We traveled around Australia for more than 15,000 kms and after that we took a flight to India and spent a few months traveling around Goa, Gokarna and Hampi.
Goa is divided into two – North Goa and South Goa. North Goa is usually where all the action is while South Goa is full of isolated islands and quite relaxed beaches. We started in Anjuna in North Goa and then head south to Palolem and Gokarna. Anjuna Beach was full of activities with lots of trance parties happening at multiple shacks at the same time. It is like the beach full of discotheques everywhere but you’re are more or less partying by the sea instead of indoors. Its a pretty fun vibe if you are a party animal. Palolem on the other hand was very still and silent with not much happening except for a silent disco joint and pool parties at the Lalit that people gathered for. It was quite a refreshing change from Anjuna but it was time to go after a few days. We made our way to Agonda beach and Blue Lagoon while we were in South Goa and then head out to Gokarna.
We moved on to Gokarna and found out that it is actually a cluster of beaches – it starts at Gokarna – then Kutley Beach – Om Beach – then Half Moon Beach and then Paradise beach. From Kutley to Paradise beach – there accomodation gets more and more basic where we found there were no place to stay in Paradise beach at all – you basically needed to camp out.
What I loved about all these beaches is hand delivered fruits that come your way all the time. Since it gets quite hot everywhere in Goa – Fruit is the best way to re hydrate.
From Ulluru Brett, Hannah and me soared towards South East of Australia to Deniliquin to celebrate New Years at an alternative bush camp out festival called ConFest.
Unlike most music festivals ConFest has no loud speakers and all the fun is purely acoustic. If you are really crazing to get into them beats then they have a silent disco which is surprisingly a lot of fun!! Otherwise people mostly dance to hundreds of people drumming along on their Djembes.
This gathering is held twice a year – one during New Years and one during the Easter break. I normally go to the Easter one but this time it just made sense to make our way to Confest to celebrate New Years.
After the most amazing Xmas celebration – we went back to Alice Springs to find Jamie who helped us heal her so she can take us to witness a beautiful wonder – Ulluru – which is a drive about 450 kms away from Alice Springs.
Listed as an UNESCO World Heritage Site Ulluru is regarded as a very sacred space by the local aboriginal community Pitjantjatjara Anangu. It has two aspects to it – a male aspect which is Ulluru and a female aspect which is Kata Tjuta.
Aboriginals believe that beneath this sacred space there is a hollow space from which an energy is releases which they call “Tjukurpa” meaning dream time.
Ayers Rock – Male
Kata Tjuta – Female
“The world was once a featureless place. None of the places we know existed until creator beings, in the forms of people, plants and animals, traveled widely across the land. Then, in a process of creation and destruction, they formed the landscape as we know it today. Anangu land is still inhabited by the spirits of dozens of these ancestral creator beings which are referred to as Tjukuritja or Waparitja.”
The meaning of Kata Tjuta is many heads as it has a group of 30 different rocks of which the highest one is called “Mount Olga”. Mount Olga is known to be the residence of Snake Wanambi who lives in the water hole and comes out when its dry.
I basically came here for my birthday – and Brett and Hannah treated me to a stay in a nice 5 star hotel after being on the road since ages. Thanks Brett and Hannah – I love you.
Sources:
Josephine Flood, Archaeology of the Dreamtime : The Story of Prehistoric Australia and its People, New Haven: Yale University Press, 1990.
After revisiting the Daintrees – we left Hannah at Cairns and kept moving towards Townsville past Mission Beach. Just before we left – some fellow travelers told us about a waterfall called Murray Falls that we just could not miss before we make our way towards the center of Australia. They told us that they met many people there who were also heading towards the center for the 21st Dec 2012 end of the world gathering.
So Murray Falls was obviously the next destination on our list. We arrive at Murray Falls to meet our family on wheels towards the center of Australia. This spot is amazing and a must go for all waterfall lovers.
