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Published: March 5th 2006
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The Opera House
Can I have an ice cream please?
G'day from the sun drenched, golden beached happy go lucky whale of a nation that is Oz...and it is huge (and boy do they drink beer here! Just google a Darwin Stubby and you'll see what I mean). So where does one start with such a place...well we started in Sydney which Mel and I both found a little anticlimactic (no sniggering from the back of the class please). Yes there is the Opera House, the Harbour Bridge and the Botanical Gardens but then it became very similar to London and as we found out there is so much more to discover elswhere in Australia.
From Sydney we flew up to Brisbane and checked out some of the Coast to the South of the city. Byron Bay was ok and Surfers Paradise was great fun! We met a cool Liverpudlian couple, Paul and Emma, with a similar taste for adventure (Emma was as crazy as Mel and wanted to do some bungy swing thing and Paul and I didn't, but were forced into it, but we are still alive so that's nice). After Surfers it was on to Fraser Island which is like a collection of sand dunes encircling some
Sydney Aquarium
Ben gives a Manataray a tummy tickle of the most beautiful lakes you are likely to see. We opted for a self drive group excursion, which basically means you go with 9 other people in a 4wd, and any nutter with a license within that group can drive it. Luckily the entire group was cool although driving wise there were a couple of nutters, and we did manage to overheat the engine at one point and had to leave the car to "relax" for a few hours while we had lunch. This was nothing compared to another group who actually overturned their vehicle! Luckily no one was hurt. A special mention goes to Mel for driving very safely on her shift...well done Mel!
Next was a Sail round the Whitsunday Islands which really was one of the highlights. 24 People on a racing yaught for 3 nights...throw in alcohol, music, hot sunny weather and crazy dive instructors with unusual drinking games on a boat named "Spank Me", and you might get some idea of the kind of mayhem that ensued! On the scenery front it was breathtaking. Whitehaven beach has to be one of the most picturesque that we have seen and snorkelling around the outer
Bridge and Opera House
Yeah Ben, cool, really cool! reef was excellent. Lucky Mel had 3 dives including a night dive which turned out to be quite scary! She almost got stuck in some underwater cave while an unfortunate member of her group who decided to follow her into the cave, actually got stung by something on the way through. The two other members of the group decided not to follow her into the cave...they went over the cave! Better idea I think on a nightdive TO GO OVER THE CAVE! Next was a long bus ride upto Mission Beach where we had a fantastic day of white water rafting on the Tully river. This was definitely harder and wetter than what we experienced in Queenstown particularly as our guide kept smashing us into boulders and making us go backwards down mini water falls.
Then another bus ride upto Cairns where we took a day trip to the Barrier Reef. This was a different part of the reef to the one we had done before, and turned out to be even better. We actually saw 6 sharks swimming together, a turtle and a Clown Anemonefish (Nemo from the film "Finding Nemo" for all you non marine biologists) and
Finding Nemo
This fish is about as small as your thumb that was just snorkelling. Mel also went on a dive which the boat filmed and because Mel was the star we bought the DVD. So all you lucky friends are going to be able to re live the experience...all 3 hours and 45 mins (only kidding 15mins tops and its cool I promise).
Finally no whirlwind trip to Oz is complete without seeing Ayres Rock and this is no exception. We took a flight to Alice Springs which is H O T (42 in the shade) and booked a 2 night treck in the outback culminating with the rock. We slept under the stars in Swag Bags. These are like sleeping bags that oxfam rejected but waterproof. Our guide was totally and utterly MAD but loveable never the less although his choice in music was a real chore (European Handbag House Music and something sung by a German toddler??). The night time entertainment consisted of an old partygame that I had observed many years ago where each person tries to pick up an ever diminishing object (in this case a cardboard box) with their mouth and with only their feet permitted to touch the ground. I sensibly bowed out
Mel's Dive
Intrepid Mel diving in the reef in round 2 with my masculine vocal chords still intact, while Mel progressed almost effortlessly to the finals. Ultimately, however, the game was decided between the guide (surprise surprise), a German girl and a Swiss girl. The German girl won (she was an ex gymnast - I'll say no more). When we finally got to see the rock it was raining (one of the 5 days of rain the place sees each year). However this proved to be a real blessing as it created a rainbow over the rock, something extremely rare and very beautiful. We hope the pictures will do it justice.
In summary Australia was a blast. 5 weeks is nowhere near enough but we had a good taste! Next port is Bali for some well deserved pampering but before signing off we just wanted to wish Liesbeth and Peter the best of luck with the baby, and Lars and Juliane all the best with the wedding...we are sooo sorry we are going to miss both events but are definitely thinking of you!
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