Well we are still here in Eleebana staying with Aunty Pen, and having a great time. We are still being spoiled and eating lots of good food too. I'll carry on this blog from where I left off with the last one, and I got up to day 80 of our trip. That day Justin was feeling a bit delicate so we left him at home, and we went into Newcastle city. The weather had finally cleared up properly so we decided to do the Newcastle Tram Tour which we caught from Queen's Wharf. The tour lasted for 45 mins to an hour, and took us around all the main sights of Newcastle. As it was a clear day it meant I could see it properly for the first time. The driver was a really good tour guide and it took us all through the main city, new and old, and then up along the beaches. It stopped every now and then so we could get out and have a look around. Once the tour had finished we went back to the wharf for lunch. We stopped at a place called the Brewery which was right on the front and had great views of the sea and all the massive coal ships. To get back to the car we had to walk up the tower that can be seen from most of the town, and is lovingly called 'The Big Penis!' We stopped at the shops on the way back, and I got treated to some new tops. Justin did too even though he was still at the house sleeping!

The next day we had a chill out during the day, and just went to the shops for a bit in the afternoon so Justin could buy a rash vest as he was going surfing on Sunday. That night I went out for a meal with Penny, Gran, Faye and some more of Penny's friends from aqua aerobics. It was a girl's night, so Justin and Daniel went to the cinema and then to see Dee at work. The restaurant we went to was a Turkish restaurant and I didn't really know what to expect as I hadn't eaten Turkish food before, but it was actually all really nice. We had a banquet, so we sat around a long low table and they brought out lots of different foods. They had bread and dips, aubergine with salsa, pizza, pide, lamb beef and chicken with rice and much more. We even had a chocolate and nut pittas for dessert. I liked all of it really. The restaurant was decorated in a turkish way inside and the even had a belly-dancer come in for entertainment! She was really good, and Penny and Faye got up to join in. I declined that invitation though! I still had a really good time just watching.

The following day was Australia Day but the whole weekend was a public holiday really. Gran and I got up early and went for a walk down to Warner's Bay and there were people there already setting up their BBQ's and things. I started to rain in the morning so we expected the day to be horrible but it cleared up and got really hot. We went into Newcastle a bit later and to the wharf as Ryan and Daniel's other cousin was swimming in a race across the water. It was completely packed and boiling hot. We watched that for a bit and then went to Speer's point, which was a bit nearer the house. There were bands playing and rides and amusements. Justin had to have a go on some games and won me a big cuddly toy, even though I couldn't take it with me! Daniel and his friend went on some rides which I didn't want to go on as they would make me feel sick, and then we all went on the bumper cars. We went home for dinner but then went back towards Speer's point later to watch the fireworks which are another tradition of Oz Day. They were actually much better than I had expected, but just a bit later thn they said. Me, Justin, Daniel and Dee then went out afterwards into town for some drinks. We went to the pub where Ryan works and also a nightclub in town called Fanny's. It was a good night, but we couldn't stay out too late as the boy's were surfing the next morning and we had to get up early.

The beach where the boys had their surfing lessons on Sunday morning was called Nobby's and is in the centre of the city. They had booked it for 9.40 but when we turned up they said that the lessons had started at 9. Luckily we managed to find another surf comany that could fit them into a lesson an hour later. They both really enjoyed it and Justin had been looking forward to doing it since before we came away. It was only a small group and they had the lesson for 80 minutes. They had to practise for about 10 mins on the sand first and then went in the water. Daniel did really well and Justin did too. I think that he was a bit annoyed he wasn't a pro straight away but it's all about practise, which I'm sure we will have lots more opportunites to do. Us girls just sat on the beach and watched and took pictures... and laughed! It was good fun though, but everyone was tired so after we stopped for lunsh at the beach hotel we all went back for a nap. Penny and Tony cooked a BBQ for dinner that night whic was our firt proper Aussie barbie. Tony's family came round too as well as Ryan and his girlfriend. The food was very nice and we all played a Uno marathon afterwards.

Monday was a pubic holiday too so everyone was off work. We left quite early and all headed to Nelson Bay which is near Port Stephens and about an hours drive away. Its basicllay a large marina area and a really nice place and the weather was great too. Dee bought her little sister too. One of the first things we did after having a quick look around was take a dolphin watch tour around the waters. It was great and lasted for about 2 hours. We saw loads of dolphins too and they came really close to the boat. We saw quite a lot of the area too. They also had slides and a net in the sea for swimming, but the water looked too cold for me to try them. It was a really fun start to the day. After stopping for lunch at Hog's Breath Cafe and we went around to Shoal Bay which is right next to Nelson's Bay. It has a great beach which really reminded me of the ones we saw in Thailand. We spent the rest of the day there until early evening. The water was still freezing but I didn't have much choice when Daniel threw me in! It was nice once you got in though and everyone had a great time. We were all completely knackered when we got home, but we still had to play with Dee's sister in the back garden for another hour. She is hilarious though! I had a really good day though and slept very well that night!