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Bali, 11^th time

            Had a nice big rest for the couple of days back in England before heading out to Bali and had a quick stop in Kuala Lumpur on the way. We got to Bali a few hours before Joy so we had a few beers while waiting at the airport, we were stoked already to be back. After 20 hours plus of travelling we were pretty had it so we just had a feed and hit the sack. The first day we slept in late and the wind was howling so I went and got a bike then we hit our duty free turps. The second day I got up at sparrowfart and went for a look at the surf but it was blown out so I didn’t even go out, a bloke at the beach reckoned Ulus could have been working but I couldn’t be bothered going all that way for the chance of crowded, average waves. The wind had died off overnight so the next day I headed straight out for Pabean, I was stoked when I got there, no one was out and it looked like a decent size. When I got out I realised why no one was out, the sets were about 7-8 foot and it was bloody heavy. I only got a few waves and got caught behind on two as it was so fast. Being stubborn and stupid; instead of going in I kept trying to conquer it but I got slapped around like a bitch. A set broke on my head and washed me way back in over the reef, I held on to my board somehow and hit the bottom then got spat out and pulled back in. By the time I eventually got back out I could feel something on my rail and I’d half creased my board just from being in the washing machine. A few more hold downs and after the next wave I finally admitted defeat and went in, after a year of not much surfing and average and weak waves it probably wasn’t the best first surf for me to have. The next day though was heaps better, there were about four blokes out at one stage and although I was still a bit hesitant at first after the day before I got some sick waves and a few barrels. Over the first week I surfed there every day and got heaps of pits and did a few airs too, I was so stoked to be surfing there again and had a few sessions with just me and the baby turtle. Shell came out one day and took some video but it’s a fair way off shore and the camera was getting pretty dodgy so it wasn’t much good but it was great of her to come and give it a go and see where I’d been raving about. I took my fish out as it was getting smaller and it was a bit shallow that day but I still got some fun ones. We had a few big nights when we first got there and I was drinking most arvos over the weekend watching the footy at our new hotel that was heaps better with a telly and a fridge for food and beer of course but after that we backed off a bit until the next weekend. We were having some great feeds and one arv we went out to Tanah Lot to watch the sunset; we’d seen it before but not on sunset and Joy hadn’t, it really was beautiful so we were glad we did it, bloody busy now though. We got to see a ceremony blessing a new shrine at our hotel with Gamelan music so we were fortunate to have that on our doorstep. I went around and said hello to the schools in Sanur at the end of our second week and it went OK but nothing for that year.

      
          When the tides were not right for Pabean and it was getting too small I went out to Serangan and it was small but fun and there was one bloke out for a while but he went in so it was just me and what I think was a huge turtle this time. I did a few airs so I was stoked but when I came in and I was taking off the tight cold water booties that Rob loaned me I popped out my little hernia type thing that hadn’t bothered me for ages; I was spewin, I went back and massaged it and rubbed heat cream into it and laid down but it was still sore. We had a big one that night and the surf was even smaller so I decided to let my gut have a rest and took Joy for a look around the little fishing village of Sakenan near Serangan while Shell slept, I was hoping that I would be sweet for a wave the next day as it was supposed to be picking up. Had more good days at Pabean, the best session of the trip so far when I got a 6-7 second barrel and heaps of other good ones. Surfed Serangan again and was a bit bigger so I could surf down the reef and get some nice little pits. The wind came back up so I started surfing Kuta reef and got some fun ones at Airport Lefts the first day then at middle reef the next few days was a bit better. Went out the other side to the school at Kerobokan then Canggu and got done by a cop for apparently running a red light but it was yellow and he didn’t stop all the Balos that went through but it was only 300,000 and you can’t argue with them, surf was no good out that side that day. Shell and Joy went out to the zoo that day and had a good time, we were still going out a bit and having quiet nights in between. I surfed with Rabs a bit and we all went out with him and Greeny in Sanur and had suckling pig and watched a cool band. Shell and I booked ourselves in a tatt for the day before we left, I just finally got my ring done and she got her foot fixed up and we went to the dentist also. We’d had a ball; I’d had some sick waves, it was a bit windy for the East side but I was still stoked and we were a bit sad to be leaving but we were also looking forward to getting home.

Home again, again

            We were certainly stoked to be home, had a few small waves at Cabs and caught up with the family. Went back to work at Woopi Public soon after I got back which wasn’t my plan but was good for some cash. Had some more small waves but kept getting out there and loving it. Got all my instruments out and recorded a song with some of the more uncommon strings. Bough our new van which we were stoked with, didn’t go anywhere in a hurry but that’s cool. I was getting plenty of casual work and Shell got a 4 day a week job at Sandy so she was very lucky. Went up to see Roy and Joy quickly in the school holiday just as the surf was picking up and I’d had some decent size ones at Cabs! Went and saw Kate and Darren on the way up which was good. There were fires up there so we fought some and back burned some too and I chopped wood, thistles and did some painting. We went and saw Heather on the way back and I got a few small ones at Ann street and King’s. Went looking for a few jobs up there then stayed with Krepo on the way through. Got more waves when I got back at Cabs, Mullaway, Spot K and Emerald. Worked on the car when I had days off, Shell went to see Roy in Brisbane as he was crook. Missed her while she was gone but got some good waves at Darkum and Roy was going OK so she headed back. Went to a coupla DSA meetings which were really good, they loved it. Went to see Kerry and Beelin and saw Phil and Tom at the Amble Inn for the East Coast challenge. Shell decided she wanted Soundwave tickets for her birthday which was fine with me! For her actual birthday we were going to camp in the new van but it poured down so we just hung at home. We went in and saw Kara’s place soon after that and went out in Coffs with her. Went up to Rob’s 30^th and had a ball then got some sick waves at Darkum and Mullaway when I got back. Luke Patto came and stayed for a night on his way past and we had a surf. Had some more good waves at Mullaway and Emerald before heading up to Roy and Joy’s, saw Krepo on the way and had a rubbish surf at Broady before driving up. Roy was doing much better and Roxanne and the new Dave were there for a while. Had some small waves at Moore Park and Bargara then sick waves at Agnes with Phil and Horse! Went up with Phil and Andrew and I was stoked. Chopped wood, rounded up cows and swam in the dam a lot as it was bloody hot! Went back to Agnes for new year’s which was fun but I cut my knee and broke my fin out surfing fun little waves at Workman’s. Was good to get away though and have our first real camp in the van!

Went Down to Darren and Kate’s not long after new years and had a good night then went to see Neil and Lisa then Phil and Jodie. Fixed my board up and my leg was feeling OK, watched some cricket while lazing around. Was hoping my leg got better so I could get down to Rainbow Beach for a surf. Ended up going back to Agnes instead of Rainbow beach and got some fun, decent size waves. Had a long, wet night in the rain and wind and after packing up everything and jumping in the car it wouldn’t start!  Got it going eventually and then booked in for more work and money to be spent on it but eventually it got sorted and was becoming really handy to stay in. Had good fun at Roy’s 70^th then got home for Oz day and had a few in the rain again with Clint, Kara and Zac. Got a few waves and went for a paddle in the creek to see if I could get some stationeries in Woopi creek but no go. Then I decided it would be a good idea to paddle back home along the beach. It wasn’t even very big but I had my board on my leggy, the paddle in one hand and I thought it’d be a good idea to jump off and push it through waves but one hit the canoe against my head and made me lose my hat and sunnies, I found the hat but lost my sunnies from Portugal so I gave up and paddled home like an idiot through the creek. Got the job at Sandy which was awesome and some sick, decent size waves at Darkum so I was stoked. Bought a new board and it was going sick, so good to be able to paddle better and go faster. Shell got a job at Sandy as well so we were making some good coin. We went up to Minnie waters for DSA and Dunga day (which was a cruisy comp for just old fishes and mals) the first comp I’d been in for ages and the first time I’d ridden a mal in ages. I had a shocker on the heavy straight old timber mal but was having a blast on the little fish and ended up getting 3^rd then Dad, Danny and I won the teams challenge! DSA was good too and we had a great weekend all round, sold my balsa board too so that was good. Was getting sick waves at Cabs and Darkum most of the time by myself and a few surfs at Mullaway sometimes. Then we went to Soundwave which was awesome! Meshuggah was so powerful and tight and Devin Townsend blew me away. He was so funny but also singing was so good and he’d be playing really tech stuff while not even looking and joking around with the crowd. Machine Head were sick too and Lamb of God, Slipknot and System and so many others. There were stacks of people and it was a huge venue and with an awesome atmosphere so we were stoked we went and hoping to go next year if we were around but who knows that far ahead? Had a few weekends at home and had a barbie with Kara in at Parky which was cool. I was surfing everyday even it was crap just going down to the headland and deciding where to go when I got there. We went camping at Hungry head which was fun, got a few little waves but was good to be just us two. Had more sick waves mostly at Darkum and was getting some big barrels and doing airs every now and then. Found out I’d have my job at least for another term and most likely the year but unfortunately Shell didn’t.

