Travel Story «Our Very Very LAST Week in Australia»

Australia | 0 Comments 13 November 2006 - Last Update 24 December 2006

OUR VERY VERY LAST WEEK IN AUSTRALIA

 MONDAY – 13TH November 2006 
None of us were upset to be leaving Hervey Bay and were actually first in line for the greyhound with a girl we met – Sarah from Dublin – on our Fraser trip! First stop of the week was Noosa – or Noosa Heads to be precise!! And what a pleasure this little seaside village was after the debacle that was Fraser Island (see Emilys story for a no holding back view on that!!) We stayed in the Halse Lodge YHA there which I highly RECOMMEND to gach duine!! It’s a real airy colonial style building with big spacious rooms, a bar (with glass of free wine at 6pm to invite us newbies), and food also available in restaurant there! What more could you ask for? Yes the Ritz of hostels without a doubt!! We took a little stroll down town and somehow all ended up in small boutique buying tops! Look we’re first to admit we’re not your typical backpackers and we were expecting big final send off in Sydney that weekend and need to look our best!!! Anyhow back to hostel where we settled in with our vino in front of TV to see how our very own Damo got on in Australian Idol (much to the barmans disgust!!) In case you’ve been asleep for the last month he made it through into the final and won the whole thing!! Wahey – go the Irish!!!

TUESDAY – 14TH November 2006 
Another bright and early start – we headed down to Avis to rent ourselves wheels for the day!! Destination Australia Zoo!!! Drive here took just under an hour and we spent the day spotting alligators, crocs, taz devils, giant tortoises, kangaroos (finally live ones – as opposed to roadkill!!), tiger (singular), elephants (which the girls got to feed), dingo’s (nice well-fed pet-like ones unlike the terrifying fraser breed), koalas (serious self restraint people not to take one home – they are the cutest EVER!!) and birds – To quote Emily as she peered into the shrubbery “Girls there’s something over here! Look!! God it’s absolutely MASSIVE! What is it?” …… It turned out to be a human we were all staring at and calling massive! A poor innocent staff member of the zoo!! Cue – us leaving the aviary QUICKLY with very red faces!! Well done Lewis  After a show of flying exotic birds and crocodile training we visited the Steve Irwin memorial. That was quite sad but he was some man for one man and has left his mark on the world! There were messages and pictures from all corners of the globe!! After a bite to eat we headed back to Noosa, reluctantly swapped our fab air-conditioned spacious Toyota corolla for a cramped seat space on a bus and left in the direction of Brisbane. So enamoured were we with the YHA/Hilton we had just stayed in we booked ahead to Brisbane YHA! Big mistake!!! What a kip in the dodgiest part of town. Oh well live and learn. We arrived late enough so didn’t stir for the night. We would see what Brisbane had to offer us the next day…..  

WEDNESDAY – 15TH November 2006 
Food, alcohol, food, alcohol and some more food it turns out!!! Well in all fairness to ourselves we successfully made it down to the river via Myers (take note people – not buying anything! Well actually we intended to return later but that’s not the point!) first thing in the morning. And purchased a ticket for the day on the CityCat river ferry. We went all the way inland as far as it could go, taking in the sights and back again some of the way back before hopping off to get lunch. With impeccable timing we found ourselves a nice reasonable restaurant and were just laying into our main courses when a mother of all storms broke!! Wind, rain, hail, thunder, lightening – all watched from the comfort of inside as we sipped on our wine! It’s a hard life but someone has to do it. After it had cleared we headed across the river and straight into the Belgian Beer Café! Then resigned to the fact that we were officially on a pub-crawl – we stopped off in three more pubs around city centre before having dinner in the Coffee Club!! So yes after a successful day of sight-seeing we can give you an extensive insight into the array of alcoholic beverages and culinary delights Brisbane has to offer but as for the historic, cultural and important places of interest ah …. Ask Lorna!! 

THURSDAY – 16TH November 2006 
Again up at the crack of dawn (I’m getting way too used to this!! Am I not supposed to be on holidays???) and onto the bus bypassing Surfers Paradises (sorry surfers running out of days here!)and arriving in the beautiful Byron Bay nice and early!! We went for a walk with the intention of visiting the picturesque lighthouse on Byron Bay only to be easily deterred after we took a wrong turn into a caravan site. A nice long walk on the beach would be a good enough substitute for us. I’d like to say soaking up the sun but it was bloody FREEZING!! Seemingly (in sceptical tone) this was freakishly cold weather for the time of year but we seem to be hearing that a lot lately! Anyhoo we found ourselves a little sun trap in the Beach Hotels beer garden, had a quick drink and headed back to hostel (Cape Bryon YHA by the way – very nice! Except for annoying Danish – are they following me? – roommates who insist on yapping away while we try to have our now obligatory afternoon naps???) for a feast of fajitas! Later we dolled up and went out to see what Byron Bay had to offer in the form of nightlife!! Dodgiest BAND ever with old men, giant guitars and lead singer on something provided us with lots of laughs!!! 

