Seattle

Thats me in Seattle - the last stop before I head home!

Had a busy few days. Came down on the bus on Thursday [USA border took one and a half hours to get through!] and got in around tea time so went to the Experience Music Project on Thursday Night as it's free the 1st Thursday of the month! Got the Seattle Monorail there from my Hotel, it was built for the World Fair at the same time as the Space Needle. EMP wasn't very good, but the building it was in was very impressive. It was founded by the Microsoft #2 Paul Allen.

Yesterday I went to Pike Place Market, saw the worlds first Starbucks! In the afternoon I did a cruise of Lake Union and Lake Washington which was really good, saw Bill Gates' house in Medina which was really something else. After that I went up the Space Needle and got some really good views as the weather has been great here.

Today I went to the Museum of Flight - saw an old Air Force 1 and one of the BA Concordes. It is on the former Boeing Site and Boeing still have some of their facilities there - they have a test and delivery site for the commercial planes so saw about three brand new Ryanair planes there - much more than any other carrier! Then this afternoon I got one of the Washington State Ferries across the Puget Sound to Bainbridge Island. Saw Mt Rainier from the Boat which is quite spectacular.

I've booked a tour to the Boeing Factory in Everett tomorrow afternoon and on Monday I'm planning to go to the Microsoft Visitor Centre in Redmond. Then I'm flying down to LA on Tuesday and fly into London on Wednesday so it's all go!

I've uploaded a few photos to flickr - mostly from the cruise.

Bill Gates House - It is built into the Hill and the
buildings at the top are part of it. 60,000 square foot!


Downtown Seattle taken from the Space Needle

Vancouver!

Made it to Vancouver - took a while at the Border as I arrived in Canada by Bus and there were only two of us who needed our passports stamped [Americans don't need passports to get into Canada] and it took them about an hour so I think the rest of the bus thought we were a bit dodgy or something! All is going well, its a very compact city so it doesn't seem to take long to get around at all. Hostel is quite nice and in a good location.

On Sunday I went to Canada Place, which is quite nice. Bit of a copy of the Sydney Opera House perhaps?! Then went a walk to see some of the sights - the BC Place Stadium which has an inflatable roof, and the Library which is very grand. Looked around Gastown and went to Granville Island which has a market on every day - it was pretty good but very busy.

Yesterday was a public holiday for Labour Day but it didn't seem to affect much. Went down to Stanley Park - big urban park in Vancouver, it was pretty good. Then I went out to the Capilano Suspension Bridge - apparently the world's longest and highest suspension bridge. They had also made a treetop walk and had a few things to do but it was quite expensive - wouldn't recommend it! Went out to Grouse Mountian later in the afternoon but the heavens opened once I got the cablecar to the top which kind of spoilt the view. They had a Grizzly Bear enclosure so it was good to see them and a lumberjack show etc.

Today I had planned to go to Victoria on Vancouver Island but it was raining again in the morning so I decided against it - got very sunny this afternoon again so I'm sure it would have been fine! I'll maybe go tomorrow. Instead I went out to Queen Elizabeth park which was really nice. I had been hoping to get into Bloedel Conservatory as they have parrots etc inside the conservatory but it was closed because of a strike so that was abit of a disappointment. Then I headed to the Science Museum to watch a film at the "Omnimax" Cinema (Just like an IMAX but with a curved screen) which was really good. The film was the Human Body (with that Robert Winston guy) and the screen was apparently 5 stories high so you really felt like you were at the centre of the action!

Head down to Seattle on Thursday so tomorrow is my last full day here. Been uploading my photos so they are on flickr.

Grizzly Bear at Grouse Mountain

Capilano Suspension Bridge - Don't look down!

Leaving California!

Heading to Vancouver tomorrow [Flying to Seattle then getting the train up] for the next 5 days. Had a brilliant time in San Francisco - its a great city. Went on the Segway tour today which was an experience, they are really unique. Very intuitive and once you get the knack it's really easy. We spent a few hours touring the Waterfront seeing the main sights. Started off with the speed limited to 4.5mph then they sped them up to 8.5mph. Apparently unrestricted they can go 12.5mph but they can be modified to do 30mph!

Toured around the centre yesterday, at Union Square etc. Decided against going to Yosemite as I don't think a day trip would do it much justice.

Went out to Silicon Valley on Wednesday - saw Apple HQ and Google. Nearly all the major IT companies are based out there. It's a really lush area and it was very warm when I went out - job there would be good! Still planning to go to see Microsoft Campus in Redmond, Washington (Just outside Seattle).

Not many plans for Vancouver yet, hopefully it will stay dry as everyone seems to warn me to expect rain. Home on the 13th Sept so must start getting ready for that!

Heres a photo of me at the Apple Campus

San Fran and the Bay

Had a busy time in San Francisco this last couple of days. Got a 7 day pass for the MUNI public transport here (great - its only $24 and can use the cablecars, streetcars and buses) so have been on the cable cars a few times. They're just like the photos - ride up steep hills no problem! Its a really nice place but there seems to be lots of homeless people around, much more than I've seen in the other US cities.

Golden Gate Bridge!

Been to Alcatraz Island (Prison) and down to Fishermans Wharf and saw the Sea Lions at Pier 39. Walked across the Golden Gate bridge, then the next day I hired a bike and cycled across it to Marin County to some of the small towns over there and got the ferry back - got sunburnt! Its quite foggy here most days for a few hours so you don't feel that warm but the sun still seems to get through. Been up to Cois Tower on Telegraph Hill and got the cablecar up Nob Hill today for some good views.

Today I went along to the cablecar museum, it was really good - this is apparently the only city in the world with cablecars. The cable runs continually under the streets with the cars and when a car needs to get pulled along the driver has to pull a lever so the car "Grips" onto the cable and then it gets pulled along until he undoes the grip.

Been to a Park called the Presidio which was very posh - it is where George Lucas has his studios for the Star Wars stuff so saw that - and a Statue of Yoda! Planning to go out into Silicon Valley tomorrow see Google and Apple HQ's (Mountain View and Cupertino) and the Computer History Museum. No other plans yet, looking into a day trip to Yosemite National Park and I've seen a tour of the Wharf area on a Segway which looks good fun! Got my photos up on flickr (Got a bit carried away with taking photos of the Golden Gate Bridge!)

Cablecar on Calfifornia St

San Francisco

Arrived in San Francisco this morning - picked up at 3am for 6am flight so quite tired now! Seems like a nice place, much colder than LA/San Diego/Las Vegas which is fine as it will maybe get me acclimatised for going home!

Had a really good time in Las Vegas - loads to see there. Went to the Hoover Dam and the Grand Canyon on a bus tour one day, they were very spectacular - got on Route 66 on the way down! There are lots of free shows etc put on by the Casinos so didn't cost too much either. Didn't hit the gambling machines though!

I've gotten my photos up now on flickr. In San Francsico for the next 8 days, back to slumming it in a hostel! Went out to Berkeley this afternoon to see the University of California's Campus - very nice area. Public Transport here is much better than LA so shouldn't be too much of a problem getting around. Going to get a ride on the cable-cars shortly - the queue today was right the way around a block! Also planning to go to the Golden Gate Bridge and Alcatraz and maybe out to Scilion Valley see some of the big IT companies' HQs. Seems to be very busy here at the moment, the Hostel is totally full until Monday. I'll stick a few photos in here to show some of the sights of Vegas!



