G’day long time no blog!! Well basically I have been having such an exciting time that I haven’t had much time to blog (and our internet access has been none existent in some places)

I have got completely confused about which places we have told you about especially as Chrissy boy has written about some adventures as well. So for the purpose of those who have not read previous blogs (and to help me get my head together I don’t know where we are half the time with all the travelling!!) I will start with a brief recap.

After Cairns and Mission Beach we headed to Townsville and Magnetic Island. Here we basically chilled out and enjoyed the beautiful weather (there really is no such thing as winter around here!). I will now move onto our next stop as I know that Chris has written about these places and I don’t want to bore people going over the same things!!

Our next stop was Airlie Beach a lively little place full of back packers and holiday makers up for a good time. We could not get into the YHA hostel as it was booked up so we decided to brave it by stopping in an independent hostel called ‘Magnums’. So far we had been extremely lucky with our choice of accommodation opting to stay in hostels, as well as motels.

Well Magnums was an extremely dodgy choice! The room was about the size of a garden shed with the décor to match! It was wall to wall wood panelling (when I awoke in the morning I thought I was in a giant coffin!).

I’m always up for a laugh but I also value my sleep! So I was disappointed to find that the place was full of imbeciles mainly from Ireland who insisted on shouting and screaming sporadically throughout the evening!! Somehow we both managed to get a decent nights sleep but couldn’t wait to check out of the place the next morning!!

Anyway we were both extremely excited when it was time to board our maxi yacht ‘Anaconda 3’ to commence our three day three night cruise of the Whitsundays.

We were a little apprehensive about the other people that we would be spending the next three days with. However they turned out to be a great bunch of people including Italians, Dutch, French, German, Irish, Australians, Canadians and of course us poms. It can’t be very often that you get all those nationalities together on the same boat!

Anyway we set sail and anchored over night at a place called Hook Island Passage. The next morning we were awoke at around 7am by the breakfast bell (usually a heavy and long sleeper I jumped out of bed when I knew it was time to fill my belly).

After brekkie we headed to Whitehaven Beach where we had the opportunity to try some scuba diving skills in the sea. Now after my traumatic scuba dive last year in Cairns ( those of you who have seen the DVD will know what I mean!) I vowed that I would never so much as put my head under the water again! But being a Bailey (whoops a Wheldon) I didn’t want to miss out so I donned the equipment that made me look like something from outer space and completed the skills. These included how to clear your mask if it starts to fill with water and how to recover your regulator ( mouth piece) if another diver knocks or kicks it out of your mouth- oh great I thought do these things really happen!!

Anyway against my better judgement I decided to go on to do another scuba dive, well it only cost $55 (around £25) so it was a bargain! So we sailed to Luncheon Bay where we both snorkelled and did the dive. I actually felt a lot calmer this time and did not have to hold the instructors hand although I made sure I swam as close as possible to him as I could! His name was Spartacus ( real name Andrew ) and kept saying ‘too easy’ when you responded to a question e.g. “Ok guys is everybody alright and ready to dive?” To which we would reply “Yes” and he would say in an aussie twang “Too easy!” (the aussies in Queensland are definitely more like the stereotypical ones we think of- drinking XXXX and been a little chauvinist).


The dive was excellent the amount of different fish and coral that you see is amazing! I did scare Chris half to death though. Towards the end of the dive when we were nearing the surface my mask started to steam up (must have been my moon face!). I wasn’t sure what to do and I didn’t want to lose sight of Spartacus so I decided to come up slowly to the surface (before you panic mom we were very close so no chance of getting the bends). However poor Chrissy had been in front of me and all he saw was Cameron (a Canadian guy) tug on Spart and point to where I had been. Chrissy turned and couldn’t see me and thought I’d got lost or been eaten by jaws. Meanwhile I was bobbing in the water asking the Irish lads in the dive boat if they had another mask- poor Chrissy, even Spart seemed glad to see me when he surfaced seconds later.


The next day we made an early start out to the Great Barrier Reef. However they didn’t warn us that it was going to be a very choppy ride!! I don’t usually suffer from seasickness but this journey was like no other that I had experienced. It was definitely worse down in the cabins, so on the advice of the crew we set up on deck and I stared out to the horizon (apparently this calms sickness and it did seem to do the trick). One poor French girl was really suffering and went a ghastly shade of green!

