Hello!
Sorry that it has been a while since I last updated you all, the last three weeks here in Australia have been full on! Travelling down the east coast has been amazing, I have enjoyed every minute of it. With every journey further down the coast it just kept getting better and better!

I will give you a quick update on all the places I have stopped while travelling down, and fill you in properly when I am home, as there is just so much I could type!

I shall start from the very beginning of our Australia adventure...Cairns! We arrived in Cairns on the 5th April to more beautiful sunshine. We stayed in a hostel called Asylum...and it was here that we learn't that the Australians really are as laid back as people say! It took them over an hour to check us into our rooms, they had us sitting or "chilling" as they liked to put it, sipping cups of tea, while they slowly decided which which room they would put us in! We weren't complaining though...FREE tea, haha!

On moday nigths the hostel have a night called "Crazy Mondays" where you pay $10 for a night out and a free t-shirt that you must wear...so our first monday night in Australia was spent with the people from Asylum on a "crazy monday" night out...we soon learn't why they called this place asylum...is was as if they had been locked up all week and only let out on monday!!!

From Cairns we did a trip to The Great Barrier Reef. Despite being a little delicate after the "crazy monday" night out, and the boat ride being very choopy, which may i let you know are not a good combination...the trip was still incredible!! We had the chance to snorkel over the reef, seeing every colour, size and shape fish you can think off...and we are happy to say that after alot of searching we did indeed find Nemo!!

We also went to Cape Tribualtion from Cairns. Cape Tribualtion is where the Great Barrier Reef and the Daintree Rainforstest meet. It is the only place on earth where two world Heritage areas exist side by side. We took a guided walk around the Daintree Rainforest seeing many scary/interesting/horrible creatures along the way! We even came across two Kasawari's which are the world's most dangerous birds, they were HUGE! On our second and final day there, we came home via Port Douglas which was a really nice laid back quaint town. However, it was here that I got the shock of my life! As i opened up my bag i realised that I had left my travel wallet with my...passport, credit card, driving license...MY LIFE, back up at cape tribulation and we were now a good couple of hours drive away with a strict time schedule to stick too. So there was no way we could get the tour guide to drive us back. After alot of panicing, phone calls, begging, tears, waiting, having it sent down the east coast...I am happy to say that I finally have my travel wallet back in my hands and I will never again be putting it inside of my pillowcase as a safe place while i sleep...it could only be me!!

Our next destination was Townsvillie, where we went striaght across to Magnetic Island. Magnetic island was discovered by Captain Cook in 1700 and he believed that the island had a magnetic force that caused interference with his compass, hence the islands name, Magnetic Island! We went to a widlife park on the island and it was here that I conquered my fear of snakes and i actually held one, not for long, but i held it! I also held a Koala called Barry!

Next we went down to Airlie Beach from where we went to the whitsundays on a two day one night trip, sleeping on a little sail boat over night, which was an expeience! We went to the Whitehaven beach as part of the tour...i have never seen sand like it. The sand there is literally white, it is beautiful. Even despite the rain that we were sadly subject too the beach was still stunning, so I cannot even begin to imagine how nice it must be in the sunshine!

Our next stop was 1770, which is a lovely little picturesque seaside village were we sunbathed on the beach working on the tans! 1770 is away from any main town so was really quiet and chilled out. We only had a day and night there but it was lovely to have time to sit quietly on the beach, and take advantage of the sunshine!

One of the highlights of my whole trip so far is Fraiser Island, which was our next tour, of which we did from Rainbow beach. We set out from Rainbow beach to Fraiser Island on a three day two night tour, and is was fantastic. Fraiser Island is the worlds larget island made from sand and is known as one of the top ten most beautiful islands in the world. We visited a number of lakes with our tour guide, who himeslef was great! His name was Bret and he liked the odd drink or two or three....he took us to a pub one eveing on the island and he got trollied!! The island was just beautiful, it is hard to describe how nice it actually is, but i am sure you can see from my pictures (on facebook) just how stunning the place is!

The next stop was Byron Bay from were we did our trip to a little place called Nimbin, and now this place is in its own little world! It is a little hippy town, were basically growing, selling and posessing cannibis is part of everyday culture!

Next we travelled on down to SYDNEY! I stayed with some family friends here, which was great! It was nice to have a cosy duvet, a couch, a shower whenever you like...and well a warm house really! Sydney was wicked...i have definetly fallen in love with the place. It has it all and even beautiful beaches to go with it. The highlight of my stay here was climbing the Sydney Harbour Bridge! The climb takes you along the upper span of the arch on catwalks and ladders, all the way to the summit , 134 metres above Sydney Harbour! The views were unbelieveable across the whole of the city and as far as the Blue Mountains! I safely made it across the Bridge and all the way back down, and now have a certificate to say i completed the climb, whoop!

I arrived in Christchurch, New Zealand this morning. Getting to the airport this morning was...interesting. Steve who was once of the people i was staying with, kindly offered to take us to the airport. However, there were two accidents on the motorway, so along with this came a hell of alot of traffic! A normal half an hour journey took over an hour and half...leaving us just half an hour before our flight! The panic was on! We had to phone the airline, and they gave us fifteen mintues to get to the check in or they would have to close, so there we were just pulling into the airport...we jumped out of the car and started running for our lives!! We made it to the desk just in time, puffing away after the marathon run through the airport! Now we look back and think about what we must have looked like to others in the airport, it is very funny, but at the time it really wasnt!!!

Well, there is a low down on my time in Australia. I enjoyed every minute there and just wish i could do it all again.

Hope you are all well, keep the updates coming! Miss you all xxxxxxxxxxx