Friday 26th February

After taking Nightols and still hardly being able to sleep, I woke up at 4.30am to get changed and get the 5am shuttle to meet Nick who was expecting to land at 5.15am. All kinds of feelings came back to me from the last time I met him at Bangkok airport after a significant time away from one another. It had been 8 long weeks and it was finally all over, no more relationship with a mobile phone but my boyfriend and best friend to be here to be in person for good. Thankfully his flight was on time, I was extremely teary greeting him and felt so relieved and happy to be able to just have a massive hug again. He was just as pleased to see me and be there for me to hold onto after he knew I'd found travelling Australia a more difficult experience than Asia, although neither of us expected I'd have been that way around about the places I've been.

We woke from a nap at the hotel and began mission campervan - something I hoped was going to be a more enjoyable experience than the last! We got on the shuttle bus which Nick thought was free and the man told us to pay and then after he'd been driving and we checked it was stopping where we wanted to go he told us it should have been free and he thought we were going the airport so that wasn't a great start. We checked in and realised insurance hadn't been included in the price (oops something that was in the T's and C's that of course Nick and I hadn't read) so that also wasn't a great start...after much overload of information we finally got shown our new home for the next 3 weeks. Nicks face lit up as we were shown all the gadgets of this 4 person campervan, we'd chosen to go with Britz and we're delighted with the outcome. It was practically brand new and twice the size the one Lisa and I had tried to get on with. With toilet and shower, hot and cold water, a Tv and DVD player, loads of spare sheets and duvets, separate double bed to dining and lounge seating area we were both very happy.

Nick had the guy show him the ropes to driving what we have named, 'The Beast', and after about 20 minutes we released him of all questions and video-recording how to do certain things and began our way to the supermarket. Our first camper food shop was funny, Nick had forgot that I do my food shopping in the unusual way of just wandering around the shop in no order of following aisles - something Lisa also used to complain at me for aimlessly wandering when we're on a mission for food. We stocked up and I suggested we get some raincoats after my experience of not having one in Australia became a regret. We couldn't find any for a decent price so instead eagerly got on the road to our first destination.

There had been a rapid decision that I wasn't to drive the van, it was a lot bigger than the one Lisa and I had drove and Nick wasn't even confident himself. We made it to the Top 10 holiday park at Hot water beach having seen and admired so much green beautiful scenery along the way. As we stepped out the van to check into the holiday park, I bizarrely turned around to see Ciara who we had met on Fraser Island and spent loads of time with in Cairns walking towards me. Ciara had left us in Cairns on Sunday to fly to Auckland for the Monday so I was confused it was now Friday and she was still up north. Anyway we said a quick hi as she was getting a spade to go down to hot water beach and then checked in ourselves and took the van around to its powered site getting to grips with all its use. Nick chilled out the front on our chairs and table with a cider whilst I cooked us chicken fajitas for dinner. He was pretty jet lagged and once had eaten had to lie down as was unsurprisingly after a 36 hour flight to come to me and then a 2 hour drive felt wavy from jet lag. I unpacked all our stuff and cleaned up and although I wasn't very tired myself with my body clock still being 3 hours behind with Oz time, I joined him and snuggled up in bed.

xxx