The journey out to the reef turned out to be well worth it as the two different snorkelling sites were fantastic- it’s like another world under there! Some of the fish swim so close to you and they are an array of beautiful colours; we even saw a large sea turtle swimming along!

After Bait reef we headed to Blue Pearl Bay where we caught the most magnificent sunset. The next day we continued to snorkel and sunbathe and of course eat and eat. The chef on board was a young Irish lad and he kept us all well fed making homemade meals including cottage pie- it reminded us of home!

Chrissy is going to tell you about our time in Hervey Bay and our trip to Fraser Island- the largest sand island in the world according to the locals! At this moment in time, I am sitting in our amazing apartment in Noosa (that we are renting for the week), having just spent the day sun baking (aussie term) and jumping in the huge waves- this really is the life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Bye for now

Donno (everyone in Oz has to have an O on the end of their name!)

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PS: I hope you like the photos.

Here are some examples of the wildlife in Queensland: 1) A large cricket thing

  

2) Crocodiles- this sign was next to Airlie beach needless to say we didn't go for a dip!

  

3) Beautiful Lorikeet birdies

  

4) The Queensland Man- we spotted several of these strange creatures on Fraser Island!!!!

  

The scuba divers!!

  

This is the life!

  

Eye eye captain- Chrissy with Spartacus and Lee (our crew) in the background

  

Our sailing posse!

  

Donnie doodle the explorer!

  

Backpacking Chrissy boy!

  

The rainforest walk (mission beach)

  

Winter- Queensland style!!!!

  

This is the life!!!!

  

Mission Beach

  

Tuesday 8th August and Wednesday 9th August

We left Cairns to embark on our greyhound bus journey down the east coast. The first bus ride was to take us to Mission beach our first port of call.

The journey took around two hours and was a pleasant trip through little towns including Babinda and Innisfail. This area of Queensland is mainly agricultural with the main crops been sugar cane and bananas. It was nice to see that these places are getting back on their feet after the devastating effect of cyclone Larry in March.

We got off the bus and using our trusty Lonely Planet guide headed off to find our motel. It didn’t take us long to realise that the bus stop was not actually in mission beach but in wongaling. Never mind we thought it didn’t look far on the lonely planet map, so we decided to walk along wongaling beach, which then becomes mission beach. Well to cut a long story short it took us an hour and a half to walk in the heat, with backpacks along the beach and through a shallow creek! When we arrived we must have looked like a couple of nutters with bright red faces!

Our motel was called the rainforest motel and was set in among rainforest (surprise, surprise). Mission beach is a quiet and relaxing place with a great beach. We basically spent our time here sun baking (as the aussies call it), reading, eating and drinking winey.

Luckily the lady at the motel was extremely kind and gave us a free lift to the bus stop. As we drove there we were both astonished at the distance that we had walked- approximately six kilometres ( who needs the gym when you are a back packer!!)

Monday 7th August

It was a beautiful day in Cairns today, which was a welcome change for us, after all the rain in Sydney! We wandered around Cairns and reminisced about our time here last year. We walked past the expensive restaurants where we dined on seafood platters, kangaroo, crocodile and emu pate! None of that for us this time round- not on a back packers budget (I could hear Skippy breathe a sigh of relief!!!)

Back at the hostel we prepared a very healthy breakfast which consisted of fresh strawberries, melon and grapes with yoghurt before heading down to the esplanade to read our books in the glorious sunshine.

Later on we treated ourselves to a late lunch, Chrissy had fish and chips, whilst I enjoyed a seafood risotto which included among other things- whole baby octopus. I don’t know what it is about Cairns but I always end up eating things I wouldn’t dream of having back home!!!

Sunday 6th August

We checked out of the hostel in Sydney and lazed around in the lounge area playing cards and generally chilling out. We caught the airporter bus to the airport and encountered our first delay on a Virgin Blue flight (which is pretty good considering the number of internal flights we have taken with them). It was only delayed by half an hour so it wasn’t too bad really.

The flight from Sydney to Cairns took around three hours and was pretty relaxing. The only thing that bugged me was the behaviour of a group of Chinese business men, indeed our opinion of this race has gone dramatically down hill since our time in Australia. Not only did they board the plane the wrong way (they were seated near the front so should have boarded via the front steps) but they then proceeded to barge past everybody including a women holding a baby without as much as an excuse me - bloody rude I say!

