Journal:

Australia - Brisbane, 18 Oct 2001

We fly through the night, changing at Aukland for our flight to Brisbane. We arrive in Brisbane at about 8am local time. Unfortunately my bags do not arrive at the same time (but luckily for Davie his do). We take a train to the Transit Center in town and get somewhere to stay through an accomodation agency. We are staying at Brisbane Backpackers Resort. For about $15 each a night, we get our own room with a TV, fridge, and en-suite bathroom. We are staying in the "artsy" area of Brisbane (my interpretation of "artsy" is that it is a bit of a kip, but safe).

Brisbane is a nice city, with wide clean streets. A river snakes through the center of the city and a network of ferries move people up and down the river. A number of pedestrain malls allow for outdoor cafes along the shopping streets. And a number of little parks provide lovely relaxed areas in the midst of the city. The pace of life here looks to be fairly laidback and the people are very nice. One cool thing is a cliff along part of the river facing the downtown area of the city that is used for climbing and absailing 24 hours-a-day thanks to floodlighting. Also, there is a nice little man-made beach in one of the river-side parks.

The weather here is ideal for us. Perfect sunny days, but not too hot. It is just the right temperature for wandering around.

On the first day, we head straight out to see the city. At lunch time, Davie doesn't feel too good and heads back to the hostel. I continue to explore the city. And then my bags arrive that afternoon. MY bags had been opened, but nothing was missing. The filter for my water purifier was the only thing that was moved - this must have showed up as something suspicious in the x-ray machine and missed the flight.

That evening, we head out for a bite to eat. We go to the Three Monkeys, which is recommended by our guide book. It's a definite two thumbs way up! Fantastic foccacia bread. Then we grab some munchies and head back to our room for the champions league soccer at 10pm.

Australia - Brisbane, 19 Oct 2001

Davie doesn't feel well again today. He is going to visit the doctor. I head off on a city tour. The tour is very good. The first tour driver befriends me because he wants someone to talk with about English soccer. And then the second tour driver claims to be descended from a Buckley that emigrated from County Cork (I ask him if he's sure Buckley wasn't forcibly "emigrated" to the penal colony). After the tour, I take a catamaram up and down the Brisbane river. Then, when back in town, I go on a little window-shopping expedition. I am looking for a lighter and more compact sleeping bag, a weekend pack, and a couple of pairs of swimming shorts. However, the prices are a little higher that I would like to pay for these items (the prices are higher that back in the States).

During the day, we use the text messaging feature on our mobile phones to keep in touch. Texting rules!

I head back to the hostel and meet up with Davie, who is feeling so-so. I put my head down for a minute and then was surprised to awake at 1am. It was a pity to miss out on Friday night out, but I obviously needed the sleep.

Australia - Byron Bay, 20 Oct 2001

We had intended to leave Brisbane today, and head north up the coast. However, because Davie is not feeling well we will stay for another day or two. Davie is going to take it relatively easy today. I decide to get up early and get a bus to Byron Bay. A few people have told us to go to Byron Bay, however it is south of Brisbane and therefore not on our route. I get the 9am bus down. Byron Bay is a very nice little seaside resort town, with very strong hippy influence. It is full of little curiousity shops, outdoor cafes, and all sorts of eccentric people. I walk the length of the beach, watching the surfers out by the head. And then stroll through town.

I do my shopping here, getting my weekend pack and sleeping bag. The prices were a little more reasonable that Brisbane. And I catch up with my online journal at an internet cafe with the fantastic price of about $1 an hour.

I don't get back from Byron Bay until about midnight. I head straight back to the hostel, where Davie is a bit stir crazy. He is feeling better and itching to do stuff after three days of inactivity. We hit the hay, hoping to rise at a reasonably early hour the following day and do something. We have been in Brisbane on a Thursday, Friday, and Saturday night and have not been out for a drink... I know there are extenuating circumstances, but we are gutted.

Australia - Brisbane, 21 Oct 2001

We get up early, hop on a local bus, and head out to Lonely Pines Koala Sanctuary. It is the largest Koala Sanctuary in the world. We spend a few hours in the company of the Koalas. Most of them are sleeping - a koala sleeps an average of 19 hours a day. At first we find it difficult to spot them in the trees, but soon it becomes second nature. We also go to the Kangaroo compound, where we can walk amoungst and feed the kangaroos. We take all the requisite photos before heading back to Brisbane.

When we get back to Brisbane, we organize our bus pass for Australia. We have decided to use the bus to get around. We were considering renting or buying a vehicle of some description (either a car or a camper van), but have decided on the bus because it seems like a really good service. The schedules are easy to follow, the service efficient, and the buses in good condition. We are going with the main bus company over here (Greyhound/McCaffertys). We get 4000 kilometer passes. Basically we start with a credit of 4000 kilometers, and have the number of kilometers for each journey deducted from the balance each time we book a trip. You have to call a number to reserve your seat on the bus at least 24 hours in advance, but that shouldn't be a problem. However, if you do miss the bus then you lose the kilometers for that ride.

We also book our first journey from Brisbane to Hervey Bay. We are travelling northward up the coast. We will leave tomorrow morning at 8am on a 5-hour bus journey. Also at the bus station, we book our accomodation in Hervey Bay as well as a tour. We will be staying at Smuggler's Rest and going on a 3 day/2 night trip to Frazer Island.

Australia - Hervey Bay, 22 Oct 2001

The bus journey to Hervey Bay is like most bus journeys for me... awake for a half hour and then I sleep until we get to our destination. Unfortunately for Davie, he finds it difficult to sleep on buses. He occupies the time by listening to music and reading. At Hervey Bay we are collected at the bus stop. It seems like the norm here is for the hostels to provide free transfers to and from the bus stations.

The afternoon is spent wandering around our new surrounds. I send a package back to the States. I am sending back my sleeping bag and the souveniers that I bought in Fiji. They ar very helpful in the post office, helping me pack the stuff. Hopefully my stuff will make it back safe and sound.

Then we have an orientation meeting for our trip. There will be seven of us on the trip together. Myself and Davie will be joined by Darren, Katie, Sandi, Eva, and Bart. Darren and Katie are a lovely couple from Coventry. Darren (27) is a geography teacher and Katie (28) is a art-graduate doing office work. Sandi (24) and Eva (24) are a couple of girls from Germany. And Bart (39) is a network security specialist from Belgium.

Stuart is doing our orientation. We have been having a few beers with Stuart before the orientation. We have a great laugh with him. He is from Edinburgh, over here working for a few years. Stuart goes over everything with us and we watch a video about Frazer Island. The island has a very large dingo population and the orientation is stressing the fact that these are wild animals and very dangerous.

