Self Indulged Travel Magazine #3

ISSUE #3

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INDULGED www.selfindulged.com

Photography by Sandra Herd

THE INSIDE PASSAGE Cruise Ship Diary DARWIN The Build Up BALI Hais and lows COMPOSITION Tips for Everyone

+ WIN a Kata Backpack with “Where’s Dave?”

ISSUE #3

The world is an unpredictable place.

Recent natural disasters in Christchurch and Japan and the political unrest in Egypt and now Libya confirm something that I’ve always known: If you want to travel, NOW is the time to go.

Don’t put it off until next month or next year. Number one on your bucket list might be to go and see the ancient pyramids... if events in Egypt had taken the same turn as the events in Libya who knows when you’d be able to get there to live out that dream. If Leptis Magna was on your list then you’re out of luck!

You’ll have to stick that one on the backburner for a while - who knows how long.

We tend to believe that places or landmarks will always be there for us to see and countries will always be accessible when we’re ready. Animals are becoming extinct, some countries are becoming more ‘Westernised’ and losing their uniqueness, oil prices are sky rocketing meaning that even ‘hopping on a plane’ may soon become a luxury of the past.

I want to photograph as much of the planet as possible while I still can, I want to see it all now before it changes/blows up/burns down/locks it’s doors to foreigners or self destructs politically.

Self indulged? Maybe. But that is afterall the name of the mag.

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CONTENTS

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p8 p22

Written by Sandra Herd Photographed by Sandra Herd Designed by Sandra Herd Produced by Sandra Herd Coffee by Sandra Herd Edited by Sandra Herd Research by Sandra Herd www.selfindulged.com www.shotsinternational.com sandy@selfindulged.com

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Self Indulged takes no responsibility for links leading to external content. By reading this publication you are agreeing to click on external links at your own risk.

The links have been included soley as a source of information only. If anything in the magazine offends you... don’t read it.

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WISH YOU Cheers from South Africa!

Came across your mag on the web and just wanted to congratualte you on a job well done. Can’t wait to see the next issue.

Bring it on!

David Storn

It’s been great getting your email messages as Self Indulged does the rounds over the www. I can’t put them all up but I’ve decided to pick a few of my favourites for each issue. Please feel free to send in your travel or photography tips for future issues and don’t forget to tell me where you’re from. Please end all emails to sandy@selfindulged.com 6 SELFINDULGED

kking e r t t abou e Annuy r o ur st we did th ago and o y d e Love h Nepal, w years . Th e r e g e h throu trek a f t back t f mem o e a purn love to g ack lots mag b e h d l t t u h g wo brou cribed to ture issu s o t pho subs d to fu e v I’ r ories. ok forwa lo . and anks astle h T T. C Many Hey Se lf Indulg ed!

“Stumb led upo n” Your m ag rock you just r s. Awes I’ve jus ome p t broug ht a ne will be lo w oking t o the m Cano spiratio n. Sham ag for e I’m n your c ot in O ourse. z Peace!

Tommy T.

NO PRIZES FOR W JUST THE JOY OF

WERE HERE!

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ues.

Hi Sandy, Thanks for putting such a lovely online resource together.

Enjoyed it immensely. I could relate to your Gold Coast story-we visited last year and spent a fortune! Good luck for the next issue.

Yours sincerely, Judith Tomic

recently . photogr aph on DSL y R so r some inz or I’d do

WRITING IN...

F SPREADING THE LOVE!

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CRUISE SHIP DIARY

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Alaska’s Inside Inside Passage, Passage, Gowlers Gowlers & & Glaciers Glaciers.

Alaska’s

Sawyer Glacier. Tracy Arm Fjord, Alaska

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Day 1: Luxury at last.

Yesterday we finally set foot on board the Norwegian Sun after hours and hours of waiting in a big holding cell. US customs let all of the US and Canadian passengers check in first whilst all the other ‘foreigners’ had to wait. By the time it was our turn to be called up the US customs computers were down across the whole of America. We got to the check in point at 1.30pm and by 4.45pm we were finally on board. An unpleasant start but once we were on board, it was all forgotten. Everyone was invited up to the upper outside deck for the launch and a huge bbq buffet. The sun was shining and as we ate and drank we watched Vancouver disappear into the horizon.

We have a balcony in our cabin (actually it’s on the outside of our cabin) and the room is complete luxury, we even got chocolates on our pillows last night when they ‘turned down’ the bed. Never got treatment like this at the backpackers.

Day 2: Cruisin’ the Passage

Today we began the cruise through the Alaskan Inside Passage, when we were close enough to see land I was surprised at just how green it all was. For this time of year (September) I was expecting snow and ice but there isn’t any, the mountains are covered in thousands of spruce trees and the water is like glass. It is so peaceful and quiet.

The ship itself is huge with a max. capacity of 1600 crew and guests. There’s lots to do on board, you can eat, go to the gym, eat, join a daily activity, eat, go to the casino, play sport, shop, eat.

