A Normal Dorm Night

Thought I would write down the happenings of a good night in a dorm.....

• 11 pm Go to sleep
• 12:00 am Room mate walks in drunk, switches on light, looks in his bag and passes out on his bed. I get up and switch off light
• 2:30 am Next room mate comes in, drunk as well, opens blinds, closes window. Then opens blinds again, opens window. Unpacks backpack and then packs backpack. Finally goes to sleep, remembers to switch light off.
• 3 am Two American girls come home, yes, drunk, decide to make massive cheese sandwiches, wake up a couple of people, and I hear them being asked to be quiet, which causes a fit of giggles!
• 3:30 am Can't sleep now, am wide awake, take my duvet upstairs to big sofa with book and read
• 4:30 am Starting to feel sleepy and as I begin to drift off on comfie sofa, guy comes home and gets very very ill in toilet. Sounds are unbelievable. Few people wake up to see what is going on.
• 5 am Go back to my room to try and sleep
• 6 am My alarm goes off, time to get ready for a day of diving and swimming!

This is a good night! I can feel a need for sleeping tablets arising! Hostel though is lovely, one of the best so far in the land of Oz!

Wild life in the Rainforest

I finally made it to the rain forest, where it really does rain alot, especially in the early hours of the morning. Am living in a tent, and totally loving it! I have a mattress, sheets, and a light. What more could I ask for. There is nothing better than being inside when it pours down with rain. Or waking up in a hot hot tent, opening a window and feeling the cool air flow in and brush over you. Feel like I have finally found a home...yes it is a tent, despite the many criticisms and disagreeing looks I get, that a tent could never be home....but home it is, for a few days, when I return to backpackers sharing room delight!

Went to a natural national park today with Kangaroos, Koalas, Crocodiles and many many birds. Got to hold a Koala, slightly smelly, and heavy but so cute, felt like taking him home. Fed a few Kangaroos and their babes. Some were bigger than me! Really like the Curwley bird? Not sure about spelling. They stay together with their chick, until they have another chick and then.....they push the older one away, and he has to fend for himself. So yes have learnt a few interesting facts about birds. The Kookaburra was the first bird to learn how to eat a King Cane Toad and not be poisoned.....the facts are endless. Had some breakfast with parrots, magpie geese, and a variety of other birds, very entertaining. They sat on my shoulders, tried to nibble my food, and one even had some champagne. Obviously I still drank from the same cup, as not to waste...Named one Gus, short for Guts, as he attack any food or item he could. He even managed to take a pearl earring from someones ear! As I walked around, birds flew just a few centimeters above my head, and one seemed intent on aiming towards it. A saying of my dads floated into my head, being...."I think your bird needs some water" Where he would lick his finger and touch my forehead, symbolising my brain. This saying would usually come when I had a crazy idea, or just a very silly one. I thought how much my dad would love to be here, to decide which coloured bird was the perfect resemblance of my brain!

Today has really been one of my favourite days in Australia, the wildlife is amazing, I loved playing with the baby joeys and wallabies, watching them slowly creep onto my lap, positioning them self for a bit of food! The birds are just out of this world....Huge, colourful, and squawker loud. I am beginning to fear I might turn into a bird watcher!

What else could I do!

Well it is still pouring with rain! So what else is there to do but shop! Which really is not a good thing.... for me or my bank account. It is amazing how one can feel so overjoyed and on such a natural high with a little plastic bag hanging from ones hand! I have bought the prettiest dress ever, and can't wait to wear it. I even have shoes to match, the only problem, them being in a box in London......Will have to have a welcome home party now, any excuse to wear it. Did think it was the perfect dress for a wedding, engagement etc. But then realised that everyone I know is already that! But still love my dress and it has put me on a wonderful high. All I have to do is look in bag that is sitting beside me and get a warm glowing feeling all over me! Why girls enjoy shopping so much, and why there is so much joy in a newly bought item I will never know. But I love the feeling. So shop away, it really does solve any problem, if only for a while!

We do not remember days.....we remember moments

New Saying..

Sometimes you just have to get out from under your umbrella and get a little wet to get somewhere....

Castaway Cairns

Cairns is boiling, and by this I mean hot and sticky, hot and sticky. The fan goes all night, and I have the usual fear that it will fall off and on top of me! Have spent the first few days walking around and swimming in their big pool that is known as the Lagoon, trust me, it is just a big pool. The word Lagoon tends to create visual images that far match the reality. Would take photo, but still need to get a camera. Today it is just pouring down with rain, and even though I have been assured it will all stop, I doubt it very much. A day in the rain forests with pouring rain....not to sure about that one. I feel like I need to be doing something, and get a bit bored chatting to odd people and then not chatting. Why can't I just bring South America here! There is definitely a different type of traveller in Australia, than in other parts. I am not sure what the difference is yet, but should work it out soon. I am looking forward to going home, but then I realise that I really am not to sure where that is either, but should work that out too. Just to leave your toothbrush in one place, imagine! Our hostel is rather small, which is nice for a change. We get free meal vouchers and then go to a shed place, called appropriately the Woodshed....(which is made of tin not wood) hand in our voucher, get a ticket and then stand in front of a hatchet waiting for a plate of food. It does kind of remind you of a homeless situation, but then we are all homeless in some sense of the word. Move on to Port Douglas, with devine beaches, can't wait! If I am Castaway in Cairns...then what could I be in Port Douglas? Will sort that one out too!

