Our Christmas

Me, Andrew. BBQ. Coggee Beach. Silly hats. Santas. Video Messages. Webcam. Phone calls home. Goon.

(So not Christmas)

Noosa to Cairns!

So Noosa wasn't such a great hit with me, but the last 2 weeks i've been super busy doing some really amazing stuff. From Noosa i went to Harvey Bay where i took a trip to Fraser Island. We did a self drive tour for a couple of days, camped out under the most amazing stars i have ever seen and saw lots of shooting stars (which i wished on). We had to use the traditional Aussie Dunny and didn't get to wash for 3 days so i was feeling pretty minging but it's all part and parcel of the experience. We mostly spent the evenings playing drinking games and dodging dingos. i didn't enjoy the 4x4 driving at all, it scared the shit out of me! Lake Mkenzie was beautiful though and pretty much made the trip.

After Hervey Bay we took a trip to a place called Kroombit and stayed at a Cattle Station, where i had loads of fun. i rode a horse for the first time and mustered some goats. i lassoed a goat and rode a bucking bronco, well i came off it straight away, but i gave it a go!!



Then i stayed with my friend Mel in Airlie Beach was was luxury! My own bedroom, proper washing machine and home cooked food. Had a lovely time with Mel, her husband Jamie and dog Archie. Whilst i was there i went sailing in the Whitsundays, which was out of this world. So beautiful, and i also got to snorkle which was awesome! i had to wear a stinger suit as there are some really nasty jelly fish up here and i saw lots of them! i also went over to Hamilton Island where Mel works and explored a bit. It was like one giant amazing luxury holiday resort. They even use golf buggies to get around the island, which i thought was wicked!





Yesterday i stayed on Magnetic Island which i wasn't all that impressed with, and tonight i'm in Cairns. It's Christmas Eve Eve and it doesn't feel a bit like Christmas! It is so humid up here you wouldn't believe. You literally get out of the shower and want to get back in to cool down, you don't even have to move and you sweat buckets! Nice!


A lot of people from home have asked me what the decorations are like out here. They are similar to the ones at home, yes they do have snowflakes and snowmen, which i find strange. Most of the cities and towns have some form of xmas tree and they have a lot of banners wishing people Merry Christmas. People don't seem to decorate thier houses as much out here and they don't go so crazy with the lights, it's all quite tasteful and classy rather then the tack we egt in the UK!



The last few weeks i've had early mornings everyday, mostly getting up at 6am or earlier! And i've been moving on every day or two. So i'm looking forward to settling in, in Sydney for 10 days. i am spending Christmas day with my friend Andrew and then Nic and Jen arrive on Boxing Day. i am so excited to see them all!!

i hope you have a wonderful Christmas, whatever you are doing!

Crazy Days!

Oh man, i had a night of it on Friday!! i was woken up at 2.30am to find that my room was flooding - through the roof!! The fire alarm then went off which meant we all had to evacuate and stand outside in the middle of a storm. We then got back in at 4.30 but weren't allowed back in our room because of the damage. They tried to relocate me to another hostel, but as i had a bus pick-up at 6.30 i told them to jog-on. So i got my own properly air-conditioned single room!! Out of the god knows how many hundreds of rooms in the hostel, only 6 were flooded and my was the worst!! Typical! It was an experience anyway...

So i was pretty tired on Saturday and just lazed around the beach in Noosa.

Yesterday i went to Australia Zoo and have to say i was a bit disappointed. There's not a wide variety of animals and the show in the crocoseum was really camp! i held a little alligator though which was cool.

i am really missing scrapping today. Am writing in my journal loads and loads, taking pictures etc but it's just not the same!! i wanna scrap!

Am starting to feel the tinyest bit homesick...

Brisbane

Ok, i just wrote out my blog and then lost it!! How annoying! So here goes again...

i've now left Byron Bay, the place which is so laid back they don't even have traffic lights!! On the way to Brisbane i had the opportunity to go zorbing which was so much fun!! basically it's a huge plastic ball which you have to squeeze into with two other people and load of water which you then get tumbled down the hill in.



i like brisbane most at night when there's less traffic and it looks all pretty lit up. Southbank is the nicest area, which is just a short walk over the bridge. i am gutted that i missed the Andy Wharhol exhibition at the Contemporary Art Gallery which starts tomorrow when i leave!!!



Yesterday i went to Warner Brothers Movie World which i loved. No doubt it would have been more fun if i'd had someone to go with , but it was still a great day. i went on all the big scary rides on my own and scared myself shitless!! Also went to the Policce Academy Stunt Show and the Shrek 4D show which was really good. but i loved the parade the most. i didn't have many pictures taken with the characters as it was a bit of a pain asking people to take photos of me!!

Today i went to a Koala Santuary, cuddled a koala (so cute!) fed some kangaroos and some Lorakeets. Also saw some bats for the first time and they have to be the wierdest animals i have ever seen!! There were loads of lizards randomly lying around which freaked me out a bit, but i managed to avoid all the snakes. woo!!

So it's been an action packed week, good fun, met lots of people, had a few nights out. And everyday i am grateful that i am here living the life i lead!!

Sydney to Byron Bay

Ok, so i didn't get up to too many things in Sydney cos i'm waiting for my girls to get here so we can do it all together but i went to the contemporary art museum, the PowerHouse museum, Paddy's Market, Darlig Harbour, & Circular Quay. Really enjoyed Sydney.

Next up was Surf Camp, where i had a good bash at trying to get up on the board and managed for about half a second! It was bloody hard work! i've never been so exhausted in my life as i was after my surf lesson. It was all good fun. We were all recovering from a serious beach party the night before so not all that many people actually managed to surf.

The last 2 days i've been haging out in Byron Bay. It's really chilled here. Really enjoyed being in a smaller town with the beach a short walk away, after all the cities i've been visiting. And i've been spending some time with the people from my bus who are all really cool.

i'm travelling with OZ Experience where pretty much the only rule is: no use of the F-word on the bus (Flip-flops) only Thongs is allowed, it's the Aussie way...