Hi,I've been pretty busy as usual seeing all the sights. Been doing a little gold panning, grand prix watching, hiking and climbing bridges. Its hard work being a backpacker, so l guess I better start at the beginning.Two weeks ago, just after I got back from Kangaroo Island in Adelaide, I got the train to Melbourne. A very exciting train ride in deed. So after that, not a lot happened until the Melbourne Grand Prix. I got myself a ticket knowing that I wasn't one to miss out on these things. It didn't cost too much either and seeing as it was literally a ten minute tram ride away, it would be silly not to go. So, I got to the race track at about 11am and it was already cooking at that point. It reached an unbelievable 40 degrees, which I have endured worst but not in the direct heat for a whole day. It was tough work. It took a good 2 hours to walk one side of the race track to the other, where I met some friends. The heat was the main reason and the several thousands of people hanging about the other. The mood was buzzing. Everyone was excited for the big race. Queues were bigger for the water taps than they were for the bar which is pretty shocking in OZ. I mean they love there beer, so that sort of thing is unheard of! So finally it started! I was on Clarke stand corner and had a fantastic view of the track. They slowed right down to get round it, but to be honest I had trouble keeping up with what was going on. The ear plugs might have had something to do with that. But with out them I think I would have been pretty deaf by the end of it. I tried to move closer to get to the huge TV screens but everyone else had the same idea so it was more like a guessing game. In fact, it wasn't til the end of the race I realized that so many of the cars had gone off, but I guess that just adds to the excitement. After the lap of honor and the trophy giving, it wasn't long till we got to walk the track. We had to walk fast though as I think the soles of our shoes would have melted. It was still that hot on the track even at 6 o'clock in the arvo! Well, in true Aussie style we celebrated Hamilton's win in the pub with a few beers and then a few more!Next day, battling with the hangover was a slowly but surely visit to Melbourne Old Gaol. That was pretty cool as Ned Kelly was hanged there. I'm not too sure of why he became so famous, I think it was just that he was so hard to catch. The Irish get about it! Anyway, it was a fascinating place to visit and went on this tour which I didn't quite realize what I was getting myself into, until the guard told me to get into character of the girl on the piece of paper I was handed. I had to pretend to be a lady banged up in prison for Arson. Great, just what I needed when I had a banging headache, but I have to say, it did make the experience a bit more interesting! That evening was a trip to the airport to met the sis. On way wait, I discovered that this crazy looking women who came through the arrivals gate was a famous fashion designer called Alanah Hill and I had been into her shop a few weeks previously. I was so amazed how she had sat on a plane from Hong Kong for 5 hrs wearing such an unsuitable outfit. But still, it was fashion I guess!Nest day we did the Neighbors tour. Now this is compulsory for any backpacker going to Melbourne. Most people do the Neighbors night, but I had heard so much about it already that I almost felt I had been there, so I opted for the day tour. To be honest, it was pretty rubbish. How they can charge $40 for a few stops of Erinsborough High which is actually an International Language College, I just do not know. In fact we hopped at the bus and then this fake sign is draped across the railing we had some pretend photos and then off to the next place. Which was, the sets...we met a 'Star' as they called it but as I hadn't watched the show for about 10years, I had no idea of who it was! We did see Lazeters in the distance though and stood next to the bus stop where everyone runs away too. But that was exciting as it got. Ramsey St was funny. The poor people who live there! Anyway, so the next day was a trip to Ballarat. That was the original Gold Mining town which started the goldrush in the 1800 something's! It was OK.....but that too was a bit on the funny side. It was an amusement park but without the rides. It was an interesting day to learn about the history, but that was that! After that, we checked out of Melbourne and flew to Launceston in Tasmania. We arrived Good Friday which meant that everything was pretty dead. Tasmania is pretty much on the quite side of things but on Good Friday, you could have heard a pin drop in the main street it was literally that quiet! Nevertheless, we managed to get some really tasty fish and chips, and go on a river cruise along the River Tamar and see the beautiful Cataract Gorge in all its glory. It was so tranquil and serene, apart from the odd kid jumping off the bridge playing dare devil and dodging the boats! Kids heh.....! Anyway, after