Claire's Travel Blog

The Journey's Ending...

2006-06-28T18:35:00.000+01:00

When I arrived in Los Angeles airport it was so amazing to be greeted by my parents. For those who don't know, my mum and dad were in the states celebrating the very special event of my dad's 70th birthday. This meant that we could spend two weeks in America together. After spending some time recovering from the exciting reunion, we headed to Hollywood where we were spending the next few nights. Mum and dad were not too impressed with the hotel they had booked but when I arrived I thought it was a palace! Firstly, I wasn't sharing my room with eight or more strangers, I wasn't sleeping in a bunk bed, I wasn't sharing the bathroom with 100 other people and we had a TV, a pool and room service! This was far more luxury than anything I'd experienced on my whole travels. The hotel also had a real American diner downstairs which was great and really made me feel I was in America.

Whilst in Hollywood me and mum took a tour of Hollywood homes, in Beverly Hills. We saw the homes of Sean Connery, Madonna, Halle Berry, Nicholas Cage (and his 11 ferraris!), Mike Myers, Jen & Brad's old house and many many more. The houses were incredible! We also took a stop on Rodeo Drive (the famous shopping street in Pretty Woman).

We then met up with dad again and took a walk up Hollywood Boulevard which is where all the stars on the pavement! I was slightly disappointed with Hollywood Boulevard as I expected it to be much more glamorous, and there were also a lot of very strange people around! It was an exciting place though with lots going on with people dressed as film characters, music playing and lots of shops! We also came across all the hand and foot prints of all the big names of Hollywood including Tom Hanks, Samuel L Jackson, Johnny Depp and many more.

Finally, we visited two museums - a wax work museum of the celebs and the Guinness World Records museum which were both really great.

The following day we took a trip to the great Universal Studios. We went on many rides and took a tram tour of the film sets including the set of Psycho, Back to the Future, and, of course, Desperate Housewives and many more. Along the way we were subjected to flash floods, earthquakes and a jaws attack.

Mum and dad were great and had a go on most things, including when I dragged mum onto the Jurassic Park ride which included an 84 foot vertical drop into water at the end whilst being attacked by a gigantic T-Rex. She was very brave! We also took a stroll through Van Helsing's mansion which was terrifying (for me, anyway!). I was convinced something was going to jump out on me but for a while nothing was happening so I started to relax. Just then a zombie jumped out of the darkness, at which point I screamed and hid behind my mum (who also screamed!). From then on I moved through very quickly to get out of the place!

From Hollywood, we carried on to Havasu Lake City where we spent some time relaxing before heading to Las Vegas! The whole family had chipped in and organised a surprise birthday present for my dad, two nights in the most fabulous hotel, The Luxor and a night at a Celine Dion concert. He was so stunned when mum told him (he's a big Celine fan!).

The hotel was incredible, I have never seen anything like never mind stayed in it! The main part of the building was a pyramid which lit up at night with a beam of light from the top (which can apparently be seen 10 miles into space!). The entire ground floor was a huge casino (I've stayed on islands smaller than it-much smaller!). There was every type of gambling you can think of and the place was buzzing with people and the noise of slot machines. The hotel also had shops, a food court, several restaurants, two pools with what looked like at least 200 sun loungers set out. All the hotels in Vegas seem to have some kind of theme, the Luxor had an Egyptian theme and there were huge statues of Egyptian pharoahs and sphyinx's. Our first night, we headed out to explore the streets of Vegas, there was an incredible atmosphere, the whole place had come to life and it was all about the gambling! We decided to head to a hotel called the Venetian where we could take a gondola ride on a river inside the hotel! Unfortunately, after the long walk there they had closed for the evening so we headed back to the hotel. The next day we left dad to have a relaxing day whilst me and mum went back to the Venetian and did the gondola ride which was really nice and relaxing, especially as the gondolier sang for us and he had an amazing voice. After that we hit the shops for a while before heading back to get ready for the big concert. The concert was really fantastic, and the main thing was that dad loved every second of it. The concert was in the famous Ceasar's Palace so before we left I didn't want miss the chance of a little gambling and placed a bet on the roulette wheel. I unfortunately lost so thought I'd better leave it at that but at least I can say I did it!

It was a shame to leave Vegas and that amazing hotel but we had to carry on our journey. We drove through Lake Mead and Zion National Park which was an amazing drive with vast scenery of desert and mountains. The heat was like nothing I've experienced whilst traveling and the temperature reached 114 degrees! Our next stop was Bryce Canyon in Utah. This was the real Wild West and was a great stay. We visited the beautiful Bryce Canyon and also went to their annual chilli cookoff. This meant for just $1 we had all you can eat chilli! We had to sample all the chillis and then vote for our favourite, they were all really good and we really felt like we were mixing with the locals and getting a taste (literally) of their lifestyle. We also went to a rodeo where we got to watch grown men getting thrown on the floor by some very vicious looking bulls! We also saw some tiny children learning the ropes by riding sheep, it was very cute but most of them were on the floor before they left the pen.

From Utah we continued to the Grand Canyon. We first went to the north rim of the canyon which had such a spectacular view. The canyon is so vast, you just can't imagine without seeing it. That night we stayed in a log cabin in amongst the trees. We came out from having tea to see a huge pillar of smoke that looked like a nuclear explosion just beyond the trees on the opposite side of the road. It was a huge fire, not that far from us (which was slightly concerning staying in a log cabin!). But it wasn't till the next day that we spoke to a fireman and he said it was the worst fire most have them had ever seen so we were right to be worried! Fortunately, we were heading in the opposite direction that day to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. Along the way we saw all the devastation of the fire and some of it was still smoking!

The view from the south rim of the canyon was even more vast than the north. However, unfortunately due to pollution and the fire there was a haze which meant we couldn't see as far as you normally would be able to. The view was, however, still spectacular and we spent some time there. We stopped that night in a nice hotel in a town called Williams before heading back towards LA where mum and dad are getting their flight on Friday. We are stopping in Havasu Lake City again tonight and spending our last days relaxing by the pool. I fly from LA on Sunday and arrive back in the UK on Monday morning.

So that's it, my final blog! I've travelled around the world, visited seven countries in six months, seen wonders of the world and had some incredible experiences. It has been the most amazing six months of my life! Thank you so much for reading and following my adventures and a special thanks to my brother, Sam who set up this blog for me so I could share my journey with you. Thanks a million Sam!

I can't believe that its nearly all over, in the words of Bill & Ted, its been a 'most excellent adventure'! Thanks again, and I look forward to seeing you all very very soon

Claire xxx

A Week in Paradise

2006-06-21T18:59:00.000+01:00

On arriving in Fiji we had a lovely warm welcome from the locals at the airport, something I've not experienced anywhere else. The fijians are really lovely people, always laughing and happy to do anything to help you. We spent our first night in Nadi, on Fiji's mainland where we enjoyed a few cocktails in the hostel bar. The next morning we had no idea where we wanted to spend the week as there are so many islands to choose from so we went and chatted to a travel advisor. We then ended up on the next boat to Walu Beach Resort which was set on a beautiful big island. The resort was lovely and we had a lovely welcome of three of the locals singing a welcome song, whilst playing the guitar and maraccas as our boat pulled into the resort. Our bags were then taken to our room for us (this never happens as a backpacker!) and we were brought a complimentary glass of delicious fruit punch each. This was the most pampering I'd had since leaving home! The resort had every water sport you can think of, plus volley ball net, table tennis, darts, chess, a huge pool and 3 all you can eat meals a day included in the price of the room! The food was absolutely delicious! We spent our first three nights in fiji at Walu beach and just sat back and enjoyed the sunshine. The first night we went to the beach to watch the sunset and we lay in hammocks,hanging between palm trees. The sunset was beautiful and as we lay there, the locals came to us a sang for us. It was paradise!

