So it is nearing the end of the tour. Long Island… what can I say… it was an exerpience thats for sure. The boat ride over to the island was quick so I wasn’t to worried. It was the day sail that i was worried about. Especially when the fact that they were changing from going on Camira to going on the ex Sydney to Hobart winner. Ragamuffin. That was wierding me out quite a bit having to go on a single hull boat… something i try to avoid at all possible if i cant avoid going on a boat that is.

First day I rested on Long Island. I didn’t wake up until about 11am and felt so good. Jade and Leah from Fantasea were at the bar drinking half an hour later so I joined them. I had started drinking before anyone else on that day. What a great feeling.

The sailing day was different thats for sure. After getting on a tiny boat from the dock to get over to the boat. The first thing i do onboard the boat is smack my head on the boom… how smart am I!!!

It was a new experience for me to go sailing for real. It felt good to begin with as soon as the sails went up the boat started to tilt and it really tilted, to about 45 degrees. SCARY SHIT! The port side of the boat was almost into the water but it was fun. Then we hit the water between whitehaven and hamilton and I was scared out of my mind. I’m not sure if it was pure fear or panic that drove me to just want to fly back to long… I didn’t care about the cost at that time and was adamant to fly back. But the skipper of the boat had a chat to me and after eating some lunch I had calmed down enough to brace the 20-30 mins of roughness to come home. It was pretty bad but I dealt with it and it was all ok.

On the way back we caught up to another sailing yacht and played a little prank on them by pulling up very close to their tender (rubber dinghy) and throwing a bag of rubbish into it and then pulling away. There was plenty of yells and screams backwards and forwards between the boat. I even got to stear the boat at one stage. I am sure that all will eventually be ok. I hope that i can one day get over this fear I have.

Yesterday was a long long day. From long island to Cairns. 7 hours and who knows how many kilometres. We travelled through innisfail which was a moving experience. Seeing the destructions caused by Cyclone Larry still apparent several months on just made me stop and think for a bit. Dan (the tour guide) didn’t really talk much about it but i doubt many people on the tour would of cared.

This morning I had to get up at like 3:30am to go hot air ballooning. It was such an experience. I loved it and would definately do it again. Trying to work out something to do tommorrow in Cairns. Might check out something new. I wanted to go out to do the bloomfield track but that might have to wait till next time. O well.

Current Location: Random Internet Cafe – Cairns, Qld

Fraser Island sure was an experience thats for sure. The bling party went off. I made my experience in my stupid oversized clock. It was fantastic. It was so funny when we arrived to the island we rushed down to have dinner and found out that there was like 2 other tour groups were there as well. Most of us were worried that we were gonna look like such idiots, but I didn’t care. When we got to the bar in costume it was a funny night. The clock looked so stupid i was pissing myself laughing. It was a fantastic night. We had a “boat race” against some other people in the bar and we won. A boat race is actually a sculling competition. Who can scull the beers the fastest. I didn’t drink very much but some people were drinking quite a bit.

The next morning was very early start in the cold but it turned out to be a very eventful day. I did the full day tour and I was meant to be joined by elm but things didnt quite work out. It was a bit of a shock when he didn’t arrive. I was very very dissapointed but more to that later. The full day was great with a stop at Lake Mckenzie, Central Station, The Pinnacles, Maheno Ship Wreck, Eli Creek and Stonecutters Sand Blow. It was a very bumpy ride luckily it was a 4WD bus and I didnt have to drive! The sunset was fantastic that night and that was when i finally found out what happened to Elm. Pretty much here is a little bit of what was meant to happen.

7:25 – Shuttle to Dingo Bar
8:15 – Tour departs Resort Store

Here is what actually happened for Elm according to eye witness reports.

7:00 – His Alarm Goes off
7:30 – Elm found passed out in the Female Showers
7:45 – Elm found stumbling up the hill away from the dingo bar
8:00 – Elm found lying in the dirt outside of his cabin. Returned to his bed by Grant and Alison.
8:20 – Bus comes over to Lodges to find him, no sign.. leaves without him.

That night was pretty tame, I didn’t drink at all. Yesterday was a pretty boring day, just plenty of Texas Hold’em in the back seat of the bus. Got into Rockhampton and more poker. Last night we had dinner at the Korana croc farm. Definately an experience i would recommend to everyone.

At present I am sitting in a net cafe in Airlie Beach before heading over to Long Island. Probably won’t post again till i get to Cairns as net is apparently pretty exxy on the island. For the next few days should be good. Plans for a massive poker game tommorrow on long island for a few hours and also meeting up with Jade and Leah from Fantasea. Also going on Camira the day after that for the day. Open Bar should help keep my fears at bay.

We say goodbye to Elm on Wednesday when we leave which will suck but it should be fine.

Current Location: Random Internet Cafe – Airlie Beach, Qld

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 😀

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.