Absolutely gorgeous place. There are places to fish, sunbathe, go walking, driving, hiking, it just had so much to offer. We got the chance to see a lot of wildlife too, we saw and eagle eating road kill, wombats, parrots and possoms. Wombats were our favourite, they are much bigger then you think and looked quite cute. We came across a couple of scary ones tho, one of which charged at PJ and scared the crap out of him.. funny!! One night we even had one munching outside of our tent!
While we were there we went to Whiskey beach and squeaky beach, both were deserted and beautiful. We spent several hours playing games on the beaches as we practically had them to ourselves.
Mount Oberon was definately the highlight of Wilsons Prom. The bus picked us up and took us half way up and we had to climb the rest. It took us about 45 mins and it was definately a stuggle... all of us are a little out of practice on the excercise front! But when we reached the top it was definately worth it, the view was unbelivable, we could have stayed up there for hours.
Link to photos:
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2262934&l=19832&id=197810485
Thursday, January 24, 2008
The Great Ocean Road
What a beautiful drive!! It had the most amazing and breath taking views of the ocean, rain forests, valleys, every couple of minutes there was another look out point to go and see.
Torquay was a little place with several deserted beaches and was good for surfing. Lorne was the next place we stopped at which was a little more busy so we didnt stop there for long. As we left we tried to go and see some waterfalls but after dragging viser minelli along some horrible roads and making her do many u-turns we thought we would give up before we all strangelled each other.
Apollo bay was a beautiful place, again with lovely scenery and beaches. On the way out of the bay we did the maits rainforest walk which was really bright and colourful.
On our way to Port Campbell we saw some koalas in the wild, they were adorable. We never thought we would be able to spot them... and if we hadnt seen someone else pull over we probably wouldnt have!! From Port Campbell we drove to see the London Bridge and Grotto lookout, which you will be able to see in the piccys.
We all took a helicopter ride over the 12 Apostles! We were all like excited little kids. It was amazing... next new thing... to become a helicopter pilot.
On the way back along the Great Ocean Road we were going to stop at all the beaches and have a go at surfing but the weather turned a little grey and miserable so we decided to buy 2 fishing rods between the four of us and go fishing for the next couple of days. It was brilliant... we all were guilty of getting a little competitive and even stayed out in the dark one night, with no light... dedication!
Link to Photos
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2262930&l=8cf28&id=197810485
Torquay was a little place with several deserted beaches and was good for surfing. Lorne was the next place we stopped at which was a little more busy so we didnt stop there for long. As we left we tried to go and see some waterfalls but after dragging viser minelli along some horrible roads and making her do many u-turns we thought we would give up before we all strangelled each other.
Apollo bay was a beautiful place, again with lovely scenery and beaches. On the way out of the bay we did the maits rainforest walk which was really bright and colourful.
On our way to Port Campbell we saw some koalas in the wild, they were adorable. We never thought we would be able to spot them... and if we hadnt seen someone else pull over we probably wouldnt have!! From Port Campbell we drove to see the London Bridge and Grotto lookout, which you will be able to see in the piccys.
We all took a helicopter ride over the 12 Apostles! We were all like excited little kids. It was amazing... next new thing... to become a helicopter pilot.
On the way back along the Great Ocean Road we were going to stop at all the beaches and have a go at surfing but the weather turned a little grey and miserable so we decided to buy 2 fishing rods between the four of us and go fishing for the next couple of days. It was brilliant... we all were guilty of getting a little competitive and even stayed out in the dark one night, with no light... dedication!
Link to Photos
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2262930&l=8cf28&id=197810485
Adelaide
The city itself is lovely and very easy to find your way around. Further out from the centre you have Glenelg bay which has lots of nice little shops and places to eat and has a coast line which seems to stretch for miles. Kangaroo was tried for the first time... absolutely delicious (its like steak but even tastier). Over all is was a perfect place to just chill out and enjoy the weather.
