HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!!

THATS US FINALLY LEFT SYDNEY AND MOVED UP THE COAST TO A PLACE CALLED NEWCASTLE WHICH IS ABOUT 90 MINS UP THE COAST, OUR PLAN BEING TO WORK OUR WAY UP TO BRISBANE. WHAT A DIFFERENCE IN THE WEATHER, SO MUCH WARMER AND STAYS WARMER AT NIGHT LONGER. WAS GLAD TO SEE THE BACK OF THE PREVIOUS HOSTEL IN GLEBE, IT WAS OK BUT FACILITIES WERE A BIT RUBBISH AND THE GERMANS WE SHARED A ROOM WITH WERE ALL ABIT RUDE AND TOOK YOUR STUFF WITHOUT ASKING!! WAS SO GLAD ON OUR LAST NIGHT WHEN THERE WAS AN IRISH COUPLE AND A ENGLISH GUY THERE, WHAT A DIFFERENCE.

HOGMANAY CAME AND WENT AND WAS ALL A BIT BLURRY!! TO GET A GOOD SPOT FOR THE FIRWEORKS WE HAD TO BE UP EARLY TO CLAIM OUR SPOT, HEADED TO A PLACE CALLED BALMAIN WHERE WE MANAGED TO GET A BRILLIANT SPOT RIGHT OPPOSITE THE BRIDGE, WAS THERE FROM ABOUT 11AM SO IT WAS A VERY LONG DAY AND THE HEAT WAS INCREDIBLE. BY NIGHT WE WERE ALL RATHER DRUNK AND FOR SOME REASON I CANT QUITE REMEMBER THE FIREWORKS BUT THE PHOTOS SAY I WAS THERE!! MET SOME NICE GUYS FROM BATHGATE SO IT WAS ALL GOOD FUN. THE NEXT DAY WE SPENT IT ALL IN OUR BEDS, WE WERE SOOOOO ILL AND HAVE VOWED NEVER TO DRINK AGAIN. WE DID AWKNOWLEDGE THE SCOTTISH BELLS AT 11AM WITH A GRUNT!!!

ON THE 2ND JAN WE WERE ALL FEELING BETTER SO MADE IT ACROSS THE WATER TO LUNA PARK WHICH IS A 70 YEAR OLD THEME PAIR, FAIRGROUND PLACE. ME AND STEF WERE THE BRAVE ONES AND WENT ON THE LOG FLUME AND THE CAT AND MOUSE ROLLERCOASTER, HAD A GOOD SCREAM AND LET OUT ALL OUR FRUSTRATION, MY THROAT IS STILL SORE THOUGH....I FORGET IM NOT GETTING ANY YOUNGER.

THE DAY AFTER WE JUST POTTERED AROUND GLEBE AND HAD A NOSEY AT THE MARKET. NICOLA HAS DECIDED TO STAY IN SYDNEY FOR A WHILE AND WORK WHILE WE HEAD UP THE COAST SO WE WENT OUT FOR ONE LAST SUPPER TO KINGS CROSS - THE SEEDY AREA OF SYDNEY, WAS GREAT TO SEE AND SUCH AN EYE OPENER FOR NICOLA ESPECIALLY WHEN WE DRAGGED HER INTO THE RUDE SHOPS, WE WERE TYPICAL GIGGLY S AND TOOK A WHILE TO REALISE WHAT THINGS WERE HAHAHAHAH. ACROSS FROM THE SHOP WAS A TATTOO PARLOUR SO WE DECIDED TO GO IN AND HAVE A LOOK AND ALL CAME OUT WITH A TATTOO OF THE SOUTHERN CROSS EACH, WHICH IS THE STARS ON THE OZZIE FLAG. I LOVE MINE AND WANT TO GET ANOTHER ONE ALREADY, DONT WORRY MUM AND DAD - THE PLACE WAS CLEAN AND REPUTABLE!!!

THE NEXT DAY WAS AMAZING, WE HAD BOOKED A DAY TRIP TO THE BLUE MOUNTAINS, AN HOUR OUTSIDE SYDNEY AND THE SCENERY WAS AMAZING. OUR TOUR GUIDE WAS HILARIOUS, HIS NAME WAS ROD AND HE WAS A STEREOTYPICAL OZZIE ADVENTURE MAN. HE HAD US CLIMBING UP AND DOWN ROCK FACES ALL DAY, I WOULD HAVE REFUSED TO DO IT BUT EVERYONE HAD TO, WAS A BIT SCARY BUT I WORE APPROPRIATE CLOTHING UNLIKE THE FINNISH S WHO ALL WORE DRESSES. OUR LAST STOP OF THE DAY WAS TO SEE THE 3 SISTERS, WE DIDNT KNOW WHAT WE WERE MEANT TO BE LOOKING AT SO WE TOOK PHOTOS OF 3 RANDOM HILLS ONLY TO REALISE THE 3 SISTERS WERE BIG ROCK THINGS RIGHT BEHIND US, GLAD WE SPOTTED IT THOUGH!!! WHEN WE GOT HOME WE MET JANE AND STEVE FOR ONE LAST SUPPER IN THE ROCKS AREA OF SYDNEY AT A LOVELY PIZZERIA. WAS QUITE SAD AS JANE HAS BEEN SO LOVELY TO US AND WAS NICE HAVING ANOTHER DUNDONIAN TO LOOK OUT FOR US, NO DOUBT WE'LL KEEP IN TOUCH.

SO THE NEXT DAY WE ALL WENT OUR SEPERATE WAYS AND US THREE HAD MOVED UP TO NEWCASTLE. HAD A WANDER AROUND LAST NIGHT AND SAW THE GIANT , NEVER GOT TO CLIMB IT, THINK I MIGHT DO IT TODAY ON THE WAY TO THE BEACH. THE HOSTEL IS OK, FIRST IMPRESSIONS FOR ME WERENT GREAT BUT IM BEGINNING TO LIKE IT, MUCH BETTER THAN GLEBE THOUGH. AH WELL, ITS ALL PART OF THE JOURNEY!!!

THANKS FOR ALL THE BLOG MESSAGES AND HOPE IM NOT BORING YOU ALL!! KEEP THE MESSAGES COMING!!