An update on the last month of travelling...

Hi guys.

Its time for another update on how my travels are going. At the time of my last update I was just finishing up in Munduburra and waiting to set off on the next phase of traveling... (at least thats where I think I got up to...)

Anyway, eventually we successfully set off on the road again. The last few of my farming pics went up ( http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=107687&id=673491291&l=fe0b06808b ), and a whole new album was started!

The pics from the new album are here ( http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=120860&id=673491291&l=3ca85267a9 ) though I haven't finished uploading them yet (the internet is a bit patchy around here!)

So the first couple of days were a bit of a slog. We travelled over 1200 km over these 2 days! Skipping over large parts of the middle of the coast of queensland. Our first major destination was Airlie Beach. From here we took a cruise to the Whitsundays. This was expensive, but worth it! And it also warranted an album all of its own! ( http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=116649&id=673491291&l=54f9fd2d1b )

After this we took it fairly easily... heading up the coast until we reached Townsville. We took a couple of days out to explore Townsville... and also took a diving trip to the SS Yongala shipwreck, which was an amazing experience all of its own. There were huge fish down there (as big as a car), rays, sharks, turtles, sea snakes... pretty much anything you could wish for!

After this we continued our journey North along the coast... stopping off at various beaches along the way. There are some beautiful deserted beaches to camp on along this stretch of the coast.


The next major stop off was Cairns. This is a glitzy place, and very expensive... so we didn't stay for too long. We did stop for long enough to check out a jazz concert in the botanical gardens though...


North of Cairnes was Port Douglas... we stopped there, but only briefly. It seemed very nice, but time was pressing by this point so we continued north to Tribulation Point... We travelled as far north as you can get with a 2 wheel drive car, so we decided to head back south and start the journey west...

The atherton tablelands is the first place that you arrive at. This seems like a very nice area. Very green and lush, with lots of waterfalls dotted about the place. We had a day when we saw 4 waterfalls in one day!

Past this things started to get dryer and less populated. The towns that looked big on the map turned out to be a few houses and maybe half a general store. The economy of these small towns seemed to be supported mostly by the petrol stations...

Worth mentioning on this route is Gregory Downs. The official camp site here is not too impressive, but down by the river is a beautiful place to camp and go for a swim. People kept on talking about the crocs... but we didn't see any.

Another couple of days saw us cross the border into the northern Territory. The first impression of this place is of nothing... as far as the eyes can see... in fact we passed an information board that said that what the place was notable for was that nothing had happened there geologically for over 500 million years!

ding North once more the landscape became slowly lusher and lusher. The camping here was amazing. It seemed like every day we were camping near a thermal spring and daily swims seemed almost normal!

Finally we approached civilization again. Katherine was a bit of a disappointment. We were so craving a Macdonalds! If only for the free internet there! There was a thermal springs, so that kind of made up for it.

We took our time to the next few places, travelling a couple of hundred km a day, visiting places of interest, slowly making our way to Darwin.

That was a couple of days ago... now we are living on the mango farm... waiting for the season to start properly. Life seems pretty good here, and I'm certain that we will be EXTREMELY busy pretty soon... but that is all for the next update (and photo album)

Thats you all up to date now. Take it easy y'all.

Trev x

PS. If you haven't recieved your post card yet it is on its way. If you haven't requested one yet... then feel free to send me youre address, but it might be a while before I have enough time to sit down and write cards....

Update on the last 6 months!

Hi guys.

After a long time of neglecting my travelling group, I've decided to keep you up to date on what I've been up to recently.

I've now been in Australia for the past 6 months. It has made a refreshing change from Asia. Much as I love South East Asia, and spending time there, it was only when I arrived in Australia that I realised how crowded, dirty and, to be frank, smelly much of Asia is! Arriving in Sydney was like returning home, but returning to a much hotter home. :)

I attended the Salsa Congress in Sydney ( http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=74878&id=673491291&op=18 ) which was lots of fun. Then after a couple of weeks of trying to get a job I gave up on Sydney and deciced to head up the coast to Brisbane.

I was excited to arrive in Brisbane because it ave me a chance to finally meet the infamous Jan, a girl that I had spoken to a ridiculous amount over the previos year, but never actually met (due to living on the other side of the word...).

