12 Apostles

Last weekend we went to the 12 Apostles. We had a great time. Shame the weather wasn't great but well worth a trip!

Melbourne

And now we are in Melbourne. We again stayed with some friends so get on our feet. We arrived on a Saturday and I started work on the Monday so I didn't really have time to get my bearings. I have been here a month now and I still have not fully got my bearings. I am enjoying going out though and there is plenty of shopping to do here. It is alot colder now but drier here. It is very different to everywhere else I have been!

Brisbane

We decided to drive to Noosa, which is north of the sunshine coast. It was very pretty, alot like Cairns again and we were really glad we went there! We managed to drive back through the Glass House Mountains as well. Nothing special but worth a look!

One of the places we visited was Byron Bay and it was really lovely! This is a place that everyone has to go when in Australia. It is the furthest Eastern point in Oz that you can go. Would be a great place to go surfing as well!

We had not originally decided to go to Brisbane but I am very glad we did now. We stayed with family friends who have a lovely house. They were kind enough to lend us their car as well so because we had that added freedom we got to see alot more.

A place that is not good to go surfing (for beginners anyway) is Surfers Paradise. There are lots of sand banks and rips just like in Bondi but I thought it was even worse that Bondi.

We decided to rent some boards and go down there. It was awful! We are both strong swimmers and ok when it comes to surfing now, but that is the second time we have felt out of our depth. We went out in the wrong conditions for sure! So if you are going to go, I would go with an instructor or make sure you pick the right weather and what ever you do, don't listen to the guy trying to get you to rent his board. We were out in the water for 10 minutes, we had paid 50 dollers to rent the boards for 2 hours and he did not give us a cent of our money back!

The second week that we were on the Gold Coast we caught the train into Brisbane. The city seemed smaller than Sydney. We had a look around and had some dredful food in a bar type restaurant place which looked nice but turned out to be horrible!

We regretted not seeing more of the city itself but we ran out of time in the end.

We wished we had gone to Frazer Island. It looks so beautiful and we were so sad when we didn't get the chance to go.

We also took a drive up Mount Tamboreen, about 5 minutes from where we were staying. There are some great views of Surfers Paradise from the top of the mountain. And we visited a few of the vineyards while we were up there. Very nice place! Very quiet! Do not call into the 7 eleven type shop on the way back down towards Nerang.... very odd!

Port Douglas

I was very sad to leave Sydney and my very first flat but it was made better by the fact I was heading off to paradise. We arrived in Cairns so excited. The weather was so hot and the views were stunning! We managed to arrange a bus to take us to Bay Villas resort in Port Douglas. Beware the young man is not very friendly at the desk of the tour bus. Anyway, it was an hour in the bus and the scenery along the way was really pretty, lots of golden beaches and parmtrees.

Our apartment was right next to the pool. It was very spacious and clean. Overall we couldnt have asked for better accomodation. The lady on reception was kind. She told us all about the area and even gave us a map. Couldn't help thinking we were being patronised though! We have met a few people on our journey who I am sure think we are idiots when it comes to finding our own way around. But we have managed perfectly fine!

Anyway, Port Douglas was very relaxing. We lazed about the pool for most of the week, we went for nice walks down to the beach in the evening. We cooked nice food and made our way through two tubs of Nutella!

Toward the end of the week we decided to go diving on the barrier reef. We went with the tour company Poseidon. The crew were very nice. Food could have been better but overall we had a great day and got some brilliant snaps! Would highly recommend going diving on the barrier reef!

Sydney Do's and Dont's!

Do:

The Harbour Bridge

Climb the Harbour Bridge - It is an awesome experience. It doesn't take very long and it is not physically challenging!

Bondi Beach - the walk around the coastal path towards Coogee Beach is very very nice!

Sunbath on Bondi Beach if you can find a spot!

Go shopping in Bondi, god it was a relief to find shops selling normal things there compared to the city! (target rocks if u want cheap stuff, its like a hyped up Matalan!)

