Friday 16th April

Tent already set up

Raining in morning warm and sunny in afternoon then heavy rain at night

Hoping to wake up to the shinning sun so we could go back to kayaking for free as we didn't see any wild life the first time round, but instead the rain hadn't stopped all night and decided to laze about till it stopped, stopping around lunch time we went and sat on the beach and had the last tuna sandwiches yaay!! We then walked around to the kayaking for the afternoon session. There were a lot more this time about 16 kayaks 2 people per boat and 2 instructors, last time there was just one instructor and 4 kayaks which was much better, so we kayaked to the same places and still saw no turtle or dolphins but never mind, I'm sure were see some up the coast, two friends from the camp site were artist and drew characters, they offered to paint ours for us, so they phoned us to let us know they were set up down the beach which was perfect as we were still at the beach just finishing kayaking. So we went over and they actually did spray paintings on t-shirts and did one for each of us for free, and it was so amazing the art they did Usher the more experienced one drew me jumping off the waterfall, they say the best things in life are free and so far on my travels its turned out to be true, Returning to camp we gave Boaz and Usher a painted Owen had painted in NZ, it was a really good picture but only taking room up in the car. That night everyone was celebrating the fact it was Friday (even though no one worked) and had boxes of goon everywhere, Goon is a cheap box of wine 4litres worth, not tasting so bad if you got the $15 instead of the $10 one, Goon was the minging part of the wine barrel the part that sets, so the siv it through until drinkable and put it in a box for all the backpackers of OZ

Saturday 17th April

Tent already set up

Sunny with rainy patches

Owen and I got up when the tent was to unbearable to sleep in with the sun shining on it, we got dressed and waited for Nic to wake up but after an hour we couldn't wait and had breakfast, after we realised that Nic was suffering from a really bad hangover and lost her voice, so after more drawing with Boaz, Nic still didn't wake up. I went to a market with a few people and Owen stayed looking after Nic. When I got back Nic had got up and we cooked dinner then I stayed up drinking with the rest and Nic and Owen went to bed really early.

Sunday 18th April

Tent already set up

Sunny all day rained at night but not to heavy this time

Hoping to go surfing today the sun was shining and was ready to go when realising the car wouldn't start, so waiting for someone who had jump leads we waited around the campsite, it wasn't so bad as it was sunny and I could have time to catch up with my diary and sort my pictures out. A friend had found some jump leads and thank god the car start with them, as we had a feeling it would be something else! We just drove into town to get things for dinner and went to the beach for a game of Frisbee, seeing the bar on the beach had live music we went in for a drink and everyone from the camp site was there so we all sat for a few and listen to the really good live music all old tunes, and then of course when returning to the camp site we had some more goon!

Monday 19th April

Forgot to time tent as was raining

Sunny in morning heavy rain in evening

I felt quite said leaving Byron Bay, not so sure why, I was only there for 8 nights, I mean I did love the place but I felt more sad saying goodbye to Byron than to Coogee. We had to hurry the packing of the tent up as the owners were checking everyone had payed, which we hadn't for the last two nights naughty I know! We were heading to Nimbin the main hippy/weed selling place in Oz, on the way out of Byron we took one last chance to go through the high street and popped into a few last shops and had lunch. Driving through Nimbin we realised that it was very small! We went and set up camp at rainbow retreat there was showers outside, a tepee with massive dream catchers in trees amongst weirder hippy things everywhere. We took a stroll around town and looked in the museum which was basically an art show, maybe if you were stoned it would make sense??? After dinner I went straight to bed as was pooped from doing nothing.

Tuesday 20th April

HOSTEL!!!

