Sunday 24th May - left Darwin on an 11 hour Greyhound bus journey. People really do underesitmate the vastness of Australia, for instance there is a cattle station in South Australia which is the size of Belgium and Holland put together and is run by 1 family! Now you would think that might be a bit of a b***** on the gardening upkeep, but hey, no big deal when you have cattle acting as lawnmowers for you - your sorted. One more gripe about the flies and I promise I'll stop, but they are fearless. You whack them away with your hand and their straight back. Proper adrenaline junkie masachists! If something huge swiped us away with the same force we would be concussed, but back they come to buzz in your face and land in your eyelashes and on your mouth. They are the most persistent and resilient creatures I've ever met (apart from the Pioneer squaddies in Bicester - who are the second most persistent creatures I've met, especially after a few pints. You have to swat these lads away also - even after the attempted "I'm a nice guy really, just misunderstood!". Yep - and Im the Queen of Sheba). Got to the Western border and you have to either eat all fruit and vegetables you have, or give them up to the guy at the desk. They come on board the bus and check bags, to confisgate any fruit and veg, so as not to bring fruit flies and stuff in to contaminate the next state. They also do this when crossing the Victoria/South Australia border. Now, this guy must get so lonely and bored, I can imagine him drawing faces on the confisgated apples and having conversations to pass the time like Tom Hanks did with the coconut in 'Castaway'. In fact, theres probably a whole collection of fruit and veg in there with their own names and characters. Got to the small town of Kununarra - which I have finally cracked the pronounciation of - wahey!!, and there was a small festival going on in town to celebrate the end of the mustering. For those who don't know, mustering is where all the Jackaroos and Jilleroos go out on horseback (or helicopter for the really big cattle stations), and drove the cattle back home to be shipped off abroad for dinner. There were little stalls and a bar there, and live music, and these small town people know how to party. Its a proper little outback Aussie town, and its so cute and country and westernfied, I loved it. They had a country rock band which were absolutely awesome, and Im sorry to say I have sold my soul to the devil as I now love Australian country rock music. Its nothing like the god awful Dolly Parton wailing about your s*** of a husband type crap, its proper stuff about mustering cattle and living in the middle of nowhere, with a great beat which just makes you want to dance like a retard having a seizure. There was a middleaged woman there dressed like she'd just stepped out of Woodstock, and she was high on LSD doing the LSD dancing to country rock. She was amazing - god love her! Next day on the Monday, took a walk to the close by Mirima National Park which was like the mini Bungle Bungles. Almost died in the heat, and within 10 minutes my bottle of water was almost bubbling at boiling point.

Tuesday 26th May - took a 2 hour scenic flight with Slingair over the east Kimberley ranges including the Bungle Bungles. Their a fantastic sight, orange and brown beehive shaped domes, and parts of the film 'Australia' were filmed there. It was a 6 seater small aircraft, and after a while, we all began to feel slightly queasy, but its mind over matter and you just keep saying to yourself 'Im NOT going to be sick", and its fine. Great scenery though, and the only way to really appreciate the Bungle Bungles is by air. Now, im travelling with Paul who I met on the Great Ocean Road, and I thought it would be fine. Its day 6 and I want to kill him. To be honest I felt that way after day 3 but its reached boiling point now. He's just this huge slow, lumbering, dippy idiot, who follows me around like a lost puppy, has absolutely no concept of the meaning of personal SPACE (and I'm very big on space), and he has to do everything I do, he can't make a decision, talks in a stupid irritating as hell scouse accent, and is seriously on the verge of getting my temper thrown full force in his face. He's constantly checking to see where I am, if we're in a room and I start making a movement, he's constantly checking me, and if I walk out he follows. I want to scream at him "Your a 31 year old grown man, I'm not your mother, your not tied to my apron strings, now b***** OFF!!!!!!!!". If I say I'm going to the internet, he's "Oh I'll come too", and this is the same with everything, its like "Anouska, wait, where are you going? Come back and don't leave me as Im a sad pathetic idiot! WAIT!!!!" How do you ditch someone without looking like the bad guy? Answers on a postcard please......... (but not my facebook wall as he'll see).

TIPS AS TO CHOOSING A TRAVEL BUDDY - Just some tips regarding choosing travel companions. NEVER choose them when drunk, as you will regret it. No matter how good the idea seems at the time, 10 glasses of vodka and redbull, and 5 jaegerbombs will seriously cloud your judgement.

REALITY CHECK: When Sober - The accent that didn't bother you when drunk will rear its ugly head in fingernails down the chalkboard, stomach churning awfulness, and you remember you have always classed it as the worst English accent - EVER.

REALITY CHECK: When Sober - the wonderful drunken sense of humour you shared has gone when in the cold light of day, and really their just stupid and boring.

REALITY CHECK: When Sober - you can not bare to even look at their annoying as hell face, let alone be within a 500 mile radius.

