A journal of my travels in Oz...

The Great Ocean Road 17th - 19th December

Like we hadn't had enough of road trips we touched down at Melbourne airport, grabbed a rental car and headed off down the Great Ocean Road. Our first stop was Anglesea (not at all resembling its UK namesake) where we visited the local golf course. No, this is not our new found interest but we had ulterior motives...kangaroos! Yes, at around dusk thousands of kangaroos come to hang out on the Anglesea golf course. It's an incredible sight and while the locals no doubt groan we simply stood and watched in awe.

The next day we awoke to a scorcher ... 37 degrees in the shade! With the car's air conditioning turned to full we headed off again passing pretty seaside towns and surfers hang outs to the 12 Apostles. These structures are fascinating and while we would have liked to have hung about and revelled in the wonder, the heat and flies got the better of us. Our second night was spent in Port Fairy where we finally got to have a refreshing dip in the ocean. Setting off early the next day we walked through the Tower Hill nature reserve and got to see another national emblem of Oz ... the Koala. There they were just hanging out, having a nap. Two days in and just the red back spider and wombat left to see! More Info on the Great Ocean Road, click here.

Christmas in Melbourne 19th - 27th December

Melbourne has won awards for being the most "liveable city" in the world. I'm right there with them on this one. It's almost as if they have taken all the best bits of a big city in the UK and condensed them to put them in one place. For example, where else would you be able to walk from the river to the grand prix circuit, then to the beach and a commonwealth sports ground. This place is fantastic. I suppose the only downside is its remoteness. Being in London it is possible to reach almost anywhere in Europe within 4 hours or so...fly four hours from Melbourne and you are still in Oz!

Being in Melbourne has been a great chance for Jason to catch up on comedy and he's managed to get a few gigs whilst he's been here. And bump into a couple of old friends from the comedy scene whilst at it!

For me its been a chance to fulfill my childhood dream and visit Ramsay Street (said with tongue in cheek of course)! Joined by some hardcore fans we took a trip with The King on the Official Neighbours Tour. Real WOW factor was had being stood outside Harold's house, and walking up the Kennedy's path! Not to mention the visit to Erinsborough High School. Even real cynics (including Jason) couldn't help but smile!

After a short stay in a backpackers hostel we headed for our luxurious Christmas accommodation, Annies Bed and Breakfast right by the beach in St Kilda. We couldn't have wished for a more homelier and welcoming place to be over Christmas. Anne was a great host and went to great lengths to make sure we were looked after. Christmas day itself was just fantastic ... no pressure to be anywhere in particular so we spent it on the beach. And whereas your Christmas dinner was probably turkey with all the trimmings we opted for a picnic of Champagne (thanks Sue and Scott), oysters, prawns, olives, cheese and bread, strawberries and cream. Now you've got the idea just add a beach, 26 degrees and a couple of Jason's friends for good measure and you have the perfect recipe for Christmas.

As we have travelled the world we have tried to experience local culture. Melbourne has been no exception, and no trip to Melbourne would be complete without a trip to the Boxing Day Cricket at the MCG. Having never been to a cricket match before (never mind an international test) we weren't sure what to expect. Going on previous form Pakistan did incredibly well against Australia, although I'm not sure many of the fans noticed...they were more intent on soaking up the sun and drinking beer to notice! As the beer and sun took their toll there were a few scuffles, mostly between mates! Apparently this is all just tradition?

Blue Mountains and Jenolan Caves 27th - 29th December

Hurray for Virgin Blue! This airline is to Australia what Easyjet is to the UK. So, after arriving into Sydney in style(?), we headed straight out by train to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains. Plugged as Sydney's wilderness getaway (this should have been a hint for the number of visitors there) the area has some truly fantastic scenery ... cliffs, bushwalks, gorges and Scenic World! Yes, Scenic World, where you can ride the Skyway, Flyway, and Railway...for a price of course. After an exhilerating 3 hour tramp through a cliff pass and forest we arrived at Echo Point and the magnificent Three Sisters rock formation. I say magnificent and they were, but only if you could get a view past the million or so tourists that were there! After New Zealand where the population is around 4 million this was all a bit of a shock to the system.

And just to finish here's a bit of trivia for you. If by chance you find yourself on "Who wants to be a millionaire?" and the million pound question goes something like...

Q: What gives the Blue Mountains their characteristic blue hazy colour?

You can confidently reply...

A: It's the result off the oily fine mist given off by the eucalyptus Chris

And I expect a cut of the winnings.

On our second day we set out to explore Jenolan Caves, in particular Lucas Cave, discovered in 1860. The tour, of about 1.5 hours, took us through the widest and highgest chambers in the system and spectacular formations like the broken column. Around $4 million dollars have recently been spent on a state of the art lighting system which helps to show the chambers and formations at their best. But it is all in stark contrast to our experience of caving in Belize. Both expereinces clearly have their own merits.