Camping from NSW to QLD

She decided to try to get into uni so on our camping holiday we’d stop in at Brisbane for her to do a stat test. Before we left we went to Aidan’s 30^th which was heaps of fun and I didn’t manage to get too hurt when wrestling for a change. My back had been really sore and I hadn’t surfed for a whole week before but it cam good and I had a wave with Rob and the boys at Emerald. Then we tried Broom’s head but couldn’t find a nice free spot to camp so we had our first night at Iluka camping on the river. We went for a walk in the rainforest in the afternoon and I had few waves in the morning at Iluka wall in the morning. Then we checked out Evan’s head but the surf was pretty crappy and no good free camp spots so we went and saw Kaiden and Zara at Byron the camped out the back of Byron in Ewingsdale, just off a side road on a hill overlooking beautiful bushland. The next day we went to Brunswick Heads and I got a few fun waves then Mum and dad stopped in for a coffee. We were planning to camp at the beach as there were no camping signs but we were told cops were checking people out the night before and it was a no grog zone so we decided to head out of town a bit after we went and got our plat tyre fixed. The next day we drove up to Cabba and I got some good waves and then we found a nice spot to camp out of town a bit. It was near a truck maintenance joint on a road in the bush and the owner came and said it’s cool and even dais we could use his water which was really nice of him. The next day we headed up to Cooly and I got some sick waves at Snapper, it wasn’t actually that crowded by it’s standards. Then we went to Claire’s and got on it with her and her brother, even her mum and a few drinks which was cool. The next day Kreppo picked me up on his way through from Brissy and we went for an average surf at Kingy. Shell ended up driving down later and we stayed at his joint and had a few drinks again. Lockie came over too and was knee tap drumming me and explaining the awesome new Mudstick stuff they were jamming for a new album soon so I was stoked. Kreppo and I had a pretty fun little surf at Hastings the next day and we just had a cruisy night. Shell and I stayed at his luxury pad but ourselves the next night before getting up early to head to Brissy for her stat test. We then went to Rainbow beach and I got some sick waves at Double Island Point and we did some fishing and drinking with Roy and Joy. Then we went to see Carl and have a few and I got some epic and not too crowded waves at Noosa. Then I got some more sick waves at Point Cartwright with Troy and then we stayed with him and his girlfriend at Bribie Island and headed home the next day pretty stoked after our two weeks of camping but unfortunately I had two boards with lots of dings and a broken fin to fix.

                                   

We did some more camping trips; went to Nambucca which was great fun. Camped on a fire trail in the middle of the bush, got a bit of rain but we were all sorted now with our gazebo and tarp. Got sick waves at Blackrock and then the river mouth the next day. We also went back to Minnie Waters by ourselves which was nice, got a couple of waves but nothing too exciting. Shell went to see her olds while I was busy doing school work and we just had a fair few quiet weekends, some sick waves at Cabs nd Darkum too. We then went to Bali with Mum and Dad, Kara and saw Clint and Ayu there. We stayed in Sanur first and I got a few waves at Pabean but it was the wrong wind a lot and not it’s best. Had some waves at Sanur reef and Serangan which were fun, few little hollow ones. Then we went over to Lembongan for the first time in ages, was good to be back there. Stayed down near Shipwrecks this time, it was ridiculously crowded there and tiny so I surfed over the other side of the island and got some sick waves with not many people. We then went to Bingin and it was even more crowded and small than Shipwrecks! I still had a coupla surfs out there and got some sick waves but surfed Impossibles as well which wasn’t as crowded but also not as good in that small a swell. It’s a beautiful area down there and definitely has sick waves but I knew now why I hadn’t been back to the Bukit for years and would be happy not to go back again. We then headed back to Sanur and met up with Kara and I had some waves with Dad on the end of Serangan Island; not barrelling but decent size, long and just us out there. We saw Clint and Ayu on the last night we were there which was good. We’d had a great trip, not the best waves but still plenty of them and was good to be with the family. I bought a Tufflite JC 6’2 for bigger waves for 100 bucks too which I was stoked about as it went off, getting sick of polyester boards falling apart on me and this was so fast and light, airtime! Things just kept getting better for us, we’d tried to get finance from the bank when I got the job at Sandy but they knocked us back as I had no contract. We tried again now that I had a contract and within a few weeks we were moving in to our first home; A cheap unit in Woopi less then a minute walk to the beach! We were over the moon, was great being at Mum and Dad’s and we couldn’t have done it without them but we needed to get out on our own and we finally owned something, well the bank did… and us.

More camping in NSW

Not long after moving in I got the job in Japan! As usual I sent hundreds of application emails away and got an offer from Lombok that unfortunately wasn’t enough pay then along came the offer from Japan! It all worked out great timing too, we needed to stay in our joint for 6 months for the first home buyers and the job started in April which was about that time. I would have loved to stay at Sandy but there were no guarantees and it was time to get moving again. We were both loving being home, doing a lot of camping and me surfing my nuts off but when the offer came we didn’t hesitate. There was a complication though, Kate’s wedding was on the weekend after I started, thankfully they agreed I could come earlier and leave on the Thursday and Shell and I would get back for work on Monday. With the extra cash I got from having a student teacher I bought another board, this one a bit more expensive but still second hand and cheap for what it was; a JR EPS epoxy 5’8 5 fin small wave pig and it was so responsive, fast and light, more airtime!  Got a new skatey too; longer and faster, mostly used for trips to the bottle. We had another long camping trip, well it was going to be two weeks but Shell went to see her olds as she knew it’d be the last chance she’s get until we came back from Japan (and we didn’t know how long that’d be) and we had already planned to go on our long trip through south east Oz. When she got back we stayed at Grassy head and watched the footy final at the pub then stayed in the bush. Had a look around the next day in South west rocks which is a lovely place then had a crappy arvo surf at Hat head. We stayed in the bush again in a great grassy spot about half a minute walk to the beach but the surf was even smaller the next day so I thought I’d wait to see what we find. The next day we took our time as it’s a nice drive then had to get a new tyre and an alignment in Kempsey. Eventually we ended up at Old bar and camped in the bush again, the next day I finally got some good waves! Fun little beachy with a coupla hollow ones, was good to be back at another place where I remember getting one of my first barrels. We then headed for Forster, Shell had heard lots about it from other people saying it was great years ago but these days it is getting a bit too big and busy for our liking. So we kept going and booked ourselves in for two nights with a shower and laundry at a camp ground. I got sick waves at Cellitos the first morning, was pretty small but had it to myself for a while and they were sick little lefts running along the rocks. Had a fun surf that afternoon at Boomerang and then sat out in the sun and then by the fire again which was really nice while having a few beers and a barbie. The next day I surfed Boomerang again, it was still fun but it had dropped a bit unfortunately. Reluctantly we headed back for home, I thought it’d be nice to drive up through the bush but put too much faith in Google maps and it was a 45+ degree day due to fires in the area. The van overheated going up the mountain goat trail, luckily no serious damage was done but we decided to go back the other way and found out later that it would have taken us a lot longer that way anyway. Kate and hubby to-be Darren came down for a week or so and Clint came for a quick visit too, was good to see them all. We were seeing Kara fairly often so that was good too. For Shell’s birthday we went up to Glen Innes and stayed at a farm where she went for a horse ride, it was beautiful up there. We had a camp fire and stayed in a caravan and after the horse ride we went for a walk along the creek. She loved it and I did too, the drive back was stunning too along the River and down the mountains through the fog.

