Sydney Day 4 A Ferry Ride To Manly & A Relaxing Day On The Beach Surfing – Friday 31st January 2014

We were up fairly earlyish this morning to head down to Circular Quay to catch a ferry across to Manly (north of Sydney). It was good to get the ferry across because it went through the harbour and right past the Opera House, seeing both the Bridge and Opera House from another angle (I think by now we have covered just about every angle of it!). When we arrived in Manly we had a coffee along the beach front before heading onto the beautiful beach where mum spent the day lying in the sun reading her book and me and dad took it in turns surfing. The waves were pretty big and the sea was pretty rough so it was quite hard but we did fairly well and we had great fun! On the ferry back we managed to stand right at the front of the boat which meant we got a great view as we came into the harbour and again some more great pics!

Once back in the city, we headed straight round to Darling Harbour for some Happy Hour food and drinks. Again it had been a beautiful day and it was really nice to be sitting outside with a cocktail enjoying my last night with mum and dad. We were still rocking the beach look, so after food we headed back to the hotel to shower and sort out some of our stuff before heading down to Circular Quay again to see the Harbour Bridge and Opera House all lit up. They both looked really lovely in the evening and we enjoyed a drink in Opera Bar again while enjoying the view. The bar was really nice because it had a great atmosphere as it was absolutely rammed and buzzing with live music. After one drink we headed back towards the hotel by the train, which was double deckered I might add and made a pit stop for one last drink which would also be our last drink together for the next 6 months!

To see pictures from our day on Manly Beach and our evening in Sydney Click Here - Manly Beach & Evening In Sydney

Sydney Day 3 A 11 Mile Walk Around The City – Thursday 30th January 2014

Today we headed on a very long trek around the city (11 miles if you hadn’t read the title of the blog) and by the end of the day, again it was safe to say me and mum were both knackered (we were wearing flip flops – or thongs for you Aussie’s reading this!). First we headed to Paddy’s market, a massive market which sold all different stuff, but mostly Aussie souvenirs which of course we brought for certain people back home. Then we walked via Darling Harbour round to the Harbour Bridge where we stopped for a quick refreshment before actually walking across (well half way) across the bridge, where we got a fantastic view of the Opera House and city. We then made treks towards the Botanical gardens to Mrs Macquires Point which is the ultimate picture and view point of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge, before our tired little legs took us back to the hotel (we had to more or less drag mum back). After a nice refreshing shower and well needed rest, we headed back into Darling Harbour for some drinks (it was happy hour after all) before heading to the Hard Rock café for some appetisers dinner. It was still fairly early by the time we were done so on the way back to the hotel we picked up another bottle of wine to enjoy in our room where very quickly we all began to crash.

To see 11 miles worth of pictures from our walk around the city Click Here - A 11 Mile Walk Around Sydney

Sydney Day 2, A Trip To Bondi, A 6 km Costal Walk From Bondi To Coogee And An Evening In Darling Harbour – Wednesday 29th January 2014

So this morning we were up fairly earlish to take a bus trip to the famous Bondi Beach! When we arrived the beach looked lovely, although not as big as I’d quite imagined and after a quick breakfast (well actually lunch) stop, we started the 6 km Bondi to Coogee costal walk. It was pretty damn tough at times and I was completely dead by the end of it (so was mum) but it was a fairly nice walk along the coast which took us past some really nice hidden beaches. For the last 2 km of the walk me and mum had pretty much lost the will to live and was just wishing we were back on Bondi beach, but we did make it to Coogee, although we weren’t quite sure it was worth the long and hard trek. Plus to top it off when we arrived in Coogee we had to get 2 buses to get back to Bondi – the last thing we wanted to be doing after a tough 6 km walk, we just want to be on the beach!!! Dad, being the nutter he is, decided to race us back via foot, we just about beat him for those interested! It was nice being back on Bondi beach. Me and mum got a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream (yes they have Ben and Jerry ice cream parlours in Aus), which was delicious, before setting up camp on the beach. We spent a couple of hours on the beach and me and dad once again hired a surf board to keep us amused (we had to say we attempted surfing on Bondi – the conditions really weren’t the best and the “pro” surfers were being bullies taking the best waves and knocking us out the way).

In the evening, after getting rid of the beach look, we headed down to Darling Harbour for something to eat and drink. It was really beautiful down there and we had a really yummy dinner of mixed rotisserie meat before heading back and crashing in bed!

To see pictures of our coastal walk and day in Bondi and dinner in Darling Harbour Click Here - Bondi Beach & Darling Harbour

A Trip To Sydney With Mum & Dad To Visit The Harbour Bridge & Opera House – Tuesday 28th January 2014

This morning we had an early start to head to the airport for the final part of mum and dad’s visit, a trip to Sydney. When we arrived at our hotel it was too early to check in, so we had some time to kill with a bit of exploring of the local surroundings (our hotel was on one of the main streets so there was lots around). We went to Queen Victoria Building, which was an upper class mall hosting names to top designers and we then headed over to Westfield shopping centre to find some coffee and lunch. By the time we had finished, we could check into our hotel so we headed back went into the room and got changed and headed out again but this time down to the fabulous Harbour Bridge and Opera House.

When we stepped out onto the Circular Quay the view of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House really was amazing and the clear blue sky, with the sun beaming down, made it even more picturesque. There was also a cruise ship docked in the harbour, the Diamond Princess, which funny enough we had seen just two days earlier docked in Melbourne! After we had soaked in the sight of the harbour, we headed round to the Opera House to do a tour where we were actually got to go inside the famous and phenomenal building. We got to go into a couple of the smaller theatres, the studio and the drama hall, but the most amazing room we went in and the biggest in the Opera House, seating over 2000 people, was the concert hall! The design of the room really was breath-taking and as soon as we walked in, all we managed to say was “wow”! Everything about the concert hall and the architectural structure and design really was jaw-dropping, the walls and chairs were made out of white birch which allows the sound to be reflected off them and to the ears of the audience, while the very high and prettily decorated ceiling was suspended from above and not touching the walls to prevent the loss of sound through vibrations. There was also this massive organ at the back of the stage which is the largest mechanical organ in the world. I can only imagine the sound that must be produced from within the hall and it must be phenomenal, it really makes me want to see a musical performance in there. We had a bit of a bonus while sitting in the concert hall because Jimmy Carr (English comedian for those of you that don’t know) walked onto the stage and gave us a wave (he was performing there that evening). The whole tour was really fascinating, down to how the building was designed and built, the story behind it and the amazing views we also got to see.

