The update

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Dear all, sorry about the lack of updates on my exciting journey, but have been mad busy and on a big sand island for the last few days with the roughest bunch of irish girls ever in the whole world, one of whom relieved herself on a towel because she was so drunk she couldnt move and then proceeded to keep it in the truck which made it smell ever so slightly. I digress anyway and to be honest if I start on them now we'd never find out what else has been going on on the tour...

Brisbane, the last bit....

When I left off (Saturday I think) we were going to have the day by the lagoon beach thing in the centre of town, which we duly did, which was nice. What we weren't expecting however was a group of mental Korean students to park in front of us and sing us a bizarre medley of tradtional Korean songs. This was a bit odd, but these things happen. In fact that day there were loads of street entertainers out, including some midgets with a skipping rope. I should also metion Boost smoothie shops which are very good and are currently keeping me healthy as they have fruit in. For Mum's information I have also been getting echinacea (definately wrong spelling) in them as an extra, to keep me safe and well. I also really like pizza Subway, a new discovery for me, and a very tasty one. Went for a bit of a wander after the lagoon, down a garden botanical path thing, with flowers and stuff...

That evening at 10pm here time (midday on Sat in the UK) was the Chelsea Liverpool game, so we went down to a pub to watch that, which was fun. Obviously I didn't really care about the game, but I enjoyed the bright lights, pretty colours and lager.

Sunday was set to at a hectic pace, and I barely had time to recover from my lie in before I was embroiled in a vicious sunbathing session by the pool in the hostel. This took most of my morning and some of lunchtime, when I had to cook pasta and sauce. Naturally this took it out of me a bit, so I rewarded myself with a few beers over the afternoon. Dinner was also a chore to prepare, although whilst I was cooking my nutritious meal of beans, I made friends with a group of 3 English girls who were making an asparagus aubergine and salmon salad. Better than my dinner. Anyway Paul was ill in bed with tonsilitis so I was pleased to get the friendometer off the ground again, to the dizzy heights of 4. Anyway we ended up staying up really quite a long time after I should've been in bed drinking tea, especially because we had an early start the next day, which was to be even busier than this one. I know, hard to believe... Also I'd not been around a group of girls since Sydney, and my goodness they can talk. All at the same time, and lots.

Monday was Australia Zoo day (Steve Irwin Zoo), so an early start and on the "CC's Croc Connections" bus with the tree girls and an ill and moaning Paul. One could say he was Pauly. Genius, however have only just thought of this now, so have missed the moment. Lets hope he gets ill again...

Anyway Zoo was really good, got to feed a kangaroo, see the crocodile and tiger shows, pat a koala, although it was absolutely boiling and I mostly spent the day sweating. That's pretty much it really, I mean it was a zoo. I liked the Emu though.

Next day was supposed to be a trip into one of the Rainforests near Brisbane, however we were the only two booked on the tour so it got cancelled which was annoying. Never a pair to wast a day, we decided to move on up the coast and not moan about things, so into town to the Quantas shop to change the flight to NZ, and then to the transit centre to book ourselves on the Greyhound to Noosa, book a hostel there (tricky as everywhere was full) and get some lunch. Bought Jerry McGuire film for the PSP so watched that on the way, very good film. Liked it. Got to the Koala hostel in Noosa, made friends with the occupants of the room (obviously all English), then went to the bar for a cheeky half (post shower) with them, and met up with the girls from Brisbane who were staying in the same place, and went to a italian restaurant (BYO) but discovered that the only place to Buy Your Own that was open was bloody miles away up a hill, and it was silly hot still. I ended up going, and was so sweaty and minging when I got there that the woman let me stand in the fridge to cool down. Anyway, eventually got back and had a very good carbonara and lots of red wine. Result was woman who ran the place getting annoyed with us and wanting to shut her restaurant so she could go home, and us only leaving if she phoned us a taxi to the local karaoke bar, but we got there too late for the singing part, so we just stayed for a few (lots of) drinks, before a lovely walk home along the beach.

Next day involved doing essentially nothing, but we had to move hostels in the morning as we had booked a nicer one for the next two nights called Dolphin. Brief dip in the pool sorted out the slightly fuzzy head, then got the nicest air conditioned taxi in the world to Dolphin, which was in fact pretty nice. Dumped the bags and got the bus into town to meet the girls for a Boost and some water in a cafe, before heading to a little pub for lunch and a tiny little beer, which made us feel a lot better. I had Nachos and they were very nice. We all just sat there for ages really, ended up being about 5pm when the girls left for Hervey Bay, and we eventually hauled ourselves back to the hostel, where we finally manged to do some laundry, and start to smell less. Ideal. Bit of TV in our little living room thing, and chatted to two girls (one of whom lives on Cherry Lane, small world...) before another superbly early night.

Next day was a tanning day, so we headed to Sunshine Beach near the hostel with a surfboard and some factor 30, and discovered the waves were massive and completely unsurfable, so we spent the morning bodysurfing and generally getting mauled and flipped over by them, which was absolutely brilliant. Went home for a spot of lunch, then swapped beaches to go to Main beach, where I was surfing (genuinely) for absolutely ages, and having a lot of fun. Good day. That evening we were shattered after all that seafun, so delightful dinner of beans and mushrooms on toast, and watched Old School on video with some of the lads who were in our little flat thing.

The next morning saw the advent of Australia Day, a day where apparently all Australians spend the whole day getting slaughtered, a tradition that we felt would have been churlish to miss out on. In the morning however, we checked out and discovered that all the hostels in Noosa were full, so we didn't have anywhere to stay. Bad. Went for a walk in Noosa national park in the sun-like temperaures outside which was nice, lots of good views, but disappointingly no koalas and a lot of heat. Arrived back in town 4 hours later, very very warm, so got a Boost and a hot dog and attended to the slightly pressing issue of being homeless. Went to the lovely air conditioned info centre, where a very nice woman found a pub we could stay in for the same price as the hostel, which was pretty much ideal, and gave us all the bus times and stuff for getting the Greyhound the next morning. Super. Returned to hostel to get bags, then hauled ourselves to "Noosaville" which entertained me slightly. Checked in, discovered it was happy hour, which made us happy, and encouraged us to just not move from the hotel for the next few hours, because the food was good and cheap (roast pork dinner for four pounds) and there was a live band on next door.
we were eventually persuaded to leave due to the call of "the villa" a local nightspot and disco. I got a free visor from there, and thats pretty much what I remember in its entirety. Good fun though.

Next morning's 8 o'clock start was a little less than fun, when we embarked on the 5 hour coach ride to Hervey Bay, to start our Fraser Island trip, which will be on the next entry, so I leave you with a horrible hangover and little sleep on a bus, in a very bad mood...

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Comments

[The Most Lovely Cousin Babs]

Food glorious food...
I love the detail in which you describe the food you have eaten before you describe the place you are visitng!!All those years of having Judy's lovely cooking are affecting your blogs!!! I am glad you are still enjoying yourself. Im off to eat a slice of goats cheese quiche, a glass of orange juice and a slice of coconut cake. Bye for now x x x x