A Town Like Alice!

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Hi all! First-Sorry, no photos at the moment i will add them in a few days time. Wrote this entry a couple of days ago as you can see from the date and computors crashed before i could put photos on. Just finished 3 days of my 9 day trip, i have no time to put photos on today so i will try in a few more days!
Been ages since i last wrote, well it feels like it anyway but ive become a bit slack with the ol' blog thing I suppose. Anyway my last entry was from New Zealand and im now in sunny old australia.
I started off by flying into Melbourne to visit the family! Left Caroline at the airport as she was heading to see her family and await the arrival of her boyfriend and arranged to meet in 3 weeks time! Started off by heading up to Geelong-hi to all the Foggs. Spent a couple of days there which was nice to have that chill time and the luxury of a bedroom, bathroom etc. Didnt get chance to sample the foggs very own tennis court though as the weather wasnt that great. I then went back down to Melbourne and regressed a couple of years and stayed at my cousins' uni halls-which we're actually rather nice-better than my uni halls. Anyway, it was a chance to meet up with Haylee and Erin and met Jess in the city. Hi Girls!
Next day was 'brunch' with the family and then a dash into town to meet up with my new travelling companion Becky!
Originally we had planned to get an overnight train to sydney but with the auzzie version of easy jet being so cheap we opted for a flight and was there in no time at all. We then had a short ferry ride across the water to have the luxury of my uncles flat on the habour side with stunning views. Thanks so much for that Uncle Tim!
We then spent a few crazy days in sydney, of course taking in all the sights, opera house, harbour bridge, botanical gardens, ferry trip to manly beach but there was also a fair amount of partying done too-checking out the local watering holes and restaurants. Kinda blew my budget but hey!Becky manged to get herself a 'date' in sydney and a rather keen auzzie bloke. How will dates in the uk ever live up to that ey, no romantic walks along the harbourside in good old guisborough!
Anyway. From there it was another flight up to Byron Bay where we spent about 4 days 'chilling', tough life eh! There was actually an annual jazz and blues festival that weekend in Byron and with it being easter weekend the place was heaving which made for a good atmosphere. I think the population of australia had headed to Byron for a long weekend, which made for rather more expensive hostel prices! We ended up staying in the same hostel i had stayed in 6 years ago when i last came to Australia which was rather bizarre and made me feel old! Its really weird as the whole of east coast is a haven for drinking, which i remembered last time and rather enjoyed but i dont think my body can handle the drinking and partying now (god i sound really old!), so avoided the local party place 'Cheeky Monkeys' (after one fleeting visit for 10 minutes with a token dance on the tables for old times sake) and spent most evening listening to all the live music that was going on around the town for the festival. It would have been really good to have gone to the festival itself as there were some cool acts playing by the sounds of it but we didnt get tickets.
From Byron it was a bus journey up to Brisbane where i had one day with Becky before she left to continue her travels in Alice springs. So again we did a little tour of the city-lovely city but smaller than i remember it to be. Walked around the botanical gardens and shops. Would have liked to go and see an auzzie rules football match but it was on the day we arrived so no time to get tickets. However the stadium was just down the road from where we were staying and ended up having drinks where all the fans pass by on their way home. I have to say-much more civilised than when the fans exit from Man U!
Becky then left early next day and i went in search of a new hostel as the one we were in just seemed very bizzare. My first official day as a lone traveller! Think i managed ok and ended up sunbathing in the botanical gardens. Made friends with my fellow room mates and had a visit to the cinema that evening. again, the hostel i was staying at was a bit of a party place and i couldnt cope so avoided the bar (whats happening to me?) Had about 3 days on my tod before i flew to Cairns. Which was probably long enough as there's not really that much to do.
