Christmas and New Years in Sydney

My bus to Sydney took 17 hours. I arrved at lunchtime feeling far from refreshed after a big night out in Brisbane and nearly no sleep since.
In Sydney I was staying with a friend, Paul, for the Christmas period. I met Paul on holiday in Portugal in 2006. He's a Kiwi who, at the time, was traveling around Europe. A few months later I picked him up from Luton airport and he stayed at ours for the night. Since then he always promised to return the favour. So here I was, getting a cab to one of Sydney's seaside suburbs, Coogee. I'd been to Coogee before, but only briefly, back in February when we did the 2 hour coastal walk from Bondi.
I arrived and got the key from the plant pot where Paul had left it for me, and made myself at home, so pleased to be in the comfort of a house again, with a laptop, TV, and all the other things we take for granted. Staying here was doing me a huge favour, as all the hostels in Sydney bump their rates up to an extortinate amount over the festive period. It would have cost me $1000 for a 32 bed dorm for 10 nights. There was no way I'd ever stay in a 32 bed dorm, and especially not for $100 a night! Paul didn't want a penny from me, so instead, before he got home from work I filled the fridge with beers, wine and food.
That night, when Paul arrived home from work, we spent the evening chilling out, drinking wine and catching up on the last few years. He was disappointed that after nearly a year in Oz I had only just got round to seeing him, but I had 10 days to make up for lost time.
The following day, after a great night's sleep but still feeling a bit rough with a cold, I took myself to the beach. It was a beautiful day, and it was so nice being just metres from the beach and all these shops, cafes and restaurants. It was a lifestyle that I could really get used to. And, after being on the road for a while, it was a relief to know that I could relax without having to pack my bags and catch another bus in a few days.
The next couple of days before Christmas I caught up with friends. I met Louise, my friend from home who relocated here, in a bar for drinks not far from Paul's house. I also met up with a guy called Carl, who I met in Thailand in December 08, who had just arrived in Oz. When I met Carl I encouraged him to go travelling, telling him he'd have the time of his life and so on. It was so good that he'd made the decision to do it, and here we were a year later, sitting on Bondi beach.
On Christmas eve, while Paul and his housemate Travis were at work, I went out and bought loads of Christmas decorations. Being typical males, they had nothing. There was nothing at all to suggest that it was nearly Christmas. And so I filled the living room with tinsel and baubles (in blue, so it was a bit manly)! I bought crackers and put them round the room. And filled a bowl with chocolates which I left for them on the coffee table. It wasn't much, in fact it looked a bit pathetic without a tree or lights, but it was something. And it made me feel a bit more festive!
Before I knew it I was waking up on Christmas day. I'd had cards delivered from home that Paul hadn't told me about, which was a lovely surprise. I insisted that I make the boys a breakfast of scrambled eggs and smoked salmon on toast with fresh orange juice, just like I have at home, which I cooked wearing a santa hat. Then, while we ate, I made them watch Love Actually with me, again, something I do at home, and also what I made all the boys do last Christmas in Thailand!
They stayed for a while, then went up the road to their friends house where they were spending the day. I waited at the house for my mum to call, then went on the dreaded walk to Bronte where I was meeting Louise and co. Bronte is along the coastal walk, near to Bondi. I was told that if I walked fast I could do it in an hour. I wasn't up for this at all. It was muggy and humid outside, and looked like it was about to pour down. I also had bags of stuff, food, drinks, christmas crackers and so on. But I set off anyway (not realising that buses still run on xmas day - damnit)! and power-walked all the way there. Any hopes I had of looking nice when I got there were ruined, when I arrived sweating, with my make-up smudged around my eyes, and my freshly straightened hair was frizzy (at least I had a santa hat to cover it up). But I managed to do it in about 45 minutes, and arrived there before everyone else!
I was amazed at how many people were out and about, forgetting that Christmas here isn't like it is at home. I walked around about 5 different beaches, which were packed full of people cooking on their BBQs, and kids swimming in the sea, despite the overcast sky and damp air.

I waited about 10 minutes, enough time to freshen up, when Louise and 9 others arrived. We picked a spot and laid our rugs out, with all our food and drinks etc. The boys were sent on their way to go and get the BBQ started, using one of the free BBQs here, while us girls chatted and drank lots of wine! It was such a shame the weather wasn't better. Even moreso when, after a few hours and when the boys had only just got to the front of the BBQ queue, it started to rain. Shortly after, the place had pretty much cleared out, which wasn't bad as it meant we could get a table under shelter, and the boys could cook in peace.

Looking around, the only people mad enough to stay on the beach were other groups of backpackers, with pretty much no where else to go, and determined to have a typical 'Australian Christmas' with a BBQ on the beach. We had this, except without the sunshine. After we'd eaten, and pretty much drunk everything we had between us, we made a decision to go back to Louise and James' to carry on the evening in the comfort of a warm, dry, apartment, where there was plenty more to eat and drink!
I ended up staying at Louise's, and made my way home the following afternoon. It was quite embarrassing because the weather had changed, and today was quite cold. Yet here I was, catching buses, in just a pair of denim shorts, a bikini and a thin cardigan. People probably thought I was mad. I was also incredibly hungover, so I just wanted to get back, put comfortable clothes on, and chill out on the sofa, which is exactly what I did.

That evening I couldn't sleep, despite having spent the previous night tossing and turning on the sofa, and being hungover. It was because I was so excited. More excited than I get at Christmas, which to anyone who knows me, knows is hard to beat. And it was because Anna was arriving in the morning. My best friend, who I hadn't seen since she came out to see me in Thailand this time last year, was going to be in Central train station at 8am. After only about 4 hours sleep I was up and dressed, and on the bus on the way into the city to go and meet her. It was tipping it down today, which is such a bad first impression to get of the apparently 'sunny-all-year-round' Australia! But it didn't matter. I waited for what felt like forever for Anna to arrive, as I'd got a bit enthusiastic and was there far too early. When she walked through the barriers, as expected, we had a tearful reunion. After a minute or two to compose ourselves, we stepped out into the pouring rain to get the poor girl to Paul's, where she could dump her luggage and sort herself out after travelling for about 30 hours, via Hong Kong, to get here.
I gave her no time at all to let the jetlag set in, as we had no time to waste. Anna was here for 18 days, and we had so much to fit in in that time. We headed into the city where we wandered around taking in the sights, the Opera House, Harbour Bridge etc. Although I'd been to Sydney before, it was only for a few days, and I was always with people who knew their way around, so I told Anna that I was as much a stranger to this city as she was. Walking around Circular Quay we bumped into Louise and James, and another couple, friends of theirs from home who'd also just arrived for a holiday. With the weather still pretty miserable, we all went for a drink in the Opera bar, which has amazing views of, yes you've guessed it, the Opera house. It's definitely my favourite bar in Sydney. Yes the drinks are overpriced, but the view's great and so is the atmosphere.
After the others left Anna and I stayed for a few more. Probably not the best idea, but at the time it seemed ok. We drank a couple of bottles of wine, and by now it was only about 5.30. Feeling rather tipsy, we got the bus back so that Anna could see Paul, now that he was home from work. The 3 of us took a stroll to a nearby Thai restaurant, where we ate nice food, drank more wine, and chatted the night away.
In the morning I was so pleased to see blue skies and a bright beaming sun. We got up fairly early - by backpackers standards anyway - and, still not giving Anna any time to get used to the time difference, we got the bus to Bondi beach. We spent the day here, among about a million other people who had done the same as us. The beach was packed and overcrowded, but I still managed to see two of my mates from my time living in Melbourne, who came and sunbathed with us for a while.

Wanting to do as much as possible with Anna, and also other people I'd met on my travels, i'd attempted to arrange a big night out for everyone I knew that was in Sydney. So after a day of tanning, we rushed back to Paul's to get ready for a night out. While Paul cooked us dinner, we were frantically hair-straightening, applying make-up, and changing our outfits for the umpteenth time. By the time we got out we were late. Late to something that I'd organised which was a tad embarrassing. And also, not all of the people I'd invited knew eachother. By the time we got there and got drinks, I had to find everyone and bring them together.
It ended up being a really good night out. And, despite Australia being so big, I wasn't surprised that I bumped into a couple of people I'd met over the last year, even someone I'd worked with whilst packing fruit in Renmark. It's at this time of year when the place just fills with backpackers. Some of the people I saw tonight I knew that I would be saying goodbye to for good. The chances are that I won't see a lot of them again, even when they come back to England. But of course, by now, after nearly 15 months of travelling, I was perfectly used to this part, even though it doesn't get any easier.
Feeling sorry for ourselves in the morning, and sleeping in longer than I'd have liked, we saw the sun beaming through the blinds and decided we couldn't waste a glorious day hungover and inside. So we dragged ourselves the 100 metres down the road to the beach. An extra bonus was that Paul was with us too. He'd taken a couple of days off work to spend time with us. He even came out with us into the city the night before, the only guy with a bunch of drunken girls....Oh, ok, now it makes sense why he came.....
So anyway, here we were on Coogee beach. Anna braved the sea, overcoming her huge fear of sharks, and pretty much anything else you find in the ocean. The sun was strong today, and I was pleased that at last Anna was seeing some proper Ozzy weather.
After a few hours, again, not wanting to miss an opportunity to meet up with people, we went back, got showered and changed, and headed back into the city where we were catching a ferry to Manly. When I was here in Feb I'd stayed with my mate Becky, an Ozzy I'd met in Portugal. Well I lived in Portugal with Anna, so obviously she knew Becky too and wanted to see her. And even better, another friend of ours from London who we'd also met in Portugal was staying with Becky. And another friend Tim, had also arranged to meet up. So it was a mini Lagos-reunion.
Once over in Manly we met the others in the Wharf bar, a trendy bar that's particularly popular for a Sunday session. All types come here. The protentious girls in their dresses and heels and men in their smart shirts and shoes. The surf-dude types who've strolled in after a day of riding the waves. And the backpackers.
Paul came with us, but the poor guy couldn't get a word in. The 5 of us hadn't seen eachother as a group since summer 2007, and the excitement was obvious, lots of squealing and hugging. Paul went to get the drinks in.
After catching up for probably only a couple of hours, the sun started to set. The atmosphere was great here, but we were well aware that we had a long journey to get back, and the tiredness from our hangovers was kicking in. Reluctantly, we said our goodbyes, my 2nd time in 2 nights, and made our way back to Paul's for a takeaway and a DVD. We all fell asleep on the sofa at about 9pm.
The next day was New Years eve. Again, the sky was grey and overcast, but it was still warm. Anna and I had a lie in, then spent the day, yes, the entire day, getting ready for tonight. We were meeting Louise, her boyfriend James, and a few others, to go to Shark Island. Shark Island's quite a way away, but is the perfect location for watching the famous fireworks they set off in the harbour.
At about 5pm we set off, getting buses and taxis, through the chaos of the city. There were people everywhere, roads were closed and police walked the streets, all in preparation for the 4 million people who spend New Years Eve in Sydney. Thankfully we were going about 15 minutes out of the city, where we waited for our boat to take us to the island.
Shark Island has no facilities except for toilets, so we had to bring all food, drinks, seats, music etc ourselves. The island's small, but there were only a couple of hundred people there, so we all had plenty of space to spread out and get a great view of the Harbour Bridge.
To get the boat over on a normal day is $18. On New Years Eve, it's $160, so we all hoped it'd be worth it. There were about 10 of us there in our group. Between us we'd brought so much food that we could have fed another 10. We also had so much alcohol, but of course we knew we'd have no trouble finishing that off. We were there for 7.30, so we had plenty of time before the fireworks started. The first show was at 9pm, the kiddies show. These were brilliant, and our view was incredible, but it was nothing compared to what was to come at midnight.
Whilst we drank the night away, it gradually got darker and there was a chill in the air. We sat huddled, playing drinking games and listening to our music, as loud as we could have it. So far the night was brilliant. NYE always seems to be a let down. At home you spend extortinate amounts of money on entry to a bar or club. They hike the price of the drinks up, that's if you can get to the bar amongst the hundreds of other people they've managed to cram into the place. So after you've spent a fortune on tickets and drinks, spent hardly any time with your mates because you've been stuck in queues for the bar or the toilet, you then pay triple for a taxi home. At the end of it, you look back and promise not to spend another NYE like that.
But here we were, close friends, sitting together in a completely chilled out, laid back atmosphere. Yes the boat tickets were expensive, but when you think what we saved by bringing our own food and drink it balances out.

