Australia 1988

Thursday 28 July — Port Hedland

I was awakened about half past one by the arrival of the bus, just as well! Paid the driver, sat down and went to sleep. Woke up briefly at Nullagine and at Marble Bar, then was well awake for the last bit into Port Hedland. The Greyhound bus continued at ten towards Darwin but it would cost about $400 round to Sydney. The shortest bus pass available on Greyhound or Deluxe was twenty-two days for $440 whereas Bus Australia still do a fourteen day pass (for foreigners only) for $312, and their northbound service leaves in the evening, so I decided to take that option.

So, a day in Port Hedland. Not much to do except watch the occasional shipping movement or sit in one or other of the two pubs. The local hairdresser sold Condor. Had a shower in the Visitor Centre. Spent the evening in the pub favoured by the local Aborigines, noisy, demanding and very keen to drink someone else’s beer. When the bus arrived from Perth, plenty room, got a double seat and settled down.

Friday 29 July — North and East

During the night, we nearly hit some cattle and did hit a kangaroo, but just a glancing blow. Arrived at Broome before dawn, at the Overland Motel where breakfast was available. Had a bit of a wander around the town, went to the tourist office where I got my bus ticket changed for the appropriate pass, and caught the next bus out.

To Derby where we were dumped at the Overland Motel, on the outskirts of town, for lunch. Then on again, two and a half hours to Fitzroy’s Crossing for afternoon tea, another two and a half hours to Halls Creek for the evening meal stop, by which time it was dark, then on again, reaching Kununurra about midnight.

Saturday 30 July — On to Darwin

Kununurra is not a lively place at midnight. I went back to sleep. We arrived at Katherine at quarter past seven with an hour to wait for the connection to Darwin, but that was late and we didn’t leave till half past nine. Some signs of the old railway as we headed north.

The coast at Darwin

Reached Darwin about one o’clock and booked into the hostel which is adjacent to the bus terminal and was built for the workers rebuilding Darwin after the 1974 cyclone. First a shower, which I needed, then a bit of a walk around the town to sus out the pubs. Not a lot of them, mostly bistros so I settled for the public bar of the Don Hotel, which seems to be the favoured haunt of the local Aborigines. After a beer or four, returned to the hostel and did some laundry.

There is a food court beside the hostel behind the bus terminal, lot of tables and chairs and a row of stalls selling Indian, Chinese, Malaysian, Indonesian, Thai, fish and chips etc. Also the remains of two Melbourne trams, 350 and 415, which seem to be for the kids to play on.

Two beds in the room, the other is occupied by Terry from Victoria who got on the bus at midnight at Kununurra with his bike. There is a ceiling fan which we set as fast as possible without making too much noise, but it didn’t help much, even with all the windows open.

Akitoshi was back from Singapore with his girlfriend, Anna was also here, all moving on tomorrow.

Sunday 31 July — Darwin

I think I lay awake most of the night sweating. One of the stalls next door was open early for tea, sandwiches, cold drinks etc. so that did for breakfast. Spent most of the morning wandering around the port area and the Government buildings at the same end of town. Three navy ships in, open to the public, Jervis Bay, Stuart and Stalwart, but I didn’t go aboard.

The heat was terrible, so I spent the afternoon in the pub, very quiet, apparently that’s normal for a Sunday.

Monday 1 August — Darwin

Time to do something about a trip to Kakadu, so went along to the Bus Australia office to book a day trip. No cheap seats available at the moment, but they might be putting on a second bus, won’t know till later.

I walked the other way (away from the port) out of town towards the northern suburbs, along the cliffs and the beach beside the Casino. Not many folk about. After a bit I got bored and turned back through the Botanic Gardens towards the city. Watched some right duffers on the Municipal Golf Course, two of the four put their balls in a water hazard twenty feet from the tee.

Then into the pub for a few beers before going round and getting a seat on tomorrow’s Kakadu trip. Everything in town was shut, it being Darwin Cup Day (something to do with horse racing I was told), so more beer in another pub, the Vic, old and cluttered. No schooners, just handles.

Tuesday 2 August — Kakadu National Park

Up at 0545 for the but at 0630 but it didn’t appear till 0705. Got a double seat to myself, not bad as there was only three spare seats on the bus. Couple of hours down to Kakadu Holiday Village where there was some shuffling with another bus which came down yesterday with the two-day trippers. Another hour to Yellow Waters, a large billabong, only flows to the sea during and immediately after The Wet, then shrinks and draws in lots of crocs and birds.

