Coca-cola sign, kings Cross, sydney.

Winding up the Australia leg..

Since the last full length update we've seen some amazing things and stayed in some very cool places, including the spectacular places in the Blue Mountains - try not to miss them if you ever come to Australia-as hopefully you can see from the photos (lucky for me a picture speaks a thousand etc. etc. and I don't have to bother writing about them!) We predictably have almost run out of cash though.

Dropped the van off a couple of days ago and have just been hanging out in Sydney since. We caught a ferry over to Toronga Zoo yesterday which offered some spectacular views of the harbour. At the zoo we saw the new baby elephant that was born a few weeks ago here. It was really cute. His trunk was still a bit floppy as he hadn't learnt to use it properly yet.

Last night we went to the best cinema in the world, Govinda's on Darlinghurst Road. Sam and I went the last time I was here and it is still going strong. It's run by the Hare Krishnas and has a cheap, delicious vegetarian, karma-free, buffet before you go up stairs to a small cinema with sofas and beds to watch the movie in total comfort - except if you eat to much at the buffet and feel too full to be comfortable! I learnt this lesson last time.

Today we are heading down to Paddy's Market in Haymarket and then later I'm taking Tom to for a drink on one of the liveliest streets in Sydney and gay capital of Australia, Oxford Street.

Tomorrow we fly to Aukland where we get to stay in a house! Thanks to Tom's auntie Shirleywho is very kindly putting up with us while we have a break from living in a van. In a week though we're back on the road to see what NZ has to offer....

Mr. Pelican at the zoo.

Sydney Zoo's baby elephant.

Sydney.

Sydney.

Sydney.

Yes, that is the Opera House in the distance.

From the roof of the Glenmoore Hotel. The view is better than it looks.

Jo's 'wardrobe.'

Nimbin stubby cooler.

Bloody hippies...

Carlton Draught.

Jo's cracked it. I've been trying to work out what the taste is and she's cracked it. Fags. It tastes like a can picked up at b party that has had a Fag end dunked in it. You tried to pick it out but you were too slow and now the high nasal taste of ash is every where.

Kings Cross, Sydney.

Google it...

Wentworth Falls in the sun

It was great to see further than 3 cm in front of me this time - unlike last time when we were in the clouds!

The Ashes.

It's gone strangely quiet over here...

People have such demanding sex lives over here.

Cahill's Lookout.

The Ruined Castle.

Just on the ridge is the landmark British backpacker, Jamie Neale, went to explore before he went missing for twelve days. Over here they think it's a hoax. Cynical australia thinks a pom wouldnt survive.

The Three Sisters, Katoomba, the Blue Mountains, N.S.W.

Budgewoi lake at dawn, N.S.W.

In the woods, Coopernook Forest, N.S.W.

We're on our way back to Sydney after driving us the coast as far as Byron Bay. Then we have three days to mess around in the city, back in our natural habitat, before we fly to N.Z. For a month. This picture is of a dirt track in the woods that we traversed looking for a spot to stop for lunch.

Never never land creek, N.S.W.

The most beautiful place near the coolest city, Bellingen.

Bats over Dover.

I have just seen hundreds of thousands of bats flying over my head. They were all heading towards a wood to roost. It was a thick stream that didnt appear to have an end. They looked like an armada of black B-52s heading for Nazi france.

Nimbin, N.S.W.

Hippy hell. So much incense, so little soap. Hippies, Hippy tourists, stoned backpackers, and an over saturation of street dope dealers. I was offered weed within one minute of arrival. I just want to kill a panda now to redress the balance of the world. 'dreamcatchers: they're great if your dream is to be an idiot.' Tom. P.s. I love N.S.W. Beautiful beaches, towns and woods. I could live here.

Flat Rock beach, N.S.W.

Byron Bay, N.S.W.

Jo at Byron Bay.

All our stuff, Byron Bay.

In search of warmth

We've been on the road in Australia now for 14 days and have covered a couple of thousand miles from Melbourne to Byron.

As you will have seen from the pictures we've been busy. We have a van with a bed, a fridge and cooker etc so we've just been parking up at nice places to stay overnight.

The most stunning thing I've seen I think has to be the Victorian coastline from Melbourne towards Adelaide along the Great Ocean Road. Within the 200km or so there is so much to see. It took us days to do this road as there was a lookout with an amazing view round every corner.

After The Great Ocean Road we headed east and drove along the southern coast of Victoria, stopping off at Phillip Island to see koalas and little penguins. We had to be near a pub for the St. Kilda, Geelong Aussie rules game so we stopped off at Venus Bay along the way, watching the game at a tiny pub with the local men at the bar. I had the worst cup of tea I have ever had here. After that we visited Wilson's Prom National Park. Wilson's has some great bush walking and we saw wombats there too, which was very exciting for me as I have a list of wildlife I want to see here which I am crossing off as I go. So far we've seen kangaroos, koalas, wombats, wallabies, a possum, pelicans, parrots, cockatoos and I still have duck-billed platypus to go. Not holding out much hope for that though.

On the the drive up towards sun and warmth we've eaten great oysters, seen some incredible sunrises, visited waterfalls, been up in the clouds in the mountains, found some great beaches. I also visited a place I stayed last time I came which is just like Summer Bay from Home and Away: surf club, diner, caravan park etc.

Last night we stayed in Lennox Head and this morning we've just driven to Byron Bay where the surfing world championships are taking place. It's much warmer up here - impossible to believe that this is the middle of winter!

Lake Ainsworth's water.

The oil from the hundreds of tea trees that surround the lake have stained the water red.

Lake Ainsworth

Lennox Head, N.S.W.

On the day of some kind of surf contest.

The big prawn, ballina, N.S.W.

Sugar cane country, near Grafton, N.S.W.

The big banana, N.S.W.

Why?

Seal Rocks, N.S.W.

N.S.W. Sunset.

Jo in the surf. Scott's Head, N.S.W.

Jo relaxing with a Cooper's and the papers.

Tonights camp. Budgewoi, N.S.W.

Dawn, N.S.W.

In a cloud. Wentworth falls, blue mountains.

Opera house on a grey day.

And yes, that is me.

Sydney: early morning.

The map.

Tathra

On the road.

The map room.

Koala on Phillip Island

Twelve apostles.

Triplet falls.

Erskine falls

Bells Beach, sunrise