We stayed and had Christmas at Lisa and Shane’s with Nan and Pa, Mark and Lyn, Mum and Dad and Kara were up with Kate and Darren for Christmas. Boxing day we were out of there, we stayed at Norah Head the first night, I looked for a wave of course but didn’t find any. We found a great spot to camp though and couldn’t believe we were this close to Sydney and allowed to sleep in a car park with a public toilet on the beach! The next day I had some fun little hollow shoreys at Budgewoi and then we went through Sydney. We went down to Bowral and it was a nice drive through Kangaroo valley. I looked for waves at Culburra but once again found none, we spent that night with the Leslie and Chris which was great, Kimberley and her boyfriend were there as well and Jo and her kids came over the next morning. We were glad to have more time with them this time, they are lovely family. We saw Michael and Danni and their kids the next day in their joint at Sussex then kept going onto Moruya to camp with Col and Rhonda and Ray and Jackie. I got sick little sucky waves in the arv on the wall, the next day it had dropped again so I grovelled for a little while then we headed off. It was good to see Shell’s family too and have a few beers. We then really started to take it slow and stop in little towns, so many beautiful spots down there. The mountains of Tilba, the Sapphire blue and Emerald green water of Narooma and then one of the most picturesque camp spots we’ve had in Bermagui. After walking around town, having a snorkel and a swim near a seal we went and had beers at our camp spot metres from the limestone cliffs above town and over the ocean. We’d had an amazing day, bringing back long lost memories for me and Shell witnessing this captivating area for the first time, we were already so glad we’d started this trip still had so much to go and we agreed that this would be an area we’d both be happy to spend a longer period of time in the future. The next stop was Pambula, after looking around Merimbula which was just too busy we found a cheap park in town. It would have been nice to be near the beach but there were no waves and all the parks were full being New Year’s I did have a surf the next day but it was tiny so we spent the day relaxing and then had a few beers in the arv. We went to the pub but the music didn’t start til later and we were used to sleeping early camping so we were in bed by 9:00! We looked around Eden the next day which was cute and then headed over the border, there wasn’t a lot that way but we found a nice river to have a rest at and I had a swim.

Camping through Victoria and Tassie

Our first night in Victoria was at Lakes entrance which was another nice spot, I had a fun surf in the arv with some hollow little suck ones and then we went for a walk around town before going back to our camp spot beside a golf course for some beers. The next day we had another pretty long drive with not a lot going on and it was really hot but when we got to Wilson’s promontory we had a beautiful camp spot by a farm hidden from the road in the scrub. We saw an Echidna in the arv and the sunset shimmering on the dam beside us was fantastic. We didn’t fully appreciate the beauty of the place til the next day though, it was still really hot so we didn’t do as much walking as we would have liked to but the beaches, mountains and rock formations are beautiful. I had a tiny surf at one place while Shell cooled down on the beach then we found a shower and I had a better surf. We left that arv and had a nicer drive around the coast to stop at Cape Patterson. We had a walk around the beaches there which was nice and we camped in a new estate a short walk over the sand dune to the beach. I had a tiny surf the next day and then we headed to Philip Island where I was hoping for more swell, I didn’t find any. It was ridiculously hot so Shell wanted to rest in the car and shade was bloody hard to find, I found some and though it would be a short walk to the beach through the sand dunes. At least 40 minutes later I made it to the water to cool my burning heels, the surf had also gotten worse since I’d seen it. I didn’t stay out long as it was pretty much unrideable so I set off for the long walk back over the dune. We then headed off for our nice air conditioned hotel in Melbourne, the car wasn’t liking the heat at all so what should have taken about an hour took over 2 because we had to stop 3 times to let it cool down. Eventually we got there and to our room, because it was so hot (apparently) the air conditioner wasn’t working, it was like a heater! We were not very impressed but tired and needed a shower so we had a quiet night and sweated to sleep. The next day we got up and explored Melbourne, it was nice because we’d both never been into Melbourne. We went on a tram, saw the old churches, the Graffiti, Chinatown and it was lot cooler than the day before not in our room though! We went back for a bit of a rest before going down to St Kilda to the Espy and saw a band and had a couple of beers then a good pizza for dinner. The next day we got up and got on the ferry to Tasmania, it was good to be on a ferry again, brought back memories of Europe and feels a bit more like you’re really going somewhere.

                                   

We were jumping out of our skin with excitement when we passed through the heads in Devonport, probably a mixture of all day on the ferry and the beauty we’ve and heard of the Apple isle. We were not disappointed either, prettiest drives I’ve had off the ferry and over to Marrawah. The road is 20-30 metres off the beach, the quaint little old houses are right near the road, it’s green the ocean is clear and it just feels like a step back in time before housing estates and motorways and shopping malls. First camp spot was amazing too; on the beach, public toilet and apart from the one amazing house on the beach in the scrub you can’t see a sign of civilisation. Surf was pretty fun, wasn’t extremely cold but I was glad I had my steamer. We then set off for Cradle mountain and it was spectacular, up in the crater lake the mountains were reflecting off the water which was lovely to swim in as it was so fresh. There were also walking trails with waterfalls that we explored before heading south humbled and chilled already by the majesty and enormity of the endless wilderness. We ended up near Strahan at Ocean Beach after driving the thickest, darkest impenetrable looking old growth forest I’ve ever seen. I thought I could surf but it was huge, no one was out and it looked dangerous and sharky. It was a unique sight to see though, nothing between us and Antarctica but ocean and frosty winds. We stayed on the beach again but unfortunately Shell picked up a nasty cough around this time which would stay with her for months. The next day we went to the mouth of the Gordon River which was so beautiful, lighthouses and people that can only get to their homes by boat. Definitely a part of the world you go to enjoy solitude and the splendour of unspoilt nature. We then went into Strahan and had a quick look around, it’s a cute old heritage town. Our trip from there to Lake St Clair was both beautiful and a bit scary. After the day before at Cradle mountain with temperatures above 35 degrees it was now below 10 degrees and the fog on the mountain pass was very thick which had the advantage that we couldn’t see how far down it was over the edges of the mountain from our goat track. On the way to Lake St Clair we stopped a couple of times in Franklin/Gordon rivers national park and walked to a waterfall and around a river which was beautiful. Lake St Clair had an eerie sort of feel to it with fog floating across it and patches of sun coming though every now and then. It is natural beauty on a grand scale again, way off in the distance there was a boat house that looked like it was floating on the surface. We kept going and soon enough we were in rolling plains and farmland which was such a stark contrast from the world heritage forests we had just cam from. We were getting tired and didn’t know where we’d stop when we came across a sign in messy black texta that was easy to miss saying powered sites 10 bucks! That was us, it was a little place called Hamilton and it was time we recharged things and had a hot shower. The next day we headed towards Hobart, unfortunately we had to give a national park there a miss because of the fires but we were very lucky we weren’t caught in them like some people. We had a bit of a look around Hobart and did some washing but there were no waves and we were keen to get back to the national parks after what we’d seen so we headed along the east coast. The Tasman Peninsula was another place we couldn’t get to due to the fires but we got to Swansea and they told us Freycinet would be open the next day. We stayed there in the bush and went the next day; we are so lucky, it is gorgeous. It was a bit of a hike but well worth it, Wineglass bay is incredible and other little coves are so secluded and picturesque. We then went to Bicheno and stayed at a place near there on the beach again. We went down the beach with our torches at night hoping to see some fairy penguins but only saw their tracks. The next day we went to our last national park which had a billabong with I think the clearest water I’ve ever seen. I finally had a surf then at a sucky little neck breaker beachy on my own. That afternoon we had a look around St Helens and then went to camp in the bush a short walk from Scamander beach. I got some sick hollow waves that arvo then some not quite as good but still fun the next morning. It was then time for us to head back towards Devonport, we had a bit of a look around Launceston but it was too big a city so we went and found a pub in Devonport and had a couple then slept in a car park on the river before getting back on the ferry the next morning. 

