On leaving Fraser we made our way to Airlie Beach, stopping off at Hervey Bay for a night and then the town of Mackay, with its lovely wide streets lined with cafes and bars.

From Airlie Beach we took a two day cruise around the Whitsunday islands on the boat New Horizon.

The weather was wonderful, so it was nice to be out on the sea sailing to various parts of the Whitsundays. One of the most beautiful spots was Whitehaven Beach. We went for a swim (in our stinger suits- suits that stop you being stung by dangerous jellyfish!) and then up to the view point where we were treated to amazing views of the surrounding islands.

We also stopped off at Blue Pearl harbour where I did some scuba-diving. Though I was really nervous beforehand, I loved it. It was amazing being under the water for 20 minutes (!) getting close to the fishies and coral! My instructor Sam was a legend!

The day we returned to Airlie Beach, it was Paddy’s Day and the place was hopping with Irish music and practically everyone was wearing green! I threw on a pair of my brothers GAA shorts just to get in the spirit of things!!

We left the trad music behind us to make our way to Mission Beach where I went skydiving!

I was not as nervous as I had expected given that I was about to jump out of a plane at 14,000 feet. I had the giggles that was about it!

It was such a class experience, freefalling for about a minute and then floating for another couple of minutes looking down on the beach and the islands out from it! It was legend! I still can't believe I did it!

Last stop on our trip east was Cairns. We visited Cape Tribulation where Captain Cook’s ship ran aground off the Great Barrier Reef as he explored the continent! He gave the Cape its name because it caused him so much stress!

Cape Tribulation is beautiful. A rainforest stretches to the beach. It is full of lovely forest walks and there are also great walks long the cape.  

Of course we paid a trip to the Great Barrier Reef where we went snorkling. It was amazing. I saw a giant clam which was class. We took a snorkel tour where I saw a clown fish aka Nemo. Our guide showed us how sea creatures protect themselves from attack!

The next day we flew back to Sydney. My one bit of advice to those planning a trip on the east coast is to give yourself more than three weeks. Our trip felt really rushed. Four weeks would give more time to relax.

I enjoyed chilling out in Sydney for a few days before leaving Oz! I went back to Bondi to reminisce on the good old days when I lived there earlier this year. My best friend Alison had just flown in from Ireland so it was nice to spend some time with her. On my last day in Sydney I decided it would be fitting to climb the Harbour Bridge.

I was all set for a huge challenge but the climb it was actually a piece of cake. The views of Sydney from the top of the bridge are legend and it was a lovely way to end my time in the city.

I was quite sad flying out of Austrlia. It really is a great country. The people are amazing, so friendly, so kind and such good craic!

I will miss the phrases “too easy” and “ sweet as“.  I'm going to bring them home to Ireland with me to see if they take off!! I’m really disappointed that I never heard the words “Rack Off!” again! Ah well I’ll just have to continue watching ‘Home and Away’.

I've just arrived in New Zealand now so I'm looking forward to exploring a new country! I'll let ye know how it goes.

Rois xxxx

After finishing work in Syndey, it was time to hit the road for the east coast. The east coast is probably the most popular coast for backpackers to travel so I was looking forward to comparing it to the quieter west coast.

First stop on the way was Palm Beach a.k.a the beach from Home and Away!! It’s a gorgeous beach with the surf club on it! I was a bit disappointed I didn't meet Alf Stewart, but what can you do!!

We then headed to Myall National Park for the night, we took a barge to the campsite which was pretty cool. It was so quiet there compared to Bondi!!

Next we stopped at Coff's Harbour, another quiet stop where bananas grow for miles. There’s a pure naff park there called "the big banana", which explains how bananas are grown. It has a fab toboggan ride through the plantations.

After Coff's we stopped in the beautiful little town of Byron Bay. It is such a cute little town by the beach, I could have stayed there for weeks but unfortunately we only had three days there.

Byron bay is a popular surfing bay so I went for surfing lesson number 2. As I came out of my surfing lesson in Bali with plenty of cuts and bruises, I really wasn't looking forward to this lesson! Our instructors were legend though! After many graceful!! falls from the surf board I managed to stand on the board and once I got the knack of it it was great craic.

The next major stop on the coast was Surfer’s Paradise which is like a lot of busy tourist destinations full of shops and restaurants with some theme parks thrown into the mix!

I wish I could have stayed longer to go to all three theme parks, but we could only go to Wet N' Wild which, as the name suggests, is a water park. It has so many slides and attractions it took us a full day to get around to each one! The competitive streak was out as we raced down the slides. Such a great place to spend the day.

We left Surfers Paradise for our next stop Brisbane – home to the Australian Zoo. I had been looking forward to visting Australia Zoo since I arrived in Australia and I was not disappointed. It was definitely one of most interactive zoos I've ever been to.

They had lots of the animals like kangaroos, wombats and koalas out of their enclosures so the visitors could see them up close and pet them. When workers from the zoo were in the enclosures with the animals they were explaining what they were doing to the public.

They have lots of great shows and displays. Sadly some of them are introduced on big screen by Steve Irwin. There is lots of signage and pictures of Steve all over the park which makes it impossible to the forget the man know in Australia as the "crocodile hunter".

We drove straight to Hervey Bay from Brisbane, the departure point for tours going to Fraser, a massive sand island. We spent the day in Hervey and organised an enormous landcruiser 4X4 for the following day to take us around Fraser.

We took a barge to Fraser and it is only when you arrive on the island that you fully understand why you need a 4x4! The roads are crazy, hills of sand and muck. Most of the road is a 90 mile beach. You have to be careful as you can easily get stuck in some areas. I nearly burned the clutch out at one point as I tried to get unstuck!

Fraser is World Heritage listed and for good reason! The long beach is magnificent. At the end of the beach is Indian Head which has a fantastic view of the island and the beaches. You can't swim on the island as there are rips and currents that are very dangerous not to mention sharks and stingers!

There are however beautiful lakes on Fraser, such as Lake Wabby and Lake McKensie, which are perfect for a dip. We camped for two nights on the island.

The first night we stayed at an isolated spot where we were the only people for miles. The second night we camped with other groups and I saw my first wild dingo running away with a packet of crisps! Dingos on Fraser are pure strain as they have not come in contact with dogs unlike dingos on mainland Australia.

After two nights and three days on Fraser you and everything you own is covered in sand so it is nice to get back to the mainland to shower all the sand a way and to have a sandwich without munching on sand!!

I've another couple of weeks left to go on the road trip until I move on to New Zealand. I'll let you know how that goes soon!!

Rois
xxxx