Links to pictures of Blue Mountains, Melbourne and Adelaide:
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2262929&l=3cdcc&id=197810485
Links to pictures of Blue Mountains, Melbourne and Adelaide:
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2262929&l=3cdcc&id=197810485
Melbourne
The Drive to Melbourne from the Blue Mountains took quite along time so we had a little stop over point in the lovely town of Eden.
When we made it to Melbourne we set up camp just on the outskirts of the city, it was a bit of a mission to get into the city but it didnt bother us too much!
Melbourne is a lovely city, which is not as daunting as Sydney. You can find your way around a little bit more easily, yet it is just as pretty. There is a river which runs through the centre and you can ever go and sit on some floating bits of Grass/astroturf for your lunch. St.Kilda is a place just outside the city centre on the beach where you can chill out through the day or go and watch the sunset at nights. We went there one evening and got to see the little penguins (also known as fairy penguins) come in to their little homes in the rocks once the sun had set, they were adorable. One day when we were there it actually reached 41 degrees, it was boiling so we made it to brighton beach which was just further on from St. Kilda!
We all feel that our time in Melbourne was not long enough and that we still more to see, so its on our list to come back too!!!
When we made it to Melbourne we set up camp just on the outskirts of the city, it was a bit of a mission to get into the city but it didnt bother us too much!
Melbourne is a lovely city, which is not as daunting as Sydney. You can find your way around a little bit more easily, yet it is just as pretty. There is a river which runs through the centre and you can ever go and sit on some floating bits of Grass/astroturf for your lunch. St.Kilda is a place just outside the city centre on the beach where you can chill out through the day or go and watch the sunset at nights. We went there one evening and got to see the little penguins (also known as fairy penguins) come in to their little homes in the rocks once the sun had set, they were adorable. One day when we were there it actually reached 41 degrees, it was boiling so we made it to brighton beach which was just further on from St. Kilda!
We all feel that our time in Melbourne was not long enough and that we still more to see, so its on our list to come back too!!!
Blue Mountains
So after finally finding our car whose name is viser minelli (named after her little viser she has) we hit the road! To begin with we didnt have much camping stuff, we didnt even have a map so the boys became in charge for getting us to our first destination, the Blue Mountains. We made it there with only a few detours and no arguments... result!
We set up camp in Euroka which was in the national park. Dont think Kim and Jenny were ready for how basic everything was, there was no shower block, no where to get water from and only a long drop (whole in the ground) for a toilet. We definately did not become prepared for this.... Pj and Jennys tent was not waterproof, Kim and Greg borrowed a tent but didnt realise it consisted of one half of one tent and one half of another, which were not even in the same shape, none of us had anything to sleep on, sit on, we had no light, we burnt our dinner and we even had to start rationing our water!!!! What more can we say!!
Apart from that though there was so much wildlife about, we saw hundred of birds, such as cockatoos and parrots (which were so bloody noisey, especially in the mornings). We also saw Kangaroos hopping about the place
After the National Park we headed straight to a camping shop to kit ourselves out properly... our lesson was learnt!
We stayed over in Blackheath for a night to wait for the weather to improve before we went sightseeing. The next day we went to see the Katoomba falls, and went to echo point to see the three sisters, they were all beautiful, which were all spectacular.
We set up camp in Euroka which was in the national park. Dont think Kim and Jenny were ready for how basic everything was, there was no shower block, no where to get water from and only a long drop (whole in the ground) for a toilet. We definately did not become prepared for this.... Pj and Jennys tent was not waterproof, Kim and Greg borrowed a tent but didnt realise it consisted of one half of one tent and one half of another, which were not even in the same shape, none of us had anything to sleep on, sit on, we had no light, we burnt our dinner and we even had to start rationing our water!!!! What more can we say!!
Apart from that though there was so much wildlife about, we saw hundred of birds, such as cockatoos and parrots (which were so bloody noisey, especially in the mornings). We also saw Kangaroos hopping about the place
After the National Park we headed straight to a camping shop to kit ourselves out properly... our lesson was learnt!