South Oz, Vico again and ACT

            We were a bit sad to leave but had definite intentions of coming back in the winter to see what we think of it then, we loved it. We’d need to have great jobs as there is not much work but we could buy something to suit us both, Shell could have land for horses and it’s affordable enough to have it near the beach here in uncrowded waves! So back on the mainland we stayed by the bay in Corio as we had an appointment the next day. We then started heading along the Great Ocean Road, I had a surf at Bells that was pretty bloody horrible but there wasn’t much else around anyway. We’d been warned and there were signs everywhere telling us not to camp or be fined so we stayed in a park in Anglesea. We needed a shower anyway and that night we just had another quiet one, Michelle’s back was starting to get very sore and her cough was much worse. The surf was too small to find any waves at all so that night we stayed in Bimbi park at Cape Otway; it was sweet, we had Koala’s walking around and grunting at each other. I ran for 20 inute through the bush to get to some big and gnarly waves. I didn’t stay out very long though; there was a big current, rocks were popping up everywhere, no one around and it felt very sharky, it’d be a long walk back through the bush with a gash. We then kept going and after tiny waves a few hundred K’s back it was now huge and no one was out! Johanna looked doable but I was nervous after the sharky surf the day before, Easter reef was solid 10 foot plus and looked sick but aain no one was out and it looked like roughly a 20 minute paddle, that was fine in tropical places like the Philippines where it’s not known as a hang out for sharks that can take a whole leg in one bite. We then headed for The Twelve Apostles and that spectacular coastline. It really was amazing, I remembered it was but not as vividly as these new images I was seeing. We took hours to go about 50 kms because there is so much to see. There were plenty more beautiful spots again like Port Campbell and Port Fairy where we spent the next night camped up under a tree listening to the Magpies singing up a storm. The next day we went to Portland with the hope of finding some amazing waves, it had dropped off again though and although I found some sick looking setups I ended up at least having a bit of a wave a bit past Portland near the ‘Petrified Forest’. It wasn’t actually a Petrified Forest, it just kept that name after being mistaken for it. It was actually water tubes caught in the limestone that made cave like formations on a headland; the juxtaposition of the otherworldly, desert colours against the brilliant blue of both the sky and the ocean crashing against the craggy cliffs was magnificent to see. We then get going toward South Oz and this as the closest we came to the fires, it was a fair way off but a bit worrying when it appeared we were moving toward this big cloud of smoke hogging the sky.

                                 

We got to South Oz and stayed at Port MacDonnel, I had a few small waves at the same spot I’d surfed with Dad and Clint about twenty years before. We then went and checked out the little fairy penguin colony sfter having a nice feed and a couple of beers at the pub. We stayed in a great spot right on the beach which was nice for the last one of the trip. The next day we headed for Mount Gambier and spent a bit of time checking out the extraordinary blue lake and the expertly crafted gardens inside a sinkhole. It was time to start heading back though, the car was making some odd noises, I was needing to get back and sort some stuff out for the job in Japan and Shell’s cough and back were becoming worse everyday on the road. The drive as we’d planned through the middle of Victoria was uniquely beautiful in places, the Grampian were spectacular to see and some of the old mining towns we passed through were steeped in heritage and history. We stayed that between Ballarat and Bendigo in a rest area; the sunset bright orange, pink, red, purple and captivating. The next day we went to Tumut and stayed with Bob and Shezza and the day after that he took us for an unexpectedly intriguing and beautiful trip through the Snowy Mountains. We were particularly fortunate having him to show us around, he knew the place really well from working there and took us to old homesteads that had been there since the start of white men going up into the hills. Yarangabily caves were amazing, I’d wanted to go to caves somewhere on the journey and these were especially amazing, the sheer scale of them and the surrounding cliffs looking out to the forest and river below was something that will stay with us, We had another ight with Bob then went to Canberra the next day; after having a great night with Mark and the Boys and their girls we headed for the other side of Sydney late that night. It was insanely hot and the car had over heated once already so we decided to play it safe and get home, we stayed at a rest area on the side of the Hawkesbury which was nice, had to take the backboard from Bob out through the night but that would prove to be great for both of us. I had a couple of fun waves at Bonny Hills that day to freshen up, the last surf of the trip and then we arrived home that afternoon. We’d had such a great time, it was even more special than I remembered and I’m so glad Shell had got the chance to see how diverse and beautiful that part of our country is. There were places we both wanted to get back to and we were keen to check the North and West when we got a chance.

Living in England

We were pretty amazed and blown away by it all in England. We found a place pretty quick that was tiny; we had our clothes line hanging above our bed and we used an ironing board for our TV and computer. We had said we wanted to be cosy and back to basics, this was definitely that. Soon after we first arrived we went to the Notting Hill carnival which had a heap of Caribbean Dancers shaking their big booties around, we went there with our tube passes and good intentions then met some aussies who gave us a sip of their vodka and it was downhill from there, we had a ball. For a while at first we did a lot of sightseeing in the city, lots of old buildings and churches and then we started to go out and check out the country side. The first of these was Brighton which was nice but there were none of the apparent waves they say are there so I carried my board round all day for nothing but I did score a guitar for 2 pound. It needed some tape and strings as it was rooted but I was happy I also got an old slayer shirt for a pound and Shell bought some stuff. We then went to Dimmu Borgir when Kreppo came and that was awesome, they put on a great show and I was loving it. We were drinking in the park mostly as pubs aren’t cheap but it was getting a bit chilly for that, we went out sometimes like to the Red Back which was cheap and we met some funny Irish fells but it was a long way to go. I was working supply and getting 4-5 days a week and Michelle had a full time job 4 days a week and would get 5 days sometimes also. We were making enough to save up for our holidays first of which were Switzerland Germany and France.

On our first day we just walked around the city of Basel and looked at the lovely old buildings, we got a ferry across the Rheine; the river that runs from the mountains through Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium and out in Holland. It was cool, the river runs so strong the ferry just uses a rudder against the current and is guided across by a cable. The water is really clean too as it comes out of the icy mountains. We went to the Basel fair where Sepp the guy we were staying with had a Liver, pork and sausage stall. After looking around and having a Gluhwein; a warm Swiss wine we had some Swiss sausage, it was great. The next day we went up to Luzern which is a city at the foot of the Alps, more interesting old buildings and we had a beer on the Lake actually really warm in the sun while looking up at the snow covered Alps. The next day we went briefly through Mulhouse in France and on the Freibahn to Freiburg in Germany. The difference in the layout and architecture was stark between Switzerland and France particularly. While Switzerland is so ordered and retains their old flavour France is more modern and a bit cold in that part. We then went over a bridge and one side was France and the Germany, no border checks at all. The Freibahn is where you can go as fast you want, it was only a 3 lane so they were going maybe 150-60 but that seemed pretty fast to us! Freiburg was a beautiful place; it's in the Black Forest. There was an amazing old Munster - church, heaps of ancient sculptures and paintings and they allowed you to walk around inside and take pictures so I spent ages doing so. We then walked around the city for a while and of course had to have some German beer and sausage in a Keller which is a traditional old pub.

            Switzerland, Germany and France

Then the following day was the highlight; Engelberg in the Alps. We went up in the cable cars which were awesome, we were up pretty high and the view was great but once up on the glacier at 10,000 feet it was really humbling. Out one side was the green lowlands and the other was the snowy Alps as far as the eye could see. We could have snowboarded but as the people we were with live in Switzerland they said the snow wouldn't be good enough but there were heaps of people doing it and it looked fine to us but we got to have a muck around on toboggans and we had a ball anyway. It was actually reasonably warm in the sun too, on the way back we looked inside a glacial cave which was cool, literally. On the second last day we went to a football game which was fun, they get into it so much here you can't help being swept up in it and although I find it a bit slow on telly live it seemed to be over in no time. The Aussie player for Basel Scott Chipperfeild scored so that was a bonus. Afterwards we went to a traditional underground Swiss private cellar which was nice and warm. Of course we did a fair bit of drinking the whole time and were getting right into the bloody Marys. Then it was our last day and we just had a look around a traditional craft market before getting on the plane home, we had a great time and were so glad we went.