We talked and laughed and drank our way through the warm evening. Before we knew it, the first lot of fireworks for the countdown to midnight had started. Everyone rushes for their cameras. Sometimes we forget that while we're trying desperately to capture everything on camera we're not actually seeing it for ourselves. At the end of the night I must have had 100 pictures of those fireworks, and they were all as blurry as the one I'd taken before. Realising how hard it is to take a good photo of fireworks I stopped trying and just enjoyed the show.
I'd smuggled some sparklers onto the island (apparently these are strictly forbidden - I'm such a rebel) and shared them out with everyone. So, amongst the 'ooohs' and 'aaahs' we were there spelling our names out with our sparklers, and watching the most amazing fireworks display I've ever seen, and probably ever will see.
Not long after the hugs and kisses and 'happy new years', it was time to get the boat back to Rosebay, and make our way back to Paul's. Everyone else was heading to a house party not far away, but with no time to waste, Anna and I had a flight booked to Melbourne in the morning (something we later regretted)!
I really enjoyed Sydney, and had such a good NYE that I'm sure will be hard to compete with for years to come. However, I'm not sure it's a city I could live in like I did in Melbourne. It's so spread out that to get from one place to another requires changing buses 3 times. And the transport/ restaurants/ bars are so expensive, unlike Melbourne. But for what it's worth I had a great time, made better by the fact that Anna was here. We crammed in so much over the last few days, meeting people and seeing the sights, that I was ready for a break, but no such luck. Melbourne here we come.....

A weekend of pouring rain in Brisbane

I got to the Roma Street Transit Centre at lunchtime the next day in a foul mood. Unusual for me, I'd barely slept a wink in the past 18 hours, because I was coughing and spluttering the whole night.

Most people travelling up or down the east coast wouldn't sit on a bus for so long, but as I had been to, or was planning to go soon, to all stops inbetween, I had to endure this terrible journey feeling really rough.

Once in Brisbane I got a taxi straight to my hostel; I was staying at a Base hostel again. I checked in, showered, got in bed and didn't move for the rest of the day. By this point I was feeling so crap that I couldn't, (nor did I want to) get out of bed, which was really frustrating as I only had three days here and I didn't want to waste time doing nothing. When I looked outside it was pouring with rain, so that made me feel a bit better about it.

That evening, Clarisse checked into the same hostel, so the two of us went for a wander and grab a coffee. Clarisse was feelnig under the weather as well, so we decided to stop trying to fight it, and instead sent ourselves to bed for an early night.

Clarisse left for Sydney early the next morning. Feeling slightly better, I decided to get up and go out, and stop wasting time. I walked round the city for a while. It's big compared to Cairns, much bigger, but small in comparison to Melbourne, which bear in mind isn't very big either. I walked for a bit along the river, through the Botanic Gardens and then over to Southbank. It's a pretty easy city to get around in; like Melbourne the streets all run parallel with eachother in blocks, so it's nearly impossible to get lost. Once I got over the river to Southbank the heavens opened. There was a torrential downpour and I got stuck right in the middle of i. I ran for cover in the nearest restaurant, where I made a tall skinny latte last about an hour. When I realised it wasn't going to ease up I made a run for a taxi. I was annoyed for 2 reasons; First, I had no where to go in this weather except back to the hostel, so it felt like another wasted day. Second, I'd straightened my hair that morning for the first time in weeks, and now it'd gotten wetit was gonig frizzy. At least it gave me something to do for the rest of the afternoon.