Raining on and off all day

Waking up very early feeling quite sick, I sat in the car out of the rain and stench of weed and read my new book, surprised at myself of how much I've got into the book! Could be a start of a new era. Owen and Nic woke up not much later as couldn't sleep through the sound of rain, after breakfast we took another walk through Nimbin's main street was able to go into more shops but didn't hang around long as a lot of strange people where around especially the weed sellers, we were asked 9 times if we would like to buy some in a space of 100 metres. The shops and cafes in Nimbin were all spray painted no modern looking shops just hippy like, just like the look of the people, very hippy with tie-dye tops and baggy trousers with dreads, apart from the weed sellers they looked like complete chavs! We hoped to go to a natural waterfall and lake but with the rain so heavy we decided there wouldn't be much point. So we drove to Surfers paradise, I slept all the way as still felt sick L when we arrived there was so many skyscrapers and holiday apartments could tell it was a touristy city. We parked the car next to the beach, watching how crazy the waves were and could see why it was called SURFERS paradise. We wondered around town and decided that a hostel wasn't much more than a campsite, I was so excited to have a real bed with a mattress rather than an airbed in the tent. When wondering through town we stopped in a travel agent to price up the big adventures like whit Sundays and Frasier island ect, took quite a time to do. So had to find a hostel in the dark with no map but it wasn't too bad just tricky with one way streets everywhere, we got to the Hostel called 'Cheers' (chosen by Owen as it reminded him of the program) and just laid on the beds and fell asleep.