Me at the Fabulous Las Vegas Sign!


New York, New York Casino and Hotel - it was really realistic.

Viva Las Vegas!

Arrived in Las Vegas yesterday, haven't made a fortune yet! Plane was delayed because its surface was so hot the pilot had to send it to be cooled down. Landing was very spectacular as you fly right in over the strip. Vegas seems to just appear out of no-where as you're flying. Spent ages getting checked in to the Stratosphere, they seem to be very busy but the room was even cheaper than I was expecting so that was a bonus. Been to lots of the "Mega-resorts" on the Strip - The Luxor; The Bellagio; Caesars Palace; Circus Circus; New York, New York; etc. Went up the Stratosphere Tower this morning - got a great view of Vegas. Tonight I've been to watch the dancing water fountains at the Bellagio and the Freemont St Experience downtown. I got a bus pass today which was great as it goes along the strip, right past my hotel, every 5 minutes and goes to downtown. It would be quite easy to walk but its been 41 degrees today, and the forecast is over 40 for the whole time I'm here!

Planning to do a tour to the Hoover Dam and Grand Canyon on Thursday, although I don't have anything booked yet. Possibly going to go and see a show some night, but not sure what as they sell ones off at half price for that evening so I'll just have to make a last minute decision!

Internet here is very expensive so probably won't be able to get my photos up until San Francisco (Friday) - but I've got loads already! Continuous TV news out here about the Hurricane about to hit Mexico - shouldn't be any problems this far up though.

Hot Hot Hot!

Me outside Universal Studios, Hollywood

Made it to San Diego, its a really nice place, quite different from L.A. Loads to see and do here, but I've only got one day left so will have to try and make the most of that. Went to SeaWorld yesterday which was brilliant - saw lots of shows with Shamu (The Killer Whale), Dolphins, SeaLions and a show called Cirque de la Mer which was all dancers and Acrobatics-really impressive. Went to San Diego Zoo today, it is huge so there was lots to see there. They've got a few Pandas so saw them, one has just been born so it was somewhere else with its Mum and Dad! Also had a look downtown this evening, I'm living in an area called the "Gas-lamp quarter" which is full of restaurants etc so its always quite busy.

Shamu Jumping at SeaWorld!

Possibly going to go to Tijuana tomorrow, which is just across the border in Mexico. Leaving for Las Vegas on Sunday, where I'm staying at the Stratosphere Hotel - on the strip! Everything seems really cheap out here, the dollar is very strong at the moment.

Photos Uploaded!

Very quick post as I've only 2 minutes left at internet cafe! I've managed to get some photos uploaded at flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/suilven222

Been to Wal-Mart and Long Beach this morning and downtown this afternoon. Also had a look at the Walk of Fame along Vine St. Went to Universal Studios yesterday which was brilliant. Check out the photos! Last day in LA tomorrow then off to San Diego on Thursday Morning!

Californication

That's me arrived in Los Angeles! Had a day in Fiji en route when I went to South Sea Island - it was really nice, a tiny island with basically just the beach and the resort. We got to go Snorkelling and saw some exotic fish and Kayaking which was grand. I was very tired when I arrived in LA as my flight into Fiji arrived after 1 in the morning then we left for the tour around 8am and my flight out was at 10pm and as we crossed the International Date Line we arrived before we left which was all a bit disorientating!

Los Angeles is really something, everyone seems to be driving about in a huge 4x4! We're living just off Hollywood Boulevard so a lot of the sights are within easy reach. Been along the Walk of Fame and to the Grauman's Chinese Theatre which has hand and foot prints of lots of famous actors. Also been down to Macy's in Downtown on the Metro and this afternoon we went on a sightseeing tour of Beverly Hills, Bel-Air and the Hollywood Hills where we saw lots of famous peoples houses (e.g. The Osbournes, Ben Stiller, Sylvester Stallone, Madonna) It's really hot here at the moment and the amount of Smog around is unbelievable - even the Hollywood Sign is hazy from Hollywood Boulevard! Hoping to go to Universal Studios shortly, and go a walk up to the Hollywood Sign through Griffith Park.

I've got lots of photos but this Internet Cafe doesn't allow me to upload them so I'll post a message here when I get them uploaded!

Back in Auckland

That is us back in Auckland now - returning the Camper tomorrow morning! Planning to go to the Museum and look around the city. Had a good few days in Rotorua - on Friday we went "Zorbing" - where you roll down a hill in an inflatable rubber ball! Rain has been really heavy in Auckland since we arrived but we've been pretty lucky with the weather considering it's the middle of winter here.

Busy planning out my time in USA at the moment. I'm planning to go to Los Angeles, San Diego, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver. Hoping to do some day trips to Yosemite and The Grand Canyon/Hoover Dam. I've got a day in Fiji [the 9th] on the way to LA so I'm planning to do a day trip to "South Sea Island." Looking forwards to getting some Sun in the USA!

Zorbing in Rotorua

Me beside Lady Knox Geyser in Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland

Taupo and Rotorua

We're in Rotorua now, having spent a couple of days in Taupo. Nice area around here but it really stinks! Smells like eggs because of the Sulphur in the thermals underground I think. Lots of strange things to see here, Volcanos and Geysers and things. Went to a park in Taupo called 'Craters of the Moon' which was a park with loads of big craters all steaming away with the steam from the underwater thermals. We also went to Huka Falls in Taupo which were quite impressive. Drove up to Rotorua yesterday and we've been really busy today, went to the Wai-o-Tapu Thermal Wonderland today, saw the Lady Knox Geyser erupt at 10.15 this morning then had a look around the park - got some photos up on flickr. Then we went to a swimming pool which was heated by water from the Thermals, that was really good - if not a little hot! Then we went up the Rotorua Gondolas and rode on a Luge for a few laps, it was really good. We also went on the SkySwing which was a pretty scary ride where they pretty much catapult you out in a cage!

Don't have much time so will update this shortly!

New Zealand, South Island

Me up Franz Josef Glacier

That's us in Kaikoura today, on the East Coast of the South Island. I've just been on a Whale Watching tour, saw about 7 Sperm Whales and loads of Dusky Dolphins and even an Albatross! It was excellent - got lots of photos!

Sperm Whale diving under

We've been quite busy on the South Island seeing all the sights. We went to the Franz Josef Glacier on the West Coast, and got a Hellicopter Ride to the top which was great. Also saw the Fox Glacier, Mt Cook and Lake Mathieson. Then we drove down to Queenstown and spent a little while there, it was a nice little town. We had hoped to drive to Milford Sound but the roads were very icy so we decided it would be safer not to chance it so we went across to Dunedin on the East Coast instead - it was a small town very similar to Edinburgh, with similar street names etc!

Lake Mathieson

We went past Lake Tekapo on the journey up to Kaikoura which was a nice little spot in "MacKenzie Country." Planning to drive up to Picton today and get the ferry across to Wellington and go to see Rotorua, Lake Taupo, and Gisborne. So it's all been quite busy! We've done over 3000km in our Camper, but it seems to be pretty reliable and no problems yet (other than the amount of fuel it uses!)

