Alrighty Everyone!

We left Coogee on Friday and went back to the YHA. Another ordingary day weather-wise so we watched American Gangster at the cinema. Decided to sample Chinese in Chinatown in the evening then webt back for an early night.

Saturday got up at 6am to meet the bus around the corner at 7am. Met Jane our driver and 20 other passengers, most were young European backpackers. We weren't sorry to leave a wet & windy Sydney behind!

1st stop was Canberra after a 4hr drive. It is a city designed by Walter Burley Griffin in the 1920s. Its green with lots of roundabouts, a bit like Milton Keynes! Did seem a bit like a ghost town as we visited on a Saturday and no-one was working. We stopped at the War Memorial Building, which remembers everyone who has fought for Australia in a war. It was very moving and we could have spent more time there.

After lunch we visited New Parliament House which is built into Capital Hill. It was designed by Italian Romaldo Grurgola for the bicentenery of Australia's foundation in 1988. There is a mosaic on the front lawn designed by Aboriginals which represents a meeting place - which is the meaning of the Aboriginal word Kamberra. We visited both the House of Representatives & Senate, it wasn't a very impressive building but everything had its significance and place. In the House of Senate they had red exit signs which had to be passed by law to be able to be put there. This is so it would blend in with the interior decor, being politicians they got what they wanted! We went onto the roof and saw the view down Commonwealth Avenue all the way down to the War Memorial.

Back to the Bus for another 3hr drive to Jindabyne. We drove through Cooma and saw the Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Project (HEP) - one of the most complex integrated HEP projects in the world!

The hostel in Jindy was more like a motel, with towels and soap on the pillow and even a swimming pool! Best nights' sleep yet!

We left the motel at 8am on Sunday morning to head for the Snowy Mountains. We went got up the mountains, the weather was awful so just went to a lookout point to see the start of the Snowy River and our 2nd rainbow of the trip.

We ended up doing 2 smaller walks, one along the Thredbo River. Rose sae her 1st kangaroo, literally a few meters away!

In the afternoon we drove along Barry Way, an unsealed cliff-face road following the course of the Snowy River. We saw kangaroos and emus from the bus. The road was wet & muddy and we could feel the trailer slipping behind us. The bus was brown from all the mud by the end of the drive.

Arrived at Lakes Entrance after a 5hr drive, a small coastal town, home to the start of the 90 Mile Beach. We had dinner in town then went back to the hostel for a few drinks and to play cards.

Monday, an even earlier start especially when French girls set their alarms for 5.30am! In the morning we stopped ot do some Skippy Hunting, we walked through the bushes and saw hundreds of them. We managed to get quite close to them and got some good pictures, one even smiled!

We drove to Wilson's Promontory National Park, a few of us walked to Pillar Point and along to Squeaky Beach. Picture postcard views of the white sands and blue seas. We watched the waves hit the southernmost point of Australia whilst chilling on the beach.

Hopped back on the bus for a 4hr drive to Melbourne. We didn't reach the hostel until 7pm as we were the last drop-off. In total we travelled 1350km in 3 days and had a really nice time. We met some really friendly people and would definatly do an Oz Experience bus tour again.

We plan to explore Melbourne this week. Wednesday we're going to the Australian Open and Saturday is Australia Day. We're thinking of going to Tasmania before we meet Lydia on Feb 4th. Lets hope the sun is still shining in Melbourne tomorrow morning!

That's it for now guys!

Hayley & Rose xxx