There was no question where I needed to go after Bali. Despite having been invited to join friends in Cambodia, Thailand and Vietnam, too many signs kept pointing me in the direction of the Australian Outback. I was told by more than a few healers and psychics in Ubud that I now needed to go to the Oz’s Northern Territory, to be in wide open space, away from cities, away from large groups of people, a place to tap into and trust my intuition on a deeper level. But I was also warned that my trip would not be easy and several challenges would cross my path but that it was essential that I stick with it and not let the negative deter me from the beautiful experiences that would eventually unfold. This could not have been truer.
I flew to Darwin, located at the Northern tip of Australia, from Bali because the flight was cheap and the Outback trek that I wanted to do began there. Australia is a lot more expensive than India and Indonesia so my only accommodation option was to check into a hostel which ironically is more expensive than any hotel, guest house or ashram that I have lived in, in the past 4 months and it is also the most run down and the most challenging.
My flight landed at 3:30 am and I boarded a shuttle bus to the hostel. When I arrived, I was greeted by a group of very young, very drunk rowdy 20 year olds who were hanging out by the reception area. They set the tone for the next four days. My room was a shared room with two bunk beds. The carpets were dirty, the room smelled like feet, the mold in the shower was enough to make me almost not want to bathe and each new roommate was drunker than the last.
I sadly had to leave Bali early because my visa was running out and I could not extend it. I needed a couple of days of preparation in order to get ready for my 14 day trek into the Outback where, as I have been told, I will be living outside on campsites under the stars, with little to no access to the “real world”. I am now an official backpacker; my large suitcase is gone as are most of my belongings and I could not be more grateful for the lightness that that has brought to my travels.
I booked the trek with a tour company called “Adventure Tours” upon recommendation from a few friends that I met in Bali who had travelled extensively in Australia. Ideally I would have loved to have been able to explore the Outback on my own, and at my own pace, but given the size, depth and potential danger that exists there the idea was simply out of the question.
The tour bus picked me up at the hostel at 5:30 am on a Thursday morning. The other backpackers came from all over the world; Canada, Denmark, England, Germany, Spain, Sweden and France. I was the only American on the bus which is something I have become accustomed to. Everyone seemed very sweet except for a frowning couple from France who did not speak a word of English. Because of this, I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt, introduced myself and let them know that I am fluent in French. They seemed thrilled that I would be able to translate for them if they were having trouble understanding our guide.
Our first stop was at waterfalls in Litchfield National Park. As the rest of the group swam in the first body of water, I found a remote rock, settled in, and began to meditate. The land feels alive with energy here and I felt so grateful to be connected with it.
We made our way to Florence Falls which features a gorgeous cascading waterfall with a very large natural swimming pool. As I swam to the belly of the rushing water, I began to feel overwhelmed with an enormous amount of humility and gratitude for yet another phenomenal experience. I thought about so many of my friends back home who have dreamt of coming to Australia for years but who have not been able to due to financial constraints. I am abundantly aware of how fortunate I am and because of this, have vowed to not take a second of my experience here for granted. As my new friends and I played and laughed in the perfect water, I noticed the French couple sitting on the rocks looking as though they were annoyed by something. As I made my way back to land to dry off, I asked if they were okay. Their response was that they were disappointed that there were so many people on the tour with them (12 of us in total). They then asked me if I knew how many more waterfalls our guide was intending on bringing us to. I knew that we had two more full days of hiking up to and swimming in various waterfalls in Kakadu National Park and that personally I was thrilled at the prospect of diving into more sacred water. The Frenchman snarled back “we would not be caught dead swimming in one of those dirty pools. That would be like bathing in someone’s dirty bath water.” Interesting view, I thought to myself. There is nothing remotely dirty about these pools by the way. They are exquisite, clean, clear bodies of beautiful water.
