Hey everyone!

I've just arrived in Sydney after a 13 hour bus trip, that wasn't too bad- although had raging tooth ache for a few hours that was just horrible (I'm beginning to think real teeth are over-rated with the trouble i've had since I got here!) But i'm so excited to be here!

I met up with a girl who I met in Airlie Beach, Claire from Portsmouth and we're staying at the same hostel. As far as hostels go this one seems very big but very nice. Good bunk beds (if there is such ia thing) and big airy rooms right in the middle of the city centre. This morning when we drove in I had a bried glimpse of the opera house, but it was grey and raining so think I'll wait until there is better weather before I look again.

So, for the past few days I've been staying at the Arts Factory and spent one night in a teepee, which turned out to be great- better than the dorm i was sleeping in before there! It was big and roomy, had a big drawer under the beds to keep your stuff in, and the bed and ladder were great- this might sound silly but 2 months of incessant squeaking when you move or climbing up small metal ladders so both beds shake isn't fun! But these were big beds and had a wooden ladder that weaved around so was easy to manover down. I've found out there is no easy, lady-like way to get down ladders from a bunk bed! I eventually settled into life in Byron and began to understand how some people rock up for a week and spend the next 6 months there. I couldn't have done that, but understood why people did. It was the most laid back place I've been to, evening entertainment (English band last night were really good, playing next to the lake with bats flying above us as the sun set) and a decent cafe that served pancakes with strawberries and bananas and maple syrup for breakfast. Mmmmmmmm!

I'd like to come back and do some of the surf lessons there, they had an excellent reputation. On the first day I walked to the light house to have a look. It was next to a very nice beach, and is Australia's largest and only working light house, on the most easterly point of Australia. It was a lovely walk and gave some really good views- we watched some paragliders take off on top of the hill not to far from where we were.

The next day i took a walk down to the beach again to sit and read my book, I got talking to a girl who is on holiday here from Essex for 3 weeks. She's following the rugby world cup (league) and the 2nd semi final is tomorrow in Sydney, so I've got a ticket! going to see Australia versus Fiji, which should be an easy match because Aus are the hot favourites, but it's still an excuse to see some rugby!

The picture at the top of this page although from the webiste and not one I've actually taken myself, is Darling Harbour, where I've just been and where we'll be eating tonight. It's big and beautiful with street performers and weddings and lots of exciting stuff going on. I am so excited to be here, this has been one of my places to visit for such a long time, and now I'm finally here! Tomorrow i'm going to go to a street fair and then head to the rugby with a few pints in between I think. There's so much I want to do here! At the moment I plan to stick around for maybe a week, then head south to Canberra for about 2 to 3 days, then Melbourne, hopefully even heading out to the Great Ocean Road to see the 12 Apostles. All that in 5 weeks! (then I head back to Brisbane to meet Chey). Will put pictures up when I can, my hostel doesn't have internet access so i have to make more of an effort to come out and find it! Rubbish! That's good really, means I wont spend too much money on access.

2 months ago today I left England feeling very scared... now I'm here, and it seems like such a long time ago, but then again, 2 months has flown by. I'm pretty much half way through now. I have 5 weeks of solo travelling left then I will hopefully have more of a base with Chey and her family. Im loving it, all the independence and not worrying about anything (except maybe how many more holes can a pair of jeans have and it still look acceptable) but I miss my luxuries, and that is perhaps one thing I've learned about myself here- I like luxury! I miss my hair straighteners and hair dryer and decent shoes and decent clothes. Looking a scruffbag all the time isn't something I could do for a whole year- having to constantly pack up your bag and move onto somewhere new, with strangers you've never met and never will see again is, well, tiring! Especially when you're alone and need to make double the effort just to initiate conversation with them. On Thursday morning I walked into my new teepee and said hello to the girls there- there were 6 of them in there. One said hello then they went back to their conversation! Talk about a welcome party! When that happens it's hard. When you're with someone it's easy to have a conversation but include others, but alone you almost have to smile brighter and act even more friendlier even when you don't really feel like it, because you are alone and don't want to miss the chance of making a new friendship. That's why smokers do better than non-smokers, sad as it may seem but it's true. Smokers all have to stand outside, and all it takes is a question like 'can I borrow your light' and the conversation is under way. Non smokers have to work harder than that, which is a big shame. I remember when I left England, Gloria saying to me 'you'll meet loads of people you'll want to spend time with, and you'll meet loads of people you want to get away from' and I met one of the latter on Thursday at the beach. I'd gone down in the afternoon to sit and chill out, reading a book with my friend Graham and then we were going to hav fish and chips on the beach later, I was really looking forward to these chips. A guy sat down with us who i recognised from the hostel, older- about 45 ish, from the London area (annoying accent). We chatted for a bit then read or slept and it was nice. As soon as i mentioned looking forward to fish and chips he started chatting about good fats and bad fats and how when he had colonic irrigation.... in fact i wont go into details, but put me right off my chips for at least 10 minutes! Luckily he left soon after that, what a weirdo!

Anyway I only have 10 mintues left on the computer so I'd better get going.

Hope you're all ok, loadsa love

xxxxxxx