Murray Falls – Photo Credits: Uwe Dedering
So we drive into Girramay National Park – to see a bunch of nudist hippies lying around – drawing, painting, making henna tattoos and just being outright crazy. They had solar powered speakers blaring out music which really amused me when it occurred to me that these hippies really seem to have their shit together.
They had an abundance of food that they picked up from dumpster dives and 2 (which later became 3) of the cars were running on vegetable oil. These guys were pirates breaking free from the system just doing whatever they felt like doing.. which shocked me a little to begin but at the same time something I found quite interesting.
We spent two nights with them at Murray Falls and then we went back to Cairns to pick up Hannah again. It was great to have her back on road and then our next stop was Townsville. Our convoy had about 6 vehicles which increased to about 9 in townsville.
Pitstop in Townsville – Bindikats jeep was being converted to veggie oil while we were getting the Eagle ready for the big deserted drive between Townsville and Alice-springs. A journey of about 2100 kms. The Eagle was not doing very well at all – the engine kept overheating and and it was chewing way too much gas. We got an mileage of 2kms per liter and the car kept breaking down every time we raised it above 70km/hr. After meeting several mechanics – we felt a little more confident but not so much but we were really grateful to have Rex and Peter who are two awesome mechanics in the convoy which gave us the assurance to just keep going.
So the journey begins – nervous but excited at the same time – we find ourselves driving on an never ending straight road with beautiful skies during the day and endless streams of shooting stars at night. It was truly magical and its only just the beginning.
Next stop was Mount Isa where the Eagle completely ran out of fuel. One of our mates needed to go back to the closest fuel station and fill two jerry cans so we could resume. When our mates got back with the fuel – they woke us up to show us 3 Eagles going round and round in circles right above us and then they present to us some dead eagles… which was really bizarre. I guessing one of the cars on the highway hit a kangaroo and the eagles were probably eating that and all got killed by another car. I did a little meditation to relieve their souls and we kept going.
Roadhouse on the way
Pittstop
Next stop after Mt Isa was Tenent Creek near which is a really scenic destination called Devil’s Rocks which is really similar to Hampi in India.
A storm brewing at Devils Rocks
After Devil’s Rocks – was Wycliff Well which is claimed to be a UFO capital of Australia. I think its just a tourist gimmick to get more people to visit it.
UFO Zone at Wycliff Well
After that stop – we are only 380 kms away from Alice Springs which was broken down with a stop at a Roadhouse called Barrows Creek and overnight stay at Aileron.
Eagle syncronicity
Owner of GFD happens to have a pet eagle
The next destination at last was Alice Springs!!! We made it but the Eagle collapsed and we had to rent a car to catch up with the rest of the crew at Trorala – Gosse Bluff Conservation Reserve.
And we made it to our final destination – on time to celebrate the end of an era and the beginning of a new one…
On the 22nd of Dec 2012 – we visited Red Rock Canyon – and I was completely blown away from this place. Its one of my favorite travel destinations and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting Alice Springs. A climbers paradise – if you love climbing you will love this spot specially because you can climb up to the caves hundreds of meters high. Since this spot is right in midst of the desert – the weather is really hot and dry – but if you can make it to the oasis where the water body is which is about 1/2 hour walk from the car park you will find the water so super chilled and its the most amazing dip to escape the heat in Alice Springs.
Christmas by far has been my favorite Christmas of all times!! It was at an oasis called Ellery Creek Big Hole. Another spot you must NOT miss if you visit Alice Springs. Loads of climbing to do here aswell and if you can swim past all the way as far as you can go – there is a mini beach with really rich mud that you can cover your body with and sunbathe for hours before you get back into the water again. So for Xmas – we obviously got the solar powered speakers pumping out awesome tunes and all of us brought out all our goodies to munch on and just have the time of our lives. I am sure everyone present there agrees with me (;
Ellery Creek Big Hole, West MacDonnell Ranges – [http://www.flickr.com/photos/princeroy/2080876234/in/set-72157603344330983 Prince Roy’s Flickr] |Author=|Author=[http://www.princeroy.org Prince R
After Eclipse – we all went down to Cape Tribulation at the Daintrees and continued our shenanigans there. The Daintrees is an isolated island for which you need to get a ferry and it has no road access. It was quite a mission to get there but worth the effort.
