2008-04 Mark and Steph join us in Australia

Amy, Collin Johnson, Ann Nelson, Simon, and Crew

Me at the Coorong, I remember the Gold Clubs but not a Sleeping Bag

A few of the Jeeps Tracks on the Coorong

Coorong Sea Shell Sand Beach

Coorong National Park South Australia, Australia

After are night at 75 Park Street, I took Ann down to Coorong National Park, in SA. To meet up with a few of my other mates and go camping. We did not spend a lot of time planning for this just threw what we thought we needed into the Jeep and took off. Its about a 2 or 3 hour drive away from my house. We brought tons of toys, Dirt bike, body board, fishing poles, football, Frisbee and a tent. The Coorong beach is an open Southern Ocean beach which means the next thing you hit when you leave it is Antarctica.

The I remember most about this trip is me freezing my ass off at night it got to like 4 degrees C, like 40 degrees F and forgetting to bring a sleeping bag. I brought blankets which I gave to Ann but for got about myself. Or at least I thought I did. I woke up to Ann saying I was actually a bit warm and also was lying on top of some unused blankets. If you have ever seen dumb and dumber and the mittens incidence this situation was quite similar.

I also remember doing a 10 mile fish tailing figure 8 down the beach. The Jeep was a beast. It just floated above the sand. The Coorong runs for a few hundred miles consisting of a sea shell sand beach and very few people. It is not uncommon to get stuck and have your car washed out to sea by the tide, or worse the uncommon king tide. One king tide hit during a fishing tournament and buried at least 30 vehicles while I was living in Australia

See this article http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/01/21/1830825.htm

We came across a couple and their stuck Pathfinder down on the tidal part of the beach and they were attempting to shovel it out with a cooler lid or something. I had a tow strap so I pulled them out. 10 yards later they were stuck again. So I pulled them out again, 10 yards later stuck again. So I asked what they aired down to, the girlfriend replied 18 PSI (that’s was the recommended PSI by the parks sign for the hard pack trails). I pointed out the obvious that this was not working and to let some more air out especially in the rear. She refused, said I was wrong. So I pulled again I almost got stuck and once again they got stuck. So I told the boyfriend I will only pull them out again if they take some air out or I was leaving, and we left for a bit. Until this point she was running the show, it would have drove me nuts. We came back and he listened let some air out, I pulled and off they went with no problems, I don’t think they headed back down to the soft stuff again. I’m telling you these people were a trip. Its not like there were tons of people driving by we were about it.

My friends Ryan and Mary has a good story from these parts, they drove the 3 hours down just got into the dunes and were chased down by some dirt bikes whose friend came off and had a compound fracture. So as soon as Ryan and Mary made it in the dunes they had to drive the half hour ruff ride out with a new passenger complete with a compound fracture, where they would meet up with an ambulance that would take him to the hospital 2 hours away. This is to just get the point across not a lot is happening around these parts.

As long as I am talking about Ryan he managed to bury his Jeep and no help around at all, like 15 or so from the nearest road I think. So he spent 6 hours digging it out with his hands with his girlfriend Mary about ready to kill him for getting them into this situation. It is good to know they are now partaking on a sail boat race from New Orleans to Cancun Mexico. They can chalk the jeep experience up as team building experience now.

Check there new adventure out at http://argo-wde3361.blogspot.com/

Me after I took Cam´s cop uniform away after from him because he was writing tickets to the police for interupting are night, they did not find this to funny.

Nikki, Me, Ann, Cam 75 Park St Unley S.A.

Ann and Me enjoying my front yard
11/17 South Esplanade Glenelg South Australia

The Bats of Sydney, Sydney has a huge population of flying foxes. If you stroll trough the botanical gardens down town you cant miss seeing them or smelling them. The have a wing span of 3 feet, and have the there head looks like a fox hence the name flying fox

Me in Sydney

This was pretty much the end of this trip around Australia; we left Miah in Sydney with my mate Simo so he could catch his flight home. Mark, Steph and I returned to Adelaide where they were to fly out in a few days and I was to return to work. At the same time though I had some new visitors coming, my friend Keith’s mom and sister were arriving in a few days to stay with me for a few weeks and I took on fellow co-workder for a bit. The flat was anything but empty. I was also just starting to get over my collar bone injury feeling a bit braver about activities. I got my road bike back, and started riding my off road bike a bit just taking it easy though. I am not going to lie I was a bit nervous my first time back on the road bike.