Not long after Switzerland I went to see The Dillinger Escape Plan and it was nuts, the band was jumping into the crowd a lot and there were people flying everywhere. We then went and saw some cool English stuff like Hampton Court and the Greenwich Markets for Shell’s birthday. We then went to see Soilwork which were awesome, they didn’t play for as long as we would have liked as they were playing with some others but we were still stoked to see them. We then went to Swanage and stayed with Shell’s aunty Mary and looked around the cute little old seaside town. I had a tiny surf but it wasn’t much worth writing home about at all but I was just happy to get out again. I got a long term job job for 3 days a week at a school nearby that I really like so that was great. Then our much anticipated trip to France and Spain was cancelled due to the snow! We were booked with Easyjet and they just cancel flights without giving you another and you have to book yourself as we found out. Light snow was forecast and we booked a hotel near the airport as we were worried we might not get there but we got there fine, it was getting out of the bloody country that was the problem. We got the message on the way there so we figured we may as well stay the night anyway and it was a nice hotel. We got another flight for the Wednesday five days later and got another 3 days in Madrid as we found out we weren't due back at work until Tuesday, I would have rather had more time surfing but was happy to stay out of England a bit longer. We weren't real impressed when news reports were saying they didn't really have to cancel the flights but we were luckier than some people stuck in trains or airports. So instead of being in France we went to Stonehenge and Bath for the day, it was snowing still so we couldn't get into Stonehenge which was a shame but we got to see it from a distance and it was good to get out of London. When we first saw snow in England it was a novelty but the fun had died and we just wanted some warmth and sun.

France and Spain

When we finally got on the plane after a five hour delay which we spent at the pub on Wednesday we were stoked. Because we got in late we had to spend the night in Bordeaux before heading to Biarritz the next day. We had planned to stay there and Lacanau first but the weather changed that. When we got to Biarritz the wind was howling and it was cold and rainy even with a bit of hail that was perfectly round like the balls in a bean bag but the next day it got a bit better and I finally had a decent surf, it was messy but I was just happy to get back amongst it. Shell was pretty crook with the flu but she started to get better and it was a lovely sunny day when we went exploring around the town. It was beautiful checking out all the walkways and tiny old streets that'd been there for ages. I also had a better surf that day, I was pretty tired after our walk and it was getting late and cold so I decided to wait until the morning but when I rocked up it was flat as a tac so I turned around and got back in bed spewing I didn't go out again the arvo before as we were leaving for Spain soon. It was a nice place, expensive but we were pleasantly surprised at how nice and helpful the locals were. There was a lot of dog poo around though and people had them on trains, in restaurants and they had lots of tiny ones with coats and even pigtails and blokes are by no means worried about their manhood while carrying around a little dog. There were some old folks on the bus out of there who we couldn't tell if they were drunk or just a bit nuts we know a tiny bit of French and one bloke just kept talking at us in French and dribbling and stumbling around while eating a baguette and smoking. So we didn't get to see the stereotypical French with a white and blue striped shirt, beret, moustache and pantaloons riding a bike with his nose in the air, a baguette sticking out his bread basket and a string of garlic round his neck but we saw some crazy or drunk or both old people.

We got the train to San Sebastian which was 1.50 Euro which is a bit under three bucks and it was evident in the different look of the stacked up poorer housing as soon as we passed into Spain. This was the only way we knew as there were no signs or customs we were just in France one stop then Spain the next. It was much cheaper but still not really cheap but I was stoked as the surf was getting better. The first day was shocking but the next few days were fun, I broke my leggy the first day and it was only about 2 foot and I'd used that in big surf at home and Indo! The last day I even got a couple of barrels and did some airs so I was very happy. The sun was out every day too and it was sometimes over ten degrees which was now very nice to what we were used to. San Sebastian was a great place too, we were staying in old town that had tiny little cute streets and very old again. We went for a walk up the mountain one day and saw the ancient fort and Jesus overlooking the town. It was fun but Shell wasn't well again and her mouth was now infected somehow and until she got on antibiotics she wasn't having much fun. We drunk plenty of Sangria and ate Tapas and just enjoyed exploring the streets and bars at night. We were then due to move on again to Madrid, the lady at the train station said  I might not be allowed on with my board but luckily she was wrong and we got to Madrid at 10 that night which is not late at all to them. Shell was loving the culture of sleeping in, having a siesta then going out late. Madrid is full of grand old buildings and statues, lots of interesting stuff to look around at. Our new years started a bit strange, a lot of places shut from 6-7 and weren't reopening until the next day or after midnight but we managed to find some so we were lucky. We met a South Efrikan and Portugese couple and hung with them which was cool, there wasn't much music or anywhere to dance though which was a shame but we still had fun although we were separated in the crowd at twelve but we made up for it when we got home. We had to change hostals on new years day which wasn't much fun and the new one was pretty rough but we got to lay down which we were very happy to do. We looked around a different part of the city on the second then met up with Nadine and Marco again and had a few beers but not too late as we had to leave the next day. After a great holiday we were a bit sad to be back in London and looking forward to Portugal!

Portugal, Wales and Morocco

We laid pretty low for a while after such a great holiday but we booked our holiday to Morocco then Egypt which we were stoked about. We did a couple of weekend trips around England like Bournemouth looking for waves but no go, was fun to have a look around though and have a nice bed and shower compared to the one in our place! We then went to see Viki and Graham in Whitstable which was fun, we also got to have a look around Canterbury which is a nice little place with some cool old ruins. I went to see Nile which was awesome, so fast and technically brilliant. I thought I could play fast but they all do and take turns growling, I was blown away. We then went to Portugal which we loved, the first few nights we stayed in Porto and checked out the city. I had a decent size fun surf at Matosinhos the first morning we were there so I was looking forward to going back. The next day we went down to Espinho and I had a surf but it was no good, too messy and rippy and maxing out. So we just had a nice walk around the river the next day admiring the old buildings and the little houses up the huge cliffs along the river. We then had a few beers enjoying the sun while it lasted on the riverfront. The next day we headed back out to stay at Matosinhos for a couple of days and scored a luxury hotel for pretty cheap so we were stoked. This new place was right near the port which was massive and pretty bloody impressive to see the sheer scale of the ships and machinery. I got some fun waves while there but it was a bit fat but after not surfing since Spain I was happy to get out there. We went out to what we thought would be a pretty little hilltop village in Braga but it was pretty big too, it did have some nice old buildings though and it was nice to have a look around. We had a few nice meals and a few nights drinking but it shut pretty early there so we made a lot of good use from our nice hotel. We got wine and cheese a couple of times and drank in the park in the sun a couple of times which was nice and we got to have some Sangria and Port. The last day we went for a walk along the beach front to the River mouth which was nice to have a look around and then we were back to London again, looking forward to Morocco and Egypt. The weekend after we got back we went to Newquay in a Wicked camper which was fun, especially in the day when it was sunny but it was freezing at night especially since I forgot one of the blankets. I got some tiny waves but the plugs in the fish were screwed so I was making plans with Tom’s mate to get it fixed properly. We went and saw a pretty impressive gorge on the way back with Mountain goats and stopped in at Wales for a quick look around. It was beautiful country all around that way so we were really glad we did it. After t we didn't do a whole lot other than went to the Royal Albert Hall and saw an amazing orchestra and some comedians and got into the Guinness book of records as part of the biggest ever mass kazoo performance and not long after I went to the Red Bull free running championships which was cool, then I went to Southampton a couple of weekends in a row to get my fish fixed which I was very happy about.