We stayed over in Blackheath for a night to wait for the weather to improve before we went sightseeing. The next day we went to see the Katoomba falls, and went to echo point to see the three sisters, they were all beautiful, which were all spectacular.
Sydney
Sydney has some fantastic scenery and plenty of beaches to choose from, however for most of our time there the weather decided to go against us (nothing new there)!!!
The Harbour Bridge and Opera House look amazing, and one afternoon when the sun was shining we decided to treat our selves to a few drinks in the opera house bar. You get an amazing view of the whole harbour when you go on the ferry to Manly beach.
We went to Sydney Aquarium and Taronga Zoo. The sharks in the aquarium were very impressive, and I hope to god we never come across them in the open ocean! When we went to the Zoo our favourite animals were actually the merecats... they were adorable and hilarious to watch!
The Beaches...
There are so many to chose from! Manly is lovely when its not too busy, its really good for surfing and its got a few shops to keep the girlies happy. We also visited coogee beach and then did the two hour walk from there to Bondi which was beautiful and took us across several other beaches. Another day we went to long reef beach too, which was so peaceful... that is until the boys decided to have crocodile races along the shallow bits of the water!!!!
Bondi beach was where we stayed for three weeks, thanks to our two lovely friends Sammy and Mike. We lived in their sitting room for the whole time and saved ourselves a hell of a lot of money! Bondi has a lot going for itself, with lots of shops, lots of surfing and lots of bars to go to at night. We spent many nights drinking GOON, which is wine that costs $12 for 5 litres and it says on the ingredients may contain fish, eggs and nuts.... tasty!!! One thing that actually was tasty though was the $6.90 steak and chips, a good backpackers dinner!
Christmas...
What a brilliant day! None of us had really been looking forward to having christmas away from home and the forecast was terrible... it was forecasted to rain for the second time ever in history!!!!! But with everyone getting into the christmas spirit and a bit of luck with the weather the day was a success. Kim woke everyone up at 8 in the morning by jumping on all of their beds and handing them a bag of goodies. We all then sat in the sitting room and opened our cards from home and our silly little pressies such as, bucket and spade, crackling chocolate, candy, glowsticks, water pistols etc. We then made up a massive fish bowl of sangria... by half nine we were all feeling a little tipsy, so a trip across the road was necessary so toast could be made for all. After we got through our first fish bowl we headed over to Warricks flat where the party continued and food cooking began. Drinking was banned on the beach so thats why we ended up eating in the flat then we just headed down to the beach for a few hours later on in the day. Typically the girls were put in their place in the kitchen while the boys sat on their bums drinking. The whole day was brilliant and went on till early hours the next day... good effort from everyone!!
New Years Eve...
Another success! After a laze on the beach through the day we headed back to the flat to prepare ourselves for the night ahead. Unfortunately we decided to miss the fireworks but it ended up being worth it! Instead we went to a concert which was held on Bondi beach, the atmosphere was amazing! Everyone decided to go a little crazy with their outfits.... they consisted of rave t-shirts, shades, body paints, glowsticks, flashing jewellery... a colourful bunch! We partied hard all through the night, and slowly began to recover on new years day! A night never to be forgotten.
Link to Sydney Photos:
Sydney
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2255170&l=fb6f8&id=197810485
Christmas and New Year
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2262928&l=1574f&id=197810485
The Harbour Bridge and Opera House look amazing, and one afternoon when the sun was shining we decided to treat our selves to a few drinks in the opera house bar. You get an amazing view of the whole harbour when you go on the ferry to Manly beach.
We went to Sydney Aquarium and Taronga Zoo. The sharks in the aquarium were very impressive, and I hope to god we never come across them in the open ocean! When we went to the Zoo our favourite animals were actually the merecats... they were adorable and hilarious to watch!
The Beaches...
There are so many to chose from! Manly is lovely when its not too busy, its really good for surfing and its got a few shops to keep the girlies happy. We also visited coogee beach and then did the two hour walk from there to Bondi which was beautiful and took us across several other beaches. Another day we went to long reef beach too, which was so peaceful... that is until the boys decided to have crocodile races along the shallow bits of the water!!!!
