The Australian Adventure: Big Pat's Walk test

Australia is a country which is so far apart from the rest of the world and is home to many native creatures. Even the animals that are not native to Australia have evolved to be way bigger and crazier than those in other world regions.The Australian forests are thick and beautiful with very few signs of civilization and plenty of unexplored regions. There have been loads of cases where-in people have gotten lost in the Australian forests out of which many have never returned. Here I was in the thickest forest I had ever been to, walking with a heavy backpack while being attacked by leeches and having to deal with the possibility spending a night in the forest and getting drenched in a thunderstorm. We were racing against time to get out of the Yarra rainforest.

Way to Big Pat's Creek.

My 18 year old cousin, Joanna and I planned to take camping to an all new level and so we took off on a very risky low budget trip to a free camping site in the Yarra Valley. We planned to push our limits by traveling with just the bare necessities, but what we went through was more than what we had bargained for.

 Joanna had an application on her phone that directed people to camp sites. We were to use the app as our guide during our trek.

My cousin, Joanna.

Somewhere right at the start of our trek, we encountered a dangerous looking camouflaged black and yellow snake right in the middle of our path, a sign we didn't adhere to. However, we saw it in time and walked around it. 

Snake in the middle of the track.

After a while of walking, we saw a whole lot of sign boards. The good thing about Australia is that trekking paths with signs are fairly common, so you can be sure that the path you choose definitely leads somewhere. However, one should never stray away from a path because it is very easy to get lost and once you're lost, you'll be very lucky to return to civilization.

According to the GPS earlier, the walk we had chosen was around 9 kms long and was to take us around 2 hours to complete. We started walking at around 4pm in the afternoon and expected to arrive at the campsite by around 6 pm. We didn't think twice about leaving at 4 pm because the summer sun sets around 9 pm. That gave us 5 hours of sunlight.

 By the time were a couple of kilometers into the forest, dark clouds gathered out of nowhere and it started drizzling. Fortunately, the drizzle stopped after a while but I didn't bother taking out my camera which I had packed well during the rain. We walked for about an hour at a steady pace. When Joanna checked her phone to find out how much of the walk we had covered, she realized that there was no mobile phone coverage in the forest and so we just continued on our way. There were amazing species of trees, plants and creepers while the sound of insects and birds were very loud. This was something I rarely get to experience and I was enjoying every moment in the forest. We had also noticed that many trees were hollow and the uprooted trees were left as they were. It was perfect because the forest was left to take its natural course without any human interference. There was absolutely no sign of human life. Even the streams were very clear and unspoiled and we drank fresh cold water straight out of it. 

A couple of lyre birds that popped out of the bushes. Lyre birds are a very rare sight and many Australians have not seen one in their life. They looked like a clumsy version of a chicken that skidded, ran and jumped along. Before we realized what they were, they were gone and I was left wondering what were such weird chickens like these doing in the forest.

 

 

 

Uprooted tree.

And another one.

We continued to walk non-stop and we wanted to get to the camp site early because we had to pitch our tents before it started raining again. The gigantic eucalyptus trees also known as mountain ash, towered overhead and cut out majority of the sunlight. Mountain ash eucalyptus trees, native to Victoria and Tasmania are the second tallest trees in the world that cut out a lot of sunlight.  During the walk we realized that we had not come across any sign of civilization except for a tiny pink ribbon tied to a plant or tree every few kilometers. We had come to a point where there were no more signboards, however, there was just one path and we stuck to it. We walked on land, over very old and creaky bridges, some of which were very slippery due to the growth of moss. After walking for over 2 hours, fatigue took over and we decided to take a break. We figured that the camp site was not far away. However, by the time we took the backpacks off our shoulders, leeches were clinging onto our legs and sucking our blood. Luckily we had been warned about the possibility of leeches and had carried salt as a leech repellent. We knocked the leeches off by sprinkling salt on them. By the time we re-checked to make sure that there were no more leeches on us, they were at us again. Realizing that this would continue forever, we decided to move on.

Mountain ash, the tallest eucalyptus trees in the world. 

Tiny pink ribbon.

We walked for a while longer and our feet and shoulders were hurting pretty badly and since it was getting darker and the leeches were still us, it wasn't a good idea to stop. The track started inclining and it became increasingly difficult to walk uphill. We somehow managed to walk for another hour but there was still no sign of any campsite or civilization. 9 kilometers had definitely been covered and were still stuck in the middle of nowhere. It was too late to turn back.

We increased our pace and hoped that we didn't by any chance step on a snake. The rain over the past few days had soaked the ground leaving it mucky. We tried not to get our shoes soaked and while trying to avoid a mucky patch by walking beside it, a snake hiding in the grass zipped away just before Joanna stepped on it.

Mini waterfall in the forest.

The never ending walk.

Australia is known to have some of the world's most poisonous snakes and spiders that can kill a person within minutes. Our phone without signal would have been useless in-case we had to make a distress call.

