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.

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.

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!

Back in Cintsa/Off to Hogsback

Well I got to Cintsa a few days ago after only spending a couple of days in Coffee Bay.  Well everyone I've met travelling has said that you must go to Coffee Bay, so I though as I'd missed it on the way up by spending too much time in Cintsa I had to go on the way back down.  Well I planned to stay for five days as I was sure after what everyone had told me I'd want to spend at least that much time there.  I cut it short to only two days, it was a nice place but I didn't get the vibe there and it just wasn't Cintsa.  So I decided I was better spending more time in Cintsa where a know a lot of people.  It's been quite nice coming back to a place where a know people and it feels a bit like a home, feels like I never left!  Sitting in the Barefoot cafe all day eating and drinking, oh and the volleyball with free wine is also very good.

Well I'm off the Hogsback in a few minutes, another place I was supposed to go to on the way up!  Staying in the mountains at a hostel called Away with the Fairies.  Now all the locals and the people who work in the hostel here say I must go, so I don't think I'll be disappointed.  After going the I'm coming back to Cintsa for one last time, (can't stay away!), before I head back down to Cape Town to head off so Sydney.

I've got mixed emotions about leaving South Africa, part of me is looking forward to going to a new place and part of me is sad to be leaving.  I know I'm going to have a great time in Australia and I do think that I have spent the right amount of time here and it is now time to move on.  I just hope that the people in Australia are as welcoming and friendly as everyone here.

Back in SA

Well I got back to South Africa yesterday, I'm now back in Durban after choosing the much more comfortable option of getting back here by coach.  I must say a much more comfortable option than the Chapas from Tofo, and air conditioned as well.  Even though we left three hours late, but I'm starting to get used to that now!  Actually talking about the Chapas reminds me of the road rage incident we witnessed on the ride back down to Maputo.  I just remember seeing or driver get out of and start shouting at the driver of the car in front, then the driver pulled off to the side of the road and lots of shouting and fighting ensued while we were still stuck in the middle of the road in the Chapas watching.  I think this possibly went on for 10-15 minutes and I was starting to think we would have to get out and find some other form of transport back.  Anyway to cut to the chase after several pushes and many badly aimed punches, looks like the locals were incredibly bad a fighting luckily, we did manage to get going again and make it to Maputo.

So what to say about my time in Tofo, well as I was diving most of the time I didn't indulge in too much drinking.  Well apart from the last night, we had to catch the Chapas back to Maputo at 4am so we just decided to not go to bed at all.  So basically we just rolled out of the bar straight into the bus, well I think this was by far the best option as I think only getting a couple of hours sleep would have made it worse.  As mentioned in my previous post I managed to see plenty of amazing creatures while diving.  The Manta rays are pretty amazing creature, huge and seem to float through the water as a bird.  I only wish I had an underwater case for my camera so I could capture some of the underwater world.  I definitely intend on getting one in Australia so I can start sharing the underwater world with you all.  Oh yes one other thing, when I got back from diving one day as I got back to the hostel I saw someone who I recognised.  It was a Canadian guy called Pat who I had met over a month ago in Cintsa, small world.  It appears we were following more or less the same route but not quite staying at the same place at the same time.  Like everywhere I stay here I seem to hang out with a truly multinational group of all ages.  So Swedish, Canadian, German, Swiss, Brazilian, Chilean, English, American, Australian, Mozambiquan, South African, Dutch, Japanese and probably many more that I can't remember.  And ranging from 20 to 55, travelling is a great leveller which you don't always seem to get in normal life.

