Yes, we're still alive!

Realize it's been near on 2 weeks.…probably more, since we last updated this blog. Have good reason mind. Having been on the road, meandering down the east coast of Oz, we've found internet not only is unbelievably expensive (10p an hour in Vietnam..more like 3 quid over here!)..but pretty hard to come by. Big sorry from us both, but thankfully we've now laid roots in Melbourne..have internet on hand..so will stop waffling and let you know where we've been!

Sydney was fantastic…more so as we had the opportunity to catch up with mates, and revel in the hospitality laid on by Annette and John. The relaxing, and sane option would have been to revel some more, and taken the plane to Melbourne for the Grand Prix. We're far from sane mind. After a short conversation with John, we realized there's more to the east coast south of Sydney than meets the eye. Juggling numerous transport options for a "road trip" along the coast to Melbourne (though unfortunately for me, hot air balloon and jet ski were quickly discounted), we settled for a car rental…and a tent.

I've got many fond memories of camping from my childhood from the "floating" tent in rain infested Scotland, that wasn't quite as waterproof as dad hoped, to Toby Emmerson's brand new two man tent I burnt to the ground during my Duke of Edinburugh hike back in the 6th form (to note, I thought I was being clever attaching a homemade wind shield to the guide rope to help cook our beans…didn't vouch on the whole bloody thing going up..crap tent in hindsight). What I didn't realize was that Suze has never been camping. Ever. Being honest, I tarted the whole experience up to the point were she agreed camping would be "fun". Bless that girl for trying.

Including a "hot hatch" in the deal was more so the icing on the cake...the element of excitement attached to razzing some little "go-kart" Corolla up and down and round the coastal roads being a massive turn on (for me anyway, especially en route to the Aussie Grand Prix!). Imagine our delight at being "upgraded" to a Toyota Camry family sedan..2.4l..in bronze. I have always wished for an automatic to tackle those tangled unknown roads….this was like a lifelong dream. This paragraph is also dripping with sarcasm….

Small issue of our god-this-makes-me-look-middle-aged vehicle put to one side, we set off on our road trip to Melbourne..first stop Shellharbour, a mere 30km south of Sydney. This was the acid test for more than one reason. Firstly…neither of us has seen the tent before, but thankfully it was a standard two man berth which we could erect in minutes. The slogan "Australia Zoo…Home Of The Crocodile Hunter" splashed across the side in huge letters was poignant, and also rather ridiculous in equal measure…almost as if we were a traveling homage to the great man. Secondly, this was Suze's first night camping..and she loved it. I forget how friendly and charming the camping community are, always flashing a smile, a hello and a comment about the weather each morning. I was also taken aback at how equipped the sites are nowadays, with camp kitchens which pretty much made my solitary gas stove redundant, ample fridge space and unlimited access to BBQs..though that last part might just be an aussie thing. We bypassed these amenities on the first night mind…and opted for pizza and chips in the local village. Come on..I had to ease the good wife in gently!

The following morning we decamped for Kangaroo Valley, just inland off the Princes Highway/Great Pacific Drive route we'd mapped (we'd realized we'd see the sea pretty much every morning when we wake up, so welcomed a change of scenary). The hope was that the place would also live up to the name..and we'd see some Roo's! There are apparently 2 roo's to every person living in Australia…and we'd seen zero up till now. We were on a hunt for them. Needless to say, we were a little disappointed on our arrival at the, quite charming, site. Kangeroo Valley had no roo's…but we did spot a possum that evening, not all bad. The village was very quaint, and resembled pretty much what I believed Oz would look like…colonial bungalows selling homemade fudge (Suze went mental as expected), aboriginal crafts, fresh produce and an old school pub.

It was at Kangeroo Valley that we suddently realized a small problem with camping. By 8pm, when the light has all but gone and the site descends into silence…what exactly do you do? Well..what exactly do two 30 somethings (ignore the car!) do, being the minority (camping and caravanning appeared to be very much enjoyed by the "older" generation here in Oz…we were the youngest by a country mile, and the dears always had a comment for Suze in the morning when she plugged in her straightners!). We dismissed it in Kangeroo Valley, being a little knackered and still only just working out the most comfortable way to bed the tent (sleeping bags make better duvets when its 18 odd degrees at night we found)…but we knew sooner rather than later, this would be a problem.

