En route to Sydney my next destination was Byron Bay. I arrived late afternoon, laden down with my (getting heavier by the minute) rucksack, and checked in at First Sun Caravan Park, where I had booked a cabin for the next three nights. The cabin was small with a double bed, sofa, TV and fridge but it was very cosy. I dumped my bags in the room and went out to the tourist information centre where I booked myself on a half day horse-riding trip and an early morning climb to the top of Mount Warning to watch the sunrise. With a couple of activities to look forward to I went to buy breakfast stuff and a couple of beers and spent a lovely evening chilling out and watching TV with a cool Castlemaine XXXX.

The next day I had a free day, so I walked to Cape Byron Lighthouse. It was about 3km away and is the most easterly point on mainland Australia. It was tough going as it was mostly uphill and it was the hottest day by far. But it was worth the effort because I walked through a scenic coastal rainforest and when I arrived the views were spectacular. I spotted a turtle in the sea and then along came a pod of 15-20 dolphins hunting and playing in the surf. They looked small from my vantage point but you could still see them blowing air from their blowholes. A few other people noticed this amazing sight and we all watched transfixed for over an hour. It is truly a wonderful sight and one that makes you feel very happy.

Everyone seemed so relaxed here and there was hardly anyone on the beach so it is easy to find a spot for yourself. The beaches are fantastic – long beautiful golden sands that stretch for miles, with the crystal clear blue water lapping at its edges.

After spending another evening chilling out I was up early for horse-riding. I was picked up at a local bar by the people who worked at “Seahorses” and we drove to Lennox Heads where we unloaded the horses. The girls saddled them and we were then allocated the horses, depending on our riding ability. I was given a brown horse called Buttons. We gently rode along seven mile beach, walking, trotting, and cantering for a while. I love horses but don’t ride that often so when I do I just love it. Especially when you ride in a setting such as that one- a long, sprawling beach with only the smell of the sea, and the wind in your hair.

We got back to where our vehicle was parked and changed into our swimming gear. The horses were de-saddled and we led them towards the sea. My horse, Buttons, apparently didn’t like water so I had another horse called Kira. I tried to get on Kira, with the help of one of the girls’ thighs, but every time I tried her leg gave way! Too many cakes?! No! She just had a weak thigh! Eventually I managed to climb onto Kira but it was all I could do to stay on. It is really hard to stay on a horse with no saddle. My thighs got a really good workout! Kira was led into the water with me sliding around on top. We didn’t go into the water that deep but we both loved it- me with a massive smile on my face and Kira pawing at the water with her hooves to keep cool. Afterwards we had a lovely BBQ. It was such a great day- doing something you love in great surroundings and with good people (and animals). It was one of those days that makes you feel glad to be alive.

I got back to Byron Bay to prepare for my very early morning start to Mount Warning. I got up at 1.20am and waited in the car park, as instructed, until 2.30am. No one came to pick me up. The security guard said that if they arrived he would come and get me from my cabin. I went back and stayed awake until 3.15am just in case they arrived late. But still no one came so I went back to bed. You cannot imagine how disappointed I felt. I was really looking forward to hiking to the top of Mount Warning to watch the sunrise.

The next day I went to the tourist office to find out what had happened. I explained that I was never picked up despite me booking the trip. The travel agent rang the guy in charge of the trip and he told me that there was a mix up with the booking. He promised that if I ever went back to Byron Bay I could get the trip for free. I wonder whether he will remember saying that after nine years!

I had a lovely few days in Byron Bay. I totally recommend it to anyone who is thinking of going there. I spent my remaining hours there in a little café sheltering from the rain. When it finally stopped I walked to the beach to watch the surfers until it was time to get the coach to Coffs Harbour.

Next Time: Bondi Beach and the Blue Mountains 🙂 🙂

I was always a fan of Steve Irwin’s Crocodile Hunter shows. So when I was in Brisbane I had to make the trip out to Australia Zoo. The zoo is located about an hour north of Brisbane, in Beerwah near the Glasshouse mountains.

The zoo is 100 acres and there is a lot to see. I fed elephants, saw lizards, dingoes, alligators, camels and crocodiles. Agro has his home there. Being an avid fan of Steve Irwin’s, I knew Agro was a huge, fearsome, black saltwater crocodile who always featured in Steve’s wildlife shows.

