Just Another Smith...

I booked the Ultimate 8 Tour with Under Down Under to start on the 31st January and was really looking forward to meeting and travelling with a bunch of people. To get a feel for the place I decided to preceed this with 3 nights on my own in Hobart. It was all rather last minute, I booked the flight and Pickled Frog hostel a couple of days before leaving Melbourne. It was quite fun being back on a plane again, although I did have some fun checking in my bag and our flight was delayed. What do you expect for a low-budget airline? I was also asked if I would be able to assist the crew in case of emergency..?! Surely that's what they're paid to deal with, not me! We got to Hobart in one piece and my help wasn't needed. Good job too, I slept the whole way! I took the airport shuttle to the Pickled Frog, a bright green hostel it wasn't hard to miss! Once I'd dumped my bag and freshened up, I decided to explore. It was getting a bit cloudy but I headed to Sandy B

Australia Day ɒˈstreɪliədeɪ/ noun a national public holiday in Australia, commemorating the founding on 26 January 1788 of the colony of New South Wales.              -------------------------------------------- My Australia Day began with a trip to the small village of Sassafras. Daryl, Steffi, Sam and I had planned a brunch and ended up at a favourite of theirs, Miss Marple's Tea Room. We arrived too early, it wasn't open until 11am, so browsed the tea shop next door. Everything seemed very British, ironic seeing what we were celebrating. The tea room was gorgeous, a cottage with rose bushes and superb decoration -  and that was just the outside! There was also 50s music playing which I obviously had to have a little dance to, to everyone's amusement. We were the second group inside once the doors had opened at exactly 11. The inside was just as pretty, tea pots lined the alcoves and vintage design tablecloths adorned the tables. Reading through the menu I immediat

After a rough nights "sleep" aboard the Greyhound bus, I found myself in Melbourne. I was tired, groggy and disorientated. After being basically thrown off I now had to find my way to the hostel in St Kilda. The station confused me somewhat, and so I resorted to Google. Apparently I had to catch the 96 tram, and so I set off to find the stop. Walked the wrong way up the road, why does this always happen when I'm carrying my rucksack?! Once I'd corrected myself I realised there was nowhere at the stop to buy tickets. Second realisation that there were no tickets, but a MyKi Card, had me seeking a 7 Eleven. 5 minutes and $16 later, I was finally ready to board the tram. I succeeded in not napping, no matter how much I needed to.. couldn't miss my stop! An hour into my stay in Melbourne, I reached Nomads St Kilda and relieved the weight of my bag. I couldn't check in until 2pm, it was currently 7.30am. I used the toilets and grabbed my sunglasses and suncream,

I was so worried that I was going to miss my alarm that I barely slept a wink. I was wide awake from the slightest peak of light or rustle of sound and, with eleven other people in the room, this was a constant occurrence! My bus wasn't even until 9am, hopefully I'd sleep on the way. I had another panic while waiting to check out.. I thought reception opened at 8am. Only when it got to 8.12 did I realise my mistake. It was a Saturday. Luckily, the lovely guy who had checked me in was spending his morning off in the TV Room. I convinced him he wanted nothing more than to help me out.. It only cost me a smile and I was soon sorted. Phew. I arrived at the bus terminal 20mins early and was glad to find the coach already there. I checked in with the cheery driver and grabbed myself a seat. Apparently, as it wasn't a full bus, we could sit anywhere we fancied. I had a mini nap before we left, woken by the driver.. just wanting to let me know where the toilet was and that I coul

Today I say "see you later" to Sydney as I make my way on to Melbourne, with a whistle-stop-tour of Canberra on the way. I'm excited to be moving on and can't wait for more adventures further down the coast. I had been so busy working before the end of the year that I decided to take a week to myself to complete all I wanted to see and do in Sydney. This took my stay in the immense city to over a month! I've never stayed in one city that long, obviously other than home, and think I really got the feel of the place. Since arriving here I have ticked off so many attractions and activities. Just since that first week back in December I'd managed to fit in: • Coogee to Bondi Coastal Walk • BBQ and Bonfire at Tamarama • Moved to Bondi • Clubbing at Beach Road • Bondi Markets  • Darling Harbour Fireworks • Manly Beach • Shelly Beach • North Head Sanctuary • Fish and Chips at Bondi • Observatory Hill • Walking to North Sydney • Lavender Bay • Wendy