Australia

AUSTRALIA - 2007

SYDNEY

Upon arrival in Australia via London & Bangkok, Steph was at Sydney airport waiting to greet us before work! Tony & I caught up with some sleep during the day, & that evening we strolled along Bondi Beach, & watched the sunset over the city from Doyles restaurant...

The following morning was really hot, perhaps as well we had nothing to wear as our luggage was delayed! Later in the afternoon when suitcases had been delivered, we ate at Circular Quay, overlooking the harbour bridge & Opera House...

After a day in the Blue Mountains (see below) we went back to the bridge to visit Luna Park, before catching a ferry across the harbour. to the base of the bridge to do a twilight 'bridge climb'. We then strolled around the harbour side restaurants taking shots of Sydney by night... More photos from LUNA PARK here!

The following day was Sydney Mardi Gras...

BLUE MOUNTAINS

About an hour's drive from Sydney is the Blue Mountains national park. Rainforests & Eucalyptus trees over the mountains make them appear blue when seen from a distance! Pictured here is 'The 3 sisters' rock formation, a cable-car ride over the waterfalls & a walk through the forest. More photos from SCENIC WORLD.

BILLABONG WILDLIFE PARK

The 1st day of our road trip north from Sydney, we called in at Billabong Wildlife Park to feed the kangaroos & pet the koalas. We just looked at the reptiles though...

PORT MACQUARIE

From Billabong we headed to the coast & spent the night at Port Macquarie. We found a jellyfish while taking an evening stroll on the beach before a Chinese take-away! Stayed at Flynn's resort where HUGE lizards were just sitting on the pathways (see below for pics!)...

COFFS HARBOUR

From Port Macquarie we headed further north, stopping at the 1st of many 'famous pie' shops - this one serving crocodile & emu pies! We were en route to the Big Banana plantation near Coff's Harbour. More pics of BIG BANANA here!...

BYRON BAY

We spent the rest of the afternoon at Byron Bay where our hotel was on the beachfront, had a swim before evening meal in one of the local pubs...

NIMBIN

The following day we went back inland, and drove through the lush mountains bordering New South Wales & Queensland, (nearly running over a snake - see blow!) via the hippy community of Nimbin...

... and on up to Surfer's Paradise where we stopped at Adrenalin park... more photos of ADRENALIN PARK here!

BRISBANE

Surfer's Paradise is just an hour south of Brisbane, where we met & stayed with Simon & Gill, spending the next 2 days at Australia's best theme parks. See more photos from DREAMWORLD here & MOVIEWORLD here!

LADY MUSGROVE ISLAND - GREAT BARRIER REEF

Saying farewell & thanks to Simon & Gill we headed as far north as we would on this trip, to a place called 'Town of 1770', just up the coast from Bundaberg. We slept in the neighbouring village of Agnes Water, and made a day trip from 1770 to Lady Musgrove Island, one of the southernmost points of the Great Barrier Reef, and spent the day walking & snorkelling on this idyllic coral island... until Tony slipped on the rocks!... Saltwater would be good for this though so we continued swimming with the fish, rays & turtles...

FRASER ISLAND

The following day Steph had arranged a day tour of Fraser Island, a huge sand island just off the coast near Hervey Bay where we stayed. A dingo was watching the arrival of the ferry (see pic below), we then boarded the coach and put seatbelts on for a really bumpy ride along the sand tracks - to a nice spot in the rainforest to explore...

... from the rainforest we headed to Lake McKenzie, a beautiful, clear, freshwater lake with exfoliating fine sand!! Followed by lunch at the Eurong resort...

Here we were offered a mini-plane ride. Using the beach as a runway we took off for a birds eye view of the island, aerial views of Lake McKenzie & 90mile beach...

Landing back on the beach we met up with the coach at the Pinnacles - coloured sand formations, before a coach ride along the beach to the wreck of the Maheno...

Finishing the tour of Fraser island at the estuary of a freshwater creek, here you can drink the pure water while you swim in it! We then got the ferry back to the mainland & watched the sunset....

ROAD TRIP INLAND HERVEY BAY - SYDNEY

We spent the following 2 days driving back to Sydney, this time along the inland route, via Nanango, Tenterfield...

... continuing the journey through Tamworth, stopping at the Golden guitar (symbolises Tamworth's country - music)...

... down through the Hunter Valley regions, visiting McWilliam's vineyards & winery...

... also stopping to see some Aboriginal cave paintings, before driving through the mountains back to Sydney...

MELBOURNE

Leaving Steph in Sydney we flew down to Melbourne, and spent a couple of days exploring...

Melbourne's Aquarium...

St Kilda district...

AUSTRALIAN WILD LIFE

cormorants, ibis, pelican, adolescent penguin loosing its down, sea birds...

brush turkey, kookaburra, hawk, rosella parrots...

sea birds & turtles on Lady Musgrove island... the seabirds sometimes get sticky fruit seeds stuck in their feathers... they cannot get these out so they starve to death, this is how the island trees get their nutrients into the soil...