A bit like Disneyland, dreamworld is set about 30 mis outside Surfers and has all the huge rides and wildlife bits and bobs. Have to say we really enjoyed being kids again and going on all the rides. The girls weren't too keen on the fast rides - so i went on some of them on my own as i love the ones where i spend most of the time upside down!!
Just a couple of photo's of my friend Sally and my travelling Buddy Terri in one of the best nightclubs in surfers called The Bedroom. Really great place and it has loads of beds to sit on instead of tables and chairs!!! Very comical!
Surfers Paradise is Australia's party central. Unfortunately when we first arrived, the weather was terrible - so we visited the Ripley's museum and a place called Infinity (a very weird tourist attraction). Other than that, we did a couple of large nights out which were great.
Whilst in surfers paradise, me and Terri had been advised to visit the Ripley's museum. Have to say it was really good. As you can see form the photo's - there was the tallest man, the biggest hand, the fattest person etc. All very interesting.
Me and Terri arrived in Byron Bay and decided on our first day to go exploring and found a really wonderful walk from the town to the lighthouse which sits on the hill looking out over the sea and over the town. It took about an hour to get there but the views were awesome. We could see whales and dolphins playing in the surf!!
Me and Terri were advised to visit this place on arrival in Coffs Harbour. So today we took the short walk around the corner from our hostel and went to the centre. It is the most interactive place i have ever been to and the dolphins, penguins and sea lions are so well looked after. We were abke to rub the dolphins tummy's and the sea lions were really friendly - as you can see from the photo's they couldn't keep their hands off me!!
Me and Terri decided to do something to do with nature whilst in the beautiful town of Coffs Harbour - so along with a guy called Mick from Ireland we went on a Whale Watching boat. The morning of the trip we got warned that there had been a storm warning issued by the met office and the trip might be cancelled. The guy organising the trip assured us we would be fine. After leaving the calm waters of the marina we headed out to much rougher waters!! However - within 10 mins we saw loads of humpback whales and they were jumping in the water and smashing their tales around. A truly awesome experience!!
Me and Terri went exporing in Port Macquarie. It is truly a beautiful little town and wen enjoyed walking along the breakwater where people have painted pictures on the rocks which has become a tourist attraction!! We went out for dinner and found a fab curry house and ate poppadoms to our hearts content.
Arrived in Port Macquarie after 6 hours on a greyhound bus and me and Terri headed to the Koala santuary. It cares for koala's that have been injured through things like motor vehicle accidents or burnt from bush fires!! They have an intensive care area and everything!! Thankfully most of the patients were quite well which was good.
As my birthday was the 16th and Gary's the 15th - we combined the 2 and went for a big night out togther. Because gary is gay and me straight we decided to go half and half. So our night started at the local gay bar called the Columbian and then headed to other bars. Awesome night had by all!!!!
Only a week after Aaron left us - it was time to say goodbye to my irish companion called Grainne. We met whilst doing the auditing job at the Royal North Shore Hospital right at the start of my trip. We all went to the local pub called the Chamberlain for coctails and then headed to her favourite bar ...... Scruffy Murphy's - all i will say is...... DRUNKEN!!!
After about 4 months of knowing easch other, it was time for Aaron to head back to the UK. We went to Circular Quay for some early evening drinks and food which was fab. After that we headed back to the hostel for a night of drinks and movies. We all stayed up all night and finally said goodbye at 8am to him!! - so very sad to see him go.
Me and Steve hadn't seen each other in a while, so we booked ourselves in at the Marriott hotel in Surfers Paradise for 3 nights. It was the most amazing hotel, with the nicest view and spa bath!! We went to Teriyaki restaurant where they cook in front of you and throw food!, went to the Hard Rock Cafe and Varsace hotel and restaurant. We met up with Steve's friends on the sunday and had a lovely BBQ. Such a shame to have to head back to the airport on sunday night! REally nice weekend.
We decided to head to the local bowling alley and played a couple of games of ten pin bowls! Have to say I am usually pretty good at bowling, but I became a retard and scored 95 in the first game and then took another nose dive and got 65!!!! However, everyone else played really well and one girl called Hannah got 169! Few beers were had and lots of mucking around. Loved it!
