Live Sports Abroad Part V: The National Rugby League

Welcome back to Live Sports Abroad!  There was a gap of a few months because it is not easy to find sporting events to go to in Turkey and Southeast Asia but there is plenty going on this time of year in Australia.  With that in mind we arrived in Brisbane and overheard that there was a rugby match that evening.  Better yet, it was at the stadium that happened to be literally right next to our hostel.

So, rugby, that's pretty popular there right?

Officially Australian rules football is the most popular sport in Australia, but rugby is probably second and it's more popular in the state of Queensland (where we were) than it is further south or west.  There are actually two different types of rugby: union and league.  They split up in the late 1800's and developed slightly different rule sets.  We were watching league which is supposedly the faster paced less complicated version which is better because we didn't know much going in.  We were in by far the largest stadium we've been to so far.  See the picture below.

What's that hold?  About 55,000?

Dead on, yes.  The actual attendance was about 40,000.

OK, tell us about the game.

Well, it was the Brisbane Broncos (the local team) vs. the North Queensland Cowboys (they're from Townsville, which is right next to Magnetic Island which is where we held all the animals).  It was a little hard to root for the home team when their logo looked a lot like the Denver Broncos.  Anyway, we started off with a little pyro before the match got underway.

The basic goal is to score a "try" which is basically a touchdown.  You get one by running the ball into the end zone (if it's called that which it probably isn't).  You accomplish this by passing the ball laterally a lot and running into the opposing team who try to tackle you, but once they bring you to the ground you get up again and can keep running.  If your team gets tackled five times you have to kick the ball away (a fact we didn't realize until the second half when the people next to us told us).  It's kind of like downs in American football.  Apparently in union there are way more rules about tackling and possesion, but I don't know what they are.  Anyway, you always see people piled on top of each other in rugby.

There's got to be a little more to it than people just running into people, right?

It's mostly just people running into people, but breakaways can be pretty exciting because of that.  There are some brutal hits.  Also, when a team kicks it away they can run and try to catch the ball they've kicked to keep moving forward.  That can lead to some pretty crazy jump ball collisions.  If you score a try (which is worth 4 points) you then get to try to kick the ball through the uprights (like a field goal) for another 2 points.  I think you kick the ball from about the 20 meter point but also lined up with where it was run in so there were kicks from the edge of the field and some right down the middle.  It is unclear to me if you could just try to kick the ball the through the uprights and get points without going for a try.  At no point did that happen in the game we watched.

A scrum, that's a thing right?  Did you see one?

I believe a scrum happens after a foul or maybe some other stoppage of play.  My understanding is that a bunch of the players from each team line up across from each other leaning in and it looks like a big pile (rugby always with the piles of people) and the referee rolls the ball in the middle of the pile and they fight for it.  We didn't see a single one during the game. Apparently, they are more common in union.

So, how was the game you saw?

Brisbane was ahead basically the whole way.  There were some exciting moments usually surrounding breakaways and collisions.  The Australian fans really get into it and were shouting things constantly.  The girl next to me was super critical even when the game was well in hand.  Broncos won easily 44-22.

Any cool Jumbotron action?

Not a ton.  Graphics for when a team scored but nothing wicked interesting.  Below is from team introductions.

Mascots?

Take your pick:

I have no idea what this guy is.  The band behind him played before the game started.  At one point they covered No Scrubs by TLC because who hell the knows.

This is Buck who came out when the Broncos scored.

This guy looks pig like to me.

This is more like a bronco.

Halftime show?

Two things: first this game sponsored by XXXX beer (which is mediocre, i think you pronounce it four x).  Players dressed like beer bottles had to throw beer ingredients into the beer glass.  An entertaining enough diversion.

And of course, cheerleaders.  Notice that is says Hog's Breath across their chests.  Hog's Breath Cafe is actually a chain restaurant here in Australia, so it's just an ad, but still pretty unfortunate.

Anything else of note?