Wednesday 21st April
Hostel
Raining all day
Woke up early from the early night in and we strolled around town and was thinking of what we wanted to do, undecided on activities we kept walking around town to find it wasn't as big as it looked, we bought tickets for a pub crawl that night but it actually started as we bought them at 5, so we quickly went to the first destination which was the beer gardens, drank our first free drink went back to the hostel in the pouring rain got ready as fast as we could to go and meet the crawl in the second club/bowling alley, there we got to play free bowling and another free drink, after an hour or so we went to another club, bearing in mind it was still early so we were the only people in the club there we got another free drink and pizza, then there were to more clubs after which all seem to b the same so at 11 pm I was bored and went home to bed!
Thursday 22nd April
Hostel
Cloudy and hot
Leaving rainy Surfers paradise it took a short drive to Brisbane, here was another big city just like Sydney, realising how much better the other place's earlier in our travels where! Today we didn't manage to do much, we checked out of the hostel and when Nic and Owen went into town I read my book on the beach as it was actually sunny for a while, even though it was a short drive to Brisbane we managed to get lost in rush hour making it late when we got to the hostel (as there were no camping grounds around) in our room there was a Ozzy man called Peter, he was only there for a night not travelling just waiting for a plane to catch the next day, he bought us a few drinks and pizza and even gave us some numbers for job contacts if we ever go to Melbourne which is where he is from! Making a good impression of the Ozzy people, which I didn't think was bad but Sydney people are like London people!
Friday 23rd April
Hostel
Hot and sunny all day
Waking up to a really nice day we hurried to get ready and decided to take a walk into the big town, there we walked over the bridge and popped into the museum and art show, there was a exhibition on Hats and at the end we could make a hat ourselves well the kids could but we joined in. The museum was about dinosaurs and animals, no interest to me what so ever but I tried! Then walking down stream there was what they called the 'beach' it was a pool and grassy surroundings so we got lunch around there and watched the evening market set up, we were going to stay to look at the market but it would have only been temptation to buy more clothes which I can't already carry! So we walked home, on the way stopping at internet to figure out what we were going to do next...... as Owen had run out of money and Nic wouldn't mind doing a bit of work to save more, thinking fruit picking was easy to get we were all going to stop near Brisbane and work for a week or so, just so we could get up to cairns going to Whit Sundays and Fraser island. But with all the rain fruit picking isn't so popular at the moment, causing me to decide my own decisions, home being the worst but easiest option I had to fight against it.
Saturday 24th April
This morning was a lovely day again and we walked in to town back to the internet place for job club, as we had been told to go back there today, arriving on time to find out it's not on today as its the weekend, with Fruit picking impossible to find online as the rain and floods have made fruit picking scarce the job club at peter pans was really the only thing Owen had. I was thinking through all this time what I wanted to do, either carry on by myself on a bus, as really I had only just finished work so I wasn't so keen on working again, or fruit pick with them so it would count to my second year visa, although the work Owen and Nic could get could be anything. It was so annoying having to wait until Monday to hear if there was work or not, so when walking back to the hostel in the rain I chose to get on a bus then and there to return to Byron Bay where I had a few friends I could stay with then choose what I wanted to do. It was so exited phoning a bus company and within an hour later getting dropped off at the bus station and saying goodbye! Around 3 hours later I was back in Byron bay with my friends all having dinner together.
Sunday 25th April
Really nice hot and sunny day
The Next day I went to help a friend out at the market in Balina I didn't do much but was nice to be able to help a friend out, I wondered around the market so many times looking at all the fun stuff I wanted to buy, but again resisted. After the market closed there was a drumming circle, which was basically people (hippy, tree huggers) banging drums and dancing in the middle 'feeling the earth' personally I didn't get up and join in, but was good fun to watch. Getting up early after a late night left me knackered after so I just went straight to bed.