After the tour we headed down to the Opera Bar just below the Opera House, where we enjoyed a drink and some yummy wedges (probably the best we’ve ever had) while admiring the view of the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We then went for another wander around Circular Quay and the Rocks, before heading back to the bar to watch the cruise ship sail out of the harbour. After an early start this morning we were all pretty tired, so we headed back to our hotel to rest and prepare  for another action packed day tomorrow.

Soooo until then,

So long from Sydney

xoxo

To see pictures from our first day in Sydney of the Harbour Bridge and Opera House Click Here - Sydney Day 1 Harbour Bridge & Opera House

Mum and Dad's Last Weekend In Melbourne For One Last Night Out And Australia Day - Monday 27th January 2014

On Saturday we had a pretty chilled out morning at Darc’s lazying about. Dad went for a run as did me and Darc while mum stayed home relaxing (seen as she doesn’t relax at any other time of the year). After a nice lunch we headed back to my apartment to quickly drop our stuff before heading out again to see Hannah’s afternoon production with YABC (Young Australian Broadway Chorus) of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat. It was absolutely awesome and so professional and our little Han did amazing! The singers in it were unbelievable and I was blown away at the standard of it. Mum and Dad also thought it was really good and even Darc (a theatre first) enjoyed it too. After we headed to transport bar for a drink before heading up to Lygon Street (aka Little Italy) for a lovely Italian dinner. We finished the night once again in Crown Casino where Darc managed to make $70 bucks on blackjack (lucky git – should have sat in his chair) while mum managed to again turn 5 bucks into $20!!!

It was another beautiful day on Sunday – Australia Day! We started the day with a lovely French Toast breakfast courtesy of Darc and then mum and dad headed off to the Shrine of Remembrance to see the 21 gun salute. They then continued to walk towards the city where they come across a park which had loads going on so they rang me and I went to join them. They had filled the park with loads of old fashioned vintage cars, penny farthings and activities which kids and families could get involved with. Mum and dad both thought it was great! We walked all the way up to Fed Square where we sat along the river and demolished a jug of Pimms before walking back through the food part of the market where we grabbed a lovely chicken schnitzel burger and a potato twist (which was yum). After, we headed back to the apartment and had a relaxing couple of hours before we headed back into the city in the evening to meet Sue and Hannah to watch the Docklands fireworks. It was a really lovely evening and nice for mum and dad to see Sue and Hannah again before heading home, the firework display was pretty good too!

Today we again had a chilled morning packing for Sydney and mum and dad unfortunately packing to go home, before then heading to Darc's and spending the afternoon soaking up another beautiful Melbourne day with drinks and a yummy BBQ - what better way to finish your time in Melbourne?! It was a very relaxing day followed by an early-ish night as tomorrow we have an early flight to Sydney to catch!

To see pictures from Australia Day Click Here - Australia Day

Road Trip 2 Down Great Ocean Road - Friday 24th January 2014

On Wednesday Darc had arranged to have his hair cut at highpoint so me, Mum and Dad also went along had a little wander around the shopping centre before grabbing a nice breakfast and heading into work where I was able to show mum and dad around the physiology labs where I work and also introduce them to some of the people I work with. It was a whistle stop tour because it was already hitting lunch time and we needed to get back to get ready to head off for road trip number 2 – Great Ocean Road.

It was a fairly long drive to Apollo Bay where we were staying (around 3 hours) and the road to get there was very windey, it can turn the stomach of a normal person so I dread to think of what it can do to someone who gets car sick easy! We took the inland route to get there as soon as possible as opposed to the scenic costal drive which we will take on the way back.

I was pretty relieved to pull out of the greenery of the forest and finally onto the coast to be greeted with the beautiful sight of the sandy beach of Apollo Bay and I couldn’t wait to get straight in the sea, especially as it was another beautiful day (the weather was really pulling out all the stops for mum and dad’s visit). After checking in, we immediately got changed, hired two surf boards and spent a couple of hours surfing, by which at the end of, I would say me, dad and Darc were looking pretty pro and getting more stands than splashes.

In the evening we headed down the one street of Apollo Bay and had dinner in one of the restaurants before heading back to our apartment where we chilled out with some wine and beer, watching Murray vs. Federer on tele in the quarter finals of the Aus Open.

Yesterday, after getting ready and having a cooked breakfast, we made an even further trip down the coast to the 12 apostles (although there is no longer 12). As we were driving along the coast to the 12 apostles we stopped off at Castle Cove and Gibson Steps where we got an amazing aerial, costal view. At Gibson Steps we could see one of the 12 apostles and not only did we get an aerial view from this stop, but we were also able to go down the steps onto the beach to get a picturesque view from eye level. I also got rather wet at this stop because as I was standing on the beach where the waves were crashing on the sand for a picture, I was unexpectedly hit by a big wave which managed to splash up to my tummy, soaking me and mum also managed to capture it on camera (her, dad and Darc thought it was hilarious).

We then got back in the car and made another short little car journey along the coast to our next stop the 12 Apostles lookout. The view from here was absolutely amazing and so picturesque and I definitely took lots of pictures to capture it. As this was a big tourist stop the car park had a café which gave us a chance to get a coffee and ice-cream to refuel before continuing our journey even further along the coast to our next viewing point the Loch Ard Gorge. At this view point we again got lots of different views and got to go down on the beach to get pictures between the two rocks. By this point we had more or less covered all the views and it was hitting mid-afternoon so we drove a little further to Port Campbell where we had lunch, before turning around and making the 90 minute trip back to Apollo Bay. We were all pretty tired by the time we got back in the evening, especially Darc after driving all that way and we had a chilled night in our apartment with wine and beer, watching the heat.