On the last day we had to head back to the mainland to get more money, then went to our next stop, South Sea Island. This was the smallest island I have ever seen! It was only 1.5 acres so you could walk across it in about 30 seconds, around it in less than 5 minutes and if you stood in the middle you could see from one side of the island to the other. The people here were lovely too, they made us feel very welcome. As it was such a small island there were much less people there and we all stayed in one room (including the staff!). We stayed on the island for two nights and on the second day we took a trip in a glass bottomed boat to see all the beautiful fish and coral.
The last night we spent on Bounty Island (better known as "Celebrity Love Island"). This was a really lovely island and we stayed in a little hut on the beach. This meant we had our own little bit of beach with a hammock and sun loungers. It was lovely to wake up to the sound of the sea in the morning. The resort was great, and again the staff were lovely and welcoming. We walked round to the other side of the island to where Celebrity Love Island was filmed and there is still much of the set left which although I didn't watch much of the program I definately recognised it. However, it had just been left to deteriorate which is a shame as its on such a beautiful island and all the run down buildings, and left over wood and rubbish spoils that side of the island but I guess it keeps the tourists coming. The picture below is taken from the pier where Kelly and Patrick presented from and the building you can see is part of what is left of the set.

After spending two days on Bounty Island we crossed back to the mainland where I had to get my flight to LA! I was very sad to be leaving the friends I had been travelling with but I was also excited as I knew my parents would be waiting at the airport on the other side!

Skydiving from 12000ft!!!

2006-06-09T06:34:00.000+01:00

Don't worry, I'll get on to the skydiving but first I'll tell you about what we got up to once we arrived in the North island of New Zealand! The ferry arrived in Wellington, New Zealand's capital where we spent one night in a town called Lower Hutt. We treated ourselves to a campsite where we had a great games room with table tennis, pool table, computer games and a huge trampoline which entertained us for the evening. The next day we headed north on the long drive to Tongariro National Park, the home of Lord of the Rings' Mordor. We stopped along the way and stayed at Okahune before an early morning start to Tongariro.

On the journey to the park we could see the volcano that was used for Mount Doom in the distance! We decided to take a days walk across the park to the Tama Lakes right to the base of Mount Doom (see pic). The walk was amazing, with the usual stunning scenery, especially the waterfalls and surrounding three volcanoes. As I walked around I tried to imagine all the cast and crew being there! It was a long but fantastic trek!

Once we got back to the van we set off to Taupo. On arriving we relaxed in the hot springs for the evening trying to take our minds off what we had planned for the next day. Skydiving was something I had planned to do (although had kept it quiet in case I chickened out!) but I don't think I really considered what I was going to do until the morning of the jump. We went to book it for that day and I guess I thought they'd be fully booked or the weather wasn't right but when the guy in the office said it was a perfect day for it and there was plenty of spaces that day my stomach turned! Then he said there were spaces on the next jump in about an hours time so we could head straight there! So before I knew it I was being suited up in a jump suit and harness and being introduced to the instructor who I'd be attached to for the jump, Mikey. He warned me that it would be very cold when we got up there, around -12 degrees but I said I don't think I'll be thinking about the cold, I'll be more worried about jumping out of a plane to which he replied, "I'm not worried about jumping out of a plane, I'm just worried about the chute opening!" This was not a good start, and Mikey turned out to be a bit of a practical joker and spent the entire time trying to scare me as he thought I was too calm. By the time I was suited up and being led to the plane I had accepted what I was about to do and I was surprised that I was not as scared as I thought I'd be but more excited! The plane was tiny, there were six people jumping, each with an instructor and some had paid for a camera man to jump with them (which doubled the price!). As I was last to get on the plane, it meant I was first to jump. It took around 15 minutes to get to the right height before the door opened. We moved into the doorway of the plane where I had to put my legs over the edge. The wind was so strong and the ground looked so far away! We were sat there for what felt like ages waiting for the all clear to jump, the picture to the left was taken a second before we actually jumped. I think I look surprisingly calm considering my legs are hanging out of a plane 12000ft in the air!

The freefall was incredible! It was an indescribable feeling, so surreal like a dream. At first we were spinning around and everything was a blur but then Mikey tapped me on the shoulder which meant I had to open my arms out, and we were then heading straight for the ground. I was glad that I had no camera man as the wind was so strong it was doing all sorts of weird stuff to my face! It was just like flying as we didn't fall as fast as I expected and it seemed ages until the chute opened which I had actually forgotten about until Mikey gave me the thumbs up and we shot up in the air so fast. As all became calm I glanced up and saw the chute was fully opened, I have to admit I was pretty relieved! The descent from then was amazing and the views of Lake Taupo and Tongariro National Park were stunning. Mikey let me take control of the steering for a bit which was great and then he took over again for landing. It was great to be back on the ground! All in all it was an amazing experience and I'd love to do it again.

After a very exciting morning we spent the rest of the day relaxing before driving to our next stop, Rotorua. On the way we stopped at Craters of the Moon, a thermal park with huge steaming craters. We spent one night in Rotorua (which smelt of eggs!) then went to Waimangu Thermal Valley (which smelt even more of eggs!) where we took a walk around the geysers, the worlds largest hot spring, bubbling mud pools and steaming lakes and craters. The sulphur gas escaping is what causes the horrible smell! It was still a pretty awesome place though!

We continued our journey to Waitomo where we spent one night before taking a tour of the Waitomo Gloworm Caves. These were quite spectacular caves with stalactites and stalagmites. Further on in the cave we had to take a boat on the water to see the gloworms. The roof of the caves were covered in them like thousands of stars in a night sky, it was really beautiful!

On leaving Waitomo we decided to take a slight detour to the town of Matamata. More famously known as Hobbiton! This was where the filming of the LOTR's shire was carried out and we went on a tour of the shire where some of the set still exists. Its not quite like it was then as most of the set was removed but with a bit of imagination you can recognise the shire. Although the set isn't quite the same, the surrounding scenery of the billowing hills and the lake with the party tree is just as you'd remember from the film. I climbed the stone steps to Bilbo and Frodo's house and went inside (see pic) although the inside was filmed in a studio so its in fact just a hollow in the hill. I also stood in the same place where Bilbo puts on the ring at his party and disappears and walked the same path that Gandalf takes with his horse an cart. It was amazing to be there imagining it all and all the famous people who had been there!

I'm now in Auckland where I'm spending my last night before my flight to Fiji tomorrow. I'm really sad to be leaving New Zealand, its the most amazing country I've been!

Kayaking and Glacier Trekking

2006-06-03T00:40:00.000+01:00

Milford Sound is a really beautiful place in the south west of the south island. It comes just off the sea and is surrounded by huge mountains. The majority of tourists explore the sound by cruise ship but we decided to do the trip by kayak instead. This turned out to be a brilliant decision! Not only did we get to spend twice as long in the sound as the cruise ships but we also got to get up close to all the beautiful waterfalls, rocks, beaches and wildlife. It was also so peaceful on the water and we got to spend lots of time just admiring the scenery. Possibly the most special moment was when a sealion came to the kayak and was swimming around us!

The only downside to kayaking was the ridiculous outfit we had to wear. We weren't allowed to wear cotton or denim in case we capsized which meant we had to wear the thermal clothing they supplied including a pair of thermal leggings and a long sleeved thermal top, both in the very flattering shade of blue and red stripes. We then had to put a 'skirt' on over the top which fitted over the cockpit of the kayak, followed by a bright yellow life jacket. Lets just say, we didn't exactly look our best that day!

Milford Sound has an average of 250 days of rain a year, so we were extremely lucky to have a gorgeous sunny day which was quite warm too, for New Zealand. The rain apparently causes the water to become almost black but as the sun was shining the water was really clear which meant we could see sea life including star fish and sea urchins on the rocks under the water. We spent the whole day kayaking the sound and it was amazing. The views were stunning and putting that extra effort to enjoy it by kayak was so worth it.