Mission beach is about two hours away from Cairns and it is a really small town yet really serene and beautiful. We stayed with Hannah’s friend John who loved fishing and had a freezer full of fishes that he’d fished himself. I cook a really yummy grilled fish for everyone.. Sadly I dont have any pictures from here.
I do however have a Business Card of these awesome aboriginal guys who took us for River Rafting.. they cooked us awesome tea in the middle of the trip and showed us some awesome native trees which they use trationally. I never intended to blog about this hence didnt take any notes.. but if you happen to be in Mission Beach – look them up:
Brett joined us at Mission Beach after picking up the camper van all fixed up to continue our road trip – so we then headed towards Cairns..
Back on the road!!
We spent about a month in Cairns and then make our way back to the Daintrees because we loved it so much. Daintrees is renowned for its rain forests and its remote beaches. Its an isolated island for which you need to catch a ferry to get in. All the locals here live a sustainable lifestyle with their own power source either using fuel generators or solar power. They take pride in being completely off grid.
Hannah building pyramids on the beach
We stayed at Cape Tribulation where they have AMAZING woodfire pizzas. One of the night sitting at our campsite an insect came up to Hannah – on her leg – when she 1st noticed this she completely freaked out. Brett got her to calm down and relax and made her face her fears and forcing her to put it oh her hand which she did.
Hannah making friends with the peppermint stick insect
Well this stick insect isnt really just an ordinary stick insect (we found out later) – its a rare species only found at the Daintrees and other certain parts of the world. It is harmless and theirs only mode of defense mechanism is spraying out a liquid which smells like peppermint. Hence the name Peppermint Stick Insect.. How cool heh?
The year is 2012 – and the Mayans are predicting the end of the world counting down to the midnight of 21st Dec 2012. Meanwhile Brett and me are been gearing ourselves up to take off. I quit uni at the start of the year and then I find someone to replace my position as the Head of Accounts and Administration at my job to hand it all over to Ken! Brett too gives up his some of his shares in his company over to his two business partners to say good-bye – once and for all to this “corporate lifestyle”. Its October now – and Brett and me are leaving on a jet plane off to Brisbane and two trains to finally get to Eumandi – to pick up our new portable home – “The Eagle”
The Eagle
Our kitchen
Our bed..
As we arrive in Eumandi we get a call from the mechanic who was adding a new engine to make the eagle as good as new – asking us to not arrive yet – that he has discovered some major problems that need to be fixed. Brett and me just have two pairs of clothes as our plan was to get to Eumandi pick up the Eagle and drive back to Melbourne to quickly pack up and leave for Cairns via the Blue Mountains near Sydney where we were booked in for Vipassana.
So with two pairs of clothes – we are stuck here in Eumandi – until the Eagle is good to go – the previous owners Tim and Sally put us up at their house and cooked us some amazing food. Tim told us that there happens to be a vipassana centre just 1/2 an hour away from where they live in Pomona and we could just transfer there instead of the Blue Mountains.
So we head off to Pomona to embark our journey with a 10 day silent meditation – Vipassana. Here I am introduced to the notion of ‘annica’ – which means impermanence or change -is drilled into my head of not having any cravings for anything to be a certain way – or any aversions to way things are as they stand. Having harnessed the power of equanimity – I start my journey feeling limitless and free – confident to face anything and everything that can come my way. Little did I know what the universe had in line for me!
Vipassana at Pomona
We have our portable home and we have just completed Vipassana – next mission is heading back to Melbourne – and coming back all the way past Brisbane to head to Cairns – for a 7 day solar eclipse party. We have 1 week to drive to complete about 4200 kms..
He looks tired doesnt he?
