G'day! I'm Chris. I left my home in rural Australia back in 2007 to pursue a life less ordinary.
I specialize in ambitious travel - bucket list worthy journeys such as the Great US Road Trip, the ultimate African safari, and following the length of the Silk Road.
This guest post comes from the cool cats at eHarmony Australia. Over the past year I’ve been a member of eHarmony.com (I only closed my profile last week) and it’s a service that I’ve derived a lot of positive experiences from. Online dating definitely has its place in the hustle and bustle of the modern dating scene.
I’ve met over a dozen girls, had a few first kisses, a lot of memorable dates, and even made a good friend out of it all. While I never did end up meeting the girl of my dreams, it was a fun experiment and I daresay I might have had more lucky had I not been so focused on being anywhere but Australia.
So, without further ado, here’s a piece from the people at eHarmony on the dating scene in the land downunder.
A Guide to Going Out Downunder
We Aussies have a pretty decent reputation for enjoying a good night out. Or a good night out that runs into the next morning. (I’ve had a few of those.) When you look at what’s on offer, though, you can understand why this might be – there’s something for every taste.
Whether you like a slightly grimy, laid-back pub to meet up with friends over a cold one, a suave bar to test the waters with the local talent, an eclectic nightclub for a memorable first date, or a club for a proper evening of hardcore dancing, you’ll find something for a great night out.
Unlike chilly European nights, for instance, in the summer months it often stays warm enough at night that you want to be outside enjoying it. And you’ll find most places will have an indoor/outdoor option – whether it’s a beer garden, a rooftop swimming pool or a courtyard, there’s plenty of space to enjoy the weather as well as the atmosphere.
Sydney
Photo by Malcolm Tredinnick
Everyone knows Sydney town – Australia’s truly international city. It’s all about new experiences. What’s on the agenda? Exploring the city, partying hard and having a great time. Big club and pubs like Ivy on George St or the Argyle in The Rocks tend to attract huge crowds, and Oxford Street is the hub of all partying, with plenty of mainstream and alternative clubs pumping out tunes all night long.
Melbourne
The most “European” feeling of the Aussie capital cities, Melbourne has underground and secret bars galore. If you’re going out with someone new you met at work or through online dating Melbourne offers some places sure to impress. For a touch of class you could go to Gin Palace, or if Astroturf and garden furniture tickles your fancy, Madame Brussels also does great cocktails. Section 8 is a bar in a shipping container, and my personal favourite, 1806, has the history of every cocktail it serves on the menu.
Adelaide
It’s pretty hard to find a club open beyond 1 or 2am in Adelaide, which is maybe a little more refined, but you will find some ace wine, oyster and champagne bars in both the middle of town and the suburbs, as well as some proper Aussie pubs, like the Grace Emily, which does a lot of live music and cheap beer. With lots of vineyards within an hour’s drive of the city, there’s a great wine culture, and boy do they love their food.
Brisbane
Brisbane has come a long way recently, particularly with its riverside precinct. It’s got some great restaurants and pubs, not to mention a thriving club scene.
Whether it’s a geeky gamer/cocktail bar like Mana Bar or the upscale class of Cloudland Bar, Brisbane is fast developing into a city with a night life to rival the other Aussie state capitals.
Friends sometimes complain that it’s not the easiest to meet people looking for relationships in Aussie clubs, but they’re tried and tested locations to hold first dates. For those who met either through friends or a dating website, Australia has a plenty of low-key places to go on the first few dates – and then you can start hitting the clubs!
In case you’ve been living underneath a rock of late, I guess I should break the news that I’m moving to Nanjing, China for the next twelve months to work as an ESL teacher and return to the expat lifestyle that my two years in South Korea taught me to love so much.
Like so many things when it comes to employment in Asia, it’s been a case of slowly, slowly followed by the sudden, frantic period of GO GO GO GO GO GO GO! I waited and ummed and ahhed for a week or so wondering when I might get the call telling me I was expected in China, and then suddenly it was all happening around me.
This time in three weeks, I’ll be in a strange new apartment in a strange new city in a strange new country.
And I couldn’t be more excited.