Seeing in New Year in Sydney 29th December - 4th January 2005

Arriving in Sydney is a bit like arriving in a dream. There are so many places that you feel you have already visited ... the harbour, opera house and Sydney harbour bridge. But to see it for real is overwhelming. Even more so seeing it on New Years Eve. For years I have watched the new year celebrations in Sydney on the TV and to be a part of it was very special and very poignant with the terribel disaster in South East Asia. We decided to go hardcore and pitch for the best spot from 10am! And 14 hours later we weren't to be disappointed. The locals went home a little disappointed about the "ball". Not sure how much coverage this got at home but for weeks the organisers had promised big things for the "ball", which was on the theme of reflections. However, as the fireworks fazed out crowds of people were left, arms crossed and bottom lips out, wondering when the finale was going to happen. Alas, that was it. It seems the sole purpose of the giant disco ball was to rise up into the arch of the bridge. Good enough for us Poms but some people are just never satisfied!

Turns out Sydney isn't so bad for shopping either! WIth all my winter clothes sent home it was time to replenish the wardrobe (a.k.a. rucksack). We also managed a trip out to the botanic gardens to see the huge bats, and a day out on the beach in Manly too. It was also great to meet up with my friend Dympna and her husband for lunch in Darling Harbour. So nice to see a friendly face being so far away from home!

Meeting Uluru and The Olgas 5th - 10th January 2005

Arriving in Alice Springs was a bit like arriving in Milton Keynes ... only a bit smaller. Alice is only 125 years old and started out as a town called "Stuart" ... renamed to Alice Springs after the wife of the superintendent of telegraphs! However it has grown rapidly over the past few years to accommodate tourists travelling out to Uluru (Ayers Rock), although it's still another 5 hour drive from here!

From Alice we picked up a 3 day tour with Mulgas Tours and our guide Mick showed us the sights. Day one started with a 6.30am set off … by 8.00am we found ourselves riding camels and by 10.00am helping a stranded couple whose car had a puncture! It was starting to feel like a real adventure into the outback.

Our first destination was Kings Canyon for a 3 ½ hour walk around the top of its 100m high walls. It provided a taster of what was in store at Uluru and The Olgas. After a quick stop for firewood we made it into camp late and set about helping Mick make dinner and a camp-fire. Armed with only a spade, Mick provided a fantastic presentation on how to do a “number 2” in the bush. And then how to make our “swag”. For those of you not accustomed with Oz speak a swag is what you sleep in … little more than a sleeping bag with a thin mattress. Which means that for arguments sake you are pretty exposed to the elements and the creepy crawlies. The upside is a picture perfect view of the stars … shooting ones too.

Day two and getting up at 3.45am meant only 4 hours sleep. Still, the views of sunrise over Uluru (the biggest monolith in the world!) was well worth it. And after breakfast we headed off for another hike, this time around the Valley of the Winds and Kata Tjuta (The Olgas). The Olgas are a collection of bizarre looking rounded dome rocks (up to 546m high) that hold great significance for the Aborigines. Then later a trip to the Aboriginal Cultural Centre and Mick treated us to some more of his stories around the base of Uluru before waiting for sunset and another night in our cosy swags.

By standards on day 3 we had a bit of a lie in … until 4.45am! It was off to see the sun rising behind Uluru. I don’t think I could ever tire of seeing this magnificent spectacle. It really is beautiful. We walked around the base of Uluru before heading back on the long trip to Alice. A few beers helped the 5 hours go a little faster!

Back to Sydney, we climbed the harbour bridge... which was like being on top of the world. I lapped up the culture of the Opera House Tour with a friend Sophie and Jason even managed to squeeze in a comedy show with Brian Damage and Crystal Clear, before we boarded another plane and hit Brisbane, Queensland - the sunshine state!

Brisbane 11th - 17th January 2005

How lucky were we? Neil (an old family friend) and Nicole offered to put us up whilst we were in Brisbane. What welcome relief to be staying in somewhere different to a hostel. And what a different life they have over here ... their three girls can spend as much time as they like in the pool in the back garden, go to Life Saving club on a weekend and there's almost 365 days of sunshine here.

Comedy is big in Brisbane ... and Jason conitnued his (what's turning into an) Australian tour and performed at 3 different venues over 3 nights! Even Neil and Nicole managed a laugh or two when they came along!

Brisbane is also home of Steve 'Crocodile Hunter' Irwin and we visited his Australian Zoo to see the man himself in action and an excellent 1.5 hour show with crocodile, snakes, birds, tigers. In addition a chance to feed some roos and have pictures taken with koalas. "Crikey" ... have a look at the Crocodile Hunter's website!

A few days on the beach with the kids we headed north for Hervey Bay and Fraser Island.

