Yeah, Newcastle, but not the one in England. Several places bear the same name as others back in the United Kingdom, as if the founders of the towns had absolutely no inspiration at that moment, or maybe too much nostalgia for their homeland.

Because Australia, as some of you already know, was colonized (some would say stolen, conquered from the Aboriginals) by Captain James Cook, the first European explorer to reach the East Coast of Australia. It quickly became a jail, England sending entire ships of convicts there, on the other side of the world, for them to stay and live the rest of their lives in exile.

But the convicts flourished and thrived, on this land strangely harsh and full of resources at the same time – some would say resources stolen from the Aboriginals. And, in the end, they got their independence.

I walked and waited for a long, long time, along the Pacific Highway, until I found my first driver in a petrol station. Maybe it was for the best; such a test for my determination and patience made me find every other single hitch-hike I did so far quite easy.

I had a few drivers, three or maybe four, before reaching Port Macquarie, where I only stayed one day. Not so much to see or to do, a fact even worsened by the rain. I quickly got on the road again to get to Newcastle.

I arrived in Newcastle – my last driver explaining me it was the biggest coal exporting harbor in the world, and that it also exported sand to Hawaii – in a sweet afternoon, found a Backpacker’s with a bed available and put down my backpack. There was an event for dinner: free pasta at a nearby bar, and I followed the hoard of backpackers going there.

Tim was there.

He was still looking for a job at that moment, but had good chances of getting a position in a McDonald’s out of town. In the meanwhile, he was jumping on all the possible opportunities of saving money, including sleeping in his car or taking showers at the public toilets by the beach – awesome, eh? And the answer is yes, I did it too.

One thing you can consider as constant on the East Coast is that the ocean is on the east. Yep. No, really, it is important.

For the sunrise.

I will remember how I sneaked out of the hostel between heavily sleeping travelers, walked along Newcastle Beach – where I met a couple of other photographers waiting for the sun to rise – and finally reached Nobby’s Beach. How I woke Tim up, sleeping in his car in the parking right by the water – how he freaked out, thinking I was a cop! And how we ended up gaping in awe, on the sand.

One last thing I did before leaving Newcastle was dolphin-watching. Do not get me wrong, I have already seen dolphins – never wild ones though – and I hate doing touristy stuff (but you might have understood this already). But we, Anja – a German traveler I had met in my hostel – and I, had a discount, and she wanted to do it before getting back on her way up north.

And thus I ended up in Nelson Bay (in Port Stephens), getting on a boat and trying to catch a glimpse of the nimble mammals.

If you remember, I have written before (somewhere) that Tim liked country music. Yes, he does. I do not. Well, more precisely, I do not do not like it; simply, I have never found it fantastic, so to say. But, surprisingly enough, I quickly found myself in his car, on the roadtrip back inland towards Tamworth and its famous Country Music Festival…

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