Australia - Day 15 - Eumundi Markets and the Ginger Factory

3rd January, 2009

Today was a day we'd been looking forward to since about when we planned our trip.  A friend of mine that lives in Australia suggested a visit to the Eumundi Markets.  It turned out to be a great suggestion.  We found our way out and got a parking spot.  Barely.  It was PACKED!  The market only happens a few days a week, and it's very popular.  But we made it and started walking the stalls.  And of course, mother nature intervened and it started raining.  Great excuse to pause and get some food!  So after eating a quick breakfast while it rained, we continued walking around.  Arts and crafts everywhere, lots of food, musicians performing.  The atmosphere was vibrant, even with the gray sky and clouds threatening more rain.

The highlight for me:  Buying my very own didgeridoo.  Ever since hearing the performances earlier on the trip, I'd been intrigued by the idea of getting my very own didg.  I had a few requirements, though:  1.  It had to be cheap.  2.  It had to be real.  (e.g. Eucalyptus, not bamboo.)  Unfortunately, requirement 1 and 2 are almost mutually exclusive.  But I found an artist that makes and plays the didg and he had some smaller instruments that weren't as expensive.  (Relatively speaking, of course.)  He finds the eucalyptus and cuts everything to shape the didgeridoo, then hires another local to do the painting.    He gave me a few quick lessons and I was off.  As soon as I got back to our house, I tried it.  I sounded HORRIBLE!  This summer when I'm home alone recovering from knee surgery I'll put in some practice time.  Devin suggested I better sound really good at the end of the summer given how much money I spent.  Every trip we take, Devin and I try to purchase some local art.  We contemplated a print from an Aboriginal artist while we were in Surfers Paradise, but held off thinking there would be more here at Eumundi.  There really wasn't much...so we ended up with the didgeridoo.  We figure even if I practice and still sound terrible, it can at least be displayed as art.

After the market, we stopped at the Ginger Factory in Yanindi (or someplace like that...I can't for the life of me remember the name of the town right now).  We thought we could get a tour of the factory, but unfortunately you have to pay for the tour.  Not interested...  But we had lunch and walked around their garden a bit before heading back home.

Most important thought for the day:  Lowell continues the trend of spending more money than Devin on this trip. 

A few pictures are below.  Click on the image to see a larger version.