DAY TWENTY-EIGHT: Snorkelling

DAY TWENTY-EIGHT: Snorkelling

Octopus

After a week or so of bad weather we were finally blessed with a good day. So we took full advantage of it and drove to the rock pool to play with the snorkels we bought a while ago. We went to the rock pool so that Vicki could have a practice and the sea was still quite rough so it was safer. It might have been safer but it was still cold! Eventually we went in and it was teeming with fish we both really enjoyed it. Unfortunately for Vicki she couldn't see much without her glasses but she still enjoyed it.

Octopus

Puffer fish

     

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN: Preparation for the trip

DAY TWENTY-SEVEN: Preparation for the trip


Earlier in the week we had agreed that we would rent a camper van instead of using buses  trains and living in hostels. We figure it would be cheaper this way and we get to see everything without having to drag huge bags around with us. Our home will be wherever we park. So today was another day of preparation for what we needed. We figured that the utensils that would be supplied would be sub standard so we went to all the local discount stores and bought all out own kit, we bought knives, bowls, washing lines all sorts of kit that we think would be useful to us, best of all it only cost $50 so peanuts for loads of stuff.

DAY TWENTY-SIX: Max Brenner

DAY TWENTY-SIX: Max Brenner


Today was a lot like the day we went to cold rock. We did very little other than stuff ourselves with ice cream. This time however we drove to Shellharbour to go to Max Brenner the chocolate shop. This is somewhat contradictory of my rant about the chocolate being terrible, but we were assured by my little cousin that we would enjoy it. I was very sceptical until we arrived. It was like Willie Wonkers chocolate factory, only without little orange people. My cousin being the excited 12 year old that she is was having a sugar rush before she had even began to eat chocolate. Vicki and myself were both uncertain about what we were going to get. By time we got to the till my cousin was shouting her order of 'Chocolate pizza' at the girl behind the counter, Vicki had chocolate waffles and I had chocolate soufflé  I sampled all three and they were all very tasty only the pizza was borderline sickly.


On the drive back we were all shaking from the massive sugar intake. So much so Vicki decided to have a water bomb fight with my cousin. They tried to coax me out by reminding me that our washing was dry and needed to be brought in and she needed a hand. As I walked out I could see mischief on her face and my cousin giggling behind me, I scan over her to see a water balloon in her right hand, I hastily made a dash for the house. Safe and dry I wasn't going to leave it at that, I ran to the garage to get a bucket, filled it with water and ran around the house where Vicki was and soaked her. Victory.
A few hours had passed and i had forgotten about how they allured me outside and they called me again to help with the washing, I oblige and walk all the way out to have two balloons hurled and me, both miss then Vicki ran up behind me and squashed it on my back. I guess her revenge was best served cold, she sniggered about the whole event all night.

DAY TWENTY-FIVE, Plans unfold

DAY TWENTY-FIVE, Plans unfold


Today we spent the day planning our major trip. Because we have been unable to get jobs we are limited to about two months of travel, this isn't a big problem because before we start the trip we are going to Melbourne to visit Vicki's family. We booked one way train tickets today to go there in the hope that we could find jobs there before the trip truly begins. We're getting excited about it we've decided on renting a camper van for the duration because its cheaper than train tickets and hostels combined. Plus we don't have to worry about the logistics of planning a trip, booking accommodation and hoping there are no delays between stations. Plus it's something I've hoped we would do all along.

DAY TWENTY-FOUR, Canberra pt 2

DAY TWENTY-FOUR, Canberra pt 2

National museum of Australia (right hand corner)

After such a wet day yesterday we decided to drive to the national museum of Australia and explore there. I really enjoyed it there. It shows the history of Australia from original Australia to the European invading to present day. I had no knowledge of the Australia colonial times so it was very interesting. There was a section of how none indigenous animals became a prolific nuisance because they had no natural predators and more adapted to being hunted compared to indigenous animals which was hunted out by foxes and other animals. The museum looked very modern and colourful and was completely free of charge including car parking. Which was a lovely day out, we continued to Black mountain lookout point to view the city from the heights. Then we heading back to Wollongong.

DAY TWENTY-THREE Pebbly Beach & Canberra pt 1

DAY TWENTY-THREE Pebbly Beach & Canberra pt 1


Last night it rained none stop and continued this morning. Whoever said it only rains for short spaces of time were lying. Fortunately we were in the car so it doesn't affect us very much. This morning we drove on to Pebbly beach we drove 220 KM purely because I was told that it had kangaroos and I was going to see a wild kangaroo. Where we turned off onto Pebbly beach road we left tarmac and we instantly left civilisation, we were in the middle of nowhere. With me at the wheel and desperate to see a kangaroo I crawled at a near snail pace in anticipation of seeing one, after a short space of time we entered a clearing, I saw something in the corner of my eye. Before I even knew what it was I slammed the car into reverse and moved back a few meters. It was a group of three grey kangaroos, just like the ones in Symbio only wild. I was elated to see this, I turned to see if there were any more and another group of five hopped off. there was loads of them all grazing in the field. This had made my day. From here we drove to Canberra.

After a few hours of driving in torrential rain we finally arrived in Canberra, I was quite surprised by it as I was expecting a metropolis like London, Paris or Berlin but in fact it wasn't busy at all, we managed to casually drive right up to our hotel without any traffic jams, nothing.
We arrived a little after lunch so we planned a little walk to the parliament house, then to the national portrait gallery and ending at the national art gallery. Even though they are incredibly close to each other it seemed like we were walking for hours, not because we was lost but because it was raining, raining heavy, we were dashing from tree to bus stop to tree to avoid getting wet, This was in vein since we're both soaked to the skin. When we arrived at the parliament house we must have looked like a right pair of prats in shorts and t-shirts in the rain. Either way we explored the building, it was vary nice with its marble floors and stairs and portraits of former prime ministers, very grand.

From here we proceeded to the national portrait gallery, the lonely planet described to have portraits of Australian celebrities and sculptures, but I didn't recognise anyone, Vicki recognised Hugo Weaving (actor from the Matrix and Lord of the Rings) I was rather disappointed by it.
After here we went to the national gallery which was a bit of an improvement, there were some impressive sculptures and portraits from colonial times then we walked through a modern art section which I was far from impressed with. It looked like something I had done at the age of five.

DAY TWENTY-TWO, Ulladulla

DAY TWENTY-TWO, Ulladulla


Last night we planned a last minute trip to Bendalong, Pebbly Beach and Canberra. Today we drove to Bendalong after being told it was a lovely place to go. After hundreds of kilometres we eventually arrived to what appeared to be a beach. A beach which is exactly the same as all the others. We were disappointed to say the least but it was still a nice view. From here we drove to Ullanda where we stayed the night in a little old fashioned motel ready for Pebbly beach.

Bendalong beach