This morning we were heading back to Melbourne and had to be checked out of our apartment by 10, which meant we were on the road nice and early. We had a fairly long drive all the way along the coast to Torquay (about an hour from Melbourne), where we stopped for a spot of shopping and surfing. This time, me, dad and Darc got a board each and also a wetsuit, which we were all thankful for because the water was bloody freezing. The surf was a lot harder though compared to Apollo Bay, as the waves lacked power once they crashed and we weren’t quite looking as pro as we had done 2 days earlier! By the time our time was up we were well and truly surfed out and tired and we headed back to Darc’s where again we had a very chilled evening.

For pictures from this Great Ocean Road Trip and the beautiful sights we saw Click Here - Great Ocean Road

Road Trip To Phillip Island Sunday 19th – Tuesday 21st January 2014

On Sunday me and dad were up early to go and collect our hire car from the airport for our road trip to Phillip Island! Dad was supposed to go and get the car on his own but seen as he seems to get lost in Essex, mum didn’t trust him to go alone because we’d never see him again!

We didn’t end up getting to Phillip Island until around 3 and we didn’t have much planned for the afternoon but had booked, as recommended and a highlight of Phillip Island, to go to the Penguin Parade in the evening. We sat on the steps infront of the beach, where as we hadn’t expected, sitting in shorts, t-shirt and cardi, unlike everyone else who was wrapped up in coats and jumpers, it was a little cold and breezy – no one told us!!! It was so cute though because as dusk came around 9.15 pm, we started to see little groups of penguins appear at the water’s edge and slowly gather to make their long trek across the beach to the their burrows. We saw quite a few penguins and we saw several groups waddling their way across the beach, they were all so small and really funny to watch. After about 20 minutes of watching the penguins emerge from the water, we started to slowly walk up to the main building where we saw the penguins meeting up with their little babies and heading to their burrows. Mum found one penguin (I named him Brian) especially amusing because it seemed as though he was racing all the other penguins up to his burrow but it also looked like he was drunk (bit like Mum after Stapes and Shillo have fed her one too many).

Yesterday, we decided to spend the day at the beach, especially as I wanted to surf. Me and dad hired a surf board for the day and we had great fun surfing at Smith’s beach where the waves were pretty big. We both didn’t start off too well and took a few tumbles and dives but we both eventually started to get the hang of it a bit more getting a few stands. Mum even had a little go body boarding on the board which I think she actually found quite fun heading all the way into the beach. After me and dad spent a few hours surfing we were pretty tired, and a bit cold and we headed back to our apartment and got fish and chips and drunk wine!

This morning as we were driving off the island there was time for one last stop at Panny’s Chocolate Factory. We went in and had a tour of the chocolate factory (a chocolate ticket allowed us in) and we got the opportunity to play games to get free samples. The chocolate was pretty good – but then isn’t all chocolate?! After we went into their café and had a very nice iced chocolate before it was time to hit the road for the 2 hour drive to the hot springs. Now I made a little error because when we turned up to the hot springs I didn’t even think to book and it was at full capacity so we couldn’t go in. I felt a bit bad because I know mum was really looking forward to it. It also meant we had to find a couple of hours to kill before heading back to Melbourne to return the car. We ended up finding a beach so we sat there for 2 hours before taking, at first a scenic route along the coast back to Melbourne, where Darc was waiting at the airport to pick us up. We spent the evening at his house, where he cooked us a great carbonara and we had a drink or two.

For pictures from Phillip Island of us surfing and from the chocolate factory Click Here - Phillip Island

Mum and Dad's Week In Melbourne - Saturday 18th January 2014

I can't believe a week has gone by already since mum and dad arrived but we have been out and about lots and I've been keeping them busy!

On Monday we went to the Australian Open for a day of tennis and we even got to support and cheer on our own Brits Laura Robson and Heather Watson. It was a very warm day and even when we got there at 10 am we could already feel the effects of the heat and were already sweating. First we went to watch Laura Robson take on the 18th seed but she didn't perform as well as we'd hoped and she lost in 3 straight sets; it was still good to watch her though. We then were able to jump to across to one of the other courts to watch our other Brit Heather Watson, who was 1 set down, take on the 33rd seed. It was a great game to watch and she looked very promising winning the second set and taking it to a third set thriller of which she ended up loosing. Not only did we have great tennis in this match but also good crowd entertainment from the Aussie fans who started a Mexican wave, controlling the speed of the wave and getting a super slow mo one going, which everyone found highly entertaining. In the afternoon we watched some men's tennis which was great to see, before the heat finally hit us and become too much and it was time to head home.

For pictures from the Australian Open Click Here - Australian Open

On Tuesday the weather was even hotter hitting above 40 and I don't think mum and dad were quite ready for what hit them. Because it was so hot we decided to head down to St Kilda to the beach for a bit and we were all very much looking forward to a refreshing dip in the sea, which was as expected - heavenly!!! After an hour or so we went for a little stroll in St Kilda (just down the main street - it's too hot to walk too far) and had a drink and ice cream to guess what ... cool down! In the evening Darc came over and we went out for dinner at our fav place - Chin Chin's (I had promised mum and dad we would go because it was so good last time). As expected we had an hour wait again, so we went to fed square where we had a drink in Transport bar before having another delicious dinner (courtesy of Darcy) which was enjoyed by all! After dinner I took mum and dad for their first trip down Southbank on our way to Crown Casino. They couldn't believe the size of the Casino and mum had great fun on the slot machines winning 20 bucks while I once again had another huge cocktail and this time lost money on blackjack (it was obviously beginners and birthday luck on my 21st), with Darc doubling his money! It was a really lovely evening and was nice for mum and dad to properly meet Darc!

