Well, we hit Bondi Beach yesterday and I have to say, I loved it round there! Admittedly, it's not peak season here and not quite warm enough for a dip in the sea so it was quieter than usual I'm sure, but it had such a good atmosphere going on.
The beach is actually a lot smaller than you imagine from watching it on TV but still really nice. The whole area is full of lovely little cafes and patisseries and definately our favourite place in Sydney so far. When we come back over next year to work for a few months I think we'll be looking to live in that area! We went to this cute cafe for lunch which was delicious and then just walked around all the markets which were really cool, shame I didn't have any money to spend as I was very tempted!
So today we're checking out of our hostel and leaving Sydney to head North along the coast. We're going to Palm Beach about an hour away which is where 'Home and Away' is filmed. I'm pretty excited about that as it's one of the soaps I have watched religiously since I was about 7! My whole family is a fan of the show!
So anyway, not too sure when I'll next be online, we have to bum it for a few days now to compensate for our over spending in Sydney which means no hostels or warm showers for us!!
Sunday, 25 May 2008
Saturday, 24 May 2008
Some mountains they were!!!
Well, we've now been in Sydney for 4 days and had quite a bizare trip here...
After leaving Melbourne, we decided to take a scenic route to Canberra via some mountains and rivers. Well, after hitting the snowy mountain highway, the name wasn't lying! We actually hit snow, real snow. Going from fairly sunny and warm Melbourne to 2 inch snowy mountains was definately a bit surreal, then to hit sunny Canberra the next day. The strangest thing is flicking through my photos on my camera and seeing shorts one day and big jackets the next!
Canberra was a quick sightseeing city. Everyone told us not to bother going as it's basically just the political hub of Australia with not much else to do but we were passing so we popped in! I must say, it's not exactly Sydney or Melbourne but is quite a pretty city with some lovely lakes. The war memorial exhibition was by far the best attraction and we spent a good few hours in there. We also did a tour of the parliament house which was pretty interesting. One rather amusing fact we learnt was the reason for the kangaroo and emu emblem for the Australian crest. Both those animals cannot walk backwards and Australia wants to present itself as a country only moving forwards. Apparently, the tail of a kangaroo would get in the way if it walked backwards and emus have back-to-front knee caps! I thought it was interesting anyway!
So now we're in Sydney. The hostel we're staying in is really nice, walking distance to the centre but away from all the bars so we get good sleep. Of course we've looked at the Opera House and walked along the Harbour Bridge as well as a stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens and a peek at some of the galleries. We initially wanted to climb the Harbour Bridge only to find out that it is $179 per person, just to walk up some steep steps (it's not really a climb as such). Well, we couldn't spare all that money for a good view so we just crossed the bridge and still got a postcard photo!
Sydney is quite expensive, probably the most expensive place so far but I guess that's comparable to London. We have found a mega cheap place to eat and drink though called 'The Gaff'. We went there last night and got free bangers and mash dinner and 2 free drinks each from a voucher we found. However, the wine I got given for free was quite vile and I held my nose while I drank it!! We decided to head to Kings Cross as it was Saturday night and we thought there would be a good atmosphere and lots of bars. We were wrong. Kings Cross was just full of betting places, strip clubs and fast food joints. Unless we were looking in the wrong place, we didn't find a bar, just sleazy pubs/betting places. Well, I'm glad I had a look! Actually the suburb we're staying in, Surrey Hills, has lots of mellow bars and some cool pubs so it's a better night out on our doorstep!
Well today we're heading up to Bondi beach. You could argue that it is one of the most famous beaches in the world so it'll be good to see it although I have been warned that it might not be as nice as I imagine. The locals never go there as it's just full of tourists and not the nicest beach but we'll have a look!
Anyway, we're leaving Australia in 7 1/2 weeks and the budget is getting quite tight with everything we want to fit in. Yesterday we booked a Whitsunday Islands sailing trip which I'm really excited about. It's a national park with about 70 beautiful islands in it which you sail round for 3 days and sleep on the only island with facilities. Can't wait!