The What
Alas, my Uni students won't be quite this cute 🙁
I’ll be joining a motley crew of fellow Aussies working in a university pathways program in the historic city of Nanjing (formerly Nanking) in China’s east. With a population of five million (eight million including metro), it’s slightly bigger than Sydney.
In doing my research I’ve learned a little about the city’s long and storied history, gasped in horror at the events of the Nanjing Massacre, and been pleasantly surprised to learn that the city actually boasts an Australian bar that sells meat pies and Aussie beer. Winning!
Maybe I won’t be without good pub food this year after all?
The situation couldn’t be much better for me. I’ll be working with older students who actually want to learn; I’ll be working with a group of expats; I’ll be getting eight weeks paid vacation; working less hours than I do now; and getting a chance to explore of the most ancient and fascinating countries in the world.
Oh, and they’re NRL fans – so I won’t miss any of what is shaping to be a banner year for the Newcastle Knights. And don’t worry about Facebook or Twitter – I’ll get around that…
The pay might not be what I’ve come to expect from South Korea or Australia, but I’m anticipating my cost of living will be much lower. More than enough for me to afford a few trips to South East Asia, Korea, Japan, or maybe even the US in 2012 if time allows.
The When
I tap this entry out at the desk that will be mine for only two more days. I’m back in on Sunday and then on Tuesday, and then it’s off to farewell drinks that I won’t partake in, but will still enjoy.
I may gripe from time to time about being fed up with customers or how my work hours detract from my ability to socialize, but I’ll genuinely miss the place. I’ve come to enjoy the laid back atmosphere and the cool people who work here, and the social scene has beaten out any I’ve experienced in any of my previous jobs.
Free cotton candy and popcorn at work!
You can’t knock back a job that has, to date, given me free: donuts, fairy floss (cotton candy), ice cream, soda, pizza, popcorn, candy, cupcakes, massages, pancakes, sandwiches, pasta, Turkish food, bangers & mash, pavlova, meat pies, beer, jaeger bombs, Canadian Club & Coke, Red Bull, fruit, and basketball tickets.
And yet I’ve somehow managed to lose six kilograms since last July. Go me!
So, I finish up here on Tuesday and on Wednesday morning I’m catching the eight hour train ride from Sydney up to Ben Lomond so that I can see my family before I jet out. I’ve got an adorable nephew that needs hugging, brothers who I’m dying to kick a footy around with, a sister I’ll need to shoot the shit with, and parents I’ll have to get ample hugs off before I’m deprived of them for a year.
Less than a week at home and then it’s back to Sydney to submit my visa application, clear my stuff out of my house, and concentrate my life down into 20kgs and one pack.
I daresay I’ll find some room for a few last sleep-ins before I go too. 8am starts are going to be a real test on this here night owl.
The How
How did this all come about? Wasn’t I just talking about trips to Fiji and the US and ‘settling down’ to life here in Sydney a few weeks ago?
My family and I posing before I left for Korea in 2007
The Chris Walker-Bush is a capricious creature. He cannot be categorized or contained by conventional societal expectations. One day he might be daydreaming about a simple country life working at the newspaper in his home town, and the next he’s wondering how he’ll survive another day of humdrum ‘real world’ existence without fly-kicking some jive sucka.
A few months back Rob, an acquaintance from my time frequenting a rugby league forum, mentioned his school was hiring. I submitted my details and, lo, I’d been offered the gig!
Soon enough I was hurrying around printing out photocopies of degrees and passports; posing countless times for a visa photo that still made me look like a serial killer; and trying to explain to doctors why my medical check included checking for lepropsy and the plague.
You’ll all be relieved to know that I’m bubonic plague free since ’83. Take a number, ladies. I’m completely without buboes.
My last visit to China involved beaches and coconuts...
You can almost hear the campfires crackling and see tan skinned Indian children racing daringly along the narrow ledges of carved stone that separate the Indian cave dwellings from the sheer drop to the canyon floor.
The roofs of these ancient dwellings are still stained black from the smoke of countless campfires and despite the wages of time and careless tourists, the makeshift walls erected to create some modicum of privacy still stand after all these years.
