Well Folks

Thanks everyone for being patient with me as it has taken me nearly three weeks to update my blog. The last month has been crazy, non stop travelling! Has been so so much fun. Just what I imagined the east coast to be like. But the scenery has blown me away I definetley didn't expect it to be so stunning and breathtaking. Has taken me breath away on more than one occassion. I could easily have been mistaken for thinking I was in paradise. Not what I expected at all from Australia.

The Whitsundays, well I didn't really know much about them before this trip so never really had many expectations. Well I have never felt so much like I was in paradise when I was there. The colours of the ocean, the views and the total calmness. Just out of this world. I went there for the day with Mum and Dad to two islands. "Hamilton and Daydream Island". After Mum and Dad left my firend Jackie from home joined me on a journey of the east coast over three jam packed non stop weeks. Jackie and I went on Anacounder 3, one of the biggest sailing vessels on the Whitsundays. A huge mega Yacht. Was really excited as have never slept on a yacht before. We did a 3 day 3 night cruise. Had a great time. There was 31 of us and 6 crew on board. All backpackers. We choose not to do a party boat though, we can party anytime wanted a mix of chilling out, diving, snorkelling and partying. Was a great mix. By day we dived, sunbathed on the deck, helped with the sailing snorkelled, visited islands or just chilled out read a book, whatever and by night we played games. Some of these were hilarious like trying to get a broom all the way round your body without lettiing go. Such a laugh.

We stopped at Whitehaven Beach. This is in the top ten beaches of the world. Yeah and I can see why. Pure white soft sand so soft under your feet. Total paradise.

As for the snorkelling and diving. First class. I snorkelled and dived both in the Whitsundays and up at the Great Barrier Reef. When diving a reef shark swam past us. AAAAHH!The fish and the colours of coral just amazing. Lots of different coloured fish they swim right up to you. When you snorkelled you saw far more fish than diving as you were nearer the surface. Loved it. Could have watched them all day.After three days we said goodbye to Anacounder, definetley a highlight of my trip. Goodbye to the Whitsundays but i'll be back one day i'm sure.

Then Jackie and I continued our journey down south to go a four wheel drive safari on Fraser island. Typical backpacker must do's.By this point Jackie now had become a seasoned backpacker.She quickly got used to sharing dorms and bathrooms and even tents with people we didn't know. Good on you girl!As for Fraser after Whitsundays it would be hard for it to give us the AAOOWW! factor but hey again truly beautiful, yet a different beauty. What a brilliant few days. We couldn't have asked for a better group. Eleven of us, two Scottish, one Italian, two German, two Irish and three English and one Norweigan. A good mix. By day we all took it in turns to drive the over the sand dunes. I was the first to do it on the island, he he! At first it was really scarey you drove over really large dunes and large chunks of sand. Not long into my drive while trying to turn up a road which was just piles of sand. i got the car bogged in the sand and we had to get a man to tow us out. AAAHH! It was such a laugh. There were times though, when you thought the jeep was going to topple, we all screamed, screamed at the driver, swore , closed our eyes, then breathed out a sigh of relief then smiled and giggled we were aliive and we hadn't toppled. You had to be there to know what I mean. Was so easy to topple the jeep, if you hit the dune the wrong way. Twice we nearly toppled and boy I was terriffied! Overall Loved it. We camped at night and partied.We all got on really well. Jane and Matt from England were great at making up games for us to play, some of them were hilarious. We have some really good photos of Jackie and I reliving our primary school days doing forward rolls. At nights dingos would try to come into our camp, we had to chase them away. Just look like dogs quite cute but I'm sure if you tried to cuddle them you would have huge wounds as a reminder. The views at Fraser Island again amazing. Lake Mackenzie, well I've never seen a lake so crystal clear it is infused with aloe vera we spent all day there chilling out. Total relaxation. I can't decide what I liked best Fraser or the Whitsundays both two of my favourite things I have done yet but very different and brilliant in their own special way.

After Fraser jackie and I headed to Noosa. Noosa is a place where rich Australianns go on holiday, has lots of designer shops but is becoming popular with backpackers. We went there as is the gateway to Australia Zoo. The hostel we stayed in wasn't up to much. Shame but hey! We went to the National Park and spotted a wild Koala well that was after asking lots of people "Have you seen a koala?" When a man showed us one in the tree. This was the first wild one Jackie saw so was a special moment. They are so cute. Next day we went to Australia Zoo. To be honest I thiught it was very disappointing, probably not as good since Steve not there now. But all the same was good to see the kangaroos and koala's especially as jackie had n't seen them.

From Noosa we went to a place called Byron Bay. I loved the atmosphere here. Total holiday feel. Lots of tourist shops and bars, not too tacky with a gorgeous beach. Had been here with Mum and Dad and they loved too. From Byron we went to a place called NImbin. This is a very hippy place. A bit like Amsterdam you can easily buy hash and hash cookies here and police turn a blind eye to it. Was nice to see but would'nt go back.We went a day trip to it and had a BBQ by a waterfall on the way back this was nice.

Then time with Jackie and my travelling over the east coast ended in Brisbane. Its been an amazing journey. Lots of good times. Was nice to have someone I knew to share with too. I'm now planning on heading to Perth and up the west coast have some friends who have bought a car and theres a space for me to travel with them for a bit. Going to give it a bash. The west is meant to be more beautiful, not touristy and far more isolated.

Well, fingers crossed it will be as good or better than the East.

Bye for now, Miss you all, love me xxxx