Update #1 (12th-17th April)

We had a fairly uneventful train journey from Perth to Adelaide. The only memorable exception involved an Australian Chav, who seemed intent on becoming our nemesis! He even wore the same 'gangsta' clothing as our humble British versions and loped around aimlessly all day & night, muttering to himself, mostly.

During our pitstop in Kalgoorlie, he tried to buy a piece of our pizza, which we were taking back to the train in doggy bags. Then, he tried to usher me back to my seat, perhaps with the intention of then thieving bits n bobs at an opportune moment later on. I thought getting away from the UK would give me 'Chav Breathing Space', but how wrong was I?! Never mind, he's somewhere in Adelaide now, I presume, harrassing someone for a cigarette or a bit of their hotdog...


On arrival in Adelaide, we were once again a wee bit tired from lack of sleep (those Daynighter seats really are brutal). Unfortunately, the train had arrived just after 7AM, so we envisioned sleeping for several hours on the station benches. However, much to our relief, we found that the local YHA hostel had a 24-hour reception desk - whooohooo! I called them and managed to book a double room for a few nights, then we hopped in a cab and were whisked into the city.

Adelaide was built in a rectangular shape, with every main street running in a perfect N, S, E or W direction. This made navigating it on foot a piece of cake, which was nice. So, after sleeping for most of the morning and then surfing the web a little, we strolled around and ended up by the Torrens River. The riverbanks were home to a number of bird species (including black swans, pelicans and other waterfowl), some of which were very friendly and obviously after some bread! Emma & I took great delight in wandering about and photographing the wildlife for a few hours, as the sun slowly sank towards the horizon. Some pics of our first afternoon in Adelaide can be found on Gallery Three.

It really was a nice city, with a very laid-back air about the place. As with most other places we've visited in Australia, the people were also a friendly bunch and made us feel very welcome. Also, the YHA hostel had to be one of the best we've ever seen! The kitchen facilities were incredible, which made cooking all the more pleasurable. The fellow travellers we chatted to were a nice bunch too, most notably a young German girl, Laura, and an older compatriot of hers, Nina. Emma & I are always amazed when we meet travellers as young as Laura (19). We remember what we were like at that age and are therefore deeply impressed that people have the maturity to leave home and see the world. Respect indeed.


We'd already read a little about Adelaide before arriving and one of the things we'd thought about doing was a shark dive! However, we couldn't find any literature/info about this, but we did come across a company in Glenelg (the beach suburb of the city) who offered the chance to "Swim with dolphins!". Well, we couldn't pass this up, so I duly called them up and made two bookings for Emma & myself, for Easter Sunday (16th).

The next day (15th), sadly, I spent in bed with 'man flu'. Leaving me to die, Emma wandered into town and visited the South Australian Museum. It had a few excellent exhibits on at the time, including the touring Wildlife Photographer of the Year - typical of my luck to miss that! She enjoyed looking at the pictures on show, but as with most of us, was mystified at the judging panels final results. Photography, like all artforms, is a totally personal thing to the viewer and Emma firmly believed some of our South African shots were better than a few of those on display in Adelaide. High praise indeed!


We had agreed to share the early morning taxi to Glenelg with Nina, as she had also booked a spot on the dolphin boat - Temptation (www.dolphinboat.com.au). Our taxi driver was a Philippine chap, who took great delight in talking the whole way down to the dockyard. Unfortunately, he was so busy nattering away, he took us to the wrong dockyard!! Luckily, the two girls held him back whilst I double-checked our destination with the harbour control office. We finally got to the correct place, but not before all 3 of us had pulled out several hairs! AAGGHH, taxi drivers!!

The boat itself, a large catamaran, was lovely and the crew got us suited up quickly and then went over the safety procedures for the morning ahead. Emma & I looked the part in our wetsuits (well, she did!), but my voice is still a pitch too high for my liking... I don't think companies, even in this day & age, know how to make specialist clothing big enough for the likes of me! Anyway, enough ranting, back to the dolphins!

