I had an amazing day out with the UQ boat (rowing) club! Caught an amazing sunrise with some excellent athletes. Click the link to see the album on my FB page.
Tag Archives: brisbane
Waterfalls, Cliff jumping, and the GoPro “Hero”
Down on the Gold Coast, away from the high-rises of Surfers paridise and off the path of public transportation, is Killarney Glen. The area is winding roads and farmland, and we would have probably missed the trail head if not for the line of cars parked hundreds of meters on either side of the local attraction. A swimming hole, known as the Killarney Glen waterfall, is a heart-shaped pool fed by a 6 meter waterfall, lined with spectators on a warm summer Saturday afternoon.
Spectators gathered as timid individuals gathered courage for their leap, while those who frequent the pools tried their hand at flips, all aiming for the deep water. Just off of the “jumping area” is a small grotto, which accumulated jumpers to spectate from a view they achieved from their jump. Families, twenty-somethings, teens on easter break, lined the top of the cliff faces either to watch, or when waved forward from the other side of the canyon, to jump.
I’m afraid of heights. I’ve never been graceful, and feel that standing on something tall makes me ‘kinetic energy’. In high school I would jump with my friends in Colorado into the Arkansas river. Not high, still terrifying. I would swing from our boat into the water in the Bahamas. It took me about 5 minutes of looking out 2 meters below me before I could make the jump. And to this day, as silly as it feels, I hold my nose.
Fastforward, I am standing in a dried up wash-out that juts out over the ‘deep water’, 4-5 meters below me. GoPro strapped to my wrist, though my hands were flat on the rock on either side of me for stability. The girl behind me, no more than 10 years old, comments on my shaking. Her older sister, about 12, wants to help me out by giving me a count down. At first I didn’t notice, since all I could think was ‘S#!t, this is high.’ I try to get in the zone during the second countdown, but psych myself out somewhere between “…3…” and “…2…”. Seconds later I pull myself together, ask her for one last count, and at “…1”, step off the cliff.
(Taken with a Nikon and Sigma Wide-angle lens, uploaded with eye-fi.)
I felt the rush of wind then cold water, then the feel of the strap of my GoPro slide over my small wrist. I surface and accept that the camera may have been claimed by the river gods, and briefly remember a youtube video of a GoPro that fell in a river and was found a couple years later. Oh, well.
I swim to the mermaid grotto, and attempt to slide onto the surrounding rocks, helped by a new friend, and mentioned that the camera went the way of the waterfall. The next jumper, a young blond guy was about to swim past when we asked “is there any chance of finding a GoPro over there where I jumped?” “GoPro?” The kid smiled, turned around, and dove. He surfaced seconds later to applause, with my camera in hand.
I tried to find him after to thank him, and couldn’t. He had one green eye, and one blue eye, and was kind enough to fetch a strangers camera. To you sir, if you are reading, THANK YOU!
(Screenshot from the GoPro of the good samaritan)
Update: added video March 27. Keep an eye out at ~2:30.
Week 2: Apps, arrangements, and admitting the addiction to Big Brother.
There is something that happens when you are lounging around the house. TV gets watched, and I made the most of it by watching Australian shows that we don’t get back in the states. One of these shows, as the title suggests, is Big Brother. Now, I am not a reality TV girl. I scoff at keeping up with anyone or who has more talent. So why, I ask myself, did I get roped into the fad that is Big Brother? On one front, I would watch and found the idea of spying on people in their day to day life a little creepy. Then somehow, I found myself watching it more as an anthropologist – what are the group dynamics. How do people interact when they don’t have technology to escape to? What has society developed?
Then I realized I was nearly too far gone, and decided just to watch it and root for my favorites.
With my time staying with my friend is nearing an end, I must wean myself from this luxury. I have started looking at hostels with work for stay programs, and find myself aiming for a new destination early next week. (stay tuned.) from this, I have a few recommendations.
– RSA
Get your RSA. this stands for “Responsible Service of Alcohol” and is required by every venue that would serve alcohol (e.g. restaurants, hostels, bottle shops). http://www.Onlinersa.com.au or http://www.bskilled.com.au offer online courses that will get you a certificate that can be printed out.
-Taxfile ID nuber
Once you have your working visa, you can apply for your taxfile ID number. You only need to apply for it once, even if you are on a 2nd year visa (having reapplied for a visa and been granted staying for an additional year).
-Phone
I have found getting a phone to be very helpful in finding a job, or at least job connections. It also comes in handy when trying to plan your next move and would like to call hostels ahead of time to see if they hire, offer certain facilities, or trying to figure out transport. Prepaid plans are flexible depending on call style. I get by with $30 a month for a bit of internet and a lot of talk time.
I have been lucky with my connections, for the last week or so I have been lucky enough to be staying with a friend, who has given me multiple tips and tricks to get around the town cheaper, and more efficiently. First and foremost, there is the app TripGo.
TripGo;
Pros:
This app is all about the ease of getting around. Put in your location and destination and it will provide multiple options of routes and transport methods. Train, bike, bus, drive – it has it all. Even better, is it will give you duration, and price estimates for each route. (which when backpacking is a GREAT option, allowing you to budget time and money.)
Cons: needs wifi and GPS.
Another recommendation for transportation is called the Go Card. You can find them at 7 elevens and convenience stores. Once topped up, these cards can be scanned upon boarding and deboarding a bus/train in the brisbane/goldcoast region and will cost less than a regular fare.
An event to plan for is the night markets. Wednesday, Friday and Sunday vendors set up on the beachfront, selling trinkets, food and souvenirs for all tastes. The people watching is fun too!
Night on the beach walk
A few of the things that wash ashore in Surfers Paradise.
Coastline
A quiet evening.
An average day.
Cockatoo invasion.
Night Markets on Surfers.
TravelGypsea 