Discovering Sydney

Have been catching trains, walking the steps of the Opera house, and even managed a ferry to the other side. Transport seems quite chilled and easy here. Still miss hearing destinations being shouted out, or being pushed onto a random bus by total stranger. City is cool, bit big and concrete for me, but cool. Julie and I went to Manly Beach, Palm Beach (Home and Away Beach) and Narrobeen. So lovely, big seas, big sands, and gorgeous sun! We made a few little stops in Castle Hill, and Windsor, very cute little shops, and I have had the strongest will power ever, that I did not know I possessed, not to buy, buy, buy! (Instead am saving for a new camera after careless loss) I have been so lucky with the weather, it really has been great, sunny and bright. Tomorrow it turns into winter, but then Cairns is waiting with a perfect 29 degrees, can't wait!

England in Sydney

Catching the train from the airport brought back so many memories of London, hearing places that are named the same, and seeing everyone dressed up in suits and high heels. Gosh why am I here. Trains departing to Liverpool, Hyde Park, Regents Park, Red hill......and the list goes on. Do like the double decker trains....so cool and spacey. It all looks slightly grey, and serious....definitely serious.

Beach Boredom!

Anything you can do I can do better,

I can jump higher than you!

Snotty Goodbyes

Why do we cry whenever we say goodbye!

By this I mean pouring snot into someones shoulder and then sobbing uncontrollable through that silly x-ray machine...no wonder they check your bags twice.

Family Surprise.

Well I have family in New Zealand as well! All gets a bit mad trying to keep track of everyone, and I know I am more than guilty. Met a cousin with three kids yesterday, and it really was lovely. They were all lovely. It always is a bit daunting meeting family, but I am so glad I did! I even felt sad saying goodbye. What is more amazing is that I seem to be finding more and more people I know or should know all over the world, I love that, I love that there is someone somewhere, and sometimes it is just the best surprise ever! I will hopefully put a photo of them here, but my computer skills tend to disappear on me now and again, and right now am having one of those moments!

I leave in two days, and already I am getting nerves in my tummy, just thinking of saying goodbye to Wends and this Divine place that has me now speaking in "sweet as" phrases. Also knowing that London is round the corner and all that that holds. Like, what will I do, where will I live, will I live, will I work....oh my goodness, it really is not worth thinking about when there are so many sunsets, sunrises and beaches to discover! (And steak pies to eat...that are so so so bad .....hopefully I won't look too much like a pie by the time I return!)

Rugby verses cats!

Now we all know that New Zealand Rugby players are quite big, but

have you seen the cats!

New Zealand

Only a few days left here, and I am totally in love with this place, which I suppose is normal. Have been swimming in freezing water, soaking in thermal baths and walking up many waterfalls, and not falling in. Am in Taupo at the moment, and everyone is thinking about sky diving..... Have been around the whole north island, and tomorrow am hopping on a bus back to Auckland.

New Zealand is the perfect family stop, calm beaches, easy roads, big big houses, with cute post boxes. I won't bore readers with a day by day run down. All I can say it is amazing, and if anyone is thinking of going they should! I have been so lucky with the weather, and am really starting to believe that my sun gifting is a real gift! Last week this whole area was horrible and rainy and cold. All we have had is sun, sun and more sun. Have met lots of really sweet people, and am beginning to hear myself think in a New Zealand accent! The worst was, when I replied....'sweet as' instead of saying thanks. Hostals have been okay, few better than others, and a few worse than others. Have joined a hop on, hop off bus, so it all seems to work, at least no map reading is involved!

Good sunrise hey!

Sort out my life

Every now and again, we tend to have these days, where life needs to be sorted. Well I do! One hundred, well maybe more, questions fill my head and there seem to be no answers. Arriving in New Zealand, somehow has brought them all to the front, the same questions, the same no answers.

I arrived at 3:45 into an airport that had a recording of birds singing, still wonder about that one Then was asked a million questions, about my intentions in New Zealand; who I knew there, where I was going....don't know yet...., my return ticket, and ended up getting a three month stamp anyway. Maybe it is a sign to stay longer...

Back with Wendy, feels like yesterday, giggling away, about nothing and thinking everything is just funny when it really is not. Driving her station wagon, which is quite a sight...and now I just want to stay here!

Planning to sort out my trips today, have checked my bank balance as that does become the deciding factor. What to do, there are so many choices and New Zealand is really amazing. Only problem is these indecisive decisions relate to the rest of my life, and I am beginning to realise that I really don't have the answers to any of them.

BUT..... I am excited about the next few weeks, seeing my old friends, doing new things and maybe, who knows, sorting out my life.