Cliff arrived back at Heathrow late morning to be met by Mum, Dad and me (Pam).

Bus out to Venice Beach where they filmed 'Baywatch'. Saw the towers and the lifeguards' yellow 4wds as well as a few lifeguards. To the airport for his 10 1/2hr flight home. Had a couple of good movies - 'Spiderman' and 'Life or Something Like it' - but no personal tvs!!!

Cliff made his way to a backpackers in LA and then quickly went out to Hollywood. Walked down Hollywood Boulevard with all the stars on the pavement and saw the Hollywood sign. Went to the Chinese Theatre and put his hands and feet in the stars' imprints. Back to the hostel via Taco Bell Mexican takeaway.

Went in the spa, used the cardiovascular machines and in the hot tub before going to Mandalay Beach for the lazy river and wave pool. Back to the Four Seasons pool for dinner and cocktails. Mike came back from work and they quickly left for the Four Seasons Hotel at Newport Beach, where Gina and the girls were staying in a suite.

Breakfast buffet in the Verrandah - among many things, eggs Benedict. Took a bus out to Boulder City Airport and then flew in a four seater plane over Lake Mead (largest man-made lake in the world) to the Colorado River and into the Grand Canyon. Wow! Flew back over an extinct volcano to Black Canyon and the Hoover Dam - one of the seven man-made wonders of the world. Back to Vegas and saw Austin Powers in 'Goldmember' at the cinema, during which Cliff laughed v loudly.

Moved Mike's wine and houseplants into his new place in Henderson. Went to the Tropicana Casino and managed to draw a game of tic-tac-toe against a chicken (believe it or not, that's above average!). Went to Caesar's Palace and did the Race for Atlantis 3D ride.

Room service, watched 'About a Boy' then did the pool and gym before room service pizza with Mike in front of the NFL opening game followed by 'Primal Fear'.

Lunch with Mike in the Peppermill before moving through to the bar for drinks, where Cliff tried the Sierra Nevada pale ale and Samuel Adams.

Mike and Cliff went down to the Peppermill for lagers after lunch in the Verrandah. Saw the Mirage volcano show and the fountains of Bellagio.

Room service breakfast then went to the Mirage to see the white tigers. Onto the Flamingo Casino for the afternoon comedy cabaret and a flutter on the roulette wheel. Then up the road to the Hilton to the Star Trek Experience (museum & 3D ride) before a Romulan ale in Quark's bar.

LA to Vegas with Mike, staying in the Four Seasons Hotel again.

14hrs on the train from San Fran to LA.

Sylvia picked Cliff up again and they drove to Muir Woods to see the giant redwoods, with close-up sightings of blue jays and chipmunks. Back across the Golden Gate Bridge to Fisherman's Wharf and had clam chouder and sourdough for lunch with Anchor Steam beer. In the evening, Rob took Cliff to the Navy base where the USS Enterprise used to be docked then to see the Oakland Athletics v Minnesota Twins baseball game where they sat right behind home plate.

Went into work with Rob (Mariner Sq. Athletic Club) and spent 8hrs there 'til he finished as a guest. Used every facility that they had including the baseball batting cage and raquetball court.

Picked up by Rob's mum Sylvia for a tour of San Francisco. First stop, the Palace of Fine Arts (where Sean Connery met Nicolas Cage in 'The Rock'). Stopped for tea in the Japanese Tea Garden in Golden Gate Park before going over the bridge. Good view of Alcatraz before driving downtown right past San Francisco Giants ballpark. Up and down some very steep hills on the way to meeting Rob for dinner in Mel's drive-in, where they filmed 'American Graffitti'. After dinner, Rob took Cliff to what used to be Candlestick Park and they saw the last quarter of the 49ers v San Diego Chargers, where they scammed free tickets on the 45 yard line. On the way back to the car, they were tracking a skunk.

Cliff took the train to Oakland (11hrs) and went in an old pub with Robert (his American friend from work) in Jack London Sq. Curry for dinner in Berkley.

I (Pam) arrived at Heathrow in the afternoon and was met by Mum, Dad, brother Peter and his fiancee Tracey. Aaah ... they must have missed me! Back in LA, Cliff took Megan swimming after a Mexican lunch with Mike.

Mike was working today so Cliff and I took a cab, a train, 3 metro trains and a bus to the airport! Struggled to find the departure desks because in America they're called "ticketing". Explanations on a postcard please! Cliff left me in a slow-moving queue for check-in. When I finally reached the front I found out the reason - the flight had been oversold and they were putting people on other flights. Doh! Not too much drama for me though as they put me on an Aer Lingus flight that afternoon to Dublin with a connecting flight to London Heathrow on Monday afternoon. Also, I get US$400 as compensation! Meanwhile, Cliff went to Long Beach.

Lazy morning, then went shopping in the afternoon. Snapped up a couple of pairs of Levi's and some new Skechers at bargain sale prices. Back home to pack up my belongings for the final time on this trip.

Up early for our day at Disneyland! Bought a day hopper ticket for Disneyland and Disney's California Adventure (next door, for bigger kids). Did all the main rides in both parks, making the most of the "virtual queueing" system. Saw 'The Monkees' (well, Davy Jones and Mickey Dolenz) perform a free hour-long concert then saw the Disney Parade, the Fantasmic show and finally the fireworks display. Thirteen hours after arriving, we eventually left the magical world of Disney. A fantastic day!

Early drive back to Lake Forest and Mike dropped us at the train station before heading to work. Caught the train to LA then blagged our way by bus and foot to Dodgers Stadium to see the LA Dodgers take on Florida Marlins. Final score: 6-2 to the Dodgers.

Cliff and I slept in late while Mike went out house-hunting. After lunch we went out shopping in the Strip, went to M&M World (the only one in the world!) and rode the Manhattan Express rollercoaster at New York-New York. It's one of only two "heartline" coasters in the world, which means it allows you to experience the force of negative "g's". Its second biggest drop is longer than most rollercoasters' first biggest drops! Back to the Mandalay Bay casino to play the 5c pokies (we're such high rollers!) and receive our complimentary drinks. Has dinner with Mike before he dropped us further up the Strip to see the volcano show at the Mirage (also in 'Ocean's Eleven'), the pyrotechnic pirate show at Treasure Island and the musical fountains at the Bellagio (shown towards the end of 'Ocean's Eleven'). Took a bus back to our hotel.

Up early for an added bonus to my tour - a trip to Las Vegas! As Mike and his family will be moving there in Sept, Mike has a couple of free nights in the Four Seasons hotel (who he works for) while he looks for an apartment in Vegas. Arrived at the hotel in time for lunch. It's all very swanky (5 diamonds) - don't think there's any other backpackers staying here! Cliff and I spent the afternoon in the hotel's wave pool and lazy river then had dinner with Mike and Phillipe (one of Mike's old colleagues from Vancouver) and some of his family. They were meant to be camping in Canada but the ferry queue was too long so they came to Vegas instead! After dinner, we all hit the casinos at the Four Seasons end of the Strip - Mandalay Bay, Luxor, Excalibur, New York-New York, MGM Grand (as robbed by George Clooney and Brad Pitt in 'Ocean's Eleven') and Paris. It's all pretty awesome, lots of lights and gimmicks. Walked back to our hotel from Paris but won't be doing that again as it's further than it looks!

Woke up at midday and took a walk down to the local shops. Bought some Hersheys chocolate - well, when in America it would be rude not to! Did our washing then had an easy workout in the gym before relaxing in the jacuzzi.

Rick and Rosie put us on the McCafferty's bus from Burleigh Heads down to Byron Bay, where we checked into our hostel, had a quick lunch and rushed out for another surfing lesson! A much better day for both of us - standing up most of the time! We're now both officially "surfer dudes"!! We have photos to prove it!

Went to the Boomerang Farm Golf Course, where Rick, Rosie and Cliff played 9 holes and I caddied for them. Nice course, with lots of kangaroos lazing around but Rosie and I are now severely traumatised after a near-death experience with a golf ball (NOT one of ours!). Back to the house for a late lunch and some home videos!

