1. Byron Bay and Nimbin - Duration: 5 nights

We loved byron bay, quite touristy but great feel about the place and great beach, bars, and close to Nimbin :-). Here was quite eventful - as I (Jem) had to have my wisdom tooth out - yes painful and not the most fantastic memory for traveling - but I survived - and more importantly so did Lucy without fainting from the groseness of it. Here we chilled on the beach, learned to surf - which so much fun but also hard work but it was successful as we both managed to ride the waves standing up several times (whooop - very proud moments for us), visited Nimbin - the hippiest weirdest druggy town - fun and an experience to say the least. We also got to have a bbq by a creek near nimbin and see some waterfuls. We also chose our last day to walk the wonderful walk to the light house for fantastic views, to be at the most easterly point of Australia, this day was not only our last day in Byron but the first of rubbish weather - yes 1 hour walking in a thunderstorm - yet we were determinned there were high points laughing at ourselves and our misfortune and the low points - hours later walking back to the hostel drowned rats cold wet and miserable. However the light house was good and the views would of been amazing but the rain made it a little grey. In byron there is a cool bar called Cheeky Monkeys where we drank beer and sangria and got a free dinner. Oh and the hostel was great as it was a free pancake breakfast every day :-) 9very exciting). Also had an eventful day out hiring the dodgy bikes at our hostel - which were rust bukets and i had a childs bike and lucy had no breaks - fun times.

2. Coffs Harbour - 1 night

1 night was all that was needed here, it rained rained and rained, but the hostel was lovely and new and modern and very clean. Therefore what to do on a rainy day in a quiet town, well we watched a film did our washing and oh yeah got drunk. Well getting drunk was a difficult mission in itself, met one of our friends David who we met earlier up the coast. So went to the local bar for a bevvie and it was calling last orders at 9 - yes 9pm, head back to hostel for advice on a bottle shop, hostel worker tells us where, we buy the famous backpacker drink that is Goon (wine with fish extracts in a bag - the only cheap alcoholic beverage available in Oz) and take it back to hostel for some quiet drinking games by the pool, we are playing cards for 5 mins and the same guy who advises us where the bottle shop is comes and tells us we cant drink on the premises after 10pm (its now 9.55pm) - joy so we go to the room and have a fun night of drinking games, m&m throwing, and meeting crazy gypsy lady Winnie (60 years old and travelling the land of Oz) - was a fun night. Get into bed been asleep for bout hour and the next thing ya know i am out of the bed on the floor in the hostel room puking up (yes another classic drunk jemma moment) our one and only roomie wakes lucy and poor ol drunk lucy has to look after and clear up a very sicky jemma - nice!! Anyway as u can guess the day in Coffs harbour the next day was a daze but we did manage to see the harbour and tremendous waves and one legged birds as weather still rubbish. We then hung about waiting for our over night coach to Newcastle.

3 - Newcastle - 1 night

Well the over night coach that arrives us at 9am (perfect timing to go hunt a hostel), but no to a nasty suprise we wake up to hearing the driver call Newcastle at 6am - so here we get of pitch black and no one about and no hostel booked. Treked with our bags to a YHA hostel and thankfully got let in at 7am. The hostel is our favourite like being in harry potter, old fashioned, grand stairways, clocks, open fires, old photos, chandeliers - it was beautiful lots of character so unlike all the other hostels. Newcastle weather was rubbish spent the day walking along the beach and the ocean swimming pools (and nutty people swimming in this freezing water). The town was a bit rough round the edges and we visited the not so exciting art gallery. The evening was good went to the brewery along the river for a free bbq at the bar and quiz, few pints.

4. Sydney - 8 nights

We love Sydney - not the Home backpackers as that was grose. But X Base hostel was awsome - wear we spent 7 nights was great. We did so much in Sydney try to narrow it down, well we saw the Harbour Bridge and the Opera House which was so real but really cool. We wanted to climb the bridge but it was nearly 100 quid so not worth it as we are skint. We visited the botanical gardens which were beautiful, day trips to Bondi and Manly which for famous beachs were not much to write home about. We went to Paddys PArk, the Olympic Park and reminised about our swimming memories whilst watching the training of squads, water polo and the diving (also were geeks and stook on the winners podium). We went to the Chinese gardens which were beautiful and small but here we dressed up as Chinese Opera Ladies, and had so many photos and even if we do say so looked pretty good - haha (try upload pics soon). Did a day trip to the Blue Mountains which was fantastic, and involved alot of walking (thounsands of steep steps), but beautiful scenary of the 3 sisters and Leura falls (very steep large waterful), also had tea and scones in the most cluttered quaint tea shop and had aride on the steepest railway. Few drunken nights (free drink ladies night in the Scarey CAnary). Darling Harbour which was beautiful at night and went into the Aquariam which was really big but unfortunately my camera battery died just before the sharks and massive turtles (so no pics of these - but lots of little pretty fish). Oh and not to forget a few nights on trying out luck in the casino (we missed the casino in Cairns) and actually won 30 dollars which is no great win but good for us and our little budget. Casino here really big and glamerous and massive fish tanks - felt like we were back in the aquarium.