We arrived in Cairns around ten pm and caught a cab to the Cairns Central YHA hostel. We were both relieved to find that it was clean, tidy and quiet (I expected an all night rave to be going on). I must be getting old as I was glad to go to sleep in a quiet room with no head banging music (as dad would say).

Saturday 5th August

We had to take our suitcases to the storage place today rain or no rain! Luckily we chose to go in the morning when it wasn’t raining. About ten minutes after we dropped them off the heavens opened!

It started to brighten up later so we decided to go to Circular Quay to take another look at the Opera House and Bridge- yep the place still looks good a year on. It’s funny to think that we were here almost a year ago today!

Next we went to the rocks with is a great area with lots of old pubs and the market was on so that was fun to browse through. Momma and Deb will definitely like the market- lots of souvenirs to tempt you! Dadda can sit in a pub with Chrissy whilst the girls have a little shopping time!!

On the evening we went to an excellent bar called the side bar. It was full of back packer types mainly English and Irish! We were given tickets from our hostel to ‘buy one drink get one free’ so of course we took advantage of this. Five beers each and a jug of cocktail later we staggered back to our room! Off to Cairns tomorrow, things are going so well it makes the work part in Melly seems all the more worth it!

Bye for now
Donnie

Friday 4th August

It rained virtually all day today from the moment we got up until the time we went to bed!! We only actually ventured out in the afternoon to buy our backpacks- we decided against the ‘Harold and Hilda’ matching ones!!

In true British style during a wet evening we drank beer and played cards in our cosy little hostel room!

Tasting an Tassie oyster

  

Down it goes!

  

I am not to sure about this!

  

This is the life!!

  

Peppermint Bay cruise

  

Historic Richmond

  

A place called Clarence

  

Hubby in Hobart

  

All about Tassie

Hello I thought I would write my latest blog to tell you about our time in Hobart…..

Saturday 29th July

We waved a teary good bye to little old Melly and flew south to Tasmania. The flight took about an hour and was really uneventful. We passed over a lot of water and nothingness. We were given a traditional welcome when we arrived in Hobart i.e. it was bucketing down. Well we did imagine it to look like Scotland!

The airport was tiny and you had to collect your own luggage direct from the luggage cart (this was strange but actually made it a lot quicker with no waiting for the conveyor belt to start!).

On arrival at the hostel we were very pleased with our room. We had a fridge, kettle and coffee and tea! (Those of you who have stopped in hostels will know that this is a rare treat!). The room was clean and tidy and looked more like the accommodation you would find in a three star hotel rather that a hostel- what a result!

The rain decided to stop so we ventured out to explore the city centre. We walked along by the waterfront and breathed in the fresh air (apparently Hobart has the cleanest air in the world!). The harbour area was very pretty with lots of boats and sea food restaurants serving sea food direct from the Tasman Sea. We explored Salamanca Place which has pubs and more eating places. We went into Knopwood’s pub to sample the local beer which is called Boags- it went down very well indeed. Then we succumbed to temptation and headed to Mures to sample the local sea food. We had a fisherman’s basket which included prawns, calamari and some of the freshest fish I have ever tasted!! What a good way to end our first day in Hobart.

Sunday 30th July

Not much to report for this day as we decided to have a chilled out one researching trips to go to in Hobart. We did however dive head first into the hostel life style and managed to prepare lunch and tea in the communal kitchen. It’s not so bad if you can cope with doing niceties with other travellers!

It’s quite surprising that many of them are actually middle aged couples or old loners! There was one old bloke that got on our nerves because he used the kitchen as a place to sit and talk all day to any poor unsuspecting person who sat next to him. Even as I write this we have left one poor Chinese kid having to listen to him droning on!! Needless to say he quickly realised that the Wheldons were having none of it!!! Anyway onto Monday……





Monday 31st July

We had an excellent day today visiting Port Arthur and other sights along the way. Again we opted to use a local tour company which was a good move as the guide was a great laugh. He actually knew we were brummies (most Aussies haven’t heard of old Brum) and was also interested in football so chatted to Chris about the Blues. Our fellow passengers included a local women, a yank and a girl from Stourbridge! (It’s a small world!)

