By this Author: Lucy Hood

So...where am i up to...ahhh yess...the much anticipater Fraser Island...

We had another early start to get to Hervey bay – which is where we were going to Fraser Island from... Once we'd arrived we had a chilled day split between the beach when it was sunny and running to the cover of a cafe when it rained!

Got up super early to get our shuttle bus to the ferry terminal which would take us to Fraser Island. Fraser is the worlds biggest sand island....covered in sand dunes, rainforests and fresh water lakes. Many people go on a self drive tour with random groups that you are thrown together with – you're pretty much left to your own devices with a 4-wheel drive and a tent... We heard a few horror stories about that though (mainly people being stung for any damage to the car), so we decided to go for a guided tour...I wasn't sure at first but it turned out to be the best decision. We had an amazing tour guide and a great group and we saw and learnt so much more than I think we would have done otherwise...plus we got all our meals sorted and a comfy dry bed at night!!

During our 2 night 3 day tour we went on some great walks, swam in some amazing lakes, jumped off some huge sand dunes, saw a python, lots of dingos and a dolphin, admired a huge shipwreck, played some incredibly bad games of pool and laughed...ALOT. We made friends with two german guys and after a few discussions and a game of 'where is this town in this country' using the sand and a stick as our blackboard for visual aids...came to the conclusion that we know NOTHING about where places are in the world. They must have thought we (erm...I) were seriously dumb!!

Our guide was brilliant – hilariously funny and knowledgeable..and an amazing photographer (he did the still shots for BBC walking with dinosaurs – much of it was filmed on fraser).

One particular highlight of our Fraser trip was a bit of an indulgence and spur of the moment decision to go on a flight over the island! It was amazing and well worth it though – in this tiny plane for about 7 people (I was just happy not to be jumping out of it this time!). All in all no a bad way to spend Easter!

On returning from Fraser we had another night in Hervey before getting our next bus to a tiny village called 1770 – the only place in the world called a number! After the date where Captain Cook landed...as its where he landed! Despite being a place of historical significance I can't quite stress how small the place was! We had 4 days to fill though so we got to know the beach very well! The one backpacker activity to do was 'Scooterooing' – basically mini motorbikes that you get a quick lesson on, then as a big group we whizz around the streets before watching the sunset while eating potato wedges! After a nervous start I got the hang of it and LOVED it...it was so much fun! Sam didnt like it though so gave up on hers and took the opportunity to do the tour hanging on the back of one of the guides motorbikes...who happened to be a hunky Spaniard. She's no fool that Samantha!

Our next stop was a special one organised by Oz Experience (the bus company we;re travelling with) at Kroombit Cattle Station. A fully working cattle station in the middle of nowhere..and I mean nowhere! We arrived in time for lunch – big hunks of steak cooked on a massive bbq...very tasty but felt rather guilty when in the middle of eating (on rickety huge wooden tables outside) an incredibly cute calf (called moose) came to join us as it was strolling by!
We then got to do some cool activities including goat mustering (herding) on horseback..my horse was aptly called Lucy...but turned out to be a rather odd looking albino horse with huge boils on her bottom who actually managed to walk and sleep at the same time-not paying attention at all to what I was trying to get her to do. But I loved her all the same. We also got to learn how to lassoo then practice on some goats...after a few near misses I actually managed to lassoo one...and BOY was I proud of myself!!

In the evening they had a bucking bronco machine – but after my goat success I though i'd be pushing my luck having a go – so I bailed on doing it myself..but very nearly pulled a muscle laughing at everyone else. (including Sam and Carrie and 3 guys that we were hanging out with). I've taken footage galore of people being thrown from the fake bull...legs flying over heads and everything. I plan on making my millions by sending them into you've been framed!!!

After our night sleeping in what i think used to be a cow shed, we were up bright and early to head to Airlie Beach...the gateway to the Whitsunday Islands - another much talked about spot. If it was half as good as Fraser I'd know we'd have a great time!...and we did - but it wasn't without its very scary dramas...but it all worked out in the end, and its a very long story so we'll save that for another day!

LOVE to all xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Hey all!!

Right, I
I'll get back to filling you in on the last months activities in my next post asap, but for now i wanted to fill you in on what's going on right now!!

So...i'm now all on my own and I've finished my original travel plans over 2 months early so now what do i do???!

Well...from now on I'm making it up as i go along really! I'm flying to Alice Springs in the centre of Oz tomorrow with some friends i made on the east coast. There we;re going to do a tour of Uluru (Ayres rock) and Kings Canyon before getting a joyous 24hour train journey through the desert to Darwin. From there...we shall see! Current idea is maybe head to Vietnam for a few weeks (while Bankok calms down)...then maybe Thailand...then I might head to Bali to meet up with the friends i'm travelling with now! Luckily Air Asia flights are cheap as chips!!

Anyway...thats my rough plan - whether it works out - who knows!! But i'll endeavour to keep you all as up to date as possible!

Being on my own is working out amazingly - as i'm never really on my own! THe east coast is like one giant uni campus - you bumb into the same people all the time, and there's such a mix of people its amazing! For my first few days on my own i was adopted my some 19 year old guys (boys!) Carrie, Sam and I met a few weeks before. I felt like their mother...they've not even gone to uni yet! But it was a good excuse to act like a 19 year old again and generally be silly!! It was hilarious!

Matured now though and with people more my age....doesn't stop us being silly though!

Right, enough for now. I'll ramble on about the reast of my east coast soon.

Love to you all and GOOD LUCK TO BMTC'ers FOR FIDDLER ON THE ROOK NEXT WEEK!!!!!!!! MISS YOU
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx

It been ages..sorry..blah blah..you know what i'm like now so i'm giving up saying sorry!!! Here's anopther mamouth catch up for you allt o enjoy at your leisure!!!