For pictures of our day and evening Click Here - St Kilda Beach and Evening in the City

On Wednesday it was another 40+ day and me and mum had a fairly relaxing morning just chilling out in the apartment whilst dad went to play a game of golf at Albert Park, which we could see him on the 18th hole from my apartment. In the afternoon we headed into the city to Bourke street where we went in a few shops and I took them into the big department stores of Myer and David Jones before heading up to Queen Victoria Night Market. Dad loved the night market because it was full of loads of little traditional market stalls and then loads of different foods stalls which had different foods from all over the world. We had a couple of different dishes between us to try which were all good, but safe to say I will be going back to try some of the other food!

For pictures of the night market Click Here - Queen Vic Night Market

On Thursday it was our third consecutive day of over 40 degrees and it was a clear day which made it a great day for going up the Eureka Skydeck. We had amazing views up there and could see out across Victoria and it was impressive to go up and see Melbourne during the day (I had already done the Eureka of an evening). After this we went to meet Sue for a drink before we went to DFO on Southwarf (outlet shopping centre) to spend some money. After we dragged dad around and he had had enough and was bored, we headed to Southbank and sat outside with a jug of pimms, watching the tennis - I think it's compulsory in 40 degree heat! The pimms went down a treat and not surprisingly, me and mum demolished the jug in no time!!!

For pictures from the Eureka Skydeck Click Here - Eureka Skydeck

In the morning yesterday we went for a walk in another day of 40+ heat to the Shrine of Remembrance which is a memorial site for those that died in World War 1. While we were in there we saw a replica of the light display which occurs on remembrance day, where the sun ray moves across the memorial plaque and then we went up to the viewing balcony where we got a great view of the city (although it was a little hazy). We then headed into the Botanical Gardens to sit in the tea rooms by the lake to enjoy a nice cold milkshake before we shot home to grab our stuff to head to Sue's for the evening where we had a lovely evening catching up over a takeaway and wine.

For pictures from the Shrine of Remembrance Click Here - Shrine Of Remembrance

Today the cool change we were told to expect came, meaning the temperature dropped to 23 degrees, which was a bit of a relief. We have had a very lazy day at Sues watching some of the tennis and soon we will be heading back to the city for a lazy evening and to pack and prepare for the next week when we are heading to Phillip Island and Great Ocean Road.

So until then my friends, 

xoxo

Mum & Dad Arrive In Australia & ODI Cricket Eng vs. Aus - Sunday 12th January 2014

On Friday I was pretty excited because after nearly 6 months, it was the day I was going to be reunited with mum and dad! They weren't arriving until 12 am Saturday morning, so I had some time to kill during the day but I had to go into work anyway to complete Andy's study with a VO2 max and then needed to tidy the apartment for their arrival. The VO2 max (where you find out your maximal oxygen uptake - basically exercising at your "maximum", for those of you that don't know) only took around 10 minutes to complete as the workload increases each minute and very quickly progresses to a hard work rate which is difficult to sustain.

I found it a little annoying because it didn't really feel like my maximum as my legs seemed to give up and not able to push the high work load rather than actually having to stop because of fatigue, but I still managed a VO2 of around 42 ml/kg/min which isn't bad I guess. When I got home I spent the afternoon and evening just chilling out, tidying the apartment and viewing an amazing sunset while waiting for the text to go to meet mum and dad!

It wasn't until 12 am that dad text to say they were here, through security and customs and on the bus heading to the city and I was straight up and out to go and meet them. It was sooooo good to see them and we were all a little teary as we exchanged hugs outside the station. As they arrived so late we headed straight back to the apartment where they unpacked a few bits while we had a bit of a catch up before heading to bed.

On Saturday we all had a bit of a lay in, especially after a late night on the Friday, and had a pretty lazy day. We went out around lunch time to go and get some food shopping but before that I thought it was essential I took them to a slightly more important shop - Dan Murphy's, a huge liquor shop!!! I think they both had a bit of field day in there, as did I the first time of heading into the shop, finding it unbelievable how many different varieties of wine there were and of course we brought a couple of bottles for the evening. After a bit of a struggling trek back to the apartment carrying a large amount of shopping and wine we had a quick snack and went out on another walk. After a very long 30 hour journey out the day before the last thing mum and dad wanted to be doing was sitting down! I took them to Albert Park lake which can be viewed from my balcony and then into the Botanical gardens for a little wander and it was a sunny and fairly warm day so ended up being a nice walk. Jas also returned from her 3 week New Zealand trip during the day and in the evening we all happily opened up the wine and had a Saturday night in with nachos, fajitas and a good catch up!

Today we were heading off to the MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) to see a one day international cricket match between England and Australia where we were hoping England were going to pull out a better performance than they did in the Ashes, especially as we were going with Darcy the Aussie and I didn't want him to have any more reason to give us stick!!! The cricket didn't start until 2.30 pm and by the time we got there we missed the first couple of overs of England batting and not surprisingly we also missed the first wicket - good start, good start!!! It was a very sunny and warm day sitting in the MCG, which made great weather for watching the cricket with beer and it was an enjoyable day. England didn't seem to start off that well and it seemed like we was going to have a very short day, however they managed to reach the end of the 50 overs with a score of 270. When it came to fielding however, they were terrible and Australia from the start were clearly going to win - which they did! Because Australia batted so well it kind of made the cricket a little less interesting but entertainment was provided in other forms of the crowds where a lot of banter was being thrown around and led to amusement in the form of people getting kicked out, but going out in style, which again provided more entertainment! You can't beat the nutty Aussie fans! By the time we got home around 11ish we were all a little red and very tired and crashed very quickly, especially knowing we had another big day tomorrow going to the Australian Open to support our very own Laura Robson and Heather Watson!