Rick and Rosie took us back with them to their house up in the mountains in Springbrook. Very peaceful! A spot of shopping in Robina, then to the house for lunch and a walk in the surrounding rainforest. Aah ... so very relaxing!

Picnic fish 'n' chips lunch with Georgia and Darren on the waterfront at Noosa then watched 'The Importance of Being Earnest' at the cinema with Georgia.

Kirsti took us to Warner Brothers Movie World on the Gold Coast. Went on the Batman ride, the Lethal Weapon ride (twice!), the Wild Wild West ride (twice and got drenched!) and the new Scooby Doo 'spooky coaster' (excellent!) as well as the Harry Potter Movie Magic experience and Police Academy stunt show. Had our photos taken with Tweetie Pie, Bugs Bunny and Marilyn Monroe. Afterwards, Kirsti took us to Surfers Paradise, where we walked on the beach in the dark.

Went to the South Bank for a walk along the riverfront then crossed over the river and walked down Queen St Mall and around the Myer Centre looking for a boomerang. Didn't find one I liked though! Darren drove us out to Ipswich to watch his football team play but the game was called off as the other team thought it was tomorrow. Oops! Went back to the football club for a few free beers then went out to Mount Coot-tha for great views of the city lights twinkling. Nice chocolate cake and hot chocolates too! Dropped Cliff off in the city for a few more drinks with Kirsti. We have been relegated to sleeping in the lounge as Rick and Rosie are back for a convention in the city this weekend.

Went to visit friends of Cliff's parents in the northern suburbs - the parents Judith and Alan, their eldest daughter Karleen and her husband Steven (and son Lachlan), eldest son David and girlfriend Michelle, youngest daughter Kirsti and their dog Dougall.

Darren and Cliff played 9 holes of golf, while Georgia and I took a walk and met them on the 8th hole. Went to the local shopping centre to pick up a few bits and see 'Men in Black II'.

Darren took us for a 1km walk up to a lookout, but the city was a bit foggy. Drove us round to see South Bank and Kangaroo Point. Lunch back at the house, then Georgia took us to see the site of their new cafe and to New Farm park where we had hot chocolates overlooking the river. Drove up another lookout for a clearer view of the city then went back to the house to briefly meet Cliff's uncle Rick and Rosie. Will see them again at the weekend. Darren took Cliff to football training.

Up early for our 2 hour surfing lesson! Did a bit of practice on the beach then headed out into the waves. I managed to stand once and Cliff did it twice. Not bad for our first lesson! Picked up a few bruises though and I'm sure we'll be sore tomorrow from all those muscles we didn't know we had! Took the McCaffertys bus from Noosa to Brisbane, where we were picked up by Cliff's cousin Georgia and her husband Darren. Delicious Thai for dinner.

Big breakfast, then down to 75 Mile Beach for a 20 minute joyflight over the island and the ocean. Cliff and I both co-piloted separate 6-seater planes - yikes! Awesome views of the island (strangely covered in broccoli?!) and saw tiger sharks, whales and dolphins. Landed on the beach at Cathedrals - ancient cliffs of coloured sand. Drove down the beach to see the Maheno shipwreck and then onto Eli Creek for a float downstream. Back to the resort for lunch and a swim in the pool before driving down the beach to Hook Point for the ferry back to mainland. Night in Noosa.

Picked up for our 2 day Fraser Venture Tour to Fraser Island - the largest sand island in the world! Crossed over on the ferry and jumped on our 4 wheel drive coach, which took us to Central Station, where we walked through sub-tropical rainforest along Wanggoolba Creek. Here we saw King Ferns, unchanged in 300 million years and each up to 1800 years old. Onto Eurong Beach Resort, our accommodation for tonight. V swanky! Delicious buffet lunch, then a short drive up the beach and a 2km walk over a sandblow to Lake Wabby. Cliff had a swim in the lake (v cold!) then walked back to the beach. Three course dinner at the resort then Cliff did karaoke in the bar (anything for free beer!).

Arrived in Hervey Bay at 10.15am and checked into our hostel where we promptly crashed for most of the day!

Checked out of our hostel and put our backpacks in storage. Went down to the man-made lagoon (built due to the presence of box jellyfish in the sea at certain times of year) and sunbathed. Then met up with Sally (who we met in New Zealand) for lunch. Chilled some more by the lagoon, had a swim, then had dinner with Sally. Got our bags and at 9.10pm, jumped on the overnight McCafferty's bus to take us down the coast to Hervey Bay.

Left at 8am again and cruised to Hayman Island where we snorkelled off the beach with the jellyfish. Good job we hired those stinger suits, although these jellies aren't the deadly kind! Lunch on the boat then braved the rough seas (not feeling sick, for a change!) back to Airlie Beach.

Earlyish start, getting away at 8am for the day's sailing. Cruised to Whitsunday Island where we jumped out onto Whitehaven Beach (beautiful white silica sand!). I lazed in the sunshine while Cliff played every sport known to mankind! Back on the boat for lunch and cruise to our snorkel spot. No major sightings, but still lots of fish and coral. Sailed back to the resort for 9 holes of golf, finishing by torchlight!

Had the 'meet and greet' for our Whitsunday cruise at 1.30pm, then met down by the harbour at 2.30pm after frequenting the bottle shop and the dive shop to hire 'stinger suits'. Finally got onto our catamaran ('Pride of Airlie') and cruised out of the harbour to moor up and wait for the engineers to come out and fix one of the engines! Not a good start! Cruised gently across to South Molle Island, where we will be staying for the next 2 nights in the resort. Quite swanky for a backpacker!

Greyhound bus from Mission Beach down to Airlie Beach (8 1/2 hrs), passing through Townsville and Bowen.

This morning we took the Kuranda scenic railway (unfortunately no longer a steam train!) from Cairns to Kuranda. It goes thru the rainforest and over a really cool bridge but we had the duff seats so didn't get all the pictures! Then we took the Skyrail from Kuranda back to Smithfield - this is a cable car which goes over the top of the rainforest and there's a couple of intermediate stops where you can get off and wander around thru the forest. Pretty cool, but rainforests all start to look alike when you've seen a few of them!

Took a day trip to the outer Great Barrier Reef, where we snorkelled at 2 different sites. I regurgitated my breakfast on the way out and so I've decided that I prefer the Ningaloo Reef in WA because it's a fringing reef which doesn't require a boat trip!! It was still pretty awesome though and Cliff did a 30 minute intro dive at the first site, which I think he enjoyed. We saw loads of fish and also 2 turtles, which were amazing. Then, on the way back into Cairns (not feeling so good again!) we saw a pair of humpback whales breaching ... truly awesome! A special treat for us as whales sightings aren't expected for a few weeks yet.

Did a day trip up to Cape Tribulation. First stop was the Daintree River where we did an hour's cruise and saw 3 crocodiles (2 huge ones!) and some tree snakes. Then up the 4 wheel drive only Bloomfield Track to have lunch next to Emmagen Creek. Onto Cape Trib beach but no swim as the tide was out! Stopped off at Lync-Haven on the way back to Cairns to bottle feed some joeys.

Thanks to Cliff's parents, we are staying tonight at the Novotel resort in Palm Cove (30mins north of Cairns). We arrived and had a swanky lunch by the pool then went out and Cliff played 9 holes of golf (he shot 51 - doesn't mean anything to me?!) while I drove the buggy! I'm not strictly speaking allowed to do that as I don't have a driving licence but there wasn't too much traffic about and it was great fun! Then we did archery for an hour but I only hit the target twice (I blame the bent arrows!) and Cliff played tennis. In the evening we dined in the resort's thai restaurant. Yummy!

Spent the day around Cairns - booked a couple of day trips for the next few days and shipped our didges home.

Spent the day in Malanda making our own didgeridoos! Started with a tree trunk, hollowed out by termites, and cut the bark off with a sharp knife. Then Phil cut them down to size and planed some more wood off and Justin sanded them down for us. We then sanded them down by hand and varnished them. Once dry, Cliff and Suzie painted some animals on theirs (including dotwork - v professional looking!) but I couldn't as my varnish had bubbled in the sun and will need more work before painting. Doh! Finally, Phil moulded the wax mouthpieces on. Great fun and they all look really good (and we can play them too!). If anyone's in the Cairns area and wants to make their own didge (highly recommended!), then email Phil on [email protected]

Started the day with a 4km cycle to Lake Eacham, where Cliff went out in a rubber dinghy, Suzie cycled some more and I hacked my way through my Tom Clancy novel! Back to the lodge for lunch then out to Lake Tinaroo for a canoe. Hopped out on the other side of the lake to paint each other with Aboriginal ochre stones (should make interesting photos!) then paddled back across the lake.

Early start for our 3 day/2 night trip to Yungaburra in the Tablelands (about 1hr out of Cairns). First stop was the Cathedral strangling fig tree in tropical rainforest and Lake Barrine. Had lunch and then went to Millaa Millaa falls (made famous by the Timotei advert) where Cliff and Suzie swam (nutcases!), Zillie falls and Elinjja falls. Onto Yungaburra where we are staying in the 'On the Wallaby' lodge. Went down to the local creek to do some platypus-spotting before bbq dinner. Saw quite a few platypusses (or platypii?) before it got too dark!

Took a train out into the suburbs to visit Julie, who fed us well again and took us to visit her mum. Julie also cooked us dinner before we took the train back to Newtown, feeling very fat!

Took a train out to the Olympic Village from the 2000 games. Did a guided tour of Stadium Australia and sat in the seats that Cliff's cousin Sheldon designed. Very comfy! In the evening we saw 'Scooby Doo'.

Chilled out in Newtown. Watched the final of Australian 'Big Brother'.

Took Ann and Kirsten (Ann's housemate) to the SCG to watch the Sydney Swans take on Fremantle Dockers ... and win! (For those not in the know, that's about as incredible as St Kilda actually winning a game!). Afterwards we met up with Cliff's cousin Sheldon in Paddington and he took us to dinner before going to watch the World Cup Final. Come on Brasil!!

Cliff went off early to play 9 holes of golf with Suzie, Ross and Brian, but didn't return 'til 5pm! In the evening Brian took the 4 of us out for dinner in an African restaurant in Newtown.

Everybody is working today so we went into the city to have lunch with Arlene and then met up with Suzie and Ross, who took us to meet Ross' dad Brian, who bought us hot chocolates and cakes (he's a very nice man!). Met up with Ann after she finished work and went to 'Retro' - a 70s/80s club overlooking Darling Harbour.

Dropped the car off in Botany then took a bus into the city to meet up with Suzie and her boyfriend Ross for lunch and a kick-about in Hyde Park. Then took a train to Newtown where we are staying with Ann (who we met in Tasmania) and the 3 of us went out for dinner in a local Thai restaurant.

Had breakfast in McDonalds before heading up the highway into Australian Capital Territory and Canberra, where we walked over the top of Parliament House (it's built into the top of a hill and the roof is grassed over!). Back on the highway after lunch, finally reaching Botany (Captain Cook's first landing point in Oz) by evening.

Back on the road, stopping in Khancoban to hire snow chains(!!) for the car before entering Kosciuszko National Park. Stopped for a brief look at the Snowy Mtns hydro-electric scheme before continuing along the Alpine Way to Thredbo Village where we hired skis and Cliff attempted to teach me how to ski! A most traumatic experience but at least I only fell over 3 times in my 3 hours! Drove onto Cooma for our overnight stop.

Said a sad farewell to our flat in St Kilda and went to Tullamarine to collect our relocation car, which turned out to be a brand new Toyota Camry (not bad for $1/day!). Stopped off in Glenrowan, where Ned Kelly was eventually captured, an then carried on over the Vic-NSW border only to realise we'd taken the wrong route, so turned around and went back into Vic. Stopped overnight in Corryong.

Cleaned the flat and packed our bags, ready to leave tomorrow. Met up with Dan - Rosie's (who we'll meet in Brisbane) son, who's been living just around the corner from us for the past 2 months! - in the 'La Roche' cafe in Acland St. Not run by any of my relatives, unfortunately, so we had to pay the bill!

Lazy Saturday. Did some planning for our 3 days with the car. Cliff managed to burn a hole in one of my blouses so we had to bin the iron and the blouse!

Went to the Elsternwick Hotel to watch the England v Brazil game and met some of Cliff's workmates. Shame about the result!

My last day of work in Melbourne - just finishing off the filing (they had a lot of it!). Cliff's found us a relocation car from Melbourne to Sydney, leaving on Monday.

I went into the city to work for one of Melbourne's newspapers doing the filing. It's all exciting stuff!

Went into the city with Cliff and we went up the Rialto Towers - the tallest office building in the southern hemisphere. The observation deck is on the 55th floor and from there we could see St Kilda!

Cliff's last day at work and I did one day in South Melbourne photocopying Welcome Packs. Fun fun fun!

Sunday - spent the day chillin' in the flat (quite literally as we have no heating and it's winter!).

Chilled out during the day and in the evening drained a few beers watching England crush Denmark!! Come on!!!

My agency phoned to offer me 3 or 4 days work next week doing 'general admin'.

Back to work for Cliff but in the evening we went to see 'Spider-Man' at the cinema. Slightly disappointing film but better than another night in with the tv!

Bank holiday for the Queen's birthday. Yippee! Happy birthday, Ma'am!

Today was Sunday. Can't remember what happened - will get back to you on that one! I think it involved eating cakes though!

Went down the park to kick the ball around then bumped into Karen & Lisa (Suzie's friends who we met on Tues night) in Acland St. Don't worry, we pointed them in the direction of the cake shops!

Cliff went to work while I relaxed at home (phew! I needed that after all that work!). In the evening we watched England beat Argentina on our tv ... come on!!

My fourth and last week at work in my current assignment, that finished yesterday (Thurs) but I may have another in the pipeline?? Cliff's still working in his current assignment. Met up with Steve again on Tues night and a couple more of Suzie's friends from the east coast ... so now we have all her secrets ... ha ha ha! (You worried yet Suz?!)

Cliff got his revenge for me dragging him out yesterday by taking me to play football over the park then going home to watch the AFL on tv (our team St Kilda actually managed to win again! By 50 points! What is the world coming to?!) although he did treat me to a cake from one of the boutique cake shops in Acland St! Yummy... In the evening we went down the St Kilda Inn to watch England v Sweden (poor result) and to meet Steve, one of Suzie's friends from her trip up the east coast.

Took Cliff out for a mini-adventure to find Ramsay Street! (In real life it's Pin Oak Court in Vermont South, about an hour/hour & 1/2 from where we live). Had to walk for miles as there were no buses running and then couldn't remember the name of the connecting road, but we found it eventually. No filming today but saw one of the real life residents (a little girl and her dog) which made us feel a bit embarrassed about taking pictures of these poor people's houses!

My third week at work - uneventful. Cliff did his first full working week since September 2001!

The weekend! Did some chores on Saturday then treated ourselves by going to the Melbourne Chocolate Festival on Sunday!! Yum...

My second week at work, job's still not too boring yet! Cliff started work on Thursday doing all sorts of wierd stuff. The last I heard, they had him labelling traffic cones! Went to see 'Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones' on Tues evening. Awesome movie! (Especially Yoda...)

Went to the MCG to do the stadium tour. Saw the Long Room and the changing rooms and ended with a look around the Olympic museum, which had one of those skiing simulator things! Great fun!

Went to the Melbourne Museum.

My first full working week since August 2001! I'm dealing with 'Return to Sender' mail for a major telecommunications company in Melbourne. The job's not too boring and I'm working with an ex-Pommie! Cliff worked one day as a paralegal (ok, he was sticking numbers on the pages of a file, but it's all money!).

Weekend! Can't remember what we did so I'll have to get back to you on that one! I think we went to the MCG to watch St Kilda get beaten again!

I spent my last remaining weekdays relaxing while Cliff did boring job-hunting stuff.

Cliff went into the city to register with my agency and (much) later went back into the city to watch the Man U v Arsenal game (arriving home at 7.30am, might I add!!). Dirty stopout!

I received a call at 9.20am from my agency to work in a chocolate shop in the city today. Rushed around getting ready and speeded into the city for 11am. Had great fun packing and wrapping people's chocolates, playing with the cash till and, of course, tasting the chocolates! (And earning money at the same time, always a bonus!). Shame it's only for one day... Came home to be greeted with candles, flowers, a card and dinner - it's our 3 year anniversary! How sweet... :-)

My agency phoned to offer me a job starting next Monday doing data entry for 4 weeks. Yippee!

Not sure what happened today, but it probably involved kicking the footie around the pitch! Oh, and we watched 'Star Wars VI' on tv.

Went down the park with the footie for a kick-about with some guys who were pretty good. They gave Cliff a run for his money! In the evening (or should that be night?!) we went to Crown Casino to watch the FA Cup Final on the giant screens in the sports bar with lots of other nutcase Arsenal (and Chelsea) fans. Cliff's pretty happy about the result...

More boring job-hunting stuff. Got 3 of our films developed (selected at random from the 14 we have!) and saw '40 Days and 40 Nights' at the cinema.

A weekend in between the boring job-hunting stuff ... sorry, I can't remember what we did, but it was nothing exciting.

More boring job-hunting stuff.

Looked around the Sunday craft market but decided we couldn't afford any of the stuff. Watched our AFL team, St Kilda, get stuffed again on the telly. Spot the recurring themes here!

Went to Luna Park but decided we couldn't afford to go on any of the rides!

Into the city yet again to register with Geoffrey Nathan Consulting - a payroll company for working travellers like ourselves which allows us to claim a Living Away From Home Allowance. No, we'd never heard of it before either!

Went to South Melbourne to register with Fay Stokes Personnel, a recruitment agency.

Went into the city for a shopping spree! Bought some shoes for work and a blouse for me, and some trousers for Cliff. Also picked up a cheap calendar and posters to decorate our pad with.

Emailed our CVs to lots more job agencies. Have had a couple of promising replies from yesterday's agencies so made appointments to see them later in the week.

Found an Op Shop on our way to the internet cafe and picked up some bargain stuff for our flat (duvet, pillows, toaster, kettle etc.) so it's starting to look more like home now! Emailed agencies with our CVs.

Today we moved into our new flat! We don't have much stuff with us except our clothes and so the flat looks very bare at the moment! In the afternoon, after doing some cleaning, we did what all great St. Kildonians do ... went to Colonial Stadium to see an Aussie rules football game. Unfortunately our team St. Kilda got thrashed by the visiting Port Adelaide. Not a great start for our new team!

We have decided to stay in Melbourne for a few months as the time has come to find a job! Living in hostels is pretty expensive so we decided to look for a shared house or a flat instead. We went to look round two places in St. Kilda - a nice suburb south of Melbourne, with a beach, Luna Park and frequent trams into the city. Wasn't too keen on the first place (a dingy shared house) but decided to take the second place (our very own flat complete with colour tv!).

Bit of a palava checking out of one room and into another, cutting it a bit fine to get to McDonalds in time for breakfast on this special day!;-) Had a stroll along the waterfront then hit the shops! Saw 'A Beautiful Mind' (worthy of all those Oscars) then pigged out in Planet Hollywood, finishing the day off with a Double Chocolate Fudge Brownie and ice cream ... perfect!

Finally left Paihia and took the Magic bus back to Auckland. Staying in the YHA where we found out the reason why it offers fantastic views of the city - it's stuck on the top of a really steep hill!

More shuffleboard and beach cricket. Did some washing ... you know, all that mundane stuff.

Took a day trip up to Cape Reinga (the top of NZ). First stop was a kauri forest, then Awanui Ancient Kauri Kingdom where I found the most gorgeous table, priced at just $2500. I just can't see why Cliff wouldn't let me buy it!! Then onto Ninety Mile Beach where we drove up NZ's only beach highway and stopped for a paddle and to dig for tuatuas (shellfish) - yeuch! Next stop Te Paki sand dunes where Cliff the nutcase tried sandboarding. Lunch stop at Tapotaputu Bay for boogie-boarding in the waves before finally reaching Cape Reinga and the lighthouse. Stopped on the way back at Mangonui's award winning fish 'n chip shop for, well, fish 'n chips.

Happy birthday Papa! Beat Todd at mini golf before he and Sally got on the Magic bus back to Auckland. Hiked around the bluff to Woolies for some food then chilled and watched tv.

Watched 'Shrek' in video before heading to the beach and then shuffleboard practice. Returned to the Saltwater Cafe after dinner with Todd and Sally and between us managed to dominate the shuffleboard table all night! (Most of that was me and Cliff - what a team!).

Lazed most of the day away at our hostel, which has a pool, spa pool, hammocks and widescreen tv! In the evening went to Lighthouse bar/nightclub for a few drinks and pool.

Up early to catch the Magic bus to the Bay of Islands (NZ's "winterless north"). During the Auckland pick-ups who should sit in the seat in front of us but a rather large loud Canadian - Todd! (Suzie's housemate from Sydney). Drove over the Harbour Bridge on the way out of Auckland - v pretty view of the city and the boats in the harbour. Stopped to see Tane Mahuta, the Maori God of the Forest - a giant kauri tree over 2000 yrs old with a girth of 13.8m! Monster! Jumped off in Paihia where we're stopping for a few days. Out for dinner with Todd and fellow Magic traveller Sally. Then onto Saltwater Cafe for drinks and a few games of shuffleboard (I guess it's a bit like curling but not on ice!).

Back to the cricket where England need 312 to win but are all out for 233, thus losing the match and tying the series 1-1. What a shambles, but the Barmy Army are still in full voice!

Put Martin on the shuttle bus to the airport then watched the morning's play on tv. Headed down to the ground during lunch break and used Sunday's tickets to get in today! England were bowled out for 160 then NZ batted well into the evening under floodlights to make 269-9 dec. One streaker and 2 people catching a 6 - not sure who wins the $1800 prize!

Sunny day but the pitch is waterlogged so play won't start 'til 1pm. Took the opportunity to climb Mount Eden (a volcano complete with crater) for great views of Auckland and Eden Park. To the cricket to see Kiwis make 202 and England struggle to 12-3 when stumps were drawn.

Happy Easter! The boys finally crawled in at 6.30am after their night on the tiles. Luckily for them it's raining and there's no play at the cricket today.

Off to Eden Park for day 1 of the 3rd and final test. Kiwis won the toss and batted but looked to have made a big mistake when they were 4 wickets down after 40 mins. A rain-interrupted day ending on a respectable 150 odd for 5 wickets.

Drove to Auckland and left our bags at Oaklands Lodge. Went into the city centre and Martin went up the Sky Tower then we wandered down to the waterfront. Dropped the motorhome off and got a lift back to the city from the nice lady.

Went to the beach at Hahei where the boys played cricket. After lunch, the boys walked to Cathedral Cove (a 40 min walk each way just to see another beach! Why, I must ask myself?!). I stayed with the motorhome and relaxed with a good book.

Went to Waitomo Caves to go 'Tumu Tumu Toobing'. This involved dressing in wetsuits, wellies and helmets and descending via a ladder into Tumu Tumu Cave then crawling/walking/staggering/swimming (yes, it's freezing cold!) and tubing (i.e. sitting in a rubber ring) through the caves which are home to glowworms! Drove on to Coromandel Peninsula.

Had our greatest adventure of the trip so far - whitewater rafting on the Kaituna River. The trip only lasted 45mins but it negotiated 14 falls/rapids including a grade 5 7m waterfall (the highest commercially rafted fall in the world!) and another falls at grade 4. Pretty terrifying stuff but great fun! Then went to Te Whakarewarewatangaoteopetauaawahiao Thermal Valley where we bumped into Mark from our tour of Tasmania! What a small world... Saw some bubbling mud pools and Pohutu Geyser which can reach 30m high but was not playing for us!