It was getting darker and the skies threatened to burst open. It was already 7 pm but we continued walking for another hour non-stop. If we didn't make it out before the sun went down, we would have had to pitch our tent in the middle of the path because there was no other place to camp. The path could've been a dangerous option because the forest was home to leeches, snakes and wombats. Wombats are pig sized animals native to Australia that destroy everything in their path especially tents because they can smell food from a distance even if they're packed in cans or wrapped up very well. Furthermore, we didn't have a portable stove like most campers in Australia did and it would've taken us ages to light a fire because the fallen twigs and branches were damp.

The path.

Fatigue starting to show.

The only sign of human civilization.

Australia is home to some of the world's most dangerous spiders.

We dragged ourselves for another hour and we still had no idea as to how much longer it would take. To make matters worse, we hadn't seen a ribbon for over an hour. The walk was never ending. No wonder they called it 'Big Pat's Walk'. Pat must have been a really big person who walked with large strides.

We couldn't take it any longer and were about to give up when we came to what we thought to be a dead end with overgrown bushes. I decided to move the bushes aside and to our surprise saw another pink ribbon followed by a narrow steep pathway that led up to an actual concrete road. That was it! We had done it! To our left was the campsite and there were actually real live human beings there. Kids from a nearby school along with their camping instructors were sitting around a bonfire and waving to us as we got there. We never thought that we'd be so happy to see humans after a 4 and a half hour long walk. It was 8:30 pm and we had made it just half an hour before sundown.

The first thing we did was pitch our tent. Hardly a couple of minutes later, it began to pour. Freezing cold November rain up in the rainforest campsite was an experience by itself. We took shelter under a small wooden shed at the camp ground for a while and spoke to the instructors who were curious to know how we got there without a vehicle. The kids kept the bonfire burning in spite of the rain and one of the instructors lent us his portable stove on which we cooked instant noodles that we had packed.

Slurpy cancer causing TBHQ containing instant noodles never tasted better. After dinner, exhaustion took over and we decided to sleep only to realize that our tents and sleeping bags were not waterproof. They were bought in Dubai and were designed for hot weather conditions in order to allow a lot of ventilation. The entire place had become very misty and it started getting biting cold and I had just one slightly damp regular jacket which was meant for the not so cold winters of tropical India. My feet were soaked in freezing rain water and they were numb and felt almost as cold as ice. My socks which were soaking wet by then didn't help me either. I had never felt this cold in my entire life.

Our bags got a bit wet but luckily we had plastic sheets to cover them. Joanna had a thicker jacket that she used which was made for the Australian winters. I tried to sleep but woke up several times due to the cold. I kept telling myself that it was all part of the Australian camping experience and that it's going to be a marvelous story to share if I survive the night.

I woke up very early the next morning to an extremely loud but pleasant ambient sound of birds chirping and waking each other up. It was a beautiful noise. I opened my tent to look out but all I could see was thick fog and cold mist enter my tent. I couldn't get myself out of the sleeping bag and I felt like a block of ice. We finally woke up by around 7 am and found that the kids and their instructors had left the camp. The mist was slowly clearing out but it was still pretty cold and so we decided to go for a walk. We walked through paths leading through the forest and enjoyed the freshness of the morning dew and air. What a beautiful morning that was!

Camp.

Early morning walk.

Mountain fresh spring water.

Crystal clear fresh ice-cold water.

By the time we got back from our walk, the sun was out so we decided to put our wet clothes and the tent to dry while we freshen up for the day. By the time we were done, which was around 10 minutes later, our clothes were as dry as a bone. In fact they felt as if an iron had just been taken off them. The sun was blazing hot even though the temperature outside would not have been over 25 degrees.The sun radiation in Australia is very strong.

We had gone camping purposefully unprepared. We neither had warm clothes, nor did we have clothes for the rain, nor did we have a stove to cook. All we had were a couple of water bottles that we filled at the streams and some canned food. We couldn't afford to spend another night in the forest. We had to leave but this time we were mentally prepared to go back and it was day time. We made our way back the same path we had taken to get there. The walk back was pleasant, the trees gave us good shade and I got to click a few snaps as well. It took us around 3 hours to walk back which was comfortable because trekked downhill. Calculating the distance back, we found that we had walked 18 kilometers one way.

Heading back into the forest.

While walking back, we came across a couple more snakes in the bushes and a wallaby; a native Australian animal that resembles a small kangaroo. 

Looking back I realized that if it weren't for the leeches the previous day, we would have taken our time to walk and would have got caught in the thunderstorm and the darkness, forcing us to setup camp somewhere along the path. They leeches actually turned out to be a blessing in disguise.

These fern trees have been around since prehistoric times.

After getting back to the place where we had started our walk, we noticed a diversion with a sign that took us to the same campsite. It was 9 kilometers shorter than "Big Pat's Walk" and that was the original route we had intended to take.

Looking back, 'Big Pat's Walk' was the adventurous one and I would not have traded it. "Big Pat's Walk" was the route used by miners and millers back in the day. Later, I also got to know that the tiny pink ribbons were tied by scouts as markers during their scouting camps.

 

"Are you kidding me!!!?" was the first thought that came to mind when I saw this sign .... the sign we had missed.

I thought that I had learned a lesson from this camping trip by being such a dumb-ass only to find myself in worse situations while camping in other parts of Australia.