Hervey Bay and Fraser Island 17th - 20th January 2005

There is a song our ranger Graham (from Cool Dingo Tours) played every morning on our 3 day tour ... 'Welcome to Australia - you might accidentally get killed'! And true to this Fraser Island is the place to see this very same dangerous sort of wildlife mixed in with the beauty of the largest sand island in the world. Spiders, sharks, jelly fish, crocodiles, and of the top 10 deadliest snakes in the world, Fraser has 6 of them. In fact if there is 2 words you do not want to hear precede any of these animals - it is 'Common' and 'Deadly' yet worryingly most of them are named both. We saw the Common Death Adder (number 7 in the list of deadly snakes) and the Common deadly sea snake (Number 1!!!). And lets not forget the dingos on the island killed a 9 year old boy 2 years ago. So putting this all to one side the island really is beautiful ... fresh water lakes, white sand, creeks, rainforest, sand dunes ... just look at the photos.

Midwife to a Turtle in Mon Repos 21st January 2005

Between November and March, Loggerhead and Green Turtles head for Mon Repos beach to lay their eggs where they hatch and race for the sea. David Attenborough style we headed for the beach as part of a tour and after waiting a few hours were called to see a nest explode with hatchlings. From the sand 98 baby turtles fought their way through whilst researchers gathered them up, counting and measuring every one. Once they had all come through 6 lucky onlookers were allowed to help with their release ... forming a path of light with their torches and guiding them to the sea, whilst the newly hatched turtles follow the light to reach for the relative safety of the water. I felt like the luckiest girl alive when I was chosen and stood ankle deep in the water encouraging the baby turtles between my legs (with a few straying over my feet) and into the sea. It has gone straight in as the number 1 highlight of the trip so far! I was even interviewed by a TV crew making a travel show!

We loitered around the centre hoping to see more and just after midnight got the call that a mother turtle had landed on the beach to lay her eggs. We watched in amazement as the 100kg/1 metre long loggerhead turtle dig a nest in the sand, lay 121 eggs, cover the nest and make a slow return to the sea. Unfortunately, the researches felt that she had chosen a place too close to the edge of the dunes, so we helped relocate all 121 eggs to a safer spot. Our brush with nature finished, we returned home at 3am - like proud parents!

Sailing the Whitsunday's (Pirate Style) 23rd - 29th January 2004

Airlie Beach was our next stop heading north on the east coast of Oz. With images of white sands, turquoise waters and glaring sun in mind we came back down to earth with a bump when we were faced with nothing more than a cyclone! After 3 days of being weathered into the hostel we were chomping at the bit to get out to the islands on our sailing ship the Solway Lass.

Solway Lass, with her 10 sails, is a massive 127ft in length and weighs around 170 tonnes. She has the most amazing history and it was quite a privilege to be sailing on her. Originally built in Holland in 1902 and named Stina, she has survived both of the World Wars, under the hands of the Germans and British. As if that wasn't enough for a lifetime of a ship, she became a coal carrying vessel between Liverpool and Scottish ports. The rest of her life lies around fetching and carrying in the South Pacific until finally in 1983 a Sydney Businessman bought and rebuilt her and in 1988 took pride of place in the 1st Fleet re-enactment of the Tall Ships into Sydney Harbour.

In the light of the recently departed cyclone, our skipper decided to play it safe so our first night was spent in the marina. But an early start saw us journeying out to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. Although the weather still wasn't up to scratch it was refreshing to be out of Airlie and on to the white sands of Whitehaven Beach and some snorkeling in Blue Pearl bay (albeit decked out in a stinger suit...protection against the deadly box fish jellies!).

On board we got to hang out with some great people and had some real fun. The crew were incredible and Micca rustled up some beautiful meals (in a kitchen no bigger than 8' by 4'!). Despite the first couple of days of overcast skies, the sun shone out on our third and final day. Unfortunately, our skipper saw fit to spend the entire morning recovering a lost anchor so little in the way of activity that day. He almost had a mutiny on his hands as the 27 passengers, confined to the ship whilst he did his business gradually went stir crazy. The complaint is in the hands of the company, so we'll see what we get in way of compensation from that.

The best wreck dive in the world 30th January 2004

The dive we'd been looking forward to since hearing about it in Fiji had finally arrived. After a lazy day in Ayr we set out with Yongala Dive to visit one of the world's best wreck dives, the SS Yongala. She sank in a cyclone on the 23 March 1911and remained undiscovered for almost 50 years. Lying in around 30 metres of water and 100m long it is the largest and most intact historic shipwreck in Australian waters. With a strong current at the surface I suppose you could say I chickened out. Freaked out is probably more accurate! After reaching the descent line I felt so uncomfortable that I abandoned the dive and made my way back to the dive boat, but breathing so heavily I had used almost a quarter of my air.

After a pep talk from Jason and Baz (our dive master) I made it down on the second dive and as promised found hardly any current at the wreck. Best dive in the world? I have to agree. Giant Queensland gropers, schools of trevally and cobia, queenfish, barracuda, turtles, sea snakes, eagle rays and puffa fish are all mentioned in my divers log. It was hard to take in that the coral and sea life were all there because of this wreck. I haven't seen and doubt I will see such a magnificent site again.

Goodbye Oz from Cairns 31st - 3rd February 2004

Our last port of call before departing for SE Asia has been Cairns...home to the rich and famous. Just a few days here, kicking back and relaxing before flying off to Singapore. So long Australia!