We then had to drive back through Queenstown to get to the next stop, the mountains usually mean you have to take big detours to get from one place to the next. We stopped here for a break and a game of crazy golf which was great fun, and I of course won! I think it must in the genes! Then we headed to Wanaka where it rained, a lot, so we just took a walk around Lake Wanaka and then got back on the road to our next stop, Fox Glacier.

Fox Glacier is a small town built next to a huge glacier which we took it upon ourselves to trek on! We had planned to do this for a while and I don't think I really had considered I would actually spend the day walking on a solid block of ice. Its pretty obvious I guess but just didn't realise until I was climbing on to it just what I'd let myself in for! We were taken by a guide in a group of about nine, firstly on one and a half hours trekking up hill to get to the glacier. It was quite a spectacular sight! We then kitted ourselves out with sturdy walking boots, cramp-ons (spikes to attach to the bottom of the boots) and walking sticks before climbing onto the ice. There are no walking paths on the glacier so the guide was cutting out steps in the ice with a pick axe along the way so that we could climb up and over the ice. It was pretty treacherous at times, especially as it was all up and down with huge water filled holes and big gaps in the ice, one slip could be disastrous! All was well though and we all did really well considering we were trekking for about 6 hours. As you can imagine it was pretty cold but not too bad as long as we kept moving. Stopping for lunch was the worst as not only was it pretty cold but it started to rain too so we didn't stop long before carrying on with the trek. We were pretty exhausted by the end of the day but it was an amazing day and such an achievement, how many people can say they've trekked across a glacier?! After a hot shower we were back in the car where we drove through Franz Joseph, the neighbouring glacier and on to Hokitika where we spent the night as I was pretty tired from the long walk and the long drive! The following morning we continued, on an excellent drive along the coast before reaching Westport where we had a lazy afternoon watching DVD's in the van to recover from the day before. The next day we went on a horse ride along the Buller River and the beach which was brilliant and after that we continued our journey inland to Hanmer Springs. Here we spent the night before spending around 6 hours the following day enjoying the amazing hot springs. They were over 100 years old and made all from natural hot springs. The pools varied from 28 degrees to 41 degrees which was so nice considering it was a cold day (although getting out again was pretty bad as they are all outdoors!). It was especially nice as it got dark as you could see all the steam rising off the water and the coloured lights gave a great atmosphere. It was such a lazy day but great all the same.

Next we went back across to the East Coast where I had trip booked in Kaikoura which was unfortunately cancelled. Due to lack of time we decided not to wait till the next day and to move on to Nelson from which we could take a day trip out to Abel Tasman National Park. Abel Tasman was really beautiful with many secluded beaches and amazing views. We walked there for about 4 hours along the coast. It was a beautiful sunny day again so the walk was really lovely. At the end of the day we headed back toward Bleinheim where we stopped the night, taking a slight detour through Stoke! We are now in Picton and heading to the north island today by ferry. Apparently its not as nice as the south island so I'm sad to be leaving but there's lots of good stuff to do in the north so it should be great anyway.

New Zealand Road Trip Begins...

2006-05-21T05:08:00.000+01:00

We left Christchurch in the camper and set off on our road trip. It was great to hit the road and finally start to see the beautiful scenery I had heard all about. And it is more beautiful than I could have ever imagined. It looks so perfect it can't be real, almost like a painted back drop. It basically looks exactly as it does in Lord of the Rings, which of course was filmed here. I think I imagined that it would have been staged in some way for the film but its even nicer in real life.

The roads are great to drive, they are either long, straight roads between mountains or windy ones going around the mountains. Either way the views are spectacular and we take ages getting anywhere as we have to stop so many times to take it in. Our first stop was Akaroa, just south of Christchurch. It was a really nice stop, a small French-style village on the coast. It was a really pretty village and sold the most amazing fish and chips I've ever had! The weather wasn't so good though and I didn't get much sleep as I was scared the wind was going to blow the campervan over! The following morning was much nicer so we set back on the road stopping at a hill view cafe on the way where there was the most amazing view over a valley with a lake at the bottom.

Our next stop was a town called Timaru for one night before making our way to Lake Tekapo. As we came round the bend before the lake and we saw it for the first time we all gasped. I think its the most stunning place I have ever seen. There was a huge lake with turquoise waters surrounded by snow covered mountains, it was breathtaking.

We walked around the lake and spent hours sat by it, watching the sunset. That night we set up camp next to the lake so it was so lovely to wake up to the view. That day we walked up Mount John which took about 3 hours all up hill but it was worth it when we got to the top as there were amazing views of Lake Tekapo and Lake Alexdrina. The mountain was covered in snow which resulted in several snow ball fights and getting very cold along the way!

After Lake Tekapo, we went to Mount Cook. This was a beautiful drive with long straight roads so quiet that if you pass someone else you wave at each other! Mount Cook was part of the mountains that we had been seeing in the distance for several days so it was great to finally drive right to the base of it. Its the highest mountain in New Zealand and is amongst several others, all covered in snow so really pretty. We stayed right at the base right amongst the mountains, the morning view was so lovely to wake up to! That morning we got up early and went on a 5 hour walk through Hooker Valley which was an amazing walk. We crossed swing bridges over gushing rivers and climbed over rocks until reaching the base of the valley. After getting back to the camper and warming ourselves up with hot soup we set off to our next stop, Dunedin.
This is the second largest city in New Zealand, set on the East coast. We spent a day here, where we went on a slightly unsuccessful wildlife hunt. We took a beautiful drive along the coast to Otago Peninsula where we should have been able to view sealions, penguins and albatrosses, all of which decided to keep well hidden so we didn't see any. We still had a really nice day though as the sun was shining and the drive was lovely. Unfortunately, I decided to spoil the end of the day by locking the keys in the van so we were stuck until the AA managed to reach us and let us back in at a not so small cost!

Our next stop was Queenstown, the adventure capital of New Zealand. This is where you can jump out of a plane, bungy jump, hang glide and much more. After much consideration, we decided to go on a jet boat ride through the canyon which was slightly less scary than the other options but still a lot of fun! The boat went so fast and the driver deliberately aimed for the rocks either side of the river then dodged them last minute, missing them by no more than an inch. He would also do occasional 360 degree spins which resulted in us getting very wet and cold!

So thats the adventure so far, I'm now in Milford Sound on the west coast where we're hoping to really experience the amazing scenery by taking a day trip kayaking.

River of Mirrors

2006-05-09T05:52:00.000+01:00

My last stop in Australia was a place called Noosa. Its quite a small, quiet place just north of Brisbane. Its set on lovely beaches and surrounded by everglades. I stayed in a really nice hostel called Dolphins Beachouse. The rooms were more like apartments with two four bed rooms, a kitchen, lounge and tv. On my third day in Noosa, I set out to the everglades. From here I hired a canoe with friends and we set off down Noosa River. There were two to each canoe, the power coming from the person sat in front and the steering from the person at the back. I shared a canoe with a girl called Becky who I had met in 1770s and then again on Fraser Island. At first it was pretty hard going and my arms were aching so much. Firstly, we decided to take a detour from the route we had been given and go up a different river as we had been told it was really beautiful. The trees each side of the river created a canopy over it and it was stunning. We headed up this river for around one and a half hours before turning back to head towards camp. Our camp site was called Harry's hut and we had been given directions to get there. Along the way we would meet lots of other people in canoes and boats and when then asked us where we were staying and we told them most people replied with "good luck" or "by tonight??". From this we assumed we still had a long way to go but none of us minded as we were just enjoying the canoeing so much. It wasn't too late when we arrived at Harry's hut which was just a toilet block and a clearing for tents so we put our canoes to bed, and set up camp for the night. As the lamps we were supplied with failed give off much light and we were all getting eaten alive my mozzies, we resorted to sitting in our tents, with our torches playing endless games of cards.