Got to Essaouira on a luxurious bus from Marrakech through the desert looking at camels, sheep, cows and donkeys and people living out there in their funny little stone houses doing it pretty bloody tough. Marrakech was hectic, we stayed in a lovely Riad - hotel with a rooftop terrace and a pool in the middle that we thought would be nice for a swim but after we got to the edge with our swimmers on it was freezing so Shell just put her toes in and I just had a quick wade and didn't even put my head under like a little girl. We only had one full day there so we spent that shopping and like many times before in a new country we got ripped off. We really should learn that when we hear the words 'special for you only today' that we are in for a robbing. We went to the tannery and it was interesting to have a look at how they do it old style and thankfully they gave us a mint branch to cover the stench that they live and work in. Then came the hard sell and we bought a lovely but costly Moroccan bedspread that will go around my board on the plane. We then bought some other little things like some hand symbols and finally found somewhere to have a couple of beers with dinner. We also should have realised by now that Islamic states aren't too fond of grog so bring duty free! When we were walking back to the Riad it was bedlam, too many people for the streets and blokes taking advantage of the close proximity with their hands and Shell. We were holding onto each other and our bags tight and when people started pushing each other around we got worried but we got there in the end. Also when we arrived at the airport heaps of flights got in together so the passport lines were ridiculous and people were cheering when others got through but some frog was booing! People really should realise they have no power in that situation and the only thing you can do is be thankful when you do get through or you can land yourself in an international incident. We had a similar situation in Sri Lanka and being calm and patient may have in the end meant the difference between getting on or missing our plane. In Madrid we had about 6 hours on the airport so we found some grass outside to lay down in which was a nice way to pass the time in some sun. Anyway back to Morocco and we were much happier in Essaouira, we did like Marrakech but a coupla days of chaos was enough of an experience. We did have a hassle when we first arrived in Essaouira that our hotel was closed and we had to go to another one that was a dive but it worked out ok in the end even though the paint was falling off the walls and it wasn't the cleanest of places but it was cheap apart from the 15 pound Shell blew calling the booking agency and we've certainly stayed in worse. We did have lots of room and a view of the beach though although no waves there, we were in the Medina - old town and they have walls all around so you can't get out to the beach where there is waves without going round the looong way. We went down the coast the day after we arrived to Sidi Kaouki where the surf is? It was pretty bloody average but I was still stoked as it was better than anything I'd had in England and Shell got some photos of me and the camels and horse on the beach. Unfortunately our camera wasn't happy and was having trouble focussing which wouldn't be cool with all the trips we had coming up so we were hoping to get it fixed or a newy if we had to. It was a pretty cool mini bus ride out there like the Anggkots in Indo but with Berber carpets pm the walls and ceiling and of course, cheap. We found a bit easier somewhere to have a beer but they charged a premium so then we searched for ages and lots of walking for a grog shop which ended up not being far at all and was handy as we had a fridge to put food and drink in and a stove top to cook on. The morning after we weren't so spritely though so we just had a relaxing day other than trying to find a way to the beach I thought might be better with no success. The buildings and earthy colours offset with splashes of bright colour are so pretty and the majority of people have been helpful and friendly. The locals were calling me Ali Baba for some reason and every few minutes someone would offer me hash or space cakes, maybe it's the beard or I look like a thief who's just stumbled in from the desert. Had some bigger but fat waves at another place in Essaouira called Asafi by myself again so that was cool. It was surprising how chilly it was in the wind there and particularly at night. I had another average surf the day before we left for Casablanca which held hopes of better waves and we spent the rest of our time looking around and Shell doing some shopping so we were glad to be moving on after having a fun time. We got to Casablanca on another nice bus ride through lots of changes in the countryside from Desert to red rock mountains to green farmland and even quite a bit of water in rivers.    We're having a ball here, I had a fun surf yesterday, the best so far at Bouznika it was a nice day and beach too so Shell enjoyed it also. We got the train down there which was cheap but pretty luxury and only took about halfa so we were stoked. I then just went in town at le Corniche which was bigger and pretty good too but was bit of a debacle, where my 20 Dirham ran out and I got out of the taxi the beach was walled off but there was a gate which I went through but then some French speaking Pelican wanted me to pay because it's a 'privit' beach! I think he said 'only' 100 Aussie but surely it was Dirham. Either way I only had enough for the taxi ride back and wouldn't have paid anyway so I walked back about a km to the same beach but further down in front of Macas and drifted down to that beach in the strong current anyway and got some good waves. I only surfed with others once and got some fun waves so altogether I'm pretty stoked. Casablanca got bad reviews but we liked it, it wasn't as pretty as Essaouira but after 5 days there it was nice to move on and be in a big city with more to do. We had a drink the last night with some wine that we spent a long time finding again then a few beers at a bar with a Brasilian and Canadian couple we met. We were then off to Madrid the next day and a bit spewin that the surfing was over but looking forward to Egypt. We had two nights in Madrid at a nice hotel near the airport enjoying a bit more civilisation with not much to do so we relaxed a lot and then drank some beer. The next day we were stoked when we got on the plane and it was luxury, big seats, free food, pillows and blankets, the works.

Egypt

            We arrived pretty late in Cairo so we just went to our hotel which was very nice and a huge and we got some much needed take away food. The next day we did the Pyramids and 'sphinkys' tour with our driver from the airport who was great and cheap and we used all our time in Cairo. Of course we got taken to a tour company who wanted all our money bit we bargained and got a decent price and I got to ride a camel and Shell a horse. It really was amazing to see it all up close and a little spooky with their eyes and the sheer scale and commitment they put into death. We got to go into a tomb at Giza through a tiny little tunnel to see some Hieroglyphs that had remained. The Sphinx was actually pretty small but an amazing piece of sculpture and it was a great day for it as the clouds made patterns of light and shade on the Pyramids and desert alike. We then went to some shops and bought some beautiful and cheap Hieroglyphs on papyrus and Shell was happy getting some lotus essence. We then went to more pyramids at Saqqara which also had an awesome temple and museum. That night we did a river cruise on the Nile which had some cool funny dizzy dancers and a belly dancer. The next day we went to the Egyptian museum which was awesome too. We got to see heaps of precious artefacts and statues learn about how much of our culture has came from theirs and we saw Tutankhamen. His mask and sarcophagi had so much gold and precious stones; it was all really worth seeing. After the museum we went to Luxor on a plane which was more expensive than the train we had planned to catch but the revolutionaries had blocked it between the two cities and the flight took an hour opposed to ten on the overnight sleeper train which after our Vietnam experience might not have been much of a sleep. When we arrived at the airport although we had booked a hotel pick up (which we don't usually do but we were being cautious due to the troubles in the Arab world at the time) there were taxi drivers yelling at our driver and trying to get us to go with them and touching me but thankfully not Shell we got to the hotel thouh and it was Ok in the end just a bit of a unnerving welcome. The hotel was nice in the respect that the elevator worked and the toilet flushed opposed to Cairo but the toilet leaked and the service wasn't exactly prompt but you get what you pay for and they had beer! We just spent the first day having a short walk to the Nile which was beautiful, shopping of course and organising our trip for the next day then lazing about the pool with a few beers.

 The next day we headed out to the Valley of the Kings, Queen Hatshepsut’s temple and the Colossus of Memnon, it was astounding. The tombs in the valley were so deep and must have taken so much work with all their hieroglyphs. The best thing about the day was Queen Hapshetshut's temple; it had some hieroglyphs remaining and some awesome big statues around too. The Colossus was cool too although had modern houses and business around and was very deteriorated and after what we'd seen through the day there can sometimes be a statue complacency, it was all great though. The pyramids were spectacular for their size and structural genius of the time and the valley temple had the fascination of the hieroglyphs and statues. People told us it would be really hot but there was a nice breeze so it was bearable and it was another partly cloudy brilliant blue sky which looks incredible juxtaposed against the desert earth. That arvo we went looking for the Souk (market) but the taxi driver obviously dropped us at his mates shop which was pretty ordinary and we were getting hassled left, right and centre: 'come with me, I'll show you’ We hate to be that way but there were some dirty remarks to Shell and she was well covered up anyway and we'd been warned not to trust people even by locals so we weren't going with anyone. We ended up heading straight to the river and following it to the town square which wasn't far and once there we took yet more photos this tome of Luxor temple which was stunning with the sunset reflecting off the Nile in the background. The square was hectic though due to their Easter celebrations, strange for an Islamic state? So we found a cafe that actually served the iced coffee advertised on their menu! Then had a nice meal that as very typical in third world countries we couldn't eat it all so we had the next day’s lunch too then we just had a quiet night lazing round watching telly. The next day we actually got to the Souk with the guidance of a Pom lady who spends lots of time there which I thought might have mare her wiser than to get too involved with the hawkers who were threatening to kill her outside the hotel while we were with her but the police came and settled him down and we got out of there without trouble or much delay. Once at the Souk which took  while though the heat, sights, smells and sounds of the backstreets it was cool Shell did some relentless haggling and I was half looking for a beautiful string instrument I'd seen elsewhere but not too worried I didn't find it due to baggage restrictions and the fact I've got so many already. Our last in Luxor we drank our duty free which gave us the courage to do karaoke at the hotel which the old prunes didn't appreciate and weren't backward in being forward; cutting us off even with something as tame as Black Sabbath so we showed em by screaming out a cut off Nirvana song which was the heaviest they had and we had a blast. We got a cheap van to Hurghada the next day through the desert through seemingly infinite oceans of sand which was cool and we were looking forward to the beach again! Hurghada was heaps of fun, we thought it'd be more expensive but it was actually cheaper for food and beer. The first night we just checked it out a bit, had a nice dinner and did a bit of shopping. The next day we went to the beach and I had a snorkel with the new ones I'd bought the night before in probably the most beautiful turquoise coloured water we'd ever seen, there wasn't much coral but there were a few fish and lots of purple and yellow jellyfish. That night we went to Ministry of Sound on the beach which was great fun at the time but we were a bit ordinary the next day after a few local cocktails. The day after that we had a dive in the most beautiful blue water we've seen, there was some nice colourful hard coral and a fair few fish like two different kinds of Lion fish, several different colourful Box fish, Napoleon rasa and the regulars and the crew were all a lot of fun. That night we had a few beers with a few of them and the next day I had another fun snorkel and we just chilled out for our last full day, stoked with our holiday and a bit sad that we were going back to work and England but also looking forward to Italy in 3 weeks. We had been a bit worried about the trouble in the Arab world and Egypt in particular but it turned out fine so we were very glad we went although we were a bit spooked that a week or so after we were in the same square a bomb killed over 15 people in Morocco, bloody terrorists were making us think twice about how long we would spend in Turkey on our big Europe trip coming up. Went to Birmingham not long after Africa and had a good time with Shirley and the rest and went out with Ewen and his girlfriend. Went for a few beers with Shell’s friend and family from work and then headed off to...