Bondi beach was where we stayed for three weeks, thanks to our two lovely friends Sammy and Mike. We lived in their sitting room for the whole time and saved ourselves a hell of a lot of money! Bondi has a lot going for itself, with lots of shops, lots of surfing and lots of bars to go to at night. We spent many nights drinking GOON, which is wine that costs $12 for 5 litres and it says on the ingredients may contain fish, eggs and nuts.... tasty!!! One thing that actually was tasty though was the $6.90 steak and chips, a good backpackers dinner!
Christmas...
What a brilliant day! None of us had really been looking forward to having christmas away from home and the forecast was terrible... it was forecasted to rain for the second time ever in history!!!!! But with everyone getting into the christmas spirit and a bit of luck with the weather the day was a success. Kim woke everyone up at 8 in the morning by jumping on all of their beds and handing them a bag of goodies. We all then sat in the sitting room and opened our cards from home and our silly little pressies such as, bucket and spade, crackling chocolate, candy, glowsticks, water pistols etc. We then made up a massive fish bowl of sangria... by half nine we were all feeling a little tipsy, so a trip across the road was necessary so toast could be made for all. After we got through our first fish bowl we headed over to Warricks flat where the party continued and food cooking began. Drinking was banned on the beach so thats why we ended up eating in the flat then we just headed down to the beach for a few hours later on in the day. Typically the girls were put in their place in the kitchen while the boys sat on their bums drinking. The whole day was brilliant and went on till early hours the next day... good effort from everyone!!
New Years Eve...
Another success! After a laze on the beach through the day we headed back to the flat to prepare ourselves for the night ahead. Unfortunately we decided to miss the fireworks but it ended up being worth it! Instead we went to a concert which was held on Bondi beach, the atmosphere was amazing! Everyone decided to go a little crazy with their outfits.... they consisted of rave t-shirts, shades, body paints, glowsticks, flashing jewellery... a colourful bunch! We partied hard all through the night, and slowly began to recover on new years day! A night never to be forgotten.
Link to Sydney Photos:
Sydney
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2255170&l=fb6f8&id=197810485
Christmas and New Year
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2262928&l=1574f&id=197810485
Off to Australia!!!
So the time had come for the three of us to leave New Zealand and head off to our next destination and meet up with PJ. Our flight to Oz was painless as only lasted a few hours and no days were lost.
Kaikoura incl link to Nz South Island photos
Eight of us hired out a van and drove up to Kaikoura. It was nice to finally break away from the Kiwi bus and do our own thing! Just before we reached the town we stopped off at a little cafe on the sea front to get some food. Just as we all sat down jenny spotted lots fo dolphins out at sea... there were loads of them and they were all jumping out and doing acrobatics through the water, it was so nice to see them in the wild. Later that day we went whale watching, unfortunately it was really dissapointing. We got to see one sperm whale, but we didnt get that close to it and it only came to the surface for a few seconds, for all we knew it could have been a rock in the ocean! Although we must admit it was impressive when we saw its tale flap as it decended into the depths of the sea.
The next day I think we had the most amazing morning EVER!!!!! We set off on our dolphin hunt at 5:30am!!!! It was well worth it once we came across a pod of 500 playful dusky dolphins. As soon as we found them we jumped in and started to swim with them. They were amazing, you could make noises or dive down in order to keep them interested. You could even try to compete with them by swimming round in a circle and see who could go the fastest... they always won! They stayed around us for ages and would swim underneath you, by the side of you, swim straight towards you, some even had there little nippers with them.... it was incredible! When we got out everyone felt slightly sick, especially kim, due to swimming around in circles too much and getting far too excited.