In Brisbane I picked up a job inside one week. It wasn't the most glamorous job ever, but it got me out in the fresh air, gave me plenty of excercise, and allowed me to improve my people skills. I was door to door selling electricity around the suburbs of Brisbane. ( http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=79336&id=673491291&op=12 )

I was doing this for around 3 months, in which time I found myself a flat to live in. It was a great job, and I met lots of interesting people, and even sold them some electricity.

At the start of may I was pretty excited because Nam was coming to Australia for the next phase of my travelling. We first met (in Australia) at a Latin Dance Camp in the Gold Coast. Loads of fun, and it was fun to be finally dancing again. :D

Then Nam came up to Brisbane and the last half of May was mostly taken up with trying to find a camper van to take us around australia!

We finally picked up this little van ( http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=2327753&l=b3184bd13c&id=673491291 ) and it was time to start our adventure.... Well, it would be if it wasn't for the little matter of getting the van roadworthy and transfering the registration over to our names. Australians are crazy for red tape! It took us almost a month and a half to sort out these little bits of paper!!

Once we were finally free to travel we were just about running out of cash, so we decided to head north and start doing some fruit picking. And that brings us pretty much up to the present. We spent a month in Gayndah, picking and packing oranges. Then a couple of weeks in Mundubbura, thinning peaches.

Over te next few weeks we plan to head to the Northern Territory an do some mango picking. The weather will be even hotter, and sweatier, and the work will be hard, but it should be fun, and of course I will be taking lots of pictures to show you all what I'm up to.

Anyway, I really must be off. I hope you are all enjoying your lives as much as I am enjoying mine. :)

All the best.

Trev

PS. I will be sending out some post-cards soon, so if any of you want one then can you mail me with your address and I'll send one out to you as soon as I can.

Teddy bear orgy...

When we got back to the van one time Trevor was hanging with his bi@ches...

What can I say? Naughty Trev!

Strawberry fields forever.

I went strawberry picking the other day. it was a fun experience and it made me think of going strawberry picking when I was a kid. Sunny days, school holidays, all that stuff.

It occured to me while I was there that going strawberry picking is a bit like an all you can eat buffet... with only one course. In fact you could buy a kilo of strawberries for $10, or pick your own, for $11... So of course you have to make it worth your while.

Another realisation that struck me while I was there is that strawberries are much like people. In that the really tastey ones are often the ones that are shaped slightly strangely, wheras the perfect looking ones are somehow bland tasting and hardly worth picking in the end.

Just thought I'd share those insights with you, and also let you know that if I see another strawberry in the next few months I may throw up/explode/eat it... one of the three...

Trevors Travels

I'm not sure if you guys are aware but I have been sharing my travels with someone very close to me. He has been at my side the whole time, climbing up mountains, flying in planes, riding on trains, camping in jungles... in fact, he has seen it all.

This little guy is the same age as me, and remarkably he also has the same name! Here is little Trev.

Integral awards night...

Last night was the Integral (or Smart group) awards night.

For those of you that don't know this is the company that I am currently working for, doing direct sales, door to door, selling electricity.

There was a huge bar tab laid on, so obviously everyone there got pretty drunk. The pictures can be found here.

As you can probably see, a good night was had by all... Unfortunately I didn't get an award, but as I pointed out, if I was to win an award then it would be a pretty poor lookout for the rest of the company, baring in mind my average sales at best!

What I did get was thrown out of the bar! I think this is the first tie this has happened to me since my uncles stag party in Glasgow. And this time, like that time, I was thrown out for being with the wrong person...

At my uncles stag party the wrong person was my uncle! He got himself into some trouble (I think he threw a drink over someone) and the bouncers saw and threw him out. Unfortunately (or possibly fortunately, because if I hadn't been with him we would have had no idea where he was), I was with him, and so I also got thrown out. It would be more accurate to say that I followed him out, but of course the bouncers wouldn't let me back in to the club once I was outside. My uncle managed to get himself arrested that time! I had managed to stop him from attacking the bouncers, and turned my back for a split second to try and get a message passed inside, and my uncle had thrown himself at the bouncers once again! Idiot! So I had a fun night waiting in a police station trying to get him out before his wedding started!