Afterwards I went to see the “Crocoseum”, which cost AUD$90m to construct. A large, enclosed viewing area where you can watch birds flying, tigers playing, and snakes and crocodiles being fed.

Then to the kids zoo and, being a kid at heart, I fed the goats and sheep. I also picked up some “roo” food and wandered through “Kangaroo Heaven” where you can feed the kangaroos by hand. They are very tame and a couple of the females had joeys in their pouches, which were very cute.

Then to the “Tiger Temple” which was, back then, the zoo’s newest enclosure. There I watched the trainers play with these huge cats. They were just like domestic cats, although not so little, pouncing and leaping in the water trying to grab a black bin liner on a stick. That game, however, didn’t last long as they burst the bin liner within minutes with their sharp claws. Along with dolphins, tigers are my favourite animals, so this was the best part of the day. I stood and watched them for ages.

On the way to the zoo the bus driver had explained that Steve was the only person allowed to ride a motorbike in the park so, if we saw anyone on a motorbike, it could only be him. I noticed that a few people were watching the park attendants trying to catch a small snake which was lurking in the undergrowth. Small but seemingly venomous. All of a sudden a motorbike came round the corner, and riding on it was Steve and Terri Irwin! They didn’t stop but they waved at a few people and went on their way. I have always loved him and think he was brilliant at what he did, mad but brilliant, and, for me, this was one of the highlights of my trip.

Back at Annie’s I got myself a bottle of wine to celebrate my last night in Brisbane. My intention (as always) was not to drink the whole bottle but as the night went on, more people came to join me. Rupert and Gloria, who looked after Annie’s, were so friendly and made everyone feel at home and at ease; Hugo and Annie, who were from Belgium, were going home after 8 months there; Christine, from New Zealand, was waiting for her daughter to arrive; Toni, from Cairns and in Brisbane because her husband was in hospital there; and a couple from Melbourne, who originated in Ireland and lived up North somewhere. We all sat around and had a few drinks and chatted. Gloria even made some pasta for us all. It was such a lovely night, hence to say I drank all my wine and went to bed, happy as the cat who’d got the cream. It’s so nice meeting friendly people like that. It really does enrich your life. And the next day I was off to Byron Bay for the next leg of my Australian odyssey.

Next Time: Dolphins and Horses in Byron Bay 🙂 🙂

Travelling to the other side of the world has its downside. The journey time is just so long. When I first went to Australia the flight from the UK was 19 hours including a layover in Singapore, another 7 to Brisbane and a 4 hour train ride to Bundaberg. But it’s definitely worth it.

Once there I always try and stay awake until normal bed time. That way I can get my body clock back into sync quicker. So that first trip I went to bed at 9.30pm and I didn’t wake up until 12pm midday the following day! I can safely say my body was back in sync!

That was my very first trip to Australia and I was visiting my Mum’s cousin, Gill, and her husband, Norm. Gill emigrated to Australia in the early 70s as part of the “10 pound pom scheme” and has lived in Bundaberg ever since.

When I finally got up I was disappointed to learn that Norm had already been out to catch dinner. Only because I wanted to go with him. But I got to watch as he sliced in half three crabs. You cannot get fresher than straight from the river, cooked and served. And, together with prawn cocktail and wine, they went down a treat.

Bundaberg, sits on Queensland’s east coast, some 15 km inland from the Coral Sea. Bundy, as it is locally called, apparently gets its name from the Kabi aboriginal word- bunda, which means important man and the German suffix- berg, meaning mountain. Bundy is famous for brewing its own rum- Bundy Rum- and is a major exporter of sugar cane which is grown in the fields around the city

One week in and I had done quite a bit with my relatives. We drove from Bundy to the town of 1770. Originally known as Round Hill, the town of 1770 is where Captain James Cook and the crew of HM Bark Endeavour made their second landing in May 1770. 1770 is a small village with the population standing at just 76. However, even though small, it’s natural beauty is stunning with pristine beaches and huge waves where people come to surf and enjoy the water activities. There is also a marina where you can take trips to Lady Musgrave Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

From there we travelled to Agnes Water, about 8 km to the south of 1770. This place gets its name from pastoral holding which was leased out in 1883. The holding was named after a schooner, called Agnes, which was lost at sea. The town was very remote until the mid-90s, and it was not developed until the road was completed. Activities in Agnes Water include biking, camping and surfing.