I was battling with whether to put this in the do's or dont's:

The Sydney AMP Tower.

Maybe it was because I paid a ton of money to get up to the tower and then a day later I was helping a company which was based on the 61st floor of the MLC building (the second heighest building in sydney) where I sat by a panoramic window with a view of Botany Bay and the surrounding area. Along with getting to take pictures of Darling Harbour, the Bridge, the Opera House etc. But I guess unless you're going to ask very nicely if you can have a look out of some business persons window on the 64th floor of the MLC, then the Sydney Tower would be good for you! (I don't like the lift though, it shakes!)

Hunter Wine Valley:

Go to the Hunter Wine Valley. We went with AAT Kings Travel. The bus driver was really boring. Good old john sent me to sleep both up and back from the valley. So glad I had the ipod with me! Try and go on a sunny day though it makes a big difference!

Darling Harbour - this place simply is awesome! Great bars, restaurants and museums all in one little place. I was there on Oz day and the fireworks they have down there are spectacular!

Chinese Gardens in Darling Harbour: Try not to get kidnapped by the bloke threatening to dress you up in ancient chinese costume! I was not so lucky to avoid him.

Chinese Laundary: this is a nightclub on sussex street, follow the dragon arrow type sign pointing down a lethal set of steps which you DO NOT want to fall down when you've had a few beers. It is all dark and dingy when you walk in but when you get outside in the court yard there is a great atmosphere!

Ivy Bar: Top of George Street, near to Martin's Place. There is a little ally and it leads to the Ivy Club. This club will blow you away! It really is a great place to visit, you will see what I mean!

Surfing: We went with Sydney Surf School. It's great if you don't need much tuition (the instructors show you the basics, push you around a bit and then go sit in the van watching you or probably watching tv) Although the boards are easy to use, the wetsuits easy to put on, its cheap and the location they take you to is wicked! We went to a beach just outside Cronulla and it was perfect!

Opera House: The night before I left, I walked up to Circular Quay in the dark. It was stunning despite the fact it was raining! I would recommend having a nice walk up there and taking some great pics of the brigde and the opera house. Careful of the big rats though!

Manly: Was alot better than I thought it would be! Lovely restaurants on the sea front. Only a very short ferry ride away (which comes back late!). Manly has some lovely shops and the surfing beach is something to certainly see!

Taronga Zoo: This place is great. Wish more of the areas had been open though. Watch out for the spiders in the trees eek they are huge!

The Blue Mountains: Great place. Again try and go on a sunny day! I must say nice sunny days weren't plentyful by the time it came to me leaving Sydney. So the Blue Mountains was a little cold. The Railway was so awesome! Steapest in the world (Check out my video Goodbye Sydney) If you do a tour they will take you to see Kangaroos and it is magical!

I went with Oz Experience because I got my Working Holiday Visa through the Australian Visa Bureau and they threw in a vodafone sim card, a free blue mountains trip and various other handy things like free nights in hostels (which was the reason I chose to stay in Legend Has It)

BEST OF ALL: Jet Boat Ride around the harbour! I was starving at 4 in the afternoon looking for a place to eat in circular quay, big mistake considering I had no money.... A man grabbed hold of me and sold the jet boat ride around the harbour really well. It was so spontaneous I loved it! It was so much fun and everyone on board loved it as well! What a way to see the harbour!

Don't go:

To Coogee beach - what a disapointment after the walk from Bondi and we missed the Iron Man Series by about 10 minutes. The hotel on the front is huge though, and seemed to do nice food!

swimming in Bondi Beach unless you are a very very very very strong swimmer..... there are massive sand craters under your feet and the currents just swept me right up eventhough I was swimming in between the flags pfft! Scary experience!

Don't try walking from the bus and train depot in Bondi to the beach, the big hill ruins your day!You will be boiling hot from the walk and trying to cool off in the sea where you will nearly drown!