The seven of us are going on a self-drive trip. We get a Land Rover, camping equipment, and food. We also get maps, a suggested itinerary, permits, and passes for the barge to the island. After our briefing, everything is crystal clear. We will sleep in the hostel tonight and leave first thing in the morning. It costs less than a $100 for the nights accomodation and the trip. The only thing that they do not provide is beer, so we must do a beer and wine run before going to bed.

Australia - Frazer Island, 23 Oct 2001

We get up at 6am for part two of our briefing where we learn about the Land Rover and how to drive on sand. We also get more warnings about the dingoes.

Frazer Island is the largest sand island in the world. Because the island consists only of sand, it means that the inland "roads" are all sand. The sand is quiet soft and you need a 4 wheel drive vehicle to get around. The "roads" are quiet narrow, with room for one car and some lay-bys for times when you encounter an oncoming car. The eastern side of the island has a 75-mile beach that is much easier to drive on. Although the wash-outs (freshwater streams flowing into the sea) make things tricky.

The interior of Frazer Island consists mostly of rainforest and freshwater lakes and streams. The fact that there is a rainforest here is interesting because the sand does not provide the nutrients that are essential for trees and other plants. The trees actually get their nutrients from other decomposing trees and plants. And the lakes are formed because layers of leaves form a barrier that holds the water. The sand blows and lakes are particularly spectacular.

On the first day, we drive and hike to a few of the lakes. We get to splash around in a few of the lakes and get to know one another. Bart is a divorced father of three who is on a career break. In Belgium he has a fairly high-powered job as a security specialist for the networks that banks use to transmit transactions. He is travelling around Australia, with a view to moving to Sydney. He is a very sociable guy and a good laugh. Darren and Katie are a lovely couple who are in the middle of a year-long trip around the world. They are one of those apparently perfect couples. Sandi appears to be a little self-absorbed and nonchalant about most things (including our dafety when she is driving). While Eva is just the opposite, with a lovely pleasant manner. They have both been working for a few years after college and are in Australia for a few months.

Driving around the island proves to be fairly difficult. However, we only have one near-death experience. The driving requires a considerable level of concentration. However, concentration is not a strong point for Sandi, who likes to look around, all the time with one hand on the wheel, while she drives. At one stage, she nearly sent us careening down a gorge, but managed to stop with only one wheel dangling over the edge. Edge of the seat stuff!

On the first night, we set up camp behind the sand dunes on the eastern coast of the island. We make the requisite camp fire and cook a fantastic meal of pasta with meat and veggies. And then settle down and drink a few beers, tell stories, and attempt to sing a song or two. We are lucky to have such a congenial and compatible group. Myself and Bart end up staying up a little later than the others, eventually hitting the hay at around midnight. As we head to our tents, we can hear the dingoes moving around quiet close to us.

Australia - Frazer Island, 24 Oct 2001

Today, we must drive most of the length of the east coast of the island. The 75-mile long because is amazing. I reckon if this beach was on the mainland that it would be thronged with people. As it is, we come across the occasional 4WD vehicle every few kilometers. We will be going from the south to the north. The sand above the high tide line is very soft and difficult to drive on. However, the sand below the high tide line is nice and hard. Today, high tide is at 2pm. Ideally, we want to get to our destination two or three hours before high tide. We get there by 10.30 that morning. Although, once we get there, it does take us another hour and a half to actually get into the camp ground. Most of the vehicles are getting stuck in the sand. After waiting for all of the other vehicles to clear, we get in without problems.

On our way up the east coast, we stop a few times. One of our stops is to check out the wreck of a ship on the beach. The ship was a luxury liner that ran aground and is now a rusty wreck. We also stop to see some of the sand cliffs. The sand cliffs have horizontal strands of different colour sand running across them, with bands from deep red to biege.

After setting up camp, we go to the top of Indian Head. The views of the island and seas are spectacular. We see sharks, sting rays, and turtles in the clear water below us. Then we hike to the champagne pools, which are essentially a set of sand-bottomed tide pools. Nice to relax in as the surf crashes on the rocks. That night, we enjoy a bar-b-que and more drinks around the camp fire. Again, myself and Bart are the last to go to bed.

Australia - Frazer Island, 25 Oct 2001

We pack up camp and are on the sand before 6am for our last day on the island. We want to fit in as much as possible before going back. We stop to see some more of the multi-coloured sand cliffs. We also stop at Eli Creek, which is a freshwater creek that you can get in a hundred yards upstream and be carried all the way bown to the beach by the current. Then we hike a total of 7 kilometers to Lake Wabby, and fantastic lake at the edge of a spectacular sand blow. After seeing these sights, there is not time for much more than enjoying lunch and driving to the barge landing.

We get back, clean our filthy clothers and our even more filthy bodies. It's great to feel fresh again. We then meet up in a nearby pub called Hoolihans for food and drinks. Then, it was back to the hostel to rest up before moving on.

Australia - Airlie Beach, 26 Oct 2001

Today, we are taking a 13-hour bus ride to Airlie Beach. Today is a rainy day... our only rainy day since we came to Australia. I suppose it is lucky for us that our one rainy day corresponds with our day on the bus. In Airlie Beach, we are staying at the Reefo Resort. It seems very big and impersonal. And it is 3 kilometers out of town. But it is a bed, and it comes free with our upcoming sailing trip.

We are sailing on a tall ship called the Soloway Lass. It was built in 1902 and has 10 sails. We will be boarding on Saturday night and returning on Tuesday evening. During that time we will sail around the Whitsunday islands, stopping at some of the islands for day trips.

Australia - Airlie Beach, 27 Oct 2001

We do not board the boat until after tea time, so we have the day to burn in Airlie Beach. I do some shopping, getting sunglasses, sun screen, swimming togs, and a pair of acquatic shoes. We also book our flight from Cairns and a few other later tours.

Unfortunately, we made a mistake by not booking our flight earlier. We could not get what we wanted (which was to fly from Cairns to Ayers Rock Resort). All flights were booked up for several days around our intended date of travel. Instead we will fly from Cairns to Darwin. Then we will take a 9-day tour that encompasses a 3-day 4 wheel drive safari in Kakadu National Park, a 3-day bus trip from Darwin to Alice Springs, and a 3-day tour of the Ayers Rock area. This will take a lot more time than we had planned and will alter our plans for the rest of the trip, but we should still be able to do most of what we want before our flight on the 28th of November.

We get a complimentary shuttle bus and board the boat that evening. Things look quiet promising for the trip, with a couple of lads from Derry, another Scottish lad, and an English girl around us on the shuttle bus. We were afraid that by booking such a nice trip that we would be confining ourselves to an older crowd. Soon after boarding, we receive our first briefing from the Captain. At the briefing, we introduce ourselves. There a 7 Germans, 5 Irish, 5 English, 5 Americans, 2 Scottish, and 2 Australians on board. The Germans are older and don't speak English. And a group of four Americans are older. But other than that, everyone else is fairly young.

