The Great Ocean Road

Our walking and wildlife spotting continued in abundance when we left Sorrento and set out to drive the Great Ocean road, Victoria's famous southwestern coastal route which extends 285km west and was built with the idea of constructing a scenic road of world repute, equalling California's Pacific Coast highway. Our first stop along the road was Otway national park and we stayed in the only caravan park in the area which was called Bimbi park. When we arrived we were greeted by a Koala crossing our path with a baby attached to its back - a baby Koala that is. We had read that this was a place to 'sleep under the Koalas' and this was absolutely the truth, the trees above us were full of them, eating, sleeping and making the most unlikely noise you'd imagine from something so cute - imagine a donkey with a sore throat laughing and you've got something quite similar. Our Eric loved them too and we got back one day to find him playing with a couple just by our pitch.

Not far from Bimbi park was Melba Gully, a place known as "the jewel of the Otways". Jewel is an apt name because the Gully comes alive after dark with its large population of glow worms, something we had to see. We decided to walk the route before it got dark so that we could get our bearings for later. Mid way round we were minding our own business looking at a waterfall, or flower or some other thing you look at in a national park, when we heard someone charging towards us. We turned around to see a kangaroo heading directly for us at full speed - possibly the most frightening experience I've ever had. I jumped up on to a small bench beside us (as if that was going to help) and Matt stood still (through fear I say, to show no fear he says) and the Kangaroo hopped right up to him, face-to-face, turned on his heels and then charged off again. Our legs were like jelly but we thought it was hilarious and were just about recovered when we heard the noise again and turned to see the (not so) little bastard coming at us for a second time. This time Matt was up on the bench as quickly as I was and once again it hopped right up, had a look and then turned and cleared off.

By now it was getting very dark and we hadn't done a full circuit of the park so, with a maverick Roo on the loose Matt and I kept very close to each other and went glow worm hunting. It was well worth it as they were spectacular and lit up the sides of the paths as we walked through and fortunately we didn't come across Skippy's sinister sibling again either. I tried to take a photo of the glow worms so you could appreciate just how magnificent they were too.

Next stop on our route was Port Campbell, our base for seeing the Twelve Apostles - gigantic limestone pillars that rise out of the ocean. The scenery around this area was stunning both during the day and at sunset when we went back to get more photos and to see more little penguins who come up onto the beach once it starts getting dark. Whilst these are by far the most iconic rock formations in the area we explored many others through the various clifftop walks around.

After here we made our way to the Grampians National Park (thanks for the tip Kat) to partake in more of our favourite new hobby, bush walking. We spent a couple of days exploring the area and taking walks to the most noted features, namely The Pinnacle, the Balconies and Mackenzie Falls. Again the scenery and views were breathtaking and it definitely ranks as one of our favourite walks we've done so far. We also drove Eric down a very long dirt track to see some Aboriginal rock art (at Matt's request) and the fact that he nearly fell apart getting us there was well worth it, as I'm sure you can see by the one photo we got!



The caravan park we stayed in was brilliant, very basic but again full of wildlife, kangaroos bouncing by and emus running around. We spent hours one night just sat around our fire watching them all around us, eating our packet noodles and we couldn't have been happier.

One night, whilst sat outside Eric gazing up at the stars, we noticed a strange red light, moving very erratically in the sky, going in all manner of directions and we couldn't fathom what it was. We joked that it must have been a UFO and thought nothing more of it until we walked past the local notice board the next day.

Oh yes, we are now in contact with the Victorian Ufology Society and as their latest UFO spotters we have lodged our sighting and filled out forms detailing our paranormal experience, all very silly but funny nevertheless.

Next stop Melbourne, but if you haven't heard from us again soon be sure to contact James Molesworth for we may have been abducted by an extra terrestrial called Bruce.

Mountains, Mechanics and Mammals

After spending two months exploring two states we left Sydney to hit our third - Victoria. Although we have travelled extensively in Eric, we have tended to stick to coastal roads, so we decided to head inland for a change and enjoy a different kind of scenery. We ended up doing a three day drive that took us through the snowy mountains of New South Wales and into the Alps of Victoria. It's definitely been one of the most enjoyable times of our trip - driving for around six hours a day, winding round mountains with amazing vistas and through national parks under a rainforest canopy.