Excited, we all set off from the harbour and out onto the sea itself. As is usual with these tours, the passengers were all asked to take part in the search for the dolphins (not easy when your glasses are tucked up inside the boat!). One older chap, in particular, proved to be a very good fin-spotter indeed and found us all the first few pods. However, I swear I'd spotted a shark fin about 10 minutes into the sail, but I wasn't sure & didn't think it wise to say anything infront of the other 'swimmers'...

As the boat approached the first dolphin pod, we were ordered to make our way to the back of the boat. In total, there must have been about 24 people in wetsuits, which made what followed next comical. One-by-one, we slid off the rear platforms and then clung to one of two ropes that'd been thrown out into the sea. Cold? You're not wrong! Even with the 'suits on, the early-morning water temperature was still a tad on the chilly side. All I could see was the back of the boat, as I'd kindly (stupidly) let others go first. Several times on that first 'swim' I nearly hit the propeller on my side, which was nerve wracking in the extreme, let me tell you! The water was also way too silty to see anything when we ducked our heads under (using the supplied snorkels & masks).

After 5 minutes of bobbing up & down aimlessly, we all clambered out of the ice-cold sea. The dolphins, in their wisdom, had buggered off to get some peace & quiet (they were asleep, after all). Further up the coast, more were sighted, so in we went once again. Emma decided to stay out of the water and photograph the dolphins from up above - clever girl! Even though I managed to see nothing below the waterline once again, I still had fun dodging the flailing legs of a young lad from Bristol (by the sounds of his accent!).

After this swim, most of the fee-payers decided they'd had enough and changed back into their clothes. A small, hardcore group of us (about 8 or 9) stayed in our 'suits in the hope of seeing some more dolphins. On the way back to the harbour, our wishes came true and back in the water we went! Although the dolphins were really close this time, none of us could see them underwater (due to the high level of silt once again, kicked up by the storm a few days before). However, I did manage to hear the noises they were making - a mixture of clicks, buzzing and a sound almost like rain on a steel roof. For those who don't know, dolphins use sounds to guide themselves around the oceans and to communicate with one another. It really was an experience to hear them in action, although a clear underwater sighting would have been extra special.


After the dolphin experience, we spent a fantastic afternoon in Glenelg itself, wandering around the myriad shops and also up the jetty/pier. An informative hour or so was spent in the Rodney Fox Museum - www.rodneyfox.com.au/museum.htm - which is dedicated to explaining the lives of sharks, with particular emphasis on that most famous of predators, the Great White! The exhibits and news-cuttings were amazing and, as it transpired, I was kind of lucky not to have been eaten whilst dangling off the back of Temptation earlier that day! Several Gt White attacks have occured off the coast of Glenelg, with the most recent fatality in 2005! For a few days after our dolphin swim, Emma took to calling me 'Sharkbait' !!

We also did some crab-fishing off the rocks and, much to our delight, watched a pair of dolphins 'bait-balling' some fish in & around the harbour! They really are fantastic animals and a delight to behold. That evening, a stunning sunset gave us a fitting end to a great day by the sea.

We've noticed, more & more, that we are far happier when close to the sea (or, in my case, in the mountains too). A bit like Legolas the Elf, in the Lord of the Rings trilogy, once you've heard the 'call of the sea', it's damn hard to forget or ignore it!


Another day was spent in and around Adelaide, before we made a decision to take a mini road-trip to Melbourne!! Details of this, along with some truly wonderful pictures, will follow soon!!



Update #2 (18th-19th April)

We called Budget, the car rental company and asked them to quote us for the smallest/cheapest car option - in this case a Hyundai Getz! In the end, due to my umming & arring, the guy offered us an upgrade to a Mitsubishi Magna V6 (the size of a Mondeo). "Have some of that!" we thought.