New Zealand, North Island

That's us in Wellington, in the North Island of New Zealand! Everything is going fine so far, we've got a little camper and we've stayed in it for most of the nights so far. We're heading down to South Island tonight on the ferry and everyone says it is much colder so we will need to see how it goes, might have to check ourselves into a hostel more often!

We went up to the Bay of Islands, looked around Auckland, went to Waitomo Glowworm caves and on to New Plymouth yesterday, where we saw Mt Taranaki.

I've uploaded my photos so far to flickr. Not taken very many as what we have seen so far hasn't been all that impressive. Hoping the South Island will be more scenic and we are planning to go past Rotorua and Lake Taupo on the way back to Auckland [we come back to the North Island on the 31st July] which should be really good.

Must go and put a new parking ticket on the camper!

Sydney

Sydney Opera House from Harbour Bridge

Getting ready to set off now. Leaving tomorrow at 11.30. We walked across the Harbour Bridge on Thursday and got some great photos of the Opera House. Went back at night and got some aswell.

I went out to the Blue Mountains yesterday, it was really nice. The mountains give off a blue haze because they are covered in Eucalyptus Trees and their oils affect the light spectrum making the air appear blue apparently! Did lots of walking around the hills and went on a Cable Car across the valley and a scenic railway (the steepest in the world) down the mountain.

The Three Sisters and the Blue Mountains

Planning to go to Rocks Market today and have a last look around Sydney. I've uploaded lots more photos on flickr.

Southern Queensland

Been a rushed week! Been to a few of the main stops on the east coast:

Brisbane

Seemed like a really nice city. We just arrived when the doctor was arrested for the terrorist thing in Glasgow so that was all over the news! We went to the Castlemaine XXXX Brewery, Lone Pine Koala Sanctuary and Southbank. It was State of Origin weekend, kind of like Six Nations games in Edinburgh so it was very busy. We went to the cinema to see Oceans 13 - was quite good.

Surfers Paradise

Much bigger place than I imagined. It's on the Gold Coast, and the beach stretches all the way down the city. We went up the Q1 Residential Tower (20th Tallest Building in the World!), and relaxed at the beach.

Byron Bay

This is another surfers area - it's the first main stop in New South Wales. We hired Bikes and went a tour around, then today we went a walk upto Cape Byron Lighthouse - the most easterly point in Australia. Its normally a great spot to see Whales and Dolphins but today its been very windy so didn't spot any, lots of surfers out about though!

Getting the overnight bus to Sydney tonight, that's going to be a 14 hour trip. Staying there until Sunday when we head off to New Zealand. We've hired a camper for 3 weeks, its going to be winter there so we're preparing ourselves for the cold weather.

The last six months in Australia seem to have gone by incredibly fast!

Koala with Baby from Lone Pine Koala Park

Me in Surfers Paradise with the Q1 Tower in the background

Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays

That's us just arrived in Brisbane this afternoon (After an 18 hour bus journey down!). Airlie Beach was very nice, very touristy but it had a nice lagoon and the weather was great. We stayed at a place called Bush Village, which was slightly out of town but quite nice. There were lots of Rainbow Lorikeets around which were very tame and shared our Breakfast with us!

Rainbow Lorikeet at Bush Village, Airlie Beach

We went out on a day trip to the Whitsundays and did some more snorkelling - it wasn't as good as Fitzroy island but still quite a lot to see. It turned out there was a Sea Snake in the water when we were in but thankfully it didn't get anyone! Then we got to Hill Inlet to look at the shifting sands of Whitehaven Beach - it was really amazing, the sea was clear as anything, you could even see the Stingrays in the water from the top of the hill! We got along to Whitehaven Beach then and got a few hours on the beach - it is a Silica Sand beach which is really fine sand.

Not much planned for Brisbane so far - going to go to a Koala Sanctuary at some point and possibly the Castlemaine XXXX Brewery - apparently there are lots of freebies!

Shifting sands from Hill Inlet

Me with Whitehaven Beach in the Background [Need to crop out the corner of the boat!]

Magnetic Island

That's us on Magnetic Island at the moment - just off Townsville, QLD. We got the bus down from Cairns yesterday, passed by loads of sugar and Banana plantations on the way. Apparently it is the place in Australia which gets the most Sunshine per year - 320 days! Its certainly been very nice weather here today, been up at Horseshoe Bay enjoying the sun, then went on a walk to Florence Bay and on the way I saw an Echidna - kind of like a Hedgehog (Native to Australia I think). Hostel here isn't very nice, we're setting off tomorrow, heading down to Airlie Beach and the Whitsundays.

The plans so far are:

• Whitsundays 29th June


• Brisbane 3rd July


• Gold Cost 6th July


• Byron Bay 8th July


• Sydney 10th July

So it's all a bit of a rush but hopefully we'll see the main sites!

On Tuesday we went Snorkelling on Fitzroy Island (on the Great Barrier Reef), it was absolutely amazing. There were loads of fish all around, and the colours of the Coral were great. Definately one of the best things I've done out here, the water seemed quite cold but you soon got used to it once we got in! Saw one of those Clownfish (like Nemo) hiding in a bit of coral and there was a shoal of fish which seemed to have thousands of fish kept swimming around us.

Anyway I've just been uploading a few more photos to flickr. We're planning to book a Camper Van for New Zealand shortly, going to be there for around 3 weeks, so it will be a long time in a small space!

Here's a snap of me in my Snorkeling gear on Fitzroy Island!

Cairns and the East Coast

That's us in Cairns now. Arrived yesterday and planning to leave on Wednesday. Had a look around the city yesterday, its a nice place but there isn't a lot to do as it is really only a base for tours to the Great Barrier Reef. We're planning to do a daytrip to Fitzroy Island, an island in the reef tomorrow.

Darwin went well, our last day there was really hot so we got to see a bit of the real heat!

We've ordered a bus pass with Greyhound today to travel down the East Coast from Cairns to Sydney with unlimited stops. It's a huge distance but hopefully with plenty stops it will be manageable!

I'm uploading my photos now so they should hopefully be up on flickr shortly. Heres a photo of Cullen Bay in Darwin to show off how tropical it was looking!

Kakadu, Litchfield and Mindil Beach Market

Been a busy few days these last couple of days! On Wednesday we went on the Tour Tub (Open-Sided bus) and did a circuit of the main sights in Darwin. We went to the Museum which had a really good exhibition about Cyclone Tracy which came here in 1974 and almost totally destroyed the city. Then we went to the Botanic Gardens, Fannie Bay Gaol and some WW2 Oil Storage Tunnels. Wednesday was apparently the coldest June day on record in Darwin - it was 22 degrees! There's also been a little rain and the locals can't believe it as usually in the dry season (April - November) they get absolutely none. It does mean theres been more rain in the waterfalls and things so it's fine in a way. It's getting steadily warmer and the forecast for tomorrow is 31.

Yesterday we went to Kakadu National Park. It's a vast park in the Northern Territory (bigger than Switzerland apparently). We went to a few cultural centres there, as there are still a lot of Aboriginals living there. We saw some ancient rock paintings, and we did a cruise on the Yellow Water Billabong. Saw loads of birds and a few wild crocs - one really big one. On the way home we went by Mindil Beach Market which is a night market which runs until 10pm at night. It had a real asian feel about it, and the temperature was quite nice for a walk around.

