Tuesday 14th April

So this morning I packed up and said goodbye to Matt. I have to admit while I would have liked to of had my own room for the past 2 nights, he was the best roommate ever. He left me to my own devices but when we did talk he was funny and offered to give me a lift if I needed it. Despite claiming to snore, I didn't hear him once and on top of that he shared his chocolate with me. His white chocolate. As I said, best roommate ever!

After killing an hour checking bus schedules to and from my respective airports, it was time to leave. Saying goodbye to the Dutch girl i'd been chatting to, I made my way to the closest airbus bus stop, getting lucky as the rain had briefly eased off. At the bus stop I again made a new friend for the next hour, this time a spanish guy.

Once at the airport I again killed more time reading. Not a hardship having gotten into a new book from my favourite author. Once check in opened, I made my way through to security and passed into the lounge areas. One thing I found very odd about the whole process was that getting in to Australia seemed much easier than New Zealand had been.

A few hours later I decided I should see if my gate number was up yet. On checking I was frustrated to see that my flight was listed as delayed. Following the directions I got more information and vouchers for food. Luckily despite being delayed a 2nd time, my flight was still only 3hours late leaving. However even with the two hour time difference this meant I had to call my hostel in Brisbane in case I didn't reach it before the reception closed.

Luckily with it being late evening the airport was fairly empty and I managed to get a shuttle into the city quite quickly. By 10.45pm I was checked in and ready for sleep. 3 hours later I was still awake waiting for body to get with the program.

Wednesday 15th April

This morning I woke early but despite my best intentions I stayed in bed until late morning. Having finally fallen asleep I had slept deeply and didn't want to leave my bed yet, despite the sun shining outside.

Once I did leave the comfort of my dorm and then the hostel itself, I was amazed at the heat. I knew it was meant to reach the mid 20s today but it was so sticky it felt more like early 30's. Hard work after the past months mish mash of pot luck weather!

Having gotten a late start to the day I spent the afternoon wandering the city. As cities go, I loved it. In the city centre there's a huge shopping district surrounding Queen Street. Most of the shops would cost a not so small fortune to be able to shop in but there were some high street type shops mixed in, making for a happy mix.

Throughout the whole area there are metal artworks like kangaroos (and stranger ones like Dingos standing up and wearing clothes?!) dotting the sidewalk and also water fountains around every corner. While I think these are to combat heat exhaustion- for the most part anyway- there also handy for the many runners as well as those participating in the outdoor fitness classes.

Some of the most popular places for those exercising, are along the paths either side of the river. The river itself winds it's way south of the main city centre, crossing the bridges to loop around. The south side of the river, while still built up, is the more artsy area. Plenty of funky cafes, boutiques and places to check out live music. Also lining the riverbank are Brisbanes Museums and Theatres, along with huge park areas.

The parks themselves go for a mile or two following the river, with an arbour covered walking path (separate to the one right on the river that most of the runners use). The arbour is covered with purple flowers and has red Chinese lanterns overhead, a lovely bright area made even more so with the greenery of the parks.

Further on down there's pools, food courts, playgrounds and more nice quiet greens. And to make it even more appealing for those who are just taking their lunch break or even walking between work meetings (believe me, there were plenty of business men following these paths talking to colleagues), is that much of the parks come under the CBD (central business district) meaning there's free wifi for an hour.

Having walked straight into a produce market after having walked all along and through the city, I decided to have a look and see if there was something I fancied. Having had an ice cream for breakfast, having a few slices of pizza probably wasn't the best choice for lunch but my god am I glad I did!

This has to be the best pizza I have ever had. I wasn't sure what to expect as it wasn't a normal pizza shape, instead resembling flat bread. But as soon as I bit into it I realised it was just about my perfect pizza and I was glad I had gone for the one with turkish sausage and peppers because it was full of flavour.

Heading back to the hostel I decided to get some groceries- namely fruit. Having not found NZ nearly as expensive as I'd thought it would be (it's all relative though as the Germans found it to be very but as a Brit I didn't) I was again really pleasantly surprised at the store. Admittedly it was Coles, which is a cheap supermarket here, but its still really reasonable once you wrapped your head around the currency conversion.

Back at the hostel I had only meant to drop some bits off and head back out for the sunset but I got distracted talking to friends so I ended up rushing out and reaching the bridge just as the sun went down. I got some colours but to be honest it wasn't as stunning as I know some nights can be here- probably because it had drizzled earlier on, with clouds having moved in.

I walked alongside the river again, taking pictures as the skyline began to light up in the dark. Crossing another bridge to get a different angle I was surprised to find myself in the market again, but since I was there I grabbed another slice of pizza for dinner. This time lamb, which was nice, but nowhere near as good as the first one.

All in all a pretty nice- if a little lazy- day. And having come to Brisbane I can say I was pleasantly surprised at what a visually pleasing city it is while also being such a business hub. I don't think I've ever seen so many picture perfect people either. From toddlers to the elderly, every hair in place, looking trendy and even the youngsters having a very confident air about them.

What a city it is to meander around.

Thursday 16th April

So this morning I checked out and then just spent a few hours walking along the river again. Have I mentioned how nice that area is? I do find it odd though as it has both a pedestrian bridge over the river and a wheel like the London Eye!

Once 1pm had come and gone I made my way towards the hostel, stopping for a sandwich along the way. Getting my packs out of storage I made for the bus stop. Even though it should only be about a 20minute walk, with the heat and still not having done a straight path through the city, I figured I might as well get the bus. A good idea which cost me nothing as the driver allowed me to ride the short distance for free.

I arrived pretty early but spent the time sat on a bench in the shade. At dead on 3.30, Dave my new driver/ guide found me and introduced himself. I followed him to the van which is a 26 seater minibus and dumped my pack in the trailer. Climbing on board I found all the seats occupied by various items, so I decided to wait until everyone got back on board before claiming a seat- Dave had already told me there were only 7 other people on this trip.

Despite this group having been together for 10days, I found it remarkably easy to join. It was helped when Sarah and Cat (2 welsh sisters) introduced themselves, followed by a mother (Ava?) and daughter (Melony) duo. Then there's Jo (a scot girl), Melony (yep a second one, though she's swiss) and Jerry (a czech) the only guy of the passengers.