For pictures of Mum and Dad's first couple of days in Melbourne Click Here - Mum and Dad Arrive In Melbourne & ODI Cricket Eng vs. Aus

Spring Carnival Week - Sunday 10th November 2013

This week was spring carnival week and on Tuesday it was the biggest race meet of the Australian calendar, the Melbourne Cup, which meant a public holiday just for Victoria – yes a day off work!!! It was weird having a public holiday on the Tuesday though and really threw me, and I’m sure many others, off the working week. Monday was very quiet in work because of this holiday and I had a fairly easy day, especially with lunch time beers with Cian and Brad – the weather was pretty good after all! In the evening it was date night number 2 with Darcy although it was my treat this time. It was recommended we go to Chin Chins, what we were told was an amazing Thai restaurant. We got there early to put our names down because as we were warned there was a two hour wait for a table (this place must be bloody good) which gave us time to do the other part of the date which Darcy didn’t know about, Chill On Ice Bar. As expected, Darc was a bit like a little excited kid for this, especially once we were all kitted up in our gloves and big coats. Although fairly small, it was pretty cool in there and so so cold! We both had a cocktail out of an ice glass which tasted really good and had some of the professional pictures taken (annoyingly they banned you from using your own camera – boring I know!).

We had an allocated time of around 30 minutes in the ice bar but around this time we both started to freeze a little and decided it was time to warm back up again in the nice Melbourne evening. We headed back to Chin Chin’s and went downstairs in Go Go Bar for a drink and within 15 minutes our table was ready. The food was absolutely amazing and 1 million percent worth the nearly 2 hour wait and bill that come at the end of it (not the cheapest of places), and you could say they had 2 very satisfied customers who will definitely be returning. Overall it was a really lovely evening, which was followed by a good day on the Tuesday – Melbourne Cup day. The weather was once again beautiful and starting to look like summer’s approaching, so we decided to head down to St Kilda to have brunch on the beach front before chilling on the beach. After a good time of tanning (or burning in Darc’s fair skinned case) we got ice cream and headed to the Elephant and Wheelbarrow pub to put on a quick bet and watch the Melbourne Cup race – race of all races. Much to Darcy’s disgust I won which I was very glad about, because even though it wasn’t enough to make me a millionaire it meant I broke even and gained 7 bucks – winner! In the evening I met up with Barry for dinner, a family friend from the UK, and it was a lovely evening and really nice to see a friendly face from home.

The rest of the working week was fairly quiet, especially with the day off in the middle of the week. James had now finished his testing so that was no longer keeping me busy and generally in terms of testing it had died down (uni was now finished and as most of the students are participants for the research, they seemed to have a bit of a hold on testing). I did manage to get involved in a couple of other studies however, analysing blood using a radiometer – a machine I hadn’t used before and seemed to analyse and report back on all the possible components and values of blood, and observing the study of one of the girls upstairs who was looking at brain activity when doing dual tasks of walking and turning left and right in response to a signal. She also said there was a possibility to be a participant too which would be good! The week finished as every other, with a Friday seminar followed by a drink in the bar, although I only stayed for one drink this week as I was heading to Darcy’s to hang out with Tilka and Jack for the evening.

In the week I entered Melbourne’s 14km city2sea run so I decided on Saturday morning to get up and do a nice 10km run. Considering this was the longest distance I had run in a while, I actually ran pretty well and quickly and it was an enjoyable run. In the afternoon I decided to do a bit of a window shopping down Collins street and then at Southwarf DFO (factory outlet). I spotted some absolutely gorgeous and killer heels but after an expensive Monday for date night, I knew I shouldn’t be buying anything so left empty handed and still thinking about the shoes! Darc picked me up on his way home from work and cooked me dinner in the evening. It was a very shit evening though if I’m honest, receiving bad news from back home which made miss home a lot and feel quite homesick. It was a good thing Darc came over though because he was an absolute star and even tried cheering me up buying my favourite lindt chocolates (little did he know) and a bottle of wine! It was safe to say I had little sleep last night and was very tired, missing home and still feeling like shit this morning. So ….. I went back to DFO and brought the shoes (they did have 30% off and were really nice and I only have one pair of heels I actually wear) and a lot of other stuff too (so much for not spending any money) and then spent the afternoon and evening curled on the sofa watching Bridget Jones.

Back To Reality, Back To Work - Sunday 3rd November 2013

No sooner was I back from my travels it was back to reality going straight back to work on the Friday. It was a little strange going back after 3 weeks away, but it was good to see everyone and they couldn’t believe how brown I was, which I must admit I did love to hear, I mean who doesn’t. It was a pretty quiet day with not too much to do, it was my first day back after all, but I had already arranged to be a participant in a study while I was away for the 2 Deutsch girls who were looking at decision making in netball and I had the first testing session in the afternoon. I didn’t have to do anything too strenuous, but I did get to wear some really cool glasses haha! They were eye tracking glasses which tracked my eye movement throughout the testing where I had to watch a netball game clip projected on the wall and then make a decision when the clip stopped as to who I was going to pass to by throwing the ball at the wall. There was about 15-20 clips in total.

After this I then had some training on the laptop, where again I watched netball clips of which the eye movement pattern of an elite player was highlighted and then I had to try and use a similar eye movement pattern in the following clips to decide who to throw the ball to. The testing only took an hour and after I had finished it was time to go to the weekly ISEAL seminar followed by a trip to the bar. Not a bad Friday to come back to really now is it? I had no plans arranged for the evening, which gave me a chance to do some washing and have a quiet and chilled night in with Darc. It also gave me a chance to FaceTime my little sister in Leeds as it was her 19^th birthday – second one on the trot to miss!

On Saturday I awoke to being well and truly back to reality because it was chucking it down with rain; 3 weeks of Queensland sunshine and I was not used to this! Again I had a quiet and chilled out day just unpacking and trying to sort and tidy everything but then in the evening I was once again going to see the amazing Queen B in her Mrs. Carter World Tour with Han at Rod Laver Arena. We were standing and managed to get so close to the front, about 5 people back! I thought she was stunning from pictures but seeing her that close and in the flesh - wow! Once again she did not disappoint and put on an amazing show!  I was pretty tired once it had finished and was aching like mad from standing for so long (the pain you have to put up with for getting close to the front) and after a short walk home I was well and truly ready for bed.

