Farm skills day

AHHHHHH! SOOO COLD!!! 

I awoke with a start in the pitch darkness, the temperature had dropped to roughly minus a million degrees (give or take a couple of degrees I can't be sure). As I had done the toggle up on my sleeping bag so only my face was exposed -looking like a fat caterpillar- I put my arm out of said hole, I didn't want to risk my arse freezing off if I got out of my bag. I groaped around and pulled on a shirt and two pairs of bottoms to warm me up a little, I fell straight back to sleep.

A couple of hours past and I woke up ready to serve. My tent had become an oven and started to roast me alive. I urgently pulled my sleeping bag hole open, which was at the time only big enough to fit my nose through. As I did this I felt the cord burn around my midriff. 

In my haste to get a shirt on I had managed to dress my pull cord under one of my arms. Effectively trapping me in my roasting tomb of canvas. After far too much effort for that early in the morning I broke free to roll out of my tent gasping for air. A little over dramatically but that's what happens when you take a city boy camping.

The rest of the day was great. I saw some woodwork, cheese making and fire lighting tutorials as well as having a go in the sheaf tossing and cross sawing competitions.

After that excitement I was quite tired so after lunch I dug out my hammock I bought in Vietnam and pitched it between a couple of shady trees and fell asleep, rocking gently in the breeze. I awoke a while later to the sound of the guitar. A young girl had taken to the stage constructed of an old horse trailer and hay bales and was covering Miike Snow's Animal in an acoustic style. It was good enough to rouse me and I enjoyed it greatly.

That evening I was on my own again so I joined a family I had met the night before for a few tins and a good chat as we watched the acts take to the trailer stage.

the next morning we packed up and drove through the dazzling countryside back to Wangeratta. I got a little excited when we stopped for a swim in lightning creek. All along the river floor was a golden dust, shimmering in the shards of the morning light. "Gold!" I proclaimed, "Fool!" Was what I heard in reply. I think they were talking about the shiny stuff not me.

We got back and had a delicious BBQ dinner with Amy's family and then watched a good movie.

Mittagundi festival!

Another day of fantastic scenery! 

Around mid day we set off up into the Victoria Alps. Amazing rolling hillsides and steep rugged mountainsides covered with thick woodland and studed with wide eerie colbolt lakes.

To add to the majesty of the scenery the trees were a bright silvery white, glinting back the suns bright rays on a cool afternoon. 

Soon we arrived at Mittagundi. Mittagundi is a very rural activity camp. No electricity, no plumbing just what you can make! A group of people live here year round and their main function is to provide 'back to basics' activity camps for young people.

We set up camp and then Amy gave me a tour of the facilities. Before we jumped in the back of a van to go down to the hall where the bush dance was to be taking place. I'm talking a "swing your partner round and round" kind of shindig. I met loads of really nice people, which was handy as Amy ditched me for most of the night. At one point I was stood like a lemon on the dance floor and was pitied by a bunch of 16 year old girls who took me on and gave me a couple of dances.

After the dancing finished I met a bunch of lads outside, three brothers and a long distance runner training to represent Australia in the commonwealth games, and his two training partners. We had a few beers until it was time to close up shop.

One of the guys managed to sneak into the drinks van and stole a slab of drinks. Seeing this a couple of girls did the same. They came up behind me and popped a big box behind my legs.

"Hide this hide this!" "We've liberated some drinks for later."

Awesome I thought. When the coast was clear I got out my torch and we looked at the haul. 

A box of 86 vegetable burgers..... Good one girls.

Luckily the guy was more successful. He handed everyone a beer, we cracked it open and WHOA! That's not beer it's raspberry flavoured alcohol pop. But it was better than the veggie burgers so we persevered.

After a while, everyone started talking about going to "the mail box" I agreed as it was getting dark and wouldn't mind sitting down in a pub. When we arrived however I realised they were talking about an actual mailbox half way up the dirt drive to the campsite. Out came the guitars though and we were treated to several magical performances by the light of the car headlights. We stayed singing and listening until 3am and it was time to head to the tents.

