Work and the search for work

20 11 2009

We’ve been here a couple of weeks and Monique has been working and I’ve been looking for work.  The first problem with this is having to get up and pack up the tent and all before we can leave.  Living in the tent for 6 months was no problem, mainly because we were on our own time schedule.  Now, however, we’re on a different time schedule.  And getting up and having to take everything down and get Monique to work on time is just annoying.  Clearly, we need an apartment.  Gee… I hope I get a job.  Even though that will mess up my goal to not work in 2009…

Still no photos.  Honestly, we haven’t really gone anywhere or done anything. -jp


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

Perth – Fremantle

8 11 2009

View Larger Map

We arrived in Perth and interesting things happened.  Immediately, Monique got a job.  And then she went over to the all-women’s health club and the person that ran the joint thought she was so cool that she gave her a free bike.  The weather is great here.

Fremantle is even better.  As soon as we arrived in Fremantle, we both figured it would be a nice place to live.  In fact, it’s the only place I’ve ever been where I’ve thought, “I have to live here for awhile.”

Sorry that there aren’t any photos but we’ve been busy. -jp

Ja, wie Justin schon gesagt haben, seitdem wir in Perth angekommen sind, waren wir ganz schön beschäftigt. Ich habe gleich nen job gefunden und nachdem es uns hier so gut gefallen hat, haben wir uns entschieden ein wenig länger zu bleiben. Wir haben uns ne Wohnung in Fremantle genommen und mittlerweile hat mein Süßer auch nen job.

Viel gesehen haben wir noch nicht, aber das was wir gesehen haben, war überzeugend genug – na wir sollten es wissen, haben ja beinahe ganz Australien umrundet. Tauchen können wir hier auch gleich vor der Haustür gehen, also es gibt ne Menge für uns zu tun!

Also wer uns besuchen kommen will, ist herzlich willkommen!

Fotos sind auch noch sehr rahr, aber wir geben uns alle Mühe. -mk


Comments : Leave a Comment »

Categories : Uncategorized

Geraldton

6 11 2009

The HMAS Sydney memorial in Geraldton

Geraldton is the first place we’ve seen in a month with traffic lights.  Seriously, between Darwin and Geraldton there isn’t a single traffic light.  There are plenty in Geraldton though.  There are also some decent things to see, most of which we didn’t see because we left early to get to Perth.  Work called.

If you find yourself in Geraldton check out the HMAS Sydney memorial.  Here’s the history of it – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Sydney_(D48) – so you can find out what the big deal is.  -jp

Geraldton bezeichnet sich in der Infoproschüre als super tolle Location, als Alternative um da zu leben, außerhalb von Perth. Hm, ich muss sagen, für mich hatte Geraldton so gar keinen Anreiz. Ich mein, es war nicht schlecht, aber sich mit Perth messen zu wollen, das ist wie nach den Sternen greifen – ne ne Geraldton…!

Außerhalb das es meiner Meinung nach zum dort leben keinen großen Anreiz bietet, muß ich doch zugeben, gab es das ein oder andere tolle zu entdecken und zu sehen, z.B. das wirklich interessante Stadtmuseum und das HMAS Sydney Denkmal. Zum Gedenken an Opfer eines australischen Kriegsschiffes des 2. Weltkrieges wobei über 600 junge Australier auf einen Schlag ums Leben kamen. Falls es euch interessiert:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMAS_Sydney_(D48) -mk

Gallery: http://gallery.me.com/the_np_bat_man#101186

Geraldton and its stop lights can be seen here.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags:
Categories : Uncategorized

Kalbarri

5 11 2009

The sun sets over wheat fields in Australia's mid-west

If you’re driving from Shark Bay to Perth, Kalbarri is an extra 120km detour but it’s worth it.  There are a few pretty cool sites like the Sea Horse Sanctuary (less of a sanctuary and more of a farm) and the Rainbow Jungle parrot sanctuary.  Both are worth seeing, especially the parrot joint.  On your way out of town, make sure to stop off at a couple of the sea side cliff overlooks.  Take a fly net though or you’ll be driven nuts by the flies.  Damn, I hate flies. -jp

Wenn man von Shark Bay nach Perth fährt, kommt man über einen ca. 120km Umbogen nach Kalbarri. Aber das Städtchen ist wirklich süß und vorallem gibt es nette Sachen wie die Seepferdchen Farm, den Rainbow Jungle Papageien Zoo, sowie unglaublich coole Klippen. Oh, nicht vergessen ein Fliegennetz zu den Klippen mitzunehmen, denn die Fliegen sind schrecklich penetrant da!! -mk

Gallery: http://gallery.me.com/the_np_bat_man#101178

Find Kalbarri here.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: ,
Categories : Uncategorized

Monkey Mia – Francois Peron

2 11 2009

It's like cute wrapped in a blanket of cute.