Anyway, back to last night... I was with one of my friends (who shall remain nameless to protect the guilty), and he was totally wasted! I dunno how much he had had to drink, but he was attracting attention inside the bar from the barstaff and security. I managed to persuade him that it would be a good idea if he stopped drinking and probably left the bar, and was walking withh him to the door, to make sure he got out safely.

However, when I was within about 3 meters of the door one of the bouncers, grabbed my arm and told me that i was to leave as well! I can asure you that I wasn't THAT drunk... I was drunk, sure, but certainly not to the level of being too drunk to be in a bar. You try telling that to a bouncer though. He manhandled me to the door, and as I was stepping outside he gave me a shove on the back so I missed my footing and ended up twisting my ankle! My friend (the nameless one) wasn't too impressed with the way i was being treated, so he started to have a go at the bouncer. Luckily my experience all of those years ago payed off, and I bundled him away, across the road, and round the corner. Never argue with bouncers... it is pointless...

After various shenanagans in the center of town, I decided that i would walk home. A decision I've come to regret since waking up in the morning with my foot in complete agony, and looking like it has been through a mangle!



I'm really hoping that it gets better quickly! I'm supposed to be going to a theme park tomorrow, and I don't fancy limping around all day!

Thats not to mention if it is still bad next Tuesday, work will be no fun at all!

So... does anyone know if it is a bad sign if your twisted ankle brings out bruising?

All about myself...

I found these interesting. Various web sites trying to tell me all about myself based on the most tenuous of evidence...

This one is "New Astrology", which is basically combining Western and Chinese astrology to create more detailed predictions...

The Aquarius/Goat

Vibrant and enchanting, these Goats are able to convince great crowds of people of their usefulness in politics, the arts or even in big business. Unlike most Goats, these people carve out their own destinies. They are likely to marry early and often. [sounds good so far]

Detailed Description
THE INVENTIVE FUTURIST
Aquarius weds the Goat. Clarity and sensitivity, knowledge and whimsy. This solid marriage of complementary signs is rich with possibilities. Aquarius brings a dowry of independence to the inconsistent Goat, whose byword is dependency. Goat carries emotional depth with him to the wedding. This Aquarius can feel more profoundly than most. And his Goat identity benefits from an electrical charge of true Aquarian autonomy. This person will be gifted for futuristic planning, oblivious to social criticism, and capable of maddening individuality. Invention belongs to this person. He or she can imagine novel solutions to common problems and work through weeks night and day getting the concept on its feet. And Love? The poor Aquarius/Goat never seems to get enough of it. He gobbles sex. He is known to be fickle and further not to understand why his mate is jealous. He's not jealous. He's openhearted and free thinking. Marriage for this person is iffy at best. [Also scarily accurate!]

Positive Traits
VISION	WHIMSY
ORIGINALITY	INVENTION
INDEPENDENCE	PERSEVERANCE
INDIVIDUALITY	GOOD MANNERS
CHARITY	SENSITIVITY
TOLERANCE	TASTE

Negative Traits
THOUGHTLESSNESS	WORRY
ECCENTRICITY	PARASITISM
CRUELTY	TARDINESS
NEUROSIS	LACK OF FORESIGHT
SEPARATENESS	PESSIMISM
DISOBEDIENCE	IMPRACTICALITY

My Chinese Element
EARTH
Earth's favorite color is ochre which represents the equanimity between beginnings and endings. The weather of Earth is mild or temperate. In the human body, Earth influences spleen, pancreas and mouth. Earth's two opposite but equal forces which need to be kept in constant balance are impovement and meddling. In general, Earth gives care and allows for growth and improvement. But, Earth may also seek to control, hence snuffing out progress. Earth people are gifted for fairness and have the ability to commit themselves to protracted projects and complete Herculean tasks with ease. They must struggle against a penchant for worry. [This sounds good, like the sort of thing I'd like to believe]

To be honest I quite like this one (apart from the negative traits!). It seems reasonably accurate. Comments welcome.

As for the next one, you'll have to thank Jan for this one. It is based on Numerology, which can be reliably used to predict anything about anything!

How they figure out these number isn't worth going into. But here is what mine said about me...

What Does Your Life Path Say About You?

Many number ones stumble early in life because they have a habit of biting off more than they can chew....