Later on, as it started to ease off, and with my hair freshly straightened, I asked the receptionist where the other Base hostel in the city was. Staying at Base, you get discounted drinks, but only one of the 2 in Brisbane had a bar, so I had to go there if I wanted a cheap beer. Once I'd found it, ordered, and sat down to have a refreshing drink, I scanned the bar. Not for faces I knew, just to look occupied whilst sitting at the bar on my own. Within seconds I'd spotted the 5 Cumbrian guys I'd shared a room with in Cairns. Small world indeed, considering the amount of bars in the city, plus I didn't even know they were in Brisbane. I ended up drinking with them in the bar until the early hours of the morning, and again, like in Cairns, I didn't spend a penny.

I strolled home at 6 in the morning, and got in bed, knowing that I had to check out at 10am. I figured I could get a couple of hours sleep in, get up, get ready and pack, and be out by 10 so I wouldn't lose my $20 key deposit. I think I set my alarm for 9. Next thing I know, it's 10.30 and I've just woken up. I rushed to get showered and changed, then ran down the stairs to ask the Receptionist nicely to let me have 20 minutes more to pack, and to keep my deposit. Thankfully, being the nice lady she was, and having seen me stagger in 4 and a half hours earlier, she let me off!

I was feeling rough, but not prepared waste my last day in this lovely city, especially as I hadn't really done anything so far. My bus to Sydney wasn't until 7pm, so I still had the whole day.

I decided to go to the Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary, the oldest and biggest koala sanctuary in the country. It's a 30minute bus ride out of the city, but straightforward enough to get to. As soon as I got there, there was a sheepdog show, which was recommended to me by the Cumbrian lads. I made my way there just before it started, and again, the same as the last few days, it started to tip it down. So badly, that the guy talking on the microphone couldn't be heard over the rain falling on the tarpauline above our heads. Before long, in a matter of minutes, the area was starting to flood. The show was stopped, and about 40 people who, like me, were standing there watching, could do nothing but wait for it to stop. And so we waited. And waited. I watched the off person make a run for it and decided I would too! It was ridiculous! I ran through muddy puddles and over bridge to the next bit of shelter. By now it was coming down so heavy, but I was close to the entrance where there was a shop. I dashed inside and bought myself a very cool, and fashionable, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary poncho. So I casually walked around the park, in the pouring rain, but remained relatively dry.

As I've mentioned before, I love Koalas. Although they're not soft and cuddly, as people would like to think, they are so funny to watch. This was the first time I'd seen them up and about. There were areas for all kinds, old, young, males, females, females with babies etc. I stood, watching and laughing, wearing my poncho, on my own. I'm sure I looked like a crazy person, but I had so much fun. There are other animals there, but nothing that I hadn't seen before, and the main attraction was obviously the hundreds of koalas that were kept there.

I stayed a couple of hours, but after you've seen 20 or so koalas they all start to look the same. And I was aware of the place beginning to flood, and that I had a bus to catch. So I went back to the hostel and sat in the TV room for the last couple of hours, where I of course fell asleep, until I had to be back where I started, at the Roma St Transit Centre, to get my 18hour overnight bus to Sydney. But I'll be back in Brisbane at some stage...

Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands

I had another early start and another long bus journey to my next destination. This bus was only for 6 hours, and as usual I was asleep straight away.

I arrived in Airlie Beach around 6pm, and walked the short distance to the Waterfront Hostel where I was staying.

Airlie beach is the gateway to the Whitsundays, and also a backpackers heaven. The streets are lined with bar after bar selling cheap cocktails and discount dinners. There's a real party atmosphere, meaning a lot of travellers come here with the intention of seeing the islands and moving on, and then never leave!

I think in total there are 74 Whitsunday islands. They are known to be pure paradise, and so you get all sorts of tourists visiting. There are the backpackers who, like me, book onto 2 day/2 night party boats with 32 other likeminded people. Then there are the middle-aged tourists with money to burn, who do the same trip but slightly differently. There will only be 10 on their boat, or even better, they'll hire their own, and they'll do the trip exactly how they want to, a nice relaxing, peaceful sail between the islands. And then there are the people who have multi-million dollar yachts sitting in the marina. Regardless, everyone is here for the same reason, to enjoy these magnificent islands.

Back in my hostel, I met one of my roommates straight away, Clarisse from France. Clarisse and I click instantly, and so she invites me out that evening with 4 girls she'd met previously from Denmark. The 6 of us all ended up sitting on the hostel balcony for so long, chatting, listening to music, playing drinking games and so on, that by the time we went to go out there was only one club open, Mama Africas. We had a great time; 6 girls dancing the night away.... It felt like ages since I'd done that!

The following day I had what I'd call a 'koala day'. I literally did nothing but eat and sleep the whole day. In fact I don't think I was awake for more than about 3 hours at a time. Shame on me, yes.... but I never do it, so I let myself off this one time.