Buffalo: The City of Good Vibes and Great Food

When people go to New York, they're usually in awe of the city that never sleeps. Times Square, Broadway, Manhattan, night clubs, top fashion houses, massive skyscrapers, jam packed streets and the richness of the city is mind-blowing. However, for those who prefer a relaxed vacation with spectacular views, free music concerts, festivals, parades, art and more, Buffalo is the place to visit.

An 8 hour drive from New York city is Buffalo, a small city with relatively few people. The drive to Buffalo is silken smooth with lush green fields on either side.

Sunrise en route to Buffalo

View from the bus.

It's one of those off-beat places that no one would expect to find just a bus away from Times Square. Tourists who arrive at Buffalo are usually there because it's the closest airport and bus stop to Niagara Falls. Over-shadowed by the Niagara Falls majesticity, a lot of people overlook Buffalo's gorgeous surroundings.

We happened to come across this place by chance. I traveled from India to the US for the first time, while my girlfriend traveled from Denmark to the US. We had absolutely no plan in mind, all we wanted to do was backpack and explore America. People told us that we were crazy to try backpacking in the US because everything had to be booked online and well in advance. We didn't have talk time balance or internet on our phone but we hit the road anyway. All we had with us were rucksacks along with our tent and sleeping bags. We decided to go to Niagara Falls and had a fantastic time there. However, we needed a place for the night, so we took a bus to Buffalo and then walked to the camping ground. This is how we landed up at Buffalo and I knew then, that it was a good decision. :)

This tiny little city has everything you need; Pristine surroundings, amazing nature, fantastic food, intriguing architecture, great night life but most of all, some of the friendliest folk you may ever encounter.

Surrounding Buffalo are the towns of Tonawanda, North Tonawanda, Amherst and Kenmore which were Native American territory and now consist of small unique home grown stores, plenty of resto-bars, one dollar stores, beautiful houses and lush green lawns.

The smaller stores in town are usually run by a few locals who somehow manage to bring about their unique vibe and creativity to it. This for me is absolutely amazing because every store is contrasting from each other and yet they manage to harmonise perfectly with the surroundings. Most store owners design their own products, renovate their store to their own tastes and add a personal touch to them, which is something you do not find too often in a big city. Every store specialises in unique items ranging from crystals to home-made scented candles, soaps of varied fragrances, art, biker gear, hipster clothing, antiques and so on. It's magical to say the least. The locals love their art and music and do not hesitate to block off main roads for music and art shows.

Super moon at Tonawanda.

Streets of love.

The people we met along the way were extremely friendly. We were walking down a highway with our backpacks when a complete stranger (Mike) offered us a lift in his car, drove us around town, invited us over for dinner, introduced us to a lot of his friends and we ended up staying at his place for the rest of our trip.

Mike and his dog Jackson (Not a stranger anymore).

Scott; randomly met him in a bus, showed us around, invited us over for lobsters to his place! :) Introduced us to varieties of exotic cheeses and stuffed our bags with brand new clothes before sending us on our way.

Scott and his shadow.

An elderly lady running an art shop gifted me a bottle of honey from her son's bee farm.

Another guy loading a massive truck with bread threw us a loaf when we waved out to him.

A group of people we met at a bar made us try different varieties of local beer and refused to let us pay for it.

A group of campers who were fascinated by us backpacking their country, loaded our bags with beer and pretzels.

A lady from a store called Hip Gypsy in North Tonawanda gave me a whole lot of discount coupons because I mentioned that I needed to buy fabric dye.

And just like that, the one line that crosses my mind is "I get by with a little help from my friends" - The Beatles.

In terms of hospitality, Buffalo tops my list. When we shared our adventures with people in New York and back home, they were shocked because they felt that we put ourselves in danger by talking and hanging out with strangers.

Buffalo is paradise for food lovers. With a massive variety of mouth-watering delicacies from world over, there are restaurants for almost every type of food available in the USA. Food festivals are not uncommon. I got to attend an annual food-festival called "The Taste of Buffalo" which is a two day event with plenty of food stalls from restaurants in and around the city. If you're short of cash, it is okay because there is no lack of free food samples, games and live music performances.

The hot-dogs in Buffalo are the best I have ever tasted. I have been to Coney Island and hogged on their world-famous hot-dogs at Nathan's, but even that did not compare to the $2 street dogs at Buffalo.

However, the dish that did it for me were the chicken wings. These wings are knows as Buffalo wings around the world because they originate from this place. A restaurant called Duffs is arguably considered to be the restaurant that invented chicken wings.

Couldn't resist eating them before clicking the snap.

Art is everywhere. Buffalo is an artist's paradise and the one place I missed going to is the sculpture park. However, the streets and gardens in Buffalo are filled with various kinds of artwork.

Massive tree root with glass reflectors.

I don't know what this is but it's super cool.

We never for once felt out of place. The vibe of the area and people opened us up to others.
If you happen to be a nature, food or art lover, Buffalo is a dream city. In fact we left for New York and New Jersey after our initial trip to Buffalo, but the city with all its charm drew me back in less than a week.

Still waters run deep.