Me sporting my stinger suit, You have to wear these just incase you run into a box jelly the most posionos animal in the world

Miah Demonstrating the safety of the trampoline, it still took days till people would walk on it. Which worked out for us because we had plenty of room for our selves

Most of the fellow members of our trip on Avatar notice no one is on the trampoline, most were scared of fallng in the ocean for days

White Haven Beach, Whitsunday Islands Australia

Miah and Me on Whitehaven Beach

Miah and Me over looking Whithaven Beach a stop on are sailing trip

Leaving the Cold and to the Sun, Just after are arrival on Hamilton Island

Are next stop was the Whitsundays, I had heard and been proved true that this is an amazing place. We took a plane from Melborne to Hamilton Island. This is my type of Airport a lonely runway justing out into the ocean. You exit the plane directly on the runway and walk to bagage claim which was just the baggage cart pulled up under a awning. Prior to are arival I had booked a 4 day sailing trip that sailed aroud the Whitsunday Island via Airlie Beach.

Bells Beach Rip Curl Pro, April 2007

Mark and Me Bells Beach

Me at Bells Beach, Victoria Australia. I actully did forget the C, im an idiot

Bell Beach, Victoria. Pro World Surf Tour Stop.

The 12 Aposals on the Great Ocean Road in Vicotria Australia.

If we would have left when we said we were going to we would have had the sunset below here.

The thing about this sunset is Miah and myself stayed out a bit to late the night before are road trip and missed are depature goal by 4 or 5 hours. I had planned to end up on the Great Ocean Road around Sunset.

Austalia is know for very large objects like Lobsters, Wooden Horse, Fruit ect. This is me and the Giant Lobster in Robe, South Australia

Mark, Steph, Miah and Me Aldinga Beach, South Australia

Mark and Steph joined me and Miah for in SA and we where about to start are mini tour of Aus

2007-04 Miah first week in Australia (Adelaide area)

Me hanging with some of the locals

Catortionist steet preformer during the Fringe Festival, I actully never got to see this, I was telling Miah about him and how I wanted to see a guy fit him self through a tennis racket, and the first day he headed out there he was out.

Miah playing with some of the locals

11\17 S. Ecsplanade Glenelg South Australia, My House in Aus.

There were no shortage of rainbows in Adelaide

Miah and Me on my Jeep at the Mouth of the Murry river South of Adeladie. We took this day cruise with Colin and Amy. Amy is actully what I remember most abou this trip. She didn't like my driving, and I kinda feed of this.

2007-04 Miah, Mark, Visit

Like I said before April was the start of a train of visitors. Miah was the first to arrive followed by my brother and his gf a week after. The week before my brother arrived Miah and me stuck around adelaide checking out the sites and hanging out with my mates from the laide. I had to work during the weekdays, so i would leave him my ride, while i suffered at work.

I took a week of vacation after my brother and his gf arrived. We planned a trip around the South and East Coast of Australia. We started by driving from Adelaide to Melborne via the Great Ocean Road. Its labled as one of the best ocean drives in the world. Im glad I did it but dont know how many times I would just drive it. It would be great to combine with more activities. Once in Melborne we flew up the Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays, where we would head to Arlie beach and go sailing for a few days around the Whitsundays Islands, and spend a few days in Arlie socializing with other travels, after Arlie we headed from Arlie Beach to Sydney for a few days were we would leave Miah and head back to Adelaide. My brother his gf and me headed back to Adelaide. Back in Adelaide my brother and his gf check out the local vinyards and wildlife while I worked.

2007-04 Miah and My Brother Visit

Miah and Me soon after his arrival, taken in my front yard Adelaide, Australia




April things were turning around again, I wasn´t fully recovered but I was out and about again. Just behaving my self, No bikes, No kiting, No Activities, that could refracture my collar bone. Good news was I had a string of visiters coming. First my mate Miah from the states, then my brother Mark and his then GF, then my friend Keith´s mom and sisiter. So basically for the next month and a half my small two bedroom flat would be a bit packed.

April is also the the Fringe Festival in Adeladaide. Besides the wine capital of Austraila Adelaide is know at the arts capital of Australia too. There are festival all summer long, Greek Fest, Sea and Vines at Mc Clarenvale, WOMAD, but the big one is a month long festival in the parklands called the Fringe Festival. Its takes place every day, and offer performing art performances, but on the weekend nights turns into a beer garden. Or the garden of un earlthly delights as it is know. This is a pretty good thing to have just down the road from your house. More then one evening ended up here.

2007-02 After Crash

Main Stage at the Adelaide Clipsal 500 2007




Like I said not alot happened after the crash alot of laying around, I did attend a few events. One that comes to mind is my frist national racing event. I went to a few days of the Clipsal 500, Which is Australias equivalant of NASCAR, but they turn left and right. But its all about Ford and Holden Fan (Holden is Chevy). Then after the races they have concerts in track.