The following morning we awoke to the most incredible sound of birds. It sounded like there were thousands of them, all with really unusual song. There was three of us in the tent and we all went to sit up together and simultaneously our arms dropped down like lead, I could barely lift them above my waist after all the rowing the previous day! Myself and Becky were keen to be the first ones on the water for the row back home so that the water would be still and quiet so we got up early, and quickly packed our tent and set off. This turned out to be a really great decision as the river was amazingly beautiful and peaceful with only the undisturbed wildlife. The river has two inches of teatree on the surface which acts like a mirror creating the most spectacular and perfect reflection of the trees and the sky. It was absolutely breathtaking, I wish the pictures could really do it justice. Along the way, we saw some stunning birds, including pelicans and eagles as well as snakes and fish. The water was tempting to swim in but as it is populated with bull sharks, which are known for being aggressive, we decided against it!

Eventually the other canoes stared to catch us up which was a shame as the water was less still so the reflection wasn't as good but we were really lucky to have seen it for as long as we did. Most of the time, Becky and I managed to do well at steering the boat but occasionally if whoever was steering was too busy looking round at the scenery then we crashed into the reeds or logs coming out of the water which resulted in lots of laughter. However, one time we were a little ahead of the others and we veered off track and got stuck on a log. The banks are high so you can't get out and push the canoe so we were well and truly stuck!! We started to see the others coming round the corner and were too embarrassed to let on that we had got stuck so quick thinking from me I got the camera out and started to pretend we'd stopped to take photos. Becky then got the biccies out and we waited till the others had passed, I don't think they had any idea, it was very sneakily covered up! Once they had passed we were able to panic again but after some serious jumping up and down the canoe dislodged and we were off again.

After the canoeing, I went back to Noosa where I stayed two more nights in order to visit the famous Steve Irwin's zoo. The zoo was fantastic, especially the crocs and croc shows which of course are Steve's favourite! Unfortunately Steve wasn't there that day though. I watched the tiger show, crocodiles being fed, fed an elephant and held the most gigantic python! All in all, it was a really great day. That, more or less, brought my Australia trip to an end. I had just two days in Brisbane to wait for my flight to New Zealand. I was really sad to leave Australia, it had become my home over the last couple of months and I had become used to the way of life there and, of course, the weather. I just couldn't believe my time there was over, it had just been the most amazing adventure and I loved second of it. At the same time as being sad about leaving Australia, I was also really excited about getting to New Zealand which is where I am now. I'm staying in Christchurch at the moment and have picked up a campervan today which I'll be travelling around the country in. I'll be travelling with a friend that I met in Sydney so it will be great to have some company! I just drove the camper for the first time and it was pretty scary as its huge but I should get used to it soon. Tomorrow we set off on the road trip of a life time, I can't wait!

Four Wheel Driving on Fraser Island

2006-05-04T08:31:00.000+01:00

Town of 1770s was a really great town, where I had a much needed few days of doing nothing! Having not really stopped for the last month, the lack of sleep and lack of good food was catching up on me so I was pretty tired and had a cough and cold. I only planned to stay there two days but found myself in the best hostel I've stayed in. It was called Cool Bananas and had a huge lounge area with free DVD's, free (and up to date) gossip magazines and huge comfy sofas, which might not sound that exciting but they are all things I take for granted at home. There was an immaculate kitchen, a camp fire and unlimited free tea and coffee (also something I really miss!). It was set on a lovely beach and there were hammocks outside every room! To top it all off, the atmosphere was brilliant and so relaxed and the other backpackers there were really great and I met loads of brilliant people. The town itself is really small and by the end of my second day, the locals were recognising me in the street and shop keepers new my name. S o my two night stop turned into six nights as I just couldn't bring myself to leave! Most of the time I relaxed in the hammocks, or on the beach but I also took the opportunity for some water sports. Firstly, I took surfing lessons which is something I've been meaning to do for a while. I discovered its much harder than it looks and spent much more time falling off than anything else but I did manage to catch a couple of waves, stand up and ride to the beach so I was happy with that. I also took morning fitness sea kayaking sessions which was really great fun but also pretty hard work too! Eventually I had to go as I had a trip booked further down the coast but by the time I came to leave, I felt 100% better.

The trip I had booked was four wheel driving on Fraser Island which is the largest sand island in the world. There are no roads on the island so it is all off road driving, including driving on the beach. I was put in a group with eight other people and there was no guide so were given a huge four wheel drive car big enough to fit twelve people in, camping equipment, and a map. Those over 21, with driving licences were allowed to chose whether they drove or not. I was absolutely terrified about driving! As most of you will know, I'm only used to driving my little Cleo on nice, flat, smooth roads. This was completely different, driving over rough terrain and through deep sand with eight people in the back!! But I was determined not to let the opportunity pass and I agreed to be a main driver. Everyone in the car could drive but there was only myself and two other guys who were prepared to give it a go, which turned out to be a good thing as I got more time behind the wheel (if you look closely at the pic, there I am!). I'm so glad that I did as it was such an amazing feeling, especially driving on the beach alongside the ocean.

On our first afternoon, we went to Lake McKenzie, which is the most beautiful fresh water lake with stunning blue water and white sand. It was paradise and everyone just ran into the water and dived in! It was brilliant! After much splashing around and lots of laughter we piled back into the car and set of for a rainforest walk before setting of to find somewhere to camp for the night. It turned out that we had left it a little late to be setting back and we ended up with a race against the tide up the beach which was a little scary. The tide was coming in fast and we couldn't find anywhere to camp! Eventually, we came to a turn off the beach which took us behind a sand dune where we found the other groups who had also set out that day so we set up camp next to them. There were no campsites, so no showers, sinks, or toilets! Going to the toilet literally involved a shovel, a torch and a bush! As the island is covered in Dingoes we had to go to the toilet in groups so that people were on dingo watch, so we quickly got to know each other very well!! We saw so many dingoes and could here them round our tents at night but they seemed to keep their distance when people were around so it was fine.

After a fairly sleepless night listening to the various strange noises around the tent, we awoke early to set off to the shipwreck. It was a huge ship that had crashed onto the beach and had been there many years. It was pretty awesome, especially when the waves came crashing through it. After the shipwreck we headed further north of the island to Indian Head which was the furthest north we could go. From here we took a walk (shark watching a long the way) to the Champagne Pools. These were rock pools by the sea, where the waves would crash over the side into them. As they did, the water fizzed like champagne, it was like a huge spa! We spent ages in the pools, relaxing and enjoying the sunshine. After the walk back it was time to stop at Eli Creek for another swim and then to our campsite.

On the second night we decided to camp near the shipwreck. We met with the other groups again and one guy had a guitar so we all sat around singing and cooking steaks! We went for a midnight walk to the shipwreck that night which was pretty spooky, and even the guys felt a little creeped out by it! I took photos and there were orbs in them (only "Most Haunted" fans will get that one!). The next morning some of us got up extra early to watch the sunrise over the wreck which was well worth doing. It was amazing, as the sun shone through the

wreck.

After waiting for the tide to go out we set off to our last stop on the island, Lake Wabby. It took a walk through the forest, followed by several huge sand dunes to get there. Every time we neared the top of a dune we were sure the lake would be the other side of it but each time there was just another dune to climb! Although the walk was exhausting in the heat, it was an amazing walk as the scenery and the dunes were so beautiful.

Finally we reached the lake which was really beautiful and quite different from Lake McKenzie with sand dunes on one side and forest on the other. We all loved it there, and consequently missed our ferry back to Rainbow beach to take our car back. Nobody really cared though, as none of us wanted to leave. We finally rolled up about 4 hours late but everyone must do it as they didn't seem to mind.

It was so sad that the trip was over, I could have stayed on Fraser Island for so much longer. I had a great time and met some brilliant people in the process. Some of which, came with me to my next and last stop in Australia, Noosa.

