have night shots of Sydney Harbor. Pete knew a Ukranian guy here who was nice enough to drive us around and show us all the best views of the Harbor that only the locals know. Oh and we saw Heath Ledger's house on the beach today too. I guess he just bought it recently.

Friday, February 22, 2008

Made it to Sydney

So we've been walking around Sydney the past four hours. Its much like
new York. Fast and full of people but really clean and beatiful.
Right now we've just sat down to have a dinner of fish and chips and a
shepards pie over looking darling harbor. Our hostel is huge. Around
500 international travelers a night.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Things to know about Australia

Parking ramp = casual carpark

You turn right from the far left lane after all the traffic has past.

When you're walking towards someone on the sidewalk they veer the
opposite way so I keep running into them.

Stobbies are bottles of beer

To stay or take away is what they say when u order at a fast food
place. Blankly starring at them does not help get your food

English people get something called a gap year to just travel. And
there are a shit load of Asian tourists here.

If its your shout you better have enough money to buy everyone a drink.

The water is filled with jellyfish. Pete almost stepped on one
yesterday.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Melbourne is tops

Right now were sitting in a movie theater about to watch the history
of the building I took this picture from. Not because we have any
interest in this movie but because this theater has money air
conditioning and it about 95 degrees out right now. We've spent the
day exploring the city center today and all I can say is wow.
Melbourne I'd the perfect city. Its big exciting fast trendy clean and
safe. The architecture is some of the best I've ever seen. And I don't
know what's in the water but everyone is beatiful. Went to a great
film museum and then had lunch in Chinatown before we took the tram
around the city loop. Imagine if Chicago was 70 degrees year round and
you would have this city. I love it.

Cheers
Ryan

Melbourne rocks my world

No lie pete and I witnessed an all aboriginy cover band play
blackstreet "no dignity" last night. I guess I should go home now
cause of can't get better than that. Our first day rocked. Spent half
day at the beach meet some cool peeps from the I'm and had the most
amazing fish dinner at restaurant called claypots. More later the
Internet is expensive here well everything is actually.

Sent from my iPhone

Monday, February 18, 2008

6 am Auckland new Zealand

We made it well almost. We have a one hour layover before we head to
Melbourne. The flight was surprisingly pleasant. I watched micheal
clayton drank 3 thee glasses of wine took a sleeping pill and woke up
ten hours later. So much for the four books I brought. Quantas I'd by
far the best airline I've ever flown. We sat next to anaussie from
Perth who has been flying for the past 24 hours. He's full of stories.
If thisis how everyone in the county is I'm not coming back

Wednesday, February 13, 2008

Yeah I may have went overboard

Ok so basically packing sucks. I've been told you should pack what you
need and then take half of that. This is ridiculous I don't need all
this shit.

72 hours

Ok I'm starting to freak out now. I haven't packed and still have work
stuff going on.

Wednesday, February 6, 2008

My bag is the whip

This is my bag.  I love it.

T-minus 10 Days until launch!!!!

I'm locked and loaded. Not really sure how I'm gonna get through the next two weeks without going crazy.