The next couple of hours drive would pass quickly while I chatted to Cat about our respective travels (she and Sarah are here for a 6 week break) and lives at home. Sarah joined us shortly before we dropped 4 of the group off at a motel as they had booked twin rooms that our hostel couldn't provide.

Checking in at our accommodation, Melony (who for future reference will be known as 'Swiss Mel'), Jo and I found that we had an 8 bed dorm to ourselves. Shortly after arriving we jumped back on the bus to go for our included dinner. Whether we were where we were meant to have it or not though is up for debate. We were stopped in Coolangatta and it was the first time the bus had done this as the itinerary had just been changed without warning- meaning Dave was working blind.

After a drink and the meal we got a lift back to the hostel. By this point Jo and I had spent a few hours chatting and were getting along great and i'd also gotten to know Jerry some. He's yet another person I've met who has come to Australia to learn english!

Back at the hostel we went our separate ways, though both Jo and I ended up watching the rest of the top gear episode that we'd been stealing glances at while at the bar!

Friday 17th April

Leaving shortly after 7am this morning we got back on the motorway and drove a ways until we came across a roadside station with Maccy Ds and a cafe attached. Jo immediately went for the grease option while I headed for the cakes. One thing I miss about NZ already is that chai lattes are available in almost every cafe you come across. So far i'd say it's a 70/30 chance of getting one here.

Joining Jo at her table with the boys next to us, we all chatted a little. I get along really well with Jo despite the fact that she's a lot younger than me. She's really nice and chilled out too which helps. Still because of this i've no idea how she had me asking Dave if it was too late to join the surf lesson tomorrow morning! I wouldn't do it in NZ where sharks are less common, but i'll do it here where they make regular appearances? There's something wrong with that thinking!

Still chatting away as we got on the bus, Jo came and joined me at the back. Soon after Cat came down and we spent the next hour or so talking as we made our way to Bryon Bay.

Once we arrived at the lighthouse, Dave took us down to have a look and admire the views. It really is stunning with the golden beach, blue water and green mountains in the background. Dave told us that they often see the local pod of 30 dolphins while up here along with Stingrays and turtles in the more shallow, clear water. In fact some of the group saw a turtle but typically I missed it!

Leaving Dave to collect the bus, the rest of us walked down to the point and then along the beach to meet back up with him. Once on-board we made the short trip back into the town where we were given 4 hours free time.

With the group splitting up, Jo and I wandered this rather well known town. I say well known as it is one of the few places that most people back home may have heard of, related to Australia. Its essentially a hippy town. Well known for its buskers lining the cafe laden streets and home to a major surf community. These days it's a major tourist destination, though the town has very strict rules to prevent the essence of Bryon Bay, being lost.

Having walked all around the town, Jo and I got ice creams to take down the beach to eat. While Jo proceeded to make me look elegant, while trying to eat her rapidly melting chocolate ice cream, I enjoyed just sitting in the sun. Afterwards we walked down to the water which was really warm. So warm in fact that leaving Jo on the beach to relax a while I paddled in the water as I walked down the beach. Honestly I could have swam in it, it was so warm!

After 20minutes or so I made my way back to Jo and joined her for maybe 20minutes sitting in the sand. Soon I was bored though so we parted ways again. I spent the next hour and a half wandering through the town again, stopping in a few more shops along the way. Did you know Aldi is here? I feel like I knew this but perhaps blocked it from my mind!

Back on the bus we had a few more hours driving until we reached Surf Camp, our stop for the night. Stopping at the fuel station I saw my first Roos. Two mamas and two Joeys. Apparently these were the 2nd biggest in Australia and they looked pretty big even from a distance. It makes me wonder what the reds (biggest) look like!

Arriving at Surf Camp we had 3, 4 berth 'cabins' to share between 8 of us. Jo, Jerry and I shared one, while Ava and Mel had one and the other 3 girls took the other. Shortly after arriving we enjoyed the group dinner and had a few drinks. The most entertaining moment of the evening by far being when we tried to explain to Cat how the Germans tell the time. She couldn't grasp that they use a 24hr clock all the time (opposed to am/pm) and get confused with 'x' past the hour. Eg. Our using 7.30 confuses them while there 30mins to 20:00 would confuse us!

Oh and I shouldn't forget that when Jerry and I went back to our 'cabin' we had two cockroaches to deal with. I think because he was freaked out, I freaked out too. Not majorly but I was not impressed. As predicted though once Jo turned up she was extremely disappointed in us- 'it's just a cockroach guys, seriously' :) Truly spoken as someone who's lived out here for 7 months!

Saturday 18th April

This morning we had our surf lesson at 7am, meaning we had to get breakfast beforehand. Heading to the surf shack afterwards we filled out forms and met our teacher Robin, who's actually from Cornwall, Devon.

Robin walked us all through some of the basics about rip currents and do's and donts. He seems like a nice guy but a little out of it- the stereotypical surfer dude. Once out on the beach he had us practice what we needed to do on the sand. The getting on the board, gripping it, doing the strokes and then the 4 steps to a 'pop up'. First hands on 'the boob line' as he called it and toes propped against the board; position your lead leg at an angle against your other knee; push up and twist your hips to bring your other leg forward staying low; finally get your balance and stand up, knees bent, riding the wave.

Simples.

Oh and when you wipeout, do so backwards like a starfish. Or if you go under the breakaway then make sure to protect your head as your board could hit you. This one came in handy on my second to last go!

I have to admit I'm glad I did the surf lesson. The water was nice and warm and the group im with is a very good one, making it fun. That said I was- as expected- atrocious at it! I did manage to stand up twice though. The first time with Robin holding me all the way in, the 2nd with him letting go once I was up. Unfortunately I had no clue when it came to reading the water or waves so unless Robin was giving me instructions as and when I needed them, I was lost.

