Taking a trip to Scotts Creek & Memory Lane.

Friday straight after work I went out to Scotts Creek, about 10km after the Adelaide River Bridge just under an hour driving. Dad was drunk so I had to drive his car which is not nice for gear changes so I made a few mistakes while he back seat heckled me. The road wasn’t too bad but there was one or two spots you could not get through without a high clearance 4WD. I admit I only used the 4WD once on the way back because I made a bad choice and got stuck.

The water level was really high for this time of the year, mostly due to the above average wet season Darwin had experienced but it was low enough to spot exactly what we were hunting, crayfish. Or as we like to call them in Darwin Red-Claws. They look very similar to yabbies’ which you can catch further South Australia but grow a lot bigger, and they taste great! I had with me my German Surfer Philipp and between the three of us we had one torch, that didn’t stop my father however he would just reach under the rocks and triumphantly pull out a huge Red-Claw or occasionally the odd file snake. Philipp spent a long time trying to catch his first Red-Claw by hand but when he finally got it he swiftly became professional and was soon grabbing file snakes as they slithered over our toes and throwing them further down steam
The fish were insane and in parts you couldn’t see much of the sandy bottom because of how many fish were there and as I was walking around they would jump in my pockets or get stuck in my sandals.

There was a little girl there maybe about nine years old with her mother and as Dad was pulling up the file snakes she was so excited and he would take the snakes over for her to hold and was teaching her about the teeth and the feel. It reminded me of when I was really young and dad would take us out on night adventures to this particular creek (last time I was here I was about 10 years old.) He would throw various snakes and stuff at us. Its something I really treasured growing up with my father which as most people know those moments with my dad were few and far between as a child. So I guess I got a little nostalgic seeming him with this nine year old and made me realise how happy I am now I have a much better relationship with my dad.
Overall it was a successful night we caught about 20 of the crayfish and a bunch of fish for the crocodiles to chow down on.



My sisters & I at Scotts Creek in 91'

A conversation with Leo

Last night a couch surfer, Leo came over who has been living in Darwin for a while, we spent a pretty crazy weekend together at the festival. I had just come back from the Mindil Markets with my two German surfers and we were chilling on the balcony just drinking & smoking with three other couch surfers who had come round to borrow camping gear. Anyway so three of the surfers went home about 1030 and the german boys & heather decided to watch a movie and Leo finally shows up. So I pack the pipe and we sat on “jordans couch” and just talked for about two hours. I admit by then I was pretty drunk & stoned and not sure how much sense I made plus I kept dozing off in between conversation.

Anyway the point of the story is Leo I don’t know that well we did party for a weekend but it was a pretty messy weekend but he could rock up at 10:30 at night and we could just talk shit for hours. And it’s a completely comfortable scenario, its like instantly we are best friends. And this isn’t just Leo this is 90% of the couch surfers I meet. I think the beauty of the connections is Couchsurfing is not a dating site and so you have no problems feeling comfortable around people, you’re not trying to impress anyone. They actually find your awkward personality endearing & interesting not a negative to your overall mate ability. & you’re exactly the same. You don’t worry that he is too short, or his hair is too long or he doesn’t have a job right now, you really look at the person underneath.

So I asked Leo doesn’t he find it hard always saying goodbye. That’s the thing that really gets to me I don’t want to let go and I hate that I meet this fascinating person and we have this intense whirlwind relationship for three days and then they are gone, and chances are I never speak to them again. But he said he didn’t have a problem because he knows that seven years down the track he can look that person up and fall right back into the familiarity.

But really that’s great that you can have those relationships but what about home? What about stability. He told me couchsurfing is his home. Each person he meets is a part of his family. I loved my three years overseas travelling and wouldn’t change it for the world but my last vacation made me realise how much I need to be home right now. Five weeks on the road was almost too long and its strange because not even a year ago I wanted to extend my holiday another two years! I’m so happy to know I have my circle of amazing friends that have been with me for years, people I would trust with my life. I love that my family is just around the corner.

Then he asked if I had ever hooked up with one of my surfers. Its no secret I am constantly enjoying the beauty of the many back packers who grace my balcony. Right now I have two very good looking German boys crashing on my floor. Its nice to look but to touch? The thought never crosses my mind anymore. I did it once. I have a hard enough time saying goodbye to a friend.

couchsurfing & the relationship

I love everyone, I can’t help it. Every day I get 10-15 requests from couchsurfers around the world and every day I have to say no to most of them because I just don’t have the room. And its horrible because I really wanted to meet that professional scuba diver from Thailand or the Ex Russian Model or just that French guy who said he would cook some amazing food for me!

It’s a constant stream of surfers through my door and its putting a massive strain on my real life. Relationship wise I have now been single for two years. I put it down to being fussy but the truth is I just don’t want to give up what little time I have. When I host I am always doing something new & different and always meeting some crazy new person that if I gave up part of that time to just one person I worry that I will miss out on something amazing. I like to DO and I want to surround myself with other people who DO. So yes hosting is taking over my life. I’m comparing the frivolity of 3 day acquaintances to creating a meaningful partnership for the rest of my life.

I think couchsurfing has replaced the cat lady. Instead of surrounding myself with felines to avoid a personal connection today I surround myself with backpackers.

I think I host to much

This week was supposed to be the elusive surfer free week but the dry season brings a large influx of couch surfers making it extremely difficult to say no. So instead of no surfers for the next week I now have three german guys staying with me.

Then I also had to decline a large amount of surfers I really wanted to say yes to
:( Honestly if I had my way I would host everyone but I do live with other people so I am forced to conform to their standards. Last year I hosted about 100 people... I don't even really have the time to host there is so much on my plate. I was considering a relationship but with my schedule I don't think its fair to a guy. But I guess if its meant to be it will be easy hey...

