East Coast Australia

You know what, this time I'm not even going to apologise for taking so long to update you all with our most recent happenings as we've all been having too much fun to care, and as for the rest of you, I doubt you care any more than we do!

Since leaving our loved ones in a pool of tears back in Belfast International Airport, Rory and I have spent one long, cold, lonely night apart. Now that we are in the more pleasant Aussie climate, and with different ideas of how to waste as much money as possible over in OZ, we parted company in Brisbane knowing that we would find each other again in Sydney atleast, if for no other reason than we had the same plane to catch. For this reason, you lot are in for a special treat, with the chance of reading not one, but two accounts of our time here in the land of the BBQ's, beer and beaches!

So Ryan to go first. New Zealand was always the country I desperately wanted to see, what with all the mountains, rugby and sheep, how could I resist! As for Australia, it's just a big desert filled with people with silly accents. I never was particularly keen to visit it and only because it was on the way to NZ and we had a couple of free stop overs on our plane tickets, did it become a destination on our itinerary. It was dear old Aaron Bolt of STA Travel, who first got me interested in the place, promising desert islands, sailing, Grand Prix and the usual host of Swedish travellers. Two of the attractions he talked about were the Whitsunday Islands and Fraser Island both north of Brisbane. It was this lure that separated us in Brisbane as I headed north into Queensland and Rory travelled south with Matthew to Byron Bay, New South Wales.

A cheap flight landed me in Prosperine, along the Whitsunday Coast at a small airfield whose customers enjoy an outdoor waiting room and a baggage reclaim off the back of a tractor. What on earth was this place? It turned out to be simply one of the most beautiful and relaxed locations along the east coast of Australia and home to 47 beach lined islands that fringe the Great Barrier reef. After a night out with a few friends that I had met in Melbourne over 2 months ago, I boarded the Silent Night II and got settled in to life sailing the seven seas. There were 12 scurvy sea-dogs on board and we toiled hard on Whitehaven Beach (tipped as one of the best in the world), dived for our dinner in 24 degree, crystal clear, tropical water and inspected the deck closely for hours on end under the tan-inducing sun. It was tough......getting off but I knew Hervey Bay and Fraser Island beyond were in desperate need of my presence.

The weather had beaten Fraser into abandonment the weekend before my arrival, so slightly nervously I packed my bags up early in the morning and prayed for a driver more responsible than myself to take the reigns of our 4x4 for the next 3 days. God definitely does answer prayers, and blessed us with a white van driver from London, who could lap Silverstone in a trolley under 2 minutes! Steve was a legend and guided our beast through tangled forests, along cyclone beaten beaches and over huge sand-dunes. He may have mangled a tyre in the process, but honestly, I probably wouldn't have got it off the ferry safely. Long strolls along empty beaches lead us to the Champagne pools. These were beautiful rock pools that were safe to swim in unlike the shark, sting ray and jelly-fish infested coastal waters that make up one of the most dangerous seas in the world! BBQ feasts, Lake McKenzie gymnastics and beach parties were other highlights that have made Fraser Island have a lasting impression on me and a huge recommendation for any would be traveller.

Bumping into my Melbourne friends, Luke and Kellie again, we agreed to meet up again down in the relaxed town of Noosa. A very up and coming place with money flowing from it's appartment-lined canals and rivers, it reminded me of Holywood only with better weather and a nudist beach. Accidentally stumbled on while with a new french friend, it was just a tad awkward, but, when in Rome......nah just messing but don't tempt me when I'm next back on Helensbay beach! Noosa was also the base for a day trip to Australia Zoo, or more commonly known as "Crikey, it's the shrine to Steve Irwin". Choreographed and staged attractions such as the crocoseum was good stuff, but come on, Koalas are just so cute and cuddly. I could have one as a hot water bottle at home if they weren't so smelly. It took another day or 2 lounging about in Noosa, either on the beaches or trying to kayak with Luke and Kellie before I finally roused from my Koala like trance and headed south back into Brisbane.