On the brightside when he came back to me the second time he was really pleased with my positioning getting onboard and didn't need to give me any pointers there- according to him I was 'just right, good balance and really chilled out'. Not bad for me! Plus while I thought my lack of balance and coordination would be a huge issue, I actually don't think it had that big of an impact. Sure I struggled getting up- flexible and smooth I am not- but I would get in okay positions and stay upright for a little at least. My issue was getting to the point of standing. Knowing when to hop on, when to paddle and when to push up.

All in all I was glad Jo had convinced me to take part but I don't think i'll go out of my way to try it again. Especially seeing the very unflattering pictures afterwards. And of course getting told by Dave afterwards that there have been 3 fatal shark attacks in the last 8 months along this bit of the coast.

And we're back to not wanting to go in the water!

Late morning we climbed back on the coach and made our way to Port Macquarie, with just an early lunch stop along the way. Feeling very full after Jo and I choose to get a meal combo from a Pie shop, we boarded the bus again only to learn that our accommodation had been double booked. As it happened this was the first time the tour was supposed to stay in Hunters Valley, so Dave was quite pleased as we would be reverting to the old itinerary- meaning he would know where we were going and what we are doing for the night.

Once in Port Macquarie we made for the Koala hospital for which the town is well known. Here we spent an hour being shown around and learning a lot about Koalas. They can go blind from conjunctivitis; catch/spread the STD chlamydia; start off the size of a fingernail and stay in their mums pouch until there the size of a small cudderly. Oh and very little of there food actually has any kind of nutrients in it. That's why the can sleep up to 20hours a day.

The hospital itself only has four fully paid members of staff. An accountant, a leaf picker (exactly as it sounds except a lot harder as he must not strip trees and each Koala has personal leaf preferences depending on where there rescued from), and some trained in veterinary practice. The rest of the hospital and rescue centre is run by a staggering 150 volunteers! These people cover any number of duties ranging from guiding tours, running the gift shop, being a specially trained part of the rescue team, home carers for those orphaned Koalas which can be saved but cannot care for themselves yet. As we came to learn, Port Macquarie is very passionate about there Koalas. And rightly so- there so cute :)

Leaving the Koala hospital we went and checked into our 'new' accommodation. Because we were a last minute booking, Way-out-back hadn't been able to get the rooms they used to use when staying here. Instead we got little caravans, 2 people per room, a definite upgrade. Dave let Jeremy and Jo chose who they wanted as a room mate and Jo picked me straight away so we settled in quickly once we finally managed to open the door- We seem to be a little handicapped when it comes to opening doors.

Since we would have about an hour before it got dark, Dave had suggested us all going for a walk but once people found out there was free wifi, half the group was done for. Both Jo and I wanted to do the walk as we felt the need to burn some energy after spending so much time on the bus. Checking with Dave that he was still alright to drop us a few miles up the road so we could walk back, both Jo and I agreed we would part ways as we just wanted to listen to our own music and go at our own pace. While we were both planning to walk fast, Jo is a good half a foot taller than me so it was good that we were of the same mind.

On getting dropped maybe 2 1/2 miles down the coast we hopped out of the van and began walking back. We both felt slightly guilty as Mel and Eva had joined us and we weren't sure if they thought we were going to stroll back as a group. That said Jo and I did walk together all the way- and even further! We were so caught up talking about everything from tv shows we watch to the problems with the UK benefits system (I know, heavy stuff right?) that we walked straight past where we were staying- by a couple of miles.

What makes it worse is that all along the path by were we were staying, there are rocks that are 'graffitied' supposedly making it easy for us to know when we got back to our accommodation. Still we had a great chat, felt as though we'd had a good work out and seen massive Pelicans and Albatross. Not to mention a really nice sunset.

On finding our way into the city-the long way of course- we decided to get some dinner. I had been happy making do with something cheap but Jo wanted to try the Thai place so deciding we were too scruffy to eat in, we got take out. Back at the caravan I made a trade of a bottle of my cider for the use of Jo's straightens and we settled in to eat, what turned out to be an amazing Thai meal.

The last few hours of the evening we chatted some more while also doing our own thing and making use of a decent size shower. This may sound strange but if you've ever used hostels, you know what I'm talking about. Unless you get lucky with an ensuite (or pay for it) then you have the shower/toilet room which can be nicely done but are still all separate cubicles. An actual bathroom (even a small one) with a toilet, sink, shower and if your really lucky, a shelf for your stuff all in one place, just for you, is pure luxury.

Sunday 19th April

Leaving at 7.30am we made our way to Hunter Valley, a well known area dotted with wineries. We did a cheese tasting which was fun but honestly I'm a cheddar kind of girl. All these bries and blue cheeses do nothing for me. Luckily we all had different favourites so I got to clear the one cheddar taster up, while the others did the same with their choices.

Dave then arranged a chutney tasting, you know, free food and all. I'm not a fan of any of these though I was pleasantly surprised by the Apple Balsamic Vinegar I tried. Now if only I liked salad.

Next we made for a winery recommended by one of the other drivers. We tried, I think, 6 wines and while I quite like the Chardonnay, it was the Moscato wine that I actually would be tempted to buy. Typical, given how sweet it is.

Leaving the winery we made for a recommended pub for lunch. I say 'pub' but it was one of those ones really posh expensive ones. Not wanting a huge meal, I ordered fries and got the biggest bowl ever! So much for that idea! We had hoped to perhaps do a beer tasting followed by a chocolate and fudge tasting after lunch. Unfortunately we ran out of time so neither of those happened and we just made our way straight to the Blue Mountains. Where it was wet. Cold. And ominous.

Still Dave had warned us that there was a cold weather front moving in that morning. We had hoped to do at least a short walk before either the weather arrived or the sun set. As it was, we just stopped at the lookout which in itself was impressive as you could see for miles around. At least we made it into the hostel before the rain actually arrived. And boy did it arrive!

The hostel we were staying in was a YHA and was amazing. Built in what appeared to be an old mansion with the art deco to go with it, it was a great place to spend the evening. While Jo did laundry I sat in the common area and made use of the wifi before being joined by Cat, Sarah and later Dave. Still waiting on Jo an hour and a half later I went to chase her up and along with Jerry who also joined us, we dashed through the torrential rain to Domino's.