Players uniform numbers in rugby are just 1 through 17 (thirteen on the field, four subs) which seems refreshingly straightforward.  Also, they limit you to four beers per person per visit to the concession stand, so that's something you could never get away with back home.

They even offer this convenient carrying tray.  It cost 80 cents extra but you can actually pretty easily carry four beers with it with one hand.

And of course when the Broncos win you have to sing their song.

Are you going to try for part VI before you leave Australia?

We're going to try and catch an Aussie rules football match in Melbourne, so hopefully, yes.

Australia Quick Hits

You hear more German in hostels in Australia than you do in Germany or basically anywhere else we've been.  Germans apparently love Australia.

The clouds here are the coolest looking clouds I've ever seen.  They keep layering themselves over one another.  It's crazy.

Whitehaven Beach on Whitsunday Island is an awesome place with 98% silica sand that is so white it doesn't hold heat and is so fine and soft it will polish jewelry but really mess up your camera so we have no pictures of it (it was also raining a bit).  You could hang out there for a long time if it wasn't so hard to get to without a tour. 

The same goes for the perched lakes on Fraser Island.  I love lakes and these were amazing.  We'll eventually put up a full Fraser Island post.  Lake MacKenzie is one of the nicest lakes I've ever seen.

Kangaroo is delicious. It's a lean red meat with a distinct flavor different from beef. Really good.  Crocodile and emu were less exciting.

The main long distance bus service here is Greyhound Australia.  It has nothing to do with Greyhound in the US and is way nicer.  The wifi usually works on it which is surprising for bus travel especially since wifi in Australia is crappy.

The big Australian cities (Sydney and Melbourne) are next, but we'll try to update on some of our other Australian adventures soon.

More Fun with Animals

It's well known that there are lots of crazy animals in Australia.  So, here's a rundown of some of our other animal encounters.  The first bunch (including the crocodile from the last post through the snake) were at an animal sanctuary on Magnetic Island.

We got to hold this turtle, but we've also seen several in the ocean popping their heads up for air.  Turtles will also reappear later in this post.

This cockatoo will eat sunflower seeds right from your lips.

Here's a bearded dragon hanging out on my shoulder.

The main atraction at the animal sanctuary is holding the koalas.  This koala was pretty chill and just hung off us like she didn't have a care in the world.  They are soft  but kind of wooly.  It's a misnomer that eucalyptus makes them high all the time, it just doesn't have a lot of energy in it so they sleep most of the day.  Nobody else really wants to eat it though so they always have a food source.  It's funny how these photos sort of look like high school portraits except with a koala.

Koala close up!

Christiana working on her Britney Spears impersonation.

The elusive cassowary in the Atherton Tablelands.  Chrissy saw this but I never managed to spot one.

Cockatoo selfie at our hostel in Airlie Beach.  There were almost always a few hanging around.  It has a cracker Chrissy gave it in its claw.

Finally, these are just hatched baby loggerhead turtles on Mon Repos Beach.  You reserve a ticket in advance and show up to the beach at 6:45 PM and they bring you down when they start hatching.  They say sometimes you could wait until 10:00 or 11:00 or have no hatching at all in a given night, but they called us down almost immediately after we arrived which was cool.  This was the only photo we were allowed to take. The turtles pull themselves up out of the sand and tumble down the sandy hill at the top of the beach and then (after being briefly corraled by the park ranger for us to see) gun it across the sand for the water.  On average there are 127 turtles per nest so you see lots and lots of little turtles racing by.  30 years later females will return to lay their eggs at the same beach.  The whole thing is like something out of a nature documentary that you can't believe you are actually seeing in person.

Crocodile !

As ambush predators these guys haven't had to evolve since before the time of the dinosaurs. Just one of the many delightful creatures  of Australia that prove both its age (oldest continent,  rainforest, etc...), and relative harshness. Everything  here is trying to kill you. Luckily, this one was only a few months old, so we got to hold him without threat of imminent  death.