And it was, the following night in Huskisson. We'd read that Jervis Bay, and the surrounding area, were something not to be missed so we'd made tracks for Huskisson village on the bay via a few more sights. First was Berry, a small mining town famous for having boats parked on the pub. Second was the Seven Mile Beach. What a glorious beach, one that went on for miles, deserted with turquoise waters. Was honestly gutted you weren't allowed to camp, but then again we'd have woken up floating out to sea (memories of Scotland again..cept floating out of a camp site and down a Glen…happy days eh Dad). We arrived at Huskisson that night…and by 9pm boredom had suddenly hit us. Its too dark, even with a lantern to do anything! And quiet! Solace was found in the rowdy local pub, complete with live band…5 screens of different live sport (big thing over here..big big thing…roll on the Ashes!) and colourful locals. Being a young person in these parts must be so difficult, the local drinking hole becoming the epicenter of your entertainment every night. Still, we didn't argue…and it filled a nice gap till bedtime. It was that night when we were attacked by a possum, clearly looking to either steal the car (fat chance..for us) or raid the Eskey (couple of chilled beers, understandable welcome change to leaves, grubs and rainwater). Wildlife is so tame here, he practically befriended Suze…angling for a seat on the plane back home, but not sure how she'd fit him, the baby elephant, the kangaroo (when we found one), the monkey from Singapore Zoo, the puppy and the sealion in our two bed flat. Was I going to be sleeping in the garage??????

From Huskisson we drove to Merry Beach….and found Roos!!! Merry Beach is famous for being home to numerous kangaroos who happily mingle in and around the tents and caravans at night. They don't disappoint. Having treated ourselves to fish and chip dinner in Bateman Bay that night (though driving in the dark on deserted roads where you don't pass a soul is pretty eerie), they were still there on our return..happily munching in and around our tent. The following morning, we were rudely awoken by the b*****s, tripping over our guide ropes and yipping manically. Suze was delighted…I was pretty pissed off as the pics clearly show (love my sleep!), but we were met with an amazing sunrise. So hats off to the roos for that one….bravo.

Scooting through Batemans Bay, where we finally…FINALLY…found Travel Scrabble (yes Sarah & Phil, we finally found the b*****!) to answer our lonely nights, we also picked up some tips from the local tourist office. Unfortunately, I don't think the lass who, rather excitably, informed us both of the places of interest..had actually visted them. Broulee en route was meant to be lobster heaven…I was starving myself in preparation…but turned out to be a corner shop selling burgers. Likewise Narooma…ghost town…and Bermagui…little grim… also let us down. Tilba Tilba didn't disappoint mind. Australia's oldest colonial settlement, still in its original condition, and famous for its outstanding cheese factory. I piled though everything they had in that shop…and came away with a apple smoked number that didn't last long. A wonderful place to stop, but shortlived as we were trying to beat the thunderstorm bearing down on us…no one wants to erect a tent in the rain! We hit Merimbula just in time, and found an alternative way to spend our evening. Bowling is great fun, but not when you can't drink whilst you wait your turn! Stupid rule. Thankfully, that dance arcade machine where you just jump around on pads like a goon was more entertaining…though I'd best explain what you do to Suze next time.

En route to Lakes Entrance, and the state of Victoria, we hit a problem. Having shared our lunch with pelicans in Mallacoota, we found the roads were blocked between Genoa and Cann's River due to bush fires. Realising the severity of the situation, we were in a pickle….as this was our only route! Unless we backtracked and took off into the mountains. One 4 hour detour later (yes…4 hours!), we made it to Lakes Entrance were we had just enough time to bang the tent up, eat and hit the pub…though like most places we'd encountered the further south you go from Sydney, a little deserted. Even the roads were barren….you might not even see a car for well over an hour! It's a quieter life, a real rural life, one that's far removed from the bright lights of the state capitals. One we both have no regrets about experiencing.