Monday 26th April
Sunny with showers
I took a stroll down to the beach on the camp site wanted to stay for a while but it was quite windy so went back and painted my nails by the pool, it wasn't a very productive day as after that I watched a film with everyone then we went to the cinema to watch another film then bed!
Friday 30th April
Hot and sunny
The plan was to get up early and head off early but the Irish had to pack and sort their van out so we ended up doodling around and leaving around 5 so driving there in the dark, I was in the married couples car and the Irish squished in the van, we got there and set up camp and just had dinner and played cards.
Saturday 1st May
Hot all day
Today we went down to check out the Mardi gras, down the main high street was just normal the weird and wonderful locals about smoking weed, down in the main field was the hemp Olympics, when we arrived you could sign up to the events we were trying to get Uji from chek republic but he wouldn't, we got good seats in the shade and right at the front. We sat and watched the relay and then the bong throwing after we got lunch from one of the many food stalls. On the way back to camp we wondered through the market every other stool was the same. We stayed at camp for the rest of the evening as there wasn't much on the itinery just drank goon and played cards.
Sunday 2nd May
Sunny n hot but very foggy at night
Woke up early again from the sun on the tent, headed into town to watch the finals of 'Hemp relay' although it was so hot that I was sat in the park most of the time. Walked around town again as I wanted some cool hippy trousers and Gill wanted a hippy dress, we managed to doodle around town until 4 to watch the combi convi there were about 30/40 VW conbi's all different and modified. Then after there was a record to try n get the most light spliffs at once, I'm not sure if it one but there was a massive ball of smoke and a big waft of weed! After was the joint rolling competition where people all over the world would compete in the fast blindfolded spliff comp and other heats like weirdest spliff, one French guy made the Ifle tower! After we went back to camp for dinner and cards but it was so foggy n cold we went to bed early!
Monday 3rd May
Sunny and hot
We were all leaving Nimbin today as the festival was over, we woke up early to get all the gear packed up and ready to set off by 10am, the drive was a lot faster home as the roads weren't so busy, I had so much to do today as I needed to sort my travels out for the east coast. So the married couple Uji and Cindy drove me into town, I went to post my Ugg boots home with a few clothes and then went to a travel agent I sat there for 2 hours and booked everything from my bus - Greyhound, to my Whitsundays, Frasier islands and surf lessons and more. I spent most of my saving from melon head on this trip so I had everything sorted to a schedule, I hadn't had a schedule since LA in 2008 but I was looking forward to all my activities! That evening we had a full Irish brekki for dinner as a last meal kind of thing.
Tuesday 4th May
Raining all day
Everybody was leaving today the married couple were heading back to Sydney, the Irish were going to Melbourne and I was heading back up to Brisbane, we spent the day in town doing last bits and bobs. My bus wasn't leaving until 7pm so at lunch time we all cooked together for the last time. Even though the Irish were busy with packing up the house they dropped me off at the bus stop just in time for my bus. The bus journey was really fast only took 2 hours, I was meant to have a transfer waiting for me to go to the hostel but it was after 9, which meant they had finished for the day so I had to lug all my bags onto another train then walk 10 mins up hill to the hostel, I hadn't done so much hard exercise in ages I was a sweaty mess by the time I arrived at the hostel so I collapsed on the bed and feel straight asleep.
Wednesday 5th May
Hot and sunny
After all the kafuffle I had carrying my bags I thought I had to do something to down size on bags as I had - a big wheeled suitcase, rucksack, laptop bag, handbag and sleeping bag. So I somehow got my laptop in my big suitcase and attached my sleeping bag to m rucksack leaving me with only 3 bagsJ! After re packing I met a girl in the hostel in the morning so we went into town together and looked around for a sleeping bag as it was going to b cheaper to buy one than to rent one on all the trips, Nic and Owen were in my part of town, Owen was at a work training day so Nic and I got lunch and headed over to Kangaroo point a really nice part by the river, After we went and picked up Owen and went for a drink in town, I was going to head back to the hostel for my free dinner but Owen took 1 to many wrong turnings and I missed out on it, I wasn't to bothered as wasn't that hungry.