We went to Litchfield National Park today, a much smaller park and closer to Darwin so we didn't have to get up so early! We went on the Adelaide River first and saw some Jumping Crocodiles then went into the National Park and saw Florence Falls, Wangi Falls and Tolmer Falls. They were pretty spectacular and there were lots of folk swimming in the plunge pools (apparently they are thoroughly checked for Crocodiles before they are opened for the dry season!).

I'm going to try and upload my photos once I get a faster internet connection. Planning to have a look around Darwin again tomorrow, go to Cullen Bay and look around the centre.

Darwin

Made it to Darwin on Monday. Flight was fine - much quicker than the train! On Monday we just had a look around the centre and got settled in. It was really warm on Monday, a bit like Singapore again. Yesterday we went to Aquascene in the morning - which is a place where you can hand feed all kinds of fish, they come right into the pier and swim around your feet. That was pretty good, then we went out to Crocodylus Park which is like a Crocodile Farm. They had hundreds of Salt water and fresh water crocodiles, which they farm for their meat and skins. We made it in for a feeding so that was really good, they seem so docile then all of a sudden they turn a bit crazy! There was also a little Zoo at the park so we saw lots of different native animals.

Today we're planning to get the Open Top Tour bus and go out to the Museum and Botanic Gardens and a few other sites. Then tomorrow we're off to Kakadu National Park and on Friday we're going to Litchfield National Park and doing a Jumping Crocs tour where they feed wild crocodiles off the side of a boat and they jump out of the water for their food!

I've put some new photos on flickr but haven't had time to title them yet!

Uluru and Kata Tjuta

Me at Uluru

Got out to Uluru yesterday. We did a day tour, left at 6am! Started off by going to Mount Ebenezer, then past Mount Connor, then to Yulara (Ayers Rock Resort). Saw some 'Brumbies' (Wild Horses), Wedge-Tailed Eagles and a Kangaroo on the road out. Got into the national park and went to Kata Tjuta (The Olgas) first. They were pretty spectacular. Had a walk around them, then headed to Uluru. We got a few walks around the base and some of the caves and things are impressive and the rock paintings were quite good (although our guide told us a lot of them aren't very old). It is quite strange how it just rises out of nothing! We watched sunset over the Rock while we had a BBQ and it was pretty spectacular the way it changes colour at sunset.

Anyway the photos are up here.

I've also put up some Panoramas here

Been around Alice Springs today, we went to a baby Kangaroo rescue centre and held some baby Kangaroos. Planning to go to the Flying Doctor's Museum tomorrow. We're moving hostel as the one we're in at the moment (Annie's Place) isn't terrific!

Adelaide and The Ghan

Just arrived in Alice Springs today. First impressions aren't too bad, seems a bit rough around the edges!

Adelaide was good, went out to Glenelg (a beach-side suburb) on Monday, but as it was a public holiday lots of shops were shut. We went on a wineries tour on Tuesday which was really good, went out to the Barossa Valley and saw Jacob's Creek, VineCrest, Richmond Grove and Bethany Wines. Lots of samples at all of them! Saw Shrek 3 at the cinema in Glenelg - would highly recommend it!

Got the Ghan up to Alice Springs yesterday - got on at 12.20 got off at 13.40 the next day! It was a long trip but the time seemed to go by quite fast. There's a restaurant carriage and a lounge so you're not stuck in your seat all the time. It got dark quite early so we didn't see all that much until this morning, but it really gave the feeling you were in the middle of no-where!

We've booked a tour to Uluru (Ayers Rock) tomorrow - leave at 6am and get back at Midnight. Also thinking about going to the Devils Marbles on Saturday, but it depends on if we can find someone willing to hire us a car!

Great Ocean Road

Me at Great Ocean Road Memorial Sign

We're now in Adelaide, got the overnight bus last night from Melbourne. We're staying at a Hostel in the centre of town. Tomorrow is another public holiday-Queens Birthday this time! We're hoping to do a Winery tour, but not sure if it will be running because of the Holiday.

Great Ocean Road was really nice, we stopped the first night in Apollo Bay and the second night in Warrnambool. Saw all the main sights, and had plenty time compared to Tasmania. We hired a car again and did around 700km. The weather was ok, but not spectacular - only to be expected as it is Winter here now. The Twelve Apostles were very impressive, and there were lots of Arches and Gorges around the coast. Anglesea Golf Course was a highlight - as there are loads of Kangaroo's all around the course! My photos are up on Flickr

Heading upto Alice Springs on The Ghan on Wednesday.

Kangaroo's at Anglesea Golf Course

Tasmania

Me in King Solomans Cave (With Limestone Column)

Thats us back in Melbourne tonight from Tasmania. Got a flight from Hobart. We're staying in Melbourne International Backpackers tonight then collecting another hire car tomorrow to do the Great Ocean Road for the next few days.

Here's a brief outline of what we did in Tassie! The scenery there was amazing and really enjoyed it, the weather stayed pretty good.

Sunday

Got hire car. We got an upgrade - we ordered a Hyundai Getz and we got a Toyota Corolla. It was pretty good, roomy, nippy and seemed to be pretty efficient on fuel. By the time we returned it we had done almost 1500km! First of all we went to Cradle Mountain, via a little town called Sheffield which had lots of murals painted on the buildings, but it was quite misty so didn't see much of the mountain. We went around the West Coast instead - past Zeehan, Strahan and Queenstown. Then we went to Lake St Clair, which was pretty nice, and drove back to our Lodge in Launceston along a gravel track. It was quite a bad road but luckily we didn't see any other cars - lots of wildlife so we were going really slow.

Monday

Went to Cataract Gorge just outside Launceston - it was pretty spectacular (see the photo). Then we went out to King Solomans Cave which was full of limestone formations, I really enjoyed it. All the sites were quiet as it is winter here so we almost had the tour guide to ourselves! Then we went along to Liffey Falls, again we had to go on a gravel track to get there, but it was worth the drive as it was very picturesque. Then we drove down to Hobart (The Capital) and checked into another lodge. They were pretty ideal as they cost around the same as a hostel but we got our own little cabin with a double bed and a set of bunks, and kitchen, tv etc. They were a little bit out of town but it is fine with a car.

Tuesday

We went out to Port Arthur, on the Tasman Peninsula. There are lots of old penal buildings here from when the UK sent out the convicts. It was quite different, and a nice drive out there. We went back into Hobart in the afternoon and drove up Mount Wellington (1300m) and saw some great views up there. It was absolutely freezing so we didn't stay up top for long! We went into Hobart and looked around the shops for a little while and relaxed at night!

Wednesday

We went to the Cadbury's Factory. They make most of the chocolate for Australia at the factory, and the tour was pretty good. You got right out on the floor of the factory - some of the machinery they have is amazing. Got a few freebies! We went out to Russell Falls in Mount Field National Park in the afternoon, which was pretty nice again. Then we went into town and looked around the shop and returned our car in the afternoon - thankfully in one piece!

Me at Russell Falls

Cataract Gorge

Most of my photos are up here

Panoramic Test

This is a wee test - hopefully there will be a Panoramic of Canberra below!

Made it back!

Kangaroo I saw at the start of my climb up Mount Ainslie.