Did I mention there’s always lots to eat??

I think we’re the youngest couple on board...they cancelled the abseiling tour because there were no takers. Too many people worried about breaking a hip...myself included!.Looking forward to our first shore excursion tomorrow in Ketchikan...bingo is becoming tedious but I could watch the scenery forever.

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Ketchikan, Alaska

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Day 3: Salmon Capital

Our first port of call, Ketchikan. On arrival we were pleased to be told that our very early morning kayaking excursion had been rescheduled for mid-morning. We ‘jumped ship’ and headed into Ketchikan to explore the salmon capital of the world.

A real ‘last frontier’ setting, the large port of Ketchikan is overshadowed by towering misty mountains. The town itself is one big souvenir shop, one main street filled with shops selling diamonds and salmon and authentic trinkets made in China. We each brought a ‘hoodie’ with Alaska emblazoned across the front and headed back to the pier to meet for our excursion. Our ship was sharing the dock with two other cruise liners and the town was suddenly flooded with tourists all battling to get a Chinese bargain. It was great to hop on the excursion bus and escape the masses.

Twenty minutes later we were ready to jump in to our tandem Kayaks. A quick safety talk from the guide and we paddled off towards Clover Island about a kilometre away from the main shore.

Although we were mostly protected by the inlet, there were still plenty of oncoming waves to add some excitement. Once we reached the big island we paddled around its base. There was no real shoreline, just trees stacked up on top of each other, some falling into the water. Once we got to the sheltered side of the island we slowed down and the guide pulled a big purple starfish out of the water, apparently the shoreline is teaming with them.

After over 90 minutes of paddling we were glad to head back to the boathouse. We were already running a little bit late and when we got back to the port everyone else (except for one other woman behind us) was on the ship. Oops! After all the fresh air and exercise we dropped off the bags and headed straight up to deck 11...to eat.

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it was our turn, we were up and “ Finally off and within minutes our helicopter

convoy was flying, blades whirring in unison, above the beautiful craggy blue ice that is Mendenhall Glacier.

�

Mendenhall Glacier , Juneau, Alaska

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Days 4&5: Growlers & Glaciers

We were already docked in Juneau when we awoke yesterday morning. Juneau is the capital of Alaska and is completely land locked. You can’t get into the town by road, and funnily enough, you can’t get out of it by road either. It has a population of about 35,000 and approximately 30,000 registered vehicles. That’s a lot of people, with a lot of cars, going nowhere Unfortunately we didn’t have a great deal of time to explore Juneau itself because we had a shore excursion booked that was going to take up most of our time there….but what an excursion. We got the coach to the Temsco heliport and before we knew it, the whole group (about 20 people) had all been issued with boots and ‘Yak Tracks’ ready for a landing on the huge but beautiful Mendenhall Glacier 58°26’N 134°33’W. We were split up into groups of 4 for the helicopter ride, another couple went in the front with the pilot and Dave and I were in the back, grinning widely with anticipation.

We watched as the first chopper took off, closely followed by three more. Finally it was our turn, we were up and off and within minutes our helicopter convoy was flying, blades whirring in unison, above the beautiful craggy blue ice that is Mendenhall Glacier. A twelve mile river of ice which began receding way back in the 1700’s. Its origin is the Juneau Icefields which are high in the Coast Mountains where heavy snowfall accumulates year after year. Its terminus is Mendenhall Lake.

We landed on a fairly flat section of glacier where we were greeted by the guide who hangs out there all day in the freezing cold waiting for tourists to land. We spent about 20 minutes on the surface, although the guide told us we were free to walk around he started freaking out if anyone went too far. He said that most accidents on the glacier are caused by people with cameras not looking where they were going and then tripping up...or worse, falling down the cracks, some of which were pretty deep. Strange that he looked at me when he said that.

All too soon, we were whisked away in the chopper and taken back to reality.

Back in the town we decided that we hadn’t had enough of Mendenhall, seeing it from the air was one thing but there was another view to be had and we had just 90 minutes to see it and get back to the ship. We hopped on a bus driven by an Alaskan native, a Tlingit (pronounced Klinkit) who told us about the two Tlingit tribes, Eagles and Ravens, and gave us a very brief history of his people. We had just enough time to run off the bus to the viewpoint, snap off some shots from the front of the glacier, dodge a massive pile of bear *poo (yes, bear *poo right in the middle of the walkway) and catch the next bus back to the ship all within a whisker of a second before disembarkation.

That afternoon our cruise ship was on course to visit the Sawyer Glacier 57°50’N 133°06’W, we would cruise up the Tracey Arm Fjord for as long as conditions would allow before turning around and heading back the way we came. As seems to be the general trend for this trip, conditions were perfect. So perfect in fact that even the Captain was excited about how far down the fjord we could travel, but let me tell you, it was a tight squeeze.