Over all I was pretty board around this time and a bit upset with myself. Another thing was my friend Miah, and my brother were heading over in April, and this but a bit of a damper on what we could do. The entire broken collar bone.

2007-02-02 Collar Bone X-RAY

Left Shoulder X-Ray taken at Royal.

If you look close my collar bone was in four peices. I was told and now believe the collar bone is a amzaing bone. Even though it this messed up it just welds itself back together most bones can not do this. For me personally the most painful thing was sneezing, right after the accident.

2007-02-11

Georgie and Bonnie Playing Doctor on me, its funny Cam ended up with Docs number not them

Cam and Me at Hospital

2007-02-11

Bike after the crash, hard to see the damage, but broken foot pegs, all left plastics cracked and ground down, broken mirror, bent frame and swing arm, cracked magneto cover. Thank you Snowy for putting it back together for me.

2007-02-11 Bike Crash Weekend

Things in Australia were really turing around, it is not until after a months in a new place that it really starts to feel like a home, (and thats if your lucky) It takes time to settle in, establish relationships, find people to hang partake in your hobbies. At least thats my story.

Around this time I was finally settleing in to Adelaide. I had a good group of mates, and I felt they were more then aquantances but or people I knew but friends. If you know me you know Im not to much of a loner.

Anyways I spent the entire Saturday of this weekend attempting to learn to kiteboard at the beach, Sunday I was spent and sore, but it was amazing outside and i was wasteing my day away on my couch something I try to avoid. After phone calls all day long to go out and play I decided to take a curise up in the Adelaide Hills with my mate Woody.

The crash

I was just getting off the motorway on one of Adelaides favorite riding roads Eagle on the Hill. I was heading down it. I came off the motor way off ramp just a bit to fast, and laide the bike down, there was also a bit of deisel on the road where I lost it but I know I was going to fast expessally for how sore I was from kiting.

Its amazing how slow this process is I could give you vivid details of this moment but ill spare them. After the slide I got up walked to the bike and tried to pick it up a few times. At that moment I know I broke my collar bone. My mate Woody came back seen the bike and me and called an ambolance. I just wanted him to help me get the bike up an ride there but he said no then I wanted him to ride me there, also a no. So Ambalance came, I was taken to the ER, giving a large amount of pain killers and released a few hours later.

Bonnie and Georgie insisted that I stay at their place at least the first night, all I can say is thanks to them. But the real sad part of this story is this was the end of my summer or at least a 2 or 3 month break in my summer which means it would be winter I was in pain for a month and couldnt play for at least 3 or 4 months.

I was devisated by this, All I could do for weeks was go to work which hurt then lay on my couch and watch tv at home. I tried to go out a few times, never with much succues, two moments come to mind almost stacking the jeep driving one armed and jumping a speed bump, Woody can confirm this storie, I cant explain why i do these things, another is having a someone claim it wasnt broken and hit it.

2007-02-02 BIG DAY OUT ADELAIDE

2007-02-02 BIG DAY OUT WEEKEND

The BIG DAY OUT, is Australias largest traveling concert series. It heads to all major cities for One Big Day of Entertainment. Hence the name the THE BIG DAY OUT. This years line up included Tool, John Butler Trio, Muse, Chemical Brothers, The Heard, Violent Femms and many others. Even my boss took off a bit early for this event. Its in the dead middle of summer, so its usally blazing hot. My mate Zoie had turned the Big Day into a big weekend and had a barbie and pool bash at her house. I will not ever forget my first big day out.

2007-01-20 Aft X-Mas before Aus Day Party

Filip the gayest man Ive ever meet giving me some dance lessons

Cam, Bonnie and Me, not sure what we are doing but doesn´t look to good, but im sure she deserved it

Nikki, Cam, Georgie

After digging the cars out I ended up at Georgie and Bonnies place for there Aft Christmas, Pre Australia Day Party.

2007-01-20 North of Adelaide, Close to Blanch Town

2008 Jan 20th, before the Post New Years Pre Aussie day party at Georgies and Bonnies I tried to get a ride in at my mates David property, aka Camp Crusty. He claimed the riding would be fine even though it had been pouring rain for a few days. They never get alot of rain in Adelaide. We headed up, it was just messy clay. So we decided to take a ride around the property in the Land Cruiser. Got buiried, pulled him out with my Jeep continued on, then we both got stuck as far from the camp as possible. After a 5km walk back to get the last car and 3 hours of digging we were out. What actully happened is we fell into a Wambat hole.