Trevor, your Life Path of 1 ...

Your life path number is number 1, and so you are probably also blessed with a great drive and burning desire to be "number one" at whatever you do. Unfortunately, your competitive spirit sometimes gets you into trouble with friends and family, as work and ambition take precedence over emotional relationships. [Anyone that knows me knows this is clearly bollocks]

You have a great faith in yourself that often achieves result despite great odds ... yet at the same time, has you often accused of having an enormous ego. However, in your defense, it is that enormous ego that gives you the daring and courage to change everybody's life for the better. [Sounds good, I'll go along with this]

You have probably been born into one of two life paths. Either you have been born into wealth and privilege and coddled by lucky circumstances into becoming "great" in some way or you are thriving despite great challenges such as poverty and war. The number 1 is the number of the hero and this is why you find many disabled as well as super achievers (such as military leaders and business magnates) born under this life path number. [sounds good, like the sort of think anyone would want to agree with]

You are also usually blessed with good health, vitality and endless inspiration. Your number is very connected with the divine and you often feel especially connected to God or your subconscious mind. However, as you are such an individualist, this insistence on listening to your hunches often make you appear irrational or even insane to others, that is, until the direction of your gut instincts pays off and all benefit. [Another one that 90% of people can agree with]

Although you are capable of rising to great heights when it comes to career or athletics, you are also capable of great falls. However, as you are also an innovative and resourceful individual you have the uncanny ability to "make lemons out of lemonade" and start again from scratch. [again, probably applies to anyone]

Despite your main personally blessing, you might also feel as if you face more challenges or obstacles in life than others do. Karmically, many number 1's spend their early years learning not to be dependent on others as fate throws difficult relationships and situations their way. If you feel cursed or that you have a bad luck, that is very characteristic of number ones whose life lessons are usually about "letting go", "releasing control" and "overcoming great odds." [Another universal quality... can anyone say that they didn't face challenges when they were young that they had to overcome...]

As a number 1 you may also need to watch a tendency towards arrogance or over confidence. Many number ones stumble early in life because they have a habit of biting off more than they can chew. Often you are perceived as odd, controlling or self-centered by others. However often these are traits are forgiven as others also recognize that your talents outshine those of the ordinary mortal. [I think some may agree with this one :^p]

Of all the numbers, you are the one that values individuality, privacy and ethics more than anything. This is why so many of you become business, political and spiritual leaders. You tend to have faith in yourself, more than you do others, and make a better leader than a team player. You are best suited to occupations that allow you to work on your own or be the big boss. [maybe]

Being a number 1, you are also likely to achieve some measure of fame in your life. This is because you are destined to be "the one that is loved by all" as opposed to "the one that is loved by one other." It sometimes takes number ones a lifetime to realize that being adored by many is not such a bad thing. [sounds awesome... must be true!]

What a Number '6' Expression Says About You

You are naturally full of vitality and enthusiasm. You exude a personal charisma that makes members of the opposite sex consider you to be a "catch."... [hahahahahaha...]

Trevor, your Expression of 6 ...
Your Potential Natural Talents and Abilities

You are a peace loving, harmonious individual who is a natural born diplomat. You detest conflict and will bend over backwards to make others happy. The ultimate height of your personal self expression is healing. Nothing gives you more satisfaction then knowing you have corrected a situation that was whirling out of balance. [Yup, well, maybe making a good meal gives me more satisfaction...]

You express who you are by caring for others. This is why so many sixes are doctors, healers, counselors, psychologists, policeman and therapists. Your philosophy usually relates to the idea that the world can be healed of all its ills if we heal one person at a time. [i always knew i should have been a doctor... pfft]

You have a brilliant, creative mind and many different talents but chances are you will forsake a career in the limelight to work in humble, yet helpful occupations. You are quite philosophical and believe that one should sacrifice oneself for the good of all. [no idea about this]

You excel at making others feel good about themselves and have the ability to instill new hope in lost hearts with a kind touch or wise words. You are also a very affectionate person and comfort others with your easygoing nature. Others are attracted by your empathy and your friends often seek you out for advice.

You make a wonderful parent and teacher and have a way with children. At some point in your life you may find yourself coaching, mentoring or adopting a child or a teenager.

