So back to the land of oz and i have to say i was sorry to go mainly because there is always the possibility that i'll never go back especially as since i've been travelling i've realised that there is so much more of the world i want to see. But back to sydney- my home for almost three months!!

It was a little strange going back to the blue parrot, as almost all of my friends had left to go up the coast, however there were some still some friendly familar faces! Maria headed yp the coast first as we now had diiferent agendas and different bus passess, mine being oz experience. So i waited in sydney until i could hop on the little green bus to start the surf camp!!!

Surf camp

early start leaving sydeny, i was more eager to leave this time, knowing that friends where up the coast mostly in brisbane and i was heading their way!! So off to the camp, which would last for three days. Three days of lots of sun, surf and great fun!!! The camp site was at Cresent head, a quiet little surf town. Up early for our first day of surf which prooved to be exhausting, the main difficluty being actually getting yuorself out there past huge waves with a nine foot foam board. Managed to stand up however by the end of that day!! I met some great people it was great fun and was absolutley shattered by the end of it, my arms felt like they were going to fall off!! i also had the incident where i had to be kind of rescued as i was caught in a rip- slowly drifting out to sea!! (slightly dramatic, the rip was not the strong that day but on otheres it could have been other story!!

I do have photos that i bought however i had an hour and a halfs difficulty unloadng them so i gave up, however you can see them if you go to this site.

to view my surf camp photos

http://groups.msn.com/nickyssurfcamp

and yes that one at the end is me standing up- narly dudes!!

The surf camp ended in Byron Bay, what a great place right up my street. fairly chilled out in the day however lively at night!! Cheeky monkeys being the favourite venue!! how wierd bumping into Carmins' friend dancing on the tables (by the way eveyone is doing this- not just me). The surf being Byron Bay's main attraction, i did attend to continue my surfing skills however the swell was not in our favour, my arms and surf injuries needed the rest though.

Byrom bay from the lighthouse

So then on to the eery town of Nimbim, a place where six of us on the surf trip decided to stay. I biazzre liitle village in the middle of nowhere, with a let us say with a laided back attitude!! we spent a night there and enjoyed the relaxed atmosphere!!

Next stop for me was brisbane which i had been making my way to, in order to celebrate my birthday with my blue parrot friends!!! it was really nice to meet up with everyone again, there was about 20 of us who had all been in Sydney- now working in brisbane. So we all wennt out for mine and John's birthday, had a wicked night so good to celebrate my birthday around people that i know really well!!

i stayed in brisbane for three weeks doing some temp work, enjoying the sunshine. I had some great weekend there, went and a aliitle flutter on the races- 3 pounds to be exact!!

more birthday celebrations and of course Steve irwins world famous zoo!! a must do when you come to Australia!! apparently whilst we were there Steve was riding aroung on his motor bike, my friends kelly and Jonathon saw him- i'm insanley jealous!!

Whilst in brisbane i was also able to meet up with my ox experince buddies as they made ther way through brisbane. Had a great time there but the coast was beckoning and i travelled the rest of the coast with my good friend Kelly, leaving early one saturday after no sleep for our leaving do's!!! We went and had a chinese, and went to a pub for some wicked live band and spend most of the night having emotional good byes for the second time!!

First stop Noosa, the last place for me to have a go at surfing, however i chickened out and had a go at body surfing instead. on the way to out next hervey bay our next stop we stpoped at rainbow beach for a while, and kelly and i decided to have a go at apinting a boomerang. With a liitle help from pur aboriginal friend, within a couple of hours we had our hand painted sourviers- though i think mine does look like a child painted it but never mind!! So on to Hearvey bay the gateway to frazer island, which is bascially a big sand island off the east coast. Theres two methods of exploring frazer island, guided tour or a 4WD self drive, camping. So kelly and i chose the later. So you meet your group the night before, nine people. We had a really nice group, three english girls, two irish lads and a korean couple. So after a quick run down on the rules and regulations, the intinary for the three days, how to drive the 4WD jeep and how to deal with Dingo's!! we sat getting to know our group.

It turned out that only the girls were able to drive the jeep, so i voluteered to be the first to drive the jeep to the ferry,- reversing into the ferry was interesting- since as i'd never driven anything bigger than a feista! Once we'd reached the other side, it was all dirt tracks or the beach highway!! Driving on the dirt tracks was mad! i eventunally got nicked named nigel as in mansal. So our first stop was Lake Basin, stunning!

After a bite to eat, we headed for the beach keeping in the mind the tide times. Kelly and i shared the driving up the beach. The best place to drive is near the sea as the sand is hard and smooth, further inland the sand is softer you have to look out for wash outs wish are sudden drops in the sand. We got stuck on a few occasions!

