Island Chrissy

Howdy,
On Christmas eve Gino and I headed out from Arlie beach to Long Island. It is part of the Whitsunday chain. Tomorrow we'll be going back to Arlie beach to go on a 1 day excursion to the barrier reef.



Christmas was looking up!



What were we thinking?



So, this was me for about 18 hours.



Saw lots of wildlife... below is a Ray.







A bit weird food, but all good!







Then back to Mackay and off to a pub crawl...



It was a rough 2nd day...

Lovely... Really..?

Hello again from down under.

We went dirt bike riding yesterday.



Saw some neat country. Tropical. Same latitude as Cabo, Mexico. Didn't find a platypus, but will try again later...




That is a gum tree! Aka Eucalyptis

Rain forest only a few miles away from the dry hot desert.

Deano and Gino. Great M8s! Dean lemme use his bike.

Gino and I.


Laughed a bunch with friends at dinner. Saw & experienced more of Macay. It grew up recently with the local coal mines. The average income supports lots of toys, neatly shaven lawns, boats, etc. We went for drinks on Sunday at the harbor; which didn't exist 4 years ago and now has 6-7 thirteen story apt buildings/condos. Now it is FULL of 30 foot catamarans and larger play things. A nice mix of women and men, which surprised me for all that I have heard about the over abundance of men in this male dominated mining town. It was fun to see some folks in a dance move to cover the stumble. Felt like home. I was quite surprised at the whole Ozzy alcohol thing. I've heard 100s of times over the last couple of months that they can drink. And, I suppose it is true. But I wouldn't say that their bodies react differently. That being said, at the Harbor there were ~250-400 people and things seemed to be cranked up rather quickly. The music absolutely sucked. It wasn't much more than a karaoke band. Yet, there was lots of moving and shaking. Good stuff. Seems harmless enough. Can I get another? Yea, you usually buy two at a time.

So, I want to write about my mood. That is what recreation is about, right? Things are well. The end goal is being more comfortable in my own skin - I think. I am a bit on edge from my recent immersion in living a tobacco free life. I have been a user for a long time and rapidly redesigning my thinking to exclude it from my thoughts. But it has been 5 days. Equal to my best stretch in 5 years. Pathetic I admit, but moving forward.

I want to remain humble, but this is important. I am not sure why I feel that way, but it is true. Interesting to note that (1) my mood has trended below mediocre in the recent long term history. (2) I am responsible for my mood and have the ability to change it. (3) I wish to experience how I feel fully. Without denial, subterfuge, fear or possession. That is living!



These guys spread out that skin around the neck to look huge! They also have a colorful mouth for very scary effect!

Be well,
Matthew

Communication hasn't been an issue

Except for the normal stuff. I have a zebra sun burn on my back because after getting sprayed with sun screen by my buddy and feeling complete coverage (indicating to him to stop), it was in fact not so. I should have just (as usual) spoke about my concerns and not giving instructions.



Words that I have heard used in conversation:
Grog - booze of a mixed variety.
Patchu Hunter - Likely complimentary term for a man indicating his status as a womanizer
Ta - Thank you

All in all, most things are verrry similar to the US. Suburbs, shopping malls, food courts, big box stores, little convenience stores, clotheslines in the back yard. Driving on the left side of the road spins me out. I have almost been hit once and scared more than a few times. It should be interesting going out on motorcycles today. The country that I am in is rain forest. The homes are built on a pillars, but only a few feet high. It is common for 2 story homes with the bottom being for cars or other non finished spaces.



Yesterday we went spear fishing around some islands just off shore from Macay. Snorkeling was great. The area is a bit overfished, but I managed to get a couple that were too small (legally) but were good to eat. I am feeling strong from all the fishing, but need to do some serious stretching before jumping on the dirt bike today. I think we are going to go up a canyon and maybe ride 400 kilometers.



Nescafe is good. Gino is good. He has some long term plans and continues to be a bright light in the people's lives that he participates in. He and a friend of his installed an window air conditioner in my little room. Isn't he sweet! Within like 2hrs he told me that if I needed a place to stay because the US is toast, I could come to stay with him.



We booked a two night stay at an island just off the coast of Arlie beach. Should be nice. Lots of tourists. Resort price includes meals and non-motorized water sports. It is a refuge and should have great snorkeling/scuba!

Heading off to go dirt bike riding today. I rode around the neighborhood last night just to make sure I can still ride. Shouldn't be a problem. I'll be careful.

Be well,
Matt

This is Macay! Pronounced Makoi!