I experienced a number of cultural differences while traveling in Australia. One of which is that Australians are heavier drinkers on average. With a legal drinking age of 18, alcohol is the second leading preventable cause of death and hospitalization in Australia (after tobacco).
This wore me out a bit, as I don’t drink much and have an aversion to drunk people. So I signed up for a work exchange position at a recovery retreat in New South Wales, thinking that the sober environment would be refreshing. But being in a secluded retreat with a group of addicts was not relaxing. I guess I failed to think that through.
The retreat was a beautiful property with gardens, chickens, goats, a puppy, a pool, and a gorgeous yoga hall in the jungle. I taught afternoon yoga as part of my work trade and was invited to join many of the outings to spectacular waterfalls, beaches and hiking trails.
But the harmony didn’t last long. When the morning yoga instructor went home to New Zealand for Christmas, she arranged for a young, inexperienced couple to fill-in during her absence. This couple lacked the maturity necessary to lead a group of older adults struggling with addiction. The sobriety quickly crumbled. It was awful.
I cared for the guests and their healing and was confused by the management’s lack of control. The owner was a businessman who was in it for the money, and the general manager admitted that he didn’t want to manage. He mostly hid in his cabin. It was a case of the blind leading the blind.
I searched for options to leave, but because of the Christmas holiday (Australias summer vacation) accommodations were fully booked everywhere and I was forced to stay. The situation was hard.
I did my best to use the experience for growth. Yoga teaches us to step back, observe, witness, and develop inner strength by taking control of our reactions to external experiences. Confronting adversity and being outside of my comfort zone forces me to accept rather than try to control.
Tapasya (or Tapas) is a Sanskrit word meaning “generation of heat and energy.” It refers to cleansing the body and mind by undergoing discomfort or austerities. Tapasya is to undergo hardship consciously in order to burn off impurities, to confront and face the negative ego and strengthen the inner self. So I was doing some serious tapasya.
The final few days at the retreat center, I shifted my work to the garden and happily worked with plants rather than people. Nature is my sanctuary and sanity.
With the holidays past, I was able to find a sweet little room in South Golden Beach through AirBnB. This turned into my favorite week in Australia. I explored South Golden, New Brighten, and the Brunswick River area by bicycle and William (my AirBnB host) took me to Brunswick Heads a couple of times by motorbike. He also dropped me off in Byron Bay where I hiked to the lighthouse and around the point.
South Golden Beach is a quiet settlement of homes along the shore about 30 kilometers north of Byron Bay. There’s a general store/cafe, a community center, and an endless white-sand beach with hardly anyone on it.
Clean water is a high priority for me and there’s an abundance of it here. A series of creeks and rivers wind their way to the deliciously warm turquoise South Pacific Ocean. The lifestyle revolves around swimming, sailing, kayaking, surfing, fishing, and stand-up paddleboard.
The region is rich in organic produce and local markets selling fruits, vegetables, flowers, arts, crafts, freshly cooked meals, and services for the community.
As the week came to a close, I tried to soak up the environment and remember every detail. On January 13th William drove me to Brunswick Heads where I caught a bus to Brisbane and departed Australia on the 15th.
Flying over the Pacific, I replayed these three months over in my mind. From the far north of Queensland, down the Queensland Coast, and Northern New South Wales, I’d fallen in love with the wildlife, nature, climate, tropical fruits, abundant organic produce, safety, modern medical facilities, progressive society, clean water for drinking and swimming, people living off-grid and exploring sustainability…. Check, check check!
Every place has a downside so I’m not looking for perfection. I just look for a downside that I can work with. Living in the US feels a bit like the parable of the ‘frog in boiling water’ and I feel the need to ‘jump out of the pot’ before I get cooked.
So what’s the downside of Australia? A lot of Aussies spoke of their current government taking a turn for the worse, and I can see that point of view, but I didn’t see all that much disparity or blatant suffering in Australia. Most people seemed to have their needs met, allowing time to enjoy their lives, families, interests, and the beautiful land they were born to.
Australia enjoys the highest quality of life I’ve ever seen. Yet, some don’t have the perspective to recognize this, nor to understand those without the same rights and privileges. This type of Australian was hard for me to relate to, and this was the downside of the country for me personally.
I also received a number of derogatory comments from complete strangers after learning that I was from North America. Australians told me that their impression of North Americans is of “Flag waving, proud Americans” who think ours is “The best country in the world.”
Those Americans exist, but I don’t personally know anyone who fits that description. …And by the way, if Australia has no red-necks, then what does the word bogan mean? There’s a difference between government and people, so to verbally attack one American without knowing who they are and what they’ve been through is ignorance, plain and simple.
I’ve struggled to fight the corruption in the US, but most of us are hustling to keep afloat. We’re caught paying for a war machine, while simultaneously struggling to pay off doctor bills, rent, and student loans. At some point, you want to find a simple, enjoyable place to live out your life.
Disembarking the plane in Los Angels I was struck by the cultural diversity and muti-ethnicity. It is what makes the country unique and I missed it in the predominantly white N.E. of Australia. Even as Mr. Trump insults other countries and tries to kick immigrants out, he is married to an immigrant after all.
I’m on my way to Baja Mexico now, where I’ll be working aboard ships until the end of April. My plans after that are not yet set. I’d like to travel through Spain, Portugal, and Southern France this summer, but northern New South Wales is on my mind and in my heart. It’s definitely one of those golden spots on earth that I hope to return.