My Travel Diary In Aussie Land...: 12/12/10

Last Sunday my Italian housemates decided it was time to get out of Sydney and embark on an adventure. Luca, my actual roommate, was the ringleader. He just purchased a car -- a white '96 Honda Civic, just like me (wut, wut) -- and was eager to take a road trip outside of the city. Luca decided that our travel destination would be Ana Bay, located in Port Stevens, where we could go sand dune boarding. Port Stephens is a large natural harbor located about 3 hours north east of Sydney (when driving) and it is known for its beaches of large, towering hills of white sand that stretch on for miles. From afar, the beaches look like mounds of snow that one could go skiing, sledding or snowboarding down. And that is precisely why Luca wanted to go there: so that we could go boarding down the hills of sand. Having never seen beaches like these nor gone boarding down sand dunes, you know I was game!

Sunday morning we rose early and piled into Luca's car. The day travelers included myself, Luca, Marta, Ernesto and Max (the only non-housemate, but still an Italian). The ride up was long, but it was a pleasant and relaxing; a nice change from walking hastily around the city. As the smallest crew member I got to sit in the middle back seat between Ernesto, who is quite a big dude, and Marta. So I can't say it was the most comfortable car ride, but minus a majorly sore butt I exited the vehicle in one piece.

During the car ride I was the designated directions giver, primarily because I am a native english speaker and thus could best read and understand the maps. However, the maps we had were for Sydney and its surrounding suburbs only. Once we made it outside the city we had no guide to follow. Fortunately, unlike the stubborn men of America (at least the stereotypical ones), Luca and my Italian companions were not ashamed to stop and ask for directions. Actually, shout for directions. Whenever we were stopped at a red light, Luca and Max would roll down their windows and wave and shout at the cars next to us signaling for them to also roll their windows down. During the brief stopped-at-a-red-light period they would try and gather instructions for which way we needed to go. This method was amusing to watch, and I am happy to report also quite successful. We didn't get lost once, and after three hours we arrived at our destination.

We climbed on board a 4WD (4 wheel drive) which was captained by Ray. He took off, clamoring over the mounds and hills of sand, throwing our bodies back and forth, side to side and every which way. There were multiple times when I was certain that we were going to topple over and tumble down the dunes we were climbing, but Ray was no armature and he transported us safely to our destination. We were given our boards and brief instructions on how to ride them (basically sit down and go). The boards were similar to snowboards except more narrow and long, and made of a firm but slightly flexible black wood. The climb to the top of the hill was a challenge, but once there I plopped on top of my board, positioned my feet and pushed. I pushed and pushed with my hands until gravity finally took over and I began sliding down the hill. As I picked up momentum it became apparent what my one mistake was: I wore shorts. Oh yes. By the time I reached the bottom of the hill a pile of sand had accumulated in my shorts and my crotch. This, needless to say, was quite uncomfortable. Despite my efforts to shake off the sand, it proved impossible to completely do so. I was still peeing sand days later (at least it felt that way). Still, the thrill of sailing down the dunes was enough for me to do it again and again. Luca, Ernest and Marta- those brave (or crazy) souls- attempted to master riding down the dunes standing. Marta was the most successful. Her sand-boarding skills were far superior to anyone; she was practically a sand-dune boarding pro!

Once we had our fill of sand boarding, we departed and stopped at a local brewery for dinner before making our way back to the city. Overall it was a wonderful day! It was nice to get away from the busy city scene and spend quality time with my favorite Italian housemates.