After finishing his pizza Dave called it a night and for a little while after, we were joined by the night manager. Dave had already told us that he used to be a high paid exec who just up and quit a few years ago as he was tired of the life style. He was a pretty funny guy and while you may want to doubt his stories of nights out with George from Masterchef Australia, you really couldn't. He's just one of those people who can cross class barriers with ease despite being a higher class himself (and no hating for my having said that, if you believe classes no longer exist, you've got your eyes closed) .

Monday 20th April

Today with the weather the way it was, we were meant to be going to scenic world to ride the cable cars as the walks were out. Unfortunately the weather was so bad we were given a choice. Do the cable cars in the hope of seeing something or leave early and have this afternoon in Sydney. As you can imagine we went for the last option.

Dave arranged for us to do the Jetboat tour a day early so arriving in Sydney at around 12.30pm he walked us down to the Opera House. Telling us a little about the design- it was a competition- and about the Harbour Bridge - which is painted every single day of the year- he then pointed us in the direction of the Jetboating and told us he'd pick us up in a couple of hours. With about an hour to kill we decided to go get some food. Unfortunately with the rain we got pretty soaked through as we wandered, trying to find somewhere cheap. And by the time we returned to the Jetboat my trainers we completely soaked.

The Jetboat was fun though, with Mel really nervous and Jo excited, neither of them having done anything like it before. As luck would have it I was next to Mel (who in the back corner, had one of the wettest and bumpiest seats) and behind Jo so I got to see them experience it. Mel is the same age as me but she is so nice and unbelievably innocent. Still despite the rain and the fact that a jetboat on open water seems more about getting you deliberately wet, every time I looked at Mel she had a smile on her face. Jo also enjoyed herself so I was quick to recommend Jetboatoing on a river to her- much more of a rush.

Getting picked up by Dave we made our way to our hostel, which given that it has over 500 beds, we quite liked. Luckily not only did the 4 of us in dorms get put in the same one but it was also only a 4 bed meaning it was all ours. With the weather getting steadily worse, Jo, Jerry and I stuck in the rooms until we were to meet up for dinner in the basement bar.

It was almost empty when we got there, but by the time we had finished our meal and had a few drinks it was filling up. The next few hours would pass with more drinks, people (me) being dragged up to dance. The big surprise came when Eva and Mel broke out with some crazy dance moves. Its obvious that Mel loves to dance and let's herself go when she does but her mum was by far the best dancer and was soon dancing with guys in there 20's as they tried to keep up! Neither Cat or I could believe how good she was especially given that their the quietest of the group- we put it down to the Filipino blood.

Deciding I needed more alcohol if I wasn't going to be let off the dance floor, I asked Jo if she wanted to do another shot- Jerry had already bought a round of Tequila shots after the meal. Having made my way to the bar, Jo was nowhere to be seen so I grabbed Cat instead. Together we did a Sambuca shot before Sarah arrived with a guy in tow. Seeing that we'd done shots, Sarah got us a rum and coke only for Cat to then buy us a vodka shot.

Just before midnight Dave decided to head to bed. After saying goodbye to him Cat and I went to get some fresh air and after about an hour we went back to the bar but couldn't find any of our group. Ending up in the large reception area of the hostel we raided the vending machine for chocolate and spent another hour or so chatting. Back in my room I tried not to make noise but didn't do too good a job. Once I was finally in bed ( I was on the top bunk) I realised Jo wasn't in the room! She arrived back a little after me at 3am and an hour later I finally managed to sleep!! Who knew it would be so difficult after 3 ciders, 3 shots and 2 rum mixers?

Tuesday 21st April

Waking up only a little more than 3 hours after going to sleep I was not in the best of moods. Still I needed to shower and get breakfast before we all checked out and went our separate ways.

With the weather having worsened during the night we all pretty much decided Sydney was a loss for a second day. After saying goodbye to everyone I made plans to see Jo later on and then made for the bus stop to catch a bus to my new hostel.

I had booked my hostel before leaving home based on the reviews and it's relative closeness to the water. Still I hadn't known that it was even close to Sydneys 'red light district'! After checking in I spent the whole afternoon in bed reading, listening to the rain and occasionally looking out the window at it.

At 5pm I made my way to the bus stop again to go meet Jo at our old hostel. Neither of us were staying there anymore but it seemed like the easiest place to meet. As it turned out I was late as the weather had caused all the buses to be behind and on top of that it was rush hour. Deciding we didn't want to go back out into the rain we instead went down and ate in the bar again.

After a drink and a bit of a chat we went our separate ways for the final time. Jo had to get back and pack as hating cities and this weather (who can blame her) she had booked a flight for first thing the next morning to go back to Cairns.

Wednesday 22nd April

I had meant to get up early and spend the day exploring Sydney via the hop on hop off bus. However after waking up to continued rain, I stayed put in bed. Eventually digging out my waterproofs and layering up I made my way downstairs and briefly chatted to one of the ladies working the desk. Apparently she's lived here for 30years and has never known rain like this. Not surprisingly, neither have i. While we get torrential downpours at home, they usually last a few hours or maybe half a day. It had been constantly raining since I arrived in Sydney 48hours ago. Even when it wasn't heavy, it never let up for more than a couple of minutes.

Luckily though when I wandered out of the hostel the rain let up, more or less for good. There were still some showers and it was cold, but deciding to walk around, I soon warmed up. I spent 4 hours or more walking through the Botanic gardens, down to the Sydney Opera house, along Circular Quay, under the Harbour bridge and back through the city.

By the time I got back to my hostel my feet were sore from walking in my wet trekking sandals (soaked trainers remember) and I only had a brief amount of time to shower and change before heading back out. Back in SEA Cheryl had told me I should see what was on at the Sydney Opera House. With the weather I had pretty much discounted it but when I had managed to get out earlier I had popped in to see if they had any tickets to Giselle left. As it was because of the rain, they had either some pricey tickets or cheap standing ones. Going for the latter I had to be back there for 7pm. Sorry Cheryl, no 'real' dressing up in this weather!