Made it back to Melbourne last night. Had a good time in Canberra, on my last day I climbed up Mount Ainslie - a Hill (843m) behind Canberra. Got a really good view from the top of it so have taken loads of photos - they're on flickr here. In the afternoon I went out to a shopping centre beside the Airport called Brand Depot - sort of like McArthur Glen in Livingston. Flew with Virgin Blue - they are one of the main 'cheap' air liners out here. Staying in a hostel in the centre of Melbourne now - Greenhouse backpackers, on Flinders Lane. It is really handy as we don't need to get a tram pass, can just walk around.

Heading off to Tasmania tomorrow night, on the boat. I'm fearing it is going to be quite rough as the Bass Strait is supposed to be quite a rough patch of water. We've hired a car (A Hyundai Getz!) for the whole time we're in Tasmania as it's quite a big place - apparently the size of Ireland! We're planning to stay in Launceston one night, and Hobart two. Flying back to Melbourne on Wednesday evening, then we'll be driving along the Great Ocean Road Thurs, Fri and then getting the overnight bus to Adelaide on the Saturday.

Not much else to say at the minute, keep the comments coming, it's good to hear from folk!

Canberra - Day 2

Australian Parliament Building

I have been pretty busy today. Got up early and went out to the National Museum of Australia first thing. That was really good - quite a new Museum building and lots of interesting stuff. Came back into town and went to the Australian National War Memorial - which is really a War Museum, it was also pretty good, and in a really nice setting. Walked down ANZAC Parade which is where all the War Memorials are, and then went to the National Capital Exhibition, which is all about Canberra - how it was planned; what was here before, etc. Everywhere I went I seemed to just beat the bus loads of School kids which was good!

Went to the Cinema tonight to see 28 Weeks Later - was o.k. but not great, passed some time as everything is closed in the evening.

Been quite a nice day but again it was quite cold. There was a lot of rain last night but seemed to have dried up by this morning.

I've uploaded some of my photos to flickr but I've not had time to title them yet, so I've put some of the best ones in here.

Captain Cook Memorial Fountain & The National Library in the background.


Parrot outside the National Capital Exhibition


Me with view towards ANZAC Parade and across the Lake to the Old and New Parliament Buildings.

Canberra

Made it to Canberra! Flight was good, up at 5.15am and got into Canberra at 9. Hostel is fine, I'm in an 8 bed dorm but not sure how many of them are taken. It is really Central, right beside a Cinema so might see something there. It was pretty cold when I landed - 7 degrees! But it soon seemed to heat up and was quite a nice afternoon.

I went over to Capital Hill to see the Parliament Building. They are in session at the moment so I got to Question Time to see The Prime Minister (John Howard) and all them! Building was pretty impressive, it was built in 1988. Also went to the Old Parliament Building, Parliament Gardens and the National Australian Art Gallery.

Its quite a strange city as it was purpose built so there are lots of circular roads and things which makes it very difficult to navigate! It seems to have been more designed for Cars than pedestrians and at times the pavements would just come to an end. Have taken lots of photos - I got a Canon Ixus 70 at the weekend so will get them uploaded ASAP.

Tomorrow I am planning to go to the National Museum of Australia, The Capital Exhibition and the War Memorial. Might go to the Science Museum if I have time - it's great because most of these Museums are free.

Electronics Troubles!

Thought I'd update this as we're at the weekend again! Was working on Monday, and we moved flat on Tuesday (as Heather is away to Kuala Lumpa, we're in a smaller flat for this week). On Wednesday I went out to Werribee - a Suburb in the South. It was fine but wasn't too much to see there. I tried to take some photos and my Digital Camera died - must have been over used! Now it just takes black photos, so since then I've been looking for a new one. Been looking at the Canon Ixus 70, and a Nikon Coolpix (Possibly L5). Would like a Digital SLR but it wouldn't be very practical so I may just get a 'cheap' camera to do me until I get home. There's alot to think about with warranties and things though. It's annoying as I was very happy with the camera I had - and my camcorder just went bust a few months ago!

Nothing much else to report. Going to Canberra on Tuesday, back on Thursday night and off to Tasmania on Saturday night. Will be strange getting back into living in Hostels. We've been looking into a few tours to do when we're in Darwin. Thinking about going to Kakadu and Litchfield National Parks and do a cruise to see jumping Crocodiles!

Going to see the new Pirates of the Carribean tonight. Anyway must get back to the Camera research. Any suggestions welcome!

Latest News

This week seems to have gone really fast! I got some temp work through the week working for www.realestate.com.au - doing some data entry and checking work mainly. Working on Monday for a Chiropractor doing some data entry for Statistical data so that will be fine as it'll be a bit of extra money!

On Friday I went to watch 1 vs 100 being filmed. It was filmed at the Melbourne City Centre Studios which are the biggest TV studios in the Southern Hemisphere apparently. They are at Docklands in the City. It was really good, had to wait for about an hour and a half before we actually got into the studio but they were quite well prepared for it and had lots of free food and drink! It's one of the main prime time quiz shows on one of commercial the channels out here, and the host is the same person who does Who Wants to be a Millionaire. The woman did quite well and won $74,000 so that was a good.

We're out of our current flat on Tuesday so will be cleaning it this weekend getting ready for that. The landlord is hopefully going to give me and Julie a smaller flat for a week (Heather is away to see family in Kuala Lumpa), but she is waiting to hear back from some people who had already viewed the flat before she can tell us for sure. Otherwise we will be in a hostel.

Been lots of rain here these past few days, and more forecast apparently. The people at work got quite excited when they saw all the rain!

Neighbours Night

Me and Harold Bishop!

Finally made it to the Neighbours Night last night, which was really good. It was a new one which has been set up by one of the stars (Toadie) as a rival to another one which has been running for years, so as not many people knew about it, there was hardly anyone there which was great as we got much longer with the stars! Toadie, Harold, Elle and Janae were there. See my photos here and Heathers photos here.

Not been much else happening lately. At the weekend we were planning to go to an Australian Rules Football game at the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) but it was sold out so we're going to try and book tickets for a game shortly I think. Went into town and had a wander around the centre on Sunday.

On Friday I went into Albert Park and had a walk around the F1 circuit. Theres a lake in the middle of it with lots of Birds so it is quite a nice area. The circuit is used as a main road when all the F1 stuff isn't in the way.

Starting to think about packing all my stuff again which is a bit of a thought! Looks like it will be Cold when we go to Tasmania and very warm in Alice Springs and Darwin so going to need clothes for all weathers. Little bit of rain today but seems to be clearing up now.

Flight Plans (Revised!)

I've gotten the flights booked so here's the plans:

Melbourne - Canberra 29/5 08.10 (arr 09.10) <- Virgin Blue Flight
Canberra - Melbourne 31/5 20.00 (arr 21.05) < - " " " " " '' "

Melbourne - Tasmania 2/6 20.00 (arr 07.00) <- Spirit of Tasmania Boat
Tasmania - Melbourne 6/6 18.15 (arr 19.25) <- Virgin Blue Flight

Great Ocean Road 7/6 - 9/6 <- Hire Car

Melbourne - Adelaide 9/6 20.30 (arr 05.20) <- Greyhound Bus Overnight

Adelaide - Alice Springs 13/6 12.20 (arr 14/6 13.45) <- "The Ghan" Train

Alice Springs - Darwin 18/6 11.50 (arr 13.50) <- Quantas Flight

Darwin - Cairns 24/6 06.45 (arr 11.00) <- Quantas Flight

Then we are planning to get an unlimited stop bus pass for the East Coast from Cairns - Sydney, and planning to leave Sydney for Auckland on the 15/6. [EDIT - The 15/7!]