FRI
DAY – 17TH November 2006 
Someone was looking down on us (and our complaining) because it was a fabulous day the next day!! Warmer by at least 10 degrees Celsius – I kid you not! So a day by the pool soaking up the last of the sun (as we’ve been warned by everyone New Zealand is many things – but hot it ain’t!!) on our little 3 week holiday up the coast!!! Walked around town for a bit more and prepared ourselves for another overnight trip on the bus back to Sydney! Who should we meet at the bus-stop only Tony from our Whitsunday boat trip on Wings!! We caught up on all the goss – which if you want to just check back on Em’s story was that basically 

...the night out that we missed back in Airlie Beach after boat-trip cos we got bus straight onto hervey bay was great craic! And it turns out Ezzo (kiwi diving instructor/orlando bloom lookalike) is a bit of a hoe and was with not 1 but 2 girls from our trip!! Seperately of course (mind out of gutter please people! You know who you are!)Shock!! Horror!! We thought he was nice genuine guy! And Mark (diving instructor from Perth) was fired that same day!! Again Shock!! Horror!! But he was sound and only new! Did he not deserve a chance getting used to the run of the boat?!! Didn’t he? Didn’t he?!!
Blah blah blah.

Think you get the gist of the conversation! We were disappointed to hear that Lee and Suzanne – Tony’s friends – wouldn’t be joining us in Sydney that weekend like planned. Because they had the right idea and headed back up the sun in Cairns for a little longer instead!! But delighted that Tony would be joining our possy – and making us look popular/like we hadfriends!!

SATURDAY – 18TH November 2006 
Bus journey wasn’t so bad! It helped that girl beside me got off after a few hours so I had a whole 2 seats to myself! The luxury!! Grainne was insanely jealous so after one of our many pit-stops pretended she was fast asleep and woman sitting on her inside had to find seat elsewhere cos she couldn’t get by her!!! Seriously can’t bring that girl anywhere  Got very nostalgic for Sydney as we returned back across the Harbour bridge with the Opera House to our left and down by our old home – Darling Harbour!! Going to miss the place! John Murphy was on hand to meet and greet and we headed up to John and Denise’s new apartment in Surrey Hills – very posh!! Dumped our bags for a bit and headed off to do our bits and pieces! We all met up again out in Bondi, which would be our home for the weekend (or possibly longer– but that’s a WHOLE other story). The athlone girls – Brid, Helen, Cathy, Hilary and Ruth kindly agreed to put us up! Being true friends that they are – despite severe hangovers they accompanied us on our last Saturday night out EVER (okay I sound like Emily now!) in Sydney! Surprise surprise PJ’s was the venue!! Met up with everyone here and onto Scruffys then! Plenty of photo’s going round with the usual shenanigans!! Great night out though and will miss everyone  but sure keeping ourselves very busy in New Zealand these days to numb the pain! 

SUNDAY – 19TH November 2006 
Our last EVER EVER day in Sydney!!! We lazed around for a bit going over the previous night in detail! Then down to Bondi Beach for myself, Emily and Helen!! Trying to convince ourselves it IS warm, no they’re NOT goosebumps, isn’t this NICE and relaxing? Didn’t work and we only lasted half an hour or so! Later on that evening - one last stop off in the Teagardens where we were entertained no end by John aka Tigger and onto O’Malleys (just to ensure we NEVER forget all the great Irish pubs of Sydney) for a few the die-hards that we are!! Bed by 3am just in time for our 5am alarm and taxi to the airport….. 

MONDAY – 20TH November 2006

Here is where I enter Grainnes territory!! She will fill you in on this day’s events which didn’t go as smoothly as planned for one extremely hungover member of this group !! Read on to find out more …………….