You are naturally full of vitality and enthusiasm. You exude a personal charisma that makes members of the opposite sex consider you to be a "catch." Once you are caught you are usually loyal to that one person for your entire life. [note how this contradicts the top section...]

Honesty and openness is very important in your relationships and if someone breaches your trust you are not likely to speak to them ever again. You consider yourself to be a very ethical and moral individual and are deeply pained by any situation that falls into a moral gray area. [nah..]

You are also deeply spiritual and have a great faith in a higher power. However when that power seems to let you down you have the power to spiral down into a deep depression. As you are all about balance, you are a nightmare to be with when life knocks you out of balance. You may express your bitterness at being let down by God with addiction, codependent or destructive behaviors.

Sometimes you may also mistakenly believe that your mission on earth is to set things right. This can lead to a fanatical need to prove a point or get revenge on the individuals or organizations that you think are causing the disharmony for yourself and others in the first place. Many activists and cult leaders are number 6's who have succumbed to this kind of black and white thinking. [wtf?]

On a less extreme level, your concern for others may be perceived as interfering or meddling as you just can't help yourself when it comes to helping others. One of your life challenges is to let others make their own mistakes rather than trying to save them from themselves. [*shifty eyes...*]

You often dress conservatively and are humble in your appearance. This is because you spend so much time focusing on others rather than yourself. Ironically, you may be good at caring for others but not so good at caring for yourself. If you are a six it is important for you to take time out to pamper yourself every now and then as your tendency to overwork yourself can lead to health problems in the future. [about as wrong as it is possible to be!]

Trevor, your Soul Urge of 6 ...

What You Desire To Be, To Have, and To Do In Your Life

Your soul urge is to nurture and take care of others. You love people and believe the greatest expression of your inner divinity is through teaching and guidance. Many of you are very maternal or paternal at an early age and are often regulated, by default to the role of advisor or therapist in your social life.

Unfortunately your willingness to take on other people's burdens threatens your romantic relationships. This is because you are often perceived as a friend or a helper rather than as an object of desire. The result is that many sixes end up with broken hearts simply because others simply could not recognize their empathy as being an expression of love and desire.

Part of your challenge in life is to learn how to make yourself more sexually attractive to others. Often this means learning the brutal rules of the game of love, which in courtship often mean practicing a certain kinds of power plays and being mysterious. The mistake that you often make is letting yourself be too available to the person you are trying to attract. As the object of desire realizes that you are willing to be there for them no matter what, they take it for granted that you will settle for less. It is often a six who will spend a year comforting someone they are attracted to in the hopes the person will recognize their good heart, only to be dismayed when they are thanked for all their kind support and the person moves onto a romance with someone else.

Your candidness and forthright manner is also a drawback romantically as others are turned off by your dogmatic approach. As you tend to discuss everything about yourself with a member of the opposite sex, there is little mysterious or sexy about you. Spilling your guts does not help you professionally either, as it encourages others to steal your ideals. Part of your inner struggle might be fighting your urge to connect so intimately with every single person you meet. One way to combat this is to make an effort to be a little more stand offish and play your cards close to your chest, especially when it comes to romance.

As you are a very sensitive and compassionate person you tend to take things very personally. When others let you down you have a tendency to retreat from society and nurse your wounds. Often when a six decides to play the victim in a relationship he or she is met with very little sympathy or help. This is ironic as sixes are so eager to help others and comfort them when they are down and out. The cosmos presents you with this type of situation so that you are forced to heal yourself with the same type of focus and devotion that you use to heal others.

If you feel yourself succumbing to a tendency to isolate yourself or find yourself succumbing to addiction or depression your best course of action is to forget about yourself entirely and go out and make an effort to help someone less fortunate than you. This teaches you to be helpful to people you are not attracted to as sixes have a way of only making themselves useful to individuals that they find attractive or desire.

The very highest calling of your soul urge number is to renounce sex and relationships altogether and devote your life to a religious or spiritual practice. [actually.. this all sounds about right... apart from the last bit!!!!]

As far as I can tell this is about as wrong as it is possible to be while making up a load of random statements and trying to apply them to someone..

So, the moral of the storey; Astrology is ok, i guess (and can be found through my profile on facebook)... Numerology is bollocks... but feel free to check it out..