During this last week I have been slowly getting back into things at work. James had finished his training study while I was away and just had the last few post testing sessions to conduct which I helped out with, meaning a few early mornings. I also had another two sessions of being a participant for the Deutsch girls’ study, of which the testing involved the same as what I did last week. I was actually feeling pretty tired this week and could tell the sudden stop of adrenaline and all the early mornings from my trip were catching up on me and I made use of the weekend to catch up on some sleep, especially as I didn’t have much planned. The weather was pretty good on Saturday, so I spent the day sitting in the park near my apartment topping up my tan, but I would’ve rather have been topping up the tan at Derby Day – the start of the Spring Carnival races. Again today was a pretty chilled out day. After a good lie in me and Darc attempted to hit Chadstone shopping centre, however it was so busy there that after 20 minutes of driving round looking for a park we gave up and ended up heading to Highpoint which was also rammed – I mean it’s the beginning of November, surely people aren’t doing their Christmas shopping already!!! In the evening I had netball training with Altona netball club, a team I could potentially play for next season. The training was only an hour but it was pretty good and as much as I was not up to training at 5 o’clock on a Sunday afternoon, I actually quite enjoyed it, but I did look forward to heading back to Darcy’s for a nice dinner cooked by Tilka and an early night!

For pictures of Beyoncé Mrs Carter World Tour Click Here - Beyoncé @ Rod Laver Arena

East Coast Adventure Day 5 ..... Mission Beach 14000 ft Skydive - Tuesday 8th October 2013

I awoke this morning a little nervy and scared about what I was going to be doing within the next few hours but also filled with excitement and adrenaline - it was a good feeling, plus nobody back home was aware about what I was going to embark on, which added to the feelings of excitement (I thought it was best noone knew to eliminate any worry - mum and nan inparticular). I didn't have too much time to sit around thinking about it this morning however, because I had to be packed and checked out before my 7.30 am pick up for my 14000 ft skydive - eeeeek!!!

As soon as we were picked up, we were given a form to complete, where we basically signed our life away, agreeing to jump out of a plane, strapped to another person, who was attached to a parachute. This was the most nervous I was signing this form on the drive to the skydive base and was probably the worst writing I have ever done, shaking a little as I was completing it; but I think it was because I was actually thinking about what I was going to do and the fact I couldn't quite believe I was going to be doing something I'd only ever dreamt of or imagined.

When we arrived at the skydiving base we had to sit around for a little bit because a group had just left for their jump. The lounge area was nice to be chilling in and they had a dvd showing other peoples photos and videos of their skydive, but I'm sure part of the waiting around is just to try and add to the anticipation and emotions before jumping! While we were waiting we were shown a safety dvd which informed us of the position we had to take as we jumped out of plane and then for the free fall part of the jump and this was followed by more instructions from one of the guides - I mean they have to make it thorough, we are jumping out of a plane after all, not like there isn't any risk involved!!!

We were waiting around for about 40 minutes and then in the sky over the beach we started to see the previous group appear in the form of little dots and then one by one disappear down onto the beach. This was the cue for us to head down to start to get harnessed up and to meet the guy who was going to guide me to safety. In this time my excitement had increased by 80% and my nerves had decreased by 80%, surprisingly! I can honestly say I was really looking forward to the jump and mega excited for the feeling of free fall, I had no idea what I was about to experience but I knew it was going to be the best feeling in the world.

When I met my guide he got me into my harness but left it loose so it was comfortable in the car and plane and started doing some filming for the video of my skydive which I had already purchased. We then were put into a minibus and was driven to the airport, where waiting for us was a very small plane we were going to jump out of. It wasn't too far to the airport and I still wasn't feeling that nervous just so excited! At the airport my harness was tightened slightly before getting on the plane, but my guide told me he would do the final tightening on the plane when we were near our drop zone.

This was it now and I was buzzing! I climbed into this little plane which only held 20 of us and took my seat on the floor facing backwards, right by the shutter door which was more of less left open for take off. As we sped up down the run way I realised this was it, there was no turning back now and adrenaline was pumping through my body! It was strange being in such a small plane, but also part of the experience because it was by far the smallest plane I have ever been on!!!

We had a great view as we climbed further and further into the sky and it did seem like we were climbing for ages! My guide informed when we were just over half way and I was quite surprised because we already seemed to be really high and as though we were near to the drop zone. Again he filmed the journey up and some of the view so I can share that with you (if you watch the video). 

As we came 5000 ft from the drop zone the final adjustments were made to my harness, my goggles were put on, I was attached to the instructor and he went over with me again what I needed to do and the body positions I needed to take. I was looking at the red, orange and green lights on the back of the plane and as the orange light indicating we were 1000 ft from the drop zone lit up, the shutter was flung up and before long the green light came on. I was so excited!

It was all actions go as soon as the green light came on and before I knew it the girl infront of my sitting by the door was hanging over the edge of the plane and then disappeared! It was my turn - eeek!

Me and my tandem guide slide down slightly to the door and I immediately had my legs hanging out the side of the plane. As soon as they were out the strong wind and air resistance had pushed me down to the end of the door and 3 ... 2 ... 1 we were flung out of the side of the plane! There was none of this hanging me over the edge to make me a little anxious!

I haven't even got the words to describe the feeling of free falling from 14000 ft but I can say it was absolutely AWESOME and I can confirm it was the BEST FEELING IN THE WORLD!!! For those 30 seconds I was free falling my mind was completely shut off to anything and everything and I was totally absorbed into the amazing and indescribable feeling of falling!

When my guide pulled the tug to open the parachute we were pulled up slightly which actually hurt a little, ok a fair bit (you can see it in my face on the video) because the harness was pretty damn tight on my legs. At the same time of being relieved, I was quite gutted for the opening on the parachute because the free fall had finished, but on the rest on the long cruise down to the ground I got to admire the amazing view of the sea, rainforest and beautiful sandy beaches under another gorgeous Australian day! Life couldn't get any better than this!