Link to photos:
Part 1
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2245285&l=6d3df&id=197810485
Part 2
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2247457&l=f4466&id=197810485
The next day I think we had the most amazing morning EVER!!!!! We set off on our dolphin hunt at 5:30am!!!! It was well worth it once we came across a pod of 500 playful dusky dolphins. As soon as we found them we jumped in and started to swim with them. They were amazing, you could make noises or dive down in order to keep them interested. You could even try to compete with them by swimming round in a circle and see who could go the fastest... they always won! They stayed around us for ages and would swim underneath you, by the side of you, swim straight towards you, some even had there little nippers with them.... it was incredible! When we got out everyone felt slightly sick, especially kim, due to swimming around in circles too much and getting far too excited.
Link to photos:
Part 1
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2245285&l=6d3df&id=197810485
Part 2
http://leedsac.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2247457&l=f4466&id=197810485
Millford Sounds and Christchurch
Milford Sounds is one of the worlds natural wonders but unfortunately we didnt get to see its beauty!!! We travelled for five hours on a bus and when we got there it was freezing and pissing down with rain. The clouds were low, it was slightly foggy and we could hardly see 10 metres in front of us let alone the gorgeous sights of the Milford Sounds. We got close to a few waterfalls but unfortuantely that was exciting as it got! Then before we knew it we had the 5 hour journey back!!!
Christchurch was a nice little city where we got time to recuperate from queenstown and chill out for a couple of days. We ended up booking ourselves into the pent house in our hostel, as it only worked our $3 more expensive and you got the luxury of an open plan kitchen and sitting room, with a terrace and BBQ... perfect!
Christchurch was a nice little city where we got time to recuperate from queenstown and chill out for a couple of days. We ended up booking ourselves into the pent house in our hostel, as it only worked our $3 more expensive and you got the luxury of an open plan kitchen and sitting room, with a terrace and BBQ... perfect!
Queenstown
Perfect place for those who like to scare themelves by doing all the extreme sports and enjoy themselves by partying hard at night.
When we first arrived in Queenstown we watched a few fellow travellers on our bus do one of the smaller bungy jumps! They were all petrified but all managed to go ahead and jump off the bridge. After that we decided to have a massive group photo, even though there were two bus loads we still decided to do one big pile up which consisted of us all laying on top of each other. We were all on the bottom two rows and were officially crushed by everyone.
Nights out were a good laugh, we always ended up finding ourselves in the same places drinking the same drinks. Teapots (cocktail drink in a porcelain teapot served with as many shot glases as you wished) were a must. A typical end to the evening involved making our way to the one and only FERGBURGER... mmmmmmm! The best and biggest and most delicious burger in the world. One night Kim had two... one at 12 to sober her up and one at 4am before bed time!
The nevis bungy jump - what were we thinking! 134 metres high, with an 8.5 second freefall from a cable car in the middle of a canyon! Shat our pants! Got to be the craziest and most stupid thing i think we have ever done. None of us have ever experienced that level of being scared, feeling sick, emotional, faint.. you name it we felt it. Greg went first and i think his face said it all. He didnt say a word before he went and for about an hour afterwards, he was in a complete state of shock but still enjoyed every second of it. Kim was next, after holding back a few nervous tears she stood on the edge and wouldnt let go of the instructors hand, but after realising the only way to get herself out of this situation would be to jump she flew herself off. She came up with the biggest smile on her face and wanted to do it all again, biggest thrill ever. Poor Jenny was last and took a little more persuasion to jump off but after listening to the count down she screamed as loud as she could and then jumped off. Before she knew it she was back at the top, also with the biggest smile ever on her face. Absolutely amazing experience and one never to be forgotten.
When we first arrived in Queenstown we watched a few fellow travellers on our bus do one of the smaller bungy jumps! They were all petrified but all managed to go ahead and jump off the bridge. After that we decided to have a massive group photo, even though there were two bus loads we still decided to do one big pile up which consisted of us all laying on top of each other. We were all on the bottom two rows and were officially crushed by everyone.
Nights out were a good laugh, we always ended up finding ourselves in the same places drinking the same drinks. Teapots (cocktail drink in a porcelain teapot served with as many shot glases as you wished) were a must. A typical end to the evening involved making our way to the one and only FERGBURGER... mmmmmmm! The best and biggest and most delicious burger in the world. One night Kim had two... one at 12 to sober her up and one at 4am before bed time!