When we arrived at the collection centre later that afternoon, it seems there was no Magna after all. "Would you like an upgrade to a 4WD?"said the nice lady behind the desk. "Yes please!", we chirped in response. 10 minutes later, they brought the car out and what a beaut it was! A Hyundai Santa Fe V6 (picture can be found here: www.hyundai.com.au/images/gallery/santafe_img4.jpg ). The only downside was its gearbox - an auto, which didn't please Emma too much. After a few driving lessons from me, she was ragging it about like Schumacher at his peak!

Grabbing our packs from the YHA hostel, we then headed out of Adelaide and drove due south towards the sea. The first night, we slept by the side of the road in Keith, a small town (<300 people). This was to save money on accommodation and we continued the trend for the next 3 nights. On one loo break during the [cold] night, I spotted two HUGE moths resting on the toilet wall. It really does seem like everything in Australia is bigger than anywhere else...


The next morning, we awoke at the crack of dawn and immediately drove further south. On the way, we passed a few places of interest, primarily to those wine-loving friends back home! Some of the vineyards in Padthaway belonged to companies such as Penfolds, Lindemans & Hardy's amongst others. Australia has the perfect climate to grow these grapes and Emma & I seem to keep stumbling across the best places to see them!

Further south on the main highway, we passed Naracoorte (famous for its caves), Coonawarra (another good place for wine-growing), Penola (a nice town, with some great caves too) and finally ended up in Mount Gambier. This place was great and was home to several beautiful lakes. We walked about to view them, but were sadly restricted a bit by the rain. Yes! Rain, in Australia!

One of the lakes here, in particular, is well known for its colour during the spring & summer months. It almost glows a light, sky blue for these brighter months. We only caught a little of this, which was visible on very edges of the lake. After seeing some postcards, we can testify how stunning the lake can look!

After leaving Mount Gambier, we finally reached the coast itself. The weather was very up & down, raining one minute and then just pure windy the next. This did, however, hold an advantage! The sea was very angry and gave us some great views that second afternoon in the car and, indeed, throughout the next day too.


We had been told about some bizzarre underground caves close to the sea, which we just had to check out. The Piccaninnie Ponds ( www.parks.sa.gov.au/piccaninnie_ponds/index.htm ) are a strange natural creation and just have to be seen to be believed. On first viewing, all you see is a regular-looking marsh, with ducks and other waterfowl paddling about. However, underneath the water are a network of caverns and sinkholes, all made from the eroded limestone that is native to the Great Ocean Road and much of Australia, in fact.

Due to a lack of permits, we didn't actually enter the cave system. However, me being me, I grabbed my new diving mask (purchased in WA) and proceeded to stick my face in the water to check out the view! Emma, being the opportunist she is, snapped a few pics of me jammed in between the ladder rails, which I was gripping for dear life!! One of these pics can be found in Gallery Three, much to your amusement, I'm sure...

After that bit of fun, we carried on driving along the main road in an ever easterly direction. We passed such landmarks as wind turbines (over 30 of them, all strung out in a row - you can't imagine the Aussies moaning about the blot on the landscape, when they need to harness all the natural resources they have just to keep surviving), lakes, rivers that all visibly flowed to the sea right infront of your eyes and many other wonderful things. Throughout the drive, we were constantly on the lookout for that most famous of Australian animals, the koala!

These blighters are so hard to spot, sitting up high in their gum trees as they do. Apparently, they have no known predators over here, so can simply enjoy the most simple & rewarding kind of existence - eat, drink, sleep, have some nookie and then sleep again. A bit like our ancestors, I imagine... Unfortunately, neither of us spotted a koala during the first two-three days of our roadtrip, much to our disappointment!


Further up the track, we passed through some lovely small towns that all had something of interest to grab our attention. One of these, for instance, had a number of shipwrecks just off the coast. You could see why, as the power of the waves was immense and a sight to behold. No surf-dudes here, let me tell you! There was also a fair bit of forest to see when the road strayed away from the sea for a bit. Popping in & out of the trees were lots of wild emu, which are strange-looking creatures and you can imagine them existing in the dinosaur era (what with their scaly legs, etc, etc).

