Lovely Steph arrived Mid December and we enjoyed the most chilled Christmas ever. Running along the beach, doing yoga, cycling to the markets, becoming regulars at the local organic shop... We also invented urban hiking. Nah, we don't take busses and yes we don't quite realise the length of roads and the heat so we walk to the massive shopping district ;-) It is a funnny old place, we got offered lifts about three times in two days. Just walking along, not even carrying anything heavy. BUT it does seem rather unusual to be walking in certain places.
So there you go,...couldn't do that for too long so went and got the Jack, Phat Jack, PJ. The car! :) And he has been doing well. We set off 26th to make it down to melbourne for NYE. People laughed at us, gave us pityful smiles and even reduced some camping fees when they heard what we were about to do. HA! and we showed them! :D
First stop was Byron Bay. Massive fail as it was..well, the wrong time. the wrongest ever time of probably the whole year. the place was what I had seen about America's Spring Break Parties. My Handbag got nicked (in it all my documents/IDs, tablet, phone, pieces of jewellery very very important to me...) I got everything back though apart formt he tablet and phone. It's a crazy old world.
After all that the next trip that morning was shorter than hoped for. We went to Grassy Head campside (having been turned away by another and past one that was shut and it was getting dark) Beautiful little Bay, went for a run in the morning and and watched my first pod of Dolphins follwing along in the water...couldn't get much closer as the water was too choppy. Still, what a beautiful thing to start your day with.
From Grassy Head we went to Katoomba, pit stop and wander in groovy Newcastle. Arrived in Katoomba with a shock. A cold shock. yes,we had left Queensland...and christ this was cold!!! Everything booked out, too cold to camp...we spent the night in a lovely little old hotel. What a luxury! A proper bed! THe mountains are truly beuatiful and the town very nice to wander through yet it is very touristy and almost too busy.
Next stop Goulbourn, not much to stay about that we just needed to sleep somewhere. And yes, we did go and take a pic of us with the Giant Merino Sheep.
And well, then Melbourne. Thoroughly enjoyed counting down the hundreds by the distance road sign. HOW EXCITING! We made it into town for 6pm, chilled for a bit and then enjoyed an awesoem free party in Edinburgh Gardens with suprisingly good elcetronic music and a chilled out crowd. Just perfect! we could even see the fire works down in the city through a gap in the trees!