Finally our journey ended in a town called Sale, this unassuming place was to be the setting for Eric's biggest challenge to date, it was time to take him for his Roadworthy Certificate (RWC). This RWC is needed by law in order to sell Eric, it proves to buyers that he is in good mechanical order. When we bought him we didn't get an RWC for reasons that would take too long to explain and also make us sound a bit stoopid. So we were very worried that he wouldn't pass as Victoria is one of the toughest states for testing cars and Eric has a tendency to squeak a lot. It could end up costing us a small fortune to get him in a fit state to pass. So like two big gay dads that take their adopted Chinese child to their first school sports day, we dropped Eric off at the mechanics. We were both a bag of nerves and there was only one thing we could do to take our minds off the situation - play Bingo!

After 30 games, I kid you not, it had done little to ease the tension, even when the bingo caller accidentally burped down the microphone, it brought us little light relief. Finally the phone rang, Ed took the call, a little smile came to his face, our Eric had passed with flying colours. We were so proud.

So with a roadworthy van we travelled South to Wilson's Promontory - Victoria's favourite national park and the Southern most tip of mainland Australia. We spent two days at the Prom and it was absolutely spectacular. I know we keep writing about these amazing places but this one was very special. Due to the campsite being the only inhabited area within a 40 mile radius, the sky at night was incredible, it was literally alive as stars flashed and shot by. Also, due to it being the most southerly point, we finally saw our first sunset, as we lay on Whisky beach with a plastic beaker of chilled Sauvignon Blanc in hand. Okay, I realise we are making some people sick with these paradise stories, so here comes a bit of negative for you. It turned out that when we got to the Prom it was the schoolies season, when 18 year olds fresh out of there exams escape for the weekend to get absolutely bollocksed. After seeing the amazing sunset we got back to camp and were greeted with the joyous sight of a young lad projectile vomiting all over the showers. These schoolies just have no stamina.

After the prom we decided to continue our nature theme and went to Philip Island. Here lies Victoria's most popular natural tourist attraction - The Penguin Parade. It is the home of the little penguin, the smallest of the penguins which are only found in Southern Australian waters. Once the sun sets, around 500 penguins come out of the water, waddle across the beach and seek out their burrows in the surrounding area. Paying a little bit extra, me and Ed went 'penguin plus' for a ringside seat and it was worth every cent. You could literally reach out and touch them - to make the experience even more magical an electrical storm raged out across the ocean as they passed by. Unfortunately you weren't allowed to take photos as the flash frightens them, so here are some photos from the website.

Okay so penguins were ticked off the list, what could we possibly do next? No not more bingo, we decided to swim with dolphins and seals instead. Driving round the coast to a town called Sorrento, we set off at 8:30am with our guide Judy, a fabulous woman in her 60's and a tireless dolphin campaigner. It was a great day. Seals swam around us as Judy put us at our ease with comments like "Look at the teeth on that Bull seal, and people think it's safe to get in the water with them!" Then at the end of the day we finally found the dolphins. Into the water we rushed as Judy explained that singing through our snorkels would attract them. So me and Ed did our best version of 'Video Killed the Radio Star' as they approached us, then swam under us and then fooked off. Okay they didn't play with us but they thought our karaoke was shit and that really made us chuckle.

So on we go now to the Great Ocean Road and the Grampians before we make our way to Melbourne.

Before I end this post though, me and Ed have received some amazing news recently. Finally, after 9 months of waiting, Ed's cousin Kerry has given birth to a beautiful baby boy called Harry and I've become an uncle to Madison, my sisters first child. Congratulations, we're over the moon for both of you and can't wait to meet them! Here's some photos so we can show them off.

Nicole's Dad

We are currently heading south from Sydney having spent the last few days there. We stayed in Bondi with Lesley, a friend from back home who is lovely, albeit from Bolton but you can't hold that against her. We had a really great stay but it was time to leave as her and Matt were bringing out the worst in each other, i.e their accents. No seriously, enough Bolton bashing, we have had a fantastic timer in Sydney and it was lovely catching up with Lesley and sheer bliss to have a room, a sofa and a BATH - such luxuries.