Started the long haul to Rotorua, stopping at Mount Ruapehu (2797m) which is an active volcano. Drove onto Taupo to see sunset over the massive lake and the Huka Falls used for hydroelectric energy. Limped to Rotorua on an empty fuel tank. Test match ended in a draw.

Back to the cricket for day 4. Bowled the Kiwis out for 218 then reached 162-1 by stumps. We're not sticking around for the final day and make our way north to Otaki.

Day 3 of the test is a scorcher! England make 280 and NZ finish on 70-1. Bad day for all Surrey/England fans and the team as it's announced over the PA system that Ben Hollioake was killed last night in a car crash in Perth, Oz. Tragic. Went out in the evening for a belated St Patrick's Day drink and did a mini pub crawl.

Down to the Basin Reserve for day 2 of the test match which didn't start 'til 3.30pm and finished early for bad light. Boo! Then we caught the bus to the Westpac Trust Stadium to see a Super 12s rugby match between the Hurricanes (Wellington's team - Jonah Lomu plays for them) and the Cats (from South Africa). Hurricanes won 30-21.

Today was meant to be day 1 of the 2nd test match but the weather was atrocious! Gale force winds and rain meant the day was washed out. But, we did bump into Andy Flintoff, Andy Caddick, Ashley Giles, Michael Vaughan and Warren Hegg shopping in town!

Took the scenic mountain route from Amberley to Picton.

Happy birthday Peter! Drove to the airport to pick up Cliff's friend Martin, who has come to join us on our barmy tour for 2 weeks. Showed him around Christchurch town centre then went for a ride up the gondola before starting our journey north.

Picked up our motorhome (it's HUGE!) and bummed around Christchurch in it. Played mini golf at Pirate's Island and Cliff hit a bucket of balls at the driving range.

Back to Jade Stadium for day 4 - yep, the day Nathan Astle crashed 222 runs off a ridiculously low number of balls and gave us England fans a bit of a scare. Nevertheless, we still beat them by 98 runs! And Graham Thorpe waved to me ... pass the smelling salts!

Went to Jade Stadium for day 3 of the 1st test between New Zealand and England. Great day's entertainment with Andy Flintoff's maiden test century (137) and Graham Thorpe's top test score of 200 n.o.

Took the coach from Nelson back down to Christchurch - yes I know it all sounds a bit silly driving from one end of the country to the other and then going back the day after but we're going to watch the cricket tomorrow!!

Drove from Christchurch to Nelson to return Humphrey.

Watched people bungy jumping off the Kawarau Bridge (loonies!) then began our long drive back up to Christchurch. Passed several lakes full of fantastically blue-coloured water, due to the glaciers. Very pretty. Saw the snow-capped peak of Mount Cook in the distance, but unfortunately we didn't have time to head out there for a closer look. Received a message from the police in Te Anau - Cliff's walled was handed in to them and we can collect it in Christchurch in a couple of days. Hurrah!

Headed down into Milford Sound for our 1 3/4 hour cruise on the fjord. Went back to Te Anau, where we discovered Cliff's wallet was missing. Reported it to the police and then drove back out to last night's campsite to look for it. No luck. Decided to head to Queenstown for the night.

Went to Stuart Landsborough's Puzzling World where they have a fantastic 3D maze which takes about 1 hour to complete (ok, I cheated, but only because I needed the toilet!). Cliff managed it second time around. There's also some Illusion Rooms, where they get balls on a pool table to run uphill etc. Pretty cool place! Stayed overnight on the road out to 'Lord of the Rings' country - Milford Sound.

Took a 1/2 day guided walk on the Fox Glacier. Wrapped up warm and strapped crampons onto our boots for the hike across the glacier itself. Incredible! The lower part of the glacier can move between 20cm and 1m a day (most only move that much in a year!). Stayed overnight in Wanaka at a 5 star campervan park where we relaxed in the spa.

Went to Shantytown (a replica 1880s west coast gold mining town) where we rode on a steam train and panned for gold. Amazing that we both found some in our pans ... ;-) Went to the National Kiwi Centre in Hokitika to see real live kiwis, now an endangered species. Stopped to look at Franz Josef Glacier on our way to Fox Glacier, our stop for the night.

Went to Buller Gorge Swingbridge Adventure and Heritage Park where the girl on the sales desk offered to give us 2 free 'Supaman' rides on a zip line over the gorge (worth $40 each) in exchange for my t-shirt (worth about 5 pounds!!). Of course we agreed immediately, although Cliff looked a little sick at the prospect of taking flight! First we walked over the longest swing bridge in NZ - that was pretty scary! - then we went to look at the faultline of the 1929 earthquake, and finally when we couldn't put it off any longer we donned our capes and put our knickers on over our trousers ... and took off! Awesome! Carried on to Punakaiki to see the Pancake Rocks (yep, they're rocks that look like stacks of pancakes).

More mini-golf - played atrociously on a really nasty course. Returned one campervan and exchanged it for another ("Humphrey") - this one has a fridge and cooker! Overnight in Ruby Bay again.

Drove up to Farewell Spit - a long sandbank stretching out into the water - and walked to Cape Farewell, the northernmost point of the South Island then hiked up to the lighthouse at Pillar Point for views of the spit. Visited Te Waikoropupu Springs - the largest springs in Australasia. Overnight at Kaiteriteri Beach.

Went to Labyrinth Rocks Park in Takaka (basically some guy's back garden with lots of rocks that you're meant to see different shapes in and a pretty poor maze) then went to Tata Beach for a spot of rugby training before heading to Tukurua to stay by the beach.

Saw some fur seals from a lookout at the side of the road. Dropped the car off in Nelson and swapped it for a "campervan" for the next few days to explore the north-west of the South Island. Overnight in Ruby Bay - for only $3.50 each! I like this camping lark!

We have a car that needs relocating from Christchurch up to Nelson, so we get to drive it up there for FREE! (just paying petrol) by tomorrow night. Pretty cool and it saves a bit of money! Stopped off in Hanmer Springs where we relaxed in the thermal pools and hot springs. Played mini-golf and I beat Cliff with a storming round of 48! Then got lost in the Hurunui Jones Maze before heading on up to Kaikoura where we stayed in a hostel. Went to the town's antique cinema and watched 'Riding in Cars with Boys'.

Boring day in Christchurch doing washing, updating the website, arranging transport for the next few weeks etc.

Flew back from Launceston to Melbourne and checked into our hostel. Met Karen and Carlton from our Autopia tour (such a small world!). Watched 'There's Something About Mary' on video - the first time I've seen it!

Went to Cradle Mountain and did a 3 1/2 hour walk up to Marion's Lookout. Drove back to Launceston to end our trip.

Pancakes for breakfast again - yippee! Did a spot of canoeing on Lake Rosebery and I was lucky enough to see a platypus! Onto Henty Dunes for some extreme sand-jumping then ice-creams in Strahan. Back to Tullah for dinner and some bush-tucker - Wichety Grubs. Bleurch!

Went to Mount Field National Park and saw Russell Falls and some Tasmanian Pademelons (wallabies). Onto Lake St Clair (the deepest freshwater lake in Oz) for lunch. Overnight stop at the Tullah Lakeside Chalet overlooking the beautiful Lake Rosebery.

Free day in Hobart so we went to 'Antarctic Adventure' hands-on museum (because the Cadbury factory is closed at weekends!), where we played in snow in the cold room. Wandered around Salamanca Markets and managed not to spend any money! Cliff took a bus up Mount Nelson while I updated the website. Fish 'n chips for dinner by the harbour.

Looked around the historic site of Port Arthur which was a penal colony between 1830 and 1877. Continued our tour to Hobart, passing through Doo Town, where all the house names begin with 'Doo'! Had Vietnamese for dinner by Hobart harbour.

Pancakes for breakfast before driving to Freycinet National Park for a 5km walk to a lookout over Wineglass Bay and then down to the beach.

Started our 7 day 'Top to tail of Tasmania' tour with Adventure Tours Australia. First stop was Cataract Gorge Reserve for a gentle stroll through the park and along the river. BBQ lunch at Freycinet Winery and wine tasting before heading to Nature World in Bicheno, our overnight stop, to see Tasmanian Devils being fed and cuddle wombats. Altogether now .... "aaaaahhhhhhh!" Amazing electrical storm in the evening which we watched from the beach.