What now feels like a billion years ago, Carrie and I finally left Sydney (sadly...i WILL be back!) and caught our first 'Oz Experience' bus to head up the coast. Our pass is a hop-on-hop-off thing that will take us all the way to Cairns with a few compulsory stops on the way which they organise activities for us. Our first compulsory over night stop was a tiny surfing spot 9 hours north of Sydney called ‘Spot X’. Luckily there were plenty of breaks and a few bits of on bus entertainment on the nine hour journey! At spot x we got a free surfing lesson – which i was rather nervous about but ended up loving! I perfected the kneeling surf...and stood for about half a second, while Carrie took to it like a pro and whizzed past me every other minute standing proudly!

The next morning we headed off to our next stop Byron Bay another 3 hours north...where we stayed for 10 days. It was the most chilled place ever, and we took to the vibe rather successfully! There wasn't a huge amount to do other than relax by the hostels pool, spending days on the beach and wandering around the amazing shops trying to resist buying everything. We did manage a days activity near the end of our stay – walking up to the local lighthouse to enjoy some amazing views and standing on Australia’s most easterly point. Our one drama staying here was our room being hit by the dreaded 'Bed bug'. My bed was fine but this poor girl in our room out of no-where got eaten alive over night...so we had to wash and tumble dry all our clothes and move rooms. The hostel were great though and paid for everything.

We are meeting some great people along the way and have had some great nights out with them – including st paddy's day where I celebrated the news of the arrival of my cousins baby – whoop!!
Our next stop was ‘Surfers Paradise’...described as Australia’s benidorm/magaluf by various people i've met along the way so our expectations weren't exactly high!!

We were pleasantly surprised though – and a good job too as we had four full days there before heading up to Brisbane to meet up with Carries sister Sam who would be flying in then.

Our four days were happily filled on the beach and wandering around the city. We had a bit of a tour guide which was great as a girl (Amy) we met in our room in Sydney had been staying there for a good few weeks so we hung out with her a lot too!

Sam was in the hostel reception when we arrived in Brisbane – it was so great to see her!! We wasted no time after we got there, dumped our bags and went straight for a walk around the city and got a boat up the river. Stopped for a wander around Queensland University and got the boat back! The next day we wanted to go on a free city guided tour but the guide had to cancel so instead we headed to a weird fake beach thing! As Brisbane is in land – but seriously HOT – they built a lagoon and fake beach...it was actually quite cool! That night we met up with a guy from Brisbane who I met a few years ago through a friend when I visited her in New York (tenuous link!!). He showed us the nightlife - which was rather dead on a thursday! - but it was great to catch up!

Next, I left Sam and Carrie behind in Brisbane for a few days and went of the beaten track for a few days to visit a guy who used to be in my tutor group at uni. He moved out to Oz a few years ago with his wife and 2 gorgeous children! They very kindly offered to put me up for as long as I wanted...

I ended up staying with them for 3 nights and they showed my their local area which was lovely. Hit the beach and various lakes and things, had a go at fishing (unsuccessful) and another go at surfing (even less successful... and embarrassing due to a bikini malfunction and flashing incident!). I wouldn't say that me an Ben were that good friends at Uni (plus he left in 2nd year), but him and his family were SO kind and generous while I stayed with them. It was really lovely to be able to catch up (after 6 years!) and get to know each other properly.

On my last night we had dinner at Leah's parents with the whole family - it was so lovely! Also discovered Leah's sister was a hairdresser and she offered to do my highlight roots for cheap the next day – hurrah!!!
After having my hair done in Leahs kitchen, Ben drove me to Where Carrie and Sam now were – the next stop.. 'Noosa'. A very popular holiday destination with Aussies, Noosa is a beautiful spot with really cute beaches, a national park forest and some more great shops to try and resist! Ben and I went for a walk through the park (saw a wild koala!!), to a little beach for a bit then we said goodbye and I met up with Sam and Carrie who'd arrived a bit earlier.

Weather wasnt great the next day – but it didnt matter we were going to Australia Zoo (the one set up by Steve Irwin)!! It was awesome! I got to feed an elephant and a kangeroo and got to hold a Koala...possibly the CUTEST thing in the world.

After another day wandering around Noosa we got an afternoon bus to the next stop Rainbow Beach. The less said about that overnight stop the better – there was just nothing to do!! But we were only there for the night so it wasn't a big problem. Arrived in time for a quick walk to the beach...and back again. Rainbow Beach...DONE.

Next adventure was our Fraser Island trip - one of 2 of the most bigged up things to do on the east coast so we all had our fingers crossed that it lived up to expectations...!

HURRAH!!
I have finally found how you can look at my fbook photos so i don't have to spend a billion years uploading each photo individually on here....

As great as it would be to have them all linked so you know which photo is of what - i'm afraid it takes too flippin long and uses all my internet time!!!!

So...if you've got a few hours to spare, you can now look photos from the beginning up to now...are you sitting comfortably!

South Africa

West Australia

Christmas and New Year - Melbourne and Sydney

New Zealand album 1

Final New Zealand and the return to Sydney

xxxxx

For a slightly different view of my traveling antics you can now also follow Carrie's blog...!!

Updated a hell of a lot more regularly and probably a lot more entertaining with videos and stuff.. Although Mum and Dad, be warned...there may be reference to an evening in which your lovely daughter may have drunk a little too much and ended up possibly having a nap on the toilet and thus missing out on the next days activities.
However - i hasten to add this was my first major hangover - which in 3 and half months isn't bad...it was bound to happen at somepoint...and more importantly hasn't happened again since!!

carriestravels.com