HI ALL,INTERNET MUCH BETTER HERE IN NEW ZEALAND.OZ INTERNET EXPENSIVE AND SLOW,HENCE THE LACK OF PHOTOS! AUSTRALIA HAS COME AND GONE-UNBELIEVABLE!

WE CONTINUED OUR CAMPERVAN TOUR HEADING DOWN THE EAST COAST.SPENT A COUPLE OF DAYS IN BRISBANE-WE LIKED IT BUT IT WAS STILL PRETTY SMALL FOR A CITY.WENT ON THEIR VERSION OF THE LONDON EYE-IT WAS LIKE A WHITE KNUCKLE RIDE,A LOT QUICKER THAN THE LONDON EYE! DID THE CITY TOUR BUS WHICH WAS VERY INFORMATIVE AND FRIENDLY.DID THE RIVER CRUISE ON THE SEA CAT-REALLY GOOD FUN.DROVE DOWN TO BYRON BAY FULLY EXPECTING TO STAY FOR A WHILE,WHEN WE GOT THERE IT WAS PACKED TO THE RAFTERS-IMAGINE BRIGHTON BEACH (EXCEPT A LOT NICER!)ON A SUNNY BANK HOLIDAY AND TIMES IT BY TEN! IT WAS VERY BEAUTIFULL BUT RIDICULOUSLY BUSY.NEEDLESS TO SAY WE DECIDED TO DRIVE ON.THIS PROVED TO BE A GOOD DECISION AS WE FOUND A GREAT BEACH AND CAMPSITE JUST NORTH OF COFFS HARBOUR-EMERALD BEACH.THE CAMPSITE HAD KANGAROOS BOUNCING ALL AROUND-SOME WERE QUITE TAME.THE COAST WAS A BIT LIKE THE CORNISH COAST BUT WITH SUNSHINE AND NO KANGAROOS! LOTS OF SURFERS HERE BUT THE SEA IS A LOT COLDER DOWN HERE.NEXT WAS DOWN TO FORSTER/TUNCURRY,AGAIN A VERY NICE CAMPSITE ADJACENT TO THE BEACH-A BIT MORE ISOLATED HERE,NOT EVEN A BUS SERVICE.AFTER TWO DAYS HERE WE DROVE DOWN TO NARRABEEN,A SMALL TOWN JUST NORTH OF SYDNEY.GEORGEOUS BEACH AND GOOD SWIMMING HERE.MIMI HAD A MISHAP AND TRIPPED OVER OUR TENT ONE EVENING RESULTING IN A BRUISED KNEE AND A BROKEN TENT POLE.WE PICKED UP OUR FRIEND TONY FROM COOGEE AND SET OFF FOR THE LAST NINE DAYS OF OUR ROAD TRIP.WE HEADED FOR MELBOURNE,STAYING AT NAROOMA AND BAIRNSDALE EN ROUTE.MELBOURNE WAS A BIG LET DOWN FOR US.NOT SURE HOW BEST TO DESCRIBE IT,BUT I GUESS IF BLOKES WALKING HAND IN HAND IS YOUR THING THEN YOU WILL LOVE MELBOURNE! STILL WE HAD FUN ON THE COOL TRAM SYSTEM AND ENJOYED ONE OF THE HOTTEST DAYS IN MELBOURNE FOR A COUPLE OF YEARS-NEARLY 40C.THIS WAS FOLLOWED BY 24HOURS OF RAIN WITH THE TEMP ABOUT 24C! STAYED AT ALBURY-SAW SOME NICE LAKES AND THEN DROVE THROUGH CANBERRA.NOT MUCH AT CANBERRA SO WE DROVE ON AND STAYED AT GOULBURN.AT LAST WE FOUND A BIT OF NIGHTLIFE-STRANGE AS IT WAS A VERY SMALL PLACE,THINK THE WHOLE TOWN WAS OUT CELEBRATING XMAS.BACK TO SYDNEY AND COOGEE.DROPPED THE VAN OFF AFTER 39 DAYS ON THE ROAD.LOOKING FORWARDS TO SLEEPING IN A PROPER BED..CHECKED INTO THE SHERATON ON THE PARK (OUR XMAS TREAT!)AND INTO A MASSIVE ROOM,WALK IN WARDROBES AS BIG AS OUR BEDROOM BACK HOME,ENORMOUS MARBLE BATHROOM,KING SIZE BED,42 INCH PLASMA TV WITH ALL SPORTS CHANNELS-GREAT!! WE HAD FREE USE OF THE GYM,JACUZZI,STEAM ROOM,SAUNA AND ROOF TOP INDOOR HEATED POOL.ALSO UPGRADED TO EXECUTIVE CLUB-FREE CANAPES AND DRINKS DAILY FROM 5-730 ON THE 23RD FLOOR OVERLOOKING HYDE PARK.MIMI WAS IN HER ELEMENT-FREE CHAMPAGNE AND OYSTERS! XMAS EVE MORNING AT 1AM MIMI WENT OUT SHOPPING FOR BARGAINS-COULDNT BELIEVE THE AMOUNT OF PEOPLE OUT SHOPPING-PEOPLE QUEING FOR ESCALATORS! WENT OUT TO THE ROCKS WITH FRIENDS ON XMAS EVE-SEEMED LIKE WE WERE THE ONLY ONES PARTYING-MIGHT HAVE SOMETHING TO DO WITH AUSTRALIAS PARTY POOPER BOUNCERS WHO DONT LIKE ANYONE HAVING FUN! WE HAD A GOOD NIGHT ANYWAY! IT RAINED ALL DAY XMAS DAY AND BOXING DAY-THE WETTEST XMAS IN SYDNEY IN OVER 50 YEARS! WE ENJOYED THE HOTEL AND ALL ITS FACILITIES-DIDNT WANT TO CHECK OUT! 29 DEC WE HAD TO CHECK OUT AND CHECKED INTO THE SHERATON ON DARLING HARBOUR-NICE ROOM WITH BALCONY OVERLOOKING THE WATER-BUT A BIT OF A STEP DOWN.WEATHER WAS STILL NOT GOOD BUT AT LEAST IT WASNT RAINING-WENT ON AN EXTREME SPEEDBOAT TRIP IN SYDNEY HARBOUR,UNDER THE BRIDGE AND PAST THE OPERA HOUSE-COOL! NEW YEARS EVE SEVEN OF US HAD DRINKS IN OUR HOTEL ROOM-WE ENJOYED THE 9PM FIREWORKS FROM OUR BALCONY BEFORE HEADING DOWN TO THE ROCKS TO SEE THE BIG FIREWORKS.1.5 MILLION PEOPLE IN SYDNEY TO SEE FIREWORKS-VERY BUSY.FIREWORKS WERE GOOD BUT DID LOOK BETTER ON TV LAST YEAR! AFTER A DAY OR TWO RECOVERING WE ENJOYED A REAL AUSSIE BBQ DOWN IN CRONULLA WITH OUR FRIENDS DANIEL AND JODIE.OUR LAST DAY IN SYDNEY WE DID THE SYDNEY BRIDGE CLIMB WITH OUR MATE TONY.IT WAS GOOD BUT A BIT PRICEY-WHICH JUST ABOUT SUMS UP OUR AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE.

WE ARRIVED IN NEW ZEALAND ON TUESDAY 5 JAN.FIVE WEEKS IN THE SOUTH AND TWO IN THE NORTH ISLAND.WE ARE LOOKING INTO BUYING A TENT AS FUNDS ARE SHORT! PICS WILL BE ADDED BY END OF TOMORROW HOPEFULLY. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL!