The views were gloomy as a gloomy view could be. It’s not the most helpful description of the view as I looked out over the Swan River, but I don’t think I could describe it any better than I just have. I waited for the storm to pass before going on a walk down to Hungry Jack’s to get some breakfast. Thankfully, staying on the Canning Highway has meant close proximity to Hungry Jacks, KFC, Maccas and a Service Station. It was also close by to the Swan River, where I walked down to after breakfast. Across the river is the city proper, where the Bell Tower and city buildings were in close view. I nearly ended up getting blown into the river as a westerly blew in, very ferociously. It turned my umbrella inside out ... read more

Wet and wild? More like wet, cold and on the verge of hypothermia… Who knows what Cassandra was thinking when she booked us on a jetboat tour of Sydney Harbour. But we were definitely thinking of many places to be at as soon as we got off. The jetboat was doing speeds up to 70km/h (around 37 knots in nautical terms) all through the harbour. We jetted past Rushcutters Bay, Garden Island, through Middle Harbour and out towards the Heads. If we wanted to, we could have ventured out to the open ocean but I think we had already experienced the ocean as it came through our “dry coats”. The jet boat then made waves heading back to Sydney Harbour, criss crossing in the backwash of other boats, making sure we got a bumpy and wet ... read more

On Wednesday, at 8am, I came in for my final stop - Sydney, Australia. It was the final stop of what will be definitely the trip of a lifetime. 42 days, one huge arse drag along suitcase that was threatening to be overweight, one backpack that had a daypack tearing at the seams, and two stuffed toy animals that have become the symbol of a very exciting trip through Northern America. It was the longest time I've had away from home but also the best time I've had away from home. This trip was filled with the good, the bad and at sometimes ugly, but overall it was definitely an experience I'll never forget. The Tourists: Johnny Baz the Malayan Sun bear Kaz the Kangaroo Dani (she's a real person from Fair Haven, VT USA ... read more

I wake up somewhere over the Pacific Ocean with the Operations Supervisor of Bridgestone Tires on my left and some gypsy on my right. The gypsy is going to Melbourne and has some huge machine that he calls his laptop. The Operations Supervisor is going to the Gold Coast for the Indy 300 this weekend. He’s also going to the toilet many times, which means the Gypsy and I have to get up nearly every half an hour to let him by. He apologizes and gives me his business card and asks me if I know where the good parties are, to give him a call. But I’m not going to the Gold Coast. Of course this plane is flying to Sydney and then that will be it for me. After so many miles flying, its ... read more

By the time it comes to last drinks, I’ve said, “ok, this is going to be my last pint of Miller Lite” about 7 or 8 times. I run off and make a quick phone call to my Dad at home to waste the last of my phonecard credits before biometrically leaving the USA. I don’t know how I am going to physically make it out since I am so drunk and as soon as I am on the plane, its lights out all round! Goodnight America!!!!!!... read more

I woke up with just enough time to put on some clothes and scrape on down to the free breakfast that the hostel offered before 10am. Toasted jam sandwiches with a nice cup of OJ, what a great way to start the day! I was really eager to check out the Alcatraz tour, as there were a few girls at work who had been there and done that, and really loved it. To get down to the Bay, I could have caught a cab or there was the ever famous San Francisco Cable Car, which was packed with Sunday tourists, but I managed to squeeze onto one of them on a harrowing ride up and down some of San Fran’s steepest hills. The views were amazing both over the city and over the bay. I ... read more