Saw a few good crocs sunning themselves, lots of birds, good variety of species most of which I’ve already forgotten. Couple of egrets differentiated by the length of their necks, at least three ibises (or should that be ibex?) [No, ibex is a mountain goat. Ed.], Jesus bird (walks on water), kites, eagles etc. Definitely a good show, also brogla and jabiru (what was it I saw two of between Fitzroy’s Crossing and Halls Creek? [They were brogla. Ed.]).

Back on the bus to Nourlangie Rock to view the cave paintings reputedly up to 20,000 years old and last re-touched in the sixties. Also admire the geology of the escarpment. Back to the Holiday Village to shuffle buses and passengers again for the return to Darwin. Stopped briefly to admire ant-hills before reaching Darwin about seven, went for a few beers, the natives were noisy.

Wednesday 3 August — Still Darwin

Last day in Darwin, frittered away on laundry and buying souvenirs. After a bit of that I needed a beer, so went in to Gibby’s Bistro (Happy Hour) and ordered a crocodile for lunch. Very expensive, almost twice the price of fillet steak. Interesting, smelled a bit of fish, tasted a bit like chicken, and chewed a bit like pork. Perfectly edible, the waitress said some people find it too fatty but I didn’t.

A bit more shopping after lunch, bought and packed a postpak and sent it off. Then, exhausted by my efforts, I repaired to the bar for a few beers. The natives were noisy again. It’s the women who make most noise, too much drink all round. A schooner of Riesling costs $1.90, 20 cents less than beer.

Terry had his bike stolen from downstairs yesterday so he bought a new one today. He is cycling to Kakadu on Friday.

Thursday 4 August — Heading for Townsville

Slow start today, nothing much to do before the bus departs at ten thirty, except shower, have breakfast at the food court, check in the baggage and get my seat allocation. Not only was it not a window seat, but the guy who had the window must have weighed twenty stone. We were both a bit cramped and there was not much to do about it as the bus was full. This latter fact was blamed for our late departure.

Off down the road, one brief stop before Katherine, I nipped across the road to inspect a kilometre post 143 on what once was a railway line. Much overgrown, but no-one seems to be lifting the rails. Also, most bridges look intact though probably not maintained or structurally sound.

Shuffle buses and passengers at Katherine with the bus from/to Broome. Off, late again, south, stopping here and there including Mataranka where I rushed down to inspect the thermal pool - a pool surrounded by jungle and full of people. At Elliott, the evening meal stop, I opted for a few beers and a smoke, most stops having been too short to be worth lighting the pipe.

On to reach Three Ways before midnight. We cross the Alice Springs to Darwin bus here, and meet the bus which comes in from and returns to Townsville, with the same two guys driving both ways. Lots of folk shuffling about, including me for Townsville.

Friday 5 August — Arrival at Townsville

The road was reasonably good, albeit narrow, as far as the state border, but on the Queensland side it became a bit of a switchback, still tarred but frequent drops into floodways etc.

Breakfast at Mt Isa at the Campbells Coaches depot, a bit basic but I got a cup of tea and a cheese sandwich. On, ever on, through the day. Some stretches of very interesting hummocky terrain just east of Mt Isa. I’ve forgotten where we stopped for lunch, a bit of a dump but there was nowhere else for a couple of hours either side of it. A late afternoon stop at Charters Towers, I walked the length of the main street and back.

Then on to Townsville, arriving on time. I set off for the backpackers - the first three were full so I tried the Rex City Motel as I walked past and they only charge $37 for a single with air conditioning and colour TV so I booked in there. A quick shower then out for a few beers, just sat in one pub pouring them back then returned to the motel to watch TV and drink tea.

Saturday 6 August — Townsville

First thing this morning to book the bus through to Sydney, then book the motel for another night now that I knew that I could get the dates I want, having been a bit concerned that the Sunday night bus to Brisbane might be full but it wasn’t (yet).

Then for a wander round the town, down Flinders St East to admire the exterior of Reef Wonderland, and drink a couple of beers, and miss the northbound Sunlander crossing the creek into the station, then to take a boring photo of it heading out of town again, then into a pub, happy hour, pots for a dollar.

After that, an amble, not so leisurely, up Castle Rock. It was quite a long way up following the road, they should provide a more direct pedestrian route. The views from the top were good, both out to sea and inland. I deliberated on whether to wait for sunset but decided against it, it was going down in a quite boring direction.

Walked back down, one kind couple stopped to offer a lift but I declined, fish and chips for tea, quite good, especially the fish, just a few beers to top up the lunchtime session, and back to the motel to watch more TV. Very boring.

Sunday 7 August — Heading south from Townsville

Castle Hill across the marina

Time to move on, so I dragged my pack down to McCafferty’s and left it there. Ambled around for a while then passed a hotel with a folk singer in residence, so I went in. Very informal, not terribly good, but reminiscent of many mediocre performances in Scottish pubs, only the material was different. The hotel closed at one, or rather the public bar did. Some strange rule about not being seen blatantly drinking on the Sabbath, but the back lounge bar stayed open.

