« Day 05 - The Last Train to Clarksville »

Well we got up this morning and Beth did some laundry so all our cloths were clean. Then we hit up the buffet in the hotel, the same one we ate at the first day. Because it was the weekend there was WAY more activity then on the Wednesday morning that we arrived. After breakfast we went shopping for a gift for Jessica and Woody. Since they are taking care of our kitty and house, we wanted to buy them something musical. In Australia there is only one musical gift to buy.

The didgerioo is made from a hollowed out Eucalyptus branch. Usually the hollowing out portion happens naturally by termites. Like anything that is quintessentially Australian, it is possible to buy them in any number of gift shops around town. But you feel funny walking into a merchant and saying, "Can I get a couple of postcards, a bottle of soda, an 'Aussies do it Outback' bumper sticker and one of those old hollow sticks?"

Instead we met Omid, who actually plays the didge in his shop and knows TONS about the Aboriginal culture. We talked with him for hours and eventually he helped us pick one out, he showed us how the length and girth both effect the tone and loudness of the instrument as well as taught us about some of the subtleties of the aboriginal dot art.

On a side note, he was just as impressed with my cricket sound effect as I was with his circular breathing and didge playing.

Then we traveled back to our hotel by ferry. It wasn't the most efficient way to get back but it offered us a way to see the city from the water. We picked up our bags from the front desk and headed off to the train station.

The last train to Clarksville

From our hotel we had to walk across the street to the train station and travel to Central Station to transfer to what they call the CountryLink XPT. CountryLink is the way you travel between major cities. It was kind of frantic cuz we had to make sure we got to the right platform to catch the right train. As Tom and Danny and Jon will tell you, I am famous for rushing frantically only to later sit and wait. In other words I would rather be bored than late.

While waiting at the station we started to notice a lot of young kids gathering to catch the same train as us. We started to ask around and you'll never believe this. In the states we have spring break in Fort Lauderdale but in Australia you have "Schoolies" in Brisbane. And it all happens right about NOW.