Happy new Year everyone.

I had the best New years eve I think I have ever had. The hostel I was in organised roping off an area of a park so that everyone from the hostel could go and watch the fireworks from there. They also organised buses to get us all down there and back so we didnt have to think about anything. When we arrived at the park I couldnt believe how close we were to harbour bridge it felt like we were right underneath it and we had a clear view of the harboue and the opera house. The hostel sorted out putting marquees up as we were down there all day and also the put up a paddling pool. That stopped us getting too hot which I was glad of I felt a bit sorry for all the people I could see over near the opera house who must have been baking in the sun as it was a really hot day. From the park there was also steps down so you could go for a dip in the harbour.

They had two sets of fireworks in the evening a smaller show at 9 o'clock which was meant for familes and then a main show at midnight. As soon as it got dark all the boats which were crusing around the harbour lit up their masts so it all looked very pretty. Both sets of fireworks were amazing. The only problem is I dont think I will enjoy a fireworks show again as I will try and cmpare it to that and it just wont measure up. At some points if you watch video back from it you can here all the crowds spontaneously cheer all at the same time when something was particularly impressive. I dont think I have ever cheered at fireworks before. I would recommend new year in Sydney to everybody.

After a few more days chilling out around Sydney I flew back up to Brisbane and from there I visited Australia Zoo. Home of Steve Irwin. It was a really good day out and you got to get up close with the animals including feeding kangaroos and elephants as well as see the crocodile show in the purpose built crocoseum but it was a bit wierd how much of it was about Steve iriwin. I dont think it would have been if he was still alive but knowing that he died and then seeing video and photos of him everywhere was slightly odd. It was his wife who performed the crocodile show and she was very good but maybe not quite as impressive as he would have been.

After Brisbane I made my way up to Noosa to do a bushcamp canoeing trip. When I got to the camp I was a little bit freaked out about where I would be sleeping and the facilities there. The dorm bed that I had for the first night was in sort of a big shack that didnt have a proper door so I was a bit worried about snakes and spiders getting in and the toilet was a very smelly long drop, Nice! I soon got used to it though and the next two nights were spent in a tent which although it was pretty uncomfortable as long as I kept the fly screen door zipped up no bugs could get in. The first day of canoeing we went down the river and across a lake then left the canoes there and walked down to a beach. I was a lovely day and the weather was brilliant sunshine all day. The only slightly annoying problem were 3 girls that had insisted on going in a canoe togother even though the guys at the camp advised that they have one of the men in the back of their boat. Needless to say they were very slow and we had to stop and wait for them constantly. It was all self guided trips so it was our responsibility as a group to stay together. At the end of that day we went back to the same bushcamp and set up tents there for the night. The next day it started raining and then didnt really stop for two days. We didnt find it too much of a problem though as it was still warm so we paddled off in our canoes in all the rain. The plus side that day was that the slow girls had decided they didnt want to do the canoeing anymore surprise surprise! So they were just going to stay at the bushcamp and we went off with only four of us in our group. We made it up the river very easily and took a detour off down a creek next to it to have our lunch. The creek had a tree that hung over it that somebody had nailed steps to it so you could climb up it and then jump off into the river or climb off and rope swing into the river. We spent a while chilling out around here then went back out and crossed the lake to the campsite we would be staying in that night. I liked this campsite and it looked just like ones you would get in England with flushing toilets and hot showers and lots if rain. We set up camp cooked dinner on a little gas burner we had been given and then headed off to the pub. The next morning was an early start as we had to be back in camp by ten. We didnt think it would be too hard as we had found it so easy the day before. What we didnt realise was that we would be against the tide and the wind for all of the way back with rain blowing into us. It made it such a struggle and we couldnt stop to rest as we just drifted backwards. I was so glad to see the camp and drag the canoe up into it. After two nights of sleeping in a tent and then the last day of rowing I was very tired.

Last night I slept so well in my proper bed even if it if was in a hostel dorm. Today I have come up to rainbow beach ready to strart my Fraser island tour in the morning which means more sleeping in tents. Yippee!