Back to Byron, Surfers Paradise and Brisbane.....Lynny arrives yay!

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13th of February-So after my depressing goodbye to Malou and many early mornings I had a nice long lie in in my beautifully air conditioned hostel 😊 I then began to feel quite lazy as the afternoon dawned on me so decided to do something with my day and went on the organised hostel walk to the Cape Byron lighthouse. So many people have told me to do this as it's supposed to be lovely....and it was. I met loads of friendly people on the walk, one of them being an English girl called Jess. We chatted loads and had selfies on the beach on the way home....she's got this real nasty looking bite on the back of her leg though that's making her leg swell...looks ming. I decided to keep my shoes on on the beach but after a few near misses with the waves took them off and stubbed my toe on a rock...typical! They're always the worst cuts....especially when salt water is about. We did manage to see a pod of dolphins jumping along in the sea though so it was totally worth it...I got my monocular out like a right little geek! There was a pub crawl organised by the hostel so we congregated outside with our wine we'd bought together and began mingling. There's this really weird guy staying in my room who was making suggestive comments at me and not in a funny way....just in a creepy way eugh! I couldn't wait to get out of the room....I hope he's not staying long! I went home after the first bar as I just wasn't really feeling it and didn't want to be too drunk with that odd guy sleeping opposite me. We did meet a couple of crazy Irish people who were a good laugh...you can always rely on the Irish for a good time! Oo and I met a fit Aussie guy down from Brisbane for a friend's birthday...I think I was too sober though and he was too drunk...damn it! So I went home with my pizza feeling like a right bore but I thought it best to rest up and go for it tomorrow night.

14th of February-Happy Valentine's Day! ? So I couldn't sleep straight away after the night out so decided to do a bit of skyping and had a lush long catch up with Lucy from work and made sure I caught up on all the goss ready for when I get back....I know I've still got so much to look forward to in Aus but I'm so excited to get home! The security shifted me from the hallway to downstairs with everyone else as it was 'quiet time' where I finished skyping and then bumped into this really annoying guy from Liverpool who happened to know someone I know from home...typical! You come half way around the world and it doesn't feel like it sometimes. Now he'd already irritated the crap out of me and slapped my bum throughout the duration of the night but he thought it best to try and invite himself up to my dorm....three times! Honestly the guy's not bad looking but so unattractive with behaviour like that....where are all the gentlemen?! So I had another long lie in and then nipped off to the beach to get some tanning time in. I led on the grass with Jess as she didn't wanna get sand in her manky bite....it looks worse today :/ This weird Aboriginal lady was shouting and causing havoc...going on about people being half naked in front of men when's she's stood there in her bikini....I think she was off it. The Irish people have a car and we were hoping they'd come back from Nimbin in time to take us to the tea tree lake but it wasn't to be 😞 On our way back to the hostel we stopped at the amazing ice cream shop and then I picked up a couple of new vest tops as I think I had too much of a clear out. Our hostel has two jacuzzis (a hot and a cold one) so we chilled in those in the late afternoon sun and got chatting to some lovely Canadian girls. We then jumped in the shower and got ready for night two drinking. We necked the rest of our stash of wine and I had a go at drinking a cider kindly donated to me by a guy through one of those funnel and straw things....always wanted to do that! It was just like you see on American TV with all the people chanting you on and then cheering at the end...classic! In hindsight....all this booze was not my brightest idea. I bumped into my cute Aussie guy again and we said we'd see each other later 😉 We then played the flip the cup game with a bunch of Aussies before heading out to Cheeky Monkeys by which point the wine had kicked in and I was absolutely smashed! So after queuing to get in, a quick dance on someone else's table and another dance on these tables they've made just for dancing (so cool by the way) I began to wobble and slur so made the sensible decision to take myself home. So I then lay passed out on my bed...fully clothed with a heart stuck on my chest and no fit Aussie....classic Welsh girl.