When we arrived Lesley took us out for dinner, our choice of where to go. There was no question, it had to be a curry house. It had been over two months since we'd had a Balti and we were in serious need so Lesley took us to her local where we filled up on poppadoms and caught up on the last six months gossip. It's strange what living in Eric has done to us, but instead of exploring the Sydney nightlife as we thought we might, we just wanted to get back to the flat, get comfy on the sofa and enjoy a glass of wine out of an actual glass rather than the travel-safe beakers we have become accustomed to.

The next night I cooked dinner for us, another luxury we've missed. The space, the cooker and the sharp knives required to make a decent meal was lovely. We've started getting used to the packet french onion soup and '2 minute noodles' that have become staples of our diet, but having a proper home cooked meal was a real treat.

On Saturday evening Matt and I got ourselves spruced up, put on our shirts and aftershave and headed out to mark the passing of another long and arduous year together, courtesy of our friend Helen we were to do it in style - a seven course degustation meal aboard the James cook cruise around Sydney Harbour. When we arrived to check-in we were told that we were 'gold' ticket holders - we got as excited as Charlie Bucket did when he found his - and were escorted past all the unwashed bronze ticket holders who looked on as we were taken straight to the front of the queue and introduced to the captain. We were then escorted up to the top deck to enjoy champagne and canapes whilst taken in the views of Sydney Harbour. Flashpackers, us? Never.

We then enjoyed the feast of food that followed along with the free flowing champagne and wine that accompanied each course. A live band played as we cruised under the Harbour bridge and past the Opera House and we rounded off the night with a couple of G&T's out on deck, just because we could (and because they were free of course).

Thank you so much Finnimore, it was a truly scrumptious present x x

We got up the next day (to the joyous news that John Howard had been ousted from office and Australia had a new PM) feeling a little worse for wear, went out for breakfast and then headed into town for the Christmas parade. It was all a bit surreal singing 'Rudolph the red nose reindeer' and waving at father Christmas in 30 degree heat but we did it nevertheless and then made our way down to the Opera House for the social event of the year - Australian Idol, The Final. As if this wasn't going to be the best thing in the world ever anyway, it was only to become more spectacular as we stood under the sails of the Opera House with the most amazing fireworks I've ever seen going off right above us when who should jump on stage but Lionel Richie. It was all a bit too much for Matt and I and we found the whole experience genuinely emotional (and that's got nothing to do with the hangover or Lionel's singing in case anyone dared to think it) as the atmosphere, the fireworks and the location were so iconic and rounded off another top night in Sydney.

So we said our goodbyes to Lesley but before we did we managed to compose a list of all the Christmassy things that we'll need for when we get back. I don't think she knows what she's letting herself in for as we are getting very excited about heading back to Bondi beach for the festivities next month.

For now though a new State beckons, Victoria, where we will have to (I'm getting emotional again just thinking about it)... sell Eric!

Wined and Climbed

I want to start this entry with a couple of announcements. Firstly you may remember an entry, posted about a month a go, wittily entitled 'The Sh*t Sundays' about our sailing trip that included a free smell of sewage. Well after much emailing and one angry phone call, I'm happy to report that we got a 200 dollar refund. Disgruntled from Tunbridge Wells wins again!
Secondly the reason I've asterisked the blog title above is because we've received a rather severe complaint and telling off from my Aunty Mary in regards to the obscene language that Ed and especially me, often use in our posts. According to my Aunty Ann, Mary's daughter, she literally had to be scraped off the floor after reading my last entry. In order to make amends I've decided to make this post completely swear word free. Unfortunately Aunty Mary it is just a one off for you and we will be returning to our foul mouthed ways in the future cos we find rude words dead funny!

Anyway back to the travel stories. After Byron Bay we got to Coffs Harbour and the rain continued to pour. In fact it was freak weather for Australia and all that was left for us to do was go down to the local bowls club and watch Ian Pike, a one man country band who did the most courageous Elvis impersonation I've ever had the misfortune to see. Even more frightening was watching the couple ballroom dancing to it! Naturally me and Ed loved it and it quickly became our regular. Apart from that not much happened in Coffs, finally the rain stopped, the sun shone and I gave Eric the clean of his life.

