Road Trip!

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Last week I went on a road trip with Anna and James, friends from UCL. I feel like the naughty little kid and they're my parents! I'm in the back seat with the map - just to see where we're going - and loving it! We left Sydney last monday afternoon, had to go into see my consultant, to tell him I was leaving for a week, and he practically pushed me out the hospital and said 'hurry up out the city or the traffic will be bad, and I dont expect to see you until at least wednesday! he ROCKS!!

So we drove up to a place called Port Stephens on monday, intending just to stop there for the night on the way up to Byron Bay, but the next day was so warm we decided to stay there for the day and an extra night. On Tuesday morning we trekked up some HUGE sand dunes and went sandboarding, started by sitting down - being scaredy cats - then ended up standing! we're pretty damn good, although we had to go shower after
as the sand was so fine it got in every orrifice! We could only do that for a short time because it was SO hot, about 32*C? so we went to cool down in the sea and catch some rays. You will not believe this but I'm actually wearing sun cream, and it's factor 30+! Anna and James managed to miss random spots on themselves, so they're burnt in the wierdest of places, and my shoulders were a bit pink. It was a bit cloudy the next day so we gave the beach a miss Wednesday and headed on up the coast.

We stopped in Port Maquarie on the way to see a koala hospital - had a real hospital board with all the diagnosis and treatment, cute! The koalas had been caught in bushfires or run over by cars so were all pretty ill, which was sad. One little fella had been there nearly all her life, she's called Cloud (See the photo, soooo cute!). But some of them were little orphans who were being reintroduced into the wild, got a cut photo of one who had just been brought in to be dehumanised. Wednedsay night we stayed in a place called Bellingen, which is pretty hippified and chilled out. At dusk about 15000 flying foxes (MASSIVE bats) take to the sky to find fruit, and they all fly over towards the hostel. It was an awesome sight, if a little scary! That night was spent chilling out, with James beating me at pool so many times it became quite embarrasing!

So, Thursday we left Bellingen on our Way to Byron (we do get there eventually, i promise!) Again we decided to take a detour, it's a long way for James to drive and there are so many things to see on the way, one of which being Dorrigo national park. It's a beautiful rainforest inland that we decided to check out. It had poured down with rain the night before so as we steped into the rainforest that's exactly what it felt like. It was quite early and a bit cloudy, and with all the rain it felt really spooky, but smelled awesome. We took the 'short' walk around the reserve and saw really cool plants and birds, but the best thing was this huge lizzard type thing. We had just stopped for a rest when suddenly james spotted it. As we were taking photos it was quite still...then suddenly it ran into a log and Anna and I jumped a mile!!(James thought this was highly amusing - it wasn't, we could have been eaten!) There were also two beautiful waterfalls in the rainforest, with one you could walk under. On the way back to the car I got stung by a dead stinging leaf - it REALLY hurt! When we got back to the reserve I found out that it can sting for a few months everytime you get it wet. (it still hurts by the way!)

Back on the road and I HAVE to mention this - we saw a big banana! Australia have numerous 'big things' that attract tourists from all over, and the banana was our first sighting on one! James was reluctant to stop, but it was worth the photo. It's basically a banana plantation that decided, in order to get more tourists in, it would erect a huge banana out the front! Awesome idea I say! Then... a bit further up the road we saw a big shrimp! imagine that!! you can actulally get maps on with all the 'big things' in australia on it - imagine my joy when I found out there was a big avocado only 15mins up the coast from Byron!! However, James put his foof down on that idea.

So EVENTUALLY we made it to Byron Bay - home to sun, surf...and schoolies! These are 16-18yr olds who have just finished school, and byron was full of them!! Luckily they had loads of stuff organised for them but it meant we got ID'd EVERYWHERE! ended up with so many 'checked' stamps on my arm I looked like the side of an undergroung train! But saying that, it was good fun and no underaged kids were in the bars. (how old to I sound?! Bah, Humbug!)

The first night in Byron Bay Anna and I went out with a few of the people in our hostel to one of the clubs Jen had told us about - Cocomangas, not really James' thing!- and had a boogie! The next day, however, James was up for us all having a surf lesson! At least it wasn't until 1 so had a bit of time in the glorious sunshine to catch a few rays. The wind had picked up by 1 (not good for surf apparently) and the lesson was SOOOO much hard work! But after getting slammed I-dont-know how many times, I eventually managed to stand up! Although I still have the briuses, how totallt knarly do I look on that board, dude!!! May have to have another go back in Sydney! Halfway through our lesson we thought we spotted a look-a-like of a guy from uni (we've found a few along the way!) but no...it was actually Dom! He had spent the morning surfing with the same group and was back for more. We then spent the next few days with Dom, as the weather became so windy surfing, snorklling and sea kyacking were out of the question. As was sunbathing. Although it was really sunny and factor 30+ was needed, it was so windy that within half an hour every inch of Anna's skin was covered in sand! So, we did the next best thing, and spent the afternoon on saturday in the pub terrace watching the cricket! That evening the four of us went out for dinner and had THE most amazing desert in the world - white chocolate cheesecake with mango puree and passion fruit sauce...I'm salivating just thinking about it! We were then going to go to a bar, but we found an awesome band playing on the street so stopped there and listened to then with our trusty box of wine! (about 5pounds for 5 litres!!)

The next moring I was determined to see the sun rise over cape byron, so I woke up at about 5am and jogged up to the lighthouse. The view was cool, but not as awesome as I'd seen on some pictures as the cloud was coming in and the sun was out for all of 2 mins! But at least I ran off the previous nights wine and got to see the lighthouse. On our last morning in Byron, last sunday, we ventured to a cool moarkey to find some souveneirs and James bout a cool CD of Jack Johnson style music but with a diggeridoo too! The guy was in the market, playing a guitar, harmonica, 'doo, tambourine (with his foot) and wood block (with his other foot) all at the same time! Very cool. and finally we had something else to listen too besides local radio and spandau ballet! (long story!)

Sunday's weather was awful and that evening we stayed at Port Maquarie to get some well earned rest. We woke up early on monday to go and see the Koalas in the hospital again. They get fed and changed at 8am, so we saw loads of them - and I took hundreds of photos!! I want one! We then headed down to Newcastle to try to meet up with some other friends from uni. This didn't happen in the end, but we got to sit on the beach here, and james and I beachcombed and found a dead crab, a baby dead flat fish and another dead fish!! nice place!

Now back in Sydney and back to work - although the weather is so good now, may be back down the beach after work!! Sxxx

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Photos

Sandboarding
It doesnt look like a huge dune...but trust me, it was!!

Cloud
how cute!!

Byron Bay
James, Anna and Dom having a boogie on the street!

More koalas!
They're being formula fed with extra nutirents

Comments

[me]

s you are lookin mighty fine.lokks and sounds like you are having the time of your life.guess you wont be thinkin of your old frends at reflex!dont blame you work just gets harder and harder.Anyways sorry this is the first msg ive put in but havent really stopped since you left. lots of love mexx