The next day I packed a small bag and headed to the marina to get on my boat, the New Horizon. While I was waiting I met the other people I'd be spending the next 2 days and 2 nights with. There were only 2 other English people, which is OK. I didn't come all this way to be with English people. Everyone else was German, French, Swiss, Spanish and Swedish, with 32 of us altogether. I have nothing against other nationalities, in fact I have a lot of European friends, however, when there's a group of them they tend to stick together. If you don't speak the language you're not often included, and so you become an outsider; not great for me travelling on my own. But there are 2 things with organised tours and trips that you can't control; the people and the weather. You just have to make the most of it.

So I made small talk etc, but mainly just sit there, happily watching the surroundings as the boat sails through the islands.

We stopped for the night and are warned, again, not to go into the sea. Despite the usual jellyfish warnings in Queensland, this time we're told that we've stopped in a channel that tiger sharks use as a breeding ground. So basically, if you go in the water, you're shark bait!

When I went to bed that night in the cabin I shared with 7 other people, the rocking motion of the boat sent me to sleep.

We were woken up for breakfast at about 6.30am, which was no problem for me as I'd slept like a baby. Up at the table though, some people weren't feeling so fresh!
Our first and main stop was Whitehaven beach. We were dropped there and told we had 3 hours. First, you walk through woodlands to the viewpoint. From there you're looking out to sea at other islands, and the ever changing sand formations down below. One of the boat crew told me you'll never see the sand dunes look the same. The sand is supposedly the finest in the world; so fine that if it was struck by lightening it would melt and turn to glass instantly. Nasa used the sand from this beach to create the lens in the Hubble telescope. The Olympic games wanted to hold the volleyball competition there but as it's a national park they were told they couldn't. Apparently the beach is second only to one other in the world, somewhere in the Caribbean. You can imagine what your expectations would be like if you heard all this!

Walking down through the woods from the viewpoint there's an opening in the trees, and there it is. Crystal clear sea, and the whitest sand. It was everything that I expected. I stood waist deep in the sea and could still see the white sand between my toes.

Like with everywhere else in Queensland, we still had to wear stinger suits in the water, which is a pain when you're trying to work on your tan! I stayed in the sea most of the time, and could see stingrays swimming around my ankles which was a bit scary!

In the time we were there, the tide was coming in and changing the shape of the beach. So much so that I sacrificed beach time and trekked all the way back up to the viewpoint to take more photos of the beach looking different this time.

Back on the boat after lunch we were taken to a spot that's good for snorkelling, and it's safe - well away from the tiger sharks! The coral here was so much nicer than at Green Island. The fish however were pretty much exactly the same. There wasn't anything I saw this time that I hadn't seen before. But still, I love the water and snorkelling fascinates me everytime, so I was still in it for hours.

That evening we sailed a bit further. Tonight I'd decided to have a few drinks, considering I was on a party boat afterall. And it was about time I actually got to know the people I was on a boat/ sharing a cabin with, even though maybe it was a little late.

We were taken to a secluded beach, where they dropped us off for an hour or so to watch the sunset, have some drinks and just relax.

When the boat stopped for the night I noticed just how many stars there are in the sky. Out in the middle of the ocean where there are no aritificial lights, the stars just brighten up the sky. It's amazing, and a shame that it doesn't come out in photos.

The next day, after another stint of snorkelling (which by the way is a great hangover cure) in a different spot this time, it was time to head back to the mainland. On the way, we had dolphins swimming alongside the boat, and I saw my first ever sea turtle, poking it's head above water.

The trip itself was great. Had I gone with a group of friends, or met more people on the boat, it would've been even better. But this is what travelling is all about! At the end of it, I've seen the 2nd most beautiful beach in the world, and it really was amazing.

The only real downside towards the end was that I could feel myself coming down with something, and I was about to go on a 19 hour overnight bus journey!

I got back to Airlie at lunchtime and met up with Clarisse. She'd checked back into the same hostel, so I used her shower, went on the net for a bit and generally pottered about until 6pm when it was time for me to catch a bus, with a cold, all the way to Brisbane.

Magnetic Island

In the morning, in the 35 degree heat and with almost 30kg of bags on my back and front, I walked what felt like million miles to catch my Greyhound bus. By the time I got there I could've done with another shower. As always with me and any form of transport, I was asleep as soon as I got on, and slept for most of the 7 or 8 hours to Townsville. Once there, I got straight onto the boat for the 20 minute journey to Magnetic Island. Magnetic Island is a beautiful place, but not really a backpacker 'must-do'. I heard of it randomly 9 months previously. Back when I was fruitpicking in hillbilly Gin Gin, I was waiting in the library for my turn on the internet, and the librarian gave me a book on Australia to read. After seeing pictures of the island I promised myself I would go, despite not hearing much about it in the whole time since then.

My hostel was already booked and paid for. I was staying at Base, which is a chain of hostels around Australia and New Zealand. I was booked in for 2 nights, which is apparently enough time to see everything on this little island.

I arrived about 25 minutes before happy hour ended; enough time to chuck my bags in my dorm and grab a cheap beer. This hostel is completely open-air, except for the rooms which are divided into male and female, in porta-style cabins. The kitchen's in a giant teepee, and there's a nice pool and a dive shop. All of this is set right on the sea front, not that we could go in the sea here either, but it was nice to sit outside with a beer and watch the palm trees swaying infront of the ocean.