We make it to Melbourne (1600 kms) in 48 hours – really knackered and delirious. Now we need to pack and make our way back to Cairns which is another 2000kms.. Good news is that we are not on our own – Jason and Terry will be joining us!!! The drive back is definitely exciting – except for 1 fact – the eagle is not feeling too well – and she needs a doctor! Every 200 kms we find ourselves rushing into the driveway of the nearest mechanic to give her a doze of his magic to keep her going. About 400 kms from Cairns.. 4/5th of the way the Eagle broke down and could not move any further! Here is where the universe is definitely forcing me to apply the principles of Vipassana. I must not crave my lovely portable home and I must not have an aversion to a rented car. Embracing the fact that at least we have the option of a rented car to take us to our party we jump ship and finally make it 1 day late to Cairns for a very exciting 6 days!
One of the most magical festival that I have ever been to – there are some memories that will never leave my mind such as watching the 3 shooting stars as Fat Freddy’s Drop was playing live – the main dance floor after the eclipse – the chill stage which was full of crystals – the tree art house art decor that you could climb on and the eclipse itself!!
We all gathered together at about 5 in the morning and found a comfy spot on the mountain.. The sun rose.. the birds started chirping and it was really like any other ordinary day. The sun was shining brightly in the sky and when we looked at the sun through our eclipse glasses – you could see part of the sun slightly covered in black. Over the next hour – this shade over the sun grew larger – as the moon began to come closer the sun. As this happened I felt the temperature dropping as it became colder while the daylight reduced to sheer darkness. The birds became silent and when you looked at the sun – you could see that it is completely covered by the moon – it was pitch dark and all you could see in the sky was this:
I heard someone say at a festival – that once you witness an eclipse – you never want to miss another one ever again – and I feel like I definitely would agree with that. Maybe its something about the feminine energies of the moon uniting with the masculine solar energies which brings out within you some form of an orgasmic awakening which can never really be described by words.. its something you have to witness for yourself to know what I am really talking about. But you could definitely feel a certain kind of ecstasy from that experience.
Empire of Love – Photo Credit – Jess Dales
By the end of all of it – I was just glad that I made it 🙂
Time.is.happenin
Byronfilm.com
Guerillabyte Media Resources
Shot on 5Dmk3 by Oliver Claude Buckworth and Sean Patrick McAuliffe
Edited by Sean Patrick McAuliffe
Music-
SWAMPRATT
OFRO – soundcloud.com/rohithabraham
TEMPLE STEP PROJECT- soundcloud.com/temple-step-project
Special thanks to MoonArt Collective – moonartscollective.com/
Shrine On – shrineon.com/
The Bongo Bus – threeworlds.com.au/l
The concept of Rainbow Serpent is based on an Aboriginal Dreamtime folklore. The Australian aboriginal notion of dreamtime(acheringa) is symbolic of timelessness and Godliness – a divine space where heroes and creators come from. When the aboriginals observed the multicoloured rainbow in the sky; they believed it to be a snake emerging from dreamtime whose movement around earth enabled the foundation of mountains and valleys; which allowed waterbodies like rivers, creeks and lagoons to come into being. They also observed that the multicoloured snake only appeared after a big storm or heavy rainfalls and hence assumed that it resided in the waterholes. They believed that once the storm dissipates it comes out of its waterhole to travel to another waterhole and find a new home. Rainbow Serpent is thus a representation of the water element and is regarded to be one of the most powerful dreamtime creatures – a protector portrayed as one of the greatest forces of nature and spirit.
Aboriginal Art of Rainbow Serpent – Photo Credits Ladymaggic
Rainbow Serpent Festival is Autralia’s largest electronic music festival which is held at the start of every year during Australia Day long weekend. A weekend full of festivities, camping, workshops, shopping, fun with close friends, lots of dancing to all your favorite artists for people who enjoy electronic music and massages and healings from awesome healers in the lifestyle area.
The year is 2011 and Rainbow Serpent – here we come!!! I am in the car filled with camping gear, blankets and pillows, yummy food – booze – mixers and and everything flashy we can possibly fill the car up. With me are some awesome people: Brett, Jason, Harry and John. Brett is my boyfriend and Jason is a really close friend whose son is Harry and John is a friend of a friend (who became a really close friend too) that messaged Brett a few weeks before Rainbow Serpent asking if he could join us for the festival.