I caught the bus to Circular Quay and got some chips for dinner. I had been wanting pasta (3rd day running be damned) but it was out of my budget so I went for the normal fall back option of chips. After eating I made my way into the part of the Opera house that houses The Joan Sutherland Theatre.

Making my way up and into the theatre I waited for the Ballet to begin. I've not seen too much Ballet before but I love watching all kinds of dance. Probably because walking in a straight line is a big accomplishment for me. Still I have to say the way the dancers have such control -and flexibility- is astounding. They can complete the most intricate moves in seconds and make it look flawless. The other part of the evening that I really enjoyed was the orchestra. Again I've only seen real orchestras the few times I've seen Ballet etc but this is a full orchestra in Sydney Opera House and they blew me away. There music can tell a story all by itself, even clearer than the dancers can. An enjoyable evening and made better by getting a taxi home so as not to risk getting caught in any more showers.

Thursday 23rd April

Today I did the same as the previous day and lazed in bed a long time. Don't get me wrong while I am getting decent amounts of sleep at the moment (and sleeping deeply to boot) im still waking early. I've just lost the will to get going slightly.

Still by midday I was waiting for the hop on hop off buses with the sun trying to break through the cloud cover but not having much success. Still once I got on the Bondi Beach bus my day improved immensely. Bondi beach was actually the one thing I knew I wanting to do in Sydney- or more specifically the walk between that and Coogee beach. Unfortunately with my trainers soaked and my feet having been rubbed by my sandals while walking in them wet, I didn't really have that as an option anymore.

Hopping off the bus at Bondi I thought I would stay 30minutes and hop back on the next bus. But walking along the front I found myself on the coastal path and knew I wasn't making that bus. Not to bothered I enjoyed the coastal views. I can't say much about the beach though as there were diggers everywhere trying to get the sand back where it belonged. On the beach, not the carparks or pavements!

Heading back to town I planned to get a Ben and Jerry's ice cream and don't you know, it was a good hour and a half after arriving in Bondi that I finally re boarded the bus. I stayed on the bus all the way back into the city before changing to the city explorer. Once on here I stayed on until I reached Darling Harbour where I once again hopped off. This is a real trendy area and I loved walking around it. The only thing was at this point I was running out of time. Hopping back on the bus before I could enjoy the sunset I stayed onboard until we made it to the stop closest my hostel. Grabbing some Thai takeaway I went back to the hostel to finally wash my clothes (I hate carrying damp stuff) and pack up yet again.

Friday 24th April

This morning I got up and checked myself out before going to wait outside for my airport shuttle. On arriving at the Domestic terminal I found I had to completely check myself and my luggage in. No choice about it. I figured out the check in fine but when I tried to check my luggage it wouldn't read the label. Eventually getting through I made my way through security and into the lounge area. Not once having to show any ID or even my ticket! I really don't understand Australia!

My flight was a little over 3 hours long and just to confuse me once again the time difference is only 30minutes behind what it was in Sydney. The weirdest ive had yet! Still as we approached Alice Springs, seeing the red desert below, was unlike anything I've ever seen.

Getting a shuttle straight to my hostel I tried not to freak out -I may have spent time reading about the man eating crocodiles that live here, last night. Opps.

Checked in I met my roommates who had actually just finished the tour I'm set to start. There both German girls, Caroline and Sarah and really friendly. Sarah spent a large amount of time telling me what to expect from my next tour. Also making sure I'm aware of how aggressive the Aboriginals can be here. The tour leader Craig had apparently shown them a photo from just a few weeks ago of someone having their head bashed in for no reason. Yep no going out after dark for me.

A little later on I went into town and had a little look in the shops. Surprisingly there are a lot of shops here and Alice is bigger than it seems. I guess it makes sense given that it is the main entrance to the Australian outback. After a few hours I made my way back to my hostel and enjoyed some time reading in the sun. The hostel here has a small dip pool and garden area so it was a good place to hang around for a few hours and I got to know Sarah a bit better too.

Saturday 25th April
So this morning I decided to stay in bed until a little later than originally planned. Given the uneasy feeling I had around some of the Aborigines yesterday I didn't want to go out alone too early. By 10am though I was in town searching for a postbox, as I had volunteered to send Sarahs postcards as the girls were about to head to the airport.
Today was Anzac day, the day to honor and remember the dead. Traditionally Anzac was purely for those who had fought it Gallipoli but over the years it's become a day for all those Oz and Kiwi soldiers who have fought on foreign soil, far from home. Today was especially big because it was the 100th anniversary since Anzac's had boots on the ground in Gallipoli.
I had read (while hiding from the rain in Sydney) that a group of Aboriginal kids had worked with and broken horses over the past year and ridden miles to come to Alice Springs to represent the Aborigines who also fought. I had even seen them with their horses as I came from the airport yesterday- its quite an impressive undertaking for such youngsters.
After posting the postcards I made it back to the main street just as the first in the parade came through. It sounds silly but it was amazing to see all these elderly VETs, who probably haven't worn a uniform in over 50yrs, still able to march in perfect symphony together. The streets of Alice which had been fairly quiet the day before were lined with hundreds of people and as the last of the parade passed, the majority of us followed along behind.
Following the procession we walked 20minutes down and around to make our way up Anzac Hill were a service would take place. As we approached we saw the red 'Lest we Forget' lining the hill in a 'Hollywood' sign, kind of way. As I walked up alongside people who were part of the parade I heard that the signs marking the different conflicts along the road were new addition. A good one in my opinion.
Once at the top I joined everyone for most of the service including the laying of the wreaths and hymns being sung. Unfortunately after over an hour stood in the hot sun I began to feel the affects of it as my bodies still trying to catch up with yet
another change in climate. Making my way back down to the town I sat awhile in the nice cool mall and once I felt better I spent an hour or so wandering what shops were open.
Back at the hostel by mid afternoon I once again spent some till chilling on a lounger before beginning to repack my stuff ready for my tour in the morning.

