9/27/19 - Friday
Day three in Sydney,
Woke up early with plans to catch the northbound train to New Castle. That was really the extent of the plan, to be honest. I tried researching the stops, and how long it might take, things to do once I got to my location, places to stay etc. Iâll be honest, I just was not motivated to plan my routeâwhich is not like me. I am usually such a planner and enjoy the process of putting things together and feeling organized, but last night I was too tired to think about any of it. Finally, I just gave in and figured Iâd wing it. Solid plan, for sure.
I went down to the front desk to check out just before ten in the morning. Kieran was down at the desk again. He was the guy who initially helped me check inâfriendly fellow. Easy to talk to, very expressive. Smaller guy with curly blonde hair, long torso and shorter legs. He speaks with his whole body and raises his eyebrows whenever with every other word. He was asking me about my plans and where I was headed, just small talk as I was checking out. I told him I was just flying by the seat of my pants, hoping to catch a train up the coast. His eyebrows raised again.
It just so happens he has a cousin, Ryan, who is traveling up the coast tomorrow morning. Conveniently serendipitous. I guess Ryan was just on the phone with him this morning, saying how he could use a break from the city to go home for the week to Crescent Head. Kieran said he may be able to give me a ride. Letâs hope heâs got an open seat in his car for a lone stranger and her backpacks.
Kieran sent him a message, but he wasnât replying. So, I went out for brekky to give him some time to reply and decided Iâd come back in an hour or two. I walked down the street, shuffling through the morning crowds, until I found a place that caught my interest. A rather large breakfast bistro and bar just a couple blocks down called, Macchiato. Expensive, but great coffee and good service. The hostess walked me to my seat, and I began scanning over the menu for the cheapest thing I could findâblueberry almond muffin, dairy free, six dollars. A small vanilla almond milk latte to go with it, five dollars. What a splurge. #treatyoself.  The hot coffee was served in a glass, peculiar but it works. The muffin was served on a dinner plate, a bit cumbersome for such a small item, but it was delicious all the same. The food was good, but really nothing exceptional for the asking price. What made the experience was honestly the atmosphere. The bustling cafĂ© style bistro was lined with brick walls, dark wooden tables for the customers and clean-cut chrome counter tops at the front. It seemed like a popular spot for business meetings. Men and women in suits filled the tables, chattering away with folded hands and upright posture, briefcases by their sides. The waiters came by often to ensure the meal was pleasant. It was. All in all, I didnât mind the price for an inspirational place to start my morning off right.
Iâm now headed back to the hostel. Fingers crossed for some positive news.
âŠ
9/29/19 - Sunday
I donât deserve this kind of luck.
Ryan (pictured above) gave me a ride up the coast turned out to be incredibly laid back and easy to get along with. Weâd only just met, but I felt like we had been friends before. A bit of sarcastic humor and car karaoke to break the ice and we were like old pals. We made it up to his parentsâ place in Crescent Head and he offered for me to stay the night. My expectation of some quaint and cozy little country home in a rural beach town was blown out of the water when we pulled up to a two-story miniature mansion. The home sits just atop a small ridge line that goes along the peninsula on the edge of town. There was the âfront beachâ on the northern side of the ridge, and âback beachâ on the southern side. From their house, you see both. Whales frequent the waters just along the coast of the back beach and itâs easy to spot them through the large glass windows if you happen to look out at the right time. A tri-pod scope sits conveniently at the top of the staircase so that it can be easily moved out to the deck for a closer look.
Furniture is tastefully arranged throughout the house. Nothing seems out of place. Everything carefully matched to create a well-finished look. Oakwood floors and glass railing never looked so good together. Cream and gray walls accentuate the natural lighting that pours in heavily through the many windows. Dark accented counters contrast the white cabinets in the kitchen for a clean and professional look. If I didnât know any better, I might think this was the cover from a Better Homes and Gardens magazine. Speaking of which, the gardens, both in front of the house and in the back yard, are lush green and well-maintained.
Where am I? Talk about an upgrade. Just the other day I was paying $30 a night for a musty old hostel room that smelled of mold and broken dreams. The lights in my hostel room delayed about five seconds before flickering on like some scene from a horror movie. The comforter had obviously been put into the dryer accidentally, as the insulation inside the blanket no longer matched up with the stained outer lining. No top sheet either, so I hope they wash the comforters often. . . I didnât dare to take a shower there. The off-white tiling was chipped and stained, and the drain was fringed with rust. Who knows how long it had been the shower had seen a proper cleaning? Somehow, it was still exactly the right place to be. Otherwise, I would not have had such good fortune in meeting Ryan and his family. Talk about living on a prayer.
After we got settled in yesterday, we went out with his cousin, Tim, for a short dive on a more remote beach away from the crowds. We took the back roads in his old 4x4 rigâstill loaded down with a wide assortment of camping gear in the back. He moved some of it aside to make just enough room for me to sit. Â She was an elderly beaut that had little give in the suspension, but she could get you anywhere. I could hardly hear myself think over the rattling in the back seat as we were tearing down the gravel roads. The beach was rather windy, and the waves were harsh, but there was a little cove just behind the rocks that made for a perfect little swimming hole where we could be protected from the elements.
I felt like a little kid on a playground, jumping off the rocks into the deep end of the âpoolâ and checking out the baby fish through my snorkel mask. I even got to hold a couple of live starfish that Tim found in the water. So many variations in size and color. Some were dark brown with ginger red speckles, others a deep teal with black and green. All of them were beautiful. I held two of them in my left hand, making sure to dip them in the water near the surface to keep them happy. After a moment, they gripped onto my palm with their tiny suction cup legsâenough that I could turn my hand upside down and they wouldnât fall off. For a brief moment I stared at them meticulously, looking at every spot and freckle. The skin was bumpy and leather-like.
Have you ever had one of those moments where life seems to pause, and you look at the world around you, knowing it will be one of those memories that you hold onto until youâre old and gray? When time seems irrelevant, and you see your life before you. From where youâve been to just how far youâve come, and you canât help but smile with deep gratitude for the beauty of that exact moment. I made sure to keep it brief. I didnât want to disturb the little critters too much. I found a comfortable spot on the rocks near the far end of the pool and put them back with their other mates. Life is better when youâre roaming with the locals and instead of the tourists. I felt like I was on tour with Steve Irwin himself. What a way to travel.
The rest of the weekend was filled with plenty of adventure, relaxation, and good beer. Ryan and I watch the sunset and then went for a walk down the beach to watch the stars. I was wearing my jeans, of course. I rolled them up so they wouldnât get wet from the wavesâvery effective. I missed a big one coming in once or twice and they were soaked before I knew it. The eb and flow of the waves gently lapping up the smooth beach was like an ocean heartbeatâin and out, slow and steady, long deep breaths. As the waves would retreat, it would leave behind the moistened sand, glasslike and clear enough to reflect the light from the stars. I wish I could have taken a picture, but there are some things that just canât be captured. This was another one of âthose momentsâ. Just a few months ago, I never would have imagined myself walking the east coast beaches of Australia under the stars.
Those are the moments I live for.
Way better than taking the train.
 Stay wild,
 Rose