Well, the sunny beach is calling so I better go and make the most of it! Will be in touch soon:)
After leaving Melbourne, we decided to take a scenic route to Canberra via some mountains and rivers. Well, after hitting the snowy mountain highway, the name wasn't lying! We actually hit snow, real snow. Going from fairly sunny and warm Melbourne to 2 inch snowy mountains was definately a bit surreal, then to hit sunny Canberra the next day. The strangest thing is flicking through my photos on my camera and seeing shorts one day and big jackets the next!
Canberra was a quick sightseeing city. Everyone told us not to bother going as it's basically just the political hub of Australia with not much else to do but we were passing so we popped in! I must say, it's not exactly Sydney or Melbourne but is quite a pretty city with some lovely lakes. The war memorial exhibition was by far the best attraction and we spent a good few hours in there. We also did a tour of the parliament house which was pretty interesting. One rather amusing fact we learnt was the reason for the kangaroo and emu emblem for the Australian crest. Both those animals cannot walk backwards and Australia wants to present itself as a country only moving forwards. Apparently, the tail of a kangaroo would get in the way if it walked backwards and emus have back-to-front knee caps! I thought it was interesting anyway!
So now we're in Sydney. The hostel we're staying in is really nice, walking distance to the centre but away from all the bars so we get good sleep. Of course we've looked at the Opera House and walked along the Harbour Bridge as well as a stroll through the Royal Botanical Gardens and a peek at some of the galleries. We initially wanted to climb the Harbour Bridge only to find out that it is $179 per person, just to walk up some steep steps (it's not really a climb as such). Well, we couldn't spare all that money for a good view so we just crossed the bridge and still got a postcard photo!
Sydney is quite expensive, probably the most expensive place so far but I guess that's comparable to London. We have found a mega cheap place to eat and drink though called 'The Gaff'. We went there last night and got free bangers and mash dinner and 2 free drinks each from a voucher we found. However, the wine I got given for free was quite vile and I held my nose while I drank it!! We decided to head to Kings Cross as it was Saturday night and we thought there would be a good atmosphere and lots of bars. We were wrong. Kings Cross was just full of betting places, strip clubs and fast food joints. Unless we were looking in the wrong place, we didn't find a bar, just sleazy pubs/betting places. Well, I'm glad I had a look! Actually the suburb we're staying in, Surrey Hills, has lots of mellow bars and some cool pubs so it's a better night out on our doorstep!
Well today we're heading up to Bondi beach. You could argue that it is one of the most famous beaches in the world so it'll be good to see it although I have been warned that it might not be as nice as I imagine. The locals never go there as it's just full of tourists and not the nicest beach but we'll have a look!
Anyway, we're leaving Australia in 7 1/2 weeks and the budget is getting quite tight with everything we want to fit in. Yesterday we booked a Whitsunday Islands sailing trip which I'm really excited about. It's a national park with about 70 beautiful islands in it which you sail round for 3 days and sleep on the only island with facilities. Can't wait!
Well, the sunny beach is calling so I better go and make the most of it! Will be in touch soon:)
Wednesday, 14 May 2008
Last day in Melbourne
Well we leave Melbourne tomorrow morning, we've been here a week and a half so it's about time to move onto the next place! We had a bit of car trouble, like 2500 dollars worth but it's all sorted now - there goes the budget:(
So the weekend was really good. Friday night we ventured into Port Melbourne to meet some friends which is a classy suburb with some cool bars and little boutiques. We spent the evening in the 'Sloany Pony' - the name definately sells that place! Anyway, about 2 bottles of wine later (that's just me) and 5 hours, we were about ready to go home after having such a fun night, not that I remember it all, we got to bed about 4am and unfortunately had to check out the next morning by 10am, let's just say we weren't feeling great the next day!
