Well as always we say the next blog wont be so long but here we are 2 months later!!!!!!

Nevermind, better late than never.

Work was a bit tricky for Rod, with the financial year coming to an end, inflation and it being winter here, the job oppourtunities were basically NIL.

However, Keith, (Michelles dad) who has a dodgy knee, was doing some home improvements on his Veranda and Gazebo, so Rod helped him.

They would work till early afternoon most days then head off for a drive round the local area which is where Captain Cook landed many moons ago, Rod will explain some of this as Keith has taught him all there is to know about the landing.

Captain Cook sailed through the Botany Bay heads in 1770, this was the forerunner of the eventual establishment of the remote colony of the British Empire. It was his first encounter with the indigenous people of the land. 18 years later in 1788, Captain Phillip landed on the shores with the first fleet of convicts from the UK. And thats the beginning of Australia.

I managed to get work through the same company as in Brisbane, which was ok, but lets face it working when travelling is really no fun. However it does fund the activities.

Which consisted of two weekends to Port Stephens fishing, a climb up the harbour bridge, a trip to Taronga zoo and the reptile park, a drive to the northern beaches, a weekend to the blue mountains and Hunter Valley, a ferry trip to Manly, 4 days in Melbourne and a couple of days along The Great Ocean Road. QUITE BUSY!

Port Stephens was really good, we hired a little boat and had a picnic and did some fishing, unfortunatley the only fish which we caught was sand sharks which are like rays but your not allowed to keep them.

We did a deep sea fishing trip which was good but the sea was a bit rough so we couldnt anchor in some places, but the boys were catching better fish, SHARKS, that was pretty cool, but again we couldnt keep them because they were all female and pregnant or under the legal length. The appartment we stayed in was amazing, very funky and not expensive!!

The Harbour bridge Climb was terrorfying, but a great achievement.

Swan Lake in the Opera House was excellent, we had great seats.

Our journey down to Melbourne was really nice, the countryside in Victoria is beautiful, we stayed with Meghan (a girl who we met in Thailand) she was a great tour guide, she took us for a drive through Melbourne to St Kilda, where we saw Carl Kennedy from Neighbours, we went to the Telstra Dome to watch an Australian football game which was fab, and we saw the flames at South Bank.

We also met up with Michelle (a girl we met in China) she took us on a Yarra river cruise which was good, they told us all about the activities of the Yarra river. Then we went for our first roast dinner in 7 months!NumNum

Also we took the drive up the famous Ramsay street, and while i remember when we went to the Northern beaches in Sydney we went to the beach where Home and Away is filmed but we didnt see anyone famous there.

After Melbourne we drove right along the Great Ocean Road to Port Phillip passing the 12 Apostles, it was an amazing drive the road was so close to the sea at points with some very large drops! We took the country route back which was really nice to see all the bush land.

So since we have been in Sydney we have been staying with Brian and Michelle (Rod's cousin and girlfriend) they are ace and so easy to live with, we are very lucky for them to have put up with us for 8weeks. Our time in Sydney has been brilliant, its a great city.

We fly to New Zealand tomorrow and pick up the Camper van on Monday.

Exciting and scary all at once

Must go and pack the backpacks again

Take care everyone

Again emails and messages would be great

It seems Annie has won message board writer of the year

Annie we love your messages

lots of love

xxxxxxxxxxxxxx