The nevis bungy jump - what were we thinking! 134 metres high, with an 8.5 second freefall from a cable car in the middle of a canyon! Shat our pants! Got to be the craziest and most stupid thing i think we have ever done. None of us have ever experienced that level of being scared, feeling sick, emotional, faint.. you name it we felt it. Greg went first and i think his face said it all. He didnt say a word before he went and for about an hour afterwards, he was in a complete state of shock but still enjoyed every second of it. Kim was next, after holding back a few nervous tears she stood on the edge and wouldnt let go of the instructors hand, but after realising the only way to get herself out of this situation would be to jump she flew herself off. She came up with the biggest smile on her face and wanted to do it all again, biggest thrill ever. Poor Jenny was last and took a little more persuasion to jump off but after listening to the count down she screamed as loud as she could and then jumped off. Before she knew it she was back at the top, also with the biggest smile ever on her face. Absolutely amazing experience and one never to be forgotten.
Franz Josef and Wanaka
Before we made it to franz josef we were taken to this random deer museum, which was run by a crazy man... we learnt all about how he used to jump out of hellicopters and tackle the deers... mental! He also showed us a few possoms and a giant pig... again very random!!!
Franz josef was a tiny little resort town, but the glacier hiking there was absolutely incredible. It was a 6 hour hike which involved you climbing up the glacier, squeezing through tiny gaps and generally just enjoying the incredible views. Greg did the ice climbing which was even more difficult, it involved using picks and spikes to climb sheer ice walls.
On the way to Wanaka we stopped off at some beautiful lakes, where you sould see perfect mirror reflections of the mountains. We also stopped off at a glacier pool where a few brave people decided to get into the freezing cold water and have a little swim. Our bus driver also got thrown in... poor thing! We ended up staying in a converted hotel where we had the luxury of a tv and a bath... heaven!
Franz josef was a tiny little resort town, but the glacier hiking there was absolutely incredible. It was a 6 hour hike which involved you climbing up the glacier, squeezing through tiny gaps and generally just enjoying the incredible views. Greg did the ice climbing which was even more difficult, it involved using picks and spikes to climb sheer ice walls.
On the way to Wanaka we stopped off at some beautiful lakes, where you sould see perfect mirror reflections of the mountains. We also stopped off at a glacier pool where a few brave people decided to get into the freezing cold water and have a little swim. Our bus driver also got thrown in... poor thing! We ended up staying in a converted hotel where we had the luxury of a tv and a bath... heaven!
Westport and a fancy dress party in the middle of nowhere!
Westport was a quite little town, with nothing much to do except from to go jet boating down the river, and to join the locals in a little pub and amuse ourselves with a few drinking games. Greg managed to get away with drinking 4 jugs of beer and not spending a penny!!!
When leaving Westport we stopped off for an hours walk along the coast, which ended in us seeing lots of fur seals and their pups. It was a really preety walk which helped get rid of the hangovers. Later that day we were sent on a mission to find our fancy dress outfits for the evening. It had to cost less than $10 and not be an item of clothing... took alot of of thought but in the end Greg went as spongebob and kim and jenny were snowmen... cant really say much else but the pictures will say it all!!!!
When leaving Westport we stopped off for an hours walk along the coast, which ended in us seeing lots of fur seals and their pups. It was a really preety walk which helped get rid of the hangovers. Later that day we were sent on a mission to find our fancy dress outfits for the evening. It had to cost less than $10 and not be an item of clothing... took alot of of thought but in the end Greg went as spongebob and kim and jenny were snowmen... cant really say much else but the pictures will say it all!!!!
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Nelson, Nz South Island
We got up at 6:30am still feeling a little drunk from the night before and eventually made it on to the ferry at 8am. Once we got to the South Island we got straight back on the bus and made our way to Nelson. We stopped off a beautiful little place on the way where we had a little swim in the freezing water and a sunbathe on the rocks. When we reached nelson we stayed at a good old fashioned pub and watched football!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)