Brisbane to Newcastle 

The moment we arrived in Brisbane we knew we'd like being in Australia.  We felt quite at home, things working the same way as back home and the people just being so friendly and helpful, always cheerful.  Backpacking seems to be a very different affair here, a case of getting on and off coaches with suitcases, dressing well, and sometimes even having your own vehicle.  There's also many more backpackers here than we've come across before, congregating in the cities and many of them staying in hostels on a semi-permanent basis as they work various jobs to save up for traveling in Australia. In fact, the night we arrived in Brisbane we found it difficult to find cheap dorm beds because everywhere was full!

 

We spent our first couple of days in Brissie making travel arrangements and just relaxing into the Aussie way of doing things, getting a feel for it. The time flew by but we did manage to see a few sights: the Botanic Gardens, the fantastic open-air Southbank Parklands with its artificial beach and saltwater lagoon, art galleries and museums, shopping, and just soaking up the atmosphere. One of the great things about Australia is that it's a country geared towards free outdoor activities; for example, electric barbecues in the park, lots of picnic tables, well-maintained walks and coastal paths, and everything is clean and free of graffiti. Our last couple of nights in Brisbane we stayed with our friend Lenore, a PhD student we'd met nearly 2 years ago in Wachapreague, where we'd first hatched our world-trip travel plans. It was great spending a day in a house doing 'normal' stuff like laundry and e-mails, away from the backpacker scene - we were made to feel really at home.

 

Being in Australia we just HAD to see some koalas and kangaroos so we did the touristy thing and went to a koala sanctuary. We got to pet the animals, take loads of photos, witnessed the rainbow lorikeets' feeding time, and went all soppy over dopey, sleepy koalas as they snuggled up in the tree branches. As we left the sanctuary Jess spotted Jared Leto, a Hollywood actor, and his band, and they got chatting, the result of which was an invitation to their gig that night. So we turned up to the venue where 30 Seconds To mars were playing and got in for free (oh yes, we were on the guest list!) and enjoyed a packed, sold-out concert. Afterwards we got their autographs and were asked by Jared if we'd like to "hang out" behind the band as they signed hundreds of fans' hoodies, tickets etc., even shoes and the occasional bra! WE each received a hug from Jared and got our photos taken, not quite believing how bizarre and surreal our day had turned out to be. What a start to our travels in Australia!

 

While in the Brisbane area we traveled out to the suburbs and stayed a couple of nights with friends of Jess' family, who they'd met when both families had been living on boats on the Brisbane River 10 years ago. It was great to see them again and they were really hospitable - we really enjoyed being in a family environment and sitting down to a meal together, something we realized we've missed these last few months. From the Hammonds we went by ferry to the beautiful and scenic North Stradbroke Island ('Straddie' as it's locally known) for a day of coastal walks, relaxing on the beach and watching the occasional surfer. It was our first Aussie beach, complete with Surf Rescue lifeguards and their red and yellow flags. The water temperature came as a bit of a shock, being used to the bath-temperature waters of Thailand and Malaysia, but it was alright once we got used to it and quite pleasant - we are out of the tropics after all, and it is nearly winter!

 

Already we had been in Australia a week and it was time to start heading south, using our special 'hop-on hop-off' Greyhound coach pass that will let us do a huge loop of Australia's East coast and the Red Centre. Our first stop was Surfers' Paradise on the Gold Coast, where we met up with Joe and Hee Hee, friends of Sara's. We stayed the night at their family home up in the hills, surrounded by wildlife, after an afternoon of being shown the sights of the Gold Coast, including straddling the Queensland-New South Wales state border. Even though it was a flying visit because we have such a great distance to cover in a relatively short time, it was great for Sara to see them after such a long time. We'd love to see them again in our part of the world and return their kindness and hospitality - the same applies to all the people who have been so good to us on our travels. We're firm believers in "what goes around comes around" and hope that one day we'll get the chance to play host to such good friends?

 

Next stop on the Greyhound route was Newcastle, to meet up with a friend of Jess' who'd been her brother's nurse when he was diagnosed with diabetes in Australia 10 years ago. We had a fantastic long weekend with Nola, being shown around the Newcastle and Hunter Valley region, well known for its wine production.  We spent the best part of a day touring the vineyards of Hunter, tasting wine at each one (it would have been rude not to!) and pretending to discern the subtle differences between each tasty sample, and ended a perfect day with a good old Aussie barbie at Nola's neighbours' house. We spent the Sunday visiting Blackbutt Reserve wildlife park, where we saw even more adorable koalas, and picnicking on the shores of Lake Macquerie along with the hordes of families out celebrating the Australian Mothers' Day. It seems to us that almost every Aussie family is equipped to have an outdoor barbercue and picnic at the drop of a hat, and the place was dotted with islands of tables and chairs, blankets, 'eskie' cool-boxes and the occasional bottle of wine, all interspersed with kids running riot on bikes. Not to be outdone for a good day out, the following day we borrowed Nola's car and went on a little road trip up the coast to Nelson's Bay, a really picturesque area with scenic beaches and headlands. The views from the top of one of the headlands was fantastic, and it was great fun just driving there after months of being away from our own cars. Driving on Australian roads is a lot less stressful than in SE Asia, even on the freeways!

It's already been a brilliant couple of weeks in Australia, we're really loving being here, and will keep you posted on further Aussie adventures!