There is a bar on the ship. (In a previous life, the ship held weddings.) The bar keeps a tab for everyone and they pay at the end of the trip. The sheet with the tab is there for everyone to see when they order drinks. As you can imagine, this sheet soon turns into a drinking league ladder and a competition soon envealops.

That evening, we sailed to our first destination - a bay at a nearby island. We actually use the motor to get to the island, but are assured that we will get the sails up over the next few days. And then we eat. The food is fantastic! Already, the drinking competition is heating up - by the end of the night, I have taken an early lead, with Davie and John (an Irish guy from Tipperary) in joint second. After a few libations and the passing of the midnight hour, we retire for a sound night's sleep. We are sleeping in a cabin with 6 bunk beds. Compared to other boats that I have slept in, it is actually quiet spacious.

Australia - Whitsunday Islands, 28 Oct 2001

We get up early, for what our captain tells us will primarily be a day of snorkeling. I am a little concerned because of my poor swimming ability. After a short sail, we get to the first snorkeling spot. I gingerly make my way into the water, staying close to the shore. It is fantastic - I see all sorts of interesting coral and even more interesting fish. This experience is all new to me and I am very surprised at how bright and colourful the coral is. I also see lots of fish. Most of them are interesting, but not very colourful. The parrot fish on the other hand are fascinating, with their green, red, and yellow bodies. I am now very keen to do some more snorkeling and maybe even some scuba diving.

Over the course of the day, we sail (motor) to another two snorkeling locations. Then, we settle in for another evening of fine food and drinks. Most of the evening is spent having great fun playing cards with a couple of Australian girls and Steve (an American guy). I have become faily good buddies with a guy called John Daly from the village of Bansha (? spelling) in Tipperary. He is a very modest musician with a band called Commoner. Tonight, the two of us solidify our position at the top of the drinking charts and are once more the last to retire.

Australia - Whitsunday Islands, 29 Oct 2001

The sails finally come up today. We have a little wind, and raise 6 of the ten sails. I am delighted to help pull out the sails. Our first destination of the day is a little island that is a national park. We take the dingy ashore and hike a trail that takes us to an incredibly spectacular overlook. It is difficult to describe the view from the lookout. Hopefully I will be able to insert a photo in here once I get back.

Our next destination is a beach with incredibly fine silicon sand. I stay on board the ship, while Davie heads in. I just chill out in the netting at the front of the boat and do some reading. On his return, Davie told me that the view was spectacular.

That evening, I was flagging and hit the hay early. However, I had built up an unassailable lead in the drinking charts and felt that I could let up. Davie did his usual trick and fell asleep while drinking... maybe he should try drinking and chatting to others as a remedy for his inability to sleep when taking a bus :-) Although fairly young, our group is actually fairly quiet. There is potential for a bit of craic, but we are all fairly chilled out and need one or two extroverts to get us going.

Australia - Whitsunday Islands, 30 Oct 2001

On our last day on board, we sail to a resort island and have a stroll around. And then we head back to Airlie Beach, stopping along the way for lunch. On the way back, we get a bit of a breeze and open up 8 of the sails. It was fantastic!

After getting back, most of the group on the boat met up in a bar called Morrocos. It seems like whatever boats came in that day had a table of people at the bar. The evening started out quiet enough, with a few good chats. Pitchers of beer were only $3. And then the bar started giving us free pitchers of beer. Nuturally enough, the inevitable happened and before long we were dancing on the tables.

On this evening I was the dancing queen. The bar had a dancing competition that night. Everybody was encouraged to get up on the tables and chairs and dance. The 20 best dancers were then chosen and given t-shirts. Incredibly enough, my flailing legs and arms won me a place among the 20 people (I think it was because I was at the back and they could not see me). Then, everybody sat down and the 20 "lucky" winners had to dance to the next tune as they whittled the "talent" down to 10 people. Incredibly, I was chosen again. The "chosen" 10 were given a free shot on their way up to the stage. And then the dancing resumed. If you have ever seen me dance, you are not going to believe this, but I actually made it the the final. Five of us then remained for a limbo contest. I didn't fancy my chances considering I was a foot taller than anyone else, but the crowd were behind me with Davie leading the chants of con-or, con-or. I lasted a few rounds, but was the second to falter. I was given a free pitcher of beer for my efforts.

Later that evening, Claire (an English girl on the trip) kept saying out loud in front of myself and others how gorgeous I was. Now I finally know the meaning of the term "blind drunk". Since then, I have taken every opportunity to remind Davie of the fact that I am gorgeous (I am choosing to ignore the fact that she was as drunk as an American indian and we were in as dim lighting as possible - I have noticed in the past that I definitely look my best in dimly lit conditions). Finally someone, other than my mum, who thinks I am good looking. But, I'm afraid that the male modeling career is going to have to be on hold until after the trip.

Australia - Cairns, 31 Oct 2001

Today was spent nursing my sore head as we travel from Airlie Beach to Cairns. Cairns is actually pronounced kains, but I think that this sounds ridiculous and refuse to pronounce it properly. The bus journey took up the whole day (about 11 hours), but didn't seem too bad. We got to our hostel by about 9pm and just had time for a little wander around the town before hitting the hay.

Australia - Cairns, 01 Nov 2001

Today was another of those "regroup" days. We did laundry, some shopping, internet, and some reading about things to do in and around Cairns. The shopping in Cairns seems to be fairly good, with really inexpensive prices compared to the rest of the east coast. I just hope that the quality of the stuff is reasonable. I bought a pair of trousers, a pair of swimming togs, three t-shirts, and a pair of sandals. As long as they last me until Asia, I'll be happy.

This afternoon we watched the fourth game of the World Series live on the telly. The Yankees had a fantastic come-from-behind victory to tie up the series. For all you Red Sux fans reading this... let's go Yankees!

Cairns is very hot and humid. Air conditioning is a necessity both during the day and night. At the moment, we are just at the start of the hot season over here. I am happy that we are passing through Northern Queensland at this time (originally, we were going to pass through here a month later). I am not looking forward to the weather in the Northern Territories next week, which should be even hotter and more humid.

According to the guide book, the nightlife in Cairns has a good reputation. Although, we have been reading in the newspapers about a recent spate of stabbings - there have been three in the past week alone. Tonight, we went to an Irish pub to watch the Celtic vs. Juventus match... fantastic stuff. And then we went to a pub/nightclub called The Woolshed. The Woolshed is the supposed mecca for backpacker nightlife, with dancing on the tables the norm. Like many things, the reality doesn't live up to the hype. Although, we did have a great night out.

Australia - Cairns, 02 Nov 2001

In 1990, Cairns had a population of 22,000. Today it has a population of over 120,000 and is forecast to continue growing at a significant rate. Two industries dominate: tourism and and sugar cane. The newspapers here carry numerous stories about large construction projects that are seeking approval. One Japanese-funded development is looking to completely redevelop the waterfront area of Cairns. Another local development is looking to replace the local market with an upscale hostel and confine the market to a level in the underground parking lot for that hostel. Locals have mixed opinions regarding these developments. The business people are rubbing their hands in preparation for the financial windfall that they expect to follow. However, traditionalists and conservationists are very unhappy. This makes a great topic of conversation with the locals.

