After a quick snooze to gain my energy for the rest of the day (by the poolside naturally) it was time to see the sight that is Port Douglas Sunday Market. Well my avid readers, imagine (for those of you that have been) Camden Lock Market on a Saturday being picked up, scaled down and transported to sunnier climbs et voila! you have the Port Douglas Sunday Market with a tropical twist. No there's no Lilt man, but you can get authentic Aboriginal Art Works, to trinket jewellery, sugar cane sodas (absolutely sickly sweet and vile) to absolutely delicious Mossman Pineapple and Mango - which yes I did succumb to purchasing and devouring (and very good it is too). People travel miles to this market, and I'm not really sure why - maybe I missed something ... read more

After a dinner of steak and salad, followed by a good sleep its time for my first excursion onboard Sailaway IV to the Lower Islands and the reef. Now as many as you know my hatrid of swimming in the sea and those things called fish may question you as to why the hell was I doing the trip - well dear readers that is simple, I wanted to see the reef and I hadn't travelled all this way not to do it. In true Schofey fashion however, this was a not a join the tourists and ship out with 150 others. Oh no, this was a party of 20 on a catamaran for an hours sail to the lower isles, where the Quicksilver Mega tourarama would join us later. Greeted by the crew at 0815 ... read more

Well avid readers of the blog, I only felt it fair to reflect on the first week's trip of Rob The Poms Aus-O-Rama - I cant believe that I have only been in the country 5 nights, it feels much longer and that to me is a good thing. The Aussie way of life is really something quite hard to beat. Sure they work hard, and that is evident as you walk around the capital and watch the Sydneyers around Circular Quay rushing off the ferries to their work place but what you also note is the work life balance - something the majority of us I am sure would pine for. There really is no early to work late to finish mentality here, and it almost seems frowned upon if you do. The motivation is ... read more

Have you visited Luna Park yet? Was the cry from the bell staff at the hotel - (no I hadn't it looked cheap, tacky and worse than Brighton Pier) I was urged to take the 5 minute ferry ride to go see it. So begrudgingly i did. This place is a museum piece, and if you are a Sydneyer you either love it or hate it. Its been closed down and re-opened 5 times and I can understand why. As you step off the ferry you are greeted by a smiling 20ft sunshine, that at night lights up. You enter through its mouth and are immediately transported back to the 60's and very reminiscent of Southport Pleasure Park that I went to when I was 5. Here both excited kids and adults run around with rip ... read more

So BridgeClimb completed it was time to take one of Sydney's more natural sights and the famous Bondi Beach. Hopping aboard the Bondi Express Bus I was transported through the city and suburbs and also back in time. What began to struck me was just how stuck in the seventies Sydney is. Sure it likes to give off a modern vibe in the tourist areas but as you head out of it so you head back - ok not to the prehistoric era but everything just slows down - the pace of life, the speed of talking and the emergence of surfer dude. Within half an hour I've arrived at Bondi - and around me scantily clad surfer dudes and dudesses walk proudly along the boardwalk and show off their surfing prowess on the waves and ... read more