Jason with Harry on his shoulder, Brett with the cap and John
We arrive at the site to be welcomed by the very colourful expressions and vibrancy of the festival with a buzz of excitement from all the people; only to look at the sky to witness a rainbow initiating the magic in the festival.
We set off on a walk to find our other friends who have set up camp somewhere around one of the stages and we take a pause to look at the schedule for the upcoming 5 days at the chill space.
Seems like John’s excited about something
As you can see above – the chalkboard is full of really exciting activities and a chance to meet really talented often renowned artisans giving free workshops on art, yoga, dance, capoeira, meditations etc etc etc. One that stands out to me is Alex Grey who is a mystic artist who’s art work is to die for!!! His live art performances added extra sparkles to the festival .. below are a few images:
Live art installation by Alex Grey!
During the four/five days – the space which was empty before very soon becomes a temporary village with main roads and bylanes filled with campsites, dance floors, lounges, wicked artwork and colourful awesome crazy people. The space is alive with the heartbeat of the synchronised dance floors; specially at night with mind-blowing lasers beams and visuals lighting the whole space up. In my experience I felt like everyone present there came together to create a space of timelessness – what the aboriginals believed to be dreamtime – another dimension of psychedelic madness.
We are a tribe celebrating life and joy via music – we are one on the dance floor altogether resonating a frequency which everyone absorbs to travel through space and time experiencing a transcendental journey to the present moment. Here our woes and sorrows disappear – our identity disappears – only presence remains.
The Self
O Master, Tell me how to find Detachment, wisdom and freedom!
Child, If you wish to be free, Shun the poison of the senses.
Seek the nectar of truth. Of love and forgiveness. Simplicity and Happiness.
Earth, fire and water – the wind – the sky – You are none of these.
If you wish to be free, know you are the Self. The witness of all these, The Heart of Awareness.
Set your body aside. Sit in your own awareness.
You will at once be happy. Forever still, Forever free.
You have no caste. No Duties to bind you.
Formess and free. Beyond the reach of the senses. The witness of all things.
So be happy!
The Ashtavakra Gita
More artwork..
Rainbows favorite hangout spot – the Chai Tent!
Taxi anyone?
One of my highlights from this Rainbow is watching this guy bend spoons.. I have heard that people can do things like that but watching it live literally blew me away. Please excuse me for not having the best video to show you from my iPhone 4 camera I had on me back then..
Auroville has been in the making since more than 40 years and is founded in the memory of legendary freedom fighter Sri Aurobindo. The birth of Sri Aurobindo takes place in Kolkatta in the year 1872 after which he spends a significant part of his early life in UK. After coming back he is based in Vadodara where he works as a personal assistant to the Maharaja of Vadodara; whilst being a writer where he writes a series of articles to a weekly in Pune called “New Lamps for Old” expressing very revolutionary ideas. Sri Aurobindo infact is a revolutionary and ends up in jail for being so where he begins to practice Yoga and Pranayana which initiates some kind of an awakening within him.
This awakening is expressed by Sri Aurobindo via his poem Adwaita:
Adwaita
I walked on the high-wayed Seat of Solomon
Where Shankaracharya’s tiny temple stands
Facing Infinity from Time’s edge, alone
On the bare ridge ending earth’s vain romance.
Around me was a formless solitude:
All had become one strange Unnamable,
An unborn sole Reality world-nude,
Topless and fathomless, for ever still.
A Silence that was Being’s only word,
The unknown beginning and the voiceless end
Abolishing all things moment-seen or heard,
On an incommunicable summit reigned,
A lonely Calm and void unchanging Peace
On the dumb crest of Nature’s mysteries.
