So its a wonderful sunny day in beautiful Queensland. Its been a full couple of days, we have just gotten into noosa and Im currently jumping on the net to update my site and just stuff around. On tuesday we went for dinner at Dracula’s. It was a fantastic night and i couldn’t believe how much fun this was. I had a few drinks at the show including a Jelly Shot Syringe. It was fantastic. I enjoyed it so much I bought a photo of the night. We then went off to Melbas again for another night of partying and it was a good time! Wednesday was a sad but fun day. Sad because we had to say goodbye to Rhana 🙁 Fun because I finally got my bling costume finished for tonights Bling Party. I will provide some photos later but to give you a heads up… think a big big clock 😀

Last night we went west to Adora Downs. We stayed out at a farm stay. The accom was a bit basic, but it was pretty good. The night was filled with some rum and some bush dancing. It made me feel like i was back in my primary school days. I felt like such a dick. This morning was freezing! Some funny stuff about the last couple of days. Rob finally getting his nickname (Brokeback), me getting mine… Master of Suck. I also met a cat and dog called Rum and Coke and watched rob get beaten up by a Kangaroo.

I am a bit sad to miss out on saying goodbye to Rhana. She was a fantastic girl and would love to get to know her some more. To all those reading through this from home… Hi.. im having plenty of fun. Tonight is the big bling party on fraser. I can’t wait!!!

Current Location: Urban Mailbox – Noosa Qld

So it has officially begun. Saturday i spent most of the day with old friends and new, I had lunch with Robin, Jason, Warren and Chazz and then went walking round the city and then had dinner with Kerrie my sister that night.

It has been an experience I can tell you. The tour manager is non other than Dan. The exact same tour manager as I had on my last contiki tour. It was a good tour and Dan was a great tour manager. I have been meeting so many new faces. The tour is majority of Canadians and Americans. It’s great to teach them all the aussie slang. It is fantastic to meet all these new people. There are 3 aussies, Craig, Adriana and Myself.

Yesterday we went from Coffs Harbour to Byron and back into Qld. I feel like im back home now that I am on the cost so I can relax even more. The twitch in my eye is all but gone and last night was fantastic. We had dinner at Tonys Alfresco Restaurant just down near Q1 (half the bus was following me hoping i would take them somewhere decent). We then went to Omalleys for a beer and then to Melbas where we caught up with the rest of the group and had our first party night!

Yes i was dancing.. no there was no tables thankfully! We are having a Bling party in a few days and that should be good. I am gonna go outrageously Bling and stupid and make myself a kitchen clock chain. We will be in Brisbane tommorrow so that will do then. At the moment time is running short on this terminal $2 for 10 mins (rip off) and i need to do some internet banking.

Current Location: Lobby Australis Soverign Surfers Paradise.

Well im in sydney, keeping megan company on a freezing cold saturday, shes sitting here bored so i thought i would be the good friend and bring her down some krispy kremes… well some for me to!

Yesterday was a nightmare. I couldn’t believe what a hassle it was trying to get out of Brisbane. I have never had that many problems. I left home about 730am to dodge traffic and make it to the airport around 8ish for my 945 flight. Checked in no problems about 10 mins waiting in line for quick check and then bag drop. Wasn’t to bad. But then i got up to the gate…. no go on the J class upgrade (o well). And then all the shit hit the fan. The flight before mine to sydney was delayed by like an hour… oops.. mine was meant to still depart on time and I was laughing at the other people about it. Then my flight got delayed… later and later and later… eventually around 10am mum and dad had to go.. and then around 1030 Qantas staff made an announcement that fog in sydney was causing delays. Finally my plane arrived and I was like YAY I can now get going…. sadly no. The crew walked off the plane.. and headed to Gloria Jeans… and then the Captain and First officer did the same… and i was thinking to myself GOD DAMN this plane has just gone U/S (unserviceable) and now im going to be stuck here. For moments i was hoping my brother never found out after all the times i picked on him about having late flights.

Eventually we got onto the plane around 11:15am (the time i was MEANT to arrive into Sydney). We boarded and then we sat… and sat…. and sat… all in all about 30-40 mins before we pushed back. At 12pm we rotated off Runway 01 bound for sydney… only 2 hours 15 mins late… not that bad. At around 1240 we were told that we would have to circle the hunter valley as there was a big back log of aircraft in the pattern. I didn’t mind. We landed on the runway at 13:35… only 2 hours 20 mins late… not bad. But then we had to wait again.. this time for almost an hour while a Airbridge became free. I walked off the plane 1415… 3 hours late.

I then grabbed my bag and found the transfer driver where i waited what felt like forever. It was shocking at how long it felt like. At about 15:15 I rang the girls in the sydney office and let them know i might not make it down to say hi… they sounded kinda sad but i said i’ll do what i can.. I also called Bridgeclimb and cancelled because there was no way i was gonna make the 16:05 climb (i had 30 mins to get to their office to check in.. the time it takes to get to the hotel).

At 16:15 i left sydney airport… 5 hours late. You would think the dramas ended there… not likely!!! When I got to the Vibe the hotel looked fantastic. But the door of my room wouldn’t open. The key worked fine but the door just would not budge. So i got a new room so at 16:50 i finally arrived in my room. I dropped my bag ran back downstairs and jumped in a cab (times a wasting) to get down to Circular Quay.