We got shown round Lygon Street on Saturday which is the Italian quarter and really charming. Our friend Dave is half Italian and thought he'd show us the sights, we had some gorgeous Italian desserts too, yummy! Dinner there was good and we got such huge portions of homemade pasta before setting off to the MGC (Melbourne Cricket Ground) for some Aussie Rules Football. Everyone told us that when in Melbourne, go to the MCG, even if we're not huge sports fans so we did, and it was great! It's the biggest stadium in Australia and had such a good atmosphere. The team we went for won too which made it even better! Considering I didn't even know which team was which when we first sat down, I did pretty well to follow the game and now actually have a vague understanding of Australian football, perhaps more so than English footie, oops!
Sunday we had a lovely chilled out day with James' friends who we're staying with, had a stroll down the river and a big Sunday lunch! James went down to the coast Monday to have a go at the surf so I made a date with myself! I spent the day wandering around some of the funky shopping streets and visiting a few galleries, was actually a really nice day, I'm not too bad company, hehe!
So today we haven't left the house, a long lie in followed by a late brunch and a load of lazing about on the internet and watching TV, great! We needed that, sometimes it's good to do nothing!
Anyway, as I said, we're off tomorrow and driving down to Philip Island to see the fairy penguins which come out at sunset every evening, they're the world's smallest species of penguin and apparently really cute, should be really fun! From there we're heading North via some mountan ranges and stopping in Canberra for a few days before hitting Sydney for some serious tourism, partying and fun!!!
Well, I'll be in touch again soon:)
So the weekend was really good. Friday night we ventured into Port Melbourne to meet some friends which is a classy suburb with some cool bars and little boutiques. We spent the evening in the 'Sloany Pony' - the name definately sells that place! Anyway, about 2 bottles of wine later (that's just me) and 5 hours, we were about ready to go home after having such a fun night, not that I remember it all, we got to bed about 4am and unfortunately had to check out the next morning by 10am, let's just say we weren't feeling great the next day!
We got shown round Lygon Street on Saturday which is the Italian quarter and really charming. Our friend Dave is half Italian and thought he'd show us the sights, we had some gorgeous Italian desserts too, yummy! Dinner there was good and we got such huge portions of homemade pasta before setting off to the MGC (Melbourne Cricket Ground) for some Aussie Rules Football. Everyone told us that when in Melbourne, go to the MCG, even if we're not huge sports fans so we did, and it was great! It's the biggest stadium in Australia and had such a good atmosphere. The team we went for won too which made it even better! Considering I didn't even know which team was which when we first sat down, I did pretty well to follow the game and now actually have a vague understanding of Australian football, perhaps more so than English footie, oops!
Sunday we had a lovely chilled out day with James' friends who we're staying with, had a stroll down the river and a big Sunday lunch! James went down to the coast Monday to have a go at the surf so I made a date with myself! I spent the day wandering around some of the funky shopping streets and visiting a few galleries, was actually a really nice day, I'm not too bad company, hehe!
So today we haven't left the house, a long lie in followed by a late brunch and a load of lazing about on the internet and watching TV, great! We needed that, sometimes it's good to do nothing!
Anyway, as I said, we're off tomorrow and driving down to Philip Island to see the fairy penguins which come out at sunset every evening, they're the world's smallest species of penguin and apparently really cute, should be really fun! From there we're heading North via some mountan ranges and stopping in Canberra for a few days before hitting Sydney for some serious tourism, partying and fun!!!
Well, I'll be in touch again soon:)
Thursday, 8 May 2008
Thank god its Friday... well not really!
So we've been in Melbourne nearly a week now and I'm definately getting the whole 'Melbourne thing' that the locals talk about. It's not a city that has a huge amount for 'tourists' as such but it's about living here and getting to know all the different suburbs. Melbourne seems to be all about the whole cafe culture thing and I feel like all we've done while we've been here is eat nice food, drink good wine and walk around but that's the whole point here! The last few days have merged together a bit really but as I said, an awful lot of walking! Yesterday we actually did do some touristy things and visited the National Gallery of Victoria and the Ian Potter Gallery and they were both pretty interesting. There was a cool exhibition called 'Black in Fashion' which is self explanatory really. I don't think that was James' favourite part of the gallery but I enjoyed myself!