Sunday 26th April
This morning I got up and packed as quietly as I could- though this was difficult given my older roommate had decided we were going to sleep before the rest of us were ready the night before. Luckily my other roommate had left an hour before me so I only had to worry about the rude one. Not really a concern high on my list.
Getting my stuff out I quickly grabbed some toast and tea before going out front to wait. Repeating over and over in my head the keypad combination that would let me out of the locked gates (another security precaution though whether from the wild animals or Aborigines or both I don't know). Soon after, Craig pulled up and I hopped on the bus having been told there were 16 of us in all today. A good number giving us room to spread out as it included Craig himself and Kimberley his girlfriend, who was on the trip.
The morning was filled with lots of driving with just a few short stops. One for Camel rides if anyone wanted and another for fuel. We also stopped to collect wood for the fire tonight. 2 cuts later I had a couple of bits of wood to take back but they looked rather tiny compared to some of the pieces. A few people had found actual trees complete with roots to drag back!
Back on the bus we continued on, arriving at our campsite a little after noon. Leaving our stuff on the bus (because where else can we put it?) we started hauling out all the kitchen bits and the groceries. Soon we were prepping our lunch of wraps. Between the drive and the lunch I got to know a few of my group. Patrick from Switzerland and Marc from Catalonia (both of whom have just finished learning English on the east coast) and Mya and her husband Misha from France and Moldova respectively but both now living in Washington, USA.
After lunch we went for our Kings Canyon hike. Arriving a little after 2pm, we filled our water bottles so we each had 2 litres of water, and headed for Heart attack hill. While it is steep, it evens out fairly quickly (good news for me and Annika who struggle with 'up') but is given the name due to people climbing up it in excessive heat. And to put it into perspective, we were climbing it in the early 20s and that was plenty hot enough. But while the park authorities do close parts of the climbs/hike when it reaches dangerous temperatures, that cut off point is 36 degrees!
There's even a high likelihood that in 3-5 years, Kings Canyon will be closed to all those without guides as people get injured or taken ill too often. Most times from their own lack of common sense. An example of that is that while we were doing the hike there was a young couple with a baby and infant also doing it. Now yes the parents were carrying them but they didn't have hats on despite being open to the blazing sun, and not once did we see them drinking. And really how can you keep kids that age hydrated on a 3-4hour hike like that?
As we went up the hill a few members of the group at the back saw a snake, believed to be a python. As you can imagine I watched my step closely after this. Craig also told us some about the plants including the fact that the one we had been pulling to pieces for wood, is in fact poisonous if it gets in your blood stream! It would have been nice to know this beforehand but luckily I only had cuts and no splinters.
The hike itself is meant to take between 3-4 hrs and we finished it in just under 3 including a rest at The Garden of Eden. Here Craig told us how the Aborigines are all so secretive. There's 'mens business' that only men can know and vice versa with women. A hierarchy exists in which only a select few are privy to certain information and outsiders are to know close to nothing. Tour guides are told a little more and given a few stories to share but in most cases while they know more than tourists, they still know very little of the Aboriginal culture. Its the way the Aborigines want it and they go to great lengths to keep it to themselves.
Back at our camp ground we had a meal of pasta and got to know each other a bit better. There's a ban on any language but English at the table and on the bus to encourage us all to mix but it's not always that simple with the Germans sticking together a lot.
After dinner we had a demonstration of how to 'set up' our swags and then spent some time around the fire. If your unsure what a swag is, then you should know it's a long rectangular canvas sack, similar to a sleeping bag in design. The only thing is that's it's bigger so you can put your actual sleeping bag inside (it's only canvas after all) and it has a 2 inch mattress inside. The sides zip up above your chin and then there's a flap of canvas that comes from behind your head to 'close' you in.
Quite embarrassingly we were all ready for bed by 10pm but still, at least we all felt the same way. In my swag I tried to get as comfy as possible but as soon as I closed that flap I started to feel a little suffocated. Still after awhile I fell asleep for a good solid 4hours. After that I woke every hour or so, peeked out at the now amazing stars (they had been good before but now the fire was out it was completely dark) and then drifted off again. We found out in the morning from Patrick that there had been Dingo's in the camp during the night but I admit that I only looked around maybe twice as I didn't want to know! I concentrated on the stars :)