all that rest, it was time for another adventure, and boy what an adventure it was. We booked on a 3 day Eastern Explorer trip of Tazzy to take us down to Hobart. We stopped at a pretty Lavender field and waterfalls and finishing with the Bay of Fires on the first day. Which was pretty tame but, for Easter Sunday, there was no rest for the wicked. We were dragged up Freycinet mountain to see Wineglass bay, which was absolutely stunning. Apparently, it had been called that from the days of whaling where they used to kill and cut the whales up on the shore and so created red water - looking like the bowl of a wine glass from above. How terrible to think that. Anyway, next was the hike down to the bay which we chilled out on. We had the option of the hike back up the hill, or the easier 2 and 1/2hr walk back to the car park...or so he said. As usual the aussie played down this walk which actually took us 4hrs to walk back. I crossed rivers, sand dunes, rocks of every possible colour and without an IPOD to keep me sound. 6hrs later, we finally got back to the car park and were welcomed by two wallabies feeling amorous and were trying to get it on in front of about 20 on lookers who like us were excited to see something other than rocks and trees!. Wowy, that was some Easter present. I ate my Easter egg all at once in joy of surviving the most energetic thing I have ever done on an Easter Sunday! But it was a healthy one. So after that, the next day we caught about boat along with everyone and their dog to the little island of Maria. Basically it started up as somewhere to send the convicts, but they kept escaping so they just turned the island into cement works until that didn't work any longer and then the tourists use it as a holiday destination. It's pretty remote though. Only one car on the island and no shops. Still, it was pretty and we saw some cool fossils and lovely beaches. Time just sailed by and before we knew it we were heading back on the ferry home. By night fall we were in Hobart and at the end of the trip. We did stop for a treat of cake and coffee and saw Australia's oldest bridge. Boring you may think, but for some reason we were very excited by it. Maybe as it wasn't actually another mountain or hill to climb! So we were in Hobart for all of half a day - or so we thought, so we hopped on the Hobart city day tour bus. But, we hadn't quite realized that a whole cruise liner of people had just pulled a shore. Great, just what we needed. We shoved our way onto the bus, having had a bit of practice of this as a school girl getting on the school bus everyday! Anyway, it was full of oldies that didn't quite get that the bus want stop for them to take a picture. In fact they all seemed to spy something they wanted to take a picture of, for example, Mt Wellington, and then by the time they got their camera out, the bus moved and they missed their chance. Except, they spent the next 10 minutes going on about it! We got to see some fab sights, the harbour was pretty and full of boats and was much more exciting than Launceston. We hung around until 2.30pm and then made a mad dash to get the bus, except, it was fully booked up. Darn it. The run up the hill with the backpack was a wasted journey. So we decided to eat lunch/ dinner and kill some time. We eventually did get on the bus to Lawny and were met by family for a night stay which was lovely. A proper bed all tucked up and a nice cuppa brew before bedtime!Next day, we flew to Sydney. The flight was delayed an hour, but that didn't matter too much. It was pretty sunny there, and a bit warmer too. So on the first day we went on a tour of the city exploring the sights of Manly beach, Bondi which was wicked and also the most popular spot in Sydney to commit suicide and it's not the Harbour bridge, Watson bay. All were lovely and made me realize how big the harbour actually is. I was all geared up for the big highlight of the trip and that was climbing Sydney Harbour Bridge. That was the most exciting thing I have done since being at Ayres Rock. We got suited up into our overalls so that we blended into the bridge (so not to distract the drivers below) and had to remove all jewellery/ watches incase it fell off into the passing traffic, and then made our way towards the bridge. We had 1437 steps to climb but it didn't really feel like it. It took 3 and a half hrs and we saw the most amazing scenery of the opera house and the harbour area. There were 6 million rivets holding that thing up so I felt pretty safe. The worst bit was just walking over the grating at the beginning, but when you got used to it was ok. We had our souvenir pics done and I was pleased to get onto land again but it was worth every step of the way! Such an amazing thing to do which I highly recommend!So, that's it for now, have a few more days in Sydney before I head to New Zealand. But I hope you have enjoyed the update for now! Will add some more after I have seen the Blue Mountains.Better go, take care, Adele x