Sri Aurobindo
Sri Aurobindo makes his way to Pondicherry in 1910 where he spends most of his time meditating and “establishing himself in awareness, which he termed ‘supramental’ and to assist everyone around him to achieve this level of awareness” (Dua, 2004). Mira Richard also known as Mother – joins him in 1914 and devotes her life to Sri Aurobindo, Auroville and of-course to enlightenment.
Founded on February 28, 1968 – The Foundation of Auroville – a township named after Sri Aurobindo is a living embodiment based on the ideals of Sri Aurobindo.
Today earthlings from all over the world gather in Auroville to reside in the awareness that Sri Aurobindo writes about in his poem Adwaita. These earthlings are known as Aurovillians where they have found a nest around the Matrimandir. The Matrimandir is a golden circular dome surrounded by twelve petals. Inside within the center is a big crystal bowl on which one ray of sunlight enters from the top of the dome that allows the Matrimandir to be lit up with natural lighting. When you enter this divine space it’s meant to be pin drop silence where all you can hear is the inner stillness of peace and serenity if the universe wills it. Its architecture is based on sacred geometry and it resonates a really intense energy (in my experience) which is radiated for a circumference of upto 5 kms around the Matrimandir.
Auroville – Matrimandir
Google Maps view of the Matrimandir
Being the idealist that I am; discovering Auroville – is a dream come true. As a student of Global Studies – my dream is to see a world where all is one – where we are not identified by our religions, our nationality, our skin color or our wealth. Most people would argue that this dream cannot be true and is quite unrealistic. Like John Lennon’s legendary song – “Imagine” I guess I am a dreamer and am so very delighted to have found in my dream a place like Auroville.
An Initiation
So it is the end of the year of 2010 and my boyfriend Brett’s birthday is coming up and I am very keen on making a visit to Auroville as I had heard that it a place that attracts many spiritual seekers. Brett and me thus find ourselves in a car being driven to Pondicherry from Bangalore – I really would not recommend this drive to anyone as the roads happen to be really bumpy and a single lane highway with way too much traffic. This is back in 2010 so maybe it’s different now.
Pondicherry being a colony occupied by the french in the past still retains its french charisma from those colonial days where even now the streets names are french. We spend a night there and the next day we make our way to Auroville. As we register ourselves to visit the Matrimandir – the gentleman notices Brett’s date of birth on his i.d and tells us that if you happen to be in Auroville for your birthday you have the privilege to go and meditate in Sri Aurobindos private chambers. Brett is really determined to do this as he knows that it is meant to be and it makes sense why we are here now (I swear I never planned for this).
So the next day we make our way to Sri Aurobindos personal chambers and while we are waiting on the stairs outside his room for the doors to open – the healing has already begun for Brett where he begins to feel all forms of intense energies. We are then escorted to enter Sri Aurobindo’s room – where we spend about 15 mins sitting down silently and meditating. Once we get out it seems like Brett has received a direct initiation from Sri Aurobindo because he is completely knocked out – he is feeling nauseous, light headed, hot and cold at the same time and a range of other sensations. We head back to the hotel room and he starts purging and his body temperature is high, body is tense and everything is coming out.. from everywhere… Looking at him I sense that he needs some healing or a massage or something that can help transmute whatever he is going through and so I start surfing the web for healers in Auroville and I find out about about this place called “Quiet Healing Center”. I ring them and explain to them what Brett is going through and they tell me that they have a couple of healers and masseuses coming in a various times and they recommend one who is does deep tissue massage as well as sound healing with singing bowls and vocals that can help Brett. Sounds too good to be true and divinely perfect so I go ahead and book an appointment with this healer and a room for ourselves to stay there while Brett’s “processing” is being complete.
While Auroville happened to be a very powerful experience for Brett – for me I find myself basking in waves of intense electric energy where I am just soaking it all in. It is similar to an experience of receiving pranic healing or reiki but ten times stronger than any healing I have ever received in my entire life.
Locals on the beach outside Quiet Healing Center.
Bibliography:
Dua, Shyam. The Lumunous Life of Sri Aurobindo. Delhi: Tiny Tot Publications, 2004. Print.
Turiya Tatyana 