Back onto the Great Ocean Rd to see Loch Ard Gorge and the Twelve Apostles. Walked through Maits Rest Rainforest before lunch in Apollo Bay. Quick stop at the famous surfie Bells Beach on the way to Melbourne.

Joined the Autopia Tours 3 day Great Ocean Road tour to Melbourne. Highlights of the day were the impressive MacKenzie Falls and Reed's Lookout (2330 ft). Staying overnight in the Asses Ears Wilderness Lodge.

Did a loop around town on the free city bus and watched videos in the hostel, listening to the U2 tribute band playing in the pub next door.

Happy Valentines Day! Yet another baking hot day. Saw 'The Bradman Collection' in the State Library of South Australia.

Jumped on the tram with our backpacks and headed into Adelaide where we checked into another hostel. Walked up through town to the Adelaide Oval, where the Southern Redbacks were taking on the Queensland Bulls. Watched some cricket and had a look round the museum and up the scoreboard.

Took the train to Bondi Junction where I bought Cliff his birthday present (only a few days late!!). Back to Sydney, where we met up with Anne-Mette and her boyfriend for a drink. Went to the William Street Hotel in the evening for some farewell pool with the housemates and Shelley.

Went shopping in Chatswood before taking the train to Wahroonga, where the Taylor's old neighbours from home now live and they cooked us a BBQ dinner.

Shelley took us and Suzie to Darling Harbour for a delicious lunch. Watched the Olympic Games opening ceremony in the evening.

Caught the ferry from Circular Quay to Manly where we strolled around the shops and down to the beach before it started to pour again, so jumped back on the ferry back to Sydney.

Went to The Rocks and Circular Quay and met Esta on the steps of the Opera House. Had a drink in the Opera Bar overlooking the Harbour Bridge.

HAPPY 24TH BIRTHDAY CLIFF! Booked up over $3000 worth of tours and flights to keep us going for the next few months. Had lunch in a Sports Bar in Kings Cross then Shelley picked us up and took us to Bondi where we saw the famous beach in the rain. Dinner and drinks in the evening with Suzie, Clive, Todd, Shelley and Cliff's cousin Esta and husband Joe at the Paddington Inn. Home for chocolate cake (nice one Suz!).

Did some washing and headed into the city centre to buy an umbrella and browse the shops.

It started pouring with rain at 4am this morning and has not stopped since - and doesn't look like stopping in the near future! Went with Suzie and Cliff to visit a lady called Julie who was their parents' neighbour when they lived in Sydney. Julie fed us lunch and then we went to visit her mum who used to burp Cliff when he was a baby! Back to Julie's bungalow for dinner with her and her son Brett before heading back to Woolloomooloo in the rain.

Went with Suzie for a walk through the Botanical Gardens for a view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

Went to Desert Park where we saw Echidnas and other night creatures in the nocturnal house and wandered around the 3 different desert landscapes created there.

Took our FREE day trip to the Western MacDonnell Ranges (came with our Ayers Rock trip) and saw wallabies at Simpson's Gap, hiked through Ormiston Gorge, had lunch at Glen Helen resort and swam at Ellery Creek Big Hole. Then had a free feed at Melankas restaurant in the evening.

Went to Rex's Reptile House to see all the creepy crawlies and hold a 3m, 11kg Olive Python - I'm sure I look pretty horrified in my photo!

Did some window shopping around town, then because it's cheap day at the cinema plus we get BOGOF with our hostel keyring we saw 'Shallow Hal' in the morning and 'Serendipity' in the evening with Eddy and Henriette - a Dutch couple from our tour.

Yet another early start to walk 6km around (I mean up and down!) Kings Canyon. Jumped across the canyon at one point ... but it was less than a metre wide there! Back to the resort to take a HELICOPTER RIDE!! over the canyon to see where we'd just walked. A fantastic experience but it was over far too quickly. Mexican for lunch then the long drive to Alice Springs. I won 2 free drinks on the way for correctly guessing our arrival time in Alice! Checked into the backpackers and had a look around town before having dinner and playing pool in Melankas with our few remaining tour buddies and our guide Jodie.

Ridiculously early start (4.20am) for the drive to Ayers Rock before sunrise, only to find the climb closed today due to rain! Decided to do the 8km base walk instead and started out watching the rain and lightning in the distance. Looked around the Cultural Centre to learn about the Aboriginals then had lunch back at camp before heading to Kings Canyon Resort. Had a dip in the pool before dinner and story-telling around the campfire. Early to bed again!

Posted our photos home and packed our bags. I'm sure mine's bulging more now than when I arrived in Perth! Had a farewell bbq in the evening with Ron and Warwick round as well.

Cliff had a Star Trek marathon (about 10 episodes!) and we collected our last lot of photos from the developers. That makes 26 packets in 4 months!

Went to Subiaco - a trendy suburb of Perth - to do some window-shopping.

Wandered down to 'Hippo's Yawn' - a rock formation that looks like what it says it is with a little imagination. Went to an alpaca farm, where we fed the animals before heading to historical York for lunch. One final stop at Mundaring Weir on our way back to Perth.

Hopped back on the tour and stopped for photos at the Pink Lake (yes, it really is pink!) before heading to Wave Rock (yes, it really is a big granite formation that looks like a wave!). 'Surfed' on the rock then had a BBQ dinner and did some stargazing. I saw a shooting star.

Spent the morning on the beach and headed into town for the afternoon. Not much open though except the Taylor Street tearooms (where a huge slice of chocolate fudge cake was consumed!) and the indoor mini golf. Watched 'Jerry Maguire' in the evening and played with the hostel's resident kitten 'Tiger'.

Climbed Frenchman's Peak in the Cape Le Grand National Park for panoramic views then went to Lucky Bay (one of the world's top 10 beaches) for a dip in the freezing Southern Ocean. Hopped off the tour back in Esperance.

Went to a sandalwood factory and saw the 'Tree in a Rock' (they cheated a bit and added cement!) before another wine tasting. Hacked it to Esperance, passing some beautiful white beaches with turquoise water.

To the cinema to see 'Monsters Inc.' before hopping back on the tour and going to see 'The Gap' and 'The Natural Bridge' - coastal rock formations.

Caught the bus out to Middleton Beach and walked back along the scenic coastal footpath to Albany. Watched 'The Matrix' on video then I finally beat Cliff at pool. What can I say ... he's a very good teacher!

Spent the day in town. Dinner was all-you-can-eat pizza in the restaurant under the hostel with one of our Easyrider drivers (from the Exmouth trip before Xmas) and his crew.

Hired an 'aquabike' on the Denmark River for some gentle (ha!) exercise. Travelled to Albany (not on the aquabike!) and checked into a hostel that serves free chocolate cake and tea every evening. Yum yum!

Pancakes for brekky made by the hostel's resident chef - Slim. Cycled down to the mouth of Denmark River where we ate our picnic with the pelicans.

I climbed up the Diamond tree - a 52m high karri tree with fantastic views from the top. Then onto the Valley of the Giants where we did the Tree Top Walk through the karri and tingle trees. Very wobbly! Hopped off the bus in Denmark (W.A. not E.U.) and checked into a lovely hostel that only opened last December.

Climbed to the top of Cape Leeuwin lighthouse (the 3rd tallest in Oz at 40m) to see the meeting point of the Indian and Southern Oceans. Then on to Donnelly River (where we were 4wdriving last weekend!) where we canoed in the drinking water supply. Fed the native kangaroos, emus and parrots before a BBQ dinner.

Hopped back on the tour and travelled to Augusta, where we stayed in a hotel. Not 5* but luxurious compared to the hostels we've been staying in!

Weather was not so good (a storm was brewing) so we checked out the town and sampled the treats in the fudge factory.