Below us the canyon floor, thickly forested and alive with life, shows no signs that humankind ever called this secluded canyon home. Over seven hundred years have passed since the Sinagua people last bunked down in these secluded caverns, but you still get a sense of the people as you wander the quiet trails that lead around a pillar of rock known to locals as ‘the island’.
It’s a humbling experience.
Visiting Walnut Creek Canyon
It might sound like crazy talk, but years after the two day stint in which I visited both the Grand Canyon and Walnut Creek Canyon, it is my day spent exploring the ancient Indian cave dwellings that stays with me far better than the brilliant colors and sheer scale of the Grand Canyon.
Exploring the Grand Canyon was not an experience that touched me on any personal level. There was a startling majesty to the place and a beauty that cannot be denied, but it was hard to fully appreciate that as you fought your way through hordes of tourists with their cameras clicking as they tried to capture that elusive perfect picture of a Grand Canyon sunset.
Pulling into the car park of the Walnut Creek National Monument, it was clear we’d have the place largely to ourselves. A solitary crow cawed a greeting at us as we shrugged off sweaters in anticipation of the mile long round trip that would take us out to the island and back again.
The steep ascent on the return was a greater cause for concern than the distance.
Dense ponderosa forest crowds the canyon rim. The water source that the canyon provides in such a dry environment (Walnut Creek Canyon is south of Flagstaff on the road to Phoenix) makes this place something of an oasis in the dry Arizona environment. It’s no wonder the Sinagua people called this place home for so long.
We are briefed by a ranger in a small museum before we embark down the winding stairs that will lead us to the island. Along the way helpful plaques give information on the various forms of plants that grow along the trail as well as their uses to the Sinagua people during their time in the area. True to Native American tradition, the people took all they needed from the land they lived on. It was remarkable to learn just how much could be taken from such a dry and sparse place.
As we made our way down the stairs, we could spot cave dwellings in places seemingly impossible to reach.
I could imagine how this place must have looked at night. The sky littered with stars and the fat moon peering up over the canyon rim. Dozens of fires wink and dance around the island and in the canyon walls.
It must have been a strangely wonderful way to live. A sense of complete isolation while still being part of a close knit community. Your entire world would have existed within the walls of the canyon and the stream its walls sheltered. I’d only had that feeling once before, and that was paying a visit to isolated Unjusa in South Korea.
It was humbling for me – perched on a ledge underneath the scorching Arizona sun and imagining what it might have been like to live ina world so small. It’s a feeling our modern lives do not allow us most of the time.
We were joined by a chatty ranger as we made our way around the island and explored a few of the Indian cave dwellings up close. While most of them were little more than overhangs to which rudimentary work had been done to make them more hospitable, some had rudimentary walls put up. Ducking through the low doors to enter, you get a sense for how these spartan caves might have once felt like home.
Our walk took us past and through a dozen Indian cave dwellings and our ranger friend – in between talking about his favorite fantasy series – would also regale us with information on the way the tribe lived and his theories as to why they had to abandon such a sheltered location.
All too soon it was time for the long climb back up to the ranger station. With the sun beginning to set and the air turning cool, I cast one glance back at the island and the cliff-faces that were dotted with caves. The Sinagua people may have left over 700 years ago, but their mark on Walnut Creek Canyon remains.
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Sweet Lord, it’s been a while since the last Recommended Reads and you prolific sons of bitches churned out over 2000 new posts that I had to wade through on my way to compiling another bumper crop of Recommended Reads.
You may also have noticed that my posts have tapered off as the year has wound on, and that’s for a very good (and very obvious) reason: I’m not traveling.
While it’s true I live in a fascinating country full of opportunities, I also work full time and don’t earn enough to do what I’d like to do in this stupidly expensive country. I’ve also been focusing on the ol’ battle with the black dog – running, being more social, and trying to focus on the things in life I enjoy.
To that end, I’ve got some big news regarding my immediate future. In roughly 3-4 weeks I’ll be packing up my life here in Sydney, saying my goodbyes, and moving all the way to Nanjing (Nanking) in China to return to my life as an expat, ESL teacher, and habitual traveler. And I couldn’t be more excited.
