This is where it all starts.... I had felt ready to leave Sydney but as I got on my bus I was a tad sad to be leaving...probably because I had settled in and made some fab friends whilst being there and everything was familiar and felt like home.

Being picked up at 6:30am was a bit annoying but had to be done. I hadnt realised I could get off at Coffs Harbour so I decided to change my mind and get off there. The people on the bus were great and we had such a laugh. It's not until you're here that you realise how big this country is...ITS FRIGGIN' HUGE!!!!! We were on the bus for ages but the good thing about Oz Experience is that you're never on the bus longer than 2 hours before a stop....be it for a wee or lunch etc. My driver, Trigger was an absolute fruit loop who didnt shut up..if you think I can talk you should here this geezer! It was Triggers last trip up the coast as he was leaving to do some travelling himself. He decided to take us to a Koala hospital on the way and they are the cutest things I've ever seen..smelly though! We thewn stopped in Port Macquarie for lunch which is a really nice little seaside town...very aussie and not like the places I have been used to.

After hours on the bus we arrived in Coffs Harbour, 2 other girls were getting off and I managed to stay at a hostel with Catherine. The weather was horrendous and we were experiencing the tail end of the cyclone that had evacuated Fraser Island. Even so, we decided to go to the poo; there to do some exercise as we had eaten too many pies during our journey. The evening was a washout so we decided to indulge in the hostels bbq and we ended up playing the most hilarious card and board games with these canadian boys and a german guy....germans are definitely sticklers for rules!! I was only staying there for one night and was being picked up in the afternoon so we decided to go to Pet Porpoise Pool which is a really hands on marine/reptile park. It was amazing. From the seal show to feeling the little penguins i had such a good time. The only mistake I made was chatting to the reptile man and telling him that I was petrified of snakes and that I had never even touched one before...well...that was it right in the middle of his show he decided to announce to the WHOLE world that I hadn't even touched a snake...as he was telling everyone he wrapped this huge python round my neck...the pic's I have of this happening are not exactly the most flattering but you can see that I am practically pooping myself but I am so glad I did it...I could defo do it again. After we went there, we went back to the hostel as the weather was terrible. We played a few games with the guys again and then I had to go by myself to get my next bus to Surf camp.

It was like starting over again....not knowing anyone...this makes life more interesting. Within a couple of mins of being on the bus I made friends with a fab couple from Kent...Chloe and James. We were chatting and then these 2 girls from behind them said "did you say you were from Ware???" I said yeah and it turned out they were from Potters Bar...as we continued chatting it turned out that Bev and Emma has been travelling with a friend of Mine, Dustin in Thailand. Bev is of Dustins friends Sisters....SMALL WORLD. We arrived in Surf camp and it was peeing with rain. We ended up pulling the short straw and staying in a teepee with the girls and James and Chloe...what an experience...sweaty, manky and none of us could sleep as we were afraid that we were going to get eaten by killer koalas or something! That evening we had dinner at surf camp and got chatting to more people, I spoke to a guy that had worked with one of the girls that I had been travelling to canada with in 2003! mental!!!!!!!! That evening as the weather was still poor due to the cyclone we went to their local pub...wasnt very exciting to be honest!

In the morning we had to get up early in order that we could do our lesson....i was soooooooooooooooo excited. I jumped in my wet suit and grabbed a surf board. After a bit of theory i was actually scared to go out there as they explain about rips and stuff and being wiped out.... When we got in the water all my fear went out the window..it was the best thing I have done and I even managed to stand up!!!! I didnt even get out the water to have a rest as I was enjoying it so much one of the instructors said I was like "a Kid in a candy store" cos I was so excitable and loving it!

After the lesson we had to continue our journey up to Byron Bay....on arrival at Arts Factory Lodge...It was finally my first true travelling place. I was staying there with Chloe and James and I was glad that they were there. The place is fab but full of hippies....stoned out of their minds! I was upgraded to "The Nunnery" on my first few nights and even they (who had known me for about 24 hours) thought that was hilarious. The hostel has a pool and stuff so it was nice to chill out a bit as I didnt really do that Sydney. We booked our trip to Nimbin with Jims alternative tours and to all of you that have been here you understand the sort of day we had...that's all I shall say!

The weather is still a bit pants but we have been to the beach with Emma and Bev and a nice couple called Rach and Tom which has been really cool. Even though it was cloudy we are all looking a tad red today...yes mum I did wear suncream!!!!

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I absolutely loved Byron Bay, it has such a nice feel about it...hippy but good. No trip to Byron Bay would be completed without a trip or two to Cheeky Monkies.....We all enjoyed the nicest food for $5......thats around two quid! It is so funny as whilst I was in Cheekies I bumped into 2 boys that were my room mates when I was in Sydney....it's a very small world...

On our last morning there Chloe, James and I got up at 4:30am to go and watch the sunrise at the lighthouse, the most eastery point in Australia. It was a lovely crisp morning and the sunrise was lovely except for a few clouds! The sky was the most amazing colous and from the pictures (when I upload them!) youwill be able to see the bands of blue and pink on the horizon.

Byron was an amazing "travellers" destination especially as I stayed at the Arts Factory and i would recommend it to anyone. There was one afternoon where we were sitting on hammocks over looking a small creek and all these musicians decided to sit around us smoking and having a jamming session, it was almost a magical moment and I had to pinch myself to see if it was real...the mozzie bites made me realise that it sure as hell was real! ha ha

Ah well...off to Surfers Paradise....Gold Coast here we come!!!!!

xxxxx