The second half of our day was spent on a boat ride up the Mary River Wetlands where we were introduced to a variety of crocodiles, wallabies and other natural wildlife. Our day ended at a secluded campsite at Point Stuart Wilderness park where we cooked and then settled in for an early night’s sleep in free standing tents. The French couple continued to complain about the food and the accommodations but being that I was the only one who understood them, I decided to bite my tongue and vowed to try to ignore them for the next 13 days.
The following two days were more magnificent than the first. Kakadu National Park is a magnificent dream. After viewing ancient Aboriginal rock art at Ubirr, we made our way up to the top of the Nardab lookout where I preceded to submerse myself in a series of Sun Salutations. The vast and infinite landscape is so astonishing that it brought tears to my eyes. From there we made our way up Maguk (Barramundi Gorge) for a strenuous hike which was rewarded by gorgeous plunge pools. As everyone else swam and as I meditated at the top of the rocks, I noticed the French couple had not so much as dipped their toes in the water. I began to feel sorry for them. How could they be here, surrounded by such beauty and completely take it for granted. I wanted to scream and tell them how fortunate they are but knew intuitively that my words would fall on deaf ears.
The following day involved a lot of driving, hiking and more swimming in Jim Jim and Twin Falls. The pools at Twin Falls are fantastic and involve climbing up rocks barefoot to make the way to hidden pools in the surrounding area. A small adventurous group of us made our way to the furthest pool, and as we arrived at the highest rock, I taught a very short impromptu yoga class. The landscape here calls for yoga and I feel honored to introduce my beloved practice to my new friends.
As we all made our way back to the bus, an Aboriginal man (who we found out later owned the land we were on) asked our group if anyone had a cigarette. The only smokers in the group were the French couple (smoking like disrespectful chimneys in national parks ). One of the girls from Denmark said "the French couple have one but they don't speak English" to which the Aboriginal man replied "well can someone translate" so I did. I turned to the couple and said, in French, "can you spare a cigarette for him because otherwise he has to drive 3 hours (!) into town to get one". The Frenchman looked in my eyes and said, in French, " No. Mind your business. I understood what he wanted and I was not about to give a black Aboriginal man one of my cigarettes." I was horrified. Climbed in the bus and said "what an asshole", utterly disgusted.
We were heading back into Darwin for the night and made a pit stop for drinks. As I descended from the bus, the Frenchman was standing outside smoking and called me over to him and said "you know that stunt you pulled with me earlier. That is never to happen again. Do we understand each other?" I said "I am not sure I know what you mean." He said " I understood what the man wanted and I was not about to give him one of my cigarettes. You need to know when to open your mouth. You pull that shit again and you and I are going to have some major issues on this trip. Do we have an understanding?" I just looked him in the eyes and said "you are a real asshole of a man. Do you know that?" I walked away and could hear him behind me saying "As long as we understand each other. You better watch yourself!"
I walked up to rest of the group shaking. I felt threatened. I told the tour guide, she called the front office. They said unless he was physically threatening that there was nothing they could do, the only option would be for me to join another tour 2 days later. Although I was sad to be leaving the rest of the group, I knew intuitively that I would be better off. I could not fathom being stuck on a bus for 11 more days with such negative energy even if that meant enduring another couple days in a hostel in Darwin.
I am so happy that I listened to my inner guide. It was actually nice to be back in Darwin, to be able to pick up essentials that I had not thought of purchasing prior to my first take off and to better prepare myself for the next leg of my journey. The new group that I joined were kind, grateful and a lot of fun. We bathed in waterfalls in Katherine Gorge, took an art class with an Aboriginal artist, I did yoga in the light of the Full Moon, fed a camel apples right from my mouth, swam in a natural hot spring swamp which was like swimming in Heaven, meditated on top of a humongous rock in the sacred Devils Marbles desert and drank beers at the Daly Waters outback hotel, the Territory's oldest pub.
I have 10 more days left on my tour and I imagine each day will be better than the last. My intuition is in high gear, my heart is full of gratitude, my mind is clear. I am happy. Life is blessed. Australia is a dream. It is, as the locals call it, Oz .
Sending love a many blessings from Oz.
xoxo