After lots of driving, we pulled into a town called Portland, which was surrounded by a few nature reseves/national parks. We drove across to one of them and watched some young surfers trying to learn the ropes of their chosen hobby. Even though 2 out of 3 of them weren't very good, we had to admire their persistence. As in Sydney, we found it very therapeutic watching them, whilst also taking in the surrounding seascape and that it entailed.

A few kilometres out from our vantage point on the cliffs at Point Danger, were the Lawrence Rocks. These huge rocks are home to Australia's only breeding Australasian Gannet colony. Through Emma's binocs, we could just make them out, flying about and almost certainly squawking a lot! The variety of wildlife in Australia really is incredible and you are guaranteed to see something different around every corner.

Earlier on, we'd found out that there were some public amenities in Portland, which included some showers. Jumping at the chance to 'degrease' ourselves, we took it in turns to have a shower in the mens' washrooms. Emma still claims her shower was broken, but I think her decision to switch 'codes' had more to do with the big spider she spotted in the ladies'! What the CCTV viewers thought of her antics we can only imagine...!!

After our scrub-up, we popped next door to the pizzeria and enjoyed a nice budget meal deal. Then, we drove down to the harbour-front and found a nice spot for the night. Before heading for dreamland, we watched a pair of big mantarays cruising about the water, right against the shore. The streetlight had luckily illuminated them for our viewing pleasure and we took full advantage! No pics, unfortunately, as the light conditions just didn't allow us to snap away as we'd have liked.


Update #3 (20th April)

On the morning of our 3rd day on the road, we felt it was necessary to praise our $6 Salvation Army blanket that had kept us warm during the cold night. The drop in temperature, when compared to Perth, was really noticeable at night! So, less cold than we would have been blanketless, we sped off eastwards yet again. Just before that, however, we snapped some 'action shots' of seagulls picking bread from our door mirrors. They really are comical creatures and watching them squabble over the food was a barrel of laughs and no mistake!

Down the road from Portland, we arrived at Port Fairy, a lovely small town where we had a latte/hot chocolate each to wake us up. We also wandered around the little shops and treated ourselves to some local fudge & jelly beans from a cute sweet shop. We also posted some cards back home from here, primarily as they would be franked with an old-fashioned postmark! We hope the recipients noticed!

Further up the road from Pt. Fairy, was the larger commerical centre of Warrnambool. This town is quite famous during the winter months, when huge numbers of Southern Right whales come into the bays to calve. People can walk to several viewing platforms to watch the whales up close and there is also a fully fledged whale sanctuary/nursery too! So far, we've not seen whales on our travels, but hopefully this will change in New Zealand and Canada. We can't wait!!

Whilst in Warrnambool, I bought a great piece of kit - an inverter. You plug it into the 12v cigarette lighter socket and it then produces a 240v current! This was a life-saver and allowed us to keep the camera batteries charged throughout the roadtrip. I'd recommend them to anyone out there who's been caught short in the past, whilst on the move.

After leaving Warrnambool, we carried on along the coastal road and the scenery really started improving! All of a sudden, we encountered brown signs (indicating landmarks of note) around every corner and just kept pulling off the road to investigate. Although the weather wasn't amazing (squalls were coming in from the sea continuously), we still managed to enjoy ourselves.

Our first port of call [of note] was to check out the two Bays - Islands & Martyrs. Both had lookouts from which we viewed the effects the sea has had on the cliffs in the area. As we stood on them, we noticed a distinct increase in the strength of the wind. The temperature was also starting to drop noticably! Fleece time.

Whilst Emma kept warm in the car a little later, I ventured down to the cliff egdes to check out 'The Grotto'. This is a naturally-formed tunnel system that leads into a small area the sea has simply carved out of the limestone cliff. Even though the path leading right down to the Grotto itself was closed (due to landslides!), I still managed to spend almost 45 mins down there! Watching the sea when angry is an almost unparalleled experience.

