Well, not really too much to report from the previous week. I managed to choose the worst possible hostel for Christmas. It actually turned out to be hotel instead of a hostel, so was full of families instead of travelers. But on a positive not I did end up with a room to myself with a double bed, TV, and en-suite. It's been rain, rain, rain for the past week so because of the bad weather my Whitsundays sailing trip was canceled. I rearranged it for today but it got canceled again. Oh well I suppose it just wasn't meant to be. On another positive note it does mean I've had the chance to watch England stuff the Aussies in the Ashes over the past few days.
Well I'm off to Mission beach tomorrow and I will be spending new year there. I've been told that the hostel I'm staying at is a very good one, so here's hoping my new year turns out better than Christmas.
Tuesday 28 December 2010
Tuesday 21 December 2010
A few photos from Oz
Hopefully no explanation needed.....
Wentworth falls in the Blue Mountains.......
For those of you who have forgotten what I look like. And some more water for the Monster......
Our 4x4 driving trip to Fraser Island......
Makenzie lake on Fraser Island.......
Well hopefully this is obviously a shipwreck to everyone. Oh and yet some more water for Matilda.....
Oh and Martin you can tell Doreen these were all taken with the TZ10 ;-)
Wentworth falls in the Blue Mountains.......
For those of you who have forgotten what I look like. And some more water for the Monster......
Our 4x4 driving trip to Fraser Island......
Makenzie lake on Fraser Island.......
Well hopefully this is obviously a shipwreck to everyone. Oh and yet some more water for Matilda.....
Oh and Martin you can tell Doreen these were all taken with the TZ10 ;-)
Monday 20 December 2010
Hot and sticky and ravaged by mosquitoes
Well I'm now nearly three weeks into my stay in Australia and now in a place called Town of 1770. So called because it is the first place Captain Cook set foot in Australia, yes you've guessed it, in the year of 1770. It's very humid and hot here and it's been raining on and off for the last couple of days, which has help in cooling it down a bit. But also brought out all those damn mosquitoes and they a biting me constantly. Sorry if I'm making you all feel jealous about the heat when you are all surrounded by cold weather and snow, but I actually like the snow so I'm also a bit jealous.
So what have I been doing since my last post. Well I've been to Byron bay, lovely beaches, Noosa, also lovely beaches Rainbow beach, lovely beaches. As you can see there is a bit of a theme here! It may sound idyllic, but they do all look pretty much the same. I've been trying so seek out small places that offer me the same sort of atmosphere as I had in South Africa, but I have come to the conclusion that I'm not going to find it. From what I've seen so far the backpacking culture in Australia is very different to that in South Africa. People who come to Australia are looking for sunny/hot weather and lovely beaches within an English/European culture. Where as in South Africa the backpackers are looking to experience new cultures and therefore have a more open and adventurous attitude to life. So I think South America is going to be more to my liking. Don't get me wrong Australia is a lovely place and I really enjoyed my trip to Fraser Island, (I'll tell you more about it later), and I'm sure I'm going to enjoy the Witsundays and my diving. But I think I could have cut short my trip in Australia and just done those things. It is going to be interesting to see how New Zealand compares.
So back to Frazer Island, this was a 3 day/2 night 4x4 driving and camping trip to the largest sand island in the world. We were in a group of four 4x4's with eight people in each and a lead 4x4 showing us the way. We each took it in turns to drive, driving in sand was quite interesting, especially on the soft sand. You basically didn't really choose your direction but just followed where the sand wanted to take you! We were camping just behind the first set sand dunes on the beach so had lovely views of the sea at night. Cooking dinner for eight of us on a camping stove, the food was very good actually, a nice steak with salad on the first night and a stir fry on the second. So not the normal camping food. We had a huge thunder and lightening storm on the second night, they said in the morning papers that there had been 23,000 lightening strikes that night. I'm wondering who actually sat there and counted them all! It was an amazing spectacle, some stunning fork lighting and some sheet lighting that lit up the whole sky as if it was the day. So during the day on Frazer mainly consisted of driving from one fresh water lake to another of a swim in lovely warm, clear fresh water, there were no showers on the island! We also went to a place called hangover creek the first morning, so called because the water is a refreshing 17 degrees and ideal for curing you of your hangover. I hasten to say that I didn't have a hangover but many of the group did. I try to stay clear of the goon, they don't even mention the word wine anywhere on the box! The last morning we went to a lake full of catfish, we were told that if you just lie in the water for long enough they will come up to you and remove all your dead skin for you. Well I didn't try it and our guide admitted to me that it had never happened to him, so I'm not sure if it was just a myth or not.