But that’s for another entry.
On with the show.
The Reads
There is a truly epic 34 reads this week, so I hope your occipital lobes have been limbered up. There are four bloggers with double entries in the list this week; so congrats to A Dangerous Business, C’est Christine, D Travels ‘Round, and the Traveling Canucks for getting dual appearances in the list!
I always love reading Torre’s posts. She might not be out traveling quite as much as some of my other favorites, but whenever I read her stuff – I feel like I’m reading something I might have written.
Which, when she is a published author, a somewhat flattering comparison for me to draw, haha.
This entry deals with the attachments we attach to material things and the decision that Torre and her partner made to shed those burdens in favor of getting back out on the road again. An inspiring read for those making excuses not to go and do something with themselves.
My close personal friend Byron came out with this gem recently – a loose guide on how you can be a traveler rather than a tourist. I’m sure most of my readers can relate to what seasoned traveler, Byron has to say in this one.
On a personal note, I’m hoping my imminent return to Asia means more nights suited up and cruising shady dives with my old wingman.
I’m a sucker for a bit romance on the road. And I think my record speaks for itself when it comes to goodbyes and sadness on the road. Nicole shares a bit of her own travel romance and heartbreak before launching into a broader commentary on the idea of road romance on the whole.
It’s a topic very close to my own heart and she tops it all off with a beautiful bit of travel poetry. Just makes me want to give the travel bug a big hug.
We all daydream about a location independent lifestyle, and I know I’m perhaps guilty of imagining it as the end of all of my problems. This, obviously, isn’t the case.
Cameron and Nicole take a somewhat sobering look at the realities of location independence in this fantastic bit of Devil’s advocate writing.
I’m a little shocked that I’ve flown with Alaskan Airlines and wasn’t even aware they had prayer books, but Raymond from Man on the Lam noticed and he gives his thoughts on the airlines’ decision to finally stop issuing the prayer books on their flights after thirty years.
Raymond comments not only on the decision but also on the increasing political correctness that pervades Western society. An interesting discussion.
Not doing the things you love? The Matador Team have put together a moving slideshow of fifteen brave people who weren’t only doing what they loved – but who died doing what they loved. And really, is there a better way to go than doing what you love?
If you aren’t already familiar with Niall Doherty’s fantastic blog, you need to go and subscribe to his RSS feed now. He’s one of the best there is.
This post is an inspirational one – calling on us as readers to look at our lives and ask ourselves would we be happy with our lives if we were to die tomorrow? I can’t do the post justice. Go read it and prepare to have your view realigned.
Seattle has come to a bit of a crossroads, although I feel that at twenty four she’s come to it a bit earlier than she needs to worry about. I mean, if she’s worrying about starting a career and having a mortgage – what the hell am I doing with myself at 28?
But her post is frank and its heartfelt, and I’m sure all of us have at some point many of us have questioned just how realistic those daydreams of spending our lives traveling and travel blogging might be. A good read if you’ve ever harbored doubts, and I’m sure she’d appreciate your thoughts.
In stark contrast to Seattle’s earnest questioning of the lifestyle many of us dream of lading, the ever sage Dave Dean comes out and talks about how travel makes sense and how we’re all the people we were meant to be when we’re out on the road.
He says it more eloquently than I do, too.
With all of these wise posts, I’m beginning to think that maybe Lauren from Neverending Footsteps needs to watch her back. There’s room on my list for one more man crush…
Cross-dressing Craig approves of the following post
From the sick mind of Will Peach from Travel Sex Life and My Spanish Adventure comes this homoerotic display of unbridled man lust. Counting down the ten male travel bloggers he’d most like to bum, Will caused quite a stir amongst the blogging community and quite a stirring in my pants at the same time.
So weird it just had to have a category all of its own.
South East Asia has been on my mind a lot lately. With my new gig boasting eight weeks paid vacation, I’m aiming to spend at least four of those exploring the exotic beauty of steamy South East Asia.