Thankfully there was no sign of any magician who required my skilled assistance this time round, and I was simply able to enjoy city life, whether it was chilling out in the park, people watching over a mochaccino or partying all night long with the countless other Irish backpackers that currently called home, "Brissie".

Unfortunately, I only had time for one night in Brissie as I had little over a week to get down to Sydney before my flight took off without me. Countless travellers had warned me not to waste time going anywhere else except for the heaven on earth that is Byron Bay. God definitely did bless this town, with beautiful surf pounded beaches, countless brilliant backpacker hostels and the awesome spectacle of a Whale highway only a few hundred metres off the shore. Unfortunately though, He forgot to keep this place a secret from the Germans, and most of the 1.5 MILLION German tourists in Australia at the minute, seem to be stuck in Byron. This is not a lesson to Bush on foreign relations building, but they were a good bunch and we had a lot of fun together, partying in Cheeky Monkeys and surfing all of the daylight hours. Like me, one may ask how safe it is to surf and swim in the coast of the most vemonous country on the planet? Well apparantly it's OK so long as you're smart but a few dolphins playing in the waves where I was surfing did give me a scare!

It really was very difficult to drag myself away but I had a rugby game to attend in Sydney and there is no force on earth that could stop me from being there, unless it involves ice-cream in some way, perhaps. Let us discuss though for a jiffy. We could cross NI in maybe 2 hours, or 90 minutes so long as we don't drive like my sister. That would take us through countless towns and past many, many world-class sights. That would also HAVE BEEN, a long drive in my books, before that is, I came to Australia. I spent nearly 13 hours on a coach getting to Sydney, and that was only half the length of the state. Whereas at home we could drive north to south in maybe 5 hours, my friend in Sydney here informs me it would take 5 very good DAYS of solid driving to cross the whole country! This place is HUGE! Anyway a few hours rest after bad sleep on the bus (I am no longer the man I was, and sleep is not the natural gift I use to enjoy) before I toodled across to the world famous Bondi Beach. Nice enough but nothing on Portrush strand. It was then time to get a move on to the Sydney Football Stadium where the Sydney Roosters were to beat the Penrith Panthers black and blue in possibly the best sport the world has ever seen, Rugby League. The players in the NRL make our "finely tuned athletes" back home in the Magners League, look like nancy school girls and make me scream in horror at the mere thought of ever stepping out onto a pitch against them. One day though, I'll be there handing out burgers or something,but I'll be back. Weight gain is improving thankfully, so the target of 100kg is looking more promising so long as mother continues to feed me my current diet of cow and tatties. This is also perfect mountain food, .which is a good thing as the next day I was trooping around the Blue Mountains National Park. That's another World Heritage sight ticked off my list. Similar to the Grand Canyon but with possibly even more Asian tourists, it was another one of those places with sights that make you pinch yourself as you realise where you are again! The three sisters were almost as beautiful as Rory's four sisters at home and the towering cliffs and massive trees really made me feel so insignificant. Back at base though I was made to feel big again with not only the arrival of Rory and Matthew, but also another very small friend, Rachel Woods from Holywood. Crazy how we just happen to be in the same hostel, in the same city, in the same country at the same time.

Sydney has continued to entertain us, most notably the Sydney opera House on the banks of the Harbour. We were lucky enough to enjoy a concert in the main hall for little over 10 pounds and even the pesky security, telling me off for taking photos couldn't take away from the experience. Although none of us are particularly enthralled by a string ensemble, try telling us a better way to appreciate one of the worlds truly great, internationally recognisable buildings. Sydney really is beautiful and the Harbour Bridge dominates most tourists photos, including our own.

Tomorrow though we once again pick up our bags and head off for Beijing, China. I think it's safe to say we're all a little excited but unless I want you to smell me all the way back in NI, I better go and pack my bags so I have clothes and things with which to keep myself hygienically respectable.

In the mean time keep yourselves clean, take advantage of all that hot running water and enjoy the great Irish summer.

xox