Australia is the home of "Action Chrissy"

Australia, and it's glorious sunshine have provided  an excellent excuse for me to reconnect with an old love, nature. And in doing so, I've discovered all the fun and adventurous  things you can do in the land down under. First things first, I bought  an action bathing suit. You'll  see it in the photos, bright neon Speedo. (Did you know the Speedo logo is actually a boomerang?) Then, sometimes with Jim beside me, and sometimes on my own, I got to:

Paddle board at Lake Eacham

Climb trees in the Atherton Tablelands (a formerly volcanic landscape,  think Hawaii, but tens of thousands of years older)

Barefoot Tours Atherton Tablelands March 7th

And also hide behind Dinner Falls, film mock Herbal Essences  commercials at Milla Milla Falls, and enjoy the rock slide at Paradise Falls. Note that you'll have to follow the link on these as our waterproof camera decided after the Great Barrier Reef it had given up on us and let the salt water jam it's doors shut.

 Also:

Went night hiking on Magnetic Island

Rode a horse bareback in the surf of Horseshoe Bay on Magnetic Island 

Went adventure sailing on a retired race boat in the Whitsundays 

As a side note, Australia, being an island continent, is a little behind the times on internet, so we probably won't be posting super frequently, unless things pick up  as we hit the bigger cities further south.

The Daintree Rainforest and Cape Tribulation

Australia is justifiably famous for the Great Barrier Reef but what is less known (or at least less known to us) and right next to the reef is the Daintree Rainforest that is said to be the oldest rainforest in the world.  It's beautiful.

Where the rainforest meets the reef is the refrain you hear from all the tourist brochures.  As you can see, they aren't lying.

There are also fun animals everywhere.  I believe this is Boyd's Forest Dragon just hanging out.

We walked about 4 km up and down hills to this stretch of fresh water called the Emmagen Water Hole.  We were so hot once we got there the dip was very nice.  Luckily, we were able to grab a ride back with some other people enjoying the water.

Bugs in Australia are massive.  Chrissy's hand is next to this one for scale.

This is Cape Tribulation Beach and a lovely spot to spend a bit of time relaxing on the beach/in the rainforest.

We took a boat trip on the Daintree River and spotted this crocodile chilling in the mangroves.  They camouflage very well.  One or two people a year are killed by crocodiles in Australia but there are lots of signs in areas you aren't supposed to swim in warning you not to swim.  They are what's called an ambush predator which means they'll surprise and eat whatever gets close enough to them to be eaten.

Our last stop up in the rainforest was Mossman Gorge where Chrissy went for another swim.  She's basically a fish.

The Great Barrier Reef

We've started our Australian adventure in Cairns which is in Queensland in the tropical Northern part.  It's in the 90's with very high humidity every day.  The kind of weather where you sweat just standing still.  We are at an awesome hostel with wicked helpful staff and some cool people.  It has kind of a chilled out college vibe to it except you don't have to go to class and can hang out and chill in the pool and venture out to see some crazy nature whenever you feel like it.  There's also a local bar called The Woolshed that everyone likes to frequent which is interesting to say the least.  In other words, it's completely awesome.  Speaking of awesome crazy nature, Cairns is one of the best places to explore the Great Barrier Reef and we did just that.  It lives up to the hype.

We sprung for one of the nicer boats that does day trips to the reef and it was well worth it.  You can't wear glasses underneath goggles but my goggles here are prescription strength.  So awesome when you are blind like me but want to actually see things when you snorkel.

There are some big weird looking fish swimming around.  We didn't take too many underwater photos because you really just need to enjoy the experience, but we got a few good shots.

Also, it's jellyfish season which means stinger suits for everyone.  Stings are very rare and you aren't required to wear the suit but since jellyfish stings range from  excruciatingly painful to death it's a good idea.  It doubles as really good sun protection.

Some cool shots.  Favorites not pictured: giant clams, squid, lone turtle chilling on the ocean floor, and clown fish darting in and out of an anemone.  There was also one point where the coral just came to a shelf and dropped off 20 meters.  It reminds you of a scene from Finding Nemo and you can only think "He touched the butt."