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The Guide on Mendenhall Glacier

The ocean was like glass and, because we were so close to land on both sides, the ship had slowed right down and we approached the glacier in what seemed like slow motion. Dave and I joined every other guest on the ship on the outside observation deck at the front. Everyone was eager to get a spot at the front of the rails and the deck was jam packed. I eventually managed to wiggle my way to the front, flashing my expensive camera to emphasize it was important that I ‘be in position’. Once in the coveted spot I realized why the person in front of me had moved out of the way…it was freezing at the front, absolutely bloody freezing and we still had about fifteen minutes to go before we could even see the glacier. I couldn’t move out of the way because some other unknowing fool would take my spot so I stood there like a stubborn little photographer while

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Mendehall Glacier. Juneau, Alaska

Dave sat at the bar with a pint of Guinness, ducking out every so often to make sure firstly, that he hadn’t missed anything and secondly, that I hadn’t frozen into a giant Sandra popsicle.

I think the fact that the ship got so close to the glacier was more impressive than the glacier itself (it was hard to beat the view we’d had of Mendenhall) but everyone seemed very excited about seeing the Sawyer Glacier in such perfect conditions.

That’s the glacier bit….now for the growlers.

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Davidson Glacier. Haines, Alaska

The following day we did separate excursions. Dave caught the Klondike train up the mountain, and biked all the way back down again. The train actually crossed the Canadian border so he got an extra stamp in his passport, a little train. I was very jealous. I opted for a less strenuous ferry ride to Glacier Point followed by a gentle canoe paddle to the glacier face and that is where I got face to face with a huge growler.

Thankfully a growler is not a big grizzly bear (although there are apparently plenty around) it is in fact an iceberg. The guide explained that some people think that if the chunk of ice is in the ocean

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Days 4&5: Growlers & Glaciers Cont’d... then it’s an iceberg but if it’s in a fresh water lake, then it’s called a growler. Either way, we canoed past 3 or 4 of them before arriving at the spectacular face of the Davidson Glacier. 59°05’N 135°26’W. The Glacier Point guides are a group of 12 young people who actually live on Glacier Point for the tourist season. Out in the middle of nowhere in tents, with no T.V or heating and all supplies have to arrive on the ferry. Our tour was the last tour for a few days so they had some time off. They had a keg of beer at their camp to celebrate and one of the guys had already been out that morning to grab a baby growler to keep the beer cold! At the end of the season they go back to whereever home is and carry on with normal life although, for some of them it is a regular gig every year.

At this point I should also mention that the guides were excited because the night before Aurora Borealis (the Northern Lights) had made a rare appearance. Number one on my bucket list is to see the Northern lights and I’d missed the whole dam thing, probably by scoffing yogurt ice-cream down my face in the 24 hour restaurant. There’s a reason photographers don’t go on cruises.

Days 6&7: Canada Ay!

The last two days on the cruise ship were pretty relaxing, for me at least. The last port of call was Wrangall. A lot of the cruise ships leave this off their list and do a last stop in Victoria and when you see Wrangall you can understand why. There is nothing there. A few tiny little shops, 3 totem poles and 10 churches. Dave had booked himself in for an ‘extreme rainforest hike’. A long muddy climb up in the mountains…..and back down again. I think the company on the excursion was more fun than the excursion itself. He came back absolutely caked in mud and, surprisingly, they let him back on the ship. Saturday we cruised the last leg back to Vancouver and we spent our time just relaxing. We hung out in the cabin, watched a few movies and went out every now and then for something to eat….it was our last day in luxury so we made the most of it. It would’ve been the perfect opportunity to squeeze all of our clothes and stuff back into our backpacks but of course, we couldn’t be bothered. We were up at the crack of dawn the next day, madly trying to pack before they kicked us off the ship. We left our cabin home at about 8am and trudged back to the crummy hostel in Gastown, Vancouver.

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* NOTE FOOT ped e stop an v a D rse ch c Of cou a photo whi ytime n to take shown a e old e now b wer the ag bear s to an n, “Does a The io ?” t ques the woods usly, io s**t in , quite obv ” r ! answe .not always . . is “No

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Where’s Dave?

Each issue a photo of Dave will be posted and it’s up to YOU to tell me where in the world he is.

Have a look at the photo opposite and email your answer along with your name, address and contact number to

wheresdave@selfindulged.com

All correct answers will be collated and a winner will be drawn on the 20th of June 2011. The winner will receive this fabulous Bumblebee Ultra-light Backpack from Kata Bags* The backpack interface of the Bumblebee-222 UL is the last word in advanced ergonomics, the features include:

• Aluminium Skeleton - formed Aluminium Alloy frame for ultra light structural

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tapered thickness so as to provide extra cushioning where it counts, micro

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• Clinch-Clasp Sternum Strap - Aluminium clinch connection sternum strap for

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• Waist belt constructed of shaped mesh encased foam to fit itself perfectly to

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• 2 specially designed connection strap loops for the included Aeriform camera

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WIN! A KATA BACKPACK

HERE CLICK FOR S TERM & TIONS D N O C

*Prize does not include bag contents. Image for illustration purposes only. Competition only open to residents of Australia

ISSUE 2 Answer: Dave was at Bryce Canyon in the USA.

