all sorted

I was incredibly productive today…at least from 1:30 – 4:30 pm! First thing on the list was buying laundry detergent, because I couldn’t even think of starting off in Australia with half a backpack full of dirty clothes. Got the detergent, and was carrying the box into the hostel when the guy at reception stopped me and asked me if I realized that the washing machines automatically dispensed detergent. Awesome. I did two loads of laundry, and then dried my clothes for over an hour, 20 minutes at a time, because 1) there isn’t a line and 2) they kept taking longer than I thought so I had to keep checking and feeding it dollar coins. At least they have coins bigger than a quarter here (10, 20, and 50 cent = silver-colored, and $1 and $2, gold-colored, just in case you were wondering. 1 and 5 cents coins no longer exist, which is pretty awesome).

I washed all my warm-ish clothes, so I couldn’t go out til they were dry, which is why I got a late afternoon start. First stop: library, to return the books I finished last night. Second: post office to mail collected items home. Third: bank to exchange NZD for Australian dollars (they’re super colorful!! very Monopoly-ish, except made from plastic, so they’ll survive laundry adventures). Fourth: AA (Automobile Association, the NZ branch of AAA) to get some free maps before my year-long membership runs out on Friday. Fifth: Kathmandu camping store to get my Summit Club membership, which came with my hostel membership. I probably won’t really use it, but I like having cards from places because it makes me look and feel legit/non-backpackery.

Back at the hostel, I booked my airport shuttle (4:25 am…ouch…), a hostel in Brisbane, and packed my backpacks. Jamie finished work early, so he came into town for an Indian dinner, and then we had a strange but entertaining conversation with a French Canadian pro skier & second-generation hippie who honed in on my ‘Alberta twang’ from a couple tables over in the hostel lounge. Interestingly enough, this was the second time today that I was told I [speak with a? have a? I do not know the correct phrasing here, because I don’t think I have ever used the word before] a ‘twang.’ The comment earlier in the day came from an Irish roommate who was convinced I’m from Texas.

Time for bed soon, since I have to be up before dawn. Internet’s not too good here, so I’ll upload the rest of the road trip blog entries/pics in Australia.