Australia

East! (Part 1)

Well I've travelled a few thousand kilometers since last we spoke so I thought I'd give you the edited highlights. Then I realised that quite a lot happened in Esperance so my blog will have to trail hopelessly behind my travels a while longer.

Naoko had decided to travel with me a bit further, to Esperance in fact. This was going to be my last stop before heading across to Adelaide. After that she was going to get the bus back to Perth. Before that though we decided to spend a few days camping at the Cape Le Grande National Park.

The Park was a beautiful place, with amazingly blue seas and white beaches. We also climbed Frenchmans peak which gives amazing views over the sandy scrubland in the park.

After a few cold nights and a whole lot of relaxing our time in Esperance was up, and Naoko and I had a sad parting as I waved her off on the bus back to Perth. However, it wasnt all sad, I had decided to stay another day in Esperance because I found out that Little Birdy were playing.

That night I set off from the hostel I was staying in and wandered to the pub, intent on enjoying myself even though I didnt know anyone else in Esperence remotely interested in Little Birdy. I was quickly engaged in conversation with one of the hard drinking locals who for an hour gave me many hints and tips on how to survive in the desert. He waxed lyrical about two british guys who's cars broke down, one who survived the other who died.

Local: You have to stay with your car, the guy that survived stayed with his car
Me: Uh hu
Local: if you stay with your car at least you have water, you can drink the antifreeze if you need to.
Me: Isnt that poisonous?
Local: Its better than nothing.

So that was nice, he also confided he was barred from several pubs, including the pier hotel, the local nightclub. At The Pier the bouncers, about 3 of them, had tried to throw him out, so using his 5 years of ninjitsu and karate experience, and his not insubstantial frame, he had thrown all of them out and shut the door.

If I had any doubt about how hard he was, he then proceeded to show me the Esperence version of the Tequila Slammer, the Tequila Sawmill. Instead of licking salt off your hand taking the tequila shot and biting on a lemon, you snort the salt up your nose, drink the shot(a bit unconventional I thought) then squirt the lemon into your eye. So that was nice, I declined the offer of trying one.

He poured himself into a taxi shortly afterwards and I settled down to watch the gig, with only a few brief conversations with another maniacal looking local to amuse myself.

Little Birdy themselves were pretty damn good, they were reassuringly small and down to earth, they bought a few drinks from just beside me at the bar, not that I realised this till they went on stage. The pub had filled up and the crowd were definately enjoying themselves. They sound more up beat than they do on their EP and the music had loads of energy. So I'm very glad I stayed the extra night and braved the locals to see them.

I ended the night talking to a lovely girl called Karen who was back home visiting her parents then wandered home to my hostel ready to set off across the Nullarbor the next day.

Posted by Craig at December 31, 2003 01:31 AM