Sitting there, I got talking to an Irish and a German girl who were travelling together. I told them about mokes, tiny jeeps I'd heard that you could hire for the day to explore the island. They were as keen as me to hire one, which was great as it meant that I wasn't doing it on my own, nor did I have to pay for it all myself! We spoke to the receptionist and she told us about a special offer on a topless car for 24 hours. It was amazing; it was pink, looked like a barbie car, and only $80 from the time we picked it up in the morning until the following day.

That afternoon, we cooled off in the pool for a while, where we met an Irish guy, also travelling alone. We persuaded him to join us for the day in our girly car! For the rest of the evening we just did the usual...got to know eachother and exchanged travelling stories over a few beers.

When we woke up, bright and early and excited, we went to pick up our car. It was the coolest vehicle i've ever seen, and it was a manual which is always a bonus as most cars in Australia are autos. My only problem was that it was the first time I'd driven a manual in the 14 months since I'd left home, so I felt a bit rusty! We took it in turns driving round the island for the day. We were really lucky with the weather, the sun was shining and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, perfect for tanning whilst cruising around.

There's only one main road on Magnetic Island, so all you can really do is drive from one end, Horseshoe Bay, to the other, Picnic Bay. Still, we entertained ourselves enough. Also, in certain parts of the beaches, they've netted off sections of the sea, so you can go in without a stinger suit or without worrying about the jellyfish.

Later in the day, after going up and down and round the island about 15 times, we stopped at a supermarket, bought some meat and drinks, and drove to Picnic Bay to use the free BBQ on the beach until sunset.

There isn't really a great deal to do here. A lot of the residents live here because I suppose they like it this way... quiet and peaceful with just enough shops and restaurants to get by and keep themselves entertained. And they're only a 20 minute boat ride from the mainland. The scenery on the island is amazing, beaches are great, and there's loads of Ozzie wildlife like koalas and kookaburras, but I think 1 day and 2 nights was definitely enough. I had a really good time, met new people, and kept my promise to myself that I'd see Magnetic Island.

Cairns & Green Island

I left Melbourne that morning in the pouring rain. By the time I had flown from Melbourne to Sydney, Sydney to Cairns, it was late afternoon, and yet stepping out of the airport was like walking into a wall of heat. The air was humid and muggy, enough to make my hair go frizzy in an instant! A huge difference in climate from what i'd left behind in Melbourne.

I met the driver from the hostel I'd pre-booked, and drove the 10 minutes into the small town of Cairns. I checked into Gilligans, a renowned party hostel, calling itself a 'backpacker resort', which is exactly what it is. There's a lagoon-type pool, inlcuding a waterfall; a bar selling discounted drinks and free drinks to people staying there; and even a spa and beauty salon. This was far better than i'd expected, and only about $28 a night. My room was a 6-bed dorm with balcony and en-suite. And my roomies were 5 Cumbrian lads. I joked that the receptionist must have known I was from Essex, putting me in a room with 5 guys!

After a quiet night in, I was up early the next morning to see what Cairns has to offer. It turns out, not a lot! It's a nice town, very small, much smaller than I'd expected. The main street consisted of internet cafe/ backpacker travel agents and souvenir shops. I feel quite sorry for the locals, a lot of whom are Aboriginals, because their town has been taken over by either the Western backpacker or Asian tourist, looking to spend fortunes on opals or designer handbags.

Two minutes walk from the hostel I was at the water's edge. It can't really be referred to as a beach, more like a swamp. The sand meets the sea about 250 metres out, but you wouldn't dare go out there. The sand is more like mud, filled with random pools of water, and the sea is full of sharks, jellyfish, stingrays etc. Because of this, right on the sea front they've built a huge lagoon and man-made beach. I spent my first day here just sunbathing and relaxing, a huge novelty as it's not something you can do when working full-time in Melbourne. All was great until I woke up with serious burns to my chest, patches on my arms and face, and anywhere else that I'd missed with suntan lotion. I was wearing factor 30; I underestimated just how strong the sun is in Northern Queensland.

Sore and feeling sorry for myself, I left the lagoon and stopped in and internet cafe on my way back. Before I'd even sat at a computer I was talking to the girl who works there about what do in the area etc, as I was booked to stay here another 4 days. Next thing i knew, i'd been there an hour and spent over $1000 on trips. It worked out to be a great deal. For the next month, I had all my trips, boat transfers, buses and accommodation paid for, so all I needed was spending money. At least now I had a plan as to what I was doing and where I was going.

That evening, after my free meal and $5 pint of low-carb beer, I met up with the boys in my room for a night on the town. We went to the Woolshed, well known for it's backpacker 'Coyote Ugly' style nights. Although that's not quite my thing, it was funny to watch drunken people dancing on tables and generally making fools of themselves! And on top of that, I had all my drinks bought for me all night, a bonus of sharing a room with people on a month long holiday rather than budgeting travellers.