Today we went to an aboriginal cultural center called Tjapukai. Davie is highly amused at the pronounciation of Tjapukai... jab-a-guy. We see a very good presentation of aboriginal history and culture. And we get instruction on boomerang and spear throwing. After watching his boomerang abilities in action, I reckon Davie must be part aborigine. For lunch, I decide to try some of the local fare and enjoy kangaroo and crocodile. The kangaroo was lovely, but the crocodile was a bit non-descript. We have a laugh on the way home as we pass a road sigh for "Yorkies Knob"... it must have been very impressive to warrant a place name.

Actually, Cairns is the first place that we have seen aborigines. We have not seen them elsewhere along the east coast. They are fairly plentiful in Cairns. The aboriginal history is a sad one, with tremendous hardship imposed upon them by the colonists. And even today, they are treated as second class citizens. A few people have told us that Aussies and Kiwis have completely different attitudes towards their indigenous peoples, with the Aussies subverting Aborigine culture and the Kiwis embracing Maori culture.

Australia - Cairns, 03 Nov 2001

Today, we went on a tour of the Atherton Tablelands to the west of the city. We went with a tour company called "On The Wallaby" that I would highly recommend. In the morning, we went to a rainforest and saw an amazing fig tree called the Cathedral Fig. I have been in rainforests before, however this experience is one of my best because our guide is so imformative. We even got to try some bush tucker (fruits from trees).

The afternoon was spent canoeing on Lake Tinaroo. The highlights of the canoe trip were seeing a water snake, painting each others faces with ochre stones, and seeing two water dragons mate (as Austin Powers would say... yeah baabbyy!). Traditionally, aborigines used damp ochre stones to apply face and body paint. I had a bit of a laugh making Davie look like a clown. I went for a plain look, with our guide leaving a red hand print on my bald head. After applying our face paint, we saw two water dragons splashing about near the water's edge. The water dragons were about a meter and a half long. At first our guide thought that they were fighting, but then realized that they were getting it on. We shamelessly watched... ooh-ing, aah-ing, and taking a barrage of photos.

Australia - Cairns, 04 Nov 2001

Today, we took a different tour company to the north of Cairns. They were called "Trek North" and seemed like a fairly decent company, but I preferred the company that we took yesterday. We went to Port Douglas, Mossman Gorge, and the Daintree Rainforest. Along the way, we learnt about the local sugar cane industry, took a river cruise in search of crocodiles, enjoyed a great lunch of barramundi and tropical fruits, and visited a rainforest habitat sanctuary.

On the river cruise, we were very lucky and got to see a large crocodile by the water side. We were told that it is very rare to get such a good luck at a crocodile and to have it out of the water as well. We also see some nice birds (of the feathered variety that is). The rainforest habitat was essentially a zoo that we got to stroll through. We walked among emus, pelicans, kangaroos, cossowarys, and a variety of other wildlife. It was a great chance to take some good photos.

Australia - Cairns, 05 Nov 2001

Today is our last day in Cairns. We fly to Darwin at 7.15 tonight. We take a half-day trip to the Great Barrier Reef. On the way, I call my sister Sheila who has just finished the New York City Marathon... congrats Sheila!

The trip to the reef revolves around Green Island. We take a catamaran to the island, do some snorkeling from the beach, take a semi-sub ride, take a ride in a glass-bottomed boat, and then take the catamaran back to Cairns. I was all excited about this trip after my recent experience with snorkeling in the Whitsundays, but was a bit disappointed today. There was no coral near the beach and the visibility was very poor. There I was with my underwater camera, all ready to capture images like those I had seen last week, only to end up with some pictures of relatively plain-looking fish.

The visibility in the water was a very poor 5 meters, compared to 20 meters just two days ago. This main reason for the poor visibility is the fact that our trip has coincided with the mating season for the coral and the water is full of coral sperm. Our guide book describes the mating season in glowing terms saying that if you are lucky, you can witness this great occurrence. Rubbish! And please... no jokes about me swimming in sperm (I'm surprised that Davie has not latched onto this one).

Because of the poor visibility, our semi-sub and glass-bottomed boat experiences are also a let down. Because the light has difficult getting through, the colours of the coral are not as spectacular. But it is interesting nonetheless.

A nightcap or two in Darwin before hitting the hay ensured a good night's sleep, or at least as good as one can get in 6 hours.

Australia - Kakadu, 06 Nov 2001

Another early morning rise, another tour group... more things to see and do, more friends to make. Today we are embarking on a three-day tour of Kakadu National Park. Our tour group looks interesting with three Norwegians, a couple of Dutch, three Americans, and a couple of English. There are six guys and six girls, with only one couple (for the moment anyway).

The heat in fairly intense, and every time we leave the air-conditioned confines of our 4 wheel drive vehicle it is clear that we all want the guide to finish his spiel so we can return to comfort. Our tour guide, Cameron or Cam for short, is the type of person that you would try to aviod in any other circumstances. Loud, brash, immature, and a bit of an idiot.

Kakadu is one of the few places that are registered as a World Heritage Area both for it's natural features and it's cultural features. There are 5 distinct ecosystems in the park: savanna woodlands, monsoon forests, stone country, floodplains and billabongs, tidal flats and coast. So it is a bit of a treat from the flora and fauna perspective. It also houses some renound aboriginal rock art.

Our first day revolves around flora and fauna. We visit the wetlands, take a boat out on a billabong, go on a bush walk, and visit some enormous termite mounds. We see crocodiles, jacana (jesus bird), egrets, herons, storks, eagles, magpie geese, ibis, dingoes, and wallabies. On the billabong boat ride, we see more freshwatwer and saltwater crocodiles that we can count. The bushwalk was a great laugh, with Kevin our aboriginal guide tellings us lots of stories along the way. He would introduce each story the same way, giving us material to immitate him for days to come.

That evening, we enjoy a aboriginal get-together (called a carrobary) aroung a camp fire. Among the activities are digerido playing, body painting, and aboriginal dancing. Afterwards, reminiscent of that classic scene from Crocodile Dundee, Kevin in his full aboriginal garb jumps in his 4 wheel drive to go and get his guitar (this after after telling us how his people live off the land and so on).

Trips to the bathroom that night required vigilance so as not to trip over one of the many wallabies that freely roamed our camp site.

Australia - Kakadu, 07 Nov 2001

Today we get up at 5am (how I long for a nice sleep in). Today's activities revolve around water. First we go to Jim Jim Falls, which we discover has dried up to become Jim Jim Fell. And then we go to Twin Falls.