 

 

 

 

Photo albums from Australia

Surf Divas (23)

23 October 2006 | Australia | Last Update 13 October 2006

  • Group shot
  • Taking a breather
  • Apres Surf
  • Learning to paddle

Quad Biking (17)

07 October 2006 | Australia | Last Update 07 October 2006

Home and Away (11)

06 October 2006 | Australia | Last Update 17 September 2006

  • Post ice cream lounging around - we bought the ice
  • Home and Away... sing it with me....Closer each da
  • Gra and Em, waiting for Kym to run past....waiting
  • Aisling and Graine

Foo Fighters concert (5)

05 October 2006 | Australia | Last Update 05 October 2006

  • Solo moment
  • The band
  • The Foo Fighters play a special acoustic set to 'h

A Day At The Races (40)

30 September 2006 | Australia | Last Update 30 September 2006

  • "And the nation holds it's breath" - watchin Itali
  • Nearly time to go home I'd say! (Me (looking worse
  • Laura and Cathy
  • The Girls (Brid,Aisling,Helen,Grainne,Hilary&Cathy

Neighbours in Sydney (5)

24 September 2006 | Australia | Last Update 24 September 2006

  • Aisling Ned and Emily
  • Grainne and Ned
  • Aisling STEPH SKULLY!! and Emily
  • Toady makes his mark

Bondi beach (4)

23 September 2006 | Australia | Last Update 23 September 2006

  • Beach bums nursing hangovers
  • Denise, Grainne, Lorna and Helen (who is not naked
  • Bondi beach pre shark warning
  • Helicopter circles over head to scare shark away f

Canberra (12)

02 September 2006 | Australia | Last Update 01 September 2006

  • Aboriginal Tent Embassy
  • War Memorial
  • View

Trapeze Lsson (9)

26 August 2006 | Australia | Last Update 26 August 2006

  • The Trapeze Group - Gary, the Gymnast couple ( I k
  • Cacking my pants at the height of the board!
  • Anoop getting harnassed up

City to Surf (7)

18 August 2006 | Australia | Last Update 13 August 2006

  • More shots of people on the day
  • That's me at the finish. First Foreign Female over
  • And they are off!
  • Apparently the 14km line of red hats could be seen

Blue Mountains (13)

08 August 2006 | Australia | Last Update 08 August 2006

  • The Three Sisters Rock Formation

Tasmania (8)

23 July 2006 | Australia | Last Update 21 July 2006

  • Una, Emily and Lorna
  • Emily and Lorna
  • View
  • Men at work

Minus 5 Bar in Sydney (6)

11 July 2006 | Australia | Last Update 11 July 2006

  • Emily and Ada
  • Jacqui - fellow citigrouper
  • Ice Chandaliers!
  • Ice sculptures

Bondi to Coogee walk (15)

01 July 2006 | Australia | Last Update 01 July 2006

Sydney (16)

17 June 2006 | Australia | Last Update 06 June 2006

  • Sydney sky-line
  • Aisling and Lorna in Botanical Gardens acting thei
  • Sydney Opera House
  • More Botanical Gardens

Melbourne (52)

20 May 2006 | Australia | Last Update 15 May 2006

  • Grainne get down off that seat!!
  • "Neighbours, everybody needs good neighbour, with
  • Jumping for Joy!
  • James Blunt lookalike? No?

Great Ocean Road (3)

12 May 2006 | Australia | Last Update 12 May 2006

Adelaide (2)

10 May 2006 | Australia | Last Update 10 May 2006

  • The Ace's Bar - Adelaide

Perth (11)

08 May 2006 | Australia | Last Update 01 May 2006

  • Classy birds drinking wine out of plastic yellow m
  • Lorna&Gra "proudly" stand by their wicked van!
  • Perth City Centre
  • Gra in Mister Hard

Busselton (4)

07 May 2006 | Australia | Last Update 07 May 2006

  • Me on the longest jetty in the southern hemisphere
  • Nice wheels Em!
  • View from the jetty
  • Busselton Bay

Albany (5)

05 May 2006 | Australia | Last Update 05 May 2006

  • Amazing Views!
  • Serious Waves!
  • Natural Bridge
  • Be careful!

Walpole (7)

04 May 2006 | Australia | Last Update 04 May 2006

  • Lorna grins and bears it!
  • Grainne after listening to the silence
  • Posers!!
  • The Tree-Top walk in the Valley of Giants

Pemberton (3)

04 May 2006 | Australia | Last Update 04 May 2006

  • Climbing the tree in Gloucester
  • Tree (40m high!)
  • Pretty Birds

Margarets River (S.W Australia) (14)

02 May 2006 | Australia | Last Update 02 May 2006

  • "Lost the Plot" Winery
  • Una,Em,Lorna&Gra before sumptious bar-b-q
  • Emily squelching the grapes
  • Colonial Brewery

Perth - Cottesloe Beach (8)

30 April 2006 | Australia | Last Update 30 April 2006

  • Grainne diving into (freezing cold) Indian Ocean!
  • Em&Gra @ OBH Sunday Session!
  • Swimming
  • Lorna & Gra on beach

 

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