In the morning, nursing a slightly sore head, I dragged myself to the marina for the first of my many trips. Today, I was catching the 'Reef Rocket' for a day of snorkelling at the Great Barrier reef, off Green Island. It was raining at night and in the morning, so the sky was fairly overcast and the water a tad murky. But it was still so hot. I was dropped at the pier and crossed this tiny island to go to the beach where the better snorkelling is. Because I was in Queensland in jellyfish season, it's strongly advised that you wear a stinger suit. I paid the $7 extra and slipped into my suit and flippers, not wanting to take the risk.

In the water I swam about 100 metres out to where the coral started. I suppose in my mind I had an image of what the Great Barrier reef would look like, and this wasn't it. There were all sorts of bright and colourful fish, they were great. With my underwater camera I took loads of pictures over the few hours I was there. I even saw purple starfish and transluscent pink jellyfish. And I saw a clownfish (Nemo) so I was happy. But the coral itself was quite disapppointing, it was plain and colourless, not like the bright and vibrant image you see in the photos and advertisements. From under the water, I started to see part of the reason why... There were poeple, and when I say people I mean Asian tourists, with their flippers on just treading all over the coral. They would readjust their masks or just chat away, oblivious to the damage their doing underneath their feet. On the boat over we were told not to touch any of it; to me this is just common sense. I mustn't complain too much because I had a great day, with enough time to explore the island as well as spend hours snorkelling.

That evening I met up with my friend Sammy, someone else I met when I lived in Portugal. He lives about 20 minutes from Cairns, and was just 17 when I met him. Now he's still a young pup at 20. He met me at my hostel bar for a few cheap drinks, then we went out for dinner. Because of the rain today the humidity was just unbearable. We ate dinner inside, and by the time we were finished we were dripping with sweat. So much so that I had to go back to the hostel and change before I went out. Sammy then took me to the Velvet Club, which is underneath the Reef Casino. Tonight must have been teeny-boppers night. I swear at 23, I was the oldest there by a few years. I stayed for a couple of drinks, met Sammy's 20 year-old, extremely drunken, friends, then felt completely out of place, so made my excuses and left!

The next day was my last day in Cairns. I spent it catching some rays by the lagoon, covering my burnt bits! Sammy came and met me on his lunch break, feeling considerably worse for wear! He dropped me at a nearby locals market, we said our goodbyes, then he left to go back to work and suffer! I wandered round the market for a bit then headed back to my room to pack. The Cumbria boys were now gone so I had the room to myself since no one else had checked back in. After another free dinner and cheap pint, I spent the rest of the night chilling out, ready for my early morning start and 8 hour bus journey to Townsville.

Melbourne...Again

Being back in Melbourne and checking into Urban Central again was almost like being back home. I knew that for the next few months I'd be somewhere I know and love. After going into the recruitment agency to confirm my work details for the following Monday, I was back to my usual routine of happy hour drinks at the hostel bar. Quite a few people I'd met here previously were longtermers, living and working in Melbourne, so luckily I knew plenty of people.

My first day back at work was a breeze. I really thought that I'd have forgotten everything, but after a few hours back at my old desk it all came back to me. It was like I'd never left Melbourne, with my days of packing oranges in Renmark a distant memory!

That evening, with Sarah, who I'd met on my Grampians/ Great Ocean Road trip, I went to the 'Neighbours Night', something I'd never gotten around to doing the lsat time I was here. Neighbours is filmed in the suburbs of Melbourne, and every Monday night a few of the cast put on an evening at the Elephant & Wheelbarrow pub in St. Kilda. The pub fills up with backpackers for a quiz night and cheap drinks, then out comes the Neighbours cast, with the star of the night always Dr Karl Kennedy. I haven't watched Neighbours for about 12 years, so the only preson I recognised was Karl. And I told the rest of them this when they came round for photos at the end of the night! Despite not knowing who anyone was, I got plenty of photos which
I've put on Facebook, in the hope that someone I know watches the show and therefore knows who i'm posing in photos with!

So working life continued as normal, 9 - 5 everyday, and being considerably responsible in the evenings for a backpacker, always in bed relatively early, and no hangovers at work! However, this time round I saw Melbourne as a new and completely different city. Despite working here for 3 months before, I lived so far away that I was straight on the train the moment I finished work. I loved being in Frankston, but this time was as it should be.... I was meeting other backpackers, having fun all the time, whether that meant just chilling out in the hostel with everyone, having drinks after work in a bar overlooking the Yarra river, or cheap dinners out at the restaurants we'd find with good food at budget prices. Sometime I'd just put on my ipod and walk around, listening to my music and watching the everyone carrying on with their daily routines. This time I was really experiencing what the city has to offer, and not worrying about the 2 hour commute home.

I might have mentioned before that Melbourne's hidden gems are tucked down laneways and alleys. The best bars, clubs and restaurants you often come across by accident when you're looking for somewhere else! Melbourne is considered an arty 'alternative' city, and what I like is that a lot of the bars aren't always convential. One of them, the Croft Institute, is down a load of graffiti covered back alleys. When you get there, the ground floor bar is decked out like science lab, test tubes and all. The second floor has the toilets are lke an old hospital, inclusive of a hospital bed in the ladies toilets! And the top floor is an old school gym, with grass and monkey bars and everything! My particular favourite is Section 8, right in the middle of Chinatown. By day you wouldn't look twice at it. Behind a barbed wire gate, all you see are 2 big shipping containers. One opens up as a bar, and the other is the toilets. All you sit on are piles of wooden pallets. There are lanterns dangling from the walls and graffiti everywhere, as there is down most of Melbourne's laneways. But at night the place comes alive, attracting people from your funky alternative types to your yuppy 'suits', and then your average backpacker like me. It sounds so simple to put together, but I can assure you the guy who opened this place is not only a genius, but probably rolling in it. It's always busy, the music's good and the cocktails are delicious.

