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so after tasmania i was feeling tired, and sad for leaving this gorgeous place. but also eager to head to melbourne and expereience the live music, and great social scebe that thiis city prmosed to offer.
this may not be a popular view but i actually didnt like melborne at all.
maybe its not the city itself but the fact that as my trip progresses i have learnt what i love and the types of places that i can really feel that i can be myself.
i mean melbourne although attractive and clean- It had some lovely buildings and shops. it was just another city.
i visited the usual backpacker scene-st kilda (stayed in a horrible 10 bed dorm!) and did the complusory neighbours nite (met my hero karl kenady and toadie-yes i am that sad!)
but apart from that i was disappointed. maybe i'm just not a city person! melbourne left me feeling lonley in a big confusing place and although melbourne was friendly it still had the quick moving attitude of cities that i really hate-so i was happy to leave and start a tour that would take me along the great ocean road, to adedelde up to coober peddy through to ayers rock and Alice Springs.
Visiting remote places away from traffic, crowds of people and hungry jacks sounded like heaven to me!!

i was not expecting that tasmania would be the highlight of my trip so far!
please do not leave australia wihout visiting this place.
i started off in the city of Hobart which is extremely quaint with cobbled streets, a beautiful harbour and just a realxed atmosphere that i had not experienced whlist in sydney. the people are also so friendly and were only to happy to give directions after i got lost! i wnet to salamanica market which is held every wkend and is full of local crafts, jewellary and lovely food!!
i then started my tour and visited Port Arthur. this was a place where many of the first settlers were sent who commited crimes such as petty theft. people as young as 9 years old were sent to this centre to rehabiliate them and to teach them a trade to epuip them for life. Mnay did have a better life after port arthus but amny more suffered years of emotional and physical abuse in the prisons and ayslm that was at the base. it was realy moving to read their stories.
I also visted wineglass bay whcih is one of the most beautiful stretches of beach taht i have ever seen. At cradle mountain we sayed in gorgeous accomodiation in huts an d walked around beautiful lakes.
i saw the tasmanian devil and learnt how 70% have died recently due to a horrible face cancer that has wiped them out. luckily attempts are being amde to conatin the disease.
anotehr highlight was seeing faIRY PENGUINS AT BICHINO. a non highlight was a run in with a tiger snake taht i had when i stopped to go to the loo in the bush!!!!
tasmania really is a hidden jewel-u feel taht u ahve really travelled out of australia and not just an hr on a plane. if i have time i am going to revisit and its also inspired me to go to new zealand whcih is also supposed to be very simalr-if not better than tasmania.
if so i cant wait!

so its jan the 3rd. i feel all sluggish from heavy few weeks in sydney drinking and living in the city.
am so looking forward to leaving!
am heading on a bus to Mildura which is on the NSW/Vict border.
am out to find my fortune(yeah rite!) fruitpciking!
17 hrs later i arrive and glad to get of the bus. pass thro Canberra and stop for an hr. please do not spend anytime at this place as i was bored after that!
arrive at the working hostel Oasis Backpackers-so strange to be out of the city. there is feield upon field of vines and lots of farms dotted around.
before i even settle in i find out that i am peeling garlic- teh one thing i did not wnat to do! but i think hey give it a go.
its actually not that bad-i mean the smell u get used too, and its inside a warehouse because when i say taht its hot here-i mena that it is hot!
also the other backpackers at the hostel are really nice and from all over the world.
this is my fifth day now and i am starting to settle in.
Milduara is actually a really pretty town and its so nice to be in the countryside.
so yeah its a milion miles away from Sydney-the nightclubs, fastfood resturants, clothes shoping!
but i strangely like it-even if i smell like garlic!!!!!!!!!!!!

can't believe that its New Years day and this time last night I was waiting for the second set of fireworks at the Harbour Bridge!
Sydney at New Years-what can i say? Amazing!
we had set out to get our spot at 11am and what a spot!
a perfect view of the bridge and what a gorgeous day! i think it was through a joined grioup effort taht we kept the forecasted rainclouds away.
the hours leading up to the first set of fireworks at 9apm actually went quite quick- spent the hous talking, playing games, talking to fellow travellers and ok, well, yes i did induldge in a few glasses of wine but hey its new years day!
the atmosphere was electric and as we approached 9pm the excitement started growing.
the first set wnet of with a bang(sorry for the pun) but hey, this was just the warm up act. as the sun went down the bridge looked even more magnificent. AS 12pm approached everyone rose to tehir feet-this is what we had bene waiting for for the last 12 hours! then the countdown, 5,4,3,2,1......
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
The fireworks were breathtaking-every single colour u could think off- and there was a giant lite up image of a coathanger on the bridge.
in every direction the sky was lite up. I started singing OLd Langs Eye, then realised i didnt actually know teh words as usually teher is a family member tehat is with me that sings it for me! but hey i gave it a go!
what a day, what an evening!
a New Years i will always remember and also it finalised the end of my first part of travelling in Australia. an amazing and scary first part. am so looking forward now to moving on to the next part and experiencing a whole different side of auz- Mildura-fruitpicking,country hot, a million miles away from the fast moving, bright lights of sydney.
wish me pwb lwc!!!

hey guys!
so yeah christmas on bondi-i did the typical backpacker xmas day but hey i'm in sydney, its xmas and it had to be done. it was so strange xmas morning-i mean at home its cold, usulaly raining, no one leaves the house, u watch tv all day, eat lots and drink. fall aleep at 9pm watching vicor of dipley!!! here i was on a bus at 12pm on the way to bondi beach. the streets were packed with people-i mean all the shops were open.even clothes shops!!! when we got to the bneach i was expecting hundreds of thousands of mad, drunk backpackers when actaully it was quite civilised! the beach was full but u could find a place to sit. there was lots of families having picnics. the policy on no alochol on the beach was very strict and there was police checking bags as soon as u got there which was good because a lot of alcohol, and backpackers on a beach doesnt mix well! it was a very surreal day-i mean i was there with a pair of shorts on, an xmas hat watching a guy dressed as santa on a surf board and an australian tv show filming him! so yeah i may be in the background to that!!! am glad i did it but not the expereinece i thought it wouldbe! also as much as it was nice to have sun, i was pining for some snow, (or rain) and dark mornings! spending time with my family and playing with my nieces toys!(sorry ellie!)
so yeah-xmas in the sun cool but at teh risk of sounding extremely chessy- there is definetly no place like home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!