Oh yes nearly forgot to add mine and Pat's trip to the police station.  We were walking to a restaurant and Pat saw a shortcut, so we thought we would take it.  Pat was just taking it when a couple of people started shouting at us from the distance.  We just ignored them and carried on going as it just looked like some locals who we thought just wanted to sell us something.  Well they came running towards us from the other side of the building we were going behind and told us to go into the building we were passing behind.  Well naturally we said no, it doesn't seem like a good idea to enter a random building in a foreign country with locals.  Well then we eventually realised that it was actually the police station, the only visibly signs of this were the letters PRM on the wall.  Well we did start go get a bit worried at that point, I had visions of us being made to spend hours in the police station and being made to pay a big bribe.  We could just about get the gist of what they were saying very angrily at us, but as neither of us speak Portuguese we were unable to let them know we were sorry and didn't realise it was a police station.  Anyway luckily we were with a Brazilian guy that night and he came in and spoke to them, anyway the upshot is we got away with just a stern telling off and a lesson learnt about taking short cuts in the future!

Well, I'm off to Coffee bay for a few days tomorrow as everyone says it is a great place and it missed it on the way down.  Then of course I can't not stop in Cintsa again on the way back down to Cape Town.  I'll probably also go to Hogsback as it is also another place I wanted to go to but missed on the way up.  Then I'll spend another few days in Cape Town before leaving for Sidney at the end of the month.  I'm ready to leave now and see a new place, but also knowing that there is so much of Africa I haven't seen, most of it actually, and will need to come back at some point.

Just a quick post

Yes I am still alive, I'm still in Tofo and have now completed my Advanced diving course and will finish a Nitrox course tomorrow (will explain this later).  So that will take my dives up to 14.  Seen some cool stuff like large Manta's and sharks.  I'm just about to run out of internet time so this is just a short post.  I'll be back in Maputo on Tuesday and I'll give a more thorough account of my exploits then.

Now in Mozambique

Well I did get to Mozambique a few days ago, the bus journey was uneventful until we got to the border.  I was travelling with a Welsh girl and a Finish guy, we tried to get our visas in Swaziland the day before as was recommended, but were told to get it at the border by the embassy and it would cost 40 rand.  When we got there we were told that it actually cost 560 rand.  Well neither me or Sian had that much on us and the woman at the border was very unhelpful and just told us we had to find it.  Well that's easier said than done at a border post, so we faced the prospect of either going back in to Swaziland and trying to hitch hike back into the capital, or find some money from someone.  We went outside to ask the Finish guy if he had any he could lend us, when we saw that the bus, along with our bags, had already crossed the border!  We had to persuade the border guard to let us cross if we left our passports with them to find money.  As you can probably guess we did manage to borrow money off the Finish guy and got to Maputo uneventfully after that.

I spent a few days in Maputo and I must say it was quite a weird place, we managed to go out with locals for the first couple of evenings which helped a lot.  But Maputo is not laid out like any other city I've been to before, there is no city centre everything is just spread out all over the place.  You will wander around the city and you'll just be passing lots of run down buildings and just come across a nice shop or a bar, but after that you are back to run done buildings again.  It did make it very hard to do anything in Maputo without a lot of walking.  I did manage to go to an open air music festival while I was there, outside the town hall.  There was some good music on, but I haven't been to a festival quite like it before.  Every artist came on for one song and then you would have to wait for 10 minutes while the next band set up.  The was one band that played two songs in a row, well actually they played the same song twice, but no one actually seemed to notice!

We I'm now in Tofo where there are beautiful sandy beaches and turquoise coloured water.  I got here yesterday after an 8 and a half hours bus journey where I couldn't move as I was squashed onto a seat with a local woman that really wasn't big enough for two.  She also kept on falling asleep on my shoulder, well I was very sore after that ride and still am today.  But looking at the sea and the beach makes it all worth it, just!

Well I'm booked on the advanced dive course tomorrow, which will last for a few days.  I thought as I want to dive I might as well take the next course so I allows me to dive in more areas around the world.  I'm looking forward to seeing what all the hype about diving here is all about, I'm sure it is going to be amazing.

Well I'm not sure yet where I will head after here, either down the coast in an even longer bus journey to Pont a' Dora to do some more diving or head straight back to South Africa.  Well in any case I have some more unpleasant bus rides ahead of me, well in any case it may get me use to them before I head to South America!