After driving in 4 wheel mode for a while, we get to the car park for Twin Falls. Then a short hike has us at the waters edge. All this time, we cannot see the falls. Then we have to swim 600 meters through a winding gorge. Because I am such a crap swimmer, I do it with the aid of a life jacket. Swimming through the gorge is spectacular and then the falls at the other end are incredible. There is a sand island anong some rocks by the side of the falls. We spend the afternoon there basking in the natural wonders that surrounded us.

That evening, there was a bar beside our camp site. Naturally we didn't waste much time setting in with a few jugs of beer. The highlight of the night was Camila (one of the Norwegians) going up on stage to sing American Pie. The craic with this group was beginning in earnest.

Australia - Kakadu, 08 Nov 2001

Today we slept in until 7am (oh what a luxury). This is aboriginal rock art day. As far as I can see, aboriginal art resembles the stick figure art that I used to produce when I was a four year old. Was I an aboriginal art prodigy born into the wrong culture?

Most of us were a bit sceptical about the art. Especially when we saw that some of it was created in 1963. Although, some of the views from the aboriginal art sites were spectacular. And I must say that most of the anecdotes that we heard were very interesting.

On the way out of the park, we stopped for some photos at the park entrance. Tore and Camila (two of the Norwegians) treated us to an afternoon view of the moon when posing for photos.

Then, that evening, we had a wrap-up dinner back in Darwin for the tour group. All hell broke lose! It started off innocently enough with dancing on the tables after dinner. These establishments usually try to encourage dancing on the tables by offering free jugs of beer to the best tables. When the t-shirts started to come off at our table, it ensured a steady flow of free beer for all of us. And this fuelled the flames of passion in some circles. One of those circles was myself and Sarah. Sarah is a young lady from Detriot who has just finished studying at the University of Michigan and is spending three months with her relatives in Australia before returning to do her masters.

Other party games ensured a great evening for all. There was a digerido playing competition, where contestants had to instead use a hover pipe. And then there was a male-female clothes swapping competition. In each case, representatives from our table competed admirably without claiming the spoils.

I got back to the hostel by about 3am and had to dry my laundry. It was a bit surreal... myself, Sarah, and Gareth (one of the English on our trip) were drying our laundry in the middle of the night after enjoying such a crazy night out.

Australia - Darwin, 09 Nov 2001

It seemed like I got up as soon as I went to bed. We had to get up at 5.30am for a three-day tour that will take us from Darwin on the north coast to Alice Springs in the middle of Australia. There were a lot of sore heads on the bus this morning. Eight of us from the previous trip are also on this trip: myself and Davie, Mike and Mel (a brother and sister from Chicago), Sigrid (from Holland), Gareth and Tamsin (from Cornwall), and Sarah. It's nice to have some friendly faces around and not have to start making new friends again.

Our tour guide is called Drew. He is a fairly chilled-out guy, the complete opposite of our last tour guide. Drew tells us that we will get a chance to recuperate on this trip. The Kakadu trip was fairly gruelling, with early starts and lots of activities each day. This trip will just be a long bus ride, with a few stops along the way. And some long bus ride it turns out to be, with telegraph stations every 300 kilometers and not much else in between. The telegraph station is usually accompanied by a watering hole of both kinds (fresh water and alcohol) and, more importantly for us, a toilet. It seemed like our trip consisted of going from one toilet to another between Darwin and Alice Springs.

The skies are overcast, but the weather is still hot and humid. You can imagine our reaction when we learn that the air conditioning on the bus is broken (bear in mind our delicate state after the previous evening's excesses). But, in all honesty, it wasn't too uncomfortable.

Our first stop was a sleepy wander around the Darwin War Cemetry. Not the most exciting of sights, but it did give us a chance to get some breakfast. Darwin is the only Australian city to even receive enemy fire. It was bombed by the Japs in the Second World War. This cemetry is a memorial to all of those that died in that attack.

The afternoon is spent at the spectacular Katherine Gorge. The Katherine Gorge is actually a series of 13 gorges. You can canoe along the gorges or you can take a guided boat ride. We could not imagine summoning the energy to canoe in the heat and humidity, so we went for the easy option of the guided boat tour. Afterwards, we wished that we had canoed. That way we could have done our own thing (and possibly have been lucky and missed the aboriginal rock art).

We spend the evening at a permanent camp site that has been erected by the tour company. At dinner we get to know some of the other people in the tour group. There are a few interesting people among them, including: Karen from Derry, Eric and Karen from Holland, Samantha (Sam) from Mayo, Vincent from Switzerland. The most interesting of all is John from God-knows-where. I cannto begin to describe to you just how much of a freak he was. On this first day of the trip, he was wearing a Canadian t-shirt, a Canadian hat, and flew a Canadian flag outside of his tent. At dinner, he proceeded to tell us that he was playing a practical joke and that he is not really Canadian. He then calimed to be Irish, but did not know the Irish National Anthem and when asked "Conas ata tu" replied "What is my name". For a while, he claimed to be from Texas. His true origin would prove to be a source of much discussion for days to come.

After being derided as a freak by the group, John decided to go to bed early. The reat of us embarked on a flexibility game whereby you had to pick up some cardboard from the ground using your teeth and your hands could not touch the ground. It was a great laugh, with Karen from Holland winning in the end. Afterwards everyone went to be, aside from myself and Sarah who stayed up chatting for quiet a while. I'd like to say that we were stargazing, but it would be accurate to say that we were cloud-gazing with the occasional star visible. And the occasional flying fox caught our attention.

Australia - Daly Waters, 10 Nov 2001

This morning we had a lovely treat... we spent a very relaxing hour or so in the Mataranka Thermal Pools. And then we had an even better time at lunch in Daly Waters. Daly Waters has a population of 18 people, but is one of the more famous stops between Darwin and Alice Springs. The reason for it's fame is the Daly Waters Pub. The walls of the pub are adorned with various remanants of its visitors. People leave all sorts of things... driver's licences, mementos of their homelands, underwear, etc. So if you ever go there, be sure to bring along something that you can leave on the wall.

Outside of the pub is a solitary traffic light. The traffic light is always set to red. Patrons amuse themselves by guessing how long it will take a tourist who stops at the light to realize that it does not change to green. Unfortunately, no idiotic tourists approach the light while we are watching. One or two of us are having so much fun in the pub that we almost miss lunch... you've got to have your priorities!

This evening is spent camping on a horse farm. Malcom, who owns the ranch, demonstrates his horseriding and whipping abilities. (Yawn!) But then he entertains us with a replica UFO that provides a light-hearted photo opportunity. A nice evening spent playing annoying games around the camp fire is capped off by sleeping under the stars. We sleep in swags, which are like big sleeping bags that includes a mattress.