After leaving The Grotto, we drove a little further east and then went to visit several more of the major features in the area. The first of these was London Bridge. Named after our own ancient landmark, this island was once connected to the mainland. A few years ago, when 2 tourists were standing on what is now the island, the 'bridge' collapsed due to the effects of centuries of erosion. A helicopter had to pick them up!

Now, the tourists are left with an island with a distinctive arch underneath. Due to the adverse weather on our visit, the sea was crashing through the gap and, as I was taking pictures of this, all of a sudden the weather went a bit 'bonkers'!! The wind speed increased dramatically and I captured the after effects of this on video. I'll upload the file to the website ASAP, so you can all experience the power of nature when it gets a 'bit miffed'!

Next up were the Blowhole & Thunder Cave. WOW! How cool were they?!

How best to explain The Blowhole? It simply appears as a huge gouge in the middle of the cliff top, which is still some 1-200 metres away from the actual sea. Erosion over millions of years has created a tunnel under the cliff and in turn a huge hole further inland. When the sea is angry, as it was when we visited, you can watch the water come ripping through. The sensation of noise and power was so intense and once again, you found yourself standing there for ages... just looking & listening.

300m further up the cliff top, sat the Thunder Cave. Again, coastal erosion had played its part here and produced a cleft in the side of a gully, which roared like a lion on heat when enough water crashed into it. Awesome, simply awesome. I tried to capture the effects using the video setting on the camera, but it really doesn't do it justice. Emma & I were suitably in awe of these two natural landmarks and would recommend anyone visiting the south of Australia to check them out too. Fantastic.

By the time we returned to the car after seeing them, the weather had calmed down. This cheered us up, because the next landmark to visit was perhaps the most famous of all on the Great Ocean Road...

The Twelve Apostles were formed by the sea eroding cliffs, which then created caves, which then eroded once more, leaving limestone towers that stood up to 45m in height. From the vantage points we were given access to, we could see 7 of them. It would have been 8, but the sea has recently laid claim to another victim!

Our timing was perfect - the sun was setting as we walked along the paths down to the cliff edge. The vantage points down there gave us picture perfect views of these natural wonders and the improved weather allowed a wee bit of setting sun to peer through & light up the Apostles for us. As with all the other landmarks along this 20-mile stretch of coastline, we stood there agape for what seemed like hours. The feeling that we are much happier by the sea was also reinforced once again.


The next step on our coastal adventure was rather more comical. We had a little under 1/4 of a tank of fuel and the next 'big' town on the road map was about 50km away. So, off we drove once again, in search of a petrol station.

To our horror, the needle started a very rapid descent that continued at a great pace as each mile went by. The change in the road didn't help matters much - we were now heading into the hills and it really did seem like we'd been transported to North Wales! When we finally arrived in the 'big' town of Lavers Hill, the fuel warning light was on. Then, to make matters worse, the first fuel station was closed! Further up the high street we found another one and yes, you guessed it, this was closed too!

Emma ran into the local restaurant and discovered that the garages closed at 17:30, as it was 'winter'. They wouldn't reopen until the following morning, so our fate was sealed - we spent the night, freezing our socks off, in the car park opposite the main garage. The moral of the story is, never trust a 'tourist' road map - they make towns appear much, much bigger than they actually are! AAGGHH!


Update #4 (21st April)

After filling up with petrol & coffee the next morning, we departed in search of further adventures. The first of these came only an hour down the road and involved the furry creatures we'd been searching for for days - koalas!

We'd been told by the shop owner that if we ventured into the Cape Otway National Park we'd almost certainly spot some koalas in the trees. How could we resist?! We therefore took a detour from the main highway and soon found ourselves cruising about on a fabulous tree-lined road. After about 15 minutes driving, we noticed a few cars had pulled up at the side of the road up ahead. Jumping out, we joined them to marvel at a solitary koala sitting sleeping in a gum tree.

It was a fantastic-looking animal, even with its head turned away from the road. Fortunately for us, there were also a few more a hundred yards back down the road that we'd not spotted at first. We snapped away with the camera and also had a nice chat with two English couples, one of whom were celebrating their anniversary - not a bad place to go, eh!

After leaving the koalas behind, we decided to venture further into the Nat. Park in the hope of seeing more of our new furry friends. Only a short drive away, we spotted another one and then another! Once your eyes know what to look for, you really do begin to spot them quite quickly. Emma & I are now fully qualified koala, elephant, kangaroo and croc spotters... honest!

Several times over the next hour or so we pulled the car over to look at koalas in their natural habitat. As with several of the other animals we've seen during our travels, it's always more rewarding seeing them where they actually live - wild, not caged. Once you've driven through the wilds of South Africa and Australia, it makes you really appreciate the sheer diversity of wildlife out there. This must be one of the reasons we all love to watch Sir David Attenborough, I guess!

I've put some pictures of our koala encounters in Gallery Three - hope you enjoy them.


After leaving Cape Otway N.P. we then reached the real 'Ocean Road' part of the Great Ocean Road, and how! Up til then, the roads were mostly straight, but they started meandering and consistently hugged the coast, which was, of course, absolutely stunning. The sun had also come out for us, which only added to the already wonderful views both the the left (tree-lined hills) and right (sea) of the car. Amazing...

After an hour of driving along this great stretch of road, we pulled in to a small café for some lunch. As we were waiting for the food to be served, I wandered outside to attempt some pictures of 2 parrots who were feeding from a bird table. At first they flew away, but soon returned, albeit cautiously. Whilst eating lunch a little later, the café owner told us that we could feed them by hand! So, after finishing our own grub, we strolled back to the bird table area with some seeds.

"Hold your hand against the tree, then slowly pull it away until they hop onto your hand." we were instructed. I tried this, but to no avail. Then "Look, here comes Rambo (I think!), you'll be good now!". How right she was! This fella was obviously not shy of people and was soon eating out of my hand, whilst balancing on my wrist. Fantastic - the colours of these parrots were beautifu, with reds, greens & blues to the fore. Emma also got in on the action and had great fun, even when about 4 of the wee blighters were balanced on her at the same time!

As with the koalas, we took lots of pics, some of which can be found in Gallery Three! There's also a shot of a kookaburra there, which landed on the overhead phoneline whilst we were feeding the parrots.


Leaving our winged friends behind, we set off once again on our Ocean Road adventure. After passing through several nice towns, including Apollo Bay (which was RIGHT on the beach, and what a beach!), we pulled into Lorne. This was a great place, with yet another lovely beach to wander along. We took the opportunity to back up all the photos we'd taken up to this point, which is always a good idea with modern technology!

After treating ourselves to a jam doughnut each (you can't take Britain out of...), we hopped back in the car and made our way eastwards once again. Around each corner of the road was another sight to behold - koalas, towering hills and cliffs, sky-blue seas, crashing surf... everything you could ever want to see. You can see why, way back in the early 1900's, the Great Ocean Road was commissioned. Apparently, history states that the government wanted a road to "...rival that which is found in California". Emma, myself and countless others have now reaped the rewards of that decision, and how!!


The evening was drawing in as we approached a town called Anglesea. Earlier, in Lorne, we'd been told to check out the local golf course at dusk, but not to hit some last-minute balls! No, it seems the local kangaroo population gather there at sunset to eat the lush green grass that only a golf course could possilby provide in Australia! We eventually found it and immediately spotted a large group on one of the greens, munching away at the turf. Fantastic.

After pulling into the main car park, I hopped out of the car and watched a guy hitting balls to a practice green about 220yds away. I can't promise he was trying to avoid the large group of roos infront of the green, but all I could imagine was Neil, Russ & my Bro in hysterics at the same sight back in Essex!!