(And I realize that sounded like some kind of euphemism…)
Marky, with his trademark flair for photography and descriptive prose, paints a vivid picture of the legendary market street in this one. Like I needed any more inspiration to visit.
A new addition to my RSS feed, (Michael) Turtle takes us to one of the world’s more bizarre places as he explores the lunar-like landscape of Ischigualasto National Park in Argentina. His photos paint a desolate landscape of craters and grey earth, and it’s not hard to imagine how the place might look and feel like the moon beneath starry skies.
Worth a look – both as an article and as a location.
The title is funnier than the entry, but there’s still a chuckle to be had as the vivacious girls from Miss Adventures recount their horror theft story when visiting Barcelona.
While I might disagree with Niko’s decision to leave Australia’s Great Barrier Reef off of her list of dive sites, I can’t fault any of her other choices. She’s put together some of the most stunning dive sites in the world. Any avid scuba fan should be bookmarking this page for future reference.
Nope, this one doesn’t have anything to do with the dynamite book by Stephen King and Peter Straub.
What it does have to do with is a gruesomely grim and gory spot in Thailand, laden with dark corners and grisly trophies. Me? I can’t wait to check it out first hand. A welcome return to the NE Voyage crew and their wonderfully eye catching layout.
Kings Canyon is truly one of Australia’s most breath-taking locations and one I sorely wish to visit someday. Laurence from Finding the Universe has compiled some great pictures that are only making that desire all the harder to resist.
Go look for yourself and you’ll see why Kings Canyon is appearing on more and more people’s Australian travel itineraries.
I’m glad I re-read this one on a full stomach, because otherwise I would be ravenous. Colin serves up a veritable banquet of delectable dishes guaranteed to get saliva flowing and stomachs rumbling.
Having just had (and loved) Brazilian food this past Thursday, I’m intrigued to find there’s apparently something even more delicious out there.
Another new addition to my ever growing RSS collection, Laurel is out traveling Europe and having all kinds of adventures.
This entry finds her exploring what might literally be the coolest village in the world – an igloo village. I’ve stayed in underground hotels, but this takes it to strange new places. Love it!
Swimming with the beautiful whale shark seems to be a very common entry on traveler bucket lists, so Jerick’s adventure should cause quite a bit of envy amongst those of us who have yet to experience it first hand.
There’s not quite as many photos as you might like, but it still makes for one helluva tale.
And here’s another common one for bucket lists – a visit to Antarctica! Complete with lots of stunning photos of icebergs! There are more entries about her visit to Antarctica on the blog (as well as other adventures). She’s proving that this travel thing isn’t just a a young man’s (or woman’s) game.
Despite the title of the blog, Mark and Luci are clearly a couple both very much in love with one another and with romance. Their Mistletoe Moments contest over Christmas is evidence of that, and this great run down of five cities with something for both halves of a couple is further indication.
While they break their selections up into ‘for him’ and ‘for her’, they wrap it up with ‘together time’. These two are too cute.
Amanda from A Dangerous Business weighs in with her first of two posts featured in this week’s Recommended Reads with this Valentine’s themed listing some obvious and not-so-obvious romantic getaways for couples wanting a little something to spice things up. From Paris to the Scottish Highlands to sleepy Kiwi towns, there’s a nice selection here.
If you’re rugged up someplace cold and daydreaming about warmer locales, have a quick read through this one and marvel at the stunning photographs and you’ll be feeling just a bit warmer and a lot more jealous.
I was lucky enough to pay a brief visit to Fukuoka, Japan back in early 2009 and I was reminded of my two days of solitary wandering as I read Lauren’s tips for enjoying your time in Tokyo without spending a small fortune.
While it’s true you can burn through the Yen good and quick when visiting Japan, these tips should ensure you have a good time without being left without 100 Yen pieces for ten minutes of access to the adult channel in your hotel room.
I recently highlighted Western Australia’s Margaret River region as one of the Top 10 Best Kept Australian Travel Secrets and this post has only made me more sure that I made the right call including it.
Even if you aren’t a wine conisseur (which I certainly am not), Christine’s post gives you some excellent reasons to pay a visit to the under-appreciated corner of Australia’s largest state.