15th of February-So I woke up around half six this morning still quite drunk and dazed fully aware they I was booked on a bus journey to Nimbin. So in my quest to beat the hangover before it got to me I drank loads of water and tried to have a little nap. There was a sweet young guy from England who seemed really anxious about going on the trip on his own (how he made it half way across the world by himself I don't know) so I took him under my wing and off we went to get toasties before getting on the bus. But who happened to be sat waiting for the bus....only the really irritating Liverpool guy! Honestly I can't get away from the guy! So he then goes and sits next to me on the bus AND steals half of my toastie....I can't describe to you how irritating this guy is....it's like he talks and laughs almost at the same time and never comes up for air...he boggles my brain! He was so annoying people actually thought we were a couple because we were bickering so much lol! We stopped for a toilet break at a country pub where there was a very cute barman who kindly topped my bottle up with ice cold water...I decided it was probs best to stick to that and a coffee as I was still fighting a possible hangover. We had a really funny bus driver who told us all these stories about weed and how he'd been doing this tour for years and how the local police used to tell him where to tell his passengers to hide their weed if ever they searched the bus. Weed in Nimbin is obviously illegal but everyone knows about it as it's a tourist attraction.

I was glad when we finally got to Nimbin as the windy roads were starting to make me feel a bit sick. I thought it would be bigger though...it was literally just a street. We bumped into the cake selling lady who'd waved at us when she saw our bus coming through and she was sitting people down next to her and asking how much they've ever tried and telling them how much they needed etc....hilarious! Obviously I didn't buy any as I'm too scared of getting done...especially in a foreign country! She was nice to chat to though 😊 I also saw a girl getting her reading done on the side of the road which sounded quite good...I might get mine done again when I get home. On the way home we stopped by this gorgeous lake and had a BBQ which I helped prepare as most people were off their heads so didn't seem very chatty...obviously. The trip advertised that we stopped at local markets but that didn't happen which was a bit disappointing but oh well, at least now I can say I've been to the famous Nimbin! When we left we went really fast down this lane which had loads of little hills in it...it was a bit like a rollercoaster and our driver was playing hippy and high songs like Bob Marley etc...he said he used to play death songs but a girl hallucinated once and thought they were all trying to kill her! Haha! It felt like a really long journey back and I was knackered when I got back to the hostel. I spent hours chatting to the lovely Norwegian people in my room whilst I was packing my bags. I got invited out to drink but really didn't feel like it...especially as I'm leaving tomorrow. I did nip out for a catch up with a Dutch girl I'd made friends with called Larissa..we just chilled on the bean bags in reception and bumped into Jess who didn't end up coming to Nimbin today because she went to A&E with her leg instead....they drained it, gave her antibiotics and told her to keep it elevated...poor thing. Just before I went off to bed we got invited to a party down in the car park by these guys which was weird....life of a backpacker ay?

16th of February-So my bus wasn't until this afternoon so I had a little lie in before getting up, packing and having some breakfast. I put some lunch together too so that once I was checked out I could snack on it whilst waiting for the bus. The driver mega took the piss when we were queuing up to get on wanting ID off everyone to check against their tickets...I know thems the rules and all that but no one else does it! Then to make matters worse...who gets on my bus and is also getting off at Surfers Paradise? The Liverpool guy! Then when we got there we discovered we were staying at the same hostel so had to wait for the pick up together....which drove past us twice! I'm sure we could've walked there quicker. So needless to say when I eventually got there I was royally peed off...the actual travelling part is beginning to grate on me now. I was very snappy with the poor driver which I then felt bad about when he carried my bags in for me...so when I was settled in my room I decided to munch on some crisps and chill on my own. A lovely German girl called Greta arrived a while later who was really nice and she was off out to meet up with a friend she'd made who was living in Surfers and invited me along. I was knackered but thought I may as well see a bit of the place. Her friend was hilarious and took us to get 15 cents ice cream from Hungry Jacks (I think that's the Aussie version of Burger King). We nipped to Coles for a few things on the way home and then made dinner together. I then had a shower in our grotty little bathroom and a good sleep on a very thin mattress. Sometimes it's just good to chill out...I think I needed it after the weekend of partying in Byron. Considering I found my time in and around Byron quite stressful it did kind of feel like home so I felt really sad to leave it behind. But I've got so much to look forward to over my last month of travelling...can't believe I'll be home this time next month...scary stuff!

