Adelaide

Ok, so Adelaide! 

 I've been here for a couple of weeks now, and I really like this city. I say city, but the whole place has about 1 million people (including suburbs), so not exactly overwhelmed by people! So I feel comfortable in saying I like living in a city. 

 It's been strange being back in a backpackers and living out of a rucksack again, but I've been exploring and getting out where I can! 

 So good things about Adelaide; 

 Central Markets

 The central markets are a very cool place. While it's got your usual stuff, it packed full of cool little stalls, whether they're for fruit and veg, meat, other foods, coffee shops, and it's covered in artwork and posters for music and events. There's a really nice vibe to it, and I could happily spend hours just walking around and looking.

Fancy Fruit and Veg

This made me very happy:

Until I saw the price! That works out as about £35 per kg!

I realise that I haven't really shown many photos of what a city looks like over here. So here's Rundle Mall:

 As you can see, it looks like a high street. Strange artwork, buskers, and lots of shops. Including Woolworths, which is strange. And doesn't do pic'n'mix. One of the big reasons I haven't done many shots of buildings and streets is that they aren't that strange or different. One thing I found odd is that on a lot of buildings in the city, you see this: 

At first, I thought maybe the people here all just had good manners but couldn't spell, but it turns out the biggest property developer in the city would buy a building, and then stick his name on it (Constantine George Polites - of Greek descent). So if you come to Adelaide, now you know.

 Adelaide is also a very green city. From the centre of the CBD (Central Business District - or city centre in normal speak) you can walk for about 15/20 mins and you'll be in a park, which is awesome. Within about 5 mins of the last photo, you can get this: 

Eucalyptus Tree (95% Sure) - The ones Koalas eat!

And of course, with all this green space, you get lots of animals!

Pigeon with a Mohawk

These guys are everywhere, and awesome to watch. In one park, I usually see at least 6 or 7 together at a time.

Here's a couple of my favourite finds in Adelaide: 

Amazing Sweet shop down a side alley

University of South Australia - I hope it's named after a Badger....

I went to a play that was on in the university theatre space, and this was the outside

 Apparently, putting padlocks on bridges is a world wide thing, it's for lovers who then throw the key off the bridge into the water/valley/whatever is below, but it's the first time I've seen it, and thought it looked cool. Has anyone seen this in the UK?

Challenges: 749 Churches in Adelaide according to the last survey (that I could Google..... sorry Sarah)

But come on! Give me some challenges people. If you missed it in the last blog:

 Suggest things for me to do! I don't just mean recommendations (that would be nice though), but challenges, requests for things for me to find out. I'm writing this for you lot, so I want to include stuff that you want!
 The only rules I would set are:

 - Don't suggest things that will get me chucked out of the country/ are illegal
 - Keep it family friendly
 - Keep it realistic. You can't have a piece of Uluru (Ayers Rock)

 Just leave a comment, or email me at adam_bugsy@hotmail.com. Even if you don't know me!

 That's pretty much it for me this time. Next Monday I'm off to a town called Loxton to stay in a working Hostel, and start fruit picking, probably Oranges to begin with! I'll update when I can, but don't think internet will be brilliant there, and I'm going to be staying for a few months.

 In consolation, here's some pictures from Cleland Wildlife Park in the Adelaide hills:

Yup, more Roos!

Nice to meet you too!

Quick Mum! They've spotted us!

Bush Stone Curlew

Wombat

Echidna (Not shy at all, he started climbing up the wall)

Another drop bear

And that classic cartoon character from years ago, the Tasmanian Devil:

Oh no, sorry, here's the real one:

I'm back!

 I was going to start with G'day, but I just can't do it. I'm far too British. 

 Hey! So I've finally decided to get off my virtual proverbial and start talking about what I'm doing again (Yes, and there'll be photos). Quick ramble or two first though.

 As some of you might have spotted, the address for this one is bugsysworldtravels.blogspot.com.au. I thought, rather than keep doing a separate one for each country, I'd roll it all into one, to help the NSA keep tabs on my movements (and I'm lazy).
 This blog gives you stats for how many views your posts gets, and where they come from:

 And no, I have no idea why so many people from the States have viewed it, but it's quite flattering to have over 1000 views for something I thought would be for family and friends. The reason that I'm rambling on about this is basically that I already knew that people I've met in New Zealand and Perth are probably going to be reading this as well, so if somethings I'm explaining seem simple or obvious, I've got a wide audience now! My goal is to get bigger in Germany than David Hasselhoff. 

  This is why I've also decided to have an interactive element (more on that later)....

So where am I, and what have I been up to??

 So in the 742 days I've been away from the UK, having slept in 48 different beds, and calling four places home, I'm now in Adelaide, South Australia, having arrived here on Monday. 

 I got to Australia on the 3rd of April, stayed in Melbourne for a couple of days, wandered round in a bit of a daze as I got used to funny accents and new plastic money, saw some of the family I have over here and caught up with a couple of friends. I then flew to Perth, WA, to winter. Now I say winter, but as soon as I stepped off the plane I nearly melted in the 30 degree + heat that was Autumn. 

 After travelling around NZ for five/six months while only working for a couple of months, my funds weren't looking too great, and it was time to get back to work and earn some cash to get the rest of the travels started, hence why I haven't blogged for ages.... didn't think my day to day would be that interesting as I was basically living and working in a city. 