On my last day in Brisbane i ventured out and treated myslef to a trip to the nearby Morton Island which is 75 minute ferry trip away. People go over to stay at the island's Tongalooma resort but you can go out for a day trip there. I must admit there was a lot of families and couples going out there for a luxury break away but i still really enjoyed it. Decided to take myself on a 2 hour walk of the island but got lost after about half an hour so headed back and booked myself a quad bike tour-a much more lazier way of seeing the island but was still good fun-and i was the only person in my group as the other 4 didnt turn up-im destined to be on my own and not meet anyone me thinks! But actually it was good as i had the instructor to myself!
After that it and a brief sunbathe it was time for the dolhin feeding that i had booked. Every evening the wild dolphins come to the beach for a feed. They only feed tham something like 10% of there daily food requirement to ensure the dolphins remain wild and do not rely on this feed which is good. Theres a marine ecological research plant on the island so they're really well geared up. We had an introduction to how to feed the dolphins and how important it is not to touch their skin as we sat on the jetty and then about 8 dolphins started to make their way to the shore which was really cool to watch. At last, i get to be close to the dolphins! We then all queued up on the beach in 4 lines and group by group waded into the water up to thigh height and feed our own dolphin. It was quite a slow process but really good. A definate highlight of my trip even though i did feel like a big kid!
From Brisbane it was a flight to cairns where i briefly met up with caroline and Richard as they had the same flight. Unfortunately the weather wasnt as i'd hoped. There was a cyclone due to hit north of cairns at Cape York that day so the knock on affect was rain, rain and more rain! A lot of the trips to cape Tribulation had been cancelled as it was so bad and the roads we were told were inaccessible to Port Douglas, where i had planned to spend a couple of days. So it was 5 days on my own with not a lot to do! I had planned to just sunbathe as again i had been here 6 years previously and had done all the touristy stuff then! No matter, i spent my days wandering, reading and frequenting cafes for cake-bang goes the diet! Its really strange as when i was travelling with Caroline for so long-the time that you do get to yourself you kind of appreciate but when your on your own you feel really aware your on your own and have to make more effort to speak to people otherwise you would go insane!
The last couple of days i met back up with Caroline and Richard who had been diving. Had a big night out in Cairns on Saturday as Caroline has a friend who is living out here at the moment which was really good. Then it was an afternoon clearing the hangovers with a good old auzzie BBQ-Richard and Russ were in charge of throwing the shrimps on the barbie. Thanks Vicki and Russ!
So that was the end of Cairns. Typical weather begun to clear the day we left which was yesterday. So we are now in Alice Springs which is exciting as its the first place so far in Australia which i have not been to already. Not a lot here apart from Aboriginis and tourists-its basically the base from where everyone goes to Uluru. We start a 9 day tour tommorrow heading to Uluru, Olgas and kings canyon and then head up to kakadu and Darwin. I think a few early starts are going to be in order as we will be walking ayres rock at sunrise me thinks. So looking forward to it! Really random but as we got off the plane there was a guy staring at us strangely-didnt recognise him at first but he did us. Turns out it was someone who stayed in our hostel in Rio over Carnival-small world eh. He was on holiday then and returned home before going travelling-very bizarre!
Today is Carolines birthday-HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! I bought caz a cake this morning and candles and matches especially, then realised couldnt have flames in hostel as would set alarms off so just put them on for show! So more cake for breakfast and im sure a few more celebratory drinks later (although we kind of had 1 or 2-maybe a few more last night at the hostel bar!).
So See you soon people. Cannot believe, less than 3 weeks till i go home, but looking forward to seeing everyone-prepare your liver kate!! tee hee
Bye for now
Nad x x x xx

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Photos

The Cousins
Erin, Haylee and Moi!

Partying in Sydney
Me and Bex!

Sydney View
The view from Uncle Tims apartment-fab!

Byron Bay Lighthouse
After a gruelling Bike ride up hill we eventually made it!

Brisbane-city beach
On a stroll along south bank i happened upon the local beach in the middle of the city.

Feeding of the Pelicans
Morton Island. Tongalooma resort

Quad biking
Morton Island

caz's Bday
In Alice Springs

Comments

[anonymous]

HI Nadine. Let me know when you're back. Ive given up drink but that could all xhange ha ha!!!! see you soon.. kate xxx