Day 4 29/1/12

Woke up and went to the markets this morning - not much to see.

Found a good spot to sit and people watch for a while and witnessed an amazing (music) jam build up over the course of an hour right before my eyes.
It started with one bloke just playing guitar, he was then joined by a fiddle player, a mandolin player then rocked up, then another fiddle player THEN another guitar player so what started from nothing soon became a 5 man jam with a crowd to watch them to boot! Only at a folk festival - good stuff.
Back to Freda for some lunch and all inspired by what I witnessed at the markets, I got out my guitar and stated strumming some tunes. Oddly I was then accompanied by a guy on clarinet some 20 metres away on the hill! It's the most long distance jam I have ever had! Weird experience but kinda fun.
After lunch I went back to the hall to take in some bluegrass music and got chatting with a bloke called Brian. He was a really nice chap, full of energy and I got some good travelling tips off him as well some good spots to camp near Sydney that aren't too bad. He was interested in the fact I had a journal and was taking pictures and writing notes and thought it was a wonderful thing.
I walked back to the van and got talking to ANOTHER bloke who's seemingly in love with Freda - again I did some slick ducking and weaving around any automotive questions. On my way to the waterhole I ran in to a bloke called "Sleepy" who played at the blackboard concert the day before. Sleepy grew up in Wagga and told me about the songs he's written and the themes behind his latest album - nice bloke.
Got to the famous waterhole, wondering what sort of sights would await me and I wasn't disappointed. Through the bushes (ha!) were a young naked couple...not sure if they were having "adult cuddles" or not but I certainly gave them a shock! LOL! Anyways, it wasn't gonna stop me from going for dip so I did. I REALLY wanted to take a photo of the waterhole but was in two minds because given the young couple around the corner, I didn't want them to see me with a camera in my hands and think I was some kind of pervert. But on the other hand, why shouldn't I take a photo of the waterhole? It's a free country. So I got the camera out of my bag as quickly as I could, set up the tripod, hit the timer and jumped into the water. Upon checking the photo it turns out there was a big bloody grass tussock obscuring the vision of me (probably a good thing). My nerves were shot by this stage and I wasn't going to risk being seen as a perve a second time so I packed my bat and balls and went home.

Went over to the hall again for an early (and final) supper and wandered back just on dusk, listening to the kookaburras calling and other bush noises. Almost everyone has packed up and left and it's a strange feeling to be sitting here in pretty much complete silence and thinking that for the past 3 nights there has been so much music, laughter and general merriment and now nothing.

Day 3 28/1/12

Another late wake up...god it's good being on holidays.
More poet's breakfast in the morning which was another good one. A lady recited a poem she had written and broke down crying and it was easy to see why as she explained the context beforehand - very moving.
Back to Freda for lunch then over to the hall for the chalkboard concert.  There was a variety of acts and abilities on show - quite entertaining and a good way to spend the afternoon.
To keep the Lord of the Rings theme up - Smeagol was nice enough to drop in and play a couple of tunes:

Went to a different waterhole further up for a swim. No crocodiles this time - actually it was a really nice spot and surprisingly the water wasn't icy cold. Had a good chat to Anne from Melbourne who works as a clinical psychologist. Also spotted an old bloke sunning himself in his birthday suit...I may need to see Anne for some counselling after THAT experience!
I put my hand up to volunteer on the BBQ at the Hall and met the spritely 81 year old Ken who was running the show, Chris his grandson and Mike who was also a volunteer. Together we were a lean, mean barbecueing machine! They were all very nice blokes and Ken was thankful for my assistance. They were all nice enough to pose for a photo at the end of the night. I suggested to Ken that it may look a little dodgey if he bends over like that in front of me but he didn't seem to get the drift. So before the photo was taken I stepped a bit further to my right so instead it looks like his grandson is giving him one from behind! LOL!!

Day 2 27/1/12

I woke up at 9am feeling very refreshed - as it turns out the mattress plus Freda's in built blinds are a slumbersome combination. (Yep, I've just made up a new word: slumbersome).
Wandered over to the Tennis Club for the "Poets breakfast" which was basically people just sitting around reciting (mostly Aussie) poems - some were funny, some sad, some (to my ears) just bloody stupid but it was good to just sit there and listen to people talk about a whole host of different things. One person remarked that this gathering is like the white fella's version of "the dreaming". It's how we keep our past alive.