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Bali Hai’s

Looking across to Mt Agung from the top of Mt Batur at Dawn

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...and lows

Words & Photography by Sandra Herd

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Formal dress for the celebration.

B

ali.

For many West Australians it’s a home away from home. An island paradise that, in geographical terms, is just up the road. It’s a contentious point, and one that’s dredged up every holiday season, that you can spend an entire week in Bali (including the flights) for the equivalent cost of a local long weekend getaway.

And so we go.

We flock in droves to Kuta and Seminyak and we come back with braids and Bintang shirts, ever the Aussie bogan spruiking the joys of Bali...and that is part of the reason I’ve never had an urge to visit. I’m not really sure what the trigger was that changed my mind. Maybe Perth summer was taking too long to arrive, maybe it was the $80 flights I scored whilst surfing on the net. Whatever the reason it was time for us to go and see for ourselves. Maybe it would become our yearly holiday destination too.

The plan?

To see as much of the island as possible in ten days. A reconnaissance mission.

The HIGH A car. Yep, we hired one. We’d been told that you could hire a driver from anywhere between AU$25 to AU$50 a day, the money wasn’t the issue it was more the freedom we were chasing and for $20 a day plus petrol, we were on our way. We’d spent two days in Kuta and I wanted out. With no fixed plans for accommodation (we wanted to drive around the island and book new hotels as we went) our current hotel struggled to find us a hire car. I sat out in the cafe with a coffee and free wi-fi and searched online for Bali car-hire. Within an hour a little Suzuki Jimmy had been delivered with a road map book and a full tank of petrol.

Dave was up for the challenge of driving like a local. No traffic rules, thousands of scooters and a navigator (me) whose only method of following the maze of roads and side alleys was to match up the Circle K symbol on the road map with the Cirlce K convenience stores on the street. Genius!

The LOW Mozzies.

The LOW

The HIGH

Kuta. It was just what I expected. Nice beach, shame about everything else. Which is not to say it’s not a great place (surely thousands of Aussies can’t be wrong!) it’s just not my cup of tea. I like a simple English Breakfast with a dash of milk, not a bright pink bubble tea with neon sparklers and umbrellas. Once a small fishing village, Kuta has now become the main tourist hub of Bali with shops, restaurants, pubs and clubs, its hectic nightlife and crowded streets were a long way off my idea of an island paradise. It’s East meets West in the worst possible fashion and I was keen to get out of Kuta but for that we were going to need transport.

Mozzie zapper tennis rackets. It was a mission to find them in a huge department store called Mataharis. Every Aussie we met said we had to go there, anyone would think we didn’t have department stores back at home such was the excitement surrounding this establishment.

We brought four. One each and two as gifts.

Imagine my disappointment when we got them home and I found out that they were giving them away in show bags at the Perth Royal Show...and they even had Aussie plugs. Dammit, the world is becoming so homogenous what I thought was a new and exciting way to kill mozzies has become ‘old hat.’

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Tending the fields. Near Ubud.

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Ubud market tradee with her tray of ‘offerings’ for sale.

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The HIGH Ubud. The culture, the markets, the people, the food, the location.

The HIGH Gunung Batur (Mount Batur). Although it’s not the largest volcano on the island it is the most active. For around US$50 per person a guide will wake you from your slumber at 4am (we stayed in a hostel at Toya Bungkah) and lead you up the steep slopes of the volcano in time to reach the tip for sunrise. Our guide led us and another couple behind. It was pitch black, each couple was given a torch and we obediently followed a tiny trail of light up 5633 ft of steep, rocky terrain. If I’d have been able to see where I was going I probably wouldn’t have made it. We were racing the sunrise, trying to get to the top before the sun rose from the horizon so rest wasn’t really an option and I didn’t want to be the one to let the team down. My camera bag was digging into my shoulders, my tripod was starting to weigh a ton and the sky was starting to turn a deep crimson – a sure sign that the sun wasn’t far from rising. The pace was just way too fast for me and I started to have a had a mini melt-down. “Go-on without me, I can’t go any further ‘sob sob’” (Just to get there Mr Frodo, just to get there!) You know the kind of thing. Dave took my bag and with my last ounce of energy, we scrambled up to the top ridge just in time to see the dawn break on a new day. The morning was perfect, a few clouds and a clear view looking out across Lake Batur to Bali’s biggest volcano, Gunung Agung and then further out still to Lombok and beyond.

The LOW Walking around the rim. Bad idea! What was I thinking. There are no safety measures it’s just you, the guide and the other silly tourists balancing on the top ridge of a still active volcano.

There’s the odd bit of smoke but the real danger is the height. There are no contingencies for ‘health and safety’, that doesn’t mean it’s safe - it just means there are no health and safety laws in Bali. If you’re silly enough to walk around the crater of a volcano, then on your head be it. The final climb down was exhausting as we zigzagged across the volcanic shale trying to stay upright. Tough on the knees and on your bum too if you take a tumble. When we were finally safe at the bottom the guide informed us that a few years ago someone indeed did take a tumble...a Swedish tourist slipped off the ridge and plummeted into the crater below. The police believe he was killed by ‘the sharp rocks inside the 15-meter-deep crater’. I must learn to do my research before I go climbing volcanoes.

The HIGH The hot springs at Toya Bungkah after the hike up the volcano. We planned to pop in for a quick dip. We stayed for hours.

The LOW Shopping. “Why is this a low?” I hear you cry.... well, it’s really a personal thing. I hate shopping. Especially in Bali. Everything is so cheap that you end up spending a fortune on crap that you wouldn’t normally buy. In Sanur on the South-East of the island, I was accosted by three women down a side alley. I was trying to buy a shirt for my dad. I only have one dad.

One dad equals one shirt. I don’t need three, I didn’t want to buy one from each of them, I wasn’t even sure what size I needed (but of course one size fits most) so I ended up buying one shirt....then the pounding began, “You buy from me too - I have shirts, good price.” To which I politely responded, “No thanks, I have what I need.” To which they responded by getting mad at me.

I was surrounded by three cackling witches and

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Evening light at Batu Bolong Temple near Tanah Lot

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Monkey Forest

SELFINDULGED 83 Offering at the base of a tree at Goa Gajah.

Corn on the cob on the beach at Jimbaran

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I felt like the all seeing eye as they groped for my attention pulling me from one shop to the next. Two of them followed me back to the car while the third (the one I had brought the shirt from) sat smugly on her chair in the shade.

Dave (the coward) was already in the car with the engine running, I jumped in and we sped off and I saw one of the old cronies in the side mirror as she spat on the pavement in disgust.

FANGS!

The HIGH

The ‘bloody big grill’ at Kuta Townhouse was a bloody big mistake. As soon as I saw the chef (and I use that term loosly) through a crack in the kitchen door, pulling hunks of meat out of the freezer, I knew this was going to end badly.

The food arrived. Charcoal on the outside and still frozen in the middle. YEP.....saw that coming!

Bali backstreets. For me, having the freedom of our own car made the trip. We were free to explore the tiny back streets and walkways and it was down one of these streets we stumbled upon a village celebration. We watched as the men sang and played instruments while a battle between masked gods, good and evil, was played out on the street right before us.

The women and girls, dressed beautifully in their colourful kebeya (lace blouses), presented their offerings at the small shrine on the street corner. Later on that evening we discovered Jimbaran on the West side of the island, just South of Kuta but another world away. The beach is lined with restaurants serving up fresh seafood that’s been grilled over coconut husks, the tables and chairs are out on the sand and the beach is lit by the candle light from the outside tables once the sun goes down.

The HIGH Temples, temples everywhere.

The LOW Temple fatigue.

The HIGH The thousands of photo opportunities.

The LOW

The HIGH Cheap and spicy food. What more could you ask for. We rarely spent more than AU$10 on a meal. It was the Bali Hai and the Bintang that pushed the price up.

The LOW

The HIGH Waterbom waterpark. Fantastic rides and the weather to go with it. You can play all day without getting cold.

The LOW Bintang. Not the beer (that would be blasphemy), the shirts.

“No I don’t want to buy a Bintang shirt, no I don’t care if you can do it cheaper than the guy who just ripped me off up the road. NO, I don’t want morning price and I don’t want to look like a Bintang bogan Aussie tourist! Ok, I’ll take 3, one blue, one red, one pink. Thanks.”

The HIGH The happy market traders at Ubud. Everytime I made a purchase they took my money and brushed all of their other wares with the notes chanting ‘Good luck, good luck”, I think I was paying way too much.

Monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) – don’t trust the little buggers! Even the cute ones, they have

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The HIGH Having access to Commonwealth Bank ATMse red, one pink. Thanks.”

The LOW Having my account defrauded of about eight million Rupiah....nearly $900 Aussie dollars.

If you are using an ATM in Bali, be aware that they spit out your money first and then give you back your card. Here, at home your card comes out first followed by the money. As force of habit, once you have the money in your hand you toddle off leaving your card behind in the machine... to which the machine asks “Would you like to make another transaction?”

I did this in a small convenience store and some unscrupulous bugger answered “Yes” to the machine on my behalf and proceeded to draw out my daily limit. It was easily sorted out when I got home and the theft was investigated and reimbursed by the bank. Just keep an eye on your cards...I’m blaming it on the Bintang.

