Lindsay Dawn

Where do i even start! This blog is going to be really enormous because it's the last five days of my trip - but i'll try and tone it down don't worry (haha). At least enjoy the pictures, if anything! I took the train from Katoomba back to Sydney, and my hostel was a short walk from Central Station (I strategically planned it this way). Friends that i had met along the way had been to this hostel (called Wake Up) ahead of me, so i knew that it was going to be pretty good. It feels kind of like a hotel (big reception, seven floors) except of course for the bunk beds and the communal bathrooms/showers. It's very clean and always buzzing with people and activity. I like as well that (almost everything worth ... read more

After watching the sunrise in Byron Bay, i was too paranoid to go to sleep in case i didn't wake up - i didn't want to miss my bus! As it turns out, the bus was an hour late (i've never seen that in Oz!) because of the BluesFest traffic and because it was Easter weekend, and my exhausting day was spent doing just about nothing! So i was pretty tired when i got into Coff's Harbour. I stayed at a hostel called "Aussietel", it was pretty cool because the girls there had activities planned ALL THE TIME so there was never really a moment where i had nothing to do! There was a bbq the first night i was there, then a trip to the pub, the next day there were beach activities (since ... read more

Funny how you keep running into the same people that are traveling in the same direction as you are! I got into Noosa and ran into three guys that i'd roomed with in Mission Beach, and then the three people that i'd been with on the Whitsunday trip. It was a reunion! I stayed at the YHA Halse Lodge, which is a pretty cool hostel, very roomy and spacious. My roomies are three hilarious girls - two from Ireland, and one from England. We spent a lot of time playing cards and making fun of each other :) It's very expensive and posh here in Noosa. There's a strip of shops down the street from the hostel - little boutiques with overpriced clothing - although i did find the best ice cream shop ever! I ... read more

Here is some interesting information about 1770 - this town is the only one in Australia to have a number for its name. This is the spot where the famous explorer, Captain James Cook, sailed into Bustard Bay back in 1770. As far as i know, it's not even really a town, but a peninsula surrounded by water on three sides. Again, like most places in Australia, it's really, really beautiful. We arrived in Agnes Water (these two town are super close to each other) to find out there was some kind of mysterious "incident" and therefore no beds at the hostel i was supposed to stay at (Cool Bananas). We ended up at 1770 Southern Cross which is more of a tourist resort than a backpackers hostel, but lovely all the same. (I've been ... read more

When i landed in Brisbane, i couldn't believe i was actually in Australia. It's world's apart from Asia, and even though it felt more like home it's still world's apart from that too. 24 hours of travel (Bangkok to Singapore, Singapore to Brisbane, Brisbane to Cairns) and i finally met up with a friendly face from home - Michelle! (It's cool to just meet a friend in one of the most awesome places in the world!) Michelle was at the end of her Australia trip, so we had three days together to experience Northern Queensland! Our hostel was very cool - the people here will charm the pants off you, and they can talk you into anything - which is how i got talked into scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef! (More about that later!) Michelle ... read more