Monday 27th April
This morning we got up at 6am, rolled up our swags as best as possible, grabbed breakfast, changed and then loaded the bus back up. All done and ready to leave at 7am. We had about an hour and a half's drive before we reached a photo stop with Mount Connor in the distance (aka Fooluru as it often fools people into thinking it's Uluru) and across the road and up over the red dunes was a lake.
After this we set off again for another few hours drive until we reached Yulara, the resort town near Uluru. Here we had 30minutes while Craig and Kimberley did shopping and then we went to our campsite for the next 2 nights. This one seemed bigger and a bit nicer than the last. We dumped everything out of the trailer and began making up our lunch of toasted sandwiches. Once we'd finished and cleaned up we topped up our water again and made for Uluru where we visited the culture centre and then spent the next 2/3 hours doing the 10.2km base walk around the rock.
I spent most of the walk with Mya though it was actually four of us that switched about a lot. Mya, Marc and Misha. Huh, im the odd one out there! Anyway we enjoyed the walk though I have to admit not knowing much about either the culture (other than there super secretive) and 60% of it being off limits for photographs, it's hard to grasp the importance or magnificence of the place.
After completing the walk we made our way to a place between Uluru and Kata Tjuta which is good for sunsets. The sun actually sets behind Kata Tjuta but the light then plays prettily across Uluru. With Craigs ezy we had a drink (one of the few places in the Northern Territory where you can as there's a ban in place because of alcohol related issues) and some crackers and dips. The tour buses came rolling in, many of which had champagne receptions waiting for them. We heard a few stories from Craig which show there's no love lost between the backpackers tours and the posher expensive ones.
As the sun set behind Kata Tjuta, I walked up the hill to get high enough to see the rocks and was glad I made the effort, even if I was the only one in my group. The sky was a dusky pink that gave way to a baby blue, quiet distantly. Heading back down we packed up and went back to camp for a much needed shower. Its very odd out here as while it's hot between 11am and 4pm and blue skies with rarely any clouds (and they look really wispy and odd when they do appear) from the time the sun comes up and until it goes down again, it gets very windy and very cold the rest of the time. No wonder everyone's sniffing and Carolin and Sarah had colds when I met them.
Again we had a nice dinner. This time BBQ with 3 different meats including Lamb and Kangaroo. The Lamb wasn't nearly as nice as in NZ but I did quite like Kangaroo when I tried it, though I do feel kind of bad to admit that. After the BBQ Craig even made pancakes, bringing out a dozen different sauces etc to accompany them. While I was stuffed already from our meal, I found room for some of them too as it's been far too long since I've had my chocolate and banana pancake fix.
Once again after dinner we pretty much called it a night. This time not even enjoying the fire much apart from for heat! Tucked up in my swag again (somehow it seemed more awkward than the first time?) I watched the stars a little and edited my pictures from the day. Soon I decided to just call it a night and closed the flap.
The next thing I knew was Patrick was asking if my phone had been charging. Luckily not as he had found 4 Aborigines in our camp going through our refrigerators and such. It made me very glad my valuables where in the van! After listening to one side of the phonecall to the police, I figured out nothing else appeared to be stolen and went back to sleep- for a while at least.
Tuesday 28th April
This morning I was up just before 5am to get some breakfast, pack up and dress. Of course the dressing happened first as it's bloody cold here! Craig bought out some Greek yogurt today so I had my new favorite meal of muesli (fruit only, I don't do nuts!) yogurt and bananas left over from the pancakes. By 6am we were all on the bus headed to a view point of both Kata Tjuta and Uluru to see the sunrise. The colors were good, especially before the sun appeared on the horizon and once it had, it sure got up quickly. Which I was happy enough with as I had no more layers to put on.
Going down the road aways we began a 7.2km walk through Kata Tjuta. This was a bit of a combination of the last two with, uphill, flat and scrambles. Personally I preferred it to Uluru as there were no photographic restrictions in place and there were lots of different things to look at. The only downside was that Misha and Mya did the shorter walk as she has a cold, leaving me to do a half of it on my own. I did get to spend more time with Marc, Pia, Annika and Caroline though.
After the walk we piled back in to get the skydivers back to the camp in time for lunch. However we got distracted along the way by wild camels. 39 of them by Craigs count, which apparently is pretty unusual in this area- before now he's only seen 5 here.
We spent a good 20minutes following these camels trying not to spook them as we took pictures and tried to get a head count as they traveled in single file. Craig told us a few stories like how on a different trip he used to do, he and maybe half a dozen of his passengers rescued a baby camel. And by baby I mean it was only about 6ft high! It had gotten stuck in quicksand like mud and they had heard it calling all night from the camp. They had 3 choices after seeing the parents abandon it in the morning. Leave it to die in agony, beat it to death or try to rescue it. Really not much of a choice. Despite being feral, it didn't bite, kick or do anything to harm them even once free. A nice success story unfortunately made bittersweet as when Craig returned a week later -the only time he's returned- there were 6 dead camels in the same spot.
Following this caravan of Camels Craig also told us a little about them. There are only one hump camels in Australia and they were bought over by the first white men to help explore and build. Afterwards many were let loose or escaped. In the middle of the outback they thrived and now have some of the purest bloodlines. They are worth a lot of money and hunted for sport. But they are also exported to Saudi Arabia. Quite an odd thought that Saudi needs to import camels from Australia of all places!
Back at the camp awhile later the first set of skydivers went off while we made lunch. Annika and I had hoped to do a scenic flight over Uluru but unfortunately they were all booked out when Craig called, so instead I caught the shuttle bus into town. I spent a couple of hours here, mostly sat listening to music as there really isn't much here. I then checked out the little museum which had animals on display. While the red kangaroo and Dingo were interesting, I really didn't need to see all the poisonous snakes, spiders or scorpions while still sleeping in swags!
As I made my way towards the shuttle stop I saw a dance troop performing tradition dances of the Aborigines. I found it odd though that with them being such a secretive and impenetrable culture, that these 3 guys were white. Anyway leaving that behind me I caught the bus and after a talk with the driver, found that after 3.30pm they no longer stop at the campground. Hmmm this would have been good to know earlier too. Luckily he did drop me off despite being unhappy about it and I learned once back that Marc had had the same problem!
The rest of the evening was spent watching the sunset, having another amazing -not to mention big - meal and chatting around the fire. Oh and Nico let us use his laptop so we could watch Kimberly and Pia's jump videos! It sure looked more fun than mine. Interestingly the highest there allowed to jump here is 12,000ft and if your a skydiver you must have 200 jumps before your allowed to go solo here.

