Tasmanian Devil

Chaos... Black reasonless darkness. Every neuron in my brain was on fire as I hyperventilated consumed by terror, rage and panic. "WHERE THE FUCK AM I!", I tried to scream on top of my lungs but not a sound could escape me. I violently exploded up off the couch as I fought myself awake. Tears in my eyes, heart racing, panting.

"Relaaaaaax...Breeeeeeeathe....Calm down, you're OK", I told myself, "We are on Ian Skinner's couch, in Adelaide, in Australia." The clock told me I'd been out for 15 hours. And as I caught my breath I felt the cold sweat soaked shirt sticking to my body. And there it was, my rebirth into Australia. I'd been delivered.

The past 4 months in Asia hung in my memory like one of those bizarre turbulent all-night dreams you toss and turn through and try to make sense of in the morning, in the shower and through breakfast. Part fantasy, part nightmare it leaves you spent and used up at its conclusion. Whatever it was, it was over and my introduction to Australia had begun.

The first thing I shouldn't have noticed, but did was that I was brushing my teeth in a sink using tap water instead of bottled water. It had been 7 months since I had done so. I finished dressing and decided to go for a walk to explore Adelaide as Skinner was off at work.

"Wow!, I am surrounded by white people", I thought as I made my way through the busy pedestrian street mall in the city center. "And nobody is hassling me. I blend into the background." I began to re-assimilate into a universe where 2 + 2 =4 again and I found that my old system of absolutes and the universal laws that comprised my reality were back in play. It felt odd. For the rest of the afternoon, I wrapped my mind around the peculiarities of Western culture that I had never noticed before. As I caught my stride I thought, "Hey, this place reminds me a lot of Capetown."

I spent the next few evenings on Skinner's couch (Oh, Ian Skinner is a friend I know from back home. He is a college buddy of my friend, Sapienza who I grew up with and whose address I've been giving to the locals in Asia as my own. Hey Sappy, do I have any messages?)

After an uneventful New Year's Eve, Skinner and I met up with his friend Gordon and we headed to the island state of Tasmania for a week of camping and hiking in unspoiled natural beauty.

Shortly after arriving in Tassie, we packed the rental car with our tents and provisions and headed south toward Eaglehawk Neck where we set up camp in the backyard of one of the strangest men I have ever met. I'd imagine that this is the type of guy who enjoys amateur taxidermy and building sculptures from his garbage.

Off to sleep, 3 large guys one small tent and the hard ground as our mattress. I awoke the next morning to the 3 monotone reports of the most vulgar type of alarm clock. What kind of man blasts a small over-crowded tent full of farts? I screamed,"You scumbag! I am so blogging about this!" Well, he asked to remain anonymous, so Gordon and I promised we wouldn't mention him by name (Take that you filthy bastard!) Now, I can easily let this blog entry slide into the realm of dick and fart jokes to appeal to the least common denominator. And while it would accurately portray the tone of the trip, I won't go there. Let's just say that by the end of the week vengeance was gained and everybody lost. Our obnoxious 12-year old behavior aside, the trip to Tasmania was incredible.

On the first morning we headed to Cape Raoul for a 5-hour hike to where the dolorite cliffs dropped hundreds of feet down to meet the cool blue waters of the Antarctic Ocean (aka the Great Southern Ocean). I stood at the cliff's edge and inhaled the cool fresh air for an infinity under the deep clear all consuming vastness that was the sky. I thought to myself, "This is it man. Take it, consume it, be 100% present in this moment, this is life."

I returned from my sojourn with the universe a few moments later to rejoin the fray. I now concentrated on the boulders and tree roots below my feet as I tried to navigate my way back without falling on my face.

The following day we drove a few hours over to the east coast and set up camp on a rocky beach enclave

then set off on a 2-hour hike over the mountains to a secluded beach at Wine Glass Bay

where we bathed in the crystal clear but mercilessly cold waters of the Antarctic Ocean. After a few seconds in the unbearable but beautiful sea we headed back onto the beach to dry off.

I sat eating an apple when this little kangaroo-like guy practically jumped into my lap.

Apparently I wasn't the only hungry one on the beach. "That's a wallaby dude", Skinner said, "I dare you to pet it." Now I know that you know that I have better sense than to feed and try to pet a wild animal. But, Skinner and Gordon were egging me on and I wasn't about to go out like a punk in front of my boys.

While he ate from my hand (adorable) the wallaby cocked back his pimp hand and almost slapped me when I went in for the pet.

Gordon didn't have any better luck.

We headed back to our campsite and with a ceasefire firmly in place I enjoyed a fartless night's sleep, dozing off to the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks a few feet away.

Over the following six days, Skinner, Gordon and I hiked our way all over Tasmania taking on the challenges of some grueling hikes, climbing mountains and taking in some stunning views.

The sky from the top of Tasmania's highest peak

Tasmania from the top of Cradle Mountain

Montezuma Falls

By the end of our stay we were drained, hurting and wreaking of Tiger Balm and funk. On our final night we cleaned up and hit the bars of Hobart, the main city in Tasmania, and in the morning we caught flights back to the main land. Parting ways, Gordon headed back to Adelaide and Skinner and I headed to Melbourne.

I am sitting in a coffee shop now, waiting out my time as I head to Carins this evening to fulfill one of my greatest life-long dreams of diving the Great Barrier Reef. The clock is ticking louder and louder; T minus 13 days and counting until my return to America. Now I will make sure that I get the most out my remaining time and savor every nanosecond I have left on this amazing journey.