We'll as you can guess from the picture we've done some ozzie stuff ovetr the past month. we started (in the van) down on the south nr melborne, and have done a loop up to carins through the middle, not a route that many backpackers do and having done it i can see why, you drive for 4 hours and don't see any other cars (but loads of dead things, kangaroos, emus, camels, snakes, lizards, you name it we've seed a dead one). we went through coober peedey (opel mine town) which was an experience, i had my first aboriginal experience (wasn't the last) when someone came up and said "ey, white fella, got 2 dollars for some food!!!", and unfortunately that seemed to be all we saw of the indiginouse population over the next month. Shame that!! but ho hum. anyway from coober we went up to aires rock (not much between and only 1000k), had an outback swag trip *(like a waterproof sleeping bag) and we ate withcety grubs (i actually found them and dug them out with my swiss army knife that mazza got me, also please look at the photos of nicola, so funny).. Aires rock is big and red, we spent most tof the time taking novelty shots (holiding it in our hand and stuff). from there to the devils marbles, not muh to say about them but they were fun to camp round, then on for another 1000k or so to townsville (on the east coast). townsville is a great place, we went to this place called the billabong sanctuary and got to cuddle wombats and koalas, such god value for money (plus i was given a hat that had been chewed by a big angry crock called psyco, cool hey). we're heading up the east coast now, thrugh mision beach and up to cape tribulation. then off to new zealand in about 3 weeks. Looking forward to a new country now. hope everyone is good, sorry theres not too much detail but internet is well expensive (or i'm tight, not too sure which). have a gooden, matt and nic