G'day mates!! Well, unfortunately, this will be my last postcard to you from Australia! :0( We leave Darwin later this evening to catch our flight to Bali. After more deliberation, Christine has decided that she is definitely coming with us. So only Lisa will be missing from our Bali gang :0( So what can I say about my Oz experience ... well, where do I begin?!?! First of all I am so glad that I decided to come along and gatecrash Michelle and Christine's trip ;0). Although it was a sudden decision, it is something that I definitely do not regret doing! Only in a place as vast and varied as Australia could a person see and learn so much within such a short space of time! Even my last few weeks in Central Australia and the Northern Territory have been a complete contrast to the first weeks in the cities of Sydney, Perth and Melbourne. Although I have had such a fantastic time in each of the places, it would be impossible to pick a favourite due to the fact that they are all so different - culturally, geologically and in every other way possible! I would have liked to have had more time to spend in Sydney as I felt that I only got to scratch the surface by seeing the main tourist attractions, although the Bridgeclimb and the Blue Mountains were both highlights. Perth was so much more laid back and relaxing, a quiet but pretty city. Our Western Australia road trip was out first real adventure, more so that it was unplanned, and this was our first taste of the open road and small towns such as Lancelin and Denham out in the middle of nowhere! I absolutely loved Melbourne for it's buzzing lifestyle - a very modern and chic city where anything goes and you could shop til you drop - I felt very at home! Alice Springs was our first outback experience and it was fantastic! Here I learned so much about Aboriginal culture and got to experience it first hand. The camping trip was amazing: sleeping under the stars, constantly seeing wallabies, goannas, etc. Then came road trip number 2 - during these days we managed to see most of the national parks of the Northern Territory. It was an adventure just being on the road itself - no speed limits on the long, endless roads, lots of wild animals coming from nowhere, bush fires and of course much roadkill! We saw some amazing scenery which turned from red, arid landscapes to green tropical areas filled with wildlife. Hot, sunny Darwin has been our first real chance to relax during this hectic time. We have still managed to find lots to do though - particularly the unique Darwin experiences of shopping at Mindil Beach night market and watching a movie under the stars at the Deckchair Cinema. So in a few hours time we will be on a plane making our way out of Australia. I think we have covered most forms of transport during our time here including the "legendary" Indian Pacific and Ghan trains! The 3 and a half day train journey from Sydney to Perth was certainly, erm ... an experience! I never expected much of it and I was right! Many Australians were well impressed that we had been on such a journey across the world's second longest stretch of railway - the Nullabor. I guess it wasn't all bad and it was cool to see the different landscapes, etc. And at least it made the following journeys of 2-3 days seem not so long! I don't know if I would go so far as to recommend it but I suppose if you book in advance (unlike we did in Alice) then it is certainly worth the money as it gives 6 months unlimited travel. But if anyone does come to Oz and plans to use it then be sure to take a blanket along if you are in the Red Kangaroo day-nighter seats! Who would think that 8 weeks could disappear so quickly?! And what has been an unforgettable experience can really not be justified in so few words, so I will have lote more stories to tell when I return home! We have met lots of different people throughout our trip and made many new friends. Thankfully the 3 of us haven't killed each other either. However in saying that, in 2 weeks time it will be a relief not to have to smell Michelle's farts or listen to Christine's earth-shattering burps!! ;0) However, the adventure is not over yet ... Bali, here we come!!! xxx