Ranch Stay

2006-04-27T09:40:00.000+01:00

I spent one night in Rockhampton before an early start to Myella Farm, a huge Aussie ranch. It was a fantastic place, ran by a family who had lived there for several generations. I stayed on the ranch for two days, during which, I had a brilliant time. On arriving at Myella, I met all the family before tucking into a delicious breakfast of eggs, toast and tea all cooked over an open fire. Next we set off on our first horse ride which was an amazing ride but unfortunately got cut short when the guide lost her horse!! She got off to show us something, and let go of her horse which she thought would stay by her side, but of course the horse (appropriately called Nightmare) saw her opportunity and pegged it! Horses have a constant radar tuned into home when your out riding (i.e. they go slow heading away and fast as soon as you turn back) so home was where she headed. We all got back to the stables and there she was, tangled up in her reins and hobbling around. No injuries occurred though and she was easily caught and safely tied up.

After lunch, I had my biggest challenge on the ranch, riding a motorbike! Anyone who knows me well will know how scared I would have been doing this! Especially after the guy teaching me spent about half an hour telling me a million things I had to remember. I considered chickening out several times as I was convinced I was going to kill myself on it. But this only made it even more of an achievement when I found myself riding round the farm up and down hills, over bumps and even standing up out of the seat! Once I got used to finding and coordinating the clutch, gears and brake I was away!

In the evening, I went for a ride in the back of the truck to watch a lovely sunset over the farm before having the most delicious meal I have eaten since I came away. It was an absolute feast of beef (of course!), pasta, vegetables, salad, bread and chocolate pudding and custard for dessert.

The next morning I woke up at 6am to the most beautiful sunny morning and an amazing view across the fields and kangaroos hopping around outside my room. It was Easter Sunday and I had the lovely surprise of an Easter egg in my shoe which was nice as I thought I'd miss out this year! My first job was to help milk the cows for breakfast! I managed to master (or so I thought) the clamp and squeeze technique and thought I was doing really well having filled a quarter of the bucket in about 20 minutes. However, when the expert farmer took over he had two more buckets filled in about 5 minutes so I felt a bit useless after that. After breakfast, I headed out to help get the horses ready for the ride. I was on a horse, very inappropriately called Bill, who was an extremely pretty, pure bred, chestnut Arab. Arabs are well known for being particularly loopy! And this horse was young too so he was a brilliant ride and we had a great gallop and even jumped a few logs followed by a session of cattle herding on horseback! I didn't want the ride to end, it was so great!

After a refreshing swim and lunch, my next task was to learn how to lasso! Its a lot harder than it looks but, after lots of very frustrating practice, I managed to get the hang of it and caught a log! I also got the lasso spinning around me (check out the pic!) which was quite an achievement! Whilst waiting for my bus back to Rockhampton to arrive, I relaxed in a hammock in the orchard, where I was cheakily joined by a little joey who came and fell asleep next to me, it was so adorable and he slept for ages. It was pretty special!

That, unfortunately, was the end of my ranch stay. I didn't want to leave as it had been such a wonderful couple of days but it was time to move on and I headed back to Rockhampton for one last night before setting off to my next stop, Town of 1770s.

Sailing the Whitsundays

2006-04-16T13:18:00.000+01:00

Magnetic Island was a paradise, it was so nice just to spend a few days there relaxing and enjoying the beatiful beaches (when it wasn't raining!). I stayed at a really great hostel which was more like a resort, right on the beach. I sat every morning, eating breakfast and looking out across the sea, it was heaven!

On my second day I took a bus tour of the island with a girner called Captain Daniel Daniel, who wore nothing but a torn t-shirt and a pair of very short shorts with badly placed rips and holes! He was pretty funny though and we saw lots of wildlife including rock wallabies, koalas and a huge crocodile in the back of a pub!

After my very realxing stay on Magnetic Island I set off down the coast to Airlie Beach, the gateway to the beautiful Whitsunday Islands. This is where my sailing trip of the Whitsunday Islands began. I was staying on a famous maxi racing boat called British Defender.

It was an amazing boat and so fast! I spent two days and two nights on the boat, during which I helped out with getting the sails up and even steering! When the boat was at full speed with the sails up it tipped right over on its side, the lower side of the boat would be in the water! We all had to sit on the high side of the boat to avoid going in! We were so lucky as the weather was beautiful, which made the sea and the 74 islands look stunning! We spent our days sailing and snorkelling. We snorkelled on the Great Barrier Reef which I feel so lucky to have been able to do. I saw so many different, colourful fish of all shapes and sizes and the coral was amazing. We even saw a group of dolphins swimming near the boat! On the second day, we also made a stop at an island where we went bush walking to a look out at Tongue Bay. The view was incredible, I've never seen sea that colour before, it was bright turquoise! Then we went down to the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, Whitehaven Beach. The sand was like flour, and the sea was as clear as drinking water. It was a paradise and felt like I'd walked into a film set, it just seemed to perfect too be real.

On the second night, it was a lovely clear sky with lots of stars and a full moon so we all slept on deck! It was a great end to my sailing trip! I was so disappointed to be going back to dry land, the trip was brilliant and I could have done it all over again.

The afternoon after my trip had finished, myself and a friend I'd met on the boat decided to go parasailing which was brilliant fun. I didn't realise how high you went up and it felt like nothing was holding you up. At one point the driver of the speed boat decided to dunk us in the sea so he stopped the boat so we slowly came down and hit the water.
As we did, he started up the engine again and it pulled us along through the water! Just as we started to come out away from the water he did it again, he later told us that he was just finding it hilarious hearing us scream!

Once I was well and truly back on land, I spent a final night out with the crew and the other people I was on the boat with before setting off to my next stop, Rockhampton.

White Water Rafting and Horse Back Riding

2006-04-13T08:18:00.000+01:00

I took a flight from Alice Springs to Cairns and on arriving I was greated with rain, lots of rain! I didn't realise I was arriving in rainy season where it rains more or less constantly for a couple of months! At first I thought it would spoil my stay but it turned out to still be a great week. My first adventure was white water rafting down the River Tully which was fantastic. As it had been raining the water was high and rough making it extra exciting. I was pretty nervous to start with, especially as the guides found it pretty funny to tell us all the horror stories! I was put in a raft with 5 other girls who were all really great. For some reason, the guide thought I should be the one to take the so called "death seat" which is at the back. It is called this as if you hit a rock you get thrown forwards, which I experienced more than once! Most of the time I managed to stay in the raft, but I'm ashamed to say that I got caught out in a whirlpool and in I went! It wasn't too bad though as most people did fall out at some point (even the guides sometimes!) so I didn't feel too stupid. We covered 45 rapids along the river, mostly grade four (five being the hardest) so it was really scary but a great adrenalin rush! We also stopped off at a hill by the side of the river where we all had to jump off into the river. It was so high, and stood on the edge I really didn't want to do it but as there were so many people watching, I had no choice and just went for it! We had almost 5 hours in the raft so it was a really great day and we went back to dry land to watch the dvd that had been filmed of it, it was pretty funny seeing everyones faces!

From Cairns, I took a trip up to Cape Tribulation which is one of the only places in the world where reef meets rainforest and it is a really beautiful place. On the way up to Cape Trib we stopped at the Daintree river where we went croc spotting and we saw a female croc and her nest! In the afternoon, I arrived at my accomodation which was a rainforest retreat, with little huts in the middle of the rainforest! Myself and a couple of girls I had met decided to spend the afternoon visiting the famously beautiful sights and views of Cape Tribulation. After walking for about 15 minutes, the heavens opened and we were drenched within seconds! Being hard core travellers we continued our walk, bearing in mind none of us had coats or umbrellas! We visited the sights which I'm sure would have been wonderful if we could see them through the rain. By the time we got back we were completely soaked and couldn't have been more wet if we'd jumped in a pool!
My second day in Cape Trib was the day I'd been most looking forward to, the horse ride through the Rainforest and onto the beach. I arrived at the stables where I was greated by my guide, called Buffalo! He was a little bit crazy I think (and had plaits in his beard!!). He asked everyone how much experience they had riding and each time joked that he would make them ride a horse called Raja. He said that anyone who rides him is 'BFG' (bound for the ground)! When he got to me and I said I had riden a lot, he said well you'll be on Raja then! As I hadn't riden for a long time, I was a bit worried at first but it turned out to be an amazing ride! As I was one of the only experienced riders there, Buffalo told the other guide to go with me for a "little canter". But as soon as we were out of sight of Buffalo, our little canter turned into a flat out gallop through the rainforest! It was amazing and I'd forgotten how great it felt. When we pulled up the guide turned to me and just started pointing and laughing at me. When I looked down, I was completely covered head to toe in mud!

