Hi again,

Here is the remainder of our East Coast story…enjoy!

We had an early rise to catch the train to Australia Zoo. When we were younger, we both were avid fans of Steve Irwin's snake and crocodile TV shows so we were very excited to see his zoo. Overall, we felt a little disappointed by it all. Jonny felt that the animals didn't have the best conditions to live in and I felt that the strong message of conservation was being coerced onto us at every turn which eliminated a bit of fun.

However, we both loved the koalas which were adorable - we stroked one and it was just so soft. It felt like the sensation of your feet sinking into a carpet! Seeing the kangaroos was brilliant as we had failed to see any in the wild. We bought some kangaroo food to feed them and we got so close to them it was amazing. Visitors had outnumbered the Roos and the food had got the better of them. Many looked too full to move so they happily let visitors pat them, even put hats on them, as they lazed carelessly on their backs!

Jonny loved seeing the deadly snakes; I personally would have avoided them. Jonny even had to hold my hand to enter the reptile part! We saw one of the infamous crocodile shows which was entertaining. Yet, it lacked the Steve Irwin sparkle that we had hoped for and had seen on TV. Even though we came away feeling disappointed, it didn't stop us from taking far too many photos!

On our last day in Brisbane we checked out the 'Street Beach', a mock beach located by the river. We didn't go in but it looked very inviting! We also stumbled upon a pub called the 'Plough Inn' so out came the Camera!

Our next port of call was Surfers Paradise which we found to be expensive yet tacky, touristy and staged. Jonny describes it as Benidorm on the Gold Coast! It was heavily built up with many of the high rises blocking the sun from the gorgeous beach in the afternoon. Ignoring our negative feelings towards the place, we did enjoy ourselves by learning to surf! We only had a 2 hour lesson but Jonny mastered the art of standing up. I tried so hard but failed. I even had one-to-one coaching where I perfected a banana skin slip up in a brave attempt to stand up! The instructor was adamant that this counts as standing up though! It was so much fun and it was extremely tiring, but we received certificates to say we can surf! We must be pros now..!

From Surfers Paradise, we went to Byron Bay. Stupidly we didn't book any accommodation in advance so found ourselves a little lost with nowhere to go. As it was nearing Christmas it was so busy and anywhere that had rooms available was too pricey. Jonny searched and searched and found a cheaper option…camping! This wasn't any ordinary camping because the tent was a semi-permanent one - it had a concrete floor and even a door! Check out the pictures to see how comical it looked.

We spent a few relaxing days in Byron Bay. We went to the beach, walked up to the lighthouse, went to the eastern most point of Australia and Jonny went diving! On this dive, he encountered some Grey Nurse sharks which have an aggressive look to them but are actually harmless! Jonny cut his hand on some coral and was worried that the sharks might detect his blood but thankfully they didn't like the look of him! He found it so exhilarating and says this was his best dive yet. Additionally, he saw a huge school of fish that formed a massive silver wall. He said it was incredible! I've never seen him so happy!

We did a day trip to Nimbin, being told it was an interesting place to go. We didn't much like it. It was just a really bizarre place (for instance it had a candle factory and a drugs museum) that felt a little run down and struggling to hold onto any sort of identity. We like Byron for its hippy and laid back atmosphere. On our final night, we moved out of the beloved tent and upgraded to a cabin. Oh the luxury!!

The day before Christmas Eve we arrived in Sydney. Our hostel was 2 stops from the city centre on the city rail. The place wasn't brilliant as the kitchen had flies and cockroaches and the only man working there was lazy and useless! The place was unclean but we stuck it out for 2 weeks until we found our flat. While we were staying at our hostel, we came across this junk shop (Jonny's kind of shop!) where we purchased 2 body boards. On their first use at Bondi Beach they both broke so we took them back and had a rather comical argument with the Chinese owner. He gave us a replacement board but he wouldn't give us a refund as we were probably the first sale he's had in years!

After a few days of searching, we found the ideal place. It's an apartment located right in the centre of Sydney next to the main shopping street! The flat has a balcony, lounge, kitchen, 2 bathrooms and we share with 3 others. The block we are in has a swimming pool and gym of which we have unlimited access. I am determined to get fit…where have you heard that before?! Also, to Jonny's excitement, there is a ping pong table. He has been teaching me and is amazed by my progress! So am I!

As far as sightseeing goes, we have seen the Harbour Bridge and Opera House. The bridge is impressive, bold and huge, yet the Opera House doesn't compare. It is much smaller than we both anticipated and not rally that pretty! The white is more like dirty magnolia! Nonetheless, we want to do an inside tour and perhaps see a show if money permits. We also hope to do the bridge climb which will be fantastic.

We've been to the Aquarium which was good but far too busy for our liking! The sharks and Dugongs were cool but we both agreed that it's far more exciting to see the fish in the open water! We met up with our Swedish friends, Sandra and Dave, whom we met at our hostel over christmas on their last night here. We had a fun evening catching up. Sydney is a city which is buzzing all the time. There are lots of shops, restaurants etc in close proximity to the parks and harbour. We hope we can stay here for as long as we have planned.

We have been searching for jobs for weeks now and have heard nothing positive. As we are only here for 4 months, employers aren't giving us a chance. Jonny has managed to get a job as an on the street charity fundraiser but it really isn't ideal. The way it is looking we will have to most likely cut our trip short. We are both really upset at this thought but it might be our only option.

We've just celebrated Australia Day where we met up with some friends from home and spent the evening at Darling Harbour watching/ being part of a 2 hour live show televised for Australia Day. There was aboriginal dancing, live music (including Stan Walker the Australian Idol Winner!! Who was actually alright) and some boring speeches! Oh and lots of boats! The fireworks were brilliant and we both felt they were better than New Years Eve. We got into the spirit of things and put on some temporary tattoos of the Australian Flag but unfortunately Jonny had a reaction to them and one of his cheeks has come out in a rash!

Hope everyone is well

Lots of love Kirsty and Jonny xxx