Rodeo

Went to a Rodeo at the weekend, which seems to be quite a big thing out here. It was in an arena with a few thousand seats and almost a sell out! Was a bit of an experience - don't know if I would go to another ever - the horses/bulls seem to get something tied around their behind which makes them buck, don't think it can be too comfortable for them!

Also went to see the Overland train on Saturday, as it was having an open day. It is the train which runs from Melbourne to Adelaide, and is in the same group as the Indian Pacific (From Sydney - Perth) and the Ghan (Adelaide - Darwin) so it was interesting to see what the facilities were like on those. They are quite nice, incredibly big.

There was a photography exhibition on at the weekend too so that was pretty good. They had lots of demonstrations and talks by all the big camera companies and you got to see some of their new products (Blu-Ray/Hard Drive recorder!)

Not much else happening, still trying to finalise the dates for the next few weeks. Weathers staying pretty good, there has been a little more rain lately which everyone is delighted about as the drought has been getting quite serious.

The Lounge on the Overland Train (Melbourne - Adelaide)

Trip Plans

Thought it was about time I got this updated again! The time just seems to fly past. Not had a very exciting week just been living quietly! Job hunting isn't going great, just doesn't seem to be many going up.

Went to the Queen Victoria market on Friday, its great for fresh fruit and meat and stuff, quite cheap - especially towards the end of the week. Went to the Art Gallery at Federation Square on Sunday, it was quite good. Planning to go to the Parliament one day this week see if I can get in for Question Time. It is the Victorian Parliament so will be a bit like a council chambers discussion! Been looking into Canberra and I'm thinking I might take a few days to go up there in a couple of weeks as there seems to be lots there I would be interested in.

At the weekend we tried to work out dates for the rest of Australia and our flights to New Zealand/Fiji/Los Angeles, as these need to be changed shortly. Easier said than done, as there is a lot to think about! Distances here are so huge, it takes 48 hours constant travelling on the train to get from top to bottom! At the moment we're thinking about:

• Sat 2nd June Leave for Tasmania (Overnight boat from Melbourne)
• Thur 7th June Get back to Melbourne and hire a car to see the Great Ocean Road
• Sat 9th June Return hire car and get the (overnight) bus to Adelaide
• Wed 13th June Get the Ghan (Train-24 hours) to Alice Springs - to see Ayers Rock
• Mon 18th June Get the Ghan (another 24 hours!) from Alice Springs to Darwin
• Sun 24th June Fly to Cairns on the East Coast and get a bus pass from Cairns to Sydney so we can take as long down the east coast as we need to.
• Sun 15th July Fly to Auckland, probably hire a car. Looking at a spaceship!
• Sun 12th Aug Fly to Fiji
• Fri 17th Aug Fly to LA

These are very provisional at the mo! Means I'll miss Perth but it is so far away and having looked into it seems quite like Sydney/Melbourne.

Anyway that's almost my time up at the Library so I better go!

Ballarat

Another lovely day here! Just a short update to tell you what I've been doing. Had a lot of rain at the weekend, which most people around here was delighted about! The drought has been really bad and they are saying that the price of fruit and veg is going to sky-rocket shortly.

We went out to Ballarat on Sunday and although it rained all the way from Melbourne to Ballarat by the time we got off the train it had stopped and stayed away all day which was very lucky! Ballarat is a city inland in Victoria. It was build for all the gold diggers who came looking for gold! We went to see Sovereign Hill which is an open air museum set in the middle 1800's. It was really good and there was lots to see there - we went to a Gold Pouring demonstration, Sweet Making demonstration and got to tour two underground gold mines. I had a go at panning for gold but didn't find any unfortunately!

Pouring gold into a mould. $80,000 Australian Dollars worth!

Yesterday I went a walk from St Kilda beach to Brighton Beach, which is one of the big beaches around here. The walking and cycling paths around here are excellent, you are totally detached from the road and they usually even have separate paths, bridges etc for cyclists and walkers!

From Elwood Beach looking towards Melbourne

I'm still on the lookout for a job. There's another public holiday tomorrow (ANZAC Day- a holiday to remember Australia and New Zealand War Veterans) so I think all offices, shops will be closed.

Must dash as this internet cafe is quite expensive!

Puffing Billy

Puffing Billy Steamtrain

Been a lovely weekend out here, very warm. Had a bit of a shock last week when I lost my job on Thursday! They were taking on more (permanent) staff, and they didn't have enough computers, phones, etc for all of them and me! So back to the job hunting this week. At least now I've got some experience in Data Entry should be easier to get another job.

We went out to Dandenong Mountains on Sunday, and went on an old steam train called "Puffing Billy". It was pretty good, very impressive how much work has gone into preserving it all. I'm uploading some photos from it now. We stopped off in a little village called Lakeside and had lunch.

Not been much else happening over the weekend. Still got a few places to go to when we're in Melbourne - Ballarat and Bendigo we're looking into. Probably going to go to Tasmania when our flat lease runs out (towards the end of May).

I've added a counter to the bottom of the blog so I know how popular the page is!

Phillip Island

That's us back from Phillip Island, just enjoying Easter Monday before I go back to work tomorrow. Had a great weekend. We got the bus out to Cowes - the main town on Phillip Island and stayed there on Saturday night. Easter weekend was incredibly busy there and apparently there were 16,000 tourists (the population is about 3,000 I'm told!) We had a look around Cowes on Saturday and in the afternoon we hired a Peddle-boat and went a little bit out from the beach in it. On Saturday night we went to the penguin parade - it was excellent, there was lots of penguins around and we seemed to be in the right place as they walked right past us. We weren't allowed to take photos though.

Us with our bikes!

On Sunday we hired bikes and went to the Koala Reserve and the Phillip Island GP Circuit. It's a great place for bikes as theres cycle tracks all over, and we got really good bikes so that was a lot of fun. We were pretty tired by the end of it though! I've put some photos up on flickr but haven't had time to sort through them yet so some of them might be the wrong way around etc!

Koala at the Koala Reserve - we could get really close to them!

Easter

Hello! All is going well here. Another week at work done - got today (Easter Friday) and Monday off so it seems to have gone pretty fast. I've gotten moved into working on some different projects as the data entry stuff I was doing has all finished. At the moment I'm phoning people (around 6000 customers!) trying to get them to move their domain name to the people I'm working for.

Went out to Pin Oak Court today, which is where they film Neighbours (Ramsay Street!). It was really good. Just got the train out to Glen Waverley and walked. Its much smaller than it seems on TV. As you can see from the photo, its been a really nice day. I've got lots more photos on flickr of it.

Me outside The Bishops House!

Going to Phillip Island tomorrow, which is an island right on the south coast. Planning to stay in a hostel there on Saturday night and come back on Sunday. There's no public transport so I think we're going to be hiring bikes! It's not too big so should be fine. We'll head to the Penguin Parade tomorrow night as lots of Penguins come back to land at sunset from being out fishing all day. There's also a Koala Reserve so we're hoping the weather stays nice and we can get the most out of it.

Easter seems to be a big thing out here and all the big supermarkets, shops etc are closed today and Monday. Anyway I'll leave you with another photo I took today!

First Week Down!