So I have just booked some more dives for tomorrow, so that will take the number of dives in Australia up to 15. I didn't mean to book any more dives but the guy in the shop was very convincing so just couldn't say no! I'm going to a place called Lady Musgrove island, which is at the bottom of the Great Barrier reef, and I've been told better than Cairns. Well I'll now be able to compare and let you know. Hopefully I'm going to see some more Manta rays. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get an underwater encasing for my camera yet so still unable to take photos, but hopefully I will be able to get on in Cairns.
Well that's all for now, till next time.
So what have I been doing since my last post. Well I've been to Byron bay, lovely beaches, Noosa, also lovely beaches Rainbow beach, lovely beaches. As you can see there is a bit of a theme here! It may sound idyllic, but they do all look pretty much the same. I've been trying so seek out small places that offer me the same sort of atmosphere as I had in South Africa, but I have come to the conclusion that I'm not going to find it. From what I've seen so far the backpacking culture in Australia is very different to that in South Africa. People who come to Australia are looking for sunny/hot weather and lovely beaches within an English/European culture. Where as in South Africa the backpackers are looking to experience new cultures and therefore have a more open and adventurous attitude to life. So I think South America is going to be more to my liking. Don't get me wrong Australia is a lovely place and I really enjoyed my trip to Fraser Island, (I'll tell you more about it later), and I'm sure I'm going to enjoy the Witsundays and my diving. But I think I could have cut short my trip in Australia and just done those things. It is going to be interesting to see how New Zealand compares.
So back to Frazer Island, this was a 3 day/2 night 4x4 driving and camping trip to the largest sand island in the world. We were in a group of four 4x4's with eight people in each and a lead 4x4 showing us the way. We each took it in turns to drive, driving in sand was quite interesting, especially on the soft sand. You basically didn't really choose your direction but just followed where the sand wanted to take you! We were camping just behind the first set sand dunes on the beach so had lovely views of the sea at night. Cooking dinner for eight of us on a camping stove, the food was very good actually, a nice steak with salad on the first night and a stir fry on the second. So not the normal camping food. We had a huge thunder and lightening storm on the second night, they said in the morning papers that there had been 23,000 lightening strikes that night. I'm wondering who actually sat there and counted them all! It was an amazing spectacle, some stunning fork lighting and some sheet lighting that lit up the whole sky as if it was the day. So during the day on Frazer mainly consisted of driving from one fresh water lake to another of a swim in lovely warm, clear fresh water, there were no showers on the island! We also went to a place called hangover creek the first morning, so called because the water is a refreshing 17 degrees and ideal for curing you of your hangover. I hasten to say that I didn't have a hangover but many of the group did. I try to stay clear of the goon, they don't even mention the word wine anywhere on the box! The last morning we went to a lake full of catfish, we were told that if you just lie in the water for long enough they will come up to you and remove all your dead skin for you. Well I didn't try it and our guide admitted to me that it had never happened to him, so I'm not sure if it was just a myth or not.
So I have just booked some more dives for tomorrow, so that will take the number of dives in Australia up to 15. I didn't mean to book any more dives but the guy in the shop was very convincing so just couldn't say no! I'm going to a place called Lady Musgrove island, which is at the bottom of the Great Barrier reef, and I've been told better than Cairns. Well I'll now be able to compare and let you know. Hopefully I'm going to see some more Manta rays. Unfortunately I haven't been able to get an underwater encasing for my camera yet so still unable to take photos, but hopefully I will be able to get on in Cairns.
Well that's all for now, till next time.
Thursday 9 December 2010
Now heading up the east coast
Well I have now left Sydney and heading for some smaller places along the east coast of Australia. I have now more or less sorted most of what I'll be doing for the next month or so in Australia, totally unexpectedly before anyone starts to think I'm becoming orgonised on this trip!
I went into a travel centre with a few friends I met in Sydney so the could book their camper van before we headed to Manley beach. I was just looking at what dive options there were on the Great Barrier Reef and twenty minutes later I had spent nearly $1,700! Well all I can say is that he was a very good salesman, but I think I did get a good price. So here is how it breaks down, I've sorted out the Greyhound from Sydney to Cairns. I've booked a three day trip on Fraser Island which involves driving a 4x4 around the island on the sand for a few days. Yes that's right I actually get to do the driving, well part of it anyway as I'll be sharing with a couple of other people who I'm yet to meet. I've booked a two day sailing trip of the Whitsundays including getting to stay on some of the islands and a free dive. I've herd they are amazing so can't wait. I've also booked a three day Liveabord dive expedition to the outer reef. This includes 11 dives (2 at night) and should be in lesser dived areas. I can't wait to do the night dives it should be amazing.
