Amy and Dan

06 June 2009 - 05 February 2010 Well folks, after an 8-month jaunt from Thailand to Australia we finally come to the end of the road. Here we are now back in England, missing shorts, T-shirts and what the Aussie's call thongs. The time has gone fast and in that time we have a had an amazing time, from spending time in the jungle's of Northern Thailand to frolicking on the beautiful islands in the south, from the bustling metropolis of Kuala Lumpur (not twice, but three times!!) to the idyllic and lazy beaches of the Perhentian's, experiencing the so-called "Vomit Route" of the Trans-Sumatran Highway to the beauty of the open seas on a schooner and finally from the tropical north of Australia to a more milder (at times) climate in the south....it's been an ... read more

31 January 2010 - 5 February 2010 TRANSPORT: Sydney to Melbourne by coach--13 hours Car rental for two days (Hertz)--A$199 ACCOMMODATION: Another long coach journey, another c**p meal.... well, leaving Sydney that morning we set off heading through some very scenic countryside. The one issue with Australian coach travel are the lunch and dinner stops. The lunch stop was a KFC (not the healthiest) and the second was a train station cafe in a small town called Aubury, a few hundred km's north of Melbourne. Firstly, it was here that we noticed a stark temperature and weather change. Sydney was cool and cloudy most of the time, but entering the state of Victoria, the mercury was fixed at 36C (at 6pm!), the countryside was stark dry, and the heat relentless. Secondly , dinner was terrible, with ... read more

22 January 2010 - 23 January 2010 TRANSPORT: Brisbane to Byron Bay by bus--3 hours ACCOMMODATION: Cape Byron Lodge Double, fan, shared bathroom--A$80 Nice friendly place just outside of town. Free shuttle bus, bicycles and body boards available! Byron Bay, sadly, was only a 24 hour stop over on our way between Brisbane and Sydney. We arrived at 11 am and set out straight for the gorgeous beach. However, it wasn't so perfect afterall, as there was a mas invasion of bluebottle jellyfish and just seeing the hordes of people running from the sea into the first-aid tent to douse themselves in vinegar was enough to put us off entering the sea. Dan plucked up the courage after a few hours during a "lull" in stings only to be mildly stung himself after 2 minutes in ... read more

16 January 2010 - 18 January 2010 TRANSPORT: Airlie Beach to Hervey Bay by bus (13hr 25m)--A$178 (we booked a Cairns - Melbourne hop on hop off pass for A$393) ACCOMMODATION: Woolshed Backpackers Double, fan, shared bathroom--A$50 Nice, small and friendly place, not far from town. Toilets are a bit of a trek from the cheapo double rooms. TOUR: Fraser Island one-day safari with Fraser Explorer--A$159 Recommended Extra's: A$70 for a short plane ride around Fraser Island! Recommended!! Leaving Airlie Beach at 8:30pm the previous night, we were in for a long one with a 13 hour plus bus journey. It went by with no drama's (we're not in Indonesia now!) but sleep wasn't easy. We arrived into Hervey Bay at 9:25am and set off to our hostel for a short nap. Hervey Bay isn't big ... read more

08 January 2010 - 13 January 2010 Exchange rate: GBP1 = A$1.79 TRANSPORT: Bali to Darwin by plane (JetStar)--US$85 (2h15m) Darwin to Cairns by plane (JetStar)--A$142 (3 hours) ACCOMMODATION: JJ's Backpackers Double, fan, shared bathroom--A$54 (inc. breakfast, dinner, free shuttle buses to / from airport and to / from Cairns CBD. Great little place, 15 minutes from the CBD, with friendly staff, a great atmosphere and nice rooms. Recommended!! TOUR: One-day Great Barrier Reef Tour with Reef Magic Cruises--A$175 inc. transfers, lunch and equipment. A$45 extra for Adventure Snorkeling Tour....Recommended!! We headed off the airport, and after a tearful good bye we left for Cairns! Aware that this was going to be a long journey, we weren't quite prepared for how long a 2 hour flight can feel when you have been up for nearly 24 ... read more