The trip was good fun. We saw the old zoo where the last Tasmanian tiger in captivity died (they haven’t sighted one in the wild for years and it is thought to be extinct).

We went to a place called Clarence and heard about the terrible boat disaster in 1975 in which a boat hit the Tasman bridge causing part of it to collapse. Unfortunately cars were still travelling along the bridge and some cars plunged into the water killing their occupants!

Next we headed to Risdon Cove which was the original place for Hobart. The first white settlers lived here for a while before moving to the more favourable location where Hobart is situated today. It’s also the unfortunate place where the white settlers killed loads of aboriginals. These guys had lived in isolation for around 12,000 years doing no harm to anyone. The white settlers murdered so many of them that very quickly there were only 300 left. These lucky few fled to Flinders Island to escape death!

We went through a beautiful place called Eagle hawk Neck this is the only place that leads to the Port Arthur site making it a good place to keep convicts as they had very little chance to escape!! Port Arthur itself was a very interesting place and we learnt a lot about the terrible lives the convicts led (there were no free holidays for them!)

The best place was the isolation part of the prison. This was where the worst offenders were kept. They were housed in individual cells and were not allowed to speak for days or months on end!! I wouldn’t have lasted five minutes!! The only time that they were allowed to speak was when they were sent to the chapel to sing hymns- poor buggers!! Chris would have loved this!!!

The Port Arthur site is also the place where a terrible thing happened in 1996 or 97. A local kid came to the place and basically killed lots of people by shooting them which his gun. We are told not to ask the staff anything about this as many of them were there on the day. Our guide was very surprised that we hadn’t heard of it- it was called the ‘Port Arthur Massacre.’ It happened at around the same time as Dunblane and some people think it was a copy cat killer who murdered people at Port Arthur. In total he killed around 35 people including tourists, staff and children. Eventually the police caught him and he is now in prison for evermore…send him to the isolation prison I say!




Tuesday 1st August

Today was a chilled out day we went to the cinema to watch the Pirates of the Caribbean which was pretty good. I managed to blow the hob up in the kitchen at the hostel and it also fused the lights- you really can’t take me anywhere. An aussie guy asked me if I was Irish as they expect them to do things like that (good to see that the same stereotypes are found over here!!). On the evening we had a few beers in the local pub and Chris attempted to show me how to play pool properly, needless to say I think I need more lessons!


Wednesday 2nd August

It was a sunny day in Hobart today so we headed down to the waterfront to see if we could go on a catamaran cruise down the Derwent River to Peppermint Bay. Well it turned out that we got the trip half price because we are YHA members! Joining the YHA was the best thing we did as it has saved us loads of dosh on accommodation and trips all over Australia.

The photos show was a lovely day it was, we passed great sounding places like Bruny Island, Green Island and Snake Island. We saw white bellied sea eagles and seals swimming in the water. We passed a fish farm and saw all the salmon leaping up through the water. It was an excellent five hour trip and of course one of the highlights was the scrumptious lunch! It was a range of local produce including Tasmanian ham, tomato chutney, smoked Atlantic salmon and fresh oysters (as you can see from the photo I wasn’t to sure about these!). It was all washed down with a nice glass of Chardonnay- perfect!

Thursday 3rd August

We left Tasmania and flew up to Sydney. We decided to get the train to our YHA which turned out to be a dodgy decision as it was a challenge to get through the station with large suitcases (I can’t wait to put them in storage and use a back pack from now on).

It was about 17c in Sydney and felt lovely and warm to us compared to Hobart. We walked from our hostel to Darling Harbour. I had forgotten how much I love this place especially on a sunny day like today! We went to find the Bailey’s Oaks apartments which have a view over Darling Harbour and looked posh inside (we only got to peek in the lobby but it looked good to us!). Next we had a beer in the sunshine in a bar in Darling harbour- this is the life!!

Back at the hostel we had a bbq which involved a kanga burger or hotdog plus a beer for $3 each (about £1.20) - what a bargain!

From now on I am going to try and write a brief entry at the end of every day. So that you can keep in touch with where we are and what we are doing. As for Sydney we are here Friday and Sat before flying to Cairns on Sunday to start the Queensland greyhound bus thing!

Bye for now
Donno (everyone in Aussie has to shorten their name and put an O on the end e.g. Jeffo!)