So we set off from Sydney on our trip down to meet the girls in Brisbane, hoping to not meet the floods which were currently being shown on the tvs in all the hostels. On the 16 hour drive out of the city we saw the 'real Australia', houses that look like they should be set in neighbours, men with knee length socks and heat, unbelieveable heat! Luckily we didn't see any of the horrific floods but the rivers close to Brisbane city centre looked dangerously high. We reached our destination around midnight and headed for...you guessed it, bed! Rock and roll! The next morning we met our Aussie friend Dayna with as much excitment as a groupie meeting a rock star...she picked us up and took us to her house which was stunning and we had our first real Aussie barbie...when in Rome! We chatted to Dayna's lovely family and mates over a few glasses of vino and then caught up with Emma as she popped round. While gabbing the girls were pointing out all the scary creatures in the backyard including a poisonous toad! The fun didn't end there though as a Gekko decided to join me and Helen in our room causing helen to once again have a minor fit which for some reason always involves clutching my arm and shoving me closer towards whatever creature is distrubing her! (Even if it is just a H&M bag!) The next day Dayna had to hold me and Helen back as she drove us to Australia Zoo (aka Steve Irwin's zoo) Here we got to see and pat some Koalas as well as kangaroo's, and looked at all other assortment of Auusie creatures...most of them deadly! Then we headed to the beach to check out all the Aussie talent! That night we went to a bar, met Dayna's mate Jessica and had a gossip. While Dayna was working hard the next day we used the internet to do our homework...otherwise known as blogging. What we didn't do was step outside for fear of meeting our death at the fangs,claws, spittle of some dangerous breed (how the aussies live to a grand old age, none knows!) That night we met up with Tom again and had a chit chat before packing up to leave Brisbane :( Its was soo sad leaving here knowing that we probably wouldn't see the girls till they next come down to Europe or us back to Oz, and me and Helen did contemplate kidnapping Dayna and her sister Kaitlin so they could join us in South East Asia! The next leg of our journey turned into one of those days in your travels (and there haven't been many) when you really just want to cancel the day and start all over again! We left Brisbane to visit the coastal town of Byron Bay which is meant to be stunning, and im sure it is when it is not pouring with torrential rain. On arrival it became clear we had made a big boo boo by nopt booking any accomodation as there was no bloody room at the inn! We checked hostel after hostel, moving with less grace than Mary on her donkey as not only were we loaded up with our backpacks but the downpouring of rain was making walking in flip flops death defying! We admited defeat and spent the next two hours on the internet making arrnagements to make the 5 hour trip back to Brisbane...what a huge effort for nothing! It did however allow us to stay in a motel for 3 nights that came with a TV, so you can imagine what the rest of Sydney was spent doing...needless to say we did get our four month quota of tv in!