On the way back, I stopped at a beautiful part of the rainforest called Mossman Gorge where I went walking and saw some lovely waterfalls and rivers.
Then it was time to get back to Cairns for one more night before heading to Magnetic Island.

The Heart of Australia

2006-03-30T02:18:00.000+01:00

I left the other three girls behind at Surfer's Paradise and headed off alone to Brisbane where I flew to Adelaide. I spent three days there where I met some fantastic people and had great fun with them, including a couple of nights out, a pedal boat trip down the river, a day at the Clipsal 500 car racing and a feast of Kangaroo steak which was delicious (although I did feel a little guilty eating it). Adelaide itself was not the best place I've stayed and there wasn't much to do but the people I met made it a great stay, they even came to the train station to wave me off when I left. I almost forgot I was travelling alone till I left and then it hit me again. I guess that is what it will be like now, I'll meet people for a few days then have to move on.

My train journey was on the legendary Gahn, which took 18 hours through the outback along one of the worlds longest train tracks. The train itself is 36 carriages long!! It was a fantastic journey and went surprisingly fast considering my fairly sleepless night. I arrived in Alice Springs the following day and headed to my hostel. I was picked up at 6.35am the following day by Peter, our Aussie tour guide. There was a group of about 20 of us on the tour, from all over the world. They turned out to be a great bunch of people, especially the Japansese girls who were hilarious and laughed at everything! Our first day was spent visiting a gorge called Simpson's Gap and Rainbow Valley. Rainbow valley is so called due to the multi-coloured rock there. It was a beautiful place and there were stunning views after climbing a very steep sand dune, which was pretty difficult as the sand just kept sliding you back down, but it was worth the effort! By this time it was also becoming very hot which brought with it the flies! I had been warned about them but had no idea just how bad they would be. I think I had half the fly population of Australia flying round my head and in my eyes and mouth! Fortunately, we made a stop a a tavern to make lunch where they sold fly nets to go over your head for the grand price of $7.50. At this point I would have paid $100, they were driving me mad! So I bought one which made life a lot easier and also made me look super trendy too!

At the end of the day we set up camp in Kings Creek. Camp consisted of outdoor sleeping bags called swags which you put your normal sleeping bag inside. That night we lit a campfire and ate tea around it whilst getting to know each other a bit better. My first night sleeping under the stars was brilliant, the sky was so clear and there were thousands of stars. I've never seen anything like it and couldn't stop looking at them. Eventually, I fell asleep and slept surprisingly well which was good as we had a 5am start in the morning.

The next day, we went to a place called Kings Canyon which was an absolutely spectacular place! We did a 3 hour walk around the canyon which was pretty hard going at times, especially the walk up 'Heart Attack Hill'. The views were like nothing I've ever seen before, they were so vast! My Spanish friend on the tour, Maria, hit the nail on the head when she said she felt like she could see the whole world.

We stopped for a break half way round in the Garden of Eden where we could have a swim and eat cake! When we had finished the walk we headed back to camp where myself, Maria and another girl, Ezza, went on a helicopter flight over the canyon. It is something I have never done before and it was amazing! We asked for the doors to be taken off so we could get good photos so it was quite scary too, as my seat was right on the edge next to the open door!

After the helicopter flight the grouped piled back onto the bus to head to our next camp at Yulara where we set up our swags again for the next 2 nights. We then spent the afternoon at Uluru (Ayres Rock) which was the bit we'd all been looking forward to most. Nothing could have prepared me for how spectacular the rock was, it was huge at 348 metres above the surrounding land and 9.4km around the base. The colour of the rock changes depending on the time of day and the weather. My favourite was at sunset where it was so red! We took a short walk at the base of the rock and started to get a feel for the place. There really is something special about it that you can't put into words.

That night there were even more stars over Yulara, it was breathtaking. The following day was another 5am start which didn't go too well for me as I managed to break my finger! This was done, of course, whilst wrestling with a ferocious wild Kangaroo. I think it was my left hook that did it! Fortunately, there was an excellent Physio to hand who thinks I will live and it shouldn't drop off for at least 3 months which means it should last for the rest of my trip. I managed to pull myself together, take a dozen or so pain killers and head off for another 3 hour walk at Kata Tjuta (the Olgas). We stopped on the way to watch the sun rise over Uluru which was the sun rise I have been waiting for, it was so beautiful as the whole sky lit up red. The scenery at Kata Tjuta was also stunning, especially as the rock was so red but surrounded by lush green land! After lunch we visited a cultural centre where we learnt more about the Aboriginals that live at Uluru and why the rock is such a sacred place. We then had the choice whether to climb the rock or walk the entire base of it. It is considered very disrespectful to climb the rock and after learning more about this, myself and the majority of the group decided to do the base walk which took about two and a half hours! It was quite hard going in the 34 degree heat but was fantastic! Around the base there are lots of things to see including sacred areas where the aboriginals carry out ceremonies and rituals, aboriginal paintings on the rock and water holes.

It had been an exhausting but fabulous day and we all crashed out for our last night under the stars. The next day was our last 5am start where we packed up camp and headed up a nearby sand dune and lit a fire to watch our final sunrise before our 5 hour drive back to Alice Springs. During our trip we saw so much wildlife including wild horses and camels, kangaroos, a thorny devil and Australias largest lizard! It was brilliant, especially the camels!

I'm now back at Alice Springs waiting for my flight to Cairns this afternoon. My trip to the Heart of Australia was by far the best thing I have done so far, it was an unforgettable experience which I'm so glad a chose to do!

Bondi Beach to Byron Bay

2006-03-14T06:57:00.000Z

Our five days in Bondi Beach was exactly what we needed, after spending most of our time so far in cities. However, there wasn't really much to do apart from spend time on the beach (which probably sounds wonderful to all of you at home suffering with snow and ice so before you say anything, I'm not complaining!!) On the last night before leaving Bondi, I went back into the centre of Sydney where I met up with friends I'd made there. We took a trip up the Sydney Sky Tower where I saw the most spectacular night-time view of Sydney. I could have spent hours there! There was a rotating bar and restaurant up in the tower, which is very classy, but as I only have flip flops (or thongs as they're called here!) to wear we weren't allowed in! I was quite sad to leave Sydney as I really enjoyed my stay there, I'll definitely be going back there one day.

Our next stop was a place called Port Macquarie which is about 5 hours north of Sydney. Its a beautiful place with stunning beaches and even better weather! It was really hot each of the 5 days we spent there. Unfortunately though, hotter weather brings bigger and meaner mosquitoes and flies and I am slowly being eaten alive! We stayed in a chalet which was really nice. It was lovely to have our own kitchen (with absolutely no pigeons!) and to have some decent sleep without the usual interuptions from fellow backpackers! Whilst staying in Port Macquarie we visited a Koala breeding park where we saw lots of gorgeous Koalas and I even got to stroke one - aaahhh! I also got to feed a weird looking albino kangaroo which was pretty cool too.

The following day I spent at a nearby nature reserve which was really beautiful and peaceful. I walked through all the forest and saw so many stunning birds and lots of huge spiders! Whilst walking around I could hear really loud screeching so I followed the noise where I found a mass of trees which appeared to be covered in thousands of black birds. As I got closer, the noise was ear-piercing and I realised that it was not birds but huge bats! I've never seen anything like it, there were thousands of them.

