We've seen the big Rock

Trains, Hippy Tours and a big red rock

19 hours on a train, the Legendary Ghan train at that (by legendary I mean old and very slow) is obviously a marvellous way to get to a place named Alice Springs which is infested with flies and if it wasn't for the absolutely crazy adventure of going into the outback with a bearded bush man and 17 other nutters to sleep in swags and hike round massive rocks at 430am-we might have contemplated not doing it.

As it turns out, it was amazing and a great way to say farewell to Oz which we will be departing for cooler climes v soon. The Olgas, The Rock, Kings Canyon were very impressive and the tour group was a lot of fun. Sleepig in swags, getting scared to death by Dingos in the middle of the night and partying hard 'Alice' style was a bit of an experience I can say. Am still feling the 22 hour day of 430am hiking to go clubbing and drinking , then to bed at 230 am the next day.

Interesting.

As you can imagine, the desert doesn't have the best tech for uploading photies, so you've got that to look forward to, you lucky people.

Wine, wine, wine and a very sad day

The Barossa Valley. It has 60 wineries. We've just had a lot of fun. And wine. I even drank some white - well it seemed rude not to when they were giving it away.

On another note, this is a very sad day. Jules' hair straighteners (forgive the spelling I am not that familiar with these items) have died and been binned. Please all be in morning.

Some recent photos

Jules' View

• Tasman Penisula - fantastic old eroding coastal scenery. Port Arthur, old convict prison, v big, v interesting.
• Tassie eco-friendly nutters that run even nuttier campsites. Have pickled snakes they have caught themselves.
• Tassie, Bruny Island-too beautiful for words-GO.
• Cradle Mountain, rugged, steep climbs, worth it.
• Launceston, 2nd biggest tassie town, amazing gorge with gorgeous bar, views. Swimming in water falls and plunge pools, even though their was a great pool.
• Beautiful wine glass bay and swam with dolphins, inches next to us, very hot now for weeks.
  
• Aussie day 26th Jan-fab night we were in Melbourne, and the sun was hot hot hot-yes. Good flame throwing along the river and fireworks. Got to bed very late.
  
• BIG BUCK HUNTER - worth coming to Oz just for that.
• Philip Island-penguianos, so great, walked around with them, watched and heard them coming out of the sea for an hour.
• Great Ocean Road-well, great. Beautiful scenery so far and weather has resembled a Aussie summer, Matt has a red honker, I've a red chest-whey hey.
• Camping with boy in small tent-must have a good undersanding of each other!
• Koala's-look wierd, great to see in the wild, sound like fat pigs with a cold.
• Liquorice icecream-makes your tongue black, surprisingly tasty.

Thats Jules words.
x

Tassie

So then how are the January blues? We're going pink in Hobart, eating fresh seafood and playing with a sealion. Marvellous.


This is the view down from the top of Mt Wellington to the city, which is a nice small place, quite English in places - especially the hen do's - it was like being in (Jules says) Whitley Bay on a Saturday night. Not sure if that's a good thing myself.

We've got a couple more days here before we start camping (again, are we stupid?) round the rest of the island, then its back to Melbourne.

Congratualtions to all of Jule's mates who have got engaged in the last week or so, I think all of them have, hope its not catching (ouch being hit).

Sorry, been busy

Blimey, its been over two weeks since the last entry. Sorry about that, Christmas and New Year were a bit hectic and everywhere shuts, making computer use slightly troublesome. Anyway, what has been happening I hear you cry? Whisper? ok fine, I'm going to tell you even if you don't care. First of all we had Christmas in Melbourne with three of my mates (Gaz, Pie and Pol) who were out here for the Ashes. It was cold, it rained, it hailed. We got filmed by the local TV news for being insane people outside having a BBQ on the coldest Christmas day on record. Well done us.

I also went to two (Jules one) days cricket at the Test - The MCG is huge, but absolutely souless, didn't feel like a cricket ground. However, it was clean efficient, had huge TV screen, brilliant views and lots of food and bars and other facilities that worked well with minmum waiting. Pehaps that is why it didn't feel like a cricket ground. England were obviously terrible.

We then went to Sydney for New Year's Eve. My mate Gaz somehow knew someone who knew some who knew someone who lived in Sydney. For Gaz this meant he got somewhere to sleep in Sydney, for us it meant we could wander up at 6pm to a group of people who had been saving a spot since 8am with a brilliant view of the harbour bridge. A bit of drinking later and we saw the best fireworks show I think either of us had ever seen - it was absolutely brilliant. Got home at 5am.

I then had two days at the Sydney test. It felt like a proper cricket ground. Though half the time I couldn't see to much because either a pillar was in the way or the barmy army decided to sing again. Sitting in the middle of them isn't a good idea if you actually want to watch the cricket. England were quite obviously rubbish.

Since then we've chilled a bit in Sydney, gone hiking in the Blue Mountains and generally had a rather nice time thanks.

So in summary, Melbourne - very wet, pretty dull, woudn't recommend it. Sydney, very hot one day, absolutely pissing it down the next, definitely recommended. Marvellous place. Oh, be careful before watching cricket in this country, they only serve light beer at the grounds. Australian beer is bad normally, but at more than two quid for less than a pint of 2% they can keep it. I've never been so sober.