I survived!!!

Back from the Simpson, having had THE most amazing time in my life! I wouldn't possibly do the trip justice by writing about it here, so instead I'll bore you all silly about it when I next see you all...I'm back 6am thursday.....all my love xxxxxxxxxx

Adelaide etc

Been really pretty busy since I last wrote, and reckon this will be the last time I get to actually. Have spent the last weeks staying with my cousin which has been really good fun, I cooked them a meal of Moroccan nosh and have been shown around the delights of Adelaide, of which there are many. I've had lunches at beach side cafes, trips to Haighs factory where they produce divine chocolates, I've petted a koala called Teddy and learnt that his 15kg weight is mainly due to his 1 tree a week eating habit, pretty impressive. I've hand fed bandicoots and highlight was actually managing to hand feed a kanagroo mum and its joey at the same time, there i was with my hand full of roo food offering to Mrs roo, then theres a rather disturbing amount of movement and a joeys head pops out of the pouch and says hello, really cute. We got to the wildlife park by actually climb up to the top at waterfall gully which was really beautiful, I've been mostly really lucky with the rain although last night we had a thunderstorm that woke me up, BIG thunder...!

I've visited a church, Adelaide has more churches per sq metre than anywhere else in the world...I think. I've attended a Nepalese restaurant, went to a drinks for a 30th and have got myself into some really good books too whilst I've been away. The coffee here in Adelaide is amazing, there's a big Italian influence in the city apparently. I've got a glimpse of a couple of vineyards whilst I've been here also. Oh and as I walked down the beach at Glenelg I had a dolphin follow us until we sat down for lunch, beautiful.

But now things are starting to get busy busy busy I've now met my fellow roadtrip friends and today after a delicious brunch at a local deli we went shopping for the road trip after a quick scout about the Adelaide oval too. I've picked up some gumboots, baby wipes, socks, and have just grappled with a swag for the last 40 mins lining it with dooners and sleeping bags to make sure I'm warm when the sun sets in the desert (its gets really cold at night apparently.) we leave on Thursday, and apparently have nearly $1000 worth of booze, huge hunks of meat and according to rumour, equipment for a sports day towards to the back end of the trip.

We leave on thursday afternoon and arrive back ten days later, having visited dalhousie springs, the flinders ranges, birdsville, (google) all over red sand dunes-having traversed the Simpson Desert, the driest desert on earth. The weather has been pretty wet for the past few months so apparently the flora and fauna are outstanding so I'm excited to see that and bathe in springs in the middle of nowhere. Most excited about the stars, my swag has a mesh top to it, so I'll be falling asleep with nothing but the milky way like a blanket across the sky and lots of shooting stars apparently. everything is apparently!

Until then I'm heading to Kangaroo Island tomorrow for 3 days with a ferry crossing thrown in too. Exciting stuff. I'll try and update this if I can after K.I but doubt I'll be able too, so instead I'll write up to let mum and dad know I'm back safely as soon as I'm back, as we have absolutely no mobile signal in the desert, only our own radios to talk to each other in the convoy. nervous, but really excited too, can't wait to bore you all silly about this trip when I get back, will take vast amounts of photos....lots of love xxxxxxxxxxx

Bye Brisbane

Can't quite remember where I left off last time! On sunday we drove to Seaworld with the kids for fun fuelled day of dolphin shows (free willy style kind of place) shark watching, polar bear spying icecream eating fun. Lots of rollercoaster rides which I was designated official children's aide so by the time I'm been on several of them several times my tummy was a bit whizzed up for lunch. It was really fun to see some of the native marine life of Oz though and the kids loved it too.

On the way home I was driven to Surfers Paradise on the Gold coast (which is where the aquarium place is based), massively gorgeous beach, huge huge waves and fine white sand with the quintessential aussie lifeguards to match, phwoar. Arrived back to have dinner with some extended family of the rellies I'm staying with, had my first Aussie barbie, and got given a steak literally LITERALLY the size of my face, delicious.

The kids were at school so I spent the day at the cultural centre of Brisbane, went to a fantastic exhibition of Ron Mueck's work and bought a couple of prints in the shop for me to frame and pop up on my wall when i'm older and settled in a first house I reckon. Weather in Brisbane is distinctly warmer than that of Sydney.

Today I'm relaxing, reading my book and baking cupcakes for tonight when I fly to Adelaide to be with my family, we're all having dinner together at my Uncle and Aunts house and I simply cannot wait. I'm sure I'll update this when I arrive, my first week is apparently fuelled with wine tasting, chocolate tasting, a party, sightseeing, Adelaide zoo, walking in the adelaide hills, a ferry and overnight stay on Kangaroo Island (yes that is a real place) before I arrive back to leave for the Simpson a week on thurday! Manic!!! Love to all xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Arrived in Brisbane!