Yesterday we arrived in Byron Bay which is similar to Bondi Beach but much bigger. Its also a lot hotter! Its a really lovely place and its full of backpackers so is really buzzing with people. Our accomodation this time is really expensive compared to most places but its not as nice. I'm most worried about the huge gap under the door and the huge bugs that might be able to (and probably will) come through it. As you might have gathered by now, I'm not good with bugs!

Well thats it for now apart from to tell those who don't already know that my travel plans have changed slightly. Within the next week I'll being "going solo". The other girls I have been travelling with have changed there plans about what they want to do which means missing out on things I was really looking forward to. I think you all know how hard I worked to get here and there is no way I want to go home disappointed and with regrets so I'm just going to go for it! There are so many people out here travelling alone and you meet so many people that I'm sure I'll be fine, although, if I'm completely honest I'm terrified!

So that means I'm going to need your emails and messages more than ever so I look forward to hearing from you all soon!
Bye for now
Claire x

ps computer on a go slow so not managed any pics this time but will add some soon

Sydney!

2006-03-02T07:36:00.000Z

After leaving Melbourne we took our first Greyhound coach to Canberra which took about 8 hours. We spent a day and couple of nights there which was nice but there wasn't much to see there so we set off early on the second day to Sydney Central. The city is buzzing with life day and night and theres so much to do and see. Our first hostel was right in the city with easy access to all the famous landmarks such as the Sydney Opera House and Sydney Harbour Bridge. We also took a ferry to a lovely beach called Manley beach and visited an Aquarium where there were huge sharks! We managed to get a deal with our accomodation that included a trip to the Blue Mountains which everyone was raving about so we were really looking forward to it. There should have been amazing views of canyons as well as rainforest walks and Kangaroo spotting. Unfortunately, the day didn't exactly go to plan. The night before there was a huge thunder storm which meant the road to where the Kangaroos were was closed as it was flooded. We were disappointed but still looking forward to the amazing views we were sure to see! The main event of the day was visiting the "Three Sisters" which is a famous rock formation set in a huge canyon, but that failed to go to plan either and as we arrived a thick fog descended and you could barely see your hand in front of your face, nevermind the views of the canyon! We did, however, manage to see the funny side of it as there were lots of tourists at the look out point looking at absolutely nothing and it looked really funny!

After that slightly disappointing day we spent a couple more days enjoying the sights of Sydney before we felt completely "citied out" and decided to head for the nearby surfers resort called Bondi Beach. Its a lovely place with a really chilled out atmosphere which is a relief from the hustle and bustle of Sydney and Melbourne. The beach is beautiful and is where we spent most of the day! The only downside is our accomodation, the room is ok but we usually get joined by a couple of pigeons whilst trying to cook in the kitchen and theres about 8 plates, and a couple of broken pans for at least 100 people staying there! I suppose its all part of the experience though!

Our plan now is to stay in Bondi for a week before heading further up to the cost to Byron Bay and Surfers Paradise! It just seems to be getting better and better!

Hanging out with the stars!

2006-02-21T05:59:00.000Z

Yesterday was the day I've been looking forward to most when I knew I'd be coming to Melbourne - a visit to Ramsay Street! Being a big Neighbours fan, I loved every second! Erinsbough (if you hadn't guessed) is not a real place but is in fact an anagram of Neighbours. But we had a tour around the area anyway and saw the highlights including Erinsbough High! Of course, the best bit was walking down Ramsay Street which is not a studio but real houses. It was so strange to see them for real and we were all surprised at how small the street is! Big Neighbours fans will know that there is a number 30 Ramsay Street, but in reality theres only about 8 houses and number 30 is in fact number 3.

In the evening we managed to land ourselves with tickets to a pub where some of the stars
would be so we were all very excited as to who we might meet! We waited and waited in this pub for them to arrive, still not knowing who would be there and eventually Karl Kennedy, Steph Scully and Boyd Hoyland walked in! It was really busy but somehow we managed to spend a bit of time with each of them. They were really nice and a good laugh and let us get pictures with them (as you can see!) It was a great night - definately one to remember.

I'm moving on tomorrow, going to Canberra for a couple of days before heading to Sydney!!

I apologise to those non-Neighbours fans as they probably have know idea who or what I'm talking about but hope you enjoyed reading anyway. Thanks a lot for the comments you've left me they're great!

Claire x

The Great Ocean Road

2006-02-21T05:26:00.000Z

The Great Ocean Road stretches more than 400km along South West Victoria's Coastline. It runs along the coast for the first half and then into the mountains for the second half. On Sunday we took a day trip almost all the way along it which took about 14 hours to get there and back to St Kilda. It was an amazing day and the views were spectacular! Our first stop was at Bells Beach which is thought to be one of the best surfing beaches in Australia, where most major competitions are held, and where the film "Point Break" with Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze was set. We also saw the lighthouse where "Round the Twist" was filmed!! (I think only the young ones will appreciate that one!)

We took a rainforest walk, and also went Koala watching where we saw loads of Koalas but as they sleep for 19 hours a day it was hard to find any doing anything but snoozing! We stopped of at several other beautiful beaches before reaching Loch Ard Gorge which was stunning with huge limestone rock formations. To finish the day we went to the 12 Apostles which is a famous limestone rock formation made of originally 12 stacks where we watched an amazing sunset. Once the sun went down we also managed to see some of the worlds smallest penguins coming out of the sea to their nests. They were tiny and so cute!

We got back around midnight and were exhausted, heading straight to bed! It was a fantastic day and I'd love to do it again!

Bangkok

2006-02-16T00:37:00.000Z

In order to get to Bangkok we had to endure a gruelling 16 hour journey. The first three hours was by minibus followed by a 13 hour over night train! The train was just as you'd imagine a Bangkok train to be! It wasn't the safest looking thing so I think we were all a bit apprenhensive about spending the night on it. Fortunately, the seats turned to a bed and a top bunk came from the roof so we could put our head down and try to get some sleep. Unfortunately, sleeping became nearly impossible as it was so bumpy and noisy that I kept thinking we were going to de-rail! But it was a great experience and I really felt like a true traveller!

Bangkok was even more of a dive than I'd expected. It's so dirty and smelly and theres cockroaches running round all over the place! It really is that bad!

On our full day in Bangkok we headed out early and visited the River Kwai. We went to a war museum and a soldiers cemetry where there were soldiers from even Manchester buried. We then took a train along Death Railway. The train was packed full of people and it was excruciatingly hot. To our horror, smoke starting pouring through the windows and the train came to a stand still in the middle of nowhere! Instead of reassuring passengers and doing something to fix it they asked us all to get off and walk! It was hilarious with a couple of hundred passengers clambering out and walking down the railway - it reminded me of refugees fleeing the country! Unlike they would in the UK, everyone saw the funny side of it and everyone was in fits of laughter!

When we finally managed to get to a main road our minibus came to get us and took us to the "The Bridge Over the River Kwai". It was a very emotional experience and I can't say I enjoyed it but I thought is was important to go and gain a better understanding of the impact of the war and what prisoners of war had endured. I certainly won't forget it!

We are now in St Kilda in Melbourne which I was a bit disappointed with on arrival. I think I had imagined it to be just like the Neighbours set but its not quite as pretty! It was cold when we arrived too but its much nicer now and we've found much nicer parts so I'm starting to feel more like I'm in Australia! I even saw Connor from Neighbours last night which was very exciting! (I'm so sad!) We haven't planned much yet as its all a bit pricey so I think a day at the beach is called for! Apparently someone got eaten by a shark here a few weeks ago so I think I'll give swimming in the sea a miss!

Well thats all for now, we're planning on staying in Melbourne for a week so I'll update you again soon.

Thanks for reading
Claire x

"The Beach"

2006-02-09T05:02:00.000Z

After a very long bus journey (about 10 hours) we finally arrived where we had been looking forward to most - Thailand! We are staying in a town called Ao Nang in Krabi. Unfortunately on arrival we found that the huts we should have been staying in were over-booked for our first night so we were forced to stay in a 5 star hotel just down the road - gutted! We had to suffer with huge rooms with far too comfortable beds, and a pool which we had to go in! What torture! The next night we were delighted to find that our huts (see pic) were now free to move in! They actually aren't too bad and are in a really nice setting, it feels like we're in the jungle, however, theres a few too many creepy crawlies for my liking including the biggest spider I have ever seen - bigger than my hand!!!