Fraser Island was the next destination on our list and what a treat that was. The island was listed as a World Heritage site in 1992. We chose a tour which took us to several parts of the island, but we only saw a little of what this beautiful place has to offer. There is a large diversity of habitats- rainforests, eucalyptus woods, mangrove forests, sand dunes and coastal areas. It also hosts a wide range of fauna, from dingoes, whales, and birds, to the occasional salt water crocodile.

It is the biggest sand island in the world. 80% is covered in plants and trees due to the mycorrhizal fungi which occurs naturally and is present in the sand. There are plenty of interesting things to see: There is a stretch of beach which houses the remains of SS Maheno, an ocean liner which was used as a hospital ship during World War l. In 1935 a cyclone caused the Maheno to drift and disappear, taking with her eight men. She was found beached off the coast of Fraser Island where she rests, mostly disintegrated and covered with rust, in the sands of 75 mile beach.

75 mile beach is also home to The Pinnacles, cliff faces of cement-like red, brown and yellow coloured sand. These three-coloured cliffs are formed by the sand being stained by minerals filtering through over thousands of years.

Eli Creek is the largest freshwater creek on Fraser Island, with millions of litres of water flowing through and into the ocean. There is a boardwalk which allows you to walk alongside the creek and enter the water. It is cold and very clear. I tentatively got in and started wading towards the beach and the ocean. On either side of the creek the sandy bottom drops a little, and as I waded through the water I lost my balance and ended up getting completely wet, still fully clothed. I knew I should have wore swimwear!

Lake Garawongera is a perched lake which means that the lake itself sits on a layer of compact sand and vegetable matter 100 metres above sea level. We were told that this freshwater lake has properties in it that will clean jewellery, so I put it to the test by submerging my hands in order for the water to clean the rings on my fingers. It seemed to work.

Saying my farewells to my family and saving myself AUD$62, by bumming my way to Brisbane with one of Gill’s colleagues, I was onward bound and planned to spend a few days in the capital of Queensland. Arriving around midday, I checked into a swanky backpackers place called The Yellow Submarine. Yellow it was, swanky it was not. I checked in, dumped by bags and went bravely to the communal area. Only to shirk away in horror when I realised that there seemed to be no solo travellers. They had all made friends before I got there! Had I been a little braver I would probably have found that there were nice, friendly people there who wanted to chat and have a good time. But this was the first time I had ever been travelling so I felt a little intimidated. Instead I spent hours walking round the city through botanical gardens, mooching through the shopping areas and museums and sitting awhile on the man-made beach in South Bank Parklands. You name it I walked passed it or into it that day, wondering what I was going to do about the accommodation.

I got back at 5.30pm, had something to eat, and enquired about a B&B up the road, which was just a couple of dollars more than I was paying, but (the best thing) I wouldn’t have to sleep on a bunk bed in, what can only be described as, a cell. I ended up paying for a twin room and had to pay for the other person that might arrive because I really did not want to share. I just like my privacy is all. In fact I am glad I made the move to Annie’s Shandon Inn. It was so much more homely and comforting. I even got to have dinner with the owners.

Having been on my own for just over a week I was determined to fit in and have a good time. It’s just that I didn’t feel much like staying in hostels. However, this made me miss home for the first time but I was still intent on making the most of my time here.

Next time: A Trip to Steve Irwin’s Australia Zoo  🙂

Cast: Me- myself; Helen- my mum’s cousin; Ernie-Helen’s husband; Scott-Helen and Ernie’s younger son; Craig-Helen and Ernie’s older son; Tanya- Craig’s wife; Amy- Craig and Tanya’s daughter; Mark- my friend; Wilson- Mark’s boyfriend

I arrived in Adelaide on Christmas morning and was greeted in the arrivals hall by my family- Helen, Ernie and Scott. It’s always nice to see them again- they make me feel like I have never been away.

We drove to Mount Barker and spent a few hours with Tanya’s parents to celebrate Christmas. The usual trimmings- roast turkey, roast potatoes, veggies- and a few celebratory drinks BUT with the sun shining high in the sky and not a snowflake anywhere to be seen. I was chuffed to be invited actually, even though I had told Helen I might be tired from the flight. But I was glad I went. I even got some Christmas pressies which I wasn’t expecting.

