I stayed at Halse Lodge hostel, that was everything from really good to really bad. I loathed the cramped, filthy kitchen where for the first time in Oz I've experienced it that people don't do their dishes after eating (guess I've been lucky). There were literally five (5) forks for a hostel with close to a hundred beds. I was always pissed off when having to cook or dine there. Then again, I adored the shady verandah where you could lie on one of the couches and admire the sunset. The couches might've been even too comfy, as I always started to feel drowsy there and also fell asleep once when trying to read.
The town is famous for its surf and its national park. I saw loads of surfers of different ages, from 7-year-old kids to greyhaired elderly people, all of them fit as a fiddle. Mmm, looks like surfer boys will age very well...
I woke up to a sunny Friday, and decided to try the limits of my new-found health, and go hiking for a bit. After the height of my flu, I was still very clogged and had trouble breathing, but couldn't resist taking a look at the gorgeous nature surrounding the town. I went to the national park and chose the supposedly easy coastal track. I promised myself to turn back immediately if the path would turn too steep, to avoid doing anything physically challenging. This didn't prevent me from enjoying the sunshine, hills, forest and the beautiful sea. I kept walking and just couldn't turn back, because the view behind each corner was even more rewarding than the previous one. I ended up walking all the way to the tip of the peninsula to a place called Hell's Gates, where the water rushed against the cliffs and I felt like the wind was about to blow me over.
I had already walked for almost two hours, so it was time to finally turn around. I had only walked for a bit when a rattling sound in the bush startled me and I saw a glimpse of something long and thick slither away from the path. A MASSIVE snake! was my first thought. I crept closer very carefully and sneaked a peek into the middle of the branches. It was not a snake, but a huge lizard. (If it had been a snake, with a tail that thick it would've had to be 2-3 meters long!) It had a dark skin with lighter spots on it, four strong feet and a tongue like that of a snake. I would estimate it was about 1,2 meters in length from head to the tip of its tail. I had been warned about big lizatds called goannas, who claw and bite you if threathened, and presumed I had just found one. (When I google "goanna" now, I see I was right: Picture I found in Google.) The lizard held my gaze for a while, then continued to wherever it was going.
Later that day I was reading a magazine article about saltwater crocodiles, and thought that I'd rather not encounter any lizards bigger than that goanna in the wild, thank you very much.
One evening I went for a night walk on the posh restaurant street on the shore. Taking a glance at the menu, I decided I did not want to fork out 20 dollars (about 14 euros) for a dessert. Not having money to throw out isn't that bad though - I could still sit on a bench in front of the restaurant and listen to the soft singing of the man-and-a-guitar-act that was performing on the terrace. After I got my dose of live music, I returned to the hostel and had a cheap but yummy dessert of choc chip cookies.
My last night in town, I had a sudden realization that the sun was about to set and that the sky was going to be gorgeous. Earlier that they I had walked to a place called Noosa Spit and had come across a perfect spot for watching the sunset. However, this spot was two kilometers away, so I had to run through the forest to get there in time. I madeit with a perfect timing. The sun sank behind an island and I clicked away with my camera.
After the moment was gone, an elderly woman approached me, introduced herself as a photographer and started giving advise on how the sunset should be pictured. I listened to her faking patience, thanked her for tips (some were actually good), and secretly hoped she would mind her own business. I am usually very good at receiving feedback, but apparently not when it comes to artistic differences, as this woman and her seemingly condescending attitude made my blood boil. I guess I would be a terrible photography student to teach.
I woke up to a sunny Friday, and decided to try the limits of my new-found health, and go hiking for a bit. After the height of my flu, I was still very clogged and had trouble breathing, but couldn't resist taking a look at the gorgeous nature surrounding the town. I went to the national park and chose the supposedly easy coastal track. I promised myself to turn back immediately if the path would turn too steep, to avoid doing anything physically challenging. This didn't prevent me from enjoying the sunshine, hills, forest and the beautiful sea. I kept walking and just couldn't turn back, because the view behind each corner was even more rewarding than the previous one. I ended up walking all the way to the tip of the peninsula to a place called Hell's Gates, where the water rushed against the cliffs and I felt like the wind was about to blow me over.
I had already walked for almost two hours, so it was time to finally turn around. I had only walked for a bit when a rattling sound in the bush startled me and I saw a glimpse of something long and thick slither away from the path. A MASSIVE snake! was my first thought. I crept closer very carefully and sneaked a peek into the middle of the branches. It was not a snake, but a huge lizard. (If it had been a snake, with a tail that thick it would've had to be 2-3 meters long!) It had a dark skin with lighter spots on it, four strong feet and a tongue like that of a snake. I would estimate it was about 1,2 meters in length from head to the tip of its tail. I had been warned about big lizatds called goannas, who claw and bite you if threathened, and presumed I had just found one. (When I google "goanna" now, I see I was right: Picture I found in Google.) The lizard held my gaze for a while, then continued to wherever it was going.
Later that day I was reading a magazine article about saltwater crocodiles, and thought that I'd rather not encounter any lizards bigger than that goanna in the wild, thank you very much.
One evening I went for a night walk on the posh restaurant street on the shore. Taking a glance at the menu, I decided I did not want to fork out 20 dollars (about 14 euros) for a dessert. Not having money to throw out isn't that bad though - I could still sit on a bench in front of the restaurant and listen to the soft singing of the man-and-a-guitar-act that was performing on the terrace. After I got my dose of live music, I returned to the hostel and had a cheap but yummy dessert of choc chip cookies.
My last night in town, I had a sudden realization that the sun was about to set and that the sky was going to be gorgeous. Earlier that they I had walked to a place called Noosa Spit and had come across a perfect spot for watching the sunset. However, this spot was two kilometers away, so I had to run through the forest to get there in time. I madeit with a perfect timing. The sun sank behind an island and I clicked away with my camera.
After the moment was gone, an elderly woman approached me, introduced herself as a photographer and started giving advise on how the sunset should be pictured. I listened to her faking patience, thanked her for tips (some were actually good), and secretly hoped she would mind her own business. I am usually very good at receiving feedback, but apparently not when it comes to artistic differences, as this woman and her seemingly condescending attitude made my blood boil. I guess I would be a terrible photography student to teach.The next evening I hopped on the bus and travelled to my next destination, Rainbow Beach.
Ei kommentteja:
Lähetä kommentti