First of all, Happy Halloween!

I arrived in Sydney after my Singapore airport experience and stupidly long airport waits on Thursday 12th. Read up on where to stay and headed for Kings Cross which was described as being the cheapest area with all the bars and clubs. This was true, it was the cheapest area, but for a reason... all the bars were empty and all the clubs were strip clubs! In the day I walked around the city and saw some of the main attractions inlcuding the Sydney Harbour Bridge and the Opera House and then booked a place to eat for Mat's 18th (the nicest place with the best view I could find!) I tried to cross the road and confused as to which way the trafiic was now coming from looked the wrong way and nearly got run over! And I soon realised half the population of Sydney is actually Asian, didn't really feel like I'd left Bangkok! I went out around the area in the eveving and tried (without success) to find an OK looking bar and also tried to avoid the 60 year old prostitutes. Mat arrived the next day, Friday 13th (unlucky for some?); I waited for him in reception and he finally turned up about an hour late! Checked him in via the ever helpful fat Barry (40 stone man at reception) and we walked through Hyde Park, into the city centre. We decided to go up the Sky Tower as it was the perfect day for it. Enjoyed the 360 degree views and before we knew it it was dark. We walked over to Darling Harbour which is really beautifully lit up at night with all the restaurant's and boats. Had something to eat there and went to bed quite early.

We checked out the next morning and got a train into the centre to find a hostel I had been recommended. We checked in with perfect timing to leave for the free BBQ on Coogee beach. About 30 of us got on the bus to go there, which didn't impress the old lady driver very much who started shouting at people - "GIVE ME THAT" "STAND OVER THERE" but it was funny! Everyone went and bought some beers once we got there and after waiting for a free BBQ we were at the beach drinking beer, eating burgers and playing football in a heat-wave of 37 degrees... what a life! Went for my first Australian sea swim and was shocked by how freezing the water here is. But soon forgot about that as I was hit by the first wave! I walked up the cliff for an endless view out to sea.

That night I went out with three new friends and Mat stayed in (still 17!) We went to the first bar which had free beer from 9-10pm so naturally drank as fast as possible like everyone else there! I lost one friend so stuck with the other two, we stayed in the same place for a while and when we moved to the next bar I found the other friend again. So stayed with him then I lost the other two! I left that place after a while and went down to the harbour but all the bouncers were idiots, not letting me in because my shoes weren't nice enough or because they didn't believe it was my passport - what?!

We slept in the next day and woke to crap weather the complete opposite of the heat-wave just two days ago. We decided to go to Bondi Beach anyway, where we had pies and cake for lunch before heading down to the beach to watch the surfers. The bad weather meant good surf so there were loads out. After that we went up to the skatepark for a while, there was one pretty good guy who did a good job of entertaining us.

The next day was Mat's 18th birthday! I gave him his presents in the morning, and we went sightseeing in the day - he hadn't seen the two main attractions yet. We walked through a park and realised Australian's are fitness freaks; all of them were running, cycling, boxing, doing yoga - anything and everything. Once we got to the end of the park we were able to see the Opera House and the Harbour Bridge together so got some photo's there. We carried on walking round right up to the Opera House and went inside quickly. We went back and got ready to go out, I didn't tell him where we were going to try and make it exciting! Got the bus to the Quay and walked all the way around to the restaurant which had a perfect view of the Opera House. He had steak and I had a burger, probably the best burger I've ever had and the best meal I've had since I left home - well worth the money. More importantly Mat had his first legal beer! Afterwards we went to a bar in town, there was a big queue outside to get in but after some reasoning with the bouncer once or twice I managed to get us to skip the queue. It was too busy really (hence the queue) so we just stayed for a couple of beers.

The next day we flew up to Brisbane and checked into a place we had found recommended by the Lonely Planet. We went out for a walk (always the first thing I do when arriving in a new place as I'm sure you've caught on!) and when we got back to the place our one room-mate was there. He was a guy in his 30's, said he was a car salesman and in-between moving houses. He didn't seem to like having room-mates, and suggested a place that he thought would be better for us to stay. I gave them a ring but they were $7 more a night so told him it was too much. He then offered us the $7 a night each to go there, and he would drive us there. We said no, so he said he'd double it and round it up. So he paid us $60 to go and stay somewhere else, and drove us there! We were a bit confused by the whole situation and why he wanted to get rid of us so much, so I put my pen knife in my pocket just in case! Anyway, everything went smoothly and it turned out to be a much better place. I was sat reading my Lonely Planet in the corridor at night and two Irish guys came back to their room, next door to mine, so I chatted with them for a bit.

In the day we went up a mountain to look out over the whole of Brisbane and its surrounds and saw our first bush fire! In the evening we went to a rock climbing club. It was an outdoor natural rock face next to the river; we started off on easy routes then they got more challenging and by the end we were both pretty nackered! We went out in the evening to the bar below the hostel, 'Down and Under' - it was a pretty cool place and we went upstairs to sleep late after the wet t-shirt competition!

Next we got the train and bus down to Surfers Paradise. When we arrived in the transit centre we were picked up by the hostel's courtesy vehicle... a limo! We somehow didn't realise until we were told on the third day that the hostel was a gay one, oops! Spent the first half day walking around, enjoying the atmosphere of the Indy 300 (big car racing festival). There were lots of people around, all drinking beer, and we bought our tickets to go the next day. At 7 that evening a load of the cars from the Indy plus some extras drove through the streets so we went to watch. I went out that night with a big group from the hostel, but Mat stayed in. I drank 'goon' (Australian word for wine in a box) before with a group of Irish and Canadian's, then we all got into a club for free with free drink(s). All the Indy girls were there in their bikini's etc and I had a really good time with the guys from before and two Swedish girls I met in the club.