Drive to the ocean

After the excitement of the penguins the night before we headed back to our cabin and watched a bit of a tv show called 'puberty blues' which was utterly hilarious. We rose early with a fry up and got on the road to the morning ton peninsula. We caught a ferry from the beautiful Sorrento leaving its vivid blue waters and charming old time shops across the channel to the start of the great ocean road.

Aside from stopping briefly for lunch on a small fishing jetty surrounded by golden sand and deep blue sea. We drove straight along the astonishing coast line to appolo bay. We also stopped briefly to get my stitches taken out of my foot as I had lost the removal kit I was given.

We arrived in the lovley appolo bay where I left Amy to catch up with her friend while I went down to the beach, climed a tree and read my book for an hour. I then headed back to play scattagories and pictunary until the early hours. Amy is the best pictunary player I have ever seen. Guessing and drawing like a champ. 

The next day we crawled out of our Pitts to another perfect summers day. We headed along the coast to the apostles. Big rocks jutting defiantly out to the rich blue ocean. After that amazing vista we drove slightly inland, into kuala country. Vast woodland has been stripped dry by these hungry little critters. Once lush trees are now silvery white with no green at all to compliment them.

We saw heaps of kuala's munching happily in the trees as we drove along to port Campbell. I did get scared by a rouge cow along the way but I won't go into that!

Amy picked us a selection of Aussie delights from the chip shop and we sat and munched at the picturesque port Campbell bay.

After lunch we drove up yet another stunning road through light woodland and open plains on the way to Colac to visit Chris and Robyn whom I met in Vietnam.

It was great to see them again and their beautiful home. Chris introduced me to vegemite, with a heaped teaspoon. That stuff is strong and I'm sure I'll be tasting it, after that lump, for the rest of the month. He combined that with garlic and avocado on toast to make a lovley post dinner treat. We also went to visit Chris' garage/man shed to see his huge yellow monster truck. After that we headed back to their place for some more beer and Plum brandy before bed.

After a casual wake up and breakfast we stopped in at Amy's cousins home before making the big drive back to 

Wangeratta.

Big Aussie road trip

After my overnight train I arrived in Wangeratta to meet Amy for our epic road adventure.

After a fun night out with Amy's work mates on Saturday night we left in the mid afternoon on Sunday.

The drive was fantastic. We started off driving through an open, mildly hilly, landscape. Then we arrived in the Yarra National park where we drove past beautiful mountain ranges. As we pulled away from the mountains we started going through the most amazing woodland. It can only be described as pre historic. It was honestly like we were driving in jarasic park! 

At one point a branch fell from a tree hitting the windscreen. This scared the shit out of me! I was half expecting a T. Rex to wander out of a bush.

We also passed a tree in the road so we heroically got out and pulled it off the road. Even though I only had one leg.

We arrived at the upper Yarra reservoir to camp around 6pm. The campsite was amazing as was our dinner. BBQ Kangeroo! Mmmm mmmm!

The next day after a very awkward wake up, we were sharing a tent and I woke up and looked across to see if Amy was up she opened her eyes. Freaking the hell out thinking I was some creepo watching her sleep! After that we drove through some more prehistoric landscape down to Phillip Island. 

The best way to describe Phillip island is by saying it's Australia's isle of white. This comparison was made easier by the fact that it has exactly the same town names as the isle of white. We took a stroll along the Heather common to the west and down along the rugged coast line. While we explored we spotted a tiny furry penguin ambling about in the grassland.

That evening we went to see the march of the penguins. This is an event that happens over several weeks every year. Hundreds of penguins return home after weeks of deep sea fishing to mate and provide food for their young. 

The tiny penguins sit in the shallows -getting knocked over by the occasional wave, which is hilarious- and wait until one of them is brave enough to make the 100m dash across the sand to the safty of the grassland. When one makes the dash a bunch of other penguins go after him making a little waddling SAS team storming the beach. 