Its like a bad one night stand - except when you sober up in the morning with a one night stand, you can kick them out the front door, deny their existence and ignore them for all eternity. With a travel 'buddy', you have to either; a) push them off a cliff; b) "accidentally" drown them on a scenic boat cruise; c) catch a flight without them knowing, or d) just be honest and tell them you hate them. Its like a relationship breakup on the grounds of 'irreconcilable differences'. I just need to practice the whole speech of "Its not me, its YOU, and if I hear the word "eerm" once more at the start of the sentence, I will put your head (or mine) through the nearest brick wall!" They should use scousers in torture interrogation rooms. You would tell them anything they wanted to hear. You would be screaming "I'll tell you anything. Anything! Just for the love of god stop talking!!!!!"

Had a 13 hour bus trip to Broome. I had given my ticket to the driver who kindly gave me a seat at the back to myself and allocated Paul next to another guy at the front. As soon as that happened Paul had a word with the driver to sit him next to me, and when he sat next to me he said "Eerm, I'm next to you now". My heart sank, and when the bus was full there was a spare seat across the aisle which I promptly moved to, and we didn't exchange words for the rest of the journey. Dick. At 6am I woke up and opened the curtains to the sunrise over the Kimberley landscape. Cattle were lazily grazing on the plains, big flocks of white and pink birds took flight over the lakes to the backdrop of a lilac horizon, and the sunrise was making the usually rusty red earth a shade of golden orange. Beautiful.

'Slip into Broometime' is what they say here, and its such a charming little seaside town. Managed to give scouse t*** the slip and wandered into town and off to the town beach. There is a small Pioneer cemetery there which is for pearlers and Captains who died at sea. Sat outside with a cup of tea watching the sparkling blue waters, listening to a mixture of Jazz/Classical and Opera on the cafe stereo, looking at the boats and the pearl lugger on the ocean. Could have stayed there all day it was so relaxing. Wandered into Chinatown which is full of boutiques and art galleries, dozens of pearl shops too due to Broome being the world famous pearling port business. Had a tour around one of the pearling places and learnt what the guys went through back then in the business. It was pretty ruthless. Even bought myself some amethyst pearl drop earrings. The kimberley region is also full of Boab trees which are demonstrated a lot in the artists work around here. They have huge trunks and faces, and arms for branches. They are incredible and look like something out of 'Lord of the Rings' or an Enid Blyton childrens book. I love this town.

Thursday 28th May - got my freedom from the scouse one. I've met a fantastic French woman my age called Marionne and we've been hanging out the whole time, and it made me realise I really had to get rid of Paul, so told him I needed to talk, then told him I want to travel without him. He looked like I had just asked for a divorce after 50 years marriage. He huffed, puffed and sulked like a child, demanded to know why, so I explained that we are two totally different people, different personalitys and we're not compatible to travel together, and we just haven't gelled, and its just not going to work. He said why couldn't I give it longer, I said a weeks adequate time to figure this out. He said he realises that he's been a pain in the arse by being so clingy and he'll give me space. Too late. He then tried to pull the whole guilt trip of "I thought we were friends, I waited 2 weeks in Darwin for you!!". Unfortunately for him, he didn't realise that I have had so many guilt trips pulled on me that I'm now imune and they do not wash at all. He got so arsey which got my back up, and I ended up saying thats the way it is and then walked off. But I'm FREEEEEEEE! Anyway, he checked out the next day along with $300 that he owes me from the Bungle Bungles flight as I put it on my card. I had text him to tell him to leave the money at reception as I could not be arsed to faff around listening to him whinging at me, but I got no reply. Next day I went on a trip and still no answer, reception said he'd checked out, so I called him and he was not answering his phone, so I left some messages asking what the hell he thinks he's playing at. Nothing. So I phoned back and left a message saying if he did not contact me by the end of the day then I was calling the Police. Now I know the police would do sod all about it, but 1 hour later he text me telling me he'll transfer it over the internet banking into my account and he would never steal off me. Course he would, he's a sad pathetic loser who can not face rejection. Plus he's scouser. Says it all. Im so angry its unreal, I was on the phone ranting to several people about it to vent my frustration.

Went on a fantastic trip to the Horizontal waterfalls which are north of Broome in the Kimberleys. Got there by scenic flight, then we went to the waterfalls which are horizontal (hence the name), and its all to do with the tides rising by 2 metres in 1 hour, and the pressure between the gorges to make whirling pools and rapids, and we went through them over and over again in a speed boat. It was like the best fairground ride ever. I was sat at the front and got soaked, but it was so much fun, then we had a boat cruise around the bays, breakfast on board before a scenic flight back taking in the bays and coast line with the reef. The flight was a seaplane, and we did the landing and take off on the sea, which is so cool, its the only time your in a plane seeing the water hurtle towards you without panicking and knowing your about to die. Then went to cable beach and took in the rays with Marionne, went for a swim and then a group of Irish lads from our hostel and an Aussie called Aaron came along with their beers, so we all sat together on the beach drinking their beers and watching the sun set which was stunning. You can see why Cable beach is shown so much in photos and films. Hanging out with Marionne has made me miss all my girls at home, and travelling with Vicky and Shelley. You really can not beat female company. Travelling with girls is so much easier and relaxing. I love guys company too, but you can not beat the girls together. Its awesome.