There was one more bit to achieve to satisfy the criteria of completing my skydive safely and that was a safe landing on the beach. We seemed to approach the beach pretty quickly and all of a sudden as we came into land, I had to lift my legs so the guide could get us to the ground with no broken bones. This also hurt a fair bit because again the harness was cutting into my legs but I didn't really care because it was 1 million percent worth it! Once I was on the ground I headed straight over to my guide, who seemed to be 10 meters away from me in two seconds (still bewilders me), to do the final bit of filming for my dvd and then I headed back to the skydiving base to get out of the harness!

I was feeling absolutely unbelievable and adrenaline was rushing through every single millimeter of my body. I just wanted to get straight back on the bus to go for another ago and I will 100% being doing a second skydive in my lifetime - nutter I know and who says it is once in a lifetime thing?!

Once we were out of the harness we were told it would be around a 45 minute wait for our video and photo dvd. That was no problem though because they put on a BBQ for us which was actually pretty good. As we were hanging around we saw the next group land and I was pretty jealous of them because I wished it was me landing for a second time!

Once I collected my dvd I was dropped back to my hostel where my mission was to immediately find a laptop to be able to watch it. I was still pumped full of adrenaline and I wanted to relive the best feeling in the world. I was able to use the hostel laptop and watched my video a couple of times and just could not stop smiling - it was awesome and a very good reflection of my dive. Even though I struggled to find the words to describe it, I think it does a pretty good job at filling in the rest.

To watch my skydiving video CLICK HERE - Skydiving Video

It wasn't long before I needed to head into town to catch my bus onto the next destination so I just chilled out at the hostel and took pictures of the really cute and beautiful little place where I had spent the last two nights. I would definitely recommend the Jackaroo Mission Beach hostel for anyone heading that way because although on first opinion I didn't like it, it was actually my favourite hostel because it was so different to the others and just had a really good chilled out vibe about it.

So now I am heading to my next location - Airlie Beach where I will step aboard a boat to sail around the Whitsundays. First though I have a nice, long, 9 hour coach until I arrive to Airlie Beach (around 11.30 pm tonight) so time to put some films and tv on to kill the time, oh and a quick phonecall home to tell them I'm alive from today's activity! This really is a trip of a lifetime and I'm not sure what I'm gunna do when all these adrenaline pumping activities comes to a hault!

Speak to you all soon xoxo

For more pictures of my skydive and of the Jackeroo Hostel Click Here - 8th October Mission Beach Day 5

East Coast Adventure Day 4 ..... Mission Beach Raging Thunder Xtreme Rafting On The Tully River - Monday 7th October 2013

Like every other day of my trip so far, this morning involved another early start and long bus journey to get to the next adventurous, sign my life away activity which today involved Xtreme White Water Rafting down the Tully River!

As soon as the bus pulled up in the middle of the rainforest towards the top end of the Tully River we were straight off and equipped with a helmet, life jacket and paddle - essential, life saving equipment, and also some beautiful florescent yellow trousers to protect us from and deter the very annoying marsh flies that bite (I mentioned them the other day) - which after the day of rafting, I would also consider essential and life saving considering how many of the bloody things there were! We then quickly got into a rafting team of 6, of which I was the only girl in ours and lead the way being the daredevil I am, jumping into the raft to take a front seat – the prime seat everyone wants to sit in because you get the brunt of the rapids!

When we first set off we had a little training session and safety briefing and our guide showed us the main tips and commands which we had to follow, the main being paddle and paddle hard (self explanatory), duck down (sitting off the edge in the raft holding on with paddles pointing upwards), paddles up (holding on to the rope around the edge of the raft, pushing the handle down in the boat so the paddle was in the air) and to the left or to the right (meaning jump to the other side of the raft to stop it from capsizing or in some cases make it capsize - we are on xtreme rafting after all!). My favorite command was duck down because it always meant a big rapid was coming up but jump to the other side was always fun too because it meant me usually had the raft on its edge and were close to capsizing (adrenaline junkie I know!).

Our team struggled a bit with the paddling initially, I'm not sure why, but we just didn't seem to get the consecutive rhythm or have the strength to build up a good pace, but after a bit of instruction and encouragement from our guide, it wasn't long before we picked it up and were well on our way. Going down the rapids was good fun and we started with a couple of grade 1 or 2 rapids (baby rapids) but very quickly we came across a grade 4 rapid (the biggest rapids we would come across). When we come up to these big and dangerous rapids we had to wait a bit sometimes because the guide of the rafts went to the banks to create a safety precaution if anything were to go wrong. It was good in ways because it meant we got to watch the other rafts go first and see how it was done (most of the time we went last) however on this first big rapid we ran into a bit of trouble and was close to needing the safety precaution haha! We went down the rapid fine but then went up and got wedged at an angle onto a rock, which caused the raft to start to capsize. It felt like we were stuck for ages and the guides on the bank were trying to throw us rope to grab because it was very much looking like we were all gunna fall out and if we had we'd have finished body rafting our way down the grade 4 rapids (or not finished it at all), but after a big scram we managed to get off the rock and make it safely down the rest of the rapid. It was a massive adrenaline rush and I was buzzing when we got to the bottom of the rapids and was actually glad we had got stuck on the rock.

The rest of the day rafting was so much fun with a good mix of the tamer grade 1 and 2 rapids and the more interesting and exciting grade 3 and 4 rapids. Because I was on the Xtreme Rafting trip I not only experienced adrenaline from the rapids but other daring activities aswell. At every opportunity when the water was calm and the raft was just drifting down the river, we could jump out and just float down the Tully which was nice and provided an opportunity to cool us down, especially as it was another very warm day. At one point down the Tully on one of the grade 1 rapids we were able to body surf down the rapids which was great fun being dunked and held under water along the way and it made what would’ve been a boring and tame rapid in the raft into a fun and exciting one – of which I went back for a second go! At another point further down the river we did a similar thing although this time we went off a single rapid/drop – like a slide, and was plunged down and held under water for around 10 seconds. Furthermore at several points down the rapids there was opportunity for rock jumping from around at least 10 meters, which was great fun but also pretty scary. One of the jumps involved climbing along to the end of a tree branch which was collapsed and over the river and that was probably the scariest jump because of the dangerous climb to the end of the branch, of which there was a great risk I would say of falling off – I still went for a second go though! Our rafting guide was the best one of the bunch and maximized our Xtreme rafting experience as he purposely capsized the raft on a couple of the rapids which was fun and also got us raft surfing where the raft was held in the rapids by the natural current. I was sitting in the front of the boat when he did this and was on the side which went into the rapid so I got the full effect of the rapid crashing on me which was awesome, although I nearly fell out in the process!