In the afternoon I wandered off to one of two waterholes which Charlotte told me about for a cool off and "hippy bath".
I ended up having it all to myself which was kinda cool but also kinda creepy. I instantly started to creep myself out by thinking back to that Linda Kozlowski scene in Crocodile Dundee then BANG! Across the top of the surface of the water skims what I'm sure can only be the head of a killer croc! Yikes! But as I calm down and think things through rationally, how likely is it that a croc could be living in Cooma of all places? As it turns out, with my shocking shorsightedness and overactive imagination, I had mistaken a water rat (or some sort of mammal) for a crocodile - hey! It's easy enough to do! Don't judge!
So after my Dundee incidient I went over to the Hall again for dinner. Quiche and salad was on the menu tonight and filled the gap nicely.
I had a bizarre after dinner conversation with a bloke who thought I was the boyfriend from Melbourne whom his daughter was bringing up for the first time to meet the family. We yakked on for 10 minutes or more about stuff until the penny dropped for me as to what this guy was thinking and I had to inform him that unfortunately I was not his daughter's beau. He said "Well you look a bit like him, and anyways you seem like a nice enough sorta bloke". I said thanks and continued on my way. Later when I found out which one was his daughter I was REALLY wishing I was "the bloke from Melbourne". PHWOAR!
Back to the van for more serenades by my neighbours. Good day.

Day 1 26/1/12

And awaaaaaaaaaaay we go!
Day one of the journey saw me travelling from Wagga Wagga through Tumut and Cooma to a little village called Numeralla which is about 25km east of Cooma.

It was a bit difficult leaving home after a month of time spent with family and not having to cook or look after myself but as Bilbo Baggins once said, "It's a big thing, stepping out your front door"..or something like that.

Bye Mum and Dad - love yas:

Speaking of Lord of the Rings, the scenery as I got further into the snowy mountains country was very reminiscent of LOTR - if New Zealand didn't exist I reckon Australia would have been a great spot to shoot it. I took this photo on my way there:

Actually, the Lord of The Rings references may continue for a little while as the Numeralla Folk Festival has a very "middle earth feel" to it with campfire songs, mountain scenery, spoken word poetry recitals, and little rotund women with hairy feet (haha - kidding..or am I??).

Anyways, after finally finding the location in a spot along the Badja River and parking Freda, I was immediately informed by my neighbour Charlotte that there had been a recent sighting of a tiger snake in the area so to just keep an eye out. Nice.

Another guy then sidled up and started fawning over Freda - if this is a sign of things to come, Freda is going to be quite the heartbreaker. He was rattling off all this info about the car and asking mechanical questions of which I was hoping I was saying "yes" and "no" and "mmm" in all the right spots - I think I passed the interrogation but only just. Did you know Freda has 14 inch rims? Impressed much?

I then ventured over to the hall, giving sticks, bark, leaves and anything that even slightly resembled a tiger snake a wide berth.

After a wonderful dinner I settled in to watch some old traditional dancing in the hall then back to Freda to settle in for the night.

I had a bit of a read of my new Dave Grohl book then tucked myself in and drifted off to sleep to the sounds of my neighbours playing some lovely folk tunes by the camp fire. Day 1 complete.

Introducing Freda

I would like to introduce to you my new best friend, Freda.
Freda is a 1999 Ford people mover but also known under the "Mazda Bongo" lable.

I know next to nothing about cars but she looks sweet, seems to be running ok and if she doesn't shit herself in the next 12 months I'll be one happy camper.
Mum and her friend Karen did a wonderful job sewing curtains and errecting a mozzie net for Freda so sleeping will be as comfortable as possible.

I did entertain thoughts of putting my bloody big fouton mattress in her (complete with my "Surf Mutt" covers) but in the end I went with a more practical single matress.

There were SOME people who thought I was being a bit optimistic/hopeful putting a double matress in anyway. You'll all be eating your words when I bring backpacker Inga home at xmas time to meet the family! :p
Unfortunatelty there was one casualty in the kitting out of Freda - Mum's finger was injured in a sewing mishap. I took a photo of her finger after it was band aided and she told me to delete it because it looked "rude". But of course I didn't because I find photos of fingers that slightly resemble a penis VERY funny:

Somewhere Where I'm Not

For those who don't know, I've got tired of the rat race, I've bought a van and I'm gonna be a hippy for a while. What am I gonna do and for how long? I honestly have no idea. I needed a change so here it is.
I have written a little ditty about it, check it out: