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Josie's Giant Adventure
Hello
It seems like a long time since I've written one of these. In fact it seems a long time since I was in Melbourne and Sydney, but I've finally got a bit of time out of my hectic schedule to write something. So I'll try to remember what I did back in Sydney and Melbourne. Needless to say as they are big cities, I loved them, and needless to say, as it was me there, I had a good time. Apart from when I was in a hostel in Sydney (in Woolloomooloo, what a ridiculous name with too many o's) where I had to drink my wine out of a paper cup - rubbish! Also the place was full of 18 year olds, was massive and didn't have a friendly atmosphere at all. But we wont dwell on that, because there have been plenty of cool places I've stayed in and seen to make up for it. Paper cup indeed. Who do they think I am? I actually purchased plastic wine glasses which I have been carrying around with me ever since in case of any such future disasters.
Well, I started Australia in Melbourne in the luxury of my cousin Andy and his wife's lovely flat. They drove me around and took me to cool places and pointed me in the right direction to get the best out of Melbourne and the surrounding area. Hostels hadn't really been getting me down, but it was absolutely lovely to be in someone's home and not in a dorm room for some nights, and staying with the most hospitable people ever - thank you A&A, it couldn't have been better, apart from if it had lasted longer!
On my first day Andy took me to a really cool wildlife park in Ballarat where we fed Kangaroos (see over-photography of the animals on the photos page) and we saw a joey (baby Kangaroo) in a pouch too - how cool. We saw some koalas that were awake which was really lucky since they sleep for 20 hours a day and they are v cute to watch. I spent the next day wondering around the town and the botanical gardens which were both really nice. Melbourne feels slightly similar to London in ways, particularly during the evening on the South Bank. Andy, Alex and I then spent a day driving around the beautiful peninsular to the east of Melbourne. We got some excellent views from a place called Athur's Seat and from the end of a boardwalk at a place called Cape Shank. We had lunch and some good wine in a lovely village called Portsea and afternoon tea in a winery called Lindanderry which was beautiful. We also went to see the place that they got married in which was absolutely stunning with amazing views - the Red Hill Winery. We drove home along the ocean road and although I believe the wine may have made me doze for a bit, what I saw looked great - a brilliant place to have a house overlooking the sea.
I spent a lovely day with Tom (from University) and Avril. We got a boat from the South Bank to a nice little place accross the bay called Williamstown where there were loads of sailing boats and we saw a sea plane take off - I really want to go in one. I'm surprised I haven't! We had a lunch and went to the beach in Williamstown which was all really nice and it was great to catch up with Tom & Avril.
The other thing I did from Melbourne was a trip down the Great Ocean Road to the west of Melbourne where you see the famous Bells Beach for surfing, Torquay which is the home of Quicksliver and Ripcurl and Jeelong which is where they invented the Goon Bag. Goon Bag is an Australian term I have only just learnt - its the bag of wine that goes in a box - those genius people in Jeelong. I also learnt a great use of the goon bag the other night - when you've finished you can blow it up and use it for a pillow! I learnt this from a bloke who drank his wine from a silver goblet, which I had to admit, beats my plastic wine glasses for backpacker style.
Also on the Great Ocean Road you see the 12 Appostles and London Bridge which are both kind of columns of rock that used to be attached to the mainland but the bit in between has been washed away - they are amazing. The most amusing thing about the trip was the bus driver who told dad jokes all the way along and for every bit of his commentary he had a song to accompany it - i.e. he would mention how the road was very windy, then play Long and Windy Road. The peak of cheesyness was when he actually played London Bridge is Falling Down when we got to the London Bridge rock formation, of which, a bit had fallen into the sea! He also loved to sing or whistle along but was completely tone deaf.
In Melbourne we had a couple of excellent meals out in St Kilda and on the South Bank. When we were in the restaurant on the South Bank, massive fire balls started shooting into the air, which is a display the casino puts on every hour and it is really impressive, if a bit terrifying the first time you see it. They also had a show in the casino foyer to celebrate Chinese New Year where they had loads of moving lanterns signifying good luck for various things and a massive moving dragon.
I left the relaxed high quality residence of Chez Andy & Alex and went to the extreme contrast of the paper cup hostel. Despite the hostel, I spent a couple of day wondering around Sydney and going to the beaches and liked it very much. I went to Bondi Beach which people aren't too complementary about but I thought it was nice enough, just a bit busy. Then I spent a night in the Blue Mountains just outside Sydney. I went on a mammoth walk through the forest around the 3 sisters. I was really enjoying it until I ended on a very long up hill bit in extreme heat then couldn't quite find my way back to where I'd come from, but eventually I found my way back, feeling very good about my accomplishment, apart from the getting lost bit.
After the Blue Mountains I went to Manly which is part of Sydney, a ferry ride away from the town centre. There is a really good beach there and I just sat on the beach, planned and booked the rest of my time in Australia and made some friends to have a couple of good nights out with. One of the nights we went to a nearby beach where they have barbeques set up for you to use which was absolutely lovely.
I was disappointed to leave Manly and my new friends, but by the time I'd got there, I realised how little time I had left in Australia and how much I wanted to do. I booked myself onto a tight schedule (typical me) and am now regretting it as I don't want to leave anywhere I get to. But then again, if I didn't stick to it, I would have to miss something out which I don't want to do either, so I had to compromise. Overall, although I feel dissapointed to leave every place I am in, I am having a great time so can't complain.
Onward up the East Coast - see next postcard.
Lots of love to everyone, wish my friends and family were out here with me!
Josiexxx
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