Free At Last

April 4, 2002-Free Spirits
(photos:Nimbin,
Big Banana & Me)

We started our day by getting our hair cut. Neither one of us was satisfied that it was short enough so that we wouldn’t look like derelicts in five weeks. We dropped our linens at the Bruce’s & went to our favorite kebab stand for lunch & to say good-bye to the lovely woman who works there. We’ve been loyal customers for seven months.

We headed for Nimbin by way of Murwillumbah, Dum Dum, & Tumblegum. I will miss these uniquely Aussie/Aborigine town names. Nimbin is best known for pot & hippies. The first sign I saw as we parked said, “Cultural Center: No Dogs, No Dealing.” If you believe that, you’ll believe that all the drug paraphernalia sold in the stores is “for use with tobacco only.” The hippies arrived in the 70’s & the town has become a haven for those who’ve dropped out, those who are barely hanging in, or those who are flirting with sliding over the edge. Waves of incense waft from open doors of the stores and most of the people on the streets are smoking something rank smelling. It could have been just tobacco. They all looked like they needed a bath. Every store seemed to display tables of petitions at the door. You could affix your name to a request to legalize pot or save everything from a whale to a rainforest. The fashions for sale ranged from tie dyed to chenille & beaded anything was de rigueur. There were a few tour buses around & I was grateful we hadn’t paid to get here. It was something to experience & might have brought back fond memories for some, but we’re too old to have been hippies in that era & too straight laced to have indulged in the trappings.

Our car will be fine for the week if it doesn’t scare us to death. It came with a speed alarm that screams when the set maximum speed is exceeded. David had it set 5 K above the limit. It kept bleating at us & we were jolted by each incident. He raised the setting.

We drove past some scorched trees on our way to Coffs Harbor. It was a grim reminder of the mammoth forest fire a few months ago. The road we’re traveling on had been closed. We puzzled over a sign announcing the “Halfway Creek Realignment Project.” Since I’m given to flights of conjecture, I wondered if they were going to realign the creek, realign it with what, or only realign the creek halfway & wait to finish the job. Any other variables? If that sign didn’t give us something to think about, the next signs gave us pause. I have often mentioned the deadly creatures in this land, but never expected danger from some of its most benign creatures. Bold taxicab yellow signs warned us to beware of “wild horses & wild cattle” wandering onto the road.
As we drove, we realized we didn’t have a real sense we were going home. It hasn’t sunk in that it’s really over. We’ve left the Gold Coast many times & have always returned. Perhaps when we lift off from Sydney it will feel real. David did say he’s now truly retired & on vacation. He will not have to ever schedule around services, bar mitzvahs, & weddings. It felt good.

April 5, 2002-Learning Experience

When we arrived in Coffs Harbor it was too late to see mutton birds return to their nests, but early enough to find a room. We enjoyed the best night’s sleep in weeks & I woke up next to a well-rested retired person. We listened to the news as we dressed. I’m now convinced that American Jews have joined the ranks of the Arab Muslims for the world title of “most reviled.” Bush asked the Israelis to withdraw their troops as soon as it was possible which sounded to David like he gave them until Colin Powell got there.

We started our day at the Big Banana. It’s an enormously garish walk-through yellow fiberglass banana that sits in front of a tourist trap. David kept to the theme by having banana pancakes. He didn’t know it came with a dollop of whipped cream & two scoops of vanilla ice cream. I thought we’d take a photo of the fruit & hit the road, but David wanted to take the tram tour of the plantation & walk out to the scenic overlook. Fortunately, it was a half hour before the next tram & he didn’t want to wait. I’d have protested paying $A 12 for the tram & $A 5 for the walkway to the lookout point anyway. The stop was worthwhile. We had a chance to watch two brothers arguing. They were about 5 & 7 years old. The younger boy called his brother a “sicko.” The older one retorted with, “dick nose.” I’d never heard that epithet & was pleased to increase my vocabulary of expletives.

We decided to skip the koala hospital at Port Macquarie since I was more than content to keep my image of the healthy koalas I’d seen. It was a long & sometimes tedious drive to the outskirts of Sydney. To maintain my sanity, I began to sing. After “Itsy Bitsy Spider” & “Patty Cake” David decided I was practicing my repertoire for the baby. I switched to reading road signs. The one that confused me said, “Overtaking Planet Ahead.” I thought I’d have to turn to my Aussie translator, Daniel Bruce who now gets these emails, but the next sign cleared things up. The sign should have said, “Overtaking lane ahead.” Someone had skillfully stenciled in the additional “p” & “t.” Another oddity we came upon was a bicycle crossing on the freeway. As we sailed along at 110 k/ph (about 68 mph), we saw the sign with a picture of a pedal bike, the crossing path, & another sign that indicated the bicycle lane on the highway.

Throughout our trip, the Great Dividing Range hovered to the West just in our peripheral vision like an unobtrusive escort or chaperone. Now its presence loomed. We flew through the peaceful Hunter Valley, home of some great Australian wines, & found ourselves on the outskirts of Sydney. The approach to the city from the North couldn’t have been more beautiful. The road threaded its way through shadows of sheer pink & gold hued sandstone cliffs. We shot out of the half-light into the glare of the late afternoon sun. The startling blue of the Hawksfield River greeted us as we hurtled onto the bridge & past the marina.

It took what seemed like eons to navigate the roads around Sydney, but we finally arrived in Blacktown at the foot of the Blue Mts. The oil from the eucalyptus trees evaporates & causes the air to take on a blue color. Our motel has a sporting club as part of the complex. That translates as gambling casino. We ate a mediocre buffet dinner there which explained the ridiculously low cost of $A 10.80. Three men were circulating in the dining room & selling raffle tickets. One man held the prize, one man held the moneybag, & one man handed out the raffle tickets. The first prize was a tray of steaks & sausage. We declined.

Toby