 But, much fun was still had, and some amazing people were met and befriended. Day trips were of course taken to different places, and photos were taken! So without further rambling (too much), here's some photos: 

  

Mandurah (just south of Perth)

Rottness Island (Just off the coast of Perth)

This is the closest I've been to home in the 2 years (Only just over 9000 miles)

 Home of my new favourite marsupial: The Quokka

I know it's blurry, but wanted to show how close they got. This was while I was trying to eat lunch. 

I did take a trip down south to the Margaret River area, but it was raining most times I took my camera outside. So here's some photos from Ngilgi Caves at Yallingup. The Aboriginal dream time story about the cave is as followed (copied and pasted I'll admit, but it's a good story): 

 Whenever there was a fierce storm at Yallingup and mighty waves crashed up the beach with reaching arms of white foam looking as if they were trying to make their way up the valley, our old people would look out across the ocean and memories would return to them of the past and what was told to them many, many years ago and told to the Elders before them. They would re-tell the story of Ngilgi (a good spirit of the ocean), the spirits of thunder, lightning, rain, waves and wind and Wolgine (the bad spirit who once lived in the cave).

The story goes like this - a long time ago the entrance to the big cave at Yallingup was near the ocean where the little brook comes out. Food was plenty and the Aboriginal people use to collect their water from the entrance to the cave. Then an evil spirit called Wolgine began lurking in the cave. Wolgine caused the water hole to dry up, food to be scarce and drew unwary people into the great hole of darkness - never to be seen again.

Ngilgi was a good spirit who lived in the ocean and always kept a watchful eye on the tribes of Aboriginal people in the area. Feeling how sad his people were by the loss of their loved ones and seeing the suffering of his people, Ngilgi, decided to do something about Wolgine. He spoke with other good spirits of the ocean and together they planned to rid the district of the evil spirit Wolgine.

So the spirits of the waves, the wind, the rain, thunder and lightning joined together and made the most terrifying storm. Thunder and lightning went rolling and flashing across the sky and the fierce wind and rain went racing across the sea. The ocean formed itself into the biggest and highest king waves ever. The wind pushed the huge waves along and the sea rose up and up into the entrance of the cave. Never before or since had there been such a storm.

A fierce battle followed - Wolgine was frightened. He was driven further and further into the cave with the sea following him. Finally, driven to the end of the cave he knew he was beaten and begged for mercy. The spirits, being good and kind, agreed and stopped the storm. Ngilgi told Wolgine he could go providing he never came back to the area again. So Wolgine burst out of the cave (creating the entrance as we know it today) and ran away as fast as he could - never to be seen again.

Ngilgi decided to make his home there and it became known as Ngilgi's nurilem mia or cave house. Food once again became plentiful and in thanks, the Aboriginal people would come to the cave in the morning and leave bardies, yams and choice foods at the entrance and leave in silence.
But the storm had done damage; the old people would say the deep valley where the creek now runs was part of the cave. This part of the cave that once went from the sea and up the hillside to where Wolgine came out had collapsed - leaving only the cave we know today.

 There's probably some highly important geological significance as well, but I'm just happy knowing the difference between stalactites and stalagmites. And it looked cool. 

The caves had changing LED lights throughout as well, hence the colours

Haven't seen any deadly spiders or the five thousand other things that can kill you over here yet, but this little guy lived under one of my window ledges: 

Keeping on the theme of animals, a trip to a wildlife park was definitely needed. Caversham Wildlife Park even has an area where you can walk in an chill out with the Kangaroos, and feed them from the bin provided. There's signs that ask you not to over feed them, but with a handful from every person who goes through... they seemed rather full, and content to lie out in the sun or shade all day. 

 I feel it's appropriate to note at this point that these Roo's are all very docile. You can stroke them and get as close as you want to. But please, if you ever find yourself facing a wild Kangaroo, don't even think about it. You won't win.  

  

 

Boobook Owl

Kookaburra. I knew this after seeing one in Borth Animalarium! (For those of you who don't know, an Animalarium is the name given to a place by Zoos who decide they don't deserve the status of Zoo)

Not sure if I've seen a more relaxed animal...

Another Kookaburra. I don't think he liked having photos taken.

Flying Fox

A Galah, which is also Aussie slang for fool.

If you aren't sure what this is, it's a Drop Bear.

Dingo

 That's your fill for today. I have taken a few from around Adelaide, but I think this entry has been long enough.

 Now for the interactive stuff! As you hopefully paid attention to in my last blog, I did a bus tour where activities were arranged and suggested. And I now have a wide and varied audience for this blog. Sooooo......

 Suggest things for me to do! I don't just mean recommendations (that would be nice though), but challenges, requests for things for me to find out. I'm writing this for you lot, so I want to include stuff that you want!
 The only rules I would set are:

 - Don't suggest things that will get me chucked out of the country/ are illegal
 - Keep it family friendly
 - Keep it realistic. You can't have a piece of Uluru (Ayers Rock)

Either leave a suggestion in the comments, or send me an email at adam_bugsy@hotmail.com and I'll see what I can do.

I'll leave you with a patriotic Owl.