Camping on frazer was an interesting experience! no toilets, and we always had to go to the loo in pairs to beware of the Dingo's!! so kelly and i made ourseleves toilet partners, and when drinking a goon of wine, we never sat down for long!! it was absloutley freezing at night and i got eaten alive!!

Early start, as we headed for indian head and the top of the island. This is aparently were you can see sharks and dolphins, as it's breading season for the tiger sharks all around the island!! however we didn't see any although the views were amazing. the weather started off with beautiful blue skys but oh my god did that change!! it poured down on the way back, kelly was driving at we couldn't see a thing!!

So it took as a fair while to get to our campsite, and we all sat in the jeep hoping the rain would stop for us to set our camp.- it didn't! so it we all got soaked setting up the tents!! that wasn't the only disarster. the lights were left on -whoops- (it wasn't me) and the jeep wouldn't start up! so all the light we had for that evening was a torch and the light for the gas strove. we ran out on the beach trying to get someone's attention, we managed to get hold of the park ranger- who turned out to be useless, didn't seem that bothered about the whole situation. claiming that someone might come out this afternoon. so we waited and waited- no one came that night, so we were all huddled round the gas strove for the night hoping they came early the next day.

That morning we a mechanic came out at 11:00am, which meant we had to miss lake wobby- which we were really disapointed about. and to top it all off, the mechanic turned around and started the jeep straight away!! Glow plugs- aparently we should know what they are so we headed for Lake mckenzie for out last day on frazer island- absolutely beautiful they water is so clear- true paradise!!

i found sand in my hairs for days- somehow it kept reappearing!! afetr nearly missing our bus it was on to Krombit a cattle ranch. On the way we stopped at 1770, supposing the year the captain cook first discovered the eastc oast of oz,. Here we had a guided scooter tour around the town. it all started off so well- until my scooter kept rearing of to the left (it definatley was the bike no me!!!) and i had to be taken off despite pleading to have the whells checked out. so i had to get ont the back of a motorbike of one tour guides which turned out to be quite fun!! So annoyed at myself though especailly after driving through such tretrirous ground on frazer!! but it was long till i was accompanied by some other people one of them being kelly - who had to be taken off for going too slow!

So on to the cattle ranch - hoping to redime myself with a go on the mechaincal bull- howver failed miserably!! only stay on for even one buck, also afetr spending about ten minutes gracefully tring to get on the damm thing!!. well at least i had a go!!

Airlie beach was our next stop looking forward to our 4 day 3 night trip sailing round the whitsundays. one of the highlights i think of the trip up the coast. so we boarded pur boat at 4 in the afternoon, with 24 other people along with our crew. The sailed out to the whitsunday islands was quite choppy and a few people a bit sea sick- i definaltey didn't feel right- pouring my vodka can down the drain- definaltey not feeling right!!!

our beds or should i say shelves where not in the best state, i had about 30 cm of head room, but suprisingly i had one of the best nights sleep in a long while- i think it must be getting rocked to sleep.

unfortunelty we didn't have the best of the weather- being overcast for the whole trip, but it was still a great expereince especially the snorkling and trying scuba diving for the first time, in these rather sexy - stinger suits. i saw some amazing coral and fish, and was enjoying myself until one girl freaked out and knocked me on the head with her o2 tank!! ouch. There is actually a beach called chalkys beach but unfortunatley we didn't stop there. White haven beach was beautiful!!!

So from airlie beach we headed to magnetic island, off the coast of townsville. beautiful spot, which i spent mostly chilling out on the sun. here a views from the top of the island.

kelly and i also went to the full moon party which we met up with our irish friends from frazer island. This is also were kelly and i went separtate ways as she had to move on much quicker than me. very sad to see her go!!! My friends from frazer island chloe and georgie moved into my room and they hired out a barbie car which we drown round the island.

after spending 4 days chilling out it was time to head on to Cairns. On the way i stopped off at a crocodile farm, and held a baby croc, snake and a joey with a broken leg- ahhhh.

So as we arrived in carins we stopped off at the A J hackett bungi site, although it was very temepting to do another one i couldn't quite justify spending more money on another bungi, instead however i managed to bag myself a job heling out with promations that evening the gilligans bar that evening, and in retuen i get a free bungi job!! my dream job!! he he. So a girl from the bus esther and i went to gilligans bar that night and helped out and booked to do our jump the following monday!!

over the weekend esther, steven and I hired a car and went up to Cape Tribulation, home of the daintree rainforest. On the way we stopped off at mossmans gorge, a beautiful little river which we swam down the rapids- great fun.We stayed at cape tribulation one night and went on rainforest walks.