17th of February-Happy Birthday to Stacey's Dad Mat! 😊 Happy Pancake day too! So I had a nice lie in today and then decided to take a box of stuff to the post office to send home by sea as I just can't bare to carry it for another month. So after I'd sent that off I went for a wander around the town. I don't really know why I stopped here as there's nothing to do here really unless you're going to a theme park...which I'm not. I felt I needed a bit of TLC so treated myself to getting my toes painted and the lady was so lovely and chatty I decided to stay for my nails too! She was from Japan and lives over here with her Husband and daughter. Her Hubby is a Wedding co ordinator for other Japanese people living there....gets quite busy apparently. My plan was to walk home along the beach but obviously you can't do that with tacky nails so I walked along the pavement next to it. When I got back to the hostel I discovered you could use their printer for free so got all mine and Lynn's vouchers sorted for all our activities. I then sat by the pool in my bikini for a bit but it was a bit nippy so I went for a stroll to the beach and just sat there listening to some music, people watching....there were these two guys who looked like they'd rubbed oil in each other for their beach photos...omg posing would have been an understatement! It got quite windy after a little while so I called it a day and strolled back to the hostel to get ready for dinner as me and Greta decided to have an Italian night! We tried to meet up with her friend Tamara again but missed her as she'd gone on a pub crawl with her hostel....we did manage to get into a bar for free though as we fibbed and said we were with her hehe! But once we were in there we just had one and sat out on the terrace people watching from above and then wandered home. I don't mind having a quiet one now and again....it's nice to know you're not gonna have a hangover the next morning 😊

18th of February-So I was up nice and early this morning feeling refreshed and packed ready to move on to Brisbane. Now all I knew was that Lynn was possibly arriving into Sydney tomorrow and I still didn't know how he was gonna get to Brisbane....then I get a text off him saying he's already here! Honest to God I could have lynched him! So I tried ringing him to advise him what to do aka you may as well stay in Sydney for the day now that you're there and see the sights. Then my credit ran out and Lynn had also told me he'd forgotten his charger...I couldn't get more stressed! So all I had was my wifi so I facetimed Lisa and gave her strict instructions to ring Lynn and relay all my messages of how and when to get to me. The girl did good. When that drama was over I then got the hostel shuttle to the bus stop so I could get on the greyhound for Brisbane...I sat next to a really nice Scottish girl called Lisa who kept me chatting the whole way and when we got there we agreed to drop our bags off (as we were staying in different hostels) and then meet up to go and explore the city. When I checked into our room I was so excited as it was a twin, but at the same time a little bit panicked as Lynn has never stayed in a hostel before and I feel a bit mean but I can't be spending hundreds on accommodation like we did in America as I am now truly on a backpacker budget! I love this hostel (it's the YHA I stayed in a couple of weeks ago with Malou) because after you've walked up the massive hill from the bus station you're sweating like a pig and they immediately grab you an ice pop out of the freezer when you're checking in...bliss! I got chatting to the lovely American guy on the desk too...I just love Americans!