We stayed until around 3pm, said our goodbyes and made our way home where we just relaxed in front of the TV. Considering I had only had about four hours sleep on the flight I managed to stay awake until around 10 and, boy, I slept well.

I slept until 1.00pm the next day and was woken to Helen knocking on the door saying:

“Gill, it’s 1.00pm. Are you getting up soon? I’m going to bed in 8 hours!”

I could have slept some more but I knew I would feel worse so I dragged my weary backside into the shower to wake up.

Not long after Scott came by and asked if I wanted to go to see the beach.

“No, am OK.” I said.

“What?” he replied, “You’ve come all this way and DON’T want to see the beach?”

Not that I haven’t seen the beach before. I have walked up and down that beach a few times before but he was right, what was I thinking?

“OK then.” I said a little more enthusiastically. And off we went to visit Noarlunga and Christie’s Beach. The coast line along the Adelaide shore is just beautiful- huge yellow sandy beaches and perfect blue water and only relatively few people enjoying it. Mind you, you have to be careful in the perfect blue water. Only a few days previously there were helicopters shooing away a huge white pointer shark.

Scott and I get on like the proverbial house on fire. As soon as we met, way back in 2005, we hit it off straight away and even back then it felt like I had known him for ages. And I love that in someone. And when we don’t see each other for a long time- we just pick right back up where we left off-like we were continuing a conversation from yesterday. We chat, we take the piss, and we joke around. We generally have a great time together. We can talk about anything and we can chat for hours on end. (Well he mostly chats and I listen!- see even now I can joke with him).

As I have been an exercise freak since earlier in the year I was keen to do a bit of exercise when I was in Australia, so Scott suggested a hike up Mount Lofty which is 15 km east of Adelaide city centre. It was named by Matthew Flinders in 1802 as he travelled around Australia. It was also used as a navigation assistant during the WWII.

We left home around 6.00am and arrived at the car park to meet Craig and Amy who were joining us for our hike. Before we started the climb we checked out the map which showed the different routes you could take to the top.

I said “Where are we?”

Amy burst out laughing. She pointed at the map to show me a large, red “YOU ARE HERE” sign.

She giggled “We are here!”

That was it for about 30 minutes. She couldn’t stop laughing at my lack of being observant.
The route took us upward and through some typical Australian bush-land-very steep in places but it definitely woke us up. The views over the whole of Adelaide and beyond are stunning so the effort is totally worth it.

There were lots of people out and about that morning. All going up or coming down- walking or running, doing their daily exercise. It’s a beautiful walk. I kept stopping to admire the views and take photographs of the trees and the birds. Not one person was in awe of the cockatoos and macaws that were flying from tree to tree. I guess you become blasé to your surroundings when you live somewhere. And I know I am guilty of it myself but I wish people would just stop now and again and appreciate what is around them. Smell the roses so to speak.

Back at the bottom we stopped for coffee on the way home and went back to relax before the evening’s event- Adelaide 36ers VS Townsville basketball match. I have no idea what is going on in basketball and although this was my second match I had been to-both times in Adelaide- I still asked a million questions. I am not even sure whether you say “match” or “game.” Scott was quite patient with me and answered them even though I have forgotten what he told me already. Amy got a fit of the giggles again when I asked if it had started yet.

“NO!” she laughed at my poor attempt at keeping up with the proceedings.

The following day Helen and Ernie’s friends came over so I got to stay home and drink wine all day. Happy as a pig in shit!

In my attempt to exercise whilst on holiday I went into the city one day with Scott and Craig and had a very pleasant walk along the Torrens River. On the way back we strolled through the Botanic Gardens.

I have very few pictures of my previous visits to Adelaide so I happily meandered behind the boys taking loads of photographs. We ended the day with an obligatory beer in the Austral Hotel-an establishment that had been in Adelaide for many generations and one I always visit when I am in town.

I was off to Melbourne for New Year’s Eve so I left Adelaide for three days so I could visit my friend Mark, who has been living in Taiwan for the past few years. He is originally from Adelaide but now he and his boyfriend are living in Bayswater- a little suburb outside Melbourne’s city centre.

