29/4/2005
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VINCENT
So if you're quitting the life, what'll you do?
JULES
That's what I've been sitting here contemplating. First, I'm gonna
deliver this case to Marcellus. Then, basically, I'm gonna walk the earth.
VINCENT
What do you mean, walk the earth?
JULES
You know, like Caine in "KUNG FU." Just walk from town to town, meet
people, get in adventures.
VINCENT
So you decided to be a bum?
JULES
I'll just be Jules, Vincent - no more, no less.
(Pulp Fiction)
Well, at long last, I've finally made it out the door. It's only early days so I haven't really met any people or had any adventures yet; I've basically been trying to settle into the life of the bum, and come to grips with what I'm actually doing.
I started off on Monday arvo, and drove up to Noosa, which upon first glance is a town composed entirely of expensive resorts, upmarket seafood restaurants, old people, poms, kids and ice cream parlours. It's nice, but is also expensive.
The first night I just checked in to a random place, rather than doing the sensible thing and checking my maps and Lonely Planet guide, but it was dark and I was pretty tired, so I ended up staying at the illustrious Noosa Pde Holiday Inn. I guess I figured that the words "Holiday Inn" would mean it was slightly dodgy and therefore cheap, but in Noosa it's all relative.
The aim was primarily to have a decent place to stay on the first night, and have access to a phone line so I could dial up to the net and write my column and catch up on email. Unfortunately the magic Telstra dial-anywhere-in-oz-for-a-local-call number didn't work, and whilst my laptop picked up two wireless networks they were both just out of range (and probably secured), so no hot nerd action occurred.
The next morning I relocated to the caravan park, and inflated my air mattress, which, incidentally, takes about 700 strokes of my inadequate (for the purpose) bicycle pump to do. One can do it sitting down thankfully, but it's still a pretty good workout for the triceps. I think I'll be leaving it largely inflated for the duration; I can get exercise more productively.
After that I felt a swim was in order, so I biked down to the local touristy beach and floated around for a while. It's not quite open ocean so there was no surf to speak of at all, but the bottom dropped off really quickly and so there weren't too many people far out from the shore (the kiddies and pasty poms preferring to brave the deep).
Back at the caravan park I explored a bit and had a photo shoot with some obliging pelicans (see attached), and then I slept in the car for the first time; all up it's fairly comfy, if a little cramped.
I was also pleased to note that, despite the fact that it pissed down with rain for half the night, I have no leaks, and nothing got wet (even with the back hatch of the car open slightly).
I've relocated now to a nearby spot, Peregian Beach, which has a slightly cheaper caravan park and actual surf, although it lacks just about anything else. That's fine though, I'm still planning where to go and a bit of quiet time is in order.
Last night sampled the fine cuisine at the local bowls club. And of course I had to have a cheap beer.
Today I went for a longish walk in Noosa National Park. Explored for a while, took a few pictures, didn't see much wildlife though, except for a few other tourists. But still a nice day.
I think I'll stay here another day and work out where to head next, then head there. Such is life.
Hope all is well back in the world. Email is going to be sporadic, but there's always the phone if anyone wants me in a hurry. So far, so good!
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