Thursday 6th May
Sunny
Today I was leaving to go to Noosa, my grey hound bus was at 12.30 so I could actually get on the transfer bus to the bus stop this time (thank god) after just about packing my stuff, I went and read my book, a short time after I was on my way up to Noosa, I read my book solid the whole time getting so into it I kind of wanted the bus to carry on going so I could finish it as I was so near the end. Getting of the grey hound at Noosa central and hopping on to the Gangi Bush camp bus, the driver mike took us to the camp via the super market to get supplies for the next 2/3 days. Arriving in the dark we were shown around the small camp and shown to our 'dorms' which were basically a big tent with wooden bunk beds and a sheets as a mattress not looking so safe, especially when I was on bottom bunk! It was fun that it was a small camp as everyone could mingle, there were around 18 people arriving everyday so quite a few people in squished into the kitchen, TV space and around the fire, I met 2 Canadian girls on the bus so I sat with them for dinner and after played cards, I had an early night as it felt so late and had to get up early,
Friday 7th May
Hot and sunny
Today briefing was at 8 which was basically the bus driver telling us which direction to head in the kayak and where to go for lunch, Everyone got into groups of 3 I went with the 2 Canadian girls in a canoe, today - the first day was a 16km round trip up stream we had the wind against us we went and sat on the beach I had my pack lunch and then on the way back we had the tide and wind against us we took a break from paddling and went up a creek, the water had turned black from the tea tree in the water, this is where I think I got attacked from mosquito's, we were taking our time getting back and weren't trying very hard to keep up with everyone else and were playing word play games. Arriving in last place we took all the canoeing equipment back and waited for ages for rubbish outside shower. That night I couldn't stop myself itching all over my face. I went to bed later after a film and a few card games, although bed was in tent, on the floor!!
Saturday 8th May
Rainy and foggy
I woke up today in a panic as my face had doubled in size and was covered in 47 mosquito bites all around my face and on my ears and on the neck, I was hurried to A+E as the swelling was on my throat, I took a table the nurse gave me and was checked out to be fine. I went back and missed out on the canoeing (which I was quite happy about as it wasn't a nice day) I fell straight asleep as the tablet sent me drowsy, slept all day and woke up with a swollen face still. That evening I just stayed in the dark watching films.
Sunday 9th May
Sunny
I Woke up early to make sure I got the first bus out of there I collected my deposited back and at 10 I got on the bus, it was around 30 mins back to town first bit on dirt track and second on road we drove back to where the greyhound dropped me off, there I got the shuttle bus to Dolphin hostel, I got shown to my room and feel straight to sleep on the bed with mattress! I guess the tablet hadn't worn off. When I woke up I got the shuttle back to town to by dinner for the next few days. The hostel was set out to be a load of apartments with 2 rooms, kitchen and TV room so everyone in our 'apartment' watched a DVD from my laptop.
Monday 10th May
Warm but rainy and not sunny
A girl I had met Tash who was from Bournemouth was going on the coastal walk so after breakfast we waited to see if it was going to brighten up but no luck but we still went off to do it, the walk took us about 2 hours through the beach and national park, it was up and down stairs and slops but still a pleasant walk, whist walking through the second beach I saw a man walking towards us and I had to double glance as I thought he was naked - which when he was closer I could see he was!!! Then looked around there were a few naked people trying to sunbath in the cloudy weather, I felt really immature but I was laughing my head off! when we got to town I caught the bus back to the hostel and had lunch and caught up on things and was pleased to see that my face had gone down but now I look like I had achney scares.
Saved
Tuesday 11th May
I left the hostel at 9, to get my Grey hound bus at 9.30 to go to Rainbow beach. Only a 2 hour drive in the sunshine i got to Dingo's hostel thinking my briefing was today to leave tomorrow i waited around reading my book for the briefing, meeting friends from the Canoe trip and hoping to be in their group,10 mins into the briefing i realized that i wasn't going tomorrow!! So i left and went to look around the small town, i was going to buy dinner but the hostel had $5 meals which were so big i thought it was alot easier for me. After chicken past and salad i sat back with my friends and played cards.
Wednesday 12th May
Hot and sunny
I woke up after everyone had left to go to Fraiser i took a walk to the beach to try and find all the colourd sand but did not succeed so i just sunbathed for only 2 hours then went on the internet for a free hour and head back to the hostel for 2.30 on the way back i met kirsty whom i knew from the night before as she was in my friends room,the first briefing about Fraiser Island and putting everyone into groups, Kirsty and i asked to go together in a group, the rest of our group was 2 girls Sophia, Claudy and 1 guy Irwin from France, a French Canadian Joelle and another English man Robin, they were all travelling the coast together and then Till from Germany and us 2 girls. We got told about how to scare away the wild Dingo's and were to dig our toilet holes. It went on for ages with a lot of faffing about with credit card depost's ect but finished in time for dinner, i bought a dinner ticket as it was only $5 and had burritos huge ones! I sat with girls i had met in Noosa on the canoe trip, it was wierd to bump into everyone all the time.
Thursday 13th May
Hot and sunny