This is the case for most of the penguins. One however didn't get the memo. He started off with a pack of 6 penguins but started falling behind rapidly. He looked like he was a bit wonkey. He was a little hunch backed and one wing stuck out much higher than the other. This was either a birth defect or he'd had a bit to much penguin rum. He caught back up with the troop halfway up the beach then viewed off again. He ran straight into the tourist enclosure, right into all the chinease tourists. Who had been a right pain in the arse the whole time standing up and moving around blocking our view. They lost their shit, screaming and jumping around, good old Quasimodo -I decided to name him-. The ranger came in and scooped him up putting him back on track to meet his friends. Old Quasi didn't fancy this so just as everyone settled he steamed full pelt back into the Asians.

After that excitement we climbed off the beach and up along some decking over the common. Someone must have been playing some penguin Barry White as there was a lot of penguin loving going down. Also lots of tiny fluffy chicks waiting for mum and dad to arrive.

In the lions den

After very little sleep in my toilet/bedroom I snuck as casually as a man with one foot can from the hostel.

I slowly made my way back to Manly bay where I had left my bags. The ferry ride through the harbour, under the bridge and past the opera house was very pleasant in the afternoon sunshine.

Jasmine, my friend I met in Florence, came to meet me and we went out for a delicious rare breed burger before heading back to her place.

I stayed with the Leo's for three days. I had a fantastic time, mainly as they spoilt me rotten with amazing food which felt like it was on a constant conveyer! We (Jaz, her mum Debby and I went to the blue mountains on my full day. The views are spectacular and a trip down the worlds steepest railway is well worth the trip!

I had my first Aussie BBQ with the Leo's. It was spectacular. I also enjoyed Gary, Jazz's dad's, company. It turns out we both have a strange love of clocks. Who knew!

Unfortunately all to soon it was time for us to part. I said my farewells and jumped on the night train, sitting next to a crazy old German guy.

Fireworks

So it was up at 6am to get to the park for a good spot for the famous Sydney new year fireworks.

In fairness I had a very easy day of it! 

We qued for around 4-5 hours to get into the park. Well, I say we, Alex, Gill and Cat qued whilst I sat in the shade chilling out by the entrance. It's a hard life! I had just enough time before we went in to shove my two sandwich bags of rum down my pants. I'm not paying exorbitant bar prices for anyone!

We spent all day chatting, napping and chilling at a fantastic view point on the hill. The guys also played a bit of twister on my new beach towel which was a lot of fun. Until I decided to add a bonus round. The bonus round involved me shoving them down the hill. Simple and effective. 

I also got the injured foot to work for me. I got into the disabled area with Alex which is right on the point where all the tv and news crews get their pics of the festivities. I had a bit of trouble with a jobs worth nob head though as he was a nazi with the disabled toilet key. He actually told me not to make a habit out of using the toilet. And although their were only a handful of people in the disabled area, we were not allowed to let Cat and Gill in so after the 9pm fireworks we decided to watch them all together from our spot on the hill.

The fireworks were amazing, so spectacular. There are not the words to describe the colours and the timing. Look at the picture!

After it all I was too tired with the crutches to find Tyron and Konstantine so with no where else to stay I curled up in a toilet cubical in a hostel for a couple of hour sleep after another fantastic day.

Zoo and road

I learnt a lot today about the native animals of Australia.

Did you know that a Tazmanian devil eats 40% of its body weight in just 30 minuets?

Did you know that baby kuala's eat their mums poo to develop a resistance to eucalyptus poisoning?

Did you know that most Kuala's have chlamydia?

Well now you do!

Alex, Gill, Cat, Gail and I had a lovley day at the Brisbane zoo. I was chueferred around all day in a wheelchair due to my foot injury. I really could get used to this pampered life!

The zoo was really good, I particularly enjoyed watching the platypus. It's a proper wierd animal, especially the venomous horns in its back legs and the way it rocks his head when swimming.

After the zoo we had a quiet night just chatting. Gill told us some of the pranks a lad in her school pulled. One of which involved bringing in a chicken and putting it in someone's locker to hilarious consequences! People should be afraid as I will definitely be doing this gag!

The next day we drove to Newcastle (still in oz, I've not snuck home!). It took most of the day but we did stop in Byron bay and Coffs Harbour which were both really cool spots.

We finally arrived in Newcastle and stayed with Alex's friend Nick. Nick was very, very kind to take us in seeing as he had moved in one week ago AND. Had a ten month old baby girl.