Beached out

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Louise's Section

Yay, it's me that gets to write first again and I have had some beer and now onto the vino so sorry if this makes no sense.

We have now made it to Coolangatta (South Gold Coast). It's hot and there are beaches everywhere. I am continuously strolling along beaches and collecting shells and stones like a small child ready to make a nice bathroom decoration on my arrival home. Even Chris has started taking part and enjoying finding 'the special shell'.

As much as I am liking the Gold Coast since arriving this morning I am not so impressed with the huge amount of mahusive cockroaches in the amenities block near our van. I think someone has tried to kill them as there are loads of dead ones but ewwwwww!!! Needless to stay I walking that bit further to the other block!

Since the last blog we have been in Coffs Harbour (with a fab internet connection, so the latest Criminal Minds and Inbetweeners have been acquired). We had a rocking night out there at a local battle of the bands. On arrival a man collapsed from drink and the paramedics were called (note to self: get someone to drive you to a hospital, arrival time = 20 mins!!, good job he was ok). We then went to watch the bands in the back of this bar and I swear we were possibly the oldest there or at least in a group of about 10% over 25!!!. The bands ranged from heavy rock to thrash metal and one that Chris loved but I was far too drunk to listen and they're whole set was a blur. I nearly got chatted up by a lovely drunk teenager. As he sat down and got the words out 'good evening, are you having a good time?' Chris reappeared with a new schooner (smaller pint to those at home) and the small boy shriveled up and died. Chris's response 'Ello mate' then at me being chuffed for appealing to a teenager as fit was 'well he was wasted'! Charming. I can't remember getting home that night after about 5 schooners and therefore Maccy D's called to us the next morning.

We finally left Coffs after getting all our downloads done, visited the big banana (not that big!!) and headed off to **will insert name when we can remember*** (this is starting to happen a lot). I made some lovely duck friends which drove Chris mental.

We headed somewhere after that but we can't remember that either. I should mention that somewhere about two weeks ago we bought two 4 litre cartons of wine and mine is still going...just (Chris drank his...pisshead). This wine intake has lead to some amnesia. We know that we have been in Broken Head near Byron Bay this past two days but that's about it. Byron is lovely but bloody expensive and so full of hippies. Just trying to get to Dominos meant we had to drive behind two bikes tied together carrying a ropehead hippy banging her big bongo!!. We also saw very old hippes really snogging at the traffic lights, ewwww!!!

So, rest of the blog now for Chris to write if he can remember anything after his red wine binge!!!


Chris's Section

I could go on about all the different towns we've been to, but most of them merge into one memory-wise. They do look the same once you're on the coast. I wouldn't say we're bored, but there isn't a great deal to do - that doesn't involve a load of cash at least. We chill out in the sun reading a book, then go for a stroll down the beach (not in the sea - too bloody cold and full of deadly shit), maybe visit a local sight, or go to the supermarket, then we cook on the bbq (which is just a hot plate, but they call them bbq's here). Rinse and repeat. Now, if you're sat in the office while reading this, glancing out of the window at the drizzle and grey skies, I'll understand it if you think I'm a spoiled cock. Fair enough, but it's amazing how quickly you get used to things and stop appreciating them. I'm sure, once I'm back, there will be many a time when I dream about being here instead.

I think what I'm trying to say here is we probably should have allocated less time to Oz. Many people tried to tell us, but we didn't listen. Don't get me wrong, it's an amazing place, but 10 weeks is a long time in a campervan. Thinking about the whole trip, we've already reduced trip down by a couple of months, but even 10 months is such a long time to be away. We've been away 6 months now, but it feels like at least a year. Our first stop, China, feels like it happened years ago. So much has happened since then. If I were planning this trip again, I would visit far more places (Nepal, Indonesia & the Philippines are ones I really want to go to) and spend less time in each place. I think we spent too long in Northern Thailand, Laos and parts of Malaysia. We loved all those places, we just spent too long in some parts. You live and learn.

Lou was attacked by a tick. Fuckin' parasite! She ran out of the shower with a look of panic across her face. On her thigh was a little tick, about 3-4mm long. It was happily feeding away and pretty much embedded. We did a spot of googling and it seems they're resilient little fuckers that are very tricky to remove. The best method seems to be fire of some kind. Lou didn't seem too keen on me putting fire near her. Strange huh? We then tried covering it in vaseline, but with no luck. I think it just made the tick feel sexy. The next method was to grip the tick tightly and twist anti-clockwise while pulling. It seems they screw in their mouth-parts in a clockwise direction. This worked, but it still took a massive tug to remove. Another bug to add to my murder list.

Random thoughts - Aussies don't indicate correctly when driving. Ok, a bit of a sweeping generalisation, but it drives me mad. On roundabouts they either don't indicate at all, or they indicate to go right when they're actually going left. I think it's just how they do it here, but it makes no fucking sense at all. It often gives me a bit of road rage - I go a bit Alan on them (my dad by the way - Road-rager of the year 2010). As I've said before, no one speeds here. Two main reasons for this - the penalties for speeding are extreme and the roads are a disgrace (think pot holes in the middle of the motorway). That doesn't stop people tailgating you for 20 miles. They then overtake on a corner and go at exactly the same speed as you, but now just in front. Makes no sense to me. I purposely speed up slightly when they go to overtake. I force them to speed. They hate that.

A strange blog from me I accept. But I doubt anyone's reading this anymore. 😊

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Photos

Big Banana
I've seen bigger

A whale
I know it's a crap shot, but at least I got one.

Lou on the beach
Another crowded beach

What's wrong with this image?
Going to be a weird Xmas

Comments

[annaa hodgekiss]

we are still reading and loving all the stories! hope you get a nice change of scenery soon xx

[MichaelnFaye]

:-D
You sound like you're in a bit of a funk dude.... I was exactly the same when we first got on the road in Oz for about 3-4 weeks... Combination of sleeping badly, (our mattress in our van was seriously crap), eating rubbish, usually out of a tin (we used to talk endlessly about what we were going to eat when we got home) and long stretches of samey nothing while driving for hours... It got better though and we really got in the swing of things. Wait till you get to north QLD, seriously beautiful up there mate... Travel safe peeps! Mike.

[Gill]

I'm Reading it
Hiya. I'm reading it! and thoroughly enjoying it. Gill x

[dad]

road rage
Don't indicate Smack the bastards ! , when tailgated just slow down to about 10mph then when they go to overtake just keep pace with um , they'll shite themselves when they see a wagon coming in the opposite direction !! travel can be fun eh!! love Dad xx

[robert davies]

im still tryin to get mats phone number he says he was goin to send me a message but he hasnt got in touch yet

[Mark J]

Hello mate, still enjoying your blog. We had the same thing when we travelled for 9 weeks around Oz. We did 4 weeks in NZ straight after though and loved it, wished we'd done it the other way around. Christmas is a weird one there, just tuck into all the lovely food and forget about roast turkey. Mark