I can hear you saying....'there are no pictures of penguins' and you're not wrong!! Basically i went on another day tour to see the fairy penguins of Phillip Island. It is a place right at the southerly point of melbourne and is a nature reserve and place of outstanding beauty. We were taken to a nature reserve first where i had the pleasure of being introduced to a wombat!! (See the first photo) Basically these creatures are like giant guinea pigs!! They do absolutely nothing other than sleep and eat, but they are the most adorable things!! We were able to stroke them and they are really friendly. All of them had been rescued as their mothers had been hit by cars. We then went ad fed donkey's, sheep, wallaby's and kangaroo's!!!! They were so cute and cuddly. We were given a lovely lunch and then headed to some of the beaches on Phillip island (see photo 3). It is such a pretty place and really quiet. Just chilled out chatting on the beach and then Luke the tour guide took us to where the penguins come in from the sea. Basically the penguins aren't just a little bit small - they are proper dinky. About the size of a bottle of washing up liquid they emerge from the sea and attempt to make it up the shore. It is hilarious to watch as the waves sometimes knock them over. When one of them falls, they all fall!!! We all sat on a seating platform with hundreds of other tourists and spent about half an hour watching them coming in and then you can walk along the board walk and see them going into their little homes to meet up with their mates and little baby penguins!! Another wonderful day.
I decided to go on an organised tour for one day to the Great Ocean Road. It is a really long coastal road built just after the first world war and connects Melbourne with Adelaide. It is truly beautiful and takes you past Belles Beach which is the roughest beach in Australia and is where the surfing championships are held. We went onto a place called 'Koala Cafe' where the trees are full of koala's sleeping or munching on the eucaliptus leaves!! They were so cute. We also saw loads of parrots which were so colourful. Next stop was the lighthouse from the childhood tv programme called 'Round the Twist'!!! What quality viewing that was!!
Yep - ts true - i went to another neighbours night!! This one was organised by Toadie as apparently the other company who organises neighbours nights - is ripping the stars and the backpackers off!! So we went to a new bar in melbourne and met Paul Robinson, Steph, Pepper and Toadie!! Loads of cheap wine and we had a ball. Paul Robinson is really short, but so nice!!
Another highlight of this trip to Melbourne was the chance to go to the set of neighbours and get to meet another one of the stars. As anstralia is about 2 months ahead of the Uk you might not recognise the man in the first photo with me, Andrea and Matt. His name is Fraser in the show (or Ben in real life!!) and he was very nice. We then went onto the Erinsborough High School - which as it turns out is a school for non English speaking children who have never heard of neighbours and tend to get a little freaked out by wierd tourists taking photo's of their school!!!! Last stop was a trip to Ramsey Street (actually called Pin Oak Close). The poor residents of the street have to put up with tour buses arriving twice a day to picture their houses and on top of that the crew of the show film in their street at least 2 times a week. During filming they are not allowed to drive their cars up the road and either need to stay in or out of their houses!!! Obviously they get compensated, but must get pretty annoying. Anyway - we got lots of photo's of the houses and the tour bus which you can check out on the online photo album: www.cazthespaz.blogspot.com
Well for anyone who knows me well - this night was the thing I wasmost excited about doing out of the whole of Australia!! and it didn't disappoint. The whole gang of us decended on the english pub called 'The Elephant and Wheelbarrow' in St Kilda. After a few drinks and them showing some ancient classic episodes of neighbours they kicked off the night. Libby Kennedy is planning on coming back into the show and did a set of singing and have to say she was really good. After that they Brought out the man himself - Dr Karl Kennedy and Dylan! They did a question and answer session which was highly amusingas Karl was asked who he preferred kissing out of Susan, Sarah or Izzy!!! They all then came round and had a chat with people and did photo's. I decided that i would phone mum at home in the Uk and get Karl to speak to mum!! She loved it. The pinacle of the night was Karl playing with his band called........ 'Waiting Room'!!!! They were really good and he can sing!! It was spigging awesome!!!!