The LOW Accidently missing our midnight flight home.e The HIGH We stayed for four extra days....we had to fork out for a new flight so figured we may as well get our monies worth. We called up the car company, booked in four extra days and headed North to Singarajai to explore more of the island. We ended the extended trip on a Bali Hai.

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+ theprintaidproject.com Three UK photographers have set up an international project to help the victims of the Tohoku earthquake in Japan. The Print Aid Project now involves renowned photographers and designers from around the world who have donated their images to be sold on the project website www.theprintaidproject.com with all money raised going to the Red Cross charity.

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OWN A DSLR? 42 SELFINDULGED

IS IT ALWAYS SET ON AUTO? WANT TO LEARN HOW TO SHOOT IN MANUAL MODES? LIKE TO KNOW MORE ABOUT HOW YOUR CAMERA WORKS? SICK OF GETTING RUBBISH RESULTS? LIKE TO LEARN IN THE LUSH SURROUNDS OF PERTH ZOO?

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YES? 44 SELFINDULGED

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THE BUILD UP Words & Photography

by Sandra Herd

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What drives Australians to live in a place where the wildlife will eat you, the sea life will kill you, the wind can wipe out an entire town and the seasons can quite literally drive you mad?

It was going to take a trip up to Darwin to find out the answer.

O

fficially there are just two seasons in the Northern Territory, the wet which runs from November to March and the dry which runs from April to October. Unofficially, there is a third season known by the locals as the very ominous sounding, Suicide Season. This term refers to the frustration of the locals over the intense build up of humidity that hangs in the air before the clouds burst, releasing the cooler rains and putting an end to the tropical (gone troppo) madness. It was during this period that my schedule allowed me to visit and thankfully the ‘build up’ hadn’t yet fully kicked in. The masses of tourists had already left, leaving me free to enjoy the last few days of the tourist season in relative peace and quiet before the full force of ‘The Wet’ hit the nation’s top end.

It was 34°c when we arrived and felt like 99% humidity. I could see the harbour from my hotel window, the water so beautifully blue and so enticing but with the threat of irrukandji jellyfish and of course the deadly saltwater croc, I decided to limit my bathing relief to the hotel pool.

Of course, sooner or later I was going to have to leave the poolside and explore the town. The Darwin Museum was first on my list, simply because the building was air conditioned. Once inside we came face to face with Sweetheart, a giant stuffed croc, five metres long and a spectacle that re-affirmed my decision to stay out of the ocean. The informative voice over told a somewhat suspicious tale as to how this giant reptile met his end. It seemed that Sweeheart had been making a nuisance of himself attacking local boats back in 1979, the intention was to capture and relocate the beast but it seemed that Sweetheart conveniently “drowned” in the struggle (yeah, right!) thus removing the threat to the boaters and providing a rather large project for some lucky taxidermist.

After spending an entire morning wandering around the Darwin museum, lunch was enjoyed at Cullen Bay Marina. With an assortment of cafes and restaurants, its location on the water offers the illusion of coolness even if the thermometer doesn’t concur. At the Boardwalk

Cafe I was served a coffee in what can only be described as a soup bowl, there was no handle on the ‘bowl’ and the vessel had to be lifted to my mouth with two hands, burying my entire face in a bucket of frothy cappuccino heaven, I was starting to realise Darwin’s appeal. We also snuck into Buzz Cafe while we were there. It hadn’t officially opened for the lunch trade but the doors were unlocked. We tiptoed through the main cafe giggling until we reached our destination...the men’s toilet. I don’t usually encourage females to venture into the men’s loos but at Buzz it’s worth trying to sneak a peek.

The urinals are against a one way glass panel so the blokes can enjoy the quiet (but somewhat bizarre) pleasure of watching people in the restaurant through the glass as they relieve themselves. Thankfully the restaurant guests are unable to see through the other side...or are they?

As we explored the city I was surprised at how green and colourful everything was, especially as we were coming towards the end of the dry season. The flame trees dotted around the parks were spectacular with their brilliant orange foliage and I was beginning to enjoy the tropics and especially so, the warm balmy nights.

The humidity had dropped a bit as we headed out to Mindil beach markets. They run every Thursday and Sunday night over the dry season and this was the last one before they closed for the wet season. The assortment of Asian food was fabulous and the ‘exotic’ local fare of crocodile kebab/ burger/jerky was also on many menus. I have an unspoken agreement with crocs that if I agree to not eat them, then in my head, they’ve agreed to not eat me. I opted for the karmically pleasing green paw paw salad instead and enjoyed it with tourists and locals alike as we sat at Mindil Beach and watched the huge red disc that is the Darwin sun slowly slip into the Arafura Sea. The following day it was time to get down SELFINDULGED 47 15 SELFINDULGED

to the nitty gritty of why the tourists flock to this region from all over the world. Aside from being a great gateway to highly acclaimed Kakadu National Park, Darwin is famous for one thing.

