The next day everyone but Simon moved on in their travels and we sat out a rainy day playing chess and watching french movies. I decided the french language can either be beautiful or disgusting without much of a middle ground and completely dependent on the person speaking. Simon and Marion spoke it beautifully where as other french people I have met spoke it in a gutteral tones more akin to speech used in describing rubbish. The weather cleared off for a quick hike and I started packing up to get ready to catch the bus. Tuesday morn I went for my last run around Halls Gap, a 7k loop through town then back along a hiking trail. In a proper sendoff I came within 5ft of a kangaroo and her joey then had some emus race me along the hillside (I won :) )
That evening Don Swanson met me at the station in Warrnambool and drove me back to his home. Don and Terry Swanson were originally from Illinois then moved to Oz 21 years ago. They are friends of the Whitesides who I spent a couple days with in Moline Il in my bike trip across the US and absolutely wonderful people. The after a great dinner and even better stories and discussions that first night Terry gave me a tour of Warrnambool and the surrounding countryside. The land is good for potatoes so lots of Irish settled the area and that next evening after a delicious meal of grilled kangaroo (truly delicious!) we went to enjoy the sunset at a park outside of town with the kangaroos and koalas.
That Thursday morn Don snuck out of the office and threw a wetsuit at me and grabbed his surfboards. Now I have spent a lot of time on the ocean but always in a nice big boat with either a beer or fishing pole in my hand (or both) but I have never been surfing or body boarding. After some quick lessons and tips we floundered through the surf and got out to where some nice waves were washing in. It took me quite a bit but slowly I learned how to balance my weight on the board to first catch, then ride the wave and eventually even managed to stand up, but only long enough to get a giant smile on my face before I ate it ("it" being quite literally the wave). It was a glorious morning and the water wasn't near as cold as I thought it would be and was mercifully shark free. While it is nice to know no one has been eaten in over 50 years I couldn't help but think that statistically it was about time for another...
After a quick lunch and shower Don, Terry and I piled in the car and the wonderful Swanson's took me on a road trip to all their favorite spots along the Great Ocean Road. Towering columns of sandstone eroded by wind and water standing lonely in the pristine blue ocean gave perspective to one of the most beautiful horizons I have ever seen in my life.
Back in town I went with Don to Lex's Shed. Lex's Shed is a normal shed that musicians gather at every Thursday night and play Irish music. A dozen wonderful musicians played flutes, fiddles, hand organs, guitars and banjos for hours on end playing all the traditional Irish music better than I have ever heard in my life. As a person with absolutely no musical talent it was almost magical to see them play so synchronously letting the music communicate to the group and not speak hardly at all. It truly was Australia in a day; surfing, touring, great food amazing music and absolutely wonderful people in all parts.
Friday was a pretty quiet day. I did some banking and picked up a prepaid phone. The rest of the afternoon was spent trying to find the number it was associated with and get it activated but after many hours I prevailed and now have a Aussie phone. That evening I went with Don and Terry's son Mike and his partner Ashley and their adorable daughter Eve to Ashley's parents house for supper and was treated to an authentic Australian dinner. If you want to know what an authentic Australian dinner consists of I would suggest watching the move "The Castle". You will either love it or hate it but it is the one movie that I am told captures the essence of Australia.
After dinner I went with Mike and Ash back to their home where I had the perfect Friday night: Scotch video games and zombies. Well needed and greatly appreciated. People say that a smile is the best way to connect with people of other nationalities but I think that 17yr old 90 proof liquor and exploding zombie heads brings you much much closer :)
Tonight I go out with Mike and Ash again to see what kind of carnage happens in Warrnambool on a Saturday night, then tomorrow I head out on the road again heading towards Adelaide. It has been absolutely wonderful here in Warrnambool at Casa Del Swanson and yet again I am amazed at how many wonderful people I meet in my travels.
This morn over pancakes we got discussing all the little nasties that can seriously hurt you here in Australia. From the spiders to poisonous octopus to crocs and sharks to snakes it made for a wonderful way to start the day. Funny thing is that even with all the deadly little nasties down here, more people die each day in bed rather than by all the other horrific animals people fear. Just a thought for you :)
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