That's the first week in the job finished! Its going good - really easy work, just involves putting companies addresses into Excel. Gets a bit boring but there's four of us doing it and we can listen to our MP3 players so it isn't so bad. I managed to get the most copied this week so I got a $100 bonus, which will come in handy!

Went to see Mr Bean on Thursday, it wasn't very good, and going to the Cinema is pretty expensive out here ($15), but made a change from staying in at nights! The days are getting shorter here now, and its usually dark by 8, but the mornings are bright about 6 so that's good. Still pretty nice weather but it has been a bit showery these last few days.

We went out to the Scienceworks museum this afternoon. It was pretty good, it has a planetarium which was especially good.

Easter is quite a big holiday out here and I think I'm getting Easter Friday and Monday off work so we're thinking about going to Phillip Island next weekend, maybe stay out there on Saturday night to watch the penguin parade!

Still waiting for Harold Bishop to be the star at the Neighbours Trivia Night before we'll go to that! Also planning to go out to the Dandenong Mountains sometime soon, as there is supposed to be a lot to see out there.

Here's a photo from my flickr account I took from St Kilda Pier. It was a bit of an overcast day but it gives a good idea of the skyline! We still haven't managed to any of the Swimming Championships as they're all either really expensive or sold out.

Found a job!

I've just heard I've gotten a job! Starting on Monday, in Data Entry, working for SmartyHost - a web hosting firm (Apparently the 3rd biggest in Australia!) It is on Collins St which is right in the heart of the city so it will be really handy. Its only for 3-4 weeks but its a good starting point.

Nothing much been happening, had an interview for the job this morning so was just preparing for that. Really hot here today - around 31 degrees!

Keep the comments coming - great to hear what everyone is upto!

Still Job hunting!

Everythings going well here, but still had no luck finding a job. Have applied for a lot but they either want experienced folk, Australian citizens or they just don't bother getting back to you! Got a few more going through the processes so we'll see how they go. Applied for one for a computer dismantler which involves taking all the guts out of a computer and sorting it out into plastic, glass and metal - which would be ideal!

Grand Prix was excellent - I've uploaded a lot of photos to flickr. It was a real job to get good photos as the cars are going so fast, and the noise was unreal. There were fly-overs by the Australian equivalent of the Red Arrows, and a Quantas Jet, on route to London, flew by really low. Incredible how many Ferrari supporters there were there.

The world swimming championships are on here at the moment too and the outdoor events are taking place at the beach beside our flat so we went to watch the Womens 10km swim yesterday. It wasn't a very nice day so I was feeling a bit sorry for them! Russia won the gold but the UK got silver.

Weather here is still pretty good - mid twenties most days but it is heading towards Autumn now, and the nights seem to be getting slightly shorter.

Latest News!

Well we've finally gotten settled into our flat - I've uploaded some photos of it on flickr. Our address is:
Flat 12
54 Acland St
St Kilda
Victoria
3182

Now, the job hunting starts in earnest! We went to the Melbourne Motor Show on Friday, which was good, all the major car companies showing off their latest models and concept cars. I've also got some photos from there on flickr.

The Grand Prix is on this Sunday so it should be really good, seems to be a whole day event with live bands, flyover etc.

It was a public holiday yesterday, for "Labour Day" so most of the shops were closed. There was a festival on by the river called the Moomba Festival, so we went along to watch the fireworks to close it, they were really good. I got some photos from there but haven't had a chance to upload them yet!

We've gotten joined up to the Library out at St Kilda (the suburb I'm living in) so it's really handy, just up the road and they rent out DVDs and Videos as well as books so gives us something to do in the evenings! Also free internet use but it's usually really busy.

Not a lot else happening, weather here is still great, high twenties most days. I think it'll be starting to get colder shortly as they move into Autumn but no sign of it yet!

Found a flat!

Found a flat this morning in St Kilda - click here to see it on the map. The flat is only available on the 7th March but the landlord had a smaller one we can use until then in the same block so we're moving in this afternoon! It seems to be a real job to get a flat here so we're pretty delighted. With the Grand Prix coming up in two weeks time and the world swimming championships are coming straight after that accommodation is becoming really scarce.

We've gotten a ticket to the Grand Prix, which is also out at St Kilda so really looking forwards to that.

Not been doing that much else lately - concentrating on the flat hunt! Our first hostel - Victoria Hall- was pretty dirty and we thought it had bed bugs so we moved out of there yesterday into "The City Centre Budget Hotel" on Little Collins St, would highly recommend it!

Went to the Queen Victoria Market on Thursday, which is a huge market in sheds not far from the centre. It has a lot of the normal tourist trash but it was really good for fresh food, meat etc.

Went to Fitzroy Gardens on Saturday, it was a very nice day so just sat in the park and didn't spend any money! Noticed my Camcorder Screen was cracked though so then had to get in touch with the insurance as it can't be used without the screen - thankfully it's covered. Went to Broadmeadows shopping Centre on Sunday and the Melbourne Museum yesterday which was really good.

Will try and get some photos up shortly, of the new flat etc! And I'll post my address when I know it!

Early departure from Merrigum!

Well, we're back in Melbourne now. Left Merrigum, and the fruit picking, yesterday. It was far too hot for us - we worked well from about 7am till 12 and got about 5 buckets a day but couldn't do much work in the afternoon because of the heat - around 35/36 degrees. This meant the money was hardly even enough to cover our costs so we thought best get out and look for some shop/office work in Melbourne. It was an experience and I've put some photos up on my flickr page!




When we were there we got trips to Shepparton, Echuca, and Kyabram. It was a pretty amazing area, the land was just flat as anything. The roads were straight as far as the eye could see. There was a very bad drought there so the grass was in very poor shape - all the cattle were skin and bones. Pears still seemed to be in ok condition! Echuca was a very touristy town, loads of paddle boats and old blacksmiths, woodturners etc.

At the moment we are staying in a Hostel in Melbourne. Planning to look for a flat once we get our bearings. Been on the trams yesterday, they are pretty good and cheap.

Merrigum!

Made it to Merrigum on Tuesday, with a one night stopover in Melbourne. Melbourne looked like a nice city so will probably go there once we're finished here. Got the train out via Shepparton which was a typical Australian town - dusty roads and flat as anything.

Staying in a Wig-Wam type thing in Merrigum. It was a bit of a worry last night as the lightning was very close and there is trees all around it! It is just a little village with a shop and a post office. Started fruit picking on Wednesday. Its very hard work for little money but a good experience none the less. Its very warm here - 33 degrees today and warmer yesterday, so it isn't ideal conditions! Filled 5 buckets today, all three of us working together. People keep saying you get better so we'll see!

Possibly going to Echuca on Sunday, which has a jazz festival on, and the employers are putting on a free bus!

Not much other news and this internet is expensive so I best go!

On the move

Just been down to the Rocks Market - lots of nice souvenirs but all very expensive! Seen most of the main sights now in Sydney and money is going down fast so we've gotten a Fruit Picking job in "Merrigum", Victoria (Near Melbourne). Starting on Wednesday so that will be an experience. The weather forecast says to expect a high of 34 degrees on Thursday!

Flying down to Melbourne on Monday, still waiting for our Tax Number but the Bank Account has been sorted.

Went to Palm Beach (Summer Bay in Home and Away) on Wednesday. Bus out there took about an hour and 45 minutes and wasn't really worth seeing but did get a photo of the surf club!