Map Of All The Rapids I Went Down

We were rafting for a total of around 4 hours, with a brief stop for lunch half way down, which I was pleased about because it gave me loads of time to make the most of my first white water rafting experience and I can say I had such a fun, adrenaline packed day. I was fairly tired after the day of rafting and had a quiet evening just chilling at the hostel, especially as tomorrow I am going to embark on my most daring and dangerous activity yet. Maybe I should say my bye’s and love you’s now just incase I don’t get to write tomorrows blog ;)

Until then, xoxo

East Coast Adventure Day 3 ..... Cairns Passions Of Paradise Great Barrier Reef Trip - Sunday 6th October 2013

Well one word to describe today – AMAZING! Not only have I seen one of the Seven Wonders of the World and been somewhere I’ve always wanted to go, but I also got to tick off one of my things to do before I die – snorkel and scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef!

Today was my last day in Cairns (not that I spent a day actually in Cairns) and I was up early once again to check out of Gilligan’s and get ready for another full day of adventure and once in a life time experiences (I mean sleep is overrated anyway and you have to make the most of the days while you’re travelling). It was another warm day and seemed a bit overcast at first heading to the Marina but by the time I had checked in and stepped aboard the Passions of Paradise Catamaran, the sun started to make an appearance for what seemed to look like and turned out to be a beautiful day on the Great Barrier Reef – now this is what Australia weather is about!

We had around a 2 hour sail out of Cairns, past Port Douglas to the Great Barrier Reef and our first snorkel destination of the day. This gave us enough time to do all the boring stuff of filling out paperwork and having safety talks, whilst also leaving some time to sit on the boat and catch some rays (I think my first actual opportunity to tan since being in Aus!).

You could tell when we were approaching the reef as the colour of the ocean changed from a deep, dark blue showing the mysterious depths of the ocean to a beautiful bright, light and clear blue, showing the shallower waters filled with life and movement of the coral and sealife below. By the time the anchor had dropped near Paradise Reef, our first snorkel spot of the day, I was ready, raring and very much looking forward to jumping straight into the inviting sea to explore the large array of colourful fish and coral and other dangerous and killer animals (yes I was being a nutter and hoping to see a shark!). Being on the reef at the beginning of October I was a few weeks outside of stinger season (aka killer box jellyfish season) so declined the offer of a sexy stinger suit to wear in the water, as did most people and decided it was just a ploy for them to make more money (yes they came at an extra cost) and prevent me from getting a tan! Besides if they thought it was that dangerous they would’ve made it compulsory! I had signed up to do a scuba dive at this snorkel spot which I was pretty excited about because I had always said I wanted to scuba dive on the Great Barrier Reef and it was also going to be my first scuba diving experience and what better place to do it?! Luckily I was in the third and final dive group which meant I could have at least a 45 minute snorkel on the reef first before having to get kitted up for my dive. The snorkeling was awesome and the reef was amazing! I don’t think words can even begin to describe it and pictures certainly don’t do it justice (as with the pictures from the last two days, they can’t quite capture the awe and beauty of it). I was amazed at how I was just inches from the coral when snorkeling over it and I was trying to be so careful not to touch or kick it with my flippers, especially as it destroys it when this happens. Some of the colours of the coral and all the different types were so pretty and I loved how it moved as you swam by, especially the way the clams closed up when they felt the water moving above them. There were so many fish too swimming in and around the coral and they also had some beautiful colours. I can now see and understand why it is one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the World! After about a 45 minute snorkel I headed back to the boat to get prepared and kitted up for my dive. We had about 30 minutes down under the water and we went down to around 10 meters I think. I found it a lot of fun and didn’t have any problems at all with it! In terms of the reef and coral I didn’t find it too much different to the snorkeling but it was still good and cool to go deeper and continually swim without having snorkel issues, plus I got to see nemo – another tick of animals to see in Australia!

Two Different Shades Of Blue In The Ocean

Again The Colourful Ocean

By the time we had finished our dive and resurfaced, everyone was back on the boat, lunch was served and we were ready to head to our second snorkel destination of the day – Michaelmas Cay. There was another opportunity to do a second dive at this reef however I decided I would just enjoy the snorkel and thought if I want to dive again I’ll do it at a different location further down the coast at one of the reefs in the Whitsundays. This was another really good snorkel spot where I got to see even more coral and fish and I made the most of the long time we had to explore this beautiful underwater garden. At this snorkel spot there was also a pristine sand cay (Michaelmas and Upolu Cays and National Park) and I swam over to this and admired the fact that it was a beautiful day in North Eastern Australia and I was standing on a beach literally in the middle of the Coral Sea. I must admit I was a little gutted though because when we got back on the boat some of the other people had said they saw a shark and I wished I'd seen it but I guess I'll save that for next time haha!

Michaelmas and Upolu Cays and National Park

After an awesome day spent snorkeling and diving on the Great Barrier Reef (oh and tanning), it was time to make the long sail (2 hours 30 mins) back to Cairns. It was a very relaxing and chilled sail as the sun was still glaring down and the waters were fairly calm.

When we arrived back in Cairns I went for a little wander around the Esplanade which was nice and grabbed some dinner as I had a couple of hours to kill before my bus was due to depart to Mission Beach to head onto the next destination for the next part of my adventure. It wasn’t a long bus journey just an hour and a half and by the time I checked in and had been shown around the Jackaroo Hostel, Mission Beach it was time for a quick shower and then bed, ready for an action packed day tomorrow!

For more pictures of the Great Barrier Reef Click Here - 6th October Cairns Day 3