Australia - Tennant Creek, 11 Nov 2001

During the night, John cemented his status as resident freak by video-taping people while they were asleep. The next morning, John told Davie that he makes the most interesting faces when he sleeps. How are you supposed to react to someone who tells you this? Eric (from Holland) woke up with a camera in his face and told John to f-off. I'm sure you can guess what we were all talking about for most of the day.

This morning we went to a replica mine... this is gold country. We had the most idiotic tour guide of all, but the fact that he did pick on Davie made up for his terrible sense of humor. Given the choice again, I would skip the mine tour.

And then we went to one of the highlights of this tour... the Devil's Marbles. The Devil's Marbles are a collection of round red rocks in the middle of nowhere. They are very spectacular and are great props for photos. The classic photo opportunity is to use your arms and legs to hold yourself half way up between two rocks (that are known as the Devil's Bollocks). A good few of us try it, but it is really difficult and I need to muster all of my energy to manage to haul and then hold myself up there. Still, it's another opne for the photo album.

The afternoon is spent on the bus, with John interviewing people on his camcorder. He is soliciting opinions on various investigative news items. Over the past couple of days, he has claimed to work in construction and now as a freelance news investigator. As you can imagine, nobody treats him seriously and people take turns making gestures in the background as the tape is running.

This evening we arrive in Alice Springs. Our three-day tour is over already. The tour is wrapped up with the obligatory post-tour free meal, free beer, and dancing on tables. At one stage during the evening's activities, Davie ended up chatting with a few of the girls while myself and Sarah were by ourselves off to the side. Davie was abhorred to hear the girls cooing about the fact that myself and Sarah were such an item. And them he almost vomitted when they started saying to one another that they were wishing they could see us kiss again :-)

Australia - Alice Springs, 12 Nov 2001

It's no rest for the wicked as we get up at the crack of dawn for another three-day tour. This time, we are going on a tour that encompasses Uluru (the new name for Ayers Rock), King's Canyon, and The Olgas. Most of the tour group from the last tour are still with us. John didn't make it onto our tour, but he will still haunt us with a number of unexpected appearances along the way. Our tour guide Steve is a sloppy, rambling, mine of information with the usual bad sense of humor. It seems like you need to have a bad sense of humor to be a tour guide in this country.

Myself and Sarah secure a couple of seats together at the back of the bus. At one juncture, I purchased a packet of Tim Tams (surely the best biscuit in the world) and a bottle of Diet Coke only to be ridiculed for being like a big girl with my chocolate and Diet Coke. This label stuck for a while, as I embarked on a Tim Tam frenzy over the next week or two. Tim Tams definitely deserve significant mention in my journal... we discovered them on the Cook Islands and have been eating them ever since. They resemble the Penguin bars that some of us are familiar with. Actually, writing about them now is giving me a craving!

In the morning we have a stop to collect firewood. We are dispatched at the side of the road and instructed to forage for firewood that is as thick as your arm. The expedition is successful, aside from the fact that Eric ended up with a piece of wood in his leg after attempting to break a branch. He ended up being airlifted out by the flying doctors for surgery to remove a one and a half inch piece of wood from underneath a tendon. His girlfriend Karen continued the tour while he went to hospital... there's dedication for you!

We spent the afternoon at King's Canyon, which boasts interesting rock formations and natural features with colourful names like the Amphitheatre, the Lost City, Heart-Attack Hill, the Garden of Eden, and the Bridge of Death. Of course we take the usual group-looking-over-the-edge-of-the-canyon photos.

Australia - Ayers Rock, 13 Nov 2001

Today is surprisingly cool. We had been told of possible 40 degree weather in The Red Center (as this part of the country is known), but today it is too cold to wear shorts and it is constantly threatening to rain. We are glad of spending the morning at the local visitor center. The visitor center is aimed at educating us about the ways of the local aborigines... I don't think it did a very good job, as we are all fed up with hearing about aboriginal culture.

After lunch we go to The Olgas, which is the highlight of many people's visit to this area. The Olgas is also know as the Valley of the Winds, something we are not too happy to hear considering how cold it is. As we hike around the Olgas, Davie and Sarah don't exactly demonstrate the agility of mountain goats as they take turns tripping over their own feet. Along the path, there is an amusing sign of someone slipping on the gravel. Because this sign is so appropriate to Davie, we decide to take his photo beside the sign and he provides some comic relief by almost falling down while posing for the photo.

We then make our way to Ayers Rock for some champagne at the sunset. This is a truly spectacular sight. So much so that the normally photo-shy Davie loses his head an actually takes three photos. Need I say more?

A beer run to the local resort produces a surreal moment, with the band in the local establishment playing Jingle Bells while we were these. Dinner that evening was spiced up by the revelation from Mike that he LOVES Australian sausage... myself and Davie end up in tears of laughter. The requisite camp fire, swags, and good fun ensured another memorable evening.

Australia - Ayers Rock, 14 Nov 2001

Today we got up at the unmerciful hour of 4 o'clock in the morning. Our goal was to be at Ayers Rock for sunrise. Unlike the impression that you might have from the brochures, it was freezing and we were not happy campers. We had a choice of hiking around the base or climbing to the top of the rock. Aborigines ask you not to climb the rock because it is a sacred site for them. I was caught in a quandry because I wanted to climb the rock, but I did not want to offend the aborigines. As it turned out, nobody on our tour climbed the rock. Although many, many people do climb it.

I can sum up the whole experience of sunrise at Ayers Rock in two words: it sucked. We wandered around, tired and cold and didn't see anything new or exciting. And to top it off, we were subjected to more inane rock art.

After our morning at the rock, it was time to begin our journey back to Alice Springs. Along the way we stopped at Mount Conner, the name of which leads itself to some entertaining play with words ("okay group now we're going to mount Conor").

The evening again consisted of a post-tour dinner, beer, and dancing on tables. Each time in Alice Springs, we stayed at the Melanka Backpackers. The accomodation is a bit shabby, but the nightlife more than makes up for it. Tonight, we ventured up the street to another bar. Bojangles is described in the guide book as being an interesting mix of local cow hands and backpackers. The description was right on-the-money. We had a great time signing an improvised verion of American Pie that Mike and Mel sing with their cousins back in Chicago and then boogied the night away. Mike arrived back at the room later that night announcing that himself and Helen (from England) had become "very friendly". He then proceeded to fall asleep in the toilet, but when I knocked on the door claimed to "just be taking a really long time". All-in-all, it was a fitting parting night out with Mike who had provided many laughs over the past week or so.

This evening, after a few drinks, Sarah tells me that she wants to cancel her flight from Alice Springs and travel with us to Adelaide and then on to Melbourne (where her relatives live). I'm not sure how I feel about this, and am sure that I cannot hide this fact.

Australia - Alice Springs, 15 Nov 2001

Today was a lazy day in Alice Springs. We needed a rest after 9 days on tour. We had a little wander to the train station (which it turns out is only open for a couple of hours when the trains arrive and leave... that's twice a week!) We do our laundry and lazily make our way around a town called Alice. There's not much to see or do here.