Speaking of I haven't even STARTED my zombies. Ok who wants to be the first model?

In the bush, it doesn't matter.

As of late with my new found socialism it appears I love a good bush party. It combines a lot of my favourite things. The bush, camping. doof music, strange people from around the world & overindulging with various substances. This weekends choice copius amounts of beer & weed.

I travelled out in two cars with my little sister & an assortment of backpackers. From left in the picture Julia from Canada, Leo who can really only be described as Brazilian-German who grew up in the USA, Me!, Joanna from USA, Bo from the USA, My sister, Tina from Austria, & Henrik from Germany. We arrived a little after 4pm which appeared to be early by festival standards even though it had begun at 12pm. We quickly set up our tents in what appeared to be the most entertaining spot of the festival. Beside us we had a group of people whoose origin was unknown but we believe the majority of them were Italians and therefore every time we walked past (their tent was on the way to the music) we would be greeted with "Ciao Mate". Our camping spot was entertaining mostly because of a large mud spot that formed over the night right beside us and over the time we saw many many cars get bogged. We even helped push a few out (ok I lie the boys did I just watched and smiled)

I got horrendously drunk and walked around the festival aimlessly making new friends and occasionally running into my own crew. Henrik the youngest of us all was passed out by 8pm still I wasn't about to let him sleep through the entire festival and shook him awake every chance I got. See I'm a nice couch surfing host. I have to admit he awoke again around Midnight only to discover we had run out of beer. Well perhaps that will teach him for next time ;) I had some pretty cool black light paint and decorated a young kid as a crocodile but in my over-indulged state my painting skills become even worse and the poor kid just looked like someone had smeared green paint on him. hehe.

I ran into my friends I had met and partied with until the wee hours the week before which was awesome but once again forgot to get contact details so I assume they will join my list of awesome people I know for a night and then never see again. Which is probably best because outside the subterfuge of beer are we really compatible as friends?

The partying continued until 5am where I realised I was just to exhausted to carry on dancing and everyone else had dropped like flies. So I crawled into my very comfortable tent and talked random crap with Leo for a short while before drifting off into some crazy dream like stasis which wasn't really sleeping but was more relaxing then dancing. Luckily for me there was a tent of bogans just outside who decided 4am bogan talk was ideal and therefore I got to listen to them until they finally moved on around 8am.

The next morning I went back to the dance floor and ripped it up a little more running into my very drunk Scottish friend and his even drunker irish friend. Finally a sketchy 11am rolled around and we decided to head off home where we relaxed in my house till I took Julia to the airport at 4pm.

I have to say I love a bush rave purely because people don't care where your from, what drugs you are doing, what you look like 7am in the morning. People are open minded and happy to feel the unity of a place where all the freaks congregate. Where you can be whoever and thats what I love. To much in this world depends on peoples opinions and standards and it can get really tiring trying to live up to standards. I think I want to go live in India in a monastry for a while and just be.

With me its never just one drink.

Its guaranteed that if you can get me out of the house no matter how tired I am and feed me one beer that I will most likely have another and then another and then suddenly its 4am I’m dancing to some crappy R&B having the time of my life, your rolling your eyes in exhaustion begging me to come home but instead I find some guys looking for an after party and then as the sun rises I crawl into a dark corner and pass out.

In Mexico it was a tent in the middle of nowhere, Last Saturday it was a park bench. I’m not fussy about where I lay my head as long as I’m comfortable and trust the people around me. But I never know how to stop yea it’s a horrible habit but it makes for some of the most interesting nights of my life.

My life is random and I would not have it any other way. I am the perfect couchsurfer because of how much I love something different. Things happen to me that the normal person would raise their eyes and gasp at.
“Whaaat you hitchhiked in Mexico are you crazy?”

Maybe a little ;)

I hate to glorify alcohol but some of my best (and worst) decisions have come from “just one drink”
And really the couchsurfer motto needs an update “participating in a better world, one couch & a beer at a time”

So its true nice guys exist.

Last night I was out with a couple of couch surfers and one by one everyone left and it was coming to my attention I was about to be alone in Darwin in a nightclub which if you don't know Darwin then you don't realise how many desperate men are living there. I was having so much fun dancing I didn't want to go home however I wasn't interested in hooking up either. So I tested the waters I slipped my watch off my wrist and hid it in my pocket and then struck up conversation with the first person I saw with a watch turned out to be a Kiwi guy.

"Can I see the time" Thats my new pick-up line :) Then he told me that the watch was on england time. So I asked when he had been to england and he told me two years earlier which got me asking why his watch was still on england time. He didn't know how to change it. He then told me about his girlfriend in Sydney and some other stuff. Safe on the first try.

My last surfer left me and I walked over to him "can you do me a favour, all my friends left and I want to keep dancing but as soon as I dance by myself the 20 year olds move in and i just don't feel like fending guys off all night. You have a girlfriend your safe can I just hang with you." He was super cool and introduced me to all his friends who I danced with for the rest of the night.

They did leave me alone at one point and instantly vultures swooped in and I was surrounded by 20 year olds. Seriously what the fuck.... is there something about me attracting these guys. Luckily Kiwi saw it happen and was quick to rescue me.

After the bar closed we went to the melaluca and jumped into their pool. Illegally of course before security finally kicked us out at 5am. I took them back to my hotel to get more alcohol and then we went down to the park where we sat on a park bench and the Kiwi took out the ukulele and started to sing. Somewhere along the line I fell asleep/passed out and when I opened my eyes again the sun was shining.

They walked me back to the hotel and we said our goodbyes. It was probably one of the most awesome nights ever. I hung out with cool guys, there were no stipulations.. it was just fun :)