On our first day in Thailand we decided to make the most of the beach as its the first one we've seen since our trip started. We stopped off at the shops on the way where the sell really lovely gifts and clothes. The beach is beautiful and it was great to have a relaxing day enjoying the sunshine.

In the evening we went out for a lovely meal consisting of a chinese dish, egg fried rice and a drink all for a bank breaking 1.50 (120 Bahts)!

Yesterday we booked ourselves on a speed boat trip which turned out to be a fantastic day! It was so fast and a really amazing feeling looking across such clear blue sea! After about 45 mins we arrived at Phi Phi Ley, the beautiful island where "The Beach" was filmed (see pic). I have never seen such white, soft sand before! We also swam in the cove where Leo DiCaprio wrestles the shark! Flashback of that scene meant I didn't stay in too long!

Next we headed to an island called Phi Phi Don which was badly affected by the Tsunami. There appeared to be no physical signs of it (apart from everything being so new!) but there was a sadness in the air thats hard to describe.

The next two stops were snorkelling sites. It took a while, and a lot of coughing and spluttering, to get used to it but eventually I got the hang of it and it was amazing. There were so many beautiful fish, I loved it!

We paid one last trip to Bamboo Island before boarding our boat for the last time. Staying in Thailand has been brilliant and I'm really disappointed we don't have longer here but I'm really looking forward to being in Australia next week too! We leave for Bangkok tomorrow where we spend our last two nights before heading to Oz!

Jungle Walks and Waterfalls

2006-02-03T14:25:00.000Z

Yesterday we arrived in the Cameron Highlands which is a beautiful place. We are really high up so the weather is cooler which is a relief from the heat we've had so far! The down side is the insects! We were greated by a bug the size of a rat on the wall on our arrival - it was hideous. We quickly got in our room, shut all the windows and curtains to avoid any unwanted visiters!

We decided to book ourselves on a days adventure tour for which sounded great but little did we know what we'd let ourselves in for!! The day started nicely with a visit to local tea plantations and factories where they was breathtaking views with hills covered in tea plants as far as the eye could see. We also sampled the local tea which was lovely. Following this we headed to a butterfly farm but it was so full of huge flying things, bugs, beetles, snakes, and spiders I didn't like it much and was relieved to get out again, I've been itching ever since!

After a nice relaxing start to the day we went on a rather nerve wrecking off road drive in a land rover to where we were to start our jungle trek to find the largest flower in the world! It was the most exhausting experience of my life but also the most amazing. We had to climb up and down really steep, slippery hills, climbing over and under things as we went. We had to cross rivers and all got really muddy from head to toe. We did this for around an hour and a half before we reached the flower, it really was huge!! The way back was not as hard as it was mostly down hill but as it was so slippy we slipped over in the mud so many times! To our relief we had chance to clean up and cool down with a lovely swim in a waterfall which was lovely!

On the last stretch of our trek we went to an Aboringine village. It was quite upsetting seeing the conditions they lived in, especiallty as there were so many children but they seemed really happy and I think seeing us made their day! Especially as some of us had crisps and sweets to share!

We were glad to finally be back at the hotel where we cleaned up and went out for tea. We had a steamboat where you basically cook your own food at the table, it was great fun and tasted good too! I'm now going to get to bed ready for our early start to Penang in the morning!

Thanks for reading, hope you are all well!! Please leave your comments as its really nice to hear from you!

Claire x

The Capital City

2006-02-03T14:12:00.000Z

On our last day in Kuala Lumpur we set off early to the Petronas Towers or twin towers of Malaysia. They are the worlds tallest free standing buildings and were amazing to see. Fortunately we were taken in the lift to the 41st of 88 floors where there is a glass bridge connecting the two towers. From here there were incredible views of Malaysia, and we were so high that cars just looked like dots on the road.

In the afternoon, we headed out to Malaysia's National Mosque which was a beautiful place. We carefully chose what to wear in order to cover our arms and legs but they still insisted that we wore head dresses and robes but we looked more like old washer women than anything else! (I have pictures!) It was definately a good experience and were glad we went.

In the evening we went to China town for tea with the whole group and then we braved the Kuala Lumpur night market. It was a bit scary at first as it was so cramped so we stuck to each other like glue and held on very tightly to our bags! We soon got used to the atmosphere though and started to enjoy it. We even did some haggling and got some great bargains!

All in all, our short stay in the capital city was really great!

Melaka

2006-01-31T08:46:00.000Z

The last couple of days we spent in Melaka in Malaysia. It only took about 4 hours to get there but it is so different from Singapore. It is much less developed and people are living in really poor conditions. They also appear to have no proper system on the roads - it's chaos! There doesn't seem to be a particular side of the road they drive on and I even saw people going opposite ways round roundabouts! Few people speak any English so making yourself understood is hard and I almost felt like a minor celebrity - I don't think the locals have seen many white people! It was a great experience to stay there though! We spent most of our time on the markets and visiting temples as there wasn't much else to do. We managed to fit in a ride on a Rickshaw which was really relaxing in the baking heat!

This morning we arrived in Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia. So far it seems great, very different than Melaka with lots of high rise buildings and places to visit. This morning we visited the Batu Caves but we had to climb 272 steps to get to them which wasn't easy in this heat but it was worth it! There was lots of temples and statues inside with lots of ceremonies going on inside. Tomorrow we're planning to head up the twin towers followed by a trip to some mosques. In the evening we're heading out to the Kuala Lumpar night market to do some haggling!

Thanks for reading, I'll update you again soon
Claire x

Singapore Sling

2006-01-28T15:26:00.000Z

Tonight was our last night in Singapore and we moved to a new hostel where I managed to land myself in my own room with a double bed, on-suite and TV - and there was me imagining I'd be staying in mud huts! Its unfortunately only for one night though as we set off early on a 4 hour bus journey to Melaka in Malaysia. This evening we thought we'd make the most of our last night in Singapore and headed off to the famous Raffles Hotel (very posh and expensive!) for a Singapore Sling (famous cocktail) which apparently has to be done. But in true backpacker style we only had enough singapore dollars left to share one between all of us and we filled up on complementary peanuts for the rest of the evening, but at least I can say I've done it!

Well thats all for now, I will try to keep you posted on my trip through Malaysia so please keep emailing or leaving comments for me cos its lovely to hear from you all!

Claire x

Singapore Zoo

2006-01-27T14:58:00.000Z

Today was a brilliant day, spent at Singapore zoo. It was an amazing place, really tropical with every type of animal you can think of! We watched an elephant show and I even had a ride on one!! We spent hours there as there was so much to see so were all worn out - its so hot!

We're still really enjoying Singapore too, the people are so lovely and helpful even though we can't understand them half the time! We also appear to be the only English tourists here which is a bit strange - feeling a bit out of place!

Tomorrow we set off for our trip through malaysia and thailand which should be amazing. We're all very excited!! I will update you on that as soon as I can.

Claire x

Arrival in Singapore

2006-01-26T14:31:00.000Z

After a very long flight we all arrived safely in Singapore at about 9am (1am UK time). The city in beautiful and the weather is perfect! We spent the first day in the city centre where shopping is great - everything is so cheap! We headed to China town at night where they are starting celebrations for Chinese New Year so there was lots of lights and things to see and the atmosphere was buzzing!!

Today we spent the morning by the pool catching rays and we're all burnt already! We then went on a cable car ride to Sentona Island which was amazing - like a hidden paradise! There was a fountain display and amazing views of singapore and malaysia.

We are planning a trip to Singapore zoo tomorrow which should be really good - we can't wait!
I hope you are all well and look forward to hearing from you soon!

Claire