EASTER ISLAND (CHILE)

Not a place that everyone gets a chance to visit in a lifetime, but certainly one that everyone should try to see. Comming from Australia, it was quite simple to include Easter Island as a stopover on a RTW ticket... Having read a number of articles providing theories about the Rapa Nui people of the island, prior to arriving, certainly made the experience all the more meaningful, but it was quite easy to simply marvel at the stone statues (Moai) that the Rapa Nui people had created. My stay on the island was for only 3 days, which I thought was more or less long enough. On the second day, myself and 2 other Australians hired a 4WD also visiting the island and we explored the majority of the island in a single day. I was surprised that much of the vegetation was eucalyptus trees, very similar to Australia. Combined with the surf and chilled out nature of the local people (most likely a result of the copius amounts of marijuana consumed!), Easter Island was definately one of the highlights from my trip.

Whilst I was still grappling with the compleixities of the spanish language at this early stage of my trip, I felt that the local people, in particular anyone wanting to cash in on the tourist dollar, were very friendly. One particular instance which comes to mind is that of being entertained by a local restaurant owner in the form of acoustic guitar and accompanying vocals for about 3 hours after we had finished our dinner. Quite an experience and certainly the best customer service I had encountered.

Photos 1&2: Moai recreations in the islands regional centre - Hanga Roa
Photo 3: Volcanic crater in the south west of the island
Photos 4&5: Views of the Moai at sunset.
Photos 6&7: Many completed moai lying abandoned near a quarry in islands centre.
Photos 8-10: Three of the major Ahu's on the island.
Photos 11&12: Sunset over the Pacific Ocean.

TAHITI (FRENCH POLYNESIA)

First on my list of destinations was Tahiti, where I arrived at night on the day before I had left (you have to love the complications of the international date line and time zone differences). I was rudely introduced to just how expensive this part of the world was, with some bread, a bag of grapes, some water and a few other things costing around US$25 !!!

Unfortunately this set the tone for the rest of my time there. Tahiti I thought was prohibitively expensive and given that it was my first destination I wasn't so willing to part with large quantities of my hard earned money. As such I spent alot of my time walking around and visiting the various 'free' attractions such as museums and polynesian relics, none of which were particularly interesting. I did manage to bum a lift with a group of 'Frenchies' and managed to see the coastline of at least half of the island. Particularly impressive although difficult to view from a distance was the famous surf break of Tehaupo. In my other spare time I set about trying to learn a few basics of Spanish which I was going to need for the next 4 months in South America.

The beaches, lagoon surrounding the island and sunsets were definately top class and it was a nice enough place to relax for a few days. The humidity and heat were however quite frustrating as was the torrential rain which was both frequent and erratic.Interaction with the local people was quite difficult because I didn't speak French and had no intention of learning anything given that I was only there 3 days. The locals were friendly enough however although their driving habbits left alot to be desired and I managed to witness a number of accidents and some very close calls in my brief time there.

Photos 1 -4: Sunsets from the beach on the west side of the island - looking out into the Pacific.
Photo 5: Elevated view of the 'lagoon' surrounding the island.
Photo 6: Forest bloom with traditional style french polynesian housing in the background.
Photo 7: Traditional polynesian dance show, including fire !
Photos 8&9: Crystal clear waters and bungalows as part of the Sheraton Resort.

SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA)

No holiday would be complete without a few 'going awa' parties beforehand so after leaving sunny North Queensland and making a brief stop in Brisbane to catch up with my sister, I made my way to Sydney to catch up with various university friends and aquaintances. It was great being able to see everyone over a few beers at the Regent Hotel, Kingston whilst discussing my journey and future plans.

The next night Ben, Dean and myself (along with Hanna, the Swedish ring in) went to the end of session party at the Unibar where there was more alcohol to consume, dancing and lots more fun. I have many great memories from this night, not just saying my final goodbyes but also helping a very drunken Simon Riley home whilst I was wondering the streets waiting for it to be time to go to the airport and also chatting to various randoms during my adventures. I figured that because my flight was at 7am in the morning, an all night bender was a much better option than a few hours of alcohol induced sleep. However, what I didn't bank on was someone closing the door into the flat of appartments where I was staying and hence I was required to climb Dean's balcony (with the aid of a wheeliebin) and knock on the door, hoping someone would let me in. Certainly a good start to any holiday !!!

Photos 1-7: Wednesday night at the Rege.
Photo 8: Feeling a little rough the next day.
Photos 9- 18: Thursday night at the Unibar.
Photo 19: Ben and Dean dropping me at the airport.