So on we went to our next stop, the Hunter Valley, New South Wales' most famous wine region. It was also time for Ed to wheel out his one and only joke: What did the grape say when it got stood on? Nothing, it just let out a little wine! Funny the first time, plain irritating the twentieth. Our plan in the Hunter was to educate ourselves about wine and take in the scenery. Having romantic images of small country roads and acres of vineyards we decided to hire bikes from the aptly named Grapemobile - cue another opportunity for Ed to tell his grape joke once again. Now me and Ed walk a lot but we are not riders, in fact we've never ridden a bike on a main road or any great distance but we thought it didn't look that hard and we booked the bikes for three days.

Day One - Morning: I choose our route, a gentle 20 mile circular bike trip on incredibly hilly roads - roads which actually turned out to be more like motorways, with huge trucks driving by us, oh and a temperature of around 35 degrees Celsius.

Day One - Evening: After our 8 hour cycle is over Ed can hardly sit down and I have feelings in my groin that I've never experienced before and never want to again.

Day Two: We take the bikes back and ask for a refund. Apart from the bike riding we actually had a fantastic time in the Hunter. We've taken wine appreciation courses, drank sparkling Rose in the park, toured vineyards and tasted lots of incredible wines and cheeses. It was a very chilled and relaxing place to leave but leave we did, with a sparkling chardonnay in hand as we headed to the Blue Mountains.

The Blue Mountains got their name from the blue mist that rises from millions of eucalyptus trees and hangs in the mountain air, tinting the sky and the range alike. We stayed here for four days and did some amazing walks.

The most famous of these takes in the views of the famous Three Sisters. These three rocky points take their name from an Aboriginal Dreamtime story which relates how the Kedumba people were losing a battle against the rival Nepean people: the Kedumba leader, fearing that his three beautiful daughters would be carried off by the enemy, turned them to stone, but was tragically killed before he could reverse his spell.

In order to get a better view of the Three Sisters I took us on a short hike up 900 steps, as you can see from the photo below, Ed was overjoyed with the result.

However, the walk that really blew us away was the Grand Canyon Loop. Taking around 4 hours to walk the circuit, pictures just don't do it justice. We walked deep down into gorges, brimming with magical scenery, beautiful creeks, waterfalls and ended with amazing views of the mountains.

By our third day the weather began to take a turn for the worse. Laying in Eric we watched some amazing electrical storms that were sometimes a little too close for comfort. Then, once the rain had broken a little, we decided there was only one thing to do, you guessed it, go to the pub. Luckily it happened to be Trivia night at the Ivanhoe Inn. After making ourselves comfortable on a paisley sofa we were invited to join the team of Betty, Mary and Terry, a group of retired ex-pats who lived in the area. Uninspired by my team name suggestion of Quiz Team Aguilera we finally settled on The Five of Us - personally I still think my idea was better but Betty was insistent. Run by an ex-pat called Geoffrey, who looked frighteningly like Reg Holsworth from Corrie, with an open red bow tie and wielding his second bottle of Jacob's Creek Riesling in one hand and a microphone in the other - the quiz started and battle commenced. After 40 questions and a few brain teasers, I'm glad to report that we came a very respectable second, losing by just one point. Our prize was one of Denise's savoury chicken and mushroom pies, which Betty, Mary and Terry very kindly donated to us. We also had another stroke of luck when Ed correctly guessed the weight of the largest chocolate ever made and won us a bottle of wine (just in case you are interested it weighed 2280 grams and was an After Eight mint).

We then hung around the bar because Ed was desperate to get chatting to Geoffrey. His wish was soon granted as Geoffrey stumbled over, now on his third bottle of Riesling, and said a slightly slurred hello. A very odd night then began as Geoffrey introduced his friend Jean, a woman whose hair had been dyed black to within an inch of its life. She then proceeded to sing hits from Phantom of the Opera, accompanied by Russ on the piano, a slightly autistic jazz musician wearing a Hawaiian shirt. Once the musical review had finished, Geoffrey then tried to grope Jean as she attempted to go home to her husband, five times she refused his offer of walking her to her car - it was absolutely priceless. Naturally we loved Geoffrey and his non stop trivia facts and we should hopefully be joining one of his quiz teams when we move to Sydney. It was a fantastic night and a fitting end to our time in the Blue Mountains.

So on we go to Sydney for a harbour dinner cruise, to celebrate our 6th anniversary and we have cunningly managed to get tickets to the live final of Australian Pop Idol too! Fabulous.