Woke up at 6.30am to have my last shower for the next 3 days and to get ready for Fraiser Island, I went and put my bag in to storage and had free pancakes then we had to go and have another briefing mainly for the car, we got given our food and alcohol for the next three days and was good to see that we defiantly weren't going to starve! Then we had to pack the car properly. 3 people would sit in the front and 5 in the back with all the gear. Then we checked the 4x4 car over for the insurance. We finally got going at around 12 we drove down to the beach where the ferry took us over to Fraiser island, one last talk with Merv and then we set off up the beach, today we drove the whole length of the island up to Indian head, we parked the car and walked to the top of the hill, sometimes whales, turtles and dolphins were seen but not for us that day, but it was such a nice view with the sun out it didn't matter. We walked back down to the beach and had lunch Kristy had ago at driving down to the first camp, but as the sun was setting the forest trees in the middle of the island were making shadows on the beach causing Kristy not to see a 'woopdy doo' which was Merv's way of explaining a mound of sand, so at 60kmph we flew over 2 woopdy doos making us air born and all of us fly about in the back of the truck, I personally found it really fun and hurt my back but the French girls got a bit shock up and hit their head ( their own fault as they weren't wearing their seat belts!) so anyway kirsty therefore didn't want to drive anymore! We stopped at the red sand caves took some pictures and went to camp site 1, here all 7 trucks gathered to make a semi circle against the wind. Luckily there was just enough light to set up tents and cook dinner. That night everyone enjoyed a few too many glasses of goon and ended up quite drunk, but this was good as then you slept through the cold and uncomfortable-ness of the ground.
Friday 14th May
Hot and sunny
We woke up early with the sunrise and as a truck left everyone to go to a picnic area for breakfast, on the way to the picnic area we stopped off at the ship wreck which had washed up on the shore all rusty and not a lot left of it! after brekki we drove through the middle of the island through the forest and 1 hour later reached a deserted beach, with untouched sand and clear calm blue sea, we weren't sure if we were allowed to swim here as we weren't allowed on the other side with the current and rips, but we took some group pictures and had lunch, wanting to still see lake McKenzie I drove back through the forest, I had so much fun but did feel scared at one point where the car had to go over such bumps I had no control of where the car went as I couldn't go any slower nor could I stop in the middle but we got through it safe and sound. We then drove down the beach and in to lake McKenzie it was sunset and the lake looked so transparent and clear and the sand was as white as snow. There was no-one else here so everything looked so calm. We went back to the car to drive to camp site 2, but when we got in the car a ranger parked up next to us to tell us that we could have been fined for being there after 4 (which we didn't know we weren't allowed) and because we went through a 'caution' sign to get to the beach, luckily he didn't fine us! When driving back to the beach is was getting really dark and the tide was coming in fast, There was no moon in the sky tonight so we actually couldn't get to meet the others as the tide had come up so far to rocks and we weren't allowed to drive over neither of them so we ended up camping alone which ended up fine as after dinner and a few games of cards we all fell asleep. Irwin and Till ended up falling asleep in Kirsty and my tent which actually worked out well as it got so cold that night we shared body heat.
Saturday 15th May
Hot and sunny
Waking up again with the sunset we drove down back to lake McKenzie, but we actually wanted to go to Lake Wabby on the way but found that it was closed as somebody had died the previous day there, not sure how!? So I was driving again along down the beach and back up through the forest to lake McKenzie seeing it in the sunshine made the water so clear and the sand more white and fine, the water was almost warm and felt so fresh, you could see straight down to the bottom and everything floating in between. We were only aloud 2 hours there as so many people on tours went there, plus we had to be back at the bottom of the island for the ferry at 2, we arrived early to have lunch finishing the last of the food and made on to the ferry, which one truck had managed to miss! I drove for the last time off the ferry through the beach and on to tarmac; it felt like a monster truck on the tarmac but was so cool! We had to fill up the tank only costing us all $10 each and then drop it back off at Merv's work station where we cleaned all the equipment and car, we didn't have to spend anything on the truck so we must have been all good drivers, then we got dropped off back at the hostel, it was so good to use a toilet and not berry a hole 50cm deep and 5 meters away from a lake, then I had a shower and put on a load of washing as sand had got to everything, that evening I had a bbq with Kirsty and Till and after watched live music and had a few ciders
Sunday 16th May
Cloudy but warm
Today everyone was leaving rainbow beach to go their separate ways, everyone in my room was going to Fraiser today, shame I wasn't going with them but they were all up at 6 making a lot of noise so I got up too, the weather was cloudy and not so great so I didn't mind the 6 hour journey I had ahead of me to get to 1770 beach, my bus was at 12.30 where I saw a girl I had worked with in Melon head Sydney, the bus drive was good and seemed to fly by, arriving at southern cross hostel around 6.30 I met the 2 girls I met in Brisbane and whom I did my Canoe trip with, and a sweet German girl. The hostel was a bit out of town so that evening I just had dinner and an early night.
Monday 17th May
Raining and cold
So Stephaney the German girl and I were meant to be getting picked up at 9.20 for a surf lesson but got told that it was cancelled as all the instructors had food poising, so we took the bus into town to find the smallest amount of shops in 'town' I just bought food and looked around, the next bus wasn't until 12, with nothing to do and no bus we walked back in the rain and tried to hitch hike 20 mins down the road we got picked up and only drove for 2 mins and we were at the hostel. With the rain and coldness I just had a lazy day, there is a party going on at the hostel tonight with the 'scooteroo' company holding competitions and a free BBQ