Blog the Second

As promised, more blog rant...

So where was I, oh yes on a train! I have been on lots of train journeys in my time and so this shouldn't have amused me as much as it did, but Australian trains have some features which British ones don't, that I think they should adopt fast! Firstly, unlike British trains they occasionally show up on time.  Secondly they have triple decker trains which are just an awesome idea and made me feel like a big over excited kid!  Some trains have seats where you can alter which direction you are facing by pulling the back of the seat one way or another, which is pretty cool.  But best of all, Australian Trains have proper dining carriages with tables and a TV and everything so you have somewhere to escape from your seat and any associated creepy men! 

I made good use of said dining carriage and contemplated also making use of the fact it was licensed.  Then I realized it was 9am! I almost wish this hadn't stopped me but it did!

After a while my disappointingly sober self and my huge red suitcase arrived in Townsville. 

What to say about Townsville, it is not really the most exciting place and I didn't really end up seeing that much of it.  I did however bump into someone I knew from Digger Street who I went out for lunch with and had the glass of wine I had refused myself earlier in the day and then a few more, good times! :)

I spent another 2 days in Townsville, there was a nice market and a town to potter round, which felt oddly dead the entire time I was there.  I killed some time chilling out in the local library on the first day (I'm that cool!) but the best thing I saw was the aquarium and turtle hospital on the second.

The Aquarium was pretty much like any other but it focused on creatures of the great barrier reef and Australia which is something I know little about.  I was glad to learn, sometimes in this country I feel very much like a child who knows nothing.  Especially since some of the creatures here can be dangerous.  something bites you or you see a bug or a snake and think, is this harmless or should I be running for my life?!  Not that an aquarium tells you anything about land living bugs but it was still really interesting!

The turtle hospital which was attached to the aquarium seemed to be pretty busy.  Apparently lots of turtles get hit by boats and things like that.  I know this cos they allowed members of the public to go on tours of the turtle hospital which was basically lots of blue circular vats with turtles of various types in varying states of ill and injured.  It was good to see them being cared for though and the awareness that was brought to them by the hospital tours and associated talk has got to be a good thing.  I saw a turtle when I went out to the Barrier Reef, swimming along in its own little world paying almost no attention to us. As it should be.  It made me feel kind of like a small and irrelevant newcomer.  Which is what humans would be on earth if we weren't so good at destroying everything. 

That was pretty much it for my stay in Townsville so I will leave this post here and write another tomorrow!