When we went to Monkey Mia we assumed it would just be tourist schlock.  Turns out it was really cool.  The scenery was idyllic and the water warm and calm.  Even the dolphin feed, which was packed and heavily controlled, was a good time.  There were maybe 8 dolphins swimming around.  If you’re in the area, it’s worth checking it out.

After Monkey Mia we went up the Francois Peron peninsula to the top end.  First we went to Cape Peron and as we were heading down to the beach, three people coming the other way said there was a tiger shark (Shark Bay is a congregation point for tiger sharks) near the beach.  Of course, we grabbed the snorkel gear and camera but there was no shark.  There was, however, a manta right off the shore.  We’d never seen a manta before so it was quite exciting.  I jumped in and was almost swept away.  Holy crap, there’s some serious current there.  I gave up without reaching the manta.

We went around the peninsula a couple of kilometers and saw incredible sight at Skipjack Point.  From the top of the cliffs we saw about 30 mantas, a hammerhead shark (which we’d never seen), dugongs (which we’d also never seen), as well as bull rays, other sharks, and turtles.  The shallows were full of fish and marine mammals feeding, and we couldn’t get down there because of the cliffs.  We need a boat.

After that we spent the night on a beach on the east side of the peninsula where we had the place to ourselves. -jp

Wenn du delphine sehen willst, geh mal nach Monkey Mia.  Da gibst delphine.  Als du da bist, geh mal auch nach Francois Peron.  Voll geil.  Alle die schwatze punkte in die bildern sind Mantas.  Mantas kann bis zum 9 meter sein, aber diese waren vielleicht 2-3.  Hammer. -jp

Gallery: http://gallery.me.com/the_np_bat_man#101170

Monkey Mia is here.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , ,
Categories : Uncategorized

Shark Bay – Hamelin Pool Stromatolites

1 11 2009

1.5 billion years ago, this is what the world looked like. This was the only life on Earth.

Once upon a time there was no life on Earth.  This was about 3.5 billion years ago.  Then came stromatolites, which is basically just bacteria.  For two billion years they were the only life on earth.  They’re not much to look like and the shapes that they take on are actually just the remains of the ones that came before, like coral.  Eventually, life evolved on Earth and the first thing that life did was eat the stromatolites.  The colony at Hamelin Pool is one of the only living colonies still existing in the world.

When we started the trip we had a list of things we wanted to see and this was right up there.  Not to put too fine a point on it but the stromatalites of Hamelin Pool at the south end of Shark Bay are probably the single most important discovery of something alive in nature in the history of the world.  You may wonder if it’s worth crossing the entire continent just to look at something that looks like cow poo shaped rock.  Yes.  Yes it is.

Around the corner from the stromatolites is Shell Beach.  True to its name it’s a beach completely made of tiny shells.  We hung out there for awhile and then drove to Denham, the main town for Shark Bay. On the way, a hawk flew in front of us and I hit it.  We went back to look and he was still alive but his wing and leg were messed up.  We took it to Denham with us and dropped it off at the tourist office where the state department of environment people picked it up.  Hopefully, he’s doing okay. -jp

Die stromatoliten in Shark Bay sind super cool.  Vor es gab leben am Erde, es gab Stromatoliten.  Für 2 milliarden Jahre, es gab nichts anders.  Für 2 milliarden jahren die haben Sauerstoff gemacht, bis die Luft circa 20% Sauerstoff war.  Dann gabs richtige leben auf die erde.  Plankton,Tiere, du, ich.  Danke Stromatoliten.  Danke. -jp

Gallery: http://gallery.me.com/the_np_bat_man#101162

Hamelin Pool is at the bottom of Shark Bay, here.


Comments : Leave a Comment »
Tags: , , , ,
Categories : Uncategorized


Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.