At 1710 i walked into the Sydney office to see Megan and the girls… i missed the Account Managers by like 30 mins 🙁

All is good this morning though.. after a good nights sleep all is well. Freezing cold though. Today i should be meeting a couple of the girls from the trip for lunch and my sister for dinner.

Tommorrow morning i’m not looking forward to a 6am wake up :/ Till next time!

Current Location: AOT Group Sydney Office

Well its 10pm 22Jun 2006. This years journey is set to begin in under 12 hours. At present I have just finished packing. It is looking to be a good trip. I’ve already organised with one person to meet them for lunch on saturday. I have also started talking to another person who is on the trip (a fellow aussie).

I am really looking forward to the trip but I am quite nervous in regards to tommorrow (friday). I am meant to go on a bridgeclimb at 4pm tommorrow but the forecast is rain. Now normally i’d be ok with that “pfft rain whatever.” But some of you know i am a massive clutz. I fall over myself often and have been known to fall up steps! I am worried that in the rain at night i will lose my footing and end up hurting myself BEFORE I even get on holidays. So if its raining tommorrow. I’m cancelling. I know it sounds like a cop out but im worried about my own safety.

What I am looking forward to tommorrow is seeing Megan again. Been a while and its good to get to see her again! Saturday will be a full day with catching up with megan fully in the morning, doing a bit of shopping (hello tripod) and then Lunch with some fellow travellers. Then contiki pre tour meeting on saturday afternoon before dinner with my sister.

Should be a few days before i post again (probably saturday if not monday or tuesday). I will definately keep this site updated as I am going and will also keep a journal going while I am away.

Anyway time for some sleep 😀

How hard can it be to get a shot of one plane. I have for ages been trying to get a shot of the Thai airways aircraft. It only comes in 3 days a week. Monday, Wednesday, Friday. All days i generally work. So thats hurdle number 1. Finding a day off that i can get down to the airport to get a shot of it has become pretty hard. Then problem number 2. Thai are currently repainting their fleet and only HALF of the aircraft flying into Brisbane have been repainted. So that means of the 3 flights a week i have a 50% chance i’m going to get one of the new looking aircraft.

So i take on this challenge today. I check the usual www.bne.com.au board for arrivals and departures today and notice that its gonna be early. But then i also notice that the Garuda flight is going to be mega later (about an hour). So i think “better get moving now then.”

Off to the airport i toddle. Get out there fix the camera up ready get it all ready to go and i can see a nice big aircraft on approach from the south and i’m thinking “Garuda must of picked up some time” as it was approaching. I’m standing there all alone on this pad in the middle of the airport on my ladder… looking like an idiot as i see this nice big aircraft on approach.. white body.. blue tail.. two engines.. looks a bit big for an A330 but its gotta be Garuda…. WRONG

ZK-OKE! Air New Zealands newst 777-200. I was like WHAT A DAY! If i can get the Thai new colours i’ll be having the best day ever. So right behind OKE is the Garuda A330… Looks pretty good… Then I can see the Thai A330 off the in distance.. praying that its new colours and hoping that the camera is set up right. Its coming closer… White body… Purple strip running down the length of the body……. DAMN! Old Colours 🙁

So now i have to try and find another time to go down to the airport and get one of the new colour aircraft. Probably also the last time i’ll get a chance to go spotting till i get back when its time for the YBBN BBQ.

pretty tired at the moment 🙁

So only 7 days to go… this time next sunday i will be meeting a bus full of people for probably the first time and getting to know them over the next 14 days.

I can’t wait. I only have to work 3 days this week (Tues,Wed,Thurs) and then Friday morning im off. Bit hard to try and work out what is going on over the weekend at the moment. I might have some spare time i might not. Who god damn knows!!!

I still have a few bits and pieces to get. Anaconda has a sale at the moment so want to pick up a new pen light for my photography stuff and they come in handy while your on tour. I found that out last time.

I’m really looking forward to meeting new people as well as the 3 days on long island. I haven’t been to the whitsundays in ages and Long Island is the only island i have never been to. So all should be good 😀

Anyway i have some cleaning to do as well as go out and get a few things….

more info to come including the itinerary.

I’m sorry. I have been denying this site for a while… i’ve been working so much lately. Brother is gone thank god and life is back to normal. I have been working so much lately that i almost ran myself into the ground. I was so depressed and out of it yesterday that i snapped a couple of the girls at work and i didn’t mean to.

But life has been very stressful i’m just so glad i have a weekend off and a long weekend to boot. So far today just been doing nothing at all really. Just lazing about. Burning a heap of DVD’s at the moment which keeps me going. Not sure what i’m going to do for rest of weekend, i really dont. Me being lazy though… wont be much.

I intend on doing some things that I haven’t done in a while, weather permitting, such as going spotting at the airport, play a heap of BF2 (maybe even buy Armoured Fury). Maybe do some baking as well and just relax!

This wednesday is gonna be a big one! Its origin night and that means… BEER!. A long night of serving beer to thousands of people. But on a better note holidays are two weeks away and I can’t wait. It’s gonna be busy but it will be a fantastic time. It will be a good time to get away, try and be myself and meet new people. I will try and update as I go along but there is no guarantee. I will keep a travel journal while im away as usual, which will go online when i get back.