Last night we sampled some amazing seafood at a restaurant called Claypot when we met up with a couple we met in Croatia on holiday last year. We shared this huge Silver Dorey fish and lots of tapas, really yummy.
Actually Wednesday night was really interesting, we went to see a play called 'The Pain and the Itch' which our friend is acting in this month. The venue was a great little place in a really cool area and there was a really mixed audience. We went out after for drinks and had a really good chilled out night and checked out some funky bars with some of the other actors.
Tuesday it rained all day so we found shelter in the Crown Entertainment Complex, Melbourne's answer to Las Vegas! There's a huge casino there (apparently the largest in the Southern hemisphere), lots of shops, bars, restaurants, clubs and cinema. We watched 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' which was actually really funny, would definately recommend it!
So today's Friday and we've been wandering around again, feeling quite exhausted from the miles we walked yesterday. We're meeting some friends in Port Melbourne tonight so should be a good one - must save some energy beforehand!
Well James has sat here patiently waiting for me to finish and now looks about ready to keel over so I best be off:) Chat soon!
Last night we sampled some amazing seafood at a restaurant called Claypot when we met up with a couple we met in Croatia on holiday last year. We shared this huge Silver Dorey fish and lots of tapas, really yummy.
Actually Wednesday night was really interesting, we went to see a play called 'The Pain and the Itch' which our friend is acting in this month. The venue was a great little place in a really cool area and there was a really mixed audience. We went out after for drinks and had a really good chilled out night and checked out some funky bars with some of the other actors.
Tuesday it rained all day so we found shelter in the Crown Entertainment Complex, Melbourne's answer to Las Vegas! There's a huge casino there (apparently the largest in the Southern hemisphere), lots of shops, bars, restaurants, clubs and cinema. We watched 'Forgetting Sarah Marshall' which was actually really funny, would definately recommend it!
So today's Friday and we've been wandering around again, feeling quite exhausted from the miles we walked yesterday. We're meeting some friends in Port Melbourne tonight so should be a good one - must save some energy beforehand!
Well James has sat here patiently waiting for me to finish and now looks about ready to keel over so I best be off:) Chat soon!
Monday, 5 May 2008
Mooching around in Melbourne City!
Well well well, we're now in Melbourne and what a place, it's huge! We got here Saturday afternoon and are no closer to getting our bearings (maybe only around the bars!)
The drive here took a little longer than expected. From the Eyre Peninsula just away from Adelaide since I last blogged, we drove up to the Grampians National Park. These aren't too 'famous' and James just found a small flyer about them and we decided to head up there. It's basically a mountain range with lots of scary cliff edges and walks. We spent 2 days there climbing to some of the peaks and taking in the beautiful landscape - not that we had the greatest weather! It was well worth the trip up though.
From there we hit The Great Ocean Road, probably the most famous road in Australia and perhaps up there as being one of the best drives in the world. We'd heard so much about this drive that our expectations were quite high which resulted, unfortunately, with a bit of disappointment from my side anyway. Don't get me wrong, the drive was stunning, lots of cliff edges, beautiful beaches, winding roads but we had rain and grey skies and it just wasn't what I imagined. We'd already done a few ocean/cliff top drives and I thought these were just as good. What I did enjoy about the Great Ocean Road was the contrast between hilltop valleys and beaches and sea, not anything I had seen before - think Wales crossed with Greece! We had a fantastic time and would perhaps like to do it again when it's not so dark and depressing:) I was rather impressed when I saw lots of koalas though, we counted about 10 on this one little road, they really are cute. Oh and of course, we saw the 12 Apostles (well 8 now that 4 have collapsed) but still, they were pretty amazing.