Close to the car were another group and I slowly approached them with camera in hand. Amazingly (based on previous roo encounters) they didn't hop away in fright, but merely kept eating the green green grass! Taking the opportunity by the horns, I snapped away and then persuaded Emma to join me. Some pics of al this can be found in Gall. 3 for your enjoyment.


We needed a place to sleep for the night, so chose the car park we'd spotted earlier by the sea inlet. I went for a stargaze later on, which was amazing, especially with the breaking waves as a background soundscape. We also took some long exposure snaps from the car, some of which were excellent. Once again, you can check these out in Gallery Three. After chatting for a few hours about the amazing animal-themed day we'd had, sleep finally whisked us off into the land of Aussie dreams...


Update #5 (22nd April)

Our first port of call on leaving Anglesea was to visit one of the most famous surfing spots in the world - Bells Beach. After sitting on a bench and watching the early-bird surfers head out into the sea, we made our way to the main viewing/surfing area, which has been taken over by RipCurl, the local surf clothing/accessory company who are now a worldwide brand.

We wandered down to the viewing platform and spend a great hour just watching the surfers in action. Some of the waves were massive (at least to my untrained eyes) and most of the people out there were more than capable of riding them. It brought back memories of one of my favourite films - Point Break. In it, Keanu Reeves' character discovers that surfers often live in a world of their own and one that is almost cult-like in its intensity and formation. You could sense the same thing at Bells Beach. This, we imagined, was the REAL surfing Australia, not Surfers Paradise on the East coast or any of the others besides...

Torquay, the town just up from Bells Beach, signalled the end of our Great Ocean Road adventure. After driving through 'Surf City' lined streets, we made our way back inland to Geelong, a large town that is just south of Australia's second city, and our next destination - Melbourne.


Update #6 (22nd-26th April) - Melbourne

The drive into Melbourne was mainly on the highway and the large bridge we passed over just before entering the city, offered us excellent views of the skyscrapers, etc. I think, although I might be wrong, that Melbourne is Australia's second city in both stature and size and it certainly seemed that way to us!

After checking into our YHA hostel in North Melbourne (away from the maddening crowds), we took our trusty Hyundai back to Budget. A little earlier, I'd filled the tank up (as one must), but not quite to the point of 'clicking nozzles'. This is because when we collected the car, the needle dropped below the full only 20km or so down the road. In my wisdom, I thought I'd give them some of their own medicine!! However, the needle dropped a millimetre when I entered the Budget garage area and the guy said "The tank's not full, so I'll have to top it up." Of course, the cost of Budget's fuel was at least 10% higher than everyone elses! AAAGGGHHH!!

Oh well, you live and you learn.

Over the next few days, we wandered around the city taking in the variety of sights, sounds & attractions on offer. For a large place, Melbourne was actually quite welcoming and we spent a nice few days there. Highlights included:

- spending Anzac Day (Mon. 24th) at Melbourne's beach suburb, St. Kilda, where the fashionable & rich gather to 'play'
- strolling through the Botanical Gardens, watching eels swim in the ponds and a variety of birds being birds!
- feeling very humbled by the majesty and sadness of the Shrine of Remembrance, erected in honour of Australia's war dead (this included a flame that has been burning since the 1950s)
- hopping on & off the local trams, which are a great way to travel about and reminded me of Manchester (why more cities don't use them I'll never know)
- walked around the Victoria Markets for hours, window-shopping and watching people talk, sing, dance and go about their daily lives
- taking a glorious nighttime stroll through the city and snapping some excellent long-exposure shots of all we saw (I love cities at night)
- waving at the giant screen in Federation Square and watching us both wave back (the joys of hidden cameras)
- playing Scrabble with a Japanese guy called Hide (pro. Hee-Day), who only slept for 4 hours each night!
- lying half-naked on the bed, when a maid walked in (yes, she was French too!)
- cooking some lovely meals, on a budget that'd make a chinaman blush

All-in-all, we enjoyed our time in Melbourne, although we felt Adelaide just shaded it as a place to stay. A selection of pictures from our stay there, can be found in Gallery Three.