On the weekends there would always be something going on; I always had places to go and people to see. I had friends dotted all over from when I was living and working in Portugal, so we'd get together every now and then, for dinner during the week in the city or drinks on a sunny Sunday afternoon in St. Kilda. Then there was the Frankston lot.... so attached to where they live it was impossible to drag them away, but I'd happily go down there occassionally for a good old drinking session with the boys like I used to.

By the end of October we were all getting ready for a big weekend. First, was Hallowe'en. Some of the girls I knew had moved out of the hostel into their own apartment, so for their housewarming they had a fancy dress Hallowe'en party. It was great fun, we had everything from Dorothy out of the Wizard of Oz, to Pirates, to Batwoman, and then the usual witches/ vampires etc. We all got together for drinks at the hostel first, so by the time we left, this giant group of 30 or so people would have looked a sight, walking through the city in our costumes. After the houseparty, we all went to a bar, where we didn't look out of place amongst everyone else all dressed up. But when I left to walk back to the hostel, I cut through the Crown Casino, as I always did, but had totally forgotten I was dressed as a cowgirl. It took me a while understand why these tiny little old Asian women who played the slot machines round the clock were pointing, staring and laughing at me!

So that was the Satuday night. On the Tuesday was Melbourne Cup day, which is the horse racing. The end of October and beginning of November Melbourne goes crazy about the horse racing, with Melbourne Cup the biggest day, and also a public holiday. So all us girls went out and bought our dresses, shoes, matching bags and hats, and got together for a (10 dollar) champagne breakfast before heading down to the Flemington racecourse to watch the races, not that I actually saw a horse the whole time I was there (a bit like not watching a game of tennis when I went to the Australian Open in January)! The whole city is bustling with people dressed in their finest. The train stations are jam packed, and the racecourse itself is just a mass of thousands of people drinking champagne and gambling their money away. Being completely hopeless, I didn't put a single bet on either. I did however, drink enough champagne to say that I would be perfectly happy if I never drank it again! What a mistake considering the next day, a Wednesday, was just a normal day at the office. Doing inductions for 30 new employees at 10 in the morning with a stinking hangover is no fun at all. But the day at the races was great fun. Next time though, I'd like to have a little flutter, or at least see a horse!

The next few weeks were just working hard, and playing harder at the weekends. The social life of a backpacker is brilliant. By this stage there was such a big group of us at the hostel that choices of where to go out and who to go with were endless. There was always someone going here or there. Or sometimes, we'd have just as much fun having a few drinks at the hostel and not even going anywhere.

Before I knew it, the christmas lights started appearing around the city, and I'd hear the odd carol playing on the radio as I walked past a bustling cafe on my way to work in the morning. And then, in David Jones, the store where I worked, they were putting up the christmas trees. But, walking through the city hearing Mariah Carey's 'All I want for Christmas' playing in every shop still doesn't get you feeling festive when it's 30+ degrees outside.

Towards the end of November we had a heat wave which lasted about 3 weeks. It's still only early Spring in Melbourne at that time of year, but the temperature hit 37 degrees, and it was humid and muggy, which is horrible to walk to work in. Especially as I had to wear black for work everyday. But it meant that weekends at the beach were in order. And on weeknights, we'd sit outside on the hostel's deck, or go down to the pier at Port Melbourne beach and have a few quiet drinks whilst making the most of the warm evenings.

By the end of November, the crew that we'd built up at Urban began to get smaller. Some people were flying home, either for Christmas, or because their visas were up, or some people were moving on to be somewhere else for Christmas. This meant that we had plenty of nights out at the weekends for people's leaving dos. Although we had a great time in that sense, it was also really sad, as always, to say goodbye to people that you get so close to over time.

By now, as I was thinking about Christmas, I realised that I'd been in Australia nearly a year, and there was still so much I had to see before my visa expired in January. I loved Melbourne, but by now I'd been here nearly 7 months on and off. And so I spoke to my manager at David Jones and confirmed my leaving date as Friday 4th December. This meant I had a few weeks between then and Christmas to see as much of the east coast as I had time for, before heading to Sydney to spend Christmas and New Years with friends I knew from home.

This time when I left David Jones I knew it was for good. In my last week we did a Secret Santa, had dinner and drinks after work and squeezed in a few lunches. It was a good send off and they spoilt me, which was lovely as I'd really enjoyed my time working there. But as always with travelling, there becomes a time when you need to move on...

I had one last crazy weekend with my mates at the hostel. I even persuaded the guys from Frankston to come into the city. We went to the Belgium Beer Gardens for Sunday sessions, which was brilliant, I'm annoyed I hadn't been sooner. The place is just rows and rows of tables in a huge beer garden, selling European beers on tap, and with Jazz bands playing in the background. We were lucky that the weather was still great. And I was even luckier that I didn't have to get up for work in the morning!

After saying my final goodbyes, hopefully just for now, it was time to go somewhere new.