In the late afternoon, Sarah again brings up the topic of her changing her plans and travelling with us. I had not raised the topic because I thought that she might have said it while being under the influence of a few drinks. After a little conversation, the wheels were put in motion and she changed her plans. This proved to be a very dramatic decision on her part, with her aunt going ballistic at the thought of her not returning when she was supposed to and travelling with strangers. However, after a few trans-pacific phone calls and a day to think about matters, calmer heads prevailed.

In the evening, a few of us go for a bite to eat. Myself, Sarah, Davie, Sigrid, and Henrik (from Germany) go to a rather nice restaurant. I had a great kangaroo dish... kangaroo is one of the nicest meats I have eaten. At the restaurant, we bump into Claire and Gretta who were also on our tour. Afterwards, we have a relatively low-key evening and are in bed before midnight.

Australia - on the Ghan, 16 Nov 2001

We are taking the train from Alice Springs to Adelaide. It is supposed to be one of the top 10 train rides in the world. And amazingly, with a student or backpacker concession, it is less expensive that the bus. The seats resemble those of a business class flight and there are nice areas to congregate and talk, drink, or whatever.

There are quiet a few acquaintances on the train. Myself and Davie, Sarah, Sigrid (from Holland), Karen (from Derry), Claire (from England), Claire (from France), Pierre, and the irrepressible John (from God-knows-where) are all on the train. To much amusement, John commandeers the television set in the buffet car to show footage that he has taken over the past few days. He ahs shot 9 tapes worth of footage!

Sarah's seat is in the car behind ours. But after a short time, we manage to barter seats and end up beside one another. We share a sandwich for lunch, inducing yet another vomitous reaction from Davie. And then we sink to lower depths of depravity by listening to the same CD at the same time on our respective discmans.

The 19 hours spent on the train pass relatively quickly. The only exception was when we were watching the movie, which seemed to last forever. We watched that icon of Australian film making, Young Einstein. It was so painful!

Australia - Adelaide, 17 Nov 2001

Until now, getting accommodation was easy. Whenever we arrived in a city, we would be spoiled by the presence of representatives from the backpacker establishments. But, when we got to Adelaide there was nothing. Sigrid and some people she had met had called a place, who were going to come out and collect them. She said that there were three spaces left, so myself, Sarah, and Davie took them.

After waiting for quiet a while, a minibus arrived to collect us, with the emphasis being on the word "mini". We stayed at Backpacker Oz. Despite the late pickup and cramped transfer, I actually quiet liked them and would recommend them as a place to stay.

After settling in, we went for a short stroll to the center of the city. As is normal after travelling through the night, Davie wasn't feeling too well and went back to the hostel for a rest. Myself and Sarah rummaged around the fruit and veg market, buying food for a lovely lunch and dinner.

An afternoon siesta was followed with a longer walk around Adelaide. One notable thing for me was the fact that the rivers had water in them. For the past couple of weeks, most rivers that we had seen were dried up river beds. And now there was a really nice river with water meandering through the city. We were delighted that we made the effort to walk around the city, as we were much more impressed by Adelaide afterwards.

Australia - Kangaroo Island, 18 Nov 2001

It was back on the tour trail again today. We got up at 6am for a day trip to Kangaroo Island. Kangaroo Island is known for the incredible array of wildlife that roam freely around the island. The most notable sightings of the day were of koalas, seals, sea lions, and kangaroos. The highlight of the day was undoubtedly walking among the sea lions on the beach at seal bay. We saw some of them basking in the sun, some playing, and some fighting. It was another cold and windy day, reminicent of those spent as a young lad in Castletownbeare (this is about the only comparison that I can make between West Cork and Australia). After a long day out, we were all happy enough to get back to the comfort of our hostel by about 10pm.

Australia - Great Ocean Road, 19 Nov 2001

Another early rise for a two-day tour of the Great Ocean Road between Adelaide and Melbourne. There was a John sighting in the morning before we left, but thankfully he wasn't on our tour.

We drove 700 kilometers on the first day of the tour, which meant that I got a great sleep. I cannot help but fall asleep on any form on transportation. This worries me because tomorrow we are supposed to be seeing some truly incredible scenery. What can I do to stay awake?

One this first day, the only notable sights were some pink lakes and a luminous blue lake. The pink lakes were amazing, but our bus just whizzed by them and we didn't get a chance to take a photo or two. We had shark (flake) for lunch, which was very nice. And we went to a supermarket to buy food so we could make dinner later in the hostel.

We spent the night in a one-horse town called Port Fairy. It was absolutely freezing! It was so cold in the bedroom that it was reminiscent of freezing your you-know-whats off while in bed in Ireland and Scotland. Ah the memories!

Australia - Great Ocean Road, 20 Nov 2001

Today we have only 400 kilometers of road between us and Melbourne, but we have a myriad of sights to see. My strategy for staying awake revolves around Diet Coke and Tim Tams. I hope that the combined caffiene and sugar rushes will do the job.

First, we call by a wildlife sanctuary and see some more koalas and emus. We then proceed to see the Bay of Islands, the Bay of Martyrs, London Bridge, the 12 Apostles, and Lochard Gorge. All of these are rock formations along the coastline. They really do live up to the hype.

We arrive in Melbourne at 7pm and rush to get to the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) for a soccer match at 8pm. We are staying with Patrick Fuller who used to work with Shiva in Edinburgh. Patrick has arranged tickets for us to see the World Cup playoff game between Australia and Uruguay. Along with 85,000 other people, we took our seats in this famous arena. A great atmosphere and an Australian victory and ensured a memorable evening.

After the game, Patrick drove into town and we went for a few drinks in an Irish pub. I chose this juncture to tell Davie that Sarah would probably be travelling with us from Melbourne to Sydney. He isn't too happy and refers to this revelation as a bombshell.

When we went to go back to Patrick's place, we found that the parking lot housing his car was closed. This was a pity because our bags were in the car. It meant that we would have to wear the same grimy clothes again the following day (and Davie would actually be wearing the same clothes for the third consecutive day).

Australia - Melbourne, 21 Nov 2001

We enjoy the glorious luxury of a sleep in until 10am. Today we get to know Melbourne. We stroll along the water from Elwood to Saint Kilda, take the tram into the city center, ascend the Rialto Tower, wander around the city center streets, and take the train back to Elwood in the evening. While on the observation deck of the Rialto Tower, we had the good fortune to bump into a couple of Germans from our tour of Ayers Rock.

Melbourne is a city that loves it's sports. It boasts grand prix racing, the Australian Open tennis, the site of the 1956 Olympic Games, countless Aussie Rules teams, and the MCG. A few times we hear about a rivalry with Sydney, but it appears to be a one-way rivalry with people in Sydney not aware of it.