I went off into Reef Wonderland, quite good but not as interesting as Kelly Tarlton’s, you walk between two tanks rather than through one. After that, all the pubs seemed to be shut, until I’d walked through most of the town back to the station where I did find one open but only for another hour, then it closed too.

By this time there’s no public bars open, just the occasional garden bar or back lounge bar, but I didn’t feel like frequenting them so I drifted back to the bus stop and sat around, smoking my pipe, the last for quite a while, talked to an American film maker who had just got off the bus from Three Ways, he gets free first class tickets from American Airlines whenever he wants but he couldn’t find a bed in Townsville and was off to sleep in the park. He estimated my age as 42/43 which was a bit of a blow as I thought I was looking younger these days, being a bit lighter and somewhat browned.

The bus was late coming in from Cairns, something about dropping some kids at the school. I got a double seat to myself and off we went.

Monday 8 August — Still heading south

Stopped at Mackay early in the morning, tea and a sandwich, then through to Rockhampton for breakfast. The bus got cleaned. On again down the road, lunch at Bundaberg, afternoon tea at Matilda Roadhouse, half an hour late due to being stuck behind slow moving traffic between Bundaberg and Maryborough.

Change buses at Brisbane, barely time for a smoke, then off again into the night. Refreshment stop just before midnight at Ballina.

Tuesday 9 August — Finally reach Sydney

And on, ever on, through the night. It was getting light at Newcastle. One lad who got off had a bag with a Lion Rampant on it. The guy beside me got off shortly after and I was able to stretch a bit. Breakfast at a roadhouse at Lake Menmorah, wherever that is and I couldn’t see any lake. Truckers get table service but tourists have to queue at the counter. No passengers for Gosford so that saved half an hour. The last bit into Sydney was very tedious with the heavy traffic but at last I got off at Central and booked into the CB again.

Went downtown to reconfirm my booking with Cathay Pacific and consume a few beers. Fish and chips for lunch again at Circular Quay, quite good, still the wrong potatoes. Looked for a Hong Kong guidebook, found the appropriate one at the YHA office but it was their last one so I didn’t take it, despite being offered a discount as it was a bit dog-eared. I’ll try for a copy elsewhere.

Had a few more beers and a hamburger from Hungry Jacks, better than Macdonalds but not much, before retiring.

Wednesday 10 August — Sydney

Went for a run on the monorail, it didn’t break down. Quite interesting but not spectacular. I got the impression that some people were already using it for cross-city transport rather than just as a tourist attraction. One dollar for however far you want to travel, but you are asked not to exceed one complete circuit.

Apart from that, spent most of the day wandering in and out of pubs. I remember eating crispy chicken skin for tea but I don’t remember where, or why. I did use chopsticks.

Thursday 11 August — Sydney

Went up Sydney Centre Tower, which features in quite a few of the photos I took from Darling Harbour. Quite impressive views from the top but, as usual, the sun was in the wrong place, ruining any shots of the Harbour. Then to the Sydney Aquarium, opened since my last visit. A bit better than Reef Wonderland, maybe as good as Kelly Tarlton’s as it’s got two tanks, one with harbour and inshore fish and the other with the “Open Ocean” fish, but their stingrays were not as big, nor, come to think of it, were their sharks.

Wandered on round the harbour to the Pumphouse Brewery for a couple of their beers, expensive, then a few more beers and back to the hotel. Flung some clothes in the washing machine but when I went back to transfer them to the drier, the door was locked so they must stay where they are till morning.

Friday 12 August — Adieu to Australia

Into the laundry as soon as it opened at eight and stuck the clothes in the drier. Not too effective, everything still damp, if I’d done this last night they could have been drying off overnight but as it is they’ll just have to go in plastic bags. Flung everything in the bags and checked out, dispatched a postpak home, then wandered along to pick up the airport bus outside the railway station, where I had alighted three and a half months before.

Out to the airport, pretty crowded, found a quiet corner and sat on the floor for a while, writing some postcards which I posted. Most of the crowd evaporated after a bit, they seemed to be a showband from Calgary and their friends. Along to the check-in, got rid of the big bag and headed for the bar for my last hour in Australia.

In due course, I boarded the plane. It was an interesting flight over Australia, all the way back to Darwin. The afternoon sun threw the landscape into relief, the ridges and watercourses were very obvious. As we crossed the coast near Darwin, the sea was a sort of orange colour.

On out over the Java Sea. It got dark, I refused to close the blind again for their film, and wrote more postcards. The food was OK, the service a bit slow. And then we started the descent into Hong Kong.