Crocs! You are lead to believe that they are everywhere. The Northern Territory Newspaper is full of headlines of near misses, unusual sightings and general attacks but what’s even more interesting is that, in this region, the threat of crocodiles is absolutely, dinky-di, one hundred percent real. They are in the water and they are nasty beasties and they will eat unsuspecting tourists.

At Crocosaurus Cove you can get up close and personal with these beasties from the very cute (but not so cuddly) baby crocs right through to the grumpy old crocs. The baby crocs were brought out for a photo op, their beady eyes staring stoically as the keepers handed them over to anyone who was willing to hold them. Their jaws 48 SELFINDULGED

were closed shut with what looked to be elastic bands but their needle sharp teeth could clearly be seen on their overbite and, with enough pounds of pressure in their tiny jaws to possibly remove a finger, I declined the suggestion from the keeper of giving the little critter a kiss. We moved on to the junior croc tank and went for a dip in an adjacent tank for the ‘swim with the crocs’ experience, it was more to cool off than to see the crocs as the humidity was starting to reach fever pitch. We ended up spending the best part of a day there, we met the croc equivalent of Brad Pitt, Burt who starred in the movie... yep you guessed it....Crocodile Dundee and who also has the claim to fame of being the croc that the murdering wayward croc from the dodgy Aussie flick ‘Rogue’ was modelled on. But the most fun was watching the punters throughout the day part with over $100 each to get into the inappropriately named Cage of Death. A Perspex tank that gets lowered into the croc enclosure in the

hope that the bait (the tourist) annoys the croc enough for it to attack. I mention the inappropriate name because we stayed for most of the day, we watched endless streams of ‘daredevils’ being lowered into the cage splashing and pounding the tank like lunatics and doing whatever they could behind their perspex protection to annoy the old crocs but the crocs didn’t even bat a reptilian eyelid. The crocs were comatose. The punters and the cash registers were manic.

That is until the last tank for the day was lowered.

Two young men full of bravado gave it everything they had as they invaded Choppers tank. Finally after a whole day of being goaded (and probably because the day was finally getting cooler) big old Chopper let them have it. Quick as lightening he lunged for the tank, jaws wide he gave it a good go and the boys inside jumped backwards in a surge of bubbles and water, clambering over the top of each other. Recovering composer, and no doubt aware that his girlfriend was watching from the viewing tanks below, the braver bloke goaded some more, giving Chopper the one finger salute and banging his perspex shield. Chopper attacked again, his huge jaws slamming into the tank, the boys practically clambered up the side of the tank to get out. It was comical to watch in the cage but in real life they would have been dead in seconds with the crocs powerful jaws snapping them like twigs. An attack is something that can happen for real out on the

Adelaide River so we headed out that way in search of the real jumping crocs. If I’m honest I wasn’t that thrilled by the prospect of sitting in a boat watching crocs ‘jump’ out of the water for a piece of chicken dangling on a line.

I’d seen it before on every travel show about the Northern Territory but I do have to let you know, it is a completely different experience in real life. We went out with Jumping Crocodile Cruises (just off the Arnhem Highway on the way to Kakadu) on a single level boat (there are double storey boats but I would imagine the experience would be nowhere near as intimate) and set off down the murky river. What makes the whole experience rather creepy is that the crocs are actually fairly intelligent and they have you in their sights long before you even realise you’re being watched and, with more than 80,000 saltwater crocs roaming the waterways of Northern Australia, that’s a lot of beady eyes. We were told they can stalk a SELFINDULGED 49

campsite and will watch your movements, when you are at your most vulnerable they will strike with deadly force and amazing speed. Unsuspecting cattle popping down to the waters edge for a drink can find themselves at the top of the croc menu. The small section of the river that we cruised was full of crocs and we were advised to keep all body parts well within the boundaries of the boat and when we saw just how high these brutes can rise out of the water just on the strength of their tails it was easy to see how a limb could be ‘snapped’ off by the crocs hun18 SELFINDULGED

gry jaws. These ancient creatures command a healthy respect and, after seeing them in action in the river, they certainly had mine.

As we headed back to the safety of the hotel pool we passed a pub on the homeward bound stretch of Arnhem Highway it was called ‘The World Famous Humpty Doo Pub’. Humpty Doo is an outer suburb of Darwin. Of course, a name such as that warrants investigation so we pulled up. Now I’m not exactly sure what its world famous for and to be perfectly honest I was too

afraid to ask but the inside was fairly large with 5 hairy men in blue tank tops sitting at a picnic style bench in the middle of the pub....and that was it. It was one of those places where, when you walk in, everyone (well, the five locals) stops talking and a hush falls over the room until you order your drink and (if you’re smart) take it elsewhere. We ordered a pint which we took outside to the ‘beer garden’ and sipped our cool beverages in the yellow glow of insect repellent light bulbs surrounded by tin can ashtrays and flying nasties.