I'm in Brisbane having had an amazing last few days in Sydney,I was very sad to leave all my new aussie mates and was lucky to have had a lovely dinner on my last night as a send off which was really sweet. I climbed the harbour bridge which gave me the most horrendous jitters and jelly legs but was fab once I'd got to the top and had my photo taken with the city and opera house in the background. I managed to get to the Australia museum, St Mary's Cathedral, indulge in Thai cuisine etc etc all in my last few days and had a proper walkabout through chinatown and the botanic gardens too (which are sprawling.) Yesterday morning I left for Brisbane to stay with some distant aussie rellies which is fun, I was really sad to leave the girls but being surrounded by a family with kids too is different. Last night I went to one of the kids schools for a play and had a late night there. Today started with an hours walk at 7am with the family through the suburb around where they live which included a track that went through some bushland. We then set off for a 1.5 hr drive toI went to the Markets at Eumundi and then to the sunshine coast for a paddle and late lunch! Perfection, bought some nice bits and pieces and I got a hat bought for me for the roadtrip, aussie style ukbura style hat, very snazzy and much needed for the desert apparently. Bloody loved the man I got it from, dodgy teeth, thick aussie accent hadn't seen a barbour in months. Particuarly enjoyed the 'whips stall' the various food and drinks stalls and the jewwellery stands too. Tomorrow I'm going to seaworld to have a look a the marine wildlife her in the sunshine state with the kids! Can't wait, hope you're all well, can't believe how quickly the trips going........can't believe there's a place in this country called Tittybong of Poowong for that matter! Heaps of love xxxxxx

Its sunny on Bondi Beach

Far too much to write on this now!! I've done lots since I've last written, lots more sightseeing, lots of fun! Friday I went to Palm beach where Home and Away is filmed, gorgeous it was. That evening I went to Lunar Park which is like a theme park on the harbour, went on some terrifying rides, managed to lose an earring and a necklace on one it was so poweful, brilliant fun. Bit of an early night after that before I went to a farmers market complete with lots of food and stalls of gorgeous things at the Rocks which is the old quarter of the city. Ended up having a pretty fun filled afternoon, sitting sipping wine with the guy who was the street musician where we were eating. Brilliant stuff, got back here late afternoon before heading out again to a houseparty and then boogie at the Oxford Arts Factory, where LITTLE RED were playing, any Trevs friends will appreciate why for me, this was pretty mega, such a coincidence or what?! It was a late night, the gold dress and I had a lot of fun on the dance floor and I fell into bed this morning. Today we all went to Bondi beach for a paddle and lunch at a cafe overlooking the bay so we could gawp at all the surfers. Lunch was tasty!! Having a brilliant time hope you're all well xxxxxxx

Breezy beach day

Today was fun, I went with my new friend Sarah to Manly Beach from circular quay which was only a twenty min ferry ride from the city. It was really fun, there wasn't a cloud in the sky today and the water was blue blue blue. We grabbed some barramundi and chips and ate them on the beach. Huge waves as it was quite breezy (I've never seen such big waves) lots of surfers and some dodgy oldies in speedos. I dipped my toes in the pacific and enjoyed a paddle a little bit too much, the water was pretty chilly by aussie standards, but for a pom it was pretty standard, I was loving it. After all that excitement we went to this icecream place where you choose a flavour then choose anything to be crushed into it in front of you, folded in by a guy with two giant icecream scoops. Naturally I chose Milo icecream with a timtam alongside, divine. Headed back to the quay via the ferry, then sampled an aussie supermarket to cook up a feast for my flatmates (which included the classic bangers and mash.) Have spent the rest of the evening relaxing. Tomorrow is fairly relaxed, I'm going to a gig in the evening and then Palm Beach on Friday to catch some more freckles...Love to all xXx

I went to circular quay today which is where the harbour bridge and opera house are. Had a good gander around there, checked out some tasty gelato and had took a whole of heap of photos. Saw a couple of aboriginies playing the didger. Had a good walk around the CBD and had a sneeky peak in Tiffanys!! Cheeky! Went to an opal mining museum too and had a walk around darling harbour and the Rocks which is like the old town bit of the city, quite quirky I guess. Tomorrow I'm planning on getting myself on a tour of the opera house and have a nice walk around the botanic gardens which are really nice looking. There's also the NSW art gallery/museum place I'm really keen on going to tomorrow. Plans for the rest of the week include a day at Manly beach via the ferry with new found friends on Wednesday, going to head to the massive aquarium there and will see some sharks!! Dip my toes in the pacific and enjoy yet more gelato!! On Thursday I'm heading to the Quarantine station in the evening for a spook tour, Friday night I'm out at Lunar Park which is like a mini theme park on the water in central Sydney apparently. At the weekend I'm heading up to Bondi and Glebe to the markets which I'm really excited for and then hopefully having a bit of a boogie in the evenings. Just in case I can't find myself some internet. Love to all X

Hello Sydney

I'M LOVING IT LOVING IT LOVING IT.

I arrived at lunch time yesterday after a slightly bumpy, knackering couple of flights. After a shower and vegemite on toast (I kid you not) I headed out on the town with some new friends. It was absolutely brilliant, danced till really late, grabbed some pizza and collapsed into bed at 3am. Today I was in the blue mountains for the day, a good two hour journey from here. It was brilliant, really conquered my fear of heights by getting myself on the 'worlds steepest incline train' which literally falls off the side of a cliff. Wowzers.

So far so good, tomorrow I'm going to plan my days here in sydney, I'm getting myself onto various tours and bridge climbs and then heading to the beach at Manly on wednesday. Bring it on!!! xxxxxx

PS copious amounts of timtams and 'golden gaytimes' have been consumed.

Bye England, G'day Bruce!

Off I tootle to Australia, suitcase packed and on my way down south. Flying at 10.30 tonight. Arrive in Sydney at 11AM on Saturday morning their time. Got enough percy pigs and Bill Bryson books to last a lifetime. xXx

Countdown to Australia

10 days to graduation, 18 days until Australia!!!!!