Update #7 (27th-29th April) - Melbourne to Adelaide to Alice Springs

In the wee hours of Thursday (27th) morning, we boarded yet another long-distance train. This time, it was The Overland, which goes between Melbourne & Adelaide and vice versa. Details can be found here: www.gsr.com.au/our-trains/the-overland/the-journey.php

Over the course of the day, we sat in the lounge car and had some great card games & conversations with a variety of people. Four, in particular, stood out. A nice couple, Mary & Trevor, chatted with us for several hours about everything & anything. Trevor actually hails from East Anglia - Norfolk - so the two of us swapped a few tales and accent-impressions along the way! Mary is Australian and has a great sense of humour, as do most of her fellow countrymen/women! She also did her best to keep Trevor in check, too, when he & I were ranting about the state of Britain/the world these days!

Another couple, Ali(stair) & Mel, were also travelling on The Overland with us. A little younger than us, they were also going around the world together and were a really friendly, nice pair. Ali and I got on well and nattered about football (amongst other things, honest!), whilst the girls raised their eyebrows...! It's good to talk about REAL football with fellow Brits sometimes, rather than trying to get to grips with the Aussie version, which I still know very little about.

It really is the best way to spend time on these trains - talking. So many people just sit there in their seats and stare out of the window (at admittedly nice views) or sleep. The day(s) must drag on SO much when doing nothing but that... Oh well, each to his own I guess.

On arrival in Adelaide, we checked into the YHA once again and were welcomed back with a smile. We bumped into the Scottish guy who'd been there on our previous visit a week before) - he hadn't left when he intended as he'd badly twisted his ankle. I seem to remember making a comment about his drinking habits when he did it, in a jokey way - everytime I saw him, he had some booze in his hand. He still claims he was sober when he tripped, though...


On the Friday, we wandered around Adelaide as we had time to kill before our next train journey in the evening. We bumped into Ali & Mel once again, at the Museum of South Australia. In there, I visited the touring Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition, as I'd promised myself. Some of the photos were fantastic, most notably by a young Hungarian guy called Bence Máté. My God, is this guy talented. To view his pictures, along with the others in the exhibition, click on the following links:

Personal Site (flash required) - www.matebence.hu/
Wildlife Photographer OTY site - www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/

My own personal favourite of all the images on display, however, had to be this one:

www.nhm.ac.uk/resources/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/wpy/gallery/pictures/38.jpg


Just before 5pm, we arrived at the Keswick rail terminal for probably the 4th time and boarded perhaps the most famous of all Southern Hemisphere trains - The Ghan: www.gsr.com.au/our-trains/the-ghan/the-journey.php

This took us from Adelaide to Alice Springs, via some of the most barren wilderness in Australia. Once again, the sunset/rise as viewed from the train were simply awe-inspiring. They are usually better by the sea, due, I imagine, to the reflections from the water. However, each time I've witnessed one or the other in the outback, it really has been a sight to behold and unforgettable for it.

The journey to Alice went without hiccup and I shared an interesting conversation with one of the staff members. We chatted about a number of things, but the subject of Aborigines cropped up at one point. I mentioned we were not considering climbing Ayers Rock/Uluru and he launched into a series of reasons why we SHOULD climb it. Most of what he said made sense, but I was still undecided.

I also chatted to Ali once again, who was making his way, with Mel, to the Red Centre too. They'd booked themselves onto a tour, which would take them to the same triumvirate we were intending to visit - Ayers Rock, The Olgas & Kings Canyon. Emma & I are not really 'tour' people, as we don't feel you are allowed anywhere near the same kind of freedom to explore & roam, etc, etc. However, many people have told us of the great times had on the Aussie versions and they are a good idea for the individual traveller.


Now, for the next stage (& state) of our journey across Australia. The often hilarious and memorable details can be found on the Northern Territory page and involve a chap some know as 'The Mullet'...