Although we had been on the road to Kakadu it was too far away to explore properly with our limited time so we opted for the next best option, Litchfield National Park. We joined some friends for an overnight camping trip and headed to a lesser known spot called Walkers Creek. There are eight campsites that can be claimed on a first come first served basis. What our friends (and I use that term loosely) had failed to tell us was that the campsite they selected was campsite number seven, a one and a half kilometre trek up a very steep hill in 98% humidity. I was carrying a SELFINDULGED 19

“ Litchfield National Park

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I was assured that crocs can’t climb and that these waterfalls were absolutely croc proof.

ridiculous amount of water for an overnight stay (two 5 litre tubs stretching my arms to Neanderthal proportions) and the boys had a ridiculous amount of beer for an overnight stay in an esky chock full of heavy ice. The climb took well over an hour and we cursed and sweated and drank half the water supply on the way up.

TOP WEBSITES FOR THE TOP END

And then we arrived.

The campsite was beautiful, we had our own waterhole that was part of a gentle waterfall system which, we discovered, allowed all eight campsites their own private bathing spot. The water was crystal clear and trickling into another pool just below. I was assured that crocs can’t climb and that these waterfalls were absolutely croc proof. Dripping with sweat and burning up, that is all the persuasion I needed. We pitched the tent and spent the rest of the afternoon lazing in the beautiful cool waters...emerging occasionally for another beer so the load would be lightened for the trip down the next day. Florence Falls, Wangi Falls, the Cascades, are all stunning waterfalls just waiting to offer relief from the harsh NT weather. It was the last chance to bathe before the wet arrived making these waterways unsafe until the dry season returned along with the masses.

Our final night in Darwin was spent at the Ski Club at Fannie Bay. Located at one of the most beautiful positions on Darwin Harbour we watched another red disc slide into the sea behind a curtain of Pandanas trees. The only thing wrong with this venue was the food. We’d been warned by locals so we were prepared. I ordered the madras and enquired if I could have it extra spicy to which I was promptly told “no, you can have it as it comes”, and that’s just the way Darwin is. Take it or leave it, love it or hate it you have to take it as it comes. Take the crocs with the sunsets, take the humidity with the cool relief of Litchfield, take the dodgy madras with the soup bowl of coffee. One thing I will be taking is another trip up there.

tourismtopend.com.au great resource for tourist info!

Want to know how to make that fantastic Green Pawpaw salad? Then check out this recipe at Thaitable.com...just remebr they’ve gotta be green. The orange ones are sweet and too ripe!

Nothing to do with the place, but the DARWIN awards are always great for a giggle!

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G N I S O L C L I R P A h t 5 PANO AWA1 RDS 2011

OF THE YEAR - TPOTY

S N o ITi

web. e th n o d n fi i that s n o ti e p m o c y . s ie tr n u ograph o c ic if c e from sp y tr n e w o ll a fully! s n io it e only d n o c & terms ir e th f o ll a d you rea GOOD LUCK!

NEW YOR K PHOTO AWARDS

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f l e s

INDULGED’S The www is a huge resource of cools sites and info especially when it comes to travel and photography. Each issue I’ll be featuring 7 cool websites that I use/like or have recently discovered. Click on the image to visit the site.

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SITES fe.org is worldwildli e to visit th g a im e th Click on resources. d n a fo in ll or website fu ve a tiger?

Want to sa Do it here.

timeanddate.com Find out the times for sunrise and sunset in cities all over the world. Great for catching the light in ‘the magic’ hours.

TPOTY. Not only a great competition but if you check out the past winners it’s a great source of inspiration too.

Cool travel blog...with a name like Bacon is MAgic how could it not be?

Free photoshop tutorials...yes...I said FREE. Check it out - you’re bound to learn something!

A LEGO a day...one of my absolute favourite blog sites. One lego photo each and every day...now that is commitment.

What? You didn’t think I’d miss my own site out did you?

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gizmos, gadgets & good stuff!

This is a cool idea...I think? just not sure how well it would work but for $30 I’d probably give it a go. It’s a solar powered light inside a drink bottle. Does it all go dark when you screw off the cap to take a sip? www.sollight.com

It’s not very oftern you seeing something unique. These beautiful bracelets are hand made to order and can be plain or with images. Love the quirkiness of these. www.etsy.com

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Although I don’t condone pulling Yoda’s head off it’s a neccessary evil with these cool Star Wars USB drives. They come in 2GB and 4GB. www.kaboodle.com

An oldie but a goodie. I’ve put these up on my blog in the past, they are coffee mugs cleverly designed as camera lenses. Just don’t get confused and put the coffee onto your real lens. You can now get thermos flasks...as if I don’t have enough to lug around already! www.canonmugs.com

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find me on www.facebook.com/selfindulgedmag

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Issue 4 will be coming to you from China. Due out on the 1st of July 2011

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“Not all who wander are lost.” ~ J. R. R. Tolkien