Wednesday 29th April
Today was a travel day starting with our getting up at 4am so we would be ready to go at 5am. At 5.45am we all piled off the bus as we had a flat tire on the rear inside. The bad news (other than the flat tire) was that it was freezing outside. The good news, the stars were still out in force so it was pretty sight.
After Craig got the tire changed with help- especially from Nico who is proving very handy- we piled back onto the bus and carried on. We had some quick stops for fuel and toilets but we had used the little extra time we had for the flat. We arrived on the outskirts of Coober Pedy in the afternoon and Craig gave us some information on this Opal Mining town.
The first Opal found in this area was discovered by a young lad, Willie Hutchison. He and his father were part of a gold prospecting party but ran into a drought. Having been left at the camp while the others went to find water, Wille wandered away. Not only did he find Opals but also desired water.
After unloading the van we had lunch and then picked beds in our 'underground' dorm. There was plenty of space with most people going 2 per each little alcove. I bunked with Marc who warned me he's slightly claustrophobic. Still I didn't think this would be a problem as this dorm is carved into the side of the rock rather than being right underground.
Soon we were all making our way to the Opal Museum next door. Here we watched a truly awful movie on Opal mining. We did learn some interesting facts though like the reason Coober Pedy is an 'underground' town, is that when mining first became big here, most of the people coming to try there luck were soldiers returning from the war. Because they had spent much of there time digging trenches and such, they naturally decided to dig into the rock when faced with no timber to build. This had the added bonus of being warm in winter but cool in the summer when the temperatures can reach 50 degrees.
After the video we got given a tour of the underground rooms here where they once struck big. We know this because the first chamber we enter is large and all done by hand. This indicates that they found some Opal and continued to expand the search for more. The next couple of rooms (and our dorms as it happens) were noticeably made by machines.
After the museum we sat in the hot sun awhile before slowly making our way over the hill -and houses- to the Kangaroo rescue. Here we met a handful of grown Kangaroos that we were allowed to touch and feed as well as Victor, a young orphaned Joey.
Terry, they guy who created the rescue gave us some background on each of the Roos we met. Some had sad stories such as there mothers having been hunted and left orphaned and others were injured by cars and such. The rescue is completely reliant on donations with no help from the government and covers an area the size of Germany. Yeah, the country!
While it's so sad that these Kangaroos are here in the first place, its incredibly cool to get up close to them. The coat is so much smoother than I would have imagined!
I did feel a little weird about the experience as just a couple of nights before we had eaten Kangaroo- for the first time in my case and I had enjoyed it. But it's no different to beef, lamb etc all of which I eat. I'm not a vegetarian so when confronted with a live animal, it should feel a little uncomfortable.
After the Kangaroo rescue we had a couple of hours before heading across to the pizza place for a group meal. Here we had a drink and enjoyed massive pizzas. Afterwards we made for the underground pub which actually turned out to be in a posh hotel. Suddenly Patrick and Mike's dressing up didn't seem so out of place!
Within 30minutes a lot of people had peeled off back to the camp. With Craig able to provide us with cheap alcohol, we didn't buy drinks. Instead Mya, Annika, Pia and I went and sat on the couch's. Once joined by Misha and Marc we got a little silly. After demanding they should dance the came up with a leg crossing jig to match our doing waves with our hands- we may have been in the outback a little too long!
After Misha wandered off Pai became obsessed with our mastering the leg movements. Subsequently the next 20minutes were pretty funny as we tried to keep time together. Soon though we all decided to leave as we all had alcohol waiting back at the camp.
We spent the next hour or two having a drink and a laugh. Misha and Mya gave us 3 girls relationship advice, though not the typical type- they gave us a step by step on how to get free stuff. Then Misha gave us a shower impression against the wall. That was particularly hilarious. Then came Craig who was all hyped up and joined inn the craziness.
Craig also told us the first hand story of his group being attacked by the Aborigines in Alice Springs. I wasn't the only one who had heard of one guy having his head bashed but we all had slightly different details. Infact as Craig had crossed the road to put 4 of his girls in a taxi an Aborigine came in on a push bike with a rock and started beating on a 70yr old in his group. Among the group left on that side was the guys son in law who was a big rugby type guy but as soon as he stepped in 5 others came along and started beating on all of them. All of the people survived though they spent time in hospital. The worst thing is that because it would mean flying back to Alice, no charges were pressed. Getting away with it is a common thing apparently because of this- so just 2 weeks before I arrived in Alice, another tourist (not anyone from Craigs tour) was beaten to death. I know it's a major generalization but the Aborigines really seem to do themselves no favors. There's even alcohol bans all over the territories because alcohol plays such a big part in the Aboriginal issues. The bottle shops even have police officers stationed outside- what does that tell you?
After a while we started having normal, lighter,conversations again. Craig even showed us the most amazing pictures from the west coast tours he used to guide. Picture the brightest red or purple beach sunsets. Then add Kangaroos in the water. No touch ups or anything, just amazing pictures. A good way to end the evening.

Thursday 30th April
Today we had another long drive day but we did get to have a layin until 7am. Or 6.30am for me as I wanted to shower. As I came back out the sun was beginning to make an appearance and the light was amazing.
Once we were packed up and ready to leave we hopped on the bus with me going up front to join Craig and Kimberly. I spent a couple of hours up front talking with Craig. He's such an interesting guy who is knowledgeable about so many things. We talked work and travel and just ways to live life. He has a whole long list of bad puns and jokes- 'What's a Roo with a toy in its pouch called? A happy meal'. What about 'What's sound does a cat make when you put it on the camp fire? Woof'. You get the picture :)
After the first stop I moved back to my normal seat. Well not my normal one as Patrick had taken over both mine and his but into the back seat again. The main stops we made today were at the rocket launch site in Woomera. Here they have actual rockets and such and I learnt that Australia has actually played a large part in the space aviation history. Not something I ever considered before.
The other stop was in Port Augusta where we had half an hour while Craig and Kimberly went shopping. The sun was shining and there was a lovely pier and walk alongside the river with the mountain ranges in the distance. That's right people. The desert was largely behind us at this point.
At our accommodation tonight we had a choice between swags or a room. I figured I had done 3 nights in a swag and the opportunity to a dorm to myself held great appeal. During the evening we had yet another great big meal and then spent some time around the fire. Marc had us play a murder card game which was actually pretty entertaining. Mostly because me and Kimberly kept getting accused of being the murderer. I wonder why? Hmmm.
3 drinks later and people began to peel off. Namely the English speaking people so I left to as there's no point staying when everyone switched back to German at the drop of a hat. Back in my room I enjoyed reading awhile and then settled down in the 4bed dorm I had all to myself!
Friday 1st May
So today is the first of the month-only 15 more days until I head home. I've absolutely no idea how that happened! Still today was another travel day so we packed up and headed out again. First though we stopped to do a walk in the flinders mountain range.
On our way we saw a dozen wild Roos and Emus too. The walk itself was down through Alligator gorge and a nice change from desert. Craig pointed some points out, for me the most interesting was the grass tree. Every part of this is useable to make weapons, to roofs to medicine to I don't know what else.
Back on the road we made our way to Clare Valley where we tried some wines. As is the way, few people could agree on their favorites but a few bottles were bought along the way. Making our way to a park for lunch we again gorged ourselves on enough food to feed an army. After that it was a short few hours until we reached Adelaide.
After finding the side street my hostel was in, I checked in and found I had a dorm to myself. Having a bit of a headache I did laundry and only went out briefly to get some food. After that, it was a fairly early night.