Profile
Blog
Photos
Videos
Australia (Part 1)
Melbourne-
We arrived in Melbourne International airport after an easy 7 hours flight...it was raining!! So much like England and it was freezing, we were already missing the sun. We layered up on the clothes and it did feel weird wearing socks, trousers and jumpers after so long!
We were waiting to meet Van Ravlic who had kindly offered to pick us up and stay with her family for a few nights. We hadn't met each other before, a friend of ours recommended us to contact her and we were nervous about meeting a deaf stranger for the 1st time. But that soon resolved as soon we met her - she felt like an old friend of ours and we clicked instantly.
When we were in the car, she informed us that 8 people lives in the house but assured us it would be fine. She was right, it was a beautiful big house and we even had a bed to sleep in each! We drove back to her house, had something to eat and a nap (we arrived at about 6.30am!) then we met the whole lovely family!!! Her mother Melissa and her partner-Shane, her sister-Tash and her sister's boyfriend-Jarrad, her boyfriend-Jason, her little stepsister Maya were all deaf too. She also had another little stepbrother-Oscar who is hearing who is a very bright little boy and can sign fluently! They also had two dogs, Stella and Jade. They were so adorable and we loved them so much! One of them was really funny because when you sign "Happy Birthday" she would start barking with you! We loved it and set her off at every opportunity! They all lived in a big lovely house and warmly welcomed us into their home :)
The first night was lovely, they cooked us dinner and we ate with the family at the table and it felt like we were at home.
Van (bless her) wrote a list of things to do around Melbourne so the next day we rode the tram with Shane, Oscar and Van who was going to college in the morning and she would meet us later.
We saw the Crown Plaza (casino/hotel) and we all felt out of place in a there with our tracksuits and borrowed coats from Van as the weather was still cold and wet. So we just had a quick look around the building, didn't even get to play in the slots (we didn't have ID on us at the time!)
We went into Melbourne Exhibition centre to get some advice, and we met an elderly lady - she was very helpful to us but her accent was so strong that when we left the building we were snickering and trying to copy her accent! But she told us where to get the free tram ride that takes us around the city. So we hopped on the tram, took in some sights and followed the list given.
We also saw a quirky alleyway with walls covered in graffiti! The people who did them truly had skills, we couldn't pick a favourite so we went up to a lot and posed for photos! We had lunch at Wagamama (yuuuuum!) before jumping on a free bus for tourists. So far we were really impressed with the Aussies as we were seeing a lot and it's free! Bonus!
We went to Queen Victoria market but it was early afternoon and the people were packing up so we left it for another day.
We took a bus to the Docklands, had a wander around (window shopping mainly) before meeting up with Van to go back to her house.
We had another lovely dinner cooked for us, and we played games with the family and chatted for the evening. Maya the little girl was taken with Mischa and asked her to read her bedtime stories, she was truly adorable!!
At the weekend, Jarrad had some friends also staying at the house, so it was 15 peeps overall staying! We asked if it was ok, but their house is seriously massive that there was still room for everyone!
We were going out that night to a bar called T Bar, it was a regular meet up for local deaf people so we were excited to get to know some other deaf Aussies. Before we left, we had a pre-drink up at the house. The boys taught us a new drinking game called 'King Jug' it's lethal but we loved it! Even asked to keep the rules that they had kindly written down for us so that we could teach you 'Pommies' how to play when we return !;-)
After getting suitably tipsy, we all left together to catch a tram to Flinders Street (in town) we arrived to T-bar and went to go in. They had bouncers there and that's when Alysha discovered that she left her ID at the house ! Grrrrr! So after a few texts, it was arranged that Tash would drive down with her ID after picking up some more friends at the airport to bring to the bar! The bouncers are much more stricter here (they get heavily fined if the police come in and not everyone has ID) no amount of pleading and explaining that ID was coming soon would they allow her to go in!
Thankfully the bar had an open front so Gemma and Coco stayed with her "outside" and chatted whilst waiting for the flipping ID. They gave Alysha drinks on the sly and got chatting to a few locals and got some tips. After a while, Alysha was allowed in (they still asked her for ID) so she gave it to them with a typical "in your face!" look - the bouncer laughed it off though!
We bumped into Matthew Norman again (we saw him and Erik in Laos) amongst other people that Van was friends with. We met Kylie that night who was like another long lost friend even though we never met before. We stayed for a while, having a few drinks before returning home. It was really lovely meeting such friendly people and having a laugh together :)
On our stay, while the family went to work we explored more of Melbourne, going back to Queen Victoria market (bought a few souvenirs and clothes) we also went to Chapel Street - a very cool street with plenty vintages shops and a lot of cute cafes and quirky shops.
We visited Van at one of her workplaces - a deaf cafe that is open to the public too but it is situated on the grounds of Victoria Deaf school/college. It was closed by the time we got there so we had just missed the children which was a shame, but on the good side we got to eat lovely sandwiches that hadn't been bought that day! Delish!
Van, being the most fantastic hostess, had got us invited to another party. It was Jacob's 21st house party and we all had to wear something green for the party.
We drove there as it was a bit far - all 4 of us squashed in the back, Van and Jason in the front.
We arrived and there were lots of people in the garden. We had jelly shots, wine and nibbles to start with. Everyone was friendly, introducing themselves, and before we knew it we were all having a good time with a bunch of strangers!
We saw the lovely Kylie again and her bestie, Michelle who is like us, another funny nutter! She provided us with jägermister shots and many other countless shots!
Through Kylie's straightforward talking, she had found accommodation with a group of boys for us! Nick, Joe and Matthew didn't really want to take us on but with the help of knowing one of the boys beforehand (Matthew) and promises on our behalf that we would cook and clean for them if they let us stay...they accepted our offer! Yay!
Feeling a bit hungover in the morning, we packed our bags, cleaned up the house a bit. As a 'thank you' for letting us stay, we went to the shops to buy the parents flowers and a leaving present for Van. The stay was much better than we ever thought, the family were so welcoming that it was actually sad to be leaving them all, Van and the dogs. Onwards and upwards....
We knew we would meet with Van again as the boys house we were staying with was still near Melbourne! (So it wasn't too teary in the taxi!) ;)
Boys House#1 -
We arrived at the boy's house with Matthew and Joe greeting us at the door! (Nick was still at work!) then straightaway, we went shopping for the food that week and we decided that all the foods we'll cook would be what we missed most at home in UK! So we had bangers 'n' mash, chicken fajitas, Shepherd Pie, lasagna, pie and mash! Then when the boys went to work, we went into domestic mode and started cleaning the whole house! From top to bottoms, all the floors, washing their clothes, cleaning the windows etc. We didn't mind at all because in a strange way, we kind of missed it! Being in kitchen was our favourite place after always going out to eat in Asia - we were certainly in our element.
Then the boys suggested that while we're in Melbourne, we should go do the Great Ocean Drive before we go up north.
So we hired a car but it was raining that day and we woke up late so we went to Neighbours actual street nearby and had photos taken. Then the next day, we had a VERY early start, started driving to Geelong, then toward Bells Beach which was beautiful (photos do not do it justice) then drove to Lorne. We stopped at a cute old fashioned cafe for tea and scones before setting off again to Apollo Bay. We went to the beach for a while but no swimming as it was SO cold! Then we carried on with the route to Princetown, where we stopped off to walk in a rainforest! It was a massive rainforest and we had fun walking round the trail before setting off to see the Twelve Apostles. The sight of Twelve Apostles were breathtaking, trying to imagine there was 12 rock stacks instead of the remaining 7. Then we stopped off at Port Campbell for few hot drinks before returning to the boys house late at night.
Alysha and Mischa purchased a ticket to an interpreter award night where Van was hosting and Joe's girlfriend, Sarah (an interpreter herself) were part of the committee. They really enjoyed themselves, meeting a lot of new friends, seeing Melissa and Shane, rest of the family too (minus the two little ones) and some 'old faces' from Jacobs party. Mischa even bumped into two of her work old colleagues, Ramas and Adam! Small world, indeed! Coco and Gemma had a special date night planned in the town, visiting lesbians bars and having lovely dinner with Coco's friend, Quiche. Then an "early night" followed by....
Bless the boys - they were fixing a hot spa for us to use but despite their hard work - it wasn't deemed 'clean' as the spa was never in use for 8 years!!! We loved staying at the boys house, cooking and getting to know more of Sarah.
One day, we went to a Westfields nearby for a touch of retail therapy, but awkward....there were sales on!!! Yes, the girls went crazy and bought 7 pairs of high heels between them to send home! One night, they went out to Joint Bar in Flinders Street to meet other deafies there. They were pleased to see Van, Kylie, Tash and others again :) we had a good night, drinking shots and getting to know each other more. On the way home, Matthew introduced us to 'churros'....wow! It's Spanish doughnut stick with 3 melted chocolate dips!!! We were in heaven...!
Then we had a mini farewell party and everyone we met in Melbourne came by, we also met 2 new friends - Gare and Heath, two lovely gay men :) we were sad to leave the next day, especially with a hangover, nevertheless, we made our way to the train station to get a train to Bairnsdale to meet our friends, Luke Holdsworth and Sarah Page.
Bairnsdale-
We finally arrived in Bairnsdale to meet Luke and Sarah at the station and it was really good to see them, hugs all round and catching up big time! Then we went out and hired out some DvDs and went back to their lovely cute little cottage! They kindly cooked Spag Bol for us then we had an evening of drinking, playing cards, Jungle Speed and Luke made us vodka jelly shots!!! They have Aldi over here and the wine cask was SO cheap, we bought loads!!!!
We stayed with them for a week, went shopping round the town, buying foods and cooking for them whenever they came back from work. In some evenings, we also played the game - "Who am I?" it was really a fun, laughing, still getting to know each other more and then watching DVDs till late!
One day, Mischa and Coco went shopping for few essentials and then Mischa just randomly said she always wanted her tongue pierced but never had the guts to do it. So with that random spontaneity, they went to a tattoo/piercing shop, got her tongue pierced and then went back to the cottage! No one could believe she just went shopping and came back with her tongue pierced!!!
Luke and Sarah also introduced us to Kmart, it's a cheap shop that has everything in it, from home stuff, electrical, food and of course clothes! (Bit like Adsa!) We all did a bit of shopping on the cheap and got good bargains and books too.
We booked the coach to go to Sydney, but before heading off, Luke and Sarah invited us to visit their school and meet their deaf students in the morning. It was really lovely to meet such adorable kids, we all sat together, introduced each other over cakes and biscuits. Then the kids showed us DVD of some school trips they went to, showed us round the school, had a quick football game in the gym. Coco shamelessly fell and hurt her back! Then we returned to the cottage to pack up and then we baked a Thank You cake for Luke and Sarah before catching the coach to Sydney.
Sydney-
We arrived in Sydney 10am in the morning after 12 hours on the coach overnight! This is not a funny story but you know what we're like - giggling whenever bad stuff happens... A young teenager got up and walked to the front when the coach was still moving, not yet arrived...(we were sitting at the front) Then the driver just stopped suddenly, braking harshly and the kid just flew and hit his head on the windscreen! Luckily, he wasn't hurt or bleeding, just a bruised ego and the windscreen was smashed! The driver just said "Hope you've learnt your lesson!" Mischa was beside herself, still giggling for ages afterward!!! (she even took picture of the windscreen for memory!)
We got a taxi to the campervan place where they booked a campervan online for nearly 5 weeks, driving from Sydney all the way to Cairns. We were really excited about this - a road trip!!! yeeeaahhhhh!
We drove to Coco's friend, Tash who she hadn't seen for years since she moved from Essex to Australia where she kindly let us park outside her house for a night to start organising what to do next and where to go. Tash was kind of standoffish and wouldn't even let us in to shower or even charge up our phone! Therefore ended their 'friendship'.....There was this greek community hall opposite so we just went in and used their toilet and quickly charge up our phone. Luckily, Sarah and Alex who we met from Thailand texted us straightaway that they've organised a night out for us! So we got ready in the campervan and then....yep, the power died!!!
It was hard to get ready using just the torch from iPhone! Nevertheless, we managed to look pretty and got the train to meet them at Kings Cross. It was a happy reunion when we saw them - hugs and big kisses!! We went straight to the club where we got our hand stamped so everything would be half price when we come back out later.
Sarah and Alex brought their friend, Maddie along with us so we went back to Maddie's flat for some drinks and catching up. Maddie's flat had a rooftop and the view were stunning - you could see everything, the opera house, the bridge, harbour etc! When we were suitably tipsy, we went out to the club and had fun dancing the night away!
The next day, we did our laundry at the Laundromat when the funniest thing happened (maybe not for Coco!) she just sneezed and then her back gave way, with shooting pains in her back! She really couldn't move that much and it was really hurting a lot so we called the ambulance who then drove Gemma and Coco to the hospital.
After a while, Gemma came back and picked Alysha and Mischa up to go to the hospital where they said it was basically a trapped nerve, nothing too serious and she could leave the hospital! Phew! We stayed outside Tash house one more night and then the next day, VERY early morning, we drove to MacDonalds for breakfast and free wifi!
We finally found a campervan site near Sydney, in Narrabeen for cheap, plus it's near the beach! We quickly drove there and finally charged up the campervan and have a proper shower!! We went for a walk round the site, beautiful beaches and yes, it was near a shopping mall!!! *whoop*
The next day, we drove to Palm Beach where Home and Away's surf club was and the beach where they film their programme. We had some photos taken outside the surf club, and even "recreated" a scene where Alysha caught Coco and Gemma snogging as if they were in Home and Away! It wasn't hot that day but we were determined to swim in the "famous" beach! Boy, it was so refreshing and not THAT cold! Coco was our appointed photographer since her back was still sore. We had a picnic by the beach with our folding chairs and table!
The next day, we drove to Manly beach, one of the best beach so far! it was really sunny that day so again, we swam in the beach and boy, the waves are rougher here! Then we had a walk round the town, before heading back to our campsite and had another swim in the beach at Narrabeen.
The last day at this site, we drove to Bondi Beach, the most famous beach in Australia we assume! It wasn't that hot but Alysha and Mischa were still determined to *lick finger* been swim that beach! It was cold but after a while of swimming, it wasn't that bad! Then we had a walk round town, a lot of cute shops and cafe where we discovered one that serves 'churros'!!! Of course we went in straightaway and had one each!! *drool*
Gemma decided she wanted her tongue pierced too so she had her done in Bondi Beach! Then we went past a fish 'n' chip shop and saw they were serving deep fried Mars Bar! Mischa had one before and said it was delicious so they all tried a bit of hers and boy, it was YUMMY!!! :)
Then we drove to Matthew Everett's friend house - Nick and Andrew who kindly had let us park outside their house and sleep at the house for a couple of night.
Boys House #2:
We arrived at the boys house, they welcomed us in along with two dogs, a cute staffy puppy called Bam and a beautiful husky called Jessie. Bam was excitable bounding around everywhere and Jessie started howling like a wolf!
The first night, Matthew and another friend Melissa joined us for the evening and we played a few rounds of King Jug. The boys claimed that it was them who had invented the game and changed the rules. One of the cards meant you had to do a dare if you picked it. Gemma and Mischa had it, so they were told to jump into their pool. Not realising that it was ultra cold but that didn't stop them from going back into it again!
The boys had even bought a bottle of abinith drink! We had to do shots out of it, and we had not seen the vile green drink for years so it was a mini trip down memory lane (thankfully the Aussie version is not as bad as our one!) It was a fun night, catching up with Matthew and getting to know the boys too.
The next morning feeling slightly hangover, we relaxed on their sofas watching DVDs all day, it was heavily pouring down outside too!!
That night the boys kindly cooked us an Aussie style BBQ. They got T-bone steaks that were alp massive! They served them to us as medium (usually we like our meat well done and off the bone) but they did a good job and we all ate our meal! Shocking!
Nick and Andrew gave us a few tips on where we should head next which was Blue Mountain and Three Sisters before Port Stephens.
The next morning we tidied up, packed our bags and said goodbyes, we were sad to leave behind Bam and Jessie! We headed to Blue Mountain for a photo opportunity. We arrived and it was very windy, but the view was stunning and we also saw the Three sisters. Back onto the road to Port Stephens....
Port Stephens - We arrived after visiting the Blue Mountains, the campervan site was not the best but it did have a jumping pillow. It is like a massive "pillow" on the ground, same material as bouncy castle and is blown up! We had a fool around on it, setting the camera on a self timer and capturing our silly moment.
We then drove to Port Macginue, hoping for another dip in the sea but the waves were really rough, slamming into many rocks around so we declined on behalf of our safety.
We went to One Mile beach where it is literally one mile long and had lot of pretty sand dunes that moved in the wind. We dipped our feet in the sea but it was still too risky to have a swim as the waves kept coming up high! It was here where we first spotted a whale in the ocean!
Coffs Harbour-
We arrived in Coffs Harbour and instantly was very pleased as our site had a heated jacuzzi outside! The beach itself was near our site so we walked there and had a lovely swim in the sea. But the current was so strong that when the waves went over us we were flipping about and sometimes crashing into each other! We also strayed quite far from where we originally placed our towels/bags and it was a feat trying to swim back to our place! Then we had a lovely relaxing time in the heated jacuzzi afterward!!!
By our resort was a place called 'Big Banana' where we got a combo pass to do ice-skating and tobagganing. We did ice skating first and luckily, we had the whole rink to ourselves. We played tag with each other and had a few races until a big group of school kids came along (we were jealous as it was their P.E lesson! Cool!)
We left the rink and went to the Toboggan area. It was a like a slide track that runs down a hill in a sled with wheels (think of the film Cool Running, but no ice!) We got into one each, boy, we rode it SO fast! All of us nearly fell out and crashed into each other as we went round the ends like maniacs! Mischa actually fell out of the track on one curve but luckily got back on quickly with only a scrape on her elbow!
Then we had a look at the candy factory but we missed the slotted show where they show you how to make it. (Mischa bought some sweets anyway.)
- comments