http://www.travelblog.org/Bloggers/Debz/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from Debz en-us Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:24:50 +0000 Wed, 30 Dec 2009 06:24:50 +0000 David and Beth were my original fruit picking contacts. However when I had first called them they didn't need any extra pickers so they gave me the number for Koolkuna.After 3 weeks at the berry farm I was collected by Campbell and taken to Balnagowan Organic farm.Balnagowan is in Walcha whose small country town is a half hour drive away. It is a working sheep and cattle farm as well as be http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Tamworth/blog-54939.html From Tamworth I was collected by Lother and taken an hour away to the berry farm in Niangala. Here strawberries blackberries blueberries and raspberries amongst others during the season are picked. They are then sorted and the ones that aren't perfect enough to use for selling in punnets are used for jams and ice cream. The farm also offers selfpicking for tourists.The fellow pickers we http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Tamworth/blog-63037.html 1213.01.06After a funfilled week with Andrew I flew back to Sydney and the next day I caught a 5 hour train to Tamworth. A week early for the infamous Country Music Festival began I intended to get a job to see me through the festival. I had completed my Responsible Service of Alcohol RSA course to assist me but I ended up with a position that involved giving airbrush tattoos to the publ http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Tamworth/blog-55456.html Having 2 weeks spare before heading to Tamworth for the Country Music Festival I decided to take my French friends Lilli Jenny up on their offer of a lift to Melbourne as I had found them a home on our driveway whilst in Broome. Matt came down and we had an 8 hour road trip to Andrew's a family friend whom I met at June's on Christmas Day.The guys hung out at Andrew's with us for a few days http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Victoria/Melbourne/Philip-Island/blog-54332.html I appologise now Mum that most of these photos will be drunk backpacker ones similar to those of my student daysSome days however were not spent intoxicated probably just hungover No no I'm not that badOn Boxing Day we went on a Treasure Hunt pub crawl... I was disappointed to find there was no treasure But we had a great time finding each pub and the beer that awaited us Oh and i http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Kings-Cross/blog-54302.html Still residing with June and very welcoming family still jobless but making plans... I decided on a family Christmas Day over a hostel Christmas However I headed back into the Cross to see what the orphan backpackers had been up to and to spend the week and New Yrs in the city. http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Engadine/blog-54281.html Having seen Sophie off I proceeded to seek a job to replenish the funds I has spent whilst being a touristI spent a few days with my Western Coast travel buddy Anna before she went to Thailand for Christmas which was cool. We went up the Harbour Bridge Pylon and other Sydney stuffDuring my unsuccessful job hunt I stayed with the lovely June Lauren Andrew baby Caitlin. Lauren Andrew' http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Engadine/blog-47933.html A beautiful place Once again I'll type details another time... http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Esperance/blog-48123.html I don't remember the details I didn't realise I hadn't added these photos so here's some pics to look at until the diary of information is closer to handEnjoy http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Esperance/blog-46188.html After our Blue Mountains adventure Sophie and I spent some time and money being tourists in Sydney.We stayed in Kings Cross for a few nights and went partying climbed the Habour Bridge and saw the 2006 Dance Awards at the Opera House.We did a few of the popular walks e.g. Bondi Beach to Coogee Beach chilled at Manly Beach and did some Christmas shopping in summer http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/Kings-Cross/blog-47443.html Ok... on with the diaries180605Having eaten breakfast in the horrible half a shedstyle 'kitchen' we drove to Yallingup Shearing Shed. A great expience and insight into the farm life we saw demos of sheep being sheared with volunteers watched the dogs round the sheep into their pen and got to feed the lambs. The use collies and also Kelpies which are collies crossed with a dingo the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Margaret-River/blog-16221.html The Gloucester Tree was in Pemberton. It's 60ft high and has a very unsafefeeling ladder with little to protect you if your foot happened to slipOn our way from the car James decided to feed a nearby parrot some of my apple. It wasn't long before we were flocked with encouraged parrots landing all over us... what a noveltyWe shakily climbed the tree then took a stroll... and later stopped a http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Walpole/Valley-of-the-Giants/blog-17377.html Sophie and I wanted to fill up our valuable 2 weeks together so we took a 2hr train ride to Katoomba from Sydney and spent three days touring hiking and partying in and around The Blue Mountains We met a couple of other pommie girls and a few randoms at the local pub. Thanks goes to Jamie our hostel manager and personal tour guide Oh and his crazy friends Shane and Joe.We even rode the moun http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Katoomba/blog-44008.html Joe flew to Perth on 12th October and after mourning and feeling a tad lost for a day or so I moved to Cable Beach Backpackers with Sian and Anna.I soon gained a job Housekeeping at Cable Beach Resort which is what they were already doing. We walked to work each day and after 3 days training were sent out alone with a trolley and a list of rooms. For services we were allowed 20mins and 1 hou http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Broome/blog-33692.html Sophie landed the day after me and we filled our first few days touring Sydney... I'll write more when my diary's with me but for now here's some piccies to keep you occupied... http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/New-South-Wales/Sydney/blog-43047.html 02.10.05After a long hot drive we arrived in Broome checked out the campsites but by then we were pretty fed up on them so we checked into the cheapest hostel 15 for the 1st night. Knowing that you get what you pay for it was ok... but not many people around kitchen was upstairs and our qualified bedchecker Joe found the odd bed bug...We stayed anyway. For a week at least. Joe booke http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Broome/blog-30713.html Continuing our journey up the coast we discovered that Pardoo Station the roadhouse we wanted to stay at had closed down. So we ventured along a bumpy track to Eighty Mile Beach.This is basically a campsite with many holiday makers with only a beach for entertainment A very relaxing place to spend the evening but by now we are tiring of campsites and having limited activities to entertain u http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Port-Hedland/blog-29627.html In convoy we headed to Karijini National Park after stocking up on food checking tyre pressure etcWe tried to drive the bumpier route for a little while but as Sian and Hayden took it the their 4X4 stride little miss Tessie wasn't enjoying herself one bit. So we turned back took the road route and met the 4X4ers at the Visior's Centre where we paid for 2 nights in the 'campsite' 5 per http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Port-Hedland/blog-29618.html We left Coral Bay after three chilled days and arranged to meet Hayden and Sian who can leave later as they drive faster at Nautarra Roadhouse. But on arriving there at 3pm and finding next to nothing we agreed to drive onwards to Paraburdoo. We had no phone signal so a note was left on the roadhouse door for when Hayden Sian arrivedOn arrival at Paraburdoo we found there is no campsit http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Carnarvon/blog-28858.html First stop of our journey was to see the infamous Stromatolites. They didn't look like much but these 'things' were the origin of life on earth They released oxygen into the atmosphere and eventually caused levels to rise high enough for other life forms to exist on earth.Anyway enough of all that science talk back into the car and onwards firstly to Carnarvon for supplies and sleep and the http://www.travelblog.org/Oceania/Australia/Western-Australia/Coral-Bay/blog-28854.html