We're in Melbourne

This is us (well Jules) saying hello from Melbourne. Since I obviously haven't fallen off a roller coaster (they didn't have many, Australian theme parks seem to be about throwing you round in circles to make you be sick rather than coasters) I shall relate our travels since Brisbane.

So we have been to Byron Bay and Coffs Harbour (both very very wet). Port Macquarie (very hot), Newcastle (a bit crap), Canberra (very odd) and now Melbourne (seems nice). We are staying here for the next 8 nights, so Christmas and the Melbourne Test Match, where I fully expect to sit through two days of England getting smacked again. Then a charge back up to Sydney where I expect to sit through two days of England getting smacked again. Then the 20 20 match, where I fully expect blah blah...

Plus Jules and I have become addicted to a video game called Big Buck Hunter. You get a gun each and shoot poor defenceless animals. It's great.

I got interviewed by the TV about Shane Warne's retirement. I've found the barmy army's HQ in Melbourne and so will have to be drinking there soon, though it is in a crap fake Irish bar.

Oh, has anyone (I assume the answer here is yes) been and seen Casino Royale. Is it any good?

Aren't we cute?

Brisbane is a great city, loving it to be honest.

They like their public outdoor swimming pools over here - Jules loves them.

Oh, and quite obviously I didn't get pushed down a hole, which was nice.

Next stop the very tacky gold coast and the Dreamworld theme park. If you don't hear from me again its because I've fallen off a rollercoaster

Waterfalls, eating Kangeroos and Spiders

There's been no internet access for a while. Been in the back of beyond for a bit. Lots of wildlife out there though.

Right, since Cairns we have, got a campervan and driven south, of course we went north first. Cape Tribulation, then up to the Atherton Tablelands (lots of waterfalls), Jules had her birthday, including an unwanted passenger in the van (large spider) and we have relaxed in Airlie Beach and the Whitsunday Islands.

We've seen Australia's largest waterfall and finally eaten Kangeroo, quite a few times actually.

Tomorrow we explore the Capricorn Caves, if you don't hear anything from me after this its because Jules has dropped me down a big hole.

The Great Barrier Reef

One of the seven natural wonders of the world. Jules got stung by a jellyfish. I got sunburnt. A lot.

End of the west coast

I'm sitting in an internet cafe in Darwin wondering how to sum up the last three weeks. I'm finding it hard, so perhaps I'll just make some observations.

1. Jules and I seem to be capable of losing anything - so far the list includes sunglasses, mask and snorkel sets, a hat and a memory card reader
2. The west coast is a huge, empty place. Its great in terms of wildlife and landscape, but hardly anyone lives in a area that's bigger than Germany, Japan and the UK combined. There's some serious scary people here too
3. To all the fans of the tash, I'm afraid its gone, but a photo has been taken for posterity. I'm sure a new version will turn up in a couple of weeks anyway
4. I'm missing proper beer, Aussie stuff is terrible

Wetsuit superheros

We are damn sexy people I can tell you.

Exmouth was another great place - snorkelling with sharks, turtles and rays was certainly an experience, off the ningaloo reef at a set of islands an hour from the coast - all good.

We also rented scooters, rented a wreck (this car was so old the doors didn't close, it needed a new roof and the mileage clock no longer worked - oh and it was cheaper to rent out than a scooter). It got us to Yardie Creek though - water, sorry, what are you doing here.

Now in Broome. Its bloody hot, bloody humid and I intend to have a beer pretty soon.

Next stop Kununurra and the bungle bungles

Give me fish

Monkey Mia is great - I'm not normally one to get well happy about things, but feeding wild dolphins was rather marvellous. Jules even got to do it twice. The whole Shark Bay area is windy, full of sharks, but a great place to come to for a couple of days. highly recommended. We have now moved on to Exmouth to see Nigaloo reef, but as we've been awake for about 24 hours I can't think of too much else interesting to say at the moment.

Oh, there won't be any photos for a bit, we've had a bit of a technical problem with the equipment, involving a Jules and the Indian Ocean.

Where the hell?

Geraldton. Imagine an English seaside resort without the kitsch, arcades, in fact without anything. Oh apart from the biggest lobster factory in Western Australia. Where are we?

Tomorrow we leave, thank goodness for that. Another journey on the greyhound bus to Monkey Mia, which hopefully will be cool.

Callie - the prawn cracker was from a stall in Chinatown, you and Paul need to explore more :)

Perth

Perth, Australia - its transport system is nowhere near as efficient as Singapore, nothing is as cheap and it seems to be full of student types from all over the world - but I love it. After the sterile controlled Singapore this relaxed city is great. We arrived late afternoon yesterday and had our first full day today. We spent a lot of the time wandering around swearing about how useless greyhound buses are (well how bad their info is, the buses themselves are meant to be great, but where do they go from, what's the timetable, hello anyone there??? etc).

After finally sorting the bus we then had a good day - the pic above is from King's Park - brilliant views of the city, great place really. Bit of food and a couple of beers later and I'm writing this.

Just one more day left here then we move on to Geraldton - a beach resort town, time for a bit of relaxing after all this charging round. Hope you are all well.

Prawn crackers Singapore style

Did I mention they do things big here?

And the weather, think we have seen more rain today than in the previous year.

Final day in Singapore was spent basically at the zoo and night safari - which is basically a zoo in the dark. While this may seem like a stupid idea - as in you can't see the animals and they can eat you, it actually works really well and you see loads of animals being active that normally just hide from you.

Tomorrow Australia

Singapore - mad mad mad

As mad as cheese some would say. Its day two here and already we've been to some nicely touristy places (raffles hotel) had a genuine singapore eating experience (crazy, you sit down and then get attacked by people from 10 different eating stalls all trying to get you to buy food from them) and had a drink at Singapores only micro-brewery. The czech stlye pilsner wasn't bad.

But, this place is totally crazy, everything is huge and new. They are a tiny country relatively speaking and that seems to make them feel they have to build everything huge. The buildings, the roads, the fountains....they have the world's largest fountain (though it wasn't working) and they are always trying to get new records - the world's largest line dance anyone?

Final countdown

If Europe could then so can we....or something like that. Anyway, the time has come, its our final week in the UK. We went to my grandma's 80th birthday meal on Sunday and never ones to break a habit we have spent the last day and a bit charging round the country on trains. I hate bloody trains.

We are now in Hartlepool seeing Jules' family then its briefly back to Sheffield to pick up Jules' stuff then to London and on to Singapore. Its all very real now - the last couple of weeks have sort of been a bit of limbo, sorting out final stuff, but this time next week we will be there.

Very odd.

This is now probably the last post until we are actually travelling, bye for now and well bye to England too.

And another

By my count that's the fourth leaving do we've had - only 2 more to go I think - and my turn to have the stupid picture.

Feeling a bit hung over - finding the shop that was selling cans of carling at 11.30pm might have, in hindsight, been a mistake. The champagne certainly was.

Thanks to all who came, sorry there wasn't enough time to speak to you all properly, though Jules probably did.

So the leaving do was a success

As you can see Jules' leaving do went well and this all happened before I arrived.

She only fell off one chair when I was watching.

Well week 1 of not working and well apart from going on a trip to alton towers that neither of us probably could afford just a few weeks before buggering off for 10 months, not much exciting to report. Been buying insect repellent, disconnecting phone lines that sort of thing.

Last day

Well last night was my leaving do and today is my last day at work - very odd. Jules' last day and leaving do today.

I'll add more when things get a bit more interesting