31.01.2005

Hello gorgeous people, how the (tasmanian) devil are we all? Well who would of thought that a chuffing month of 2005 has gone already - doesn't time just fly when you are globe trotting?!!!

So here goes........EVENTUALLY recovered from my new year swim and got a good old bus to Canberra (ohhhhh how i miss my little car). Now Canberra .hhmmmmm..what can i say? Very interesting place but not for longer than 24 hours. Met 2 Irish girls and a scottish lass when i got there so we decided to spend a day cycling around (yeah i know - cycling, you what?!!). So one would think that having in-built cushioning would mean that cycling does not hurt your bottom. But ohhhhh how wrong you could be, 9 and a half hours i spent on that chuffing bike and could hardly move the next day, like hello if god had wanted us to cycle for that long he wouldn't have invented cars!!!! Was a very good little traveller girl though and did all the necessary sight seeing - went to the old and new parliament houses, the National gallery of Australia and the Anzac Memorial - culture sweetie darling - culture.

After a day(!) on a bus i arrived in Melbourne and spent two nights in a hell hole that some bright spark decided to call a hostel and charge poor homeless backpackers to stay in. You know things arent good when you can smell the bed sheets you are meant to be sleeping between the minute you open the door and your standing in front of the shower thinking that you may infact come out dirtier than you went in!!! But hey being the seasoned nomad i now am i didnt let such things get in my way and spent the next 5 days having a GREAT time in Melbourne. Went to Gallery (am SO over galleries now let me tell ya) Botanical Gardens, museum, Cathedral, moonlight cinema (ever so romantic!!!) markets, china town, doctors (never rains but it pours - thank god for medicare), St.kilda markets, Jail (wasnt put in there just looking honest - is where Ned Kelly was hung), observation tower, shops and ohhh guess goes without saying really....pubs!!

Then it was off she goes again and a 3 day tour of the beautiful Great Ocean road along to Adelaide. Was with an amazing bunch of people and had a fab time - singing constantly (i didnt join in of course - we know how much i hate to sing!!!) and having lots of fun. Went to Bells Beach (where Point break was filmed), Lorne, Apollo Bay, Otway fly tree top walk and then on to the 12 Apostles. Did a helicopter ride over the Apostles and the coast line which was amazing especially as was beautiful day, then watched the sun set and loads of little fairy penguins come ashore to go night nights - SO CUTE.

Day two and on to Loch Ard Gorge, London Bridge, The grotto (didn't see santa) Warnamboll, Bay of Martyrs and then to the Grampians for oh my god a two hour hike to the 'Pinnacle'. Am still completely baffled as to how i keep getting myself in to these things but before i seem to realise whats going on i am half way up a mountain, sweating - or should that be glowing - and hyperventilating. Apparently there were amazing views from the top but i was too concerned about the fact that i may never actually make it down alive so didnt really appreciate it through the beads of sweat dripping down my forehead!!!

Day three, oh wont it be nice to relax on the bus for a couple of hours and take in the view - oh no sorry my mistake first we will just go down 7 million steps to McKenzie Falls (v nice though) and then do another hour and a half hike!!!! Yeah chuffing marvellous!!!! Was made so much better by the fact that it was a sheer drop so one wrong step and i would of been a gonner, on way down (i was crying!) had to sit on bums as was too steep - all well and good apart from fact that i couldn't use hands (hence doctors visit) so had to be pulled down by the arms, can safely say though that i maintained ladylike composure throughout!!!! A couple more stops and then we arrived in Adelaide to get ready to PARTEE and boy did we do that - Karaoke baby - bring it on!! So the following morning i met up with the Irish girls to go wine tasting in the Barossa Valley - quite ironic considering i had tasted about 2 litres of the stuff the night before but i managed to not be sick so thats always a good thing. Day of wine, quick snooze and before i knew it i was off to Kangaroo Island for 2 days. Kangaroo Island was gorgeous, saw (funnily enough) lots of Kangaroos.........penguins, koalas, sea lions and loads of beautiful places - very nice place.

Then spent the next 5 days chilling out in Adelaide, went to cinema to see 3 different films and cried my arse off at each one! WEnt to Art gallery and museum - oh what a refreshing change and sat around watching lots of tennis. Then was on to a plane and flying back to Melbourne for 4 fab days of tennis and casino spying!!!! Now have never been to casino before and ended up going 3 times as was like a rabbit in headlights really couldn't get over what i was seeing. Is just like on the tele!!! Everyone spent the whole time laughing at me as was constantly in shock at how much money people were putting down on the table - i would have to seriously think about throwing down m&m s that flippantly let alone real true life money! Everyone then started going on at me about how those peoples families wouldnt be able to eat for the week as daddy had gambled away all the money - SO not funny was getting very emotional about the whole thing!!!! Spent 2 full days at the Australian Open which was amazing and i really enjoyed it - the Aussies can certainly do sporting events in style let me tell you - none of this strawberries and cream business but beer and bbq - love it!! But the highlight had to be.....meet the stars of Neighbours night, yeah baby!! I met Dr Karl, Izzy and Toadie. I can now officially say that my life is now complete and that no man will ever be able to top what happened to me on that amazing evening. Boys and Girls.......Dr Karl called me gorgeous.....!!!!!!!! What more need i say! Was excellent night, the doc played with a band for an hour at the end of the night which was very amusing - thinks he's Robbie Williams and toadie gave me a big hug - what more could a girl ask for out of life!!

On Friday i flew with 2 other girls to Tasmania and am now in Hobart, not seen much yet as has been finals weekend of the tennis so has been a bit of a washout - 12 hour drinking session on SAturday - yuck!!! Am off on a 7 day Tassie tour tomorrow morning so really looking forward to that then it will be last stop New Zealand. Can't believe it - 6 weeks and then homeward bound - credit card bills here i come - arrggggh!!!!!

And breath.....i've finished!!!!!!!

Hope you are all having a great start to 2005, looking forward to seeing you all VERY soon, however you will be hearing more antics before then as have lots of crazy things planned for Lord of the Rings land!!

Take care my darlings, oodles of love Ceej xxxxxxxx