Italy and Ireland

Got to Minori near Amalfi and it was beautiful, I had a swim in the arv after a few hours on the train then over an hour on the bus there from Napoli. Both the train ride and particularly the bus ride was amazing looking out at the countryside, Vesuvius and the luscious green mountains falling into the clear blue sea. We then just chilled in the lovely hotel room with the windows open onto the veranda overlooking the village before we got some food and drinks to hang out there later. We spent most of the day before travelling, flying into Rome then a train to another train to Napoli and when got there we knew it was worth it. We'd already had some delectable food and most people were very friendly, we were looking forward to the rest of our time there! I had a snorkel the second morning while Shell slept in and it was actually a bit murky surprisingly and there wasn't much to see but the water was nice anyway. We then got a bus into Amalfi and had a look around, there were lots of cute little shops and an old church that was cool. I had another snorkel which was a bit better so that was cool. We then headed back to Minori and had a lay down before getting some more beer and wine for another veranda party. The next day unfortunately was raining so we laid around reading a lot and went out for a nice dinner that night. We then caught the train back to Rome the next day and when we arrived we went and had a quick look around a beautiful old church near our hotel then we just had some
Chinese for dinner and lay around reading a lot as we were pretty worn out. The next day we got up reasonably early and went to the Colosseo which really was cool to see up close and then we checked out the Palatino and the Roman Forum, so much history and Grandeur. We then went to the Pantheon, the Fontana Trevi and others that are too many to remember in less than a full day in their windy little streets that are crammed with Architecture, Art and tourists all wanting their little piece of Rome whether it be photos, souvenirs or wine. We then went back to the hotel pretty wrecked from so much walking on so much concrete then we went and got some booze for the afternoon and were looking very much forward to going to Vatican city the next day. The Vatican was more amazing and crowded history in the way of people and also the opulence and the amount of art. You could spend days there and still not take it all in I'm sure, we spent the morning there in the heat and hungover which was enough to make us long for our afternoon nap that we were getting used to on holidays, hopefully we won't be nodding off at work Monday arv. We just had a couple of drinks and our last nice Italian dinner on the last night although we still had the full next day to go and look at more churches and buildings and stuff. It ended up being a pretty long night as it was really warm and the gay pride party in the park nearby was in full swing so we were pretty tired the next day, thought about going to have a laugh but we just wanted sleep! The next day we went and checked out the Spanish steps and a few more sites and were planning to lay around and read in the park but it rained so we headed to the airport and hung around for ages as the plane was delayed, bit of a bummer but we were still stoked after a great holiday!

We expected Ireland to be beautiful but after a few recent anticipated travels we were blown away by how green it really is and we had so much fun. We stayed in a lovely hotel the first night in Belfast as we got in pretty late and because we booked it early it was a great deal. The next day we headed out to Portrush and that's where the amazing scenery started, heaps of luscious farmland and animals. I had a fun surf, it was a bit slow but I was stoked to get out there anyway. We then went and checked in at our lovely little B&B then went to a pub and the locals there were allfriendly and happy to talk to some Aussies, although they wondered why we came to Ireland and sometimes it was a bit hard to understand them. It hadn't been as cold as we expected but then the wind came up and a bit of rain so it changed pretty quick so we headed back to our room to get more clothes. When we came back we just thought we'd duck into this tiny little pub for a quick one and as soon as we walked in a local was talking to us like we were his long lost mate and bought us beers, I thought he was the owner of our B&B so I sat down and acted like I knew him to. It wasn't until a few beers later that he realised he didn't know us from a bar of soap but we were all getting merry by then so we kept going. More rounds, some local stuff they shot and a nightclub later we walked home from the next town over which was over 3 miles and took us ages but after 4 in the morning we were on a planet which allowed us not to care about the length of the walk and we really enjoyed it. It was getting light enough for me to see that there were no waves so we slept in late apart from dragging ourselves down for the awesome greasy breaky. Then we headed out Giant's causeway which was breathtaking, there was plenty of other cool stuff to look at along the picturesque coastline also and after wards we hung around the little village of Bushmill's and went for a walk along the cute little creek. That night we just had fish and chips and an early night, I was hoping but not convinced that the surf might pick up but it was even smaller the next day so we just had another sleep in then headed back to Belfast on the train and found a pub to have a few quiet ones before the plane home. That should be the end of the story but unfortunately far from it, first the plane was delayed which wasn't so bad on its own but then when we got back to England their terminal transfer shuttle was broken so that was another hour and it just kept getting worse. When we were finally on the train home someone jumped under the train at the station ahead of us, the wait then was ridiculous. We weren't too far from the station we had to get to to get a bus but there were none from the station we were at and the announcers kept getting us on the train then off and saying; 'half an hour, half an hour'. Eventually the train went and we saw the body and at that time of the night when we had to be at work in a coupla hours we really didn't feel much at all other than tired. Shell didn't even sleep by the time we got home and they sent her home at lunchtime as she was walking dead but I was lucky and got about half an hour sleep and made it through the day. A crazy finish to an awesome holiday; cheap, lovely people, great transport, if only there was enough work, we'd prefer it there than here!

Croatia, Montenegro and Albania.

             Went to London Deathfest near my birthday which was bloody awesome! I got pretty wasted and dug some of the earlier bands but then The Amenta were amazing. Deicide were good too of course and it was a great festival to see. We then went to see Viki a coupla weeks later, I was going to take the boards but there was no swell so we just got wasted a lot. After that we didn't do much bit save a lot of cash for the big last Europe trip and pack and clean and get out of bloody England! We got to Split pretty late so we just had a beer then crashed as I was also a bit fluey. The next day we headed straight for the beach, had an OK snorkel; not much to see but the water was so blue and warm, I did find a brown European blind, tailless, finless stinky eel... yes a poo. Had a bit of a look around the old town and then just went back for the first of many holiday afternoon naps. The next day we went looking for another beach but it was all just a huge port so we went to a mall and found we could watch a movie that night so we did. The day after we went on the Ferry to Korcula Island which really was beautiful, not great snorkeling again but I did see some cuttlefish that I'd never seen before. It had a cute little old town which was surrounded by bushland and not so big and industrial like Split. It was busy at the beach in town but we just walked out of town and found our own little spot where Shell could get her tits and G banger out which was awesome! There was a cool drumming band the first night and plenty of cute little cheap bars to drink at. The second night we went and had a few beers with some pom ladies that were staying in the room next to us, everything shut pretty early but that might have been a good thing. I snorkeled twice the second day and once the third then kind of gave up as it wasn't getting any better anywhere I tried but I still always find something interesting and new, those times it was a big mud skipper but pretty white looking fish caught in a crab pot and a little cute sting ray. It rained for a fair while on our last full day then it cleared so we checked out the old town and I went for a trek up the mountain looking for the caves I'd read about but couldn't find them but I got a nice view over the town. We knew we were getting up at sparrowfart to leave for Dubrovnik so we had a quiet one. The bus ride to Dubrovnik was nice; it took us through lots of huge and different types of mountains falling in the typical shining blue Adriatic. When we got there we found a reasonable place to stay then headed straight into the Old walled city. It was like others we'd seen in Europe although the sheer size of the walls and towers was staggering and it was beautiful when we wound our way through to the ocean side for a squiz. That arvo we had a few beers on the terrace overlooking the tourist port with massive cruise ships and luxury liners of the ridiculously rich. The next day I went to the bus station with the funny bloke from our hotel to get us tickets for Montenegro the next day and in return he got me to recommend the rooms to people he picked up at the station. We then went for a walk to the beach and I had a snorkel and it was Ok again, saw a funny little patterned snub nose brown fish I hadn't seen so it was fun. We then lazed around for a while in the arv then had a coupla beers and the rest of our goon with a nice feed of pork and salad. We'd had a great week in Croatia and were looking forward to Kotor the next day which we'd heard was stunning from others. 