I arrived in Melbourne just after midday and took the sky bus to the city where I caught the train to Bayswater- about an hour away. Mark and Wilson were there to greet me. It was great seeing Mark again. The last time I saw him was in 2011 when he came to Thailand for a holiday.

I have known Mark since 2007. I was in Australia and I did a six day tour from Alice Springs to Adelaide and he was the bus driver for the tour company. We hit it off straight away and have been friends ever since.

The first day we didn’t do much- had dinner and a few wines and a good old catch up. The next day I was supposed to get up with Mark at 6am and spend the day at work with him but during the night I had such bad toothache that I didn’t sleep very well. So I ended up staying in bed and going back to sleep. I slept until the afternoon. My toothache eased off a bit and I was glad I had stayed home because we were going into the city to watch the fireworks and I wouldn’t have been up for it if I had been up so early.

Mark and Wilson got home later in the afternoon and we had dinner and some more wine. We got ready and got on the train back into the city. It wasn’t that busy when we arrived so we wandered along Southbank watching the people waiting for the countdown. The drinks were so expensive we only had one each- I can safely say it was the most sober New Year on record.

We decided to walk to Kings Domain- another area where the fireworks could be seen easily. But when we got there we realised there were too many trees to see the whole of the city skyline, so we walked back to Southbank where we waiting amongst the ever increasing hordes of people. Southbank is one of Melbourne’s major entertainment areas with loads of bars and restaurants, a casino and an aquarium amongst other things. And on that night more than half a million people to boot.

Twelve midnight struck. Twelve ten the fireworks were over. Seriously?! We were waiting three hours for ten minutes excitement. The fireworks were good but I have seen better. We said our “Happy New Year’s” and left. AND my toothache was back with a vengeance-no alcohol to numb it. I just don’t think I was in the party mood. I was so glad when we got home considering it took over an hour to walk back to the station- normally a two minute walk. Just one more thing before I stop complaining- we got home after standing the whole way AND we had to change trains-goddammit! (Actually that’s two things!)

I swear to god I am staying in on New Year’s Eve from now on- I just find it all one big anti-climax. There are too many people and it’s so very expensive. BAH HUMBUG! (I blame it on the toothache!)

After falling into bed around 3.00am the next day we all slept late, had breakfast and took a trip out to the Dandenong Ranges-that’s more like it!

The Dandenong Ranges are a set of low mountain ranges around 35 km east of Melbourne. On the way we stopped at Emerald where we sat and had lunch by a little lake and a stroll through the park. The ranges are simply stunning. A rainforest of huge Mountain Ash trees which stand majestically all around you, carpeted by a thick undergrowth of ferns. The area is the remains of an extinct volcano which was last active 200 million years ago. It kind of reminded me of the steamy atmosphere in “The Lost World”- you could almost imagine crossing paths with a dinosaur or two.

We started to walk through the forest following one of the trails passing a few folk on the way. Ever since I first travelled round Australia it always amazes me that there are very few people in these places. Sure there were people walking and running through the forest but no one just sightseeing like me. That’s people being blasé again or do the tourists not know about this place? Anyway I wasn’t complaining I kind of like it when there aren’t many people around. Plus we saw a huge branch, actually we heard the crashing before we saw it, but a huge branch came crashing from above. We were alone and the only ones that saw that piece of nature in action. Crazy? Silly? Neither, just an appreciation of nature and the realisation that nature continues whether we are there or not.

We came to a sign and realised the trail looped around towards the car park and it said 4.6km. We carried on walking. The trail was easy going most of the way although there were a few steep parts-both up the way and down the way. We eventually got to another sign and it was still 2.2km to go. You know when you walk or run anywhere and when you get to your destination the distance ends up being much less than what you thought? It was like that. Finally, after 2 hours, we made it back to the car park and we found out we had actually walked 11.5km. Great exercise and a photographers candy shop. It was a fantastic day topped off with a barbeque and a few wines with Steve and Graham-two of Mark’s friends.

After a quick photographic walk along Southbank in the city the next day I flew back to Adelaide for the last few days of my holiday.

I always love going to Adelaide.

Helen and Ernie make me feel so welcome, although I have been banned until 2020. They are joking (I think). We all get on so well and we share a lot of laughs along the way. It feels like home away from home.