200 Days

So at 100 days, it was like we hadn't  really  been gone at all, but had managed to cram in quite a bit. Here we are at 200 days and it's like time is flying!

It's hard to believe we've been on the road this long, but it also means we're closer to coming home  and to what I call Phase 3, The Great American Road trip.

So far we've traveled at least 25,000 miles (thanks Mom for doing the math!) And have now touched down on our third continent, Australia. We plan to be here for the next 4-5 weeks or so, working our way down the massive east coast before flying stateside. You may note, this means we're likely cutting New Zealand and Hawaii from the itenerary.  This is life on the road, sometimes you can't fit in all the things you'd like. You can't  be running around 24/7 everywhere because you burn out, and less than 2 days in a place isn't  necessarily  enough to make an impression. We've slowed our pace a bit in favor of being able to get to know places a bit better. Plus, the less often we move, the less likely I am to lose things like my coat, or my padlock.

We are excited to maximize our time in this giant country,  but also want to take a moment to make a plug for Phase 3, which will creep up on us very soon. Between April 12th and May 30th Jim and I will be working our way across the lower 48. We have no set itinerary yet, so we'd love to hear from you!  Specifically:
1. What do you  feel is a must see in the lower 48? And more importantly....
2. Do you want visitors and have a floor, couch, futon, blow up mattress,  or guest bed for us to sleep on? Because we would love to see you on our adventure!

Singapore

Ed. Note: this post was written by Jim even though Chrissy was logged in.

Our last stop in Southeast Asia was Singapore.  It's an island situated just south of Malaysia, and only 85 miles north of the equator.  It was a British colony and then briefly part of Malaysia in the 60's, but it was voted out because the local Malay people thought the large Chinese population would be a threat to the Malay way of life.  So, it became its own city/country.  Basically, it's one of the only places to gain its independence against its will.  It seems to have worked out though because it is a very modern, clean, and enjoyable place to spend time.  After the noise and craziness of Ho Chi Minh City, downtown Singapore was downright quiet.  Also, you can drink the tap water, which is a luxury after you've spent three months with bottled water.

The subway system in Singapore is efficient and the cars are large and comfortable.  Plus, they have these entertaining signs.  In addition to GiveWayGlenda, there were a few others such as MoveInMartin and StandUpStacey.

The famous drink the Singapore Sling was invented around 1915 at the Long Bar at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore.  The bar has been moved around the hotel a few times since then.  The current iteration was built in 1991 during a renovation of the entire hotel, but it still has that old time charm.  There are free bags of peanuts that you can shell and throw on the floor while you enjoy your beverage.  Not ones to miss a chance for some historic drinking we enjoyed a sling (OK, maybe two) and lots of peanuts.  It was a really fun bar experience.

We visited the Night Safari which is a zoo that is dedicated to nocturnal and crepuscular (vocab alert: it means active at night) animals.  It's open from 7:30 to midnight so you actually get to see the animals when they are out and about.  We stood very, very close to bats and giant flying squirrels and spotted hyenas (which are super creepy).  It's a very well laid out place and was a highlight, but unfortunately, nocturnal animals are very sensitive to bright lights and no flash on the camera means no good pictures.  You can enjoy Chrissy playing bongos though.

Behind me is the Marina Bay Sands which is an absolutely massive resort hotel and casino built by a Las Vegas hotel magnate.  It looks like it has an aircraft carrier on the roof.  There is an infinity pool on the roof that is supposed to be incredible, but that place is way out of our price range.  Still, it's cool to look at.

Across the bay is the symbol of Singapore, the merlion, shooting water out of its mouth.

This local specialty is chili crab which we enjoyed with Tiger, the local lager.  You pick out your live crab and they cook it up for you in a chili tomato sauce.  It was absolutely delicious...

but incredibly messy and hard to eat.