LEG BEARD AND LAURA.......... So we hopped on another flight for our last antipodean stop...Sydney in New South Wales. I was so excited! We arrived in sweltering heat and headed for our hostel at Glebe Point on the west side of the city. The first evening we walked down to circular quay and along the domain, a beautiful park area with botanical gardens along the water's edge. The sun was setting and a band was playing across the water while the Sydney lo...

BUZZ, HISS, CHIRRUP, CROAK, CAW, WHISTLE, YELL, CACKLE, FIGHT AND HOOT........CRIKEY MATE!!!. We picked up a little hire car at Brisbane airport and headed for the Curumbin Valley to visit Ray's friend Mark from his Falmouth Art school days. Before we left the UK, Mark had invited us to stay in his caravan in the rainforest and I had my reservations about this invitation then. About ten years ago Mark had bought some land in the middle of the Queensland ra...

TWO PORTIONS OF FISH AND SHIPS PLEASE!!!.................... After the success of the sailing trip we found ourselves back on another boat this time a fishing boat with a skipper called Jono and two lads from Liverpool. We loaded the eskie (cooler box) full of Auzzie VB beer and set off out of Able Point Marina once again. This time however it wasn't quite so sedate and relaxing. Once out of the harbour Jono let rip full pelt on the throttle and we sped o...

FINDING NEMO..STARRING KEITH RICHARDS..... Having stopped off at the Gold Coast, (which was an amazing stretch of endless beach but a bit too seasidy, high risey and touristy for me) for a few days and we were back on a flight again, this time to Airlie Beach, home of the Whitsundays island group and The Great Barrier Reef . We had booked a backpackers in the centre of town called Magnums which was advertised on the internet as being located in a rainforest ...

PUFFING ALONG THE DANDENONGS!! After the great Ocean road we spent a few days with Rays old school mate from Copnor, Mike Spiteri and his wife and five kids. Mikes dad was in the Australian Navy and the family immigrated when Mike was thirteen. Apart from an unexpected knock on the door, out of the blue visit a few years ago they havent seen each other since 1982. It was lovely; we were taken to a school art/fashion show starring Mikes daughters and rode ...