Early start to begin our hop-on hop-off trip with Western Travel Bug. Went down the Ngilgi Cave in Yallingup, which included a tight section called the 'Band Aid'. Some wine tasting after lunch before visiting a working sheep farm for some shearing and sheepdog demonstrations. I also got to bottle feed a lamb - aaaahhh! - and then had the pleasure of burping it - eeeurgh! Saw the famous surfie beach in Margaret River, where we hopped off the tour.

Did loads of washing in preparation for our 2-week south-west jaunt starting tomorrow and popped down to the local shopping centre, only to experience a power cut whilst in Woolies. Eerie!

Another 4wd weekend with Ray - this time the reccy for his next 'Campfire Escapes' weekend. Mostly sand driving which Cliff loves, but it scares the hell out of me! I was also the guinea pig for Ray's new camping shower and will be appearing in the next edition of 'Western 4 Wheel Driver' (clothed, of course!).

Did some sightseeing in Perth - went up the Bell Tower & experienced some bellringing, climbed the DNA tower in Kings Park and went to the IMAX for some 3-D fun! In the evening we went tenpin bowling with Ray & Denny.

Bade farewell to Val & Rosemary, who are on their way back home to sunny (ha!) England.

Happy New Year! Lazy day for us ... swimming, slobbing etc ... finished off perfectly with one of Denny's legendary curries for dinner and '101 Dalmations' on video. Fantastic!

Dinner in 'The Bridges' seafood restaurant before heading to Riverton Bridge over the Canning River to see New Year in with fireworks and champagne.

Washing day and watched 'Miss Congeniality' on DVD.

4 wheel driving on the beach in Mandurah, then into the bush & across Tom's water crossing (twice!) in search of Baden-Powell's spa.

Chilled in the daytime then went into Perth to meet "the Danes" Martin and Anne-Mette (fellow Easyriders) for thai food, drinks & a thrashing on the pool table.

Picked up a few bargains in the sales and saw 'The Lord of the Rings'.

Went round to Donna & Tony's (more friends of R&D!) for a pool bbq, although the water was a bit chilly. Played a few games of 'bocce' - aka 'petanque' or 'boules'.

Merry Christmas! Opened our pressies, then headed down to the beach for a dip in the Indian Ocean. Back for a spot of light lunch before the big Chrissy dinner in the evening. Mmmm....

Arrived back in Perth before lunchtime and raced to the Westfield Carousel for those last-minute pressies. Met Val & Rosemary - R&D's other house guests over Xmas (or should I say their only 'house' guests, since we're now relegated to sleeping in the garage!). BBQ tonight. Don't forget to leave your stocking out...

Long boring day on the bus, travelling from Exmouth to Dongara, our overnight stop.

Back to Turquoise Bay for the day and, you guessed it, more snorkelling! You think we'd be bored of it by now.

Guess what? Yet MORE snorkelling on the Ningaloo Reef before jumping back on the bus and heading up to Exmouth in 40+ degrees heat. Down to Turquoise Bay for snorkelling on a more northern part of the Ningaloo Reef, then Easyrider surprise of a champagne sunset from the lighthouse.

Yet more snorkelling off Paradise Beach, then Cliff did a 2 hour quad bike trek to seek out some turtles.

Took a 'snorkel cruise' on a glass-bottomed boat. Viewed the coral and fish for an hour on the boat, then snorkelled for another hour while the captain fed the pet snapper.

Down to Paradise Beach in Coral Bay for my first sea snorkel on the Ningaloo Reef. For those of you obsessed with facts, it's the largest fringing reef in the world (I think!) therefore more accessible than the Great Barrier Reef. Checked out of the hostel and into a much nicer chalet.

Onto Monkey Mia to see (and in Cliff's case, feed) the dolphins. Some beach volleyball before heading to Shell Beach (a beach consisting entirely of shells ... duh!) and finishing the day at Coral Bay. Staying at the dingiest backpackers ever - the new one opens on the 22nd Dec. Doh!

My first ever snorkel. Aren't you impressed? OK, you got me ... it was in the hostel's pool and there weren't any fish to see! Back on the Easyrider to Denham, stopping at the Hamelin Pool stromatolites which are apparantly the oldest living thing in the world at over 400 million years (aka, dull rocks that blow bubbles).

Still in Kalbarri ... took a walk to Chinaman's Point for views around the bay, then challenged Cliff to a game of mini-putt (and lost miserably). Watched sunset from the beach.

Into Kalbarri National Park to 'do' the Murchison River gorges. Took an easy stroll around 'The Loop' and marvelled at 'Nature's Window' before climbing down into (and back out of) the 'Z-Bend' which is 150m deep. Pub lunch, then took a well-earned refreshing dip in the hostel's pool.

Did a spot of sealion-spotting then admired the architecture of St Francis Xavier Cathedral before hopping back on the Easyrider to Kalbarri, where Cliff ate a whole pig for dinner (I wish I'd had a camera!).

Spent the day sightseeing in Geraldton - the Old Geraldton Gaol, tenpin bowling (ok, not strictly sightseeing, but it was a lot of fun!) and the art gallery.

Day 1 of our 13-day trip up the west coast to Exmouth on the hop-on hop-off Easyrider backpacker bus. Quick tea (and kangaroo pie) stop in Lancelin before heading up to the Pinnacles Desert and having lunch on the beach in Hangover Bay. Hopped off in Geraldton

Dragged Cliff round Garden City shopping centre. He really enjoyed that!

Denny let us borrow the Suzuki again for some 4wd training with Ray. First day was sand, where we drove up and down some dunes and along the beach. All good fun, apart from going backwards down the dunes. The 'jesus bar' came into good use today! We camped overnight in a luxury campsite (with hot showers, toilets with loo roll and electric lighting!) next to an outdoor cinema before tackling some all terrain on Sunday and some hair-raising hills. The boy done good though...

Put Suzie & Clive on the train at East Perth Stn - we wanted to make sure they actually left. Only kidding ;o)

Put up the Xmas decorations - v strange to be doing it when the sun is shining! Evening meal in the Lakers restaurant (with HUGE portions) to say farewell to Suzie & Clive who catch the Indian-Pacific train to Adelaide tomorrow.

Took in yet more cricket with the festival match between South Africa & an ACB Chairman's XI (which included Dean Jones) at Lilac Hill. Full house & good atmosphere - and it was cheap to boot! SA won by 48 runs.

A spot of shopping in Fremantle today.

Went to the WACA to watch day 4 of the final test between Australia and New Zealand. Tiny crowd in a small ground! Not what I expected at all.

Ray & Denny took us to the Fremantle markets, where we (surprisingly) managed to spend very little money. This evening was the airing of 'Postcards' on Channel 9, featuring Ray's company 'Campfire Escapes' (see 16-18 Nov) ... so now we're all tv stars! Anyone for an autograph?

Yet another BBQ...

Saw 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone' and also the 'Star Wars: Episode II' trailer, although we have to wait another 6 months to watch the movie!

Ron & Lyn's son Warwick took us out for the day to Yanchep National Park and 'The Maze', where we got lost in their wooden fence maze, hedge maze and pine tree mazes. I also lost spectacularly at mini golf. Saw some kangaroos and a baby koala - aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!

Yet more lazy days. Watched Billy Connolly in 'The Man Who Sued God'.

Were taken out sailing on Ron & Lyn's yacht, stopping off at Carnac Island to see the fat seals and then Garden Island for a spot of snorkelling.

Went to an Aussie folk music & bush poetry evening for a bit of culture. Very funny, but freezing cold!

We put on our Sunday best and headed into Perth job-hunting. Signed up with a few agencies but it's pretty quiet at the mo. Such a shame...!

Lazy days in & around Willetton. Ray took the boys to the pub to watch the Oz v Uruguay World Cup qualifier. Needless to say they came back slightly the worse for wear.

4 wheel drive camping weekend with Ray's company 'Campfire Escapes'. Denny let us kids loose in her Suzuki (brave lady!) while Ray showed off in his Land Cruiser for the tv crew filming a 'Postcards' Xmas special for Channel 9. Tackled some pretty steep & bumpy hills (I'm glad the Suzie is a soft top!) as well as a river crossing. Great scenery on this trip & I saw my first wild kangaroos!

