Hello people (or should we say Good Day Mate!) We have arrived in the land of Oz. After a 9 hour flight we had the warmest welcome by Pete's sister who is currently living here and putting us up during our stay. Nice to see a familiar cheerful face so far away from home! We are staying in the Darlinghurst area; mainly a gay community with a cool trendy vibe. Lucky for us Wendy lives in in the prime location, the city and all it's glory is outside her door step. ...

We did escape the concrete jungle of Waiki; with its prada and gucci shops and Japense tourists and settlers it would be easy to think you had got on the wrong plane! Everyday we made the most of exploring the island to find true paradise...and we did find it! Sights of Beauty Hunama Bay - We went snorkling at the bay above. A protected beautiful coral reef with a stunning bay and green mountainous surrounds! Great day only spoilt by being hung over in 80 degre...

14.09.09 -23.09.09 Aloha People! We are now in tropical Hawaii; lush green mountains, swaying palm tress and Marie aka Pokahontas sipping cocktails with flowers in her hair! he he he Well initial impressions were shock horror as we stepped foot on Oahu soil, as the bus shuttle drew closer to Waiki centre a strange symetery of being in the Cost de Sol of Spain was realised. Sky scrapers and hotels stretch across the shore line, our ideals of a the perfect island...

MONDAY 07.09.09 - DAY 15 NEWPORT Headed to the OC today, now this is more my kind of place, well kept, clean, affluent area. Palm Trees stretch as far as the eye can see along the promande (Huntington Beach), harbours overflowing with expensive yaughts. The OC is actually what I imagined Santa Barbara and Santa Monica to be like. The OC lives up to its image of scenes portrayed of California by Hollywood films of stunning promandes, beautiful people, presdene be...

SAN DIEGO - 08.09.09 - 10.09.09 (Days 16 - 18) Stayed in Pacific Beach for 2 nights. SURFING - Me and Pete tried our hand at SURFING!!!! oh lord, Pete was not quite the expert he thought he would be and well me; lets just say I did not take to it like a fish to water...just laying on the board was a challenge! The boards were so heavy, it was difficult to even carry them, and trust me you do not want to get hit by one of them. By the end of the day we were b...