We liked it in Montenegro also, we first stayed in a little old town in the fjords in the north called Kotor. Our first night we stayed in a pretty dodgy but cheap place and it did have a great view which was the consolation for the trek up the hill. The bus ride there was amazing again and Dubrovnik looked great from up in the mountains. We got lucky in Kotor after looking around the old town for a better room and giving up as the prices were too high we thought we'd try one last cafe at the beach and he hooked us up with a lady with lovely cheap rooms right in old town for the next night. We were looking forward to a nice meal somewhere in the old town that night and lazing around for a night in a bit of luxury after a few nights of soaking up views and grog while avoiding time in average rooms. We left Kotor for Ulcinj and down on the southern end of the coast. It was much dirtier and not as pretty as Kotor or Croatia but much cheaper and had a great vibe to it. The bus ride down was nice again; more mountains and lazuli water down below. The first day we got there we dumped our stuff and headed for the beach, I had a pretty average snorkel, saw some fish and lots of rubbish. Then we made our way home having beers and dinner along the way and were crashed out by about 9. The next day we slept in then went to another beach that was a bit cleaner and better snorkeling then went back to the room for a nanna nap before having our biggest night of the trip and finishing up about 3 after watching a good band at a pub for a few hours. It probably wasn't the best time for it as we had to get up at 5 to get to Albania and by the time we made it to Durres we were still pretty spaced out and not keen on hunting for cheap rooms. We didn't know it was going to be so big and ugly and some locals tried to rip us off but we were lucky enough to find a nice room for pretty cheap with air con and a Tv for one luxury night. The drive from Ulcinj to Durres was interesting with fellas with their donkey and carts selling watermelons and the mountains and rivers. Golfs seemed to be the car of choice in Montenegro and in Albania it was Mercs; particularly in the less touristy places, plenty of space for a body in the boot I suppose. We went for a bit of a walk around and there were some funny things like people on the sidewalk with extension leads on their home phones charging you to use them and we went for a walk to the beach but it was that crowded and hot and dirty even I didn't have a swim. We figured one night was enough before heading to a supposedly smaller and prettier town called Berat the next day for a night or two on the way to Saranda which was also supposed to be nicer and where we could get a ferry to Corfu. Well we ended up only stopping for lunch and a bit of a walk around town in Berat which was nice in a valley between mountains with old Ottoman Houses and mosques. There wasn't much else though and we had plenty of time so we kept going on the hot and slow journey to Saranda, there were some more funny Albanians like a kid riding along with his cat in a rack screaming for dear life on the back of his bike. It was spectacular countryside, the sheer size alone and along with the little villages dotted halfway up these huge mountains made magnificent views. Saranda was lovely, definitely worth the reputation and the trip down there, we were a bit worried at first as a lot of hotels were full but we found one eventually that was nice and cheap and even had a beach view. We had a couple of beers and a great feed the first night then the next day I had an Ok snorkel then we got tickets for the ferry to Corfu the day after.

Greece and Turkey

             The ferry ride over was nice again to look out over the Island and the Albanian and Greek Ionian coast. When we got there we were really stoked, our place was a five minute walk to the beautiful beach in Benitses, a quiet little fishing village. I had an average snorkel the first day which I was coming to expect in Europe so after all the big crowded places we'd been we decided to stay 5 nights and relax. The first day we really did bugger all; went for a swim, did some shopping and looked around town then had some beers and wine on the veranda in the arv. The second day we went to another little town down the coast called Messonghi and I had an Ok snorkel then we had a quiet night and a nice feed. On the third day we went over to the western side of the Island to Paleokastritsa, it was a beautiful little town below the mountains on the beach. I had a pretty good snorkel and saw some pretty colourful fish, no coral but some interesting rocks and underwater caves. That night we had a few beers and goon on the veranda that was nice and secluded so in our state we got starkers out there. On the last day we just had a big sleep in and hung around our little town before going into town before going into town for a nice feed and a few beers. Before we got on the bus and ferry on the day we left we had a bit of a look around the old town which was nice and I paid to swim as a I really needed it. We were a bit sad to be leaving after having such a great and relaxing time but we were also looking forward to seeing more of Greece and of course Turkey!

The ferry ride had nice views of the Island and then the bus ride had huge mountains with villages and castles not unlike in Albania. There wasn't a whole lot to see in Thessaloniki, we looked at some of the nice old buildings and were on our way to the beach but had already spent about 40 minutes on a bus and it looked like another hour or so to go for a dirty looking beach so we just went to a pool but bailed on that to when they wanted 5 euro each! So after 2 nights there, 1 arriving late and 1 with a few beers and an early romantic night we were happy to be leaving and looking forward to Alexandroupoli which wasn't as big a city and promised some nice Aegean beaches. As we would be arriving early arvo we were back to no booking or plan which was a nice change, all we had to worry about was getting to Turkey in a few days and everything had been working so far. It was a short about 4 hour flash bus ride which had some nice scenery of mountains and farms similar to the couple of days before a big inland lake and the glassy blue northern Aegean. We found a nice hotel right on the beach for a good price so we booked a couple of nights and planned to leave for Istanbul after that. The first day I had an Ok snorkel and saw some cool fish, anemone looking things and some read balls of coral but it was pretty murky. Then we had a few beers on the veranda overlooking the ocean and after that I thought it'd be a good idea to get a little bottle of Ouzo but I think that's best left to the Greeks. So the next day was a big sleep in then we just had a look around town. It was set to be an adventure when we planned to leave early in the morning to get to the Greece/Turkey border and then wing it from there to Istanbul. Luckily though we checked it out on the net and they don't let you through on foot so we had to get a bus he whole way. Can't rely on the net for everything though, it said we didn't need a Visa but we did, it was no problem and only 15 euro each. Once in Turkey the scenery was much prettier than we expected, it was very lush and green particularly near the border rivers. Mosques everywhere of course but a lot better maintained than the ones in Indo. We were a bit daunted by how bloody huge Istanbul was on the way in but once we managed to get to our hotel then out for a coupla beers we really liked it. Our hotel was down a back alley and looked dodgy from the outside but once we got inside it was pretty good so we were stoked. The next day we looked around at the big ones: the Blue Mosque and Aya Sofia and a heap of others around the place then we went to the Grand Bazaar. Once in Sultanahmet - the old city and particularly from the ferry from the European to Asian side of the Bosphorous it really was beautiful. When we got to our new hotel that we'd booked and couldn't cancel without paying we were a bit spewin we didn't stay on the European side another night as there wasn't much around and they seemed to be observing Ramazan more devoutly. We managed to find some beers and cheap nasty local Vodka that got us to the point we could just pass out in our room with no fan or air con. Have to laugh about it now, Shell thought she booked the hotel with Sat Tv and all the rest for our last 2 luxury nights so when we turned up and none of it was there she asked about air con and he just opened the window in response. They were nice though and we got breakfast and some stilted English-Turkish conversations. The next day we just slept in then I had a fun snorkel in the bright green weedy waters in the sea of Marmara which was the last of the trip, saw some colourful jelly fish and starfish. For our last night we went for a nice feed and a coupla beers along the beach to where we'd seen a bit more happening on the train ride out to Purgatory. We were a bit sad for our backpacking from Europe to Asia to be ending and our time in Europe altogether over but it'd been an eye and mind opening experience and we had 3 weeks in Bali to look forward to home of course and in a few months more unknown adventure of going around our own big beautiful country.