Did the Bondi - Coogee Walk on Thursday, which was good as it wasn't too hot a day. Got a few photos uploaded on Flickr with it.

Yesterday we went to Manly beach, which is a pretty nice place - lots of surfers on the go.

Not sure whether I will be able to get on the internet when we're out at the fruit picking as we are staying in a little village, but if I can I will be updating this!

Latest News

I've put a few more photos up on flickr - mainly of Bondi Beach and the Opera House.

Getting on fine, moved to the new hostel which is going fine - it doesn't have airconditioning so it gets quite hot at night but its good to have our own room. Got a Bank Account opened and have applied for a Tax Number so we can get job hunting.

Got on some of the Sydney Ferries at the weekend (Public Transport - just like buses to some of the islands in the bay.) They were good - good views of the city and got to a few beaches. Went to the Maritime Museum on Sunday which was also pretty good.

Went up the Sydney Skytower yesterday - gave really good views across Sydney as it was a nice day. Weathers been pretty consistantly hot which seems to be doing wonders for my Eczema!

Got a few more sights to see here, then we are thinking about moving out into the country and trying out some fruit picking as finding a flat in Sydney seems to be hellish at this time of year.

Times up so must go!

New Phone Number

Got a Simcard sorted, so my new number is +61 420785818. Its a vodafone prepay, which only seems to cost 25c (about 10p) to send a text to a UK number.

Not having much luck finding a flat, so have booked into a different hostel, the "Jolly Swagman!", for a couple of nights. It will be an experience as it's in Kings Cross. Got a private dorm this time which will be good. Been organising bank account and things too, but it is not easy without a permanent address.

Got a day pass for the monorail today, which was pretty good. Central Sydney seems pretty easy to navigate so could really have walked anywhere but its nice not to have to! Went to the Powerhouse Museum which is a science/technology museum - would highly recommend it, although slightly ran out of time.

There was a day trip to the Home and Away set today from the hostel - didn't do it as I don't think I would know it if I saw it! Might go to the beach at some point though, it seems to just be a random beach in Sydney.

Photos

Got LOADS of photos uploaded. Click here. Julie has also uploaded some of her better ones, which are here.

Did the City Sightseeing (open top) bus tour yesterday. Went to Side Bar (In our hostel) and Scubars (in the YHA) at night. This morning we went to a weekend market at The Rocks, lots of Craft things. Thinking about going to the Cinema tonight. Then need to start looking for Flat, Bank Account, Job, Sim Card etc!

Australia Day

Was Australia Day yesterday - incredible weather at least 30 degrees. Had lots of suncream on and still got a bit burnt. Went to Sydney Harbour and sat outside the Opera House. Got a good view of The Harbour Bridge. There were lots of activities on, flyovers by the RAAF, Tall Ships display, etc. Went to Darling Harbour in the Evening for the Fireworks, it was amazing, best I've ever seen. Got lots of Photos so will try and get them on my flickr account shortly.

Hostel is going fine, going to start looking for a flat shortly. Planning to do the Sightseeing tour on the open top bus today, possibly get out to Bondi Beach.

Sydney

Made it to Sydney! Looks like a nice city. Arrived at 6am this morning. Plane was fine enough, very boring! Got a train in from the airport to the central station. Found our way to the hostel, now just waiting to get into the room. Looks very nice - it's the "Wake up! Hostel"

Glad we made it out of Bangkok alive, the roads there were just hellish. Got a taxi back to the airport and it was only 300Bahts (around 4 quid) when the taxi in from the Airport was 1200 Bahts (about 13 quid). Think they see the tourists coming! Went to the Grand Palace the one day, it was nice but it was a really hot day and couldn't stay out in the sun too long.

Sydney wasn't very dry this morning but I think it is looking better now. Australia Day tomorrow so thinking about going down to Darling Harbour to watch the fireworks.

Keep the comments coming! I'm going to see if I can change it so that you don't need a google account to comment.

Bangkok

Arrived in Bangkok yesterday - quite a place! It's the year 2550 out here! Taxi in from the Airport was an experience - driver couldn't really speak english and tried to give a running commentary on the trip. Then he was expecting a tip and I just gave him 20Bahts (about 30p), which he didn't seem to appreciate. I didn't really have the value of the notes sussed at that point!

Hotel is really nice (Pantip Court), we've got a two bedroom suite with a balcony. Right beside a shopping centre with Boots, Starbucks etc. All the stuff in Boots is FAR cheaper here than at home, e.g. Soltan Sun Cream is under two pounds. Went to a Supermarket and got some supplies for Breakfast.

Went to the Pantip Cafe in the Hotel for tea, it was about 3 quid for Fillet steak and buffet of Starters and Puddings - as much as you can eat!

Got the Underground to the centre this morning, it is exactly the same as the Singapore one, and uses RFID for tickets aswell. Had to change and get the "Skytrain" which is a monorail type thing - it was a bit more dodgy.

Just about to go to a shopping mall with 500 shops so will see what bargains I can find! Hoping to get to the Grand Palace tomorrow then we're off to Sydney on Wednesday.

Singapore

Finally made it to an Internet Cafe! At the airport ready to depart Singapore. It was excellent. Incredibly clean city - cleaners seem to be everywhere the whole time. Hostel was nice, near to Underground station which was handy. Brief Roundup of what we did:

Day 1
Went to Sentosa Island on a monorail to the Underwater World and Dolphin Lagoon. There were incredible thunderstorms so the dolphin show was cancelled. Also went to some of the shopping Malls - Vivo City was particularly good. The number of shopping malls here is just unbelievable.

Day 2
Went back to Sentosa Island, on cable cars this time, as it was really hot so we went to the beach. Went down to Orchard Road to look around there, it was good - very flash. Also went to Suntec City and the Fountain of Wealth.

Day 3
Went to the Singapore Zoo and Night Safari. It was pretty good, night safari in particular. Saw an elephant show which was particularly good. The mini-bus out was a bit ropey and weaved inbetween all the traffic but we made it.

Just seen a Playstation 3 for 400 quid - tempting! Airport is very big. Bangkok in a few hours, I'm told it is a 'space age' airport so hopefully we'll manage!

London

Made it to London, wind caused some problems! Been sightseeing yesterday, went to Madame Tussauds, Big Ben, Downing St, Trafalgar Square, etc. Went to the Cinema at Leicster Square to see Happy Feet - wasn't very good! Travelodge is fine, quite central. We've got the Tube sussed so its really handy. Been to the BBC TV Centre today and did a tour - saw "Eggheads" being recorded and the Paul O'Grady Show.

Been Shopping on oxford St this afernoon and planning to do the City Sightseeing Tour if we get time. Also going to see a BBC Show tonight called "The Watercooler"

Flight tomorrow leaves at 10pm so we have a day to fill. It is a 12 hour flight on Quantas so plan to start taking asprins today to prevent DVT!

6 Days to go!

I was down in Edinburgh for New Year this year and only got back yesterday. Had a great time, photos are on flickr. Been packing since I got home and now have almost filled my suitcase and still got plenty more to go in!

I've also been working on getting my website set up - see it here.

Been looking at things to do in London next week, annoyingly the London Eye is closed for maintenance.

Must keep packing! Will start to use this properly when we get away.