So, the Indy 300... such an amazing day! The track for the races is on the streets of Surfers Paradise and is about 4km long. The streets are closed for setting up 3 months before the races start!! But despite this and everything else that results from it, the locals like it as much as the 400,000 people who visit just for a day each day! We walked down in time for the second race at 11am; there were about 10 races in the day in total with different cars. There were champ cars, V8 utes (utility pick-ups), V8 supercars and Porsche's, each went a couple of times. There were a couple of crashes, one quite bad one in a Porsch race but luckily no injuries. We watched from different places each time; on a big U-turn, a chicane, a corner, a straight... all were amazing! In the middle of the track are all the food stands, cars set up for show, promotions, and a lot of Indy girls! The track was surrounded by sky-rise hotels, in every one the people sit on their balconies and watch the Indy for free! A lot of them get strippers on their balconies too so every now and then when walking along you see a mass of male heads looking up and you know why! The whole day had such a good atmosphere, and it was the perfect sunny day to go. In the evening was a show with V8's doing burnouts and donuts, motorbike stunts with big wheelies (including no handed, somehow!?), burnouts and stoppies, a motocross ramp, drag motorbikes and the finale was a real dragster which was the loudest thing ever! We went on the right day, it was cheaper than the weekend days, we got more races, it was the sunniest day, and none of the other days had the evening show. If you ever have the chance, go! When I got back to the hostel all my mates were drinking so I joined in and we went in the swimming pool. Security came out after 5 minutes but in stead of making us get out just took their clothes of and jumped in themselves!?

After a nice lie-in we caught a bus to nearby Burleigh Heads which is supposed to be a big surfing spot, but we got there and no-one was surfing. So we walked down to Nobby Beach in stead! When we got back we decided to go for a surfing lesson. We were with a bunch of retards who either didn't understand English or were just plain stupid, which in turn pissed off the instructor quite a bit. At one point just me and Mat were with him and he said "Okay now boys, we're just gonna watch some other people for a minute, see if we can learn anything from it..." at which point 3 Swedish guys tried to catch a wave, cue the instructors reaction... "OH MY GOD BOYS, THAT'S F!?#&*G HORRIBLE!" Me and Mat did okay though, managing to stand up a few times. When we got back I spent some time in the hostel's jacuzzi! Then went out with Mat in the evening to the same place as the first night as we had free entry and drinks again. The Indy girls were there again, doing some kind of dress up competition.

Got the bus down to Byron Bay the next morning, a small, really cool surfer town with a little hippy influence. Spend our first half day on the beach wit bodyboards and in the town. The next morning we woke early so Mat could do a skydive! Would have liked to join him but need to save the money and do it in New Zealand. The advantage however was I was able to get some pictures of him parachuting down. Afterwards we walked up a small mountain to a lighthouse, but gave up when reaching a nice viewpoint about 2/3 of the way. We watched some surfing from here, some were quite good and the waves were quite big. Found out that evening we were staying in the same place as the two Swedish girls from Surfers. Then in the evening the Irish guys who were staying in the room next door to us in Brisbane checked into our room - really is a small world! One of them had broken his arm, by falling off the third floor balcony in the place we were staying! Me and Mat couldn't believe it, he was lucky to land on an awning and not the floor otherwise probably would have broken his back or worse :-s In the evening I went out with the Swedish girls to a place called Cheeky Monkey's, think it's fair to say if you've been to Australia you've been to Cheeky Monkey's. Cheap food to start off the evening, then lots of drinking ending with everyone dancing on the tables!

We rented a surfboard on the morning of the next day, but didn't keep it long because the waves were crap and we weren't getting anywhere. We flew to Melbourne in the evening arriving at our hotel at about 2am. We had to catch a bus from the airport to the city centre which was a rip-off and dropped us in the middle of nowhere so we had to walk for over half an hour with our bags.

We started off by doing some cultural stuff, going to the Parliament House, the Town Hall, a cathedral, a photography display... then balanced it out by going to the casino! This is where we spent a bit of time through not being able to find much else to do here! It's also where I both won and lost the most money I've ever won or lost... but I'm still up so it's all good.
One half day trip we did do was the Neighbours tour! On the drive there the guide points out some filming spots, then you pull into 'Pin Oak Court' or Ramsay Street as it's better known. I didn't realise it's a real place that's lived in, filming just takes place 2 days a week for all the outside shots when the residents have to keep their curtains shut! It's all quite clever and a lot of film trickery is used. We took some funny photos with the Ramsay Street sign then I ran away with it :-D After we went to Erinsborough High School, which is also actually a real school but not called that - they just hang up a sign out the front!

That evening we followed some girls to an underground bar, we had to walk down dodgy alleyways to get there. It was a cool place, an old school turned into a bar - they still have school related stuff in there for a theme. Shame it wasn't very busy though, unsuprisingly considering its location.

Mat left the day before yesterday. I walked with him to his bus, then walked around taking some photo's. Yesterday I booked my bus ticket up the East Coast and a couple of tours then spent ages on the internet doing this and some other bits. Went out last night and bumped into the people working here that I'd booked the tour with so hung out with them and their friends. Had a cool night, there was a good live band doing covers. Think I'm leaving Melbourne this afternoon but not sure yet... or where I'm going!

I'll give you a chance to read this then I've got all the Australia photo's ready for uploading... :-)