I flew into Cairns on Wednesday and got into my hostel at around 3pm, just in time to check my room, book some stuff to see, and go out to visit the town. From the moment I stepped off the plance, I knew I would love it here. It is absolutely my kind of town. The kind of town that you stop and look at the real estate prices and job postings, cause you like it so much. It has been warm enough here for me to wear a tank top and shorts during the day, although it does get chilly at night (pretty much like Vancouver's summers). I'm sure the summers here would be disgusting though, as this is winter weather I'm in! Can't imagine how muggy, humid and gross it is here during the ... read more

Well I finally made it out to see the Grampians National Park on Saturday, on a tour with three other people. We left bright and early on Saturday morning, and headed off North-West, stopping in Beaufort for morning tea and biscuits (I do enjoy this british tradition), and then continuing on to Halls Gap, the major town in the National Park. In terms of sightseeing, we didn't do very much, which was a bit disapointing, but expected with a guided tour. I didn't even get to see any climbing at all. We started off by doing an easy hike called Wonderland, going through the Wonderland ranges and getting a close look at the Elephant Hide (a rock formation that is slabby and looks, well, like an elephant hide). Then, we headed into town for some lunch. ... read more

So I finally have access to the internet with some photo uploading capabilities... so I'm trying desperately to update everything and have it all photo-ised for everyone to see! Melbourne has been a bit of an adjustment for me, from the get-go. I arrived on Sunday evening, at 6pm, and it was dark. There's nothing like finding your way around a new city in the dark. I don't recommend it. You don't know the bad parts of town, you don't know really where you're going, you have a place to stay, but don't know if it's good... and if it isn't, you don't really have a choice at that point! So it was a bit stressful, but everything worked out fine. I am staying at the Greenhouse hostel in Melbourne's CBD, right in the middle of ... read more

Well my trip to Launceston didn't end up quite as I had planned it... I arrived in early afternoon in Launceston and headed straight to my hostel, which was a great little old house on the other side of the bridge. Great place, great people - I highly recommend it! But the penguin people kinda screwed me over, so I had no tour to go to... which made me quite angry as this was the only reason why I had gone to Launceston in the first place! So I made the best of a bad situation, and went over to the Cataract Park and did a couple hours of hike, which turned out quite well despite the crappy weather. I even saw a wild wallaby! Now that's something you don't see everyday, especially in Canada! My ... read more

Sunday July 6 was an exciting day, especially since I knew I was meeting up with my Lizzy and couldn't wait! As planned, I headed down to the Rocks for the Aroma Festival, which proved to be culturally satisfying, as well as delicious... Who can really complain about getting $1 coffees (lattes, flat whites, cappuccinos, mocaccinos...), chocolate samples and tea!! I also got the chance to check out the Rocks market which also happened to be on. Thankfully, I arrived early enough in the morning to have a little peace and quiet before the rest of the city arrived and packed in the streets... that's when I started heading towards Darling Harbour to meet up with Lizzy. Lizzy (my long time climbing friend and travel partner extraordinaire) was right on time meeting me, and we ended ... read more