From Lakes Entrance, we made tracks for Port Albert via the Ninety Mile Beach. Impressive, but the weather had turned a little bleak, so we couldn't do it much justice. Still, Port Albert was..erm…a little different. I don't even think we saw a car! Threat of boredom that evening hanging over us, we sped over to Foster…a lively town on the crest of the Wilson Promontory National Park where we rediscoverd pool tables in pubs! Easily the longest game I've ever played…well out of practice since Hoi An, ditto Suze. Being so close to Wilsons Prom, we paid it a visit in the rain the following morning. 50% of the park had been destroyed by bush fires caused by lightening hitting tinder (the drought in Victoria being harsher than either of us imagined). Blackened wood and rusty leaves littered the road though, intermingled with green fauna untouched like an odd patchwork quilt. We met roos, no wombats but vicious birds that steal food out of you hand. The fire devastation being a shame really, but nature has its own way with things sometimes…..

Being the 26th March, I'd booked us into a private cabin on Phillip Island for Suze's birthday! Camping was done. We both loved it, but next time I think we'll opt for the campervan….flashpackers you see, like our home comforts. The cabin was like a palace to us, our own private space and more importantly a full kitchen and bathroom you don't have to walk through grass to get to! That evening we experienced the penguin parade on the west coast of the island. At dusk, hundreds and hundreds of little penguins appear on the shore in huge groups before gingerly making there way across the beach to the burrow communities. There they happily chirp and socialize loudly, being nocturnal, before heading out to sea to feed at sunrise. Truly awesome experience, one I can't commit to film as photography harms their photosensitive eyes, but one I can commit to memory. Attenborough would be our of his mind had he been here!

The following day, Suze's birthday, we visted the Koala Conservation Centre south of Cowes. 20 Koalas happily live in the trees of the centre, and we were lucky to find 15! After observing one going about his feeding for over 30 minutes, the little blighter felt happy enough to wander down and say hello before shooting up the nearest tree for a sleep. Marvellous stuff. Churchill Island on the east coast is a fully working farm, our next stop, where we sampled the delights of Devonshire Tea (no clotted cream out here! Utter disgrace!), sheep shearing and watching a lamb practically wrestle my wife to the floor in order to steal her food. Next time Suze, learn some WWF combo's!

A "Masterchef" steak supper later and we turned in with a little TV…missed over the last 9 days touring. Next stop was Martin G in Melbourne. Having dropped the car off (not missed!) we hit St Kilda for, thinking back on it, too many beers with Martin. It was nice being able to sink a few schooners and retreat back into our old lifestyle back home. Following day, we took in Melbourne from above on the Skydeck of the Eureka tower. Melbourne differs to Sydney in that its not so "beautified", but has a younger vibe to it…and a culture immersed in sport. We felt that when we hit the MCG that afternoon to see Collingwood take on Adelaide (the Crows won by the smallest of margins in a pretty entertaining game…even though we were pretty clueless as to what was happening for the duration). Families arrive in their droves, as if it's an integral part of daily life in this city, with granny sitting with great grandchildren in their team's colours. The drinking culture is very much more bar focused than pub focused, which just highlights the slightly hipper edge over Sydney.

That all aside, I was here for one thing. I won't dwell too much on the Grand Prix as its getting late here and I'm struggling to type anymore…but what a mind blowing experience for me! And…a british triumph! My ears are still ringing, I'm still giddy, I'm still also gutted that having been let onto the track once Buttons parade lap had ended I didn't get a chance to hoover up enough carbon fibre from Kubica/Vettels crash to fashion myself a golf club back home (imagine.."nice club, where you get it?...oh, just the Australian Grand Prix 2009…tailor made"…I have too much time to think nowadays!). The Who were even better than the the Hyde Park performance two years back I paid handsomely for, but the biggest perk was sharing it all with Martin who felt like a link to home for us. Now, we're here with Di and David, enjoying their infectious entertainment, and waiting on the arrival of Suze's parents next Tuesday. Give us time, another blog entry…hopefully shorter…is imminent!

Till then…its Brawn GP's season I think…can he work his magic on Villa please!

Love to all..if you're still awake after reading all this..

Mike and Suze x