Hello there its Ryan sorry about my last blog entry being so short! Right let me start from when i left melbourne. I put off leaving melbourne on the 3rd because i ended up having a few big nights out (as you do) with my mates i met in melbourne, so i finally left on the 5th at 6am making for an early start as i was planning to be in the blue mountains by that evening.So with a distance of 857k's (533 miles) to do i hit the road! After 12.5hrs driving through one weather storm after the other and hills that would go on forever plus the fact you would have lorry trains on your tail because your van couldnt keep to the 110k speed limit! I managed to get a queue of 25 people ranging from cars, motorbikes you name it, i think a person on a push bike could have got up some of the hills quicker then me! (its not all blue sky and sandy beaches you know!) i made it to Liverpool which was still about 130k's (81 miles) from the blue mountains, so i parked up the van in a car park and got some kip for the night.

Next morning i found my bearing and headed to the famous blue mountains where the van had to again conquer some steep hills. I made my way around the Blue mountains stopping off at several sights like Eche Point (where the Three Sisters and Giant Stairway are) Which were amazing i started the Giant Stairway but then realised very quickly that it was going to take much longer then what i had payed for parking and it was very steep! So i then headed to Evans Lookout where my uncle said i had to check out and plus there was a walk there into the canyon. I got to Evans lookout and what a spot! i then took a small walk to try and find this walk i found it and read on the sign 3-4hrs medium walking some parts without track so i thought to myself lets do!At this point i should have also really gone back to my van to pick up water and a first aid kit but being lazy i didnt. So on i went on this walk down into the canyon, and what a walk! Climbing over rocks, sliding through gaps, jumping across rivers and walking through a rock tunnel which had been cut out and the best having a shower under a waterfall!But a downfall from this shower was that i had to walk another 40 minutes in wet shorts which didnt really dry off because it was so wet in the canyon. This is by far the best thing ive done so far! so after all this adventure and new set of clothes i headed out of the Blue mountains and on to town which i can't remember.

The day after i drove to Newcastle (no not the one in England, no Geordies round here i can assure you) This was a nice town with plenty of life about it so i popped into the local Irish pub for a couple of schooner of the black stuff.

The next day i was planning to get to Port Macquarie, i set of on my way and got to the town just before Port Macquarie and i broke down. First time if you dont count running out of gas and im not being american when i say gas it runs on LPG which is called gas out here. Lucky for me there was a road side assistance base in this town which i broke down so they came out and sorted me out and i was on my way and made it to Port macquarie without anymore trouble.

The next day i went for a walk and found that they were playing a volleyball comp on the beach so i stayed and watched that for a few hours then i kept seeing these guys walking down and going fishing so i was like thats it im going grabed some bait and i was off went to where the locals were of course and first cast, fish! a bream to small to eat though second cast, fish! i was like come on you beautie then the locals started asking what i was using for bait lol three cast exactly the same. Then finally i caught one big enough to eat so one of the locals gutted it for me and i had it for tea with new pots! Beats eating noodles!

I then left Port macquarie the next morning and headed for coffs harbour i broke down again about an hour down the road. I phoned up and waited 2 hours before they got to me then i started it up and it ran fine! I couldnt believe it! so i was on my way again and 45 minutes down the road guess what, yes you guessed it i broke down! Phoned them up again and the same man came out to me again but not without the 2 hour wait before hand. So there i was again i decide to make myself some dinner as there was nothing i could do. Once again it started fine then there were some huge back fires so i said to the man lets get it in to let someone look at it, so i spent the night outside the breakdown service place.

The next morning they got the van in and had a look and the ignition timing was all wrong so they fixed it and i was off again by 11 the next morning. I made it to coffs habour with no problem had a look around not alot to do so i headed to Grafton where one of the aussie girls we met lives so i messaged her to say where i was and she said i should meet up with her parents, so i did and had a very welcomed dinner. I now live at their place for the meantime and have a job in one of the many pubs in the area working in the kitchen. Thats all thanks for reading and hope to hear from you soon Ryan