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| around the world page 3 |
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| australia 8 weeks |
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| Australia is a big country. That's a bit obvious, you might think, but until you travel around it, you have no idea. Despite being a bit smaller than 48 state USA, it feels a lot bigger, when travelling. This mainly to do with scenery, which although, varied, from state to state, can be a bit monotonous. Don't get me wrong there's lots of incredible sights to see, but they're very far apart - it's a long long way between Cradle Mountain in Tasmania (see below) and Cape Tribulation. So either get the plane or be prepared to spend a lot of time travelling. It's also jam-packed with backpackers, which is good in some ways, lots of choice of accommodation and transport but not so good in others - did you come half way around the world to spend a lot of time with other europeans? These are the main reasons I prefer New Zealand to Australia, fewer backpackers and shorter distances. The weather's obviously warmer in OZ, one thing in its favour. |
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Australia's unofficial capitals, Sydney and Melbourne (what's with this Canberra nonsense?), are huge cosmopolitan cities, with more than enough to see and do and to be tourist destinations in their own right. They can be a bit daunting to find your way around, so a bit of planning is needed. I found the YHA in Glebe Point Road a perfectly good place to stay a few nights, the more adventurous might prefer Kings Cross, which is Sydney's red-light / backpacker district. Following a two day trip up to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains (by rail from central station), and desperate for some cooler weather (it was 40 degC), I booked myself onto the next flight to Hobart, Tasmania. |
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Clockwise from top left: Robin and Aileen, Sydney Harbour, Carlton and Ute in Sydney, me in Phillip Island, near Melbourne and a Melbourne tram |
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| Having escaped Sydney's record high temperatures, I landed in Hobart, where it was a pleasant 20 DegC. The highlight of my trip to Hobart has to be the factory tour of the Cadburys chocolate factory where you can make a right pig of yourself. Then onto the rather grim Port Arthur, Australia's historical maximum security jail, before heading up the sparsely populated west coast and onto Cradle Mountain, a spectacular world heritage site. I flew onto the "mainland" from sleepy Wynyard to bustling Melbourne (about AU$100), before taking a backpacker bus down to the Phillip Island blue eyed penguin colony and nature reserve. Taking the overnight bus up to Sydney, staying a couple of days before heading north to Byron Bay (below) for New Year. |
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I must have got the last room in town as the town quickly filled up for new years eve and a very drunken riotous time we all had! Typically I hadn't a clue that Byron Bay would be so busy, but it was well worth the trip. I briefly stopped at Surfer's "Paradise" before returning to my home from home Sydney. |
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| Then occurred to two of the strangest coincidences that have ever happened to me. I spent the night in the pub chatting to some fellow backpackers, I'd met at my hostel, one of them a fellow scot. Only to realise I went to school with him! The very next morning I bumped into (almost literally), Robin (one of the two friends I started the trip with, who wanted to stay longer in the US) and his girlfriend (now wife) Aileen. Spooky. |
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