So I had no idea where Lynn was and what his plans were....I knew the times for the flights into Brisbane so just kept my phone near me waiting for a text. I then took myself off to the CBD after I'd met Lisa at her hostel and dragged her to my favourite souvenir shop to buy all my gifts for people and my uggs. We then thought it would be fun to nip into Louis Vitton to act like we wanted to buy something...I thought they'd give us a dirty look and turf us out but they were very welcoming. After that and we'd said our goodbyes/maybe see you in Cairns malarkey I made the trek back up to my hostel for a quick shower before getting picked up by my Aussie friend Tara who I met on my contiki tour in the USA....it was so lush to see her! We had dinner and a mega long catch up...I felt like in those few hours I got to know more about the real Tara than when we spent two weeks together on our trip...it was lush 😊 😊 We spoke to frog too which was nice (her friend that came with her) I hope she comes to the UK for a visit or I get chance to come back to Aus some day. So we went back to the hostel and were just chilling when I get a text from Lynny saying he's at the airport and is catching the train to the station...at last I know where the man is! So I hugged Tara like a million times and then made my way to the station. I was so excited that the lady at the barrier gave me a pass so I could go up to the platform. I had it in my head what I was gonna say when I saw him but as he came down the steps lugging his suitcase all I could notice was that his face was bright orange! Clearly he didn't bring sun cream with him :/ So I just popped out with 'look how skinny I am?!' lol! As the last time he saw me I was a proper chunk! I think Lynn seems to be happy with our hostel...not so keen on sharing bathrooms but then who is? We then spent hours chatting and catching up and the poor man just wanted to sleep as he was clearly jet lagged but there's me showing him all my souvenirs for people and my brand new uggs haha!

19th of February-So today I had planned a chilled out day for us as I knew Lynn would be tired from all his travelling....I've also made us a calendar for the next month! You know me...love to be organised and we've got lots to fit in! So after a lie in I did some washing...they have a fab laundry here! Then we set off for the CBD so Lynn could have a little look around and buy a cap to cover his now oozing forehead yuk! Honestly the man didn't bring sun cream with him or his flashy camera...tit! I decided to buy a cheap phone as you have to ring and confirm all these trips and I just think it's easier...plus I have a few Aussie friends so it'll be nice to be able to text them. I also picked up a pair of uggs for Lisa that I've persuaded Lynn into carrying for me...well guilt tripped really. Now the weather really started to look grey so we took ourselves off to the pie shop before wandering home where we had a little rest before heading out to Caxton Street for dinner....we had tapas and prosecco at this nice little bar and then I persuaded Lynn to go to the cinema. He never watches movies but what else were we gonna do? It was a good film but very far fetched. After nearly six months of not seeing anyone from home it's so nice that Lynn's here...even if he did completely stress me out before his arrival! :p

20th of February-So despite getting up early for breakfast to do some more exploring, a cyclone has hit Aus and the weather is like Wales. Now you may be wondering what a cyclone is as I didn't have a clue! It's when wind and rain hit each other out to sea and then it all comes inland. Apparently it's hit up North really bad in Rockhampton and caused damage to people's homes and now it's making its way South. We decided to stay indoors for most of the day and I spent my time activating my new phone and finding out if we would be able to catch a train to the Outback Spectacular show. When I left Surfers Paradise we drove past all the theme parks and where the show takes place...it's a horse show and I'm told it's amazing. So I'm forcing Lynn to come with me haha! I couldn't believe how far away it was from Brisbane but hey ho it can't be helped. Now that my new phone was up and running I decided to ring greyhound to see if our zoo bus for tomorrow was still running due to the weather and it's not. But even if it was that poor excuse for a travel agent who booked it for us hadn't booked us both on the bus! So one of us wouldn't be going. Fuming does not describe how I was feeling! Tamping, fuming, raging! But the very nice greyhound lady sorted it all out so that we could go from Noosa instead as we were due to leave Brisbane on the next available zoo date. I then found out at me and Lynn weren't booked onto the same slot for our skydive so that was the straw that broke the camel's back and made me phone Peterpans to moan at the manager...got us a free underwater camera for our reef trip though! I didn't like to tell the poor girl that I have a go pro.