So I went up to the Blue mountains a couple of days ago and did a few walks, they were amazing. But sorry anyone who thinks they are the best mountains in the world, the Drakensberg were even more spectacular. But of course that's just like saying miss world is prettier than the runner up! I wish I had spent longer in the Blue Mountains than I did, I was told that I only needed to do a day trip there but I did stay one night in spite of what the travel agent said. But I could have spent a few more days there, so if anyone is thinking of going to the Blue mountains in the future and loves walking as I do then definitely stay three of four days. The day I got there I went straight out for a walk, I got to the first viewing point and thought wow, time to take a photo. Only realising in my haste to empty mu rucksack of anything I don't need for walking, I accidentally included my camera. Then I remembered that I actually had two cameras, phew! So anyone who thinks I'm too extravagant having to cameras with me I have now proved it was a good idea! I'll try and post some pictures soon. Oh and also they hostel I stayed in was really lovely, (No 14), my favourite in Australia so far.
Well I'm in Byron Bay now, the sun is shining and it's hot (sorry everyone who is stuck in the cold snow of England!). It is a very nice place but I'm not to keen on the hostel, it's just too big and impersonal for me. I think I need to start searching for the smaller hotsels out there like the one in the Blue Mountains. I'm off to Noosa tomorrow and I think I may have found such a hostel, so fingers crossed. The plan is to just chill in Noosa for a few days, swimming, canoeing, and other healthy exercisey things, before I head off to Fraser Island.
Well I think that more or less catches you all up with what I've been up to since I've been in Australia. Ta ta for now.
I went into a travel centre with a few friends I met in Sydney so the could book their camper van before we headed to Manley beach. I was just looking at what dive options there were on the Great Barrier Reef and twenty minutes later I had spent nearly $1,700! Well all I can say is that he was a very good salesman, but I think I did get a good price. So here is how it breaks down, I've sorted out the Greyhound from Sydney to Cairns. I've booked a three day trip on Fraser Island which involves driving a 4x4 around the island on the sand for a few days. Yes that's right I actually get to do the driving, well part of it anyway as I'll be sharing with a couple of other people who I'm yet to meet. I've booked a two day sailing trip of the Whitsundays including getting to stay on some of the islands and a free dive. I've herd they are amazing so can't wait. I've also booked a three day Liveabord dive expedition to the outer reef. This includes 11 dives (2 at night) and should be in lesser dived areas. I can't wait to do the night dives it should be amazing.
So I went up to the Blue mountains a couple of days ago and did a few walks, they were amazing. But sorry anyone who thinks they are the best mountains in the world, the Drakensberg were even more spectacular. But of course that's just like saying miss world is prettier than the runner up! I wish I had spent longer in the Blue Mountains than I did, I was told that I only needed to do a day trip there but I did stay one night in spite of what the travel agent said. But I could have spent a few more days there, so if anyone is thinking of going to the Blue mountains in the future and loves walking as I do then definitely stay three of four days. The day I got there I went straight out for a walk, I got to the first viewing point and thought wow, time to take a photo. Only realising in my haste to empty mu rucksack of anything I don't need for walking, I accidentally included my camera. Then I remembered that I actually had two cameras, phew! So anyone who thinks I'm too extravagant having to cameras with me I have now proved it was a good idea! I'll try and post some pictures soon. Oh and also they hostel I stayed in was really lovely, (No 14), my favourite in Australia so far.
Well I'm in Byron Bay now, the sun is shining and it's hot (sorry everyone who is stuck in the cold snow of England!). It is a very nice place but I'm not to keen on the hostel, it's just too big and impersonal for me. I think I need to start searching for the smaller hotsels out there like the one in the Blue Mountains. I'm off to Noosa tomorrow and I think I may have found such a hostel, so fingers crossed. The plan is to just chill in Noosa for a few days, swimming, canoeing, and other healthy exercisey things, before I head off to Fraser Island.
Well I think that more or less catches you all up with what I've been up to since I've been in Australia. Ta ta for now.
Thursday 2 December 2010
Now in Oz
Well I've now arrived in Sydney, been here for a day now and I must say that although it is a nice city I'm not to sure. It feels like I'm in a city in England, an well that's not really what I'm looking for. Well I'm sure it would be a lovely city to live in one of the main reasons for coming on this trip was to experience new cultures and visit new interesting places. Also the backpacking culture feels different here to South Africa, although it may be just that I've chosen the wrong backpacker. Most people here seem to be foreigners working and there are none of the normal things like a bar and food.
Anyway I'm planning to go off to the Blue Mountains on Friday and I'm sure they are going to be beautiful.
Oh and just to cheer you all up over there with the cold and the snow, it's been raining here!
Anyway I'm planning to go off to the Blue Mountains on Friday and I'm sure they are going to be beautiful.
Oh and just to cheer you all up over there with the cold and the snow, it's been raining here!
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