I first found this very awesome blog when Diane was one of a few less than impressed by my Top 15 Travel Blogging Crushes lists. It’s a shame I didn’t know about her earlier too, because she’d have made the cut. Very pretty lady.
And she’s out having awesome adventures as well. This one, laden with pictures and some real emotional frankness regarding her experience visiting an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. I’d love to check this one out.
A diver by the Tangalooma Wrecks. Photos by Stacey Emma Lampbert
With my imminent departure for a year living in China, I’ve recently been taking stock of what I will need in China and what I can do without. My beloved Toshiba laptop with its broken ‘z’ key is teetering on the verge of not coming, and this post from Amanda has given me some hope that maybe my iPad will do the trick.
Read if you’re considering lightening your next travel load by taking along a tablet. Some good tips here.
Diane’s second post in this week’s count down has give handy tips for people dealing with a little homesickness while they’re on the road. I’m all too familiar with the feeling after my two years in South Korea, and I’m sure I’ll be coming back to this one after a the newness of life in China wears off in a few months time.
Having recently hosted my first couch-surfer, Airbnb is another service that interests me quite a bit. Kalyn at Bucket List Nation has put together some helpful tips for those wishing to experiment with Airbnb as a good way to visit a country as a local rather than as a tourist staying in a hotel or hostel.
Jeremy and Angie have recently done something I daydream about – they’ve published a book about travel. Their Long Term Traveler’s Guide is available now on Amazon.com and they’re now sharing the lessons they learned in writing and publishing their labor of love.
Best believe I’ll be following this ten part series very closely.
My love affair with the Amazon Kindle started back in early 2009 when a pretty American girl (who would become my girlfriend of two years) let me borrow hers for a three day trip to Fukuoka for a visa run. I got my own for my birthday that year and recently upgraded to a new one in preparation for my travels.
If you don’t have a Kindle or if you’ve been debating getting one, this post should help you make up your mind.
This one is an utter Godsend to me. Not only do I have Aussie on the Road to worry about, but I’m also planning for my move to China and working on a new joint project with a very groovy blogger chick I met here in Sydney. But more about that later.
This post has ten very good (and practical) tips on how to be more organized and prioritize your tasks so you get as much done as possible. Love it!
Ok, so this one is probably more Nomadic Samuel than the Traveling Canucks, but credit to Cameron and Nicole for spotlighting this post and sharing some of Sam’s knowledge of the ESL environment.
Interviewed by the Canucks, Samuel shares some of his experiences and some of the lessons he’s learned during his time ESL teaching.
A great resource if you’re contemplating funding your next big trip with a little ESL teaching.
A fortnight ago now, I announced a competition to reward my awesome Facebook fans as well as hopefully drum up a few extra followers for Aussie on the Road. Over the fortnight the contest has been running, Aussie on the Road has picked up close to fifty new fans.
It remains to be seen how many of those were picked up by my somewhat controversial (and very raunchy) Top 15 Travel Blogging Crushes post. The interest that humble entry drew has been insane. And true to form, the controversy seems to have comes from girls I excluded. I really should have just made it a top fifty…
The point of the entry wasn’t to objectify or to actually categorize the girls out there. It was meant to be an amusing and tongue in cheek read with just a little bit of perve value for the boys.
Oh yeah, I promised to announce a winner today too.
First of all, a big thanks to everybody who entered and gunned for additional points by Tweeting about the contest and sharing the link on their walls. I owe you all a beer whenever our paths next cross. You’re legends.
If I were a richer man, I’d have bought everybody something – but I’m a poor son of a bitch and so only one of you gets to take home the $50 worth of Lonely Planet goodness.
So, without further ado, the winner is…
Tamara is out exploring the world as we speak
Congratulations to Tamara Ferguson on winning the contest and picking up $50 to spend how she likes at the Lonely Planet store. Take a look at what’s on offer and shoot me an email or Facebook message to let me know what to order.
I daresay a few books on Europe might be forthcoming…
Thanks again to everybody who entered and keep your eyes peeled for more contests in the future. Have a good weekend!
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