So now we're in Melbourne and I am liking this city. Although I'm quite happy to be living the country bumpkin lifestyle for a while, city life is far more my thing and I'm happy to have access to a hot shower whatever time of day it is. Up until now we've been living in the car we bought which is a lot better than it sounds, we have a proper double bed fitted and it's really comfy but it's starting to get cold here now and with the rain, getting out and especially into the car have proved awkward without soaking our bed sheets! So we booked into a funky little hostel called 'Pint on Punt' which is above an Irish bar and right in the middle of all the cool suburbs of Melbourne. We're sharing a room with a couple of American guys which at times is amusing but sometimes, irritating (like the snoring last night!) but on the whole it could have been a lot worse!
Saturday night we introduced ourselves to the city by getting acquainted with some of the local bars and therefore punishing ourselves Sunday by feeling not at our best (well me anyway!). It didn't last long though and I soon forgot about the large amount of wine I consumed whilst having lunch with a couple of friends we met over in Western Australia. Today has been a day of exploring with the aid of our Lonely Planet and its walking tour suggestion. We found a real cute alleyway with heaps of eateries and had falafel burgers for lunch before meeting another of James' tree surgeon friends who has settled over here, we had a few drinks and very cheap pizza before coming to this internet cafe so I can inform all you lovely people what we have been up to - nothing too cultural today I'm afraid:(
Not too sure what the plan is for tomorrow, most probably more walking, getting lost and attempting to read maps! I'm quite thirsty now though after my 3 glasses of wine so better go and get myself another drink:)
The drive here took a little longer than expected. From the Eyre Peninsula just away from Adelaide since I last blogged, we drove up to the Grampians National Park. These aren't too 'famous' and James just found a small flyer about them and we decided to head up there. It's basically a mountain range with lots of scary cliff edges and walks. We spent 2 days there climbing to some of the peaks and taking in the beautiful landscape - not that we had the greatest weather! It was well worth the trip up though.
From there we hit The Great Ocean Road, probably the most famous road in Australia and perhaps up there as being one of the best drives in the world. We'd heard so much about this drive that our expectations were quite high which resulted, unfortunately, with a bit of disappointment from my side anyway. Don't get me wrong, the drive was stunning, lots of cliff edges, beautiful beaches, winding roads but we had rain and grey skies and it just wasn't what I imagined. We'd already done a few ocean/cliff top drives and I thought these were just as good. What I did enjoy about the Great Ocean Road was the contrast between hilltop valleys and beaches and sea, not anything I had seen before - think Wales crossed with Greece! We had a fantastic time and would perhaps like to do it again when it's not so dark and depressing:) I was rather impressed when I saw lots of koalas though, we counted about 10 on this one little road, they really are cute. Oh and of course, we saw the 12 Apostles (well 8 now that 4 have collapsed) but still, they were pretty amazing.
So now we're in Melbourne and I am liking this city. Although I'm quite happy to be living the country bumpkin lifestyle for a while, city life is far more my thing and I'm happy to have access to a hot shower whatever time of day it is. Up until now we've been living in the car we bought which is a lot better than it sounds, we have a proper double bed fitted and it's really comfy but it's starting to get cold here now and with the rain, getting out and especially into the car have proved awkward without soaking our bed sheets! So we booked into a funky little hostel called 'Pint on Punt' which is above an Irish bar and right in the middle of all the cool suburbs of Melbourne. We're sharing a room with a couple of American guys which at times is amusing but sometimes, irritating (like the snoring last night!) but on the whole it could have been a lot worse!
Saturday night we introduced ourselves to the city by getting acquainted with some of the local bars and therefore punishing ourselves Sunday by feeling not at our best (well me anyway!). It didn't last long though and I soon forgot about the large amount of wine I consumed whilst having lunch with a couple of friends we met over in Western Australia. Today has been a day of exploring with the aid of our Lonely Planet and its walking tour suggestion. We found a real cute alleyway with heaps of eateries and had falafel burgers for lunch before meeting another of James' tree surgeon friends who has settled over here, we had a few drinks and very cheap pizza before coming to this internet cafe so I can inform all you lovely people what we have been up to - nothing too cultural today I'm afraid:(
Not too sure what the plan is for tomorrow, most probably more walking, getting lost and attempting to read maps! I'm quite thirsty now though after my 3 glasses of wine so better go and get myself another drink:)
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