We bought some ponchos yesterday to take with us tonight as I don't wanna get wet in my nice clothes. Well we put on our five dollar condom lookalikes and looked ridiculous! I pissed myself laughing for at least half the walk down to the train station. Then when we got there I had to buy us some go cards and top them up for our journey while Lynn went to grab coffees....honestly I swear he's addicted to them as he gets all stressed if he can't get one lol! Once we got to our stop the little bus to take us to the venue didn't arrive so we grabbed a cab. Oh my gosh when we got there I was like a little kid at Christmas....I bought a programme as they were only ten bucks and so pretty! They got us to have photos done on the way in...I never buy them but I just thought I'd put the effort in...worth a look then. When we walked inside it was set out with a bar and loads of benches and tables in a barn like setting. There were a few horses in pens being guarded by a couple of dudes so naturally I had a photo with one of them (the horse that is, not the guard). I think he was called Quickstep. A guy started singing on his guitar then so we grabbed a drink and joined in with the crowd. I wasn't really sure what the layout would be like as we would be eating whilst watching the show but it was really well done. We were all sat in little rows with our meals in front of us. It was really good food and the show was just amazing! I was in my element 😊 They even had a donkey doing tricks! You guys will have to google it...it's just magical. When it was over and we all started exiting back into the barn area and Lynn went off to the loo and I spotted our photos....they were so cool! They had us with the outback background and in a circus one and another....for twenty bucks I just couldn't leave them there. Lynn wasn't too happy mind since he looks like he's wearing really bad fake tan haha! We had a really bad taxi driver on the way back to the station so he didn't get a tip! I was surprised we got there in one piece! So we had loads of giggles on the way home and wore our free cowboy/girl hats all the way back to the hostel. Fab night!


21st of February-So after all that stress over not being able to go to the zoo I thought I'd best check if our bus was still leaving for Noosa in the morning which it isn't, which also means that we won't get there until a day later so will miss our next booked visit to the zoo, which means we just can't go....gutted doesn't even come close! We spent most of the day indoors as it was pissing down and my shoes were wet and smelly after being out in the rain yesterday...I very nearly threw them out! We ventured out for dinner in the evening and another trip to the cinema...I keep seeing adverts for new films and Lynn's like 'I'm not going again!' but I think he secretly loves it :p I'm a bit gutted for Lynn that this is his welcome to Australia...rain, rain and more bloody rain.

22nd of February-We woke up this morning and the sky wasn't clear of clouds but it was starting to get sunny....we still couldn't get on the bus though because apparently there was a section further up on the route that was flooded 😞 We took a trip into the CBD again so that Lynn could get himself an iPad...I've convinced him it's a good idea! Plus they are way cheaper over here. I was a bit snappy with Lynn today which I felt bad about but I think it's just because I'm so sad about our zoo trip and having to be stuck here another night. We stopped by a pharmacy and they had a little do it yourself BP machine and mine is high! I'm not impressed...I'm supposed to be on my holibobs. We decided to make something out of our afternoon and so took ourselves off to the swimming hole...it's mad that they have a man made pool and beach in the middle of a city...needs must in Aussie land though I suppose 😊 We had the best ice cream ever before we went home and this little band were singing that song 'over my shoulder' from years ago...fair play it's been a lush afternoon...things are looking up! When we got back to the hostel I had to book our buses to Noosa for tomorrow and we have to go separately because there's only one space on each...I'm gutted! I wanted Lynn's first greyhound experience to be with me and now he's gonna be all on his own 😞 I was so stressed I moaned I didn't want to go out for dinner so Lynn walked all the way to dominos to get us a pizza and coke bless him! I decided to risk washing my walking shoes in the machine as they smelt like a sewer! I made sure I showered and packed before going to sleep and set an alarm for the early hours so we could FaceTime Claire and the rest of the family as they were out in the Angel having a meal for their Birthdays....I feel bad that he's missing it :/ xx

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