G'day Guys.,

In mid 2001, I wandered off and spent some time in Fiji. I arrived in Nadi, headed out to Lautoka and had some good times with the local Sikhs and Fijians, then on to Ba, took a local bus and a ferry to Nabouwalu, had a great time and found some new mates in Labasa, grabbed another ferry in Savusavu, did Suva in a day (it rained and rained and rained - but it was fun to walk in a tropical rainstorm) and then meandered along the south coast and got back to Nadi in a couple of days. I even stayed overnight at the delightful resort that was written about by Geoff Raymond in the wonderful travellers' tale ‘Footprints in Fiji’. On getting back to Sydney, I headed off at once and did Melbourne, Horsham, Adelaide, got to Alice Springs on the Ghan, grabbed a tour and spent some time wandering about in Kings Canyon, enjoying the wonders of Uluru (Ayers Rock), and even had a day at Kata Tjuta (the Olgas), coach to Darwin, back down to Katherine, brief stay in Alice Springs again, Coober Pedy, Adelaide again, train back to Melbourne, coach to Sydney. On the top of my list of experiences is the swimming (Oz and Fiji), meeting the Jail Dog on the bus, the Aboriginal tours of Litchfield National Park near Darwin (Cheers William) and Manyallaluk (The Dreaming Place) near Katherine, and the awesome bushwalking around Uluru.

Labasa Club - This bar is dedicated to those merry souls who make drinking a pleasure who reach contentment before capacity and what-ever they drink can take it and remain gentlemen.

Thanks to everyone I met along the way, thanks for all the good times and talks, thanks for letting me share something of your travels. Cheers.

July '02.


Jail Dogs and Aussie Wanderings