Woo! im updating my blog finally! (having missed out quite a big chunk -sorry!) We arrived in Cairns yesterday afternoon and found our hostel - really nice and quite near to everything. Nice room which is good as we're staying there for 5 nights. Today we have explored the city a bit - had a look round the shops, walked down to the lagoon and pier and booked some day trips for the rest of the week - Great Barrier Reef tomorrow and Cape Tribulation the next!

3rd March - Today we sadly had to say goodbye to Bruce the car - dropped him at the airport before our flight back to Melbourne that morning. Arrived back there at lunchtime to a dramatic change in temperature - it was really hot! had a different hostel this time a bit nearer the centre and less like a mental asylum! we had windows in our room! In the afternoon we went out into the city and did some shopping before going back to the hostel and getting ready for N...

27th Feb - Today we got a flight to Tasmania - flew with Tiger Airways which was a tiny airline with a terminal that was just one building on its own - not worthy of the main airport! cheap though! arrived in Hobart mid afternoon and found our hostel. Then had a wander round the town and shops and down to the harbour where we found a nice fish and chip dinner! 28th - We picked up our hire car early in the morning - a little yellow hyundai getz which we named Bru...

Today we left Christchurch for our next stop - Melbourne! Had to get up at 3 in the morning as our flight was at 6! had a 3 hour flight and arrived at about 8 o clock Oz time (2 hours back) feeling as if we had been up for too long already! Got a shuttle from the airport to our hostel just outside the centre and dropped our bags off before going out to find some much needed brekkie and a cup of tea! Walked along the river and thought it looked a lot like london s...

Had a bit of an eventful bus journey to Taupo - it broke down! o dear! were stranded on the side of a road for a few hours which was fun! eventually arrived there after being rescued by another bus company! that evening we went out with some people from the magic bus for a meal and drinks at an Irish bar which was nice - but didnt have a late one as we were getting picked up a 5.40am in the morning for the 'Tongariro Crossing'!!!!!! (hike up a volcano!) 31st Jan...