S, C & C did some body boarding before we headed back to Willetton. BBQ dinner at friends of Ray & Denise - Ron & Lyn - where Cliff attempted to play the drums. Not a pretty sound!

Went to the Aquarium of Western Australia & walked thru' a 98m long underwater tunnel (some pretty mean looking sharks & jellyfish). This place has put me off ever going in the sea again!

More cycling & snorkelling on Rotto before catching the ferry back to Fremantle & then a bus to Scarborough.

Took the ferry to Rottnest Island & hired bikes. Cliff & I tried (unsuccessfully) to ride a tandem before deciding to swap it for something more sensible. Suzie, Clive & Cliff did some snorkelling.

Happy 21st birthday Suzie! We are staying with Cliff's aunt & uncle (and dog Scooter) in Perth and have met up with Suzie and Clive, who've been here 3 weeks already. Went to King's Park, where someone managed to lose an American Football and a bottle of water up a tree ... don't ask! Dinner in a swanky restaurant, where Suzie got a surprise when the head chef brought out her chocolate birthday mud cake. Delicious!

Hired a car with driver for the day and toured the island. Best bit was the sacred monkey forest sanctuary where Balinese Macaques roam free and we saw one trying to crack open a coconut - unsuccessfully! Had refreshing drinks up a cool bamboo tree house and crossed a very scary rope bridge for views across the surrounding rice fields.

Into Kuta for some bartering with the locals ... think we picked up a few bargains!

Happy bonfire night! Watched Cliff have a 'combination aromatherapy massage' - an amusing sight! What a wriggler...

Lazy day in the resort, only going out for dinner. Lots of games of free pool!

We're staying in a nice hotel set in tropical gardens, it has a pool with waterfalls, and we get a large American breakfast every morning. Good job there's a pool! Took a stroll down to the beach (about 100m away) and then into town.

Up early to catch LRT to Petronas Twin Towers - the world's tallest building. Breakfast in a Starbucks-stylee coffee shop, then picked up our tickets for the Skybridge visit later in the day. Hiked through a mozzie infested park to the Menara Kuala Lumpur - the world's 4th tallest communications tower. Lift up to the observation deck at 276m for fantastic panoramic views of the city. Back to the Twin Towers (avoiding mozzie park this time!) and up to the Skybridge between the 43rd floors - about half way up. From here we had nice views of modern KLCC with swimming pool, fountains, parkland and a large adventure playground which Cliff wouldn't let me play in! Coach back to Singapore.

Happy Halloween! Took a deluxe coach straight to KL (6 hours) and found our hostel. Dinner in a nearby swanky hotel.

Day at Sentosa Island (well, afternoon and evening, anyway ... zzz). Impressed by the laser and light musical fountain show but not by much else!

Straight to hotel for a kip, then caught the MRT (like the Docklands Light Railway but much nicer) to the city for lunch. Spent the afternoon walking around the city and found an Irish pub for a much-needed humidity break. Dinner in the food hall at a shopping centre.

Bus and boat trip to Ile aux Cerfs - an island off Mauritius. Lazed on the shore for an hour while Cliff swam in the thigh-high water which stretched out 100m. 007 style speedboat trip up to the cascades (waterfall) before an all-you-can-drink BBQ (which Cliff took full advantage of!) and more lounging on the beach.

Tour of the island, the highlights of which were a 150m waterfall, the 7 coloured earth dunes, an extortionate Chinese restaurant 'in the sky' (halfway up a mountain) and Flic en Flac beach.

First week of our 10 day stay in Mauritius has been exceedingly lazy. Apartment is nice and we are v close to a sandy beach and the most swimming pool-like sea we've ever seen and swam in.

Day trip to Sun City where we had a splashing time in the Valley of Waves and Cliff drooled over the Championship golf course.

Baz Bus to Johannesburg Airport Backpackers...and yes, it really is right next to the airport! Don't think much sleep will be had for the next 2 nights. Went to Caesars Casino for the evening and dinner.

"Here rises (at 4.30am) with two who can Kruger Park travel for 35 hours, Cliff and Pam stepped into the converted Mazda truck with aeroplane seats and vanished! Their only guide on this journey was Lloyd, an observer from Kruger Park, who only Cliff and Pam could see and hear. And so Cliff and Pam find themselves leaping from animal to animal, striving to get a closer look at the ones that were a bit shy and hoping each time that the next leap would be one of the Big Five." But seriously ... we saw lions, rhinos, buffalo, elephants, giraffes, zebra, wildebeest, baboons, vervet monkeys, crocodiles, hippos and warthogs, all in abundance, and mainly on our first day. We camped overnight in Skukuza - the main rest camp - fortunately surrounded by electric fences(!) before continuing our tour.

On to Hazyview, where we are staying in a thatched hut.

Another arse-busting 10 1/2 hours to Swaziland - our second country of the trip.

My 21 1/2th birthday! Early start for bum-numbing 13 1/2 hour Baz Bus journey to Durban.

Boat trip started with launch from the beach - unique! Saw hundreds of Common Dolphins and seals which swam along with the boat and a couple of Humpback Whales. I enjoyed my breakfast for the second time today (not as good as the first time ... eugh!). Cliff indulged me and took me to Monkeyland. No rest for the wicked! V sweet and mischievous Squirrel Monkeys trying to steal Cliff's hat and our daysack.

We are staying at a gorgeous beach house with mountain views from our bedroom and stunning deserted beach on our doorstep. It's a hard life! Cliff went boogie boarding while I admired his moves and the whales frolicking beyond the surf. Another braai (BBQ) for dinner - seems to be the SA way of life.

Hired a kayak on the lagoon, paddled with the wind for 1 1/2 hours to the St James Hotel, where we emerged from the lagoon like sea monsters, much to the horror of the residents! V nice lunch in the classy hotel, although the cranes were getting a bit too friendly for my liking! Paddling back into the wind was a nightmare but we made it back in good time. Baz Bus to Plettenberg Bay.

Lazy day!

Scrambled ostrich egg for breakfast before being whisked off to the Cango Caves and an ostrich farm, where Cliff rode an ostrich. So very brave ... or foolish perhaps?! Timed our trip to Knysna perfectly, arriving minutes after the kick-off of the England v Greece game (although my blood pressure probably wishes we'd arrived 2 hours later!) Thanks Finland...

Baz Bus to Oudtshoorn where Cliff had ostrich steak for dinner.

Took our first Baz Bus trip to Hermanus, where Southern Right Whales are currently calving in the bay and a whale festival is on. They're a bit camera shy though!

Open top bus tour of Cape Town, hopping off for lunch at Camps Bay beach.

Clear day so started our ascent early. Started v steep but thankfully levelled out on way to Platteklip Gorge, then another steep ascent. Plenty of breaks and lunch stop in shady spot. Finally made it to the top after 3 3/4 hours, a height of 3549 feet. Wandered around on top for a bit admiring the views before taking a 5 minute cable car ride down! I was so hot I braved a dip in the pool - but only briefly!

Rainy day so we'll do Table Mountain tomorrow. Went to cinema - exceedingly cheap! - to see American Pie 2 and Jurassic Park III.

Cape Peninsula tour! Took a short boat trip to Duiker Island to see the Cape Fur Seal colony. V cute but smelly butts! (The seals, not us!) Onto Boulders Beach at Simons Town for the Jackass Penguins living the life of Riley (the penguins and us!). Into the Cape of Good Hope Nature Reserve for a bracing cycle (or wobble in Cliff's case! I'm sure the baboons had a good laugh too...) to the Cape of Good Hope. Hiked up to the lighthouse at Cape Point for spectacular views of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans.

Cliff took a brief dip in the hostel's icy cold pool. He didn't stay in for long! I took the sensible option and lazed by the pool admiring the magnificent view of Table Mountain. It makes a very surreal backdrop and looks beautiful with a halo of pink-tinged clouds as the sun sets.

Arrived at our hostel in Cape Town - Ashanti Lodge - at lunchtime and crashed. Cliff headed straight to the bar for cheap beer and tourist info!