That evening, we took our hosts Patrick and Trish out for dinner. It was a nice meal at a local restaurant, but nothing too spectacular. And Patrick took the photos of myself and Davie that currently adorn this web site (Thanks Patrick!).

Australia - Sydney, 22 Nov 2001

We meet Sarah at the bus station and take the 7.30am bus to Sydney. It is a hellish 13 hour journey. Along the way, we called ahead and booked accomodation. We have decided to stay at Bondi Beach.

The backpackers in Sydney do not pick you up at the station. Instead, we have to take a train to Bondi Junction, then take a bus to Bondi Beach, and then figure out how to get to the hostel. After all this travelling, we fancy a nightcap before hitting the hay. However, a short stroll around Bondi Beach doesn't reveal much in the way of nightlife.

We are staying at the Biltmore Hotel, which is a "budget" backpackers right on Campbell Parade which hugs the beach. The hostel is a bit dingy and fairly expensive, which from what we have heard mirrors most places in Sydney.

Australia - Sydney, 23 Nov 2001

Myself and Sarah enjoyed each other's company while having a lazy day in Bondi. We stroll around the local streets and down to the beach. Davie, on the other hand, took off himself and did some sightseeing. We discover that we are staying about an hour away from the swing of things. We consider changing location, but in the end decide not to because of the hastle involved.

That evening, we head into an Irish pub in town to meet up with our old friends from previous tours: Gareth and Tamsin (from Cornwall) and Sam (from Mayo). At the end of the night, Gareth and Tamsin take off towards their flat in Darling Harbour. Then myself and Sarah are deserted as Davie and Sam disappear into the night. We are not sure how to get back to our hostel and, in our drunken state, are more than happy to wander the streets for a while. A few drunken phone calls to folks in the States (on my mobile phone) provide comfort and then a consulation with some colourful characters (i.e. a gay couple) has us headed in the correct direction.

Australia - Sydney, 24 Nov 2001

Today we met up with our old friends Seamus and Christina. We had spent a week with them a while ago in the Cook Islands. It was great to meet up with them again. We took a ferry from Circular Quay in Sydney to Manley Beach. The ferry afforded fantastic views of the harbour, the opera house, and the harbour bridge. Manley itself looks like a lovely place. We strolled the length of the beach to a headland and then back before eating some lunch. A few of us eat Barramundi (on myself and Davie's recommendation). While eating lunch Seamus was "lucky" enough to have a sea gull crap on him. I think that Seamus' threats of running up and down the boardwalk kicking sea gulls were only half in jest :-)

Tonight I arranged to meet up with a couple of lads from Bishopstown (Vince Hennessy and Micky Burke) at the bar in the Beach Road Hotel in Bondi. It was great to catch up with the lads. They are in great form. Gareth and Tamsin also met up with us. As did Sam, Davie's new "texting" friend. Karen and Claire (more friends of ours from touring) were in a pub around the corner, but unfortunately we didn't make it around to see them. At the end of the night, Davie and Sam once more slipped into the night undetected.

Australia - Sydney, 25 Nov 2001

It was with a sore head that I arose at 6.30 for a tour of the Hunter Valley wine region. Myself, Sarah, Davie, Seamus, and Christina got on the tour. We visited three wineries, enjoyed a lovely lunch, were bored by tours of the wineries, and most improtantly drank lots of wine. It was funny to see Sarah's cheeks flushed from the wine and becomming a little giddy by early afternoon.

I had hoped to purchase a case or two of wine and have them shipped to Ireland and the States, but in the entire day and after sampling upwards of 20 wines, I didn't come across one wine that I thought was fantastic. The bus back from the valley was a quiet affair with most of us drifting off to sleep.

When we got back to Sydney, we had dinner by the harbour. After dinner, we went for a stroll around. Davie spent what seemed like an eternity trying to take a photograph of the harbour bridge at night, carefully trying to balance the camera various stationary objects. I can't convey the comic nature of the scenario, but trust me it was very funny.

Then Davie went to see the Celtic and Rangers game, while myself and Sarah headed back to the hostel. Once more, good triumphed over evil and Davie lost yet another bet.

Australia - Sydney, 26 Nov 2001

I got up at 6am to watch the second leg of the World Cup playoff game between Australia and Uruguay. There had been an incredible amount of hype leading up to the game, with the Aussie media focusing much attention on the tie. Unfortunately, Australia lost 3-0 and subsequently are out of the World Cup.

I am comming down with a cold and feel terrible today. However, Sarah is fantastic and helps to nurse me back to health. After resting for a while and taking every possible medicine to fight the symptoms, we take off on a day around Sydney. We lazily stroll through the Botanical Gardens, wander around the opera house, and explore the rocks (the area beneath the harbour bridge). Many cheesy photos later, we make our way back to Bondi Beach.

I had arranged to call around to see the Hennessy twins. Vince and Michell had beautiful twin girls less than a couple of months ago. Myself and Sarah had expected to pay a short visit and then go down to the waterfront for a bite to eat afterwards. As it transpired, Micky Burke came over with his girlfriend Rachel and brother Damian and we ended up spending a great evening at the Hennessy household. Rachel cooked dinner and Damian brought along a magnum of wine (the spoils of victory from a pub quiz the previous week). It was a great night of conversation, congeniality, and conviviality.

Australia - Sydney, 27 Nov 2001

Today was spent at the Olympic Park out at Homebush Bay. We took the requisite tour of the stadium and saw some of the facilities without examining them too closely. Given the choice again, I would probably give this a miss.

Then myself and Sarah raced back to the city so we could go to the viewing platform on the harbour bridge (yesterday when we went to the bridge the viewing platform had closed for the evening). Then the two of us went for a lovely pasta meal back in Bondi Beach.

That evening, we met up with Micky Burke, his brother, and roommate Archie for a pub quiz. Gareth and Tamsin also met us there. The pub quiz was a good laugh, with our team coming in lucky 7th place. There were prizes for first, second, and seventh places. The prize was a magnum of wine. And Damian won yet another magnum during the evening as well. After a nice few pints and some great conversation, we said our goodbyes. And then myself and Sarah went back to Mick's place for a nightcap.

I am a bit sad leaving Sydney. A part of me would like get a job and stay here for while. It's great to hang out with the lads (Vince and Mick) and the other friends that we have met along the way. But then again, who knows what lies ahead in the next places that we will visit.

Australia - Sydney, 28 Nov 2001

We must leave the hostel at 5am to get to the airport for our flight. Myself and Sarah stay up all night, not that we had to stay up for very long after getting back from Mick's place. It is tough to say our goodbyes. We have been inseperable for more than three weeks now.

I am a couple of hours away from leaving Australia and I have not written my postcards yet. So Sarah helps me write them while we wait for the airport shuttle. The shuttle has not arrived by the time we finish the cards, so myself and Davie jump in a cab.

Spending:

US$3600 for 6 weeks

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